Chapter Text
Luz was a young girl of 14 winters and it was her dream to become a world renowned Monster Hunter like her father Manny Noceda. And not just a Hunter but a Guild Knight at that! She started out as a blacksmith's apprentice to a woman named Gemma, a legendary blacksmith who was herself trained by “The Legend” himself and had returned from a Guild expedition to the Forbidden Lands a few years ago. Gemma taught her a great deal about smithing but it was mostly to familiarize herself with the many different kinds of gear a hunter would use on the field .
She was currently wearing a basic Blademaster set of Derring Armor with her Iron Horn Hunting Horn. She had planned on working on her Insect Glaive skills but…poor Mr. Smurples, her loyal Psudocanth Kinsect passed away in his sleep last night from old age. And she’s just not emotionally ready to commit to a new one.
(Derring Armor)
It also didn't help that her mother Camila Noceda decided NOW was the time to question if hunting was really the best path for Luz to take.
Camila was a Researcher for the Hunter's Guild. She was extremely proud of her daughter wanting to follow in her father’s footsteps but was also worried about her meeting a similar fate.
Luz understood where she was coming from, which made it even more frustrating because she couldn't fault her mother for worrying. But field research can be just as dangerous as Hunting sometimes so it also felt somewhat hypocritical of her. Put that on top of her Kinsect's death, is it any wonder Luz got angry and stormed off?
Using her Clutch Claw to grapple the training post, Luz used it to mimic a technique the Hunters of Kamura have using Wirebugs to send soundwaves through her grapple line and explode at the other end, cracking the wooden dummy in half.
Luz took off her helmet and shook the sweat out of her hair before wiping her drenched face with the ascot attached to her chest armor.
“I’ve been out for a while, mami is probably worried sick about me.” Luz said to herself with a small bit of guilt. As frustrated with her as she is, she didn’t want to stress out her mother.
As Luz turned to her bag, she caught a curious sight. What appeared to be a plain, brown Cohoot was rummaging through her stuff.
“Hey little guy, what’re you doing with my stuff?” Luz asked with a bit of mirth in her voice.
The little owl popped its head up to reveal it was holding a golden Guild Cross in its little beak. Her father’s Guild Knight Seal. Her only memento of him.
Before Luz could react, the bird saw that it was caught and took off away from the city into the woods dragging a bag of random items with it along with the seal.
“Get back here you tiny thief!” the huntress shouted as she followed close behind.
As they traveled deeper into the woods. Luz began to notice strange ruins cropping up. She recognized them as Artian, one of the most advanced Ancient Civilizations that fell during the legendary Dragon War.
They eventually reach a building, or what remained of one. A small doorway leading into a glowing white void stood before Luz as the little owl hopped through it.
The girl threw caution to the wind and chased after it. “Stop adorably hopping away you little…”
Luz paused as she found herself in what appeared to be a junk heap inside a large tent.
It was filled with items she had never seen before, made of materials she’s never seen as well. A globe depicting continents that did not exist on any maps of Astalia, strange devices, a doll on a wire hanger that she swears was reaching for her.
“Where the heck am I?” Luz asked herself.
“Ah, you’re back!” A voice sounded from outside and slowly, Luz creeped up to the canvas flaps of the tent and peaked out to see who it was.
First she sees the tiny cohoot approach a tall, pale woman in a tattered red dress, large grey hair with a green bandana covering her ears and a gold fang poking from her maroon lips. She also wore a large gold pear ring and an oval, yellow gem on her chest.
The woman picks up the bird and places him on her staff before…twisting him on and turning it into wood?!
‘How the heck did she do that!?’ Luz thought to herself as she continued to observe.
The woman then began to rummage through the pack. “Let’s see what you got for me, Owlbert.”
The woman then began to dig through the rucksack, first fishing out a strange black tablet before tossing it away. “Garbage.” Then an absolutely huge Zinogre Skymerald set in it. “Garbage.” She tossed it away too!
“Garbage.” The strange woman muttered again before tossing a GOLDEN CHALICE that was practically glowing with holy power! Did this lady just hate Zenny?
Luz sneakily pocketed that Skymerald for later.
Finally, the pale woman pulled out a pair of goofy looking glasses with false eyes on springs, “Oh, now these will make me rich!” She declared before digging into the sack again. This time pulling out the Guild Cross Medallion her owl stole and was about to chuck it across the street. But before she could, Luz burst out of the tent and snatched it from her hand.
“Sorry,that'smine,seeya!” She rambled off before sprinting toward the portal. But just as she was about to reach it the door closed!
“You aren't going anywhere.” The pale lady said with a threatening tone as she removed the novelty glasses.
Thinking quickly she used her carving knife to quickly tear a hole through the canvas and escape the other side.
She ran for a minute until she stopped at a cliff overlooking a strange city. The buildings all looked like normal buildings fused with living creatures with teeth and bones growing on them. Several large arms sprouted out of the skyline with small houses attached to them or clutched in their hands. A Flying Wyvern of some kind flew overhead and was snatched out of the air by one such hand and dragged down.
And Luz was…not scared, but fascinated by it and the strange people milling about. Some looked human, others looked like beasts and monsters.
And a small winged humanoid fluttered into her vision.
“Oh, hello little one! Can you tell me where I am?” Luz asked politely.
The creature responded by opening her tiny mouth far too wide with far FAR too many teeth with a demand. “Give me you skin!”
Luz replied with an underhanded swing of her Hunting Horn and sending the fairy soaring away like a slobbering baseball.
“Nice arm kid.”
Luz spun around at the sound of the pale woman’s voice, ready to swing again.
“Calm your Snorses, kid.” The woman soothed with a placating gesture. “How about we go back to my stand and we can discuss you tearing a hole in my tent, human?”
Luz at least looked a bit embarrassed at that as they made their way back to the tent with the gaping hole in the back.
“So I take it you're not human?” Luz ventured a guess as she sat down.
“Oh child, I'm nothing like you.” The pale lady said as she took off the bandana to reveal her pointed, almost Wyverian-like ears.
“You stand before Eda Clawthorne, the Owl Lady! The most powerful Witch on the Boiling Isles.” The now identified Eda boasted, jumping onto the table to stand above the crowd browsing her wares.
“A witch?” Luz questioned with quiet awe. She's never seen a witch before! Closest she ever got to that back home were certain Wyverian elders.
“I am known far and wide!” Eda continued to crow her accolades. “ I am respected, feared-”
“Busted!” A large fist slams down on the table. Crushing a strange, box-like device and causing the browsers to scatter like roaches.
The fist belonged to a large, rotund person wearing chainmail with a cone-beaked helmet that hid his face. He pulled out a wanted poster depicting a stylized drawing of Eda with a small dog-like creature with a bounty worth…that's a lot of zeros.
“Eda the Owl Lady! You are wanted for misuse of magic and demonic misdemeanors!” The guard declared angrily. “You are hereby ordered to the Conformatorium to await sentencing!” He then grabbed the pale lady's arm.
Eda ripped her arm from his grasp. “Would you bozos lay off, I haven't done squat!” She groused.
“Oh, witch criminal!” Luz said in an enchanted whisper, before being lifted up by the scruff of her armor.
“You're coming too, for fraterniz-” was all he got to say before Luz grabbed the guard by the arm with a grip so strong Eda swore she heard a bone crack.
The guard let go and as soon as the Huntress’ feet touched the ground she threw him over her shoulder and slammed him into the pavement with an Earth shaking thud.
“Really good arm kid.” Eda commented before casting a spell that levitated the tent and everything in it before shrinking everything down into a knapsack tied to her staff.
“Come along human, before the fuzz comes down on us!” He urged the hunter to follow as she slung the bag over her shoulder and ran for the hills!
With no other options, Luz followed just as a squad of several other guards arrived.
“This is so weird! If I die here, my mom will kill me!” Luz complained as she caught up to Eda.
The witch cackled at that. “Oh don't you worry about that! A human like you is more valuable to me alive than dead.”
“What's that supposed to mean!?”
Luz only got another cackle as a reply as Eda grabbed her and the two flew away in her staff, much to the dismay of the guards.
“Why do we even bother, she gets away every time!” One complained before getting slapped upside the head by another.
===
Luz was amazed by the sights she was seeing from up here. Vast stretches of crimson grass and red pine trees, the pink-purple sky, the tall bone white mountains.
“Wow…” she cooed in awe.
“Welcome to the Boiling Isles, human.” Eda gestured to the lands below them. “Every myth in your world is from a little ours bleeding in.”
It was then that a giant Bird Wyvern the likes of which Luz has never seen before flew next to them. It was nearly the soze of a house, had four legs and two wings like a “standard" Elder Dragon and appeared to be a fusion between a pigeon and a large feline Fanged Beast of some kind.
“Whoa, what is that thing?” Luz wondered aloud before it suddenly spewed forth a stream of spiders over the forest. Simply fascinating! Her mother would have a field day doing research here!
“That is a Griffin.” Eda identified the beast for her. “One of many so-called “mythical creatures” that originated here. Along with Vampires, werewolves, Giraffes,”
“The heck is a Giraffe?” Luz interrupted.
“Oh boy, don't even get me started on those things, kid. Bunch of freaks.” The Owl Lady commented as they landed in a clearing near a cliff. A cozy, two story house with a crumbling tower behind it sat there. White walls, a rounded roof, and large stained glass window on the second floor that resembled an eye.
“Did your house just blink?” Luz questioned, mildly disturbed.
“Yeah, it does that sometimes.” Eda confirmed casually as she hopped off her staff.
It was then Luz noticed the woman’s severed hand was still gripping the shaft next to her and yelped, so startled she fell off.
“Whoops, that happens too.” Eda retrieved her hand and stuck it back onto her wrist like that was totally normal.
“Oookay, as fascinating as this world and its ecology is, I need to get home before my mami gets-”
Luz was cut off by Eda pointing her staff in the face. “Ah, not so fast. You still owe me for ripping up my tent, and any other merchandise you broke, missy.”
“Oh, what do I owe you?” Luz asked nervously.
Eda straightened her posture and waved the girl off. “We'll get to that in a moment. For now, let's go inside.” She said as she approached the house.
“Aren't you worried the guards will find you so close to town?”
Again, Eda brushed the girl's worries off. “Not at all, for I have a state of the art security system.” She explained as they reached the door. A simple wooden one with and oddly lifelike carving of An howl's face on its-
“HOOT HOOT, password please!” The carving sprung to life with a shrieking voice!
“¡Santa Madre De Gog!” Luz shouted in Wyverian while jumping back.
The bird-thing stretched its tube-like body out of the door and got uncomfortably close to Luz's face.
“Ooooh, a new friend! Do you like tea parties!?”
Before Luz could respond, Eda took to fingers to poked the creature in the eyes, casuing it to recoil back into the door with a wince.
“Enough. We don't have time for this Hooty. Open up.” Eda ordered the now named Hooty dryly.
“Okay, okay, sheesh. You never let me have any fun! Ow! Hoot!” The owl-rope complained before stretching his mouth open so wide it covered the door and revealed the interior.
Luz nervously followed Eda through before the door shut behind her followed by a deep belch.
“Getting eaten by a house was not on my agenda, today.” She joked with little humor in her voice.
“Welcome to the Owl House.” Eda snapped her finger, causing the lights to come on revealing the home in all its glory. A warm, cozy place with a cream colored carpet covering most of a hardwood floor, a wine red sofa, smaller green one of similar design against the next wall, light wooden coffee table, several chests, end tables, and lamps. The walls are decorated with various items from weapons, to skulls, to pictures, including a blown up version of the Owl Lady’s wanted poster. And finally the ceiling was decorated with a beautiful mural of a great horned owl taking flight with a single, cyclopean eye staring down at them.
Luz also noticed the interior of the house seemed much larger than the outside would suggest.
“This is where I go to get away from all the pressures of modern life. Also the cops.” Eda snarked before adding, “Also my exes, ha *snrk*!” she let out a snort as she laughed. A characteristic Luz found sort of charming.
“It’s beautiful, do you live here all by yourself?” Luz asked as she took in the decor and the layout of the house. She removed her Iron Horn from the strap on her back and sat it down with an audible thud that Eda took note of.
“Actually, I have a roommate.” The witch said as she sat down her staff and bags.
As if on que, thunderous footsteps could be heard approaching from the call and a booming voice roared alongside them. “You dares intrude upon the lair of I, The King of Demons!?” The voice quickly transitioned from bassy to nasally as a shadowy figure entered the threshold to reveal not a giant monster, but a tiny Lynian-like creature wearing a set of duck decorated baby blue towels and squeaking a rubber duck “intimidatingly” having apparently just gotten out of the bath.
The creature had skull-like bone plating on his head, purple-grey fur with a lighter grey underbelly and a fluffy tail and also wore a red collar with a golden tag.
Now, Luz was no stranger to cute little critters. She was a Hunter in training from Dundorma after all, Felynes, Melynxes, and other friendly Lynians are a common and adorable sight. Especially Palico with all their little hunting outfits.
This did not desensitize her to the cuteness of this little skull-puppy, her eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed, and she released a soul igniting gasp before rushing the scamp with a cry of, “¡Ay, que lindo!” and scooping him up into a tight hug, nuzzling her cheek into his.
“Eda he's so cute!” She commented before holding the Lynian under his arms. “Who’s a wittle guy, who's a wittle guy? Is it you? Is it you?” She cooed and gushed.
And King was not having it as he squirmed in her grip. “AH! I dunno who your wittle guy is! Eda, who is this monster!?” He cried out in fright as the strange, armor clad girl manhandled him.
He was rescued by Eda who pulled Luz back and held her up, the girl continuing to make grabby hands at him while she dangled in Eda's grasp.
“This is Luz, the human. She’s here to help us with our little situation.”
“Oh, hooray!” King cheered, lifting his adorable little three clawed paws above his head. By the Five he was gonna give her a heart attack with his cuteness!
After Luz finally calmed down, Eda set her on the floor and the girl looked at her quizzically.
“Hold on, I don't like the sound of this “situation.”” She said with air quotes.
Again, Eda waved off her concerns. “Just let me explain.” She then used both hands to draw a large circle of yellow light and from that circle a projection of a much larger and more frightening looking King before she began to narrate.
“Long ago, King was once a mighty King of Demons. Until one day his crown of power was stolen and he became…this.”
Eda gestured to King, who had somehow ended up in Luz's embrace again and just accepted his fate as he was nuzzled again.
“You mean this little bundle of joy?”
“Nyegh!”
Eda shook her head in amusement and continued her story.
“To this day, the evil Warden Wrath is keeping the crown behind a barrier. One which no magical creature can penetrate. That's why we need you, human. As a being with no magic you can just slip in and retrieve the crown. Do that, and we're and I'll forgive your debt for tearing up my stuff and send you back to your realm.”
Eda dropped the projection and gave Luz an expectant look. “So what do ya say? Can you really say no to this face?”
She dangled King in front of her almost like bait.
“No! Don't encourage her!” He cried out before being dropped.
“Also, we're kinda your only way home so…” Eda trailed off.
“So I don't have a real choice, do I?” Luz said, unimpressed with the Witch's blatant blackmail.
“Nope! So we better get started!” Eda scoops Luz over her shoulder like a sack of flour and heads for the door.
King grabbed his rubber duck toy. “Soon Mr. Ducky, we shall drink the fear of those who mocked us!” He cried out defiantly to the ceiling before following the two women.
“Wait, where are we going?” Luz asked uncertainly, grabbing her Hunting Horn as they passed by it.
“Somewhere super fun!” Was Eda's chipper reply.
===
Eda lied. This place does not look like fun. In fact Luz was pretty sure fun came here to die.
The stood behind a building a short distance away from a huge prison complex The looked like a single castle tower with a rounded roof and ribs jutting out of every other surface. And the top it all off, night had fallen and the clouds obscured by dark storm clouds.
“The Conformatorium,” Eda began with notable distain and sarcasm in her voice. “Where they put away those considered “unsuitable” for society.”
Luz saw another wanted poster for Eda on the wall and took it, once again noticing the massive bounty on her head. Either the Boiling Isles economy is suffering a horrible case of hyperinflation, or,
“These guys really got the hots for you, don't they?” Luz said observantly as she showed the wild witch the poster.
Eda seemed too preen at, her chest puffing out with pride. “ Oh yeah, but they've never caught us, cause we're too slippery.” She boasted.
King climbed onto Luz's head. “You should try to catch me while I'm covered in grease, I'mma squirmy little fella!” He then slipped and fell off the girl's head with a ‘Weh!’ but was caught by Luz before he could hurt himself.
After being sat down he started explaining the plan. “You and I will sneak in and steal back my crown.”
“While I keep the Warden distracted.” Eda cut in.
“Oooh, will I need a disguise?” Luz asked eagerly, getting into the mission. She rummaged through her pack before pulling out a helmet that matched her current set but covered her face with a cat-like mask along with cat ears.
She put it on and struck a pose, “Meow, meow!” She declared like she was an overgrown Palico knight.
“It's hideous.” King declared with blunt brutality.
“Oh you'll fit right in!” Eda said before slamming the butt end of her staff down.
A disk of yellow light appeared below Luz's feet and carried her and King upwards toward the upper windows of the Conformatorium tower.
Eda sent her staff away and then lazily reclined back as the staff flew back and carried her away, telling them she'll meet up with them at the top.
However, just as the platform neared the window, it disappeared before Luz could put all her energy into the jump! King screamed out in mortal terror as he clung to the back of the girl's head!
Luz was calm though, as they neared the wall, she clung onto it with her hands and started running straight up the vertical! Just as her stamina was about to give out she reached the window and climbed in, much to the shock of King!
Luz flopped over the windowsill and gasped for breath as King wriggled out from under her. Wall running always took it out of her, she has no idea if the Kamura Hunters made it look so effortless!
“How the heck did you do that!?” King squawked.
“A lot. Of practice. Whew.” Luz said between breaths before finally standing back up.
“Yo, Cat Knight! How'd you get out of your cell?”
Luz turned to see a girl a couple years older than her. Taller, leaner, brown eyes, her dark shoulder-length hair tied up into a ponytail. She also had short fangs poking out her mouth and wore a simple purple dress and a gold choker.
Luz took off her kitty helmet. “I'm not actually a cat. Also not a criminal.”
“Not yet you aren't!” King countered her denial.
“Well neither are any of us!” The witch said with indignant anger. “The warden just throws anybody in here he thinks doesn't fit in.”
The girl then took out a notebook. “Like me, I like to write fanfiction about food falling in love.” She opened it up to reveal walls of text and drawings of various anthropomorphic food items romancing each other.
“I like food, I like love, just let me write about it!” The witch shook a righteous fist.
Another prisoner, a blue skinned ogre-like demon with several eyes all over his bald head spoke up next. “I'm here because I like eating my own eyes.”
He then demonstrated this by plucking one of the many eyes off his scalp and eating it. This did not seem to harm him and it grew back as quickly as he removed it.
“Fight again oppwession! We will not be denied!” A small, pale skinned demon with a that looked like a head with limbs a large nose and red hair hollered from her cell.
“Yeah, that's Tinella Nosa, she's really big on conspiracy theories.” The tanned witch said with a roll of her eyes.
“The wowld is not as it should be! We are but simulacwums twisted from owr cweator's twue vission!” The tiny nose cwied-er cried out with manic fervor.
“None of these are actual crimes! None of you did anything wrong!” Luz yelled out with indignation for the prisoners. “ You're all just a bunch of weirdos…”
That word struck a cord inside Luz and she remembered her early childhood growing up after her father’s passing. People were put off by her enthusiasm for Monster Hunting, Hunters were generally seen as weirdos to the general public because no sane person would willingly fight giant monsters.
This resulted in her being isolated from most children her age and partly why she became a Blacksmith’s apprentice. It was the only way to get others to interact with her. Masha, another apprentice, was probably the closest person she could consider a friend.
Luz took out the wanted poster and looked at it with a pensive expression. “Weirdos like me…”
Before anything else could be said, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the cell block.
“That's probably the Warden, hide!” The fanged witch warned quietly.
Acting quickly, Luz dropped the poster and found an empty cell and forced it open with raw strength before entering and closing the gate behind her. She huddled into a dark corner with King clinging to her chest just as the heavy wooden open was opened.
“I can hear you.” A rumbling, menacing voice spoke out from a large man wearing baggy black pants, dark grey pointed shoes, a dull white coat that showed off his exposed grey-purple arms with a belt cinching it around his waist, a dark cowl covered his head while a plague doctor mask hiding his face. Its large, button-like eyes glowed an eerie yellow in the low light.
“What are you all whispering about?” Warden Wrath strode in as he spoke before stepping on the discarded poster. Looking at it, he picked it up before speaking again.
“Ah, the Owl Lady. She'll be joining you all here soon enough.” His arm morphed, engulfing the poster as his fist transformed into a hammer with which he slammed into the bars of the cell Luz and King hid inside, bending and warping the gate as a result.
He glanced into the cell, but before he could get a good look at Luz or King he was distracted by the Tinella’ ranting.
“We awe agents of fwee expwession! We will fight, we will conquer! We will never suwwender to you, you old cwee!” She chanted defiantly.
Wrath approached the tiny nose’s cell silently before lifting the lever next to it and opening the gate.
“Oh, hooway, I'm fwee!” Tinella cheered before being trapped in the vice-like grip of Wrath.
“Let this be a lesson to you, to all of you. There is no place in this world for you if you can't. fit. in.” He warned threateningly, squeezing Tinella as he did for emphasis.
With that, he made his way out of the cell block, making his way out. Taking Tinella Nosa with him.
As soon as the coast was clear, Luz exited her cell and ran over to the tan witch.
“Don't worry, I'll get you guys out of here.” She promised as she gripped the lever
“Don't even bother kid, get out while-”
The older girl was interrupted by Luz wrenching the gate open with even more ease than the Warden displayed, stunning the witch, King, and everyone else that could see.
After Luz released the eye-ogre and a few others she returned to the witch.
“Will you guys be alright on your own?” She asked as she picked up King and put him on her shoulders.
The girl shook off her surprise before nodding and then asked. “What's your name, kid?”
The huntress-in-training smiled. “Luz, Luz Noceda.”
“I'm Katya.” Katya introduced herself and smiled back. “Yeah, we should be fine. I'm gonna free as many as I can before we bail out. Good luck with whatever you're doing here.”
Luz was about to say more but King was becoming impatient and insisted they get moving. With a wave, Luz made her way to the door and left the prisoners to plan their escape.
As they make their way through a stone hall they see Eda is already there waiting for them.
“Finally! I thought you two were never gonna show.” The pale witch groused, her booted foot tapping impatiently. “The Warden is distracted, tormenting some tiny creature, what held you up for so long?”
Luz smirked, though internally she was grimacing hearing what Tinella was going through. “Started a prison break that should keep the guards even busier.”
It was then they neared a set of gigantic doors, the word “Contraband” etched across their surface.
“My crown! Finally! I can taste its power!” King cheered as he hopped up Luz's head and latched into the comically undersized knob on the door though still nearly as big as he was.
“Aww, he's so cute when he's thirsty for power.” Eda cooed with amusement as the skull-doggy grappled with the door.
But she noticed Luz’s mood dim as she thought about the prisoners and why they were arrested.
“It's not fair,” the girl began. “None of those people did anything wrong. Why were they arrested just for being themselves?”
Before Eda could answer, King finally managed to wrestle the knob off of the door and tossed it away with annoyance before pushing the door open and scampering inside.
Eda smiled. “Come on, let's get in there before he hurts himself.”
*BZZZT* “WEH!”
Eda and Luz snorted as they went through the doors.
The contraband room was an absolutely massive, rectangular room, seemingly too big to even fit in the tower. It was also surprisingly empty save for a large pillar of light that dominated the center. This must be the barrier Luz was needed to get through.
King however, was eager to get through himself as he ran at the barrier and head-butted it like a charging Barroth, only to bounce off it
Before he could try again and potentially injure himself, Eda stopped him. “We have a human, remember?” She said to the tiny tyrant.
“Oh yeah.”
Taking that as her que, Luz took a breath before approaching the barrier. She reached out her right hand and felt only a minute amount of resistance before passing through without issue.
Inside the barrier was a mountain of various items, junk that looked like what Eda was hocking back in the market, various artifacts and…monster parts? Some of them were rare too! Nargacuga wingblades and mantels, Zinogre dynamos and shockscales, Glavenus scales, and more! It was like a Hunter-Smith’s dream in here! There sadly are not enough parts to actually make anything for those specific monsters, but they’ll definitely put her ahead if she ever hunts them.
After pocketing as many monster parts as she could somehow manage to fit inside her pack, Luz looks at the top of the pile and sees the silhouette of a crown in the light.
But upon seeing it she found the crown was made of some sort of paper with the words “Burger Queen” written in big, red letters on the front. Whatever that is.
When she gave the crown to King he giggled with delight and couldn't put it on fast enough.
“Yes, yes! I can feel my power returning!” He cried out triumphantly before he noticed a rabbit plush and picked it up. “You there, nightmare critter, I shall call you Francois and make a part of my army of darkness, haha!”
“That crown doesn't actually do anything, does it?” Luz asked quietly to Eda but it was said more like a statement.
“Nope!” Eda chirped but upon seeing the annoyed look on the girl's face she sigh. “Oh look at us, Luz. King and I? We don't have much beyond each other. So if that toy crown is important to him, it is to me too.”
Luz was touched by the sincerity in Eda's voice but the witch wasn't finished yet.
“Besides, us weirdos have to stick together, y’know?” She said with a wink.
Surprise and then a gentle smile crossed Luz's face with a grateful blush blooming in her cheeks. She nodded in affirmation.
“Good.” Eda moved so that she stood between Luz and the hallway. “Now, let's get outta here before the Warden loses his head.”
“Too late.”
The huge form of Warden Wrath appeared behind Eda and before anyone could react, he morphed his right arm into a crescent blade and cleaved Eda’s head from her neck.
The decapitated braincase flew from its body and toward Luz who caught on instinct with a look of abject horror on her face. “Oh no, Eda!” She cried with tears in her eyes.
However, after a second the head blinked its eyes and then grimaced. “OW! Guh, I hate it when that happens.” Eda complained, which prompted an even more terrified scream of surprise to leave Luz’s mouth.
“Oh Hells, Eda, are you okay?!” Luz asked as she held the head closer to her, almost hugging Eda.
“Yeah, yeah. This kinda thing just happens when you get older.
“Does it?” The human girl questioned the older woman’s nonchalantance at being decapitated.
“Eda the Owl Lady, I finally have you exactly where I want you.” Warden Wrath growled, regaining the attention of the three weirdos in crime. From the other halls several prison guards all wearing the same armor as the one Luz “met” on the street entered, though they stood off in a group on the sidelines rather than surrounding them.
Slowly and confidently, Wrath approached Luz, Eda, and King, snatching the crown from the smallest team member’s head as he did and holding it up so that it was out of the tiny demon’s reach. “You always manage to avoid my guards, but I knew if I took your pet’s toy, you’d come running for it.”
Without warning or remorse, the large demon crushed the paper crown in his hand, much to King’s dismay.
“No! My power!” King cried and fell to his knees.
Eda scowled at the man. “What do you want with me!? I’ve never broken any of your stupid laws…in front of you.”
“Not helpful, Eda.” Luz groaned under her breath.
Closer Wrath strode to them with his arms behind his back. “I want you…” He growled and the nervous tension rose in the air before the warden dropped on one knee and produced a bouquet of flowers. “To go out with me!” He finished, sounding like an earnest schoolboy with smoker’s lung.
“Say Wha/Huh?” Luz and Eda echoed each other’s thoughts as confusion set in.
“You go boss!” One of the guards cheered from the sidelines which earned him a thumbs up from said boss.
“You always manage to slip capture; you were always the one that got away. I find that alluring.” Warden Wrath crooned, much to the horror of the three captives.
“I hate everything you’re saying right now.” Luz said cringingly.
“You stay out of this!” Wrath yelled as he threw the flowers away and his arm turned into a mass of tendrils which he used to grab and hold Luz in the air causing her to drop Eda’s head.
Stooping down he grabbed Eda’s head by the hair and picked her up like some macabre lantern.
“So, what do you say, Owl Lady? The most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles and the feared Warden Wrath, we’d be the strongest power couple ever.” Wrath chuckled darkly. “I mean, it’s not like you can say no right now.”
Eda’s eyes focused on Luz struggling in the tendrils of Wrath’s group, the girl getting mixed up in this because of her. She then shifted her focus to King, also struggling in the grip of one of the guards. The little demon just wanted his toy back, even if he bought into his own fantasies of demon royalty too much, he was still just a little kid.
After a moment’s consideration Eda sighed, “Alright Warden, you win.” she said despondently, “I’d just like to say something first. Come closer.” Wrath brought her head a bit closer to his face. “No, just come a little bit closer.” he moved her closer again. “Just… yeah, that’s good.”
The witch then blew the biggest, wettest raspberry she could muster in Wrath’s face, shocking the warden enough to cause him to drop Luz onto the ground.
“Bleugh, impudent wench!” Wrath exclaimed in disgust as he wiped the spittle from his mask while Eda simply laughed at him. “Don’t you realize how many germs live in your mouth, eugh!”
“Get over it!” Eda shouted; all mirth instantly gone from her. “You have your stooges stalking me and cutting off my head! I will never date you!”
“Grrrn, if you don’t accept, then I’ll just have to-” Whatever threat Warden Wrath was about to utter was cut off has Luz snuck up behind him with her Hunting Horn and bashed him over the head with it, effectively knocking him out and causing him to drop Eda’s head.
“Nice!” Eda chuckled out before her body snuck up behind the guards holding King and pulled their hoods over their eyes, freeing the tiny demon.
Luz then surprised everyone by doing a twisting spin, swinging the horn around her as she did before playing a sonic blast that stunned and deafened everyone in the room except the huntress herself, Eda and King somehow.
While the coven guards were distracted, she then deployed what appeared to be a crossbow on her arm which then fired a claw that grabbed King and reeled him into her arm and then tossed Eda’s head to her body which somehow caught it and twisted it back onto her neck.
“Let’s go, go go!” Luz urged as she made a dash for the door with King now clinging to her back. Eda responded by whistling and Owlbert in staff form flew by, picking her up and then shooting off after the kids who Eda snatched up as she passed at breakneck speed!
Warden Wrath finally recovered from the blow to his head and stood up with a menacing growl. “You will not escape again!” He roared before his arms changed into masses of tendrils like when he ensnared Luz and used them to carry himself at a startling pace!
As they flew by they through the Conformatorium they noticed all the cells were empty, which was a relief for Luz, but Wrath was hot on their tail and was gaining quickly. They made a B-line for the double door gate and busted through, smashing two guards into the walls and flying into a massive courtyard that was likely meant for prison transports to offload new inmates.
But before they could make a break for the Owl House, Warden Wrath jumped out the gates and launched one of his tendril arms at the flying trio, managing to clip the end of Eda’s staff and sending them all tumbling onto the hard stone ground.
“Ah, my bones!” King cried out despite showing no signs of injury. Though Luz could certainly still sympathize as she’s pretty sure her tailbone got bruised in the fall. Hunter training or not, landing without preparing for it still stings!
Eda quickly stood up and grabbed Owlbert, getting ready to fight. “Luz, Take this! Go back to your world!” she reached into her hair and pulled the portal key and tossed the item toward Luz who barely caught it without dropping it again.
“But what about you?”
“This is nothing, you shoulda seen her last boyfriend!” King shouted as he and Eda entered a brief scuffle with the Warden. The hulking demon morphing his arms into great cleavers and attempting to bisect the Owl Lady who nimbly dodged and weaved around every swipe.
“Not my boyfriend!” The witch groused.
Eda picked up Luz by the collar of her armor and planted her on the staff before swatting it again. “Just get outta here, kid!”
“But wait, I-WHOA!” Luz clung onto Owlbert for dear life as he flew off into the night sky.
As this was happening, Warden Wrath removed his mask, revealing a vaguely reptilian face that was almost all mouth and teeth with beady yellow eyes. Flames briefly gurgled within his throat before he unleashed a line of fire at the pale witch.
Acting quickly, Eda drew a circle of light in the air which took in the flames before spinning away and drawing another circle which redirected the fire blast back at Wrath. The Warden takes it full force and is sent through a wall, exposing the jail cells to the outside world.
With a bellow, Wrath burst out of the rubble and charged back into the fray and cleared the whole of all debris. Katya, and the other inmates gathered at the new exit but hesitated to leave.
Luz struggled to gain control and purchase on Owlbert and saw their reluctance and was able to guide the staff toward them with little difficulty before hopping off.
“What are you guys still doing here? This is your chance to run for it!” She asked them with urgency
“Why bother? Wrath will just capture us again.” Katya said with bitter resignation.
“He always does.” The multiclops added sadly.
“Self-doubt is a pwison one can nevew escape.” Tinella lamented.
That…that struck a chord with Luz harder than she’d like to admit. All her life she’s trained to be a Monster Hunter and then her mother starts doubting her because it's more dangerous than she expected it would be (and admittedly she expected to to be pretty dangerous) and there were times even she doubted becoming one.
But she didn’t want to doubt herself anymore.
“So, what!? You’re just going to give up!?” Luz shouted with righteous indignation! “Lay down and die because other people don’t appreciate how awesome you can be!?”
“Don’t let those prisoners escape!” a guard shouted as a group of 4 broke away from the fight between Eda and Wrath to stop the riot before it could start. One guard preparing a fire spell.
“Why do you care what happens to us? Get out of here!” Katya urged the younger girl.
“No! Because us weirdos should stick together!” Luz declared as she flew Owlbert straight up several dozen meters, drawing the guards’ attention to her.
A ball of flame grew from the lead guard’s hand, aimed at the human.
“And no one should be punished for who they are!” She roared out as she jumped off Owlbert, much to everyone’s shock! The fireball hit her midair and exploded, smoke and dust going everywhere.
“Luz!” King and Eda cried out.
An instant after however, Luz burst through the smoke, barely singed , and with a war cry she raised her Iron Hunting Horn over her head and smashed it down on the lead guard, instantly knocking him out!
Quickly she swung the horn again and sent more guards flying as a result. Then raised the horn over her head and started playing music that invigorated the weirdos! They cried out and charged the rest of the guards while Luz ran to help Eda, hunting horn resting on her shoulder as she did!
Eda couldn’t believe what she’s seeing! Luz, a normal human teenager just survived getting blasted by a fireball unscathed, dropped from at least 60 feet in the air and landed without injury and is now using Bard Magic! How!? Humans can do these things! Heck not even witches or most biped demons can fall that far without getting hurt!
Wrath decided to take advantage of Eda’s distraction and managed to knock Eda down, throwing King at her too who managed to catch him safely. “Enough of this! Once I capture you, I’ll deal with your little freak human too!”
The Warden prepared to finish off the Owl Lady but he could, Luz reached them and sung her Iron Horn in an uppercut that offset his attack and caused him to stagger,
“You little pest! Who do you think you are!?” He raged, his arms writhing like angry snakes.
“I am Luz Noceda, Blacksmith’s Apprentice of Dundorma, Monster Hunter-in-training, and future Guild Knight!” The hunter announced with pride and anger before shocking everyone again by pulling out a barrel from her pack almost twice her size and lobbing it at him like a Grudgeby ball. “Eat this sucka!”
“What the-” was all Warden Wrath could say before the Mega Barrel Bomb hit him and exploded with enough force to shake the courtyard. When the smoke cleared, Wrath was blackened, smoking, and unconscious.
Seeing their boss defeated, the rest of the guards panicked and scattered while the weirdos all cheered in victory!
“Ha! That was one of her better break ups.” King said glibly.
“Not a break up.” Eda stated with annoyance before turning to Luz with a smirk. “Alright, let’s bounce before more monsters fall in love with me.” She jested before the all hopped onto Owlbert and flew off toward the Owl House.
===
Once inside, the trio stood in the living room. Night had long since fallen and the house was now lit by the warm light of several enchanted candles and the fireplace.
Eda pulled the portal key from her hair. “Well, a deal's a deal. We should get you home.” He clicked the button-eye on the key and the portal unfolded from its suitcase form into the familiar doorway in front of the fireplace.
Luz knelt down to King and rubbed his head affectionately. “Sorry about your crown, buddy. Tell you what? Once I get home, I’ll forge you a new one. Once even grander than the original!”
King’s eyes widened with glee and he giggled with delight. “Yes! A crown forged from exotic metals from beyond would truly be worthy of a King!” He leaped up and hugged Luz who returned it before she stood up.
Luz approached the door but hesitated. She looked back at Eda and King and even tho she’s only known them for a few hours she felt a connection with them. King looked down sadly, already missing the human girl before she even left.
Then the door opened and…
“Uh, Eda? This isn’t my home.” Luz said as she looked out to see an unfamiliar clearing inside an unfamiliar forest, the portal appearing in the doorframe of an unfamiliar and very rundown cabin.
“Huh?” Eda grunted with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I went through a portal attached to some ancient ruins in the marshlands near Dundorma. I’ve never seen these woods before.” Luz explained.
Instantly Eda now understood why Luz was so different from typical humans. “Oooh, you must be from a different realm from Earth. I forgot we were checking out different realms for more loot.” Eda said with a chuckle.
“Then can you connect me to Astalia? I really need to get home and let my mom know I’m ok.” Luz asked, Astalia was no stranger to interdimensional shenanigans, as there have been several visits from creatures from other worlds. Such as Hydaelyn, Hyrule, Mobius, and countless others she’s read about. Even Earth. But no one from her world has ever ended up in another before.
Actually, this is more exciting the more she thought about it.
“Uh…” Eda took the key and a projection of various dials and astrological symbols appeared from the eye. “The thing is…I don’t remember the code to your realm, specifically.”
“Oh…” Was all Luz could say, the excitement melting into worry. Her mom must be worried sick by now! Screw the arguments!
“Now don’t worry!” Eda said with a placating gesture, seeing the concern growing on Luz’s face. “I’m sure I can find the right coordinates eventually. It just might take…awhile.”
“What am I supposed to do till then?”
“Ooh! She can stay with us!” King chirped in, bouncing excitedly on his tiny feet.
Eda thought about it for a moment as she picked up the excitable demon. “I suppose it’s my fault you ended up here anyways. What do you say, Luz?”
Luz thought about it as well, she had nowhere to go so it’s not like she had any other options. But also, “Yes, but there is something else I want too.”
Eda cocked a thin eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“I want you to train me to be a witch! So I can use magic to hunt monsters and protect people!” Luz said, her worry fading away again to show excitement.
Eda was about to say humans can’t use magic or become witches, but then her eye caught a look at that Hunting Horn again and remembered the primitive but powerful Bard Magic Luz very clearly displayed back at the Conformatorium.
Maybe humans from this “Astalia” were different?
“Alright, kid, you have a deal.” Eda said, as she reached out her hand to shake on it. “But you’ll have to earn those lessons. I expect you to work hard.”
“You got it!” Luz grabbed and shook the offered hand with vim and vigor, nearly causing the witch’s arm to pop off. She then pulled Eda and King into a bear hug that would put an Azuros to shame, lifting them off the floor.
“Ah, what’s going on!?”
“Breathing! Not breathing!”
The witch and demon complained.
===
Later that night, Luz had removed her Derring Armor and changed into a pair of pajamas Eda had given her from one of her “trash runs” to Earth that fit her.
She laid out a sleeping bag and set up a few trinkets she had on her before she ended up on the Boiling Isles. A locket with a picture of her and her mother, a few bestiaries of various monsters, and her dad’s Guild Cross that got her here in the first place.
She settled down, about to fall asleep while looking at the seal before she heard a noise and sat back up to see King holding Francois in the open doorway, looking a bit sheepish. “Your sleep cocoon looks fluffy.” He said shyly.
Luz smiled and silently patted the bedding next to her, inviting him to join her. He stepped over and like a cat he curled around and kneaded the bedding before tucking himself into a comfortable ball, falling asleep instantly with his plush hugged to his side.
Luz smiled a little wider as she laid back down and then looked at the locket with her and her mother’s picture, rubbing a thumb on it before holding it close and letting her smile turn a little more melancholic.
She would make it home soon. And she’d be a powerful witch and on top of her Hunter training. Maybe then, Camilla would be more accepting of her daughter’s choice in becoming a hunter?
Either way, those were Future Luz’s problems. Today Luz needed to sleep. So she got comfortable and let herself drift away into the realm of dreams.
Tomorrow will be the beginning of an incredible journey.