Questions and answers?
Life in the Isles has been… messy lately. Ever since Luz showed up, it seems like the concept of a "calm" and "normal" life will never be a part of this place ever again.
But, that's fine. Eda was happy with this new life.
A week ago, it didn't feel so fine. And even now, all of it still bothers her.
After they stormed the castle to rescue Raine, a major fight broke with the Emperor's Coven. Eda, Lilith, Luz, Boots and even Luz's friends alongside the BATS fought hard against the immense military forces that served Belos. It was tiring and grueling, but eventually they overcame the Coven's soldiers and rescued Raine. Eda was positively shocked at Luz, who was such an unstopable powerhouse in this fight that she felt like everyone else was barely even doing anything. While Eda in her harpy form took out some 5 soldiers, Luz took out dozens almost in the blink of an eye. She was fast, fierce, ruthless, but most of all, efficient.
In that fight Luz felt completely different from what she knew her to be. It was like her every move, her every step, her every breath was meticulously calculated since before they even stepped into the castle. The rash and impulsive girl was gone, and a terrifying force in combat stood there instead. Determined, resolute, and precise.
But the strangest part of it all came after all of that.
"Belos is trying to open a portal to the human realm! I don't know why, or what he wants, but we need to stop him! Whatever he has in mind cannot be good!"
"Raine, I'm not sure if you noticed, but we nearly died many times over just getting HERE. None of us have the energy to deal with BELOS of all people right now."
"Eda, please! This could very well mean the end of the Isles as we know them! We need to do something!"
Eda was hesitant, mostly because she knew that, even if they tried to get away, Raine would just run to Belos anyway. They were stubborn like that.
She looked at Luz, who was just as torn as she was. Then Luz spoke up, again with that resolute and calculated tone that confused Eda so much.
"Eda, you, me and Raine go to Belos. Everyone else get out. We are the only ones that can still fight. But we are NOT going to fight on sight, do you understand? If we can avoid confrontation, that's the best case for everyone. Am I being clear?"
Eda could not help but be shocked. Luz was even using words Eda couldn't even process as "Luz-like". "Avoid confrontantion"? "on sight"? Had Luz ever talked like this, EVER?
However, no one present could deny that she was talking sense. Everyone else was absolutely thrashed, the fight had taken too much out of them. Even boots could barely stand up. Which was even weirder considering Luz and Eda had done the grand majority of the fighting. Eda was certainly feeling the toll of the fight, but Luz looked fine.
In fact, she almost looked… comfortable. Not happy or anything, nut she looked like she was used to this somehow. She was obviously tense, but she didn't seem shaken or anything like that.
Eda set those thoughts aside for now as everyone rushed. Boots giving Luz a small kiss and a hug before asking her to come back to her safely and leaving.
However, just as they arrived they realized it was just a little too late.
Just as they arrived, the portal was being opened.
Through the portal everyone could see a small clearing with lush trees and a small road that led to a concrete street.
The heads of the covens cheered at their success.
Belos stood there, looking at the portal.
Then Kikimoora spoke: "Very well, everyone! It is time for the day of Unity to take place! Let us rush forth, and begin the new age of-"
"Kikimoora"
"Huh?"
"We are done here."
"…"
"What? My liege, what do you-"
"It is done. The day of Unity has come and we succeded. Congratulations everyone, thank you very much for your assistance. You may go home now, I imagine you must be very exhausting. Oh, and, to our unexpected guests, sorry to bother you, but if I could ask you to wait for amoment, I shall address your concerns in a moment, I happen to be a tad busy right now."
Every single person present stood in silence, confused.
"Uhhh.. m-my liege, what do you mean "we are done"? Are we not invading the human realm?"
"… Pardon? Invade the human realm? When did we EVER discuss such a thing?"
"Uhhhh…."
Kiki stood still for a moment, realizing they had never actually discussed what was to happen in the day of Unity. They all just assumed it was an invasion, they never stopped to consider that Belos never actually even suggested such a thing.
Raine then stepped forward.
"Belos! What do you intend to do with the portal?! What is your goal?!"
Belos stood silent for a few moments.
"… I am merely looking for answers is all."
"Answers? Answers to what?"
Eda was confused, but after looking at the portal for a moment, she noticed a bizarre symbol in the side of it. It was a strange looking circle within a circle with 3 arrows pointed at the center.
"Does it have anything to do with that thing you drew there?"
Everyone turned to the symbol. Belos then spoke:
"… Yes. A long time ago, I noticed that strange symbol in one of Phillip Wittebane's diaries. I have been obsessed with the mysterious human for a very long time. The bizarre notations in his texts, the incredible wild magic he uncovered, deciphered, and even created himself. This very portal was his original invention, and even now that I have constructed it, I still do not understand how it even works. That symbol is but one of the endless mysteries that plague my restless mind. Who was he? What did he want? How did he do all of the things he did? What is that symbol? I must now! I HAVE to know no matter what! The answers to my questions-"
"Are answers you don't want to know, Belos."
Luz said that. She actually just said that.
They were all shocked beyond words. The fact that she said that implied that… that she knew something.
She knew. She knew what that symbol was. She knew the answers to the mysteries of the human Phillip Wittebane.
She knew.
How?
Why?
WHAT THE TITAN IS GOING ON HERE?!
Today had gone from scary to dangerous to weird to confusing to scarily confusing.
Luz then approached Belos.
"There is a saying in our world: "Do not ask questions you are not ready to know the answers to." … But if you really must know, I can help… a bit... I am going to need you to give me some time though…"
Belos was just as confused, but the prospect of having his questions answered gave him a feeling he thought long lost: hope. Hope for clarity, and for something else he couldn't quite put a finger on.
"YES! YES, HAVE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED. You can also use this portal as you please! Don't mind anything else! Whatever you need or want you can have it!"
Seeing Belos this giddy and cooperative was just one more utterly unthinkable weird thing today, and frankly, Eda was getting exhausted by now. Luz then said that she would go home for a bit and she would be back in a bit. But before leaving, she said:
"Belos, I want to be honest with you here. We all have questions we want answered, but sometimes those answers can be worse for us to now than to not know, and sometimes, those answers are things we simply can never get. As far as Philip Wittebane goes, looking for answers we can never get was his life. I just want you to understand that it might be yours as well."
Belos thought for a moment.
"Then, perhaps, I shall be content with merely looking for said answers. At least, knowing whether or not I can know the truth is better than not knowing. Asking questions without knowing of the answers even exist?... I have to be honest, that sound a fair but of fun!"
Luz smiled, and then she got that look. The one she gets when she has a "brilliant idea" (I.E. the one she gets when something either incredibly cool or amazingly stupid is about to go down).
"Say, Belos, would you say you are like, an expert in everything magic here in the Isles?"
"…. Well… yes, I… suppose you could say that? Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing, just some refernces that might come in handy later. (You would get along with them pretty well)"
"With who?"
"No one! Bye!"
And then she walked out.