Kept ya waiting, huh? I have returned after far too long. I've been busy with school, playing games that are Destiny, playing games that aren't Destiny, my job, painting Warhammer minis, etc. Very happy with the response to the last chapter, and honestly, I'm really proud of how it turned out. We'll be taking a little break from the show's plot in this chapter. Characters are being shuffled around to where they need to be.

Also, as a side note, in the last chapter, I named the new Vex form "Titan" because I wanted to draw a parallel with the Titan that everyone is living on. I then realized that Titan is literally the name of one of the classes. To avoid any confusion, I decided to change it to "Typhon", after the largest and most dangerous monster in Greek mythology. I was originally going to rename it "Colossus" but there's already a Cabal unit called Colossus so fuck me I guess. If anyone has any better suggestions, feel free to let me know.


Chapter 8: Legion of Silver

Royal saw the Crypt again. He went through the motions as he always did. Yet something felt off. He was being watched, he could feel it. It wasn't the usual figures doing it either, this was something else. Whoever was watching him, they were doing so with purpose. He reached the base of the Crypt. Fortunately, he hadn't encountered Luz again. He had never gotten this close to the Crypt before. He held out his hand to touch the door. As he made contact, the world around him collapsed in a stream of data and Radiolaria. Vex forms began teleporting around him until he was surrounded. As he prepared to defend himself, the dream ended and he woke with a start.

He blinked for a few seconds, looking around his room. As far as quarters went, it wasn't much, essentially just an empty space. He didn't even have a bed to sleep on. He looked out the window and saw the sunlight shining through. He ignited his fist, feeling the comfortable warmth of Solar Light dancing across his hand. Staring into the flames, he felt a cold knot of dread tie itself within him.


The Conflux was ready. The two remaining Goblins stepped back from the machine, bowing in reverence as it activated. The metal began to glow as power coursed through it. While it was not fully complete yet, it would be able to open minor gateways to the Vex Domain. Synegorus had ordered the Goblins to activate it as soon as possible and they obeyed without complaint.

-]Conflux is stable[-

\Subnote: Detecting 0.00004061% fluctuation

-]Simulating outcomes[-

-]Conflux stability will hold[-

A swirling portal opened, large enough for either of the Goblins to slip through. As the Goblins remained where they were, their captive watched on in horror. He tried to avert his gaze, only to realize that he physically could not look away. A shape appeared in the portals frame, it was larger than the other Vex frames and far more heavily built. Rather than the large frill on the head of the Goblins, this one's head was more closely integrated into its body. The Minotaur stepped through the portal, stopping as it inspected its surroundings. Its gaze fell onto the Witch, who tried to shrink in response. It marched over to him and grabbed him by the head. He screamed in pain, his wounds once again agitated as he was dragged back to the portal. Unceremoniously, the Minotaur threw him into the Vex Domain. He fell into a pool filled with white liquid. It sparked against his exposed innards and he howled in pain. This proved to be a mistake as the fluid entered his mouth and flowed through his body. The Witch continued to scream before finally falling silent.

A few moments later, the Radiolaria parted as a new Goblin emerged from its depths. It marched back through the portal, joining a group of other Goblins and Harpies. As the last Vex stepped through, the portal closed with a harsh snap. The Minotaur looked over the small force and relayed a new set of orders. The Paradoxical Mind had sent them to accelerate the construction of the Conflux and protect it from any further interlopers. The two original Goblins rose and regarded the new arrivals. While their metal was the standard flawless bronze, Synegorus must have decided to differentiate itself from the rest of the Vex. The new frames shone a brilliant silver. The base design of the individual frames had not changed much besides that, Synegorus simply had no reason to alter them further. The two Goblins paid the aesthetic change no mind, returning to their work with single-minded drive.

Once the Minotaur had ensured the rest of the Vex were on track, it turned to leave. Synegorus had given it different orders from the rest, and it intended to carry them out. Referencing its current position in relation to the Hobgoblin that had been sent earlier, it quickly calculated the path it would need to take. Synegorus had ordered for the Human child to be captured. The Minotaur did not understand why they were to be brought back alive, it seemed more logical to simply kill her. However, it was not capable of disobeying the Mind, so it would carry out its orders regardless.


"Morning Royal," Luz greeted as the Guardian came downstairs. He returned the welcome, greeting the others as well. They were eating breakfast, scrambled griffin eggs by the looks of it. He regarded the food curiously. Contrary to popular belief, most Exos' did still eat food. They may not need it, but it helped to ease their minds and keep them grounded. Royal was not like most Exos'. The others continued their conversation as Royal took a seat.

"So," Eda began, "what've you got planned today kiddo?"

Luz scarfed down a quick bite of her breakfast before responding, "I invited Willow and Gus over to hang out. I wanna introduce my Witch friends to my Human friend."

"I don't recall agreeing to this," Royal interjected. Luz nodded in affirmation.

"That's because I didn't tell you. Otherwise, I knew you would try and get out of it. Now, you have no choice but to make new friends."

"C'mon Royal," Lancer added, "This'll be a good experience for you. You've been spending all your time cooped up here in the Owl House when there's a whole new world out there to explore."

"I've been exploring," Royal objected.

"No, you've been hunting Vex," Luz said, shooting him down.

"Why do you even need to hunt Vex anyways?" Eda asked, taking a sip of her Apple Blood, "I thought the Emperors' Coven had all that junk."

"They have some of it," Royal explained, "but after our last… incident, they have likely relocated again. And unfortunately, I don't know where they are now. But there's another problem. A few weeks ago, Lancer and I found a report of someone's pet getting killed in the middle of the night. According to the description, the wound could only have come from a Vex weapon. Logically following, that must mean that rogue Vex are roaming the Boiling Isles." He turned to Luz intently, "Which is why I need to be out there. Every second they continue to exist is another second this world loses."

Luz rubbed her chin, deep in thought as Lancer scanned her eggs. "I think I have an idea," she said, absentmindedly stroking the Ghost, "Why don't we tag along with you?" Royal looked at her like she was crazy.

"You want to bring two of your friends with me while I hunt down murderous, time-traveling robots? There aren't enough words in the English language to explain how bad of an idea that is."

"Then maybe try throwing in some German," Lancer suggested.

"Nein. Besides, how would I even explain it to them? Hey kids, nice to meet you, wanna go hunt alien war machines?" He continued sarcastically.

"Well, how often do you even encounter Vex out there?" Luz asked. Royal opened his mouth to reply, only to realize that she was right. She grinned smugly at him while he crossed his arms, conceding defeat.

"It's settled then," Eda said, "You'll all be off on your little adventure while King and I see if we can get anything out of our "guest"."

"Perfect, where were you planning on heading out today?" Luz asked, leaving little room for Royal to object. He sighed, resigning himself to the young girls' plans.

"Well, Lancer and I have already scoured most of the forests around Bonesborough," he began, creating a map made of Light, "We were planning on taking our search closer to the Knee." He pointed to a large mountainous formation on the map. The name was fitting, as it was the literal knee of the Titan. "However, considering that we'll be meeting up with your friends, I think we should stay a little closer to town." Luz inspected the map closely, tracing a finger along it.

"What about over here, near Hexside?" She proposed. When it became clear that Royal didn't know what she was referring to, she elaborated. "It's a magical school in the area, Eda used to go there." The Witch in question confirmed and Royal shrugged.

"We haven't been around that area yet. I don't expect the Vex to set up to close to any major population centers, but maybe they would expect me to not expect that. Or am I playing into their plans by thinking that?" He clutched his head as something within it sparked, feeling a migraine coming on as he continued to second guess himself.

"Are you ok?" Luz asked.

"Yeah, just a mild headache."

She gasped, "You can still get those?" Royal nodded glumly before pooling his Light into his hand. He formed a small orb of healing and pressed it into his chest, soothing his mind pain.

"Machines that can get headaches," Eda remarked, swirling her drink, "There's something you don't see every day."


It had been a few hours since breakfast. Luz was waiting expectantly near the door while Royal was content to map out the area they would be investigating. They had reapplied his illusion disguise, save the Witch ears, to avoid awkward questions. He had been assured that Luzs' friends could be trusted. As he checked their route for the fifth time, he heard a knock at the door. Luz bounced excitedly as she opened it.

"Gus! Willow! You made it!" She greeted. Royal looked up from his map, inspecting the two figures in the doorway. As it turned out, they were the Witches that had been accompanying Luz at the Covention.

"Hey Luz," the one now revealed as Willow responded, "You said there was someone you wanted to introduce us to?" The Human girl nodded and gestured in the direction of Royal.

"I would like to introduce you to my Human friend, Royal!" She announced proudly. Royal offered a meek wave. The other friend, whom Royal guessed was Gus, looked at him with sparks in his eyes.

"Another Human?" he asked incredulously before squealing, "I have so many questions." He rushed over to Royal, startling the Guardian as his personal space was invaded.

"What are the strange metal mounts Human use? Is it true that your oceans don't boil?" He grabbed Royal by the collar and pulled him close, "What other worlds were you fighting during the World Wars?" Royal pried him off, as Luz raced over.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, "Gus is really interested in Human culture."

"Clearly," Royal commented dully, already regretting agreeing to this. Willow stuck her hand out to the Guardian, which he hesitantly accepted.

"Hello there Mr. Royal, it's nice to meet you."

"You can drop the Mr, I'm not some old man." The Witch nodded, accepting his request. Luz clapped her hands together, drawing the attention of her friends.

"So, I haven't exactly told you what we're all doing today," she said, "We are going to be joining Royal on a small hunting excursion." The two Witches looked at him curiously.

"What exactly are we hunting?" Gus asked.

"Nothing in particular," Royal said, a little too quickly, "Think of it more as a nice stroll through the woods while I do a little job for Eda." Thankfully, they seemed to accept that.

"Alright then gang," Luz cheered, "Onwards to adventure!"

"Yeah," Eda chimed in from the next room, "Go ahead and get out of my hair, would ya?"


-]Guardian Status: Currently on the move[-

-]Theoretical: Guardian is likely investigating Vex presence[-

-]Practical: Human child will not be accompanying them[-

-]Simulating possibilities[-

The Minotaur paused as it pondered the potential outcomes. Rationally, it had no reason to expect the child to accompany the Guardian. However, Humans were not rational creatures. They acted on impulse and emotion, something incomprehensible to the Minotaur. In order to cover all possibilities, it would intercept the Guardian first, remaining undetected to ensure the child was not with him. If she was not, it would continue with its original plan. The Minotaur plotted the path the Guardian was traveling. His current direction would lead him away from the Conflux.

-]New destination selected[-

-]Weapon systems: Online[-

-]Void shields: Online[-

-]Teleportation systems: Online[-

Unlike Synegorus' previous agent, the Minotaur had no intention of failing.


"So you all swapped bodies?" Willow asked.

"Yup," Luz confirmed, "it was…" She paused for a few uncomfortable seconds before continuing uncertainly, "fun?" Willow didn't seem to buy it. Royal sighed wistfully at the memory.

"I enjoyed it." He leaned in closer to Luz, whispering so that only she could hear. "I kinda miss having meaty bits." She giggled, forgetting her momentary depression.

"I'd love to do a body swap," Gus commented, "it always sounded like a fun experience. Maybe I'd be willing to find a Human to help me." He shot Royal an expectant look. The Guardian shook his head tersely. Disappointed, Gus fell silent. The group was walking to their destination on foot. Deciding to break the silence, Willow spoke up.

"So what are you doing in the Boiling Isles, Royal? Are you also trying to learn magic?"

"No," He said heavily. Willow waited for him to elaborate, only to be met with more silence. Furrowing her brow, she tried again.

"Where in the Human Realm are you from then? What's it like there?"

"I travel. Very busy, very hectic."

"How did you end up here?"

"Long story."

Willow stared at the Human as he continued marching onward. She had tried extending an olive branch, but it seemed he just wasn't interested. Couldn't blame her for trying though. Slowing a little, she pulled Luz aside.

"What's with this guy?"

"He's not very good at meeting new people," Luz answered hesitantly, "Just give him some time." Willow didn't buy it but decided to accept Luzs' explanation. The Guardian suddenly held up his hand, signaling for the group to stop. As they did, he peered into the trees around them.

"Someone's watching us," he said quietly. Unbeknownst to his companions, Lancer was communicating with him in secret. He pulled out his hand cannon and held it up near his head. The two Witches regarded it curiously.

"What is-" Gus began, only to be cut off by Royal raising his hand sharply. He signaled for them to remain quiet.

"Stay here," he whispered, "I'll be right back." With that, he crept off into the woods and vanished. Willow crossed her arms and gave Luz an unimpressed look.


Hunter cursed as he retreated through the forest. The Guardian knew he was following them. He didn't know how, his stealth skills were finely honed by years of practice. Still, it didn't matter. He couldn't let the Guardian discover him. He heard the Guardian behind him, tearing through the trees. He ducked behind a particularly large trunk and drew his staff. If he had to fight his way out, then so be it.

The forest around them grew silent as the Guardian came to a stop. Hunter cautiously peaked around his cover and saw the Guardian inspecting his surroundings closely.

"You're not Vex," he suddenly called out. Hunter whipped back around the trunk, concealing himself once more. Royal tilted his head as Lancer filled him in yet again He turned to face Hunters' cover and fired a shot clean through the trunk. The bullet pierced the wood, clean above Hunters' head.

"Why have you been following me? What do you want?" He asked. Hunter finally revealed himself, pointing his staff at the Guardian.

"By order of the Emperor's Coven, you are under arrest," he declared. The Guardian just sighed and holstered his weapon.

"Great, it's more of you clowns," he muttered, rubbing his head, "I don't know what you're talking about kid, I haven't done anything wrong."

"Please, your civilian disguise doesn't fool me," Hunter responded, "You will surrender to his judgment." Royal drew his Glaive.

"Alright then. If you wanna dance, then let's dance." The Guardian lunged at Hunter, swinging his weapon at the Witch with the flat side of the blade. Hunter rolled to avoid it and, as he came up to his feet, fired a blast at the Exo with his staff. Royal easily sidestepped it, spinning and bringing the blunt end of the Glaive around.

Hunter raised his staff to parry, which proved to be a mistake. He buckled under the Guardians' strike, feeling his arms scream in protest. While Hunter struggled to hold Royal back, the Guardian lashed out with one of his feet, kicking the Witch in the shins. Hunter gasped in pain before ducking to avoid a backhand from the Guardian. He staggered back slightly, keeping his staff between himself and the Guardian. Royal, on the other hand, maintained a relaxed stance, holding his weapon lazily by his side.

"Listen, kid, this ends one of two ways. Either we both walk away, or you limp back to your boss with a busted face," he taunted. Hunter gritted his teeth and prepared to attack. However, both of them were interrupted by a nearby explosion. The Guardian turned back to where he had left his companions, a fearful look coming over his face. Hunter took his chance, striking the Guardian with a blast while his back was turned. Royal grunted in pain as he collapsed to his knees.

"For crimes against the Emperor, you are under arrest," Hunter said panting heavily. Royal pooled his Light into his hand, forming a small orb of healing Solar energy. He absorbed it, feeling his pain fade away. He let Hunter draw closer, preparing to strike. Once the Witch was in range, Royal unleashed a concentrated Arc blast, temporarily blinding Hunter. Royal grabbed the masked Witch by his collar and pulled him into a savage headbutt, cracking his mask. Royal let him go and Hunter collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Weighing up his options, he decided to leave the Witch there.

"I'll be back to deal with you later," He said before running off in the direction of the explosion from earlier. As he did, he prayed that he wasn't too late.


"He totally ditched us," Willow said. The three were waiting where Royal had left them. Willow herself was tending to a small patch of flowers while Gus was playing a game with an illusion of himself. Luz was currently pacing, waiting for the Guardian to return.

"He did not ditch us," Luz defended.

"Let's not kid ourselves," Willow scoffed, "He's been doing his best to ignore us this whole time."

Before Luz could reply, the three heard heavy footfall coming from the trees.

"Royal," Luz called, "Are you back?"

There was no response as the stomping drew closer. A large outline began to appear in the tree line. It was too large to be the Guardian. The three backed up and Luz prepared one of her glyphs. A single, burning red light stared at the trio.

"What is that?" Gus asked in a scared voice. Luz struggled to answer as the Minotaur emerged from the woods and hoisted its weapon. Its gaze passed over the three, studying them.

"The Vex," Luz said, finally finding her tongue. The Minotaur stared at her as she did. Willow stepped forward and cast a spell. A mass of vines burst from the ground to entangle the Minotaur. Both of its arms were bound, only for it to easily tear them free. It raised its weapon, the end glowing purple, and fired. The three all dived away from the blast as it tore up the ground where they had been standing. Gus recovered first, casting an illusion. Numerous duplicates of the kids appeared around their assailant.

"Guys, we need to get out of here," he shouted. The duplicates all rushed the Minotaur as the originals attempted to escape. The Minotaur cleaved with its free arm, destroying swathes of illusions with each strike. As it crushed the last one, it saw the kids escaping into the forest. Calculating their trajectory, the Minotaur dissolved into blue light and teleported in front of them. As it reappeared, Luz ran headfirst into its torso. She stumbled back, activating a light glyph to temporarily blind the Vex. Unfortunately, the Vex had overcome this distraction since the last time she had used it. It lashed out, grabbing her by the throat. She grunted as it began to once again teleport away, bringing the Human in tow.

"LUZ!" Willow and Gus both shouted, grabbing at the empty air. They heard someone running toward them. Turning, they saw Royal racing toward them.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice growing worried as he realized Luz wasn't with them.

"We don't know," Willow shuddered, "there was this big metal thing and it attacked us and it took Luz." His gaze snapped to meet hers as he stepped closer, causing Willow to shuffle slightly.

"You said it took her? Alive?" He questioned. Willow nodded and Royal stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"It's not like the Vex to take prisoners," he said, ignoring the confused looks he received from the Witches. "Lancer, what do you think?" The two recoiled in shock as Lancer materialized next to Royal.

"Honestly, I don't know what the Vex could be planning," the Ghost said, "but we need to save Luz. Whatever the Vexs' endgame is, it can't be good."

"Do you still have a tracker planted on her?"

"You know it."

"What's going on?" Willow interrupted, startling Royal and Lancer.

"Look, there's a lot of things at play that you don't understand," Royal said cautiously, "I'll explain later. I just need you to stay put and let me handle this." He turned to leave, only for a vine to wrap around his leg, holding him in place.

"No," Willow said forcefully, "Luz is our friend too, we're not going to leave her." Gus nodded in agreement. Royal regarded the two with an unreadable expression for a moment before sighing. He supposed two extra pairs of hands would be helpful.

"Fine, just follow my lead."


The Human continued to struggle as the Minotaur marched. She bucked wildly in its grasp, banging on its arm with her tiny fists. The Minotaur paid her no mind. It would've gladly snapped her arms to prevent her pitiful struggling, but it had been ordered to deliver her to the Conflux unharmed.

Suddenly, it felt something. The Guardian was getting closer. That shouldn't be possible, it had been teleporting randomly to throw any pursuers off its trail.

"Let me go!"

It looked down at the Human. She stared into its optic defiantly.

-]Theoretical: Human beings possess notable willpower and will likely remain resilient[-

-]Practical: Break her will[-

The Minotaur lifted her to head height. It stared into her eyes with its hateful gaze. Her eyes widened as she stared into the infinite malice that all Vex held within themselves. In its eye, she could see exactly what the Vex had planned for this world. The carnage they desired to unleash. Her grip on its arm slackened before falling limp.

-]Analysis: Human is not as resilient as initially anticipated[-

The Minotaur resumed its pace, noting as the Guardian drew closer. It teleported once again, causing the Human to retch painfully as they arrived at a new destination. It watched as the Guardian changed his course to the Minotaurs' current location.

-]Teleportation has proven ineffective[-

-]Guardian must not uncover the location of the Conflux[-

-]This unit must stand and fight[-

The Minotaur turned, facing the path the Guardian was taking. It waited patiently until it saw an unfamiliar face approaching, alongside the two other children from earlier. The Minotaur knew it should have killed them, but the Guardian had been drawing closer and it did not want to risk being intercepted. Now it would be able to correct that oversight.

-]Analysis: Readings show that this figure is radiating Light[-

-]Theoretical: There may be more than one Guardian present[-

It looked over at the children accompanying the Guardian, remembering how one of them had created massless copies. Cross-referencing that with the Vexs' knowledge of magic, it came to a new conclusion.

-]Practical: The Guardian is cloaked in an illusion[-

"Put her down," the Guardian ordered, drawing a large machine gun from transmat. The Minotaur knew it likely would not be able to defeat the Guardian alone, so it would need to stall for time. Sending out a call for reinforcements, it threw the Human to the side, causing her to hit the ground hard. She groaned in pain and the Guardian looked at her in worry. Seeing an opening, the Minotaur fired directly into the Guardians' chest, sending him flying back. The Witches split up. The female summoned more of her vines, this time being far thicker. The male created several more illusions to distract the Vex. The Minotaur ignored the illusions, now knowing them to be harmless, and beelined for the plant Witch. With one swing of its arm, it cleaved through the vines. The Witch barely managed to avoid another savage swipe.

As it reared back for another attack, a volley of gunfire slammed into it. The Minotaur felt its shield collapse as the void rounds overloaded it. It quickly teleported away as the Guardian ran over to the Human. It watched as the Guardian laid down a small healing rift on the young girl.

Suddenly, more Vex forms began teleporting in. The Minotaur regarded their presence, a handful of Goblins and Harpies. It wasn't as many as it had requested, but this would do. The Guardian finished checking on his companion and rose to his feet, glaring at the newly arrived Vex horde. His gaze met the Minotaurs' and he began charging his Void light into a Vex surged forward as he threw it. A few of the Goblins were destroyed by the vortex, but not enough to deter the others. The Harpies swooped down, attacking the Witches accompanying the Guardian.

Willow continued summoning her vines to defend herself and Gus as well as attacking the Vex. As the Witches held their own, the Goblins' closed in on the Guardian. Royal charged his Void light, consuming it. He felt the energy flow through him. He felt the boundless hunger scratching away at his mind. He focus his mind and steeled his nerves, controlling the hunger. As the Vex reached arm's length, Royal let the energy explode out around him. The first wave was atomized instantly, disintegrating into nothing. The Guardian hovered above the ground, glowing a bright and radiant purple. He clutched his arms close, charging more energy. The Goblins withdrew, only for the Exo to Blink behind them and let the power loose again. He continued teleporting around, destroying the Vex with ease.

Willow and Gus continued to battle the Harpies, barely managing to avoid their lasers. Without warning, the Harpies withdrew, ignoring the Witches as the Minotaur ordered them to refocus on the larger threat. Taking advantage of the momentary respite, Gus and Willow ran over to check on Luz. The Human was beginning to stir as Royal continued to decimate the Vex. His Void energy finally ran dry and he dropped to the ground. Not missing a beat, he grabbed his scout rifle and fired upon the remaining Vex.

-]Vex forces have suffered over 86.02% force delpetion[-

-]Tactical assessment dictates a withdrawal is necessary[-

The Minotaur ordered the other Vex to retreat. They complied, teleporting away as the Minotaur screeched at the Guardian, drawing his attention. It banged its arms together, challenging the Guardian. He obliged, drawing his Glaive and charging. The Minotaur jabbed at the Guardian who dodged gracefully. He retaliated by slashing across the Vex forms midsection. It roared at him, bringing down both of its arms. Royal lept back, floating through the air before flinging an unstable orb of Void energy at the Minotaur. Its' shields collapsed, exploding as they overloaded. The Vex staggered, heavily damaged, and unable to escape. Royal dropped back to the ground, gesturing for the Minotaur to attack. It obliged, charging forwards. Royal merely sidestepped, allowing the Minotaur to skewer itself on his Glaive. The Minotaur shrieked as it died, finally falling limp on the blade. Radiolaria flowed down the blade, coating it in the white liquid. Dismissively, Royal pushed it off and turned back to Luz.

His brow furrowed as he saw the Witches staring at him, slack-jawed. His cover had been blown. He ignored them, already resigning himself to the endless questions he would have to answer. He knelt down next to Luz as she struggled to sit up, groaning in pain.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She offered a shaky thumbs up before rubbing her throat.

"I'll be fine, just sore," she said weakly. Royal summoned another healing orb and placed it on her forehead. She let out a sharp breath, before relaxing as the comforting warmth spread throughout her body.

"Ohhhh that feels good," she said drowsily. Willow coughed, drawing the others' attention to her.

"Hey, we're still here. Do you mind explaining what in the Titan's name just happened?" She asked frantically.

"What were those things?" Gus added, looking at the Minotaurs' broken body.

"I'll explain everything, I promise," Royal eased, "but first, we need to get back to the Owl House. There could be more Vex in the area." The two looked at Luz who nodded in agreement.

"Fine, but this had better be a good explanation."


The group arrived at the Owl House without further incident. Royal had gone to check on his earlier assailant, only to discover that he had already woken up and escaped. The kids were sitting on the couch, huddled up as Royal conversed with Eda about what had happened.

"So you're saying that it took Luz captive?" Eda asked, "Any idea why?"

"I'm afraid not," Royal said, shaking his head, "the Vex aren't known for taking prisoners. I can only speculate on what their plan was."

"Where were they even taking her?"

"Again, we don't know. It was teleporting wildly, trying to throw me off the trail. Unfortunately, it also meant we couldn't figure out where it was going."

Eda sighed, stroking her head tiredly. "Sounds like neither of us got anything useful today. Better explain this to the kids I guess, they have a right to know."

The two walked into the living room, causing the others to look at them expectantly. They were all tired, though thankfully unharmed. Royal sighed and nodded to Eda. She dispelled his illusion, revealing his armored form. The two Witches gasped, recognizing him as the elusive stranger.

"Alright then, I'll give you the quick version. My name is Royal-6. I'm a Guardian from the Human Realm, but from far in the future. Those things we fought are called the Vex. They're time-traveling robots from another universe and they want to destroy everything that isn't Vex. They're currently trying to find a way to invade your world and I'm here to stop them," he clapped his hands together as he finished, "Any questions?"

Willow and Gus stared at him blankly. They either didn't believe him or just found the information too difficult to process. He sighed and removed his helmet, revealing his metallic face. That seemed to snap the two out of their stupor.

"So wait," Willow began, "You're from the future? And you're fighting evil robots from another universe? And you have magic?"

"Yes, yes, and no," Royal answered, "The Light is not magic. It's a fundamental force of the universe, not bound by the laws of physics or cause-and-effect."

"Distinction without differentiation," Lancer beeped, "It'll be easier for them if you just say it's magic."

"And who is this?" Gus asked, pointing to the Ghost.

"That's Lancer, my Ghost. He does a lot of stuff; storing my weapons, running calculations, resurrecting me if I die, and making bad jokes." Lancer whistled angrily, though only Royal could hear it.

Willow did a double take. "What was that?"

"Making bad jokes?"

"No, the one before that?"

"As long as Lancer's here, I'm more or less immortal," he answered. Willow crossed her arms, leaning back.

"Ok, now you're lying," she said. Royal responded by drawing his hand cannon and shooting himself in the head. Everyone jumped at the loud bang as he dropped dead. Lancer stared at his friend's corpse, clearly annoyed by Royal's lack of tact. Reluctantly, he revived the Exo.

"Come on Royal, the kids have already been attacked by Vex, you don't need to traumatize them more."

Royal shrugged, "This was the quickest way to get the message across." He looked back at the Witches. They were both staring at him, horrified expressions on their faces. Even Luz looked a little startled.

"Now that you're caught up to speed," he continued, holstering his weapon, "you need to promise me that what you have heard here does not leave this room. We can't go causing a panic. The last thing we want is to give the Vex an opening to capitalize on."

Willow looked at Luz uncertainly. The Human placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I know it sounds bad, but we got this. Those Vex won't know what hit 'em," she encouraged. Willow smiled before turning back to Royal.

"Fine," she said, "if these Vex think that we'll just lie down and accept defeat, then they have another thing coming." She slammed a fist into her open hand as she spoke. Royal saw a hard edge in her eyes. Gus was quick to chime in.

"Yeah, we've already taken down a bunch of their soldiers, we can handle this."

"Oh those weren't Vex soldiers," Royal said, "Those were construction units. The Vex have only recently started sending in their scouts. No one's ever seen an actual Vex soldier."

They all pondered that information for a moment. Royal quickly spoke up again.

"But I doubt they'll send any here, we'll just be fighting normal worker Vex." They cheered at that, with Luz joining in, albeit weakly.

"I'll let you three recover," Royal said, gesturing to Eda, "I have some other matters that need attending to." He departed with Eda in tow. The two walked out back and Royal summoned his Glaive. A few scarce drops of Radiolaria dripped from the blade.

"I had an idea," the Guardian said, "Is there some kind of spell you could use to locate where more of this stuff is? We might be able to use it to track down the rest of the Vex."

"Maybe," Eda said as she studied the weapon, "I might be able to cook something up, but this much goop wouldn't be able to find anything. We would need more." Suddenly, her eyebrows shot up, "Wait here, I'll be right back."

She ran back inside as Royal watched curiously. A few minutes later, she returned, clutching a canister in her hand. She held it up triumphantly, revealing that it was the core chamber of a Goblin, filled to the brim with Radiolaria.

"Where did you even get this?"

"Back when we first met," Eda explained, "I managed to tuck this bit away before you torched everything else."

"I don't know whether I should kiss you for holding onto this or slap you for not telling me."

"Oh please, I am way out of your league Rustbucket," Eda replied boastfully.

"How long will it take to make the potion?" Royal asked. Eda contemplated that for a second before responding.

"Give it a few days, I'll need to gather up the proper ingredients."

Royal nodded as Eda left to start working. Once she was gone, Lancer appeared beside him.

"So those Vex, there was something different about them."

"Yeah," Royal replied, "Silver, not bronze."

"This can only mean one thing," Lancer continued, "Synegorus has divided itself from the rest of the Vex Network."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Both, I think. On the one hand, it will have fewer resources to throw at us. On the other, now Synegorus has no distractions or other obligations. It is entirely devoted to killing us."

"Great," Royal sighed, "Now we're caught between the hammer and the anvil."

The two were interrupted when Gus poked his head out the back door. He looked between the two, an excited look on his face.

"If we're done with the doom and gloom, may I ask you about a billion questions?"

"Did I ask this many questions when you raised me?" Royal whispered to his Ghost as Gus began to bombard the two with questions.

"No, you asked way more."

"Right, well, you're the floating supercomputer, you get to deal with him," Royal replied. Lancer sputtered as the Guardian left. He turned to face Gus, who hadn't even noticed Royal's departure, and sighed.


Hunter slowly limped through the palace, rubbing his sore head. He needed to report to the Emperor and he would be damned if he let anyone stop him. He reached the door to the Emperor's chambers. Pushing the guards aside, he entered hastily.

"Ah, Hunter," Belos greeted as the doors closed behind him, "I trust that you have good news?"

"I… have news," he kneeled, responding uncertainly. Belos leaned forward expectantly and Hunter continued, "I was tailing the Guardian, as you ordered. He was out of armor and is definitely Human. However, as I followed him, he somehow discovered my presence. We fought and he managed to get the upper hand."

"And now you are here."

"He knocked me unconscious and left. When I awoke, I was alone."

Belos rose from his throne, slowly walking toward Hunter. He winced with each step, expecting a severe punishment for his failure. Belos stopped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hunter flinched before realizing he wasn't being struck.

"Rise, Hunter," Belos said calmly, almost comfortingly, "You did well to return. Your survival is far more important to me than the Guardian." Hunter let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in, feeling his muscles lose their tension as he relaxed.

"What are you going to do about the Guardian now?" He asked.

"Do not concern yourself with him, Hunter," Belos said, "I need you to stay here and recover." Hunter bowed once more and left, returning to his quarters. Belos returned to his throne, deep in thought.

More Humans in the Demon Realm, he thought, And with such strange powers. Have they been corrupted by magic? He shook his head, According to Lilith, the Guardian didn't use magic. At least, not any kind she, or even he, was familiar with.


Good news everyone, season three officially has a release date of October 15th. Here's hoping that the team can stick the landing. Limitations cause creativity to thrive, I have confidence in the team's ability to deliver. I know I'm excited. It also means I can finally start hammering out the specifics for how I want the end to go.

I'll keep this a buck twenty-four with you all, this chapter has technically been finished for around a week now. I was just sitting on it because something about it felt off. I think I've got it now, so here you go. This chapter also marks us going past the halfway point of what I have planned for the first season. We have officially crossed the Rubicon. And on that note, that ends this installment of Witches and Warlocks. I hope you all enjoyed it.

OMAC001: Glad to hear you enjoy learning about Royal. I think he's a cool character, but I'm a tad biased. And yes, Lilith will be having some more doubts as things move on.

LEGOBRICK13: Do not speak the name of the Final Shape, lest you doom us all to an eternity of not being able to speak to Banshee ever again.

musizlover2008: I know things seem bad for Luz right now, but trust me, they're gonna get way worse.

GodzillaMaster: Yeah, Elsie is just a cameo. For now at least. I have some ideas for way down the line. No promises though. And yes, in his lore, Royal wasn't exactly on board with allying ourselves with House Light and the Cabal. He eventually learned to mellow out though, so it's good.


Royal was currently sitting on the couch in the living room, playing a game of Hexes Hold'Em against Owlbert. The Palisman sought a new opponent after Eda swore off the game. Royal had been practicing and was ready to redeem himself. As the two dueled, Luz and King sat to the side, watching intently.

"So what exactly do Guardians do for fun?" Luz asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room. Royal placed down one of his cards before answering.

"Mostly normal stuff honestly," he said casually, "Reading, playing games, exploring. Fun fact, I got banned from playing at the weekly Poker nights in multiple bars around the City. Something about Exos having an unfair advantage due to not being as expressive. I think they're just upset I kept winning. But we also have some Guardian-specific stuff we like to do. Tuning weapons, meditating on the Light, sparrow races, customizing our jump ships." He paused for a moment as Owlbert ended his turn. Luz and King both looked at him expectantly and he sighed. "Then there's the Crucible, which is basically live-fire training."

"What's that like?" King asked.

"I really don't wanna talk about it."

"You don't have to," Lancer chirped, "because I have all your best moments recorded." Royal looked at the Ghost in horror as King and Luz eagerly encouraged him. Lancer projected onto the wall, showing a recording of Royal running down a hall screaming. A few seconds later, a colossal Titan wreathed in Arc Light came flying after him. The two disappeared around the corner and a massive voltage explosion erupted outwards.

The footage cut to Royal standing near a flag, attempting to capture it. He pointed his rifle at the closest entrance, gripping it tightly. A Hunter rolled in from behind and threw a grenade at him. It attached itself to his back and exploded, igniting the Guardian. As he collapsed to the ground, the Hunter danced over him.

The footage cut once again, showing Royal crouching behind cover with two of his teammates. The three looked at each other and nodded, emerging from cover in unison and charging forward. Instantly, they halted, staring in horror as they saw Ikora Rey disintegrate one of their teammates with Void Light. She turned to them and began charging a Nova Bomb. One of Royal's teammates pulled out his Ghost, retreating to orbit. The other pointed her hand cannon at her head and pulled the trigger. Royal simply stood there, his limbs falling limp as the Nova Bomb soared at him.

The feed was cut when Royal grabbed his Ghost. As he did so, Luz, King, and even Owlbert collapsed to the ground laughing. As Royal struggled to stop his Ghost, the group heard a powerful voice project itself from Lancer's recordings.

"How is it that there are six Guardians down there and not one of you is on a point!"