Chapter Text
In the end it was culmination of three complex plans, running into each other and spectacularly crashing and burning.
The CATTs had not managed to make their way into the emperors mind the first time, they had been made to retreat by the golden guard, and all they had seen come of the mindscape teleportation spell was cape-less distraught hunter which only made them more motivated to see what secrets Belos mind held, and the real plan for the day of unity.
Belos had known about the rebels, he had heard the whispers and seen the suspicious actions of those who said they were loyal, but he was prepared to deal with them, some insurgent witch who thought the day of unity could be stopped by their mere force. He had fooled the entire isles for decades, what pathetic hope could a couple of witches pull one over him. The current Caleb replacement would also be dealt with, a swiftly as possible. It was honestly a shame, he was starting to like this one, he almost thought he wouldn't have to be disposed of till the day of unity.
Tom the emperors coven scout, knew nothing of conspiracies and beloved authority figures ruthlessly lying to them. But he did have a complex, multi-step plan to not get picked on by leading commander Argannes, and therefore not get killed.
"TOMATHY!" Barked Commander Argannes. "get these reports over to the emperor pronto, he's in a bad mood, so i'm having you do it, because I don't like you." Tom sighed, it was a work in progress.
It was only a few hours since the branding of children had stopped- I mean since the emperor's coven had been prevented from giving the student's sigils. All three groups were on the move,
The emperor moved from the portal room, back to the throne room. Awaiting news on the advancement of his plan, and news of the golden guard. He had no doubt he would found and dealt with, hunter couldn't survive without him he'd made sure of that. He would not have his righteous justice interfered with when he was so close. For now he just had to play the concerned uncle for a little longer, as far as anyone new, the golden guard had ran into trouble and couldn't return right away, but needed to as soon as he was able. He put his mask on. Sitting down in his commanding throne. Ready for news. The door creaked open. Belos faltered.
"Hettie Cutburn what are doing here?" He demanded.
The coven head coughed. "Well, esteemed emperor I have a small question to ask." She said.
Behind the mask, Phillip's eye twitched and unbeknownst to the three co-coordinated plans,
a first crack appeared.
Meanwhile Darius regrouped with Raine without a word. They marched in time, Raine giving Darius the specific ingredients for the potion they intended to use against Belos, Darius manipulated some abomination in a specific manner to affect it just the right way. They turned a corner, ready to have Eberwolf join them for the last step.
"grrrr-hisss" They were greeted with instead, but not to them.
"Don't think you can keep getting away with this! Eberwolf, I know it was you who disturbed my new creation!" Construction coven head Mason accused.
Darius paused coughing awkwardly, from alongside him, Raine shifted their position to avoid eye contact.
"Funny, bumping into you here, I hate to interrupt your lovely conversation, but you could I discuss something with Eberwolf for a moment." Darius said haughtily, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, by all means." Mason replied. He didn't move.
"Privately." Darius added.
"Privately, how vague and convenient for you. If didn't know better, I would say it sounds like you're trying to hide something."Mason said.
"Why would we ever do something so foolish, as defy our benevolent, all-powerful emporer's will, this is all just a big misunderstanding, if we can we be on our way, then-" Raine said meekly in an attempt to defuse the situation.
"Well, I'll just come along," Mason said.
Eberwolf growled in a quiet low tone, Raine plastered on the most forced innocent smile they could manage. But none could do a thing without arousing suspicion.
The crack widened.
Back in the throne room with emperor Belos and Hettia Cutburn. The "quick" question had evolved into a complex, multi-faceted sub-catergorous inquiry, with no end in sight. Belos contemplated ending her this exact second. Would anyone really care if she mysteriously disappeared before the day of unity?
"-and then of course, there was a bit of blood, but nothing major, and most of it wasn't even-" Hettia continued, babbling nonstop, having gone horrendously off track, but she was interrupted by noise coming from directly outside.
The crack split and kept growing.
Meanwhile from where the noises came from:
"How do lose him?" Darius whispered furiously to his fellow CATTs , they were all attempting to walk as nonchalantly as possible away from Mason without being obvious, the result was... varied.
"I'm sure if we just buy enough we can make it to Belos in time, and put an end to things, before anyone can catch on. We can still make this work."
"Sapling, is that you?" Said the nasally voice of Terra Snapdragon, head of the plant coven. She stood by Mason with a simple smile on her face,that somehow seemed sadistic.
Eberwolf made a garbled noise that did not directly translate into any known langauge, but basically meant "or maybe we're doomed."
Cracks now covered the entire thing, growing more rapid by the second
Tom was also having trouble, he had taken a wrong turn. It turns out the throne room was a lot closer than he remembered, which should have been a good thing, but with his horrible sense of direction had somehow made things take twice as long. He had no idea how he had ever survived the mountain training exercise for initiation. He passed by the infirmary. The strong smell of healing potions, and the gabble of scouts tending to their wounds, meant a group had just returned from their mission. Tom paused in his journey after hearing the familiar groaning of someone he knew. He poked his head in through the door, looking at one coven scout with his mask up, bandaging his arm.
"Tad, my lad! What's up?" Tom said.
Tad turned to see him, grinning in return, "Oh you know, just got back from the last mission from Hexside to recruit children forcefully,that didn't want to sign their life away to the emperor's whim. And we got beat up by them instead. This one plant track girl actually got me really good. She was very impressive."
"Well it's nice to a familar face in this stressful times before the day of unity." Tom said.
"Yeah, especially since all contact with former loved ones is cut off, and only we're only encouraged to socialize with other members of the emperor's coven, who half are pitted against us, or plotting against us." Tad commented.
They both laughed a little too forcefully.
"Anything else crazy happen, Tad?" Tom asked.
"Well I wasn't there for it personally, but I caught a couple glances of the Golden Guard!"
"Woah, hasn't he been missing for a few? Why was he at Hexside? Did he helped with the mission?" Tom said.
"Well, actually-" Tad started. Tom looked at clock, cursing at how much time he had let get away from him.
"Titan, darn-it! I gotta head to the throne room fast, I got too distracted." Tom interrupted.
"Well, see you round' " Tad said
"Hope nothing crazier happens before the day of unity!" Tom said, dashing away.
"for some reason I have a feeling." Tad said.
Tom rounded the corner just in time to see half the coven heads turn another, it seems they were also being quite loud as well. Tom wondered what that was about. Terra seemed to try to get closer to coven head Raine, and Eberwolf seemed to be very aggressive to everyone them and Darius, Mason and Darius were arguing loudly. Tom awkwardly trailed behind them, his presence drowned out by their noise.
The entire object was filled with cracks now, just one more tiny fracture and the whole thing would collapse.
Belos was on the verge of more murder than usual, the other covenheads were plotting treason or attempting to tattle, and poor tom trailed behind witness to the whole thing, not that he understood what was going on. The next moment the throne room door opened and they all collided.
Darius pulled out the potion, Eberwolf lunged at Terra, the emperor stood up dramatically.
"I knew you were up to something!"
"how dare you!"
"'Raine, can you-"
"'Hold still, so I can."
Plants and abomination goo faced, Mason threw Eberwolf at Raine who ducked and Eberwolf hit Hettia. Belos aproached them all threateningly, ready to put an end to all this nonsense. it was at that moment Darius grip on the test tube went loose. The potion hit the floor, shattering, an unintended spell combination of the all the magic running rampant in the room activated surprising everyone in the room, regardless of their level of awareness.
All this happened in a manner of seconds, and Tom decided that enough time and chose that preceding second to open the door. At which he was faced with the complete unexpected sight of several covenheads fresh from a fight where a vaguely emperor-reminiscent sludge on the ground stood in place of the man himself. No one moved, despite the fact that probably would have been the best course of action for them. Tom's important slipped from his grasp, uselessly falling to the floor, a but of emperor sludge dripped onto the edges. The sight before finally registered and he opened his mouth.
"OH MY TITAN!" Tom screamed. "THE COVENHEADS KILLED EMPEREROR BELOS!!!!"