O Titan, Where Art Thou
King had his eyes closed, and a gold aura surrounded him. He opened his eyes, surprised to realize that he was alone aboard a ship. He gazed down at himself while surrounded by small cubes, the same ones Luz and Bijou observed when they first met Vee and Elle. He gazed up at the sky and heard giggling.
"Almost free, almost free!" the Collector said as King began to float.
"Luz? Bij? Hooty? Hazel? Whoa, whoa!" He was able to stop himself from floating. "Is someone there?"
He stared out into the realm.
"I won't be alone! I won't be alone anymore!" The Collector laughed, as if he hadn't heard King.
"Hello? Hello?"
"Who said that?!" The Collector shouted, peering out from a little prison floating above. "Who's there?!"
King backed away in dread.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Don't leave! Come back!"
King awoke panting heavily. He looked up and saw Luz and Bijou looking down at him.
"Hey, sleepyhead. We're back in Bonesborough," Luz jerked a thumb behind him, and King looked out to see the Boiling Isles, though he didn't seem too pleased...
"Are you okay, King?" Hazel asked, hopping over to him.
"Yeah, just had a crazy dream is all," King replied, waving it off.
The group exited the ship and waved goodbye to Salty. Luz took out her gaming device with a slight grimace on her face. She scanned through Amity's messages.
"'Mom took pen stuff, but we're safe. We'll contact.' Aww, she sent so many hearts. Hope she's doing okay..."
Bijou's phone beeped as well. She took it out to find a slew of messages from Edric, ranging from him, Emira, and Mattholomule transferring to multi-track (which impressed her) to the school being thrown into a frenzy after Gus inadvertently cast an advanced illusion spell (which concerned her).
"Woof! That's a lot of texts from your boyfriend," the owl demon exclaimed.
Bijou quickly texted Edric that everything was fine and that she'd call back before placing her phone in her pocket.
"Is that Amity and Edric?" King inquired softly, coming to a halt. "It's okay if you wanna check on them, I can get to the Owl House on my own..."
Luz and Bijou turned back to face him, their eyes softening as they remembered what they had just been through.
Flashback - a few hours ago
"I think they might be my family!" King shouted after reading the letter. "And maybe they're an answer to all our problems!"
The gang went through Titan Trapper Island, encountering all of King's 'people'.
"If you think Belos is evil...you've never seen a live Titan," Bill told them, gazing out the window.
"King...you're not one of them," Luz admitted, while Tarak held up a flame. King pulled off his mask.
"Then what am I?!"
The gang fled from all of the Titan trappers, and Luz opened her eyes, stricken with remorse that they would have to inform him.
"You're a Titan, King. You're the son of the Boiling Isles."
"It's true...the elder confirms it," Bijou said, closing her eyes.
End Flashback
The girls said nothing because they were still heartbroken about the aborted encounter at Titan Trapper Island. Bijou slipped a lock of her hair behind her ear, while Luz hugged the game device close to her chest.
"Hey, look! Everyone missed us so much they put up pretty signs!" remarked Hooty.
The five gazed ahead and saw five wanted posters on a wall. One depicted a demonically drawn Hooty, another of Harpy Eda, Luz casting a glyph spell with King alongside her, Lilith wielding a flame, and the final one of Bijou brandishing her bracelet with Hazel on her shoulder. Bijou turned around and noticed some witches glaring at them.
"Let's take the long way home..." Luz muttered, pulling her sweater up over her head. They strolled along the path that leads to the Owl House.
Before they arrived, they heard some coven scouts nearby.
"Without that bird tube, this place was wide open!" shouted the first scout, as Luz held her breath to utilize the invisibility glyph. A worm hauled a wagon with items from the Owl House.
"I still haven't recovered from that tea party," the second one exclaimed, and Francois was one of the items protruding from the boxes. They all exhaled and looked at each other with concern. They arrived at the Owl House, which already appeared abandoned. They rushed up to the location and opened the door to find it dark and empty, as the scouts had taken everything.
"The whole place is ransacked," Hazel said, looking around.
"But, where are Eda and Lilith?" Bijou inquired. "I hope they are okay."
"Do you think they were arrested?" King asked, and Luz noticed something on the ground. It was a piece of paper with the phrases "help," "knee," and "pain." The first and last words were highlighted.
Luz took up the paper and used a light glyph to see a picture of a leg with an arrow pointing to the knee. "No...they're hiding out on the Knee!"
Bijou gasped sharply as she heard this. "Let's go then!"
On the Knee...
Empty Hex Mix bags were scattered throughout a cave.
"Using my old keys, we'll travel through the service tunnels," Lilith said as she stepped around in earmuffs, a coat, and boots. They seized whatever they could from the Owl House, which was filled with boxes and weaponry.
"From there, we initiate the security system and everyone, including Belos, will be trapped inside the castle!"
Eda was lying on a couch, holding up a bag of Hex Mix.
"Boom! Day of Unity stopped."
"You don't think they changed the locks after you got booted from the Coven?" Eda asked as she sat up and opened the bag to peek inside.
"Well, at least I'm coming up with ideas," Lilith shot back, crossing her arms.
"Hey, I came up with some great ideas," Eda insisted, the bag still over her head.
"Putting snorse glue in the Emperor's shampoo bottle isn't going to save anyone's life!" Lilith complained, pushing away a bag. "This is just like you. You never take things seriously! At least Luz, Bijou, Hazel, and King are far away from here."
Eda's eyes warmed at the thought of them. Suddenly, they heard a disturbance outside and turned to face it.
"Someone's tripped the booby trap..."
Lilith's palisade and Owlbert soared above the entrance, sending the sisters hurrying over and recoiling in surprise to discover Luz, King, Hooty, Hazel, and Bijou in a net.
"Hi, Lulu!"
"Hey!"
The two women exchanged glances, biting their lips as they wondered how they had gotten here.
"It took a while to figure out which town you were in from your map," Luz remarked over the firebee campfire. "We had to keep off the streets with all those wanted posters, but that's when we saw your Hex Mix trail and well, you know the rest!"
Luz smiled as Eda placed her jacket over Luz, who was wearing a cap. Bijou was dressed in her full winter attire.
"What map are you talking about?" Eda asked, sitting close to Lilith.
"It's this one," Bijou said, holding out the paper. "You left in in the Owl House."
"Oh! The one we left them," Eda tried not to strangle her sister because she hadn't left it there.
"Well, someone had to bury our bones," Lilith said, glancing away. Hooty went up to her.
"Lulu! I got you a shirt!" He barfed into her lap, and she held it up, appalled.
"I was sacrificed by the Grand Huntsman?" Lilith thought, perplexed by what the clothing indicated.
"What the..." Eda's brows furrowed with suspicion.
"So, it turns out King's letter was sent by a group of Titan Trappers!" Luz said uneasily. "And they may have tried to sacrifice King to the Collector...who they worship."
She smiled awkwardly at the two, Lilith appearing anxious due to what she had stated regarding the letter.
"Oh, so you found a commune of bloodthirsty fanatics!" If looks could kill, Lilith would be dead right now, as Eda was secretly outraged that they nearly got killed, especially because her sister dismissed it as a wild goose chase. "In a place that was supposed to be empty!"
"Well, they couldn't have been that scary," Lilith reasoned to save herself. "Without any Titans to trap..."
"About that...there's a reason why those Trappers tried to sacrifice King to the Collector..." Bijou scratched her neck.
She, Hazel, and Luz gazed at King, who nodded softly. Luz wrapped her arm around him. "King...is a Titan."
"Looks like I'm...due for a growth spurt soon," King continued, hesitantly. Lilith and Eda exchanged aghast looks when they learned the news.
They watched King place his scarf over a snowman shaped like Francois. He peered out over the lifeless Titan of the Boiling Isles, looking mournful as he struggled to accept the reality. Hooty embraced him in a hug.
"I can't believe that little guy is gonna turn into that big guy," Eda grumbled as she approached Luz, Hazel, and Bijou.
"That would explain his strange new powers. No other beast demon has the same power set as King," Hazel replied. "Besides, he's been going through so much in the past few days and the same goes for the rest of us."
"We just wish there was a way we could give some comfort," Luz added, worriedly.
"I...can't believe this," Lilith exclaimed as she stepped up. "All this time, you've had a Titan under your roof?!" She said as she realized something. "I've eaten ice cream with a God!"
"Just 'cause he's got tall genes doesn't mean he's a God," Luz said, annoying the three.
"And he falls into the toilet, like, once a day," Eda continued.
"And even then, I don't think he wants to see it that way," Bijou said as she crossed her arms.
"Perhaps he's still too young," Lilith shrugged lightly. "His powers haven't...awakened yet. Ooh, but who knows how he can help us against Belos?"
Luz, Bijou, and Hazel were concerned, as they did not want to endanger the small fellow. His current abilities could only take him so far...
"Don't worry, you guys," Eda reassured them, placing her hands on their shoulders. "We're not putting him in danger. He's a Clawthorne and technically your nephew, remember? Dear sister?"
"Right, of course," Lilith said dismissively. "Ha! I'm a God's aunt!"
"Ugh, geez," Bijou groaned and rolled her eyes. "I really hope she doesn't go overboard with this..."
For example, Lilith wanted to reconcile with Bijou so badly that she went to great lengths, without the use of magic, to obtain the necessary components.
"But, is he a gentle god?" Lilith questioned herself. "Or an angry god?"
"So, fill us in," Luz said, taking a step back and facing Eda. "How are we gonna defeat Belos and his draining spell?"
"Well, it'd make sense to ask some people Hazel and I know would be willing to help," Bijou said, recalling Darius, Raine, and Eberwolf.
"Like who?" Luz looked up at her, about to say something when Eda intervened.
"Uhh, right," Eda said uncomfortably. "Well..."
She paused as Luz's eyes shone with anticipation.
"It's a secret!" She finally replied, eliciting pouts from the girls.
"Eda, come on. You can't even let us in on it?" Bijou protested, and Eda raised her hands.
"Just for now. I'll fill you in closer to go time."
"Ahh, so if we're captured, we can't give anything away!" Luz reasoned, but Bijou could tell from Eda's expression that something was going on...and she wasn't sure what. "Smart thinking, Owl Lady."
"Hm..." Bijou raised her brow as she folded her arms. She noted Eda's worried expression and couldn't place it, but she wasn't sure whether this was a good idea. It made sense given that they would have no information if apprehended, but Luz would not tell Belos anything; instead, she would stall for time or discover a way out.
"There! All done!" They turned around to discover King had created a snowman in the image of Francois. "Nice to meet ya...Fran-snow-ah?"
One of the arms fell off, and he sighed deeply.
"It's not the same as the real deal, King," Hazel lamented.
"Aw, King, let us help with that!" Luz volunteered as she and her sister dashed up to him.
Lilith approached Eda and whispered, "What are you doing? Tell them!"
"Tell them what?!" Eda responded. "That we have no plan? That Belos is gonna win? That the Boiling Isles are doomed?"
Lilith looked aside unhappily, not wanting to ruin any of their hopes...Eda moaned and turned around.
"The kids deserve one nice day before they realize how dire things are."
They observed the arm buffing process. Bijou jumped in and suggested they have a fun snowball fight.
"And King deserves our praise!" Lilith exclaimed loudly. Eda stared at her, angry, and Lilith frowned.
"Alright, kids!" Eda said to them. "The, uh...plan isn't gonna be ready till tomorrow. But if you could do anything in the world today...what would it be?"
She smiled sweetly, wanting to give them whatever they asked for because she believed they deserved it, especially given recent...events.
"Thanks, Eda, but I just want things to feel normal right now," King said, turning away dejectedly. Luz stroked her chin while looking at the snowman.
"I'll go wherever you want to go, Eda," Bijou said, smiling slightly. The Owl Lady smiled back and patted her on the head for her ambition.
"We can do all of that."
"Well, I want to go on a heist!" Luz declared, determinedly smiling.
"Of course you do," Eda smiled, enjoying the notion of a theft. "How 'bout we come up with a new ensemble design on the way?"
"A heist with fashion design?" Bijou massaged her chin. "Not sure that's the best environment."
"But it's a win-win!" Luz continued, hugging the girl, and she laughed.
"True."
Lilith approached with a cup of tea after the group had left, leaving only him and Hooty. "King of, um, Titans, would you...like some tea?"
She bent down and presented it to him. King simply looked perplexed by her behavior.
"Uh, no thanks. I'm...I'm good."
"Of course! Titans don't care for such lowly pleasures," she said, tossing the tea behind her back. "Perhaps I could offer you dark deeds carried out in your name?"
She gave them a frightening look while wielding a knife, and he fell to the ground in horror.
"Ahh! No!" He yelled up at her, and she threw the weapon aside. She then backed away and sat close to Hooty.
"L-Listen, it's okay," he rose up and spoke softly. "I just...uh, need some alone time. Your Titan commands it?"
He felt terrible saying it because Lilith was technically his aunt.
Lilith rose and bowed, kicking Hooty and Hazel so they could do the same. She grabbed the house demon up and walked away, her hair still covering her face. King turned to face the Titan before turning to Hazel.
"Should we go for a walk?" Hazel asked.
"Sure thing, my right hand beast," King replied solmenly as they walked off.
With Eda, Luz, and Bijou...
Bijou flew Ruby, while Eda and Luz flew Owlbert to town.
"We saw Scouts taking boxes from the house," Luz said the woman, who seemed visibly worried. "They're probably holding everything at the Bonesborough precinct, Francois included."
"Are you sure you two wanna do this for a stuffed toy? Wouldn't you rather...uh, I don't know, have a beach day? Or help Bijou with the design at least?"
"Maybe if we had time for 20 more adventures, but we don't! Besides, this is for King. He needs his buddy," Luz replied as Bijou tapped her pen against her chin. "Anything, Bij?"
"So far, nothing."
They flew above Bonesborough, which already had a large number of Scouts. As people dressed in cloaks passed by, one of them played a drum. They soared past them and landed in an alleyway for a better look.
"Ugh, I hate double shifts," the quartet exclaimed, hiding as a Coven Scout and Guard passed past them. "Can't wait till the day after the Day of Unity, know what I mean?"
"Sure, but...man, I'm racking up OT like crazy."
They looked around again and saw the precinct, with some items already being loaded inside the building for inspection. Luz gasped and pointed ahead.
"There! Look!" a Scout took a box with Francois inside. "Francois! Let's pounce!"
"Hold up," Eda said, pulling them away from the activity so no one could see them. "If we're gonna do this, we gotta do it right. Belos isn't taking any more chances with us after your...little trip into his mind. If we wanna stay alive, we gotta be inconspicuous."
"Well where are we gonna find any disguises so we could sneak in without anyone suspecting?" asked Bijou.
Everyone in the precinct was busy until the door was kicked in. Luz, Bijou, and Eda were disguised as scouts, but the masks didn't help them, especially because Eda's bang was jutting out. "Take me to my—I mean, the Owl Lady's confiscated junk!"
"Nice save," Luz congratulated her, as Bijou rolled her eyes as Ruby hid under her hood.
With King and Hazel...
They wandered around town, and some people bumped into them. King moaned slightly, as he felt so lost while Hazel patted him on the back as reassurance. The young Titan expected to know everything, but instead he discovered that all along...he had been one. He was going to grow up to be big and strong, and he had no idea what to expect from life right now. He didn't have someone to ask.
"Lose your way, little guys?" a voice said, and he turned in astonishment to see Steve riding a motorcycle.
"Actually, Hazel and I...got to where we were going, but now I, uh..." He just shrugged, not sure how to feel about it. Or whether he was meant to feel anything. "Hey, I know you."
The two creatures stepped up to Steve.
"You're Steve from Lilith's party!"
"Oh yeah. Bijou told me more about you during your last meeting with her and the Emerald Entrails. Shouldn't you still be serving the Emperor right about now?"
"Probably," Steve replied, leaning forward. "Heck, growing up, all I wanted was to be an Emperor's Coven Scout. To be considered one of the best. I got what I wanted, but...it's not what I thought it was."
"We hear that," said King and Hazel, the former rubbing the back of his neck and the latter nodding.
"Belos is supposed to know everything, but why should he know what the Titan wants?" Steve inquired, peering out at the Head. "Maybe the Titan doesn't even know what he wants! Maybe he's just some...normal guy, you know?"
He sighed, and King felt the same way about what he said.
"Anyway, you going somewhere? Because I've got a sidecar and nothing but time," Steve said, holding up two little helmets.
King hesitated, but he and Hazel didn't have anything else to do, so they got into the sidecar. He also wanted the drive to take the edge off everything. Steve slipped the helmets over them, his horns and ears poking through.
"We point, you drive."
Steve started his motorcycle and drove away with King and Hazel.
With Hooty and Lilith...
"Did I insult him by groveling too much?" Lilith thought, while Hooty ate some firebees from the fire. "Did I not grovel enough?!"
"Maybe he just wants to be treated like, I don't know, normal?" Hooty remarked kindly.
"Nonsense!" she said, despite the fact that Hooty had made the accurate guess. "He's a Titan for Titan's sake!"
She gasped sharply as she realized what she had said.
"Oh Titan, I just took his name in vain. Ah! I did it again!"
Hooty looked outside and noticed King was gone. "Uh, Lulu, I think we have a bigger problem..."
She looked up, trying to figure out what he meant.
Back to Eda, Luz, and Bijou...
Everyone gazed at Bijou, Luz, and Eda, then ignored them as they continued to work.
"I would've appreciated some kind of reaction. These are hard to get!" Luz said, holding up her coat slightly.
"They're too busy sorting through our stuff. If anything, it's a good thing that we apparently blend in," Bijou stated to her. Eda approached a Scout at their desk.
"Hey, you! Fellow guard! We just found a load of illegal Hexes Hold 'em cards. Can we get the key to the...uh, warehouse?" The guy didn't glance up and simply dropped a skeleton hand on the desk with the number 2.
Eda came up to the door, placed her hand over the handprint, and the gate opened. They carefully stepped inside, and the door closed in front of them.
"Why is everything going our way now?" Eda couldn't help but ask.
"Maybe our luck has finally turned!" Luz exclaimed confidently, and they entered the warehouse...where there were a pile of boxes filled with confiscated items.
"Oh, boy..."
"Which one of these is our stuff?" Bijou inquired, biting her lip.
"We're gonna need to split up if we wanna find Francois," Eda said, holding out her staff to Luz, who removed her mask. "If things get hairy, you both fly out of here as fast as you can."
She then noticed their frowns at the prospect of leaving her behind.
"Hey, don't give me those faces. Just say okay. Okay?"
"...Okay," Luz grabbed the staff from her.
"Oh, and if you find a box labeled Eda's longest toenails, grab that too," she brushed Luz's and Bijou's hair.
"Ew!" Luz exclaimed in mock distaste.
"In any case, I hope I don't find that," Bijou said quietly to herself as they took off in three separate directions.
"We secured the Owl Lady's house."
Eda looked up and spotted a communication station above her.
"That's correct, Head Witch."
That piqued her interest, as she wondered who the Coven Captain was talking to.
"No, there was no sign of her or the older human girl."
"Just keep looking until you find them!" Raine said to the Captain, speaking via the crystal ball. "And only come to me when you do."
"Raine...?" Eda muttered, wondering why they were hunting for both her and Bijou...
With Hazel, King, and Steve...
Steve was reading a book called 'Synergy in the Emperor's Coven.' and Hazel was munching on a sandwich Bijou made for him. King strolled up to a gigantic horn and looked up at the sky. He fiddled around uneasily before embracing the horn, as the Titan who created the Boiling Isles could be his father. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He hopped back into the sidecar and took off with Steve. Hooty spun like a helicopter to land Lilith, who had just missed them while looking around.
At the beach, King raced onto the strand and then back into the ocean. Hazel collected a few seashells. Steve threw up a rock, then flung it. The rock skipped several times before sinking. He noticed two older women walking together, holding hands and smiling warmly at each other. Steve then sat down, crying at how wonderful everything was to watch, and the Titan and almiraj consoled him. They drove away just as Lilith and Hooty appeared, with the house demon sniffing the air.
"Oh!" he gasped, gesturing to her right. She gave him a blank expression and pointed to the motorcycle tracks in the sand in front of her.
The two stumbled found a family in need at night, replacing their broken wheel while smiling at each other. They then waved as they watched the family leave. King stared up at the Titan before laying down in a puddle. He closed his eyes as he set down a foot, a small paper person landing on his nose. He looked up to discover Steve had created it using some pages from his book. They left again, Lilith going up and staring down at them.
"Head Witch, I'll do all I can to find the Owl Lady and the older human. You have my word."
"Your word doesn't count for much without results. Just go," Raine waved the Captain away. The Captain hung up and dashed off to begin a search for the two. Eda exhaled after utilizing the invisibility glyph and took a long breath. She reached out and touched the crystal ball to summon Raine back.
"Captain, I thought I told you to-" They gasped as they realized it was her. "Eda?"
"Please just give me a minute," she begged them. "I-I'm not trying to start trouble."
"You're wearing a stolen uniform," they said slowly, narrowing their eyes.
"And I am working it!" she exclaimed, flipping her bangs. "Listen, I don't know what you're hiding or what you want with Bijou, but...I do know that somewhere deep inside, you still care about me."
Raine turned aside, biting their lip.
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have let me walk free back at the Coven parade. Raine...I know about the Day of Unity and the Draining Spell."
Raine recoiled in horror and turned away uncomfortably.
"No, I-I saw that expression! It's that bad, isn't it? And that's why..." She groaned slightly. "I need your help."
"There's no time for your schemes, Eda," Raine said, shaking their head.
"Wait!" she pleaded, caressing the ball and looked to the ground. "This...is for my kids. They can't be around during the Day of Unity. So put them in a castle bunker, get them on an airship, I don't care! Just-just keep them safe! If you do, I-I'll give myself up, right now!"
Raine placed a palm on their cheek, indicating how much she wanted to protect them...as a mother. "I..."
"Come along, sprout," Terra said, appearing just behind them. "Places to be, hedges to trim!"
They gazed warily at Eda, relieved that she was back in her disguise.
"Awaiting further instructions, Head Witch," she said in a false voice while saluting.
"Stay put. I'll send someone to get the packages," Raine ordered her, and Terra leaned down with her arms crossed.
"Your uniform looks outdated, Captain, looking like a pile of compost." Raine hung up before Terra could grow suspicious, and Eda took off her mask.
"Eda?" She froze when she heard a familiar voice, then looked behind her to see Luz and Bijou standing there, Luz carrying Francois. And from the expression on their faces, they had just heard everything.
"Are you sending us away?"
Instead of responding, Eda gave them a silent glance over her shoulder.
"But why?" Bijou demanded fiercely of her.
"You...you're sending us away?" Luz was equally enraged as her companion. "But we can help! Why-why don't you get that yet?!"
"Eda, I have just as much reason to be against Belos as you," Bijou said, pointing at her. "He knew about the bangle! He knew about Marianne Crowley! And those are the reasons why he had it out for me. He wanted to erase every single piece of item related to the first labeled wild witch in Boiling Isles History, even if it means executing me."
"Call Raine back!" Luz yelled at her, and they unintentionally attracted the notice of a Coven Guard. "Tell them there's no packages to receive! We're not going anywhere until Belos is defeated!"
As soon as he heard that, he dashed out to find backup.
"No," Eda said with determination.
"After everything we've been through, I can't believe you're still underestimating us!" Luz and Bijou walked off. "Fine, let's just get back to King and Hazel."
"We can just go find the others and help them instead!" Bijou muttered before a crash occurred. They looked up to see Harpy Eda flying out of a window. She landed in front of the two, who were standing defensively.
"You're going...with Raine. The both of you. They'll keep you safe," she assured the girls.
"You can't make us!" Luz stated, holding out a glyph.
"Why should we listen to you? We don't need protection! We need help!" Bijou pressed her eyes tight.
"Yes...you do," Harpy Eda said softly, and Luz burst into tears. She flung down the ice glyph and used it to assault Eda. The two flew toward some crates, looked up to see Harpy Eda following them. Luz rushed across the crates before she and Bijou took off.
"Owlbert!" she exclaimed, and he flew away from Luz, causing her to collapse. Bijou swooped down and gathered her friend behind her, then took off fast, flying left and right to avoid the containers. Luz tapped a light glyph, which flashed in Eda's face, and she looked up to see them go. She used her ears to search for them, and Luz accidently knocked a can to the ground. She exhaled as she stopped utilizing the invisibility glyph, and the two looked behind them. Bijou gasped and squinted her eyes as she flew towards the exit on Ruby. Harpy Eda then flew ahead of them.
"Girls, please."
"No! You still don't get it!" Bijou said regretfully, as Luz tossed an ice glyph to the ground. Bijou swooped down on Ruby, while Luz punched the ice, creating small icicles in front of Eda. She stomped her foot, and the ice trail shattered directly behind them, forcing them to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Harpy Eda landed in front of them.
"Raine will be here soon. I'll have King and Hazel join you afterwards" she said, looking away from them. She didn't want them to feel helpless, but she also didn't want them wounded. Especially because Belos was still hunting Bijou and had the potential to murder her...she didn't want to lose them to him...
"But we can help with your plan!" Luz pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes again.
"It's time to go."
"We're not going with you," Bijou hissed as she hugged Luz tightly. "Instead of forcing it, why don't you just tell us why you think we want this?!"
Eda hesitated as she glanced at the girl.
"Bij...I-" Before she could finish speaking, she was attacked from behind. The two gasped as they realized the Captain was behind it.
"Hands up, Owl Lady!"
Harpy Eda snarled and lunged at them.
"Eda!" The two hurried up, but were caught in a net from behind by one of the Guards. They could only watch Harpy Eda fend against Abomatons before being pulled down.
"Lock them up! And use the heavy-duty stuff this time..." the Captain ordered as they were being carried away in nets.
Back to Hazel, King, and Steve...
Steve and King were leaning against the motorcycle as the sun set in the distance. Hazel munched on celery and carrot sticks as King ate his fries, both watching a bug interact with a small paper doll. Steve paused eating his burger and stared down at the tiny demon.
"Hey, uh...your drink's getting warm."
"You know, Steve..." King spoke out. "I always wanted to have power, and to command respect, and fear! So now that I kind of have all that, why does my stomach feel all...ugh?"
"Wants can change," Steve stated to him. "So can people."
The wind swept over his clothes, knocking down the little paper doll and causing the bug to burrow into a ball. King took it softly into his palms.
"I don't want people to see me as a big, scary monster anymore..." As he stared down at the beetle, his eyes softened. Steve held out his mask and inserted the bug. He looked up and saw Steve had dark purple hair, freckles, blue eyes, and a protruding horn.
"Hey, you may one day be like the Boiling Isles one day, but that doesn't change our friendship," Hazel replied.
"Me neither," he said gleefully to King, who glanced at him and Hazel with surprise.
"Unhand them, you coven shill!" Lilith shouted, and they looked up to find her armed with her staff.
"Wait, Steve?" she inquired in perplexity.
"It's okay, it's okay!" King jumped up, raising his hands in panic so they wouldn't assault him. "He's not a Scout anymore! Did I...read that right?"
He and Hazel looked up at Steve, who hummed in confirmation and gave a thumbs up.
"Nevertheless, let me shield you with my pitiful life, oh powerful Ti-"
"Hey, King here doesn't want to be treated like he's above everyone! He just deserves to be treated fairly!" Hazel interrupted.
"Hazel's right!" King agreed. "I'm still King! King! Isn't this how you acted with the Emperor? I'm sensing a...little bit of a pattern with you..."
"Hey, girl," Steve said, smiling at Lilith. "I've been there. I can recommend a good therapist."
She reddened in embarrassment, and Hooty approached.
"He's tricking you! Attack plan activated!" he smashed his body at Steve.
Back to Luz, Eda, and Bijou...
The Coven Guard closed the cell that housed Luz, Bijou, and Eda. He took a step back as the Captain approached.
"An envoy from the castle is coming to collect the humans. The Owl Lady is to be taken to the Conformatorium for petrification. A real one this time. But the Emperor did leave a message...he wishes to have a word with you specifically," Bijou said with a scowl. "He wishes to interrogate you to give away the bangle you are wearing."
"Then you can tell him to shove it," Bijou hissed in reply, yanking on her shackles. "I'll never say anything to that tyrant."
"Or so you think...he has his ways. There is the option of entering your own mind to find out," The Captain said ominously, as the girl gasped in terror.
"Why don't you just save yourself the trouble and put me down now?" Eda said angrily to the Captain.
"You happy now?" Luz asked, feeling hurt and deceived by Eda's earlier acts. She turned to face the girl, who was holding back tears. "This way, none of us can stop Belos..."
The Owl Lady turned away, knowing that if she hadn't been so protective, she would have doomed the Boiling Isles, but she believed she was doing the best thing for them.
"Why couldn't you just let us help with your stupid plan?" Luz shed a tear.
"And why couldn't you just understand that all I wanted was answers about this bangle?" Bijou said, holding back her tears.
"Is it because we're kids? Do you think w-we're still that weak? Well?"
"Spit it out now, Eda!" Bijou exclaimed when they didn't get a response. "What more do we have to do to get it through your head that we've learned so much living here?"
"It's because there is no plan, okay?!" Eda screamed, starting to cry, and they both gasped loudly. "Me and Lilith don't have magic, and we don't have allies, we're useless!"
She gazed at the ground.
"We have you, Hazel, and King...so I was gonna do anything to make sure you both were safe," she said, a tear running down her cheek as she stared at the two and then turned away.
"But now...it's all over," she whispered, as a shadow hung over them.
"Let go!" Luz exclaimed in protest. "Belos is a witch hunter, you have to listen!"
However, no one did, and she was forced into a carriage with her hands bound. The doors closed, leaving her alone in the darkness. She then glanced out between the bars and saw Eda and Bijou being brought away in separate carriages.
"Eda? Eda, c-can you hear me? I'll listen to you, I'll do whatever you say!" she pleaded as Eda ignored her and was hurled inside. "Fight back, please! EDA! Bijou, Bij, please do something," she glanced to the side, seeing Bijou being flung as well, her staff confiscated. "Amiga! No!"
She wailed when the window between her and the two was cut off...
A while later...
Luz closed her eyes as she rested against the wall. She opened them and felt the carriage halt. She hissed, determined to make them regret it as soon as she escaped. She kicked the door open and dashed out, screaming.
"Where are they?! Take me to Eda and Bijou!" she yelled as horrible goo wrapped around her waist. "If you touch a single hair or feather from their heads, I'll...I'll-"
"Luz!"
"Amie!"
She blinked her eyes open to see Bijou and Eda standing before her.
"Luz, it's okay," Eda said, and they were joined by Raine, Lilith, King, Hazel, Steve, and the BATTs, all of whom had been released from prison. Darius and Eberwolf sat on top of the wagon.
"I'm going to set you down. Please try not to bite anyone..." Darius said as he slowly set her down.
"What's going on?" she said, perplexed as Katya, Amber, and Derwin all discreetly acknowledged her. "Who are these people?"
Steve gave her a peace sign. Eberwolf rushed up and chomped off her shackles. She stroked her arms, and King and Hazel dove forward.
"Luz!" They hugged her warmly, and she reciprocated.
"King! Hazel!"
"So," Raine approached the two of them. "You must be the famous human witch, or at least the other one. Eda's been bragging about you and Bij for hours."
They winked at her, and Bijou nudged Eda playfully. "I'm Raine."
"Oh my gosh," she exclaimed as she took their hand, thrilled to have finally met Raine. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person. I heard all about your adventures with Eda and my amiga and how you became Head Witch of the Bard Coven. Or were secretly a spy a-and then, you and Eda played that duet and..." She gasped when she discovered something. "And then you got captured."
"And your memories got all scram-jambled," King said, twirling his finger near his skull.
"Actually, when Darius captured me, he was really protecting me," Raine stated, looking at the Head Witch.
"I thought I was the only one who found this Day of Unity junk suspicious," he said, stepping from the train and going approaching Raine. "When I heard Raine was causing trouble, I had a feeling they'd know more. You would have been locked away if it weren't for me."
He nudged them, and Raine pointed up with one finger.
"And a little less bruised. You could have let me in on things before attacking me!"
"You're a horrible actor," Darius pointed out to them. "I had to make it look real."
Bijou giggled at their banter.
"Ugh, this is just like Hexside," Raine grumbled.
"And besides, Bijou knew the whole time. We had her be our spy," Darius continued.
"What?! Bij! Hazel! Why didn't you two say anything?" Luz pouted, the elder girl and the almiraj raising their palms in outrage.
"Hey, we didn't know that until Raine called Bijou," Hazel said defensively.
"And besides, someone didn't want me to. Remember when we got into Belos' mind? Blame these guys for leaving the potion behind in their haste," Bijou said, pointing to the three coven heads. "And they also ended up helping us escape, they were spying on Eda and gave her the solution! They told us all about it."
"Hey!" Darius exclaimed.
"Well, if you were gonna tell them we were in on the plan, it was only fair to inform her!" Hazel retorted.
"No wonder you looked like you were hiding something!" Eda said jokingly, hands on hips.
"But it was your idea to go into his mind in the first place," Raine said, crossing her arms.
"...S-Shut up," she pouted, as if she felt it was a good idea at the moment, but she had not considered Luz's insane notions that day. Which she should have, but Hunter also showed up at the wrong time.
"And when Hunter told us about the witches going against Belos and their leader, was he talking about you?" Luz was staring at her.
"Actually, Luz, I wasn't really leading them, I was just assisting them to gain advantages against Belos, which...was where the mindscaping idea was brought up," she said with a trembling voice. "And I was also tasked with making sure Eda didn't do anything about the Day of Unity, but I didn't think she'd contact Raine."
Steve approached Lilith and asked, "Did you know any of this stuff when you were in charge?"
"I'm...starting to think I wasn't very good at my job..." She reflected, wondering how long this had been going on behind her back.
"But Raine, why didn't you tell me anything?" Eda approached Raine. "I could have helped."
"Is it so unbelievable that I wanted to keep you safe?" Raine asked, rubbing their neck. "But in typical Eda fashion, you're not gonna stop until you make things right."
She looked at Bijou, Hazel, Luz, and King and remembered what they had said to her earlier: they were all like her, unwilling to back down for anything. She grinned as she taught them so much, realizing that she couldn't make them do nothing if they were eager to fight for anything.
"I guess not," she said after a few seconds.
"Things aren't hopeless!" Lilith approached her sister. "They have a plan to stop Belos and the Draining Spell."
Luz gasped at hearing this.
"Really?" she asked cheerfully. "Wait, wait, before you get into that, please tell me you have a cool name."
Lucila chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Actually, we do," Raine told her, smiling. "Allow me to introduce..."
"Wait, hold on," Darius said, nervously raising his hand.
"The Covens Against the Throne..." Raine continued, ignoring the other Coven Head.
"We talked about this," Darius said, rubbing his brow. "You promised!"
"AKA..."
Darius protested, "I DID NOT AGREE TO THIS NAME!"
Raine said, "The CATTs!" His other CATT members hissed, and Bijou and Hazel snickered.
"Everything's come full circle, baby!" Luz pulled her cat hood over her head, her eyes narrowing in determination.
They went to hide in the CATT hideout, with light glyphs above them. Eda held up Francois, and King squealed with delight, holding out his hands. She handed him his stuffed animal, and he excitedly hugged it. "Francois!"
Luz and Eda were pleased for him, while Bijou and Hazel had just entered from the door.
"Okay, guys, Hazel and I already told his family about what's going on, and they wished us the best of luck on our mission," Bijou remarked as she sat down in a chair.
"That's good to hear from Hazel's family," Eda replied with a smile.
"Look what else is in here," Eda said, holding up a box and passing it to Luz. Bijou looked up in astonishment until Luz noticed it was...Eda's longest toenails box. The two cringed at the notion of viewing those, so Luz cautiously opened it, revealing her palistrom wood instead.
"It's...palistrom wood!"
"Wait, did you label your toenails so Luz wouldn't notice?" Bijou said. The woman nodded.
"And I thought Luz would want to carve your palisman," Eda said, pulling out a carving knife and placing it beside Luz. "What do you say?"
She glared at the wood and looked away. "I shouldn't. The Day of Unity is in two days! I have to focus on stopping Belos, and-"
Eda drew her in for a hug.
"You goob," Eda said, smiling at her. "Hey, this isn't all on you."
"Yeah, we have teammates now! Meow, meow!"
"What if the palisman doesn't like me?" Luz questioned, concerned.
"By my count, you've befriended more enemies than I have claws on my paw," King deadpanned toward her.
"Yeah, and you befriended the palismen of all our friends," Hazel remarked.
"Take Owlbert and Ruby, for example," Bijou remarked, as Ruby flew over and kissed Luz on the cheek. Luz laughed at the comfort, nuzzling Ruby back.
"Plenty of witches and demons would have ditched this rock already," Eda said with a gesture. "But you and Bij keep learning and you keep fighting. What's not to like, huh?"
She winked at the younger girl, who blushed with flattery.
"Thanks, Eda..." She sniffled as she took the box. "I think I'm ready to carve, heh."
She stared at the wood.
"Um...you're gonna show me how to do this, right?"
"Oh, duh! My dad taught me the ropes. Here, let's make sure we have some space," she said, taking the wood and placing it vertically. "Lay the wood here."
"Are you going to carve me?" King said with a lovely expression.
"Heh, calm down, King."
"As cute as that would be, this is a palisman for Luz to bond with, not the two of you," Hazel patted him on the back, and Luz exclaimed.
"That would be a dream come true...!"
"Now, let's take it slow," Eda said, holding out the knife. "We've got all the time in the world."
A/N: Only 2 chapters left and this book will be complete. Also, I wanted to reveal the punishment that Emperor Belos had put on Bijou here but I decided not to as I prefer to take it on a subtle level. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Byeeeee~!