My Brother Hunter

by ScribeAnon

(Hunter AU) One night, a mysterious baby named Hunter arrived at the Noceda residence. He would become the adopted son of Camila and older brother of Luz. However, the two would travel to the Demon Realm. A world both foreign and familiar to Hunter. Cover art by Omychan2

14. Chapter 11: Escape of the Palisman

Alright, I'm back with another chapter, and this is a big one.

Enjoy.

---

A few days after the events of the body swap, The Owl House gang was at the Bonesborough Slayground Park. Eda, Luz, and Hunter sat on a bench as they watched King trying to climb the slide. Luz had a look of nervousness on her face as she watched King.

"What if he gets hurt? What if the kids are mean to him? My parental instincts are freaking out, man." Luz said in a panic.

"He's fine. Look at him." Eda said as King continued to struggle to climb the slide.

"It does look like he's having fun." Luz said.

"Why can't he just climb using the ladder?" Hunter asked as he watched King slide back down.

"Aw. I wonder what cute little game he's playing." Luz cooed.

"Stand back, cretins." King said to the group of toddlers surrounding him as he finally made a successful attempt. He grunted as he reached the top of the slide. "Yes! Yes! This is a throne worthy of a tyrant. Bow to me you snotty underlings. Bow!" King commanded the toddlers.

"Okay." The group said as they bowed, with one doing a handstand and other doing a backbend.

"Yes, appease your master." King giggled, not noticing a toddler with snot running down his nose standing behind him.

"This isn't for standing, it's for sliding. You try." He said as he pushed King down the slide, causing him to scream and grunt as he hit the ground.

"Eda! That monster took my throne." King said as he ran towards the Owl House group and grabbed Eda's leg.

"You mean the baby?" Eda snickered.

"No, the usurper. I want you to go over there and blow him up. Kaboom!" King said as he pointed at the toddler, who was now riding a purple beast spring ride.

"Kaboom." He said as he giggled.

"Well, you can always try again. As the saying goes "When you get to the bottom, you go back to the top of the slide"." Luz said.

"Ooh, someone should make a song about that." King said.

"They did. A group of people listened to it and did some… horrible things." Hunter said.

"Back on topic, I'm not using Owlbert to blow up a five-year-old." Eda said as she unscrewed Owlbert from her staff. "He's got better things to do. Like this." She said as she began to pet him, making him hoot.

"Aw, what a sweetie. How did you get him?" Luz asked.

"Get? I made Owlbert from the branch of an ancient tree." Eda explained as Owlbert hopped on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. "Oh, he's my palisman and we're bonded for life. I'd annihilate anyone who'd hurt him." Eda said sternly.

"Fine. Don't help. Revenge will taste all the sweeter if they fall by my hand alone." King said as he let out a laugh, once again not noticing the toddler behind him.

"Tag, you're it!" The toddler said as he pushed King to the ground before running away laughing.

"Oh, man. Here we go. King's squeak of rage." Eda said.

"Nyeh." King said as he opened his eyes. "Nyeh." He continued as he rose back up using only his feet, as if he was being pulled up like a statue. And then made a high pitched squeal as he thrashed his arms and legs like a toddler throwing a tantrum. He got on his feet as he made another squeal as he charged at the playground, much to the complete amusement of Eda, Luz, and Hunter.

"Bwah ha ha ha ha. He is like a little teakettle." Eda snorted.

"Yeah, nothing brings fear to King's enemies than his war cry." Hunter chuckled.

"Hey, what's that?" Luz asked as she noticed a small hole under Owlbert's foot.

"That's his interlock. So he only fits on my staff. Every palisman has one." Eda explained as she closed her eyes. But once she opened them, she noticed that she was completely alone in a dark void, making her gasp. "Luz? Hunter? King?" She called out as she looked around but found nothing. "Hello? Anyone?" She continued.

"Eda?" She heard the voice of Luz echo out from the void.

"Luz!" She yelled as she frantically looked around.

Back at the playground, Luz, Hunter, and Owlbert were looking over an unconscious Eda as she laid on the bench.

"Eda! Eda! Wake up!" Luz yelled as she shook the elderly witch's shoulders. Eda gasped as she woke up and sat back up, easing the concerns of everyone.

"You alright? What happened to you?" Hunter asked.

"What? Oh, no. The curse. We have to get home. Now!" Eda said as she grabbed her staff and left, with Owlbert flying close to her.

"King, we have to go!" Luz called out.

"Five more minutes, please!" King said as he readied himself to fight his "usurper".

"King!" Luz yelled, much to his annoyance.

"Ah, man. This isn't over." He said to the toddler.

"Okay, let's play again real soon." The toddler said as he hugged King.

"No, no. Keep those sticky hands away! Oh, no! He's touching me! Aaahh!" King yelled.

"Let's go!" Hunter said as he grabbed King and carried him away as he ran to catch up to the others.

---

The Owl House door burst open as Eda entered and flopped face first on the couch.

"I'll go get your elixir." Luz said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get it myself in a bit." Eda groaned.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Hunter asked.

"Do you need me to stay home and take care of you?" Luz asked before gasping. "I could put King in a little doctor's outfit." She said cheerfully. Everyone looked at King, who was drawing on a piece of paper with a red crayon.

"Weh?" He said as he turned to look at everyone at the mention of his name before continuing to draw.

"No one wants to see that." Eda said.

"I do." Luz said in a dark soft voice as she glared at King, causing Hunter to look at her with concern.

'Thank God that you are not my older sister.' Hunter thought to himself.

"Look, I know how to take care of myself. I've had this curse longer than both of you have been alive." Eda said.

"You sure you have no idea how you got it?" Hunter asked.

"All I know is that somebody gave it to me. I don't know who and I don't care because I'm fine, all right?" Eda said in annoyance. "Anyway, don't you two have plans with Tweedledum and Twerpledee?" She asked.

"Well, Willow and Gus invited us to the grudgby game between Hexside and Glandus High." Luz explained.

"Since when are you into sports?" Eda asked as she screwed Owlbert back on his staff.

"Yeah, you never showed any interest in sports back home. Why now?" Hunter asked.

"Since I found a little something called "Hexside Pride", hermano." Luz responded as she made a triumphant pose. "To think that Glandus, whoever they are, would dare face us. But if you need me to stay-"

"Gross. Sympathy. Go! Go have fun at sport, kids." Eda interrupted.

"Well that settles it, let's go Luz." Hunter said as he walked to the door.

"Hooray! Hooray for sport! Hugs and kisses, King." Luz said as she kissed him on his skull-head. "Don't spend all night plotting revenge~." Luz said in a sing-song tune before leaving with her brother.

"That drooly-faced heathen will know my wrath~." King replied in a sing-song way as he continued to draw.

---

At Hexside, there was a line of students waiting to board a sentient dragon bus to travel to the grudgby game. Luz and Hunter were running to the end of the line, where Willow and Gus were at.

"Hexside's gonna wreck your side. Huh, no. Hexside is the best side in the west side." Luz said, coming up with rhyming chants. She quickly ducked as the dragon's head let out a roar and tried to bite her.

"Watch out!" Hunter said as he pulled her out of the way.

"Ah! Gracias." Luz said before spotting her friends. "Friends."

"Over here." Willow said as she waved at the to come over.

"Game day roar!" Gus yelled.

"Happy game day, fellow, uh... Are we Hexidians? Hexies?" Hunter asked.

"Oh, maybe we're Hexoleos." Luz gasped, causing Willow to chuckle.

"Actually, most people call us... winners." She said with a look of determination.

"Whoa." Hunter said quietly.

"Grudgby games are the best. The players go through these action-packed trials." Gus explained. "And the audience gets to wave flags. Look, I practiced." He said as he pulled out two small flags and began to twirl them in his hands. Luz watched before looking at Willow, Gus, and Hunter and then at her hoodie.

"Is it weird that I'm not wearing anything related to Hexside?" She asked.

"I mean I'm not wearing anything related to the school either." Hunter said.

"Well Hunter, your jacket is yellow which is part of our colors. But it's weirder that Luz is wearing Glandus colors." Willow explained as she pointed at a poster behind the Noceda siblings, showing Glandus' colors to be blue and white. The group then heard loud thumps nearby and looked to see a giant Hexside student walking by them.

"Nice jacket, Hexside represent." The giant said to Hunter. "Get ready to be creamed, Glandus nerd." He said to Luz before walking to the dragon bus.

"Hey! I'm a Hexside nerd." Luz retorted. "Gotta change out of this shirt. Where can I get a Hexside one?" She asked.

"I know. There's a lost and found box in the cafeteria." Gus said.

"Ah! The lost and found. Where mouthguards go to retire. I'll be right back." Luz said as she ran inside the school. She reached the cafeteria and spotted the lost and found box. She opened it and saw several Hexside clothing inside, smiling with glee as she took a couple of them out. A while later, Luz stood in front of the entrance of Hexside, decked in a blue sweater with a yellow horizontal stripe, a blue drink hat, a cheerleader skirt and yellow and blue pom poms. "Goooo, Hexside!" She cheered before doing a split, causing her and the others to wince as they heard a cracking noise "...Well, I never did that before." She said in a strained voice.

"We got you." Hunter said as he and the others went to help her get up.

"Thank you. Uh, where is everyone?" Luz asked as she looked around for the dragon bus before seeing Gus point at the sky. She looked up and saw it flying away with the other students on board, with the giant student holding on to the school banner that was attached to the bus.

"Hexside rules!" The giant cheered as the four teens watched.

"Would you be surprised if I told you that that's the most unbelievable thing I've seen here in the Boiling Isles?" Hunter said.

"Oh, no! Come back! Why didn't you guys board the bus?" Luz asked.

"We figured that you wouldn't take too long." Hunter said.

"And we weren't going to leave you behind." Willow said.

"I was." Gus said.

"Gus!" Willow harshly whispered as she gave him a side elbow while Hunter narrowed his eyes at him.

"Can we walk to Glandus?" Luz asked.

"We'd never make it in time. Glandus is all the way out in the middle of the island." Gus said as he used his flags to point in the direction of the rival school.

"Typical Glandus." she scoffed.

"And my parents are working, otherwise I'd see if they could give us a ride on their staff." Willow said.

"Well it looks like we're not making the game. You guys want to do something else? I mean we're already outside." Hunter said.

"Hold on Hunter," Luz said as she pondered in thought. "Where could we get a staff? Hmm." She said before gasping. "Of course. I can get us a staff." She said.

"You can?" Gus said.

"Yes, come on." Luz said.

"Luz, what are you gonna do now?" Hunter asked cautiously.

"Don't worry about it, it's foolproof." She said as she grabbed Willow's hand and ran in the direction of the Owl House.

"I have my doubts on that." Hunter said as he and Gus followed them.

---

Back at the Owl House, King was walking through the hall towards Eda's bedroom holding a piece of paper in his paws.

"Eda! Great news. I thought of the perfect way to get revenge on that usurper." He said as he entered her room, holding out the paper which read "FIRE?" "Now, don't be put off by the complicated premise. I'll break it down for you in small pieces." He said before hearing a growl. "Huh?" He looked and saw Eda was sitting in her nest, now transformed into her Owl Beast form. She let out another growl before approaching King.

"Aaahh! Owl Beast!" King screamed as he fell down. "Stay back!" He yelled as he covered his face with his arms. However, he heard the beast stop and take a step back. He looked up and saw her standing still. "Did you just listen to me?" He said before standing up. "Uh, come here. Sit?" He said, watching as Eda took a step forward before snorting. "Oh, this is an interesting development." He said as he began to look over her, noticing that despite being in her Owl Beast form, half of her face was transformed while the other half was normal.

"Eda's only partially transformed which means she's totally suggestible." King said before chuckling as an idea came to his head. "Yes. Yes! I think this will do nicely. Forget fire. I've got a greater force to unleash." He said before pointing back at Eda. "You! You're going to help me regain my throne. I mean, if that's okay with you. Right?" He said, getting a growl from her. "I'll take that weird grumble as a yes. But to be on the safe side, I'm just gonna grab a little bottle of elixir in case you go rogue on me." He said as he grabbed a satchel and put an elixir bottle in it. "Now, to destiny's battlefield: the playground!" He said.

"King, are you home?" He heard Luz call out, causing Eda to growl at her voice.

"What? Sit. Stay." King commanded Eda as he stepped out into the hall as Luz approached him.

"Is Eda up?" She asked.

"Who? Oh. That Eda. No, no. She is out like a light." King said as he closed the door. He tensed up as Eda let out another growl. "Oh, man. Can she snore." He chuckled nervously.

"That didn't sound like a snore. I'm gonna go in and ask her if I can borrow her staff." Luz said as she approached the door.

"Oh, I'm sure it's fine. It's fine. Just take it." King said as he handed her the elderly witch's staff.

"I can't. Not without Eda's permission." She said before Eda let out a scream.

"Well, there's your permission. Off you go." he said as he pushed her away.

"Well, I don't want Gus and Willow to miss the game. And it's just for the afternoon. I'm sure Eda wouldn't mind." Luz said.

"Not our generous, kindhearted Eda. Big heart on her." King said. The two stared at each other for a bit.

"I'll be back soon." she said as she began to leave.

"Whew. Close call." King said.

"What?" Luz said as she overheard him.

"Nothing." He said.

"Oh, okay." She said before leaving, with King looking on to make sure that she was gone.

"Another close call." He said before entering the room. "And now revenge. Right, Owl Eda?" He asked as Eda munched mindlessly on a chair leg. "...I'm feeling pretty confident about this plan."

---

Meanwhile, Hunter and the others were waiting for Luz outside the house, with the blond teen having a concerned look on his face.

"You alright, Hunter?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, it's just that… I'm not too confident on this plan to be honest." He explained.

"Why?" Gus asked as he stopped waving his flags around.

"Whenever we try to do something, things end up getting out of control. Kinda like what happened back at Hexside or that Moonlight Conjuring." He explained.

"Well we don't need to worry, because things turned out fine in the end." Gus said.

"Yeah, but all those problems we faced could've been prevented in the first place." Hunter said before sighing. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm worried that we might get ourselves into a very dangerous situation if we're not careful." He said. Luz stepped out of the house with the staff, catching everyone's attention.

"To Glandus High." She said as she accidentally hit Owlbert against the house. "Oh! Sorry, Owlbert. It's okay. We're just on our way to help some friends." She explained.

"Oooooohhh." Gus and Willow said as they looked at the palisman.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Hunter asked.

"Relax, Hunter. We're just going to borrow Eda's staff to get to the game and to get back home. No need to worry about anything." Luz said as she readied the staff. "Who's ready to board Air Luz?" She said. The others got onboard, although Hunter was still questioning whether this was a good idea.

"Feel that power-to-weight ratio." Willow said.

"Boys, prepare to fly." Gus said to his flags.

"I hope you know what you're doing, manita." Hunter said.

"Next stop, Glandus High. Let's go." Luz said as Owlbert's eyes began to glow and the staff began to hover off the ground. It took off in the direction of the game event shortly after as the group held on as they flew over Bonesborough. Willow and Gus smiled as they watched the town below, the two had flown on a staff before but not on their own and usually not on long distances. They both marveled as they began to fly over a forest, but Hunter still kept his cautious attitude.

"Okay, so far so good." He said to himself. 'Just remember to keep it steady, Luz.' He thought.

"Um, guys." Willow caught the group's attention as she looked at the time on her Pentsagram scroll. "If we keep going at this pace, we'll miss the pre-game." She said in concern.

"Don't worry, I got this." Luz said as she raised her hand.

"Luz! Wait-" Hunter tried to stop her.

"Step on it, Owlbert." She said as she slapped the palisman. Owlbert squawked before suddenly rushing forward, catching everyone off guard.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The group yelled as they tighten their grip along with trying to keep their balance on the staff. However, their adjustments caused Owlbert to take a nosedive towards the forest below. The group screamed as they watched the trees get closer.

"Pull up! Pull up!" Hunter yelled to Luz. She grunted as she began to pull the staff towards her but was having trouble. "Everyone lean back!" He screamed as the group did so, causing the staff to level itself out of the nosedive before they hit the ground but were now flying within the treetops. They screamed as they dodged the tree branches at the high speed they were going at.

"Make it stop! Make it stop you guys!" Gus yelled.

"Luz! Do something!" Willow screamed as they continued to maneuver around the trees.

"I'm trying!" She yelled. Their luck ran out as they hit and bounced off a tree branch before hitting another tree head on. The impact sent Gus and Willow falling into a large bush, Luz into a tree branch, and Hunter falling directly to the ground on his back. Owlbert landed on the ground head first, cracking it as a result. He looked up and hooted at his now injured head. Luz fell off the branch, with her Hexside sweater being removed in the process, and fell to the ground. The group groaned as they got to their feet, clutching themselves in their wounded areas.

"Is everyone okay?' Luz asked.

"I'm good." Willow groaned.

"It's a miracle. My flags are alright." Gus said as he inspected them.

"At least my bones aren't broken." Hunter groaned.

"Wait. Where's Owlbert? Owlbert?" Luz called out before spotting the palisman. Owlbert hooted in fear as he detached himself from the staff and flew away into the forest in order to escape the human girl. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no! Owlbert, come back!" She said as she grabbed the staff and began to chase after him.

"Luz. Wait." Hunter said as he went after her, with Gus and Willow following him. Luz tried to keep up with the fleeing palisman, but soon lost sight of him as she entered a small clearing.

"Owlbert! Owlbert! Where are you!" She called out.

"Hey, hold on." Hunter said as he and the others caught up. "Don't run off into the forest or you might get lost." He said.

"But we need to find Owlbert. Eda will kill me if she finds out what happened." Luz said.

"Which is why we're going to look for him as a group. It's bad enough we're stranded out here, we don't need to make things worse." He explained.

"But what do we do once we find him? My pentsagram scroll can't get a signal out here." Gus said.

"I could make a vine tower to get better reception. Then I can call my parents to come get us." Willow said.

"Alright, let's go find Owlbert before it gets dark." Hunter said as the group began to move. They searched around the area, calling out Owlbert's name as they looked for any sign of the palisman's whereabouts. Hunter searched a large foliage area, however, he heard some bushes rustling nearby. "Stop." He said as everyone stopped.

"What is it?" Luz asked.

"I heard something." He said.

"Really? What was-ahh!" Gus said before he yelped. The three teens turned to look, only to find him gone.

"Gus? Gus! Where are you?!" Willow cried out.

"Gus!" Luz called out as she looked around.

"Everyone stay close!" Hunter advised. However, he and Luz heard Willow shout as more bushes rustled. They turned around and found her gone too. "Willow!" He cried out.

"Hunter, this is very bad." Luz said as she stood closer to her brother.

"We didn't bring any glyphs with us. We're completely exposed." Hunter said as he looked around. Luz then heard some rustling along with a bird flapping its wings coming behind some trees.

"Owlbert." Luz gasped as she ran into the direction the noise came from.

"Luz! Wait!" Hunter yelled as he gave chase, only for something to grab and knock him out as soon as he stepped into the treeline. Luz continued to run, unaware of what happened to her brother, as she heard what she assumed was Owlbert landing behind a large bush ahead.

"Owlbert, I'm here!" She shouted as she approached it, not hearing the rustling behind her, before spreading it open. "Owlbert, thank goodness I've found-" She cut herself off as she saw that it wasn't Owlbert, but a small red cardinal with a scar over it's left eye. "What the-?" Luz began to say before she felt something strike her in the back of the head and knock her out cold.

---

Later on, Luz groaned as she began to regain consciousness. She took a deep breath before realizing that something was covering her head along with feeling her arms and legs tied together before realizing that her body was bound to a pillar.

"Where am I? Hunter, Willow, Gus, where are you guys?" She called out.

"Luz?! Are you okay?!" She heard Hunter cry out next to her on her right.

"Hunter? I'm here! What happened? Where are Gus and Willow?" She said.

"Luz?" She heard Willow callout on her left.

"Guys, what's going on? I can't see." Gus said further to Luz's right side.

"I can't move either." Hunter said as she struggled to break free.

"Where are we?" Willow asked worryingly.

"Hey! Whoever did this to us, reveal yourselves and free us now!" Hunter yelled out. Shortly afterwards, the teenage group had their head covers removed, revealing that they were each tied to a wooden log inside a large cave and saw a group consisting of witches and demons surrounding them with wands, flintlock pistols, black powder revolvers, muskets, and breech loading rifles. This mysterious group wore a heavy brown cloak over their clothing and had either bandana masks covering their lower face or wore face paint. "Who are you?! Why did you kidnap us?!" Hunter asked furiously.

"We'll be the one asking the questions here, and it's best you answer them truthfully." A young adult male witch with a maroon colored bandana said sternly. "Who are you four and what were you doing in those woods." He said as his light blue eyes glared over the teens.

"We were just traveling to our school's game when we crashed into the forest." Willow answered.

"Please let us go. We aren't looking for trouble." Gus pleaded.

"Really? Well I beg to differ. You see, according to one of our scouts, all four of you were flying recklessly through the forest on a palisman staff and crashed into a tree. Said palisman suffered an injury to its head and fled from you in fear." The male witch said, causing Luz to wince a little.

"It-it was an accident. We weren't flying recklessly, I just lost control." Luz explained, though this caused their interrogator to sneer at them.

"A palisman is not a toy to play around with, they're companions that you must take care of. Which brings me to my next question: Where did you get him?" He said.

"We borrowed him from our mentor we're living with." Hunter answered.

"That's a lie!" The male witch yelled.

"It's true. Right, Luz?" He said.

"Actually, I never got him from Eda directly. King was the one who gave him to me." Luz explained.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me." He grumbled.

"The palisman has told us what actually happened after we took him in. So I warn you four again: Answer truthfully." The witch warned.

"Wait! You have Owlbert?! Please let us see him." Luz said.

"Only if you tell us who you are and your motives." He replied.

"Give us back Owlbert!" Hunter shouted.

"Answer our questions!" The male interrogator fired back.

"Stop! I heard enough!" An elderly woman's voice called out over head. Everyone looked up and saw a large mass hanging from the top of the cave covered by the darkness. The mysterious mass dropped down to the floor, using its wings to slow its descent. The figure walked out of the shadows, revealing it to be…

"Bat Queen?!" Luz said in surprise as the cloaked group turned to face the Bat Queen.

"Oh no. Not the Bat Queen." Gus said worryingly while Willow gulped nervously.

"Bat Queen, our apologies if our interrogation has disturbed you. Is the palisman doing okay?" The interrogator asked.

"Yes, dear Percy. He is okay." The Bat Queen responded as Owlbert hopped around her foot and looked at the Owl House gang.

"Owlbert." Luz said in relief, though Owlbert let out a worried hoot as he hopped back behind the Bat Queen.

"Stand aside. Release the four. I take care of it from here." The Bat Queen said. Several cloaked members untied the group before standing back as The Bat Queen approached the four teens with menacing leer.

"H-hey there, Bat Queen. Can I just say how, er… lovely your hair looks. It really gives off that horrifying look you have…" Luz smiled sheepishly, causing the Bat Queen to growl at her.

"You know, that could've gone worse." Gus quipped.

"I think I'd rather take my chances with Eda." Willow said.

"Damn it, Luz." Hunter said.

"Hello, small human." The Bat Queen said sternly.

"H-hi. So, a bit of a mix up here. We wanted to go to the game at Glandus High and we borrowed Owlbert to get there. We got into an accident, but everyone is okay now. So I'm just going to grab him and take him back home." Luz said as she walked towards her, only for The Bat Queen to put her claw foot on Luz's chest to stop her, causing the girl to gasp.

"To be careless with a staff, it's very serious. He's under my care." She said.

"And thank you for that, uh, but he belongs to Eda, the Owl Lady." Luz said as she removed The Bat Queen's claw. "And you owe her a favor, remember?"

"The favor is to be used by Owl Lady only, but Owl Lady is careless. Her staff left her sight. Taken by human who steals, hurts, and frightens. He told us all." She retorted as her and Owlbert's eyes glow yellow before returning back normal.

"I made mistakes and I'm deeply sorry, but you can't keep him. Owlbert isn't your palisman." Luz argued as she turned back to Hunter and her friends. "Come on guys, help me out."

"Look at me. Look at me!" The Bat Queen commanded, causing the teen girl to face her. "I protect him now." She growled.

"Owlbert, I never meant to hurt you." Luz said as she took a knee. "Please trust me." Owlbert looked at her briefly before flying on top of The Bat Queen's head. Both their eyes glow yellow once again as she spoke.

"Trust must be earned… through trials!" The Bat Queen declared, causing everyone to gasp.

"Trials?" Luz asked as the rest of the teens came up to her.

"Luz, the Bat Queen is well-known for her impossible trials. I've never heard of anyone winning against her." Willow explained.

"It also sounds risky. How about we just get Eda to settle this for us." Hunter said.

"But I have to get Owlbert back. I want to right my wrong." Luz said as she approached The Bat Queen. "I accept your challenge." She declared to her.

'Guess we're really doing this then.' Hunter thought. "I wish to join her too." He said.

"And we'll be right there with you." Willow said.

"Let the flags raise you up." Gus said.

The Bat Queen continued to leer at the teens before she lifted her claw and closed it. It glowed as the four teens rose up from the ground and we're separated, confusing them.

"Hey!" Willow yelled.

"What gives?" Gus asked.

"Each of you bear fault for harming the palisman, so each must have their own trial." The Bat Queen explained, before looking at Hunter. "For you, there is one who wishes to meet you." She explained.

"I would like to talk to this person, or at the very least know who they are." Hunter said.

"Only after trial, if you pass that is. Now come, let's settle this elsewhere." She said as she and the cloaked group walked further into the cave. The Owl House gang looked at each other before following the Bat Queen.

---

Meanwhile at the Bonesborough Slayground Park, several children were playing around as their parents surprised them. One child made a sandcastle in the sandbox, However, it was knocked down by the vibration of a large footstep. The ground shook as the footsteps grew louder, causing everyone to look around in worry. Soon, Eda in her partially transformed Owl Beast form appeared on a roof nearby, with King riding on top of her wearing a box with a chest armor drawn on it and carrying a red banner with his head as an insignia.

"Attention everyone!" He called out, making the park visitors look at him in shock. "I am King, your new ruler over this land! You all have two choices. Grovel or-!" He was interrupted as Eda let out a roar, causing panic as the children ran to their parents for safety.

"Aaaahhh!"

"Mommy! Daddy! Help!"

"Ah! A monster!"

"Someone call the Demon Hunters!"

The crowd quickly left the park in terror as King watched on, annoyed that he didn't finish his speech.

"Eh, good enough. Whoa!" He said as Eda jumped off the roof and onto the playground. She noticed that the "Usurper" was still on top of the slide, frozen with fear. She approached him as the toddler whimpered. "Your time has ended. Mine begins." King said as he held up his banner. The "Usurper" cried as he slid down and ran off as Eda growled. "Not so tough now, you spongy hatchlings. I will eat you." He said as he began to climb to the top of the slide. "All who stood in my way are gone. I declare myself the despotic ruler of this land. Nothing can stop the almighty-!" He was interrupted again by a loud crunch. He saw that Eda had taken a large bite on the slide. "Hey. Whoa, whoa! No eating the throne." He said as Eda looked longingly at it. "Nooo!" He warned, however, it fell on deaf ears as Eda began to munch on it. "Stop that!" King whined as he could do nothing to stop Eda in her Owl Beast form.

---

Inside a larger section of the cave, everyone stood by as they waited for the Bat Queen to begin the trials. The four teens looked around nervously at the group as several members stood by.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Hunter whispered to his sister.

"Well, what else could we do?" Luz responded.

"I don't know, maybe get Eda to clear things up?" He said sarcastically. He looked around at the group before spotting their interrogator, Percy. "Hey! Who are you people exactly; Drifters? Mercenaries? Security group?" He asked.

"I don't wish to answer that, especially to a group that harms palisman." Percy responded sternly.

"I told you that it was an accident." Luz retorted.

"Someone harming a palisman is no accident." Percy said.

"Well, we're going to do these trials in order to prove our innocence, right guys." She said.

"I'm still thinking about taking my chances with Eda instead of this." Willow said. Everyone's attention went to a large rock platform, where the Bat Queen stood on top.

"You four will now partake in your trials. Normally I test only one, but since there is four, three other members will test the others." The Bat Queen explained before hopping off the platform. "Step forward my judges." She said. Two other cloaked members approached Willow and Gus and stood by them, while Percy and the Bat Queen approached Hunter and Luz respectively, much to their surprise. "Each one's trial will be different, but these three rules are universal: One must pass the trial to be forgiven of their misdeeds. Any form of cheating will result in failure and will be punished. Lastly, if one invokes deadly force against a judge, they will be dealt with in the same way. Let us begin!" She finished as a geyser from behind her shot out fire into the air, causing the teens to be afraid of what they were going to do before being led down different pathways by their judges.

---

Willow and her judge were walking down their pathway as the former was doing everything to avoid looking at the floor.

"Wow. I keep stepping on a lot of crunchy twigs." Willow said.

"They're bones, kid. We're walking on bones." Her judge corrected in a slightly rough female voice.

"Not if I never look down." Willow responded naively with a forced smile. The two continued until they reached a small narrow area with a high clearing, with a single ledge near the top.

"We're here. Let's begin." The Judge said before turning to Willow and pulling out a small blue tree log. "So here's whatcha gonna do: You're gonna climb to that there ledge in this cave, get this log, and get back down without using any magic and in under 2 minutes." She explained, much to the teen's shock.

"That's insane! No one is capable of doing that." Willow protested.

"Really? Because I've done this multiple times, my best record is 1 minute and 28 seconds." The judge said before drawing a spell circle and summoning several large roots to pop up from the ground, carrying her to the ledge. She placed the log on it before summoning a small bush to cover the ledge and causing several vines with small thorns to appear and drape to the ground. The judge then returned back to Willow, who was left speechless. "Everything's set.

"D-do the vines have to be covered in thorns?" Willow asked meekly.

"I didn't say it was going to be easy. You can rock climb the wall if you're afraid of getting a papercut, though that might take too long. The timer will start the moment you're off the ground, you may begin when you're ready." She said as she held a small hourglass. Willow nervously looked up at the ledge, then at the thorn-covered vines, and back at her judge. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she walked up to the vines to inspect them, an idea came to her. She removed her cowl and draped it over her palms. She began to climb the vines with her makeshift gloves as the judge flipped the hourglass to start the timer.

'Clever girl.' The judge thought as she watched Willow as she scaled the cave wall. The plant witch was halfway there before her cowl was ripped apart by the thorns, leaving her bare hands exposed. She gasped as she no longer had protection for her hands and still had a good amount of vines to climb. "Hey, you have 1 minute left! If you want to pass this trial, don't stop and power through it!" The judge shouted. With this in mind, Willow took a deep breath and began to quickly scale the vines. She grunted as she felt the thorns cut into her palms before finally reaching the ledge. She quickly grabbed the log and placed it under her arm before climbing back down. "30 seconds!" The judge yelled out. Willow gasped as she realized that she might not make it down in time. With another deep breath, she clutched the vine with her feet before sliding down on it. Her boots shaved off the thorns, allowing her to safely descend from the vine and stumble to the ground. The judge watched as the last sand grains fell to the bottom of the hourglass. "1 minute and 57 seconds. You passed." She said, causing Willow to give a sigh of relief. The cloaked witch approached the teen girl and collected the log before helping her up.

"Wow, I did it!" Willow said as she pumped her fists in the air before cringing as she felt a twinge of pain. She opened her hands and saw that her palms were covered with cuts caused by the thorns. "Um… miss, can you heal my hands, please?" She asked as she held them out to her. Her judge got out a small potion bottle and poured it on the teen's hands, making her wince as the cuts healed up. "Thank you miss, uh…" She said awkwardly.

"Alyssa." The judge said as she put away the bottle.

"Thank you Miss Alyssa." Willow said.

"Drop the formality, it's just Alyssa." She clarified. "Now come on, let's head back and wait for the others to finish their trials, kid."

"My name is Willow by the way." The teen said.

"Noted. Let's go, Willow." Alyssa said as the two began to walk back.

---

In another section of the cave, Gus and his judge were walking down a narrow pathway before they reached a wide area. Gus stood in awe as he looked around while his judge pulled out a blue log.

"Wow. I didn't know this cave had a large place like this inside." He said as he turned to look at his judge. "What are we going to do here?" He asked.

"Let me ask you this: Are you an illusionist?" The judge asked.

"Eh, yes." Gus responded.

"Okay. I guess I'll have to change things up a bit." He said before walking to the middle of the area and placed the log on the floor. He drew a spell circle, causing his body to glow before dozens upon dozens of illusion clones appeared around him. Before Gus could understand what was going on, the judge grabbed the log and he and his illusions began to dart around the place as the teen looked at the blurs dashing around him. After a while, they stopped and stood still before he began to speak. "Your trial is to find the real me with the log amongst my illusions without using your magic. Since you are an illusionist witch yourself, my clones and I will change positions every 30 seconds. You'll have around 2 minutes to find me or you'll fail the trial." He explained as Gus searched around to find him from where he was speaking. "Let's begin!"

"Oh man, oh man." Gus said as he frantically looked around. While was experienced in illusion magic, he had trouble in identifying illusions made by other witches, especially ones made by a more powerful witch like his judge. He continued to search for him, but was unable to pinpoint an exact spot.

"Changing positions!" The judge called out the illusions dashed around to their new spots, making Gus frantically look around to see if he could find the real judge among his copies. But he was unable to, causing him to run around to find him before the next change could happen.

"Changing positions!" The judge, unfortunately, called out as the illusions darted around once again, much to Gus' frustration. However, the teen noted that the voice had come from the same area when the first switch happened. He carefully stood within that area while pretending to look around and waited for the last switch to happen to confirm his suspicions.

"Changing positions!" The judge called out for the final time. The illusions darted around Gus as he watched on, but was smiling as he got his answer. Once everyone stopped moving, he quickly ran to the spot where the voice had come from and tagged a judge standing there.

"I got you." He said triumphantly. The judge looked down, pulled out the log, and gave a light chuckle.

"How'd you figure it out?" He asked.

"I listened for your voice and noticed that you were calling out from the same spot. Once I heard you call out for the third time, I immediately knew it was you." Gus explained with excitement.

"You figured out that the position changing was a ruse to distract you. Smart kid you are. You passed the trial, congrats." The judge said.

"Yes! Thank you mister." He said.

"My name's Heath, and your's is…?" Heath said.

"Augustus. But my friends call me Gus." The teen said.

"That first one sounds like a mouthful, I'll stick with Gus." Heath chuckled. "Now let's head back and wait for your friends to finish.

---

Meanwhile, Percy and Hunter stood in a long and narrow cave room. Inside was an obstacle course that consisted of a 50 meter dash, two low wall jumps, three low crawl hurdles, a 12 foot high log ladder, a balance log over that was supported by ropes tied to four wooden posts over a pool of water, and a 20 foot high rope climb.

"Alright, get yourself ready kid." Percy said as he looked inside his coat.

"So my trial will just be an obstacle course?" Hunter asked as he looked at it in confusion.

"No, there's more to it." Percy said as he got out a blue log and used a spell circle to teleport it to the top of the rope climb platform. "Your trial will be going through this course without cheating, getting that log, and bringing it back here without dropping it." He explained as Hunter looked at him in shock.

"You're joking, right?" The blond teen said.

"Do I look like a joker to you?" Percy quipped. Hunter shook his head nervously as he turned to look at the obstacle course.

"Okay. Just get through this course, get the log, and make it back without dropping it." Hunter said to himself in an effort to cool his nerves.

"Yes, that's what you must do to pass, kid. Do you want me to repeat it so you won't forget?" Percy said sarcastically. "You can begin when you're ready." He said.

Hunter walked towards the starting line and looked ahead. While he was a bit athletic thanks to him being in his school's volleyball team, he wondered if it was enough to get him through this obstacle course. He got into a runner's position, took a deep breath, and sprinted. Percy watched on as Hunter arrived and jumped over the two walls. The blond teen stumbled on the last one, but quickly got on the ground and crawled under the three hurdles, grunting as he did. He got up as soon as he passed under the last one before stopping to look at the 12 foot high log ladder.

"Woah, it looks taller than I expected it to be." Hunter said to himself.

"Hey! If you want to pass this trial, then climb that thing! Don't even think about walking around it, I'll fail you if you do!" Percy called out.

With a gulp, Hunter slowly began to climb the ladder. He firmly placed his feet and tightly gripped the logs in order not to fall off. He reached the top and slowly climbed over to the other side. He looked down and stood still for a brief moment, the height making him feel uneasy before continuing. He reached the bottom and headed towards the balance log over the water pool. He carefully walked on it, noting that it was loose enough sway a little. However, as he reached the halfway point, he lost his footing and nearly fell off the log. He let out a welp before grabbing onto it before he could fall into the water. He grunted as he slowly climbed back up and straddled it as he took several deep breaths to calm down.

"Oh God, oh God, that was way too close." He said. Not wanting to risk it again, he slowly shuffled over to the other end. He then made his way to the final obstacle, the 20 foot rope climb. He looked up at the blue log on top before turning to look back at Percy.

"Well, what are you waiting for? That log ain't going to rescue itself." He called out.

Rubbing his hands together, Hunter grabbed the rope before positioning it in a S-wrap technique, with the rope wrapping around his right leg and pinching it with his feet. He carefully began to climb up, making sure to keep a tight grip on the rope. Once he reached the top, he grabbed the log and began to climb back down. Percy watched on as Hunter sat and began to shuffle on the balancing log. He reached the end and arrived at the log ladder, where he used his jacket as a makeshift cross body pouch to safely store the blue log as he began to climb the ladder. He reached the top and slowly climbed down, putting his jacket back on before moving to the low crawl hurdles. He began to crawl on his back and gripped the log close to his chest, not wanting to risk it touching the ground. Percy watched the blond teen as he hopped over the two walls and made a dash towards the starting line. Hunter gripped the log as he sat down to catch his breath, as Percy walked to him.

"Congrats, kid. You passed." Percy said as he grabbed the log from the exhausted teen.

"I… I feel sleepy…" Hunter said as he laid down on the ground.

"Well you can rest back at the main area as you wait for the others to pass their trials. Come on." Percy said as he drew a spell, which caused a glow to appear around Hunter, cleaning and helping him up to his feet, much to his surprise. The two walked back to the meeting room inside the cave.

---

Lastly, Luz and the Bat Queen had arrived in their area in the cave, which was a wide room that had a large vegetation area consisting of small trees, tall grass, bushes, vines, large rocks, and several ditches. The land was covered in darkness, caused by the thick crown of leaves from the trees.

"We're here." The Bat Queen said..

"So… what's my trial going to be?" Luz asked.

"I'll explain." The Bat Queen said as she pulled out a blue log before summoning a spell circle to make it disappear. Luz heard a poofing sound coming from within the small cave forest. "Your goal is to head in there, find the log, and come out with it without getting caught." She explained as he drew another spell circle, summoning a dozen floating magic eyeballs, each projecting a small beam of light. "Those will be my rovers. They search around the area in order to find you. If you are caught, the beam will freeze you and sound an alarm. Should that happen, you fail the trial." She finished. Luz looked into the small forest with concern.

"D-do I have a time limit?" She asked.

"No." The Bat Queen answered bluntly, which eased the teen girl's worries, if only a little. "The trial will start once you enter." She said.

Luz looked ahead into the dark forest. While she didn't mean for Owlbert to get hurt, she knew that the only way out of her situation was completing this trial. With a small gulp, she jogged into the forest. The Bat Queen's eye rovers quickly descended into the area and began their search for the teen. Luz quickly hid into some bushes as she watched them scout the area. The light they emitted gave away their positions to the teen but that also meant that she had to search for the log in complete darkness in order to not get caught. She tried to navigate her way around, but couldn't before hiding behind a tree. She was at the complete mercy of the rovers and she knew it. Luz gasped and stood still as one of them flew past her, its light revealing a small ditch a few feet in front of her. Once it was a good distance away, she made a quick dash and hunkered down in the ditch as she watched the rovers.

'Oh man, this is not gonna be easy.' She thought as she looked around, making sure that none of them would find her. 'There has to be some way to find that log without getting spotted.' She looked around and noticed something about the rovers; while most of them were spread out and covering a good amount of land, a couple were closer together and flew in the same area. 'Wait, why are those rovers sticking close together if they're searching for me. Unless…' She gasped when the realization hit her. 'They're guarding the log!' She smiled as she now knew where it was. However, she quickly noticed a rover flying towards her. She panicked as she looked around to try and find another hiding spot, with the light drawing nearer. The rover quickly flew over the ditch, but found it empty. It searched the ground around it before flying away. Luz let out a quiet exhale from a tree top nearby. After calming down, she positioned herself in a spot where she would see the small group of guarding rovers. She saw three of them circling the small area while one had its light beam focusing on a small pedestal, where the log was placed.

'Alright, looks like I need to come up with a plan to distract them. But with what?' She thought. 'Maybe I could throw something to catch their attention.' She looked around at the ground below and saw four rocks. 'Those will do.' She slowly got down, picked up the rocks, and quickly hid in the ditch again. Once she saw that the other rovers were a good distance away from her, she carefully snuck her way to a bush that was near the four rover guards. With a deep breath, she threw one of the rocks in a random direction away from the pedestal. It made a loud thud as it hit a tree, catching the attention of the rovers. They flew away to investigate, giving Luz the perfect opportunity as she ran in and grabbed the log before turning around to leave the forest and meet with the Bat Queen. However, she gasped once she realized something.

She didn't know where the exit point was.

She then noticed the four rovers returning and quickly ran back to the bush to avoid getting caught. She watched on as they all looked at the empty pedestal before frantically looking around. She continued to hide in the bush as she saw the rovers spread out and joined the others in searching around the forest. Luz put the log in her hoodie and quickly climbed up a tree to hide, she got it but now she must escape without getting caught, which was going to be difficult now that the rovers were on high alert.

'Okay, maybe I didn't think this through.' She thought as she continued to watch. 'If I were a magical eye rover and someone took the log, what would I do?' She asked herself as she continued to observe them. While most of the rovers were searching the forest, one was far away as it flew back and forth in a line. 'Of course, guard the exit.' She got down and began to quickly sneak towards the lone rover. She noticed one heading towards her and, thinking fast, threw another rock in a direction away from her. It worked as it was distracted long enough for Luz to run and hide behind a tree. She waited until the rover was away before continuing, before she noticed three more were heading her way. She quickly climbed another tree to hide as the three rovers searched around. She threw another rock in a random direction, which caught their attention as they left to investigate. Luz got down and managed to get close to the lone rover, seeing that it was indeed guarding the exit point as she saw the Bat Queen outside.

'Here I go.' She thought as she gripped her last rock and threw it behind the rover. It turned around, giving the perfect opportunity for Luz to make a break for it. She dove out of the forest before it could have a chance to spot her. She triumphantly got up and cheered. "I did it! I did it!" She said as she pulled out the log and raised it in the air. The Bat Queen stared at her before taking the log away with a spell circle. Luz gasped before looking at the Bat Queen.

"You pass, human." She said before making her eye rovers disappear, her gaze not easing on the teen girl. "Come." She said as she began to walk back, with Luz following her.

---

Back at the park, Eda wandered around the playground looking for more things to eat. Her eyes set on a swing set before approaching it and munching on the seat. King quickly ran to her in frustration at the damage she was causing to his "kingdom".

"No, no! Bad Eda! You are my beast and I control you." He angrily said, but Eda continued to eat. "Hey! Listen to me!" He said as he punched her wing to get her attention. His decision backfired as Eda turned around and snarled at him, making King yelp as he backed away. "What was I thinking? I'm such a fool. I'm such a- Huh?" He turned and saw that he had bumped into the bag containing the emergency elixir. "Genius!" He exclaimed as he pulled out the elixir bottle. Eda growled as she continued to approach King before screeching. Seeing his chance, King threw the bottle into her mouth, causing her to swallow and gap before spitting out the cork.

"Great. Now, change back to normal Eda." King said as he waited for the elixir to take effect. However, Eda let out another angry growl as she approached King once more. "Anytime now. J-just magically transform." He said nervously before she let out a snarl and raised her claw. "Ah, nuts." He said as he ducked out of his cardboard armor a split second before Eda shredded it with a swipe. King quickly ran as the Owl Beast gave chase. He headed towards a rope net and began to climb, but lost his footing.

"Whoa!" He yelped as he fell, but one of his feet became entangled on the net, preventing him from hitting the ground but also trapping him. He watched in worry as Eda slowly approached him. He whimpered as he braced himself for the inevitable, but a siren wail caught their attention. The two looked and saw a large metal motor carriage had parked nearby, with Sierra and two other female Demon Hunters stepping out and looking back at Eda.

"Yup, that's the one. Matches the description the parents called in." Sierra said.

"Wonder why Brutus didn't come with us? He's not someone who would pass on a monster hunt." One of them said.

"Heard he's busy with something else. Looking for someone, a kid I heard." The other hunter explained. "Really sounds questionable without context." She muttered.

"Enough. Let's just catch this beast and go home." Sierra said as the three walked to the park. Eda growled as she watched the hunters surround her, getting herself ready to attack. However, Sierra summoned a blinding light spell, impairing Eda as she howled and covered her eyes. The three demon hunters then summoned a large magic net, which entrapped her. She struggled to break free but one of the Demon Hunters used a spell to shock her, knocking her unconscious as the group began to take Eda away.

"Oh, no! No, no, no!" King panicked as he tried to free his leg from the net. The Demon Hunters finished loading up Eda inside the cab of the motor carriage, though one of them noticed something familiar about her. She pulled out a folded piece of paper, which turned out to be Eda's wanted poster, and gasped.

"Hey! This just might be our lucky day. Turns out this beast is the Owl Lady herself." She said as Sierra and the other hunter walked over to look at the poster, causing the former to smile as she turned to look at Eda

"Well, well, well. Looks like we hit the jackpot, ladies. And judging by this bounty reward, it's a big one." Sierra said. "Alright, change of plans. We're going to the nearest Emperor's Coven station and turning her in. Let's go!" She commanded as she closed the rear doors and ushered her crew to get in the carriage. Once everyone was inside, the carriage drove away as King watched in horror.

"Nooo!" He cried as he tried to free himself, this time being successful as he managed to untangle his foot from the net. He hit the ground and got up, rubbing his head. "Ow. Nyeh."

"Your pride has destroyed you." King gasped as he heard the voice of the "Usurper". He turned around and saw him standing there, giving him a calm but menacing smile. "The throne belongs to me now." He declared.

"Over my dead body!" King said as he readied himself for a fight, only to wince as he heard Eda screech. "Eda!" He said with worry.

"Yes. Leave, and forfeit your reign." The "Usurper" said with a victorious smirk.

"Well then, forfeit I shall." King said as he ran to catch up with the Demon Hunter's carriage. "I'm coming for you, Eda!"

---

Back inside the main area of the cave, Luz and the others stood before the Bat Queen and the mysterious group. The teens looked nervous as they watched their judges discuss amongst themselves, with the Bat Queen occasionally glaring at Luz.

"Looks like we all made it, now for the moment of truth." Hunter whispered.

"Do you really think they'll give us Owlbert back?" Luz asked.

"They have to, we passed their trials and now they have to honor it… hopefully." He responded. The group watched as their judges turned to face them to give them their verdict.

"After a short discussion, we've decided that you are allowed to receive the palisman back." Percy said. "Hey, little owl. You can come out now."

Owlbert hooted as he carefully hopped out from behind the Bat Queen's leg. He looked at Luz nervously as the human girl began to speak.

"Hey there, little buddy." Luz said, only for Owlbert to cower slightly in response. Luz winced a little before continuing. "Listen, I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you, Owlbert. I promise to be more careful. Will you come back home with us? Eda is gonna miss you." She said. Owlbert looked at her before easing his guard and nodding in response. He hopped away from the Bat Queen and began to walk towards Luz, who smiled as she knelt down and opened her hands. However, as the palisman was halfway to the human girl, the Bat Queen drew a spell which encased Owlbert in a web cocoon. Everyone watched in shock at what happened, with Percy immediately turning to the Bat Queen.

"Miss Bat Queen, what are you doing?!" He said.

"Owlbert!" Luz shouted.

"He will not return to you." The Bat Queen said sternly.

"Hey! You said we could get him back if we passed your trials, and we did!" Hunter angrily retorted.

"Bat Queen, the four teenagers have earned their forgiveness. Let the palisman go!" Heath said.

"No! More trials. Last trial. Human girl must face... ME!" The Bat Queen aggressively declared as she stretched out her wings. A geyser shot out flames from behind her as the Owl House group looked on in shock. After everything they went through, the Bat Queen was refusing to let Owlbert return to them. She let out a roar as she pounced towards Luz, who gasped and ran away from her.

"Luz! Get away from my sister!" Hunter cried out as he, along with Gus and Willow, chased after them.

Bat Queen, stop this!" Alyssa called out. Luz ran outside the cave and into a wooded area that was littered with several branches and dead roots on the ground. Luz looked behind her to see the Bat Queen hot on her tail with a menacing glare, who then jumped at her as she readied her claws to catch the human girl. Luz yelped before she dove out of the way and hid inside a log. Hunter, Gus, and Willow were not too far behind as they watched the Bat Queen's attack.

"Luz!" Hunter cried out.

"Don't worry, I'll be 4 against 1 once we catch up." Gus said. However, a series of screeches caught their attention. They turned around and saw the Bat Queen's babies flying towards them.

"Look out!" Willow cried out as the group ducked in time as the babies flew over them. They hovered above and let out another screech at the teens.

"Well this is just perfect." Hunter groaned.

"You go, we'll keep them distracted." Willow said to the blond teen.

"I'll hold'em off with my flags." Gus said as he brandished his two flags. Hunter nodded before running towards the Bat Queen. "Face my fanatical fury, you beasts." Gus said, only for both of them to be overwhelmed by the three bat babies. "Ah! No! That was a bad plan."

Hunter quickly lunged at the Bat Queen, who was trying to crack open the log in order to get to Luz. He climbed on the back of her head and began to pull her hair, causing her to shout in pain as she tried to remove him from her head.

"Leave her alone! Give us back Owlbert!" He shouted as he continued his attack.

"You will never get him back!" The Bat Queen fired back as she struggled to get him off.

"Hunter!" Luz cried out as she got out of the log and tried to stop her brother, but this only put her in harm's way as the Bat Queen used one of her claws to swipe at her. "Woah!"

"Human girl hurt palisman! She is unworthy of forgiveness!" The Bat Queen screeched as she managed to grab Hunter and threw him away. The blond teen groaned as he hit the ground. She turned her attention to Luz, who was now completely exposed. The human girl quickly retreated before tripping and falling to the ground. Seeing her chance, the Bat Queen pounced on her, but Luz grabbed a branch and used it to stop the Bat Queen's claws from grabbing her. But this didn't stop her as she tightened her claws in an effort to crush the branch.

"Help!" Luz cried out. Hunter got up and heard his sister yell, he turned and saw the Bat Queen trying to get to break the branch. He looked around and found a sturdy stick, wasting no time as he picked it up and charged at the Bat Queen. Luz continued to hold her off, but then noticed something odd in one of her claws. She looked closer and gasped. "You have an interlock!" She said. Both the Bat Queen and Hunter stopped, with the former quickly hopping off Luz with a worried expression.

"Wait, what?" Hunter said in confusion at what he heard.

"Bat Queen, you used to be on a staff, didn't you? You were a Palisman." Luz said, causing the Bat Queen to gasp.

"No way." Hunter said as he turned to look at her.

---

Meanwhile, the Demon Hunter's carriage was driving down an empty road in Bonesborough as King pursued it in order to free Eda. He managed to catch up with it as it stopped at an intersection and climbed inside through the rear door's window.

"Are you okay, Eda?" King asked, only to receive a snarl as a response from her. She tried to bite him, but couldn't thanks to being bound by the net she was in. "Eda, I'm sorry. I used you for your strength 'cause I felt weak. I'm your friend." He apologized. "If only there were some way to remind you who I am." He said as Eda let out another growl at him. "Wait a sec. Eda loves my rage squeal. Hey Eda, look at me." He said as he began to thrash around. "Nyeeeh. Nyeeeeeehh." He grumbled before hopping on his feet and letting out a high pitch squeal. "Nyyeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh!" It worked as Eda stopped growling at him before breaking out in laughter.

"So tiny. So angry." She said before snarling as she began to turn back to normal. She gasped as she got herself out of the net. "What happened?"

"Eda, you're back!" King said as he ran up and hugged her.

"King? What's going on? Where are we?" She asked.

"Okay, so I went to your room and you were the beast. And then, uh…" King hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And then I woke up here one second before you did." He lied.

"Uh-huh. I'll deal with you later. But for now, you wanna bounce?" She asked.

"Yes, please." King said as Eda grabbed him and drew a spell circle. An explosion blew a large hole in the rear of the carriage, catching the attention of Sierra and the other Demon Hunters as it shook.

"What was that?!" One of them asked.

"Everyone get out and check the back!" Sierra commanded as they exited the vehicle. Eda and King stood by as they waited for the smoke to clear.

"That's one way to make an exit. Did you really have to make the explosion that big?" King asked as he coughed from the smoke.

"As if you have the right to complain." Eda said. "We're free now so let's go."

"Well I have said right to complain, given how you blew up my carriage." Sierra's words caught the elderly witch's attention as she and King turned to look at the Demon Hunters standing outside. "I'm only going to say this once: surrender now or we'll take a more extreme approach." She warned as the group took out their magic wands and pointed them towards Eda.

"You're confident, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to cut this meeting short." Eda said before she looked around. "King, where's my staff?" She asked. King chuckled nervously, causing Eda to leer at him before turning back to Sierra. "Well, staff or no staff, there's no way I'll back down from someone like you."

"Give it up, Owl Lady. It's three against one, two if you count the mutt. You're clearly outnumbered." Sierra said with a menacing smile as she and her group readied their wands.

"True, you girls are clearly outmatched." Eda retorted as she readied her hands to summon her spells. "Bring it!" She said. Without hesitation, The Demon Hunters fired their magic beams, only for Eda to grab King, high jump out of the way, and land behind them. "Go to that corner over there and stay put while I deal with these punks." She said to King.

"Will do." King responded as he quickly ran to take cover, though he peered his head out in order to watch the fight.

"Get her!" Sierra called out as she and the other two hunters turned around and fired more beams at Eda. Acting quick, Eda summoned a shield, which blocked their attacks and summoned three fireballs before throwing them at the Demon Hunters. All three hunters quickly used their cloaks to shield themselves as the fireballs hit them, leaving scorch marks on the cloaks. One of the female hunters, a construction witch, summoned four large rock walls in order to trap Eda, only for her to break them down with the help of a spell. The other, an illusion witch, quickly summoned several illusion clones to surround the Owl Lady.

"Attack!" The illusionist Demon Hunter screamed as she and her illusion clones charged at Eda, with Sierra and the construction Demon Hunter joining in. Eda quickly began to dodge their punches, kicks and other attacks before fighting back. She had managed to land a couple of blows to her attackers but soon began to feel overwhelmed.

'Time to finish this.' She thought as she quickly drew a large spell circle beneath her and stomped on the ground. A magic wave was released and knocked both the Demon Hunters and the illusions away, with the latter disappearing as they hit the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" The illusionist Demon Hunter said as she charged at Eda once more, only for the elderly witch to summon a large plant root to trap her. She fell to the floor as she struggled to break free, to no avail. The construction Demon Hunter summoned three large rocks and flung them at Eda, only for her to dodge the first two and catch the last one with her magic. Eda broke the rock into smaller fragments and threw them back at the Demon Hunter, knocking her out as the fragents hit her.

"Well that settles that." Eda said as she looked around, failing to notice Sierra getting up and preparing a spell in her hands.

"Eda, look out!" King called out as he charged at Sierra and pounced on her face.

"Get off me!" She screamed as King scratched her face before trying to pull him off. Eda turned around, saw King and Sierra, and stretched her hand out.

"King, get down!" She warned. He looked at Eda and quickly got off as the elderly witch fired a magic beam at the remaining Demon Hunter, knocking her out onto the ground with a groan. "Hmm, they've put up a good fight but in the end, I'm the only one left standing." She said. "You okay, King?"

"I'm good, but I'll be better once I'm sleeping back at home." He commented.

"Well, get comfortable. It'll be awhile since I don't have my staff, and I have a feeling you were involved with that." Eda said as King nervously whispered. The two began to walk back home, leaving the Demon Hunters groaning on the ground.

---

Back at the woods, Luz, Hunter, and the Bat Queen stood still as they looked at each other, with the latter in a state of shock as she hid her interlock. This was a secret that she wanted to keep hidden from the residents of the Boiling Isles, and now these two teens know of it. Seeing no point in continuing to fight Luz, she sighed as she turned her head away in sorrow.

"Yes, I was once part of a grand staff." She began to explain. "A staff made for a giant. But I was broken, discarded." The Bat Queen said somberly.

"So, that's why you're so protective of Owlbert. You just wanted to protect him from danger." Luz said.

"No, I not protect him only. I protect… all!" The Bat Queen said as her eyes glowed and expanded her wings. In the trees above the three, dozens upon dozens of glowing eyes appeared, belonging to other palismen that inhabited the area. They've ranged from big and small, all types of animals, and having various wounds and injuries on them. The Noceda siblings looked around in wonder, shocked at the large amount of palismen they were seeing. "I made home in forest. I'm here to take the lost. The forgotten. And to make sure no harm falls upon them again." She explained as her eyes stopped glowing, along with the others as the woods fell into darkness once again.

"I understand. But Owlbert is not forgotten. He has someone at home who loves him very much." Luz explained as she took a step forward, only for the Bat Queen to recoil back.

"He will not go back with you." She said.

"That's not your decision to make." Hunter said as he joined her sister's side. "We passed your trials, it's time to honor your part of the deal."

"I won't let him." The Bat Queen said as she readied herself to attack, as the siblings prepared to defend themselves in response. However, Owlbert flew in front of the Bat Queen and hooted, his eyes and the Bat Queen's glowing shortly after. "You… You care for them." She said as Owlbert nodded. "And you forgive them. Very well." Their eyes stopped glowing as the palisman flew towards the teens, hooting happily before landing on Luz's shoulder. "It is settled. Let us return back and say our goodbyes."

Willow and Gus stumbled out of the bushes nearby as the Bat Queen's babies continued their attack. She whistled, causing her babies to stop and fly towards her. The Hexside students groaned as they wiped the salvia off them.

"I don't think I'll ever be clean again." Gus shuttered.

The group walked back inside the cave, where Percy, Heath, and Alyssa were waiting with concerned looks on their faces.

"Bat Queen. Children." Percy said as he and the others ran towards them. "Is everyone okay?" He asked.

"We are fine, Percy." The Bat Queen said.

"Bat Queen, these kids had earned their forgiveness. You had no right to lash out as you did." Alyssa said.

"I know, my sincere apologies. I see now that human girl and her friends mean no harm to palisman." She responded.

"So, I'm guessing everything is cool now?" Heath asked, with the Bat Queen and the kids nodding in response. "Good. Because the three of us here have something to say."

"After seeing your performance in your trials, Percy, Heath, and I have been talking and we believe that these kids are worthy to receive their own palisman." Alyssa said, which surprised the teens.

"Our own palisman?" Willow said in disbelief.

"Whoo! This is awesome!" Gus cheered as he waved his flags.

"This day just keeps getting better and better." Luz squealed.

(Bruce Faulconer - Home Sweet Home)

"Let's get started shall we." Heath said as he let out a whistle. It echoed throughout the cave and soon, a large group of palisman arrived and stood in front of the teens. Willow and Gus were left in awe at the large variety of them.

"These little ones have not had homes in many years. They want to feel a connection." The Bat Queen explained. "Kneel and state your deepest wish, and your like-minded partner will find you." Willow stepped in front of the palisman group and knelt.

"I want to be strong and wise to protect everyone I love. And if anyone gets in my way, they'll feel the sting of defeat." She said. Shortly after, a large bee with a large stinger, pale yellow fur around its neck, a brown stripe around the abdomen, two brown insect legs, and a gray beak-like mouth flew out of the group and towards her before shuttering happily.

"Tender yet tenacious. Clover gives her support." The Bat Queen said as Clover transformed into her staff form.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm gonna take such good care of you." Willow said as she gently caressed her new palisman. Gus walked over and knelt beside her as he looked at the group.

"Dad wants me to become a master illusionist, but that's easy. So instead, I'll become an ambassador to the Human Realm and re-establish contact with the giraffes!" He said.

"What's the deal with the giraffes?" Hunter quietly whispered to Luz. The two siblings watched as a light blue chameleon with two small golden horns and a light green stripe on its underbelly walked and climbed on top of Gus.

"An ambitious spirit. Emmiline Bailey Marcostimo wishes to accompany you on your journey." The Bat Queen said.

"Can I call you Emmy for short, if that's okay with you?" Gus asked. Emmiline nodded in response as she transformed into her staff form. "I'm honored to have you by my side."

(End at 0:44)

"I'm next." Luz said as she walked and stood in front of them. "I want to be a witch!" She happily declared, however, none of the palisman stepped forward. "Uh... probably just takes a little longer 'cause I'm a human, right?" She asked nervously at the Bat Queen.

"Palismen bond through emotion. I'm sorry dear child, the spirit burns brightly within you, but I do not sense any strong conviction from you." She explained, much to Luz's shock.

"That's impossible. I'm Luz, I'm chock full of conviction!" She argued.

"I think being more specific would help. What do you hope to accomplish when you learn magic, manita?" Hunter asked as he put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"Oh, uh... for us to get back home to mom?" She said with slight uncertainty.

"Would you still train to be a witch in the Human Realm?" Alyssa asked.

"How will you even learn spells back in your world?" Heath asked.

"Can you even do magic there, much less be allowed to do so?" Percy asked.

"I… I don't know… I guess I never thought that far ahead." Luz said.

"Hey, don't get discouraged. You may not have your own palisman, but I know that won't stop you from learning magic." Hunter said in an effort to cheer her up. "I'm sure you'll find what you want sooner or later."

"Yeah. And besides, you got us to help you." Willow said.

"Whatever happens, we'll be there by your side." Gus said.

"Thanks guys." Luz said before turning to her brother. "I guess it's your turn, Hunter." She said.

"Eh, I don't think I'll get one, since I'm not that much interested in this whole magic thing." He said.

"Actually child, there is one who wishes to meet you. But first, step forward." The Bat Queen said. "Tell me your deepest wish."

"Oh, uh. I just want to return home." Hunter said.

"No. I sense something more in you. A burning curiosity that has reignited once more." The Bat Queen said.

"Miss, that's all I want, just to go back home." Hunter said, now slightly annoyed.

"Don't be afraid. You can confide in us." The Bat Queen said.

"I agree with the Bat Queen, Hunter. Don't be shy about your wish, we'll help you no matter what." Luz said as Willow and Gus nodded to the blond teen. He took a deep breath before answering.

(Time Chamber - Bruce Faulconer (Start at 0:44)

"...My wish is… to know who I really am." He said. "Ever since I discovered I was adopted, I had a secret desire to know who my original parents were. And ever since I came here and discovered I'm actually a witch, I became more determined to know." He explained.

"A journey to self discovery. A perfect partner you'll make." The Bat Queen said before looking behind herself. "You can come out… Flapjack." A red cardinal bird with a scar over its left eye hopped out. It looked over at Hunter before chirping and flying towards him, landing on his left shoulder.

"Oh, Hi there." Hunter said.

"Hey." Luz gasped. "That's the little rascal that I saw before I was knocked out." She said as Flapjack chirped at her.

(End at 1:09)

"Flapjack apologizes for that, human girl." The Bat Queen. "Everything is settled then." She said. However, the remaining palisman looked at her sadly. "Don't worry, little ones. You will all have new owners one day." She said before turning to Luz. "You might not have your own palisman, human girl. But by regaining his trust, Owlbert has given you his blessing to use him as if he was your own. You will share him between you and the Owl Lady." She explained.

"Really? Oh thank you Owlbert, thank you!" Luz said as she petted him.

"Well I have one question: Who are you people?" Hunter asked as he looked at the three judges.

"We… are the Palisman Preservation Society." Percy said as he, Heath, and Alyssa removed their hoods. Percy was a fair skin witch with light blue eyes and short messy light brown hair with a low fade, while Heath was a lightly tone dark skin witch with gray eyes and a dark gray buzzcut, and lastly, Alyssa was soft muscular witch with suntanned skin, amber eyes, and a black hair bun. "We're a group that protects abandoned palismen from any dangers in the Boiling Isles. Our founder had heard about the Bat Queen's noble mission and decided to help. From that, our numbers grew and our efforts in preserving our little friends became more effective." He explained.

"Wow. A secret society, here in the Boiling Isles! Can this place get any cooler?" Luz gushed, much to the confusion of the three members.

"Forgive her, she's a big fan of things like this." Hunter explained as he placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her calm.

"I see. Well given that you have earned your palisman back, I believe that it is time to take your leave." Percy said as the teens looked at him in slight confusion.

"But I'm actually interested in learning more about you guys. Can I join your group?" Luz asked.

"Absolutely not. Your business was to regain your palisman back, not be a part of our group." Percy said.

"He's right. We aren't looking for new recruits at the moment and we wish to keep ourselves a secret from the rest of society." Heath said. "It's nothing personal, it's just to make sure we're safe."

"Alright, we'll be on our way back home." Luz said as the Owl House gang began to leave the cave, with Alyssa escorting them. "Bye, everyone. I'll make sure to find my conviction and get my own palisman, so that I can become the greatest witch that I can be." She said as she waved goodbye.

"Be careful of what you wish for, human girl. You might just get it." The Bat Queen warned.

---

The group had exited the cave and were now in the woods. It was almost night time, as evidenced by the sky growing darker and several stars beginning to shine through as the sun settled over the horizon.

"'Well, time for you kids to get out of here. And remember, not a word about us." Alyssa said. The teens nodded in agreement, with Luz doing a zipping motion over her mouth before Alyssa turned to walk back into the cave.

"I can't believe you took on the Bat Queen." Willow said as she hugged Luz.

"And we're not dead." Hunter said.

"And best of all, we got our own palisman." Gus said as he danced.

"Thank you for helping me get Owlbert back. I'm sorry we missed the game." Luz said.

"Are you kidding? That was better than any grudgby match. There were action-packed trials. I got to do my flag wave, and I'm slightly traumatized. Hooray!" Gus said as Luz chuckled and Hunter gave him a concerned look.

"I guess it's time to call it a day. Let's get this little guy home." She said.

"So do we use our palismen to fly home? I don't think any of us have experience in flying." Hunter said.

"We'll use Owlbert to get home. Don't worry, I promise to take it easy this time." Luz said. Owlbert transformed into his staff form as the group climbed aboard. They soon took off into the air at a steady pace as they flew back towards the Owl House.

---

"And now you're a part of the boo‐boo buddy club." Luz said as she placed a bandaid on Owlbert's cracked head, causing him to hoot happily. The Noceda siblings were the only ones left in the house at the moment, Gus and Willow had said their goodbyes for the day and returned to their homes with their new palisman. Hunter sat down next to his sister on the couch as he watched Flapjack fly around and explore the place.

"Looks like everything is settled then, and we got a new friend to join us." Hunter said before turning to Luz. "Though we wouldn't have gotten into trouble in the first place if you had been more careful, manita." He commented.

"Hey, we passed the trials and got Owlbert back. So it all turned out good in the end." Luz said as Hunter sighed. Their attention was brought to the front door as it swung open and Eda and King walked in.

"Owlbert, why are you off the staff?" The elderly witch asked. Owlbert flew onto her shoulder and began whispering in her ear. "The kids took you to get ice cream? Aw, that's... a horrible lie." Eda said as she turned to look at the siblings sternly. "What really happened?"

"We took Owlbert to go to a school game with Gus and Willow but we ended up crash landing and Owlbert got hurt. Then we had to face the Bat Queen in a series of trials in order to get him back, we passed but we had to fight the Bat Queen herself before Owlbert stopped the fight. So now Luz has gained his trust back and Gus, Willow, and I got our own palismans." Hunter explained as Flapjack landed on his shoulder. Eda and King stood there as they processed what they heard.

"...Wow. Sounds like you two had quite the adventure today." Eda said.

"You're not mad at us?" Luz asked.

"Oh no, I'm furious that you kids put Owlbert in danger." Eda said in an eerily calm tone, causing Luz to wince a little. "But I'm impressed that you and your brother went through all that trouble to get him back. So everything balances out." She finished.

"Well, what did you and King do today?" Hunter asked.

"King here decided it would be a good idea to use me, while I was transformed as the Owl Beast, as a personal attack dog in order to conquer the slayground in Bonesborough." She explained as King looked away nervously. "I was then captured by a couple of Demon Hunter lackeys before King freed me and ended up fighting our way out. Well actually, I did most of the fighting. So like with you guys, I can't be too mad at King." She finished.

"Wait. I thought you gave me permission to use Owlbert. King told me." Luz said. Everyone turned to look at him as the self proclaimed king of demons began to act nervously.

"I'll, uh, be upstairs." He said as he shifted towards the stairs before running up them.

"Lucky for him I don't care right now. I'm going to take a nap." Eda said as she walked up the stairs to her room.

"Looks like everyone had an eventful day. I'm feeling tired." Luz said.

"Yeah I think it's time for us to go to bed." Hunter said as he let out a yawn. "Come on little guy, I'll set up a little nest for you." He said to Flapjack as all four went upstairs to sleep.

Meanwhile inside Eda's room, the Owl Lady was collecting the four elixir bottles off the floor. She coughed as she placed the last one inside the drawer next to her nest bed.

"The elixir... It isn't working on the curse anymore. This is bad." She commented before taking out the ripped elixir recipe she got from Henry. "Guess it's time to make a stronger brew." She said as she looked over at the ingredients listed.

---

(Shunsuke Kikuchi - M-919 (Start at 0:30))

Inside the Noceda room, Hunter groaned as he turned his body around in his sleep. The blond teen was once again having that dark dream. He looked around as he heard the various voices talking over each other, trying to find a source or decipher what they were saying but as usual, he couldn't. His breathing became frantic as the voices grew louder. He covered his ears as he prepared himself for the mysterious white light to appear. The volume grew to a deafening tone as Hunter tightly gripped his head and knelt as he felt his body begin to vibrate. However, just when it sounded like the voices would reach its peak, a simple word cut through.

"William!"

(End at 1:08)

Hunter awoke from his dream with fright as he took a deep breath and looked around, finding Luz and King sleeping peacefully before noticing Flapjack sleeping next to him in a blanket. He began to relax as his mind repeated the name he heard. For as long as he could remember, the mysterious dream would play out as usual; the dark empty space, the loud voices surrounding him, and the strange white light. But now something new happened, and it only left him asking one question.

"Who's… William?" He asked himself.

---

So Gus and Willow have gained their palismen earlier than expected, The Bat Queen has a group helping her with the lost palismen, Hunter has finally met Flapjack, and is growing closer to his learning about his origin. Exciting, isn't it?

Really happy that I put out this chapter, it's one of my longer ones (so far) and I got it out around Christmas time, so I hope you guys enjoy this. I'm off to go enjoy my winter break and write the next chapter.

To the reviews:

Mando Whisky: Yes, Vee is accompanied by another basilisk in this story. Mostly just to make sure that Camilla is fully unaware of what actually happened to Luz and Hunter until Luz gets into contact with her later on.

Remember to leave a review, Merry Christmas.