The Angel of the Owl House
Season 2: The Human Realm
Chapter 6: Saving Palismen
The day after the incident in the Human Realm was a day of bonding for both branches of the Noceda-Clawthorne family. In the Human Realm, Luz, Vee, Camila, and Amity had spent the day with Masha, whom they finally told the full truth to, and just as they'd hoped, Masha was extremely accepting of the entire situation. It took a little getting used to, since the girl they thought had been Luz was actually someone else, and the real Luz was quite different in personality, but they dealt with it easily enough. Masha was outright fascinated by both the Divine and Demon Realms and dearly wanted to visit both, but since Camila had no way back to the Divine Realm and Vee was still too scared to return to the Demon Realm, even for a short visit, Masha decided not to ask just yet; they wanted Vee to be there with them after all! Masha's positive reaction had also given Vee the courage to invite Rebecca and Gray to the house so they could be told the truth as well. They'd been a lot more shocked than Masha had been, but after their initial surprise, they'd both gushed over how cool Vee's true form looked, and their only response to learning Camila (and by extension Luz) were angels was a "That tracks." They assured Vee that they loved her for who she was, even if she wasn't the Luz they thought she was, and the little Basilisk had burst into happy tears and hugged them all, declaring them the best friends she could ever ask for. Luz and Amity also began to befriend the trio, who were obviously fascinated by their magic.
Meanwhile in the Demon Realm, Gwendolyn had spent the Sunday with her daughters, grandson, and her youngest daughter's partner. Lilith and Raine both bounced back fairly quickly from their first transformations, and were religiously keeping Elixirs with them at all times now. Raine spent a bit of time catching up with Gwen (who was delighted they and Eda were back together), but mostly left the Clawthornes to spend time together while they got work done for the CATTs. When the evening came and Luz and Amity returned to the Demon Realm, they had also taken Gwen to Digale Island, and she had formally joined the CATTs, though she doubted she'd be very active. When it was finally time for Gwen to go home, Lilith shocked them all by revealing she was going home with her, deciding to move back in with her and her father for a while to make up for lost time. Eda, Luz, and King were a little sad, and Hooty was nearly inconsolable, until it was pointed out that Lilith basically worked on Digale Island now, so they would still see her every day. That was enough to calm Hooty down, and Gwendolyn gave him a final gift by making the chicken legs on his portable form truly permanent, so he could now freely move about without having to drag himself in the dirt.
After that weekend, things returned to the normal routine for a couple of days, until after school on Wednesday.
Luz was walking home from Hexside alongside Amity and the Blight Twins. The others had school projects to catch up on so had opted to go home for the day, so it was just their little group walking back to the Owl House together. Luz was basically being guided along by Amity, as her focus was entirely on the small stone she'd picked up, which she was trying to use her red light beams to carve into the shape of a Kirin, the thunder-wielding cousins of the Giraffes that Luz had learned about in her beast-keeping classes that day.
Her stone once again crumbled as she fumbled one of the beams, making her groan and toss the gravel it had become into the nearby bushes; "Man, that's the fourth rock I've messed up! I'm never gonna complete my construction track homework at this rate!" she whined.
"You could always ask Matt for help." Amity smiled, taking the opportunity to hold Luz's hand now that it was free.
"I would, but I basically relied on him to get me through classes before I bonded with the fire glyph and got some Construction magic of my own. Besides, he's busy with his own homework; he's competing with Leia to be the new top student in class, so he's carving something bigger and cooler… or so he said." Luz replied.
"Maybe we could help." Edric suggested; "Emira and I did carve our own Palismen."
Orthie and Russ, who were trotting along beside them, woofed happily. Ghost was riding on Orthie's back, and meowed as well.
"I wish I could have carved Ghost myself, but I wouldn't change her for the world." Amity smiled, reaching back to pet her partner with her free hand.
Luz smiled and was about to respond when the Owl House came into view and she noticed something unusual. The Bat Queen's three babies were flying around in the front yard, playing with Hooty and King while Rasiel supervised.
"Speaking of Palismen…" Luz muttered curiously, before calling out; "Hey guys!"
"Luz!" King cheered, rushing over and jumping into her arms for his customary welcome back hug; "You got back just in time! We've got visitors!"
"I can see that!" Luz smiled; "Hi Babies!"
The Bat Queen's children, already under strict warning from their mother not to try and nibble on Luz or Rasiel in case they ingested Angel Blood, shrieked happily and flew around Luz's head, before two landed on her shoulders and the third landed on her head.
Luz cooed at them and Amity gently reached up to pet them in greeting. Edric and Emira blinked in surprise.
"I forgot you guys knew the Bat Queen and her kids!" Emira said.
"Yep, we met them back when we helped save the Bat Queen's forest from the Mandragora." Amity said. "If these three are here, then their mother must be here too."
Rasiel nodded; "She's currently in the kitchen having tea with Eda and the others. They had some serious business to discuss, so we came out here to keep the children entertained."
Luz and Amity exchanged curious looks; "Serious business? I wonder if something's wrong?" Amity frowned.
"Let's go and ask; we should say hello anyway." Luz said.
"I believe the Bat Queen wants to talk to you anyway." Rasiel agreed.
Luz nodded and headed into the house, Amity, King, and the Twins following behind while Rasiel and BQ's kids stayed outside to continue their game. They walked through to the kitchen and found the Bat Queen squeezed into a corner of the room with Eda, Lilith, Raine, Darius, and Eberwolf all sat with her, discussing something with grim faces.
"I'm home!" Luz announced; "And I brought the Blights!"
"Welcome back, Owlet. How was school?" Eda asked.
"Good. Hiya Bat Queen! It's been a while!" Luz smiled, giving a polite curtsy to the large Palisman. BQ smiled and bowed her head.
"Indeed it has, Luz." she said, before looking to Amity; "And you as well, Amity. How are you and Ghost?"
"We're doing great together." Amity smiled, Ghost hopping onto her shoulders. She then gestured to her siblings; "You might remember my older brother Edric and older sister Emira. You would have met when we worked together to stop the Petrification Ceremony."
The Twins waved nervously, and the Bat Queen smiled; "Indeed. The two with the Twin Palismen."
Orthie and Russ barked, and the Bat Queen chuckled; "Orthie and Russ speak well of you both. Though Orthie complains that you let Batric sleep on your pillow but not him."
Edric groaned; "This again? Batric takes up half my pillow; you take up the whole thing!"
Orthie barked, making Edric shake his head; "I'm not using you as my pillow! The last time I did that, you kicked me in the head in your sleep!"
Orthie barked again as he and Edric continued to bicker playfully while Emira and Russ watched on in amusement. Seeing as the Twins would be occupied for a bit, Luz looked to the Bat Queen.
"Rasiel mentioned you had some serious business to talk about."
"True. Big troubles come to my forest." BQ said grimly; "The Defiler's minions. They attack my home to capture my wards."
Luz and Amity gasped; "But I thought the Emperor believed they were dead! Destroyed by the Mandragora!" Amity cried.
"That's what Lilith told him, but now that she's a traitor to the Emperor's Coven, they likely decided to investigate her claims and found out she was lying." Darius said with a scowl; "The Emperor needs those Palismen to maintain himself. He has a stockpile at the castle, but the rebellion has slowed recruitment for the Emperor's Coven so he hasn't been able to restock it. Combine that with the shortage on Palistrom wood, and the Bat Queen's wards basically become his only hope."
"None have been taken, right?" Luz asked fearfully.
Thankfully the Bat Queen shook her head; "No Palismen has been stolen. I have repelled their attacks. But they grow more frequent, more intense. I do not know how long I can keep them safe." she said ruefully, before looking Luz in the eye; "Is why I come. I already owe favour to you, Amity, and Eda, but desperate times are upon us. I ask for help in protecting Palismen."
Luz nodded immediately; "Of course I'll help! Though I don't know what I can do that the others can't."
"You are Arch-Angel; powerful as Defiler. Bonded with me, if only for short time. You are one I trust most among the rebels. Your input I value." the Bat Queen smiled. Luz blushed a little at the compliment.
"Aw… Okay! So if we want to protect the Palismen, we either need to build your defences or get them into hiding!" Luz declared, immediately beginning to think through what they had to do.
Raine hummed; "We can offer some allies to help protect the forest, but it won't stop the attacks. We also don't have the forces to repel a full-scale assault if one should occur, especially if members of the Plant Coven turn the forest against us."
"Risky. I would prefer moving the Palismen elsewhere." the Bat Queen replied.
"Well, what about Digale Island?" Amity suggested. "Only Luz can get people there and back."
The Bat Queen averted her eyes, while Eda sighed; "We suggested that earlier. Unfortunately BQ doesn't trust the CATTs enough. Some of our members are defected Emperor's Coven members after all, which means some of them either gave their Palismen to Belos or sent them away."
"I will not entrust safety of my wards to people who have already rejected them, or sent their brethren to their demise." the Bat Queen said sharply, defending her decision.
Luz frowned, but couldn't exactly fault the Bat Queen for having doubts and being suspicious. It could also cause discord within the CATTs if some of the refugee Palismen were also the former partners of some of their defected EC members. Putting that thought aside, she offered a second solution.
"What about the Human Realm? The other side of the portal is a large forest, and my Mami would probably help take care of you all. Plus no one but us can get there." Luz suggested.
The Bat Queen shook her head; "Is a good idea, but will not work. Palismen need magic to live, much like angels. We feed on it. Bonded Palismen get magic from partner, so can survive in magicless Human Realm. But Unbonded Palismen like my wards absorb magic from the Isles. They won't survive in the Human Realm."
Luz winced; "Oh… I doubt Mami could provide blessings to all of them. I'd probably struggle, and I'm two ranks higher than her. Dang it, I can't think of any other completely safe places…"
Darius nodded with a tired expression; "We've had the same problem all afternoon. There are no completely safe spots on the Isles. Bonesborough is the closest due to the neutrality agreement, but Belos will break that agreement if he's desperate enough, and since he needs the Palismen to live…"
Everyone gulped; not a single one doubted that Belos would launch a full-scale invasion to claim the Palismen. The only reason he hadn't done so already to claim Luz and the portal was because he knew they'd likely evacuate into the Human Realm and take the portal with them if he tried. But he undoubtedly knew the Palismen wouldn't survive their too, so they wouldn't be able to escape with them.
"So we need a place not on the Boiling Isles and not controlled directly by the CATTs…" Amity said, tapping her chin.
"Simmering Shoals?" Eber barked.
"No, the Little Prince already proved the Emperor's Coven can get there easily." Darius replied. "We need a place they can't reach."
King, who'd been sitting on Luz's shoulder through the whole conversation, suddenly gasped; "I know! My island!"
Eda, Raine, and Luz all gasped too; "That could work!" Eda declared.
The others were confused, or had only a vague idea why they were so excited, so King quickly explained; "My egg was left on an island, inside a castle made by an Angel from thousands of years ago! I don't know how it works, but only I can find the island! It's got a big jungle and the castle could be used to defend people too!"
"That's a great idea King! There's no way the Emperor's Coven will find the Palismen there!" Luz beamed, hugging her little brother proudly.
The Bat Queen certainly liked the sound of it too; "This island… is it far?"
"Kinda, yeah. It'll take hours to fly there." Luz said, "But I could always build another Teleportation Circle! That way you'll have a faster way off the island in an emergency. I can get to work on this side of the circle right away, then King and I just need to fly back there and I can build the other side."
The Bat Queen thought about it for a long moment, before smiling and nodding; "I will agree to this. I'll put my trust in you, Clawthorne children."
Everyone cheered, glad to finally have a solution to the problem that had been keeping them busy all afternoon.
"I'll get to work on the circle! This one won't be used as much as the one to Digale Island, so it doesn't need to be anywhere special or hidden. In fact, I'll go with you to your forest and build it there!"
BQ agreed immediately, and Luz prepared to race off and grab Rasiel for help carving the circle and a refresher on the process of transmuting the crystals, but before she could, Amity spoke up.
"Bat Queen, if I may, I've got a suggestion too."
Everyone looked at her curiously as she held Ghost in her arms and stroked her; "Hiding the Palismen away where they can be safe and happy is obviously the best thing for them, but I think they should have a chance to bond with new partners too, just like Ghost and I. Meeting Ghost helped change me and make my life better, and I know Ghost feels the same about meeting me. I'd like the other Palismen to get the same chance."
The Bat Queen eyed her curiously; "You wish to try and find new partners for my wards?"
Amity nodded; "Yes. Our class at Hexside is at the age we're supposed to be getting them, but the shortage of Palistrom wood and the expense of buying it is too much for most of them to afford. I thought that instead you could bring the Palismen to Hexside, and all the students without partners could find one of their own."
Luz gasped with delight; "It could be like a Palismen Adoption Day! Amity, that's an awesome idea!"
"It is! I bet I could convince Ol' Bumpikins to host it tomorrow!" Eda grinned; "That way a whole new generation of witches could get Palismen, you have fewer to take care of, and the Emperor can't snag them without causing a huge uproar! He could get away with forcing his own coven members to give them up, but suddenly confiscating them from kids would turn more people against him!"
"It really is a wonderful idea! The best place for a Palismen is with their partner after all!" Lilith smiled, petting Corvanc on her shoulder.
"Yes, I think this is a good plan." the Bat Queen smiled; "My little ones would be safest and happiest with new owners. Not all will be able to bond, but if even one may find partner, it will be worth it."
Raine, Darius, and Eber also gave their own seals of approval, and the plan was set; Luz would spend the evening working on the new Teleportation Circle while Eda arranged the Adoption Day with Principal Bump, and the Bat Queen prepared for relocation to King's Island. With everyone now busy, Darius and Eber took their leave; they had a meeting with all the Coven Heads at the Castle, and it was to be full formal wear, which meant it would be something important. Both wondered just what it could be about, but one thing was certain; it would be nothing good…
[Later that day]
Darius and Eberwolf, now clad in white cloaks with their Coven Medallions on the clasps, fell into line with the heads of the other main covens. They had been met at the gates by Kikimora, who had been reduced to an errand girl now that the Silver Sentinel had taken her place as the Emperor's Assistant. Once all nine of the Coven Heads were present, she began to escort them to the throne room for the meeting. Darius noticed that despite not having gone through the official ceremony yet, Severin Cadence was present in place of Scooter Crane. The man looked incredibly nervous, as this was his first official duty as a Coven Head.
Kikimora led them into the throne room, where Darius and Eber noticed a strange brazier had been placed in the middle of the room. The brazier burned with blue flames and had nine circular slots in the brass ring that surrounded it. Sat in the throne was Belos, who was flanked by his two elites; the Golden Guard on his right and the Silver Sentinel on his left. Once the Coven Heads had been directed to stand around the brazier, the Golden Guard spoke up.
"Thank you all for coming. The Day of Unity is fast approaching, and despite the setbacks caused by the Owl Lady and her corrupting influence, the Coven System is still as strong as ever!"
Darius bit back a smirk; the Little Prince had no idea!
"Soon, all of magic will be purified as the Titan intends. As heads of the Nine Covens, the Emperor wishes to express his gratitude for all your hard work, and reward you with a glimpse of the utopia that awaits!"
As the Golden Guard finished his speech, Belos raised his hand and croaked; "Step forward. Place your medallions into the slots."
His voice was weak, but none dare comment. Instead the Coven Heads obediently took off their medallions and inserted them into the slot that bore the same sigil. Each slot lit up in the signature colour of its coven, and once all nine were in place, light swirled into the flames from each medallion. The flames intensified and the Coven Heads' eyes began to glow white as they witnessed a vision in the flames. They saw the Titan's skull as an eclipse shone above it, before a flash of golden light replaced the familiar surroundings of the Demon Realm with an unfamiliar city… a city of white spires and golden filigree; a city that looked almost like an enormous palace.
Darius and Eberwolf felt their hearts quicken; that was a scene of the Divine Realm! It matched perfectly with how Rasiel had described it whilst working together on Digale Island!
"The larger your covens grow, the more power we have to unite our realms. We are loyal servants of the Titan, and once we have purified this land of wild magic, we will be united with the Divine Realm and ascend to the rank of angels ourselves!" Belos declared; "Free of wild magic and its corruption, you will have power beyond your wildest dreams. You witnessed the power of an Arch-Angel… her strength was immense, even as a child who rebels against the Titan. But you… you will all become the new Seraphim! Loyal, adult Seraphim whose power would dwarf all others!"
None of the Coven Heads dared to say a word, but their expressions could not be hidden. Vitimir, Terra, Adrien, and Hettie were all smiling with anticipation; either for the power or the honour of being an angel. Mason and Osran were stone faced, and Severin looked deeply shocked. Meanwhile Eberwolf and Darius went pale; was the Day of Unity truly to unite the Demon and Divine Realms together and turn them all into Angels? Or was Belos' true plan something more sinister… if his own claims were true after all, he was already an angel.
Sadly, before anything more could be said or done, Belos suddenly grunted in pain and clutched his chest as his mysterious illness flared up again. The Silver Sentinel immediately helped him to his feet and began ushering him out of the throne room, while the Golden Guard turned to the Coven Heads and said; "The Emperor requires rest. We'll continue this another time. Return to your duties."
He then hastily followed after his partner and Emperor, leaving the Coven Heads to wander home on their own. Darius and Eberwolf certainly weren't interested in staying behind; they needed to go and report back to the CATTs!
As those two were fleeing the castle for the Owl House, the Golden Guard and Silver Sentinel got the Emperor up to his private study; a grim, dark room filled with occult tomes and dangerous relics, and which none but he and his most loyal servants could enter. They barely got him inside before his body began to melt and lose its shape, causing him to devolve into a monstrous form. He roared and raged, slamming his slimy green fists against the wall as the Golden Guard watched on, and the Silver Sentinel retrieved a dormant Hamster Palisman from a hidden alcove.
After a moment, Belos calmed enough to regain his humanoid form and put his mask back on, though it was cracked from his transformation and green ooze seeped out from the cracks. He then snatched the Palisman from the Sentinel, snapping it in half and inhaling the green essence that emerged from within. He continued to devour it until the shell of the Palisman decayed into dust, and he sighed with relief. However this was not enough to sate him, so he held out a hand to his elites.
"I need more." he growled.
The Guard and Sentinel exchanged glances, before the former said; "That was the last from our reserves. The Palistrom wood has been overharvested; there are very few sources left. The Plant Coven has some, but it's difficult finding people willing to carve and bond with a Palisman, then give it up immediately."
Belos grumbled and turned away from the two, taking stock of the damage he'd done to his study. The Golden Guard then stepped forward; "Uncle, I might have another way if you let me help! I've been reading and I found a technique that could use Wild Magic to-"
He was cut off as Belos turned to him and glared sharply, making his throat go dry. The boy winced behind his mask and bowed his head; "I'm… sorry."
The Emperor sighed and walked over, putting a hand on the Guard's shoulder, then beckoned the Sentinel over so he could place his other hand on top of her hooded head.
"Please be careful; both of you. Our family is gone because of Wild Magic. I have become this…" he revealed his ten decaying wings, "… because of Wild Magic. It is only a matter of time before Luz too is corrupted by it. If the two of us succumb to this corruption, it'll be up to the two of you to complete our work."
The Golden Guard and Silver Sentinel stared at their uncle's decayed wings with pits in their stomachs; they were the only ones in the Coven to know the truth of the Emperor, and understood his desire to make all witches and demons into angels like him, to bring true unity and order to the world. It was a noble goal in their minds, and they would do anything to achieve his dream.
Belos released the two and slumped into the chair at his desk, his wings seeping back into his ropes where they could be hidden. "Find me more Palismen. I can depend on the two of you… right?"
His two Elites nodded immediately, and after ensuring the Emperor had everything he needed for the night, the two departed. They needed to find him Palismen… perhaps it was time to join the assaults on the Bat Queen personally?
[The Next Day]
Luz was deep in thought as she and her classmates stood out on the Grudgby field, along with a few of their Palisman-lacking upperclassmen. A large pen that covered about half the field had been set up, and Principal Bump was currently chatting with Eda as they waited for the big event to start. Despite how excited Luz was to see some of her friends get Palismen of their own, she was distracted by the revelations of the previous evening.
She had just flown back from the Bat Queen's forest after setting up one end of the new Teleportation Circle there, when Darius and Eberwolf had rushed in to report what had happened at the meeting with Belos. The idea that the Day of Unity was a plan to unite the Demon and Divine Realms was crazy, as was his idea to turn all Witches and Demons into Angels. Luz didn't believe it for an instant, knowing that Belos could lie despite apparently being an Angel, and Rasiel had outright called it ludicrous, claiming that the races could gain aspects of the other races (like Luz gaining some Titan Magic via the glyphs or the Titan Bile), but it wasn't possible for them to BECOME another race! He had also been fairly sure that fusing multiple realms together was impossible too, though he'd admitted to being unsure.
Rasiel's dismissal of the plan as impossible had relaxed the others, but Luz still couldn't get her mind off of it. It was possible Belos was just insane and believed the Day of Unity would truly achieve that, but Luz suspected there was something darker there… the only problem was she had no idea what the real plan was! Aside from it needing an uncorrupted angel, the Coven System, and the portal to the Human Realm, Luz had no idea!
She was snapped out of her thoughts by Amity, who kissed her on the cheek to get her attention. "Hello, Boiling Isles to Luz! Are you in there?" she giggled; "We're about to get started."
Luz blinked, then smiled and kissed Amity's cheek in return; "Yeah, sorry about that. Just got lost in thought for a bit."
"Well look alive; we're supposed to be helping Eda and BQ." Amity said, leading Luz over to the adults.
Since Amity already had an adopted Palisman and Luz would need to carve her own to be able to fully bond with a Palisman, they had volunteered to help the event. It also helped that they were acquainted with all the Palismen in the Bat Queen's care!
Once the girls had joined Eda and Bump, the two adults nodded at them and then began the presentation. Principal Bump stepped forward to address the crowd of students; "Good tidings on this momentous day. Despite fears that we might not be able to manage it this year, I am proud to announce that some among you will be lucky enough to receive a witch's staff, and more importantly, a Palisman Partner. The Palismen we'll meet today have all had previous owners and will only bond with those they feel a connection to, so don't be too discouraged if one does not bond with you. Also, even if you don't receive a Palisman today, you may still get the chance to carve or inherit one in the future!"
Eda then stepped forward; "But for those lucky few who do get one day, know what you're getting yourself into. A Palisman can become a powerful tool, but the truly great witches see them for what they are; your lifelong partners and friends." she turned her own staff back into Owlbert, and gently stroked him; "A true bonded Palisman is like a part of your soul, and a reflection of your true self. Treat them well and you'll flourish and become incredible witches! But treat them poorly, and you'll be lucky to escape unscathed!"
Bump nodded seriously; "Edalyn is not joking; treat your Bonded Palismen with the greatest of care! You'll be surprised what they can do for you. For example…" he snapped his fingers and the imp on his head removed himself to reveal that he was Bump's Palisman and showing Bump's long, flowing hair and scarred eyes. Luz and her friends had seen them before during and after the Detention Pit incident, so it was no surprise for them, but many of the other students gasped.
"Frewin here helps me see after my eyes were damaged by Fibul Academy's attack on the old Hexside campus." Bump said, petting the little imp.
The students oohed and ahhed, each of them incredibly eager to get a Palisman of their own. Eda grinned, seeing she had them on the edge of their proverbial seats!
"Now, thanks to the suggestion from Amity here, who also adopted and bonded with a Palisman she didn't carve herself…" Eda gestured to Amity, who gave a showman's bow, which Ghost mimicked in her own feline way, "… we teamed up with Bumpy-Poo-"
"Never call me that!"
"-to bring you…"
Suddenly the Bat Queen flew down from the sky, carrying a huge hollowed out tree stump with a little door on it. She set it down and perched atop it, spreading her wings wide as she grandly finished Eda's introduction.
"Palisman Adoption Day!"
The little door opened and dozens of little Palismen in all shapes and sizes dashed out and began to run around and explore the pen that had been set up for them. The students all gasped and cooed in delight, even at some of the odder Palismen, such as Hugs, the Necrotic Abyss Crawler Palisman that Luz had met back in the forest. Luz stepped into the pen with them and the Palisman all came scurrying over to greet and play with her. While all the Palismen from the forest had been hidden inside the large tree stump (which was enchanted to be a lot bigger on the inside), not all of them had emerged from it; Luz assumed the ones that stayed hidden were the ones who didn't want a new partner just yet. The Bat Queen's babies were also present and flew out to roost in their mother's hair, and then there was also the curious case of Flapjack, a Red Cardinal Palisman that Luz didn't know much about (he'd not told his origins to the Bat Queen, so she had not told Luz while she'd healed him back during the Mandragora fight). Flapjack flew out and took one look at the gathered students, then landed on Luz's shoulder, gave her a friendly peck to say hello, then flew back into the tree stump, apparently changing his mind about finding a partner.
The Bat Queen then addressed the students; "These little ones have not had homes in many years. They want to feel a connection. Kneel and state your deepest wish, and if a like-minded partner is among the group, they will find you."
The students began to whisper amongst themselves in a mix of excitement and nervousness, as Principal Bump clapped his hands to focus them; "Alright, whose first?"
"How about you, Boscha? You like being number one, right?" Luz said with a teasing smile.
Boscha rolled her eyes; "This is because I made you dance the Fango back at the Blight's dumb party, right? Fine, but if I don't get a Palisman, you and your girlfriend have to take me to get smilkshakes after school!"
She swaggered forward, but her friends and the Hexsquad could see it was an act to hide her nerves. She knelt down in front of the pen like ordered and said; "I want to play professional Grudgby!" she declared, before adding in a whisper; "And make people see I'm not the same cruel jerk I was before."
In response, a little Crab Palisman scuttled forward; it was a bit different than a normal crab, as it only had four stubby little legs and its pincers were connected straight to its carapace without arms. Said pincers also had its eyes on them, which were little dark brown circles with white triangles showing the corners of its eyes. It snapped its claws at Boscha, who felt a rush of warmth as a connection was formed. She held out her hands and the Palisman leapt into them, nuzzling her for a moment before transforming into a Crab themed staff.
The Bat Queen chuckled; "A competitive spirit! Maya will be thrilled."
"Maya's previous owner was a Professional Faceball player from the Savage Ages. He didn't have any kids, so decided to release Maya on his deathbed so she wouldn't end up as just a piece of memorabilia for his loony fans." Luz explained, still remembering all the stories the Bat Queen had told her.
"Maya… well looks like we're partners now! We're both gonna become the best!" Boscha smiled happily as she wandered to the back of the crowd. The first success spurred on the others, and Willow was the next person to rush forward.
"I want to be strong and wise to protect everyone I love! And if anyone gets in my way, they'll feel the sting of defeat!" Willow said, making even the threatening part sound sweet. Luz and Amity smiled at her; she'd come a long way since the day Luz had met her!
In response to her wish, an adorable Bee Palisman buzzed over to her and landed on her shoulder; the Bee Palisman had a stinger on its face as well as its tail, and its yellow body was somewhat faded, with its bumblebee-like collar of fluff being even lighter in colour. It rubbed is fluff against Willow's face, and she cooed and scratched the little creature's head. The Palisman then became a staff and Willow gasped with delight
"Tender, yet tenacious! Clover will be a good match." The Bat Queen smiled.
Luz then added; "Clover is perfect for a plant witch! She was first carved by an amazing plant witch almost a thousand years ago! She was passed down through the family until her last owner saw cruelty in her daughter, and decided she would misuse Clover, so she instead entrusted her to BQ!"
Willow gasped softly; "; "Oh my gosh! Well don't worry; I'm gonna take such good care of you!"
Next up was Viney, who'd missed out on a Palisman last year due to being in trouble for her Magic Mixing. Her wish was to open a veterinary clinic for mythical pets, and so found herself bonded to Regant; a Manticore Palisman that had belonged to a great Beast-Keeper, before he'd been injured in the field and succumbed to his wounds.
Then it was Jerbo's turn, and he wanted to revamp the Coven System into one that supported using multiple types of magic, and encouraged cooperation between them. He was bonded to Horned Grey Hound Palisman named Baskerville, whose last owner had been a Wild Witch who'd fought against Belos' unification of the isles, only to lose his life and release the Palisman before Belos could take him.
Next was Barcus, whose wish was to develop a potion that could overcome the limits of Oracle Magic. His bonded partner was Duno, a four-armed spider monkey Palisman with an (empty) Oracle Stone embedded into their chest. Duno's last owner had been an Oracle who'd joined the Emperor's Coven, unaware of Belos' true nature. Duno had predicted his own fate though, and fled rather than be sacrificed.
After the Magic-Mixers, Gus finally stepped up to the pen; "Dad wants me to be a Master Illusionist. Well, he just wants me to be the best in whatever field I choose really, but I think that's too easy! So instead, I'll become an ambassador to the Human Realm and re-establish contact with the giraffes!"
Luz giggled at that, then smiled as a little blue Chameleon Palisman scurried over to him and climbed up his shoulders. As Gus gasped in delight, the Bat Queen nodded approvingly; "A confident and ambitious spirit is well-suited for Emmiline."
"You mean Emmiline Bailey Marcostimo! Gotta use the full name, BQ!" Luz grinned, making the Bat Queen chuckle at her. Gus was intrigued by the long name, and eagerly pet Emmiline as Luz explained; "Emmiline is actually almost as old as Clover! She belonged to a witch who was against the banishment of the giraffes. She must see her old owner in you."
Gus grinned wider and said; "Well Emmie, looking forward to working with you!"
The Palisman chirped and turned into a staff, which Gus immediately began to twirl as he walked over to the others who'd already found partners.
A few more students stepped up to claim Palismen after Gus had taken his turn, and most were able to walk away with a new partner. However a few were disappointed to find no Palisman bonding with them. Each time it happened, the Bat Queen would comfort them and say that she could feel their emotions and convictions, but it simply wasn't suited to any of the Palismen who were currently willing to be adopted, and that perhaps in the future, one of the other Palismen will be willing to take a new partner and will be able to bond with them.
Sadly, one of these students was Matt. He stepped up to the pen and announced his dream; "I want to be a cool guy like my older brother, and be better than all the stuck up jerks I used to be pushed around by! And I want to be the kind of guy who stops bullies and bad guys, rather than doing what they want, or being one myself!"
The Hexsquad had smiled, and the Bat Queen had grinned wide at his conviction, only for her face to fall when none of the Palismen reacted. She looked around at her wards playing in the pen, as if looking for a specific Palismen, and frowned when she couldn't see them. She then inhaled deeply to sniff them out, relaxing when she clearly detected their scent nearby, though slightly muffled.
"Unfortunate. I could have sworn he was one of the Palismen who wanted a new partner…" BQ muttered, before sighing and speaking to the disappointed Matt; "I am sorry, young one. I believe one of the Palismen here would be a perfect partner, but it seems he lost he previous one too recently. It has only been a couple of years since his partner sent him away, so perhaps the wounds are still too fresh."
Matt sighed sadly; "It's fine. It can't be helped I guess… sucks though."
"I'm sorry, Matt." Luz said softly as Willow and Gus patted him on the back to comfort him.
"Still, think on the bright side! If BQ is right, a perfect Palisman for you is here! They just need a little more time." Amity smiled.
That cheered Matt up a little; "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've just gotta wait. I'm still technically a year younger than normal for getting a Palisman anyway. I'll give it another try next year."
His friends smiled, glad to see him bouncing back. Gus and the others let him play with their Palismen too, so at least he wasn't being left out of the fun.
A few more people stepped up and were either bonded or joined Matt in not getting a Palisman, until almost the whole group was finished. One of the last people to step forward, and the last of the Hexsquad, was Skara. She'd been pretty eager to step forward until the first person that wasn't able to bond with a Palisman, which had worried her so much that she'd lost confidence.
Still, she wasn't the type to quit without trying, so she nervously stepped forward and stated her deepest wish; "I want to become the best Bard in the world! Not only that, I want to become such a great Bard that no one will ever dare call Bardic Magic weak ever again!"
There was a moment of silence, during which Skara's heart hammered in her chest, afraid she was about to be rejected, but then a little Palisman literally hopped towards her and landed on her outstretched hands.
The Palisman was a cricket with a red body and eyes, and grey head and legs, with what looked like music note shaped symbols on the covers that hid its wings. It chirped playfully at Skara, then began to chirp musically, playing a little song for her. Skara recognised the song and with her cheeks almost aching from smiling so wide, she began to whistle along with her new Palisman.
"Ah, Melody is drawn to your musical soul! But she is also drawn to those who wish to be better than themselves. You've already begun quite a metamorphosis it seems." the Bat Queen smiled.
"Melody… so your name is Melody. I couldn't have picked a better name for you if I tried!" Skara beamed. In response, Melody chirped happily and bounced from her hands, to her shoulders, to inside her ponytail, then back into her hands, where she became Skara's very own staff.
"Melody really is the best Palisman for a Bard. She once belonged to a Musician in the Savage Ages." Luz revealed. She didn't tell the full story though, as it was a bit more tragic and personal. Melody's former partner had been quite famous and acclaimed, but a scandal that wasn't their fault caused their name and reputation to be tarnished. Falling into a deep depression and abandoned by those who'd called them friend and family, the Musician had ended their own life, sending Melody away before that so she wouldn't be dragged down with them. Luz would tell Skara this privately, so she understood her partner's pain, but it wasn't something to be spread in front of all these people.
After Skara joined the others again, the last few students stepped forward and thankfully all received Palismen. In the end, about 80% of the group had been bonded with partners, and the number of Palismen that would be going into hiding had shrunk sharply, much to the joy of the Bat Queen and CATTs members.
Once the adoption process was complete, Principal Bump and Eda (with Amity as their assistant), gave the students who'd gained staves a few lessons on how to best utilise them, both for magic and for flying. The Bat Queen also taught them how to best care for their Palismen too. The students who hadn't been so lucky were instead handed over to Luz, who also didn't have a Palisman and who decided to cheer them up by teaching them something different; Glyph Magic! It was only a short crash course in the five glyphs she knew, and none of her students had the natural aptitude for it that King did, but they were eager students who were glad to at least be getting something out of the day to make it not a complete disappointment.
By the end of the school day, Matt and the other Glyph Students were feeling a lot better about themselves, while the other students were all cheerfully heading home to show off their Palismen to their families, or hang out with their friends and go flying! The Hexsquad, plus Boscha and the Banshees, decided to stay and hang out at Hexside with the Bat Queen and the unadopted Palismen, as they wouldn't be moved until after dark where it would be safer. They all played with the Palismen, and Matt was even able to fly using Emmiline, since Gus was happy to lend her to him for a bit.
But finally night began to fall and it was time to take the Palismen to King's Island. Lilith arrived at Hexside with King himself, since they'd need him to guide them, and Luz prepared to fly there along with the Bat Queen.
"Well, this is it guys! I should be back sometime later tonight, but I'll talk to you all tomorrow to let you know how it went!" Luz smiled.
Amity, who would be having a sleepover with Willow, gave her girlfriend a kiss goodbye; "Be careful Luz. No trip you've gone on has ended without incident, so don't let your guard down!"
Luz pouted; "I'm not that bad!"
"You're not, but your luck is pretty…" Skara tried to find the words for it, and Eda helpfully supplied;
"Chaotic."
Luz couldn't really deny that, so she just rolled her eyes with a huff, then gave her Mom a hug goodbye. She said goodbye to her friends too, and they all began to head home, with the sole exception of Gus.
"Is it cool if I go with you guys? I'm still trying to get the hang of flying with Emmie here, and I really want some extra practice!" Gus said, before sheepishly adding; "I also REALLY wanna see King's island! I've just gotta see a real Angel-built castle on a Titan-built Island!"
King puffed his chest out proudly; "It is pretty cool! My Godfather Zachael did an awesome job!" he said. "I'm okay with you coming along."
"I am too! Maybe you could keep the Palismen entertained! Like an in-flight movie!" Luz smiled.
The kids turned to the Bat Queen, who simply nodded; "I have no objections. The young man is trusted by one of my old wards and my friends."
Gus grinned; "Awesome! Thanks BQ! Let me just call my Dad and let him know I'll be late back!"
He wandered off to call his Dad, and Perry immediately gave him permission, along with asking him to pass along his regards to the Clawthornes and Bat Queen. Once that was done, Gus returned and passed along his Dad's message as requested, then switched Emmie into staff mode to begin the flight to King's Island.
Luz took to the skies with King in her arms, and waved to her Mom as the Bat Queen picked up the Palismen Nest and took flight too. Gus followed soon after, though he was noticeably unsteady on his staff. Once they were all airborne, they began to fly westward to King's Island.
Their flight was a little slower than anticipated at first; Gus really just couldn't get the hang of riding his staff, and ended up either slowing to a crawl at times or suddenly flying off in weird directions, forcing Luz to go after him. It was kind of funny at first, but the Bat Queen soon got fed up with the distractions; they were in the open air and at risk of being found by the Emperor's Coven, so they couldn't afford to waste time! It wasn't Gus or Emmiline's faults; they were both doing their best, but there was some kind of disconnect between them that made flying conventionally a hard task. After delaying them for the fifth time, the Bat Queen had decided enough was enough and stuffed both Gus and Emmiline into the Palismen Nest.
Gus had pouted, but after comforting his new Palisman partner, he decided to follow Luz's original advice and began performing a show for the other Palismen with his illusion magic. It proved a pleasant distraction, and Luz, King, and BQ all happily listened to the show as they flew through the night.
It was getting quite late and very dark by the time they reached the western most point of the Isles, and the cloudless sky was illuminated solely by tiny twinkling stars and a large, shimmering full moon. They were just minutes away from leaving the Boiling Isles entirely, when Gus found his show being interrupted by the insistent pecking of Flapjack, the Red Cardinal Palisman.
"Huh, you okay Buddy? Not a fan of the show?" Gus asked.
Flapjack tweeted frantically and flew up onto one of the small window-like gaps of the nest, and peered outside. Gus looked out too, and gasped at what he saw; a small Emperor's Coven Airship was pursuing them!
"Oh no! Guys! We've got company!" Gus shouted, switching Emmie to staff form to defend the Palismen.
Luz, King, and BQ looked behind them and scowled. Luz cast a Beast-Keeping spell to enhance her sense of smell beyond even King's, then took a deep inhale. "It's the Golden Goof and his silent sister!"
Sure enough, as the airship gained on them, King, BQ, and Gus could see the masked visages of the Emperor's Elites.
"Let's take 'em down! We beat them once when it was just the two of us! We can beat them even easier with four people!" King declared, punching the air.
"No! We can't fight in the sky while protecting the Palismen! We should try to outrun them!" Gus argued, not confident in his skills in battle with two elites.
"We've got nowhere we can lose them! If we just run, we'll lead them right to my island!" King argued straight back.
Luz frowned; "King is right, but BQ can't fight while protecting the Palismen… Man, my luck really does suck."
Despite the situation, Gus laughed; "Luz, I love you girl, but your luck is easily the worst of anyone I've ever met!"
"Enough banter, the enemy is nearly upon us!" the Bat Queen yelled.
Making a snap decision, Luz tossed King onto the Bat Queen's head; "Guide BQ to the island! I'll hold off these two and follow after you once I lose them!"
"I'll help too!" Gus declared, shakily taking flight and hopping out of the tree stump. He wasn't confident, but he was sure he could help with his illusions and the limited glyph magic Luz had taught him. He didn't need to fly either, he could just hover! That should be enough… right?
As soon as Gus took flight, he wobbled in the air before stabilising himself and the Bat Queen began to fly away as fast as she could. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough.
"Oh no you don't!" The Golden Guard cried, before using his signature red flash to warp directly into her path. She tried to respond by breathing fire on him, but he easily flashed to below her and kicked up at her chin, forcing her mouth shut and stopping her flames.
"BQ!" Luz cried, flying at the Golden Guard and firing light beams at him to force him away. The moment she got close however, the Silver Sentinel jumped out of the shadow of the Bat Queen's wings and shot a bolt of purple magic at Luz. The spell blind-sided Luz and she was struck in the face, getting a minor burn on her cheek, which she ignored in favour of casting a bright light spell to destroy all shadows and blind the two Elites. Now blinded and unable to escape, Luz blasted the Silver Sentinel with a light beam, which didn't penetrate her chest armour but did wind her and knock her out of the sky. The Golden Guard flashed down to catch her while Luz healed her cheek, and Gus promptly cast an illusion of dozens of Luzs and Bat Queens, all of whom flew off into different directions, while the real Bat Queen was rendered invisible and continued flying westward.
"We're not fooled that easily!" the Golden Guard growled. He pulled his sister onto his staff and then flashed them both to an even higher altitude, before the two swapped places, with the Sentinel flying and her brother riding her staff. Now free to use his own staff to cast a big spell, the Golden Guard rained red lightning down on the entire area, destroying the illusions immediately while forcing the real Luz to protect herself and Gus with barriers. Upon seeing that all the visible Bat Queens were fake, the Golden Guard cast another spell to summon up a sandstorm, and the swirling sediment soon revealed where the real Bat Queen was, while also slowing her escape. The Golden Guard then flashed himself and his sister towards her, while Luz left her barrier and raced after them.
Luz was fast, but she wasn't as fast as the Guard's lightning quick flashes, so the Golden Guard and Silver Sentinel reached BQ first. She launched a sonic shriek at them, which briefly stunned the pair and allowed King to use his own Titan Roar, which he combined with the wind glyph to blast the two away with a monstrous gale. The Silver Sentinel hastily conjured a metal kite shield, and used the shadow of its underside to drag herself and her brother to safety. Luz immediately cast another light spell to destroy all shadows around herself and the Bat Queen, and Gus twirled his finger to cast a subtle illusion.
Since the closest usable shadow was now their own airship, the two Elites emerged on board, while Luz and Gus turned to face them.
"Now that we've proven you can't just fly away, maybe now we can do this properly!" the Golden Guard declared. He then cleared his throat and said formally; "Under the jurisdiction of Emperor Belos, all Palismen not currently bonded to a Witch or Demon are hereby declared property of the Emperor's Coven and are to be surrendered immediately. In addition, the Arch-Angel Luz Noceda is under arrest for rebellion against the Empire! Come quietly and your friends will be spared."
Luz, King, Gus, and even the Bat Queen gave him the same unimpressed looks. "No way! We know what your sicko of a boss does to the poor little guys! I'm not just gonna let you murder these innocent creatures!"
The Golden Guard flinched, and the Silver Sentinel looked at the ground, making Luz and Gus eye them curiously; maybe the two weren't as happy with their Emperor's actions as they let on? At the very least, their posture looked guilty.
"Their sacrifice is necessary for the prosperity of the Isles. Please Luz, you know who and what the Emperor truly is! Surely you can sympathise with what wild magic has done to him!" the Golden Guard implored.
Luz's eyes widened; "So Belos actually told you that he's an angel!?"
The two elites noticed the lack of surprise from Gus, King, and the Bat Queen, making them realise Luz had already told them, and likely the rest of the rebels too. That was annoying, but the Emperor had expected it and warned his elites.
"Emperor Belos' condition was caused by wild magic, and needs the essence of Palismen to treat. If you don't give up your own wild ways, you will find yourself suffering the same fate!" the Guard yelled.
Luz shook her head; "I don't know how Belos messed himself up exactly, but it's got nothing to do with Wild Magic! Wild Magic is the natural state of magic in this realm!"
"Lies told by your corrupting mentor!" the Guard spat.
The Silver Sentinel made illusory hand signs to her brother; "Give it up, brother. She will never be convinced by us. If words alone were enough, the Emperor would have redeemed her already."
Luz bit her tongue to avoid exposing that she could understand the Sentinel, and the Golden Guard just sighed; "You're right… I just hate fighting her."
The Silver Sentinel signed; "I understand. But the mission must come first."
"Yes. The mission… I'm sorry Luz, but the Emperor needs those Palismen!" the Golden Guard yelled, suddenly flashing towards her. He swung his staff at her, charging it with red lightning to use it like a taser, and Luz could do nothing but give a gormless stare at her attacker as his staff struck her… then passed straight through her. Luz shimmered and poofed into a cloud of cyan smoke, revealed to be the result of an illusion.
The Golden Guard barely had time to react before the real Luz suddenly blasted him in the face like his sister had done to her minutes before. The blast was hard enough to send him flying backwards head over heels, and when he finally recovered and held onto his staff, his mask had been damaged, revealing a patch of pale skin around a red eye, with noticeable dark bags beneath it.
"Dang Golden Goof, you need a nap! No wonder you're so cranky." Luz commented.
He growled in response and flashed back to the airship so he could use his staff to conjure spears that he launched at the Bat Queen's wings. One of them struck her, revealing it to be another illusion, and the real Bat Queen suddenly appeared above the Airship, which she blasted with fire to set it alight. The Emperor's elites had to fly away as their ship once again crashed to the ground far beneath them, and the Silver Sentinel shot a basic bolt of magical energy at Gus, confirming that he too was an illusion while the real one appeared behind her. He tried to use an ice glyph to trap her, but his inexperience with flight meant he lost control of his staff at the last minute and only managed to freeze a part of her shoulder. She quickly darted away from him, but kept her eyes on him.
She figured that he had put up the illusion while she and her brother had been travelling through a shadow together, knowing they wouldn't be able to notice. It was impressively effective for such a simple illusion, and it shocked her that it could be performed by a boy who could barely fly.
Suddenly, the night seemed to grow even darker, forcing Luz to create a light orb just to see where everyone was.
"What the heck? Did someone turn out the moon or something!?" the Golden Guard yelled.
Gus looked to where the moon was supposed to be and saw only a huge expanse of blackness. Even some of the stars had vanished from the night sky. Not only that, but the air was starting to get a lot warmer all of a sudden.
The Silver Sentinel used her illusory hands to sign something to her brother, which Luz translated as; "Aren't we over the Titan's Right Palm at the moment?"
"We are." the Golden Guard replied, before suddenly gasping; "You don't think-!?"
"LOOK OUT!" screamed the Bat Queen, right before red veins of fire suddenly filled the previously black space that had replaced the moon and starry sky. Acting on instinct, Luz threw up crystal barriers around herself, Gus, and the Bat Queen, as well as their two teenage adversaries. This action may have saved all their lives, as a moment later there was an impossibly bright flash of white light and a strange cry that sounded almost like some kind of giant fox, followed by the sound of shattering as something smashed all of them out of the sky. Their barriers were cracked to the point of near uselessness, but just barely retained their shape. Luz was able to grow vines inside the barriers to act as cushioning, right before there was a second shattering sound as what was left of the barriers was destroyed and they were all sent plummeting to the ground, losing consciousness in the process.
[Sometime Later]
When Luz regained consciousness, she became aware of three things. First, it was bright out now, and she actually struggled to open her eyes due to the light. Second, it was unbearably hot; hotter even than she'd been in the desert of Palm Stings (though not as bad as Volcarpalis). Third, and most importantly; she was moving. She had been slung over someone's shoulders and was being carried somewhere, though by who was a mystery. She knew it was a male by the sound of his panting, but that was it. Forcing her eyes open and adjusting to the light, Luz saw that she was being carried through a desert; one that was very similar to Palm Stings over in the Titan's Left Palm. However there were a few notable differences; not only was it hotter, but the sand was coarser and a darker yellow, and there was no sign of life anywhere. There were rock formations scattered about, but little else that Luz could see. She assumed this was the desert of the Titan's Right Palm; they'd been flying over it before they were attacked, so it made sense they'd crash-landed there.
Looking down, Luz paled as she saw the back of the person who was carrying her; the white-cloaked back of the Golden Guard. Gasping, Luz suddenly summoned her wings and flapped them hard, making the Golden Guard yelp as she began thrashing in his grip.
"Hey! Wait! Stop that!" he yelled, trying to keep his hold around her waist and legs.
"Stranger danger!" Luz yelled in return, before shooting a weak spark of flame at the Golden Guard's rear. The spark ignited his cloak and he yelped, letting Luz go so he could pull his cloak off and stamp on it to put out the flames. While he was distracted, Luz immediately took to the skies and began to fly higher and higher, quickly getting out of range of the boy's staff. He'd have to fly to catch her, and without his sister, he couldn't hope to match her!
"Stop! Luz, don't fly! Come back down!" the Golden Guard yelled urgently, shooting a few weak spell sat her. They were tether spells meant to grab and yank her back down, but Luz was too far above him.
"Not a chance, Golden Goof!" Luz yelled back, before beginning to look around at the desert from her high vantage point. She'd been unconscious for the rest of the night, but based on the position of the sun, it was still early morning. Eda and the others would undoubtedly be worried, but Luz needed to focus on finding King, Gus, and the Palismen! From up high, Luz could see they were closer to the west side of the desert, as the Titan's fingers were curling up into the sky just a short distance to the west, and the Titan's Skull could be seen far off to the east. Aside from numerous large spikes of red rock stabbing out of the desert, the only other noticeable landmark was a colossal volcano in the direct middle of the desert. It was odd looking; it looked less like a natural mountain and more like a gigantic pile of razor sharp obsidian, charred black rocks, and the desert's red rock, all glued together with veins of burning lava. A plume of smoke was drifting up from the volcano's caldera, showing it was active, but from what Luz could tell, there wasn't enough to show signs of an eruption.
At the foot of the volcano was the source of a second plume of smoke, even smaller than the last. Luz peered at it and noted that it was the smouldering wreckage of the Golden Guard's airship. It looked like it had been sheared in half by some kind of giant, red-hot blade!
As Luz stared at it, an alarm bell began ringing in her head; she remembered something about the Right Palm and the desert within… something she'd been told in passing. She was sure it was a warning, but a warning of what? She couldn't quite remember! All that was left was a mental note inside her head, something she had committed to memory; do not go to the Right Palm!
Luz racked her brain to try and remember why, but soon found her answer as the Golden Guard screamed up at her.
"GET OUT OF THE SKY!"
Startled, Luz looked down at him, then felt the heat intensify. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to the north, and immediately went ghostly white as she saw the reason for the warning.
The Goliath Ash Moth.
It was a monstrously big creature; larger than Luz had ever seen. It looked like it could use the nearby volcano as a sleeping bag (and from what she remembered Rasiel telling her, it likely had) and could like destroy all of Bonesborough simply by lying down and rolling over! The Ash Moth's body actually somewhat resembled a giant white-furred Fox Kit, only with six legs that each ended in red chitinous nubs. It's head was also very fox-like, but its eyes were red compound eyes like a Moth's, and it's whiskers doubled as six large proboscises. It had a canine-like snout, but its nose was actually a red chitinous horn that looked vaguely like a Fox Kit's nose, and it didn't actually have an opening mouth, instead making noise and breathing through what appeared to be the fox's ears. Lastly, it had several silk moth-like features; two giant silk moth-like feelers on its head, a tail that was more like the abdomen of a silk moth merged with the tail of a fox, and monstrously large white moth wings on its back, each one of which was large enough to wrap the rest of the Bug Demon up. The wings had red veins of magma flowing through them, and Luz recognised the pattern as what had blotted out the moon and stars right before they'd been attacked.
"So this is what attacked us!" Luz gasped. Honestly, it wasn't what she'd expected from the Goliath Ash Moth… if the beast was a more reasonable size, Luz would have thought it was adorable and tried to keep one as a pet!
Unfortunately, it was now flying at her with incredible speed, and its proboscis whiskers began to glow red as they were filled with fiery energy. The Ash Moth released a fox-like snarl as it whipped its whiskers at her, sending waves of intense flame at Luz. She yelped and conjured as much water as she could to douse the flames. It worked, but the Ash Moth then raised a colossal paw and brought it down on top of Luz. She created a crystal barrier to defend herself, but it was nearly shattered by just one blow. Still, this was enough for Luz to create a bright flash with her light magic, blinding the moth and allowing her to slip out of the barrier and fly to the back of it's head.
"Eat this!" she cried, combining ice and light to create her Aurora Beam spell. The beam struck the Ash Moth, but the giant Bug Demon was too hot and the ice melted immediately, and only succeeded in angering it further. It flicked its tail up to swat her out of the sky, but Luz just barely dodged, feeling its scalding hot fur whip through the air inches from her face. Even a near miss was enough to burn Luz's skin slightly, forcing her to heal herself before then gathering as much light magic as she could. She wasn't going to bother with fire or plants against a monster like this, and she doubted wind could do more than fan the flames, so after ice proved ineffective, all Luz had left was her signature light magic!
She blasted a monstrously huge beam of light directly at the beast's face as it turned around to see her better. The beam would have been large enough to take out a good chunk of Bonesborough, but it did absolutely nothing to the Ash Moth but mildly singe some of its fur. Luz gaped at the lack of damage, then began to chuckle nervously as the Ash Moth slowly got closer.
"Eheheh, nice Ash Moth…?" she said.
The Ash Moth replied with another roar (which rumbled out from its ears, since it had no mouth), and whipped its flaming whiskers at her. Luz cried out as she threw up another crystal barrier, but the forceful lashes cracked the barrier and sent her careening to the ground. The Ash Moth followed her, and stomped on her with one of its paws, shattering what was left of Luz's barrier and leaving her in a crater in the sand. Luz tried to fight back with another Aurora Beam, and even a Disintegration Beam, but neither had any real effect besides damaging the beast's fur and angering it.
It reared its paws up to crush her, and Luz clenched her eyes tight and waited for the pain to come. She had nothing that could hurt the beast, and her defences couldn't stand up to it either! She was completely helpless! Thankfully, no pain came; instead Luz heard a strange buzzing sound for a moment before her entire body tingled as she suddenly felt weightless.
When the feeling passed, she opened her eyes and found herself a short distance away from the Ash Moth, being held by the Golden Guard. He had used his red lightning flash to grab her and get her to safety before she could be crushed.
"T-Thank you." she said softly, staring at him in surprise.
"You're welcome. Now we need to get out of her before-"
Whatever he was about to say died in his throat as six tendrils of flame suddenly whipped towards him, as the Ash Moth attacked with its whiskers. Luz threw up a double layered crystal barrier to protect them from the first three, but the fourth lash destroyed her barrier. The Golden Guard raised his staff to put up a barrier of his own, but it was weaker than Luz's and the fifth lash shattered it and snapped his staff in half with ease. The shock of his staff's destruction left the Golden Guard gaping at the singed wood, and the sixth and final lash went straight at his head. Luz was still on the ground, so she grabbed his ankle and pulled it hard to make him fall, causing him to drop out of the way and avoid getting his head taken off by the tendril of flame. However the tendril did still glance off his helmet, and the heat was enough that he screamed and ripped the metal helmet off before he could be burned by it.
This gave Luz her first look at the unmasked Golden Guard, or at least his hair, which was a somewhat messy ash-blond with shaved back and sides, and a long forelock that hung over his forehead. The Guard was covering his face after his mask had burned him, so Luz couldn't see more of it, but she didn't have time to think about that at the moment as the Ash Moth once again tried to stamp on them both. Luz rapidly threw up another crystal barrier, beginning to feel a drain on her magic and took the first smack without shattering. Before a second could be used, Luz used the plant glyph to summon a giant flower from beneath the barrier to swallow them up and drag them below the sand.