Third POV
"Are you two okay?!" Willow frantically asked.
"No! We need to pack our stuff immediately and leave!" Lilith held Hunter closely to her.
"What happened and where's Luz?" Boscha grew worried.
"She's distracting Belos. Luz helped us escape," Hunter's voice came out shakey.
"We need to help her. Who knows if she's been captured."
"Don't worry about me everyone. I made it safe," Luz came out from behind a tree.
"Luz! You're okay! Seriously, what the hell is going on?" Boscha began to be impatient.
"What we planned didn't go as well as we thought but another plan that I made up worked. Let's gather our stuff while I explain and get the heck out of here."
"Go on," Boscha and Willow started picking up their equipment and shoving it in their bags.
"The plan was a little bit of a bust. Belos was close to killing Hunter, and Lilith was being held down by Belo's soldiers. Thankfully, I sensed danger and came to the rescue. Now we're here ready to return back to base."
"Shit..." Boscha mumbled, looking down.
As everyone was close to finishing up, Hunter and Lilith hugged each other tightly. Lilith was soothing her friend with calm and comforting words. She even apologized for not fighting hard enough to protect him from Belos. Though, Hunter was just happy that everybody was still alive. The only thing bothering him was the fact that Flapjack is injured and needs to be healed quickly.
"We got everything with us, right?" Luz made her question clear to everyone.
"Yup. Looks like everyone seems to be set and ready. Now let's get the hell out of this place," Boscha climbed on top of her horse. Everyone else did the same and had their horses begin running away from the Demon Realm and back to the Boiling Isles. It was only ten minutes before the five of them slowed their horses down for the animals to relax by walking. There was silence for a couple minutes before Hunter broke it.
"Thank you, Luz. For helping us escape back there," Hunter muttered.
"It's not a problem. I didn't lie to you when I said I'll keep you safe. No matter what, I will always watch over you."
"I owe you my life."
"Not at all Hunter. You don't owe a single thing. We'll explain everything to Alador. He'll be happy we made a successful journey and that we are alive, but he won't be happy with what Belos has done," Luz reassured Hunter.
"My scabbard has pockets to place small items in and that's where I put the bracelet. When I was going to show it to Belos, I noticed there was a hole that the bracelet fell through. That's when he started to strangle me," Hunter explained his side of the story.
"I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. I'll manage."
"Belos is dead to us. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. Soon, he'll be buried in dirt, and not a single soul will miss his sorry ass," Boscha declared.
"You're right about that, Boscha. How's Flapjack doing Hunter?" Luz looked over her shoulder to see Hunter staring at the cardinal between his legs.
"He's napping right now. Flapjack is not able to fly because his wings are crushed. As long as he is sleeping and not moving, he won't feel any pain."
"Poor fella. When we get home, I'll have my mother and sister take a look at him. They will heal him to the point where he can fly again."
"You really think they can do that?"
"Yup! Those two are successful when it comes to sickness and injuries. Flapjack will surely be in good condition in no time."
"Then, I trust your judgment," Luz gave Hunter a bright smile.
"Y'know, I feel guilty for the two of you," Willow stared back at Lilith and Hunter with sorrow.
"Why is that?" Lilith was puzzled.
"Your king is a monster towards the both of you. I always thought he would at least treasure his strongest members, but it's the opposite. Belos treats you like crap. That's why you would try to succeed in everything that he wants you to do. If not, he would inflict pain in order to teach you guys a lesson. It's a horrible thing that a person could do to another human being. Because of it, I want to apologize for what you went through. I also want to say that I forgive both of you."
"You shouldn't forgive us. Even if we were being punished for failing, you can't forgive us for what we've done in the past. It's not an excuse to do such evil things."
"It doesn't matter whether it's an excuse or not. We still forgive you. You've proven to Willow and I from your actions that you can change into someone better. You've helped Alador plan out great ideas to beat Belos. That's something no one has ever thought of. I say you guys are one of the toughest people in the whole wide world. Standing up for yourselves for what's right. That's what I call being courageous," Boscha added as a grin was plastered on her face.
Luz took notice of Hunter gripping onto the reins as his face twitched and eyebrows furrowed. His lips quivered and his eyes remained focused on Flapjack before tearing up silently. Lilith showed a small, sad smile while wiping tears from the corner of her eyes.
"T-Thank you. This was something we needed to hear. It's been years since we've received such kind words. Hearing them makes us feel good."
"I'm very pleased to see that kind of effect. It shows you happily accepted it and appreciate what we think of you as the good guys," Willow said.
"Ugh...Did Luz spread her generosity to you guys as well?" Hunter rubbed his eyes to get a clear view of the couple. Boscha, Willow, and Luz laughed at Hunter's question.
"I most likely did," Luz gently patted the blonde boy's back. Everyone chuckled, joked, and smiled throughout the entire ride back to the castle, trying to lighten up the mood and almost forgetting the event that happened. Willow and Boscha grew closer to their now new friends by the time they were near the castle. Luz told some stories about her family and other stories involving Amity. The ex-criminals were intrigued with Luz's relationship with the princess while Boscha and Willow played a game of I Spy. It wasn't long until they made it to the front gates of the entire kingdom.
Luz went in first with the rest of the group following behind. The horses trotted to the palace and came to a halt when they arrived. The group got off and handed the reins to the guards who awaited them. They quickly grabbed their items before entering inside the castle. The stuff were set by the large gates and the five went to look for King Alador together. It didn't last long until he showed up before they were able to find him.
"King Alador," everyone got down on one knee and bowed, then got up, waiting for the king to say something.
"Hey everyone. I'm super pleased to see you five okay and well. I was getting nervous throughout the entire time you were gone, thinking that something will go horribly wrong," he stated.
"Well... it did, sort of, go wrong," Luz pointed out. The king's eyes went wide until Hunter continued to add more to the story. He mentioned every single detail from almost being killed to losing the bracelet to Luz saving Lilith and Hunter. Once the scrawny boy got to the part where Belos was introduced, Alador's expression changed. His eyes were filled with hatred and sadness when Hunter had to explain the horrid Belos has done to him and Flapjack. Hunter ended the story with everyone taking their stuff and heading to the castle right away. The king's face was a bit pale as he rubbed his forehead and slowly brought his hand down to his chin.
"I-I...I don't know what to say," Alador was speechless, trying to process everything that was laid out.
"Take your time Alador. I know it's a lot to gather from the chaos that happened," Luz reassured him.
"All I can say is that I'm so proud of all of you. You are braver than before. The tragedy you went through makes my blood boil in anger. I don't care anymore if the plan worked or not. As long as you guys are alive, that's what matters to me the most. So, thank you very much for going through with this idea. Hunter and Lilith, you really proved to me your loyalty and trust. I owe you a lot for your sacrifices."
"You don't owe anything to us. We're just happy to be as far away from Belos as possible. Our chains around our necks, feet, and wrists have been broken, and we are free from evil. We should be thanking you for your help," Lilith said. Alador gave a sympathetic smile before wrapping his arms around the group into a hug. They all accepted his hug, feeling warm and safe in his arms. It was like the group were being healed from the trauma they went through altogether.
"With the change of plan being a success and all of your help, we will surely win this battle. Belos will be no more and we will be loose from war at last. Peace and love will be upon us," Alador unwrapped his arm and looked at everyone with a big smile.
"I can't wait til this is all over," Lilith sighed.
"Me too," Hunter agreed.
"Oh. Before I forget, here's your bracelet Alador," Luz handed the king back his precious jewelry.
"Thank you for keeping it safe. You must've been worried when you lost it."
Hunter replied, "I was. I thought that if I didn't come back here with it on me, you would've thrown me out."
"Nonsense Hunter. Sometimes you just have to let go of things. As long as I have my family, that's what matters to me the most," the king applied the bracelet back to his wrist.
"You guys made it as a whole! I'm not surprised since Alador sent out the strongest team to check out the Demon Realm," King Gilbert popped out of the blue.
"They came across some tough challenges that I'm sure they don't want to mention again but I'm positive your daughter and Boscha will fill you in on your way home."
"Speaking of home, we will be leaving soon. I forgot that I was making a special dinner for my husband."
"What a terrible husband you are to forget something important and special," Alador teased.
"Leave me alone Alador. I'm getting old, you know."
"But I'm older than you, which doesn't give you an excuse."
"You're reminding me of my own mother when she used to..."
Meanwhile, Boscha and Willow are saying their goodbyes to their friends.
"You could do this without our help, right?" Willow randomly asked.
"What do you mean?" Luz was confused with what Willow was asking.
"I mean, you don't need our help when the day Belos tries to come after you all, right?"
"Not at all. It's considerate of you to be thinking about aiding us, but this is our fight. We don't want casualties from your side to happen because of us. And I'm not saying your people are weak because they're not. It's just that if we fail to win and Belos finds out that you're helping us, he will come after your kingdom."
"I didn't think of that. But it would be something to worry about because the Boiling Isles is the number one strongest kingdom out of every other kingdom."
"Don't worry about them Willow. We have faith that they'll gain a huge victory. If they really need our help, we'll just come and help them without telling them that we're coming," Boscha wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Thanks guys for your consideration. Honestly. With King Alador and Eda in charge of their army, there's no doubt we would go down so quickly. Lilith and Hunter are stronger since their old king kept them in shape. Now it'll take a lot for Belos to bring us down. It's going to be a tough fight, but we will manage," Luz explained.
"Just be safe out there. Tell Amity that she better not get herself hurt," Willow requested.
"Don't worry about my girlfriend. I'm her personal guard which means I won't let anything happen to her as long as I'm by her side."
"You better Luz. Also tell her we should have a duel after the war is all over. I remember Amity telling us she's back to practicing her sword skills," Boscha recalled.
"I will," Boscha and Willow gave Luz a quick hug before staring at Hunter and Lilith.
"And the famous duo. We would not forget about you two either. Thanks for helping out our allies. I know how hard it was to leave everything you've done behind, but you guys made the right decision to help our friends out. You two are a huge help and hope for this kingdom. Hopefully we'll see you again. It was nice knowing you personally," the couple shook Hunter's and Lilith's hand.
"Likewise. Thank you for accepting us," Lilith smiled.
"No problem."
"Please give my regards to the rest of the Blight family, Alador," Gilbert directly told Alador.
"I will. Goodbye now."
"Come on lovebirds. It's time to depart."
Willow, Boscha, and Gilbert waved at their friends before exiting the Blight castle. Left standing was Alador, Luz, Hunter, and Lilith.
"So what now Alador?" Luz broke the short silence.
"We wait. Until Belos starts making his way over, that's when we go forth. I sent some knights to hide and spy on his castle. They'll send a messenger over in case anything happens. There is something that I'm worried about."
"What is it?"
"Lilith was supposed to stay with Belos because on the written plan, it said that Lilith would be in charge of a part of the army, and she would lead them in a different direction. Therefore, Belos would hardly bring any troops to our fighting spot," Alador clarified.
Lilith jumped into the conversation and said, "Actually, there's something I need to say."
"Go on."
"While I was escaping the castle with Hunter, a friend of mine was nearby. His name is Steve. I was scared he was going to attack us, but he assured me that he wouldn't do so. Instead, Steve wanted to help us. Steve was going to betray Belos. He said he'll do whatever he can to mess up the war for Belos. I made sure that what Steve said was true and promised me he would do exactly what I said. That's when I told him about the fake plan we gave to Belos. I quickly explained the plan and instead of me leading part of the army, he will take my place if he can. I even told him that Hunter and I have been kidnapped. All Steve needs to do is convince Belos to lead some of his men before Kikimora does. I felt a huge relief when he agreed with the idea."
"That's great news! I thought we would have a huge disadvantage."
"There's something else I need to say. Once I was done going through the plan with Steve, he told me that Belos gathered a group of monsters to gain the upper hand when going against us. Belos managed to train them to obey his commands," Lilith mentioned.
"This is something new that Belos has done. He really is trying every solution possible to get rid of this kingdom for good. Too bad he is making us stronger than ever without knowing it. We have new weapons and shields installed with the help of Luz's idea. Our knights are training hard for hours by fighting and learning how to climb trees. Our fellow nurses around the kingdom have been gathered to practice for any emergencies involving a knight being harmed during our fight. Your mom and sister are involved with it," the king looked at Luz's direction.
"They'll do great out there," she beamed.
"They surely will. Tomorrow, we'll discuss our real plan to defeat our number one enemy. For now, you should all get some rest. It's been a long day."
"Before you go, do you know where my mom is?"
"Camila is having lunch with Edalyn and Vee in the dining room."
"Great! Thanks," Luz pulled Hunter along. The red-eyed boy knew that Luz was bringing him to her mom and sister to help Flapjack with his injuries. He was laying sleepily on Hunter's right palm.
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Luz's POV
"Hey guys! We're back safe and sound," I greeted.
"There you are, mija! Edalyn was giving me the details about your little mission to the Demon Realm. How'd it go?" I could tell my mom was delighted to see me. The news that I'm about to break won't make her smile last.
"I'll fill you in later. Right now, do you think you can help Hunter's friend?" Hunter then showed everyone Flapjack's condition.
"Oh dios mío! Qué pasó?" My mom and Vee immediately got out of their seats to check out Flapjack's injury.
"Can you help him please? He's hurting a lot," Hunter was beginning to tear up.
"We'll do everything we can to help him. Follow us," Hunter, Vee, and my mom left the room to begin helping the cardinal. I looked at Eda and could tell that she knew something was wrong.
"You and Hunter look like shit which tells me that you had some difficulties in your way."
"You can say that. It was like a mission failure but a success at the same time. We told Alador everything. You should go and ask him what happened. I'm going to remove my armor and find Amity."
"Your girlfriend told me that if you came back and were looking for her, she'll be waiting in the garden."
"Thanks for the info. I'll see you later," I began walking away.
"Take care of yourself kid," was the last thing I heard before finding my way to mine and Amity's room. I had an armor stand standing next to the bedroom door, so I can quickly take off my gear and place it on the stand. I left my clothes that I had underneath my armor and went off to find Amity in the garden.
While walking through the hallways, my mind was able to rummage through the incident that happened earlier today. Seeing Belos for the first time was something I wouldn't experience until it was time for war. He appeared a bit terrifying and his voice held no emotions whatsoever. The inside of his palace didn't feel like home. I wonder how Hunter and Lilith were able to stay for that many years with that evil man. It would drive me insane if I was in their situation. Good thing they left for good because who the hell knows where my aunt and friend would be at. I shook my head to get rid of my thoughts as I approached the entry to the garden. My breath hitched when I saw my lover viewing each set of different flowers, one by one. Her back was facing me, so I decided to call out her name.
"Amity?" Her head perked up and turned to get a glimpse of me. She had the biggest grin on her face when she noticed I was back from my crazy journey.
"Luz! You're back!" She came running and held onto me as I picked her up and spun us around. After spinning twice, I set Amity down to her feet. I pulled her to me by the waist while she placed her hands on each side of my face. She pulled my head towards her to give me a sweet, soft kiss on my lip. It was passionate and held strong emotions to it. I can tell from our kiss we missed each other even though I was gone for a couple of hours. But it doesn't matter now that I'm with my amazing girlfriend. Amity slowly retreated her mouth from mine but kept our foreheads touching, letting us stare at each other's eyes.
"You made it back. And without a scratch," Amity gently rubbed my cheeks with her thumbs.
"Yeah I did."
"How are the others?"
"Willow and Boscha were fine. They left not too long ago. Lilith and Hunter had some difficulties with Belos. Good thing I came in to fight off Belos." Amity pulled back with wide eyes in disbelief.
"You what?"
I let out a long sigh and answered, "I found your dad's bracelet on the ground which Hunter was supposed to take to show to Belos that he and Lilith were able to 'murder' your father. It must've fallen on accident, and I knew that something bad would happen. That's when I broke into Belo's castle by myself and saw him choking Hunter while Lilith was being held back by some of his men. I managed to kill them and distract Belos while the two escaped. I was able to kick him down, but I needed to leave the palace or else I would be toast. After that, the group and I immediately packed our stuff and left the Demon Realm."
"Whew. I was a little worried there." I tilted my head like a dog who is confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you recklessly went to the castle just to have a little duel with Belos. Instead, you went to rescue Lilith and Hunter, which is sweet of you."
"How dare you think I'm reckless," I playfully pouted. Amity gave me a look to show that she thinks otherwise.
"Okay, okay. I know I'm reckless at times but I'm not that reckless."
"I know you aren't. I was only worried because you were up against a dangerous man who is willing to kill anyone that's not on his side."
"I get it. But I don't think it will be the first time I'll face him. Who knows who he would go up to during the battle. It can be any of us," I responded truthfully.
"My father said he'll take care of him since they're both kings of their own kingdom. I don't like that idea, but my dad knows he hasn't taken leadership for years. He wants to step up his game."
"That's reasonable. What about you? What's your reason for fighting in the war alongside us?"
"I want to be a perfect example as a future queen to fight. I can't stand by and watch. It makes me feel useless not doing anything to help. That's why I started training all over again to defend and fight for my kingdom."
"You're wonderful, you know that?" I asked as I looked at my beautiful princess in awe.
"No. I didn't know that, but did you know you are wonderful too?" Amity repeated the same question to me.
"Not at all," I played along.
"Well, now we both know that we are wonderful. Because of that, it makes us a wonderful couple," the princess booped my nose with her index finger. I grabbed the hand Amity booped my nose with and softly kissed her knuckles while staring at her.
"Indeed we are," I said before we both burst out laughing at how silly we were acting. I'm grateful that Amity really has come out of her shell. If she didn't, we wouldn't be making these types of memories. We'll continue to make more after Belos has fallen. We are going to live happily ever after.
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Steve's POV
It's amazing what acting can do for you. I lived in fear when I started working for Belos. He and Kikimora always pushed me around to do whatever dirty job they had in store for me. Not anymore. It stops her and now. I'll be betraying Belos just like how Hunter and Lilith betrayed him. I had enough of being controlled and not doing what I want for once in my life. I always wanted to do good things for people, but Belos told me that people would take advantage of my kindness. Even if they do, I don't mind.
After Lilith and Hunter left the Demon Realm, I knew what to do and took care of Lilith's part of the plan by doing it myself. I ran inside to find some of the guards lying lifeless on the floor. The ones that are alive came to help Belos and picked up the corpses to feed the monsters.
"Don't pull it slowly you fools! It'll hurt more if you do it that way!" I heard Belos yell at the men who were helping him. I strolled over to see a spear pierced through his back. I was amused at the sight inside. On the outside, I seemed like I was filled with frustration as a part of the act I was about to play.
"Let me handle this gentlemen," I pushed everyone away from Belos to take care of the spear. I grabbed the handle with both of my hands and quickly yanked it out of Belo's back. He yelped in pain as Blood came rushing out of his skin. One of the guards used a handkerchief to apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. Only three inches of the spear punctured the king.
"I'm going to kill that woman! Once I get my hands on her, she's dead!" Belos was beyond furious.
"This isn't good, your majesty. That woman you mentioned kidnapped Hunter and Lilith with the help of her friends. I tried to stop them, but I was outnumbered."
"Tch. They'll handle themselves. After all, they were able to kill Alador," Belos chuckled loudly.
"No one can stop us now. We still have Alador's plan Lilith was able to deliver. With that, we'll know what to do in order to win."
"Indeed sire. I do have something to say regarding the plan."
"Do tell."
"Lilith told me that if anything were to happen to her, she would allow me to take her place.So I was thinking that I would be the one to take part of the army to lead in a different direction where we can sneak up on Alador's knights without them knowing what's coming! They'll perish rather quickly don't you think?" I did my best to sound evil and excited with the idea. Belos took some time to think about what I said. I hope it was enough to convince him. Kikimora is busy finding dead carcasses out in the woods while everyone else is here so that was an advantage to take.
"Kikimora will be busy commanding the creatures. It makes sense for you to be in charge of the army Lilith was supposed to lead. I will allow you to do it. You'll take one-fourth of my men to wherever you need to go. I will need to read what Lilith has written in order for us to take care of the Boiling Isles. Right now I need my wound clean and fixed. Very soon, we'll charge after them. We must prepare so we can win. I'm not allowing anyone to live after what happened today. They are all going to pay and that's final."
The men who were in the throne room cheered and screamed a war cry. I went along with it but deep down I knew I had to take part of my job to mess everything up for Belos. Even if I'm at risk, I know Lilith would be grateful that I'm doing this for her. She means a lot to me. We interacted a lot during the time we worked for Belos. After she left, it felt lonely without her. I had a hunch that both Lilith and Hunter wanted to escape from the king. I would've gone with them, but Belos would notice something is up. I just need to stay strong for Lilith and Hunter and stay put. The war is soon about to begin, and this is the last time I'll be controlled before the day comes. Sorry Belos but you've been fooled right in front of your eyes. Points for Steve because that guy played a really good role.