Luz was softly snoring in the nest when she felt the nest shake.
"Huh? What?" Luz let out as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Who's there?"
The best shook again as Luz was jostled, fully awake.
'What the home is going on?!' She thought, crawling to the door.
She looked out of the nest and saw that it was a good couple hundred feet above the ground.
"Whoa!" She let out, looking up to see an Emperor's Coven blimp carrying the next away?!
'These fucking bastards! I'm not gonna let that asshole get his hands on these palismen!' Luz thought, glancing back at the palisman inside of the next who were awoken just like her.
"Stay inside. I'll handle this." Luz said, extending her nails into claws and climbing out of the nest.
She climbed up to the blimp basket and looked over it, seeing the Golden Guard.
'Ugh, him.' Luz thought, 'How do I take him down?'
'Sneak up on him and take him down silently like in the video games from back home!' Devil Luz said.
'Agreed. He's a powerful member of the Emperor's Coven, so it's better to take him down quickly before the palismen could be hurt.' Angel Luz said.
'Easy.' Luz thought.
Climbing into the blimp's basket/boat like body, Luz crouched low and approached the Golden Guarded softly. Sadly, he turned around and held out a cross, causing it to burn Luz from the holy light.
"Aaaaah!" Luz screamed, moving back and shielding her face with her arms.
"Hello, half-human. It's been a while." Golden Guard said with a smug grin under his mask.
He held the cross up higher, making it shine brighter, and make Luz burn more.
"Why are you stealing palismen?!" Luz shouted.
"I don't have to answer that and you're not in a position to make demands." He said as he put the blimp on autopilot and walked closer to Luz.
Luz's skin was smoking at this point.
"I wonder if I hold this thing up long enough... you'll burn to ash." He said.
"Ugh! You can try but I won't!" Luz shouted but it was a lie since she didn't know either.
'Come in, keep getting closer!' Luz thought.
He stepped closer and Luz kicked his legs out from under him. He dropped the cross, which Luz stomped on, breaking it into pieces. She then, out of anger, grabbed him off the ground and threw him a good few hundred feet away.
"AAHHHHHhhhhhhh!" He yelled, getting quieter as he got further away.
"... I'm sure he'll be fine." Luz said, as she began messing with the controls, "Now, how do I land this thing?"
"Oh you just pull that cord above your head."
"Thank- AHH!" Luz yelled in shock as the Golden Guard was right there.
"Forget about this?" He asked, shaking his staff.
'If I see one more staff today... I don't know what I'm going to do, but it won't be pretty.' Luz thought.
"You are in serious trouble." Golden Guard said, "Surrender yourself."
"Go blow yourself, bitch." Luz said, getting into a fighting stance.
"Ew! Now that was just crass and unnecessary!" Golden Guard said, stepping back on the blimp.
"Same with you bitch ass coven!" Luz shouted at him.
"Now that is too far!" He shouted as he swung and fired magic blasts at Luz.
Luz jumped over it and landed with grace, before sending a sidekick to Golden Guard's stomach. The resulted in him skidding back and growling, magically teleporting behind Luz! He swung but she dodge, throwing a punch that he teleported to dodge again!
"You're spamming!" Luz said, continuing to turn and strike where the Golden Guard teleports. "It makes you predictable!"
He yelled and charged at her, which was even dumber as she was much faster and stronger than him. With a split second between, Luz grabbed the staff and stopped his charge.
"Gotcha!" She said with a grin.
She pulled it from him, spun it, and then smacked him with said staff. It knocked him back to the other side of the ship basket.
"Ready to give up?" Luz asked, smirking, until the basket shook, "W-what did you do?!"
"I... I didn't do anything." He said.
The basket shook again, this time, heading to the ground.
(Line Break)
Luz woke up in a tree... well... stuck to a tree branch at least. She grabbed the part sticking through her chest, before breaking it off and sliding off. She landed on the ground and looked at the crash.
"Damn, that was rough." She said, grabbing the Golden Guard's mask off the ground.
She heard a noise and looked around, seeing a figure covered in black, holding a knife over the golden guard. Luz doesn't know what took over her, maybe it was her wanting to be the one that did it, but she ran and kicked the person away.
"Back off, bitch." Luz said.
The figure skidded into a tree and hissed in pain but stayed upright as they gazed at Luz through a mask.
"You're protecting him? I heard you hated him." The figure asked in a disguised voice.
"If anyone is going to kill him, it's going to be me." Luz said, "Now you just drop the knife, and fuck off."
Looking between Luz and the golden guard, the masked figure threw the knife at Luz. It may not be the best option when it comes to a fight, but it did distract her. Luz caught the knife and went to attack the figure, but then she felt something getting thrown on her and the familiar feeling of burning.
'Why does everyone carry holy water on them!?' Luz thought, as she fell to the ground.
The figure picked up the knife and went back to the Golden Guard... only for the sound of the Emperor's Coven coming to investigate the crash. The figure growled and ran, leaving Luz, the GG, and the nest behind. Luz, despite burning, dove into the bush with the Golden Guard.
'You're saving him?!' Devil side yelled.
"No, the holy water is making me too weak to fight, but I can use him to help me find out where they'll take the nest." Luz growled, "I just... need him to wake up."
The Golden Guard began to wake up, looking around, before realizing he was upside down, tied to a tree by his feet. A pair of feet stopped in front of him and he looked up towards Luz.
"Untie me!" He yelled.
"Hm... no." Luz said, "You're going to help me."
"And why would I help you!?"
"Because someone literally just tried to kill you, and against my better judgement, I stopped them." Luz said, "Ergo, you owe me."
"I owe you nothing! Not my help or my soul, now let me go or else!" Golden Guard said.
"Or else what? You'll hurt me with the nonexistent hidden weapons I already searched you for?" Luz asked sarcastically.
Luz pointed her Grom blade at his neck.
"There are two ways this goes, either you help me, or I kill you now." Luz said, "Your choice."
The golden guard gulped as he began to sweat, sighing in defeat as he had no other choice.
"Okay, fine. I'll help you with...what do you need my help with exactly?" He asked.
"The palismen you kidnapped, you idiot! Your coven lackeys scooped them up after the crash." Luz said to him, "And because I don't know anything outside of Bonesborough, I need your help locating them."
"Hehehe, so it looks like you need me more than I need you." G.G. Said with a grin.
"Yeah, you're right. I need you ALIVE way more than I need you DEAD, G. G. Or do you not remember I'm holding a weapon?" Luz asked, cutting him free.
"Whoa! Ugh!" He let out as he hits the ground. "Ow. Point taken."
"Now get up."
The golden guard groaned again as he stood up, stretching and popping some joints as Luz waited for him to finish.
"We don't have all night, man." She said.
"Titan, do you ever shut up?" He asked.
"Do you ever not suck?" Luz asked.
'BURN!' Devil Luz shouted with a laugh.
Golden Guard grumbled as he began walking, making Luz follow him.
"If my memory of my map is correct, the town of Latissia should be close by. They have standard coven station I could report to." He said.
Luz stayed silent.
'Really? It's named after an armpit?' Luz thought but she had to expect this since this land was a giant corpse.
'Grandpa, I don't want to think about what they called the crotch.'
'Don't put that in our heads.' Angel Luz said.
Luz obliged as she followed Golden Guard through the wildness of the magic realm. The entire time she made sure to keep an eye on him. The Grom sword seemed to be reacting to the wildness and Luz's caution, shivering in her hand like it was some sort of danger detector.
'Okay, something to worry about later.' Luz thought.
Once they reached the town, Luz could feel a giant amount of sin in the air. Like REALLY giant.
'Damn. We should find a vacation home here.' Devil Luz said.
Luz felt, ironically, like she was in heaven. She can kill sinners, and there is nothing but sinners here.
'I could eat them all week and still have thousands left.' Luz thought.
'Let's keep that thought for later and focus on the palismen, okay?' Angel said.
Nodding to herself, Luz continued to follow Hunter through the sinful town before they reached Latissa's Emperor's Coven station.
"Great, so now what?" Luz asked.
"Now I report in and demand answers on who attacked me and stole the palismen." Golden Guard said.
"You sure that will work? I mean, will they even recognize you without your helmet?" Luz asked. "Has ANYONE seen you without it?"
"… that doesn't matter." He said, not entirely sure himself.
"You sure?" Luz asked.
Instead of answering, the helmetless guard just walked forward and spoke with two random coven scouts.
'Can't wait to see this fail.' Luz thought.
"If you're really the Golden Guard, where's your coven mark and helmet?" One scout asked.
"It was destroyed." He said.
The guards look behind him and saw Luz, who gave a little wave.
"Stop messing around Kid." A guard said, "No coven member would hang around that thing."
Luz's smirk dropped and the guards could tell that was probably not the best thing to say.
"Thing? Did you just call me a "thing?"" Luz asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Luz was about to lunge at them, but the Golden guard had to drag her away.
"No, no, no! None of that!" He said as he didn't want Luz to kill anyone.
Besides the one who stole the palisman of course.
He dragged her away from the base and pushed her against a wall.
"Are you insane?!" He said.
She grabbed him and flipped him against the wall so their roles were switched.
"The jury is out on that one." Luz growled.
"Well I'm the hurry and I say you are! Killing by them just for a comment?" He asked, trying to Luz's hand off his chest.
"Trust me, BOY, I have killed for less." Luz said as her eyes flashed red.
"They are riddled with sin, and as the anti-christ, I am allowed to kill them."
"Maybe in your realm but not this one!" Golden Guard argued.
"Again, you forget who has the weapon." Luz said as she pointed her Grom sword at his neck.
"Put the weapon down and let's see who is more skilled." Golden Guard said.
"…He…hehehehehehehehe! A-Are you serious right now?" Luz asked with a fit of giggles as she stepped back. "Okay, Golden Boy, let's see if you're as tough as you say."
She lifted her Grom blade and slammed the blade into the ground.
"Let's have a good old fashioned fist fight." Luz said.
"Good. Now we can see how tough YOU are without magic." Golden Guard said.
"You seem to forget." Luz said, cracking her neck, "I was trained... by the devil himself. The original evil."
"And I was taught by the symbol of justice, the emperor." Golden Guard said.
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Stop making me laugh, I'm trying to be intimidating!" Luz said with some laughing, "Symbol of Justice? I went head to head with him and he has more sin than anyone here!"
"Liar!" Golden Guard said a he threw a punch, making Luz dodge easily.
"You're only lying to yourself." Luz said as she blocked a kick but skidded back.
This time, Golden Guard went for an attack, but Luz dodged it and sent a kick into his side. He was sent rolling but got back up, putting his arms up to block as Luz punched and kicked him.
"Come on, give me a real challenge." Luz said, "Do you have any idea how hard I'm holding back right now?"
G. G. didn't say anything else as he ducked under a kick and threw a donkey kick to Luz's chin! Luz smirked.
'Fucking finally.'
She stumbled from the kick and felt some teeth knocked loose before they fixed themselves.
"How's that?!" G. G. shouted as he kept attacking with lethal force!
"You know lethal force only works on someone that can die right?" Luz asked, dodging the attacks.
"So what?!" He shouted as he mixed up his attacks, throwing unorthodox attack patterns.
Punch to face, kick feint to liver, eye stab, elbow to ribs, chop to throat, etc.
Luz kept dodging them.
"Stop dodging and fight me!" G.G. shouted as he threw a stab at Luz's eye, making her dodge before he quickly went for a twin finger eye gouge! Luz grabbed the arm and flipped him over her shoulder.
"UGH!" Golden Guard grunts as Luz held his arm in a tight hold.
"That all you got? If it is, say so and I won't break your arm." Luz threatened.
He rolled over and kicked Luz away.
"This fight is far from over!" He said, rolling his shoulder and attacking again!
'I think it's time to stop playing. Get serious.' Devil Luz said.
'Agreed.' Luz thought.
Luz took a breath as the air around her change, no longer playing around and treating this like a real fight.
"HUH!" Golden Guard let out as he threw a kick but Luz caught it by the ankle between her left elbow and knee!
She tossed his leg away before delivering a spinning sole kick that sent him to the ground. He quickly got up and Luz charged at him. She threw several punches, with the Golden Guard barely dodging them. He ducked one punch from Luz, only for her to respond by pulling her arm back, hitting him in the side of the head by her elbow.
"Ugh!" G. G. let out as he became disoriented.
But he came back as a kicked nearly broke his ribs, sending him into a wall! Now they were both mad.
"Get the fuck up, golden turd." Luz ordered him with a glare.
"It's Golden GUARD, you abomination." Golden Guard replied with a glare of his own, getting up from the ground.
He rushed at her and went for a flying side kick but Luz dodged it. He landed on his feet and Luz went for a roundhouse, only for him to dodge this time. He threw a right hook but Luz deflect it and send him a jab, making Golden Guard catch it and throw Luz over his shoulder! Luz landed on her feet and quickly turned and wrapped her legs around Golden Guards arm, trying to put him in an arm bar.
"Ugh!" He grunts, stomping his foot to stay standing as he used his other hand to prevent Luz from getting the full leg lock!
He lifted her up and powerbombed her on the ground, almost making her let go of his arm.
"Ugh!" Luz grunted but kept her grip on his arms. "That all you got?!"
Golden Guard answered by lifting Luz up and powerbombing her into the ground a second time! That time she let go.
'Okay, now that hurt!' Devil Luz said, 'Give it to him good!'
Luz spun like a breakdancer and kicked Hunter in the chin, sending him to the ground! She stood up and raised her foot, ready to curb stomp him, only for him to roll out of the way. And Luz didn't stop as she kept stomping, breaking the ground wherever he tried to roll! He rolled away from the current strike and sent a kick to the back of her knee. Almost dislocating it as Luz went to a knee, soon getting punched face! The Golden Guard got up and went for another attack, but Luz dodged and kicked his legs out from under him. She put her foot on his chest and smirked.
"Come on, do a spell or something." Luz dared.
The Golden Guard just looked to the side, making Luz look confused.
"Wait... can you... not do magic?" Luz asked, the silence answering it for her, "Ugh, takes most of the fun out of this."
"Fun?! You think this is fun for me?!" He shouted at her, outraged.
Luz stood up and sighed.
"Great, just great, I just wasted time on you instead of just dealing with the coven and freeing the palismen." Luz said.
"A waste of time?!" Golden Guard asked, offended.
"Yes, a waste of time. You're basically human if you can't use magic without that staff of yours, which I can assume is where your magic comes from." Luz said as she walked to reclaim her Grom sword.
Luz began to walk away.
"Get back here! We're not done!" Golden Guard said as he stood up.
"Yes we are and I am down with you." Luz said, stopping to glance back at him. "You're not worth it. You NEVER were"
He just looked at the ground, realizing how weak he was.
'You didn't need to be so mean.' Angel side said, 'It's not his fault that he was born under the rule of a dictator.'
'We were born to a dictator.' Devil side said.
'Which means we're the only ones that can help teach him right from wrong.'
Luz stopped. The angel in her had a point, she was born in the worst place imaginable, raised next to humanities filth, grew up being told that she would bring the end to humanity… and yet she was filled with empathy, with kindness, with morals… sure they may not be the best morals, but she would never harm someone innocent. While she didn't like it, she knew… he didn't know right from wrong… he didn't experience empathy, he didn't experience kindness, he didn't have morals because he's been told that he was doing, in this world's perspective, God's work.
'He needs you.' Angel side said, 'He's-'
'The opposite of me.' Luz thought, realizing 'This better not be a mistake.'
Luz turned and looked at him, sitting on the ground, looking at the dirt.
"Hey, you just going to sulk or do you want to get your staff back?" Luz asked, "Because I'm on a time crunch and would like to get this done."
He looked up at her.
"What?" He asked.
"I need to get the palismen, you need to get your staff." Luz said, "We can't get either things without the other person. So, what do you say, will you help me?"
Luz held out a hand to him, letting him decide whether or not he wants to. It may not seem like much, but it is… this is his first test. Luz wants to see if he can make his own choice instead of being told what to do. He looked at her hand for a second… before grabbing it. Luz helped him up and motioned for him to follow.
"Alright, Goldie, let's get to work." Luz said.
"... Hunter."
"What?" Luz asked, turning to look at him.
"My name is Hunter." He said.
"Aw, you trust me enough to give me your name." Luz said, patting his head, "How cute."
"I don't trust you, I never will trust you, I just don't want you calling me Goldie."
"Whatever." Luz said, rolling her eyes, "Well, Hunter, your staff was taken to the same place the palismen are being kept. We need a way to get to them."
Hunter nodded as he spotted a high vantage point close by.
"Let's head up to that building, we can get a better view from there." He said, pointing up to it.
"Ladies first." Luz said, letting Hunter go first.
He gave Luz a blank expression before taking a few steps back and getting a running start, using impressive parkour skills to bound from wall to wall and get to the top of the building. Luz went with a more simple approach, using her claws and climbing the wall.
'You have to admit, what he did was pretty impressive.' Angel Luz said.
'A bit showy but agreed.' Devil Luz said as Luz reached the roof.
"So, what's the plan?" Hunter asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead.
"First, we need to get your staff, which means we need to get inside that building." Luz said.
"Hmmm." Hunter said, glancing at the coven building in the distance. "There should be a secret back entrance behind the building, all coven stations have one to bring in really dangerous criminals in secret or escort prisoners out in case of emergencies."
"Ooo, I love secret entrances, I have so many in my father's castle." Luz said.
'Such good memories sneaking out.' Demon Luz said with a sigh.
"So, is there a specific brick to push to use it, a phrase to say, or a specific knock to do?" Luz asked, listing all the usual ways you open a secret door.
"None, you need to show your coven sigil to open it." Hunter said, pulling his right sleeve back to reveal his sigil. "It will flash yellow and the doorway will reveal itself."
"Oooo, my favorite kind, special symbol passage." Luz said, getting giddy at it.
"…This is weird. You're making this weird." Hunter said as he stared at Luz acting "normal?"
"No I'm not." Luz said.
"Yes you are. I don't know if it's just because we're breaking into a coven station or because we're just going to cause possible chaos to save the palisman." Hunter said.
"Can't it be both?" Luz asked.
"With you... probably."
"Exactly. Now come on, let's break into a government sanction building in a sinful town." Luz said with an excited grin.
"… … …You're scaring me even more now. Please, stop." Hunter begged.
"Open the door." Luz said.
Hunter sighed as he nodded and jumped off the roof, sneakily leading Luz towards the back of the coven station where the secret entrance was. He pulled his sleeve back and held it up to the wall, making his coven sigil glow yellow as the edges of the doorway glowed yellow as well before opening. Luz instantly walked in, smelling sin everywhere.
'Oh grandfather! This place is riddled with more sin than Salem on Earth!' Angel Luz said as she covered her nose. 'It takes corrupt police to a new level!'
It also made her hungry, which wasn't something she needed right now.
'Oh come on.' Luz thought.
"Why is your stomach growling so loudly?!" Hunter whispered to Luz.
"Sin makes me hungry, sorry not sorry." Luz said as she looked back to him.
"…Why do you just keep finding ways to scare me?" Hunter whispered as he followed behind Luz.
"At this point it shouldn't be surprising."
Luz and Hunter snuck through the building in search for a contraband room or an armory where they keep the weapons. If Hunter's staff was taken here, those are probably the best spots it would be in.
"I smell something." Luz said, "I think it's your staff... it smells like insomnia and weakness."
"Okay, I'm calling bullcrap. I DO NOT smell like that." Hunter said with a glare.
"Tell that to the bags under your eyes. Did you work overtime too much?" Luz said with a grin.
He was about to retort, when Luz covered his mouth and pulled him around a corner, just as two guards walked by. She waited a bit before letting go.
"Come on, we have to get it." Luz said, rushing towards the room.
"…Thanks, I guess." Hunter said before quickly following Luz.
They went to the door and Luz picked the lock with her claw. She opened the door and went inside.
"Okay, where would they put a staff?" Luz asked.
Hunter looked around and found a book for inventory.
"Let's check this. Coven scouts should always report on any weapon or contraband that's brought in." Hunter said, opening the book.
"Maybe not the crooked ones." Luz comments.
Hunter decided not to comment.
'Please be here. Please be here. Please be here.' Hunter thought as he vigorously checked the inventory book.
"Ah ha!" He said, finding today's page.
Luz looked over his shoulder to see what Hunter had found. And it was the reveal of a staff being checked into the inventory after Kikimora brought it in.
'Ugh, her.' Luz thought.
'Are you gonna kill her this time if we run into her?' Devil Luz asked.
'Maybe.' Luz thought.
"Alright, it should be in aisle 7." Hunter said as he put the book down and walked to aisle 7.
'Aisle seven? What is this, a store?' Luz thought.
'It's called an organization system.' Angel Luz quipped.
Luz ignored that.
"Found it!" Hunter said as he grabbed his staff from a shelf, smiling happily as he check it for irregularities.
'Barely a scratch, fully charged, and cracks in the gem. Perfect.' He thought.
"Great, now for the palismen." Luz said, before they heard an announcement.
"Take off is ready." A guard said, "Everyone report to the take off pad outside."
"Take off?" Luz asked.
"They must be preparing to take the palismen!" Hunter said.
"Then we have to stop them!"
Hunter nodded to Luz before grabbing her arm and raising his staff, making it glow red before they both teleport rushed out of the room!
He teleported them to the roof, where they could see the airship already taking off.
"You can fly with that thing, right?" Luz asked.
Hunter nodded.
"Then let's get up there." Luz said.
Hunter nodded as he and Luz got on his staff like a broomstick and took off into the air. The two followed close behind the airship. They could see the palisman nest was secured in the main deck instead of below the airship, right behind the pilot as she was driving calmly.
"Get me in close." Luz said, holding a fireball in her hand.
"You're going to cause it to crash again?" Hunter asked.
"Yes but I won't destroy the ballon. I just want to knock off or kill Kikimora so I can get the palismen back to Hexside." Luz said.
Once close enough, Luz jumped off and threw a fireball at Kikimora. She turned and took it right to the face, blinding her.
"AAAAH! My eyes!" Kikimora screamed in pain, covering her eyes.
She was in so much pain that she didn't see Luz throw a spin kick to her face! She slumped to the floor and Luz smiled.
"That's enough out of you."
Hunter landed on the ship and gazed at Kikimora, trying not to grin too much at seeing her burned and unconscious.
"Good job. Now, let's-" Hunter was cut off by a blast of magic sending him crashing into the palisman nest! "UGH!
Luz turned around, just in time to get kicked in the stomach and knocked into the steering wheel, resulting in the airship nose diving.
"Ugh! Fuck!" Luz said before looking up, seeing a familiar masked face. "You again?!"
"Yes, me again." The masked person said to Luz.
Luz let out a growl and lunged at the woman, not realizing that the airship was quickly approaching the ground. The masked person dodged Luz's claw strike, but was not able to dodge the elbow that was brought back towards the masked figure. She was sent towards the wall of the ship and hit it. She got up, but that didn't last long as Luz grabbed her by the back of her head and slammed her against the edge.
"I have had just about enough of you!" Luz said as the mask person kicked her leg around and elbowed Luz in the face!
"I am not your enemy! I am trying to help!" She said before noticing how close the ground was. "Oh shit!"
Acting fast, she drew a spell circle and focused on the steering wheel. Too late… the ship crashed.
Well, let me just say, if you guys like this universe, you'll really like what gets posted next month. Follow, Favorite, and Review for more.