"Eda!"

Camila jolted out of her dormant stance, her wife's name unconsciously blurting out of her mouth. Sat in her study, she had finally accomplished what she had promised to Eda years ago. It passed all tests.

She cupped in her hands a small orange elixir, indistinguishable at a quick glance. But this potion was for her wife's curse. It was glaring directly into Camila's face, the perfect mix to temporarily alleviate the effects cursed onto Eda all those years ago. Her eyes misted up as a cool relief washed over her.

"Eda." Camila repeated under her breath. It was late, the house was still. Sitting in the emotional silence, Camila felt she had time to reflect on what had happened earlier that day.

She had to make a quick trip into Sternham for some standard ingredients, both for potion brewing and dinner. Usually, Eda was around to cast an illusion spell on Camila's ears, even though she always wore a hoodie when going into town.

Lately however, Eda had been busy scavenging trash slugs. She couldn't figure out why, but something was causing the slugs to gobble up less human trash, the quantity decreasing noticeably every day. Camila felt a pang of pity for Owlbert, knowing that Eda ordered him to grab vastly more trash within the Human Realm compared to years past. Both him and Eda were exhausted, yet Eda kept those feelings secret in an attempt to alleviate her wife's worries.

Camila was exhausted too, going into town was always a stressful activity. The winds had been high today, so her hoodie flew down on occasion. Just a small annoyance she thought, nothing compared to the effort her wife was putting into the family.

Ever since she moved to the Boiling Isles, Camila had been spending her time creating a medicine for Eda's curse. But she had only made large breakthroughs in the past few months. Every few days, she had another potion for Eda to try. Even if the concoction didn't pass all tests, it was always worth a shot. It never took effect though. Every time it failed, Camila felt her heart numb a bit more. Eda experienced intense physical trauma every time she transformed, even if she played it down. But this elixir was the one. It just had to be.

She slowly rose from her creaky, wooden chair. Looking around her study, she softly sighed at the present mess. Papers scattered about with theories her and Eda had developed. Dozens of introductory and advanced books on potions. Diagrams of the anatomy of witches, an especially fascinating subject for Camila. A few toys from her daughter even made it in there, alongside some of King's chew toys.

Camila thought back to when she first took this room. Always interested in medicine, she knew the Boiling Isles could help quench her relentless thirst for knowledge. Studying Eda's curse only intensified that curiosity. On the other hand, it took Eda several years to truly take interest in Camila's pursuit of alleviating the curse. But once her beast transformations became a threat to Luz, she realized that there were now people in her life that could be terribly affected by her affliction.

As Camila walked to the living room, she saw King sleeping in a small, bone-filled bed that he used to share with Luz. Camila was thankful for the young pet, keeping Luz out of trouble by being a playful friend. Eda still couldn't believe it, she had never seen a baby demon be so nice to a child before.

Camila crooked her head over the couch, where her wife was splayed out cold. Cradled in her arms was a five-year-old human witch. Their mija, Luz Clawthorne Noceda. Camila saw so much history waiting to be told in the eyes of the young girl.

Camila lightly shaked her wife's shoulder. "Eda," she whispered in her ear, waiting impatiently for a response. "Eda, I did it."

"Huh? What? Did what? Did I do something?" Eda snapped awake, noticing the vial in Camila's hand. Her eyes popped wide open. Gazing up into her wife's eyes, Eda could see a light sparkle, signalling that this wasn't another failed brew.

"Is that-"

"Yes. Drink." Camila delicately moved the bottle over to Eda.

She cusped the flask in one hand, embracing her daughter against her chest with her free arm. The bubbles slowly drifted up to the surface, sending a warmth through Eda's body.

"Wait, you didn't mix any energizing potions in here, did you?" Eda slumped back a bit, closing her eyes. "Mama needs her rest, it's been a long week."

Usually Camila would entertain Eda's quips with light banter, but she stood still in the dense room, mouth sealed in anticipation. Eda straightened back up, knowing how important this was not just to her wife, but herself. She swigged down the potion.

A constant weight had been present in her bones for the past fifteen years. It felt they had been eroding away, as her powers slightly dampened everyday. The curse had accelerated her aging, and transformations were starting to take a larger toll on her health.

But as soon as the potion entered her body, she felt as light as an owl feather. Her gemstone was temporarily drained. Even though she knew the effects of the curse would continue to condemn her life, Eda felt an unexplainable relief in this temporary bliss. She couldn't erase the damages of the past, but the effects were now slowed.

"Camila." Eda looked at her wife in awe, tears pooling in both of their eyes. She softly set Luz down, and embraced her wife in a deep hug. The first elixir to soften the curse, and certainly not the last.

There is another

A way Home lost

Unbeatable

Hiding

Growing

Two become one

Lost paths crossed

Advantage of trust

Known location

Betrayed

Won't see the beginning

Walk together toward salvation

There is another

Emperor Belos perched intently in his throne room, deep in a meditative state. The Titan had spoken with him once again weeks ago, once again dealing in cryptic words. Belos thought that his connection with the Titan might've been weakening. However, the Titan had never revealed this much information before.

There is another

His castle door pounced open suddenly. Belos flinched at the sight of his demon assistant.

"Kikimora!" Belos sprung up from his throne, loose objects being jolted in the distance. "Leave at once, your presence has not been requested".

"My liege! I have just received word from a coven guard stationed in Sternham. A human has been spotted roaming the market earlier today." Kikimora spoke in quick bursts, something Belos had rarely seen from his assistant. He could sense a light air of excitement from the demon, the hands on her head straining.

"A human? Alive?" Belos creeped down into his chair, his mask transfixed on Kikimora's words. He contemplated for a moment. "Preposterous. Have this guard dismissed for conspiracy, no live human has appeared on the Isles before."

"But Sire, I have cross-referenced this with other guards in the area. They report that she has only appeared with a hood up in the past, and there was no reason to suspect foul play. Her hoodie slipped in front of a guard however, revealing the unmistakable rounded ears of a human. He assures me there is no lapse in his memory."

Belos pondered again, deciding to entertain the possibility of a human being in his domain. The Titan's will might've come true yet again. "Very well. Order all guards to keep a lookout for this figure. Tell me Kiki, what is her appearance?"

"She is a tan skinned adult, slightly below average witch height. She wears light glasses with a red rim on top, and from what the guard noticed, dark brown hair that is tied in a bun."

Belos leaned forward, noticing a pause in the demon's speech. "Is there something else you would like to say, Kikimora?."

"The guards also relayed that this human has been seen with a cloaked figure on occasion. A witch that matches the description of The Owl Lady."

Belos stood up, slowly marching toward Kikimora. "And why, dear Kikimora, did you not disclose this information when you first rudely interrupted my proceedings?"

"My liege? Is there something about-"

Belos turned around, interrupting her. "Kiki, surely you are not this foolish. Edalyn Clawthorne is a danger to the order instituted in the Isles. She is a wild witch, going against the Titan's will. However, our resources would be worn thin if we relentlessly chased after her."

Kikimora backed up on one foot, eyes opening wider, as Belos turned to face her once again, continuing on. "However, you must see what all of this means. Tell me, the guards have reported Eda selling what?"

"Artifacts from the Human Realm, S-Sire."

"We assumed she was simply an expert at navigating those repulsive trash slugs." His voice shuddered in a slight disgust. "There was no reason to think otherwise. Until a human was spotted. Now Kikimora, do you realize what this means."

"Yes, Sire." She spat out after a pause.

"Then say it."

"There is a safe way into the Human Realm."

Belos exploded in a fury. "Then why are you still here, Kikimora? Gather the Emperor's Coven. You know where Edalyn resides. You and the Coven members shall raid her living quarters, interrogate her on the human, and bring the two back to the castle alive. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sire. Perhaps this mission could be a good test for the new Coven leader?"

"Ah, yes. Lilith Clawthorne. How perfect. Have Lilith collect all valuables from Edalyn's living quarters. If she fails, she shall be released from the Emperor's Coven. I trust you with the interrogation of Edalyn. Do not bring her back until you know the origins of the human. Are my orders clear, Kikimora?"

There was a venom to his voice that could not be ignored. In all her years of serving, Kikimora had never seen him organize a task at this level quickly. It's as if he had been preparing for this moment.

"Yes, Sire. We shall leave at once, and return with The Owl Lady, the human, and information on her appearance." She strided quickly out of the room, yelling orders that Belos could not understand. He slumped back down into his throne, clasping his hands together.

"Edalyn Clawthorne, I never thought you to be the one for relationships."

"Cami, are you winding down soon?" Eda's words drew on as she picked up Luz for bed, getting ready to grab King as well. Despite Eda's rediscovered energy, the events of late still left her exhausted.

"Not yet, I still have some things to finish up. Good night amante."

Camila, after sitting in silence with Eda for a bit before, felt at peace for the first time in years. She stared at the now empty flask in her hand. How many times had she tried, failed, learnt, and failed again? She smiled, reminded of her days studying medicine on Earth. She could never get over her love for the art of healing.

This time eclipsed those moments, however. She had spent well over a decade studying entirely new ways of healing in the Boiling Isles. Sure, since learning about the Isles, she knew she wanted to find out all of its biological secrets. But she couldn't predict it taking up this much time in her new life.

If only that mysterious figure hadn't cursed Eda. She imagined how much time they could've spent exploring the mysteries of the Isles. But at the end of the day, she loved Eda, unable to stray from her unwaveringly chaotic ways. And she couldn't let her live in agony for any longer than necessary.

As she walked into her study again, the room felt alien. She had never noticed just how much of a mess it had turned into. As soon as she was able to get a physical sample of the curse, taking it from one of her wife's feathers while transformed, she focused solely on the elixir.

As she looked around in a melancholic nostalgia, sauntering around and observing all the past failures, her eyes landed on a small whiteboard. She hadn't focused on it for well over a year now, as it stewed in silence.

On it were three crude drawings. Two lungs. One lung. One lung and one bile sac.

There were many nights of frustration with the curse antidote that led Camila's mind to wander. Was there a way for a human to perform magic? In studying witch anatomy, she noticed that the only significant difference between human and witch anatomy were a left lung and a bile sac.

Magic being a fundamental way of life on the Boiling Isles eventually led to witches with a bile sac becoming the dominant species. The presence of only one lung did slightly ail the physical abilities of a witch, yet the bile sac gave such power that caused them to dominate regardless.

It wasn't as simple as Eda finding a bile sac and replacing Camila's left lung. The body would simply reject the foreign object, killing Camila.

Now that Camila had found a medicine for her wife, however, she could study this further. But most importantly, she could finally give her mija more of the love and attention a growing witch truly needed. She quickly jotted down a note to continue studies of this subject, and to dive deeper into the fundamental differences between witch and human.

After all that had happened today, she decided to step outside for a short breather.

"Heyyyy Camila, where ya going, hoot?"

"Hey Hooty, just gonna take a short walk" she smiled faintly at the house demon.

"Alright, but when you get back do you wanna hear about my day? There was a flying-"

"It's getting late, maybe we can talk tomorrow." She chuckled and waved him off. With that, Camila strided off into the Gladiolus forest. A quick walk always helped clear her mind.

She unhooked an object from her necklace, and grasped it in her palms. Even in the dense forest, the stars still shone through. Lights glinted off of the eye of the key. Eda entrusted Camila with the responsibility of the portal. After all, it was the way to her past home. Despite her striving to leave her family behind, she reluctantly made sure to check in every year.

Sometimes, it was nice to just visit Earth. She knew that if anything terrible happened to the Isles, her family would always be safe. She rubbed her thumb on the eye, a hopeful expression entering her face. Camila hooked the key back to her necklace, letting memories wash over her.

As she continued her short trek, she felt the forest stirring more than usual. Despite how long she had lived on the Isles, the redness of the trees always gave her some form of unease.

She heard a twig snap in the distance. Masked figures on the ground. More flying in the sky ahead. A small, red demon in front leading.

Camila turned to race back.

"Edalyn!"

After putting her daughter and King to bed, Eda slumped her way to her and Camila's room. Just as she was ready to fall into bed, she heard magic spells being cast off in the distance. Jolting to her window, her eyes burst open.

"Looks like Lilith finally wants to give her old sister a visit. About time." she murmured, giving a slight smirk. Despite not seeing her sister, she knew from the dozens of uniformed guards riding in the air above the Gladiolus forest that the Emperor's Coven was here, and she couldn't be far behind. Squinting her eyes, she saw a small red demon leading the air raid, and more guards scampering through the thick red forest below.

As she turned to grab her staff for what would certainly be a quick, effortless battle alongside her house demon Hooty, her blood curdled at the scream of her wife in the distance.

Her heart racing, and maternal instincts kicking in, Eda ran to Luz's room, where the child and King were still fast asleep. Eda rushed out an unconsciousness spell on Luz and King, making sure they wouldn't be awake for what was to come. She scooped the two up in her arms and darted to the other side of the house.

Eda had been so busy lately with selling potions and finding human trash, that her storage room was filled to the brim with unorganized garbage. At any other time, Eda would love the sight of garbage. But she had to protect her family now.

There was a short closet hidden at the end of the room, currently blocked by layers of waste. She thrust it open , and gently set down her daughter and King in front of many valuables that the residents of Isles would kill for. She hexed the door closed, sealing it off to anyone but herself, and bolted back out the room.

In her panic, Eda didn't notice a small, brown-haired child. Sitting next to the door, head in her own two arms.

"Alright Hooty, where's my wife and how many of these knuckleheads are there?" She faced Hooty outside, only the stars illuminating the deafeningly dark forest.

"She went for a waaaalk, not toooo far. I'd say there's about, hmmmm, fifty?"

"Great. You protect the house, I need to find Camila." She turned away, casting some light spells to brighten the area. "Oh, and Hooty?"

"Yeeees? Hoot."

"Eat every guard you can."

Eda the Owl Lady, with life and a new-found hope pulsing through her veins, sprinted into the deep forest, ready to take on any simpletons in her way. For every member she easily knocked out or scared into running away, Eda couldn't help but wonder. If these weaklings really were the Isles best, how powerful could Belos be these days? It only took a simple fireball to knock out most of them, with their own aim leaving much to he desired. Perhaps Belos's attention was elsewhere.

Her thoughts of past actions were stopped dead in their tracks when she saw Camila running toward her.

"Cami! What happened?"

"I don't know, I was just going for a walk and then-"

"There's no time! You need to get back to the house, Hooty will protect you. Luz and King are safe. Looks like Belos sent out his lackeys for a little fight. Perfect timing to see if that elixir really worked by kicking some EC butt. Go!"

Camila nodded and continued to dash back home. Eda's confidence wavered a bit, knowing her esposa could easily be killed by even the clumsiest coven member. She shook her head, remembering that Camila was one of the smartest people she knew.

Eda continued to push through, casting simple fire spells on the guards, and on occasion some restraining spells to take advantage of the forests' dense flora. Some guards, she opted to just punch out. She knew the worst was yet to come, however.

After around ten minutes, she noticed all land attackers were either knocked out or retreating. In the sky remained twenty or so witches, some closing the distance to Eda's house, and a few approaching the Owl Lady herself.

She boarded her palisman and took flight toward her own attackers, knowing Hooty would easily slaughter any guard that dare approach the demon. Eda noticed that the members in the sky had stronger magic. She was almost honored that Belos cared enough to plan an ambush on her residence, then realized that she hadn't done anything particularly illegal recently. Well, nothing that the patrons of Sternham would know anyways.

None of the airborne guards stood a chance, only a few managing to graze Owlbert with the occasional laser spell. Mindlessly taking them out, Eda's mind wondered again. It had taken close to two decades for the Emperor's Coven to attack her, even though they always knew her location. What had she done now to set Belos off?

As more members fell through the thick trees, Eda shot her way back to her domain. Any guards left trailing her were easily bested by a fireball shot from the witch, not even bothering to glance back at her targets. She saw Kikimora, the famous assistant of Emperor Belos, still in mid-air. As Eda closed in, she noticed that she was dormant far above the house.

"Hey shrimp, what's the deal with you barging onto my property?" Eda shouted, shooting a quick lightning spell towards Kikimora's way. Kikimora drifted out of the way, not even turning to face the witch.

As Eda finally paused over the house, she could see what Kikimora was staring at. Eda had never seen Hooty this violent before, seeing dozens of guard members limping away from the house. A terrible feeling filled her stomach, something had to have gone wrong. Her bile sac's capacity was draining fast as well, due to the sheer quantity of guards she took out.

Eda saw Kikimora start to soar straight down as the last of the coven members were either devoured or knocked out by Hooty. If anyone was gonna be a challenge to fight, it would be the red devil herself. Eda quickly followed.

Her body froze as soon as she landed. A bit in the distance, Camila was on the ground next to the front door on her backside. Even if Kikimora didn't cast a strong restraining spell on Eda, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to move.

"Edalyn Clawthorne," Kikimora approached the witch slowly. "it seems my little distraction worked."

Eda wanted to remark back, but her vocal cords swelled shut at the sight of her amante next to the now resting Hooty, both still as the night.

"What's wrong Edalyn, demon got your tongue?" Kikimora pulsed the constrictions. "Don't act surprised dear Edalyn, this day was bound to come. It looks like your sister finally got her wish." Kikimora's voice had a deep undercut to it, knowing she was fully in control of Eda and Camila's lives.

"Her what?" Eda managed to squeak out, shaking her head. "Nevermind pipsqueak, what's the deal with me still being conscious? Shouldn't you and your amazing guards be taking me in for petrification or whatever your guys's deal is these days? Oh right, they're all knocked out. Or dead."

Kikimora chuckled under her breath and loosened the restraining spell. "Believe me Edalyn, I don't care about your life one morsel. Lilith however, has made a deal with Emperor Belos."

Eda started to back away as Kikimora slowly stomped forward. "Simply put, if you join the Emperor's Coven, Belos will fully heal your curse."

Eda's mouth gaped open a bit at the words. "She, she wants me to join the-"

"Save the theatrics, Edalyn. If your sister were here, she'd relish in the opportunity to take you in. However, I'm not here for your life. I'm here for that." Kikimora jolted her hand back at Camila's body.

"Now, we both know that's a human. We both know that she was in the Sternham Market near noon. Your human just so happened to reveal her ears, and we can now confirm that she is indeed connected with you. Belos has ordered me to gain any info I can on the human, and to take you and her back for further questioning."

Eda readied a small fire spell. "Oh yeah, and why should I let you do that? I have a family here Kiki, if you even know what that is. If you even dare make another move, my house demon here will wake up and, well you don't want to know the rest."

Kikimora called Eda's bluff, turning to the now resting house demon. "Let's make a little deal here. You clearly have some way of accessing the Human Realm. Lord Belos wants that pathway. If you give me the information I seek, I will let you go unharmed. Belos will assume you bested me, and you won't be attacked again"

"We could test that assumption if you so please." Eda spoke up, her knuckles cracking alongside a sly grin. "So, why don't you just take me in anyways?"

Kikimora rolled her eyes. "Again, I don't care for you as much as Lilith does. Belos only wants you because he doesn't trust me to interrogate you. But I'm tired of this talking, Edalyn. How did she get here?"

Eda's smile dropped. She knew there was no way out of this, and could sense that Kikimora truly only wanted the key. "Fine. Follow me." She walked over to Camila's body, wincing at her wife's stillness. Eda quickly jumped back at the sight of her neck.

"No- it can't be. It was here when I-" Eda cradled her wife's neck, seeing the string around it fall to the ground.

"I don't have all night, Edalyn. How did she get here?"

Eda saw a small flame in Kikimora's eyes, then turned back to her wife's body. "Well. It seems one of your genius guards has the key to the Human Realm." Kikimora's eyebrows perked up, while Eda continued.

"I found a key to the Human Realm deep within the black markets of Sternham. The seller said it was broken, but could be mended with years of intense healing magic. After paying an abhorrent amount of snails, I eventually discovered they weren't scamming me. The portal actually worked. All their garbage was mine." Eda stood up with a slight nostalgic smirk, and faced Kikimora.

"I found my wife there," She gestured down. "though really, she found me. And ever since then, she's carried the way back to the Human Realm around her neck. I always knew it was safe with her. Until now, apparently."

Eda stretched her arms. "Well, better go search your guards for that key. Titan knows, maybe one of the dimwits went to Earth. Have fun with that." Eda couldn't show how devastated she was at the loss of the key, knowing her family took priority. She couldn't bear to think what Belos wanted with it.

Kikimora could see in Eda's eyes that she wasn't lying. There were legends of a key to the Human Realm, but neither she nor Belos trusted in the conspiracies.

"Oh, and one more thing." Eda jammed her finger into Kikimora's chest. "If you and your little coven ever bother my family again, I will not hesitate to trap you in the presence of my house demon for the rest of your miserable life. Believe me, he'd love the company. Got it?"

Kikimora gave a small curtsy, unphased by the threat. "While I am flattered by your offer, I will simply inform Belos that you defeated me. Believe me, he has no interest in wasting any more time on your capture. I appreciate your cooperation." Kikimora simply turned away, summoning rejuvenation spells onto the fallen guards and guiding them back south toward the Emperor's Castle.

Eda was quick to drop to her amante's side, clutching her unmoving body. She didn't even stop to ponder how Kikimora was so sure one of the guards had the key. Surely, it could be in Hooty's stomach right now.

Eda didn't realize that the whole ambush was just a diversion. A distraction that allowed one of the most powerful witches on the Isles to loot the Owl Lady's possessions, as the house was completely unguarded. The broken string was enough to convince Kikimora that Belos's orders had been fulfilled.

There is another