The dawn of Luz Noceda's third day on the Boiling Isles saw her waking well before anybody else in the enigmatic Owl House. The warm rays of early morning light filtering through the port window overlooking her attic chamber, gently rousing the planeswalker from her slumber as her internal clock pushed for wakefulness.

Jungle nomads didn't linger long, nor slack off when it came to the daily struggle of life in the Zendakari wilds. Similarly, the rowdy and tumultuous energy of the wandering Gruul guildmembers tended towards early starting hours, warming themselves against the chill of breaking dawn with foraging and scuffling. Luz had slowly adapted to their lifestyles of rough physical exertion and long midday hours by necessity, and nowadays found herself as the earliest riser just about anywhere she travelled.

A quick trip to the bathroom Eda had shown her the previous day saw her teeth cleaned and snarled braid redone, giving her ample time to stretch out her aching limbs and get sluggish blood flowing for plenty of early activity.

She walked as quietly as possible down the winding stairs towards the kitchenette, her worn-out travelling boots threatening to wake anybody nearby – though thankfully, it seemed King had decided on sleeping somewhere upstairs instead of the couch as Luz feared. Her beloved cloak remained above with the better part of her gear, only a pair of simple trousers and a blouse to keep her warm as she foraged the cabinets for breakfast. Surely Eda wouldn't mind if she took the initiative to make herself a meal?

It occurred to Luz halfway through that perhaps she should have asked the Owl Lady some questions about potential allergies before they'd retired for the night prior. It hadn't really been a problem in the past, but if witch anatomy differed too greatly from human norms, it could be an issue later down the line. A conversation for later, she supposed, pouring herself a generous helping of what seemed to be standard oatmeal into a dish.

The air of the Isles bit crisply at her lungs as she stepped outside, staff in hand and meal warming her gut. The Owl House sat comfortably amidst a clearing in the omnipresent trees, with a greater break in the foliage along the seaside cliff dominating its one flank. It was there that Luz began running through the preparatory exercises she had learned so long ago, limbs flowing slowly but confidently through stretches, the backdrop of the rising sun silhouetting her with bo staff in hand as it sang in the chilled air.

The density of the woods helped her focus on calling up the energy necessary to summon a much larger companion than she had the day before, green mana creeping steadily through the soil and wind with the slow, pulsing growth of a hearty sapling. By the time she had finished her first set of warm-ups, the pumping of emerald magic through her body was reaching a peak. Luz slowed to a stop, taking deep steadying breaths as she reached out through the void of the Blind Eternities, calling once more on the bound soul of an elemental companion.

It had been a heart stopping shock to sit down on a vine-coated boulder just off a beaten rainforest path, panting from exertion, only to go shooting into the air as the head of the surprised elemental she had sat on rose skywards. Her Kor companions had scattered with panicked shouts, expecting the nature spirit to lash out in rage at those who had disturbed its rest – only to stop, dumbfounded, as it gently scooped the terrified human teen from its head and deposit her on the ground. In a moment of frightened disbelief, she had reached out a trembling hand to set lightly on the massive creature's facsimile of a skull, drawing a low rumble like a creaking glacier from its form as the being accepted her contact.

The even-tempered elemental travelled with the roaming tribe for weeks as they passed through narrow gaps and swaying trees, its pace unhurried and curious as it studied their movements, sticking closely to an ecstatic Luz in their wanderings.

The last time she saw her friend on Zendikar was the day it gifted her a staff of living wood, drawn from its body like a splinter that still sang with the vibrant life of the plane's fierce heart. It had seemed uncharacteristically reserved that day – and by the following morning the entity had heeded a call none of its companions could hear, a single traveler in the massive migration of elemental spirits streaming across the lands towards a distant threat that had the Kor trading concerned whispers and sleepless nights for days after.

It wasn't long after its departure that the first of the Eldrazi invaders began to appear on the horizon.

Luz was dragged back to the present by the sound of reality tearing asunder, the ground beside the jagged cliff churning and rumbling with frantic energy as the fabric between worlds was breached. The tumbling soil shot upwards, melting into the shape of a grasping paw as vines and roots twisted between the rocky digits like veins. Slowly but surely, the distinct simian-esque body of Luz's old friend took form in the condensed rock and plant life.

She'd always known her companion had survived the plane-wide war with the horrific monsters that had flooded the wilds – even on distant worlds, the living core of her staff pulsed in tune with the essence of the spirit, a comforting presence on lonely nights that reminded Luz of the acceptance she had found so far from home. That didn't stop her from racing in for a bone-crushing hug, encircling the reptilian head of her oldest friend as the entity finished forming from the soil of the Boiling Isles. It delighted her even further when the inhuman being reciprocated the embrace, an arm as thick as a tree trunk gently wrapping around her body.

"Hey there, big guy," She whispered. "Long time no see. How are things going back in the jungle?"

A sound like rustling leaves and chirping birds swirled around her, eliciting a pleased chuckle from the planeswalker. The nameless avatar didn't speak any language she could replicate, but used its own unique form of communication to convey its point – and the peaceful sensation of thriving new life in its tone let her know quite well how the recovering world was doing.

"That's good to hear. Things weren't… looking great when I had to -" Run, her mind muttered. Flee like a coward. "Leave like I did. But that's – great! I'm happy for you."

Grinding boulders and the echoing calls of jungle wildlife met her statement as Luz pulled back. She gave her companion a hearty grin, planting a fist at her hip.

"It's been quite a while since you gave me my staff. Want to see how good I've gotten with it? Catch up through a friendly brawl, you know? I bet I could take you in a spar." Her eyebrows waggled playfully at the towering golem.

It cackled in the throaty voices of screaming jungle fowl, the pair sliding into easy stances as they made to engage in mock combat.

On reflection, she should have considered that for as large as the elemental was, a survivor of the Eldrazi assault would likely have to be very quick on their feet, as well. Luz knew she was in no true danger from her friend, but she couldn't stop the swelling irritation at repeatedly missing her target while it danced away from her blows, the fact it was the size of a tank meaning little for its flexibility. Fine – if her partner didn't want to play fair, then neither would she.

She tamped down on her growing aggression, focusing it into precise hits towards the spirit's weaker joints even as she drew upon memories of jagged peaks reaching for the skies. Red mana flowed like hungry flames down her limbs, lending a speed and power to her attacks that left Luz on more even footing with her opponent. The elemental reared back in surprise at the renewed onslaught, the young adventurer giving a victorious shout as she managed to land several solid taps on its narrow knees and elbows.

Not to be outdone, the elemental retaliated with its own offense. Luz was put on the backfoot when it surged forward, vines snapping as living tendrils towards her legs in an attempt at driving her to the ground. She was forced to bat them away to avoid a fatal entanglement, and barely brought her staff up in a jab fast enough to catch the spirit just below its 'chin' as it bore down on her. The strike was sloppy, but it was enough to redirect its charge sideways, letting Luz dodge from beneath its formidable bulk.

Her heart was well and truly pounding at this point, the ebb and flow of harnessed mana swirling over her as adrenaline sharpened her mind and focused her connection to the faraway lands Luz had once bonded with. The pull of wild rainforests grew once more in her breast and she seized the refreshed well of magic, a clawed twist of her hand tearing conjured vines of her own from the ground to ensnare her opponent. It failed to anticipate its own attack being brought to bear against itself, wasting precious seconds ripping limbs free of the tangle as Luz lunged forward.

The staff rapped the beast across its head once, twice, three times as red magic burned in her muscles, granting her unnatural ferocity. The elemental was stunned, giving a lumbering swipe in her direction as it retreated, the other arm covering its vulnerable 'face' from the assault. Luz backstepped to avoid the wild swing, smacking it across the wrist in a parting strike. She was gulping down air, sweat beading her brow from the effort, but the taste of impending victory was sweet. She quite easily recalled the many times her alien friend would gurgle laughter like a rushing river at her as the Kor taught her staff combat, leaving Luz winded on her rear more often than not. Turnabout was fair play, after all –

Neither of them detected the ambush before it was already upon them.

"HOOT HOOT! Don't worry Luz, I'll save you!"

She was thrown back, sent sprawling with a yelp as an enormous, snaking body burst from the ground between Luz and her companion. The disorientating effects of her prior attacks were only amplified as the elemental found itself enwrapped by a slithering, feathery tube, the horrific elongated body of Eda's guardian creature attaching like a hungry python. Evidently, they had awoken Hooty with their duel.

"Sorry Not-Friend, but the boss lady was clear on what to do with intruders."

The lengthy body whipped like a cord, tossing the multi-ton nature spirit clear across the yard with a snap and sending it head over heels into the tree line. The gnarled trunks halted its tumbling roll, creaking lowly as the impact threatened to uproot them from the soil. The elemental took a moment to compose itself – only to realize the damaged caused to the innocent forest life by their scuffle. Luz could see the moment its mind turned over in rage, tearing across the clearing towards the strange house creature.

"Stop, stop! Both of you! Hooty, he's a friend!" She leapt from the ground, placing herself with arms akimbo between the fuming spirit and the bristling owl being.

Hooty let out a choked cry as his lower half was suddenly smashed into the wall by the slam of the front door, a barely-awake Owl Lady fuming in the doorway in raggedy pajamas with King lurking nervously at ankle level.

"Why the fu – oh, what in the name of the Titan is in my front yard. The sun is barely even up."

Luz knew she was blushing like mad from the burning in her face, even as the combatants stood stupefied on the ruined lawn. Eda cut a significantly less imposing figure in her sleeping clothes, but the glare she was levelling at the trio was strong enough to possibly set them aflame, even if she was half-blind with exhaustion.

"Uh, good morning Eda. Um. Miss Owl Lady. This is a friend of mine. We were… sparring. For fun?" She couldn't contain the wince at her own meek response, one which drew the woman's irate gaze to her so fast Luz feared she might get whiplash from the motion.

She tried not to fidget as her host burned a hole through her with golden eyes, before giving the same treatment once more to the cowering owl tube and the elemental, who somehow managed to convey a level of sheepishness without a face.

"I'm going back to bed now. If I hear a single noise from anyone for the next few hours, I will throw this entire house into the ocean with everybody inside." King slunk out of the entryway just before the door slammed roughly behind Eda, leaving three very cowed beings on the lawn as the fearsome Owl Lady returned to her slumber. Feeling increasingly awkward about the whole affair, Luz turned to the stretched owl creature.

"Sorry for waking you up, Hooty. And getting us yelled at. I wasn't really thinking we were gonna be that loud, and – I'm not used to having someone like… you around." She kept her voice low, per Eda's threat of destroying her entire household in a fit of rage.

"Oh, that's okay new friend!" His high-pitched voice was brought down to an exaggerated whisper, as apparently, he also feared the wrath of a tired Owl Lady. "I know house demons like me aren't too common around here. I was just worried that my new roomie was getting destroyed by some overgrown plant monster!"

"Hey, I was doing plenty well in that fight, thank you very much." Luz huffed, before relenting after a moment. "But thanks for trying to keep me safe. I appreciate it."

"No problem, bestie!"

She gave a look back towards the building, where the owl thing was anchored to the front door.

"How far can you stretch from the house? We can go hang out closer to the woods, if you can get over there. Maybe we won't wake Eda up that way. Er, again."

Luz glanced over at the tiny demon who'd followed them out, now awkwardly standing on the porch, likely too awake to try sleeping again but fearing for his own safety in the face of their host's wrath.

"Want to come along King? We'll kill a few hours while we wait for her to get up for the day."

The adorable demon gave a wide yawn, jaw snapping as his tired voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

"Your ruler is always up for entertainment from the lower class. And, uh, I don't wanna get skinned by Eda for being too loud right now."

Gesturing to the pair, Luz led the way into the fringe of the towering woods, her elemental companion following carefully between the narrow gaps of the tree line. They stopped a few dozen yards into the forest as Hooty approached his limits on extension, the smaller clearing just large enough to house the quartet. Calling once more on her connection to nature magics, Luz yanked a solid pair of extruded columns into being from the ground, giving herself and King somewhere to rest as Hooty and the foreign spirit nestled themselves in the surrounding grass. A gentle wind wound through the trees, cooling the air comfortably as the four sat in silence.

King was the first to break the comfortable quiet, eyeballing Luz with undisguised curiosity.

"What kind of magic were you just using? I don't think I've ever seen anyone who can cast spells without a circle, besides a few weird magical animals here and there."

Luz pondered the question for a moment, a distant look in her eye as she turned the question over in her mind.

"I don't really know. It's just how I was taught that people used magic. I know I've never seen anybody who had to cast spells with those glowing rings that Miss Eda used - maybe it's a regional thing? She might have a better idea."

King grunted in agreement, leaving the group to descend into silence once more – only to be broken by the furred demon once again.

"Ugh. I'm already bored." He flopped over onto his back, giving his feet a cute little kick of frustration in the air as he whined. "This is why I don't bother getting up before Eda – she's the most exciting person on this island, even if she plays at being a mean old witch."

"Well…" The gears of Luz's mind turned over in search of an answer. "We could pass the time with a game."

King's head perked up, squinting suspiciously at her.

"What kind of game? I've only got six fingers total for holding stuff – and Hooty's stuck using his mouth."

"Yeah, I use it to eat lots of yummy insects I find crawling around!" She had almost forgotten how disturbing his train of thought was, hidden beneath the touching care displayed earlier.

"Have any of you played Tic-Tac-Toe before?"


Even with the dangers inherent to this neck of the woods, the stretch of overgrown pathways leading from Bonesborough to the infamous Owl House always made for a pleasant and relaxing walk. This far from civilization wild examples of plant life grew plentifully and vibrantly, flowering under the heat of high summer as warmth swept over the isles. The trees here had the grandest trunks, old age leaving them curling haphazardly around one another towards breaks in the canopy above with their orange and indigo leaves.

Willow Park could spend all day waxing poetic about the different plants out here, but alas, she was soon to be on the clock. She had little desire to test the patience of the Owl Lady, after all.

By the time the secluded house was coming into sight at the bottom of a gentle hill, the sun was approaching its zenith in the sky. A quick sip of cooled liquid from her waterskin kept Willow's mouth wet as she sighed at the exertion. If there was one good thing about having to routinely make the trip on foot, it's that it was quickly burning off any remaining baby fat she had left from her younger years.

She couldn't help but slow to a stop, however, at the lower murmur of voices amongst the foliage surrounding the arcane Owl House. Slowing to a stop, her pointed ears pricked in direction of the sounds, encouraging her to move nervously off the beaten path. This wasn't the first time she had stumbled across strangers lingering near Eda's home – in most cases it was the dreaded Emperor's Coven, the anonymous servants of the tyrant of the Isles trying to glean useful information on the most infamous wild witch left in the region.

As Willow crept closer, however, the tones of mirth and light conversation were made clear, at odds with the hushed whispers of grave soldiers scoping out their potential prey. Regardless, she strained to hear what was being said over the rustling din of a living forest, her gaze pointed towards the source of the racket.

"You traitorous worm, Hooty! I was about to claim victory with that impeccable strategy!" That was clearly the sound of the Owl Lady's roommate, but what was he doing in the woods?

"Yeah right, King. You keep going for straight lines! Even I know that isn't gonna work." And there was Hooty, his awful voice scratching at Willow's sensitive ears like usual.

"Yes it will you giant pigeon! Luz, he has to be cheating – tell him to stop targeting my masterful plans!"

"King, we're all trying to win here." That voice was new – the rich, lilting tones of an unfamiliar young woman. Had Eda found another witch in need? "I warned you guys it was going to get kinda messy with four people playing at the same time. And uh, he's right, you keep just making single lines until somebody stops you. Not a great strat, buddy."

"Fools, the lot of you. You'll see the magnificent scope of my works when I've crushed you all beneath my heel!"

A sound not unlike a contained landslide followed King's exclamation, leaving Willow to pause in confusion. What in the name of the Titan made a noise like that? Feeling her growing curiosity overcome any remaining trepidation, she stepped fully into view of the clearing.

She recognized two of the party before her from prior visits to the Owl House, King and Hooty being seated (and extended) at rest in front of a block of roughly hewn stone, a sturdy branch in each hand (or mouth, for the housebound demon). The remaining two individuals, however, Willow had no recollection of ever seeing previously – and they made for quite the striking sight.

The more eye-catching of the two was an enormous, animate growth of plant life swallowing a humanoid figure made of stone. Vines and creepers lashed to the surface of its core body, simulating muscles and fibers as it lumbered forward like a wild ape to peer down at the large stone tablet before them, a whittled length of wood in its grasp. The being towered over everyone else in the clearing, several head and shoulders above the rest as it gently reached forward, scratching a symbol of sorts into the dusty rock tabletop.

Willow found herself just as interested in the last member of their little group, however. A lean woman about her age was perched atop a seat of carved rock much like King, drumming fingers against a twisting wooden staff, the warm chocolate tone of her skin sitting somewhere between Willow's own pale flesh and the rich pigment of her best friend, Gus Porter. Her lengthy braid of deep brown hair was tossed over one shoulder, resting on her foreign outfit of a loose silky shirt, completed by aged boots and traveling pants. The most mysterious portion of her appearance though, unless Willow's poor eyesight was betraying her, happened to be the small rounded ears peaking from beneath her curls.

Did – did Eda find a human on the Boiling Isles? What was even going on here?

The probably-human was the first one to notice her standing at the edge of the woods, swatting backhandedly at King as she grabbed the group's attention.

"Hey, guys. We've got company."

The other three in the party turned in Willow's direction – and oh, was it disconcerting to see the strange being without a face look directly at her. King was the first to acknowledge her, sounding mildly disinterested.

"Oh, hey Willow. This is the new roommate – Luz." He swept a paw towards the sharp-eyed young woman sitting adjacent to him. "And her big rock monster buddy with no name. Who is somehow really good at a game it just learned today."

"I'm starting to believe you're just not as great as you think you are, Kiiinnngg." Hooty smugly threw in his two snails, riling the smaller being up into a fit of fury as he turned to shriek at his fellow demon.

The girl – Luz – gestured for Willow to approach with a warm smile, tuning out the two bickering behind her. Somehow, she got the impression that the new Owl House tenant was already familiar with the pair's antagonistic dynamic, and if the exasperated sagging of her enormous golem companion's shoulders was any indication, the both of them had been dealing with this behavior all morning.

"Hi there, Miss Willow. The name's Luz Noceda – a pleasure to meet you."

Willow met the outstretched hand with her own, giving a firm shake as she returned the polite grin.

"Hello, Luz. I'm Willow Park, but just Willow is fine. I save the 'Miss' for Eda on bad days. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Ha ha, yeah, about that – it's looking like that might be one of those days for Eda." Luz gave a nervous chuckle, retracting her arm to palm her neck as she glanced away. "We kind of… destroyed half the front lawn really early in the day and woke her up. It was, um, bad. Whoopsie."

"…Ah." That would explain why they were lounging in the woods, instead of on the property itself. "Well, that's okay. I come on weekends to help Eda out with sales, so maybe making some money will help calm her down if she's still upset. The Owl Lady really loves her profits."

Luz's head tilted in curiosity, a question in her eyes.

"Wait, really? Huh. Eda promised me room and board if I helped her out with that kind of stuff." She hesitated, a worried expression on her face. "I'm not stealing your job, am I? I can talk to her if I am, I don't mind doing something else to pay -"

Willow held up a hand to cut her off, slightly touched by the display of concern as she gave the other girl a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. If Eda offered you that deal, then she probably just wants to have someone around more consistently to help out. She'll let me know if we need to change up our arrangement, but it probably doesn't matter too much anyway. I get paid in… lessons."

"'Lessons?' Like, magical lessons?" Luz perked up at the thought, helping to soothe the slight bump of anxiety Willow felt at the admission. "That's pretty generous of her. What kinda stuff are you guys going over right now?"

"A… little bit of everything, really." It was a serious risk admitting to exploring the full scope of magical ability, but if this girl was staying with a wanted criminal, it was likely that she wouldn't be going to the authorities any time soon. "Eda's one of the most powerful witches on the Isles, since she's a wild witch that's wanted by the Emperor."

The other girl leaned back, eyebrows ascending at that nugget of information.

"Whoa, whoa, wait – she's wanted by the Emperor for being, what, a 'wild' witch? That got brought up yesterday, what does that even mean exactly?"

If Willow hadn't already suspected the girl was from another world already, then that confusion would have blatantly confirmed it. Every citizen of the Boiling Isles knew of their Emperor's wide-reaching decrees, lest they be caught on the wrong end of the law for the untamed usage of magic.

"A wild witch is somebody who doesn't conform to coven limitations, and practices multiple schools of magic. It's something everyone grows up knowing…" At this, Willow gave a pointed look at Luz's unconcealed ears. "Unless of course, they're from quite far away."

The girl cupped her ears self-consciously, tracing their circular contours as she nodded in acceptance of the implied statement.

"Yeah, okay, you've got me. I'm not from around here at all. Eda kinda freaked out yesterday when she realized I was human, after she brought me back to the house."

"Really? She's never struck me as having a problem with different kinds of people, not when there's all sorts out in Bonesborough." That was somewhat odd, what had ruffled Eda's feathers about Luz?

"Well, apparently humans can't do magic." The girl turned away from Willow, and – to her great surprise – made an upwards clawing motion, ripping a block of hardened soil from the ground before the young witch's very eyes. "I've never had much of a problem with it. Would you like a seat?"

Wow. Not only had Eda found the only human on the Isles, but she was capable of magic – and evidently enjoyed playing the smart-alecky witch.

Gus would absolutely kill someone for an opportunity to meet this girl. Willow's mind was still reeling from these new revelations as she sat on the conjured stool, absently taking in the sprawling checkerboard of a tabletop game that had been carved into the enormous slab of risen earth amidst the group. She supposed that answered the question of how such a thing had been accomplished so cleanly, though she would have bet money on the large nature demon squatting at the opposite end of the table to be the source of such a creation.

Speaking of which.

"Does your, um, human magic have something to do with the giant rock abomination? He's quite impressive."

The beast in question shifted towards her, its featureless head angled inquisitively as it shuffled closer to the pair. Willow tensed for a moment, not sure of its intentions, before giving an excited gasp as it presented its rocky skull for a touch. She ran her hand reverently over the stony contours of its body, eliciting a pleased rumble resembling the lowing of distant wild animals. Luz's glowing smile returned as the two interacted, the girl leaning comfortably on her crafted table.

"Oh no, I didn't create it or anything. It's an elemental I bonded with a few years ago, born from the land itself – a nature spirit!"

"Whoa." Willow's awed voice wheezed out in a whisper. "I've never seen anything like it. Most of the wildlife around here is some kind of demon variant or another, not like this."

Luz didn't respond, leaving the plant witch to continue stroking the massive elemental's skull as it basked in the affection it was receiving. Sadly, the peaceful mood was shattered by King and Hooty tuning back into the lull in the conversation, still hissing and spitting at one another as they made their presence known.

"Alright Luz, I command you to reset the board!" King declared imperiously, pointing skyward. "I must defend my honor as a grand tactician, and now we have another player anyway."

Willow paused in her ministrations to the dozing elemental, leaning over the makeshift board to peer at their current round.

"Oh, this seems pretty familiar. I think I played it a bit when I was a witchling – what was it called again?"

"Tic-Tac-Toe?" Luz helpfully supplied.

"Yeah, that's it. Sure, I'll play a few games, unless – Hooty, is Eda up and moving yet?"

The house demon wriggled a bit in thought, checking in on the Owl Lady through his supernatural connection to the Owl House proper.

"Mmm… nope! Still snoring in her comfy nest."

"Alrighty then." Willow fished a solid looking twig from the forest floor as Luz made another wrenching movement with her hands, settling the loose soil of the table back into a roughly cut checkerboard pattern.

"May the best sentient being win!"


By the time Eda descended from her personal chambers into the sprawling central room of her home, the sun was at its peak for the day, and her houseguests had moved back inside, the wide kitchen windows thrown open to the warm breeze so that the elemental could poke its head inside with the other four lingering around the kitchen island while a hot lunch was prepared.

With Willow's assistance, Luz had set upon making a hearty luncheon for the household as an apology for the earlier disturbance, the pair of young women chatting amiably as they worked together on a group meal. They had just finished up as the Owl Lady stumbled blearily onto a stool resting before the table, sleepily chewing through the plate of steaming pasta and vegetables slid before her, alongside a generous portion of bitter black coffee to get her up and running.

Once the older woman was looking a bit less like a freshly turned-over corpse, Luz launched into her rehearsed apology.

"I'm so sorry about this morning, Eda, with the lawn and waking you all up. I'm just really used to being up super early to get things done, and then I got really excited with my big buddy here, I just lost track of myself, and -"

The witch held up a hand, stalling the flow of contrite words, finishing off her cup of caffeine with a relieved sigh before levelling a slightly exasperated look at the young human.

"It's okay, kid. Sorry for snapping at you earlier. I just don't do well with mornings, especially without at least a mug's worth of coffee or appleblood in my system to wake me up. But next time you want to throw down outside, do it a little further from the house – without destroying the entire forest, preferably. I need that for camouflage." Her head turned to face the nature spirit looming in through the opened window, squinting at the creature in wary curiosity.

"Speaking of Big Green, what exactly is that thing? Never seen a demon like that around here before."

"It's an elemental," Luz elaborated. "Normally they form when a lot of powerful magic floods the land in a big burst, and brings it to life. It's really smart, too. I can't speak its language because -"

The sounds of boulders clacking and rolling over swept through the first floor.

"Yeah, it sounds like that. It's a person like you or me, just – different. We travelled a lot together back in the day, so I brought it in for a visit to catch up on old times. We got… separated, a while back, and I hadn't seen it since."

Eda gave a thoughtful hum, her gaze roaming over the motionless nature spirit as she thought.

"And how exactly did you 'bring' it in? I haven't seen anything this big in the area for a while, and I would've noticed a hitchhiker this size when I brought you back to the house yesterday."

"Er, that. Yeah." Well, she had agreed to teach the witch her style of magic. This was going to probably take a lot of explaining. "Well, I… summoned it from its home. With a spell."

"You 'summoned' it to the Owl House." The Owl Lady sounded both thoroughly intrigued, and utterly skeptical.

"Yup. Summoned it."

"…I have a feeling that this is going to be a bit more complicated than I was expecting." Eda ran a hand down the bridge of her nose, brow furrowed in frustration. "Since that's the case, I've got a better idea. One question: do you mind letting multiple people learn about your kind of magic?"

Willow perked up at the query, munching quietly on her meal, and Luz had a decent idea of what was being suggested.

"No, it's not a big deal. If anything, I think it's you who should be worried about using weird spells, since according to Willow you're wanted for illegal magic." She tried to keep the accusatory tone light, but her irritation at the skimming of such an important fact about her host left Luz just a little rankled.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't expected you to figure that out on your own, kid, once you saw the Emperor's personal coven bearing down on me. Regardless – I've got an idea rattling around. There's a bunch of back ordered potions I whipped up recently that need to get distributed to my customers, which is what Willow here normally does on the weekend."

The witch stood up, taking her dirty kitchenware to the sink as she continued speaking, scrubbing her plate clean under the watchful gaze of the nameless elemental.

"Why don't you lighten the load for her, get out in town and drop that crap off. Hell, you know what? Take King too, and leave your massive pal here so there's no trouble with the locals. Then, since I'm going easy on you today with half the workload, you can make up for it by giving us a crash course on how you do those crazy spells, like bringing a giant walking pile of dirt to life on my property."

The freshly washed plate was dried with a quick circling of Eda's wrist, sending a blast of heated air over its surface as she turned to face the table once more.

"That sound fair to you two?"

Willow gave Luz a hopeful look from behind her bookish glasses, the blue-haired witch clasping her hands before her in excitement. How could she say no to puppy eyes like that?

"Sure. I'm ready to go when you are, guys."

"Hey, wait a minute, I can't even do magic!" King protested loudly. "Why should I care about paying my way to learning how to swish a wand or whatever?"

"Because you live here, for practically free, eating my food and complaining all day whenever I give you chores." Eda gave the diminutive demon an unimpressed look. "Unless you'd prefer to do something equally productive, like give Hooty a bath? I'm sure he could use one after tussling with the rock monster this morning."

"I'm alwaayyysss up for a good scrubbing, Eda!" Came the disturbingly cheerful reply through the window. Luz had actually almost forgotten Hooty was peeking in, since he'd been so (blessedly) unobtrusive as they were putting together lunch.

"Never mind, I've suddenly rediscovered my love for physical labor. Let me go grab the potions!" King hurried from the kitchen, all but fleeing from the snaking form of the house demon as he crooned his excitement about bathing.

"Welp, that settles that." Eda declared, dusting her hands with a smirk. "Let me whip up a list of addresses for my customers – King and Willow should be able to navigate it pretty well. And once you're all back, we'll see about some of that crazy magic I've been looking forward to." She rubbed her palms together with avaricious glee at the thought.

King returned shortly after with a bulging rucksack of clinking glass vials, leading the way out the door once he'd dumped the bag onto the more capable form of Luz. The trio set off down the trail, waterskins slung over their shoulders for the long walk into town, the two young women making pleasant small-talk with each other as they went.

Eda retreated back within the house, sequestered away from the harsh beating of the midday sun, leaving the elemental to watch the retreating back of its beloved companion disappear into the depths of the tree line. All was peaceful for a moment, letting it settle in for rest on the baking ground – before Hooty reemerged from his mount, sidling up to the immobile spirit.

"Well big guy, looks like it's just you and me for a while. Sorry about throwing you around earlier – Eda put me in charge of security. It's probably the most important thing I do here!" The elemental rumbled soothingly at the bizarre demon, relaxing against the warm paneling of the magical house.

"Oh, I know what to do to pass the time! Do you want to hear all about how I keep Eda safe from nasty stuff, like tasty bugs and birds and coven members?"

The bellowing call of a wild herd of beasts comforting their young was the response.

"Great! Lemme tell you all about this one time Eda's rude sister, Lilith, came by for a visit…"


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Chapter and notes originally posted on 2-22-2021.

I tend to go back repeatedly and alter certain phrases and wordings, so my apologies if any small details appear different on a potential second reading. Sometimes I only notice how off specific sentences are once I've gone through them a few times.

Thanks for everybody who's read, and I especially appreciate any feedback!