In the Emperor's palace, the Emperor Belos sat on his ginormous throne absorbing the life force of a fish Palisman.
"Uh…." Belos groaned as he sustained his body. "Any reports on Malsacc or Hunter?"
"Sir, they haven't reported back." One of his soldiers replied. "But apparently, the Golden Guard fell to his death."
"What?!" Belos exclaimed as he stood up from his throne room.
"That's what we thought until…."
"Hello?!" Interjected the voice of King Andrias, whom was being projected on to the robot Belos kept in his throne room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"You kind of are." The emperor's soldier informed the king.
"Ah, I don't care. So, have you found my box?"
Belos sighed. "I have not. But I have lost something more valuable."
"What? Your slippers? Because if you want my opinion, you could use some. Those boots look extremely uncomfortable."
Belos narrowed his eyes at the newt king before turning to his guards. "Leave us be. I wish to chat to this insufferable newt in private."
"Well, I've been called worse." Andrias said while the soldiers leave the throne room.
Belos got off his seat, approached the holographic projection and stare down at it. "I lost something valuable and it's not as insignificant as slippers. But something, more irreplaceable. A life."
Andrias, instead of mocking the emperor stared at him rather sympathetically. "Yeah. I understand what you mean."
"That person, was my nephew, Hunter." Belos explained. "Hunter Wittlebane."
Andrias gasped before he realised something. "Wait, that name means nothing to me why am I gasping?"
"I don't have the answers for that." Belos replied.
"Sooo, what do you even want the box for? If I recall, you have a door that can travel from here to the human realm that you can control. Whereas the box is unpredictable. It'll take you forever to keep it under control."
"It is plan B." Belos replied. "And I do have to agree with you, I have no idea how to control the box. It could take me anywhere, but not my destination."
"But why do you wish to travel to Earth? Is it to conquer? Because that's my territory pal."
"Oh no, you can invade the Human Realm when the Demon Realm merges with it." Belos assured him.
Andrias stared at Belos like he was crazy. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Perhaps I haven't given my plan much clarity." Belos said. "I am intending to merge the Human and Demon Realm into one realm so the Titan can bring Unity to both worlds."
"I don't know." An unsure Andrias responded. "That sounds like they are intending to conquer them both. I mean, he could at least go with two more or three more. I mean, couldn't they make it bigger."
"Titan does not intend conquest, they intend Unity." Belos explained. "Ever since I met them. Many years ago, way before I came to the Demon Realm, I was a man known as John Wittlebane. Me and my brother Phillip were governors in a town called Salem. In 1692 there were many reports of disturbing things. Young girls getting ill, a small pox epidemic and a threat of attack from native tribes. It was our belief, that it was the work of witchcraft. We killed many humans were stupidly accused of witchcraft. Hanging, death in prison and we even crushed a guy. But in early 1693, the trials died down simply because everyone was sick and tired of them. But me and Phillip believed that what they were doing was wrong. Who knows what could happen if we stopped? Me and Phillip left Salem so we could find witches and kill them. We travelled around America to find any sign of life. Every town that was hit with an epidemic, every tribal attacks and even every abnormal thing in an undiscovered area in Oregon, but none of them had any connection to witches."
Andrias, whom was really invested in the story, had one of his newt minions pour him a cup of fly tea.
"A year later, we decided to check unmarked territories after finding weird things in Oregon. We went to an unmarked territory in Connecticut where we found the one thing we were looking for, a witch. This witch was using its magic to heal an injured tribe, who saw it only as a healer as opposed to a threat. But me and my brother never saw that witch as a healer, we only saw it as a threat. Me and Phillip charged at the witch, but it threw some kind of gaseous stuff and we were suddenly in the Boiling Isles. Me and Phillip were confused by our new surroundings and were almost killed by a demon, but the witch who sent us there saved our lives and showed us their world. Me and Phillip were amazed by the world but what we wanted to discover were both different. Phillip wanted to only explore the world we were in, studying every grass, tree and hill. While I, wanted to learn the magic the realms had to offer."
"Sounds like Marcy would have loved this world." Andrias remarked. "She even taught me some card tricks." Andrias flicked his hand and nothing happened. "Oh shoot. Don't have them."
"We lived in the Isles for some time before we realised that we needed a way back home. The herbs that the witch known as Baron Gravesfield used to bring us here were destroyed by a fire a few months prior. So, we were stuck here but Phillip managed to find a way. He discovered that the Titan's blood could anyone anywhere in-between the Demon Realm and whatever other Realm. I tried inventing a door to the Human Realm so I could feel rain that doesn't burn. But instead, I ended up in a world in-between where I could only communicate through the mirrors. But my time in the mirror dimension was where I met the Titan. Once I was out, we began to communicate while Phillip built his portal to the Human Realm me and the Titan spoke. I told him about the Human Realm and Titan was so intrigued, he wish he could bring the world's together. I had no power to do that, neither did the Titan and neither did Phillip. Once Phillip built the portal, I stayed in on the Boiling Isles to learn more from the Titan whilst he named that unmarked area in Connecticut, Gravesfield in 1695. During Phillip's absence, the Titan was displeased about how free and diverse the magic was. He felt it would cause chaos. It needs order, it needs a leader, it needed a monarch. I tried spreading the good word of the Titan, but nobody took me seriously until the Titan granted me what I desired, magic. On that day, I became the leader of the Boiling Isles. Killing any wild witch that got in my way and petrifying Gravesfield as punishment. We established many during the beginnings of my reign as Emperor. I established the main Coven system so no diverse magic will exist, I organised the Emperor's Coven and I gained my Palisman. Ten years of my reign passed and Phillip visited and saw the work I achieved. He wasn't too pleased with what I did. Titan did not care about Phillip's opinion, he only wanted the door. He realised that this was one of the ways the Human Realm and the Demon Realm could unite and be one. When I told Phillip of my plan, he was not too pleased about it and ran off. I chased after him, but he got away along with the door. I failed to search for Phillip and the door for nine weeks straight, but I could never find him. And as punishment for failure to bring Phillip alive, the Titan cursed me."
"That's not good. What did he curse you with?" Andrias asked.
"With this." Belos replied before removing his helmet to reveal his face. Andrias squinted as he tried to understand what was wrong with him. Because besides looking like he was slapped by an octopus, he looked fine.
"I don't know. You look really amazing for a 400 year old man. I mean that hair. You got any beauty tips?"
Belos chuckled. "You're compliment is flattering but the curse is worse. Every day, I feel my body is tearing me apart. It's as if a beast was trying to burst out of my body and the only way to control it, was the souls of Palisman. Around 308 years later, I tracked down Phillip's descendants and the Titan needed them alive. But when I got there, I was too late. The town where my brother lived the rest of his life, was destroyed. Turns out a fire bee infestation got really out of hand, leaving no survivors except for one. It was a newborn baby who was crying for their parents but I knew their only family, besides me was dead. Kikimora suggested that I leave the baby, but Titan knew he was special and requested him alive. I took him in and raised him like he was my own. I trained him, I prepared him and I made sure he never fell out of line. The Titan needs my nephew, Hunter, because the Titan needs a host."
"And you aren't good enough?" Andrias asked. "If not a human turned witch, then why not a witch? Or a human? Or a demon? Why a part human part witch?"
"Titan needs the body of someone young, someone of a bizarre nature, he believes they're powerful at that age." Belos explained.
Instead of questioning him, Andrias looked to his right since the last part about a demon essentially possessing a young child hit too close to home with him.
"You seem guilty." Belos remarked. "Did something happen similar to my story?"
"If your Titan possesses that boy, it will not end well."
"We shall see." Belos said.
Just then, Kikimora burst in. "My liege, report from the Knee. We have captured the newt that caused property damage to Blight manor and Malsacc."
"And Hunter?"
"Hunter is alive." Kikimora replied. "Malsacc informed me that Hunter has joined the humans and left with the box."
Belos seemed disappointed but he knew his nephew would need him. "And Malsacc?"
"Malsacc's alive." Kikimora replied. "He lost his mind reading hand and got stabbed through the chest, thank the Titan he's alive."
"Would you happen to still have his hand?" Belos asked.
"I have always wanted to weaponise it, my liege." Kikimora replied. "Of course I have."
Belos got off his seat and out his mask back on. "Andrias, I wish you luck on your quest."
"Yeah, so do I." Andrias reluctantly replied before hanging up his call.
Back in Amphibia, Andrias sat on his throne, contemplating what he is doing. He knows he wants to conquer worlds, but was torturing a child the best way to do it?
"You look regretful." Said a voice that made Andrias shiver. He turned around and saw his master, The Core in Marcy's body, smiling. "Remember what we said, Andrias."
"Our deal will suffice." Andrias assured his master. "A witch and his god will never get in our way."
"They better not." Darcy replied. "Because I was beginning to like Belos. I was intending to kill him last."
Andrias looked away from his master and started to think back about Marcy and what he did to make sure his plans come to fruition.