Hey, guess who's back everybody, alright! Finally, after many long months, I got this chapter out, and man… it's a doozy.

Twenty Seven Thousand words. The last chapter was only around Fifteen Thousand. I wanted this thing out in April, I don't even know how it got this big.

So, even when I got done getting a new car, and took a break from apartment searching, it took me a damn long while to get this thing done. But it's here, and ready for y'all's eyes!

The only news I have? Well, it's very important…

Amphibia Deserves Better.

Haven't even watched it yet, and I know they do. Dumbass Disney folks… they better not cancel the show because of their own stupid mistakes. "Gee, I wonder why the ratings didn't hit so hard for the finale? Duhhhhhhh…." Whatever, let's just give Disney hell for it, teach 'em that we don't appreciate our favorite characters being mistreated.

On to the story!

Chapter 7: The House That Could Walk

The air is different.

It's been different for some time now. Something on the winds has changed. I feel it. The forest speaks of new arrivals.

But it is not unfamiliar with said arrivals. The forest knows what has come to this land. From the lowly mosses and fungi to the highest reaching tree, they bristle with anticipation. It makes me uneasy. I have felt the same as they do, but I am not so excited as they. These presences fill me with dread if I am to be honest.

Long have I rested here in the forest, listening to what it tells me. The knowledge it contains, the events of its past, and the people who live within it. Very few times have the winds changed in such a way. The last that I remember was when the foolish dictator took over. And when the air changed then, it led to terrible slaughter… and the disappearance of my beloved.

Ah, my love… we were to discover the secrets of this island together. Instead, we are now separated, and perhaps know even less than we did before. I never should have asked you to scout that "Emperor's" fortress. I have spent so many nights away from you because of it.

I know she is alive. I sense it down to the soil in my bones. She is somewhere in that "human-like" city, unable to escape. No matter how many times I call out to her, she does not return. I would have razed their settlement to the ground myself to find her… but the power that tyrant and his followers wield is too strong.

No. I must wait. Soon enough, there will be a perfect opportunity for me to strike. To take back my love from the domain of the Imps. I just need to wait… wait… for her. Yes. Surely, she will come soon. She has not forgotten us. She knows we still reside here. Last I spoke with her, I told her of our woes. Our old friend told me to wait, that she would find her way to this realm soon enough. When she arrives, that fool… Belos… he will not be able to stand against her. She is the mother of Russia, and her reach is long. He will find that she is a mountain too insurmountable, like those of our home country…

The Baba Yaga… whose iron teeth and wooden bones support us and many others… she will help me rescue my Baba Bolotnitsa… and we will burn this emperor's kingdom to little more than ash. Might he may have, but she cannot die so long as our home… on the other side… endures. Yes, all will be right again… and the Baba Yaga will have this island's secret…

…Still. This new air… the presence of these individuals threatens to cause chaos, just as it did the last time. Should I destroy them before they can do so? …No. The chaos they cause will likely only affect Belos' domain. Let them destroy each other.

In the meantime, I will wait…

"Alright, I'll bite. The hell is this?"

Snaggletooth had set up some kind of card game in the middle of her living room. The cards had various pictures of the elements, both natural and magical. Roger and Luz were looking on intently, while the Dog Bone just seemed unimpressed. The weirdest part to me was her playing against her little bird friend. And the bird was actually into it, poker hat and everything.

…Looks kinda cute, I'll admit.

"We're learning about the paper rectangles that old people think are fun!" …'Old people?' I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Ah, kid. Why'd you have to go and do that to me?" She gives me a sheepish look and shrugs, before returning her attention to the witch's game.

"Anyway, as I was explaining to Luz and Mr. Gray over here, this is Hexes Hold' Em. The trickiest game on the Isles. Every witch worth their bile knows how to play." She explains.

Hexes Hold Em? And here I thought I was done with the puns. The witch places one last card in an empty spot before the whole thing sparks. The cards suddenly stand on their own with open mouths. Can't say I'm too surprised about that little twist. I've seen weirder during my own games. Still weird though. Oddly violent too, as they start clawing and biting at each other. "The object of the game is destroy your opponent's deck… literally. Whatever cards survive each round are shuffled back into your deck. You run out of cards, you lose." She and her little wooden bird stare at each other intensely. "Now, just when your opponent thinks they have you on the ropes, that's when you pull out the 'trump card'." She raises a different card up into the air, which activates some kind of destructive spell. All of the owl's cards are destroyed, and a little message made out of fire declares her the winner. Real subtle, this game.

"Oh yeah! In your adorable owl face!" She starts dancing around.

"She always this humble in victory?" I ask the little wooden bird.

He gives me a curt nod. "Hoot."

"Hmm. I think I'll stick to Poker." I say as I notice the ashes blowing away. "Don't have to worry about losing all the cards you bought, for one…"

"Ah, bunk to your game of numbers and shapes." Snaggletooth jeers, bumping Luz with her elbow. "You know how easy that game is? I went to both the cities where humans worship gambling. Vay-gus and Monty Crisco, or whatever. Completely dominated at both."

"Really? And just how many games did you win without cheating?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. Six, give or take… probably just take." She replies casually. "My ex-husband from Vay-gus only had to win three. Man after my own heart, that Stan…"

"Right. Listen… Luz, Roger. You want to be good at any kind of card game? Don't be predictable. You play the same strategy constantly and behave the same way every game, people are gonna notice." I pull out my own stack of cards, shuffling them in my hands. "And of course, you can do the same thing to your opponents. If you peg them and their habits down, you've got pretty good control of the game… if they aren't a lousy cheat, obviously." Snaggletooth just ignores me, keeping that smug grin of hers. "Though if you know the signs, you can tell when someone's cheating too."

"That really works?" Roger asked.

"It does, and I have the experience to prove it." I whisper to Luz. "Jessie James's ghost likes to bluff a lot."

She gives me one of her starry-eyed smiles. "I don't know what that means, but card games with ghosts sounds cool!"

I let out a small chuckle. "And that was nothing compared to this game I had with a vampire in Prague. Though that wasn't exactly the most conventional game…" I pull out my own deck of cards. "I can teach you the ropes if you want. Roger already knows how to play, so he can be a good starting game partner."

"Well…" Luz contemplated, still unsure.

"Go ahead, Luz! And after he teaches you how to stare at four other people for hours, I'll show you an actually fun game!" Snaggletooth says, turning on the smarm. I was about to rebut that, but something caught me off guard. Roger looks curiously at the sight too. Feathers are sticking out of the witch from all sides. She hasn't taken notice, oddly enough. "What are you two staring at?"

Luz saw it too, but it left her more afraid than the two of us. She's gone so far as to hide behind the arm of the couch. "Uh, Eda?"

I hand my stack of cards over to Roger. "Either you got skin problems, or this is that curse I've been warned about." I walk over to get a closer look. The witch finally realizes she's become a featherweight and looks all over her body.

"Oh no! Curse emergency!" King yells out in surprise, ducking behind Luz. On closer inspection, the ones that just grew seem to have stopped. Weird, since they popped out in an instant (or at least while we weren't looking). It's emerging… but slowly.

"This soon? I…" She seems shocked. And the hell does she mean by "this soon"? She realize everyone's looking at her, and yanks her arm away. "Alright, everyone needs to calm down. And stop gawking at me, Trenchcoat. You're not my sawbones." She makes her way up the stairs. "I just need another dose of elixir, is all."

"Hmph. 'Scuse me for not wanting to deal with a big bird monster…" Especially since the kid seems to be worried about you. Ah well, I guess she's right though. If she just needs an elixir, then that's all there is to it. Then we can go back to having good times with cards and forget this ever happened. No need to make a big deal about it, right?

"Uh oh." Snaggletooth says, as we stare at a box containing nothing but empty vials. "This is terrible… I'm all out of elixir!"

"Can I gawk now?" I joke of course, but Snaggletooth doesn't seem too amused as she sends me a glare.

"Last time you didn't have your elixir, you turned into this thing." Luz reminds the witch, showing her an image on her phone from her last fateful encounter. We're lucky she didn't get an arm torn off in that incident.

"Whoa. She almost looks like a griffin." Roger takes the phone. "Or a manticore. It looks kind of cool."

"Well thanks, grey goliath." She goes from concern to admiration… a little too quickly. "I know I should be repulsed, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who believes I pull off the ferocious look." She fluffs her hair.

"Eda…" Luz chides. If she didn't, I was going to. But the witch gets the picture.

"Right. We're gonna have to go into the market. King, get me my hood." He nods and scurries off.

"Hooray, shopping trip!" Luz excitedly shouts. Any other kid I'd chastise for not taking this seriously. But considering she was worried about Snaggletooth changing into a giant set of teeth, I think she's just trying to keep high spirits.

I stop the witch before she heads out the door. "I am serious, though. Do I need to worry about you going savage on me?"

"It's just a little hiccup, Trenchcoat. Don't get your sideburns in a twist. A quick trip to the store and this'll be nothing to worry about."

"You're jinxing it." I should know. I've said my fair share of statements that goad the universe into proving me wrong, and that one's up there.

"Oh shut up, I am not. Now, come on. It's still some time before Morton's opens and we wanna be there for first pick."

I let out a heavy sigh as she exits the room. I can't help but feel this is a bad omen for a crappy day.

"Open up, Morton! I don't have all day!" That might be a little too literal in my case.

"Hang on, just a moment!"

Easy for him to say. He's not on a time limit. Maybe if he risked being turned into a feathery fright, he'd be faster. It's especially not helping my stress to have Trenchcoat breathing down my neck about all this. He keeps giving me judgy glances. His gray buddy's entirely focused on the set of cards from earlier.

"That's one scary parade." Luz notes from beside me. She's taken notice of some unfriendly faces… bringing my attention to it is just her way of asking for clarification.

"That's no parade. Those are demon hunters." The small group has a Bull Centidemon primed and ready for the market. As it attempts to wrestle free, the biggest fella- probably their leader- shocks it unconscious. "They're dangerous nomads that hunt and sell the most dangerous beasts." The big one turns to us with a glare, causing Luz to gasp.

"I don't like how he's eyeing us…" Trenchcoat says in a low tone.

"There's a good chance he's sizing us up. They can get a bit overconfident… to the point they'll go after a beast that belongs to somebody else. Luckily, we don't have anything of value to him…" I slam my hand on Morton's stall again to emphasize. "But I'm going to be his next meal ticket if Morton doesn't OPEN UP!"

"Sorry, Eda!" He finally raises the shudder. "I was up all night poison tasting and for some reason, I don't feel great…" That's Morton for you. Dedicated to making sure his product is top of the line… at the cost of some common sense.

His attention is quickly drawn away by the two tall figures standing near me. Roger's trying to teach himself how to shuffle a deck, and Trenchcoat leaning up against the shopowner's stall. Trenchcoat glances over. "It's the horns, huh?" Morton awkwardly looks away. "Yeah. Course it is…"

I snap my fingers to regain his attention. "Focus, Morton. Don't worry about the hornless wonder." I hand him one of my empty elixir bottles. "I'm all out of my juice, pal."

"Oh, gee… let me see what I can do." I don't like the way he sounds about that.

As Morton shifts through his stock, I hear Luz gasp again. It sounds happier this time, though. "Willow and Gus! Uh, Hellboy, can I…?" She asks him. It's kind of exhausting, since her two friends are only across the street. It's gonna be refreshing when she can walk down a block without needing to hold his hand.

"Go ahead, kid. Just make sure to stay in sight." He watches her walk off. "While we're waiting… you got any ideas for our little test?"

"For Titan's sake, it's only been a day. Y'all asked for a beginner's continuous spell that wouldn't freak out Glasses... I need just a bit more time to find something like that."

"We didn't necessarily ask for that last part. But if there's really not that many spells that wouldn't give Cam a heart attack, I've got a feeling it won't matter if you manage to find one."

"Look, there's plenty of perfectly serviceable spells that fill separate quotas, maybe even a few of them, but not all of them. The biggest hurdle is finding one Luz can use without having a bile gland. I figured using a spell that relies on an outside source of magic. Which there are a decent amount of. But they either aren't beginner spells, or the source of magic is… dangerous."

He shook his head. "Yeah, that's right out. Any other ideas?"

"Well, we could try to have her learn a new spell. You know, in her own fancy way. But I still don't know how she did it the first time. She tells me and King she saw a symbol in the light spell, but… I haven't even seen one faint image of that symbol." I remember when she first tried to show me the spell on her phone… couldn't see a damn thing, even when she said she captured it perfectly. "I mean, I can see the ones she draws on paper. But the ones inside spells themselves? Nothing. I could try to sample a spell in front of her, but I don't know if she'll see anything. Heck, she's told me she hasn't seen anything since the light spell."

"Hmm…" He grumbles, thinking deeply.

"Exactly. Not as easy as you'd think. Especially when you're distracted by a lack of curse cure." Speaking of which… "Anything, Morton?"

"Well… I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is, I'm all out of elixir for a few days. The good news is, feathers are a good look for you!" He says. As if on cue, a feather sticks out from my head, which only makes me angrier.

"MORTON!"

"I'm sorry, Eda! But why did you wait so long to restock?"

"I've had a lot going on the last few days, alright?" No kidding. The meeting with Big Red, and all the stuff that came from that, coupled with the Covention incident… I got a little distracted. "Look, Morton. You've known me and my condition for a long time. There's got to be something in there that can hold me over until you get a new supply."

"I'm sorry, Eda. There's nothing that comes even close to this elixir." He apologized. He had a contemplative look on his face. "It's risky, but… there is one way you could possibly get your prescription. If you come back tonight."

"…The Night Market." Of course it would come to that. My luck today had already been spiraling down a bottomless pit, what was stopping it now?

"I've been hearing about a guy… goes by the name Grimhammer. He's been known to have whatever the wandering eye is looking for. He's your best shot."

"Yeah… but at what cost?" I say somewhat quietly. "Keep the next batch saved for me, Morton. Hopefully, I won't be snatching up small animals next time you see me."

"Mind filling me in?" Trenchcoat asks from the side. Of course he'd want to know.

"The Night Market is this exact market after dark, as if it weren't obvious. But unlike the gathering of mostly honest vendors you see around you, the people that set up shop at night are… devious."

"Ominous."

"You don't know the half of it. If they aren't selling you the most volatile potions and sickening of spells, they're trying to swindle you out of your own soul." Hold on a second. There's probably one reason why he's so interested. "No, I'm not bringing Luz there anytime soon. Even I avoid the Night Market if I can help it."

"Which ain't the case right now, obviously." He gestured to my empty bottle.

I groan. "Yes. Obviously."

"Well, if it's necessary to stop you from becoming a rampaging monster… What time do we head out?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. "We"? You can stay home teaching dull card games to Luz. King and I will take care of this."

King suddenly rose up from his comfy spot on the nearby bench. "What? Why me?"

"I need another pair of eyes to watch out for pickpockets. Titan knows how many of those hands are gonna get grabby…"

"You're taking pint-size, but not someone else for backup?" Trenchcoat asks incredulously. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"I do not need backup, thank you very much. Just because I'm wary of the Night Market doesn't mean I can't handle it."

"Considering your track record this morning, I'd rather not take my chances."

Now he's starting to get on my nerves. "Listen here, Flathorn. I've been in worse situations than this plenty of times over the years. I've gotten out of them just fine."

"Then you won't mind me watching your back, just to be sure."

I slammed my staff down. "You're staying."

He straightened up in response, glaring at me. "I think you're forgetting that I'm here to make sure the kid is safe at all times. And keeping the witch lady who lives in the same house as her from turning into a giant flying monster is one of them. Unless it turns out your monster form is as friendly as Barney the Dinosaur, that's not gonna change anytime soon."

Before I could ask who the hell Barney was, Roger suddenly cleared his throat. The two of us stopped arguing to look at him. He had a sheepish look on his face, along with King, who had perched on his shoulder. The small demon made a quick pointing motion in the other direction…

…Where an equally sheepish Luz was standing. "Is… this a bad time?"

"Uh… sorry, Luz. Just having an intense argument." I say, Trenchcoat rubbing the back of his head. "How were your two partners in crime?"

"Oh, they were… okay." She wavers a bit in tone.

"You don't sound so sure." Trenchcoat notes. "Something wrong?"

"Well… when I went to go talk to them, they looked pretty bummed out. When I asked about it, they told me about something really cool…

A few minutes earlier…

"Heya friends!" I exclaimed as I slid up to the two witches. The response they gave me were probably two of the most miserable faces I've seen. "Whoa, what happened? You two look like you just lost a pet…"

"Hey, Luz. No lost pets. We're just being the school outcasts as usual." She pointed down the street. Amity Blight was currently hanging with some of the other school girls. She hadn't seen me yet, which might be for the best. We didn't leave off as enemies yesterday…but we aren't exactly friends either. "Amity's hosting a Moonlight Conjuring tonight. Most kids in the school are, in fact. As usual, we didn't get invited to any."

"She's been posting about it on Penstagram nonstop." Gus added, summoning his scroll phone thingie with a spell circle. Scrolling down (uh, no pun intended), I could see plenty of different selfies taken, all with different captions about how excited they all were. "No passive aggressive comments about nerds or dorks, oddly enough. But the fact neither of us were invited tells us all we need to know."

"You didn't get an invite from anybody? I'm sorry, guys." I've been down that road before. A lot of days, I'd hear the other girls in class talk about slumber parties or movie nights they had. I'd never hear about it until after the fact. It always told me what those kids thought about me. So hearing Willow and Gus lament about not getting invited to a Moonlight Conjuring… it's something I can relate to… Uh, hang on a second. "Wait, what's a Moonlight Conjuring?"

Willow perked up, happy to teach me anything about the Boiling Isles. "Oh! It's an all-night party you have with friends. You eat snacks, watch late night crystal ball visions and play all sorts of games!"

"That… sounds like a slumber party!" I always wanted to go to a slumber party!

"And then, when the moon reaches the right place in the sky, you call upon its power to bring something to life!"

"…Like a weird slumber party!" Right. You know, by now, I probably should have expected a Boiling Isle twist like that. "How come you don't host one yourselves? I mean, two's company and all, right?"

"I wish. We would've done it all these past years if that were the case." Gus answered, summoning a book that seemed to cover the event. He turned it to an image of three silhouettes holding hands. "You need at least three people to call upon the moon's power."

"Well… If I joined you, then we'd be three people! Then we could…" I suddenly remembered why that wouldn't work either. "Oh. I'm still not allowed to use magic. Sorry guys, I… didn't mean to get your hopes up."

"That's okay, Luz." Both Willow and Gus give me a smile. "The fact that you thought about it means enough."

I hear a gaggle of giggles from the group of girls. They've wandered over, and they've unfortunately set their sights on us. Luckily, Amity seems rather indifferent to me being there. "Oh, what's the matter, Willow? Sad because you and shortie didn't get invited to a Conjuring… again?" The three eyed one taunts. "Then again, it should be expected. Only real witches belong in a Conjuring." I glare at them for that one. Amity glances over, giving us a quick once over. Her eyes land on me, before she quickly looks away.

"Leave her alone, Boscha. It's not her fault she was born with no talent." The other girls laugh, but she stays quiet as they stroll away.

That was a horrible thing to say… but strangely reserved. When I first saw Willow and Amity meet, the green haired girl practically rubbed it in my friend's face how much better she was. And every time I saw her afterward, she was pretty aggressive in how she talked to me. But here she just kind of… ended things. Still mean… but weird.

I get interrupted from my thoughts by a spiny vine popping from the ground next to me. Willow's definitely looking angrier than me about this whole thing. "Hey, hey, Willow. Don't let them get to you. It doesn't matter what they think, cause we're still going to have a fun night. We can have a regular slumber party!"

"Really?" Gus asked hopefully.

I bring them together into a hug. "Sure! We just need a night for ourselves to take our minds off all this. We may not be able to defy the laws of nature and bring unholy life into an object, but we can still have plenty of fun!" I might not be able to go to a Moonlight Conjuring, but for me, a slumber party is the next best thing!

"…But I guess that isn't really an option either." Luz finished relaying her story. "Since y'all are gonna be… gone."

"I'm sorry, kid. I'd have Roger watch you if I could, but he and Kate need to do some work over on the Earth side of things. And I need to make sure Snaggletooth gets her medication." He places a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe some other time."

But I'm not so sure. See, I don't really like Moonlight Conjurings. To me, they're pretty dumb. So, I wasn't even keeping track of when it was supposed to happen. It's magic that's way too simple for my tastes. But here I am, wanting Trenchcoat off my back… while also looking for a spell that he and his buddies need for their little test. And here Luz comes to help me kill two birds with one stone…

"Nonsense, Trenchcoat. One little slumber party won't hurt anyone." He gives me a peculiar look. Luz perks up. "In fact, we're gonna do you one better, Luz. You and your chums are going to have a Moonlight Conjuring!"

"Really?" Luz asked in confusion. "But my mom said…"

Big Red crosses his arms. "Snaggletooth, you'd better not be trying to subvert her authority right in front of me."

"Subvert nothing! I just found you the spell you've been looking for!" He raises and eyebrow. "A Moonlight Conjuring relies on the magic of the Boiling Isles moon to bring an object to life. The object stays alive until the moon is no longer cosmically aligned. You getting this, Trenchcoat? It's an outside source of magic that even a child could use. And as long as you aren't being stupid, like say… trying to bring a giant statue to life, you're pretty far from harm's way. I just found you your test run."

Luz, taking this information in, started growing the widest smile I'd seen from her yet. She looks up at the big lug, practically begging with her puppy dog eyes.

"Come on, it could take me some time before I find another spell for you. The moon will only be like this for tonight, after all." I kneel down and emphasize Luz's face. "And you wouldn't want to make this face all sad, now would you?"

He stares for a moment… before groaning in defeat. "Alright. Ok. I just need to confirm with you mom."

"Yes!" Luz pumped her fist. She runs over "Guys! You'll never guess the turn of luck I just had!"

Big Red drags his hand over his face, before pointing it accusingly at me. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"Whatever do you mean?" I say, full smarm in swing.

"Ugh… Roger! Let me use your walkie. I need to get in touch with Kate." As the two of them prepare, King crawls up onto my shoulder.

"Clever. Now, it's just gonna be the two of us again."

"And as a bonus, Luz will be learning magic in no time." I buff my nails just a tad. "How do I do it?"

"Oh, brother…"

I pause a moment before calling Kate. Don't really want to leave the witch on her own… "Hey, Roger… I got a big job for you tonight."

Once I entered, I immediately started setting up various pieces of equipment around the house. Most of it was the usual large machines meant for scanning, but the one last piece was a small wrist device I had Luz put on.

"So, what is this meant to do?" She asked.

"Most of my equipment is meant to scan for magic in the general area and its properties. However, this little device is meant to read the effects of magic on a human body. How much is coursing through them, whether it's positive or negative, and any changes it might be making to a person's body." I lift Luz's wrist and tap the device. "If anything non-demonic happens to you, this'll tell us."

"Having magic down to a science." She snorted. "That's a little ironic."

"No magic is ever exact. But it pays to try and break it down as much as we can."

"Yo, Kate. How're we doing?" Hellboy asks, unloading a bag of various holy imagery. That little part's just in case something demonic happens. I know Eda's said over and over that nobody on the Isles is infected with demons through the Titan's magic, but we still have to take precautions.

"All done. I'm ready when everyone else is." I walk over to a desk I've set my laptop on. It's currently connecting to the wrist device. "Is Roger back yet?"

"Not quite. Hope he gets here soon. I need him back before the witch leaves."

Said witch is preparing herself for her little errand run. She's ditched that tight fitting hood from the other day that made her look like she has an afro. Now it's just a regular cowl. "Prepare to be disappointed then, Trenchcoat, cause I'm on my way out. My only chore is to make sure Hooty doesn't have any sweets after nine. Trust me, you don't want to clean up after that."

"Hoot! Hoot!" The weird door opens himself. "It was one time!"

She pinches his beak shut. "And it was one time too many."

"Hello?" I recognize Camilia's voice coming from the portal. She steps out in the open, her eyes blinking from the flash of light.

"Mami?" Luz hops over. "What are you doing here?" She asks in curiosity.

"Kate called me about this… moon event. We both agreed that it would be best if I were to sit in on it. I need to see for myself how this plays out." She set her bag down. "Since I have an off day tomorrow, it won't be too much of an issue, no matter how late it ends up being."

"Oh, that's good…" Her face reads differently. I can see Luz take a deep gulp. That's understandable. This is probably her best chance to learn magic, and now that her mother is here to witness firsthand, she's going to be sweating bullets hoping nothing goes wrong. No pressure, right? Poor girl…

Roger steps out a moment after. "Here's the guest of honor, Kate. I'm not too late, am I?" He turns to Hellboy.

"Nope, you're right on time."

"On time for what?" Eda asks in confusion.

"To go with you, obviously."

"What? You said he was gonna be busy tonight!"

Hellboy clicks his teeth. "Ah, well that was when Kate didn't need to overlook this whole Conjuring thing. Now he's free to help you out tonight." Heh… Hellboy may not be a devil, but he can be devilish. "Don't worry. Ms. Noceda here already knows the dire errand you need to run. I think she'd appreciate you bringing along Roger, don't you think?"

Eda clenches her teeth in a forced smile, clutching her staff so hard the Owl on top actually squirms a little. "Yeah. Totally."

Luz meanwhile, is looking around the cushions. "Where's King?"

Eda takes a deep breath and lifts her cloak. The little demon is sleeping in some kind of baby carrier. "Right here. He practically conks out when weightless. It's good when I need to keep him from getting rowdy." While Luz delights over the cute, if undignifying sight, I hear Cam muffle her own "aww" in the background. Guess it's obvious where Luz gets her taste in cute things.

A knock at the door catches all of our attention. Eda answers it to find Luz's two friends, wearing the same giddy faces she's been having all night. "Hi, Eda!"

She gives a silent wave and lets them by. They rush to Luz in excitement.

"Well, I'm suddenly even less in the mood for social gatherings. I'm gonna go get my elixir before I start coughing up pellets." She tries to leave quickly.

"Forgetting someone?" I mention, and she jolts to a stop. Eda turns back to her unwanted travel partner, who gives her a small wave.

She gives another forced toothy grin, her voice dripping with suppressed anger. "Noooo. How could I possibly forget him?" She drops the smile instantly as she prepares to take off… only for her to nearly fall off her staff when Roger hops on. "Watch it, gray goliath! If you make us crash on the way there…"

"Sorry, Eda. Sometimes I forget I'm a lit bigger than other people."

"Just don't shift around too much. Otherwise we'll all be eating dirt…"

They soar off into the night, headed for the brightly lit town. I've yet to stroll through it myself, but I think I'll wait till morning, if Eda's warnings are any indication. "Now, did you really have to go and do a thing like that?" I ask Hellboy, who gives me a confused look. "Poor Roger's going to have to deal with her all night."

He snorts. "He'll be fine. It's the witch I'm worried about."

"You? Worried about her? You two can barely stand to be around each other."

"Maybe." He stares off in the direction they flew. "But you didn't see how she looked earlier today. She kept trying to play it off, but there was this fear in her eyes and panic in her movements that grew as the situation got worse." He paused for a moment. "…She's terrified of becoming that thing. But for whatever reason, she thinks she has to handle it alone. Bull to that. Whether she likes it or not, we're helping her."

I cross my arms. "Looks like someone's growing on you."

He grunts, knowing he can't argue with me. "Besides, tonight it pays to be safer than sorry. This little moon ritual needs to go right and worrying about Snaggletooth becoming an owl monster isn't going to help."

I have to agree with him on that. But I have to imagine that it's going to be riskier on Eda's end. Honestly, with the information we've gotten so far, I'm already convinced that it's safe for Luz to learn "Titan Magic". But her mother still needs to be put at ease. It shouldn't be hard. With a small spell like this, what could possibly go wrong?

"Is Hooty growing on you?" That cursed owl creature starts rubbing into Hellboy's cheek, completely invading his personal space.

"Like a damn tumor." He growls as he swats him away.

The bird thing looks at me. I light up my taser, quickly deterring him from getting too close. "Geez! Fine! I'm gonna go look for candy!" He slithers away.

Honestly, if anything will make Camila too afraid to keep Luz here, it's that thing.

According to Willow, it was going to be some time before the moon was finally in position. It gave me some time to get to know Willow and Gus a bit more. The last time I had talked to them, I was mostly concerned with finding out what happened to my daughter, so I didn't learn too much about them. They had already picked an item to bring to life, some small muscle doll (although it seemed Willow would've preferred a plant).

"This is so great! Our first Moonlight Conjuring… ever!" She looks at me a bit nervously. "Although, having this much parent supervision is… not ideal. No offense, Ms. Noceda."

"Oh, it's fine. I know Luz probably wished her first slumber party wasn't being so closely watched by her mother." I could see Luz blush a bit at that. "I should be gone once this… "conjuring" part is over. If it turns out okay."

"Oh, it should be fine. Conjurings are pretty safe." Gus tried to alleviate my concerns.

I'd like to believe him, but safe is very relative when it comes to these Isles. What the local kids consider to be nice and fun is often rather dangerous for human children.

And admittedly, despite how much I've allowed after this whole mess started… there's still a part of me that wants to just… take Luz from this when the portal is fixed. Even with Hellboy and Kate's findings, even with the overwhelming evidence that the magic won't negatively affect her, I can't help but feel like she's still not safe. Is that me being an average parent? Or is that me being irrational? It's hard to tell at this point. I don't think any parent has had to deal with their child stumbling upon a demon dimension filled with witches. At least, not that I know of.

Luz huddles around with her friends. "It's okay, guys. Once my mami has seen the conjuring, we'll be free to do all kinds of sleepover stuff! We can tell scary stories, play all kinds of games, eat snacks until we throw up and regret it in the morning…" She then attempts to whisper so that I can't hear. "And if the ritual goes well, my mami will finally let me learn magic!"

There's so much excitement in her voice. It warms my heart to hear it, to see it on her face. She enjoys herself here, far more than she has for school events or camps back home. So much happier. That's one of the biggest reasons I'm not whisking her away the first chance I get. She's made a bond with this place and some of its people, and she's already grown from it. Perhaps she could grow even more if I give this place a chance. I know she wants me to. So, I remain steadfast to my decision. It may not be the most orthodox parenting, but this isn't exactly the most orthodox situation.

"Hooty? HOOTY! What are you doing over there?!" Luz suddenly shouts. The weird… owl door is stretching into the Owl Lady's kitchen, scavenging through her food.

"Nothing!"

"Oh no you don't! I'm not cleaning candy puke all night!" She jumps over the couch and runs to fight him off.

"She's always wanted to do one of these." Willow and Gus look to me. "The slumber party part, I mean. She hasn't really been given the chance back home."

Willow gives a weak laugh. "To be honest, this is new for us too. No one at our school really wants us to be around." She sadly explains. "They'd prefer to just point and laugh."

"That's terrible. Why would they be so cruel to you?"

Gus gets up. "Well, I skipped a few grades to get into my current class. I'm younger than everyone there. And well… not to brag, honest, but I'm still doing better than my classmates. No one really likes having a "pint-size brat" show them up." He looks at the weird wrestler doll in his hands. "That, and I have this whole human club thing, and people think I'm weird for that."

"As for me," Willow spoke. "I've always been behind everyone in my class. My magic developed late, and well… magic is everything here. No one wanted to be stuck with a half witch like me…" She lamented. "Not the preppy kids, not the nerds, not even the potion students. Sure as heck not Amity…" That last bit seemed a bit more venomous as it came out of her mouth. She clears her throat. "But yeah, this is a nice change of pace. It might not be the most perfect first conjuring, but I'll cherish it all the same."

"I'll just be glad if we can bring this little guy to life." Gus squeezes the voice button on the doll.

"You know who else likes muscle dolls? My mom!" Who the hell made this doll?

Still, as soon as that doll speaks, they go back to excitedly talking about the conjuring. They're grateful that Luz has given them this opportunity. I suppose, even if things don't turn out well, I can be glad my little girl has bonded with people who can bring out her happiness… and whom she can bring out joy in return. She likes to pretend that she's just fine without friends back home, but I can always see the hurt in her eyes when she realizes the kids at school have left her out of something. Willow and Gus looked the same way as they talk about how other children see them. Suddenly, Luz returns and joins their talk. I see the rest of their worries fade away. I see the same happiness filling them that I saw in her. The same light in their eyes. They look ready to take on the world.

Even if I'll never be quite sure about this magic… I won't keep Luz from something like this.

Hellboy comes in, looking at his watch. "It's just about time. We'd better get this whole ritual thing set up. You kids mind giving us a few pointers?"

Willow nods. "Sure. I'll show you where to place the candles…"

"Would you hurry it up? I don't have all night." Eda asks in irritation.

"Oh! Sorry." Roger apologizes as he catches up.

That's the third time she's caught him lagging behind us. "You know, if you keep getting distracted by every shiny looking stand, we're gonna be out all night." I say, dangling from Eda's front. The humans wanted him to be our babysitter, right?

"I know, but I haven't really had a chance to walk around the town yet. When you called me for the covention I had to run through this place so quickly. It looked interesting before, but now…"

"Tough. Tonight's no time for a leisurely walk either. We're trying to find my elixir, remember? If you don't stop getting sidetracked, I'm leaving you behind, Trenchcoat be damned." She quietly starts to mumble. "Not that I wouldn't have preferred leaving you behind."

"Then why didn't you? It's not like he could catch up if you decided to take off." I ask her, also whispering. I was asleep at the time, so I only kinda got the short of it. Seemed like it wasn't too hard for her to just book it.

"I would've, but Trenchcoat all the sudden decides to bring in mommy. I couldn't just do what I wanted with her watching. Damn blackmail…"

That figures. Still, there's a silver lining to this. "Eh, I guess it could be worse. Could've still been Big Red coming with us."

She scoffs. "As far as I'm concerned, this isn't any better."

"Seriously? I mean, I understand the beef with Devil Lite, but what's wrong with Roger? I actually kinda like him."

"You're only saying that because he sits in on your "demon classes"." She points accusingly at me.

"He's a very inquisitive student!" I say in defense. "Even then, it's not like he's that bad. You don't have the same problem with him as you do Hellboy."

"It's not who it is, it's the principle of it." She growls. "I've already had it up to here with them marching around my house, telling me what I can and can't do. Now all of the sudden they think I need a babysitter. I've been taking care of myself and you for year now. I know these damn isles like the back of my hand, far better than Trenchcoat or any of his human buddies. Yet they have the gall to think I can't look out for myself? The line needs to be drawn somewhere, and it has to be here."

I'm… not one to argue with how well Eda knows the Boiling Isles. And I'll admit I was up for going it alone earlier today, but…

I mean, I only found out about Eda's curse after me and Luz… "accidentally" caused the incident during the rainstorm. But ever since then, I've seen Eda in a different light. Before, she'd always been this invincible magic force, scared of nothing and able to take on anyone. After… I suddenly started noticing things I hadn't before. How exhausted she could be each night. Sadness in her eyes when she thinks no one's watching. Anger when she talks about certain things. She kept acting like tonight would've just been a fun romp in town. Yet I feel feathers digging into my neck, a desperation in her pace and frustration in her clenched hands…

Maybe … it's not so bad having Roger watch our backs?

"Luckily, I've got just the plan to get rid of him for the night." Eda continued.

"Get rid of him? What do you…?"

"Oh, take it easy. I just mean I'm gonna keep him busy while we find this 'Grimhammer' guy." She explained.

"I don't know, Eda… we don't really need to "get rid of him". It's not like it hurts to have him here."

"Again, it's not about him specifically. That no-horned oaf seems to think I can't do this without his big gray babysitter watching me every moment. So, we're gonna show him that we're perfectly fine without him or his buddies."

"Didn't we need them at the covention? You know, forced into an apprentice battle? Counting on you to lose?" I point out. "Roger himself even helped you with Lilith."

"W-well… yeah, I guess. But that's only because my fight with Trenchcoat ramped up security. Pretty much solved their own screw up, if you ask me. I'll bet we wouldn't have been in that situation if they never came to the Boiling I-aAACHOO!" She suddenly sneezes rather violently. "Hmm. That was weird."

"Uh huh…" I agree, hoping she didn't get any on my skull. "Look, are you sure about this? What if something happens?"

"Then I'll get us out of it, like I always have!"

"But if enough time passes, you're not have any magic on hand!" I pluck out another feather and show it to her. "We're kind of on a time limit here!"

"King, a good witch knows that magic isn't her only weapon. Her other skills can be just as powerful." She takes out a piece of paper and writes something on it. "A silver tongue, for instance… Hey, Gray Giant. I've got a job for you."

Still lagging a bit behind, he runs up again. I don't think he heard our yell-whispering over the crowd. "Yeah?"

"I just realized that we need two other items while we're out. I need you to go get them while we get more elixir." She hands him the small note.

"Two quarts of elbow grease and… palisman fluid?" He read off. "Hellboy really didn't want me to leave your side…"

"But he probably also wanted you to help us out, huh? And it's very important we get that fluid for Owlbert. Can't have him running out of energy while we're in a bind. And we're gonna need that elbow grease to coat the house. There's some bad storms being forecasted for the next few days, and I don't want to burn out my elixir." Eda explains. "Look, it's a short trip. Heck, we'll probably be done before you know it. In fact, I'm confident we'll be the ones coming to get you."

Roger looks down at the paper in his hand. "Well… okay. Do you want the walkie? You never know what might happen." He takes the small black box out of his vest.

"This isn't my first frolic into the night market, Chunky. I'll be fine, you just get going already. We want to be back before it gets too late, alright?"

"If you say so." Roger walks off, checking around the market for any sign of Eda's "important" items.

"Really?" I question. "The old fake grocery list trick?"

"Hey, as far as he knows, those two items could be very real. At the very least, it'll keep him busy long enough for us to get my elixir." She suddenly shudders and grips her arm. More feathers.

"I still think we should've just let him come."

"I said it's fine." Eda said rather harshly. She wasn't having anymore of it. Reluctantly, I stayed quiet on it… for now.

The candles are set up, the conjuring item has been chosen, the moon's in the right place… everything's just about ready. I can barely contain my excitement.

"Okay, people. I've got the normal readings of Luz and the room logged. Start whenever you like." Kate explains. Gus places the doll (or figurine as he keeps insisting; some things just don't change between dimensions) between the three of us.

"Alright. Just repeat the phrase I showed you Luz, and we should expect Muscles to come alive any moment." Willow instructs me. I can see my Mom out of the corner of my eye. She looks as nervous as I feel. Though we're probably nervous for different reasons, I think we both just hope this will go right. "Okay. It's time." The three of us hold hands, ready to begin.

Here goes nothing…

Moonlight, we call, we sing.

Moonlight, take this chance.

Moonlight, come tie the string.

Moonlight, start the dance!

As we speak the chant, a faint blue glow begins emanating from the three us. It grows brighter as each verse is said. When the last line is said aloud, it pulses out from us. The candles are blown out, covering the room in darkness.

Silence. Everyone watches expectantly, waiting for the doll to come to life. But… nothing.

Kate looks over her laptop. "I'm… getting readings. But wasn't something supposed to happen?"

"If that Witch pulled the wool over my eyes…" Hellboy mutters quietly.

"Well, it was… pretty." My mom admits.

The three of us look down at the doll, still unmoving. "Did we… do something wrong?" I wonder aloud.

"No, we followed the instructions to the letter." Willow replied.

"Then why won't this little guy get up?" Gus asks.

As if on cue, the doll begins to shake. Oh good, it was just a bit delayed. A sense of relief washes over us… only to be replaced by fear and confusion. The rumbling is getting louder and we can feel the shaking in our very bodies. Scratch that… the entire house seems to be shaking.

If the doll isn't coming to life… what is?

One final violent shake sends us all sprawling, even Hellboy. "Ugh. I think the candy I already ate is about to come back up…" I groan.

The others begin to collect their bearings, trying to figure out what's going. "Everyone still in one piece?"

"I think my insides got rearranged…" Gus mutters from the bed.

My mom raises up from behind a now overturned chair. "You… did say this would be a simple spell, right?"

"That's what I was told." Hellboy confirms.

"It should've been simple. To be fair, I think it did work… but not on the doll." Willow commented. "We must've brought something to life, though."

"Sure looks like it." Kate pipes up, covering her laptop. Some of her tech has toppled. "Something's connected to Luz. There was a fluctuation for a few seconds, but I'm getting a consistent reading now. No negative effects so far."

Hellboy looks around the house, searching for anything that might be moving. "Y'all stay put for a moment. I'll go and check things out." He begins searching through the house, trying to find the source.

"Ah, Willow," Mom gets her attention. "Is the summoning supposed to make the ground shake like that?"

"Uh…" She pauses. "Well, no. It was probably whatever we gave life. B-b-but I'm confident it's still safe! Our object won't do anything unless we tell it to." She says, hoping to alleviate my mom's growing concerns. Thanks for trying Willow.

"Are you certain?" Mom's worried eyes stare into Willow's.

"Nnnnn… ninety five percent sure."

"That's still an A!" Gus quickly adds. I'm not really sure that's how it works, but thanks, Gus.

Mom lets out a mix between a sigh and a whimper. She sits back down on her (still overturned) chair, trying to not freak out.

Man, why did things have to go wrong all the sudden? And just when we were about to convince my mom to let me learn magic… oh please, whoever's up there, don't let things get any worse tonight! I really need this!

"Didn't find anything upstairs." Hellboy states as he comes back down. "Only place left to check is outside." If I was the type of person to bite my nails, I would be right now. What is he gonna find out there? Is it gonna be some weird monster we awakened from the earth? No, no, maybe it's just one of Eda's lawn ornaments. Yeah, that's it. Oh, wait, Eda doesn't have any lawn ornaments. "JEEZ!" Hellboy's shouts alert us.

I rush outside to see what it could be… only barely stopping myself before I drop over the side. "WHOA!" That cliff wasn't there before… and I imagine that's what Hellboy thought before he found himself dangling over the side like he is now. The others come out from the house from behind me. My mom gives out a fearful gasp.

"Stand back, kid! This ain't exactly a fun experience!" I start backing up, before my mom pulls me back completely. It takes him some effort, but he finally manages to climb up. "I think I figured out what walks among the living."

Willow looked around, rubbing her glasses for a short moment. "We… somehow brought the entire house to life. I wasn't expecting this."

"How'd you miss the doll?" Kate asked.

"I'm not sure. I've heard that sometimes another object can cause interference and hijack the spell, but I don't know the reason why."

Gus scratched his head. "But how is the house up so high? Even if we did bring it to life, I don't think it'd be able to hover."

"I'll give you three guesses." Hellboy pointed to the door. Hooty wasn't looking like himself. His eyes were wide open, shining a bright light blue.

"Hooty?" I snapped my fingers in his face for a reaction. "Hoooooootyyyy."

"I SHALL ONLY BE THE BOON TO THE MASTERS OF THE MOON!" Was his only response.

"He's in some kind of trance. He must be under our control." Willow noted.

"I… don't understand." My mom said in confusion. "Wasn't the weird bird thing already alive?"

"Hooty is a house demon… he's practically part of the building. When we brought the house life, Hooty must've been taken along for the ride."

Hellboy snorts. "That, or he's more lifeless than we think."

"HEY! I'M BEING CONTROLLED, I'M NOT DEAF!"

"Well… that's no problem." I say. It was a bit worrying at first, but if Hooty's the one moving around, we should be fine. The night can still be salvaged! "I mean, we're still connected to the house, right? And Hooty wouldn't hurt anyone anyway. We can just stay here and wait out the moon! Kate's got all the readings she needs, no big deal!" At that point I was staring at my mom, trying to convince her more than anyone else.

Kate pokes my shoulder. "Not to rain on your parade Luz, but the fluctuation from earlier only happened when Hooty got up. I imagine because Gus told it to get up. I need to see how these orders affect your magic levels. Which would mean we would need to test multiple commands." She looks to my mom. "But that would need your approval, Camila. It's up to you whether we keep going with this."

She rubs her face and temple, pushing up her glasses. "I just… I don't know. I was told this was going to be a small spell. If it could go wrong like this… I don't think…"

No, no! If this keeps going, she'll… I need to convince her we can do this. It's now or never. "Mami, wait! Ok, so maybe the spell had a… "malfunction". But Kate already said there's no negative effects on me so far! And even if the object we brought to life was… bigger than we wanted, he's still fully under our control! He won't hurt us. I promise, this will be fine." I stared into her eyes, pleading for her approval.

She's silent as she stares back. The wait is agonizing. She sighs. "Ok. Ok. But we stay as safe as we possibly can. Which means getting back inside, for starters. I don't want you driving this house from the outside." She seems to realize what she just said. "Realmente dije eso como si no fuera la cosa más extraña. ¿A qué punto llego mi vida?" I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Oh, thank you mami!" I hug her as the joy uncontrollably gushes out. She gives a deep hug back. "I promise we'll be extra careful."

"I suppose that just leaves Eda. It is still her house." Kate mentions. Oh, that's right… would Eda really approve us moving her house around everywhere?

Hellboy waves a hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. She gets huffy about all the stuff we do, but she wants Luz to stay too. I'm sure she'd be for it if she knew it was the clincher."

I walk up to him. "Are you sure, Hellboy? Shouldn't we at least ask her first?"

"Suppose you're right kid. Better to be safe than sorry. I'll just call Roger up so we can talk to her." He brings his walkie up. "Roger. Come in, Roger."

"Roger here."

"It's Hellboy. I want to talk to the witch for a sec."

"Uh… she's kind of busy at the moment."

"Busy?"

"She's… haggling."

"Ah… she going to be done soon?"

"It could be a while."

Hellboy looked up at the moon. "Hmm… alright. When you the chance, tell her the house is under the moon's spell and that we're going to walk it through some commands. Alright?"

"Sure thing."

"Good. Hellboy out." He finishes, pocketing the walkie again.

"Uh. That wasn't…" I start, about to point out the lack of permission being granted.

He places a hand on my shoulder. "I know, I know. But we don't have the moon forever. I'd rather do this sooner than later. I'll take responsibility if Snaggletooth takes issue with it. This'll be on me, 'kay?" I nod. "Now, let's get inside and take this thing for a ride."

It didn't take us long to find Grimhammer's after our little 'Roger' debate. King never brought it up again, thankfully. We asked a local from the alley for directions. If you can't trust alley drifters, who can you trust, honestly?

It was a little while before we reached the tent. I could tell we'd arrived by the big decorative skull atop the stand. Kinda gave it away. I approached cautiously, not sure what type of character this "Grimhammer" was.

"Hello?" I called out, peering into the stand. "Uh… I seek the one they call Grimhammer."

"I'm the one they call Grimhammer…" A spine tingling voice said from within, eyes glowing from behind the counter. Without warning, the curtains of the stand flung open, the lights illuminating all of its wares. The voice's owner jumped onto the counter to reveal… a small pig-like demon, wearing quite the piece. This is… not what I was expecting. "Welcome, welcome! I got weapons from the hinterlands, curses from the winterlands, and JELLYBEANS!" He shouted suddenly, throwing said beans everywhere.

King caught one in his hand. "JELLYBEANS!"

"They're lethally delicious!" King seemed to still consider eating the damn thing before I swatted it out of his hands.

This guy was… not at all what I was expecting. "You are Grimhammer?" There's no way a name like that could belong to this pipsqueak.

"Tiblet-Tibblie Grimmhammer the Third, at your service! But you can just call me Tibbles."

King snorted. "Yeah, that name sounds much better than Grimmhammer." He said sarcastically.

'Tibbles' simply smirked at him. "The last name is just for the allure. Makes customers curious before I pull them in with my incredible variety of wares."

Something about this guy is off, but he seems… negotiable. "Okay, "Tibbles", I need some more of this elixir." I hand him my empty vial.

"Ohh! Now here's a rare brew- very special indeed. I believe I have one vial in stock!" He shuffles through his wares, pulling out a full bottle.

"Perfect! I'll give you ten snails for it."

"Add two zeroes, and we have a deal."

A small beat of silence goes by as I process what he says. "WHAT?! That's highway robbery! I know for sure it doesn't take that much to make the damn stuff!"

"Ah, but it does take as much to "buy" it."

"That's not the point! What kind of business provides medicine but jacks up the prices of the medications that people need to live normal lives or worse, to keep from dying?!"

"Welcome to capitalism, ma'am. Where everyone wins… mostly the rich, though." He turns back into his stand, leaving us to ourselves.

I slam my fist down on the counter in frustration. This cannot happen right now. I'm too close to succumbing! I need to think of something…

"Eda…" King whispers. "Maybe we should just go find Roger, and we can think of something together."

"What? No. I don't need him or anyone from his group to help. This is just a minor setback."

"You're almost full owl! You call that minor?!" He yell-whispers. "You're in no shape to do anything here on your own!"

"I. Am. Fine." I growl. There had to be something here I could do. Maybe a reaction I could set off to distract him? A pet I could set free? My eyes peer around, searching for an answer… until I discover the perfect option. "Besides, King. What did I tell you before? A witch's wit can be just as good as her magic. Hey, Tibbles! How about we make things interesting?"

He turns back to me, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting? What do you mean?"

"I see you have a set of Hexes hold 'em cards." I point to the deck sitting on one of his more "up front" shelves.

He looked at them in confusion. "What, these? Yes, they're popular with children and adults with way too much free time. Why do you ask?"

I ignore the… indirect insult he threw at me and continue. "How about we have a little wager? If I win a game of Hexes Hold 'Em, you give me the elixir, free of charge?"

He pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. "And what would be in it for me?"

"I have my own assortment of goods that you might want to add to your own wares. I'm a businesswoman myself, you know." I pull out my Hexes deck, which I keep on hand in case I run into a boring situation. "You beat me and one item of mine will belong to you instead, your choosing."

His smile grew as he thought on the idea. "My, my. That is interesting. Very well, ma'am. You have yourself a deal."

I smile as I set my cards onto the table. Boy, would he be in for a nasty surprise…

There are new murmurs in the forest. And I can't believe what they're saying.

The trees, the bushes, the fungi… they speak of a house walking through the forest. Stomping high above the tree line.

Could it be her? Could she have finally come to help us? Is she here to lay waist to this island of imps and maggots?

I doubt it… it has been so long. Ironic that I would wait for so long only to be skeptical of her return. But how can I be sure?

But that is when the forest tells me more- the house walks on legs like that of a bird. And I know for certain who it must be. There is no other answer. And yet… why does she not come to find me? I stay here as she always intended, listening to the forest. Waiting for the secret… longing for my wife… but why does she not meet with me?

…I must go to her. I must find out what is wrong.

"Alright, now we're gonna swivel around these next set of trees, back and forth. Remember, if you hear scraping and shuffling, it means you're hitting the trees." The three kids nodded and the three of them glowed bright blue as they guided the house… or Hooty I guess, through the trees. Things had been going pretty well so far. While the kids weren't out on the front porch, risking having a nasty plunge, they were at least at the front of the house. The door was open and the windows uncovered, giving them as clear a view as possible.

Truthfully, Willow said Hooty could probably avoid obstacles on his own, but we wanted the kids to focus as much power as they could through their connection. And that meant taking full reigns.

"Definitely the weirdest driving test I've ever seen." Kate commented, making me chuckle a little.

"Hey, she's about one year away from driver's ed. Might as well get her ready for it."

"Más a la izquierda, Luz." Her mother added as they walked the house around, her hands gripping a nearby chair tightly.

"Lo tengo, Mami. Todo está-" Thump. "Aún está bien."

I could see Gus and Willow looking at each other as the two squabbled. If this was driving practice, they were the unfortunate backseat passengers. Uh… well, you know, if the backseat passengers also had steering wheels of their own.

"Gira cuidadosa- ¡Con cuidado!" Scratch. Thwack. "Ese giro fue muy largo."

"¡Me estas poniendo más nerviosa!"

"Ahora solo detente lentamen-"

"Lo-lo tengo, Mami. Puedo manejar esto..." The stop was not as graceful as Luz planned it to be. The house suddenly jerked forward, nearly throwing everyone to the floor… again. I had to run to catch some nearby breakables that almost hit the ground. "… ¿Ves? Todo está bien."

"Is uh… is that enough testing, Miss Kate?" Gus asked, shaking slightly.

"Yep. I think I've got everything I need to make an efficient analysis." She gestured for Camila to come over, Luz following anxiously. Gus and Willow chose to join me instead, letting their jitters wear off.

"Geez. I never thought controlling a house could be so stressful." Willow comments.

I shrug. "Never fails. A kid gets behind the wheel and the parents will micromanage."

"Huh? What wheel?" Gus stared at me, bewildered. "Why are humans getting behind wheels? Is that really the only way humans can get around? You might as well walk at that point…"

"No, it's… you know what? Don't worry about it. Just worry about having fun."

"Oh, I definitely am!" Gus replied excitedly. "Even though we didn't bring the little muscle guy to life, a house ain't too shabby. I'm gonna remember this night for a long time."

"Yeah. It feels great finally being invited to one of these parties. And it's nice to have a friend who doesn't think you're only half a witch." Willow agreed somewhat somberly. It hurt to see the kid keep turning back to bad memories.

"Hey!" Gus jokingly acted indignant.

"Aw, you know what I mean, Gus." She ruffled his hair, getting a laugh out of him. "Still, part of me wishes I could just take this house to Amity's little get together and prove her wrong."

I nudge the young girl's shoulder. "Don't pay 'em any mind. If they just want to say the things that'll drag you down, then their opinion ain't worth much. The people who're there for you… their words are much more valuable. They're the ones you should care about." Willow smiled at that, looking to Luz with appreciation. For whatever reason though, that look began to gradually become muddled. "Something on your mind, Willow?"

"It's… weird. When we control Hooty, the power of the moon flows through us. But it only works if it can circulate through all three of us. That's what Hooty was saying earlier. It's why we have to hold hands. We act sort of like a living spell circle." She looks at her hands, wiggling her fingers around. "But whatever magic is flowing through us, it feels more… intense coming from Luz."

"How so? Aren't you the ones with those magic organs? Shouldn't you be the ones who come off more intense?"

"That's not quite how it works." Gus answers. "We're calling on the power of the moon. Meaning we're using the moon's magic, not our own. Our tanks are still full." He patted his chest.

"Still, I can see where you're coming from. It's surprising enough that Luz can call upon the moon's power. From what we were always taught, alternate sources like the moon still had to flow through one's bile gland, even if it didn't use up that person's bile. That's mysterious enough as it is. But even if Luz can use moon magic, we actually have the glands, so shouldn't we be using more of the moon's magic?" Willow added. "I can't quite explain it either."

That was quite the puzzler. Luz doesn't have the magic organ her friends have. How could she be using more of the moon's magic? It didn't add up.

Eh… that's probably a mystery best saved for later. Time to see what the verdict is.

Kate was finishing up the rundown. "Overall, everything seems to be in normal. The magic doesn't put any strain on her or change her in anyway. I'm not even getting a hint of anything evil."

Camila nodded. "I see. That's a great relief."

Luz peered up at her. "Does… does this mean…?"

Camila didn't answer right away. I could tell that worried Luz a little. "I don't see why not. Hellboy, Ms. Corrigan and the others have given overwhelming evidence that the magic is harmless. And despite some… worrying speedbumps, I don't see issue with you staying in this house." Luz looked about ready to squeal, stars shining in her eyes. "However… any spell you learn will go through me first. If it's too dangerous, it's not happening. And I still don't quite trust Eda to be watching you on her own. So, if Hellboy is willing, he will still be the authority figure you listen above all others. Hopefully, by the time they fix this portal nonsense, Ms. Clawthorne will have shown me she can be responsible…"

"I'm up for it." I confirm, knowing just how wild that witch could be.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, mami!" They hugged each other tightly again.

Good to see that finally come to a close. Not that I felt burdened by the Nocedas dilemma, but it might be good to focus on our portal problems now… "Well, you're gonna have to start learning tomorrow. Right now, we need to get Snaggletooth's house back on her property. Then maybe you rascals can have the rest of your party up in Luz's room."

"Woohoo!" "Yes!" "Alright!" The three voiced a quick cheer, getting ready to control Hooty again.

Knock, knock, knock.

Everyone tensed.

We gave each other confused looks, wondering if we'd all heard what we thought we did. We listened intently… maybe it was a woodpecker.

Knock, knock, knock.

No. That definitely came from the front door.

"Luz… is Snaggletooth expecting anyone tonight?" Luz shook her head. I don't like the looks of this… I bring a finger to my lips, motioning them to keep quiet. Slowly, I make my way to the door. The knocking continues, growing more impatient with each second. Liking this even less and less, I place my normal hand on my gun. I take the door's handle and slowly turn it, opening the door just a crack… and peer outside.

Only to be met with wide, piercing eyes, looking down on me with incredible ferocity.

"You… are not Baba Yaga."

Before I can register the familiar name, the door is slammed open, throwing me backwards. I get up quickly to see our uninvited guest stepping inside. He's a full head taller than me. His hair and beard both resemble plants more than they do hair. What clothes he does have would be fit more for a medieval peasant, covered with dirt and moss. Long and extravagant horns sit atop his head, similar to that of a deer or elk- but they look more like tree branches, growing from his head. His entire body is covered in tree roots and vines, wrapping around his body and sticking out in some places. His eyes continue to glare at me, not an ounce of intensity leaving them.

I whip out my gun, already fed up with this guy. "That's far enough, creep. I don't know what makes you think you have the right to come into this house without permission-"

"Permission?" The creature's voice booms out. The children hide behind Cam and Kate, scared by the intruder. "You invade her household and have the gall to tell me I lack the consent to enter?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

I keep my gun trained on him. "I think I should be asking that question myself."

"Petty creature… I am he who is as old as the grandest tree, he who has seen the soil of ages past…" I could see the vines and tree branches suddenly begin to point towards me. "I am the Leshy! Spirit of the forest!"

"Well, listen here, spirit. I don't care where you think you are. You've got the wrong house. Now kindly take three steps back and get your nasty tendrils outta here. Or I'm gonna start putting holes in your fancy dress."

"YOU THINK ME A FOOL?! There is only one house that walks the night on the legs of a fowl!" His eyebrows furrow. "You have desecrated her home… and there is no sight of her… what have you done?! Where is Baba Yaga?!"

That damn friggin' name again. I remember it all too well. One of the most dangerous witches in the world, if not the most. And it just so happens that Hooty's new look just happened to make him look like her abode. Fantastic… but why the hell is there a creature here that knows about Baba Yaga? Last I heard from the witch, the emperor closed off the Isles from the outside world.

No time to question that. This guy's overstayed his welcome. "I don't know what to tell you bushman. It's just a coincidence. Now get out, before I make you get out."

"Why you arrogant little…" His eyes narrow. "…You… I have never met you… and yet you seem familiar…" Oh boy. "Your appearance… yes. She has told me who it was that wronged her…" This ain't gonna be pretty. "You… YOU ARE THE CRETIN WHO TOOK HER EYE!"

I shoot as he lunges. The shots pummel his face and chest, cracking one of his horns slightly. He's ultimately undeterred. "Of course…" He tackles me, knocking the gun out of my hand. He's quick to begin striking me… and his hits are hard. It takes me a moment to recover before I finally catch one of his fists, delivering a blow of my own from my stone hand. It sends him reeling back, giving me time to rush him.

He attempts to reach out and grapple me, but I catch both his hands in my own. Both of us attempt to overpower the other. Unfortunately, he seems to be winning, slowly pushing me back. "I don't know whether fate is kind or cruel to bring me you instead of Baba Yaga… but I will seize this opportunity with reckless abandon." His gets very in my face about it. "Though I must leave your death to Baba, I will take great pleasure in mauling you senseless before I take back her beloved home… and rid it of the other pests."

"THAT'S IT!" I headbutt him fiercely, making his nose bleed, catching him by surprise. "You've officially become a crap house guest. And you know what I do with terrible guests?" I barrel into him before he can react, rushing him out the door. "I THROW 'EM OUT ON THEIR ASSES!" I yell, tossing him far off the side of the house's edge, into the trees below. "Piece of shit..."

"Here, Hellboy." Kate runs up with my gun, needing both hands to carry it. "That thing… said it was the Leshy? I think I know that one…"

"I don't care what it is, it pissed me the hell off." I reload the bullets I used just in case I need them. "Tell Luz to get this thing on its way home. I'll keep on the lookout for the tree hugger." A rustling from the trees catches our attention. "Coming back for more?! Bring it on, I'll use you for kindling!"

"Insolent fool… you are in my domain…" His loud voice rings out. My eyes widen as a large figure emerges from the treeline… The Leshy, now supersized, gazing at us in fury. "As long as the trees reach for the heavens… SO WILL I!"

"Damn." I push Kate back inside, and shout to the kids. "LUZ, PUT THE GAS ON THIS BIRD AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! BUT STAY INSIDE!" A blue glow emerges from the house as Hooty turns on a dime, nearly throwing me off. I see the Leshy chase after us as I look around the corner of the house… the trees seem to be moving out of his way. He's gaining on us pretty quickly. I look down at my Good Samaritan… I'm gonna need more than this.

I rush back inside. Many items have fallen and broken. And the furniture is being knocked around like crazy. Kate and Camila are holding on for dear life. The kids have to sit down just to avoid being unbalanced. They've let Hooty do most of the driving this time, which is probably for the best. "Luz, does she have any spells that can be used instantly? Like some kind of grenade?"

"I… I-I don't know! Nothing like that ever came up!" Damn. We've got nothing but a big gun, a taser, and maybe some blunt objects. Not a good set of weapons to fight a giant. Our best bet was probably fire. I've got a lighter, matches and cigarettes on me, but that's going to be a rather small singe on the green giant out there… the only one who knows what's flammable… and better yet, can just throw fire at will…

We need Eda.

"Alright, here's the plan. We need to get to Snaggletooth. And that means heading into town. Luz, you keep Hooty going towards the market, that'll let her know where we are. Kate! Take my walkie and call Roger, I'm gonna see if I can slow that thing dow-hrrrgh!" The house unexpectedly lurched to a stop, sending me to the floor. The only reason he'd do that is if… "Luz, don't stop now!"

"We didn't! We're trying to make him move but he won't budge!"

Won't budge… why would he…? …Unless something else is… "Crap!" I make a beeline for the outside. And my suspicions happen to be right. About a dozen trees have unnaturally tilted, their branches holding the house in place. "It'd be a good day to be a lumberjack…"

I was about to get an axe, but this little trap was all that the Leshy needed to catch up. His stomps gradually slowed as he skulked around to the front of the house. He had a wicked smile about him, his hideous teeth coated with algae and mud. "Not so much bravado now, hmm?"

"I got enough to spare, jackass."

He growled as he gazed at me. "It seems you have also figured out how to control her house's very movement. The more I know of you, the more my hatred of you grows."

"Feeling's mutual, pal." I beckon him towards me. "You ready for round two, then? Is that it?" The least I can do is draw things out until Snaggletooth and Roger get back.

"I think not. I've little time to waste." Damn. Guess this is gonna be a David and Goliath thing. I pull my gun. The more distracting I can be, the better. "Oh, please." His giant hand swiftly grabs me, crushing me in an inescapable grip.

"Hellboy!" A cry sounds from the house. Luz looks to me in fear, her mother trying to hold her back. "Willow, you've got to get these branches to let go!"

The other girl was clutching them, trying to pour her magic into them. "They… they won't budge! They aren't listening to me!"

"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine! Get back inside and don't come out unless I- GRAAARGGGH!" The pain is sharp all over my body as the Leshy crushes his palm.

"Perhaps you will be 'fine'. If you consider being half-dead to be acceptable. I will be back for your barely living body later. For now, I must try once more to call upon my wife and be ready to bring Baba Yaga into this realm. I only hope such news will bring her out of that concrete trap…" There's another one out there?! "Baba Yaga shall tear this realm asunder with her magic and find the secret…" Secret?! "Your fellow intruders will also serve her… or better to say, "be served to her"."

My eyes widen… I know exactly what purpose they'd serve to Baba Yaga. The image of small finger bones littering her house still haunts me. "NO! You stay away from them you son of a bitch!" I pull my gun hand free of his grip, firing into his face. It does even less to him than it does before.

"You shall not make demands of me." A mass of leaves and lichens begins moving up his arm, forming a slithering shape. "If it were up to me, you would be better off as decomposing remains feeding the soil. But as it stands, Baba wants her revenge, and she wants her eye…" The shape reaches the top- a snake make of dead foliage, hissing at me menacingly. "…so you shall simply be my pet's plaything instead."

He opens his palm, but I have no time to recover as the snake lunges, sending us careening off below. I hit the ground, causing the leaves it consists of to scatter. But it quickly reforms, and coils around me. The last thing I hear is Luz screaming out in terror.

"HELLBOY!"

This wasn't supposed to happen like this. I wasn't supposed to lose.

The card game with Tibbles was going fine at first. I practically trounced him the first few rounds. But out of nowhere, during round 5, he pulled a rare card that won him the game. I should've taken that as a bad omen… but I just thought it was dumb luck. I should've known better.

He began to completely turn the tables on me. Round after round he pulled powerful cards that gave him a leg up on me. Before I knew it I was down to half a deck. A quarter. A fraction. And now…

The last of my cards are going up in ashes, a smug grin adorned on Tibbles stupid little face. "Oh, it seems I've won."

I barely have the words. "I can't… you just… how did…?"

"I suppose I'm just a quick learner. The game was fun… but I am the victor. I believe we had a deal?"

My teeth clench again. This arrogant little pig just knows how to push all my buttons… "Rrrrrggh… fine! I'll tell you what I've got."

"Oh, but I already have something perfect in mind." He states. What did he mean by that? He hasn't even seen my stuff yet. "Truth be told, I do need a tiny model for the baby clothes."

A tiny model for… wait. "King? You want King?!"

"Hang on a second! I didn't agree to this!" King protested.

"Of course you didn't. And you still won't! I don't "own" King. And neither will you!"

"Ah, but Eda, he's going to need a new home once you've been taken by the guards." He says, his smile growing sinister.

"Hold on, how did you know my-" It dawns on me just what he implied. The situation he put me into. "You… you knew who I was the whole time." Further realization sets in as I remember how he got me here. "You knew how to play the game all along!" I draw a spell circle in the air, ready to fry him into bacon… but it fizzles out halfway through. "Uh oh."

"Of course I did, you twit!" He actually snips back in offense. He snaps his fingers, and suddenly chains burst out of the ground, capturing me. A metal collar whips out from the back, clasping onto Kings neck and pulling him away. "What child do you take me for to not know my own wares, to fall victim to such petty tricks?! Honestly, if that's your material, I just don't see how you've escaped capture for so long… even if the guards are idiots." But his tone changed back to arrogance pretty quickly. "Then again, you did fall prey to such easy tricks of my own. "Oh no, I have no idea what these small rectangles do! I'll just play this woman in a game and risk losing money!" Honestly… I had you pegged the moment you arrived here. It pays to know your competition. But unlike certain 'fake wizards', I know how to be subtle in eliminating that competition. All I had to do was wait out the clock until the curse fully took away your magic."

"So you jack up the price on your bottle of elixir to make me desperate." I say before losing my balance and falling over.

"Well yes, but you were already pretty desperate it seems. Aside from childish tricks, that was pretty shoddy Hexes playing there. I apologize for utterly destroying your entire deck, but if it makes you feel better, you won't have any use for card games where you're going." He began chuckling like a mad man. "With the reward from turning you in, I'll be able to take the first step in bringing my little stand into a full-blown monopoly! One I'm sure Emperor Belos would be all too happy to endorse."

"I'll get out of this. And when I do…"

"Yes, "you'll never get away with this" and whatnot. If you'll excuse me, I have to look my best for the emperor's coven." He walked to the back of his stand, humming a confident tune.

"King." I whisper. "Psst. King. Do you see the bottle?" He doesn't even look at me. "King. King! Can you hear me or what?"

"Oh, now you want me to help." He crosses his arms.

"What? Of course I want your help. How're we gonna get out of this otherwise?"

At that moment, he snapped. "We wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't sent Roger on a wild goose chase!"

"I didn't need him or his help!" I angrily snap back. "I'm the expert on these islands, I'm fully capable of doing this on my own!"

"So then you don't need my help? Or Owlbert's? Or Hooty's?" He narrows his eyes. "Or Luz's?"

I pause, taken aback. "N-…No, I didn't mean…"

"And fat lot of good you did on your own." King continues. "What do you think is gonna happen when Roger can't find us?! He's gonna go back to the house and tell everyone that we managed to get captured! And what's Luz's mom gonna think when she learns you sent Roger off? You may have given them an easy spell to convince Ms. Noceda, but now Luz is gonna be taken away from us anyway! All because of your stupid pride!"

King's words sink in and my anger drains away, becoming desperation. "W-wait. That's not… that's not what I…"

"Oh, sure. Maybe they'll come and rescue us. But how are they supposed to do that when the woman who apparently knows "so much" about the Isles is behind bars?! And also a giant owl monster who can't tell friend from foe?!"

I fail to answer him. Because he's right. I was so stubborn, wanting to stick it to Trenchcoat so badly… I wasn't even thinking. And now look at me. Primed and ready for imprisonment I'd managed to avoid for years. About to become a monstrous creature… with no way to turn back. Unable to do anything about it. Possibly dooming King too, one of my closest friends…

This wasn't supposed to happen like this.

My eyes gaze into his, filled with regret. "…I'm sorry."

"Hmph. Yeah, well…" He sits down, feeling defeated himself. "Sorry isn't going to save us now."

"No." A familiar voice pipes in, a shadow looming over me. "But I think I can."

King gasps in shock, as I do my best to turn my head. Standing above me is a face I'm now all too glad to see.

"Roger!" King shouts in joy. He gives a smile in return.

Not that I'm not glad to see him, but… "How did you find us? I sent you on an aimless search. The items I wrote down aren't even real."

He kneels down. "The truth is, Eda… I didn't really believe you." His face is practically asking me "seriously?". "I mean, important items that you only just now remembered, that are just as vital as your elixir? I've actually been tailing you the whole time."

I blush. Yet another person I failed to outwit tonight. "Still… why act like you were fooled?"

"You looked like you needed some space." He said.

That's… touching actually. I smile at him in appreciation.

"I don't know exactly what you think you're doing, but unless you're with the Emperor's forces, kindly step away." Tibbles interrupted, getting up onto his counter.

"I'm here for my friends. I'm not leaving without them."

"That's too bad. These two are quite valuable to me." Roger reaches for something in his pocket. "Ah, ah, ah. I have both of them captured and chained. You wouldn't want me doing any more than that, would you?" Damn. The little porker was right. He can add anything onto our chains and shackles if he wants to. Even if Roger knew magic, it would still be risky.

"But who wants to threaten anybody? I merely see if you'd like to bet them in a game."

"Oh, really? You want to try your luck too? What could you have that I could possibly trade for her?"

"A perfectly good Homunculus." He gestured to himself.

Tibbles scrutinized him. "…Well, who could say no to that?"

No… that was too easy. Tibbles made it clear I was too valuable. He's up to something… but Roger should know that, shouldn't he? He's really been watching us the whole night. So, the better question is, what is Roger up to?

"We'll play a regular game of poker. Heads Up style." Roger stated.

"Oh my. Is that a human game? Sounds like fun." His voice… now that I listen closely, it doesn't sound genuine. He had that same tone earlier, but I was too blind to see it. He knows human games too. "You'd best be quick, though. I've already sent for some guards. You wouldn't want to waste time, now would you?" And there's him trying to make Roger desperate. I don't know what Roger is going for, but I sure hope he knows how to take the win.

"Waste time… sounds like the perfect kind of underhanded strategy." He sneered at Tibbles.

…Wait a minute. Maybe… maybe he's not trying to win. I look to King, and he looks back at me. I can see the wheels turning in his head.

"Oh, whatever do you mean?" Tibbles asked innocently. "Say things like that and I might opt out."

We give each other a curt nod, playing our parts for now. Hopefully, Roger is doing what I think he's doing…

Solid enough to carry me and yet nothing to punch. This thing is the bane of my existence. Any time I try to deliver a swift hit, it just reforms around my arm.

But my situation's sparkles and rainbows compared to Luz and the others. Here I am getting my ass kicked by a creature I can't even hit and the others are now stuck with that overgrown pile of driftwood. Damn it all… just my luck that when everything goes to hell right about when things were gonna be fine…

It carries me further and further away from where the house was, sharp, dry leaves cutting my clothes and skin. They aren't deep, but if this keeps up I'll leak out my entire bloodstream little by little. It throws me against any rock it can find- I guess nature boy wouldn't like it if the trees ended up snapped in half.

I'm getting nowhere trying to take this on physically. If I don't get it to let me go, I'll never get back to the house before the others are killed. Even if it'd leave me with one less option for the Leshy, I'll have to use the matches I've got. Fire's my only option.

I pull out my lighter, sparking a flame. Goes out instantly. Damn thing is moving so fast it's blowing out the fire. I try it a second time, but it's no good. It goes out too. Need to distract this thing. I could try firing my gun, but that's about as effective as punching it. I need something more potent.

I don't have too much time to think about it, as it flings me into a clearing. "GAAAGH!"

"Wah!" A scream rings out as I slam into the ground. Who the hell is walking through the forest at this time of night? As I lift my head up, two eyes meets three. She's got pointed ears and pink hair and skin. Hang on… I recognize her. She was the rude kid at the magic fair.

She looks at me in disgust. "Eugh! You're covered in blood! You better not have gotten any on me!" Nice to know her attitude hasn't changed…

I hear a rustling from the bushes behind her. I reach out to the girl. "Kid, get down!"

She backs away. "Okay, homeless dude, you need to back all the way off. I know mace spells."

The foliage practically explodes as the snake bursts from it, ready to start our dance again… but the girl is in the way. She'll be cut apart for sure!

"YAAAGH!" She screams again and flings her arm in the air… only for a fireball to pop up out of nowhere. The mass of leaves suddenly put on the brakes, rapidly backing off. "What the hell was that thing?!"

Right. She's a witch, as most kids on these Isles are. She must go to the same school as Willow and Gus. Still, what are the odds she was the one kid I run into who specializes fire magic?

I hear growls from in the woods. The kid might've scared that thing for a moment, but it'll be back. I run up to her. "Think you can hit it when it comes back?"

"Ugh. Please. You're only talking to Hexside's champion Grudgby player."

"Didn't ask for the life story." A hiss erupts from the bushes. "Now get ready!"

The snake makes another attack, practically flying towards us. The girl summons several fireballs and begins shooting them. The snake dodges the projectiles, zigzagging in order to reach us. "It's getting closer!" The girl said, getting frantic.

"I see him." Too bad for moss-tongue, I got those few moments I needed. I take my coat off. I pull out my lighter… and crack it open, pouring it all over my coat. Right as the monster reaches us, I set my coat alight with a match, and unravel it in front of us. The snake ends up getting a face full of flames. It cries out in pain, rearing back. It shakes it off quickly and glares at us, completely pissed.

"Do I… do I shoot it?" The girl asks.

"No. It's too fast. We need to draw it in. Hit it when it's devoted itself to an attack, so it can't dodge or deform."

"Why's is just… sitting there?"

"It knows this coat won't last much longer. I did this to buy us some time." Coat's already a quarter burned. I glance back. "…Can you only make fireballs?"

"I… I know Immolation. It immediately covers an object in flames. I use it for my Grudgby plays." Not sure I even want to know. "But I have to touch the object to set it on fire." Halfway burned.

"Hmm…" She can't get close, she'll be torn to pieces. Me on the other hand... "How bout this?" I lift my stone hand to her. She nods. Coat's almost gone. "On my mark."

"3." The snake gets ready to lunge.

"2." The girl readies to draw a circle on my stone arm as quickly as she can.

"1." The cinders fall away from my other arm.

"Now!" It happens in just a moment. The snake lashes out… and can't avoid the suddenly ablaze fist I plunge down its throat.

The foliage that makes up its head bursts into flames. It roars in pain, unable to put itself out as the fire quickly spreads along its body. Soon, it's entire body is thrashing about the dirt road, trying to smother itself. I look back to the girl, who just stares between me and the snake, bewildered. I take a cigarette and light it using my arm, before pointing said arm at her. She snaps her fingers, the flame instantly going out. "Thanks for the light, kid. Now how 'bout you get out of here." I blow out a puff of smoke. "I got bigger monsters to fry."

She stares at me wide-eyed for a moment before nodding again, running down the path.

Now that I'm done with dealing with the garter snake from hell, I can get back to the house and stop that maniac spirit. I just hope to god he hasn't hurt any of them… but where the hell am I supposed to start? That thing practically dragged me halfway through the forest. And there's no telling if the Leshy took the house anywhere… Wait. I never gave Kate the walkie. Now might be a good time to call for the witch-

Smashed. In pieces. Must've happened during my fight with the snake. What a load of…

…Someone's coming. Is it the girl? No, the footsteps are too heavy.

I swing around, pulling out my Good Samaritan. Standing there is a large fella with an eyepatch over his eye… the same one from the "evil parade" that Luz spotted this morning. "Now… what do we have here?" He bellows.

My luck is just fantastic today…

"You'd do well to play better cards. We've only been through a few hands and you're already doing very poorly." Tibbles taunted. It frustrated me, but he was right. He already had over half the ante.

I observed the current cards in the middle. I felt like my hand could take it… but Tibbles had been doing eerily well. Don't get me wrong, it was a safe bet he actually knew how Poker was played, and I never planned to win… but I am a little frustrated, you know? I thought I might be doing better. It feels like he's cheating…

Still, me playing fast and loose is part of the plan. If Tibbles didn't think he could win, he'd cut off the wager. I needed to keep him occupied, and trust that Eda and King would figure out what I'm doing. Even so, his attitude towards all of this sickens me. "People's lives are just games to you, are they?"

He took one of his chips and began flipping it, over and over. "Not quite. They're money. Give a man water for free in a desert and he'll give you nothing but empty gratitude… and no water. You're better off keeping the water for yourself. It pays in this life to get every last cent you can out of people, and to lose as little to them in return. If it just so happens that the money you make off them is blood money…why be bothered? It's not my life I'm paying for."

"People aren't just objects you can squeeze money out of. They're sentient beings who have the same rights to necessities that you do."

"Hmph. If you believe that, then you understand nothing about business." Tibbles caught the chip and placed it down. "Now, enough dawdling. Are you calling or not."

I leer at him before placing some chips into the pot. "Call."

"How limp." He pushes a decent amount more than I did in. "Raise $5000."

I sat there, wondering if I should call it… he'd being scaring me off with rather large raises all game. Perhaps now was the time to try and call his bluff. "I'll call that."

The hand followed through after that, revealing a full house for me… and four of a kind for Tibbles. "Well, that's another batch for me." He snapped his fingers and the pot reassembled on his side. "I do wonder… if you go missing, Eda, will your little human come to rescue you? I wonder how much she will go for…" Eda's eyes widened at the implication, before giving a dangerously low growl.

I slam my fist down. "You'll regret it."

"At the rate I'm winning, I'm pretty sure I won't. Of course, you can forfeit if you're getting cold feet, but I don't think Eda will be able to-" Various sounds of broken glasses ring out from Tibbles' stand. "What was that? What's going on back there?" Silence.

A glass flies out from the back- a bottle of yellow liquid. "Eda! Catch!" She positions herself to catch it in her teeth… only for a magical hand to appear and snatch it, bringing it back to Tibbles. I shove the table aside, pouncing for the vial… but more chains come from the ground, dragging me down.

"Whoahohoho! Hold on there! That was a close one, wasn't it? Almost had me!" He scowls at the back. "Why don't you come out from back there, bone baby? Before your gray friend gets quite the shock." King crawls from the back, an apologetic look on his face. "Hmm… I see now. The game was just a distraction. Trying to take my mind off the elixir so you could get it to Eda, eh? Close, but not enough."

"It wasn't exactly hard." I jeer.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just as Hellboy says. Don't be predictable. I saw through your poker face right away. You act dumb so people will let their guard down. That's your strategy. Like when you accepted both of our wagers. So, all I had to do was make you think I was playing right into your hands. You probably would've won the card game… but I've got you right where I want you."

He stared at me for a moment… then burst into laughter. "Right where you want me? I don't know if you noticed, but I have the elixir! You lost! Now all I need to do is hold you here until the guards arrive!"

"Or until Owlbert gives Eda the actual elixir." King added.

"Yes, or until Owlbert gives Eda the actual… wait, what?" He looked to King in surprise, before glancing to Eda… whom Owlbert was already feeding the open bottle of elixir. "NO- GUAGGH!" I used his temporary loss of focus to break my arm free, and deliver a swift punch into the porker's face, sending him careening into his shop.

Eda, in the meantime, quickly broke free of her chains, before quickly zapping King's shackles. She gives her palisman a quick scratch behind the ears in appreciation before screwing him back in. She and King look at each other for a moment before he hops down and crosses his arms, remembering that he was angry with her. She turns to me, only giving a quick nod in thanks.

"Augh! Ow, my poor little snout…" I could hear Tibbles moan as he removed himself from the wreckage of his shelves. He looked to the bottle in his hand in confusion, dipping his finger in and tasting it… "This is… orange blood!" He steamed in anger as he hoisted himself back onto his counter. "You giant, dimwitted buffoon… I'll make sure your two friends suffer for-" He stopped when he noticed Eda was no longer chained up. "O-oh. Eda. You look… healthy."

Eda said nothing. She didn't even smile. She only stared at the small merchant with calm, yet righteous fury, her staff sparking with magic power.

"Now Eda… or p-perhaps you'd prefer Ms. Clawthorne?" Eda slowly stepped forward. "Yes, right, perhaps it's best if I call you the Owl Lady." The staff's eyes lit up, glowing brightly. "N-n-now, Owl Lady, surely we can come to agreement, can we? We're both witches of business! And I must say, you're friend's punch was quite the punishment! I'll certainly be feeling it for days… my medical bill will be quite high, uh…"

Eda stopped right over him. She towered over him, intimidating him into silence. "You con me in a way that even I feel is sick and wrong. You insult me for being desperate in a frightening situation. You try to have me hauled off by the guards. And to top it off… you tried to take King… and threatened to take Luz." She lifted him up his collar. "See, Tibbles, here's the thing… any good entrepeneur, even ones as shady as me, know that customers are the lifeblood of any firm. And it's not good to make your customers upset, piggy. Some of them could cost you your very business." Lightning bolts shot from Owlbert's eyes, causing Tibbles' stand to be entirely destroyed. She dropped him, leaving him to stare at the remains of his stand in horror. "I'm sorry I utterly destroyed your tiny, worthless shop. But if it's any consolation… I could've utterly destroyed a fat, worthless piglet instead."

She turned away from the flaming wreckage, content with her work. "Let's go. I've had enough shopping for one night." She moved down the street, leaving us to follow.

Sometime down the road, she began slowing down… until she came to a stop. She fell onto the side of a building, sinking to the ground. She solemnly looked to me, and King. "Yeah. I think proper apologies are in order." King still refused to look at her. I simply let her go on. She sighed. "I've been taking care of myself for so long. Living life by my own rules. No one to look out for me but myself. When you and Owlbert and Hooty and… even Luz came along, it wasn't all that different. I was the one who knew what was best, not just for me, but for the rest of you too." She looked up at me. "Then Trenchcoat and you lot came around. Suddenly, I'm forced to act a certain way in my own household while I let strangers prance around it, poking their noses around in my private life. I'm doubted every single step of the way for every piece of information I give despite being your best source of knowledge. And now today, you try and send a babysitter with me? As if I can't take care of myself like I have for years?! As if I'm a child?!" She bolts up, glowering at me. "Who are you all to judge me like that?"

I don't reply. It feels like she need to get this out.

Sure enough, her arms slump to her side in defeat. "But… I guess you weren't wrong, huh? Look at me, bragging about how much I know. And yet here you are, bailing me out of a nearly disastrous situation I put myself in… all because of my pride. Guess your friend's right to treat me like a child."

"Hellboy wasn't trying to treat you like a child." I object. "I know you two bicker a lot… but Hellboy only wants everyone to get out safe and sound. You're no exception. I think he can see how truly terrified you are of losing yourself. I can see it too. He does care about what happens to you. He may be gruff… but honestly, I can tell you Hellboy has a bigger heart than almost any human."

"I'd like to believe that. I really would. But it's hard for me." She unscrewed Owlbert again, who cuddled her in attempt to comfort her. "My curse first struck me when I was a teen. And in that moment, when I needed people the most… everyone turned their backs on me. Even my parents. Lilith was the only one… but she might as well have too. She never listens to me, never considers what I want. So, the only one who was there for me… was me." I can see King's anger leaving his body, as he slowly turns to his friend. "When you've had to take care of yourself, by yourself, for so long… it's hard to trust other people to be able watch your back out of the goodness of their heart." King walked up to her, gazing up at her in sadness. "Even when they've had your back for years. …I'm sorry, King. I should've known you were just trying to look out for me." She rubs his head affectionately.

"Aw… I can't stay mad at you. Especially when you're telling off sob stories like that." I could tell he didn't mean that. He gives Eda a hug. "Apology accepted."

There was one thing I wasn't clear on, though. "What about Luz? From the stories I heard… you accepted her rather quickly."

Eda avoided my eyes at first. "Luz was… different."

"How so?" She breathed out, trying to find the words. I could see her contemplating how to put it.

"She… reminds me of myself. Before my life turned to shit." She chuckles. "She's got that same burning love for magic that I did. The same eagerness to take on anything. I look in her eyes… and I see me. That little girl who had so much hope in her heart… before Belos' society turned on her. That kinda broke down my walls quickly. She just kind of… connected with me." She laughs again, snorting. "But talk about breaking down walls, here I am having a tell-all with you. There's something about you that makes you… approachable. I guess I see why Luz bonded with you so quickly."

"I'm a very good listener."

She smirked. "Maybe that's it." Her tone became somber again. "Listen, Roger… I know you've got no reason to… but when you tell Trenchcoat and Ms. Noceda about this…. Could you downplay it?" She asked. "Maybe I'd have more of a chance of seeing her again if it doesn't sound like it went so horribly wrong… because of me."

"Downplay what?"

"Uh… downplay our misadventure in pharmaceuticals?"

"What misadventure?"

"Roger, are you okay? Do you not remember…" She suddenly realizes my intentions, looking at me in disbelief. "You… you're gonna lie to your buddies and pretend this never happened? Why? Everything I did… glasses would go crazy about. The kind of thing Trenchcoat probably wants you to tell him about! I mean, I'm already pushing it asking you to do anything after how I treated you!"

"Probably."

"You could get in a lot of trouble for lying to them."

"Most likely."

"Then… then why?"

I give her a small smile. "I know a thing or two about second chances. I killed someone in my first few moments of life. Nearly took another. Because of that, I hid and ran, believing my existence a mistake… believing the rest of the world couldn't understand my pain. But Hellboy came looking for me to save his friend… the one whom I almost killed. He convinced me to come back and save her. It costed me my life." Eda gasped. King had a slightly confused look. "I was content to give my life there. But Hellboy… on the way to help her… he talked to me. He gave me my name. He persuaded the BPRD to try and bring me back to life. Gave me a second chance. …If I can have another chance after the kind of mistakes I made… well, what's one problematic night caused by pride and poor judgement?"

She smiled. "You're the salt of the Titan, Roger."

"Eh, I try. Besides, I already told Hellboy over the walkie that you were just haggling. Speaking of which…" I pull out my walkie, deciding to give Hellboy a heads up. "Hellboy, come in, Hellboy. We've gotten Eda some elixir and are on our way home. Over." Static. "Uh… come in, Hellboy. Mission successful, over." Nothing but more static. Eda and King grow slightly concerned. "Something's not right. Hellboy isn't answering."

"Maybe something went wrong with the spell. Did he tell you anything when he called earlier?"

"Um… I think he said he was taking your house for a moonlit walk in the forest."

…

"What?"

"WRROOOOOAAAAARRHHHHHHH!" The sound the creature makes chills me to my bones. Like an unholy mixture of an elk and a wolf. He just sits there on the porch, howling over and over.

Not that we can do much about it. The monster has trapped us in various plant life within the house.

Kate and I are trapped in a makeshift cage made from branches. Though it is only wood, the bars hold together, strong as steel. The children are tied up in vines at the center of the house, struggling to get free. They're unable to grab a hold of each other's hands, restrained by their bonds.

Willow is simply slumped in her vines, defeated and disappointed in herself. She shouldn't blame herself. This… this thing… constantly goes on about how it's one with the forest. We should've known that it would have domineering control over plants.

Gus was even more restless than Luz. He panics, trying to squirm out of his vines, considerably more fear in his eyes. My god… he's even younger than Luz and Willow. How scared must he feel right now? Wondering if his life will end tonight?

And my daughter… "Hooty!" Luz shouts. "Hooty! You have to wake up! Snap out of it!"

"IF YOU WANT THIS TO END AS YOU SAY, THREE MUST HOLD HANDS, IT'S THE ONLY WAY!"

"¡Oye, no me hables así!" She said.

How can she be so calm during all this? We've been taken by a horrible creature that lives within the woods… unable to do anything but wait until it does god knows what with us. She's in more danger than I ever could've imagined she'd be. I can't fathom where her courage could be coming from…

The… "Lehee"? No… the Leshy comes back inside the house. He appears to be in deep thought. "I had hoped she would hear my call… attempt to escape with renewed vigor at the wonderful news… but my beloved remains silent. I cannot take this aching in my heart…" His eyes scrunched. "As much as I would wish for her to be here… to have us both reunite with Baba Yaga… it seems I must instead call her here to help me free my wife." His head tilted up, eyes squinting at the kids.

My heart begins to beat faster as he approaches them, eyeing them up and down. He looks over Willow first. "A filthy imp. And borderline too old… a terrible combination. She would hate that."

What is he…?

He then looks to Gus. "Young enough, but still an imp. It would ruin the taste."

T-taste?! He couldn't mean…

His vision finally ended on Luz. "But you… almost too old, but there's a youthful energy about you. Baba Yaga will enjoy such a wonderful meal."

"H-huh? Meal?" Luz blanched in dread, her unexplained courage draining… just as I realized in horror what he meant.

"¡NO! ¡DEJA A MI HIJA, BASTARDO! ¡ALÉJATE DE ELLA!" I slammed at the wooden bars, hoping my anger and motherly instincts could give me the strength to power through… but they would not budge.

"Oh, do be quiet." The monster flicked his hand, a vine wrapping itself around my mouth before I could say another word. Kate did her best to remove them, trying to claw them off. But they were just as strong as the other plants.

"Mami!"

Kate glared at the Leshy and gave her own share of choice words. "Bastard is right. We told you again and again that this wasn't Baba Yaga's house. Those are owl legs out there, not chicken legs. And none of us are close to dumb enough to take something that belongs to her, much less her home. This house belongs to the Owl Lady, Eda. Ring any bells?"

"Bah… you attempt to trick me." The Leshy instantly rejected. "You say you would not dare attack Baba, but you are affiliated with the one who assaulted her. Why should I trust what any of you have to say?" He glared into the cage. "I have waited decades for her return… we both have. I will not be denied her arrival by dirty imps and putrid humans!"

"Decades? For wha-"

"ENOUGH!" Kate didn't have the chance to finish before vines wrapped around her mouth as well. "I've wasted enough time as is. As the moments go by, my love remains confined in the stone walls of that dreaded town. I refuse to sit back and hear nothing but silence from her any longer!" He walked back towards Luz. "If I am to ask Baba Yaga for such help, then I must be as gracious as I can to her. Especially after I failed to find what she wanted…"

As he got closer to my daughter, my hope for a miracle vanished little by little. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face. She… she was going to die. Right in front of me. And not mercifully… in agony and fear. My Lucecita… when my parents disowned me… when my husband left us… she was still there. A small, bright light that shined me through those dark times. It's why I gave her that name…

And now my little light was going to be snuffed out. There I was nothing I could do. Just… sit there and watch her become food for some wretched creature. I couldn't fight the beast. I couldn't whisk her away. I couldn't comfort her in my arms. And now I can't even call soothing words out to her, little lies that everything was going to be alright. She was just going to be… gone.

And it would be all my fault.

"Wait, n-no! Stop!" Luz struggled, now even more panicked then Gus, trying to move from the Leshy. But it did her no good. Willow and Gus fearfully looked on, dreading what came next for their friend. The monster's wooden, creaking hand reach for her neck, and-

"HEY, ASSHOLE!" A resounding shout came through the open door, the Leshy's hand stopping mid-air. "YOU AND I HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS, YOU OVERGROWN HEDGE TRIMMING! GET THE HELL OUT HERE!"

A silence passed through all of us.

"HELLBOY!" Luz broke that silence when she shouted out his name. Her scream is somehow both joyful and fearful. I should know. When I realized who was outside… I tried my best to do the same through the vine.

The Leshy clenches his hand, obviously unhappy. "Headache after headache, this night has been…" He sauntered away, off to take up on Hellboy's challenge… and taking his hand away from my daughter, just as well.

I wanted a miracle… but as far as I'm concerned, Hellboy is much better than one.

I stared up as the Leshy made his way outside. He looked down upon me. He was still angry, but he also had a bit of arrogance in his eyes. That's right, you bastard. Keep thinking you've won. "I'm surprised." He said. "You got away from my pet."

"Torched him, actually. He went up like a light. All he was really good for, if you ask me."

He growled at that. "You'll find that such small bonfires will not take me down so easily."

"Nah. I'm thinking weed killer. Cause that's all you are. A small, stubborn little bramble sticking its roots where it don't belong."

That really set him off. He stepped off the porch, growing in size before he fell a foot off it. His giant footstep cratered in front of me. "Am I so little now?"

I smirked. "Well, clearly you're compensating for something. I think that wife of yours is staying away for a reason."

…

…

…

"I'm going to kill you now."

"Aw, was it something I said?"

He reaches down for me, probably wanting to crush me into paste. But that's exactly what I wanted him to do… as I reach for a fun little number my new 'acquaintances' gave me…"

Sometime earlier…

"Now… what do we have here?" Eyepatch says. He's looking me up and down with his good eye.

"Just a guy out for an evening walk." I glower, subtly warning him to back off.

"I'll bet. And I imagine the house demon and the forest spirit are too."

"…You've been watching us."

"We saw your house walking among the treeline. Who wouldn't be curious?" He replied. "Nevermind the forest spirit shouting about himself so the heavens can hear…"

That obvious, huh? Then if they're coming to meet me… "So what's this, then? Coming to get me before going after the big prizes?"

He stifled a laugh. "We considered, but… auctioneers are particular about the horns." Well, guess my unique look saved me trouble for once. "No, I'd like to extend a hand of… teamwork."

I give him a peculiar look. "To do what exactly?"

"We noticed that you'd like a certain spirit… gone. We would've gone for him ourselves… but its strength concerns some of my clan. So, I propose an alliance. We all take down this spirit together… we take the spirit, while you take the house you seem so fond of."

"Oh, come one Balthazar!" Another cloaked being leaps out. "I know for sure we can take him. We don't need this guy's help." Under the cloak is… a guy with a very large chin. Man, move over Leno… "We help this guy, we lose out on one of the creatures. That house demon could go big for restaurant owners!" Yeah, that's enough of that. I walk over as he talks. He doesn't notice at first. "Honestly, why not just take both?" He suddenly notices me towering over him, his bravado drying up.

"Because you don't want to."

He gulps. "Uh… right. Don't really feel like it."

'Balthazar' clears his throat. "Yes, despite Tom's… alternative solution, most of us believe working with you is best."

I weigh my options. On the one hand, these guys are shady as hell… but they'd be much more manageable than a plant god. I think it's better if I get help on this one.

"You got anything sharp on you?"

In the present…

The Leshy draws closer, ready to see how much blood comes out. "Say there, big man…" He has no time to react before I fling a harpoon right in his cornea. "You've got something in your eye."

"GYAAAAAAAGHHH!" He howls in paint, his hand reaching for his face now, instead.

"So, I made some friends in the forest. They'd really like to get to know you."

On cue, the demon hunters emerge from the forest, throwing roped harpoons over the Leshy. Distracted and in pain, the monster is brought down onto one knee. Balthazar charges an electric spell in his hand. "Weaken him while he's down!" He fires his attack at the Leshy's chest, giving the monster quite the shock. The others follow suit, firing off spells of ice, wind and earth. Only a small few use fire. I curse about that. Big man's right about one thing, it's probably take a forest fire's worth of flame to bring him down. But we have to make do with what we've got.

I take the second harpoon I picked up and rush towards the downed giant, jumping up onto his arm. He's still focused on getting that harpoon out. I'm not even sure if anything else is hurting him. But we gotta keep trying.

I try to make my way up to his head, but that's when it happens. I feel something wrap around my waist.

Not again…

The vine pulls me off the Leshy, hoisting me into the air. The others are being attacked by plants as well, forcing them off of the monster. Said spirit is getting up, snapping the ropes of his trap. He yanks the harpoon out of his face with a sickening sound. "I do not care who tries to get in my way, not do I care what injury may befall me… I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL BABA YAGA IS BROUGHT TO THIS PLANE!"

I swing my harpoon's blade into the vine, cutting me down. Only a few of the demon hunters are hands free, Balthazar being one.

We brace ourselves for one hell of a fight.

The commotion outside grows louder, shaking the entire house. Hellboy really likes to make an entrance… he also likes to cut it way too close.

Unfortunately, we're all still trapped. Camila and I haven't even managed to remove the gags. But with Hellboy out there fighting the Leshy, we've got time to get out of this.

Luz and Gus are also at work, but Willow is still unresponsive. Luz seems to notice this. "Willow, come one! Now's as good a time as any to escape! You could use your powers to take control of these vines, so they'll let us go."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Luz. I just can't…" She laments. "I couldn't even save Hellboy."

"That wasn't your fault. You were under a lot of pressure, and the Leshy's control over plants was strong. But Hellboy's okay. He's out there fighting that thing right now, trying to give us the chance we need! I bet if you just concentrate-"

"Nothing will happen." Willow rejects. "I tried as hard as I could, but I failed. Hellboy almost died because of it. Amity was right about me…"

"What? No she isn't. She doesn't know a thing about you-"

"Of course she knows about me!" Willow snaps. Her face softens when she realizes she'd yelled at her. The shouting has even grabbed Camila's attention. "She knows everything about me. Even more than you…" She sighed despondently. "…because we used to be friends."

Luz gasped. Gus, who I guess already knew the story, just made a dry comment. "I'd usually ask if this is the best time, but we're clearly not going anywhere…" I myself had only heard Amity was a bully, who'd been part of the problem at Covention.

Willow grew a faint smile. "We used to play together as kids. We did everything with each other. You'd be surprised just how different she was back then. Practically unrecognizable." Those fond memories turned sour, judging by the look in Willow's eyes. "Then one day, her magic powers developed. And… mine didn't. Not for a long time after. Amity suddenly thought she was too good for me… she left me behind. All I ever wanted to do was prove her wrong, make her see that she was wrong to hurt me like that. But… I just can't…" Tears began forming in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?!" Luz shouted, making Willow jolt in surprise. "You brought a house to life! Can Amity do something like that?" Willow looked at Luz, stunned. "I've seen what you can do, Willow. Since the first day we met. You're amazing! You made a giant plant grow through the entire school from just a tiny seed! You make vine monsters from the ground just by getting mad! Forget what Amity thinks!" Willow's shock melts away, a genuine smile appearing on her face. "From all the witches I've seen so far, you're like… the second strongest I've met. And you know who's the strongest, what that means. I may not know a lot about magic, but I bet if you put your mind to it, you could get these things off of us. Forget about Amity. Forget about the Leshy. Heck, forget about what's happening outside! Just stay calm and focus on what you do best. I know you can do it."

Heh… Luz really knows how to give a pep talk, doesn't it? Even as far back as that little prison break… Luz seems to have a natural talent for rallying people. It's an understatement to call it an admirable… more like outstanding. I glance over to Camila, and despite her fear, I can tell she thinks the same. There's a big smile under that vine.

Willow seems convinced as well, stifling back some tears. "Okay… okay. I cand do this. I can do this…" She closes her eyes, doing best to drown out the noise. She places her hands on the plants trapping her, green energy glowing from them. They don't respond at first. The tension can be cut with a knife as they remain immobile… then abruptly, they began to move. Small rustling at first, merely shaking in place… until slowly but surely, the vines unwrapped themselves from Willow, finally freeing her.

"Yes! You did it, Willow!" Luz cheers.

Gus chimed in as well. "That's our girl!" I simply pumped my fists, while Cam relaxed in relief.

Willow looked down from her hands up to her two friends, beside herself with joy… only for the moment to be cut short by an explosion from the Leshy outside. "Right. Might not be the best time to celebrate. Let's get you guys out." She prepared more spell circles.

A few minutes later, we were all freed, the vines finally uncovered from our mouths.

Camila was quick to hug Luz tight. "Oh, thank god, I thought I was going to lose you. That monster… he almost…"

"I'm fine, mom. I was scared too… but I'm fine."

Camila pulled away. "Let's get Hooty and get you far away from this thing as possible."

"No."

"Wha… I…" Camila lost the words for a moment. "No?! Luz, that thing was about to cook you! We need to get you to safety!"

"I can't just leave Hellboy to fight that monster!"

"Luz, he's told me his stories. He does this all the time! He'll be fine."

"Mami, I've kept track of his stories since I was eight. He's fought a lot of things, but never anything like that. He could be killed!" Luz argued. Well… he has, but those situations have been kept a bit more under wraps.

Still… "Cam, she has a point. Hellboy isn't invincible. I know what the Leshy is… he's practically fighting a demigod. If it kills him, which it most certainly can, it'll come after us again. And we'll be right back where we started."

Camila grew angry with me. "But why does it have to be my daughter?! She's just a child, she can't fight these creatures like Hellboy can. She could die!"

"I… I know. But we still have no sign of Eda. This thing has to be stopped right now, otherwise it's just going to keep coming back. At the very least, we have to hold it off until Ms. Clawthorne can find us."

"I… just can't." She began breaking down. "I can't keep putting you in danger like this, mija…you're all I have left…"

"Mami…" Luz placed her hands on Camila's arms. "I know you're worried for me. Terrified for me. I know you think this is a just another reckless decision. But it's not. It's a risk I have to take. We're the ones controlling Hooty, we're the only ones who can do something to help. If we don't…"

Camila and Luz locked eyes, both vying to persuade the other. Eventually, Camila simply shifted her face down. Not acceptance… more like reluctant allowance. Luz just slowly pulled away, never taking her eyes of her mom until she'd grabbed both her friend's hands. "Come on, we need to go."

Things aren't going to be the same after tonight… I just know it.

Things weren't looking too good. Most of my new allies had been indisposed of, stuck fighting plants or rendered unconscious. The last few of us who could fight the main target hadn't been able to do much. Whatever hits we made barely left a mark. Balthazar's shocks just weren't the same as full blown lightning, most of the damage being insulated by the Leshy's wooden-like skin. My harpoon, even with my strength, didn't pierce too far past the skin. To top it off, his eye seemed to be slowly healing.

The bright side is that he was too big to catch us… so far. His giant form gave him strength, but not a lot of agility. We were like flies to him… but that comparison worked both ways. He couldn't swat us, but we couldn't hurt him.

Balthazar tried his luck hitting him in the face, using some kind of spell to jump high up. While he met his mark, shocking the monster's eye (same one that got stabbed, coincidentally), the Leshy managed to hit him with a backhand on the way down, sending him into the ground, hard. His buddies and my remaining help bailed to go check on him. Guess he was the lynchpin.

I decided to try something myself while the Leshy was still distracted, pole-vaulting with my harpoon just high enough to deliver a swing with my stone hand. It hit him in the side of the knee- an unpleasant feeling, I'd bet. Though it caused him to yelp and unbalanced him, it failed to do much else. He simply turned his attention back on me, ready to finally end me. I dodged a few more of his swings but failed when he grabbed for me. A quick stab with my harpoon forces him to drop me, though the damn thing gets stuck in his hand. All he has to do is yank it out. Might as well have been a splinter. He brings his fist down onto me. I manage to roll back this time, but the ground is upheaved by the force, flinging me up. Which gives the bastard the chance to kick me like a soccer ball.

It's not fun getting launched by a giant foot. Less so when you hit a big tree hard enough to snap it in half. I'm trying to get my bearings, but the Leshy needs only a few steps to reach me. "Hmph. Even when banding together with rotten imps, you can barely harm me."

"Sure as hell… pissed you off…"

"Take solace in that petty little victory. It only gives me more reason to crush you like a grape. I suppose I'll have to ensure I don't smash your eye in the process." He lifts his fist in the air. "I hope she is not too angry that she could not kill you first. But she must surely know how you've given me the same amount of pain as- HHGgggRRrK!" The Leshy's boasting was cut short by him choking out of nowhere. While I was glad someone finally shut him up, it did take me by surprise. Something brown around his neck…

Wait.

The Leshy is brought down, pulled by his neck onto the ground, revealing Eda's house. In the doorway, Luz and her friends stood, hand in hand, shining blue. They… they were fighting the Leshy with the damn bird sausage.

I struggled to regain my footing, fighting the dizziness. I couldn't let them take him on alone.

"Who… what is- you!" The Leshy angrily barked. "I will- ugh!" The kids shut him up again by bringing Hooty's foot down on his face, cratering the ground beneath him. Bringing their foot back in, they launched the other, scratching Hooty's talons over the monster's chest. It does a hell of a lot more damage than my puny metal pole. Unfortunately, the Leshy catches that foot, and tries to return the favor. But Hooty's head comes out and swiftly whips his hand, hurting him enough to cause him to let go. As he attempts to quickly get back up, The kids deliver one final kick, forcing him back away.

The Leshy's clearly had enough. He launches vines from his body, going for the kids, prompting me to put my adrenaline into overdrive and recover. Luckily, they never reach the three, as Willow suddenly breaks the circle… and launches her own vines out, holding them off. Gus uses a spell circle himself, and begins running on the attacking vines… along with Gus… and Gus… and Gu- okay, there's an army of Gus. They begin popping up all over the Leshy. He diverts his attention, trying to brush them off. But he seems to be passing through them… right, I remember now. Gus's specialty is illusions.

With the Leshy's vines slacking due to lack of focus, the kids rejoin hands, sending Hooty's head and wrapping around the monster's legs. Not a moment later, he's back on his ass as the bird pulls his feet out from under him. But he ain't done with the creature yet. Using a strength I didn't know the doorknob had, he swings the giant and throws him through the forest, hitting a large nearby cliff face. I think that one gave him a concussion.

He's still not out. The Leshy raises up once more, intent on charging the house. Don't think they'll be able to hold that back… but now, I have my wits about me. And swamp thing just gave me a much better weapon…

His charge is interrupted when a large tree slams right into the side of his head, throwing him off. Hmph. If I had a nickel for every time I threw a tree at a big monster… well, I'd have two nickels. Which is weird because I thought that would've happened a lot more by now.

The Leshy's fists tremble. He begins oozing green from his mouth. I think that last number might've made him snap. "You little maggots are intent on making this night the most excruciating I've had in a long time… but I will suffer such indignities so longer…" The trees around us begin shaking violently. They creak loudly, some cracking like bones. The kids look worried, and I can't blame 'em. Not sure if we can handle what's coming "You will see just what power I possess, you will feel agony as the forest rips you apart, strips your flesh from its bones, and TRAPS YOUR VERY SOULS WITHIN ITS- GGGGRRRRRYYYAAAAAAAGGH!" Another interruption… except this time, its from a bright explosion that hits the Leshy's side. We turn towards the source of such a powerful fireball…

…And find Eda hovering above, glowering at the monster with a look that could kill. King is perched on her shoulder while Roger hangs from her staff, not quite as dignified.

A flick of her wrist and the two are hovered over to the Owl House, reuniting with Luz and co. Her attention stays on the Leshy. "I don't know who you are. I don't know why you've decided to track mud all over my house. I don't even know why you're attacking my guests… but right now, I really don't care. I've already had a very long night dealing with one asshole… so as long as you leave and crawl back into whatever hole you came from, I'm willing to let you go. You have till the count of three."

The Leshy only stared up at her in defiance. "You…filthy ingrate! This house does not belong to you, it belongs to her!"

"One."

"And if you choose to desecrate it just as these whelps have, I shall bring the forest's wrath upon you as well!"

"Two."

"You will know the power of the Leshy as I infest you with mold and fungi! Your eyes and mouth foaming with-"

"Three." Without warning, she was gone.

The Leshy was just as confused as I was. "Wha…?" A red hot glow emerged from behind him. He swiveled around to find a giant owl staring him down, emerging from the yes of Eda's staff. He stared at it, awestruck by its visage…

…and screamed in agony when it unleashed a torrent of flames on it.

"AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

The Leshy could do nothing as he was barraged by fire. It torched his foliage of beard and hair. His antlers became cinders. His skin became like charcoal. It hadn't been long, but by the time Eda finished, he was barely recognizable. His size diminished, having completely lost his energy, and he collapsed on the ground.

Man… all that work the rest of us did, and she took it out in seconds. Glad I wasn't fighting her like this a few days ago…

She flew down to me. "So, Trenchcoat, mind telling me what the hell is going on? Why is my house walking around like it owns the place? Why the hell did this asshole attack you all? And… why aren't you wearing a shirt?" She seemed the most confused by that last part.

"Hang on a second and I'll have those answers for you. Most of 'em anyway." I walked over to the half dead forest spirit, Eda following. He whimpered as I stomped down on his charred torso. I don't usually resort to this method, but what he was planning to do with the kids… screw 'em. "Talk. While there's enough of you left for the fireplace. Why are you here?"

"I… I am here because Baba Yaga… wished us… to be…" He groaned in pain. "Since… at least sixty-five winters ago…"

Eda gasped. "D-did he… did he say Baba Yaga?!"

In any case… sixty-five winters, that's… "You've been here sixty-five years? You and your wife have been here that long?"

Eda seemed surprised. "That's longer than Belos has been in power…"

I took note, before grinding my foot. "Why? Why did she send you here?"

"UurRgGH… We… were to find… the Titan's…. secret…uggghh…." The Leshy collapsed. Not dead, just unconscious.

"Titan's secret?" I turned to Eda for answers, but she only shrugged.

The sound of footsteps caught our attention. Balthazar, having gained a limp, had arrived with his group. Eda readied to get rid of more uninvited guests, but I placed my arm in front of her. "He's all yours."

He gazed at Eda for a moment before he moved in on his quarry. "Hmm… knowing that this house belonged to the Owl Lady… makes me glad we chose the better option." And just like that, the bastard that made this night hell was hauled off.

"Alright, enough dawdling. What happened? How'd my simple little spell turn out like this? I wasn't lying to you or anything, it wasn't supposed to be dangerous." She gave me a peculiar look. "All I know from what Roger told me is that you somehow took my house for a stroll."

"Yeah, that…" I sighed. How'd things get like this, indeed. "So, apparently the spell misfired and brought your house to life."

"My… house?" She looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah. The doorknob was stuck in the passenger's seat. Grew a pair of legs and everything."

"And you decided to go walking with it instead staying put, why?" She asked accusingly.

"That was me. Luz's magic levels kinda fluctuated when the kids gave orders, so we needed to take it for a drive. That way Kate could get an accurate set of readings. You want to be angry at anyone for that, be angry at me."

She stared at me for a moment, studying me. She let out a breath. "Whatever. If you needed it to make your argument to glasses, who am I to argue? Just make sure to help me clean up and take stock of anything I might've lost."

"Deal."

"So… where does toasty come in?"

"That…" I cringe. Hard to imagine things went downhill in only a moment. "He showed up on your doorstep just as we were wrapping things up. He went ballistic, because… well, because he thought your house was Baba Yaga's."

"Baba Yaga…" Eda clenched her staff and shuddered a bit.

"You know her?"

"She's a boogeyman story for kids of the Isles. But we've met once… never considered her a story ever again."

"Hmm. Tonight's full of surprises…" I give a weak laugh. "So, yeah, we fight, he tosses me out, I come back with some buddies, and we try to fight him off. Damn if he wasn't a tough SOB though. Oddly enough, the kids came to my rescue. Gave the thing a beating with their spells and the house."

"Hey, I chose Hooty as my house demon for a reason. He's one hell of a security guard." She looked up to the house. "Everyone okay?"

"Far as I can tell, yeah. But…" I shake my head. "You know… Cam was on board."

"S-she… she was?" Eda seemed a bit more excited for that than she probably let on.

"Yeah, but… right after, this whole thing… I think… I know, she's gonna do a one-eighty."

"…Oh. I-I see."

The somberness was palpable. "I hope… you had more luck than we did."

"Yeah, I… yeah. Roger was a big help. Sorry… for being a pain in the ass about it."

"Damn. Turned your opinion on it in one night. Was he really that helpful?"

"Yeah. Nice and supportive for… haggling."

I could kind of tell there was something she wasn't mentioning… but if Roger covered for her, I don't think I mind. Besides, whatever did happen probably would just bring this night down more.

She held her staff out to me. "Come on. Let's get my house back in place. Moon's almost down."

That's where we ended off, the solemn atmosphere just… sinking in.

The walk back home was… quiet. Eerily quiet. No one really said anything. Not Hellboy, Kate, Eda… not King or Roger… not the kids, not even Luz. What was there even to say?

The silence was only broken when the house finally hit the ground… by the bird door. "Well, I don't know about any of you, but I had a fun time out tonight!"

We all gave him a death stare. King was the only one to comment. "Encompasses an entire house and yet he still doesn't know how to read a room…"

With the quiet effectively disrupted, everyone began shuffling around. Roger was helping Kate pack up. King, Willow and Gus went upstairs, giving a small look of longing to Luz before they left. Hellboy and Eda just poured themselves a drink and sat around, trying to process the night.

Luz slowly walked up to me. "Mami?" She said meekly. I… I know things totally went off the rails tonight. But I swear to you, it was all an accident. That monster wasn't supposed to be here. None of this has to change anything."

"Luz…"

"A-a-and even though it did attack us, Hellboy and Eda were there to protect us, and everybody got out okay, no one was even hurt."

"Luz."

"Because we did fill out all the requirements, the magic was safe, it didn't affect me, so I'm begging you, please, don't let this night-"

"LUZ!" I yelled. Out of fear, and anger, and sadness. I wanted to go off, saying how the Leshy was just there waiting, how we had no idea if anything else lived out there. How everyone kept promising me that she would be safe, only for problems to keep escalating with her in the middle. How Hellboy and Eda wouldn't always be there, how I still didn't trust Eda, how she was nearly cooked right in front of me, how she ran off to go fight a monster that could've killed her, how none of the requirements of our deal mattered if she wasn't safe on any part of this island…

But the rant lodged in my throat when I saw her face. The tears streamed down her cheeks, and I remember… she was there, too. Almost killed by the Leshy, watching as Hellboy was whisked away, seeing everything go to hell… as much as I wanted to give my final decision tonight… it would be too much. This night had been too much. I couldn't do that to her… not now, not yet.

"…Why don't you get some sleep. It's been a long night, and everyone is very tired… we'll talk about this in the morning." It was a lie, in a way, implying that there was something to discuss. I think she knew that too.

"Okay, Mami…" She sniffled. "G-good night." She soon disappeared upstairs.

I couldn't bear to see the heartbreak on her face… but I could bear it even less if something happened to her. I'm sorry, Luz… I just can't do it anymore.

Hellboy set his drink down and walked over. "Cam?"

"I'd… rather not go anywhere else tonight. I'm just… so tired." My way of saying I didn't have the energy to go home.

"That's alright. Why don't you take the couch tonight? I'll find my own arrangements."

I was about to protest when Kate called Hellboy over. "Hey, Red. Remember when I said I recognized that creature's name? I've got it right here." Hellboy strolled over to her, looking over her laptop's screen. "The Leshy. Slavic deity of forests. He can grow as big as the trees. Nasty fella. He'll teach you magic if you reject any image of god. My question is, the hell is it doing here instead of the forests of Russia?"

"Apparently, doing a job for the Baba Yaga."

"The Baba Yaga? The big witch herself? Okay, I'll rephrase, what does a major Russian mythological figure want with this realm?"

…Slavic? Russian? The thing that was out there… it came from… Earth? That's… a good reason never to move to Russia.

"The Leshy said something about… the Titan's secret." He turns to Eda. "Sure you don't know anything about this, Snaggletooth?"

"I've learned my fair share of magic, secrets and even general gossip. Never heard anything about that."

"But you said you met Baba Yaga."

"Only for a few moments. It wasn't pleasant. I'm not afraid to admit that she terrifies me. Way more than any of those American witches…"

What?! "What… what do you mean, American witches?" I voice my thoughts without thinking.

The glanced at me, putting their conversation on hold. An awkward pause went by. "Um… American witches. I've met them on the other side. Ugly on the inside as they are on the outside. Trenchcoat here told me about a time he met them."

"W-where?"

"Uh…" Hellboy seemed reluctant to tell me. "It was… a long time ago. I was doing work in Virginia. I met some people in the Appalachian Mountains having a witch problem." He gestures to Eda. "Nothing like these guys. Those witches made deals with devils and everything. They… they preyed on innocent young kids, coaxing them with magic."

Virginia… in the Appalachian Moutnains? That was… that was only a few states down from Connecticut. And the mountains were practically next door. No… no, that was just a random attack. And Hellboy took care of it. "So… they're gone. No more witches. You dealt with them."

Hellboy's eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly got very quiet. All he could do was scratch the back of his head.

Eda wasn't so quiet. "Ehhh… no. I've been back over plenty of times. There's a fairly decent number of witches over that country. That's not even counting the werewolves, vampires and ghosts I've met."

"W-werewolves? Vampires? Ghosts?!" I exclaimed in shock. That can't be right… could it? It couldn't be true, the public would know. They would…

…But then again… look who I'm dealing with. A demonic looking man and an agency dedicated to investigating paranormal events. They fought such things every day… they told her as much when Luz first went missing. Hellboy and his teammates would make small mentions here and there of previous cases… sometimes when I had a question, other times when they wanted to calm my fears.

"Hellboy's dealt with disappearing children before. He once went after an Ijiraq up north, in the 70s… brought all the kids home safe."

"I've been to Japan. It's not all anime and kimonos. Mostly cursed scrolls and ancient swords. Oh, and the demons Fujin and Raijin."

"There's rumors in the BPRD that Hellboy once took on Krampus. If there's anyone you can trust to get the job done, it's him."

As the memories returned to me, I couldn't help but feel… confused. Why was I so upset by this revelation now if I'd been told such things long before? What was making me so afraid finding this out tonight?

"Yeah, everyone thinks their neighborhood is the safest place around." The police officer's cruel words from the first night rang in my head. It'd stuck with me, made me feel guilty, like it was my fault Luz had gone missing. Hellboy had told me not to listen to him, but… maybe… maybe he was right, in a way.

I'd never bothered to look into the BPRD before all this started. It just didn't seem important. My biggest problems then were Luz's social challenges and her teacher's threats of expulsion. Even after the BPRD came along, telling me what they fought, showing me the Boiling Isles… I associated all the danger with this place, and not with my world. My neighborhood. My home.

But… that wasn't true, was it? In every corner of Earth, there was likely something waiting. A monster, a demon, a witch who wouldn't think twice about gobbling up my daughter for lunch. I never thought about these kind of things because they seemed a world away, whether fictional or real. But… Luz found a cabin in the woods that led to another world… what powerful monsters were lying in wait like the Leshy, in the quiet forests around their town?

And the worst part about this realization was… that meant home really wasn't safe. Eda had taken out that monster so easily. What would the small flimsy wall of their house have done to slow that fiend? I'd said to Luz that she had been lucky that the Owl Lady didn't want to hurt her… but just how much luckier was she really?

"Cam? Cam." I felt Hellboy shake me slightly, popping me out of my daze. "Listen, don't worry about it too much, okay? It's like you said. We've all had a long night. Let's just get some shut-eye."

I gave a gave a small nod, going to lie down on the couch. I did my best not to think about these new thoughts.

But I couldn't sleep that night. Not when home didn't feel safe anymore.

"This deal never happened. The monster was delivered to the usual auction as you planned. Is that understood?"

The demon hunter watched as his cohorts carried a rather large bag of snails away. He only shrugged. "Paid twice the asking price, I don't see why not. It's your money and all." He gave a small wave before his group disappeared into the dark.

I looked to my two coven guards. "You two, watch the door. No one in or out. If you fail, I'll make sure you wish you were dead." They stood up straight, motivated by fear. "I must attend to this matter myself."

I marched through the door, locking behind me. It was a small warehouse, rented out for nothing more than keeping their prey. I should know, since I sent city guards asking them to do so. I couldn't have him sold off to an auction… not this one.

He had no strength left. His skin, which would usually smell of pine and be as strong as oak, was nothing more than a charred suit of armor. His soft, mossy beard had been burned away. His majestic antlers, which were like trees on their own when he towered above, were simply gone. It pained me to see him like this.

He seemed to notice he had a new guest. "Leave me be… have I not been stripped of my dignity as is? Kill me, or leave me alone…"

His despondent tone clutched at my heart. To see him reduced to such a state… even emotionally. "Are you truly so unhappy to see me?"

My voice came as a shock to him. He stirred from his prone position, opening his eyes slowly, beholding the sight before him. "No… is it really you, beloved? After all these years?"

I stepped forward, into the light. With a quick swipe of my fingers, his bonds were cut. He crawled forward, doing his best to look me over. "Hello, Lesovik. It's been too long."

Though his entire body was smoldering, he still managed to produce tears. "It… it is you… my Baba Bolotnitsa…"

That name… I hadn't heard it in a long, long time... "I… I go by Kikimora now."

"Just… Kikimora?" He laughed a little, coughing in pain from it. "You are no average Kikimora, love. You are the Kikimora of the swamp! Why, the mortals did their best to stay out of the forests when you were around."

I blush at his flattering words. He was never short on praise… "That was a long time ago, Lesovik. Things have changed."

His smile dropped, a baffled look on his face. "Right… yes, yes. They had captured you, yes? I cannot imagine what they have done to you while you were imprisoned. Such odds garments you are wearing… that they would assimilate you into their sickening lifestyle…"

"Lesovik." I said sternly. "They didn't force me to do this. I wear this of my own choosing. I was never captured. Never held against my will."

He was stunned. "What? But… did you not hear my call on the wind? My howls into the night? I have spent years waiting for your return, just as I have Baba Yaga…"

"I sent you a message. I told you what I had decided to do, from the first few days."

"I… I did not want to believe what the trees told me. That you would turn your back on us…"

"Turn my back?" I balked. "Belos opened my eyes, Lesovik. He showed me the inevitable Armageddon. The day the Ogdru Jahad destroy everything draws closer and closer. No matter who conspires for or against it, there is no stopping it. The knowledge he knows, the magic he possesses… I know he is the only one who can stop it. If he can obtain the Titan's secret…"

"That secret is meant for the Baba Yaga." He growled. "And you know it! It is the entire reason she sent us to this lowly place! YOU ARE BETRAYING HER!"

"BABA YAGA IS A FOOL!" My accent returned involuntarily. "She clings to a past that is long since gone! She is obsessed with revenge on the man who took her eye! But though I did not recognize him at first, I know of him. I have seen what that man is meant to do. Did Baba Yaga ever mention that? He is the one meant to bring the seven serpents onto this plane. But he cannot simply be killed. The Ogdru Jahad must be stopped permanently… Baba Yaga cannot do that. Her magic is dying. Belos is the only one capable of stopping what's coming. So I choose to follow him."

"I will not join you…"

"I did not believe you would."

There is a stillness as we come to terms with our broken marriage. There truly is no going back… the old days are gone.

Lesovik struggled to fight back tears. "When… when did I lose your love, beloved?"

I wished I could say I was doing better, but my own eyes were watering. "…It faded with Old Russia… so long ago." I pulled a secured flagon off of my back. "I didn't come here to fight with you, believe it or not. Though I may support a new cause, I couldn't bear to see you traded like cattle."

He wouldn't look at me at first. But when I put the flagon down before him, he couldn't help but be interested. "Is this…?" He brings the flagon to his nose, taking in the scent. "You still know how to brew?"

"I never forgot. Not this…" He takes a gulp, reveling in its flavor. "But I think it might be my last. I can't bear the memories it brings."

Lesovik grasped it tightly, savoring what he could. He reached out to me. "Oh, my Bolotnitsa… even though you have abandoned your dresses of grass and leaves… you still look beautiful." He caresses my cheek. "Though you do not love me anymore… I still care for you."

I stroke his hand in kind. Teardrops fall beneath me. "I know. I care for you as well. Which is why I can't let you suffer through what is to come."

"What do you-" He never had the chance to finish. His body was turned to ashes instantly as I finished the spell circle on his hand. The remains fell to the ground. With a whisk of my hand, they blew away, out the window to be scattered to the wind.

The deed was done.

I couldn't bring myself to move. Not for some time. But eventually, I reminded myself that there was work to be done.

I stepped outside after drying my eyes, signaling my entourage. "As you were. I must return to Belos. My mission is complete."

I walked away from that empty building, and I never looked back.

Phew… now that was not a light undertaking.

I had the base idea for this chapter way back in November, oddly while I was standing in line to vote. Took a long time to really pull things together.

Firstly, Eda's Hexes "addiction"- never really made sense to me, it really only shows up in the one episode for the sake of the b-plot. So, I felt like going deeper into her character instead… at least, this story's version of her character, anyway.

Secondly, The Leshy- I struggled to find a way to bring this episode into my combined universe, but when I wondered what Kikimora's inspiration was, it wasn't long before I found myself the villain: The Leshy. As well as a way to connect to a Hellboy villains. Will Baba Yaga make an appearance in person? Hard to say, but we'll see as time goes on. He's not entirely accurate to his source material, but that's how Hellboy mythology be sometimes.

A side note, but as you might've noticed in a small detail, I headcanon Luz's home being in Connecticut. The trees around her house and in the forest don't look coniferous, more like a broadleaf species, and its where Dana Terrace was born and went to college. So, until the show says differently, my version of Luz lives in Connecticut... still not sure of the town, though.

Review responses-

Coldblue-

1. Eh, I don't see why not. Nothing spoilerly about that. It's sort of this instinct they have… might have something to do with where they grew up.

2. He invited them for dinner and they just won't leave. Now they've got squatter's rights. It's a mess in court right now.

OMAC001- Not quite. I just knew that gas masks are a haunting visage… Are you my mummy?

MajorBrony95- Always glad to pull new fans in! Come on, take a seat. You're here forever now. Don't mind the skeleton, he's a kidder that one.

Next chapter is going to be a little bit different… God knows when I'll get it out. Until then, see ya!