Surprise update! My motivation was boosted thanks to all of the comments I've been getting for this one story which was a shocker. As a side, CotL's latest expansion, Sins of the Flesh, has been a blast. Don't worry, it won't change the rating of this fic and I will be cherry picking things that work and leaving others that don't. The fact that follower's lay eggs instead of mammalian pregnancy for example, really should had seen that coming, lol.
Anyway, enjoy this chapter! My next work will likely be on For Balance, For Honor's chapter. Have a good one, Praise the Lamb!
Boiled Lamb
~|o|~
Night gave way to day as the sun began to rise, casting its light on the Boiling isles, the rays illuminating the ancient bones almost to a glow while long shadows stretched to the earth below.
Along the shore of the right arm on the outskirts of Bonesborough was a small cottage. Made of white brick and a sloping, blue tiled roof, the domicile enjoyed its solitude under an aging tower. The weather vane creaked and spun in the morning breeze and the stained glass eye in the front of the house shone in the dawn.
Many would spy the mysterious cottage from afar, but never approach out of fear for its protective demon, its strength only matched by its ferocity. Behind folded hands and spoken in hushed tones, one would wonder and dream. What feats of the arcane could possibly occur within those hallowed walls? What mystical secrets did it hold?
But most of all, who were the ones who lived there?
A window on the side of the second floor slammed open and a swarm of winged serpents exploded into the sky. They flapped and slithered through the air as they were evicted with several wild swings of a broom.
"C'mon! Git you stupid flying snakes, git!" A young girl dressed in a dirty apron, gloves and mask cried, batting as many of the reptiles out the window with her improvised weapon as possible. "Get! Outta! Here!" She yelled, each word punctuated with a swift swat of another snake until finally the last one wiggled out in a daze.
Watching the straggler struggle not to fall out of the sky, the brown skinned girl puffed out her chest and thumped the floor with the end of the broom.
"And let that be a lesson to all ye invaders that Castle The Owl House is under the protection of Luz of House Noceda!" She smiled, pulling off the mask and gloves and taking a moment to wipe the dust and scaled feathers from her face. She breathed deeply and savored the crisp morning air.
"Ahhh, just another beautiful day in magical paradise!"
Luz took in the sights of the realm surrounding her. Almost a month ago, if someone had told her that she would chase an owl stealing her favourite book through a magic door and wind up under the apprenticeship of a powerful witch, she'd ask if they had too many pop rock packs and if she could have some. But here she was, learning magic in a world from her wildest dreams.
Just another day for the only human on the Boiling Isles.
"Luuuuz!" The girl jumped as an older woman's voice echoed from downstairs. "You done cleaning the attic yet or did the snakes carry you off? If yes and no, get down here, we've got a big day ahead of us!"
"Coming!" Luz called, dropping her broom and shucking her cleaning garb in favor of her usual shorts and hoodie. Her sneakers thundered off the stairs as she catapulted into the living room to meet with her esteemed mentor, Eda, the mighty Owl Lady.
Said Owl Lady was trying to stuff a pair of bulbous red clown shoes into an enormous sack filled with various baubles. "Took you long enough, I was only kidding about getting carried away." The witch joked, throwing in a "World's Greatest Floor Manager '' coffee mug into the bag.
"Nope! Didn't get coil nor fang on me! It's nice to know you were worried for me though."
"Sure, that's what we'll call it." Eda snorted, stowing away a cuckoo clock and a Topit!Toy.
"So you said today is going to be big, oh!" Luz gasped. "Are you finally going to teach me some more magic today?! Finally?!"
"Sorry kid, but no." She almost fell flat on her face at Eda's refusal, the witch tying the drawstring on the bag, hefting it over her shoulder and throwing a fist to the sky. "Today is Bizarre Bazaar day!"
Luz perked up at the odd name. "Bizarre Bazaar? What's that?"
"Only the biggest flea market and free trade event on the whole calendar! Witches and demons from all over the Isles show up to buy, sell and swindle their excess inventory and whatever crud is collecting dust in their basements. It's my most profitable day of the year where I get to offload a bunch of my "rare human realm treasures"." Eda cackled, almost drooling at her imagined profit margins.
Luz, while a little disappointed at not getting a chance to learn more magic (again), was buzzing with excitement. "Seriously?! A huge witch street sale?! Oh man, this'll be so cool!"
"Not so fast kiddo." Eda wagged her finger. "You're not leaving my side today."
Luz made a double take, sputtering in disbelief. "What?! But why?!"
"Bizarre Bazaar draws in the most suckers out of any other selling day, I need you to help me push product. The fact that you actually know what all of this stuff is will double the moolah!"
Luz fell to her knees, hopes of magical world adventures shattering all around her. "But Edaaaaa…" She whined.
"Don't feel too bad Luz…" Another voice interjected and she turned to see the fluffy, skull adorned form of King enter, his yellow eyes narrowed at Eda in annoyance. "She never lets me run around at the BB fair either."
"That's because you're liable to be mistaken for a stuffed animal and sold to some snot nosed kid, which I couldn't stand! If someone is going to make money off you, it's me." The witch shot back. "Not to mention there's the Inter-isle Traders Guild. Been shirking their licensing fees for years, don't want them taking you as collateral. Speaking of, Hooty!" She snapped her fingers and the front door swung open by itself. The round owl face of the House Demon on the outside, ever eager to please, beamed expectantly.
"Hoot hoo-boy! It's Hooty's time to shiiine! HOOT!" He hollered.
"It's BB day, so if anyone shows up, you know what to do!" Eda ordered.
"Yup! Make them a cup of tea!"
"What?"
"Pummel 'em, I said pummel 'em, hoot hoot!"
"That's what I thought." She mumbled and turned back to Luz and King. "Well come on youngsters! This human junk won't sell itself! Grab a bag and let's take off!" She cheered, lugging her merchandise over her shoulder and stepping outside.
Luz and King shared a look of resignation. There was no stopping Eda when she was like this.
"Don't worry King, I'm sure she'll let us have some fun too."
"Yeah, and I can reach the top shelf. She's never let me out of her sight at Bizarre Bazaar."
Luz smiled and pointed at herself. "Sure, but you've never had me here before!" She lifted another bag over her shoulder. "I've learned how to needle and beg at my Mom to get what I wanted since I was a kid! When I was as tall as you, I could convince her to let me get away with murder!"
"Wait really?!" King's eyes widened and his tail wagged adorably. "Who were they? How many? Where did you put the bodies?"
"Woah, hey, just a figure of speech!" She laughed nervously, trying not to tip over from the weight on her back. "Just let me work the ol' charm and Eda will let us run around before the day is out!"
~|o|~
"Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease Eda!"
"Nice needling kid. You've got good technique. But I was thirteen once too."
"I'm fourteen!"
"Same diff." Eda waved her off handing a patron their kazoo. It had been three hours since they had arrived at the Bizarre Bazaar. They had been super early according to Eda, but even then half the street had already been claimed by dozens of other stalls, it was a miracle that they got a spot that the witch was satisfied with.
For someone who called herself a "bad girl", Eda was exceptionally serious about her business and making money.
Which resulted in Luz making zero success in making her budge.
Luz was dying on the inside. All around her were stalls selling all kinds of mystifying, wondrous and down right absurd goods like some kind of festival scene from one of her favourite books or fantasy anime. (Like Holler's Walking Fortress, yeah that one was awesome.)
But instead of exploring and seeing what the isles had to offer, she was stuck behind the table, identifying and retrieving garbage from the human realm for Eda to sell.
"Come onnnnn Eda! You can't expect me to just sit here and do nothing! There's so much cool stuff out there!"
"Give it up Luz, you're just going to have to accept that Eda isn't the cool mentor you hoped she was." King muttered, dangling his feet over the edge with his head in his hands.
"Hey, I resent that!" The witch protested. "You wanted to be in a magical world and now you are in the thick of it!"
"Yeah, but part of my hopes was that I'd actually get to, yknow, interact with it?" Luz shot back.
"What are you talking about? You've learned magic since getting here."
"Yeah, just one spell and I had to figure it out on my own! I keep asking you to teach me more, but you keep finding ways to dodge the question!"
"Can I help it if I need to make a living? Elixir doesn't come cheap you know! Now keep the stuff coming! I don't see him, but I know that grasshopper guy is around here somewhere. Customer pinching bug." Eda muttered spitefully, making Luz grumble a little. She had a point as far as needing to afford elixir, last time she ran out had been… grisly. But surely it didn't have to come at the cost of going on adventures?
"I just figured that it's been so long since our last lesson that you'd let me have a little fun, not stuck behind the counter selling knick knacks."
"Don't be ridiculous Luz! These are "exotic human treasures"! The knick knacks are over there." Eda jabbed a finger down the street to another vendor labeled "Knick Knack Nook". "Hand me that torture device, will you?"
Luz sighed, handing Eda the requested mechanical cake mixer and slumping in her chair.
To the side, Eda paused in her business, her student's mood dampening whatever joy she had making money. She hadn't shown it, but King's words had stung. They ran around in her head and she couldn't help but remember the adults around her when she was the human's age, restraining her endless energy and wonder.
Surely she could do better than those boring has-beens, right?
She rolled her eyes. "Ugh… fine."
Luz lifted her head. King's eyes boggled. "What?"
"You two can run around for an hour, alright? I should be able to hold the fort that long."
"Seriously?!" King jumped to his feet while Luz sprung into the air.
"Yes! Yesyesyes! Thank you so much, you're the best!" She cried, both of them breaking into dance.
"Hold it!" Eda barked and they froze. "You can run around on two conditions. First, you get back here in an hour. And secondly, make sure to keep King hidden alright? You haven't been associating with me for too long, so the Trader's Guild thugs won't bother you if they don't see him. So be careful, got it?"
"Yup, don't worry, I've got the perfect disguise!" Luz said, picking King up, seating him on her shoulders and pulling her cat hoodie over both their heads. "Beware, the four eyed kitten monster!"
"Feel our feline wrath!" King crowed alongside her.
Eda smirked at the two kid's antics. "That should work. Here, get yourselves a treat and something shiny." She said, holding out a few snail bills.
"Who are you and what did you do to Eda?!" King demanded, pointing with his claw.
"Don't push it furbaby." She warned.
"She's right King, let's take the money and run!" Luz giggled and grabbed the bills, just for Eda to grip it and look her in the eye.
"Remember, one hour..." She warned, releasing it.
"Don't get in trouble! Got it! Thanks Eda!" Luz cheered, waving and running off into the crowd.
Eda huffed before leaning on her fist and wearing a weary smile.
"What am I going to do with this girl?"
~|o|~
"What WAS that?! I thought you said humans don't have magic but you just brainwashed Eda!"
"That my friend, was the guilt trip! The greatest weapon in a desperate pre-teen's arsenal! Use it wisely and never for evil!" Luz told King as they marched triumphantly through the street, weaving past other patrons and taking in the sights. She relished the opportunity to stretch her legs and find out everything there was to this Bazaar.
She understood Eda's hesitation of course. She was more than aware how much trouble her lust for adventure and discovery had gotten her into even before coming to the Demon Realm. But that was no reason to keep her and King locked up when the world dangled such mysteries in front of her like a carrot for a mule.
Her wonder was tempered (a tiny bit) through experience by now. She knew she couldn't take the Boiling Isles for granted anymore, after how many times something had tried to eat her or steal her various body parts.
She liked her skin right where it is, creepy skin merchant!
She was a hardened witch in training, facing harrowing trials and becoming wiser beyond her years! Author's Note: (Only some of that is true.)
That being said…
"Woah, what are those?!" Luz gasped and pointed at a bunch of sticks with plumes of multicolored fires flickering on the tips.
The bemused demon behind the stand smiled. "Fire Floss, it's a treat from the Knee. Want some kid?"
"Do I?! Wait, is it safe?" Luz slowed. She was still learning to think before letting her excitement carry her off.
"Perfectly safe!" The vendor plucked a piece of blue fire, popped it in their mouth and licked his lips "Only four snails."
"Sold!" Luz slapped the bills on the table. The vendor handed her a red Floss with yellow sparks and waved.
"Have a good one!"
"Thanks!" Luz waved back and walked away.
Mustering her courage, she gingerly reached up and grabbed at her confection. A strip came off and after marveling that not only was she grasping a wriggling piece of fire with her hand without harm (it felt like a warm piece of fuzz actually) she stuck it in her mouth.
Luz immediately moaned and did a little dance on the spot.
"Mmm! It's like cotton candy if it came out of the dryer! It's so warm, yet tasty like tooty fruity bubblegum!" She gaped in amazement and kept eating as she walked down the street.
"Gimme, gimme, gimme!" King whined, reaching out manically with his little claws.
"Just remember to leave some for me King!" She said, passing the stick up to him.
Yessir, she loved the Boiling Isles! It was moments like this that made her glad she didn't go to camp.
Luz's mood immediately plummeted a bit at that thought, the same it usually did when she remembered where she was supposed to be. Where her mother thought she was.
The guilt hung in her stomach like she had eaten more than two bites of edible fire.
Luz shook her head.
'It's okay Mami. I'll be here just for another month, then I'll be home and we will have a good laugh over it!' She thought, shaking her head and plastering a smile back on. "Everything is going to be fine!"
"Huh? Wazzat Luz?" King looked down at her, making her jolt. She hadn't meant to say that.
"O-Oh nothing! Let's just enjoy today and take some more pictures to show off!" She laughed nervously, pulling out her phone and started snapping with abandon.
A Camel-pillar ride! Awesome! Luz promised herself to get a ride before the hour was up! Shiny, rainbow colored mood crystals that doubled as oven timers, perfect gift for Mom! A mystery box book sale, promising prizes ranging from children's fables to enchanted tomes! Exciting!
Luz's hand was a blur, taking pictures as she spun in circles, blissfully ignoring King's protests from how fast she was revolving.
She just took a photo of a particularly macabre looking, living flowerpot that talked to your plants for you when her phone's screen flickered.
"Huh? What?" Luz came to a halt as the camera began to glitch even more, the screen tearing and flashing red while the speakers crackled with static.
"Ugh, I'm gonna be sick. What's wrong?" King asked, leaning over her head.
"Oh, nononono! Something's wrong with my phone! Come on! I thought I got you fixed! Don't break on me now!" Luz begged, giving her device a couple light taps of encouragement.
Thankfully the percussive therapy seemed to do the trick as the phone finally stopped flashing.
Luz let out a breath. "Whew, was scared for a sec." Then she blinked at what she saw on the screen and lowered her phone. In between the two houses on the side of the street was a shaded alleyway. An arch of golden moons and stars were strung up between the two walls, glittering and jingling lightly in the slight breeze. At the far end of the path Luz could spot a small, orange light glowing and dancing.
"What's this?" She said aloud.
"No idea…" King replied, tightening his grip on Luz's head. "I don't remember there being an alley here, do you?"
"Maaaybe we just missed it?" Luz hummed, then smiled. "Wanna go and see what it is?"
"I dunno Luz… Eda did tell us to be careful and this is giving me a weird feeling." The little demon muttered.
"Yeah, we'll investigate carefully! Besides, if that Trader's Guild or whatever is cracking down on Eda just for not paying her fees, I doubt they'd let anyone dangerous set up shop."
King shuffled a little on her shoulders. "Okay… but at the first sign of trouble, we scamper!"
"Like a bunny! Let's go!"
With that, the intrepid human stepped into the alley.
Immediately their surroundings darkened, the roofs of the adjacent buildings casting long shadows overhead. The Fire Floss acted as an improvised torch, lighting the way. The strange star and moon charms quickly grew in number, hanging off every conceivable surface. It felt like they were stepping through a tunnel made from the night sky.
"Kinda tacky decor. Eda would love it." King mumbled, trying to keep his wits about him.
"I dunno, I actually kind of like it." Luz remarked, turning the corner and stopping.
It was a deadend. Seated at the very back was a small campsite. A little, lilac cloth tent sat on a bed of matching carpets and rugs. Red candles were lit in random spots along the floor, enveloping the corridor in a soft, yet eerie glow. Various blue and purple crystals lined the tent amidst lit sticks of incense, making the air hazy and dreamlike.
But what drew Luz's breath was the tall, hooded figure nestled in the centre on a pile of soft cushions. A pointed cloak covered most of the body, starting at a warm venetian red and gradually darkening the further it went down. Luz couldn't decide whether it was made of feathers or autumn leaves with how it melted together so well. It took her a moment for her eyes to pick out their crossed legs and clasped palms, their form was so pitch black it felt like it was sucking in the meager light around them.
A long, pointed beak loomed out from the confines of the hood. The figure's head turned in her direction and she could just spy the glint of black, beady eyes peering from behind squinted lids and deep wrinkles.
The corners of their face creased into a soft smile.
"Ahh… Luz Noceda and King Clawthorne." His deep voice creaked. "The dreamer living a fantasy and the deposed ruler... you have finally arrived. The cards showed me, once. Ages long past." He tilted his head in thought. "(Or has that yet to be..?)"