A True Witch (Part 1)

Back to Bonesborough

Quick content warning: mentioned death, suicide, and animal sacrifice

Luz loved flying. Something about soaring through the sky on a staff was amazing. Sure her palisman wasn't hatched yet, but it would be eventually and she could go flying whenever.

Unlike now where she was flying on Owlbert, two bags on her back, and flying next to Eda, currently in her harpy form.

Regardless, she was flying. Her new witches wool cape flapped in the wind. Apparently Eda had made it awhile ago and was just waiting for her to come back so she could have it. It was really sweet and the dark purple went great with her outfit; an asymmetrical long sleeve shirt with black sleeves and a gold, purple, green, red, and blue splatter look on the torso, black jeans with torn knees, blue-gray calf high boots, and of course, her dark blue fingerless gloves.

After a few hours of flying, the Isles came into view and Eda and Luz approached Bonesborough. From a distance, everything looked mostly normal. The bones of the Titan were more jagged, some buildings were damaged, and the whole place had a desaturated look, as if the draining spell had drained the magic from the land itself. But as they got closer, Luz slowly became more horrified.

The bones were jagged because they had broken and pieces crushed massive buildings. The damaged buildings only hid the completely crushed ones next to them. And the desaturation was the thick layer of dust, rubble, grime, decay, and blood. The stench of rot filled Luz's nose like a tidal wave. It was so strong she nearly vomited before even landing. As she touched down, it instantly got worse. Because on the ground she could see the bodies.

Lifeless limbs crushed under rubble and sticking out. Bodies morphed into impossible positions. Corpses missing arms from attempts at stopping the spell by removing sigils. People trampled from panic of either the spell or the Collector. The cobblestone roads were stained by the dark brown of dried up blood.

Luz felt frozen, feeling unable to move or breathe as she looked out at the carnage. There was a faint gust of wind as Eda landed next to her and turned back into her normal form.

"H-how long? How long has Bonesborough looked like this?" Luz croaked out, throat feeling too dry to talk for too long.

"Mostly the day of and after the Day of Unity. After the Collector was freed and you and your friends went to the human realm, it was chaos. Anyone conscious fled. People turned to anarchy as the Collector played with Belos' goopy corpse. Homes were ransacked, brawls broke out, and people were captured. There were some scared the draining spell would start again and mutilated their arms. Some people began to worship the Collector and attacked anyone they saw who seemed afraid. It was...terrifying. Seeing all these people, lots of whom I knew, turn to brutality so quickly. Against others and themselves. I don't think anyone slept that night.

"The next day, the Collector was done watching and began collecting resources. They had no concept of structural integrity and took chunks of bone from the ribs or first floors of buildings and didn't bat an eye when they collapsed. They stole water from the oceans. They changed the weather. He treated us like playthings. I tried to mitigate the chaos, but one arm down and weak, I couldn't help everyone.

"After that day, I gathered everyone I could and we fled to King's Island. There were only a handful of us at first, but I kept going back for more people. The hideout grew, and we began to have our own little society. But I never moved on. I kept searching for people. Searching...for you."

Luz looked at Eda, who seemed on the verge of tears, but she didn't stop talking.

"It was my idea to make the memorial. Only Tinnela Nosa wanted to join me for such a dangerous and pointless mission. But I got sloppy. And she got found. I didn't save her because I didn't want to get captured too. So I finished the memorial and went back. People were understanding, said it wasn't my fault and she knew the risk. That if I got captured too the hideout wouldn't be able to run with all the coven heads supposedly gone. I didn't sleep that night. And I have spent the last 7 months trying and failing to protect everyone. But I can't. Not alone."