I want to apologize for this chapter being late. I've been suffering from major writer's block and stuff with life, plus this chapter going though a few re-writes to get it right.
Luz didn't believe she heard Eda's question right. Did the witch just ask her about the witch trials? As in like Salem? Of course that's what Eda meant; what else would the witch be talking about?
Luz slowly nodded, suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"I have," she answered dryly. "It's a popular topic in my hometown; Gravesfield, Connecticut back in the mid 1600s; it was basically founded around it. Then years later came the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts which is more publicly known." Luz then remembered how overshadowed her town was because Salem had more attention. There's even an unspoken rivalry between the two locations to where everyone in town is told how Salem is filled with losers.
"Competitive jerks." Luz grumbled, completely forgetting who she's talking to.
She then looked at Eda who was blankly staring at her. Probably wasn't the best time to compare witch trials between the two towns.
"N-Not that it's a competition or anything. It's not like the thought burning witches is appealing to humans or anything, or well, was. I mean-" Luz couldn't find the right words to say and was really hoping her slip-up didn't annoy Eda.
The witch in questioned reached over the table and planted her hands on Luz's shoulders with a gentle grip and spoke with a soothing tone.
"Luz, it's fine. No need to walk on eggshells with me." said Eda, hoping she eased the tension a bit.
Eda moved her hands away from Luz and sat back in her chair with her arms crossed.
"I already know about your town's history. I've been to your world, remember?"
Luz nodded once. She broke eye contact with Eda and looked down at her hands resting on the table; they were noticeably sweaty.
Luz wiped her hands on her shirt and looked back at Eda.
"So... you're not mad about it?" Luz asked out of the blue. She quickly realized what she just asked and threw a hand over her mouth.
"Why would you ask that? Are you stupid?!" Luz's mind fussed.
But instead of a possible outburst or a dirty look like she was expecting, Eda shrugged while nodding her head left and right.
"Nah, not really." she replied nonchalantly as she grabbed her cup of apple blood and started to drink it, gulping loudly which mildly annoyed Luz.
But the teen ignored that and instead focused on how little care Eda was showing.
"Why?" Luz asked, "I mean, I should feel fortunate, but that was your people who died, and the founders of my town celebrated it."
Eda sat her cup down and lightly chuckled.
"As true as that may be, I have my reasons to me not being bothered by it. The first is it all happened so long ago, and it's hard for me to be mad about something that happened a few centuries before I was born. I mean, if it were still going on now then I would be irritated, but it's not. I know that might make me come off as ignorant or selfish, but what happened doesn't exactly bother me as much as Belos wants it to."
Eda then sat quietly, staring off at the wall as her fingernails tapped on the table simultaneously. Luz wasn't sure if the witch was waiting for her to respond with something, but what could she say?
Finally, Eda began to speak once more.
"And with that, Belos continues his smear his own hatred of humans onto us while making it out as if every human in your realm is responsible for what had happened when it was just a small number. He wants everyone to despise humans and treat them like muck under our shoes, but he has a narrow mindset; he only has experience with bad humans. But when I was in your world long ago, I've met both good & bad humans, and the bad humans were just jerks rather than the savage creatures Belos describes humans as, and I just so happen to have a pretty great human with me right now."
Feeling flattered, Luz smiled. Hearing a witch say she's a great human feels like a really big compliment.
"Thanks. And you are seriously the coolest witch I've ever met, besides Gus & Willow of course." she remarked.
Eda sat up straight and wore a proud expression.
"I know." she said in a playful, cocky manner.
Luz snickered, finding the witch's boast entertaining.
Eda reverted back into a relaxed position in her chair.
"But that Gus kid had a point with that fan club thing. I don't know how he shares the same sentiment, but if the people here would just take a moment to really think about it and listen to those who have encountered humans," Eda motions to herself. "Such as I, then they wouldn't have to live in constant fear believing enemies who wants everyone dead is just in the realm next door."
The Owl Lady sat back in her chair and caressed her index finger around the rim of her cup.
"But it's kinda hard to stand on a soapbox when you're a wanted criminal, and I doubt Gus has anyone listening because they'll all just think he's a naive kid." Eda spoke, her tone oozing with past experiences of her words being disregarded for reasons Luz can only assume is because of the bounty that's been on the witch's head for years.
Luz took a moment to think about the situation with Belos. He hates humans for whatever transpired years, no, centuries ago (still surprises her that the leader of this land has lived for this long), right? So maybe she can speak with Belos and show him that humans aren't as bad as he thinks. Maybe this will give him closure and end the hatred he has held for so long; while Luz at it, she can find a way to convince the emperor to cut Eda some slack.
But for this to be a possibility, Luz needs to know the backstory.
"Hey Eda. Could you tell me about what happened and why Emperor Belos hates humans?" Luz asked nicely.
The witch glanced at Luz. She wasn't surprised that the teenage human would want to hear the story, so why not give her what she wants?
"Well, alright." Eda complied, but not before drinking the rest of the apple blood from her cup. Gotta have a good drink before telling a good story!
Satisfied with a loud AH!, Eda tossed her empty cup behind her which landed in the sink. She then leaned forward and folded her arms on the table.
Around three-hundred years ago, there was a young witch named of Belos who was gifted by birth with powerful magic that was far greater than any witch that has come before him. Though despite his amazing skill, Belos never allowed himself to be consumed by the idea of using his magic to overpower his fellow man, instead he used them to assist him home and everyone around.
Belos was loved by all in Bonesborough for his generosity and wisdom beyond his years; there was no problem he couldn't solve with his strength and wits alone! But there was one issue that has always ate away at Belos ever since he was a young man, the Human Realm.
The Human Realm as the name suggests is a realm populated by humans. They look strikingly similar to witches but lack certain traits such as pointed ears and golden eyes, but the main thing humans lacked was the ability to use magic at their disposal, so they relied on man-made tools to build their houses and toil the soil to grow their crops, none being an issue for an average witch. The elders of the time saw humans as nothing more than mindless neanderthals.
However, Belos didn't share the same mindset of the elders who now have long passed away; he instead saw them as equals despite their disadvantages. He had a plan to unite the two realms for a new age of peace and prosperity believing that even witches can learn something from humans.
So Belos gathered his closest companions and used the sacred portal door that was once used to make contact with the human realm centuries before Belos was born but has long been retired and kept in confinement. The group opened the portal which brought them to the next realm where they quickly stumble upon a small settlement of humans. Belos introduces himself and then his friends to the awestruck humans and offers them gifts as a sign of peace. The humans accepted Belos and co., but they secretly held dark intentions within. As time passed, the humans gained Belos' trust more and more, getting him and his friends comfortable enough for their guards to go down' once the time was right, the humans ambushed Belos and his friends.
The humans betrayed Belos because they were jealous of the magic they lacked and decided if they can't have it then no one else should. Belos and his friends were assaulted with the sharp ends of gardening tools and axes used to chop lumber. A few witches quickly fell in the vein attempt to use their words, some tried to defend themselves but were overwhelmed and executed by the growing number of humans surrounding them.
Belos was the last one alive, and he held onto the futile hope of peace. The humans swarmed him and began to savagely beat him to the ground. When he was on the brink of death, Belos regretfully used a powerful blast of fire magic to knock back his attackers. He wasn't sure if he had taken anyone's life at that moment, but he was more focused on escaping with the last bit of life he had within.
Even with his body burning with pain, Belos had managed to return to the Isles and closed the portal just seconds before his weakened legs gave out, causing him to collapse onto the ground. Belos found himself slowly losing consciousness, but before his eyes closed, a small line of his blood trickled out of his mouth and dripped onto the grass. The last thing Belos thought about before everything went dark was his newfound hatred for humans.
Then, something unexpected happened, a one-in-a-lifetime event: Belos was met with the spirit of the Titan!
The Titan explained to Belos about how he was chosen. Chosen to be the first and only ruler over the Isles. Other than being born with stronger magic than other witches, Belos had also learned the shocking truth about humans and why the bridge between the two worlds have burnt down long ago, that was all what the Titan needed to finally approach Belos with a new start.
The Great Titan gave Belos instructions of how to rise to power and what new rules to implement among the citizens and the generations that have yet to come. When he finally awoke, Belos ran back into town and revealed what had happened to him. The creatures of the Isles were horrified by the actions of the humans and then amazed by the message from the Titan, but some were skeptical.
To prove he's telling the truth, Belos lead everyone to a special location that the Titan revealed to him; the location of the Titan's beating heart! This was enough to convince everyone.
More time passed and the people helped Belos construct a castle around the heart. After the final stone was set, Belos was officially dubbed Emperor by the Titan's orders.
His first order of business was one of many rules given by the Titan: The creation of the Coven System as the Titan explained that only Belos is worthy of using all forms of magic while everyone else from now one shall be limited to only one. Many were shocked and even refused to follow this order, so by the Titan, the young Emperor Belos branded the refusers as criminals who are to be captured and locked away for the rest of their lives unless they submit to a coven. These criminals have been dubbed "Wild Witches", and the magic they use is called "Wild Magic".
Another rule to be enforced was the official ban of humans ever stepping foot on the Isles ever again, and any human who somehow enters the realm are automatically labeled as criminals and are to be detained on-site. The Titan and Belos saw the humans as evil, and so shall everyone else.
As years passed and his rule spreading more across the Isles, Belos had realized he has never aged a day since he was attacked by humans. The Titan has granted Belos with eternal life! Now that he no longer had a need for an heir to his throne, Belos continued ruling the Isles knowing age will never slow him down.
With the Isles in a new age of peace. Everyone lived their lives while Belos was working tirelessly on a new plan with details that only he and the Titan know about: The Day of Unity.
Eda finished the tale as Luz remained focused on the witch and every word she spoke. The teen the lowered her head and cupped her hands over her mouth as she wandered through her thoughts about all she heard,
Eda noticed this.
"You okay?" she asked with a scowl.
Luz silently nodded before removing her hand from in front of her mouth.
"Was that all of it?" she asked, expecting more.
Eda nodded. "That's the same exact story I heard when I was a young little thing." Eda replied.
Luz her body in the chair, facing away from Eda as she once again went silent. The Owl Lady saw Luz mindlessly staring at the wall and could tell she was thinking about something, but what?
She didn't want to interrupt the young human's thoughts; This is a lot to take in after all.
After a few minutes of patient waiting, a big smile grew on Luz's face.
"A-HA!" Luz exclaimed with a snap of her fingers, surprising Eda.
Luz turned back to Eda with an excited look on her face.
"I can talk to him!" Luz hopeful explained, her smile remaining.
Eda blinked once and then twice. She heard what Luz said, but the words are still processing in her head.
The witch could only let out a shaky "Wha?"
Luz cupped her hands before speaking.
"So Belos was attacked by humans, right? But those were humans from a long time ago, their bones are nothing but dust now! Maybe if I can show him that not all of us are like the ones he encountered, then maybe he'll change his mind about hating humans!" she explained.
Eda's eyes fluttered as her mind finally caught up with her. Her lips barely raised themselves in a poor attempt to smile, barely even a grin.
"L-Luz.." Eda mumbled.
But Luz wasn't listening.
"I can bring you with me! You can vouch for me by talking about your adventures in my world, and then I can ask him to erase your bounty. It's a win-win!"
"Luz." Eda tried again, now sounding stern.
"And just for good measure, I should probably have Gus and Willow tag along. Then again, I would have to tell them that I'm a human..." Luz spoke, biting her bottom lip as she lays out her plan.
"LUZ!" Eda shouted, slapping the table with one hand which caused Luz to jump in her seat.
Now forcefully yanked away from her thoughts, Luz stares at Eda with wide, surprised eyes.
Seeing the human's attention finally on her, the witch took a calming breath and spoke in a lower, soothing voice.
"Sorry for that, but you weren't listening to me." Eda explained.
Luz readjusted herself on the chair to fully face Eda.
"You didn't like my idea?" Luz asked, almost sounding hurt.
"No, I liked it, but you're expecting too much from Belos. He has held those same ideals for years, and I doubt he'll change his mind because you wanna be friendly."
Luz understood what Eda was saying. Belos is very old as the story she heard suggested, and nothing is more stubborn than an elder with an opinion. But maybe, just maybe her idea may work.
"I can see why you have doubts, but what's the trouble in trying? Maybe I can show him there's no reason to fear us any longer." Luz continued with a hopeful smile.
But Eda looked back at her, clearly unconvinced.
"Luz, I admire your optimism and how you look out for the positives, but I'm going to be blunt because I like 'ya."
The Owl Lady leaned forward, both her arms laying on the table under Eda's chest as she got closer to Luz without leaving her seat. She then motioned for Luz to come closer which she reluctantly did by copying Eda's position.
With their faces inches apart, Eda spoke to Luz in a low whisper.
"Belos will kill you the second he sees you. And I don't want that, because if he were to lay a hand on you then I'll show him why I'm called the Owl Lady, and that's not something anyone wants to see."
Eda's golden eyes stared dead at Luz who was now looking hesitant to speak. The thought of losing her life honestly didn't occur to Luz, but Eda's warning sure as heck reminded her.
As if she knew what the teen was thinking, Eda reached for one of Luz's arms and softly touched it, catching her attention.
"It's nice that you see the good in people, but sometimes you have to accept that not everyone sees the world like you do. Understand?" The witch asked, her voice low and caring.
Luz's eye lids lowered halfway as she nodded.
"I guess." she replied, sounding disappointed.
Eda lightly squeezed Luz's arm not to cause her discomfort, but to show how much she cares.
"I just don't want to see you hurt. You are my friend after all." Eda smiled as she reached her hand up to Luz's face to push up a strand of brown hair that Luz hadn't noticed dangling back under her beanie.
Luz smiled as the gesture. Funny, sometimes Eda reminds her of her own mom.
...
"I wonder how she's doing?" Luz thinks to herself.
"Anyways," Eda announced, leaning back away from Luz. "Now that that's over, why don't you go wash up while I get dinner started!"
Luz perked up.
"Oh, eggs again?" Luz asked, still not forgetting that unique taste.
Eda shook her head as she stood up from her chair and stretched her arms.
"Nah, I think I'll experiment a bit with you tonight. Since eggs and muffins don't cause you any trouble, I might make a new dish to test your taste."
Luz also got up.
"Is it some kind of unholy amalgamation of guts, maggots, and mold covered in snot?" Luz asked jokingly.
Eda thought about it. "Sounds delicious, but nope, I'm making spaghetti."
Luz raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh." she could only muster that out. She didn't expect that one of earth's simplest dishes is also available here.
"Is it like... worms or something?" Luz questioned, still not convinced things were as they seemed.
Eda crouched down in front of a cupboard and carried out a metal pot which she sat down on the counter.
"Nope. Just noodles and tomato sauce." explained the witch contently, turning on the water for the pot.
Without saying another word, Luz left the kitchen, her expectations of this place now varying from how different to how similar it is to home.
...
Entering the living room, Luz was caught by surprise when she saw Hooty stretched out across the living room, his face next to the kitchen entrance showing he's been waiting for her.
"Hey Luz. How was town?" Hooty asked, his high-pitched voice oozing with excitement.
His sudden appearance made Luz jump and (embarrassingly to admit) shriek. Though Hooty didn't seem to notice as he awaited her answer, but the owl creature had to wait until Luz's heart stopped racing.
"F-Fine! It was actually more eventful than I expected." Luz finally answered, smiling after regaining her breath.
"Great!" he cheered as his neck slowly curves itself, moving side-to-side similar to a snake. This partially creeped Luz out, but she didn't want to be rude by showing it.
"So I heard you saw the emperor. How was that?" The owl tube questioned with a wiggle of his body(?).
Luz saw how uncanny his movements were and made the mistake by speaking how she felt seeing Hooty's movements before thinking.
"Unnerving." Luz said quietly.
She then quickly shook her head to focus after her brain caught up with her.
"I-I mean, about Belos. That's definitely who I was describing by saying that and no one else entirely." Luz added in haste.
Thankfully for the human, Hooty didn't seem to notice.
"I bet you were pretty scared, huh?"
Luz scowled at Hooty, she felt offended by such a ridiculous question. She stood tall and proud.
"Me? Scared? HA! More like bored out of my mind. I almost fell asleep when I when I saw his dorky mask." Luz boasted as she slammed one of her fists against her chest to show how tough she is.
Hooty leaned in closer to Luz.
"It's alright if you were scared, Luz. Belos is intimidating." said Hooty.
Luz's bold bravado immediately fell flat.
"Did you hide behind Eda? Or did you run off?" The house demon continued.
If Luz didn't know any better, she could swear that Hooty is picking on her. Though granted, given how looney Hooty is, she really couldn't tell.
Her cheeks burned pink in frustration and embarrassment. She pointed a finger straight at Hooty's face.
"Let me get one thing clear: I'm never afraid." she said stubbornly.
Before anything else could happen, King walked up in-between the two and addressed them both.
"Alright Hooty, you had your fun, now leave her alone." the little demon snapped.
Hooty responded by giving King a confused look. "What do you mean? I only asked if she was scared."
King ignored him and turned his attention to Luz. He then held his nose shut upon smelling a faint foul odor.
"You might wanna go freshen up, Luz. That old cloak has left some of its smell on you." he cringed.
Luz didn't realize until she smelt the air that the bad smell was indeed still on her but faintly. Wearing the cloak for a few hours made her immune to it.
"Okay, fine. Call me when dinner's ready." said Luz as she turned away and walked up the stairs.
"There should be something in the bathroom you can use to make the smell go away." King called after her.
Luz stopped in place and looked down at King.
"Is it like a potion or something?" she asked, hoping it was so.
But King shook his head.
"No, it's a can air freshener."
A few minutes later, Luz entered her "bedroom" after making a quick stop to the bathroom. She really hopes Eda won't mind that she used up all her air freshener, but it took a lot of spraying to get that odor away, and now she smells as fresh as a daisy!
She shifted her shoulders side to side to loosen her jacket and slipped it off, she then tossed it onto her sleeping bag. Luz then searched around the makeshift bedroom and found an old wooden stool packed in the corner; she grabbed it from the seat and dragged it over to her sleeping bag and brushed off the dust before sitting down.
"Now where is that- Aha!" Luz exclaimed as she spotted the very camcorder she found just another day.
Luz picked it up and turned it on, opening the side camera and pointed the front lense at herself and hit record.
"Hi, mom!" Luz smiled and waved. "This is my second day here on the Boiling Isles, and boy, it was quite a day! So I met two new witches, Gus & Willow, the former having a huge adoration for humans. And not only that, but I came face-to-face with Belos, the emperor of this strange place."
Luz cringed a bit.
"Okay, it wasn't exactly face-to-face, more like face-to-me staying close next to Eda. You know I don't scare easily, especially since you know I've willingly held snakes that were slithering through your garden for years despite your many protests. But this Belos guy... he has this huge grudge against humans, and embarrassingly, it's all because the people who once lived in Gravesfield around the time of the witch trial killed his friends. And I suddenly feel bad upon remembering that our town has a yearly celebration based on the old trials, and I never really cared because I thought witches didn't exist, but I now know that they do, and one is my friend!"
Luz dug her hand under her beanie and scratched her head as the feeling of stress slowly grew within.
"It's our fault, but I think I can help correct our mistake. You see, I had the idea to talk with Belos and try to make him see that humans aren't bad anymore. Well... not as bad, I guess. But Eda said it was a bad idea."
...
"Oh, I haven't told you about who I'm staying with. Ugh... Eda is a witch, and she has allowed me to stay with her; she's also a wanted criminal but she's cool so don't worry. King is a demon, but he looks like an adorable puppy, and then there's Hooty the house demon: he's like a giant worm with the face of an owl and can stretch his neck. He... also sounds like a character from a cartoon. You know that old one with the mouse wearing red shorts? Ah, whatever, they're like a small family, and I think it would be nice if you meet them soon."
"Luz! Dinner!" Eda yelled from downstairs.
Luz looked up and smiled. She stood up from the stool and walked towards the door.
"Oh, food!" Luz said in delight before she looked back at the camcorder still recording. A small smile forming on her face as an idea brewed in her head.
"Well, why not get a few clips of Eda in action until I return home?" Luz suggested, taking the device with her out into the hallways and made sure to aim the camera all around the hall and down the stairs.
Inside the kitchen, Luz found Eda and King already around the table. The former was lazily tangling her fork with noodles while the latter had his snout buried in his bowl, savagely chowing down his meal.
"On my left is what we know as a witch, but a real one! Her name is Eda Clawthorne; The Owl Lady!" Hearing her name called made Eda look up from her food and scowled upon seeing the camera.
"And on the right is the cutie-patootie himself; King!" Luz continued, aiming the camera at King who pulled his face out of the bowl with a low popping sound caused by the suction. His maw covered in noodles and red sauce.
Eda showed off an amused grin. "You really like that thing, don't you?" she asked, taking a bite of her food.
Luz lowered the camera and nodded gleefully.
"Well, I sure hope you've made sure it was brand new. The last time I saw one of those things there was something surprising left behind by the original owner." Eda spoke with a suggestive hint in her voice.
"Like what?" Luz asked with a confused look.
Eda shook her head. "Never mind, forget I said anything."
Luz did just that and aimed the camcorder directly at Eda.
"Hey, do something cool for the camera!" Luz pleaded.
Eda didn't take long to refuse her request.
"Kid, we have no idea how your mom will react when she finds out my kind exists, so I don't want to risk giving her a heart attack when she sees me using magic from my hands." Eda explained.
Across the table, King was wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Just do a light spell. I'm sure that will be enough to tickle her fancy." he suggested.
Luz lowered the camera and flipped her gaze to the demon.
"What's that?" she questioned.
King slapped down his napkin and let out a loud burp.
"Excuse me," he said much to Luz's disgust and Eda's annoyance. "It's just a simple ball of light you hold in your hand."
Luz's face slightly scrunched up. A little light ball wasn't exactly what she had in mind for her video, she was expecting Eda to burst flames from her hands or summon some eldritch abomination from the depths of the underworld. Y'know, something cool.
Eda suddenly stood up from her seat. "Yeah okay. I don't want to do anything crazy like use fire or summon creatures. That might spook the lady."
Luz internally pouted. She was doomed to fail from the start! But she continued recording, focusing on Eda as she held up her right arm and stuck up her index finger and slowly twirled it around as a slim strong of light followed from the tip of Eda's fingernail until it came around to the other end, forming a perfect circle of light. Eda then flattened her hand under the circle as it glowed brighter, and in a few seconds, it took the shape of a round sphere of light.
"Behold!" Eda announced, staring at the camera with a wide grin. "The Light Spell!"
Luz awed at the sight, completely forgetting about what she wanted Eda to do before. The orb of light was roughly the size of a baseball yet floated in the air like a bubble. She focused the lense on the light and slowly walked around the table to get every corner of this fantastic sight while being careful to not trip over anything.
Seeing she has Luz interested, Eda raised her other hand and made two more orbs of light which followed their predecessor in the air which Luz took notice of by getting them on camera as well.
When her human companion stepped close enough to her, Eda grabbed Luz's arm and gently guided Luz closer to her. Eda then plucked the camcorder from Luz with one hand, and before Luz could pipe up, Eda stopped her by snatching a light orb from the air and held it out to Luz as an offering.
Luz's mouth hung open only an inch apart as her eyes widened in wonder. She held her hands out close to her chest showing she was ready which gave Eda the signal to ease the orb down to her. The teen watched in anticipation as Eda held the orb over Luz's hands and released it from her grasp; it descended at a slow pace similar to that of a feather. Then, gravity's hold on the orb ceased as it now hovered over the surface of Luz's hand.
Luz gasped as she felt the gentle warmth that the orb gave off. The light was very bright like a miniature version of the sun, but she felt no irritation or stinging in her eyes as she looked right into it. She slowly raised her hands up to see what would happen and saw that the orb continued to levitate as her hands moved. The she quickly lowered her hands and watched in glee as the orb drifted back down.
Eda smiled as she filmed Luz playing with the light spell like a curious child. Seeing a human like Luz so amazed and mesmerized by something that the witches of the Isles view as nothing more than a basic spell for beginners made the witch remember when she casted her first light spell successfully when she was a child, much younger than Luz. Back when everything was simpler...
King stood up on the table with his little tail wagging in excitement as he watched Luz laugh and play with the orb by making it launch away from one hand only to catch it with the other.
"This is the coolest!" Luz said in delight.
Eda's smile grew slightly as she watched Luz's child-like wonder in action along with King who was playing along. Something about this sight though made the Owl Lady feel something that was so unfamiliar yet recognizable at the same time. It was a tender warmness in her heart, something she hasn't felt in a very long time.
Just then, Luz curiosity got the best with her. She tried to hold the ball of light with both of her hands, but she must've held it too hard as the orb suddenly vanished from existence, its glow dying in less than a second.
Luz let out a quiet gasp in surprise. She didn't expect this to happen, she thought she could hold the orb like a ball and actually feel the warmth on her hands, but now it was gone.
Eda audibly chuckled as she lowered the camera.
"A little fact about light spells: while they can be useful, they aren't very durable." the witch explained, handing the camcorder back to Luz.
The teen accepted it and turned the camcorder around to face her.
"And that was a light spell. It was far more impressive than I thought! And I hope it impressed you, too."
With that, Luz ended the recording and sat the camcorder aside.
"Now, let's eat!" said Eda.
Sometime later, Luz Noceda walked back upstairs towards her room, a low yawn escaping her mouth. Her dinner tonight was pleasant and a welcome change from eggs. Though it did get a bit annoying when Eda constantly monitored Luz with every bite she took. Okay, she was well aware why Eda was so cautious, but Luz made it out alive. The spaghetti here tasted largely indifferent to the kind back home, but the noodles could've used some salt.
A few more minutes pass with Luz now in her pajamas. She crouches next to her bag where she's currently folding her clothes and sitting them inside. After completing that task, Luz stands up and was about to go see what Eda was up to before she noticed the camcorder sitting on the stool next to her sleeping bag. She immediately became happy upon remembering being introduced to the light spells earlier in the kitchen and decided to take a look at the magic in action again.
"Hopefully the quality is good on tape." she thought to herself before grabbing it and opening it up. Luz selected the saved video and hit play; she watched everything up to the point where Eda was recording her while she held a light orb in her hands. Luz smiled at the event that took place only moments ago until something in the video caught her eye. Something she didn't catch before.
"What the?" Luz spoke with her eyes squinted as if to get a better look. She reminded the video and stopped at the exact moment when the camera was focused on the orb of light. On the video, Luz could almost make out a pattern etched into the orb, almost like a symbol.
Luz reached for her bag and stuck her hand inside and rummaged through her things before she found what she needed. She pulled out her sketchbook along with a pencil she brought along.
Luz opened the book and found a blank page. There, she drew the symbol on the paper exactly how she saw it, even making sure she got every detail right. In less than a minute, Luz dropped the pencil and looked upon her work. First, she drew a big circle and inside was a large triangle in the center with a smaller circle and triangle on top (Luz noticed it had a resemblance to an elf with a pointed hat); down the middle of it is a long line with two smaller lines across and side-by-side within the large triangle.
Luz then inspected the symbol with her face showing mixed expressions from curiosity, confusion, and determination. There's no way this symbol was present inside the light spell for no reason, and how the camcorder had managed to capture what the naked eye couldn't was beyond her understanding, but she was going to find out!
She brought the paper up and held it in front of the light in her room under the assumption that there may be a secret message of some kind in the symbol, but there was nothing to be found. It was a stretch, but you'll never know when magic is involved. Though Luz wasn't ready to throw the towel in just yet; this thing has to do something if it's able to be seen and easy to draw.
She proceeded to shake the paper quickly, held it up in the air and allowed it to fall on the ground, and even went as far as to blow on it; anything to discover the secret behind the symbol, but nothing happened still.
Her frustration grew but she didn't let it consume her. She instead decided to leave it be and show Eda in the morning with hope that the witch will have a clue. Luz grabbed the paper, but unlike before where she just grabbed the edges, she this time touched the symbol with the tip of her index finger.
Suddenly, the lead lines left behind from the pencil changed from black to a golden bright color which Luz quickly realized. The entire symbol glowed as the paper somehow floated in mid-air on its own as Luz held both her hands under the paper as she watched in astonishment. The paper crumbled itself into a ball as the white soon glowed as well. Gone was the paper, and now a light orb.
"O-Oh... Oh my god." Luz gasped, suddenly forgetting her mom's lesson of never taking the lord's name in vain. But this was something she deemed worth forgetting just this once.
"I made magic... I MADE MAGIC!" Luz cheered as she jumped up and down in excitement without a care of who may or may not be watching. She held the orb close like a child holding a puppy, close and safe.
Though through her immense happiness of achieving what Eda deemed impossible, Luz noticed how small the orb she created was compared to the Owl Lady's. While the latter was close to the size of a baseball, Luz's was roughly the size of a golf ball, maybe ping pong.
She then pondered how this light orb came into existence.
"This didn't happen when I grabbed the edges of the paper, but the last time I did something different. I wonder..."
Luz brought her hands away from the orb and watched it lazily float around. She felt proud of her work, but she remained focus to solve this mystery. She picked up her sketchpad and flipped to another blank page and once again drew the symbol in the exact same way by memory. After finishing, she tore the page out and glided her finger over the symbol.
"Here goes nothing." Luz said to herself before tapping the symbol. She watched as the paper began glowing and transformed into a ball of light just like the one before. Luz smiled seeing that it worked.
The second orb drifted above Luz like its predecessor, but it was also the same small size. Since she now had a way to make light spells of her own (something she is still freaking out about) Luz drew the symbol for the third time and instead pressed her entire hand against it. The paper crumbled and changed, but this time it was the same size as Eda's!
"Yes!" Luz rejoiced with a mighty fist pump. The teen then proceeded to dance to celebrate her accomplishment which switched from a cheesy disco, pretending she's playing an invisible guitar while making guitar sounds from her mouth, and a feeble version of Michael Jackson's famous Moonwalk which made Luz trip backwards and fall on her but, but this fail didn't sour her mood.
She hopped back up and went to her sketchpad where she filled the next few pages with the symbol. She looked at the first page with a wide smile before kissing it. She couldn't wait to show Eda!
*Yawn*
But it will have to wait until tomorrow because Luz is sleepy. She pops the first two light orbs out before guiding the final one near her sleeping bag. Once climbing inside, Luz lays back with her hands behind her head and watches the small light orb float just a few inches over her face.
She puts on a tired smile as she reaches up and pokes it with her finger, causing it to disappear. Luz then closed her eyes and fell asleep soon after.
Sometime later, Eda sits in her giant nest where she's reading a magazine from the human world. She didn't fully understand everything she was reading, but she enjoyed the pictures of the male actors.
"Oh, Mister Schwarzenegger. You don't look so bad for a killer robot from the future~" Eda said in a sultry tone. But before she could flip over to the gossip column, she suddenly felt a strong tingling sensation on her arms.
"Wait..." The witched looked down to see grey feathers sprouting from her arms.
"No, it's happening already?!" she said with a feeling of pressure in her chest. Eda scrambled to her feet but briefly fell down when she felt a sudden sharp pain throughout her body.
"I-It's happening quicker now." Eda spoke through gritted teeth. She drank some elixir last night, so how's the curse bothering her already?
"Gotta... find... before... too... late..." Eda muttered as the pain got worse with the addition of more feathers growing from her skin. She remembers buying an elixir earlier, but she suddenly got a feeling of dread when she remembered Luz had it last. Therefore, it's probably not in the same room with her.
"No!" Eda yelled as she struggled to move, trying to fight back against the pain that only grew by the second.
Her mind raced with multiple thoughts at once, but none of them concerned herself. She felt more worried about King, Hooty, and especially Luz.
"K-King!" Eda tried to call only to hear her voice becoming deeper and shrilled.
She suddenly felt her legs go numb causing her to fall down.
"Take... Luz... Home..." Eda pleaded, but her voice was heard by no one. The witch was forced to watch as her own hands began to change; her fingers growing, her nails sharper, and feathers covering her skin like grass.
"Luz..." Eda whispered as she felt her body changing; her boots tearing apart to reveal beast-like legs with sharp talons and her dress tearing apart from the massive mountain of thick, grey feathers growing on her back.
"I'm sorry..." she spoke, her voice now far from recognizable. A single tear fell from one Eda's eyes as the black of her pupils grew in size until there was nothing but darkness followed by a deep growl.
Stay tuned for the next chapter as we watch Luz take on Eda's cursed form. Not only that, but the next chapter will be in Luz's P.O.V.! Hopefully I'll have it soon, but it might take some time given I'll be starting a new job soon, but don't lose hope.
Also, one problem I had in this chapter was accurately describing how the light glyph looks. I'll admit I had to resort to using the wiki's description because I just couldn't manage it on my own which I don't believe was the wrong thing to do, but still.