And so it begins. The beginning of the end, of season one at least. It's been a long time coming. Lots of things moving into place here. These next three chapters will be the culmination of what has come before while building up to what comes next. I hope you all are ready because the Boiling Isles sure as hell isn't.
I've been doing a lot of writing these last few days to get this ready. Chapter 12 was 95% finished on the 23rd. Chapter 13 was more or less finished the following day. Two days later, chapter 14 was finished. I'll be withholding 14 for a bit so I can proofread it and whatnot. Now, I won't waste any more of your time.
Chapter 13: Over the Ridge and Into Hell
Wild Witches, the most dangerous creatures on the Isles. At least, so long as one ignored the Guardian or the Vex. They had rejected the Covens system, choosing to live free and unrestrained. It was the sworn duty of the Emperor's Coven to hunt them down and bring them to justice. Lilith Clawthorne watched as a group of such vagabonds was led across the drawbridge to the castle, no doubt to be petrified for their crimes. The punishment had never exactly sat right with her, but it wasn't her place to question the Emperor.
She turned to face a large, stained-glass recreation of the Emperor. Even in this form, he stared right through her, picking her mind of its secrets. Once, she had considered him to be the most powerful being on the Isles. After her encounters with the Vex, she realized just how naive that belief was. She wished to bring her concerns before the Emperor, confident that he would listen to her. Fortunately, she had scheduled a meeting later. With luck, she would capture her sister and end the Vex in one day. Steve walked up behind her, snapping into a salute.
"Ma'am, the squad you requested is ready. We await your word," he reported. Her lieutenant held a Vex staff close to his side. Lilith shivered as her gaze passed over it. Almost every scout had adopted the new technology. Lilith had not.
"Very good," she said, "Titan knows we've already wasted enough of the Emperor's time. We have a schedule to keep." This would be Eda's final day of being a Wild Witch, whether she wanted it or not. Lilith had prepared a team of the finest scouts the Coven could offer and she had finally managed to get a decent night of sleep for the first time in weeks.
"What about the Guardian, ma'am?" Steve asked
"I have already planned for him," Lilith said coldly, "We shall be long gone before he even knows what has happened." She had prepared something special for the Guardian, even if it had stung her pride to ask him for help.
Royal's sparrow tore through the air like a bullet, kicking up dust in its wake. He was currently on the far edges of the Isles, investigating a lead. Lancer had picked up a faint Vex signal in the dead of night. As soon as the sun had risen, he informed Eda of the situation, promising that he was only heading out on a scouting mission and that he would contact her if he needed help.
His sparrow swerved easily over the uneven terrain as he piloted with practiced fluidity. This was the life he loved; being alone on the frontiers, uncovering lost secrets, and fighting the alien menace. Lancer used to joke that, in another life, Royal would have been a Hunter. Since the Vex Domain, those jokes had become more sparse.
"Adjust heading by one-point-three degrees north-northwest," Lancer directed over their comms. Royal instinctually obeyed, Lancer knew better than to pull his misdirection pranks while they were on a mission.
"What do you think the Emperor's Coven is doing all the way out here?" the Ghost asked. Royal shrugged, not taking his optics off the terrain in front of him.
"Another offsite facility, if I had to wager."
"Then how did we find it so easily?"
"I don't know, maybe it's just good fortune," Royal said. They both knew that wasn't correct. There was something off about this, Royal would bet his left fin on it. And he never bet anything.
"Coming up on the signal in fifteen yards," Lancer reported, Royal pulled back on the brakes, coming to a dead stop. He hopped off the sparrow and pulled out his pulse rifle. Cautiously, he stepped forward, keeping one finger on the trigger. He came up to the edge of a large crater. Looking over the side, he saw that it was filled with rubble and bits of shining silver metal.
"Looks like we found our Vex tech," Royal said, "Now what's it doing out here?"
"Maybe this was an underground facility," Lancer theorized, "and they took on more than they could handle. Caused some kind of explosion that buried the place."
"I don't think it's a coincidence that it's on the complete opposite side of the Isles from the Owl House," Royal said tensely, "Something's not right."
"What choice do we have?" Lancer asked rhetorically, "There's Vex tech that needs to be destroyed and we're the only living creatures in a five-mile radius." Royal nodded and slung his rifle across his back. He dropped into the pit, it was time to get to work.
Lilith and her squad crept toward the Owl House, encircling it completely. Fortunately, the infernal demon in the door was fast asleep and their approach had gone completely unnoticed. She signaled to her subordinates and drew her staff. The scouts drew their own staves, along with a few other weapons. They rose from their hiding spots and advanced on the Owl House.
Hooty's eyes snapped open and he slammed head-first into the ground, burrowing directly toward Lilith. He tore through the surface, emerging behind the stunned Witch. With a quick, cheerful greeting, he smashed her into a tree. While Lilith struggled to stand back up, the rest of the scouts charged Hooty. He dispatched all of them easily, treating the entire engagement as a game. Lilith forced herself to her feet and pointed her staff at the house demon. She fired a spell, only for Hooty to bend over at the last second. It sliced through a tree, causing it to topple over. Lilith barely managed to avoid being crushed, her muscles screaming in protest.
Within the safety of the Owl House, Eda watched the entire altercation through a pair of binoculars. Beside her was a bubbling cauldron filled with strange material that was stirring itself. She smirked as she watched Lilith's perfectly coordinated offensive collapse in on itself.
"Ah Hooty," she said, "You're a thorn in my side, but you always manage to dig your way into my heart." Eda's morning entertainment was interrupted when Luz bounced down the stairs, already dressed in her school uniform.
"Morning Eda, where's Royal?" she greeted before instantly being taken in by the contents of the cauldron, "Ooh, magic 'sghetti." She reached out to touch it only for her mentor to slap her hand with a wooden ladle.
"Lead-Head's off taking care of some minor business, and that 'sghetti is Witches Wool," she chided, "it repels powerful magic. Every Witch worth their salt has a cloak made of the stuff."
"I'm worth salt," Luz mumbled, transfixed by the wool, "I want a cloak. Or maybe robes, robes are a good look."
"Sorry to disappoint kid, but I need this for my protection. The Emperor's Coven has been stepping up their attacks and I don't want to be caught with my dress down."
"I think I finally get why the Emperor wants you so badly," Luz joked, "He's got the hots for you." Eda finger-gunned at her protege.
"Possible, but I doubt it. It's more likely that he just wants to control all magic through his Coven system. He's been on my tail for years now."
"And he won't stop until you're locked up," Luz said, sounding slightly dejected. Eda ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry about me kid, I'm a master escape artist. The only thing that can slow me down is my curse and that hasn't bothered me in weeks." Feathers immediately sprouted on her arms, as if the Universe was waiting for her to bring it up. Luz called out for King as Eda transformed into the Owl Beast.
Eda blinked, looking around an empty void. All around her, a room began to fade in. To her shock, it was her childhood bedroom. Her younger self slept peacefully, a mischievous grin on her face. Even while she was asleep, there was no doubt she was planning a prank of some kind.
Behind Eda, the door swung open. In the door frame, a figure made of smoke stared past Eda. It stood there, ignoring the Witch. Eda stormed forward and tried to grab it, only for her hands to pass through the figure.
"Who are you?" She shouted, "Why did you do this to me?" The figure did not respond, but the entire room began to glow with golden light. Eda closed her eyes as it grew brighter, consuming the dark room entirely. She woke in the living room, lying on the couch with Luz practically cramming an elixir down her throat.
"Thanks for that," Eda said, spitting the bottle out. She stood up, accidentally knocking over half-a-dozen empty bottles, "And for all of those."
"Your gem," Luz pointed to her chest, "it's still dark."
"No it isn't," Eda quickly denied, covering up the once-amber gem.
"The curse has been getting worse and you didn't tell us," Luz accused.
"Fine, you're right," Eda relinquished, "It's taking more and more elixir to keep the curse down."
"If the elixir stops working," Luz asked with a small, worried voice, "do you die?" Eda snorted and patted her on the head.
"No! Jeez, you're morbid. I'll just turn into the Owl Beast, permanently and irreversibly. It's a fate far worse than death if you think about it." She laughed sarcastically, hoping that it covered up how worried she felt. The curse taking over was a reality she had always known about, but it wasn't until now that it truly felt real.
"No, I can't let that happen," Luz panicked, "I'll find a cure. Maybe Royal can help."
"Already asked him," Eda said, "He tried that Solar healing thing on me. Didn't do anything to fix the curse but it did fix a small pain I've been having in my leg. So, you know, silver linings." Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say as Luz became even more depressed.
"Hey, don't worry about me kid," Eda comforted, putting her hand on Luz's shoulder, "I've been dealing with the curse for years. I'll just have to limit my magic a bit." The young girl stuck out her arms and Eda rolled her eyes, accepting the hug. They held each other for a moment before Eda spoke up again.
"Uhh… kid, you need to get going. School time and all." Luz's grip didn't loosen. Eda groaned and half-dragged, half-carried her ward to the door. With considerable effort, she pried Luz off and dropped her off outside.
"Have a good day," she said while stretching her back. The kid had one hell of a grip.
"Get plenty of rest!" Luz ordered, "Drink lots of water! Stay out of the sun! And lift with your legs, not with your back! And-" She was cut off when Eda closed the door. She leaned against it, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"She's a good kid," she said to no one in particular, "So considerate. She deserves something nice." Eda looked over to her cauldron of Witches Wool. Suddenly, she had an idea.
Luz arrived at school where a line of students was waiting to board a flying ship. On the way to Hexside, she had passed Hooty treating a few coven scouts to a tea party. She tried her best to put the unsettling image out of her mind, focusing on finding a way to help Eda. Gus and Willow walked up behind her.
"Luz, you ready for the field trip of a lifetime?" Gus asked eagerly, "Today, we shall be exploring the one, the only, Emperor's Castle!"
"Right," Luz began, "I was planning on skipping out on this. Not really a fan of how they treat Eda and Royal."
"But you're gonna miss out on all the cool stuff," Gus pleaded.
"Like what?"
"Like ancient relics," Willow answered, pulling out a pamphlet, "Look, it's the Plant Coven's Green Thumb Gauntlet! It can grow whatever you imagine." Luz took the pamphlet from her friend, flipping through it as Gus spoke up again.
"And there's the Oracle Sphere! It shows you which path you must take to become your best self!" Luz continued looking through the packet before something caught her eye.
"The Healing Hat," she recited from the page, "Made from the magic of the Savage Ages. It is said to cure the deadliest diseases and heal any curse."
"Yeah, you can't miss this," Willow encouraged. Bump called for the student to begin boarding. Gus and Willow departed, joining the line. Luz looked down at the pamphlet in her hand.
"You've done so much for me Eda, Now I'm gonna do something for you." She joined her friends in line. Soon, they had all boarded and the ship took off. Luz scratched away at a notepad, trying to draft up a plan to steal the Healing Hat. Willow nudged her, causing Luz to quickly hide her scheme.
"We're getting close to the castle," she said, "Belos had it built as a symbol of unity. Before he came to power, people were doing magic all wrong. He taught us that joining the Covens was the only way to respect the Titan's gifts." Luz frowned as Willow spoke. It was all just Coven propaganda.
"It's a shame that Amity couldn't be here," Willow continued, oblivious to Luz's reaction, "She would have loved this."
Back in Bonesborough, the youngest Blight was currently resting in her bed. Her leg was wrapped in a cast, soaking in healing magic. She looked over at a poster for the Emperor's Coven, featuring Lilith smugly posing with a sword.
"Shut up."
Back on the ship, Luz grilled her friends on the Emperor.
"So, this Belos guy, would you say he's powerful?"
"No offense to Eda," Willow chuckled, "but the Emperor is the most skilled Witch to ever live. He can even communicate with the Titan." The ship landed just outside the castle and the students disembarked. The colossal doors swung open, eliciting gasps of awe from the students. Kikimora, the Emperor's watchful assistant, stepped up to receive them.
"Children of Hexside," she began with a sweeping voice, "Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle. We're honored by visits from students. You'll soon be a part of a Coven, some lucky few may even find themselves here, in the mighty Emperor's Coven!" She led the group into the castle, past multiple painted murals and tapestries detailing the history of Belos's reign.
"Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity," Kikimora lectured, speaking over the hushed whispers, "But that wasn't always the case. Up until fifty years ago, Witches and Demons practiced Wild Magic during what we call the Savage Ages. Witches had access to corrupt knowledge and this angered the Titan." Luz stopped next to a grate as Kikimora continued.
"Luz, you'll like this," Willow called. Luz looked up from the grate and quickly rejoined the group as they moved to the reliquary. There, Luz saw it. Resting upon a pedestal was the Healing Hat. It practically glowed in the light, calling for Luz to grab it. She reached for it as the rest of the group left, only for Gus to call out to her. Reluctantly, Luz turned away. At least she now knew where it was.
"Someone's watching us." Lancer chirped in surprise as Royal whispered to him, breaking the silence that had settled over the crater.
"How can you tell?"
"Call it a hunch," he replied evenly, continuing to clear the rubble. As he did, Lancer would grab the Vex tech and set it aside from proper disposal. They had uncovered what looked to be scraps of failed prototypes.
"How do we want to play this?" The Ghost asked.
"Still working on that," Royal replied calmly, "We don't know who it is, which means we don't know their capabilities." Lancer nodded, trying to find anything nearby. It was difficult, the entire area was coated in residual magical energies. Suddenly, he found something strange, a spot where the magic was far more recent.
"Over the ridge," he reported, "Bearing thirteen degrees clockwise off your six." Royal nodded and lifted a particularly large rock over his head.
"It's time like this that I wish I had a Titan around," he complained. Lancer sent him a signal, letting him know that the irregularity was drawing closer. Royal pretend to not know about it until it was right at the edge of the crater.
"You're the Guardian I've heard so much about?" An unfamiliar voice said, coming from thin air, "I must say, I like your colors, but your style lacks flair." Royal turned to the source of the oddity, drawing his pulse rifle.
"Show yourself," he ordered. The newcomer obliged. A large mass of Abomination goop spiraled skyward, twisting and shaping itself into the form of a Witch. The man's features became more identifiable as his form solidified. His skin was dark, covering well-toned muscles. His eyes were bright green, burning with curiosity, like a child who had found an interesting bug. His clothes were extravagant; finely pressed and impeccably clean. He even had a sash slung over his left shoulder.
"I don't know why Lilith couldn't take care of you herself," the man said, "But it was fun to watch her grovel and beg for my help."
"And you are?" Royal asked cautiously.
"Where are my manners," the man gasped, "You may call me Darius, head of the Abominations Coven. I have come to bring you in."
"You could've jumped me at any time, why chose to reveal yourself?"
"I wanted to watch," Darius said casually, "See how you work. Unfortunately, it was rather boring. As for revealing myself, I decided to be a gentleman. If you wish to attack someone, the least you could do is let them know you're coming."
"I can respect that," Royal begrudgingly admitted, "We doing this?"
"Please," Darius replied, "Make my day."
The tour continued without a hitch. Kikimora led the group through the twisting halls of the castle, instructing them on the history of the Emperor's Coven.
"Here at the Emperor's Coven, we require members with sophistication, elegance, and grace," Kikimora explained. Suddenly, a door swung open, revealing an irate Lilith. She was a mess, with feathers, twigs, and leaves tangled in her hair. She marched past the tour group as Luz quickly hid.
"Make way for Miss Lilith Clawthorne students," Kikimora said in a mocking tone, "I believe she is on her way to meet with the Emperor himself. Be sure to wish her luck." The students obliged, offering their support. Lilith drew in a deep breath and put on a practiced face.
"Thank you, students," she said before whispering bitterly to herself, "Good luck with puberty."
She walked off and, seeing her chance, Luz followed. She maintained her distance, keeping the Witch just within eyesight. As they walked, more and more pipes became visible on the ceiling. Eventually, Lilith came up on a large pair of doors. She cleaned herself off and drew in a deep breath before pushing the doors open. Luz ran up as the doors closed, peering through a massive keyhole. Inside was the Emperor's throne room. At the far back was a colossal green heart. Just before the heart was a throne, upon which Belos sat, head in hand. Lilith kneeled.
"My Emperor, I am at your service," she said. Belos held up a hand.
"Just a moment Lilith," he said, signaling to a nearby guard. They approached him, carrying a tray with a dormant Palisman on it. Belos grabbed the magical creature and dug his fingers into it. Luz watched in horror as he clawed it open, causing it to bleed glowing green liquid. He held the butchered Palisman up, allowing the blood to drip into the eye of his mask. He took in a deep breath as the guard retreated.
"That's better," he sighed, "Now, how goes your hunt for the Owl Lady? I understand that you have just returned from a mission."
"Yes, my lord," Lilith said nervously, "I wanted to surprise you with good news."
"Good news?" He asked coldly, "From you, Lilith, that would most certainly be a surprise."
"Please, my liege, if you would allow me to explain myself-"
"I tire of your excuses, Lilith. I have allowed you free reign because I believed you to be the most capable Witch for the job. In turn, you have rewarded my faith with failure and empty promises. Now, I hear from our head researcher that you wish to shut down our Vex project."
"He told you about that?" Lilith asked, caught off guard and forgetting her place. She quickly corrected, dipping her head down further as Belos glared at her.
"He has," Belos said cruelly, "I believe you have far too many distractions at the moment. Effective immediately, I am placing the Vex research under the watch of the Golden Guard." Lilith was about to object before Belos held up a hand. It was a simple action, but the weight it carried caused Luz to flinch.
"My previous offer still stands. Bring the Owl Lady to me and have her join my Coven. In return, I'll heal her curse," he said, "However, I believe you require more motivation. You have until sunset to bring her to me, bound in chains. Should you fail, you will be stripped of your rank and banished from the Coven." He leaned forward menacingly, "And you know what happens to Covenless Witches, don't you?" Lilith shivered.
"I understand, my Emperor," she said in a hollow voice, "I will not fail you."
"I hope so Lilith," Belos said, "For your sake." She rose to leave. Realizing she was in the open, Luz turned and ran. She needed the Healing Hat now more than ever. She snuck through the castle until she arrived at a window overlooking the drawbridge. The class was departing, as the tour was now finished.
"Please don't notice I'm gone," she whispered, "Please don't notice I'm gone. Please don't notice I'm… boarding the bus?" To her shock, she saw herself standing in line next to Willow and Gus. The three turned around, staring right at Luz, and waved. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she spun, crying out in fear. To her shock and mild embarrassment, Willow and Gus were standing behind her. Gus was spinning his fingers in a circle, sustaining the illusion.
"Hey guys," Luz said awkwardly, 'I was just… uhhh…"
"You were going to steal the Healing Hat, weren't you?" Willow asked, her tone making it clear that she already knew the answer. She held up Luz's notepad and raised an eyebrow.
"You got me," Luz admitted, "But you don't understand. Eda has this curse and it's sapping away her magic and-"
"Luz," Willow interrupted, "You can't steal this hat."
"But you can borrow it," Gus said, stepping in front of Willow.
"Hey, I wanted to say that," she joked. Luz pulled the two of them into a hug, beginning to tear up.
"You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for," she managed to choke out. After they calmed Luz down, they began to sneak through the castle. Despite supposedly being the most heavily fortified location on the Isles, security was relatively sparse. The three made their way into the relic chamber without incident.
They instantly split up, each of them heading for a different relic. Willow grabbed the Green Thumb Gauntlet while Gus lifted the Oracle Sphere off its stand. Luz ignored them, focused entirely on the Healing Hat. She touched it gingerly, delicately taking it off the pedestal it rested upon.
"There," she said, letting out a sigh of relief, "Now we can cure Eda and return the hat before anyone knows." Suddenly, the room rumbled beneath their feet as Belos's voice boomed in their ears.
"I know," the voice declared.
"We need to get out of here," Luz panicked, "Now." Unfortunately, she was too slow. Steel barricades dropped in front of the doors, sealing them in. Willow placed the gauntlet on her hand and told the others to step back. She summoned a massive tree and commanded it to punch through the barricade. The plant obliged, shattering the metal with a single, mighty blow.
"Come on!" Luz shouted, "Let's go!" Their escape was short-lived, as Lilith appeared in the new doorway they had created. Her eyes locked on Luz and a sinister glint appeared within them.
"Well, if it isn't Edalyn's Human pet," she said demeaningly, "Aren't I lucky to find you here." Luz backed up as Lilith advanced.
"Stay back," she threatened, "If you lay a hand on me, Eda will come after you-" She was cut off when Lilith teleported directly in front of her.
"I'm counting on it."
Willow summoned a wooden hand that latched onto Lilith's staff. The Witch responded by flicking her staff, sending the young girl flying. Gus called forth a duplicate using the Oracle Sphere, which Lilith easily dispelled. He soon joined Willow on the other side of the room. Lilith reached out, pulling the Healing Hat to herself. Luz cried out as Lilith incinerated it with a single spell.
"No!" Luz shouted, reaching in vain, "I was going to save Eda with that."
"These decrepit relics are useless," Lilith scoffed, grabbing Luz by the collar, "If you want to see your friend again, deliver this message to Edalyn: Meet me at the castle gates before sundown and come alone, for the Human's sake." She threw her staff at Willow and Gus. It scooped them up, carrying the two out of the castle as they cried out for their friend.
Back at the Owl House, Eda was putting the finishing touches on her gift to Luz. She smiled as she did, the kid was gonna love this. Hooty swung open, announcing that someone was approaching. As he did, King wheeled in a large cake.
"You're not the only one who knows dark magic," he boasted, holding up a box of cake mix, "Now quickly, load me in." Eda obliged before turning back to the door. A fist knocked on it and she swung it open instantly. To her dismay, it wasn't Luz or even Royal, but rather Willow and Gus.
"Eda," Willow said hesitantly, "We have some bad news." Eda didn't hear her, completely enraptured by Lilith's staff. She clenched her fists.
"Where is she?"
Darius was having the time of his life. He had expected this to be a boring capture mission. Instead, the Guardian had proven to be one of the strongest foes he had ever faced. Darius wasn't even sure that he would be able to defeat the Guardian, even with his Abomination form. He simply moved too fast and hit too hard. He fought like he had been fighting all his life.
Royal fired a burst of Arc rounds that the Witch narrowly dodged. Realizing his magazine was empty, he tossed it aside, letting it fade back into transmat. He pulled out his Glaive, holding it ready.
"I see you have an appreciation for blades," Darius commented. He transformed his hands into massive scythes with razor-sharp edges, "So do I."
"What the hell is with this guy?" Lancer questioned. Royal ignored him, more focused on the fight at hand. The two clashed repeatedly, probing the others' defenses and baiting attacks. Darius reared up and brought both of his blades down. Royal deflected the strike and brought his left hand up, releasing a burst of Arc Light. Darius yelled, temporarily blinded.
"I do not need eyes to fight you!" He roared, blinking to clear his vision.
"What about everything else?" Royal asked. Darius regained his vision, seeing Royal pointing a rocket launcher directly at him. He smirked, melting into a puddle as Royal fired. Darius reappeared behind the Exo, dragging a blade across his back. Unfazed, Royal spun, delivering a Solar-powered backhand to the Witch. While Darius recoiled, Royal drew his grenade launcher and jammed it into the Abomination. He pulled the trigger, firing a Void grenade into Darius' gut. The Witch didn't have time to react before he exploded in purple fire. He screamed in pain as his form fell apart, melting into several puddles.
Royal waited for a second. When Darius failed to reform, he turned back to the Vex tech. He charged a Void grenade and threw it into the crater. The Vex tech exploded, disintegrating into its constituent subatomic particles. Suddenly, he received a buzz in his ear.
"Eda just sent us a high-priority message," Lancer reported, "She needs us back at the Owl House, now." Royal didn't wait for the Ghost to elaborate, summoning his sparrow and hopping on. He gunned the engine, racing off. Unbeknownst to him, the puddles of Abomination goo coalesced and reformed into Darius. He grunted, clutching his sore midriff.
"Great," he groaned, "Now there's blood on my suit."
Lilith stood just outside the entrance to the castle as the sun began to fall beneath the horizon. She tapped her foot impatiently. Of course, Edalyn would be late when she needed her most. She nervously glanced up at the top of the castle wall, where the Emperor was watching expectantly. A few coven scouts crowded along the walls as well, no doubt eager to watch the showdown.
The air began to crack as an orb of golden light appeared. It sizzled with power before bursting, sending out a shockwave. Eda hovered in the air, eyes glowing and magic sparking off her skin. She threw Lilith's staff just past her sister's head, burying it in the castle wall.
"I see you got my invitation to a Witches duel," Lilith said evenly. Eda responded by sending several bolts of lightning at the Witch, causing her to flinch. Seeing that none of the bolts had been aimed at her, Lilith drew to her full height, only to jump back as Eda flew past her, too fast to properly see.
"Where is she?" She interrogated in a deadly tone. It was the first time in years that Lilith had heard her sister sound so serious.
"The Human is safe," she responded placatingly, causing Eda to halt just before her. Lilith recovered her staff and tapped it, causing a blue bubble to come flying out from within the depths of the castle. Luz, trapped within the magical shell, banged on her confines. She called out for Eda, only for Lilith to pull the bubble back.
"You can have her back, provided you do as I say," Lilith said, delivering her ultimatum, "Renounce your wild ways and join the Emperor's Coven. He can heal your curse."
"He doesn't want to heal me," Eda spat, "He wants to control me."
"Then I shall have to take you by force," Lilith replied, gathering her power.
"You've always looked down on me because I was wild," Eda said as the air darkened around her, "But that just made me work harder than you." She slammed her staff into the ground, summoning a massive owl made of golden light. She leaped forward, preparing to bring her staff down on her sister. She struck with the force of a meteor, or a slightly aggravated Striker Titan, sending Lilith flying. In order to maintain her pressure, she vanished, reappearing behind Lilith and striking once more.
Not to be outdone, Lilith pulled a similar trick, teleporting behind her sister and preparing to strike. Eda expected this, however, circling around her sister at high speed and catching Lilith unprepared. The two continued to clash in the air, appearing as bursts of gold and blue light. Luz watched in awe from her prison before a shot from Lilith went wide and struck the side of her bubble. She cried in panic as it began to roll down the bridge. Eda quickly dropped in front of her, stopping Luz with a wall of stone. Seeing the ground around her glow blue, Eda dodged right as Lilith slammed down where she had been standing just a split second before.
Eda spun her staff and numerous Hooty look-alikes manifested around Lilith, binding her and holding her still. Eda continued to spin her staff, holding it out in front of her as it sparked with magical power. Thinking quickly, Lilith pulled Luz's bubble between the two, causing Eda to panic and send her shot wide. It tore through the side of the castle, no doubt killing anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the way.
"Quit hiding behind Luz, you coward!" She panted.
"It's sad to see you slowing down," Lilith replied, equally tired, "Tell me, it is the curse?"
"Eda!" Luz cried, "Your gem!" Eda glanced down at the gem, noting that it was almost completely black.
"Maybe it's the curse," she admitted, "But how sad is it that you can't beat me at my worst?" She created dozens of magic rings that fired at Lilith while the Hooty replicas pulled Luz out of the way. Lilith summoned a shield, taking the full force of the attack. She groaned as it forced her back slightly. Behind the Witch, Luz looked around, searching for any way to help. Her eyes caught a sharp rock directly to the right of her. She began to throw herself against the side of her bubble, pushing it closer and closer to the point.
"Maybe you are stronger than me," Lilith conceded, "But that made me work harder! I became smart, crafty!"
"A lapdog for a tyrant," Eda challenged. Unknown to the two Witches, Luz managed to free herself.
"You always thought you were better than me," Lilith growled, "That I could never beat you at anything!" Eda stared at her with sparks flying from her eyes.
"I am better than you," she declared. Lilith stood to her full height, pointing her staff at her sister in an accusatory manner.
"THEN WHY WERE YOU SO EASY TO CURSE!"
The two outlaws both stared at Lilith silently and in utter shock as she clapped a hand to her mouth. Eda's face twisted in rage as she clutched her staff tighter.
"A-and I have the power to fix it," Lilith panicked, "If you would just let me explain." Unfortunately, it was far too little, far too late. Eda screamed in sheer hatred as she rushed forward. Lilith hastily summoned a shield, only for Eda to instantly shatter it, sending her flying. She landed next to Luz, hitting the ground hard.
"Eda, stop!" Luz shouted, "You're almost out of magic!" Lilith looked at the human, gaining a devious smirk.
"Oh Human," she chastised as Luz became encased by blue energy, "That orb was for your own protection." Lilith levitated Luz over the edge of the bridge, where a moat of spikes awaited below her. To Eda's horror, the glow faded and Luz plummeted to her doom.
The girl screamed as the spikes drew closer. She closed her eyes, awaiting the end. The thought of dying was even worse now that she had already gone through it once before. Seconds before impact, Eda managed to catch Luz with a levitation spell, stopping her fall. As Eda struggled to hold Luz, Lilith summoned a large hand to press down on her, forcing her closer to the spikes. Eda looked down at her gem, now almost entirely black.
"Alright kid," she said, tears in her eyes, "Listen to me, I'm going away, and I don't know if I can bounce back this time. Watch over King. Remember to feed Hooty. And be sure to listen to Royal, he'll take care of you from now on."
"Please, no!" Luz begged.
"And Luz?" Eda said sorrowfully as her eyes began to turn pitch black, "Thank you, for being a part of my life." Eda let out a scream as she used the last of her magic to overpower Lilith and pull Luz high into the air. While Luz was in free fall, Eda threw Owlbert to her. The Palisman caught Luz in midair while Eda succumbed to her transformation. The Owl Beast roared as Luz touched down, trying to pounce on her. Lilith quickly bound the beast in magic chains, dragging it back into the castle.
"Leave her alone!" Luz yelled, leaping onto the Witch and trying to punch her. Lilith grabbed Owlbert and threw her off. Luz collapsed to the ground, lying still.
"Leave Human," Lilith said scornfully, "Edalyn is finally with her family. Her real family."
Luz's only response was to pull the trigger.
Lilith gasped, looking down at the gunshot wound in her stomach. Luz was about to fire again before a blast of magic tore the weapon from her hand, sending it spiraling down into the pit. Steve dropped in next to Lilith, instantly applying a healing spell. The realization of what she had done sank in as Lilith began to scream in pain.
"We need a healer!" Steve shouted. Luz reached out, unsure of what to do before finally turning around and running. She ran as fast as she could, all the way back to the Owl House.
Once she arrived, she threw the door open, ignoring Hooty's greeting. She staggered numbly through the living room, oblivious to her surroundings. King burst out a large cake on the table.
"Surprise! The cake is me," he announced. Luz ignored him, delicately grabbing the gift Eda had knitted for her.
"Luz, where's Eda?" King asked, fear overtaking his voice. Luz opened her mouth but was unable to answer. As she closed it again, the two heard a loud engine outside. Hooty greeted someone else, only to be ignored once again as the door flung open. Royal stepped through, shotgun held at the ready. He dropped it the second he saw Luz and King.
"Kid, what's going on?"
She struggled to speak, her voice getting caught in her throat whenever she tried to use it. Royal gently pulled her into a hug and the tears began to flow.
Bet ya weren't expecting that, huh? I wasn't expecting it and I wrote the bloody thing.
mysticalex: That is an interesting question, and one I don't really have an answer to. Logically speaking, I doubt the Light would be able to power glyphs since they come from the Titan. I don't want to spoil too much of what I have planned regarding that, so I'll have to stay tight-lipped.
GodzillaMaster: I mean, I'm not usually much of a shipper myself. Lumity is one of the few I actually like, mainly cause they're so damn adorable together. Royal is most definitely not going to be pleased with Lilith's actions. In fact, he'll probably be feeling a tad bit murderous.
OMAC001: I had a lot of fun writing the last chapter. It was nice to have a more light-hearted and fun story, especially considering how heavy a lot of the upcoming stuff is gonna be.
Idk what to put lmao: When Shaxx orders you to throw grenades, you don't question him, you start throwing grenades.
SolarisHez: Nah it's all good bro, I try not to be too judgy. And no, Royal went missing shortly before the events of Curse of Osiris. He was also raised shortly before the Red War began. He was basically a New Light when he got lost in the Vex Domain. Talk about a trial by fire. Stasis would undoubtedly be helpful, but he will not be receiving it. Synegorus does have Wyverns, they just haven't been deployed yet.
"Hey, Tincan," Eda started uncertainly, "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did," he replied. The two were currently playing a game of poker over the dinner table. Royal had agreed to teach Eda if she promised not to go overboard like she had with Hexes Hold'em.
"When we were at the Knee, fighting all those Vex," she continued, her tone lacking confidence, "I saw something weird."
"Go on."
She drew in a deep breath, "Promise you won't call me crazy."
"Uhh… sure?"
"I saw little red bars above the Vex," she admitted, "And whenever I damaged one, the bar went down. Once it was empty, the Vex would die." Royal looked up from his hand slowly, his jaw agape. Eda furrowed her brow, glancing around uncertainly.
"You can see it too?" Royal whispered, hardly able to believe that he wasn't alone.
