Hey, been a bit, hasn't it? I've been in a bit of a rough spot with college lately. It's mostly motivational issues and I'm working to fix it. Just kinda sucks that I feel like I've wasted the last few years of my life.
This chapter was a pain to write. Some parts flowed super smoothly, other parts did not. I also had something I was waiting for before dropping the chapter but it isn't quite ready yet so I guess we all just have to wait.
Chapter 24: Gold and Silver
"The Vex have not transcended their vulnerability to bullets." -Misraaks, Kell of House Light
Gravesfield was an unassuming place. If anyone were to pass through, they would find nothing more than a small American town. It had its fair share of interesting history and curious characters, but they were little more than footnotes for any passing tourists. All in all, it was the perfect place for someone who never wanted to be found.
Camilla Noceda didn't ask for too much. Ever since her husband died, she had done everything she could to give her daughter a stable life. They had their disagreements but they loved each other. And ever since Luz got back from summer camp, she seemed like a changed person. She was more responsible, more sociable, and more mature. Sometimes, Camilla felt like her daughter had been replaced by an entirely different person.
Camilla backed her car into the driveway. It was a quiet afternoon and she was looking forward to some relaxation. She exited her car just in time to see Luz walking to the curb while carrying a box of items from her room. She set the box next to the trashcan as Camilla came up beside her.
"Really, Mija?" She asked playfully, "You're throwing away all this?"
"Just clearing the way for a new start," Luz answered, "Camp taught me a lot." Camilla glanced into the box, seeing Luz's prized collector's edition Azura figure. She couldn't help but frown slightly as Luz turned to go back inside.
"Yeah, it sure did," she said quietly. Suddenly, the two heard loud, frantic squeaking from nearby. The two rushed over and saw a small bunny struggling to free itself from a trap. Camilla quickly ordered her daughter to grab a pair of scissors. As soon as she returned, Camilla carefully coaxed the bunny into a more relaxed state. Gently slipping the scissors between the thread and its leg, she cut the binds. The bunny quickly darted off, no longer bound to the ground.
"That's the fifth trap this week," Luz said remorsefully, staring at where the bunny had disappeared.
"When I find who's doing this, I'll…" Camilla's voice trailed off as she clenched the scissors tightly. She took a deep breath to calm down, turning back to her daughter with a smile on her face.
"Let's go back inside, I'll make Maduros." The two returned to their home and Camilla got to work. While she cooked, Luz returned to her room. She walked over to the mirror on the door to her closet and stared her reflection in the eye.
"A new life." She pulled the door open and selected a new shirt. Closing the door her reflection greeted her once again. However, something was off. She was wearing a brilliant blue cloak and appeared to be scuffed up. Her clothes were slightly ragged and showed signs of extensive use. Most glaringly, a revolver hung from her waist. Her reflection slammed her face against the mirror.
"YOU!"
Katya glared at the guard as they passed her cell. Their boots rang on the stones, producing a hollow sound that bounced off the walls. The guard didn't acknowledge her, entirely focused on their patrol. Once the guard had passed, she sighed. One slip up and she had been thrown right back into this accursed prison. The effect it had was omnipresent. Even Amber was noticeably subdued.
Another set of boots could be heard marching on the stones, drawing closer every second. Her gaze instantly snapped back up, only for her eyes to widen as she saw the ornate uniform of the Golden Guard. Derwin stood up behind her, balling his fists. None of them could use their magic. Dampening spells kept them restrained at all times.
"You're the BATTs?" The Guard asked, sounding like he didn't believe it himself. None of them answered.
"Recent reports state that you were present at a battle against multiple coven heads," the Golden Guard continued, "The reports also indicate that the Guardian was accompanying you."
"The Guardian? Why would we be working with him?" Katya hissed through her teeth, not breaking eye contact with the Guard.
"So he was there," the Guard nodded, "I shouldn't be surprised that rebel scum is fighting alongside a wanted criminal. You do understand that he's a murderer, right? He wants all of our kind wiped out."
"Royal wouldn't do that!" Amber shouted, charging toward the bars, "He's here to save us from those weird robot things!" The Guard's mask snapped to her while Derwin struggled to hold her back.
"The Vex?" He questioned, "Why would we need to be saved from them?"
"You clearly haven't seen what they've done to the Knee," Katya scoffed. The Guard regarded them silently for a moment.
"I thought I would be here for a while, but I believe you have told me everything I wanted to hear," he said, turning away, "Have fun rotting in the Conformatorium." Katya flipped him off as he walked away, his boots producing that same hollow ringing.
Bonesborough was certainly a chaotic place. Yet, Luz couldn't help but love it for all its weirdness. She paced before the assembled residents of the Owl House. Just behind the Latina was a misshapen lump of materials that was her best attempt at rebuilding the portal to the Human Realm.
"So, according to Phillip's instructions, the hardest part to making a portal was finding someone who knew how to build it," she said, "But finding the ingredients was fairly simple. For once, Eda's obsessive hoarding paid off." The Owl Lady gave her a thumbs-up.
"And thanks to Royal's mechanical know-how, assembling it was easy as cake." The Guardian nodded, igniting a spark between his fingers.
"Now, we're ready to go," she said, slightly nervous at the prospect of testing the portal.
"Don't forget this," King stood up, handing her Amity's glove, still soaked with Titan's Blood. Luz accepted it and tore off one of the fingers. Taping it to the door, she backed up. Eda hopped atop a kitbashed bike that would serve as their power source.
"So what happens if this works?" She asked.
"Then I get back to the Human Realm just long enough to tell my mom that I'm alright," Luz said.
"And if it doesn't?" Lilith spoke up.
"I'd guess that it explodes and kills us all," Royal commented, "Well, not me. I'll be fine."
"Well, here goes nothing." With that, Eda began to pedal. The wheel on the bike turned, transferring its kinetic energy into the portal frame. The effect was instantaneous. The door began to glow, warping and twisting itself into a bent, crooked shape. Inside was a swirling mass of glowing shapes that shifted and moved in ways that Luz struggled to comprehend.
"It worked!" She gasped. Lancer eyed up the portal hesitantly.
"You sure? Seems a little… different." Luz tied a rope around her waist and handed the other end to Royal.
"Yeah, it's a bit off," she admitted, "But this is my only chance to see my mom. If it looks like it's closing, pull."
"Are you sure this is wise?" Eda asked, "Don't get me wrong, this is impressive and all, but what happens if you get hurt."
"We don't deal with 'what ifs' here," Royal chided before he turned to Luz, "Seriously though, stay safe." She nodded and turned to the portal. Drawing in a deep breath, she pushed forward.
"Here goes nothing."
Hunter exited the Conformatorium and looked around. Once he was certain that he was alone, he let out a whistle. Flapjack flew out from under his cloak and perched on his shoulder. His training told him that he should hand over the Palisman to his uncle, yet some instinct that he couldn't fight kept him from doing so.
"So, according to the rebels, the Guardian is primarily interested in fighting the Vex," he recounted, "What we know for certain is that he is Human. Yet, he doesn't match up with any research we have in the archives about the Human Realm." Flapjack chirped in agreement.
"You're right," Hunter realized, "The Human Realm is unaware of our existence. Why would an incredibly powerful warrior from their world come to ours solely so that he can destroy it? Something else must have drawn him here. And that something else must be the Vex." Flapjack chirped again.
"The first time I encountered the Guardian, he could have easily killed me," Hunter muttered, "When he raided our research facility, it was so he could destroy the Vex technology. And again, at the Knee, the first thing he did once he learned of the Vex presence was engage them in combat. From what I understand, he made no move against Kikimora or her squad."
Hunter continued to think, piecing together all of the information he had about the Guardian. The more he thought about it, the more he began to doubt what he had been told. Flapjack whistled a question.
"I don't believe he's a friend," Hunter answered, "But there's something we aren't being told. And I think that the Vex lie at the heart of it."
Luz landed flat on her back. Lying in a pool of shallow water, she pushed herself up, groaning slightly as she did. She looked around at the place she found herself in. Strange lights bounced off the jagged stone walls. Dark cubes floated in the air.
"Where am I?" Luz asked, her eyes full of wonder and apprehension, "Eda? Royal? Anyone?" As soon as she called out, a cube rose from the water. It floated before her, spinning until she was staring directly into one of its faces. She reached out to grab it. The second her fingers made contact, a bright flash of light blinded her.
Luz felt the world around her shift as she shielded her eyes from the light. Finally, the sensation stopped and she open her eyes. To her shock, she was back in the Demon Realm, looking down on her friends from behind. A gust of wind opened the window she was looking out of. Much to her surprise, she was dragged along with it. Looking around, she realized that she was little more than a reflection in the glass.
"Do you think she's alright in there?" Luz heard Lilith ask. Royal knelt on the ground beside her, still tightly holding the rope while he meditated.
"Have a little faith," he responded, "She'll be fine." She smiled at his words before pulling back. The window flashed as Luz returned to space between realms.
"I wonder…" she muttered, "Amity." Another cube floated over. Luz reached out to touch it, only to pull back her hand.
"Stay focused," she said forcefully, "You're on a mission. Camilla Noceda, of the Human Realm?" To her elation, a cube appeared above her. It flashed out of Luz's reach. Smirking, she pulled out an ice glyph and placed it beneath her. Instead of activating, the glyph fizzled.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." Grabbing a nearby cube, she hoisted herself up. She leaped from cube to cube until her goal was within reach. Her fingers brushed against the cube and the world shifted once again.
Back in the Demon Realm, the residents of the Owl House waited outside the portal, oblivious to Luz's current situation.
"While we're waiting, we may as well keep strategizing," Eda spoke up, "The Emperor is making moves and the Vex aren't far behind him."
"You're right," Royal said, standing up from his meditation, "The Bards are still in prison. Maybe it's time we told them the full story."
"I'm sorry, who?" Lilith questioned.
"Not a bad idea," Eda mused, ignoring her sister, "But Darius teleported them away, we don't know where they are."
"What are you talking about?"
"On the contrary," Royal said, "I've had them bugged ever since I first met them. They've been held at the Conformatorium, under heavy guard. I would've broken them out myself, but I've been a bit busy."
"You two aren't going to tell me what's going on, are you?"
"Why don't we do it now?" Eda asked with a confident grin. Royal held up the rope he was holding.
"Here, how about this," she proposed, "You stay here and make sure Luz gets back to us in one piece. Lily and I can bust the Bards out of the Conformatorium."
"I did not agree to this!"
"That could work," Royal agreed, "Lancer, you go with them. Lead them to the Bards."
"You got it," the Ghost beeped as he appeared beside the Witches, "I'll get them in and out, no problem."
"Would one of you please tell me what you're talking about!" Royal and Eda both turned to look at Lilith.
"I'll explain on the way," Eda said, slinging an arm around her sister's shoulder, "Just follow me and the Lightbulb."
Luz blinked under the blinding light, struggling to look around at her new environment. Pressing her hands up against the glass, she saw that she was currently inside a phone screen while the device was playing music. Her perch looked over the kitchen of her house back on Earth.
The sound of the fridge door closing caught her attention. Off to the side, her mother moved over to the counter, singing along with the music. She didn't notice her daughter on the phone screen, preoccupied with making dinner. Luz smiled in relief and reached out, about to call for her.
"Mom, do you need any help down there?"
Luz's mouth clamped shut. That was her voice, yet it hadn't come from her throat. Her mother set down the knife she was wielding.
"Have you already finished cleaning out your room?" She called. Luz's eyes widened as she heard a series of footsteps making their way downstairs. To her utter disbelief, a near-perfect replica of herself entered the room.
"Yeah," the doppelganger said, "With all that old stuff gone, I feel like a whole new person."
"No!" Luz shouted, "Mom, that's not me!" Unfortunately, her mother couldn't hear her over the music.
"I can finish up here, Mija," Camilla said warmly. The doppelganger smiled and went back upstairs. Luz glared at her as she left and pulled back to the plane between planes.
"Follow her!" She ordered, "Luz 2.0! Evil clone! Why won't you work!" The realm remained painfully still. Luz sighed and sat down in the shallow water.
"Alright, calm down. You're not going to get anywhere by shouting. Just count to five." A cube floated over to her and glowed. Luz quickly grabbed it and, once more, the world bent in incomprehensible ways. She blinked again, trying to reorient herself as quickly as possible. She could see her room from the mirror on her closet door.
"A new life," her duplicate murmured from somewhere beside her. The door slid over, dragging Luz along with it. She came face to face with the clone, drawing some slight pleasure from how their face shifted into an expression of surprise.
"YOU!"
"So who exactly are these Bards we are going to rescue?" Lilith asked uncertainly, "I would prefer not to cross the Emperor's Coven unless you are absolutely certain this is the right call."
"Why do you care so much?" Eda quipped while Lancer lead the sisters through the backstreets of Bonesborough.
"I've told you that I'm looking for a new job at least three times now," Lilith explained, exasperated by her sister, "It would be a little difficult to get employed with a bounty on my head."
"Then leave the hard part to us," Lancer chirped, "You can provide overwatch."
"That means you get to be the lookout," Eda said.
"According to myself, we should be right where we need to be," Lancer reported, displaying a holographic map of the Conformatorium's lower levels. He highlighted a specific cell block about halfway down.
"They should be right here," he continued, "Unless I'm wrong, but I never am so I don't know why I'm bringing it up."
"So I'll roll in the front and start cracking skulls while you two keep the bench warm," Eda said, cracking her knuckles.
"On the contrary," the Ghost, "I lead us to this part of the Conformatorium for good reason. If you'll turn your attention up and to the right, you'll see an old grate." Sure enough, the Ghost was right.
"It's part of an old ventilation system," he explained, "Getting air down to those lower levels is tricky. And as Belos's rule lengthened, more levels needed to be added. In time, old systems were replaced. This entry point here will take you all the way down to the BATTs."
"How did you find out about this?" Lilith questioned. The Ghost shrugged.
"Believe it or not, but I have a lot of free time. I've done way too much digging through the public archives at the library over the last few months. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there. Thanks for giving me your old coven head clearance by the way."
"I never gave you anything," Lilith said, narrowing her eyes.
"You know, I'll leave you two to deal with this," Eda spoke up, "I have a team to rescue." She closed her eyes and focused, communing with the Owl Beast.
"What is she doing?" Lilith asked the Ghost.
"Just give it a second."
Sure enough, she began to transform, growing into her Harpy form. With a self-assured grin, she quickly scaled the wall and pulled the grate open. With a quick wave, she plunged into the ventilation and vanished, leaving Lancer and Lilith behind.
"So…" the Ghost said slowly, "You know how to play poker?"
Luz watched her duplicate back up, fear lighting up her eyes. The doppelgangers gaze kept bouncing between Luz's face and the revolver slung to her hip.
"No! I'm not going back!" She picked up a red baseball bat that was propped up against the wall. Brandishing the weapon, she couldn't hide the fear in her eyes. Quickly realizing that her clone may do something desperate, Luz knew she had to defuse the situation fast.
"Luz? ¿Está todo bien?" Her mother's question gave Luz the perfect out.
"Sí, Mama! I just saw a spoiler from Monster Slayer Academia!" Luz quickly replied before her duplicate could do anything rash.
"I will never understand anime," Camilla muttered, fortunately buying the excuse. Luz turned back to her doppelganger and tried to offer a comforting smile. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Her clone threw open the window and dived out, fleeing into the woods. She ran through the trees until she arrived at a small, decrepit old house. Pushing open the door, she paced across the litter-covered floor.
"So that's it," she bemoaned, "I have to run. Again." She kicked a small rock on the ground. A faint click reached her ears as a hidden mechanism activated. A rope tightened around her leg, dragging her across the ground as she let out a cry of surprise. She writhed in the trap as her body began to morph. Her Humanoid features began to fade as her skin turned dull tan. Her legs fused together, turning into a long, scaly tail with the thread still wrapped around it. She continued to frantically pull at her binds.
"Stop pulling, you're just making it tighter," Luz instructed. The shape-shifter looked around in confusion before her eyes fell onto a small pocket mirror. Luz observed from the glass, concern all over her face.
"I didn't mean to freak you out," she comforted, "I just want to figure out what's going on. You're a Demon from the Boiling Isles, right?" The Demon hesitantly nodded, slowly shifting into a more Humanoid form somewhere between her Luz disguise and her snake form.
"Do you have a name?"
"I'm…Vee, my name is Vee."
"Ok, Vee," Luz said in a soft tone, "I'm going to help you get out. You need to back up a little, feed the wire some slack. Then, look for a little metal thingamabobber. I don't actually know what it's called, but you'll know it when you see it." The Demon obliged, slowly loosening her binds and pulling herself free of the rope.
"There you go, nice and easy."
"Thank you," the shapeshifter said gratefully, "You must be Camilla's real daughter."
"I am," Luz confirmed, "But, as of right now, I'm trapped in the Boiling Isles. Who are you, and why are you pretending to be me?"
"I'm just looking for a place to belong," Vee said sheepishly. Upon seeing Luz's confused expression, she elaborated, "You were gone and mom- I mean, Camilla seemed so kind, so I stayed with her. I'll leave if you want me to."
"No, I think we can help each other," Luz realized, "I was coming here to tell my mom that I'm ok. But if you're here, then she doesn't know I'm missing. When I get back, I can explain everything and we can try to find you a new home."
"One problem," Vee said, "I need magic to transform and I just used up the last of my reserves. So now, I'm stuck like this." She gestured to herself, emphasizing the strange coloration on her face and eyes. Luz pondered that information, looking around the room for an answer. Eventually, her search was rewarded.
"How about that?" She asked, pointing to a discarded newspaper with the headline "Strange Woman Banned From Cafe". On the front of the page was a picture of Eda fleeing from a cafe with her usual wild grin plastered on her face.
"That's Eda the Owl Lady," Luz explained, "She's been coming here for years. Maybe she left something behind. Though we'll need to pick up some stuff to disguise you. I should have what we need back in my room."
"I guess we can try," Vee said, picking up the mirror. She carried Luz out of the cabin and began the walk to town, unaware of the camera that was watching her go.
"Wow, you are a quick learner." Lilith smirked at Lancer's compliment, pulling over a stack of chips made of Light. The two were positioned around a table, also made of Light, playing a game of poker with cards made of, you guessed it, yet more Light.
"This game is all about reading your enemy and tricking them into thinking what you want them to think," she said as Lancer shuffled the deck, "It's just like internal coven politics. Not to mention that you're rather easy to read."
"Yeah, yeah, Royal keeps warning me about my tell," the Ghost twitched, "It's the reason I can't play this with him anymore. I swear that man was born with a deck of cards in his hands. You should try playing him, might actually give him a run for his Glimmer."
"I doubt he will ever give me the chance," Lilith replied, "Despite everything I've done to redeem myself, I know that he only barely tolerates my presence."
"Well you did curse Eda, bring the Vex to Belos, and nearly get Luz killed on a few different occasions," Lancer listed, "So I'm not too surprised. It took him a couple of weeks before he was comfortable around Eda and the worst thing she did was try to sell him some Vex scraps. Just give it some time."
"But it feels like he's not even giving me a chance to prove myself. The only reason he entertains me at all is because of my connection to the Vex."
"Didn't say it would be easy," the Ghost shrugged, "Nothing worth doing ever is."
"What about you, then," Lilith questioned while Lancer dealt out a new hand, "What's your measure of my character." The Ghost blinked in surprise.
"Well, I'm definitely no stranger to holding grudges," he admitted, "But I doubt you're as bad as he thinks you are. You made some mistakes, but haven't we all? You're trying to make up for it. That has to be worth something."
"I can see why he keeps you around," Lilith smiled, inspecting her new cards.
"Yeah, I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"
"Have you been drinking your tea, Sprout?"
Raine looked up from their desk as Terra Snapdragon, head of the Plant coven, stalked over. She was carrying a cup filled with a steaming drink and had a motherly look on her face. Raine knew that this concerned visage concealed sadistic cruelty.
"Of course," they responded, "And I see that you're right on time, as always."
"It's always important to be punctual," she said, offering the cup to Raine, "Now drink up, we can't have your headaches interfering with your work." What Raine wasn't supposed to know was that this wasn't medicine for head pain. Rather, it was a concoction meant to keep them docile and under the Emperor's thumb. Naturally, Raine wasn't going to simply lay down and take it.
They accepted the offering from Terra and held it to their lips. Raine whistled a sharp tune, causing the liquid to ripple as its composition was altered. They drank deep of the potion, with Terra none the wiser. They handed the cup back to their fellow coven head and thanked them. Terra smiled and left, leaving Raine alone once again. Before they could return to their work, a hollow knocking sound rang from the stones in the wall.
Raine looked around to ensure that they were alone before gently pulling the stone out. A miniature Abomination was waiting for them. They offered the Bard a letter, which they accepted.
We are running out of time, the letter read, I am advancing our plans. Stay as you are. Should we consider the Burning Ember Contingency? Raine grabbed a nearby candle and incinerated the letter before turning back to the Abomination.
"No, we don't want to drag the Guardian back into this," Raine whispered, "If he does, he'll bring the Owl Lady along with him. Besides, we don't want to force Belos or the Vex's hand too soon." The Abomination bowed and scurried off. Raine set the brick back into place and returned to their work. Things were moving quickly, far too quickly for their liking.
The cafe hadn't yielded much information. Luz and Vee, now disguised by a hat and thick glasses, had hoped they might be able to give them some kind of information about where Eda had been active. Instead, they had been shooed off by the shopkeeper who had muttered something about "the loon from the historical society". Now they had no leads.
"So, that was a dud," Luz said, "But let's not get discouraged." She looked around while Vee carried her in the mirror. Her eyebrows perked up when a familiar shape caught her eyes. She called out to Vee and pointed over to a group of teens sitting under a tree. One of them, a girl with short black hair and matching nail polish, was a deck of Hexes Hold'Em cards.
"Eda used to play that game religiously," she explained, "After she abandoned it, she must've dumped all her excess decks here."
"I've heard of what Hexes Hold'Em addictions can do to a Witch," Vee nodded, "Going cold turkey can be difficult."
"It was pretty easy for her, Royal just had to get her addicted to Poker instead."
"Who's Royal?"
"Not important," Luz tried to get them back on topic, "Can you get any magic from those cards?" Vee sniffed the air and shook her head.
"Whatever magic they had is long since drained. Maybe we can ask them where they got more."
"Woah, woah. You can't just walk up to them and ask," Luz cautioned, "High Schoolers can be so dangerous when they sense weakness and they eat their wounded."
Vee laughed, "Nah, these guys are cool." She began to approach the teens while Luz freaked out. As they grew closer, Luz could hear their conversation.
"A past connection has left its mark on your soul," the one holding the deck recited, setting a few cards down on the grass as they did, "It is asking you to shed your old ways and embrace a new metamorphosis. To become the spiritual leader you were always meant to be." The boy she was talking to leaned back, nodding in approval.
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Hello," Vee greeted cheerily. Within the other dimension, Luz buried her face in her hands.
"No, she's gonna embarrass herself."
"Oh, hey Luz," the Goth welcomed, "Good to see you out of prison."
"Oh come on, camp wasn't that bad," Vee joked, taking a seat beside her friend. Luz looked up in surprise.
"We did have the best cabin," the boy from earlier spoke up. Collectively, the four all raised a fist.
"Cabin 7! Hoo-ha-ha!" They chanted, sharing a moment of laughter.
"Those are some cool cards Masha," Vee prompted, "Where did you get them?"
"Uh-uh-uh, let me give you a reading first," Masha said, "I wanna get in some more practice." She shuffled the deck and drew the top three cards. Placing them down, she revealed a crescent moon, a skeleton with a golden chalice, and a fish with arrows behind it.
"You're running from your past," Masha recited, divining meaning from the cards, "Running from a previous life that was unkind to you. However, the fear and guilt you carry will trap you in a never-ending cycle. A self-fulfilling prophecy that you can never escape!" Vee let out a soft whimper as Masha finished.
"Well, that's just my prediction," Masha shrugged, "I got these cards from that guy who runs the old historical society. He might have some more."
"Right, thanks," Vee said, standing up and quickly distancing herself from her friends.
"Are you ok?" Luz asked. Vee looked to the ground, downcast.
"That just hit a little close to home," was her only response. They continued their trip to the historical society in silence. A bell chimed as Vee pushed the door open. A man poked his head over the front desk.
"Oh, welcome to the Gravesfield Historical Society," he greeted, "I'll be right with you. Just need to find something I dropped." After a brief moment of searching, he reappeared, triumphantly holding a pen.
"Sorry about that. Now, I assume you're here for one of those card decks," he said.
"How did you know?"
"They've been super popular with teens lately," he said with a hand wave, "Caught some old lady trying to dump them in the river but I convinced her to let me buy them. Though she kept asking for snails, oddly enough. So, do you want a set?"
"Yes please," Vee said eagerly.
"Alright, I'll go dig one up, give me a minute. Feel free to look around while you wait." With that, the caretaker dipped into the back. Vee began to explore the historical society. She stopped before a framed flag. Luz appeared in the reflection.
"Hey, forget about what that girl said," she encouraged, "I know what it's like to run away from home. I did the same thing."
"We are not the same," Vee rebuked, "You had a mom who loved you. You had a home. You had a good life! And you still wanted to run away. I didn't have a choice. My… my real name is Number Five. I'm a Basilisk, and I shouldn't exist."
"What do you mean?"
"My kind went extinct a long time ago," Vee explained as tears formed in her eyes, "but Belos brought us back from the grave. He wanted to know how we drained magic."
"I met a Basilisk once," Luz said, her hand subconsciously drifting closer to her revolver, "She hurt a lot of innocent people."
"For many of us, all we know how to do is feed. Some of us escaped, but it was only a matter of time before he caught us. That's when I saw you in the market, talking with the Owl Lady. I saw my chance and I took it. I resent you for running away, but I'm also glad you did."
"I'm sorry."
"It's all just so confusing," Vee shook her head. Suddenly, she perked up and experimentally sniffed the air.
"Do you smell that?" She asked. Luz gestured to the glass she was reflected in.
"Right. Well, I can smell magic and it's close." She immediately set off, with Luz returning to the handheld mirror. Pushing open a door marked "Staff Only", she found herself in a dark room. The Basilisk fumbled for the light switch. Flipping it, she bathed the room in light. What she saw did not fill her with confidence.
The walls were lined with newspaper clippings of Witch sightings from all around Gravesfield. A few rifles sat against the edge of a table that was covered in objects that could only hail from the Boiling Isles. A computer rested atop the table. A board hung above the computer, displaying numerous pictures of curious figures and strange occurrences.
"What is this place?" Vee asked in a horrified voice. She powered on the computer. It instantly activated, displaying camera feeds from all across Bonesborough. Rather distressingly, it played back a recording of Vee in the abandoned shack from earlier that day. Vee backed up in a panic, accidentally triggering a laser tripwire. A cage swung down from the ceiling, trapping the Basilisk. Screaming in surprise, she began to transform back into her natural form, dropping the mirror in the process.
"Vee!" Luz shouted, reappearing in the reflection of a framed picture. The door swung back open as the caretaker entered, holding a clearly homemade spear in his hands.
"It actually worked?" He said in disbelief, "You're actually real!"
"Let me out!"
"After all these years, I've finally caught a real Demon," he laughed, "Now they'll have to believe me. I knew Witches and Demons were real." He pointed the spear at Vee in a threatening manner.
"Now, who do you serve?" He interrogated, "Is it the Rhinos on Mars? Are you an agent in the war between the Ice Wizards and Machines on Europa? Or maybe you serve one of those Wizards on the Moon? Who is the Witch Queen?" He accentuated his questions by rattling the cage violently, causing Vee to cry out in shock.
"What are you talking about?" She cried.
"Fine, keep your secrets," he dismissed, "I'll make your existence public and let the proper authorities get the information they want. For now, stay tight. I have some calls to make." He briskly walked out of the room, leaving Vee and Luz alone.
"It's ok, I'll get you out of this," Luz tried to comfort the shapeshifter.
"It's no use," she despaired, "Even if I get out, he knows my disguise. You should just go back to the Demon Realm."
"No, Vee, you're giving up to quick."
"I'm being pragmatic," Vee said, "It's ok, I'm used to living like this. Goodbye, Luz." Before the Human could object, vee swung her tail into the glass, shattering it. Luz was flung back into the strange dimension from before.
"Vee!" She shouted. However, no cubes rose to meet her.
"Number Five!" Again, nothing. Luz cursed in Spanish and punched the water.
"Camilla Noceda." Finally, she was answered. Seizing the cube, she appeared on her mothers phone once again. Camilla was preparing dinner, cleaning chopping some vegetables.
"Mom!" Luz shouted, causing the woman to jump in shock and turn to the phone.
"Mija, I didn't even hear you call. What's wrong?"
"I found out who's been setting all those traps," Luz explained quickly, "And he's hurting a friend of mine. But first… I need to tell you the truth. Let me tell you about the Boiling Isles."
Eda pushed open a grate and dropped to the floor with an audible thud. Rising to her feet, she took note of all the empty cells around her. If Lancer's schematics were right, she should be in the right spot. If he wasn't, then she was going to strangle him. Crawling through those vents in Harpy mode had turned out to be a very bad idea. She stretched her back, producing a loud crack.
"All right, is anyone there?" She called out, flinching as her voice carried way farther than she expected.
"Mama Eda?" Amber's voice called back. Eda grinned and made her way down the line of cells. Finally, she stopped before the Bards, all crammed into a single cell.
"Hell kids," she greeted cheerfully, "Looks like you need a rescue." She wrapped her talons around the bars and pulled. The metal bent and twisted before finally buckling under her strength.
"Now, how about we get out of here?" She asked.
"Are our guests leaving so soon?"
Eda spun on her heels as the Bard spread out around her. Darius stood at the entrance to the hall, flanked by guards. He strode forward with his usual smug confidence while the guards all activated their staves. He snapped his fingers, causing alarms to start blaring.
"And here I was thinking this would just be a routine prison transfer," he said, "But if I must get my hands dirty, then so be it." He spun a quick spell circle, summoning a swarm of Abomination goo to encircle the Bards.
"Oh come on!" Katya shouted, before being teleported away once again. Darius wiped his hands against each other.
"Well, that was easy," he commented, "Now, your turn."
"You really think you can just whisk me away?" Eda questioned, flexing her talons.
"Actually, I was planning on letting the guards deal with you," he replied, stepping back as the guards began to close ranks. One of them fired an Arc bolt at the Harpy. Her arms moved before she could think. Reaching out, she tried to catch the bolt and redirect it. Instead of doing that, her body convulsed with electricity as the blast sent her flying.
"Royal made that look so easy," she groaned, pushing herself back up. She deftly dodged a wave of flame and lifted off the ground. Soaring through the air, she snatched one guard off the ground and held him up as a shield. The remaining guards ceased fire while Darius watched with interest. They slowly spread out, encircling the Harpy.
Eda was quick to lash out, flinging her prisoner at two of his companions. She lept over a Void blast that exploded at her feet. Landing, she swiped the staff out of one guard's hand and caught a jab from another. She spun, striking both of them and sending them flying. Another bolt of lightning slammed into her back, causing her to cry out in pain. She vaulted over a nearby guard and took off down the hall, soaring over Darius. He watched her go with curiosity in his eyes while the Guards struggled back to their feet.
"Well?" He barked, "Don't just stand there! After her!"
Eda flew through the halls of the Conformatorium, trying to trace a path back to the surface. The compound had been built to confuse and disorient any potential escapees. She struggled to remember Lancer's map, mentally kicking herself for not memorizing it.
"Never thought I'd say this, but I really need the Lightbulb right about now."
"Aww, that's sweet," the Ghost's voice said from thin air. He appeared beside her, phasing in from transmat.
"Good thing I got that recorded," he continued, "Now, you wanna get out of here?"
"I thought you and Lily were on lookout?"
"We heard the alarms so I figured that you had messed up my flawless plan and needed an escape. Since I knew you wouldn't have memorized the map, I decided to come in myself. Lilith is waiting for us topside."
"Well, thanks."
"Don't thank me yet," he said, turning down the hall where they could heard coven guards approaching, "We still need to get out of here."
"So, that's what I've been up to for the last few months," Luz finished. She watched her mom process the information, nervously rubbing her arm. She had explained everything about the Demon Realm on the drive over, now she needed to see how her mother reacted. Camilla stared blankly at her daughter as she walked up the steps to the historical society before her mouth curled into a grin.
"You know, if you wanted me to pick you and your friend up, you could have just asked," she said, "There's no need to make up this "Boiling Isles" story."
"Mom, I'm not making it up," Luz pleaded.
"Don't worry Mija, I'll play along," Camilla laughed, "I'm just glad you're still embracing your creative side. Though, if I may offer a little criticism, the time-traveling robots are a bit much." She pushed open the door and walked up to the front desk. The curator was busy packing his things.
"Are you the curator here?" Camilla asked. He looked up, squinting through his glasses.
"I am, who's asking?"
"A little birdie told me you caught a Demon," Camilla said, still playing along with the game, "I was wondering if I could see them."
"How do you know about that?" He interrogated, "Do you work for the government?"
"Actually, I'm a veterinarian."
"So, the president sent a vet to study the Demon's anatomy. Alright, I can work with that." He picked up a voice recorder and held it out to Camilla, "But first, I need some verbal confirmation that I, Jacob Hopkins, get to publish my findings first."
"Uhh, sure?"
"Great," he said, suddenly much more welcoming, "You're now bound by law. Follow me." He walked into the staff room.
"This is so fun, Mija," Camilla said to her phone, "I get to be a part of your game." She followed Jacob into the back. She took note of the rug hanging from the ceiling and all the knick-knacks on the walls.
"Oh, is this one of those escape rooms?" She asked, "Or, what is it called? A LARP?"
"Before we begin, let me tell you the secret history of Gravesfield," Jacob began, "Back in the 1600s, Gravesfield was a quiet town. Then, tragedy struck. Two brothers were lured into a realm of evil by a Witch, never to be seen again. Most people today don't believe in magic, but I know the truth."
"This is quite the detailed story," Camilla whispered.
"Now, I have proof," Jacob declared boldly. He reached over to the run and pulled it back, revealing Vee in her cage with her mouth now gagged. The Demon's eyes widened as she saw Camilla before looking away in shame.
"Wow," Camilla said, now much less certain of herself, "That's such a… convincing costume."
"Costume? No, this is a real-life Demon! Watch this." He powered on his computer, showing Camilla his recordings from around town. He specifically narrowed in on Vee's earlier transformation.
"Luz, I don't like this game anymore," Camilla whispered while Jacob browsed his recordings, rambling some madness about rhinos and the moon.
"I already told you, mama," Luz said, "It's not a game."
"So that thing has been living with me this entire time?"
"Her name is Vee," Luz explained, "I know she looks kinda weird, but she's not bad, I promise." Camilla nodded and crouched down beside the caged Demon.
"Hello… Vee," she started awkwardly, "This is all so confusing, but who knew I had such a strong young girl living with me this whole time." Vee looked up in surprise at Camilla's words.
"Hang on a second," Jacob suddenly spoke up, pointing at Camilla's phone, "Are you recording this?" Camilla stammered, trying to come up with an answer. However, Jacob beat her to it.
"That's a great idea. I was gonna wait until after the press tour, but I guess we could do the dissection right now."
"Stop!" Camilla practically shouted, "The… uhh, President just called. He… You know what, I don't have the creativity for this. I will be taking this innocent child home and you will stop bothering us."
"What?" Jacob was dumbfounded, "Absolutely not! We made a verbal agreement!"
"Mister!" She shouted again, forcing him back, "You had better back down or I will be telling the police that you have been illegally setting up cameras on private property!"
"I'm trying to save Humanity! You are nothing more than a traitor! I'm the good guy here!" Camilla reached into her purse, pulling out her preferred disciplinary tool. Brandishing a flip-flop above her head, she glared at the curator with malice.
"Yeah, a lot of bad guys say that." She immediately began to viciously beat him , refusing to let up until he stopped moving. She quickly fished the keys out of his pocket and freed Vee.
"Come on," she comforted, "Let's go home."
"Is it safe to leave him like this?" Vee asked.
"He'll be fine," Camilla dismissed, "Better than he deserves."
"Break left!" Lancer shouted. Eda complied, swerving around a corner as she flew through the air.
"Take the stairs on your right!" She soared straight up them and flew through the front door into the courtyard where a few patrolling coven guards were waiting.
"Main exit is directly ahead of us," Lancer said, "I'll let you figure out how to get through these guards." A wall of flame erupted in front of the two, forcing Eda back.
"Shouldn't be too much of a problem," she smirked. Swooping over the wall of flame, she descended on the guards. Picking one up with one arm, she flung him across the room into one of his comrades. She dodged a Void jab and punched the offending guard in the face so hard that he instantly collapsed. A few more guards tried to apprehend her, only to be met with a similar fate as the others. The final guard fired a controlled burst of Arc power directly into her back, causing her to keel over.
Eda struggled to stand up as her body screamed with pain. She barely managed to look up, seeing a suspiciously large brick being held over the guard's head while he was distracted. The brick was brought down on his head, causing the guard to stumble limply before falling to the ground. Lilith watched him fall, dropping her improvised weapon.
"Thanks for the save," Eda said while Lilith wiped her hands on her dress.
"That was oddly cathartic," she said, "Now we should probably leave." They set off, slipping into the back alleys of Bonesborough once more.
Camilla stepped out of her car and took a deep breath. It had begun to rain on the drive home. Vee disembarked as well, still somewhat uncomfortable. As the headlights shone through the rain, a golden mirage of Luz appeared.
"Woah, this is crazy," she said, inspecting her own translucent hands. Vee tried to poke her, only for her hand to pass right through.
"Are you alright Vee?" Camilla asked.
The Basilisk nodded, "Yeah, I am. Thank's Camilla. For everything."
"You're welcome here as long as you need," Camilla said warmly, "Here, take this and head inside. I'll join you shortly." She pulled out a deck of Hexes Hold'Em cards and offered them to the Demon. She gratefully accepted them and instantly devoured one of them.
"Mom, you were awesome back there!" Luz complimented while Vee went inside, "Thanks for being so… cool about everything." Her mother turned to face her and Luz's expression instantly fell.
"I'm trying to hold it together, Luz," Camilla said, trying to hold back her tears, "I really am. But I've never been this scared before. A Demon Realm? Magic? Is it all true?"
"It is," Luz nodded dejectedly, "All of it?"
"Even the robots?" She asked, eyeing up the gun on Luz's hip.
"Especially the robots."
"How are you going to get back?" Her mother asked, trying to take Luz's hand, "Is this the only way I can touch you?"
"I'm still working on rebuilding the portal," Luz said quickly, "I just need a little more time."
"As scary as this all is, it really does seem like you've matured," Camilla said, wiping her eyes.
"Yes, I've learned so much," Luz agreed, "Staying here was the best decision I ever made."
"Wait, you chose to stay there?"
"Oh, I-"
"Were you trying to live out some Witch fantasy?" Camilla accused, "Did- did you hate living with me that much?"
"No, mom, it's not your fault," Luz tried to explain. Before she could, however, she felt the rope tied around her stomach tighten and start dragging her away.
"No, I need a little more time," she panicked, trying desperately to slow her departure.
"Baby, please," Camilla pleaded, "When you come home, promise me you'll stay. I promise, things will be different this time."
"Mom, it was never your fault."
"Promise me!"
"I promise," Luz relented before finally being pulled away and fading from view. She was yanked through the cube dimension and the portal. She went flying across the field only to be caught by Royal. He gently set her on the ground as Luz reached out to the portal.
"Mom!" She cried. The portal began to collapse in on itself, sending off sparks of volatile magic. Royal shielded her with his body while she curled into a ball. Finally, the portal tore itself apart and the destruction stopped.
"I had to pull you back through, the portal was starting to close," Royal said, inspecting Luz's face to ensure she was unharmed.
"Where's everyone else?" She asked.
"Some urgent business came up," he answered, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," she lied, wiping away a tear, "Mom can't wait to meet all of you."
There you have it. Now, Lightfall is only two weeks away. I hope you all are hyped, cause I sure as hell am. I'll be running the raid on day 1, looking forward to getting my ass kicked. I'm going to be skipping the Coven Day Parade and going straight to Elsewhere and Elsewhen. See you when it's done which, if my current pace is anything to go by, probably won't be until after Lightfall drops.
davisjustus99: Already spoke with you in DM's, but I'll just repeat it here. I'm not terribly familiar with DRG so I'm afraid I wouldn't know what I'm talking about. Again, sorry to disappoint.
OMAC001: Checks notes on season 2 Uhh, yeah. They're totally arriving soon, let's go with that.
GodzillaMaster: Yep, Paladin is up next. That should be happening soon. But no, Sarkarae isn't going to be going out of its way to hunt anyone down. The Vex are still trying to maintain a low profile and Sarkarae isn't exactly subtle. That being said, if it is presented with the opportunity, it will take it. And oh yeah, I got plans for the Collector. Just need to get there.
mmmplays27: Nah, that's not weird. People love Cayde. Though I was never too attached myself. I don't dislike him, just don't have any strong feelings either way.
Everything was quiet at the Owl House was quiet. The residents were all assembled in their favorite spot, the living room. Luz flipped through the Good Witch Azura for what was probably the fiftieth time, Lilith was filling out a job application, Eda was mindlessly flipping through channels on the Crystal Ball, and King napped at her side. All was quiet, all was peaceful.
Naturally, Royal had to ruin it. He kicked the door open, ignoring Hooty's pained cry, startling the others out of their stupor. He ran over to the table while everyone else looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.
"Everyone, you'll never guess what I just found," he said excitedly.
"Ooh, what is it?" Luz asked eagerly, "Is it a cursed magic artifact of unknown power?"
"Not exactly," he said, holding out his hands, "I found something even better." A bright light appeared before him, expanding into a glowing golden polygon about the size of his head. As they peered into it, they could feel the power radiating from the object.
"What is this?" Eda asked, her curiosity now peaked by the shiny object.
"This is an engram," Royal provided, "The fifth state of matter. It allows you to store theoretically any inanimate object in a core of physical data."
"Wait, the fifth state of matter?" Lilith asked, "What's the fourth?"
"Oh right, you guys don't know what plasma is. Not important. This is an exotic engram, meaning that it should decode into an incredibly powerful piece of wargear."
"English please?" King asked in a cranky tone, upset that he had been woken from his incredibly important sixteenth nap.
"I can turn this dodecahedron into a super powerful gun or piece of armor," Royal simplified. Now King was interested.
"Well don't keep us waiting!"
"Alright," the Warlock said, "Now, I'm not a Cryptarch and my decoding skills are a little rusty but I should be able to do it." He poured his Light into the shape, causing it to glow even brighter. The others looked away as the engram was decrypted. The light faded and they turned back to it.
Royal was holding a set of deep crimson robes with grey accents. The Light swirled and wove around them. They could all feel the power imbued in this piece of armor.
"Ah man, Sanguine Alchemy?" Royal asked, significantly less impressed. He checked the robes again, looking at some invisible statistics.
"And it's only a two in recovery while having twenty in mobility! Get out of my sight!" He focused on the Exotic again and everyone else felt the Light dispel as the robes dissolved. A small stack of Glimmer and a few purple crystals dropped to the table which he scooped up.
"Well, that was underwhelming," the Guardian muttered, "Sorry for the letdown. I'll just let you return to whatever you were doing." He walked out of the room, whistling as he did. The others watched him leave with their jaws agape at how he just destroyed such a rare piece of gear.
