The rapidly approaching cadre of armed guardsmen spurred Eda the Owl Lady into action, moving her to grasp Luz by the shoulders.
"Looks like we're gonna have to renegotiate, kid: I don't wanna be hauled off to the local jail, and you don't wanna be trying to take a nap in the murder forest." The easy playfulness of the older woman was erased, a grim seriousness in its stead. "So here's what we do – I'll pack my load of crap up, and you think up a way to stop those coppers from catching my keister red-handed. Sound good?"
Luz blinked, stammering, as she shook herself free of the merchant's grip. She'd barely even registered the offer for housing, and now - "You want me to help you be a criminal? I didn't sign up for that sorta stuff!"
"Tough toodles, sweety." Eda's bright eyes were flinty, her gaze as unyielding as her tone. "You don't have to agree to anything, but if you want a good roof over your head for cheap when boiling rains or a slitherbeast come passing through, I'm gonna need your help."
Her grim countenance broke for a moment, a sly smirk shaping her lips. "Consider it a down payment on rent. Now get over there and… make a nuisance of yourself!"
As Luz was rudely shoved into away from the table, the Owl Lady retreating into her tent with a frantic sense of hurry, she briefly considered tossing the crude merchant to the guards to do with as they pleased.
The same lady who had put up with her even after her poor introduction… and who knew the source of the eclectic arrangement of human rubbish that she was peddling, along with an offer of room and board.
… Her mami could never find out about this.
Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she stiffly walked towards the officers, taking a forced meandering path as her eyes darted about, praying for some kind of inspiration to strike.
Stands lined the packed street, piled high with countless goods, numerous customers milling about as they browsed. One stand advertised foolproof crystal balls, another purported to sell genuine salamander hide cloaks and coats, there was a stand with a roaring barbeque tray crackling merrily next to the curb –
Aha.
Luz carefully wandered closer towards the food stand, attempting her best at a casual gait. The flickering flames helped her concentrate on the upswell of red mana she was drawing into her body, the distant trickle of power from another plane's mountainous ridges filling her palms with crackling promise.
Her time spent amongst the Gruul Clans of Ravnica had exposed her to many of the characters considered 'unsavory' by polite standards. Brutish men and women who took up arms against a society they saw as oppressive, tearing grand construction into ragged ruins at the very edges of the plane-wide cityscape. They came in many shapes and sizes, much like the people here: feral human warriors and hulking minotaurs, towering cyclopes or vicious elves – and a number of very eager fire elementals.
Luz's wrist flicked out as she intentionally tripped into the side of the heated metal brazier, her stumbling taking her down to a knee as the spell snapped into focus. Evoking any form of creature beyond its worldly residence took significant power and concentration, but her will was firm – and her assistant was fairly small - as she dragged one of Ravnica's native flame hellions into being upon the Boiling Isles.
The giggling fire sprite leapt from the flames at her silent command, scrambling up her back as she cried out in mock surprise. It recognized her as the kind girl who had fed it scraps of wood and cinder around the towering bonfires of the Gruul, easily slipping into a magical bond with Luz as her kindness resonated throughout its childish soul. As with most summoned creatures, it could anticipate her desires with a thought – and so it tumbled down in front of her face, yanking the brim of her violet cloak over her eyes as she gave an exaggerated shout of fright.
Luz bolted up, frantically flailing as she ran past where she had last seen the guards, her elemental cackling and spitting bursts of eye-catching sparks every which way as they fled. Sure enough, the startled shouts of commanding voices followed after her mad dash, separating the pack of shocked marketgoers with their chase.
With the sprite at her command, navigating blindly was no issue. She simply stumbled awkwardly in the same direction that the little spirit tugged on her hood, leading the lion's share of the guards off of Eda's scent and into a back alley.
Another telepathic order sent her tiny fiend jumping from its perch atop her head and deeper into the warren of dirty alleys, finally letting her come to a stop to really seal the deal with the police as they came flooding into the alley's mouth.
"Citizen! Are you alright?" One panting guard asked her, even as his comrades went streaming by, chasing the leaping shadows cast by her summoned companion. "That fire demon had quite the hold of you!"
"Oh, I'm fine sir," Luz lied boldly to his beaked metal visage. "I don't know where that thing came from, it just – flew right out of that stand's fire when I bumped into it! Don't worry about me, though, those other officers need your help!"
The huffing guard gave her a confident nod, rushing off with club in hand to follow his comrades. Luz released a relieved sigh, slumping against the uneven brickwork of the adjacent house as she remotely slashed her connection to the flow of red mana. Without its source, the spell would fade shortly and send her little assistant back from whence he came – but hopefully not before he kept those guards busy for a while yet.
She ducked back out of the alley, one hand readjusting her disheveled cloak as Luz tilted her head. Now she just had to make her way back to Eda, maybe start wheedling some answers out of her in a nice way –
The collision with somebody walking briskly in the opposite direction shook her from the glee of a successfully executed plan. Luz staggered back a half-step, an apology already forming on her lips as she looked up at the intimidating countenance of the woman she had run into.
"Ah, just the citizen I was hoping to find."
A cold jade gaze looked down on her impassively, leaving Luz frozen and silent with a sense of slight dread. The mage – and there was no doubt about that, with the metallic crackle of magic humming about her - wore a cloak of brilliant white, accented by the dark green dress and skirts that complimented her smooth deep-blue tresses. An organized line of guardsmen stood at attention behind her, their concealing hoods and curved beak helms a much more impressive sight than the uniforms sported by the other police.
"Were you harmed by that unruly demon my men went running after? You gave us quite the excitement for a moment." The words remained polite, but Luz felt more than heard the woman's underlying edge of impatience.
"I'm fine ma'am, thank you for asking." Don't show weakness. There was something dangerous about this person. "It came right out of a fire pit in the square, I'm not sure which one. Some of your men are still chasing it down, hopefully they can grab it."
Time to make a tactical retreat before Luz could say something she might regret. "Well, I better get back to shopping, thanks again for your service and -"
The hand on her shoulder applied no grip, and yet the gesture was much more domineering than when Eda the Owl Lady had done so.
"Just a moment of your time. We were patrolling the area for – miscreants. But seeing as we've found a more immediate issue, why don't you assist us in identifying the perpetrator? I'm certain you could point out which stall was hiding such a dangerous demon." The sentence was less a suggestion, and more a veiled command.
"Of course." This was not good. There was no guarantee Eda would be ready to move, and this lady meant business. "I'd be happy to help. Right this way."
Luz knew quite well the path back towards the Owl Lady's stall, but these officers weren't aware of that. She took as much time as she dared retracing her steps, making a show of trying to recall the wild path she'd been 'dragged down' by the elemental. There was only so long she could feasibly stall their progress, however, and the growing frustration of the guard captain's gaze burrowed into the back of her skull as they meandered.
Finally, after a quarter of an hour, they arrived where Luz had started and she couldn't contain the wince at the remnants of chaos in the bustling square. Her sprite hadn't directed its bursts of flames near any vulnerable people or stalls, but in such a crowded locale it was all too easy for a breeze to blow swirling embers into dry cloth. Merchants bustled about, groaning and grumbling as they covered their goods and batted at lightly smoking patches of tarp. The browsing crowd had shifted away after the spectacle, dispersing throughout the marketplace. Thankfully, when she gave it a glance, the overturned roasting pit had been swept up by the owner, leaving no obvious indicator of which merchant had been harboring a 'fire demon.'
"I'm not really sure which stall it was – I just bumped into the fire pit and that monster came jumping right out." Lying was not Luz's strong suit, but so long as she wasn't making eye contact there were no blatant tells in her body language. "Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance, but I really need to get going."
The mage gave a low growl, but responded with forced cheerfulness.
"Thank you for your time, citizen. I am quite sure that we can take it from… here." Her voice trailed off vaguely, interest peaking in her tone as something caught her attention.
Not. Good. Luz twisted around to follow the woman's gaze.
Eda the Owl Lady was loitering by the empty lot that her stand had occupied, a sizable rucksack over one shoulder while her other hand rolled a carved staff back and forth anxiously. She had waited for Luz with the guards coming after her?
She wanted to facepalm – the merchant had likely, and reasonably, assumed that Luz would have no way to track her out in the wider town. She probably thought that a plan to cause chaos would end with her return to the square guard-free.
Any hope for a quiet recovery was dashed when Eda's head shot up, catching sight of her deep purple cloak easily – a moment before she realized who surrounded the young girl she had agreed to let move in.
"What a pleasant surprise to find you here today, Edalyn." The smug satisfaction in the guardswoman's voice was plain for all to hear. "I suppose helping out the citizenry was my good deed for the day. Karma does love to repay in full, does it not?"
"Lilith." The word was ground out with the air of longstanding history. "What, got tired of tasting the Emperor's boot back in the castle? Thought it'd be fun to give the same treatment to some of the 'peasants' down in town?"
Any playfulness in the cold woman evaporated at the insult.
"Actually, I was hoping to catch you busy on one of your off-days. You do so love swindling the common folk out of their hard-earned pay, after all."
The two were clearly preparing for a brawl – Luz could feel the static crawl of swirling magic fill the air as Lilith and her entourage tensed, hands moving low for the weapons strapped at their belts.
She had to think of something, and fast.
"Gasp! Miss Lilith, you know the infamous Eda, the Owl Lady?" Luz directed a shocked look towards the pale merchant, melodramatically gesturing at her. The guard captain gave her a sideways look, some of her anger bleeding off into exasperation.
"Yes, citizen. I am well acquainted with the Owl Lady and her rampant disrespect for all things decent."
Luz hoped the other mage couldn't sense how she was reaching out and gathering the natural blue mana in the air as a spell formed on the tip of her tongue.
"Ha!" Eda barked out a harsh laugh. "I wouldn't recommend listening to everything my sister says, kid. She loves to play the hero to her own story, regardless of who she has to trample along the way."
…Well, a sibling rivalry would certainly go a long way towards explaining the well-aged animosity hanging between the two mages.
Lilith spun back around, lashing out with budding anger at her sister's statement.
"Fine words from a wild witch who rebuffs the law at every turn! Lying and cheating your way through life from start to finish." The words were spat like acid.
Luz was not a trained mind mage, but she prayed that this spell would work. She'd seen and attempted it before, felt its affects herself, but it was a lot of mana directed towards innocent minds to cast carelessly…
"Is that really how you feel, Lily?" Eda aimed for indifference, but the hurt in her voice shone through. "All that time working for Belos, and that's what you take away from this?"
She felt the spellwork crescendo in her veins, just as Lilith made to snipe at her sibling once more. Luz grabbed the enraged woman's arm, bringing her gaze back around to the planeswalker, hoping that by directing her attention towards the mage that the effects would overcome any defenses.
"I just wanted to thank you again for the help today, Miss Lilith. But what I really need right now is for you and your men to sleep."
The sorcery discharged into the air as an intangible corona, washing over the guards surrounding Luz as she directed the mana into their bodies. She was careful to not press upon them too harshly, only wanting the telepathic command to incapacitate them. Most of the becloaked soldiers dropped on the spot, a few staggering drunkenly as they fought against the dizzying effects of the spell.
Lilith stumbled out of her grip as she took the brunt of the effects, eyelids drooping as a bewildered expression crossed her slackening face.
"Wha…? What did you do -?" The cultured woman went down hard, weakly falling to her rump on the cold stones as her magic instinctively counteracted against the attack.
Luz wasted no time, rushing towards a frozen Eda with a shouted command of, "Let's go!" She tugged on the woman's staff wielding arm, bringing her back to reality as the drowsy officers tried to reorient themselves. In a smooth motion, the Owl Lady threw a leg over the staff she was carrying, grabbing Luz by the scruff and hauling her up onto the pole ahead of her. The younger woman tried not to overbalance on the narrow length as Eda barked out a command, sending them shooting skywards and away from the hostile crowd below.
As they fled, one guard managed to stumble to their feet, a wild blast of fire tearing up at them from the glowing ring they traced into the air. Luz turned at the roaring rush of fire, a response instinctively leaping to her command through her retained connection to the tides of blue magic. The simple counterspell blasted from her outstretched fingertips, slicing the fireball into nonexistence as they made their daring escape out of Bonesborough.
She gave a wild, victorious whoop as the pair flew into the sky, levelling out at a more controlled pace directed away from the town's borders. Eda gave her own pleased little chuckle, eyes on the excited girl sat before her as she punched the air merrily.
"That's the first time I've gotten that sleep spell to work! And all for a cleeeaaan getaway." She emphasized her point with a sliding motion of her hands, sly grin directed over her shoulder at the pale mage.
The Owl Lady let out another snort at her antics, giving a shake of her head in disbelief.
"That was certainly something there, kid. Thought for a second there you'd turned around and ratted me out to the cops, too. And just after my generous offer!" One hand came up to her breastbone in mock offence, the easy joke failing to disguise the genuine moment of concern she had felt.
Luz's gut twisted with a spike of guilt, recalling how that exact thought had originally crossed her mind, but she shook herself free of potential 'what-ifs.'
"Nope! No need to worry about me, Miss Eda. I'm no narc."
"Well, that's relieving to hear. Eh… I think." A beat passed. "Being completely honest? When you walked up to my stand and started with that introduction, I was kind of wondering if you were an undercover cop looking to get me hauled off to the Conformatorium." That didn't sound like a very pleasant place to be jailed at.
"Haha, no, I was just – surprised at what you were selling. Not many people try to pawn goods from… another world. You know?"
"I do know, that's why I hand that crud off to the stooges down in town. Today was pretty slow, but I've made a killing on that kind of sale before." A knowing, suspicious glint was in her eye as she looked down at her passenger. "Especially when I can get that stuff up and running again."
Luz turned away quickly, her elation dimming at those words.
"I'm just good with my hands. You've gotta be when you're on your own for so long."
"…Trust me kid." The warm timbre of Eda's voice sounded choked in her ear. "I know all about that."
The rest of the flight was taken in stilted silence, allowing Luz to bask in the wondrous view of the Isles sweeping by, her wandering eyes hungrily devouring the sights of an alien world.
It wasn't long before the peak of a tall cottage came into view on the edge of the canopy, a crumbling stone tower rising up behind it like a rocky spine. The second floor was dominated by open balconies and a masterfully crafted panel of stained glass, the impression of a monstrous eye leering down in hues of red and orange.
"Welcome to the Owl House, my most recent stray. Where I escape the reach of dunderheads like my sister for the comforts of a quiet life. Er, quieter life."
The staff swooped low, smoothly aligning itself parallel to the porch to allow its passengers a safe dismount. Luz couldn't help the small gasp leaving her as she took in the grandiose presentation of the remote home, eliciting a satisfied smirk from the owner.
"Oh yeah, she's quite the beauty. Found some of it, built some of it too, but it's all mine. The perks of being a bachelorette, you know?"
"I – Yeah. Wow. It's a gorgeous place, Miss Eda. Just the kind of house I hope to have one day." Her stomach flip-flopped a little at her own words, the verbalizing of an ancient dream after so long feeling odd.
"Glad to hear it. Though, there is one more thing before we get you moved in." Her voice was carefully nonchalant from behind Luz, but the girl didn't pick up on her phrasing, too engrossed in the magical structure before her.
"Uh, yeah? What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just satisfying some of my curiosity." The Owl Lady yanked the hood of her beloved cloak down to her shoulders, dragging Luz from her enchanted state as she let out an indignant yelp.
"Aha! I knew it!" Eda's voice rang with triumphant vindication. "You're no witch at all, you're a human. Which is how you knew about fixing that little doohickey at my stand!"
She pulled herself free, adjusting her lengthy braid to rest over the disturbed hood as she reflected that maybe the people around here had some sort of issue with maintaining personal boundaries.
"Yes. I'm human." Irritation and confusion crept into Luz's words. "Is that some kind of problem?"
"Humans," Eda announced loudly, "Can't do magic. I've never heard of a single one being able to cast even the tiniest of spells, but you -" Her hands gesticulated wildly. "Were slinging magic like any witch I could name! And I wanna know how you do it."
That was… a bit bizarre. But if these people – the 'witches' Eda claimed lived on these islands – had only ever encountered humans from Earth, where Luz had never seen any magic occur, that might explain the woman's confusion.
"I don't know what to tell you." Luz gave her a look full of trepidation. "It's just something I was taught by some friends. They didn't find it weird that a human could perform magic, but they're also from… pretty far away."
"Hmm. A mysterious backstory of intrigue and unknown magics, huh?" The Owl Lady hummed, a hand cupping her chin. "Well, now I've definitely gotta keep you around. I'm a sucker for new spells, and vague sob stories from homeless little vagrants like yourself."
"…Wow. Way to make a girl feel welcomed." Luz grumbled mulishly. The insensitive witch clapped a friendly hand around her shoulder, guiding the pair towards her front door.
"Ah, I don't mean anything by it, kid. 'Sides, if you're gonna stay with me for a bit, then that means you're only a mysterious houseguest with a tragic backstory, not a bum."
"Honestly? That's not really helping."
"What can I say, I'm a mixed bag when it comes to emotional support. On that note…" She stuck a pair of clawed fingers into her mouth, letting out a shrill whistle as they reached the door. "Open up, Hooty! The new roomie and I need to get inside."
Luz had been expecting any number of things from that call, but the door knocker blinking sleepily and then stretching wetly from the wooden frame was not one of them.
"Hiya, Eda! Bring back any tasty bugs or garbage for me to chew up?"
Dios mio. That voice was like claws running through Luz's brain.
"Not today, you weirdo. Gonna have to settle for what you can catch in the yard later." Eda gave a quick shake of the stunned girl in her grasp. "This here is Luz, and she's going to be living with us for a bit. Don't bother her, or try to eat her or whatever else you do to those goons that come poking around the property, you hear?"
"Hooty hoot, sounds good to me! The best kind of friends are the ones you don't have to digest!"
"…Yeah, I don't have time to unpack that statement right now. We'll be going inside."
Thankfully, the demented thing embedded in Eda's walls had to open itself entirely to allow them inside, preventing it from saying anything else too horrifically traumatizing for Luz to try and handle.
"That whole interaction was… way more disturbing than I was expecting." Luz mumbled.
"Yes, well, that's Hooty for you." A flick of Eda's fingers sent a spark of light racing around the room, lighting the numerous lamps and torches lining the walls in an unfolding wave of warm illumination.
Priceless artifacts and pointless junk crowded the shelves and cabinets in equal measure, the aesthetics of a well-lived home completed by the plush, worn out pieces of mismatching furniture filling the foyer. A fire crackled to life with a snap as the spell concluded, the leading burst of light diving from the ring of candles into a stack of prepared logs in the hearth. All in all, the Owl House's atmosphere was pleasantly cozy, considering its bizarre inhabitants.
The Owl Lady deposited her sack of goods and handsomely carved staff with an absentminded toss, moving towards the kitchenette stretching out of the main fore. To add to Luz's continued line of shocking discoveries, the wooden owl topping the witch's transport animated with a shudder, winging from its discarded perch to rest itself on Eda's slim shoulder as she bustled about the kitchen.
A high-pitched call rang out from deeper within the arcane home, catching Luz's ear as she followed her witch host into the dining area.
"Eda! Do you have a new minion to serve my supreme majesty? I'm so tired of having to browbeat Hooty into doing really basic stuff around the house!"
The third, unannounced member of the Owl House stomped down creaking stairs into the living room, and she couldn't contain the high-pitched squeal that left her at the sight.
"Uh… I think you broke her somehow. Most people don't make a sound like that without a punctured lung – Gurk!" The tiny being's words were choked off as Luz swept him from his paws, squeezing the furry black beasty to her chest as his skull-capped head jerked away in a panic.
"Dios Bueno, you are the most adorable thing I've ever seen speak." It was for the best that no dogs were nearby, on account of how high Luz's voice had reached.
"Aaah! Eda! This isn't a servant; you brought a carnivorous assassin into the house and she's trying to consume me!"
"Wow, okay. You're a major sucker for cute things." Eda blinked bemusedly, before giving an indifferent shrug. "Welp, not my problem. Luz, meet the King of Demons. He's my freeloading roommate that runs potion sales for me – when he can be bothered, that is. The lovable little guy on my shoulder is Owlbert, my palisman." One hand came up, a clawed finger stroking the miniature bird across the breast and drawing a content hoot from it. The pale woman turned about, rooting through the aging refrigerator for some basic foodstuffs. "Anybody else want a sandwich?"
"Yes please! Two, if you're willing."
She didn't receive a coherent response from King, seeing as he was too busy shrieking about being cuddled by his new housemate. He was finally released onto a stool adjacent to the kitchen table, panting heavily as Eda slid a laden plate in front of both him and the ravenous young planeswalker.
Luz tucked into her meal with gusto, one eye on Eda as they ate in companiable quiet. She strove not to choke down her sandwiches as quickly as possible, but old habits die hard. Busy days and nights around unbound campfires with nomadic clans far from civilization left her an efficient, if messy eater.
In short order, the pair of sandwiches and handful of unrecognizable fruits the Owl Lady had graciously thrown in were wolfed down, and Luz was left to wait for her bemused-looking hosts to complete their own meals. After swallowing the final bite of her entrée, Eda cleared her throat with a sip of water, her eyes on Luz.
"So," She began. "Let's summarize. I've got space for another roommate here at the Owl House, and you don't have anywhere to stay permanently in town. I could stand for some help with my businesses from somebody a bit more consistent in their work ethic -" King maintained his best guileless expression. "- And on top of that, we've both got some interesting little tidbits for each other. You're a human who knows magic, and I know how to source items from the human realm. We all caught up here?"
Luz nodded even as King clambered up to head level from his seat, inspecting her rounded ears with a squint after Eda's proclamation.
"Good. This is what I'm offering: you teach me about those weird spells you were casting back there, and help me out with potions and the marketplace. In exchange, you get room and board until something else comes along, and if I like where this little arrangement is going, I'll help you with finding stuff from your home world. Deal?" Her saleswoman smirk was back as she held her hand out for a shake.
Time and patience, Luz. Just a little more before you're home.
"Deal." A handshake and a smile to seal the promise.
"Glad to do business with you." Eda's smile this time was much more genuine than it had been in the bazaar. "Since we're already burning daylight, let's get started. You can help me pick through the trash I've already nabbed and pull out the best finds."
That night, as Luz collapsed into her bedroll in a dusty attic full of creaking and looming shadows, she dreamt vividly.
The world was engulfed in choking fog, peeling away before her to reveal a walkway made of enormous vertebrae. There was nothing and no one to find – the thick cloud muffling even her cries for assistance. The only path for Luz was forward.
The bones shuddered and groaned as she travelled over them. Snaps like cracking ice and whipping cords filled the air, crisp to the ear even when suppressed by the low-hanging smog.
She walked for an eternity, and only a moment. When the path dipped down sharply, plunging into the white void, the veil fizzled away to reveal the Titan's grand skull. Its formless jaw rose from the mists, teeth like stalagmites as it loomed over her. The moment of death caught in perpetuity.
Wind hissed from its gaping maw, swirling and blasting past Luz as she fought to retain her footing. It sounded like whispers on the breeze, a corpse's final gasp made manifest. Trying to convey some vital last words of wisdom.
But the gale tore her frail human body away, down into the void before anything could be heard.
Luz bolted awake, sweat streaking her back as a firm gust of wind smashed the faulty window against the wall with a slam. It brought with it the scent of the Titan's breath from her dream: a tinge of worn metals and salty, foreign seas.
She put it from her half-awakened mind, securing the window best she could as she sought slumber once more.
Her second day on the Boiling Isles concluded with the sight of stars obscured, only aging wood and cold drafts to keep her company.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Chapter and notes originally posted on 2-19-2021.
I'm still learning how to use the site's interface, but things are slowly getting less screwy over time, so this upload should look a bit nicer than Chapter 2.
Thanks to everybody for coming by and giving this story a read! I appreciate the feedback I've been getting.
Update: Adjusted Lilith's description as I am apparently bad at identifying colors properly.
