Boom, I'm back baby! It is time for chapter 12. This one was a bitch to write. Ever since around chapter 7, I've had a good idea of how every other chapter would go, except for this one. It must've gone through about four completely separate drafts. The original idea was gonna be Eda and Royal getting tangled up in a gambling mess, but I just couldn't make it work. So instead, we'll be keeping pace with Wing It Like Witches.

Good news: we're entering the final stretch. Bad news: we're entering the final stretch. Only three more chapters for season one. I hope you're excited, I know I am. Now, for your consideration, Thrill of the Game.


Chapter 12: Thrill of the Game

Grom had come and Grom had gone, which meant one thing for the town of Bonesborough: Grudgby season was in full swing. A wave of patriotism washed over the town as everyone either cheered for their home school or pretended to so they didn't get eaten. But the Grudgby itch wasn't the only thing sweeping the town. The Emperor's Coven was unveiling a line of new technology. Scrolls, crystal balls, training wands; you name it and there was a newer, better version. All of these gifts had been provided by the genius of Sturme Medrengard and, unknown to the public, the Vex.

Royal watched as a Demon walked past, tinkering with his new scroll. He shivered, practically able to feel the Vex tech in the thing. He had developed a seventh sense for when the Vex were near; not to be confused with his sixth sense, which only kicked in whenever he was about to explode. His seventh sense ticked again as an Oracle student walked past, holding a crystal ball that looked like it was filled with Radiolaria. Not for the first time today, he mentally thanked Eda for applying his disguise. Speaking of the Witch, she and Luz were currently conversing about something Royal hadn't been paying attention to.

"My first Grudgby season," Luz said in her usual chipper tone, "I'm so excited. I have more school spirit than the school spirits."

"Ah, Grudgby season is the best," Eda agreed, "You know, I used to play back in my gory days?"

"Do you mean glory days?" Luz asked.

"Well, that too. I was unstoppable on the field. I had the best moves and the best cheats."

"I would not admit to cheating if I were you," Royal said, "Traveler knows Shaxx would tear my head off and use it as the spark in the Crucible."

"What do you Humans know with your goody-two-shoes attitude? If cheaters never prosper, then why was I the star player?" Eda asked them.

"Well, can't reason with crazy," Luz accepted with a shrug as Royal's focus drifted off once again. Another student walked past, chatting into their scroll. Royal watched them intently, no doubt coming off as a creep to any observers. He was pulled out of his ruminations by Eda whacking him over the head.

"Do I have your attention now, Tincan?" She asked. Royal blinked and looked back at the Witch, who now had King nesting in her hair. In the distance, he could see Luz walking up the steps to Hexside.

"Sorry, got distracted and zoned out, what were we talking about?"

"I asked if you wanted to take a little stroll down memory lane with me, all this talk of Grudgby has me feeling nostalgic." Royal shrugged, it wasn't like he had much else to do. He had no leads on where the Vex tech was being produced, he hadn't seen Lilith in weeks, and their captive still hadn't spilled anything. Though, now that he thought about it, their prisoner seemed more jumpy than usual, flinching whenever Eda did anything. She must be using some weird magic to interrogate him.


"Ma'am, are you alright?"

Lilith blinked, staring through bleary eyes at Steve. She couldn't see his face behind his mask, but from his tone, she could tell he was concerned. Rubbing her eyes, she nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just… haven't been sleeping well these last few nights."

"Why don't you take the day off?" Steve suggested, "I would be happy to handle your work for the day."

"As tempting as that offer is, I'm afraid I can't. I have a mission planned today to capture my sister." She fought off a yawn as she finished. Steve looked at the dark circles under her eyes uncertainly.

"In your current condition, are you sure that's wise ma'am?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to avoid the bird worm. And the Guardian. And overpower Edalyn. Easy."

Steve didn't seem convinced, "As your second in command; I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to conduct this mission alone. I will be coming with you."

Lilith was about to argue before another yawn overtook her. Reluctantly, she conceded, allowing Steve to join her. Besides, an extra pair of hands may prove useful. Her sister could be incredibly slippery when she desired.


Sturme poured over his schematics, scribbling frantically as he worked. The Vex technology had been integrated without a hitch and was already being mass-produced. The Emperor had even taken a keen interest in the technology, incorporating a portion of it into his own staff. When he had asked Synegorus why it wished to tinker with the Witches technology, the Mind informed him that it was essential for further innovation. One cannot use sticks and stones to build a particle collider after all. Not that Sturme knew what a particle collider was, but it certainly sounded impressive. Regardless, he needed to continue. Once this work was done he would be rewarded handsomely.

Not that Sturme cared for personal glory, he had long ago eschewed his own life in the pursuit of advancement. He willingly gave himself to the Emperor's Coven, only ever wanting to elevate his people through discovery. Now, the Vex had presented him with the perfect opportunity. Though perhaps he should try and live his own life outside of the Coven, he hadn't seen his sister in years. Her daughter, his niece, was apparently captain of the Banshees. The Grudgby season was starting up, maybe he should stop by for a visit.

A burst of energy surged through his implant. Synegorus wished to speak with him. Sturme drew in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to experience. Conversing with the Vex Mind was like conversing with a raging storm, you were lucky if you weren't ripped to shreds.

"Report."

It was just one word, but it carried with it all the force of the sun. Sturme felt his teeth rattle as he responded.

"We have successfully integrated your technology with our own. Our initial launch in the nearest towns has been a success. As we speak, the Emperor's Coven is beginning to unveil the new devices all across the Isles."

"Insufficient."

He had hardly finished when the Mind spoke, causing him to physically recoil. He hadn't been ready for that.

"What do you mean?" He asked weakly, "We are going as fast as we can."

"And it is not good enough. Do not forget that the Guardian will wish to interfere in our work. Do not forget that he hates you and all Witchkind."

"Then what would you have me do? We cannot work any faster than this. My colleagues are already being stretched thin as they work with your designs." The Mind paused for a second and Sturme was worried he may have overstepped. Through his limited interactions with the god-like being, he knew that it was very prideful and would not react well to any perceived slight.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you," Synegorus mused, "Perhaps you are not so worthy. Do not think I am unaware of your familial bonds. They slow you down, dull your edge."

"My apologies," Sturme said, feeling more blood trickle down the side of his head, "I will not let myself get distracted."

"Good," the Mind said, its tone far less hostile than before, "You have already provided us so much, I would hate to think you are losing your touch. I shall send you an agent of my own, to assist in a more direct manner."

"When can I expect them?"

"It is difficult to say for certain, there are so many matters I must attend to at once. But it will be soon, I promise you. We shall usher in an age of perfection, and even your Emperor will revere your name."

"I'm not doing this for personal glory," Sturme said, "I'm doing it for my people."

"Of course you are," the Mind agreed in an uninterested tone. Sturme hesitated before speaking up again.

"Why exactly are you helping us? What do you want from our world?" Synegorus laughed at the question.

"What do worlds matter to me when there are entire timelines under my command? The scope of our dominion is not measured in planets or galaxies, but entire universes! And as for what I want, I have already told you. I want perfection. To align all things to our grand pattern."

"And if the thing cannot be aligned?"

"It is regrettable but inevitable. Simply look to the Guardian for your answer. There will be those lesser beings who resist. Those who cannot understand. But you? You are far wiser than that. I know you will not make that mistake."

"Now you're just stroking my ego."

"And it is working," Synegorus stated plainly. Sturme was forced to concede that it was, at least a little bit.

"My focus is required elsewhere, I shall return." Synegorus departed into the Vex Domain, leaving Sturme to reorient himself. The Mind rumbled, frustrated by the slow pace of its servants. When one was able to simulate entire realities within their mind, the standard passage of time became agonizingly slow.

"My lord," Pyrikaga bowed, "Surely you have no need for organic servants."

"This one is useful to us," Synegorus replied, refusing to explain itself to a lesser construct. The Torchbearer accepted without complaint.

"The units at the Conflux report that it shall be ready for my arrival soon," the Typhon said, "I shall sweep this world in flame and the Guardian will lie broken before you."

"Something I have come to realize," Synegorus spat, "Is that the Guardian is not so easily bested."

Pyrikaga bowed once more and departed, returning to overseeing the Conflux. Synegorus gathered its computational might, focusing on a new project. It had told Sturme that it would be sending an agent. Synegorus analyzed its Typhon design and began to make some modifications, scaling it down to be roughly the size of a Minotaur. Despite its power, the Mind could not be everywhere at once. It would need more servants.


History had never been Luz's favorite subject. It was just learning about old, dead stuff. If she wanted old, dead stuff, she could just go dig up some animal corpses in the woods. She had hoped that the Boiling Isles' history would be more engaging. Unfortunately, she was sorely disappointed.

"Over fifty years ago, Emperor Belos appointed a Head Witch to each coven," her teacher droned. Luz rolled her eyes and tuned him out, turning to her friends.

"I can't wait for Grudgby season to start!" She whispered, barely holding in her enthusiasm, "I've studied up on all sorts of magical sports. Like this." She held up a movie case, "The Good Witch Azura 2: The Field of Deadly Fates. A classic underdog tale." Willow took the case from her and inspected it.

"Azura challenges Hecate in the Smibbitch championship. But will she risk it all by taking a chance on the deadly Thorn Vault?" She read, opening the case. Gus quickly grabbed the DVD.

"Ooh, a shiny cookie!" Luz quickly snatched it out of his hands.

"Not a treat," she chided.

"The council headquarters was built by…? Anyone? Willow?" The teacher asked, dragging the three out of their conversation. Willow stood up.

"The Pixie Dust taxes?" She answered uncertainly. The teacher nodded.

"Impressive, Miss Park," he applauded. The students all murmured in admiration. Luz, however, heard a very familiar voice coming from her backpack.

"Great, jumped into a whole new reality and they still have taxes." Luz opened the pack, locating the source.

"Lancer?" She whispered.

"The one and only," he confirmed, "Didn't feel like listening to Eda go on about her school days, so I figured I'd tag along with you. Though it is kinda cramped in here."

Luz was about to speak up before the clip in Willow's hair suddenly levitated and floated into Boscha's waiting hand.

"Aww, Willow thinks she's popular now, how cute," she degraded. Willow blushed, sitting back down in her seat and trying to hide from the bully's ire. Luz, on the other hand, wasn't having any of this.

"Hey, I agree, my friend is very cute. But give that back!" She tried to snatch the clip out of Boschas hands, but the Witch was too fast for her.

"It's weird that Amity hangs out with you now. Ever since Grom, she's gone soft. But don't worry," she said, placing the clip in her hair, "I'm still here to show you who's boss." Gus managed to pull the clip out of her hair and handed it back to Willow.

"Now the friends wanna get in on this too?" Boscha asked rhetorically. She levitated Luz's backpack over the three and tipped it to spill the contents on the three. To her confusion, nothing fell out of the bag. Lancer phased in behind the Witch and transmatted the items directly above her where they dropped onto the Witch. She let out a surprised shout as Skara, who had been sitting next to her the entire time, recoiled in shock. Lancer quickly recovered the transmatted items and vanished, leaving Boscha to angrily search for the perpetrator.

"What's going on back there?" The teacher asked, clearly annoyed by the interruption to his lecture.

"Sorry sir," Boscha quickly spoke up before Luz could, "Willow here is just jealous of my Grudgby skills."

"Miss Park, you leave our star player alone," the teacher ordered. Willow let out a groan. Luz put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, she can't follow us around all day."

As it turned out, she absolutely could. Boscha had made it her personal mission to torment the three; throwing trash at them, writing insults on their body, and lying through her teeth the entire time. Lancer had tried to help from the shadows, but he could only do so much. They were now sitting on the stairs leading up to the entrance, covered in muck and filth.

"She followed us around all day," Luz said with a hollow voice, "She literally followed us around all day!"

"I'm sorry I pulled you guys into this," Willow apologized, "We should have just kept a low profile. Boscha could get away with murder if she wanted to."

"What's this?" Principal Bump said, walking down the steps next to them, "Boscha got away with murder? I can't say I approve, but at least she's trying new things."

"I'm starting to think Royal had the right idea, you guys are barbarians," Lancer deadpanned.

"We'll find a way out of this," Luz encouraged, ever the optimist. Amity exited the school, walking down the stairs next to them.

"Amity," Luz called, cleaning herself off as well as she could. Amity turned, a faint blush covering her face.

"Oh, Luz! You're here!" She stuttered, "I mean, obviously you're here, this is school, and you go here now... With, uh, me… I've been talking for too long."

"We need your help," Luz started, only for Amity to instantly cut her off.

"Yes, I can help!" She paused for a second, "What am I helping with?"

"Boscha won't stop picking on Willow and no one will do anything about it because she's the star captain of the Grudgby team."

"Yeah," Amity concurred, "this time of year, she's extra unbearable."

"You're friends with her," Luz proposed, "can you help us?"

Amity shuffled nervously, "The problem is that there's no reasoning Boscha. She only speaks in Grudgby terms."

"Alright, I'm picking up what you're putting down," Luz said, rubbing her chin. Amity seemed puzzled.

"I'm not putting anything down."

Luz was about to explain what she meant when a scream from Willow cut her off. Looking back, she saw that even more garbage had fallen onto Willow. A glance up revealed Boscha poking out of a second-floor window, holding a trash can directly above the Plant Witch.

"Hey Willow," she taunted, "I just thought all the trash should stay in one place."

"That's it!" Luz shouted, "Boscha! Willow challenges you to… a Grudgby match!"

"She what?" Boscha asked, dropping the trash can onto Gus in disbelief.

"I what?" Willow mirrored, equally confused.

"She what?" Gus joined in, his voice bouncing off the trash can interior, "Seriously, what's going on here?"

"Oh, this is going to be juicy," Lancer muttered, rubbing his non-existent hands together.


"And here's when we took down Epiderm High's team in the semi-finals," Eda recounted. She was sitting on the couch, wearing a brown sports jacket as she looked through a book filled with photos. Royal was peering over her shoulder, listening as she regaled the tales of her youth.

"I was the youngest player on the team," she continued, "but I had what some would call 'star power'. Aka, this." She pulled out a small chest labeled Eda's Rad Cheats, "This is my cheat box. I have all my best weapons in here. Smoke bombs, sock-worms… mwah. You name it, I got it. Oh, I never lost a game with this bad boy."

"Lancer, remind me to never introduce her to Shaxx," Royal muttered. His Ghost didn't respond. Without warning, the door slammed open, and Hooty entered.

"Hoot-hoot! Guess who found two special friends in the forest," he announced. Rather than let them guess, he dragged more of his body into the Owl House. Trapped in his nightmare of flesh was Lilith and a single coven scout. Lilith's appearance was a far cry from when Royal last saw her. Before she had been prim and proper, now she looked like she was running on fumes.

"It was me. Hoot!" Hooray chanted before he dropped the two on the floor.

"Lilith," Eda said warily, narrowing her eyes.

"Edalyn," her sister responded in kind.

"Lilith?" Royal asked, not entirely certain what was going on.

"Guardian," the scout said, drawing a Vex staff.

"Hooty!" The House Demon cheered, putting himself in the middle of the two parties.

"Hooty, scram," Eda ordered. He obeyed, withdrawing into his spot in the door.

"Why are you in your old uniform?" Lilith asked, looking over her sister.

"It's laundry day," Eda snapped, causing Royal to experimentally sniff his robes, not remembering that he didn't have a nose, "What are you doing here?" Lilith summoned a scroll and unfurled it. She cleared her throat and began to read.

"Edalyn Clawthorne and Guardian Royal-6, you are hereby under arrest by order of the Emperor of the Boiling Isles-" She was cut off when Eda cast a spell, rolling the scroll back up and causing it to smack Lilith in the face.

"You were saying?" Eda taunted while her sister rubbed her now sore face. Royal made eye contact with the scout and pointed at the two sisters. The scout shrugged in response.

"Come one," Lilith begged, losing her earlier composure, "I have to bring you in. It's time for you to join the coven. The Emperor has big plans for the Isles and he wants you to be a part of it all."

"What an incredible opportunity for me," Eda remarked sarcastically.

"What are you even looking at?" Lilith questioned, changing the subject. She managed to swipe the photo album from Eda, "Grudgby pictures? Feeling sentimental?"

"Nah, just telling Glowstick here how good I used to be."

Lilith tittered, "Oh Edalyn. Not only is the curse affecting your hair, but your memory as well." She reached into the book, grabbing a photo of young Eda holding a trophy. She held it up, revealing that it had been folded in half. Unfolding it revealed a young Lilith with a substantially larger trophy and multiple medals around her neck. Royal had to stifle a laugh as Eda groaned.

"Fine, tell you what. I'll go with you peacefully to the Emperor," she said, causing everyone to look at her as though she had just sprouted wings.

"Really?" Lilith asked, not believing she had heard that correctly.

"Sure," Eda continued lazily, "If you beat me in a game of Grudgby. Luz is always challenging people to things, why not me?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Eda?" Royal asked, pulling her aside, "It seems like a pretty big gamble to take."

"I'll be fine," Eda assured him, "Look at her, she can hardly stand up. Besides, I got my cheat box if things go sour."

"Game on," Lilith accepted, "However, I have one condition of my own."

"Name it," Eda said boldly.

"Due to my… current predicament, I don't think I could give you a proper challenge," she said innocently, "So I propose a two-on-two match. My lieutenant shall join my team and you can have the Guardian." The scout straightened his back, snapping into a salute.

"Ma'am, I would be honored."

"Sounds good to me. What do you say, Tincan?" Eda asked, "Wanna join a real Grudgby match?"

Royal sighed. "Goals, guns, and lots of gore," he said, counting on his fingers, "Sounds just like Rift."

"I'll take that as a yes."


"Luz," Willow asked with barely restrained panic, "what are you doing?"

"Taking Amity's advice," she explained, "Boscha only speaks in Grudgby terms. Trust me, I have a plan." Boscha made her way down the front steps, coming face to face with the Human as she spun a Grudgby ball on her finger.

"Okay, maybe it's the altitude of the second floor, but I thought I heard you say that Leaf Girl wanted to challenge me to a Grudgby match."

"That's right," Luz said defiantly, "We'll settle this once and for all on the field."

"Or we could just talk about our issues," Willow offered weakly as a crowd of students began to gather around them. Boscha wasn't having any of it.

"Let's do this," she said, accepting the challenge.

"If Willow's team wins, you don't get to pick on her anymore," Luz said, laying down her terms.

"Fine," Boscha accepted instantly, "When we win, Willow and your team get to be our water gofers."

"Ha, that's not a punishment. I love water."

"And we get to use you as target practice," Boscha finished, not skipping a beat. To emphasize her point, she pulled out her Grudgby ball and tossed it into the air. She delivered a ferocious kick, sending it flying through a nearby tree, smoking with heat as it did.

"See you after school losers," she cackled, leaving Luz in stunned silence.

"Luz," Amity spoke up, shaking the Human out of her silence, "This isn't a good idea."

"Yeah, I've never even played Grudgby before," Willow concurred, quick to agree, "How am I supposed to beat Boscha?"

"But you're the better Witch," Luz encouraged, "I don't know much about sports, but I know about sports movies. We are a rag-tag team of lovable misfits joining together to defeat a powerful enemy. With a little team spirit and a training montage, we can win."

"Well, if you think this will work, then I'm in," Willow declared, "How about you Gus?" He summoned his Banshee's flags, holding them up proudly.

"In seasons past, these flags have waved in support of Grudgby greats. Now they will wave for the greatest: Me!"

"What about you Amity?" Luz asked innocently, instantly provoking a reaction from the Witch.

"Me? On a team with you?" She stuttered, growing more and more flustered, "Running around in cute uniforms? Sweating?" She blushed profusely as her mind filled with all manner of forbidden thoughts.

"I gotta go!" She suddenly shouted. With that, she ran off.

"Yup, she's down bad," Lancer whistled.

"Then what about you, Little Buddy? Every good team needs a mascot," Luz proposed. He tilted, considering it for a moment.

"I do have the lovable face for it," he admitted. With the team now assembled, they moved over to the Grudgby field. It was a fairly small playing field, with large hoops that served as goals on either end.

"So… how exactly do we play Grudgby?" Luz asked.

"Probably should've asked that before issuing your challenge," Lancer quipped, "Fortunately for you, I'm an expert in Grudgby."

"Since when?" Willow asked, crossing her arms.

"Since about fifteen seconds ago, when I downloaded a recording of every single Grudgby game ever and analyzed all of them."

"Oh, neat," Luz accepted, "So how does one do a Grudgby?"

"It's actually pretty similar to most Human sports," Lancer said, projecting an image of a Grudgby ball, "Just take the ball to the other end of the court and score it in the enemy's goal while preventing them from doing the same." He demonstrated this by dunking his holographic ball into the nearest goal.

"Sounds simple enough," Luz said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you'd think that," Lancer replied, "Field's covered in traps and magic tripwires. Willow, if you would demonstrate." The Witch obliged, summoning a leaf and blowing it over the field. It came to rest, settling peacefully fully on the ground. The second it did, a storm of fire, ice, vines, and rocks tore it to shreds.

"Oh, right. Boiling Isles," Luz winced, "Should have predicted this."

"So yeah, gonna need to find a way to work around that," Lancer continued, "I'm sure you'll think of something, you always do."

"Right," Luz agreed, "And every good sports movie has a training montage." The two Witches seemed confused by that word. Gus raised his hand, to which Luz nodded.

"What's a mon-tage?" He asked. She drew in a deep breath as she prepared to explain. Lancer projected a board with figures on it that Luz used to demonstrate how montages worked. A few minutes later, the four were watching a sports movie. Not long after that, they were having a tea party while dressed in animal costumes. Eventually, the four found themselves back at the Grudgby field.

"I get it now," Gus said, before a perplexed look came over his face, "Wait, were we just having a tea party in animal jammies?"

"What happens in the montage stays in the montage!" Luz forcefully asserted. She blew a whistle and tossed a ball in front of the two. Willow prepared to kick it, only for a colossal tentacle to burst through the ground, sending the two back. In their attempt to flee from the tendril, they almost ran straight into a massive, rotten hand. The beating continued for several minutes before Willow managed to stumble her way over to Luz.

"I need a cup of water," she gasped. Gus collapsed to the ground behind her.

"Now for our big finale," Luz ignored her, "The Thorn Vault." She slapped a plant glyph on the ground and activated it. The magic twisted through the ground, causing it to buckle and crack. Willow cried out for Luz to wait, but it was too late. The vines erupted from the ground, catapulting the two Witches high into the air. Panicking, Willow managed to summon a large flower to cushion their landing. Gus rolled off limply.

"Gus! Talk to me Gus!" Willow pleaded, holding her friend.

"I-I think something's broken," he muttered weakly. He held up his flags, revealing that the shafts had been snapped, "My flags! I never should have tried to play, you were always enough for me!" He sobbed into his hands as Willow attempted to comfort him.

"Come on Gus I have some floral tape in the greenhouse," she soothed, "We'll fix them." The two began to leave. Luz was about to stop them, before being intercepted by Lancer.

"Easy Luz, let them go."

"We don't have time to stop," she argued, "We just need to stay upbeat and keep trying."

"Look, I appreciate the desire to get your knuckles dirty, but not everything can be solved with a positive attitude," the Ghost rebuffed, "Everyone has a limit and you just pushed your friends past theirs."

Luz looked around the field, seeing the chaos she had unleashed. A pit began to form in her stomach as she realized that Lancer was right. Why did he always have to be right? Was this how Royal felt?

A glint of light managed to catch her eye. Looking down, she saw Willow's hairclip lying on the ground, shattered into pieces. Moving softly, she picked up the pieces and inspected them.


As it turned out, Grudgby fields were easy to prepare. The only thing one needed was a relatively flat piece of land and two goalposts. Compared to the arenas Royal was used to, it was almost quaint. Eda ran her final check on the field, ensuring that it was fairly divided. Or, more likely, ensuring it was properly rigged in her favor. As she did, Lilith approached Royal. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, making no effort to acknowledge her as she drew near.

"I have something I wish to ask you," she began.

"I'm not interested," Royal instantly cut her off, "Eda may have agreed to go with you if you win, but don't think I have any intention of going quietly."

"That's not what I'm here to discuss," she said, "I wanted to ask you about the Vex." That caught Royal's attention. He uncrossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, not that Lilith could see it through his helmet. Taking his posture as an invitation, Lilith continued.

"Do the Vex have the ability to peer into dreams?" She asked. Royal placed a hand on the chin of his faceplate as he pondered.

"I can't say I've ever heard of anything like that, but I wouldn't put it past them," he said hesitantly, "Just a week or two back, the kid had to go digging through my head to root out a Vex virus. Why do you ask?" As soon as he finished, he realized the answer.

"You can see them in your dreams," he realized as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Lilith nodded.

"Every night, that wretched Harpy is stalking me. And, not long ago, something else joined in."

"What was it?" Royal asked, feeling that he already knew the answer.

"I don't know," the Witch answered, "But there was an immense force, and it caused me to bleed merely by speaking." Royal remained silent, so Lilith resumed.

"I know that you have no reason to aid me, or even trust me, but you're the closest thing the Isles has to an expert on the Vex," she begged, "Is there anything you can do?"

"That depends," Royal said coyly.

"On what?"

"On whether you're willing to tell me where your Vex tech is being stored, so that I may destroy it," he answered easily.

"Are you attempting to bribe the head of the Emperor's Coven?" Lilith questioned indignantly. Royal didn't miss a beat.

"Yes."

"I will not betray the Emperor's trust," she scoffed, though Royal could tell that she wasn't as convicted as she would like to come off.

"Then I recommend you find some powerful sleep medication," Royal shrugged, "Or maybe try a sleep spell, it worked on me." Lilith was growing increasingly frustrated. However, before she could retaliate, Eda called over to the two.

"Tincan, stop flirting with Lily and get over here, we're ready to start." Royal waved to let her know he heard and gave Lilith a mock bow.

"Pleasant dreams," he wished before leaving to join Eda on the field. Lilith glared at the back of his helmet.

"Pleasant dreams," she mimicked bitterly, "What a child."

She joined Steve on the field, standing aside from the Guardian and her sister. Hooty slithered between the two teams.

"Alright," he screeched, "I want a good clean match, so no magic or Light." He stressed that last part, staring at Royal who simply waved the tube monstrosity off.

"Like I even need it," he dismissed. On the sidelines, King propped up a scoreboard.

"Now I shall strike fear into the hearts of my enemies with this armor of intimidation!" He declared. The effect was somewhat diminished by the fact that he was wearing a bright cheerleader uniform. Eda snickered at the display before turning to Lilith.

"Pushing paper all day might make you a little rusty, so we'll be sure to take it easy on you and your stooge," she mocked.

"I make no such promises," Royal said, cracking his finger joints. Lilith let out a humorless laugh.

"Remember, dear sister, you may have been the star player, but I was team captain for a reason."

"I'm just glad to be here," Steve commented in a vain attempt to lower tensions. Hooty dropped the ball in the center of the field and blew the whistle. Instantly, the four players dove for the ball, and any semblance of order was lost.


Luz sat in the stands, attempting to repair Willow's headband. Much to her chagrin, it kept falling apart. Lancer had offered to fix it for her, but she had turned him down. She was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't notice Amity join her.

"Tough practice?" She asked, startling Luz out of her current task.

"I pushed Willow and Gus too hard," Luz answered, looking down at her hands in shame, "It's just, I hate seeing Willow get picked on. She's one of the best friends I've ever had. Winning this game is the only way I know how to help."

"Did you know," Amity started, "that before Boscha, I was team captain?" Luz perked up, now curious to learn more of her friend's backstory.

"Once I left the team, I decided that it was a part of my life I wanted to leave behind," Amity explained, "We were playing Glandus High for the Island Championship. We had a move planned, and it was a good one. But, at the last minute, I decided I wanted to do something a bit flashier. I changed our game plan to... the Thorn Vault."

"Good Witch Azura 2," Luz realized, "You watched it too?" Amity confirmed before resuming her tale.

"It went disastrously wrong. My teammates got hurt. All because I had an idea of how things should be. I pushed them too far," she said dourly, "I never played again after that day." She ended her tale, turning to faze Luz. To her shock, and mild excitement, Luz had drawn incredibly close, to the point where their noses were almost touching. Amity yelped, falling onto her back and blushing madly.

"Sorry," the Human apologized instantly, helping Amity sit back up, "I just really love backstories." In the distance, Boscha and the Banshees arrived, ready to lay a serious beatdown. Luz took Amity's hands, oblivious to the girl's flustered reaction, and placed something in them.

"I know what I have to do to make this right. Thank you." With that, she left. Amity opened her hand, revealing that Luz had given her Willow's hairclip, patched together with a band-aid. Amity heard a small beep above her and she looked up, seeing Lancer watching her with a knowing stare.

"What?"

"Oh, you know what," he replied in a sing-song voice, "Not very subtle, are you? I guess you're lucky that she's as oblivious as a Dreg who's high on Ether." Amity stuttered, trying to find a response. Rather than give her a chance, Lancer simply whistled and flew off, joining Luz on the field.

"It's after school," Boscha said impatiently, "Where's the leader of your loser brigade."

"I'm here on her behalf," Luz answered, placing her hands on her hips, "We forfeit. And I'm here to tell you that I'll take Willow's place as your water gofer, target practice, whatever you need." Boscha softened as she heard that.

"Wow, you're a really good friend," she complimented. A nasty grin overtook her as she set her Grudgby ball on fire, "And a perfect target." She pulled back and aimed. Luz gulped before being forced to duck under a flaming ball of death.

"I really need to start thinking these things through," she groaned as Boscha prepared another projectile. Off to the side, Amity ran off. Luz was going to need reinforcements.

"She's aiming for your left," Lancer said in her ear, "On my mark, dive right." Luz tensed, lowering her stance just like Royal had taught her.

The most important thing to remember when defending yourself against an armed opponent while you have no weapon is that you don't. Focus on evasion and survival.

Boscha began to throw and Lancer beeped. Luz rolled to the side, cleanly avoiding the fireball. Boscha narrowed her eyes, preparing another ball. With Lancer's help, Luz continued to dodge, though only barely.

"Brake hard, shift two," the Ghost ordered.

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!" Luz shouted.

"Sorry, forgot you weren't Royal. Just stay light on your feet."

"Why won't you stand still and let me hit you!" Boscha raged.

Unaware of Luz's predicament, Willow and Gus were currently repairing the damaged flags. A quick roll of tape was proving to be effective when Amity suddenly kicked open the door. The two looked up at her in surprise.

"Luz needs our help!" She said forcefully before managing to calm herself down, "I know she pushed you guys, and she always gets in over her head. She can be so stupid, which I love- I mean hate! In any case, she needs you right now, which is sweet- I mean, I hate it, and it's dumb!"

"You lost me," Gus said dryly while Willow nodded in agreement. Amity groaned and handed Willow her hairclip.

"Just, take this." The plant Witch smiled and looked at Gus, who lifted his flags eagerly.

"Can we resist the call to action?" He asked rhetorically, "No! May the flags be raised once more!"


Royal thought he had gained a decent understanding of how Grudgby was played from Eda's tales. He was partially correct. He had expected it to be a very aggressive, close-quarters contact sport. What he hadn't expected was how sloppy it was. The rules seemed to be more like guidelines. Then again, that may just be a result of his current company. It was a large departure from what he was used to. Barbarians, the lot of them.

The game progressed with the teams going back and forth. The Outlaws could hardly score a single goal without the Covens being right behind them. Eda had performed some fancy footwork to outpace her sister, only for Lilith to return the favor. Royal had scored a long-range goal from the backline, only for Steve to then somehow bulldoze through their defense and score. The Outlaws were up by one and closing in on another goal. Royal passed the ball to Eda just before Steve tackled him. Eda threw the ball past Lilith's guard directly towards the goal. It was a beautiful throw, or at least it would have been if Hooty hadn't intercepted it at the last second.

"Hooty!" Eda shouted, "Who's side are you on?"

"I'm an unbiased participant, hoot-hoot."

While the Outlaws struggled to recover, Lilith snatched up the ball and slipped past her sister, dunking it into the goal.

"Score is five-five folks," King announced, "We have time for one more play." The two teams took a quick break to collect themselves.

"We'd have a nice lead right now if it wasn't for Hooty," Royal ranted, "Unbiased participant, my lateral-flexor. I'll show him how unbiased an Arc-infused shotgun shell is."

"Cool it Sparky," Eda said, a little too confidently for the current situation, "One little trick and this game will be ours." She pulled out her cheat box and cracked it open. To her horror, it was empty, save for a note from Luz.

"Dang it, Luz," Eda cursed, "Guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

"Adrenaline is the only thing keeping Lilith up," Royal muttered, "Let me handle them, you take the shot."

The two teams squared off for the last time. The sisters glared at each other while Royal's and Steve's helmets blankly faced the outside world. Hooty blew the whistle and they all scrambled for the ball. Royal's servo's surged as he shoved Steve aside. Eda managed to snatch up the ball and dance around her fatigued sister. Lilith reached out to grab Eda before Royal tackled her to the ground. With a straight shot to the goal, Eda ran forward. Hooty burst from the ground again, only for Eda to use his face as a springboard. With a triumphant yell, she scored the final goal of the game.

"Game over!" King announced, "Team Outlaw wins six-five!" Lilith shouted in frustration as Royal picked himself up. She pushed him off as Steve came over to help her to her feet. Royal regrouped with Eda, slapping her waiting hand.

"Still got it," she cheered, "Still got the skills to pay the bills. You weren't half bad yourself out there."

"You were setting me up," Royal replied. Off to the side, Lilith stood up, partially supported by her lieutenant. Eda watched her sister, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

"Here'" she said, taking off her ring and offering it, "I know you can't go back empty-handed. Take this, and tell your boss I put up one hell of a struggle." Lilith blinked in surprise.

"Thank you," she said, "I will be back. With more staves."

"Looking forward to it," Eda winked. Royal looked eyes with Steve and nodded.

"Smooth sailing mate, see you around." The scout responded in kind before the two left.

"Do I hear the hint of a bromance?" Eda teased.

"He's a cool dude," Royal said plainly, "For a coven pawn, anyway."

As Lilith and Steve departed, Lilith reached down to the hem of her dress and pulled off a small device. She lifted the tracker that Royal had planted on her and crushed it.

"Fool me once," she whispered to herself, letting the scrap fall into the dirt.


It seemed that Luz's luck had finally come to an end, as she tripped over herself and ended up sprawled across the ground. She watched in fear as Boscha closed in, preparing another flaming ball.

"Finally," she growled, "Now quit squirming, this is gonna hurt. A lot." She pulled back and hurled the projectile at the Human. Luz flinched, waiting for the pain. When it didn't arrive, she hesitantly opened her eyes. To her shock, a large tree had cracked the ground before her and absorbed the shot.

"First you kill me," Luz muttered deliriously to the inanimate trunk, "Then you save me? Make up your mind."

"Boscha!" Willow's voice bounced across the field, "Your issue is with me, not Luz. Leave her be." Luz managed to pull herself to her feet and ran over to her friend's side.

"Willow, I am so sorry I got you into this mess," she apologized, "I shouldn't have pushed you so hard."

"It's alright," Willow said softly, "I know you were just trying to help in your weird Luz way. Now, we finish it my way." She turned back to Boscha, meeting her glare with confidence, "The game is back on."

"You need three players on your team," the bully said derisively, "Where's your third?" Unfortunately, Gus had taken a seat on the stands, tending to his broken flags. As a result, he wouldn't be of any help to them.

"Right here," someone said from behind Boscha. Everyone looked over, revealing Amity, standing with her arms across her chest and a brave look on her face. She walked past Boscha, not deigning to even look at her.

"You just destroyed your social life," Boscha spat venomously.

"No," Amity said, standing beside her childhood friend and secret crush, "I made it better." Boscha shot her a murderous glare before declaring that the game was on. The two teams put on their uniforms and readied themselves around the center of the field. As they squared up, Willow shot a cheeky glance at Boscha's ankle.

"There's something on your shoe," she sang. Boscha scoffed.

"Like I'm gonna fall for that," she replied. The ball launched into the air as the whistle sounded, signaling that the game had begun. Boscha attempted to lunge for it, only to fail to achieve liftoff. As she fumbled with her footing, she saw that her lower leg had been discretely entangled by vines. While Boscha struggled to free herself, Willow snatched the ball out of the air and quickly scored.

The two teams went back and forth. The Banshees may be a tightly coordinated unit, but they still struggled against Amity's skill, Luz's unorthodox techniques, Willow's raw determination, and Lancer's unseen assistance. That wasn't even mentioning Boscha's own lack of leadership this match, more focused on settling scores than utilizing proper strategies. It was a testament to their skill and relentless training regimen that they managed to keep pace.

Willow's team, on the other hand, was performing admirably. Amity acted as their primary shot-taker, falling back on her skills as though she had never stopped playing the sport. Together, Luz and Lancer kept the team coordinated, with the latter providing critical tactical information while the former directed her teammates. All while Willow served as the team's iron-clad fist.

Ameilia, one of Boscha's teammates, ran the ball up the field. She narrowly avoided spiked traps and spinning blades. Reaching the goalpost, she chucked the ball cleanly through, scoring a goal for the Banshees. Exhausted, she placed her hands on her knees while she struggled to catch her breath. Luz jogged over to the Witch.

"Nice play," she complimented. Ameilia looked up at her, confused. Seeing that the Human was genuine, she thanked Luz with a small smile. The moment was short-lived, as she caught sight of Boscha fixing her with an angry look.

Not long later, Boscha set the ball alight and hurled it at the goal. Thinking quickly, Luz created a pillar of ice to intercept it. The ball, with the fire now put out, dropped into her hands. Luz glanced over it, noticing something familiar in the corner of her eye. There was a glyph symbol seared into the ball. Lancer confirmed that he had the glyph saved and, thinking quickly, Luz placed a slip of paper on it. The glyph burned itself onto the paper and Luz activated it. Calling out to Amity, she passed the ball. Amity summoned a fist made of Abomination goo and smacked the ball straight into the Banshee's goal. The score was now nine-nine and both teams took time to regroup and plan out the final play.

"Time for one final maneuver," Lancer said, "Anyone got a hidden ace up their sleeve?" Amity and Willow both shook their heads. Though whether it was because they didn't have a plan or because they didn't know what an ace was would have to be a question for later. Luz pulled out a few of her glyphs and held them out.

"This is what I've got," she presented. Willow's finger hovered over them before finally pointing to the plant glyph.

"We should go with this one," she said decisively. Luz gasped.

"The Thorn Vault! Are you sure?"

"I'm ready this time," she said confidently. The whistle sounded once more, letting the teams know that play was resuming. The six players and one Ghost squared off for the last time. The ball launched into the air, falling directly into Luz's waiting arms. Boscha bore down on the Human girl.

"Luz! Look out!" Amity shouted, pushing her crush out of the way. Boscha slammed into her, sending both of them to the ground. Acting quickly, Luz fell back, preparing her glyph. Willow ran forward, accepting the ball from Luz as the Human activated the plant glyph. Willow held on for dear life as the plant magic carried her through the air. Coming up on the Banshees goal, she prepared to leap off. However, Boscha wasn't done yet. She hurled a fireball at Willow, incinerating the plants she was standing on right as Willow pushed off. Her footing now lost, Willow fell back to the ground, barely managing to catch herself with a plant, right as the timer hit zero.

"Did we just tie?" Luz asked, helping Amity back to her feet. The Witch leaned heavily on Luz, much to her embarrassment.

"Unless someone found the Rusty Smidge," Boscha said, looking at her team. Both of them shrugged.

"Rusty Smidge?" Luz asked.

"Little golden bug," Boscha explained flippantly, "Catching it means you instantly win." Lancer transmatted something into Luz's hands, much to her shock. Looking down, she saw a small metallic insect clutched in her grasp.

"Like this?" She asked. Boscha gaped as their score instantly shot up by nine hundred and ninety points.

"Luz," Willow was ecstatic, "You caught the Smidge!"

"Are you kidding me!" Luz shouted, "That's how we succeed? Some stupid insta-win mechanic? That's so dumb!"

"All magic sports are like this," Amity said plainly, "Are Human sports different?" Luz took in a deep breath and calmed down.

"Whatever, a victory is a victory," she grumbled.

"This doesn't mean anything," Boscha threatened, "I'm still above you on the social pecking order- Hey!" She was cut off when Skara and Ameilia pushed past her, joining Willow's team.

"Good game Willow," Skara congratulated, "You guys played great."

"Good job finding the Smidge," Ameilia complimented. Luz huffed, still miffed over the idea of the Rusty Smidge. Amity tried to stand on her own, only to let out a cry of pain.

"Amity, are you alright?" Luz instantly asked.

"I'm fine," she said unconvincingly as she flinched in pain, "Just hurt my leg."

"We need to get you to a healer," Luz said with a voice that left no room for argument. She scooped Amity up, carrying her bridal style, much to the Witches elation and embarrassment.

"Wow," she managed to stammer out, "Sports."


-]Modifications complete[-

Synegorus inspected the new Typhon before it. It was far smaller than its predecessor, barely larger than a Minotaur. It featured no weapons on its exterior, however, there were a pair of cannons hidden within its arms. Synegorus finished installing the frame's personality and ordered it to stand.

"I awaken," it said.

"Welcome Ignosi, are you aware of your mission?"

-]Theoretical: The Emperor's Coven provides us with a unique tactical advantage over the Guardian[-

-]Practical: I must assist them at all costs[-

The Typhon's thoughts bounced through Synegorus' mind. It could hear them as though they were its own.

"Once the gateway is open, Pyrikaga will serve as the distraction. You are to regroup with the one called Sturme. Offer him whatever assistance he needs, but do not reveal anything of our true intentions."

"The journey will be long, but I am undeterred," Ignosi recited obediently, "Distance is just another metric, one I can control."


What'll it be, what'll it do, that's another chapter for you. I wanna see if I can't finish season one before Darktide releases, cause Emperor knows that's gonna absolutely devour my free time once it drops. You can thank my brother for Lancer tagging along with Luz, he requested it.

I also want to thank you all again. We've hit fifty whole followers. The big five-zero. I continue to be blown away by the reception to this fic, especially considering it's my first time writing anything on this scale. The doc I write on is over 220 pages. Now, I'll get on to the reviews. Have a nice Festival of the Lost everyone.

GodzillaMaster: Lilith isn't getting out quite so easily, I have some plans for her.

OMAC001: Thanks, though I can't take full credit for the little ending bit, as most of it came from the episode proper. And I didn't forget about Vee as much as I tactically ignored her. I'll be 137% honest, I have no idea what I'm going to do with her.

Guest (No fun name :(, that's tragic): Praise the Omnissiah. Even though I'm more of a Blood Angels/Craftworlds guy.

The Lone Gunslinger: "Fun isn't normally something one considers when perfecting the Universe. But this does put a smile on my faceplate." -Synegorus, probably.

SolarisHez: Well that is high praise indeed. I'm glad I can captivate you despite your preferences. I was initially nervous about giving Luz a gun, but I decided to go in on it. I am also something of a Human supremacist in this regard. A cult of islanders with fancy light shows ain't gonna be a match for a concentrated artillery barrage :). Also, WARLOCK SWEEP!


"Ladies and Gentledemons, welcome to the first Grudgby match of the season!"

As the announcer had said, Grudgby season was underway and the Banshees were ready for their first home game. Their earlier scrimmage had been put behind them, with Boscha accepting full responsibility for the loss. She was a lot of things, but a bad leader was not one of them.

"Introducing our home team, the Hexside Banshees!" The announcer shouted. Boscha, Skara, and Cat ran out onto the field, basking in the crowd's praise.

"And now, the challengers, the St. Epiderm Spectres!" Three students from one of Hexsides rival schools entered the field. The two teams met in the middle, engaging in a tense but courteous greeting.

"Coming at you live from the announcers' box is me, Henson Landiger. Joining me is a new face. He orders you to put your hands together, please welcome… Lord Shaxx!" A gargantuan Guardian sat next to the announcer, wrapped in armor and furs. The Titan laughed jovially as he accepted the microphone.

"Thank you for the warm welcome Landiger," the Lord of the Crucible said, "I may not know where I am, but I know when a match needs commentary!"

"Well said, Lord Shaxx," Landiger said, rolling off the Titan smoothly, "Now, let's have a good, clean match out there."

"Yes, Grudgby is a coming together of friends," Shaxx agreed, before slamming his fist on the table, causing the entire stadium to shake, "NOW DO AS FRIENDS DO AND EXPLODE EACH OTHER!" The ball launched into the air as Shaxx laughed maniacally. Boscha surged forward, grabbing the ball out of the air and landing on one of the St. Epiderm players. Rolling, she raced past the other two players, dodged several traps in the field, and dunked the ball.

"YES!" Shaxx shouted, "With ten more like you, I could shake the seven pillars to their core!" The teams reset and this time, Cat grabbed the ball first. She shucked it clean over the head of the Epiderm players, scoring a clean goal.

"Your moments of clarity are weapons," Shaxx instructed wisely, "As are your thoughts. And your actual weapons." Not letting their momentum slip, Skara grabbed the ball next. Through a mixture of fancy footwork and skilled magic use, she slipped past Epiderm's defenses, further lengthening the Banshee's lead.

"Witches like you blaze a trail for the rest of us," Shaxx complimented, "Witches like you will make the frontiers safe again." Eventually, the game wound down to a close. Neither team managed to snag the Rusty Smidge, making the final score seven-three in favor of the Banshees.

"I couldn't ask for a better win," Shaxx said proudly as the crowd cheered, "I have prevented extinction-level events that were more gentle than you!" He turned his focus to the St. Epiderm team, "I'm sorry, but there's no Redrix's Claymore for losing matches. Although, maybe there should be! Landiger, grab a pen and paper, I have an idea."

Suddenly, a swarm of teleportation effects began swirling around the Guardian as he was pulled back through the Paraverse.

"It seems that I am out of time," he said, not seeming to mind, "If you see a certain purple-armored Warlock, tell him that the Crucible is waiting for him." Shaxx disappeared as he was sent back to his own time by powers unknown. Across the Boiling Isles, Royal's gaze suddenly shot up and he looked around suspiciously.

"You alright?" Luz asked, looking up from her glyphs.

"Yeah," Royal said uncertainly, "I just got a sudden, overwhelming urge to start throwing grenades."