The angel of the owl house

Eda proved to be mostly correct too; Gilbert and Harvey Park had signed up almost before Raine could finish their pitch; both felt that they owed Luz for helping their daughter flourish into the strong young woman she'd become, and had been beyond furious when Willow had told them what Belos had done to Luz. The idea of the Emperor torturing a child and trying to force her to kill her own mother was disgusting and inexcusable to them, and while neither would be much good as frontline fighters, both were happy to join the CATTs, with the proviso that Willow could help so long as she was not put in danger unless it was necessary. Naturally Eda and Raine had agreed, and Luz found herself being fed cookies by Harvey, who thought her shrunken wings were adorable.

Perry Porter had joined almost as fast, having had a front row seat to the battle with Belos at the Conformatorium. He knew his son would always side with his friends, and Perry refused to be on a different side than his son, or to remain neutral while Gus fought the Emperor's Coven. Besides, he also disliked the idea of Gus being forced to join the Illusion Coven under the current Head Witch: Adrian Graye Vernworth, whom gave Perry the creeps with his prima-donna persona.

The Tholomules were a partial success; Matt and Steve had already talked to their parents, since Steve was a full member of the CATTs and a spy within the Emperor's Coven, so Raine didn't have to make much of an argument to convince them. Their father, Bart, was a member of the Construction Coven and was willing to join with his sons, but his wife (Matt's mother) politely declined and only offered to support her family in their decisions rather than get involved herself, as she was a peaceful woman. Steve also passed on that his Mom in Palm Stings had been asked too, and also declined, but would allow CATTs to take refuge in her home if need be, and receive some patching up from her since she was in the Healing Coven.

With six out of eight families now either fully or partially joining up with the CATTs, the trio happily made their way to the Cadence Manor to speak with Severin. Getting him on side would be a massive boon, as he was going to be the new Head of the Bard Coven soon, since Scooter had already announced his retirement.

They arrived at the manor and knocked on the door, and just like when they'd come for Skara's birthday party, the door was answered by the Severin family butler, though this time he was wearing a less fancy dark red suit. He took one look at them and gasped.

"M-Mx. Whispers!? I-I confess to not expecting to see you here! Are you here to visit Master Severin?" he then glanced to Luz, "Or perhaps Mistress Skara?"

"We're here to talk to Severin, though it would be nice to see Skara too." Raine smiled pleasantly.

The Butler nodded nervously, then hurried off after politely asking them to wait where they were. A few minutes later, Skara and Severin arrived in the entrance hall, the former smiling brightly while the latter looked conflicted. Skara ran over to them and cheerfully greeted them.

"Hey Luz! It's great to see you walking around in your true form!" Skara said, "What's with your wings though? They've become tiny! They're adorable!" she said, turning Luz around so she could touch her shrunken wings.

"Haha, it's a new spell my Mami taught me!" Luz said, giggling as Skara touched her wings, making them tickle.

Severin smiled sadly; "My Little Symphony, what have I told you about being so touchy without asking first?"

Skara pulled her hands back; "Oh! Sorry Luz, I got a little carried away."

"It's fine, I don't mind." Luz smiled, "I was the same when I was younger; I wanted to hug everyone! It took a while for me to realise not everyone wanted to be hugged."

Skara giggled; "Well you can always hug me, Bard Buddy!" she said, quickly hugging her before running and hugging Raine.

"Hi Raine! And you too Eda!" she said, making the two chuckle.

"Hello Skara, I'm glad to see you're doing well." Raine smiled, patting the top of her head.

"Hey, kid. I've got to thank you for helping Luz and the others save me at the Petrification Ceremony. I owe you one, kid." Eda added, roughly messing up Skara's hair.

The girl pulled away and gave a mock pout as she fixed her pale hair. "Easy on the do! But you're welcome! What brings you three here anyway?"

Raine stepped forward, looking to Severin (who'd noticeably been having trouble speaking up) and said; "The three of us are here representing the Covens Against the Throne, aka The CATTs."

"Meow!" Luz added, making Skara giggle.

"We wanted to talk to you about our goals, and potentially get your help." Raine continued.

Severin's expression became pained; "I feared that's what this would be about…"

"Daddy?" Skara frowned.

"I'm sorry Raine; you've always been a good friend to me, just as Luz has been to my Symphony, but I have to decline." Severin said, regret clear in his voice.

Skara gasped; "But why, Daddy!? I told you everything that Belos did to Luz! Don't you believe me!?"

"I believe you, Skara. But I'm afraid there are things involved here that you're too young to understand." Severin said to her, before looking Raine in the eye; "Before Skara talked to me, I assumed you were only rebelling to save your lost love, Raine."

"Not so lost any more." Eda muttered, taking Raine's hand.

That brought a sad smile to the older Cadence's face as he continued; "However her story shed some more light on your actions, and I fully sympathise. But even with that sympathy, I cannot turn against the Emperor and the Covens."

"Severin, you must understand that Belos is not a good person or a good leader! Even before talking to Eda and seeing what he did to Luz, I uncovered proof that he prioritises control through threats and force!" Raine said passionately, "People have disappeared, and innocent people end up locked in the Conformatorium for no crimes other than not fitting in with the Emperor's will! Eda may have committed crimes, but she never did anything to earn a trillion snail bounty, and even under the Emperor's written laws, she hasn't committed a crime worthy of Petrification, and yet the Emperor sentenced her without a public trial! Surely you must see these are the actions of a truly corrupt man!"

Severin once again looked pained; "I understand, Raine. When it was decided that I would replace you as Scooter's successor, I was granted audience with the Emperor and questioned him about these things myself! He expressed his deep regret for the things he's had to do, but with the Day of Unity approaching, he has had to act in harsher ways to ensure the Titan's Will is done."

"You can't seriously believe that load of crud!? He tortured my daughter and turned her into a monster to try and kill me! The whole Petrification Ceremony was a trap to catch Luz and get my portal!" Eda protested, "Look me in the eye and- actually no, look Luz in the eye and tell her that the things Belos did to her were for the greater good!" she demanded, fuming.

Severin, predictably, could only meet Luz's eyes for a moment before lowering them again; "Luz, I am truly sorry. What was done to you was horrible beyond words, and I can understand fully why you'd turn on the Emperor after experiencing that. But I truly believe in the Titan's Will and what the Emperor wants for us all. He went about it the wrong way; the man is very sick, as you saw at the end of your fight with him, and it is beginning to effect his mind. He told me this himself."

"Severin, he is lying to you." Raine said, "That man feels no regret for what he's doing! I don't know what the Day of Unity is, but I know its not what he claims! Everything he does is for his own will, not the Titan's!"

Skara nodded; "That's right, Dad! Did you forget how the Titan gave Luz the power to cure Petrification? Or stand up to Belos!?"

"The Emperor assured me that those were the result of some form of Wild Magic. Eda's curse corrupted the petrification magic, and those bizarre glyphs caused Luz's growth in power." Severin argued.

"Those are just lies spread by that Bonehead!" Eda snapped, "Surely you can't be dumb enough to believe in them!"

Severin straightened his back and glared at Eda; "You may call me dumb all you want, but my family owes everything to Belos. We owe our prosperity to his rule! My parents and grandparents all fought for Belos! My grandfather gave his life in battle to help Belos win his throne! The good life we have now, and all that I can provide to my daughter, is the reward the Cadence Family received for our loyalty! You wish me to turn on the man that my family bled and died for! I am not blind to the Emperor's crueller actions… but he answered for them in a way I can't deny, and to question that is to question what my family gave up so much for! I will not spit on the sacrifices of my forebears by betraying the man who has shown me that even his worst acts have purpose behind them!"

Raine and Eda both gaped at the man's impassioned response, while Skara looked severely torn; she'd known that her Great-Grandfather had died on the side of the Emperor during the unification of the Isles and the ending of the Savage Ages, but she'd never realised that the wealth and luxury they enjoyed was due to that sacrifice. Still, in her heart of hearts, Skara could not agree; her ancestors had been mislead!

Luz opened her mouth to argue with Severin, but stopped herself before she could actually say anything; what proof did she have to make Severin believe her word over Belos? It was easy to see Belos as evil from her perspective, given what she'd seen and experienced, but how did all this look from Severin's point of view? To most people on the Isles, the Emperor was seen as a benevolent force; a being who spoke to the Titan and wielded immense power, which he used to spread order and peace, even if he had to use force to do it. Even Luz's friends had once been believers in the Emperor; it had taken a combination of Luz's presence and seeing Belos' actions for themselves before they'd changed their minds. But Severin had every reason NOT to turn on Belos, and even then he'd still questioned the Emperor about his actions, and been given answers he had no reason not to believe. Luz could stand there and claim, with her angelically enforced honesty, that everything Belos had said was a lie, but that would mean only that she truly believed it; it didn't mean she was right, and that's exactly what Severin would think.

The impassioned man took a deep breath and finally met Luz's eyes and held her gaze; "Luz, I will not try to justify what the Emperor did to you. It was unforgivable, and even if I believe he had his reasons, based in desperation and his growing sickness, I won't ask you to accept them. But I truly believe that the Day of Unity and the Titan's Will are what the Emperor is striving for. I urge you to try and make peace with the Emperor. To work with him for the good of the Isles and its people. Perhaps to even succeed him as the voice of the Titan."

Luz held his gaze for several long moments, then shook her head; "I think you're a good man, Severin. I think you're a great dad too. But I think you're wrong, just like you think I'm wrong. I don't think either of us is going to be able to convince the other." she said sadly.

Severin nodded just as sadly, already expecting that; "I see. Then I will say this; I formally decline any association with the CATTs and will do my duty as the future Head of the Bard Coven. That duty may force me to oppose you some day… but that is not today. I pray to the Titan that the day never comes. I must ask you to leave now."

Eda looked ready to argue, but Raine shook their head mournfully, and Luz took her Mom's hand and began walking her out of the mansion.

"Farewell, Old Friend." Severin whispered, unshed tears glistening in his eyes; "And thank you for everything."

Raine, in a similar state, nodded; "And thank you, Severin. May the Titan watch over you."

Skara watched with a pained heart as Luz, Raine, and Eda left, the mansion door closing behind them. A brief flare of anger filled her as she turned to yell at her father, but she stopped as she saw her dad wipe the tears from his eyes. Raine had been his oldest friend; one of the few he'd made at Hexside and within the Bard Coven, and seeing them walk away, now on the opposite side of the growing civil war, must have hurt immeasurably. Still, Skara had no intention of seeing her own friend on the opposite side of that same war!

"Dad, I think you're wrong! Our family may have sided with Belos in the past, but I don't think Great-Grandpa or any of our ancestors would want to side with the man he is now! So…" she hesitated, then steeled herself; "So I'm going to help my friends!"

Severin looked at her for a long moment, then said; "When your mother did what she did, I made a promise to you. I promised that I would never do what she did; I'd support you becoming who you choose to be, even if its not what I want for you. I'd always love you, no matter your choice. There is not a thing in this world you could do that will change that." he knelt and put his hands on Skara's shoulders.

"I love you, Skara. I refuse to fight against you. If you wish to join the CATTs and help your friends, then I won't stand in your way… The Emperor can compel me to fight my old friend, but not you. My choices haven't changed, but you will always be my precious Symphony." he said, smiling lovingly.

Skara sniffled and hugged her Dad; "Thank you, Daddy. Even if I'm against the Emperor, I'll never be against you either! I love you!"

"I love you too, baby. Now go chase your friend, and tell Luz again that I am sorry."

Skara nodded, and her father kissed her on the cheek, then gently dried her eyes. After that, he stood up and nodded to her with a sad smile, before turning and heading off to his room. Skara took a moment to fully compose herself, then ran out of the mansion. She saw Luz and the others just about to leave the grounds, and ran after them as quickly as she could.

"Wait!" she cried.

Luz heard her and paused, making her Mom and Raine stop too. "Skara? What is it? Are you okay?" the young angel asked. She noted the slightly reddened eyes, but didn't comment.

"I'm fine! I want to join the CATTs!" she declared.

The trio gasped in surprise; "You want to join up with us!?" Eda exclaimed, beginning to grin again.

"Yes! I don't agree with my Dad! I want to fight Belos!" Skara said earnestly.

Luz smiled; "I'm glad! I was kind of scared you might not want to be friends any more after things went badly with your Dad!"

Raine shook their head; "While I'm happy you agree with our cause too Skara, I don't know if we can accept. Your father was really against it and we can't go behind his back to recruit his daughter. We don't want to tear families apart."

"Dad is okay with it!" Skara quickly corrected them, "Well, not okay okay, but he knows this is what I want to do and said he wouldn't stop me! So please let me join!"

Raine frowned and looked at the ladies with them; both Luz and Eda looked like they were happy to accept, but Raine still had their doubts. "Are you absolutely certain about this, Skara? This isn't a game or a fun club with friends; you could end up in big trouble if the Emperor finds out you're one of us."

Skara narrowed her eyes; "I know this isn't a game! That monster hurt my friend and is making you and my dad oppose each other! I want to stop him AND get proof that Belos is evil! Proof that'll make Dad realise that our family should turn against Belos! The only way to do that is by helping the CATTs!" she said, before grabbing Raine's hand between both of hers and practically begging; "I can be really useful too! Luz saw how good I was when we fought the Greater Basilisk, and I'm the top Bard at school and used to play Grudgby for the Banshees! I can hold my own! Please Raine!"

Raine had to look away; they'd known Skara since she was a newborn and had never been able to resist her when she pleaded with them so earnestly. And they couldn't deny that Skara was right; she was as good or better than Raine themselves had been at her age, which meant she was probably better than many of the Bards who had been among the CATTs recruits gained from the Conformatorium! She would be an invaluable ally!

"Alright. I won't object, but you'll need to swear an oath that you won't give any of our secrets to your Dad, okay?" Raine said. Honestly they'd have trusted her without the oath, but they could already tell Darius would disagree.

Skara didn't even hesitate and since she already had her hands around Raine's, she drew a spell circle to prepare the oath immediately. After the usual oath was given, both Luz and Eda grinned widely, the latter slapping Skara on the back.

"You've got guts, girly! You'll fit in fine! You're also the last of Luz's pals to agree to join up!"

Luz nodded; "Yep! Amity, Willow, Gus, Matt, Edric, Emira, Viney, Barcus, and Jerbo all agreed to join up! Oh, and Bo did too! Cat and Amelia said no though."

Skara wasn't too surprised by that; "That's still a lot of people! What about Boscha?"

"We decided against talking to the Alembics, after what happened between Callisto and Luz." Raine said diplomatically.

That made Skara wince, though she didn't argue; Callisto had been out of line doing what she had! "That's probably for the best. I don't think Boscha would be interested anyway. Still, I might be able to convince her to at least brew us some potions from time to time!"

"Great idea!" Luz said, before looking to Eda and Raine; "The Cadences were our last stop, right? It's not even the afternoon yet, so what should we do for the rest of the day?"

"Honestly, I could go for some lunch." Eda said, "I bet King is driving Lilith crazy too right about now. Let's head back to the house and get some grub, then we can see if anything needs to be done on the island."

Skara blinked; "Island? What island?"

Luz grinned; "Oh, you are gonna love this!" she smiled.

The three of them invited Skara back to the Owl House to have lunch with them, and once they were out of Bonesborough and away from prying ears, Luz told her about the adventure with the Selkidomus and the discovery of the Titan Arm Island. As expected, Skara was amazed by the discovery and couldn't wait to see it.

When they arrived at the Owl House, they found Steve and his Emperor's Coven defectors talking with Lilith and Councilman Cal Nelumbo (Jerbo's father), while Matt and Jerbo were hanging out with King, and Rasiel was keeping Hooty busy so he didn't interfere with Lilith's work. Lilith smiled and greeted them upon their return, while King excitedly scurried over and leapt onto Luz's shoulders.

"Welcome back. Congratulations on a fairly productive morning!" Lilith said, having been receiving text updates from Eda. "Work on the Island Base has been progressing wonderfully. Our friends here would like to see it and offer their assistance, and have already received permission from Darius and Eber. We've been waiting for you to return to give your opinion."

Eda frowned; "Careful what you say, Lilith! Have these guys all taken oaths?"

Lilith rolled her eyes; "Honestly Edalyn, I'm not a fool. Everyone here took an oath not to knowingly give our secrets to anyone outside of the CATTs. I oversaw it myself."

"Good work, Lilith. How goes the geographical survey?" Raine asked.

As the adults began that discussion, Luz and Skara walked over to Matt and Jerbo. "So you guys are coming to the island too?"

"Yep! I'm gonna put my awesome construction magic to work building up our new base! I got a lot of practice helping to rebuild the school, so I might as well use it!" Matt smirked.

"I'm mostly coming along with my Dad, but I can use Abomination magic, so I can help with the cave survey that Miss Lilith told us about! I can't believe we're not just overturning our corrupt society, but building a whole new one!" Jerbo beamed. Of all Luz's friends, he was probably the one who was the most against the Coven System, seeing it as outdated and pointless.

Skara grinned at them; "So it looks like all of us are going to be helping out! The next generation fixing the messes of the last generation!"

Jerbo and Matt both cheered, while Luz giggled and King commented; "Why are teenagers so gun-ho about work? I'd have thought they'd hate it!"

Luz smiled; "I think its more the rebellion side than the work. If teenagers love one thing, its rebelling!" she joked before adding "Honestly, rebelling isn't really a big thing for angels, but I get to live out some of my old Azura fantasies by working with magical allies to fight evil! I even have my own Hecate!"

"Speaking off, where is Amity? I'm surprised she's not with you." Matt asked. He'd borrowed and read Luz's Azura books as part of his interest in human culture, so he'd understood Luz's Hecate reference.

"She's having a shopping day with Willow." Luz replied.

The teens continued to chat for a few minutes as the adults talked business, eventually heading inside with Rasiel to make and eat lunch. Skara, Matt, and Jerbo got their first full experience dealing with Hooty, and were suitably horrified by the excitable Owl Tube. After lunch (which the adults eventually joined them for), it was finally time to return to the Island!

Everyone climbed up to the Teleportation Circle on the stone Tower, and Luz grinned as she said; "Alright Gentle-people, please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times!"

"Just go, you dork!" Matt laughed, the only one besides Eda to get the reference.

Luz stuck out her tongue, then sang the activation melody and warped them all (sans Rasiel who stayed behind with Hooty) to the Titan Arm Island. They arrived to find that the little hamlet was even more built up than it had been when Luz left the previous evening, as the CATTs had worked through the night! The place was now more like a small village, and the first-timers gaped in amazement at the sight of it all. A few of the workers looked up to see the new arrivals and yell their greetings before getting back to work, while the CATTs on guard were eyeing Steve and his fellow defectors with distrust, not helped by the fact that all but Steve were in full Scout uniforms.

Darius was the one to come over and greet them, though he frowned at the teenagers.

"You're back from your recruitment mission. I hear your efforts went well." Darius said to Raine.

"Six out of nine families joined, and with Councilman Nelumbo on our side, we have a voice in the Bonesborough Council." Raine replied. "We couldn't convince Severin though."

That made Darius frown; "A pity. With him on our side, we'd have had three of the ten major Coven Heads on our side."

"It wasn't a total failure though! We've got Severin's daughter Skara on our side!" Luz smiled, slapping Skara on the back. "She even got permission! Sort of…"

"And you're certain we can trust her?" Darius asked with a raised eyebrow. Skara felt her hackles rise, but Luz just waved the man off.

"Of course! She's one of my closest friends! Besides, she took the same oath as everyone else."

Darius stared at the bard girl for a few seconds, an expression of judgement on his face, while Skara glared right back defiantly, daring him to say he had a problem with her. Her glares didn't have the effect she'd hoped, as Darius just looked mildly amused.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it. Though to be honest, I object to bringing children here. This isn't a slayground or dayscare, nor is it an after school club. We do serious work here." Darius said.

Skara, Jerbo, and Matt all looked affronted, while Eda rolled her eyes; "Get of your high griffin, Darry-Boy! The kids are willing to help, so let them! It's not like we plan on sending them into battle on the front lines!"

"If they are here to help then fine; we'll put them to work. We can't have idle hands getting in the way!" Darius retorted, looking the trio of teenagers up and down. He pointed to Matt; "You boy, what can you do to assist us?"

"I'm a pretty good Construction Witch! Good enough to skip a year of school." Matt said, sticking his chin out defiantly.

"Good, then you can help the construction team working on the road leading up the wrist." Darius pointed to the incline, where other Construction Witches and Wild Witches had begun building a road to connect the growing village with the rainforest in the palm.

Matt didn't need to be told twice and ran off to show his stuff, only waving to his friends and his brother Steve as he went.

Next Darius turned to Jerbo; "And you?"

"I multi-track in plants and abominations." Jerbo answered, drawing a green spell circle with one hand and a pink one with the other. The dirt beneath their feet rose up and shaped itself into a humanoid form, with vines inside it to control its movement. "I was planning to assist with the Cave Survey!

"Not bad. Someone who can produce usable abominations without wasting our slime supplies can be useful. Very well, you've got your wish; report to Eber at the base camp down at the elbow." Darius ordered.

Jerbo said "Yes sir!" and walked towards the beach, which was currently the only path to the elbow.

Finally, Darius looked to Skara and said; "No need to ask what magic you use, little Cadence. How good are you at Bardic Magic?"

"I'm awesome! The best in school!" Skara boasted shamelessly. It wasn't an empty boast either; not even the students in Junior or Senior year could best her!

"Can you calm beasts with your songs? Or use Echolocation?" the Coven Head asked.

"Naturally."

"Then you can partner up with that lad who just left and help with the Cave Survey. Eber reported some large beasts in the caves, and while they appear docile, they could become violent when cornered, or react badly to light. We've been sending Bards in with the Beast-Keepers to help deal with them, but you can handle that alone, right?" Darius smirked with a hint of challenge.

"Easily!" Skara scoffed, stomping off after Jerbo, determined to show Darius just how awesome she was.

The adults smiled at the girls' energy, with Raine and Lilith taking the newcomers with them for a briefing on their own duties, and Eda grabbing King and taking him off for some potions lessons, leaving Luz with Darius.

"So, what's my job for the afternoon? Scouting? Construction? Helping with the wild life?" Luz asked eagerly.

"No. You will be taking lessons from me." Darius told her.

Luz frowned; "But I can't use abomination magic…"

The man rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose; "Not on magic, Baby Bird. On decorum."

"D-Decorum!?" Luz spluttered, almost completely thrown off (the new nickname didn't help matters either).

"Indeed. You are the face of the CATTs, so many will look to you. They will not feel inspired by a skittish child, and while you seem to have a kind of natural charisma when helping others, you are still too childish! I will teach you how to carry yourself with dignity and properly function as an ambassador and dignitary. It will be important for winning over more powerful allies." Darius explained.

Luz shifted uncomfortably; "I don't know about this… isn't it better to just be natural?"

"My lessons are not going to turn you into some stuffy blue-blood or whatever nonsense words Edalyn uses for the upper crust. I will just teach you how to put a bit more class into your natural state. Even a little can go a long way when it comes to winning over allies. You grand declaration of being the "Arch-Angel of the Boiling Isles" was a good step in the right direction, but a step does not a journey make." he replied, before smirking; "And if you need further motivation, imagine how the Littlest Blight will react to seeing you act with a dash more chivalry?"

Luz blushed and asked in a small voice; "You really think Amity would like that?"

"Of course. The basis of my lessons is to help you charm our potential allies; I'm sure they'll help you charm your lady too. Remember, just because you're already together does not mean you should stop charming her!"

The young angel blushed a little deeper, then nodded; "Okay! Teach me, Professor Darius!"

"Excellent!" Darius put a hand on Luz's back and began to nudge her along, "Now my first lesson is on presentation, namely your attire. Casual and comfort are fine, but remember that looks are the first thing people will notice, so you need to make a strong impression…

[Meanwhile]

Skara caught up with Jerbo in no time, who was surprised to see her. "Skara? What's up?"

"That jerk Darius gave me the job of backing you up in the caves." Skara replied, "And we're going to show him we're not just stupid kids by doing an awesome job, got it?"

Jerbo put his hands up in surrender; "Whoa there, you'll get no arguments from me! I don't like being seen as a burden either.

Skara nodded, then calmed herself a little; "Sorry, I get a little wound up sometimes. Especially when someone implies I can't do something or I'm not good enough." she said.

Jerbo smiled and patted the younger girl's shoulder; "I've noticed. Don't worry, I understand. Half the reason I became a Magic-Mixer was me hating people telling me I can't do something! As far as I'm concerned, the only limits to my abilities are the ones I give myself!"

Skara smiled at the boy; the two had gotten off on the wrong foot when they'd first met back on Luz's first official day as a Hexside student, but after they'd apologised to each other and worked together in the bard track a few times, they'd formed a mutual respect for each other. They couldn't exactly be called friends; they were friendly acquaintances at best, primarily only being involved with each other in class or due to Luz, but they still respected each other and their skills.

The two walked down the beach to the Titan's elbow, which was beneath the elevated wrist and palm, meaning they were in perpetual shade with half the island on top of them, even before actually going into the caves! They found the Cave Surveyors' Base Camp, which consisted of several cabins built on wooden platforms constructed on the Boiling Sea, and saw a massive cave entrance on the elbow itself, which was illuminated with firefly torches and had been expanded and reinforced with wood and stone, creating what looked like the beginnings of a mine.

As the teens approached, they were stopped by Derwin, one of Raine's apprentices and a founding member of the BATTs, before they became the CATTs.

"Whoa there kids. Sorry, but the caves and base camp are off-limits to everyone but the Surveying Team. It can be dangerous here." Derwin said.

"We were sent to help the Surveyors by Head Witch Darius." Jerbo replied.

Derwin blinked in surprise; "Really? Well I suppose you handled yourselves well enough at the Conformatorium…" he stroked his chin in thought, then shrugged; "If Darius gave the okay, then I'm not going to complain; we need all the help we can get; the old veins of the wrist are expansive and full of enough skittish beasts that we could really use more bards to help calm them. You're a welcome addition, Miss Cadence."

"Thanks, Derwin." Skara smiled. She knew Derwin quite well, since he'd regularly accompanied Raine when they'd visited Cadence Manor for Bard Coven meetings with her dad. He was also the half-brother of Rogier, the boy Skara had gone to Grom with.

"Come with me to speak to Eber; they'll give you your assignment." Derwin said, turning and heading back to the Base Camp. Skara and Jerbo obediently followed him and were led to the largest of the log buildings, which served as the meeting room and headquarters for the CATTs survey team.

Upon walking inside, they found various witches and demons milling about, either checking equipment, examining minerals they'd found underground, or gathered around tables with maps on them. Eber herself was at the largest of these tables, sat on the table itself and using her claws to point at various points on a large map of the cave system, which was still incomplete. She was barking softly to the people around her while an interpreter from the Beast-Keeping Coven translated for those who couldn't understand her. Derwin led the kids right up to the table, and Eber looked up at them.

"Bassoon Bard. You bring pups?" she barked.

Derwin, who could understand them just fine, nodded; "Darius sent them to help with the Survey."

Eber raised a fluffy eyebrow, and the others around the room looked at them doubtfully, which bothered both teens. "What can Pups do?" Eber asked.

Derwin turned to the teens to ask the question again in common, but Jerbo answered automatically, able to understand Eber just as he could Barcus. He gave the same answer that he'd given to Darius, and added Skara's abilities and accomplishments as well. That seemed to impress the others in the room, who promptly went back to their business.

Eber seemed surprised and pleased by Jerbo's understanding, then said "Pups can help. Bassoon Bard, you lead Scar Song and Gerbil on survey."

Derwin nodded, while Jerbo grimaced and said; "Actually, Head Witch Eber? I'd rather not be called that. My friend Barcus, who speaks a similar language, uses this for my name." he said, before doing his best to imitate a bark.

Since the Direwolf language didn't use the same syllables as common, many people's names didn't translate well, hence the need for nicknames like Bassoon Bard and Little Light. However, similar to how users of Sign Language would have custom signs for their names, speakers of the Direwolf Language would have custom barks for their names, and Barcus had developed one for Jerbo and his other friends.

Eber nodded and repeated the bark; "Jerbo, then. Will remember that. Bassoon Bard, come look."

Derwin stepped closer to the table, bringing Jerbo and Skara with him. Eber then walked over to the part of the map that showed the veins and cave system that stretched into the forearm. The area directly below the settlement and Teleportation Circle had been fully explored already for the sake of exposing any structural weaknesses, but there were still huge swathes of the forearm's caves that have yet to be explored. Eber drew a rough circle around an empty stretch of map to the south of the settlement.

"Bassoon Bard, you take team here. Low danger, good start for Pups." Eber instructed.

"Got it. We'll gear up and head in." Derwin replied, before turning back to the kids; "We've got our assigned area, now we just need to get equipment."

Skara and Jerbo nodded, then followed Derwin out of the meeting hall and over to a supply shed, which was being guarded by a large, full-blooded Direwolf. Skara, who'd never seen one before, was terrified of the Griffin-sized wolf, who growled softly as they approached. Jerbo, who had experience with the species thanks to Barcus' Mom, just smiled and nodded politely. Derwin explained the situation and the Direwolf moved aside, allowing him to go in and grab three pre-filled backpacks.

"Here we are! Our standard surveyor's kit! Everything we could need." he said, handing a pack each to the teens.

The packs had a lantern and mining helmet attached to it with clips, and contained a canteen of water, a pickaxe and shovel for digging, and cartography tools for mapping out the areas they were exploring. There was also ration bars and some animal feed for both carnivores and herbivores.

"Why do we need all this?" Skara asked as she slung the pack over her shoulders and put on the helmet. "We're just exploring, not actually mining, right?

"Yes, but cave-ins can happen. The pickaxe and shovel are to dig ourselves out if the worst should happen, and the water and rations are to survive until rescue if we can't. The feed is also to help deal with animals." Derwin explained. "Eber arranged it so that even non-typical survey teams can get the work done, since we're limited on manpower."

"What would be a normal team?" Jerbo asked as the trio began walking to the cave entrance.

"We normally go in as teams of three or four. A Construction Witch to make sure the tunnels stay stable, a Beast-Keeper to deal with any creatures living in the caves, and a Bard to handle echolocation. Unfortunately since we don't have many allies in the Construction Coven, we've been sending Abomination Witches in their place when we have to, since the abominations can safely explore unsurveyed areas for structural weaknesses before we have to send actual people in. It's already saved a few lives from would-be cave ins." Derwin said, pulling out a copy of the map that Eber had been using. It showed all the veins and caves, as well as a few that were marked by a red X. "These are the ones that we've discovered are too dangerous to go into without reinforcing them first." he then pointed to others marked by black Xs, "And these are the ones that collapsed already."

Skara and Jerbo looked impressed; "Wow, you guys really worked out a whole system already!? It's only been like a day or two since Luz found this place!" Skara exclaimed.

Derwin smirked as he rolled up the map and stowed it in his pack. "We're not the Emperor's Coven; we can't afford to risk lives, so we prioritised safety. Besides, this is the same procedure used by mining groups; we just adapted it to work with the manpower we have available. Now lets get to work! Trust me, it'll be worth it; nothing makes dinner taste better than working down in these caves all afternoon!"

Skara and Jerbo cheered and followed Derwin into the caves. They traversed the already explored stretch of veins and arteries, which were reinforced with wood and stone pillars and lit up with lanterns and torches. Small cages containing feral fairies screeching and demanding the skin of whoever passed them were set up every now and again too, to act as an early warning system if they struck a poison gas vein. They headed eastward, through the tunnels that stretched into the upper arm, and Skara took note of several areas that were blocked off with wooden planks marked by red or black Xs, as well as a few open tunnels that had a tiny abomination guard standing outside.

"What's up with those?" she asked.

"Those are tunnels that are currently being surveyed. If something happens to the team beyond the tunnel, their abomination will run for help." Derwin explained, pulling a small purple pot from his pocket; "I have one too. Darius made them himself."

Jerbo looked at the pot with desire; "Wow… I need to ask Darius if I can study that later!"

"I'm sure he'll agree if you ask nicely. Darius seems like a strict guy, but he's pretty reasonable if you're respectful. Anyway; look alive guys, we're here!" Derwin said, leading them into a tunnel that didn't have any lanterns or support beams. "Our goal is to map out as much of these tunnels as possible until quitting time! Jerbo, you'll use plant magic to keep the tunnels stable and abominations to scout ahead; can you see through the eyes of your abominations?"

Jerbo nodded proudly; the spell to let an Abomination witch temporarily see and hear through their creations was a complicated one, and he was one of the few at Hexside who could do it! The only others he knew of were Amity Blight and a handful of seniors.

"Great! Skara, you'll be in-charge of using echolocation to locate hidden passages in the dark. Leave any beast taming to me for now, but be prepared to back me up just in case."

"Got it." Skara said, summoning the butterfly themed harp she got for her birthday.

With that, the unusual team lit their lanterns, Derwin released the Abomination from the small pot, and got to work. Skara played her harp, allowing the tune to echo down the tunnels. She kept her eyes closed and focused on the bardic magic in the notes she played, paying special attention to where they spread and how far they went before hitting something solid. This exposed every tunnel, even those that were hidden in dark crevices, and revealed which ones were shallow and which went deeper in, as well as when there were vertical shafts in the floor that they could risk falling into. They explored the shallow tunnels first to confirm there was nothing harmful, and so Jerbo could use his plant magic to grow roots to reinforce them and show that they've been explored. They even explored the vertical shafts by having Jerbo send an abomination made of earth into the shafts, attached to a vine while Jerbo saw through their eyes. The ones that were safe were noted on the map, and the ones that were either dangerous or led to other tunnels were marked with flowers to denote where they'd need to comeback to reinforce or fully explore an area. As the kids worked, Derwin maintained the map, carefully drawing out the areas they'd explored to add to the large map of the whole cave system. He'd also dealt with a small group of monsters; Goblin Land Sharks, which were little green shark-like creatures that inhabited dark places. They were timid beasts and afraid of light, so it was no effort for Derwin to keep them docile with a song on his bassoon, then mark off the area. Monster dens tended to be in dead-ends, so once they were noted, the surveyors would ignore them.

No need to chase harmless creatures from their homes after all!

After an hour of work, the trio had covered quite a bit of ground, and the caves were beginning to get a little warmer, as they got closer to the section of the upper arm that was submerged in the Boiling Sea. Derwin warned them that they wouldn't be able go too much further, as the tunnels would be flooded with boiling water.

Then they came across a very unusual sight; a large, wide tunnel that was completely full of a strange, glassy blue stone. It looked like it had partially melted then hardened again, leaving behind walls, stalagmites and stalactites of strange, bulbous stone bubbles. It looked rather pretty in the light of their lanterns.

"What is this stuff? Some kind of gemstone? Or volcanic glass?" Jerbo muttered.

"Whatever it is, I want some! This would make a great souvenir for Boscha and Dad!" Skara smiled, reaching to snap off the end of a Stalactite. Before she could touch it however, Derwin's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling it away.

"Don't touch it!" he yelled urgently.

Skara yelped and pulled her hand away; "Okay okay! Geez, I was just gonna take a little… is it something super valuable to the CATTs?" she asked.

"No, it's Fool's Blood. Titan Blood that lost its magic and coagulated. It signifies a decaying vein. It's fragile and if you break even a little, all of it will crumble and the tunnel will collapse on our heads." Derwin said. They'd already suffered several cave-ins because of it. "We need to report this. You go back to the entrance of the caves, I'll follow behind after I've checked how deep this goes."

The teens nodded, now feeling very nervous to be so close to such dangerous stuff. They hurried out of the tunnel as quickly and cautiously as they could, retreating back to the last fork in the path.

"Okay, so pretty blue rocks equal crazy death blood! Good to know!" Skara commented. "Let's head down this path instead."

She pointed to the other path leading off from the fork which, based on her echolocation, went even deeper than the Fool's Blood path. She began to hum as she walked down it, but Jerbo stopped her.

"Wait Skara, we should wait for Derwin to come back." he said worriedly.

Skara frowned; "Why? There's only one other path, so he can catch up easily enough. I want to get back to work and show Darius that we're awesome and whatever job he gives us!"

Jerbo crossed his arms; "You can't prove Head Witch Darius wrong about teenagers if you rush off like a dumb teenager! That would just prove he shouldn't have trusted us to be responsible! Remember, this is a serious rebel organisation and we're doing important work! Mapping this place out helps keep the island safe, which keeps the rebels safe, which keeps the Boiling Isles safe! If we play around, we'll get kicked out!"

Skara opened her mouth to argue, but soon thought better of it and instead stopped in her tracks, choosing to pout as she leaned against the cave wall; "Fine… I'm sorry. I just want to help out Luz and Raine."

"Me too." Jerbo said, leaning against the wall beside her, "You're the type to throw yourself fully into everything you do. I understand."

"Think you've worked out some of my character quirks, do you?" Skara grinned; "Hoping to unlock my tragic backstory?"

Jerbo raised an eyebrow at her, making her giggle; "Sorry, just some lingo I picked up from Luz. She's been showing me these human things called "video games". I don't really get it, but there are some awesome soundtracks!"

"Interesting. But what was that bit about tragic backstories?" Jerbo asked.

Skara put a finger to her lips; "Oh no Mister, no secrets from me. Unless you want to tell me your tragic backstory first?"

Jerbo snorted; "Sorry to disappoint, but my life hasn't been all that bad. I've got a great family with parents who love and support me, and a few really good friends. My biggest problems in life were getting thrown into the Detention Track and some kids bullying me for being a skinny little nerd." he said with a shrug; "But now there's an official Multi-Track course and no one picks on me after hearing about the Greater Basilisk fight. Life is pretty good."

"Well that's good." Skara said, before a thought came to her. She sheepishly asked; "Uh, was I one of the kids who bullied you?"

"Not unless you count our first meeting when you came to "save" Luz from Detention. And that was both of us being jerks." the boy replied; "I'm surprised you wouldn't remember if you picked on me."

Skara frowned; "I wasn't the nicest girl. I picked on a lot of people… Pretty much everyone who wasn't in our clique, actually. Some got it worse than others, like poor Willow."

Jerbo hummed; he was tempted to make a comment, but Skara seemed genuinely remorseful about her past actions. Instead he asked; "Have you apologised to them?"

"Some, yeah. But I, uh, don't remember a lot of the worst of it. I guess it didn't matter enough to me at the time. It was just a part of the routine." Skara admitted, looking even more downcast.

"The fact that you're trying is a big deal. You should-"

Skara's eyes suddenly widened and she pressed a finger to Jerbo's lips while a finger on her other hand went to her own lips, miming a shush. She then looked down the tunnel Jerbo had stopped her going down. Jerbo, puzzled, tried to see or hear whatever caught Skara's attention, but he couldn't detect anything.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"A voice, from further down the tunnel." Skara whispered back, her ears wiggling as she focused on the sound.

"But no one is supposed to be in this area but us. Maybe Derwin found another connection between the blood tunnel and this one, and is doubling back?" Jerbo suggested.

Skara shook her head; "No… it's a female voice. One I think I recognise… and another familiar female voice too. One of them sounds like… Kikimora!?"

Jerbo's eyes widened; "The Emperor's assistant!? No way!?" he whispered urgently.

Skara nodded; "I'm sure of it! I heard her talk enough on that tour of the castle, and on stage at the Petrification! I'm certain that's her voice!"

Jerbo gulped; "We should go get Derwin, or run back to base camp to warn Head Witch Eber."

"No. There's no chance Kikimora got on the island, not with Luz being the only way on or off. It must be a spy talking to her! We need to find out who!" Skara whispered back, silently rushing down the tunnel.

Jerbo blinked in surprise and yelled after her. He wanted to follow her, but felt it was a bad idea to go traipsing through the dark after an unknown enemy. After a minute or arguing with himself, he shook his head ruefully and hurried after her.

Meanwhile, Skara ran down the dark tunnel, dimming her lantern until she could just barely see, just in case the light drew the spy's attention. She eventually came to a small shaft in the ground that had a soft light coming out of it, so the girl turned off her lantern altogether and peered into the shaft, which was just two metres deep and about a metre wide.

Inside was a figure, largely concealed by the darkness, holding a Comm-pact, which was the source of the soft light. Kikimora was the person on the mirror's surface, and she was yelling angrily.

"Need I remind you of your one and only job!? You are supposed to get us information on the rebels! So why are you refusing to do your job!?" Kikimora snapped.

"I'm not refusing, I'm physically incapable!" the spy snapped back, a distinctly feminine voice that Skara recognised, but almost couldn't believe.

"How are you incapable!? You have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mouth to speak! You have everything you need!" Kikimora yelled.

"And I can't speak because I was forced to take an Everlasting Oath! The angel is cautious; she and the rebels force all members to take an oath that prevents us from knowingly giving away our secrets to anyone outside of the organisation! I'm only barely skirting it to tell you this much, and it only works because the oath itself isn't a secret, nor is the fact that the angel is involved!" the spy explained impatiently. "I've got tons of information, but I can't say a word about it! I can't even write it down!"

Kikimora sneered; "I need that information! I've been relegated to serving that stuck-up silver brat and her irritating golden doppelganger, and that information could finally see me rise back to my proper station! Your future is dependent on it too!"

"Well unless you can think of a way for me to give these secrets without breaking the oath, we're both out of luck!"

Kikimora went silent for a second, before saying; "Continue your spying mission. Once you return, report to the Emperor's Castle and we can use Mind Exploration Magic to get the information directly from your head. Since you're not giving us the information, it shouldn't trigger the oath!"

The Spy nodded; "That should work. I'll go straight away and-"

Before Skara had a chance to hide herself, the spy looked up to climb out of the shaft, coming face to face with the girl. Both of them were illuminated only by the dim light given off by the Comm-pact, but it was enough for both to recognise each other.

"K-Katya!?" Skara gasped. She'd recognised the voice of Raine's apprentice and one of the founding BATTs members, but she'd honestly thought she'd been mistaken. Now that she was face to face with the woman, she couldn't say that any more.

Katya looked up at Skara with shock, which quickly melted into outrage. "I've been spotted! Someone overhead our conversation!" she yelled.

Kikimora's voice shrieked over the Comm-pact; "Destroy them! Don't let your cover be blown!"

Skara paled and scrambled to her feet before turning and running back the way she came. She was confident in her skills as a Bard, but she wasn't so confident that she could take on an adult witch trained by Raine! She heard Katya climbing out of the shaft and giving chase, both rushing through the dark without their lanterns, fearing that the other would be able to more easily spot them if they made any light.

As they neared a fork in the dark tunnel, Skara took a gamble and whistled sharply, using Bardic magic to create a flash bang effect. She'd closed her eyes before hand and deafened her ears with Bardic magic, so when the effect went off, she was able to keep running without worry, and when she restored her hearing, she heard Katya's voice screaming and cursing a few dozen paces behind her. With the spy momentarily distracted, Skara stopped running and picked up a loose stone on the ground, before pressed herself against the cave wall and waiting in total silence. When Katya recovered from the shock of the flash bang and continued running, reaching the fork, she paused and looked back and forth, sniffing the air.

"Which way did she go…?" the spy asked.

Skara then threw the stone she'd picked up down the tunnel she didn't want to go down, drawing Katya's attention. "There!" she snarled, beginning to run in the direction she'd heard the stone clattering to the ground. The younger bard waited a few seconds for Katya to disappear down the tunnel, then sighed with relief and continued running back to the others.

Before she reached the fork where she'd left Jerbo, Skara found the boy wandering towards her, trying to find which direction she'd taken when she'd raced off. He looked up upon hearing her running and smiled with relief.

"Skara! There you are! What were you thinking running off like that!?"

"No time for that Jerbo! I found the spy! It's Katya! She was talking to Kikimora!" Skara yelled, not slowing her pace and instead grabbing Jerbo's wrist as she ran past him, dragging him along.

"Katya!? No way! She couldn't be a spy!" Jerbo protested.

"I heard AND saw her! Unfortunately she also saw me and is after me. We need to find Derwin ASAP!"

Jerbo still looked doubtful, but he wasn't going to take risks here. "Follow me; I found another way into the Fool's Blood Tunnel while I was looking for you."

He then lead her down a series of short twists and turns which emerged into the long tunnel filled with the dangerous Fool's Blood. They both made their lanterns as bright as they could so they could see all the blood and wouldn't crash into it, then looked around for signs of Derwin, eventually finding him slowly mapping out the end of the tunnel.

"Derwin!" Skara yelled as she ran over to him, "Derwin, I found a spy!"

The man blinked in surprise; "What!? A spy!? What are you talking about!?"

"It's Katya! I saw her talking to Kikimora on a Comm-pact, she's-"

Before Skara could finish her sentence, she felt something bounce off her thigh and frowned, looking down to see a tiny pebble had hit her. Jerbo and Derwin both looked at it too, before paling as they noticed the blue colour of the pebble. Their eyes trailed up to a stalagmite beside Skara, the tip of which had broken off.

Something had disturbed the Fool's Blood.

Time moved almost in slow motion as the trio watched the stalagmite crack and break apart, decaying rapidly and causing a chain reaction that made all the other Fool's Blood begin to crack and crumble. The tunnel shook as it became unstable, and large chunks of the ceiling began to rain down on them.

"OUT! NOW!" Derwin yelled, conjuring his Bassoon and playing a loud note to blast away some of the rubble about to land on their heads. Skara and Jerbo turned on their heels and ran for the closest exit from the tunnel, only to find it caved in and forcing them to find another. Jerbo began using some of the softer earth of the crumbling tunnel to create large abominations, reinforced with vine skeletons and bark armour, which he ordered to shield them as they made their escape. They reached the opening of the tunnel, the same one they'd first entered through, and saw that it too had begun to cave in. With no other ways out, Skara summoned her harp and strummed it, creating a sharp tone that sent sonic blades into the blockage, shattering it and allowing the trio to escape.

Barely a moment after all three had escaped the tunnel, Jerbo's abominations blocked the entrance to the collapsing tunnel with their bodies, and after a few seconds, the caves stopped shaking and only the sounds of their frantic panting and small rocks clattering to the ground filled the air.

"T-That was too close!" Jerbo gasped.

"I'll say!" Derwin said, sighing deeply with relief before turning to look at Skara with annoyance; "I told you to be careful!"

"I didn't touch anything, I swear!" Skara yelled, before shaking her head; "Besides, that doesn't matter! Derwin, I saw Katya talking to Kikimora! She's a spy!"

Derwin's eyes widened; "Katya? Impossible! She'd never be a spy! She's a founding member of the BATTs before we became the CATTs! She has more reason to hate the Emperor's Coven than me or Amber, since they imprisoned her unjustly! Skara, she was instrumental in both Conformatorium prison breaks! Aside from Luz and Raine, she's probably the one most responsible for growing the CATTs as big as it is!"

"I know what I saw, Derwin! I saw her face AND heard her voice!" Skara yelled seriously. "In fact, I bet the spy was the one to cause that cave-in! She was chasing me through the tunnels and I felt a pebble hit my leg right before the Fool's Blood starting breaking!"

Derwin looked extremely doubtful, and even Jerbo was looking at her with unsure eyes. Neither fully believed Skara was right, but nor did they think she was lying, and when it came to a potential spy, they couldn't take any risks. Even if she was mistaken, they had to investigate.

"Let's get back to the surface and talk to the bosses; they'll know what to do." Derwin said, leaving no room for argument. Skara and Jerbo both nodded in agreement and the three of them ran down the tunnels they'd mapped back into the previously explored areas, before finally leaving the cave system entirely. As soon as they were out in fresh air again, they headed to the HQ of the Surveyor Base Camp, where Eber was still working and adding newly explored tunnels to the master map she'd been making.

"Head Witch Eberwolf, we have a disturbing report! Skara here believes she encountered one of our people spying on us for Kikimora." Derwin said, before reluctantly adding; "It's Katya."

Eber, whose expression had become serious, raised a doubtful eyebrow at that. But then she nodded solemnly and summoned her scroll and began making calls. Skara didn't understand a word she said, but Jerbo quietly informed her that Eber was calling Darius, Raine, and Eda, arranging to meet them in the new meeting hall built in the village, since HQ still wasn't fit for use yet. None had sounded amused when Eber explained the situation to them, but had nonetheless agreed to meet, with Darius promising to apprehend Katya and bring her to the meeting too. Skara wondered how he planned to do that, but she assumed it would involve sending his abominations into the tunnels.

Once the calls were finished, Eber ordered the trio to follow her back to the village, where they immediately headed to the Meeting Hall. The hall was built to resemble the architecture of Bonesborough (like many of the buildings in the growing village), and the interior resembled the Paranoratorium at Hexside, with an elevated stage and several rows of seating in front of it ,and a long table with numerous chairs behind it up on the stage itself, which would be where the leaders of the CATTs would sit as they addressed their members. When Skara and the others entered, they discovered they were the last to arrive; Raine, Lilith, Eda, and Darius were muttering lowly to one another, and Luz was stood off to the side with King and, shockingly, Katya.