Boiled Lamb
~|o|~
It took a great amount of effort to admit it, but Eda knew she wasn't invincible despite her boasting. She could count the number of times that she could safely say that she had lost control of a situation on one hand in the last thirty years. The rare instances that she had forgotten to take her elixir, the even rarer moments that the guards, the Emperor's Coven or a bounty hunter got the drop on her or facing down some seemingly unstoppable monster to name a few examples.
It was definitely a first for all three to happen at the exact same time, having left her required dosage on the coffee table inside her house and being beset on both sides by the ICG and a sheep demon wielding dark magic around like a toy.
She gripped her rapidly shifting arm in discomfort, eyes flicking from the crown bearing lamb and the mooks holding her little roommate hostage. The sight of King squirming in their grasp with fear in his eyes almost made her completely give in to the beast right then but she knew she had to hold on. If that thing came out, no telling what would happen to King then.
Deciding to put off addressing the latest Shellophant in the room, Eda gave the new arrivals a smile so saccharine someone could mistake her for her mother.
"Mister Rolls! Long time no see you little gremlin. Still looking for more toilet paper?"
She couldn't help herself. She needed a little laugh seeing the stout demon scowl and fume.
"It's rolls as in MONEY ROLLS! Stop tryin' to make it about toilet humor! It's not funny and it's never going to be funny!" He shrieked, stomping his foot.
"Pff, says you."
The mobster made a noise like he was strangling himself with his own tie. "Why I oughta-!"
"Pst! Boss, ya need to calm yaself down." The thug holding King interjected.
"Yeah, remember what your wife said about ya blood pressure." The other one gently chided.
"Shaddup!" Mister Rolls barked, seething as he returned his attention to Eda. "And you! It's about time that you pay us what you owe! Speaking of…" The stout demon stepped over one of his men, still knocked unconscious on the ground. "Looks like we're also going to havta charge you for medical expenses Edalyn, what you beating up all my boys and that!"
Eda stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "Your "boy" here pummeled Hooty anyway, I'd say that makes us square, right?" She countered, pointing at the lamb nearby who had been watching the exchange in confusion.
Rolls seemed to finally realize that they weren't alone, beady eyes blinking under the rim of his fancy hat. "Who? That shrimp? Do I look like I run a daycare, Tuts? We are a legitimate merchants guild!"
"Uh, don't we have one for money laundering?" One of the thugs questioned.
"POINT BEING..! I don't know that kid!" Rolls answered sharply.
Eda blanked.
'Wait… so… he wasn't lying?!' She boggled. If he was telling the truth saying that he didn't work for the ICG… was it REALLY just a huge misunderstanding?!
She stood there processing for a beat before shaking her head. 'No, no, that can't be it! Rolls is just lying too! Try to get me off guard, yeah!'
"Back to the matter at hand Eda…" Rolls interjected, reaching into his suit pocket and pulling out a small notebook and pen. "...you owe the guild quiet a few wads of snails. I'd say about two thousand for the first payment."
"First payment?!" She coughed.
"Interest rates and all dat, y'know how it is." Rolls sneered, wetting the tip of the quill on his tongue.
"Interest rates?! For a stall location?!
"Should have read the fine print."
"I didn't sign anything!"
"How unfortunate, that's an extra ten perfect." The demon muttered, scribbling in his notebook.
"Y-You little thieving fedora rack! There's no way I'm shelling out that many snails for a glorified parking space!" She barked.
Roll's raised a brow. "That's a shame. I was hoping I could use some of that dough to pay for a gift to my Ma. I was thinkin' a new fur stole. Guess I could always make one." He glanced to his henchmen and nodded.
A switchblade snapped out and was held up to King's neck, drawing out a high pitched squeak through his gag.
Eda's hackles rose dangerously high which she immediately regretted, feeling a wave of tiredness wash over her and she stumbled. She was getting too close to turning.
"Unless you are feeling generous Owl Lady, you're going to start lookin' for a new… ahh…" He looked King up and down. "...whatever this thing is. So why don't you save us a mess and you a trip to the pet store?"
Eda was seconds away from biting Rolls's head off. The fact that she might actually do it in a moment if she lost control. She didn't have a choice now. Her magic was tapped out, her reserves dedicated to staving off her curse as long as she could. Hooty was down for the count. Her only option would be to give them what they want. Problem being she wasn't exactly flush with cash at the moment. And she had an inkling that if she told them that they would just repossess the Owl House and everything in it, knowing these mobster types.
'Dammit… think Eda, think!'
"Excuse me?"
Eda groaned. 'Oh right, then there's this little snot!' She thought, switching her attention to the third party, who had a pensive look on his furred face.
"So… I would be correct in guessing these "gentlemen" aren't your friends then?" He asked, pointing at Rolls.
"Ey! Shaddup would ya?! You're interrupting a legitimate trade agreement here!"
"What tipped you off? The extortion or the attempted property damage?" Eda snarked, ignoring Rolls.
"Are they your enemies?" The lamb clarified.
Eda rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her skull. That had happened once. "Yes they are my enemies, except for the little furry hostage. He's one of mine. What's it to you? You've done enough damage already!"
The lamb's blade melted and returned to his brow as he scratched his chin. "Just a thought, but if one were to, say, resolve this conflict and extricate the captive safely, you would hear that helping critter out?"
Eda's brow narrowed. He wasn't saying what she thought he was saying, right? "I… guess maybe?"
The lamb shook his head. "Not really an answer. You'll have to be more clear."
"Stop talking like I ain't here you two! I'm a very important business man and I will not be ignored!" Rolls stomped his foot again. "You've got ten seconds to give me my money Owl Lady! Ten! Nine!"
Eda glanced to the lamb. He gave her an expectant shrug.
"Time's ticking Madam. Deal or no deal?"
"Eight! Seven! Six!" Rolls kept continuing. Eda's eyes flicked back and met King's, his pupils practically begging her to do something.
She couldn't just trust this little monster, could she?
"Five! Four! Three!"
She looked back to the lamb, who waved his hand impatiently.
"Two!"
Eda bit her lip. 'Titan I better not regret this.'
"One!"
"Fine! Deal!" She spat.
The lamb's muzzle stretched into a smirk. He clapped and rubbed his hands together, sparks of red energy crackling. "All I needed to hear."
Meanwhile, Rolls paused in his countdown. "Wazzat?"
"I think she said deal boss."
"Does that mean we're getting the money?"
The mobster growled and spun around to admonish his subordinates yet again.
"Will you two shaddap?!"
Across the clearing, the lamb raised his hands and slammed them on the dirt. His eyes flashed red.
The golden bell on his neck tolled, a single clear golden note ringing out and echoing off the bluffs. Suddenly the ground began to shake! Trees rustled and groaned. Loose bricks toppled off the side of the Owl House tower.
Eda had to steady herself with Owlbert just to stay upright. She briefly heard a yelp of surprise followed by a thud inside the cottage.
The thugs quailed and stumbled amidst the tremors.
"What the EY?!" Rolls gasped.
"Da world's ending!"
"It's our punishment for our manipulative business practices and bad taste in fashion!" The goons wailed, holding each other as they cowered, King squashed between them who looked just as terrified.
Without a single word, the lamb threw his arms to the sky.
An ominous groan rumbled over them, followed by a great crack!
Eda watched in a mix of horror and awe as the earth split open before the crowned caster and ran all the way down to the ICG. From the dark depths within sprung a multitude of great, monstrous black tentacles covered in blazing red eyes. They whipped every which way like hundreds of darting tongues as if the soil wished to taste the air like a carnivorous beast.
The mobsters shrieked in abject horror as the tendrils erupted from underneath them, snatching them into the air. Struggling as they may, they couldn't break their vice grip.
The lamb clicked his tongue, then beckoned with one of his hands.
One of the tentacles reached up and wrapped itself around King, wrenching him from his captor's grasp. Eda could only hope that it was being gentle with him.
His quarry secure, the lamb furrowed his brow in concentration.
"By the old ones, I cast you OUT!" He boomed, his voice amplified by the magic swirling about him. He thrust out his arms and the crown's eye gleamed.
The tentacles holding the mobsters promptly bent around, winding up and then with a mighty snap, launched their cargo!
"AH'M COMIN HOME MAAAAAA!" Rolls howled one last time as he and his companions were sent over the trees and into the horizon.
The lamb lowered his arms and the bramble of tentacles slithered back down into the chasm from which they spawned, but not before depositing a shaking King on the ground. The fissures groaned once more and rumbled closed.
The energy surrounding the lamb dissipated. A quick flutter of his eyes and they returned to normal. Letting out a satisfied huff, he dusted off his hands. "Wish fulfilled."
The dust settled and all was quiet. All except the pounding in Eda's ears, her jaw nearly hitting the dirt.
In an instant her thought to be enemy had defeated ICG, using a conjuration or summoning she had never witnessed before. That was rare enough as she had been around the block quite a few times(not that she will admit it). Such power.
'More like WHAT power…' She swallowed. As with the spells he had performed earlier, the lamb's magic was dark, obscenely so. Even wild witches like her had lines they wouldn't cross. For all her talk of saying that magic was too alive to be bound by the rules of the Emperor's coven system, there were still places that she dare not venture lest they weigh heavy on her conscience.
More worryingly, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to beat him if the lamb had brought down the full weight of his power. Perhaps if she hadn't forgotten her elixir that would be a different story, but if she had to guess, this little guy was the closest thing she had to a rival since…
Eda gripped her staff.
She wasn't too vain to recognize when her pride would get her in over her head. But the reality was that if the lamb had taken the fight seriously while she was in her weakened state, she would lose. But he didn't and that stung more than anything else.
'What in all the realms is this thing?'
"EDAAAAA!" A shrill cry pierced the air, making her jump. She turned her head just in time for King to run up and tackle her legs, almost making her lose her balance.
"King!" She gasped in relief, reaching down and hugging him close. He trembled like a leaf in her arms. "Are you okay? Those dirtbags didn't hurt you did they?"
"N-No, I'm fine! I-It'll take more than that to scare the K-King of demons! But now my mouth tastes like Athlete's Foot!" He rattled off, trying to keep a strong face in spite of how tight he was holding on to her.
Eda's frown softened. That was right. This intruder saved King. That gave him a point in his favor if nothing else.
Speaking of, the lamb cleared his throat. "I'd hate to interrupt this tearful reunion, but I think someone is trying to break down your door."
"What?" Eda questioned, then heard the pounding coming from inside her house. Sounded like Luz was trying to get out.
'Well, if it's mostly safe now…' She thought and snapped her fingers.
The door swung open and the human inside fell flat on her face.
"Bwah!" Luz sputtered, raising her head and shaking off the loose dirt. "Eda! Are you okay?! I can help, I-huh?" She paused, taking in the sights. "Woah, guess there really was an earthquake. This place is messed up." Getting to her feet, she dusted herself off.
Her eyes drifted over to Eda, then widened at the bundle of fur at her feet. "KING!" She cried, tears of joy running down her face.
"Luz!" The little demon cheered and ran over, the human snatching him up and spinning with laughter.
"Oh King, I am SO sorry for getting you caught! It's all my fault!"
"It's not Luz! Don't say that! Only I can say when my minions mess up, okay?"
Luz chuckled a little, wiping her eyes clean. "Okay. Thanks little buddy."
Despite the throbbing headache and swimming vision, Eda smiled warmly at the sight. The kids were safe. That's all that mattered.
Putting King back down, Luz turned her attention Eda's way. "Oh, right! Eda, you forgot your-" She started, reaching into her pocket.
"Ahem!" Eda coughed, stopping her. She made a cutting motion at her neck while jabbing her head slightly at the bystander.
Luz's eyes followed and widened. "O-Oh! Uh…" She leaned in close and whispered. "Isn't he the bad guy?"
Eda groaned. "As much as I hate to say it, it looks like this really was all just a misunderstanding."
"Wow, magic drama. So what do we do now?"
"We give him a chance to talk. He saved King so I owe him that much." She answered and turned to the lamb. "Alright shortstack. You want a chat? You got it."
His shoulders sagged. "Thank you!" He smiled and stepped forward, only for Eda to hold up a hand.
"Let's get this straight mister. I don't really like you right now, but you've earned your shot. Blow it and you won't win round two."
He just smiled confidently and gave her a curt nod. "You have my word Owl Lady. May we take this indoors? Somewhere a little less… cluttered?"
One of the leftover ICG hitmen let out a high pitched groan from his spot in the ground, where he was still planted like a gray carrot.
"Fine. I need to sit down anyway." Eda mumbled, cracking her neck. '...and hopefully I didn't just make the worst mistake of my life.' She thought as she led the group inside.