Chapter Text
It was a dark night in the Boiling Isles. The only light was the bright full moon illuminating the forest. The leaves on the trees rustled in the wind, brushing against the other trees.
A hooded figure wearing all black climbed up a tree onto a branch, leaping from tree to tree in elegant parkour, landing on a branch in the midpoint of the trunk. It perched itself onto the branch and looked down, observing another anonymous person walking through the forest down below.
It quickly jerked its hand back, revealing a blade sheathed underneath the wrist. It jumped off the branch and onto the thing below, stabbing the neck as it fell to the ground.
The hooded figure retracted the blade away with a flick of the wrist. The victim was a tall brute of goo, an abomination, revealing a digital clock that spewed it of its stomach. “2 minutes, 59 seconds,” it read.
“Under three minutes? Hmm. Not bad, but I can do better.” The figure took off its hood, revealing to be a young lady of a green undercut with brown roots.
“Yo, Amity,” a boy of fully green hair appeared to compliment the girl. “Not a bad run. The landing could’ve been done better, with more grace, you know? Climbing was solid, speed was on point—.”
“Ed, I don’t think Mittens wants to hear you ramble on about her performance,” another fully green haired girl said. “Cause she knows it won’t be as good as her sisters.”
“Emira!” Amity shouted.
“What? Was just making an observation.”
“Whatever. I’d like to see you do an assassination run in the dark. I would so wipe the floor with you Em.”
“Is that a challenge, Mittens?”
“I believe it is.”
“Uhh, guys,” Edric interrupted. “I don’t mean to put a damper on your rivalry here, but we have to get ready for the ceremony.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Emira said. “Mom and dad are going to be pissed, we better hurry and change.”
—————————
After half an hour, the trio of siblings joined their brown haired father and green haired mother in a carriage.
“Amity, why do you look so tired?” The father asked.
“What you mean I’m tired?” Amity responded. “I feel fine.”
“You’re sweating a lot, and seem sluggish coming the carriage, like you just got done with practice.”
“Maybe I have been practicing, father.”
“Normally, I would be very proud of your skills, but we’re on a tight schedule. You don’t want to be late for your initiation into the Emperor’s Coven, do you?”
“No I don’t, father. I’ve been preparing for this moment for years. Wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”
“Good. We’re here.”
The Blight carriage pulled into the driveway of the Emperor’s castle. The Blights walked out, wearing fancy dresses and suits. They met with other prestigious families across the isles.
“Amity!” A voice across the room yelled.
“Oh great,” Amity whispered to herself. “It’s her.”
“Amity! Oh it’s been so long.” A three-eyed girl came and gave Amity a big hug, accompanied with a normal eyed girl of darker skin and gray hair.
“Hey Boscha,” Amity said in a coarse voice as Boscha’s hug grip was very strong. “Can you let go of me now? I can’t breathe.”
“Oops. Sorry, Ams.” Boscha let Amity go.
“Thank you. Oh, and hey Skara.”
“What up, Ams.” Skara greeted back.
“So. Didn’t expect to see you here at initiation,” Boscha said. “Who am I kidding? You’re Little Miss Perfect! Of course you’d be here.”
“Yeah, that’s me, hehe.”
“So. We’re gonna be Coven members, serving the Emperor himself.” Skara commented. “Youngest in our grade.”
“I have noticed that.” Amity replied. “Bet you guys must be honored.”
“Oh yeah, definitely.” Boscha boastfully remarked. “I’m the youngest in my family to join the Coven. Not even my brother could do it.”
“I’m the only one in my family to make it into the Coven,” Skara commented. “Let alone be admitted this young.”
“We should probably get going,” Amity was signaling how she wanted to leave and cut the conversation short. “Let’s go take our place for the ceremony, it’s going to start soon.”
The three separated to rejoin their families. The gathering started to quiet down as the room began to darken and Emperor Belos himself walked on stage with a shining light focused on him.
“Welcome, esteemed witches!” He greeted the crowd. “You are all here because you have done what few have been able to do, and join my elite rank of soldiers and warriors in the Emperor’s Coven!” The crowd roared into cheers and applause. “Only the best of the best across the entire isles are able to be selected. You few are the strongest of the strong; the boldest of the bold; the bravest of the brave; the loyalest of the loyal. Now, it is time for us to award tonight’s greatest.” As the ceremony went on, Belos awarded the initiates into the coven. Many of the Blight children were acknowledged for their loyalty and hard work they had done for the coven.
Towards the end of the ceremony, it was time for Amity, Boscha, and Skara to come on stage and receive their praise.
“Now, ladies and gentlewitches,” the Emperor spoke. “Not many join at such young age, and it is rare for three witchlings to be able to enter our ranks at once. By the will of the Titan, however, only one of the youth may join per year, so two of you will, unfortunately, not join us in the coven, and will just have to wait till the age of admission is reached.” The three girls looked at each other, confused. “To determine which one of these girls shall join the coven, they must prove their loyalty in a challenge amongst themselves.”
Kikimora came up on stage, holding a crystal ball. The ball projected a holographic display of a human girl with a purple and white hoodie and high waisted shorts.
“Luz the human: a scourge on witches everywhere,” Emperor Belos announced to the crowd, whom, at the sight of the human, erupted into boos and hisses. “A weakling not of witch blood has decided to be an imposter among us, learning wild magic with the rogue Owl Lady and pretend to be a witch.”
The crowd once again roared into boos. “Blasphemous!” “Dirty human!” “Imposter!” “Sus!”
“Why do people hate her?” Amity thought to herself. “She seems harmless to me. You know, she looks kinda cute too.”
“Quiet down everyone,” Belos was ready to offer a solution. “This is where our young initiates come in. Whoever can kill the vile human and bring me her body by the end of the month can be admitted into my ranks. Whoever does not kill her, will be admitted into the coven the same way everyone else has, at the age of 21. If all fail to bring me the human’s lifeless body, all three initiates and their families will be expelled from the coven and barred from ever joining again.”
The trio of kids looked at each other again, this time with scared and nervous looks in their eyes.
“This will send a message to all non witches and to all rogues. The use of wild magic will not be tolerated within our realm, nor will outsiders of witch-kind will use our magic. Luz Noceda must die!”