Somewhere in Latissa…
Luz groaned and moaned as the plant palisman was helping her up.
"Thanks." Luz uttered then heard Hunter moan, "Hunter!"
"Oof, we've made softer landings in the past. But grateful that nothing is broken." Hunter uttered under his breath while Flapjack flew onto his shoulder.
"You guys are okay." Luz breathed as she hugged her cousin.
"Come on, Luz. Give me a little more credit. Flap and I are much tougher than we look." Hunter smiled, "I'm just glad you and your friend made it out okay."
The Plant Palisman then made a distress sound.
"What's wrong, Little One?" Luz wondered then Hunter suddenly hushed her, and they both ducked as they saw someone lurking with the Missing Palismen.
This person had a two-headed dragon as they held the mask of the person who originally took the Palismen.
"Hmmph! I shove Kikimora and her dragon down a bottomless hole now I get rid of the pest, seems ol' Ukobach moving up in the world." He declared with a smile on his face.
"Ukobach? …and he looks so much like Kikimora… except blue with a beard." Luz muttered as it caught Hunter's attention.
"This is bad. Ukobach was a banished demon from the Boiling Isles, but it looks like he's made a deal with the Crusaders to come back." Hunter sneered.
"What do the Crusaders want with those Palismen?" Luz wondered as Hunter was tense.
"Don't know, but it's all the more reason to get them away from Ukoback."
The demon then locked the Palisman into the hive as he turned to his two-headed dragon.
"I'll make contact with the others then make certain… Weaver's out of the picture and I'll be the top dog." He declared then turned to his dragon, "Duke, find someone who owns this and enjoy your little snack."
The dragon growled and ate the mask.
Luz shivered as the plant Palisman made sounds for Hunter and Luz. Flap tweeted to follow it. The cousins then walked to where the palisman scurried to and uncovered where their kidnapper landed. To their surprise, she looked like a young girl, probably as old as Luz. Her face was covered in scars, many more than Hunter (Who got his cheek scar in the Autonomation Invention Presentation one year when one of the inventions exploded and Belos shielded him from most of the blast.) or even Atticus (From his work as a Golden Guard and saving many lives from many different things).
She looked so tired… so warn…
"She's a Blood Crusader? She looks like she could go to Hexside." Luz uttered as she slowly crept near her sleeping form.
"Careful, Luz." Hunter warned as Luz got closer and closer to her face, knowing what she was going to do.
"WAKE UP!"
SLAP!
Yep.
That.
From an Arroyo not far away…
Princess the Hand Dragon was pulling herself out as Mr. Tophat flew out with Kikimora, enraged and disheveled.
"I. Am. Going. To. Take. Him. Down!" She snarled as she was pushed to her limits.
In Latissa…
Though it took some convincing, and Luz stealing her staff, the Scarlet Weaver agreed to cooperate with the cousins to take the Palisman from Ukobach in his hidden base.
Since he was guarded by thugs, Luz came up with a plan, using Glyph Magic and Sleeping Nettles.
"Now, you're thinking like a Whittebane General. Uncle will be proud." Hunter grinned.
"This-this is incredible. This type of magic is the earliest form that can be uncovered. I ready about wild magic and the magic of-."
The Scarlet Weaver suddenly stopped and went quiet. Then they learned something they have in common.
"I'm a powerless witch, I came from a long line of them, always turned away and lost… until we were found by the Crusaders, and they gave us a chance and a home. I would never repay them for helping us and I can't ever forgive Belos…"
Hunter and Luz frowned as they knew that didn't sound right. The plant palisman then approached the girl who wanted the palisman away from her.
"Hey, hey! Be nice to the little girl. She's being friendly." Hunter scolded.
"I don't care! These things are made with wild magic! They are dangerous!"
"Okay, one: Wild Magic? Really? Wild Magic is unauthorized and unrestricted magic that needs to be taken into account, which we don't do except for Luz's teachers. Two: Palismen are not dangerous on their own. They are the best friends of witches and demons alike. I would know because I've lived with them all my life. In fact, it was the Palismen that saved my uncle's life and not just Blue alone. No, Palismen that never even met him before." Hunter informed.
"Maybe the Crusaders aren't right about everything," Luz added sweetly.
"Look, let's just get those Palisman…"
In the skies of Latissa…
It didn't take long to track her cousin or to find the Palismen and royals.
Though she saw one Blood Crusader scurry away, she would face off against her cousin.
"Your Highnesses, get behind me! Both I and Mr. Tophat are fueled by rage right now!" Kikimora warned as they did just that.
"You can't beat me, Kikimora! I'm too powerful!" Ukobach declared.
"No, you are not. Feed on Fear, Mr. Tophat!"
The staff breathed black mist as it spewed through the entire area. Luz wasn't sure what was going on, but from the screams of Ukobach and his men, it wasn't good.
"Kikimora, we need to go! They're coming with backup!" Hunter warned as Princess grabbed the Palisman Hive filled with the missing palismen.
Kikimora growled but went with the children on the dragon as they flew away…
Back at the Secret Base…
"My real name is Tulip…"
Ugh! Why did she give them her name and why did she lose the Palismen?
She was an idiot! She deserved to be scolded and her aunt's disappointment and punishment.
"I will help you, Aunty. I promise." She breathed and then realized she was not alone.
The Plant Palismen came.
"You-you followed me?" She gasped as she held it before it squeaked in pain, "Oh, sorry! Look, you shouldn't be here… if anyone sees you-."
Before she could complete her words, the palisman turned into a staff for her as she noticed an inscription on the back.
'For my Love,
Though we can never be man and wife
I will treasure you with my life
Let this Palisman be your blade and your knife
-your knight.'
She frowned as she held the staff gently with care.