"And here we have the most fearsome creature in the world, the King of Demons." Luz said as I stepped into the living room, seeing that there were books everywhere. Picking one up, I saw that it was on demons. "Facing his natural enemy, the ducky sock!" Luz said, where I looked at her and saw King tear the sock into pieces, then punches the remnants.
"Where are you now, ducky sock?" King questioned as he stood triumphantly over his defeated enemy.
"So, why'd you call me here again?" Luz questioned as I put the book down.
"Oh, yeah." King said, grunting as he climbs up onto the table. "Human Luz, you've been so obsessed with witchcraft that you haven't learned anything about my kind. Prepare yourself for..." King said as he rips off a curtain to reveal a corkboard of photos of various demons; puts on a hat and spins the cord on top of it. "Demons 101. Demons like me are grim tricksters of the twilight, creatures of sulfur and bone." King said, making me smile as I leaned against the wall.
"Talk about déjà vu." I said, where they looked at me. "I remember this lesson, saved my life against the inferno lord." I said, getting a gasp from Luz and a look of pride from King.
"What's an inferno Lord?" Luz asked as she looked up at me with stars in her eyes.
"An inferno Lord is a demon that is made up of pure fire!" King said as we looked over at him.
"That part is incorrect." I said, crossing my arms. "Their body is more molten than fire, and they use their body heat to create their fire swords to attack. They have a thin layer of something that prevents them from burning anything that they touch and are easily threatened. I killed it by absorbing the heat from its body, burning me to a crisp. Because of that... I was unable to fight back against the men in white." I said as I rubbed my face.
"Huh... guess I'll have to update my book then." King said as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Anyways! We live only to create chaos and misery. Our only weaknesses are purified water and passive-aggressive comments. Sometimes." King said as he looked up at a picture of people making fun of demons.
"Oh, you guys are sensitive." Luz said with a bit of a baby voice.
"Even demons have inner demons." King said as he tears off one of the pictures to reveal a snarling demon. "The most powerful demon of all is the Snaggleback. He's a—"
"Bad boy! "Luz said, where I walked forward and took her phone from her.
"Pay attention Luz, this could mean life or death." I said as I placed her phone on her head, watching as she balanced it.
"No, no. I am so paying attention. This is my paying attention face." Luz said as she made a face, nodding. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."
Lightning crashes, immediately followed by a thunder rumble. We all looked outside, with me knowing what was coming. "Uh-oh. Looks like it's gonna rain." King said in annoyance.
Luz gasps. "I love the rain!" Luz said as she got up and ran to the door.
"Hey, wait!" I called out as I ran after her as she opens the door and runs outside. "
"I always love feeling the first few drops in my hair." Luz said as she kneels down to talk to a flower. "I bet you do too, little buddy!" Luz said as I picked her up as a water drop drops down to the flower, making it wither and die immediately. "What?" Luz said in shock at what just happened.
"Not the kind of rain you want to touch your skin!" I yelled as I ran back inside with her.
"Boiling rain! Everybody inside now!" Eda called out as I put Luz down inside and held the door open for Eda. Once inside, I closed the door behind us. "Phew! That was close. But the important thing is you didn't get hurt!" Eda said as she looked at us.
Later
"A boiling rainstorm on the Boiling Isles. The weather here is so fun." Luz said in excitement, where we all stood at the main door, watching as Ed's prepared a protective spell for the house.
"Yeah, we don't have weather. We have plagues, gorenados, shale hail, painbows." Eda informed, with me groaning as I knew that a painbow was going to be something bad.
"It's like a rainbow but looking at it turns you inside out." King informed, with me nodding as I called it. Luz pulled the drawstrings of her hoodie closed.
"So, until the boiling rain stops, no one is allowed outside tonight." Eda said as she looked back at us.
"And if the rain doesn't get you, the Snaggleback will." King said as he opens a book, showing Snaggleback images. "They wander the rain, feeding on boiled tourists." King informed, where I crossed my arms.
"Well, whatever the case, this force field spell should protect the house from boiling rains and made-up demons." Eda said as she didn't believe in this Snaggleback.
"Hoot! Well, hurry it up with that force field. That rain is getting closer to my precious stucco." Hooty said, with me looking at him.
"I forget you're here most of the time." I told him, getting a hurt gasp from him. "It's a good thing, because if I do, it means most demons won't come after you." I said as I gave him a thumbs up.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it." Eda said as she uses her staff to grab the light ball and stamps the staff down to the ground. A round orange force field engulfs the house, then shrinks to shape closely around it.
Eda begins walking toward the house, where Luz looks on in amazement. "Wow! Someday I'd like to be as cool as Eda the Owl Lady. Magical, sassy, surprisingly foxy for her age. Hey, why do they call you the Owl Lady, anyway?" Luz asked as she looked up at Eda as she now stood before us.
"'Cause I'm so wise." Eda said with a smirk.
"'Cause she coughs up rat bones." Hooty said, with me looking at him.
"I think it's 'cause she gets distracted by shiny objects." King suggested.
"No, I don't." Eda said as she rolled her eyes. King takes out a pen. He clicks it, and the diamond on top of it glows.
Eda looks at it, delightedly. "It sparkles and shimmers. It shines and delights. I must have it for my nest..." Eda said as she lunges for the pen, but King puts it behind his back and she crashes on the ground.
"You have a nest? I want a nest! Nest party!" Luz said as she helps Eda up.
"Ugh. That force field really took it out of me." Eda said tiredly.
"Uh-oh. Moving a little slow. Age finally catching up to ya?" King said before he screams as Eda hoods his head with the hat. "Darkness!" He called out as Eda looked at me.
"I know why, but it's not my place to say." I said, with Eda getting a confused expression and then one of remembrance.
"After all these years, you remember." Eda said with a small smirk before entering the house.
"This is perfect. Since we'll be stuck in the house all night, Eda won't have any excuse not to teach me a spell." Luz said as she went inside as well, with me shaking my head as I remembered her words.
"But don't you wanna finish our lesson? I was gonna let you scratch a demon's tummy. Me!" King said, feeling down that Luz wasn't interested in his lessons.
"Oh, uh, sorry, King. But... magic." Luz said before turning her back on him to go bug Eda.
King was visibly frustrated. "His horn pierces his hat, making it deflate. It's ok." I said, where he looked up at me. "She is young, and doesn't fully understand that this world, both of ours really, isn't all sunshine and rainbows." I said as I looked over at Luz. "I was only two years older when my world was crushed. It will happen to her, sooner or later." I said as I looked down at my hands.
Later
"She really bribed you into lessons?" I asked with a smirk as I leaned up against the wall next to King as he drew.
"Quiet you!" Eda said as she glared at me. "If you want a witch's staff like mine, don't make me repeat myself." Eda said, yawning as she tried to stay awake. "Witch's staffs have power embedded into them." Eda added while rubbing one of her eyes.
"Gimme!" Luz said as she held her hands out to her and made a "give me" motion with her hands.
"But before one is earned, every witch needs to know how to cast spells on their own. Now!" Eda said as she throws the staff to the side. "Tonight I will show you how to create... light." Eda said as she draws a circle with her finger in the air, which glows orange. White light sparks in the center, forming a large ball of light. It descends until it's in front of Luz's face, where it disappears.
"Yawn!" King said, with me looking at him. "Who needs another boring spell lesson when you could be learning all the fun ways a demon could kill you." He said as he holds up a drawing of a demon with giant teeth. "Look how teethy. Bite, bite." King said, getting a chuckle out of me.
"Be quiet. I need to focus." Luz said, where I looked back at her.
"Please!" I reminded, with her looking at me.
"Sorry, please be quiet." Luz corrected herself before going back to Eda.
"Now, humans think magic is made out of thin air, but that's stupid. Everything comes from something. Let me ask you, kid. Where do you think magic comes from?" Eda asked, with me placing a hand on my heart as I remembered hearing this before.
"Uh, from the heart?" Luz answered as she hoped that it was true.
"Actually, you're right." Eda said with a smile, where Luz gasps in joy and blushes. "No, really." Eda said as she pulls out a diagram of viscera from her hair and shows it to Luz. "It comes from a sac of magic bile attached to a witch's heart." She said while pointing at the sack.
"Oh, gross. Can I keep that?" Luz asked as she held her hand out.
"No." Eda said as she shoves the diagram back in her hair. "Now, everything depends on the spell circle." Eda said as she draws a large circle in the air. "The bigger the circle, the more powerful the spell." She said as the circle bursts out, creating a much bigger light than before. It fades much faster.
"But how can I, little ol' Luz, do magic if I don't have a magic bile... sac?" She asked, where Eda looked to me.
"You got this?" She asked, with me nodding.
"What?" Luz asked as she turned to face me.
"Witches in our world use spell circles, drawn out spell circles. Naturally born witches use their sacks. But, if there is no power behind the drawn spell circle, it won't work. That's Theory number one." I said as I held one finger up. "Theory number two is that they are magically gifted, due to some cosmic connection with the world." I said as I held up another finger. "The final option, which Is confirmed, is bloodline ability." I said, narrowing my eyes. "Someone we all know is connected to magic this way." I said, with Luz looking down.
"Wanda." She said, looking down. "Why haven't you gone back to the Human world yet? Why haven't you tried finding her?" She asked, where Eda pulled out the key and the door opened.
"I have tried." I said as I walked over to the door and opened it, but when I placed my hand to go through, it was like I touched solid matter. "Something is preventing me from doing so, so I'm still trapped here." I answered, where Luz looked shocked. Luz walked forward and did the same, her hand going through.
"I don't understand... why can't you go but I can?" She asked, looking up at me.
"Something is tying him here, whatever it is, must be powerful if it is preventing someone from jumping dimensions." Eda answered as she crossed her arms. "Anyways, I know witches did magic differently in the past, but I never bothered to figure out how." Eda said as she looked up. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out. Now!" Eda said as she stands and cracks her back. "I need to lie down." She said as she walked away.
"That's it? Wait! I need to see you do the circle thingy again. I'll record it on my phone this time!" Luz said as she started recording Eda. "Smile! You're on camera. One more spell won't kill you." She said, making Ed's groan.
"Fine. Now, you see, the." Eda said as she started to draw a shaky circle. "Spell circle is really key because." Eda said as the circle disappears as she yawns. "Ooh, boy." Eda said as she fell.
"Welp, looks like one more spell killed Eda." King said, with me shaking my head.
"She used too much magic, it wore her out." I said as I picked Eda up. "I'm taking her to her nest, leave her be." I said as I walked away with her.
Later
Luz groans, trying to draw a spell circle. "This is all she does. Why you gotta be so cryptic, Owl Lady?" Luz said as she pulls out her phone and hits play on the video.
"Now, you see, the spell circle is really..."
King puts his notepad over Luz's phone. "Hey, you know what's really cryptish? Let me tell you about the most spine-chilling demon." King said as he lifts up notepad to show a fish-like demon. "Smoochy-pie the Sweetie Baby!" He said, before pulling it back and looking at it with a frown. "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 with her own frown. "But if I don't have a magic sac, what's the point? I'll just be twirling my fingers around un-magically forever." She said as she lowered her phone and looked down at the ground.
"Why do you want to learn magic so bad, anyway?" I asked, with her looking at me.
"I was a nobody back home." Luz said as she sits down. "But becoming a witch is my chance to be someone. Do you know what it's like to have no one take you seriously?"
"Yes." I said as thunder distantly rumbles. "For five years I was less than nobody to everyone." I said as I looked out the window. "No one thought of me, no one came to help me. Even when you broke in to get Kings crown, no one thought of me until you found me." I said as I looked back at her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to boast about it. That wasn't my intention. It's just... I've always wanted to be a witch, do spells, be the hero!" She said as she sat down. "I wanted to be like my idol, Azura the food Witch, and as powerful as Wanda the Scarlet Witch." She said as she laid down.
"One day." I said as I looked away from her. "One day, you will be strong enough to even destroy me." I said as I placed a hand on my heart. "If I ever lost control, and went on a rampage, I would want someone like you to stop me, a human with your heart." I said as I looked outside.
"If I help you learn that spell, could we finish our lesson?" King said as he looked from me to Luz.
Luz puts her phone away. "Oh, yes, yes. You can teach me about demons all week if you help me learn this spell." Luz said, where I looked at her.
"I'll make sure that you do!" I said with a grin while pointing at her.
"Well, she said witches used to do magic differently, so there has to be a way, right?" King said as he draws something and shows it to Luz. "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." King said, with me knowing what he was talking about.
"Wrong." I said, where he looked at me. "That elixir is for something else. Consider it medication." I said, looking at Luz as she would get how important it is for Eda to drink said elixir. "I won't hear anything else on that matter." I said as I stood up and left the room, going to my own to get some sleep.
Later
Hearing a crash, I sat up as fast as I could. "Hoot! Hoot!" Hooty called out, where I bolted out the room and towards the living room. Reaching the living room, I saw Luz and King looking at Hooty. Looking myself, I saw a shadowy beast has knocked the door of its hinges and made a mess of the front wall. It left deep scratches in the wood next to Hooty. It growled when it took notice to us before fleeing. We ran over to Hooty, with me stepping outside looking for the creature.
"Hooty! Are you in there?" Luz asks as she taps his beak a few times and checks his eye. "Whatever did this escaped into the rain. What could survive that?" Luz asked as she looked up at me as I could see it in the trees, and it wasn't protected fully.
"Oh, my gosh. The Snaggleback! It feeds during the rains. It must have stumbled across our house and seen us inside." King said as he pulls out his book and shows it to us.
"Everyone inside, go into your room and barricade yourself in!" I ordered as I watched the creature howl before jumping from the tree line back inside through Eda's window. "NOW!" I ordered as I charged for her room as she was in danger.
Later
Opening the door to Eda's room, I saw that it was empty. I closed it before walking over to the nest, I saw that Eda was gone. Looking at the nightstand, I saw that the elixir was also missing. Looking at the nest, I found feathers. Grabbing one, I pulled it out and overlooked it.
Hearing the door open again I jumped at it with my hand drawn back, ready to fight. I stopped once I saw that it was Luz who opened the door. "Stupid girl!?" I yelled as I got into her face, making her lean back in shock. "I told you to barricade yourself in your room!?" I yelled, looking from her over to King, seeing that they were "battle ready" in easy to break armor. Pillows.
"I'm sorry, but we were worried about Eda!" Luz said as she looked past me. "Oh, my gosh. Eda!" She said as she runs past me to Eda's nest.
"She got snaggle-backed." King said as he joined her.
"No! Slash marks. King! You're the demon expert. I need your help!" Luz said as she looked at King.
"I'll go get my demon book!" King said, with me stopping him.
"No! You two are going to barricade yourself in your room!?" I said as I grabbed them both and dragged them away. "The sooner that I know you're safe the sooner I can take on this creature, find Eda and end this!" I said with a groan. "At least Eda drank her elixir, it would be worse to take on two at once!" I muttered as I ran down the hall as it wasn't safe here.
"But... Eda didn't drink the elixir." King said, where I came to a stop at what he just said. "I... may have taken it from her?" He said, where it dawned on me on what was going on.
This wasn't some creature that was attacking, it was Eda transformed. "You fool!" I said as I looked down at him, followed by a howling sound. "The elixir held back her curse, and because of you, she is no longer in control." I said as I faced them. "Where is the elixir?" I asked, with both of them looking at each other.
"I... may or may not have... dropped it?" Luz said, with me bitting my thumb.
"Then there is no choice." I said as I bled. "I'm gonna have to fight her until one of us is knocked out or dead, or somehow find a elixir here as that was supposed to be the last one." I said as I looked at the shadow down the hall. "The last option is for me to run into town as fast as I can, steal an elixir and make it back before she kills you two." I said as I walked towards the shadow, where I saw her head picking through the side, looking at us with a large evil grin and large black eyes.
"But... it's boiling rain!" Luz said as her eyes widened.
"Acid rain." I said as I narrowed my eyes at Ed's as it walked around the corner, facing us. "Right now, the only option I have, is taking her down!" I yelled as we charged each other, where she jumped at me with a howl, slashing at me.
I caught her claw, her nails digging into the petrified wood. She slashed at me with her other hand, where I caught it. I leaned back due to the strength behind her, with me doing my best to push her back without hurting her.
I stood strong, now pushing her back as my his purple eyes gleaming in the darkness. I cracked a wicked grin as my blood started boiling. Eda, her wings now twisted into grotesque appendages, let out a haunting screech, her eyes burning of anger. She knew she had no magic at her disposal, but her determination to break free from my grasp grew.
Without wasting a moment, I pushed forward, my hands transforming into shadowy tendrils. I struck with lightning speed, aiming to immobilize her. Eda, however, was nimble and agile, her monstrous form giving her an unexpected advantage. Flapping her deformed wings, she evaded my initial attack and retaliated with swift strikes of her own.
My wooden hands clashed with Eda's twisted talons. The sheer force of our blows created a shockwave that reverberated through the house. We were determined to prove our dominance, to assert our power over the other.
My monstrous strength allowed me to hold my own against Eda's cursed form. My hands morphed and shifted, adapting to the situation at hand. At the same time, I couldn't help but respect Eda's cursed form.
Eda, fighting with every ounce of her remaining strength, refused to give in. She had endured the torment of her curse for far too long, and now, she might end it with her life. With a burst of determination, she lunged forward, her deformed wings slashing through the air. I, caught off guard by her sudden surge of power, found himself momentarily vulnerable.
Seizing the advantage, Eda delivered a powerful blow to my chest, sending me crashing into the ground and through the floor. For a moment, the house fell silent as dust settled around me. She had managed to land a decisive strike on me.
However, my indomitable spirit would not be crushed so easily. Rising from the ground, my eyes blazed with an unholy fire. I acknowledged Eda's strength and resilience, knowing that she had fought with everything she had. With renewed determination, I launched myself up at Eda once again, my hands morphing into monstrous claws.
My hands, now transformed into razor-sharp claws, tore through Eda's defenses, leaving deep gashes across her cursed form. Blood mixed with feathers as Eda let out a pained cry, her strength waning with each passing moment.
But just as I prepared to deliver a final blow, I remembered who she was. I was going to kill Eda, the owl lady, my friend. I paused, his claws hovering inches from Eda's battered form. He could sense her suffering, her longing for release. In that moment, I made a decision. With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew my claws, allowing Eda to collapse to the ground, her monstrous form staying there.
"You have fought well." I said, my voice laced with an unexpected gentleness. "But your curse is not one I can break." I said, where Eda, gasping for breath, stared up at me. She had expected death or eternal torment, not this unexpected act of mercy. Kneeling down in front of her, I grabbed her head. "I wish I could... but I can't." I said as I moved closer and sat her head down on my lap, brushing her feathers.
Just them, I was stabbed in the back. Looking down, I saw her claws sticking through. I was pushed down the hole again, where she let out a howl at my defeat.
Later
"Dakota!" I heard, with me opening my eyes and seeing Luz looking down at me from the floor above. "Are you ok?" She asked, with me closing my eyes and giving her a thumbs up. I wasn't healed, but I couldn't move well either. "I have a plan, can I use your blood? You kind of fell into my room and broke my chalk!" She said, making me groan.
"Sure... whatever." I said as I held my hand up and sent out the tendrils. I hooked onto the wood, pulling myself up to her. Once there, I laid down on the edge. "Use something to touch it, not your hands." I said, where I felt something digging into my back. "What's the plan?" I asked, looking at her.
"I'm going to use magic!" She said as she ran over to the wall and started drawing on it. "You were right, I need to draw my spell circle!" She said as she came back to get more blood. "You are going to be ok, right?" She asked as she went back to the wall and continued to draw.
"Eventually." I said as I closed my eyes and passed out again. Opening them again, I saw balls of light flying above me. Sitting up, I looked down at my chest and saw I had healed, with a bunch of dead leaves on top. Tossing them aside, I looked around and saw that I was in Eda's room. Standing up, I saw Eda was in her nest, a straw in her mouth, feeding her the elixir.
"Oh, you're awake!" King said as he ran over to me and jumped, with me catching him and holding him in my arms.
"What happened?" I asked, looking up at the balls of light.
"Over there!" King said, with me looking at Luz, watching her drawing and then poking the paper, turning them into balls of light. I was shocked. I remember her using my blood, but I also remember her saying she was going to use magic.
"Ahh!" Eda screamed, followed by her slurping the rest of the elixir. "W-What happened? Oh, I have the worst headache. And my mouth tastes like roadkill." Eda said, with me ignoring her as I watched Luz in amazement.
"I'm just gonna... lie here for a minute." A new voice said, but I didn't care about them as Luz was amazing right now.
"Hmm? I was looking for that." Eda said, where King and I looked at her.
"Actually, we found an extra one in your closet." He said, where I looked at him.
"Good job." I said, rubbing his head.
"King? King! You stole my elixir? I ought to break every bone in your—"
"Shh!" King hushed, silencing Eda. "Over there." He gestured, with Ed's looking as well.
Luz was surrounded by balls of light. She draws out another as thunder rumbles in the background. She activates the glyph, grinning as the ball of light joins the others. "Wow. How is she doing that?" Eda said in amazement as she looks up.
"I don't know, but she did it all on her own." King said as he looked at me. "Hey, I, uh, kind of messed a bunch of things up back there. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He said as I sat him down.
"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 said as Luz walks 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." She said, slightly smiling.
"Whoa. So are you okay?" Luz asked, then looking at me.
"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." Eda said, with me reaching down and rubbing Luz on the head.
"I had some encouragement from a great teacher." Luz said as she looked at King.
"Oh, you." King said with a blush.
"Hey, hey! Is anyone there? Hello? Hoot? I'm on the floor. It's cold!" Hooty called out, with me sitting down on the edge of the nest.
"That voice. That horrific voice!" King said as he started walking off.
"We'll take care of him. You stay in bed." Luz said as she picks up the stranger. "Come on, you goopy fella. We'll set you free now." She said as she walked out the door.
"Ow, ow, ow. I think my tail was digested." It said as he was carried out the door.
How are you feeling? I asked as I looked to her side, seeing that she was slightly bleeding through some bandages.
"Little pain, but I'll manage. Did you do this?" She asked, with me nodding.
"Yes, and you stabbed me in turn." I said as I looked at my chest. "Right through the heart." I said with a frown. "Do you mind... Cutting me open?" I asked, shocking her. "I need to see something... rather find something." I said, where she rubbed her head.
"Not my place kid, but I do know someone who is into that kind of thing." She said, with me nodding as I needed to see what was inside me. "His name is Alador Blight, he loves experimenting. If there is one person who will cut you open, and not try to put you down, it's him." Eda said as she laid down. "Tomorrow me and you are going to Blight Industries to find him. If he isn't there then we will go to Blight Manor, those are the only two places where he will be." She said as she closed her eyes. "Now off with you, I need some sleep." She said with a smile.
"Of course." I said as I stood up and walked away, leaving her to her sleep.