A week had passed since the Coven Day Parade attack, and so far, the Pseudo-Phantoms hadn't shown up since then. Things didn't go as Luz had planned that night with Kikimora, and neither did they go too well for Eda either. From what she had told them, Raine didn't remember leading a rebellion group against Belos, and how they saved Eda.
It was strange, remembering back to the Alt Boiling Isles, it was both Eda and Raine who led the WATs against Oscura. And this Raine led a group called the BATs against Belos. But now Belos has done something to Raine, and he's loyal to the emperor. Well, possibly semi-loyal. Luz believed that Raine might still be in there, they may not remember what happened, but they still remember how they feel about Eda. Otherwise, there was no point in letting her go. These thoughts muddled Luz's mind as she went about her day in Hexside. She was only paying half attention to the lectures, and thankfully La Lechuza helped keep track of the lessons for her.
Luz as currently in the Bard classroom, and sitting next to her was Skara. The ebony girl could tell that there was something on Luz's mind, she was usually very attentive when it came to the magic classes, but right now it seemed as if her mind was somewhere else. Thankfully the teacher was just going over some basic lessons, so Skara decided to inquire into Luz's mood.
"Hey, you okay?" Skara asked.
"Oh, uh…yeah. I-I was just thinking about the Coven Day Parade," Luz answered.
"Ugh, totally messed up. We just got through celebrating the Phantoms being defeated not too long ago, and now we have these new Phantoms that somehow use the nine magic types," said Skara.
Luz had a pretty good idea who was behind that, but without solid proof she couldn't exactly go and say that it was Belos who was behind them. Even though her gut told her exactly that.
"Yeah, but at least Witch, Heka, and Crusader seem to be able to handle these Phantoms," said Luz.
"Thank Titan for that. Well, we're at least going to be able to have some fun here soon," Skara mentioned.
Luz raised an eyebrow at that. "How so?"
"Oh, guess you didn't hear the teacher just now. We're going to be going on a field trip to the Bard Coven Headquarters the day after tomorrow!"
Luz watched as Skara resisted the urge to squeal with excitement.
"I hope we can get to see Head Witch Raine Whispers! They're the best Bard witch in the entire isles!" Skara exclaimed.
The teacher seemed to have heard her and shot Skara a glare. The Bard witch girl sheepishly chuckled and sat up straight. The teacher groaned, and then went back to the lesson. However, Luz just got an idea.
"It's perfect, Amity!" Luz exclaimed.
"What's perfect?" Amity asked.
"During the field trip to the Bard Coven Headquarters, I'm going to remind Raine how much they love Eda, and maybe help them remember that they're a rebel fighter!"
"Shh! Shh!" Amity glanced about the area, there were students walking about, but none of them seemed to have overheard her. "Luz, be careful with saying stuff like that. A strong as you are, you don't want to give the Emperor a justifiable excuse to send Coven Scouts after you. Or risk someone reporting you."
Luz sometimes forgot that she was living in an autocratic society when she said stuff like that. "Sorry, but it's perfect! We'll be spending the whole day at the Bard Coven Headquarters. I'll have plenty of chances."
"Just be careful, Luz. I won't be there to help you out if things go south. And from what you told me, Head Witch Raine seems to be on the Emperor's side now," said Amity.
"It has to be some sort of brainwashing. Hopefully I'll be able to figure it out if I watch them close enough."
Amity smiled a little as she leaned against Luz, lightly brushing her left shoulder against Luz's right. "We got together, and now you're trying to get your mentor together with the person she loves."
Luz blushed, "Aww, Sweet Potato, you know me. I'm a sucker for love stories."
Skara watched the couple from afar, she was happy that Amity found someone she liked so much. It truly was amazing how one person could make another change so much. If Skara was being honest, Amity never really looked that happy when they used to hang out together. Most of the time it was in a group with Boscha and the rest of their Grudgby team. But the few times she was alone with her, well, Amity seemed to like being around her more than she did Boscha, and honestly, Skara couldn't blame her. But ever since Luz arrived, Amity had been genuinely smiling, something that Skara could see.
The change was gradual, and at the same time quick. But it seems that the saying that "love changes you" is true.
"Ugh, it's still too early in the morning for that mess."
I could say the same thing, Skara thought.
Boscha had walked up next to the Bard witch and was already in a foul mood. The captain of the school's Grudgby team had been like that a lot recently, if Skara was being accurate, it started sometime around when she saw Luz and Amity coming to school together.
"I still can't see why Amity would waste her time with that human, same with you and that Half-a-Witch," Boscha remarked.
Skara furrowed her brow as she turned to face Boscha and retorted, "Hey, Luz is my friend, so back off. And that goes double for Willow!"
Boscha wasn't fazed by the anger in Skara's voice and continued on. "Doesn't mean I'm not right. Remember Palisman Adoption Day? Not a single one of those Palisman came to her. She doesn't even know what she wants, and Amity wants to be with that? It's pathetic. And then there's Half-a-Witch."
"Okay, so Luz didn't get a Palisman. Not everyone knows what they want to be right away like some of us, but I'm sure Luz will figure it out. But there's no way you can say Willow isn't great!" Skara crossed her arms and shot Boscha a smug grin. "Willow's the top student in the Plant track. She's strong, and not just physically, but magically as well. Abomination magic may not be her forte, but her plant magic is powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes the next Head Witch of the Plant Coven later on."
Boscha sneered at the idea of Willow becoming a Head Witch of anything. Skara knew that she wanted to be the next Head Witch of the Bard Coven, and usher in a new age of music in the Boiling Isles, and thanks to Luz's introduction to rock 'n roll, her dream was that much closer to becoming a reality. Boscha's goal was to be the Head Witch of the Potions Coven, and become the number one Grudgby player in entire Demon Realm. They both knew that Amity was going to become the next Head Witch of the Emperor's Coven, but from what Skara has seen so far, Amity's goal might be shifting towards something else.
"Uh-huh, that'll be a cold day in hell. We come from high ranking witch families, so our futures are practically guaranteed. We just need to keep showing everyone why it's guaranteed. But Willow, her family is just low-level, nothing remarkable about them. Tell me, Skara, do your parents even know that you're dating Willow?" Boscha asked.
Skara paused when she realized she hadn't told her parents about it, well, she hadn't said who it was. "I…I told them I was seeing someone."
"Uh-huh, proves my point. You're afraid the moment they look into her, which you know they will, they'll disapprove of her, and tell you to break up with Willow," said Boscha.
The ebony witch girl shook her head and scowled at Boscha. "No, they won't!"
"My family and your family wanted us to be friends with Amity. And I was happy to be her friend, until all this happened…But it seems like you're still friends with her, even if it's through those losers." Boscha turned her back on the girl and began walking away. "You'll see, one way or another, Half-a-Witch is going to bring you down."
Skara growled at the retreating form of her former friend, but at the same time, Boscha had a point. She was afraid of telling her parents who it was she was dating because, in the back of her mind, she knew that they might tell her to dump Willow because she was not from a prestigious witch family like she was.
Belos was in the sub-basement of the underground facilities of his castle. The test run for the Coven Phantoms was a complete success. He wasn't sure what mixing the Boiling Isles magic with these blank slate Pseudo-Phantoms would yield exactly, but the results were spectacular. His Alpha Creation ring was of great help in forging these creatures into the new monstrosities that they are now.
But Belos was not anywhere near done with his experimentations.
Currently, the Emperor of the Boiling Isles was standing before a bigger tank than the others. He had grown a new Coven Phantom by fusing two others of the same type. It looked fearsome, but only time would tell if its power would be greater than the sum of its parts.
"Everything is going according to plan, so far," said Belos.
The Day of Unity was close, little more than two months away. And once the day had come, his true plans would be put into motion. But there was a potential threat to those plans, and they mainly revolved around Luz Noceda, Kamen Rider Witch. While Heka, Amity Blight, was an issue, she wasn't anywhere near the threat that the human girl posed.
At almost every turn, Luz had been shown to obtain power to overcome whatever threat that came at her. He experienced it firsthand in their duel. Had she been at full power when she used that ring of hers, Belos knew that he would've been easily defeated. The form she used when fighting Nuckelavee was more concerning since it seemed to have properties that he couldn't account for, and now more recently, she obtained a new form with powers he hadn't seen before.
Defeating her directly will prove to be a challenge. However, there's more than one way to take down one's opponent, thought Belos.
As it turned out, the battle at Latissa proved to be good publicity for his Golden Guard as Kamen Rider Crusader. Belos purposefully made those ones a bit weaker, so that Crusader could easily fell them. His popularity was growing a bit, but by the time he was done, Crusader would be seen as the sole hero of the Demon Realm.
It was the day of the field trip to the Bard Coven Headquarters. They were taken there via flying coach, passing over Latissa and heading towards the town of Bicrosh. A few miles outside of the town was their destination. From the air, the students could see several theaters erected and spread across the Bard Coven's grounds. Some were open air amphitheaters, and others were more like concert halls. There was a paved stone path that led to the central building, with statues of both famous Bard witches and past Head Witches of the Bard Coven. The central building itself was white, with black musical notes painted on its walls in whimsical patterns. On either side of the main building were giant G clefs that seemed to be made of gold.
The flying coach landed just outside of the Bard Coven's main building, the Bard teacher directed the students to disembark from the coach, and as they did, they were greeted by the Head Witch of the Bard Coven, Raine Whispers.
"Hello, students of Hexside, and welcome to the Bard Coven. I'm so excited to see new faces. Today, I'll be taking you on a tour of this facility. Should you decide to further your education in the use of Bard magic, or even if you wish to hone your musical crafting skills, the Bard Coven will provide you with numerous tools and facilities to help you in both respects," said Raine.
The Bard Head Witch looked out into the faces of the many young witches and paused when their eyes fell on Luz. "Oh, and what do we have here?" Raine walked closer and looked down at Luz. "Are you human by chance?"
"Yes, I am! My name's Luz Noceda, and I'm…well…I don't know what kind of witch I want to be, but I'm studying all kinds of different magics to help me figure it out," said Luz.
The other students, and the teacher, gulped when they heard her say that. Principal Bump was a bit progressive in allowing some students to study multiple tracks, but that didn't necessarily mean that the other witches, especially the Head Witches, would be as accepting of such a decision. Skara was getting ready to intervene to assuage Raine's wrath or disapproval of Luz's multi-track studies, but it seemed that wasn't an issue as they just smiled at her.
"My, that is ambitious. But at the same time, something that I do admire," said Raine.
"Really?" Luz asked.
"Of course. One of the bases of music making, is freedom. Being able to create any kind of music you want, meshing different sounds together to create something entirely new and unprecedented. And while, yes, it may not always be something spectacular, it sometimes leads to great things," said Raine.
Raine shifted their gaze to another witch standing next to Luz, they scrutinized this witch for a second before finally remembering where they saw her.
"Oh, wait, weren't you at the Bard Recital a few months ago?" they asked.
Skara blushed when she recalled the incident that had her and Willow singing a duet that helped Witch to stop the cursed song. "Yep, I was there. My name's Skara Grimamoré."
"You're also the one who helped to save me and everyone else there, right?"
Skara shyly nodded.
"It seems we have a talented group of witches among us today. Well then, let's get started with the tour. Shall we?"
The Hexside students and teacher followed Raine into the halls of the main building to start. There were several experienced Bard witches milling about the area. Not only that, but there was literal magic in the air. There were musical notes floating about, some coming directly from instruments, and others from the voices of the different Bard witches. The entryway mostly consisted of a large commons area, with an extending balcony that had two cases that arched at an angle, with the steps colored red. Below the balcony was a pair of double doors that opened into a hallway that had various other halls splintering off into different directions. And it was through here that Raine led the Hexside students through.
"The Bard Coven has many different facilities to help further your Bard magic and musical talent. Altogether we have at least fifty enclosed concert halls, and about thirty smaller amphitheaters surrounding the campus. The larger concert halls all vary as far as design and even materials," said Raine.
Luz raised her hand and asked, "Um, does that matter?"
"Yes, it does. The materials of a structure can greatly affect the quality of a sound. It can either dampen or enhance the volume of your song," Raine explained.
"But there are different spells within Bard magic that can help you bypass this and allow you to play your song at whatever volume you want. But it requires you to have good control over the air and the soundwaves you admit from your instrument or voice," Skara added.
Raine smiled as they said, "Very good, Ms. Grimamoré. Bard magic has more uses than most other Covens couldn't imagine." Raine shifted their glance to Luz for a moment and then back to the rest of the class. "Perhaps I could show you rather than tell you."
Raine led the group to a water cooler.
"Now, Luz Noceda, could you please get a cup of water and drink it?" Raine asked.
The other Bard students, as well as Luz were confused by the request, but the Latina decided to go with it. She walked up to the cooler, got a paper cup, and poured some water into it. She gulped it all down and tossed it into the trash can next to it. Raine took a cup as well and filled it with water. They made sure to show Luz that it was water before kneeling down before her. Raine brought the cup close to their mouth and then whistled.
Once Raine was done, they handed the cup to Luz and said, "Okay, now try it."
Luz carefully took the cup while the other students watched with eager anticipation. The human teen took a cautionary sip, but then her eyes lit up and she downed the rest of it. "Wow! That tastes sweet! It's like juice! How did you do that?!"
Raine stood up and smiled as they said, "I used soundwaves to alter the chemistry of the water. Changing its taste. Bard magic can be highly versatile my young witches, so long as you have the imagination to think outside the box."
Everyone was in awe of Head Witch Raine, it was clear that they had all been inspired by Raines demonstration and were now opened up to new possibilities when it came to Bard magic in general.
Wow, Eda, Raine is so cool! Luz thought.
"Now, let's continue the tour, shall we?"
Raine continued the tour by taking them to see a few of the concert halls and open-air amphitheaters. It was here that Luz decided to try and talk to Raine while the others were looking about. The Latina strode up to Raine, gaining the Head Witch's attention.
"Hey, Head Witch Raine," said Luz.
"Ah, Ms. Noceda, did you have a question?" Raine asked.
"Yeah…kinda, it might be a bit personal, though," Luz warned.
"O-Oh my. Well, I don't know if I'm the right person to ask, but I'll definitely try my best," said Raine.
Luz took a calming breath and said, "I…I live with Eda Clawthorne. I'm actually her apprentice."
Raine glanced about the area for a moment before stealthily drawing a spell circle. A small distortion in the air occurred, it was very faint if you weren't paying attention, but while everyone else didn't seem to, another being did.
"Luz, careful. Raine just did something, but I'm not sure what," La Lechuza warned.
"Raine, what did you do?" Luz asked.
Raine seemed surprised, they didn't think the young human could tell that they cast a spell but leave it to someone who was trained by Eda to catch such things. "Don't worry, I only created a barrier around us that will muffle the sound. That way, no one can hear what we're talking about. Now then, you say you're with Eda. Can I also assume that you were the second person at the Coven Day Parade who ran off with Kikimora?"
Luz nodded in confirmation.
"I see. I'd advise you not to involve yourself with any schemes like that. Eda's an adult, and she can take care of herself. But you're just a child, you shouldn't put yourself in danger," said Raine.
Luz rubbed the back of her head as she said, "Well…to be honest…that whole kidnapping scheme…it wasn't Eda's plan, it was mine."
Raine's eyes widened. "Wait, you planned that, not Eda?"
"Heh-heh…yeah. I had my own reasons for it, but it was also to help you. Raine, you're being messed with, I just know it! Eda told me about how you helped lead a rebellion against Belos!" Luz stated.
Raine pinched the bridge of their nose as they sighed. "Look, Luz, I don't know what Eda's been telling you, but as I've told her, I haven't seen her in years. That night at the parade was the first time I've seen her. I mean, why would I lead a rebellion against the Emperor?"
"Because he's evil! Look, I don't know how to explain it properly, but…I just have a bad feeling about this whole 'Day of Unity' mess. And you do realize, if whatever he's planning on doing is successful, that means Wild Witches, like Eda, will be hurt by whatever he's planning on doing on that day," Luz argued.
Raine had a troubled look on their face. "I know, but Wild Magic is outlawed for a reason, and mixing magic like Eda and the other Wild Witches do, it's against the Titan's will."
Luz crossed her arms and furrowed her brow up at them. "So, by that logic, that means everyone in the Emperor's Coven, including Belos himself, is going against the Titan's will. 'Cause they're free to mix magic and it's alright, but it's not okay for everyone else to mix magic?"
Raine had to admit, Luz was sharp.
"The Emperor's Coven and the Emperor himself have been ordained by the Titan to carryout His will. And because of that, they're allowed to mix magic freely, and those who join them are free to do the same so long as they follow the will of the Titan as dictated by the Emperor," Raine explained.
Luz growled a little at that explanation. "Raine, at least meet with Eda again. She cares a lot about you, and she's worried. She may not show it a lot, but she is."
Raine sighed heavily again. "I'm the Head of the Bard Coven, Luz. I can't associate with Wild Witches. It sets a bad example for other young witches."
"B-But you just said that music is freedom, and me learning all the different magics makes me one, too! Does that mean you're going to lock me up?" Luz asked.
"You're a student, Luz. Honestly, learning the different types of magic and figuring out which one you like best is part of learning as far as I'm concerned. But you're human, so, you're not bound by our Coven System. And I suggest that you eventually do consider a single track, or if not, please return to your world."
Luz could see that she was getting nowhere with Raine right now, as annoying as that was. "I don't know what happened to you, but I do know that deep down, you know something's up. You know how you feel about Eda. So, please, think about it."
Raine drew another spell circle and the distortion around them faded away. After it was down, Raine announced, "Let's head over to the grand concert hall, everyone."
Luz watched as Raine began walking, with the other students following behind them. The human teen walked along with them, staying at the back of the pack, but Skara slowed down until she was standing at the back with Luz.
"Hey, you alright Luz? You look a little down after talking with Head Witch Raine," said Skara.
"Oh, yeah, nothing serious. We just had a friendly debate, that's all," Luz answered.
Skara didn't seem too convinced by that answer, but she decided to not push it. "Well…if you don't mind, can I ask you something?"
"Fire away," said Luz.
"…What made you decide to finally date Amity?"
Luz blushed at little at the question as a dopey grin appeared on her face. "W-Why do you want to know?"
"I guess I'm just curious. I've known Amity for awhile now, and she's changed a lot in these last few months since you came here. And also, because your first meeting wasn't exactly a good one, from what Willow told me."
Luz chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, she almost got me dissected. Okay…well…it wasn't easy. I mean, I didn't really own up to my feelings. I had some feelings for Amity, but I was afraid. I had some leftover baggage from the Human Realm that made me afraid of putting myself out there for Amity."
Skara looked concerned. "Oh, was it that bad?"
"Let's just say that the last girl I confessed to, wasn't into me, at all, and threatened to tell the whole school that I was bi. I know that's not a big deal here, but back in my world, there are still some intolerant people, and some of them don't hesitate to openly make fun of or persecute someone for being gay, bi, or anything else other than straight," said Luz.
Skara's eyes widened with shock upon hearing this news, she didn't think the Human Realm had such backwards thinking ideals like that. And considering the music that Luz introduced her to, Skara had thought that they were similar to each other in that regard.
"Luz, I'm so sorry that happened to you! That's…beyond stupid what that girl did to you!" Skara exclaimed with anger for Luz.
"Yet another reason why I love this world. But, yeah, anyway, I was afraid that Amity might do something similar, maybe not exactly something like that girl did, but something close to it. I mean, I'm not dumb, I know Amity comes from a prestigious witch family, and that she's wealthy. But in the end, she accepted my feelings, and I accepted hers. Now we're together," said Luz.
Skara held her hands behind her back as she looked up into the sky and asked, "Do you think that…maybe…her parents might force you to not be together one day?"
Luz chuckled dryly as she answered, "Well, Odalia Blight tried to get me, Gus, and Willow expelled. That didn't work out how she'd hope. But, yeah, I know that Amity might have to stand up against her mother, I'm not really sure how her dad feels about me, I haven't really met him outside that one night at the Blight Industries showcase, but I'd like to think he'd be okay with me and Amity. I'm kind of worried about dividing her family, but Amity doesn't seem to mind going against Odalia."
Skara remembered the few times she was around Odalia. That woman had a strong presence, her smile was disarming, but deep down she felt that it was just a mask to hide how truly conniving she was beneath it. She was a shrewd business woman, there was a reason why Blight Industries was one of the most profitable companies on the Boiling Isles. Amity's father was a genius inventor, but Odalia Blight's business sense helped propel those inventions into the public eye, making them desirable. It was due to her that Skara's own family became involved, working alongside the Blight family, along with Boscha's family.
"Skara, if you don't mind me asking, why are you asking me these kinds of questions? Is there something wrong happening between you and Willow?" Luz asked.
"Oh no! No, everything's great! I'm just…worried." Skara released her hands and used her right to rub the back of her head. "I still haven't told my folks that Willow and I are dating. You see, Boscha and I were told to become friends with Amity when we were little, and while I'm still friends with her, I know that they're probably still thinking about my future. Just like Amity's parents, they expect me to associate with strong and noteworthy witches. And while I know Willow is a powerful witch…she's not what they would consider 'noteworthy'."
Skara's brow furrowed as the thought of her parents telling her that Willow was not good enough for her. And at the same time, she felt ashamed because part of her wondered if she would be able to defy them. It was one of the things she admired about Amity, she had the strength of will to go against what her mother wanted, and would no doubt continue defying Odalia no matter what she did or said.
But every time I think about doing that…I feel so afraid…and I hate myself for feeling this way! Skara thought.
When they arrived at the concert hall, Raine noticed that Skara looked a bit down. After touring the building, Raine waited at the exit and had Luz and Skara, splinter off from the group.
"Are you alright, Ms. Grimamoré?" Raine asked.
"Sorry, Head Witch Raine, I just…" Skara trailed off.
"She's feeling a bit stressed," Luz answered her.
"I see." Raine got down on one knee before Skara. They then drew a spell circle and produced a key. "Take this key. Sometimes, the best thing to do is just pour out all those emotions. You can stay behind and let them out in here. It's soundproofed, and not in use. You'll have it all to yourself."
Skara took the key and looked back at Raine as she asked, "W-What about the tour? I don't want to hold everyone up."
"Not a problem. We have to head back to the main building after this. When you're done. Just head down that path and wait for us in the commons area," said Raine.
"Are you sure?" Skara asked.
"I am. Go on."
Skara smiled appreciatively, and with that Luz and Raine left Skara in the concert hall and returned to the group.
Luz smiled a little at Raine and said, "Thank you for that."
Raine smiled back at Luz. "Sometimes, even negative emotions can create a beautiful song. If it helps her to feel a little better, then it'll be worth it."
Unknown to the students and Bard witches of the Bard Coven, a creature waited. It perched itself on the golden G clef, overlooking the entirety of the Bard Coven itself. The beast's four eyes glowed bright as it reared up its head and released a melodious cry into the air. It was time to attack.