The boiling rainstorm lasted until the break of dawn; the skies finally cleared. The crew could lower the shield, and the participants could come safely above deck. "I thought it was never gonna end," Gus admitted. He, Willow, and Luz gratefully looked at the beautiful sky.
"Storms like that really make you appreciate clear weather," Luz added.
"Attention, all participants!" The captain shouted. "My crew and I wish to thank you for your patience and cooperation these last few hours. We've arrived at Emperor Belos's castle."
"What?" "No way!" "Let me see!" The participants mumbled amongst themselves as they all moved to the edge of the ship to get a look. The three friends joined the rest of the participants. Luz was excited to see a fantastical castle that she once thought could only exist in the realm of fiction. She imagined it looking like Cair Paravel from The Chronicles of Narnia.
But as they got closer, her enthusiasm changed to disappointment. She instead saw an imposing fortress that looked like a home to a dark lord rather than a noble ruler. It also looked more gritty and rugged than fantastical and awe-inspiring. "This is it?" Luz asked in a disheartened tone. "This can't be the right place."
"I never thought I'd ever see the Emperor's castle in person," Gus said. "This is awesome!"
"I guess this is going to be our new home," Willow added.
Neither of them seemed to be disappointed with the sight. Their excitement and wonder were just raised even higher. A few people down, Luz spotted Amity standing next to a pair of older twins that looked like her. The human thought she saw Amity shaking with excitement, like a fangirl going to a concert. Luz thought that maybe she should accept it for what it is and be happy to see her friends excited.
Luz noticed that other ships were approaching the fortress, too. The boats landed right at the front of the castle, and their rope ladders were lowered. The participants climbed down one at a time. They gathered into a large group around a stone platform, waiting for the captain or someone else to give them direction.
"Strange," Gus said, looking around.
"What is?" Luz asked.
"I was sure there would be some coven member here to greet us at the front gate."
"They're probably waiting inside the castle. Or maybe they're on a mission to protect the land from evil. Y'know, all that heroic stuff."
A loud cranking hung in the air as the castle's front gate opened just as a metal bridge extended outward and connected to the platform. Luz and the others spotted Kikimora standing by the entrance. She coughed into her little hand and spoke, "Children of the Boiling Isles! Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle! You are among a privileged caste who've received the honor of being selected to participate in his trials! A chance to earn a home here, in the mighty Emperor's Coven!"
"Yeah!" Luz cheered loudly, getting some looks from the others. Her face burned red with embarrassment. "Sorry."
Kikimora rolled her eyes. "Before the Trials begin. My lord has instructed me to teach you all about the Isle's past for those unaware of it, for you are its future. Come with me." She gestured for them to follow as she walked into the castle.
The participants followed the little red demon into the fortress, and Luz — and others — all let out noticeable gasps. The inside looked far more beautiful than the outside. Bright colors adorned the ceiling and walls as finely woven decors hung. Members of the coven stood next to suits of armor and well-trimmed bushes as they watched the participants. The participants walked past a tapestry hanging from the wall. It featured a cloaked, masked figure standing over witches and demons that appeared to be laughing… or maybe screaming… it wasn't very clear.
"Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity. But that wasn't always the case. Until fifty years ago, witches practiced wild magic during what we called the Savage Ages. Witches had access to corrupt knowledge, and that dishonored the Titan. That was until our great emperor ascended to the throne and used his wisdom to teach witches how to use magic properly. As the Titan's voice, only he had the will to fight back the chaotic forces that sought to undo us all. As future members of the Emperor's Coven, it will be your sole duty to ensure our emperor's will remains absolute. Since you are here, you have demonstrated to your examiners the skills, knowledge, and courage needed for such a task."
As the tour continued, Luz had the creeping feeling that she was being watched. She looked to her left and spotted a figure that looked like the other coven members, but they wore a more prestigious uniform. As if it were made for higher-ranking members. And there was something about him. While coven members were observing the group, there was something about this one. Like they were watching Luz, specifically. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, the human snuck away from the tour group. She chased after the cloaked figure just as they were walking out. "Hey, wait!" The teen shouted. She saw the stranger turn down the hall and walk behind a door. She followed and found herself in a part of the castle that looked more decorative than anything she saw so far. "Where did he go?"
"Luz!" The human turned to see Willow and Gus running up to her. "You shouldn't be leaving the tour group." The former berated. "And I don't think we should be in here."
"I'm sorry, I thought I saw someone who…" The teen slapped the side of her head. "Never mind. I was being stupid."
"Guys." Gus began, eyes wide with wonder. "Do you know where we are?"
"In a room filled with pretty stuff?"
"I think this is the Relic Room."
"The Relic Room?"
"It's Emperor Belos' personal treasury, containing the gifts that he bestowed to the first leaders of the nine covens. Look, there's the Oracle Sphere!" He pointed to a purple orb cradled by a three-headed stone snake. Then to a wooden gauntlet. "The Greenthumb Gauntlet!" Then to a witch's hat. "The Healing Hat! Everyone at Hexside has read about them in the textbook, but to see them for real… I… I think I'm gonna faint."
"You better not," Willow said, holding him still. "Because I'm not carrying you. But this is amazing. To think each of these relics was once used by the strongest witch of their respected coven. Nine witches handpicked by Emperor Belos to help him bring order to the Isles and lead a whole generation of powerful witches. I can only imagine how much of an honor that must've been. I don't know if there will ever be witches as powerful as them ever again."
"I wouldn't say that," Luz replied. "You two might become those witches."
Willow and Gus both blinked. "You can't really mean that?" The latter questioned.
"I do. I mean, it's not gonna happen overnight. I think you should use those strong witches as a benchmark for your growth after you've been in the Emperor's Coven for a few years. I think you two could become just as famous and respected."
"Become as strong as them," Willow said to herself before looking at Luz. "Yeah, we can do that."
"Definitely," Gus added. "I think we should head back to our group now."
Realization suddenly hit Luz like a brick. "Me olvidé por completo de eso!" She said, her fingers pulling at her hair. The three friends rushed out of the Relic Room and down the hall; they came down but saw the tour group was already gone. They ran down another corridor, but they still didn't find the group. Strangely enough, there were no coven members around the castle for them to ask. It's like they just showed up to greet the participants and then disappeared. "I'm sorry, guys. We're lost now, because of me."
"We'll find where we're supposed to go; don't worry," Willow said.
"Don't count on it." A gruff-sounding voice said as a group of individuals with weapons in-hand and smirks on their faces stepped out. They all blocked the entrances and exits as they surrounded the trio. "You ain't goin' anywhere."
Luz took some steps forward as she asked, "Hey, what are you doing…" Before she could finish her question, a figure dashed over to and kicked the girl right in the chest. Luz coughed up some spit as she went tumbling back.
"Luz!" Willow and Gus called out to their friend and rushed to her side.
The one that kicked Luz performed a backflip and landed on her feet with the gracefulness of a professional ballerina. "You should've stayed put." The individual said in a feminine voice. The assailant was very tall then the teens and had very dark skin with pale freckles dotting her cheeks like polka-dots. She had mid-length graying dark blue styled straight, with brown eyes. Her wardrobe was relatively simple; a dark leather coat over a purple top, leather pants, and high-heeled boots.
"Are you alright?" Willow asked Luz as she and Gus helped the human to her feet.
"Yeah, I just had the wind knocked out of me," Luz assured them before turning her attention to the woman. "Who are you? And why did you…"
"You may call me Vivian." The woman introduced herself. "My associates and I were hired by Mister and Misses Ternarie to ensure their daughter passed the Trials."
Luz gave the woman a confused look. "I'm sorry, who?" She genuinely had no idea who she was talking about.
"Ternarie is Boscha's last name," Willow told her friend. "They work for Boscha's family."
"I should give you all a warning, as well… The three of you should be careful on your way to the Trials… Because of how dangerous the Trials are, they also bring in dangerous folk. Many will go to great lengths to ensure they win, even before the tests begin. And it won't matter if you're a kid or not. If someone sees you as a threat to them becoming a member of the Emperor's Coven, they will take you down if they see an opportunity to do so." Remembering back to Eda's warning before they departed, Luz, Willow, and Gus realized this is precisely what she was telling them about.
"Yes, the little brat came crying to me about you three and asked me to do something about it, like I'm her Titan-damned mother," Vivian said with annoyance. "But her mommy and daddy pay us to make her happy; so, here we are. She wants us to give you a little test."
"What kind of test?" Gus asked.
Vivian drew two circles in the air, creating swirls of fire and ice in her hands. She brought them close together, and the two elements changed into one; lightning. The three friends gasped and backed up from the display as the thuggish witch smirked and answered, "She doesn't think you're all good enough to take the Trials. And if you're backing up over my little light show, I think she may have a point."
"Yeah." "That's right." "Brats like you don't belong here." "Oughta get lost." "Vivian's gonna kill ya, dumb kids." The goons all said amongst themselves with discourteous laughter, trying to discourage the trio even further.
"Y… you don't scare us!" Luz shouted with defiance, though she did feel a twinge of fear in her heart. "Gus, Willow, and I have every right to be here as much as Boscha does!"
"Please don't make this harder than it needs to be," Vivian said. "Try looking at this way. If I don't deal with you here, Boscha will get you somewhere down the line. In a way, we're sparing you three from the death and humiliation at her hands. That wouldn't end well. Especially for a cute face, like you, human."
A blush overcame Luz's face as she asked, "You really think I'm cute?" Willow and Gus slapped their foreheads in disbelief at the human girl's naive and oblivious response to the apparent threat.
"I'm gonna give you all two options on how this is going to go down."
"Two options?" Willow asked.
"Option number one: The three of you forget about the Trials and the thought of joining the Emperor's Coven, and we'll let you leave alive."
"And what's option two?"
"That's simple." The lightning in Vivian's hands crackled more violently. "If you don't leave on your own, then you all die right where you are." The other thugs all snickered amongst themselves as they took offensive stances. "I'll give you 'til the count of five to decide. Starting… now." Luz, Willow, and Gus all back up from the woman as she said, "Five." The trio looked around for some sort of way out, but the thugs blocked all their possible exits. "Just so y'know, none of this is personal; it's just business. Four. If you don't give me an answer by the time I say, zero; we'll just jump straight to option two and make it quick. Three."
Sweat dripped down the faces of the trio as their eyes darted in every possible direction. There was nowhere for them to go. "Two." Even though they were just holding weapons, they could be a front to hide powerful magic. If they did try to escape, Willow and Gus would have a better chance of getting out if they left Luz behind. But they would never do that. "One." The back of their minds was screaming at them to take option one… but they refused. Maybe they were too shaken to speak up… or maybe…
Vivian just looked at the trio. All she had to do was finish the countdown, and they would attack, but she stopped. "Are you kids dumb?" She asked Luz, Willow, and Gus. While they were afraid, they held their ground. "I'm giving you a chance to walk away. Do you really want to die here?"
"It's better than giving up!" Luz shouted, making Vivian gasp. The human girl pulled out her baseball bat as Willow and Gus stood by her side, preparing for the inevitable fight.
"Unlike other participants, we're not doing this just to join the Emperor's Coven!" Willow shouted. "We have something to prove!"
"Something we're not going to let anyone scare us out of!" Shouted Gus.
"If we run from the likes of you, then we aren't real witches!" Luz shouted. "We may not stand a chance, but if we throw in the towel like this, we won't be able to forgive ourselves!"
"So, hit us with your best shot!" Gus shouted.
"We're not going anywhere!" Shouted Willow as her eyes glowed green.
Vivian stared at the three young fools. She'd be lying if she didn't say she was slightly impressed by their determination. But she has a job to do. She raised her electrified hands and said, "Z..." Before she could finish, a blue flame flew past Vivian and all the thugs, circling in front of them three times like it was alive. Luz, Willow, and Gus all gasped and huddled close to each other as they stood in the center of it. And just as quickly as it arrived, the fire disappeared, with Vivian and the others all just standing there.
"What just…" Luz began but was cut-off by a gurgling sound coming from the thugs. She and her friends all gasped when they saw that blood was dripping down their sliced open throats. Vivian covered the gash with her hands, trying to stop it, but it was bleeding too fast. A few seconds later, her eyes rolled back as she and the other thugs fell dead onto the crimson coated ground. "Dios omnipotente!"
Standing behind Vivian's lifeless body was a tall woman with ivory skin, long indigo hair, and turquoise eyes. She wore a long-sleeved dark gray dress. Blood dripped from the long, claw-like nails on her left hand. She pulled out a white rag and cleaned them off. "It appears I arrived just in time." She said in a gentle tone and looked at the three youths. "Are you all right, children?"
Luz, Willow, and Gus continued to stare at her in silence, shaking. After a few seconds, Luz eventually stuttered, "Y… yes."
Lilith studied them for a moment. "From the looks on your faces, you haven't seen bloodshed before, have you?" The trio shook their heads. The woman let out a sigh as if them not seeing something like this was a bad thing. "You can relax; I won't hurt you. In fact, I was looking for you."
"Looking for us?" Gus asked.
"My name is Lilith Clawthorne."
"Lilith Clawthorne?" Willow gasped. "As in, the leader of the Emperor's Coven? The White Raven? I… I can't believe… this is an honor."
"I'm sure it is, yes. One of the guards reported some participants slipped away from the crowd. Three youths and a group of dangerous individuals." Her tone then changed from a soft one to a harsher one. "I should disqualify the three of you for sneaking around the castle and wasting time like this."
"Wait, Miss Lilith…" Luz interrupted. "Or Miss Clawthorne… or…"
"What?"
"Willow and Gus only left because of me. If anyone should be disqualified, it should just be me."
"Luz, you don't…" Willow began.
"I said that I should disqualify the three of you," Lilith emphasized. "But I won't."
"R… really?" Gus asked.
"You should consider yourselves fortunate that someone here wishes to speak with you."
"So, these are the ones the Owl Lady passed." Another voice said from behind the three friends. The youths turned to it as Lilith got down onto one knee and lowered her head. Out from a shadowy corner, a pair of glowing pale blue eyes could be seen. They came forward, and the same figure as shown in the tapestry stood before the three youths.
Luz, Willow, and Gus all gasped at the same time. "Is that who I think it is?" The human asked.
"Oh, my Titan," Gus said.
"It's him," Willow added as the witchlings bowed, and Luz followed their lead. "The ruler of the Boiling Isles. The Titan's chosen. Emperor Belos."
Luz almost looked at Willow, wanting to ask if she was serious, but something in the back of her mind told her to hold her tongue. There was something about all of this she couldn't describe… couldn't shake. She felt it when Lilith revealed herself to them, but it became amplified when the emperor did so himself. It was an eerie chill like when you're lost somewhere you don't know and feel there are eyes on you. Being in front of an emperor should be an honor; instead, Luz was scared.
"Luz, are you alright?"
The human girl blinked. "What?"
"Are you alright? You're shaking." Willow thought that it was because of what they all saw happen with Vivian. That display unnerved her herself, but she and Gus are suppressing as best they can in the sight of Belos.
Out of the corner of her eye, Luz spotted Lilith watching the human girl in a manner that felt demeaning. "There is no need to be afraid, Luz, the human," Belos said to the girl's surprise, making her gasp. He then looked over at Willow and Gus as he stepped into the light. "Neither do you, Willow Park and Gus Porter." The two witchlings gasped as well. "Please, stand. You are guests in my castle. None of you need to be afraid."
The three friends nervously stood up as Luz sheepishly asked, "You know who we are?"
"Kikimora informed us about the three of you. When I asked the Owl Lady to serve as an examiner this year, I was honestly surprised to learn she did her job; even though her test was for selfish gain. But two witchlings who have yet to graduate from a school and a human managed to steal from the Conformatorium and defeat Warden Wrath. Even if you did have assistance from the Owl Lady, it is still a remarkable feat."
"Y… y… you're too k… kind." Gus tripped over his tongue.
"Though, I am curious as to why you three chose to wander off. I want an explanation as to why Lilith had to end the lives of several participants."
Luz gave a summary of how she felt one of the Emperor's Coven members was watching her and decided to follow him. She eventually wound up in the Relic Room when Willow and Gus caught up to her.
"Why didn't you tell us you thought you were being watched?" Willow asked, she and Gus showing concern.
"I… I thought I'd sound stupid saying it aloud." Luz admitted before continuing the story about how they tried to find their way back to the tour group, only to be ambushed by Vivian and her thugs. Luz shared how they admitted to working for Boscha's family and sent them to kill her and her friends.
"Do you have proof of this claim?" Lilith asked skeptically.
"She told us."
"Word of mouth isn't strong evidence. She could've easily said someone else sent her, or maybe no one sent her, and she and the others saw an opportunity to remove some competition."
As much as Luz wanted to argue against that statement, she kind of saw Lilith's point. Luz looked back at the emperor and said, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you know where to find us? I'm just saying this is a big castle. Even if someone told you we were gone, you'd still have to search up and down."
"The answer is rather simple," Belos said, raising his hands. "The Titan told me where you were."
Luz has heard this "Titan" mentioned before, but she did not know who or what this "Titan" is. "Who is the Titan?"
"The Titan is the Isles. His body is the ground you walk on. He is the source of all life on the Isles, and I am his messenger." Belos lowered his hands to his side. "The Titan sees something in the three of you and has requested you live long enough to take the Trials."
"What does he see in us?"
"That, I cannot say. I don't question the Titan; I merely obey his commands. Whatever your worth to him is, it will reveal itself to you in the Trials. A test within a test; so, it may seem."
The emperor then snapped his fingers, and the wall to the trio's left started to crumble and lift, revealing a deep tunnel lit by rows of torches. "Follow us." Belos walked past them and through the opening with Lilith.
"What's down there?" Gus asked.
"We'll take you all to where the others are."
"And do try to keep up," Lilith said. "We've had enough delays for one day."
Luz, Willow, and Gus looked at each other for a moment. Then they followed the two of them down the tunnel. Belos led the way, with Lilith behind him. The dark-haired woman kept some distance from the emperor, walking more like a follower than an equal. The three youths saw just how dangerous it could be with taking out Vivian; they could only imagine just how strong the emperor was.
"Human," Lilith spoke up.
Though it was obvious who she was addressing, Luz still asked, "Me?"
"That weapon of yours you carry. It's rather impractical compared to others. Since you have no magic, it would be best to equip yourself with a better tool."
"Thanks, but I'm fine with what I got." Luz knew she wasn't going to get far with a baseball bat. Especially when going up against swords, axes, and especially magic. But she doesn't want to have to use anything with the potential of taking a life. Even if killing is allowed, she doesn't want to resort to it, not even as a last option.
There was a long and awkward silence. The only sound being the group's footsteps. That is, until Lilith asked the human girl, "Would you mind answering a question?"
"A question?"
"Yes, why would you, a human, want to take the Emperor's Trials? Your kind has no magical abilities, and you would most likely meet a rather gruesome demise. So, why take the risk?"
"Well… I want to prove that humans can be just like witches. I know what I've been told before; humans can't do magic. But I doubt anyone has tried to teach one. Eda agreed to teach me how."
Lilith hmphed. "She would."
"What does that mean? Do you know her?"
"You can say that, yes." Suddenly, the group could hear sounds coming from the other end of the tunnel. It sounded like chatter. "It appears that we are nearing our destination."