The person holding Luz let out an evil laugh, then forced the puppet to turn towards her and removed his hood, revealing a large mane of grass-green hair and an evil smile topped with pink eyes. "Do you remember my name, little puppet? I'm flattered, Luz" Terra said, taking her by the chin and shaking her head in a way that might normally have seemed playful, but whose grip was so tight it hurt the puppet.
For a moment Luz was only able to get lost in the pink eyes of her interlocutor, and couldn't think of anything; then suddenly all the anger, fury, pain and resentment that she had felt when she discovered her and Adrian's betrayal resurfaced and exploded inside her like a volcano, and she tried in vain to punch Terra, who however blocked her hand before she could do so. "You! You filthy, lying, cheating thief! You're a snake, no, by calling you that I would offend the snakes! I'll..."
"Hey, hey. Is this any way to welcome an old friend back?" Terra told her, squeezing her even more forcefully, forcing her to stop willy-nilly. "You hurt me that way, you know? Aren't all the trouble Adrian and I had to go through because of you enough? You know, after we stole your gold coins we really had a lot of trouble. You only had one job, which was to hand you over to the authorities and let them put you in jail like the idiot you were... and instead, we found out that you didn't stay calm in prison, and not only did you take part in a revolution, but you also handed over our names to the Inspector, having bounties put on our heads! That woman and her guards hunted us for a long time, you know? She even notified the lords of the nearby towns. We were forced to clandestinely board a ship and come to this corner of the world. You really hurt me, Luz... I thought you were our friend, how could you report us?"
The puppet's eyes flashed. "You... you are the most... most vile being I have ever met!" she roared, and this time Terra had to use much more effort to hold her still. "How dare you talk to me as if I were the one in the wrong!? I cared about you! I thought you were my friends! You have no idea how much I cried when I found out that you had deceived me!"
"Oh, Luz, Luz, sweet little Luz... you should thank us for that. The world is a merciless place, and now thanks to us you know it. Aren't you at least a little grateful?" Terra asked her, laughing loudly. She was clearly having a lot of fun teasing her.
At that point Luz couldn't see anymore due to anger: almost without thinking, she violently kicked her interlocutor's leg. Terra made a sound of pain, but immediately afterwards an expression of pure fury was painted on her face and she delivered a violent slap on the puppet's cheek. Even though it was clear that of the two it was her who had hurt herself the most, since she began to shake the hand with which she had hit the hard wood, Luz still felt a strong burning sensation and felt a shiver down her spine when she saw the woman's murderous eyes. "Don't be spiteful with me, puppet" Terra growled. "I don't have to play friend to you anymore. Try to be clever one more time and I'll burn those wooden feet you have. We'll see how well you'll kick when you have smoking ashes in their place!"
Luz's anger diminished and was replaced by a strong fear in the puppet's heart; something inside her told her that Terra wasn't making empty threats. The woman's pink eyes stared at the puppet's brown ones for an almost interminable time, then a cough shook them. "Terra, that's enough. You'll have fun later, now we need to bring the half-vampire back to Bill" the person holding Skara said, and in turn removed the hood revealing Adrian's cat-like face.
Terra looked rather annoyed, but then she nodded anyway. "Yes, you're right" she said, and then she turned back to Luz: "After all, we have to keep our new employer good... it was lucky for us to meet Elder Bill, you know? We had spent all your gold coins to be able to hide and escape without being caught, and we were penniless again... but luckily we crossed paths with that fanatic, who was quite happy to leave us all the material profits we would find, to provided that he and his men kept the glory. Well, we don't care about the glory, so we'll gladly let him have it. A very efficient collaboration in all respects, don't you think?"
Luz was disgusted to say the least, but she didn't have time to respond before Terra put a hand over her mouth to silence her and then tied her hands behind her back. Skara and Katya were also tied up by Adrian, and then all three were dragged away by the two marauders, while Tarak instead tied Hunter tighter and tighter to ensure that he couldn't do any tricks and ordered his companions, who in the meantime were recovering, to get up again.
The four (five if you counted Flapjack too, whose legs and beak Tarak had tied) were taken to the BATTs' camp, where the other Titan Trappers were gathering. In the center of the camp there were Amber and Derwin, also tied and forced to stay on their knees, and Katya, Luz and Skara were thrown next to them, while Hunter was forcefully held back by Tarak. After a few moments the main curtain opened and from it emerged a little man taller than King, masking his face with a light brown skull with horns and long, pointed teeth, on top of which was a black candle burning. it melted with a blue flame; he also wore a dark gray hood over a cyan robe with yellow trim and a brown belt with a pouch attached to it, plus dark blue shorts; gray, spiky hair was sticking out from under the skull, and it had eyes with yellow sclera and the right one had a turquoise iris, while the left had no iris. In his hand he held the magic lamp of Darius, who was following him in his djinn form. As soon as she saw him, Luz couldn't help but exclaim: "Darius! What are you doing? You're on our side! Help us!"
But the djinn shook his head with a stricken look. "I'm sorry, Luz. I can't do nothing. I have a new master now" he replied, throwing the puppet into despair.
But what made Luz's heart sink even more was the person coming behind them: Raine was walking right after Darius, and apparently nothing had changed about them... but their expression was completely flat and their movements were almost mechanical, as if they had become a body without a soul. "Raine..." Luz whispered brokenly.
"They can't hear you, little puppet" Terra told her with a smirk. "I personally made a decoction of herbs that enters the body fluids and clouds the mind. You know I'm an expert in gardening, right? Then Adrian came up with the perfect plan to make them drink it, and they have been my faithful servant ever since". And while sjhe was saying that she took Raine by the chin and petted them as if they were her dog.
Luz gritted her teeth as a few tears of anger and desperation formed in her eyes. "You... you're a monster!"
Terra seemed intent on retorting, but suddenly the little man who was holding Darius' lamp spoke: "Enough! This is no time for useless bickering. Who are these three new individuals?"
"I can answer that question, Elder Bill" Tarak said as he stepped forward, and then he threw Hunter's staff at the little man' feet and pointed at the boy. "I don't know who the girls are, but this guy is clearly an unbeliever! He used dark magic, and he definitely forced this poor Palisman to serve him! He must have been sent by the cruel god Grometheus to hinder us!". The Titan Trappers made surprised and disgusted noises at those words, and then they began insulting Hunter and demanding his head.
Despite the difficult situation, Luz didn't stop herself from thinking: "Is that Elder Bill? I expected him to be bigger..."
The little man narrowed his eyes, then he grabbed the staff and examined it. He did this for almost two minutes, then he looked at Hunter: "A jewel of extraordinary craftsmanship, clearly created with an extremely elaborate technique. You are not an ordinary person, am I right?". He made a sign to Tarak: "Show me his hands"
Tarak obeyed and dragged Hunter in front of Bill, and then he lifted his bound hands and forced his palms open. Bill touched the boy's skin and seemed to examine it carefully. "Your muscles are very developed, boy... and you have several calluses. You have the hands of someone who is used to hunting and killing. Your grip, your posture, your gaze, the way you move your eyes... you are undoubtedly a hunter". Bill looked Hunter straight in the eyes: "Am I wrong?"
The boy narrowed his eyes, but still he answered sincerely: "No, you are not. I am a hunter"
"I see... so before us we have not only an unbeliever and a blasphemer, but a real heretic!" Bill exclaimed with a lot of disgust in his voice, and then he raised the magical staff and showed it to the other Titan Trappers: "Observe everyone! This guy was a hunter like us, but instead of following the ways of life magic protected by the supreme Collector, he instead listened to the ways of dark magic, and he entrusted himself to the eternal cruel imperative to kill, consume and conquer! These tools and these very hands testify to how he, instead of carrying out an honorable and just hunt like us, aimed at showing his own value and to test his skills, has always hunted exclusively for his own pleasure, and without ever fighting fairly! His profession would involve serving the Collector like us, and instead he follows the evil god Grometheus! He proclaims himself a hunter, but he is nothing other than a soldier, a mercenary, an assassin!"
The Titan Trappers exploded in screams of rage and fury, so much so that Luz and Skara huddled together and even Katya, Amber and Derwin seemed frightened. But Hunter still showed not the slightest fear. "Spare me your fanatical ravings" he grumbled with a defiant look. "Do you think you're the first religious extremist to tie me up like this? For your information, while I don't deny the existence of the Collector and Grometheus, I don't believe either of them is a god and I've never served one of them. There There has only ever been one person who has ever given me orders, and that person is not Grometheus"
Bill's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Not only have you renounced the Collector's teachings, but you also reject his divinity, and even spit on the name of the terrible demon to whom you bowed your head? Who else could have provided you with so much dark magic, if not Grometheus himself? I am disgusted by you. Ever since the false sea god Belos appeared, people like you have felt entitled to deny the gods as they wish. You are truly a wretch". The little man raised his hand to the sky and proclaimed in a loud voice: "You don't even deserve for us to waste our sweat stoning you. There is only one punishment sufficient for a blasphemer like you: death at the stake! Let the fire consume all your sins, just as you have consumed all your victims with the cruel dark magic!"
"No!" Luz screamed in terror as the Titan Trappers roared loudly, happy at the execution. Hunter didn't say a word and didn't show the slightest sign of fear, but his eyebrows arched slightly, showing the tension in his mind.
Suddenly, however, Darius spoke: "My master" he said, turning to Bill. "As a djinn and a creature possessing life magic, I cannot help but feel disgust for this person who instead relied on dark magic. If I can speak, I advise you to wait until three in the morning before carrying out the execution: it is the moment when the dark forces are more active than ever, and they will tear his soul to pieces while the fire will burn his body, so nothing will be left of him in both the mortal and spiritual worlds!"
Bill let out a satisfied laugh. "Yes, I imagined that you too would be repelled by this heretic. So be it; lock up the blasphemer, and make sure he spends his last hours in the dark and cold!"
Hunter glanced at Darius, who maintained a stoic facade, but for a very quick fraction of a second a light passed in his eyes that immediately made the boy understand that the djinn had said those things with the sole purpose of buying him time. He nodded his head imperceptibly to express his gratitude, and Darius seemed to notice even though he pretended not to have seen anything.
Tarak grabbed Hunter by the hair and roughly dragged him away, then Bill approached Luz and Skara, eyeing them with his evil gaze. "You two… normally I wouldn't hesitate to consider you accomplices of that heretic… but I see something very interesting here" he said, grabbing Luz's chin. "You are clearly made of Palistrom wood, and you have life magic within you. You are surely a miracle intended by our eternal master, the Collector; I will not allow that heretic who kidnapped and deceived you to cloud your mind. We will show you our ways, and you will be able to serve a true god! Perhaps now you see me as a poisonous ivy that strangles the tree it climbs, but I guarantee you that you will soon understand that I am actually a beneficial plant that helps you grow. And since your friend apparently doesn't seem to have been guilty of blasphemous actions, she too will have this second chance"
Luz felt the strong urge to spit in the fanatic's face, but she stopped herself. Even though she was known for speaking and acting before thinking, she was still able to read the situation and understand that it was best to pretend to be compliant for the moment. She was also pretty sure that if she reacted to Bill's words he would punish Skara or someone else instead of her, and she couldn't risk that. "What about Katya, Derwin, Amber, Raine? What will happen to them?"
"They have committed countless crimes against us Titan Trappers and will therefore be punished" Bill replied. "However, none of them were blasphemous enough to deserve death. The Collector teaches how to become friends even with those who are more different than ever. Therefore they will be subjected to numerous physical tests to atone for their sins, so that they become pure again as newborns; and when this is accomplished, they will have the opportunity to join us"
It didn't take much effort for Luz to understand that 'physical tests' meant 'torture', but she bit her tongue and remained silent; at least that meant the BATTs wouldn't get killed right away, which was good. At least they had some time to think of an escape plan.
At that point, however, Bill stopped addressing the prisoners, and instead he looked all the Titan Trappers in front of him: "The time has come, brothers and sisters!" he exclaimed, raising the lamp. "This marks the last day of our search! We will finally know exactly where to find the last Titan! We will finally be able to sacrifice him to our lord and master, and from Titan Trappers we will become Titan Slayers! The blood of the Titan will open the door to the Collector's realm, and we will finally sit beside his throne!"
The Titan Trappers erupted in cheers of joy. Bill gripped the lamp even harder, so much so that he almost broke it, and he looked at Darius: "Mighty djinn, here is my wish: lead me to the Titan!"
Darius seemed somewhat hesitant, but despite this he couldn't oppose that order. "Your wish... is granted" he replied, and a blue and white orb formed in his hands, swirling in his hands and then shooting up into the sky; it traveled for quite some time, and then stopped at one point and formed a cone-shaped beam of light beneath it, clearly visible despite the distance. "There you will find your Titan, master" Darius said in a heartbroken voice.
Bill's eyes lit up with feverish and insane excitement. "So it's so close... this is a sign of destiny! This will be a glorious night! Take up your weapons, it's time to capture our greatest prey!"
I take this opportunity to make another announcement: today at 9:00 pm in Rome (3:00 pm New York) another Hazbin Hotel themed one-shot will be published, starring the three Vees. If any of you are fans of this series or these characters or are in any case interested, don't miss it! (Of course this will happen on the other site, Archive of Our Own, where this story is published with one chapter a day)