Final current chapter of Lost Light that I have.
Chapter 4: Trial in the Elements
Dual foot steps echoed on the staircase as Luz pursued a cloaked Eda towards the door, her voice high and sharp, "Come oooon, just one spell."
"Not right now, I'm busy," Eda grunted, waving her hand for Owlbert.
Luz's entire torso contorted itself back as she groaned, "Uggh, you're always busy!"
"Why do you want me to walk you through a spell anyway?" The Witch said, snatching her staff out of the air, "Its not like you have a bile sack to cast with."
"That's another thing," Luz berated, "You said you'd be researching a way for me to cast magic, have you?"
"Some, but this one isn't my fault, Belos wiped out most ancient knowledge when he took over, so my sources are limited," The Witch said, tone going from beleaguered to bitter in an instant.
"Wait whose Belos?" Luz asked, trailing after Eda as the witch slipped through the door.
"Emperor and a real piece of work, anyway, bye!~" She called, jumping onto Owlbert and surging into the sky.
"Bruja traidora!"
Her cry of betrayal fell on deaf ears and Luz lazily slumped her way back into the Owl House, ignoring Hooty's half sincere, half mocking "better luck next time!" she flumped onto the floor and groaned, "I think she just keeps me here as a source of free labor."
"Nah," King said, tapping away at her phone, "If that were true she wouldn't feed ya, we'd make you hunt for your food, haha, yes, killer beast, slay!"
Luz's gaze half drifted to the cat video watching demon, "So then why's she so wishy washy on teaching me anything?"
King shrugged, "Eh who knows, buuuuut," He dropped her phone and looked to her smugly, "you want to know how to get Eda to do magic for you right?"
"And a million other things but that's a good start, yes," Luz said, pushing herself up and blowing errant strands of hair from her face.
"Weeeellll," King teased, flopping onto the lounge, "A belly rub might remind me of Eda's weak spot."
"Is it compliments? No, money! Wait-"
"The more guesses you make the her the price goes, your liege now also demands ear scratches!"
Sighing, Luz forced herself up, "Not really challenging the cute mascot vibe you got going on are you?"
The demon huffed, "A king is doted on by their subjects, this is just that."
However the moment she scratched his belly his leg started kicking as he wiggled and giggled like a toddler, "Sure," Luz said noncommittally, "Anyway before we get to Eda's weak spots, whose this Belos guy?"
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"Hot dignity daffodil," Eda cheered, snatching up the Elixir and sculling the bottle in one ravenous gulp.
The liquid was so familiar to her now it might as well have tasted like water but the faint bubbly feeling clinging to her tongue afterwards still tingled.
"Glad you got here in time, though you wanna be careful," Morton said, pulling out a second elixir bottle, "This is my last one."
Eda slapped Morton's desk and shoved her head into the Witches stall, "Why do you only have two bottles!?"
The redhead cringed, "Well gee E, you normally don't show up this early so my new shipment hasn't come in yet."
Eda's malformed nails dragged along the wood as she pressed herself face down into the counter, "Please tell me the new shipment comes in soon."
"Well fortunately yes, but not for a couple of days, so uh, I mean..." Morton toyed with their robes, "I'd suggest being careful with your magic-"
"I know how to manage my own curse Morton," She signed, weaving a protective spell around the remaining elixir and sealing it in her pouch, "Guess I'll be a homebody for a few days, hah, at least I can send my apprentice out to do the delivery runs."
"Oh I heard about that, how's that whole teaching... thing going?" Morton asked, leaning on the counter.
"Not bad, I mean I think its OK." Eda shrugged, "She's human so I'm not even sure I can teach her, but she bottles potions and preps them like a champ so I can work with that at least, as to the rest..."
Morton hummed sympathetically, "Have you tried telling her?"
"Tried but she's insistent and I know," She waved her hand to convey what went unsaid, "Something is possible, and if any witch can do it, its me, I just need more time."
Nodding, the portion-ere said, "Well you'd know better than me so good luck with that, oh and tell her some kid has been looking for her, I don't think its serious but he asked after your apprentice yesterday knowing I sell to you."
"I trust you gave him the run around?" Eda smirked.
Morton grinned sweetly, "To a 'paying' customer, neeever~"
Bother snickered and snorted at that remark, before Eda stilled, plague masks glinting in the distance, "Well I gotta book it, have a good one!~" She called, taking off into the sky.
"Take care, and mind your, well you know!"
Eda waved him off, mind turning over her needs and new information as she went, different thoughts competing for attention as she took a mental, magical inventory, one hand on her crystal as she felt the faded curses distant presence, a frown touching her lips as she flew home.
'Just gotta be careful with the magic for a few days, easy enough, I've done it before...'
Of course it hadn't been so necessary before and back then she hadn't had a student or blown up the conformatorium before the week was even out. Swallowing back her worries she opted to just enjoy the early morning view as the sun began to wash over the Boiling Isle in earnest.
Her curse rankled at the brightness, Eda ignored it, grinning wildly.
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Luz lounged upon the fancy seat that doubled as her bed, half rolled onto her side and watching the door as the wood split and compressed, warping as it was morphed or perhaps swallowed by Hooty, letting Eda strut in.
"Hey there, Eda," Luz called with a lazy wave and teasing smirk.
The elder witch glanced at her and snorted, "Whatever you're doing, stop it."
"Oh you mean, showing off this?" She asked, pressing the top of a kids light up pen she'd pulled out of Eda's "Junk" pile.
The moment the little bear atop it began to flickered and pulse with a faint red light, it was like a transformation took place before her. Eda's eyes practically grew in size, her sharp scowl went almost inhumanly wide as her fangs flashed in the light, "Oh how it sparkles," She murmured, marching towards Luz.
'Mierda, funciona!'
As Eda started reaching for the pen, Luz chuckled and slipped it into her sleeve, "Hey, I don't tease you," Eda crowed.
Giving the witch a flat stare, Luz just waited.
"... Much," Eda conceded.
"I'm not just yanking your chain here Eda, this is what we call negotiating," Luz preened, rising to her full height which back home had been impressive, but before Eda... Still left her feeling rather small give she was barely gem gem height with the seven foot tall owl witch.
Snorting, Eda folded her arms, "Let me guess, I show you a spell and I get the shiny trinket?"
"Consider the pen my down-payment, what I want is for your undivided attention until we make some real progress on this magic problem, and my payment is me making your bed sparkle like the stars at night," She said with a cocky flick back and forth of her long locks.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure you can do that so easily," Eda's voice trailed off as Luz held up her phone with a pre-set video of art sparkles up and playing.
"It sparkles, it shines it shimmers and delights, I must have it for my nest," She nearly crooned, tapping at the screen.
"Nest? I mean, yes I can do this, see, so I want your attention, nay, demand it as payment. Also, nest?" Somehow that sounded equal parts intriguing, terrible and cool.
"Yes a nest and as to this down right extortion," Eda said snappily before suddenly going quiet.
"Eda?"
The silver fox of a woman was rubbing her chin, characteristic smirk back in place and making Luz want to smirk with her, as she murmured, "I am ahead on my potions and the Knee would be perfect."
Before Luz could even ask, Eda clapped, "I despise and respect you cunning punk, but you got a deal."
"Seriously!?"
"Naturally," Eda answered grandly, "Now I don't know for sure if this method will work but its a good bet and not something I've had the chance to look into yet."
"What is it?"
"The Knee," she answered, pulling a map from her hair and pointing to a snow-capped mountain Luz realized was actually a giant knee bone.
'Wait aren't knees- No. Its magic, just roll with it,' She thought, quieting her inner medical training.
"The Knee was a sacred place to the earliest witches, it was where they first honed their magic. That same power they harnessed permeates the air and land making it an ideal place to use and study magic. Plus there's some nifty ruins lying around that may be of some use."
"That, that actually sounds perfect," Luz said, "So we're going to this Knee?"
"Yup, King and Hooty can watch the house while we're gone so pack something warm, we're going to magic boot camp!"
"Yes!"
She stalled her cheer, "Wait magic what?"
Eda smirked, "I never said learning magic would be fun, Luz, now chop chop, daylights burning!"
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The Knee loomed large over the Boiling Isles, a snowy mountain lined with what seemed to be stone outcroppings, stern and sturdy trees, as well as snow capped ruins.
Suffice to say, it was everything Luz knew she would have once been bursting with excitement over, and some part of her still was, intrigue and interest keeping the fell chill at bay as she held her fingers in the shape of a rectangle, looking over the scenery.
"What are you doing over there?" Eda called from flat spot near a stony outcropping that looked over a deep ditch.
"Just getting a feel for the place," Luz answered. Shoving her hands into the thick furred jacket Eda had given her, how the woman had, had one in her size Luz didn't think to ask, but given it was from sewn together beasts there was a good chance it was new, unlike the hollowed out, furry spider she was wearing.
"Well that's a good start, but before we get to anything like that," Eda said, lazily lobbing a thick bag into Luz's chest which she barely caught, "you need to set up the tent."
"Uh, can't you just magic it up?"
"I could, but then you won't learn anything," Eda chuckled.
"This is cos I bribed you?"
"Playin on my impulses is a minor offence," Eda said airily, as she slipped behind Luz and clapped her on the shoulders. "We're here to study wild magic, Luz, something not truly seen in fifty years and one thing I know about it is that the witches of old engrossed themselves in the natural world with both mind and body."
"Hence a tent?" she countered.
"Hence a tent made of animals I hunted here; I make the tent, you set it up. Try get really stuck into it, but don't take too long, cos once that's done we have to taste test snow identify moss, trees and duck-"
"Du-aaah!"
Eda tackled Luz to the ground, drawing Owlbert as a bellowing roar shook the earth and a dark shadow leapt over them and into the forest well below.
"Phew, just passing through," Eda said, hoisting Luz to her feet in a half hug, that left her a little lost for words.
"Ah, w- what was that?" She finally managed, only to be lifted off her feet and planted back down facing the opposite direction to look upon the forests below.
"That right there, Luz, is a Slitherbeast," Eda intoned gravely as she motioned to a massive white furred monster.
It was a hunched, thing, but had the look of a biped, making its every motion look gangly and wrong. No eyes could be seen, but pink tentacles spouted from its face and formed a vague approximation of a nose, while a rounded, fang filled maw unhinged itself open like a whale as it pounced on some unfortunate creature Luz didn't even get to see before it was crushed in the hunters jaws.
"They're one of the most ferocious predators on the Knee, they trap pray in a mucus produced by their mouth and take their meals back to a cave for seasoning and live devouring," Eda said, as the monster buried its sloth like claws into the hillside and clambered its way up.
"Ah, there's the Boiling Isles brutality twist," Luz gasped, pressing herself against Eda as the monster clambered back onto the same level as them, took one suspicious sniff in their direction before turning and bounding away into the snow.
"Yup, we don't have animals," Eda chuckled, "We have monsters, nightmarish horrors and Dread Beasts. Aaah, nice to get out into nature, don't you think?"
Luz just swallowed.
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Nearly an hour later and the tent was set up, a rounded off construct of leather and fur that looked rough yet somehow incredibly homey.
"No es que pueda disfrutarlo," Luz groused as she stomped through the forest, snatching up twigs, shoving snow in her mouth and sniffing moss.
"You identified the last tree type yet?" Eda called from a perch on a thick branch, a cup of hot Bean-Blood in her hands, as she lazily swung her leg in what would have been a cool and charming pose if it weren't pissing Luz off right now.
Luz's response was to punch the nearest tree, only to splutter and spit as a tide of snow crashed into her head. Snarling she made to deliver another well deserved kick when a sharp hand encompassed her beanie and firmly spun her around, though not so fast it hurt.
Eda was scowling at her, never a good sign.
"Something on your mind," She enquired, taking a measured sip of her drink.
"You know what's on my mind, Eda," Luz snapped.
"I mean besides my hand," she said, a sharply pointed finger tapping her forehead.
"OK, one you are wasting this ability," Luz muttered, "And two puns won't distract me from you giving me the damn run around, as usual. Since when did magic involve any of this crap!?"
Eda snorted, and made to speak, only to still, drawing herself up slowly, she dropped from the tree and snagged back her hand, golden eyes boring into Luz's own.
"Do you really think magic is just wave a finger and flashy stuff happens? Is that the sum total of regard you have for this ancient art, one that makes up the very fabric of Boiling Isle society, our world?"
Luz gulped, "That's... That's not what I meant, I just..."
Eda sighed, "Listen to me Luz, magic is not just in Witches Bile Sacks, its in the air we breath, its in the plants, the animals, the Wailing Stars and more. Academies try and tame it, Belos wants anything that doesn't bow to be broken then forgotten and the magic of the island is mysterious at the best of times, but it is there."
Hands coming down on her shoulders, Eda's voice was firm and intense but bereft of heat, "Luz, you're not stupid, so you know this isn't going to be easy, but I am trying, OK? So just try to have a little faith."
Luz's chest stirred and she swallowed back something as she nodded, "Fine, OK, you're right, this is new territory just... No, OK let's do this."
Eda smirked and released her, leaving Luz to spin on her heel and blink as she saw bloody sap sliding down the tree she's struck, "Wait is this-"
"Yep!" Eda cackled.
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Luz was bored, and cold, and hungry, but despite that she was trying dammit!
Trying to maintain her focus on the island, trying to hear sounds that weren't there on the sharp winds, to feel something rumbling beneath the earth.
But for all the Knee's grand vistas and stunning views, there was only so long she could sit on a rock thinking before her mind wandered and restlessness set in.
Casting a quick glance back at Eda, the witch was gently stirring a stew that spelled pleasantly spicy and meaty, perfect for the cold weather.
'At least she's not using magic either,' Luz thought, 'Then again who needs magic when she has you as a gopher?'
Slapping her knees, Luz returned her attention to the thick blanket of snow, shadowed woods and crumbling architecture.
'Huh, was that a fort in the old days? I'd need to check the foundations more but...' Luz's frowned, something dancing on the edge of her senses, was it curiosity, a spark of interest or something more?
'Maybe there is magic here but its in the ruins?' Given Eda's speech it felt disrespectful to suggest as such, but the other option if not merely her mind playing tricks on her was...
"Hey Eda!?" She called.
"Dinner's not ready yet," her mentor called back, taking a sip of the stew, "And unless you've forged a connection with the island that is both intellectually, physically, oh and maybe spiritually fulfilling, your ass stays parked on that rock!"
"Yeah that's fine but can I use my sketch book? I feel like I'd vibe with this place more if I could look at it from-"
"Sure, you brought it right?"
"... Sure?" She asked, spinning on the rock, head at a curious tilt.
Eda shrugged, "Everyone concentrates and focusses different ways, maybe art is a good medium to communicate what the Isle is trying to tell you? If not, hey worth a shot, so have at it, we still got half an hour before the bones in this disintegrate anyway."
Ignoring that, Luz jogged to the tent and snatched up her sketchbook and pencil, "Thanks Eda, and ahh, does that meal risk luring in predators?" She added, noting the quickly becoming familiar tang of copper in the air.
"Maybe, but nothing Owlbert can't handle," She chuckled, as the owl preened proudly on her shoulders, eyes flashing a brilliant gold for but a moment.
"Fair enough," And with that she returned to her rock and started scoping out her newest scene.
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Dinner was meaty and thick, Eda had even needed to do a small side dish of less gruesome vegetables for Luz alone. As they warmed themselves by the fire, scoffing back food, Eda glanced at the half finished sketch players of trees cloaked behind outlines of stonework catching her eyes.
"Looks interesting," She hummed.
Blowing on her stew, she murmured, "Thanks, I'm trying to draw what's there now and what I think was there in the past, its hard to tell though based on the ruins, but that's kind of the point."
"So like stacking it in layers?" At Luz's nod, Eda added, "Interesting idea there, sounds almost like you're trying to create your own code."
"Something like that, no luck yet but its only been a day," Luz said, trying to avoid sounding too bitter.
"Magic takes time sadly, especially experimental stuff, though if it helps I'd recommend comparing your work to what is there now and what you remember drawing, magic has a way of sneaking itself in," Eda said.
"Like that weird nightmare creature that wanted to seal me in a portrait?" Luz said, shuddering a the memory of the stooped shadow beast, its wriggling, grinning gaze not burned into her memory but certainly leaving an impression.
"Something like that, but like I said that creep was more a trickster than anything else, hehe, remember how he screamed when I said Hooty could play with him?"
Luz's grin was equally vicious as she chuckled, "Gosh that look on his face, it was great!"
Their raucous laughter filled the air as the night passed them by.
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Night fell heavy upon the island, the biting winds grew harsher and sharper, the darkness made the shadows lance out like something reaching to grab any passerby, distant predators and prey scurried and dueled across the vast snowcapped hills as the moon and stars washed over the land.
Eda had turned in early and suggested Luz do the same, but she was feeling too wired for that, though having Eda floundering and flexing about the tent as she slept didn't help.
Her efforts to finish her sketch in the dark had proven... More fruitful than expected. It was rough, sure, but she had layers of forest, snow and stiff brickwork laid out before her. Each stroke of the pencil had been her own, but she'd gotten so engrossed in the art there were details she didn't remember adding, fragments and half formed doodles that she couldn't wholly explain.
Holding it before her, glancing between the sketch and the landscape, Luz's eyes began to cross as she sought something, anything and-
The ground mumbled, and something echoed in waves, just out of earshot but radiating in her ear drums.
'Is that... The island?'
Glancing around the camp, Luz placed her sketchbook back at the tent, but pocketed her pencil and some paper scraps just in case. Drawing the knife Eda had gifted her, she slowly trudged into the snow, seeking the elusive sound and sensations that danced on the edges of her senses.
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Eda's mind was drawn back to wakefulness by the dual sensation of her curse scratching at the edge of her senses, the beast was sensing prey and the dead of night exciting and riling it. But such long familiar emotions pressing in on her sleeping mind did not alone draw Eda from her slumber.
Rolling over, a hand brushing across where Luz should have been and finding nothing, however, did.
Shooting up, Eda's ears twitched and her eyes scoured the darkness like it was second nature when something distant and familiar scratched at her eardrums.
'A griffon, and a wyverm?'
"Luz?"
She pulled open the tent and saw signs of footsteps lit up by the brightness of the moon, a quiet gasp escaping her lips.
"Oh no."
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Luz's pace through the forest grew ever hastier and clumsier as the thick snow and land beneath became increasingly unstable and warped. Roots like rocks jutted out from the ground, sink holes and rises switched places almost at a whim and in the distance she could hear the sounds growing louder, as strange scents filled the air.
Chest heaving and breath coming out in a thick mist, Luz tried to remember the guidelines for the cold. Snagging a branch she hoisted herself out of the snow and peaked through the treeline, eyes wide as she took in the stars and sparkling night sky.
'A world with out light pollution', She mused.
Ears twitching, Luz stiffened as she heard something, lots of something's skittering and pattering and-
'Spider!' She flung the black arachnid from her gloved hand only to spit out a curse as as tough but smooth silken web wafted through the air and the sensation dancing on her senses grew ever louder as she felt more spiders crawling along her thick coat and pants.
"Coño!"
Luz flung herself from the root and into the snow, slashing and slapping at her frame wildly, as a veritable sea of spiders starts spilling out across the snow, dropping from the treeline and stampeding across every surface.
Biting her cheek, Luz tore her way across the snow, churning it up around her in a bid to bamboozle the tiny creatures as she tried to race off their path.
Feeling stone beneath her she leapt wildly over another bounding bunch of arachnids, only to cry out as the ground she landed on sank beneath her feet, forcing her to bury her face in the snow to let another wave pass over.
Her face was stinging when she pulled free, tearing her way through silk and ripping through anything in her way, Luz tugged herself from the snow and darted towards the slopes edge as spiders began dropping from the branches and swarming in every direction, behind her, at her side, before her even!
She didn't know how long she ran for, but everything hurt, her mind was buzzing as she burst from the tree line, drool running down her chin as she staggered and gasped her way out of the trees, a bigger than usual spider dangling limply from her dagger. She voraciously ripped away at the webs lining her frame and froze, as a scream and a roar echoed on the winds.
In the sky was the source of the call, it was a spectacularly violently display of bloody scales and torn muscle.
On one side, was an elongated snake that would loom larger than several houses, its purple scales touched crimson, with thick wings of waxy sinew beating against the wind. Its head was a sharp elongated maw with rows of teeth, resembling more a pterodactyl spliced with a pelican, its throat swelling to bulbous size as it blanched toxic fumes.
Clinging to the longer but by no mean's broader monsters frame was a griffon, the head of a pigeon was practically stitched onto the body of a lion, wings stapled to its back, as discordant muscles and sinew melded together in a fascinating sight of strength and stretched skin, burns marring fur and feather alike as it vomited spiders from its beak.
For a moment Luz's concerns were forgotten as she stared up at the mighty and murderous display, muttering, "Monsters are fighting," in mixed disappointment and awe. Only for her eyes to grow wider and her heart to start thunders in hear ears as they began to grow closer and faster.
"Oh joder, los monstruos están peleando!"
She turned to run but couldn't find even one location, locked with her back to the a thirty foot drop and the looming hills before her, Luz could only freeze and watch as the monsters slammed with a thunderous crash into the high woods. Their snarling, screeches and roars accompanied by the sound of rumbling stone and roaring snow as the slopes came alive with a roiling wave of white that was barreling towards her.
Looking behind her Luz's mind frantically grasped at the last straw. Clutching her dagger tight she raced to the ledge, intent on driving the blade into the rock and hanging on for dear life as the snow hopefully passed over head but she could already hear the roaring grow closer, deafening, only the familiarity of a sharp, desperate cry caught her ears even distantly.
"Luz!"
A single glance behind her and Luz's scream caught in her mouth as she braced, only for a flash of burning golden light to flood her vision as Eda materialized before her, pulsing golden barrier bursting from her hands the snow crashed against Eda's spell.
It swelled and swam around them, so powerful Luz could almost feel the magic simmering on the air as Eda roared, her shout sounding somehow wrong as the monsters came screeching and tumbling towards them, still locked in their duel as they and their avalanched ripped through the hillside.
"Elder beasts, just what I needed," Eda grunted, her leg shaking.
Luz raced to her slide, slipping under her mentors arm in a bid to steady her as the witch chuckled, the thick, golden bronze spell flowing forward like water in a stream if parted the raging rapids of snow and crashed against the feuding monsters. In a finale flash each was blasted apart and sealed within golden ligght like it was cling wrap, their struggling forms launched into the sky in opposite directions, as the last of Eda's spell faded in time with the avalanche.
One terribly silent moment passed and Eda gasped, letting loose her spell and slumping atop Luz like a broken marionette.
"Eda? Eda!" Fumbling and desperate, Luz managed to pull Eda down, half resting her in the snow to see her face, eyes swimming with dark lines, the witch chuckled, her fangs oddly large and ill-shaped.
"I'm... I'm fine kid. I just..." Her jaw locked, feathers burst from her ears and she let lose a single, violent spasm as if the beginnings of a heart attack.
"What's wrong, let me help you?" She asked, nearly begged.
"My... Elixir..." Eda gasped, her voice tinged with a rattling keen, "I need it, oh I shouldn't have left Owlbert to wander, curse it. aah... Aaaahh."
"OK. Elixir, we got this, we got this," Luz muttered, hoisting Edda over her shoulder, the giant woman using her staff to help prop herself up as Luz force marched her way through the snow, Eda clumsily murmuring in her ear.
"Why'd... Leave the camp kid?"
"I... I thought I heard the island, I was wrong, it was stupid," She stammered.
"Maybe just heard, the wrong thing..." Eda answered, another spasm rocking her body.
"Eda, what's wrong? What happened to you?"
There was only the sound of snow shuffling and dual heaving breaths before Eda finally answered.
"I shoulda... Told you and King ages ago... When I was... I was a kid, someone cursed me. It eats up more and more of my magic to keep it at bay, and the Elixir is there to help but its... Rare, and expensive," She tensed, a sputtering cough escaping her lips. "I've been running low since we met, the new batch isn't in yet.... I wasn't meant to use much magic, haha, but here we are... Shit I had it managed but that was when I didn't need to think about anyone else."
"I'm sorry Eda, this is my fault."
"You just listened to my advice," Eda said drunkenly.
"When I should have stayed in the tent! I'll get you your elixir, it'll be OK," she promised.
"Not... Worried about me," Eda whispered, and only now did Luz notice her hands, already almost claw like had swelled and grown, long nails turning to dark claws.
"When it hits... I turn into an Owl Beast, and if that starts happening... Run, run and hide Luz, or I'll tear you apart."
"You wouldn't."
"I wouldn't even recognize you," Eda insisted.
Steeling her jaw, Luz swallowed back the dread threatening to spill forth from her stomach and pushed on.
"I will not let that happen," She promised.
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She failed.
Luz could see the camp.
She did as Eda told her and left her by a tree.
Racing into the tent she tore through the bags and pulled free a shimmering range elixir.
Then she ran outside and her heart stopped.
Eda spasmed, she lurched, she screamed and her eyes swam in blackness as limbs began to extend, muscles always a little odd re-shaped themselves and swelled, her long mane grew as her face flattened, and widened into an unholy fusion of Owl and Witch, bearing rows of disjointed and jagged teeth.
Mighty wings unfurled as it let loose a mangled cry that split her ear drums and and sent Luz to her knees. Coated in layers of feathers, Eda's new quadradic body twitched and lurched as it ordering itself, thick haunches kicking over the tree as too long arms, lined with wiry muscles ripped at the snow like a cat at a scratching post.
Little fireflies flickered in the air, flaming to life and then vanishing as Eda snapped and snatched at them with her maw, a too long claw lashed out and trying to grab at the shining light before crushing it, confusing the beast as it crooned and twitched, head shuddering violently.
"e- Eda," She gasped, realization finally striking her.
'She knew I'd be too late, she was protecting me. Me!?'
The Owl Beast's gaze flickered to her, its massive maw spreading in a manic grin, empty black eyes stared into Luz's own as its jaw unhinged, revealing rows of teeth that seemed to stretch on forever as its grey tongue lolled out.
Swallowing she forced herself to her feet, trying not to look threatening, she murmured, "You know me, Eda, you're my mentor, remember punk? Kid? Luz?" she murmured, drawing a strange woofing hoot from the Owl Beast as its wings fluttered and it limbered up.
What happened next, Luz wasn't sure, either it prepared to pounce or it wasn't, but then it saw the Elixir and scrambled back, hissing and crowing, it beat its mighty wings once, flinging Luz to her back and where she was barely able to protect the Elixir as she crashed into the ground as the Owl Beast launched itself into the sky with a keening cry that made Luz imagine a strangled wail.
"EDA!!"
Her cry fell on deaf ears as the Owl Beast surged into the sky and soared into the woods, leaving Luz behind clutching the Elixir close to her heart, trying to stifle tears and sniff back sobs.
"eda..."
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Eda was gone and Luz lay alone, a useless elixir held to her heart and shuddering breaths escaping her lips, as mist spilled into the air and her shaking grew worse.
How long had it been?
She didn't know.
It can't have been too long as she was not yet feeling faux warmth, nor was she yet numb, but time had assuredly passed, the stars did not look the same.
Hazy gaze meandering through the sky as her mind wallowed, Luz instinctively began to trace patterns as she saw them flash across her sight, a nervous tick developed at camp, something to externalize the mounting pressure in her mind.
'The sky...' Luz realized.
The stars she had seen earlier, had watched when they first came out felt different. It should have been impossible and yet flickering and flashing in Eda's golden light was a triangle trapped within a circle, a smaller triangle and circle on top. Down the middle a long line with two smaller lines across, side by side within the large triangle.
Luz's hazy hand strokes followed the pattern into the snow until it was done.
"Maldita sea!" She screeched, slamming her fist into the snow. Eda needed her and here she was... Was...
Luz felt a pulsing presence against her hand, a flickering light just out of sight, and so she forced herself to sit up and saw below her fist was a ball of pulsing, shimmering golden light.
She didn't think, no words came to mind as she traced the pattern again and with shaking fingers tapped it, only to see another orb flash to life!
'Magic, I'm doing magic!' A tiny part of her wanted to cheer, but the clenching claws on her chest did not allow it.
Turning her gaze to the sky, Luz's brain could neither see the pattern or spell.
'This island, the magic, they have some kind of will, right?' That was what Eda had been talking about, right? 'What could it be telling me, what do I...'
Luz slapped her numb cheek, "The lights!"
A sharp, shrill hoot hit her ears as Owlbert burst form the canopy, eyes wide with fright the creature fluttered and flashed around her madly.
"I know, Eda's curse, listen, can you find her?"
Owlbert stilled and offered a sharp nod.
Holding up the elixir Luz's expression hardened, strength she did not know she had filled her muscles and voice, "Then we can save her."
__________________________________________________________________
They hadn't left in that moment, despite Owlbert's insistence.
Luz had needed to prepare.
Stowing her dagger, snatching up Eda's staff, and grabbing both sketchbook and pencil she'd drawn a large, large Glyph and stared with stinging eyes as a monstrous orb the size of her chest swelled to life. Pressing her hand against it, she could almost feel the power humming, and just like the first she had accidentally pressed into the snow, Luz saw she could move it, at least somewhat.
Looking to Owlbert she steeled her gaze and nodded, "Time to go."
Not waiting for another word, the Owl burst into action and Luz raced after him, rushed but still functional spell circles inscribed on scraps of her sketchbook as she went, leaving a flickering trail of golden light right back to camp.
The journey was hard, Owlbert's frantic tracking was only so useful when Eda could fly, but she knew they were making process, ruined trees covered in claw and jagged teeth marks told her that much.
Pumping her legs and rasping for breath, anytime she felt like just dropping, Luz rammed Eda's staff into the earth and hoisted herself forward before leaving behind another light orb.
She couldn't stop, no matter what.
But something did almost give her and even Owlbert pause.
"Think... Think it was her?" Luz gulped, looking at the mangled and massacred body of some half eaten beast.
Owlbert hooted, eyes going wide as its wing flapped harder, sharp calls rising in octaves.
"What, what did you find-" Luz came to a stop, "Oh," she murmured, at the mismatched tracks of a Slitherbeast and obvious signs of a scuffle.
"No... Owlbert, come on!" The owl was already moving as they raced deeper into the looming hills.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eda's shrieks echoed and boomed across the slopes, and Luz's mind whirled with worry as she she raced and crawled and thrashed her way across the snow, any splash of blood, fur and feathers forcing her and Owlbert faster in their quest towards a looming cavern.
'Please be OK, please be OK!' Luz silently begged, flashing glints of ice barely reflected in her gaze as she felt the snow giving ay to stone. Luz let out a shuddered sigh of relief as her boots slammed down on solid stone, her chest was burning and the world almost began turning, but sheer focus and a tug on her hair by Owlbert kept her grounded, for now at least.
Stowing Eda's staff, patting the pouch where her Elixir lay and keeping her breaths low, she pushed into the gargantuan caves maw, Owlbert coming to rest on her shoulder.
It was dark, but one ripped shred of sketch paper changed that as Luz held a golden ball aloft in her hand, as Owlbert's eyes shone like flashlights into the dim cavern.
Scratch marks, fur and feather flashed across their sight, but too small to hint at the participants fate. Strange musty smells and that of... garlic, mangled with mucus pressed on Luz's senses. It would have made her sick had she the mind to notice it.
At a splash of blood and shed feathers half buried in dirt-ridden snow, Luz sucked in a breath through her teeth, chest shuddering.
Owlbert crooned sadly, little feathers fluffing up anxiously.
"Hey, its OK, maybe she's just building a nest," Luz murmured, catching sight of her reflection in some of the frozen cave walls, "Just keep looking and I'll use my Light Orb to make sure we don't step on anything, K?"
Pressing on, they traversed up winding paths, kicked through bones both animal and people, before coming to a stop at the sight of rubble and ripped flesh.
'Oh please no,'
She raced forward unaware that Owlbert had taken flight as she flung herself against the rubble, tearing and tugging at it, gloves ripping, "Eda, are you in there!?"
She felt the rubble rumble, and then her ears twitched as a high keening cry echoed... From elsewhere in the cavern.
Owlbert swooped down, grabbed on to her hair and frantically tugged Luz aside as the rubble began to rise and rumble.
It was like she'd barely cleared the miniature cave-in before it burst across the air as the bloodied and brutal body of the Slitherbeast rose from the wreckage, maw unhinging it let loose an earth shaking roar that echoed and rebound in the cavern, crashing against Luz's ears like striking fists!
"Oh, vete a la verga!"
Bristling and baring its teeth, the monsters oversized snout flared and with barely a moment it turned its attention on them.
Luz picked up the pace, following Owlbert's path she caught sight of the owl turning around, eyes flaring golden he let loose a burst of magic that draw a groan from the beast, but barely stalled it.
But it did give them just enough time.
The Slitherbeasts too long and too human arm lashed out to grasp them, Luz grabbed Owlbert and leapt forward, skidding along the icy cavern and into a deep, deep corner, blockaded off by a thick pillar of stone and ice.
The cave rumbled as the monster crashed against the load bearing pillar, but true to its role the rock held fast against the monsters might and left them just barely out of reach.
Knees pulled up against her chest and head sunk low, Luz was gasping for breath, eyes wide and wild as the furious rumbling and clawing roared around her.
Looking up, still panting she pressed herself tightly against the wall, "Can you, do anything?" She hissed to Owlbert.
The creature turned its entire body to face her, eyes flashing and dimming, once, twice, three times.
"... You can do three more of those flashes... Then your out of energy?"
She didn't hear Owlbert's hoot over the sound of the Slitherbeasts tantrum as it dragged its claws along the ground, tearing at the stone and ice, fractured pieces flying at her, forcing Luz to shield her face.
"Fuck off!" She shrieked, snatching a freed sheet of ice to use as a makeshift shield that she and Owlbert could cower behind.
The monster merely continued its raging, trying to grab her from the other angle and forcing Luz to the other side of the corner, soon to be shuffling between the two sides until one of them tired or the pillar keeping them apart broke.
'Or Eda's comes back and kills it,' she thought hopefully, ice shield held close to her face... So close in fact she could see what should have been little pockets of air was instead strangely patterned circles... A large diamond with a line down the center, sat on another line across the bottom of the circle. Across the diamond curved a line and in a few others there was a smaller diamond at the bottom.
Rolling her way around another violent grab, Luz looked to Owlbert, "Well what do we have to lose?" The owl hooted and Luz drew her dagger.
Flicking out the blade she drove it into the stone and carved a hasty but clean circle and diamond.
The Slitherbeasts groping paw was sent reeling by a flash of magic from Owlbert as she continued her frantic carving.
Something told her to stall on some of the details, leaving it only half as intricate as the glyphs she had seen.
Another frantic roar and reach, Lex slammed the butt of her dagger on the Glyph and marveled as a jagged spear of ice lanced out from the wall, cutting across the beasts hand and sending it rearing back with a shout.
'Can I control the direction like the orbs?' She wondered, painting a smaller glyph in a patch of snow and slapping it not straight down but in the direction of the Slitherbeast; her expression grew wild as the ice lance lurched out at an angle and sent the beasts hand retreating before it could be stabbed again.
Sliding up against the ice spear, Luz pulled out her damp sketchbook, fraying pencil and got to work. Glyphs were layered atop glyphs, pages on pages, in different size and shapes as the beast patrolled and prowled around them waiting to strike.
When she was done, she looked to Owlbert and said, "Think you can stun it for a second?"
The owl gave her a serious, measuring look, far too intelligent for any mere critter before nodding with a gentle hoot.
Sucking in a breath and pushing herself to her feet, Luz matched his stare, "Let's go."
Olwbert burst forward like a little rocket, a golden burst spilling from his eyes, a sharp slap of force echoed in luz's ears, sending the beast rearing back, a paw over its nose protectively.
Bursting from the hide away, Luz slapped the first, massive Glyph and let it drop to the floor, a thick pillar of ice shooting up and sending the shocked beast rearing back.
Meaty hand-paws made to grab her, but Luz was already on her third page, a jagged ice spear, followed by another surrounded the first pillar and stalled the Slitherbeasts path.
Not perturbed, it lurched towards her, mucus dribbling down its maw as it pushed its way slowly and carefully over the central ice pillar.
"You fell for it," She chuckled, slapping her sketchbooks tough, faux leather hard cover, she flung it like a frisbee to the ground beneath the Slitherbeasts hanging maw. In a flash of crackling crystal song, a mighty pillar tore up and slammed into its jaw, launching the monster onto its back.
"Have fun with these asshole!" She crowed, tossing town page after page of spiked ice and crackling spears behind her as she and Hooty bid a hasty retreat, leaving the wounded monster roaring feebly behind them, fully aware of the spiky minefield that awaited it, if it pursued.
"Now we just have to find Eda, give her the Elixir and get home, easy, right!?" Luz looked to Owlbert, the little creature once again sitting on her shoulder, shining eyes pointing the way.
"This tunnel? Got it," Luz answered, one had brushing Eda's elixir as she went.
_____________________________________________________________
An echoing crow hit her ears and Luz almost wanted to smile as dark wings flickered in the distance.
Skidding along the ice, she slipped herself and Owlbert behind a large rock at the caves mouth to peek over and spy a back entrance, one perfect for flyers with a neat, circularly little outcropping resting outside a smoothly carved cave mouth.
There was Eda, or her beast form at least, in all her alien and beastial glory, bearing only superficial scratches and matted feathers for her troubles, she cheerfully tore into the remains of the Slitherbeasts earlier catch, gulping down bone, blood and flesh alike in her wide and overly round maw.
"Well, I guess we got to see the other guy first for once," she murmured.
"Hoot?"
"Human saying, just roll with it."
Eda's extended ears twitched and she crowed, claws flexing and sending Luz to duck behind the rocks, swallowing back any and every sound she wanted to make, near shaking until the sound of crunching bones returned as Eda went back to her meal.
Owlbert looked to her, perched atop her knee, wide eyes worried.
'OK, let's give this a go,' she thought, resolving herself, Luz patted herself down only to find no more paper or even shreds.
'Fuuuuck!' She let her head smack against the rock she hid behind and felt Eda's elixir jostle in her hip pouch.
'The label!'
Carefully, oh so carefully, she pulled the shimmering bottle free and ripped the label off. With the remnants of her pencil she was able to carve a fractured light Glyph that flickered and shimmered to life with a tap of her thumb.
Holding it flat in her palm, Luz placed her hand near the edge of her hide away and was pleased to see Owlbert flap his little wings, sending the orb drifting into the air.
The sound of munching stopped, and Eda's large lithe form rose, shifting the snow as she creaked and cackled, voice disjointed between person and beast as she gamely encircled the light in her claws and snapped it up with a bite, only to crow at the side absence, prancing and patrolling the outcropping for more light.
'OK, it works, now... Now we just need to do this without any paper,'' Luz realized with a silent groan.
Swallowing back her... Everything, Luz drew her dagger and pulled a single glove free to rest on her other knew. Biting back a hiss as she cut her finger, wincing all the while as she uncomfortably pressed the wound against the thick fur, painting a circle in subtle crimson until it was just right.
Licking her lips, she scooped up the glove and held the bottle just above it. Tapping the Glyphs she watched as the glove flickered and coiled in on itself, breaking down into pure light as she lowered the elixir bottle inside, cloaking its presence.
Owlbert nodded and leapt up onto the rock, gently hooting as Luz called, "Oh Eda, I have a shiny thing~" before stepping out from behind the rock, bones rattling, skin shaking as the owl beast looked between them, before its dark eyes grew wide at the sight of the golden orb in her hand.
Rising onto its haunches, claws running across one another, gentle, echoing hoots rumbling in its throat as Luz took a step forward, offering the orb.
A fang filled smile greeted her as the owl beast lunged forward and Luz lobbed the orb and elixir within straight into Eda's waiting maw, scarpering back as quickly as she could and crying out as something massive, feathered and furry crashed against her, sending her to the ground with an oof!
'Am I dead? I'm dead. Why does it only ache a little!?'
She opened her eyes and blinked at the sight of Eda's unconscious form shuddering and shaking atop her own as the last of her features settled back in, bones creaking as they were reshaped, skin shrinking as feathered fluffed and puffed before bursting into nothing.
It was over.
Owlbert hooted happily, landing on Eda's head.
The witch snored gently atop Luz, her larger frame encompassing Luz's own.
She wanted to laugh, maybe to cry and definitely to get the fuck away from the cave, back to camp and then home again.
"But first... We gotta get you to camp," Luz murmured, trying to push the taller witch up and hoping to wake her but getting no reaction, as Eda flopped atop her again the moment Luz let up.
"Uuugggh... Owlbert if I die crushed beneath Eda, tell my story... No, actually tell it but make it better, like I definitely made out with the vampire chick, and I had a motorcycle!"
Owlbert titled his head and hooted in affirmation.
"Little champion you," she chuckled, "Don't suppose you have enough magic to get us back to camp?" she groaned, forcing herself to stand, Eda draped over her like the worlds tallest sack.
Owbert hooted and shook his head in the negative, before doing a small arch and landing atop his staff.
"The cave?" Owlber nodded, "Hah, guess that'll have to do, come on, let's hope slippery-beast isn't out hunting again."
A deep roared echoed from the cave as the sound of cracking ice echoed.
"OK Tine to go!" She spun Owlbert onto his staff and dragged herself and Eda stop it. The air around them bursting as Owlbert launched into the sky and well over the stony peak, just as the Slitherbeast burst onto the scene to howl flutily at the moon.
"There's left overs!" She called, before it vanished from sight.
The flight over the cave dwelling was brief and thankfully Owlbert kept the going a little longer, right back to where they'd found first sight of the scuffle before having to set them down with an 'oof!'
Sucking in a breath, Luz hoisted Eda's arm over her shoulder, held her staff in hand and gave Owlbert's wooden face a nod as it slowly went dormant, "I got her," she promised.
As Owlbert's light faded, her focus fell upon her long winding pathway of light droplets marking the way back to camp.
For the first time since she cast that spell, Luz smiled.
Epilogue:
To Eda wakefulness came at first slowly, a faint sense of tingling light on her sense and a churning in her gut meaning she probably ate five times her bodyweight.
'The curse!'
Memories flooded back as swift as she flung herself up. But she was not greeted by a prison cell, or Lilith or even someone like Morton.
Instead it was the inside of the tent she'd been sharing with Luz, Owlbert resting at her side and little golden light spells drifting around her.
"Where... Where did these come from?" They were pretty, but the light merely brought thoughts of her student to her, flashes, shouts and standing her ground against the Owl Beast.
"Luz!?" She called, crawling out of the tent, only to be greeted by the sight of a shimmering wall of ice surrounding their camp.
A shimmer wall of ice she barely got to look at before Luz turned from her seat at the camp fire, eyes shadowed but her expression tinged with a gleeful mania she cried, "Eda!"
Crashing against her, the human's arms wrapped around Eda with all her might as she began murmuring clumsy apologies and confused explanation, the words "I'm sorry. We saved you. I heard the island. I have magic," all tumbling together, until Eda began running her hands through Luz's hair.
Luz's face peaked up to look at her, and it was clear she was shattered, "Did I hurt you?" Eda asked.
"No, just the Slitherbeast," her grin grew wider, "Did you see? I got magic, it was like you said and we used it to save you!" She squeezed tighter.
"I saw, and... I think I remember some bits and pieces... Thank you, Luz, and congratulations!"
Luz's cheer turned into a yawn, but she did not let go, causing Eda to ask, "What are you doing with your arms here?"
"Its a hug," She said, "Tell no... one..." And with that, Luz passed out.
Sighing, Eda pulled the girl into the tent and lay back down, "We could all use a little more shut eye," she whispered, already making a mental note to go and heal the Slitherbeast once they woke.
For now though, she just wanted to rest, secure in the knowledge her student and Palismin were safe, and the curse was well at bay; more so than it had felt in weeks even.
As sleep began to claim her, Eda idly thought, 'I wonder how Owlbert and King are faring?'
______________________________________________________________
"Bow to me you snotty underlings!" King crowed to the prone Coven Enforcers.
"Eda's gone and your fellows are captured, secure the Owl House for our ambush!" Lilith howled,
The Emperors Coven burst from the treeline, but their charge was broken by a war cry that sent shivers down the spines of all.
"Hooty, hoot!"
Notes:
Well its been awhile, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, this has been a joy and challenge to write. I'd like to thank Dan-Heron for all their support, advice and translations throughout and also to extend thanks to everyone who has read through thus far, I hope its been fun! If you have any feedback, theories or questions I'd love to hear them so please don't be shy
Translations:
Bruja traidora = Treacherous witch
Mierda, funciona = Shit it works
No es que pueda disfrutarlo = Not that I can enjoy it
Coño = 'vulgar' slang for genitalia, apparently used in a similar manner to damn or fuck.
Oh joder, los monstruos están peleando = Oh fuck the monsters are fighting!
Maldita sea = Dammit
Oh, vete a la verga = Oh fuck you
Esto es una jodida broma = This is a fucking joke