Trying
Despite the hectic morning Luz had with Eda turning into the Owl Beast, it felt easy to get back to her usual self or at least her usual self while she's in the Boiling Isles. After all that's happened so far it was a miracle that she had been in high spirits, the things she had been through in the last month and a half would be enough to snuff most people's inner lights out. Yet, here she was, flying with her amazing – albeit, scary – mentor to a magical school. Something she had only ever read or dreamed about, this was her chance and no matter what happened she was going to fully do this, even without native magic she was ready. Holding on tight for the landing, the lanky teen's feet met the ground, and her seat was swept out from under her, causing her to stumble slightly forwards rather than land on her backside like she has so many times before. This is it... the apprentice hummed, staring at the large college building, it was nearly the size of two Hexside High Schools. Feeling a sudden pang of anxiety, Luz dusted off her clothes and fixed them, smoothing them out as best she could. Given the incident this morning, she had to make some adjustments to her outfit, she still wore her usual beanie, for comfort, as well as the nicest pair of black joggers she had brought with her that summer, for the final touch, she had donned her favourite green jacket. It may have been hot, but the jacket brought her comfort, it still smelled like home and had the perfect pockets for her hands to fiddle with when she got nervous. Under the green jacket, she had stolen one of Lilith's 'dark phase' tank tops, it was black with a large graffiti style 'L' on it. I'm sure it stood for something else, but meh, it's neat that it works for us both and I like the style. Lets hope it's not offensive, we all know Eda wouldn't tell me... finally done fussing over herself, Luz noticed that Eda was standing a few feet away from her with Owlbert still in hand, just staring at the large building. "Eda?" She asked apprehensively, her mentor was giving off an odd air and after this morning, she knew that there was more to the story than just hating 'the system'.
For a moment, Eda felt like she was back in time, standing in front of Hexside, her sister Lilith at her side, they were both going to go there together. They were going to succeed together; they would join the Emperors Academy and be selected as top candidates for the coven's head guard, together. But destiny had different plans, the beast within her stole that from her, as well as the person who gave the curse to her. Everything happens for a reason... The desperate thought rang out in her mind and the only reply was a bitter chuckle from her more cynical inner self. As memories flashed through the older witch's mind, Luz's concern was clearly growing, as there was no answer to her inquiry or the next one. Finally, after what must have felt like eternity for Luz, Eda was pulled back down to reality and she was standing by Luz, looking up at what could have been for her, and realizing she had the chance to give her opportunity to someone else. "Luz" She suddenly said, her tone was far away and yet oddly warm. "Didn't mean to worry you! Just taking it all in kiddo, lets get a move on, I'm sure old bumpy-kins would love more time to catch up" She effectively ignored the concerned questions her apprentice peppered her with, knowing that she would soon put it behind her when they got inside and got talking about her education. I'm sure she is going to use this opportunity a hell of a lot better than I would have anyways Eda let that affirming thought sink in as she opened the door to the school for Luz, who gave an exaggerated bow and entered, seeming to get slightly more ridged the closer they go to the school. "You can do this" She whispered and as the words left her lips, she questioned for a moment if she had meant the words for herself or Luz.
It didn't take long for the pair to navigate to the principal's office, Luz was exuding a mix of anxiety and excitement as they entered the waiting room to Principal Bump's office. The receptionist desk was empty, adding some additional worry to the already swirling mix of emotion in the human's gut. It didn't take more than a few moments for Eda to roll her eyes at the desk and make her way to the principal's door, "Yooou-hooo, Bumpy-Kins." The older witch called in a raspy sing-song voice, opening the door as she sang, and despite Luz's concern for the action she was happily surprised to see that Principal Bump was sitting casually at his desk, hands folded on its solid oak top. His one scared eye closed and his palisman – a little devil – sat on his shoulder, his black mane of hair cascading luxuriously down his back and over his chair. "Waiting for me?" The older witch teased, waltzing into the room and plopping herself down on the chair in front of his desk, immediately getting comfy, her feet flying up to rest on the desk while she sprawled out, clearly used to the setup even after so many years. Afraid of potential backlash, Luz seemed to almost sneak into the chair to her mentor's left, sitting in the chair and trying to take up as little space as possible as she waited for the man's reply. She hadn't exactly started their relationship off to the best start with her last visit there, even if it was to help Willow.
"Edalyn." Principal Bumps voice was oddly calm, there was very little surprise, if there was any at all and perhaps even a note of annoyance as the older man eyed his old student. "What a pleasure to see you, I see the rumors are true that you've taken on an apprentice." He absently nodded over to Luz, his good eye not breaking away from the powerful witch. With deliberate slowness, the man unfolded his long fingers and gave Eda's feet a push off his desk, causing her to falter and sit in a more 'appropriate' fashion. "It may have been years, but the rules are the same, no feet on the desk"
Luz was trying to take the situation in as much as possible, this was a big piece of Eda's past that she had only shared minor bits and pieces about. EDALYN? if not for the slightly tense air in the room, the young witch apprentice would have had an incredibly difficult time holding her remarks and laughter. She clasped a firm hand over her mouth, her eyes giving away her clear amusement, Oh ho, this is already worth the trip! Edalyn! The dynamic of the adults in front of her was so different than anything she could have imagined, she thought for sure with how Eda acted in school, she would be on the principals s shit list, but they almost seem... friendly.
"Oh come on now princy-B! It's been years..." As Eda fixed herself in the seat, she tried to mentally compose herself, she had a great front, but she knew they would have to get down to business and she needed to be prepared. It was a long time ago, but she hadn't exactly left the program in the best way. "Like mentor like apprentice, what can I say?" There was a bit of uneasiness as she thought about the implications Principal Bump made when he stated there had been 'rumors', she would need to get some additional insight.
The raven-haired man brought his hands back to their place in front of him, folded loosely as he studied Eda. "Can you tell me to what I owe the pleasure? I remember quite well, you never wanted to set foot here again, has your old age calmed you down?" Even though the principal's tone was level, and without many tonal changes, there was an underlying poke of fun at Eda's expense. He lifted his dark eyebrows waiting for a reply, all while clearly trying to hide a small fond smile, as much trouble as this student caused, she had also been the highlight of many of his early teaching days.
Eda let out a dramatic and loud scoff, followed by a loud snorting laugh that really accentuated her golden tooth poking out. "OLD AGE" Her head shook in reply, her mane whipping back and forth. "I'm the most powerful witch in the isles bumpy-kins, ain't no one calming me down!" She declared with finality, causing the small smile to split across the man's lips, just enough to soften the hard man's expression. "Now, first impressions aside, I think by now you can guess that I want to enroll my apprentice... Luz, the human." The words flowed very poorly, as if struggling to utter them out loud at all. "Titan help me" She muttered under her breath as she finished her sentence, waiting for her old teachers reply, expecting some additional jeering at her expense.
There was a long pause of silence before Bump finally replied, "That's a pleasant surprise Edalyn, although, forgive my ignorance, but with being human, you have no magical powers of your own?" The question was valid, and yet somehow the words still burned Luz in a way she didn't fully understand. Before Eda could interject, Luz pulled out a piece of paper from her green jacket and clapped her hands together, earning her quite a puzzled look from the older man. As she opened her hands small balls of light emerged, floating up to further illuminate the room, leaving Bump momentarily astonished. "I see, I should have known better." He inclined his head slightly to the women in front of him before continuing, reaching into a desk drawer and pulling out a clipboard with quite a few forms attached. "Luz, a pleasure to properly meet you... Please complete these forms and accompanied policies" He pushed the clipboard in her direction, sliding it on the smooth surface of his desk. As Luz grabbed the forms to review, he could see Eda settling back into the chair as if her piece of this interaction was completed. "Now, before we can move on to admission details, we have some things to address Edalyn." His tone was suddenly firm, without any words his palisman jumped up onto the top of his head transforming and engulfing half the man's skull, providing him with supported vision.
"Things to address? I haven't attended this school in years! What could you possibly have kept?" The older witch's attitude was a mix of annoyance and confusion as she sat herself forward, trying to follow where Principal Bump had briefly disappeared to. Just as quickly as he left, he returned, a very large stack of papers, binders and folders in his arms, with some floating at his side – held up by abomination goo – wordlessly he slammed them all down on his desk. There was a clear look of regret on Eda's face as she stared at the stack, though, it only took a brief moment for her to compose herself and stand, looking at the tops of the pile. "If this is what I think it is, I thought there would be FAR more."
Bump sighed, placing a hand on top of the pile, "This is only your last few years of high school and the time you attended here, short as it was, you seemed to always know how to cause upset. Especially with Principal Faust." Trying to change the subject back to the topic at hand he reached for a binder and opened it, running a finger down the page, reviewing the contents. "You'll need to wrap up these pranks, misdemeanors, clawsuits, and previous stunts. I didn't help claim Hexside's territory to be constantly haunted by a certain 'someones' high school and college years. Now, Luz." He ignored Eda's protesting, and turned his attention to the human who was still in awe of the large stack. "Please take those forms to the school Library and read through them, normally these are just a formality, however, as our first human student – should you pass the exam – you would do well to understand the rules and regulation you may... not be familiar with."
No one could have prepared Luz for the surprise she felt when watching Principal Bump bring out Eda's record, she thought for sure there had to be some kind of mistake, but her mentor was quick to take ownership of the pile. She wasn't kidding... She was a BAD student... I want to know more. her mind reeled at the vast amount of information that must be in those documents, completely forgetting about the substantial amount of reading she must get done herself to be enrolled. "Oh!" Luz snapped from her daydreaming and nodded quickly to the man, standing from her chair and giving both Eda and Bump a salute. "I'll get right on it... Uh... Good luck... Edalyn~ " The apprentice dragged out her mentor's full name in a teasing sing song voice, quick to run out the door when Eda started to react. She had no idea where the library was off the top of her head, but she was positive with enough wondering around she would find it how big could this place really be anyways she hummed, stuffing her free hand into her pocket as she took the school in, an anxious fluttering in her chest.
As the principal watched Luz exit the office, he let out a small sigh, out of annoyance or relief he didn't know. "You know you are risking a lot by coming here, let alone enrolling your... Ah... Apprentice. Emperor Belos has been cracking down much harder as of late on 'wild witches'" The man didn't pause long enough for Eda to interject, he wanted to make sure that he cleared the air as quickly as possible. "Should Luz pass the exam, she would always be safe here, the same goes for you. I've never agreed with his mad methods, but we need their funding and support to keep this place alive for our students. Our future. I just need you to know, in that regard, nothing has changed." His eyes were softer now as he finished speaking, there had been a time in Edas past where she needed shelter, and her options were limited. Despite the potential for Bump to get in trouble, even convicted of crimes, he sheltered her at the school for a short time. He never told a soul about the incident and vowed long before that interaction to have the safety and future of his students as top priority, no matter what the law might say.
The usual witty and sharp replies were all muted as Eda felt like she had been swept back in time, not that she had forgotten Bump's kindness, but she was surprised just how much this man had grown. When he was vice principal, he had struggled to voice his opposition to Principal Faust and his less than kind approach to education. As quickly as she could, she averted her eyes from his and crossed her arms over her body, "Shes a great kid and... has a lot of potential, I was hoping you'd look out for her." Although she didn't look back at Principal Bump in that moment, she hoped he could tell how appreciative she was, even if she struggled to show it.
"I can tell" The raven-haired man nodded and slapped a hand back onto the large pile in front of them. "Which won't matter if we don't get some of these... Incidents dealt with. You have enchanted graffiti to clean up, serval groupings of ghosts to be returned to their dimension, three if not four abominations to attempt to dispel or help them figure out life's meaning, those bugs you introduced to the school have created tunnels under the school and occasionally burst in to wreak havoc, apologize to Miss Jenkinmeye for stealing her teeth – yes she still teaches here – and I do believe the 'pitch beast' that comes around is that enchanted griffin you stole. If we can wrangle it and disenchant it, I'm sure our Beast track students would love to take care of it. Hmm..." As he was about to continue, Eda quickly put her hands up to stop him.
Eda let out a snorting laugh, shaking her head slightly as she put her hands up to make the stream of demands end. "Jeez, no going easy on me then, eh princy-B" Her tone was lighthearted but inside she felt stifled by dreadful concern, her magic was getting weaker, even if she didn't want to admit it to anyone and it was just that morning she had a run in with the Owl Beast. She would need to think outside of the box on this one, rather than relying on pure power. "Let's get started on this list, shall we? Neither one of us are getting any younger and Luz is a quick reader with all her weird, 'online' fiction"
Principal Bump could feel the shift in the room, and in his former student's demeanor, she certainly kept her emotions well checked but having known her for so long and at her lowest, he could there was something. "Of course. Let's take care of the ghosts, shall we? Titan knows the Grudby team has been trying for years to have a peaceful shower." He grabbed a few binders off the top of the large pile and ushered them out into the school's nearly empty halls.
BLIGHT TWINS
Undeterred by the disturbing discoveries they had come across, both knew they had to focus and reel themselves back in if they wanted to have a chance at leaving this warehouse the same way they came in. Not wanting to take any unnecessary risks Emira was quick to kneel and search her bag for the potions she had made, due to their potential side effects she had wanted to avoid using them until absolutely necessary. "We need to take the most direct way out... okay?" Emira could see the slightly distant look in Edrics eyes before she had pulled his attention in with a wave of her hand. She repeated her ask and handed him the potion, a small bottle no more than the size of her fist, sealed shut with a brown cork. Her younger sibling had nodded in reply, determined to get out with not only their bodies intact but their newfound information. Ten minutes to get from here to that back door and into the woods, should be fine... We haven't been here that long. The twins gave one another an apprehensive gaze before clinking their potions together as silent 'cheers'. The liquid was grotesque, thicker than gravy and incredibly salty, if not for the severity of the situation Edric was positive, he would have split it out and done anything to get the taste off his tongue. As they struggled to swallow the vile liquid down, they could already see it taking effect, slowly, starting from the top of their heads the potion seemed to fade them out of existence. At first it was splotchy in places, making them look like oddly spotted glass before finally neither could see the other, aside from the ever so mild shimmer when they turned. "Ready?" Emira whispered, her hand reflexively on her brother's back as he led them to the opening of the hall, where things started to get brighter and more 'office like'.
Edric could feel a lump in his throat forming from the anxiety and stress of his situation, he was uncomfortable with his surroundings, uncomfortable with what they had found and the potion he downed had only made it worse as his insides fought aggressively. Taking the deepest breath he could, trying to draw comfort from Emira's hand on his back, he stepped out and started their journey back the way they came. One hall... Two halls... The Blight sibling counted to steady himself, each time peering down both directions before making his way to the next 'check point'. As they got closer to the exit, shadows of soldiers gave them pause, causing them to back up against the wall at times to avoid brushing against them as they took sudden turns down the halls. All while muttering about 'the deal'. "These latest weapons are going to increase our capture rate of wild witches by extraordinary amounts, no wonder the Emperor wanted to cut a deal with them, they were basically selling personal armies!" The large guard bellowed with a deep chuckle, patting his slightly smaller cohort on the back. "Considering the deal they got, this should just keep them from selling anything we've decided is 'too weaponized'... But like we were told in the orientation, this family is … sneaky" The smaller cloaked mans words slowed as he said them, looking around the hallway for a moment. theres no way he saw us... Edric thought as the two stayed still against the wall, watching intensely. "Huh, weird draft or something." He finally muttered and started on his way again with his larger counterpart, switching the subjects to their work that day. As they finally left their sight both quietly sighed, letting out the pent-up air they unknowingly were holding in. Too close Edric thought as he rounded the next corner.
A sharp tingle ran down Edric's spine, causing him to come to a very sudden stop, his body ridged as if he had just turned into stone. If not for the younger Blights sudden stop and stone like posture, Emira would have certainly pushed her brother over, confused and annoyed she peered around her brother, only to suddenly freeze as well. That... This isn't right... her thoughts were a blur of panic as she stared down the hallway and watched as Odalia conversed with a slightly different looking guard, they had a different coloured uniform and wore a mask that was completely different than the rest. From the angle the twins were on they could only assume it was a bird mask of some kind. We can't go this way... It's too risky, can she sense us, did someone find us out? The eldest Blight's mind reeled with possibilities, however, before she was able to drown in her own thoughts, Edric put a hand in hers and started to creep towards the pair. She was surprised by the bold move but realized they were coming up to another hall opening, perhaps there was a way around, or perhaps he wanted to hear the conversation. When they were in ear shot, he paused and hunkered down for a moment, listening to them go back and forth, obviously annoyed.
"This deal is already ridiculous; I refuse to give any more concessions to your coven. This offer is generous, and I only agreed because it won't cause a dip in stock prices or revenue, however, if Belos -" The masked person huffed and corrected Odalia, as if this wasn't the first time. "Emperor Belos-" She rolled her eyes and continued, unimpressed with the interruption and obviously not phased in the slightest by the obvious air of importance he held. "-Wants me to discontinue all demonstrations and sales, well that's just insanity. Not to mention incredibly suspicious, our family is well known, and we only associate with the best." Finally, the older green haired witch crossed her arms and stared the opposition down with unwavering ferocity.
The masked individual was clearly getting impatient and had no clear path to victory, as he wasn't armed for these protests. "You should feel lucky! He could have swooped in here and shut you down, locked you up!" His voice raised and just as quickly as his fuse went off he seemed to reel himself back in, letting out a loud, exasperated sigh. Putting a hand on his golden mask, as if pitching the bridge of his nose under the mask. "Consider this offer..." He finally stated and swirled around, letting his cape woosh behind him and slightly slap Odalia's leg in the process.
As they watched the guard walk away they were surprised at how long their mother had stood in place, watching as the masked person left. As soon as whatever worries she had cleared, Odalia seemed to become more outwardly enraged by the situation, suddenly pacing the hallway she was muttering to herself. "Ridiculous, to think we would give up our dynasty for some measly snails and pretend titles" She hissed these words with incredible venom as she paced, her tights nearly brushing against Edric's sleeve as they tried their best to stay low and close to the wall. The pacing came to an abrupt halt, suddenly their mother was face to face with a smaller guard, one who seemed to cower before Odalia in her crazed state. "What?" She snapped, waving them to speak, which they struggled to do before clearing their throat. "The western guard wanted to send word, that they had heard some 'unusual noises' in that hall you told us to avoid. They had hoped to, to uh, reach Alador as you were busy but he didn't answer his lab door." The voice was barely audible by the end as Odalia seemed to glower, completely enraged, her face even going red. Awe that's where mittens gets it from! Emira couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the sight, having seen it all too often when Amity was younger. "I'll take care of it." she finally snapped and aggressively pushed by the guard, causing him to slightly stumble. Unprepared for the interaction the guard stumbled back and very clearly bumped into Edrics body that was flat against the wall.
Both held their breath and stared at the guard only a foot away from them, their eyes wide He … I let him touch me... He's going to lose it Edric's thoughts raced as he stared, trying to prepare himelf for whatever the reaction might be. The guard turned quickly to face the wall, mask covering all evidence of expression, however, after barely a few seconds of looking the small guard seemed to shrug the incident off completely. "Maybe all that training is playing off... Felt squishy" He whispered, patting himself on the back briefly before continuing down the hall in the opposite direction of Odalia. Squishy!... How dare... I mean, I don't work out or play sports but... Squishy? The rage was obviously felt by Emira as he gave a comforting pat and pushed him in the right direction. The younger Blight paused for only a moment before letting it go and continuing down the hall, they had maybe a minute or two left and then they would be screwed and open for all to see. "Thats it" Edric whispered in an extremely low tone, his bright eyes staring at the light streaming in as the door was left wide open. Feeling a sense of security, the two made a run for it and came flying out of the warehouse with incredible speed, only to be met with a group of roughly six guards, all standing in a circle conversing. Had they been even a fraction closer to the door, the twins wouldn't have stopped in time, even the hard stop they made drew the eyes of a few of the individuals.
Not wanting anymore close calls, Emira grabbed Edric like she had on the hill and made a run for the closest part of the woods. She could feel the odd sensation of the potion already wearing off, she was thankful the change was as gradual as the onset or the guards in the circle behind them would have seen them for sure. As they dove into the greenery, Emira was able to clearly see her brother, her very sick-looking brother. His eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks looked red and irritated, and he had the distant look like he was about to throw up. "Oh... You, You uh, don't look so good." She whispered, cringing as Edric made a very snotty sniffle, just trying to breathe in.
"I don't feel so well either... Let's go home... I need to lay down, or die" Edric grumbled, rubbing his eyes before following Emira's lead and crawling further back into the woods before they stood and made their way to the mansion. "We don't speak of anything until you feel better, and we are FAR away from this place. You got it?" Her tone was stern but kind, knowing her brother was having a very poor reaction to the potion, he was always pretty sensitive with this stuff. Just need him to get better... and, hopefully I can find someone to help decipher this stuff, ugh, who isn't in our mother's pocket. her thoughts quickly turned bitter as she realized just how difficult a task this was, considering her mother's power and influence. "We'll figure this out..." She muttered, nudging Edric who stumbled from the light contact before nodding in reply, using her as a witch crutch, helping him stagger home.
It would take time and careful planning for them to figure out the best way to handle what they had discovered. The task was daunting and the potential to discover something they didn't want to remember about themselves loomed over their heads.