Everyone in the owl house were getting ready to storm the castle. Hooty swung open the door and flew in.
"Hey, just wanted to give you guys a heads up," the owl told everyone. "The back ups that you called are here!"
"Who did you call?" Hunter asked Eda and Luz. Amity suddenly rushed in and hugged Luz.
"I'm here! I'm here! Are you alright?" Amity exclaimed worried. "Are you hurt?! You just told me to rush over here with no explanation! I thought that something bad happened to you!" Luz smiled.
"Yeah, I wished that you should have seen the look on mitten's face," A teenage girl and boy, that were twins, walked in. They both had green hair, wearing blue illusion coven uniforms, and both had a mole on different side of their faces. The girl had long hair tied in a ponytail while her brother had short hair. They were Amity's older sister and brother, Emira and Edric. Amity's face turned completely red, blushing. She quickly turned around, narrowing her eyes at them.
"I wasn't THAT worried," she defended herself. Edric laughed.
"Really? From what I recall, you almost ran into several trees on the flight over here," he said, amused. "You were like, "I can't stop, not when MY Luz is danger!" He finished and laughed. Emira did as well, laughing with him. Amity huffed, holding in her breath, angrily, before she almost got dizzy and passed out.
"I'm fine, Amity. I'm sorry that I called so suddenly with no explanation," she told Amity. "It's Azara. She's been captured and we're staging a rescue! At midday, we storm the castle."
Then an older woman with short poofy hair walked in with a large hawk staff walked in, along with Lilith, Willow and Guz, who glared at Hunter as soon as he saw him when he walked in.
"I'm sorry about before," Hunter apologized.
"Save it, what's done is done," Guz said. "After this, we get the Galderstones back."
"It's a deal," Hunter agreed.
"I heard from Edalyn that you were planning to attack the castle," Eda's mother smirked. "When do we start?"
"Soon," Luz told her. Jewel chirped and flew over to Gwendolyn, who caught the blue jay as it landed in her hand. "Who made this little one?" she smiled, petting it.
"She's Zara's palisman," Eda told her.
"Really? Lilith had told me that more humans, besides Luz, are here in the Boiling Isles, when she came to visit. Still, it's an unusual choice for a palisman," Gwendolyn commented.
"What do you mean by that?" Hunter asked.
"Well, bird palismans are mostly sort of a Clawthorne thing," she explained to Hunter. Lil rascal chirped and Hunter looked at him, thinking.
"Okay, enough talking! Let's get Azara back!" King shouted.
As the sun began to drop, the moon was also in the sky as well half-way close to merging. Everyone quietly walked inside of the castle, walking inside while wearing their cloaks, hoods covering their faces. To everyone's decision, they left John back at the owl house with Hooty for his safety as it was too dangerous. Jewel and Lil rascal were hiding inside of Hunter's cloak, while Owlbert was hiding in Eda's. Lilith, Gwendolyn, the Blight twins, Guz and Willow stayed back as part of the distraction. They saw some of the guards as well as citizens from Bonesborough walking inside, heading to the stadiums. Some waited outside watching the projection screen conjured up by magic.
Everyone quietly took their seats when suddenly they heard the crowd went silent. The coven heads were in a circle, standing in front of a podium that had inserts for each coven's symbols for their necklace. In the center was the portal door, reconstructed and fixed.
Luz gripped the key hidden from within her cloak, staring at it. She was almost home. Her mama was waiting for her on the other side of that door. Back to her normal life...Not being able to see Amity again, her friends, Eda, King. She didn't want that. But, she promised. How are they going to take it when she tells them that she isn't coming back? Luz felt tears that were starting to burn her eyes.
She nearly jumped when she felt Eda placed her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry kid, we'll get you back home, soon." she smiled. She didn't want to go back. Luz wanted to tell her that.
"Y-Yeah! I can't wait!" Luz smiled back at her. Eda frowned, noticing that there was something off about it. She turned her head back towards the stage, looking around.
"I don't see Raine," Eda murmured looking over the crowd trying to find them.
"We'll find him. And we'll get them and Azara and get out," Luz assured her. Hunter's felt his heart drop as he saw Belos and Azara come up from the floor from an elevator. He almost stood up from his seat if not for Amity who quickly pulled him back down.
"What are you doing?!" she hissed. "Sit down, they'll see you!"
"But, Azara's right there!" Hunter argued.
"I know, but you can't just go rushing down there!" Amity insisted. "Just wait a little longer. The others will create a distraction then we can get them!"
"Children of the Isles, the Day of Unity is almost here! Soon, the sun and moon will merge and the Boiling Isles will reunite with the human realm." Belos announced. "This human here has volunteered to help us get there as the Titan has told me." He held out Azara's necklace in his hand. Hunter's eyes widened as did everyone else. There was no way that Azara would take it off and give her necklace to him willingly.
"I can't wait anymore! I'm going down there!" Hunter shouted.
"Hunter, no!" Luz shouted. She tried to stop him but Hunter had already teleported right onto the stage, landing right in front of Belos.
"Why, if it isn't the traitorous golden guard," Belos said.
"Give her back," Hunter demanded.
"What gives you the right to bark orders at me, like that?" Belos laughed. "I see your time in the wilds have changed you."
"No, Azara changed me," Hunter told him. "She gave me something that you never could. She gave me love. She taught me to love myself, despite my faults."
"Love?" Belos laughed again. "Well, then let's put it to the test then. If she really loved you then why isn't she rushing over to you at this very moment?" He hummed. Hunter began to sweat nervously. He looked over at Azara, who was still not looking at him. Her eyes were closed as well.
"Azara, I'm here," Hunter called out to her. "I'm right here!" But, he received no response from her until she slowly began to lift up her head, eyes still closed. Hunter felt his heart began to beat faster with each second. Slowly, Azara opened her eyes. Hunter felt his heart sink in dread and horror. Blue...They were electrifying blue, like his uncle's.
Her lifeless eyes stared, unemotionally, back into his, coldly. It was like she was a puppet being held up with invisible strings.
"What did you do to her?!" Hunter snapped his head back to his uncle.
"She was being uncooperative so I asked the Titan for help." Belos snapped his fingers and several guards surrounded Hunter, restraining him. Belos slowly began to advance closer to him with each step until he was right in Hunter's face. He gripped Hunter's chin, tightly, almost making it bleed, making Hunter look at him. "Speaking of help, you are going to help me by paying back what you owe me after all these years. Your body."
Hunter struggled to break free from the guards hold but they were stronger. Belos released Hunter and turned back towards the crowd.
"Now, then shall we commence? The human is going to sing us a song," Belos announced. He turned his head back to Azara. "Well, my dear let's not keep the crowd, waiting. Let us hear that pretty little voice of yours." He snapped open Azara's music box necklace and it glowed an ominous green color. It wounded up and started playing a distorted tune. Azara opened her mouth and began to sing.
"At the start of creation, from stars and space you were born.
From the Earth and the heavens, you took your power and soul.
Now you sleep in lands beyond, where sea and sky fade to blue.
One day, you will awaken and create this world a neeew-"
"Azara, no!" Hunter cried out. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion that rumbled the stage. The distraction has started. Eda, Amity and Luz quickly took towards the stage and tried to fight off some of the guards and coven heads. King hopped off of Eda and ran over to Hunter, Belos and Azara. Some of the guards rushed towards him to stop him.
"Weh!" King shouted, unleashing a loud sonic boom.
"What?!" Emperor Belos exclaimed in shock, seeing King. "No!" The blast hit the guards knocking them down as well as Azara, knocking her down on the ground. Hunter quickly teleported over to her.
"Azara, wake up! We need to go now!" Hunter urged as he shook her. Azara groaned, opening her eyes again. They were back to normal, light emerald green. Hunter sighed in relief. Azara's eyes widen seeing him.
"H-Hunter?" she said, confused but also glad to see him. "What happened? And where are we?"
"It doesn't matter," Hunter smiled. "Let's just get out of here." Jewel chirped from underneath of Hunter's cloak, flying out of it. Lil rascal came out as well, landing on Hunter's shoulder. Azara cried hugging her palisman in her hands.
"Jewel, my baby!" she cried. "I'm so sorry that I left you!" Jewel nestled her head against Azara's finger.
It doesn't matter, I got you back! Jewel chirped, happily.
"Hunter, you're never going to believe this!" Azara told him. "I'm a witch!" Hunter looked at her confused.
"But, you are one," he said. Azara shook her head.
"No, you don't get it! I'm half a witch!" she explained. "That's why I can do magic the way I do!"
"But, how did you know that?" Hunter questioned.
Suddenly, off guard, Hunter was blasted by red magic, getting knocked back. Lil rascal chirped worriedly and flew over to him. Azara cried out to Hunter and turned her head to see Belos coming towards the two witches. Jewel transformed into a staff and Azara pointed it at Belos as he began to inch closer towards them.
"I will not let you interfere with the Titan's plans, not when I'm this close!" he shouted out enraged. Belos narrowed his eyes glaring at Azara and pointed his staff at her. "If it wasn't for you, my nephew wouldn't have been tainted with your wild ways. Because of you, you turned him against me. I will not lose him again! I'm putting an end to this once and for all! Starting with you!" Hunter got up, grabbing Lil rascal, transforming the cardinal into a staff and rushed over to the two.
"Uncle, stop!" Hunter screamed, smacking a spell blast away as he fired it at Azara.
"Step aside, boy," Belos ordered. Hunter felt a cold shiver rush down. "This is your last warning. I will not say it again." He gripped Lil rascal tightly in his hand until he felt Azara grab his other hand, squeezing it tightly.
"No, it is you who needs to stand down," Hunter said. "This has gone on long enough. I'm challenging you to a witches dual. If I win, you step down."
"Do you really think that you can beat me? Who do you think taught you? You have no chance," Belos spatted out. "You will lose, like you did before, Caleb." Hunter's eyes widened in shock before gripping his staff tightly, gritting his teeth, angrily.
"Don't call me that," Hunter shouted. "I am not him!"
Just as Belos was about to unleash a blast of magic, a stray spell was fired from out of no where. It knocked his mask right off from his face, revealing it to everyone. Everyone stared in shock and in surprise seeing his face for the first time, his ears similar to a human's but cut off shaped like a witches, also seeing his curse. Belos growled and looked up from where the spell had fired from, as did Hunter and Azara.
Azara's eyes widen, seeing someone, a woman, hovering above the entire stadium as they slowly lowered down. Hunter's eyes widen as he saw that she was wearing the same outfit, like the woman from his dream. She landed not too far in front of Belos. She was holding a palisman carved in the shape of a crow.
"M-Mom?!" Azara called out.
"Stay away from my kids," Azara's mother growled out, glaring at the emperor. Belos stared at her for a moment, as he narrowed his eyes, before smirking.
"Well, this is a surprise," He laughed, softly. "I didn't think that you were still alive after all this time. However, it is surprising seeing you like this." Hunter's and Azara's eyes widen in surprise to see Azara's mother began to transform. Her hair began to turn darker to a more green color becoming more thicker and poofier. It also had a few greyish streaks as well. Her skin color turned to dark tan brown. Lastly, her ears began to turn upwards more pointed, like a witch's.
"Azura."
"Long time no see, Philip," Azara smirked, glaring at him. "How's the curse?"