Greetings, everyone! Although it's sad that "The Owl House" has finally ended, we have the power of fanfiction to keep the story alive! I've been working on this particular tale since the end of "King's Tide." Now, almost a whole month after the series's end, I'm happy to finally release the first chapter of my most ambitious Owl House story, "The Last Grimwalker."
CONTENT NOTICE: This chapter contains violence with swords and fantasy magic, minor bloodshed, and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
"THE LAST GRIMWALKER"
CHAPTER ONE: VIGIL OF THE NIGHT
"Never thought I'd see the day the Emperor died."
During the reign of Emperor Belos, the Imperial Castle was the fortified heart of the Boiling Isles. Literally—it was built directly upon the Titan's chest cavity, and housed his still-beating heart. Alas, in its ruler's absence, the palace fell into ruin, its valuable treasures untouched by witch or demon...until today.
By order of the Covens Against the Throne, a salvage crew was sent to the decrepit castle to retrieve its relics. Ancient artifacts, esoteric technology, and books forbidden by the Emperor were due to be stored somewhere secure, so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. The castle's contents were loaded onto a wagon pulled by hefty oxgrubs, which was sent on its way to Latissa.
Now several miles from the castle ruins, the wagon's two drivers conversed deeply about the changes their homeland was facing, beneath the light of the moon.
"He's finally gone. It's been what, like, two weeks, now?" the first driver continued, as he stroked his marigold goatee. His partner, a cyan biped demon with a prominent beak, scoffed contemptuously.
"Good riddance. I joined that maniac's coven. Obeyed his every word. I even gave him my frickin' palisman! And how did he repay us? By stabbing us in the back!"
"It's alright, mate. He can't hurt you anymore." The witch consoled his dejected demon companion, as they rolled onto a bridge above a stream wreathed in fog. The wagon trek continued with nary a word, until the silence was shattered by a roar from the skies. The oxgrubs suddenly came to a halt, and the drivers looked up to see a bright streak of light descending from the sky.
"What the-"
A large, hulking figure shook the bridge as it made landfall, startling the bugs of burden. The drivers couldn't tell who or what the interloper was, as it was concealed by the eerie fog. However, they could make out a bright lilac light, and a pair of ominous eyes glowing green.
Prepared for the worst, the drivers drew their spell circles, when without warning, the invader lobbed a glob of purple ooze that stuck them to their cart. The panicked oxgrubs took off running in the direction of the offender, who turned their right hand into an axe and cut the horned beasts loose. As the giant grubs stampeded away, the raider marched up to the wagon, whose operators recognized her immediately.
"Kikimora?"
"That's RIGHT!" The power-hungry gremlin exclaimed from atop her gargantuan Abomatron. "I'm tired of playing second-fiddle to spoiled brats and treacherous witch hunters. With all those powerful relics, I'll be strong enough to start my own empire!" Kikimora lifted the wagon with her mighty mech, and emptied its contents like a sack of snails. But before she could seize any of the artifacts, her suit was struck in the back by an amber bolt of energy.
"WHO DID THAT?!" Kikimora shouted. The diminutive demon turned around to find the scoundrel who dared attack her, and saw a mysterious silhouette hidden in the fog. She couldn't make out much, except for a hooded cloak waving gently in the wind. Their presence lit a furious fire in Kiki's heart, but before she could attack, the stranger disappeared!
Kikimora looked to her left, then to her right, and finally, towards the wagon she'd dropped. Standing atop the vehicle was her assailant—a warrior witch clad in red and black. Their pants, gloves and cloak were dark as pitch, while their tunic and boots were a shady scarlet. Nothing could be said about their face, as it was concealed by a beaked mask with pointed projections at the top, which resembled a canine's ears. The masked vigilante had no staff, yet they stood primed for action in a fighting stance.
"Don't be a hero. Scram, or I'll burn you to cinders!"
The witch said nothing in response; they just cracked their knuckles in anticipation. Kikimora aimed her Abomatron's arm cannon at her enemy, and let loose with a blast of violet energy. However, the witch cloaked themself in golden light, and teleported away in the blink of an eye! They then parkoured across the bridge's railing with amazing agility, dodging more of the Abomatron's bolts along the way, and leapt at the little red raider.
Kiki turned her malleable mech's left arm into an axe, and swung it in hopes of chopping her foe to pieces. The vigilante avoided the blade with a swift magic dash, and ended up in the Abomatron's cockpit. Before Kikimora could react, they punted her out of the vehicle, and she tumbled to the ground. Not out of the fight yet, she cast bolts of purple energy at her enemy, who dodged them with agile jumps and somersaults. They then cast a blast of their own, and it hit Kiki's claw-like hair, causing her to let out a high-pitched yelp.
The warrior witch dismounted the mech, and sauntered towards its downed pilot. Now cornered, Kiki was unsure of what to do, until she saw a familiar weapon amongst the wagon's spilt contents. It was the mechanical staff of her most hated rival; the Golden Guard!
Kikimora made a break for the staff, and greedily grasped it with her tiny talons. "I've always wanted to use this!" Alas, before she could cast her first spell, the vigilante teleported up to her, and gave her a swift kick right in the gut, knocking the wind out of her! She dropped the Guard's weapon, and the masked witch picked it up. They looked over the staff for a few moments, then chucked it over their shoulder. It landed in the stream below, where the flowing current whisked it away.
"FREEZE! BIRDs!"
"Ca-caw!"
Arriving on the scene in their motorcycles were two witches wearing leather jackets adorned with white raven insignias. They were agents of the Boiling Isles Rangers' Department, aka the "BIRDs." With the Emperor's Coven gone, the Rangers were the Isles' newly-appointed peacekeepers. Thankfully, the BIRDs were much more reasonable than their Imperial predecessors.
Ranger Mae, a card-carrying member of the Abomination Coven, used her magic to do away with the wagon drivers' gooey restraints, freeing them. As for Kikimora, she was caught in a stone cage cast by the Rangers' diligent captain, Steve Beaufort-Tholomule.
"Kikimora. Chief Lilith's gonna have a field day when we finally bring you in." Steve remarked. He then looked at the masked warrior, who suddenly dashed away, and disappeared in the nearby woods. "Who was that? If they caught Kiki, I'll have to buy 'em a drink."
The drivers shrugged, and the hand-haired gremlin grumbled bitterly.
"Whoever they are, I hate them with every fiber of my being..."
"What a shame. Out of all the grimwalkers, you looked the most like him..."
Hunter's morning began with a gasp. Upon awakening, he worriedly checked his surroundings for any danger, of which there was thankfully none. The only other being in his bedroom was Waffles, his beloved blue jay palisman. The loyal bird frantically flitted to her master's side, and chittered worriedly.
"It's okay, girl, it was nothing. Just another nightmare." Hunter murmured. It couldn't have been real; Belos was dead. Tread underfoot like the filth he was. For half a year he'd been gone, and everyone's life was better without that tyrant around.
Waffles cuddled up to Hunter, who let out an exhausted sigh, and shut his eyes, hoping to drift back to sleep. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed by the shriek of the little demon that acted as his alarm clock. The scarred blonde groaned in annoyance, whilst Waffles hopped onto the clock and shut it off with her beak.
Hunter begrudgingly shook off his weighted blanket—a gift from Camila—and rose out of bed. He rubbed his baggy brown eyes, and lifted up his "Hexside Pride" T-shirt. Stuck to his bare torso were a handful of healing glyphs, which he peeled off and tossed in the wastebasket.
Across from Hunter's bed was a large poster depicting a pack of wolves—his favorite animals—howling at the full moon. Next to his desk was a woodworking kit with chisels, clamps, and carving knives of various sizes. Most prized of all was his bookshelf chock full of wild magic knowhow, Boiling Isles history, and his favorite sci-fi series, Cosmic Frontier. Overall, Hunter's new room was a treasure trove brimming with everything he loved.
After grooming and dressing himself in patched-up blue jeans, red sneakers and his custom-sewn wolf T-shirt, Hunter headed downstairs to the living room—palisman perched on his shoulder—and called out "Morning, Darius!"
No reply. He wandered into the kitchen, figuring his guardian was fixing up breakfast, but he wasn't there, either. "Darius?" Hunter scratched his head, and waited for an answer. "He's probably at work."
Waffles chirped, and pointed one of her wings at the refrigerator. Stuck to the fridge's abomination matter exterior was a note in Darius's handwriting. Hunter plucked the paper from the appliance, and gave it a read.
"Dear Hunter,
I'll be at the Waterworks today to ensure that everything's up to code. (You know how Alador is) Meet me there if you have time, there's something special I would like to give you.
-D. Deamonne"
"Wish he told me earlier." Hunter commented. While Darius was kind enough to take him in as a ward, the former Coven Head didn't seem to realize how important routines were to him. Hunter found comfort in a well-planned day, and last-minute changes were often rattling. Hunter took out his notepad, and added the Waterworks visit to his schedule. It would cut into his planned staff magic practice with Luz, but if it was that important, it would be best to get there as soon as possible.
Hunter fixed himself his typical breakfast of peanut butter toast, fried griffin eggs, artisanal cheese from the Knee, and a cool glass of apple blood to wash it all down with. His home-cooked meals were a big step up from the flavorless dreck he was served in the Emperor's Coven, thanks to his guardian's epicurean palate. As he ate, he turned on the crystal ball to watch the morning news.
"Four more citizens went missing in Bonesborough last night, including Captain Steve Beaufort-Tholomule of the Boiling Isles Rangers' Department. He was last seen investigating the rising disappearances."
Upon hearing the news, Hunter let out a gasp, and rapidly flipped through his notepad until he reached a sizable list of names. He added Steve's to the bottom, then put down his pen.
"In other news, a noodle shop robbery on Noceda Lane was foiled by the mysterious Scarlet Sentinel. We sent Perry Porter to speak to the restaurant's owner."
Hunter caught sight of the clock by the crystal ball, and flipped back to his pad's daily planner section. According to the schedule, his Flyer Derby match was in less than an hour!
"C'mon, Waffles! We gotta get going!"
The magical wooden jay was pecking at crumbs of peanut butter from Hunter's plate. He couldn't blame her; after all, it was her favorite food. Hunter scooped some butter out of the jar with a dull knife, and held it out for his palisman to munch on. A warm smile crossed his face as Waffles happily ate without a care in the world. Once she was finished, she eagerly fluttered around the kitchen, raring to go.
"That's the spirit!" The boy and his bird then headed out the door and took to the skies, ready for a riveting game of Flyer Derby...
The playing field at Hexside was ablaze with the scorching heat of competition. Each week, teams in the Youth Flyer Derby League would go head-to-head in the game of daring acrobatics, and none were as renowned for their skill as the Emerald Entrails. However, their competition, the Silver Shriekers, had an equally impressive reputation. No wonder the stands were packed with spectators!
Hunter zipped through the air on his staff, his blonde hair tied in a topknot. On his face was a confident grin, and a green, scar-like marking on his left eye; he painted it to honor an old friend. The Entrails were winning two-nothing, but the Shriekers weren't regional champions for nothing. One of the Shriekers made a break for team captain Willow, but she'd practiced for such an occasion.
"Keep-away!" Willow removed the flag from her staff, and tossed it to her strategist, Skara. Another Shrieker pursued the gray-haired bard, who quickly careened towards Hunter.
"Hunter, go long!" Skara used her lyre to launch Willow's pennant across the field, and Hunter teleported towards it. Alas, before he could catch the flag, it was snatched up by the captain of the Shriekers. He turned tail to chase the captain, but another opposing player took advantage of the diversion, and took his pennant, too!
"I need a hand, Gus!" Hunter called out, still trailing his opponent. Gus made a finger-gun gesture like his hero Captain Avery, and took aim. However, the farther the players got, the harder it became for him to tell who was who. Gus cast out a light bolt of blue energy, but alas, it struck the wrong player! Hunter fell off Waffles, crashed into Gus, and hurtled towards the ground, but Willow summoned a large flower for the boys and their palismen to land on, cushioning the brunt of the impact.
"Get your eyes checked, buddy!" One of the Shriekers taunted.
"Good idea!" Gus retorted, brushing off his rival's jeer with ease.
Waffles squawked angrily at the Shriekers, her competitive streak ever-present. As for Hunter, he was just happy to be okay, thanks to Willow's quick thinking. "Thanks, Captain!" he called out.
Willow winked at her pal, causing a crimson blush to creep across his cheeks; it happened a lot when he was around her, and vice versa. Still, he and Gus were pretty shaken-up from their collision. To add insult to injury, Skara's pennant had just been taken, too; The score was now two to three, Shriekers leading.
"Viney, we need healing!" The young illusionist requested. Usually, Viney would rush to her injured teammates as soon as possible to get them back in playing shape, but today was different. The whole game she'd been ignoring orders from her teammates, and this instance was no different. In a highly uncharacteristic move, she denied the boys healing, and instead swiped a Shrieker's flag.
"This isn't part of the plan!" Skara declared.
"Well, mine's better." Viney retorted.
Just then, a sneaky Shrieker stole the pennant from Viney's staff. Bad idea. Furious, the dual-track witch pursued the flag-stealer, and shot them down with a flurry of energy bolts. She swooped down and took both pennants, then went for the captain.
The leader of the Shriekers tried deterring Viney with a fireball, but she cast a blue, hand-shaped shield construct to block it. When the flames subsided, the ponytailed brunette rushed towards her adversary, snatched his pennant, and made a beeline for the goal post. The desperate captain chased Viney down, but right as he got close enough, great green vines burst from the ground and snared him up, courtesy of Willow Park.
Viney hung the three Shrieker pennants on the Entrails' goal post, and in doing so, received roaring applause from the spectators. Elated by the victory, the green-hued team cheered, and Willow gave Hunter and Gus a celebratory group hug. However, the boys recoiled in pain, still bruised from their tumultuous crash.
"Healing, please?" Hunter meekly asked Viney, who was standing alone, arms crossed and back turned. She didn't even look happy to have scored the winning goal.
"Let's get this over with." Viney quickly cast healing spells to fix up Hunter and Gus, then took off on her staff without saying a word.
"What's up with Viney?" Willow wondered. "She's been acting so unlike herself."
"I hope she's okay." added Gus. Before Hunter could get a word in, the speakers blared with a message from the announcer.
"This game was brought to you by LocoPotion, the potion of motion! LocoPotion: A VitiCo Product."
"How 'bout we hit up Bones Appétit? I'm starving." Skara suggested.
"I'd love to, but I have to go to the Waterworks."
"The Waterworks, huh? 'Gonna pay Amity a visit?" Willow queried.
"Darius, actually. I guess he has a gift for me."
"I hope it's something cool!" Gus replied. Truth be told, the uncertainty of Darius's "mystery present" made Hunter rather anxious.
"Well, tell him I said hi." The bespectacled plant witch requested. Hunter nodded affirmatively, then rose into the air on his blue jay staff. As he flew off, he loudly exclaimed his parting phrase;
"BYEEEEEEE!"
Rebuilding a broken nation is no walk in the park. Everyone in the Isles had a part to play in fixing the damage done to their homeland, be it great or small. One of the biggest players in the reconstruction effort was the Abomination Coven's new head witch, Alador Blight. Formerly the chief engineer of the now-defunct Blight Industries, Alador now oversaw the development of the Isles' infrastructure.
Currently, the patriarch of the Blight clan was working alongside many other witches on one of his most ambitious projects; The Scapula Waterworks. This large facility set upon the Titan's right shoulder was built to treat freshwater and supply it to nearby towns. It also provided hydro-electric energy for the region, thanks to a generator powered by the waves of the Boiling Sea.
"Keep it steady!" Alador directed his helpers, a pair of Abomaton 3.0s that were holding up heavy pipes. These updated golems were not soldiers like their predecessors, but helping hands who carried out tasks too dangerous for witches or demons. They even had jolly grins on their gooey faces, although some thought it made them look even creepier than the previous models.
Alador secured the pipes the Abomatons held in place with four slimy tentacles attached to a mechanical harness on his back. Funnily enough, the inspiration for this useful invention was a supervillain from one of Luz's comic books.
"Be careful not to contaminate the water. The last thing I want is your ooze in my bathtub." remarked Alador's biggest rival, Darius Deamonne. Once a head witch himself, he stepped down to pursue his true calling as the leader of the recently-founded Sanitation Department.
"Watch your tone, Darius. You're speaking to a Coven Head."
"Only because I followed my calling. Without my department, there'd be no one to clean up your messes."
"Will you two cut it out? I'm trying to work."
Amity was attempting to fix a leaky pipe, but it was hard to focus with her dad and Darius's bickering. She had taken up an apprenticeship under her father in recent months, and was learning the mechanical arts from him. She was even dressed for the part, with black boots, dark violet overalls, abomination matter gloves, and a magenta tank top that showed off her strong nerd arms. With her lavender hair tied up in a ponytail, Amity Blight was ready for anything.
"Sorry, dear." Alador replied. Amity continued working with her wrenches, until the pipe was mended. However, the sizable puddle caused by the leak started moving by itself, causing her feline palisman Ghost to hiss loudly. The water rushed beneath the feet of witches and Abomatons alike, until it fell into the reservoir. The running water in the hundreds of other pipes suddenly stopped, then began to flow in reverse!
"What in Titan's name?" Darius wondered, when all of a sudden, a huge hand made of water rose from the reservoir like a leaping Selkidomus. Workers gasped and screamed in fright, as a twenty-foot-tall, humanoid being made out of water loomed over them.
"Well, well. Looks like I've got competition. NOT FOR LONG!" The aquatic elemental began rampaging through the Waterworks, destroying everything he could get his liquid mitts on.
"Who is that?!" Amity exclaimed.
"Water Bill." answered Darius. "He used to hoard all our freshwater, and made us pay him for it."
"Well, not anymore!" Alador vowed. The three witches made a break for the Waterworks' invader, who was throwing Abomatons around like toy soldiers. Amity, Alador and Darius fused their slime together to make an enormous abomination, which threw a heavy punch at Bill. However, the elemental was unharmed due to his watery body, and destroyed the golem with a powerful hydrokinetic blast.
"Your puny goo can't hurt me! I'll WASH it out!" Water Bill fired another high-pressure jet at the abomination witches, blasting them across the room. Darius encased his body in slime to soften the impact of his crash while Alador grabbed hold of a ceiling pipe with his tentacles. As for Amity, she was about to hit a wall, when she was suddenly suspended in mid-air by a telekinetic force.
"I 'gotcha, sweet potato!"
"Luz!"
Lo and behold, the hero of the Boiling Isles was here to help! Since Belos's defeat, Luz Noceda had become quite the celebrity, and for good reason. She spent most of her time helping out around the Isles—when she didn't have school, that is. Upon seeing the human, the imperiled engineers burst into raucous cheers.
Luz was decked out in threads befitting the savior of the Isles. Ripped jeans, red sneakers, and a starry indigo T-shirt with a crescent moon graphic were all part of her outfit, but the piéce de résistance was a black-and-purple witch's wool jacket with a Titan skull insignia on the back. As for her hair, it was shoulder-length, fluffy, and perfect for storing stuff in.
"Stop right there, giant water guy! Or face justice at the hands of the Good Witch Luz!"
"Oh, BUG off!" Water Bill hurled a huge glob of water at Luz, who blocked it with an ice pillar she cast with her loyal snakeshifter staff, Stringbean. She then leapt down to her girlfriend's position, and stood by her side.
"Any idea how to take him down?" Amity asked, as Ghost scampered to her feet and converted to staff form.
"Well, water's got two other states; solid and gas. Either we freeze him, or we steam him."
"Por qué no los dos?"
"Fire and ice? I like the way you think, hermosa."
Luz and Amity leapt at the hydrous humanoid, and took him on together. Bill threw a punch Luz's way, but Amity vaporized his fist with a blast of fuchsia fire. Luz then launched herself up with a huge, spiky plant tendril—the "Thorn Vault," she called it—and shot a freezing bolt at the evildoer's head, encasing it in ice. Amity followed up on her partner's attack with a wave of energy that shattered the fiend's frozen face.
Water Bill struck back with one last hydro-blast, but the couple deflected his attack by rapidly spinning their staves. Then, they both threw fireballs his way, exploding the rest of his aquatic armor.
When the steam cleared, Bill was lying face-down on the Waterworks' cold concrete floor. His gargantuan elemental form was just an exoskeleton he controlled with magic. His true form was that of a bug demon that was shrimpy in appearance and stature.
"This is not over! You witches will rue the day you rebelled against Water Bi-" Before he could finish his sentence, the cruel crustacean was hooked by a long, sticky tongue, and pulled into the mouth of Stringbean, who had taken the form of a frog.
"Stringbean! Spit him out, he is not food!" To get her to cooperate, Luz tickled her palisman's head until she burped the bug out. Bill let out a groan, but before he could flee, he was snatched by one of Alador's tentacles, and dropped into a glass jar.
"You'll make a fine addition to my bug collection."
As Water Bill angrily banged on his glassy prison, Darius approached the girls with a satisfied look on his face. "Well done, Amity. Your magical prowess is as great as your taste in women—both of which your father sorely lacks."
Luz chortled, while Alador grouchily muttered something under his breath. Just then, Hunter landed at the now-soaked Waterworks, and looked around at the chaos that had unfolded.
"Woah, what did I miss?"
After a brief recap of the Water Bill battle, Darius took Hunter to the hydroelectric generator overlook, which offered an exquisite view of the Boiling Sea. As the former Golden Guard looked upon the rolling waves, his guardian began to speak.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Hunter. I know you like to stick to your routines."
"Yeah..." Hunter paused for a brief moment, then asked the question that had been on his mind all afternoon. "You wanted to give me something, right? Well, what is it?"
Darius let out a longing sigh, then summoned a pillar of slime that rose from the ground. When the ooze cleared, it left behind a gold-hilted sword sheathed in a dragon-leather scabbard. The former Coven Head handed the weapon to his ward, who carefully drew it; Its arrow-straight blade was sixteen inches long, and made of shining steel.
"It's a sword."
"Not just any sword. It belonged to my mentor, Esau."
Hunter gasped softly, and turned the shortsword over. On the other side of the hilt was the avian sigil of the Golden Guard. He'd seen that symbol during his stay in Gravesfield; with what he had learned about his so-called "uncle", it wasn't hard to decipher its true meaning.
"The Golden Guard before me..."
"He was courageous and confident; a model to his fellow witches. A friend of mine found his sword in the Titan's skull. I want you to have it."
Truth be told, Hunter wasn't sure how to feel about his guardian's gift. He knew his predecessor was very close with Darius, and therefore, his sword meant a lot to him. However, the legacy of the Golden Guard was one Hunter was trying to move away from.
"...Thanks, Darius."
"You're welcome. Be sure to take good care of it, Hunter. Don't want it to get dull."
As Darius began heading back into the building, Hunter gazed at his reflection in the blade. "Darius was just being nice." He thought to himself. "Besides, swords are cool! Doesn't matter if it came from your predecessor, who Belos murdered for betraying him. Swords. Are. Cool."
"Oh! By the way, Willow said hi!" By the time he blurted it out, Darius was long gone. Hunter sighed, and started to fidget with his new gift. He twirled the hilt back and forth, and ran his fingers across the blade, until he slipped and mistakenly cut one of his fingers.
"Ow!" Hunter clutched his quivering hand, and examined the bloody incision on his index finger. Luckily, it wasn't too deep. Before he could get up and look for a first aid kit, the cut miraculously patched itself up. Hunter looked to his left, and saw Luz pointing her a spell circle cast by her staff at his hand. Her clothes and hair were still wet from the tussle with the water monster, and she looked tired, yet still happy to help.
"Careful with that."
"Was that a healing spell?" Hunter inquired. With glyphs no longer an option, the human witch had branched out into a new magic method, to which palismen were the key.
"Sure was! Stringbean's opened up a world of possibilities. Isn't that right, frijolita?" Luz explained, as she patted her palisman's sweet little head. The snakeshifter unfurled from her staff and leisurely floated to Waffles, who chirped back with the palisman equivalent of trash talk. Due to the constant sparring matches between their masters, Waffles had a fierce—albeit one-sided—rivalry with Stringbean.
"Hey, what's with the sword?"
"Darius gave it to me. It used to be Esau's."
"Who's Esau?"
To answer her question, Hunter showed Luz the sigil on the hilt, which made her wince. The thought of the other grimwalkers' fates disturbed him deeply, so he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, where's Amity?"
"She's back inside, helping her dad fix things up. Speaking of which, she and I are spending the weekend in the Human Realm, along Willow, Gus, and hopefully, you! I know it's short notice, but ConnectiCon is this weekend, and Aaron Marshall's gonna be there!"
"AARON MARSHALL?! He played Chief O'Bailey in the movies and narrated the audiobooks! Oh My Titan, he's the best!"
"I know, right? So, whaddaya say? Wanna get your con on?"
Hunter grinned excitedly, and rapidly tapped his feet in ecstasy. Alas, his expression soon began to sour, and he took a breath. "I, uh...might already have plans this weekend."
"Again?" Luz quietly said to herself.
"What was that?"
"Nothing! It's my mistake, I should've asked you earlier."
"You're fine. Hey, do you wanna spar now? I've still got time in my schedule."
"Actually..." Luz nervously replied. While she enjoyed practicing magic with her familial friend, the brawl with Bill really took it out of her.
"Never mind. You've already been through enough today. Maybe some other time..."
"Sounds like a plan. See ya 'round, Hunter!" Luz then took to the skies on Stringbean, and flew off to Titan-knows-where. Hunter wistfully watched her fly away, then reached into his pocket and took out his notepad. With his pen, he crossed off his impromptu meeting with Darius, and examined the rest of his daily itinerary.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Physical Training
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Magic Training (without staff)
4:00 - 5:30 PM: Studying
5:30 - 6:00 PM: Dinner
6:00 - 8:00 PM: Free Time :D
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Pre-Vigil Research
9:00 PM - 3:00 AM: VIGIL
Once the sun sets upon the Boiling Isles, the Bonesborough Night Market comes alive. Here, merchants and traders sell wares illicit, rare, and oftentimes, both. However, it's not a place for the faint of heart, nor is it for the gullible. After all, buyer beware is the motto of this seedy bazaar.
On this particular night, a woman hiding her face with a hooded cloak weaved through throngs of witches and demons, careful not to attract any unwanted attention. She kept her head on a swivel, and looked around to seek out her chosen destination. In the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a shadowy figure crouching on a rooftop. But once she got a better look at the building, there was no one there. Perhaps it was only her imagination running wild...
The cloaked lady continued traversing the market, passing vendors of poisons, daggers, and poisoned daggers, until she reached a stand marked "Private Inspectergator." There, a ghost—a classic "white sheet"-looking one wearing a deerstalker hat—was frantically packing his things. The girl cleared her throat, then removed her hood, revealing herself as Viney, the best healer in Hexside.
"What did you find?" The dual-track witch inquired. The specter ignored her, and kept cleaning out his stall. To get his attention, she slammed her fist on the counter. "I'm talking to you!"
"I don't care! I'm in way too deep, I need to get outta here!" The ghostly detective tossed a transparent bag full of used potion bottles to Viney, who caught it. "Here's your stuff back."
In response, Viney reached into her pocket, and pushed a handful of snails the investigator's way. "Whatever it is, just tell me now." The spirit sighed, then turned around to look the healer in the eyes.
"This is worse than I ever could've imagined. Your friend is—" Before he could finish, a blue-hot fireball hurtled towards the Inspectergator's stand. Viney quickly cast a spell circle, and formed a shield construct just in time, blocking the blazing blast.
When the smoke cleared, the panicked shoppers fled the market, with the exception of one. He was a muscular mountain of a cyclops, with olive skin, pointed ears, a mane of white hair, and a large, coal-black fang protruding from his lower jaw. The brute was clad in an armored tunic, vambraces, spike-toed boots and leather leggings, and a man-sized broadsword was strapped to his back. It didn't take a genius to tell this unsavory fellow was the caster of that destructive blast.
As the cyclops stomped towards the stand, the Private Inspectergator turned ghostly tail and fled into another plane, leaving his findings behind. Viney took notice of them, and reached into the stall to get them. After securing as many files as she could grab, she turned back around, only to see the cyclops looming over her!
"Gimme the files, kid." Black Fang spoke, his baritone voice rumbling like an earthquake.
"Make me." Viney snarled, as she summoned her manticore staff. She glowered at the Goliath before her, not willing to back down. Black Fang just grinned in return.
"You got guts, kid. Shame I'll have to spill 'em!" The cyclops threw a powerful punch at Viney, who dipped out of the way, and retaliated by casting an azure bolt of magic at him. Her spell did little to slow Black Fang down, as he kept lunging and swinging with vicious vexation. One of his hits made contact, launching the teen across the market. She let out a pained yelp as she tumbled to the cold brick street.
As Viney reeled from the impact of the blow, Black Fang pilfered the Inspectergator's files from her, and incinerated them with mystical flames. The brunette gasped in astonishment, as the answers she sought were reduced to ashes. Once he was done, the demon drew another spell circle—one that was aimed right at her!
A blue blaze erupted from the ring, but before it could scorch poor Viney, a masked warrior arrived out of seemingly nowhere, and shielded her with their fireproof cape. With their striking red-and-black outfit, it wasn't hard to tell who had come to the rescue.
"The Scarlet Sentinel. I've always wanted to kill you!" Black Fang drew his broadsword, and ferociously swung it at his enigmatic opponent. The Sentinel dashed out of the way, and zipped around the Night Market with remarkable speed. They swiped a pair of sabers from a sword-seller's stall, then courageously charged at the contemptible cyclops.
The clashes and clangs of the combatants' blades rang sharply throughout the market. While the Scarlet Sentinel's swordsmanship was swift, Black Fang's brute strength was a force to be reckoned with. The impact of every blocked attack shook the Sentinel to their core.
As the warriors' duel raged on, Viney hid behind one of the stalls, where she was mending her injuries with healing spells. She peeked out from the stand, and saw Black Fang raise his blade upwards. Before he could bring it down, the vigilante cast a bright flash of light, which blinded the one-eyed oaf. The Sentinel then teleported behind their opponent, and slashed him across the back with their sabers, creating an X-shaped gash.
Black Fang let out a furious roar, and retaliated by wildly swinging his sword, half-blind and full of murderous rage. The Sentinel avoided his attacks with impressive agility, and charged towards him. They swung their sabres at the demon, but in an unexpected move, he caught the blades in his tough, calloused hands, and bent them 'till they broke off. While the hero was caught off guard, Black Fang grabbed them by the throat with one hand.
"Tough break, Sentinel. Now let's see who's behind the mask." Before Black Fang could expose his enemy, a large portal opened up behind him; out of it leapt an angry griffin!
"Get him, Puddles!" Viney commanded. Her animal assistant pounced on Black Fang, and the Scarlet Sentinel teleported out of his grasp. As the griffin clawed at the cyclops's chest, her owner exclaimed "Good girl!" Black Fang then threw Puddles off of him, and rose to his feet.
"Let's take him together."
Before the vigilante could object, Viney charged at her opponent, and fired off bolts of magic with her staff. The Sentinel dashed at Black Fang and hit him with rapid jabs and kicks, as Puddles clawed and snapped at him. While the demon was a dangerous foe in a one-on-one duel, he found it harder to fend off three attackers at once.
To finish the fight, the Scarlet Sentinel launched themself upwards with an ice pillar, then descended upon the brute's chest with a powerful kick, knocking him to the ground. Viney then bound the brute in fortified beast keeping ropes, immobilizing him. The Sentinel began to approach their defeated foe, but Viney pushed them out of the way, and confronted the cyclops.
"Who sent you? What was in those files? Where is Jerbo?"
Black Fang said nothing.
"Puddles, get some answers out of him." The griffin shrieked loudly and readied her claws, but before she could "persuade" the demon, he bit down on a capsule filled with a toxic green liquid. He winced as he swallowed its contents, and his mouth began to foam. With his last breath, Black Fang spoke his final words;
"One mind for all time..."
Although Black Fang tried to kill her, that didn't make his demise any less horrifying. Noticing her owner's shock, Puddles did as best she could to comfort the witch, as did her palisman. As a healer, Viney knew all too well of the inevitability of death. She looked around for the hero who saved her life, but alas, they had vanished!
Atop the roof of a nearby tower, the Scarlet Sentinel surveyed the aftermath of their latest battle. A pair of rangers had come to the night market, one of which was speaking to Viney. As for Black Fang, the Healing Coven rushed him to the hospital, but saving his life would turn out to be a lost cause.
Viney eventually took off into the air, with her trusty pet griffin in tow. The Sentinel let out a sigh of concern. Her unfortunate friend was yet another case in the streak of missing witches. To make matters worse, Black Fang wasn't a lone wolf; somebody sent him, and he was zealous enough to give his life for them. Alas, the Scarlet Sentinel was a long way from deciphering this mind-bending mystery.
Just then, a bright red light came rushing through the night sky. Curious, the vigilante reached into one of their tunic's pockets, and pulled out a spyglass. Upon closer inspection, the ruby glow came from a hooded figure flying on a staff—the staff of the Golden Guard.
Shocked, the vigilante removed his mask; He had to see this with his own eyes. But before he could get a closer look, the rider zipped away in the blink of an eye. Without a staff of his own, it was impossible for the Sentinel to pursue them. It appeared the new owner of the Golden Guard's staff was yet another riddle for Hunter to solve...