The next morning everyone woke up fairly early and Eda gave them a rundown of how her potion business was run. It basically boiled down to flying over to Bonesborough on Owlbert and delivering potions off of a list Eda would give to them, the night before, from then on. She'd also include a cheat sheet of potion prices for them to use until they learned the more common ones and so they could check if they forgot how much a new or more obscure potion came up as well. Between stops they were encouraged to try to sell anything they made themselves or from a second bag of "unclaimed" potions she had. Eda promised that any snails they made over the cost of materials would be all there's to keep.

"Most importantly remember. Be safe, and don't forget to haggle on the nondelivery sales. The prices I gave you are just minimums. If you can get more, get more. I usually start at ten times the minimum, but given how well yesterday went we can probably pull back to five times. It might even trick people into thinking they're getting a deal… if we can convince people that you two don't realize what these potions are actually worth… also everyone likes a cute innocent face offering a deal," laughed Eda.

"Ech. Come on girls. Let's get this over with. We haven't even started yet and I'm already tired," Complained King. Soon all three were flying over the forest. In the early morning glow Kim and Luz got their first real look at Bonesborough and all of it's many colorful denisons.

With King's aid they managed to get through a few of the more mundane deliveries without much issue, and even managed to sell off a few of their own little brews. At lunch time they managed to find themselves near the main market square. It didn't take much to bribe/convince King to show them which sellers could be trusted and which to stay away from. While Kim handled getting King the ice-scream they agreed on as payment, Luz went to get something special.

Luz came back after only a minute or two with a broad grin. "Ok K. I had a geat idea. I know how you like carrying around your bag back home, and we didn't get the chance to bring much with us so…" Luz pulled out a pair of satchels. One a rich purple and the other a vivid red, and handed Kim the red one still beaming, "Now we each have our own private 'bag of tricks' where we can keep anything we might need. Journals, notebooks, potion supplies, ect all available any time we need them. Maybe Eda can even show us how to hex them to work like her hair." Kim hugged her sister and gushed about how pretty her new bag was.

After lunch the three stuck around the market for a while, and managed to luck out. After convincing a centaur whose eyes where wear his nipples would normally be into buying eye drops that made them glow and draw more attention to them, and a reptilian demon women that had very vibrant scales to buy a potion to make them more muted for a while and help people not to stare other people took note of the new pair of girls. Soon all of their spare potions were gone and they even had a list of orders for the next time they came to town. Without the weight of the now empty bag they made great time delivering the rest of the orders they had on them.

For the last order of the day, they found themselves outside what could only be described as a cross between a fantasy castle and a rich manor house. While Kim revelled in the exquisite architecture that was unlike anything else they had seen that day and positively oozed a magical atmosphere, and Luz felt a nervous tickle at the back of her brain, that something was odd about it. Everything else they saw was visceral or nonsensical. The fact that this place was starrile and whimsical made her uncomfortable and she couldn't figure out why.

King just looked at the place and gave a tired sigh, "Careful, both of ya. I haven't had any dealings with this one yet, but big houses mean big crazy. Let's just knock and get paid already. I'm sure if we hurry Eda might be able to slip in another quick class if we hurry."

Looking sold at King's idea Luz took charge and knocked on the door only to have it swing open at her touch. Kim gave a nervous laugh behind her, "Red flag."

As sconces lit up along the entryway, the three looked at each other and called out, "Got a delivery here from Eda the Owl Lady. If you could come claim it, that would be great. Otherwise you'll have to come pick it up at the house… Hello?"

From further inside they heard a voice, "So sorry. I'll be down in a moment. Please come on in and a second. You must be tired after running around all day."

With an exasperated sigh the three came inside, determined to if nothing else get this ordeal over with. They'd have to let Eda know to charge this guy extra in the future if he was going to keep up these antics. Against their better judgment they walked until they reached a room with a pair of staircases that lead up to the second floor and had a small table at its center with a plate of desserts sitting on it. It didn't take long for a white bearded man in stereotypical wizard robes to come excitedly down the stairs and look at each one of them with a warm sagely smile.

"Welcome, welcome young witchlings. My name is Adegast. Is it fair to assume that Eda sent you with my delivery? I apologize for the wait. I was just showing my niece an interesting set of constellations in my planetarium," Adegast said with a bow.

"It's cool," said Luz trying to get this over with. "Here is the potion you ordered. If you could just…" Luz continued before Kim interrupted her by pulling on her sleeve and directing Luz's attention back to the second floor railing. Standing there was a girl with mocha colored hair and radiant crystal blue eyes. She couldn't have been much older then them and upon seeing her both girls felt their chests become heavy and their faces flush.

"Oh, yes. There she is now. This is my niece Amber. Why don't you come down and introduce yourself properly, my girl," said Adegast as he noticed the girl's attention slip.

"As you wish Uncle," Amber said as she strutted down the stairs. She made her way over to the table and took a seat before continuing, "As my Uncle already said, I'm Amber. It's nice to meet you. I actually just moved to town to apprentice under my Uncle. I know you're probably busy, but maybe one or both of you could show me around some time." The whole time she spoke she wore a cute little smile and ended with a wink that got both sisters' hearts beating faster.

"That sounds fun," said Luz in a daze.

King looked between the twins and this new girl and interjected, "Luz. Kim. We should be going. Eda will be expecting us soon. Come on." King then started giving them firm shoves to their hips.

"Do you have to leave so soon? I thought we could talk apprentice to apprentice. I don't get to hang out with such cute girls very often," tantalized Amber from behind them.

As King proceeded to push even harder they heard the door slam in front of them and Amber/Adegast said as one, "Clever little beast aren't you. Unfortunately neither of you seem to know any of Eda's secret potions yet, but all the same I can still hold you ransom to get that insufferable bird to come rescue you herself. Then I can finally kill her, or better yet I could sell her to the covens. They usually pay top coin for wild witches."

"How about no?" yelled Luz as she formed a small circle and a ball of light formed in her hand which she tossed as hard as she could at the floor causing it to shatter like glass, and give off a piercing flash of light. All three forms of Adegast let out a shriek of pain, and his true form was revealed. Hanging out of one of the previously dark hallways sat a large pick octopus-esque demon who released a miasma or pick smoke with every breath and with two of its tentacles extended to wear Amber and the fake Adegast's heads were.

"Oh you sneaky witch," Adegast yelled in fury. "I was debating keeping you alive for a while, but no. I'm going to enjoy turning you into new puppets."

"Kim I'm going to need you to keep them back for a moment while I draw a couple glyphs. You got this. Just buy me a second," whispered Luz. Kim looked scared, but her sister was trusting her. She'd do her best.

Kim started by shooting out a few wild beams of light, not really aiming for anything, but keeping them back as best she could. Adegast only grinned and used his two puppets as shields while he slowly made his way closer. Every now and then Kim would see Adegast flinch as a beam managed to hit his main body or leave a notable burn of one of his puppets, but in the end she knew she was fighting a losing battle. When from behind her, Kim saw Luz rush forward with a sword and shield made of hard light. The display seemed to catch Adegast off guard because within seconds Luz had closed the distance, and in two mighty swings each of his puppets lay discarded on the floor. Whether in pain or finally moving past his shock it didn't matter, Adegast then used four more of his tentacles to attempt to slam into Luz and push her back. Luz just caught them on her shield, before slamming her pieces of gear together directly in front of his face. In the burning intense wave of light Adegast's form seemed to evaporate, and Luz fell to her knees exhausted. Kim ran over to her sister as the illusion all around them began to fall away. They found themselves in a long decrepit shell of a mansion, and to the surprise of both twins King started searching through the refuse left behind where Adegast used to be.

"Did we just kill someone?" asked Kim clearly worried.

King just looked back at them with a tiny squid creature unconscious in his paw, "Nope. He's still here. I've got an idea. I'm gonna put him in one of the leftover jars from earlier. Eda will know what to do with him."

Without any better ideas the three made their way back to the Owl House, and told Eda about their day. At first she was beaming with pride at how well they had done and all the snails they brought in, but when they got to Adegast her smile dropped.

"I'm sorry kids. I knew that my problems would come after you eventually, but I didn't think it would happen this soon," sighed Eda. With a vicious grin Eda asked, "You said you found him after, right? Oh I know just what to do with him."

As Luz gave over the jar she inquired, "Ya here ya go, but we were wondering. Are there any other forms of magic you can show us tonight? It looks like we are going to need to learn at least the basics really fast if we want to stay one step ahead."

Eda looked a bit embarrassed, "That might be a bit tough. Most of my magic comes from the Isles and it reveals its secrets only on its schedule. I'm not really one for studying by the book. Magic is wild and should be experienced that way. Sure I went to school in my youth…"

Kim brightened up, "You guys have schools for magic?"

Eda sighed, "Ya we do, but they're no fun. Ever since the branding initiative went into full effect, they only let you study one of the nine tracks and won't let you study anything else. Not to mention it's all books, scrolls, and starile magic. Where's the fun? The experimentation. The danger."

"Well if they only allow you to study one track, how much of the others are you able to do?" asked Luz.

Eda sat down and used a spell circle to show visual aids as she explained, "There are lots of smaller covens, but nine of the main ten covens match one of the main spell divisions. Potions, Abominations, Bard, Beast Keeping, Construction, Healing, Illusion, Orical, and Plant. The other type of magic is general spells that don't really fall into any one category and as such can be performed by any coven with small 'flavor' differences. Aka it's the same spell but it comes out a little different depending on what type of magic you use. The last coven are the sheep over at the Emperor's Coven. They get to technically use all types of magic, but in exchange they act as the emperor's enforcers. You probably saw a few today. White cloaks and bird masks are kinda hard to miss."

While the twin's sat and took it all in, Eda waited. Once they seemed to be listening again she continued, "In regards to what magic I can do. Arguably all of them. I focus primarily on potion and construction though. I understand the theory behind the others and could do them if I want but they don't really appeal to me… except for bard, but I haven't practiced that in a long time. Ok kiddo's I think we can call that "an overview in magic" and let that be your lesson tonight. Why don't you two head down to the basement and get started on the order's you got for yourselves. I'll be down after I finish making us some grub."

For the next hour Kim and Luz worked on making potions with King 'supervising' from a cot nearby, and enjoying the occasional tribute in the form of belly scratches. Eda had decided to make something different for dinner that night. Neither girl was really familiar with it but it seemed like a type of spicy-salty salad with rice, vegetables, and some kind of chewy fish. To everyone's surprise it was quite tasty, and after dinner the twins asked Eda about how to enchant items like their satchels into being bigger and more useful.

"Well, I could teach you how to do stuff like that, but if you do it wrong they will probably destroy your stuff. So for now if you want to do stuff like that I'll take care of it for you. I'll still show you how and maybe we can even turn it into a little side business for you two later, but for now let's not go wasting useful supplies when we aren't exactly financially stable. You understand me kiddo's?" winked Eda in a comforting way.

Over the next few days Eda and her students got into a regular pattern of deliveries, a little magic training on random topics, and brewing potions as they hung out and just slowly opened up to each other; nothing heavy, but little things. Luz's love of the odd and oftentimes misunderstood, Kim's love of things that most thought were nerdy, and how back home these things isolated them from their peers and often got them picked on. It was from one of these conversations that a rougher one for them came up.

"Hey Eda. This might be a little strange, but with all of the different types of people on the Isles… Are there any stigmas against certain relationships?" asked Kim while she blushed and focused on the potion she was working on.

Eda looked at her puzzled, "I don't think I understand what you're asking Kim. If it's about demons and witches, that stuff happens all the time. Why do you have your eye on a cute demon boy from the market?" Eda wiggled her brows in a suggestive way.

Luz sighed and noticed Kim's inability to talk past her uncomfortable she took over, "I think I know what she's getting at. Back in the human world there is a stupid stigma against same sex relationships and curtain orientations. It's gotten better over the last few years, but it… it's rough knowing that there are people out there who hate others just because their happiness looks a little different. Some try to use religion or the ability to have kids as an excuse too. It's all… it's just so ridiculous and backward. Why should it matter who I'm with as long as they make me happy. How could anyone believe that loving someone is wrong."

Eda thought about what Luz said for a minute before putting the pieces together and pulling both girls into a hug. "I'm sorry you both had to go through that, but you don't have to worry about stuff like that here. To be honest, if you had this conversation with anyone else around here I don't think they would understand," said Eda firmly while getting uncomfortable looks from the twins. "Here on the Isles, there are so many different types of people around that I don't even think we have names for what you're talking about. Love is love, and the thought of anyone judging someone else on who they love is frankly nasty. What's more we figured out the whole "babies" problem a long time ago," Eda reassured them. "If it's not too personal, I'd guess that's why Adegast tried to use a cute girl to trap you two, isn't it?"

Through her blush Kim squeaked a, "Ya," and Luz looked up at her grinning awkwardly. After a minute Kim laughed, "Not that it would have mattered for Luz. She's still undecided."

"I'm not undecided. Eres traidora sucia (you dirty traitor). I just have a healthy appreciation for both," Luz acted offended but started to laugh right after.

"Well kids, we are going to be doing something different tomorrow. We are going hunting for some of the ingredients you can only find in the wild. So I'd advise you get finished up here soon, and get some sleep, " said Eda with a grin. "Night all."

"Good night, Eda," called out the twins as she left.

Back on earth Camila was talking to something hidden in the shadows. "Lina, are you sure? Why would she steal my kids?" nervous asked Camila.

"Are you doubting my nose Cammy? I'm hurt," replied a black and red badger as it confidently walked out of the shadows. "Also I doubt she meant to steal them. Probably some kind of misunderstanding with that owl of hers. For now though, I'll stick around here and wait for her door to open again. I promise Cammy, I will find them and bring them home. It might be time for you to tell them the truth though. They are smart kids. It wouldn't surprise me if they have learned some of it already, but you and I both know that we are the only two who can give them the real truth."

Camila sighed, "I'll think on it, me amiga, but I won't lie, I hoped I would never need to."

Ok sorry if I got a little soap boxy for a minute there, but it just felt like the right time to have that conversation. Minor spoilers but Camila already knows about her daughters orientations in this AU, if you think about it, it should be obvious why she doesn't have a problem with it. Also hope you enjoyed your first look at Ms. Lina the honey badger. She probably won't be too much of a regular character, but she isn't unimportant. Also also, the salad that Eda makes is an actual thing. It's polinessian/hawaian and OMT it is good, and yes Eda fed them Adegast. I figured since Eda offered, in canon, that it wouldn't be too outrageous to handle him this way. I intend to start releasing these fairly quickly again so keep an eye out. This story has only just begun and things are going to start changing fast.