Hey, we're back. I know, I know, it's been a hot minute. Motivation has been scarce lately. It's not that I don't want to write, it's that I'm just doing other things. Even when I do sit down to write, I find myself getting distracted almost instantly. I'll work through it, I just need some time.
While I do that, enjoy my gift to you all. Have a happy Dawning everyone. May your stockings be filled with Bright Dust.
Chapter 18: Might and Main
"They learned the rules that governed which patterns would flourish in the game, and which would dwindle. They learned those rules, because they were those rules. And in time the Gardener became vexed." -The Darkness
The Owl House was currently overtaken by war. A cursed rebellion against the rightful ruler had begun a vile civil war that was waged from the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the sacred grounds of the living room. So devastating was this war that no one was paying attention to it. Luz and Lilith were both experimenting with glyphs, Royal was out taking care of some personal business, and Eda was recovering after Royal had tripled her required exercises for the next two weeks.
Luz tapped her chin as she pondered the glyph in front of her. A few failed experiments sat to the side, crumpled up and abandoned. She tapped her finger on the table, double-checking the proportions on the glyph to ensure that it was ready. Before she could test it, King leaped onto her shoulder.
"Luz, you have to help me!" He begged, "Francois' rebellion is at my gates!" He pointed across the room, where his former first lieutenant sat atop a pile of other stuffed animals. A jagged dagger fell out from behind the pink bunny.
"In a minute King," Luz said, shaking him off, "I'm so close to figuring out this glyph combo."
"That's all you talk about lately," King complained, "Glyphs and portals, portals and glyphs."
"Why don't you ask Lilith," Luz recommended, "She has experience handling unruly mobs." King looked over at the Witch as she obsessively painted a glyph.
"Watching the paint dry is the best part," Lilith muttered excitedly. King let out an uncertain whine as Hooty snaked over to Lilith.
"A fresh cup of tea for my favorite cup of tea," he said, placing a mug on the table beside her, "That's you, Lulu." Lilith blinked, smoothing her hair and smiling gratefully.
"Hootsifer, you truly are a gem," she thanked, "How do you always know what to do?"
"What's going on," King whispered to Luz, "Is Hooty blackmailing her?"
"No, I think they're genuinely friends," Luz proposed, equally confused. She rose from her seat, holding up her glyph.
"Alright, this should work. Now you see me…" she placed the paper on her chest and vanished from sight.
"Now you don't," she said, reappearing across the room. King immediately attached himself to her leg with an iron grip.
"Don't ever do that again!"
"Do that again!" Lilith pleaded, "How ever did you accomplish it?"
"Well, ever since you guys showed me glyph combos, I've been experimenting," Luz said, shaking King off her leg, "I got the invisibility idea from one of your history books." The Witch stood up and began walking over to inspect the glyph. However, she had forgotten about King's rebellion. She tripped over the pile of plushies, toppling them.
"An ambush!" King cried, "Men, protect your ruler!" He threw one of his soldiers at Lilith. Hooty dove in the way, intercepting the projectile. He slumped in Lilith's arms, limp and dying.
"I'm done for Lulu," he moaned weakly.
"Hootsifer, this is make-believe."
"Ah to die in your arms," Hooty ignored her, "Avenge me." He finally keeled over, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth. King tossed another plushie at Lilith's head.
"The King of Demons yields to no one!" He shouted.
"Historically, Demons have never been united under a single ruler until Belos," Lilith said, "There's no such thing as a 'King of Demons'."
"Clearly you know nothing of my reign of terror," he boasted, "Allow me to enlighten you. I was once the mighty King of Demons, as beloved as I was feared. But one day, an evil spell was cast, turning me into this." He gestured to himself.
"What about your crown?" Hooty asked, referring to the Burger King crown that had apparently been the source of Kings' power. The same crown that had been destroyed by the Warden of the Conformatorium on the same day Luz arrived.
"That was just a test," he dismissed, "To see if Luz and Eda were loyal to me! Which they passed. My real crown is still out there somewhere. But when I shrank, my memories got a little fuzzy."
"How convenient," Lilith said condescending, "A hole in your memory for every hole in your story."
"Nice one Lulu," Hooty cheered, "Up top!" She high-fived the House Demons' face, leaving Hooty with a black eye. Not that he seemed to mind.
"I remember plenty!" King shouted, "Armies sworn to my throne, feasts held in my honor, and a great fall from a high place. I'll return to my rightful station and all shall fear me!"
"Awww, you're gonna be such a good tyrant," Luz cooed, snuggling the tiny Demon in her arms, "Who's the scariest Demon king?"
"It's me!" He cheered.
"Your dedication to this farce would be charming if it weren't so sad," Lilith mocked.
"Don't blame me for your ignorance," he challenged, "I'm not a liar and I can prove it!" He stormed off down the hall, searching for something to prove his case. As he did, Royal pushed the door open. He began to greet the others, only to be instantly cut off by Lilith.
"He called me ignorant," Lilith was incredulous, "Me!"
"Guys, this story is really important to him," Luz said, "The least we could do is play along."
"You expect me to indulge in his silly fantasy?" Lilith asked.
"I'm a house of principles!" Hooty objected.
"Royal goes along with him, don't you Royal?" Luz asked, looking toward the Guardian at the entrance of the room.
"I don't know what you're arguing about, but I want to be left out of it," he replied. King chose that moment to return to the room, holding Eda and Lilith's staves.
"I'll prove it to you," he said, dropping the staves to the ground, "We're going to my castle!" Luz let out a nervous sound at the proposal.
"What's the matter, Luz?" Hooty baited, "I thought you said we should-" Luz cut him off with an elbow.
"We should go with him, right?" she quickly saved, "How could I forget what I just said?"
"I'll come with," Royal said, "No way I'm missing the end of this little escapade. Whatever it is."
"My historical expertise is being called into question," Lilith huffed, "I will not stand for this. Hooty, would you care to join us?" The House Demon gasped, surprised that he was being included.
"I'll get ready!" He retracted into the door and began writhing in his slot. To the horror of the assembled Witch, Demon, Human, and Exo; he slowly detached himself from the door. None of them were spared the grisly details. King shook his head slowly as his eyes widened. Lilith placed a hand on her chest, flinching as Hooty writhed. Luz covered her mouth, beginning to retch. Even Royal, a survivor of the Vex Domain, seemed caught off guard. He placed a hand over Luz's eyes in a feeble attempt to shield her. Finally, the terrifying display ended as Hooty manifested a small backpack birdhouse for himself to reside in.
"Porta-Hooty, reporting for hooty!" He said cheerfully, ignorant to the mental scarring he had no doubt just unleashed. Moving on quickly to distract themselves, the five departed. Luz and King flew on Eda's staff while Lilith took her own, Hooty strapped to her back as punishment for offering him to join. Royal remained just above the ground, riding his sparrow.
As the others left, Eda walked downstairs, stretching as she woke up from her nap. She fell back onto the couch and tore off her legs, propping them up on the table. She lounged in her seat, appreciating the peace and quiet. As much as she may love Luz and King, appreciate Royal, and tolerate Lilith, it was nice to be alone every now and again. She opened her eyes briefly, catching sight of a note on the table. She read it, her eyes widening in shock.
"No, not again!" She shouted, leaping off the couch. Unfortunately, she forgot that her legs were currently detached and faceplanted on the ground.
They had been flying for hours over the open sea. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Royal to continue this far. His sparrow hovered over the waters as waves nipped at his heels. Luz could hear his discontented grumbling.
"Say, Royal," Luz asked, trying to distract him, "Where were you earlier?"
"Paying a certain Mrs. Blight a little visit," he said, "I just wanted to make sure we understood each other."
"What do you mean by that?" Luz pushed, suspicion thick in her voice. Royal tilted his head slightly, recalling what had happened.
Amity perked up as she heard a knock on the door. Rising from her seat, she pulled it open. To her surprise, she saw a familiar amethyst-clad Guardian standing just before the entryway.
"Oh, hello Royal," she greeted, "What are you doing here?"
"I need to speak with your mother if that's alright."
"She's not taking visitors at the moment," Amity said. Royal chuckled.
"I'm sure she can make some time." A spark of realization lit up in her brain and she gained a wry smirk.
"You know, I think she might just have an opening in her schedule, follow me." She lead him to her mother's office and knocked on the door.
"Mom, you have a guest," she called.
"Send them away," Odalia declined, "I am far too busy at the moment." Royal ignored her, pushing the door open. Odalia looked up from her desk, about to scold her daughter. Her voice died in her throat as she caught sight of the Guardian before her.
"Hello there, Mrs. Blight," Royal greeted, cracking his knuckles, "You and I have much to discuss." He marched into the room menacingly. Amity closed the door behind him.
"It's probably better if you don't know," Royal admitted. Luz paled slightly but didn't reply.
"There it is!" King said, pointing into the distance, "The island!"
Sure enough, a shape appeared in the fog before them. As they drew closer, the fog lifted, revealing an island with a large structure in the center.
"This shouldn't be here," Lilith contested, "It doesn't appear on any maps."
"It's always here when I look for it," King explained. They touched down on the beach, looking back over the water. After a second, Royal caught up with them. He hopped off his sparrow, shaking water off his armor.
"Not. A. Word." He muttered. Luz and Lilith both giggled as he walked past.
"After I shrunk, I woke up here," King cast his paw across the jungle, "Eda carried me away like a little baby."
"I don't like this," Royal said, pulling out his glaive, "Something about this place is… wrong."
"What do you mean?" Luz asked, her hand drifting over her gun. Royal shook his head, slinging the glaive across his back.
"It's nothing, just paranoia."
The group walked through the thick jungle with King as their guide. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly where to go. Not having any other source of directions, they all followed. Eventually, they reached the base of the tower from before.
"Home sweet home," King said happily, placing his paws on his hips and drawing in a deep breath.
"Any why couldn't we have landed closer?" Lilith questioned.
"The tree tops are too thick," King explained, "And Royal needed to go over the water anyways."
"Yeah, you're not getting rid of me that easily," the Guardian said, fixing Lilith with a look. King stepped up to the massive doorway, inscribed with strange runes and symbols.
"A door fit for a tyrant," Luz encouraged. King giggled and placed his paw on the door. It rumbled, opening at his touch. A massive pile of rocks blocked the entrance with a small opening near the top.
"I'll find another way inside for you guys," King said, preparing to climb the rocks.
"Counter-argument," Royal offered, cycling Void power through his hands. He placed them against the rocks, causing them to disintegrate.
"I guess that works," King mumbled, "Steal my glory, why don't you?" He bounded into the room, with Royal close behind. Lilith traced her finger along the inscriptions on the outside wall.
"I have never seen this language anywhere," she noted, "King's story may be fake, but these ruins are a history mystery."
"What's a mystery?" King asked, poking his head back out.
"The only mystery is how Lilith can be so smart, yet so wrong," Luz quickly covered, "Academics, am I right?" Lilith gave her the stink-eye in return.
"You so are," King agreed happily, "Now come on, you guys are missing out."
Luz activated a light glyph as she entered the chamber, casting shadows across the room. Across the way, Royal had a similar idea, coating his hand in flames. The floor was dotted with strange stacks of rocks. None of them reached above Luz's knees and all of them were topped by a crescent-shaped stone.
"This is the chamber where I would devour the heart of my foes," King explained, "The taste was cold and bitter. I bet yours would be sweet Luz."
"Comes from all the sugar I eat," she nodded. Suddenly, she saw a quick motion in the corner of her eye. Turning, she found nothing but more odd statues. She shrugged, it must've been the light casting shadows along the wall.
Off to the side, Royal was closely inspecting a large chunk of dark stone, with curious symbols carved into it. The inscriptions on it seemed familiar, yet almost painful to look at. He forced himself regardless, ignoring how his optics twitched and complained.
"What are you looking at?" Lilith asked, walking up behind him.
"These runes," he said, pointing to the rock, "They're familiar to me. Lancer, what do you think?" The Ghost appeared next to Royal, casting a beam on the rubble.
"It's giving off the same energy as Hive runes," he beeped, "But I can't translate them." Lilith squinted, leaning in closer.
"Garden," she whispered. Royal and Lancer looked at her.
"It means garden," she elaborated, pointing to one of the symbols.
"You can read this? How?" Lancer asked. Lilith shrugged.
"I don't know. I've never seen them before, yet they feel so familiar."
"What do the rest say?" Royal gestured to the others.
"I can't understand all of them," Lilith began, studying the wall, "But this one means flower."
"Keep going."
"Game," Lilith obliged, pointing to yet another symbol as Lancer recorded, "Machine. Shape. Deep. Sky. Stars. Triangle." She paused.
"No, not triangle," she corrected, "Pyramid."
"What about this one?" Royal asked, pointing to the largest symbol. He struggled to look at it, feeling the darkness radiating off it.
"Disciple," Lilith replied, "Do you know what any of these could be referring to?"
"No, but this place is drenched in Darkness," Royal said, drawing his glaive again, "None of this is right."
"Well, I'll leave you to your Guardian business," Lilith said awkwardly, "I have history to document." He ignored her, enraptured by the symbols before him. He reached out to touch the one that said Disciple, only to physically recoil as it stung him.
Without warning, the air grew cold and heavy. He looked around suspiciously. He could feel something watching him. The room around him began to swim and shift. He heard Lancer call out to him, but his voice sounded distant. As his head spun, Royal dropped to the ground.
Lilith and Hooty separated from the Guardian and began investigating the tower. Lilith scribbled furiously on her notepad, recording every minor detail. This place was a historical marvel and she was going to be the first to document it.
The two entered a new room with a large mural. It featured a colossal creature wading through the water. On the other side was a foreboding triangle carved of the darkest stone. Lilith figured that this must be the pyramid mentioned earlier. A small star was just beside the onyx triangle, colored brightly in contrast to the shape beside it. Lilith looked back at the massive creature, noting its features.
"Uhhh, Lulu," Hooty began, "Does that guy look a little familiar to you?" He pointed to the head of the creature. Lilith's breath hitched as she looked at its skull-like face.
"It can't be," she gasped. The creature looked like a larger version of King, doing battle with the strange obsidian pyramid.
"What does this mean?" Hooty asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
"Well, if these ruins have never been discovered before, let alone this entire island, then who knows what parts of history have been missed," Lilith rationalized.
"So you mean that he could actually be…?" Hooty's voice trailed off.
"The King of Demons?" She finished, "Yes, he may well be so."
Royal's optics powered on and he pushed himself up to his knees. Groaning, he looked around curiously. He found himself in a room made of the same dark stone. Non-euclidean geometry folded in on itself as the room bent in incomprehensible ways. The wall beside him parted as a large figure stepped through. They were tall and slender, with crimson robes. Six eyes peered out of their pillar-like head.
The newcomer calmly strode through the room with their arms tucked behind their back. They paid Royal no mind, instead gazing at a mural on the wall. Royal joined the figure in looking at the picture. It depicted the figure wielding a long blade, doing battle with a massive worm creature.
"When are you going to tell me about this story?"
Royal and the figure both turned to the entryway. A small humanoid creature stepped through. He was shorter than Royal, with skin colored blue and orange. His head was topped by white hair, framing a kind of mischievous curiosity on his face.
"Soon, little one," the tall figure said, "I shall tell you the story once you have finished your lesson." The smaller one crossed his arms and huffed.
"I already know all of this," he complained, "Rise from the Deep, upend worlds, fulfill the Final Shape. I want to do something fun."
"Very well, my pupil," the tall figure acquiesced, "I shall tell you the tale of Fundament and how the Deep claimed the Hive."
The vision began to fade, pulling Royal back to reality. He gasped as King's tower returned to focus. He struggled to push himself up as Lancer shone a beam onto him.
"Royal, what just happened?" He interrogated. The Ghost inspected his Guardian, only to flinch as he did.
"I can feel the Darkness radiating from you," he said as Royal returned to his feet. He clutched his head and turned to face his Ghost.
"We have more than just the Vex to worry about."
King clambered atop a pile of rocks, looking out over his domain. He let out a nostalgic sigh as Luz walked up behind him. There was just something about this place that made him feel big.
"My kingdom," he rejoiced, wiping away a tear, "I got some bone dust in my eye."
"What's that?" Luz asked, pointing up at a hole in the ceiling. The hold was stuffed with rocks, blocking it off. King scratched his head as he struggled to remember.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "I can remember a muffled roar, probably some minion praising me."
"As fun as this is, maybe we should head back," Luz offered, "Eda's probably already on her third cup of apple blood by now and it was such a pain to get her off the roof the first time." King shivered at the memory. It had taken the combined efforts of Luz, Royal, Lilith, and himself to get Eda down without hurting herself. Lancer, being the little ball of light that he was, had just sat on the sidelines and shouted words of encouragement.
King was pulled back to the present by the sudden arrival of Lilith, with Hooty in tow. Hooty stretched towards the Demon, accidentally knocking Luz to the ground.
"Your majesty. It's me, your old faithful pal Hooty. You know I was just messing around earlier, right?" Utterly perplexed, King stared at him as Lilith stepped forward as well, unknowingly pushing Luz back to the ground right as she had regained her footing.
It is clear that these ruins are of immense historical value," she babbled, "Perhaps you could tell me more about them?" Luz finally stood back up and brushed herself off as King tapped a claw on his chin thoughtfully.
"I suppose I could regale you with some stories," he mused, "Did I use that word right? Regale?" While he talked with the other two, Luz heard a strange hiss coming from a nearby shadow. She asked the others if they heard it as well, only to be ignored. King led them off, explaining the history of the tower. At least, the history derived from his interpretation of his scattered memories.
Luz ignored them, walking down a nearby, secluded hallway. The air was cold and damp, causing her to shiver as she walked. Eventually, she entered a dark room. She summoned an orb of light, illuminating the space. To her shock, the walls were lined with strange stone figures, like the small statues in the entrance, only larger and more detailed. One such figure slumped out of their alcove, their arm outstretched. Luz grimaced and walked past, only to change her mind.
"Just kidding, I'd never leave a buddy hanging," she said, high-fiving the construct. It fell apart as she touched it, collapsing on her. She dropped under its weight, landing on her back. Looking up, she could see more recesses filled with identical creatures stretching to the high ceiling. Her breath hitched as she realized that one of them was empty.
Suddenly, the hissing from earlier returned. Luz turned just fast enough to glimpse something scurry away into the darkness. Pushing the cluttered remains of the golem off her, she gave chase.
Elsewhere, King led his new minions back to the room with the mural. As they approached Lilith gestured to it excitedly.
"And what does this mean, your majesty?" She asked. King narrowed his eyes as he attempted to decipher the image.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "And I don't know what that triangle thing is. But this handsome devil looks familiar, doesn't he? Must be a memoir of one of my conquests." Lilith was about to ask another question when Luz interrupted them.
"Tours over!" She shouted, "We gotta go, now!"
"But there's still so much to learn," Lilith protested.
"This environment is not conducive to learning," Luz panicked, "It is conducive to death!"
"Ah, you saw the horrifying monstrosity room," King calmed, "Don't worry, they can't hurt you." A strained hiss came from the ceiling. The four looked up and saw a monstrous creature crawling above them. It was an amalgamation of flesh and rock, with razor-sharp claws and a crescent-shaped head. Said head twisted on its neck, bending at impossible angles to stare at them with its unblinking eyes.
"That one can!" Luz shouted, picking up King, "Time to run!" She attempted to escape through the entrance. However, the creature dropped in front of her. It raised a claw, preparing to cut her open. Before it could, Lilith called forth a pillar of ice that pinned it against the wall.
"Dang, girl, you've been practicing," Luz complimented, momentarily forgetting the situation.
"You may admire my progress after we are out of here," Lilith said as they resumed their escape. The construct freed itself and charged at its fleeing prey. Running along the walls, it quickly overtook them. It dropped, blocking the entrance and shifting its hand into an axe blade. Before it could strike, something struck it from behind, engulfing the golem in an explosion.
Eda leaped over the explosion, a bandolier of potions strapped across her chest. She pulled out another one and chucked it at the monster once more.
"Get out of here!" She shouted, "I'll meet you outside!" She didn't wait for the others to obey, leaping aside as the construct lunged at her. Luz was about to object when Lilith grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.
"Been a while," Eda quipped, drawing another potion as the monster stared her down, "Miss me?" The creature prepared to attack again before a glowing projectile slammed into its back.
Royal dropped in from above, pointing his glaive at the monster. He fired again as it tried to stand up, knocking it back to the ground. Despite his firepower, the creature didn't appear to be taking much damage.
"Nice of you to join in," Eda joked as the Guardian moved beside her.
"Sorry I'm late," he replied, "Any idea what this thing is?"
"Kinda," she said, "The others are safe, we should meet up with them." Royal nodded and charged his Arc Light into his hand. He absorbed the energy, summoning a small blue orb that floated beside him. The Arc Soul fired a burst into the creature, staggering it once more. Arc energy danced across the creature, charging it with lightning. It looked up, its eyes now glowing blue.
"Did you just supercharge it?" Eda asked, drawing two more potions.
"I have never seen anything do that before," Royal muttered, "Go, I'll hold it off."
Lilith finally dragged Luz and King to the entrance, racing through to the safety of the jungle. Luz shook free of the Witches grasp and turned back, ready to run back in.
"Edalyn said to wait here," Lilith reminded.
"I'm not leaving her to fight that thing alone," Luz protested. Suddenly, another explosion rocked the tower. Eda tore around the corner, leaping through the entryway. Royal wasn't far behind her, locked in a duel with the creature. Its blows were rapid, but Royal was able to hold it off. He planted a boot in its chest and pushed up, delivering a Solar-powered kick to the construct's chin. He flipped back, pushing off his foe, and flew through the door.
The creature hissed, lunging after the Guardian. However, a barrier appeared in the entryway, preventing it from traversing any further. It regarded the invisible wall for a second before turning and retreating to the dark depths of its territory.
"It can't get past the entrance," Eda explained, "We're safe out here."
"That thing must not like visitors," Royal remarked, lowering his glaive. King looked up, confused.
"But it's my castle. How could we be intruders?" He asked. Eda sighed, reaching into a satchel on her back.
"It is technically your castle," she said in a downcast voice, "But you don't know the full story." She pulled out a small bone, a perfect fit for the broken horn on King's head.
"I supposed I should explain how we really met," she continued, clutching the fragment tightly, "Eight years ago, I was looking for a place to hide from the Emperor's Coven. I didn't know this place existed, it just appeared while I was flying. It had started to rain, so I needed to seek shelter, lest I get cooked alive. I found this tower and thought I was alone. Then, I found you. At first, I thought you were just some stray dog, but then that thing attacked us. Thinking quickly, I snatched you up and fled. Against my better judgment, I took you home with me." She sighed as King shook his head in disbelief.
"I don't believe you," he denied, "I remember my feasts, my armies!"
"Those were stories I told you, 'cause you liked to play ruler. It made you happy, so I kept playing along," Eda said softly. She held out the broken bone, "Don't believe me? Try it for yourself." King looked at it through wide eyes. He shouted, slapping it away.
"Keep that thing away from me!" He shouted, "It's messing with my head!" Luz reached out to comfort her friend, only for him to shake it off.
"This is all just another joke, right?" King asked as he began to tear up, "You're just making fun of me like usual?" He started to hyperventilate, backing away from the group. Turning, he ran into the forest. Luz started to run after him, followed closely by the others. Unfortunately, they quickly lost track of him in the undergrowth.
"We should split up," Eda said, "It's a small island and he's a small Demon, he can't have gotten far." They all nodded and quickly divided. Royal trailed behind Luz closely, following his tracker. The trail led them to the edge of the jungle. Ahead, on the beach, was the weeping form of King. Luz walked out to meet him while Royal hung back. He sent a ping to Eda's scroll, letting her know where he was.
Soon, Eda joined him, with Lilith and Hooty not far behind. She made to step forward, only for Royal to place an arm across her chest.
"Wait," he said, "Give him a minute." She nodded, remaining in the jungle while Luz talked with him.
"Eda was right, wasn't she?" They heard King ask as Luz sat down beside him, "I was never the King of anything. I'm a nobody."
"You are somebody King," Luz said, pulling her friend into a hug, "And I love that somebody very much. I'm sorry I lied to you."
"Everybody lied," he bemoaned, "I don't know what's real anymore!"
"Somethings not adding up," Luz said, furrowing her brow, "One of your memories is falling, right?"
"Who cares, it's probably just another false memory anyway."
"But what if this one is real?" Luz proposed, "A piece to the puzzle."
"What if I don't like the answer?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Luz lightly flicked him on the snout.
"Don't say that," she chided in a comforting tone, "No good question ever started with 'What if'. Even if you don't like the answer, isn't it better to know?"
"Yeah, you're right," King sniffed, standing up. Eda stepped out of the forest, approaching the pair. King turned to face her, a stern look in his eyes.
"You're right to be mad at me," she admitted, "I would be too. I'm so sorry."
"No more secrets," he replied. Eda smiled.
"Only truths," she accepted.
"Great, we're all friends again," Luz said, "Now before we leave, we have one last thing to check out." She pointed to the top of the spire.
The group made their way back to the tower entrance. While the others went ahead, Royal pulled King back. He knelt down next to the Demon.
"I know what it's like to have your memories vanish," he said, "If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here."
"Thanks, Royal," King said gratefully, "I might just take you up on that." The Guardian nodded and the two rejoined the others.
"You all know the plan?" Eda asked. They all nodded. They had formulated a plan to keep the construct occupied while King made his way to the top.
Lilith flew into the chamber on her staff, Hooty arched over her shoulder. He spat a potion vial at the creature as it tended to the statues on the ground. It exploded, distracting the golem long enough for Luz, Eda, and King to slip past. They gasped for air as Luz's invisibility glyph faded. The creature was about to leap on them before being hit by another volley from Lilith.
It turned to attack the Witch, only for a spray of bullets to tear through its back. The golem stumbled, attempting to face its aggressor. As it did, Royal delivered a savage haymaker to its face. He punched it again in the chest, releasing a Void orb that exploded and flung the monster back.
"Time to test my theory," he muttered as his foe stood back up. Purple energy rolled over its body. It stepped forward, before vanishing from sight. It reappeared behind Royal, swinging at him with an axe blade. Another potion intercepted the swing, sending the creature flying again as Royal rolled out of the way.
"It just Blinked behind you," Lancer reported, analyzing the construct, "Can this thing wield the Light?" Royal watched the purple energy fade from the monster.
"Whatever I hit it with, it can temporarily absorb," he said, "This thing can redirect Paracausal energy."
"Then what do we do?" Lilith asked. Royal drew his glaive, pointing it at the golem.
"We keep it busy."
While the others dueled the creature, Eda flew towards the hole in the room. She nested a potion in the rocks and flew back to the ground. Luz and King were waiting for her as she dropped beside them. She let Luz know that they were ready to continue. Luz drew her revolver and aimed at the potion. Taking a deep breath to focus, she fired. The bullet struck home, detonating the rubble blocking the entrance.
"We're moving!" Eda shouted. Lilith confirmed that she heard.
"Go on," Royal grunted, "This bastard is mine." The two currently had their blades locked. Lilith retreated, joining the others. Royal pushed the construct back and fired his hand cannon. The bullets harmlessly punched through the fleshy goo as the golem lashed out at him. Royal swung, severing one of its limbs. Rather than remain disarmed, the limb instantly reattached itself. It continued its assault, pushing the Guardian back under its relentless barrage.
Royal kept his defense strong but was unable to begin his own offense. His bullets were ineffective, his blade couldn't harm it, and it could turn his Light against him. As he walked back, he stepped on one of the small statues. It crumbled under him and he lost his footing, falling onto his back. The creature took advantage of his fall, striking at his neck. Royal struggled to defend himself before the creature finally broke through his guard. Its blade carved through his neck, severing his head from his shoulders.
The golem rose as Royal fell limp. It looked up in the direction the other intruders had fled and quickly leaped onto the wall to give chase.
As Royal fell to the construct, the others were currently investigating the room at the top of the tower. It was round and empty, with a large door that resisted their attempts to open it. Hearing a noise coming from the hole they had entered through, King looked over the edge. His heart sank as he saw the crescent-headed golem scaling the wall.
"Guys!" He shouted as it grabbed the ledge near his foot, "It's almost here!" The five put their backs to the door as the creature pulled itself up. King leaned against the door, feeling a strange ripple as he made contact. The door swung open, kicking up dust as it did so. Not asking questions, the Owl Gang quickly retreated into the new room and struggled to close the door. They closed it just in time, as the construct slammed against it, scraping its claws along the entry.
"There, that bought us some time," Eda panted, wiping some sweat off her brow. The five fanned out as their attacker continued to bang on the door. King walked to the center of the room, seeing a pedestal with a broken egg resting upon it.
"I knew there was a mystery up here," Luz said, awed by the room around her, "I'm like the mystery whisperer."
"This room is ancient," Lilith noted, "I believe that thing was created to guard whatever was in here."
"Does any of this feel familiar?" Luz asked.
"I'm not sure," King shook his head. He looked up at Eda with a determined look in his eye, "I think I know how to jog my memory."
"Are you sure?" Eda asked uncertainly. King nodded and Eda pulled the bone fragment out of her bag. King accepted it, slotting it into the crook on his head. It fit perfectly. He let out a gasp as memories flowed into his mind.
"I remember a loud roar," he said, focusing intently, "A child's laugh. Immense cold. But I was too small to do anything, so I just slept. Then, when I woke again…" He looked at the hatched egg as the creature continued to hammer the door.
"That roar," he realized, "It meant 'son'. Someone called me their son!"
"It must've been your father on the wall carvings," Lilith provided, taking a photo of the engravings on the wall. Suddenly, the door swung open with immense force. The golem drew to its full height, slowly approaching its cornered prey. A blade raised into the air as it prepared to slay the intruders.
King stepped forward, putting himself between his friends and the construct. He raised a paw, ordering the golem to halt. It froze, inspecting the Demon before it. To the shock of everyone, it knelt before King, bowing its head in subjugation.
"Wait, that thing was defending King from us?" Eda asked, cautiously stepping forward. She nudged the golem with her foot. It looked up at her but didn't attack.
"Not so tough now, are you?" She gloated.
"You may not have been the King of Demons," Luz said, taking King by the shoulder. He accepted the offer.
"But I was important to someone," he finished, looking up at the Human, "I-I want to meet them. Will you help me?"
"Of course I will."
"Then can we keep him?" King asked, pointing to the golem. The others instantly voiced their objections. Before they could continue, a bright light appeared from the hole behind them. Royal flew up through the floor, landing with a powerful slam.
"Alright you oversized pebble," he threatened, "Round two!" His pose slumped as he took a look around the room.
"Bit late Glowstick," Eda snipped.
"But you can help carry Jean-Luc downstairs," King cheered, naming the construct. The Guardian looked down at it in disgust. Lancer materialized next to him.
"Don't even think about asking me to transmat that thing."
The trip home had been slow. Royal refused to carry Jean-Luc on his sparrow, forcing Lilith and Eda to suspend it between their staves. Eventually, they managed to make it back home. From there, everyone decided to turn in for the night. King sat on the edge of Luz's bed, carving a symbol into the medallion on his collar.
"Whatcha doin' there?" Luz asked. King looked up, holding out his medallion.
"This symbol was all over the tower," he explained, "It might be my name." Luz hummed in acceptance as she smeared some glue on the horn fragment. She placed it back on King's head, wiping away some of the excess glue. King squirmed under the weird sensation.
"It's too bad Jean-Luc stopped working once we left the tower," he said, looking at the lifeless form of his protector, "I liked having a powerful bodyguard."
"Yeah, that's a real shame," Luz hesitantly agreed, shivering slightly.
"Is it ok to still call me King?" The Demon asked, "I wasn't really ever the king of anything."
You're the King of my heart," Luz said, kissing him goodnight. He held up his favorite stuffed bunny.
"And Francois," he goaded. Luz rolled her eyes and grinned, kissing the bunny as well.
"And Jean-Luc," King continued. Luz quickly stood up, backing away.
"Oh sorry, I'm all out of kisses," she excused, "Maybe next time."
Downstairs, Lilith, Eda, and Royal were inspecting some of the photos Lilith had taken. Eda picked up a photo of the dark stone Royal had been enraptured by.
"I've never seen markings like this," she said, "What do you make of it Tincan?" Royal stroked his chin as Luz joined the trio.
"I don't know what they are or what most of them mean," he admitted, "But they're drenched in Darkness. Powerful forces are at play, something beyond even the Vex." That quickly sobered the others up.
"We'll find out what it means," Luz said, "Together."
And so ends Echoes of the Past. Some interesting revelations here. This chapter kind of parallels chapter 3, in the sense that it's the point where things really start kicking into gear for their respective seasons. Hope you all enjoyed it.
Now, drink and be cheerful. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
davisjustus99: Thank you for that idea which I will definitely be stealing and not give you credit for. Cause I'm evil.
Guest: I'll see what I can do. I actually have a few ideas for Crabcakes, but it's just a potential for waaaaaaaaaaaay down the line.
Trials sweat: I am pleased to have pleased. I don't intend to focus too much on Lumity. I won't really be changing anything and I have no experience with relationships to draw from.
SolarisHez: Hah, it wasn't a Seventh Seraph Carbine! It was a Darkest Before! Point at this man and laugh! And your comment about the Witness catching interest with the Isles... wink.
mysticalex: I'd put my Glimmer on the Guardians. My reasoning will actually be explained in the story. When we get to that point remains to be seen. More Shaxx is promised tho.
OMAC001: Bitch is gonna learn her place real quick.
GodzillaMaster: Totally didn't forget to respond to this review and have to patch it in later. But yes, things are not gonna be looking good for Odalia.
Royal walked through the Owl House, so deep in thought that he didn't notice anything around him. He was still pondering the Darkness runes taken from the tower. As he walked, he ended up tripping over a pile of junk Eda had tossed out of the closet.
"Sorry about that," she apologized, "You gotta watch where you step."
"Right," he agreed as he picked himself up, "What are you doing anyways?"
"Just some cleaning," she said, "Got some old Human junk that I couldn't sell." Royal looked over the pile before a magazine caught his eye. He grabbed it and cracked it open, instantly doing a double take as he saw the contents. Looking down to verify that Eda hadn't seen him, he stealthily slipped away.
"If you could give me a hand, that would be appreciated," she continued, unaware that he had left. When she didn't get a response, she looked up.
"Where'd you go?"
Royal returned to his room and opened the magazine again. He eagerly flipped through it, greedily looking at the images. Eda swung open the door, startling the Guardian. He hid the magazine behind himself as the Witch entered.
"What do you have there?" Eda asked coyly, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Nothing," Royal said quickly, "Just going over my field manual." Eda quickly slipped around him and snatched the magazine from his hands. He grasped for it feebly as she held it up proudly.
"Looking at some adult content, are we? Never pegged you for the type," she gloated, "Now, let's take a look at what you were so eager to see." She flipped through the magazine, confusion covering her face. She looked at Royal, holding the magazine up. Displayed on the page was a series of ads for toasters, microwaves, and other household appliances.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's been a long couple of years," he offered weakly.
