Edric and Emira began waving up at the interlopers, shouting to reveal their presence when Luz popped up from behind some of the ruins. She was wearing a shaggy coat that looked like it had been put together with actual hair, and an old animal looking hood with floppy arms that covered her ears. "Hey guys!" she shouted back with a wave. The Owl Lady stood up beside her, wearing a similar patchwork coat and spider-skin hat that allowed her abundance of grey hair to pour out of it. When it became clear that they weren't going to approach, Amity set her text and wand down and moved toward them instead. Luz was speaking to her mentor now, mentioning something about their conversation from the day before.
"What's that about the baby class?" Amity asked suspiciously. It was a bitter sweet meeting, as she was already behind in her practice.
The Owl Lady spoke up first. "Only that it's for babies, and Luz here clearly isn't a baby." she said matter of factly as Luz covered her face with a hand in embarrassment. "Nailed it…" she added, letting out a whistle as she walked away, beginning to roll up snow balls.
"Amity!" Luz said happily, attempting to skirt her way over the ruins she had been hiding behind. Not expecting the ice, her hand slipped and she fell into the snow at Amity's feet, trying to recover by posing casually on her side. "What are you doing here?" she asked nervously, climbing to her feet.
Amity frowned, crossing an arm over her chest uncomfortably and looking away. "I'm here to train. I'm trying to beat Ed and Em's highest score on the exam."
"Aw, Mittens, that's impossible!" Emira teased, stepping up behind Amity.
Edric joined her, and Amity's eyes narrowed in irritation. "She still needs to use a training wand to learn new spells." he mocked, and Amity stood to the side, growing angry at the whole interruption. "So what are you working on? Something powerful?" he continued, carrying on the conversation with Luz. Why'd they always have to be jerks to her around other people?
She laughed, casually gesturing back toward the Owl Lady. "Yup! Powerful spells!" she said, her expression suddenly growing serious. "I'm working on one that's so crazy! Eda's a pretty incredible teacher."
The Owl Lady returned, holding an arm full of snow balls that she had collected from various areas in the ruins. "Luz! I shall now teach you how to identify different types of snow… by taste!" she exclaimed, pressing a freshly pressed snowball into Luz's cheek, who seemed resistant. "Go on… eat the snow."
Emira stared in disbelief at the mentor/mentee exchange. "Is this some kind of special magic?"
Amity growled, making her annoyance obvious. "I don't think the Owl Lady wants to show us any of her… powerful spells." she said, walking away. As she expected, Luz was being a distraction, and her advancement in magic was clearly surpassing Amity's. She found her wand and opened her text to the fireball spell, rereading the notes she had made after her brother and sister's instructions. With a nod of determination, she took aim at a nearby tree that was standing apart from the rest, and flicked her wrist. The motion was perfect, her aim was spot on, and she unleashed the blooming purple flare that appeared on the tip of the wand. The firebolt struck the tree and exploded, disintegrating the needles and branches with little more than a stray spark that faded in the snow.
"Nice work." Emira said, apparently done with her conversation with Luz.
"Yeah. You've got the form down. Now we'll work on using it on the fly." Edric agreed.
Amity frowned, turning to face them. "Are you sure you don't want to help Luz instead?" she growled, keeping her voice low in case their guests were still nearby. "You didn't have to tell her I needed a training wand. It's why I didn't want anyone else here in the first place."
"Calm down, Mittens. It's not that big of a deal." Edric assured her.
"It is a big deal!" Amity nearly shouted. "What if mom and dad found out?! They'd probably force me onto a double work load at school. School would probably send me back to the baby class if they found out that I actually need one!"
Edric and Emira rolled their eyes in unison. "You just need a shot of confidence. Come on, let's find a clearing and go through some drills." Emira said. "Just relax. You get even more uptight than usual around that human."
"I'm not uptight!" Amity argued, following behind as her siblings walked away.
"Uptight." Emira replied with a giggle.
"Super uptight." Edric agreed. The trio found their way into the center of a cluster of ruins with fresh snow and plenty of space for movement. "Okay, now come at…" he said, turning around to face Amity.
Before he could finish his sentence, Amity had drawn a spell circle in the air, collecting a snowball in magic and tossing it, catching her brother in the cheek and grinning. "Not uptight." she said flatly. "I was kind of wondering if that temporary brand locked out everything or just my abomination magic."
While Emira giggled from the side, Edric wiped the snow from his face and glared at his little sister for a moment before grinning back. "Oh, you're going to pay for that one."
Amity raised her wand as though it was a fencing foil, her expression fading back to neutral, ready for his attack. Edric constructed a snow man, animating it with a quick spell circle. Sticks were pulled from a nearby tree to plug into the snowman's torso for arms, and a barrage of stones flew from the ruins to construct a rough face that suddenly turned angry, focusing on Amity. She lowered her wand again, drawing a quick circle that sent a firebolt into the snowman's torso, melting it from the inside. "Is that all you've got?"
Edric and Emira smiled at each other, sharing a much larger spell circle that constructed four more of the animated snowmen that moved toward Amity, their stick limbs reaching out for her. Amity turned to the side, holding her left hand behind her back as her right directed the wand. The barrier spell she had learned from The Owl Lady… Eda… was something that was useful, and it was something she had practiced well since using it in her duel with Boscha. Well enough to no longer need a wand to cast it. A twist of a finger on her hidden left hand erected a shield of purple energy, keeping two of the snowmen at bay as she directed a firebolt at a third. She backed away, giving ground while she moved the shield to allow another to get close, forming a small ball of fire that hovered off of the tip of the wand and she lunged forward, forcing the wand into the silent grimace of the snowman.
"Little sister's got some moves." Edric smiled, nodding at his twin sister.
Emira returned the gesture, assisting her brother in summoning the illusion of a familiar purple haired girl with a pale, freckled complexion that gave Amity pause. "Really, guys?" she asked, gesturing at the glowing form.
"C'mon, Mittens. You can't say you don't want a rematch." Emira said. The details weren't quite right, as Amity's siblings only had her reluctant description to go by, but the illusion was obviously that of Bria Bradbury.
Amity growled, sliding her barrier to the side to melt the remaining snowmen in order to focus on her current opponent. "Construction track, right?" Edric asked, and Bria gestured with a spell circle, conjuring up glowing pillars that appeared to be parts of the ruins that surrounded them.
She dived to the side as one pillar toppled over, and climbed to her feet just fast enough to barely evade the second. Pointing her wand at the next pillar in line, she flicked her wrist in a tight circle, unleashing a quick series of purple bolts that sailed wide, nearly catching Edric in the side. "Sorry!"
"Maybe we should concentrate on your aim a bit more first…" Emira commented, taking a few steps back from her siblings.
Amity steeled herself and stood her ground, narrowing her focus on the same pillar again and firing a narrow firebolt that caused the stone-like illusion to fade and revealing the pillar of soft snow underneath that toppled on top of her. She shivered as snow piled into her coat and cold water ran down her back. She shook the snow from her hair and shoulders with a grimace, pulling her barrier closer and attaching it to her left forearm to block any more of Bria's attacks. Suddenly, her knees buckled as the snow at her feet rose her into the air as though a pillar erupted below her. Tossed to the side in surprise, she rolled onto her back and growled. "Okay, let's try this again…"
Hours went by and Amity was beginning to pant and sweat under her winter coat. She had barely seen Luz and her mentor since they had arrived, and her thoughts started to drift as she continued through drills that were even beginning to tire her brother and sister. She wondered just how many spells Luz knew; how powerful were they, and was she still casting them with paper? "I wonder if she'd mind that I have to use a wand?" she mumbled.
"What?" Edric asked, standing to the side of Emira launched attacks at her.
Amity felt her cheeks warm, surprised that she had said that out loud. "Er, nothing." she replied. "Time to concentrate." As Emira stepped back, Amity casually launched a firebolt at Edric, watching him step out of the way as he controlled an arm of snow to swipe at her. Amity conjured up a small barrier, her confidence beginning to show in her spell casting movements as her eye caught sight of Luz and Eda up on a cliff where they had made their camp. An unfamiliar smile appeared on her face and she waved up at the human, letting out a surprised shout as Edric softened the snow under her feet, causing her to sink until only her outstretched arm was showing above the surface.
She flailed her hand about angrily until someone grabbed it and heaved her out. "C'mon, Mittens. Let's get you warmed up before dinner." Emira said, dragging Amity out of the snow.
Shivering from the clumps of snow that had gotten into her coat, boots, and gloves again, Amity looked about for her brother, but could only hear his laughter in the distance. "I hope a slitherbeast gets him out there." She grumbled, picking up her wand and hugging her chest with a shiver.
Emira couldn't help but giggle, but escorted Amity to her tent. "You should get changed and dry out your coat. I'll get started on something to eat." Amity entered her tent, setting her wand beside her text. Her muscles were aching, she was cold, and she was still angry at Edric. Not simply for dunking her in the snow, but also for embarrassing her in front of… others. She took off her coat to hang up close to the smoldering coals that were keeping the space warm, shaking off the snow that had made its way into her clothes. She quickly changed, shaking out her boots and gloves before spotting the small glass pendant that allowed her mother to scry on her, the lot of good it had done Amity lately. It would certainly be understandable if it were to get lost in the snow, or fall off of a cliff…
Amity sighed, putting the pendant back in her bag and pulling her boots and coat back on. It was warm, if still damp, as were her gloves, but she donned her winter gear again, took up her textbook and wand, and exited the tent. The light was beginning to descend, but she found a target in a stone formation sticking out of the snow. She would have to work on her aim if she was going to ace her exam, and she squared her shoulders, adjusting her stance. Holding out the wand, she studied the text for a moment before giving it a nod and focusing on the stone. The tip of the wand began to glow, and she could feel her magic being guided undeterred from the center of her chest and down her arm, being pulled into the wand as she traced a sizable glowing circle in the air. As the circle was completed, she pointed the wand forward, the circle coalescing into the now familiar bolt of purple fire that shot forward, striking the stone with enough force to superheat the stone, causing it to explode into rubble. It was more force than she had intended, and Amity frowned, inspecting the instructions in her text book again.
The wand felt odd, as though her magic was being restricted where the power glyphs had been attached to her neck and wrist, and she frowned at the tool in her hand. Was this how it was always going to be? Was she going to have to constantly learn how to cast new spells with a wand until the magic found its new path? Everything felt so hard to control since the Covention, at least until she had felt that jolt of energy when she had faced off against Bria at the Grudgby match at Glandus.
"Amity! Dinner's ready!" Emira called.
"I caught a bat!" Edric exclaimed, finally coming out of hiding and holding a small, one eyed furry creature in both hands. It's leathery wings fluttered as it struggled, but Edric's grip seemed gentle enough that it wasn't violently protesting.
Amity sighed, walking back to her tent and setting her text and wand just inside the entryway. "Edric, don't eat that." she ordered, jogging to the camp site where her sister had a cauldron brewing over the fire. "It smells good, Emira." she said, approaching the fire. "Is this something mom gave us?"
Emira smiled, giving the cauldron a stir with a ladle. "Nah. If you ever plan on leaving home, you're going to have to learn a few things for yourself."
Amity frowned. "That moment feels like a long way off." she said, taking a bowl of the hot stew and sitting. "Should we invite Luz and Eda over for some?"
Her sister looked around for their brother before continuing. "You're… different around that human. When you're not angry, you're almost… happy."
Amity looked away for a moment. "I am not." she said, then turned back, looking into her bowl. "It's just nice knowing someone with the same interests."
"Sure." Emira said, looking around the camp site again. "Where is…"
Edric approached, still clutching the flying rodent demon in his gloves. "Look who's got an appetizer!"
Emira set the next bowl of stew to the side, extending a hand to her brother. "Ed, give me the bat."
"No!" he said, moving the creature out of his sister's reach. If we're not gonna eat it, I wanna keep it as a pet!" Edric cried, running off back into the forest.
Emira growled at him. "Get back here before that thing bites you!" she ordered, chasing him. Amity set her bowl of stew aside as well, despite her stomach insisting she stay and finish the meal. Who knew what kind of diseases her brother could catch from such a creature, and she followed her sister in pursuit.
Amity was already doused in sweat from the earlier drills, and despite the change of clothes, was still uncomfortable trying to run through the trees. She found herself wishing that she had paid more attention to Skara's Bard spells that she used after gym class when she spotted her brother trying to climb a tree. "Did you lose it?" Amity asked as she got closer, looking up into the tree at the sound of the cyclopean bat clicking angrily at Edric.
"Not… yet…" he replied, reaching up to try grabbing the rodent again. The branches of the tree that the bat had flown into were far too thin to hold Edric's weight however, and he fell into the snow at Amity's feet, resulting in her satisfied smirk.
"Emira!" Amity called out. "I found him!" She looked down at her brother and crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he struggled to get to his feet.
Emira appeared out of the darkness, impatiently waving them back toward the camp. "Ugh, come on! I'm hungry. For normal food!" she clarified. She began leading the way back to their camp when the sky was suddenly lit up as though it had been set on fire. "What was that?"
"You think that was Luz?" Amity asked, her mouth agape.
"No way. We haven't heard anything out of them all day." Edric said, still brushing himself off. "Maybe the Owl Lady is finally showing off some of that snowball magic."
The sky lit up again, even brighter this time before fading, but this time it was followed by an angry yowl that echoed across the Knee. "That's not a good sound." Emira said slowly, staring at her siblings. "Maybe we better…"
Amity was already on her way to where Luz and Eda had set up their camp, not far from their own. A shadow loomed over head, blocking out the moonlight, and an angry, animal like roar echoed through the trees and ruins again. "Luz!" She shouted, charging into the clearing with Edric and Emira just behind her.
"What did we miss?!" Edric asked, rushing in behind his sisters.
"And what are you doing with my wand?!" Amity shouted, glaring at Luz, who was standing stiffly, clearly shaken. Amity pulled the wand and textbook away from Luz and held it close, once again feeling her trust taken for granted. Luz had to have taken it from her tent, so what else could she have seen in there?
"Mittens…" Emira said, placing a hand on Amity's shoulder. "We've got bigger problems." Across the camp site from her towered the hulking, white furred form of a slitherbeast with a still smoking burn on the side of its head. In one foreclaw, it held Eda; her arms pinned to her sides enough that she was unable to perform magic, and the creature was flailing her around as it balanced on its remaining three limbs, pacing to and fro as though deciding whether to attack the four witches. It's lips peeled back to reveal a sharp toothed maw, and a pair of featureless, bright blue eyes embedded in its gums that it used to hone in on its targets. It started to approach, and Edric and Emira stepped forward. "Aw! He's so cute! Can we keep him?" Emira asked, pouting confidently at her brother.
Edric shrugged. "It's no bat, but we can try." He grinned. The pair each drew a glowing blue circle in the air that conjured a glowing tether that wrapped around the wrists of the slitherbeast. The creature looked surprised, and the twins pulled heavily on the tethers, dragging it off of its already unbalanced stance.
"You got it!" Eda yelled, still being whipped around like a toy doll in the slitherbeast's grip as it struggled, pulling the twins forward. "Now finish it off!"
Amity charged forward between her brother and sister. This was it. This was her chance to show herself more than anyone that she could face down even one of the most monstrous creatures on the Boiling Isles. She had the motions in her mind, and she circled her wrist, pointing the wand down the slitherbeast's throat… but the wand barely glowed, and only a purple spark fell off of the tip, to be extinguished by the snow when it dropped to the ground. "What?!" she exclaimed, shaking the wand against her other hand. A soft beeping from its handle attracted her eye to the indicator that was flashing red before finally going black. She glared at Luz. "Did you use this all up?!"
Luz was looking small. Her arms were tucked into her chest, her shoulders were raised, and she took a shy step forward to keep from having to raise her voice. "I… I didn't know."
Emira turned to the human girl, her voice betraying the effort she was having to put into holding the slitherbeast down. "Come on, Luz!"
"Do those powerful spells you were talking about!" Edric added, straining against the creature's strength.
Luz's chin began to quiver as it was clear she realized how much trouble they were all in. "But I don't actually… know any." she admitted. Edric and Emira finally lost their grip in the snow and the slither beast let out another roar and broke free of the illusory chains that had been holding it down, drawing Amity's brother and sister even closer. Amity could feel herself start to panic, and she traced a circle in the air with the intent to summon her abomination, only to remember the temporary block she had on her wrist. "Edric! Emira!" she called out as the pair plowed into the snow. The slitherbeast dug into the snow with its free claw, scooping all three of them up. "No!"
Amity rolled, reaching out for her siblings as she fell between the monster's claws and into the snow again. The slitherbeast stuffed the twins into its other claw with Eda, snarling at Luz before leaping over her frozen form. Despite the creature's size, it had no difficulty running atop the snow, and quickly disappeared into the forest toward the caves that Amity had seen the night before. Despite trying to follow, Amity just couldn't keep it's pace. She had to stop, panting against her exhaustion, and could hear Luz stop behind her. "What do we do?" Luz asked, her voice cautious. She knew she had made a mistake. Amity could hear it.
"I'm going after them." she decided. The wand was dead, her abomination magic was locked away, but she had to try… something. But she couldn't do anything if she had to protect Luz the whole time. "You are staying here." she ordered, turning to face Luz.
"But the beast has Eda!" Luz argued, fear cracking her voice.
Amity stepped forward, forcing Luz back several steps. "And because of you, it also has my brother and sister! Now stay put!" she shouted, gesturing with a finger where Luz was standing and stopping with a heavy sigh once Luz was far enough away. "You'll only get hurt." she said sadly, wishing the evening had just somehow turned out differently. She traced a spell circle with a finger, a much larger copy appearing in the snow around Luz. With a lift of her hand, the glowing purple net pattern that she had learned from Eda rose into the air around Luz, trapping her.
She had to put everything out of her mind now. Luz was safe, and her family wasn't. Turning, she gathered what strength she had left and began to run as hard as she could toward the caves, forcing Luz's calls from her mind.