Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All Philip needs is a vial of Titan’s blood. It’s a powerful source of magical fuel, and it’s something that he needs quite a lot. Normally, he would send someone else, more specifically his right hand man, the Golden Guard.

A flash of a knife, the man collapsing on his knees in front of him comes to mind.

Currently, that’s not an option. The Golden Guard position hasn’t been passed on as of yet, and the one who will take over the position is only seven. He is far too young to be in a position of power. He could wait a few years.

With him not trusting anyone else, it fell to him. He’s made this trip before, and he knows what to look out for. It starts to come into view, and a noise reaches his ears. He raises an eyebrow behind his mask when he hears it.

“Mama?” Philip stops where he is, and listens closely. The voice is that of a child’s, one who sounds terrified. “Mama, I’m scared.” The child sounds on the verge of tears. When no one answers their calls, he finally steps towards it.

The child can’t be older than five. They have wet, shoulder length hair. It’s dark brown in colour. Their eyes are a lighter brown, and their skin is tan. They are wearing a swimsuit.

The most important detail, to Philip at least, is their ears . His eyes focus on them. He doesn’t know what to say, but he does know what it means. They’re round. His words are caught in his throat.

It’s likely the first human since his brother and himself.

Their eyes land on him, and they take a step back, almost landing in the Titan’s Blood. Philip hesitates, but gives a small smile. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he says gently. “I’m Philip.”

The child looks unsure. “Mama told me not to talk to strangers.” They say it with as much conviction as a five year old could give.

“Your mother is very smart then.” He decides to say, staying where he is. He can’t bring the child kicking and screaming, it would do him no good. “I just want to know, do you know how you got here?”

They look unsure. “No… Mama took me swimming in the lake, and it was so pretty. Some of the water was blue…” They frown softly. “I swam in it, and I’m here.” Another example of Titan’s Blood appearing in the human realm and bringing back a human.

Philip stares at her for a moment. “Do you like witches, and magic?” The child’s eyes light up, and they nod. He smiles slightly, and beckons them over.

They hesitate, but shake their head no, staying where they are. “Alright, just, watch from where you are, alright?” They nod quietly, and watch as Philip begins to draw a circle on the ground. The beginning of a light glyph, the least dangerous one. He taps his finger onto it, and smiles softly as a ball of light floats up.

The child has a look of wonder and amazement as she watches the ball of light float up. They hesitate, but walk over. Philip shows her the glyph he drew on the ground. “What’s that?”

“It’s a light glyph, do you want to make it?” They nod shyly.

He draws a small circle on the ground, making sure to slow his movements so the child could see what he’s doing. They begin to replicate it, albeit a bit shakily. He finishes his, and watches as they draw the last line. He taps his own, and a small ball of light comes up from it.

They do the same. A small ball comes up. It’s not perfectly round, it’s a bit shaky, and it disappears within seconds. And yet, they look amazed, as though it’s the best thing they’ve ever seen. Child-like wonder with witchcraft.

This place tempts and taints… Philip makes up his mind within moments.

“Mine disappeared.” They sound disappointed.

He looks at the glyph for a moment, quiet. “Want me to help you make one stay longer?” He asks. At their excited nod, he offers his hand to them. They hold their hand out, and he has them make a fist, sticking her pointer finger out.

Then, he takes it in a gentle grip and helps her slowly draw the glyph, properly. No shaky lines, a perfect circle. It’s just what they need. He let’s go, and smiles slightly when he sees them staring at it.

“What are you waiting for?” He asks gently, prompting them to pause and look up at him. They don’t answer, looking back at the glyph. They tap it.

The ball of light slowly comes up, floating towards the others. “I did it.” They whisper out.

“I can teach you more, if you’d like. You’ll have to come with me though.” He says gently.

“But… my mama…”

Philip knows many things. He’s learned many different things about magic. He knows how to bring the dead back to life, and how to drain the life from others. Yet, this is something he doesn’t know how to explain.

He sighs. “Your mama isn’t here… The blue water sent you here.” It’s very simplified, and he can explain it further another day, when they are older.

For now, they seem understanding of the situation. They are satisfied with the response.

“I’m Belos,” he’ll still lie to them. At least for now. Children don’t have filters, they are no exception to that he’s sure.

“I’m Luz! Luz Noceda!” They exclaim.

“What pronouns do you use?” The child immediately seems confused by this, tilting their head to the side slightly. “Are you a boy or a girl?”

They laugh a bit. “I’m a girl!” At least he has her pronouns now… He goes to the lake and fills a small vial up with Titan’s blood, carefully placing it in the pocket in his cape.

“Come with me then, Luz. I’ll teach you more.” He says, beginning to walk away. She follows quickly, excitedly talking and asking him questions about where she is, and of magic.

He’ll teach her. He knew he would teach her from the minute he saw her ears. He glances down at her. She’s too young to be corrupted by this world. She’ll learn just enough to protect herself from the demons in this realm.

Just enough to survive.

Chapter Text

“Move my nephew’s things to the empty room next to his, and prepare a room suitable for a five year old girl.” Belos orders the moment he steps into his home, his castle. “It needs to be done by tonight.” The guard responds with a ‘yes sir’ before running off.

He glances at the other guard. “Find clothing that will fit her. It’s alright if it’s a bit big.” The guard goes without much question. Belos doesn’t trust many people, if he’s honest. All that matters to him is that the job gets done, and a guard is just as capable of fighting as they are fetching and preparing bedrooms.

The child, Luz is her name, looks amazed by her surroundings. He doesn’t blame her. It’s a dimly lit castle with long hallways and gold decor. It’s, by all means, regal. He’s honestly quite happy that she seems to like it. After all, she may be spending years here in this realm.

“Do you want a tour while they get your room together?” She’s still in her swimsuit, and she’s covered in Titan’s blood. She needs to bathe, something he can pass on to a certain member of his coven should she be uncomfortable with him bathing her.

For now, he can show her around the castle. It seems to be the right choice. It’s giving the guards enough time to set up her room and gather clothes. He’s also using it as an opportunity to get the word around that his child would be living here from now on.

He’s glad he untucked her hair from behind her ears so that the shape of her ears are covered. He doesn’t need rumours spreading around the castle about a human. Her amazement is endearing, and he can’t help but feel his heart melt slightly.

Eventually, they find themselves at what used to be Hunter’s room. He’s sure that the boy is confused, and he will explain later It’s not his priority. He goes in, and watches as one of the guards sets another pile of clothes down.

“Can you grab Lilith Clawthorne for me?” The guard seems surprised at the request, and Belos is only slightly surprised himself. The spiteful witch gave him a scar, but he was merely trying to keep the witch close.

Giving her something to do right now would kill two birds with one stone. Keep her close, and get Luz bathed. He frowns slightly as he watches the guard go, and he sighs. He’ll have to tell her about the fact the girl is human.

At least then he’d know that it was her who said anything if word got out.

“Why don’t you pick out a pair of pyjamas for after your bath?” He prompts gently.

Luz’s eyes light up at the offer, and she rushes to the stack of clothes. It doesn’t take her long to pick out a soft looking purple shirt with matching pants. She looks up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

He’ll protect that innocence.

“Where’s the washroom?” She asks softly.

“Just wait a moment.” He says calmly. “Are you able to wash yourself?” He asks. She hesitates a moment before shaking her head no.

“I got soap in my eyes last time,” she admits softly. “It hurt.”

He nods in understanding. “I’m going to have someone help you for the first few times, alright?” Luz seems unsure, but gives a tiny nod.

“I’ll tell her to help you with your hair, and that’s it. How does that sound?” That seems to make her feel better, judging by the smile she gave him when he suggested it. “Alright.” A knock on the door comes a moment later. He turns. “Come in.”

Lilith Clawthorne, one of the few names that he has memorized. She will betray him one day. That’s all he knows, although he isn’t sure why. He’ll find out one day. Her red, curly hair is tied back as neatly as she could get it, and her glasses are sitting crookedly on her face. She looks as though she ran here.

She kneels in front of him. “Emperor Belos,” she greets, sounding slightly out of breath. “How may I serve you?”

“You may rise, Ms. Clawthorne. Now, what I am about to tell you is not to be shared with anyone. If you don’t believe you can handle keeping a secret, then I ask that you get up and leave, now.” She remains where she is. “I went on an errand, and found a human child. The titan’s blood brought her here.”

Lilith not so subtly looks at Luz with wide, curious eyes. Her mint green eyes are almost asking: ‘this one?’ She seems as though she has many questions to ask her.

“She needs a bath, you are to do her hair, and that is all. Over the next few days you will be teaching her how to wash her hair until she is confident she can do it herself. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord. I understand.” Lilith turns her attention to Luz, and gives her a gentle smile. “Come with me, alright? I’m Lilith.” Luz gives him a hesitant, worried look. He wordlessly nods, and watches as she goes over.

As the two walk off, he hears Luz introducing herself and Lilith proceeding to ask what seems to be a million and one questions. Five year olds aren’t the most reliable source, but he doesn’t blame her curiosity. It’s not everyday that a human comes to the witch’s realm.

Once they are no longer within ear shot, he heads to the room where his nephew has been placed. He doesn’t bother knocking. “Hunter,” he says calmly as he steps in.

The seven year old is on the bed, holding onto the frog plush tightly. He’s frowning, and looks genuinely confused. He looks up at Belos.

“Uncle Belos, why am I in this room now?” He looks like he had been crying. “I like my room! It’s- it’s next to yours!” The child frets. He’s never done well with change. That will need to be fixed. But for now, he’ll deal with it.

“I’ve found a human.” That has Hunter’s attention. “She’s younger than you are, and the boiling isles are dangerous. I’m moving her into that room so she can stay safe. I can protect her better, and if something happens to me you can protect her.”

Hunter stares at him for a moment. He goes quiet. “It’s, it’s not because you don’t love me as much?” He asks slowly, as though he can’t believe what was just said.

“It’s just because she can’t defend herself, she needs to be protected.”

A determined look makes it’s way on to Hunter’s face, and he gives a small smile. “I’ll protect her.” He swears.

Belos will make sure he does.

Chapter Text

Luz has taken to her magic lessons like a fish to water. Basic glyphs were understood within two weeks. He tests her on it every so often, making sure she understands which one is which. It’s been a month since she was transported here.

It isn’t hard to see that she’s fit in with their family quite beautifully, either.

Hunter took the promise to heart. Belos revisited his training regimen. He changed it, made it more difficult. He barely has a moment to rest, and more often than not he finds Hunter passing out in weird spots. Another bad habit, but he can excuse it for now.

The boy never once complained about it, and he even found Hunter outside of Luz’s room, a needle clutched tightly in his hand. His left hand was covered in pin pricks, his best idea tro stay awake. When questioned, he frowned and said that Luz was scared of a monster under the bed. He promised he’d stay outside her room to protect her.

He was rewarded with a day off so he could catch up on sleep.

He glances up from his food to look at Luz. “Water glyph.” He instructs. She freezes for a moment, and is quiet, clearly thinking.

Then, she shakes her head no. “No water glyph!” She exclaims excitedly, her eyes shining. “But- but I can make water by uhm… making ice hot with fire!” If there’s one thing that did worry Belos, it’s her eagerness to learn magic and use it that concerns him. He’s tried to remind himself she’s only a child, that she needs to learn this to survive…

It doesn’t help.

He gives her a warm smile. “That’s right. You can also combine glyphs.” He says calmly. Luz seems to almost miss it. She looks at him with wide, excited eyes. “It’s a different lesson altogether, and it will take you a while to learn… However, I can teach you some of the simpler ones, and the basics of it.”

She nods vigorously. He hides his frown, and quietly starts to eat. She’s an innocent child, she shouldn’t have to associate with the witches and demons at all. She shouldn’t be learning witchcraft. Even he had been hesitant at first, but magic is the only way to survive in this world.

Especially if you’re human. However, caution goes a long way.

He’s quiet the rest of dinner, listening to Hunter and Luz talk. Hunter is excitedly telling her about his training, and Luz looks amazed. She’s wrapped in his story. While Hunter is exaggerating, making himself seem better in training than he was, it’s not like Luz knows the difference.

Belos finally speaks up towards the end of dinner. “You two have been stuck in the castle for a few days, why don’t you both go take a walk outside before it gets dark out.”

Hunter is already standing up, beginning to clear the table cautiously. “I’ll take her after I finish cleaning up.” He says. Belos doesn’t blame him, this is normally his job.

He shakes his head as he finishes his food. He stands up, and begins to clear the table. “You two have fun, I can take care of this today.” Hunter looks at him with a very grateful look, as though he hung the stars. He’s tough on Hunter, yes, but a small kindness here and there goes a long way.

He watches as they leave, and takes a deep breath. This has to happen. Luz needs to learn to be careful.

There’s lots of things Luz doesn’t understand. It doesn’t matter how often Belos explained how she got here, she never understands. She still asks about her mama every once in a while. When she asks Belos or Lilith, they give her a sad look, and apologize. They tell her she can’t.

She will one day though, Belos promised she would, and he keeps his promises. He promised to teach her magic, and while he yelled at her for almost setting her bed on fire, he still taught her. He yelled, and she cried. Once they were calm, he apologized and said it was dangerous, that she had to be careful. Asked her to do it with an adult with her, and only when another adult was there.

While she was confused, she nodded and agreed.

Hunter is nice too. He chases the monsters away and reads her bedtime stories. He didn’t kick her out of his room when she came in after a nightmare. He even tells her some of the stuff he learned! He tries to teach her, but Lilith had said she was too small to learn. She pouted, but understood.

While she wants her mama, and wants to go home, it’s nice here. Everyone is so nice, and she can learn magic! Like what she sees in movies and TV and cartoons. And it feels different when she talks about it here. When she talked to her mom about how she wanted to learn, her mom seemed as though she didn’t think she could do it.

But people are eager to help her learn here. “Hunter?” She asks, looking up at the blonde boy. The older boy looks at her.

“Yes?”

“Do you know magic?” Luz asks curiously as they step outside of the castle.

The fresh air feels nice on her cheeks, and luckily for them it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain. It was quite the surprise when she went outside to enjoy the rain. She stood out for a moment, and felt a drop on her shoulder. She screamed in pain, and Hunter ran out and pulled inside. What followed with a discussion with Belos about how the weather here was different, and the rain would hurt.

Hunter had also been hurt, but he promised that he was okay. The boo-boos went away soon after he visited another witch. She has been careful when it was raining since then, opting to sit by a window and look out at it instead.

Hunter is quiet as they walk, and he sighs. He shakes his head no. “No… I can’t do magic. No bile sack.” He says sadly. “I wanted Uncle to teach me, but he says I can’t learn yet. Have to learn to fight first.”

Luz frowns. “I can teach you.”

Hunter shakes his head no quickly, and yawns. “No, it’s okay. Uncle just wants what’s best for me.”

She stares at him for a moment before nodding. She continues on their walk, only stopping when Hunter puts a hand in front of her to stop her. Luz frowns, and looks up at him. She follows the red gaze towards a stranger.

The stranger has other people with him. None of them are wearing the uniform that other people wear. She tilts her head slightly, confused. “Hunter, who are they?”

Hunter moves himself in front of her, glaring at the men. He doesn’t answer her. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” He snaps.

One of them starts to laugh. “Wow, stop trying to be scary, kid! Not like you could actually hurt us.” Luz peaks out from behind Hunter, curious. “Ya know, the emperor had us sent to the conformatorium for being wild witches.”

“Wild magic is dangerous, and wild witches are worse for choosing to learn it!” Hunter exclaims, starting to backup.

One of them comes closer. “I’ve heard a rumour, that the Emperor has two kids. I think that if we want revenge for being locked away, we should target you two.” He speaks slowly. “I’m sure he’ll be devastated.”

The man doesn’t seem to believe what he’s just said. Luz backs up a bit, scared. “Luz,” Hunter says, grabbing her attention. “Run, now. Get help.” It’s an order.

Luz backs up, scared. “But-”

“Run, now!” Luz nods and quickly runs away. She hears fighting behind her, yelling. She doesn’t look back, and finds herself looking for the entrance. She hasn’t left much, she’s lost. Where should she go? Where does she get help?

“I’ll make it quick if you stop now, kid!” She hears. Someone’s following her. She speeds up, and squeaks as she trips. She feels tears in her eyes, and she tries to get up. She turns.

He’s standing over her, reaching for her. Luz shuts her eyes tightly, and starts to cry. She screams for her mama, screams for Belos.

The other never touches her. She opens her eyes, and looks up. The man is standing still, a look of shock on his face. The man turns his head to look behind him, to look at Belos. Luz sobs in relief.

“Y-you…” The man sounds shocked, looks shocked. Luz doesn’t question it. The man collapses, and Belos quickly picks her up. He makes sure she doesn’t look at the man, and begins to check her for injuries.

He can’t let Luz see the body behind him. He doesn’t want to traumatize her further. “Are you okay?” He asks, gently checking her over for injuries.

She starts to cry, hugging him tightly. “H-hunter- is- is he-” She sobs out, unable to finish her sentence.

“He’s okay,” he says soothingly, starting to bring her inside. “You scraped your hand… I’ll take you to get that healed. Okay?” She gives a shaky nod.

“W-who was that?” She asks softly, a look of fear in her eyes.

“It was a wild witch… those who learn wild magic. It’s extremely dangerous… Wild witches gave me my scar, and killed my family. Hunter is all I have left.” He says sadly.

“Why do they hurt people…?”

“I don’t know.” He responds softly. “They use magic without caring, they aren’t careful with it.” He pauses when he sees Luz get a thoughtful look. She looks down at her hand, then up at him.

“I won’t be like them. I’ll be careful- you’ll… you’ll help me be careful right?” She asks softly.

“I will, a promise.” Belos says as he steps into the medical wing, gently putting sitting her down.

She looks at him, and nods. “Thank you, dad.” She says it so naturally, as though it’s the most normal thing for her. And he can’t help but smile, his heart melting a bit.

“You're welcome.” Father… He can play that role.

Chapter Text

Belos watches with a soft smile as his daughter sets her notebook down. No matter how many years it’s been, it still feels odd to refer to her as his daughter. While Luz isn’t biologically his, she’s still his child. She’s been here for three years now.

He did try to find her a way home, but he doesn’t have much hope. The only way he could think of is if Titan’s blood miraculously sends her back, or if he gets his hands on the portal. Both of which are highly unlikely, especially because he doesn’t know where the portal is.

Luz beams at him. “Finished!” She exclaims, carefully opening her side bag and putting the notebook inside of it. It’s a deal of theirs. She keeps a notebook full of glyphs at the ready and blank pages, just in case something happens. With that deal, he allows her to leave and explore as she pleases and she has a way to defend herself.

She’s kept her promise as well.

Luz is cautious with magic, and has followed in Hunter’s footsteps when it comes to her dislike of wild magic. She doesn’t hate it, and neither does Hunter. They merely want people to choose a coven, and join one. It’s safer that way.

It’s regulated.

“Can I take a break? I want to read.” Luz asks, although her hand is already in her bag in order to pull out a book.

Belos chuckles softly. She’s always been eager, easily distracted too. “Go ahead.” He continues his work, going through reports of wild witches and dangerous creatures that could have hurt some villages.

It loathes him to put any sort of measurements to protect the witches and demons of the realm. He wants nothing more than to watch them perish. Watch them beg for their worthless lives before he leaves the realm with Luz.

He is especially looking forward to the demise of Lilith Clawthorne. She gave him his scar. His eyes narrow slightly. To think he almost let it go, almost forget it was her. She dyed her hair recently, to a dark navy blue. She also straightened it, and ditched her glasses for contacts.

It’s her… There’s no denying it.

“I wish I had a cool name like Azura.” Luz snaps him out of his thoughts. She’s reading the book, clearly interested in its contents. It’s one Lilith grabbed for her on a whim, and while Belos thought it was silly and clearly badly written…

Well she seems to enjoy it.

He looks up, and looks at her book curiously. The name Azura is oddly familiar. His eyes land on Luz, and he feels his hands freeze. He never did find Luzura and Lilith. And obviously, Lilith is here… So Luzura had to come from this time as well.

He stares at Luz. Luzura. He wants to bash his head into his desk. How did he not see this before?

Then, there’s an unfamiliar feeling. Something he hasn’t felt in a long time. ‘Guilt.’ He tried to kill Lilith back then, and didn’t care if Luzura had passed with her. Luzura is human- she’s his daughter.

And his daughter is a horrible liar.

Lilith must not have betrayed him then. That’s the most logical thought, in his mind. Lilith is usually with Luz when she leaves the safety of the castle grounds, She makes sure that Luz stays safe. They must have found a time pool, and Lilith went in with Luz.

She was protecting her.

Belos looks down at his paper, at the new order he’s about to put through. And he takes a deep breath as he rereads it.

Palismen are considered a tool of wild magic. Once a witch has joined a coven, their palismen will be seized for the safety of the Boiling Isles.

He’s quiet, for a moment, then he writes something in.

Emperor Belos himself will determine if a witch is fit enough to keep their palismen.

It’s an exception, a rule made specifically for Lilith. She’s essentially Luz’s bodyguard. She needs every and any tool at her disposal. Whatever she wants or asks for, as long as it’s in the name of protecting Luz.

Luz is his priority, not revenge. He’ll even set aside a grudge he’s held since the Deadwardian era. Anything to make sure that she’s protected. It’s the only thing he has left that’s worth protecting in this realm.

He sets his quill down, and focuses back on Luz. He’ll add a couple new lessons into her schooling, based on how she was when he first met her. It won’t change the past, but at least she may take the lesson seriously in this world.

Among those lessons will be how to lie. It’s incredibly useful at times, and something she will need to learn. It will get her out of a situation safely, without risk. At least, lying will bring her home alive. It’s a valuable skill.

“Luz?” He asks. She pauses and places a bookmark in her book before setting it down. “What have I told you about lying?” She gets a panicked look in her eyes, and he quickly adds on, “you aren’t in trouble.”

Luz relaxes, and nods. “You’ve told me that it’s bad, that I should never lie because it can hurt people. It’s best to tell the truth.” She answers.

He nods slightly. “You’re old enough for a new lesson.” He decides, ignoring her curious look. “There are times where lying is your only option. Where, if you don’t lie, you could get hurt. If you believe that you or someone else is in danger, and the only way to stop it is to lie, then lie.”

She looks torn by those words, and a bit unsure. “How do I know when to tell good lies?” Luz asks, clearly conflicted.

“I will teach you, but only if you promise you will only lie if absolutely needed.” He says, holding a hand out to make a deal with her.

Luz looks at his hand, and shakes it before looking him in the eye. “I promise.”

Chapter Text

“You missed!” Luz exclaims loudly from behind Hunter. The boy tenses slightly and turns quickly, pointing his staff in Luz’s direction. “You’ve had that thing for almost a year and it may as well be useless, seeing as you’re so terrible with it.”

“I’d like to see you do better.” Hunter grumbles out.

Luz looks at the staff, then at him. “Is that an invitation? Because I’d love to show you up! Maybe dad will make me the Golden Guard.” She says calmly, her eyes shining slightly. She walks into the ring, and pulls out a notepad. “But no, that’s not my thing.”

She looks him in the eyes, and smiles. “This is!” She taps a piece of paper, and holds her breath, watching as Hunter starts to keep up his guard. ‘He’s had his ass handed to him enough times.’ She thinks to herself as she steps in front of him.

Apparently he hasn’t lost enough.

Luz unfolds a larger piece of paper and taps it, watching as Hunter is forcibly pushed out of the ring and onto his butt. She breathes in, and smirks at him. “Luz, twelve, Hunter, three!” She exclaims.

The older boy waves a hand quietly, although he seems frustrated. “Yeah yeah…” He mutters out. “Why do you even want to be the Golden Guard?” He asks with a frown.

Luz pauses before shutting her notebook. “Dad places so much trust in you. He has you doing so many different jobs, and he knows you’ll succeed. He ‘expects nothing less of the Golden Guard.’ I want him to have that trust in me.”

Hunter rolls his eyes. “Back off, that’s my job. Get your own.”

“But I’m bored!” Luz exclaims, taking a seat on the ground. “And I’m better than you! I can win so many fights against you! In the past month alone!” She huffs. “I just want something to do.”

“Go read your shit book about fictional witches falling in love then.” Hunter grumbles out as he examines his staff for damage.

She gasps, offended. “You take that back, Hunter! The Good Witch Azura is some of the best books I’ve ever read! Her relationship with Hecate is all I want in this world.”

“Good, you’ll read the world’s worst romance, wish it was your life, and leave my job alone.” He mutters out, setting the staff down for a moment. The training room is quiet for a moment before Luz lets out a loud battle cry before running at him, tackling him to one of the mats on the floor.

Hunter lets out a surprised squeak before trying to shove Luz off, struggling beneath her. “Oh come on!” He cries out, glaring when his mouth is covered.

“Not another word unless it’s to apologize for calling my favourite books bad!” She exclaims, only to break her promise soon after and yanking her hand away when she feels something wet against her hand. “Did you just lick me?!” She squeaks out, reaching her hand over and wiping it on Hunter’s cloak.

“Yes I did! Because I will never, ever take back what I said!” Hunter snaps, grabbing her and tossing her off. “Titan, you are defensive.” He scolds.

“What if I insulted the books you’re not supposed to have?” Luz challenges. She misses the way Hunter’s eyes widen, how his face goes a bit pale at the mention of the books.

“I’ll take it back if you promise not to say anything,” he immediately jumps.

She grins a bit slyly. “Deal! Now take it back now and I won’t try to steal your job.”

Hunter is quiet for a second before giving a small nod. “The books aren’t bad.” He forces himself to say. Luz shrugs a bit. Good enough.

“Anyways, I just wanted to see how you were doing with your heavy stick. Had to kill some time before I went to talk to dad! He wants to see me.” After giving her book a quick glance, she slips it into her book bag and starts to walk away.

“Ask him if he has anything for me to do,” Hunter calls after her. Soon after, she hears him beginning his training again.

It’s been a year since Hunter became the Golden Guard. It was a shock to everyone who knew, a small circle of people. Someone from the abomination coven who saw Hunter throw his mask off in frustration, Lilith, Luz, Belos and a couple more she can’t remember. A twelve year old being the Golden Guard? Even now, he’s only thirteen.

Hunter was so excited though. He rubbed it into Luz. “Uncle trusts me to carry out his will! Suck on that!” He had yelled out, only to be dragged off by Belos.

Hunter never bothered her again, though she’s unsure of why.

She hums quietly as she gets to her father’s office. There are voices inside, although Luz has learned to just… accept that as normal. She’s never sure about who her dad talks to, but she finds it easier to just not ask. He’d tell her if he wanted her to know.

Luz knocks on the door, and the voices stop. Footsteps come towards the door, and she smiles up at her dad when the door opens. “Hey dad! You wanted to see me?”

He’s wearing that mask, which is quite normal. Very few people have seen his face. A total of two, if Luz remembers correctly. Herself and Hunter. She may not be able to see his face, to see his scar, but she knows he’s smiling.

“Why don’t you come in?” He asks, stepping aside. Luz nods and steps in, glancing around the room curiously. It’s a bare, empty room. There’s nowhere to hide.

So where is the source of the second voice?

Luz brushes that thought aside as the door shuts behind her. “How has your day been?” Belos asks her gently.

“It’s been pretty good! Hunter and I trained a bit, he’s still getting used to his staff. You’d think after a year he’d be better with it! But he just resorts to hitting things with it. It’s weird to not fall back on the magical aspect of it.” She explains with a frown. “In a fight you need every advantage you have. If you can use magic, do it.”

“While that’s true, and you’re most certainly correct, he’s used to being unable to use magic for years. He’s used to fighting with weapons and his bare hands. Don’t worry though, Luz. I’ll make sure he trains to use his staff properly.” There’s an edge to his voice, one she can’t quite place.

“Oh, so why did you want to see me? I’m assuming it isn’t just to ask how I am, we usually have that conversation at dinner.” It’s a slight tradition. When they eat together, they talk about their day and how things were.

Belos chuckles a bit. “You’re correct. While I do want to hear about your day, I have other things I need to know.” He looks at her. “Lilith has told me that you’ve been bored as of late, even with the difficulty in your training increasing.”

Luz is sure she looks a bit embarrassed. “Just a bit. Hunter goes on all these cool adventures! And he has so many stories. I have… nothing. I just want to be able to do something.” She frowns a bit. “I want to be useful.”

Belos is quiet, for a moment. “It will be difficult.” He says. Luz looks at him with wide eyes. “You’ll be accompanied by Hunter, Lilith or someone else, but it will be difficult.” Luz nods quickly. “But I have a position, a role for you to play.”

“What is it?” Luz asks.

Belos smiles. “A position called the Silver Guard. If Hunter wasn’t the Golden Guard, I would have given the position to you. Obviously, it’s occupied, so I’m creating one specifically meant for you.” He begins to walk to a table, and picks something up before going back to Luz.

He holds it up, allowing Luz to look at the mask. True to the title, it’s a silver mask. It’s very similar to Hunter’s, although it has a couple differences. The slits for the eyes come to a point instead of a rounded edge. The bottom of the mask is longer than Hunter’s too, though it also comes to a point.

“Luz, wild witches wish me dead. I’m able to protect myself, and I’m safe here, but…” Belos trails off. “Should I die, you’ll take over as Empress, with help of course. You don’t have to accept, but I can’t think of a better role for you to play.”

Luz stares at her reflection in the mask, her eyes full of shock and wonder. She looks up from it, at Belos. “Are you sure?” She asks hesitantly.

“I am, I wouldn’t be offering if I wasn’t. I have no intention of anything happening anytime soon, and I will make sure that you are well prepared. You’ll have other jobs to do, and your training will be different.” He explains. “But, you can say no if you want.”

Luz stares at the mask before carefully taking it from him, slipping it on over her face. “If it’s not clear, I’ll do it.” It’ll take some getting used to, but she’s excited to do this. She can finally do something useful.

Belos hugs her gently. “I’m glad… You’ll be announced as the Silver Guard in a week, I’ll make sure the ceremony is prepared.

Luz hugs back, quiet for a moment. “I won’t disappoint you.”

With possibly the softest voice she’s ever heard from her dad, he says, “I know you won’t.”

Chapter Text

“Hunter! Hunter!” Luz yells out as she runs to the training grounds. The mask is a decent weight, but it fits nicely in her bag. It’s a reminder of the responsibility that her dad just gave her. Her chest swells with pride. He thinks she’s ready to know that he’s training her to become the Empress, he’s ready to announce her.

It’s amazing to her, and she just wants to share the news to the closest thing she has to a sibling. Hunter has always been excited for her. He was excited when she told him she was learning magic, he was excited when she showed him new glyphs and combinations. Everything.

She bolts into the training room, and grins when she sees him. “Hunter!” She exclaims, going over to him. The boy pauses in his training, and looks at her curiously. She doesn’t give him a moment to respond, reaching into her bag and pulling out the silver mask.

Luz puts it on to show him, beaming with pride beneath it. She looks at Hunter, and pauses. He has a look of hurt and confusion. Of resentment. She hesitates before pulling it off, watching as his gaze follows the mask in her hands.

“Hunter?” She asks hesitantly.

The other looks up from the mask, and tightens his grip on his staff. “What is it?” He asks, though it sounds forced.

“It- it’s my mask. I’m going to be the Silver Guard- his left-hand man. Are you okay?” She asks softly, taking a step towards him.

“You… you never did conven scout training. You never did the duels- the mazes! Being abandoned on a mountain just to see if you would survive! And I’m willing to bet dad isn’t going to make you do any of that!” Hunter’s voice cracks. “And he has me! WHy does he need you?!”

Luz freezes up and stares at him, hurt. “My training is different because I’m going to be something else, Hunter. If something happens to dad, I’m going to step up and become the Empress. I may be his left hand man, but you’re the right hand man. His force, his might.” Her eyes narrow. “Why can’t I do a job?” She snaps. “I thought you’d be happy for me!”

“Because it doesn’t make sense! I train every day of my life, stay up for days on end just so I don’t waste time and uncle-” Hunter forcibly stops himself, and looks down at the ground. “I’m more skilled, I take things seriously. I’m older.” His eyes harden, and he looks up at Luz. “If you want me to be happy for you, you need to prove you’re going to take this seriously.”

“But I am, Hunter! How would I prove it to you?” She snaps, glaring at him. “Dad wouldn’t have given me this opportunity if he didn’t think I was ready- are you questioning him?”

Hunter practically bristles, getting into a fight stance before sending a magical attack to Luz. Luz quickly moves out of the way, and pulls out her notebook full of glyphs. She runs at Hunter, dodging his attacks in the process.

She swiftly ducks and places a plant glyph on the ground, activating it within seconds in order to ensnare and trap Hunter. It doesn’t last long. He cuts through the vines with a staff, and goes to hit Luz with it. She quickly steps to the side, and grabs his arm, yanking him forwards so he falls to the ground.

She steps on his hand, forcing him to let go of the staff before using another plant glyph, watching as he gets wrapped up in vines. He struggles in a feeble attempt to get out of the restraints, and he glares up at Luz.

“I surrender,” he says hotly, stopping his attempts to struggle. Luz lets him stay wrapped in the vines for a few more minutes before destroying the glyph. The plants wilt around him, and he breaks free from them easily.

Hunter grabs his staff and starts to storm off. He pauses in his steps, and glances back at her. He looks apologetic, and unsure. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.

Luz moves closer, and gives a small, pained smile. “I forgive you. Just- trust me when I say that I’m going to try and do my best… Please, try to be happy for me. The ceremony is in a week.”

Hunter gives a small nod. “We’ll talk about this again later. I just, need to cool down.” He walks forward a bit more before stopping again. “Congratulations… thank you for telling me.” He leaves quietly after that.

As promised, Hunter comes to talk to her after he calms down. They spend a night in her room watching bad movies on Luz’s crystal ball. Hunter promised to support her, and train with her. It’s a way to keep them both sharp, to make sure that they both do well and succeed. Both of them have been training for years, it’ll help them both learn some more tricks.

The day of the ceremony comes quickly, far too quickly for Luz’s taste. She’s standing in her room with her uniform on. It’s perfect for her. She’s wearing her cape. The outside of it is a very light purple that it’s almost white. A silver, round clip is holding it in place. On her shoulders is brown leather with silver studs on it. It’s lighter than armour, and in her mind, looks better.

She’s wearing a long sleeve purple shirt with a turtleneck. It covers what her mask and hood won't hide. In other words, it’s perfect. She also has on brown leather gloves, and a leather armour chest plate. It fits perfectly. ‘For now, I’m still growing.’ That was alright though. Belos told her he would just have another one made when it becomes too small.

She’s wearing dark purple pants. It’s almost indigo, she decides. They’re slightly puffy going to the bottom, like the sleeves of her shirt. The pants are high waisted. Finally, her shoes. They’re leather boots, much like the ones Hunter wears.

Her book bag is an essential piece to her uniform. It’s slung over her left shoulder, underneath the cape, and it rests on her right hip. It’s empty, right now. Her dad told her to keep it empty today, he has a surprise for her. She already has an idea as to what the surprise is, but that’s okay.

Luz’s brown eyes drift to wear the helmet sits on her bed. It’s polished, not a single fingerprint in sight. It completes her uniform. Once it’s on, Luz is officially the Golden Guard. She hesitates a moment before picking it up, and carefully putting it on. She pulls the hood up, and looks at herself in the mirror.

At least you can’t tell she’s nervous.

She quietly leaves the room after, smiling at Hunter when she sees him in his Golden Guard uniform. She pauses. “Oh I forgot you can’t see me smiling.” She mutters under her breath. She hears Hunter laugh at her, and sticks her tongue out. She squeaks when it hits the cold metal, and retracts it.

“You just tried to stick your tongue out didn’t you?” Luz doesn’t respond, causing Hunter to laugh. “It takes some getting used to, especially when you rely on people seeing your face to communicate half the time.” He says honestly, walking with her to where the ceremony is. It starts to get louder, lots of murmurs and people talking excitedly.

Hunter gently grabs her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re going to do great,” he murmurs softly. Luz shoots him a grateful look, and pauses.

“Thank you.” She let’s go, and quietly starts to walk to where Belos is when the ceremony starts. It passes in a blur. The vow to protect, things she can barely remember. Her world starts to slow down when her dad speaks again.

“From this day forward, you are the Silver Guard, my successor!” The cheers reach her ears, and she feels relieved that it’s over. Belos holds something out to her, and she pauses.

It’s a leather bound book, designed to match her bag and armour. She takes it gingerly, and examines it. It’s for her glyphs… It’s perfect. She looks up from it.

“Thank you, I swear I’ll work hard. I will make you proud.” She promises as she slips the book into her bag.

“You already have.”

Chapter Text

Luz smiles a bit as she opens her book for the first time. You’d think that she’d actually be careful, and to train using it before being sent on a mission. But, well, she forgot about it. She worked hard, and has been training in physical combat almost non stop. While she used her glyphs, she normally fell back on her almost full notebook.

But, with her first job coming up, it was likely that she’d need it. “It’s relatively simple,” Belos had explained. “Just the pages will never run out, but your glyphs have a time limit. You have three days from the day you write it to use them, or they’ll disappear. I recommend carrying something small with you for emergencies.”

With her first job coming tomorrow, she should prepare glyphs for it. It’s a group of wild witches, some who just escaped from the conformatorium. Dangerous people, those who refuse to acknowledge the danger of the magic they practiced. It makes Luz’s blood boil.

Running in fear, tripping and turning to see a wild witch reaching for her… Hunter leaving the infirmary covered in bandages from trying to fend them off…

She shuts her eyes, and takes a deep breath. She’s trying not to think about it. It’s something that traumatized her. Sometimes, she used to lie in bed and think about what would have happened had her dad not come.

She presses her pen down harshly, and takes a deep breath. “No use dwelling on it,” she murmurs to herself. “I’m safe. Dad saved me. Hunter protected me.” ‘Hunter got hurt for you.’ She flinches. He promised he was okay. He’s alive, that’s what-

A knock on the door snaps her out of her thoughts. “Come in!” She sets her pencil down and looks up, watching as the door opens. Hunter is standing there, already changed into his pyjamas.

“You should try to sleep- we leave pretty early in the morning.” He says with a small yawn. He has heavy bags under his eyes, and Luz can’t help but wonder when the last time he slept was. “Got your stuff packed?”

“Yeah- I was just writing glyphs in my new book, I think I’m set now.” She explains, putting her book and pen into her bag. “Your eyebags are heavier than my emotional baggage. When’s the last time you slept?”

Hunter stares at her, and sighs. “I’ve been busy, Luz. I’m only sleeping because I don’t want to pass out while I’m somewhere unsafe.” He says honestly. He rubs the back of his neck. “Could you… maybe use that heat glyph to heat up my room?” He asks, hesitantly.

Luz writes something down on a piece of paper. “Don’t want to use a blanket tonight?” She asks gently, nonjudgmentally.

He nods quietly. “I… kinda feel my bones right now. Even my pyjamas feel like too much and I just…” He trails off. “I don’t like the cold.” He admits.

Luz smiles gently at him and holds out the piece of paper. Hunter takes it gratefully. “You know how to activate it.” He gives her a grateful look, and tells her goodnight.

She shuts the door behind her and goes over to her stuff. After making sure she had everything she needed, she puts her book away and changes into her pyjamas.

Her first mission is simple. Capture five wild witches with Hunter, two of which escaped. She has someone more experienced on her side, and she has no doubt that her dad would be sending someone to follow them to make sure that they stay safe. It’s a no brainer, really.

She crawls into bed, and shuts her eyes.

Hunter wasn’t kidding when he said they’d be leaving early. He came into her room with breakfast, and gently woke her up. “We’re leaving in an hour. You have an hour to eat, grab your staff, stuff and get dressed.” She would thank him for letting her sleep in and for bringing her breakfast later. He didn’t have to, after all.

Her staff is a simple one. It’s much like Hunter’s, being one made with artificial magic. It’s not really meant for combat, the glyphs are her source of magic. It’s more meant for flying, and potentially for emergencies. She stopped making fun of Hunter for how long it took for him to get used to his. She’s not even quite used to it yet. She forgets she’s holding it sometimes too.

She goes outside with him, a light backpack on and her book bag draped over her shoulders. “I’m ready.” She mumbles out, yawning softly towards the end of her sentence

Hunter laughs. “Not so easy being like me is it? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get used to little to no sleep.” He spoke teasingly, although Luz is positive that he’s serious. She suddenly wishes her dad didn’t deem her fit enough for this.

“Shut up, we need to get going.” She mumbles out, taking off with him. It’s a quiet flight bringing them to a heavily forested area. She lands with him, and steps onto the ground.

“The tracking begins now,” Hunter says with a soft hum, beginning to walk through the forest with Luz trailing after him. “We do have to be careful,” he adds after a moment.

Luz raises an eyebrow as she looks around. “I knew that already… wild witches are dangerous. They…” She trails off. Hunter glances back at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence. She hesitates. “Hunter… what happened when you told me to run that day? Dad said that you were okay- that help was on the way but… when you left the infirmary…” She frowns.

Hunter pauses in his steps, and looks back at her. “I fought them.” He answers. “They felt the need to teach me a lesson. Uncle came across me, and thought I was holding my own. H esent help after he went to get you.”

Luz’s frown deepens. “But that doesn’t make sense.” She says out loud. “He didn’t stop-”

Hunter looks at her fully now. “You must be remembering things wrong then- it was traumatic.” He explains away. She’s quiet for a moment, unsure of if he’s right or not. She shakes her head no.

“I don’t think-” Hunter shushes her, and she quickly takes a look around, her eyes narrowing behind the mask. She glances back at him, and gives a slight nod. Something’s here with them.

They move closer together so they are standing back to back. It doesn’t take long for someone to step out. It’s a witch, one that Luz recognizes from a wanted poster. It’s one of their targets, armed with a palismen.

She reaches into her bag-

“Wait!”

Chapter Text

Luz hesitates, and meets her eyes. She’s scared, that’s a look of fear. The same one Luz had that day. Her hand stops in her bag. They had a plan. Find the wild witches, capture them, bring them to the conformatorium. It was supposed to be easy.

So why is she frozen in place?

“I mean no harm- I promise I just, I want to get back to my family!” Hunter nudges Luz’s shoulder, bringing her back to reality. She quickly switches places with Hunter. He hears the witch yelp, and hears her struggling to get out of whatever Hunter has used to tie her up.

She looks over at him, a pained look in her eyes. “I’m sorry I just-”

“You’re pretty young, it’s your first mission.” He gives her a small smile. “It’s why I’m with you, to make sure it gets done. You’ll get used to it one day.”

Despite the smile, and the look on his face, it doesn’t feel very reassuring. “What do we do with her…?” Luz asks hesitantly.

“You could let me go?” The witch asks hopefully, a look of fear in her eyes… Luz looks away.

“Oh, draw the teleportation glyph under her, just send her to the conformatorium.” Hunter says smoothly, setting the palismen into his bag. Luz nods, drawing the glyph before pushing the witch onto it. She disappears seconds later.

“That’s one down,” Luz mutters under her breath. “I don’t know If, I don’t know if I’ll ever be used to this.” She says softly and honestly.

Hunter frowns. “Luz, this is a part of your job. You have to do this.” He says. “You’ll get used to it, I promise you. For now, you have me to help you. I’ve done this before, I’m used to it.” He gives her a smile. “You’ll have to get used to it though… Dad will send you on your own at some point.”

Luz stares down at the glyph on the ground, quiet for a moment. “Yeah, yeah you’re right.” She takes a deep breath. “I can do this,” she mutters under her breath. “I’ll capture the next one.” She grins at him.

“That’s the spirit!” Hunter exclaims excitedly. “I’m… actually happy to have someone come with me. To have an equal… It can get pretty lonely out here.” He says honestly, starting to walk with Luz. Despite his enthusiasm, and his reassurance that she’ll be fine, Luz has her doubts.

Did these people actually deserve to be captured?

She shakes her head slightly as they walk through the woods. Dad wouldn’t have them go on this mission if he didn’t truly believe they did something wrong. He wouldn’t lie to Luz, or to Hunter.

She takes solace in the fact that these are bad people.

It flies by, especially with Hunter leading them. There’s something that Luz realizes as they captured three of the other witches. They don’t have to talk much to communicate what they are about to do. The other just has to see them to be able to understand exactly what they are about to do. It’s impressive to Luz.

“It’s because we train together,” Hunter explains. “We have been since dad deemed you ready. We know what to look out for, so we know how to fight each other. Isn’t that cool?” He asks with a grin. “I can take half a step back, and turn your face to the side and I know you’re reaching for a fire glyph.”

“I never thought that would happen,” she says honestly. She pulls out the list of witches, and looks down it. “Who’s the Owl Lady?” She finally asks.

Hunter sighs. “Don’t be upset if we can’t catch her. She’s tricky,” he explains. “I hate to admit it but she’s likely the most powerful witch on the boiling isles… that includes Belos. She’s escaped from the conformatorium countless times.” His eyes narrow. “She’s the worst of the worst,” he practically spits out. “She once tried out for the Emperor’s Coven, but her sister got in instead. Some say her anger and hatred was enough to curse her.”

“That’s not how curses work,” Luz says with a frown.

“It’s just what people say,” Hunter insists. “She was apparently with these wild witches, although I’m not sure why… she normally works al-” He steps forward, and yelps as a rope tightens around his ankle and forces him up in the air.

“One of her traps?” Luz asks teasingly, watching as Hunter starts to swing himself a bit, using the momentum to help himself grab onto his ankle. He pulls a knife out, and cuts through the rope. He drops to the ground not so gracefully.

“Yes,” he grumbles out. “She causes me too many issues, Luz.” He mutters out.

“I’m sorry but the mental image of this wild witch just terrorizing you every single time you go to track her down is hilarious to me and I don’t know why.” She giggles out, eyes shining.

“Yeah yeah. Hunt her enough times, and you’ll be in the same boat as me,” Hunter grumbles out. “Endlessly annoyed with her ‘tactics’ and her laugh.” He sighs softly. “But the trap does mean we’re on the right track. Let’s keep going.”

They forge on ahead. It doesn’t take long to find the Owl Lady. Her hair is down to her mid back. It’s mostly grey, with one bright orange streak. One of her eyes is yellow, the other is grey. She’s talking to a small owl.

No, a palismen.

“Relax Owlbert, the metal brats are probably caught in a trap right now.” She laughs a bit. “One of them is going to learn very quickly why they don’t like me.” She seems highly amused.

Hunter gestures for Luz to follow him. She gives a quiet nod, and steps forward, only to squeak when she’s lifted into the air. She clutches her staff tightly, and her book bag is hanging off her as well. Nothing falls out, thank Titan.

The Owl Lady turns her head. Not just turn it, like herself or Hunter would. No, it’s very owl-like, turning her head all the way around. She grins, and snorts.

“You both avoided most of my traps! I’m impressed! But you can’t catch me, not when you’re stuck.” She holds her hand out, and her palismen, Owlbert, flies to her, turning into a staff. “It’s up to you, Golden Guard! Follow me, and leave the Silver Guard, or help the Silver Guard, and let me get away!” She gets on her staff. “Bye~” She exclaims, flying off on her staff.

Luz watches as Hunter clenches his fists. He goes over to Luz, and carefully help her down. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine- but you let her get away!” Luz exclaims, eyes wide.

“There will be other opportunities just… Let me tell Uncle what happened when we get home. Okay?” THere’s a look on Hunter’s face, one that Luz can’t quite place. It’s hollow, and worried.

Luz doesn’t question it.

Chapter Text

The flight back is quiet, from his end. Luz is talking the entire time, rambling about things he doesn’t particularly care about at that moment. And, honestly, who could blame him for not caring? He failed.

He scolds himself. He takes a deep breath to try and steady himself.

There are a few things that Hunter knows, specifically about Luz and her relationship with Belos. While Belos raised him from since he was a toddler , he was considered his nephew. Luz, who stumbled into this world at the ripe age of five, was considered his daughter within a few months.

Even as a child, he found it unfair. Hunter did everything he could to please Belos. He trained nonstop, stopped taking care of himself, went days without sleep just so he could impress him. He did what he asked.

And Hunter asked for very little. He asked to learn magic, but was fine when Belos had said no. His staff and knife was all he needed, alongside the combat training that always ended with bruise after bruise.

He only asked for clothes when he grew out of them, and books when he read everything he already had at least five times. He barely asked for food, with that being a regular thing since Luz joined them. Belos had asked that Luz doesn’t know what he does to Hunter.

Hunter had agreed.

He was willing to do everything for his Uncle.

All he had to show for his efforts is a cut on his ear, and the scars that litter his body.

“You said you’d protect her. Was that a lie, Hunter? Or should I stop putting effort into you? If you’re this weak after years of training, I don’t know if we should continue.” The memory comes to mind. Him being beaten to a pulp as his Uncle stood back and watched.

It’s the moment that solidified everything that he thought about Luz.

Luz could draw a couple circles and make a useless light, and Uncle would be impressed. She could fail her combat training over and over again, and Uncle would merely smile at her. “It’s alright, my daughter. You’ll get it right soon.”

Luz didn’t have to try, and she was perfect in his Uncle’s eyes.

Don’t get him wrong, Hunter loves her. Luz is his sister. She’s consistently nice to him, making sure he’s slept, giving him glyphs when he needs them. Uncle has even said that both of their skills in hand to hand combat have greatly improved since Luz has started training with him.

But a part of him resents her.

He almost wishes his Uncle would snap at her, would punish her for failing. At least then he’d know that his Uncle’s love is conditional for the two of them. They would both be able to relate to it, and Hunter could finally talk to her about everything his Uncle has done to him.

But, he knows that won’t happen.

They arrive at the castle, and Hunter gives her a tight smile. “Luz, why don’t you go shower and sleep? You’re probably tired. I’ll give Emperor Belos the report.”

And Luz hesitates. “Why don’t I go with you?” She asks, giving a small smile.

Hunter shakes his head no. “You’re practically falling asleep on your feet, you’ll fall asleep right then and there if you come with me.” He says, giving her a small grin. “I’ll tell you how it went after.”

And Luz does look like she’s going to fall asleep then and there. She has eyebags, something Hunter has never seen on her before. She keeps yawning, and she’d shut her eyes for just a moment or two of relief. She was jumbling her words, not making much sense.

It’s clear she didn’t get all the sleep she should have gotten last night. At the insistence, she gives a tired nod and hugs him. “Thank you, Hunter. We’ll talk about it tomorrow, probably after dad scolds me for getting caught in a trap so easily.”

A scolding is all Luz would get. He knows that all too well. She would be told to be more careful next time, and then Uncle would insist on making sure her ankle was okay, just in case she was pulled up wrong or something.

Hunter wouldn’t be surprised if he even called in Hettie Cutburn, just to be safe. He remembers when Luz tripped down the stairs. She had sprained her ankle trying to catch herself, and got some bruises. Despite having some of the best healers within both the Healers Coven and the Emperor’s Coven, he called Hettie in.

The woman was amused, to say the least. She teased the Emperor for calling her in for something so small, much to Luz’s embarrassment. Hunter practically heard the smile in his Uncle’s voice. “One can never be too careful.”

Hunter quietly goes to the room where his Uncle spent most of his time, and did most of his business. The door is shut, but Kikimora is there in front of it. She seems smug, already a bad sign. She was only that smug when his Uncle was mad at someone in a higher position than her.

In this case, Hunter himself.

“He’s been expecting you.” She says, the delight clear in her voice as she begins to walk away. Hunter takes a deep breath to steel himself, and quietly steps inside. Once in, he kneels. This isn’t his Uncle right now, this is the Emperor.

“As you may have been informed, the Silver Guard and I captured four of the five wild witches. The Silver Guard used a glyph to teleport them to the conformatorium.” He explains. It’s quick, and to the point.

“And the fifth?” Belos asks calmly.

Hunter is quiet. Then, an intrusive thought comes to mind. It’s dark, something that horrified him. ‘Maybe this will be the last straw. He may snap at her.’ The voice sounds utterly delighted. He buries that thought deep down.

“The Silver Guard got caught in one of the Owl Lady’s traps. She didn’t know how to get herself down, so I cut her down. The Owl Lady took the chance to escape.”

There’s silence.

Then pain.

Luz pauses when she hears a knock on the door. She rubs her eyes before going over to it, opening it to see her dad.

“Are you alright? Hunter told me what happened.” Belos asks, his concern and worry clear. He’s looking at her right leg.

“I’m okay, dad. Just tired.” This seems to calm him down, and Luz genuinely hopes he doesn’t call Hettie over this. She isn’t even injured.

“I’m glad. Hunter told me about everything. You did a wonderful job, Luz. I know I can trust you to do more in the future.” He praises. “The Owl Lady is tricky,” he adds. “Don’t dwell on it.”

And Luz smiles. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

There’s a few things that Luz Noceda discovered the longer she hunted the Owl Lady. One, she’s very fond of traps. Two, she has a house demon that has a rather annoying personality and will see everyone as a ‘friend’, which was horrifying in its own right. Three, if Luz was honest with herself, Eda the Owl Lady is the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles.

Her magic and strength even rivals that of her father’s. Even so, Eda tended to pride herself on beating people with stupid tricks rather than relying on her magic. Setting up traps, being able to ditch them, and manipulating them.

Luz discovered this on a hunt herself once. It was her first and so far only solo mission to date. “Don’t worry if you don’t succeed, this is more to gauge your progress since your first job.” Belos had reassured her gently.

Luz had no doubt that someone followed her, but that was alright. While she wasn’t sure if she would succeed, she did her best. And she had gotten close. The Owl Lady had to start using her magic against her, but even then Luz knew she wasn’t doing her best.

The Owl Lady wasn’t taking her seriously. She was still focused, and seemed to be gauging her, trying to figure out how much she would need to beat her. What the bare minimum magic she needed to use was.

“Take me seriously, wild witch!” Luz remembers yelling at her. She had hesitated, and Luz took advantage of this. She had managed to burn her, something that the Owl Lady had quickly used her magic to fix.

“I am taking you seriously, kid.” She had said. “You’ve gotten better since our last encounter, much better than our first. But you’re still lacking. It’s clear you’re used to training with one person, and keeping an eye out for their tells.

“But that doesn’t help you here.” The Owl Lady had created vines, wrapping Luz tightly. “Come fight me after you can hold your own against someone other than your normal sparring partner.” The Owl Lady glanced off into the bushes. “Lilith, why don’t you train with her?” She had asked, grinning. It’s a clear tease towards her sister, letting her know that she knew she was there.

After hopping onto her staff, and yelling out ‘bye’, the Owl Lady disappeared into the sky. The vines had receded soon after. Luz had stared after her, quietly.

And she took the challenge.

Even now, Luz doesn’t train with Hunter as much as she used to. Both of their training regiments were changed, with Luz training almost obsessively with Lilith. She was, and still is, determined to understand Lilith’s patterns and how she fights.

As different as Eda and Lilith are, they have some similarities between them. Some of their tells are very similar, if not the same.

It became an unspoken but very known goal of Luz’s to take the Owl Lady to the conformatorium herself. When she was told that Lilith was tasked with bringing the Owl Lady, she insisted on helping her.

Which brings her to now. She’s watching the Owl Lady collect human trash, which she tends to sell. She feels a small pull at her heart as she watches her do so. Watching her do this makes her feel almost home sick. Although, that doesn’t feel like the right way to describe it anymore. It’s been so long after all.

Luz quietly writes down the time, and location. The Owl Lady doesn’t seem to have a pattern, but if she does, writing it down will be easier to figure it out. She quickly starts to backup, only pausing when she sees a boy approach her.

He’s short. ‘Can’t be older than twelve,’ Luz thinks to herself. He has curly brown hair and grey eyes. He’s wearing a Hexside uniform. The blue is very recognizable to Luz. ‘An illusionist.’ The two seem very familiar, with Eda being rather relaxed around him.

Luz quietly moves closer, and uses an invisibility glyph when she deems herself close enough. She moves over, and listens in.

“I still think you should just drop out of school,” the Owl Lady says so casually. “I can teach you more than Hexside ever could.” She’s teasing more than anything, Luz decides. The boy shrugs.

“I like it there,” he explains. “And you’re still teaching me things! Although I’m not technically supposed to learn anything but illusion magic…” He trails off, and shakes his head a bit. “I’m mostly here to look at human stuff and take what I can from you!” He exclaims.

Luz stares at his uniform for a moment, and a plan forms in her head. She quietly walks away, allowing herself to breathe in when she’s out of sight. She pulls out a teleportation glyph, and goes back home.

The Owl Lady has an attachment to this kid, almost like a mentor and student relationship. It was easy enough to see just from that. He goes to Hexside, if Luz can get close to him she can get close to the Owl Lady.

There is the problem of which track she should choose. Preferably, she wouldn’t have to use glyphs to do it. Her eyes narrow slightly. The only two tracks she can think of where she could get away with that is Beast Keeping and Potions.

And there is no chance her dad would agree to letting her join for Beast Keeping. ‘Potions it is,’ she decides as she walks to her dad’s office. She knocks.

“Come in,” she hears. Luz takes a deep breath as she enters, shutting the door behind her. “Luz,” he greets warmly. “How did it go?”

She hesitates before meeting his eyes. Or, at least, the eyes of the mask. “It went well, it seems that the Owl Lady has become a mentor of sorts towards a Hexside student.” She hesitates. “I would like to be enrolled at Hexside as Luz Noceda in order to, hopefully, get closer to the Owl Lady and her student.” She explains. “I would go into the potions track, and befriend her student. I would hide my ears, and find everything I can about her.”

Belos is quiet, seeming to consider the idea. Then, he sighs. “Luz, I don’t think it’s the best idea. You would have to use glyphs, and those are a dead giveaway as to the fact that you are the Silver Guard.”

“Not if I join the Potions track. I can request a private audition, and hide the glyphs. The easiest ones for that would be invisibility and light glyphs.” She explains. “I can make the paper itself invisible, activate it before deactivating the invisibility glyph. I would be careful. Plus, in the potions track, I won’t have to use magic much or often.”

Belos stares at her, and she hears him sigh. “I’ll consider it.”

Luz can’t help but beam from behind her mask. “Thank you.”