A/N: Well, this chapter was a pain to write. Mostly because I kept switching up my ideas about how I was going to approach this scenario. I'd gone through quite a few before I settled on the one I've put here. It wasn't as big or dramatic as I thought it would be, but it acts as a nice little setup for later chapters and gives me a chance to expand a little more on Lizzie and... the other character in the former's own little adventure. Sort of. XD Once again, there isn't that much action in this chapter either as it's mostly build up and suspense, but Chapter 18 should make up for it. Unfortunately, starting from next week, things are going to be getting very busy for me consistently, so there is a chance chapters will be delayed from here on out. I don't think I'll get Chapter 18 out before then, but if by some miracle I do... huzzah. XD RL responsibilities have to come first, unfortunately. In the meantime, I hope this entertains you. Thank you to everyone who has been favouriting, following, reviewing and reading this fic. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. I'll now get into answering reviews.
Demon dark dezzo sangue: Oh, no. Don't worry. I wasn't criticising the length of your review. I was just surprised at how long it was. XD I very rarely get reviews like this on my fics, but whenever I do I always welcome them. It's nice to see readers engaging with the content of my story and commenting on the characters as well as the direction of the story. But yes, thank you for the praise for last chapter. Although I should mention that it's actually Luz who tricks Eda into leaving the Owl House. Lizzie just confiscates Eda's cards temporarily to get her to follow through with going to Bonesborough.
Chapter 17: Looks Can Be Deceiving
Nightfall enveloped the sky of the Boiling Isles like a dark blanket, bringing the day to a close in a blink of an eye for many inhabitants of Bonesborough. But when it came to the residents of the Owl House and the criminal underbelly of Bonesborough, the darkened sky signalled the start of the further events that were to transpire. Lizzie had never expected herself to be preparing to venture into the town she'd grown up in during the evening, where she'd heard plenty of rumours about the shady dealings and characters who wandered the streets with rare wares that couldn't be found in the marketplace during the day. Yet here she was, standing in the living room of the Owl House with her satchel round her shoulders, her cloak on and her hood up, ready to head into the unknown alongside her employer.
Upon returning to the Owl House, Lizzie had gone straight into her preparations, including packing her satchel with most of her potions in case they were needed. Normally, she would have kept at least a few spares in the Owl House, but because of where they were going, she decided it would be better to keep more on hand than usual. That didn't mean, though, that she wasn't going to leave any behind. It was a lot of hard work to replace her potions, especially when it depended on whether her ingredients had been restocked. So, she'd done the wise thing and locked the spares in the chest in her room temporarily, while also putting the key in a safe place. Luz could be trusted not to touch them this time, but she made sure to still be cautious about Hooty, who tended to be a troublemaker whenever he wasn't watched.
Although even upon their return, Lizzie had continued to notice Luz was acting rather strange. There were times where she was unusually quiet and frequently avoided the other residents of the house, and whenever Lizzie attempted to talk to Luz, she became jumpy and twitchy, responding with confused rambling and yelling before running off. The blonde witch couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, even as she silently observed Luz with her and Eda in the living room. But she knew there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. She had other priorities, after all.
Luz was currently sitting in the middle of the sofa with her legs swinging about, watching Eda slip her own cloak on and adjust the hood around her hair as she addressed the young human. Thankfully, Eda's current state had not escalated since their return to the cottage, but Lizzie didn't want to get too comfortable and take any chances. They needed to get Eda's elixir as soon as possible.
"All right, Liz—" Eda cut herself off and furrowed her brow at her own wording, prompting both Luz and Lizzie to stare at the Owl Lady with a wide blink. Eventually, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "I mean Luz. Sorry. Force of habit." Lizzie quietly chuckled before Eda continued. "You're going to be in charge while the three of us are out. So, all I ask is that you keep the place clean, you stay out of my room, and you make sure Hooty stays out of trouble."
And, as if on cue, the front door to the Owl House swung open, revealing a frowning Hooty. "Hoot hoot! Hey! I don't need babysitting! I'm a big boy!"
Lizzie rolled her eyes and placed a hand to her hip, grumbling under her breath. "Sure. A big boy who headbutted a tree chasing a bird."
Eda hid an amused smile behind her hand as Luz jumped to her feet and waved her hands about with a wide grin. "You can count on me, Miss Eda!" She balled her hands up and put one to her hip, using the other one to mimic a 'finger gun' motion towards Eda with a wink. "I would never betray your hard-earned trust!"
Luz forced a laugh and briefly shifted her eyes to look elsewhere, causing Lizzie and Eda to squint at the young Latina with pursed lips.
"You're acting suspicious…" Eda commented. "Are you hiding something?"
'At least it's not just me thinking that now…'
Luz hesitated for a moment and looked down at her shoes before shaking her head, her response hasty. "No, no! But clearly you are!" She pretended to have another scan of the floor and then shrug her shoulders. "Where's King hiding?"
Lizzie huffed at this and jabbed a thumb towards Eda's front with drooped eyes, giving Eda the cue to part her cloak aside with a grin of her own. "He's here."
King was revealed to be slumped against the Owl Lady's front strapped into a pink body harness, which had a pink belt close to his neck buckled around Eda's waist, along with straps that went over Eda's shoulders. He was softly snoring with his eyes closed, indicating he was sleeping. Luz tilted her head at the sight, blinking widely.
"Why's he there?"
"Eda purposely hides him so he can pickpocket without being seen," Lizzie explained.
"And… why's he asleep?"
Eda's grin dimmed down to a soft smile as she stared down at the snoozing demon, all while keeping her cloak held back in her hands like they were wings.
"He always conks out whenever he's weightless. Look at him."
To prove her point, Eda swayed her hips back and forth, making King's limbs follow suit like he was a doll.
"Aw…" Luz crouched in front of King when Eda fell still and gently took hold of his feet to move them around a bit before letting go. "He's so dangly."
"I still can't understand what it is with King and being weightless," Lizzie mumbled, turning to Luz with her arms folded. "But also remember what I said about my potions, Luz. I trust you not to try to open the chest and keep Hooty away from it, okay? Those spare potions are dangerous and if those vials break, they will do more than cause a mess."
Luz nodded stiffly and gave a brief salute. "Understood. I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." Lizzie stepped over towards the front door with a huff. "Anyways, Eda, we should get going. The sooner we get your elixirs, the sooner you'll be okay."
"Too right." Eda picked her staff up from where it was leaning against the sofa and followed Lizzie out of the door, with Luz slowly trailing behind them until she reached the doorway.
The two witches stopped just outside of the canopy as Eda spoke again.
"Oh, and Luz?" The Owl Lady slowly faced the young human with a glare, causing the smile on Luz's face to melt away and her shoulders to hunch, especially when Eda pointed at her and spoke in a low, threatening tone. "If you break any of your responsibilities, I will never trust you again."
Luz whimpered and backed up a couple of steps at this; however, she soon relaxed when Lizzie proceeded to flick Eda in the middle of the forehead, making the older witch cry out and retract her hand to rub at the affected area.
"Oi. Cut it out." The blonde looked back at Luz to see her tilting her head, prompting Lizzie to smile slightly and whisper. "She didn't mean that. She pulled the same stunt on me the first time I was left home alone."
When Lizzie gave her a wink, Luz giggled and relaxed her stance, appearing to be back to her old self for the time being.
"Ugh. Why'd you have to ruin it?" Eda grumbled, making Lizzie raise a brow at her.
"Because you shouldn't go about scaring Luz, even if it was a joke. She hasn't been with us long enough to not take what you say seriously yet."
"Whatever." Eda smiled at Luz with her eyes closed and a palm raised. "But seriously, no pressure. You'll be fine!" She smacked the bottom end of her staff on the ground to make Owlbert's eyes glow and his wings to spread out on either side of him, her next word coming out elongated. "Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!"
Hooking her arm under Lizzie's closest one, Eda positioned her staff behind her and seated herself upon it, harshly pulling Lizzie down with her. The blonde witch loudly yelped and stumbled as she landed behind Eda, quickly gripping onto the staff at feeling it jerk forward and rise into the air.
"Take care, Luz! We'll be back soon!" Lizzie tried to yell towards the young human, peeking back over her shoulder to see Luz with a toothy grin and seeing them off with a wave, her other hand to her hip. That was the witch's indication that Luz had heard her, and yet she could see Luz's grin was forced, even as the Latina girl got further and further away with their continued ascent.
Lizzie finally faced forwards when she and Eda were soaring high above the treetops and started their flight to Bonesborough, her brow furrowing as she tried to raise her voice over the wind whipping around them. "Do you think it was a good idea to leave Luz on her own? The last time we did, she ended up sneaking into Hexside."
"Pfft!" Eda waved Lizzie's concern off with a hand and roll of her eyes. "That was before she wised up to the dangers of the isles. Luz has proven she can be trusted. I'm sure she won't leave the Owl House."
Lizzie sighed and turned her gaze to the ground, watching the trees whizzing by underneath them with drooped eyes. A hand released the staff to rub at her stomach, with that familiar feeling of dread making her feel as if her insides had been flipped upside-down.
'I want to believe you. But why can't I shake the thought that something bad is gonna happen?'
The night market—The Demon Realm's version of the black market that only came to life in Bonesborough's streets after dark. Underneath the glowing red eyes of the skull lamps littering the streets and its accompanying stalls, caveat emptor reigned supreme, something Lizzie recalled Eda once telling her a while back. She had personally never been to the night market herself, and Eda had never divulged to her if she ever had in the past. But the one thing Lizzie did know was that the Owl Lady claimed to avoid the place due to sleazy and fraudulent dealers and the rule that customers were responsible for checking the quality and sustainability of products before purchase. But of course, desperate times called for desperate measures. Just this once, Eda needed to look past her own pride and do something she didn't want to do, which was why Lizzie stuck close to the Owl Lady as they entered the night market, passing underneath a torn and faded banner with 'Night Market' messily painted on in black paint.
King had since woken up before their arrival to Bonesborough, so he joined the two witches in scanning the stands while they waded through the citizens having their own browse, with Eda using her staff like a walking stick to support herself.
'Goodness…' Lizzie's gaze trailed over two signs she passed that read 'Abyssal Eyes' and 'Madman's Candles', keeping her arms close to her front underneath her cloak and gripping at her satchel. 'How are we supposed to find Grimm Hammer amongst all of this?'
But at least she could conclude one thing from this experience: the night market lived up to its reputation and rumours.
"You know, I'm really digging this ambiance," King commented as he took in the red lights shining underneath the roofs of the stands. "It's the kind that demands respect and fear of enemies and allies alike. I might steal this design for my lair!"
Lizzie responded abruptly without even looking in King's direction, her eyes still trained on the passing stands and people they were mingling amongst. "Great. Do your imaginary plans later, King. Our focus right now is finding 'Grimm Hammer'."
King rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, turning his head away. "Yeesh. Someone's stressing."
Lizzie sighed and ran her hands through her fringe. "Sorry. But we can't waste any time. We don't know how long Eda's got until she transforms."
The blonde witch halted at hearing Eda groan beside her, turning to see the Owl Lady hunched over and leaning against her staff to stay on her feet, breathing heavily. Lizzie's eyes widened when more black feathers sprouted on Eda's left arm from underneath her cloak, prompting the younger witch to move to her side and gently grip at her arm. She didn't know if it was the terrible lighting around here, but she swore Eda was looking paler and more wrinkled in her complexion than usual…
"Are you okay, Eda?"
The Owl Lady slowly shook her head, with King looking up at Eda with a furrowed brow. Her response came out breathless. "I'm holding up, but time is slimming. I need that elixir quick."
Lizzie frowned and took another glance at the market around them once more, her eyes darting between stand after stand after stand in a feverish attempt to find anyone intimidating enough to have the name 'Grimm Hammer'.
'C'mon. Someone here has to know where to find this dealer… Would be helpful if the stands' names and products could give us a clue.'
Eventually the blonde witch caught sight of a small, green-skinned creature's back dressed in brown rags and a headscarf underneath one of the stone arches of Bonesborough's bridge, leaning against a lamppost with an ominous red glow. The sight had Lizzie's conscience screaming at her to find someone else, yet she swallowed back her fear and approached the stranger, gently pulling Eda along with her.
"What're you doing?" The Owl Lady asked with a wide blink.
"Speeding this up," was all Lizzie said in response, calling out to the stranger before they'd even gotten to them. "Excuse me?"
The creature slowly turned to face the trio, bringing them to a halt at the sight of two empty eye sockets boring holes into their very beings, with a long, crooked nose nestled between them and a permanently stretched maw housing tiny, jagged teeth. Lizzie shuddered at the chill that slid down her spine and dared to take a step back, while King and Eda remained indifferent to the creature's appearance. Her earlier confidence had been knocked out of her like a punch to the gut; this creature looked close to resembling a walking skeleton.
'Oh, Titan…'
But the blonde witch knew she couldn't let this setback falter her. They were short on time. She was just going to have to settle in the likely case this creature could be useful.
So, after a quick deep breath in and out of her nostrils, Lizzie managed to bring herself to speak again, her query coming out quietly and a little shaky. "C-Can you tell us where we can find someone named 'Grimm Hammer'?"
Surprisingly, the creature responded with a deep hum and nod, briefly closing its mouth during this time. A tiny, green being with black, beady eyes and purple robes appeared in the creature's right eye socket and pointed towards the stands ahead of them, prompting Eda and Lizzie to blink widely and follow their finger. Positioned between a stand named 'Sworded Affair' and 'Poison Hut' was a stand concealed by purple curtains supported by golden poles, with a giant, horned skull with glowing purple eyes placed atop it surrounded by candles with purple flames.
'Well then. Those ominous decorations seem most likely to match someone under the name of 'Grimm Hammer'.'
Eda immediately walked on ahead without uttering a word to the creature, with her staff banging against the floor as she used it like a walking stick. However, despite her own issues, Lizzie had the decency to face them once more and give them a nod of acknowledgement.
"Thank you."
With both the creature and tiny being returning the nod, Lizzie jogged away to catch up to Eda, eventually reaching her side just as the Owl Lady stopped in front of the stand.
"Hey," King said as he pointed up at the horned skull. "do you think I was once that size, maybe bigger?"
Lizzie gave the skull a quick glance before shrugging her shoulders. "Who can say? It does look big."
The blonde witch knew very little about King's history before he met Eda, having gleamed bits and pieces from Eda and King himself from the same story Luz had been told when she'd first arrived at the Owl House. Yet she knew her lack of knowledge didn't give her the right to judge whether King was wrong or not. Maybe he was once a king of demons as big as this skull, or maybe he wasn't. Still, it wasn't her place to say, so she didn't discourage him from making his comments.
King let out an exaggerated gasp and placed his paws to his cheeks. "Oooh! What if that skull belonged to one of my ancestors?!"
The blonde witch cringed and closed an eye at that, slowly reaching over to give the little demon a light pat on the head. "Let's hope not. Otherwise, it would be really disrespectful to see a relative's remains being used as fancy decoration…"
Lizzie stayed close behind Eda while the Owl Lady took the lead in poking her head between the curtains and staring into the darkness, with the younger witch following suit while using a hand to hold one of the curtains back. At first, neither witch spoke, attempting to see through the darkness for any sign of movement. But when they were met with continued silence, Eda was the one who dared to speak up with a raised voice.
"Hello? We're seeking the one they call 'Grimm Hammer'."
A pair of huge ears atop a round head slowly rose from behind the concealed counter, exposing a pair of circular spectacles that had caught the glint of the light outside. They immediately responded to Eda in a cheery yet rough male sounding voice.
"I am the one they call Grimm Hammer…"
The curtains on either side of the two witches suddenly rolled up around the pole above the stand, causing Eda and Lizzie to gasp loudly and stumble backwards out of surprise. They stared with wide blinks at the exposed wooden sign above the now purple-lit illuminated stand which read 'Mud & Sundry' in bold but scribbled letters.
'What the…?'
"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" The same voice greeted in a friendlier and posher tone than before, which was quickly followed up by a pig-like creature with blue eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles around King's size jumping up onto the stand's counter with a wide smile. There were two protruding tusks coming from his mouth and a curly, red-barbed tail visible behind him. He was wearing an orchid vest, a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and a lilac bowtie.
Lizzie's jaw dropped at taking in the sight of the shop's proprietor, while Eda raised a brow at what she was seeing. Yet neither witch could will themselves to get a word in edgewise, allowing 'Grimm Hammer' to continue with his hands held out on either side of him.
"What can I get you today?" He stretched his tail down behind the counter for a few seconds before bringing up a small dagger with a black handle and red, zigzagged blade. "Perhaps a weapon from the Hinterlands?" He reached out his right hand for a small thread of blue and purple beads hanging nearby, which he held in his palm. "Or maybe curses from the Winterlands?" He released his two held items and put both hands behind his back for a few seconds, eventually throwing them upwards to reveal a small shower of assorted sweets. "Or how about some jellybeans~? They're lethally delicious~…"
Lizzie's eye twitched when she flinched at feeling the jellybeans raining down on her, while King's eyes glistened as he held a paw out to catch a red jellybean in it.
"Jellybeans!" He cried out happily and opened his mouth to eat it, but Eda (without breaking eye contact with 'Grimm Hammer') raised a hand to gently slap the jellybean from King's paw, making the little demon pout. "Hey!"
'This can't be 'Grimm Hammer', right?'
And apparently, Eda also shared in Lizzie's disbelief, because she was staring at 'Grimm Hammer' with narrowed eyes and speaking up after managing to process everything.
"Wait a minute. You're Grimm Hammer?"
"Indeed!" 'Grimm Hammer' replied, with his smile never faltering as he gave a brief bow. "I'm Tibblet‐Tibblie Grimm Hammer the Third." He stood upright again and put his hands behind his back. "But please call me Tibbles."
There was a brief pause between the two parties before Lizzie became the first to break the silence. The blonde witch hunched over with a snort and held her middle, being quickly followed up with King chuckling and pointing at 'Tibbles'.
"I-I'm sorry… This has gotta be some kind of joke, right? You're not 'Grimm Hammer'."
"Yeah! Who wants to be called Tibbles?!"
Tibbles remained surprisingly indifferent to the amusement from the little demon and young witch, even going so far as to rock back and forth on his heels a bit and reply to their mirth.
"I can assure you it's no joke. Grimm Hammer is a family name." Tibbles held his chin up and raised a hand to the ceiling of his stand. "This business has been in my family for generations, passed down to me from my father, and passed down to him from his father, and so on." Both King and Lizzie were quiet at this, prompting Tibbles' smile to widen ever so slightly. "You can believe me, my dear patrons; I am the one whom you seek."
The blonde witch didn't want to believe him. And yet, even as she took a moment to get a look at the random knickknacks and treasures strewn about the stand's shelves and counter, she couldn't deny there was a shred of truth to this creature's words. The one thing that stood out to Lizzie was the bottled concoctions lying amongst the products on display, clearly aligning with Morton's words from earlier that day. She swore she could feel heat rising to her cheeks the more she stared.
'Geez. Looks can be deceiving holds some truth here…'
"Now then," Tibbles continued, watching Lizzie clear her throat and glance off elsewhere before tilting his head to the side with a blink. "what can I get you folks this fine evening? Are you looking for anything in particular?"
Eda allowed a small smile to slip onto her face while she reached a hand underneath her cloak. "Actually, Tibbles, we are." She took out an empty elixir vial and held it towards the pig-like creature just as Lizzie's attention returned to the conversation, her smile soon vanishing to be replaced with a faint frown. "Do you know of this elixir?"
Tibbles took the vial from Eda and brought it close to his face to examine, lifting the label wrapped round the vial's neck to get a better look. After a few seconds of twisting the label from side-to-side, he squinted and rubbed at his chin. "Ah, yes. The curse-countering elixir. I know this wicked brew well."
Lizzie's and Eda's brow raised at this response, with the latter leaning forward slightly. "So, does that mean you sell it?"
"Indeed, I do." He put the empty vial down on the counter and clapped his hands together. "In fact, you're in luck, because I've just restocked it."
"You have?" Lizzie questioned with wide eyes and a slight raise in her voice, prompting Tibbles to nod and stretch his tail behind the counter.
"I have." He pulled up a full bottle of golden glowing elixir for the trio to see, which Lizzie and Eda both gaped at. "This is what you're looking for, yes?"
A sudden wave of relief washed over the blonde witch, resulting in her letting out a breathless chuckle and placing a hand to her chest. Her worries could stop. They'd found what they needed. "Oh, thank the Titan!"
"Hazam!" Eda cheered and quickly punched at the air above her head, turning to Lizzie with a grin and giving her a nudge with her shoulder. "Looks like luck is on our side tonight, kid!" The Owl Lady reached into her cloak again to fish for her purse, focusing back on Tibbles with the elixir still in his grasp. "So, how much do you want for it?"
"That'll be one thousand snails."
"One thousand?" Lizzie repeated with her voice rising an octave, taking a moment to process this before slightly pointing towards the back of the stand. "You mean for your whole supply, right?"
Tibbles shook his head and closed his eyes, his smile never faltering. "No. One thousand snails per vial."
"Per vial?!" Eda shouted while scowling and leaning forward with her grip tightening on her staff. "What kind of game do you think you're playing?!"
Lizzie huffed and placed a hand to her hip, grumbling. "This should have been expected. We are at the night market. They're notorious for ripping people off."
'Not to mention you'd probably do the same, Eda…'
The young witch decided to keep that thought to herself, with Tibbles turning away from the trio and strolling to the opposite end of the counter.
"Your witch companion is right, Madam. This is all in the name of capitalism, where everybody wins… except you."
Eda bared her teeth as Tibbles slid off the counter and onto the floor, lurching forward to slam her hand against the wood with a loud thump. "Why you—!"
The Owl Lady stopped when something moved somewhere to her right, prompting her golden eyes to land on a pile of Hexes Hold'em cards stacked on the counter. A smirk slowly slipped onto her face as she locked eyes with Tibbles' back while he headed towards the back of his stand.
"Say, Tibbles…" The pig-like creature halted at being addressed, but he didn't turn around just yet. "do you play Hexes Hold'em?"
King looked up at Eda with wide eyes and threw his hands into the air while yelling the Owl Lady's way, with Lizzie smacking a palm against her forehead. She hadn't seen the cards on the counter, but she knew her employer well enough by now to suspect what she was up to…
"Really?! Now is not the time!"
'Dear Titan, please tell me she's not about to do what I think she's about to do…'
"Oh…" Tibbles replied in a forced tone, causing Lizzie to squint slightly as he faced them and put the elixir down. He continued to speak while approaching the counter and taking the cards into his hands. "Is that where these are from? I've just been using them as coasters."
"How about we play a round and make this interesting?" Eda said, pointing at Tibbles with a smug smile. "If I win, you have to give me the elixir for free. All of it."
Tibbles climbed onto the counter and crossed his legs, shuffling the cards in his hands. "And if I win?"
Eda pointed towards her chest. "You can take something of mine."
Lizzie's eyes widened at this, while Tibbles closed his eyes and gave a wide smile.
"Oh, sounds fun. You're on!"
The blonde witch took Eda's own smile widening as her moment to intervene, placing a hand roughly on Eda's shoulder and turning to Tibbles with a finger held up. "Um, could you just give us a minute?"
Tibbles gave a stiff nod as he opened his eyes. "Of course. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."
Lizzie yanked at Eda's cloak to force her to move away from the stand, ignoring the Owl Lady's cries and struggles of protest until they were far enough out of earshot for Tibbles.
"Ow! Hey! Watch where you're pulling!"
"Eda," Lizzie hissed as she let the older witch go and placed a hand to her hip. "what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Eda jabbed a thumb in Tibbles' direction. "I'm about to wreck that greedy dirtbag at Hexes Hold'em."
"Are you out of your mind?" She poked Eda harshly in the chest, making the Owl Lady flinch. "Addiction isn't something to take lightly! Besides, you don't need to challenge Tibbles to a game of cards." Lizzie patted her satchel. "All we need is a distraction, King and my potions. One blinding flash later and we'll be fleeing with his entire stock of elixirs no questions asked. Pig won't know what hit him."
"Wait," King said with a wide blink. "I get to steal stuff?" The little demon grinned and pumped his fists against the air. "I approve of this plan!"
"Well, I don't," Eda replied with a frown, causing King's shoulders to slump and his head to hang.
"Aw…"
Eda waggled a finger close to Lizzie's face. "Firstly, I am not addicted to Hexes Hold'em. And secondly, while your plan isn't a bad one, I won't have you wasting your potions on that posh pig." Lizzie's anger briefly vanished when she snorted at Eda's insult, with the Owl Lady puffing out her chest and lifting her chin. "I've been kicking Owlbert's feathery butt at Hexes Hold'em lately and built up a winning streak. Tibbles doesn't stand a chance."
King crossed his arms and shook his head out of disagreement. "Nah. You're just looking for an excuse to play Hexes Hold'em."
Eda scrunched her face up and glared down at the little demon strapped to her front. "I am not."
"Of course you are," Lizzie said in agreement, glaring at the Owl Lady and waving her hands about. "It was one thing when you were playing against Owlbert, but you've just made a bet against a stranger. What if you lose? He might ask you to hand over something valuable."
"Pfft!" Eda waved a hand in dismissal and turned her nose up to the sky. "Please. It's called haggling. And I won't lose. Even if there's a chance I do,"—She tilted her head towards the hand gripping at her staff—"he'll probably just want something he can sell. Like my jewellery or my fang."
"But it's not just that." Lizzie pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed, eventually stepping closer to the Owl Lady's front and lowering her voice despite Tibbles being unable to hear them. "I think there's something off with Tibbles."
"Aside from the fact he tried to rip us off?"
The blonde witch placed her hands on Eda's shoulders and directed a quick glance over her shoulder at Tibbles, who was silently watching from the counter without shifting position. When he saw Lizzie staring at him, he only waved and smiled politely, making the blonde hunch her shoulders before focusing back on Eda.
"The way he reacted to you noticing the cards on the counter didn't sound right. He's a swindler, and I can't shake the feeling he knows what he's doing and is plotting something. For someone who claimed to not know where the cards were from, he was too quick to accept a stranger's challenge."
A cheeky smile slipped onto Eda's face, prompting the older witch to raise a finger and lightly poke Lizzie in the cheek while speaking in a mocking tone. "D'aw. Is lil' Lizzie worrying about me~?"
The blonde witch wasted no time in narrowing her eyes and swatting Eda's hand away from her face. "Eda."
"Okay, okay. Calm down." Eda returned her voice to normal as Lizzie let her go, a hand reaching up to stroke her chin with a frown. "But yeah. Now that you mention it… it never crossed my mind."
"Maybe because your mind is clouded by cards," King commented, causing Eda to lightly flick him in the middle of the forehead. "Weh!"
"So, what do we do?" Lizzie asked, her brow creasing. "We can't leave without that elixir. But betting against Tibbles also seems like a bad move."
"Not necessarily…" Eda grinned and moved closer to Lizzie, with the latter leaning a little away from the Owl Lady in turn. She did not like the look of that grin. "There's still a way I can play this round and have my back covered. After all, when the deck appears to be stacked against you…" Her grin widened as she placed her hand on Lizzie's shoulder. "…you bring out the wild card."
At first, Lizzie squinted at the older witch, wondering for a moment if the curse was beginning to mess with her mental state. But once the coin dropped… the blonde witch's brows raised, her face scrunching a bit.
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yes." Lizzie squeaked when Eda hooked her arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to her side. "You will be Plan C instead of B. If Tibbles beats me."
"Oh, yeah?" Lizzie folded her arms. "And how's that supposed to work? Tibbles isn't dumb. If I stick around or watch from a distance, he's going to know I have a way to worm you out of your deal. He might take advantage of his win to prevent that."
Eda winked and began walking back towards the 'Mud & Sundry' stand, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Then we'll just make it look like you've gone for a walk round the night market. Follow my lead."
Lizzie frowned in response to Eda's explanation, but she never got the chance to say anything before Tibbles greeted them upon their return.
"Still prepared to play a round?"
"Am I ever. But before we start…" Eda dipped her hand underneath her cloak and pulled out a round, green purse with a golden outline. "…here, kid." She faced Lizzie and held the purse towards her, making Lizzie's frown deepen. "Go fetch the other items we came for. You can find your way through the market without me, right?"
"Uh…" Lizzie glanced between Eda and the purse before slowly taking it between her hands, not yet sure what Eda was getting at. "Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather me stay here?"
"As much as I would like you to watch me shame this swindler, the elixirs aren't the only items we came for." Eda gave Lizzie a rough pat on the back. "Trust me. By the time you're done, I would have run this pig into the ground."
It was only when Eda gave Lizzie a sly wink out of Tibbles' sight that the blonde witch's eyes widened slightly, with her lips pressing together to prevent herself from gasping.
'Oh. I get it. Eda's providing me an alibi in front of Tibbles so I can make my leave without looking suspicious. That way, if she loses, he won't suspect me of bailing Eda out.'
With the realisation having kicked in, Lizzie relaxed her expression and gave a stiff nod, slipping Eda's purse into her satchel. "Got it. I'll meet you back here when I'm done."
"Good luck." Eda gave Lizzie a brief smile before stepping away and turning to Tibbles, preparing to reach into her cloak once more for her Hexes Hold'em cards (which Lizzie had returned to her after they'd left Bonesborough earlier that day). "It's not like I'm gonna need it."
Lizzie wasted no time in turning her back to the trio and striding away from Tibbles' stand, not daring to look back at either the stand's proprietor or her employer. She could already feel her stomach drop the moment she moved from Eda's side, yet she stood her ground with her arm wrapped round it.
'Eda's being idiotic. I bet Tibbles noticed Hexes Hold'em was a weakness of hers he could further exploit. But if Eda has enough faith in me that she feels I can come to her rescue should she lose… then I suppose it's worth the risk.'
Lizzie didn't need to plan where she was going. She immediately headed towards the bridge arch where that creature who had helped them earlier formerly was, knowing it would provide the perfect cover to keep her out of sight of Tibbles. She couldn't see any sign of them underneath the lamppost, assuming they'd probably moved elsewhere or left the night market. Either way, she ducked out of sight behind the wall and sat on the small wooden box under the lamppost, her green eyes drawing themselves to the ominous red glow it continued to give off.
'If she succeeds, she can take Tibbles' elixir supply without harm or foul play. And as a bonus, I don't have to waste my potions. And yet…' Lizzie tapped her foot against the stone, her brow furrowed. '… why would he agree to Eda's terms? Does he already have something in mind he wants to take from her? Because if so, that isn't a good sign.'
After a few moments of staring, the young witch groaned and rubbed at her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.
'I don't know if it's the celestial aligning from the moon conjuring's nonsense, but why is everybody acting so strangely today? First Eda and her card obsession, then Luz and now Tibbles. Is there anyone else looking to join my list?'
Her internal question was answered by a familiar deep, cold voice snap at somebody nearby, causing her body to stiffen at that same chill scraping down her spine.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
'No way… That can't be…'
She was tempted to look to her left where the voice had come from, yet that changed when heavy footsteps stomped towards her location. Out of instinct, Lizzie ducked her head down and pulled her hood as far over her head as she could, doing her best to hide her face from view. She didn't know if she'd been spotted or not, but she didn't want to chance it all the same.
'Oh, gosh. It can't be him, right? Please don't tell me he saw us outside Mr. Elixir today and overheard we'd be at the night market.'
The blonde witch kept her gaze to the ground as the footsteps got closer, her knees shaking slightly and her heart pounding in time with each step made. She heard the stranger hissing under his breath, the familiar voice further emphasising her suspicions.
"Stupid ogre. He has two eyes. Surely he can use them."
'It is him. Oh, Titan…'
Eda was currently locked in a game of Hexes Hold'em and King was still with her. She couldn't go to anyone for help. A hand went to her throat at feeling the palpitations slither their way up there, the realisation that she was alone with her stalker dawning on her. Didn't he originally say he was looking to have her sent to the Conformatorium back at the Covention?
Lizzie kept her gaze to the ground when her stalker finally began to stomp past her, her breathing hitching in her throat. She kept her eyes on his feet, which she noticed were wearing the boots associated with the Emperor's Coven uniform. The white cloak the coven guards also donned trailed behind him, further indicating he was in uniform.
'I knew it. He's on duty. He's seen me. I'm screwed.'
She closed her eyes and waited, expecting to be hauled to her feet or addressed by his condescending and sarcastic quips, just like he had done before. Instead, she was met with the sounds of his footsteps walking away from her, prompting the blonde witch to open her eyes with a blink.
'Huh?'
She slowly turned her head to see his white cloaked back heading out into the crowds of Bonesborough without having acknowledged her presence at all, his gloved hands balled into fists at his sides. It stood to reason that maybe he was too het up with his earlier encounter to have properly noticed her, and yet…
'It doesn't seem like this is related to me this time. Is he up to something else?'
Lizzie dared to peek round the wall at Tibbles' stand, where she saw the back of Eda's cloak as the Owl Lady stood in the exact same spot Lizzie had left her in. Tibbles was still sitting cross-legged on the counter, with both him and Eda appearing to be staring down at their decks.
They were both occupied and still in the middle of their game.
'Hm…'
Lizzie gave the area around her a quick glance before focusing her gaze on her stalker's back, who had since increased the distance between them but was still far enough away to be seen amongst the crowd.
'I know I shouldn't leave my post, especially because of Eda's curse worsening, but…'
Scowling and clutching at her satchel strap, Lizzie lowered her head and stepped out into the open, walking in line with her stalker as she made to follow him from a distance.
'…she should be fine for a little while. Until she finishes her game, I might as well see what my relative is up to. Maybe I can finally gleam something that'll confirm his identity…'
Lizzie had to admit… it was strange acknowledging their roles had been reversed. Ducking in and out of the crowds around her while keeping her target in her sight from a safe distance, all the while they remained none the wiser to her presence; she felt a small surge of adrenaline pumping through her veins at the action alone. From the very beginning, it had been nothing more than a game of cat and mouse between them. He'd been chasing her, and now she was chasing him. The thought made her smirk a little.
'Heh. I guess the mouse has finally become the cat, huh?'
Although she couldn't help but wonder why an Emperor's Coven guard would be wandering the streets of the night market in full view of its proprietors and cliental. The logical explanation to Lizzie was that they were purposely patrolling to catch anyone breaking the law. And yet, as she continued to follow her stalker and weave through the crowd, she noticed his focus was never on any particular stands or people. He was just staring ahead and walking straight, appearing to already have a destination in mind, one irrelevant to her.
It didn't take long before the coven guard broke away from the crowds and headed out of the night market altogether, causing Lizzie's brows to raise as she went to go after him.
'He's leaving the night market? Where's he going?'
She purposely slowed down to keep her boots quiet against the ground, allowing her to follow the guard towards the edge of the forest from a safe distance without him knowing. The moon in the sky wasn't at its highest point, but that didn't stop its bright light from bathing the land and lighting the way for those who wandered away from the town. Luckily for Lizzie, it meant she wouldn't give away her location using her magic, letting her traverse the path being taken without attracting attention.
'I don't think I've ever set foot in the forest when it's dark.' Lizzie looked up at one tree shrouded in darkness as she passed it, shuddering. 'Everything looks creepier at night.'
Eventually crossing over into the forest, the Emperor's Coven guard stopped a short distance from the entrance, giving Lizzie the chance to duck behind a nearby trunk and partially peek around it. Two short figures wearing brown robes and cowls to hide their faces were waiting for the guard a little deeper into the forest, standing beside a small, wooden, four wheeled cart with a large black sheet covering something inside of it. An assortment of loud noises (from squawks, to growls, to barks, etc) could be heard coming from underneath the sheet, causing Lizzie to frown as she pressed her palm flat against the tree trunk.
'What in Titan…?'
"You're late," the taller of the cloaked strangers said in a deep, gruff voice, prompting the coven guard to click his tongue.
"Is that any way to speak to the witch who hired you? Are all you demon hunters this rude?"
While the cloaked stranger merely growled in response, Lizzie's brows raised.
'Demon hunters? I thought the robes looked familiar.'
The coven guard stepped forward and held out a gloved hand towards the covered cart. "Did you do as I requested?"
"Yes, sir," the shorter cloaked stranger answered in a deep, chipper voice, a complete contrast to his partner. He patted a gloved hand against the side of the cart. "We rounded all of 'em up, just like you asked."
"Turns out their owners banded together to hide them before they were caught by the guards the other day," the taller cloaked stranger added, prompting the coven guard to approach the cart and lift the sheet enough so he could see what was underneath.
Because of her current angle, Lizzie couldn't see anything when the sheet was lifted a bit. That didn't stop her hearing the loud noises from before from rising in volume, now sounding more distressed. The coven guard chuckled lowly behind his mask and dropped the sheet again, causing the noises to die down a little in volume.
"I'm impressed. You did a job that the Emperor's men have struggled to do for weeks. You really do have your ears to the ground."
The shorter cloaked stranger and gave a salute and straightened out his posture. "Thank you, sir!"
However, the taller cloaked stranger cleared his throat and stepped closer to the coven guard, holding out his gloved hand and beckoning with his fingers. "Now, about our payment…"
The coven guard turned his head between the cloaked stranger and his hand twice before letting out a loud "Ha!", throwing his head back and wrapping his arms round his stomach as he did so. "Oh, good sir. It seems I've praised your efforts too soon."
The tall, cloaked stranger clenched his hand into a fist, his next words spoken with venom. "Excuse me?"
The coven guard slowly backed away and held up both hands, taking on a tone that suggested he was smirking behind his mask. "The deal was that you captured and brought them to where I told you."
The tall, cloaked stranger pointed towards the ground. "Which we did. You told us to meet you here."
"I know I did." The coven guard waggled a finger around. "But it was just to meet me, correct? I never told you to bring them here. So, technically, the latter part of our deal has yet to be achieved, so until you bring them to the Conformatorium, you don't receive your payment."
Lizzie's brows furrowed. 'The Conformatorium?'
The tall, cloaked stranger growled and went to step forward while rolling his robe sleeves up, only to be stopped by his partner grabbing at his arm. "Why you—"
"Cut it out! You'll get into trouble with the boss again if you attack another client!"
The tall, cloaked stranger didn't react for a few seconds, choosing instead to stare the coven guard down in silence. But then he snorted loudly and lowered his head, relaxing his shoulders and dropping his arms back to his sides. Taking that as an indication that he'd been subdued, the coven guard turned on his heels and started walking towards the entrance, prompting Lizzie to duck herself behind the tree and place her back flat against the trunk to avoid being seen.
"I'm glad we've cleared up that little misunderstanding, gentlemen. I'll be waiting for you at the Conformatorium with your payment, as promised."
Lizzie didn't dare to peek round the tree again. She stayed still and listened to the coven guard's footsteps as they passed by, with his retreating back eventually entering her line of sight while he made his way back to Bonesborough.
'Well, that was useless. I didn't learn anything about him at all, except that he is a jerk to everyone else too.' Her eyes drooped as she watched the coven guard go, deciding to stay put until the demon hunters had left. 'There's no use stalking him any further. I not only run the risk of getting caught, but I'd also be abandoning Eda. I'll turn around and head back once the demon hunters are gone.'
The groan of the tall, cloaked stranger brought Lizzie's attention back to the forest on the other side of the tree she was hiding behind, prompting her to listen in at hearing the wheels of the cart creaking and the noises from underneath the sheet intensifying again.
"I can't believe that guy!" The tall, cloaked figure yelled. "If he wanted us to go to the Conformatorium, why didn't he just say so?!"
"Stop complaining," The short, cloaked figure hissed. "We can't lose another paying job because you lost your temper. Let's just get these palismen to the Conformatorium and get the snails we were promised."
Lizzie smacked her hands over her mouth to muffle a shriek she was on the verge of letting out, her eyes going wide as she attempted to process what she'd apparently heard.
'Palismen?! Did I just hear that right?!'
But the blonde witch didn't have to wait long to get her answer on whether it was true. The moment the backs of the robed strangers and the cart came into her line of vision and exited the forest, she dared to lean round the trunk of the tree slightly to get another glimpse at the sheet. The side facing her had part of the sheet raised up, exposing wooden bars that were visible under the light of the moon.
A pair of amber eyes locked with Lizzie's wide green ones from behind those bars, emitting a loud scream that pierced through the other distressed noises around it.
