alexc1209: The general gist. But everything else with bloodlines relating to Caleb and Evelyn and the Clawthornes will have to wait a while. As for King being a Titan... Eh, she still won't treat him any different than she would the younger ones.
Guest: Those brown shirted thugs were the SA were the Sturmabteilung, meaning 'assault division'. No better than power crazed bullies, and you never know. But I reckon there are plenty Nazi Hunters that were out for blood and/or justice. So the joke's still on those racist jerks.
KG: Yep, it would be inevitable at this rate. The problem will be Belos
Sonic45: Aww, glad you think so! I guarantee Oziel will be winning over some of his new big friends soon enough.
Kd: Ah, bup-bup-bup! No, no, no, no, no fair giving out spoilers! No one else has even seen what I got planned for the next chapters.
Pan-p2: Hunter might have trouble talking about it. The best he and the other teens will say is that 'Daddy went a little crazy and he's making trouble' and misdirecting his questions elsewhere, except that trouble will be catch up sooner than you think.
Gry26: Oop. What a great idea! But you'll have to wait and see how those little furry cuties are gonna help. Don't forget Aurelie has her pet project, and might be needing it for the Day of Unity.
One week before the Day of Unity
It was an insane hike from the Owl House to Hexside of all places. Hunter had taken his little cousin Oziel to the Paranoratorium of Hexside. It was fortunate that it was still under repair after the incident with the Basilisk, that made it a good place to hide until then.
Oziel initially didn't notice something was wrong, save for the fact that they weren't returning to the palace that night. Not that he minded, spending the night outside without the coven scouts sounded like fun. His pet/friend, Munchkin, however deduced that wherever Hunter and that girl had been to, they had seen something very troubling. Enough for the older boy to fear for his life and that of the smaller boy, and it worried him.
The bird palisman, Flapjack, understood his concerns. However, he informed him that they were safer here for the time being.
Aurelie had fled the palace and took great care not let herself be spotted. Avoiding populated areas, she kept to the vegetation and the forests.
So before remembering she still had one place left to hide. And she left for her old tree hideout, it was old and musty but just as she'd left it decades ago.
Once inside, she could only hope and pray that Hunter and Oziel were safe wherever they were. Now that Aurelie had time to catch her breath, she mulled over everything she'd uncovered that night. If any of the scouts recognized her, they'd offer to escort her back to the castle while in fact make her more easily accessible to Belos – who she now knew was an insane witch hunter.
She'd married a man most likely born in the 17th Century, an age where fear of sorcery was at an all-time high across Europe and the American colonies, and many people were killed for heresy based on charges of witchcraft. Then she remembered his true name was Phillip Wittebane – he was from Connecticut, which was the site of the first large scale witch trials in North America just as Mrs. Stenson had once told her. It was possible that he was already a murderer before he ever came to the Boiling Isles. For that matter, how many of her own people could he gone after?
Given what she had seen him do in the memories, how many witches did he end up killing while perfecting his sigils and demonizing wild magic?
And Hunter, the poor boy is supposed to be an idealized version of someone Belos once knew. A somewhat recent one in a long line of magical experiments. If she's remembering well what she'd uncovered that night: eventually, all the Golden Guards turned on Belos – possibly due to opposing the attempted genocide, who eliminates them. So this meant the previous Golden Guard didn't meet with a fatal accident like Belos told her, he was murdered!
Then there was the child she'd conceived with Belos, her son Oziel. She had to keep both him and Hunter away from that madman and that suspicious Collector fellow… Oh Hashem, she'd gotten both them and herself into one big, outlandish mess!
She had her head in her hands as Malak appeared from a gentle morning mist.
"I must extend my deepest sympathy. My attempts to make amends I fear has put you and your loved ones at risk."
"Never mind that. It's not your fault. I should've listened to you, Malak." Aurelie divulged. "All those times you told me that Phillip- Belos, whatever he's called wore more than one mask. I should've seen the signs, the clues were right in front of me and I didn't put them together!"
"Do not disparage yourself. Many an experienced mind have fallen prey to Belos' contrivances, what you must do now is to search for those you may call friends and family.
"Who?"
Her remaining family – her siblings, if they were even still alive were somewhere in America but had no idea where. Her parents and Mrs. Stenson had long since passed away. She could still hear their voices echo in her heart, what she wouldn't give to go back to the start. All she had was her son Oziel, Hunter and too many secrets.
"There are still the rebels who question Belos motives, who may still help you."
Luz was finally ready to tell those in the Owl House what happened inside Belos' mind. First by relating what she found out about Belos identity and the Day of Unity.
However for Eda, King and Hooty to understand Aurelie aka Sophie Weinberg truly was and what she'd missed in Sophie's diary pages with washed out ink, Luz dejectedly explained Kristallnacht translated to "Night of Broken glass", a violent pogrom (this one she had to define as an outbreak of mass violence directed against a minority religious, ethnic, or social group) against the Jews, Sophie's people. This lead to another clarification on who they were and such.
Ending with Luz finally telling that somehow Sophie became a Queen under a new name Aurelie. What everyone thought was a royal romance between her and Belos, was actually the story of a frightened refugee seduced into marrying a despot intending to claim the only other human for himself, placing her and their young son in a gilded cage.
On the table was a drawing of a manically grinning Inner Belos holding up a Golden guard mask, with the words 'Witch Hunter!' written beside it. There were other pencil drawings on the table, one depicting the portal and one depicting the picture frame from Belos' mind showing past moments, Philip Wittebane, and Belos' mask. Another drawing was that of Aurelie sadly hiding her face with her veil, paralleling a half image of Sophie in tears wearing a jacket with a yellow Star of David.
After hearing everything, King and Hooty were looking at Luz in shock. Eda was looking down at the drawings with analytical eyes, hand clasping over her mouth. She then looked up at Luz, who was sitting across the table staring back at them, looking despondent. She was covered with a blanket and holding a cup of hot drink. King's toy plushies were stacked behind her.
The name Aurelie had given her and the journal now made sense, she'd been trying to let them find out about her past so that they knew they had an accomplice in the palace… but now said collaborator and their child were in mortal peril.
Eda inhaled deeply. "This is just a lot to take in." She admitted.
Luz says they don't have time, breaking down in tears and blaming herself for falling for Philip's lies and helping him with his plan.
Eda then noted it was only a matter of time before Belos sends his Coven Scouts over to the Owl House if he knows Luz was in his head, so she instructs Luz to hide. However, Luz refuses to run away and swears that she'll stop Belos from using the draining spell during the Day of Unity if she can find a way to.
Lilith then arrives along with Owlbert, who informed her about the draining spell. Lilith faulted herself for not knowing the truth of the Day of Unity nor figuring out Aurelie trying to reach them sooner, but Eda hushes her to avoid further distress for Luz.
Hooty coughed up the letter addressed to King who happily believes that it is from his people and that they can be their new allies. So at Lilith's suggestion (she and Eda hoping to keep them out of harm's way until then) Luz, King, and Hooty took a boat to another island situated on a finger from another Titan. Using a stone within the letter, they get transported to a village, where the residents look like King, calling themself Titan Trappers. Tarak, the sender of the letter shows them around and offers to train King in Titan trapping while Luz and Hooty meet the elder Bill.
Bill then speaks up from his throne, initially mistaking Luz and Hooty as Tarak.
Luz appealed to him, "I'm here to ask if you would lend me your mighty warriors. You see, Emperor Belos has threatened to-"
Bill scoffed. "Ha! That upstart on the carcass Kingdom? He's no big deal. How he got that foreign looker for a wife is beyond me."
"I think they might be divorcing pretty soon." Hooty piped up. The unspoken question will be whether Belos will even allow it to proceed.
"Heh, I knew it. Well, I've got battle scars older than Belos reign as Emperor! Wanna see?"
Bill lifts up his shirt to reveal a scar on his torso.
Luz winced in disgust, "We're good. But... please understand, Mr... Bill, a lot of people are in danger and- and they don't even realize it."
"Yeah, that dude is straight up evil." Hooty added.
"Don't worry, we'll help." Bill said rather nonchalantly.
Luz's and Hooty's face light up with hope.
"But if you think Belos is evil, you've never seen a live Titan. The children out there haven't either." Bill said balefully.
Luz is confused by this, and Bill elaborates that Titans have a huge appetite, have a terrible sounding cry, and even their off-springs act like kings. He met a live Titan once before it disappeared, and that the roar it let out blew out his eardrums. He proceeds to imitate the roar, which sounds very similar to King's cries. Luz figures out all of these characteristics match with King. Bill revealed that the Huntsman wants them to find the last Titan, as only it has the power to free him from his prison, but they haven't found it.
Hooty interrupts Luz and tells her to follow him to a room he just found, which is filled with wall carvings, skulls of King's species, and a shrine. Luz then notices the Collector's face in the globe, and realizes that the being the Titan Trappers worship is the Collector themself. Just then, Bill emerges and explains that the shrine has been his project for years. He also reveals a humanoid hand under his glove, meaning that his appearance is actually a Titan disguise, before he describes in graphic detail of what he will do to the Titan.
Luz and Hooty are as expected shocked, what did they get themselves into?
Back with Aurelie, she would be making contact with her allies sooner than she thought. She'd talking to Malak, who'd given her subtle clues to who or what he was. He wasn't a witch for his ears were as round as hers, nor was he a cryptid like half the other denizens yet there were other details that told her he wasn't a human.
Something happened long ago, causing him to leave home out of shame, believing his Father and other siblings would never forgive him unless he somehow made amends. Then he reached the Boiling Isles, subtly trying to teach kindness to the locals only to at some point be cursed and locked away in ice. During that time was how he'd found out about Phillip becoming Belos to destroy this world then when her tear of true heartfelt compassion melted his icy prison, and the rest as one says was history.
Aurelie was tired of feeling alone, a great part of her just wanted to go back home. But where Adonai led, she'll go. Even if it meant fighting Belos face to face.
Malak had been telling her that she still had people willing to help, then Aurelie paused when she felt a small tug at her stained dress, and she looked down in surprise.
It was a little abomination creation. The glowing green eyes and hairstyle – it had to be from Darius!
"When did you get here?" Aurelie had blurted out.
The tiny purple clay creation said nothing, it only awaited her reaction. Surely, if he was nearby then perhaps so would Eberwolf and Raine. Perhaps they could do something.
"Well, if you truly did come on behalf of Darius," Aurelie began. "Would you mind letting him know I'm safe, and expecting him and his allies for word of Hunter and Oziel?"
The creature pulled away then skitters across the area before slipping through the tree cracks into the clearing. It was from him.
Minutes later, she was talking to the three explaining herself and receiving word that Hunter and Oziel had hidden themselves in Hexside for the time being.
"Look out!"
They hid themselves in the foliage, to see multiple Coven Scouts running up and surrounding a large house located on the cliffs just a ten minute walk from Bonesborough, each with a spell circle ready at their fingertips.
Raine whispered to Aurelie that it was Eda's house. The Guard captain was speaking on a crow phone. "We have them surrounded."
Kikimora's voice could be heard on the other end. "Good. Arrest anyone inside. For the Emperor."
The Coven Scouts all proclaimed, "For the Emperor!"
However, the house appeared to be empty. There was almost no one inside, with everything inside being confiscated by Coven Scouts. Good, that meant the residents must've escaped earlier.
Aurelie, nevertheless was still worried. She'd overheard the coven scouts commenting that Belos wants her, Oziel and Hunter brought back to him. And she wasn't about to let that happen. She'll have to reach them and get them to where her secret project lay hidden.
Quickly she took a cloak and began making her way to Hexside, telling her allies she'll meet them in Latissa.
"Where are you going?!" Darius questioned.
"To get my boys back!" Aurelie yelled back.
To be continued…
Author's note: Again this came out shorter than I thought.
Oh well, the next chapter which is Labyrinth runners will be more extended. Feel free to send me suggestions via PM if you have an account, or for those that don't, guest reviews. Who wants to see her slap Graye?
As for my Rewrite the stars fanart - *sheepish laugh* Eheheh, I'm trying to. Of course I still look forward to some comments on them and my writing there too.
And to the idiot DefunctStoreKing threatening me and other authors in the guest reviews: PIÑA! I don't want to, nor will I ever, you can't force people to read your fics. Keep it up and I'll deactivate the guest review moderator. Better yet, I've blocked you. I have a right to feel safe, to read what I want and establish my online boundaries.