Chapter Text
At midnight, a small fire dancing in the middle of the camp provided the only source of light within the dark forest. Three tents were set up, two for witches, and one— for the human. Cinders leapt out of the fire and jumped around the dry wood before burning to a crisp. Crows cawed, and other wild creatures bellowed in the dark. Many night feeders hunted in the dark for their prey like they usually did, but none of them— not even the largest, strongest, and fiercest ones dared approach the seemingly defenseless camp.
Nights in the dark forest weren't usually this peaceful, especially since it harbored the most dangerous creatures. For most witches, it would have been a mystery how this camp was able to enjoy peace in such a treacherous area, but for the two witches residing in the camp, they knew exactly why.
Luz, currently sitting on a tree stump beside the fire, was brandishing a knife she weaved out of thin air. Her eyes, flat and empty, traced the rough edges of the weapon and quickly went to work with it. Even with the fire directly in front of her, her face remained dull. In her hand was a small pebble she swished across the blade of the knife to sharpen it, after a couple of strokes, she threw it away closed her eyes. In mere seconds, the knife present in her hand dissolved into mist. She was done for the day.
"Is that really the human?" Luz's ears perked up upon hearing one of her acquaintances whisper to another witch. "As in— THE HUMAN" The witch, who sported purple hair and brown skin trembled in her seat.
"Shush!" The other witch, who had orange hair and was a bit on the brawnier side, glared at the purple witch. "You don't wanna get her attention." She pulled the purple witch's ear close to her, "you do know she's the reason we don't have to sleep with one eye open tonight." The purple witch pulled back and quizzically looked at her. Her face was stern, beads of sweat formed at the side of her face. She was serious.
Seeing the two engage in useless banter, Luz sighed, then stood up, eliciting jerks from the two witches. Without even so much as glancing at them she strolled to her tent. After a second, she paused, waved a finger, and disappeared to her quarters.
Noticing Luz twirl her finger, the purple witch furrowed her eyebrows, "Is it just me or, did she just—"
THUD! a shadow fell from a tall bush. The orange witch squinted to get a clearer view of the object, then jumped back, taking the purple witch in her arms. "M-manticore!" she stuttered, her breathing becoming ragged. The two of them stood still, frozen in time, only to realize that the creature was still as stone. Not a muscle in its body moved, or even twitched.
"It's dead," the purple witch said, hand still holding tight to the hood of the orange witch, visibly shaking. The orange witch crept up slowly to the lifeless creature, confirming its death. There were no signs of a struggle or injury on the beast, but it was definitely dead.
And both of them knew who killed it.
***
"Is it true?" the purple witch inquired, her well of curiosity still running wild, "the rumors about—"she glanced at Luz's tent, making sure it was sealed shut, "—her."
The orange witch, holding a cup of coffee on one hand, took a little sip and gazed far into the night sky, looking at nothing in particular. "Rumors? there are many about her." She closed her eyes, her forehead growing wrinkles as she tried to remember, "she's never failed a mission, never lost a target, never lost a fight, and NEVER showed mercy."
The purple witch's eyes widened, obviously surprised, "that's not what I was talking about but—" she paused, face scrunching up, "—those were real too?!"
The orange witch just nodded, deep in thought, " she doesn't talk much. I've been a part of this coven a long time, never heard her say a single word." then she hunched forward, hands wiping off the sweat forming in her forehead, "but others, they speak for her, and they only speak the truth."
The purple witch felt spiders crawling all over her body, skin tingling at the mere thought of breathing the same air as this killer. But she pushed forward with her original question, "I meant, about her magical ability." she whispered, making sure the last part could only be heard by the orange witch. Her voice turning into the hiss of a snake.
The orange witch nodded, "she...only needs her mind to cast spells. No spell circles, glyphs, or even chants." She popped out a finger and drew weird symbols on the ground, each being composed of different shapes surrounded by one huge circle. "Others say her abilities are limitless, the only boundary being the her own creativity." Eyes still narrowed, she takes a deep breath, then heaves, "Titan knows how lucky we are to be on her side.
The purple witch stared at the manticore's body, flies now buzzing around it looking for their next meal. Something so powerful, killed with a single flick, she made a mental note to keep off Luz's tail, Even if it meant endangering herself.
"Go to sleep," the orange witch called out, standing up from the log she had been sitting on. She flexed her legs, giving life to them after being in that position for hours. "We have a big day ahead of us." After stretching both her arms and legs, she made her way to her tent, but as she shoved an arm inside, she turned back to give the purple witch a sound warning, "be on your guard too, our target resides in the place 'human' once called her home." She split the tent entrance with her hands and walked inside, "you never know what might happen."
Taking the orange witch's advice into heart, the purple witch brought her hand up to a salute, but the orange witch had already retreated into her tent. She sighed, then put a palm in her face, only then did she realize how cold and clammy she felt. Her pale skin making itself more noticeable as the firewood began to burn out. She sighed, unable to remove the uneasiness in her heart.
"O...kay," she looked down, she glimpsed at Luz's tent one last time, then made her way back to hers.
***
Beams of light shone through cracks in Luz's tent and poured directly into her face. Her body, still as a log, shook a bit before before pulling itself into a stretch. She felt energy surging through her limbs, spreading out across her chest and head, making every hair stand in attention. Luz sat up and yawned heartily.
It was morning.
Without wasting any more time she grabbed her knapsack and took out a piece of paper, or as she preferred to call it, "orders" from their leader. It was crumpled, such was a fate for objects that found themselves in her belongings. She fumbled a bit, eyes still blurry, and repeated the contents of the paper identifying her target.
"Name: Unknown, Profession: leader of the exploration coven, Location: Bones—" she stopped, clutching the paper a bit more tightly, then mumbled, "—borough." Pain waved across her head, not like the pain she had grown accustomed to, but one which felt heavy, like it was pulling her to the ground. Images flashed across her mind, a white-haired witch, a small animal with a bone-head, and...a green..."
"Agh!" Luz clasped her head tight, grimacing in pain. She couldn't recall the last one, the pain escalated too much. All she saw was a flash of green.
Luz shook her head, not the time, she thought. Her hands went for the paper again which had floated to the ground. She eyed it carefully, then recited each important point again like she always did before every mission.
"...Location: Bonesborough, Address: two blocks to the left of gorgon avenue, Room: second floor to the right, has a window, Status: Living alone." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, picturing herself making her way through Bonesborough, passing the street, reaching the house, and climbing the walls, finally reaching the window. Once there, she raised a hand, to which the brandished knife would appear, then in a split second, the mission would be over.
As she was imagining the scenario, a tinge of maple drafted inside her tent, inviting her nose to the bright outside. The wind felt cool against her skin, the temperature warm-but-not-too-warm. It was perfect. Birds chirped and cicadas clicked, wildlife was brewing alive once again. Luz brought her head out, looking around her surroundings before stepping out with her knapsack.
She sat on the same stump last night and weaved another weapon out of thin air, a sword, one coated in black. She held her hand out and the pebble she used to sharpen the knife last night zoomed back into her hand. Ignoring everything else, she began rhythmically sharpening the blade, mind empty of everything around her.
As per usual, the assassination was planned from midnight to dawn, when most village folk were sound asleep. Sometimes they came across obstacles in the form of guards roaming the streets or peddlers trying to sell illegal contraband, but to make life simple, Luz only limited her choices to two: kill or don't.
*snap* she heard a small twig break from a distance. Silence immediately surrounded the forest. Seven, Luz thought. Four guards, three scouts. She focused her mind on reading the energy around her, to the right, clumped up. She made no effort to move.
Luz sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them a bit, only to close them again as she drew a circle with her hand. Out of nowhere a small stick appeared and fell on her hand. Her face made no effort to express itself, no matter what the situation, it was always the same expression: eyes half opened, mouth tightly shut, and ears relaxed.
"Always at my tail," she mumbled as she sluggishly used the stick to draw glyphs across the ground. She traced multiple circles and shapes around her stump, not stopping for any distraction whatsoever. Feeling her back grow tired, she planted her elbow on her knee and caught her chin with her palm. She continued scribbling random glyphs across the ground until the last circle was finished.
Should be enough
Immediately after she lifted the stick, the noises resumed. The animals and bugs that grew silent began their usual calls and songs. Luz glanced at her acquaintance's tents, both of them still fast asleep.
Suddenly, Luz heard a noise coming from the purple witch's tent. She was scrambling to get up, Luz watched disinterestedly as her shadow bounced across her tent as she rushed to set up. "We're under attack!" she called out to the orange witch's tent. Luz lifted an eyebrow, her specialty was tracking. It wasn't anything special if she detected foes earlier than the other witch.
"H-huh?" the orange witch sat up, obviously still dazed with sleep. She rubbed her eyes, then looked around to see the purple witch panicking and bustling around.
"Wake up!" The purple witch screamed, then she exited the tent hopping on one leg, her hand still adjusting the boot on the other one. She looked up and saw Luz, calmly sitting on her stump, unfazed by her panicked voice.
As if on cue, the orange witch popped out of her tent holding a mace. She was a fighter, one who specialized in skirmishes. Her muscular build explained how she was able to single-handedly carry that mace without problem. "Where?!" she said in a commanding voice.
The purple witch shook her head away from Luz and focused on the orange witch, "Um—!" she took two quick glances around her and started counting, "Five!, no, Six— wait, Seven!" she shouted, pulling a small knife out of its sheath. Her eyes darting around as she tied down their location. Luz saw her chest heaving up and down, pumping adrenaline to start the fight.
The orange witch was in the same boat, taking a stance, she pulled her mace back, ready to strike. "Come on you Emperor dogs!" she taunted, teeth clenched and back straightened, she stood still, waiting for the attack to come.
But it didn't.
After full two minutes passed with tension high in the air, the purple and orange witch began to notice something was off. No one came, if they had the chance to strike, any moment before now would have been the perfect opportunity to catch them off guard. Still, nothing.
Luz blankly stared at them, causing their skin to crawl. Then she glanced towards a tall patch of grass just beside their camp. Its blades almost as tall as an adult witch, it's density thick enough to conceal a large creature. The purple witch followed her gaze, once she saw the tall grass, her eyes immediately widened in shock.
"What is it?" the orange witch tapped her shoulder, she looked at the patch of grass and scowled. Walking slowly, the two of them approached the area cautiously, each step heavier than the last. Once within arms reach, the purple witch slowly parted the blades, coming before a very unsightly scene.
Six lifeless bodies, all seemingly killed in six different ways were sprawled out across the area. One impaled by a tree, another caught clutching a vine wrapped around his neck. Among them were two who were mauled by some unknown creature, and two more who simply lay there motionless.
"I—" The purple witch choked on her own words, she felt her heartbeats getting faster until they echoed around her chest like a bell. "Six..." she trailed off, then her ears perked up, "I counted sev—" her gaze turned to Luz, who was sharpening her sword with a pebble, beside her an emperor coven's guard tied up with vines. The purple witch gawked, "when did she—" but she stopped herself. She looked down, seemingly resolute on not questioning Luz anymore.
During the whole reveal, the orange witch remained tense, still in utter disbelief of Luz's ability. Her experience as a warrior has taught her fighting more than one opponent— especially those from the emperor's coven was a gamble. Somehow Luz never made the gamble. Trails of sweat dropped across her face in the presence of, "a monster." she muttered.
Luz glanced at her after hearing her speak, but again, having heard that word for too many times, just went back to swishing the pebble across her sword.
"Wha—" the emperor coven's guard looked around, his face cocked in all directions trying to make sense of his position. His mask, covering his expressions, did nothing to hide the fear which manifested as convulsions. He struggled, trying to break free of the vines, but it was to no avail. The more he wrestled with the ropes the tighter they grew.
Seeing his escape as impossible, he finally stopped and slowly looked around. His eyes landed on Luz, who was still sharpening her blade. "So the intel was right," he hissed, voice laced with venom. "this monster is heading to Bonesborough."
The purple witch, who was spectating the exchange, flinched when she heard the guard insulting Luz.
Luz paid no heed to his words, "how did you know we were here?" she asked in a plain voice, eyes still tracing her sword. On the way here she made sure to cover all her tracks, leaving not a single footprint on the soil. For a team of coven guards to find her, it would have been through a leak.
Instead of responding, the guard tried to spit on Luz instead. But before he could finish the act, he noticed blood trailing from his neck. He tried reaching out but the vines held in him in place. In mere seconds he lay flat on the ground, as lifeless as his allies.
Useless Luz thought, then she waved her hand, and the sword she was sharpening, edge soaked in a little blood, dissolved into mist.
She glanced at her wrist, noting the time, then stood up and made her way to her tent. She began manually disassembling her set up and packing it up neatly in a bag. The purple and orange witch followed soon after, knowing if they lagged behind she'd disappear.
The orange witch, with her bag slung over her back, gritted her teeth, "only one more day with her," she looked at the purple witch, "let's make this mission quick." She felt her heartbeat spike up.
The purple witch could only nod in agreement as she stared at Luz's silhouette from the back.
***
They arrived at the entrance of Bonesborough during midnight. As expected, the town was quiet. Lanterns lit across the streets, cottages across the village had their doors closed and windows shut. A bit of commotion could be heard in the dark alleys, but Luz knew those were just stray creatures rummaging through trash.
She looked past the streets and saw lights flickering across downtown. The night market was busy, artifacts of all kinds could be purchased there, some real, some fake— it didn't matter as long as there was coin. She glanced at hooded figures making their way across the streets, ignoring the trio as they marched towards the night market. Some of them were holding sack bags loaded with junk to sell. It was a demon world, one man's junk was another man's treasure.
"Nothing's changed," she muttered as she scanned the familiar surroundings. In the last six years barely anything seemed different. As she unconsciously dug into her past, recalling all the stones and landmarks of the streets she once strolled by, pain made itself known again. A sharp, heavy weight immediately presented itself on her head and shoulders, making her lurch forward for a bit. She clutched her head again, trying to numb her senses, and it was working. Not long after her episode, she felt it dissipating as her consciousness forced it away, blocking any semblance of her memory from the past.
The purple witch, who saw Luz struggling, reached out to her, but her hand was immediately stopped by the orange witch who just shook her head sympathetically. "It's best we don't get involved." she reminded the purple witch.
Luz shook her head one last time and looked straight ahead, she made a signal to the two: proceed with the plan. The plan, which was decided by the leader, involved the two witches standing guard as Luz carried out the assassination. Luz tried to remind the leader that she worked alone, but the leader reminded her that she wanted these two recruits to learn from the best. The last thing Luz remembered was stomping out of the room saying she won't be responsible for whatever happens to them.
Seeing the other two nod, she started sprinting across Bonesborough, aided by a couple of strength-enhancing spells. Every step she took sounded light, like a leaf bouncing off stone. She dashed through multiple houses in an instant, trying her best not to focus on their outline, afraid of experiencing the same pain. Luz wanted nothing more than for this mission to be over, this place, the memories it held, it tortured her to no end. As she moved swiftly across mansions and cottages alike, lanterns were blown out, torches extinguished, and signs swung, Like an angel of death, she crossed the place she once called her home.
Finally, she reached her target.
A small dainty cottage situated between other similar-looking homes. Just like the intel said, a small window resided at the second floor, where the target was most likely sleeping. Itching to finish the mission, Luz impatiently weaved a knife out and held it in her mouth, holding the handle between her teeth. Looking up, she plunged her fingers into cracks on bricks and hoisted herself up until she finally reached the windowsill. Using a burst of energy, she climbed it up and planted a foot at the bottom of the window, gaining a steady position just outside of it.
Looking inside, she saw a small bed, occupied by a single witch covered in a thin sheet. Her eyes couldn't make out who exactly it was, but from the figure it looked like a girl, that and the witch's height suggested she was twenty years old, like her.
Taking her time, she scanned the area carefully, looking for any traps or other creatures lying around. She found none. Luz was a bit perplexed, her targets usually included rich patrons and corrupted authorities, witches who— in the presence of others, wore masks to hide their true selves. But no matter how much she observed the area, the target was by no means rich OR powerful.
She seemed to live a very modest lifestyle. Only a wooden table and chair served as the sole furniture in her room, her lantern, cheap, barely providing any light, and her bed seemed so worn out Luz swore it would break down any minute.
Luz looked to the other side and saw a huge map, a map of the whole boiling isles with multiple X-marks scattered across it. The target seemed to be actively searching for something over the past six years, she noted as her eyes focused on scribbles on the map. Most of them outside Bonesborough.
Luz shook her head, snapping herself back from her gaze, not the time , she thought. With a flick of a finger, the window locks became undone and she snuck in headfirst.
However, as soon as her head popped in, a strong scent immediately assaulted her. The smell itself was by no means intense, but the aroma, the nostalgia it brought with it overcame every sense in her body. She knew this smell— no, she loved it. More than any of that, she remembered it. It was a mix of warm, yet light fragrance coupled with... green . She felt soft, safe, and at home as the scent surrounded her body. She was drawn in by it, by the time she'd snap out of it, Luz found herself standing beside the window, inside the small house.
*Beat* she felt her heart jump. For the first time, for as long as she can remember, she was flustered. Luz couldn't tell why, but there was something about this house, this target . that reminded her of something green .
Luz walked over the the target, step by step, fighting off the warmth the aroma was giving her. She glanced at the small table, a thick book resting on top of it, with its cover worn out and slightly ripped. Beside it was a pen that looked even more damaged than the book. Normally Luz would disregard such things, but she couldn't help but be drawn in by the mystery of her target. She stopped halfway from the target where the book lay, and took it, eager to find out more about this witch.
She flipped a couple of pages and began reading:
" July 13, XXXX
it's been a over two years since her disappearance, still I believe she's there, somewhere, waiting to be found. I switched tracks at Hexide, I gave up all my old talents, I gave up my badge, but I will find her. I will find her."
Luz blinked a couple of times, as she read through the entry, she noticed the handwriting looked familiar.
* Beat* her heart jumped again. It was as her body knew something she didn't, and was trying to make her remember. Unable to settle the uneasiness in her heart, Luz dug further.
" January 6, XXXX
Today is the day I graduate, My parents wanted me to go an advanced academy to hone my skills, but I know I won't. I can't— no I won't wait. Everyone may have forgotten her, but I believe I can find her. I'll do whatever it takes."
Luz paused, her heartbeats were starting to go wild, this handwriting, this tone, she knew who was writing it. It was a... a green . Luz fumbled, putting her hand on the table for support. Her eyes grew wide as she breathed deeply, trying to slow down her heartbeat. The target's diary seemed to be talking about a missing wit—
"Agh!" Luz cringed as pain soared through her forehead, she knew deep inside that diary was not talking about a witch. It never was.
No, it can't be , Luz felt beads of sweat forming on her temples, the back of her hair beginning to straighten up. She quickly turned to the most recent entry.
" May 17, XXXX
Becoming the leader of the exploration coven has its perks, you get a ton of sources. After six years of searching the Boiling Isles I've finally found my first reliable clue: she's coming to Bonesborough tomorrow. Potions to enhance my magic are kept at the cabinet. Tomorrow is the day, I will find her, I will hold her after so long. I want to tell her everything is alright, that she's not alone.
Wait for me—"
"Luz..." she finished the entry, pronouncing her own name. The last letters just falling off her lips.
Her hands grew limp, strength being drained the longer she touched the rough leather of the diary. *THUD* she dropped the book, its impact with the wooden table making a slight sound, the vibrations causing the worn out pen to shift slightly.
But Luz didn't care.
Her heart was now rampaging inside her chest, begging her to tame it. Her breathing became ragged, and her eyes were reduced to pinpoints as she browsed through the personal history of her target. Without thinking she quickly picked up the diary again and flipped over its pages. "Luz...Luz...Luz..." she found her name written in every entry, it was all about her. The first entry, dated six years ago, and the recent entries stayed loyal to its objective and tone— finding Luz, and taking care of her.
She flipped another page, "...I wish she was here with me..." Luz read, then she randomly selected another page, "...I'll find you Luz I promise..." unable to stop herself she turned pages at an alarming rate, "...I became leader of the exploration coven, hopefully this will help me find her... a false lead again, some witches just don't learn... a storm is brewing, I wonder if Luz has a home?" her fingers shaking, Luz gave up and put the book back on the table.
"Just...who are you?" she mumbled, breath almost empty. A flash of green suddenly clawed its way to her mind, bit now she saw a tinge of yellow...yellow eyes. Luz fell to her knees, grabbing her head, internally screaming.
I have to finish this, it can't go on! she cried out, forcing all of her willpower into forcing these emotions back and lunging forward at the target, knife raised, ready to strike. The target lay unmoving, still, almost lifeless, it would only take slash and the job would be over. She would finally be free of this pain. Reaching the bedside, she held her knife up high and—
"Luz..." the target spoke, back turned away from her. She was sleep-talking.
Luz immediately paused, that voice, it filled her with warmth she'd never experienced ever since her banishment. As she stood there frozen in time, hands raised, the moonlight shifted ever so slightly, illuminating the face of her target. Long green hair, a brown patch peeking out of the edge, skin as pale as the moonlight, and nails as black as the night.
Luz fell to her knees, dropping her knife. Her head facing down, and her arms lifeless as she hunched forward. Everything crumbled inside of her as memories of the past came flooding in. This familiar scent, that shimmering green hair, those perfect yellow eyes, like a seal being unbound, her mind finally remembered. She immediately forgot about her mission, about the coven, about everything as she knelt there, motionless.
"Amity," Luz finally said her name. She noticed droplets falling onto her knees, slightly shimmering in the moonlight. Bringing a hand to her face, she realized the tears were coming straight from her eyes. But she couldn't stop it. All the emotions she'd held back over six years came rushing out of her, her face grimaced, her hands only finding enough strength to clench as hard as she can until blood dripped from her palms. Her whole body grew stiff, shivering with raw emotion.
Without noticing she stood up, unconsciously eager to see Amity's face once again. She stuttered towards her bed, leaning over the edge, just to get a glimpse of her face. There she saw sparkles trailing down Amity's cheeks leading to a darkened patch in her mattress. She was crying. Her face scrunched up, teeth gnashing against each other. "Luz..."she cried again, this time shaking from the mention of her name. Her body curled up defensively, and a hand, reaching out to nothing in particular, grabbed empty space.
Luz clutched her chest, fingernails nearly digging through her shirt, her heart wrenched from Amity's soft plea. Her fingers cold, she brought them beside Amity's cheek, which felt warm and full of life. She drove her fingers across those green threads and tucked them behind her ear, rubbing her tears in the process.
"Amity," Luz gently smiled at her, then she turned back, her decision resolute. Not a single fiber in her body wanted to hurt Amity, and it wasn't even her choice. Luz stepped back, slowly retreating to the window.
"I guess this is it," she mumbled, the leader would never permit her to go back without the kill, and she could never harm a single hair on Amity, without anyplace to return to, Luz made a rash decision to just disappear.
She glanced at the maps and Amity's journal one more time before turning back, ready to disappear, forever.
But as she stepped into the windowsill, wind brushing against her face, she heard a soft voice emerge from her back.
"L-Luz?" Amity said, voice shaking in disbelief. Luz didn't need to turn around to know it was Amity who called her. She could single out her voice in a crowd of a million witches.
Luz turned around, unable to muster up the will to leave her crying witch alone. She smiled, tears gushing out of her eyes once again. "Hi Amity."
***
"It's been over an hour," the purple witch complained, "wasn't she supposed to be back in ten minutes?"
The orange witch stayed silent, something was off. The human never delayed a mission let alone fail it. Reaching out to her pockets, she grabbed the target's identity sheet and scrolled over its contents, memorizing the location and address. Taking charge, she furrowed her brows, "Let's go."