At the Owl House the Next day…
There were heavy footsteps as they awoke the residence of the Owl House.
It felt like mini earthquakes as Eda groaned, forcing herself out of bed. She was not in the mood for whatever was out there right now. Especially since she turned full owl beast last night and one of the Emperor's Palisman almost put her down. For all she knew, Belos probably caught wind of it and is probably planning to finish her off. Belos was still a dictator and overly protective father, given that half an army was hiding in the trees right now, listening in. This was not going to be the most fun day, not in the slightest.
Eda sighed as she heard Luz scream outside.
"Kid!"
She got Owlbert and rushed outside with King to see the girl wasn't in danger but was squealing and giggling as a giant monster was playing with her.
"Cheesecake! So good to see you, girl!" Luz giggled as she snuggled with the creature's face.
Eda looked to the side to see Belos was stretching.
"Tyrant." She sighed.
"Wild Witch. Thought I kill two birds with one stone today. Give my Stonesleeper some much-needed exercise and for a nice chat with my daughter." Belos explained as he fed his beloved pet a barrel of apples.
The creature purred as she was munching away.
"Yes, the old girl's days of battle are behind her. Now her time is in leisure and pampering."
"What do you need to talk to me about?" Luz wondered.
"Well, it is for the three of us alone. Shall we continue this inside?" Belos suggested.
"Fine." Eda groaned as King was busy trying to dominate the Stonesleeper.
"Foolish beast, bow to your king!" He demanded with an apple in his hand.
Cheesecake moaned then sat on her back legs for her treat! He then flung it into the air for the Stonesleeper to catch.
"Hello! You must be Luz's Dad!" Hooty greeted, startling the emperor as he spewed curses in another language, prepared to fight with his artificial staff!
"Daddy, Daddy, it's okay! This is Hooty, he's a friend." Luz assured him, the man still feeling uneasy.
"Right, never liked those demon worms… Let's head inside." Belos sighed as his eyes never left the strange creature until the door was closed.
"I like him! Hoot, Hoot!" Hooty grinned.
In the Owl House…
Tea was made by the emperor's magic as everyone sat down.
"Luzura, I have been told you have faced the Owl Beast and you have learned two things yesterday." Belos began.
"Daddy, please don't blame Eda-."
"It's not that, my princess. I think it's time you know more about the Great Beast of the Demon Realm."
Belos then summoned a book with the title 'Of Titans, They Birthed'.
"A long time ago, before Witches and Demons walked these lands, there were Titans, Titans whose decaying bodies formed our islands. They were at war, with whom or why is something unknown. But through the carnage of war, created the islands and the first lifeforms. These are the Great Beast of the Demon Realm."
Luz looked at the pictures to see the illustrations of the beasts, one of them looked like Eda's curse form and…
"It is believed that every creature of the Demon Realms originated from them. Only Thirteen were accounted for so far. But they were soon sealed away, for unknown reasons. They could no longer walk among us and rely on a host; thus, the curse was created." Belos explained in detail as he flipped the pages, "When I rose to power, Beast Curses were illicit, and the scrolls if found were to be collected where they could do no harm. Yet somehow one managed to find its way here and slithered under my radar."
"Eda…"
"Someone cursed her at a young age and to this day is under investigation," Belos answered as Eda scoffed.
"Well, you're pretty slow in your little search." Eda scoffed.
"Clawthorne, we may have our differences, but I would never wish this on you or anyone. No one deserves the suffering such as I endured." Belos countered as Luz realized her father was cursed too.
"That form you used when we would play…"
"The Elk Beast, the embodiment of autumn, primal energy, and nature itself. A long time ago, I was cursed with it in a duel with a witch." He answered as his hand turned into its mud form and his daughter touched it with support.
"Oh, Daddy."
Luz hugged her father as he held her close.
"I wanted to wait until you were older, but it seemed that it is better you know now."
"Is there a cure? Isn't any way to help her?" Luz asked her father.
"There is no cure, and you cannot help her. The only person who can help her is herself. That is what I learned when I spent the first decades of my curse. There is a way for stability and survival but only she can find it." Belos answered.
"The same tune for years. Look, I don't need your help to find a way out of this. I can find my own." Eda told the man.
"I've been telling you what is required but it seems not to set in." Belos sighed, "Luzura, you will need to be cautious, I am going to leave you my books on the Beasts. I will also leave you something in your studies on Demonology. Roasted Chicken told me you also want to understand Demon Culture, so I thought this may help."
"Thank you, Daddy." Luz sadly smiled, worried about her teacher.
"Chin up, Luzura, I am certain she will finally understand what she needs to do." Belos smiled as he stood up, "Think about it, Miss. Clawthorne. If there is not a cure, what is there left of a choice?"
He then left after being given a kiss on the cheek from his daughter with his Stonesleeper.
