Calamitous Intervention

Agony of a Witch

In the shrouded center of the Titan's core, surrounded on all four sides by tall stone barriers, stood a three-story castle with its floors shrinking on each other. The castle was ominously lit by green lighting from below, and the sky was so polluted by the chimney spewing fire from above and the horns of the Titan that the normally purple sky was reduced to an unsavory pink tone. The only thing connecting the castle to the outside world was a thin drawbridge leading from a few stone structures, with coven scouts carefully observing every possible movement. The scene was clear - if you had somehow made it in, you would thank the Titan if you could make it out alive.

A large paddy wagon drifted across the drawbridge, where captured wild witches were held, their fates sealed. All of them realized that, deep down, nobody was there to save them. They had stood against Emperor Belos, and as a result, they would likely be executed, or worse—petrified.

From the chimney above the castle, an explosion erupted, sending ashes and embers down below. On the balcony, Lilith Clawthorne observed the scene with a cold expression, deeming the sacrifices necessary for the greater good of everyone. This wasn't the first time she had seen such broken faces being carried in, never to be seen again. At first, she felt sympathy and even a longing to help them, but the things that went on in the castle had, over the years, desensitized her to it. This was the Emperor's will, and she wouldn't dare question it.

Stepping into the castle, Lilith walked through the large hall calmly, its tile floor reflecting the mosaic image she was approaching. The glass-stained scene depicted Belos himself standing in front of the Titan's hand, which reached toward the sun itself. She'd theorized what it all meant, and the only conclusion she came to was that it had to do with the Day of Unity.

"I haven't forgotten what you've promised me," Lilith spoke to the mosaic resolutely. "I will bring you my sister, Emperor Belos."

"Then why the delay?" a higher-pitched, female voice spoke from behind her, alarming the witch. The figure was a short, red demon with conjoined hands acting as her hair, with a collar hiding her mouth.

"Kikimora!" Lilith was surprised, but she tried not to show it, spinning around to meet the short demon's eyes.

"The Day of Unity is fast approaching, and other teams have bound many rogue witches to covens, and yet the Owl Lady still roams free," Kikimora said with a contemplative expression. "Are you... protecting her?" she accused.

"Rest assured, Kiki. I have everything under control," Lilith assured her coolly. While the Grudgby match she had with Eda was a nice distraction, it was time to get back to business. Now, she was out of patience. Snapping her fingers, many coven scouts rushed forward obediently, forming a line, their postures stiff as they waited for her command. "Today, we capture Eda, once and for all."

Chapter Thirty-Six - Agony Of A Witch

In the Owl House, Anne, Viney, and Jerbo watched intently as King was finishing up his lesson about demons. Anne's words back then had encouraged him to continue his research, and he was more than happy to do so.

"According to my research, hundreds of years ago, the Boiling Isles used to have gnomes and unicorns," King explained. "But I'm pretty sure they were banished to the human realm. Gnomes because they were basically parasites, and unicorns cause they were complete jerks, and nobody liked them."

Anne, who'd been entertained thoroughly by the whole lesson, felt her face drop at his words. "Wait, they're on Earth?!" she exclaimed. "Why hasn't anybody seen them?" she wondered out loud, hoping silently that wasn't what they were hiding in Area 51.

"Actually, I think it was closer to a thousand years ago," Viney pitched in to correct King, based on the knowledge she'd learned in the history and beastkeeping classes. "But you're actually pretty spot-on. Nice work, kid."