More bungie layoffs….major L, but I'll still continue playing. I sure do hope Pete Fartsons (epic pwn) is enjoying his classic car collection.
Well, well, well, I'm back for everyone's monthly fix, and it seems that we're coming up on the conclusion of the Cabal's misadventures in the Demon Realm. Will this be the end?! Will it continue?! I don't know!11!1!1!11!1 Read it!
Little side note, for reader visualization purposes, Titan blood Cabal wear the armor of Shadow Guard Legionaries. And for now at least, I'll keep it just to that specific unit for simplicity's sake.
I hope the last chapter was enjoyable to read, and I hope the same goes for this one. Forgive me for not dropping this last month, I bought Elden Ring and have been severely addicted over the past few weeks, help me. Leave a review if you like or dislike. Either is appreciated, but the latter is a little less appreciated.
King awoke in a room of sorts. He immediately recognized it as his birthplace atop the spire on the Uncharted Island. He looked around, and noticed that the wall was replaced by one giant portal encircling the room. Curious, he walked to the portal and put his hand through it. Before he could pull his hand back, he was grabbed by what felt like the force of a hundred people. Dragged right into a lab of unknown nature. He stood up and couldn't see the portal he was pulled through anymore.
King heard the sound of heavy footsteps nearby. Whatever or whoever it was slapped their feet on the ground with seemingly no sign of stopping, like it knew he was there. It spoke in an unknown language. The little demon hid under a large tank housing a large specimen. It suddenly stopped and there was silence. Then, out of nowhere, a loud, high powered shot rang out, and then a loud hiss reverberated through the room. Whatever was trying to find King flopped right in front of him with a loud thud, their helmet only added extra noise, making a clanging noise as it fell off their head. It was a Cabal, armorless, painted in worn out gold and devoid of all life with their eyes a pure and clear white. King recoiled in fear, and later disgust as he watched a thick oil like substance drip from the body. He covered his eyes, then peeked at the body, seeing a substance resembling Titan's blood. Looking around for anyone else, King determined it was safe and crawled out, picking up some of the blood with his finger, confirming his suspicions. Before he could move back, he was grabbed by another figure. This one was scrawnier, and in his eyes, much uglier than any Cabal he'd seen, it was a Psion, wearing a cloak. It stared King right in the face with its one eye and spoke, though without moving its mouth, which spooked the little demon to no end.
"The blood of your people for conquest." It said in a calm tone, with a voice that could send shivers down the spines of a thousand people if it so chose. "King!" Its voice began to change, still yelling his name as it stared into his eyes. The voice started to sound much more familiar. "King!"
The voice of Luz broke through, causing King to awake from his nightmare. He let out a loud sigh of relief, finally seeing a face he actually enjoyed seeing.
"Luz! I'm so glad to see you!" The little demon hopped up and hugged Luz.
"Are you okay?" Luz asked.
King rubbed his head, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…had a weird nightmare where I was in some sort of lab or something."
Luz placed a hand on King's back to console him, "Do you want to talk about it? You know I'm here for you."
"I'd rather not think about it too much, I need some more rest for the big day tomorrow." Kind replied. Luz nodded then smooched King on the forehead, falling back asleep. King fell back asleep, and instead of being accosted by any unfamiliar voices, he was forced to listen to Eda's loud snoring. He covered his ears and fell soundly asleep.
Under the night sky, Hunter bolted through the woods with tears in his eyes. He stopped to rest at a tree and sat down, regathering his thoughts. "I-" He took his mask off and wiped his tears off, dropping the mask to the ground. "What in Titan's name came over me?" He looked down at his hands. After a moment of silence, Hunter looked at his surroundings, "Where am I?" Flapjack landed on Hunter's shoulder and chirped. "I'm…okay. I think," He responded. Hunter got up and continued walking.
After aimlessly wandering, Hunter came across Hexside. He snuck around the back of the school, finding a way in through the open window of a classroom. Hearing footsteps, Hunter hid behind a desk. A janitor entered the room and started to mop the residue of potions off the floor. Hunter quickly exited the room as quickly and quietly as he was able to. The janitor turned around but saw nothing, he shrugged and continued cleaning.
Hunter found his way to the auditorium. He climbed under yellow tape reading 'Closed for repairs'. After entering, he found a corner to hide in. As he sat down, Flapjack began to tug on his cloak and armor. "What?" Flapjack continued to tug on his armor, shaking his head. "Take my armor off?" Flapjack nodded, "Good idea, can't go clanking around in this stuff like I used to." He started to take his armor and cloak off, only being left in a somewhat tattered, light brown shirt and the rest of his clothes. Hunter tore off a piece of fabric from the stage curtains to act as a cover for him. As he laid on the cold floor, he could do nothing but frown. Then, Flapjack hopped over to Hunter and rested next to him, putting a smile on the boy's face.
In the morning, Hunter woke up to a grumbling stomach. "Titan, I'm starving." He looked at Flapjack. "Hey, little buddy. Ya think you can find me some food?" Flapjack nodded, and flew off to fulfill his friend's wishes. The little bird glided through the halls of Hexside undetected, making his way to the cafeteria. Seeing a student throw away a half eaten sandwich, Flapjack swooped down into the bin, making a loud rattling noise.
Sitting right next to the bin, Gus heard the rattling and watched as the bird hopped out with the sandwich in his beak. "Hey, it's you!" He pointed at him. Flapjack quickly dropped the sandwich and took to the air to escape. "Wait! Where are you going?"
Gus took after Flapjack on his staff. He chased Flapjack all the way back to the auditorium. Losing sight of the bird, Gus landed on the stage, holding his staff defensively in anticipation. Gus gasped when Hunter snuck up on him. He turned around and pointed his staff at him. "Hunter?! What do you want?" He asked, still pointing his staff at him.
"Wouldn't you like to know, Gus?" Hunter chuckled shrewdly, putting on an intimidating tone. "You see, I'm really here because-'' Before he could finish, Flapjack pulled on Hunter's loose hair string. "Ow ow ow! Okay, okay!" He sighed, "I'm actually here because I may or may not have ran away from my duties as the Golden Guard. Maybe!" He said reluctantly.
"You…what?" Gus lowered his staff, confused.
"Yes, I ran away. Any more questions?" He said, crossing his arms.
"Yes, many. First up is why? Not saying it's a bad thing but, y'know, for someone like you it just seems a little weird."
"I-I'm not telling you." Hunter turned away from Gus. Once again, Flapjack pulled on Hunter's hair, "Okay! I get it!" He faced Gus again, "I was under orders from Belos to…arrest Luz and the Owl Lady. I carried out with it…for a little bit. But I just couldn't finish the job. Who knows where they could be now?" Hunter sat down with his knees up to his face, "They're probably away in one of Belos's prisons right now, and it's my fault."
Gus looked at Hunter awkwardly, not knowing whether to feel angry at Hunter, or sorry for him. He walked over to Hunter and stood over him, "Hey, you didn't go all the way through with it, so, that has to count for something, right? Knowing Luz, she's probably somehow escaped by now, and more than likely she'll forgive you. But that'll probably come after a slap on the face." He offered him a hand, "Besides, you've helped us plenty lately. Some might call me crazy for trusting you, but you can't live without getting a little crazy, right?" Hunter looked up and took his hand, he nodded and smiled softly. "After school, me and Willow plan to go to Amity's house to see if she could help us find Luz. You can come, if you want."
"You'd want me to come? Are you sure? But I-"
"Yeah. I'm sure Willow would be fine with you tagging along. So? Are you in or not?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm willing to go."
Gus smiled and threw a thumbs up at Hunter, "Awesome! See you after school." He hopped on his staff, but stopped before leaving, "And thanks for telling me, we've been worried about Luz. You did a good thing, Hunter." He left the auditorium and flew to his next class.
Flapjack chirped happily and rubbed against his face. Hunter reciprocated by rubbing his pal's chin, smiling as he watched Gus leave.
Later that day, the Day of Unity was set to begin today. Witches from all across the Demon realm came to the Boiling Isles to witness it happening, and to take part in it. Airships and flying creatures alike filled the sky, while wagons full of news crews flooded the roads on the way to the Titan's head. Perhaps the busiest day ever for the Boiling Isles, was but another normal day for the Loyalists.
Calus arrived in the control center of Firebase Ares, "Vruzra, has there been any word from Qexal and Ilzat on our clones?"
"Yes, my lord, I am speaking with them now. They've reported that the first group has grown completely, and without failure. The rest will be ready within the day, sooner or later." Vruzra responded with a reverent tone.
"Let me speak with them." Calus commanded. Vruzra obliged, and moved out of the way. Calus was faced with a hologram of the two Psions. "My humble and most loyal servants. I hear that our warriors have been bred without complications."
"That is true, my lord." Qexal responded, his eye piercing the pupils of Calus. "They are nothing short of what you asked for. Though, we are not sure what the nature of the blood will do to them, if they will have any powers or enhanced abilities. But we assume you wish to test them to see for yourself."
"Yes, I do not wish to be spoiled on their true potential, not before they are able to impress me in a real battle." Calus responded with a clenched fist.
"Then that is how it shall be, my lord. In just a few minutes, we will have them sent to you." Qexal said.
"And the rest will join the battle soon enough." Ilzat added.
"I am most grateful to have loyal followers such as you." Before the transmission could end, Calus continued, "Oh, and before I forget. Make sure you prepare the rest of the forces on the Leviathan to arrive in the Demon Realm. Make sure to transmat here, do not take our ships, it is too risky with Caiatl on the prowl."
On the Leviathan, Qexal and Ilzat drained the tanks housing the finished specimens. They were dropped onto the floor and immediately without a word being said, were rushed into armor specially made for them by elite armorsmiths.
Adorned in clean, gold and purple armor never seen before. Their arms were exposed, and slightly covered in fur in some spots, a side effect of their infusion. Their furred crests extended from their back armor, hanging over their heads. And while barely being a minute old, they were given their weapons and sent into transmat.
Then, the group of Titan blood infused Cabal came through transmat. The Loyalists gathered around them in awe. Calus pushed through crowds of his followers to reach the front, Za'aurk arrived after Calus. The clones bowed before their emperor, placing their shotguns on the ground as they did so.
"I am Emperor Calus," He walked closer to the clones. "Your creator. Your master. Your emperor. You will serve my every whim." Calus laughed joyfully, "I will not waste your time with introductions, I am sure you have been conditioned to follow me to the ends of the universe." He looked up as a group of airships passed over the base.
"It seems the Witches are preparing for something. A prime moment to strike at them, to claim what we desire." He turned his attention back to the clones, "You all are of a special breed, born with foreign blood in your bodies, but still Cabal. Take pride in this, you and all of your kind will be some of the first Cabal to wield some sort of magic. I wish to see your prowess on the battlefield." He faced the crowd of Loyalists again, "I hereby declare these Cabal, and all of their ilk as, Palatini, for those who will bend this very realm to my- our infinite power. May they stomp and crush the bones of those we conquer."
The surrounding Loyalists cheered. Even Za'aurk expressed his amusement with a few light claps. Calus clapped along with them, "And on this day, the Demon Realm shall know the true power of the Cabal. The true Cabal, who follow their one true emperor. Loyalists! Prepare yourselves! Some of you have waited hundreds of years to even shoot your weapons once more! Now is your chance!" Calus's booming voice echoed across the land, not even being drowned out by the cheers from his subordinates, his charm resonating through all of them.
As the cheering died down, Calus heard a voice calling for him. He waved as he walked away from the crowd of Loyalists. He headed to a secluded area of the base, already knowing who it was.
"Collector, my dear friend. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me," Calus said jokingly.
"I could say the same for you, but that's not what I'm here for," Collector responded. "There's something big happening with the Witches that I don't think you know." Calus widened his eyes with intrigue, urging the Collector to go on. "There's something called 'The Day of Unity', it's a big event disguised as a utopia between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm, but really it's where the big grump Belos drained all the Witches of their magic. Kinda like what the Draining Spell you did, but on a larger scale, and all the magic is lost." The Collector exclaimed with raising his hands in the air, "And considering what you want from them, you wouldn't want them to go out like that, right?"
"Certainly not. We are just within the final stage of our act here, it would be most unfortunate if it were soured by his actions."
"Then how about you stop him, huh? You could save the Isles, and you wouldn't even need to take over by force. You'd be like a savior or something along those boring lines. All you would need to do is wait until the perfect time to do it, otherwise it'll look like you're trying to stop their 'utopia' from happening."
"I see. Make myself and the Loyalists look like heroes, and they'll flock to us for guidance and appraisal. When should we strike at Belos?"
"There's an eclipse happening today. Just as the moon blocks out the sun, the Draining Spell starts. Once they realize what's happening to them, then you swoop in and save the Boiling Isles! Easy peasy!"
"Then it shall be done! My Loyalists and myself shall receive unending glory for our efforts. Thank you, Collector. Your helpfulness will not go unnoticed, I promise you, that you will be free. You need only instruct me on how to do so, once we are done."
"Cool! Meet ya at the head of the Titan in a few hours!"
Before the Collector could disappear, Calus called out for him, prompting the being to stay. "Why did you tell me this? And why now?"
"Because…Belos is starting to seem like a big meanie." Collector shrugged, "But that could just be me. You seem like someone I could actually trust to free me…to some extent," Collector whispered the last part.
Calus smiled, "Your wish to be free is a wish I will uphold and bring to reality, my friend. Mark my words." As Calus finished, the Collector disappeared into the aether with a smile.
The emperor returned to his people, informing them of the news delivered to him. Cheers from before fired back up, though not as loud as before. Calus basked in the affection his followers showed him, not even opening his ears for Za'aurk, who was trying to gain his attention. Frustrated, Za'aurk left Calus to let his moment of glory sink in as the cheering crowd drowned out his cursing.
On the Leviathan, Qexal and Ilzat ordered Val Vu'lam to gather the troops, and have them ready to move out. Vu'lam went to complete his orders, taking the rest of the lab personnel with him.
Meanwhile, Qexal and Ilzat stayed behind to overlook the growth of the next batches of Palatini. They continued the same process from the last batch, though their progress would be significantly slower by themselves, but their faith in Calus heavily outweighed the need for any help. Soon, even more twisted children of Calus would have their chance to wreak havoc on a world they barely knew.
Much later in the day, the CATs began to move out and enact their plans to stop the Day of Unity. Darius and Eberwolf had already set on a barge to the Head, with Eda and Raine in a separate barge headed the same way. Meanwhile, Luz and King rode a palisman with Katya so the two could save Amity.
Katya landed far enough away from Blight manor to avoid being spotted, "Ride ends here, kiddo. Good luck saving your girlfriend." Luz and King hopped off her Palisman. "See ya around!" She saluted the two as she flew off to catch up with the others. Luz and King walked the rest of the way to Blight Manor.
On the way to the manor, Luz and King managed to find Gus and Willow headed in the same direction. Luz gasped, "Guys!" She yelled loud enough for them to hear. She ran to them as they waved back, and as soon as she reached them, she hugged them as tightly as she could. "I'm so happy to see you." A few tears started to stream down her face.
Gus and Willow both hugged back, "Luz!" They both said as they all released each other.
"Where have you been? We were so worried." Willow said.
"We tried calling and texting you and Amity, but no answer from either of you." Gus added. "We were just on our way to check on her."
"I was…out for a few days on business, if you can call it that." She rubbed her neck as she laughed. "I went to space, if you can believe it. Had to convince Caiatl and her council to not absolutely obliterate the Isles, which we did successfully, of course. Then, we got arrested by the Emperor's Coven, but it turns out it was a ploy by Darius to get us in on the plan to stop the Day of Unity, which I'm sure both of you know is complete bogus. Luz held her arm with one hand, "I'm sorry for leaving you guys out of nowhere, I could have been better on the communication part."
Willow placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Hey, we're just glad you all are okay."
Gus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't get yourself down about it, Luz. We know what you had to do. There's no reason to bring you down, no matter what."
"You guys really mean it?" They both nodded, "Thanks guys, really." Luz wiped some tears off her face, she then remembered where she was going, "Amity! I have to go help Amity!"
"Help her with?" Gus asked.
"Help her escape!" Luz and King ran off to Blight Manor in a rush. Gus and Willow ran after them, confused.
The group reached the entrance to the manor, running up the stairs. They took cover behind a tree as they looked at the empty lawn. Believing the coast was clear, Luz continued to walk to the manor, before being stopped by Gus, who revealed a scout illusionist cloaking himself.
Before they could make their move, Hunter joined the group, "Gus, Willow!" He hissed. "I haven't seen any scouts for a while now, I think we're good-" As he got closer, he noticed Luz was along with them. "Oh, uh, Luz. I- I didn't know you were with them." He turned away from her in shame.
Luz shook her head, "Now's not the time to feel bad. As much as I'd like to slap you across the face, there's a much more pressing matter at hand right now." Hunter simply nodded in response.
Willow readied a plant glyph for Luz, who then used it on the cloaked coven scout, wrapping him in vines. They all ran past the entrapped scout, "Sorry, man!" Hunter yelled.
As they approached the door to the manor, Abomination goo appeared in front of them, blocking their way inside. Then, an Abomaton appeared behind the group, extending its arm to pin Luz to the ground. A rotating light appeared on its head, intending to sound an alarm. Before it could do so, Hunter sliced the light off the robot's head, while Willow grabbed it by its arms and legs, dragging it straight into the ground. Sweating, Willow gave Luz a smile, and helped her off the ground.
Luz was finally able to meet Amity. With a smile on her face, she placed a plant glyph on the ground that elevated her to Amity's room balcony. Luz fixed her hair and prepared to enter, but stopped when she heard Amity's voice.
"Can't believe mom broke it." Amity said frustratedly. She desperately tinkered with the phone Luz gave her. "I'm gonna fix it, and I'm gonna get a message out to Luz." She stood up, vexed with her situation. "I'm gonna do something." She set the phone and tools down and crossed her arms.
"We already tried burning down the factory." Edric said as he laid on the bed. "That's what got us grounded too." He sat up and looked at his twin sister, Emira.
Amity walked closer to her siblings, letting her arms down, "If mom would just hear us out…"
"We can shout as loud as we want, but money always shouts louder." Emira retorted.
"Dad would listen. I know he would." Amity turned around, looking to the ground and crossing her arms. "The world is ending, no one'll listen to us, and I just…I just want to know if Luz is safe." She held her face in her palm and couldn't help but let her emotions overwhelm her. In the moment she felt helpless.
Edric and Emira chimed in to try and help cheer Amity up. "What do you think Luz would say to you right now?" Emira asked with a smile.
Amity wiped a tear off her face, "Probably something dorky. But also sweet." The thought of Luz's hopefulness cheered her up, both inside and out. "She'd say something like I shouldn't give up and that anything is possible." Amity began to pace around the room, a sudden burst of hope overran her. "Or she'd say that I might be scared now, but to not let that stop me, because every problem has a solution." She kept going, with a more determined expression, "And everything's been so crazy, we've barely been able to spend time together. And I am not letting the world end before we go on a real date!" She clenched her first and held it in the air.
Emira noticed Luz at the door. She turned Edric's attention to her, they both looked surprised but knew they should let Amity and Luz have their privacy. They walked to a corner of the room where they couldn't be seen.
"Woah, you're right! I would say all that!" Luz said, standing in the doorway.
"Luz!" Tears of joy flooded Amity's face as she ran to Luz, hugging her tightly.
Luz swung Amity around as she grabbed her, "I'm gonna take you out when this is all over, Amity. I promise. No monsters, no mysteries, no duels and especially no weird space aliens." Luz opened her eyes, "It's going to be the most mundane, slice-of-life date ever. And it'll be awesome."
"I know." Amity leaned in and kissed Luz right on the mouth without a second thought. Blush instantly covered their faces.
"Oh. Crikey!" Luz said flusteredly, with an uncontrollable smile on her face.
Embarrassed, Amity backed away. "I can't believe I just did that."
"I can't believe I just said that. Oh, Crikey." Luz covered her still blushed cheeks as Amity stared at her like she was mesmerized. "How did I even think of that?! Come on, Luz. Play it cool next time."
After Luz was done, Amity lowered her head, "Luz, I don't think my parents know what they're helping Belos accomplish." She said somberly. "Uh, will you help me tell them about the Draining Spell?"
"Of course. That's why we're here!" Luz responded cheerfully.
"We?" Amity asked. Luz then led her to the balcony, showing her everyone else patiently waiting below.
"The whole gang's here, even Hunter. Eda and the others are on their way to the Titan's head now. Our plan is a longshot, but it has to work if we want to bring it to Belos." Luz smashed a fist on her palm.
Amity raised an eyebrow, "And what about our evil alien situation?"
"What's my name baby?" Luz smirked. "I already have that covered. Once we take down Belos, she'll come here and defeat Calus. Then all's well that ends well, hopefully."
"Is that where you've been for the past few days? With Caiatl?" Amity asked concerningly.
Luz crossed her arms and looked down, "Yeah. I know you've been worried about me. And then we got 'arrested' for a little bit when we got home. But, I'm here now." Luz looked up and smiled, "Don't worry though. From now on, whenever I go on some crazy adventure into space or something, I'll give you a heads up so you don't fill your room with tears."
"I'd like that, sweet potato." Amity kissed Luz on the cheek, "Now let's go. We have some persuading to do." Amity climbed down the vines, leaving Luz redder than the scales on a War Beast.
On the way to the Day of Unity's site, a one horned Witch donning the disguise of a Coven scout scanned Raine with a cloaking stone for Eda to use. Raine looked over at Eda as a feather flew in his face. They saw her drinking a potion that a disguised Lilith gave her to keep her curse in check and then approached her.
"Hey, I know that face." Eda noticed Raine's indifferent expression. "I've got it all under control, Rainstorm." She bumped Raine on the shoulder. "Jealous I'm gonna be a better Coven Head than you? I'll try not to impress everyone too much." She looked at Raine with a smug face.
"Are you really willing to get a sigil?" Raine asked, not even trying to hide their concern. "Even if your curse heals, you'll never be able to practice wild magic again."
Eda couldn't help but frown, "Eh, my curse isn't going anywhere." She tried to stay optimistic, putting a fist to her chest. "I can tell it's always gonna be a pain in my feathers. But if I can do this to help, why would I refuse?" She smiled.
"We're almost there!" The horned Witch yelled out. He handed Eda the cloaking stone, "This will keep you hidden under an illusion. But it won't change your voice, so try not to say much."
As she held the stone, Eda changed into Raine under a screen of smoke. "Whoa." Eda examined herself.
"This works a little too well." Raine said, looking at themself.
"I wonder." Eda detached her head, "Ah! It works!" She then put her head back on.
"Oh, weird." Raine smiled awkwardly as Eda changed back into herself.
"It's time. You ready?" The witch held his hand up as a Bard Coven sigil glew in his glove.
"Oh. Isn't it cool we get to go on one last adventure together?" Eda smiled at Raine.
Raine was left silent, simply watching on in shock as Eda was branded with a sigil.
Calus sat atop a makeshift throne made of any leftover metal the Loyalists could find. No one came to him for anything since his announcement earlier. Bored, he called upon The Collector. The Collector's shadowy form appeared before the hulking emperor, "What's the issue, buddy?"
Calus growled, "I suffer from the monotony of waiting. All my life I have waited and waited for moments like this. And finally, I get the chance to have a moment of glory, and now, I am faced with more…waiting." Calus sipped from a chalice brought from the Leviathan, "So, I called upon you to overcome this tedium."
"Well, I'm flattered, Emp! What is it that you wanted to talk about?"
"Recently, I have dwelled upon the thought of freeing you. With how often you speak of it, it is one of the many things constantly on my mind. But after all these years, I have either never learned or simply forgotten how I would go about freeing you. Tell me."
"Hmmm, there's a mirror keeping me trapped in this stupid, no fun shadow form. Technically, I'm not even supposed to be here right now because of that. But you've always been just gold and shiny enough that I can reflect myself off of you. As long as my mirror is safe and sound, I can keep reflecting off your belly!" Collector giggled, "The thing is though, I can only be freed using the powers of a Titan. And Belos, that big bully, has my mirror. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know any Titans, would you?"
"I think not. But, if they could suffice, I have infused some of my soldiers with Titan's blood."
"No, silly, that won't work! It has to be pure Titan's blood! Y'know, like the real thing."
"I see." Calus thought to himself, searching deep in his mind, trying to remember if he had seen a Titan recently. He gasped, "I…do. The Human's pet. I can only recall one time when I saw it. When the Human and her companions entered my mind. Even though I didn't know it at the time, it looked and felt familiar. It resembled a Titan, but it was neither grand nor imposing. Despite this, it still resembled one. Like the Land Whales of Torobatl. Growing from a helpless whelp, who would perish with nothing but a whimper, to great creatures, who could devour entire cities." Calus shook his head, "But no, that couldn't be possible. They are all extinct, like you said."
"Correct! And that's because they sucked at hide and seek! I was just guessing that you knew one is all because of the Titan blood you have. Don't stress it though, I'm sure you'll find a way to free me, with, or without a Titan. Or maybe I'll just get really lucky with Belos being nice for once and freeing me."
"Yes, lucky." Calus spotted Za'aurk waiting to speak with him. "Thank you for your company, Collector." Collector nodded and snapped away. "Za'aurk, what is it?"
"I was not aware you would mix Titan's blood with Cabal DNA. I wish you had gone over it with me first, my lord. I could have overseen their creation."
"And if I wanted you to, I would have assigned you to such a task, Za'aurk. But I have other operatives that are much more competent in that field than you." Calus got up, hearing a snarl from the Primus, "Rest assured, I meant no ill intent behind that statement. I was just making sure you knew your place as a general, not a scientist. You are one of my best warriors, no?"
Za'aurk nodded, "I wouldn't be deserving of the rank of Primus if that weren't true."
"Then I am sure, this task, you will not fail. Are you familiar with the Human girl? Luz, I think her name is."
"Yes, too familiar. She was the one who burned my retina and left me blind in one eye. I've been waiting for my chance at her and those other insects who helped her. A shame I've been stuck here ever since our champions were felled, though."
"I am happy to tell you that you'll get your chance soon then." Calus suddenly caught a glimpse of Blight Industries, seeing Luz and the others there. He held his head, expecting a headache, but there was none. Za'aurk held a hand out in concern, which Calus swatted away. "Do not. I am okay. Now I know where you need to go. A factory, not too far from a house. I do not know the exact location, unfortunately. If not there, then they will be close by."
"Our scouts tracked one of Caiatl's ships near a location of similar description. I may have a rough idea of where it could possibly be. What is my objective? Am I simply pulverizing them?"
"First, find the small Demon that follows them around and make sure it is unharmed. Then, you may grind them to paste when you are done. Once the Demon is secured, bring it to me. It will be integral to our plot."
"Shall I take your 'Palatini' with me?"
"No, I will not waste their potential with something so trivial. They will aid me in overthrowing Belos when the time comes. Take yourself, and whoever you wish." Calus thought to himself, wondering what a Titan could do for him, if one could free the Collector.
"Of course." Za'aurk said grudgingly. He walked out of the presence of Calus, ordering a group of incendiors and legionaries to accompany him. He and his squad boarded a Harvester and the ship blasted off in the direction of Blight Manor. Za'aurk debriefed his soldiers as they went on, they all understood their assignment and sat in their seats waiting to be dropped out of the ship.
Kikimora returned to Blight Industries, more tired than the last time she was there, "Mrs. Blight. I hope this last shipment will be swift." She took a sip from her cup, her eyes looked like they could sag all the way to the ground had she been any more tired. She exited her airship and followed Odalia into the factory flanked by two Coven scouts.
After being hidden in a bush nearby, the Hexsquad followed them in, disguised as scouts under Gus's spell. Luz then stopped and turned around. She pulled out a helmet for King to wear, "Stay here King. It's safer. If anyone asks, you're guarding the perimeter." She placed the helmet on King's head. She then ran off, to King's dismay.
King sat next to the bush, he sighed as disappointment shrouded his face. Then, he started to hear the voice of a child, "One of them has to free me, right?! I've been at it with both of them for hundreds of years! I trust one more than the other, but he barely even seems interested! Ugh, I just want to do something different!"
"Who's there?!" King yelled, standing up. Worried, he decided to walk away and stepped on a bag of chips, which he picked up. He walked on the other side of the bush and saw a trail of snacks, looking around and seeing no danger, he followed the trail.
"For the last time, I'm not interested in your dumb gadgets." Kikimora snarked as Odalia led her to a veiled object.
"You might want to reconsider," Odalia remarked, pulling the cover off the object, revealing a giant Abomination mech. "Introducing the Abomatron. It's seven-hundred snorsepower, has two fairy powered jet packs and comes in several shades of lilac." Kikimora's eyes lit up as she gasped in awe, "I've outfitted this one specially for you." Odalia picked up Kikimora and climbed up a ladder to place her in the pilot seat of the mech.
Kikimora cackled, "I'm taller than everyone!" She immediately began fiddling with the controls, posing the Abomatron in various different positions and giggling as she did so.
Amity noticed her father's workshop and led the group over to it. Luz lifted her mask and peaked inside, "It looks empty. And really sad." Before they could investigate any further, Odalia appeared behind them, clearing her throat and staring at them threateningly.
"Follow my lead," Hunter whispered. He saluted, and the rest did the same. "Mrs. Blight. Kikimora told us of your products. Such invaluable assets would be invaluable to the Emperor's Coven." The others all reassured Odalia of their trusting nature, and she shortly walked away, staring at them with her head turned.
Before they could investigate any further, Kikimora walked over in her mech suit. "I knew I recognized that annoying voice," She said, looking directly at Hunter.
The kids ran for the exit but were stopped by the Abomaton and scout they incapacitated earlier, who were both covered in vines. "Sorry, man." The scout said vengefully, pounding his fist against his palm.
Gus tripped over a wire, which stopped his control over the scout uniform illusions, revealing their true selves to Odalia and Kikimora.
Outside, King finally found the source of the snack trail. He sat on a swing set with Alador, who was sharing snacks with him on a swing set. "Was that the last of it?" King asked as he grabbed a handful of chips.
"Of course not! When I was recovering from the fire flu, she fired half my team and expected us to continue working!" Alador coughed, spitting a minor flame out of his mouth, "Just a side effect of the fire flu," He rubbed his nose. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to vent…I should let you return to your duties." He looked at King as he held the strings on the swing.
"The Emperor's Coven requires I, uh, take a mandatory snack break, so…no worries?" King responded.
"Sounds like I joined the wrong coven," He joked. He started to rip up the bag of chips, "This is a big night. I…I should feel accomplished, but none of this feels right." He stored the ripped parts into his coat, "Do you have kids, Mr. Scout?"
"Uh, no. I'm not really the best person to be giving out dad advice. I never really met mine." King shrugged.
"Once this is all over, I'm gonna spend more time with my kids. Get to know them. Things are gonna change after the Day of Unity." Alador placed his arms on his legs, looking ahead with hope.
"Oh boy. Yeah, let's just say there's not gonna be an 'after' to the Day of Unity". King said.
Alador gasped, "What do you mean?" Before King could explain, a loud screech in the air could be heard as a ship the size of Blight Manor descended upon the Blight estate. They watched as Cabal and Psions dropped out of the ship, surrounding the area around the manor and factory. Alador looked on in terror and awe. "That is…remarkable! And terrifying! Is this what you meant by 'there won't be an after'?" He asked with air quotes.
"No…not at all. They shouldn't even be here. We have to warn the others, they're in danger!" King said. Alador nodded and jumped off the swing set, running down to the factory alongside King. "I'll tell you all about the Day of Unity on the way down!"
Down at the factory, the Hexsquad were all trapped in a bubble being kept up by Abomatons, with their hands shackled by Abomination magic. Kikimora came walking out of the factory, "Kikimora, is my airship ready?"
"Just about. I found two adorable little rascals trying to steal it." Odalia responded as Edric and Emira were carried away by Abomatons. "But I'll deal with them later."
"Edric! Emira!" Amity called out with worry.
"Don't worry, they'll just be grounded with maximum security." Odalia said smugly.
"Don't you get it?! You're helping a Witch Hunter destroy everything!" Amity responded furiously, gritting her teeth.
Odalia placed a hand on her head, "Really, Mittens. I am tired of all this drama. Sneaking around in little disguises, convincing the twins to act out, are you trying to make me look bad?" She asked disappointedly.
"She's trying to help people." Luz interjected.
"Hush, brat."
"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that!" Amity bucked at her own mother.
Odalia was taken aback, "Girlfriend? Oh, no, no. That won't do. We'll find you a new girlfriend. One that isn't on wanted posters everywhere." She summoned a wanted poster with Luz and King on the front of it before tearing it apart and dropping it. Not being able to stand hearing Odalia anymore, Amity mustered enough strength to break out of her shackles, and use them to form a spiked gauntlet to punch the bubble, but to no avail. Odalia crossed her arms, "Really, you're just embarrassing yourself." She said dismissively as Amity continued striking at the bubble.
Kikimora walked behind Hunter, "I always knew you were rotten to the core. Belos will probably snap you in two when I hand you over." She said assuringly. "Maybe he'll make me the new Golden Guard."
Hunter gritted his teeth in fear. Luz stepped in to defend him, "Leave him alone!" She commanded.
"I'm surprised you're even here, Human. Aren't all your friends at the Day of Unity?" Kikimora evoked a look of terror in Luz's eyes, "That's right. The Emperor has eyes everywhere. And right now, I bet they're all pointed at the Owl Lady." Kikimora laughed maniacally as she walked away.
Gus walked over to Luz. Luz leant over and whispered something in his ear, which Gus responded to with an uneasy face, and then eventually a nod. Hunter looked at them in confusion.
Meanwhile, Amity continued punching at the bubble, until it finally broke, and the shackles on everyone fell apart. Odalia looked on in utter confusion, while Amity looked down at her hands. "Wait, how did I do that? Was it the power of believing in myself?"
Alador walked out of the shadows with King holding a remote controlling the Abomatons, "No, it was the power of science. But you almost had it sweetie." He continued walking into the courtyard of the factory, "Odalia, please stop this. This little scout here told me all about the Day of Unity. Belos is trying to drain every Witch of their magic, and he's using our Abomatons to help him! That's not even mentioning the aliens!"
Odalia looked at Alador, dumbfounded, "Aliens?! You just believe anything, don't you? You've truly gone off the deep end if you think 'aliens' exist. To think I even thought of entrusting anything to a weak minded person like you." She scolded Alador, leaving him speechless. "Oh, and thanks for telling me what I already know about the emperor."
Alador's eyes widened, "You already knew?!"
"What he does with our products is none of my business. What is my business, is keeping our family ahead of the rest." She spread her arms out, "You're welcome, everyone." She said sarcastically. Alador looked at Odalia with contempt, gritting his teeth while his face quickly became red. "There you go making that face again. In the emperor's new world, we'll live like royalty. Crowns and all."
"Guys! Quiet!" King yelled, catching the attention of everybody. "We need to hide! THe Cabal, they're coming!"
"What do you mean, 'Cabal'?" Odalia asked. The sound of at least a dozen heavy footsteps could be heard quickly approaching. The courtyard was then invaded by incendiors and legionaries. The Cabal encircled both parties with their weapons all pointed at them.
Za'aurk walked through the circle, revealing himself to the Witches and Demons. "Well, it looks like Emperor Calus was right. I was beginning to have my doubts on the way here but, it's a miracle I didn't lose all faith." Za'aurk looked at Luz, who was frozen in fear. "You. I'll get my revenge on you later." He observed the area, "Where is the tiny beast? It would be in all your best interest if you told me." An incendior next to Za'aurk squeezed the trigger on his magma launcher, sending some right next to Kikimora, who jumped away. "So? Who'll be the one to save all of you?"
Then, King bravely walked out, standing right in front of Za'aurk. "I'm right here!" He yelled, fearlessly looking up at the thousand pound beast who stood above him like a building. As Za'aurk looked down at him with his one eye. King gulped, quickly losing his bravado. "Uh, what is it that you, uh, want with me?"
"Emperor Calus apparently has a very special use for you. I don't know what it is but, his word is my action." As Za'aurk leant down to pick King up, Hunter ran in front of him.
"You stay away from him!" Hunter said.
"I…know you. At the Rite of Proving. You interrupted a sacred Cabal ritual, and now you think you can face me with no shame?!" Za'aurk growled, and prepared to stomp on Hunter, until Kikimora intervened.
"You will NOT squash my ticket back to the good side of Emperor Belos!" She blasted Za'aurk away with Abomination goo from her mech's cannon. She grabbed Hunter and ran away with him into the factory.
"After her!" Amity yelled as she summoned a pool of goo that stopped Kikimora in her tracks. Willow followed her up by summoning a tower of vines, and sending some in Kikimora's direction but she was stopped when Hunter was held up as a shield.
Za'aurk stood up, "After them!" Za'aurks forces ran after the kids. The Primus looked around for King who was long gone.
Alador looked at Odalia, "I'm only asking for the sake of our kids. Help me, just this once." Odalia reluctantly nodded and summoned spirits from her Oracle crystal to slow the Cabal down, while Alador turned the Abomatons on the Cabal. Despite being outnumbered, the Cabal were met with equal matches against the magical robots, as the legionaries were easily able to cut them down, but they couldn't figure out how to stop them from reforming each time. Za'aurk fired from behind their lines with his projection rifle, sending Abomination goo flying.
As Kikimora tried to escape, Gus covered the area in the factory in darkness, leaving Kikimora effectively blind. She blindly fired her cannon everywhere, making holes all over the factory's walls and ceiling. She was able to fire one big blast right above her, making a large hole in the ceiling and stopping the illusion. "I don't need all you cretins, but this one is mine!" She pressed a button on the mech's console that activated a jet pack, and she flew directly out of the factory. Everyone else could only look on in horror as they watched their friend get taken.
Back outside, Za'aurk realized the legionaries making little progress in breaking the Abomatons' lines, he called the incendiors forward to take their position. The magma launchers made short work of the robots, melting them and their armor into small puddles on the ground. One of the Abomatons was able to take out a number of the incendiors, hitting one in their fuel tank with a piece of debris and causing a chain reaction. Despite this, the Cabal were able to break through anyway. Za'aurk pushed through the Abomatons and spirits while the rest of his forces continued to fight them. He entered the factory behind the others, and saw King with them.
"Don't make this any harder on yourselves. Give the little demon to me, and Emperor Calus might let you all live under his rule." Za'aurk held his hand out.
"Under his rule?! Why would we trade one tyrant for another?! There's a reason he was exiled!" Amity exclaimed, forming spiked gauntlets over her hands.
"Emperor Calus will make things better for your sorry world. And whatever it is, that little whelp will speed things up." He pointed to King.
"He's not a whelp! He's our friend! And you're crazy if you think we'll just hand him over like that!" Willow exclaimed as she got ready to summon her plants, her eyes glowing a clean white.
"Then I guess I'll just have to kill you all and take it then."
The Hexsquad all stood in front of King in defense of him. Za'aurk immediately rushed them with his jump pack. Willow formed a cocoon around the group before he could reach them. Za'aurk easily cut through it with his wrist blade and stuck his hand inside, trying to grab King. His hand was forced back with multiple blows from Amity's gauntlets. Za'aurk roared, and tore open the cocoon, forcing Willow down onto a knee. Za'aurk dueled with the Primus, delivering blow after blow to his faceplate. Za'aurk retaliated by jumping back, and bombarding the group with his projection rifle. Before any of the grenades could hurt them, Amity blocked them with a shield that she had to constantly reform with each hit.
"We need an exit out of here!" Gus yelled as he grabbed Willow by the shoulders. "He's just going to keep shelling us!"
Amity looked around for places to hide, "Over there!" She pointed to her father's workroom. "Get ready to run!" She pushed the goo in Za'aurks direction, causing some of it to get in his eye. While he was blinded, they beelined it to the workroom and hid behind one of the tables inside.
"King?! Of all of us, why would they want to take King with them?!" Amity exclaimed. She immediately put hands on her mouth, realizing how loud she was.
"I don't know, but we aren't letting them get to him." Willow responded. She looked around, "Wait, where is King?" The others all checked every nook and cranny of the workshop, but found no trace of him. They braced themselves and looked out the window, to see King sat in front of Za'aurk, who was being unusually calm. They stared at the two from inside, not wanting to make the behemoth hostile again, but they were ready to brawl once again if they saw King in danger. Although a little muffled, they could just hear what they were saying.
"I will give you and your friends this, tiny creature. You are all intrepid little things." Za'aurk's helmet modulator made his voice sound staticy and unnatural, but it was nothing to King.
"Just get to the point, what do you want from me?" King asked fiercely, looking straight into the Cabal's eye, it was like he had to lift his neck all the way up, no matter where he sat.
Za'aurk chuckled softly, "Truthfully? I don't know. Despite that, I still intend on returning from a successful mission. Now, come quietly."
King closed his eyes, "Wait. If I do come with you, I need you to make a promise." He returned eye contact with Za'aurk, who widened his eye in anticipation, "Let my friends go free, whatever it is you're planning to do. I want them safe, no funny business."
Za'aurk squinted, "And what's stopping me from just grabbing you, and turning all of them into a red mist immediately after?"
"I'm not sure. But you just seem like the kind of person to not go back on something." King looked away and whispered to himself, "Even though I've known you for only 5 minutes."
Za'aurk looked directly into the workshop, seeing the Witches all looking at him. Their heads all suddenly dropped. "You're right. I don't go back on my words. Whatever I swear upon, it will be done. I swore I would make the little Human girl suffer for blinding me, but now, the task at hand is much more important. She'll feel what I felt and then some." Za'aurk nodded and laid his hand on the ground. King walked into his hand and held on to one of the Primus's fingers, which were almost as big as him.
Seeing King going with Za'aurk, the others burst out of the workshop, magic at the ready to stop him. King held his hand out before they could draw any closer though, "Stop! I…made this choice. To keep you guys safe. It was a hard choice for me to make, but making the decision was easier knowing you all would be okay. I promise I'll see you all again when this is all over."
"Wait! There has to be another way, King!" Gus yelled.
Za'aurk radioed to his remaining forces that they were returning to base. The Cabal battling with Odalia and Alador outside suddenly disappeared in an orange aura, being transmatted away.
"King! Don't go!" Amity called out. King shook his head as he was the first to be engulfed by the transmat, and then the rest of Za'aurk went with him. The others could only look with despair as they watched another friend be whisked away. They ran outside to find Alador and Odalia arguing once again. Amity shut them both up by covering their mouths, "Dad, can you fly that airship?" Alador tried talking, but his mouth was still covered. Amity removed her hand, but made sure to keep one on Odalia's mouth.
"I think I very well could. Why do you ask?"
"We need to stop the Day of Unity. We have to get to the head." Amity responded.
Odalia furrowed her brow and removed Amity's hand, "Excuse me young lady. But there is no way in Titan's name that I'm letting you put yourself in danger like that." Amity simply walked past Odalia, and boarded the airship. "Amity Blight! You come back here right now-" Willow stared at Odalia with a fiery look on her face, shaking her head, and continuing on to the airship along with the others.
Alador tried to lighten the mood, "At least I get to see the girl my daughter has taken a liking to in person." He placed a hand on Luz's shoulder.
"You knew?!" Amity blushed. Alador simply smiled at her. Amity wrapped her arm around Luz, "I'm sorry about King. I promise we'll find him, no matter what it takes." She went to lean in for a full hug, before Luz poofed into Hunter.
"I'm…confused." Alador scratched his head.
"Where is Luz?!" Amity yelled. Her eyes were filled with absolute terror as she looked up and down at Hunter.
"I'm sorry! It all just happened so fast!" Hunter looked down and backed away from the both of them. "I didn't realize what was happening until she was gone." He rubbed his arm.
Gus was strained as he climbed on to the airship, holding his arm out as the magic circle around his arm wavered, "She- She wanted to protect you. And Eda." He stumbled onto the ship.
"Then that means…Luz is being taken right to Belos." Amity said with shrillness in her voice.
Za'aurk arrived before Calus with King in hand. "My lord. My mission was a success. I hope you expected no different from your Primus."
"Wonderful news! If you had failed such a simple task, then…It does not matter! You did what you were told to do. Ready the troops, we move out within the hour!" Calus responded. Za'aurk bowed and exited Calus's makeshift throne room. The gigantic emperor loomed over King, "So, you are the Collector needs? What an interesting conundrum. But finally, after thousands of years, he will be freed and more."
"The Collector?" King asked.
"A being from far before your time. Trapped by your very own people." Calus pointed to King.
"My people? The Titans? But why would they do that?"
"Ah, it is a long story my friend." Calus paused, "We have some time before we leave. I will regale you with what I have learned about the history between the Titans and The Collector." He stuck a finger in the air, "But, I only ask that in exchange for my information, that I receive your full cooperation."
King nodded, then paused. "Wait, will you ever let me go?" He squinted.
"That depends on what The Collector wants with you. But don't worry, once all of this is over, I will make sure that you and your friends can live freely. I will forgive you all for your crimes against us. That is of course, once Belos is out of power."
"You want Belos out of power too? You know what he's planning?"
"Of course. I deeply regret associating myself with him. Especially after learning of how he wishes to drain the magic of all Witches and Demons in the realm!" Calus exclaimed, knowing he didn't really care what came of everyone else. "You would be doing the Demon Realm a great service with your help. If your friends come trying to rescue you, then please, I implore you, tell them of the good I am trying to do for their world, so that our hostilities may finally cease."
"You really mean it? No double crossing, backstabbing plans you have holed up in your noggin?" King knocked on his own head.
"I would not say what I thought to be a lie. Ever. I will follow through, trust me, O Titan mine."
King knew deep down that a big part of him didn't trust not a single word Calus was saying, but if he had to give himself up for his friends, then he would gladly listen to every word he had to say.
"Now, sit. I will tell you all that I know of the Demon Realm. Perhaps I will share even more of my knowledge of the vast universe with you. So that you, one day, may grow fat from strength. Knowledge from the strongest of any Cabal ever will do you well, my friend." King sat down criss-cross in front of Calus, listening intently to the Emperor's ramblings.
Meanwhile, the real Luz, sat in a bubble made by Kikimora's mech. She looked on as she headed straight to the center of Belos's operations. She clutched the earpiece Caiatl gave her, ready to take down two tyrannical Emperors at once.
And there you have it, that's the end of this chapter. I tried to compress Hunter's arc to the best of my ability to have a reason for him being there. For most of this I kinda banged on using dialogue from the show, which I don't feel very good about. But the next chapter will more than likely be more than different enough to where I won't have to do that. I also continued the trend of Cabal units being named after Roman/Latin terms with the Palatini. Which that word is Latin for 'palace troops'. While not exactly guarding a palace or anything, I feel like Calus would definitely consider himself a palace, therefore naming his new units after such a thing, though of course in universe, he wouldn't even know what that word means. (I think?)
To Mr. Penguin, thanks for the advice, I believe I tried my best to use it in this chapter. And about Za'aurk, the thing is, I was torn between taking inspiration from Zo'aurc or Ta'aurc. And by inspiration I mean, having him simply be some sort of assistant or an 'organizer' of sorts like the Explicator was, or having him be a general like Ta'aurc was. So I said F it, why not both? And just combined the two because they sound cool. As for the others, I kinda just looked at Cabal names on the wiki and got inspiration from there. Also, you didn't see the double Belos sections (totally my fault). As always, I appreciate the review.
Thanks for reading folks, that's all I got for today, and this month. See y'all in the next chapter!