Welcome back, everybody. We're at the second chapter of Season Three. It's more setup and rollout. After this chapter, we'll likely be jumping forward in time a bit. Gotta get to Thanks to Them somehow.

This chapter took a while to finalize. For the longest time, it felt like something was missing. Should be good to go now.


Chapter 34: Over the Walls

"There is no Light here. You are alone." -Xol, Will of Thousands


Venator stopped her sparrow at the base of the ship while the BATTs landed on the deck. Balancing carefully, she stood atop her sparrow and jumped into the air. Clearing the railing, she rolled onto the deck and dusted herself off. Paladin emerged from below decks, instantly beelining towards his sister.

"Island is clear," the Hunter said, "Didn't come across any wildlife. There's plenty of room for the civilians. But there was something weird."

"And that was?"

"A bigass tower!" Amber provided, jumping into the conversation, "It was just sitting there all creepy-like."

"Think there might be other residents?" Paladin asked. Venator shook her head.

"No, the place was a mess. Looked like it hadn't had a visitor in years."

"Then let's start offloading the people. While they get themselves situated, we can go investigate this tower."


King walked through the foreboding halls of the pyramid. Lilith was staying with Eda to keep her sister company. Her condition was stable for the time being, but it would still be better if they could get the required potion ingredients sooner rather than later. Lilith had already prepared a list of everything they would need. Now, King just had to deliver it.

"There you are." The Collector's voice pulled King from his thoughts. The Dark being floated over to King, touching down beside him.

"So, how's the Owl Lady doing?" He asked eagerly.

"Uhh, she's… still in her beast form," King offered, "We'll need the ingredients to make more elixir."

"Fine," the Collector groaned, "I'll have the Lightbearer gather them up."

"What?"

"Oh right, that's what I wanted to show you," the Collector clapped his hands together. The air beside him rippled and King's eyes widened as Royal's corpse appeared beside him. The pink threads held him in place as King stared through the gaping hole in the Warlock's chest.

"Royal?" King asked weakly. The Exo's lifeless optics stared ahead blankly.

"Like what I've done with him?" The Collector asked, "Now, he can't try and interfere with our fun. Isn't that great?" He held out a hand and wiggled it slightly, making the Guardians corpse dance.

"But enough of that," the Collector stopped tormenting Royal, "Go find us the ingredients." The Guardian snatched the list out of King's claws and instantly marched off.

"How is he supposed to read that?" King asked. The Collector shrugged.

"I dunno. I'm sure he'll manage. Now come on, I had an idea for our game."


Crossing his arms across his chest, Paladin gazed at the foreboding tower. Venator flanked him on his right while Darius stood to the left. The rest of the BATTs were bringing up the rear. Paladin stepped forward, gazing into the dark abyss.

"And you said that you found it just sitting here?"

"Are you implying that I built a giant, spooky tower in the time I spent scouting the island?" Venator snipped.

"Thatch, what can you tell me?" He ignored the Hunter, pulling out his Ghost.

"Not much," she said hesitantly, "But I can feel the touch of Darkness in this place."

"Does it pose a threat?" Darius questioned.

"I don't believe so," Thatch replied, "But I think we would all sleep better if we knew for certain."

"Sounds like a job for the professional," Venator said, stretching her arms and stepping toward the entrance. Paladin placed a hand across her chest.

"Not on your own, take the BATTs with you," he said. Venator glanced back at them for a second.

"Why? Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them, but I can handle this job myself."

"More eyes means it'll be done faster," Paladin answered, "I want this place mapped as soon as possible."

"Fine, whatever you say chief," Venator turned back to the BATTs and signaled for them to join her, "Alright kids, special field trip. Hope you packed your lunches." Paladin and Darius watched as the four plunged into the depths of the tower, vanishing from sight.

"While they're doing that, we need to head back to the beach," Paladin said, "It's time to get to work."

"And what work would that be?" Darius questioned.

"Hold no delusion, this island may be safe for now, but it is only a matter of time before the Collector or the Vex find us. If we don't prepare for an ambush, we'll be waiting for a massacre."


Venator stepped into the main chamber with the Bards right on her tail. Blip floated nearby, shining a light ahead of her. The Bards had their own light spells activated. Her hand cannon was pointed outward, leaking dark smoke that choked the air. Small stones crunched underfoot. Looking down, she noticed that the floor was littered with strange stacks of rocks, each topped by a crescent. Venator crouched beside one such stack. She tapped it with her gun, causing it to tip over.

"Boom, you're dead."

"What's this?" Derwin asked. The others looked over, seeing the Witch staring at a large chunk of dark stone. Venator flinched as she looked at it, feeling her Light coil in revulsion. She walked closer and slowly reached out to the stone. Her hand froze before making contact.

"You know what, I'm just gonna not," she said, pulling back her hand, "What kind of idiot sees a chunk of Darkness and just decides to touch it?"

"So, what do we do?" Katya questioned.

"I dunno, spread out," Venator said, "If you find anything horrific, just let out a scream of terror. I'm sure we'll be able to figure out what it means."


It was early morning in the Human Realm. Vee was off at school, still taking Luz's place. Camilla had taken the day off work to help take care of her current interdimensional house guests. The Witches were still struggling to settle into the Human Realm. Gus was endlessly fascinated by everything around him, constantly asking question after question. Hunter was always near him, also very interested, though he didn't show it. While the boys were busy, Amity and Willow were talking in the living room. They had been taking the time to catch up as friends.

Luz was on her own, separate from the rest of the Hexsquad. She walked through the woods behind her house, moving toward the abandoned shack that they had returned from. It was the same place she had first entered the Demon Realm. The place felt special to her, despite its rundown conditions.

Slowly, cautiously, she pushed open the door. The floor was covered in trash and multiple floorboards were cracked. All things considered, it was a mess. She moved through the room to the back wall. Putting her back to the wall, she slumped to the ground. She pulled out the revolver Royal had given her, still bearing the marks of his repair efforts. A single tear dripped from her eye and splashed against the sleek metal.

Not far from where Luz was, a small rabbit quickly dashed through the woods. It stopped at the base of the tree, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air experimentally. Slowly, it stepped forward. Instantly, a mass of rotten green flesh slammed into the creature. It squealed in pain as the gnarled limb dragged it away into the underbrush.


King clutched onto the Collectors star platform as the two soared across the Isles. Looking around, he noticed just how empty everything was. It felt barren and desolate, a far cry from how lively the Isles usually were.

He let out a startled cry as the Collector suddenly stopped. Their ride lowered into the center of Bonesborough, right at the feet of a statue of Belos. The Collector frowned as King hopped off their ride.

"What are we doing here? Is this your surprise?"

"No," the Collector said, sizing up the statue, "Just a pitstop." He made a flicking gesture and the statue exploded, raining rubble around the town square. The Collector grinned and summoned Royal's glaive. With an exaggerated spin, he planted the weapon where the statue once stood, burying it in the ground, blade first. King flinched, if Royal had witnessed his prized weapon being treated so callously, he would've burned the entirety of Bonesborough to ash.

"What is this?" King questioned uneasily.

"A message," the Collector said flippantly, "A warning. And a trophy."


An Abomiton marched through the empty fields. The silver metal on its frame shone brightly and its crimson eyes swept across the area. The field was littered with rubble and slain corpses. The Abomiton continued to watch, with something else behind those optics, something ancient and intelligent. Ignosi watched the Isles through the eyes of its new recruits.

Not seeing anything, the Abomiton continued its patrol, hunting for any Witches it could find. As it left, Alador peered from around their cover. Once he was certain it was clear, he stepped out from behind the rubble and pushed onward. Lancer floated behind him. The Ghost was the reason why the Vex had not yet discovered Alador. The Paracausality leaking from his form kept them clear from detection and the Darkness choking the Isles didn't hurt in that regard.

However, they still needed to move carefully. One wrong move and the Vex would descend upon them. Alador limped on as they entered the outskirts of Bonesborough.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Lancer questioned nervously.

"The Healers Quarters should be just around the next bend," he grunted, "Hopefully they'll have some supplies we can use." Cautiously, they turned around the bend and arrived at the Healers Quarters.

"Shame I can't heal you myself," Lancer remarked as they entered the building and began to look around, "The faster we get out of here, the better."

"If only your Guardian was here," Alador added, "This would be so much easier." Lancer remained silent for a minute as Alador continued to search. Eventually, the Witch noticed and turned back to him.

"Are you alright?" He asked. The Ghost perked up.

"Yeah, of course," he said a little too quickly, "I'm not the one with a broken rib."

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah," Lancer sighed, "We're partners. We're supposed to have each other's back. Now, I don't even know where the hell he is. I'm just… worried about him. You get me?"

"No," Alador muttered dejectedly, "Not really." Lancer continued to search, not having heard the Witch. Alador peered into a cabinet, only to find it empty. Scowling, he stood up and was face to face with Odalia. However, it wasn't his wife as he knew her. Her body was comprised of crimson smoke and she floated slightly above the ground.

"You wound me," the Nightmare Odalia said with mock hurt, "But I know the real you, dear. Deep down, you're glad I'm gone. You never want me to come back."

"That's not true," Alador denied. The Nightmare laughed.

"We both know it is," she said, "You're reliving that moment, Ignosi slipping away, and you're relieved. Liberation feels good, doesn't it?"


Paladin pushed through the foliage, finally returning to the beach. Darius had gotten back just before him and was busy scrapping a bit of mud off his boots, grumbling the entire time. Steve wasn't far away, coordinating a few other Coven scouts.

"How many made it?" Paladin asked, approaching him from behind.

"Early estimates are still coming in," he said uncertainly, "But we think it might be around a couple thousand. And that's being generous. We lost a lot of people to the Collector."

"A couple thousand," Paladin grimaced, "From a land that housed dozens."

"And with our current supply levels being what they are, more will likely succumb to starvation over the coming days," Steve added. Paladin processed the information for a moment.

"Make no mistake," he said slowly, "This was not a victory."

"Excuse me," an incredibly irritated voice said. Paladin looked over, seeing a disheveled Witch with blue clothes and an Illusion sigil approaching.

"Great, this guy," Steve groaned. Adrian pushed the ex-scout aside, stopping before Paladin.

"Can I help you, sir?" Paladin asked with forced calm. Adrian tapped his foot impatiently.

"Maybe we could start with some questions," he began, "Who are you? And why have you led us to the middle of nowhere? I need proper shaving equipment pronto!"

Paladin stared at the head Illusionist blankly, wondering what he had done to deserve this fate. The Titan placed his hands together and took in a deep breath.

"It would be easier if I just explained it to everyone at once," he placated, "Darius, think you could give me a boost?" The Abomination Witch summoned a small platform for him, for which the Titan offered his thanks. Holding out his hands, he began to channel Arc power through them. He clapped them together, producing a loud boom that raced across the island. Soon, everyone had their eyes on him.

"Can you all hear me?" He asked, projecting his voice through the speakers of his helmet. Once he was confident they could, he resumed.

"Listen, I know that the last day has been harrowing for everyone. But don't worry. My Sister and I are here to help."

"Who even are you?" Adrian asked again, rudely interrupting the Guardian.

"We're friends of the Scho... Royal-6." Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say, as the crowd began to panic. Paladin remembered his brother mentioning that he was a wanted criminal and groaned.

"Dammit Scholar," he muttered, "Look, we mean you no harm. We are Guardians, plucked from distant futures and different times. We will do everything in our power to protect you and destroy the Dark entity that now lords over your home. But you will have to trust us. This island will be safe for now, but it's only a matter of time before we are found. Therefore, we need to start turning this place into the single most heavily fortified landmass on the planet."

"Who put you in charge," Vitimir scowled, approaching the Titan. The other surviving Coven heads stood near him.

"I have lived for centuries," Paladin said, banging a fist against his chest, "Studied under the tutelage of Lord Shaxx. Helped to build the Last City. Fought against alien marauders that would make you curl up into a ball and cry for mommy. If any of you think you can do a better job, then by all means, be my guest."

A few people looked at Darius. The Abomination Witch shrugged and pointed to the Titan.

"Don't look at me, he's the guy with a plan."

"Alright, everybody listen up, here's how this is going to work."


They were approaching an island. King watched from over the edge of the Collector's ride as they soared over the waters. As they drew closer, the details of the island became more apparent. It was composed entirely of metal, with the main structure being triangular. Vex stood at attention all over the island. If King didn't know any better, he would have said that they were statues.

Their ride had been uneventful, mostly filled with King telling the Collector about the adventures he and his family had gone on over the last few months. The Collector had insisted, wanting to be filled in so he could properly set up their game. His reaction had largely been positive, but there was a strange light in his eyes when King brought up Luz.

"This is the place," the Collector said, pulling King from his thoughts. Their ride lowered to the ground, causing the nearby Vex to spring to life. They leveled their weapons on the Disciple as the Collector dismounted. He floated up to a Minotaur, meeting its baleful gaze with his own. The Minotaur raised its fist and struck him in the face. King flinched, feeling the power behind the machine's strike. The Minotaur pulled back its fist and noted how the Collector hadn't reacted at all. Reassessing, it fired its weapon at the Collector, only to be met with a similar response.

The Minotaur sent out a signal, ordering the nearby Goblins to open fire. Dozens of bolts slammed into the Collector, only to freeze and fall to the ground before they made contact.

"Man, you guys are fun," the Collector said cheerily, "But your turns over. Now, it's my turn." He held up a hand, Dark power sparking from the appendage. A swarm of entropic power consumed the Minotaur, along with the other nearby Vex. They writhed under the assault as the Darkness took them.

Eventually, the assault subsided. The Vex stood at attention once again, their hostility having faded. Their once frosty chrome frames were now pitch black, leaking a strange smoke into the air. They twitched erratically as the Collector lowered his hand, shaking it slightly.

"Ugh, how does he do that all the time," he complained, sticking out his tongue, "I'm gonna feel icky for days." He snapped his fingers and the Taken obeyed, teleporting away.

"Now, where's the Mind?"

The sound of metal clanking against metal soon provided an answer. Ignosi slowly marched toward the two, with King shuffling to put the Collector between himself and the Sub-Mind.

"You are the source of the interference," Ignosi said. It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"Yes," the Collector said, "Take me to your leader." Ignosi's gaze swept over the two, lingering on King for a moment. The Demon looked away as the Typhon seemed to dissect him with its gaze.

"Follow me." Without another word, Ignosi turned and led the two further into the island. As they walked, they passed legions of Vex that were going about their own business. They paid the procession no mind, not that it helped to ease King's nerves. Eventually, Ignosi stopped before an empty portal frame. With a single mental pulse, it activated. A portal to the Vex Domain opened, allowing King to see inside it for the first time. Before he could take in many details, he felt an overwhelming presence sweep over him.

Three massive crimson lights appeared in the portal, staring with their malevolent gaze. Ignosi bent down on one knee and stuck its arms out to the side.

"You stand before the true sovereign of this reality," it said, "It is customary to bow."

King's eyes widened as Synegorus stared down at the two. Fear lanced through his entire body. Royal had described the Mind as a being of immense power and unfathomable intelligence. Now that he was in its presence, King realized that Royal's words hadn't done it justice.

"Child of the Stars," the Mind rumbled, "Why have you come to this place?"

"You know who I am?" the Collector grinned.

"Our records of you are limited," Synegorus replied, "Now state your intent. I may deign to listen."

"No need to be so hostile," the Collector giggled, "I just wanna see if you want to play a game?"

For a painfully long moment, the chamber was silent. The portal continued to swirl as the Mind stared at the Collector.

"We do not understand."

"Well, my bestie King has been filling me in on your little operation. We're going to be playing Owl House and I want you to join us. You would make for such a great villain!"

"You wish to channel my nigh-infinite power," Synegorus began, a dangerous edge in its synthetic voice, "All for your wasteful, childish ambitions?"

"I mean, it's not like you have much of a choice," the Collector said dismissively, "You can either play willingly or I can just Take you and all your little toy soldiers."

"You think you can command a god? You presume too much."

"Oh please," the Collector scoffed. Suddenly, King felt the power of the Darkness creep into the room. Ignosi shook under the assault as the portal frame cracked and sparked. The Collector began to levitate into the air, a threatening aura exuding from him.

"I've met beings that constitute godhood," he lectured, "And you? You do not compare." Suddenly, the Dark aura in the room faded and the Collector plopped to the ground.

"So why don't we just have some fun?" He asked, back to his usual cheerful self. The Mind fell silent again, pondering the proposal.

"Very well."

"I knew you would see reason," the Collector clapped his hands together, "You Vex are good at that. By the way, love the silver."

"Shall we discuss the terms of your game?"

"I'll fill you in on your role once the board is set up," the Collector said, "Though, I do also have one last thing to ask of you." He looked back at King, still cowering behind him.

"King, why don't you head back to the star? We're almost done here." The Demon looked between the Vex and his new best friend before slowly backing away. Once he was out of the room, the Collector turned back to the portal.

"State your request."

"The Human, Luz," he asked, an icy coldness in his voice, "Where is she?"

"You expect answers that cannot-"

"Oh don't act coy with me," the Collector scoffed, "You know and I know that you know."

"She is in the Human Realm," Synegorus stated plainly, an idea forming, "Searching for a way to return so she may liberate the Isles from you."

"Please, I'm not scared of her," the Collector dismissed.

"Oh, but you should be. The Guardian has taken her under his wing. Bestowed his secrets unto her. Once she finds a way to return, she will destroy you." The Mind was partially lying. Its simulations of the Human showed that she was searching for a way to return. Everything beyond that was fabrication and impossibility. It was a gamble, as Synegorus was not aware of how much the Collector knew of the Light or those who wielded it.

Fortunately for the Mind, the Collector seemed to buy it. His expression shifted to one of concern as he thought.

"I can handle her," he said, "I already killed one Lightbearer."

"There are others," Synegorus continued, "Three of the enslavers dwell on this world. You have bested one, yet two remain. Allow us to be your shield. We can hunt them and lay a trap for the Human. But to do that, I would require what you have stolen from me."

"Oh, you mean these two?" The Collector snapped his fingers, teleporting Sarkarae and Pyrikaga beside it. The two Sub-Mind fell to the ground and instantly began pushing themselves up.

"Wretched thing!" Sarkarae snapped, unsheathing its blades. It began to lunge at the Collector.

-]Halt[-

Instantly, it froze. Pyrikaga kneeled before its master as Sarkarae turned to the portal.

-]Your power is insufficient for this threat[-

With a growl, Sarkarae stood down. The Collector chuckled at the display.

"Well, this has been fun," he said, "But I need to get going. I'll swing by sometime to fill you in on the details of the game. Bye!" With that, he zipped out of the chamber, leaving the Vex to themselves.

"Ignosi," Synegorus said, "Lay the bait for when the Human inevitably returns."

"And what of the other Lightbearers? We cannot isolate their signal."

"I know exactly how we are going to get to them," Synegorus mused, "They are going to let us in." The Typhon bowed and instantly began to run the required calculations. It turned to the side and projected a simulation of Kikimora in her Abomitron.

"By your will, it will be done."


Royal collapsed to the ground as the Nightmare struck him again. He tried to push himself up, to defend himself, but he couldn't muster any strength. Outcast paced around him, delivering a swift, vicious kick to his head. Royal fell limp.

"Oh no you don't," Outcast growled, grabbing him by the collar, "You're not done, not until I say you are." He swung Royal overhead, planting him in the dirt.

"Weak!" He grabbed the back of Royal's head and slammed him face-first into the ground.

"Worthless scrap!" He threw the Warlock onto his back. Royal groaned in pain, feeling his metal skin beginning to chip and fall apart.

"Waste of metal!" Outcast planted a boot on Royal's neck.

"They trusted you!" He roared, "They were all counting on you! And you failed them! You were supposed to save them!" He removed his foot from Royal's neck and slowly walked away, wiping his hands as he did.

"You are not worthy to call yourself a Guardian."

"Please," Royal begged, "No more." Outcast scoffed.

"Even at my lowest, I was never like this," he derided, "Let me show you what you could've been."

At the Outcast's words, the field began to shift and change. Shadows crept over the land, devouring Royal and drowning his mind. He closed his eyes as the shadows enveloped him.

"Please, forgive me."


Venator continued to walk through the derelict tower. Blip swung his beam around the chamber, shining light on the many strange mosaics and carvings that dotted the walls. The Hunter marched toward a small room, absently knocking over a few of the small sculptures on the ground.

"Hello?" She called, poking her head into the room, "Anybody home?" Her voice reverberated off the walls, echoing into the inky blackness. Blip shone a light on the walls, revealing the contents of this newest room. The walls were covered with alcoves that stretched high into the air. Strange stone golems with crescent heads were huddled in each nook.

"Creepy," Blip commented. Venator pulled out one of her knives and spun it over her finger.

"Sorry pal," she said to the nearest construct, "But you're too disturbing to live." She chucked the blade into the golem's head, causing it to fall out of its slot. It crumpled to the ground and lay still. Stalking over, Venator pulled the blade out and wiped it off on her thigh.

"Boom, headshot," she quipped as Katya entered the room.

"We've scoped out the rest of the tower," she reported, "No signs of life. Wanna head back to the beach?"

"Yeah," Venator said, turning away from the golem, "This place is dead anyways."


Skara peered out of a window in the gymnasium of Hexside, watching the skyline for any signs of movement. Hexside had not been spared from the Day of Unity, nor the follow-up attack from the Collector's forces. Boscha had tried to lead the Grudgby team in opposition to the strange star creatures. However, things went south quickly. Bo and Amelia had been stolen away, along with the teachers when they tried to help. Boscha had evaded capture and returned to the school.

The students had instantly gotten to work after that, boarding up the doors and windows as quickly as they could. Now, nobody knew what to do. All of the adults who might be qualified to lead them were missing, or worse. Boscha herself seemed like the obvious next choice, being one of the most popular Witches at Hexside. However, the recent assault had left her shaken.

"See anything?" Viney asked, tending to the wounds of a student who had accidentally misused his hammer.

"I think we're clear," the Bard student responded, "No more of those things in sight." She turned back to the window, narrowing her eyes as she saw movement.

"Wait, something's coming." Viney instantly squared up beside her.

"Hold up, I recognize those green mops."

Upon closer inspection, Skara realized that it was the Blight twins. They looked pretty beat up. Emira was practically carrying her brother over her shoulder. Skara quickly turned around.

"Matt! Get the doors open!" She barked. Mattholomule, a dual construction-illusion student who had been something of a rival to Gus in their after-school club, turned and ran off.

"Jerbo! Notify any other healing track students you can find, we have wounded incoming!" He nodded and took off. Skara a Viney quickly made their way to the main entrance as Matt got it open. The twins stumbled inside, with the doors being slammed shut behind them.

"Easy, easy," Viney comforted, "I got you." She prepared a healing spell for Emira, only for the girl to push her hand away.

"Him first," she objected weakly, "I'm fine."

"What happened to you two?" Skara asked as Viney began to patch up Edric.

"Day of Unity," she managed to force out, "Abomitons went all evil. Escaped home. He took a punch for me, got knocked down an empty well." Edric deliriously mumbled something under his breath. The only thing Skara got out of it was something about rocks.

"Guys," Matt said, peering through a small crack in the door, "Something's happening out there." Skara approached the door and looked outside. All around them, glowing blue lights had appeared in the air. Not long after, shining silver machines appeared from thin air. They dropped to the ground and began to march around the area. A few smaller, flying forms appeared in midair. Unbeknownst to the residents of Hexside, the entirety of the Isles was being swarmed by these chrome machines.

"What are those things?" Matt questioned.

"It's the Vex," Emira grunted, back on her feet while Viney finished healing her, "Good thing we got here when we did, right Ed?" She looked down at her brother, who had passed out and was slumbering peacefully.

"We'll have to get him into a proper cast," Viney said, "But he's stable for now."

"Why don't you tell us what these Vex are?" Skara prodded. Emira nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"Man, this is a long story. So it all started at the library during the Wailing Star."


Camilla closed the door to her daughter's room, having just witnessed Amity and Willow annihilate an alarm clock. She was going to have to set aside some time with the Witches to ensure they could properly adjust to the Human Realm. Hunter and Gus were bunking down in the basement, which left just one more resident unaccounted for.

Luz wasn't far down the hall, sadly gazing at a photo of their family before the accident. Before her father had been taken from her. The girl looked up as her mother approached.

"Mamá," she began, "I… I know I shouldn't have left. I never meant to lie to you, but I had to stay, and… and it wasn't because I-" She was cut off when Camilla pulled her into a hug.

"Hey. It's ok," she comforted, "We'll have time to talk about it later. I'm just so happy that you're home."

"Yeah, I'm home," Luz looked down the hall, where her friends were settling into bed, "But they're not."


"We should get a proper dock built as soon as possible," Steve said, gesturing to the shoreline. Paladin nodded in agreement. They had teams scavenging the island for food, but until they could get a farm set up, they would need to resort to either fishing or raiding the mainland. Both of those options would require boats, which needed a place to dock.

"We need to prioritize shelter," Darius asserted, "If the Collector's forces come after us, we'll be caught completely in the open." Paladin nodded again, also agreeing with Darius. Potential enemy assault aside, they would need protection from the weather and the cold.

"It would be more prudent to prioritize something we have direct control over," Steve countered. Paladin acted quickly, cutting off the argument before it could begin.

"Steve, rally up as many Construction Witches as you can find," he instructed, "We'll need to begin mapping out the basic plans for our settlement. Your main priority should be to establish whatever basic shelter you can. From there, focus on setting up defensive encampments and a dock." The ex-scout gave a quick salute and jogged off.

"You know what you're doing with this stuff, don't you?" Darius asked.

"As I mentioned earlier, I studied under the great Lord Shaxx during the Dark Ages," Paladin answered, "I was there at the beginnings of the Last City, helping to lay the foundations. This is much the same, only smaller in scale." As soon as he finished his sentence, he heard whispers in the back of his mind.

"Why did you abandon us?"

"You swore an oath."

"Shame upon your name."

"Paladin, can you hear me?"

The Titan shook his head, clearing his mind. Darius looked at him curiously. Paladin nodded, rubbing the side of his head.

"Sorry, zoned out for a moment. What were you saying?"

"Venator is back."

"Oh, great, where is she?"

"Right here," the Hunter said. Paladin looked to his side, noticing his Sister standing beside him with her hands on her hips.

"When did you get back?" He questioned.

"Oh, about a minute ago," she said, stretching, "Been waiting for you all to notice."

"And you couldn't just tell us?" Darius groaned.

"You seemed so wrapped up in your own conversation, I didn't want to interrupt."

"What did you discover about the tower?" Paladin dragged them back on topic.

"Whole lotta nothing," the Hunter said, "Bunch of empty space, couple of creepy statues, and some nice art pieces. But nothing that wants to eat our faces."

"Good, now, I need you to regroup with Steve and help coordinate construction efforts." Venator tilted her head.

"Darius, do you mind if I speak with my Brother in private for a moment?" She asked. The Witch shrugged and waved them off. Venator pulled the Titan aside.

"Hey, yeah, mind explaining to me exactly what you're doing?" She whispered.

"What we planned on doing?" Paladin answered, confused, "Helping the people we just tried to save."

"Last time I checked, we planned to find our Brother," Venator snapped, "Don't know if you've noticed, but we've somehow gone backward on that. It was supposed to be a simple, quick detour. Get into the Isles, sort out the Day of Unity nonsense, and get out. Now you're planning on becoming some kinda leader of the Witches?"

"What are you implying?"

"Look, no hate to the Witches," Venator said, holding up her hands, "They seem like lovely people. But this isn't our fight."

"Scholar wants us to protect these people."

"And I want to protect him!" Venator shouted, causing Paladin to recoil slightly in shock.

"You two are all I have left," she continued, "Our Brother is out there on his own fighting against the Collector, the Vex, and who knows what else. We should be out there looking for him. But instead, you're content to sit here and hide behind walls, like a…" Her voice trailed off as she realized where she was going. Paladin crossed his arms as he stared at his Sister.

"Say it."

"Like a coward," she spat. The two stared at each other for a moment, silently daring the other to make the first move. Venator broke off first, walking toward the waterline.

"Where are you going?" Darius questioned, moving closer now that the discussion was over. Venator summoned her sparrow and hopped on, not looking back at the two.

"To find my Brother."

The Hunter gunned the engine and took off. Paladin and Darius, along with a few other bystanders, watched her leave.

"Are you going to go after her?" Darius asked.

"There are many constants among the Royals," Paladin said, "We can all be remarkably stubborn. She'll be back."


Odalia was dragged before Synegorus by a pair of Goblins. They threw her to the ground and stepped back, bowing before their Mind. Odalia looked up at the portal in fear, feeling the weight of the Paradoxical Mind staring down at her.

"Greetings, Mrs. Blight," Synegorus said with false hospitality, "We have need of your services once more."


There you go. I hope Venator abandoning the others didn't come completely out of left field there. I've been trying to hint at her more self-serving nature over the last few chapters.

SolarisHez: I suppose, going off you're theory, you would be technically correct. Technically, I have an answer that could make it work, but that would be a massive spoiler so I won't go into it here.

ToasterRoaster: Finally something I can give a straight answer to. No, there will be no other Guardians present on the Isles during the events of this story. Also, three Royalteers got a chuckle outta me.

Thatnewguy11: Outcast has some plans for his wayward Brother.

musizlover2008: One step ahead of you pal.

GodzillaMaster: Kinda yes, kinda no. I'll be toying with Camilla and Royal a bit more, but maybe not in the way you expect.

OMAC001: I rather enjoy getting to write the Collector here. The mixture of "All-powerful child who doesn't understand death" and "Genocidal disciple of the Witness" has been quite the interesting one to work with.

mysticalex: It's good to be back. When For the Future came out, I was planning on cutting King's Dad, since we didn't know what he was. Now, I got something to work with. Also, damn that's a good idea, I gotta use that.

Jebest4781: I'll try, my good sir.


Gus and Hunter walked through the town of Gravesfield, observing the Human Realm. They had applied some special disguises, courtesy of Gus's illusion magic. As they walked down the street, Hunter noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Baxters Game store," he noted, "That sounds fun. Wanna check it out?" Gus nodded and the two walked inside. The walls were lined with small cases that all had strange covers

"What are these?" Hunter asked, inspecting a particularly interesting case.

"Oh, I think Luz mentioned something like these," Gus said, "She called them 'video games'." Hunter picked a case off the wall, something felt familiar about it. Gus walked over to him.

"Destiny 2, what's that?"

"I don't know," Hunter replied, "But it feels… familiar." The two continued to stare at the game case, pondering whatever mysteries it held. Eventually, they shrugged and Hunter put it back on the shelf.

"I'm sure it's nothing."