I finally decided to make my glorious return from my break which wasn't really a break because I kept writing, but I was taking longer than usual to get back in this doc and keep writing. Upon looking again, it looks like I forgot an important part, a bit of Belos falling onto Hunter's shoulder at the end of the chapter. So uh, just pretend that happened.
I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you can do the same for this one. Leave a review if you'd like and happy reading!
The Demon Realm and its denizens were always known for their disambiguous oddities. From rats in the shape of worms, to entire towns and cities built upon the corpses of fell beasts. But not even they would have been prepared for what was to come when worlds were supposed to converge and create a utopia, the Day of Unity and the events that would follow.
Za'aurk looked in awe as a giant hole was ripped out of the Titan's skull. He could barely see, but at a glance he could see three tiny little specks floating in the sky. Shortly after, an explosion erupted from the head, "Hm, Emperor Calus must be-"
His words were torn out of his mouth as a giant structure, almost in the shape of a crown, was constructed and suspended in the sky in just a matter of seconds. Everything about it was wrong compared to the rest of the Isles, it was bright, colorful and just downright ethereal. Some type of energy swirled around it, keeping it afloat.
"Caiatl's traitors can wait, I want ships up there to investigate! Now!" Za'aurk barked. "Make sure Emperor Calus gets to safety!" The Primus looked on as a Harvester flanked by Threshers flew toward the anomaly. Stars of varying colors began to fall from the sky, bombarding the Cabal and citizens below.
"Get down! Find cover!" Za'aurk shot at the ground with his projection rifle, making his own cover while his men scrambled to get to safety. A panicked legionary ran past the Primus, but unluckily for them, they ran right into the trajectory of one of the stars, crushing them and leaving behind an unrecognizable mass of flesh, bone and shattered bits of armor. Za'aurk continued to look up at the ships.
The airborne convoy grew closer, but then a large explosion erupted in the sky. The shockwave of the explosion knocked the Harvester's escort off course, creating a fireball that fell to the sky like an asteroid that spared neither of the pilots. As a result of the explosion, the entire environment around the Titan's chest and head began to change all into a cutesy, colorful mess. The peculiar events were something that not even the Psions could even think of or predict.
A rush of water washed over the Titan, completely submerging its chest and the areas around it. The Harvester was not so lucky, as the ship was caught in the falling waves, killing the engines and sending the ship and its crew into a dead spiral. They hoped the water fell faster than them. Za'aurk watched as they were swallowed by the water.
"Damn it all!" Za'aurk continued to take cover, looking at the sky in utter disbelief. He watched someone else, a lady, fly into the sky at a remarkable speed. What should have, and could have been a routine and pitifully easy conquering, turned into some sort of weird armageddon. He rubbed his eye, and the next second, the lady was turned stiff. The dumbfounded Primus didn't even know what happened, and he certainly didn't know if he could believe himself. He knew his hiding was cowardice, and to many Cabal, that would be dishonor. But to him, a fruitful life is true honor, and he would hide like his life depended on it until this was all over.
Up in the sky, Calus and King were both 'invited' into the Collector's structure, flying on stars into the entrance. They passed a thin curtain, landing in a room with a large staircase that split three ways, the main staircase led to a large hallway in the middle and the other two staircases led to a floor up top. The room was filled with decor that resembled moons and stars and giant bookcases that Calus was just barely taller than.
The trio stepped off their stars which all shortly poofed away. The Collector spun around in the air with glee, "Welcome to the Archive House! Your new home! Where can play games for ever and ever and ever!"
King took a long look at his surroundings, for he knew it'd be a long time before he was able to leave permanently. Calus was already coming up with a scheme to leave as soon as he could and rally with his forces to assess the situation.
King raised his finger, "Uh, Collector. What did you…do with everyone else? You didn't kill them…did you?"
"Uh, kill them? Of course not! Some of them are just gonna be locked away for all of eternity because they won't be able to play right! But the others? They'll be here shortly to join our game!" The godlike child floated up the stairs into the hallway, "Follow me! I know what we can do first." He snickered as he disappeared into the hallway's faux darkness.
King and Calus lagged behind, "Hey, you got any clever ideas to get out of this?! Because you seemed to always have one when my friends were around," King said angrily
"I have thought of a few. None of them involve you leaving though. I would have loved to keep you for my own personal gain, but one of us has to stay here with the Collector, lest he turns us inside out for trying to leave." Calus responded, looking around the room.
"Huh, you're even more selfish than I thought. How could the literal end of the world be happening, and you still only only think about yourself?! What about your own daughter? Is this what you wanted when you sent your lackey to kidnap me?!" King held his arms up in fury, yelling at Calus, but trying to avoid catching Collector's ear. Calus looked at King unresponsively.
"Hey, you guys coming or what?! I'm ready to play already!" Collector called out.
"Do your part, and just maybe you might escape, at some point," Calus told King. "Coming, Collector!" Calus walked up the stairs.
King, dejected, followed the two. He sighed, "I'm coming too," He said without a hint of joy in his voice. In that very moment, he wondered what would have happened had he not sent Luz out of the Demon Realm. Would they be dead, would they be safe? He didn't know, but he was glad Luz was out of danger. After all, she didn't deserve to see the Demon Realm in its current state.
"Mija?"
Luz held her arms out in front of her mom as the rain poured on to her and her friends. With all that she had been through in the Demon Realm, she didn't expect to end up back at home. Not like this at least.
Luz was uneasy as she prepared for her mother to give her a harsh lecture right in front of everyone. She was instead pleasantly surprised as the warmth of Camila's embrace comforted her. Camila couldn't stop herself from tearing up as she hugged her daughter tighter. Luz couldn't help but reciprocate. In that moment, everything that had happened prior was like a blur, but she was happy to be in her mother's arms.
Once Camila let go, she invited the kids to join her and Vee inside so they wouldn't be in the cold rain any longer. After a while, everyone was sitting at a table in the dining room getting a well deserved reprieve from the chaos. The kids had all types of scrapes and wounds on them. Camila entered the room and took a seat at the table with a drink in her hand, trying to wrap her head around everything that happened.
"Okay. So, in the Demon Realm, you started out fighting this, Emperor Belos, who was a Witch hunter. But then you found an alien emperor-"
Gus interrupted to correct Camila, "Well, at first he was just a statue."
Camila continued, still confused, "Right. So then you went into his mind and helped his soldiers free him. After that, this alien emperor's daughter came from space to help you all stop him."
"Her name's Caiatl. She was an unlikely ally at first but when she realized our goals aligned she decided that she'd help us. We helped her, she helped us. Heck, she even called in some of her army to help us defeat Belos and Calus. But obviously that wasn't enough." Luz explained, rubbing her arm uncomfortably, still thinking about everyone she had to leave behind and the guilt that followed.
"And now there's another villain in the picture. The Collector. We don't know how Belos or Calus found him." Willow said.
"There's no telling what he's doing to the Demon Realm right now, but it can't be good at all." Luz added.
"We don't know what Calus and the Collector have going on but from what we heard, it sounds like they've been 'friends' way before any of us were even born," Amity said.
"Yeah, there's no telling if they're working together to take over the Isles just like Belos did," Hunter remarked.
"Whatever it is they're doing, we'll do whatever it takes to get back," Amity replied.
Camila offered a warm smile to the group, "And you will. But for now, you should all rest. You're safe here."
Back in the Demon Realm, chaos ensued. The Collector's reign was soon known across the Isles. The enigmatic being turned everyone that his spies could find into puppets so they could join in playing the Owl House 'game'. Barely anyone was spared, and those lucky enough to be well hidden stayed that way until they knew that safety was a sure thing.
As Collector led Calus and King through the Archives, groups of puppets would pass them almost every minute, some of them King recognized, much to his dismay.
"Are those puppets, Collector?" King asked.
Collector smirked, not out of malice, but out of pure innocence, "Yeah. How else are we going to get them to play with us?"
"You could always start by asking, what if they don't want to play?" King retorted.
Collector stopped and turned to King, "Maybe you're right. I'll give them a chance to say yes, and if they don't, I'll just turn them into a puppet anyway." He continued leading the pair through the halls. King sighed, feeling defeated.
Eventually, they passed a room with a cage surrounded by puppets. King went back to check the room again, seeing Eda in the cage. He so badly wanted to call out to her, but Collector called him back over. King hesitated to move at first, but ran back over in fear of facing Collector's wrath.
Eda, who sat in silence, heard King's name being called. A sense of hope sparked in her, "Just keep playing along, King. I'll be there for you, kid."
Soon, the Collector stopped and opened the door to an empty room, filled with only space, stars and nebulas. It was like a mini-universe within a bedroom.
"And this is the bedroom! We'll all be sleeping in here. It'll be like a sleepover, for the rest of eternity!" Collector said excitedly as he floated into the room.
"Come on, what are you guys waiting for?! You won't run out of breath or anything!" Collector yelled.
King reluctantly stepped into the room, he expected to fall, not having the same powers as the Collector. To his amazement, he simply floated, as if all his weight had just magically disappeared.
Meanwhile, Calus winced at the idea, not wanting to entertain the Collector's antics at the moment. He looked back to see some of his Loyalists being carried through the halls. Even the Palatini were no match, as they were effortlessly dragged through like ragdolls. This was a battle that even Calus knew he couldn't win. For what is an emperor compared to a god, other than a retainer?
Even then, this was a game all too familiar to Calus. After all, it was his words and actions, and his alone, that secured his throne for so long.
"Collector, I believe that before we…sleep. I must get familiar with the rest of the Archives. If that is okay with you, of course." Calus said.
"Sure! Just be here for bedtime. I don't want to have to turn you into a puppet too, Cal. That's my new nickname for you by the way, since we're best buddies now!" Collector smiled as he floated into his bed like a piece of paper in the wind.
"Of course, of course. You won't have to worry about me, my friend." Calus walked away, following where the puppets were being taken. He found the room where they were all being kept, he peered in, seeing thousands of people in a large room, like they were toys being kept on display. He caught sight of a few Palatini, if it weren't for some of their skin being exposed, he wouldn't be able to tell they were just puppets. Some rank-and-file Loyalists along with Imperial Cabal were also made into puppets.
"The Palatini were with me. If the Collector's…things got them. Then surely they have Caiatl." Calus scoured the room. Despite being lifeless puppets, the people he passed couldn't have felt more alive. To him, it almost felt like their eyes were following his every move, hoping he'd do something to help them. Not even his own soldier's silent cries for help couldn't get Calus to bat an eye.
He reached the end of the room, with no sign of Caiatl anywhere. "Always the sneaky one, daughter. No matter, her ships are destroyed, and her poor excuse for an army is scattered. She'll have to come crawling out sooner or later."
Calus was suddenly hit with a wave of curiosity. He grabbed a Witch off of one of the racks with an egregore tendril. He shook them around like a doll and even poked them in the face with his sharp nails. Calus swore he saw a tear roll down the Witch's face which he unsurprisingly dismissed. Using the Absorption Spell the Collector showed him, he sapped the Witch of all their power. The pain caused them to shift back into their original form, but despite this, they were still a husk, devoid of any life. Calus threw the corpse away, flinging it against the wall and back into its original spot. "If only you were stronger, little Witch. Fortunately for me, your weakness is my strength."
Suddenly, two other identical versions of Calus appeared out of thin air. The real Calus backed up, he walked toward them slowly and waved his hand through them cautiously. All he could think about was how his hand went through them. How was this possible, he asked himself? "Deception and subversion of the mind. Interesting."
Calus made more versions of himself, it was like looking into a house of mirrors. To any other person, an otherwise insufferable place to be in, was a dream for Calus, being surrounded by the only like-minded person he could trust, himself. "The things I will do with this power. Perhaps Psionic projections could improve this…yes."
The illusions of Calus all disappeared, and he began to leave the room. As he walked to the exit, he came across King. King jumped out of the way, almost being squished under Calus's boot. King jumped up and down angrily, "Hey, watch where you're going, you oversized tyrant!"
"My apologies, King. Perhaps you should make your presence more known next time. The inconsequential presence of a puny ship is not always acknowledged by grand vessels," Calus made a small hand gesture, taunting King.
"Yeah, well, next time you should think about the 'little ships' that might be in your way," King crossed his arms.
Calus laughed, "Please. If I had to worry about the little things, I wouldn't be where I am today."
King scoffed, "Yeah, right. You seem like the type to obsess over small things. Even when they don't concern you." He sighed and lowered his tone, "I…didn't come here to talk to you. If we're going to be stuck here together, we might as well act like we don't hate each other."
"Rest assured that I hold no hatred for you. You are simply allied with those who wish to stop me, and for that, you are an enemy of the Loyalists."
"Yeah, sure. What Loyalists?" King looked at the transformed Loyalists. "It's only a matter of time until the Collector finds them all, and you'll be the last one still fighting for your selfish cause."
Calus looked at the Loyalist puppets, and the Witches and Demons. "It is ironic, isn't it? So long ago, I was trapped in my own mind and body by the magic of this world. Now the Collector comes along and does the same to thousands of others, including my own people."
"But that doesn't matter now. They'll all be free soon enough," Calus remarked.
"Yeah, all of them. Free to live their lives again. Away from people like you and Belos." King retorted.
Calus knelt down, still towering over King, "Some advice, King. We will have to work together, so I suggest you get comfortable with my presence, friend. I wouldn't want us having bad blood, and I certainly don't want to crush you like a poorly made chalice."
He stood back up, "I suggest you get back to the Collector soon. Our 'bedtime' is near and I'd rather not goad the child now." Calus took his leave, and returned to the Collector's bedroom.
King continued into the puppet storage room, "I suggest you get comfortable with my presence, friend." King mocked.
He sighed, "Luz would know what to do right now. If she were here, she'd have the whole Demon Realm screaming and jumping in joy."
King shook his head, "Get yourself together, King. I have to do this for Luz, Eda, and everyone else. Don't think about what Luz could do, think about what she would do." He began to look around for any ideas.
After a good amount of searching, he found a familiar face among all the puppets, "Lilith! Maybe I can convince the Collector to let her go. And is that…Hooty? Yeah, he'll probably have to stay as a puppet a little while longer."
King began to walk out of the room. Before he fully exited, he briefly turned around, "I'll be back for you, Lilith. I'll reunite you and Eda." King left and returned back to the Collector's bedroom.
The next day in the Demon Realm, all the chaos from the previous day began slowly to die down. The Collector's stars ceased their glittery bombardment of the Isles and the screams of those trying to escape their fate died down. There were few bastions of hope and safety left. Students left in their school held out hope that they wouldn't be found, some found refuge in their own homes or the homes of others. One group of survivors found their way to the Loyalist base, which was seemingly abandoned.
Unfortunately for this group, the base's original occupants would soon return to take back what belonged to them. Za'aurk led a group of whoever he could rally back to the base with him. The Loyalists wasted no time in making their presence known, swiftly getting rid of the Witches and Demons on lookout at their base. They made their way to the heart of the base with no resistance whatsoever.
Suddenly, a group of about twenty Witches and Demons in tattered and ruined clothing came out of hiding, holding their hands up in surrender. A small, swine-like Demon was in the forefront of the group, pleading for his life. "Please don't kill me! It was their idea, not mine! I told them that we shouldn't have come here!"
The group all mumbled angrily at the small demon.
"You were the one who led us here, Tibbles!" A witch cried out.
"Did not!" Tibbles remarked defensively.
"Quiet! I care not for who brought you here. How did you find this place?" Za'aurk asked.
"Well, I- they, saw all your ships leaving this place and had the bright idea to come here, hoping for an opportunity to scavenge and pillage your base, which I must mention is a fine looking one at that." Tibbles answered in a groveling voice.
"Of course." Za'aurk said.
"So…what are you going to do with us?" Tibbles asked.
"Hm, well, I was going to have you all killed right here. But a brilliant idea has sparked in my mind. You all may be useful yet." Za'aurk answered.
"All of you are now Loyalists, and servants of Emperor Calus. I am Primus Za'aurk, his faithful second in command. You will take orders from me and your superiors without question. Is that understood?"
The group gave half-nods, unsure of whether they wanted to be subjected to servitude to someone they hadn't even met before. The Loyalists behind Za'aurk lifted their guns at the Witches. Za'aurk doubled down, "I said, is that understood, underlings?"
Suddenly, there were several nods of compliance and understanding. Even after everyone stopped, Tibbles continued to nod compliantly.
"Great. You'll start your work effective immediately."
Za'aurk turned around to a Centurion, "I'll take this sycophant and his group to the transmat zone. I doubt Qexal and Ilzat have any information on our current situation. Plus, they will need all the help they can get to create more clones now that our forces are spread thin."
"Secure the base. If you find any stragglers then send them over immediately. If they run or retaliate, then make sure they can never run again." The centurion took his order with grace and without a moment passing, began barking orders at his subordinates. Za'aurk led the group to the transmat zone slowly but surely. His aim was trained on them, Projection Rifle practically breathing down their necks.
"Where are you taking us?" A Witch asked.
"And who needs help making more clones? For what?" Another asked.
"Will you be letting us go?"
"All of your questions will be answered shortly. Though for the last one, I can give no definitive answer. You may be here for a long time or a short time. Either way, it'll be a hard time. I tire of you all incessantly meddling in our plans. These are the consequences of crossing the Cabal."
"But we've never had anything to do with your plans! We've never even met you!" Tibbles protested.
"So you haven't. How noble of you to bear the blame for everything that's happened this past month." Za'aurk holstered his weapon and grouped the Witches onto the transmat pad.
"Let us see if this thing still works." The Primus tinkered around with the machine's controls. While he was distracted, a Witch decided to make an escape. Unluckily for them, Za'aurk caught wind of this, he unholstered his rifle and shot a few rounds at the fleeing Witch. There were multiple small explosions around the Witch's position, and whatever was left wasn't visible. After the smoke dissipated, there was nothing left but miniscule craters and a sizzling pile of ash.
Za'aurk continued his work, not saying a word or acknowledging the horrified faces of his prisoners. Eventually, he got the transmat pad to actuate. He walked onto the pad with the others. "Make sure you stand still, your atoms just might get vaporized if you make a wrong move."
The machine began to hum, and in moments the group were atomized and turned into orange particles. Seconds later, they were in a dark room surrounded by what seemed to be hundreds of test tubes full of gigantic bodies floating in dark blue liquid.
Tibbles felt his body, trying to make sure he was still real and not in some type of twisted dream. He sighed in relief, then upon realizing he wasn't in a dream, he couldn't help but scream and cry internally.
Za'aurk gestured for the group to follow him, which they did so without question. "From now on, this lab is where you all will be working from. I don't expect any of you to last longer than a few months, but that'll be all we need."
"Will there be food?" A cycloptic Demon asked.
"There will be plenty of rations, of course. We aren't barbarians. You would be useless if you were hungry." As Za'aurk finished his answer, Qexal rounded the corner of one of the many tubes, slightly startled by the unannounced company.
"Za'aurk. Me and Ilzat grew worried when neither you nor Emperor Calus did not answer our hailings yesterday. What issues plague our communication systems?"
"It is a much more pressing issue than problems with our communications. The Demon Realm has been completely overtaken by a…godlike child. Our forces have either been turned to some sort of beings without emotion, or they have been crushed, burned, blown to pieces or completely obliterated. Not to mention that Emperor Calus was taken by this child, there was nothing we could do to save him."
"I see, that is unfortunate news, Primus. We must take immediate action if we are to salvage this operation."
"Indeed. That is why it is urgent for these clones to be produced."
Qexal sighed, "Our efforts have been slowed down, I am afraid. It seems that the Leviathan's energy systems are near depleted, despite its massive size. It hasn't feasted upon the crust of planets in centuries."
"And with the amount of Cabal required to even make a god bleed? We wouldn't even get close to the minimum," Ilzat entered.
"We can spare just short of a hundred of Emperor Calus's genetically enhanced Cabal. They take much more energy to create due to the body's interaction with the Titan Blood," Qexal explained.
"If clones were to be produced at a more massive scale, we'd have to cease production of those Cabal. Even then, these new clones would be less effective in combat. This is not to say, we are only two," Ilzat continued.
"I believe I have already solved your issue of being understaffed," Za'aurk pointed to the Witches. "But, a solution to our energy problem will have to be thought of."
"Something we have failed to mention. We have been experimenting some more with the Titan Blood, other than infusing it into the DNA of Cabal," Qexal pulled out a small device out of his cloak's pocket. He showed Za'aurk a hastily made contraption which simply turned on a small lightbulb.
"What is the point of this? Is it a joke?" Za'aurk asked, confused.
"No, but a demonstration. Watch closely." Qexal flipped a switch on the device, and through a few tubes, Titan Blood flowed through them and the lightbulb switched on.
"It is a simple device, really. But for us, it is a breakthrough. This could be a way to power the Leviathan's systems, at least for a little while longer," Qexal said as he switched off the device.
"But there is no way of knowing if this blood could be compatible with the Leviathan. No way of knowing how it works, and no way of knowing the consequences that may precede us if it does work," Ilzat added.
"Our best chance is the engine's fuel intake. Fortunately, we have the perfect candidates to venture down there." Za'aurk said as he looked at the Witches. They all looked back with worry and dismay on their faces.
"An interesting idea. It is a chance we're willing to take." Qexal said.
After minutes of silence, Tibbles finally spoke up, "If I may be so bold to speak for all of us, I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean, Titan's Blood, seriously? Everyone on the Isles knows that stuff doesn't exist anymore. You're delusional if you think-" Tibbles ate his words as Ilzat came back, rolling a cart of containers full of Titan's Blood in them.
"How do you expect us to take all of that to this engine of yours anyway?!" Tibbles cried out.
"It won't take long. We'll transmat you to the engine. And when you're done, we'll transmat you back," Za'aurk responded.
"And then what, we begin our eternal servitude to our new masters?" Tibbles asked sarcastically, to which Za'aurk responded with a single head nod. "Of course. Right, well, how do we even go about using Titan's Blood for this?"
"A straightforward operation for even inferior beings such as yourselves. Simply take the Titan's Blood to the engine's fuel intake and pour it in. Even a child could complete such a task with little issue," Ilzat said
"Really? Is it that easy? Well then, I think we can do that, although reluctantly, of course," Tibbles said under his breath.
"Then prepare yourselves. We'll pull you right back out when you're done." Za'aurk said.
"How will you know when we're done?" A Witch asked.
"This is our ship. We'll know." The Primus responded. He ushered them back to the transmat pad with the Titan's Blood and adjusted the coordinates for the ship's engine. "This'll put you close to where you need to go. Try not to stick around too much, we haven't had a patrol down there in years. There may be something lurking down there."
Za'aurk laughed, "I jest. But I can never be too sure."
"Wait, you're not serious, are you?" Tibbles asked. Before he could get an answer, the pad activated and he stood as still as a statue, not wanting to be violently atomized. Seconds later, the group all materialized to the inside of the engine with no issue.
"Oh, Titan." Tibbles said, thinking about how he'd rather be running a bad scam than being subjected to dangerous busywork.
In the shadow of the Titan's fractured skull, Caiatl emerged from the ruins of what the Collector left behind. "On the souls of those lost in battle, Calus's skull will be in worse shape than the skull of the Titan," she said as she threw a piece of debris off of her.
In the offset of the Collector nearly killing everyone present, Caiatl and Satuur made the wise decision to take the plunge into the pit below as the others escaped through the portal door. Upon awakening a day after the incident, she couldn't thank their past selves enough. The Empress skulked around searching for Satuur.
"Valus!" Her commanding voice echoed and bounced against the walls, yet no answer. As she continued her search, Caiatl heard a rumbling under a pile of debris. She rushed over to the pile and began pulling the rocks and calcified bone away. A look of disappointment washed over her, as who she had just pulled out wasn't Satuur at all. "You aren't my Valus."
Kikimora coughed out a large amount of dust, "Correct, I am not your 'Valus'. Now get these rocks off of me!" The tiny Demon commanded in her usual shrill voice. Caiatl concluded her rescue efforts and began her search again. Kikimora controlled her mech suit to stand up, "You aren't going to just leave me here, are you?! We're in this hole together, you know?"
"We are not in this together. I want nothing to do with you," Caiatl responded coldly.
"Like it or not. It is in your best interest to stick with me, as I have control of a high tech mech suit made by the Demon Realm's premiere engineers and scientists," Kikimora boasted, following Caiatl. She stopped to flex the mech's faux muscles and eventually caught up again, this time getting right next to Caiatl. Kikimora looked her up and down, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
"I'd imagine not. If you knew me, then I'd know you." Caiatl heard a faint grunt in the distance and continued down the pit's narrow path.
"No, I do know you. We never came face to face, but you were at the Coven Day parade. I'm sure of it."
"And what if I wasn't?"
"No, you were there. I was in charge of coordinating the parade. You and the Human's show of fireworks is one of the reasons why I was scolded by the head of the Plant Coven and almost fired from my job. It seems that wherever the Human went, trouble followed. And follow it did," Kikimora stopped and started to pick chunks of rock out of her cannon.
Caiatl turned around as a charging sound reached her ear, "I am merciful, unlike the callous emperor that ruled here for so long. Put your weapon down, and let me finish here."
"No. No, I don't think I will, actually. I wonder if that Calus fellow will take your head as an apology for my past ill-mannered act towards him."
Caiatl's eyes darted toward Kikimora, "You would take care to make such threats…Even if they are empty."
"I have every intention to carry out my threats to the fullest." Kikimora extended her cannon and aimed at Caiatl.
"I hope you know. There are plenty of hard feelings!" Kikimora shot multiple clumps of Abomination goo at Caiatl, who dodged them with ease. "Once I'm done with you, I'll find the Human and do the same with her!"
Caiatl continued to dodge Kikimora's onslaught. She reached for her Projection Rifle but all she could feel was the armor on her thigh.
She rolled into a large rock and hurled it at Kikimora as her cannon recharged. A pink shield formed over the top of the mech before the rock could hit. Caiatl picked up another rock and hurled it at Kikimora, this time following up with a rush and flurry of stabs from her knife. Some attacks penetrated, and others barely did anything.
As Caiatl delivered blow after blow, Kikimora was able to get the upper hand by predicting her next attack, swiftly disarming Caiatl. "Whether you live or die, I'll rise back higher than where I once was!"
Kikimora laughed like a crazed lunatic as she charged up her arm cannon once more. Caiatl took notice of this and took hold of the cannon, trying to sway its aim elsewhere, but the mech was just strong enough to be able to keep control.
As Kikimora and Caiatl were caught up in their deadly struggle, Satuur began to regain consciousness. The Colossus had no trouble in toppling his makeshift tomb. Still gaining his bearings, he slowly made his way toward the sounds of the struggle. On the way there, he stumbled upon Caiatl's Projection Rifle. He picked it up and held it close.
Satuur finally caught sight of the two. He watched as Caiatl struggled to keep Kikimora's cannon away from her face. The cannon fired off a few shots, just barely grazing Caiatl's face mask.
"Empress!" Satuur fired a round at the mech's feet, knocking it off balance with a small explosion.
"Valus, covering fire!" Caiatl recovered her knife. "Drive her out of here, we don't have the time for this.
Satuur nodded, and unloaded upon Kikimora, who was struggling to dodge the explosive lobs from the rifle. Caiatl attempted to rush Kikimora with her knife again, but was dismissed when the mech took flight.
"Haha, the jetpack still works!" Kikimora shouted over a loud intercom. She readied her cannon and bombarded the duo with nothing but malicious intent flowing through her mind.
Satuur returned fire, a few of his rounds whizzed by, but he managed to strike a hit or two into the mech.
Kikimora halted her assault as a damage warning hud appeared in front of her. She scoffed and against her ambitions, decided to leave. "You haven't seen the last of me, you alien fools! I'll take both your heads and have them mounted on a golden wall!"
Satuur shot a few more rounds at Kikimora, before she blasted away into the sky. "And we'll be waiting for that day to come, you coward!"
"You did well, Valus. I owe you my thanks for saving me." Caiatl offered Satuur a slight nod.
Satuur placed a fist over his chest, "As long as I am in service to you, my Empress, then death shall never step foot near your soul." Satuur handed Caiatl her weapon back.
Caiatl took the rifle and holstered it, "And for that, you will always have my gratitude. Now we need to assess our situation before moving forward."
Satuur placed a hand on his chin, "Last I saw, that floating child started ripping the place apart. They weren't even using their hands. And that little Demon thing the Human and her friends traveled with went with the child."
"And the last thing I saw was Calus being pulled away with them. I am not sure what the little Demon has to do with them, but I have no doubt that Calus and the child have had some type of dealings with each other."
Satuur looked up, "Hm, I certainly don't remember the sky looking like that. Nor do I remember a giant crown looking architecture above the head. Do we investigate?"
"If Calus is up there, then that is where we need to go. But no doubt the child is also up there, we'd stand no chance. We can rally our troops, wherever they may be, but…"
Satuur finished Caiatl's sentence, "Not even their strength would be enough. We'd be turned inside out. I saw what they did to that flesh creature the others were fighting. Flung the beast straight into the wall and splattered it. I'm almost certain some of its remains fell onto the others as they escaped."
"It would be in our best interest to find who we can at least. We can't contact the fleet and our dropships are all likely destroyed. As much as I want to find Calus now, we may have to stay hidden until we can find a way to get reinforcements."
"I value the lives of my men much more than the task at hand, I will not be opposed to taking shelter for the time being."
Caiatl found the stairs that led back up top, "Then let us go. We'll strategize once we find a secure area to rest and reload." Satuur nodded and followed Caiatl up.
Once the two reached the top, they were flabbergasted at the drastic changes of the Demon Realm. Everything looked much more unreal than they already were. Stars of multiple colors shot across the sky like living rainbows, water rushed down the Titan's corpse like a river and the entire world's demeanor was much more fantastical in contrast to its normal weirdness.
They walked to the nostrils of the Titan, their ship was nowhere to be seen. "How do we get down?" Satuur asked.
"We'll have to climb down. But before we do that, this is a good location to scout out where we'll go," Caiatl responded as she scanned the land.
"What about there?" Satuur pointed to the Knee, "It looks secluded enough, far away from all the chaos. Not to mention, it looks like we'll have a clean view of everything that goes on from there."
"That is not a bad idea, Valus. The trek will be long, but it will be worth it. Though now, the only thing that concerns me is finding our troops. If there even are any left." Caiatl leaned against one of the nostrils.
"Certainly there are some holdouts. We won't find them sitting around and talking though," Satuur clenched his fist.
Caiatl nodded, "Let us get started then. Be very careful climbing down. I can practically hear the bone crumbling under our weight already." She and Satuur began their climb down, very slowly, very carefully. An unsure feeling washed over them, trapped in a new world that was growing more and more dangerous by the hour. But their resolve remained strong, they knew that one way or another, Calus would be brought down, and their mission would be complete whether they were dead or alive.
Back in the Leviathan, Za'aurk lounged in the lab, watching as the Psions fumbled around, doing what they could to get more clones out and ready for battle.
"How many more clones do you think you'll be able to make when the Leviathan is powered up again?" Za'aurk asked, trying to make small talk.
"Just barely less than five hundred. Just about the same size as a small detachment." Qexal responded.
"With the combined power of our forces in the Demon Realm, we'll be about a thousand men strong. And that's not counting those that were taken." Za'aurk said.
"So, tell us, Primus. What exactly happened down there in the Demon Realm?" Illzat asked, prepared to listen as he worked. Za'aurk got to regaling the pair of how he and Calus faced off against Belos, of how the aura of the Collector engulfed him minutes before he even got the chance to look the being in the eyes and the way they spun around flung Belos into a wall, splattering him. Finally, he explained the circumstances that led him back to the Leviathan.
Qexal gave a few nods in contemplation, "Interesting. It seems Emperor Calus had some sort of dealings with this 'Collector'. I've heard of suspicions amongst the other Psions, but me and Ilzat never met their concerns with curiosity into the matter."
"So, if they are indeed allies, why the need for so much firepower?" Ilzat asked.
"Caiatl is there, as you already know, and she's brought reinforcements. We need them crushed as soon as possible, and overwhelming force is the way to do so. Not to mention, the Emperor wants complete control over the Demon Realm, it seems. Another client species to add to our roster." Za'aurk responded, crossing his arms.
"Maybe the Emperor will simply get the Collector to destroy his enemies if the endeavors of the Witches in the engine prove fruitless." Qexal added.
"Here's hoping. I want to be done with this place. I've lost an eye to a Human. A small, puny, powerless Human child." Za'aurk said with venom in his voice. He clenched his fist, "I'll make sure that she doesn't survive to see the end of this."
"Za'aurk, check in on those Witches. They should have been finished by now," Ilzat said.
Za'aurk walked over to a monitor and cycled through the cameras of modified scorpius turrets called Watchers. He found a Watcher that had sight on the group, "They're in the reactor room. They draw closer to their objective."
The Watcher followed their every move, rotating its camera as they navigated the room. Tibbles took notice of this and walked over to one of them. He tapped on its camera, "Hey, are you watching us from up there? I hope you're comfortable. This room is hot and unbelievably gigantic!"
Za'aurk spoke through the Watcher, "If the room is hot, then do not continue to make it hotter by speaking. You are almost to the engine's intake room. Just keep on the path you are going. We'll transmat you out once you're finished."
"Fine, whatever you say." Tibbles continued on with his group who were pulling ahead of him. They carefully hopped across the pistons, avoiding falling into the coolant below. One of the Witches summoned a spirit to carry the Titan's blood across, though it was weaker than usual without them being in the Demon Realm. Luckily, the pistons weren't as sensitive as they once were, so they were able to easily move across them. The group reached the exit of the reactor room, and arrived at the entrance to the intake room. They were in awe at the immense size, wondering how there could be two rooms, and possibly even more, all keeping the one massive engine running.
After a while, they came across another Watcher drone. The head of the drone rotated with them, just like the last. Tibbles walked up to the drone, "Everything here is so…enormous! Is this really necessary, or are you all just compensating for something?"
Za'aurk sighed dejectedly, "You're here, good work. I didn't expect you all to make it past the reactor room, but you defied the odds, I suppose."
"Question. If you could just teleport us anywhere in this gigantic death trap, then why not just teleport us here in the first place? Did you know you still have active death machines down here?! They tried to kill us and turn us into corpses riddled with hundreds of holes in them!" Tibbles complained, his face getting redder as every second passed by.
Za'aurk chuckled, "It pleases me to know the Leviathan's automated defenses still function to some capacity."
"Hello, answer my question, will you?" Tibbles asked.
"If we were to transmat you straight there, it would have posed a huge risk," Za'aurk responded.
"And why is that?" Another Witch asked.
"Because, this room is massive, even for our size. There could have been a miscalculation and you could have ended up across the gap, or maybe, you could have ended up in the air and falling into the gap. I don't even think the engine was made to be maintained by any living being, yet here you are."
"Really? You all really aren't monsters. You are still crazy though," Tibbles responded.
Za'aurk continued, "Not to mention, the pistons. They don't work as fast as they used to with the engine slowing down, but there was still a chance you all may have been pulverized by one." The Watcher's turret aimed up at the pistons slamming into large outlets, causing large, but ultimately harmless shockwaves.
"Interesting how we didn't notice those when we first entered," Tibbles said.
The Watcher's camera aimed in the direction they had to go, pointing to a platform up above, "Right up there is where you'll pour the blood, and you'll be done. We'll get you back here and then you can work on your new assignment."
"Yay," Tibbles said sarcastically. "Alright, let's get this over with. You all know the drill. Do my dirty work for me, and I'll reap all the praise, if there is any to be had."
One of the Witches grumbled under her breath as she used her staff to fly up to the platform. The others formed a line, passing the canisters of blood to the flying Witch, as another poured the blood in the intake.
"I should warn you. Once the engine starts to power up, the pistons will get faster. I advise that you all find somewhere to hide," Za'aurk warned.
"They'll be fine, you can just get us all out as soon as we're done," Tibbles said arrogantly.
The last container of blood was poured, and the engine's pistons suddenly stopped all at once. There was a final charge of power before they all powered off.
"Find cover!" The Watcher, and seemingly the entirety of the Leviathan was rendered inactive.
The room went from light blue, to a dark red lighting, and a sharp alarm siren went off.
A robotic voice, taking the chords of Calus spoke through an intercom, "Pistons offline and recharging. Proceed to the nearest shielding wall if you wish to live the oncoming discharge of energy. If you can't find one, then you should have been faster." The automated voice laughed, almost as if Calus himself were speaking through the intercom.
"Wait, he was serious?! Why didn't I think he was serious?!" Tibbles asked himself as he took cover behind a shielding wall. After a moment, another alarm sounded as the room's lighting went back to normal and the pistons slowly started to reactivate. The other Witches scrambled to find a shield.
The Watcher sprung back to life. "I have you, quit your panicking," Za'aurk shouted.
On the other side, the Primus dashed over to the transmat device and picked up the coordinates of the group. He was able to quickly get them out of the room and back into the lab. He examined the group, noticing something was off. "You're missing one."
Za'aurk checked the Watcher's camera again. He could hear Tibbles screaming as the pistons slammed against their outlets, discharging their immense shockwave of energy.
"Do you have to save him though?" One of the Witches asked.
Za'aurk looked at them with a stink eye, to which the witch shrank away from in response. He activated the transmat device one last time and brought Tibbles, who was still screaming profusely, back to the lab.
"You can shut up now." Za'aurk said.
Tibbles slowly lowered his voice before clearing his throat, "I wasn't screaming. I was just…Letting out strong emotions is all." His compatriots laughed at his excuse, causing him to blush out of embarrassment.
"Now that you're all back, and in one piece, you all can begin your true work. Helping around the lab, like condemned lab assistants." Za'aurk looked at them all, "Don't make those faces, we'll treat you well enough."
The entire Leviathan rumbled heavily, "What was that?" Za'aurk asked.
"Likely just the ship's systems coming back to life. I believe we've nothing to worry about here," Ilzat responded.
"Alright then. Time for you all to get to work. This'll be the beginning of a great partnership, don't you think?" Za'aurk asked the group dubiously.
They reluctantly nodded, and waited around for their first orders from their new masters.
Back in the Demon Realm, another day had passed, and King woke up, yawning and stretching. He looked down at his body and noticed he was wearing a nightgown. He scratched his skull in confusion, then noticed he also had a nightcap on. "Weh?!"
Collector floated over King, kicking their legs in the air, "Morning best friend in the whole wide universe! You might be wondering why you're dressed like that. I wanted everyone to know that we're best friends, so I made it so all three of us are matching clothes!"
"I appreciate the dedication to this friendship, pal. It's not something that I'd wear regularly," King said. Collector looked at the little Demon with eyes that could bring some of the cruelest of beings to tears, some. King grabbed the gown by the sides, "But you know what? I think it's starting to grow on me. I'll wear it just like I wear the skull on my head!"
Collector cheered, "I'm so glad you like it! So what are you thinking we do today when Calus wakes up?! Huh, huh?!"
"How about we have a…nice relaxing day?"
"Boring!" Collector yelled. "Don't you wanna chase around some of the people down there? Ooh, or maybe we can take them into space and see how long they can hold their breath for?"
"I have a better idea, how about we just play Owl House with them? That'd be fun!" King suggested.
"Yeah, you're right! I've been waiting to play that for a while now!"
"Exactly. But you know, while Calus is asleep, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"Yeah? What's that?" Collector floated around curiously.
"Follow me." King led the Collector out of the bedroom, leaving a slumbering Calus all alone. King walked with the Collector to the giant storage room holding all of the puppets.
"Huh, I thought this place would be bigger," Collector said. "So, why'd you take me here?"
"I was wondering if you could turn one of my friends back to normal?"
"Why would you want that? We can play with them all we want when they're like this."
"Oh, you don't get it? Uh, she actually is better to play with when she's normal! You know, she can really bring life to the game when needed!"
"Hm, is that right?" Collector shrugged, "Alright, show me who it is then."
King pointed to Lilith and Hooty, who were turned not too long before the Archives were finished being made.
"Them? But they tried to stop the fun, remember?"
"No, no. They were just trying to join in on the fun and you must have misunderstood. They'll tell you."
"Fine." Collector gently floated the two down and transformed them back to normal.
"King! Me and Hooty will save you from the Col-" Lilith quickly shut her mouth upon being faced by King and the Collector. "I mean, me and Hooty will save you from infinite boredom is what I meant to say!"
"Lilith! We woke you up because we knew you could continue the fun while we play Owl House!" King winked.
"We'll make the most out of this for sure! Isn't that right Hootstifer? Hootstifer? Hooty?!" Lilith tried to take Hooty's birdhouse off her back, but couldn't feel it anywhere on her. "Where is Hooty?!"
"Lilith-"
"How can I go on without my Hootstifer?!" Lilith cried out as she fell to her knees.
"We'll find Hooty another time Lilith, I promise."
Lilith stood up and cleared her throat, "Right. My apologies for my overreaction," she said, trying to hold back a few tears
"Hey, can we play now?!" Collector asked eagerly.
"You should go check on Calus! I'll tell Lilith here all about the game while you're gone," King said, Lilith nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'll be back though." Collector floated out of the room.
"Oh, Lilith. It feels so good to have someone to talk to that isn't some ultra-powerful being!" King hugged Lilith's leg tightly.
"I'm so happy you're safe, little one." She picked King up and hugged him back, then set him down. "How did you get the Collector to set us free?"
"It didn't take much convincing. I felt really bad about lying to the Collector. I kinda felt like our 'buddy' Calus with all the lies I told them."
Lilith gasped, "Don't you ever say that! No amount of lies could ever add up to the chronic liar he is! And that's a fact! I'm sure the Collector would understand our circumstances if we were just able to talk to him peacefully."
"Right, peacefully," King said with a hint of dejection. "Oh, wait. There's someone I want to show you!"
"But what about the Collector? He said he'd be back," Lilith said as she followed King.
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
King led Lilith to a room that highly interested him when he first arrived. Eda's room.
"Is that…Edalyn?" Lilith stared at Eda sleeping behind a wall of bars.
"Yeah, I saw her when I first got here. I have no idea how the Collector imprisoned her so fast, but I'm glad he didn't kill her."
"Can we go inside?"
"I'd say we can, but I don't remember the Coven Heads being there to guard her."
Lilith noticed a line dividing the Coven Heads and the cell, "I have an idea." She took a bouncy ball out of her pocket and threw it across. Nothing happened.
"Surely that means safety, right?" Lilith said as she walked across the line, very slowly. She tapped the very tip of her foot on the other side and was pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. She brung the rest of her body across the line and walked up to the bars. "Edalyn? Are you there?"
"Don't interrupt, I'm taking my beauty nap." Eda said dozily.
"You are okay, Edalyn." Lilith said joyfully, but trying to keep her voice down.
"Don't worry, we'll get you out." She drew a fire glyph, hoping to burn the bars.
King walked in front of Lilith from the other side of the bars, "Hey Lilith, I found a way in."
"What? How?"
King pointed to a hole of already twisted and ripped bars.
"I saw that, I just wanted to be dramatic," Lilith walked into the hole and walked over to Eda. She tapped her sister, trying to wake her up.
Eda opened one eye, "Hm? Can't you let a mama sleep in peace?"
"Edalyn, it's us, Lilith and King. We're here to rescue you," Lilith whispered.
Eda jumped up, "This isn't a dream is it?! You're not one of the Collector's…nightmare?"
"Of course it's us, Eda. Listen, I'll tell you one thing only the real King would know." King cleared his throat, "Don't you remember when we snuck into the Conformatorium to get my crown back? How Luz stood up to Warden Wrath and freed everyone that was wrongly imprisoned?"
Eda began to relax herself, "Yeah, how could I forget? It's the first time Luz ever proved herself to me. Hey, wait! Those dreams never mentioned Luz anywhere. It really is you guys! Come here!" She held her arms out, wanting to cry out of joy.
"Of course it is!" Lilith said as she hugged her sister.
"Speaking of Luz. Where is the little troublemaker?" Eda asked.
"She's…In the Human realm. Where she and her friends will be safe," King responded.
Eda gasped, "You know, it's for the best. She's safe from the Collector and back with her real family, where she should be," A few tears rolled down her face, but she wiped them away.
"Don't worry, we'll be able to save the Demon Realm without them. I don't know how, but we'll make it through this," King said.
"We'll find a way," Lilith responded.
"Hey, you care to tell us how you broke through those bars?" King asked.
"Oh, you know me. They put the other Coven Heads and Raine in here, and…I just wanted to be closer to Raine again. Used my new form to break right through those bars like nothing," Eda explained.
"King!" Collector yelled. "Where are you?!"
"Oh no, the Collector's looking for me," King said.
"Go, King. Me and Lilith will be fine."
King nodded, "I'll be back to check up on you two." He ran out of Eda's cell and out into the hallway.
"There you are! Where have you been?" Collector asked.
"Me and Lilith just got a little lost, but we're good now."
"Hey, where is she anyway?"
"OH, right! I asked if she could think of some more game ideas for us! That way we'll never run out of anything to play, ever!"
"Okay, I see what you mean! Good idea, buddy!" Collector grabbed King's hand, "Come on, we've got games to play with Calus!"
King couldn't do anything but be pulled away. He looked back at Eda and Lilith one last time before leaving their sight.
Luz and the others were getting ready to go to bed.
Luz sighed as she laid down on her bed. Amity walked next to her with a worried look on her face, "Luz, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I think. I just can't get King, Eda, Lilith and everyone else out of my thoughts. A part of me feels like I don't even belong back in the Human Realm."
"Don't talk like that, Luz. You know that's wrong." Amity grabbed Luz's hand, "I know it's barely been a week, and these emotions that we're feeling now will be…hard to escape from, but we have to stay strong, not just for each other. For King, Eda, and everyone back in the Demon Realm."
"I'm so sorry I got you guys into this mess. I never meant for it to be this way," Luz sat up and hugged Amity tightly.
"It's not your fault. None of us will hold it against you." Amity hugged Luz back.
"I'll find you guys a way back. I promise."
"We'll do it together. All as friends. As a family." Amity let go of Luz, "Now how about you get some sleep. Being as charming as you doesn't come from being sleep deprived."
Luz wiped away some tears, "Aww, you. You always know how to make me feel better. Goodnight, Amity." Luz laid back down, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
"Goodnight, sweet potato." Amity smooched Luz on the forehead and laid down in her own bed, falling sound asleep.
And there you have it, chapter 16. Not a whole lot of action but it was nice to get some storytelling and setup done in this one. I decided I'd get some live Leviathan action because come on, it's not a Calus story without the Leviathan playing a big part in some way. Speaking of, I have rather interesting plans involving the Leviathan after brainstorming a gajillion different outcomes. I'm like a Vex Mind calculating infinite amounts of futures and possibilities. Although, I am still writing and reviewing notes on what to do in the Human Realm.
Now I will take my leave for another month, which is the norm. Leave a review if you liked or hated it and I'll see y'all in the next chapter, where Calus beats Gogeta Blue with…words?