A warrior in red held and embraced his beloved wife for what would be one last time. As he rides off to only God knows where, his wife held her belly in what would be the deepest secret in her life. The warrior is seen walking down the path towards a dark tower, along side knights who were there to fight along side him as they moved down a monstrous path. Stopping by a fire, they looked to see one of their compatriots being devoured by creatures of the night, which quickly drew their attention towards the warriors and try to attack them. But not before the warrior in red draws a weapon of his own, a god blessed chain whip in the shape of a cross, made of pure silver and its chain infused with magic at every link. The monsters stood no chance against him or his weapon, yet his compatriots weren't so luck.
Walking alone down the dark, did the warrior in red continue to make his way towards the tower as he saw yet another daemon fly above the dead trees. Yet, this one was different, and and most definitely powerful. As he continued down the path, the daemon blocked his path and tried to attack remorselessly. But using his whip, did the way strike at its eye and made it useless. But the daemon could not be defeated with one blow as it sends its sharpened spike of a tail forward and stabs the warrior in the gut. Stabbed and pushed back to a tree, the warrior hold his wound as the daemon lord taunts him.
"Is this the best the pathetic brotherhood could send?" It laughs. But it underestimated the warrior's prowess…and wisdom.
Using the blood from his wound, did the warrior paint a red cross on the ground, one that the daemon was foolish enough to step onto. The holy power of the cross had bound the daemon and allowed for the warrior to banish it using a magic cage, one that would never open again under his watch. With the daemon thwarted, did the dark tower crumble and the warrior left the area with his mission completed. Yet his future fate…tragic.
Luz woke up from the sound of lightning coming from her dream. She found herself in the same room that she crashed in the other night. It was all coming back to her, as she quickly recalled how she came to here.
"Oh, yeah." She said in realization. "Welp, it still beats summer camp."
She got up and opened the window to see out in the ocean was a giant monster. She gave it a small wave and it did the same to her as then back into the water.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this though."
She then looks down to see the cute little king of demons still sleeping on her sleeping back and goes over to caress his fur.
"Has anyone ever told you how much of a cutie pie you are?"
"Yes. Like nine hundred times already." King answered, annoyed.
"Well, make it nine hundred and one and counting." Luz said. "Cuz I'm gonna be calling you that for now on."
King stirred around his sleep in annoyance. Luz then heads to look for a bathroom. One door she opens, a bunch of owls come flying out of. It was something she wasn't prepared for as she heads inside the bathroom
"Hiya, Luz!" Hooty says, his elongating head showing up out of nowhere. It was enough to make Luz act on instinct and break out her whip, striking Hooty across the face.
"OW! I just wanted to say good morning!" The house demon yelled out. "Ow! Hooty!"
"Sorry, Hooty!" Luz yelled out before sighing and getting herself ready for the day. She also continued to look around the house while she was at it. Then she heard the toilet flush and saw Eda coming out of the bathroom, looking barely awake.
"She doesn't look so powerful to me." Luz thought to herself. "Morning, Owl Lady."
"Ugh." Eda groaned, shaking spider out of her hair. "Who are you again?"
"Um…the girl who lives here for free?" Luz said, trying to get paying rent.
"Heh. Nice try, kid." Eda said. "Well, spare me the details until I get a sip of Apple Blood."
"Don't you mean Apple Juice?" Luz asked, confused.
"No, not really."
Luz didn't think too much of is as she and Eda head down for breakfast...or whatever they eat in this weird realm. She watched as Eda sipped from a mug and king stabbed a yellow blob with a fork, for a little awkward.
"So...what's on today's agenda?" She asked, wanting to break the ice.
Eda answered. "Well, I do have a business to run, and you're gonna help with that, along with a few other errands that need to be taken care of."
"...I'm not gonna have to hurt anybody, am I?" Luz asked.
"What? No." Eda said. "Although, you had no problem kicking the Warden's ass the other day."
"Fair point."
"No, I need you to deliver my homemade potions and exiles." Eda said, bringing out a bag full of bottles of various liquids inside. "I have them made in the finest in quality."
Luz takes out a bottle from the bag, and the label read... "Snake Oil?"
"Nobody wants an un-oiled snake." Eda said. "Now, come on."
She then takes Luz to a balcony, where they have a view of the town from where they stood.
"Now, you'll head to Bonesborough and deliver the potions there."
"Seems easy enough." Luz said confidently.
"Don't think too soon, kid." Eda tells her. "You gotta be careful with who you trust and be aware that I do have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down and you along with it."
"Good to know." Luz said. "I'll be careful."
"Good. Now get going." Eda said as Luz took the bag and jumped from the balcony. Neither her, nor the bottles were at all broken, thanks to her new found skills. But it was then that Eda forgot to remind of something.
"Oh! And be sure to never trust a guy in sandals, and be sure to measure twice, cut once!"
"Got it!" Luz yelled back at her. Eda was fully aware that Luz was able to take care of herself easily, but wasn't willing to take any chances as she heads back to down and wakes up King.
"Sorry to interrupt your power nap, but you gotta go with Luz." She tells the little demon.
"What? Why?"
"Just to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays safe. It's either that, or you start paying rent here."
King grumbled to himself as he heads out the door and follows after Luz.
"Be back by nightfall or face mortal peril!"
"Have a nice trip!" said Hooty.
"Let's just get this over with." King grumbled.
Later, they walked through the village as Luz saw different kinds of demons all around.
"Don't stare to long." King told her.
"Why? Will they kill me?" Luz asked.
"No, it's just rude."
"Well then..." Luz said before changing the subject. "Still feels like I'm the only normal person around here."
"A 14 year old girl who suddenly got herself whipping skills and magic powers, and you still call yourself normal?" King asks her.
"...Good point." She says before holding up one of the bottles. "So...how do I do this without causing any unwanted attention?"
"Heh. It's not easy." King tells her, as she soon discovers herself that he is correct. In fact, most of the day was spent more fighting and sell when a few people and...things either screamed at her or try to eat her. But, they each met the bad end of her whip and the next thing you know, half the market's on fire. Luz and King watched from a distance, covered in scorch marks and multi colored goop that came from several demons' bodies.
"Well, that was easier than I thought." Luz said. "And fun."
"You had your fun." King said, holding on her. "But I think I've had enough for one day."
"We just got more stop, and then we'll be done."
"Fine." King said. "But don't blow anything up this time."
"We'll see." She said as she and King head down an alley. Upon doing so, did they find themselves at the door step of a seemingly magnificent castle, one that would stand out from the rest of the place.
"This place seems a little out of the ordinary here." said Luz.
"Yeah. Believe me, Luz. Places like this always belong to huge weirdos and whackjobs. Lets just leave the potions by the doorsteps and get outta here."
"Fine."
And with that, Luz kicked the potion to the door as she and King were about to leave. But then, they two of them felt something wrap around their waists as they soon feel themselves getting pulled inside the castle, with the doors closing behind them. Darkness surrounded them until torches lit up to reveal that they found themselves sitting in a massive library with a portrait of a wizard hanging above a large staircase.
"Well, at least it's nice scenery in here." Luz said, trying to stay calm.
"We don't have time to sight see!" King told her. "We need to get out of here before-"
"Hello?"
They heard a voice and looked to see the same wizard as in the portrait, coming down the stairs. He looked nice, but after that tentical thing, Luz kept her guard as she dropped the sack of potions down on the floor.
"Hello there." The wizard said happily to Luz.
"Uh...hi?" Luz said, uneasy. King pulled at her shirt, whispering into her ears "Luz, remember what I said."
"I know, but still. Shut up."
"Welcome to my home." The wizard said. "I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars. And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity?"
"...Luz...Noceda."
The wizard looks at Luz, almost examining her while making Luz feeling uncomfortable. "Forgive me for staring, but I can't help but find that something is unique about you, Miss Noceda."
"Unique. Does he know about my bloodline?" Luz thought to herself. "Look, sir. We just came to deliver some potions. We should get going."
"Yeah! We're not falling for whatever tricks you got!" King yelled.
"Tricks? Oh, no, no, no. I merely wish to talk." The wizard then summons two chairs and a table of snacks. "Would you like some tea?"
"I'm not hungry." Then, she hears a stomach growl. "Seriously, King?"
"What? I get hungry when I smell scones!"
The little demon runs towards the table while Luz sits down on a chair, opposite to the Wizard's white thrown.
"So, what'd you wanna talk about?"
"Well, I'm curious as to how a child ended up delivering potions for the Owl Lady?"
"How'd you know I worked for her?" Luz asked.
"I recognize her merchandize." The Wizard said. "Also, I too am in the business of selling potions."
"You'd be better at selling these scones." King said while stuffing his mouth. "They're delicious!"
"I met Eda by accident." Luz answered. "That's all I can say the least. Now, if you excuse me, Mr. Wizard..."
"You may call me Adegast." The Wizard replied.
"Whatever." Luz continued. "It's been fun, but I really must be going."
"Shame...I would asked something else of you."
"Yeah? And what's that?" She asked
"A quest." Adegast answered.
"A what?" And it was then that Adegast pulled something from his beard. It just so happened to have been a scroll, which he unravels to Luz a map.
"It is said a young human girl who will claim the Celestial Staff and free this world from an ancient evil. Perhaps thou hath cometh here for a reason."
Adegast handed the map to Luz, and without a word, she took it and looked at it closely.
"Should you believe yourself worthy to attempt this quest..." He continued on as he walked to the place. "...you need to know the road is dark and perilous. And only the Chosen One can pull the staff from its post."
"Neat story." King said. "But, all your food is gone, so now it's time for us to get going. Come on."
"...I'll think about it." Luz said as she exited the place.
Back at the house, Luz was sitting while balancing a toy sword in her hands while King snoozes. She kept on thinking of what Adegast said and was comparing it to her family's legacy.
"Chosen One, huh?" She said before flipping the toy sword and catching it upside down. "Story of my family's life."
She then throws the sword and it hits the door, actually stabbing it right through. That surprised Luz as a toy sword short not be able to do that. Maybe her supernatural skills are continuing to manifest. Nevertheless, it was enough to wake up King with a startle.
"Huh, Wha-?"
And to get Eda's attention, as she came in with a stern look on her face.
"Care to explain why there's a sword wedged in my door?" She asked.
"Uh...because a sword in a stone is so cliché these days?" Luz answered, trying to keep it cool.
"Okay then." Eda accepted. "So, how did the deliveries go today?"
"Oh, it went perfectly. Easiest job ever."
"Oh really?" Eda asked. "Then why did I see half of Bonesborough burning to a crisp by the time you guys got back?"
"Give her a break, Eda. It was her first day on the job." King said. "But hey, get this. One of the deliveries was to some kind of 'Wizard'." King said with air quotes around the word "Wizard", and then he began to snicker, holding in laughter. "And he thought...that Luz was some kind of...chosen one!"
And as he bursted into laughter, so did Eda. Luz was the only one who was not amused, as she cleared her throat.
"Ahem."
Eda and King both looked at Luz to see that she looked pretty pissed as she pulled on the leather whip in her hands.
Then Eda said with nervous laughter "Heh, heh...Technically, he's not wrong, since...she...is the heir to that whip."
"Mmh, hmm." Luz said, putting the whip back. "Guys, I know Adegast is trying to scam me. His house, his looks, everything about the guy was just way too out of the ordinary for a place like this."
"Well, I'm glad you understand that." Eda said. "And let me guess, he had some 'quest' prepared for you as well?"
"Bingo." Luz said, pulling out the map. "Something about a Celestial Staff that could purge this world from evil?"
"Ah, the old mystical artifact trick." Eda said, amused. "Yeah, there's no Celestial Staff, Luz. If there was, anybody would've found it a long time ago."
Then Luz said "He also seemed a little keen on getting information on my time here with you. So chances are, he's trying to trick both of us."
"Alright, so if we're onto him now, then why not just ignore the guy?" King asked.
"Or, we have Luz go on this little quest while King and I will tag along in secret?" Eda suggests. "Once we see the quest is a fake, we'll confront this guy and kick his ass."
"Works for me. And who knows? This might be fun." Luz said, as she got herself prepared. "Even if the quest is fake, I still get to use my whip."
"Yeah. Just remember who's side your on, Kid." Eda commented.
As Luz readied herself, there was something King's mind as he asked "Hey Luz, how is it that you know that this whole quest was a scam? Not even a little bit of yourself thinks this could be real?"
Luz was quiet for second before saying "...Don't get my hopes up, King. Let's just say that...my family has a history of getting duped..."
And so, Luz decided headed out while Eda and King followed suit and kept themselves hidden. Along the way, did Luz meet some interest people, such as a Warrior, a weird looking cat person and some kind of fairy princess. However, Luz suspected them to be nothing more than familiars of Adegast and whatever they offered her, she carried on with her quest without them. Eventually, she found her way to the staff, in the center of a lake. As she walked towards it, she knew that it was too good to be true, as she didn't grab for it. Instead, she took out her whip and struck the staff in half, breaking the illusion around her. The enchanted wilderness around her became a wasteland as she saw through Adegast's lies, and she was not amused of being led on a wild goose chase.
"I knew it." She growled. "You can come out now...Adegast."
The wizard had come from out of the fog as Luz faced him, her whip clutching in her hand.
"You broke my illusion." He said. "I thought I had you fooled from the start."
"You really thought I was stupid enough to fall for all of this?" Luz asked. "You know nothing about me."
"That may be true..." The wizard said right before his eyes became lifeless and doll-like. Adegast revealed hid true hideous form as a squid-like demon, with a series of prehensile tentacles that had puppets of the freaks that Luz met along the way, the underside of his head attached to a pair of spindly, black arms and a clutch of gold spheres. The demon's gruesome face is pale and pouchy, with two bulbous eyes above his cheeks and two narrowed eyes in place of his nostrils. His mouth lacks lips, and his teeth and pupils are yellow.
"But I'm not letting you leave this place alive!" He screamed at Luz.
With a scowl on her face, Luz unraveled her whip, saying "We'll see about that." And like her ancestors before her, she swung that around her body before striking each and everyone of Adegast's tentacles, destroying the puppets he held in the process. But the puppeteer didn't back down as he attacked with his limbs.
"I'll get you and that business stealing bitch!" Adegast yelled out loud.
"Wait, that's what this was all about?" Luz asked. "Eda stealing your business? Wow. You are even more pathetic than I THOUGHT!"
She struck him across the face, which made him roar in pain an anger. Sending one of his tentacles at her, Luz felt the thing...go through her. She coughed up blood as Adegast's tentacle impaled at the side and send her to the ground.
"LUZ!" Eda and King screamed as they ended up giving away their position and rushed to the injured human. She was still alive, thankfully, but bleeding badly. Adegast laughed at this.
"Well, well, well! Eda, the Owl Lady!" He said while Eda glared at him. "This must be my lucky day! I get to kill two birds with one stone."
Eda raised her staff as she walked towards the demon. "You just made a BIG MISTAKE!" She was about to attack when a bloody hand grabbed hold of her. She looked back to see Luz was back on her feet, yet looking weaker as she still held onto her bloody side.
"No." She said faintly. "This is my fight."
"Luz, you're too injured!" Eda said. "Let me handle this!"
"Just...point me towards him." Luz argued, looking Eda straight in the eye. "...Trust me."
The thought of sending an injured child into battle was not something Eda wanted to live with. But Luz was no ordinary human, and she seemed determined to see this through. Against her better judgement, Eda trusted Luz and let her continue her battle with the demon.
"You wish to die first?" Adegast asked the human. "So be it."
But Luz had an idea, looking at the blood from her wound. She then spilled it across the floor first diagonally, then horizontally, painting a blood red cross on the floor. Adegast didn't know what she was doing, but the second one of his tentacles came close to Luz, the blood cross light up and the demon found himself immobilized.
"What?! What is this?!" He asked in horror.
Luz, still clutching her bloody side, glared at him and answered "Call it a gift...it runs in the family."
Then, with little energy she had left, her whip lit itself on fire as she struck the demon relentlessly. Adegast's entire body was getting scorched and soon got burned at the stake. Just when Luz thought she completely annihilated the demon, she looks down to see what remained of the guy. A tiny little squid like creature, about the size of a baseball looked up, frightened by the human that it tried to trick. He tried to move away, but out of anger, Luz stomped on him, hard, and made his tiny body explode into gooey bits. Wiping his remains off her shoe against the floor, Luz turned back to Eda and King, who looked at her with concern. She gave the a smirk, but then collapsed.
A warrior dressed in blue road down a desolate road on a dark and stormy knight. Through the blackened skies, did a cloaked figure stalk the warrior like an eagle coming down for its prey. The warrior looked to see that it was Death itself, trying to stop him from completing his journey. He was left undeterred as the reaper's scythe shattered at the blow of his power chain whip. Yet Death promised him that this would not be the last they meet, sending a demonic skull as warning shot the warrior, as he made his way towards the demon castle.
Luz had woken up from yet another dream as the sound of thunder and lightning had filled her ears once again. She looked to see that she was back in the Owl House, and that the lower part of her chest was wrapped in bandages.
"She's alive!" King yelled out, as Luz looked to see the little demon in front of her jump and hug her. She allowed it as she did the same, and then saw Eda coming in, looking relieved to see that Luz was okay.
"Oh thank goodness." Eda said as she approached and ruffled Luz's hair. "You gave us quite a scare kiddo."
Luz laughed but then winced as she felt Eda pull at her ear. "Don't ever do that again."
"Okay! Okay!" Luz said as Eda let go of her lobe. "With any luck, I'll never have to do it again. So...how long have I been out?"
"Not long, surprisingly." Eda said. "About a day's length. Shouldn't be surprise me thought."
"Why not?"
"Your ancestors could survive anything." She answered Luz. "So, why not you?"
"Fair point." Luz said.
Then King asked "How'd you even know the thing with your own blood?"
"Well...it just kinda...came to me." Luz answered.
"I hadn't seen magic like that, since..." Eda started to say. "...the Brotherhood?"
"Brotherhood?"
"A story for another day." Eda said. "Come on. Let's get you some air."
As the head outside, they stayed quite while looking at the sunset and Luz decided to confess her feelings about the whole thing.
"You know, I'm honestly a little disappointed that quest was a fake. I mean...imagine what we could've done with a staff like that."
"There's nothing that some legendary staff could do for me that I can't already do on my own." Eda said. "You and I know both know better than to waste our time, wishing to be some Chosen One."
"Yeah...but who's to say I'm not already a Chosen One?" Luz asked. "You said it yourself, I'm the Heir to the Whip. The Next Belmont."
"Now, you're getting it." Eda said. "You're family's legacy is something to live for."
"Yeah..." Luz plainly. "I guess I don't really have say in it, do I? It's the kind of life for me."
She gives Eda a wink, who winks right back while King acts a little confused, but accepts it as he feels like this is just the beginning.