Author's Note: This time I have nothing to say, only I wish you a good read.
Answers to comments:
RedBurningDragon: Thanks for the review, in this chapter we learn more about the chemistry between Eda and Moriarty. The action in the Conformatorium is true in the next chapter.
TheFranninator: Moriarty is actually my original character, an alternate version of my protagonist from My New Life - Worm: The Celestial Forge and its eccentric master.
Luz's Catgirl disguise is inspired by Yoshino Himekawa's clothing from Date A Live, only in purple and cat-themed.
Drake D Hero: This story was born on a whim and one we want to write an Owl House story in here Luz can become an Avengers-style heroine and get a competent teacher.
XXX
Title: The Iron-House: The Owl Lady, The Crimson Knight and Luz Noceda Aspiring Witch and Hero.
Chapter 3: The Mad Arcanist and Lying Witch. Part Three.
Alternative title: War Council at the Owl House.
POV Narrator
Luz and Eda sitting on Eda's magic staff are flying away from Bonesborough.
The Dominican-American Girl, not knowing if she will ever have a second chance to fly on a witch's cane, decided to look down to find out more about the Boiling Isles.
Luz can see plains and forests tinged with orange, followed by huge Titan ribs and other oddities hard to describe.
The ground and the trees below are made up of a myriad of shades of orange, ranging from the color of the sand to the color of peaches or oranges.
Mountains of solid bones arch into the distant sky, just like the city before, carved into the line of clouds by the dozen, each of the individual curved rib-like spikes extending high above Eda and Luz.
In the distance, the same fuchsia sea and the same purple sky stretch to infinity, broken only by the golden clouds and the faint silhouettes of islands in the distance, the white light of the sun sparkling on the waves.
"The Boiling Isles are beautiful from up here." Luz said, having her heart captured by this surreal landscape.
"An optimistic Kitten, I like this personality trait, life is easier when you only see the good side and don't think about taxes and work like everyone else." Eda said, with a smile on her face, approving of the optimism of the human disguised as a catgirl.
"Eda, were we right to leave Moriarty alone?" Luz asked, unable to ignore the bad feeling of leaving Moriarty behind to face the guards or do something else just as dangerous.
"Kitten, it's pretty obvious you just met, Moriarty." Eda said, almost bursting out laughing at what Luz is hinting at.
"That guy is a magnet for trouble, no matter where he is he will definitely end up in some sort of problem, sometimes small, sometimes huge.
The mere fact that he is still alive and well with his lifestyle means that not only is he strong, but incredibly hard to kill him, far worse than cockroaches or a hydra. "Eda said, trying to reassure Luz that Moriarty doesn't. an easy target to snap away.
"Are you sure Moriarty is okay?" Luz asked, wanting to believe Eda's words.
"I'm the strongest witch in the Boiling Isles. Moriarty is ... I'm not too sure what it is exactly." Eda said, raising an eyebrow, having a serious problem cataloging what Moriarty actually is due to several reasons Luz doesn't know.
"What Moriarty is doesn't matter at the moment. The essential is when it comes to magic or fighting, few can stand up to Moriarty.
I don't like to admit it, but if I don't take it seriously from the start, too, I risk being defeated. The boy is full of tricks and I don't even know what he is fully capable of and I have known him for years. "Eda said, in a warmer and more comforting tone, making sure to erase any worries from Luz.
At that precise moment various winged creatures fly in front of Luz and Eda, among these creatures there is a sort of griffin that looks like a pigeon vomiting spiders.
"A griffin! I knew spiders breathe!" Luz screams with happiness, confirming that some of her theories are true. It's not like when the whole world has accepted the existence of aliens, superpowers and wizards, but every victory is worth something to Luz.
"Don't you go out of the house much?" Eda asked, giving a strange look at Luz who is overreacting at the sight of a simple griffin.
"Why are you saying that?" Luz asked, remembering being disguised as a native Catgirl, hoping she hadn't done something unusual by local standards.
"Is this the first time you've seen a griffon vulture of this subspecies?" Eda asked, managing to smell some sort of anomaly.
" Yes." Luz replied, knowing that lying is not her point, preferring to tell the truth.
"This type of Griffon lives throughout the Boiling Isles ecosystem, you have to come from a small isolated village to never have seen it." Eda stated, making a possible explanation for here Luz has never seen a pigeon-like griffin.
"Where are we going to a magical castle or a haunted house?" Luz asked, quickly changing the subject, wanting to know their destination.
"In all the Boiling Isles there are only two castles, the imperial fortress of Belos and the Abysus Castle of the Necron forest, and I don't get close to either of them without good reason." Eda replied, deciding not to put too much pressure on Luz, being able to wait for Moriarty to succeed in the group and give him the details.
"The Necron Forest?" Luz asked, in a curious tone, sensing that it is not a nice place.
"Where did you live that you never heard of the Necron forest?
Many locals consider it the most dangerous and mysterious area of the Boiling Isles, it stands on the left hand of the Titan. "Eda said, finding another unusual thing about Luz.
All the inhabitants of the Boiling Isles know about the Necron forest, it is quite common for parents to tell about that place to scare the children to behave themselves.
"Why is it so dangerous?" Luz asked, too curious not to ask more questions about possibly macabre subjects.
"Many see the Necron forest as a cursed place that brings undead, zombies, skeletons and other monsters that hate the living out of the ground.
Others say that in the forest is the Abysus Castle, where the Lord of the Castle is located, an elusive demon who rules the forest from his throne and his army of monsters.
Myths and rumors vary but in the last decade no one who has set foot in the Necron forest has ever returned. "Eda said, giving a populist overview of the Necron forest.
"I appreciate the horror stories and would like to know more about this cursed forest. But you haven't answered my question, where are we going?" She asked Luz, wanting to know their destination, although she personally would like to ask more questions about the Necron Forest and the Lord of the Castle.
But she does not want to make it clear how ignorant she is of this magical world, the risk of being discovered will certainly increase.
"Let's go to the second most dangerous forest of the Boiling Isles, Forest of the Owls, although in our case it is the safest place on the Boiling Isles." Eda said, with an arrogant smile, landing the magic stick in a small clearing in the woods.
Luz got up to get off Eda's flying staff.
CRACKING
Luz heard a strange creak when Eda stood up, part of Luz is worried that Eda has broken something or the nice magic stick has broken.
Turning her head slowly, Luz can see Eda's hand, detached from her body and still attached to the staff.
"Eda your hand!" Luz screamed, almost having a blow at the sight of her hand separated from Eda's body, if there was any blood Luz might pass out or panic.
"Oops. It happens sometimes." Eda said nonchalantly, taking his hand and reattaching it to his arm as if it were a simple piece of lego.
"Well, I've had enough adventures for today. This is clearly not the PG fantasy world I've always dreamed of." Luz stated, loving all of this magical stuff and the Isekai-style adventure she's going through, but it's all happening too fast for Luz's liking.
"Kitten, can you guess why nobody wants to fill the Owl Forest?" Eda asked, hoping a little distraction would lift Luz's mood.
"Let me guess, no one approaches because they are too scared to face the Owl Lady on their own territory." Luz replied, believing there is a reason why the Owl Lady lives in the Forest of Owls.
"You are perfectly right, there is no demon or witch who has the courage to face me on my territory!" Eda shouted proudly, puffing out her chest and raising her cane in the air, appreciating any form of compliment or flattery.
"Incorrect information, the primary cause of the native presence is me and my subordinate units." Stated a robotic voice that sounds like Jason Statham.
Slowly from the bushes a mechanical creature resembling a wolf emerged, a futuristic wolf covered in a black frame and armed with various weapons, including a chainsaw tail.
"No creo que seas IF Prototype LQ-84i or Blade Wolf, uno de los mejores robots compañeros que conocen. Cómo existes? (I don't believe you are IF Prototype LQ-84i or Blade Wolf, one of the best robot companions they know. to exist?) Asked Luz with eyes sparkling with wonder, if Eda wouldn't stop her she would rush to embrace the war machine that should only exist in the video game, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance.
"Deputy Director, Edalyn, this organic life form is either a host or an intruder. If it's the latter, I recommend you get away so I can proceed with the disposal." Blade Wolf said, in a cold and purely professional voice, looking at Eda for instructions on how to proceed.
"Disposal!?" Luz muttered, with a lump in her throat, her astonishment and just become a healthy dose of fear, recalling that Blade Wolf is essentially a war machine.
"The Kitten is a guest, Moriarty himself entrusted her to me, you can go back to patrol the forest as you usually do." Eda said, in an authoritative and slightly scary tone, waving them away.
"People don't set foot in the Owl Forest not just because of you." Luz said, less a question and more a certainty.
"Wrong domination, the indigenous population to especially this place as the Forest of the metal beasts or Forest of black iron." He corrected Blade Wolf, turning and starting to disappear through the bushes of the forest.
"I am the Mightiest Witch in the Boiling Isles, few are not afraid of my fury. Perhaps it helps that the forest is populated by several hundred metallic creatures and there are an untold number of traps. But the main reason is fear and the respect my name commands. " Eda said, not wanting to share the credit with a walking bunch of junk.
For a few minutes Luz and Eda walked through the forest.
The Dominican-American Girl by observing closely managed to track down a large number of small animals composed exclusively of metal that are guarding the area or acting as guard sentries.
Another unique detail of this forest is the presence of huge blocks more or less three meters large that seem to be scattered throughout the forest for no apparent reason.
"What are these huge blocks of obsidian for?" Luz asked, pointing a finger at one of those huge dark bricks.
"Part of a complex magical security system, these blocks produce a magic called Bounded Field, a topographical type of magic that Moriarty practices, consists of weaving a web of magical energy and spreading it over a base area, like a piece of land or a building, to create a mystical boundary line that separates the inside from the outside. " Eda said, giving a basic explanation of a magic that Moriarty practices, even though most of the theory slips from her mind.
" We have arrived !" Eda happily declared, pointing a finger at an empty clearing near a large cliff as if there was something important.
"And what do you want to show me, is there nothing?" Luz asked, not understanding why Eda is so happy about an empty clearing.
"Apparently there is nothing in front of me, but if I take a couple of steps ..." Eda grabbed Luz's hand, walking in a straight line for a few steps, after a third step the view of the clearing has changed completely, revealing a house as bizarre as Eda.
A structure that wants to combine a hut and a medieval tower.
The stones that make up the base of the house cut and stacked completely separate from the stones that make up the castle walls and the tower, time and moss on the latter seem to suggest they were much older, as if the house had been built around and among the ruins of a dilapidated and long-forgotten fortress.
"Is your house hidden by some sort of invisibility barrier?" Luz said, realizing what just happened.
"The created Moriarty, she knows her stuff when it comes to security systems, traps and creating guard dogs." Eda said, complimenting Moriarty who is responsible for most of the forest's safety.
"If you praise me, I won't cancel your ban on sweets." Stated a young male voice, with a British accent.
Luz looked up to see Moriarty at the top of a tree branch at the edge of the barrier, with her back leaning against the trunk and holding her notebook and a silver pen in her hands.
"Moriarty, you're okay!" Luz exclaimed, going to hug Moriarty who gave up trying to transcribe his thoughts on paper.
"Nice that you got yourself for me, but you don't have to, I'm a Magus more than capable of looking after myself. Some guards are nothing to me." Moriarty said, putting away his manuscript and turning his pain into his silver walking stick, after which he gave a short pat on Luz's head who releases the hug.
"Welcome to the Forest of Owls or the Forest of Black Iron, before I built my Iron-House I lived here with Eda." Moriarty stated, approaching Eda who is simply watching the little skit between Moriarty and Luz.
"It was a very long 16 years as a witch, thanks to him I gained dozens of sleepless nights and a huge amount of headaches. When he got old enough to live on his own I celebrated the whole week." Eda stated, trying to describe the past years as an experience she doesn't want to repeat, but her eyes say a completely different thing.
"Tsundere?" Luz asked, finding no better word to describe Eda right now.
"Tsundere." Moriarty nodded, patting Luz's head lightly for guessing.
"Someone has softened." Eda said, trying to make fun of Moriarty.
"My will is iron and my patience is even harder, you will hardly get a reaction from me with a few words." Moriarty said, not having the slightest reaction to Eda's joke.
"Eda, let's go inside or we have to wait for you to find a new sense of humor. I'm sure Luz would like to stretch out in an armchair after walking through the market, flying across the sky and walking over here." Moriarty said, wanting to get inside Eda's house sooner rather than later.
"I'm not tired, on the contrary I feel full of energy, I could run all day." Luz said, protesting that she doesn't need a break because she isn't tired in the slightest.
"Adrenaline and endorphins. Your deer is releasing a large number of chemicals to make you function and hide the symptoms of tiredness and physical fatigue." Moriarty said, in a stern voice, sounding like one of those doctors who'll tie you to the bed if their patients don't listen.
"Medicine nerd." Eda stated, finding no better insult at the moment.
"If I'm a nerd, who taught me what you are?" He counterattacked Moriarty, saying that Moriarty is what it is because of Eda's teachings.
The simple owl lady stuck out her tongue and then led the way to her haunted house.
"Hoot-hoot, Eda!" He greeted a shrill voice coming from the door, right from an ornament that resembles a circular owl face carved with smooth brown stones for the eyes.
" What's this !?" Luz asked, having no words to describe the thing attached to the door.
"He is Hooty, the House Demon of the house, a kind spirit guardian of the property is harmless if you do not want to trouble the inhabitants of the house." Moriarty explained, seeing that Luz is releasing knowing that Hooty is not dangerous, annoying yes, dangerous for offenders yes.
"Password please!" He requested the ornament similar to an owl's face.
"We don't have time for this, Hooty, let us in." Eda said, trying to poke her fingers into the eye of the ornament on the door, but a weak beating stopped Mrs. Owl's abuse.
"Eda, we're not in a life or death situation, we can take a minute to make Hooty happy." Moriarty said, not appreciating Eda's coarse and rude methods, especially when used on friends.
"For 15 years, Hooty was the first and last line of defense in your home, he deserves an ounce of respect and love." Moriarty declared, placing himself between Eda and Hooty.
"Gogo, you are my best friend!" Hooty stated, reaching out to be able to embrace the Arcanist.
"I'm Moriarty and I remind you I don't like physical contact." Moriarty stated, not appreciating the extreme gestures of affection.
"Momo, Gogo, Gomo, Mogo or whatever you want to be called, you are my best friend." Hooty said, ceasing to hug Moriarty, preferring to speak face to face.
"I brought some sunflower seeds, you want to taste." Moriarty asked, pulling a small bowl filled with sunflower seeds out of his pockets.
"He's asking me why I press for a girlfriend. Most of his friends are soulless machines or bizarre creatures." Eda said, looking in disgust as Hooty is literally eating from Moriarty's hand.
"You sound like my mother." Luz murmured in a low, barely audible tone, not appreciating how Eda's word sounded.
"I actually have organic friends made of flesh and blood who weren't created by me, you just don't know them because they live on other realms." Moriarty said, feeling slightly offended by Eda's words.
"My little Cuckoo, you can open the door. Me, Eda and little Dawn need to talk." Moriarty said, in a gentle tone, convincing Hooty to open the door.
"With pleasure, Gogo." Hooty said, starting to open his mouth until the entire door was gone showing the inside of the house.
"Ladies and witches first." Moriarty said, making a short bow, pulling her hair down.
Eda decided not to comment on Moriarty's eccentric behavior, preferring to grab Luz's hand and drag her into the house.
XXX
"Welcome ..." Eda paused dramatically for a second.
"The house of the owl!" Eda shouted in her grand and arrogant tone, raising a hand and snapping her fingers.
Suddenly, light floods the room as candles are lit throughout the room, illuminated by Eda's even more golden magic, on the coffee tables, cabinets, candlesticks and everything in between.
When the fireplace comes to life, the flame casts a brilliant orange-gold glow into the room along with pleasant warmth.
Above, the light makes its way through the pattern on the ceiling, the seemingly random engravings quickly transform into another stylized owl, although this was different from the previous ones; the former were simple, with folded wings and smooth heads.
This one had outstretched wings, with claws, tail feathers and horns on display, which stretched almost from wall to wall and looked less like a carving or etching and more like a constellation.
A long, thin crown extends over her head, and Luz finds it difficult to tell whether the light in the center of her head was a singular beak or eye.
"Where I hide away from the pressures of modern life. Even cops. Mm, even ex-boyfriends." Eda said, laughing shortly, recalling the attempts of several people over the years who have tried to enter her forest.
"You literally did the same thing with me. You should learn some new tricks, maybe some illusory magic or some special pyrotechnic effects." Moriarty muttered, nostalgically, as he entered the Owl House.
"This place is beautiful!" Luz said, pulling some bulky things out of her backpack and placing them on a coffee table.
"Do you live here all alone?" Luz asked, beginning to have a higher esteem for Eda who does whatever she wants, without restrictions.
"I actually have a roommate." Eda said, about to call her roommate to say that Moriarty is visiting him and that there is a new guest.
Fortunately, the roommate got out of his hiding place without having to be called.
There was a splash, followed by several small, muffled steps; a distant door opened before a light but audible creak of wood was heard, as if a child were stepping on the floorboards as hard as they could.
With each creak, the noise approached, gradually turning the corner towards the hall entrance.
"Who dares to intrude on me, the demon king?" Declared a tiny creature descending the stairs.
It resembles a species of dog-fox hybrid, charcoal black fur with the torso and tip of the tail covered with light gray hair.
Its head is covered with a dog skull with white horns on its head, one of which is broken. Fortunately, the broken part is a sort of silver replacement.
His eyes have pink irises with yellow sclera.
Around his neck he wears a red collar with a large star-shaped ruby as a medallion or tag.
It basically looks like a pet trying to cosplay a Cubone Pokémon.
"Ay, que lindo! Eda, he's so cute! Who's a widdle guy? Who's a widdle guy? Is that you? Is that you?" Luz screamed, losing her mind for a moment, going to hug and cuddle the adorable little creature.
"No! I don't know who your little one is! Eda, who is this monster?" The creature screamed, trying to free itself from Luz's grasp, but all in vain. As adorable as she is and just as helpless.
"Kitten says her name is Dawn and she is Moriarty's probationary assistant." Eda said, before approaching Luz with the intent of separating her from King.
"Words, Eda, words." Moriarty said, placing his silver staff in front of Eda, stopping her march.
"Dark Knight, save your King!" King shouted, the most adorable creature in the Owl House, hoping to be saved by someone.
"Dawn, if you let King down. I'll show you a magic trick with Ironman's armor." Moriarty stated, knowing what to say to get what she wants.
"Are you serious!" Luz shouted, letting go of King to go in front of Moriarty, wanting to see a spell in Ironman's armor.
"I always keep my word and you have my contracts." Moriarty said, with a wave of his hand, the briefcase that transforms into a Power Armor magically appeared in the living room of the Owl House.
"Or studied magic and science to the point that I can create a machine for every magic I know and a magic equivalent to any scientific device." Moriarty stated, pointing his silver staff at the metal briefcase.
The tip of the stick released a golden powder that traveled through the air, covering the briefcase and slipping inside, analyzing the contents.
"Let's see how this model works." Moriarty said, banging his cane on the floor, releasing more gold dust that turned into holographic screens showing the briefcase's collected data.
" Magnificent." Luz exclaimed, watching as science and magic come together to become something greater.
The gold dust came out of Stark's briefcase to create a semi-transparent, working replica of Stark's briefcase.
"Illusions like you can't love them." Moriarty said, stepping on the semi-transparent but still tangible briefcase.
The briefcase opened, covering Moriarty's legs in metal boots, reaching out and pulling the case up, other parts of the armor attach to Moriarty's body, forming Ironman's armor.
An illusory Arc Reactor has settled on Moriarty's chest as the armor tightens its locks to fit Moriarty's cuts, finally the helmet covers the Arcanist's face.
"¡Esto es lo más hermoso que he seen en toda mi vida! (This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in all of mine!)" Luz shouted, in a fangirl voice, her phone clicked about ten photographs of the entire scene.
"I hope you enjoyed the show, time to see where the damage is." Moriarty said, taking a step forward, leaving the illusory armor behind him.
By making a gesture with both hands to connect the data-filled screens with the armor projection, dozens of sections began to glow red.
"The exterior of the chassis is okay, the internal systems are slightly damaged and the Reactor Arc is melted." Moriarty said, looking at the types of damage on the armor, thinking about how to repair the armor.
"You have certainly made great progress with illusory magic, tangible illusions things like that you rarely see these days." Eda said, not understanding why Luz and Moriarty are so interesting in fancy armor, but she has to admit that Moriarty's illusory magic is impressive.
"Please tell me you can fix Ironman's briefcase, wearing Ironman armor is one of my dreams." She asked Luz, wanting to know if she can fulfill not only her magical dream, but her sci-fi dream as well.
"I promise you I'll fix the briefcase and you can live out your Magitech superhero fantasy. But we need to focus on our main mission." Moriarty promised, snapping her firm, making the illusions of Ironman's armor and analysis screens disappear.
"Now that we're safe and in a place here no one can hear us. Eda you can loan us your portal for a few hours." Moriarty asked, turning to Eda who seems to want to leave all of a sudden.
"Which portal?" Eda asked, pretending she understood what Moriarty wants.
"The portal to Midgard or as you witches of the Boiling Isles call it, the human kingdom. Precisely the portal you found when you were 15 and ran away from home." Moriarty said, giving more details on the portal so Eda can't pretend she misunderstood.
"Why do you need my old portal? Don't you know a dozen ways to travel between realms?" Eda asked, trying to change the subject of speech.
Normally the Owl Lady would have lied or run out of trouble, both options do not work with Moriarty, because with her hearing she can analyze your heartbeat to understand when you lie and know all her hiding places, having created safety systems for each of them. .
"None of those are safe for you." Moriarty replied, knowing that most of her travel methods involve months of preparation or having to go through great risks, things that aren't feasible for Luz.
"You didn't just finish making your own portal up and running." Eda said, trying again to change the subject of discussion.
"He's hiding something." Luz murmured, also managing to understand that Eda is trying to avoid speaking on the portal.
"Even a blind man can see it. Plus my portal exploded less than two hours ago, it looks like it can't support more than one round trip without a 24 hour break. We need your portal." Moriarty declared, taking a step towards Eda who wants to leave.
"Where the rush is, the Kitty can wait a month until you create a safer and more reliable portal. You know what they say, haste is wasteful. Or rather, cutting corners only takes you farther from where you want to go. " Eda said, inventing an excuse not to give the portal to Moriarty and Luz.
"I'll repeat, the two of us need your portal and you are going to loan us the portal right now." Moriarty said, in a commanding voice, stepping in front of Eda.
Maybe Mrs. Owl is bigger than 10 centimeters than Moriarty, six inches if we count the heels, but the atmosphere that Moriarty gives off is much more severe and frightening.
"Give me a valid reason, a reason other than a simple tourist visit or one of the boring studies." Eda said, raising her tone, not letting her be cornered in her home.
"Luz, drop your hood and introduce yourself." Moriarty stated, pointing the stick at Luz who decides to do as she is told.
"Hi, my name is Luz Noceda, i like editing anime clips to music and reading fantasy books with convoluted backstories." Luz said, taking off her cat-eared hood, exposing her round ears and her true colors.
"I knew there was something strange about the Kitten!" Eda exclaimed, happy that her instincts have never let her down so far.
"What is a human being doing here?" Eda asked, taking a quick look to confirm that Luz is indeed a human being.
"The girl chased Griffon through my portal prototype." Moriarty replied, having no trouble recounting how Luz got to the Boiling Isles.
"I made you more responsible. Such a mistake, I expected from myself, but never from you, I am deeply ...
amused. "Eda said, crossing her arms, trying to be serious and disappointed only to burst out laughing.
"Number one, Luz possesses an innate magical aura that allowed her to ignore the defenses of my portal.
Number two, when I was a 12-year-old boy, Owlbert robbed me, chasing him and I ended up in front of your stall. "Moriarty said, noting that Eda can't make fun of him without laughing at herself.
"The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." Eda replied, shrugging and accepting the coincidence without too many thoughts.
"When you were little you chased Eda's pet, passing through its portal, ending up in the Boiling Isles. More or less the same thing happened to me!" Luz exclaimed enthusiastically, considering such a repetition of events as surprising or predestined.
"A reason why I gave you the proposal to become my assistant. A wise man once said: We knows the ways of the universe? Where and when a raindrop might fall? How strong the wind will blow? Is it all just an accident? Or could it be destiny? ... Accident? Or destiny? " Moriarty said, trying to sound wise.
"You just mentioned Kung Fu Panda Master Oogway."
"Just because those words come from a movie doesn't mean they're less true.
Plus I prefer to mention a thousand-year-old Kung Fu master turtle, instead of a green gnome who led his order of space magic knights to ruin. "Moriarty said, guarding the source of his wise words.
"The guy is a nerdy nerd, he loves making quotes from all sorts of content. Books, comics, poetry books, anime, video games, movies, just enough that it sounds good and he will definitely use it to look wiser or more mysterious." Eda said, mocking Moriarty for her love of pop culture quotes.
"Eda, stop joking and give me the key." Moriarty said, reaching out to Eda, wanting to receive the key to the portal.
"I'd like to, but ..." Eda murmured the last few under her breath so they were impossible to understand.
"Eda please repeat aloud, because I think I heard it wrong." Moriarty said, in an angry tone, banging the cane on the floor, making cracks appear.
To Eda's misfortune, Moriarty's superhuman hearing can hear everything.
"I would like to, but I lost the key last night." Eda said, quickly, they pull the plug to put an end to this lying game.
"You kept that key for 30 years, how did you lose it!" Moriarty asked, putting a hand to his forehead and sitting in an armchair, looking like he was silencing a fair amount of anger.
Did Luz decide to sit in the armchair and watch the discussion between mother and son or teacher and alumni?
The Dominican-American girl couldn't help but notice that when Moriarty got angry or raised his voice, the room temperature started to drop.
"She is embarrassed, but I am a grown woman, I have certain needs to satisfy." Eda said, in a tone full of discomfort not wanting to talk about this.
"What kind of needs?" Luz asked, not understanding what Eda means.
"You have minor needs of the forbidden type." Moriarty said, letting Luz understand what kind of needs Eda met.
Luz went all red in the face, understanding why Eda feels so uncomfortable with this chat.
"After the fun I went to take a shower. While I was cleaning myself, I stole my purse with the key in it and ran away. The moral of this story is not to trust men." Eda stated, with a face not too happy about being robbed by an ex-lover.
" I'm a man." Moriarty stated, feeling mildly insulted for entering the same category with the thief who robbed Eda.
"Sometimes I forget that you are a man. I mean you clean and fix the house regularly, you prepare food, you repair broken objects with nails and mortal or wire and you act, you take care of the little ones and you teach them various things.
Basically you are a professional housewife, all you need is long hair, a woman's dress and that you become less modest. I could sell your hand in marriage and make a big fortune. "Eda joked, to release the tense atmosphere of the chamber's brim.
Only to receive a stern look from Moriarty and the room temperature dropped slightly, causing every resident of the Owl House to shiver.
"Number one, your teasing sounds a little sexist.
Number two, I prefer the term self-sufficient handyman.
Number three, if I didn't take care of the place, the Owl House would be a pigsty or a junkyard, King would be illiterate and Hooty far worse than he is now. "Moriarty said, sounding deeply annoyed by Eda's joke.
"Too sensitive for a little teasing. I rectify my words, the moral is not to trust a man and / or a woman who wants to get to the point from the first moment." Eda commented, knowing that without some sort of excuse things can get as cold as winter Siberia.
"I agree. But you can't be more careful with your love affairs. Maybe find something more long-term and stable." Moriarty said, knowing that hearing a real apology from Eda is a fairly rare occurrence.
"I'm the mightiest witch in the Boiling Isles, I don't have time for cheesy love, I just want some fun." Eda stated, having no time or desire to have a real relationship with another person.
Moriarty didn't say a word, just stared at Eda with a look full of disapproval.
"Don't give me that look, I'm a wild witch, not a chaste nun." Eda said, being able to guess what the Arcanist is thinking.
"I only consider that some of your habits cause a brief moment of leisure, but in the long run they only cause problems." Moriarty expressed his opinion, considering a large amount of Eda's vices to be bad for her health.
"Not all of us can practice Teetotalism and Abstinence." Eda said, not appreciating that Moriarty looks down on her for her occasional addiction with apple blood and other things.
"Teetotalism?" Luz asked, not knowing the meaning of that word.
"Tetotalism is the practice or promotion of complete personal abstinence from alcoholic beverages.
Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, etc. "Moriarty explained the meaning of the two words that disgust Eda.
'I have two opposite extremes in front of me. On the one hand we have an impulsive witch and Hedonism, on the other hand a thoughtful Arcanist and Abstinence. ' Luz thought, seeing that Eda and Moriarty are quite different in a multitude of things.
"The boy is all work and no fun. I've never seen him drinking, smoking or having fun with a pretty woman.
Not even monks who try to find enlightenment try to follow Moriarty's example, because they would starve. "Eda joked, sure that not even the holiest and most spiritual cannot appear with Moriarty who can live without a lot of essential things. all the others.
"In my opinion, everything is good if you don't overdo it." Luz expressed her opinion, a middle ground between these two polar opposites.
"True enough, too bad Eda doesn't understand the meaning of the word moderation." Moriarty said, pointing the stick at Eda who begins to regret teaching them how to create a magical staff.
"I can control myself whenever I want. Personally I consider that you are wasting some of your abilities, with your regenerative power you could drink and eat anything without any health consequences." Eda said, imagining what she could do if she doesn't have to worry about her health and nutrition in general.
'Isn't Eda some kind of zombie witch? Why would he need a healing factor when you can reattach the lost limbs? ' Luz thought, making a brief comparison in her head between Eda's "zombie" powers and Moriarty's "werewolf" powers.
"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to do it." Moriarty said, rising from his chair, I decide to stop arguing with Eda about silly things.
"Instead of wasting time talking about our conflicting opinions, we can channel our energies into something more productive.
For example, like retrieving the portal key, so Luz can go home and you don't lose your main source of profit. "Moriarty, the only mature adult in the room, said, wanting to solve important problems instead of arguing.
"The King approves of his Dark Knight's idea." King said, entering the discussion of the group, feeling in Luz's lap starting to gently caress him.
"First step, knowing where the key is. Surely you have done something to at least find out where the thief or key is." Moriarty said, knowing that Eda is vengeful and smart enough to find a scoundrel who must learn a lesson in how not to joke about the Owl Lady.
"When I found the thief he was captured by the guards, using a location magic I discovered that the key is in the Conformatorium, behind a magical barrier that repels all magical life." Eda explained, taking a look at Luz, a human being who is not a magical life form.
"What is the Conformatorium?" Luz asked, not really liking what the place sounds like.
"A very fun place." Eda lied without much difficulty.
King gave a look that says, "Do you really try to lie to my new servant when my Dark Knight is around?"
Luz turns her head to Moriarty who will surely tell him a more precise answer.
"You just learned that Eda is a lying witch, so usually an A + in observation and a more consistent response." Moriarty replied, pulling a black leather book out of his coat, opening the book a mist escaped from the pages forming a prison-like structure.
"The Conformatorium aka detention center 33, in human terms is a corrigendum or juvenile prison, created to contain offenders and crimes under 18, located not far from Bonesborough.
The fortress boasts a decent security system and has a few hundred guards who are discreet and not very good at magic, being mere grunts.
In recent months, the Conformatorium has received a new boss, Warden Wrath, who has begun to improve the standards of the prison, also starting to receive adult criminals and the installation of a barrier to contain contraband. "Moriarty said, turning the page, forcing the fog to take the shape of a person.
"Warden Wrath is an above average specimen of the Golum species.
This demon race boast a fiery breath, dense skin, a frightening sense of smell and the ability to turn their hands into medieval edged weapons.
Fortunately at low cold hardiness and even worse long-range sight, pretty much the T-Rex's Jurasic Park trick can work on him.
He served for nearly thirty years in law enforcement, renowned for using bad force to solve his problems and an obsessive compulsive urge to enforce order.
Once he got the promotion he started abusing his position to arrest people for absurd acts and mistreat prisons. "Moriarty concluded, giving an overview of Warden Wrath's skills and character, closing the book, ending the little show. projection.
"All in all it's not such a difficult situation to handle, the only problem is the presence of Warden Wrath and the barrier, both of which can be easily solved. If we were in a video game it would be a Class-C mission." Moriarty explained, seeing nothing too difficult with retrieving the key.
"How did you manage to collect such information?" Luz asked, not knowing whether to be frightened or impressed by Moriarty's information gathering on government buildings and their leaders.
"Maybe everyone considers Moriarty just a seller of magical books and trinkets, but in reality he is much more than that." Moriarty replied, speaking to the third person again, earning an odd look from Luz.
"Who cares about all these insignificant details. We have a human being and I'm the strongest witch in the Boiling Isles. Just sneak in, let Luz through the barrier, get the key, and we're back before dinner." Eda said, in a confident tone, ready to grab Luz and fly to the Conformatorium to get her key back.
The Arcanist invoked a magic circle in front of his hand, causing a chain of purple energy to escape that bound the Owl Lady like a salami.
"Eda, what you have just described is not a plan, it is just a guideline of the objectives to be accomplished." Moriarty stated, forcing Eda to sit in the chair next to Luz and King, so she can't do anything rash.
"Release me or prepare to face my anger!" Eda yelled, not appreciating being chained and forced to sit down.
"Is it absolutely necessary to tie Eda?" Luz asked, in a discontented tone, not appreciating such an extreme method.
"Here are two short lessons that I can make your life very simple:
Number one, the Witches of the Boiling Isles need to create a circle with their hands to use their magic, if you block your hands they can't use magic.
Number two, Eda is an arrogant, impulsive and overconfident woman, she'll probably take you like a sack of potatoes and go to the Conformatorium without a second thought. "Moriarty said, knowing quite well how Eda's little head thinks.
"You know me too well." Eda muttered, stopping squirming, knowing Moriarty will free her once she proves a point.
"Because we're not in a race against time, we can take it slow. First we eat a meal, grab some equipment, and then go get the key back from the Conformatorium." Moriarty said, establishing how the group will proceed, snapping his fingers the chains of energy holding Eda crumbled.
"I'm going to the kitchen to cook some food and make a real plan. King please bring me one of your demon books. Luz will help if she has to fight a demon, Eda why don't you entertain Luz by teaching her how to play Hexes Hold'em." Moriarty said, finding a job for each of the Owl House residents.
"Hexes Hold'em?" Luz asked, not knowing the word, starting to get used to not knowing many names and terms of the Boiling Isles.
"Hexes Hold'em is a popular card game played by the witches of the Hot Isles.
While the name suggests that it is a variation of poker, the game itself functions as a typical fantasy trading card game, rather similar to Magic: the gathering. Personally I prefer Yu-Gi-Oh. "Moriarty said, pulling a two packs of Hexes Hold'em cards out of his black coat.
"Dark Magician Girl, never let me down." Moriarty said, smiling, pulling one of Yu-Gi-Oh's most popular Monster Cards out of his sleeves.
"Oh boy, cards! The paper rectangles that old people think are fun!" Luz stated, trying to play a little joke, not knowing that she is playing with fire.
Eda and King instantly jumped behind the sofa, knowing what's to come.
' Freddo!' Luz thought, feeling tremendously cold in an instant, which was quite normal considering the entire floor of the Owl House was covered in ice.
The perpetrator is Moriarty who is holding his cane pressed right over Luz's heart.
"Luz I have to give you a little warning in my presence no one can insult card games, role playing games, my books, my favorite shipping, the Avengers and Stan Lee.
The next time you feel disrespectful for these things you could risk catching a bad cold. "Moriarty explained, turning all the ice into water that is thrown through the front door, making Hooty look like some kind of artistic fountain.
The Arcanist went into the kitchen to prepare food and build a suitable floor for entering the Conformatorium.
"This time we are lucky." King said, still shivering from the sudden cold.
"Is this instant Ice Age stuff normal?" Luz asked, trying to figure out what just happened.
"Moriarty is an SSS-class Average One, possesses an elemental affinity for all elements, which is very rare.
Even rarer is the fact that it is completely in tune with ice, fire and cold, being able to do magic that few can imagine.
But there are little side effects to this mastery. "Eda explained, waving her hand to indicate the living room which has just been frozen and then wet.
"It means that when Moriarty is angry things tend to get covered in ice." Luz said, starting to understand what just happened, if anyone starts talking bad about The Good Witch Azula, they would definitely get a reaction or punch from Luz.
In the case of Moriarty with her magic, her reaction is to create a little winter inside the house.
"It depends on the situation, the intensity of the emotions and what he is thinking.
When it is annoyed you can find yourself in a world covered with snow and ice or if it is sad it starts to rain.
When he's really angry, I mean murderous rage, things tend to heat up and melt.
Once in an extreme situation due to the transformation of a mountain into a volcano that spewed lava and magma. "Eda explained, vividly remembering what happened when she got really hurt in the presence of a young Moriarty ...
"For this reason never speak badly of Stan Lee and his interests, he is quite sensitive on these matters." Eda said, advising Luz not to say anything bad if she doesn't want to see the entire Owl House covered in ice.
"Okay, annoyed or offended ice-covered floor, sad rain, environmental overheating rage, extreme volcanic rage. But what happens to the metal?" Luz asked, curious about what can happen to metal when Moriarty gets emotional.
"Turn around and see." King said, pointing to the metal case which begins to rise into the air.
"Moriarty is a nerd who thinks intensively of lots of projects all at once, wrapped up when he thinks too much metal objects tend to follow the patterns inside his head.
I once brought a pile of old iron from the human realm, while a young Moriarty was watching a movie, Mad Max, the rusty iron became a post-apocalyptic automobile. "Eda explained, meaning that metal is not. connected to emotions like fire and ice, but connected to Moriarty's hardworking mind and imagination.
"This day is becoming more and more unforgettable." Luz said, with a look full of happiness, watching as the briefcase is taken apart until you have minimal pieces.
All the pieces are married close to the ceiling and reassembled to form the Ironman armor.
The piece of technology tried to boot unsuccessfully, as a result the damaged or useless parts were thrown away through the door.
The remaining pieces began to bend in strange ways to remodel into someone more different.
" What do you want to do ?" Luz asked, looking up to see various pieces of technology moving and mingling with each other to take a humanoid form. Through the broken window, various pieces of metal and components came from a shack near the Owl House where Eda keeps some of her wares (human junk).
"I'm a wild witch not a science woman. I'll explain the basic rules of Hexes Hold'em, when Moriarty comes back with some food you can ask any nerdy questions you want." Eda said, taking the deck of cards, desperately wanting to play someone's game, she hasn't played it in quite some time.
XXX
About twenty minutes later.
Luz was playing a game of Hexes Hold'em against King, while Eda is refereeing and secretly giving Luz hints.
On top of the human, witch and demon, Ironman's armor became much smaller and lighter as a small arsenal of gadgets were created via Moriarty's involuntary tampering procedure.
"I hope you like pizza ..." Moriarty entered the living room carrying three hot pizzas through a kind of telekinesis.
Once with his entry the armor under construction and the various gadgets started falling to the ground.
Fortunately Moriarty's magic was faster than gravity, each metal object or component being locked in a bubble of purple light that kept all the equipment in mid-air.
"Embarrassing, it happened again, fortunately no explosions or bouncing bullets." Moriarty muttered, slightly embarrassed by what had happened, placing the pizza on the table in front of the chair.
" Enjoy your meal." Moriarty said, waiting for Luz, Eda, and King to finish eating before talking about how to proceed with the key recovery operation.
After about ten minutes in here, Luz ate a whole pepperoni pizza and explained to Moriarty how much fun Hexes Hold'em is.
The Arcanist has decided that it is time to speak on how they should proceed.
"Now that you've eaten, it's time to start our war council!" Moriarty exclaimed, in a happy tone, raising his stick in the air, firing an illusion in the form of tiny fireworks.
"Everyone present knows where we will go and with whom we will fight. But having a new element I think it is right to do the introductions of the Bad Owl Squad." Moriarty stated, appreciating this part of the war council / strategic meeting.
"Bad Owls, what a ridiculous name, we are the coven of bad girls." She declared Eda, wanting a more anarchic and catchy name, instead of something childish like Bad Owls.
"Why not call us King's army." King suggested, taking advantage of the situation to buy an army that is not made of plush.
"I propose Azula's Team." Luz said, deciding to play the game of choosing a name.
"Seeing that none of us have a clear idea and I definitely don't want to be the Fantastic Four of the Boiling Isles. Let's take a tentative name formed from our initials, Team LEMK." He proposed Moriarty, looking for an alternative to make everyone happy.
"Isn't this idea taken by RWBY?" Luz asked, noting where this naming system came from.
"I'm a White Rose Fan." Moriarty confessed, answering Luz's nerdy question.
"She's also my favorite RWBY shipping. My favorite character is Ruby Rose." Luz exclaimed, delighted to see that she and Moriarty have several things in common.
"I prefer Weiss, her powers are so versatile and useful, she makes such a nice pair with Ruby." Moriarty voiced his nerdy opinion, almost kicking off an argument about the RWBY fandom with Luz.
"Nerd and nerdier, I want to hear how to set the Conformatorium on fire, not which of you is more childish," Eda said, not wanting to spend a minute in her life listening to nerdy stuff that doesn't interest her in the slightest.
"Enthusiastic!" Moriarty shouted, not appreciating the childish nickname, creating and throwing a snow shovel right in Eda's face.
"Do you want a laugh?" Eda asked, with a smile that promises a good challenge, ready to quarrel the old-fashioned way with Moriarty, nothing really dangerous or even lethal, just a short fistfight between a witch and an Arcanist.
"Want to see what happens when you run out of junk to sell and I stop sending Griffon every weekend to bring you food and potion supplies?" Moriarty said, in a serious tone, not wanting to fight Eda without a good, very good reason, preferring to put it right with a simple empty threat.
"Eda calm down, a laugh between you two will cause the house to collapse or burn / freeze it. And I can't live without the food my Dark Knight cooked anymore, I can't go back to eating canned food." King shouted, wanting to stop a possible fight because he doesn't want to end up living on the streets or degrading to the point of eating from the garbage, a King doesn't have to stoop that low for no good reason.
"Once we get the key back, the two of us do a little magic training, just like you have old days." Eda asked, launching a little more official and probably safer challenge.
"When I was a troubled 13 year old I could handle you feeling too much trouble. Now I'm a grown man you think you can keep up with me." Moriarty replied, not having a big problem with a short, very short simulated training / fight with Eda, even though he realizes that the Owl Lady may be exaggerating as usual due to her pride.
"Magic duel, I'm in the front row watching!" Luz declared, wanting to see an authentic magical duel.
"I open the betting room who wants to bet?" King asked, pulling out a white book to take note of possible bets on who wins and who loses.
"Returning to our strategic meeting, I begin the performance of Team LEMK (Lemon)." Moriarty said, in a happy tone, loving this part of the meeting.
"Eda alias Lady Owl, one of the most powerful native witches of the Boiling Isles. She possesses extensive knowledge in every branch of Boiling Isles Magic, having tremendous skill in head-to-head magical combat. In addition to this she is an expert in escape, in cheating and scams. " Moriarty said, making Eda smile as she runs a hand through her thick lock of hair.
"King aka Demon King or The Little Prince of the Owl House. Small and adorable, everyone underestimates him as a kind of pet or mascot.
But he's actually a great demon expert, has an even better nose than mine, and can easily go through small, tight spaces to steal. "Moriarty said, causing King's chest and self-esteem to swell.
"Moriarty is a mysterious Arcanist full of tricks and surprises, being the smartest man in the Boiling Isles and a multiple-time Tony Stark of magic.
Moriarty is a skilled illusionist, even greater alchemist and a monster at practicing the magic of ice, fire and metal. She possesses a large collection of magical artifacts that help her reverse every possible situation.
Considered by all to be an unpredictable genius fool who plans everything in advance or makes it up as he goes? "Moriarty said, speaking to himself again to the third person, moving on to Luz.
"Luz aka Micetta, Aspiring Witch and Hero, who appeared in my house by chance or by fate? In one way or another she is our pass to the barrier and a wild card that can become anything with time. So far. she proved to be a very nice and kind-hearted girl. " Moriarty said, giving a brief performance that made Luz blush, rarely seeing anyone praised or appreciated by anyone other than her mother.
"While I was cooking and unintentionally / unconsciously building a war machine, I made some plans on how to get the key.
Taking into account that the portal serves Luz, I think it would be fair to let Luz choose the option we have to take. "Moriarty explained, turning to Luz who seems stunned to have a greater contribution than being a human key to this operation.
"Let's hear the options." Luz asked, starting to play with her fingers, not appreciating being stared at by everyone.
"Plan A. The safest of all. Wait a month until I create a new portal.
Plan B. In a short time someone will understand the true value of the key and will send it to a more suitable place to study or use it. Attacking a moving convoy is easier than storming a fortress.
Plan C. In a short time there will be rain that will last all day. A dark day in here everyone will stay inside their homes, the perfect time for a ninja-style sneak attack.
Plan D. We take a lot of fireworks, drones and holographic projectors and they will be used to create a giant diversion. Most of the guards will come to investigate and / or fight the lion, while the snake will strike in the shadows. "Moriarty proposed, giving four doable plans each with a certain chance of success.
'I feel like I'm the protagonist of a video game that has to make a choice that determines the future and the unfolding of the plot.' Luz thought, not knowing how true these thoughts are.
"I choose option D. What can I say I love fireworks, maybe too much." Luz replied, after thinking for a moment what feels best for her.
Plan A takes too long, besides being incredibly boring.
Plan B is tempting enough, but it looks like someone should be spying on the Conformatorium day and night until a convoy arrives to take the key.
Plan C, swine like it needed a great deal of stealth skills, hand-eye coordination, or any form of physical skill above Luz's nerdy level.
So plan D of doing a light show to get attention so you can sneak in when everyone is out sounds pretty good, not just because Luz has a great love of fireworks.
"Kitten to taste, nothing beats a good blast. Most of life's problems can be solved with a good blast." Eda said, with a smile, having chosen plan D every time.
The last part of his sentence earned him a look full of disapproval from Moriarty who seems to prefer a more discreet and subtle approach.
"Don't look at me like that, we both know you're a little arsonist, bomber. I remind you that as a child you burned an entire forest for seven days and seven nights." Eda said, pulling out an old fact that happened in Moriarty's youth.
"It was your idea to directly teach me the most powerful and dangerous magic of fire, in the middle of a forest during the dry period of the season." Moriarty said, hinting that at least half the blame for that fire goes to Eda.
"All or nothing, there is no middle ground with me." Eda stated, with an arrogant smile, having wasted enough of her time in Moriarty's chatter.
"Now, we have no time to waste. Let's go to the Conformatorium and fix the situation." Eda said, picking up Luz and tossing her onto his shoulder as she heads for the door.
"Soon, we will drink the fear of those who have mocked us." King declared, chasing Eda, wanting to participate in the conquest of the Conformatorium.
"I said Eda knows she would have the chance she would take Luz like a sack of potatoes and run away without a plan." Moriarty said, looking at the dirty dishes and a pizza you have only half eaten chili peppers.
"I finish the pizza, wash the dishes, fix the window and then go to save Luz from Eda's impulsiveness." Moriarty murmured, sitting down on a couch grabbing a slice of pizza, pulling an Omni-Cubix out of his black coat to talk to someone.
"Blade Wolf, I have a mission for you, take the Super-Cycle and go after Eda.
Send to the Owl House of Engineers and a couple of Scarab Canoptek, I have an armor to finalize. "Moriarty said, shutting down the communication with the futuristic wolf and putting away the Omni-Cubix.
Taking a bite of the pizza, the Arcanist raises his head to observe the armor, noting that something fundamental is missing.
"Hooty, can you please bring me some purple paint !?" Moriarty asked, turning his silver staff into a silver brush.
"The Conformatorium won't know what's going to hit them." Moriarty muttered, having a new idea in her head, the kind of idea Eda would be proud of.
Continues ...