Chapter 7
"Skullbury is a vast city which was carved right into the Titan's skull. In the oldest part of the city all of the buildings were cut right out of the dense bone through the arduous labor of witches during the Pre-Belos ages. Nowadays the oldest buildings value in the millions at the very least and are only owned by witch families with the largest fortunes. Other old buildings which are currently not owned are used as part of the tours for visitors who come to see the sights and take in some of the island's history.
The second most notable part of Skullbury is it's shopping district. Nearly rivaling Bonesborough in size, the shopping district has every type of store imaginable in a variety of sizes from little shops tucked away in alleys to warehouses full of furniture, vehicles or large beasts. If you need something, you can find it in the Skullbury shopping district!"
Amity wrapped up her presentation, dispelling the magic window which she had used for a visual aid. As it was Luz's first time ever to visit the city, Amity had taken it upon herself to tell her girlfriend about the location. Luz applauded from her seat as Amity went to sit beside her again. They, along with Gus, Willow, the twins, and the Banshees were on their way up to the city of Skullbury. Due to the distance, flying on their staves would be a bit much. So instead they opted to ride the Hookworm, a massive, parasitic mode of transportation which spanned the entirety of the Titan's carcass. Like many of the aspects of life in the Boiling Isles, Luz found it to be a bit gross, but was still excited all the same by the new experience.
The group spent the long transit up to the Titan's skull chatting and enjoying some snacks they had packed. While Cat had agreed to come along, she had seemed hesitant when they were getting on the Hookworm, waiting until after Amity had sat down before finding her own seat. She took the spot furthest from Amity and had been avoiding even looking in her direction since they had left the station back in Bonesborough.
At some point during their journey, Willow started to nod off. She unconsciously leaned onto Boscha, who was in the next seat, her head resting on the other girl's shoulder. Boscha tensed up as she felt Willow resting against her, a blush making her normally pink face even pinker. Luz, who was seated across from the two, noticed the look on Boscha's face and grinned at her. In turn, Boscha averted her gaze, trying to act nonchalant but doing poorly with her attempt.
Luz gave Amity a gentle nudge and gestured to Willow and Boscha with a tilt of her head. Amity glanced at them briefly before looking back to Luz with a slightly puzzled look on her face. She saw Luz gesture again, but Amity still didn't seem to understand, so Luz leaned over to whisper to her. When she finished, Amity covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. That earned her an angry pout from Luz and Amity just smirked at her before she snuggled up to her girlfriend. As she made herself comfortable, Amity gave Luz a little peck on the cheek. Luz wrapped her arms around Amity, letting out a happy sigh and enjoying the moment.
The remainder of the trip went by quickly enough and they arrived at the Skullbury Hookworm station. They all filed out of the massive invertebrate and stretched their limbs after the long ride up. Luz ventured a little further ahead, taking in the new sights. Just like the buildings in Amity's presentation, many things in Skullbury seemed to be carved out of bone from the Titan's skull. The street signs, the railings, the benches and even the brochure stand on the platform were all made out of dense bone. Luz felt a powerful urge to head off and start exploring the city, but restrained herself. They were there for a reason after all.
After waiting for the hookworm to depart with its new passengers, Luz had everyone gather around her on the platform. She took out of her bag a red beanie and from her pocket a bunch of paper slips, on each was one of their names. Luz put all the scraps of paper into the hat and mixed them up as best she could. Once she was done, she held the hat out towards the others.
"Okay, so now we just pick out a name and head out to shop for our lucky friend. There's no limit on the budget, but remember that we aren't trying to show each other up with this. It doesn't need to be anything other than you got it for them because you knew they'd like it. So who wants to pick first?"
"I'll go first." Edric said, stepping forward. "I think I'm going to make a great anhilltino."
"You mean Angelito." Luz corrected.
"That's what I said." Edric replied, reaching out and picking a slip. When he peeked at it, a big smile came to his face. "Oh, this is going to be so easy!"
"You got your own name, didn't you?" Emira asked.
"Uh, noooooo…."
"If you did, the rules are that you need to switch it for another one." Luz reminded him.
"Fine." Edric grumbled, putting his hand in the hat again and looking at the new slip. "Okay, almost as easy as buying something for myself. I'll be going now, I need to go and get started as an anlerino!"
"I'm starting to think he's doing that on purpose." Luz commented, watching as Edric ran off.
"Sadly he isn't." Emira said, picking out a name from the hat. "Also, I'm pretty sure that he got my name. He'd have no idea what to get for anyone else, not even Amity."
Emira stepped aside, peeking at the name she had gotten before heading off to start browsing around. Next Willow took a name, followed by Gus and then Amity. Skara took one of the remaining names, followed by Amelia, Cat, and then Boscha. Luz took the last one for herself, checking really quick to make sure that her own name wasn't on it first.
"Good luck with your shopping everyone!" Luz called as she hurried off to explore the city. "Don't forget we have to be back here for the one o'clock Hookworm back to Bonesborough!"
The teens all started to spread out to start browsing the many shops Skullbury had to offer. Boscha lingered on the platform a little longer than the rest, looking at the name she had drawn. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she looked around and noticed Amity still close by. She went to catch up with her, calling out to Amity who kept walking. Boscha called out again when she got a little closer and this time Amity stopped and turned to face her.
"Did you need something?" She asked somewhat curtly.
"Yeah, I could really use some help." Boscha answered. "I got Luz for the gift thing and I don't have a clue what she would want."
"There are more than enough options around." Amity told her, gesturing to their surroundings as she continued on her way. "I'm sure you'll find something. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find something to get as a gift myself."
"What if we help each other out?" Boscha asked, starting to follow Amity. "Who's name did you get?"
"I got Willow."
"That's perfect!" Boscha exclaimed. "We can trade! I'll get something for Willow and you can shop for your girlfriend!"
"No, thank you." Amity replied. "As much as I would love to be Luz's Angelito, I really want to get something for Willow. We may be friends again, but I still feel bad for all the times I hurt her feelings in the past. This is a good opportunity for me to atone for those mistakes."
"Aw, come on!" Boscha whined. "Just trade with me! I have no idea what to get Luz!"
"Just get her something nice." Amity simply replied. "She is fairly easy to please."
"Maybe for you, you're her girlfriend." Boscha pointed out. "Plus you're a Blight. With all the money your family has, you could buy her anything she could ever want."
"Not that it's any of your business, but I don't plan on buying her something. I'm making her a gift."
Boscha stared blankly at Amity for a moment. "Why? It's so much easier to just buy someone something."
"It makes the gift feel more personal." Amity explained, reaching into her bag. "For example, I'm doing a little artwork for her as a surprise present."
Amity took out a sketch pad from her bag and flipped it open to a page with a drawing she had started. It was still in the rough stages, depicting some sort of large serpent. Boscha didn't seem too impressed however and Amity went to put her sketch pad away, a page falling out of it and onto the ground. By the time Amity noticed it, Boscha had already snatched it up and examined it, finding it to be another drawing. This one was completed unlike the other and was of a witch bearing a striking resemblance to Luz.
"Hey, give that back!" Amity demanded, reaching for the drawing.
"Not if you ask like that." Boscha replied, holding the paper away from Amity. "I'll just keep it. Or maybe I can give this to Luz."
"And just why would you want to do that?" Amity asked, narrowing her eyes at the other witch.
"You told me to give her something nice. And it is a nice drawing." Boscha said, peeking at the other side of the paper and smirking. "Ooh and what's this? A love poem for her on the back?"
Amity snatched her drawing and poem back. "Those are my personal feelings for Luz. And the drawing is in my art style, so Luz will know it's not something you made. Not to mention that she'd recognize her OC instantly and wonder how you even knew anything about her."
"Her what?" Boscha asked.
"OC, an original character. Members of fandoms often like to create them, sometimes as a way to include a version of themselves in a storyline. They are also used for tabletop role play games." Amity explained, continuing to walk. "It's actually pretty fun to make them."
"Wow…. How have I known you for so long and never noticed what a dork you are?" Boscha wondered aloud. "Wait… Luz likes a lot of dorky stuff. You can tell me what she'd like!"
"I will not. The gift won't mean as much if I tell you what to get her."
"How will she even know?!" Boscha exclaimed, catching up with Amity. "Come on, just help me out with this! Or just trade with me so I can get a gift for Willow inste…. Oh… I can just ask Willow! She can tell me what to get Luz and it will be a great excuse to spend some time with her!"
Amity let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. She really couldn't deal with the other witch at the moment. Despite her urge to just let it go and keep walking away, Amity turned to face Boscha and try one more time to convince her to do it the right way. However she found that the Boscha had already begun running off, giving her a quick glance over the shoulder as she left.
"Later Amity. Thanks for nothing!" She called with a wave.
Boscha went back to the platform and looked in the direction in which she had last seen Willow heading. With her keen eyesight she was able to easily spot the other witch and dashed over towards her before she wandered out of sight. Willow noticed Boscha rapidly heading in her direction and started to backtrack in order to meet her part of the way.
When she caught up, Boscha took a moment to catch her breath. She was more than used to running around for Grudgby, but after the long ride up she didn't have quite as much energy as normal. Silently noting to herself to grab an energy potion sometime soon, Boscha faced Willow and gave her a genuine smile.
"Hey, glad I found you. I could use some help." Boscha told her.
"With what?" Willow asked.
"I got Luz for the secret gift thing and I need some ideas for what to get her. Right now, I got nothing." Boscha admitted.
Willow took a moment to think. "If anyone, I think Amity would be the best person to ask about that. Maybe she can help you find something for Luz."
"Yeah, I already tried asking her and she wasn't so helpful." Boscha deadpanned. "But you're best friends with Luz, so if anyone else knows her, it's you. So want to walk around for a while and help me figure out what to get for her?"
"I could, but there is a little problem." Willow said, pointing a little further up the road. "Luz asked me the same thing not long before you showed up."
Boscha looked in the direction Willow was pointing and saw Luz not very far away. She was looking in through the window of a pet shop, adoring the many little beasts for sale. With a bit of effort, she tore herself away and walked over to Willow, smiling and waving at Boscha when she saw her.
"Hey, Boscha! Came to do your shopping around here too, I see." Luz noted. "I'm having Willow help me find my way around since I don't really know this place. Want to tag along with us?"
"Good idea Luz." Willow said. "But I think it would be better if it were just you and Boscha. I know what I plan to buy today, but I may end up taking a while. This way the two of you won't need to wait around for me."
"What are you getting that could take so long?" Luz asked.
"That's for me to know and for everyone else to find out when we exchange our gifts at the party." Willow replied. "Besides, I think it would be nice if the two of you spent some time together." She added, giving Boscha a subtle wink. "It would be a great opportunity for you to get to know each other better."
"Fair enough." Luz said, throwing an arm around Boscha's shoulder. "You've become pretty close with Willow, so it makes sense for you to get to know her bestie."
"That and Boscha has been here plenty of times before, so she knows her way around better than I do." Willow explained. "She'd definitely be able to help you find what you're looking for today. Right, Boscha?"
"Whatever, works for me." Boscha said with a shrug. "Let's get going. There's a lot of places to check out."
"Have a good time, you two!" Willow said, waving them off before heading out to do her own shopping.
"See you back at the station later!" Luz called, waving back. "Okay, Boscha. You know this city pretty well, lead the way!"
They started to head out, making a quick stop at a stand that had snacks and drinks along the way. Luz got herself a bottle of iced marrow tea and some jerky made from Colossus Beetles, a hulking arthropod with a shell like tempered steel. Boscha got some for herself as well along with the energy potion she had been craving. After paying for their items they went a little further up the street and sat down on a bench, the bone planks creaking slightly as Luz just plopped herself down onto them.
Luz began to nibble on the beetle jerky she had gotten while Boscha downed her beverage, a popular brand of energy potion called Spark. After she finished guzzling the concoction out of the glass phial she let out a satisfied sigh. Then tiny crackles of energy could be heard as it coursed over her body, her irises glowing a neon blue momentarily as a result of the surge.
"That's much better! Now I could run all the way back home if I wanted to!"
"You're not planning on ditching me, are you?" Luz joked.
"Nah, not this time anyway." Boscha replied with a smirk. "So, what are you looking to get? Got any ideas?"
"I already know what present I'm going to be giving as an Angelito." Luz answered. "But what I really want to do is find something to get for my mom. She's had a lot thrown at her with me getting to travel between realms again and I want to find something nice for her. Something that can show her how much I appreciate everything she's done for me lately."
"She must be a pretty cool mom if she lets you do that." Boscha noted. "My mom won't even let me go over a friend's house without getting all clingy. It's kind of annoying."
Luz giggled. "Sounds like a mom being a mom if you ask me. She just wants to spend time with you because she cares. Anyway, there's something I want to know. How do you feel about Willow? Because I'm kinda sensing something between the two of you."
Boscha blushed and took a look around nervously before leaning a bit closer to Luz. "If I tell you this, then it stays between us. Got it?" Boscha asked, getting a quick nod from Luz in response. "Okay. I do like Willow. As in, I might want to… ask her out."
Luz let out an excited squeal. "I knew it! So are you going to ask her out?"
"I want to, but it just feels so weird. I used to pick on her so much that I don't know if I have a chance with her." Boscha said with a sigh. "It really sucks."
"So, how did you realize that you liked Willow that way?" Luz inquired.
"After she joined the Banshees, it was kind of hard to ignore her. And the more time we spent on the field, the more I couldn't help but notice her." Boscha explained. "That girl is a force to be reckoned with! She is so confident when we play and she has such an intense look in her eyes. It's really attractive."
"Well it sounds to me like you should ask her out. It doesn't seem like minds being around you, so I'd say you have a good chance." Luz said. "It's too bad that I didn't get Willow when we were drawing names earlier. I'd have been happy to trade with you if it meant you could get her something."
"Don't worry about it." Boscha replied, standing up. "Anyway, we've done enough sitting around and talking. Let's go find you something to get for your mom."
They got up and began to work their way through the area. Over the course of the next hour, Boscha and Luz visited a few different shops to try and find things they could buy as gifts. While they browsed, Boscha paid close attention to anything in which Luz showed interest. However, Luz was so focused on her goal of finding a gift for her mother that she left very little for Boscha to work with for her own purposes.
After a little longer Luz managed to find something to gift to her mother, tucking a small package into her bag as they exited a shop. They continued their way along the street, bumping into Edric as he came around a corner. In his hands was a long, narrow box and he seemed fairly pleased with himself. He spotted the two girls and waved before holding out the box for them to see.
"Hey, check this out." He said, sounding a bit excited. "I got it for my sister."
"The Blue Blister Crystal Powered Mana Rifle." Luz read aloud. "Eh, I dunno. Do you really think she'd want that? It doesn't seem like her style."
"I think that I know my sister a little better than you do, Luz." Edric replied.
"I just don't see her using it at all. What makes you think she'd like it in the first place?"
"She has a point." Boscha added. "Sure, it seems cool, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Are you sure that your sister wants one of those?"
"Yeah, I do!" Edric replied, starting to look a bit annoyed. "But since you think you know better, tell me what you think my sister would want as a gift?"
"Let's see…" Boscha said, starting to count on her fingers. "A new pair of winged-boots, the latest model of the scroll, a day trip to a spa, a new Grudgby ball, trophy polish…"
"Hold on." Edric interrupted. "These are starting to sound like things you'd want to get, Boscha."
"What's your point?" Boscha asked blankly.
Luz giggled. "It's almost like you're dropping hints for whoever you're Angelito is."
"Is it you?"
"I'm not telling." Luz replied, sticking out her tongue.
"Well feel free to drop some hints to whoever does if you find out." Boscha said. "Anyways, we should get going. I still need to figure out what I'm going to buy as a gift. Later Edric, good luck not disappointing your sister with that."
"Do you really think that she won't like this?" Edric asked, sounding less confident.
"I know she won't." Boscha answered. "She's not gonna do anything with it, so you'd be better off getting her something else."
Edric let out an annoyed groan. "The shop I got it from doesn't do refunds! What am I gonna do with this now?!"
"You could always keep it for yourself." Luz suggested.
Boscha snorted. "Yeah right. He'll shoot one of his eyes out."
The two shared a giggle as they started to walk off. Edric looked down at the box in his hands, frowning a little before an idea popped into his head. He smiled and then rushed in front of the girls and cut them off, holding out the rifle to them.
"Would either of you want to buy it off of me? I'll cut you a deal and ask for just a little less than I spent on it!" He offered.
"Hard pass." Boscha replied. "It's not really my kind of thing."
"Same here. Besides, my mom would freak out if she saw me holding something dangerous like that." Luz said. "Maybe you could try trading it for something else? I bet someone else around here would like one of those. You could even get something better in exchange for it too!"
"Trade it for something better? That's not a bad idea." Edric noted, starting to ponder the possibilities. He looked around and spotted a couple of coven scouts, his eyes lighting up as he got an idea. "Hey guys! Hang on a second! I've got something you might be interested in!"
Edric ran over to the scouts and showed off the rifle to them, clearly in the hope he could get one of them to trade with him. Luz and Boscha watched, neither able to even guess as to what the boy thought he'd be able to get for the rifle, if anything at all. They strolled closer, unable to resist seeing how this would play out.
Luz and Boscha got close enough that they could start overhearing what Edric was saying to the scouts. But they kept a good enough distance away so that they didn't make it obvious that they were trying to listen in on the conversation. They didn't manage to catch any of Edric's sales pitch, but they did manage to hear the response from the scouts.
"Kid, we don't have time for this. We've got work to do." Said the first scout.
"Yeah, go see if one of your little friends wants that stupid thing." The second scout added.
"Better yet, just go return it already." The first scout advised. "You shouldn't fool around with that, you'll shoot your eye out!"
The scouts walked off, leaving an annoyed looking Edric behind. His shoulders slumped and he stormed off, presumably to find someone else to try and make a trade for the rifle. Luz and Boscha watched as he left, both struggling not to burst out laughing at what had just happened.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Amity was browsing through a book shop for something that could be of interest to Willow. As she scanned over the many titles in the romance section, Amity ran into Cat who was also looking over the same set of shelves. For a moment the two stared at each other, but then Cat frowned a little and turned away suddenly. She started to walk towards the door and Amity instinctively went to follow her.
"Cat, please wait!" Amity called. "I need to talk to you!"
"Well I don't need to listen." Cat coldly replied, still on her way out.
Amity closed the distance between them and grabbed Cat's wrist. She pulled free and turned to glare at Amity, who froze up for a moment but snapped out of it easily enough. Then she grabbed Cat by the wrist again and stubbornly glared back at her.
"Would you please just hear me out?" Amity asked, her tone coming across more churlish than anything else. She let her gaze soften, a mix of regret and shame filling her eyes. "I mean, I'd appreciate it if you'd please allow me to speak with you."
"And I'd appreciate it if you would leave me be!" Cat snapped in return.
Before Amity could give a reply, both she and Cat found a shadow being cast over them. The shopkeeper, a middle aged vulpine demon, loomed over them with a very disapproving look in her eyes. It occurred to the two teenagers that not only had they started making a scene, they were also blocking the entryway to the door. They both apologized and excused themselves, stepping outside of the shop and moving a bit further down the way.
As they walked away from the book shop, Cat attempted to put some distance between herself and Amity, who was doing her best to not fall behind. Cat started to walk a little faster, rounding a corner and then breaking into a sprint. She went up a set of stairs nearby that led to a café where she hoped to lose Amity. But she hadn't been quick enough as she found Amity was still close behind her. Starting to grow frustrated, Cat stopped and turned to face Amity, giving her a harsh glare.
"Would you please stop following me?!"
"Please just hear me out, that's all I ask." Amity replied, sounding a touch desperate. "I swear that if you just let me talk to you for a few minutes, I'll leave you be afterwards."
"Do you really think that I want anything to do with you after that prank you pulled?!" Cat asked, almost venomously. "You can't go around messing with people's emotions like that! Both you and your sister are horrible people!"
"What? Emira wasn't… Cat, no!" Amity said. "It was all me! I'm the one to blame, not my sister! I was trying to hurt my her out of spite. She was trying to help me and I… I decided to do something really stupid to get back at her. It was petty, selfish and… horrible. Inexcusably horrible."
"So you're telling me that Emira wasn't in on that at all?" Cat asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, she wasn't! Her feelings for you are genuine!"
Cat's eyes widened with surprise. "She has feelings for me?" She asked incredulously. "That has to be a mistake. She's one of the most popular witches at school. Why would she like someone like me? I'm so… plain compared to her."
Amity smiled softly. "Well, it's true. I can't say I know all the details, but I can help you a little if you'll just allow me to keep talking with you. Starting with my stupid mistake and why I did it in the first place."
"Okay." Cat replied after a moment. "And since we're here, why don't we sit down and enjoy something to eat while we talk?" She asked, gesturing to the café nearby. "My treat."
"No, my treat." Amity insisted. "I owe you a big apology after all."
The two made their way over to the café, stepping onto the cobblebone patio where several tables and chairs had been set up outside. They got a table after a few minutes and began looking over their menus. Amity noticed that their table had a great view which overlooked the street below as well as bit of the surrounding city itself.
While they waited for a server to come over and take their orders, Amity glanced down at the street below. She spotted a pair of familiar figures walking across the way, easily recognizing her girlfriend. Both Luz and Boscha were steadily heading away from the café, nearly a block away. Amity wanted to call out to Luz, but aside of her being too far away she also noticed something concerning.
A trio of figures had just rushed across the street, to the same side that Luz and Boscha were walking down. They were all wearing cloaks of the Emperor's Coven and Amity could swear that she saw a glint of gold from the one in the lead. A sickening feeling filled her gut as she noticed the three getting closer to Luz and Boscha. Cat noticed the look on Amity's face and set down her menu onto the table.
"Hey are you okay?" She asked. "You look a little pale."
"I need to go."
Without another word, Amity dashed away from the table and over to the stairs. She was very tempted to bring out her staff, but knew that it would attract too much attention if she suddenly started flying over the busy street. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked in the direction she had seen Luz heading and was unable to spot her, Boscha or any of the Emperor's Coven members. Cursing silently, she bolted across the street, earing angry cries as she cut off people in the process.
Further up the street, both Luz and Boscha continued to move at a leisurely pace. Despite their relaxed demeanor, both were wise to the fact they were being followed. Boscha had picked up on it and had quietly informed Luz. They kept going along their way, Boscha looking for an opportunity to ditch whoever was behind them.
The chance she was looking for came when a very large demon passed by on their left. Boscha took Luz's hand and pulled her behind him and then pulled out a Bog Brew from her bag. She threw it down, shrouding them in a cloud of smoke. Then Boscha pulled Luz into a nearby alley and pulled out two vials, each with a pink colored potion inside. Boscha pulled the stoppers out of each, giving one to Luz and instructing her to drink it while downing the other one herself.
"What do these do?" Luz asked.
"They alter your appearance temporarily." Boscha explained. "I'm still practicing this one, so it should only last a couple minutes. But that should be enough, now hurry!"
Luz did as told, feeling a tingly sensation almost immediately starting to spread through her whole body. Her skin tone went from tan to dark brown, her hair lengthened and became two tone with pinkish-gray and deep mauve. Boscha grew a little taller, a small pair of ram horns growing out of her temples while her skin changed to a ruby red.
Once the changes stopped, Luz looked down at herself in awe. She couldn't see her face, but knew it had changed a little too as she reached up to feel her now pointy ears. Boscha placed her hands onto Luz's shoulders and pushed her against the wall, pinning her gently. She leaned in close, her face very close to Luz's.
"Just stay quiet and still." Boscha whispered, her voice now a little gravelly. "If this goes like I think it will, they'll just walk right by without thinking twice."
Not questioning Boscha's plan, Luz went along with it and stayed silent. Over by the entrance to the alley, the Golden Guard and appeared and looked inside. His masked gaze fell on the two teens, but he quickly realized they were not the ones he was looking for. To him they were just a young couple enjoying a private moment where they thought they wouldn't be seen.
"Really? In an alley? Weirdoes." He commented before moving on. "Come on, they must've gone further ahead."
The Golden Guard and his two followers continued up the street. Boscha waited a moment before leaning away from Luz, scowling a bit as she turned to where their pursuers had been just moments before. She put her hand on her hip while she scoffed at the remark she had heard about them.
"Who was he calling a weirdo? He's probably just jealous because he's single."
"How do you figure that?" Luz asked.
"Please, like he could score a date running around with that gaudy mask on." Boscha replied.
The girls shared a quick giggle before their bodies slowly started to change again. Luz's hair shortened, the color going back to normal, her skin returned to it's natural tone and her ears became round again. Boscha's horns shriveled and vanished as her skin paled from red back to pink and her height decreased to normal. After the transformation ended, Boscha frowned and gritted her teeth.
"Damn it! That didn't last as long as I thought it would! I need to practice more."
"It was still really cool!" Luz said, her eyes lighting up. "And it worked enough to get us out of trouble. I feel so dumb right now. I didn't make any glyphs to bring with me today! If we had to fight, I wouldn't have been able to do much to help out."
"Don't worry. You had me with you." Boscha said confidently. "If anyone tried anything, I would have put them face first into the ground."
Luz giggled and hugged Boscha. The sudden gesture caught Boscha off guard, leaving her unsure of what to do. She smiled awkwardly and tried to return the embrace, easing into it after a few seconds. The moment was quickly interrupted however when a startled gasp sounded, drawing their attention to the end of the alley where they saw Amity standing with her jaw hanging open.
"Boscha! Get your hands off of my girlfriend!" Amity spat, clenching her fists.
"Don't be mad at her, Amity!" Luz said, stepping forward in Boscha's defense. "She was helping me hide!"
"Yeah, your welcome." Boscha said, looking a little cross. "If it weren't for me, that golden dork could've tried to nab your girlfriend!"
"I knew I saw that jerk!" Amity said, rushing over to Luz and gently grasping both of her hands. "Are you okay, Sweetie?"
Luz nodded, her cheeks flaring up. "Uh-huh… I'm good. Thanks to Boscha. Did… did you just call me 'sweetie'?"
"I'm so relieved!" Amity exclaimed, pulling Luz in for a hug and completely ignoring her question. "I think we should call it a day and head back."
"I'll message everyone and let them know." Boscha said, bringing out her scroll. "And it looked like that loser was headed towards Parietal Park, so he won't be going near the Hookworm Station."
Amity brought out her own scroll and used it to check a map of the city. She skimmed over the image, making notes of the various streets and alleyways as she formulated a plan. Then she pulled out her sketchpad and drew a likeness of the map. Using a second pen with different colored ink she also drew out a path before tearing the page out and handing it to Luz.
"Follow that path and you should be able to get back to the station without needing to follow any of the main roads." She told her girlfriend. "Boscha, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions just now. Could you please make sure Luz gets back there safely?"
Boscha nodded. "Sure. No problem."
"But what are you going to do, Amity?" Luz asked, looking very concerned.
"I'm going to keep an eye on the Golden Guard and make sure he doesn't head that way." Amity said, a determined look in her eyes. With a confident smile, she stepped up to her girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll meet you there soon enough. So don't worry about me, okay Sweetie?"
She turned and rushed off to fulfill her self-appointed mission. Luz took a moment to silently gush over the new pet name Amity had called her before starting to head off towards the station. Boscha kept close by, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone in an Emperor's Coven outfit. Fortunately they had no issues thanks to Amity's planned route and then they simply had to hide out until their ride home pulled into the station.
By the time Amity got back to the station, the Hookworm that would take them home had already arrived and Luz was safely on board. Amity stood on the platform to keep watch for the others, checking the time on her scroll while she waited. As they arrived, Amity gave them a brief explanation as to why they had to cut their day short. Eventually the only ones missing from their group were Edric and Emira. Amity began to grow impatient, tapping her foot while she kept watch for her older siblings. After a couple more minutes she finally spotted Edric stepping onto the platform, carrying some sort of steel box with a handle and air holes spaced out along the sides.
"There you are!" Amity said, approaching her brother. "What took you so long? And where's Emira? The Hookworm is leaving in a few minutes!"
"We're gonna catch one later on. Emira says she needs a little longer and I'm gonna wait for her." Edric replied. "Plus they won't let me ride as long as I have this thing with me."
He gestured with a tilt of his head to the steel box he was carrying. From within angry chittering could be heard and then spurts of fire shot out each of the holes on the sides. Amity let out a cry of surprise and took a step back while Edric held the container at arm's length, wincing in fear.
"Edric… what is in that cage?" Amity asked, warily looking at the object in her brother's hand.
"Some kind of beast I got." He told her. "A madman, or a muglin… something starting with an 'M'."
"A magmin?!" Amity asked in complete shock. "Why in the world would do you have that with you?!"
"I made a bad trade…" Edric admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've gotta unload this thing on somebody else and I have no idea how long that will take. Could you cover for me and Emira until we get back?"
"I suppose. But be careful with that thing! They are as unpredictable as they are dangerous!" Amity warned.
"Relax, Mittens. I'll be just fine."
Another set of flames came out through the holes in the metal carrier and Edric cried out. He drew a magic circle and created an illusion of himself which he forced to carry the cage. The illusion gave the original a dirty look, but did as told. Amity shook her head and went over to join the others on the platform and told them that the twins wouldn't be joining them on the ride home.
They all boarded the Hookworm, settling themselves down in whatever available seats they found. Amity took a space beside Luz and greeted her with a quick side hug and nuzzle. On the opposite side of Amity sat Cat, much to Luz's surprise. Luz gave her girlfriend a questioning glance and Amity responded with a small smile and a thumbs up.
On the ride back Cat and Amity continued their earlier conversation from where they had left off. Since Emira wasn't present, Amity took it as a chance to arrange the whole thing as a surprise for her sister. Unable to resist, Luz jumped into the conversation, eager to assist in setting up the new pairing. The discussion helped to distract Luz from how abruptly they had to end their excursion, even though it didn't eliminate the lingering worry she had in the back of her mind.
To be continued.
This chapter turned out longer than I expected. I actually had to cut some stuff out to keep it from getting too long. Honest opinions on how it turned out would be greatly appreciated. Also, the concept of the Hookworm transit system is something I borrowed from another story, The Owl House S1: Amity's Plight, by Jurnee Jakes. If you haven't read it yet, definitely check it out.