The Angel of the Owl House
Season 2: The Human Realm
Chapter 13: Surprise at the Coven Day Festival
A couple of days passed following Luz's trip to the past, and Luz had spent almost the entire time pouring over Philip's hideously complicated portal notes, getting help from Eda, Darius, Alador, and just about any other adult she thought could help her. After returning, she, Eda, and Lilith had spent the evening reporting what happened to the family, shocking them with the story of Evelyn and Caleb, and the truth of Philip and his fanaticism. Everyone was angry to hear what Philip had tried to do, and what he'd succeeded in doing to his own brother, as well as Luz's hand. When they'd gone to Digale Island to explain the situation to the other CATTs leaders, they'd been just as furious! Luz thought it was a good thing that Philip had lived hundreds of years ago and the Time Pools had since closed, or she thought the likes of Raine and Eber would actually hunt Philip down themselves! King was especially vocal in encouraging violence.
The day after their trip to the past, Luz had gone back to Hexside and reunited with her friends, telling them what had happened to. Predictably, Amity and Willow were practically spitting fire over Philip, and Skara was almost as angry. Strangely, it had been Boscha who calmed everyone down by reminding them that Philip was long gone, probably killed by Evelyn sometime after donating his diary to the Bonesborough Library, and had been almost entirely forgotten by history. It was a morbid thought, but the second hand revenge was enough to calm Luz's angrier friends. That day, Luz had spent every moment that she wasn't focused on her school work or friends instead focused on Philip's notes, which unfortunately had to be translated much like his diary. Luz worked herself to the bone translating them, and her friends were happy to help seeing as it was so important to her.
This continued into Saturday too, with Luz working hard to translate and understand the notes while Amity recruited everyone she could to help her girlfriend. The Hexsquad, the Magic Mixers, many of their family members, and even several members of the CATTs had all come together to translate the notes, and with the sheer number of them, Luz knew it would only take a couple of days to get everything translated and begin proper work on constructing the portal. Alador had even gone on a trip with Rasiel to the Portal Gateway Evelyn had spoken of, hoping for extra assistance; sadly it was fairly damaged and lacking the keystone needed to open it, so there was little they could glean from it.
Luz almost ended up pulling two all-nighters in a row, as she hadn't slept Friday night and would have repeated this on Saturday night, but Eda had put her foot down and actually sent the girl to bed, arguing she wasn't going to make any progress while sleep-deprived.
As such, it was a well-rested but still hyper-focused Luz who came down to breakfast on Sunday, still feverishly pouring over the notes.
"Owlet, I think you're pushing it a little." Eda said, gently taking the pages out of Luz's hands.
"But Mom, another weekend has come and almost gone, which means I've missed another visit with Mami and Vee!" Luz exclaimed as Rasiel all but forced her into a seat at the kitchen table and put a plate of food in front of her; "I need to get this new portal built as fast as possible so I can get back home and explain what happened! So Mami knows I haven't just abandoned her!"
"I know you're worried about your Mami, but you're seriously going to burn yourself out if you keep going like this! Especially since you insist on keeping up with school too." Eda frowned.
"I promised Mami I would. It was part of our deal; I need to keep my grades up, so I have to work hard!" Luz argued.
Raine, who was eating their own breakfast, chimed in; "Luz, I admire your work ethic but your Mom is right; you need to give yourself time to relax. If you work too hard, you'll just get exhausted and make mistakes when it really matters."
"Yeah! All work and no play makes Luz a dull girl." King said; "Take a day off!"
"I can't! There's so much that needs doing! The CATTs and the rebellion, finding out what happened to the Collector's mirror if Philip found it, finding the other Black Tombs and how to navigate the Primordial Wellsprings… Plus keeping up with my friends and Hexside! I can't just stop! If I do, everything falls behind!" Luz cried.
Eda and Raine looked to one another and began silently communicating with just looks and facial expressions. In the end, they both nodded and Eda decided it was time to put her foot down.
"Okay, I think that's enough. Time to be a responsible parent; Luz, you're not allowed to do any more work today! No homework, no portal work, no work at all! You're going to spend the day doing something with family or friends." Eda ordered. Inwardly she felt like she'd fallen into bizarro world; few parents ever imagined having to force their children to stop working and start playing!
Luz looked like she wanted to protest, but with everyone in the room looking in agreement with Eda, she couldn't bring herself to… at least not too much. "B-But what about the portal?"
"I will continue the translations." Rasiel declared; "I've grown quite proficient at decoding Philip's pretentious scribblings."
"And I'll help him out." Eda added; "The two of us working together will get more work done than you would on your own, so you won't fall behind."
Luz couldn't argue with that; "O-Okay. But what about everything else? Like the Rebellion and the Black Tombs and stuff?"
"Lilith and Amity are spending the day together at the library, researching the Wellsprings." Eda answered; "If there's progress to be made on finding a way through them to the Black Tomb, they'll make it. And we have an entire small army of people working on stuff for the CATTs, and other leaders to handle it. Relax."
"Oh." Luz replied. She was a little sad she wouldn't get to spend her day off with her beloved Amity, but she was glad she was spending time with Lilith; those two had really rekindled their old apprentice/mentor relationship and seemed closer than ever! It reminded Luz a little of how she and Eda were before Eda became Mom.
"I guess I have a day free. But after being so busy for so long, I've got no idea how to spend it! I think most of my friends are busy…"
She racked her mind for what the Hexsquad and her other friends were up to, while checking her Penstagram for updates. Gus and Matt were hanging out together with Steve, the Magic Mixers were taking a weekend trip together on Valtora's boat, the Twins were bonding with their dad, and the odd trio of Willow, Skara, and Boscha were visiting Cartilia up on the Knee. According to Willow's Penstagram posts, she was filling in for Amelia on the Banshees since the poor girl caught the Mold, and so was helping Skara and Boscha arrange the upcoming Grudgby Game between Hexside and St. Epiderm, which was based in Cartilia.
"It looks like pretty much everyone is busy. Maybe you and I could hang out today King?" Luz suggested.
King briefly looked excited, but then his face fell as he remembered something; "I can't… I've got to go to my therapy appointment today. Mom won't let me get out of it! Plus she wants me to have a proper check up at the clinic on Digale Island."
Eda nodded; "Sorry King, but we need to make sure you're healthy! We don't know much about Titan Biology, and you've gone through quite a few changes lately thanks to those Trapper scumbags."
That was certainly true; aside from his little wings (which he'd started getting the hang of), his brief rage on Titan Trapper Island really had left him with a tiny growth spurt. He was about an inch taller than he was before; only really noticeable to those who knew him well, but still an important development for the young Titan. Pretty much everyone who'd been told what happened agreed that this was because of Luz's blood, which had Titan power infused into it thanks to Orion and Cassiopeia, but the CATTs were still being cautious to make sure both Clawthorne kids were healthy.
"Well that's a bummer. Mom makes me take a day off and I've got no one to spend it with!" Luz pouted.
"Hey, I'm not no one!" Raine piped up with a small smirk; "You can spend the day with me! We haven't really had a chance to spend any time together with it just being the two of us."
Luz's eyes began to shine with excitement; Raine was right! She'd done plenty of stuff with them, but usually with others around! It would be kind of nice to spend some quality time with her Titi!
"That would be awesome!" Luz cheered; "What did you have planned?"
"Actually, I'm visiting my old home town today; Cartilia. Technically, it's a recon mission for the upcoming Coven Day Parade, but the CATTs aren't planning to attack it since its mostly a civilian event, so the recon is just a formality." Raine explained. "I can show you around my old home, and enjoy the festival while I "scout" the place out." they made air quotes with their fingers upon saying scout. Normally Raine wouldn't have bothered with something like this at all, but Darius had insisted that at least someone should keep an eye on the Parade preparations, and Raine had wanted a break and so volunteered for the easy mission.
"So we're going to the Knee? I've been going there a lot lately, but never to the city! Let's do it! I'll go get ready!" Luz cheered, wolfing down her breakfast then running to get changed into some winter clothes.
Raine and the others watched her go with a smile, with Eda kissing Raine on the cheek; "Thanks Raine Storm. That girl has been dealing with too much stuff lately; she really needs a break."
"And probably therapy. Between what Belos, Vitimir, Bill, and Philip have done to her, it's remarkable Luz isn't worse off." Rasiel commented.
"She's a tough kid, but you're right; she could do with someone to talk to about this stuff. I'll talk to the CATTs therapist when I drop King off later; maybe they can help. The pressure of everything is starting to get to her." Eda agreed.
Raine beamed and kissed Eda hungrily, making Rasiel smirk and King avert his eyes and pretend to gag. When they separated, Raine grinned at a blushing Eda; "You know, this responsible adult side of you is weirdly hot!"
"Dang it Raine, if you start doing stuff like that, I'll end up keeping you with me all day and neither of us will get anything done!" Eda said, playfully swatting her lover's shoulder; "Now go get ready yourself, before I decide to drag you back to my nest!"
Raine grinned and gave a flirtatious wink, then obediently left to get their own winter gear on. A few minutes later, Luz and Raine (now dressed in warm clothes) waved goodbye to Eda, King, and Rasiel and began flying up to the Knee. Thanks to Luz's wind magic, they didn't need to worry about the mountain gales, but Raine still insisted they land a little further down the thigh and then walk up the rest of the way so they weren't spotted and intercepted by any of the Covens before they got into town. They soon arrived on the main road leading into Cartilia, and Luz got her first proper look at the city itself. She'd seen it plenty of times from a distance, but one could only truly experience the city from close up.
The city of Cartilia was built into the side of the Knee, in a gigantic witch-made cavern. It looked like an old mine that had been fully opened up and exposed to the air, though only to the east of the city; the west was solid bone and there was no sky directly above thanks to the city being literally built into the Knee. The city was also quite narrow, and built in tiers with wealthier, nicer tiers higher up and the poorer, shabbier tiers lower down. The poorest district was made of wooden shacks outside the Knee itself, and had been built on the side of it like the cliff side sections of Bonesborough. The lowest tier of the city proper was similar in construction and architecture to Bonesborough, though darker due to the limited sunlight and covered in snow that the gales occasionally blew in through the eastern opening. The next tier up was nicer and home to buildings made of shimmering black stone, sort of like marble, and which belonged to the middle class citizens. The snow was kept out by enchanted heat lamps, which also provided light to the people living there. The next tier up, the penultimate tier, was were numerous manors made of black stone and gold filigree were built, housing the wealthiest people in the city. Each home had their own magical artificial sun, and an invisible barrier surrounded the entire district that kept the temperature inside at comfortable levels comparable to the rest of the Isles. Finally, there was the very top tier of the city, which was home only to three buildings; a gleaming white fortress which served as City Hall and the Emperor's Coven Precinct, a huge cathedral-like building with spires made of colourful crystals, and finally a tall pillar that actually reached the top of Cartilia's Cavern and looked to be a natural formation that had been hollowed out and turned into a building. The crest of the Healing Coven marked the pillar as one of their facilities, though Luz wasn't sure if it was the Headquarters or just an outpost.
Luz gasped with amazement as she and Raine walked through the city gates, taking in all the sights and sounds. Cartilia was bigger than Bonesborough so there were even more people about, all dressed in warm winter clothing and setting up stalls and other amusements for the Coven Day Festival.
"This is incredible! Who'd have thought such a big city could be built inside a cavern!" Luz gushed, barely restraining herself from running about and looking at everything.
Raine nodded with a nostalgic smile; "It's a beautiful city alright. You should see it at dawn on a calm snowy day; you can look out to the sky to the east and watch the sunrise as a light powdery snow gently falls on everything. In the morning, when the sun is to the east, it can get pretty warm here too, and the light makes the snow look like it's glowing! It's one of the few things the lower districts have over the upper ones; we get to experience the real weather, both good and bad."
Luz smiled brightly as she looked up at her Titi; they spoke with such unrestrained pride for their old home town. They and their parents had moved to Bonesborough to make a better life for themselves away from the snobbery that infested the city, but it was clear Raine still had very fond memories of the city itself. Luz could see why too; it was a marvellous place and the festival for the upcoming Coven Day was already in full swing despite it being a couple of days away. Everyone was either setting up stalls or enjoying the ones already set up, buying cheap knick-knacks and souvenirs, eating unhealthy but tasty festival food, and playing games that were of questionable fairness, but were fun all the same. It was like a real carnival, and way better than the last Demon Realm Carnival Luz had gone to! She still didn't know if Hooty ever spit that Tibbles guy back up…
"So what's this Coven Day thing about anyway?" Luz asked.
"It's to celebrate the formation of the Coven System, and all its subsequent "successes". Ask Eda and she'd say its just a fancy way of kissing the Emperor's butt, and she'd be right to some degree, but to the common people it's a day to just have fun and enjoy a big Isles-wide party." Raine smiled, gesturing to all the decorations; most of which were Coven Banners. "Festivals like this one start up a few days before Coven Day and last a few days afterwards, and the big event each year is the Parade."
Luz tilted her head curiously; "That's what we're here to check out, right? The prep for the Parade?"
Raine nodded; "That's right. It's a big parade that starts at sundown on the eve of Coven Day and then tours through all the major towns in the Isles. Each year, one of the four furthest towns on each of the Titan's Limbs is chosen as the starting point for the parade. There's Palm Stings on the Left Arm, Nailic down in the Swampy Toes of the Left Leg, Cartilia here on the Right Leg, and lastly Bonesborough in the Right Arm. Last year it was held in Palm Stings, so it should have been Bonesborough this year but…"
"We started a rebellion and now Bonesborough is "neutral." Luz finished with air quotes.
"Yep! So Bonesborough was skipped and it went straight to Cartilia. I heard Latissa was upset they were passed over as Bonesborough's replacement, but that just means we have more people mad at the Empire, which suits us just fine!" Raine said, giving a wink to their niece.
Luz grinned in response; even little things could win them support! Belos wasn't as popular as he thought he was!
Putting that aside, Raine patted Luz on the back to urge her forward; "Well, we're here for recon so let's get to it! I think a good start would be scouting out the stalls; make sure the food isn't tainted and the prizes for the games aren't secretly enchanting with mind control spells!" they winked.
Luz giggled and grabbed their hand to drag them around to every stall that caught her eye, all while Raine laughed and enjoyed the company. They'd come to Coven Day celebrations every year; at first with their parents, then with the Clawthornes after their parents passed away, then with just Eda when they started dating, and then with Katya, Derwin, and Amber when they and Eda had broken up. They were always fun, even if sometimes stained by sombre memories.
They'd arrived in Cartilia at around 9am, and for the next three hours until noon, they "scouted" the place. They ate snacks from various vendors and played all manner of games (Raine had even subtly cheated at one to ensure Luz was able to win, though only enough to make the rigged game fair). But the most fun the two had was just walking together, chatting happily and talking about the city as Raine pointed out landmarks and recalled old memories. When noon finally came, Raine took their niece to a nice, quiet cafe for some lunch, and they found themselves eating warm soup and grilled sleeze sandwiches on a veranda that faced the east, giving them a wonderful view of the isles as a shimmering heat lamp kept them warm.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Titi." Luz said gratefully; "I needed this more than I thought."
Raine nodded; "You're welcome. I know you have a lot on your plate between school, your friends, the CATTs, and all your adventures, but it's important to remember that you're still a child. You should let the adults care for you more."
"I guess you're right. It's just that I'm an Arch-Angel! I'm supposed to help people! I like helping people. I want to help Rasiel find his missing pieces. I want to save everyone from Belos. I want to find and free the Collector, and save Cassiopeia from the limbo she's stuck in. I spent so long thinking I was broken and useless, that now that I can finally do something… I don't know, I guess I just feel like I need to. To make up for lost time, you know?" Luz said.
Raine reached over and gently ran a gloved hand through Luz's curly white locks. Since bonding with the wind glyph, her hair had grown longer and she'd now taken to tying some back into a loose ponytail… Willow, Amity, and Skara loved to play with it and give her various hair styles, but she always defaulted back to the pony tail.
"You're a good girl, Luz. You always were. But that just means you deserve a break even more! Not many are as selfless as you." Raine complimented.
Luz chuckled; "I'm not so selfless. I told you, I like helping people. All the stuff I do makes me as happy as it does other people. Honestly, I think people like you and the BATTs are more impressive; you started the rebellion because you knew it was the right thing to do for the people of the Isles. That's a big deal."
Raine blushed a little, especially seeing the earnest admiration in the girl's face; "I'm not exactly selfless either. The injustices I saw made me angry, so I wanted to do something about it. Plus I sort of wanted to live like Eda; I'd always admired her free spirit so becoming a rebel felt like I had that free spirit too. She was always able to bring out the best in me."
"I still think putting yourself at risk to help others is pretty selfless, even if you gain something from out." Luz pointed out.
"Then can't the same be said of you?" Raine smirked, knowing they'd caught her.
The girl stared at them for a moment, then giggled; "Touché, Titi!"
The two laughed together for a moment, before Luz noticed a few people subtly watching them. They appeared to be regular people enjoying their lunch too, but a few had stealthily taken pictures of them with their scrolls. It occurred to Luz that neither were in any kind of disguise; Luz's wings were shrunken and hidden beneath her winter coat, but that was it! Their faces were on full display.
"I was having so much fun, I forgot we're technically wanted criminals in a town still under Coven control…" Luz whispered, "Should we do something?"
Raine shook their head; "No, we're safe. Remember, you're the girl who fought the "strongest witch on the Boiling Isles" to a stand still, and I'm a former Coven Head in all but name; it'll take a seriously powerful force to capture us together. No one wants to ruin the festival or upcoming parade by picking an unwinnable fight. Even the scouts from the Emperor's Coven are looking the other way; they don't want to get their butts kicked."
"We're that scary!?" Luz gasped.
"You're the Arch-Angel of the Boiling Isles. Whether a person is devoted to the Faith of the Titan and sees you as His Servant, or they're a Wild Witch and see you as a threat, people respect your power. And even if I never took the title formally, I was effectively running the Bard Coven for a few years. Even before I kicked Zamort to the curb, since laziness was one of his other failings." Raine explained.
Spelled out like that, Luz couldn't deny that she sounded pretty intimidating to common people. On a whim, she looked to one of the people watching her and smiled kindly, giving them a little wave. She felt a spike of pride and happiness when they seemed to relax a little and smile back.
"I guess you're right… but enough heavy stuff! We're on a fun day out and I want to know more about your old home town! It's so different from Bonesborough! Well, except this district anyway. Take away the snow and the view, and this place could pass for back home." Luz said, looking around at the familiar architecture.
"That's because this is the Commoner's District, better known as the Ice District. It's the lowest official district in the city, and the oldest part too." Raine explained. "You see, Cartilia started off as a quarry and mining settlement. Thousands of years ago, settlers came to the Knee and wanted to build a city on top of it; the city that eventually became Caplacier. Rather than lugging stone and bone up from below, they started a bone quarry right on the side of the Knee, where some natural erosion had already created an opening. Miners excavated it and turned it into a proper quarry, and rather than travel up the thigh every day, they build a settlement right in the cavern."
Luz listened with interest, reminded of some of the city lore in her Azura books; "Cool! But it's crazy to think that such a rich city started off as a mining town!"
"Mining towns can become surprisingly wealthy, depending on what they dig up! Cartilia was small and poor when it was just a quarry town hauling bone up to Caplacier, but once they started hitting the veins of Titan Blood and other valuable minerals, the miners and mining guilds got rich very fast. Cartilia got fancier just as fast, and the guild leaders and investors moved to be closer to the source of their riches. That led to the Middle Class District with all the black buildings; it's called the Snow District, because its like Ice but softer and more pleasant."
Luz giggled; "Witches back then were poetic! So I'm guessing the other two districts came about when people got even richer?"
"Close. The next district up is the home of the nobles; the Diamond Dust District. So-called because it's like snow, but fancier." Raine smirked; "After the Snow District formed, this place developed a noble culture of its own, so "Old Money" from other places came to live here among their own kind, and lord over the rest of the Isles from on high. All their black stone manors are made from Marrow Marble, a rare kind of hard and pretty stone that is formed from Titan Bone Marrow. It's great for enchanting, so rich people build their houses from it."
"And all the gold is just because it's pretty." Luz guessed. Raine nodded as they took a sip of their drink. Luz then looked up to the very top district, which had only three buildings. "What's the top district called?"
"The Azure Sky District; basically the heavens from which the rest of us descend." Raine said, a hint of bitterness in their voice; "The central building is City Hall, were all the nobles gather to flex their power under the watch of the Emperor's Coven. The huge pillar is Caduceus Grand Hospital; the largest hospital on the Isles and the Headquarters of the Healing Coven. Finally, the big building with the crystal spires is actually my old school, St. Epiderm; an academy for the rich and pompous."
"You don't sound like you're too fond of the place…" Luz frowned; "My friend Viney didn't have any nice things to say about it either… was it really so bad?"
"Only if you're not rich and pompous. Officially anyone can attend if they can afford it or get a scholarship, but there is discrimination and a strict social hierarchy. Noble students on top, wealthy students below, and so on and so forth, with the lowest being the scholarship kids like me. Still, it's better now than it was when I was a kid; the new principal is pretty no nonsense and won't tolerate that stuff. Actually she's the niece of my old mentor Scooter." Raine said, grabbing his scroll and showing Luz a picture.
The woman in the picture looked to be the same Demon species as Scooter Crane; having pale red skin, large clawed hands, and devil-like horns. She was also wearing an outfit similar to Principal Bump's, only with a green stole instead of a blue one. She was smiling next to Scooter, and the old man looked very proud.
"Her name is Kyrie Crane. She's a nice lady, but I tend to avoid her." Raine admitted.
"What? Why?" Luz frowned.
"Awkward history." they replied; "Not long after I broke up with Eda and joined the Bard Coven, Scooter saw I was down and tried to set us up together. He thought we'd be good for each other, but neither of us agreed. We're on friendly terms, or at least we were before I was outed as a rebel, but it's still awkward."
Luz stared at the woman in the picture and tried to imagine her and Raine as a couple, but even without knowing anything about her personality, the image was still a strange and unwelcome one. "I'm biased, but Mom is definitely better." she said after a moment.
Raine snorted; "I'm biased too, and I agree! Anyway, she became the new Principal about five years back and has been slowly turning things around, but I heard rumours the old families that make up the PCA are making it hard for her. Such is life at St. Epiderm."
"Don't you have any good memories of going to school there?" Luz asked.
Raine thought for a moment, then smiled; "There is one. Remember my whistling alchemy trick?"
Luz nodded enthusiastically; "You mean the thing that saved my bacon back with Vitimir? How could I forget!"
Raine smirked as they began to recount the story; "Well not long after I developed it, I decided to get my own back on some of the stuffy noble snobs who looked down on everyone else. They always liked to act like our lunch period was some grand banquet and would have frequent toasts, so one day I waited for them all to make a toast, then whistled to change the chemistry of their drinks! They all took a big sip and promptly spat it out all over each other! They were mortified and the whole school laughed! What's more, because they didn't know what I'd done, they all blamed each other! Half of them ended up in the Detention Pit for attacking each other, and the other half walked around with all kinds of weird spells on them that the school nurse couldn't figure out how to fix!"
Luz burst into giggles; "That's great! Really show those snobs whose boss!"
Raine laughed along with her; "Your Mom said the same thing when I told her about it. That whistling trick was always good for some entertainment, and also got me out of quite a few tight jams!"
"Can you teach it to me?" Luz asked, suddenly grabbing the pitcher of water on the table and pouring herself a glass; "It saved my life a few weeks back, so I really want to learn it myself."
"Sure. Come to think of it I don't think I've taught you any of my magic, have I? Luckily you already rely on your lungs and breath for your ocarina and singing, so you've got the first step down. Now here's what you do…" Raine began, edging a little closer so the two could both easily lean over the glass of water.
For the next little while, Raine carefully taught Luz the trick behind what they called "Sonic Alchemy", using sound waves to change the chemistry of liquids (and theoretically gasses too) into something different. As Raine had said, Luz having already used her lungs heavily for her Bardic/Choir Magic meant she was already used to folding her magic into her breath, so all she needed to learn was how to properly focus on what she wanted. The process itself was easy, but the knowledge required was surprisingly difficult, as one needed some basic knowledge of chemical composition; namely knowing the composition of the desired result. It wasn't strictly necessary to know the composition of the starting material, but that did help too. Thankfully, between Eda's tutelage, and old Chemistry classes from back in the Human Realm, and the things Raine had learned over the years, Luz knew quite a few chemical compositions and after about half an hour of practice, she had mastered turning substances into water (without changing their colour, oddly enough) and also lowering the pH of water to make it into an acidic substance, potentially strong enough to actually do some damage.
Once she'd gotten that far, she leaned back and panted a bit, catching her breath after so much whistling, while Raine patted her back.
"Well done! I've taught that trick to my apprentices, Skara, and Eda, and only Skara picked it up faster." they complimented.
"Thanks, Titi! This'll be really useful, I'm sure of it! Though I wonder how long it took Skara to teach Boscha… she's a genius at Potions, but I don't know if she had any skill with Bardic Magic before that…" Luz commented.
"I didn't, and it took a whole sleepover to get it down."
Luz startled and both she and Raine turned to see three smiling girls walking out onto the cafe's veranda. Two were familiar; they were Willow and Skara, though dressed in winter clothing. The third however was unfamiliar; she appeared to be a regular witch with medium length green hair of a similar shade to Edric and Emira's, but tied into a pair of low-hanging pigtails. Luz had no idea who she was, at least until her voice and the things she'd said registered.
"No way… Boscha!?" she whispered urgently.
The unfamiliar girl smirked and reached into her pocket, removing a Concealment Stone that dispelled her disguise and turned her back into her true form of Boscha Alembic. "In the flesh!"
"I'd forgotten you guys were here to finish setting up the game with St. Epiderm!" Luz smiled, as Raine politely gestured for the girls to join them at their table. "But what's with the disguise?"
"Boscha here is technically wanted by the Emperor's Coven for the incident at the Alchemist's Atelier." Willow smirked; "So she has to go out in disguise when leaving Bonesborough."
"Yup! And Gus was nice enough to make her that Concealment Stone!" Skara chirped.
"Though clearly you two don't have that problem. You're two of the most wanted people on the Isles and you just wander around without disguises?" Boscha asked, looking mildly annoyed.
Luz grinned, then explained what Raine had said earlier about next to no one being stupid enough to confront them, even from the Emperor's Coven. Willow and Skara grinned at that, while Boscha nodded in agreement; she'd taken off her own disguise since she knew they'd protect her if things went south, so she knew they were right.
"So how did it go up at St. Epiderm?" Luz asked.
"Fine, though scheduling games is becoming a pain in the butt. Neither St. Epiderm or Glandus will send their teams to Bonesborough because of the rebellion, so all our games have to be away games." Boscha grumbled, "It's pathetic; as if the rebels would waste their time messing with school kids! What do we look like, the Emperor's Coven?"
Skara and Luz giggled, while Willow rolled her eyes; "You've been repeating that all day. Anyway, it looks like the game will happen but not until after the Day of Unity." the Plant lover said, "So either we're all free of Belos, all Angels, or all dead by the time that happens."
"And as long as we're not dead, I'll actually be able to play by then. If a game happened now, I wouldn't be allowed to play on my own team! Stupid Vitimir and his stupid bounty! As it is, I had to bring Park along because the St. Epiderm Coach demanded that the Banshees all come over to be vetted before they agreed to a game." Boscha griped. "Kinda hard to do that with Amelia out sick and Cat staying behind to look after her! I had to recruit Park and get Skara to agree to be a temporary Banshee again."
"She's been complaining about it non-stop." Willow rolled her eyes.
"It's not fair and you know it!" Boscha snapped, before Skara put a hand on her back to help calm her down. The three-eyed girl took a deep breath and sighed; "Well forget that for now. What are you two doing here? I'd figured you'd still be glued to that nutjob's notes."
Raine briefly explained the situation to the girls, and to Luz's mild annoyance, all three of her friends nodded in agreement.
"Good! You were pushing yourself way too hard! You were a Burnout waiting to happen." Skara nodded approvingly.
"Tell me about it. I'm surprised she didn't crack sooner; an hour of helping with those crummy notes and I was ready to pull my hair out." Boscha muttered, sneering at the memory.
Luz pouted, while Willow leaned over to hug her; "You know we love you Luz, but you were going a little stir-crazy. A break will do you good; flowers need sunlight if they want to grow, and you're no different."
"I'm not a delicate little flower…" Luz whined under her breath, before sighing; "But you're right. Besides, it's been a lot of fun hanging out with Raine! By the way, did you come to this cafe by coincidence or did you just happen to see us?"
"Actually, we heard rumours around town that the Arch-Angel of the Boiling Isles was wandering the streets, so we decided to check it out. Some people posted about you on Penstagram, so we were able to track you down." Willow smiled, before sheepishly adding; "Eda might have also given the whole Hexsquad access to the tracker on your scroll."
Luz blinked, then pouted; "Are you guys my babysitters now?"
"You do get in a lot of trouble." Skara pointed out.
Luz opened her mouth to argue, but found she really couldn't. Since coming to the Demon Realm, the longest she'd gone without getting involved in some kind of adventure was the roughly nine days between her unfortunate Dinner with Vitimir and the even more unfortunate trip to Eclipse Lake. Sure most of the stuff that happened around her wasn't really her fault, but that didn't change the fact she was a trouble magnet. Besides, she wasn't really upset over it; she trusted her friends to respect her privacy and only use the tracker if they needed her.
"Fair enough." she finally said, "What are you girls gonna do now that you're done at St. Epiderm?"
"We were thinking of checking out the festival! It'd be a waste to come all the way here and not enjoy it!" Skara said, bouncing in her seat from excitement.
"Why don't you come with us, Luz? The more the merrier, right?" Willow asked, before leaning in and whispering; "Plus with Skara and Boscha together, I'm stuck as the third wheel!"
Skara seemed to like that idea, and Boscha didn't look to be against it, so Luz's first instinct was to agree. But she'd come for a day out with her Titi and she'd feel bad abandoning them to hang out with her friends. Raine seemed to anticipate what she was thinking and smiled.
"You should go with them. We did come here so you could relax and have fun after all." Raine offered kindly.
The girls looked pleased, but Luz still didn't want to leave Raine alone. She reached out and grabbed their hand; "Only if you come too! I was having fun with you and I don't want to leave you behind!" she turned to her friends; "That's okay with you girls, right? Raine is totally cool, so it'll still be fun!"
"That would be awesome! I haven't got to hang out with Raine outside of training or CATTs stuff since my birthday party!" Skara chirped happily.
Boscha shrugged and nodded, having no issue with the Bard (who'd been the most welcoming of the CATTs leaders, excluding Luz), and Willow didn't mind either so long as she wasn't stuck on her own with her Rival and her girlfriend (even if neither had officially asked the other to be girlfriends yet)!
"Then it's decided! Raine will hang out with us! Plus we can say that you three helped us with our "recon"! That'll get you some more brownie points from Darius!" Luz smiled broadly.
The other girls and Raine all grinned and nodded. They then stood and left together, ready to enjoy more of the festival! They wouldn't likely be attending the Coven Day Parade itself (unless Skara accompanied her Dad) so this was the closest they would get to enjoying it and they intended to make the most of everything Cartilia had to offer!
[Meanwhile]
Up in the Diamond Dust District of Cartilia, Lucy the Silver Sentinel found herself sighing wearily as she left the manor of yet another local noble. She and her brother Hunter had been given the important job of overseeing the preparation and security of the Coven Day Parade, as it was believed to be a high priority target for the CATTs to attack. Personally Lucy didn't agree, but she wasn't going to turn down a chance to get out of the castle.
Ever since her Angelic nature had been exposed, the residents in the castle (excluding Hunter and her Uncle) had taken to borderline worshipping her. They would bow at the sight of her, and if they saw her doing a task, they would jump to do it for her, no matter how much she insisted it was unnecessary. Honestly, if it weren't for Hunter, she might have gone mad!
Well, that wasn't strictly true; she did have two other friends and confidants. One was her new Spirit Ally, which she had taken to calling Shade, since the scouts in the castle had nicknamed it the Silver Shade. Shade was always a good listener and usually happy to talk, especially since being summoned from his stone meant he got to feed on her "Divine Darkness"… whatever that meant. Her other new confidant was surprisingly Osran, who had taken her under his wing. The old man had visited her daily under the guise of teaching her Oracle Magic, and while he certainly had taught her a lot, he was just as interested in making sure she was doing well. Osran would sit with her and talk about his day while asking about hers, occasionally telling her stories of what the Isles were like before Belos, both the good and the bad. He asked about her hobbies and interests, and engaged her in conversation about them, and generally just acted supportively. Lucy was a bit confused at first, thinking Osran was just helping her because Belos asked him too, but he insisted Belos had done nothing more than grant his request to teach her. She'd then thought he was trying to repay her for helping him back on Titan Trapper Island, since her actions had saved their lives by saving Luz's, but again he insisted that wasn't the case, though he was grateful.
No; for all intents and purposes, it seemed like Osran had decided to become her mentor simply because he felt she needed one, and Lucy felt rather touched by it. Osran could be a real old curmudgeon, but he was also kinder than he let on and had both wisdom and wit in equal measures, fascinating Lucy one moment and making her laugh the next. That laugher had been sorely needed too, as since coming back from Titan Trapper Island, Lucy had felt off. Her magic had weakened (though she could still cast spells without need of a staff) and she'd felt weak and weary, almost like she was on the verge of getting sick. A trip to the castle healer had confirmed she was fine and likely just needed rest, though she'd kept that to herself in case Belos effectively grounded her again.
These feelings hadn't lessened by the time she and Hunter were sent to Cartilia, and frankly, they were getting worse! Hunter was currently off doing a sweep of the unofficial slums district of the city, colloquially called the Slush District, and making sure the city's criminal element knew not to cause a problem, while Lucy had been tasked with meeting with the nobles in the Diamond Dust District to ensure they would do their parts to help with the Parade. As an Angel, it was decided she was better for such things, and every single meeting had been tiresome… the Nobles either kissed up to her and borderline worshipped her like the people at the castle, or treated her with the minimum of civility, depending on their opinions of Angels. If she was being honest, the preferred the minimum politeness of those who didn't like Angels over the fawning of those that did… worship made her so uncomfortable!
Thinking on all this just made Lucy even more exhausted, something that was noticed by her Scout escorts.
"Are you alright, Ma'am? Forgive me for saying, but you look a bit pale." one of them said.
Lucy frowned; now that she didn't wear a mask outside of combat, everyone could see her face and expressions, so she had to be mindful of how she looked. It was yet another downside to her pseudo-ascension.
"Fine. Just tired." Lucy replied shortly, mindful not to tell lies. She'd experienced the consequences of lying now that she could speak, and it was NOT pleasant!
Her escorts (selected carefully from among the scouts that wouldn't fuss over her and would maintain professionalism), exchanged looks. Lucy couldn't see their faces behind their masks, but she was sure they were doubtful.
Putting that out of her mind, she began walking towards the Grand Staircase, which served as the primary passage way between the city's four official districts. As luck would have it, the manor they'd just finished visiting was the last of the Nobles she needed to speak to, so now she was technically free until dusk, when she was supposed to meet up with Hunter for dinner.
"What to do in the mean time…?" she thought idly. "Should I check out the festival stalls? Or would that be unbecoming of the Emperor's Silver Sentinel?"
"Why not do so anyway? Who is going to complain? If they do, claim you are inspecting things for signs of foul play." Shade said inside her mind.
"I can't lie, remember?" she countered.
"Then make it true. Go to inspect the festival and enjoy it whilst doing so."
That idea did kind of appeal to Lucy, but she had a feeling Hunter would want to check it out with her. He was hinting about sneaking off to do something fun together after they were both finished with their work. If that was his plan, Lucy wanted to wait for him… besides, she honestly wanted a nap.
Turning to her scouts, she said; "You're free for the rest of the day. Patrol the Snow and Ice Districts. This is an informal patrol, so feel free to go out of uniform or participate in the festival."
Her scouts stood at attention, and she could tell from their fidgeting feet that they were eager to get going. "Thank you, Ma'am!" they all said as one, before rushing off. Lucy watched them go with a smile, then began heading back to the precinct in City Hall, where she could find a bunk to nap in. She walked up the Grand Staircase to the Azure Sky District, but then just as she was about to walk into City Hall, she caught her reflection in the polished silver of a plaque beside the door. Lucy saw her own face, pale and listless, and frowned heavily. She really did look rough, and despite the fact she'd gotten a decent amount of sleep recently, she had bags under her eyes just like her brother's.
She sighed and thought; "I really do look awful."
"You have definitely declined since I met you, Lucy." Shade replied. He used to call her Mistress, but had stopped after Lucy requested it.
The young Angel touched her face and groaned, then looked over her shoulders to her wings. They were always on display now (at her Uncle's insistence), but they had lost their lustre since the incident on Titan Trapper Island. Once they had been bright and silver, shining softly… but now they were dull and grey like a pair of old socks.
"What is wrong with me?" she thought miserably. "Is this Divine Punishment? Did I anger the Titan when I took the portal key from Luz when she was so vulnerable? Rebel or not, she was an Arch-Angel after all…"
"I stole that key, not you." Shade corrected, "And I do not believe this is the Titan's work. However something is definitely wrong with you."
"The Healer at the Castle said I was fine." Lucy pointed out.
"Then perhaps it is time you sought a second opinion?"
Shade used their connection to flash an image of Caduceus Grand Hospital into her mind. Lucy herself had told him about the place when they'd first left the City Hall to begin their rounds, but she hadn't expected him to use that information like this. Slowly, she turned to look towards the Grand Hospital; it was where Head Witch Hettie Cutburn worked, so if she decided to visit, she could pass it off as just part of the inspection for Coven Day. She and Hunter had originally decided not to bother going there, as Hettie had a reputation for running a tight ship, but if anyone was going to be able to find out what was wrong with her, it would be Hettie.
"Alright. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask her. I've got the time." Lucy conceded, walking away from City Hall and towards Caduceus Grand Hospital. Since the building had basically been carved straight out of the Titan Bone already present, it looked like a giant bone itself, though up close Lucy could see a huge amount of intricate patterns carved into it, forming runes and spell formulas. Most were purely aesthetic and were based on old wives tales about death-repelling wards, but a few were genuine protective enchantments that kept the building safe.
Walking through the front doors, Lucy found herself in a foyer of white tiles and dark blue linens, giving the place a sterile but oddly homey feel. A few people were waiting to be checked in for minor afflictions, and Healers were running about in full uniform. The Healers Coven had three different uniforms, all matching the theme of white clothing with dark blue head coverings of some sort, and the Healing Coven sigil over their hearts. The Guards wore white leather and had simple blue hoods that covered their faces, while also wielding surgical tools as weapons. The practicing healers wore either long flowing white robes with blue headscarves, or simple white tunics and pants with little blue caps atop their heads, resembling Human Realm nurse's hats. The two uniforms differentiated the regular Healers (the robed ones) from the Emergency Healers (the ones with pants).
The reception desk had nine people attending it and nine lines of people waiting to talk to a healer, but the moment Lucy joined a random one, the people in that line recognised her and parted to let her go ahead of them. None of them looked to be in urgent need of help and Lucy was in no mood to argue with them, so she simply nodded her thanks and moved to the front of the line. The Receptionist Healer's eyes widened at the sight of her, but he remained professional.
"Good day, Madam Sentinel. How might I help you today?" he asked.
"I'm in Cartilia to do inspections and run security checks prior to the Coven Day Parade. I would like to speak to Head Witch Cutburn at her earliest convenience." Lucy replied.
"Of course Ma'am. I'll inform her of your arrival immediately." the Receptionist bowed, then opened a Comm-pact on his desk. Lucy couldn't see the mirror, but she heard the deep and distinct voice of Hettie Cutburn answer.
"Yes, what is it?"
"The Silver Sentinel is here to see you, Head Witch. She requests a meeting at your earliest convenience."
There was a pause, then Hettie replied; "I had wondered when she'd come. Send her up to my office, I will be there as soon as my surgery ends."
The call then went silent, and the Receptionist relayed the Head Witch's message to Lucy, before gesturing to one of the doors on the side of the reception; "Please head on up. The Pneumo-Veins will take you to the Head Witch's office on the top floor."
Lucy nodded her thanks and walked through the indicated door to the main chamber of the Hospital. She barely held in a gasp of amazement as she took in the true form of the hospital; the interior of which was almost entirely one single massive atrium. She could look up and see just about every floor in the place, each one being a different ward dedicated to different kinds of injuries, maladies, or medical research. Demons and Witches of all kinds were laying in comfy beds as the Healers dealt with them, while other Healers poured over books and worked with mannequins and consenting test subjects to discover new healing magics and treatments. There were almost no stairs too; everything was connected by an elaborate series of multi-coloured crystal tubes; the Pneumo-Veins, which would suck people up and transport them anywhere they asked. They were aptly named too, as they really did look like a series of blood vessels. Lucy had read about them before and was very eager to try them out.
Walking to the closest Pneumo-Vein entrance, Lucy stepped onto the spongy platform and then watched as a kind of magic gel rose up and formed a capsule around her. A soft voice then said: "Please state your destination."
"Head Witch Cutburn's Office." Lucy stated.
There was a chime, then a green ray of light appeared at her feet and slowly moved up her body, scanning her. Once it was done, there was another chime followed by the soft voice saying; "Now departing."
The capsule Lucy was encased in then shot up through the Pneumo-Veins at incredible speeds, rocketing her up to the very top of the building. Yet despite how fast she was moving and how many twists and turns the capsule took as it navigated the system, Lucy didn't feel a thing. It was almost like she was standing still and the world around her was moving instead. The Pneumo-Veins were designed to transport patients after all, and many would be in bad shape where rapid movement could be dangerous. As such, the capsules nullified the feeling of inertia for all inside, ensuring they got where they were going quickly and safely. The trip also let Lucy get a good view of the upper levels of the Hospital, where the private rooms and surgical theatres were.
After a short trip however, Lucy's capsule shot into the ceiling of the tower and all she saw was darkness until she finally arrived at the very top floor of the hospital; Hettie's personal clinic and office. The capsule came to a stop and the magic gel dissolved, allowing Lucy to step out into the clinic. She was completely alone, Hettie not having arrived yet, so she took the opportunity to look around.
On the surface, Hettie's large circular office was split into two halves with the entire room being well illuminated by windows that covered 90% of the walls. The eastern half to Lucy's right was a homey looking area with a soft blue carpet and white sofas, as well as a medical bed and Hettie's desk, which was large just like the woman herself. The western half looked more like a clinic, with white tiles and another medical bed surrounded by medical devices and machines the likes of which Lucy had never seen. Many appeared to be a bizarre amalgamation of flesh, abomination technology, and some other type of tech made from metal and wires. It gave Lucy the creeps, so she avoided looking at it and instead went over to the east-facing window and looked out at the city of Cartilia below; she was so high up that she had an incredible view of the city and the Isles beyond it, yet no one could see her… it was strangely enthralling.
Lucy was so enthralled that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone for long.
"Enjoying the view, Miss Sentinel?"
Lucy squeaked in surprise and spun around, coming face to masked face with the large and imposing Hettie Cutburn. Hettie was a tall, very muscular woman that towered over just about everyone Lucy knew, making her feel tiny in her presence. However aside from her height and muscular frame, very little of her features could be seen due to being almost entirely covered by her outfit. Said outfit consisted of a two tone blue dress, with the main body being a very dark navy blue, and the sides of the skirt and her shoulders being covered by a lighter blue. A thin white belt sat around her waist, matching the white gloves she wore over her clawed hands, and the mostly white headdress she wore. The headdress covered her neck and most of her head with white material, and featured long white horns capped with flat blue ends. The upper part of her face was instead hidden by a blue ceramic mask, and her outfit was completed by a golden medallion on her chest that bore the blue sigil of the Healing Coven, and two blue ribbons attached to the bottom.
Lucy didn't know why Hettie covered herself so much, but she assumed it was to stay safe and sterile. The only part of Hettie that was uncovered was her mouth and chin; the latter of which was strong and square, while the former was decorated with extremely dark blue lipstick and a pleasant smile.
"Head Witch Cutburn. I apologise for taking time out of your schedule but I have important business with you." Lucy said formally.
Hettie smiled; "I assume you're here for a proper check up?"
Lucy blinked in surprise; "W-Well officially I'm in Cartilia for security reasons."
"Yes, but that's not why you came here to my hospital. Don't be shy dear, I know you're worried about your health." Hettie said, silently gesturing for the girl to take a seat on the medical bed on the comfier side of the room.
She obediently sat down and worriedly asked; "Did the Healer at the castle tell you?"
"No. We take Healer-Patient Confidentiality very seriously in the Healing Coven. It's part of our Healing Vows, along with "Do no harm that is not to save." Had the Healer I assigned to the castle spoken to me of your visit, I would have been quite cross." Hettie said.
"Then how did you…?"
Hettie smiled a bit wider; "I have eyes. This mask hides them, but they are present and they work. I have attended meetings with you since your recent physical changes and I've seen the signs of exhaustion. Honestly, I was expecting you to visit me at some point, though I suspected the Emperor would order you to come here."
"You mustn't tell him!" Lucy blurted out, making Hettie stare at her intensely. She quickly added; "I don't want him to confine me to the castle again. I'm not so weak that I can't do my job, but Uncle can be very protective…"
The Healer tapped her chin; "Technically, as you are still a minor I should report any medical needs to your guardian… but since the Emperor has insisted on treating you and your brother as adults, I see no reason to report to him on this."
That made Lucy sigh with relief; "Thank you, Head Witch Cutburn."
"Not at all. Now describe your symptoms and all the effects that have happened to your body since your ascension. Leave nothing out." Hettie instructed, taking a seat on the sofa beside the bed and conjuring a clipboard.
For the next few minutes, Lucy essentially gave Hettie her full medical history; how she'd lost her voice and her memory when her Father killed her Mother and attacked her, how she'd been a stunted Cherub, how she'd received blessings from Belos and eventually Luz to keep her alive, and how she'd felt after emerging from the Primordial Wellspring. It culminated in her partial ascension and then the exhaustion and slow degradation of her power since returning, including the discolouration of her wings.
Hettie listened carefully, jotting down notes as Lucy spoke, and when the girl was finished she hummed; "How peculiar… Did you receive check ups to your throat before your ascension? To try and restore your voice?"
"Yes. The Healer at the Castle said my voice box had been removed. I think it must have been badly damaged by my Father, and then removed by my Uncle so it wouldn't hurt me." Lucy replied.
"Hmm, that was foolish. We could have restored it had it merely been damaged, but we don't yet possess the ability to restore lost body parts… though I doubt it's coincidence that you regenerated your voice box after being exposed to Miss Noceda's magic. I witnessed her use some brand of Angelic Magic to regenerate her hand after it was cut off in her escape from the Castle." Hettie mused. "Which brings me to my theory; I believe the combination of Miss Noceda's Blessing and exposure to the Titan Magic of the Wellspring kickstarted your stunted magic and caused your partial ascension. However neither of those things addressed the underlying issue that caused your stunted nature, and so once their power began to wear off, you began to weaken further and further."
Lucy looked fearful; "D-Does that mean I'll regress back to a stunted Cherub when its gone completely!?"
Hettie shook her head; "No, I don't believe so. Your body isn't actually regressing, but because Miss Noceda's power jump-started your growth, your body is now continuing to grow naturally. But while before it used the power of the Blessing to fuel this growth, it is now using your own power, resulting in this lethargy and apparent diminished state."
The young Angel blinked a few times; "So… It's basically like magical growing pains?"
"In a sense, yes." Hettie nodded; "Though this is honestly just a theory on my end. I would need more information to confirm it. Would you be willing to allow me to examine you properly? I'll do nothing invasive, I promise."
Lucy hesitated, but ultimately agreed. She'd come here for help, so no point in letting her squeamishness stop her! Hettie seemed delighted, and openly admitted to being ecstatic at the chance to examine a real Angel so she could finally document the physiology of the Divine Race.
For the next hour, Hettie gave Lucy a thorough examination, doing just about everything she could do without taking off the girl's clothes or doing anything invasive. She examined every accessible part of Lucy's body meticulously and with extreme care, from the tips of her toes all the way to the crown of her head, and even her hair. Hettie paid special attention to her throat, eyes, wings, and heart, and took a hair sample (carefully snipping off a single strand), since those were the areas that had been most changed by Lucy's ascension, but she soon found herself hitting a roadblock, which both fascinated and annoyed her.
"Biologically, you seem to be almost identical in general make-up to a Human or Witch. Your ears would mark you as Witch-like, but you have a larger heart, more akin to a Human. Unusually large blood vessels also seem to link the heart and wings directly… There also appears to be some kind of mass around the heart itself, like a hard shell… how fascinating."
"Okay… so what does that mean for my health?" Lucy asked.
"Sadly, I can't tell. I could glean more if I used my machines, but that would take time… and I'd need a point of comparison." Hettie explained.
Lucy looked at the clock on the wall; "It's only a little passed noon, so I have time if you do. But what do you mean by a point of comparison?"
"Simply put, I need another Angel. Once who is typical, or as close to typical, as possible so that I can compare your results to theirs and see how they differ."
The Sentinel frowned; there were only two known Angels on the Isles besides her. Her Uncle Belos wasn't typical, being ten-winged and infected by a rotting curse, and more importantly keeping his true nature a secret. Then there was Luz, who Hettie undoubtedly meant. Being as they were very similar angels from the same Crest Order, she made the most sense… but that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon.
"I don't think Luz will agree to be a part of this. She probably wants me dead for taking the Portal Key." Lucy frowned. "Besides, we'd need to go all the way to Bonesborough to capture her."
"Actually…" Hettie began to grin; "Miss Noceda is currently in Cartilia, alongside Raine Whispers."
Lucy gasped; "What!? They must be here to sabotage the parade!"
Hettie shook her head; "Actually, they seem to be here on Recon, though from what my people have overheard, that's just an excuse to enjoy the festival. Cartilia is Raine's home town, so I believe they are just here to relax. Besides, attacking the parade would lower the support of the people towards their rebellion, and Raine is smart enough to know that."
"You're very well informed." Lucy frowned.
"Cartilia is MY city. I make it a point of pride to know everything that is going on here. Now, if you are willing to wait, I will send a polite request to Miss Noceda and have her visit us here." Hettie said.
"Well no harm in trying I guess. But do you really think that'll work?" the young Angel asked. "Wouldn't she assume it's a trap and refuse to come?"
Hettie grabbed her Comm-pact with a knowing smile, and opened it. The face of an unfamiliar Healer appeared on it; "What can I do for you, Head Witch?" they asked.
"The Arch-Angel of the Boiling Isles is in Cartilia and I would like to meet with her. Please send some people to invite her here for a meeting. And ensure they pass along a message that should she come willingly, I will meet her at the door and offer my oath that neither I nor anyone under my command will attempt to capture her for the Emperor until after sunrise tomorrow." Hettie instructed, effectively answering Lucy's question.
The Healer on the other side of the call looked surprised, but agreed immediately and began repeating the orders to someone off-screen. They then looked back and asked; "What if the Arch-Angel still refuses?"
"Then convince her by any means necessary. Invite her friends along, or appeal to her kind nature by asking for help healing our patients. It would be informative to see her healing close up after all." Hettie said, waving her hand dismissively. She didn't care how they got Luz to visit; she just wanted the girl to come to the hospital.
The Healer nodded and said; "It will be done, Head Witch." before ending the call. Hettie nodded happily and put the Comm-pact away as she turned back to Lucy.
"There; now we wait." Hettie said, before giving a sly grin; "And just because I said that neither myself nor anyone under my command will threaten Miss Noceda, doesn't mean that you and people outside my control can't try to apprehend her, should you choose to try."
Lucy gulped and nodded; if Luz really did show up and see her, then a fight would almost certainly break out! There was no way she wouldn't be furious about the Portal Key, so there was a good chance she'd attack her on sight, and it was fight Lucy wasn't likely to win even if she was in perfect health! At least she'd have Hettie and the Healing Coven Guards backing her up… they may be forced not to try and capture Luz, but that didn't mean they couldn't defend themselves (and Lucy) against her!
Still, the poor girl felt her heart hammering with nerves; this wasn't going to end well, she could feel it!
[Meanwhile]
Luz laughed heartily alongside Skara and Raine as she watched Willow and Boscha competing against each other at one of the festival games. They were competing to see who could use their magic to pop as many balloons as they could without crossing over the line or casting spells that conjured something past the line. Willow had used her wooden bangles to grow a Shooting Seed Pod to fire seeds at the balloons like a mini Gatling Gun, while Boscha was using her Potioneer Belt to whip up potion grenades to toss at the balloons. The poor Stall owner was frantically trying to conjure more balloons for them to pop while their timer was still running, and Skara and Luz had taken to helping him even as they laughed.
Willow and Boscha had gotten into a weird competition to see who could win the most festival games, and so far Boscha was winning 7-5, much to Willow's annoyance. That went up to 7-6 when the timer ran out though, causing Willow to cheer.
"Yes! 167 balloons to your 154! I told you that speed and accuracy was better than power in this game!" Willow shamelessly boasted.
Boscha scoffed; "Whatever, Park! I'm still winning!"
"For now, but I'm coming for the top spot, Alembic!" Willow shot back.
Both were being highly competitive and less than sporting, but they also both appeared to be having fun, which was all the others cared about. Luz, Raine, and Skara were competing against each other in a similar manner, though a lot less intensely, and so far Raine was blowing the girls out of the water, and Skara was ahead of Luz, though the young Angel didn't mind.
They moved onto the next game, where a stern faced man was holding a giant mallet. The man's feet were also very large, and had a target painted on them.
"Hit my foot with the mallet. The louder I scream, the better your score." the man grunted, pointing to an enchanted device floating beside his head which would measure the decibels of his scream.
Luz was briefly horrified, but the others didn't even blink as they accepted the mallet from him. Skara giggled as she raised it above her head and brought it down on the man's foot with all her strength, only to get a meagre grunt from the Demon. The score was equally underwhelming, making Skara pout as she handed the mallet to Luz. Luz watched as the Demon cast a healing spell on his foot, then gave her an expectant look. She wasn't too invested in winning their contest and didn't actually want to hurt this guy, so she just raised the mallet high and smacked it down lightly, not even getting a squeak from the Demon, and thus no score at all.
"Not you kind of game, eh?" Raine asked, accepting the mallet from her.
Luz nodded and Skara grinned; "Great! Maybe I'll win this one!"
Raine chuckled; "Sorry, but no." they said, before slamming the mallet onto the man's foot with shocking strength. The man promptly screamed, easily beating Skara's score.
Skara pouted as Luz laughed; "Better luck next time, Skara! Titi is really good at these games!"