The Seventh Son (Male OC x Luz Noceda x Amity Blight)

Chapter Nine: The Crow Wizard

A few days had passed sinced Booker and Luz went to Hexside, unknowingly being a part of Gus' scheme to secure his position as president of the H.A.S.. It ended in disaster, but wasn't all that bad. Now the two best friends were being enrolled at the witchcraft school. Of course, Booker and Luz were excited to be able to go and learn magic. However, for the Seventh Son, there was something else going on for him.

As he stared down at the photo of his father and uncles, Booker focused on one of them. The fourth oldest uncle and his crow Palisman staff. He was more than sure of it. It was the same staff used by the wizard that saved him, Luz, Gus, and Willow from the Demon Hunters.

It all led Booker to ask one question. Is the wizard with the crow mask his uncle?

"Booker, you agree with me, right?"

"Huh?" Booker looked up at Luz. Quickly, he stuffed the photo back into his sweater. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

The two kids and Eda were sitting on a bench at a playground in the middle of Bonesborough. Or, as it was called in the Boiling Isles, the Slayground. And just like everything else in the Demon Realm, everything was alive in some way. There was a slide adjacent to a strange monster-like building with its mouth open, a sand pit with tentacles coming out of it, and a set of swings made from bones.

There were several baby-track Hexside students there, playing around and having fun. It reminded Booker of when he was forced to watch over some of the younger kids from the orphanage.

"I'm talking about King!" Luz exclaimed frantically, pointing at King, who was trying to climb up the slide. "What if he gets hurt? What if the kids are mean to him?" She gasped. "My parental instincts are freaking out, man."

"Luz, you're too young to have parental instincts," Booker said.

"Said you, Mister 'I-can't-play-because-I-have-to-babysit," Luz exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. Remembering days when he had to babysit some of the orphans. But on those days, she'd help him.

"Will you relax, kid," Eda said. "He's fine. Look at him."

Booker and Luz watched as King continued making his way up. "It does look like he's having fun," the Dominican-American girl said.

"He's growing up fast, Luz," Booker said, smiling as he wrapped his arm around Luz's neck. Luz smiled as she leaned into him and the two watched King. "Our little demon bastard is becoming a fully grown demon bastard."

"Aw. I wonder what cute little game he's playing," Luz said, secretly enjoying being against Booker's body.

"Stand back, cretins," cried King, grunting as he continued climbing up to the tip of the slide as a few kids watched him. When he reached the top, he turned towards the kids in a victory pose. "Yes! Yes! This is a throne worthy of a tyrant. Bow to me you snotty underlings. Bow!"

The kids at the bottom of the slide just shared a look with one another. "Okay!" And then they did the exact opposite. One did a handstand while the other did a backbend.

"Yes, appease your master!" King yelled, not noticing a kid with dark skin and red hair behind him.

"This isn't for standing, it's for sliding," the boy said, with a green booger running down his left nostril. "You try."

And with that, the kid shoved King down the slide. The little demon tumbled down before landing on the ground. The kid smiled like it was good fun. But King looked upset and angry. Hopping to his feet, he screamed and ran to Booker, Luz, and Eda.

"Eda!" He wailed and clung to Luz's leg. "That monster took my throne!"

"You mean the baby?" Eda asked with an amused tone.

"No, the usurper," King yelled, pointing at the kid, who was now riding on a little dragon spring rider. "I want you to go over there and blow him up. Kaboom!"

"Kaboom!" The 'Usurper' mimicked.

"Yeah, I'm not using Owlbert to blow up a five-year-old," the Owl Lady said, unscrewing Owlbert from her staff. The Palisman hooted when he woke up and hopped into her hand. Smiling, Eda placed him on her lap. "He's got better things to do. Like this..."

Eda scratched the little owl under his wing, making him warble in affection. Loving the scratches very much.

"Aw, what a sweetie." Luz smiled.

"How did you get him?" Booker asked.

"Get?" Eda repeated, looking at Booker for a moment before pointing to herself. "I made Owlbert from the branch of an ancient tree. Owlbert hooted as he hopped onto Eda's hand. The old witch smiled as she lifted up her hand, allowing the little owl to hop to her shoulder and nuzzle her cheek. "Oh, he's my palisman and we're bonded for life. If anyone hurt him, I'd unleash my full wrath to kill them, parade their body across every corner of the Boiling Isles, and feed them to vilest filth in the realm!"

Booker and Luz scooted away from Eda, hugging each other with a scared look on their faces. "But luckily it's never come to that," Eda said with a smile before laughing. Booker and Luz sighed in relief.

"Booker, use your sword and bring me his head!" King demanded.

"Dude, I'm not going to kill a kid," Booker told him. "If you're a king, then why don't you just, I don't know, reclaim your throne?"

That definitely seemed appealing to King, who rubbed his hands together in a sinister way. "Yes. Yes! Revenge will taste all the sweeter if they fall by my hand alone," he proclaimed and laughed.

However, the Usurper once again came up behind him and shoved King over. Making him land face first on the ground. "Tag, you're it!" He said, laughing and running off.

"Oh, man. Here we go. King's squeak of rage." Eda chuckled, waiting for King to freak out with excitement.

The three watched as King grunted and stood right back up. And then it happened! He threw a temper tantrum while letting out a high pitched squealing scream. He paused for a moment, before continuing to squeal as he charged after his rival. All while Booker and Eda laughed together at his scream.

"Oh my God! That's hilarious and adorable!" Booker yelled, whipping away some of his tears from laughing so hard.

"He is like a little teakettle," Eda snorted, before sharing a high five with her nephew.

Luz looked to Eda again, before noticing Owlbert scratching at his face. As he did so, she noticed an oddly shaped hole in his foot. "Hey, what's that," she asked, pointing to it.

"That's his interlock. So he only fits on to my staff," Eda explained, grabbing her staff as Owlbert jumped off her shoulder and stood on the back of the bench. "Every palisman has one."

However, when she turned back to Booker and Luz, Eda saw that they had disappeared. In fact, everything had disappeared and she was now back in the void that haunted her dreams. Everything but her, her staff, and the bench were gone.

"Luz? Booker?!" She called out. Her voice was echoing and full of panic. She stood up and looked around the void. Both her staff and the bench disappeared. "Hello?"

"Eda?" Luz's voice echoed.

"Luz!" She called back.

"Aunt Eda!" Booker's voice called out.

"Booker!"

"Eda, wake up!" Booker shouted as he, Luz, and Owlbert looked over Eda's unconscious body. It all happened so fast! One moment she was explaining how palisman work, the next, she just fainted. Booker and Luz moved off the bench and placed Eda on it.

"Eda? Can you hear us?" Luz asked, shaking her a bit. However, she got no reaction.

"Okay, I didn't want it to come to this, but..." Holding up his right hand, Booker breathed into it. Luz wondered if he was checking his breath, but her eyes widened when she saw him pull his hand back.

"Wait, Booker!" Luz tried to stop him, but it was too late.

"WAKE UP!" Booker swiftly slapped Eda across the face, making the Owl Lady's eyes shoot open.

"OW!" Eda yelled as she shot up and held her cheek. Turning to Booker, she glared and yelled, "What the fuck, kid?! Why'd you slap me?!"

"Because you passed out, that's why! We were worried!" Booker said as Eda rubbed her cheek.

"What?" Eda asked before shuddering. Seeing this Booker knew what was going on.

"It's the curse, isn't it?" He asked, to which Eda nodded. "Alright, we need to get back to the house. Now!" Booker quickly handed her the staff. Eda stood up as Booker and Luz helped their mentor walk away.

"King, we have to go!" Luz called out to the demon as they made their way out of the park.

Meanwhile, King atop the jungle gym, facing the little Usurper. "Five more minutes, please!" He called out and was about to push the kid back on the slide.

Seeing he wasn't going to come willingly. Booker formed an arm from light magic and stretched out towards him. Grabbing his little body in a tight grip. "GET OVER HERE!" Booker yelled in his best Scorpion voice, pulling King off the jungle gym.

"AAAH! You haven't seen the last of meeeeeee!" King yelled while being pulled towards Booker.

The little boy waved at him. "Bye bye!"

When the group arrived back at the Owl House, Eda tossed her staff to the couch, yawned, and flopped face-first onto the couch. Owlbert flew to the back of the sofa to watch her as Booker and Luz walked up to her. "Booker, you watch Eda," Luz said as Booker dispelled the magical light arm. "I'll go get the elixir."

"Don't worry about it. I'll get it myself in a bit," Eda said in a muffled voice as she waved him off. Her face was still in the couch.

"Eda, this is serious," Booker said with a worried expression. "Do you need us to stay home and take care of you?"

Luz gasped in excitement when she had an idea. "I could put King in a little doctor's outfit."

Everyone looked at King, who looked up from a stack of paper he was about to write on. "Meh?"

"No one wants to see that," said Eda.

"I do," Luz whispered with dark spots under her eyes. "Oh! I'll even dress up as a nurse!"

"God, I wanna see that," Booker said.

"What?"

"Huh?!" Booker's cheeks immediately flared up.

"Look, I know how to take care of myself," Eda said as she pushed herself up from the couch. "I've had this curse longer than you've been alive."

"So, how'd you get it?" Luz asked.

Eda grunted as she planted her face back into the couch. "I don't know," she said in a muffled voice.

"You don't know?!" Luz exclaimed.

"Eda, this is serious! How could you not know?" Booker asked.

"Somebody gave it to me. I don't know who and I don't care because I'm fine, all right?" Eda said, wanting to end the conversation right then and there. She sat up and pointed at Booker and Luz. "Anyway, don't you two have plans with Tweedledum and Twerpledee?"

"Their names are Willow and Gus, aunt," Booker said with a disapproving look.

Owlbert retrieved her staff as Luz explained to the Owl Lady her plans. "Well me, Willow, Gus, and Booker are going to the Grudgby game between Hexside and Glandus High."

"Since when are you into sports?" Eda asked while screwing Owlbert back onto the staff. Making him inanimate.

Luz got into Eda's face. "Since I found a little something called 'Hexside Pride,'" she told her, grunting as she hopped down from the couch's armrest. "To think that Glandus, whoever they are, would dare face us. But if you need us to stay..."

"Gross. Sympathy. Go!" Eda commanded, standing up and pointing to the door. "Go have fun at sport."

"Hooray! Hooray for sport!" Luz cheered as she was about to run out the door. However, she stopped when noticing that Booker wasn't cheering with or following her. "Booker, aren't you coming?"

Booker looked to the side before looking back at her with an apologetic expression. "Actually, I think I'm going to sit this one out," he told her.

"Really? But we always go to school rallies and games," Luz said, sad and almost a little hurt that he didn't want to go with her.

"Yeah, but that was because...well, you were a cheerleader and I wanted to support you," Booker said, looking away from her again with a blush on his face.

"Aw~!" Luz gushed with her hands on her cheeks as they turned slightly red.

"But there's something I need to do," Booker said, before grinning and making a hand gesture like his head was exploding. "Something that would blow your mind."

"Ooo, I like that. Alright, well..." Luz pulled him into a hug. Smiling with her arms around him. "...I'll see you later."

Booker smiled sadly and hugged her back. He didn't like lying to her about anything, but this had to be done by him and him alone. So he hugged her tighter before letting her go. The two of them blushed and looked away with embarrassment before Luz went over to King.

"Hugs and kisses, King. Mwah!" she knelt down and kissed his skull. Luz then ran out of the door with a sing-songy voice. "Don't spend all night plotting revenge~!"

"That drooly–faced heathen will know my wrath," King said in a sing-songy voice while he continued drawing.

"So what's with you, oh nephew of mine?" Booker turned around to see his mentor looking at him with a look of suspicion.

"What do you mean?" Booker asked nervously

"You didn't want to go do something that would allow you to spend time with Luz," Eda said, pointing her finger at him with narrow eyes. "That's...not like you."

"Psst, I don't do everything with Luz," Booker said, closing his eyes and pointing to his chest. "I'm my own man."

"Yet you would totally marry her if you could."

"Yes, I would!" Booker blurted out. However, realizing what he had just agreed to, Booker opened his eyes and saw that Eda was smirking at him. "...That was a dirty move, Aunty," he said with a frown.

"So, what is going on with you," asked Eda as she sat down on the couch. Booker walked over and sat down with her. "Having girl troubles?"

"No!...maybe, but that's not what's bothering me," he told her. Knowing that he had to ask her before doing what needed to be done, Booker took a deep breath and looked at Eda. "I just wanted to know...What do you know about a wizard that wears a crow mask?"

At that moment, Eda's eyes widened, and she looked at him in shock. "You mean the Crow Wizard?"

"So you know him," Wade concluded.

"I've heard rumors about this guy. And I've been trying to collect the bounty he has for years!" Eda complained while shaking her fist in the air. Recomposing herself, the Owl Lady got back to the topic. "Anyways, the Crow Wizard is an outlaw and is said to be a power witch. Not much is known about him, other than that he targets the Emperor's patrols and practices wild magic. There are even rumors that he's trying to start a revolution against the Covens."

Booker's eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

"But I'm sure that's all just rumors," Eda said, trying to brush off the rumors. "Now I'm going to lay down for a while. Don't bug me!"

And with that, Eda got up and walked up the stairs to the second floor. When she was gone, Booker pulled out the photo again and looked at his uncle. Booker had looked in Eda's photo album to look for his name. Some of the pictures she had were written on. One of them showed his uncle standing with a girl with bunny ears.

His name was York Bridges.

Going back to his room, Booker packed everything that he would need. Food, water, maps of the area he and the others met the Crow Wizard, and his phone. Just in case he needed to call Luz. But that was for a last resort. He didn't know if their phones would even work in the Demon Realm.

However, that wasn't on his mind at the moment. Just his mission.

Once everything was ready, Booker threw Dragon's Bite on his back and then put on his backpack. Walking out of the room, Booker started walking down the hallway. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper that he wrote down on and looked at it sadly.

"Now, to destiny's battlefield. The slayground!" Booker looked up when he heard the sound of King's voice. It was coming from Eda's room, which was open.

"King?" He called out to the little demon.

"Negh!" King quickly exited the room and closed the door behind him. King looked at Booker as the Seventh Son stared at him.

"King? What were you doing in Eda's room?" Booker asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing! What are you doing!?" King yelled, pointing at Booker. "Carrying all that stuff."

"I...wanted to see if I can't sell some of this stuff," Booker lied to King.

"Booker, King, are you home?" Both King and Booker froze up when they heard Luz calling out to them. They looked to see Luz walking up the stairs before walking over them, dressed in what looked like a cheerleader outfit with a hat that had two soda cans attached to it. "Hey, guys. Is Eda up?"

"Who? Oh." King chuckled nervously. "That Eda. No, no. She is out like a light," he said before the three of them heard the sound of a loud, growling snore coming from the other side of the doors. "Oh, man. Can she snore."

"Man, she snores louder than Booker," Luz said, making Booker look at her with an unamused expression. She turned to him and noticed the backpack. "Where are you going, Booker?"

"Oh, this!?" Booker instinctively reached back and placed his hands on it. Hehehe, this is just some...Wait, what are you doing back here?"

"I wanted to ask if I could borrow Eda staff," Luz said, looking down while rubbing the back of her head. "But I know she needs her rest..."

Hurried, King grabbed Eda's staff and gave it to Luz. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine. It's fine. Just take it!" He said, shoving it into her hands.

"King, she can't just take the staff without Eda's permission!" Booker scolded the little demon. The three of them looked at the door when they heard a shriek from the other side.

"Well, there's your permission," King smuggly told Booker before trying to shoo Luz away. "Off you go."

Booker looked to Luz as she looked at Owlbert, who remained lifeless on the staff. "I really owe Gus and Willow one," she said, before looking up at Booker. "And it's just for the afternoon. I'm sure Eda wouldn't mind, Booker."

"Not our generous, kindhearted Eda. Big heart on her," King said.

Booker and Luz stared at King for a second, making the young demon rather nervous for some reason. However, before Booker could say anything, Luz started to leave. "I'll be back soon," she said.

With a quick hug to Booker, Luz ran down the hall and down the stairs.

"Close call," King said with a satisfied look in his eyes.

"And what exactly was a close call?" Booker asked, reminding King that he was still there. King looked at him with wide eyes as Booker leaned down and pointed a finger at him. "King, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing!" King exclaimed. Trying to think of a way out of his situation, King noticed a piece of paper in Booker's hand. So, he snatched it and opened it. "And what's with this?!"

"Give that back!" Booker jumped at him, but King jumped over him, and Booker fell onto the ground. He landed on the back of the boy's head and walked off him.

Opening the paper, King started reading it. "'Dear Luz, if you're reading this, then you know that I'm not here. I do not know if I'll be back sooner or later, but I just want you to know that I've always had–' Ugh, gross!" King gagged, while continuing to read.

"Fine! I'll leave that part out!" Booker exclaimed, snatching back the note from King.

King looked at him sadly. "Booker...you're leaving?"

Booker's eyes widened as he looked at King. "It's not so much that I'm leaving, it's..." Booker sighed, realizing that he had to come clean and tell him. "...I'm going to find the Crow Wizard."

"What!? Are you nuts!?" King exclaimed, looking at Booker like he was crazy. "Why would you try and look for the Crow Wizard?"

"Look, I know that it's risky, but I don't have a choice," Booker told him, before sighing. "I think he's one of my uncles."

King, now understanding, looked at Booker with wide eyes. "Oh."

"I know I shouldn't have kept this from Eda, and especially Luz, but I'm not sure if I'm right, King," Booker said, kneeling down and placing his hands on King's tiny shoulders. "I have no grandparents or aunt and uncles back home. After my family died, I was all alone with no one. This could be my one chance to find my family in this world. I have to take that chance."

Booker stood up and prepared the leave. However, before he could go, King stopped him.

"Then I'll go with you."

Stopping in his tracks, Booker turned back to King with wide eyes. "What?"

"I said I'll go with you," King repeated.

"King, I can't ask you to do that," Booker said, shaking his head.

"But I want to," King said, looking up at Booker sadly. "I don't know where I come from or who my parents are, so in a way I get what you're going through. Plus, Eda would kill me if something happens to you."

Booker stared at King with wide eyes. Sure, he can get on Booker's nerves...a lot and was full of himself, but the Seventh Son still cared about King. He was quite surprised to see King's determination to come along with him on this journey. However, Booker smiled at him.

"Alright, then let's go while Eda's sleeping," he said with a confident smile.

King nervously looked away. "Uh..."

"What?"

With King on his shoulder, Booker opened the doors to Eda's room and gasped in fear. Eda was in her Owl Beast form and started eating a chair. However, only one of her eyes was black.

"What the hell!?" Booker exclaimed in shock and fear.

The Owl Beast looked up at him and growled. Throwing the chair over her back, Eda lunged at Booker. Booker reached for his sword, but Eda was too quick, and grabbed him by the back of his hoodie. Booker yelled as he was pulled up into the air, causing King to fall off.

"King! Get the elixir!" Booker yelled, flailing his arms around to get free.

He was then dropped into the nest and was nervous when Eda loomed over him. He braced himself when the beast moved forward. However, instead of eating him, Eda instead climbed into the nest with him and laid on top of Booker.

Booker looked around as Eda continued to sit on him. He then sat King hiding underneath a stool. "Psst–King! What the fuck is going on?" He asked the little demon.

"She's completely tame, man," King said. "I don't think the curse has taken full effect yet."

"Okay, but why is she sitting on me?"

"I think she's brooding. She thinks you're her baby egg," King whispered.

"Awww~Wait, how do you know she's tame?" Booker asked, narrowing his eyes at King.

King nervously looked away before coming clean. "I...found her like this and thought I'd use her to take back my throne."

"Wait, you were going to sick Eda on that kid?! What the fuck?!" Booker yelled at King.

"That usurper deserves it!"

Booker would facepalm if he could. "Alright, well just get her off of me. I'm suffocating under her," he said in a strained voice.

"I'm on it," King said, pulling out the elixir and the light up pin.

A moment later, the two were able to get Booker out from under Eda, they got her to drink the elixir. Once she turned back to normal, the Owl Lady was lying in her bed, fast asleep.

"Alright, let's go," Booker said.

Coming to a stop, Booker looked around, with King standing on his shoulder. The two of them had arrived at the place where the Crow Wizard had saved him. As Booker scanned the area, King jumped down and started sniffing the ground, trying to pick up any kind of scent.

As he stared out into the trees that boarded the round on both sides, Booker could feel his anxiety rising. They were completely alone, and he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. But where and by who was something he worried about.

Turning back to King, Booker said, "Well, did you find anything?"

"No," said King, standing up with a puzzled look. "I can't get a clear trace on anything. There's so many scents."

Booker thought for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. However, before he could do it for too long, he noticed King peek his head up. The little demon then started to sniff the air.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Someone's coming," King said, trying to find the direction it was coming from.

"Who is it?" Booker asked, reaching behind his back to grab onto his sword.

King sniffed the air again, before his eyes widened. "Them!" He exclaimed, pointing down the road.

Then, out of nowhere, a large carriage carrying troops from the Emperor's Covens came rolling down the road at high speeds. There was no horse or anything pulling it, as it was powered by magic. And that magic stopped the carriage when the driver said Booker and king in the middle of the road. Booker quickly grabbed King and jumped out of the way.

The carriage came to a shrieking halt as it pulled up alongside him. The driver then jumped down as the others in the carriage got out. "Hold it right there!"

"Whoa, now," Booker said, standing up with his hands over his head. The scouts had their staff out and approached him intently. "We don't want any trouble."

"What are you doing out here?" One of the scouts, pointing his staff at Booker.

"We were..." Booker glanced at King. "Going for a walk. Yeah! He's been cooped up in the house all day, so we decided to go for a walk."

"Hey! I don't know what–" King was interrupted when Booker lightly kicked him. Getting him to shut up and go along with the lie. "Oh...yeah. I do like....this?"

This seemed to fool the scouts as they dropped their guard. "Oh, okay," one of them said, before he and the others turned around to go back to their carriage. "I guess we'll be leaving now..."

"Wait a minute," said one of the scouts. He then pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. Rolling it revealed it to be a wanted poster for Booker Bridges, with the reward going for the same amount as Eda the Owl Lady! "It's him! It's the Seventh Son!"

Booker instantly looked worried. "Uh oh."

"Get him!"

Booker quickly clapped his hands together and shut his eyes. Creating a massive blinding light temporarily blinded the scouts, but also King by accident. The demon wobbled around a bit with spirals in his eyes before Booker grabbed him.

"Come on!" He yelled, placing King on his shoulder and running into the forest.

"After him!" The troops regained their sights before rushing into the forest. Determined to capture him.

Booker kept running through the forest, weaving around trees and bushes as the scouts chased after him. Booker looked back to see they were starting to gain on him and King. Some even started to fire balls of fire at the pair. Booker ducked his head down to avoid one of these attacks.

"We've got to lose these guys!" King yelled.

"I've got this!" Booker clapped his hands together, and puffing into existence were several clones of himself and King. The clones then ran off in different directions.

Confused, the scouts split up and tried to chase down the clones. Leaving only one to chase after the real Booker and King. As the clones ran, the other scouts started firing balls of fire at them. Then they were hit, the clone of the boy and demon puffed into smoke.

"We've got to get back to Eda!" King exclaimed.

"We can't! We'll lead these guys right to the house!" Booker yelled, knowing that if the Emperor's Coven knew about Eda's home, they'd come after her with everything they had.

All of a sudden, a ball of fire passed over King's head. Startled by the attack, King falls off of Booker's shoulder and thumbs on the ground. Yelping in pain as he body hits the ground.

"King!" Booker yelled, stopping and turned around.

Seeing that he's stopped the blonde boy, the scout jumped for joy. "Yes! I've got him, guys!" He yelled back to the others, who all turned and started running back to him. "Promotion for Steve!"

Booker knelt down next to King and saw that all he had was a little bruise. However, King still acted like it was a life-threatening injury. "They knocked me off! Those fiends knocked me off and made me fall!" He cried angrily, before looking at Booker and pointing at them. "Go and avenge me, Booker!"

Looking up, Booker saw Steve and the other scouts running at him. He stood up and got in front of King and drew his sword. Ready to take on them all on to define the little demon.

However, just as fighting was about to break out, Steve was suddenly knocked onto his back when someone came flying in and kicked him in the head.

Steve was sent flying into a tree as the person landed. For a moment, Booker thought he was looking at the Crow Wizard, as he had the same crow mask and wide brim hat. However, he was shorter than the wizard and his staff was different. It has a bear on it, and poking out of his hat were...

...bunny ears?

"Alright, scouts," he said with the voice of someone much younger than the Crow Wizard. Twirling his staff around, he pointed it at the scouts. "How's next?"

The scouts looked at one another. Then, they all drew magic circles and rapid-fired fireballs at the wizard. The young wizard used his staff to form a shield in front of him and Booker. Protecting himself and the Seventh Son.

Then he drew another circle on the ground. This time, he summoned vines from the ground that started attacking the scouts. Grabbing two of them and slamming them against the ground. With the scouts distracted, the wizard rushed in and attacked. Swinging his staff into the head of one scout, before kicking another one in the crouch.

As that scout shrieked and fell to the floor, the wizard fired a fireball at another scout. Hitting him in the chest and knocking him out. The rabbit-ear wizard seemed pleased with his work.

However, he didn't notice the last scout sneaking up behind him. Luckily Booker did, and used his light magic to punch him with a massive light fist.

The wizard turned and saw this, as the scout was sent flying deep into the forest. He then turned to Booker, powered down his magic. The mysterious wizard nodded his head. "Nice one," he said.

"Yeah," Booker said, nodding his head. He then looked at the wizard strangely. "Are those...rabbit ears?"

This annoyed the crow mage, who sighed and slouched a bit. "I was kind of hoping for more of a thank you," he said, before placing his staff on his shoulder and walking up to Booker and King. "So, you're the famous Booker Bridges."

Booker glanced at King before looking back at the wizard. "You know who I am?"

"Almost everyone at Hexside knows you, man," he said, walking around Booker as he looked him up and down. "Personally, I don't see what the big deal is, but then again, you did go berserk during the covention."

"That was an accident," Booker grumbled.

"Eh, whatever. I'll see later," the mage said before starting to walk off.

"Wait!" Booker quickly picked up King and placed him on his shoulder. He then rushed over to the mage. "You know the Crow Wizard, right?!"

The mage suddenly whirled around and pointed his staff at him.

"Whoa! Watch where you're pointing that thing!" King yelled.

"How do you know about the Crow Wizard?" The mage asked in a threatening tone.

With his arms still up, Booker looked him in the eyes. "Because I think he's someone important to me. Someone from my family," he said. "I think he's my–"

"Uncle?"

Booker gasped lightly before turning around. Standing there was none other than the Crow Wizard himself. Same voice, height, and crow staff.

"You..." Booker gasped as he looked at the wizard.

"Father, what do you mean?" The young mage behind Booker said.

"Nyeh!" King yelped, glancing between him and the Crow Wizard. "Father?"

Booker stared at the Crow Wizard as he approached him. His eyes filled with amazement. Reaching into his pocket, Booker pulls out the photo from his pocket and holds it out to the Crow Wizard.

"This is you, right?" He asked, pointing at the boy in the photo. "You're York Bridges."

Silently, the wizard looked at the photo in Booker's hands and took it. For a moment, he stared at it without saying a word. Then, he stabbed his staff into the ground, took off his hat and placed it on it. And then finally, he took off his massive.

The man revealed to be behind it was a handsome man in his forties, but unlike the brother in the photo, his hair color was different. His long hair, which was tied in a ponytail, and his bread was purple. The left side of his face has a long scar on it, with green eyes and pointed ears.

"I go by York Gearmind, but yes. I am York Bridges," said the Crow Wizard, smiling after finally being able to introduce himself to his nephew.

"Wait, for real?" said the other wizard, who removed his mask and hat. Revealing himself to be a young man at the age of 16 with the same purple hair. Oh, and bunny ears.

"Holy crap, those are bunny ears!" King said, wagging his tail. He then started laughing at the mage. But he stopped when the mage pointed his staff at him.

"Keep laughing, and I'll use your skull as an ornament," he said in a threatening voice.

"Nyeh!"

"Calm down, boy," York said with a smile, placing a hand on his son's head. "You already met my son, Roswell. So where is my brother, huh? If you're here, then he must be too."

Booker's amazement turned to depression as he looked down. King looked at him with a worried expression as Booker had an expression of sadness. "He's...He died. It was 7 years ago."

York's smile turned to a devastated look as he placed a hand on his heart. "Mal's...gone?" He asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. It couldn't be true, but seeing his nephew made him realize that it wasn't a lie. As a single tear trailed down his face, his son placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "How did it happen?"

"It was a fire," Booker said, getting misty-eyed. "It killed everyone."

"Booker, I'm so sorry," York said somberly, shaking his head. "Come on. We should go before more scouts come."

"But, where are we going," Booker asked as York and Roswell started walking away. The Seventh Son quickly started following after the two, with King still on his shoulder.

"You didn't just come here to tell me that my brother's dead and that I'm your uncle, did you," York asked as his Palisman opened his wings. Roswell's Bear Palisman opened its arms like a pair of wings.

"Well, no. I was trying to see if there were others like me. Other Bridges," Booker said. "And I don't mean bridge bridges, but other people from my family."

"And you're going to meet them," York said, getting on his staff as his son flew off. "What's left of us. Now get on."

Booker was about to get on when King stopped him by pulling his hair. "Booker, are you sure about this we can trust this guy?"

"Wait, is that grandfather's Dragon Bite sword?" York asked, pointing to the sword on Booker's back. Booker glanced at King. The little demon sighed and relented.

The Seventh Son walked to the Crow Wizard's staff and climbed on behind his uncle. Then the crow Palisman started flapping its wings and lifting up into the sky. Once they were above the trees, they took off after Roswell.

But back on the ground, Steve saw them riding off. He pulled out his crow phone and dialed it. "Hello, Lilith? It's me, Steve."

"Ugh. What do you want, Steve?"

"Ma'am, we've encountered the Crow Wizard. And the Seventh Son is with him," Steve told her.

"Booker's with the Crow Wizard?! Why would...nevermind. I'm on my way. Don't lose them!"

"But how–" Lilith hung up the crow. Grunting, Steve got up and started running after the Bridges. "Welp, Steve's got a job to do."

For a few minutes, Booker held onto the staff as York flew them behind Roswell. Truth was, he was nervous to see what would await him. Was this a trap? No, it couldn't be...could it? No. It wasn't, Booker thought to himself. He's come too far to just turn around.

"We're here," York said, bringing Booker out of his thoughts as they touched down on the ground. Hopping off the staff, Booker ran in front of York and Roswell with an excited grin. Hoping to see where his uncle lived.

However, to his confusion, the Crow Wizard had taken them to a large, circle field, where there was nothing but bright, tan-orange grass that grew tall.

"I knew it! This is a trap," King said, throwing his arms up.

"Think again, shrimp," Roswell said.

"HEY!" Booker yelled.

"I was talking to your pet."

"Oh," King said. "HEY!"

"Here, let me show you," Roswell said, holding up his hand and drawing a magic circle. The circle grew larger until it was as tall as Roswell. The teenager then stepped through it...

And disappeared.

"Whoa..." Booker said in amazement.

"Go on," York said with a smile, nodding towarding the ring.

Booker and King glanced at one another before looking at the ring. The Seventh Son then walked towards the ring, and when he looked up, he was amazed by the sight in front of him.

Across the field of grass was an old looking temple. It stood tall and proud while also being covered in foliage under the protection of a large illusion barrier that kept it safe from the outside world.

"Welcome to our home," Roswell said as he walked towards it. Booker smiled and ran towards the fort, with York following behind. Together, they walked down a sloped walkway that led into the inside of the temple. Leading to a large door that Roswell knocked on.

"Who is it?" Said a girl's voice from behind them.

"It's us, Claus," Roswell said.

"What's the password?"

"Password? When did you guys come up with a password?!" Roswell yelled, knocking his staff on the door.

"Claus, will you please open the door," York said, walking up to the door with Booker and King.

"Yes! Open for the King of Demons!" King shouted.

"Not now, King," Booker said, before he heard the sounds of locking coming undone from behind the door.

The door then opened, revealing a young woman with purple hair and rabbit ears too. She was slightly older than Roswell and was at his height, wearing clothes that made her look like a paperboy, with even a newsboy cap on her head.

"Sorry, dad. Didn't know it was..." Claus paused for a moment when she saw King. She gasped and picked him up. "Oh Titan, he's so cute!" She squealed, hugging King in a bear hug.

"NO! Not another Luz!" King yelled.

Booker and Roswell laughed at this, which made Claus stop hugging King before placing him back on the ground. "That didn't happen!" She told the boys, before pointing to Booker. "And who's this kid?"

"I'll explain everything to everyone," York said, walking into the temple. His daughter quickly walked alongside him.

"By the way, you do know that you'll get in trouble, right?" She asked, making the Crow Wizard sigh.

"I know."

Together, the five of them entire a large chamber where other people were at. It was a setup like a living room, with multiple doorways that led to different parts of the temple.

Two of the occupants were two boys playing Hexes Hold'em. Both were older than Booker and both had tan skin and black hair. The older one of the two had long hair tied in a ponytail and was thinner. The other was portly and stocky with scruffy hair. Both were wearing Hexside uniforms, with the older one being into the Oracle Track and younger being in the Beast-Keeping track.

"Ha! Read'em and weep, Jason!" The Oracle Track boy said, defeating the younger boy in the game.

"Ah, come on, Felix. That wasn't even fair!" Jason said, throwing down his cards.

"Willy, have the kids come back yet?" Asked a woman as she walked into the room. She was a pale skin woman with long brown hair.

"Not yet, Kimberly," said a black man with dark brown skin and red hair.

"We're here, dad!" said a girl's voice. When Booker turned to look at her, he was stunned. Carrying the baby from the playground was none other than Skara from Hexside. "Gray wanted to play at the playground."

"It's the usurper!" King yelled, pointing at the kid angrily. He then crawled over to Booker's right side and tried to pull Dragon's Bite from the sheathe. "Quick! I must seize this moment!"

"Will you cut that out?" Booker exclaimed, pulling King away and dropping him on the ground. "You're not killing a baby."

When Skara turned to the duo, she was stunned to see Booker Bridges. "Wait, you're Booker, right?" Skara asked, approaching him.

"Uh, yeah," Booker said, nervously smiling. "Aren't you one of Amity's friends? Skara, right?"

"That's right," she said, giving him a peace sign.

"Hello!" Gray said, waving at the Seventh Son happily.

"Don't let him win you over!" King yelled at Booker.

"What is he talking about?" Skara asked.

"Don't worry about it," Booker said, frowning and shaking his head.

"York?" said another voice. This time, it came from a Caucasian female witch with green eyes and wavy brown hair. And on her head was a pair of bunny ears . She quickly walked over to him and placed her hands on his face. "You're home! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine Sarah. Everyone's fine," York said, trying to calm her down. Seeing this, Sarah let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm so happy to hear that," she said. But then Sarah suddenly grabbed his pointy ear and pulled on it. "Then what the hell were you thinking?!"

"Ow! What?" York whined.

"You know what! Bring our son on another one of your raids," Sarah said, looking at her husband with a look of disappointment. "What if he got hurt? Huh?"

"He asked to come along," York said, rubbing his ear after she let go of him. "I need some help and Roswell volunteered."

"But we're trying to keep him out of danger, York," Sarah argued. "We're trying to keep everyone in this temple safe from the Emperor's Coven. What if he..." The rabbit-eared woman stopped when she saw Booker and King.

The Seventh Child nervously waved at her. "Hi."

Sarah stared at him before turning back to her husband. "And who is this? A recruit for your rebellion?" She questioned York.

"This is the kid I told you guys about," Skara said with a smile. "The kid that almost destroyed the Covention. Booker Bridges."

At that moment, everyone went silent, as the adults and even some of the kids instantly turned to Booker with wide eyes. Their expressions were filled with shock and confusion. Willy and Kim glanced at one another, as Skara looked at them with confusion. Jason and Felix stood up from the table, staring at Booker.

Sarah covered her mouth in shock. "Bridges?" She repeated what Skara said. "York, How is this..."

York sighed. This wasn't how he was expecting to tell the others. But seeing that the secret was out, he walked over to Booker and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Skara speaks the truth. This young man is a Bridges, just like all of us," he said.

"But...I thought that..." Skara was interrupted when her parents came over to her. Her father placed a hand on her head as her mother took Gray into her arms.

"Everyone, this is Booker Bridges, my nephew and...my brother Malcolm's seventh son."

The others gasped at this and muttered among each other. Mal's son? How was that even possible? Mal disappeared, along with everyone of his family, into the human world. How could he be here? However, all talk was cut short when they heard the sound of wood tapping.

Walking out of one of the doorways was an elderly woman with ash-white hair and glass. She walked into the room with a staff that had a lion Palisman on it. Everyone stepped aside as the woman walked towards Booker and stopped in front of him. Leaning towards him caused her back to make pops and cracks.

The elderly woman with her purple eyes narrowing at Booker, reached out and placed a hand on his face. Feeling the left side of his face, before a look of surprise formed on her face. A moment later, a tear started to trail down her cheek.

"This is him," she said, pulling Booker into a soft hug. "This child is my grandchild."

In that moment everyone started to smile and cheer as they crowd around Booker and King, after his grandmother let him up. All eager to meet the young boy that was from a lost member of their family.

"It's so good to finally see you!" Kimberly said, before she started to cry a river of tears. "I wasn't there when you were born!" She turned towards her husband, and cried into his shoulder.

"Anyways, I'm William, and this is your aunt Kimberly," Willy said, gesturing to his crying wife. "She's the daughter of your second older uncle. And you've already met Skara and Gray."

"KaBoom!" Gray yelled.

"Hey! I'm Felix and this guy is your and my cousin Jason," said Felix, pointing to his cousin. "We're from your 5th and 6th uncles."

"And I am Sarah," the bunny-eared woman said, walking up to Booker and hugging him. "I'm so happy that you're safe. But, where are your father and brothers? Is Elizabeth with you."

In that moment, the joy and happiness that Booker felt turned to horror. That's right. They didn't know.

As the sun started to set over the horizon, the temple became very quiet. At the bonfire inside the chamber, Booker's grandmother, Alice, sat down in her rocking chair and held the Dragon's Bite sword in her arms. It was a symbol of the family's greatness at one point. Part of what made them so powerful and popular. Her husband made this sword. Now it was all she had left to remember him by. As well as the family she lost.

News of what happened to Booker's family hit everyone hard, especially Kimberly, Felix, and Jason, who were the direct child of Bridges brothers. But they sympathized with Booker, knowing just what it was like to lose a family. They are all truly the last of the Bridges. And that fact fell upon one the most.

York had walked outside on the wall of the second floor. As he sat on the edge of the wall, he sighed and covered his face. Letting out little sobs. The news of his brother dying hit him hard. York believed that if Mal and his family made it to earth, they would be safe. But he was wrong. Now he really was the last of his brothers.

"Uncle?" The Crow Wizard turned around and saw Booker standing at the entrance. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk to you."

Rubbing away his tears, York shook his head and looked back out at the forest. "It's okay," he said. "I just need some fresh air."

"Yeah," Booker said, walking over and sitting down next to him. King was back with the others, trying to challenge Gray to a fight. But, in a way, Booker knew that he was trying to cheer everyone up. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. You did the right thing," York said. "If you had kept this secret from them, it would have hurt your family even more."

Booker paused for a moment, and looked down. He could have only imagined what Luz would think if she knew he was here. And now he hated himself for not telling her.

"Uncle, what happened to us," Booker asked, turning to the Crow Wizard. "Eda said that we..."

"Eda Clawthorne?" York asked as a smirk started to appear on his face. "You're still living with that old troublemaker?"

"Well, yeah," Booker replied. "She's taking care of me. And Eda's like our mentor."

"Oh, you mean you and that cute little girlfriend of yours?" York said with a playful smirk.

"Luz isn't my girlfriend! I doubt she even likes me like that!" Booker exclaimed, turned away with a pout as he blushed bright red. For all he knew, she was still crushing on that one cheerleader from back home.

"Don't be so quick to doubt," York said. However, his smirk turned to a curious look. "Does she know that you're here?" Booker didn't say anything, but the look of guilt that formed told the wizard what he needed to know. "I see."

"I just...I wanted to find you," Booker said, looking at his uncle. "I wanted to know what happened to my family. If...If we were even still around."

York turned away with a somber look on his face. This question was bound to come up, and York knew he had to tell him.

"The Bridges family was once one of the most powerful noble families on the Boiling Isles," York began. "The people loved us for our forward ways of thinking and for standing for the good of the people. We not only pushed for reforms to make the people's lives better, but also for new forms of magic. While the Emperor wanted to keep everyone under the coven system, our family knew that it wasn't perfect. And so, we started to see if there were other ways of using magic. And that's when we started to develop new magic."

"Like what?" Booker asked.

York smirked and drew a magic circle. From it shot a bolt of lightning that went up into the sky.

"Wow!" Booker gasped. "That was amazing!"

"Indeed," York said, smiling for only that moment. As he continued, his smile turned into a scowl. "But Emperor Belos did not like that at all. And he began to fear us. I'm not sure of the full story, but from what I learned, he summoned the original head of the Oracle Coven, Yeoh Saberslayer. She told him that our family's growing popularity could lead to an uprising against the Emperor."

"What happened after that?" Booker asked, looking fearful. Anxious to know what happened.

York sighed. "Belos tried to change his fate."

It was the day Booker Bridges was to be born.

Once Belos heard of the Oracle's prophecy, Belos gathered all of his forces and led them towards the mansion of the Bridges. Five hundred scouts and guards from the Emperor's own coven descended on the House of Bridges. Booker's father, Tom Bridges, stood with his sons, their wifes and husband, and even their child, if they were capable of fighting.

They would have ran and went into hiding together, but Booker's mother, Elizabeth, went into labor and her water broke. Booker was going to be born on that day, and there was no way to move her. With no other options, the Bridges family sent those that couldn't fight into hiding inside the mansion. The other stood and prepared to fight.

For 3 hours, they held their ground against the witches of the Emperor's army. Their magic was nothing compared to the power of the Bridges. And for a fleeting moment, victory was almost within their grasp.

That was until Belos himself entered the fray.

He alone cut down all that stood in his way, including Tom Bridges, who was the first to die by his hands. Then he turns his sights to the Bridges brothers, their lovers, and the children that fought alongside their parents. Even when some attacked together, they couldn't stop the Emperor, as the scouts all cheered for him.

As the survivors retreated into the house, York, who was badly injured, ran towards his brother Mal's room. Behind him, the poor man heard the dying cries of his family. Belos wasn't stopping. He couldn't be stopped.

Entering into the room, York saw his brother using his light magic to carry his wife out of bed.

"Belos is in the house! Get out of here!" He yelled.

Malcolm nodded and kneeled down on the floor and pulled out something. It was the portal.

Hearing the death cry of one of his nephews and nieces behind him, York turned back to see Belos approaching him. Closing the door, with his right arm bloodied, York stood ready to fight.

A second later, Belos blasted him through the wooden door. Knocking out the wizard as his body hit the ground.

Belos stepped into the room, staring at York before looking up. What he saw shocked the Emperor. The portal was open, and Malcolm's wife and kids were on the other side of it. He was the only one still in the Demon Realm.

"The Portal!" He exclaimed.

Malcolm clapped his hands together, and used his powerful light magic to blast Belos into the wall. He then stepped through the Portal.

"NO!" Belos roared, and rushed at the door at high speeds. But it was too late. The door closed and the Portal disappeared.

With his hand reaching out at nothing but the banner of the Bridge's family hanging on the wall, Belos clenched his fist in rage.

Even though he regained just a small moment of consciousness, York opened his eyes slightly. On the wall, he saw the shadow of the Emperor, contorting, before he turned into a monstrous form that ripped the banner from the wall and tore it to pieces. But Malcolm and his family were gone. That's good. York lost consciousness again.

Turning back to normal, Belos grabbed a staff from his robe. He then violently broke the Palisman off the staff. Killing the creature and then sucking in the life force and magic within it. A moment later, a member of the coven rushed in.

"My lord, we've taken the mansion and captured some of the maid staff, as well as some of the children," he said, kneeling behind him. "What do we do with the prisoners?"

"There are no prisoners," Belos said coldly.

"My lord?" the scout asked.

Belos turned his head and looked at him over his shoulder. "Kill them all, and burn this place to the ground."

And so it was. All the captured maid staff that worked with the Bridges and even the Bridges kids were put to death. Their bodies were thrown into the mansion, before the witches used their magic to set fire to the mansion. York would have died that night too.

However, Sarah rushed into the room as the fires raged all around her. She grabbed her husband and dragged him towards a secret passageway. It led into a sewer system that led out of the city.

When York woke up again, he was laying on his back. Surrounded by those that had survived in the sewers. His niece Kimberly sobbed into the chest of Willy, while also being visibly pregnant with Skara. His two nephews, Felix and Jason, who were no older than 2 years old, cried together. Claus was only 4 at the time, and was holding her baby brother Roswell in her arms. Sarah used her magic to heal York's wounds to allow him to keep moving with them. His mother, Alice sat away from the others and silently wept for her husband, her sons, their wifes and husbands, and their children.

For Booker, the 7th of July would be remembered as the day he was born. But for his family, it would be remembered as the day they lost everything.

"...We made it out of the city and remained in hiding. Word of the massacre spread across the land like a wildfire. Some were able to help us and Bump even allowed our kids to attend Hexside. Promising to keep them safe as they learned magic," York said, bringing the painful story of the fall of the Bridges family to its tragic conclusion. "With one act of cruelty and paranoia, Belos destroyed our family and tainted the Bridges' name."

Booker stared at York with eyes filled with shock, horror, and sadness. That was not something he was ready to hear. Belos really killed everyone in his family? It was almost unbelievable, and it filled him with anger to think that he did it all just to hold onto power.

"And this is where you've all been living for the last few years?" He asked.

"Yes, but we make sure that it's not a permanent home. If we're ever discovered the plan is to split up and go live with family on the other side or just go into hiding again. Kimberly and her family come and go, but they have a home in Bonesborough."

"And the Emperor? Did he change his fate?" Booker asked with a bitter tone.

"He likes to think that, but if you asked me, what he did only sealed it. Belos tried to convince the public that we were wild witches and that we needed to be put down. No one believes him," York said, turning his body towards Booker. "We were loved by the people. They knew we wouldn't have tried to overthrow the Emperor. However, they couldn't do anything without Belos sending his goons to arrest them. But that doesn't mean there's small groups that are standing against him."

"So there is a resistance," Booker asked.

"That's right." York stood up. "And with you, we can take the fight to him."

"Wait what?" Booker exclaimed, standing up and looking at his uncle with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You're the Seventh Child of the Seventh Child, Booker," York told him. "We saw what you did in the Covention. You have a powerful gift, Booker."

"Yeah, a dangerous gift! I lost control that one time and it almost made me kill someone," Booker said, pacing around. "I'm just a kid, I can't join a rebellion!"

"Belos took our family from us, Booker! We must avenge them," York argued.

"But I can't..." Booker was cut off when his phone started ringing. Pulling it out, he saw it was Luz. He quickly answered. "Luz! Hey!"

"Booker, where are you? I just came home and you're not going to believe the kind of adventure I had! By the way, where is King?"

"He's with me. We're..." Booker paused and looked at York. "On our own little adventure."

"You're having an adventure? Without me?"

"No, Luz! Don't take it the wrong way," Booker said after hearing how hurt she sounded. "It just...kind of happened."

"It's okay. I get it. Will you two be coming home tonight?"

Booker looked at the sky. The sun was almost down and the moon was starting to rise into the sky. "I...don't know, Luz. We'll be home as soon as we can."

"...Okay. Bye Booker."

The call ended, and Booker groaned in dismay. Why was he an idiot? He then looked at York, who stared down at him. "I...I can't, Uncle York..."

York remained silent for a moment. "If that is your answer, I will not force your hand," he said somberly. "But please. Will you stay for dinner? Have some time with your family before returning home."

Booker smiled and nodded. Together, they walked back into the temple to join everyone else. But unbeknownst to them, danger was approaching, and history might just repeat itself on this day. Far away, beyond the barrier that protected the temple, there was trouble heading towards the last of the Bridges.

As she led a platoon of scouts, Lilith carried a stoic, yet determined look on her face. Walking next to her was Steve, who she turned to and asked, "Steve, are you positive that the Seventh Son went this way?"

"Yes ma'am. I tried to follow them, but I ran into this invisible wall," Steve said.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Invisible wall?" She pondered for a moment. "The Crow Wizard must have a barrier up. But it's no worries," the Emperor's enforcer said, before a smirk appeared on her face. "If he thinks that he can protect Booker from me, he's as much a fool as my sister."

About 30 minutes later, Booker was sitting with the rest of the Bridges family. Everyone at the table was talkative and seemed to be enjoying themselves, despite the news that the Seventh Son brought to them.

"Yes! This is a feast fit for a king!" King yelled as he looked down at the food in front of him.

"Oh, I like this one," Grandma Alice said with a jolly laugh. Dragon's back strapped to her back. She then walked over to Booker. "Oh, baby. You're so skinny. Eat, eat!" Booker watched as his grandmother piled on more food onto his plate.

"Uh, thank's, Grandma Alice," Booker said with a nervous smile. "I possibly couldn't eat it all by myself."

"I'll take some!" Jason said, about to reach over and pick some of his food from the Seventh Son's plate. However, he was stopped by his grandmother hitting his hand with a wooden spoon.

"No! You have more than enough, Jason!" Alice said.

"And besides, don't you think you're eating enough?" Felix asked with a smug smirk. "I highly doubt that Viney~ would like it if you put on any more pounds." This made Jason blush brightly, before Roswell jabbed Felix in the stomach. "OW!"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Felix. Especially since you get all flustered around Celina~" He said in a teasing voice.

"Shut up!" Felix shouted.

"Boys, behave yourselves," Sarah scolded them as she ate her steak.

"Wait, wait. You like Celina Moon?" Skara asked, giggling.

"Who's Celina?" Booker asked as he dug into his food.

"She's a girl from Hexside with a moon-shaped head," she explained, moving her hands to the sides of her head to make a crest shape. "She's actually a pretty sweet girl, though she's a little shy."

"Maybe me and Luz will meet her when we start going to school," Booker said.

"You're going to Hexside?" Kimberly asked in astonishment.

"Yeah! Bump was able to get the two of us in so..." Booker trailed off when he saw his cousin Willy staring at him. Scanning him up and down. "Is everything okay, cousin Willy?"

"There's no magic in the human realm, right," he asked.

Booker and King looked at one another, before the demon went back to eating. "Uh, yeah. I don't even know if I could use my magic there."

Willy leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "It's possible that without the magical atmosphere of this world, your body grew slower than other kids. That'll explain why you're so small."

"HEY! SHUT UP!" Booker yelled at him. It's not his fault all the milk in the world couldn't make him grow...Booker stopped his train of thought and gasped as a lightbulb turned on in his head. "Wait, are you saying that the more magic I learn, the taller I'll get?"

"It is a possibility," Willy said. And just like that, Booker's imagination went wild.

"Wow, Booker. You're so tall and handsome!" Luz said as she, Eda, and even Amity–for some reason–were standing next to a ridiculously tall Booker, who towered over them.

"You're gotten so big!" Amity said with hearts in her eyes.

"I'm so proud," Eda said, wiping a tear away.

"Yep. Next to me, you guys sure do look small," Booker said with a smug smile.

Booker smiled like an idiot and waved his arms around. The other members of the family looked at him weirdly. "Was uncle Mal like that?" Claus asked her father.

"No, this is all him," York said, shaking his head. He then stood up, gaining the attention of the family. "A toast. To lost family, and to returning family." To this, everyone at the table raised their glass. Even Booker and King, once the blonde boy got him to stop eating for a moment. And so York started, with his small smile fading. "To Malcolm, Elizabeth, Luke, Matthew, Frederick, Mel, Benjamin, and Samuel. I miss you brother, and now you and your family are in the afterlife with our father and the rest of the family. Your son is here with us, and he will make you proud."

With sad smiles, everyone nodded and drank from their cups.

BOOM!

Suddenly there was a loud booming sound that came from outside. It caused the temple to tremble a bit, shaking some dust down onto the floor. The parents quickly placed their hands on their children and used their bodies to shield them.

"York!" Sarah yelled, placing her arms around Claus and Roswell.

"Stay here!" York grabbed his staff and rushed towards the doors. Rushing out, he ran up the ramp and saw blue shockwaves spreading all over the barrier. They were all coming from one place.

Summoning a pair of binoculars, York looked through them and his heart sank. There was a whole platoon of Emperor's Coven scouts trying to break through the barrier. And with them was Lilith, the head of the coven.

"Oh, no." He quickly turned and ran back into the temple. York knew this day would come, but he wasn't expecting Lilith to arrive. Now there was only one thing to do.

The last of the Bridges needed to get out.

Across the field, Lilith was growing impatient. The scouts were trying to use their fire magic to break the barrier. However, they were too weak to take it down.

"Out of my way!" She exclaimed, pushing past the scouts and getting them to stop. Lilith twirled her staff around and drew a large magic circle in front of her. And from it, she fired a large pillar of blue magical energy that slammed into the buried.

This time, it caused cracks to form on the barrier.

In the temple, the Bridges were preparing their escape. Using their magic to shrink down everything they had, they placed those items into their suitcases. Only escentuals were to be taken. Everything else was going to be left behind.

"What do you mean Lilith is here?!" Booker asked his uncle as York paced around, packing furniture into a case as his wife gathered together the dishes.

"Lilith was with the platoon," York said, closing the case. "And if she's here, then we're all in danger."

King ran up to Booker with a worried expression. "Booker! We've got to call Luz and tell her to send Eda!"

"She wouldn't even know where we are!" Booker exclaimed.

All of a sudden there was another booming sound coming from outside. Everyone in the temple stopped in their tracks as they heard the sounds of shattering glass. Lilith had broken the barrier.

"They're coming," York said anxiously.

"What're we going to do?!" Skara asked as she held her baby brother in her arms. The infant buried his face into her shoulder with a whimper.

"You're all leaving," York said, placing on his hat. "I'm going to hold them off as best I can."

"Like hell you are," Sarah said, marching up to him. "You're coming with us!"

"If I go, then they'll surely catch up," York argued. "I'll take them on, giving you and the family to escape."

"Wait, let me help," Booker said, walking up to him. "Lilith is with them, right? Maybe I can get her to stop."

"That's not going to work, Booker."

"Son," Alice said, walking up to him with the Dragon's Bite sword in its sheath. As she stopped in front of him, the old woman held up the sword. "I lost your father, six sons, and many grandchildren...But I'll not lose another one."

"Mom, you can be serious," Sarah said, shocked that her mother-in-law was even suggesting that her own son fight off the scouts and the head of the coven on his own. "You're talking about an entire platoon."

"And we have fought off more than that before. York is the strongest of us," Alice said with an expression of confidence. "Please...just don't die."

York smiled. "I wouldn't," he said, before putting on his crow mask.

The doors of the temple were destroyed in an explosion, before the scouts came rushing in. Each one conjured a light spell to help them see in the dark. They looked around and were confused by what they saw.

There was nothing but a dark chamber. Nothing to indicate that there were people living in the temple. All there was to suggest this was the fireplace, which still had some embers sprinkled across the burnt wood and ash. One of the scouts walked over to the fireplace and moved around the wood.

"Where are they?" questioned Lilith as she entered the temple. The eyes of her raven Paliasman were glowing.

"There's no one here, ma'am," one of the scouts said with a salute.

Lilith placed a hand on her chin. "They must have escaped through a secret passageway," she said, before turning to the other scouts. "Scour the temple! The Crow Wizard must have..."

"You shouldn't have come here."

Lilith and the scouts turned towards the back of the chamber. Even in the darkness, they could see the silhouette of a person standing there. York used his staff to conjure a light spell. Revealing himself while holding the Dragon's Bite sword.

From behind his mask, York glared at Lilith. "Leave now and live."

Undeterred by the threat of the dangerous outlaw, Lilith took a few steps towards him. "You are in no position to make demands, Crow Wizard. By order of the Emperor of the Boiling Isles, you're under arrest."

"You mean the paranoid murderer that sits on that throne of lies," asked the Crow Wizard.

"I'd be careful with your words if I were you," Lilith snapped at him with her own glare. "You're wanted for rebellious actions against the Emperor and for attacking his coven's convoys."

"And that's not cool, man!" Steve yelled, as another scout placed a hand on his shoulder.

York scoffed before he said, "You know, I knew that you wanted to join the Emperor's Coven, Lilith. I never would have thought you would be sucking his cock so much that you'd worship him like a god."

Lilith's eyes widened before she narrowed them again. "Leave us. Now." She ordered the scouts. They smartly decided not to get in her way and ran out of the temple.

Now, York and Lilith were completely alone.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Lilith asked, holding her staff with both hands.

"You used to, but I don't know you anymore," York said, before attacking with lightning magic.

This attack made Lilith's eyes widened for only a moment before she jumped out of the way. The bolt of lightning slammed into the floor and ripped it apart. Landing on the floor, Lilith looked at the damage with shock. "A lightning spell..."

She gasped when York appeared in front of her. Dragon's Bite raised up with its ruins glowing. Lilith quickly blocked the attack with her staff, creating a shockwave of magic.

A shockwave that was felt by Booker, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. He stopped, almost knocking King off his shoulder and turned around. This made the other members of the family stop.

Just as they did fourteen years, the family were escaping through an underground system they made for themselves. Each person, with the exception of Gray and Booker, carried their bags and supplies.

"Booker, why'd you stop?" Skara asked.

"Yeah, come on! We've gotta get out of here," said Jason.

Staring back down the way they came, Booker then turned to the others. "I...I can't just run away," he told his family. "I'm the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son, right? I can help York and stop Lilith."

"The what?" Felix asked, but his cousin Jason shrugged.

"Booker, you're still too young," Grandma Alice said. "You've only unlocked a small fraction of your power."

"But I can help him!" Booker insisted. "I can use my magic."

"But you cannot control it," Alice said, much to Booker's frustration. "This is a dangerous time for you, Booker. For you would be vulnerable to being consumed by your powers."

"Your grandmother's right, Booker," said Sarah, walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "We all know how you lost control, and you're still capable of doing it again."

"But I've gotten better at it since then," Booker said, trying to convince her. He then pulled away and started walking back the way he came. "I'm just going to help Uncle York and make sure he..."

Booker was stopped when he and King were trapped in a levitation spell, conjured by Alice. She pulled them back over and turned them around to face her. "Booker, I lost so many family members that night, and now I just lost your father and your family," she said, placing him down on the ground. "I don't want you to lose you too."

Shaking his head, Booker said, "That's why I have to go. I'm not losing another family member either."

Hearing this, Alice's eyes turned sad. Having not taken into consideration just how much the death of his family was affecting him too. But Alice knew that Booker was right. She could be the magic from down in the underground too, and knew that York and Lilith were equally matched. Booker would have undoubtedly been the one to break the tie.

"Let's go get her, Booker!" King exclaimed, much to the blonde boy's surprise. "We'll kick her butt!"

"Yeah!" cheered Gray.

"You stay out of this!"

"I say Booker should go," Skara said, much to everyone's surprise. "I just found out that I'm a Bridges and that a lot of us are dead. I don't want that to happen again."

"Me neither," Felix said as Jason nodded.

The adults looked at one other in shock. Surprised by the kids. Seeing the adults distracted, Booker once again took off down the tunnel. "Booker!" Kimberly called out.

"Let him go," Alice said, having confidence in her . "He'll be fine. He's Malcolm's son after all."

The battle between York and Lilith was intense.

Landing on the ground, York used his magic to send a row of fireballs at Lilith. The head of the coven dodged the fireballs, before swinging her staff in front of her, sending an arc of blue fire at the Crow Wizard. York used his lightning speed to dodge the fire.

However, as the blue fire slammed into the wall, it didn't go out. It started to build up and spread.

Reappearing in the air, York spun his staff over his head, conjuring a murder of crows made out of lightning. Lilith summoned a shield to protect herself as the crows came at her. Slamming into her shield and exploding into small bursts of lightning.

York then appeared behind her, forcing Lilith to turn around and block another attack from the Dragon's Bite. As the two mages clashed their weapons and tried pushing against each other, Lilith gritted her teeth in frustration. This Crow Wizard was strong. Almost as powerful as her sister.

"Where did you learn about lightning magic?" She said, glaring at the mask of the Crow Wizard.

"I've always known about it," York said, pushing her back and swinging the sword at her. Lilith used her own magic to zoom away from the blade, and reappeared a few feet away.

"It doesn't matter," she said, but felt something wet on her cheek. Wiping her hand on it, she was shocked to see blood from a light cut.

"You can't beat me, Lilith," the Crow Wizard said. "You never could."

Lilith was surprised by this bold proclamation, before narrowing her eyes at him. "Who are you?"

"You really don't know? I'm hurt." Deciding that there was no use in hiding his identity, York grabbed his mask and pulled it off, revealing himself to the head of the coven. "After all, I used to tutor you."

Lilith was confused by this, as at first, the purple hair threw her off. However, as she looked at him closer, her eyes widened. "Y-York? You're alive," she said, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Yes, but I can't say the same for my family. No thanks to the emperor," York said with a bitter look on his face.

Lilith stared at him in shock before shaking her head and trying to retain a stoic scowl. "I'm sorry about your family, but anyone that opposed the Emperor must be destroyed. You, of all people, should know this."

"What I know is that my brothers are dead!" York snapped, strapping his mask to his belt. "You were friends with us. You held feelings for Mal. Yet here you are, a dog for a tyrant."

"What I do, I do it for my family! My sister!" Lilith yelled at him.

York smirked. "And what would she say if she were here?"

Lilith gritted her teeth in fury. Calming down, she spoke in a threatening tone. "You know why I'm here, York. Where is Booker?"

As the fires raged all around them, York stood in a fighting stance. "You're not laying a single finger on his head."

Lilith sighed with a slight look of regret in her eyes. "Then I'll do what I must to complete my mission!" She spun her staff around and produced a blue ring of energy. York did the same, creating a white ring of energy.

The two then fired their magic at each other, and the two opposing magics collided in the middle. While it seemed that they were both equally matched, the truth was that Lilith was struggling to push back against York. Her feet dragged against foot as the witch tried to stay standing.

However, Lilith looked up and saw an opportunity. She drew a magic circle and fired a blast of energy at the ceiling over York's head. The explosion broke apart the ceiling and caused large debris to fall to the ground.

York looked up, and his eyes widened. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to get out of the way with Lilith firing on him, the Crow Wizard tried to form a shield to protect himself. However, it wasn't enough. The shield broke under the impact of a few pieces of debris, and York was knocked down. His leg was pinned under one of the pillars as both his staff, and the Dragon's Bite was knocked away from him.

As dust covered the area, York yelled in pain. His leg was still pinned under the stone, and it felt as though it was broken. Whether it was or not, York didn't have time to see.

Looking up, the Crow Wizard saw Lilith approaching him as the dust started to clear away. The blue fire had now enveloped most of the temple.

"Now you fall, as all wild witches must," Lilith said with a slight smirk on her face.

Lilith raised her staff up to deliver the final blow. However, at the same time, Dragon's Bite flew off the ground.

CLASH!

Out of nowhere, Booker used Dragon's Bite to block Lilith's staff. "But not this wild witch!" Booker yelled.

"FEAR ME!" King yelled as he jumped off Booker's shoulder and onto Lilith's face. He then started furiously spanking her nose with his paw. "Bap! Bap! Bap! Bap!"

"Ow! Ow! Hey, stop! Ow!" Lilith yelled as she stumbled back. Giving Booker the opening to fire a light attack at her. Conjuring a large column of light that slammed into Lilith and sent her flying into a wall. King jumped off of her just at the last moment and ran back to his friend.

"Uncle York!" Booker yelled, rushing over to his side and using a power spell to lift the rubble off him.

"I thought I told you to leave with the others," York said as Booker handed him his staff.

"Yeah," Booker said, helping his uncle up on his feet. He looked at him with a frown before his expression turned sad. "But I lost family before, and I'm going to lose another one."

York panted for a moment as he stared at his nephew. However, the moment was cut short when King backed up into Booker. "Uh, Booker," he said, pointing at Lilith.

While hurt, Lilith stood up from the ground and looked at the Bridges and King. Panting for a moment, she sucked in a breath and stood up. "Ah, good. You're still here, Booker," she said with a smug smirk.

"Lilith? What are you doing here?!" Booker said, gesturing all around him at the fire that was quickly spreading.

"She's here for you, apparently," York said, glaring at the woman.

Booker looked at him in shock. "What?"

Drawing a small magic circle, Lilith conjured a rolled-up scroll that she opened. From it, she read, "Booker Bridges, Seventh Child of the Seventh Child, Malcolm Bridge. By the orders of the Emperor of the Boiling Isles, you are to lay down your arms and come with me. The Emperor himself has requested that you be brought to him alive."

"Are you nuts?! I'm not going anywhere with you!" He yelled at her, before pointing Dragon's Bite at her. "And I'm not going anywhere near that monster! Not after what he did to my family!"

"Your family was planning to overthrow the Emperor!" Lilith exclaimed.

"How could you even continue to work with him?! You were my dad's friend! Hell, you liked him!" Booker yelled, shocked and appalled that Lilith would even still believe that lie.

"It's no use, Booker," York said, limping to stand next to him.

Lilith closed her eyes as a single tear ran down her cheek. "If you knew why I was doing this, you'd do it too," she said in a stone-cold tone.

She charged at the three, but she was stopped when a support beam crashed down on the ground. The fire had spread out of control and had turned into a raging inferno. And now it was starting break apart the temple.

"We've gotta get out here!" King yelled, jumping back onto Booker's shoulder.

"What about Lilith?!" Booker yelled before a piece of stone fell down near him.

"I'd rather save you and your friend!" York said, slipping his staff between his legs. His crow Palisman then opened its wings, lifting him and his injured leg off the ground. "Get on!"

Booker, with King still on his shoulder, jumped onto the staff behind him and York quickly took off. Flying out of the chamber and into the tunnel that the Booker came from. Lilith saw this and tried to go after them.

However, just before she could enter into the tunnel, the entrance collapsed. Forcing her to stop.

Knowing that it was over, Lilith grounded her teeth and growled in fury. "This isn't over," she said.

The moon was high over the sky when York landed in front of the Owl House. Booker and King jumped off, before the Seventh Son turned to his uncle. "Are you sure that you'll all be okay?"

"We've had a plan for this moment, Booker," York said, before smiling at his nephew. "But I'm so happy to have finally met you. Your father would be proud of you."

Booker smiled as he started to tear up. He then ran up to York and hugged his uncle. York was shocked by this, but happily returned the hug. However, deep in his heart, he felt regret. Not for being Booker back to the Owl Lady. But for lying to him.

He knew the full truth of Yeoh Saberslayer's prophecy, but York couldn't let Booker know of it. Not yet. He wasn't strong enough and he wasn't really.

When Booker pulled away from him, York watched him walk towards the Owl House sadly. He's past this summit, but there will be many more. With that in mind, York took off into the sky to meet up with his family.

Meanwhile, Luz couldn't sleep. Ever since her phone call with Booker, she's been worried about him and King. When she came back from her adventure, Eda was not happy with her getting Owlbert hurt, but the little owl was able to convince the witch to not hurt her. Eda then started to worry about Booker and King, but Luz told her that they were on their own adventure. Eda agreed to wait, but promised to go out and look for them if they didn't come back tomorrow.

In her pajamas, Luz waited for the two to come home, if they'd come home at all tonight. She glanced at Booker's bed, wishing that he'd be there. His presence was missed by her all day, and it only got worse when he wasn't home. Luz sighed, hoping he was okay.

"Hoot, hoot! They're home!" Hoot called from the first floor.

Luz gasped and jumped to her feet. Running down the stairs, she saw Booker and King walking in through the door and closing it.

"Booker!" Luz exclaimed happily and ran towards him. Jumping into him as she wrapped her arms around him. Booker was shocked by this and hugged her back as they twirled around. After stopping and setting her down, Booker smiled and teared up as he hugged her back tightly.

"Hey! What about me!?" King yelled, holding up his arms.

Letting go of Booker, Luz picked up King and hugged him too. "I missed you too, King," she said before turning back to Booker, noticing that he had some ash and burns on his hoodie. "I was so worried about you! What happened to you? Did you get into a battle."

"Luz..." Booker began but was interrupted when Eda came down the stairs in her casual night wear.

"There you are! Do you have any idea how worried you two made me!" Eda yelled angrily at Booker and King. Marching up to them like a disappointed mom. "I mean, me and Luz! You better have a good explanation, or so help me you're grounded!"

"Wow, that's one good explanation," Eda said with wide eyes. She and the kids were sitting on the couch while King was sleeping in his bed. Booker had just finished explaining everything that happened to him and King. Including what Booker found out. Luz was sitting next to him, rubbing his back as he was hunched over.

"Did you know?" Booker asked, looking at his aunt-figure.

Eda looked away from him with a mournful expression. "I heard rumors of the Bridges family being destroyed, but...that's all they were to me, rumors. I didn't think that..."

"Booker, I'm so sorry." Luz hugged him tightly as her eyes started to water up. She and him were corrected by their shared experience of having lost loved ones. Booker was worse, having lost all of his brothers, mom, and dad. But this was much worse.

"It's okay. I just...I just wish I met them," Booker said looking down at the ground.

"And I wish I could wrap my fingers around Lilith's little neck," Eda growled, furious to learn that her sister is now hunting down Booker.

"What does the Emperor even want with me?" Booker asked, looking at the Owl Lady as she stood up and started walking upstairs.

"That's what I'm going to find out when I get my hands on my sister," she said, disappearing into the second floor.

Now alone with Luz, Booker looked at her with an expression of shame. "Luz...I'm so sorry for not telling you," he said. "I...I had to...There's no excuse for leaving you behind."

"Hey, it's okay. I did it too, you know. So, in a way, we're kind of even," Luz said, rubbing his cheek. Booker smiled and leaned into her hand. Her hand was so soft.

However, Eda wasn't in such a good mood, and it wasn't just what she learned from Booker. Yes, the Owl Lady was furious that her sister was going after her little nephew for the Emperor.

(Booker: HEY!)

But there were bigger concerns for her right now. Walking into her room, Eda started coughing into her fist as her feet kicked the empty bottle of elixir Booker and King used. She picked it up and looked at her own reflection.

Behind the bed were many more elixirs that she took that day. Just to keep the beast inside her down. The bottle that Booker and King gave her was the one to finally do it.

"It's getting worse," she said, very scared. Soon she wouldn't be able to control it.