I'm back after a long hiatus. I know this is late, but I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays and had a Happy New Year.
Even on the sunniest of days, the weather surrounding the Conformatorium was always dark and gloomy. It is fitting, given the people in charge. The emperor's highest-security prison has been finding more people becoming permanent occupants. Ever since the head of the Bard Coven and leader of the Bards Against the Throne, Raine Whispers, spread their message of rebellion across the Isles.
However, those outside Belos' most trusted are unaware that the coven head and rebel leader are the same. Raine was unsure how the people would react to that truth getting out. They sat in their filthy, damp cell on a thin sheet that happened to be their bed. They rubbed their wrist, fingers grazing their Bard Coven brand, the same one Kikimora painfully manipulated to capture them. It made Raine sick to their stomach to have learned first-hand that the brands served another purpose besides coven membership. Once upon a time, Raine was proud to have that brand; now, they wish to be rid of it; even having dark thoughts of cutting off their hand to do so.
"Whispers!" Warden Wrath shouted as he arrived at Raine's cell with guards, knocking against the bars to grab their attention. "Stand up. Cell inspection." Raine did as they were told, and the guards entered to search for anything out of the ordinary, anything Raine should not have access to. If Warden Wrath were to have it his way, he would execute them here and now for their treason. Moreover, if the rumors were true, it would conveniently reduce the competition to win Eda's heart. The thought of Wrath having his slimy tentacles on her made Raine want to hurl.
Unfortunately, for the warden, Emperor Belos has plans for Mx. Whispers. Due to their importance, the emperor gave the warden explicit instructions to check on Whispers every few hours. He has been doing so ever since they were brought to the Conformatorium by Darius and Eberwolf of the Abomination Coven and Beast Keeping Coven, respectively. Raine has seen the emperor's plans for the future alongside the other coven heads; they have seen the Day of Unity. They always had their suspicions, but that vision proved it: Emperor Belos is insane. The word going around is that Belos may have found a way to accelerate his plans. Most likely due to his recent partnership with a supposed messenger of the Titan.
However, there is one thing Raine refuses to let happen — something Warden Wrath nor Emperor Belos can take from them; lose hope. He knows Eda is still out there to give the Emperor's Coven migraines. She is probably already robbing a bank owned by them or something. Moreover, some witches and demons are standing against the corrupt rule thanks to Katya's, Derwin's, and Amber's help. Raine hoped they were still all right.
Raine chuckled ever so slightly; they never thought they would ever become a parent, and now, they were pretty much one to three kids. Then again, they never expected Eda to become a mother, and she had two kids.
"Something funny?" One of the guards asked.
"W… what?" Raine asked, looking at the guard confused.
"You just chuckled." The guard walked up to them. "What's so funny? You know something we don't?"
"No, no. I was just…" Raine backed up from the guard. They bumped into the one behind them, who tightly gripped their arms. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Hey, Boss!"
"What is it?" Warden Wrath asked, entering the cell.
"I think Whisper's here knows something."
"Like what?"
"We don't know, just that they were laughing."
"Oh, is… is that what this… this is about?" Raine asked innocently. "Okay, this is… is… is just a huge mis… misunderstanding. I… I was just… thinking… about… something funny."
"Oh, so you got jokes now?" Wrath questioned.
Raine began sweating. "M… Maybe…"
"Alright. What is it?"
The warden and his guards all eyed Raine, waiting on them. The bard began to sweat; they hated having any kind of attention on them. Ironic, given their choice of magic and profession. "Okay… um…" They took in a deep breath. "How… How many oracles does it take to… to screw in a crystal ball?"
"How many?"
"Um… One. Because it's part of their profession."
It was dead silent for half a minute. But then… Wrath and the guards all clenched their guts with laughter. "Hahaha! That's… that's a good one." The guard who previously held Raine said, still laughing.
"Oh… um… thanks… I guess." Raine's face reddened, a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.
"Everything seems to be in order." One of the other guards told Wrath.
"Very good." Wrath said, then turned his attention back to Raine. "Enjoy your free time while it lasts. We'll be back in a few hours."
"That won't be necessary, Warden." A higher-pitched voice said as everyone turned to it. A figure garbed in the Emperor's Coven's colors — including a white cloak and golden mask — stepped out from the shadows.
"Golden Guard!" Wrath exclaimed as he and the other guards all bowed. Raine was surprised to see Emperor Belos' right hand man here at the Conformatorium of all places. He was shorter than Raine expected and sounded younger, too. "What brings you here?"
"I just came here to check on our top-priority prisoner. The emperor wanted to make sure they were still here. Consider it a surprise inspection."
"A surprise inspection?" One of the guards asked. "Why weren't we informed?"
"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise, duh." The Golden Guard slapped the forehead of his mask.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense." Said one of the other guards, nodding.
The Golden Guard loosened his posture as he let out an audible groan, his brain working to figure out how these guards are still employed. "Anyway, the emperor has asked me to speak to Mx. Whispers in person." He pulled his mechanical staff out, and it unfolded into its complete shape. "He's eager to find out where their other rebel buddies are hiding."
"I don't have any other "rebel buddies" in hiding!" Raine shouted, sounding like they had already gone through this. "And even if I did, I…" One of the guards put their hand over Raine's mouth. The bard tried removing it but to no avail.
"It's true. This songbird won't sing." Wrath said.
"That's why I'm here." The Golden Guard pointed his staff at Raine, and a crimson aura surrounded them. They were lifted off the ground and brought to the Golden Guard's side before anyone knew what happened. "And as for you, guys. You all deserve a long, overdue break."
The same aura surrounded Warden Wrath and the other guards. "Golden Guard! What is…" Before Wrath could finish his sentence, he and the others were up against the ceiling multiple times. The Golden Guard giggled each time he made them do it, then dropped their unconscious bodies onto the ground.
"Sleep tight." The Golden Guard closed the cell and locked it.
"What?" Raine began, not knowing what to make of the situation. "What was… I… who…"
The Golden Guard removed his mask, revealing to Raine what they assumed. He was young, about the same age as his fellow BATTs. Raine also noticed the scars on his face and how tired and disheveled he looked. "There's no time to explain." The Golden Guard flicked their staff, and the aura surrounding Raine disappeared, dropping them on their feet. "My name is Hunter. I'm here to rescue you."
"Re… Rescue me? What… who are you?"
"I'm someone who needs the Owl Lady's help to stop Emperor Belos before he does something he's going to regret. And the only way she'll believe me is if I spring you out of here." Hunter's cape ruffled, and a cardinal flew out, chirping as it landed on his shoulder.
"Why… Why should I believe you?"
"Because I know you care about her. And if the emperor isn't stopped, not even she'll make it out of this. Now, let's go!" Hunter grabbed Raine by their hand and began to lead them out.
"But... but what about the others?"
Hunter turned to face them. "What others?"
Raine pulled free. "Katya, Amber, and Derwin? I won't leave them here."
"We don't have time for them."
"Then make time!" Raine said harshly, which caught Hunter off-guard. The cardinal flew up to Hunter's face, chirping loudly.
"For the love of…" Hunter sighed. "Fine! We'll rescue them too."
Raine nodded, smiling. "Thank you."
"Oh, one more thing." Hunter pointed his staff at some stones, the red aura surrounded and lifted them off the ground. Then, they were transfigured into wood and strings. They combined, eventually taking the shapes of a violin and its bow. They landed in Raine's hands. "Hope you know how to play this."
Raine looked over the instrument. The wood felt weird, and the weight was off from what they were used to. "I can make it work." With that, they were off to find the other BATTs.
Katya, Amber, and Derwin all sat in their cells — like any other in the Conformatorium — filthy, damp, and had a thin sheet that happened to be a bed. One sad excuse for a bed they had to share. The teens have all lost track of how long they have been here and are doing what they can to pass the time. The only time anything interesting happens is when the guards bring in a new, rebellious prisoner, shouting about bringing Belos down.
They were way down in the Conformatorium's lower levels, where the prisoners of "less importance" were held until the emperor decided their fates. Although for a prison meant to keep "dangerous individuals," there were shockingly few guards on duty according to what the emperor or warden considered so. Then again, those imprisoned accept their freedoms are gone forever and do not even bother to come up with a means of escape. Katya would know; she was in the same position as those prisoners before now. Just thinking about it made the vampire depressed. She was not letting that distract her for long.
Katya sat in the farthest corner of her cell. She wrote in a journal she stole from a guard, along with a pen she stole, too. Derwin was sleeping on the "bed," trying to make himself as comfortable as he could. The poor guy always tires out quickly, resulting in Katya giving him piggyback rides, which she did not mind. Aside from Mx. Whispers, Derwin was the one to help make the BATTs feel like a family to her since Amber did not fully trust her at the time. Speaking of Amber, the eccentric popobawa has not stopped trying to find a way out and is currently in another attempt to escape.
A loud snapping sound was followed by something hitting Derwin, which made him go, "Ow!"
Katya looked up from her writings, and Derwin was forced to get up to figure out what interrupted his nap. "Dang it!" Amber whined, throwing another broken spoon against the wall. "That was my last spoon! And I was so close to making that hole. But I'll find a way out!"
A part of Katya wanted to tell Amber that her attempts were just in vain, but she could not do it. She could not bring herself to take away that eccentric optimism that made Amber… well, Amber. So, she smiled and nodded and went back to working on her fanfics. Derwin found the part of the spoon that hit him, shrugged, then went back to sleep.
Katya was continuing her story about a brave apple which saves a carrot from an evil army of broccoli. She was already writing the wedding chapter between the apple and the carrot. After that, she would continue her very spicy story about the Coven Head and the Wild Witch — which may or may not have been inspired by a secret desire to see Mx. Whispers and Ms. Clawthorne finally start dating. Everyone in this cell can see the unspoken feelings between those two.
She owes much of the good in her life to both. It was Ms. Clawthorne's human daughter that gave her the courage to escape this place the first time. Moreover, Mx. Whispers helped give her a purpose in joining the Bard Coven before becoming part of the BATTs. Not to toot her own horn or anything, but she prides herself on being "The Number One Raeda Shipper" on the Isles.
"Hey there, little bards." Said a voice that Katya and the others recognized belonged to a guard. However, not any guard, a particularly obnoxious one who came by their cell from time to time. Katya looked up from her writing, Derwin woke up, and Amber turned to him. "C'mon, one little song from the little bards?" The guard teased but got no response from any of the teens. "C'mon, sing." There was still silence. He banged the bars. "I said sing!" The BATTs continued ignoring him.
"Get lost already." Katya hissed, baring her fangs.
"You won't hear a song from us." Derwin snapped.
"Yeah, that's right!" Amber added, blowing a raspberry at him.
"You'll give me a song this time, or else, I'll…" Before the guard could finish his threat, a stone smashed against his head. The rock broke in half from the impact as the guard collapsed on the ground.
"What the?" "Huh?" "How did?" The BATTs all mumbled, approaching the bars to get a closer look. Katya looked up and noticed the large stone that used to be there. One that looked like it was about to come loose at any moment and seems to have finally done so. However, the timing was way too convenient for it to happen naturally.
"Katya, Amber, Derwin." The three teens turned to the sound of the whisper and gasped upon seeing who it was. "Hi." Raine waved.
"Mx. Whisp..." Amber almost shouted, but Katya and Derwin were quick to cover her mouth. It made sense now; Raine used their magic to help free the stone, then cut their melody short. Now, the question on their mind was, how did they get out?
Raine placed his finger to his lips as he lurked over to them. He was accompanied by another person, a blonde teen wearing white and gold. "Is everyone alright?" Raine looked over at the unconscious guard. "Did he hurt you?"
"We're fine," Derwin assured.
"That guy has been a huge jerk," Katya added, a little bit satisfied.
"Hit him again!" Amber shouted, only to get hushed again by the others.
"Be quiet," Raine repeated. "We're gonna get you out. Just… Just hold on a sec."
"How did you escape?" Katya asked.
"And who's this guy?" Derwin asked, referring to the mysterious teen.
"This is Hunter." Raine introduced. "He's… uh… I'm not sure if he is our friend. I just know he's trying to help?"
"Are you a rebel, too?" Amber asked him.
"No, I'm not." Hunter hissed. "I'm only busting you out because they won't leave without you." Hunter pointed at Raine. "Now back away from the bars, all of you."
"Okay!" Amber took a step back with Katya and Derwin. "Jerk."
Hunter ignored that and just pointed his staff at the cell. With a flash of red light, the bars were gone. "You're welcome."
Katya, Derwin, and Amber ran out and hugged Raine like children reuniting with their parents after a long time. "We were so worried," Katya said, clutching her coven brand. "We heard what Kikimora did to you after we were caught, and…"
"I'm alright," Raine assured them all, hugging them back. "We're all alright."
"As touching as all this is." Hunter interrupted. "We should get going."
"He's right." Raine broke from the hug. "I don't know all the details, but according to him, Emperor Belos' involved himself in something that'll endanger the entire Isles. We leave now; catch up later."
"Sounds good to me," Katya said, stretching her arms. "Can't wait to get out of here, again."
"For my first time here, I don't think it was that bad," Derwin admitted.
"Trust me; it could've been a whole lot worse."
"Let's trash this place and leave!" Amber suggested, her little wings flapping to show off her eagerness.
"What? No! We're not… we're not trashing the Conformatorium." Raine admonished.
"What about burning it down?"
"We're not doing that either! Not… Not with people inside, anyway."
Amber pouted. "Okay, Mx. Whispers."
"Now, I'm not sure if I wanna give them instruments," Hunter told Raine.
"They're gonna need something to defend themselves with." Raine retorted. "If no one's realized we've escaped now, they will later."
From underneath Hunter's cloak, a cardinal flew out in front of the BATTs, with friendly chirping. "Oh. Hey there, little guy." Katya said, extending her hand out. The bird landed on her finger. "Who's this cutie?"
Hunter pinched his forehead with his index finger and thumb. "BATTs, meet Lil' Rascal. Lil' Rascal, meet the BATTs." He answered. "Now that everyone knows each other, can we go?"
"Instruments first," Raine told Hunter sternly.
Hunter let out the longest, most annoyed sounding of bemoans as Lil' Rascal flew from Kataya's finger and rested in his hair. "Fine. What do they use?"
"Well, Amber uses a recorder." They pointed at the popobawa, who smiled giddily. "Katya plays the tambourine." Then, the vampire placed a hand on her hip and smirked. "And Derwin plays the bassoon." Then the young witch gave them a thumbs up.
"A what?" Hunter asked about the third instrument.
"You know? A bassoon." Derwin said. "It's a woodwind instrument in the double reed family. It plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It's composed of six pieces. It's known for having a wide range, versatility, and virtuosity."
Hunter stared at Derwin with a blank expression. "I can make you a saxophone."
"That'll work."
Hunter pointed his mechanical staff at the walls, with a red aura surrounding the stone bricks like the cage. The stones were pulled out and levitated above the BATTs. They took the requested instruments' shapes and transfigured them into the appropriate materials. The recorder, tambourine, and saxophone landed in the appropriate bard's hands.
"Okay, that was cool," Katya admitted as she jingled her instrument's zills.
"Now, let's get out of here," Raine said. "The sooner we meet up with Eda at the Owl House, the better."
"To Mama Eda's!" Amber shouted enthusiastically.
"Well, isn't that a sweet thought?" Everyone looked to the voice as its owner stepped out from the shadows; the first thing they saw was the glowing purple eyes, followed by a wicked smile. She looked like a Wild Witch with long white hair and garbed in a dark purple outfit with a bat-motif. Held tightly in each hand was a staff with a strange, dark aura surrounding the orb at the end. "But unfortunately, it will not happen."
"I told ya the kid was up to something." Another, much deeper voice spoke as its owner revealed himself, the sounds of machinery working as they did so. A man or something resembling blue and green skin and a body that looked like flesh and metal was forcefully merged. He had a massive grin on his face, revealing rows of sharp metallic teeth.
"Something tells me these are the bad guys," Katya said.
Hunter pointed his staff at them, ready to fight. "How did you know I was here?" He demanded to know.
"One of the guards informed the emperor you were missing." The woman began. "Then, he told Lord Skeletor, who sent us to retrieve his beloved nephew."
"Nephew?" A surprised Raine said, looking at Hunter.
"So, I cast a simple tracking spell which brought us to where we are all now." She gestured to the machine-man. "My dearest Trap Jaw believed you were up to no good, and it seems he was right."
"So, if he's Trap Jaw," Derwin spoke up, then pointed to the woman. "What do we call you?"
"Oh, I'm so glad you asked." The woman put her hand to her heart, acting touched. "I do love saying it, after all. I am Evil-Lyn."
"Seems a little on the nose," Katya whispered to Amber, who nodded.
"And now, you're gonna come quietly with us, and no one'll get hurt." Trap Jaw said, showing off more of his fangs. "That much, anyway."
"Yeah, not happening, freak," Hunter said. The red jewel on his staff began to glow.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
As if on cue, Evil-Lyn twirled her staff. "Ferrum gladius tenebrarum!" She began to chant, then made an upward, crescent-like motion with her weapon; a moon-shaped wave of magic was hurled at the group.
Hunter and the BATTs dodged the attack, which struck the wall behind them, leaving them separated by a fog of dust. "What kind of magic was that?" Katya asked aloud, wiping the dust away from her face.
"No idea," Hunter said, now paired with the vampire. From the haze, Trap Jaw jumped out at them, fangs first. Hunter grabbed Katya's arm and teleport-dashed out of the way to avoid getting their heads bitten off, now knowing their opponent intends to go for the kill. "I don't plan on getting eaten today, pal!" Hunter pointed his staff at the roof above. He brought it down on top of the mechanical monster with his artificial magic, burying him. "Well, that was easier than I thought."
"Don't jinx it!" Katya shouted.
Hunter looked at her, confused. "What?"
"Writer's intuition?"
Hunter was even more lost now, but it quickly faded upon hearing a grinding sound. The rubble then began shaking and was suddenly disappearing bit by bit. As more of the wreckage disappeared, Hunter and Katya soon saw that it was being sucked up into Trap Jaw's mechanical maw like a vortex. He was back on his feet in no time at all.
"No freaking way," Hunter whispered.
"Thanks for the ammo, kid." Trap Jaw said as his mechanical arm morphed into a new weapon from a claw. He pointed it at Hunter and launched molten debris at him.
Katya formed a barrier in front of herself and Hunter using her tambourine. Nevertheless, it was not enough to take the full force of the molten projectiles, knocking them both back. Trap Jaw continued to fire more shots at them, leaving Hunter little choice but to just teleport-dash away with Katya.
The blonde dropped Katya off, away from Trap Jaw's sight, before teleporting behind the brute and slamming his staff against his head. However, all the action did was send vibrations up Hunter's arms and through his body, which were strong enough to knock him back. Trap Jaw turned around to face him, very annoyed. "I'm too tough for ya, kid." He replied with a smirk.
The dust finally cleared away, revealing the other side of the fight. Raine, Amber, and Derwin combined their bardic spells, attacking Evil-Lyn without hesitation. However, the dark witch merely deflected them with her staff. "If this is all the magic your kind is capable of." Evil-Lyn began. "None of you deserve to be called witches." She pointed her staff at them. "Erumpa umbra erumpe et perde!" A shadowy sphere manifested around her weapon's orb, and she swung it at them.
Raine quickly got in front of Amber and Derwin and strummed his violin, releasing a soundwave of magic at the sphere. Upon making contact, it exploded in a burst of dark energy. Evil-Lyn put up a barrier, while Amber and Derwin combined their magic with doing the same for them and Raine. While the blast only pushed Evil-Lyn back slightly, it ended up scattering the bards; and Raine getting knocked into Katya, knocking her down.
"Mx. Whispers." The vampire gasped, out of breath from having the slightly heavier witch lying across her stomach.
"Katya!" Raine yelped, red-faced, upon realizing their positions and got up. "Are… Are you alright?" They offered her a hand up.
She accepted, being pulled to her feet. "Thanks."
While that was going on, Hunter was still having his fair share of problems with Trap Jaw. He launched another molten projectile at the young witch, but Katya used her tambourine to play a spell and freeze it mid-air before it could strike him. She then used another one to return the projectile to its sender, planning to hit him right in the face. However, Trap Jaw grabbed it and tossed it at the vampire with his other hand. Raine got in front of her. With a sharp wave of magic launched from their violin, they broke the projectile to bits. Katya played another spell to put up a barrier, protecting them both from the debris.
Before they could even react, Trap Jaw charged at them. He delivered a punch with his mechanical fist that destroyed the barrier with ease. The impact was enough to launch Raine and Katya back, knocking them down, with Raine being sent further away.
Raine lifted their head to see the mechanical monster charge at the downed vampire, reeling his machine-like limb back once more to pound her into the ground. "Katya!" Raine screamed, hopeless to save her in time.
"Rascal!" Hunter shouted as his cardinal palisman flew to Katya in his staff form, sweeping her up before she could be hit. Trap Jaw's punch was so strong it left a hole in the ground, giving the teen a pretty good idea of what would have happened if palisman did not reach her in time.
The staff flew back to Hunter's side. Katya hurried off before the blonde teen took the staff with his other hand, shrinking back into a cardinal and resting in his hair. Trap Jaw snarled at the two teens, but before he could do anything about it, slabs of stone the size of his body slammed into him. "What the…" He growled before being hit by another. A strum had been accompanying each one. Katya and Raine looked past the enemy and saw Raine was back on their feet, doing everything they could to try and at least hurt the brute.
Hunter and Katya then heard some commotion behind them. Back with Derwin and Amber, they were not doing much better against Evil-Lyn. The dark spellcaster's magic continued to overwhelm the bards, no matter how much of a fight they were putting up. It would only be a matter of time before they all end up back in their cells at this rate.
"We can't beat them." The vampire ruefully admitted. "We should focus on getting out of here."
"That's a good idea," Hunter said sarcastically. "The only problem is, we can't knock these guys down long enough to book it."
Trap Jaw roared, grabbing the two teen's attention again as more slabs were slammed into him. As Raine was about to do so with another, Trap Jaw turned to it just before it made contact, and that grinding sound initiated. He opened his maw wide and sucked up the slab into his vortex, breaking it down into bite-sized pieces. As he did with Katya and Hunter before, Trap Jaw fired a new batch of molten projectiles at Raine.
Hunter quickly teleported over to the bardic witch, grabbed their arm, and teleported back to Katya's side before the projectiles could hit their mark. "You alright?" Hunter asked Raine.
"I'm fine. I…" The bard then turned pale as they saw smoke coming from Hunter. "YOUR CLOAK'S ON FIRE!"
Hunter gasped and looked to see that it was. He quickly unclasped and ditched it, now knowing how fast Trap Jaw's weapons are compared to his teleportation. "You're all biting off more than you can chew!" Trap Jaw jokes, darkly chuckling. "You might as well just give it up! The longer you fight, the more this is gonna hurt!"
"Biting off more?" Hunter said to himself, looking at his staff. More specifically, the red jewel.
"Do you have an idea?" Katya asked.
"I think so. Send some more slabs his way."
"Won't that just give him more to eat?"
"I need you to trust me."
"We can do that," Raine assured him before looking at the vampire with certainty. Seeing it in their eyes, she nodded at her mentor, and the two bards readied their instruments. Combining their magic, Raine and Katya played a song to rip out a large slab of stone from the building and hurled it at Trap Jaw.
He took the bait and opened his maw, breaking down and sucking the stones into him. With that, Hunter teleported right in the middle of the rubble, about to be sucked in as well. "Eat this!" The blonde shouted and tossed his mechanical staff like a spear right into the vortex. However, instead of being consumed like Katya or Raine thought it would, it triggered a chain reaction of magical energy upon breaking down before exploding. The blast was powerful enough to blow Trap Jaw away, sending him through a wall and plummeting down the tower.
He screamed on his way down, followed by a massive thud upon reaching the ground. Shortly after, the three witches all heard an "Ow!" They all approached and looked through the hole, seeing Trap Jaw lying on his back, alive but very much dazed. His deadliest weapon also happened to be his weak spot.
"That takes care of one." A tired Hunter said. Before he or the others could catch their breath, the sounds of Amber's and Derwin's struggles against Evil-Lyn grabbed their attention.
She released a wave of dark magic at the witch and popobawa. They put up a barrier spell around them, but it was not enough, and they were blown away and knocked down. "Amber! Derwin!" Raine shouted as they ran to them, alongside Katya and Hunter.
"You two alright?" Katya asked, helping Amber to her feet.
"We've been better," Derwin answered as Raine helped him up.
Evil-Lyn had her sights on the five of them, floating over them as she sneered. "You may have beaten Trap Jaw." She began. "But his simple devices are nothing compared to my dark sorcery!" The orb of her staff glowed. "I was willing to humor you all; make you think you stood a chance. But I've grown bored. Now, it's time to bring an end to this little game!"
"Fine by me!" Hunter shouted. His palisman chirped and transformed into a staff as Raine, and the rest of the BATTs readied their instruments.
Evil-Lyn's grin grew broader and more wicked. "Obsecro artium tenebrarum, ut..." She began to chant.
"Now!" Hunter made his move and teleported, leaving behind a flash of golden light. He reappeared above Evil-Lyn and spun his staff. He launched bolts of lightning at the still chanting Evil-Lyn, cutting her off as she turned whatever spell she was planning to cast into a barrier instead.
"You dare interrupt me!" She shrieked and threw the barrier at Hunter, who teleported away just in time. Evil-Lyn did not need to chant to cast her spells at all. It was just for show, a simply vain desire to hear her voice.
Hunter rematerialized a fair distance from his opponent and turned his attention to the BATTs. "Go! Get out of here!" He shouted.
"What?!" Katya shouted alongside Raine, Amber, and Derwin.
"Rascal and I will hold her off! Just get out of here!"
"You can't take her on your own!" Raine reasoned.
"I know. But the whole point was to get you out of here!" He gestured towards the recently made hole in the wall. "We'll be behind you soon."
"Mx. Whispers?" Katya said, looking to them for an answer.
Raine had a conflicted look on their face. They did not want to leave the person who helped free them all behind, but they could not stay here any longer at the threat of being captured again. "Let's go." They gave their order.
The BATTs looked at each other, then nodded. Raine took the lead, using their violin to cast a flight spell as they jumped through the opening. Amber was the next, followed by Derwin, both using their instruments to do the same. Katya looked back at Hunter. "Don't take too long." She said to herself and cast the flight spell, following the others to freedom.
"Oh, you believe you can defeat me?" Evil-Lyn chuckled, placing a hand to her chest. "Perhaps I will entertain your little delusion before I bring you back to your uncle. And then…"
In the middle of her monolog, Hunter teleported again and reappeared in front of her. Evil-Lyn blinked. "Do you ever shut up?!" The Golden Guard shouted and swung his staff at her, a magical streak the same color following behind. Evil-Lyn raised her staff and blocked the attack. Their weapons clashed; Hunter teleported again, appearing to the right of the dark sorceress, and went for another strike. Evil-Lyn stopped that one, only for Hunter to repeat the process.
Hunter did it faster than the last, giving Evil-Lyn little time to react. Eventually, he found his opening and successfully struck Evil-Lyn with a bolt of golden lightning. Dark magic radiated from her staff and eventually surrounded her form as she was hurtling to the ground. Her body then exploded into a swarm of bats and flew at Hunter. "What the…" Before he could finish that, though, the flying rodents swarmed him. He held tightly onto Lil' Rascal to not lose the advantage he had in the air.
The last bat flew past the blonde, and he turned to the flock as they fluttered around like a gathering storm. Then, they reformed into a far from happy Evil-Lyn. Hunter could not tell if she was scarier with the smile or without it. The spellcaster sent wave after wave of dark magic at Hunter. The Golden Guard could only teleport to avoid being hit. However, his luck eventually ran out.
The dark magic sent him tumbling to the ground and separated him from his staff. "Rascal!" He called out with concern for his palisman.
"It's time to bring this to an end." Evil-Lyn declared, holding her staff with both hands as dark magic enveloped. Her eyes glowed the same purple color as she smiled ever more sinisterly. Holding her weapon with two hands, she pointed it at the defenseless as she let out her chant, "Wings of Horakoth!" From her staff, dark magic erupted and took the form of a ginormous bat. It let out a sharp screech as it flew towards Hunter, nothing to get in its way.
Still in his staff form, Lil' Rascal flew to Hunter as fast as possible. The Golden Guard grabbed the staff, then created a barrier between them and the monstrous bat. The spells collided, and it only took a few seconds before the barrier spell was destroyed. Hunter and Lil' Rascal were slammed into a wall and fell to the floor. With one final screech, the dark magic bat disappeared.
Hunter tried to force himself up, but every part of his body was in excruciating pain. He weakly looked at his staff. "Rascal…" While the palisman was virtually undamaged, the staff part suffered some damage. No palisman essence was leaking out, thank the Titan. "Rascal…"
"Well, it seems we are about done here," Evil-Lyn said, descending to the floor and walking over to the downed witchling.
Rascal returned to his bird form and flew to Hunter's head, chirping at Evil-Lyn defensively. He would not let her lay a finger on Hunter. "Rascal…" Hunter tried to move. "You have to… get out of here." The bird chirped at him questioningly. "There's no reason for… If Belos finds you…" Lil' Rascal chirped faster and louder, fluttering his wings. "Please… I don't want… to lose you…" Hunter pushed himself up, grunts escaping from his throat as he did. It was the most pain he had ever felt in his life, but he managed to push through the aches until he was on his feet.
"Still putting up a fight, are we?" Evil-Lyn looked at the boy, not knowing whether to be impressed with him or pity him.
"Find Raine… and the others… Please…" Hunter stood, ready to fight the dark spellcaster with his bare hands if need be. Anything to make sure his palisman was safe. Lil' Rascal did not chirp anything else and flew from Hunter's and out the same way the BATTs escaped.
He flew past Evil-Lyn, who did not seem the slightest bit interested. "Come with me, boy." She chuckled. "Your uncle is waiting." Her staff's orb glowed, and the same energy radiated around the blonde. He could not move and could not stop himself from being lifted off the ground and taken against his will.
Evil-Lyn flew out with Hunter through the hole and descended the tower until they touched the ground. Near where Trap Jaw lay, groaning in pain. His head turned to the dark spellcaster. "E'il L'n." He slurred.
"Bested by another teenager, my dear Trap Jaw?" She spoke in a manner that was playfully teasing but also genuinely concerned.
The mechanical man eyed the restrained Hunter with malice. "T'at 'ittle 'unk 'roke 'y jaw." Evil-Lyn smiled and pointed her staff at Trap Jaw's jaw; the dark aura surrounded it. "AHH!" Following a painful-sounding crank, she popped it back into place. "Thank you." He got to his feet and approached Hunter. "Now, you little…"
"Calm down now." Evil-Lyn placed a hand on his shoulder. "Once we allow Emperor Belos to punish the boy, Lord Skeletor will want to speak with him." She then looked at Hunter with all her wickedness. "And I'm sure he has plans for you."
Eda and King continued cleaning the mess at the Owl House following the arrival of the castle. "Goodbye, sweet apple blood," Eda said as she wrung rag soaked with the spilled alcohol over the sink. "May you intoxicate those who live below."
"No need to panic anymore," King said as he gathered all his stuffed toys into a corner. "My army of darkness is present and accounted for." The echo mouse was sitting on his skull, squeaking. During the quake, the little guy's habitat was destroyed, and he took solace with King. Aside from Luz, he was the only other resident of the Owl House he trusted. Both Hooty and the Owl Beast want and have tried to eat him.
Eda swept the broken glass on the floor, along with all the food she just brought that unfortunately fell with everything else, into a sack. She was looking forward to cooking for Luz today. Mainly to get her back to her happy self whom the Owl Lady has come to love. And learn what happened in the Human Realm that has her so bummed out.
The arrival of that Castle Grayskull has just complicated things. It was not out of character for Luz to want to help Adam or anything; Eda knows when someone is doing something to distract themselves from the real issue. She would know; she was a professional at it — especially, and regrettably, towards Raine. Titan, she prayed they were okay.
"Eda!" Hooty screeched as he extended into the kitchen. "You have visitors! Hoot! Hoot!"
Eda sighed and walked to the front door. "Why can't you just tell me who it—" She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide and mouth agape upon seeing who it was.
"Hey, Eda," Raine said with a nervous smile. At that moment, Eda did not realize she had made a move. Her arms were around her beloved Rainstorm, the one she thought she would never see again, squeezing them tightly. "Ed… da… I can't… breathe..."
She did not mean to and quickly released them. "Sorry. I… I just… how are you…" She could not get her words straight; every feeling of joy, sadness, relief, and so much more was happening all at once.
"Mama Eda!" A high-pitched shout came from behind Raine, and the Owl Lady then found herself getting hugged by Amber.
Eda looked up from the ecstatic girl and noticed Katya and Derwin were there. They were staring outwards, no doubt wondering why a castle was out in the middle of the sea. "What are you guys all doing here?" Eda asked. "How did you escape?"
"Eda, who are these people?" King asked, joining his mother.
As soon as Amber saw King come into sight, her eyes widened. "Oh, my Titan!" She ran over to pick him up. "You're so cute!"
"No! Not this again!" The little demon protested as he was hugged. The echo mouse leaped from his skull and scurried. "No! Come back! Save me!"
"How did you all escape from the Conformatorium?" Eda asked Raine. "I… I thought I'd never see you again."
"We had help from someone," Raine explained. "Can we... Can we come inside? We'll tell you all about it."
"Oh… yes." Eda gestured for them to enter.
"Eda! Help me!" King cried as Amber continued to cuddle him.
"And maybe you can help free my son from Amber."
Hunter has helped free the BATTs and is now at the mercy of his uncle and Skeletor. I'm referring to Amber as a popobawa, a type of bat demon, which I think fits. And I still headcanon Katya as a vampire, or part vampire.
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