Before the Parade: Part 1
"...Could you repeat that for me?" Supreme Commander Alpha requested calmly. "I believe I might have misheard you."
The leader of the four-man team looked at his superior, fear radiating off of him. "It is as I said, Commander. The human child was able to do magic."
Alpha looked at the unit assigned to watch the Owl Lady. The unit was clearly afraid for its lives, yet all four stood before their leader, awaiting their fate with dignity. The Supreme Commander looked at the unit's leader.
"Tell me," Alpha said calmly, "How am I only learning about this now?"
The unit leader looked at his men, saw them ready to meet their fates, and nodded. They looked back at the Supreme Commander, head held high.
"Truth be told, Commander," the leader said, barely keeping his voice calm, "In one of the reports I summited, it was mentioned that we witnessed the human casting an ice spell."
Alpha looked away from the unit as he thought back. He did remember reading something like that in the reports, but he had just dismissed it. Now, he wished he had given the idea of a human casting spell more thought.
"Clarified things for me," Alpha said calmly, "Why does this development surprise you so much."
The unit's leader sighed in defeat and hung his head in shame. "Admittedly, Sir, when we saw the human casting her ice spells, we…I assumed the Owl Lady gave the human a training wand."
"Hmm," Alpha thought this over and realized how the unit's leader made their mistake.
Training wands have magical devices built into them. The goal of such tools was to help witches struggling with certain types of magics to get a more accessible handle on spells. And he had seen some creatures without magic using the devices before.
"...Tell me," the commander asked slowly, "What caused you to think the human isn't using a training wand now?"
"Because, sir," the leader spoke calmly and clearly, "While trying to recapture the human, I used a powerful illusion spell to make the surrounding area transparent. We all witnessed the human using a paper with a strange graphic to cast her ice spell."
Supreme Commander Alpha looked at the others in the unit, and they nodded, confirming their leader's words. He looked back at the leader.
"Tell me, you didn't expose your magic to anyone in the area?" Alpha asked calmly, and the leader nodded dutifully. "Good. Because this mission failed due to a misjudgment on your part, your punishment is as thus: you and your unit shall have their magic sealed for two weeks and relocate to the Knee to help with the reinforcements of the base there."
Alpha brought out his staff and thrust it at the unit. A wave of magical energy came from the staff, and the colors on the unit's sleeve glowed. The unit didn't respond as they felt their magic being sealed.
The sealing was completed in mere seconds, and Alpha lowered his staff.
"Dismiss!" he commanded.
The unit bowed slightly and then took their leave, some of them rubbing their arms. Zeta watched the unit leave, then turned his attention to Alpha. The supreme commander felt eyes on him and turned his attention to his second in command.
"Tell me, old friend," Alpha asked gently, "What do you think about a human doing magic?"
Zeta walked up to his commander, sighing. "Without seeing the method firsthand, I can't say."
Alpha nodded his agreement, then frowned under his hood. Though Zeta was good at hiding his feelings, Alpha could tell something was on his oldest ally's mind by how he held himself.
"Is something else the matter, old friend?" Alpha inquired.
Zeta sighed. He should have known he couldn't keep anything from Alpha.
"Yes, sir," he replied reluctantly. "It just…with each new development, we move closer to the unknown. With the Coven Day Parade fast approaching, I was having second thoughts about excusing the plan."
Alpha hummed under his breath as he turned and gave his friend his full attention. He lifted his hood enough that his mouth was visible and offered his friend a smile.
"I know you have concerns," he said softly and then turned serious. "But we had invested too much into this plan to back down, not at this point."
"With all due respect, we have lost so much," Zeta retorted respectfully. "We don't have the human anymore. In addition, we don't know if the human's ability to now cast magic would-"
"Dal'tora," Alpha interrupted gently, "Like I said, I understand your concerns. But you must remember, the procedure we did on the human wouldn't be easily undone."
Zeta…Dal'tora frowned and removed his hood so Alpha could see his face. Dal'tora was a witch in his late thirties with coal-shaded skin and a fin running down his aquamarine hair.
"There's also the Emperor's coven we have to worry about," Dal'tora added, worry highlighting his face. "Because of everything we done to recapture the subject, they are aware we are more than a simple cult."
Alpha looked at his trusted second and sighed. He walked up to Dal'tora and placed his hands on the witch's shoulders.
"Yes, I wouldn't deny that," Alpha agreed, "But we're still hidden enough that the Emperor's Coven wouldn't catch us until our plans are fully in motion."
Dal'tora was still uncertain, but Alpha saw this. He pulled his second in command close and planted a loving and tender kiss on the Witch's lips. It didn't take long for Dal'tora to return the favor, wrapping his arms around the Supreme Commander.
"Da…have faith," Alpha said after breaking the kiss. "I believe the Titan is truly on our side on this endeavor."
Dal'tora was still uncertain but nodded as he believed in his lover's plan. After all, it was through Alpha's plans that they had remained undetected for so long.
(4 Days Later)
Head Witch Drakius looked up from the folder he was reading when he heard a knock at his door.
"Enter!" He called, and Lilith stepped into his office.
"You wished to see me, Head Witch?" the lieutenant asked.
Drakius nodded as he closed the folder. He gestured to the seat in front of his desk, and Lilith took a seat. Once his lieutenant was seated, he slid the folder to her. Lilith looked at it for a moment, then turned her attention to her superior.
"It's the test results from the echos you brought in a few days ago," Drakius explained. "It's one of the reasons I asked for you."
Lilith looked at her superior for a second, then at the folder. She gingerly picked it up and opened it. She took a second to prepare herself before reading its content.
Drakius watched his lieutenant as she read through the folder's content. Lilith's eyes widened with each new piece of information she learned. Her grip tightened on the folder so much it was a wonder she didn't punch a hole through it.
After halfway through the data, Lilith, Visibly shaken, closed the folder and placed it on the desk. She looked at her superior, and Drakius nodded.
"It's a lot different than the theory you submitted with your report, isn't it, lieutenant?" the head witch asked somberly.
Still shaken by all she read, Lilith nodded and eyed the folder. She reached for it, hesitated, and then sighed. She withdrew her hand and looked at the head witch.
Drakius nodded, seeing his lieutenant was ready, and turned to other matters.
"What I am about to say is a private matter, and can't leave this office until things are finalized," The head witch said, taking on a serious atmosphere. "Is that understood, Lieutenant Clawthorne?"
Lilith was taken aback; she had never seen the head witch this serious before, and it scared her a little. Unable to talk at the moment, she meekly nodded.
"Lilith Clawthorne," Drakius spoke calmly, "What do you say if I choose you as the next Head of the Emperor's Coven?"
Lilith's eyes snapped wide, and her mouth fell open. She tried to speak, but she was too shocked to form words. Drakius waited patiently for his lieutenant to collect herself.
It took nearly five minutes for Lilith to recover from her shock.
"...I'm afraid I don't understand," Lilith said slowly, still a little shocked, "Head Witch Drakius, you're in the prime of your life."
Drakius sighed and got out of his chair. He put a hand on his desk, grunting and wincing as he straightened to his full height. He took a shallow breath and looked at Lilith with a slight smile.
"...Lilith," Drakius said softly, "You are one of the few people I have entrusted with my greatest secret. Would you like to hear how I injured my back?"
Lilith became confused but slowly nodded. Drakius returned the gesture and inhaled slowly.
"I was a leader of a small unit of scouts when it happened. My unit was dispatched to a town in the right arm to handle a sudden infestation of Acid-Fangs. During our search, we happened to run into Scooter Crane. He was there recruiting for the Bard Coven at the time."
A nostalgic smile bloomed on the head witch's face as he remembered his old teacher. The moment passed quickly, and he sighed before focusing on Lilith.
"It should have been a simple assignment, but we underestimated the numbers of the Fangs. Things took a turn for the worse, and during the fight, I was thrown into a sharp piece of wood. If Scooter weren't there, I would probably have lost my legs."
Drakius sighed and touched the area of his back where the sharp piece of wood pierced through. He could feel the scar that the injury left and winced when he felt a small jolt of pain go down his back.
"But, by the time I had gotten to a skilled healer, the damage was done," Drakius continued somberly, "By all right, I should have retired after should an injury. But I was stubborn and used spells to align my back and hold back the pain."
Drakius walked around his desk, and Lilight noticed how her superior grimaced with each step. He got beside Lilight and stared into her eyes.
"However, my personal healer had confirmed that my body is starting to build resistance to the spells I use," Drakius said, "If I want to continue to use those spells, I would have to put more magic into them."
Drakius paused to let that sink in and allowed Lilith to figure out what he meant before continuing.
"I have a son. He's turning seven in a few months. And part of me can't help but think what would happen to my boy if I met my end because my back suddenly gave out on me during a mission. Besides, the head of the Emperor's Coven-"
Drakius suddenly grunted loudly, and he nearly fell. Lilith's eyes widened as she watched the head witch catch himself by placing a hand on his desk. The Lieutenant went to help him, but Drakius stopped her by holding out his hand.
The head of the Emperor's Coven took a moment to steady himself before he made a spell circle. Drakius slowly brought his spell behind him and gently pressed it into his back. The pain faded from his face, and he sighed tiredly.
"So, shortly after dealing with this cult," Drakius explained, returning to his seat behind his desk, "I will be retiring." The Head of the Emperor's Coven looked at Lilith proudly, "I would be honored if you took my place."
Lilith looked at her superior, doubt written all over her face. "Surely, there are more qualified witches than I?" she said weakly.
Drakius looked at his lieutenant, noticing how uncertain she was, and sighed.
"That may be true," he agreed. "But I haven't meant a witch as driven as you. You put yourself into all your assignments and carry out every order without a second of hesitation. You embodied every teaching and lesson the Emperor had given us since his rise to power. You, Lilith Clawthorne, are the prime candidate that the Emperor's Coven looks for, and I know you will be a shining example if you're the next head of this coven."
Drakius thought his praise would motivate his lieutenant, but it had the opposite effect. Lilith looked away from the head witch, shame riddling her face. The head witch either didn't see the shame in Lilith's eyes or ignored it and smiled.
"But you don't have to answer me immediately," Drakius said kindly. "Give it some thought, and return when you have your answer. Now, I think your sister and her charge would like to know what we learn."
Lilith looked up at the head witch and nodded weakly. She gathered the folder and stood up. She bowed and headed to the office exit.
"...Lilith, one more thing before you leave," Drakius called to his lieutenant.
Lilith stopped at the door and looked at Drakius. She noticed the head witch giving her a serious expression, and she gave him his full attention.
(SC)
"Wow," Raine said, watching Camilia practice with her magic, "You're getting good with your glyphs."
The human looked at one of her guardians, smiling confidently. Camila then returned to her practice. She took out an ice glyph, placed it on the table, and tapped it. She watched as the ice rose from the piece of paper, forming a perfect H shape.
Next, Camila took out two fire glyphs and held them over the ice. Raine watched as their charge tapped the symbols, and fire ignited as the paper disintegrated. Camila kept a close eye on the ice as it quickly melted.
When the human saw where the ice would drip, she moved her hand under the table, and the water evaporated before it hit the floor.
Once the ice had melted entirely, the human dispelled the fire with a quick hand motion. Camila looked at Raine, and the bard nodded with pride, causing the human to smile broadly.
Raine couldn't help but return the smile in full and sniffed the area. Camila saw what Raine was doing and began sniffing the air as well, catching a wondrous aroma.
"Eda!" Raine called into the kitchen. "Is lunch ready? The smell is making me more hungry!"
"Almost, Rainestorm!" the wild witch replied. "Just a few more minutes!"
Raine smiled and leaned back on the couch. They planned to relax until lunch, but their plans were interrupted when the door slammed open. Hooty entered a second, coiled around something.
"Guess who's back?" the house demon chirped, then uncoiled. "It's Lilith!"
The Coven member was dropped to the ground in an undignified manner, grunting. Lilith was quick to recover and glared at the house demon. Hooty stared at her with his beady eyes, smiling as he returned to the door.
The lieutenant sighed after a second and got to her feet. She brushed and straightened her uniform before looking at the bard.
"Good afternoon, Raine," Lilith said politely. "Is my sister home?"
"Good afternoon to you too, Lilith," Raine replied, standing. "She's in the kitchen, getting lunch ready."
Raine then led Camila and Lilith to the kitchen, where they found Eda over a pot. She looked up from her work when she heard someone enter the kitchen and blinked when she noticed Lilith with her partner and human.
"Heya, Lily!" the wild witch exclaimed, "If I had known you were coming, I would have made more."
Lilith stared at her sister for a second, sighed, and made a spell circle. A folder appeared in the witch's hands, and she moved to the table. Curiously, Eda set a timer and joined her sister, Camila, and Raine also joining them. They took seats, and the Owl House residents looked at the visitor.
"This is the result of the echoes I made a few days ago," Lilith informed everyone, then looked at her sister. "Did you get the results from your contact yet? I would like to compare them."
Eda frowned as she realized she never got the result from the echoes she created.
"No," the wild witch replied reluctantly. "After you left, some things happened, and I forgot."
Lilith frowned as she looked at her sister. Eda was many things, but forgetful wasn't one of them, especially something as big as the current problem. So something big had to happen to make her forget something so important.
Before anyone could say another word, Hooty slithered his way into the kitchen.
"Hoot," the demon said, "There was a letter that came for Eda not too long ago. It has a pretty picture of a gold tear in fire on it!"
Eda looked at Hooty with a scowl. "That's Baol's crest!" she exclaimed. "When did you get it?"
"Hoot, about four days ago," the house demon replied chipperly.
Everything grew quiet as everyone stared at Hooty. Eda broke the silence as she growled and stormed up to the house demon. She glared death at the house demon as she realized they had the answer to many questions and didn't even know about it.
"And what happened to it?" the wild witch growled.
Hooty titled his head in thought, then hooted a second later. "Oh, there was a bug on the letter when I got it," he replied happily.
"Aaand?" Eda grunted through gritted teeth.
Everyone watching could tell Eda was reaching her limits, and Raine moved to try to comfort their girlfriend before things got out of hand.
"And I ate it!" Hooty chirped.
Everything came to a halt as everyone in the room looked at Hooty in shock. There was a sudden ding, signaling lunch was ready, bringing Eda out of her stupor.
"That's it!" Eda screeched, "Come here!"
Eda jumped on the bird-tube and began wrestling him as she cursed Hooty out. Raine watched their girlfriend wrestle the house demon, then sighed before going over to the stove. Raine turned off the stove and made three bowls of soup.
The bard returned to the table, dodging Hooty and Eda as they passed.
"I don't think Eda would mind sharing her lunch," the bard said, placing the bowls on the table.
Lilith nodded and looked at the bowl. She sighed and decided to eat later. She picked up the folder and opened it.
"Lunch will have to wait," Lilith said, "This is too important."
Rain nodded but ate their lunch as they gave Lilith their full attention. Lilith looked at her sister and sighed when she noticed Eda was too busy with Hooty.
"Before we begin and go over the results of the mental scan, I think it best we start with the body scan," the lieutenant said calmly.
Raine looked at Camila and saw the human touching a spot where one of her scars was. The bard looked back at their girlfriend's sister and gestured for her to continue. Lilith looked at the human and sighed.
"...Four of Camila's rib bones have been surgically replaced with Titan's bones."
(G Corner)
When I was drafting this chapter, the ending was more comical. Originally, Lilith would describe the oracle spell on Camila as Eda and Hooty drifted in and out of the scene, fighting in a comedic fashion. I changed it because the word count reached the limits I set for these chapters, and it is more suspenseful with the reveal that Camila has Titan's bones in her.