The morning of the day after Luz's arrival to Owl House was a quiet one with each of the residences sleeping peacefully in their respective beds the only sounds coming from the few creatures brave or foolish to hang around the vicinity of Hooty's neck extending range who quickly regretted their actions when the house demon began his morning rituals.
"GOOD MORNING WORLD WAIT TILL YOU HEAR ABOUT THE DREAM I HAD LAST NIGHT" Hooty happily screeched as loud as he could causing many of the forest creatures to flee in terror desperate to escape a fate worse than death. Birds took to the sky, rodents scurried into their hiding places and other unable things cried in hopeless despair knowing that there was no escape from the dreaded owl thing scourge of the forest. In each of their nightmares the creatures of the forest would hear the same terrifying screech as they fled for their lives knowing deep down that it was impossible to escape.
"GOOD MORNING WORLD"
"I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE DREAM I WAS HAVING" Hooty cheered as he gave chase to the fleeing creatures.
"Oh I just love our games of hide and seek"
With the morning cry of Hooty the residents of the Owl House began to stir from the slumber.
"Ah mami I'm up and I'm up" Luz groaned from her donated from Eda cot as she felt something poke her repeatedly.
"I don't know what this mami is but it sounds like a terrifying creature that would be the perfect minion for my army of darkness" A voice remarked as the pointing stopped. Rolling over Luz saw that King was poking her with an old broom handle. Idlily Luz wondered if that was a flying broom.
"She would probably just call you cute and hug you till you passed out" Luz remarked groggily trying to get her bearings straight.
"Speaking of which" Suddenly Luz smirked and leapt at King tackling him to the floor and began squeezing him with all her might gushing over how cute he is.
"I bet you thought you escaped my hug you adorable little guy" Luz cooed as she got to her feet and begin to rock him back and forth
"I demand to be released from your death grip." King desperately gasped as he struggled to break free. King and Luz would end up rolling onto the floor and out of the room without ending their desperate battle for freedom and loving gesture of affection respectively. Eventually the two end up rolling down the stairs into the living room of the Owl House where they come to the stop when they collide with the sofa.
"Your struggling just makes you cuter and you know what that means"
"This is not the kind of adoration a king wants" King grumbled
"Aww I know what would make you feel better" Luz giggled
Eyes widening King realized he would have to resort to something he hoped he would never do ever again for as long as he lived.
"HEY HOOTY COME HERE" King bellowed desperately already regretting his actions but seeing no he had no other choice.
For a moment it seemed as though time itself stood still then Luz and King began to hear a faint snap in the distance and rushing wind. Before they realized Hooty was in the room with them staring at them with twigs, leaves and dirt all over his face and body.
"You call hoot hoot" Hooty asked coyly as he watched King struggle to free himself.
"Argh Hooty help me out here" King begged as he suffered from under Luz's death grip.
"I don't know what's in it for me."
As his life flashed before his ideas King came up with a desperate escape plan.
"Hooty Luz says she wants to hug people" King choked out as spots began to dance across his vision.
"REALLY!" Hooty screeched as he rapidly extended himself towards Luz who loosened her grip on King, distracted by the threat coming her way. King was only able to enjoy his freedom for a few seconds as he found himself being enveloped along with Luz by Hooty as he encircled them with his neck causing both of them to struggle to escape desperately.
"Really King I hope you're happy."
"Hey if I'm going to suffer so you will."
"FEEL THE LOVE HOOT HOOT!"
"Ugh it's to early for this whatever this is"
The trio temporarily stopped their combined life and death struggle and love fest to watch as Eda groggily entered the room wearing bunny slippers and a comfortable looking purple robe.
"WE ARE SHARING AFFECTION HOOT HOOT" Hooty yelled as he squeezed King and Luz even more.
"Help us" Luz managed to gasp out weakly.
"Nah lovey dovey stuff is not my style see ya loser" Eda waved over her shoulder as she yawned and walked away.
With her back turned Eda was not in a position to see the trio of Luz, King, and Hooty all share a look and nod at each other before quality disentangling themselves from each other .
"GET HER"
"Wait what?" Eda yelped as she felt three weights press into her back and knock her to the floor in a pile of limbs and Hooty.
"FEEL THE LOVE AND AFFECTION HOOT HOOT"
Oblivious to Eda's demands to be freed Luz giggled.
After Eda was finally allowed to escape the cuddle pile the morning rituals of the Owl House residents continued. King polished the golden pyramid on his his collar till it shined, Hooty continued terrorizing the residents of the nearby forest, Eda had her morning drink of what she told Luz was appleblood, and Luz continued to gush about how she was in another world and not only that her favorite anime, and card game seemed to be the way of life here.
"Oh if this turns out to be a dream I'm never going to get over I will lose the will to live and become a broken shell of a girl" Luz gushed out loud.
"That seems obsessive hoot hoot" Hooty commented as returned to the rest of himself and entered the house.
"Shut up Hooty". Luz said dismissively as she shut the door forcing him outside.
"So you seem to be enjoying yourself" Eda's Voice called coyly from behind Luz.
"Oh just a little". Luz tried to be cool by folding her arms and leaning on the living room's wall but failed when the wall shifted slightly causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Distantly she heard some amused hooting come from outside the house.
"Oh I thought you wanted to see more of the Isles but since the whole thing's just meh to you nevermind". Eda hid her smirk behind a putting her hand on her mouth to cover a fake yawn.
"WAIT NO I WAS LYING!" Luz desperately protested as she scrambled to her feet
"I need to see and touch everything."
"Good then have fun with making my deliveries for me."
"Wait what."
"Here's the bag and the list." Eda tossed the aforementioned items to Luz who barely caught them.
"And for your navigator." Eda put her finger on her lips in a gesture of silence to Luz with mischief in her eyes before clearing her throat.
"Oh look, someone left a crown that grants its owner untold power." Eda called out to the empty air.
Almost immediately Luz could hear the frantic scampering of feet running towards them. As the sound grew closer Luz could hear another sound quiet and faint at first but as it grew closer it grew in volume.
"Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine MINE." King declared as he rushed into the room on all fours.
"Where is it, where is it. " King frankly looked around
"Oh did someone say something about a crown? I didn't hear anything about a crown did you Luz?"
Playing along, Luz gave an awkward shrug to King who looked between the two rapidly.
"That's impossible." King sputtered
"Would I lie to you?" Eda asked, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"Yes." King said without hesitating for even a single second.
"Yeah that's right." Eda sent two finger guns at King with a giant grin on her face.
"Alright you're going to be helping Luz make my deliveries for me since you know she's new and from the human realm and all that."
"Oh come, why do I have to do it." King complained
"Well I don't want to and you don't pay rent" Eda smirked
Throughout this Luz was looking through the bag and what she found intrigued her as much as it confused her.
"Hey Eda, what am I delivering anyway?" Luz asked always interested in learning more
"Oh that's a couple stuff for crafting, bond gems, a good deal of potions and a bunch of other random magic items that I can't remember."
"Ohh I don't know what any of this stuff is still but I can't wait to deliver them and see more of this awesome fantasy world."
"Just ask King to give you a lecture he loves talking" Eda said as she pushed the two out the door getting Hooty to turn to face them.
"It's true, I do," King conceded.
From where he was standing on a table Owlbert let out a few hoots.
"Owlbert says Eda is worse," Hooty chimed in.
"Oh like you're one to talk." Eda scowled at her half door half security system, all annoyance.
"I am who I am hoot hoot I have self awareness you should try it sometime."
"Anyway don't bother coming back until you made all of the deliveries you got it"
Before Luz or King could say anything Eda closed the door without looking back.
"Good Luck guys" Hooty waved them off by waving his body side to side before leaning in to whisper conspiratory.
"Don't worry you guys can come in me anytime," Hooty said obliviously.
"Thanks Hooty" Luz said awkwardly as she started walking towards the town with the cool and creepy architecture she met Eda the other day.
"Onward minion to Bonesbourgh" King commanded as he climbed onto Luz's shoulder.
As she walked away from the Owl House after being sent on a quest by a wise and eccentric woman with only a mystical and adorable creature to guide her, Luz wondered if there was a dimension where Pokémon was real. After taking a selfie Luz decided there was no way that she was that lucky.
"So King, what are you the king of exactly?" Luz asked as continued on the path.
"Everything. And don't you forget it" King proclaimed in what Luz suspected was to be a royal commanding voice but came across as an adorable squeal.
"The symbol of my power I wear serves as a enteral reminder to fear my wraith"
Out of the corner eye Luz noticed that King was wearing what looked like a miniature replica of the Millennium Puzzle. Unsure as to why she didn't notice it sooner, Luz tried to play it cool as she asked King to go into further detail.
"So mind telling me how did you get your hands on such a fancy item." Luz asked trying to squash the hope that King was wearing the Millennium Puzzle and was the wielder of several dark and surprisingly card game related powers.
With a smirk King knew he had a captive audience and began a tale of life endangering peril, heroic feats, and moments of pure desperation. Enthralled Luz listened aptly to King letting out gasps of amazement at the appropriate intervals. Before she knew it they had arrived in the town of Bonesborough from the other day. Somehow it seemed more foreboding than the day before with the strange creatures walking down the streets and the very air seemed to radiate danger and mystery.
"This place is the coolest." Lux would say as she gazed on in both fear and wonder. After several impatient elbow jabs from her shoulder demon would Luz continue walking until.
"So King, are you ready for a great day of deliveries and adventures, a proper slice of life plot?" Luz said as she adjusted her grip on the bag slung over her shoulders, careful not to knock King off balance as she tried to ignore the developing ache on her shoulders.
"You bet onwards my trusty steed." King would dig his claws into Luz's shoulder as he pointed onwards.
"Agh easy on my nerd shoulders." Luz complained.
"Pain is the best teacher known to demonkind!"
"Alright my little edge lord where I am supposed to go?" Luz would ask as she realized she had no idea where to go, how she got to the town or how to get back to the Owl House.
"Right there obviously." King rolled his eyes as he kept his pointing position. Following the finger Luz saw a purple house covered with strange symbols, and items with some symbols that were related to some cards that Luz could remember she saw what looked like the security force and the Battle Guards decorating the house.
"Oh that's convenient." Luz would shrug her shoulders which caused both King and the bag to fall off her shoulders.
"Treachery!" King yelped as he crashed onto the floor and the bag landed on him.
"Sorry King!"
After picking up the sulking self-proclaimed King and gathering up the bag and its spilled contents which thankfully had no damage from the fall. Luz would walk up to the door and knock.
"We don't want any!" A familiar voice would yell from the inside.
As she realized there was only one other person she had met in the Boiling Isles who wouldn't be at the Owl House, Luz gulped.
"Quick pretend to be a lawn ornament" Luz gasped but before she could follow through the door opened up revealing an unfamiliar face. The person at the door had long flowing red hair, tanned skin, a freckled face and a face that had a single green eye with the other eye covered by an eye patch.
"Oh it's you. So in addition to aiding a fugitive you're a door to door salesman now" The coven guard yawned strangely not making any sudden movements to arrest her.
"While it's true that I am going door to door with a product but I'm not one of those I'm just making a delivery." Luz protested as she waved her arms back and forth.
"MIKE DID YOU ORDER SOMETHING FROM A CRIMINAL AGAIN!" The off duty covenness yelled over her shoulder.
"Sorry Mimi, it was such a good deal. The Owl Lady said that I would be the envy of my peers if I bought it." A voice that Lux recognized as belonging to Mike the other guard from the day before Mimi would shake her head annoyed.
"Alright human don't tell anyone about this and I'll pretend that I did not see a known accomplice of a criminal at my doorstep." Mimi sighed as she leaned on the doorway holding back a yawn.
"Sounds like a deal. Now what is your order valued customer." Luz said happily.
"Sweet it's here my Cube of Rubik everyone is going to be so jealous of me" The other guard Mike came to the doorway as King searched the bag while Luz just stood there confused.
"Here you go that will be 50 snails" King came out of the bag holding an unsolved Rubik's Cube.
"What a good deal!" Mike cheerfully grabbed the cube, tossed several golden coins at them and rushed back inside cheerfully.
"Alright bye." Mimi closed the door on Luz's face abruptly.
"That went well." Luz giggled as she got back on the path.
After the first house Luz and King quickly fell into a routine despite the carnage, merchandise and even stranger customers. Soon they were able to make all the deliveries with minimal risk of injury and death. None of the customers seemed to notice or care that she was a human.
"Man, this was exhausting. I need to rest." King complained from Luz's shoulder. The shoulder in question was aching from supporting the weight of both King and the thankfully empty bag.
"I have been carrying you this entire time." Luz protested
"Well I have been carrying this team all day." King argued loudly as he tried to stand at his full height on the shoulder which caused Luz to buckle him by sending him yelping to the floor.
"Treason, I'll have your head for this!" King yelled angrily.
"You can't even reach my head if you got a ladder."
"I can reach your ankle though."
'Wait what."
Before Luz knew what was happening King started kicking at her ankle causing her to hop onto one foot.
"Ow! That was not necessary." Luz complained as King attempted to do the same to the other leg and ended up knocking her to the ground.
With a cry of vengeance King jumped onto Luz and the two ended up rolling on to the street until they collided with a strange object that felt suspiciously like a pair of legs.
"What the?" A startled female voice cried out as the two came to a stop at her feet.
"Let's call that a draw King." Luz groaned on the ground as King laid haphazardly on her stomach.
"Agreed." King moaned.
"Are you two okay?" Hearing a kind voice ask that question caused the two to look up and see what had caused their fall.
The speaker was a light skinned green-eyes short, turquoise-blue hair female witch who looked around Luz's age wearing a yellow-tannish dress with long sleeves, light gray and dark gray striped leggings, and brown boots.
Getting to her feet Luz would flash a smile at her as she scratched the back of hand nervously. Now that she was on her feet she could see that Willow was standing at the edge of a crowd. She could not see what was further ahead due to the bodies ahead.
"Hi my name's Luz and this is King, nice to meet ya." Luz pointed two finger guns at the witch who let out a soft giggle at the exchange.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Willow."
"Ladies and Gentlemen behold how my opponent has fallen into my trap." A young boy's voice called out from further ahead.
"Oh come on, my friend Augustus is in a duel." Willow began making her way further into the crowd with Luz close on her heels oblivious to King falling behind.
Once they were past the crowd Luz could see a similar field to what Eda had conjured for her on each side of which there were two witches. One witch was a short boy with brown skin and dark brown hair dressed in a green tunic with white sleeves, black belt and black tights and brown boots. He looked like he was younger than herself or Willow to Luz. When Luz saw his opponent she found herself doing a double take when she met the witches gaze. The witch was dressed in gray with blue hair but her face was almost entirely composed of a single eye with yellow sclera and magenta iris with three large eyelashes.
"Awesome a witches duel!" Luz couldn't contain her excitement if she wanted to as she frantically looked back and forth between the duelists and their monsters. Even seeing a cyclops would not distract her from this duel.
On the field Luz saw a few monsters she recognized and some she did not. One the side of the male witch there was a humanoid figure dressed in blue ninja robes and armor with a sword was next to another humanoid figure dressed in green ninja robes and armor. There were three face downs on his side of the field and a floating notebook. On the other side of the field Luz would recognize that there was the Lava Battleguard monster, a pink colored troll-like creature with brown fur that had horns growing out of it wielding a wicked club. Luz would also see that Lava Battleguard was being flanked one side by Battle Ox, a anthropomorphic brown ox covered from horns to hooves in red and gold colored armor wielding a massive axe. On the other side was a red colored pirate ship with a laughing skeleton with eyes black as the night with glowing irises serving as the figurehead. There was a glowing swirl in one of the spell and trap zones.
"Alright Augustus since it's the end of your turn I get to special summon another normal level four monster and I choose to special summon to the field my Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in attack mode." At the female witch's words a green samurai appeared on the field with one hand around a sheathed sword.
"Oh my it does seem that I am in trouble alas whatever am I and my ninjas to do." The young boy who Luz now knew was named Augustus dramatically gasped but Luz noticed his eyes seemed to sparkled with mischief.
"Well if this is the end of me I applaud your battle strategy tactics Eileen." Augustus would cheer as he bowed to his opponent.
"You to Augustus but you can stall me no longer now I shall tribute summon my Battleguard King by sacrificing my Masaki, Battle Ox and Skull Mariner giving him a total of three attacks this turn." Eileen said in a bored voice as the three monsters were bathed in a glowing light. When the light faded in their place stood an immense red ogre-like creature dressed in purple armor with giant horns extruding a purple helmet. It was wielding a massive sword that rivaled it in size. It let out a fearsome roar that was joined with the battle cry of the Lava Battleguard the crowd on Eileen's side began to join in as well with their own cheers and feet stomping while the witch herself just stared blankly at her opponent.
The people on Augustus's side of the duel Willow and Luz included looked to him to see what he would do. They were all surprised by what he did next.
"That is an awesome monster Elileen!" Augustus would cheer at his opponent as the crowd would just look confused and irritated.
"Hey kid, why don't you try taking this a little seriously sometime?" A random voice in the crowd called out.
While the rest of the onlookers groaned, Luz noticed that Willow had a soft and knowing smile on her face as she watched her friend duel.
"Come on Eileen finish him off he can't survive all of your attacks this time." Someone from the other side called out.
"No way he has any tricks left now."
"Yeah I want to see some violence today!"
"Yeah what that guy said!"
"I'm a girl you idiot."
Indifferent to their onlookers Eileen would just point at her opponent and mumble out a bored charge. The first one to charge forward would be the Battleguard King who raised his giant blade to swing down upon the blue ninja with a bone chilling battle cry.
"Not so fast my unemotive friend for I activate my trap card Ninjitsu Art of Super-Transformation which lets me send one of my monsters and one of yours to summon a ninja from my deck and I choose my Aqua Armor Ninja and your Battleguard King to summon my Blue Dragon Ninja." Augustus announced with a flourish while the crows behind him let out a few cheers.
The blue ninja on the field made a series of hand gestures and soon both it and the Battleguard King vanished in a puff of smoke. In the blue ninja's place there was another ninja dressed blue, this one had less armor that was wielding a kunai made of golden light and was enveloped with an aura of blue serpent that hissed at the remaining Battleguard.
"That may be so but I can still take down your Air Armor Ninja with my Battleguard." Elileen would protest showing more emotion than she had previously shown.
"Lava Battleguard beat that green ninja to a pulp."
As the pink ogre creature charged at the green ninja Augustus would laugh.
"By discarding a ninja monster and a Ninjitsu Art card from my hand I can negate your monster's effect and stop your attack from happening. Blue Dragon Ninja you know what to do!"
The dragon ninja would make a series of hand gestures that ended with him drawing a symbol with his kunai and extending an open palm towards the other monster. The snake aura would travel along the extended arm before enveloping the Battleguard forcing it to stop its attack.
"Now for my second trick I activate my second trap Ninjitsu Art of Transformation and exchange my Air Armor Ninja for my Red Dragon Ninja."
As the crowd watched the green ninja would make the same gestures that the other ninja did and disappeared in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared in his place there was a blond ninja dressed in red welding metal claws on his arms. After thinking to herself Luz would recognize them as a Tekko-kagi from her knowledge of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Instead of a blue serpent this ninja had a red aura of what appeared to be a phoenix. Luz couldn't help but be reminded of a Moltres when she saw it.
As the crowd processed how the young witch was able to turn the duel around so easily Luz would turn to Willow.
"Wow! Your friend is awesome, like a total showman." Luz gushed to Willow's amusement.
"Alright my turn is about to end and so using my spell's effect I special summon my Wolf Axwielder in defense mode. True to her words a wolf dressed like a sea raider wielding an ax and shield appeared on the field crouched behind its shield.
"Alright now it's my turn and I call my White Ninja to the field." Augustus announced as he folded his arms across his chest.
On the field appeared a ninja whose features were hidden by the white robes who carried a shrunken in her hands.
"Now then shall we see if you will survive my ninjas' assault Eileen?"
"White Ninja strike down that wolf!" Augustus would extend his right arm to the sky as he gave the command. The monster would charge at Wolf Axwielder and throw her shrunken to the beast causing it to collapse to the floor and disappear.
"Blue Dragon sink your fangs into her Battleguard!" Augustus would extend his left arm to the sky. The ninja would send its snake aura after the Battleguard once again but this time would increase in size and devour the creature who could do nothing but roar in futile defiance.
"Red Dragon burn away the last of her life points!" Augustus would leap into the air. While he was in the air Red Dragon Ninja would charge at Eileen being enveloped by his aura. Once he reached his target he would strike at her with his weapons, slashing her twice leaving an arc of flame behind. Once he was done Augustus would land on the ground and would clumsily go into a bowing position.
As the crowd applauded Luz the loudest the field and monsters began to fade away leaving no trace they were ever present. Even Eileen showed no signs of any scorch marks.
With the end of the duel the crowd would disperse leaving only Luz, Willow, Eileen, and Augustus. The latter two would approach each other Eileen calmly and with little energy Augustus the complete opposite as raced over.
"That was a great duel Eli I was getting worried that I wouldn't last long enough to make my play. " Augustus would praise earnestly.
"Thanks I guess. You were good." Eileen would say in a monotone and walk away.
"See you at the next HAS meeting." Augustus would wave cheerfully as she left.
"HAS what's that?" Luz would ask Willow curious.
"Oh Gus and Eileen are members of the Human Appreciation Society." Willow would answer offhandedly as they approached the short witch.
"Oh in that case let me tell you how much I appreciate that." Luz would say trying to be witty.
The two young witches would look at her then each other confused as Luz laughed. Seeing that her joke went over their heads Luz would try to explain.
"Well you said it's the Human Appreciation Society and I'm a human and so I wanted to appreciate that you know?" Luz would trail off as she watched Augustus freeze with his mouth wide open.
"Oh MY TITIAN! You're a human!"
Luz would silently gesture to her round ears.
"Huh I didn't notice those." Willow says as she watches her friend practically vibrate in his excitement.
"How did you get here? How does it feel to have round ears? Is it true you guys can't use magic?
As she watched this excited kid lose himself to his wonder and excitement Luz wondered how she was going to handle this as Gus asked question after question. Meanwhile a certain most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles was feeling a sudden case of vindicate glee.
"Well you see Augustus" Luz started but was interpreted by a shake of the head.
"Call me Gus Augustus is more of a stage name."
"Gus Augustus is your real name."
"I have no idea to what you are referring to dearest Willow"
"Anyway to answer your questions Gus" Luz took a deep breath
"I followed a magic owl through a portal where I ran into my witch mentor Eda, got into some trouble and was able to summon my own monsters and now I live as a witch apprentice in exchange for manual labor and errand running right King." Luz recounted without stopping for breath.
Watching the two slowly process what she just told them was amusing to Luz before a thought occurred to her.
"Hey where's King?" Luz asked as she noticed that there were no cries for attention coming from below.
"Who?"
"Oh my friend, he's about this high, adorable as a button, and has a bit of tyrant fantasy."
"Sounds like Gus."
"Sounds like Willow."
"Hey you're taller than me Willow."
"And you are adorable Gus."
Out of the corner of her eye would see a bright glowing light and when she turned around she would see two young witches around her age on a dueling fiend. On one side of the field she saw one monster she recognized, Luster Dragon roaring at a skeleton of what looked like an elephant.
"Oh Cool, another duel is happening. Come on Willow let's go check out our competition. "Gus said as he raced ahead.
"Competition? What's he talking about Willow? "Luz asked as they ran to catch up to the young boy.
"Oh Hexside is hosting its annual Witch's War Games. "Willow answered offhandedly.
"Human from another world here I don't know what any of that means." Luz mentioned as she pointed two finger guns at Willow.
"Oh you see our school Hexside is hosting a month long tournament. The way it works is that any student can channel another to a duel. The students who did the best gain much prestige and bragging rights."
Willow couldn't make out what her new human friend was saying. She thinks she heard something about her debating about a kingdom, city and a carnival. Before Willow could even try to figure out what that meant she saw her she saw Amity Blight.