cards and daggers (lumity)

[2]

Leather boots walked the stone laced floor, echoing confident steps. Power and pain were seeping from the throne room - a duet you can't tear apart, dancing along a muffled piano tune somewhere in the castle. There was no hesitation in Amity's eyes. This was the only way she could live an unrestricted life, free from the pressures of covens and society. This was the day she could get closer to the confidential knowledge, to solving the knot in her head. She didn't have anyone to lose, for the person she cared most about, her first true friend, just vanished like a burned out candle. The smoke that was left behind was all she could trail, slowly getting dissolved into space between the tiny figure that was Amity and the cold, hard ceiling up above.

Two years have passed since that day, and the witch has forgotten about the candle, the passion reigniting in her eyes more as confusion than happiness. Instead of the dark castle floor, she was crouching on dirt behind bushes, feeling her heart crumble from the pressure. 

Right before her eyes, stood Luz. She was sitting on a beach near a cabin, innocently writting down something in her journal. Amity felt a knot form in her throat, for she wanted to get this over with. She wanted to get over with everything, to erase the weird feelings inside of her and be back in her room, reading away as innocently as the object of her confusions was now. But she hesitated and waited, unawaringly staring at Luz in secret, wondering what she was up to this whole time. 

If it was Amity, seventeen, with a huge gay crush and unresolved feelings, she would jump out and talk her heart out. But it was Amity, nineteen, with hair messed up by the wind and mind as fatal as a dagger, seeing her as a threat. If you could've gazed into her mind, you would've seen two Amitys sitting in court, deciding the fate of Luz with heated arguments.

.

Home again, driven back 

She's still waiting for a friend 

Little purple organdy 

Remember what you've always meant to me 

Something in the way your heart is nailed upon a hand 

Swimming in the cold waters, head above the sand

Luz fondly stared back at what she just wrote, humming the tune to herself. Journaling was a hobby she took up to ease homesickness, writting about her experiences with no way to get back home. A bunch of video diaries occupied her phone, as well as songs that she learned by heart. After a long day of training she finally relaxed down on the sand near her home, listening to the waves and feeling a warm breeze wash over her. The sky was slowly turning a darker purple, a few stars popping out of the emptiness. As the world seemed to melt away in an array of peaceful dreams, out of nowhere, a loud swoosh passed by her head.

Shit, they found my location again - was her first thought as she quickly got up, grabbing the iridescent deck of cards from her pocket as an instinct. Right by her side, stuck in the sand, was a crystal laced dagger with an intricate handle. In a single second, it flew back to it's original location, which was an indication for Luz to fire. She tapped a binding card in the direction of it's source, only for rising vines to reveal a mess of green hair and golden eyes burning with annoyance. Without thinking, she cancelled the spell and took a moment to stare in awe. Amity. It was truly her, alive and well, the same, but also changed completely. Holy shit, it's really her.

"Amity-" Luz stared, unable to continue the sentence. And then it dawned on her, "Why were you trying to kill me? Sorry about the vines, but seriously? A KNIFE?" 

"It's a dagger. And shut up, I'm not here to be all buddy buddy with you." Amity said, teasingly,  even though her expression was stained with confusion, "I'm here to kill you, under the order of Emperor Belos." 

Luz clenched her fists, this was the least she needed right now. Great, just great, don't tell me..

"Why?.." Luz felt her voice tremble, dying to a whisper, "I thought you were in the Emperor's coven, not his puppet."

"Why not?" Amity smirked, already summoning abominations to do the dirty work for her.

Luz fought them off like it was nothing, using a mix of plant and fire glyph cards. When she was about to ask more questions, Amity quickly summoned spectral daggers. Luz's reaction slowed down and one blade slashed her arm, knocking her to the ground. She can do occult magic too? 

"You're not in a coven, are you? Then why are you on Belos' side?!" Luz shouted to the distance, the green-haired witch was nowhere to be seen. Crying from the pain and frustration, Luz finally snapped, "Why are you even hiding behind abominations, are you too scared to face a human? To face.. me? " 

Amity's eyes were burning in rage as she elegantly landed from the tree she was concealed in. She rushed in without thinking only to get stuck in a trap of ice glyphs Luz masterfully aligned. Amity was about to smash the ice when a vine stuck to her hand. 

"Now, talk to me." Luz carefully approached her, cards between her fingers arranged in a threatening manner.

"Aww, are you now trying to scare me into talking?" 

"Maybe," Luz stepped closer to her, "Why are you running?"

"Luz, I'm not running, but maybe you should be." 

Amity tapped the ground and a wall of purple fire engulfed the ice, eating it away. She slashed through the vines and quickly moved towards Luz. I'm dead, was all Luz could think in the split moment she lost sight of her, only to feel hands on her waist pulling her into an embrace.

"W-wait what? I thought-" Luz lost her balance, and they both fell to the ground. Silence surrounded them for a while, their breathing and soft ocean waves being the only sounds in the world. "I missed you." Luz mumbled, feeling defeated. Amity burried her face in the crook of Luz's neck, digging her hands in the sand to tighten the grip around her back. "Should I take that as an I miss you too?" Luz smirked at the sudden affection as Amity took a few moments to lay there in silence. 

"Nope," Amity laughed as she got up, the glimmering deck of cards in her hands. 

"Oh come on-" 

"Try to catch me," Amity sprinted towards the ocean, laughing in a playfully evil tone. 

.

After a few scratches and burns and unlegible noises they layed on the sand, far apart from each other. Luz had her cards back, but at what cost? They were all messed up and burned at the corners.

"You're making me a new set of cards, you know that?" Luz spit out through gritted teeth. 

"Who cares about your stupid cards, you're lucky I didn't kill you, this time." 

"You going soft on me, Blight?" Luz threw a glance towards her, grinning. 

"In your dreams." Amity reminiscently laughed and then glanced down at her hand in a comical manner, "My work hours are over so you're not my responsibility now."

"Soo.. Will you talk now, at least?" There was a hint of hope in her voice. Amity got up and stared at the ocean, taking in the view. When Luz got up to look for her, she was already walking away, leaving only footsteps in the sand.

"Not my responsibility!" She shouted while glancing back, making it her final sentence. Luz didn't move, because as much as she tried, Amity wouldn't speak unless she wanted to. Beneath a dark sky full of stars, layed Luz. Completely tired, and confused, and frustrated, and alone. But also weirdly glad, just thankful she got to meet Amity for a while. She wondered about her before, and now her mind could rest easy. Right? 

Only that wasn't true, Amity was an assassin for someone who took away her home. Someone she once knew, someplace she has been before.. It was all spinning in her head as the tears started rolling down. She was now a tiny figure beneath a vast and empty sky, head burried in her knees from all of the atmosphere's pressure.