I'm researching how to write a good fight scene. There's no fighting in this chapter but I hope to change that soon.
*****
The Boiling Isles can be a beautiful place. The exotic creatures that roam them can also be wonderful to look at. However, at night, it's a dangerous, scary place. Especially for a human who can't do magic naturally.
Luz 'borrowed' an emperor's guard staff for the journey alone through the woods. Luckily for her, Kikimora taught her the geography of the Boiling Isles when she was 7 years old. Belos saw it necessary for her to learn if she was to ever take his place as empress. She also trains with Lilith to work on battle strategy if she were ever attacked.
Luz has become very capable of taking care of herself, especially in self-defense. Steve will always test her by randomly attacking her to make sure she would be ready for any situation to come.
At this moment, Luz was very grateful for her past lessons, due to the fact that Eda isn't good at giving directions. All she said was, 'the owl house was deep in the orange pine forest.'
It took Luz about 2 1/2 hours to find the owl house, and let's just say she was a little cranky. "Hello!?!? Eda!?!? You need to work on your directions considering it took me two and a half hours to find your house! I mean really, I know the Boiling like the back of my hand, and I still couldn't find it!!" Luz is basically yelling at the house at this point. "Not like you care anyway, you just want me to steal something for you and that's it. Why would a criminal have actual feelings." Luz is now mumbling under her breath to herself, pissed off and tired.
As if this night couldn't get any worse, a voice finally fills the silence "Hoot, hoot. If you want the answer that you seek, solve my riddle within a week."
Luz groans out loud, aggravated "No, weird bird tube. Let me in to see Eda."
The strange figure in the door continues the riddle "Hoot. I am not alive, but I grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I? Hoot!"
Without hesitation, Luz yells "Fire! Now let me in."
"FIRE WHERE!!! HOOOOT!!!" The bird tube opens the door to scream "FIRE!!!"
Luz walks past the door into the strange house when suddenly she hears a familiar voice "Hooty! There's no fire. You have to stop telling that riddle. You fall for it every time." Eda now standing before Luz, groans in disappointment. "Oh hey human. I see you've met Hooty. What took you so long?"
Luz growing more frustrated "Well I would have been here sooner if your directions were accurate, but they weren't."
"Woah, easy there kid. Relax. My bad. Now before you throw a... child... tantrum? Let me introduce you to my friend." Eda now points to the hallway where a large shadow appears.
"Who dares enters the house of the king of demons!" Luz how doesn't flinch, knowing demons are tiny creatures and can't hurt her.
King appears in the doorway of the living room with his paws on his hips. "Bow before your King, you scrawny human!"
Luz is unimpressed "this is your friend? He's a lot.... smaller than I imagined."
Eda bursts into laughter while King becomes very angry with Luz's comment "How dare you disrespect the king of demons. You should cower before me, and I might just show you mercy."
Luz walks up to King and picks King up like a doll "I will admit. You are kind of cute. So what was stolen from you little guy? Did someone take your crown?" Luz was now using a voice she would use for a toddler.
Luz was completely joking but was answered by Eda "Actually that's exactly what was stolen from him. Great guess kid."
"Seriously." Luz is not excited about this heist. In fact, she's terrified of getting caught. Luz puts the demon down, and she holds her forehead in stress and turns to Eda "ok let's just get this over with. What's the plan?" Eda and King both look at each other then back at Luz and burst into laughter. Luz looks unamused and now bows her head in defeat "No no. Let me guess. You don't have a plan to break into the conformatorium. This is going to be a very long night isn't it."
"Listen, kid. While we're getting Kings' crown back, your friends will come over and make themselves comfortable, and you'll have your slumber party. Then I'll make good on my part of the deal and take you to the human realm. Now let's go rob those suckers who call themselves wardens!" Eda grabs King and her staff and walks enthusiastically outside.
"Yep. I'm going to die tonight. Whether it's by Eda or dad." Luz now following Eda outside with complete terror on her face.
Before the three take off Eda takes notice of Luz's staff. "Hey, kid. Nice staff. Where did a human like you, get a staff like that." Eda's now growing suspicious of Luz.
Luz already had a lie ready because she knew that would be an issue "I found it lying around today at the market. A guard might have put it down for a moment but I couldn't just leave it there. You know with staffs being so rare these days."
Eda looks at Luz not buying it, but couldn't let Luz know that. "Does this kid think I'm stupid? What are you hiding human..." Eda nods at Luz acting as she bought into her white lie.
It's now 11:13 pm. Eda lands her staff at the conformatorium gates and faces Luz. "Ok here's the plan, I'll drop you and King off at that window right there and you'll make your way to the barrier. I'll be on the lookout for Warden Wrath and meet you guys there. Now, how's that for a plan!" Eda patted herself on the back and had an accomplished look to her.
Luz, however, was the exact opposite. "Hmmm, what happens if King and I run into the warden, or literally any guard that's on duty?"
"Use that staff you found lying around. Or what magic do you do? Glyph magic? Yeah, use that." Eda not phased by Luz's concerns picks the two up and flies them to the window.
Luz barely lands in the window while King face plants. Luz lets out a quiet laugh and picks him up, and brushes off his skull. "There you go, buddy. You ok?"
"Yeah. Thanks. Now onwards. To retrieve my crown to rule the demons once more." King now pointing in the direction he's walking.
While the two walk, Luz notices the inmates that occupy the cells. Belos told her about the prisoners, and how they are too different to live among the citizens of Bonesburrow. He says he's doing them a favor because, on their own, they wouldn't survive. Luz believed him and ignored them, thinking they're all crazy.
Luz felt uneasy. She would look over her shoulder every couple of seconds to make sure no guards were on duty. While Luz is being paranoid, she realizes "where are all the guards?" She's looking around everywhere now, hoping to find one. "King, somethings up. Where are all the guards? This is supposed to be a heavily guarded facility."
King however doesn't read too much into the situation "who cares. Just makes it easier for us."
A couple of minutes of wandering goes by, and Luz and King finally reach the gates to the barrier room. Eda joins them "Hey! We're in the clear. The warden is occupied by some big nose kid."
"Eda." Luz says in a concerned tone "Somethings up. We didn't come across one single guard. This is supposed to be a lot harder than it actually is."
Eda not looking phased "I thought the same thing. Apparently, it's a guard's birthday and they're celebrating in the break room."
"A birthday?" Luz was now lost. "Guards don't celebrate birthdays. Especially not here at the conformatorium. Somethings up."
Eda and King push the gates open to reveal a green cylinder in the center of the room. King runs directly into it, only to be pushed down onto his back.
"King, we have a human. That was unnecessary." Eda groans with a smile. "Alright kid. You're up." Both Eda and King give Luz a thumbs up.
Luz sighs and walks through the barrier. She looks at the pile of items in awe. "Wow." She looks at the pile intensely looking for Kings' crown. "Gotcha!" Luz climbs to the top to grab the crown to only realize it says 'Burger Queen' on it, and it was cardboard. Luz furrows her eyebrows and grabs the crown. She makes her way down the pile, and out of the barrier. "Here's your 'crown of power'"
Luz throws the crown at King only to be scolded by Eda. "Hey, easy kid. We went through a lot of trouble to get that. What's your issue?"
Luz now angry starts yelling at Eda "Why am I angry?! We're risking our lives and freedom to get a cardboard crown that has no magical properties. We risked our lives for a toy!"
Eda now glances at King who has a happy look on his face with his crown returned. "Hey! Watch it. King is my friend, and if his crown is important to him, it's important to me too. So why don't you calm down? Geez isn't there anyone in your life you would risk anything and everything for?" Eda now looking at Luz with concern in her eyes.
Luz answers with no emotion in her tone "What?! No!! Why on Titan would I do that! The only person you look out for is yourself!" Luz is now repeating Belos' words.
Eda raises one eyebrow "Woah... who taught you that. Look kid, I want you to answer a serious question ok, all jokes aside. Isn't there anyone you love?"
Luz's eyes open wide in response to Eda's question "Ha love is a weakness. My father taught me that." Luz says looking confident, but not feeling it.
Eda and King both look sorry for Luz. Eda doesn't know how to respond to that. "What kind of father says that to their own kid?" Eda now thinks very carefully about what to say next. She wants to help Luz because no kid should feel that way. She decides not to break character and plays it cool "Huh. Ok, whatever works for you. Now let's get out of here. Your friends are probably at the owl house being tortured by Hooty." The three jump on the staff to leave.
Luz looks back at the facility" that was too easy. But why?" Then suddenly it hit her "STEVE!"
Eda, King, and Luz finally arrive at the owl house at 1:00 am. The three get off Eda's staff tired and notice Willow and Gus at the door, half asleep with Hooty continuously talking about his life's story.
"Luz! Thank Titan you're ok!" Willow stands up, waking Gus.
Luz lets out a weak, tired smile "Hey guys. Glad you could make it. Now let's just go to bed. Im exhausted." Luz and her two classmates walk into the owl house, followed by Eda and King.
Eda shows the two witches and human in the attic where they will be sleeping. They're all too tired to care. Willow and Gus lay their sleeping bags on the floor and instantly fall asleep. However, Luz just holds her staff looking confused.
Eda takes notice "Haven't you ever had a sleepover before? Where's your sleeping bag." Eda was joking, but as she laughed, she saw that Luz actually has never had one.
"No." Luz now bowing her head, embarrassed. "My father never even let me leave the cas-... house by myself until now. I guess my brother Steve would sleep in my room on the floor, but that was when I was little and afraid of the thunder." Luz let a tear fall but quickly wiped it away. She doesn't want to come off weak to a wanted criminal.
Eda's smile is now gone, replaced with concerned eyes "who the heck does her father think he is?" "Hey, nothing to be ashamed of kid. How about we make this an annual thing? Whenever you want to host a sleepover, just come on over and ask. In fact, come over whenever you like."
"Thanks Eda. But if I were caught hanging around you. I'd be in more trouble than you would be being arrested." Fear consumed Luz at this moment. The thought of Belos finding out about this night... Luz didn't even want to think about that.
Eda trying her best to convince the human "Aww come on. I won't tell anyone. You're at the age to rebel a little anyway."
Luz finally picks up her head and slightly smiles "Thanks, Eda. I'll definitely think about it." Luz felt strangely comfortable standing next to Eda.
Kind suddenly stumbled in with a sleeping bag in his paws. "Here Luz, you can use my bed on one condition. I get to cuddle next to your leg."
Luz picks King up and actually brings him close to her like she's holding a toddler "Thanks, buddy. I would like that a lot." Luz now lays down next to her two friends and closes her eyes.
Eda closes the door behind her "Now, who the heck is this human's father. And what other lies has he planted inside that head of hers." Eda walks to her room, determined to figure out Luz's story.