The Daily Lives of The Owl Familia: P2:
A Human Vet and A Griffin Cub
Summary: While taking a tour of Luz's magic school, something unexpected happens to Camila.
Timeline: Two days after Camila and Vee moved to the Demon Realm.
Camila was trying her hardest not to be disturbed by everything around her. She was taking a tour of Luz's magic school, and everything was a lot to take in. It didn't help matters when she saw a locker open its mouth and a student put her hands in it.
It has taken every ounce of her willpower not to jump and scream for the student to stop.
Camila sighed under her breath and looked at her daughter. She smiled at Luz, who was talking a mile a minute, happy to share this part of her new life with her mom.
Camila sighed again and tried to let her unease go. After all, this school might be the one she enrolls Vee in. So, she needed to keep an open mind.
Luz stopped at a classroom and looked at her mother as her smile grew tenfold.
"You're going to love this one, Mami," the human witch cheerfully said.
Camila cocked an eyebrow as Luz opened the door. The human vet gasped in wonder; the entire room was filled with creatures from across the Boiling Isles.
However, her attention was drawn to a small pen in a corner. She became transfixed on the creature and walked up to the enclosure. It was a griffin cub, and she frowned as she noticed something; the cub was itching its neck rather fiercely.
The human vet reached out to touch the cub gingerly.
"I would advice against that," a male voice said firmly. "This cub hatched a few weeks ago, and it's still skittish around those it doesn't know."
Camila looked to her right and saw a middle-aged witch walking toward her. She noticed the kind but somewhat tired eyes the witch was sporting and couldn't help but sympathize with him; she understood all too well how hard it can be working with animals.
"You must be Miss Noceda-Clawthorne's human mother," the teacher said politely.
"Si," Camila replied and offered her head. "Camilia Noceda."
The teacher went to shake the human's hand when they both heard a noise. The human and witch looked at the cub, and the witch frowned as the cub tried to couch up some spiders.
The human vet couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with the cub. She wasn't the only one; the witch looked at the cub worryingly and sighed.
"Is something wrong with the cub?" Camila asked curiously.
The teacher sighed and looked at the human. "Unfortunately, I don't know. I just gave her the spider nest she needed to gain her spider-breath, and she's having trouble making it a part of her."
Camila was confused; she remembered Luz telling her that Griffin cubs eat a magical spider nest to gain their spider breath while they walked to the school. So, she figured the griffin's body was built for so such things.
So, she had to wonder why this cub was having problems.
Camila looked at the cub again and noticed it scratching its neck again. She frowned as she looked at the teacher.
"I know I am no expert, but may I look at the cub?" she asked carefully.
The teacher looked at the human uncertain and then looked at Luz. The human witch smiled in a way that told her teacher he could trust her mother.
The teacher sighed and nodded at the human with a tired smile.
Camila returned the gesture and turned her attention to the cub. She opened and stepped into the pen, the cub too busy itching itself to know what was happening. She slowly got down on her knees and offered the cub her hand.
The cub finally noticed the human near it and grew tense. Camila continued holding her hand out and offered the cub a smile. The cub sensed no malice from the creature and slowly approached the human.
Camila's smile grew when the cub began sniffing her hand and gently touched the cub's neck with her other hand. She frowned as she felt the cub's neck wasn't just irritated from all the scratching it was doing; it was swollen.
The cub's swollen neck reminded the vet about an animal she looked at not too long ago.
Camila suddenly gasped; she believed she figured out what might be wrong with the cub. She gently scooped it into her hands and looked at the teacher.
"I think….this little one might have an infection," she spoke seriously.
The teacher was skeptical, but he did create a spell circle. Camila cruddled the cub as the teacher's glowing hand hovered over it.
"Titan, I must be getting old," he gasped, then looked at Camila. "You're right. I missed a small patch of mold when I gave the cub her nest."
Camila frowned and looked down at the cub. The baby griffin was scratching its neck again. She looked at the teacher with a look.
"Is she going to be okay?" she asked in concern.
The beast-keeper teacher offered the human vet a gentle smile. "Thanks to you, Mrs. Noceda, we caught the infection before it could process. I will have someone in the potion track brew an anti-infection potion, and this one should be good in a few days."
Luz, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout the exchange, suddenly squealed.
"I can do it! I can do it!" she said excitedly. "I just learned how to make one!"
The human witch ran out of the room before anyone could stop her. Both Camila and the Teacher just shook their heads at the display.
"Mija…" Camila sighed fondly and looked at the teacher, "she's not going to get into trouble for this?"
"Certain not," the teacher said with a chuckle. "I will give her extra credit for my class. But I must say, I now can see where your daughter gets her love for beasts from, Mrs. Noceda. You should be proud; she's one of my best students."
Camila gave the teacher a bashful smile and then looked down at the cub in her arms. She began rocking the demon beast as she sang a song in Spanish. The beast quickly fell into a light sleep as she and the teacher waited on Luz.
(M Corner)
You know what they say; like mother, like daughter. And next up, the moment you've all been waiting for, we're getting into the chapters where I revealed how Stringbean came into being.