Boiled Lamb
~|o|~
The sun began to rise across the Boiling Isles, signaling the call of another day. All seemingly the same, yet irrevocably changed as with every morning. And in the cottage along the shore, all was still.
Well. Almost.
Little paws pitter pattered across the wooden floor in the hall leading through the second story of the Owl House. The perpetrator made haste, yet endeavored to remain undetected as well, hugging the wall as he made his way towards the door at the end across from the stairs.
Tail wagging in excitement, King reached his destination and gripped the knob. Twisting it gently, he then eased the portal open ever so slightly and peered inside.
Despite the room formerly serving as a broom closet, the space had already been cleared and made anew for the Owl House's latest tenant, who slumbered on a red bedroll. He lay on his back staring at the ceiling, hands laced together on his stomach as he softly breathed.
And sitting next to him under the window on a velvet pillow was his prize, the Red Crown.
King had to stop himself from squealing at the sight of it. It was everything he ever dreamed of. From the moment he laid his eyes upon it, he knew he wanted, nay, needed it for himself! He knew that he was a much worthier owner of such a headpiece, especially compared to the woolen upstart that had charmed and sweet talked his way into King's abode. It was an invasion and he will defend his domain as its rightful ruler and take the crown that he deserved as his spoils of conquest! He even woke up hours earlier than normal, THAT'S how dedicated he was.
And now for the heist!
King pushed the door open, making a creak much to his dismay. He stiffened and glanced at Lambert. The self proclaimed deity only continued to doze.
Safe for now, King slipped inside the room. He then started on his approach, tip toeing on the ends of his hind claws. The Lamb's belongings were spread across the floor, a large hiking bag (at least for his size) against the wall. A few books lay spread around the room, set next to a few red candles, the smell of melted wax still hanging in the air. His cloak hung from a low hook on the wall.
King took care to tread around the personal effects, for fear of a rolling candlestick or a crinkled page waking his hapless victim. Hopping over one last scroll, he found himself at the Lamb's bedside, the Crown on the other side.
Despite his nerves, King laughed silently to himself.
The fact he left it out in the open. This fool was practically begging him to take it!
Flexing his claws, King started to reach out over the Lamb to the Crown. At that moment, a slight breeze whipped through the window, left slightly ajar, sending a small chill through the room. The Lamb shivered and King froze, sweat pooling under his skull. He remained perfectly still (torture for someone of his capricious nature) fearful that he was about to be caught in the act.
After several agonizing seconds, Lambert turned onto his side putting his back to the window. He pulled the covers over himself a little tighter and continued to slumber.
King let out a shaky breath and refocused on the Crown before him, just within his reach. Swallowing one last time, he wiggled his claws and leaned forward over the Lamb. Closer and closer, his heart thundered heavier with every inch.
It was right there! King could feel its divine power, how it called out to him, singing jubilantly to be united with its true bearer!
His claws finally on either side of the magic cap, he shimmied in anticipation and…
Grabbed the Crown and yanked it back in one swipe!
Lambert hummed and shifted in his sleep, otherwise undisturbed.
King smiled under his skull and turned to leave, but not before spitting his tongue out spitefully.
The relic snatched, he carefully made his way back across the room to the exit. Safely on the far side of the room, he glanced one more time at the Lamb and smirked.
'Heh… too easy.' He thought to himself, holding the Crown out before him. It was lighter than he would had thought and quite soft. But there was no denying the power it held. After all this time, he had his crown!
He began to lift it over his head. 'Now… finally… with this Crown, I will reclaim my birthright!'
Right as he was about to place it upon his bony brow, his internal monologue was interrupted by the Crown's eye snapping open. Its pupil flicked about before it looked down and their eyes met.
Oh spiders. He forgot the Crown was alive.
"Uh… heh… hi?"
The Crown glared.
Meanwhile outside…
"Hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hooty-hooty-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot!" Hooty caroled to himself, horribly off key as expected. Before he could continue he was thankfully interrupted by a loud BOOM as a torrent of red flames exploded out a window on the second floor!
"WOO! Guess that five alarm chili isn't loving me back! URP!" He belched as black smoke curled into the sky.
Back upstairs, Lambert's eyes blinked open. Leaning forward, he stretched and arched his back, letting out a yawn. Smacking his lips, he stood up and retrieved his cloak, throwing it over his shoulders. A few paw strokes to fix the wool on his head, he made his way to the open door, bending down to scoop up his crown from where it hovered over the floor and place it back on his brow.
"Good morning King." He greeted cheerfully, exiting the room and closing the door behind him, revealing the black scorch mark on the wall. King flopped to the floor with a splat, leaving a him shaped imprint behind. A small red spark smoldered on the end of his tail as he let out a weak "...wehhh…"
~|o|~
"Luz! Don't forget the decent silverware okay?"
"Okay! Which drawer were they again?"
"The one labeled borrowed next to the one called stolen." Eda answered from where she was fussing over a bubbling cauldron on the counter, only sparing a brief moment to crack open a blue and green speckled egg into a sizzling pan.
Meanwhile, her human apprentice opened the indicated drawer and balked at the large quantity of random utensils, all of them forged from a precious metal or decorated with small gemstones or insignias. None of them matched each other, so she just grabbed a handful and started setting them alongside the similarly pilfered plates on the kitchen table.
"This is a lot of effort put into breakfast for once. Didn't think you'd splurge for a guest." She remarked, struggling to remember which way each fork and knife was to be pointed and that they were perfectly parallel.
"Heh? What's that supposed to mean?" Eda shot back insulted.
"I don't remember you putting this much into welcoming me the first day. I also remember having to twist your arm to help him out and letting him stay."
"Hey, I don't have to like him. I just need him to like me so I can get his money." Her mentor replied, spinning a wooden spoon and taking a moment to taste some of the porridge in the cauldron. "Luz, what would you give a new not-friend guest to drink in the morning? The only one I've had before the fuzzball was you."
Luz thought for a second and snapped her fingers. "How about tea?"
"Old lady Leaf-soup?" Eda snorted. "I guess I probably have some left over from Lilith's last raid… check the cupboard next to the fridge."
Luz grabbed a chair and dragged it over, standing on it to reach inside the compartment. Only for an irritated squeak to make her rip her arm back out, a tired and sour looking rat-roach thing glaring at her.
"Sorry. Tea please?" She held a hand out. A small dusty, red box was shoved into her grasp and the cupboard slammed shut. She grabbed a kettle and threw it on the stove, giving Eda a sideways glance.
"You really not going to tell me the juicy deets on this beef with your sister?"
The witch rolled her eyes. "What, is it not normal for siblings to regularly try to kill each other in the Human Realm?"
"Not really? But you've got to understand, EVERYTHING about you is cool Eda! I want to know everything, including your "You're coming with me, preferably alive" cop sister! Just tell me what happened between you two!"
"You have any siblings?"
"No, but-"
"Then you won't get it." She snapped her fingers and doused the kettle with a jet of flame and it made out a shrill whistle. "Make with the tea, chop chop!"
Luz pouted, grabbing the cast iron oven mitt. "Enjoy your secrets for now Owl Lady, but I shall peel back your layers of mystery like the sweet onion you are!"
"Call me an onion again and see what happens." Eda muttered. Luz smirked a little at the back and forth, shaking some tea leaves pouring scalding water into a cup and mixing the leaves in.
At that moment the clopping of hooves reached her ears and she turned to see the latest tenant push through the curtain.
"Good morning Mister Lambert!" She greeted.
He stretched his back and met her eyes before smiling and giving a slight bow of the head. "And a lovely morning to you too!" He took a deep sniff. "Is this all for me?"
"Of course! Only the best for guests of the Owl House! Would you like a seat?"
"Certainly!" He nodded, stepping up to the table. Only to stare up at the top which sat two heads taller than him. "Is there, ah…"
"Oh farts, right!" Luz slapped her forehead. She glanced about before her eyes rested on King's raised booster seat at the end of the table. She grimaced. King wasn't the most permissive at the best of times when it came to his possessions.
On the other hand, he wasn't here yet and they'll find a proper solution later.
"H-Here you go!" Pulled the chair out for Lambert, who took a second to scramble up and sit. Taking a moment to inspect the plastic booster seat covered with rainbow and unicorn stickers, he nodded. "This is… sufficient."
Luz let out a breath. "G-Great! Can I offer you some tea?"
Lambert's brows perked up. "Oh, yes please!"
Silently giving herself a fist pump for guessing right, Luz turned and retrieved the steaming tea cup from the counter and set it in front of him.
A second later, a fly buzzed over the table. It drifted into the head of steam billowing from the cup and promptly expired in a burst of flames.
"So you uh, might want to wait a bit, blow on it for a while. It's hot." Luz chuckled nervously.
"I see." Lambert snorted along with her. "Watch this."
He clapped his paws together followed by a brief blue flash from his crown, a cold aura forming along his skin. He waved it over the cup and the steam immediately lessened. He gripped the handle with ease and took a sip. "Mmm… not bad."
Luz gaped. "That is SO cool! Literally!"
Behind her, Eda's eyes narrowed before she returned to her cauldron. Then she raised her nose and sniffed. "What smells like burnt dog?"
The curtain parted and King stomped in, smoke curling from his tail.
"Morning Ki-WOAH! Did you run into some Fire Bees again?!" Luz ran over, giving him a pat down and checking for injuries.
"Yeah. One REALLY big, uppity bee!" The little demon ground out, glaring at Lambert.
The sheep merely sipped his cup, though Luz didn't miss how the corners of his mouth twitched.
Her expression softened. "King, did you try to take Lambert's crown?" She asked.
The disappointment in her voice at least made him look the slightest bit guilty before he stomped his foot and looked away. "Noooo… I tried to take MY crown!"
"King, that crown belongs to Lambert okay? Please stop trying to steal it from him, it's not nice."
"The King of Demons doesn't play nice!" King pouted and crossed his arms. Turning his head, his eyes widened. "HEY! What are you doing?!"
Lambert looked at him and blinked. "Drinking tea. It's quite nice. Want some?"
"You're sitting on my dining throne! Give it back!" King ran up to the chair and yelled, his tail fuzzing out. "Edaaa! He's sitting on my dining throne and won't give it back!"
Eda groaned and shook her head. "Sorry King, just let him sit in it for today. I'll get another one for him later, alright? I'm a little busy right now."
King gasped, then narrowed his eyes. "Oh… I see how it is. It hasn't even been a day and you two are already besotted to the enemy! Admit it! You've changed flags!"
"King, it's not like that, okay? We just need you to share for today." Luz tried to calm him down, but King was already too far gone.
Taking fitful breaths, he bore a gaze of hateful fury upon the room. "THIS ACT OF BETRAYAL WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED! MY VENGEANCE WILL BE SWIFT AND MERCILESS! SO SAYS THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS!" He bellowed and fled the room.
Luz watched him leave, feeling guilty as if she had pushed a kitten into a bathtub. Sometimes it was easy to forget that King was just a little kid, crankiness and tantrums included.
Lambert meanwhile stared in concern. "Should I apologize for that? He did try to steal my crown this morning."
Eda waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, he does this all the time. He swore bloody vengeance on the coffee table last week after he stubbed his claw. Just don't antagonize him and I should be able to get him to chill out."
"As you say." He conceded. "Now what is for breakfast?"
"Don't get your wool in a knot, just a sec!" Eda snapped her fingers, levitating the cauldron and pan onto the table. "Cruel Gruel Porridge and Flying Serpent Eggs Sunny Side Up, enjoy."
"Oooh! Don't mind if I do!" Lambert eagerly rubbed his paws together and labeling some of the porridge into his offered bowl whilst Luz pursed her lips at the eggs.
"Eda, I don't think you should be feeding him eggs."
The witch gave her raised brow as she poured herself a mug of Apple Blood. "Huh, why not?"
"Because aren't sheep herbivores?"
"Doesn't seem to bother him." The witch replied, sitting down at the table.
Luz looked back to Lambert and gasped. The Lamb had already speared the fried egg on his fork and popped it into his mouth, licking his lips.
"Mmm, compliments to the chef." He hummed. "Is there any left for seconds?"