As I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the hem of my dress, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervous excitement. Tonight was the night I was going on a date with Dakota, who was now a Death God. It was a surreal thought, even for someone like me, who had seen and experienced so much. But ever since we met, again, there was something about Dakota that drew me to him. His dark, enigmatic aura held a strange allure, and I found myself wanting to unravel the mystery that surrounded him.
I took one last look in the mirror and smoothed down my crimson dress. The color reminded me of my powers, the scarlet energy that flowed through me, connecting me to a realm beyond this one. It was a reminder of who I was, and also a reminder of the responsibility that came with my abilities.
As I made my way down stairs, my mind raced with questions. What does one wear on a date with a Death God? What do Death Gods even do? I chuckled at the absurdity of my thoughts, but the nerves didn't dissipate.
When I arrived, Dakota was already there, standing at the door, talking to Hooty, who looked excited as Dakota talked to him. They had grown close over the past week or so, and Dakota never really said why. He only said that he knows what Hooty really is and he wants him to continue looking after us.
He looked over as I approached, and a small, enigmatic smile played on his lips. Long gone was that emo kid I had forgotten and left behind, now here was a man who had become a bright and shining Death God. It's weird that he isn't gloomy for a Death God, but then again, what is a Death God supposed to be?
"Hello, Wanda." He said, Hooty laying on his shoulder as he looked at me with a large smile and tears in his eyes. His voice was deep and resonant, sending shivers down my spine.
"Hello, Dakota." I replied, feeling a rush of warmth at the sight of him. "Hooty." I said, who winked and moved back into the door. "So, where are we going?" I asked, with him smiling at me.
"Well, I have to save energy to move others from one place to another, which is why I haven't been doing anything lately." He said, before groaning. "I hate that I have to charge up on the dead in order to use my powers." He said, making me chuckle at that. "Anyways, I figured that I would take us Home!" He said, holding his hand out to me.
"Earth?" I asked, with him nodding. Taking his hand, a rift opened up behind me. Turning around, I saw the Statue of Liberty. I've seen it so many times, but I e never seen it in person. Walking through, people were talking as we did, with us looking up at the fireworks that were going off.
"The fourth of July." He said as he wrapped her arms around me. "I've never been one for this holiday, but I did enjoy the fireworks." He said, with me placing my hands on his as we watched them.
"Won't people say something about us just walking through a rift in space?" I asked, with him nodding.
"Sure, it's human nature. They have to guess what is going on." He said, speaking as if he wasn't human once before. A human who evolved into a Mutant, who was killed and brought back as some kind of vampire monster, who died again and became a Death God. He had done a lot of growing over the years, more so in the past month according to Eda.
"Wanda?" I heard, with me looking over at Steve, who was walking over to us. He wasn't in his Captain America uniform, but a traditional uniform that showed his badges of honor. "What brings you here?" He asked, looking at Dakota, who just raised an eyebrow at him.
"I'm on a date." I said as I broke the hold. "Steve, this is Dakota, the boy I left in the demon realm." I informed, knowing that I told him about Dakota once before... maybe? "Dakota, this is Steve, he is an Avenger." I said, with Steve holding his hand out to him.
"Well met." Steve said, with Dakota taking his hand and shaking it.
"Back at you Captain." Dakota said with respect, even going as far as to salute Steve. "My grandfather had mentioned the famous Steve Rogers once or twice, never thought I would meet him." Dakota said with a smile.
"Honors all mine, good to have you back home." He said, with Dakota shaking his head.
"My home is trillions of miles away, Captain, being here feels... like a dream." He said, and I knew what he was referring to. He was locked away for five years, and it cost him his life.
"I can relate." Steve said as he looked up at the statue. "There are times when I wish I stayed in the past, the good I could have done." He said as he looked back at us. "But the war is never over." He added, with Dakota nodding his head.
"If there isn't one here, then there is one somewhere else." Dakota said, where we watched his eyes go completely black.
"Are you ok?" Steve asked as he backed up, creeped out by the eyes.
"He is fine... being a newly found Death God takes its tole on him when there are a lot of souls passing through him at once." I explained, as this is the third time it has happened. "The way he said it, was that someone killed off half a planet's population. He doesn't know what's going on, and he questions the souls to either move them onto the next life or send them to hell for their deeds, most of them pass." I said as I stood in front of Dakota, with Steve standing next to me.
"I'm sorry... Death God?" He asked, with me nodding.
"It's complicated." I said as his eyes returned to normal. " Everything ok?" I asked, with him nodding.
"Yeah, it's that Thanos guy again!" He said as he crossed his arms. "He is really getting on my nerves! Like, what is his deal?" He questioned in anger.
"Something we should worry about?" Steve asked, with Dakota shrugging his shoulders.
"Maybe, but not for some time with how far he is." Dakota answered as he looked to the sky's, past the fireworks. "Taking a guess, and the distance he is traveling, and the trajectory, it will be about... then or fifteen years before he gets here, if he gets here, he just might pass Earth if it's not in position." He said with a shrug.
"I'll let Tony know, that way we can prepare for him." Steve said as he walked away, with us waving at him.
"Seriously, how close is Thanos from... What do we call Eda's Planet?" I asked as I didn't want to call it the demon realm as it wasn't really the demon realm.
"Megafauna." He said, confusing me. "I can't call it Titan as that's already a planet... or was due to Thanos. So I have to call it Megafauna." He said, confusing me on the name.
"Why Megafauna?" I asked, with him smiling.
"Because that is the species of the Titan!" He said as he looked off to the right, with me doing the same as a large rift opened, with us seeing the Dark World. "Domomo?" He asked, looking at me.
"Dormomu, and yes, that's his stick." I said as we watched it close. "Strange has it." I said, where he opened a rift and took my hand, with us walking through it and found ourself inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. "What are we doing here?" I asked as he walked over to a relic that was on display.
I watched as he made some hand signs and moved them about, with the item opening to show a green stone inside that glowed brightly. He closed it and made a few other hand signs, with barriers appearing around it. He nodded and turned around, with us walking back through the rift and finding ourselves at home.
"What just happened? What did you do?" I asked as it was confusing.
"I prevented it from being tracked, as something tells me someone is in search for it and the others." He said, confusing me on what he was talking about. "That stone is powerful, and draws evil." He said with a knowing expression, one that said danger.
"The infinity stones. You mentioned it before." I said, with him nodding.
"Hooty, is it ready?" He asked, with Hooty coming out of the ground next to him.
"Ready and steaming! Hoot!" Hooty said as he went back under ground, with Dakota leading me towards the back of the house. Once there, I saw a small table with a long candle in the middle, as well as a rose in a glass jar, much like Beauty and the Beast.
"Tabal fur two?" Luz said as she walked out of the back door, wearing a French uniform, a fake mustache, and a chiefs hat. She winked at us as she walked over to the table and pulled out one of the seats. I walked over and sat down, with her pushing it in on me. Dakota sat down across from me, with Luz looking at us both. "Za Pizza will be out in just a momento!" Luz said, before walking back inside.
"Nice plan, and Luz looks cute." I said with a smile as I looked from Luz over to Dakota, who was watching the rose.
"She is going to go on and do great things." He said as he looked back at me. "Did you know that I was the Champion of Death?" He asked, with me remembering something like that.
"The Mephisto thing... I don't know much about it, just that your father sold your soul to him." I informed, seeing the hurt expression on his face. "You didn't know?" I said as I gasped, where he looked down and shook his head.
"No... I didn't." He said as he looked at me. "How did you come across this information?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.
"When I was searching my memories after facing a mind flayer, I stumbled upon false and true memories." I said as I held my hand out, creating the shard of him in chains. "I tried over and over again to remember, and when I got a clue, I met with someone who had been searching for you ever since I lost my memories." I said, remembering Rogue and her leg. "She traced you back to your home and found your father's books. One had details of his deal with Mephisto. Your soul for your mother's life." I informed, with him nodding.
"Guess there is more to me that I didn't know." He said, looking up at the night sky. "But what I meant earlier, by being Death's champion, is that I was supposed to due her will where she could not. He said as he looked back at me. "In time, I will also have to chose a champion." He said, looking past me.
Turning around, I saw Luz walking out with a pizza in hand. "You don't mean-"
"Bonaparte!" Luz said as she set it down, with us seeing that it had a few missing pieces. "King and I got hungry!" She said with a grin, with Dakota reaching forward and rubbing her head.
"That's ok, I'll try to get more for us." He said, with me looking at him as Luz skipped away.
"She is a child!" I whispered, not approving of his choice.
"Who will one day become this planets strongest Witch." He said as he looked back at me. "I'm not asking her to do anything, but I will not interfere with anything she goes through. She is strong enough to handle it on her own." He said, with me looking back at Luz as she walked inside. "There is much to being a champion of death, more than I knew, more than she will ever know." He said as I looked back at him.
"You won't put her in harms way?" I asked, where he shook his head.
"She has a story to follow, and follow it she must." He said, with me nodding as that was good enough for me.
The next Day
As I sat in the dimly lit living room of the Owl House, my mind was filled with swirling thoughts and troubling questions. The news of a Dakota declaring Luz his Champion had sent shockwaves through my mind. I couldn't fathom the idea that a child like Luz would be chosen for such a weighty role. To add on, he wasn't going to tell her. He was going to let her be her.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching, and soon Eda entered the room with a concerned expression on her face as she looked at me. "Wanda, you look troubled? What's on your mind?" Eda asked, settling herself next to me.
I took a deep breath before speaking. "It's some heavy news. I still can't believe it myself." I said as I looked at her. "Dakota told me that he was Death's Champion before his death." I said, with Eda raising her eyebrow at me.
"What's that?" She asked, confused, with me nodding.
"I'm not entirely sure, but he was supposed to stop the end of the world or cause it. So far it looks to be the better of the two." I said as I looked at the door. "It's a huge role, and he was burdened by it without even knowing it." I said as I looked down at my hands.
"Okay, so what does that have to do with you?" Eda asked, crossing her arms.
"During our date last night, he said he chose a champion, much like himself." I said as I looked at Eda. "He chose Luz." I said, shocking Eda.
"What?" She said, her face twisting in confusion.
"Trust me, I get it." I said as I looked down at my hands again. "I can't shake off the feeling that something isn't right about it. How can he choose a child as his Champion? It doesn't sit well with me." I said as I gripped my hands together.
Eda nodded solemnly. "I get where you're coming from, Wanda. It's not an easy thing to accept. Dakota, he's not like others." She said as she looked at the hallway. "So, what do we do? Tell Luz?" She asked as she looked back at me.
"He said that he won't ask Luz to do anything, but he won't interfere in her story, as he puts it." I informed as I looked at the hallway. "He wants to keep it from her, much like he was." I said as I looked at Eda, who nodded her head. "It's hard to trust something like that. How do we know he won't change his mind? How do we know what being the Champion of Death will mean for Luz?" I asked, with her placing her hands on my shoulders.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but we have to trust him. Dakota was the previous Champion of Death, as you put it, and if he believes in Luz, then maybe we should too. I've learned that sometimes we have to have faith, even in the most unlikely of circumstances." She said with a wink.
I nodded slowly, absorbing Eda's words. Despite her reservations, I couldn't deny the wisdom in what Eda was saying. "I suppose you're right, Eda. It's just hard to wrap my head around all of this. I don't want to see Luz caught up in something she doesn't understand, that she can't handle." I said, looking back at the hallway.
"I know, kiddo. But we'll keep an eye on Luz, and we'll be here for her every step of the way. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that we can't always control the circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can control how we respond to them, even if he refuses to step in, we will." She said with a thumbs up, where her hand falls off. "Woops, need that!" She said as she picked her hand up and put it back on.
Later
Hearing the sound of magical explosions and the clatter of objects falling to the ground, I left the house, where she witnessed an unexpected sight. Luz, using her glyphs, was casting spells at a Dakota, who moved with an uncanny agility, effortlessly dodging every magical projectile sent his way.
My eyes widened in disbelief as I watched the surreal display. I hurried forward, my concern mounting with every passing moment. "What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, my voice edged with an unmistakable tone of disapproval.
Dakota paused, turning to face me with an enigmatic smile. "Ah, you've stumbled upon our little training session?" He said with a shrug.
My expression was stern as I looked at him. "This is not a game, Dakota. Luz is still a child, and using yourself as a target for her spells is reckless and dangerous!" I said as I pointed at him.
"If she does hit me, I can simply walk through it." He said as he moved over to one of her plants and walked through it. "It's cool, right?" He said, with me crossing my arms and glaring at him. He nodded as he looked over at Luz, who looked confused. "I understand. I'll step back. I won't train Luz." He said, with me looking at Luz.
Luz, who had been listening silently, lowered her glyphs and turned to face Dakota with a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "What? But I thought you said you would help me get better at using magic?" She said, with Dakota nodding his head, but has a softened gaze.
"It's not about giving up, Luz. It's about realizing that my methods may not be the right approach for you." He said as he looked at me. "Maybe Wanda is the best teacher, or Eda. They have actual magic, compared to me who uses the powers of the Cosmos." He said as he looked back at Luz.
Luz's shoulders slumped, and she cast a reproachful glance at both Dakota and I. "I can't believe this. You're abandoning me!" She said, with me seeing the hurt expression on Dakota's face.
I stepped forward, my heart aching at his pain. "Luz, we only want what's best for you. But we have to be cautious about the path you're being led down. There are dangers that you may not fully understand." I explained, where Luz shook her head.
Her eyes filled with a mix of determination and hurt. "I don't care! I want to become stronger, and if you won't help me, I'll find someone who will!" She said as she turned and stormed off, leaving us standing in the wake of her departure. I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of our collective uncertainty pressing down upon me.
As the echoes of Luz's footsteps faded into the distance, we exchanged a somber look, both grappling with the complex web of emotions that had been unraveled by the events of the day.
"I didn't expect things to escalate like this." I said, breaking the heavy silence that hung between us. "Luz is headstrong, and she's determined to prove herself, but I worry that she's being led down a dangerous path." I said, with Dakota looking at where Luz ran off.
Dakota nodded, his expression reflecting a mix of regret and understanding. "I never intended for things to unfold this way. I thought I could help her, guide her in unlocking her potential." He said as he crossed his arms.
I regarded him with a searching gaze. "You chose her as your Champion of Death, and yet you seem to be distancing yourself from her. Why? What changed your mind?" I asked as it wasn't entirely true that he was distancing himself from her, but it was at the same time.
Dakota sighed, his gaze distant as he spoke. "I don't want to push her far or advance her training. Too much and she can lose herself to power. Too little and she will die. My methods are not suitable for her." He said as he looked at me.
I nodded, acknowledging his words. "I understand your concern, but Luz is determined to become stronger, and I fear what she might do in pursuit of that goal." I said, looking over where Luz went.
Dakota's expression softened, and I met his gaze with a sense of earnest sincerity. "I won't interfere in her story, as I promised." He said as he walked over to me.
I considered his words, my mind mulling over the tangled circumstances that had brought us to this moment. "I hope you're right, Dakota. Luz is a remarkable girl, and she deserves a chance to grow and learn without the weight of the world on her shoulders." I said as he walked past me and into the house.
Later, Dakota's POV
I followed Luz, who was holding a ball of light in one hand and carrying the Owl Staff in the other through a cave. We stop when we sees a large shadow on the wall in front of us, followed by a deep laugh.
"Foolish children. Leave this place before you meet your demise!" It said, with me smirking at this tiny little demon trying to be intimidating.
"Do not underestimate me, Garlog. For I am the good witch, Luz, hunter of monsters!" She said, where she perches the staff on her shoulder like a bazooka. "Now eat this sucka—what?" She said, going from a yell to a confused question as she found out that Garlog was a tiny creature casting a shadow standing in front of a lantern. We walked over, where Luz picks him up and he lets out a squeak trying to escape.
"Isn't that funny!" I said while laughing.
"You're Garlog?" Luz said as she pulled out his wanted poster, depicting him as being much larger and worth 4,000 snails, compares it to the real thing. "This is pathetic." She said with a groan, with me giving her a thumbs up.
"Small I may be, but you will soon know fear when I lay waste to all that you—"
He was cut off by King, who eats him whole, making me laugh as King hung from Luz's hand.
"King, drop it now! Drop it now!" Luz said as she tried to get King to drop the tiny demon. King mumbles and runs off.
"Drop it! No! I'm not gonna play right now! King!" Luz said as she chased after King, making me laugh as it was hilarious.
Later
"Wow, the Emperor is really taking over." Luz said as she followed us down the street. There were guards everywhere we turned, and it wasn't a pretty sight.
"I see it too, Luz. And I'm trying to stay civil." Eda said as she kicks a demon decked out in Emperor's Coven apparel. Eda places the bag of captured demons on a scale. We wait while a shopkeeper behind a booth reading BOUNTY reads the scale.
"Tsk. Your payment." He said as he held out a single coin.
"A single snail? Are you kidding me?" Eda said, and I had to agree, it was idiotic on what he was about to do.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't done yet." He said with a laugh, before he snaps the coin in half.
"You can't do this to me. Do you know who I am?" Eda yelled as she pointed at herself.
"Yeah, you're Eda the Owl Lady. What are you gonna do? We all know you're powerless now." He said sarcastically.
Edagrowls, tries to cast a spell but the spell circle disintegrates. "Ah! What the—"
"You're powerless right now, Eda." I reminded as I stepped forward, grabbing the man by his shirt and pulling him forward. "But I'm not." I said as my head caught on fire, leaving only a skull and black flames. I made him look me in the eyes as I grabbed his face. I made him see hell, the tortures that awaited him after his death. "I have the power to make you see this for the rest of your life, never to see anything but your torment for the rest of your life!" I said as he screamed. "Give what is owed, and your sight shall be returned!?" I yelled, with him holding out a larger bag, with me taking it from him, turning off my flaming will. "Much appreciated." I said as we walked away.
"Don't worry, sister." Lilith said as she walked over to us. "At least my image still commands respect and fear!" She said as she poses in front of a Coven recruitment poster in which she is making the same pose. The poster was then promptly torched by a garbageman holding a flamethrower.
King laughed at her shocked expression. "You're a traitor." King said while pointing at her.
"What's going on? This is anarchy. Who told you to do this?" She questioned him as she grabbed his shirt and shook him. Three new Coven recruitment posters of the Golden Guard fly onto the wall, where Luz grabs one.
"The Golden Guard? Did you know him in the Coven, Lilith?" She asked as she held it out to her.
"Unfortunately, I did." She said as she grabs the poster from Luz. "He always got special treatment because he was the genius teen prodigy. But he's really just a brat. If he's in charge... vomit." Lilith said sarcastically.
She then crumples up the poster and throws it to a trashcan. It hovers right before entering, and then flies back and adheres itself to Lilith's face. She tries to rip it off, but gives up and stalks off.
"Hey, I know!" Luz said as she side hugged Eda and I, pulling us together. "What we need is a confidence boost. Why don't we take on the biggest bounty we can find? It'll be great!" She said as she runs up to a bulletin board labeled "Greg's List" and reads the posters there. "Hmm. Lost Cerberus, no. Witch cackling lessons? Uh, but maybe not today. Aha!" She said as she takes a poster down and shows it off to us. "There's something called a "Selkidomus" ravaging boats up and down the coast. We'll be on a high-seas adventure!" She said, making me smile at her choice.
"Hmm... no." Eda and Wanda said as they walked over.
"We gotta keep a low profile while my powers are weakened. And we need fast cash." Eda said, before she gasps. "How about this guy?" She said as she gestures to a poster.
"The Abominable Cutie Pie?" Luz asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, no, no. I hear it's very dangerous." Eda said before gasping again. "And look, there he is!" She said as she points to where the little demon is standing between two Hexside students, a lollipop in his hand.
Abominable Cutie Pie giggles; runs off and climbs the statue of Emperor Belos. "You'll never catch me!" He said in a high pitched tone. Luz climbs the statue, with him looking shocked. "You did it. You caught me." He said before he fall's into Luz's hands.
"Things aren't looking great, Lily." Eda said as she loaded the wagon with Wanda. "This bounty hunting stuff isn't putting food on the table. We were only able to get the snails with Dakota's help but what about the next time? Or when he leaves? We can't depend on him for everything." Eda said, with me walking over to them.
"I don't mind." I said as I stood next to Wanda. "I'm not going to up and leave you all." I said as I wrapped an arm around Wanda's waist. "You're all my family... and I guess that Includes you as well Lilith." I said, looking at her as she still had the poster on her face.
Lilith speaks, but was unintelligible under the poster.
"Oh, I'm sure Luz could handle bigger bounties." Eda said as she crossed her arms, with me knowing that Lilith was talking to Eda.
Lilith responds to Eda, still unintelligibly under the poster.
Yes, we have apple blood. I also spent the money on griffin eggs for Luz. There's not a lot she can digest here, so I make sure to have her favorites around. Eda said with a smile, with me looking at Wanda.
"Are you sure you don't want me to hunt food for us?" I asked, as I had planned on taking animals that were about to die and summon them here to be eaten, like Cows or Deer, I would take my time fishing as I enjoyed that.
"No." Wanda said as she turned to me while crossing her arms. "We are going to earn our keep, and stay on a low profile!" She said as she got into the cart and left with the sisters, with me shrugging and looking up at Luz, who was already planning on taking on the Selkidomus bounty.
King pushed the little pink bounty over, and Luz jumps off and landed on him. "This is awful. Eda wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me. Maybe it would be better if I never came here." Luz said as she placed her hands in her pockets, looking down.
"You can't change the past, but you can still change the future." I encourage as I walked over to her, with her looking up at me. "You found me, something that no one else could do. "You changed me, not some Death God or Lilith or even Belos or Verona, YOU!" I said as I pointed at her. "I was all like "God, I am so angry with the world, please let me die, let me kill Lilith and Belos!" I said as I made fun of my so called Emo Phase.
This made Luz laugh, cheered up as well. "I'm gonna help Eda and prove that I'm more than just a burden." She said as she struck a pose, with me clapping for her.
Later
I placed the Bounty poster down, with Luz looking at the salesman. "The Selkidomus hunt. We want in!" She said, with him nodding and pulling out some paperwork.
Later
"You think you can handle this, squirt?" Captain Salty asked Luz, with me standing next to her in a pirate costume, looking Like Captain Jack Sparrow!
"I can handle anything." Luz said with confidence.
Salty lets Luz and I in, with me stopping and leaning against him. "Listen mate, tell your golden friend it's not nice to stare, it's also creepy." I whispered, before backing away and seeing his shocked expression. "Now, just lead me towards the Apples Blood! That's all I've come for!" I said, wobbling up the ramp as I wanted to play the part of Captain Jack Sparrow!
Later, Wanda's POV
Walking into the living room, I looked down at Lilith, who holds her now burned recruitment poster. Eda walked in behind me, wearing a bandolier of orange potions.
"Hey, Lily, Wanda! How do I look?" Eda asked as she shook the bandolier.
"What are you up to?" I asked as I crossed my arms, knowing that she was up to something.
Edaflops onto the couch, looking at me. Nothing... yet. She said with a girl before looking at Lilith. "Getting nearly scammed at the market was such a bummer, but it gave me an idea on how to earn a little more cash!" She said as she rubbed her fingers together. "You wanna come? I may not be at full power, but I can still make potions!" She offered as she dangles a potion over Lilith's head.
"I am quite fine. Thank you." Lilith said as she pushes Eda away.
"I'm out as well, I've still got to find out where Dakota ran off... and Luz is gone as well." I said as I looked down at Lilith.
"Aight!" Eda said as she jumped up, walks to the door and opens it. "Have fun wallowing in self-pity and feeling bad for cursing me. Bye-eeee!" She said as she leaned all the way back before she leaves.
Lilith rips her poster to bits out of anger and sighs. "I guess I deserve this." She said, with me sitting next to her as I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't punish yourself." I said, knowing what it could do to yourself as I had done the same.
"There's gotta be a way to make it up to her." She said, lying down. She chuckles, gets up and walks over to the book shelf, grabbing one of the many books and opens to a page. "Ooh. I bet she would love a peek inside the castle." Lilith said, where she rips the page out.
I fixed the book and the page, even taking the book away from her with my magic. "Why can't you two leave a book in one piece!" I said as I caught the book. "It ruins the book! If you want to use the page, take the book!" I said as I walked over to her and shoved the book into her chest. "Return the book, and if that page is torn out, I'm turning you into a frog!" I threatened, pointing at her as I got into her face before walking away.
"So bossy!" Lilith said, with me turning to face her, watching her stiffen up.
"Bossy?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes at her. "Hooty!" I called, with said bird thing extending its neck inside. "Wherever Lilith goes for the next Day, and I mean twenty four hours, you are to be with her!" I said as I pointed at Lilith, who looked shocked. "Show her what it's like to have a "Bestie" as you call it." I said, smirking at the excited expression on his face.
"BESTIE!?" Hooty yelled as he moved over to Lilith, who screams, falls and drops the book. "How's my bestie doing?" Hooty asked as he looked at the book, and the page it was turned to. "A scrying potion!? Lulu, you're trying to spy on your old buddies? I can help! We can find out their crushes!?" He said as he rubs his face against hers. "We can give them cute couple names!" He said, getting a groan from Lilith.
Later, Dakota's POV
"Beware his maw, King of the Undertow; One who takes the strongest below!" I sand as I danced on the ship, everyone clapping their hands. "Tale of one who creates the thunder; One who took me under too!" I sang as I put my hands over my mouth and leaned forward. "I'll tell you the story from many years ago; Before we had taken this town for our own!" I sang as I stood up straight and started clapping with them as I skipped around. "A fearsome monster of the ocean was lurking; Upon the shores of our home!" I sang as I moved around the ship, getting more and more of them to chant. "Our crewmen would leave and they'd seldom return; And those who did told of the beast who incurred! The wrath of the gods who lived beneath the sea; The one they only called the King! I sang as I now stood on the edge of the boat. "Beware his maw, King of the Undertow, One who takes the strongest below!" I sang as I held my arms out. "Tale of one who creates the thunder; One who took me under too!" I said as I leaned back, falling over.
Once in the water, I could feel the boiling heat. I swam under the ship, knowing that everyone was looking for me. Once I reached the other side, I swam up and grabbed the rope. Pulling myself up, I now stood onto the edge of the Ship once again, only the other side.
"No one from that city would come to our aid; As our children would suffer day after day!" I sang, with them turning to face me and cheering. "Our supplies would soon drain, only there for their gain; Lack of supply made for a great pay! No longer could we wait for someone to arrive; We decided that we could no longer stand by; With the strongest of us taking the boldest of us; We'd finally take down the King!" I sang with the waves picking up, hitting me in the back. "Boom Crash! Went the raging storm; Boom Crash! As we faced down our foe; Boom Crash! Went the tail of the beast; But we are not easy to beat!" I sang, with every Boom and Crash there were waves that hit me. "Boom Crash! As the battle wore on; Boom Crash! Our men remained so strong! Boom Crash! But as we thought we'd won; The bastard he breached and took one of us down." I sang as I faced the sea. "It was darker than night, in the maw of the beast; All I could taste was my blood and the sea; But ever as I knew the end was approaching; I knew he was waiting for me!" I sang as I made a fist, looking at it as I held it up.
"What did you do?" One of the questioned, with me looking at them over my shoulder.
"You want to know what I did?" I sang as a question, with the others grouping themselves together.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" They all cheered.
"You want to know what I did?" I sang as I turned to face them all, grabbing hold of the rope that was next to me.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" They cheered, their voices louder than before.
"I'll tell you what I did!" I said as I pulled my sword out of my sheath and cut it! I flew towards the air, with me getting to the top. "I screamed louder than lightning burned the king inside out!" I yelled, with fire being shot up behind me, with me holding my sword towards the sky, lightning striking the sword and shocking me.
Everyone started cheering, with me looking at Luz and King, who gave me a thumbs up. I jumped off, with me coming to a slow decent before touching the ground. "You should be in show biz!" King said, where I shook my head.
"Nope, just putting on a show as entertainment!" I said as I ruffled their heads.
"Well, ye had me confront my own biases and I got nothing but respect for ya now, squirts. I mean, sailors!" Captain Salty said as he walked over to us, winking.
"Thanks, Salty. You make us feel like a real part of the crew!" Luz said with a smile.
"Well, that's because you arghhhh!" He said, where everyone started cheering.
A hand bird grabbed King's cracker, shocking him as it flew towards the door as he fought against it. We watched as the cracker went towards the Captains cabin, where it went under the door. King gave chase, going into the Captains cabin.
I smirked as it would only lead to more entertainment further down the line.
Later
"We're here. The Simmering Shoals. Eyes peeled, mates." Salty said as we looked out as a burning ship sails past. Sailors take off their hats and pay respects to the dead. "She's close." He added, where the Selkidomus tail thwacks against the side of the ship.
"She's here!" Luz pointed out, where she takes out an ice glyph and corners the Selkidomus with ice pillars. She then proceeds to pull out a plant glyph and then wraps it in vines, where she starts pulling it onto the ship.
"Help her, boys! Put your backs into it!" Salty ordered, with me standing there as I knew it was no use. "What are you doing!?" He yelled, with me smirking at him as Luz ties the vine onto the ship.
"Just this." I said as an explosion takes place on deck. Luz falls over, then gets back up as the Selkidomus breaks free and swims away. I looked over to see a silhouette of someone carrying a bag of money.
"Is that a—a ghost pirate?" Salty said in shock.
"The money! We're being robbed!" Luz said as she caught onto what was going on, partially.
The thief jumps off the ship onto a speedboat before heading to a nearby island. Luz summons a boat-shaped block of ice using an ice glyph, jumps on, then propels herself with a fire spell after them. I walked over to the edge with Captain Salty, who watched Luz take off.
"Show that specter what for, Luz!" He said, making me smile as I jumped over the edge, now standing on the air. "What!?" He said, shocked as I started walking after them.
"This is where we take our leave." I said, watching as someone gave chase ahead of me, where I dove into the water and passed them before they could get to Luz.
Later
Walking out of the water, I caught the gold. "Honestly, you two should stop." I said as I placed the gold down and placed a foot on it, keeping it where it was as the boiling water tried taking my feet from me. They both looked at me, with the thief looking away. "Don't you think it's time to show yourself, Eda?" I asked, with Luz looking at her.
Luz walks over and knocks off her hat, revealing it to be Eda. "Eda!" Luz said, shocked.
Eda sheepishly chuckles as she was found out. "Hey." Eda said as she looked at Luz.
"Why are you robbing our ship? And what happened to your legs?" Luz asked as we looked down and saw her legs were gone. They jumped out of the boat and proceeded to reattach themselves.
"It's called "disguising your tracks". Now, why were you on that ship to begin with? You coulda' gotten killed!" Eda said as they both stood up, looking at each other.
"That can still be arranged." A voice came from behind, where I looked over my shoulder as a giant water fist rises from the sea. I watched as a Golden masked guard landed next to me, aiming his staff at me. "Hello, criminals. What's about to happen should be relatively painless, if you just do what I say." He said, making me smirk at him.
"Sure, whatever you say." I said with a shrug, where Eda and Luz looked at me.
"And why are you so calm?" Luz asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You hate the Emperor's Coven!" Eda yelled, with me looking at them.
"Because he has King." I pointed out, with the Golden Guard looking shocked.
"Guess one of you has a brain, you two are standing on a plant that eats flesh." He said, pointing at Luz and Eda. We looked at them and watched as they jumped off it, freaking out. "Okay, the human will remain a sailor to repay all the money she lost, while the Owl Lady will be arrested, again, for attacking one of the Emperor's ships." He said before looking at me. "You will be executed, again, as that is his majesty's orders." He said, making me smirk.
"Emperor's ship?" Luz said, shocked at the news before looking at Eda.
"They're the only ones worth robbing." She said before turning to the Golden Guard. "Why are you guys hunting the Selkidomus? It's a peaceful creature, and you're provoking it!" She said, defending the creature.
"The Emperor ordered me to slay one. I'm just following orders." He said with a shrug, with me shaking my head.
"Such a disappointment." I said, where he turned to face me. "Eda, Luz, go deal with the creature!" I said as I pointed at the cave. "As for you, I believe that we have a dance number to attend." I said, summoning my scythe and placing it down next to me.
"Ok, don't want to get in the way of this!" Eda said as she grabbed Luz's arm and dragged her away.
"Sending them to their doom to face me alone? How foolish." He said as I smirked at him.
"Are you sure that is what happened?" I asked as I held my head up. "My, how little Belos knows about me. To send a disgusting soul like yours after me." I said as I could see the twisted and hurt souls covering him.
"You are one to talk, Monster!" He said as he aimed his staff at me, with red energy flaring up.
"Monster?" I questioned, watching as his body exploded into millions of tiny pieces. The cage holding King fell, rolling closer to me. I watched as he rose out of the ground in front of me, his mask falling off, showing me the terrified expression. "My dear boy, I am no longer a Monster." I said as I watched it happen again, with him coming back once more and throwing up.
"What... what did you do?" He asked as he exploded once more and came back.
"Don't you hear it?" I asked a s I placed a hand over my heart as he died and reappeared once more. "The beating heart of Death himself?" I said, watching him come back after exploding. "The vibrations that radiate off of my body are intense, are they not?" I asked as he died and came back once more, this time two feet away from me. I leaned forward, getting into his face, seeing the pure terror in his eyes. "Your soul looks better now." I said with a smile as I held my hand out to him, where I snapped my fingers, watching as he exploded and came back once more.
"ENOUGH!?" He yelled out of fear, backing away from me once he came back. "STAY AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!?" He yelled, with me standing up straight.
"I have the power to kill you with ease, and bring you back with a thought." I said as I grabbed the scythe and placed it on my shoulders. "Don't mistake this as an act of kindness, because it isn't. This is a warning. You try to screw with my plans, or the people I care for, and you won't come back!" I warned, watching as he picked up his mask and put it on to hide his fear.
"You win! I won't touch any of them!" He said, with me walking over and picking up the cage that held King.
Later
'I put the fear of God in him.' I thought as I kept my eyes on the Golden Guard. He stood as FAR away from me as possible, but still able to look at the entrance of the cave. Seeing him look up, I looked over at the entrance myself as we heard fighting. We watched as Eda was knocked away and Luz was fighting the Selkidomus through their shadows. Luz slays it, and begins dragging its head into view.
"Oh, that thing smells awful. Why are you touching it with your hands? Gross." He said, looking away and at me.
"You're gross!" Luz said, before looking at me, seeing I had King already.
"Thank you for your service. You can find your own way home. And try to stay out of trouble." The Golden Guard said as he started to fly away. "As for you!" He said, looking at me as he stopped in the air. "I will not forget what you did here today, Monster." He said before taking off at top speed.
"Nice work, faking its death." I said as I gave her a thumbs up, shocking her.
"What!? But how!?" She asked, making me smirk.
"I'm Death, remember?" I stated the obvious, with us walking into the cave to see Eda making more glyphs and using magic.
"My first glyph. Did I do good?" Eda asked as she held a ball of light out to us.
"Yeah. You did great." Luz said with a proud smile as the Selkidomus and her baby came closer. The baby comes up to Luz and hugs her, which she returns.
"Baby! Awww." Luz said as I walked out of the cave to give them their moment.
Later, Wanda's POV
"I'm sorry for sending you away before. It's hard for me to ask for help." Lilith said as I walked in with bandages. Hooty got hurt because of her, and I was having her treat Hooty's wounds.
"It's okay. I'm sorry for being all nosy-nosy. But hey, Lulu, every friendship comes with its ups and downs. Right, best friend?" Hooty said as I passed the bandages to Lilith.
"I'm not commenting on that... Hootsifer." Lilith said with some hesitation, but smirked as she gave him a nickname.
Hooty got excited about the name. A nickname? Hooty yelled before laughing. "Hoot." The cauldron with Lilith's scrying spell finished brewing, with it glowing and bubbling.
"The scrying potion, it's ready!" Lilith said with a gasp. The door then opened, with me watching as a tired Eda and Luz through the door. Dakota wasn't tired, he had a smile on his face as he walked in with King in his arms.
"We're home." Eda said before she tripped over Hooty.
"Eda, come here!I have a gift for you." Lilith said as she picked her sister up and takes her to the cauldron. To prove that I'm trustworthy, I'm giving you a peek inside the Emperor's Castle!" She said, with me walking over as well.
Looking in, the cauldron shows a corridor at the Emperor's Castle that splits into two paths. Four distracted guards at each side are doing nothing. A guard on the left turns to the guard on the right.
"'Sup?"
"'Sup?"
"What are we supposed to do with this?" Luz asked as she didn't know what to do with this.
"Whatever you want. Don't you see? These troops don't know what to do with themselves. So, go crazy. Pull whatever pranks your heart desires. They're clueless without me!" Lilith said with pride.
"Oh, Lily, you couldn't have been more right. And that Golden Guard... what a chump." Eda said, where Dakota busted out laughing. "Oh, we're in a good mood. Who wants to get takeout and draw faces on Hooty?" Eda asked as she started to leave.
"No..."
"Yay! Me, me, me! I do! Yeah! I'm in!" Luz said as she followed, with Lilith, Dakota, and I stay back. King was still in his arms fast asleep.
"I'll protect you, Hootsifer." Lilith said, with Dakota looking at her.
"Hootsifer? Are we giving nick names? I want to do nicknames!" He said as he looked at King. "I shall call you... I actually don't know. Lilith! You're Lulu! Wanda! You're... Wan Wan? He said as I walked over to him and kissed his cheek.
"Don't call me that!" I said as I patted his cheek as I walked off to go to bed myself.