The school days at Hexside had grown hectic to say the least after the Covention. Many students remember seeing what they thought was a witch sit in on their classes and eventually get themselves banned from the campus for some unknown reason. Principal Bump and the rest of the school staff were tight lipped, and for a good reason as it's been revealed. A human had been the one to infiltrate the student body unnoticed. The very same one that had been pitted against the rising star of Hexside, Amity Blight, in a witches duel.

Though Lilith had stepped in and ended the duel prematurely, none were going to argue with a servant of his will, Amity believed she was on the cusp of victory if it had gone on longer. The human's perseverance may be admirable, but it was obvious she was worn down by the end. Clearly Luz hadn't received any proper training, not like Amity. Her parents, mostly her mother, had been fuming at the result of the duel. Not praising their daughter for the expert display of magic manipulation, but angry for the opponent's need to belittle their heiress with cheating by throwing a powerless human against her and attempt to call it a proper duel.

Amity didn't believe the rumors floating about that the human had received outside help from the Owl Lady in their duel, since the wild witch was known to pull tricks and scams on the inhabitants of Bonesborough. No, the fight between her and Luz was as real as it gets. She had underestimated the human, especially with her strange casting of a light spell, turning it into a blinding flash.

Any knowledge on humans is heavily regulated through the Emperor's Coven. Most of the books and documents that wash up on the shores of the Isles were written in a strange language and so water logged, only the truly obsessed could translate it. Everything else is shipped back to the Emperor's Castle. Vague stories and spotty records from the Savage Ages is all the evidence one has on humans since their last sighting. Though humanity lacked the ability to produce magic due to their bodies never developing a bile sack in their realm, this one was not only casting her own human spells, but was learning some from the Isles as well. Luz was a worthy opponent, and Amity acknowledges her as a witch. But, in this generation of witches, Amity sat at the top and it needed to stay that way.

So she poured into her studies more, requesting as much extra work she could take along with her added lessons with Lilith Clawthrone. Amity had to be ready for next time, when she'd crush her new rival into the dirt under her boot in their inevitable rematch. Maybe she'd spare the human the humiliation and pain by allowing her to apologize for ever thinking she could step up to the Amity Blight. A plan for another time, for today was the last day of the school week. Confident she could continue with her work routine, Amity also knew the importance of taking a break and keeping one's social circle in check. A tactic her mother liked to call "networking." The moon had been visible in the sky for hours now, a sign it was moving into the correct alignment to bathe the Isles in it's magic. The perfect night for a party.


Luz, Eda, and King had been cooped up inside of the Owl House for the past few days. Not only was the human witch physically and mentally exhausted from the affair at the Covention, but they were also laying low. Eda had been pursued by her sister for years, and when they butt heads it tends to renew the fire of catching Eda outside the safety of her home. Scouts never returned the same once dealing with Hooty, so they'd never show up here unless they were desperate.

In order to pass the time, Eda had found her old deck of Hexes Hold'em and was teaching Luz how to play. They were strange little paper squares, much like the Emperor's Tarot that were mass produced. The Violet Skulls used said tarot themselves to play all sorts of games, like Snapper or Barator-Two-Step. Hexes Hold'em was a different beast all together, Luz watched on as Eda played against Owlbert, her palisman now sporting a tiny green visor cap and holding cards in his adorable little wings. King wanted nothing to do with the cards and Luz was still a novice, so Owlbert was her sparring partner for their time at the house. No one really wanted to include Hooty.

Eda had framed the learning of the game into a lesson about strategy, but Luz was starting to think her teacher was just falling into old habits. She sat on the couch, her cards laying face up and adjacent from Owlbert's as she draws another card from the deck into her hand, the eyes printed on the back blinking in unison. Luz should have been more fearful of the magical cards, but staying on the Boiling Isles for so long was starting to dull some of the smaller surprises.

"Pay close attention, Luz." Eda says as she looks over her cards. "A witch has to learn when to give up something." She places a card down on the table, a picture of a fire breathing lizard produces a flame that belches across not only Owlbert's cards, but a few of her own as well. "In order to gain something." The cards she just burnt forming into a new one, a depiction of a brawl, which activates. The once innate wafers standing on tiny limbs and roaring at each other before entering a pitched battle.

A quick card from Owlbert, a rage filled red face, turns the tables as his own cards start to overpower Eda's. The wooden owl looking rather smug at the turn of events.

"When that's not enough and the deck is stacked against you." Eda reveals another card, a dark tower. "You use your wild card!" A flash and all of Owlbert's cards go up in flames. The embers clashing together into a flash to declare Eda the winner in fiery letters written above the battlefield of the recaff table.

The confident look of the palisman is replaced with annoyance as he attempts to show proper showmanship and bow before Eda. Eda, on the other hand, gloats.

"Haha, in your adorable little owl face!" Eda stands, breaking out into a few dance moves that had Luz wondering if her elder was having a seizure. "I love the feeling of victory! It feels," A pause, this was a strange new feeling for victory. "Fluffy?" The confusion evident in her voice.

"Uh, Eda, it's happening again." The startled voice coming from Luz as she backs away into the couch in fear.

Eda is still confused. "What's happening again?" Lots of things happened to Eda, they needed to be more specific.

"Your curse is returning!" King finally hits the nail on the head, pointing out the small feathers attempting to break through Eda's skin. The ones on her arms already becoming long and dark gray.

"Ah!" Eda cries out in shock. The curse had crept up on her, and it was already taking over. "Nobody panic, I have elixirs, remember?" Eda wasn't worried, this is how she's dealt with this curse her whole life so it was all routine from here. Marching up to her room, her charges in tow, she opens up a chest by her nightstand. Instead of being met with the comforting warm glow of the curse fighting elixir, the contents of the chest are dull and empty.

Eda had run out.

"This is bad." Eda attempted to shake anything that might be hiding out of an empty bottle, but nothing came. "I don't think you two want to relive the last time I didn't get my elixir."

Luz and King both felt a chill creep down their spine. Best to keep those traumatic memories buried deep for a bit longer.

"Can't you just make more?" Luz asks. "You are a potion maker after all, why are you so worried?"

Eda scratches at her shoulder. "Ha! Funny thing, kid. The recipe and ingredients to the Curse Suppressing Elixir is a closely guarded secret of the Potions Coven. I think you know how I feel about covens already." Luz nods, Covention said it all. "I've been getting them all from the market, with actual money!"

"Then lets get to the market, pronto!" Luz rushes off, eager to keep her teacher from becoming a dangerous monster.

"Yay, market!" King follows behind. "I'm gonna steal everything that's not nailed down!"

"Hang on," Eda calls out. "Before we go, anyone wanna play another game of Hexes Hold'em?" But when Eda reaches for her cards in her pocket, they're gone! "Hey, where did my cards go?"

King had been trained by the Owl Lady herself, so it wasn't difficult for the tiny demon to swipe the deck of cards when she wasn't looking. He had handed them to Luz, who in turn handed them to Owlbert. Clutching the deck in his small talons.

"Take these and fly ahead, she'll have to follow us." Luz was fond of her mentor, but the reawakening of her lust for card games was starting to become a problem. Luckily Owlbert flew off just in time as Eda had noticed the palisman make off with her deck.

"Owlbert you sore loser, gimme back my cards!"


The town of Bonesborough was as peaceful as it could get in the Demon Realm. Witches and demons went about their daily lives, but the quiet was interrupted by a loud banging. The cause was Eda the Owl Lady and she was pounding away at a grate to a closed shop. It was a small building named with a funnel as it's logo. There were no doors, all sales were done by the window currently being assaulted by the old witch.

"Hey, Mort, open up!" Eda shouts. Her outfit comprised of a maroon cloak wrapped around her form and held together with a golden owl brooch, they were still laying low after all.

"Just a minute!" The owner of said shop, Morton, cries from deeper within the building.

Luz had been given the job to keep watch for any Emperor's Coven goons from getting the drop on them. Also wearing a cloak similar to Eda's but a deep blue. King was so small and unnoticeable, he didn't even need to wear a disguise. But as Luz kept watch, something caught her attention. It was a procession comprised of a large group of brown robed witches and demons. Rather than crowded around a relic or figure of extreme importance, like the gatherings back on Barator V, they were escorting a wagon that moved on it's own. Riding on top of it, was a bound, large, red insect like monster with chattering mandibles and hate filled eyes staring down it's captors.

"Eda, what's going on over there?" Luz asks, her curiosity peaked at the strange parade.

"Hm?" Eda turns, her hand gripping Owlbert's staff instinctively at the sight. "Demon hunters. They're dangerous nomads that hunt down and capture the most powerful beasts. Since they're doing Belos a favor by culling the more dangerous wildlife, and they're often hard to track down, they're allowed to roam covenless."

The monster tied down to the wagon has one last jolt of defiance as it thrashes about. The gathered hunters look ready to step in, but the leader takes charge instead. A large green demon wearing an eye patch and carrying a huge sword on his back. Strapped to his shoulder is a single metal pauldron. The exposed teeth and tusks only add to the intimidating stature as he draws a spell circle and thrusts a hand out. Sending a debilitating shock of green lightning through the creature's body and subduing it. His senses must be extremely honed, since he's staring back at the twin witches with his one good eye.

Luz just tries to hide herself deeper in the cloak while Eda just bangs on the shop even louder, clearly not intimidated. "Morton! If you don't open up right now I'm going to tear this place apart!"

A witch wearing a funnel for a hat and a brown tunic rushes over and opens up the grate from within the store. "Sorry Eda! I was up all night poison tasting." His light green, finger-less gloved hands wrap around his midsection. "For some reason I don't feel great." Even his voice was strained in discomfort.

Luz wasn't sure if witches were hardier than humans or Morton was just weird.

"Look, pal, I need a refill of my," Eda looks around to make sure no one overhears her. "Special juice." She hands over an empty elixir bottle to Morton.

"Aw jeeze, lemme see what I can do." Morton kneels behind the counter, looking over his stock of potions, elixirs, and tonics. Being an experienced potion maker and salesman, he could tell which potion she was looking for just by the make of the bottle. Also Eda had been coming to him for years now.

While Eda conducted her business, Luz kept her watch on the band of demon hunters as it slowly makes it's way down the street with a noticeably quieter beast. To her surprise, she sees Willow and Gus walking down the street! The two witches had been understanding about her sudden escape from the Covention a few days back, they even expressed how Luz was so close to winning before it was abruptly ended. She turns to Eda, the witch too focused on Morton at the moment and there didn't seem to be any Coven Scouts or Guards. So, Luz hurries over to her two friends. "Willow, Gus!" She greets them, it was probably hard to tell it was Luz under the cloak.

As she approached, she got a better look at the two. Still dressed in their Hexside uniforms, they looked like a pair of low level laborers who were just denied rations from their overseer. "Is something wrong, what happened?" It pained her to see her friends like this, witch or human.

Willow lets out a defeated sigh. "They did." She points over to the cause of their woes. Amity Blight.

Surrounding the teenage prodigy were not only her friends, but what seemed like a large conglomeration of young women in their uniforms. Witches and demons alike hanging out by a snack shop as they played with and chatted with each other. Forever aloof, as if everyone was beneath her, was the abomination student.

"Amity is having a Moonlight Conjuring and invited practically all the girls in school but me." Willow only deflated more, looking more like her namesake as Gus shoots angry glares at the gaggle of witches.

"And she keeps posting about it on her Penstagram account!" Gus caste a spell, summoning a small scroll that floats in the air.

Luz had seen these magical scrolls before, thinking them hovering parchment used to write down the thoughts of the user much like a servo skull equipped with an auto-quill. To her surprise, it was akin to more of a data slate as it shows pictures. This one being a picture of as many teen witches that could fit in frame before taking it. All of them making some form of sign with their hands and either smiling or kissing at the camera. There was even a caption at the bottom. "It's conjuring night, no dorks allowed." Luz read aloud. Were dorks the Boiling Isles equivalent of orks? Were they insulting Willow by comparing her to such a detestable creature? "How dare she! Uh, what's a Moonlight Conjuring?" Luz decided to ask the more obvious question.

"Oh, it's like a big party!" Willow summons a tome from thin air with a spell and flips through the floating pages as she speaks. "You spend the night, eat lots of food, tell each other stories, play all sorts of games."

Luz had never done such things in her life. Being a servant of the Imperium meant you had to give up such fun activities in order to keep the darkness of the galaxy from closing in around you with hard work. The closest thing would be Luz's coming of age celebration, a tradition carried on by her people even after their original world fell. Only close family were invited, never any outsiders. "That does sound fun." Luz comments.

"And you bring something to life with moon magic!" Willow turns the book to Luz with a wave of her finger, showing off the diagram of three beings sitting in a circle holding hands with the moon above them.

Ah, there's the strange Demon Realm twist Luz was waiting for. "I guess that can be fun too?" The magic of the Boiling Isles never ceased to amaze Luz with it's diversity. Even the celestial body above them could grant magic for something as monumental as breathing sentience into an inanimate object. Though such a thing is heretical in the eyes of the Ecclesiarchy, Luz was already walking sin. Not like they could reach her all the way from the Human Realm.

"Me and Gus have never been to one, you need at least three people in order to perform the ritual." Willow closes the tome and makes it vanish in a flash of light. Luz really needed to learn how to do that.

"They don't because they know Willow and I would the be life of the part! Ah, the tragedy of being too talented for you own good." Gus laments. It wasn't the real reason people avoided the two of them, but it was the one he was sticking to.

Then Luz got an idea. Her friends have been so kind to her, even inviting her out to special events like the Covention. Well, the one that ended poorly but it's the thought that counts. It was time to return the favor. "If it's alright with you two." Both pairs of eyes were on Luz now. "We can hold a conjuring ourselves! We'll show that Amity what she's missing out on."

"What am I missing out on?"

To everyone's shock, the green haired witch had appeared before them. She had managed to slip away from her friends and fellow students without anyone noticing. Amity stood with her nose held high, her back straight, and arms folded under her chest. A Blight exudes power wherever they go, after all.

"Is that you, Noceda?" Amity strides forward, causing the hooded figure to recoil as if she was walking anathema. Of course it had to be the human, who else would be even be talking to Willow and Gus in the middle of town? "Didn't expect to see you so soon after the convention. I hope I didn't knock you around too hard."

"Look, Amity, I don't want any trouble, alright?" Luz responds with a hand gripping the cloak tighter around her body.

"Now where did all that fire go from before? Don't tell me it's snuffed out already." Amity took a few steps forward, she was going to make sure the human was shaking in her boots before her. But another body intercepted her, it was Willow. Amity looked at her in confusion before it turned to silent fury. "Willow, why are you defending this human." She'd look over to Gus, who was sweating under her gaze. "I can understand him, but you?"

"Because I always stick by my friends, can you say the same?" The stocky plant witch replied, causing Amity to bite at her own lip in frustration.

The relationship between Amity and Willow was a complicated one. But, they were older now, and responsibilities demanded no weakness in any form. "Whatever." Amity replied harshly. She didn't have time to ride through this emotional turmoil anyway as Bosha, Skara, and Cat had finished gathering the snacks and drinks for the conjuring. "Have fun with your pet human." The two share one last heated stare before she went to join the others.

Willow grumbled to herself. The hidden rage of having her bully pick on not only her, but Luz as well, manifested into thorny vines creeping out from the dirt around her heeled boots. The building fire in her was doused when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," It was Luz. "What was that all about?" While Willow appreciated the concern, it was her problem. Nothing she needed to trouble her new human friend with.

"Nothing!" She lied through a large grin. "You better go ask Eda if we can host that conjuring. It is her house after all."

Luz couldn't see a fault in that logic. "Right, don't wanna make the overseer angry! Wait right here." With her confidence bolstered by her friends, she was positive she could convince the old witch to host their conjuring. How could Eda say no to her favorite apprentice?

While Luz had been dealing with teenage problems, Eda had to deal with her adult problems. Namely Morton who was cowering behind his counter.

"I got good news and bad news!" He announces nervously. "Bad news, I'm all out of Elixirs till next week." This makes Eda frown, which only makes Morton sweat more. "Good news, feathers are a great look for you!"

Fierce and deadly fashion aside, she can't afford to go on a wild owl beast rampage till next week! The fear and anger only making more feathers pop up along Eda's skin. She deiced to take it out on the closest witch. "Morton!"

"Well jee, E. Why'd you wait to re-up till now?" Morton defends himself as he stands.

"I've been very busy!" Eda folds her arms. "Kinda hard when you need to take care of two kids, watch out for your stick-in-the-mud sister and her thugs, and make sure to look this good in the morning!"

"You've also gotten rehooked on Hexes Hold'um." King adds, sitting on a nearby bench as he waits.

"I have not!"

"You're playing it right now!" King points. Low and behold, Eda has a card in her hand with more placed on the counter in front of Morton.

One would be bewildered, scared even, at the depths their obsessions take them. Instead, Eda just asks. "Am I winning?" Morton's not even sure, since he doesn't even remember pulling his own deck out.

Ignoring the impromptu game, Morton leans in to keep the conversation more private. "Look, I don't normally suggest this to everybody, but if you need your elixir you can try later this evening."

Eda's eyes widen. He can't possibly mean. "The Night Market?"

Morton nods. "There's a guy with a stand, goes by Grimm Hammer. If anyone has what you need, it's him."

Eda took a moment to collect her thoughts. The Night Market was one of the few things the Emperor's Coven couldn't contain and regulate. The rumors about the dark magic and illegal goods being sold there go far back as the Savage Ages. No wonder Mort here wouldn't suggest this to anyone, anyone but Eda would be terrified. She needed that Elixir, magicless or not she won't let that thing win over her.

So deep in her thinking, the Owl Lady doesn't even notice Luz coming up on her shoulder.

"Eda!" Luz says a little too loudly. "Willow, Gus, and I want to do a Moonlight Conjuring and maybe stick it to Amity in the process. So, can we-"

The wild witch cuts Luz off with a raised hand. "Not tonight, I'm going out." Bidding Morton a farewell with a nod, she collects Owlbert. "I need you to watch the house while I'm gone, I have many precious objects." A lot of them are well hidden in places only the craziest witch might look, but Hooty can't be left alone for too long. The last time still gave her the willies.

"I'm one of them!" King says cheerily as he kicks his tiny legs over the edge of the bench, the demon's legs barely reach the sidewalk. He doesn't even have time to react when Eda picks him up the scruff of his neck.

"You're coming with me, I need an extra pair of eyes to look out for pick pockets." One couldn't be too careful at the Night Market. "And an extra pair of hands in case I wanna pick pocket." She said with a grin. One also couldn't be too daring at the Night Market.

"Pick pocket!" Eda and King shouted in unison.

Eda's decision didn't seem to be absolute to the young human witch, because she tries to compromise. "Well, they can come to the house then! They've been before, it'll be-"

"No." A more stern voice coming from the old witch to help get her point across. "Three teens alone in a house with no adult supervision is a spell for disaster." Eda should know, she's been in such situation when she was Luz's age. "Besides, Moonlight Conjurings aren't all what they're cracked up to be." Eda speaks as she swings King's body about, still holding him by the neck. "Sitting in a circle and holding hands to make a doll do a jig? It's like magic for babies. Now, I'll give you a few minutes alone to break the news to your friends and then we're heading back home." Tucking King under her arm like a football, Eda struts off.

Luz wanted to put up a strong front against Eda, but she just couldn't muster the will to do so. It would be wrong to go against her teacher, the house belonged to the old witch. Turning around, Gus and Willow are already running up to her.

"Luz, what did Eda say?" The excitement was evident in Willow's voice.

The teen didn't want to do this, but she'd try to lay it on them as gently as possible. A trick Luz learned from her mamá and her job. "Well, about that."

"Look!" Gus interrupts, pointing at the sky. All eyes are drawn upward and to the, oddly skull shaped, moon. "The moon is rising into place! The celestial powers only align once a year and today is our year!"

"I know, right?" Willow responds, both of the witches could barely contain their enthusiasm. "I can't believe we finally have enough people to do a Moonlight Conjuring! Thank you, Luz! Eda said it was okay, right?"

By the Throne, how could she crush the hopeful looks her two friends gave her? The answer, she couldn't. "Eeuuh, Yes! She said yes, we can do it at the Owl House!" Luz tried her best to not sound nervous, but it was going poorly. "As long as we don't make a mess, touch anything, or bring up that we did it!"

"Yes!"

"You're the best!"

While the two witches cheered, Luz could only look up at the moon. It was almost like the distant eyes of the orbiting rock were judging her for not only lying to her friends, but going behind Eda's back.


Night had fallen across the Boiling Isles. The stars sparkled in the void while the moon continues to creep across the sky, reaching ever closer to it's zenith. Back at the Owl House, Luz sits on the couch, trying to keep her tarot face neutral as her mentor prepares for the dangerous outing to the Night Market.

Eda wraps the familiar maroon cloak around her body, hood pulled up and easily hiding her hair thanks to the enchantment placed on it. "Alright, Luz, you're in charge while I'm gone." She turns to her apprentice, the human stiffening when the golden gaze is directed at her. "Make sure Hooty doesn't get into any trouble."

"Hoot hoot! I don't need a babysitter!" The door opens, the house demon pouting. "I'm a big boy house!"

"Of course, Eda! You can count on me!" Luz stands to see her teacher off. "There's no way I could ever betray your hard earned trust."

Eda raised her eyebrow, Luz was acting suspicious. Having been living together for almost a month now, she had picked up a few tells from the human. Probably why she'd be terrible at Hexes Hold'um. Luz's human magic would flare up with her emotions, similar to a witch of the Boiling Isles and their strong feelings. Sparks of electricity were cascading down the psykers arms like nervous beads of sweat.

The scrutinizing eye of the Owl Lady made Luz squirm in place. She had to draw the attention away from herself! "Uh, hey! Where's King?" Eda did say she wanted him along, but he was nowhere to be found.

"He's right here!" Opening up her cloak, Eda reveals the young demon strapped to her chest in some sort of infant harness. "His little body just clonks out when he's weightless." While King sleeps soundly, Eda sways her body about. The limp limbs of the King of Demons dangling along with her.

"That is the most adorable thing I've ever seen." Luz could barely contain the way her heart exploded at the youngest member of the Owl House.

"I know right? Should see him when I break out the socks." Such a memory puts a smile on Eda's face. "Anyway, really need to get going now." Eda could already feel the feathers crawling up her limbs, and the craving for small vermin was growing stronger. Leaving with Owlbert in hand, she turns to put one last scare in her pupil. "Luz, if you mess up the house. I will never trust you again." It was the same words her own mother spoke to her and Lily when they were kids, so she knew they were effective. "No pressure, Bye-eeee!"

The haunting final words of Eda rattled Luz to her core. "Ay, Sagrado Tierra." She cursed in her people's native dialect. "Should I really be doing this?" Talking out loud sometimes helped rationalize her thoughts. "Willow is counting on me, I can't let her or Gus down." With her resolve strong, Luz heads back inside of the Owl House to prepare for her friends.

Getting Witch snacks wasn't hard, Eda's pantry was full of them. Though a lot of foods on the Boiling Isles had the downside of being either too toxic for Luz to eat, or being impossible when she lacks a certain enzyme or organ to break it down. Basilisk Eyes though were a treat her and her guests could enjoy. Eda's game selection was limited, either a Regicide board or Hexes Hold'um and Luz was done learning about that game. So, Willow and Gus would have to provide on that front.

It wasn't long before Hooty opens up. "Hoot hoot, you didn't tell me we were having company!"

Standing in the doorway were the two witch friends, no longer in their uniforms. Luz was starting to think the young witches of the Boiling Isles only had the Hexside uniform to wear. Gus was sharply dressed in a blue tunic with white sleeves along with black pants. The young witch could really clean up. Willow's attire was a patterned yellow and orange sleeved dress with a white collar and striped stockings. Simple, yet elegant. Luz was starting to feel a little under dressed compared to them.

"Come on in, guys!" Luz holds open the door and beckons them inside. They had visited once before, but had been too enraptured by the human to really take in Eda's house. "Don't worry, Hooty, Eda totally said it was okay." Another lie added to the web. "Just don't tell her about this ever."

"Hhhmmm." Hooty's head turns about in his spot. "Okay! This just means a bigger audience to listen to my stories! Like this one time, a sparrow flew into my mouth!" The house demon's words become muffled when Luz closes the door. It took him a moment to realize they had excluded him. "Hey, wait a minute." The thought leaves as quickly as the sparrow that flies out of his mouth.

"Wow, I didn't know Eda kept a lot of the human treasures at her home!" Gus was already diving into things, even though Luz had told them before not to touch anything. But, it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up! He holds up a strange wand with three points at the top and a green square crystal embedded into it. The next item to gain his attention was a skull, adorned in metal tendrils and a claw. The single red eye dim and dull. "And actual humans!"

"Are the walls breathing?" Willow took a closer inspection of the house. Indeed, the walls were contracting and expanding much like a real living being. "Enchanting. Do homes do the same back in your realm?" Willow asked curiously.

Luz shakes her head quickly. "Nope! If they did, I think that's when you call a priest." Living inside of the Owl House was already weird enough as is, something she had to push down if she wanted to survive. "But hey, I got snacks!" She holds up the bowl of eyes she'd prepared.

Gus was already stuffing a few into his mouth. "This night just keeps getting better!" He said, though Luz wished he'd finish eating before speaking.

"Right? Our first ever Moonlight Conjuring, I can't wait!" The smile on Willow's face looked incapable of leaving the witch.

"So, how does this conjuring work, exactly?" Luz had gotten the gist of it, but finer details would help. Especially with the hidden time limit she neglected to tell her friends.

"Oh, it's simple!" Willow looks about the living room. "We just need to find an object to animate. Since it's our first time, we should pick something meaningful." She spots a vase filled with blooming blue and lavender flowers. "Something beautiful." As a witch tied deeply with Plant Magic, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to animate such a specimen.

"Like this strangely buff little man?" Bursting through the petals and stalks was Gus. Clutched in his grip was a plastiflex figurine. A human wearing green pants, black combat boots, and a red bandana on his buzzed head. The only thing on his chest being a harness with a few frag grenades, showing off the rippling muscles. With a squeeze, Gus activated the special talking action! "Catachan Dan here, let me at those orks!"

"He's perfect!" Shouted Luz. If there was one thing she wanted to see animated, it would be a member of the beefiest Guard regiment. Even if he was plastiflex.

"That's not exactly what I meant by beautiful." Willow tried to make an argument, but somehow Gus was breaking her down with those sad cerberus eyes and quivering lip. She swears it's an illusion when it makes them look so wide and tearful. She sighs. "Fine, buff man it is."

The other two cheer before moving the furniture about the room to make space along with candles for, from what Gus says, ambiance. Setting Catachan Dan on the floor, the three witches sit in a circle around him as the moon climbs ever higher into the sky.

"According to the book, we hold hands and make a connection with the doll." Willow instructs, all of them holding hands and their eyes closed to try and form that connection.

"Figurine." Gus quick corrects Willow.

She ignores this and begins the ritual by saying the special incantation. Gus quickly following her lead. "Moonlight, we call, we sing." A shimmering blue light encapsulates all three of them. "Moonlight take this chance." It grows stronger, small orbs peeling off from their aura as the incantation continues. "Moonlight come tie the string. Moonlight start the dance! "

Luz doesn't know the words at all, doing her best to try and mimic it but the magic appears to be working. Oddly enough, it was a strange feeling. The magical properties of the Demon Realm flowing through herself and her friends were mixing with her own psychic resonance. Unintentional or not, Luz sees images, feels emotions of her friends flashing through her brain. Like a bolt of lightning, the prodding of their memories is gone, the magic of the conjuring snuffing out all the lamps and candles in the living room. Plunging them into darkness.

All of them open their eyes, neither of the two witches even aware of the psychic mixing of the magic and instead focus on the figurine.

Gus must think the Catachan needed some encouragement. "Come on, little man. That's you're cue."

The figurine just lay there, motionlessly. Instead, the entire house started to shake and rumble. "Oooooo." Moans Hooty from outside as the entire Owl House slowly starts to rise out of the dirt. Earth breaks away as the home stands almost as tall as a noble Imperial Knight's steed, avian legs holding it aloft. Inside, the three teens are thrown about with any loose objects. The quakes leaving them on the floor or on furniture in Gus' case.

"Guys, did the house just hiccup?" Luz asked. It was a living entity after all, maybe Hooty was having some sort of indigestion? A sword Eda kept mounted on the wall had come loose and was about to impale the psyker if she didn't stop it in time with a mental grab.

"Little buff man, what did you do?" Gus squeezes the figure, thinking it will provide the answers.

"Faith and duty!"

Willow managed to pick herself up, rubbing the sore spot on her head. "No, I think we may have animated the house by accident!" Willow was starting to think she should have paid closer attention to those conjuring books she checked out.

Luz shoots upward. "The house?" It was a worse case scenario if the house was in danger. Handling a fire or a stray monster would have been more manageable. Just to be sure her senses weren't playing tricks on her, Luz flings the door open and runs outside. Her friends following her just as she catches herself from falling over the edge of the home. "We are very high up!"

The large bird legs of the Owl House start to slowly march forward. Sending tremors and forcing the witches to hold onto the wall of the house to keep themselves from plunging to their deaths. The door closes, all of them bearing witness to Hooty as his eyes glow in the same shade of blue as the moon high above them. "Ooooooo." He drones on.

"Hooty!" Luz runs up to the house demon. "Hooty, you have to stop!" Her attempts to reason with him fall on deaf ears.

"By the power of moonlight, I have risen! Hoot hoot!"

"He's in some kind of trance!" Gus deduces just as the house crashes between two crimson trees. Pushing them out of the way, but rattling the riders enough to knock Gus off the edge. He would have fallen to his doom, ending up a crumpled heap on the grass below if an invisible force didn't keep him afloat. Looking up, it was Luz! She was holding him aloft with her special human magic. Willow was keeping her stable with their hands locked together as the other was outstretched to him. "Oh sweet Titan!"

Luz hurried and pulled Gus back onto the stable earth surrounding the moving house. Luz and Willow holding onto his hands to prevent another accident. Their relief is short lived when Hooty continues to walk to a cliff leading to the waves of boiling water. "Hooty, stop!"

This time, the house demon heed her call. Stopping just as a talon lifted to take one last step over the edge.

"He, he listened?"

Willow looks down at their hands, the magic of the conjuring lingering on their forms as they stay bound together. "I think we're controlling him with the power of friendship!" Hooty walks backwards, finally taking them out of immediate danger. "And the moon, probably the moon."

Gus perks up. "This is amazing, what do we do now?" The excitement back in his body even though he had just been close to dying, twice.

"We should probably stay put." Luz suggests. "Or at least turn Hooty around and park him back where he belongs." Eda's last words were ringing through her mind.

"Or we take the giant walking house we managed to bring to life and take it on a joyride!"

Luz nervously bit at her lip and looked up at the moon. From what she gathered, it was powering the magic that animated the Owl House in he first place. The celestial body was slowly making it's way back out of the sky. She should have said no, should have put an end to the danger she and her friends can get into with a walking house. Luz was finding out it was hard for her to say no to her friends. "Okay, but only for a bit! We need to get the house back before the moon sets or Eda will kill me."

The three witches whoop and holler as they use the magic of the moonlight to steer Hooty about the forest of red trees. This time being careful about hitting any of them. Unknown to the house and it's occupants, a figure stood on his vantage point of a cliff overlooking the woods.

It was the leader of the demon hunters, a grunt escaping the side of his mouth as he tracks the house. He holds up a crow with buttons on it's stomach against the side of his face. "Target is on the move, and she's not alone. What do you want us to do?" He asked his employer on the other side of the line.

"The human is your top priority. The rest are expendable." The voice said.

This twists the set of fangs and teeth into a grin. "You got it." Pressing a button on the crow, he hangs up. Letting it fly away as he addresses his mass of hunters. "Track the house, stay hidden for now. Once we get a clear understanding of where they're heading, we'll ambush them. Make sure not to rough up our prize too much." The demon hunter laughs into the night.


Bonesborough never truly sleeps, not with the Night Market set up in the least patrolled part of the town. Any lights are replaced with a crimson red, casting an eerie glow over the market when Eda approaches. It had first been established for nocturnal demons and witches, but it evolved over time for exotic goods, illegal once Belos came to power. Eda leaned on her staff, the curse slowly draining away at her. "Come on, where's this guy's stand?" She looks around, spotting a demon sitting by itself in a corner. He looked like someone who's a regular.

"Hey, you." The demon perks up when being called. A small green bipedal demon with a long nose and black eyes. "You know where I can find a Grimm Hammer?" He nods, an even smaller demon, letting Eda know the eyes weren't pitch black but hollow, points from out of the other's eye socket. Directing her to a stand that is shrouded. Looks important and ominous enough. "Thanks."

Eda approaches the stand, peeking through the tarp that keeps the insides hidden. "Hello, anyone here? I seek the one called Grimm hammer." She was close to cutting her losses and trying a different stand until a voice answers her from the darkness.

"I'm the one called Grimm Hammer." It was a gravely voice that would make anyone uneasy. A light within the stand brightens while the tarp whips upward. Showing off the name of the stand at the top. "Welcome to Mud & Sundry!" Standing up on the counter top was a pig-like demon slightly taller than King wearing a white shirt and magenta vest. "I got weaponry from the Hinterlands!" His tail picks up an orange bladed dagger. "Curses from the Winterlands!" He shows off a string of blue beads hanging from his stand's ceiling. "And jelly beans!" The demon digs into his pocket to rain jelly beans onto his potential customers.

"Jelly beans!" King was elated to get a sugary treat out of this.

"They're lethally delicious!"

Before King could put it into his mouth, Eda slaps it out of his paw. "You're Grimm Hammer?" She says in shock. The mighty name and reputation surrounding it didn't seem to fit the pink skinned pig in front of her.

"Tibblet-Tibblie Grimm Hammer the Third." The demon bows. "Please, call me Tibbles."

King laughs. "He wants to be called that!"

Usually Eda would join in on making fun of the demon's silly name was well, but this was serious business. "Well, Tibbles, I hear you deal in all sorts of goods."

"That's right!" Tibbles puffs out his chest with his arms folded behind his back. "I offer many fine objects, relics, artifacts, and information to any willing to pay my prices."

Eda would normally take the time to browse what he was offering, but she had a special order that needed fulfilling. "Okay, got any of this Elixir?" She hands him one of the empty bottles that once held her life saving potion.

"Oh, this is one wicked brew." He adjusted the large, round glasses on his face as he inspect the potion. Somehow he can tell exactly what she's looking for just by the bottle. "Lucky for you, I just stocked up!" His tail grabs a glowing amber bottle and holds it up for the Owl Lady to see.

"Huzzam! I'll give you ten snails!" Eda pulls out her coin purse, still untouched by pickpockets thanks to King strapped to her chest.

"Hm, sounds like a good deal to me! Let me just get these wrapped up for you." Tibbles smiles as he hops off the counter and slips behind a curtain covered doorway.

This gives Eda more time to look about the stand now that Grimm Hammer's eyes weren't on her. Scrolls, books, swords, daggers, fetishes and totems. Morton was right, this guy's got whatever you're looking for. Even her elixir! Then the wheels in her head started to turn. Tibbles returns with a crate filled with the curse suppressant, but now it's time to do some personal shopping now that the emergency was over. "Say, you got anything dealing with, oh I don't know, inter-dimensional travel?"

"Travel between the Realms you mean?" Tibbles sets the elixirs on the counter before joining it. Rubbing at his chin in thought. "I may have come across something of the sort. But, it won't come cheap."

"How much?" If she could help Luz get home, she'd pay any price.

"Ten thousand snails."

Okay, maybe not that kind of price. "Ten thousand snails, how do I know it's even real?" Being a scam artist herself, Eda knows to get some hard proof before throwing away your money.

"Oh it's right here!" In Tibbles' tiny hand was a scroll rolled up and sealed with wax. She recognized the symbol within the melted red wax, a twin headed eagle. "A special spell I found when rooting around the old ruins on the pelvis. I had it authenticated, it's pre-Deadwardian Era."

The Savage Ages, Eda knew this. "And you never thought to use it yourself?"

"Pft, who wants to go the human realm? Dreadful place I hear, but I'm curious as to why you want it." His eyebrow raised.

"Because!" Eda didn't need to explain jack to this guy! But, she didn't have the snails for it, even if it could be all fake. Looking at the counter of his stand, she spots a familiar way for her to not only win the scroll, but her elixir as well without spending anything! "Say, you play Hexes Hold'um?"

"Really, now?" King groans from his spot on her chest.

"Oh, is that what the game is called?" He takes the deck in his hands, looking them over as their true nature is revealed to him. "I was just using these as coasters!"

The poor fool, it'll be like taking candy from a baby! Which Eda has done before, but that baby had it coming. "Well lets make this interesting, hm?" She leans in. "We play a game and if I win I get the elixir and that scroll, but if you win you can take two things from me. Deal?"

"What fun! You're on." Tibbles gives her an innocent smile.


The teens are having the time of their lives, despite just taking the walking house on a quick stroll through the forest. It was no wonder operators and pilots enjoyed staying in their machines, being able to move this fast and be this high was fun!

Hooty comes to a stop when Willow notices someone else walking deep in the forest. "Wait, is that Boscha?"

"Quick hide!" Trying to hide a house was next to impossible, but Hooty sits down behind a nearby hill.

The potions witch was also wearing more casual clothes and carrying a duffle bag with two large eyes. Luz wasn't sure if they were fake ones or not. Wearing sports spats and a letterman jacket, Boscha was busy talking into a crow. "Yes mom, I'm going to a moonlight conjuring tonight. No, you can't come." The three-eyed witch had snuck out for this very reason. "Yes, mom, it's sad that you're asking." Boscha hung up the crow and let it fly away with a caw. She watched it leave and caught something in her advanced peripheral. Was that a house?

"She noticed us, what do we do?" Willow asks as her and Gus turn to Luz.

Luz had an idea, and it was too good to pass up. "Hey Gus, can you make something to amplify my voice?"

Gus nods, casting a spell and creating a solid enough illusion of a megaphone.

"Hey! You! You should stop being so mean to people! You're kind of a jerk!" The three snickered to each other.

"Ew, a talking house is giving me a lecture?" Boscha didn't have time for this. "Whatever, I'll just TP you like I did with the rest of the neighborhood." It was a tradition for Boscha every time she went to one of these moonlight conjurings.

"But don't you see? I am no mere house!"

The house behind the hill not only spoke to Boscha, but it stood up as well with a mighty roar! Houses were easier to make fun of when they couldn't move, so Boscha books it into the forest with a cry of terror.

With Boscha gone, the three teen witches let out their laughter at full force.

"I never pranked anyone before! Now I have a taste for it." Luz was wondering if she was a bad influence on the younger witch.

"Oh, we should head over to Amity's house next! We wanted her to know what she was missing out on, what better way than to walk this baby up to her front door!" The power must be going to Willow's head, as the normally restrained girl wanted to take action against her bully.

Luz look skyward, seeing the blue moon has made it half way to setting. "Actually, I think it's time we turn this overgrown sentinel around and head back."

"Amity is updating her Penstagram!" Gus holds his scroll for Luz to witness the new post Amity made.

"Shout out to my fellow witches, pound sign humans can bite it?" She didn't understand the complexity behind using a pound sign in front of the words, but it made Luz seethe. How dare this witch think she can bad mouth all of humanity, her mother is a human! "Lets do it!"

"Yeah!" With righteous fury, the house stomps toward the town of Bonesborough. All while figures dash within the darkness between the trees unseen.

Even if the Demon Realm is populated with demons, witches, and monsters that can tear people apart limb from limb, the sight of a walking house stomping through the streets of Bonesborough was enough to frighten the residents. Anyone still out at this hour quickly dove to the safety of alley ways, while those in their homes awoke to see the monstrosity cruise past their windows.

The three witches driving Hooty around paid little heed to the chaos below them as Amity's house came into view. They didn't see Boscha along the way, no doubt the grudgby captain was built for sprinting. The buildings grew large and further apart, until the largest one sits at the top of a hill with a gate around it. Blight Manor.

"Look, there's Amity's house!" Willow pointed.

Luz put together that not only does the stuck up witch act like she's a noblewoman, but she might be one with how her domicile looks. This would just make this revenge all the sweeter.

"Time to show Amity what a real conjuring looks like!" The plant witch urges the house forward, stomping closer to the gates.

Something was wrong, the feeling of danger washed over Luz while her eyes scanned the treeline. "Stop!" She shouted, the house halting just as a ballista to the side fires a large harpoon with a rope tied to the end, falling just short of them. Luz's eyes are alight with witchfire, helping her make out the shapes of beings hiding just outside of Blight Manor. The magic of the conjuring spreading her witchsight to her friends, allowing them to draw the same conclusion. "Demon Hunters!"

From the trees, a mass of tunic wearing witches and demons drew closer, all manner of weapons in their hands. Luz could recognize the leader, the same one she'd seen this morning, staring up at her with his one good eye. Soon they filled the once empty field just outside of the Blight household.

"You face Borinyag of the Hellmute tribe!" The green demon, Borinyag, draws his sword! "Surrender now, and we promise no harm will come to you."

A green demon with a large chin turns to his leader. "Wait, I thought you said we could kill the teens and sell the house demon as exotic meat?"

Borinyag sighs. "Thank you, Tom, for spelling it out to them."

"Piss off!" The angry little human shouts from atop her giant house.

"Fine, be that way!" The hunter leader growls as he signals for the next ballista to fire. The short, three-eyed demon frog pulls the lever and launches another rope pulling bolt to entrap their quarry.

Luz had let go of her two friends, it was risky to leave Hooty uncontrolled, but she needed to defend the house! The weapons the hunters used were primitive, but deadly. She swatted the large harpoon to the side with a blast of telekinetic energy. Sending it crashing onto a few demon hunters below. With a flash of, what Eda and her decided to call glyphs, Luz throws out orbs of light to help illuminate the area, giving her and her friends a better grasp of what they were up against in the shadows of the night.

"Oh Throne." There were at least fifty of the demon hunters gathered around Hooty's legs. Most of them firing up at the house with crossbows. Luz forms a barrier of force energy around herself, Gus, and Willow. The small iron arrows falling harmlessly away, but their larger siblings smash into the barrier with enough power to drive Luz to her knees. Her friends crowd around her in worry. "I'm fine! Take out the big ones, I'll make sure they don't harm Hooty!"

"We got this!" Holding hands one last time, Hooty sits back down for the two witches to hop off. Gus is caught by a few illusion copies before vanishing into thin air along with them. Willow simply walks down from the earthy ledge, plants growing under her feet to provide a stair case of large leaves.

Willow made her way to the closest ballista as it hurriedly reloaded. Humming a simple tune as her hands drew two witch sized circles with a spin of her arms. Any demon hunter foolish enough to try and stop the teen were swatted away by the vines she had been growing in her wake.

The forests around Bonesborough were homes to many plants, one such being the Thorny Piper. Named for the unique way it spreads it's seeds, compressed gas with a mass of thorns carrying the payload. Using her magic to increase it's size was simple enough, now all Willow had to do was sit back and watch the show. The bulb erupted with the sound of a high pitched whistle. Launching thorns as big as Willow's forearm into the hunters around her, most of them aimed at the ballista to render it inoperable. "How's that for a half witch?"

The hunters that stood guard of the other ballista didn't even know there was someone in their midst. One fell over with a grunt, another dropped to his knees before folding over their own back. There wasn't even a sound being made from their invisible foe. A stout multi-eyed demon grows wise to their hidden opponent and swings his axe wildly around him in an attempt to flush them out. The axe sinks into something solid, the invisibility slowly peels away to reveal the dark skinned witch. The look of horror on his face due to his injury turns into a smirk before a pair of hands wrap around the back of the hunter's neck. "Oh, so close. Better luck next time." Another hunter comes to his comrade's aid, swinging it at the witch latched onto his friend's back only for his target to poof into smoke before his mace came down onto a different skull.

Gus laughs as his clones maneuver and dance around the gathered hunters. He was already at the ballista, a few well placed sparks of fire was all he needed to get the job done. "Too easy."

Luz suffers the worst of the assault as a majority of the hunters were focused on her. The psychic barrier she erected was holding, but the constant battering of arrows and spells was starting to drain her. "You're not getting Hooty!"

"I love it when people fight for my affection, Hoot." The house demon says from the sidelines, despite still being in a trance.

"Fool girl." The eye-patched leader stands in front of the barrier after leaping up onto the edge of the house. "The house demon is just a bonus. The real prize is you."

Luz grit her teeth. It's just like Barator V all over again. Unseen forces thinking they can capture and contain her just for being what she was. A witch back home, or a human here. Not this time, she's not going to go quietly without a fight after all she's been through on the Boiling Isles. "You'll have to kill me first, tu feo hijo de puta." Another insult, one her uncle taught her.

"You'll beg me to when I'm through with you!" Borinyag drew his sword and cast a spell, sparks of green lightning form in the palm of his free hand. He slams the magic into the barrier, making a visible crack before it shatters before him.

Luz had hoped to drive back the hunter leader with a clap of her hands, but he resists the shockwave by using his sword as an anchor. Despite the hunter's large size, he's fast and it doesn't take long for him to the distance between him and the human witch. There was that sense of danger again, more obvious as the demon's form split into an ghostly image that swung the sword before he did. Allowing Luz to predict and dodge the blade's horizontal strike.

The short look into the future came in handy as Borinyag's sword remained in constant motion. Putting Luz on the back foot, unable to effectively counter without leaving herself open for the cruel edge. She wasn't eager to test if her transmuted skin could stand up to attack of such ferocity. Too focused on the weapon, Luz doesn't see the green circle around his other hand until it was too late. The same shock the hunter uses to fell large beasts is pumped through her system, every nerve in her body registering nothing but agony.

Luz could only scream.

"Luz!" Willow and Gus cry out, their paths blocked by the rest of the hunters slowly surrounding them. Though they prove magically stronger than their enemies, they're sorely outnumbered. All they can do is try and fight their way to Luz, whose smoking body is hoisted into the air by the neck.

"Ha, you put on a better show at the convention." The green demon taunted, the grip around Luz's neck tightens. Despite the magical shock no doubt plaguing her body with pain, the human claws at the wrist holding her aloft. "Had enough?" He sneers.

"My turn."

Eyes alight with crackling witchfire, Luz's hand reaches the hunter's face. The control over the bioelectricity in her body had always been weak, it was much easier to manipulate objects in her psychic grasp than her own biology. But the Isles had changed her, and not just in confidence of who she was. White streaks of lightning poured out of her finger tips, giving the toothy demon a taste of his own medicine. Now it was his turn to bellow out in pain, body convulsing until the jolts made him loose control of his limbs and release Luz.

Arcs of electricity that danced about the area came to an end, Borinyag had charred marks along his body and dropped to one knee. The human had taken what he dished out and returned it two fold, but there was no way he was going to loose to some teenager! He rips off the eye patch, revealing the truth that he had two perfectly working eyes. Sometimes one had to forsake depth perception for fashion. Borinyag stands, only to find the human with an light spell orb in her palm. When had she made that, and why was it sparking? There was little time to ponder that question as the mix of psychic and magic energy blasts him clear off the walking house.

Luz had noticed the light orbs that floated above her had somehow absorbed the power of her psychic smite when the arcs touched them. Giving her the idea for the combo that launched the demon hunter leader through the air and right into the fence that made up the boarders of Blight Manor. It was strange they stayed clear of the witch's home, but the reason for that became clear. High pitched alarms and spinning red lumens erupted around the perimeter of the broken metal. Weapons, those that look like abomination covered autoguns, broke through the earth from hidden compartments.

Blight Manor, unknowingly to Luz, was home to owners of the biggest and latest in abomitech weapons and home defense. The automated turrets scanned their targets and start to open fire. The demon she blasted was firmly plastered to the ground with a binding of goo. But what put fear in Luz the most was the front door of the manor bursting open. Though far away, she knew it could only be one certain green haired witch.

"Guys, we gotta go!" Upsetting the local arms dealers, the hunters were routing from the area. Making it much easier for Luz to spot her two friends standing among a pile of unconscious bodies.

"Right, burning moonlight!" Willow shouts, grabbing hold of Gus so a vine could carry them back up to the house. At least Willow had been paying attention to the moon for them, the battle had gone on for so long, it was already touching the horizon! And everyone was far too tired to deal with an angry Amity.

Wasting no time, the three friends held hands and raced Hooty back through Bonesborough. Leaving behind the hunters to to deal with the Blights' defense system.


King had seen Eda play Hexes Hold'um plenty of times back in the day. Either against random witches at her stand when she's bored or against her trusty Palisman. Tonight he got a front row seat to witness the most brutal thrashing he'd ever seen, but it wasn't from Eda. Tibbles had gotten the upper hand on the old witch and incinerated her cards. "That was painful to watch."

Eda herself was in disbelief! The way Tibbles kept asking questions, kept making beginner mistakes, and accidentally showing his hand a few times made her believe the pig demon was going to be an easy win! Instead, she played right into his trap. "You card shark, you hustled me!"

"Not my fault you were so overconfident! Easier for you to forget about my wild card." Tibbles mocked as he held up the dark tower wild card in his hand. The magical properties of the game taking over, it hops onto the counter on tiny limbs and roars in victory. "Now, I think I'll be taking my prizes now." He stood up from his seat, tapping at his chin as eyes danced over Eda. "I'll take your palisman and this little bone boy!" Working the straps of the harness, Tibbles seizes King in his grasp. "I always wanted a little servant to model my line of baby clothes."

"No!" King struggles with tiny paws pressed into Tibble's face. "I don't look good in clothes, I'm all natural! Eda, do something! Blast him with a spell!"

Coming to the aid of her tiny friend, Eda uses her finger to trace a spell circle in the air. But, nothing happens as the curse flares up and causes more feathers to grow on Eda's outstretched arm. "Eugh, I can't perform magic!"

"But I can." Tibbles snaps his fingers, activating the magical trap he had set up in front of his stand. Ethereal green chains erupt from the ground and bind Eda's arms to her torso, sending her tumbling down onto her side with a grunt.

Eda struggles against the magic chains as Tibbles stands over her from atop his stand's counter. "What, you think this can stop me? I can still bite your ankles!"

The demon just laughs as he carries King on his chest, another snap and Eda's staff flies into his palm. "Oh please, you've stepped into every single trap I've laid out for you this whole day!"

Eda's eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"

"You think I don't know who you are, Eda The Owl Lady?"

Eda gasps, but her disguise was fool proof!

"Your wanted posters are everywhere, did you think people were going to leave you alone because you're at the Night Market? I also know your secret, someone managed to spill the beans after a few drinks at the local pub." He picks one of Eda's feathers off the wood counter. "All I had to do was buy your supplier's entire stock of Curse Suppressing Elixir and wait."

"Wait, that was you?" Eda growls, trying to squirm closer so she could make good on her threat and bite him.

"Indeed! I knew you'd come alone." Tibbles looks down at King. "Uh, somewhat alone." He shrugs. "You would show up either for the elixir or for your little human friend if I left out enough incentive." Tibbles holds up the scroll Eda had tried to win over. "And you left her all alone, defenseless."

Eda redoubles her efforts to break free of the chains holding her. The mere mention of Luz sets all kinds of emotions ablaze. "If you lay a finger on her!"

Her tormentor could only laugh more. "It's too late! I sent demon hunters for her hours ago and the Emperor's Coven should be here any minute to pick you up. Face it, Owl Lady, the deck was stacked against you and you lost!"

"Well you forgot about my wild card. King, now!"

"Weh?" King looks around as his name was called. He hadn't been paying attention the last few minutes. "Oh, right!" King slams his bone skull into Tibbles' chin. Dazing the demon enough for King to undo the harness holding him and scramble for an Elixir that had been left on the counter. Turning around, Tibbles had already recovered and was advancing.

"No you don't, bone boy. There's nothing you can do now, nothing!"

King didn't have to do anything. So wrapped up in their own situation, no one noticed the rumbling in the distance grow louder until a giant bird talon crashes through the roof of Tibbles' stand. The pig demon can only look in utter shock and disbelief at the destruction of the stand that's been in his family for the past two generations. Yet the businesses beside him remain untouched.

The culprit of this transgression being the large moving house on avian limbs stomping away at full speed. A head sticking out a window to shout something. "Sorry!"

Now it was Eda's turn to laugh at the pig demon's misfortune. Something he deserved after reducing her to the sorry state she was in now. "Wait, was that my house?" It did look familiar, even without the tower behind it. Also that voice.

"Eda, quick!"

She's snapped out of her thoughts by her partner in crime. With Tibbles lamenting the loss of his stand, King was free to toss the elixir bottle straight into Eda's mouth! Gulping down the amber liquid, all it took was a simple twirl of her finger to undo the chains binding her. She spits the bottle aside, standing to her full height and full power. "Well, Tibbles old boy," Rings of light constrict around the portly little demon. "You lost this hand, better luck next time."

"Please tell me you're done with Hexes Hold'um, I don't think I can take anymore card game word play." King grunts as he searches through the wreckage of the stand, surprisingly the crate of elixirs survived intact.

"Yeah, this guy ruined it." Eda flicks Tibbles on the nose, sending him onto his back. Picking up the scroll he had offered, she opens it to find it blank. "Of course it's fake. I'd destroy your stand, but someone already took care of that for me." A slap to Tibbles leg sends him spinning about in circles. "C'mon King, lets head back."

"Curse you bone boy, curse you Owl Lady!" Tibbles shouted to the heavens while they left him to his spinning fate. "I'll get my revenge, you hear me? Tibblet-Tibblie Grimm Hammer the Third shall have his revenge!" What little remained standing of his scam stand finally gave way and collapsed on top of him. "Ow!"


With just moments before the moon vanishes from sight, the Owl House stomps back into place and settles back into the earth once more with a deep rumble. The witch trio let out a collective sigh as they had managed to survive the night and get the house back in one piece.

"Hooty, you alright?" Luz asks, turning to the door mounted demon.

"Hoot, everything's in order! I'm just glad I was included!" He responds with a happy smile on his beak.

"That was so wild, best conjuring ever!" Gus cheers, but his celebration is short lived when faced with Luz's glowing gaze. "Right, uh, gonna go inside and clean up before Eda gets back!" He slips in behind the door, Luz about to join him until a hand on her shoulder stops her.

Looking back, it was Willow. "Luz, I'm so sorry. About all of this."

"What are you talking about? I mean, sure there was an abundance of near death experiences, other than that it was fun." She tries to reassure her witch friend, but Willow just shook her head.

"No, this is all my fault! I came to you with my problem and you went out of your way to help make me feel better. But I kept pushing you to take more risks!" Willow was trembling. It was so strange for Luz, to see this stalwart witch show so much remorse. "We shouldn't have tried to go to Amity's house, but after we taught Boscha a lesson." She trailed off.

Luz pulls Willow into a hug, calming the witch down with the feeling of another being holding her. "You wanted to teach Amity a lesson too. Does this have anything to do with this morning?" The mixing of her psychic powers and the magic of the conjuring had given Luz a few scraps of memories from her friends, but she allowed Willow to paint the picture about her past.

Willow nods. "Yeah." Giving Luz a squeeze, she feels strong enough to pull herself away from the embrace. "Amity and I used to be friends, when we were little. We pretty much did everything together, but I was a late bloomer. So when she got her magical powers before me, we stopped hanging out with each other."

"Well, she's stupid for ever leaving you in the first place. I mean, who else can help animate and entire house and fight off a horde of demon hunters in the same night?" Luz gives her a playful dig in the arm.

"Thanks, Luz." A smile made it's way across Willow's features, despite being close to breaking down mere moments ago. "Let's go help clean up before Eda gets back."

The inside of the Owl House was a mess, the violent movement of Hooty had knocked so many items about, not a single object was still straight. Luz, Gus, and Willow, despite being exhausted, did their best to clean up before the owner of the home arrived. It didn't take long for Hooty to be kicked open and a furious Eda to storm in with an elixir carrying King in tow.

"You." Eda's voice isn't loud, but held that underlying anger like a commissar finding a slacking guardsman. "You're in big trouble, kid!"

"W-what do you mean?" Luz tries to play dumb, but it's hard when half the house is still in disarray. Eda is on her in a heartbeat.

"You held a moonlight conjuring!" Even her friends were still around! "You animated my house! My house!" Kinda hard to miss the giant foot going through your enemy's business.

Willow and Gus were about to jump in and defend Luz. Even her eyes had screwed shut at the lecture and shouting she was expecting to receive for going against Eda's wishes. Instead, Luz was pulled into her second hug of the night.

"I'm just glad you're safe."

The most confused one was Luz. "Uh, you alright, Eda?" Her mentor had never been this huggy before.

"I am, just had a run in with some jerk and his needlessly complex plan." With the hug over, Eda draws a circle with her finger. Manifesting cleaning supplies in each of the young witches' hands. "But you're all still getting punished for taking my house for a joyride! Even though it was pretty cool. So get to cleaning, I want this house spotless by the time the sun rises!" She shoos them away as King and her lounge on the couch.

"Gotta admit, bringing a whole house to life is impressive." King comments as he curls up on the soft couch cushion.

"Yeah, that was some powerful magic." Eda pondered as she studied the three witches cleaning up. She knew Luz was strong, it's why she was trying to hone her abilities and teach her magic in the first place. The other two? Definitely wild cards.

"Are you doing more card game word play in your head?"

"No."


Amity's night being ruined was an understatement. She had the whole mansion to herself as Odalia and Alador, Mom and Dad respectively, were working late at the factory. Emira and Edric, her sister and brother, were off doing their own thing with their friends and hadn't even left a prank behind. Boscha was running late, the grudgby captain just had to do her stupid traditions and throw toilet paper on all the houses on her way here. But she insisted they didn't start until she arrived.

Rather than socialize together like normal witches, all of the young women she invited instead stayed on their scrolls and Penstagram. What was the point of coming to a party if you weren't going to try and connect face to face with another person? And did things get better when Boscha did show up?

No.

The ritual for the Moonlight Conjuring was a bust, the small doll they had attempted to bring to life stayed motionless the entire time. Amity knew she was powerful, the others had to be messing it up somehow. While they kept making attempts, Amity was resolved to sit them out and lounge by her window. Looking up at the stars and moon as it made it's journey across the sky.

Then the alarm for the house went off.

Luckily Amity wasn't in her pajamas when it did, she was still wearing her black dress and maroon leggings when she virtually kicked the door down to find the trespassers. She had caught sight of something large stomping away when she came to assess the situation. Finding some demon hunters were fighting a beast and ended up smashing through the fence, at least that was what their goo bound leader said. Too tired and frustrated to care, she sent them away. Her mother probably caught everything on her crystal orb and was writing up a bill for the damages anyway.

Now she was back in her room, trying to become one with the bean-bag chair as the witches around her tapped away at their scrolls. Morning had already come, the light from her window creeping along the floor. Could this conjuring get any worse?

"Uh, Amity?"

Opening an eye she spies Boscha with her scroll held out to her. Sighing, she decided to humor the pink haired girl and leaned in to see what needed her attention. Amity's jaw dropped open, the posts on Penstagram showing the same shape she had seen by her house. Revealing it to be another house, but with legs! That wasn't all, close up shots show who were the ones controlling the mobile home. The three losers Willow, Gus, and Luz.

"What?" The cry of shock from Amity was so loud, nearby birds took flight in fear.