Lucio woke up and opened his eyes, laughing. "Wow, Luz, I had such a nightmare! The two of us were in another world with a scary old woman and her dog, who thinks he's the King of Demons, and you wanted to stay-" Lucio stopped when he saw his surroundings. "Oh," he said, realizing it was real.
Immediately, he heard a noise and saw his sister, all asleep in her sack, while King snored lying next to her, and Luz sputtered like she was having a nightmare.
"Hey Luz, wake up," said Lucio, shaking her shoulder.
Luz immediately opened her eyes and looked around the room. "It wasn't a dream!" shouted Luz, getting up and starting to shake her brother by the shoulders. "IT WASN'T A DREAM!" she repeated, shaking him hard.
"I-I know, L-Luz, stop shaking m-me!" said Lucio. Immediately, Luz backed away from him. "Sorry, I'm just so happy," said Luz with a big smile. Then she went to the window and opened it. "Good morning, terrifying fantasy world!"
"Good morning," said a random green sea monster with multiple eyes before sinking back down into the ocean.
"Ugh," Luz reeled back with a slight shudder. Then she picked up King, who was still asleep, and began kissing his skull. "Good morning, you little cutie-pie."
"Don't even think about doing that to me," said Lucio, already putting on his pants and vest. "I'm going to the bathroom," he said as he left the room.
Lucio walked all over the house to find a bathroom before coming across a door that had a "Ladies" sign on it, with a green sticky note under it that said "and King." He opened the door and immediately ducked his head when two owls came flying out of it. He stared at the way they went before slowly entering the room and closing the door.
"Hello, Lucio!" shouted a voice. Startled, Lucio turned and was about to raise his fist, but he saw that it was a long owl. "Good morning to you, Hoot!" said it.
"Oh yes, and good morning to you too, Mr. Talking Door Monster," said Lucio. "Would you go away, please?"
"Okay!" said Hooty, and immediately he went out the window and back in the door.
After washing his face, Lucio went out and saw Luz wearing a black robe and a witch hat on her head. She also had a name tag that said "Hello My Name Is: Witch Apprentice LUZ" with an excited grin on her face.
"This is it, hermano," she said to Lucio. She then opened her book to a page that had Azura and placed it in front of his face. "It's our first day on the Boiling Isles as Witch Apprentices!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's cool," he said as he pulled the book away from his face. "And where did you get that?" he asked, pointing to her outfit, confused.
"I found it in the closet!" said Luz and immediately took his hand. "Let's not miss our first class."
The two of them stood waiting for Eda to come down the stairs, Lucio with his arms crossed while Luz looked like she was barely holding back her excitement. They heard the toilet flush, and finally, Eda appeared, wearing a plum sweater with amber cuffs, a stained, long, violet nightgown, and light yellow bunny slippers.
"Good morning, Eda the Owl Lady. We are ready for our first day of Witch and Wizard Apprenticeship," Luz said, fist-bumping the air.
"Ugh…" Eda scoffed as she shook her hands, sending off small spiders. She then cleaned out her ear before asking, "Who are you two again?"
Luz immediately stopped smiling. "Huh?" Her nametag fell on the floor, while Lucio just glared at the witch. "Are you serious?"
"Um, hello? Remember us? Luz and Lucio?" Lucio pointed at his sister before pointing to himself. Eda didn't respond but simply walked past them into the kitchen toward the refrigerator. "We saved your butt from Warden Wrath? You promised that you'd teach my sister about magic? Ring any bells?"
Eda filled her cup with something red and said, "Kiddies, lay off the details. I haven't even had my cup of apple blood yet," she mumbled, raising the mug.
"You mean apple juice?" Luz asked, confused.
"No," Eda said, taking a sip of the cup's contents.
Eda sat down at the table, and Lucio noticed that King was already sitting in his chair, poking an incomprehensible yellow mixture with his fork on his plate.
Luz turned back to Eda and rushed over to her eagerly. "Teach us some spells," she demanded, causing her brother to turn his attention back to her and the witch. "When do we get a magic staff? Were we supposed to bring our own runes?" She gasped and then grabbed onto Eda's arm. "Do you have a dangerous magical quest for me?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, kid. Being a witch doesn't happen overnight," she said after pushing Luz gently away from her. Eda then pointed at the hat on the young girl's head. "Also, you're wrapped in a bathrobe and wearing the dirtiest traffic cone I've ever seen."
Hearing this, Luz took off her "hat," and blowing on it revealed that it really was a traffic cone, which made King laugh.
"So when are we going to get sticks like yours to fly on?" Lucio asked Eda.
Eda whipped the apple blood away before turning to Lucio and Luz with a quirked eyebrow. "Magic staff, huh? You really want one?"
"More than anything," Luz said, squishing her cheeks.
Eda held out her left hand toward the doorway to the hall. "Magic staff, come to me!"
Luz, Lucio, and King waited in the kitchen with the witch as they heard distant clashing coming from the halls. Eda looked proud with her eyes closed and chin up, while the teenagers and the little demon stared at the doorway as things continued to break. Noticing the sounds and how long it was taking for her staff to get to her, Eda turned to face the doorway.
A moment later, the staff came flying at her, smacking her in the face and causing it to nearly fall over before Eda caught it.
"It's early," she spoke to him with a distant, tired expression. "Now, witches are awarded their staffs from school. With me as your teacher, you'll both be taking a different approach," Eda said as she crossed her arms before her back.
"What kind of approach?" Lucio asked.
Eda grabbed a big burlap sack filled with bottles and dropped it in front of the kids. "You'll have to work for it," she said with a slight smirk.
Luz grabbed the sack and carried it as she and Lucio followed Eda through the Owl House. "I run a few businesses. On weekends, I offer rare human treasures that Owlbert drags over from your side of the realm," said the witch as she stopped in front of a fireplace and grabbed a toy sword from the shelf.
She pressed the button of the battery-powered toy and it lit up, saying, "I shall smite my enemies! Ages six to eleven."
Eda tossed the sword away before pointing to the sack. "But most days, I sell only the finest homemade elixirs and potions."
"In short, we have to do your job," Lucio said, digging into his sack and rummaging through it before pulling out a bottle of potion.
As he looked at the bottle, he grimaced while reading the label. Luz looked at it and had the same reaction as her brother. "Snake oil?"
"No one wants an unoiled snake. Follow me." Eda led the two children upstairs and onto the balcony. From there, the brother and sister could look out and see the same big ribbed city they had first entered when they passed through the portal into the Demon Kingdom. "Today you will be delivering packages and selling potions in that town over there, in Bonesborough."
Eda pointed her staff toward the town. The wind began to pick up and fluttered their hair. "You both have to be careful. I have rivals everywhere who would like to destroy my business, and with it, you. You two wanted a dangerous magical quest? Kids, you've got one."
"We won't let you down, Miss Eda," Luz said, saluting the witch. But as she turned to Eda, she accidentally threw the bag over the balcony railing and dropped it.
All three of them looked out from the balcony and saw the sack collapse to the ground. The bottles inside shattered from the impact.
"...I'll make sure she doesn't get eaten," Lucio said, turning to Eda.
"I know," she said bluntly.
Preparing more potions, Eda pushed the children toward the door. "Remember, never be friends with a man in sandals, and always measure twice, cut once," said Eda with a cheerful smile and tone.
"Uh..." said the duo in unison, with a blank expression.
"Good luck!" said Eda before using her magic to close the door. Seconds later, King scampered out of the house.
"Come back by nightfall or risk mortal danger!" Eda said before slamming the door in front of them.
Hooty chirped to the three. "Have a good trip."
"Am I the only one worried that she didn't even give us anything to eat?" said Lucio.
After a while, the trio finally reached Bonesborough and saw various monsters and demons. Luz stared at them in amazement.
"Hey, it's rude to stare," King said, drawing their attention.
"I've only seen places like this in my dreams. It's incredible. And me and Lucio are the only humans here?" Luz asked the King of Demons.
"Haven't seen any others," King said with a shrug.
Luz sighed, "Wow! There must be a reason for that, right? Why am I here? What if I, Luz Noceda, an average teenager, actually had a predetermined path of greatness? Just like Azura!" she exclaimed, bringing her fists to her face.
"Em, Luz, we're actually only here because you wanted us to be," said Lucio, confused. "And please stop comparing everything to Azura."
"Yeah. And did Azura's path to greatness involve delivering boil cream?" King asked sarcastically as he pulled out a bottle of the boil cream.
"Today I'm delivering packages, but tomorrow I'll be earning the respect of everyone on the Boiling Isles with my magical prowess," Luz exclaimed with confidence.
"Ha! Good luck," King said, looking at their surroundings. "The Boiling Isles is nothing but a cesspool of despair."
"I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill," Lucio said with a slight laugh.
But he wasn't joking.
First, Luz and Lucio tried to sell the potion to the Centaur who was standing outside the market, but he immediately startled them when they noticed his face was on his chest. Then they walked up to someone's house, but when Lucio rang the bell, it closed and started eating his hand while Luz tried to get it out. King just looked at them and walked away.
In the end, without selling anything, they sat on the sidewalk. "I know I've had enough pleasure for one day," King said, eating a "notdog," a hotdog made of bugs and other strange things.
"What the hell is wrong with these people? They all either yell at us or want to eat us," said Lucio. Then he noticed Luz's sad expression. "Luz, are you okay?"
"I thought being the only humans in a magical world would make me special," Luz said.
Lucio put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "I agree, but at least you learned that life is not just a dumb book."
"But at this point, Azura had already been sent on an enchanted quest. Where's my quest-granting wizard?" said Luz, all upset.
"Sorry to break it to you, Luz, but no one here is that well-dressed," King said, pointing to the notdog vendor, who was a green blob with eyes and a brain wearing a ball cap.
Lucio looked at King. "Look, I know it's been a tough day. Let's just deliver the last package and go home," he said, getting up. Luz put the book back in the bag, then tipped the bag onto her back. King followed them, and they continued on their way. They kept walking until they came to a tarp at the end.
"Maybe this world isn't what I imagined it to be," Luz said. She opened the tarp, and the brother and sister froze and gasped.
In front of them was a large and beautiful castle that looked like it had been ripped straight out of a fantasy book. Rays of sunlight fell on the castle through the clouds above, giving the fantastical structure a radiant look that could only be reproduced in movies and TV shows.
Lucio and Luz walked up to the big doors of the castle and looked at the golden doorbell. Luz, glowing with happiness and lifted spirits, rang the bell. Suddenly, the big doors began to open.
"Big houses always belong to big whackjobs. Let's get the bag inside and get out of here," said King.
Luz, however, ignored him and went into the castle. "Hello?" Lucio followed her.
"Hey, what are you doing?" King protested before the doors closed behind them, making the little demon squeal. Lucio looked behind them at the closed doors. Luz continued walking forward.
"Looks like there's no turning back," he said before running to catch up with Luz. Together they entered a large room. "Hello! Anyone?"
But no one answered, causing the two friends to look at each other. "We're delivering a package from Miss Eda, the Owl Lady," said Luz.
As they stood in awe, candles and torches flickered to life, illuminating the once-darkened interior of the room. Luz, Lucio, and King could finally see their surroundings, revealing a large library filled with hundreds of magical texts, histories, and stories. Across the room, a staircase led up to the third floor, where a large portrait of the castle's possible owner hung on the wall above a grand doorway.
The portrait depicted a stereotypical wizard, complete with a big beard, mustache, tanned skin, glasses, red eyes, and a pointed hat. However, the real wizard soon revealed himself, stepping out of the doorway.
Luz gasped and felt dizzy, her excitement over meeting a real wizard overwhelming her. "Today just got good!" she exclaimed.
King crossed his arms and muttered, "Strange old man in pajamas."
Lucio agreed with the dog, sensing that something was not quite right. Although the wizard appeared friendly, the boy's cynical nature couldn't help but anticipate a catch. "Are you the owner of this place?" he asked.
"Indeed, I am but a wandering wayfarer. I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars," replied the wizard, stroking his purple, star-studded robe. "And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity?"
"We're just here to deliver this to you," said Lucio, taking the bag from Luz and placing it at the wizard's feet. "And now we will leave." He took his sister's hand and turned to head for the exit.
But suddenly, the wizard approached them. "Young lady, I dare say I sense something special about you," he said, stepping back and drawing a magical circle. In an instant, three chairs and a small table with tea and snacks appeared before them. "Please, won't you join me for tea?"
Lucio protested, "Luz, we have to leave. We've already delivered his package." But Luz, unable to resist the allure of a real wizard's invitation, happily agreed to stay for tea. King, on the other hand, remained skeptical. "Wizards like that are just old men with glitter in their pockets," he grumbled.
Just to prove his point, the wizard reached into his pocket and pulled out some sequins before throwing them on the floor.
"I don't trust him," Lucio said.
"But the stars on his robe sparkle, and look, he's got a fox in his beard!" exclaimed Luz. As she spoke, there was indeed a little fox resting in the curls of the old man's beard. "Besides, I see scones on the table."
"Where!?" King jumped off Luz's shoulder and rushed to the table. He jumped up on it and began rummaging through the appetizers.
"We'd like to join you for tea," Luz said, pulling her brother as she walked over to the chairs. Lucio sat down and took a cup of tea, but he didn't dare drink it. Then he looked to his left and saw various potions on the table behind him.
"So you sell potions too?" he asked the wizard.
"Please, call me Adegast. And yes, I have a small business," replied Adegast. Lucio looked around, noting how huge the place was.
King fell silent as he finished one of the plates of food. All the food was gone, eaten by the little demon. "You should run a small business of more scones in my mouth. Hiyoooo!"
"I'm surprised to see you here. As far as I'm concerned, Eda delivered the packages herself," said Adegast to his brother and sister.
"It's quite a long story," said Lucio, putting the tea on the table. "My sister and I came into this world by accident, and Eda was kind enough to let us stay with her."
"Now we're kinda, sorta her apprentices," Luz finished with a smile.
"Oh! And how do you find this experience?" asked the wizard, stroking his beard.
"Awesome," said Lucio sarcastically.
However, when Luz didn't answer immediately with her usual excitement to learn about magic, he turned his head, watching her smile slowly turn to a sad expression as she sighed. "Well, actually, when I decided to stay in this magical world, I thought I was destined for something special. But Eda thinks I'm meant for chores, and I'm afraid I've got the wrong place."
Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw that it was her brother's hand. When he looked at her trying to cheer her up, Luz looked away.
Then Lucio's attention returned to Adegast as the wizard stood up with a smile and said, "Well, I have a quest-."
"A quest?!" Luz exclaimed cheerfully as she interrupted him, quickly rising from her chair and dropping her cup, which shattered on the floor.
Adegast grinned. "You didn't let me finish my sentence. I have a question," he said, making Luz cringe a little as she realized she had jumped the gun. "Do you want to go on a quest?"
"Yes!" shouted Luz.
"What?" asked Lucio, standing up, completely confused. "Just like that? You're just giving us a quest?"
"Actually, I am," said the wizard, pulling a scroll from his beard. It was perfectly rolled up, bound, and had a red insignia on it. "And I may have just the thing for you two." He unfolded it in front of the two teenagers. "The prophecy speaks of a young girl who will take the Celestial Staff and free this world from an ancient evil. Perhaps you hath come here for a reason."
Lucio narrowed his eyes. "Yeah," he said. "Thanks, but we weren't born yesterday."
Luz touched the map. "Perhaps I hath…" she said.
Lucio's eyes widened. "Luz, are you serious?" he shouted, but she paid him no attention, too engrossed in the thought of going on this quest and making her fantasies come true.
"Should you believe yourself worthy to attempt this quest..." said Adegast as he was about to leave, and the girl followed him.
"So worthy," she said, looking at the map.
"...you must know that the road is dark and dangerous," continued Adegast, putting his hands behind his back.
"Love danger. Big fan of danger," Luz said.
"This is crazy, Luz. We just came to deliver potions," Lucio said loudly, trying to get her attention.
"And only the Chosen One can remove the staff from its post," finished Adegast. Seeing that they were not going to listen to him, Lucio looked around to get their attention.
This caused Luz to stop, wide-eyed. "Chosen One."
Lucio finally decided to step in. "Okay, wait, stop. Just stop, you bearded man!" he shouted, pointing a finger at the wizard.
Adegast looked a little surprised.
"What's wrong with you? We just delivered your potions. Then all of a sudden, you invite us over for tea and just randomly give us a dangerous quest. There's obviously something wrong here!" said Lucio.
"Lucio, don't be rude," Luz whispered to him with a frown.
"Look, thanks, of course, for the tea and the random quest, but just get your damn potions because we have to go!" he said to Adegast, grabbing Luz by the arm. King hopped off the table to follow them, his belly now full of scones.
"Yes, we have to go," said Luz, folding the scroll. Before she threw up her fists. "And get ready for the enchanted quest! I'm in."
"What?" said Lucio.
"Wonderful!" said Adegast happily.
Back at the Owl House, Luz immediately rushed past Lucio and went to their closet/room. Upon entering the room, Lucio found that she had already started packing, getting ready to go on a quest. "So, King, Lucio, what kind of Chosen One should I be?" she asked, putting a toy sword into its sheath.
King yawned, preparing to take a nap on Luz's rolled-up sleeping bag. "What?"
Luz then grabbed her book. Luz held up "Azura and the Dark One" to the right side of her head and asked, "Should I be full of optimism and goodness like the Good Witch Azura?" She then moved the book to the left side of her head and continued, "Or should I be like the bad girl Chosen, with black nail polish and a mysteriously withdrawn demeanor?" She then returned to her fanfare and made the book speak in a strange voice, saying, "I act like I don't care, but I secretly do."
"Are you really going to go?" asked Lucio, looking worriedly at his sister.
"Of course I am. I just feel it in my gut that I'm destined to be here for a reason," replied Luz with determination and a clenched fist. "By the way, can I take your sword?"
"No, you're not taking my sword because you're not going on this quest!" said Lucio sternly.
"Why not?" asked Luz, looking at her brother in surprise.
"Think about it. An unfamiliar wizard in a world populated by demons gives you a quest. Don't you find that a little suspicious?" asked Lucio.
"But this is my chance to finally get a magic staff," said Luz, flipping through the pages of her book to an image of Azura pulling out her staff. "The way Azura got her staff..."
"Can you stop comparing everything to Azura already?" said Lucio, before taking the book from Luz. "I'm sure this quest is a trap or something."
"Oh, how would you know?!" said Luz testily, snatching the book back from him. She then looked at her brother and said, "Why can't you just be happy for me? Maybe you're just jealous that the wizard thinks I'm the Chosen One and not you."
"What?" said Lucio, looking confused. "Luz, what are you..."
"Ugh! Why can't you just give me that?!" yelled Luz at him, making Lucio twitch with shock.
The argument ended when Eda entered the room, holding a blue monster's severed arm by the bone. "I was summoned by the sound of a brother and sister fighting," she said, pointing at the two children. She then put the monster's hand on her shoulder and noticed Luz packing up her things. "What's going on?"
"Eda, tell Luz how stupid wizards are," said King, lying on Luz's sleeping bag.
"Ugh! Wizards are the worst. Never trust a man in casual drapery" said Eda, waving her hand as if it were her own. "Why?"
"One of your customers was really strange. He kept babbling on about a quest he wanted Luz to pursue," explained Lucio, expressing his dismay at what his sister was getting herself into. "He even gave her a map."
"Yes, and he told Luz... she was... the Chosen One!" said King, trying to hold back his laughter but failing.
"Wait, wait, Luz?" Eda chuckled before joining in the laughter, laughing so hard that she fell to the floor. Lucio looked at Luz, and she began to look very embarrassed, trying to hide her face behind a book.
"Okay, stop laughing! It's not funny!" Lucio said, glaring at Eda and King.
Getting up, Eda walked over to them. "Okay, let me see that map." Luz handed her the map, and the witch examined it for a moment to see if it was sincere with all the nonsense about her apprentice being the so-called Chosen One. "Well, I can honestly say... your brother is right, Luz."
"What?" Luz asked, looking even more mortified.
"You didn't think it was real, did you? This map is nonsense. There's no lake on the Boiling Isles with the Celestial Staff. I would have stolen it a long time ago," said Eda. Luz looked at the ground with a sad expression on her face. Eda returned the map to her. "Ah, don't worry. A couple more months here, and you won't look like such a mark."
Luz was still upset, however. "Can you leave me alone?"
Eda shrugged as King and Lucio followed her out of the room. But before he left, Lucio stopped and looked back at Luz. "Hermana…"
But she didn't answer, just rubbed her hand over the card. Lucio sighed and closed the door behind him.
Lucio walked down the stairs to the living room where King and Eda were. The demon climbed onto the couch for another nap. "Finally! All this mean laughter made me sleepy," he said, laying his head on the pillow. Suddenly, Lucio slapped him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"That was for laughing at my sister," Lucio said, scolding King for his and Eda's attitude toward his best friend. "Even if Luz had taken a fake map and was told a lie, you and Eda shouldn't have laughed at her."
"Speaking of which, did you say the wizard was one of my clients?" Eda asked, standing in front of them.
"Yes. Now go away," said King, climbing back onto his pillow.
"Looks like he knew you," Lucio said, sitting down on the armrest with his arms crossed. "Kept asking us about our training, and then when Luz explained she was hoping for a quest, he just gave it to her."
That made Eda think for a moment, and she sat down on the couch, propping her chin up with her hand. "I don't know him that well. And I don't trust this itch he's scratching at Luz," she told the boy.
"I agree, Luz has always been treated like an outcast by all her peers, thinking she's weird," said Lucio, lowering his gaze. "I mean, she really is weird, but it's still rude."
"Less talky, more nappy," said King, with his eyes closed.
Lucio frowned as he looked at King before sighing. He was still concerned about the wizard, but he was also embarrassed by his sister's words during their argument. It hurt that she thought he was jealous when all he cared about was helping her. He got up and walked up the stairs to their door, deciding to check on her. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. "Luz? Are you there?" There was no response.
"Luz, I just want to talk," he called out before opening the door and groaning. Luz was gone. All her things were missing, and the window was open.
"Eda! Luz is gone!" He called out to the witch down the hall before running into the room. He climbed through the window and cautiously stepped out onto the round roof. "LUZ!" Shouted Lucio, but she didn't respond. Then he dropped to his hands and knees and looked down over the edge. "Hey, Hooty! Did you see where Luz went?"
Hooty held his head out to Lucio, "Hoot, hoot. If you want the answer that you seek, solve my riddle within a week," he said before falling silent as Lucio pulled out his bat.
"Just tell me where she is, or I'll break your beak with it!" shouted Lucio.
"Okay, okay. She went into the woods toward Bonesboro. Sheesh!" said Hooty before walking back to the front door of the house.
"What? Why would she... oh no," said Lucio, realizing where his sister was headed. He jumped from the roof to the ground and ran toward town. But before he could get far, Eda came down on her magic staff with King.
"Keep going!" Eda shouted, indicating with her hand for him to come aboard. "We're going to talk to that Adegast."
Meanwhile, Luz was standing near a sign reading "Leaving Bonesborough City Limits," looking at her surroundings and sighing. "My first mythical quest. Ha!" She said as she jumped and slid down the side of the mountain.
As she descended, she walked through the woods until a thick fog appeared. "Okay. Got my scroll, got my youthful optimism, got my trusty weapon." She said, pulling the toy sword up into the air and pressing a button.
"By the power of Skullgar, I am out of batteries..." The toy shut off, and Luz moved on.
"You know, I wonder if I made the right choice coming here, disobeying Lucio and Eda," said Luz, immediately gasping when she saw something amazing.
It was a village full of anthropomorphic cats dressed in clothes and moving on two legs. Luz walked through the village, glowing and looking around, and then she came to a fountain in the middle of the square, from which a muscular guy with a sword on his belt and a blindfold over his eye brushed the wet hair from his face.
"I see. So you're the Chosen One. The Celestial Staff should've picked me, Nevareth Bladestrife, Teen Prince of Angstmore," he said pridefully, holding up his hair.
Luz smiled as she looked at his muscles. "Yes, I made the right choice," she said confidently.
Meanwhile, as the others reached the town, Eda floated her staff down to the ground near the alleyway where they had found it. Lucio quickly got off his ride and started running towards the path that led to the castle with King on his shoulder and Eda following behind them. Something was definitely wrong, as they couldn't locate the shiny castle from the sky.
As they entered the alleyway, Lucio slowed down, pulled out his bat and sword from behind his back, and approached the tarp-covered entrance. "Are you sure this is the way?" asked Eda, without her staff.
"This is where we met the wizard," corrected King after Lucio snapped at him.
Lucio rolled his eyes and found the entrance still covered by the tarp. He headed towards it with a determined look on his face before he grabbed the tarp and tore it open. However, when he saw the lock, the boy gasped in shock and horror.
The once bright and shining castle looked like it had aged hundreds of years since he and King were last there. The sunlight no longer fell on it with celestial effects. Instead, the sky was the usual gloomy bright colors of the Demon Kingdom. The structure of the castle was in utter ruins. The walls were crumbling, and some of the roofs had collapsed. It seemed as if no one had lived in the castle for decades.
"Wow! This hasn't happened before," King said as Lucio headed towards the ruined castle. Eda approached him.
Lucio and Eda opened the doors together and saw that the library was a mess. The paint was tearing and falling apart. The bookshelves were crumbling, and debris was flying all over the floor and the upper floors.
"I don't like this," Eda said as they entered the library. She stopped when she felt like she had stepped on something and looked down, picking up a pile of papers. "I really don't like this."
Lucio looked around the library until he noticed that Eda was holding something. "What did you find?" asked Lucio, approaching the witch.
"Something very interesting," said Eda, holding out the papers to Lucio. Putting his weapon away, Lucio grabbed the papers and looked through them. His eyes widened with shock. They were all maps, very similar to the one Adegast had given Luz.
"That old bastard!" said Lucio, convinced that it was a trick.
Next, they traveled through the forest on Eda's staff, and the further they went, the more they noticed that the terrain around them was changing. The bright colors of the trees disappeared, and the clouds above them began to darken.
They were now standing at the entrance of a ruined village, the condition of which was the same as, if not worse than, that of Adegast's castle. Veins ran through the houses, and crates and barrels lay broken on their sides, their contents spilling out. It seemed as though the village had been abandoned for years, and something bad had happened.
"Are you sure she came here?" asked Ed King.
"I can't mistake her smell. It's like lemons and young, naive confidence," answered the little demon as he sniffed the ground.
"What about my smell?" Lucio asked curiously.
"Just sweat," King answered briefly.
Lucio frowned, then looked around until he noticed something strange. In the fountain, covered in large veins, was a body that looked like an anthropic machine with a scarf and mittens. However, its eyes were unusual.
He walked over to the fountain and got closer. The closer he got, the more he realized that it was not a dead body but a puppet.
Eda walked past him and knelt down in front of the fountain. Then she struck the cat, flicking it on the head with her finger. "Hey! Wake up, you," she said, before grabbing the puppet. "What did you do to Luz? What's your endgame?"
"To find your pupil and still your wrath, look ahead and follow the path," the cat said in a disoriented, squeaky voice.
Lucio growled before snatching the puppet from Eda. "Enough of this nonsense! Quick, tell me where my sister is, or you'll be sorry!" he shouted, shaking it. All his worries about his sister and the possibility that someone might hurt her kept him on his toes.
"To find your sister, follow my previous words; go straight ahead where the road winds and curves." said the cat puppet. Then it began to cluck, crumbling and wrinkling in Lucio's hands, turning into dust carried away by the wind.
"Aaah! The cat man melted!" King shouted.
Eda sighed as she got up. "It's a trap. They want me to follow Luz."
"You mean that wizard?" asked Lucio.
"No, kid," said Eda, turning to him with a serious expression on her face. "That's no wizard." Lucio looked confused and frightened before she began to explain. "I know this guy. He's what you would call a puppeteer, a demon who specializes in conning and manipulating people. He's trying to use Luz to get to me."
"Then what are we standing here for?! We have to save her!" Lucio said in horror.
"Yeah, and we're flying directly into his trap. Hurray," said King.
"Well, if you can think of a better plan, I'd love to hear it," Eda said, summoning her staff.
Luz was having a wonderful time. The quest was precisely what she had expected it to be.
First, she stumbled upon the magical city of talking cats and met Netrath Blade, the young prince of Angstmore. So, not only did she travel with an attractive teenage prince, but one with a vengeful backstory as well. Then, they came across more fun-loving companions like Chris, the old cat guarding the bridge. To pass, you had to guess his name that was written on his body, and Luz guessed it. After that, Netrath gave her his shirt as his cloak.
They were now out in a clearing between the trees that overhung them. The little fairy princess joined them. "Thank you for inviting me to your feast, Princess. All your food was so tiny and cute," praised Luz. On her finger was the ring that Chris had given her.
The princess then used her magic to summon gold and green bracelets. "For you, Chosen One," she said, handing the bracelets to Luz, who then put them on her left wrist.
"Thank you," she said to the princess before turning to all her companions. "You have all been so kind and thoughtful." Then she jumped in the air with joy. It was really all she had ever asked for. "I hope this quest never ends!"
"Your quest will soon come to an end because the staff you seek is around the bend," remarked Chris.
That ruined the moment for Luz, and she looked a little annoyed. "Thanks for ruining the mood, Chris," she said, slumping her shoulders.
"Come on, Chosen One. The Celestial Staff is yours. You've earned it," said Netrath, beckoning Luz to go ahead.
Luz smiled at everyone before turning and going for the staff. Behind her, everyone helping her waved goodbye. As a bird chirped over her head. After walking for a while, Luz gasped as she reached her destination and with it, her prize. She reached the legendary lake, and in the middle of it stood the Celestial Staff on a pedestal, in the middle of a platform on the lake.
She was amazed at the sight of the staff, for it looked exactly like Azura's. Luz approached the staff before stopping in front of the lake. Just as she was about to swim, the water began to glow brightly, and bubbles began to rise. Then the ground rumbled, before a stone path rose from the depths to the staff. The path to the staff was now connected.
Luz smiled broadly. "I knew that this world was not all gloom and doom, as Eda and King said. There is wonder here, and I think I came here for a reason," Luz said, turning around.
She walked down the path toward the staff, enchanted by its glow. Stopping in front of it, she basked in the light of the staff as it tempted her to come closer. "Okay, this is it. The moment of truth," said Luz, reaching out to grab the staff.
As she wrapped her fingers around the staff, powerful magic erupted from it, swirling around and creating ripples in the water. Then, she pulled the staff from the platform and lifted it up. "Yes! I am the Chosen One! I knew it! I always suspected there was a reason no one understood my foolish antics back home, but now I have concrete proof!" Luz laughed triumphantly. She knew they hadn't come here by accident. There must be something about her that made her special, even though her own brother didn't think so. However, the joy she felt vanished like the staff when it suddenly turned to dust in her hands. "No!" she gasped, trying to grab what was left of it.
And then it got worse. First, the flowers and plants around her wilted and rotted, and the water from the lake drained from the grounds. Everything around her just seemed to die. The trees lost their colors as their leaves were blown off and crushed by the wind, leaving the trees bare and lifeless, like the abandoned ruins in which she now stood.
The magic was gone, and Luz felt despair fill her heart as a great fog surrounded the young girl, making it hard to see her way out. "What's going on?" she whimpered, pulling out her toy sword.
"Luz, the human," said a familiar voice behind her back. She turned around and saw Adegast emerging from the fog with a smile.
"Magic wizard?" she asked, greatly confused.
"Your arrogance has failed you, witch's apprentice," shouted Adegast as his voice changed dramatically, all the while his body went limp, his eyes went mad, and a dark figure began to appear behind the wizard's puppet.
The wizard's body was pushed aside, and Adegast's true form revealed itself as a large, pale purple monster that looked like an octopus, with both tentacles and arms. It had yellow teeth with exposed gums and black sclerae with yellow irises and black pupils. The wizard's body was supported by one of his tentacles.
When the monster giggled maniacally, Luz recoiled in horror. Then, the spots on the floor around her began to crumble and crack before the people Luz had met and befriended during the quest approached. They all turned out to be puppets with blank stares manipulated by big tentacles.
"Okay, Luz. Don't panic. This is classic Chosen One business," Luz said, trying to be brave. But really, she was scared. This was not what she wanted her quest to look like. Yet she still clung to the fantasy that she was still destined for greatness. "You just have to save everybody and defeat the final boss."
"I AM EVERYBODY!" Adegast shouted in a grim and harsh tone, startling Luz when his magic puppet hit her right in the face. "You don't you see? I'm not a wizard. And you're not the Chosen One. I tricked you."
Luz's eyes widened with anger as he laughed. "What?" Suddenly, she noticed her cloak rising in the air before it abruptly wrapped around her like a rope. Her bracelets transformed into handcuffs and the ring into a finger restraint. "No! I've been betrayed by my own cool accessories," Luz said, fully aware of the mess she'd gotten herself into. It was all because this jerk had played with her wishes. She glared at the demon. "Why are you doing this?"
"Your mentor has been stealing clients from my potions business for years. She must be destroyed."
"Does everyone here have a beef with Eda?" Luz questioned the other puppets. They all nodded in agreement.
"And you lured her right into my trap, all because you wanted to think you were special! You should've listened to your brother."
Horror filled Luz's eyes. "Lucio..." She realized that her brother had been right when he didn't trust the wizard and that he had only wanted to protect her. She had thought he was just jealous of her.
"And it's all going to be because of you!" Adegast laughed wickedly.
Luz looked at the ground, feeling her whole body go numb. The reality of this fake quest had finally struck her. It was all just a trap to get to Eda. She was only here because she had falsely believed she was the Chosen One. Adegast was right, she wasn't special. Now the people she cared about were in danger, all because she had thought she was the chosen one.
"No, joke's on you because Eda's not stupid enough to fall into your trap," shouted Luz.
"Adegast!" came a familiar voice from behind the trees.
"Oh, mierda!" Luz cursed in Spanish.
Eda, Lucio, and King spun down the path before getting off the magic staff. Lucio pulled out his sword and bat, looking at Adegast. "Let go of my sister, you freakish excuse for an octopus!" he shouted, clutching his weapons even harder.
"Eda, I have you now!" said Adegast as more puppets popped out of the ground and grabbed Eda and King. Lucio dodged the tentacle and puppet that came at him, striking his sword and bat simultaneously in the limb. Adegast cried out in pain before roaring with anger.
"This is your last warning. Quickly let Luz go, or I'll make sushi out of you!" shouted Lucio, pointing his sword at the monster.
"I shouldn't have been a part of this!" King shouted, trying to free himself.
"Oh, she can leave if she wants to. But I feel like she wants a real fantasy," said Adegast, laughing maniacally before his puppets released a purple mist around Luz.
"NO!" shouted Lucio, rushing toward her. However, he was stopped by a tentacle that grabbed him from behind, forcing him to drop his weapon. Struggling, he looked angrily at Adegast. "What did you do to her?" he shouted.
"I am only showing her what she wants to see."
When Luz opened her eyes, she felt disoriented and found herself surrounded by darkness. She had no idea where she was, and then suddenly, everyone she had met on her journey appeared around her. Nevareth put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Stay with us, Luz. Stay with Adegast. We need you here. You can be our Chosen One."
The magical princess interrupted, "Yes, you can eat our tiny food forever."
Nevareth continued, "Luz, why do you want to live in a world where people laugh at you?" A shadow covered the top of his face as he spoke.
Lucio hummed, trying to break free, but the tentacle only squeezed him harder, almost crushing his ribs and lungs. "LUZ! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!"
Luz looked around at the puppets surrounding her and said, "It's beautiful here."
Eda screamed, trying to break free. "LUZ!" She cried.
"And you guys think I'm special," Luz said sadly.
"LUZ!" Shouted Lucio as the monster's tentacles began to crush him, Eda, and King.
Suddenly, Luz realized that this wasn't real and screamed, pushing the puppets away and picking up Lucio's sword. "I am a witch apprentice, and I am going to earn my magic staff the hard way. I trusted you, Wizard. Now feel my wrath!"
Luz let out a battle cry and lunged at the Wizard's puppet before stabbing him in the chest. Adegast cried out in pain as his puppet and the top of his tentacle disintegrated. Fortunately, this was enough to free Eda, Lucio, and King from their shackles. Lucio raised his bat, and Eda raised her staff.
"Let's give this freak a taste of reality," Lucio said.
Adegast roared in anger and sent all his puppets at them. Eda quickly destroyed most of the cat puppets by firing a large column of fire at them, sizzling the tentacles and making the puppeteer scream in more pain.
Lucio dodged Chris as Luz defeated the fairy princess. Then he hit the mad cat in the head with the bat with all his might, causing it to fall to the floor along with the tentacle that was controlling it.
While Luz was watching this, Nevareth tried to attack her from behind with his saber, but Luz fought him off. "I thought we had a connection, Nevareth!" She shouted, piercing him with her sword.
"Ah, my flawless pecs!" shouted the puppet before disappearing.
The heroes thought they had dealt with everyone, but then they heard Adegast turn around and saw that he was holding King hostage. "Back off! Or the dog gets it."
"Let the dog go!" shouted Lucio.
"Damn it, I'm not a-" King didn't have time to finish as a tentacle covered his mouth. Eda, Luz, and Lucio had to let go of their weapons and raise their hands. Luz turned to Lucio, and they shared a look of determination.
"King, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should never have trusted that wizard. You were right. He isn't mystical or magical. He's just a big, slimy jerk!" said Luz as she kicked the sword with her foot. The sword hit Adegast in the head, causing him to yell in pain and let go of King, who fell into Luz's arms.
As the sword slipped out of his head, Adegast suddenly began to shrink to a small size. They approached him, and Lucio was about to crush him with his foot when Eda picked him up. "Well, this is the last time I take an outside referral," she said before swallowing him whole.
"Ew..." Lucio said briefly in disgust, then turned to Luz. "Luz, are you okay?"
"No, not really. I'm so confused," she said, holding King in her arms. "This place, this world isn't at all what I imagined." Luz looked at her brother. "Lucio, I'm so sorry. You just wanted to protect me, and I thought you were just jealous of me, all because I wanted to be chosen."
"Jealous?" asked Lucio, but then he put his hand on her shoulder. "Luz, you need to understand that you don't need some stupid quest or prophecy to be special. Think about it. You were able to save the prisoners from that Conformatorium place by inspiring them to escape. You defeated Wrath, you defeated that puppeteer. Personally, I doubt anyone else could do the same in your place," Lucio said sincerely. Luz smiled at her brother.
"Well, if you two dwarfs will come with me, I have something to show you," Eda said, beckoning the brother and sister to her staff.
After climbing onto her staff, Eda carried all four of them away from the empty lake of the fake quest. Both Luz and Lucio were blindfolded as they felt themselves climbing higher and higher into the air. Once they reached their destination, Eda stopped the staff and looked at her human disciples with a smile. "Okay, you can watch," she said.
The kids untied their blindfolds and opened their eyes. They gasped at the sight of something amazing.
There, in front of them, as the sun began to set over the horizon, were the massive skeletal remains of a dead titan. The skeleton lay on its back, its right leg bent so that its knee was raised high. Both arms were spread out, and all the bones were islands that had formed on and around the massive remains.
"Wait, is that..." Lucio tried to ask but couldn't finish his sentence.
"The bones of the Isle," said Eda as the two children gazed around the awe-inspiring sight of the skeleton. "Up close, the islands can be slimy..."
"And very smelly," King added, interrupting Eda.
"And disgusting. But if you look at it from a different perspective..." Eda looked up at the sky, prompting her brother and sister to do the same. Stars began to appear, and a blue shooting star streaked across the sky above the titan's horned skull.
"Beautiful," said Luz, gazing at the magnificent sight.
"I agree," added Lucio, realizing that the isles might not be so bad after all.
"Eda, how did you know the wizard was lying?" asked Luz, turning to the Owl Lady.
Eda looked away, glancing at Lucio and Luz out of the corner of her eye. "Look, kid, everyone wants to believe they're 'chosen.' But if we wait for a prophecy to make us special, we'll be waiting forever. That's why you need to choose your own path," said Eda, smiling at Luz.
Luz smiled back before looking at Eda hopefully. "Does that mean you're going to give us our own magic staffs?"
"Not yet, but someday," said Eda, still gazing at the sunset.
The brother and sister continued to stare at the horizon, unaware that what they were experiencing was only the beginning of their adventure.