Hyperion, Demon god of magic, sat in his 'prison' and held the cube he was using in his clawed hands. Today was just like every other day since he had ended up in this crossroads between all places, and once more he was trying to find solace where he could, but with each passing day this proved harder and harder to do. His people were being misled and directed toward their own deaths… and he could do nothing. His only son, the one born of his now dead body, was safe, but with no clue of just who or what he was, and Hyperion knew he could do nothing else for him. Hyperion had managed to guide a kind soul toward him who could care for him, but that had taken everything he had, and as a result… he made a mistake. Fifteen years ago he became aware that a portion of his spirit had managed to take physical form in the human realm. Though disconnected from his will or direct control it was still a part of him and thus when it fathered a heir he felt it… her.
That sliver of his divinity had been a man named Manuel, and from Manny, his little light was born. He had been so happy when he had first glimpsed the little tan skinned girl with hair the shade of oblivion, a deep dark royal purple on the edge of black, and eyes that seemed to almost glow with amber light. For the first time in eons he felt his heart warm as he was overcome with a sense of love that only a parent can feel, and for a time he felt almost happy, but that had not lasted. Luz, his precious light, was not like other children, and because of that she was ostracized. Thankfully Hyperion could use his link to Manny as a way to cast a spell to partially suppress her divine spark, but he could do nothing to protect her from the cruelty of those around her. He was forced to watch as other children ignored or bullied her, and other parents treated her as something dangerous or scorn worthy. His sliver and its mate did their best, and for that he was thankful, but the impotence he felt nearly drove him mad.
After years of watching his daughter suffer, Hyperion felt his son hatch, and while he was once again overwhelmed with joy, he also felt fear. Unlike Luz, his son was born alone on an island that could not be found unless he willed it. It had been a safety measure made when he still walked the living realms, and done without thought of the consequences. After all, even a god does not prepare for 'death'. Hyperion had to act quickly. While his son was safe from external dangers, Hyperion knew well the hardships that came with isolation, and his son deserved better. As such, Hyperion led one of the last true followers of his, though she didn't realize it, to the island where his son awaited, but in his haste he had weakened himself, and by extension Manny. When Hyperion went to check on his daughter, he was filled with sorrow. Manny was dying from the strain of having some of his essence unintentionally drained, and Hyperion was forced to watch it happen.
It had been eight years since he inadvertently doomed one of his children to help the other, and in that time Luz's situation only got worse. Without Manny, Hyperion's link was cut, so he could no longer interfere or end his spell. As a result, he left his daughter unaware and nearly defenseless to protect herself from bullies and those who refused to understand her. The situation only grew worse when Camila, Manny's mate, grew sick from overworking herself to provide for them, and passed away as well a few years later. Luz ended up bouncing from home to home as 'caretakers' found her too odd to care for, or she ran away from those that tried to beat her into 'normalcy'. As he watched, Hyperion saw another of the later situations as she ran through the woods in desperation. Enough was enough, and he felt a tiny spark near her.
One of his conduits had found its way into the human realm, and with nothing to lose he reached out to it and the arcane 'blood' that gave it life, magic. The conduit in question was a tiny brown owl palisman, Owlbert, and though he tried to whisper, it still sounded like a loud roar inside Owlbert's head, "Little one, how did you end up in a foreign realm?"
The owl froze, "Master? I-I… my partner sells the oddities of this place to live and care for your son. I do my best to aid them."
Hyperion chuckled, "I appreciate your care, little one, but I need your help."
The owl puffed his chest and nodded, "I promise. Whatever it is, I will do it."
That made Hyperion smile, "I need you to find my daughter, and bring her with you back to my realm. She should be near, if you try to feel for her."
The owl's eyes bulged, "Your daughter, my master? I thought only one of your children still existed."
Hyperion sighed, "She is of my spirit, and like him, she has yet to claim her birthright… though that is partially my fault. She is my heir, and as such I am putting a great deal of trust in you."
The owl took a steadying breath, "I will do all that I can."
Hyperion cut the link, and returned to his cube, but what he saw made his heart ache. Luz was dirty and shaking as she cried at the base of a tree, looking both very hungry and weak after her escape. He watched as a few minutes later the owl flew down, and to the girl's surprise started to nuzzle her cheek as he tried to dry her tears. This seemed to make Luz smile a bit, and she carefully started to pet and scratch the tiny owl's head and back earning small cooing hoots. After a few minutes of rest, the tiny owl grabbed her hood and carefully tried to pull/guide Luz along, but despite his impressive strength he wasn't strong enough to do the job on his own. Luz, seeing this let out a soft chuckle, and started to walk where he was trying to take her.
A minute or two later, the owl flew over to a sack left by a tree, and cooed at Luz. She watched as the tiny owl managed to carry the bag a few feet before having to set it down to rest, and looking back to Luz for help. Luz snorted, "You want me to help you, right?" The owl nodded, and Luz shook her head, but lifted the bag onto her left shoulder, and the owl perched on her right as it used a wing to direct her where to go. With a giggle Luz started walking again.
Luz saw the decrepit cabin through the trees, and after a moment she smiled as she thought, "It's not much, but at least it's shelter while I figure out what to do. Nobody will ever accept me now. Not after that anyway. I'm nearly broke, I had to run so I didn't get the chance to grab any of my supplies, and I'm still too tired to call on my mask or my other talents." Luz sighed, "There's no point in dwelling on any of that now. I might be tired, hungry, and cursed, but that doesn't matter. I'll keep doing what I've always done… survive. I just wish… why can't I find a place to feel safe? I refuse to let them win by rolling over and dying, but I don't know how much further spite can take me." Luz sniffled and a tear escaped her eyes, "I'm… just… so… tired."
As she reached out and opened the door she expected to see the interior of the rundown shack, but instead all she saw was a glowing portal. Luz was caught momentarily by surprise, and as a result she couldn't react in time as her new little owl friend threw himself at the back of her head and knocked her forward. As she fell forward into the portal, Luz felt a growing pressure behind her eyes like the worst migraine she'd ever felt, and her blood felt like boiling acid beneath her skin. There was a flash, but for an instant Luz thought she saw a tall skull capped being with a single eye and a warm smile. Then she was laying on the ground in some kind of tent.
Luz tried to stand up, but she couldn't. The pounding in her head was making her dizzy, and her body ached. She felt drained, but not weak. In fact, she felt warmer and stronger than ever before. She just couldn't muster enough energy to put that strength to use. As she laid there she caught sight of the tiny owl flying past her and out of the tent followed by a new feminine voice, "What took you so long, Owlbert? I was getting worried one of those hunters might have caught you again. Where's the loot?"
Luz heard the now named Owlbert hoot and coo at the new person for a minute before she heard a confused tone, "What do you mean 'you found something better than trash'? What did you do?" After a few more hoots the flap on the tent was pulled aside and Luz saw an alabaster skinned woman with a mane of gray hair, a golden fang-like tooth, and a slightly aged red dress walk in with Owlbert on her shoulder.
The woman on the other hand saw something much more confusing. A tall dark haired girl with amber eyes, and a slightly tattered and thin black shirt and jeans that covered the girls arms, neck, and legs, but two things gave her pause. For one thing the girl had a very dark, nasty, and large bruise on her face that might have been mistaken for a black eye if it didn't cover a large portion of the right side of her face and not just her eye. The other was that despite looking like a human she felt a trace of magic from her, but that could just be a side effect of the portal.
Kneeling down the older woman slowly and gingerly cupped the cheek of the younger, and carefully got a closer look at her. She snickered at the slight low growl that escaped the girl at first before she seemed to subconsciously calm a bit and start to almost melt into the gentle touch. A small smile stretched across the older woman's face before she suddenly felt a pair of spear points against her back.
Looking behind her, the woman saw a pair of white cloaked and bird masked individuals pointing spears at her while a third was summoning a scroll, and began to speak haughtily, "Edalyn 'the Owl Lady' Clawthorne, you are under arrest for failure to join a coven, assault on coven personal, theft, being in possession of a hocus without a pocus, and multiple other crimes that can be summed up as anarchy against our glorious Emperor. Surrender now or we will be forced to get rough with you and your newest accomplice."
It took a moment for Eda to figure out what the stupid scout was getting at, but when she did, Eda let out a low growl, "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DOING THIS." Eda snarled, "Leave her alone you cowards. She's got nothing to do with this. She's just a kid."
The scout laughed, "Doesn't matter Owl Lady. She was found in your company, so she's coming with us. If you surrender we'll be nice, but try to run, and we might not be so gentle."
Eda grumbled, and gave Owlbert a stern look causing him to fly off, but once he was gone Eda sighed and held up her hands, "At least let me carry the kid. She's been through enough, and I won't have one of you stooges getting handsy." The lead guard scoffed, but indicated for her to go ahead.
Eda was very gentle as she lifted the surprisingly heavy girl, and as she carried her, Eda heard the girl quietly whimper, "Don't… don't hurt me… please. I'm sorry. Please, just… no more." The girl was clearly out of it, but all the same her pleas seemed to claw at Eda's withered heart. As they walked, Eda made a decision. If she would accept, Eda would take her in and protect her from whoever's been hurting her. No child deserves to be treated the way she had been.
Eda expected to see Lilith swoop in to gloat, but apparently the scouts kept her capture quiet because Eda never saw her. Instead they were met by Warden Wraith when they arrived at the Conformatorium, and he personally escorted Eda and her new ward to a cell. Thankfully the cell only prevented magic from exiting the cell, so Eda carefully spent the rest of that first day doing what she could to make the girl comfortable.
When Eda woke up the next morning she found the girl awake, and staring at her with a slight glow to her amber eyes. Eda couldn't help noticing how scared and feral the girl's eyes looked… like an abused animal ready to attack at any time and protect itself. When Eda tried to reach out the girl began to tremble, so Eda backed up and tried to smile reassuringly, "Hey kiddo, it's ok. I won't hurt you. I'm Eda. What's your name?"
The girl seemed to debate answering for a moment before she answered quietly as if expecting being attacked, "Luzura… My name is Luzura. Most people call me Luzer. I mean Luz. Wh-where am I? How did I get here?"
Eda sighed, "Well Luz, you're on the Boiling Isles. My palisman, Owlbert, found you, and insisted this was where you belonged. I don't know why, but given the state you were in… I can say that you definitely don't belong wherever you were. Kiddo, I know we just met, but I promise… I'm going to get us out, and as soon as we are… your welcome to join me at my place. No pressure, but you can at least stay until you figure out where you want to go next."
Eda tries to reach out to shake, but Luz starts to tremble again and shouts, "DON'T TOUCH ME." Once again Eda felt a wave of magic ripple off the girl Eda thought was human, but clearly wasn't.
Luz seemed to retreat further into herself, and Eda pulled back her hand quickly, a look of worry on her face. In a calming whisper Eda says, "I'm sorry. I promise I won't touch you unless you want me too. How are you feeling though? You looked pretty beat up before. I tried to heal you as best I could, but healing magic was never my best type."
Luz suddenly stopped trembling, and cocked her head a bit, "D-did you say magic? You can do magic? Like real magic?"
Eda snorted, "Luz, I'm the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles. Of course I can do magic." Eda creates a ball of water in one hand and a flame in the other.
Luz's eyes seem to sparkle in wonder for a moment before she gets a confused look, "Ms. Eda… if you're really the strongest,.. how did you end up here? Couldn't you have ran or beat them up?"
Eda sighed, "Well usually you'd be right, but the scouts threatened to hurt you if I fought back or tried to run. I'm a lot of things… thief, rebel, gorgeous, humble… but I have a code. Nobody gets hurt who doesn't deserve it. Luz, you've been hurt enough. You're only a child, I couldn't let them hurt you too."
This seemed to hit Luz hard, and she started to sniffle, "So… it's my fault. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Everything I do… everyone I'm near… they just get hurt. I deserve to be here, wherever here is. I'm cursed, a monster, and nothing I do will ever change that. I'm so sorry, Ms. Eda."
Eda looked horrified and it took every ounce of her self control not to wrap the poor child before her in a hug. Taking a calming breath Eda stated firmly, "That's bat guano, kid. I made my choices, and they are what led me to being here… not you. My only regret is that we didn't find each other sooner, because I wish I could have protected you from whatever happened to you. Luz, I know monsters, and you're not a monster. I might not know you yet, but… I want the chance too. You seem like a good kid in need of someone to take you under their wing, and I happen to have a spare wing. I'm not always the best, but I promise… I'll never hurt you, if I can avoid it. Please Kiddo, give me a chance to show you that not everything has to be so gloomy."
Luz seemed to just stare at Eda for a few minutes, her eyes searching for the slightest sign of deceit or an ulterior motive, but then she seemed to tremble a bit as she seemed to force herself to crawl toward Eda, and once she was close enough she hesitantly sat next to Eda. Nervously Eda gestured to find out if it would be ok to touch her, and Luz seemed to stiffen slightly and scrunch her eyes shut, but she nodded once. Slowly Eda wrapped Luz in a warm hug, and after a minute Luz seemed to relax into it, and cry. Eda knew she wasn't crying in pain, fear, or regret. Luz was crying because for the first time in Titan knew how long… Luz felt safe and warm, and she didn't know how to handle it. Gently Eda held Luz, and ran her fingers through the girls dark dirty hair, and for a while they just sat there allowing each other to just be there for them. Slowly Eda began to quietly coo and rub circles on Luz's back until the girl fell asleep in her arms.
Over the next couple days, Eda slowly coxed Luz into trusting her more and more. She never pressed Luz for details or stories, but she made sure Luz knew that she would be there for her when she was ready. When a guard would come to deliver their 'meal', a gray mush that tasted like nothing, and barely counted as food in Eda's opinion, Eda always made sure to place herself between her new owlet and the bars. Also Eda made sure that Luz always got the majority of what they got to eat. The most worrying thing about that was how readily Luz ate the slop, like it was some great feast. It made Eda worry even more about Luz's health. Luz never let Eda see, but after cuddling up together a few times Eda was sure… the girl was emaciated. If there was an ounce of fat on Luz, Eda would have been surprised, and not in a healthy way.
One other thing happened, Warden Wrath came by personally to deliver their dinners, and each time he would give Eda a half lidded look and say, "It would be so easy. Why not just say yes? I might even let your little pet go free." Luz wasn't sure what he was talking about specifically, but she had a few guesses and all of them made her sick, so when Wrath came by with a pair of guards on the third day Luz was even more on edge. This time Luz could feel the frustration coming off of Wrath, and this time he wasn't asking, "Eda, your refusal was cute, but it's time you stop resisting. I'm guessing you're worried about leaving your pet alone, so these two are going to watch her for us while we have our date. Now come along. I've prepared a nice Fingerling steak and mashed Speckleroot's for us." Luz watched as the woman who had been so kind to her was being roughly shoved out of the cell, and a part of her decided enough was enough.
Eda, Wrath, and the scouts suddenly heard deep growling sounds, and as they looked at it's source they saw the girl who had previously looked terrified with glowing defiant eyes. Luz had her hand in front of her face like she was preparing to rip off a mask, and they all saw her hand looked oddly skeletal, but what happened next shocked them. With a tearing motion they watched as a horned canine skull appeared over the girl's face, and after a moment they saw the skull's jaws creak open and a roar being released. In moments the scouts where thrown against the walls, unconscious, and Wraith found himself pinned under the surprising heavy and strong form of this new skulled individual.
Eda on the other hand was confused. Where had Luz gotten that skull from… and why did it look so familiar? Choosing not to dwell on it at the moment, Eda swiftly kicked Wrath in the head to knock him out too. With that done, Eda looked into the glowing eyes of the beast before her and whispered, "Luz… kiddo, are you still in there?"
The horned beast tilted her head, "Hard to… focus. Head… foggy. Must… protect." Luz slowly lopped over and gingerly nuzzled Eda's hand with her skulled head, and Eda was surprised by how warm and smooth it felt. Eda smiled, before looking around to make a plan, and spotting a particular lever Eda knew what to do.
With Luz's help they pulled the emergency release for all of the cells before Eda yelled, "I'm Eda, the Owl Lady, and I think it's high time we have ourselves a jailbreak. What do you think?" Suddenly there was a cheer from all over the Conformatorium, and the sound of hundreds of people rushing to leave was heard. Unfortunately Eda was hungry, tired, and feeling drained after having to spend three days in a cell. When she started to slow though, Eda suddenly felt a pair of clawed hands scoop her up, and she watched as Luz started to run while carrying her. It wasn't until that moment that Eda realized just how tall Luz was, after all she seemed to be hunching, slouching, or shrinking since they had met, but now Luz was standing mostly straight and Eda realized Luz was probably just over six foot in height.
As they ran, Eda felt the girl continuing to change ever so slowly. The bony growths over the girl's fingers seemed to be slowly progressing down toward her elbows, and forming a protective armor over her like white armor or a carapace. Eda saw something similar happening to Luz's legs and she saw the tips of claws piercing through now destroyed shoes. Whatever was happening didn't appear to be over yet, but as people saw the running increasingly lupin form approaching they wisely gave her room. They were soon running out of the prison surrounded by a sea of others, but unlike them Luz just seemed to keep running in a straight line for a few minutes before Eda felt Luz's steps get shaky, and she suddenly collapsed. Before Eda's eyes, most of the changes to Luz's form just seemed to evaporate away, but the skull didn't. It did bounce off as Luz crashed, but Eda saw it resting a few inches away, and it seemed to stare at Luz's prone form almost expectantly.
Eda on the other hand noticed how pale, clammy, and exhausted Luz looked, and Eda could only sigh. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew where to go to hopefully get some answers. Attempting to be as careful as possible Eda spun a circle to lift Luz up so that they could go visit an old friend.
A strongly built witch woman went about her home preparing to make a small dinner before heading to bed until a loud knocking was heard at her door. Groaning, and assuming it was a prank or a student looking for extra help outside of Hexside, the woman ran her hand through her short blond hair and over her single horn as she stomped over to answer the door. It wasn't the first time this kind of thing had happened in her forty years of teaching, but it never failed to happen when she was already tired from a particularly stressful day. For that reason the woman froze when instead of seeing a student, she was met with the nervous face of her drinking friend/occasional patient Eda Clawthorn. With a sheepish forced grin she heard Eda say, "Hey there, Clawdia… um, I might need your help."
The woman sighed, "You know the rules, Edalyn. It's Ms. Hypox unless you have the booze you own me, or you've got something else to put toward your debt. Having to clean up after pumping your son's stomach last time was… difficult."
Eda groaned in annoyance, "King is not my son, and I don't have time for the usual banter Clawdia. Luz doesn't look good, and I'm scared she might have pushed herself to hard when we escaped."
Hypox gave Eda a serious look as she slipped into her healer mask, "Who's Luz, and what happened?"
Eda got frustrated, "Questions later. She needs help now." Hypox watched as Eda gently levitated a tall human girl from around the corner, and as soon as Hypox saw how pale she was, all attempts at conversation ended. Together they got Luz to a spare room Hypox used in case of emergencies like this, and she got to work assessing the girl before her. While Hypox spun circle after circle, Eda stayed close but out of the way. Eda wasn't very religious, but she couldn't help but whisper a small prayer to the Titan that Luz would be alright.
After a few minutes, Hypox turned to Eda looking pale and enraged, "Edalyn, I'm giving you one chance to explain, but so help me Titan if you are anything but honest with me… you won't have to worry about your sister anymore because I'll be delivering you to her in bloody pieces."
Eda shrank a bit to Hypox's surprise, but mumbled, "Fine, but first… will she be ok? Please, Clawdia… I promised her I'd protect her."
The fear and softness in her friend's tone caught Hypox off guard enough that she answered, "She's stable, but what I'm seeing doesn't make sense. Eda, I need answers, and I need them now." Eda seemed to almost collapse into a chair as she filled Hypox in on what she knew until finally pulling out the discarded skull from her hair, much to Hypox's surprise. When Eda was finished, Hypox sighed, "I'll do what I can for now, but… Eda this girl has been nearly mangled. When she wakes up, you two need to have a serious conversation about where she wants to go. I can't allow her to return through your door if you're telling the truth, but at the same time she needs someone to claim her before I can actually fix most of the damage. It kills me to admit it, but my hands are tied until I can get a guardian's permission to proceed."
When Luz woke up she was sore all over, but she expected that. Using her mask always left her feeling drained, but looking around Luz felt fear race through her until she turned and saw a familiar mane of gray hair sitting beside her, and holding her hand. Luz still didn't know what to make of the witches' odd kindness, but… it felt nice to feel safe around someone again. It had been nearly six years since the last time she had felt this way. Taking a better look around, Luz spotted her mask on a table, and as she reached out her hand it seemed to just appear in it much to Luz's joy.
The sudden jolt was enough of a nudge to wake up Eda, who grogally sat up, but as soon as she saw Luz awake she smiled, "Morning Kiddo. You had me worried. You've been out for half a day. Let me just-" Eda watched Luz suddenly look afraid and put the skull over her head again, but this time felt different. Luz's form didn't seem to shift, Eda didn't feel a corresponding ripple of magic, and instead of looking like the skull became one with her, it just seemed to act as a surprisingly fierce mask. Now that she had the time to take a good look at it, Eda noticed just how similar Luz's skull was to King's. It's horns seemed shorter, but instead of just two Luz's had four, two on top and two that framed her jaw, It took only a minute for Eda to figure out why Luz had reacted so suddenly though, because Hypox suddenly came quietly through the door only to see her patent awake for the first time.
Hypox started to approach, but Luz started to tremble, and Eda held up a hand to tell her to stop. In the most gentle voice Hypox had ever heard from her friend she heard Eda start to calm the skull masked girl, "Shhh, it's ok Owlet. This is a friend of mine, Clawdia Hypox. She's a healer. I got scared when you passed out, so I brought you to her to make sure you're OK. I'm going to stay right here, but I need you to be brave for me. She just wants to make sure you're not in any danger. I promise she won't hurt you. You trust me, right?"
Hypox watched as the girls slowly stopped trembling, and gave a slight nod before whispering and almost seeming to whimper, "She's a witch like you, right? That means she doesn't have to touch me? I-I'll try Eda, but don't let her touch me, please."
Eda carefully held Luz as she promised, "I know, kiddo. I already told her 'no touching', and if something like that is needed, I promise I'll be the one doing it. I promised you that I would protect you if you'd let me, and I still intend to do so."
This seemed to further surprise the girl, but she nodded, and Hypox pulled a chair nearby so they could hear each other clearly, but she made sure to stay out of arm's reach. With an even tone Hypox began, "Eda tells me your name is Luzara, correct?" Luz nodded, and Hypox smiled. "OK sweetheart, I want to discuss what I found, but first you need to make a few important choices. One of the things I took care of already was a basic evaluation, and what I found worries me." Luz looked away shamefully, but Eda gave her hand a squeeze. "Luzara, I just need a yes or no, a nod or shake if that's more comfortable, but… were you being abused by your caretakers?"
Luz let go of Eda's hand, and balled her fists on her skull mask's temples, but despite the clear struggle if caused as she seemed to curl in on herself Luz answered in a low whisper, "Y-yes. I-I-I'm an orphan. My Mami passed away six years ago from overworking herself, and Papi got sick and died eight years ago. Ever since I've been sent from home to home, because I'm… a monster, or a freak, or they hate me. The Johnson's were nice until they found out I like girls as much as boys. The Carter's caught me drawing my dreams, and had me put through an exorcism, but that didn't work. The Miller's refused to feed me if I didn't do as I was told." Luz paused and her trembling got worse, "Mr. Hopkin's was my last chance, or that's what the lady that the state appointed me said, so I kept quiet, but… he beat me. Sometimes he'd drink and… I had to hide in the woods or he might try to touch me again. I-I got lucky the first time and he passed out before he could… but I remember the feeling of his breath on my neck… the rancid smell, and his rough hands on my back."
For a couple minutes Luz just seemed to shut down, and the pair of older women looked horrified and angry at what they were hearing. No wonder she didn't want to be touched, and with a nod the duo made a decision. Luz was not going back to the Human realm. Eda would sooner destroy her door than let that happen.
Eventually, Hypox spun a circle and a potion appeared, but instead of handing it directly to Luz, Hypox had Eda give it to her. Eda gave it a quick once over, before gently getting Luz's attention, "Kiddo, this is a booster potion. After everything you've gone through your body is in desperate need of help. This one will help stabilize your magic and it has some of the enzymes your body craves. You don't have to drink it if you don't want to, and I'll warn you it tastes pretty bad, but I'd like it if you'd let us help you." Luz looked at the potion suspiciously, but with a shaking hand she took it, and quickly drank it. The women were surprised when the skull's mouth opened as she did so, as if it was her actual face, but then they heard her make a disgusted noise, before handing back the empty bottle.
That made them snort, and Eda asked, "Kiddo, you don't have to tell me, but I'm curious. What's with the skull?"
They heard Luz sigh, "My mask comes to me whenever I need it. Multiple people have shattered or thrown it away, but it always returns. It… *sniff* It makes me feel safe. It came to me just after I got placed with Mr. Hopkin's and his son, Jacob, but I don't know why. The last three years have been extra rough because of it, but I couldn't let it go. I love my mask." For the first time Hypox saw a glint of joy in the girl's eyes. It was still tinged with years of pain and sadness, but it proved that Luz hadn't given up completely yet, and that gave Hypox hope.
They took a few minutes to eat some pastries Eda called 'Carrion Cakes' for lunch after that. The cakes looked like red velvet brownies, but had an odd nutty flavor with bits of a jelly like substance that Luz couldn't identify. More importantly though, they tasted better than anything Luz had ever tried before, and after a small laugh Eda had to force Luz to slow down so she didn't upset her stomach. Luz still ended up eating a half dozen cakes by the time she stopped though.
After that, Luz allowed 'Ms. Hypox' to do some more tests, and that led to a very uncomfortable situation. After a couple more potions to help with Luz's recovery, Eda suggested a bath to help Luz relax, and feel better, but Luz was too weak to do that on her own. Thankfully Hypox had a large enough bathroom to accommodate multiple people, but Eda still felt awkward after Hypox pointed out the fact Luz would need help. While Luz was still too uncomfortable for Hypox to help her, Eda was a different story, so after making sure that Luz was comfortable with it, and she knew that she could tell Eda if she ever started feeling uncomfortable they got started.
Luz was surprisingly gentle when she handled her mask, despite it apparently being nearly impossible to permanently damage, and after a breath to steady herself Luz removed her tattered clothes. For the first time Eda saw what was hidden under Luz's clothes, and if she hadn't been ready to kill the people who hurt Luz before, she was now. Luz's skin was mottled in bruises of varying colors. Most were nearly healed thanks to the combination of time and magic, but the sheer amount of those that were still yellow-green and notably 'fresh' enraged Eda. There were also obvious burns on her back, but they were less visible, and Eda couldn't help knowing exactly how those bruises were made. An easy task since they made very distinct marks that left no doubt as to how she was grabbed, like fingerprints, and area's like her throat were so bruised Eda's struggled to believe Luz had been able to breath as easily as she had up to that point.
Despite her growing rage, Eda was incredibly tender as she helped Luz get clean for what Eda suspected was the first time in a long while. Luz still tensed momentarily at her touch or jumped a bit, but Eda was very careful to always tell Luz exactly what she was going to do before she did it. Once all the grime was removed Eda took a moment to take in the precious child before her. Luz was battered, and Eda found signs of old fractures and breaks that hadn't healed quite right, but under it all Luz was a pretty girl. Without the dirt and grime to muck it up, Luz's hair was as dark and vibrant as the clear night sky, and once she was healed Eda was sure that Luz could be every bit the powerful witch she always should have been.
Slowly Luz seemed to get comfortable with the situation, and since they were alone Eda took the chance to talk to Luz about something she wanted to do. As Eda worked on Luz's hair she broached the topic, "So… Kiddo, you remember when I offered to let you crash with me until you figure out where you want to go?" Luz nodded a bit, but just continued to allow Eda to help her. "Luz, what would you say if I took you in officially? Since you're fifteen it would only be a big deal for the next year or so, and after that you would be able to make almost all of the decisions yourself, but until then… I want to be there for you. Nobody was there for me when I was your age, and I don't want you to have to go through what I did. Luz, honey, you deserve so much better than how you've been treated, and I'm not perfect, Titan knows I'm nowhere close, but I want to give you somewhere you can feel safe. What do you think?"
Luz froze and seemed to consider for a moment before she turned and looked at Eda with a smile, "I-I think I'd like that. You've been nothing but kind to me, but are you sure you want me? I mess things up, and I'm cursed. I'd make a terrible daughter."
Eda sighed and gave Luz a hug, "Luz, this is really hard for me to admit, but I'm cursed too, and unlike you… I don't have a lot of control over it. I mess up a lot as well. Heck we just had to escape the Conformatorium because of my screw ups, but if you'll have me… we can screw up together. That way we can at least help keep each other safe, and I would be proud to call you my daughter, but it's not up to me. You've been forced to bare so much, and I refuse to let it continue. I believe in choice, so I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. What is it that you want, Luzara?"
Luz started to cry happy tears, "I want to stay with you Eda. I want you to be a part of my life. Is that ok, Mama Eda?"
Eda started to tear up as well, "It's perfect. Once your better I'll teach you how to control the magic I feel inside you as best I can, and we'll face what comes next together. So Luzara Clawthorn, are you ready?"
Luz nodded and smiled like a child as she hugged her new mentor… and mother. After so long looking for one, only to find the other, Luz had never felt so free. When they were done, Luz found a set of baggy gray sweatpants, and a similar plain hoodie waiting for her, but they felt new and clean to her, so Luz didn't mind. They were perfect. With Eda's help, Luz managed to walk back to her temporary bed, and when she did Luz found a new bottle and a clean rag waiting for her. Eda chuckled at them, but explained it was a potion used to care for horns or bony growths, and Luz could use it to clean up and polish her skull mask. Something that brought the widest grin Eda had seen from her new daughter.
Once they were settled, Hypox came back to check on her guests, and to her surprise Luz kept her mask off this time, so she got to see the girl's nervous but happy face this time. When she attempted to sit where she had before, Luz told her she could sit on the bed with her if it made it easier on her, and that seemed to make Eda chuckle. Luz kept her mask close at hand, and seemed ready to don it again if she needed to, but she also seemed to be trying to be brave as she gave her best attempt at Eda's cocky smile as she stated, "So, we talked about it, and I thought I should properly introduce myself." Taking a steadying breath Luz declared, "My name is Luzara Clawthorne, and I wanted to thank you for everything you're doing for me and my… mom." Luz hesitated on the last word for a moment, but Hypox could see the spark of hope she saw earlier starting to catch, and she loved it.
Hypox smiled, "It's nice to meet you officially, Ms. Clawthorne. So with that straightened out, your Mom wanted you involved with our plan of care going forward, but before that, we need to address all the things that need or can be addressed. Are you comfortable with that, and are you comfortable with Eda being present for this first part?"
Luz chewed her cheek, but nodded, "Eda deserves to know what she's signed up for… and I trust her. I-I'm ready."
Hypox took a deep breath and put on her professional mask, "Luz, you have bruising on forty percent of your body and a number of hairline fractures in your face, neck, and upper back. These will actually be fairly easy to address, and should be cleared up within a week. Of much bigger concern are the two dozen poorly healed brakes across your body that I'm sure cause you no small amount of stiffness and soreness. The only way to fix those would be to re-break them and correct them. This is something I can do, but even with magic and numbing potions… it's not going to feel pleasant and that's putting it lightly. In your case I think it's a necessity that we not only do it, but do so as soon as possible."
Luz paled, and Eda balked, "That seems a bit extreme, don't you think Clawdia?"
Hypox sighed, "I wouldn't suggest it if I did Edalyn, but we'll circle back to it in a bit, and once you understand why I think so." Hypox gave Luz a kind look, "Luzara, dear, are you aware your not fully human?"
Luz pulled away in shock, "No… but… no, I'm just cursed. Mami and Papi were human… weren't they?"
Seeing the girl spiral, Hypox wanted to reassure her, but she held herself back. It would have only freaked out the girl worse. Instead she allowed Eda to hold her new daughter close until she was ready to continue, "I'm sorry Luz, but I'm not sure what you are. I checked all of my books while you were getting cleaned up, and you've got a bit of everything. No bile sack, but a number of support structures are present. Your bones are thick and dense like a demon, which makes all those breaks all the more concerning. When I did a deep scan I found evidence of more demon traits that should start developing once we get your system back into proper shape, and that's why we need to fix your bones before they develop complex issues."
Eda suddenly remembered what she saw when they were escaping, and it made sense, but Luz just had a thousand mile stare as she asked, "What… what can I expect?"
Hypox smiled, "Nothing major, I think, except for the wings…"
"WINGS?!" Yelled Luz and Eda.
Hypox snorted, "It's only a guess right now, from the muscle shape and how it's developing, but I'd say yes. If not, you're going to get really strong, really soon. Beyond that I found signs of ossification in your hands, feet, and their connected limbs. Expect some claw growth, but thats easily managed. Also I hope you like your hair because it will probably be spreading over your body. Ironically you'll end up looking a lot like King in a few ways."
Luz looked at Hypox confused, "King?"
Eda was about to answer, but Hypox beat her to it as she smirked, "King is Eda's son. I guess that makes him your brother now."
Eda showed Luz a picture on her scroll, and Luz positively melted, "Ay que lindo. He's so adorable." Then she tilted her head, "He's got a skull just like mine. Do you think we could be related?"
Eda shrugged, "I don't know kiddo. I found King as a newborn eight years ago, and you're the first being we've seen with a similar skull or appearance. His doesn't come off though, so I don't think so?"
Luz's smile didn't dim though, "Can I meet him soon, Mom? I've never had a little brother before, and I want to be the best big sister ever."
This made Eda cackle, "Soon kiddo. Soon."
Breakdown: Firstly, sorry about no Twilight this week, but the Sports Festival is a huge event, and I have to figure it all out first before I can really write it. I know it will end up as multiple chapters, but whether it ends up two or three, I still don't know. In the meantime I asked someone whom I want to say is becoming a much appreciated writing buddy, which of two stories I should release this week… and this was it. Also credit to Matt Pullen, and his 'Titan's Will' story on FF. I'll own up to being heavily inspired, but this is completely my take on the concept. (I tried to reach out, so we could talk but I never heard back.)Don't worry, Twilight should be back soon, but sometimes things take a bit longer to work out. Anyway, let's jump into something… Divine.
So as a theme I try to pull from different mythos for this story and the Titan Hyperion is a great place to start. He's the Greek Titan god of watchfulness, and father of the heavenly lights… aka Luz's Papi. It's a great little connection to make as he literally brings 'Light' into the world. One of my favorite reconciliations for pagan pantheons, as a pagan, is that a single powerful being can be multiple gods at the same time, just showing different aspects or playing different roles. As such Hyperion being the greek god of light and demon god of magic makes sense to me.
Having this start from Hyperion/Papa Titan's perspective as he explains some of the background info felt right, since he is a watcher just like us to an extent. Doing it this way gives his actions context as to why things happened the way they do, and sets the groundwork for how things are connected. Divine interventions where he tried to shift a situation in a particular way, and the consequences of having to do so indirectly in a lot of ways. He never forces a choice, but he manipulates events so people meet at the right place at the right time. Eda could have left without King, but she's a good person so she didn't. He gives options, and lets people make their own choices.
It also shows why Hyperion doesn't try to more actively stop Belos. He's weak, and he doesn't know if him fading will hurt Luz or King, so until they are strong enough to be completely separate from his powers, he can't take the risk they could die like Manny. Even gods have limits.
So Luz's mask was created from a fusion of Bleach's Hollow masks, and Darkarines's 'A Titanic Adventure' over on Wattpad. And yes, this Luz does have weak magic of her own at the start. Hyperion only suppressed it so it didn't appear until her teens, like King's roar not appearing until season two in the show, instead of as a little girl like most witches. Neither has a teacher, so their development is stunted as well. That's one of the dividing factors between the siblings. King presents as a demon first before growing into his magic, while Luz presents as a witch who grows into her demonic features. They are both heading toward the same endpoint, but from opposite starting points, and Luz has the advantage of a six/seven year head start.
So in a way, Luz going through the portal here was kind of like a massive burst of air to clear a clog. It broke the spell limiting Luz's connection to magic, but it also hurt her like standing naked in the snow and then getting hit with boiling water. She would have been fine if the shift was gradual, but since it was all at once her body couldn't handle it.
The guard scene is a bit different here. Yes, normally three coven scouts would be nothing to Eda, but she doesn't know just how injured Luz is, and as a result 'Mama Eda' takes command. Everything we know about Eda makes this her only choice. She'd never abandon Luz, or risk a kid's safety to protect herself.
On reread, everything Luz says and does makes perfect sense once you have context. Her mask making her more feral is more a side effect of her own power overwhelming her mind and making it default to a more simplistic animal one. This Luz is 6 foot making her exactly halfway between canon Luz and Eda… her growth might be stunted, but she's still a Titan.
To my long time readers, you finally get to learn Professor Hypox's first name. Most people are to respectful to use it or don't know it, but this Eda and her are actually friends. Luz's mask being multi-purpose is an idea I'm really proud of. It acting as a security blanket as well as an actual totem of her divinity makes way too much sense, and given the background she's coming from it's more than justified.
Yes, Luz's demon form is based on her Titan form in the show with the mask replacing her hat, and later wings. Will it be her final form… *spoilers*. So, ya. This chapter covers a lot, but it's only the tip of the Murderberg. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and if anyone wants to talk or share art I have a discord. Shoot me a message, and I'll invite you. Until next week, shine on beautiful readers. Shine on.