Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty: Avalon Echoes Part 2

It was a roar that King, Lilith, and Hooty heard. "What was that," the witch asked.

"Eh, that happens every once in a while," King said, brushing it off. "Likely one of my annihilated enemies's ghosts. Who needs due process? Am I right?"

For a moment, Lilith doubted his words. But now, believing him to be the king he claimed to be, the witch let the sound she heard go and gestured toward a wall carving. "What does this image represent, my lord?"

The carving she was pointing to was that of a titanic monster of great power with a spear battling another, more evil being. In the middle of them was a person—a man of great power who fought against this giant evil. 

"Uh, it's hard to remember. But that handsome devil looks familiar, huh," King said, pointing to the monster that looked like him. 

There was another roar, and the three of them looked in the direction it came from. That's when they saw Booker and Luz rushing towards them. Both of them were scared by the golem's power and his use of anti-magic weaponry. 

"Tour's over! We gotta go! Now!" Luz exclaimed. 

"But there's so much to learn," Lilith protested, wanting to stay longer. 

"Not with the giant armored deer that we just ran away from," Booker shouted, pointing down the scratched-up hall. 

"Ah, you saw the horrifying monstrosity room. Don't worry, they can't hurt you," King said, waving him off. "They haven't moved in years. They're basically harmless."

Booker was about to say something when something fell on his shoulders. Looking at it, he was confused to see it was crumbs of rocks. His eyes filled with terror as he slowly looked up…

…and saw the golem hanging from the ceiling. 

The moment it was seen, the golem unhooked its claws from the ceiling.

"Looking out!" Booker yelled, clapping his hands and pushing everyone away with a gush of air. He, too, jumped back at the last moment before the monster landed on the ground. Cracking the surface under its weight. 

The golem immediately attacked Booker with its sword, which he blocked with ease, even with the massive force behind each attack. Luz then threw three fire glyphs at it. But the monstrous being blocked them with its great sword and then swung at her, forcing her to jump back. 

Booker stabbed Dragon's Bite into the ground and clapped his hands while Lilith, King, and Hooty saw the guardian and its frightening size and imposing body. Kneeling down, he slammed his hands on the ground, calling upon the alien vegetation of the island to lash out. 

The golem cut down as many vines as possible, but some managed to wrap around its torso, arms, and legs. 

"Let's go!" Luz yelled, grabbing King. Together, everyone ran for the entrance. 

Behind them, the golem let out a roar, not ready to let them get away. As a display of its great strength, the monster jumped up at the ceiling, tearing itself away from the vines. When it landed on the ceiling, its claws dug into the stone. 

Then, the golem jumped off the ceiling, sending itself landing in front of the group and blocking their way. 

Booker and the others came to a skidding halt, looking at the monster's hunching figure in shock as it stood up. It raised its sword and swung at him. 

"Shit!" Booker yelled, raising Dragon's Bite and parrying a massive sword. The force of the impacts knocked him back a few steps. As did each other, he put up blocks and parries against the golem.

"Booker, duck!" Luz yelled, drawing four fire glyphs and activating them. The Seventh Son quickly dodged the next swing, allowing Luz to throw the fire attacks. 

However, just like before, the golem held up the broad side of his weapon, blocking and dispelling each fire that hit it. 

Booker took that chance to attack again, delivering a slashing attack that knocked it back. 

The golem roared and charged at him again. However, taking out ice glyphs, Lilith attacked it with ice magic, pinning it to a pile of rocks as multiple icicles impaled the creature. 

"Dang, girl, you've been practicing," Luz said as Booker grabbed her hand and ran to the exit with Booker's aunt, King, and Hooty. 

"You may admire my progress when we get out of here alive!" Lilith said, not stopping to be praised further. 

The monster slashed through the ice spikes, breaking them the moment the anti-magic sword hit them. It let out another enraged roar and gave chase. With its sword on its shoulder, it jumped and ran along the walls and ceiling before again pouncing in front of the witches and demons. 

Booker looked at it as the golem stood tall, turned its head, and looked at him with its flaming eyes. 

"What are you?" Booker asked as the golem roared and tried to cut him down again. 

The Seventh Son was prepared to block the attack again, but a couple of potion bottles were thrown at it, exploding at the head and knocking it back. The golem bounced off the ground once but turned its body around and skidded against the ground on its free hand and feet. Claws dug into the stone until it came to a stop. 

Shocked, the kids, demons, and Lilith looked to the entrance. There, they saw Eda jumping in from the rocks, wearing belts armed with explosive potions.

"Get out of here, now!" she yelled, grabbing a potion." I'll hold it back and meet you outside."

"What?! No, mom!" Booker exclaimed, wanting to fight with Eda as the golem got back up, smoking from the fire. 

The golem launched himself at Booker again, but Eda tossed a potion at the monster. Making it jump back to avoid getting hit again. 

"You can't beat the Berserker!" Eda exclaimed as she turned to the Berserker. "Now, GO!

Everyone watched as the Owl Lady threw more potions at the monster, making it dodge her attacks. Booker, Luz, and Lilith look at each other. Knowing that Eda could handle the beast, they made haste for the exit. Leaving Booker's adoptive mother to fight the Berserker.

Eda grabbed another potion from her belt and tossed it in her hand. "It's been a while," she said with a smirk. "Miss me?"

The monster leaped at Eda so fast that Eda didn't have time to react when it was already in front of her. Ready to cut her down.

"Shit!" Eda yelled, prepared to try and throw another potion at it. 

However, before she could, Booker came flying in and slashed the beast across its head. Sending it flying away and crashing into some of the small statues. 

Seeing that it was done again, Booker landed next to his mom. "Booker!" Eda said in shock. "I told you to wait outside!"

"And I told you I wasn't going to lose another mom!" Booker argued back as the golem got back up.

"You need to leave! This place has a barrier the golem can't get past!" Eda said, pointing to the door. 

"What?! Why didn't you just say that?!"

"I was in the moment!"

Booker groaned and grabbed her hand. "Let's go!" he yelled, dragging her to the doorway. 

The golem roared and charged again at them. Thinking fast, Booker charged his magic into his sword, his arms' lines glowing as he held the handle with both hands. Swinging it across the air, Booker unleashed a powerful gust of wind that knocked the Berserker back. However, not even that could stop it, and once the winds were gone, it rushed at the mother and son. 

However, Booker and Eda managed to escape the keyhole door and jump down, landing in front of the others as a terrified King clutched Luz. 

On the other side, the golem climbed up and roared, brandishing its great sword with one hand. It swung down on Eda and Booker, but a blue forcefield appeared from the tower and the outside. The arm holding the sword goes limp on the outside, making the sword slip from its fingers and stab into the ground. 

Roaring in rage, the monster pulls itself back inside.

"Woah," Booker said in awe of the barrier as it disappeared. 

"Like I said, the Berserker can't get past the entrance," Eda said with a smirk. "We're safe now."

"That thing must guard this place against intruders," Luz said, letting go of King and placing him on the ground.

"But it's my castle. How could we be intruders," King asked, looking at everyone. 

"Uh... u-um…" Luz looked to Booker, who cringed with uncertainty. And awkward silence fell upon the group as the truth finally reared its head. Yet no one had the guts to say it. 

King saw it, and he started wising up. "You don't believe this is my castle," he asked, looking at everyone, becoming sad. "Luz, Booker, you think I would lie to you?"

Booker sighed and tried to come clean with the little demon. "Look, King, we didn't think that you were lying about being a king," he said, gesturing to the tower. "It's just…well, we just didn't expect them to be…what you thought them to be…"

"He's right," Eda said, drawing everyone's attention as she sighed sadly. "You aren't lying. You just don't know the truth because I've been trying to protect you. But it's time for me to tell you how we really met."

This caught everyone's attention, and they focused on the Owl Lady, who began telling the true story of how she and King met. 

"Eight years ago, I was looking for a place to hide from the Emperor's Coven after a raid on one of their outposts. I never knew this place existed, and it just... appeared out of the mist. So, I landed. Now, I was one hot tamale, but the boiling rains were even hotter. I needed shelter and went into the ruins. But when I found it... I wasn't alone."

Booker gasped and said, "King…"

"Yep. I assumed he was just some stray dog. But then...that thing was gonna kill us both," Eda said, looking at King. "So I picked you up and bounced. Against my better judgment, I took you home with me. I'd gotten you the collar, 'cause...well, that's what you do when you get a new pet. But then I saw you stacking my stuff upon one another."

"Just like what we saw," Luz said, her eyes widening.

"It was only a joke when I said you were 'a king amongst his subjects', but King became your first word. I told you more about what it meant to be a king, and that's how you got the idea you were some despotic overlord, even though I knew it was wrong. Oh, but you were finally happy. So I kept playing along with it."

"Until now," Lilith said, looking at King. 

Everyone watching the young demon's face expresses the whirlwind of emotions going on inside him. Shocked and doubtful, he couldn't believe what Eda told him. "Y-You're lying!"

"I'm not," Eda said, taking something out of her hair.

To the shock of everyone, it was revealed to be the broken piece of the King's horn—the one that was believed to be lost forever. The king was startled and fascinated by this, staring at it skeptically as Eda presented it to him. He slowly took it from Eda's hand. 

The surge of memories came rushing in, filling only a couple of blank spaces of his TRUE memories.

In those memories, he saw his baby self in the temple, standing on a pile of rocks and presenting himself to his army of little rock figures.

"My army?"

His feasts were nothing more than hunting small insects and eating them. Not grand hunting parties that would track down and bring down big game. 

"My feasts?

King, still holding the peace of horn, looked devastated as his world crumbled, leaving him unable to cope with the revelation of his life. 

"My life...was a lie?" King asked, looking down at the piece of horn. Yelping, he panicked and threw it down. "Aah! No! Keep that thing away from me! It's messing with my head!"

Booker placed a hand on his shoulder. "King, just calm down," he said, rubbing his back in sympathy. 

"It's gonna be okay," Luz said. 

"Shut up! Get away!" King shouted, slapping Booker's hand away. Making the Seventh Son flinch as he retracted his head. He wanted him to stop, but it was too late. King was despondent and panicking while hyperventilating. "Y-You're all just making fun of me, like usual, right? No! No, no, no, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

King, now on the verge of tears, held onto his head and breathed heavily before running away from the group.

"NOOOO!" he sobbed, disappearing into the forest.

"KING!" Booker yelled as she forlornly extended her hand. But it was too late, as he watched King disappear into the jungle. Desperate to get him back, the golden-haired boy got up and rushed into the jungle as the others followed him. "King! Come back!

"King?! King! Please, come back!" Luz yelled. 

Slowing down, Lilith came to a stop as she looked up at the trees. "I can't fly. The tree cover is too dense," she said, hanging her head down in shame. "I regret ever playing a part in this."

After looking sympathetic for a while, Hooty started bawling. "Is this what regret feels like? I hate it!" he cried, drooping over Lilith's shoulder and continuing to cry. She gently patted him.

"No, it's our fault," said Booker, just as ashamed as his friends and family for his role. "King trusted me and Luz the most, and we lied to him. 

"Now, he's all alone." Luz sat down and silently wept, with Booker sitting with her to comfort her. 

Eda sighed and said, "For now, let's split up. This island is small, and he's even smaller. He can't have gone far."

Nodding, Lilith and Hooty left toward the right while Eda kneeled down to comfort a teary-eyed Luz and Booker. Assuredly, she said, "Don't worry. We'll find him."

Eda took off toward the left. Luz wipes her eyes and gets up. Booker joins her on his feet. Together, with a determined look on their faces, they leave to look for their friend, calling out his name in all directions and praying that the demon will come to them. 

A minute later, they reached the edge of the jungle and paused. There, on the beach in front of them, was King. He was sitting alone on a log, staring out at the sea, contemplating the revelation of how false his ideas of being the 'king of demons' were. Sympathetic to their friend's identity crisis, Booker and Luz walked up to him and joined him on the log.

"King," Booker said. 

"Don't!" King snapped, shaking his head as he was still upset. "Don't…tell me anymore. I don't know how much I can take."

"We're sorry, King," Luz said, deeply upset with herself for lying to King. "We never should have lied to you about what we believed."

"What's the point?" King lowered his head as tears built up in his eyes. "What would you've been keeping from me? A fake kingdom? An army of useless plushies? A sense of greatness that I never earned? Eda was right, wasn't she? I was never king of anything. I'm nobody."

"No, you're not," Booker said, placing his hand on King's shoulder. "You were always someone to all of us."

"And I love that somebody very much," Luz said, smiling at him. Only for King to look at her accusingly.

"Is that a lie, too?! Everyone lied! And I was too caught up in the fantasy to realize it!" he exclaimed, starting to sob. "I... I don't know what to do! I can't tell what's real and what's fake!"

King buried his face in his paws, crying as Luz hugged him tightly, starting to cry herself. 

Booker, on the other hand, looked up toward the ruined temple in the distance. "Something's not adding up," he said, looking to King. "One of your memories is falling, right?"

Wiping his eyes, King nodded with a bitter look in his eyes. Doubtful of even his own memories. "Probably another stupid thing I made up!"

"No! What if that's a real memory?"

"Why does it matter?"

"You said you remember a roar from up in that shaft. Maybe that's where you fell from! Eda found you in those ruins," Booker said, standing up and walking around to stand behind King. "There's gotta be a clue in there about where you came from!"

Luz's lips smiled again, nodding to the idea of going back and getting the answers they all wanted. King, however, wasn't convinced. "I don't know, Booker," he said. "What if the story gets worse?

"You might have been alone before, but you have us now," Luz said, standing up and extending out her hand. "Whatever we find up there won't change that. So, what do you say?"

After a while, King got up and put his paw in hers. "Okay."

Booker walked over to Luz and King. Picking up the little demon, he placed him on his shoulder. They had a chance to find out why everything was happening. What King really was. Anything to release the questions that they had. 

Going back into the jungle, Booker and Luz brought King back to Eda and Lilith, both looking worried. The Owl Lady was happy to see King was unharmed and well. 

"King! You're alright!" She ran toward the King but then stopped when she noticed him looking sternly up at her. Sighing in shame, she knelt down to Booker's height, and the witch said, "You're mad at me. I get it. I would be, too. I'm so sorry, King."

"Boop." King suddenly poked her on the cheek. "No more secrets, okay? You have to promise me."

"Only truths. I promise," Eda said, so happy to know that her young friend forgave her. 

"We all promise," Booker said.

Luz walked a few steps away, looking at the ruins. "Great. Now, before we leave, we have one more thing to check out," she said, pointing toward the tower in the distance.

Inside the castle, the Berserker had retrieved another sword from one of his dead brothers. Walking back into the main chamber of the ruins, he saw that the little rock statues had toppled over during the battle. Walking over to one of them, he restacked it. Restoring it back to the way it was when King made it. 

Suddenly, the sound of something landing on the ground behind it made the golem look up to see nothing. Letting out another roar, it reached back to grab the handle of its sword and got ready to attack. 

Soundly, it saw an exploding position being tossed. The Berserker didn't have enough time to dodge it, getting it and being knocked back when it was hit. 

As it recovered from the blast, the guardian of the ruins saw Lilith flying in on her staff. 

The Berserker swung at her with its great sword, but Lilith dodged it and flew past the monster. Turning around, she aimed Hooty like a bazooka.

"Special delivery…" Hooty then said in a deep voice. "Pain!"

Hooty rapidly fired more potions out of his mouth. Forcing the Berserker to take cover behind a column. 

The potion slammed into the column, breaking off pieces and chipping it away while creating massive explosions.

"Go!" Lilith yelled over the destruction.

Suddenly, something invisible came flying in low, past the valley of potion bottles. That unknown something became visible when Luz took a deep breath in. Doing so caused herself, Booker, King, and Eda to reappear on the Owl Lady's staff, just like the glyph spell she showed off earlier.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?" Eda asked, worried for her sister's well-being. She stopped, and Booker and Luz hopped off the staff.

"Hooty knows what to do," Booker said, leading the charge to the blocked opening. 

Eda looked back to see Hooty coughing up potions in a rapid-fire fashion while Lilith was holding his head and looking as disgusted as her sister.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?"

While Lilith and Hooty were pinning down the monster, Eda flew up to the blocked hole in the ceiling. There, she planted a potion into the rocks. With the charge set in place, she jumped down toward her son, Luz, and King.

"Ready?"

"Always," Booker said, twirling Dragon's Bite. "Aunt Lilith! Hooty! We're ready!"

"Okay!" Hooty yelled back at him. 

However, the Berserker wasn't finished yet. 

The sound of something large slamming into stone brought Lilith and Hooty's attention back to the monster. To their shock, they saw the Berserker running out of cover to the right and started running up the side of the walls. Hooty continued firing at it, but the golem was too fast. Chased by explosions, the golem ran towards the top of the ceiling, preparing for another attack. 

"Shoot him down!" Luz shouted, watching as the golem was about to get into position. "Shoot him down!"

The Berserker made it to the top of the ceiling over Lilith's staff and threw its great sword at her. The witch dodged it with ease—

…but the golem had come down the second after and grabbed her staff midair. 

With a roar, the Berserker swung Lilith, Hooty, and her staff towards the ground. Making Lilith let out a pained scream when she bounced off the floor. 

The Berserker landed in a crouch in front of her. 

Lilith gasped in fear of the beast as she slammed an ice glyph on the ground beside her. The ice shade that it made shot out, but the Berserker destroyed it with its claw. Then, the monster grabbed Lilith by the head. 

"Do it! Now!" Eda yelled. 

Booker aimed the charged fireball at the end of his sword and released it, sending it flying toward the potion. 

KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!

The change reaction blew the hole in the ceiling open. 

The Berserker looked at others, leaving him open for an attack by Hooty. The gross house demon hits the monster with his face, freeing Lilith. 

Booker sheathed Dragon's Bite and clapped his hands. "Let's go!" he yelled, summoning two wings and flew up. 

On her hands and knees, Lilith grabbed her staff and started following. At the same time, Eda, Luz, and King got on Owlbert and accended to the open hole.

"Fly, fly, fly!" Luz yelled as they started going up the hole, with Booker's glowing markings producing light in the dark tunnel. 

However, the Berserker wasn't finished. Grabbing its sword, it gave chase by jumping up and climbing up after them. Jumping from side to side around the tunnel, getting closer to them.

"We're almost there!" Booker said as his family, Luz, and King soon reached the end of the tunnel. "And there's…

Luz said, "There's…"

King's hope faltered. "There's...

"Nothing here!" Eda said in surprise as everyone looked around. It was true. The tunnel had led to a small, empty room covered in cobwebs.

Everyone landed on the ground and started exploring. However, they wouldn't get the chance as they heard a roar. 

King looked down the hole and saw the monster coming in fast.

"It's coming!" King yelled in his panic. A second later, the Berserker jumped out of the tunnel. King shrieked and scatted as the golem landed where he was. Raising up to its full, hunched-over height, it saw it had the five cornered against a locked door. 

All was lost until King backed into the door. 

His touch triggered a magical reaction as a wave of energy was sent out through its surface. 

"Huh?" King let out, looking at his paw. 

The door opened, causing everyone to fall backward into a secret room. 

The Berserker roared and prepared to attack. 

"Shut the door!" Booker yelled as they quickly got back up. The witches and demons hurriedly closed both doors as the monster rushed toward them. Shutting them on the golem before its blade could pass through. 

Everyone took deep sighs of relief as Eda said, "Huh, I think we're safe... for now."

"But how did we get the door open," Booker asked.

"Huh?" King paused and looked at his paw.

With her back against the door, Lilith opened her eyes. Dumbstruck when she looked around where they were. "This room is old," she said with a straight, surprised face. "Very old."

The rest of the group turned around and could understand Lilith's astonishment. As they began exploring the room, they saw that it was decorated with decaying plants and a skylight on the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a low golden pedestal with a strange symbol carved into it. At the top were the remains of a broken eggshell.

"Guess I was right," Booker said, looking at the eggshells with King. "There was something here. 

"Oooooooo, you're like the mystery whisperer," Luz said, cutely smiling and poking his cheek. 

"Does that make you my sidekick," Booker asked with a smirk. 

Brushing her hand across the stone wall, Lilith examined the painted figure of the Berserker. Only there were more of it, ringed around the room. "It looks like that creature was made to guard whatever was in here," she said. 

Booker reached down and picked up the shards of the egg. "King, does any of this feel familiar to you," he asked, holding it up. 

Looking at the golden symbol, King stepped on the pedestal.

"I'm not sure, but I think I know how to jog my memory," he said, extending his paw. "Eda, I'm ready."

Eda, looking worried, asked, "Are you sure?"

King nodded. "I am."

Seeing his firm, confident look, Eda nodded and took the broken piece of horn out of her hair. She placed it in King's hand and watched as the small demon gently placed it on his stump. 

King gasped as his memories returned to him.

"I remember a deep roar," King said as he remembered the first memory he had ever heard—before he was born while growing inside his egg. 

That's when a demonic roar was heard from outside the shell.

"SON."

"And then, something happened…" King said, remembering that there was shaking. The town rumbled from what sounded like an explosion. He couldn't see it. His eyes were as underdeveloped as his mind. "...but I was too small to do anything. So, I went back to sleep. And the next time I woke up…"

He remembered it all. His first memories of being alive. Born into a world that was so alien to a child. When the egg started to crack, a slit of light shone through. King reacted to the light and reached for it. 

King emerged from his egg into the secret room, tumbling down the steps of the pedestal. The newborn demon opened his eyes for the first time and saw the castle's mysterious symbol on the skylight. What was it? What did it mean? 

He was hungry and cold. 

Baby King then pulled himself across the room until he reached the door. It magically reacted to his touch and opened, revealing the Berserker behind it—a monster to all that would cross its path but nourishing to its intended ward. 

The two look at each other. If only they knew how alike they were. They were the last of their kind. 

The monster picked up King, cradling him like the newborn he was. Baby King reacted cutely and reached up at it. But the Berserker walked to the shaft. 

It dived down the hole with King in its arms, and King reached for the light from the top as it disappeared from view. Becoming the falling memory that would stay with King for all of his days. Never really understood what it was until today.

As the last of the memories came to an end, King took the broken horn off his stump, a look of revelation on his face.

"King…" Luz said, concerned, as she and Booker walked up to him.

"That roar. It meant 'son'," King declared. "I don't know how I know that, but I do. Someone called me their son. Guys, I think it was my dad!"

"Maybe that was him on all those wall carvings," Booker said.

Suddenly, the Berserker smashed through the door, breaking it into pieces. 

"Are you kinging me?!" 

With another roar, the golem prepared to strike with his great sword. Booker quickly stood ready for it.

However, King defiantly ran up to it and raised his paw. "Stop!" he ordered.

The Berserker suddenly paused for a moment. Then, lowering its stance, it stabbed its sword into the ground and got down on one knee. Bowing to King in respect.

"That thing was defending King from us this whole time?" Eda asked, not expecting that at all. "Huh. Alright."

The group was slightly startled by the sound of clickings. They turned around and deadpanned. Lilith was taking a picture of the wall carvings with an instant flash camera.

Realizing that she was caught, Lilith stopped. "Oh, sorry. Were we discussing important revelations?"

Booker said, "Dude…"

"Right. I'll…" Lilith cleared her throat. "I'll just... do this later," she said, taking the photo from the camera and sheepishly hiding it behind her back. Hooty ate and swallowed the camera.

"Gulp!" said the bird. 

Booker sighed and turned back to King. "Maybe you weren't exactly the King of Demons," he said, "but…"

"I was important to someone," King said, starting to tear up as he realized that he had a family. A father that could still be out there. "If... If he's out there, I want to find him. I'm not that old! It could be possible!"

King sniffled and closed his eyes, blinking the tears out of his eyes before looking back up at his friend. 

"Would you help me?"

Smiling, Booker and Luz nodded. 

"I'd do anything for you, buddy," she said.

"You help me discover my family, King," Booker said, picking up the young prince. "It's only right I do that same." 

"Then... can we keep him?" King asked, pointing to the monster.

Booker, Luz, Eda, and Lilith unanimously said, "No!"

"YES!" Hooty, however, wrapped his body around the group, who were all looking displeased.

Once they made it back to the Owl House, Booker contacted his Uncle to come and collect something that would help him and the revolution. Hearing that, York flew over as quickly as possible. 

"I…I don't believe it," he said upon walking into his nephew and Luz's room. In front of him, Booker presented him with three of the anti-magic greatswords used by the Berserker. 

"Yep, three anti-magic swords," Booker said, using a power spell to hold them up. Luckily, York drew a spell circle and cast a levitation spell on them. Allowing Booker to rest. "I figured you would want to use these for your resistance."

York looked them over. "Yes, this is the exact same material used in the forging of Dragon's Bite," he said. "And you found them on an island?"

"Yep, King's island," Booker said, looking back to see Luz gluing the broken piece of King's horn onto the stump with glue, making it whole again.

"Aah... gooey..!" King complained as she wiped off some excess glue with her finger.

"Are there any more?"

"We can draw a map to get you back to the tower," Booker said with a smile. "Pretty sure those Berserkers aren't going to be of any more trouble. Especially ours." 

As it turned out, the golem became lifeless outside of the barrier. The castle was where it got its power from. So, they had to carry it and the great swords back home in Eda's motorized bathtub. 

"These swords can be useful in our operations," said York, impressed with Booker's find. "They wouldn't be as powerful as Dragon's Bite, as it needs a dragon's tooth to counteract its anti-magic effect and use magic with it."

"There are dragons?!" Luz gasped with stars in her eyes. 

"No. Father killed the last true dragon one after the Emperor hunted down all of them," York said, his head hanging in shame. "But, I think I speak for all of us that having only one Dragon's Bite is best. Makes it more special."

"Like me!" King exclaimed.

York then looked at Booker with a serious face. "The revolutionaries have already heard about you. They want you on the front lines for when the Day of Unity comes."

"What is that?" Booker asked, having heard that from Belos.

"Belos said that it would bring paradise upon the world, but no one really knows anything about it," York informed the young Seventh Son. "Whatever it is, it's big. Right now, we're gathering as many allies as possible to stop Belos. And the thing is…everyone believes that it's you who will end his reign. You're a game changer in every possible way."

Booker looked down for a moment, contemplating what that would require him to do. 

"Yeah, I'm dying to get back at Belos," he said. 

York smiled at his nephew and reached into his cloak. From it, he pulled out a dark sage green cloak and unfolded it. It was exactly Booker's size.

"This was your father's cloak when he was your age," he said with a proud smile. Wrapping the cloak around Booker's neck and shoulders. The young man looked at it in shock and awe. "Luz, could you please hold it in place?"

"Oh! Of course!" Luz said, more than happy to assist as she pinched the two ends of the cloak around Booker's neck together. 

York then pulled out a golden falcon pin. "And this…was your grandfather's," he said, treading the needle through his cloak. Securing it around his neck. "There, now you look like a Bridges."

Deeply touched, Booker smiled tearfully as he placed his hand on the falcon pin. He never knew his grandfather but felt honored to wear it. And the cloak felt as though his father was hugging him. 

"Thank you," Booker said, hugging his uncle. 

For a moment, they hugged before York had to go. Releasing his nephew, he opened the window and flew off with the great swords floating behind him. 

A moment later, Booker and Luz walked into King's room. Carrying the little demon, Luz tucked King into bed while he carved the castle's symbol onto his collar medallion with a fork.

"Whatcha doin' there, King," Booker asked.

"That symbol was all over that tower. What if it's my name?" King theorized as he put back on his collar. He then looked to see the golem they brought back sitting lifelessly in the corner of the room. "It's too bad Jean-Luc stopped moving outside the ruins. I liked having a big, scary minion."

Booker and Luz looked at the Berserker. "Yeah? I don't," the Seventh Son commented, creeped out by Jean-Luc's presence.

Why Jean-Luc?

"Booker, Luz, is it okay to still call me "King"? It feels kind of weird when I'm not the king of anything," King said, putting his fork down and looking worried. 

"Well, you'll always be king of my heart," Luz said.

"And who knows, if we overthrow Belos, when you come of age, the throne will be yours," Booker said. "That's good enough, right?"

King thought about it for a moment. "Yeah! Goodnight, guys," King said, lying down.

Acting like parents, Booker and Luz kisses him together on the forehead.

"And Francois," said King, holding up his plush rabbit. 

"Okay," Booker said, kissing it before Luz. 

"Now, Jean-Luc," King said, pointing to the inanimate Jean-Luc as some of his fleshy red goop dripped onto his knee. 

"No, goodnight!" Booker quickly grabbed Luz, and the two of them hastily made it to the door and closed it behind them. 

In the living room of the Owl House, Eda and Lilith were reviewing Lilith's photos of the ruins.

"I've never seen markings like this," Eda said as Lilith opened one of her books.

That's when Booker and Luz entered the room, and Booker got the attention of his adopted mom and aunt. 

"Oh, look at you," Eda said, dotting on her son as she grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "You look just like your father!"

"Moooooom!" Booker complained, which Luz found to be absolutely adorable 

"So! You two thought of anything," Luz asked, sitting down as Booker was released. "Anything to explain why those markings are similar to Booker's."

"Hmmm... Ooh, is it some kind of ancient language?" Eda exclaimed. 

"And those old carvings," Lilith said, turning the page of her book. "Who were they depicting?"

Thinking more about it, Eda drew a blank. She then turned to her son and asked, "Any ideas, 'mystery whisperer'?"

Booker picked up one and looked at the pictures. It was the one showing the carvings depicting a large, spear-wielding demon who looks similar to King. 

"I don't know. But whatever we discover, we'll be there for King... no matter what."