Prolog
"Wow, Kiddo, when was the last time you had a nap?" whispered the (formly) infamous Owl Lady, Eda Clawthorne.
The witch couldn't help but study her daughter in all but blood, and had to stop a wince from crossing her face. Luz Noceda looked like she hadn't been to bed in nearly two days; the bags under her eyes were so big it made it look like Hunter, the young witch human's frenemy, had gotten enough sleep to last a lifetime. Her hair had started to lose its shine and her skin had started to pale.
All and all, Luz looked like roadkill, and that really worried Eda.
The elder witch walked up to the human child and lightly ruffled her hair. It took about 5 seconds for Luz to respond, and she looked up at her with a smile that didn't reach the rest of her face.
"Hey Eda, what's up?" she asked, her voice lacking its usual energy or chipper tone.
Eda frowned and took a second to pick her next words. "Kid, I know it's Ghoul Break, but when was the last time you left the house?"
"Umm, I think last night?" Luz replied, uncertain herself and then shrugged. "But hey, I got all of my homework done so I'm free for the rest of the week!"
Eda's frown deepens slightly at this statement, but decides to remain quiet on the matter. Luz, feeling like their talk was over, went back to her work. The owl lady peeked over her apprentice and scowled when she saw Luz was working on that blasted titan door again.
Eda frowned again as she looked at Luz. Ghoul Break should be a time of wild and untamed fun, not cooped up working. Sometimes, she wished there was something she could give her apprentice to help her relax and just be a kid again.
Eda suddenly had a flash of brilliance and a lit candle appeared over her head. She frowned as she looked at the candle. "Hooty, what did I tell you about holding a candle over my head?" she asked, in a clear mock scolding tone.
The house demon swallowed the candle before replying, "Only when you have one of your brilliant ideas, hoot, hoot."
Eda glared at her oldest roommate, for about a half-a-second before putting on a foxy smile. "Darn straight," she chirped in, giving Hooty the gun-gesture and clicking her tongue. "Now, if you'll excuse me, mama has someplace to be."
Eda stole one last glance at Luz and her frown returned when she saw that the human was too deep into her study she didn't even notice the comedy act she and Hooty just pulled. So, power walking to the back of the house, she slipped out the back door and into the rarely used shed.
The owl lady went to the right wall, and, probably from years of watching her back, scanned the area quickly. Once she was sure there was no one watching, she placed a hand on the wall. She half turned her hand to the right, and finger holes opened in the structure. She placed her fingers in the openings and turned the handle a full 360 degree to the left. Finally, she turned the handle 180 degrees to the right and took a step back when she heard the faint sound of gears turning.
Eda grinned like a fox when her magically refrigerated bookcase, nearly as tall as the shed itself rose up from its hiding place. The case was filled to the brim with potions of different sizes and colors, all "borrowed" from the finest potion shops on the isles. Her grin grew when she grabbed a potion on the center shelf.
If someone were to look in at the owl lady at the moment, they would have mistaken the potion for one of the owl lady's usual elixirs. About the only difference between the two bews was the potion she was holding was thinner and nearly see-through Eda knew better, however, and she knew this was the key to getting her little sunshine back.
(Later that day)
"Luz! Dinner's ready and I'm not taking no for an answer, little witch."
The misplayed human looked at her teacher, and due to her own fatigue failed to notice how much emphasis Eda had put on "little". The elder witch leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen, a plant glyph in her hand and her finger close to activating the magical symbol.
Luz just gave a half-hearted smile and stood up. She cracked her back as she made her way to the kitchen. Her face lit up when she saw that Eda had made her favorite dish; griffin omelet and boiled dragon rice topped with ghost pepper hot sauce.
"Weh," King said as he strolled in from wherever he had been for the day. "A feast fit for a king!"
Eda just shook her head as the three took their usual seats and began dinner. She found it (secretly) cute that even though, King knew where he truly came from he still liked to act like an all-powerful king.
"So, what's the deal with all of this?" Luz asked curiously, and through a month full of food.
"What?" Eda replied, acting slightly hurt. "Can't I do something for my all-time favorite little witch once in a while?"
To emphasize her point, she reached out and ruffled Luz's hair. This caused Luz to break out a big old smile, the one the Eda had grown to love without measure.
The rest of dinner went by in peaceful silence. Though Eda did look away when Luz took a big sip of her juice, to hide the big smirk on her face. Because she looked away, she failed to see King sneaking a few sips from his best friend's cu.
Eda looked back at her family once she had gotten herself under control and knew once the potion took effect she would have her little ray of sunshine back.
Oh, if she only knew the terror she was about to unleash on the isles, she would have probably done something like this sooner.