Chapter 10

Luz stepped into the kitchen, carrying a large, mostly empty bowl in each hand. She and her guests had worked their way through most of the snacks that she had set out and it was time to get more. At the moment they were in the middle of a game of charades, playing in teams of two. So while everyone was struggling not to laugh at Boscha's poor attempts to guess what Willow was acting out, Luz had decided to make use of the time to fetch more food.

Setting the bowls onto the counter, Luz started to refill them with potato chips and cheese curls. She went a little heavier on the latter since King had easily devoured more than half of the first bowl by himself. It was a good thing she had gotten an extra bag of those when she had done her shopping, otherwise they'd run out far too soon. It was about to get dark, but Luz had no intentions of letting the party end any time soon.

Just as she was about to return to the party with the refill of snacks, Hooty came bursting in through the back door. The sudden entrance startled Luz, nearly making her drop the snack bowls. Hooty stretched himself up to her, oblivious to how badly he had surprised her.

"Hey Luz, what's your policy on party crashers?" He asked.

"A party crasher?" Luz asked. "Um, I dunno. I didn't think anyone would try to crash the party. Anyone who knew about it is already here. Who is it?"

"Some moody blonde boy with an annoying voice. He was wearing a gold helmet, so I took it off." Hooty replied. "I caught him sneaking around outside. What should we do with him?" He asked, wincing a little. "I think he's trying to bite me right now."

"That's Hunter." Luz said, then taking a moment to think. "Could you just hold onto him for a little longer? I'll go out to talk to him. But first I want to let the others know that I'll be stepping out for a minute."

Hooty nodded and left the way he came. Luz hurried back into the living room to drop off the snacks and excuse herself. She planned to just say that needing to run back to the human realm for something she had forgotten. With any luck, she could deal with the situation and be back nice and quick.

She stepped into the living room and went over to Amity, tapping her on the shoulder. Amity smiled at her and helped herself to a handful of the chips from the bowl in Luz's hands. Luz leaned down to whisper to her, trying to not get distracted by Edric's attempt to imitate some sort of animal.

"Hey, Am-Am. I'm gonna step out for an itty bit, okay? I forgot something at home."

"Alright. Just don't take too long. Our turn is going to be soon." Amity replied.

With a smile and a nod, Luz stepped away from her girlfriend. She set the snacks down and rushed out the door. Hooty's tubular body was stretched far out into the woods in front of the house. She found him, still coiled around Hunter, far enough away from the house that it was no longer in sight. The moment she arrived, Hunter began to thrash in Hooty's grasp.

"I knew you were back on the Isles!" Hunter spat, glaring at her. "So you did manage to make a new portal! You're giving it to me right now!"

"Well that's a nice way to say 'hello'." Luz commented flatly. "Sorry to tell you this, but that's not happening."

"If you know what's good for you, then you will! Now give me that portal, or else!"

"You aren't in any position to be making threats, buddy. Now you listen to me. I'm in a good mood and back in my realm, it's a major holiday right now. So in the spirit of the season, I'll let you go peacefully. But only this once, okay? Try anything funny and you're gonna get decked in the halls."

"I have no idea what that means. But I'm not just going to leave because you want to be nice!" He replied, starting to thrash more violently. "I'm getting that portal no matter what!"

Hooty constricted himself more tightly around Hunter, restraining his movements. Hunter didn't give up however and continued to thrash until he had managed to wear himself down a bit. Then to Luz's complete surprise he let out a sob. He began crying, his head hanging down to the point his face was almost resting on Hooty's body.

"Are… are you alright?" Luz asked.

"I can't fail him again. Not this time." Hunter said, more to himself than to Luz.

"Hey… um, I know it's not really my business because he's your family and everything, but you shouldn't worry so much. Just because you fail doesn't mean he doesn't care about you anymore. I mean, he can't exactly say he hasn't failed himself."

"That isn't the problem!" Hunter spat in reply, lifting his head to glare at her. "My uncle is dying."

"What?!"

"His condition has gotten so much worse. He hasn't been out of his chambers for over a month now." Hunter continued. "All he wants anymore is to just see the Human Realm once before he runs out of time. So just give me that stupid portal!"

Hunter choked out another sob, letting his head hang again. Luz watched the display, having a hard time comprehending what was going on. She didn't want to think Hunter was trying to deceive her, but at the same time, felt like this was a trick. For all she knew, he was just acting. Although the tears were pretty convincing.

"What condition?" She asked, looking at him suspiciously. "And why does he want to see the Human Realm so badly?"

"He… he just needs to, okay? It's personal business and he wouldn't want me to tell anyone." Hunter replied softly. "Please, Luz… I swear he isn't going to anything. Just let him use the portal… please."

Luz stepped closer, crouching down a little to look the boy in the eyes. "Okay. Hooty, let him go."

"If you say so." Hooty replied, uncoiling himself.

"Alright, here's what's gonna happen." Luz said. "I'll bring you and Belos to the Human Realm. But if I see anyone else, then it's no deal. I won't open the portal unless it's just the three of us, got it?"

"Really?" Hunter stared at her in disbelief. "You're just going to let us use it?"

"No, I'm going to use it and allow you through. But no funny business. Okay?"

Hunter nodded and Luz let him leave to get Emperor Belos. Then she hurried back to the Owl House and rushed inside. She grabbed the portal case and made a hasty turn to rush back out, running into Amity just before she got to the door.

"Luz, what is going on? I thought you said that you were heading back home." Amity said, crossing her arms. "Why were you outside instead?"

"I… uh, forgot to…" Luz began, trailing off and letting out a sigh. "Amity, I need you to promise to not be mad with me, but I'm probably about to do something stupid again."

"What do you mean?"

"If I told you, then you'd stop me. So please just trust me with this, okay? But I promise that I will let you know if I need help." She said, pointing to her new pendant. "I'll contact Eda if I get into any trouble."

Amity sighed and gave her girlfriend a worried look as she stepped aside. "I hope you know what you're doing, Luz."

"Yeah, me too." Luz muttered as she went back out the door.

She went outside and went to the edge of the woods again. Taking out the key, she unlocked the portal and crossed over, closing the portal and grabbing her winter coat. She relocated the portal back to the old house, as a precaution. Then Luz returned to the Demon Realm again and hid the key away until she knew for certain whether or not it was safe to trust Hunter. A part of her still had strong doubts about all of this, but for the most part she couldn't stop thinking of how miserable the boy had been earlier.

Moving quickly, Luz returned to the spot where she had spoken with Hunter. After a little wait, she spotted something up in the sky, through the trees. Hunter was returning on his artificial staff, with Belos riding along with him. She was a little confused as to why the much more powerful witch would need someone to fly him, but soon got her answer not long after they landed nearby.

Belos was limping as he approached, leaning on his staff for support. Hunter stayed close to his uncle's side, watching him warily in case he lost balance. Even while he was still a good distance away, Luz could hear how labored the Emperor's breathing was, a nasty rasping noise sounding each time he inhaled. Luz felt any remaining doubts vanish as she witnessed the now decrepit monarch nearly stumble closer. Her past encounters with Belos were forgotten as she hurried over, sharing Hunter's concern for the older witch.

"Do you believe me now?" Hunter asked spitefully as he saw the look on Luz's face.

"That's enough, Hunter." Belos wheezed, his voice weak. "My condition is not her fault."

"But she destroyed the portal! Twice!" Hunter replied. "The Day of Unity was ruined because of her and the Owl Lady!"

"The Day of Unity didn't need to be a specific day. I picked that date for my own selfish reasons." Belos explained. "Everything I planned for the Day of Unity can still come to pass. It will just be a bit later than I would have wanted. I'm trusting you to help make my visions a reality, Hunter."

Hunter said nothing in reply. He simply nodded, a lone tear streaming down his face. Belos turned his attention to Luz. Reaching up with a very shaky hand, he removed his mask. Luz was unable to keep herself from gasping at the sight of his real face. Belos was ghostly pale, his eyes sunken with numerous dark rings beneath them. With his mask gone, his breathing sounded worse than it did before, painfully so in fact.

"Human… no, wait. Luz… that is your name, correct?" He asked.

Luz nodded. "Uh-huh. Luz Noceda."

"Tell me, Luz Noceda. Does the portal really lead to Gravesfield?"

"Yeah, it can." Luz answered, looking a bit surprised. "That's my hometown."

Belos let out a relieved sigh, or more accurately a wheeze. "Thank the Titan. And do you know of an old cemetery in Gravesfield? One which has graves that date back to the sixteen hundreds?"

"There's one near the Historical Society. I've walked past it when I go to school."

"Take me there, please." Belos implored.

He went to take another step, but almost lost his balance again. Hunter managed to catch him before he could fall and supported him, slinging Belos's left arm over his shoulders. Luz watched as the two continued onwards, her eyes widening as she got an idea. She brought out a few of the glyphs she had prepared. Selecting a couple of plant glyphs, she invoked them. Thick branches sprouted out, shaping into a pair of crutches.

"Wait a sec!" She called out, grabbing her creations and carrying them over to the two witches. 'Um, here your emperorship. Will these help?"

Belos chuckled. "My legs aren't broken, dear child. But I appreciate the gesture."

"Uncle, please try." Hunter requested.

"Very well." Belos said with a sigh. "Let me have them then."

Luz gave her makeshift crutches to Belos. He fumbled a little with them at first, handing over his staff and mask to Hunter. Once he got adjusted to them, Belos took a cautious step forward. Then another, followed by moving the crutches forward together at once. He repeated the motions a second time through, slowing to a stop and glancing back at the two teenagers.

"This will suffice. Thank you, Luz." He said before facing forward again and continuing to walk. "Now let's be on our way. I haven't much time left."

Belos advanced into the woods, heading in the direction of the Owl House. Hunter went to follow, but Luz took hold of his wrist, stopping him. She still had an uneasy feeling about all of this, but now it was for a different reason.

"What did he mean by that?" She asked, a sense of dread welling up in her gut.

"I already told you." Hunter replied, a mild venom in his tone. "He's dying."

Hunter pulled his wrist free and ran to catch up with his uncle. Luz stared in a stunned silence for a moment before racing to catch up. The last thing she needed was for the other two to arrive at their destination and be seen by someone else. As it was she was already enduring some very conflicting emotions. She didn't need to deal with any sudden confrontations on top of that.

As they reached the edge of the forest around Eda's property, Luz asked Belos and Hunter to wait. She hurried up to the door and retrieved the portal key from Hooty, how had swallowed it under her instruction. Grimacing as the bile coated object landed in her hand, she uttered out a quick thanks before rejoining the male witches. Heading back to into the trees a bit, she used the key to summon the portal and then opened it, revealing a snow covered forest on the other side.

"Um, emperors first?" Luz offered, gesturing to the portal. "Just mind your step. It's gonna be a little slippery."

Emperor Belos hobbled forward, passing through the portal into the Human Realm. He smiled a little at the sight of the quiet woods, the stars in the night sky overhead and even his own breath as it met the cold air. Hunter stepped in behind him, shocked at the drastic change in temperature. He was used to how it could be chilly at night, but never as much as it was in those woods. As he saw his own breath rising up in front of his face, he looked up to his uncle who met his gaze with a warmth he had not seen since he was younger.

"It's beautiful isn't it, Hunter?" Belos asked.

"Yes it is." Hunter replied. "I can't believe I'm finally seeing it."

"I'm glad that I got to share your first moments here with you." Belos told him, placing his hand onto Hunter's shoulder. "It brings me comfort to have you here with me too, given the circumstances."

Suddenly Belos began coughing. The noise escalated a bit into a nasty fit that made him hunch over as he waited for it to end. When it finally did come to a stop, Belos pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth. Both Hunter and Luz were horrified to see a bit of blood staining the cloth before Belos put it away again.

Not one to be hindered by his poor health, Belos began moving forward again. Hunter kept close to his side and Luz moved around them to take the lead. It wasn't long before the back of her house came into view, a nervous feeling creeping up within her as she remembered that Vee was still in hiding from the Emperor. To her relief, it was so dark out that there wasn't anyone to be seen outside unless you counted the occasional car passing by on the road. They were past her house and headed down to the street corner where Luz turned right and brought them towards their destination.

As the sight of the old Gravesfield Cemetery came into view, Belos began to quicken his pace. There was a patch of ice on the sidewalk that he didn't notice in his hurry and he slipped, landing on his back with a pained cry which let into another small coughing fit. The two teens rushed to his aid, helping him hack onto his feet and wincing as he saw a trickle of blood from the corner of his uncle's mouth.

Despite his fall, Belos kept going. Fueled by determination, he reached the gates to the cemetery and stepped within its boundaries. With both Hunter and Luz close by, keeping a cautious eye on him, Belos began checking the graves. Their markers were worn and coated in moss, some even badly cracked. Fortunately many of them were still legible, the names of the deceased labeling them well enough to keep Belos's search from being difficult. Luz started to check the names as well, curious as to what the Emperor could be looking for among the graves. Hunter must've been doing the same as he saw something and hurried ahead.

"Uncle, over this way!" He called as he ran.

Belos began heading towards Hunter, who had stopped by one of the headstones. Luz kept by Belos's side for his safety, her worries for her former enemy still strong as she noticed he was breathing much more heavily than he had been earlier. It wasn't until they got to where Hunter was waiting for them that she noticed the name engraved on the marker, her mouth dropping open when she saw etched there.

Here Lies Philip Wittebane.

"Hello Grandfather." Belos said, further adding to Luz's surprise. "I'm Matthew Belos, your descendant from the Boiling Isles. I have brought someone here for you. Your younger brother, Alex. Hunter, the urn."

Hunter opened his bag, fumbling a little with his uncle's staff and mask. Luz took them off of his hands to help him while he took out a ceremonial urn which had been wrapped in a cloth. He brought it to Belos and then stepped back, grabbing Luz by the arm and dragging her further away so his uncle could have a little privacy. Luz took advantage of that to address the recent and shocking revelation.

"Did he say 'grandfather'?!" She exclaimed, barely managing to keep her voice down. "The two of you are Philip Wittebane's grandkids?!"

"Yes, we descended from the Wittebane brothers, who got trapped in the Demon Realm centuries ago." Hunter told her. "My great-great-great… uh, my ancestor Alex Wittebane got left behind after Philip made a portal home. He thought it had been destroyed and wasn't able to create a new one. But my uncle learned that the same portal had been found by the Owl Lady and she had been using it for years."

"Wait, so was the whole reason that Belos wanted to have the portal so badly just so he could bring Alex's ashes back? " Luz asked. "Then what was the Day of Unity all about?"

"There were plans to use the portal on a grander scale." Hunter admitted. "I don't know all of the details of what my uncle wanted to do. But I do know that the Day of Unity was meant to be on the same day that Alex Wittebane was born. It was his final wish to have his ashes brought back to the cemetery so he could be reunited with his brother and the rest of their family."

Luz let his words sink in, tears welling up in her eyes. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that Belos had such a touching goal mixed in among his otherwise sinister plans. Sure, there was still a lot she didn't know regarding the matter and odds were that she'd never know it all. The only thing that she knew for certain about everything she had just learned was that her opinion of Belos was shifting. It was almost hard to believe that he was the same person who had ordered Eda to be petrified.

Over by the grave, Belos managed to kneel down, setting his crutches aside. He looked over at the two teens, gesturing for Hunter to join him. Hunter didn't hesitate, kneeling beside his uncle in the snow. Luz let them be, not wanting to intrude on their moment. It became difficult for her not to overhear them after a minute though as Hunter began speaking more loudly. He almost sounded as if he was about to cry again.

"Uncle, please don't talk like that."

"Hunter, this needs to be done. I know it can't be easy for you. But it isn't as though there is much choice in the matter." Belos told him firmly. He turned and looked at Luz, beckoning her over. "Please, come closer. We need a witness for what is about to happen."

"Um, okay." Luz replied, stepping closer. "What am I supposed to do? Just stand here?"

Belos nodded. "We only need to have someone see and hear what I am about to say."

"Oh, wait. I have an idea." Luz said, pulling out her phone. "I can record it all with this. Would that be alright?"

"Yes, that would be acceptable." Belos answered. "Thank you, Luz."

Luz activated the camera on her phone and set it to record video. She made sure she had a good shot of Belos and Hunter, having to move to the side a bit to get a better angle. Once she was sure she had it as best she could, she nodded to the emperor.

"Hunter… you are a bright, talented witchling with immeasurable potential." Belos began. "Even if you and I weren't blood relatives, you would be more than suitable to be my successor to the title of emperor. Upon my passing, you will inherit the throne and be the next Emperor of the Boiling Isles."

He glanced at Luz and gave her a nod, signaling he was done. Luz stopped recording and put her phone away. Belos then returned his attention to Hunter, reaching out to place both hands onto his nephew's shoulders.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is of the utmost importance, Hunter." Belos continued. "When you get back to my chambers, there is a loose floor tile beneath my bed. Under that is a box containing my private journal containing everything I've planned for the Day of Unity. Keep it safe and trust no one else with it. Can you promise me that?"

"I'll keep it safe… but what am I supposed to do with it?" Hunter asked.

"Do your best." Belos replied, pulling Hunter slowly into an embrace. "You're going to make a fine emperor, Hunter. I just know it. And so does the Titan."

Hunter sniffled and hugged his uncle back. He was dealing with so many strong emotions at the moment that he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Belos leaned away suddenly, turning as he once again entered a coughing fit. This one was worse than the ones which had come before and he started to wheeze between coughs. Then he drew in a long breath as the coughing ended and he slumped back against the grave of his ancestor.

Belos tried to sit up, but couldn't find the strength. Hunter moved closer to him and Belos lifted his hand, reaching for his nephew's face. It fell down into the snow and Hunter lifted it up, holding it with both of his hands. A weak smile came to Belos's face as he looked at Hunter. He tried to speak again, but no words came out. Then the light slowly faded from his eyes and he let out one final breath, his head sagging to the side against the gravestone.

"Uncle?" Hunter whispered, his voice ripe with dread. "Uncle, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Not a word, no movement at all either. Belos was silent and still. Hunter shook his head, starting to whimper. Then he began to sob, the noise filling the cemetery.

Luz didn't know what to do. She had to get help, but she didn't want to leave Hunter by himself. Not that he seemed like he'd willingly leave his uncle's side. Even if she could get him to move, the idea of leaving Belos lying against the grave seemed far too unpleasant for her to do. She'd have to call for help, but had no idea of how to explain any of this to her mother. But she needed a way to get in contact with Eda…

Suddenly Luz remembered that she could contact Eda, her hand patting her chest where her new pendant was blanketed by her winter coat. She unzipped her coat enough to grasp the gem directly and closed her eyes. It was a little difficult to focus with Hunter crying nearby, but she managed.

'Eda! Eda! Please answer! Eda!'

'Whoa, easy there kid. I can hear you. What's going on? You sound like you're freaking out. Is everything okay?'

'No. Something big just happened. I promise to explain everything later. Just come to the Human Realm, to the old cemetery in my town as fast as you can.'

'The cemetery? Luz, what are you doing there?'

'I don't know if you'd believe me without seeing it for yourself.'

'Try me, kid.'

Doing her best to keep it brief, Luz gave Eda a rundown of the events that had occurred since she had left the party. There were a few moments where Eda interrupted, Luz needing to insist she be allowed to finish. But the biggest moment was after Luz informed her of the recent passing of Belos. There was no response at all, only silence that went on for almost a minute, Luz trying to contact her mentor. She finally got a reply, Eda simply letting her know that she was on the way and then there was silence once again.

Not sure of what else she could do, Luz went back over to Hunter. His sobbing had finally stopped although the tears continued to flow. Luz managed to coax him away from the body of his uncle, giving him a gentle hug and a shoulder to cry onto. As she waited for Eda to arrive, Luz kept watch for her or for any other passerby. A part of her worried about what she'd do if another human happened upon them while they were there. They were way in the back of the cemetery, quite far from the street, but she still couldn't help but be paranoid about the whole thing.

A short while later Eda appeared, along with Lilith. Not wanting to risk being seen on their staves, the two had run as fast as their legs could carry them to the cemetery. As they arrived, they began searing for Luz immediately. They spotted her soon enough, along with Hunter and Belos, stopping in their tracks when they saw the monarch's lifeless body.

"Almighty Titan. He really is dead." Eda said, stunned.

"Edalyn, please be more sensitive." Lilith said, tilting her head to gesture to the teenagers. She stepped closer, kneeling down in from of them and looking Hunter in the eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Somebody has to be." Eda muttered.

Lilith cast a harsh glare at her sister. "Edalyn, that's enough!" She hissed through her teeth. Then she returned her attention to Hunter, her gaze softening again. "Just ignore her. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you. But for what it's worth, we will make sure to deliver him back to the castle so he can be given a proper burial." She told him before looking at Luz. "I think it would be best if he didn't go back to the Emperor's castle tonight. Or to the Demon Realm in general. Could you possibly give him a place to stay?"

Luz nodded. "I'm sure I can convince my mom. After finding out what happened to him I doubt she'd turn him away. But why can't he go back?"

"Are you kidding?" Eda asked. "This is a going to cause all kinds of craziness when the Emperor's Coven finds out. And since he's currently in charge, those goons are gonna be all hassling him about what to do! He doesn't need that right now. Just look at him!"

"My sister is right. Even if he wasn't so young, he wouldn't be able to handle the stress with what he's going through. Luz, he may need to stay a few days with you. Just until things settle down."

"Tell your mom if she has any problems with it then she can take it out on me." Eda said. "Now let's hurry up with this. I don't want to be caught in a graveyard with a stiff."

"Wait there's something else." Luz told them, pointing to the urn of ashes. "Belos brought that here so it could be buried at this grave. Could one of you help with that too?"

The sisters looked at each other for a moment and then Eda shrugged. She closed her eyes and shifted into her harpy form. Then she used her powerful clawed hands to dig into the cold earth beneath the layer of snow. She dug out a deep hole just wide enough to lay the urn into and Hunter gently placed it inside, laying his ancestor's remains where they belonged. Eda filled the hole she dug back up and kicked some snow over it to hide the disturbed earth.

Hunter picked up his uncle's staff and mask and handed them to Lilith. Eda picked up Belos, grimacing as she felt how limp he was in her arms. Lilith used Belos's staff to create a large magic circle and they vanished from sight. For a few moments, Hunter stood silently in the snow, staring at the grave where his ancestors were resting. Then he began slowly making his way out of the graveyard, Luz falling into step beside him.

Their walk was quiet at the start. Luz wanted to say something comforting, but she kept second guessing anything that came to mind. Things might have been different if she could say Hunter was her friend, or if they at least knew each other better. But he was still technically her enemy and there was still far too much she didn't know about him.

A strong wind came through, hitting the two hard. Hunter shivered, his cloak not offering enough to protect him entirely from the cold. Luz recalled that the local Robin's Roast was located close by and began leading Hunter in that direction. Checking the time on her phone, she saw they would be closing soon, but not before they could get there. She didn't bring any money with her, but fortunately she was able to place an order and pay through the app on her phone.

When they arrived Luz noticed that there was a line, although not a long one. She had Hunter wait outside since he was probably better off not dealing with too many people for the time being. He stood a short distance away from the door while Luz stepped inside, heading to the area of the counter where the online orders would be placed when ready for pickup.

After she found the two cups of hot cocoa she ordered, Luz thanked the baristas on duty and went directly to the door. Before she could get there, three other customers came into the café. Luz recognized them all, it was Amy and two of her cheerleader friends. Amy noticed Luz and waved at her while her two friends went to get in line.

"Did you see that guy?" One of Amy's friends asked the other. "What, is he dressed up as a comic book character or something?"

"Yeah, I think he's supposed to be the dork knight." The other replied.

The two girls started to giggle as they passed by Luz, who frowned at them but opted to not do anything. She turned towards the door again, noticing that Amy seemed to be amused by her friends' commentary as well. That was something Luz felt more comfortable addressing, given their past.

"They shouldn't make fun of people they don't know." She told Amy. "You never know what they might be going through. He's had a bad night."

"Oh… is he a friend of yours?" Amy asked.

"No. He's more of a… a jerk who's caused me trouble before."

"What?" Amy asked, looking confused. "Then why are you standing up for him?"

"Because he's alone right now and he's dealing with a lot of emotional stuff." Luz answered as she started out the door. "And because it's Christmas."

To be concluded.