After successfully drying off, with magic, of course, Luz was now being sent on a mission of sorts. To go help Eda with her potion business, she needed to make money somehow and human treasures would only get her so far. It would seem not everyone saw the value of Human trinkets as she did...
"I'm pretty sure that dad could pay her if I asked..." Luz said to herself, huffing as she held the bag of clinking potions tighter.
"Can't believe my napping was interrupted for this..." King complained, yawning as he attempted to rub the tired out of his eyes. His job was simply to make sure she wasn't eaten, jinxed, cursed, or charmed, or all the above honestly. He was walking next to her but he couldn't keep up with her.
"Come on, King, it'll be fun!" Luz said, adjusting the potion sack on her shoulder once again, "Why is this so heavy!?" she groaned.
"Fun for you maybe, but I already live here. I know all the local freakshows and horrors around here." King said, still struggling to keep up with her. "Can you slow down? Your long human legs are a menace!" He said, almost tripping.
"Up you go!" Luz said, picking him up and putting him atop her head. King yawned and curled up cutely on her head.
"This is the only proper position for a King such as myself." He said, closing his eyes and almost instantly falling asleep. Luz giggled and snapped a selfie of him snoozing.
"Cute." She said, looking at the image on her phone.
Sadly, she wasn't paying attention and bumped into someone. "Oof!" Luz said, tumbling to the ground, the potion bottles fell out of the bag and all over the place, also dropping King and her phone.
"Ah! Watch where- Oh it's you, Princess..." Amity Blight said as she stood up, picking up her books and things from the ground. "What could you possibly need in Town. I thought you lived in the castle, far away from here and out of my way." She said, dusting herself off.
"Well, my name is Luz and I don't know if you've heard, but Eda wasn't petrified," Luz said proudly.
"Who?" Amity interrupted, not caring enough to know who Luz was talking about.
"The Owl Lady, she became my mentor, said that I was really strong and wanted to be the one to train me," Luz said, picking up potion bottles with the help of King, "So you're going to see me around town more often."
Amity crossed her arms and looked off to the side before sighing. "Fine, just don't get in my way." She said, "And good luck learning magic, being half-human and all..."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Luz asked, placing King back onto her head again. "I'm pretty sure I can do magic, just as well as you can," Luz said, crossing her arms in a challenging manner, a recent lesson that her father taught her was, don't let yourself get walked over. Now she knew she couldn't even do a light spell but Amity didn't know that.
"Is that so? I'm not sure about that. I remember Lilith mentioning how you didn't any magic? Was that a lie?" She shot back.
"Yes," Luz said, albeit too quickly, "We told her I couldn't do magic to hide my true abilities as a powerful witch!" Luz said, building onto the lie. "That's why a wild witch, like Eda, is training me. Leagues stronger than Lilith and tons more magic!" Luz said with a confident smirk, hoping to deter Amity's belittlement.
"Oh? Then you wouldn't mind showing me this true power..?" Amity asked, crossing her arms and smiling smugly. Amity knew she must've been lying about the true power. Lilith wouldn't lie like that... Would she? This was the Princess of the Boiling Isles...
Luz's eyes snapped wide open as she began sweating bullets. 'Oh no, she's going to see that I was lying...'
"I- I can't!" Luz exclaimed, "I am busy, being a magic apprentice and all that, you know? Gotta stay on the top of my game." She explained.
"Uh-huh, well, Princess, if you wanna prove your tales of grandeur and power, you can find me in the Library, any time," Amity said, rolling her eyes as she walked past Luz and went off on her path to Bonesborough Library. Luz watched her leave and once she was out of view, she groaned loudly. King then began laughing hysterically.
"That was too funny!" He said in between laughs, "Didn't you almost burn the house down this morning?" He said in between laughs.
"Shush!" Luz scolded, "Don't know if those ears of hers can pick up on us..." Luz said before slinging the potion sack over her. "Let's just get this chore done." Luz sad as they went on their way to deliver the rest of the potions.
-Y- Later -Y-
Luz sighed as she walked through the forest path, staring at the piece of parchment paper in her hands, the prophecy that was given to her by the Wizard, Adegast. "Hmmm..." She hummed reading the scroll again and again.
"Luz, I'm telling you, that thing is a scam, aren't you the Princess? Weren't you raised to see through that kinda stuff?" King asked.
"First, I was raised in the human realm, no Princess's over there. Second, He sounded soooo genuine!" She said, still looking at the map the wizard gave her.
"He was in his bathrobe, Luz! And you can't trust a man who calls himself a Wizard!" King argued with her.
"You're just jealous that I'm a chosen one and you aren't." She teased him, poking his adorably soft belly. King smacked her hand away, making an adorable noise.
"Chosen ones don't exist! Watch, Eda is going to tell you the same thing!" He said as he sped past her.
They finally reached the Owl House, where Eda was healing the trees Luz burnt, with a small reversal spell. The scorched grass seemed to have been mowed away as well.
"Eda! Eda! Eda! Luz fell for a quest scam on one of your deliveries!" King said, scampering to her side and climbing into her hair.
"What?" Eda asked. "What was the scam? It better have been a good one to convince the Princess."
"One of your wizard clients said that Luz was a chosen one! Even gave her a bogus map!" He said, giving hearty laughs and giggles, naturally. Eda snorted before laughing quite loudly herself. Luz blushed in embarrassment before looking off to the side, avoiding their mocking gaze.
"A wizard!?" She asked laughing even louder at the very mention of the word. "Listen, kid," She said after taking a few deep breathes and sighing. "You should never trust a man who wears drapes. Let's see this map."
Luz walked over and fished the map out of her messenger bag and handed it to her, Eda inspected it before snorting and laughing again.
"Kid, you didn't think this was real, did you? It has to be bunk, if there was a Celestial Staff in the middle of a lake, I or anyone else would've already found and stolen it!" She said. Owlbert then hooted at her. "I wouldn't use it, of course, nothing can replace you." She said, petting his head. "But I'm telling you, kid, don't go chasing the wind, you'll end up hurting yourself or worse." Eda then picked up King and held him in her arms and walked inside. "Come inside, I'm making Eyeball stew with extra garlic."
Luz cringed at the very thought of eating eyeballs, she sighed as she unrolled the scroll and looked at it again. "Maybe Eda was right, this does sound too good for the Boiling Isles..." It was then that the sunlight hit the parchment, "Woah..." She lifted the paper higher into the air and words appeared. "The path will only appear, to the worthy..." She read as she looked off to the distance, seeing the forest path. She pocketed the scroll and looked forward.
"I'm the chosen one, and I'll prove myself as the Princess of the Isles by finding the staff!" Luz shouted, raising her fist into the air, determined to prove herself. She then haphazardly ran off into the woods.
Eda walked out of the house again, minutes later after noticing that Luz didn't follow them inside, "Kid! Are you sad? If you are, get in here quick before King eats all the eyes! The stew will make you feel better!" She shouted, looking around and not seeing Luz anywhere. "Luz?" She asked, walking around. "Hooty, where the kid go?"
"I don't know, she was shouting something about going on a quest and finding a staff! Hoot! If you want to know where then answer my riddle and-"
Eda simply punched the wall of the House Demon, causing the entire house to shake and pieces to fall off. "Ok ok, geez! She ran into the forest past Bonesborough! Geez! Hoot!" He said, sinking back into the door.
Eda sighed and went back inside, grabbing King by the scruff of his neck. "Come on, we have a princess to rescue from a Wizard, who I don't think is an actual wizard."
"But the eyes will be gooey by the time we get back!" He said, attempting to run mid-air to get back to his eyeballs.
-Y-Later-Y-
Luz looked upon the Celestial Lake, the staff with the glowing, bright blue crystal and pure white staff holding it in place. A pathway towards the staff rose from the lake in front of her. "Woah... I knew this place wasn't all gloom and doom like Eda and King said! I am here for a reason!" She said as she looked at the in the middle of a giant pedestal. The giant blue crystal glowed with humming magic, she could feel it! This couldn't be fake!
She stood directly in front of the staff before taking a deep breath.
"Alright, this is it, the moment... Of truth..." She carefully wrapped her arms around the staff.
She reached out and grabbed the staff and holding it securely in her hand.
The crystal began to shine and pulse greatly with blue energy that made the water around her wave and thrash around wildly as she also glowed with the same energy as the staff. "Yes!" Luz exclaimed as she pulled the staff off the pedestal and held it over her head in triumph.
"Haha! I knew it! I am the chosen one!" She announced holding the staff over her head triumphantly, with a laugh. "Now I have proof! Absolutely nothing could possibly ruin this for me!"
Suddenly the staff turned to dust in her hands. "H-huh?" Luz asked herself, trying to catch the dust in the air. "No!" She shouted, desperately trying to clutch onto her happy ending that was so close in hand. The flowers withered to dust as the lake drained away to nothing. Even the trees seemed to die and gray all around her.
Luz stumbled, trying to make sense of what was happening around her. Had the staff rejected her? Was she not be worthy enough? Could she have possibly even worn the wrong pair of shoes?
"W- What's happening!?" The cape then suddenly turned into ethereal ropes, binding her tightly in place, while the jewelry on her hands and wrist activated, glowing blue before it turned into handcuffs. "Aw, what?! What's going on?! those were cute bracelets too..." She moaned out in despair as the wizard started to walk out of the shadows.
"Luz, the Human..." Adegast said, his fingers drumming against each other.
"The... Wizard?" Luz asked in shock, then realized. "Ohhh... Eda and king were right..."
"Yes... And it seems that your hubris has failed you, Witch Apprentice!" The wizard's eyes seemed to pop out of his eyes, several joints dislocating as a giant tentacled demon started to make itself seen as several other puppets started to show themselves to Luz.
"I- I don't understand- W- Why? Why are you doing this?" She asked the obvious.
"It's all because of your butting mentor! the Owl Lady, she's been stealing my customers for years! I planned to trap her in that decrepit mansion, but you showed up instead!" A tentacle then grabbed Luz and lifted her up into the air.
"Is this seriously the reason you set up this complicated quest?! 'Cause of business?!" Luz asked, struggling in her magic chains, kicking her feet mid-air.
"Yes! A puppet demon like myself needs to keep up his expensive lifestyle, after all!" Adegast said, revealing more of his ugly tentacle body from the bushes. "And Eda is too much trouble, seeing you delivering the potions is just as good, maybe I can eat her..." He said, the wizard stroking his chin in sted of Adegast. "Wonder if she would go great with Tenaki sauce..." Tenaki sauce not being a human product, Luz assumed it to be a Boiling Isles item.
"Adegast!" Eda yelled down at him, standing on her staff, with King on her shoulders. Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes down at the Puppet Demon, "You can spring the Pri- My Apprentice... You have me now." She jumped off the staff and landed in front of the large demon.
"Ah! The Owl Lady!" He said loudly, the slimy appendages wrapping around Eda and King, lifting them into the air.
"Wait, I have no part in this!" King shouted, trying to save his skin from this mess. "Let me go before I-" A tentacle wrapped around his jaw, closing it.
"Well!?" Eda shouted, grunting at the tightness of the tentacles, "Let Luz go!"
"Oh, I'll let her go! But why would she want to leave a PARADISE!" He shouted before breathing a blue mist at her.
"AHH!" Luz exclaimed as the mist spread over her quickly, turning into a fog quickly before the world went dark around her.
Opening her eyes, Luz saw ever-expanding darkness before her, with no end in sight. Then her father, the Emperor, appeared before her.
"D- dad?'" She asked, seeing him walk up to her.
"My dear daughter, Luz, my light..." He held out his hand, she took it, standing up with him. Luz looked around her, confused.
"What are you doing here, I thought we were in the north woods and-"
"Luz," He interrupted him, "I am proud of you, ever since you came to the isles you've done nothing but make me proud and impress me... Come, stay with me here, it's a paradise..." He extended his hand, it was just bones. "You'll always be loved and appreciated here, no mean girls or responsibilities..."
Luz had tears in her eyes, she looked down before clenching her fist. The golden medallion around her neck shone brightly and pulsed, the Belos in front of Luz started to crack as if he was made of glass, cracks began to spread all over this dark place as well.
"My Dad is already proud of me! He already LOVES me! Unlike your second-rate illusions!" Luz shouted, punching the Belos clone square in the chest, it shattered on impact, breaking the illusion as well. She slowly turned to face Adegast, her eyes glowing a brilliant golden color, whisps of the golden aura also leaking from the sides of her eyes.
She lifted her hands at the Demon, her hands glowing as tears spilled from her eyes. "Let... My friends go." Her voice echoed as she clenched her fist, not asking more like demanding it as her hand lit up in bright magic.
Adegast was dumbfounded at what he saw, the Emperor was her father!? And on top of that, he seemed to have struck a nerve in her and she was radiating magic from what felt like every pore of her body...
"B- Back off, Princess!" He slithered away from Luz, "Or the Dog and Witch get it!" He threatened, a set of his appendages turning into blades and pointing at their necks.
"I'm not a DOG!" King shouted, freeing his mouth and struggling even more as he attempted to bite down on the tentacle, he succeeded but did not prevail in breaking free.
"You won't hurt them, not even a hair on their heads..." Luz said, snapping her fingers, a golden flame began burning away his tentacles but left Eda and King unharmed and relatively safe.
Adegast attempted to scurry into the forest but a wall of Golden fire blocked his path as Luz slowly walked towards him. "P- Please! Don't kill me! I'll leave you alone! Give you free potions! An actual staff! Gold!" He attempted to bargain for his life.
"Oh, I won't kill you..." Luz said, getting close and grabbing him and staring into his eyes.
"R- really?"
"Yup... I won't kill you," Luz said, eyes blaring golden energy as Adegast screamed as Eda and King covered their eyes from the light, when the light died down, they saw Luz on her back? No, she was unconscious!
Eda quickly got to her feet and ran over to Luz and inspected her, seeing that was fine... for the most part, making a box with her index fingers and thumbs, she inspected her chest, seeing an x-ray of her heart, she was fine through her looking glass but noticed that her heart was now pumping with a golden aura.
"Never seen that before..." She then picked up Luz. "Pretty great stuff kid, pretty great..." Looking over at the puppet demon, who was now a giant stone statue, with a terrified look of fear on his face.
Eda whistled and looked down at King. "Don't want to make her angry, huh? You really are a force of nature kid." Eda said to Luz, making her staff come up behind her, she sat on it and it flew away, King hiding in her hair.
Luz's eyes fluttered open, she looked around her and almost fell off the floating staff.
"Gotcha kid!" Eda said, catching Luz by her hoodie collar. "Can't let my only apprentice bite the dust!" She said, putting Luz back on the staff.
"T- Thanks, Eda... Where are..." Looking up and in front of her, Luz saw an amazing sight. "Woah..." She asked in genuine amazement.
"The bones of the Isles!" Eda proclaimed, waving her hand at the fallen Titan's bones, the home of all witches and magic and legend. "You see kid, everyone wants to believe that they're special or meant for great things... And with you being the princess, you especially," She began, "But if we all waited around for something like a Prophecy or birthright to tell us we're special, well, we'd die waiting." Eda said, ruffling Luz's hair. "You're going to be great one day, but you need to make yourself great on your own, kid."
Luz looked at the bones of the Isle's, the place she would rule over and lead one day...
"Thanks, Eda, I appreciate it, now give me a ride home, your royal highness demands it." She said with a laugh as Eda flew her home.
.
.
.
Belos was currently watching the scene through his looking glass, a small orb of powerful oracle magic. "Hmmm... Glad to see our daughter can take care of that low-level demon like that with relative ease." He said, laying back in bed as Camila snuggled back up to him and laid her head on her chest, using a blanket to cover herself and him up.
"I told you you didn't need to intervene, especially with Eda watching over her," Camila said, placing a hand on his chest. "How are you enjoying my company again..." She whispered, nibbling at his ear, feeling it twitch at the sensation.
"Just as I remembered all those years ago... Long and unending..." He said softly, pulling her into a soft kiss as the candle in their room slowly went out.
