Let me live! | Hunter X Edric The Owl House

2.15 Hope

[Edric's POV]

"So, if our calculations are correct, our flag should appear here in todays game." Says Lilith, pointing at a map.

A few months have passed since the first few games. After some days, we started to collect and note all the locations the flags would appear in. We created a map layout of the forest, the other covens bases and the flag locations. We noticed all the coven flags would appear in a number of specific stops and switch through them. So, meanwhile we're able to calculate the spot our flag will appear in and then go grab it as fast as possible. Once we have it all of us will try to enter the Owl House, without the Owl Witches against us it will be easier in it.

"Alright, three persons go grab the flag, the rest will move forward towards the Owl House." Says Darius and we all nod again. "Good. That's the meeting for today. Use the rest of the time to gather your strength." Most of the people leave the Owl House, only a few remain. We may have figured out the forest, but we're still clueless about the Owl House itself. Every time we would enter it, it would always look different. And we would never be able to even gain a single flag.

Hope seems even smaller then before. People start to get tired of all the loosing. We all want this to finally end. Inside the original Owl House, I walk up some stairs towards a specific room. Just when I want to enter it, I hear Eda's and Dad's voices from inside.

"...and then they had to laugh so hard the apple blood shot out of their nose gahhahahaha!!!"

"..." It's quiet for some seconds.

"What's wrong, Alador? You're so quiet, that's new."

"I...feel like I missed everything. You know, of my kids lives. I was so distant, overtaken by work. And now, I could finally spend time with them. Instead, Amity is gone and Edric and Emira have to train and fight just to survive. For me...they are still kids. My kids. But now they had to grow and become warriors because of this. I'd do everything to return time and be the father I was supposed to be. And not make the mistake to support the Emperor. If I had just done something...they'd still be careless, happy kids."

I place a hand on the door, staring at it with wide eyes. Dad...

"Look, Alador..." I hear Eda's voice say. "Everyone makes mistakes. If we'd let them swallow us it'd be even worse then to just live with them. You didn't know what the Emperor was planning. You're just a father who did everything to provide for his family. I think there's nothing wrong with that. I know, this isn't the best life. I understand how you feel about them. But they are alive. Emira, Edric and Amity. So are Luz and King. I think considering the options...what we have right now is the best case. Even though I miss those kids and Luz too. So...use the time you have, spend it with them and protect them. It's not too late to watch them grow and take care of them. At least of those twins."

"...thank you, Edalyn."

Again, I hear Eda laugh. "Nooooo problemo, Al."

I'm still standing at the door, just looking at it for a while. After some time passes, I place a hand on the handle, I open the door and walk in.

"Hey." I greet them, I see Dad kneeling on the ground in front of a machine, Eda sitting on an armchair, stroking over a sleeping King on her lap.

"How does it look...?" I ask and both of them turn around to me.

"Not good." Says Eda and Dad sighs quietly.

"I can't get the portal right. It's hard to built something I've never seen before." Explains Dad, placing down a screwdriver.

"The last time, Luz built the portal. But without her, we can't do it. Neither King, Hooty or myself know what she exactly did." Says Eda, looking at the ground sadly.

After some seconds I walk over to Dad and I sit down beside him. "In the best case we won't even need our own portal. If we win this, the Collector will open it. So, don't worry too much." I take a short look at the machine in front of us and I hand Dad a hammer. "And even if we don't, this game will be over. And we can completely concentrate on building the portal, right?" I look at Dad and Eda, both looking at me, Eda smiles slightly and Dad just looks at me silently. After a while he takes the hammer from me, he looks at it for a while before smiling and nodding.

"Right."

{}

All of us once again gathered in front of the entrace to the forest. The next game is about to begin and we all prepared ourselves to win this game.

Raine, Steve and Principle Bump will go grab the flag in the forest while the rest of us will split up to protect the base and move towards the Owl House.

We all wait at the starting line for the Collectors announcement, after a while we finally hear it

"Welcome dear covens to the 114th game of the Owl House!! Alright, let's begin! The Owl House, Game 114 starts..." We all prepare ourselves to run ahead, but something unexpected happens. "Not yet. Because this is getting a little boring, isn't it?" We all look at each other confused and shocked.

"He's implementing another rule." Mumbles Em and the Collector laughs.

"You guys are getting too familiar with the forest, where's the fun in that? Sooooo, why don't we change up the scene a little??"  He starts to laugh again and the hologram from him gets even bigger. Suddenly, the ground starts to shake and rumble.

"W-What is happening??" Says Skara, almost loosing her balance and falling like the rest of us.

I'm holding Em, doing my best to not let her fall. I look over to the forest to see the ground slowly ripping out of the ground and flying into the air. My eyes wide in shock, all the trees disappear and cracks appear in the ground. After a while, all the earth chunks in the air get thrown away and the ground stops to rumble. I take a look around the others when we hear some sizzling and bubbling. I gently let go of Em and I take some steps forward. Behind the start line and former entrance to the forest is just a hole in the ground and when I look into the hole I see...

"The boiling sea..." I gasp shocked and somebody suddenly grabs my arm.

"Look out!!" Yells Eda and pulls me away from the edge. The moment she pulls me away, some other earth chunks fall into hole, letting the water of the boiling sea splash up.  Darius runs forward, creating a wall out of his Abonimation goo and protecting us from the water splash.

Once it gets quiet again, Darius lets the wall dissolve. We all look back to the former forest only to see some kind of ruines in front of us.

"He just...switched out the forest with a new area???" Says Mattoholomule shocked.

"All our plans and strategies...for nothing." Mumbles Lilith as we see all the earth chunks with ruins on them, swimming in the boiling water.

"New surroundings and a new challenge!" We hear the Collectors voice once again. "So, now that this is finished, I'll let the flags appear and game 114 can start....NOW, ENJOY PEOPLE!" Yells the Collector, laughing like crazy.

We all look at each other, speechless. This game is played over the WHOLE BOILING ISLES. He simply took out kilometers of ground and switched them out. I lift my head a little to see in quiet some distance the giant Owl House and some magic being casted over the swimming chunks of ground.

"They are already fighting again...?" Mumbles Em and I keep looking over the new area.

"We have to go..." I mumble and I look at the others. "The plan is over. We have to start from the beginning. But now, we have to use the chance that we're ALL unfamiliar with the new surroundings." I grab my Palisman. "Let's go!"

They all nod and we all start to travel through the new area.

And hope seems even smaller than ever before.