Hell's Boiling Point Chapter 10: Short Stories: Boiling Isles, a Hellboy + Owl House Crossover fanfic

Ugh... it's happening again, ain't it?

So, while real life has indeed been affecting me, I've also learned from my sister that I have undiagnosed ADHD. Inattentive, from the sounds of it. My parents have it (also undiagnosed), my sister had it diagnosed... it's explained a lot about my life. Why I always seem to fall off on these stories, nevermind stuff in my everyday life.

I'm waiting till my next doctor's appointment so he can recommend someone who'll take my insurance. Then we'll see where it goes. For now, I'm trying out ways of quelling it so I can work on the chapter. But i wanted to let y'all know I'm alive and still determined to get through this story. I have a preview here for you to see till I can get it done.

One story is nearly done, but I've yet to start the other, so it could still be a while. Like before, when it's ready, I'll delete this, then upload the chapter proper.

Update 3/14/23: Hey, I've updated! I don't have both stories ready, but I felt I should at least give y'all one while you wait for the other half.

So, Stringbean, eh? She's the bee's knees. Heck, she could probably become a bee with knees. I was hoping she'd be a snake, and she technically is... which works for me.

Hopefully, I can get the rest out before the finale in April. Heck, I'd trade Waddle Dee plush if it meant getting the entirety of this anthology out before then.

...No, I wouldn't, actually. Waddle Dees are too adorable. But, one can only hope.

Update 4/10/23: I did not. But, hey, might be better now that emotional Owl House fans are looking for an outlet. …An Owl-tlet.

So, I was a little surprised by some reveals in the finale… but this time, they actually work in my favor! Can't tell you why or how, only that they do.

Also, somebody should probably change the noodle incident on the tv tropes page about Eda meeting Baba Yaga- not so much a noodle incident now. Also, add the fact that I guessed that it took place in Conneticut on the YMMV page because not just because Dana was a native, but that I also reasoned that the trees appeared to be broadleaf! I'm totally the most superior owl house fan since I deduced it from that fact alone.

(...I'm joking of course, don't add that second thing)

Hope y'all enjoy the chapter now that it's complete!

Oh, and one more thing- big, and I mean BIG thanks to MyNameJers for the art for this chapter! (It's on the Archive of our Own version, sorry ffnet) Y'all definitely need to check him out, he does great work!

Chapter 8.2: The Owlet and Other Short Stories- Boiling Isles Fables

After an… interesting experience with multiple snakes (It wasn't my first time; Luz is my daughter, after all), we'd begun to clean Eda's house. It was a bit confusing trying to figure out what weird concoctions of hers went where, but with some guidance, we eventually got everything put away.

Before the lost of us could sit down, King stumbled down the steps. "I'm awake! Don't take Luz away yet!" The sudden declaration stung at my heart a little. He looked around frantically. "She… she's not gone already, is she?"

"Easy, King. Easy." Eda calmed him. "Luz just went out with Willow, Gus and Roger. They'll be back after a while. And she's not leaving until we figure out the problem with the portal anyway, remember?"

"O-Oh. Okay." He looked up at her pleadingly. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Sorry, bud. You looked completely worn out last night, I made a call to let you sleep in if you could. Unfortunately, everyone else couldn't sleep for long." He grumbled, not thrilled that he'd slept in. "Hey, chin up. I'm about to tell a story to Miss Noceda and Trenchcoat here. You wanna hear it?"

"…Ok." As she sat at the table, King leapt up and sat in her lap. The sight of his little head barely peering over the table looked incredibly adorable.

"Okay… okay…" Eda looked at Hellboy. "What do you and your crew know about Baba Yaga?"

"She's of Slavic legend. Countries spanning from the tip of Russia to the edges of east Europe know her, her tales existing for centuries. Infamously, she's known for feasting on children." His stone fist clenched a bit before relaxing. "Nasty stuff. But there are plenty of tales of her exhibiting other terrifying powers."

Eda sighed. "Yeah, that pretty much lines up with what I've always been told. All the scary bedtime stories taken up to eleven."

"I don't understand. The Boiling Isles knows about a creature from earth? I was under the impression that you were the only one who'd been to earth."

"We weren't always separate from the Human Realm. Once upon a time, witches of the Boiling Isles could go to earth freely. And the tales they brought back would persist even after Belos closed all methods of travel." She lifted three fingers up. "Let me put it this way, Ms. Noceda. Barring any exceptions, there are three witches so dangerous and terrifying that they even give Belos pause." Eda leaned back in her chair. "Truth be told, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who believes they're real. Parents'll tell stories of them to kids who aren't behaving. Teens will pass them around the campfire to scare their friends. Adults will reminisce on "the myths of old"- think it was just the consequences of wild magic being told as stories. But me? I know they're out there. All of them. And it only took meeting one of them to know that all three were real."

She breathed in, and I notice her hand shaking. "Baba Yaga. The Witch of the Forest."

She dipped her finger into her apple blood, the crimson liquid staining it. "Nimue. The Queen of Blood."

She picked up the last snake, and it curled around her finger. "And the Black Goddess of all witches… Hecate." She noticed Hellboy tense in his seat.

"Each one has a rep sheet that could fill a textbook… several, more likely. If I'm ever lucky enough, I'll never see the other two. Word is, they're leagues worse than Baba Yaga. That being said, she's still pretty bad. You said bark head was going to-" She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "-cook Luz?"

I nodded, a shudder rolling down my back just thinking about it. The thought of having to watch my little girl be roasted alive… tears nearly fall from my eyes again. "Y…Yes."

"Yeah. Titan knows why she...enjoys that. …I…I feel just as disgusted and scared as you do thinking about what could've happened to Luz if I hadn't…" She trails off. "You said you've met her too, Trechcoat?"

"…Russia. Her turf. 1964." He looks away, grimacing. "Thought I could stop her. Found her in a graveyard. Shot her eye out."

Eda didn't respond. She only stared in shock. "…Titan below, Trenchcoat. Just… just like that?"

"…Spring didn't come to Russia that year. And all the babies born over the next 12 months were blind in one eye."

"…Dios mío." The words escaped from my mouth. "The… the entire country?" He nodded solemnly. "But… you killed her?"

He looked up at me, his eyes uncertain. "I don't even know."

Eda sighed. "Yeah… that makes sense. My encounter wasn't much better. And fittingly enough…"

She leaned over the table, resting her forehead in her palm.

"It started on the worst day of my life."

The Owlet

Boiling Isles, Unknown. 1990.

My first transformation. It happened just as tryouts for the Emperor's Coven had ended. The moment it did, the people jeered and threw things at me. I became… confused. Scared. Instinctively, I ran to the safety of the forest. I could've been lost to the curse right then and there. Lucky for me, there were two factors on my side that night. One, the curse was far weaker back then. Even in my owl beast form, my consciousness would stay firmly in control… unless I got too stressed. The second? Well, that's a bit more complicated…

Run.

Run from two legs. Need safety. Forest safe.

Tired. No more noise. No more danger. Thirsty...

Stream… water.

Water tastes good. Cooling down…

Water… something in water… something is… monster?

…Monster look… like me. Monster is me? Me in water? … Me…

I… That's me. In the water. What… what happened to me? Why do I look like this?!

My… my hands… they're just claws. There's feathers all over me. How did this happen?! Who did this to me?!

"Wait… where…. Where am I? Lily and I played in the forest sometimes… but I don't recognize this place. I… I'm lost.

I… I don't know what to do. Lily was always the better camper. She could find her way back… where is she? She was with me…

…at the coven tryouts. I… remember. I forfeited… Lily wanted it more than anything in the world. So I gave it to her… and then… my mind got fuzzy.

This… this can't be a coincidence. Transforming on one of the most important days of our lives? Someone did this on purpose… Principal Faust never liked me. That stuck up bitch Odalia might've done it. Or maybe this was some cruel joke by Snapdragon. She's just a psychopath…

This is getting me nowhere. I need to get home and get help. Mom and Dad will know what to do. Titan, Lily must be worrying her curly hair out over me.

Luckily, I don't seem to be too far into the woods. There's not a lot of animals… The trees look rather "organized, if that makes sense… and I can smell the lingering scent of scorched magic… this must be one of the places where the wild magic was purged by the Emperor's Coven. So, as long as I keep to these safe areas, I should be fine.

This new body is… difficult. Four legs instead of two, and these…wings are so awkward. How do griffons deal with these things? Whatever… once I find my parents, they can get somebody to deal with this.

I try my best to find my way home. But time passes, and I still don't feel any closer to Bonesborough. Oh for the love of- "I've passed that stump that looks like a butt three times now! This isn't working! I can't see any landmarks. All these stupid trees are in the way! How am I supposed to know where I'm going?!"

Ugh… Guess that means I gotta climb. I was at least always good at that. I look for the tallest tree in the area, climbing up it as quickly as I can. Unfortunately, I still can't see anything familiar. Just more trees… I can see parts like the Head and the Knee, but that doesn't help me all too much. I need to get higher… but none of these trees are high enough. Unless…

I flap the new appendages on my back. These stupid things are stuck on me for now, might as well use em. Sure, I've never flown before (I mean, I've also never had wings before), but how hard can it be? All you have to do is flap, right? I see nothing wrong with this plan.

Readying myself, I aim for another branch so I can at least catch myself if things go wrong. With a heave, I launch off my perch, flapping my wings like crazy. It goes well for a moment… but in a split second, everything goes wrong. I rapidly veer downward, slamming into the branch and breaking through it. I flail about, desperate to try and grab any strong branch. In my panic, I mistakenly furl my wings, sending me plunging down faster.

The ground speeds toward me. Terror overtakes me in that split second, my brain registering just how high I had climbed. I don't know if I'll even survive, I-I-I-

-Spread wings. Catch wind. No longer falling. But trees danger now. Use tail. Move through trees. Must stop. Reach out limbs, drag in wind. Make slow. Not slow enough. Land on ground bad. Feel, in front leg. But stopped. Stopped… safe…

I'm… safe. What happened? I was heading for the ground, and then… everything went fuzzy… now I'm ok? I'm alive… I survived! "I'M INVINCIBL-AGH!" I cry out, clutching my right arm. It feels like someone dropped a rock on it. It hurts to put weight onto. "Maybe not…"

I rub my arm, as if that'd make the pain go away, angrily muttering. "Razzing, frazzing, flying… birds make it look easy, 'oh, look, I'm up in the air and I just don't care', stupid feathered rats…" I can't help it. I still don't know where I am or where I'm going, and now I might've broken something. To top it off, it's getting dark. If it was difficult to find my way home before, it'd be even worse at night. Especially with a sprained arm… leg? Whatever.

I settle on finding shelter, but there's not many options. I'd settle for a large, low-hanging branch at this point. Not a very glamourous sleeping spot, but I've had worse napping areas in the school-

-What was that? Something big is rustling in the bushes behind me… was I just- no, there it was again. Loud this time. Well, if this thing thinks it can sneak up on me, it's got another thing coming. A fireball will send it packing…

"Wha- What's going on? I did the spell circle, I should be making a fireball right now." I spin my finger around again. Nothing. "D-Did I flick my wrist wrong? One more time…" N-n-nothing. My magic… isn't working.

…My magic isn't working.

As the rustling gets louder, my panic shoots through the roof. Something big is coming and I have absolutely no way to defend myself. I've never been without magic before. I don't… I don't know what to do. I'm frozen in place.

Run.

The word resounds in my head and I dash away immediately. My bum limb slows me down but all I can do is ignore it. The noises don't get any quieter. It must be on my scent… I can't stop. I run and I run, even using my bad leg. It feels like I'm being stabbed every time I take a step, but I have no choice. But it's still not fast enough. The noises are getting louder.

Eventually, I come to an open area, backed by a rocky cliff of some kind. The pain from my leg is unbearable- I can't… I just can't run anymore. I…

Hide.

The voice speaks again and on instinct, my eyes dart from place to place. I spot an opening at the bottom of the cliff and rush towards it. I struggle to get in- it's inside is large enough, but the opening's not. But the creature's almost here. Thinking quickly, I start digging out the dirt beneath the opening. It's working… but it's not fast enough. I growl, realizing that I have to use my other arm again.

It hurts even worse than running on it. Feels like my entire arm will snap off for every clump of dirt I dig. Thankfully, with both arms working, it doesn't take long to clear the way, and I scramble inside.

Just in time… as I settle inside, I hear the creature's footsteps as it arrives in the clearing. I try to calm my breathing. Each step it makes causes my heart to beat faster. I can't see it… but I can feel it's presence. It's overwhelming. I've… I've never felt this vulnerable. Its footsteps stop… just before the hole. I can see its shadow being cast over the ground in front of me. I can practically feel the world around me go silent. My heartbeat is the only thing pounding in my ears… and the begging within my mind. "Please don't look in, please don't look in, please, Titan, please don't let it find me…"

After what seems like an eternity, the shadow moves away. A slight feeling of relief washes over me. But I don't dare peek out. I just sit there, keeping watch. Eventually, the exhaustion from today's events catches up with me. Even my busted arm can't stop me from falling asleep. Even when I seemingly catch a glimpse of the shadow, I can't help but black out.

A sharp pain in my arm wakes me up. Daylight peers through the opening, letting me know how long I've been knocked out. Titan… a whole day? Forget just Lily… Mom and Dad must be worried sick. I need to get home.

Though the possibility of the creature makes me wary, I've got no choice. I start shoving dirt out, this time leaving my bad arm out of it. With some effort, I escape my makeshift hidey-hole. I don't get immediately snatched up into the jaws of… whatever, so I guess that thing is gone. For now…

But… there's a new problem. The forest looks like the entire plant coven had an off day. And I can hear a lot more animals out there in the woods… I think I'm in… the Deep Wilds.

Every part of the forest that hasn't been kept under control by the Emperor is considered to be part of the Deep Wilds. It's where wild magic is at its strongest, it practically permeates the air. To say nothing of the dangerous plants and animals that live here…

Crud. In all the excitement last night, I didn't realize that I'd run the wrong way. There's all kinds of scary bedtime stories about how kids go missing in these woods… I really don't like the idea of becoming one of those stories.

My stomach growls rather violently. I guess I haven't eaten since yesterday… but what can I chow down on out here? As far as we were told, everything in the Deep Wilds was dangerous. That included food.

…Eh, I can probably hold out. For now, I should focus on getting back to a safe area.

My stomach is eating me from inside out at this point. It's as if every step I take, the growling only gets worse. If I don't find food soon… no, I'm just being a baby. I can work through this.

I see a blur scurry between the bushes, a small creature, no bigger than my hand… paw. Without knowing why, I froze. I stood still, not moving even an inch. After a few minutes of silence, a tiny head popped out of the bushes, sniffing the air. The skull for a head was pretty telling.

'An echo mouse… never thought I'd see those anywhere but the library.' I watched as it inspected the ground, searching for food. It didn't seem to notice me yet. I'd never admit it out loud, but these things were… kinda cute.

'Man, he does not give a single wart being out here. I guess this place is just everyday life for him.' I thought to myself. 'Still, he should be just a bit more wary. But he's just sitting there, alone… vulnerable… open… delicious."

The last thought was like an electric shock, zapping me out of a trance. 'What?! No!' I turned away, the sudden movement spooking the mouse. 'I am NOT eating that. So what if I'm hungry?'

'…I'm… hungry.'

'Must stop… hunger.'

'Must not starve… NO!'

I shook my head. 'I'm not an animal! That little guy's just trying to survive out here. It's defenseless! It's small… it's… it's…' I turned my head, faintly making out the mouse's form in the distance. 'It's… getting… away…'

'Must not… get away.'

'Must… get prey.'

'Must… KILL… prey.'

'Must… survive.'

I sprung up, quickly glancing around. I could tell this time... I blacked out. Last thing I remember, I was trying to stop myself from... wait...

I feel something in my mouth... Spitting forcefully into my paw, I look to see bits of hair in my saliva. Feeling around with my tongue, I can taste iron, plain as day. I feel something at the bottom of my feet. It's… like a small piece of rope. What is that? Moving my foot off, I find a mouse's tail, severed from its body.

Which means... which means... I didn't... I couldn't have... I... I just...

"Ah… Ahhh! AGGGGH!" I scream out, unable to stop. I scurry backwards from the tail as if it were poison, and wipe my tongue with my good hand. But I can still taste it. It won't go away… I just… want it to stop.

I don't want to be in this forest with all these monsters just waiting to eat me. I don't want to eat little creatures like some feral animal. I don't want this stupid busted hand. And I definitely don't want to be this dumb owl… thing! I just… want to go home… Mom hovering over me, overeacting. Dad cooking me something nice. Lily talking about how exciting it is to be in the Emperor's Coven… I can't take this anymore. I… I need them… I need them…

"D-…Dad! …Mom! LILY! PLEASE!" No answer. Not even the monsters care to hear me. I'm… alone. I can't help the tears that fall to the dirt. "I wanna go home. I wanna go home…"

I sit there, unmoving. Only crying. I feel my shadow change with the day. But I'm not sure how long I stay like that.

Yet another rustling from the bushes finally grabs my attention. Always the rustling. Some creature I don't know about waiting in the shadows. ...Well, you know what? I've been chased, hurt, starved, and turned into a horrible beast on top of all of that. I'm tired of this. All of this. I'm not gonna take it anymore. If this thing wants a meal, it's gonna have to work for it! I don't care if it's the biggest, meanest, ugliest-

CRASH

...Owl?

"Skreee!"

Y-Yeah. An owl... well, an owlet. Bug eyed thing is looking around the place, like it didn't even have an idea it was following me. Was it? This couldn't be what was chasing me last night.

"Skreee! Skreee!" It screeches out, looking all over the place. It spots me, and suddenly gets into a defensive stance, lowering down, raising its wings above it to seem bigger. I guess it would work on a small demon, but to me it just looks silly. Whatever... it's not some monstrous creature out to get me, so who cares?

Now out of danger (or never in it to begin with) I take the chance to rest. These last two days have been a trial. The owlet stays in the weird pose for a while, but eventually it seems to realize that I'm not going to eat it. Unfortunately, that means it goes back to what it was doing before.

"Skreeee! Skree! Skreeeee!" It sits there, screeching over and over. It feels like someone dragging their nails against a chalkboard. Well, it can't do that forever, at least.

"Skreeeeeeee!"

Rrrrrrrrrrrgh...

"Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

RAGGH! It's been hours! Freaking hours! Why won't this stupid thing shut up?!

"Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"OH, FOR TITAN'S SAKE! SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" I almost launch myself at the tiny thing, scaring it back into its intimidation. "You think crying out like a baby is going to help?! News flash, you little feathered runt! Mommy's gone, and if she didn't come to get you before, she never will! NO ONE IS! WHY WOULD THEY EVEN WANT YOU NOW?!" I huff as I stand over the owlet, still guarding itself. Its eyes stare deep into mine, and I can see everything that fills them. Fear. Vulnerability. ...Loneliness.

...Like me.

Crud, what am I doing?! Yelling at a literal baby for just wanting its mommy. I've really hit rock bottom. I back off a little. No need to frighten it anymore.

Should I just... move on? No, I... I can't. I'm seeing too much of him in me to be comfortable with that. Besides, this little guy's never going to survive without somebody looking after him. But what does he need? Well, he's not a literal baby, so he doesn't need a changing, and if he's sleepy, he'll probably doze off on his own... he's gotta be hungry.

I groan. I've heard these things eat meat, and that means... an echo mouse, or something similar. Which means I'm gonna have tiny creature blood on my hands. Again. But where to even find that? I'd come across that echo mouse randomly.

Well, I look like a beast. I probably have the senses to match. Might as well use 'em.

I guess I could… try smelling first? No, birds aren't known for their sniffers. But junior's got one heck of a set of peepers on him. Maybe I'll find something if I just… look for it? Worth a shot. Can't get a good look from down here, though. I need... ugh, I need to get some height. I look for the sturdiest tree I can find. One that's not too high either. Luckily, there's a decent one not far from junior. Walking up to it, I can already feel my arm telling me not to go through with it. Even staying off of it, it aches like crazy. Climbing with the thing's gonna feel like murder. ...Is this really worth it?

Without thinking, I look back to the little guy. The doofus has stopped raising his wings up, but is still looking at me with those big ol' eyes. He cocks his head to the side in confusion.

It tugged at my heart, much to my dismay. "Oh, I'm gonna feel this for weeks, I just know it..." I raise my good arm, clenching into the bark. I take a deep breath as I raise the other in the air. Ripping the bandaid off, I quickly bring my other claw down. The same sharp pain shoots through my arm. Knowing it's about to get a lot worse, I steel myself, then start climbing. It's just as bad as the digging from last night, maybe even worse. But the ride up is thankfully short, thanks to me being much bigger. I nurse my wrist for a moment. Won't be able to focus with the pain.

When that settles down, I begin looking at the ground, whether it be at the foot of the tree or a dozen yards away. I don't make anything out at first. It all just looks like plants and dirt. Maybe it was dumb to think I had better sight.

But the more I looked, the more clear things started to get. Little details started sticking out to me. Tracks made in the ground... scratch marks on certain trees... little bugs crawling along the twigs...

And then, suddenly, a noise. It was distinct in my mind, but it sounded like... leaves being disturbed. My eyes follow my ears, and my head turns towards the right. Narrowing in, I see a bushy tail sticking out of the bushes. The sight of prey clicks in my mind.

Knowing I might scare it, I quietly make my way down the tree. It hurts like it always does, but I can't afford to be loud. Once down on the ground, I make my way slowly towards the critter, making sure to avoid noise of any kind. Time around me seems to grow more still as I take each step. I stop right before the prey. Can't stand on my bad arm, I risk faltering on it with too much weight. So, I'll have to grab with it... carefully, I stretch my arm out. Need to time this right...

...

The animal goes still. It senses danger.

I freeze.

Both of us do. We stay still... waiting...

...

It jumps forward. But it's just a tad too slow. I grab its tail, dragging it out into the open.

I'm met with tiny, sharp and bloody jaws, gnashing at me. The top of its head has incredibly small eyes. Most of it's flat head was covered by two slits, its nostrils.

"Ugh... Trapjaw Squirrel." I say out loud. These things were annoying. Hungry little runts, they'd consume anything they could smell. And they'd bite through anything to get it. Bags, wooden boxes, even a metal lunchbox. Even if someone was holding the food, they'd chew through your fingers if they got the chance, just to get to the goodies you were holding.

Carefully, I grab its head by the nostrils, so that it can't snap through my hand. I clench my teeth. I didn't like Trapjaws, but… this still felt awful. Except it's worse this time, because I'm conscious for it. But… junior needs something. If he doesn't get it now, I doubt I'll have the chance later.

I grimace. "Ugh… Meal time." I lunge, piercing its body. It screams out, wriggling in pain and terror. Blood spills out, filling my mouth with the taste of iron. I hate every moment of it. It takes far too long before its movements slow down and eventually stop. When it does, I take the first chance and spit as much blood out as I can. The taste lingers, unfortunately.

With a heavy sigh, I plop the creature down in front of junior. He just stares at it. Then he looks back at me.

"Well?" I ask. "You gonna eat it or what?" It whines all this time, and now it won't eat? Wait. This is a baby bird. Does that mean…? "Do… you need me to chew it up for you?"

He brings his head slightly inside his body. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was cringing. "Oh, thank the Titan. But… you still won't eat it?" He flutters his wings a little. Is he frustrated? "Okay, well what do you want me to do about it?" The owlet circled his head around, then waddled over to a patch of grass. He began plucking at them, tearing off bits of each blade. Piece by piece by… by piece. "You want me to tear pieces of this thing off?" He bobs his head down once.

The grimace comes back to my face. "Is there really no other way?" He stares at me. I guess there isn't. I kneel down, and reluctantly start tearing a piece of flesh of the thing. "Here I am in the middle of the woods, turned into a giant beast, eating small creatures and tearing them to shreds like a psychopath… and talking to a baby owl. I might as well become a hermit even if I do get rescued."

The strip comes off, and I hang it over junior. He finally bites it… well, he swallows it. I begin tearing more pieces off the squirrel, giving each one to him. Watching him eat is… adorable. In a way. In any case, it somehow keeps my mind off the fact that I'm dissecting a carcass.

He finally finishes up. Good thing too, I'd gotten down to its organs. If I had to scoop those out, I might've quit right there. "Finally satisfied, little guy?" He suddenly perks up and screeches at me. "Whoa! What did I say?" He seemed fine for a while, until… "Wait… uh, little girl?"

His… er, Her feathers smooth out. Whoops. "Sorry. I'm still calling you junior though. Nothing wrong with that." She cocks her head. "Well, I'm not gonna call you 'little owlet' or some junk. Gotta call you something." She stares at me again, then looks off in a different direction. "Well, we better get going." I walk away, ready to leave this… 'memorable' spot. But my footsteps are the only ones I'm hearing. I look back to see the owlet staring at me. "You coming or what?"

It takes a step back, making me scoff a little. "Look, I'm not the nesting type. You wanna stay here, fine. But I am the only one who can get you food… and keep you from becoming someone else's." Her head shrinks into her body again. "Your choice." I start walking again. It's not long before I hear the sound of waddling behind me. I can't help but smile.

Seems she's not keen on giving up her pride. Every time I look back, Junior starts acting like she wasn't following, pecking at something on the ground or looking away. It's adorable at first.

Eventually, though, I can hear her stop even when I don't look back. That's aggravating. "Look, if you stop so much, we're never gonna-" The words die in my throat.

She's looking intently at the brush off to the side. She screeches at something… something hiding in there. Her feathers are raised higher than ever. I run over, preparing myself. I tense, not sure if I'm prepared for what stands behind the foliage.

Unexpectedly, a figure instead lashes out from behind us. On instinct I move in front of the owlet. I feel claws slash at my side. I manage to whack it away, but the pain from the wound is fierce.

I get a good look at our attacker. It stands on two legs, but its body leans forward, with its front claws hanging below. Said claws are about 4 inches in length each… about the same size as its sharp teeth. On its body is a mixture of fur and scales, looking like some kind of bad skin condition. It stares us down with blank, beady eyes, before hissing at us, its mouth splitting into four segments- like some kind of horrifying flower.

A Devil Lizard, easily one of the most fearsome predators on the isles. Which was bad news for me and Junior.

There weren't many of them left, the Emperor had seen to that personally. But that didn't make them any less dangerous. "Tornadoes of teeth and claws" the camp guides would call them. Always hungry and mean as all hell. An adept Witch could handle them no problem. But I'm a novice… without my magic. And a bum leg. And now, a bleeding side. Surface level, but it was still an issue.

I think it might have been the blood from the Trapjaw I killed. Might've attracted this thing. Except, I feel like I'm forgetting something. There was one more nasty fact about these creatures, but I can't remember-

"SCRARARARAYYYHHHHH!" A shrill screech sounds out behind us. Another lizard leaps from the bushes, lunging at my back.

"Pairs." It comes back to me too late. "They always hunt in pairs!" I move to block, my arm stretching out and grabbing the Devil. Though I grab it, one claw hits my shoulder, getting deeper than I'd like. I hear the other one run forward, intent on grabbing the owlet while I deal with its buddy. It rushes past my legs to escape. Before the Devil can follow, I throw its hunting buddy at it. He dodges as the other skids across the ground. But it does compel him to change course, heading for me. It tackles me to the ground, gnashing at me with teeth and claws. I grab both its arms to keep them from sinking in. But it doesn't stop its mouth from clenching down into my neck. Neither does it stop its hind toes from digging into my abdomen. I'm thankful the thick feathers keep both from gutting me. But I'm still vulnerable.

But when the other one doesn't go for me. When it shakes off its stupor, it races off to my side. The owlet has taken shelter in a hollowed out tree stump. The Devil attempts to reach in, but its claws are too big. So it begins slashing at the stump, chipping away large chunks of wood with every swipe.

I want to help. I HAVE to help. I can't just let them kill junior! But… I can't get this stupid thing off me! The feathers are managing to keep it off… but its teeth and claws sink deeper, slowly. It'll only be a matter of time… I… I can't save junior… I can't even save myself… What do I do?

'Kill…'

H-Huh?

'Kill. Survive.'

What? N-No…

'Kill. Protect.'

Can't think… what is… happening?

'Must kill.'

'Kill.'

'KILL.'

'KILL.'

The light leaks through my eyes. My whole body aches. The ground beneath me feels… damp.

With great effort, I push myself up. My mind hasn't caught up with me yet… I was… walking? …Yeah. With junior. But then we… were attacked. By-

"The Devil Lizards!" I shout, finally remembering. I look around frantically. I don't see Junior anywhere. Nor the lizards. They… They didn't. Did they?

"Scree."

A jolt goes through my body as I hear a tiny sound. Glancing up, I notice a small body sitting atop my head. Junior.

A feeling of relief fills my body. "Huh… There you are. Thought I lost you. Gave me a scare. But if you're here… where are the Lizards?" I wonder aloud. I've regained my lucidity… which is when I suddenly feel a wetness on my claws. It's not my blood… the color's a bit off. I notice a trail of blood leading away. Dread emerges in my mind.

Justified when I find two bloody piles, sitting across the way. They aren't even distinguishable anymore… but I know what they are. I look away. It happened again… just like with the mouse. I stare at my bloodied claws again.

"What… What's happening to me?"

"Skree." Junior jumps down onto my good shoulder, nuzzling me. "Okay, already. You're welcome." I push down those unpleasant thoughts for the time being. I can't… I can't focus on them right now. We have to move. I might've "won", but whatever happened while I was blacked out let loose a lot of blood. It's not safe to stay.

Junior hops onto my head, getting comfortable. Guess she trusts me now… that, or she just sees no other choice. Still, better lay down a ground rule. "If you poop on my head, I'll eat you." I can sense her shrivel up a bit.

I begin making my way through the forest. It hurts when I move… anything. Everything. But I can't afford to stop. Who knows what'll be coming after us once the scent of blood hits downwind…

Pretty soon, the sun has set again. The moon's light is just starting to bleed through the darkness. And I feel like I'm just about to collapse.

But just when it feels like I'll be trapped in this forest forever… I hear something. Is that… an animal? No, no… that's different. It sounds like… voices. From people!

"Yes! We're saved, Junior!" I run towards the source, boosted by one last bit of adrenaline.

But then, when I get close, things get… weird. I can see a green glow emitting between the trees ahead. The trees seem to rustle… yet there's no wind. And the atmosphere is overflowing with… dread. My confidence suddenly drops, and yet I can't help but move forward. Driven by morbid curiosity.

I reach a clearing. In it, stands someone with long, abrasive looking hair. Gray, sickly skin covers her. And her eyes… er, eye, glows a deep yellow.

"I've yet to see her return in a year, Baba." A deeper voice speaks aloud. "I'm wrought with anxiety."

"Patience, Lesovik." The old woman says. "She is not so fragile. Keep observing. Keep waiting. In time, we shall find the Titan's secret."

"Hmph. This land is so… infested. Imps all over the place. I know not if I can bear their presence any longer."

"Should you reveal yourself, the pretender will realize he is intruded upon and shall oust you. You must show restraint."

"Please, Baba. Surely I may at least remove one lowly pest at a-" The voice stopped. "Hn… Baba, it appears we have a guest."

Suddenly something grabbed me, pulling me out from my hiding place. I felt vulnerable, and not just because I was out in the open. This lady felt… off. "Uh… hi."

"You…" She moved closer. I can't stop my body from trembling. "How odd. An imp transformed by a curse. Yet it is not of typical magic…" She lift my wing, and I can feel her clammy hands through the feathers. I instinctively pull my wing back. "Tell me, child. What brings you into the deepest part of the woods on this night?"

Rats. The deepest part? I've been going the wrong way the whole time! And now, wrinkly over here is… inspecting me. "Uh… not on purpose. I just… woke up like this. Been trying to go home."

"And yet, you find me. Such… opportunity should not be wasted." She gestured her to come closer. I didn't want to. But the ground beneath me seemed to move on its own, putting me face to face with her. She's hunched over, seemingly frail and old. And yet… there's a power there I can't explain. It weighs down on my head like an anvil, threatening to crush me. Her yellow eye bores into my soul… as if she's eyeing that instead of me. "You wish to relieve yourself of this curse?"

I can't even muster my usual snark. I feel like she'll kill me if I snip at her. "I… uh… yes."

She didn't react. She only continued to stare. "You will give yourself to me in servitude, and I shall."

"Uh… who are you, exactly?" Not an ounce of sarcasm in my voice. Only sincerity. And fear.

"You will refer to me as Baba Yaga."

…

"B…B-Baba… Ya-…Yaga?" Fear overtakes me completely. I back away slowly. "I… appreciate the offer, but… I think I'm okay. It was very nice to meet you, but I must be going home now. Thank you fo- HUKK!" My body seizes up. My bones feel like they are about to pierce out from my body.

"Child… I did not give you a choice." I feel myself pulled towards her once more. "Only… an alternative. You may either serve me with mind intact… or I will suppress you, and the beast shall be my pet."

"W-Wait… lemme go! Stop!"

"The beast it shall be, then." It feels like claws begin to dig into my head. I feel consciousness slipping away… Please… I've been through so much… not here… not now…

"SKREEEEEEE!"

Something catches both of our attention. Junior leaps out, hidden in the mass of feathers on my head. In only a moment, Junior aged considerably. A fully grown owl swooped in, taking one particular flower out of the ground. She landed on a rock some ways away before she changed once again. Her feathers receded giving way to bronze skin. White hair grew from her head. A cloak appeared on her body. Her talons became hands. Hands which she used to crush the flower.

"No! My ancho-" The hag never got the chance to finish as she disappeared.

Suddenly, the trees around us begin to shake. The entire forest seems angry at us. "Wretch! What have you done?!"

"I've taken a player off the board." She points at a particular tree. "Just as I can temporarily remove you."

I hear the sound of someone groaning, and the rustling of the trees ceases. "What… What happened?"

The old woman approaches me. "I've sent him to sleep. It will take some time for him to wake up. Allowing me the chance to talk with you as I am. Be glad Baba Yaga was not here as a whole. I do not think I could've defeated her otherwise."

"Wha… Who… are you?"

"Hmm. The human world gave me so many names… Ninhursag. Artemis. Diana. Ragana. Xochiquetzal. It has been so long since I had heard my given name… Kuuhet."

I blinked. None of those made a lick of sense to me.

"Right… this world has been cut off from the human realm. I forget sometimes." She sighed. "Not that it matters. My name's birthplace, as well as all the rest, are only dust in the wind now. Nothing lasts forever. And yet… here I am, attempting to stave off the end."

"Well… I can see that." I say without thinking. She looks at me. Quick! Take it back! You already had one old witch try to gut you, don't convince a second one to finish the job! "U-Uh, I mean… you do look… kinda old." Dang it, Eda.

She looks on. Then she gives a light chuckle. "I suppose that is true. But it is not what I meant. My end arrives, and I can only consider it luck that I may choose in which matter I move on from this world."

"Choose?"

"Yes… this is where I choose to place my stakes. My final gambit. To impede she who destroyed my home…"

"I don't understand."

"You may not, for a long time. But you will know, when the time is right. I see it in you… a wild heart waiting to break free. You showed as much these last few nights."

Last few nights? What does she… wait a minute. "You… you were the one following me the first night!"

"Yes. Though I realized I may have frightened you. I took the form of the owlet to get closer… to see how you would adapt to the wilds around you."

She was around the whole time?! "You… you absolute jerk! I've been wandering around this stupid fucking forest for days, and all you could think to do was test me?! You're sick, lady!"

"It was not kind. I don't deny it. But I had to find out now… before my time was up. I've walked the mortal plane for so long… to see how I could stop her. To help those who came after us. I suppose it is only fitting that it is at the end of my life, when I finally find my claim.'

"Your "claim"? Listen here, you old hag! I'm no one's "claim"!"

"But you are the one I choose. You are close with that of wild magic. Especially of this realm. I've no doubt you have the power to decide the fate of this place."

"What are you even talking about?! Decide fate? The one you choose? Close with wild magic?! I want nothing to do with the stuff! Look at what it did to me! I look like a freak, I black out, eat rats and go completely feral! Why would I want anything to do with it ever again?!"

She sighed again. "You do not yet understand the blessing of this. You still see it as a curse. Such few days will not change that, especially ones so frightening. I suppose there is a risk you will never see it as anything else. But it is a risk I must take." She reached out her hand to me.

"Whoa, whoa! You are not touching me."

"I can suppress the changes."

"I don't care what you…" I paused. "You can?"

"Not permanently. But I believe there are remedies you may take when you return home." Well, so much for that. "It will keep the beast at bay… but you may find in the future that you don't wish to."

I scoff. "Yeah, whatever. What's the catch? Am I your "servant" now?"

"Nothing of the sort. Only that you hear my words before I heal you." I raise an eyebrow at her.

"You just want to tell me something?" She nods. "…Fine."

"Listen, child. Do not simply hear me and ignore."

"Alright, I get it already! I'll write it down when I get home if I have to, just say your stupid thing and fix me!" I snap. She doesn't react, only kneeling down to stare into my eyes.

"Remember this. The dangers your Emperor claims of wild magic are false. He seeks to control what he cannot. Deluded that he may stop what is to come. To find the secret this fallen giant holds. But forces are at work against him to orchestrate the end of all things. The Black Goddess most of all, so she may hasten the destruction of all. Just as she destroyed my home… And to prevent their victory, you must embrace magic for what it is. Wild. Natural. The essence of all things."

She grabs my arm, pulling rather roughly. "Return to the Deep Wilds when you feel the constrictions that his society has created. Embrace its chaos. Over time you shall see the beauty and power of wild magic… and you will hopefully learn enough before the time comes."

She finally let's go of my arm and stands up, but her eyes remain focused on me. "When you finally see, the last bit of my magic within you will come forth… and will tell you what you can finally understand."

"Oh yeah? Why can't you tell me now?" I asked, putting up what little bravado I had left.

"That, you cannot understand." I swear I can see a cheeky smile on her.

"Just change me back, lady."

A glow appears on her hand. The aura begins to encompass me. A blinding light fills my vision, and I see nothing but white.

The sight of the moon in the sky greets me. My head is pounding. Blinking awake, I get up slowly, bringing my hand to my head to nurse it.

My… my hand. My regular witch hand. It's really back to normal! I look at my body- no wings, no talons, no feathers. Even my wounds are healed. And thankfully, minimal clothing damage. That crazy old lady actually did it!

"Eda?" A voice rings out to my left, choked by a sob. I look to find Lily, standing in the doorway of our house, tears streaming down her face. "EDA!" She runs, capturing me in the hug of all hugs.

"Good to see you too, sis." I say, though a bit muffled. She pulls away. "You would not believe the last few days I've had."

In just the blink of an eye, her happy tears turn sad again as she looks to the ground. "I'm sorry!"

That's weird. "For what?"

She opens her mouth, but hesitates before finishing. "I just… I can't believe someone would do this to you…" She looks off to the side, distraught. "They must be such an awful person."

Ah. She must feel bad that she couldn't do anything to help me. "Eh, don't worry about it. I'll kick their butt later." It doesn't seem to give her confidence.

"Lily?" I hear dad's voice from down the road. "I told you, the neighbors are fanning out for your sister. They won't-" In the shadows, Dad stops in the road. "Eda?" His eyes water immediately as he stares at the two of us. "EDA!" He runs, so fast that he skids on his knees to come to a stop. Not a moment later he wraps me in an even bigger hug than Lily.

"Dell? Is that you?" Mom calls out from the house as she quickly emerges from the front door. "Poor Lily has been crying her heart out. Has the search party had any-" She drops a bowl of something. Probably whatever organic recipe she made. "Oh my… my little girl!" And finally, she too rushes up to embrace me.

"Geez, guys. Wasn't gone that long…" But I don't mean that. My eyes water just as much as I feel them around me. I feel safe again.

…Mostly. I clutch at my arm… the same place that lady used her magic on me. I don't know what she wants with me… but I hope I never find out.

I'd hoped things would quiet down after that, but they never really did. The lady was right- my curse did come back. And it started affecting me and my family. After a few "incidents" I'd rather not talk about, I'd left home... but I never really forgot those first few days I spent as the beast.

"But with things starting to get crazier around here… I don't think I have a choice."

Camila shook her head. "My goodness, Eda. I had no idea you went through something so traumatic. And at such a young age."

"Yeah, it's… not a time in my life I like to talk about. The bad days didn't really end there. Honestly, it was really just the start of my downhill drop."

"I can understand. Had some times in my childhood I don't look fondly on." Hellboy says.

"Really? I can't imagine." I hope that didn't come off as too sarcastic. I meant it in good faith. Thankfully, he smiles, having taken it in good humor.

However, his frown returns. "That old bat, though…"

"Yeah. At first, I thought "screw her". Thought I'd be able to avoid doing what she said, but when home life got… stressful, the wilds is where I ended up going. Er, eventually." I did find the door first, after all. "Still, that 'message' of hers hasn't come around yet."

"Yeah, but that's not the weird thing. I know some of the names she said, but I had to run others by Kate… all the names she listed were goddesses from human mythologies. All of them were patrons of nature in some way or form, among other things."

"So, what? I ran into a god?"

He shook his head. "No. I know what she was talking about. You mentioned the Black Goddess, right?"

I think on it for a moment. "Huh… yeah. I haven't thought about it much since, but with what I know now… she meant Hecate, huh?"

"Yeah…" He glanced at the door to the human realm. A pit forms in my stomach. He… couldn't mean… "I got a bad feeling…"

And I hope that feeling is wrong.

I watched as Luz picked at her food listlessly with a troubled look on her face. After Roger had told us his story, her mood had taken a bit of a dive. She seemed to be thinking of something, going back and forth about it in her head. We'd offered to go get lunch, hoping that getting something in her stomach would take her mind off… whatever was going through it. Even picked a food cart that Gus and I really liked. No dice, though.

"Are… going to eat your food, Luz?" Gus asked. "I really thought you might like the Fleshwich here."

"H-Huh?" She looked up in surprise, almost as if she had forgotten that we were right next to her "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm not really feeling hungry."

"Feels like something's on your mind. You wanna talk about it?"

"Uh…" She looked unsure, her stare going back to the yet to be eaten sandwich between her hands. Maybe we should put a pin in that for now. Whatever answer she was looking for inside her head didn't seem to be coming anytime soon.

"Well… how about this? Why don't we tell you one of Gus and I's greatest secrets?" I suggested.

Luz's interest piqued instantaneously, her Fleshwich now all but completely forgotten and sliding dangerously from her hands . "A secret?"

Upon hearing that, Roger looked sheepishly at the three us, more than a bit uncertain. "Should I… step away?"

"Nah, you're fine, Roger. I'm thinking the BPRD will want to hear about this. We were planning on telling Luz about it during the Moonlight Conjuring. But, uh… things got away from us." I explained. "The time we met another human."

"Say WHAT?!" The people at the tables around us turned to stare at us, startled by the sudden yelling. Luz chuckled nervously, realizing that she had not only jumped from her seat, but also shouted to the top of her lungs for everyone to hear. The crowd slowly looked away from us and back into their meals, uninterested in whatever a couple of teens and a golem were talking about.

"Why didn't you mention this to the BPRD?" Roger wondered with an inquisitive look on his face of clay. "Considering this kind of information is quite relevant to the current case"

"Eh… there's some… caveats to it, to start." Gus added, hesitance clear in his voice. "To say we met another human isn't… entirely accurate."

"But that's kind of a long story." I finished. "You up for hearing it?"

She immediately slammed her arms down on the table, eyes wide and focused on me like a ravenous Helliamphora. "Tell me everything ."

I giggled in response. We were getting somewhere. "Alright, then. This happened a few years ago…"

The Shadow on the Water

Boiling Isles, Bonesborough, Hexside School. 2019

Gus and I hadn't known each other for too long, only a few weeks at best. But we'd become fast friends. We just… understood each other. So when the most important opportunity of Gus' life came around, I knew I had to help him any way I could. Little did I know our "ambitions" were about to get us both way in over our heads…

Augustus plopped his supplies down as the tide slowly rolled back. I looked around, hearing the waves hit the beach and the bubbling sound of boiling water along with it. A cliff, about thirty feet tall, stood next to the beach, overlooking the ocean. I was actually pretty familiar with it all. My dads had taken me here plenty of times to have picnics or look at wildlife. They even told me to avoid the cliff, as it was unstable thanks to the constant erosion done by the sea.

Augustus had called me after school one day, asking for my help for… something. He wouldn't explain, just said it was a surprise.

"So, what's this surprise you were telling me about?"

"Okay, so get this," Augustus started, barely keeping down his excitement. "There's been a rumor going around school. A few weeks ago, the Beast track's class was studying why trash slugs came to the beach despite the risk of death. As they were studying, one kid cried out, pointing at the sea. He claimed he saw something on the water. But when his class looked, all they could see was a strange fog that had rolled over... practically out of nowhere."

I stayed silent. Augustus was quite theatrical, and she could tell when he was using a "dramatic pause".

"So, nobody pays it any mind. But then, as the Beast track sends their other classes over the next few days, other kids begin to say the same thing... maybe one person in class saw it, maybe a few. But regardless, it's always the same story... a figure on the water, always obscured by fog. Eventually, the Beast track cancelled the class, tired of the "disruptions". They say the kids are only seeing mirages. But I think it's something else..."

I leaned in, in anticipation.

"It's... a human!" He said.

"A human?" I had heard the tales of humans and I had asked about them to my dads, who had very differing answers about them. Her papa Harvey had said that they were nothing more than silly legends, and preferred to not focus on the tall tales of some cryptid species, or cryptids in general. Her dad Gilbert, however, was a different story: He believed they were out there somewhere, but didn't think they were scary monsters or anything. Still, beyond asking them, she'd never given humans much thought. And yet… this seemed a bit odd. "I don't think a human would be able to live in boiling water, Augustus."

"Or so you've probably heard." Augustus raised his eyebrows up and down. "I have a mindblowing theory that's going to take the humanologist community by storm." He pulled out a notebook, with a crude drawing of a human. It seemed humanoid in nature, with various appendages, oozing venom out its ears, and teeth on its eyelids… not much different from a witch or demon on the isles. But one feature stuck out. "Gills!"

I nodded as I looked over the diagram. "Fair, but so do a lot of demons. But what about surviving the boiling water? That stuff can burn even the toughest demons in seconds."

"Well, that's the second part of the theory. According to rumors spread by some wild witch, humans have really smooth skin. So, you'd think they wouldn't last even a few seconds. But you know what else has smooth skin?" I shook my head. "Selkidomuses! Their skin may be smooth, but it's actually very rubbery, with a lot of blubber beneath. It acts as natural insulation to keep their bodies from heating up, at least long enough to get food, or to move from land to land. I think humans have the same type of skin!"

"Really?" She mulled it over. It would make sense. Except… "Except you don't have proof."

He faltered a little. "Well… yeah. If I brought this up with the humanologists, they'd laugh. The lead researcher believes that humans have "smooth, sensitive skin". He even says that they don't ooze venom of any kind!"

I connected the dots. "That's why we're out here, hmm?" He nodded sheepishly. "So, you need to find the human to confirm that they have natural insulation and gills to prove your theory… even though that's a theory you created to begin with… which is only because you believe the creature on the water has to be a human in the first place." I smirked, teasing him.

"N-No! I totally thought they had gills way before this!" He sputtered.

I giggled at his response. "Easy, Augustus, I'm just joking. So, we're… on human watch?"

"Yep!" He pulled out a spyglass of some kind. "If we can get visual proof that what's out there is human, and that it has gills and blubber, we'll finally have proof and recognition!"

'Recognition' caught my attention for a moment… but I decided to brush it off. I guessed having a little bit of notoriety for making a startling discovery about a mysterious species would be kinda nice. "So… how are we gonna do that?"

"Well, with the creature so far out into the water, it won't be easy to spot. And renting a boat is too expensive… especially if it doesn't show up the day we do so. So, our only bet is to capture a picture of it from afar."

"And… how do we do that?" I asked.

"That's the good news. See, my dad has a special camera for when his crew needs a clear shot of something from a distance." He opened his bag a little, revealing a fleshy mass with a mouth at the end, an eyeball in the mouth. It looked at the two of us, blinking.

"Oh, sorry, Eye-ris. Go back to sleep. We'll let you know when we need ya." She moved her pupil up and down to confirm before closing her eyelid. "So, yeah. We just need to spot them with this spyglass- we don't want to get her out on a false alarm, after all- and get Eye-ris to take the picture, and boom! Proof of humans being able to live in boiling water!"

"Sounds like a plan." I looked out to sea. "You really think it'll show up today?"

"Probably not, but that's why I wanna keep coming out here. We're bound to see it at some point." He stood up straight, puffing out his chest a bit. "Can I count on you to have my back, Miss Park?" He said in, trying to pull off a deep, serious voice.

I giggled, mirroring him. "You can count on me, Mister Porter." I saluted, which he returned. We stood there in those poses… before breaking into laughter.

And so, for the rest of the afternoon, we watched. Augustus more intently than me, if I'm honest. But, regardless of effort, the figure never showed up. Luckily, Augustus seemed to take it in good spirit.

"Hey, we were kind of expecting it to be a quiet day, weren't we? Just means that's it's much more likely that it'll appear tomorrow." He'd said.

Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case. We went back for several days after. But despite observing the sea as thoroughly as we could for the entirety of our afternoons, we never saw the figure. We kept trying, but Augustus took each failed attempt in less stride as time went on. After a week, Augustus began to get frustrated.

"Agh! I don't get it! Every single Beast track class that went to the beach saw the figure. But we've been at this for days and haven't seen a thing! What are we doing wrong?" Augustus ruffled his hair, agitated.

Indeed, it was a conundrum. How could so many people see it, but when we look, nothing happens? I had to think on it for a moment, but I just wasn't seeing it. But something occurred to me... "What if... we're not thinking about this the right way?" Augustus looked at me questioningly. "There was only ever one person in those classes that saw the figure. And yet, they were always with a group. Maybe... there's some condition to make it appear? Maybe it was attracted to groups of people?"

Augustus pondered on my explanation... and his smile grew. "Of course! We haven't been seeing anything because we haven't been doing it the right way! We have to replicate the details those classes had when they saw the human! Maybe it... attracted it in some way!"

So, Augustus formed a plan: we would ask several students to join us on the beach, to recreate the size of the classes and attract the creature. There was just... one problem with that plan.

"Ha! As if anyone wants to go around with you dorks hunting for proof of baby stories." Boscha mocked. It'd managed to get to her ears, despite our efforts. And once she'd made the popular kids' opinion (or rather, just hers) known, anybody who'd thought of going with us suddenly lost their nerve.

Amity had been there with her. She hadn't shown much interest in the event in general, but did have something to say. "Come on, Willow. Trying to drag people into a search for a mythical creature? Just because you're half a witch, doesn't mean you have to use desperate methods to keep people's attention."

It was nothing new. Amity had been drilling into me how I was "half a witch" since we stopped being friends. I usually just talked to my dads about it. It made it easier to weather. But when I'd met Augustus, it had been nice to meet someone besides my dad that I could just... talk to without being judged. Someone who could help cheer me up when I was down... and who I could do the same for.

But... this whole ordeal was starting to have an effect on him. As evidenced by the poor demon crabs he kicked at when we returned to the beach that day. "Rgh! Why does Boscha have to be such a jerk? All we want is people to come stare out at the ocean for a while!"

"Y-Yeah, can't see why people wouldn't be on board." I said, trying not to sound facetious. The two of us already had enough of that at the school.

He sighed. "If we can't get people to come to the beach... then, we're gonna have to get a substitute of some kind."

"Substitute?" I wasn't sure where this was going.

"Yeah... like... what if we make our own people?" He suggested, fully serious. "I mean, if the creature comes out because there's multiple people on the beach, who's to say it won't be fooled by fake people?"

"Well, it's kind of a hunch..." I noted. "But it's not like we haven't been operating on hunches up to this point."

"That's the spirit! Now, help me find some old logs..."

So, we set about making our little "congregation". We got whatever we could to make it look like multiple figures were standing on the shoreline. It took us over the weekend to get it done, but our hard work eventually paid off. Before us stood an entire class of fake people. We were pretty proud of ourselves. All that was left was to put it into action.

The next day, Augustus didn't meet me after school like he usually did. He was already at the beach when I arrived, spyglass in hand.

"Uh, hey, Augustus." I spoke up, grabbing his attention. "Kinda missed you there after school got out."

"Huh? Oh, sorry Willow. But I needed to maximize our time."

I frowned a little. Augustus was starting to take this all very seriously. Before, it seemed like it was just a fun thing, a hobby that he showed a lot of interest in. But now... I couldn't help but feel it was starting to become an obsession.

I ignored it for now. He was just frustrated, wanting his hard work to pay off. He'll calm down once we catch sight of the creature. Or… so I told myself.

But as the days went on, my worries only grew. Augustus would be so focused on the ocean that he wouldn't hear me unless I shouted for his attention. He would constantly fix the "people" around us, even for the most minor of problems. And his body showed more and more signs of restlessness as we continued to see nothing.

Eventually, he came to the conclusion that they weren't real enough, that the creature could tell they were fake. So, he began to use his illusion magic. He would create images of himself and me to add to the people. But when the creature didn't show up even then, he kept moving the goal post. 'They had to look like their classmates', 'there needed to be more', 'they need to look like they're doing something', or some other caveat that he'd use as an excuse to justify using up all his magic. He exhausted himself maintaining them. I tried to tell him to relax, but he wouldn't have it, insisting that his illusions had to work.

After another week using fake crowds, the sun was setting, and we'd still not seen any sign of the being. Augustus suddenly yelled in anger. "Agggh! It's still not working! What else are we doing wrong?" He shook his head. "We have to find this out."

I wasn't so sure. He was starting to stress himself badly over this. If it continued, he might get himself hurt. "I don't know, Augustus. Maybe we should take a break for a few days."

"What? No!" He immediately objected. "What if it shows up while we're not here? We can't take that chance!"

"It will still be here when we get back." I argued.

"You don't know that." He shot back. "I thought you said you'd be with me!"

I began to get riled up, upset at his accusation. "Yeah, when I thought this was just some fun thing we were going to do! But the way you've been acting the last few days, it's like this is the only thing that matters! Who cares if we don't find this thing?"

"Everyone! If we find it, if we prove that there's a human here, that's instant recognition!"

"That's what this is about?! Becoming popular?!" I shouted. Augustus had never even implied… so all along, it was just for the notoriety? I couldn't believe him.

"It's about stopping all the bullying! The harassment! If we do this, if we get that popularity, Boscha and the others will stop picking on us! Amity will stop calling you half-a-witch!"

"No! She won't!" I knew that for sure. Augustus had no idea what he was talking about. "You don't even know for sure if that's a human out there. It could just be floating debris for all we know! What are you going to do then?"

He threw his arms up in the air. "Well, at least I can say I tried! Unlike you!"

"What are you talking about?! I've been giving you a hundred percent since we started this dumb monster hunt!" I growled at him, beyond annoyed at this point.

He looked at me as if I'd just stabbed him. He clenched his trembling hands, biting his lips in anger. "If… if you think it's so dumb, then maybe you should LEAVE!"

My eyes widened, the corners watering as heard him say that. "F-Fine! I will!" I turned around, stomping my way off the beach. This had gone on for too long. I was tired, and the whole thing had stopped being fun a long time ago.

"Fi-Fine!" His breath hitched. "Just go!"

…

It was our first big fight. I was so mad, I'd stayed in my room for the rest of the night, crying my eyes out. My dads tried to offer comfort, but I still didn't feel better by the time morning came around.

For the entire next day, my emotions were a mess. I was a combination of angry and sad, bubbling together. Any time Augustus and I saw each other, we gave each other glares before turning away. I could hear Boscha and the others talking about us having a "nerd break up". They didn't really try to hide it. I was able to power through most of their "routine" when they confronted me about it. Surprisingly, being angry at Augustus kept my mind off of it. Amity… was uncharacteristically quiet. But I took that as a blessing.

However, it was also a problem. Being angry about our fight got me through the day… but I also couldn't stop thinking about it, even when I wanted to. Augustus was the first friend I'd had in a while. For him to pretty much accuse me of being a bad friend… it hurt. I'd honestly wanted to help him, I gave it my all looking for the creature on the water. And yet… I feared that maybe I really was the one to blame. I'd already lost Amity because I was only half a witch. Calling his goal dumb… was it really my fault?

I didn't get much sleep the next night.

When the next day came around, things were pretty much the same… except this time, Amity decided to join in.

"So, where's your friend?" She leaned up against the lockers as I packed my things up, glad the school day was over.

"Yeah, did you two nerds kiss and make up?" Boscha mockingly said.

"He can do whatever he wants." I said bluntly.

"Hmph. We just figured, since he was asking about that thing on the beach again." Amity replied. "Apparently, he went straight to the kids that said they saw it. Wanted to know if there was some "big connection"." She said in air quotes.

"And you wanna know what they said?" Boscha taunted.

I didn't answer this time. I wasn't in any mood for their games. I closed my locker, walking away from them.

"Supposedly, they all told him the same thing." Amity said, louder as I walked off. "They were all burned by the water."

I froze in place. I turned slowly. "Wh…What?"

"Each of the Beast track kids who saw the boat got burned before they saw "the thing"." Amity explained.

Boscha smiled evilly. "But that's not the kicker. Several other kids got small burns on those trips, but never saw the thing. Because the ones who saw the creature had gotten large burns from the boiling sea. One kid tripped and got their hand caught in a sizzling tide pool. Another got splashed all the way up their leg by a wave that crashed on the rocky shore. Stuff like that." My blood started to run cold. "That's when they started shouting about something on the water. But since burns are so common on the boiling sea, nobody paid that part any mind… well, except for your little friend." My heart felt like it was stopping. If Augustus had heard that was what had triggered the sightings…

I ran straight for the door.

Suddenly, our fight was the last thing on my mind as I rushed through the forest. I couldn't let Augustus do this. The burn wasn't the problem. A burn like that could be healed pretty quickly- it was the circumstances around it. She knew Augustus didn't have the right precautions with him… he didn't know healing magic, for one. Nor was there going to be any student that knew healing magic alongside him, thanks to Boscha's fear mongering still lingering over the other kids. He might've taken some first aid kit supplies with him… but nothing in those packs would be strong enough magic for the large burn he would have to inflict upon himself. Worse yet, she knew Augustus wouldn't go get medical help immediately- he was too focused on snapping a photo of the monster. Overall, he risked doing permanent damage to himself- something that even the best Healing coven members wouldn't be able to reverse.

She wasn't even sure if Boscha had told the truth, but she couldn't take that chance.

As she emerged onto the beach, she saw Augustus, hovering his hand over the bubbling water. "Augustus!"

He turned suddenly at her voice. His surprise quickly became apprehension. "What do you want?"

"I'm trying to stop you from doing something stupid!"

"Wouldn't I be prone to doing that since my monster hunt is so "dumb"?!"

I'll admit that I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm before I focused on what was important. "I'd say burning your whole hand isn't the smartest of moves!"

He looked at me in confusion. "My whole- what are you talking about?"

"The other kids! They told you they had to burn their entire hand, or get long burns up their legs to see the creature!"

"Wha- no, they didn't! All they said was they got small burns on their fingers! From like… picking up demon starfish and eight eyed crabs that hadn't cooled off! Sure, one kid tripped and got his hand into a tide pool, but that was the worst of it!"

…Ugh. So Boscha had lied to me. No doubt just to see the look on my face. Great, she and Amity must be laughing up how I fell for such a dumb lie.

…But… had the lie really been that convincing? When I thought about it… all it had taken to grab my attention was the fact that people were burned to begin with. Maybe… I couldn't stand to see Augustus hurt, regardless if it was or wasn't severe. Maybe… I just wanted an excuse to end this stupid fight.

"YEOW!" Augustus shouted out, snapping me out of my thoughts. He was waving his finger around, blowing on it. "Rrrgh… that smarts…" He pulled out a bandage from a nearby first aid kit, the magic added to it by the Healing coven glowing as it soothed the burn.

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that it had only been a cruel lie. I walked over to Augustus' side, kneeling next to him. "Y'know, burning yourself for the sake of a monster hunt is still worrying."

Augustus looked at me, still upset… but his face had softened a little. "Yeah, well… I wouldn't know unless I tried."

"Don't expect me to let you do it again if it doesn't work." I pointed at him sternly.

"Why not? I've… only got nine more tries." He said. I looked at him a moment. We blinked for a few seconds, saying nothing.

*Snrk*

I couldn't help it. It was such a dumb joke that I started snickering. Augustus wasn't too far behind, giggling with me. "Unless…" I began to say, interrupted by own laughing. "…unless you want to start using toes."

"N-No. You don't have to worry about that for me." He replied, interlaced with chuckles. "Can't stand it when I injure my toes."

Our laughter subsided, the quiet returning. But I felt the tension ease around us. Maybe… we could leave this silly fight behind us. "Augustus … about what I said…" He looked at me, waiting for what I would say. Though the tension had eased, I still felt a bi awkward. I couldn't meet his eyes at the moment. So, I looked out to the sea… and that's when I saw it. A fog had rolled in over the water. "Is that… fog?"

"Fog?" Augustus parroted, confused. "What does that have to-"

I pointed. "Fog… over the water." His eyes widened as he noticed it too. Our gazes were transfixed outward.

Then, we saw it. A silhouette in the cloudy mass. We couldn't make out its shape… but we knew what it had to be. "The human…" Augustus whispered.

"Snap a picture." I said. Augustus had gone through all the effort, he shouldn't miss the chance now.

"I… I can't. It's not good enough."

I whirled to him in surprise. "Huh?"

"You and I both know what's there, but… it's just a shadow in the fog! The other kids will just laugh it off!" He looked around. "We need a clearer shot, we need…" He looked up at the cliff overlooking the beach. "A vantage point!" He dashed for his camera, taking it out and running up the path that led to the top.

"W-Wait, Augustus!" I chased after him. "That cliff isn't stable!"

"But if I don't get a clear shot now, I'll miss it!" He reached the edge, bringing out Eye-ris. I ran up behind him. I could feel the edge of the cliff shift under our weight.

"Augustus, you need to come back over here!" I called out.

"I can get it!" He objected.

"No!" I put my foot down. "Augustus, I'm sorry I called your mission dumb! I know how much it means to you!"

He turned to face me. "Then why? Why do you want me to give it up right when I'm so close? If I get a clear shot of this thing… we're finally gonna be treated with respect! Don't you want them to stop bullying us?"

"Of course I do! But it'll never work this way! Even if a shot of that creature was clear as day!" I argued. "You wanna know how I know?!" I sniffed, my eyes watering. "Because my best friend left me behind for that."

Augustus looked surprised. "Your… best friend?"

"Amity. She developed her powers. I didn't. So she left me behind. To be popular. To have recognition. To treat me like dirt. That's why I got so mad. I thought… I thought I was going to get left behind again." I looked at him pleadingly, trying to wipe the tears from my cheeks.

"And… and it's why I know this won't be enough! All that stuff… it's just a cutthroat world where people stab others in the back, to use them for their own games. But unless you're naturally talented like Boscha or Amity, it's never enough. You might get recognition one day. But then, they drop you the next and treat you like garbage. So, you keep doing more desperate things to stay popular, to keep from being bullied. And you don't care if you hurt yourself or others in the process. I've seen girls get in with Boscha's crew only to be thrown out by next week. I know. I don't… I don't want you to try so hard only to get hurt because of it."

Augustus stared at me, stunned. He opened his mouth, but now words came out. He looked over the area of fog, and sighed. "Willow…"

*CRACK*

Both our eyes widened at the sound. The edge of the cliff was cracking… with Augustus still on it. Before he could react, the cliff gave way.

"AAAHHHH!"

Without hesitation I rushed forward. I went over the side, just barely grabbing Augustus, while also clutching the edge of the cliff.

Augustus' legs flailed as we dangled on the edge. He held onto my hand, not daring to loosen his grip. Eye-leen flapped around us as we hung there, her eye frantically darting around for something to help us with. "Eye-ris! Go get help!" With nothing else to do, she complied, flying off.

Augustus tried to grab hold of the cliffside, but the rock was damp and slippery, the steam of the boiling sea having risen to condensate on it. He couldn't get a good hold. As we both struggled to do something to lift ourselves up, Augustus accidentally looked down, screaming out again. "Aaahhhh!"

"Don't look down, Augustus. Just close your eyes!"

"I… I don't wanna die!" He said, beginning to cry.

"We won't! We just have to hold on!" I wish my arms could back up those claims. They burned as I held onto him and the edge, screaming for release.

"I-I'm scared!" The tears streamed down his face.

"Just don't let go! Eye-ris will come back, and-" The dirt shifted beneath my hand. I stared up at it, afraid for my life. "No, no no no, please don't give way!" But the dirt wouldn't comply. The land gave, and my hand slipped off, sending us both plummeting down. The last thing on my mind were my dads. I'd hoped the pain wouldn't last too long.

I blacked out from fear. The last thing I remember before things went dark wasn't the feeling of burning, but landing… into someone's arms.

When I finally came to, I was met with the orange glow of a lantern. My head felt like it was going to split apart, but I tried my best to ignore the pain as I got up. Still hazy, I couldn't tell much from my surroundings. I'd almost feared that my glasses had fallen off. As I rubbed my eyes, I found they were miraculously still there.

As my vision cleared, I noticed Augustus right next to me, still passed out. I looked at where we had landed. We were… on a boat. A boat currently rowing to shore. That was when I noticed that we weren't alone.

I could hear grumbling, and realized it sounded like a man. A rather deep voiced man at that. He was wearing a leather outfit of shorts, loose and baggy. He seemed humanoid… so I guess he was a witch? His grumbling soon became audible.

"Terrible day for fishin'. Den agin, I s'pose every day's been no good. Damn boiling sea… yet here I am today with the strangest catch I've ever had. Two wee babes danglin' 'oer the water like dey were bait on a fishin' line. Never in all my years…" I carefully got up, uncertain what this stranger wanted. I decided to stay quiet, not wanting to startle him as he kept rambling. "Now cause o' dem, I gotta expend my energy, goin' way past my time. …Ah, who're yeh kiddin'? You dun have it in yer heart to let the wee ones die…"

Unfortunately, Augustus chose that time to wake up. He groaned loudly, causing me to desperately cover his mouth to muffle him. But Augustus, startled by the sudden action, flailed a bit and hit me. I yelped in response.

"You two r' awake, I see." Augustus and I went rigid as the man's voice called to us. His head was slightly turned to the back of the boat, but I still couldn't make out his face. "Any burns? Any bruises?"

We looked at each other, unsure if we should answer. Augustus was too scared, so I mustered up the courage to speak. "I don't… think so."

"Good. Den I can shout yer ears off then! What in heaven's name were ya two weans doing on a cliff?! Ya tryin' to look brave?! Some kine a' schoolyard dare?!"

"N-No." Willow answered, more rigid than before now that he was yelling. Her bravado shriveled up rather quickly. "We… we were…"

"We were looking for the human on the sea!" Augustus shouted out, rallying himself for a simple answer.

The man chuckled. "Tha human on tha sea… what a daft reason. Tell me, boyo. Were it worth yer life? Were it worth the tears o' yer Mam and Da?"

Augustus deflated at that, defeat clear on his face. "I… I wasn't… I didn't mean…"

He 'harrumphed' and continued to row. "Aye, maybe ye didn't. But t'weren't for me, you'd not be going home to yer folks."

Augustus looked down in shame, the man's words piercing through him. "I… it's just my dad and me…"

The man went silent for a moment. "…He ain't got tha strength t' lose you, too. Believe me. And what o' you, missy?"

"Uh… W-Well, I…" I stuttered. "My uh… my dads are waiting for me at home."

The man grunted a bit. "Hmm. A bit too much fer these old-fashioned bones. But so long as dey care fer ya, never mind me." I tilted my head. What on Titan did that mean?

"Listen, I ain't jus' sum oul fella shouting yer ear off fer no reason. I had family waitin' fer me. But now…" He stopped- both talking and rowing, sitting there for a moment. "Had a little one, much like you, lass. Named Aisling. Sweet girl. Loved swimming."

Augustus looked to me somberly, a feeling I shared. So… he didn't want to see our parents go through what he did. "You… lost them?"

"It'd be more accurate t' say dey lost me." He corrected. "Went fishing one day. S'how I provide fer my family. Was clear as day, let me tell ya. No storms to be seen. But on a day of calm skies and calm water, what would come upon me but an act o' God itself. Out of nowhere, a flash of blindin' light overtook me. Don't remember much after. Cubes? Strange colors? S'all a blur. Next I knew… I was here." He sighed. "Haven't seen them since. Must a thought I left 'em. I wonder if she's grown… found a fella fer herself…"

"Wait…" Augustus interjected. "Are… are you the human?" The man only grunted. "You… you are. Oh my gosh, I have so many questions!"

"Tough." He said firmly, unwavering in the face of Gus' enthusiasm. "I'm only here t' bring ya back to shore. Won't have the chance to talk to ya after."

"But… I…"

"Look, kid, if I waste too much time, ya won't have the chance to make it ta shore. I only have the strength for this." That confused me even more. Wouldn't he have energy once he caught his breath at the beach? "Then, it's back to being on this lake. In this place… forever."

"Well… maybe you could go back." Augustus said optimistically. "I mean, you're still in one piece. I hear some lady in the market has been to the human realm! You could totally meet her!"

"Hehe." He chuckled again. "Yer a lively one. I appreciate tha vote of confidence. But… yeh assume too much."

"…Huh?" I said aloud. It was then I… felt something with my hand. Looking down, I noticed the seat of the boat seemed… bloated. The wood had expanded and cracked in places. I saw the same thing around the rest of the boat, from the bow to the rudder. The boat looked… well, like it had been boiled. It was a miracle the thing wasn't falling apart. And that's when I noticed the man himself. His clothes had a faded look, like the color had been washed out. While his leather garb was stiff, the cloth parts were shrunken in places, firmly tightened to the man's body… which I realized was looking rather… gaunt. Moreover… steam rose up from his body, and he looked… damp.

Though the lantern sat at our backs, on a hot summer's night, and the Boiling Sea was just below us, I noticed… I still felt cold. And it seemed to emanate… from him. A shiver went up my spine. I think Augustus had caught on as well, because I could see him shaking out of the corner of my eye. The two of us focused on the man. He had stopped rowing, the waves going as quiet as he did.

"…A small wooden boat don't last very long on an ocean o' boiling seawater. Just t'weren't made for it."

We continued to stare, waiting intently. We were two afraid to ask him to turn around. I thought… I hoped I was wrong. But we only kept looking on.

Needless to say, we weren't ready when they boat hit the sand. We fell off the seat, into the crutch. And when we felt the most vulnerable, that's when it happened.

A bony hand, reached above us, grabbing the lantern. As it pulled the light away, we struggled to get up out of the small space. We heard the man move above us… and his figure loomed over us. In the presence of light, we finally saw his appearance.

A skeletal face- no flesh, no muscle, only bone- illuminated in the orange glow. Its empty black voids seemed to stare at us. His skull dripped with still boiling water, each droplet still burning as it moved from cranium to teeth. As he held the lantern aloft, we saw that his hand wasn't simply bony, but completely stripped of flesh as well. His clothes held tightly to his bones, giving him a starved appearance… but we realized it was much worse.

The man was dead. He and his little boat were burned alive when they came. His cooked flesh eaten by the creatures of the sea.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" The scream came out on instinct.

"Gah! Dun spook a man standin' inna boat!" He said, clutching his ears… or lack thereof. "I know I shouted yer ears off, but I had reason fer it… no need t' deliver the same to me n' kind."

We gave much smaller, shorter screams as we frantically tried to get up, desperate to get away. I clutched at the rim of the boat, trying to climb out…

"LET GO O' THAT, YA EEJIT!" The man shouted, despite his lack of lungs. Scared by the volume, I pulled my hand back, and we both stopped moving. We couldn't help but curl into a fetal position as we cowered.

"P-Please, don't hurt us!" I yelled, tears forming in my eyes.

"We d-d-didn't… didn't mean to… to make you mad!" I heard Augustus added, intermittent with sobs.

"Oh, for the love o'… would you two quit caterwaulin'? I ain't gonna hurt ya!" He said.

My eye opened slightly, peeking out. "Yo…You're not?"

"O' course not! Why would I save ya just ta hurt ya? What kine a' bastard would do such a thing? If I wanted ta do that, I coulda just threw ya o'er the boat anytime… or just not saved ya at all!"

"But… you…" Augustus pointed out. "You wanted to stop us from getting out."

"Because…" He pointed overboard. "We're still in tha shallows! I didn't bring ya all this way jus' for ya ta cook yerselves at tha last stretch!"

We opened our eyes fully at that. Slowly, we got up, and peered over the edge. Sure enough, the waters of the sea were still beneath them. Shallow, maybe, but still hot as ever.

"Now, ya two weans stay in tha boat while I push us into shore. Dun have much time as it is." He placed a foot on the edge.

"W-Wait!" I yelled out without thinking.

"I'm already dead, cailín. Ain't much it can do ta me now." He hopped out. Moving to the rudder, he pushed firmly. Despite no longer having flesh, he moved it pretty easily. Augustus and I kept looking at him the whole way, unsure what to say… if they should say anything at all. "Y'know, it ain't polite to stare."

I panicked a little. "I'm sorry, I just… we have a lot of different people on the islands. People with… different skin colors… different sets of eyes… multiple heads… people with strange bodies, inside and out… but…"

"Dead is still dead." Augustus blurted out, but he covered his mouth quickly.

The man looked at them. "Aye. That it is."

"And… even the most powerful witches can't change that." I added.

"I hope ta God they can't. No person has tha right to disturb the dead."

"Then… how did you… I mean, what did…" I struggled to find the words.

"I dun quite get it myself. Tha big man says we tend ta latch on t' where we died, either by fear or unresolved issues. And I was definitely not a fan of bein' boiled alive."

I gave him a strange look. "The big man? We?"

He went quiet again. "…Never yee mind."

The boat finally came to a stop, and the skeleton walked to the bow. "Alright, young'uns. Adventure's o'er." He reached his hand out. We looked at it for a moment. "You want down or not? My hand ain't gon' ta fall off."

We looked to each other once more. I took initiative, grabbing his hand and holding on tight as I stepped out of the boat. Augustus soon followed, and we silently thanked the Titan that we were finally on his solid land.

"Now den…" The skeletal being said aloud. "…High time fer me ta be going. Can't say this wasn't… excitin'. But let's not go danglin' yerselves off cliffs anymore. Alright?" We nodded. "Good. Now, best ya be getting' ta yer folks." He began to push the boat back into the sea.

"Wait!" I yelled out. "We never got your name!"

He paused. "…Ain't no need for chislers ta be chasin' ghosts."

"But… I want to know who saved us." I said, pleading. "You… you didn't have to save us. And now… I can go home and see my dads."

"And… and I want to tell your daughter what happened to you!" Augustus spoke up. "You never got to see her… I don't… I don't want her to think you didn't care."

He sat there, hands clenched on the boat. He didn't turn around. The silence was palpable as we awaited his answer.

"…Conor. Conor Devney." He finally said.

I smiled, and I could feel Augustus' happiness as well. "I'm Willow. And that's Augustus."

"Willow and Augustus. Huh…" Conor turned back to us… and we both looked on in shock. For a moment, it was as if we were looking at the man he once was. Bright red hair settled on somewhat pale skin. He had a well-grown beard and moustache to match. His face had… a warmth to it, in spite of its rough appearance. His hands and body were rather burly, implying where his strength had come from. "I'll remember those names."

We smiled. But not for long. As soon as the vision came… it was gone. Nothing but the skeleton remained. Sadness enveloped the atmosphere once more. He turned back around, pushing once more. "Slán leat."

As the boat was slowly returned to the water, the fog that had obscured our vision before seemed to roll back over. As he got back into his boat, a rather thick patch slowly covered him. Yet he continued to row. We continued to watch until the fog cleared, and when it did, Conor had vanished. There was no sign he had ever been there.

Suddenly, Augustus slumped down, sitting on the sand. He rubbed his head, ruffling his hair. I sat down next to him. He gave a tired laugh. "…I really thought getting a picture of some mythical creature would solve all our problems. I guess it really was stupid."

"Don't say that." That was the main thing I regretted saying. I didn't want him to take that away from all this. "Wanting to solve the mysteries of humans isn't stupid."

"Maybe, but… I'm pretty stupid, that's for sure." He rephrased.

"No, that's not-"

"Don't say it's not true. Cause it is. I acted like a jerk, got way too into it, and…" He gazed at me, eyes watering. "Almost got my best friend killed."

I couldn't help but tear up in return. I pulled him close. "I forgive you. Honestly, I'm just glad you're okay. I don't think I could handle losing another best friend."

"And I couldn't handle losing the only one I've ever had." He sighed loudly. "Maybe I should give up this human stuff."

"Now I'm definitely not gonna let you do that. You love it too much. And hey, you wanted to get people to stop picking on us. It was an admirable goal. Just maybe… don't get so serious about it that you avoid good judgement?"

He smiled. "It's a deal." He looked back out to sea, shaking his head. "Guess I can cross 'heatproof skin' off the theory."

"What about the gills?"

"Oh no. Sure, he boiled alive, but that doesn't mean he can't breathe underwater." He shrugged. "I didn't see gills… but I also didn't see 'not-gills'."

I gave him a flat look. "He was a skeleton. He didn't have anything left."

He looked sheepish at that. "Well… still. I just wish I could've asked him about it. Hopefully, the next one we meet is, uh… alive."

"Truth be told, Augustus, I'm not sure." I replied. "I mean, when are we ever gonna meet another human?"

Shortly after, our dads burst out onto the beach, all up in a tizzy. We were grounded for a month, but honestly, Gus and I didn't care too much. We were just happy to be alive. We actually made it a point to go back out there every now and then, to see if we could spot Conor out there- y'know without getting crazy about it. We never saw him, but I'd like to think he saw us; that we gave him some company doing… whatever he was stuck there doing. Of course, as you could guess, we really did end up meeting another human a few years later…

"Yowza. Meeting a ghost. That's… spooky." Luz said, bewildered. Roger sat there, deep in thought.

I shrugged. "Yeah. To be honest, it still kinda creeps me out. We hadn't mentioned it before, because… well, we were afraid your mom would take it well."

"Yeah". She agreed. "Admittedly, it's not the most reassuring news. The only other human we know that ended up here died immediately." She slumped down into her chair. "But as much as I don't want my mom to hear about it… it could be a clue to figuring out why I'm stuck here, so the BPRD has to know."

"Yeah. It's… kind of why I was still stunned to see you. You were the first living human I'd met." Gus explained.

Luz's eyes widened. "Well, that's certainly a distinction I'd never thought someone would need to make."

"So, I'm guessing ghosts aren't really normal for humans either."

She shook her head. "Nope, definitely another thing the BPRD is usually called in for. From what I've read in the comics, ghosts come around cause the person who died did so suddenly or painfully. Maybe they have unfinished business… or maybe they're just super evil. Depends on the context clues, I guess. Hey, Roger could tell us!" She glanced over to Roger, still lost in his thoughts. "Uh, Roger?"

"Hmm?" He snapped out of his thoughts, caught off guard.

"The way ghosts work? Died suddenly? Unfinished business or evil?"

"O-Oh, yes." He confirmed. "Kate often says that those are the most common reasons." He didn't say more on the matter, returning to his thoughts.

"Er… what gets me, is what the ghost said, about "we" and "the boss"… does that mean there are more ghosts on the Boiling Isles?"

Willow scratched her head. "I'm not sure... specters and spirits are common enough in the Boiling Isles, we have a few residing in Hexide, but we've never seen someone like Conor again."

"We also sorta took his advice and never really followed up on that." Gus said as he crumbled his Fleshwhich wrapper into a tiny paper ball. "He was right. Kids shouldn't be chasing ghosts."

Luz smirked. "But… chasing ghosts is the BPRD's bread and butter. Right, Roger?"

Roger wasn't listening. Luz had to shake him a little to bring back his attention. "O-Oh? Sorry, I… have a lot of things on my mind."

She smiled at him knowingly. "A penny for your thoughts?"

He pursed his lips, quite nervous. "I've… been thinking about what you said. About Adelina. I wasn't so sure if I should go to see her again. But then… that story. The man on the boat. I imagine he would've given anything to see his daughter. To know how she lived. Maybe… maybe I could go to the other side and find Devney's family. Tell them what happened to him."

There's a pause for a second and, for just a moment, Roger looks... lost. It comes as fast as it leaves an in its stead something else replaces it: determination. "And maybe… perhaps I'll gain the courage to see my friend Adelina once more."

She rubbed his arm comfortingly. "I think that's an awesome idea. Then maybe we can tell Conor when you get back."

"I will probably be away for a few days." He noted.

"Hey, it's fine. I can handle myself here. Just don't get into too much trouble over there."

He chuckled. "I don't think either of us can promise that."

Gus cleared his throat, gaining everybody's attention. "Well, I don't know about y'all, but I've sufficiently devoured my meal. I think we should get going and try to do one more thing before the day ends. And I know just the thing Luz will like."

We cleaned up, Luz getting a little to-go box. While Roger and Gus led the way, I stayed with Luz, a little behind them.

"So… feeling better?" I asked her.

"I… think so." Suddenly, her facial expression changed. "Say, there's something I don't quite get."

"Hmm?"

"Why would Amity stay all quiet the first day, but then suddenly start confront you the next?" She questioned.

"Heck if I know. I'm haven't understood what goes through Amity's mind in a long time."

"Yeah, but… she didn't tease you at all. Boscha was the one who did all that. Why would she confront you just to tell you what Gus was up to?"

I thought on that. "I… don't know. Huh. Weird of her…"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think she wanted you two to make up or something. As if… she still cares about you." We stared at each other a brief moment… before bursting into laughter. "Ah, man, I almost couldn't get through that."

"Yeah, that's silly. Next you'll tell me that we'll actually become friends again." Like that'll ever happen…

I know it's not much, but I promise the wait will be worth it.

I'll see you guys, hopefully soon. Hoping to get this out around the time For the Future releases proper. And those of you who peeked that episode early- don't spoil anybody and watch it officially when and if possible.

Update 3/14/23: No, Eda is not "The Chosen One" of any kind. She was chosen, but it's not some prophecy or anything. It'll be explained another time.

This chapter is incomplete, as it still needs Gus and Willow's story. Be on the lookout for it to be updated again.

Update 4/10/23: Conor was supposed to come off as Irish. Might've made him sound Scottish or… piratey instead. Hopefully that's not what happened.

Next chapter- yep, we're finally leaving this one behind- the Nocedas will have their turn.

Hope y'all emotionally recover from Owl House ending!

Please, review and let me know what you think of the chapter!