As promised, here we are with the next chapter. Parts of this chapter will shine a light on Hunter's mental state, and I think I've figured out how I'm handling the magic side of this.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Owl House or its characters. I only own this story and any OCs I throw in.
It was another day at the Owl House as dark clouds rolled overhead. Inside, Luz was recording a video, zoomed in close on King's eyes.
"And here we have the most fearsome creature in the world, the King of Demons," She said in a British voiceover impression. The video zoomed out to show King trying to tear a sock off his nose. "Facing his natural enemy, the ducky sock!"
Grunting, King managed to tear the sock into pieces, stomping on and punching the remnants. "Where are you now, ducky sock?!"
"And the winner is King of the Owl House!" Hunter cuffed his mouth, doing an impression of a sports announcer.
"So, why'd you call us here again?" Luz asked, lowering her phone slightly.
"Oh, yeah," King grunted as he climbed up a table. "Human Luz and Lost Witch Hunter, you've been so obsessed with witchcraft that you haven't learned anything about my kind. Prepare yourselves for…"
He ripped off a curtain to reveal a corkboard of photos of various demons. King then put on a hat and spun the cord on top of it. "Demons 101!"
"Whoa." Hunter breathed, eyes widening as he looked at all the different demons on the board.
"Demons like me are grim tricksters of the twilight, creatures of sulfur and bone."
Luz zoomed in with her camera. "And cute little paws."
King sighed tiredly. "And cute little paws. True. We live only to create chaos and misery. Our only weaknesses are purified water and passive-aggressive comments. Sometimes."
"Oh, you guys are sensitive." Luz cooed.
"Even demons have inner demons." The little demon said matter-of-factly. He tore off one of the pictures to reveal a snarling demon with a spiky shell. "The most powerful demon of all is the Snaggleback. He's a–"
"Bad boy!" Luz interrupted again, a colored filter appearing over the screen along with several stickers.
"Luz, pay attention. This information could save your life someday." King stressed as the human girl tapped on her phone.
"Yeah, Luz. I thought learning about weird magical stuff was what you wanted to stay for." Hunter remarked.
"No, no. I am so paying attention. This is my paying attention face." She made a serious face, nodding. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."
"You weren't making that face a second ago," Her brother smirked. Suddenly, lightning crashed, immediately followed by a thunder rumble, prompting the Nocedas to look outside.
"Uh-oh. Looks like it's gonna rain." King said.
Luz gasped. "I love the rain."
"Wait for me!" Hunter yelled as the siblings ran outside.
"Hey, wait." King tried to stop them.
Luz opened the door, exhaling as she twirled around, walking outside. Meanwhile, Hunter stayed on the porch to keep from getting wet.
"I always love feeling the first few drops in my hair." The younger Noceda said, kneeling down to talk to a flower. "I bet you do, too, little buddy."
Just then, a water drop dropped on the flower, making it wither and die instantly while Luz's eyes widened in horror. "What?"
"Boiling rain!" Eda yelled, running to the Owl House as the skies opened up. "Everybody inside now!"
"Huh?" Luz replied before yelping as Eda grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the house. She tackled Hunter inside along with them as objects crashed and clattered.
"Phew!" Eda sighed in relief from her spot on the ground. "That was close. But the important thing is you didn't get hurt."
Contradicting her statement, Luz was lying painfully on the floor, surrounded by what was left of King's demon lesson.
"Yep." She groaned as a cup fell on her head while King pulled himself from the wreckage. Hunter moaned as he sat up, rudding at his head. "Not hurt."
(A short time later)
Outside the Owl House, the siblings were hanging out on the porch while they patched themselves up, both having their hoods up. King put a bandage on a burn on Luz's arm, another on Hunter's arm, and then the little demon put one more on his snout. "Look, now we're boo-boo buddies."
Luz squealed as she fell over. "Oh, my gosh, I love you so much."
"Thanks, King." Hunter patted the little demon on the head before they looked at Eda, who was creating a spell under a force field.
"A boiling rainstorm on the Boiling Isles. The weather here is so fun." Luz commented.
"That's not the word I use," Hunter said, watching the rain destroy surrounding plants.
"Yeah, we don't have weather. We have plagues, gorenados, shale hail, painbows." Eda said casually.
"It's like a rainbow, but looking at it turns you inside out," King explained with his tail wagging. The siblings pulled the drawstrings of their hoodies closed.
"So, until the boiling rain stops, no one is allowed outside tonight," Eda instructed.
"And if the rain doesn't get you, the Snaggleback will." King pulled a book out of his hat, showing them Snaggleback images. "They wander the rain, feeding on boiled tourists."
"Cool," Hunter said, looking closer at the book. "Scary, but cool."
"Well, whatever the case, this force field spell should protect the house from boiling rains and made-up demons." The Owl Lady assured, taking the chance to mock King.
"Hoot! Well, hurry it up with that force field. That rain is getting closer to my precious stucco." Hooty yelled.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it." She used her staff to grab the light ball and stamped the staff down to the ground. A round orange force field engulfed the house, then shrunk to shape closely around it.
"Wow! Someday, I'd like to be as cool as Eda the Owl Lady," Luz said as she and her brother removed their hoods, matching Eda walk back to the house. "Magical, sassy, surprisingly foxy for her age."
Hunter nodded slightly, admiring the force field.
"Hey, why do they call you the Owl Lady, anyway?" Luz asked the older woman.
"'Cause I'm so wise." She answered.
"'Cause she coughs up rat bones." Hooty threw in, getting a glare from Eda.
"I thought it was 'cause of your staff." Hunter guessed.
"I think it's 'cause she gets distracted by shiny objects." King theorized.
"No, I don't!" Eda denied.
Not saying a word, King took out a pen from his hat. He clicked it, and the diamond on top started to glow. Eda's pupils expanded as she stared at the pen delightedly. "It sparkles and shimmers. It shines and delights. I must have it for my nest…"
She lunged for the pen, but King put it behind his back, and she crashed on the ground, groaning.
"You have a nest? I want a nest! Nest party!" Luz yelled, brimming with excitement.
"Hey, King, can I borrow that?" Hunter smirked before looking at the demon king. "Just in case she tackles me again."
He quickly placed it in the blond's palm with a mischievous grin.
Luz helped Eda up as the Owl Lady groaned tiredly. "Ugh. That force field really took it out of me."
"Uh-oh. Moving a little slow. Age finally catching up to ya?" King commented. Annoyed, Eda pulled his cap over his face, making the demon scream. "Darkness!"
Eda opened the door and tiredly walked into the house.
"This is perfect," Luz said, grabbing Hunter's arm excitedly. "Since we'll be stuck in the house all night, Eda won't have any excuse not to teach us a spell."
"Alright, alright, I get. Now, can you let go of my arm?" Hunter said. His sister let go of his arm and grabbed his wrist, dragging him after Eda.
"But don't you wanna finish our lesson?" King called after them. "I was gonna let you scratch a demon's tummy. Me!"
Luz stopped and turned to King. "Oh, uh, sorry, King. But… magic."
She then turned to follow Eda, leaving King visibly frustrated.
"Don't worry, we'll pick this up later," Hunter patted his head again. "But this is the first chance we've had to learn magic, and I don't know how much longer I can take being a witch who doesn't know magic."
King watched Hunter chase after his sister as his horn pierced his hat, making it deflate.
Meanwhile, Eda walked behind a privacy screen. She snapped her fingers, causing a glow of light as she dropped her staff. When she emerged from the other side, she was in her pajamas. She sighed as she lay on the couch, not noticing Luz's shadow falling over her until she realized the human was right in her face. "Ahh!"
"Oh, Eda, have I told you how rad your fang looks today?" Luz started to flatter her.
"Whatever it is, no."
"Uh, and your hair is like… girl."
"I'm not teaching you magic tonight. I'm sleepy." Eda said bluntly, covering her body with a blanket. "I'm a sleepy little owl."
"Please, Eda, please. How am I supposed to earn my witch's staff if I don't know any spells?" Luz pestered as Hunter joined her.
"No. Sleep." She covered her whole head with the blanket. The siblings looked at each other and smirked as Hunter took out the pen from earlier. Just as Eda got comfortable, she heard something click, making her gasp. "Sparkle thing."
Still wrapped in the blanket, she sat up and watched Luz click the pen several times.
"Oh, this?" Luz asked mischievously.
Eda tossed aside the blanket in favor of perching on the arm of the couch. "Ooh!"
Luz moved the pen tauntingly as Eda got ready to swipe for it.
"Nope." The human pulled it back at the last second, causing the older witch to fall. "Teach us one spell, and I'll give you your sparkle thing."
Eda gave them an unimpressed look. "I respect your cunning, but I also hate you for it."
A flash of lightning with a clap of thunder sounded off as Eda stood in front of Luz and Hunter while the teens sat on the floor.
"If you want a witch's staff like mine, don't make me repeat myself," Eda said firmly yet tiredly. She started to fall asleep on her feet before gasping to wake herself up. "Witch's staffs have power embedded into them."
"Gimme!" Luz said eagerly.
"Shhh!" Hunter covered her mouth to stop her interruptions.
"But before one is earned, every witch needs to know how to cast spells on their own. Now…" The Owl Lady threw her staff aside. "tonight, I will show you how to create… light."
She drew a circle with her finger in the air, which glowed orange. White light sparked in the center, forming a large ball of light. It descended until it was in front of the siblings' faces, where it disappeared, making the Nocedas gasp in wonder.
"Yawn! Who needs another boring spell lesson when you could be learning all the fun ways a demon could kill you." King called, holding up a drawing of a demon with giant teeth. "Look how teethy. Bite, bite."
"Be quiet. I need to focus." Luz said, turning back to Eda.
"Oh, now you're paying attention." Hunter teased, making her glare at him. Neither noticed the dejected look on King's face.
"Now, humans think magic is made out of thin air, but that's stupid. Everything comes from something. Let me ask you. Where do you think magic comes from?" Eda quizzed, poking Luz on the nose.
"Uh, from the heart?" Luz answered hopefully.
Their mentor stared at her and said, "Actually… you're right."
Luz gasped in joy and blushed.
"Seriously?!" Hunter exclaimed in shock.
"No, really." Eda pulled out a diagram of viscera for witches from her hair and showed it to them. "It comes from a sac of magic bile attached to a witch's heart."
Hunter cringed, putting a hand over his chest.
"Oh, gross." Luz cried before asking, "Can I keep that?"
"No." Eda shoved the diagram back in her hair. "Now, everything depends on the spell circle."
She then drew a large circle in the air. "The bigger the circle, the more powerful the spell."
The circle burst out, creating a much bigger light than before, and faded much faster.
"But how can I, little ol' Luz, do magic if I don't have a magic bile… sac?" The younger Noceda questioned.
Eda was silent for a minute before admitting, "You know, I'm not actually sure."
"What?"
"I know witches did magic differently in the past, but I never bothered to figure out how." She laughed with a snort.
"Eda!"
"Don't worry." She crouched down and ruffled Eda's hair. "You'll figure it out."
Luz glared up at her for messing up her hair.
"Now–" Eda stood up and cracked her back. "I need to lie down."
"That's it? Wait! I need to see you do the circle thingy again. I'll record it on my phone this time." The human pulled out her phone and started recording Eda. "Smile! You're on camera. One more spell won't kill you."
Eda groaned. "Fine."
She drew another circle, but this one came out shakier than the last two.
"Now, you see, the… spell circle is really key because–" The Owl Lady yawned as the circle disappeared. "Ooh, boy."
Without another word, Eda fell over and flopped onto the floor, passed out.
"Welp, looks like one more spell killed Eda." King deadpanned. The siblings yelped in horror and quickly rolled Eda over onto her back.
"Oh, my gosh! My obsession with spells knocked out Eda! I'm a monster!" Luz cried.
"Luz, calm down. She's fine," Hunter said, trying to calm his sister. "She's just tired, that's all."
King walked up to Eda and lightly slapped her on the face.
"Bap! Yep. She's out. Bap!" He slapped Eda's face again, laughing. "Just making sure."
"We should get help, right?" Luz said.
"Luz, wait–!" Before Hunter could stop her, she was running to the door. Thankfully, she was stopped by King grabbing her leg.
"Boiling rains, remember?"
"No, let her try. It'll be funny." Hooty said. King responded by slamming the door.
"But what if Eda's dead?" Luz freaked out, gesturing towards Eda.
"Shiny thing. Big nest." Eda sleep-talked before snoring again.
"Remember when her head got cut off last week? That woman can survive anything. She's probably just tired from staying up all night chasing shrews and voles." King stated.
"Well, we can't just leave her on the floor." Luz insisted.
King looked at Eda tiredly as Hunter sighed. "Alright, you grab her legs, I'll grab her arms."
A thunderclap later, the siblings were carrying Eda into her room, King following them. Luz tossed a small animal skeleton out of Eda's giant nest before they pulled her into it. Eda just continued snoring, oblivious to it all.
"Sorry for pushing you, Miss Eda. Please don't hurt me when you wake up." Luz said nervously.
"Let's leave her be," Hunter whispered.
"Should I bap her again?" King asked.
"Just let her rest, you little goober," Luz rubbed his head.
"Seriously, what's with all the petting today?!" King asked in annoyance. The siblings giggled at his frustration as they turned to leave.
"Come on. Let's go downstairs." The younger Noceda said as they walked to the door.
King watched them leave before he smacked Eda again. "Bap!"
He then ran off cackling.
(The living room)
Once they got downstairs, Luz pulled out her phone, and she and Hunter started studying the video while King returned to drawing demons on the floor.
"Okay. Let's do this." Hunter said to himself after watching the video again. He had stepped away to give him and Luz their own spaces to work. Hunter took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and slowly moved his finger in a circle like Eda showed them… but when he looked, nothing happened.
"What? Why didn't it work?" He tried again, but nothing happened. The blond tried a third time, but still nothing worked.
"Why isn't this working? I'm a witch, aren't I?! This should come naturally for me!" Hunter hissed in frustration, a flicker of sadness passing over his face. Luz's groan caught his attention, causing the older Noceda to look at his sister as she tried to draw a spell circle.
"This is all she does. Why you gotta be so cryptic, Owl Lady?" Luz said while staring at her phone, likely not noticing anything else.
"At least you know why you can't do it…" Hunter sighed to himself as he looked at his hands, wondering, not for the first time in his life, what was wrong with him.
"Hey, you know what's really cryptish?" King said, getting Hunter's attention as he stood on a pile of books. "Let me tell you about the most spine-chilling demon…"
He lifted up his notepad to show a fish-like demon he had drawn. "Smoochy-pie the Sweetie Baby! He's… Well, he's a lot more threatening than his name implies."
"Not now, King. I want to figure out this spell." Luz said, muttering to herself as Hunter rejoined them. "But if I don't have a magic sac, what's the point? I'll just be twirling my fingers around un-magically forever."
"Why do you want to learn magic so bad, anyway?" King asked, annoyed at constantly being ignored.
"I was a nobody back home." She explained as she sat down, hugging her knees. "But becoming a witch is my chance to be someone. Do you know what it's like to have no one take you seriously?"
Sighing, Hunter sat next to Luz and put an arm around her. "I know, Sis, I know…"
King sighed, too, as thunder rumbled distantly. "If I help you learn that spell, could we finish our lesson?"
Luz perked up immediately, putting her phone away. "Oh, yes, yes. You can teach me about demons all week if you help me learn this spell."
Hunter cheered up slightly as well. Maybe King knew what he was doing wrong… Or maybe there's just something wrong with you, the voice in the back of his mind whispered. Hunter shook his head and shoved it away, not entertaining it today.
"Well, she said witches used to do magic differently, so there has to be a way, right?" King quickly drew something on his notepad and then showed it to the siblings, revealing doodles of a bottle and Eda. "And I have a theory. Every day, I notice Eda sneaking drinks of this special elixir, see? Then she always gets a boost of energy, see? I think that's where she gets her powers. And I know where to get some."
"But didn't Eda say–" Hunter started to say when Luz interrupted him.
"Really?"
"Sí."
Luz immediately pulled him into a hug and spun him around. "Thank you so much. You're a prince."
"King. I'm King." He deadpanned.
"Right."
(Eda's room)
Flashes of lightning went off outside Eda's window as she snored in her nest. The door squeaked open, and King stepped in and looked around. "Now, where could it be…"
He noticed a bright orange potion on Eda's side table. He started sneaking over to it, stopping when he heard a metal clang. King gasped and quickly moved his foot as a trap went off.
"Ha! Nice try." He gloated a little too loudly.
Suddenly, the sprouted legs and opened its eye as it walked away. "Nah, my heart wasn't in it."
King continued on, scampering up a curtain to reach the tabletop. Once there, he read a torn tag attached to the potion.
"'An elixir a day.' Cryptic." He commented before ripping off the tag. "Nyeh."
He tucked the tag under his collar, took the potion, and hopped to the floor. He looked between Eda and the potion guiltily, making nervous noises.
"Nah." He shook his head before leaving.
(Cut to the kitchen)
"Just so we're on the same page, I don't think this is a good idea," Hunter said.
"Oh, hush, you're just being negative again," Luz said as she waited eagerly with an apron on.
"But how do we know that elixir's not some kind of medicine Eda needs?" The blond questioned seriously.
Before his sister could respond, King ran into the kitchen with the potion, climbing onto the table. "Got it!"
Luz took the potion and opened it. "Wow. I can't believe I'm about to learn magic. Real magic. This is historic."
Hunter watched nervously with a hand on his chin and mouth, hoping she at least didn't get sick. A small part of him hoped that if it did work, maybe it would help him.
As she slowly lifted the potion to her mouth, a clap of thunder startled her. She fumbled the potion until it smashed on the floor.
"Boy, I hope that wasn't something important," Hunter said as the other two reached for the floor in shock.
"Golden elixir. Gone! This is awful." Luz fretted.
"Who even needs a light spell when we have tons of lamps?" King tried to brush it off. Right after he said that, the lamps flared and died, casting the room into darkness. The only light was coming from the glow of the force field outside. The Nocedas glared at King, making him groan. "Hooty controls the house lights. He probably just fell asleep."
Suddenly, a crash was followed by Hooty's frantic cries, startling the group. "Hoot! Hoot!"
"Hooty!" Luz cried, taking off the apron as she ran, King riding on her shoulder while Hunter followed her.
"Hoot, oh, hoot!"
The trio reached the living room and gasped in fright. A shadowy beast had knocked the door off its hinges and made a mess of the front room. It left deep scratches in the wood beside Hooty, growling when it noticed the other three before fleeing.
Luz, Hunter, and King ran up to Hooty.
"Hooty! Are you in there?" Luz tapped his beak a few times and checked his eye, getting no response from the house demon. "Whatever did this escaped into the rain. What could survive that?"
"Oh, my gosh. The Snaggleback!" King exclaimed as his and Hunter's eyes widened. "It feeds during the rains. It must have stumbled across our house and seen us inside."
Then, something let out a monstrous howl. They went outside in time for the shadowy creature to jump through an upper-floor window.
"This is terrifying. So why do you look so happy?" Luz asked, gesturing to King.
The little demon squealed in excitement. "Because this could be a lesson. This would be a great way for you to see a wild demon up close and personal."
"Are you nuts?!" Hunter yelled.
"You want to go toward those creepy sounds? No way!" Luz exclaimed in disbelief.
"What if Eda gets eaten? She's upstairs and defenseless because you two knocked her out." King argued.
"No, I'm not putting my sister in danger! We don't stand a chance against that thing!" The blond witch stood his ground.
"No, Hunter, he's right. It's our fault that Eda's in danger. She wouldn't be in this mess if we hadn't overworked her. So, we have to be the ones to save her." Luz said with a determined look on her face.
Hunter stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine, but you stay close to me at all times. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
Going back inside, the trio prepared for battle. Luz pulled on rubber gloves while Hunter used a football helmet he found. King taped a pillow to his chest and Luz put bandages under her eyes like eye black before grinning. The siblings grabbed some hockey sticks, which King ran past in favor of grabbing Francois.
"Weh!" He cried determinedly.
Ready as they would ever be, the three approached the staircase, Luz using the flashlight on her phone to light the way. Floorboards creaked with each step as they went upstairs. They reached a hallway and stopped as the door to Eda's room creaked open, sharing a nervous look at the ominous sign. Tiptoeing closer, Luz opened the door, revealing an empty room and a shattered window as lightning struck again.
"Oh, my gosh. Eda!" Luz cried as she and Hunter ran to her nest.
"She got snaggle-backed!" King exclaimed.
"Oh, Titan." Hunter breathed as he surveyed the carnage.
"Eda?" Luz held up a damaged pillow. "No! Slash marks. King! You're the demon expert. I need your help."
"I'll go get my demon book." He ran out of the room and down the hall, not noticing a shadow snarl as it passed over him.
"Wait, wait," King soon returned, holding two books. "First edition or second?"
Suddenly, he gasped, realizing that the room was empty and the siblings were nowhere to be seen.
"Guys?" He dropped the books in fright, one falling open to the entry about the Snaggleback. "The Snaggleback got them!"
The shadow snarled again as it passed behind him.
"You craven beast!" King yelled as he chased after it. "Give me back my boo-boo buddies!"
He rounded a corner and gasped. A door creaked closed, Luz's shoe upside down in front of it.
"Luz?" King whimpered as he approached the shoe. Picking it up sadly, he looked to the door before glaring determinedly. Holding the shoe like a weapon, the little demon opened the door and entered the closet. He looked around until noticing a shadow hiding behind clothes.
"There's nowhere for you to run!" He declared, moving the clothes aside to find…
"Snaggleback?" Unlike his drawings, however, the Snaggleback was smaller and less threatening looking. "Wow. You are a lot shorter in person."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The Snaggleback stammered in fright. "I-I just needed a place to hide from the rains."
"Then why did you break down our door and take Luz and Hunter? That's not cool, man. Bad Snaggleback!"
"I–I didn't do any of that stuff. I snuck in through a window just now." The other demon insisted.
"Huh? Well, then what…" A sudden crashing sound cut off King's words as ceiling pieces came down.
"Oh, no!" The Snaggleback cried as a shadowed claw grabbed him and pulled him through the ceiling. "A twist!"
Snarls and stomps could be heard as King backed away from the hole. Something banged against the door, causing King to yell before whimpering as he turned around. The door creaked open, revealing the shadowy beast, still snarling. It spat out Snaggleback's shell and roared menacingly.
"Oh, my."
The beast began to advance, forcing King against the wall.
"Stay back!" King yelped as it got closer. "Hey, hey. I am the king of demons, okay? And as such, I demand you to barf my friends back up."
The beast screeched and raised a claw. King yelled and ducked as the claws scored the wall where his head was a moment before. The little demon ran from the room as the creature tried to squish him. He was far more nimble than the beast, rounding corners with ease while the beast slammed into the walls. King continued to yelp in fright while the beast snarled after him.
When King rounded a second corner, an arm pulled him into a room, the door closing with a squeak. Seconds later, the beast entered the hallway slowly, exhaling loudly. Inside Eda's room, King was being held by his savior as footsteps were heard outside while a shadow passed the door. Glancing up, the tiny demon realized Luz was holding him, with her brother beside them.
"Luz? Hunter?"
"King! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe." Luz gushed as she put King down, the siblings crouching on the floor.
"Where did you two go?" King asked.
"We were checking on Eda, and she was gone, and then you were gone." Hunter tried to explain.
"I also tripped and lost my shoe," Luz added sheepishly before realizing King had it and took it back. "Oh, hey, you found it."
"I–" King started to say before noticing something. When Luz raised her foot to put her shoe on, there was a piece of paper on the bottom of her foot. "What's that?"
"What's what?" Hunter asked as the little demon took the scrap.
"'Keeps the curse at bay.'" King read. He then gasped, pulling out the tag in his collar and putting them together. "'An elixir a day keeps the curse at bay!'"
"Curse? What curse?" Hunter asked.
"What are you trying to say?" Luz added.
"I was wrong the whole time," King explained. "That's no Snaggleback. That creature is…"
He was cut off when they all screamed as a clawed hand burst through the door. A body followed it, breaking the door to pieces. It growled as it turned to them, revealing a familiar face.
"Eda?" Luz cried in disbelief.
Eda snarled and stalked closer, raising a claw to swipe at them. Luz screamed as she braced herself, Hunter turning around to shield her. The motions caused Luz's phone to fall out of her pocket, and the camera went off when it hit the floor. The flash blinded Eda, making her scream in agony as she covered her eyes.
Noticing a balcony attached to the room, Hunter took the distraction to grab Luz and King and hide before Eda recovered. The cursed witch screamed when she saw she had lost her prey, and the sound echoed loudly through the house and the clearing around it.
Eda stalked the room, sniffing around while the trio stayed out of sight. Luz and Hunter had their hands over their mouths while King had his on his head. Eda seemed to smell them, growling and sniffing dangerously closer to their hiding spot. Thinking fast, Luz quietly grabbed a nearby can and threw it. Eda growled at the sound and chased it, leaving the friends alone. Once she was gone, they all slowly got up.
"I think it worked," Hunter said, removing his helmet.
"Oh, man. Did you see her eyes? They were like–" Luz snarled, pulling on her eyelids. "What happened to her?"
"Don't you see? The elixir I gave you doesn't give Eda powers! It prevents her from turning into that thing! She's turned into a nightmare, and it's all my fault!" King sank to the ground, hugging his knees. "I'm so sorry, guys. I-I just wanted you to be into demons like you're into magic. I don't have many friends, and no one even pays that much attention to me. I thought maybe if I taught you, finally someone would care about creatures like me."
The siblings stared at King throughout his confession, feeling guilty for ignoring him. Seeing him on the verge of tears, Hunter moved closer to the little demon to say his own piece. "King, we do care about you, and so does Eda, even if she doesn't show it a lot. And I did enjoy your lesson."
"Really?" King sniffled, looking at the blond.
"Yeah. Demons are interesting, and I was excited to learn about them, but when the chance came to finally learn real magic, I couldn't pass it up." Hunter explained, his own sorrows coming to the surface. "My whole life, I was always the odd one out, the black sheep. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. When I found this place and started to learn more about this world I came from, I thought maybe I finally found where I was supposed to be, where I actually fit in, and maybe learning magic would help me figure out who I really am… Maybe even give me a clue about my parents."
He then heaved a depressed sigh. "But, as always, it never works out…"
"What do you mean?" King asked.
"I can't even cast a simple light spell…" The blond twirled his finger to show nothing happening. "It's always something. Back in the Human Realm, it was my looks. Here, it'll be because I'm a witch who can't do magic…"
Hunter brought a hand to his face, wiping away the tears starting to pool in his eyes before they could fall. "I'm sorry. It doesn't excuse ignoring you, but I hope you can forgive me."
Luz moved closer to her brother and wrapped an arm around him in a side hug, giving him a discrete look that said, 'We're continuing this conversation later,' before turning to King. "I'm sorry, too, King. This is all my fault. I've been a bad boo-boo buddy… So let's finish the lesson."
"Huh?" He asked as Luz held out the sparkle pen.
"Eda's turned into some kind of demon, and we need to save her. So, who knows more about demons than the best teacher in the world?"
King's expression brightened as he pointed to himself. The siblings nodded, happy to see him smiling. He took the pen, then giggled as he jumped on Luz and Hunter to join the hug.
"Let's see," King began as he smacked some leaves onto the floor, drawing on them. "She was bigger, covered in feathers, and had giant black eyes. Demons with black eyes are usually sensitive to light."
He looked at Luz's phone. "That's it. Light! Luz, use your human wonder rectangle."
"I can't. My camera's all blasted."
"And I haven't had a phone for almost a month," Hunter added.
"Then… what about that light spell?"
Luz sighed. "You saw us. We can't draw circles in the air. We're not like Eda."
She began playing the video, hoping for an answer. "… spell circle is really key…"
Suddenly, the video started glitching. After a few minutes, an odd symbol appeared in the circle. Luz gasped. "There's a pattern in the spell circle!"
"What? Where?" King looked closer at Luz's phone, Hunter doing the same.
The human girl grabbed a leaf and the pen. "It looks like this."
She placed the leaf over her phone and began drawing over the pattern until she had it copied precisely.
"There." She tapped the pattern with the tip of the pen. The drawing on the leaf began glowing, causing the siblings to gasp. The leaf folded into itself, brightening until it was a small floating ball of light.
Luz gently cupped it in her hands, bringing it to eye level. "It's beautiful."
Thunder rumbled, and rain hissed as it hit the shield, but none of it mattered as the Nocedas stared at the light.
"Oh, my gosh. I just did magic." She whispered before standing triumphantly, King dangling from her arm as she said louder, "I just did magic! I just did magic!"
Hunter grinned as he got up, twirling his sister around in a hug. "Way to go, Sis!"
"Shh!" King hushed, dropping to the ground. "We're not going to stop anything with something that small."
A distant screeching made all three of them drop to the floor and cower, Luz covering the ball of light. "What do we do now?"
"I think I know how to get Eda back," Luz said, offering a fist bump to King. "Will you help me, boo-boo buddy?"
"Hmm. I'm kind of over that nickname. But okay." King fist-bumped her.
"Okay, what's the plan?" Hunter asked. Luz turned to him and gave him one of her signature mischievous smiles.
(Meanwhile)
In the living room, Beast Eda was still sniffing around. She pounced onto the treasure chest beside the fallen door, sniffing a book. Suddenly, a clicking sound distracted her.
"Oh, what lovely thing do we have here?" King said, holding the pen as he leaned on the door. "It's just so dang shiny. Oh, my. Oh, dear."
Eda stared at the pen's light, cooing with interest. Deciding she wanted it, she screeched and lunged for it. King made a run for it, with Eda following behind.
The plan in motion, King ducked down a hallway just before Eda slid on a pile of books and papers on the floor. She crashed into a wall, King cringing at the sound. As she began to get her bearings, Beast Eda gasped when Luz tossed a blanket over her head. She screeched in irritation as Hunter finished drawing a giant light glyph on the wall.
"Sorry, Eda. But it's for your own good." With a grunt, he slammed his hand on it to activate the glyph, producing a blinding light.
The beast screamed as light filled the space… Eda, back in witch form, woke up. She sat up, finding herself in her nest with a straw in her mouth. Turning slightly, she realized she was still partially transformed.
"Ahh!" Eda slurped on the straw, the gem on her chest going from dark to straight gold as she returned to normal. "W-What happened? Oh, I have the worst headache. And my mouth tastes like roadkill."
She started gagging before she retched on the floor. A giant owl pellet broke open, revealing Snaggleback, shell-less but alive.
"I'm just gonna… lie here for a minute." He mumbled.
Eda grabbed the potion sitting beside her. "Hmm? I was looking for that."
"Actually, we found an extra one in your closet." King walked over, surprising her.
"King? King!" The Owl Lady grew angry as she realized what happened. "You stole my elixir? I ought to break every bone in your–"
"Shh!" He hushed before pointing to a corner and whispering, "Over there."
The brother and sister duo were sitting on the floor, surrounded by balls of light, as they had a heart-to-heart about the conversation earlier. Luz drew out another glyph as thunder rumbled in the background, activating it with a grin as the ball of light joined the others, Hunter watching with a smile of his own.
"Wow. How is she doing that?" Eda asked as she looked up at the dozens of light balls in the air.
"I don't know, but she did it all on her own," King said before looking at the older witch regretfully. "Hey, I, uh, kind of messed a bunch of things up back there. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Well, you better be. I got a long list of disgusting chores with your name on it. But it's not entirely your fault." Eda calmed down as the siblings walked over. "I haven't been completely honest with you guys. When I was younger, I was cursed. I don't know exactly how it happened. All I know is that if I don't take my elixir… Well, that's why people call me the Owl Lady. No one likes having a curse, but if you take the right steps, it's manageable."
"Whoa. So, are you okay?" Luz asked.
"There's nothing for you to worry about. It's all under control, and as long as no one steals my elixir–King–then I'm fine. But, hey, look at this. A human doing magic. Good on you, kid."
"I had some encouragement from a great teacher." Luz smiled at King.
"Oh, you," King said bashfully.
Hunter smiled at them before looking at the floor sadly.
"Hey, hey! Is anyone there? Hello?" Hooty's voice interrupted them as they looked out the door. The house demon was awake and still where he fell. "Hoot? I'm on the floor. It's cold!"
"That voice. That horrific voice!" King groaned as he walked out of the room.
"We'll take care of him. You stay in bed." Luz said before picking up the Snaggleback. "Come on, you goopy fella. We'll set you free now."
"Ow, ow, ow. I think my tail was digested." He groaned as they left.
Hunter stayed behind, however, eyes locked on the floor as he drummed his fingers on his jeans.
"Something on your mind, kid?" Eda looked at him.
"Well…" Hunter started as he tried to put his words together. "Eda, have you ever heard of a witch that… couldn't do magic?"
"… Whatta ya mean, kid?"
The blond sighed defeatedly as he sat beside her nest. "I tried practicing that light spell you showed us but couldn't make anything happen. Look."
He twirled his finger in a circle to show her what he meant, and like before, nothing happened.
Eda hummed in thought at this development. "This is a first. I've never heard of a witch with no magic. Then again, I've never heard of a witch being raised by humans in the Human Realm, so who knows what kind of wrench that threw into things."
Hunter's gaze sunk further to the floor at her words.
"Mental and emotional states also play a bigger part in spellcasting than people think," Eda added, poking the blond lightly in the temple. "Let me ask you, kid, how well have you been handling the 'I'm not as human as I thought' thing?"
"Uh…" Hunter thought, not sure how to answer that. "I guess… I haven't. I've just been kinda going through the motions since that reveal. We've been here a week now, and I haven't had a chance to process everything. I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Mmhm," The Owl Lady nodded before touching his shoulder. "I say give yourself a little more time, kid. The mind, heart, and body don't always work in alignment. When the time is right, you'll find your magic."
Hunter looked at the older witch, smiling slightly. "Thanks, Eda."
"And if it turns out there is something, and you really can't use magic, it's not the end of the world. There are magic paths that don't require spellcasting, like potion-making and beast-keeping. True, having it is handy if you run into more lively ingredients or a creature gets loose, but magic's not the end all be all for a witch."
"Really?"
"Besides, look at what your sister found," Eda gestured to light orbs. "Do you think not having magic is gonna stop her?"
Hunter gave a short laugh. "I guess you're right."
"When am I not? Plus, with those glyph things that you two have figured out, who knows what you could do?" She smiled and reached out her hand to ruffle his hair a bit.
He laughed. "Thanks, Eda."
"No problem, kid. Now, I really need a nap after today."
"I'll leave you alone then," Hunter said and headed out. "Thanks again, Eda."
When the door closed behind him, Eda sighed and laid back down, closing her eyes… The scene then changed to a void with only Eda and a door with indistinct whispers behind it. "No, not this memory again."
The door opened. On the other side was a wavering shadow, two circles of light near the top, back-lit by pure white light.
"You! You're the one who cursed me, aren't you?" Eda demanded as the light got brighter. "Who are you? Who are you?"
Everything faded back to Eda's room, where she sat up in her nest with a gasp. She looked around before exhaling in relief.
(Down in the living room)
The door and Hooty had been restored to their rightful places. Luz was putting bandages on the claw marks on the door. "Welcome to the boo-boo buddy club, Hooty."
"Finally, I get to be a part of something."
Meanwhile, Snaggleback and King were sitting on the couch as the latter did some drawing.
"And then she had teeth in her stomach. Teeth in her stomach! Can you believe that?" Snaggleback described being eaten by Eda's curse form.
"Oh, yeah." King approved as he showed his drawing of the Owl Beast. "This will make a great addition to my demon book."
"That book is filled with so many interesting things." He commented, grabbing the book. "Like this. I'm one of the strongest demons on the Boiling Isles, huh?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to edit that." The other demon deadpanned.
"Oh." The snaggleback looked down.
At that moment, Hunter came downstairs.
"Everything okay, Hunter?" Luz looked at him.
"Yup," The blond nodded, honestly feeling better than before. He then turned to King with a smile. "So, King, are we gonna finish that demon lesson?"
"You bet!" The little demon jumped off the couch and met Hunter at what was left of his lesson board. The blond sat on the floor as King restarted his lesson. "Now, there are many different kinds of demons, but they can all be grouped into three types: Bug, biped, and beast…"
Luz looked on with a smile, happy that her brother was doing better.
I get the feeling that no matter what universe he's in, Hunter's going to have some level of issues.
Anyway, that's chapter five. There will be one more chapter update after this, and then we're moving on to another story.