Hello there! I'm back! Once again, pretty late... O, how foolish of me to think I could stick to schedule for long... Regardless though, chapter 16 aka (most likely) the last chapter of the year is here and I won't stall no longer! Let's go!
Chapter 16: So many crows in the sky
The moment the scouts left and the front door finally closed, Luz ran for the one in the back, hoping with all her being that-
"Hunter! Amity!" She called out in relief, as they came into the kitchen, and threw herself into the latter's embrace. She was okay... She was still there... She was holding her... "What happened? How did you guys get out there? Are you okay?"
"Don't worry about us. We're fine, but..." Amity pulled away, her voice nervous like her gaze.
And Luz realized the reason, as she followed it to Hunter.
Who was staring at them without a word, his wide, fearful eyes drifting between them and the panting palisman he was carefully holding in his hand.
"H-He's... His wound is..." Hunter stumbled in his words, the arm leaning on his cruch trembling, at this point barely keeping himself standing.
"...Stay right here." Luz said, slowly turning around before running back for the living room. "EDAAAA! Eda! We have a-" And almost crashing onto her and King, who were already making their way to them.
"Whoa, what's wrong? Anybody hurt?" Eda asked worriedly, quickly noticing the equally worried children in her kitchen. Along with the (unfortunately positive) answer to her question, that one of them was holding. "Luz, grab me a first aid kit and your palistrom wood. What happened?"
...!
Hunter's eyes widened as he saw the glyphs spread across the floor, when the scout knocked over the box containing them.
"Now what are those?" He heard them, or rather her, wonder aloud and much to his surprise, realized it was Mrs. Blight (?).
Immediately after he felt the girl next to him tighten her hold. So much that soon he could feel her trembling.
With gritting teeth, he held back just as tight, hoping to help her keep it together... provide some comfort. But with the spell keeping them hidden even from each other and her hold ever tight, he wasn't sure he was doing a very good job. At the latter at least.
The fact that they were still covered was some solace. It meant that she could still hold her breath. That she was... okay enough.
But her mother just wouldn't leave (!). Why wouldn't she lea-!
Why was she coming closer?
Moving aside the clothes that covered them, staring at the girl's direction...!
Now his hand started to hurt, trembling along with hers.
For how much could she hold it?
Her breath, her composure...
At this point Hunter was getting worried too. That woman was just... standing there, staring knives at her with those... blue eyes...!
...!
Hold it together... Please...!
...!
...!
"Aah!"
"Wha- Mrs. Bli-"
...
...
...
What just happened?
The door swung open. Mrs. Blight got startled. And they...
They were on the roof?
Hunter turned to the Blight girl beside him. She was on her hands and knees. Shaking. Taking in breath after breath. Her eyes unfocused, staring at the roof tiles... but quickly turned to him, just as shocked and confused, blinking away the stress and the momentary relief.
"What just...? Why are we here?" She wondered aloud for both of them and Hunter shrugged, just as he noticed not too far from her...
His palisman. Lying on the tiles. Panting loudly and intensely, as if he had been holding his breath for as long as they did, if not longer. His bandage had come off! He had-
"Flapjack!" Hunter called, almost forgeting that they should be quiet, and gathered him in his hands.
"I'm okay... It's okay." There was a struggle in the bird's words and he could feel his heart beating faster. How could he say he was okay?! He clearly wasn't!
"Flapjack, what... What did you do? What were you thinking?!"
"I... I had to get you out."
"That's how we ended up outside." Hunter said, while twiddling his thumbs a bit, his eyes constantly stealing glances at the table, where the Owl Lady was tending to Flapjack.
He couldn't really do more than that. He wanted... needed to keep watching. He had read a couple books about palismen, but seeing in person how to care for them would be a lot more helpful. They... probably would leave at some point. But at the same time... Seeing Flapjack like that, it felt... It reminded him of that night. When Belos had him in his grasp, hurting him, breaking him...! And this time-
...His train of thought suddenly stopped, when the human handed him a cup of water, before sitting next to the Blight girl. He gave her a thankful nod, before taking a sip.
"I sent Ghost down to see what was going on. If you guys were doing okay, if the scouts were leaving..." The Blight girl took over as he drank, sounding equally drained (and shaken). But, she seemed to relax a bit when the human sat next to her and held her hand. "Sorry if I worried you."
"Hey, it's okay. What matters is that it's over now. The scouts are gone and no one realized you two were here." Luz said quickly, trying to keep the conversation positive.
And even though Amity smiled at this, it didn't seem to have worked on Hunter. "But what if it happens again? What if they come back, or Mrs. Blight comes back? Or-"
"We'll just do the same. Though I doubt they'll be returning any time soon." Eda intervened, her tone in the last sentence, a little strange.
"Why are you even letting them in?!" He suddenly called out, the exasperation in his voice catching everyone off guard. But he quickly seemed to regret it, lowering his tone a bit. "You have a... a powerful house demon to protect this place! And it's not like you had a problem letting it at them before. What's stopping you now?"
"Look, I don't enjoy letting those guys into my house any more than you do. But if we want to keep you guys safe, we have to keep a low profile."
Hunter opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, Flapjack let out a soft cry and the conversation stopped there. Everyone silently agreeing to be quiet so Eda could focus.
However...
...
"Okay... This isn't working." She sighed, standing up. "All of you kids, get up and... do something else. Get your mind off of things."
"But-"
"No buts, other than yours out my kitchen. Go be kids, that's an order." Eda wasn't really sure of how the 'order' card would work, but judging by the silent, eye-averting nod from the boy, she was willing to call it mixed results.
At least he and the others were leaving.
And she had to see what to do with this hurt little bird, who honestly wasn't looking all that good. It wasn't her first time tending to a palisman, Owlbert had had his fair share of scrapes and cracks. But he also knew, like her, that he couldn't be used as staff until he was healed completely. Otherwise...
...!
He suddenly chirped in pain and slightly pulled away from her, the incomplete bandage falling off his wing along with the piece of the palistrom wood.
"Sorry about that." Eda quickly apologized, before rubbing her temples with a quiet groan. "Ugh, this isn't working... Why did you do this, little guy?"
He answered her with a series of chirps, but she couldn't understand anything, until...
"He says he didn't have a choice. The kids were stressed and probably wouldn't be able to hold their breath long enough. They could've been caught." Owlbert popped up from her hair, playing the role of the translator, and flew next to the cardinal on the table.
"Okay, okay. I get it... But how are we gonna fix you up now?"
After that, the conversation stopped, with all three thinking about possible solutions. Like more wood, perhaps-
"Yeah. Why?"
...Or maybe he should revert to a staff before-
"That's... not a bad idea."
...Or she could use that favor from the Bat-
"I guess there's no harm in trying."
"Okay, what are you two chirping about? I'm trying to think he-" Eda didn't have time to finish her complain, as Owlbert flew back into and started rummaging through her hair.
And soon he came back out with a crow. Number already dialed, waiting for a response.
"Who did you call?" Eda asked, but Owlbert didn't answer (though he did seem a little nervous). So she just waited for the other line to pick-
"Hello?"
"Lily?"
"Edalyn? Oh, it's been a while! How are you? How are the kids doing? Has Amity adjusted well?" Her sister asked with a smile echoing in her voice, while one of the palismen on the table sighed in relief (?).
..."Uh, yeah. They're all okay. But since we last spoke, well, some things have happened."
"Like what? Are you sure you're okay?" The smile this time was gone, a subtle concern in its place.
"Yeah, don't worry, I'll tell you later. Right now, I've got a bit of a problem with a palisman and I need a second opinion."
"Well, I could help you, but I think Dad would know mo-"
"No!" Eda suddenly cut her off, without realizing that she had stood up or how loud and scared her voice got, until the word was already out of her mouth. She sat back down with a sigh, her voice becoming somber. "Lily... you know I can't..."
"Are you sure...? Edalyn, it's been years."
"I'm not ready yet. Okay? Now can you help me or not?" Once again, her words got tense, but she quickly changed her tone and the subject. There were more pressing matters at hand than her family drama...
"...All right. What's the problem?" Lilith asked, accepting the change with some lingering concern.
"I have a palisman here that was used while he was damaged. How do I treat him?"
"O-oh... Well... That's a bit difficult." Judging by her tone, 'A bit' was probably an understatement... "Uh, how damaged was he before?"
"His wing had gotten blasted, but other than being unable to fly, he was doing fine when he found us. And I bandaged him up immediately."
"And when was that?"
"Three days ago."
"Okay. So, the original injury wasn't too severe, it was tended to pretty soon after it was inflicted, but he was still not ready to be used..." Lilith's voice started trailing off, taking her time to think. "Is he stable now?"
"He's panting a little and he can't move much, but I think he is." Eda answered, hoping she was right.
"That's... good enough." She wasn't sure if the hesitation was because her sister was thinking again or because she was wrong, but she was willing to think it was the first one. It had to be...
...
...
Why wasn't Lilith saying anything?
"Lily? Lily, are you there? Hello? Li-"
...!
Eda froze.
She clasped a hand over her mouth, praying she wasn't heard at the other side of the crow, and waited until those muffled voices would stop.
...
...
...
"...doesn't... talk to...?"
...!
...!
"Uhhh... busy at the... later?"
...
...
"Edalyn? Edalyn, are you still there?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah yeah, I hear you." Eda quickly said upon hearing her sister again, shaking off... her thoughts.
"Good. I know what you need to fix this little guy up. Palistrom sap! I can't believe we forgot, but I suppose we take very good care of our palismen to need to remember this. Usually, the wounds heal on their own as long as they're taken care of and bandaged, maybe with a bit of palistrom wood, if they're too big and weren't open for too long. But in case the palisman was used while still healing, it needs to also replenish the magic that was lost and can be found inside the sap of the palistom wood. " Lilith seemed to say it all in a single breath, like she always did when explaining something. Or just thinking out loud. Or being too excited or focused.
Lily, you dork... "Okay, but how do I find that thing? I had to do a whole heist to get Luz a piece of palistrom wood, and it's not lea-"
"Don't worry, Dad still has some from... back then. We're sending it now." Nice save there...
"Thanks, Lily, you're a lifesaver." Eda sighed in relief, smiling at the birds on the table. "Don't worry, little guy. We'll fix you up soon." She said, petting the cardinal's head.
"Uh, speaking of," Lilith called, bringing her attention back to the crow. "whose palisman got hurt? What happened there? Don't tell me Luz carved her palisman and I missed it!"
Eda moved the crow away for a moment, to protect herself from Lilith's screaming. "For starters, stop yelling in my ear. It's still recovering after that fairy pie from yesterday. Secondly, if you promise not to start again, I'll tell you everything."
"Good. We're done with our area too. We'll have the reports ready soon." The captain said and tapped the crystal ball to end the call. And then procceeded to have a coughing fit. For the millionth time after leaving the Owl House...
At least it was finally over... Now all he needed was some water. And to get out of this outfit. And visit a spa. And not see another person for about three to five days.
But, one thing at a time.
First to get to his quarters. Without being spotted. Thank Titan, scouts and captains weren't really allowed around those parts of the castle, unless someone summoned them, and right now mostly everyone was busy with the search for the Golden Guard.
Still though, one couldn't be too careful.
...
Quiet... no one around. Other than-
"I told you! We were supposed to take the staircase that went down! You got us in the wrong floor!"
"Says the guy that got us in the wrong wing yesterday!"
"I swear, if the food gets cold again by the time we reach the head witches, I'm telling them it's your fault."
...And they were gone. Good thing neither of them looked up.
Okay, finally, he made it. Room, sweet room.
Now, to get this suit off and change into something more comfortable. Starting with that foul-smelling mask (apparently bad breath was another side effect...), that fortunately didn't mess up his head. Perks of having abomination hair.
And after the change, just fall on the bed and-
Caw caw!
...!
...Ugh. Now?
Caw caw!
All right, all right.
"Ye-" He answered the crow, only to start coughing again.
"Darius? Are you okay?" The caller asked worriedly.
"Do I... sound okay to you?!" He asked back with unsteady... voices, still in between coughs. "I thought you... knew what you were doing! This was... your potion!"
"Partially, first. Secondly, you know I haven't brewed this in years, so cut me some slack here. And thirdly, I did warn you: Don't spend too much time talking without drinking water and don't yell or talk too loud."
"I think you and I both know that the last part would be impossible..." Darius spoke again, after he calmed down a bit, his throat still feeling sore.
"Fair point..." Their voice suddenly got quieter, softer, almost nostalgic.
"You have no idea." He said, mostly to himself, before drinking some water (sweet relief...).
But it wasn't long before the two carried on with their conversation. "So, how did it go? Was the Golden Guard there?"
"From what I saw, he didn't appear to be, but I wouldn't be too quick to erase the Owl House just yet."
"What are you saying?"
"I thought I saw... something strange in their closet, before I saw Odalia snooping around." A certain level of disdain could be heard in his voice as he spoke (Odalia's name).
"Odalia?!" They exclaimed in surprise. "What was she doing there?"
"Making my life harder, as usual. She was looking for her kid, the one who ran away."
"Yeah, I heard about that."
"Anyway, now what?" He quickly changed the subject, bringing them both back on track.
"We still need to find the Golden Guard, before Belos does. We'll carry on with the searches as we planned, but at the same time, like you said, we'll still be keeping an eye on the Owl House."
"All right. Now regarding my... situation?" Darius said, once again a cough cutting him off.
"Oh, drink lots of water so the potion will wear off. Nothing warm, nothing cold just water. And maybe don't speak for a day or two, just to be sure." A laugh could be heard in their voice, no matter how much they were trying to hold it back.
Darius just hung up with groan and went to finally lie down. Despite the annoyance of that potion, at least it would give him a chance to get out of work for a few days, blaming it on the common mold.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Big surprise! Nothing...
Kikimora tore the last report to shreds with a loud groan, just as she heard the door of her study open and a captain walked inside with their team reports at hand. And there was quite a lot of them.
"I don't suppose any of them has news on the Golden Guard's whereabouts. Right?" She asked, her voice exhausted, but still filled with venom.
"I... W-Well... We-"
"Just get out!" She shouted and they quickly left the room (wise choice on their part). After dropping the reports on the floor.
Breathing a frustrated sigh, she stood up and went to pick them up. Though honestly, she couldn't see a reason in doing it. All she could think of was that moment in the woods. She had the Golden Guard right in her grasp. The emperor's favor, the place as his right hand a breath away.
And then she lost it all. And now she was stuck doing desk work! When she should be out there, leading the groups, searching for the Golden Guard!
But Belos wouldn't let her...
He was rather... displeased to say the least after she informed him of what had happened (leaving out her intention to scar the boy's face even more, of course), she expected him to be. But this time...
The way his eyes glowed.
The loudness and the rage in his voice...
She couldn't remember if she had ever seen him like that before.
And those things he said... She could still hear them. Loud and clear as the first time:
"Of course it's not your fault! It's obviously mine for thinking you could do something so simple! Imagine if he wasn't injured! This is way too important and I won't have you mess it up again! You are officially removed from this mission and until further notice you will work on filing the scouts' reports! How much damage can you do behind a desk?"
Caw caw!
...!
Caw caw!
A crow was at her windowsill.
Who could be calling now?
If it was a scout pranking her (again)-!
"Hello?" She answered, not bothering to hide her exhaustion.
"Looking for someone?"
And for now, this is it. Man, those phone calls... (fun fact, it took me about two weeks to write the one between Eda and Lilith, and about two hours to write the one with Darius.). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I leave you now and I'll see you in 2023! Please leave a review and stay safe. Byeeee! :)