So, it's been a while. Between school and writing a different Owl House story, it's almost like this one got neglected. But, that won't be the case anymore. And side note, it's the one year anniversary of this fic! So that's something.
Enjoy chapter 7!
"So, kid, what do you think of the francach gloinithe?" Eda asked.
Eda, Luz and King had just made it into town when Luz's stomach decided to let out another loud, low pitched gurgle; one that Eda could not, and did not, miss. They found the nearest food vendor which was serving up what was allegedly identified as "The Best Francach In Gastrow." Eda said it was a local cuisine not much sought after outside of the city, and for good reason, though she had intentionally left out that part when telling Luz about it.
"It's actually pretty good!" Luz chirped between bites. At this point she was more than halfway through her skewered meal, quickly devouring her way through the second half. She took another bite and was happily chewing the mixture of flavors and textures similar to pollo guisado, a meal passed down by her great great grandmother, which her mom made on special occasions.
It was like a small piece of home; something she would happily take.
"Well I'm glad you like it!" Eda smiled, with King nodding along with her, consuming his own serving. "Not many witches take to glazed rat so easily. Guess it's more of a human thing." She gestured to Luz.
No sooner did the words leave Eda's lips before Luz had spat out the partially chewed chunks all over the ground in front of her. "What!?" She squeaked, before scraping at her tongue to rid her mouth of street vermin. She was used to some tastes that even humans would consider alien, considering the past few years she spent on the Boiling Isles, but she drew the line at things which scurry around like creepy little roombas, eager to take whatever scraps they can find.
Eda couldn't help but crack up at the distressed disaster of a girl beside her. It was times like these which really reminded her just how much fun she could have with Luz. That when it came down to it, this lowley human girl who managed to stumble her way into the nightmare called the Boiling Isles had also stumbled her way into her heart. And although Eda never really phrased it in such a way, she had hoped it came across well enough in her actions.
Like having Luz try a likely expired glazed rat on a stick.
"It's actually one of the best food choices you can get around here." King chimed in, completely ignoring Luz's futile mouth cleansing. He took another bite and continued to talk, mouth full of food. "Muth bether den duh insech shalad."
Her face dropped at the mention of such a stomach wrenching dish, which somehow sounded even worse than what she had just wolfed down. "Oh God. The what now?"
"One thing at a time, King. Sheesh, we may give her a heart attack, and I'm not ready to carry around a corpse like the rest of the low lives around here."
"Oh yeah, I thought you said this place was full of rough and tough killers? It seems pretty quaint to me." Luz pointed out, now having completely moved on from the rabies she likely ingested.
"There are many things I lie about. Mostly to steal from people I don't like, but not about that. Trust me, kid, you're gonna want to watch your back as we head in. Titan knows we'll probably get ambushed at some point"
It was the rare instance where both student and mentor were correct in their own regards. Eda, Luz and King were all currently on the outskirts of Gastrow, just barely within the limits of the city. It was similar to what they were used to in Bonesborough; the stands various witches and demons set up lined the large paths in a colorful, eye-catching array, the residents were clustered together yet scattered about the entirety of the strip buying, selling, and haggling various products, and the heavy musty haze combined with the city like brown sounds made this place feel like a home away from home.
That is, until they started to make their way towards the center of the city. With each passing step the ground became more uneven and the stands gained additional security spells which were at the ready, watching over the less dense crowds clumped in front of them. People started to become more closed off, covering themselves up to the point where nothing but an outer layer of cloth was visible. And it was getting easier to tell who was a witch since more and more people began having staffs out and at the ready. Even the air got thicker with the heavy sense of dread lingering like a thick fog, consuming everything in sight.
Eventually Luz found herself standing outside of a two story wooden building. It reminded her of the old saloons that sheriffs frequented to catch the outlaw in old western movies. There was a worn down awning covering a few rotting chairs thrown in every which direction on a small, creaky wooden floor. Half of the shudders were missing from windows next to the batwing door entrance, which in of itself looked like it was ready to keel over and die.
"What is this place?" Luz hesitantly asked, not really sure on whether she wanted to know the answer or not. Not was probably more accurate.
"This right here is called Starless. It's the one place that even the scum of Gastrow can come and enjoy a drink after their long day of ruining or ending lives." Eda looked down at Luz with a cold, unforgiving expression. A look that Luz knew was reserved for only the most dire of circumstances. That thought alone shook her to her very core, but it didn't even come close to the icy tone Eda continued with. "Do not, even for a second, leave my side. If you're as little as an arm's length away from me, someone could take you away and-" she paused, goosebumps raising on her arms ever so slightly, "just stay with me. Got it?"
Luz nodded fast enough to give herself whiplash. If this was serious enough to make even Eda run cold, she had no problem in adhering to her each and every command. "Got it."
"Arm's length." Eda repeated as she turned towards the door. Before she moved, King scampered up her leg and nestled himself within Eda's fluffy mane.
Eda shoved open the doors and walked inside, Luz riding her coattails like her life depended on it. Which, as Eda implied, it did.
The dim lights sporadically dotted above bar tables and booths made ambient lighting seem like stadium fluorescents. There was a heavy skunk like smog which burned the back of Luz's throat as it made its way down into her lungs, much to her own body's dismay. It took a hearty amount of willpower not to cough it out immediately, something which would probably make her and Eda more of a target than they already were for coming in here and disrupting the flow of the locals.
The same locals which stared Luz down as though she were being presented as the evening's main course. These witches and demons were ready to pounce her, and the only thing between their almost comically ripped physique and herself was the infamous Owl Lady.
With each stride she took, she could feel a new pair of eyes lay upon her. The large green lizard by what looked like pool table, the four armed demon with tattoos for days at the bar with his venous engourged hand grasped around a wooden stein, the small dwarven witch scratching at nothing on his onyx black staff, and the bright pink witch shoulder to shoulder with a large male witch, fiddling with some arrows.
Luz closed the gap between her and Eda a little more. It felt like an eternity in the unwanted spotlight, even though they only moved a couple yards from the entrance, but they finally reached the end of the bar. Eda subtly tapped one of the seats and Luz, a bit too eagerly, hopped up on the stool with her back facing the crowd.
Eda slammed the butt of her staff on the ground, eliciting a wave of neon yellow sparks from the bottom with an accompanying thunderous crash. All eyes that weren't on them before sure were now.
"Listen up you two faced, bottom feeding, low lifes! If I catch any of you eyeing up me or my companion here," she made a small gesture towards Luz, "your head's are gonna end up on a spear six feet above your icy corpse! Understand?" That authoritative tone reared it's wonderful head once more, quickly and efficiently silencing each and every creature around them.
A few murmurs began to pass between adjacent individuals. Luz caught bits and pieces a few of them were saying, like 'Owl Lady' and 'woods.' But within moments there was a distinct lack of eye contact, and the lump which had manifested itself in Luz's throat had eased off, if ever so slightly.
Satisfied with the results of her address, Eda pulled up the stool next to Luz and sat down facing the bar. She drummed her fingertips against the hard wood of the counter, little clicks popping with each point of contact as she surveyed the backdrop of booze.
Luz mimicked her mentor and sat quietly looking out at absolutely nothing. Her mind began to wander.
What was so important that they had to come into the center of one of the most dangerous cities on the Titan? Why would Eda bring her here if she was so concerned with the possibility of losing her to any thug off the street? And probably least important to their current situation, but still important to the ADD riddled mind of Luz Noceda, when could Eda teach her how to speak like that? It was horrifyingly amazing!
Her train of thought was derailed by the bartender coming up somewhat hesitantly towards them. "So, what can I get for you?" His cool demeanor was betrayed by the slight waiver in his voice that was just prominent enough to get noticed.
"I'll have a dirty duster. Aged gruff only." Eda ordered in a monotonous voice.
"All the aged bottles are in the back." The bartender answered.
"There's always one under the counter." Eda vollied back.
The bartender took a quick glance around the room before returning his gaze to Eda. "Follow me." He began walking twords a one person wide hall in the back of the bar. Luz could hear each squeaky floorboard under his thick black boots and couldn't tear her eyes away from the flickering independent light in the middle of the hallway. There was a good chance they would be murdered before they could make it even half way to wherever they were going.
Fortunately that never came. The bartender opened a ratty old door, stepping in before them.
"Arla! You have guests!" The man called out.
Who in the hell is Arla? Luz questioned.
"She's right through the kitchen, in the living room." The man pointed a finger away from them. He met Luz's stare for a moment then went back to Eda. "Just, try not to startle her too much. She's much older now than when she worked for your family."
Eda nodded and the strange man left them be. Luz watched as he disappeared, rounding the corner at the end of the hall to go back to his occupational duties.
The clack of those foxy high heels against the aged floorboards were Luz's cue to follow Eda into the small apartment connected to the bar. If the stench of the bar made her feel queasy, this place had her pushing down chyme. And not with full success. They made their way through the kitchen which didn't even have enough space to hold them both simultaneously. They entered the small living room which had the square footage of Luz's bedroom. There were some navy blinds covering a window at the end of the room, a tattered dark green couch lining the wall closest to them, and a faded blue recliner, currently in use, pointed towards the room's far end.
There was a pulsing light coming from a crystal which was broadcasting the local news channel, something about a string of disappearances in a section of the city. Though Luz couldn't hear exactly what the reporter was saying over the ground shaking snoring which reverberated from the chair's occupant.
A couple steps forward and she saw a brown skinned woman who must have been at least in her eighties, knocked out and drooling onto her baby blue oversized lounging gown, complete with matching slippers.
"You'd think they're demolishing the building next to us." Eda snorted, jabbing Luz in the side with her elbow. "Hey Arla! It's Eda! Wake up!"
The loud outburst rattled Luz, but did absolutely nothing in the way of waking Arla from her deep slumber. "Maybe we should try poking her?" Luz asked, trying to peek around to see the woman's face without straying too far from Eda.
"Actually, I have a better idea." Eda cracked a mischievous grin. She drew a spell circle above herself and pulled it down to her toes, completely metamorphosing herself into dust which sprinkled all over the older woman.
Within seconds Arla snorted and jerked awake, rapidly panting as her eyes darted from one object to another until they focused on Luz. Their stare down was short, but intense enough for her to see the panic engulfing the older woman's pupils. Sweat dripped down from her temples, condensed on her lower jaw line, and fell onto her gown.
While they were locked in ocular combat neither noticed Eda manifest herself from the dust. She shuddered. "Wow, I don't think I can ever date anyone named Ricardo now." The not so subtle disgust hinged on her words, drawing the attention of the other two in the room.
"Oh my-" Arla adjusted her thick pink framed glasses which perched neatly atop her bulbous nose. She brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Edalyn? Edalyn is that you?" Her heavily accented voice bolstering bewilderment.
Eda fanned her arms out slightly and smiled.
The old woman's breath hitched and Luz could have sworn she had seen a tear forming out of the corner of her eye.
Arla scrambled to get out of her chair, cursing at the recliner for not going down when she commanded it to. Finally the footrest dropped and she shuffled her way to Eda, wrapping her up tight with a warm embrace. Eda hesitated for a moment, clearly surprised by the gesture, but reciprocated it nonetheless. After all, Luz really had turned her on to that strange custom.
"Aye, you're so big and strong! Just look at how you've turned into such a powerful and beautiful woman. I always knew you would be one of the best. You always were a natural spell caster. I should know; I've always cleaned up yours and your sisters' messes." She ran her thumb across Eda's cheek, eliciting a smile slightly less in caliber compared to her own.
"It's great to see you too, Arla. And as much as I would like to catch up, I came here with a bit of an odd request."
"All business, huh? Well that's quite the change from the lawless, anti-authoritative young witch that I used to know." She replied with a chuckle. "But I'll answer anything I can for you."
Eda fidgeted with the inside of her jacket for just a moment before pausing and pulling her empty hand out. She scrunched her face and looked into the eyes of her family's old summertime housekeeper. "I need you to tell me everything you know about Emperor Belos."
Arla hummed to herself as she made her way back to the chair she had just been napping in. "Sit, please." She asked, waiving in the direction of the couch. Eda and Luz happily complied, sitting down basically on top of one another.
Arla took her glasses off and rubbed them clean with her top, slowly rocking herself back and forth with the ball of her foot. "I thought I'd be able to escape that name for good." She chuckled dryly. "I suppose I was sorely mistaken."
Luz eyed her intently. How in the world would she have known Emperor Belos on a level that other citizens wouldn't? Was she some kind of former coven leader who defected and managed to find a place to lie low in this armpit of a town? Or a spy who recorded and logged Belos' actions without him ever knowing? Or maybe even a former lover of his?
That was a scary thought.
And even though it probably wasn't nearly as important as what Arla knew about Belos, because Luz knew that getting information on him was definitely what mattered most, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of ties this mysterious lady, whom she'd never heard of before today, had to Eda. Sure it was evident that she had cleaned for Eda's family, but to the extent that she would hug Eda? Probably not.
And how did this person know what a hug was anyway? Luz brought that here herself.
"Belos-" Arla began, a heavy sigh escaped her lips as the worn down facial features coating her skin became increasingly prominent. "Belos was always one to keep to himself." She said, her longing eyes fixated on the crystal ball which she had turned off. She pursed her lips together and turned back to face them. "I- I'm sorry, all the memories surrounding him are distorted. I know I knew him as a child, but I can't for the life of me remember where from. All I know are the feelings that pair with him, but nothing else is clear."
Eda shifted, drawing Luz's attention. Her expression changed then changed back quickly, too quickly for anyone who hasn't known her for years to pick up on, which is exactly what made Luz uncomfortable. Eda was upset, and not in a disappointed way. Apparently she really wanted some answers, and lack thereof was not an acceptable reply.
"Please." Eda pushed. "Is there anything, anything at all you can remember? Even the smallest detail could help me."
Arla frowned, continuing to slowly rock herself back and forth. Her face scrunched and softened as she remained silent, the only noise coming from the rocker itself.
Luz snuck a look back to Eda, something she felt like she should be avoiding for some reason. Like Eda would snap at her for simply looking away from the old housekeeper or breaking her focus. It wasn't something Luz was fond of, and the sooner they could get out of this awkward place, the better. Unfortunately, the power to make that happen currently laid outside of her reach, so for now she just bared the awkward storm she was trapped in and hoped it would all be over soon.
"Well dear, for some reason all I can remember is inexplicable fear and a deep, heart wrenching sadness." Arla said in almost a whisper, after about a minute of contemplation. "I feel like I was at the home too when I felt that, but I can't recall when it was or what I was doing. Maybe it was something about him finally securing the throne? That's all I can think of anyway."
Eda let out a long, exasperated sigh. She knew this was a shot in the dark at best, but there was one more chance to get something more worthwhile than just feelings. She reached into her inner pocket once again and this time pulled out a folded piece of paper. The same one she had found last night alongside the Apple blood. She opened it up and showed Arla, pointing to the young boy in the center. "Do you know who this is?" Eda asked.
Arla's eyes went wide. Wider than what should have been considered humanly possible. She began to hyperventilate, pushing herself back up against the chair she was just preciously sitting comfortably in. The fear of the Titan had been been instilled within her, and if the amount of sweat beading off of her was any indication, she was about to shrivel up and die on the spot.
Luz made a quick move and slapped Eda's hand down, making her release the picture from her grasp, which landed on the ground face up. Luz reached down to grab it when all of a sudden something caught her eye as well, just not in an anxiety attack invoking way.
She reached down for the picture and slowly pulled it up to look at it. There was a familiar face on here. Two, actually. The one girl on the end looked like a young red headed version of Lilith, and the one on the other end was unmistakably Eda. Though, she had no idea who the small boy between them was.
"Give me that!" Eda snatched the picture from Luz, folding it up and placing it safely back where she produced it from. Essentially ignoring Luz, Eda returned her focus to the retired housekeeper who was now on the verge of tears. Or she may have already been crying. It was hard to tell with the full body sweating.
"Stay away from that child!" Arla bellowed. The sudden outburst took both Eda and Luz by surprise, making them take a step back. "He's nothing but a monster! Keep him away from me! Get out! Get out!" Arla had ripped into hysterics at this point, not once breaking eye contact from where Eda had stored the photo. She started throwing the closest objects she could find at the two of them; books, remotes, and even the crystal ball. "Out!" She screamed, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.
Dodging the incoming projectiles, Luz and Eda made a beeline towards the way they came in, slamming the door behind them.
With an unspoken agreement, they both hauled ass away from the small apartment, only to be stopped by the bartender before they could round the corner into the main area.
"Woah, hey. What's going on here?" He held his hands up to stop them.
"Nothing!" Luz answered a little too quickly and definitely too loudly. She could have kicked herself for that failure of discretion.
The man obviously was not going to take her poorly executed response for face value, and instead flicked his eyes to Eda, waiting for a different answer.
Moments later he got it in the form of an outcry from the screaming old woman behind door number one.
"What did you do to her?!" He asked more as a threat than genuine curiosity. Not that they could blame him. This whole situation looked pretty bad, seeing as they just came from being alone with Arla.
"Well, funny story…" Eda had no intention to even try making up an excuse, and instead opted to shove the man aside. And having picked up a few things from her mentor about escaping a sticky situation, Luz stuck her foot out behind the bartender, sending him toppling backwards against the wall. His head gave off a loud crack on contact.
The man seethed in pain, rubbing the back of his head. Before Eda and Luz could even get a few steps away from him, he got his bearings and shouted.
"Get them!"
So if you've taken notice from the previous chapters, this one is a little shorter than the last. I don't exactly love it, but for the time being I would rather put out some shorter chapters than wait three times as long to post a single one. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment!
=G
Mr. Spinner: Glad you're enjoying it so far! I can't wait to get into Belos either...
The Keeper of Worlds: We've got a bit to go for some of that stuff, but I'm excited too! Just as excited as Hooty is to spend time with his "torturers."
UltimateAvengers: So happy you liked it!