To Desire Blood Where It Flows Not, Part 4
To Desire Blood Where It Flows Not.
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Amity
Amity looked over the plan, praying to the Titan that Song’s magic would pull through instead. Eda and Raine had decided on magically enhanced SCUBA gear that Gus had. Amity didn’t know what they had done to make them so tough, but when Eda dropped one into the boiling sea, it didn’t instantly melt into sludge.
It only took four hours before that happened.
Amity decided if Song’s powers didn’t come through, then she would lead their team underwater. She remembered what Eda had said. It wasn’t just about the strength of the shield spell but how long it could last under pressure. Lilith asked to come on this trip, so she and Raine traded places.
It was starting to get dark by the time they were done testing out the plan, so Amity decided to get some rest, planning to leave early the next morning. She wanted to talk to Song more, but she was preoccupied with speaking with Eda about magic. It was so weird. As soon as Song put any focus into doing her spells, they didn’t work. Even Eda thought that was really weird. Amity knew Song couldn’t sleep, so she decided to sleep alone.
It was a restless sleep, just like the night at Camila’s. While Amity didn’t have any nightmares, she also didn’t sleep well either. Amity just couldn’t think of a reason why should couldn’t sleep. She woke up several times in the middle of the night due to the wind rustling or the creak of a floorboard.
It was getting annoying until when she woke up the fourth time. She woke up to the howl of the wind beating against the Owl House. Then she heard it. It was subtle but beautiful, and Amity realized that hearing was already starting to make her drowsy. She looked around the source of it and was very surprised to find Song sitting in the doorway, humming a tune.
Amity realized quickly from the magic she felt that Song was using her “voice” again. She could feel its reverberations in her bones, urging her body to rest, her mind to quiet down. It sounded like the autumn breeze or the waves crashing on the beach. Like nature itself was singing a tune. It wasn’t like when Song used her voice last time. No, this time, the humming was simply asking Amity politely to rest, and she felt compelled to listen.
In a few short seconds, Amity was sleeping again, and she slept wonderfully.
To Desire Blood Where Blood Flows Not.
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Amity
Amity woke up early in the morning, her mind alert and ready. She hadn’t slept so well in… in years perhaps, but she was feeling the fire of hope in her heart. If today went well, they would be one closer to bringing Luz back. Amity shot out of bed and threw her clothes on, pulling a boot over her foot as she hopped out of the guest room. She rushed downstairs to find Song, Eda, and Lilith all sitting around the map discussing.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Amity asked, rushing over to the table.
“Because you needed to sleep well,” Song said, trying to hand her a plate of griffin egg omelet. Amity opened her mouth to protest, but Song stuck a fork full of eggs into her mouth. Amity recoiled, chewing the food but doing her best to calm down. She could feel the redness in her cheeks. Song’s argument was pretty good, so Amity grabbed the plate and started eating.
Eda snorted before resuming talking with Lilith.
“So if we go here to the edge of this Caltraz Island, it should be only around five human miles to where the island sunk?” Eda asked.
“Yes, but we’ll need to contract a boat out there for this to work,” Lilith said.
“There's no need to charter a boat! We can use my airship!” She told them, dangling a set of keys.
“Isn’t that thing still in the testing phase?” Eda asked.
“Nah, it's basically ready to go,” Amity told her. Eda shrugged and turned back to Lilith.
“Can’t believe I’m asking this, Lily, but how’s the area politically?” Eda mumbled.
“It’s okay. Just a small sect of Belos supporters, but from what I hear, it’s not very organized,” Lilith said.
“It’s just some Belos supporters!” Amity said, “And with Song? I’m sure we’ll be fine!”
The others looked at Amity with a bit of disbelief, but Amity was sure now that they could take any trouble. Even if Song’s powers were weird, both Harpy Women and Amity were plenty good at watching themselves out there. The reason she was so sure was because of Song’s voice. She realized how powerful it was if she could just use it right.
“Trust me, Eda. I think we’re good, the four of us,” Amity told them. Then an idea came to mind.
“FIIIVE. I’M COMING TOO!” Hooty called from the door. Amity scowled and looked back at the table.
“What do I have to pay you to leave him here?” She asked Lilith.
“Nothing, because he’s coming. He’s very good at defending, you know!” She said. Amity scowled again and looked back at Song, who also had a face of disgust.
“Fine then, let's get going,” She said, finishing up the last bite of egg and floating the plate into the sink. Eda gave her a nod and packed up all the equipment they needed before following Lilith and Hooty outside. Before Song could follow, Amity grabbed her claw and pulled her back.
“Thanks for helping me last night,” Amity said, giving her a smile.
“I… I was trying to help. I don’t want to hurt you,” Song whispered.
“You don’t, Song. You don’t hurt me,” Amity said reassuringly. She felt a bit guilty still, but she knew it wasn’t Song’s fault. It wasn’t anyone's fault besides Belos that this was happening. Song nodded and pulled away, heading out the door. Amity steeled her resolve and followed outside.
To Desire Blood Where It Flows Not.
____
Amity
It was smooth, flying down to the toes. Eda regaled Song with stories ranging from her days in school to the times she knew Luz. Song seemed interested in it, and Amity gladly contributed in any way she could. She was happy that Song seemed interested in her past a little. It gave Amity hope.
She was mostly focused on driving her airship, though. It was done with its testing phase, but it still required a good amount of attention to fly properly. With Song’s claws and Eda’s hook hand, it was only Lilith and Amity that were rigging the boat while they flew. When they started getting close to Akori, Amity let Lilith take over and went to speak with Eda.
“We’re gonna be there soon, and I still really wan-” Amity started, but Eda cut her off, pulling to the side.
“Don’t mention magic to Song. If she’s not nervous, she might be able to help!” Eda hissed. Amity nodded, looking back at Song, who was talking with Stringbean, but had an eye on Amity all the same. Amity decided to salvage the situation, walking back over to her, Eda watching from behind.
“Hey, Song. Take your time, okay? No use in being stressed we already got a good plan!” Amity said, reaching up to give her a pat on the shoulder.
“But you said I could really help here… and,” Song paused, looking at the crashing waves. “I want to help. I want to find peace,” She said.
“What do you mean?” Amity asked.
“I want- no need to find peace. I think the only way I can do that is if we at least recover Luz’s parts,” Song said. Amity gulped, looking back at the purple water.
“Just recover them?” Amity asked. “Nothing… nothing else?” Song gave her a smile.
“That's my plan, at least,” She said. “Before we try anything else yea?” She asked.
“Before anything else,” Amity repeated. She remembered Song’s speech from last night. This was a subject that wasn’t going to have a happy ending.
She wants to LIVE.
Can she, though? She’s a third of a whole.
Amity shook her head and gave Song an assuring pat before walking back to Lilith. Eda interrupted her on the way, pulling her aside again.
“What going on?” Eda asked.
“Nothing, but she seems relaxed right now,” Amity told her, breaking away again. She joined Lilith at the helm.
“We’re here, captain!” She said cheerfully.
“Lilith, there's no need to call me captain,” Amity said. Lilith just smiled at her, and she gave the wheel a small turn and pressed the descending switch.
“Sure, even know you own the vessel and are the leader of this expedition?” She said snarkily. Amity growled at her, turning away to pull in some of the riggings. That was when she heard a loud
THWOOMP
Amity looked to see that Song had extended her wings and was now flying beside the airship. She then felt the waves of magic coming from Song. They were intense, like the smells of pure alcohol and lavender. Amity creaked her neck around to see that both Lilith and Eda were both petrified watching Song.
Amity watched as Song drew a massive spell circle with her staff and faced it toward the oceans. Song summoned glyph after glyph, making one of the largest patterns she’d ever seen. Then the air went cold as the halfling flicked one claw lazily, and the spell circle shot at the boiling sea.
There was this pause, not unlike when Song had used her voice, except Amity still heard the ocean, and the ocean was furious. With a rumble, Amity jumped backward as the ocean shot up around them, in streams, twisting around the airship and into the sky. She saw Song lazily spinning her hand in the air like she was stirring a drink or something, and the water formed into a massive boiling sphere above them. Amity looked down to see that where the sphere of water should’ve been was what looked like a massive underwater mountain, though it wasn’t underwater anymore. Song had drained the section of the boiling sea where the island in question was.
“The spell should hold for at least a few hours, but it's taking a lot of energy to make sure that thing doesn’t come crashing down,” Song yelled from beside the boat.
Amity just stared open-mouthed at Song, who landed next to Eda on deck. She was expecting some sort of protection glyph, not cutting a slice out of the ocean.
“You good, Ames?” Song asked, placing a glowing claw on Amity’s shoulder.
“Uhh, yea,” Amity mustered.
“Is this not good enough?” Song asked. Amity heard the hissing of a drop of water, and she immediately turned to Song and grabbed her hands.
“NO! This is beyond perfect. You said a couple of hours? We should be fine!” Amity told her with the most assured tone she could put on. Song gave her a little nod as she walked to the bow of the ship and pointed a finger back up at the sky. Amity, too, looked up nervously at the water above and then went for it. She grabbed the descending level and pulled it. The airship shuddered a little as they descended into the clear area Song had created. When they landed, Eda walked over to Amity and grabbed her shoulder.
“That’s some serious magic, and she can’t do it on command?” Eda asked. Amity just nodded, and she put the airship into an idle state.
“Wow, that's- wow,” Eda said as she walked back to Song. Amity looked over to see that Lilith was already asking Song questions. Grabbing some gear and an enchantment detector that her Dad made, Amity went to go save Song from Lilith's questions.
“Ms. Lilith?” Amity asked, handing Lilith the enchantment detector.
“Do you need me to run this?” Lilith asked.
“Yea, that would be great!” Amity responded, turning to the rest of their small group.
“Song said we got a couple of hours before the spell wears off,” Amity announced.
“I’d say about five hours tops!” Song chimed in.
“Sounds good; let's get going,” Eda said. They all then descended the gangway and out to the flooded island.
To Desire Blood Where It Flows Not.
____
Lilith
Lilith was astounded at the level of magic that Song had performed. It was the kind of magic that she could only dream of doing back when she was in the Emperor's Coven. Lilith looked nervously at the massive floating orb of water above them and hoped to Titan that Song wouldn’t lose focus on it. It would mean boiled Owl and Raven for everyone.
Lilith twisted some of the dials of the machine she was holding and held it high. It was another of Aladaors magical technology fusions, built to detect magic through a machine called a “Geiger counter.” Despite how useful is was, Lilith had the clicking sound it made. It was highly irritating. The clicking sound started getting quieter as they walked toward a melted stone structure, so Lilith began spinning around in order to get a better lead.
“Edalyn, we have to go that way!” Lilith pointed to an outcrop of rocks.
“Lily, that's a boulder,” Eda said sarcastically.
“Behind the boulder!”
“Yea, that makes more sense.”
Lilith looked around to find her sister and saw that Eda’s eyes were glued to the water orb above them. Eda had reason to be nervous, but Lilith could tell that showing any doubt in the spell would cause it to falter. They needed to trust Song.
“Edalyn, if you’re going to stare at the sky, why don’t you just wait by the ship?” Lilith asked.
“Pfft, and let you find the key to opening a portal to a pocket dimension by yourself?” Eda paused, making a mocking sound as she thought, “UHHH, no. I’m coming. You’re stuck with me.”
Lilith sighed and walked over to Eda, leaning in to whisper to her.
“Please don’t show doubt in the spell Song cast; then it really will fall and boil us alive!” Lilith hissed under her breath. Eda gave a simple smile and nodded- something Lilith was not expecting such a subtle response, but she took it and refocused on the machine.
They walked around the sunken Hawths Island in less than an hour. It was truly small, but Lilith was able to tell that it hadn’t shrunk during its time underwater. They spent time scouring the top of the island, but they couldn’t find anything notable. Just the bricks of a few ruined buildings. Then when they made their way to the southern edge of the island, the magic detector started going wild, the clicking sound getting even more annoying.
“I believe we’ve found it,” Lilith said, pointing to a small entrance to a cave.
“Are we gonna fit in there?” Amity asked, looking towards Song, who stood at least a head and shoulders taller than all of them.
“I’m sure she will, dear,” Lilith told her, walking towards the small entrance. She removed a small lantern from her hip and led them inside. She lowered her head a little and walked into the cave. The residual heat from the water made the stone walls of the cave hot to the touch, but other than that, it was easy to maneuver through it. Even Song was able to squeeze through untouched. After a while, Lilith raised her lamp to realize that they were in some sort of small amphitheater, with another tunnel leading forward. The machine was going crazy now, so Lilith felt comfortable enough to turn it off and put it on her back.
While she was doing so, Eda pushed forward to go through the tunnel entrances. As soon as she tried stepping through the threshold, a forcefield appeared and sent her stumbling backward in Lilith, knocking them both to the ground.
“Edalyn! Get off of me!” Lilith groaned.
“YEAH, EDA. GET OFF OF LULU!” Hooty yelled. Lilith had forgotten he was there. He was had been unusually quiet.
“Dammit,” Eda groaned, her back cracking as she got up. “That was one heck of a protective barrier.”
Eda helped Lilith up and looked at the tunnel entrance. Surrounding the entrance was an arch of dimly glowing glyphs.
“Lily, how do we get through those?” Eda asked.
Lilith was about to answer, but Amity did instead.
“They’re The Titans glyphs!” She exclaimed, running her hand over one, “And they’re still working! That must mean there's Titans blood nearby!” Amity said.
“Song, is there anything you can do?” Eda asked
“I can try,” Song said, stepping forwards. She raised a clawed finger to the barrier and tapped it. In the blink of an eye, the glyphs creating the barrier burned out. The magical shield then shattered like glass, dissipating into smoke.
With that, they all walked into the inner cave.
To Desire Blood Where It Flows Not.
____
Lilith
Lilith looked around the small laboratory they had walked into. She was honestly expecting more protective measures, but other than the glyph barrier and several false floor tiles, it had been rather easy to break in.
The laboratory was fascinating, though. She’s never seen anything so advanced coming from Deadwardian Era. There were even some hints of abomination technology in the ruins, which she thought was beyond interesting. In their modern era, they where only just starting to use magical technology.
“Lily! Focus!” Eda yelled as she poked an empty vile holder with her hook.
“You’re not focusing,” Lilith yelled back.
“Am too!” Eda snarked, “What if one of these viles holds the blood?”
Lilith was about to snap back, but Amity jumped in beforehand.
“Ms. Lilith, I know this place is interesting, but we’ve got more pressing things,” She said before turning to Eda. “Owl Lady, those viles are obviously empty. Check somewhere else.”
Both sisters scowled and went to look around the old lab. Container after container where empty of useful items as they made their way to the end of the room. In a corner was an old wooden cabinet that looked ready to disintegrate at a single touch.
“Edalyn, let me check-” Lilith began to say.
“Nah,” Eda interrupted, throwing the cabinet open. The poor thing groaned as its doors were opened, and Lilith heard a couple of hinges snap from the strain. Inside were a bunch of cracked and empty viles, with dried blue blood caking the walls.
“Kiddos!” Eda yelled. “We found it, but it looks like a lot of them are broken open!”
Lilith heard Amity and Song rush up behind her, but she was too busy moving around the glass, looking for an intact one. Just when Lilith was starting to lose hope, she saw it. In the very back of the cabinet, hidden under shards of glass, was the smallest vile she’d ever seen. She gingerly picked it up and brought it close.
“That looks like it,” Eda said quietly as Lilith turned vile in her hands.
“Let me see,” Amity said, reaching for the blood. Lilith handed it to the blight girl, as she looked at it with fire in her eyes.
“Song?” Amity asked, holding it up so she could see the vile.
“That's his blood,” Song confirmed. Lilith saw the joy light up in Amity’s eyes as she wrapped the small blue vile in a cloth and gently put it in her satchel. Then she noticed Song’s golden eyes flicker for a second, become dark and ever so angry.
They had their key.