Ready for more tales where Adora and Catra were adopted by Edalyn? If not then take a snack. THEN you are ready.

Without further ado: Have fun reading.

Chapter 3:

No cannibalism this time

by

Hatoralo

"Good morning, Luz," greeted Catra, sitting on Luz's chest. "How are you?"

"AAAAAH!"

"Are you in pain?"

Luz tried to shove Catra from her chest but she stood against the humans efforts with ease. "What are you doing?!"

"I did that with mom in the past, waiting for her to wake up," explained Catra. "She forbid me to do it like that at some point but you should work as a replacement."

"You are heavy!"

"I think mom started to say that at some point as well." Then it dawned on Catra. "Oh, I became bigger and heavier, that was moms issue."

"Please, get of me!"

Catra got of Luz body and sat beside her. "Sorry, human. How are you?"

Luz touched her own face in short disbelief and then the face of Catra. "This is real. This is really real!"

Catra pushed the human's arms to the side, her expression was deadpan. "Yes, this is unfortunately very real, human."

Luz stood up, ran towards the window, opened it and shouted: "Good morning scary and merciless demon realm!"

"Good morning," answered a scary gigantic demon who was standing in the Boiling Sea back before diving down into the depths again.

"Come Noceda, time for breakfast."

Adora was eating her breakfast together with her mother who was also reading the news while King was playing with some toys on the ground.

"Anything about us in the papers?" asked Adora, Eda.

"Just some mention about minor security issues at the Conformatorium", informed Eda. "I guess they try to cover up the stunt we pulled there."

"No information about the prisoners who escaped?", asked Adora

"None whatsoever. This could bite them in the rear later," assumed Eda. "We will see."

Catra came down the stairs with one long jump, onto one of the chairs and she started to eat quickly. "The human will come soon for breakfast."

Luz joined them soon after, dressed in a bathrobe and a dirty traffic cone. "I am ready for my first lesson!"

The Clawthornes looked at Luz, Catra with an expression of holding back laughter, Adora with awkwardness and Eda rather deadpan.

"What are you wearing?" asked Adora.

"Witch garb!" answered a peppy Luz.

"No, those are mom's old bathrobe and a traffic cone Catra stole during a visit of the human realm," explained Adora to the young human.

The female with brown skin looked in shock down the bathrobe and then took the traffic cone into her hand, blowing it and removing a lot of dark dust that had covered the orange color of the cone.

"Hahahahahaha!" laughed King. "There is no official Witch outfit! You look ridiculous!"

"Hey, I wanted to make fun of her first!" complained Catra and grabbed after the little demon.

"Your on fault Catra, you were to slow!" teased the little skull guy the tall cat. "You are getting rusty, Catra."

Catra hissed at King. "You just wait, my best snark will come back to hit you hard."

"Stop, you two!" demanded Eda. "Don't talk so loud before I had my cup of apple blood."

"Don't you mean apple juice?"

"I know what I said," made Eda clear.

"Anyway, you should start to teach her magic mom," advised Adora. "Like you taught us two."

Adora added teasingly: "You should avoid the part were you accidentally turned Adora into a tree for a week."

Adora sighed at this memory. "It wouldn't have so bad if not those woodpeckers wanted to live in me. Catra had to stay guard for the entire week to protect me from getting holes poked into my trunk."

"It's fine," said Catra with a wink. "The little birdies were easy to catch and delicious. The day I found a new favorite meal of mine."

Luz imagined how Catra snatched little woodpeckers out of the air, stuffed them into her mouth and started to chew. Imagining how she was breaking bones and how blood splashed around while Catra was doing this.

"You can eat birds but disinfect them first," requested Eda sternly. "I don't want to see you sick."

"You have eaten worse mom."

"I CAN eat worse because I know my healing magic better than you," explained Eda. "In the worst-case scenario, I can deal with food poisoning better than you Also I taught my stomach to be resistant and strong. Not to mention I immunized myself against different types of poison via ingesting small amounts of them daily."

"Why?" asked Luz.

"In case Vitimir tries something. He is pretty good with potions, including poisons."

"What can I learn first?" asked Luz. "Maybe I can learn how to throw fireballs?"

"A classic spell, for a reason," said Adora. "Probably because fire was so useful for the primordial witches for surviving in the wild. Kept away wild and dangerous beasts, gave you warmth and you could cook slain beasts with it, turning the flesh into something more tasty."

"What about the heart?" asked Catra. "Does she have what she needs it in her heart to use magic?"

"I HAVE!" shouted Luz with determination, jumping onto the table. "I have the will and the wish in my heart to use magic!"

"No, you misunderstand us Luz Noceda, our power comes literally from our hearts," explained Adora in an understanding tone. "Magic is generated in bile sacks witches and demons all have, bile sacs that are attached to their literal organic hearts." Adora showed Luz an illustration of the heart and the bile sac in question. "There the magic gathers, magic a witch can use for spells, rituals, summoning's and other things."

Luz nodded, having listened carefully. "It is not just shouting spells and knowing how to tap into the arcane mana in the world around us?"

"There is mana, but nobody knows how to tap into it," explained Adora. "We only know how to use our own magical energy, the magic we store in our bodies."

Luz fought back the icy fear of disappointment that was developing in her gut. The fear that even in a world full of mages she wouldn't be able to use magic herself.

"We will work around this Problem," promised Eda in a warm tone. "For now I have a few tasks for you."

"Quests?!" asked a thrilled Luz. "Yes, give me a quest! Give me a quest to find legendary ancient artefacts of unimaginable power!"

"Yeah, the items of unimaginable power are the reward for the first quest," said Catra in a sarcastic tone. "The reward for the second quest is a planet destroying spell."

Luz blushed a bit. "You are right, this would be a bit too much for the first reward. Anyway. what will be my quest?"

The human was knocking on a door and delivering to the person that opened said door something from the Owl Lady. All kinds of random stuff, mostly objects from the human realm but also potions. Luz felt like she was doing an odd job or was just a deliveryman. At least she was happy that she was meeting a few interesting people while delivering stuff.

Catra and Adora were observing the little human from a safe distance. They sat in the trees and eat some treats. "She seems to handle herself well," commented Catra.

"Mom send her to the people who are harmless and not argumentative," observed Catra. "This is an easy task."

"But probably not one what she expected," said Adora.

"Mom can't just send her to the more dangerous people on her customer list."

Adora agreed. "You are right but she did not taught her how to use a spell. Not even the simple light spell."

"The first spell mom taught us was one that stuns somebody," remembered Catra. "She was worried about our safety back then, wanted us to be able to stun a threat so we could run away to safety."

"We used that only a few times as toddlers," remembered Adora fondly. "Mostly on wizards from one of the 9 main Covens and a few scoundrels."

"Plant Wizards looked depressed then and look depressed now," was the sad opinion of Catra. "Working for Snapdragon is no fun."

"I heard that some parents who have kids that are talented in plant magic get enrolled in other courses by their parents so they would not land with Snapdragon," told Adora her sister. "Considering how bloodthirsty and crazy she is that doesn't surprise me."

They continued to observe the little human while she was delivering all kinds of items. Luz on the other hand started to look disappointed and felt this wasn't doing much aside from teaching her the local geography.

"At least I get to see a few interesting places."

"There are more interesting places around," mentioned King who was here because of a request made by Eda. "I can show them to you later."

"Which places do you know, King?"

"Playgrounds were the most vicious battles are fought daily with the best equipment and the greatest warriors around."

Luz looked nervous. "Toddlers have battles of life and death in this world?"

"Well…." King rubbed his head awkwardly, like had been caught in a lie. "I may have exaggerated it a bit. But some of them are able to create very sturdy sand fortresses."

Luz made big starry eyes. "That sounds so adorable!"

"Hey, that is not adorable, that is serious competition!"

"And what is playing "catch" for you here?"

"Trying to catch your opponent with nets, lassos and foothold traps."

Later that day Luz realized she was the only human who was living on the Boiling Isles. It was a strange and slightly unsettling discovery for her. She felt alone, a stranger in a strange land. Singular, the only one of her kind, no other human of any nationality around. An explorer, visiting a place no human has seen before. Luz wondered how this was characters in Lovecraft novels felt when they witnessed an alien plane. She also remembered that Lovecraft was a racist, fearful of everything that was new yet fascinated by the unknown.

"The landscape is alien, in color and shapes but also familiar in some forms. This is a dimension of mystery, the arcane, the unknown, the never-ending question why things are what they are. Is the Universe uncaring or not?"

"I care for some chocolate," said King. "Also for the next Episode of "Derangsir, Demon-Destroyer-Deity of the Heated Isles". I care for that show a lot."

"Why haven't found my destiny yet?" asked Luz the little demon. "I expected I would be the chosen one, here. That somebody would explain the great destiny, give me access to equipment, a few basic spells and maybe an item of legendary importance?"

"What do you mean?" asked King. "Like an amulet of Emperors? The best artefacts are usually the property of the Boiling Empire."

"But…. Are there no legends about chosen ones?"

"Well, there was the legend of Zelda, but Zelda subverted it as she killed her captor the nefarious Demon Link and rescued Ganondorf, the one who was meant to be the hero but he had also had been captured by Link."

"That Legend is over?"

King nodded. "Yes. Maybe you can make your own legend instead? The Legend of Luz?"

"But nobody makes their own legend! The heroes in the stories I read always did that. They were given a great destiny and this has to be part of the reason I am here. I just have to find the right person to give me that destiny…"

While Luz was talking, they reached the home of the last customer. "Be careful with that customer," warned King his new friend. "In this place lives a wizard."

"Isn't a wizard a normal thing here?" asked Luz in confusion. "Sorcery is everywhere."

King stopped and tapped with his foot, arms crossed and thinking. "Wizards think that they have found a better way of sorcery but they don't say what that is. Many believe they just claim that wizardry is a better form of coven-sanctioned witchery but nobody ever saw proof of that."

The house of the customer in question was a big castle with golden banners illuminated by sunlight. The doorbell was made of gold and the wooden doors were towering over Luz. Luz presses the golden doorbell and she was allowed entrance.

"I hope this isn't as bad as the house that tried to eat my arm."

"I said it just wanted to check you for weaponry."

"What about scanning me with magic?!"

"That was a magical scan."

Luz, rolling with her eyes entered the house.

"Should we help her with that wizard?" asked Adora Catra.

"Wizards are eccentric morons, but not evil," countered Catra. "He may annoy her with his behavior but doubt he will do anything bad."

"I don't know, I always thought that Adegast was creepy. He appears way to friendly and warm, it seems unnatural to me how much he does it."

"I agree, there is something wrong with the guy but I don't know what," supported Adora Catra. "He never revealed himself to us but maybe he will act in a suspicious way towards Luz?"

"Could happen, he knows that we are not so easily to impress but Luz is new here and naïve. She could believe in what he is peddling, the quests he is offering."

"He tried to offer us quests," remembered Adora. "But all the talking about destiny and fate was a bit too much and suspicious as well."

"Let us find a good spot to spy, to see what will happen."

The sisters snuck into Adegast's domicile to observe Luz's first encounter with him. Adora wasn't used to do such things so she just did what Catra was doing. They stopped on a high bookshelf, hiding behind some items and started to spy on Adegast.

"Eyes full of curiosity? Where did that guy learn to speak?"

"Our mom would ask why somebody is starring around her home like it is the greatest home in the world and then would try to sell them some human stuff."

"She didn't try that with Luz," pointed Catra out. "But she is a human herself, and she probably has more than enough human stuff already."

"And of course, he tries to lure her in with a quest."

Catra rolled with her eyes. "The human accepts it like a simp."

"Catra, don't be rude, she is new here," chided Adora her sister.

"But it is true, yet this will show her the ropes," countered Catra, feeling like she was in the right. "She needs to learn how untrustworthy certain people are on the Boiling Isles."

"Should it get too dangerous we rescue her, right?" asked Adora but it sounded more like she was asking for Catra's help than her permission.

"Yes, yes mom meant it that way," assured Catra in an annoyed and quick way. "At least King is not impressed by the guy. He even warns Luz. King is skeptical, that is good, he is not as stupid as he likes to act or partially is."

Adora looked worried "Luz is accepting the quest, believing in all that talk about fate, destiny and prophecy. I think it is Hogwash, probably meant to peddle some potions to Luz or want her to get him something he really wants."

"Lazy Man!" mocked Catra the Wizard. "He doesn't even offer her money! How about giving her at least some potions? Or a map? Or mushrooms?!"

"More clear instructions could also help," argued Catra. "Also, an ancient prophecy about a human girl claiming a celestial staff? What? That is more cliché than the Azura books!"

"And she is falling for it," noticed Adora. "Mom would chide us for falling for such a cheap scam. I mean he is way too obvious."

"Or it is what this small human wants to hear, something she yearns for, something she hope for, something she wishes for." Catra looked with sympathy at Luz. "She just wants to know what she wants in live, she wants her greatest wish come true."

"She will not learn that from that charlatan," acknowledged Adora. "Come, let us stop this nonsense now."

Catra looked at Luz and Adegast before her like an interesting play. Something that maybe should play out. "No, she will resent us if we try to stop her now. She ignored Kings warnings, she will ignore us as well."

Adora looked to Catra and to Luz and Adegast. "You are right, she will not like what we have to tell her. What else can we do? Only interject when it looks like something might get stolen from her or if she is in danger to be attacked and injured?"

"Yeah, let's do that! And when Adegast steps out of line we beat him back behind the line!"

During the next day the younger Clawthorne Sisters witnessed how Luz went onto her quest, how she meet companions, had interactions with them, found cool stuff and had some minor battles.

"This is so staged I want to write a critique about it," commented Adora, watching all of this with Catra from the Shadows. "The thespian abilities of that Nevareth Bladestrife, Teen Prince of Angstmore guy are just laughable."

After Luz returned with a Map from Adegast back to the Owl House she studied it. Eda of course would caught wind of the situation and criticize Luz for believing in Adegast, also warning her that she doesn't know the guy that well but Luz was determined to try it after she found out the secret of the map. She hadn't told Adora and Catra about it but Catra was a sly spy who also had scrying spells to spy on people.
A lot of scrying spells.

"Not a good actor but he looks hot," argued Adora. "I can understand that Luz wants him as company. But there is no place called "Angstmore" on the Boiling Isles."

"I don't know of an Angstmore either," added Catra. "I doubt such a place is on the Boiling Isles, probably not even outside of it."

They also saw as the three encountered Chris, guardian of a bridge.

"That is not a riddle, that is a concept to show a toddler how a riddle works!" groused Catra loudly. "I mean is this human really believing that?!"

"That riddle could have been a bit more difficult, just to look more plausible," suggested Adora. "Like asking what colors his clothes have and what points at something but has no arms, hands or legs."

"Or a riddle about where the answer is the moon. Or the sun." Catra added after a few seconds: "Or the broom."

"That riddle Hooty came up with was very hard," remembered Adora. "We had to think for a month until we had the solution."

Catra nodded. "The guy is better at riddles than one would expect. Oh, now he speaks about a consumed village. His consumed village. What consumed village?"

"No village was consumed from what I know," spoke Adora, sounding sure. "It also sounds like an obvious lie otherwise. That backstory needs more explanation."

A few minutes later Catra commented on the Onion. "Flying Onion? Is that a Palisman? This creature looks like one. What do you think Adora?"

"I think that these guys are most likely actors, paid by Adegast to trick Luz." Adora's expression became serious. "Mercenary actors, Illusion Witches who sell their service to the highest bidder."

"And they have hardly any morals when it comes too for whom they act or who they trick with their acting," added Catra, sounding a bit angry. "No real loyalties, no real morals, only method acting and overacting when they feel especially funny."

"But their acting is excellent," criticized Adora them positively, yet reserved. "It doesn't seem to be very fake, still something is off. Yet, I can't say what."

Catra scratched behind her left ear with her left leg. "Maybe these actors are abusing illicit substances? I thin Nevareth may have done a line or two or popped some pills before shooting started."

"No, I don't think he used drugs," argued the blonde sister. "Something else is wrong. Like…. It is difficult to pinpoint. I wish I knew how I could describe it better or know what it was."

"We figure that out Adora," promised Catra. "Let us enjoy the show.

The two daughters of Clawthorne continued to observe Luz during different events like when a Princess gave her bracelets until she finally reached the goal of her quest, the celestial staff.

"Not the best prop I have ever seen," commented Catra. "I don't even feel any magic coming from that thing. By the titan, this thing is just cheap!"

"Yes," agreed Adora. "Furthermore, I think this is a trap. It can't be anything else. Or a massive trolling operation."

"Trolls can be pretty insistent," commented Catra. "They can sit for hours in one place to see if a prank they prepared actually worked like intended. I know of a troll who waited for over a month to see their prank succeeding. He was barely able to walk because he just sat there for so long but he said it was worth it to see how somebody would slip on a banana peel."

Adora had to laugh at that quietly. "Trolls, they can't help themselves. But Adegast is no troll. He plans something else, something more sinister. We better get into position."

"Yes, Adora."

They went into position as Luz grabbed the staff. The staff started to emit magical energy, and Luz eyes shined in response.

"Cheap illusions," criticized Catra bored. "I mean I see through them after just one second. I can't believe Luz falls for it!"

"She isn't trained to recognize illusions," reminded Adora Catra. "Don't be too hard on her. Wait, something else is happening."

The Staff is hold up into the air by Luz in triumph. "Yes! I am the Chosen One! I knew it! I always suspected there was a reason nobody understood my wacky antics back at home. Now I have concrete proof!"

The staff disintegrated and the dust was blown away by the wind. Luz was in shock.

"I knew it," whispered Catra. "It was too fake to be even untrue."

Catra and Adora witnessed how the celestial lake changed, suddenly the place was surrounded by thick fog. Luz whimpers, holding out her sword and Adegast appears before her.

"I think the guy is not just your usual scam artist," whispered Adora. "I fear something much more dangerous; I doubt this is just a wizard."

Adegast continued to reveal himself from the shadows as a being from which tentacles came from his back, his eyes becoming empty, his face a mocking grimace, He looks also a lot more horrific and like a being you want to shoot immediately in the face with a fireball.

"I can do this, is just the usual final boss twist," tried Luz to calm herself. "You just have to defeat this monstrosity."

The "Companions" of Luz appear around her, with tentacles also coming from their backs, or rather get into their backs. They too showed deranged smiles.

Luz shook a bit more. "Okay, just defeat him to rescue everyone!"

"I am EVERYONE!", shouted Adegast. "Don't you understand? I tricked you! You are not the chosen one!"

"Who is the chosen one then?" asked Catra in a whispering voice sarcastically. "There is no chosen one. We can't wait for a hero."

Adora and Catra listened how Eda had been stealing potion customers from him and he wanted to take her out of business once and for all.

"Why do so many people have issue with mom?" wondered Adora. "Also, I think that mothers doesn't even know the name of the guy."

"Adegast!" shoute Eda who made her dramatic entrance.

Adora and Catra observed how Adegasts trap seemingly worked. They saw how Adegast tried to tempt Luz, how the Illusion she showed her is better than the world on the outside. One of his puppets even explaining that she can stay the chosen one, that she could get tiny food every day, another puppet asking why she would want to stay in a world where people only laugh at her.

"Who laughs at her on the Boiling isles?" Adora wondered to herself. "She is just here for a few days, nobody has any reason to laugh at her."

"You know how to create an appealing Isekai," agreed Luz. "Not the best one though but better as the one Isekai that supports slavery."

"I hope mom let us continue read mangas after hearing this," was Adora's slightly fearful response. "Or at least no Isekais anymore."

"Luz is resting, Luz doesn't want the lie, Luz doesn't want this cheap version of a fairy tale, Luz wants reality."

"Pretty poetic from you, Catra," remarked Adora with a slight hint of bemusement. "Luz knows now that she has to accept the reality before her or she gets sucked into a badly made illusion."

They observed how Luz attacked Adegast and how Eda quickly started to help her with the battle, using her magic against the Illusionist. Luz also eliminated Nevareth. Neither sister believed that her mother would lose this battle. That was until Adegast took King as a hostage. A mistake.

A big mistake.

Before Adegast was able to make any demands Catra was on his back and attacked him into said back with her claws. Catra screeched, Adegast screeched as well, King screeched in surprise and nobody else screeched.

Adegast let go of King and attacked Catra who quickly dodged the attack, jumping from the back of Adegast. "You little worthless coward!"

"Oh, your stupid kids are also here?!"

"Pesky kids," said Adora while she slashed into Adegasts side with a sword. "You shall describe us as pesky kids."

"I'll describe you two as a cursed little brats who will die soon alongside their mother!"

Eda reacted to that with a meteor she threw at Adegast. He couldn't even say anything before he was hit by this powerful magical attack. He was not just hit but rammed into the wall by the summoned meteor which broke the wall as well. Then the meteor with Adegast in the front flew for several meters more and into another wall, part of the ruins Adegast had turned into his domicile. The broken wall broke even more and fell to pieces, most of it fell onto Adegast.

"Is he dead?" wondered Luz loudly. "Wait, I think he is still moving."

"Not for long," promise Eda with a cold tone in her voice. She walked towards were Adegast was lying, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up with only one hand. "Hey, are you still conscious?"

"Uhhh…."

"I'll take that as a yes." Eda brought Adegast's face close to hers. "Listen well Adegast: You can threaten me as much as you want, I don't care. But if you threaten my daughters then I'll will react. I'll react with violence, I will react with attacks, I will react with vengeance, I will react with terror and I will react with killing you if you really, REALLY managed to hurt my daughters!"

"Uuuhhh…."

"Can you hear me?" Eda sighed in frustration. "Killing you over a threat is too much, but I will do it if you ever try to kill my children for real. I will show no mercy. For now, I will only send you to prison."

Osran was a serious man. A man who was quick to the point because he knew there the point would be. A witch who always knew what could happen next.
Yet even he hadn't seen the possibility that he would be confronted today by the Owl Lady with a bound and gagged wizard at her feet.

"Osran, I have a bounty for you," greeted Eda the old witch. "Do you have the money?"

Osran was bewildered for a Moment. He needed a few seconds to take the situation in before he said: "Yes, but it is more than unusual that a wild witch delivers another wild witch to us. Don't you all work together?"

"Don't try to pretend you believe the propaganda now, Osran," demanded Eda in a mocking tone. "Don't think me of you as a fool, Soothsayer."

"I wouldn't have thought that one Wild Witch would deliver another to the Boiling Empire. How bad is your relationship?"

"Murderously bad."

Osran shrugged. He looked over to Adora and Catra who were going through Adegasts belongings. "No, plundering you two. That is against the law."

Catra waved in a dismissing manner towards Osran. "Keep cool, Osran we just look a bit around."

"This man has nothing of value," explained Adora to Osran. "His belongings are not impressive, neither do they look good nor are they valuable. This man hasn't much going for him."

Adegast struggled on the ground and gave a muffled response.

"Why did you gag him?", wanted Osran to know. "Did he try to curse you?"

"He threw some curses alright, but none of the magical type," explained Eda. "Also curses a young witch shouldn't learn… Too early. One after another and they should know how to use curses properly."

"Adegast you are a F******T," cursed Catra happily. "That is a swear from the humans. They use it in their media."

"GRMPFH!" was the response of Adegast while he writhed angrily in his bindings. He looked with hatred at the three witches,

"Why did you capture him?" asked Osran.

"He wanted to capture somebody working for me to lure me into a trap. It seems he is a rival in the potion business I didn't knew off. He didn't like the competition I was for him so he wanted to remove me."

"I think he was just not very competent at selling potions," suggested Adora who was looking at a book she was holding in her hands. "This books is titled "Luminous Moss and their applications in Potions and Powders" from Larkus Dralp," read Adora loudly. "Not the best book on the material, I know better books about this topic."

"What are his other violations against the Boiling Empires laws?" wanted Osran to know about Adegast. "I mean did he use magic from more than one Coven?"

"I think he makes Potions," suspected Eda. "Or he resells the potions I sold to him. Rather devious but lazy. I guess I can't stop him from reselling, legally. But I can say for certainty that he used illusion magic."

"As for other types of magic," continued Adora for her mother. "I figured out that the puppets he was using were not just supported by his tentacles but that he used Abomination magic as well in his puppets for better control over them."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Osran. "Any proof?"

Eda produced a vial with an oozy purple substance in it. "I found that inside of the puppet costumes. I feel the remains of freshly used magic in them. Not to fresh but this is clearly Abomination Ooze."

Osran took a closer look at the ooze in question. "Yes, that is recently used Abomination ooze. Not the best quality though, Darius wouldn't be impressed."

"Is that enough to get him in even more trouble Os?", asked Catra. "We want him in prison as long as possible. He is not very dangerous but very annoying. Not worth being a regular nemesis."

"GRMPFH!"

"Sorry, Mister Adegast you aren't very impressive," agreed Adora with Catra. "I mean mother didn't even know who you are. You were only a customer for her, nothing more, nothing less."

"GRMPFH!"

"Not even a good customer," teased Catra with a smug smile. "You bought the cheapest stuff, well most of the cheap stuff. Not even cheap tasty stuff, REALLY cheap stuff that tastes like nothing and has hardly any effect. Like drinking water. Purified water I mean, normal water would be interesting but also burn away your throat."

"GRRRRRMMMM!"

"Where is he living?" asked Osran. "Is his domicile nearby?"

Eda pointed over to a small hole in the ground, surrounded by the ruins Adegast had made appear so much more beautiful and mystical than they actually were. "He lives in this hole."

"A bit small for him, isn't it?"

"That isn't his real appearance," explained Eda to Osran. "He is using a disguise. He is a Demon, not a Witch, or Wizard. A small Demon, very tiny, a perfect snack. I even thought about eating him…"

"HMPF?!"

Catra joked: "He would have been probably very tasty with some Ketchup, Oregano and Pommes Frites. Or with a salad, olives, fresh cheese and some carapo juice as a drink."

"Are you hungry?" asked Adora her sister.

"Yes, I am very hungry."

Osran summoned spectral purple hands to grab the bound and gagged Adegast. "I bring him to Bonesborough. There he can be proceeded through the guards headquarters before send to the Conformatorium."

"RMPFHGMPFH!"

"Because he tried to kill mother?" asked Adora.

"Because he is a wild witch," corrected Osran the younger one. "That charge guarantees a faster way for a proper judgement because the proof is easier to produce. No brand, no coven, no legality, no superiors, no papers, no information, no hopes, no dreams and no freedom from now on."

"GRMPFH!"

"You and your so precious Coven-System, should better concentrate on regular criminals and not on people who refuse the sigil," criticized Eda the Coven-System openly. "We have some very audacious criminals WITH the sigil, more dangerous than any wild witch."

"Aren't you one of the most dangerous wild witches?" asked Osran. "Aren't you also a notorious criminal?"

"I am not going around and kill people just because they are competition," made Eda clear. "I deal with my competition via better service, better quality products, faster delivery and a friendlier service."

Osran's expression turned into one of contempt. "How can so many people buy from a wild witch?"

Eda grinned in response. "My charming personality wins many people over. Do you feel it?"

Osran's expression was stone-faced. "All I feel is being uncomfortable around you and being forced to talk to you. Why did you even ask for me to get your criminal?"

"Vitimir is probably salty from how we defeated him recently," told Catra the old witch.

Adora added: "Hettie Cutburn is competent but willing to crack a enemies head way too fast."

"Mason is dutiful yet a bit too stubborn," explained King who was behind Osran and holding a practice wand like a little child would. "He would probably try to demand that Eda surrenders herself to him after arresting Adegast."

"Terra Snapdragon meanwhile is a murderous evil crazy jerkass who would try to maim, torture and murder us," explained Catra in a happy sarcastic tone. "And not for being wild witches, but for just existing and thinking that we are weaker than her, which we aren't."

"Nobody of sane mind would want to meet Adrian Graye Vernworth, he is a snobbish, arrogant, stupid, delusional, incompetent, foolish and elitist asshole," explained Adora the facts. "Also his movies suck."

"Eberwolf is nice but he can be kinda difficult to talk to, with him not talking a Witch language," told Eda. "Furthermore he always wants us to play fetch with him and we don't want to do this today."

King ended it with: "And Darius acts just so superior to everyone and always complains about having to work. Can't he just take vacation days?"

"We only get one free day per year and we wouldn't mind more," explained Osran too King. "But the Emperor wills it."

"Your Emperor works you like donkeys, this is one of the reasons I never joined a Coven. I want more free days per year and not just one!"

Osran frowns. "This is blasphemous talk, Owl Witch."

"And here is the final reason we summoned a Oracle-Witch:" started Eda to explain. "You guys know fighting us is pointless. You see the immediate future, you see how it would most likely turn out to challenge us, you know you would lose and you would only attack us if ordered so by your bosses."

Osran sighed. "You are right with that. I don't want to fight you because I know the future. Not to mention the past incidents and battles with you."

"She ruffed you up good last time," commented Catra with a happy grin. "Mom threw you into Mason after softening you with some abomination ooze balls charged with lighting."

"She posted pictures of that on Penstagram," remembered Adora calmly. "They gained a lot of traction."

"Don't remind me," growled Osran. "Come with me Adegast, prison awaits you."

"Is there a reward?" asked Catra. "Lots of money for Ade here? Maybe a small house?"

Osran shook his head. "There is no bounty on an absolute nobody like him."

"GRHMPFHF!"

"Quiet you, loser you have done nothing impressive, achieved nothing and were easily defeated," stated Eda seriously. "I believe it that there is no reward if there is no wanted poster, I mean I didn't knew who you are, why should the Empire know?"

"Grmpfh…."

Osran's spectral hands grew some legs as well and they started to grab and transport Adegast away, who seemingly had resignation setting in. "I would advise you five to keep your heads down. The Boiling Empire has recently increased their search for wild witches and I don't want you caught doing anything illegal."

"Why are you so worried for us wild witches?" wanted Catra to know. "Did you learn to like us? Are you getting sentimental in your old days?"

Osran gave a short cruel laugh in return. "Caring for you? Oh, no I would not mind if you get all devoured by a Schnarbeltralp. But my superiors would force me to fight you eventually if you cause trouble and this could end with me being defeated and humiliated once again. I am not in the mood for that, you wild witches"

Osran walked away, Adegast in spectral hands. He didn't look back to the wild witches and Luz who was still hiding.

"Did you think he noticed me?"

"Yes, he did," admitted Eda. "Not sure why you wanted to hide in the first place. Did you think he would attack us when spotting you?"

"A little bit?" said Luz unsure. "I mean I attacked another Coven head the other day and I am without any papers or ID here. Am I not listed as a criminal?"

"I doubt Vitimir told anyone how you helped to defeat him," theorized Adora. "Coven Heads have usually too much pride to admit defeat against anyone. Having been ambushed by a human child and sucker punched by one as well is rather humiliating in Vitimir's eyes."

"What now?" asked Luz. "I- I mean I fell for a conman, was used as a hostage, through me he lured you into a trap Eda, King was taken as a hostage and I feel like a fool who is not a chosen one and never will be."

Eda shrugged with her shoulders but gave Luz a warm smile as well. "Kiddo, I saw children make many stupid mistakes, I did them, my two kids did them and King still makes mistakes."

"Hey, you make mistakes as well!" protested King. "Like last week then you tried that new spell on Adora and she swelled like a balloon and started to spew wooden figurines of this VIP from earth called Jane Fonda."

"Don't remind me King, please," requested Adora. "I had a terrible taste in my mouth for days afterwards."

"And the figurines weren't that good either," sighed Eda. "Kiddo, be happy your fate hasn't had been decided for you. Do you really want your entire life be set on a predestined path? No choices, no options, no surprises, nothing of interest, nothing unpredictable, nothing to keep you wondering, no way to escape a bad outcome and you could miss out on finding wonderful people."

Eda underscored her last words when she petted her two daughters who reacted to that with purring, really good purring. Luz was surprised at first, not sure why Adora was purring as well but maybe she did it because Catra was doing it.

"Come Luz, let us fly."

Above the Boiling Isles, not that much above hovered the Witches (and a Demon and a Human), sitting on their staffs. Edalyn sat with Luz on her staff, while Adora and Catra sat on their own staffs. Well, Catra rather lay on her staff, dosing off, with one arm dangling down, her head on her Palisman, her legs on the staff slightly drawn to her, heads on her arms and eyes partly closed.

Adora just sat on her own staff in a normal way and looked at the sunset, enjoying it. "What a beautiful view…"

Eda, King and Luz sat on Eda's staff, looking at the sunset as well. "Kiddo, this world is not like yours, but in more ways than you think. People act in different ways, talk in different ways, want different things and they have goals different from humans. As for destiny, most prophecies are already fulfilled, some were averted, a few went into very weird territory, a few prophecies were fake and the one about the Zeppelin was just… I don't even know how to begin with that one. It was just too incomprehensible and involved way too many plumbers for my liking."

"But I felt special through this fake prophecy," admitted Luz. "It was…. Like in "The Good Witch Azura", as she learned she was the one chosen to defeat the Evil Archmage Erchneus Klarst. But that was just a story, it is not reality. Aside from the fact that magic is real and there is a secret world of magic and fantastical creatures and…." Luz stopped for a Moment. "If I think about it that fantasy is more real after all."

"Just no prophecies," added Eda. "You make your own destiny. We all want to be the chosen one but making yourself into the chosen one is a lot more fun."

Luz leaned with her head against Eda's shoulder. "Do I get my own wand one day?"

Catra perked up. "You mean your own Palisman? That takes time, a lot of time, I didn't got mine until I was 10-years old and I had to carve her myself. Well, I had some help from mom with the carving. Was not easy, I had to train on regular wood a lot to create a worthwhile appearance for the Palisman I wanted."

Adora flew closer. "I got a Palisman around the same time as Catra. Was not easy for me either, mother said we had to be perfect when it came to carving one. No mistakes allowed, the carving had to be perfect."

"Palisman are important to me," explained Eda sincerely. "I could never allow anyone to carve a Palisman with bad cuttings. These poor beings would life a miserable life just because a moron made serious carving errors during production."

Luz had no idea about what they were talking about but she quickly started to develop an idea. "Is Owlbert a Palisman?"

"Yes," told Eda the truth. "Way better than an ordinary wand. But you can't get that one either, I mean not that fast. Palismen are a great responsibility."

"I better learn how to use magic first before trying to make my own Palisman and create my own destiny."

"Or your own fate," suggested Catra jokingly. "Fate tastes better than destiny."

Osran was standing before one of his only two superiors. Here, in the chambers of the Oracle Coven, his own bureau to be exact.

The office of the Oracle Coven Head was a room any good Oracle Witch should have, filled with tomes about the mythical arts of scrying colored in mysterious purple tones, while some crystal balls, crystal quadrats, crystal pyramids, crystal rectangle, crystal pentagons, crystal hexagons, crystal octagon and crystal rectangular prisms on the shelves. Banner with the symbol of the oracle coven hang from the ceiling and the walls, while mystical blue flames came from fireplaces on small pillars and green flames came from torches on the walls. The room itself was of a red tone and of course filled with mystical glowing symbols drawn on the walls and the ceiling. The floor presented nice carpets with magical runes on them while the desk in this office was made out of purple opal, expensive looking yet not that special or valuable on the Boiling Isles.

"They actually called the authorities?"

"Yes, milady. I went over and gathered the criminal, bringing them to a guard station. He turned out to be a very small demon, a octopi-type with an affinity for illusion magic but also the use of abomination ooze. This guy is not a very impressive crock, sold potions, tricked young people and was a scam artist."

"Sounds like somebody I know. But this somebody is impressive and her schemes are better thought through. This Adegast couldn't have defeated her even if he had the upper hand. He would have lost it."

Osran nodded in response. "There is somebody new with the Owl Lady. A human girl, a teenager. We don't know why Edalyn has a human with her now."

The witch with the raven-black hair reacted to this with her usual stoic expression. "Whatever the case it is not of much importance right now. What is important that this Wild Witch was captured."

"Mistress Clawthorne, don't you want to know how the Owl Lady is doing?"

"That is of no importance right now. Let us talk about the current forecasts of your Coven. First and foremost: What did you and your Coven learn about the recent new objects that arrived at the Boiling Isles?"

Osran took a report from his desk and started to read it. "I was informed by Oracle-Research Team Emmet that the objects are strange, made of materials we haven't seen on the Boiling Isles before."

"Materials that only come from earth then?"

"No, it seems these materials are made from things not found on earth," explained Osran in a ominous tone."

"Did your Oracle witches try to pinpoint their origin with their powers of clairvoyance?" asked Lilith.

"Yes, milady."

"The results?"

"These objects showed us places and people who are neither from earth nor from the demon realm," reported Osran. "These objects are not from worlds known to us."

Chapter over, go home.

Aside from that: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I take to long to write this stuff done but I try to do my best when it comes to quality. I hope this was quality in your eyes my dear readers. I am still figuring things out.

I hope you will return for more Owl House/She-Ra action.

Until next time!