Here we are, chapter 6 of MoO, damn near at the end of the year with the most inconsistent uploads. When I first started this I was so hesitant to continue because I genuinely didn't think I'd be committed enough to keep this going, but here we are. I also legitimately thought about scrapping this whole fanfic because I lost a solo flawless run of Duality when I was so close. I mean, I got it eventually. But why in Hell would I ever write a fanfic about the enemy species that's killed me a good 50-something times over and over again? I've hated the Cabal for a good month or so but then I remembered that the Taken and Scorn exist. (me and the cabal are best buds now)
Anyways, let's get into this chapter! Enjoy!
"Where had this child taken me? A slain beast? A monument? A tomb? All I could see were the colossal remains of what I can only assume is a 'Titan'. Much larger than the Land Whales of Torobatl. How could these beings trap the Collector in his vast prison, while being lifeless? I inquired with him, hoping to get an answer."
"There's one more Titan in the Demon Realm and he's the one who did this to me. He didn't want to play all of a sudden, and I want to find him so I can ask him why.""How could I be so naive? The great Emperor Calus? Of course! One more, one more! I thought to myself. Wondering how I could move an army of Cabal from beyond the Anomaly to a completely different realm to help the Collector, I asked, 'How would I be able to help you find this Titan and bring it to it's knees without my army? It would be impossible for just the two of us. I have not enough transports to bring my army here.' I took the silent time to think to myself.
"Hmmmm. I have an idea! When I was sneaking around your ship, I saw a room with a bunch of big guys that looked just like you! Instead of your army, use those!"
"Sneaking around my Leviathan? No matter. No warrior could beat the power of the most divine Cabal, hmm? This child knew real potential. 'But should I waste such valuable resources on a possible hoax?' I asked"
"C'mon buddy, why would I do something like that? I'm your friend! I just want your help finding another friend!"
"I scoffed at the fact he called me a friend. I won't be used by such a pathetic creature. Though, I can't deny its power. If he had to be trapped by supposed Gods, then who am I to question him?"
"So? Are you still in?"
"He floated around me, his shadow looming all over, despite being directly in front of me. 'I am at your service.' I said. It made me fall ill just regurgitating those words. But in the name of power, I will persevere. No, I will triumph. When this is over, the Collector will be at my service."
The bell screamed throughout the halls of Hexside, it was time for transition to the next class.
Ilzat and Qexal stood at the entrance inside, catching glimpses of students leaving their classes.
"That noise…it is terrible…" Ilzat said to Qexal, his eye straining due to the noise..
"It is no worse than the alarms of the Leviathan. When those Red Legion dogs attacked us, I could not stand them. I almost threw myself out of the nearest airlock." Qexal responded.
"Ah yes, it is a shame I couldn't witness Ca'uor being cremated within his own armor. Though I am grateful I was not in the way of the Guardians. Bloodthirsty beasts they are."
"Enough reminiscing, we must focus. We shall split up, spare no corner of this place, find anything you can." Qexal commanded.
"I do not doubt the emperor's wisdom, but I do doubt that this will yield favorable results. But, I will oblige the orders of Emperor Calus." Ilzat replied, he walked off to find anything of interest, leaving Qexal at the entrance to find anywhere to go.
Qexal continued forward into what he could only imagine as a 'labyrinth of education', and moved to fulfill his emperor's orders.
Luz walked to her next class, Abomination Magic. As she walked in, she found Amity already sitting down, waiting for class to start and sat down next to her. "Hey, Amity! Nice to see you today!" Luz said cheerfully as she got herself situated.
Amity blushed a little, hiding her face, "Hi, Luz. It's nice to see you too. How are you doing?" She asked, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, I'm doing fine, just a little confused about something in particular." Luz noticed Amity hiding her face, and could see hints of red on it, "Hey, are you…blushing?" Luz asked with a smug look.
Amity hid her face even more, "No! It's…a…burn. Yeah! A burn. Anyways, let's not worry about that!" She laughed nervously and calmed herself down, turning to face Luz. "But what was it that you were confused about!?"
"Yeah…right. Well, do you remember that time we went into the big golden statue's mind?"
"Yeah, it's kind of hard to forget something like that. Y'know, especially since we almost died in there."
"Well, the guy has some of his lackeys here at Hexside and they're supposedly 'documenting' the school, but I don't trust em' a whole lot."
"Wait, back up. They're here? Right now? But I thought they left when we freed the guy from his own mind?"
"I thought the exact same thing, until I found one of them in a forest near our house. I even went on a manhunt for him just to get some answers, and here we are now."
"Wow, that's crazy, Luz. Why do you think they want to document Hexside of all places?"
"Me, Willow and Gus talked about it already, and none of us are sure. But whatever it is, it can't be good. Buuuut also, I might have had something to do with it."
"What!?" Amity responded with a confused expression.
"Okay, they're documenting the entirety of the Demon Realm for the records of their empire or whatever, so I thought, 'Hey, why not invite them to where Witches go to learn how to use their magic?'. And that's kinda how they got the idea of coming here. I totally forgot about that, sorry." Luz explained apprehensively.
Amity sighed, "Well, what's the worst they can do, huh?"
"You might be right, maybe I'm looking into this a bit too much. But I'm still keeping an eye on them, and you probably should too, just to be safe."
"Of course, Luz. Just show me what they look like and I'll keep an eye out."
Luz showed Amity her drawing of one of the Psions. "It's not the best drawing, but you'll be able to tell who it is when you see them."
"You got it. Now we should probably focus, class is starting." Amity faced the front of the class.
"Right." Luz did the same.
Meanwhile, in the war room of Caiatl's command vessel, she was meeting with Zavala, Commander of the Vanguard. The Empress stood tall in front of the Commander with two of her Imperial Guard flanking her for extra support.
"The reward for wayward Cabal is death. This, Commander, is the fate that Calus will face." Caiatl spoke. "I will show know sign of weakness, no sign of slowing down in my search for Calus."
"I understand, Empress. But with a looming Vex threat to the Last City, the Vanguard asks for your help. Help us, and we will help you find your father, and bring him to justice." Zavala's deep, commanding voice responded. "Think of the Cabal, your Cabal that will fall due to Vex schemes and attacks."
"No, Commander. They are Cabal, just as you are a Guardian. I have nothing but reason to believe your Vanguard will survive this 'Endless Night'. My forces will be departing to investigate my father's whereabouts." Caiatl responded, standing her ground.
Zavala sighed, disappointed, "I have no doubt in the Eliksni and their ability to help us stop this, but we need all the help we can get. And you are a worthy ally, Empress."
Caiatl let out a slight laugh in flattery. "And you, a worthy warrior, Zavala. Perhaps another time we may see eye to eye, in a time of dire situation. I hold nothing against you and your Guardians, but this is simply a matter of priority, Commander."
Zavala looked down, shaking his head in dismay, "I understand, Empress Caiatl. Should the Last City come out of this crisis unscathed, we shall see if we can both come to an agreement with each other, in another time of need."
"If I could spare my forces, I would. But in a time like this, I need every soldier I can muster. But trust that the Red Legion remnants of Sol will defend themselves from Vex incursions, inadvertently defending your city. For now, I bid you farewell, Commander Zavala." Caiatl bowed.
"Farewell, Empress." Zavala transmatted out of Caiatl's ship.
Caiatl turned around to be greeted by a Psion, the same one who informed her of the abandoned Cabal ship.
"Empress Caiatl." The Psion bowed.
Caiatl looked down to meet the Psion's face. "You may speak."
"I overheard your conversation with Commander Zavala, and if I may add my own outlook, I think we should stay here in Sol. I feel as if it would be more beneficial for the Imperial Cabal, and you." The Psion spoke, with her scrawny voice.
"Duly noted, Vruzra. But we will be pursuing Calus. Nothing will change my mind." The Empress responded, beginning to walk out of the room, leaving Vruzra behind.
Vruzra ran back in front of Caiatl, "My Empress, I hate to ignore your words, but we must stay! We don't even know where Calus is!"
Caiatl snarled, "Are you my advisor? Or my commander? We know where Calus is now, thanks to the Guardian's investigations aboard the Glykon Volatus, and the fleet will mobilize to find him."
The Psion lowered her head, "My apologies, Empress. I overstepped my station."
"Do not fret, Vrexra. I assure you that once I have that traitor, Calus aboard my ship and at the tip of my blade, we will return to Sol. We may not conquer the Vanguard, but we will surely find an ally in them."
"A return that will be long forgotten." Vruzra mumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" Caiatl leaned in.
"Nothing, my Empress." Vruzra bowed, and began to walk away.
Caiatl stopped her, "Vruzra, before you depart, inform the fleet of our departure, make sure all our forces are accounted for. No able-bodied Cabal shall be spared for this."
"Yes, Empress Caiatl." Vruzra walked out of the room. Caiatl soon followed, the two of them walking their separate ways.
The bell at Hexside screeched once more, the next class was soon.
"Must that alarm be so insufferable?" Ilzat remarked.
Luz walked out of class next to Amity, covered in Abomination goo. "Ugh, this is going to take forever to wash out. How do you even get Abomination goo off your clothes anyway?" She asked, frustrated. She wasn't paying attention ahead of her and bumped into Ilzat, who was surveying his surroundings. "Woops! Sorry! I didn't see you there." Luz looked up to face Ilzat. "It's you!" She had noticed she got some of the Abomination goo on his cloak. "Hey, you have a little something on you."
Ilzat looked at the sleeve of his cloak, saying nothing.
"Wow, Luz. Your drawing was…somewhat accurate." Amity commented.
"Really? Well, not to toot my own horn but, I did try my best." Luz responded gleefully.
"And is there any way you could try your best to cleanse my cloak, human?" Ilzat added, slightly agitated.
"Alright, kind of rude." Amity mumbled under her breath, but nonetheless, she stepped forward, "I'll clean your cloak for you. You wanted to see some magic?" Amity waved her hand around, and the goo on Ilzat's cloak began to glow, and float off of it, she then manipulated the goo off of Luz's uniform. She took it all and formed it into a ball that she threw into a nearby trash can.
Ilzat was impressed, he hadn't seen anything like it before, only being told stories of such feats by Psions who survived encounters with Guardians, "I have never seen such power before. And all Witches are capable of such things?"
"It all depends on what you want to do. Some Witches can only learn and do one type of magic, but recently, students here at Hexside have been able to do multiple types." Amity responded.
Luz stepped in between them, "And it's thanks to yours truly." She said, putting her thumb to her chest.
Amity giggled, "Yep, would have never happened without you, Luz."
"Hm, superb. Truly something to go on the records. Thank you, Witch and human. I will be continuing my documentation." Ilzat walked away into the crowd of students.
Amity looked as Ilzat disappeared, "Wow, he was…weird, and somewhat rude. But it could have been worse." She said.
"Yeah well, what can we do about aliens that are probably from an entirely different realm." Luz responded. "Also, thanks for getting all that goop off of me. Eda would have flipped if she had to wash all that." She extended her hand out for a high-five.
Amity stared at Luz, not knowing what she was trying to do, until Luz put her other hand in the air and slapped her hands together. "Oh!" Amity high-fived herself.
Luz facepalmed and sighed, "Um, good enough. You guys'll learn one day." The bell screamed again. "I should get to class! Later, Amity!" She bolted off to her next class.
"Bye, Luz!" Amity waved with a smile, walking to her next class.
Aboard the Leviathan, Calus was conversing with Primus Za'aurk, "I must admit, waiting for reports is…tiresome. My eagerness has always been something that others thought to be a weakness." Calus laughed heartily. "But I understand why constant reports are a danger to this mission. What are your thoughts, Primus?"
Za'aurk faced Calus, "I still firmly believe an invasion should be in order, my lord. There is no possible reality where these Witches can resist the might of the Cabal." The Primus leaned in and clenched his fists.
"I know what it is like to want something, to establish dominance. I know all too well. But do not underestimate the Witches, Za'aurk. I have heard…myths, legends of their own emperor. Belos, I believe. He's been emperor of those Witches for as long as I was trapped. I was never made aware until recently, of course."
Za'aurk sat back, calming himself, "Ah, yes the 'great' Emperor Belos. The Witches believe him to be a savior. But he is nothing more than a tyrant. It reminds me of how our people viewed you during Ghaul's coup."
Calus scoffed, turning his face away, "Do not mention such a thing."
"Apologies, my lord. But back to our topic, Belos has been the emperor of the Demon Realm for as long as you were trapped, hundreds of years we believe. What is most interesting is that a squad of Cabal went missing searching for a ruler of the Demon Realm, in hopes that they could somehow help us in our pursuit of freeing you." Za'aurk stood up, "This was when we first lost contact with you. We thought nothing of their disappearance, but after several days, we had given up hope. They were Cabal after all, they failed their mission. They wouldn't have been allowed back aboard this ship anyway."
"So, does this mean we have been compromised?" Calus asked.
"No, but I do know that Witch scribes have written stories about an alien emperor from another realm, being trapped inside of a statue. That could be none other than you, my lord."
Calus chuckled, "It only gets more interesting the further you go on."
"I am sure that none of those Demons or Witches know of our presence, except for the ones we encountered. But tread carefully with how you move our forces, my lord. There is someone else that knows, and it must be Belos."
"I am certain he thinks of that altercation as nothing more than an isolated event. Until recently, our presence hasn't been discovered. The Psions will serve their purpose as intended, we will discover a way to harvest and use magic for ourselves, then, we do what Cabal do best. Conquer."
"I look forward to the thrill of battle once more! Let us hope these Psions will report back soon!" Za'aurk raised a fist into the air in anticipation. "I grow restless, Emperor Calus!"
Calus laughed, "Your time will come soon, Za'aurk, I can assure you."
Za'aurk bellowed, and started to walk away, "Certainly it will. But do not blame me if a rather premature invasion occurs, my lord. You can not suppress the fighting spirit of a Cabal for too long. Lest he lashes out on the first meek being he sees." The Primus continued on out of the throne room.
"Hmph. A soul like Ghaul's, a temper like Caiatl's. No doubt I will have to keep him in check." Calus said to himself. Soon after, he dozed off, absorbed in the thoughts of what could have been, had he not been betrayed. "Ghaul, what I would do to have you by my side again. What did I do to earn your mistrust?" He asked himself, laying his head on his hand. "There is no point in mulling over the past. There is no better opportunity than the fruits of the weak." Calus thought about Za'aurk's words. He himself felt suppressed, in need of a lashing out. His head turned to the guards standing behind him, "Guards, prepare the Menagerie for...revitalization. For the special guests in mind, I would love if they participated in its activities."
The final class at Hexside had just ended. Qexal observed as all the students left the building. He felt a presence creeping behind him, and turned around to be faced by Principal Bump.
"I take it you and your friend have documented all you need from this fine school?" Bump inquired.
"Yes, a fine school indeed. Our work is far from over, but so far, this is a step forward for us." Qexal responded. "We've learned much about the magic of Witches, and how it is learned and honed. This was simply an opportunity that we could not pass up."
Bump's eyes lit up from the compliments. "Oh, many thanks. It was my honor and pleasure. I do wish I could have shown you around personally, but my duties as a principal always come first. I am sure you understand, yes?"
"Of course, Principal Bump. We will make sure to personally make note of your hospitality."
Ilzat soon arrived at the entrance of the school, "Greetings, Principal Bump. Thank you for letting us tour your institution. It is surely a fine one."
"Thank you, thank you both for the kind compliments. And I am honored to be featured in your records." Bump chuckled softly, "It's not everyday a Witch is given such an honor."
"Our pleasure. For now, farewell. May our paths cross again." Qexal said, as he and Ilzat bowed, before walking away from the school.
Bump waved at the pair as they walked off. He turned around, walking back into the school. As he walked, he summoned a book and opened it, quickly skimming through the pages. He stopped as soon as he found the page he was looking for, "Ah-ha! There it is. I've been doing my research on you." The page Bump was looking at was an illustration of a large, golden statue reminiscent of a supposedly vegetative Calus. "Not so slick and secretive. Anyone who has done their reading on you could recognize you and your subordinates an island away. Ever since your two servants approached my school, I knew something was awry. But he couldn't be free, could he? Even after being trapped by the magic of Titans? Simply impossible. Then where did those two come from? And who ordered them here? I must report this to the Emperor's Coven immediately." Bump continued on to his office in a rush.
Luz arrived back home and immediately flopped on the couch, letting out a sigh of relief. Eda walked into the room with Owlbert on her shoulder, "Hey kiddo! How was school with your weird alien friends?"
Luz looked up at Eda with a tired face, "Oh, y'know, it was like any other day with weird aliens, except this time I didn't trust the aliens. Also, it was another typical school day, but I'm a little tired today for some reason. I'm fine though."
"Sounds tough, kid. But hey, it's not like they tried anything funny while they were there. So that's good, huh?"
"Hmmm, yeah, sure." Luz got off the couch, and could feel her stomach growling, "Anyway's I'm hungry! Did you make anything to eat, Eda?"
"In fact, I did make something to eat!" Eda said cheerfully, before scratching her head, "Although I'm not too sure if your human stomach would be able to digest it."
"Oh, don't worry! I can take it for sure!" Luz said confidently.
"Alright, I'll be right back." Eda ran off to the kitchen, grabbing a closed pot off the stove.
As Luz waited, she could feel King hugging her leg, "Hey, King!" She rubbed the top of his head.
"Luz, where have you been!? It's felt like years since we've last seen each other!" King exclaimed dramatically.
"Uh, I've been at school. Just like any other day, King." Luz chuckled.
"Right! I always forget that! Did you learn any magic that your little human hands could do?" The little Demon asked.
"Eh, more or less. As much as I love Hexside and it's magic, I think I'll continue experimenting with the glyphs when I'm not there." She sat back down.
Eda walked back into the living room with the pot and sat it down on a table. "I call this...the Clawthorne special!" She said as she opened the lid, revealing a pot full of greenish slop, with eyeballs and a few tentacles popping out from the bottom. "I probably should have cooked it a little longer, but I think it'll be just fine to eat."
Luz looked at the dish in disgust, throwing up a little in her mouth, "Um, you know what, Eda? I think I'll pass on dinner this evening."
"What? Why? You didn't even try it yet!" Eda said, disappointed.
"No, no, it's alright. I've already had something like that before and I didn't like it very much." Luz said awkwardly as she walked to her room.
Eda shrugged her shoulders, "Your loss, kid." She took a spoon and took a sip from the dish she made. She immediately threw up in her mouth a little, spitting it out. "Now that - is true cuisine." Eda looked down at King, "Hey, King! Do you wanna try some?"
"Boy, do I!?" He said excitedly. Eda picked some of the slop up with the spoon, and put it near King's mouth. He took a bite and his cheeks turned green. "Eda...this is one of the most delicious meals you've ever made!"
"Yep! My prowess as a chef continues to grow, day after day!" Eda exclaimed cheerfully.
"You should go pro one day! Make your own show and stuff."
"Heh." Eda put her hands on her hips, "Once we get all this Belos stuff out of the way, yeah. I'd love to do something like that. Maybe not in the cooking category. But we'll figure that out when we get there, of course."
"We'll for sure make it there. That good for nothin' Belos is no match for the King of Demons and his loyal companions!" King yelled optimistically.
Eda laughed, "Yeah, we'll make him feel the pain alright. Now I'm gonna go get some sleep. Hooty can eat the leftovers." She stretched, scratched her back and walked to her room, with King following quietly.
Qexal and Ilzat walked through a night-stricken Bonesbourough, looking for a place to contact Calus. Just then, a group of people, all in masked uniforms began walking towards them, their entire bodies hidden in cloaks. Ilzat and Qexal turned to each other, communicating through their metaconcert, "Turn around, walk the other way." Ilzat suggested. The pair turned around, walking away from the large group. They could hear their loud footsteps as they approached, reminiscent of the Cabal Stomp before battle.
"You two! Stop!" A deep voice called out. Suddenly, the footsteps behind Qexal and Ilzat started to speed up, prompting the pair to make a dash away from them. The group of cloaked people ran after the Psions. One of the individuals summoned an Abomination that helped in their chase, with another summoning a wall of vegetation in front of them. Qexal and Ilzat, ill-equipped to counter the magic of the Witches, were inevitably caught by the Abomination chasing them.
"Finally got you. You two weren't hard to catch at all. I guess you're the bottom-rung of your little 'empire', huh?" A far away young voice yelled from the sky. Qexal and Ilzat looked up to see another cloaked figure flying in on some sort of staff, except this one was different from all the others, wearing a golden mask, armor under his cloak and other articles of golden armor on his cloak. He began floating down on his staff, "So, you two are the ones who have been running around the Boiling Isles trying to 'document them' for your 'emperor'?" The boy said with air quotes, "But you didn't get very far did ya? Only managing to get into Hexside." He said smugly.
Qexal and Ilzat writhed in the clutches of their gooey captor. "Release us, wretches! You will face the wrath of the Cabal Empire if you do not free us!" Ilzat yelled out.
"There will be no recompense for the death of the emperor's advisors." Qexal added.
The golden clad figure landed in front of them, "The emperor's advisors, hm? The emperor only has one advisor. And it's Kikimora. I've never seen you two around, nor is there any record of you anywhere. Just who are you?"
"One advisor?" Qexal asked as he looked at Ilzat, and back at the golden figure, "What emperor do you refer to?"
"Are you serious? Emperor Belos, of course! The emperor of the Demon Realm. Who else would I be talking about, you uneducated fools?" He raised his voice at them.
"Emperor...Belos?" Qexal took a second to think, "Ah, Emperor Belos. I remember now. I have heard the citizens of this city mutter his name. Unfortunately, we do not recognize his rule."
"Well guess what? You're in the Demon Realm now, buddy. Whoever your leader is has no power here, and is ultimately irrelevant. As the Golden Guard of the Emperor's Coven, it is my duty to deal with undisciplined Demons like you." The newly revealed Golden Guard got closer to them both, observing them very closely, "I've never seen anyone like you two. Are you new to the Demon Realm? If so, how did you get here? And where did you come from?"
Qexal and Ilzat looked at each other, "We have no reason to tell you, 'Golden Guard'." Ilzat said mockingly.
"Is that right? I guess we'll just have to force that information out of you then." The Golden Guard used some sort of red magic to bind Qexal and Ilzat's hands together. "Usually I'd send criminals like you to the Conformatorium to be rehabilitated, but I think Emperor Belos would appreciate it if I brought some extraterrestrial guys like you to his throne. I mean, documenting the Demon Realm? That doesn't sound suspicious at all." The Golden Guard laughed at them mockingly.
Qexal and Ilzat looked at each other, and started to communicate through their metaconcert, "How will we inform Emperor Calus of this? Do you think they will come after us?" Qexal asked worriedly.
"We do not return home without victory. There is no doubt they will send others in our place should we fail to report back." Ilzat responded.
"Then we shall not fail. We are Psions, we will escape from the clutches of these primitive Witches."
"Of course, perhaps meeting this Belos individual will shed new light on our mission, maybe even accelerate it." Ilzat theorized.
"A palpable theory Ilzat. But do remember, we are not surrendering. We are gathering information, at the sake of our freedom." Qexal explained, trying to inspire his comrade. They ended their conversation shortly after, and waited out the time until they were taken to wherever Belos was.
"Alright everyone! Back to your posts, I'll take these guys to the emperor's castle for questioning. Good work today everybody. Especially you, Steve!" The Golden Guard pointed to one of the Coven scouts who put his hand out in embarrassment. "Okay, let's get you two to the emperor." The abomination that held the two Psions dissolved, dropping them both on the ground. As they got up, still bound, they were pushed by their captor. "Get it moving, we don't have all day." Reluctantly, they obliged, going to what possible could be either their demise, or saving grace.
On the command bridge of Caiatl's flagship, she stood looking out of the window, staring into the vast region that surpassed the Sol system, waiting for the rest of her fleet to follow suit. "Vruzra. Why have you not alerted my fleet?" She thought to herself.
"Empress, there is an incoming transmat signal." A Cabal on the bridge called out.
"A signal of what origin?" Caiatl responded.
"It is of Vanguard origin."
Caiatl laughed softly, "Guardians, some of the most stubborn beings I have ever faced. Hmph. Let them through."
A blue matter engulfed a small spot on the bridge, and a Human that was towered over by the Cabal on the bridge appeared. "Empress Caiatl, I have pressing news for you. Relating to the search you're about to embark on for your father." A loud, commanding voice spoke.
Caiatl looked down, her eyes widened, "You. You were the one who stood with Zavala when he tried to make a peace treaty with my forces. You are...?"
"Osiris. I did not come here to gloat over the Vanguard's victory in combat with your champion. I am here instead to give you vital information that will help you find Calus." Osiris said with utmost urgency.
"What could you possibly have for me, Osiris?" Caiatl started to pace around, "I mean no indignation, but why is it that you of all people have come to my aid? Why would it not be a true Vanguard commander?" She asked suspiciously.
"It is because I, unlike my allies, indulge in information that most would find...unsavory, or rather dangerous to pursue." Osiris crossed his arms, looking up at the empress as she paced.
"How, and what do you know of my father's whereabouts?"
"It would seem that Loyalist Cabal scattered, and displaced throughout the system have somehow been receiving transmissions from across the galaxy, perhaps even the entire universe. It is unknown how this is even possible, and unknown why Cabal that have been long forgotten are still receiving messages. But I can only assume this is a desperate attempt from Calus to rally all Cabal loyal to him for his cause. Whatever that could be, I do not know." Osiris explained.
Caiatl looked around, trying to process the information, "And how would this help me find the traitor? Is there a map? A code? Our ships can not possibly track a signal that is so far away."
"You would be right. It is fair to say it is a map of sorts."
"Tell me this. What do you gain from telling me this?"
"I gain nothing. Nothing but assurance for the future safety of both the Vanguard, and the Last City."
"Of course. Then show me this 'map' of yours."
Osiris presented a pouch that was around his body, he opened the pouch to reveal a sort of flight path on a large piece of paper, with a vessel shaped like the Leviathan that spanned across it, "This is what I have for you, Empress Caiatl. A flight path of the Leviathan. I've endured strenuous ventures to conjure this up based off the research I did." He held it out so Caiatl could grab it. "I do believe that if your flight computers scan this piece, then it will lead you straight to, or near Calus."
Caiatl took the paper out of the hand of Osiris; she opened it and examined it closely. "Explain to me, Osiris. Why does the path end so abruptly?" Caiatl turned it around, pointing to one of the ends on the paper.
Osiris walked closer to study the map, squinting his eyes, "The abrupt ending is what I can only theorize to be a sort of anomaly, somewhere near the very edge of the Sol System, or another. That is where the Leviathan disappeared, and supposedly where it is harbored. At least, that is what I think."
"Calus couldn't have gone too far out of another system. The Leviathan is not outfitted with advanced technology such as jump drives, not to mention its immense size."
"Then I imagine that with such a lead, you'll be able to find Calus. Even without an absolute location, I am confident you will find him in due time."
The empress stared at the Osiris before uttering the words, "I...appreciate this, Osiris." Caiatl handed the map to an officer on the bridge. "Have this scanned, send it to all ships in the fleet and have them enter it into their flight computers."
"Yes, Empress Caiatl." The officer bowed, and walked to his station, map in hand.
"I wish you luck, Empress Caiatl. Me and a group of Splicers from House Light have spent days decoding and figuring this out for you."
"Give them my thanks. We will meet another time, when I return." Caiatl nodded.
"Indeed, we will." Osiris waved his hand, and transmatted out of the bridge.
Caiatl turned to a Centurion, "You. Make your way to the transmission room. Urge Vruzra to send the transmission. We may be running out of time to catch Calus."
"As you wish, my Empress." The Centurion walked out of the bridge.
Vruzra walked to a transmission room, filled with other Psions, with no Cabal in sight.
"My apologies for arriving so late, I was caught up in other matters not pertaining to Caiatl." Vruzra announced as she walked in. The door closed behind her.
"Vruzra, it is unfortunate you could not convince the Empress to stay in the Sol system." A Psion spoke.
"No matter. Our plans may still continue. Caiatl is only bringing us closer to our emperor, Calus." Vruzra responded. "But this will most definitely leave our previous plans to be desired. Caiatl did give me a most interesting idea. She wants a system wide transmission sent out to the Imperial fleet. I will inform the fleet of our leaving, along with an encoded message to any legionless Cabal stranded throughout the system." Vruzra walked back and forth throughout the room, pacing. "Those stranded and legionless will be sent a message to join our conclave."
"How intriguing, Vruzra. Those stranded are most likely Red Legion remnants, no doubt disillusioned with Caiatl's empire. But what makes you think that they would join forces with us? If they are Red Legion, then they are against us." Another Psion chimed in.
"Then we will convince them to join us. Just as Calus did before his departure." Vruzra responded, before turning around to the sound of an opening door. A Centurion stood in the doorway, staring down all the Psions, Vruzra in particular.
The Centurion bellowed, "Advisor, where is the transmission the Empress ordered you to deliver?" He slowly walked into the transmission room, weapon in hand, receiving varying looks from all the Psions there.
"Yes, Centurion. We were just getting to that. Please deliver my humblest apologies to the Empress, we were having technology issues." Vruzra lied.
"Then get it fixed. Empress Caiatl is raring to get her hands on that fool Calus." The Centurion barked as he turned around and walked out, the door closing behind him.
"Foolish Cabal. They couldn't tell an enemy Legionary from a boulder." Vruzra walked over to a group of Psions working a broadcasting device. "Let us get on with this transmission. The legionless will find their way to us soon enough." The Psions sent a pre-recorded message of Caiatl, spanning the entire Imperial fleet across the solar system, informing them of their departure. Soon after, an encoded message was sent out, being received by only Cabal not affiliated with Caiatl's empire. Several plans would come to fruition for many Cabal.
Several minutes later, the Imperial fleet would withdraw from the places they hovered over. Hundreds of Harvesters and Threshers could be seen departing from makeshift Cabal bases. Some, disillusioned Red Legion looking for meaningful battle across the stars, most, Imperial Cabal transports. And due to Vruzra's meddling, Loyalist dissidents who would come along in order to be reunited with their true emperor. Soon, there was no less than a limited Cabal presence in the Sol System, the only reminder of them being the abandoned Imperial Land Tank, and the abandoned EDZ Red Legion carrier, along with those that chose to stay behind.
At the abandoned Europa outpost, Variks had walked out to investigate a loud booming noise. The Eliksni looked up to see the Cabal ships there leaving the atmosphere. Variks took a deep breath, " I sense…" Variks paused to click his teeth together, "A Whirlwind for Cabal, or another. Maybe even both, perhaps." Variks clicked his teeth once more.
The entire Imperial Cabal fleet gathered together in a wide arrow-like position, and at the same time, they all jumped out of the Sol System.
Back in the Demon Realm, Ilzat and Qexal had arrived at what seemed to be like a giant castle of sorts. Looking up, they could feel the atmosphere was drastically different from the rest of the Isles. In their metaconcert, Qexal and Ilzat could only think of it as 'dark, dreary, and depressing. Despite this, the bright moon still shined over the castle, in stark contrast with the drab feeling. They stopped at the entrance.
The Golden Guard walked in front of them, "Here we are. The emperor's castle. You two are going to be away for a while." The entrance to the castle lowered, revealing a giant, wide hallway, reminiscent of the Leviathan. "Anything you two wanna say before we go in?"
Qexal and Ilzat stayed silent, their eyes closed.
The Golden Guard stared at them, "Huh. Usually people who aren't from here are loud and outgoing. I guess everyone isn't the same." He called over two scouts, "You two, cover our rear, will you?" The scouts saluted him and ran behind the Psions. "Follow me. We'll be having a personal audience with Emperor Belos." He continued on, inside of the castle. Walking past several rooms with large doors. "I bet you've never seen anything like this, hm? Yeah, this place is pretty impressive, and it stands as a symbol of power in the Demon Realm."
"Quite the opposite, Witch." Ilzat said, with the similarities of the castle and Leviathan baffling him. Soon, he and Qexal arrived at a giant closed door. This Golden Guard began knocking on the door. It opened to reveal an expansive throne room, it was dimly lit, with the only light source being two torches. Drapes sporting artwork of some sort. Guards stood in every corner and on every side of the room, with a man in a mask in the back, sitting on a throne. What really caught the eye of Illzat and Qexal, was the gargantuan heart that lingered above the throne. It was unlike anything they'd ever seen before. They were forced to move forward following the Golden Guard. They caught the eyes of everyone in the room, including the man on the throne, who was laying his head on his hand.
The Golden Guard took a knee, "Emperor Belos, my apologies if I'm interrupting anything."
Before Belos could even respond, a tiny little red Demon, about the height of a lower leg, introduced herself, "Look what the pawn dragged in." She looked up at the two imprisoned Psions, "And who might these two be?" They stayed quiet, staring at her, "The quiet type, hm? We know how to break ones like you." She said in a hostile tone.
"Kikimora, please." Belos finally spoke. "Hunter, who is it that you have brought before me?" He asked calmly.
"Emperor, these are what I believe to be some type of extraterrestrial trespassers. They were reported by the principal of Hexside." Hunter said, his head bowed down.
"Trespassers? Here?" Belos got up from his throne and walked toward Hunter and his captives. "I don't believe there is any type of record of you two here. And...you don't seem to be from the Human Realm." He walked circles around the two.
"Human Realm? What is that?" Qexal asked, speaking for the first time there.
"Why, the realm where Humans come from, of course." Belos looked up, "Almost all Demons and Witches are aware of it. So; you truthfully aren't from here. Very interesting." Belos sat back down, "Where do you come from?" Despite his imposing presence, he seemed tranquil and even-tempered.
Qexal and Ilzat looked at each other, and said nothing.
"Emperor, they have told me nothing of themselves. If you wish for me to force them to talk, I would oblige." Hunter said.
"That won't be necessary, Hunter. Now rise, and take your place next to the throne." Belos said. Hunter got up off his knee, and took his place next to the throne.
Kikimora walked forward, "Speak for the emperor, or forever hold your peace." The little Demon summoned a small floating fireball in the palm of her hand.
"Your magic doesn't intimidate us, peon. We will only talk for your emperor out of duty." Ilzat told Kikimora.
"Out of duty? Explain." Belos demanded.
"Duty for the emperor of the Cabal Empire, Calus." Ilzat responded.
"Calus?" Belos pondered for a moment, "I do believe I've read of that name somewhere. A being not of Demon Realm origin who was trapped within a statue? How interesting. This event was quite some time before my time as emperor of the Boiling Isles."
"Your people kept records of Emperor Calus? So they do recognize true majesty." Ilzat responded in a surprised tone.
"Yes, I suppose they do. Where is this Emperor Calus anyway? Is he still trapped? Is he with you?" Belos asked.
"That - we do not have to answer. Just know that we serve his cause." Qexal added.
"I would very much like to know what this 'cause' is, and who Emperor Calus is really. Little is known of him, and why he came to the Demon Realm. My question is; why would he send you two?"
"As we told the rest of these ignorant Witches, we are here for documentation purposes, mere scribes. We've had no ill-intent. But these transgressions will not go unnoticed by the Cabal Empire. The consequences will be dire." Illzat explained.
Belos lifted up his head in an aggressive manner, "That is no way to address the emperor of the Boiling Isles. It is a shame that your 'Cabal Empire' will never be able to hear or see you again. Anyone who threatens my realm and people, will be dealt with swiftly." He got up out of his throne, standing over the Psions, "Truthfully, I would dispose of you both right here. But there is no need to be so savage. I believe there are better purposes for foreigners like you." Belos turned his attention to Kikimora, "Kikimora, take them to the dungeon, please. I will be down shortly."
Kikimora bowed, "As you wish, Emperor Belos." She snapped her fingers and guards came running over to escort Qexal and Ilzat to the dungeon, and Kikimora followed them.
As they walked out, Belos calmed down, sitting on his throne once more. "Calus, I've not only read that name. I've heard it. But from who?" He closed his eyes, thinking hard and thoroughly. "Yes, yes. It all makes sense, it's simple. The...Collector."
And that's chapter 6, peeps. I hope ya enjoyed. I debated with myself in my mind for a good 5 minutes on if I should even mention Kikimora, because she's one of my least favorite characters, truthfully. I decided to not let bias rule what I do in this story though, seems unfair to me and whoever reads it, to be honest. I did let my bias for 'O-sus-ris' in though. Would've loved to use him in the next few chapters, and possibly even to set up some sort of Hive stuff waaaaayyy later down the line, but since I am using post-Chosen Caiatl, I felt it would be wrong to use Osiris for this any further, due to his involvement in Splicer and utter lack of involvement in Lost until Plunder. But just like what I'm doing with the timeline for The Owl House, I just might change some things for the sake of the story to make things fair and to make the story more fun to read. It is a fanfiction after all. Am I right? On another hand, had Calus not already been a Disciple and died in Lightfall, I would've def used that blank slate as a reference point for this. Oh well oh well. Anyways, see y'all next chapter.