Chapter 9 - Answers, photos and big surprise
~ONE~
"Who?" Luz asked with a touch of curiosity.
Iniko just smile before put his fingers in his mouth and made a piercing whistle. Suddenly, they heard sound of a number of things breaking and something hitting the walls. Luz simply guessed that Iniko called his staff.
When the staff finally arrived, a long wooden staff with an bird perched on one end, it came flying and jumped into Iniko's waiting hand.
The palisman had a head that was kinda similar to that of an Hippogriff. It possess two pairs of elegant wings, and have feathers that slightly shimmer with tiny cloud-like patterns.
"Luz, I present to you my palisman, Hawky."
Hawky hopped to life on Iniko's staff and swooped down to Luz.
"You're really cute." Her eyes went wide as palisman flapped his wings and circled around Luz.
"Actually Hawky prefer the term quite charming." Iniko said before Hawky settled on his shoulder, "King, where are you going?"
King stopped halfway to door with tea pot in his paws.
"I'm going to discuss a new war strategy with my minions." He said,
"Awww. You want to throw your stuffed animals a tea party." Luz said and she raised her hands to her chest.
"This isn't a tea party! I called all the members of my army of terror together in a great war council." The little demon said with a serious look on his face, exiting the kitchen.
"All right, Luz, it's you, our palismans and me."
"And Hooty!" Hooty's body stretched out from the door.
"And you, dude." Iniko patted the house demon's face.
"So, what are we going to do?" Hooty asked in his typical voice.
"I'd like to tell Luz everything she need to know about this version of Boiling Isles."
"I also want to share my profound knowledge of the world with you." Hooty said and then started saying weird and distasteful things about the Boiling Isles.
Iniko tried to stop him, but Hooty just keep talking. The teenager shook his head in exasperation but Luz can see the fondness underlying it.
"Okay it's time for my secret weapon. Watch this." The boy said to Luz as he pulls out a black, pen shaped object. She was a bit confused for a minute before quickly guessing what it is. Iniko decide to have it appear on the floor and pushes the button. A flash of red on the ground then caught Hooty vision, causing him to stop talking.
"Red Dot Is Back!" Luz definitely wasn't expecting Hooty to shout so loud. "I'LL CATCH IT!"
The house demon stretched towards the wall only to have the dot move before he reached it.
Iniko smile and handed Hawky a laser pointer. The palisman flapped his wings, flying around the room with laser pointer in his claws. The red dot was moving away now with Hooty in hot pursuit, getting more and more agitated as he keeps missing it.
While this is happening, Luz was really trying stifle her laughter. Then she noticed Maotif's eyes were wide but intense as the feline palisman stare past her at the bright red dot slightly shaking.
"If you want you can join them."
Maotif let out a tiny, grateful 'Mew' before went after a red dot.
"That ought to keep them busy for a while." Iniko said as he lead Luz upstairs and to his room.
Iniko bedroom had a typical teenage boy aura. The room was spacious and slightly messy, with clothes scattered and comic books all over the wooden floor. He decorated the ceiling with hanging fairy lights. He has nightstand, dresser, big circular rug, guitar stand with rock guitar, bookshelf with four levels, as well as various forms of merchandise and other miscellaneous items.
A hammock was hung from two wood poles that stuck out of ceiling. Beside this was a collection of many photos, all stuck together to make a big collage. To the right of the window and in a corner was a two blue beanbag chair, next to a two six-pack of soda cans. The wall to the left of the door has a gray counter where many spray paint can were placed. There were also light gray and gray square shelves placed above it holding smaller items.
Luz stepped over a pack of Hexus Hold Em cards on the floor and come closer to shelves. It were a two photo frames that drew her attention.
One with photo of Iniko, Luz from this world and unknown girl. They all had an palismans on their arm. Iniko had Hawky on his arm, girl a manticore (lion with horns, bat wings, and the tail of a dragon) and Luz had a Maotif.
On the other photo was younger Iniko, Eda, King, Hooty, and the man Luz was sure was Iniko's dad. As if to back up her thoughts, Iniko come closer and said, "This is my dad, Bautiste" Iniko said with sad smile. Luz looked at the frame, again.
Bautiste was a head taller than Eda. His muscular frame, dark greyish-brown skin along with thick jaw, and beastly facial features gave him a distinctly nice wild appearance. He had pointed ears with elongated lower lobes, a dark gray plated scalp, thick eyebrows, and a amber eyes with a noticeable orange color in the center of them. He wearing a gray long-sleeved turtleneck shirt under a black vest. The vest had a tall collar and was accented with blue, white, and light gray. He wearing a black, fingerless gloves on hands that covers his sleeve's cuff. His vest and shirt were tucked under a sword belt he wearing over his pants with a pouch at one hip. The pants he wearing were padded at the knees and tucked into the cuffs of his strong metal-like boots.
"He was killed when I was eleven. Exactly one year before I meet my Luz."
"I'm sorry."
"I've already made my peace with it." He said before sit on the beanbag chair. Luz just sit on the second beanbag.
Iniko lifted one floorboard, then dug his hand into a hole. He found what he was looking for and pulled mini Oreo snack pack out.
"Well, what do you want to know first?" He pushed the bag of sweets toward Luz with a smile, and the girl took one.
"First off, I would like to know how did the other me become Luz Clawthorne in this world? Why she chose to live in the Boiling Isles?"
"My sister's life is different from your on many levels." Iniko sighed focusing on her face, but avoiding eye contact, "Now that's startin' the story... at the beginning. She lost her birth mom in a tragic car accident when she was 10 years old. Her foster family was awful to her, to say the least. The foster parents Luz lived with were abusive in a variety of ways because they were fundamentalists who saw her difference as a sign of the devil. One day, after... incident, she just ran away from home."
The girl considered the question of what was that incident, but decided that she doesn't really want to know.
"Luz have been hiding in the woods for a week. She even was doing pretty well. But the forest is a place full of wild animals, and one day a grizzly bear attacked her. Luckily, she got rescued by me. I used magic to put bear to sleep. Then I told her to go home. But instead of listening , she followed me to old house in forest, and ends up in the fantastical world of the Boiling Isles." Iniko smiled when he said this.
"I tried to send her back, of course. However, before I was able to open the portal, a group of the bounty hunters found us. I'm not a criminal (okay I'm kind of criminal but I'm smart and never get caught on breaking the law), but being the son of the Owl Lady assured me a long list of people who want get or kill me. We were suddenly knocked out with tranquilizer manticore spike, and when we woke up, we were in magic cage. This cage worked exactly like a barrier in the Conformatorium. However, Luz as a human being could move through the jail bars. So, I gave her portal and then told her to leave while she still can. Instead of get back to Human Realm, like a sane person would do, Luz went to find my mom."
He seemed think of it as a fond memory.
"With mom's magic and Luz's smart thinking (and some human items) I was free. And then the hunters dearly regretted the day they decided to become hunters. After our small adventure, we invited Luz to dinner in the Owl House. She told us about her life. She feel like she doesn't fit in at home. So, she didn't want to return to the human world, like, ever. Mom had said that if she doesn't want to go, she can stay with us. About a month later, Luz officially became member of the family, and she changed her last name to Clawthorne."
Luz remained silent for a while until finally looking up at him."She was lucky that you were out there in the woods."
"Nope. I was lucky because I met her." Iniko said, lips curling into a smile, "Now, next question, please."
After taking a moment to think, she replied, "Lilith showed me her silver bracelet. From my understanding, she wears this for a reason. Is it like a diagnosis band or something like that?"
"I have no idea what "diagnosis band" is. But I know that aunt L wears her bracelet because she is member of the Rebellious Coven." He explained.
"The Rebellious Coven?" She asked in a somewhat of an expecting tone.
"The Rebellious Coven is an secret alliance of witches, demons and others independent beings lead by our mom dedicated to freeing Boiling Isles from The Emperor." Iniko raised up his necklace with two fingers, "And the wing is a symbol of Rebellious Coven. Anyone who's a member, have a wing accessories or something vaguely wing related. For example, my sister's phone has a wing ornament hanging off of it with light magenta string."
"Eda is leader of secret rebellion!" Luz bellowed, speechless at the thought of the Owl Lady lead the rebellion, but on the other hand it'll actually make sense.
Iniko just nodded.
"This is awesome. Can I meet the rebels?" The girl exclaimed excitedly.
"In time, you will meet them, and I even will show you the Lair. Do you chose your next question?" Iniko could see the consideration on her face.
"Who cursed Eda in this world?"
"Okay a bit of back-story." Iniko begin, "My mom and aunt Lilith grew up as the best of friends and dreamed of join to Emperor's Coven but they ran into a big problem, there was only one spot available. But mom refusing to fight her sister and forfeiting their duel. However, that day she have made a big mistake, when she just admitted in public that she has absolutely no intention of join the coven."
He took a break to open a can of soda, and then took a big sip.
"One witch saw an opportunity to curry favor with the Emperor's Coven. She went to their leader and has volunteered to give mom such "justice" as she deserve. The leader of Emperor's Coven agreed to this, he even gave her this curse." Iniko stared at her "Two years ago, we discovered that Odalia Blight was the one who had cursed mom."
"Wait Blight?" Luz said with a quirk in her eyebrows. "Like Amity Blight?"
"It's her mother."
The human looked somewhat disgusted, as he answered. "How you find out Amity's mother is responsible for the cursing Eda?"
"I'll tell you some other time, when... in the right moment."
Luz knew without asking he meant by that. She have question about Amity, but she wasn't sure if she should ask.
"How I met my friends in this world?" She said eventually.
"My Luz met Willow when she found her secrets garden in forest. And they became friends during a escaping the wild Chimaera who tried to kill both of them."
Iniko took a Oreo and popped it into his mouth with the silver paper still on.
"The relationship with Gus started really weird. He heard from Willow that Luz is human, and he began to observe my sister from a distance. And when Luz try to talk to him he just ran away, screamin' somthing about venom and melting face. But he stopped do this after she saved him from the boiling rain. He spent the night in the Owl House, and became friends with my sister."
He took another piece of candy, and continued.
"Viney, Jerbo and Barcus are also my Luz friends. They met my sister during her first visit in the school. She really wanted to see the Hexside, so I showed her how you can get to school through the secret tunnel underneath the Room of Shortcuts."
"And what about Amity. She is my friend in this world?" Luz asked, hoping he wasn't assuming that's rhetorical question.
"You and Amity aren't friends."
"Oh." Luz said, failing to prevent her face from falling.
"You're a couple." Iniko told her with his fanged grin.
"What?"
"In this universe Amity is your girlfriend." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis.
"My what?!" Luz exclaimed, emotionally charged.
"You know girlfriend. Your regular companion with whom you have a romantic relationship. Holding hands, going on dates, kissing, all this relationship stuffs." Iniko said. Luz's expression betrayed that of mind blow, that of shock. "Okay, I'll give you a moment to process."
The teenage boy leaned against the back of the chair, humming "the witching hour". Luz meanwhile seemed to be doing a rather good impression of a statue.
There was silence for five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen seconds...
Twenty seconds...
Thirty seconds...
One minute...
Two minutes...
Iniko looked at watch for the second time. "Really? Still processing."
~TWO~
"Edalyn, what are you doing with that human scroll?" Lilith asked when Eda was coming down the stairs with Luz's phone on her hands. Luz and King leave, 15 minutes ago. But for some reason, the Latina decided to left her phone in her room.
"I'm trying to get some information on this Luz's alternate universe." Eda said it like it's obvious.
"You know' you could just asked her." Lilith remarked.
"She don't feel comfortable to talk about her home, and I want to understand what Luz and King see in this rectangle." Eda answered as she finally unlocks a phone and accidentally brought up the YouTube app. She watched with confused at the video of the piano-playing cat.
'Okay, not what I was looking for, but this cat plays real good piano. Now, where are photos or something?' She remembered watching how Luz used this device, she sliding her finger on the screen.
After a tense twenty minute search, during which Eda opened almost all of the phone applications, the witch finally found the right app icon and flicked over to the photo album. With her sister looking over her shoulder, she opened the album.
Unsurprisingly, the photo that pulled up immediately was of Luz's glyph. The teenager must have recently been looking at her photos since it had directly opened to one.
Curiously, Eda swiped to the next photo.
It was a photo of Iniko sitting with his legs crossed on the sign that says "Keep off the grass." And the guard standing' next to sign. - He rather didn't know what to do in a situation like this.
Eda smirked before touched the screen, dragging her fingers across it to saw another photo.
The next photo was of King sleeping curled up in a little ball. Maotif and Owlbert lying on top of the demon. Even the witch must concede that was a really cute photo.
On the next photo was Luz on a witch staff in the air, she flying next to gigantic griffin.
The next photo shows Amity, Luz and the man who have whisker marks on his face. He holding the "Good Witch Azura" book in his hands. Amity talking to him while Luz pointing at something in her book. The man's face was difficult to read but - Eda see a flash of curiosity in his expression.
The woman went to other photo. It was picture of Lilith sleeping on desk with a blanket.
On the next photo was Lilith, again. She's wide awake, and someone drew a black mustache and goatee on her face with felt-tip markers. The witch seemed not to notice the doodle on her pale skin, yet.
"Nice mustache." Eda teased, and snickered at her sister scathing look.
The next photo was of Clawthornes sisters. Lilith chasing Eda who's laughed at the older witch.
The silver hair witch smirked, dragging her fingers across screen to saw new photo. In the picture was the back of Eda's stand of human items in the market. In the picture of tent was the Owl Lady carrying King in her left hand, and some strange gray almost dog-like creature with a ringed tail in the other hand. The demon and a creature hissing on each other.
Then was a picture of Luz, Iniko and Eda. They looked very dirty and had damaged clothing. Apart from that they all looked very happy, if the photo could have made noise she would probably have heard them laughing.
Next was a picture of King poking a Warden Wrath's unmoving body with a stick and snickering.
Then there was video. Eda pressed the button for play. There was a slight pause and then they saw Iniko and Luz.
"King, are you recording now?" Luz asked as Iniko conjured up a magic wall between them and the demon.
"Yes."
The girl turned to Iniko. "Ready?"
"Sure, I was born ready." Iniko said and drew a burning orange circle in the air with the tip of his finger. As the circle closed, the whole space inside it filled with a bright, swirling ether.
Luz raised her hand and then slapped a glyph atop it, a sparks fly sprawl from the paper. There was a loud bang, and then Luz and Iniko were thrown backward.
"Are you okay?" King asked, still recording behind the magic shield.
"I think I bruised my coccyx." Iniko said as he left Luz off the floor, "And you, Shiny?"
"I'm ok." Luz blinked, "Wait, is it just me or room is brighter than before?"
Then the both teenagers' eyes and camera turned to the ceiling. There was a huge hole in the ceiling.
"I always wanted a skylight," Iniko mused, examining the hole in the ceiling.
After the video end, Eda went through few mildly interesting photos of city and woods.
Soon enough she came across a photo that caught her attention. In the picture was a unknown girl with Hooty. The tube owl was curled up in rings and hung on a back of the couch talking to her, while the teenager playing with a paper fortune teller.
"This girl looks strangely familiar. Who's she?"
It was a moment before Eda realized she had spoken aloud.
"I think it's Cassandra. The other Luz's cousin." Lilith answered, her hand tracing over the crystal embedded into her dress. "She mentioned her in our night discussion."
Eda hummed at her response, understanding why this girl looks familiar. Cassandra's face just looked a lot like younger Lilith. "Let me guess - she is your kid."
"She is daughter of the variation of myself from the other universe."
"Still your kid." Eda said as she quickly went to other photo.
It's a picture of the three cousins all making silly face. Cassandra doing bunny ears on Luz who's sat between the two older teenagers while Iniko been deputised to hold the phone for the photo.
The next few pictures were from Luz time in Hexside. Most of them were pictures that Luz had taken at school with her friends; first ones of Amity, then of Willow and Gus, then ones of Viney, Jerbo and Barcus and other kids in Luz's year Eda didn't know.
The next photo was of new place. In the picture was a big old victorian-style house. The one letter on the building's signboard hangs off.
And then was a picture of Luz with Iniko, a boy and a girl, that Eda didn't recognized. The boy wearing a dark moderate blue and white hat with a dark moderate blue brim and a dark moderate blue pine tree on the front. The girl wearing sweater with star. They both had a round ears.
A bit curiously, the Owl Lady moved to the next photo.
It was a photo of Eda and the man with an eye patch and a red fez on his head. The witch giving him a friendly noogie.
On the next photo Luz was showing the boy with hat the one of her glyphs. While the sweater girl hugging King.
Then there was another series of photos of residents of the Owl House and this people. All different poses, and part obviously taken without the humans' knowledge of what was going on.
After that there was a paused video of Luz, Iniko, Cassandra, Amity, Edric and Emira. They all looked at weird egg that's lying on the table.
'This might be interesting.' Eda thought as press play.
"Are you sure you heard it rattling, Mittens?" asked Edric "I think it's too early yet."
"Be quiet," snapped Cassandra "The process is sensitive in the extreme, it might even be disrupted by vibrations of the air!"
"I am certain it will hatch in its due time, guys," Iniko said. "We can watch for a while longer, and if we see it has halted, we can take a break and return later."
Amity opened her mouth to say something, but before she had the chance to, a noise could be heard inside the egg. Now there could be no doubt - the hatchling inside it was struggling to get out.
All of a sudden, a tiny crack appeared in the egg's shell. And another one.
"It's cracking out!" Luz whispered from off- camera. "It's cracking out!"
Then it stopped moving for a couple of minutes - the little creature was gathering its strength for the final blow. And then, the egg rattled. Cracks now ran all over its surface, until finally, it fell apart. The air was filled with collective whoops, gasps, cries of delight and exclamations of relief as the hatchling was finally revealed before the teenagers' eyes. The dragon was a tiny thing, wet and bedraggled, its wings no more than folds of flabby skin. Nothing about him suggested the extent of strength it would possess some years down the road. Its scales was blue, and it had a few very small spikes on its head.
Emira watched the dragon with a smirk before looking at Iniko and Edric with her hand out, "Pay up. I told you it was a dragon egg."
"That's not fair, I'm sure you asked your girlfriend about this egg!" Edric said.
Emira's ears went pink. "Viney isn't my girlfriend!"
"Does she know that?" Iniko asked. Cassandra, meanwhile, wrapped the dragon in a warm blanket and let Amity held it tenderly in her arms.
Luz couldn't take the cuteness of it all. "Eres tan lindo!" She gushed.
Then the baby dragon sneezed with fire, singeing Cassandra and Amity's eyebrows.
Eda laughed with the snort in her voice and she continued into the gallery.
The witch scrolled through more of the photos and videos; Iniko painting large graffiti. Luz taking selfie with Bat Queen. Hooty chasing a squirrel. Gus helping Eda get the human items from trash snail. Iniko playing guitar. The group of Abominations dancing to 'YMCA'. Willow feeding the sundew. Eda explaining how pick a lock. Amity looking at sunset. The man with whisker marks playing chess with Iniko. Luz giving Cassandra a French-braid. Great rodeo on large one-eyed monster. King cooking with Luz. Lilith and Cassandra meditating together. Luz and her friends wearing animal costumes. The whole family having diner in the garden. Iniko and unknown boy building a card castle out of his Hexus Hold Em pack. Eda and the blue troll having the arm wrestling. King giving a young dragon commands. Iniko and Eda having a two-person grudgby match. Maotif playing with something on a string. Edric and Emira testing illusions at Hooty. Owlbert sleeping on Eda's head. Luz, Iniko and Cassandra wearing witch's cloaks. Family trip to the Knee.
And then a photo of...Eda suddenly realized that Lilith ripped the phone from her hand. The older Clawthorne staring closely at the screen.
"Edalyn, what are your human doing with my apprentice in this picture?"
"First of all, my kid has a name," Eda said before looked at photo and smirked ,"Secondly, they are kissing. And here I thought you were the smart one."
Thank you all for reading the new chapter! Did you guys like it?
Please leave any comments and kudos if you so wish.