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Having spent many lost moons in the primitive realm, Eda The Owl Lady had learned many things. Many of how both the primitive and demon realms were alike and how they were different. From her extended stays, she had thought she knew everything that revolved around her apprentice. But, as the second quarter since the Confortuium incident rolled in, she learned just how untrue that was. It wasn’t until the third day of the second quarter that the fragile resemblance of normal was shattered. Having an additional young in her care was something that she had to grow into slowly. Having raised King since he was barely a few moons old had given her some experience. But raising a Magi and Demonling was utterly different. There were different bumps and hurdles to overcome, many that wouldn’t be apparent until they splatted in front of her, an open gaping wound that would fester if left untreated. ---The heat of the early days of Aestate pushed down on the landscape of the isles as the sun slowly rose over the far horizon. Its rays stretch through the sagging trees, dappling along its trunks. Hissing and smoking, the papery trunks had not yet thickened for the coming boiling season. Still needing two more quarters to thicken its boughs, its honey smell was swept away with the breeze, awakening the last slumbering occupants of the isles. Stirring, beasts and their youngs, stepped out to greet the last cooner day of Aestate. Creeping out into the higher leveled clearing, they settled, enjoying the soothingly cold grass hidden under brambles and undergrowth. Mothering beast nosed their young to the pleantier and hearty greenery towards the roots of the smoking trees. They knew the honey smell would bleach into the leaves, giving a sickly sweet taste. For most young, it would just be enough to encourage the young to eat until their second bellies, for storage, would swell. That swell would be needed for when the first days of soaring temperatures of the boiling season would arrive. Once the time came, they would remain hidden, only daring to venture out when the thirst and pains were too many. Far away, in the heart of the Black Lagoon Forest, a small Wild Witch's house was sheltered by protective runes. Being created in the very blood of the property owner, only ones invited and welcomed could stray into its territory and not face troubles. Troubles in the wrath of the very demon that promised the very first ancestral founder of the house to always protect its territory and occupants. Inside, tucked beneath several blankets thick with cooling runes sewn into the seams, the property’s owner slept sprawled out in her nest. Head covered by a thin cloth soaked in icy steamed water, she snored softly, chest rising and falling with each breath. Asleep in the center of her chest, a small wooden owl rested, a small beak tucked behind his left wing. He had fallen asleep not long after his crafter had settled him on her chest, out of the way of the soft bedding and her restless slumber. Soft ear twitching at the distant sound of mothering beast and their young grazing at the edge of her properly line, the wild witch shuddered and groaned, rolling onto her stomachs. Quickly dislodging the small owl on her chest, he settled in the crook of her neck, fluffing up in irritation. The witch nudged him with her shoulder. “Shhh...”She had stayed up until three in the morning working on some last minute potion deliveries for the sixth and seven days, potion delivery days. Not wanting to risk her milkseed potion curdling, she had kept alert attention to stir and drain it every ten minutes, as her former mentor had taught her.Only after the milkseed had been drained into each glass bottle and tagged for their respective order did she humor the thought of slipping off to her bedroom. But, needing to clean her workspace, she stayed awake for another hour. Only when her laboratory was sparkling and smelling of fruity citrus had she dawned her nightwear, collapsed into her nest, and burrowed herself beneath several thick blankets. Shifting to get closer to his crafter, the small fluffy owlet hooted with slight annoyance. He had been dreaming of a night of hunting. Having nearly captured his prey, a small primitive mouse, the shifting of his crafter had disturbed him, leaving him irritated and annoyed. Still refusing to close her eyes, the witch plopped a hand on her Palisman’s downy feathers. “Hush, Owlbert,” she rasped. “Too early.” Almost, as if mocking her, a sharp sound came from outside of her nest.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“Fuck!” The sensitive witch groaned as her bony fingers kneaded the plush materials beneath her. “Why..?” Why in Titan’s name was she being punished? She, to her knowledge, hadn’t done anything to concur with the wrath of the Titan or the Goddess. The only thing that she had done the last few quarters was care for her son, run her businesses, and welcome a new apprentice into her household.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“God dammit,” swore the witch as she reluctantly lifted one arm. Hissing at the almost blistering heat, she felt for her scroll. Fingers brushing against her charging card, it was yanked into her nest, sending a dull pain as something fell on her skull.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Bee-.
Ripping open her scroll and nearly blinded, she smashed her thumb on the silencing button, bringing blissful peace back into the heated bedroom. Hand flopping back onto the bedding, the witch breathed softly, trying not to summon a headache this early in the day. If she got one now, her entire schedule would be thrown out the window. Any headache for her was almost debilitating. One ear twitching and hearing the heavy silence of the house, the witch blinked her gold gaze open in confusion. Ever since her teenage apprentice burst into her life, mornings no longer were silent. It was almost eerie by how silent it was. Shockingly, by how quickly she had grown accustomed to the distant thumping of socked feet and of banging of dishwear, it normally was background noise as she awoke. Today, however, it seemed the annoyance of her scroll was her background. Grabbing it from where it lay, she floated it above her. Gold gaze blinking, she made out a notification in startling red text at the top. Market, it had first read before being pulled down. Market Day. “Shit!” The witch sprang out of her nest, scrabbling to get her footing. “Shit, it’s market day.”Seeing how late it was, two hours before two, she flinched. Luz had never before slept this late. Rather, it had become expected, for her apprentice to be waiting at her door at the crack ass of dawn. She would pester her on what their lessons were or to make plans. “Owlbert, go and alert the two,” the witch called i her slurred speech, blinking her golden gaze despite her exhausted appearance. “We need to be out of the house by one at the latest. That will leave us just enough time to set up before the rush hour crowd arrives.”Not waiting for her Palisman to respond, the witch, Edalyn Clawthorne, The Owl Lady, slipped behind a divider in the corner, where her makeshift clothes storage was jammed. Barely having enough room for her to move around, the witch struggled to pry off her sweat plastered clothes from the night before. Even with the cooling rune sewed blankets, the approaching blistering heat had plastered her thin nightwear to her pale skin. Searching through her dirtied piles, silently cursing herself for not doing laundry, she chose to take an old, faded blouse from the very bottom storage basket. Being faded and discovered, it had to be from her youth, when she had been high spirted and fiery, more free. Buttoning it up and finding it difficult to do the top three, she gave in to slip on a pair of wrinkled jean shorts that had seen better days. Being more something that the brothel workers on blood district would wear, she hoped no unwanted attention would wander over. Too many sleezebags thought she would be an easy down with being covenless and a wanted criminal. “What do you want to do for the meal?” called Eda, hoping her voice would project. The older witch stepped out from behind her changing area, pulling her fading gray hair into a messy high bun, leaving a few strands falling out and covering her face. “I can cook the scraps that are in the kitchen, or we can pick up something on the way to the market place to set up my stand.”Knowing that Luz or King would say a pick once meeting her downstairs, she stepped into the bathroom attacked to her room. Closing the door behind her, Eda lit the candles with a quick flick of her hand. With the gentle glow lighting the room, she took a steadying breath, standing in front of the mirror. Leaning against the edge of the sink, she reached down toward the shelving unit jammed between the sink and the door. On the middle shelf, five viles rested. One containing honeygold, two of ambergold, and another two fo bright, sparkling green. Grabbing the single, the honey gold, she slowly stood up. It was her lowest dosage and only used on days she thought might be her better few. From how the aches were almost unnoticeable and how the beast wasn’t scraping to the surface, it was hopefully a better day. Uncapping the vile and downing the medicine, she grimaced at the bitter taste as she swallowed, sticking her tongue out as if she was a child once more tasting something she didn’t like. “Monkey Feathers,” she cursed, standing up fully and throwing the vile into the nearby garbage holder. Normally, she would put it in the collection bin. Then, at the start of the fourth quarter, it would be returned for whatever they offered.Once she finished brushing her teeth and changing from her nightwear to her daywear, she grabbed her staff and a few other items that were needed. Using her magic to blow the candles out and pull the curtains back, Eda stepped out into the hallway, heading straight towards the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, she was met with silence. King’s high chair, normally seated between her’s and Luz’s chair by now, was still stored in the corner, tucked out of the way. And unexpectedly, her apprentice wasn’t in her chair or at the stove. While it was only the second quarter of their apprenticeship, a morning/afternoon routine had been set into place. Her apprentice, an early riser, would go through getting dressed, doing dishes from last night, and begin to prepare the breakfast as she got herself ready. Once the smell of breakfast, normally something called pancakes, woke King up, both the demon and witch would set the table before settling down for the morning meal. But today, Luz and King were nowhere to be found. The dishes still left on the stove, sat untouched and contained the leftovers from their previous meal. Half annoyed and half prickly, she approached the stove, beginning to clean the mess up. “Luz, King,” she called once the dishes began to clean themselves, eyes looking at the remaining supplies in the ice chest. “Front and center. We need to decide what we are doing for lunch!” “Where’s Luz?” The Wild Witch paused stirring the pot as she moved over to her son. Picking him up, she settled King into his highchair. Once he was properly bucked in, the owl lady added a few more handfuls of cheeses that she knew her son liked. In a smaller pot, cooked with herbal water, gluten free pasta floated, ready to be served for the human occupant of the house. Caring the hot pot over to a bucket, Eda carefully drained the steaming water down. Knowing it would be used later to water the small garden she was setting up for her, the blue bucket was pushed back against the wall and covered with a spare scrap of wood. Setting it on the hearth, pausing to add another thin log, Eda went to collect two plates from the lazy Susan. Grabbing one lighter one, plastic, and another made of glass for herself, she sat them on the stone ledge above. Grabbing King’s lighter plate, she poured out several ladles full. Summoning her own silverware, she took a moment to cut his pasta into smaller pieces so he wouldn’t choke. With how fast her son ate, he never took time to properly chew his food.“She is normally the first one down,” she commented with a twitch of her ears, still detecting the faint raspy breathing of the fourteen-year-old. “She is in her little crib,” he responded, taking the small primitive fork his mother gave him. She had found it one day while scavenging for more market wares. Not having sold it like others, Eda had decided to keep it for him to use. ‘Can I have some sprinkles, Mom?”Knowing where his mother kept his sprinkles, he gestured to the cabinet. Inside, were several jars of spices and canned goods. Partially leftover from the lengthy Heims season and Dark Days, they would be used up before the next cold snap came. Behind them, as if trying to conceal it from him, was a small glass container of rainbow sprinkles. It had been given to him as a Light Celebration present from the elite ring. “Can I have some sprinkles,” he repeated, still gesturing at the cabinet. “It makes the pasta look like fairy guts. And..”“And the sauce like fairy blood,” finished Eda with a soft smirk. She had learned the bribes that could get her so to eat when he refused. Adding a teaspoon of sugar went a long way during the Dark Days when the creatures of the night roamed and hunted. ---Having an illegally built house deep in the Black Lagoon Forest, the Owl House was built with a single bedroom, where the property's owner and family would stay. There had never been any thought of household members who weren’t blood or not connected as caregivers and young. Having only one area not overflowing with junk, Luz’s bedroom had been made i the attack. Makeshift and only taking up one corner, the rest of the space was filled with her wares that had yet been sold at her stand in the market place. Luz, with the help of her son, had cleared out one corner where she sprawled out her sleeping bag and stored her items on two small shelves. Squeezed between the pair was a small desk that the teen used for magical research and reading dusty old tomes. Together, Luz and King, the youngest member of The Owl house, slept together in the sleeping bag. Some point during the night, the pair had kicked the heavy blankets off and only slept with the clothes on their back. The blistering heat that Eda had protected from weighed heavy on the regular blankets that Luz had from the primitive realm. Stirring first, King, blinked open one pink eye, miserable with his thick coat. Body twitching as it woke up, he could hear the muffled voice of his mother, Eda, from across the house. Grumbling bitterly, he raised his head. Careful not to disturb the slumbering human that he curled up with, the demonling stretched, dull claws digging into the scratchy material. “Food,” he mumbled in a yawn, almost too content to get up. The black pelted demonling almost turned back over, wanting to drift back asleep. Jaws parting in a yawn, the hound pup arched his head back, sniffling the air. Faintly, he could catch the smell of butter and pasta. Ears perking up, he beamed, eyes sparkling. “Luz.” The young demonling wiggled himself free from his sleeping spot. Stretching like a dog, he turned to where Luz slept on her side, clutching to a small malformed stuffie. Gently placing his blunt claws against her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake, pelt puffing up. It was rare that his mother to cook more than warming up her Apple Blood. Primarily, before Luz had stumbled into the Owl House, they lived on precooked food and take out. “Wake up.” He spoke in a chirp, tail wagging and pink eyes beaming. “It’s time for breakfast. Mom cooked pasta.”Receiving no replay outside of a grimacing mumble, the demonling blinked. Giving another quick sniff and belly trembling, the six-year-old chose to leave the girl, excitement in his gait. It was a good day when his mother cooked. “What do you say?” the guardian of two countered as she moved over to the counter, casting a glance at the ceiling. The teenager had never slept this late before for the two quarters of her stay so far. “Please,” sang King, bouncing excitedly as Eda shook out a few sprinkles before storing it away once more.Once Eda made a plate for herself and placed a share of the lunch in the heating area of the wood stove to keep it warm, she sat down to eat. The meal passed in silence without the hyperactive human doing most of the talking. With King still learning more advanced vocabulary and not in the mood to hear about some children’s show he liked currently, the meal soon drew to a close.Lugging King and a basket of activities to the living room, she turned on the Crystal Orb, ordering Owlbert to watch him, and telling King not to leave the blanket, Eda headed upstairs.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Only sleeping on a thin mat, Luz knew that her pains would come to interfere. Always, when she found some grounding, her pains would rear its ugly head, breaking any sense of normalcy the fourteen-year-old found. Each time, she would be rearing beneath the waves of embarrassment. It wasn’t normal for someone her age to have enough pain to make it feel impossible to move at times. But that did not stop it from happening. No matter how she tried, Luz should have known it was coming. It always happened when she least expected it. And the busiest day of the week, the first market time after the weekend, was less expected. --- Having recently just added a better handle on the door, Eda found it almost unnatural as she arrived to the attic door. Times before, on the first day or two of Luz’s arrival, the teen had been accidentally locked inside, too many times to count. Now, wrapping a hand around the door, she paused. Easily, when she had been younger, the owl lady had hated her grandparents barging into her room, giving her no privacy. Grandma and Grandpa were old fashioned, believing that a child had no right. It was their house that they paid the bills for. She, as default, was only a guess. Once she came of age at fifteen, it was expected for her to move out and live on her own, getting to support as her other peers did. Hissing and pushing the thoughts away, the witch reminded herself she was not them. Luz didn’t just have a temporary place until she was fifteen. Even though she knew her less than two quarters, it was her responsibility, as her mentor, to prepare her for whatever path she took next. Taking a moment to step back, gathering her bearings, Eda gave a soft rap against the wood. “Kid, are you up?” Waiting a few heartbeats and receiving no response, she knocked again. “Kid, if you don’t come downstairs now,” she began, beginning to grow impatient. “I will give King your share of food. Now get up and let’s head downstairs. We have to leave for the market place soon.” Crossing her arms, the Owl Lady grumble. Beginning to tap her foot, she waited, not thrilled. Teenagers, as expected, could push the buttons of their caregivers. But the thought of Luz doing that had never crossed her mind. The human had been nothing like she heard of or acted as she did. Instead, it was as if Luz was walking on eggshells, prepared for the other foot to drop. Today, however, she wondered if her apprentice was ignoring her on purpose. “Kid, it’s almost one,” sighed Eda, shoulders slumping. I know that you didn’t stay up late. You should be up by now.” Almost hopeful of anything, it was dashed, there was silence. Not even a stereotypical groan of annoyance. “Luz.are you in there.” Eda tightened her hold on the handle, worry creeping into the very pit of her second stomach. Had something happened when she was asleep? Luz had been warned of the dangers that resided beyond the protective barriers but, as a rebellious young, there was still a chance she wandered off during the night. “Did something happen,” she asked, worry leaking into the witch’s voice. “Is there something that I should know?” Again, receiving no response, she sighed as her ear twitched. Distant from the living room, the sound of the father clock warning of the latering hour, she opened the door. Entering the room, she blinked at the dull light. Seeing her apprentice curled up, the witch sighed softly. She was curled up awkwardly on her side, head resting on her pillow, chest slowly rising and falling. “Kid,” Eda muttered. “How late were you up?” Even with her limited knowledge, she had known that young needed a good twelve hours of sleep, so naturally, she set a curfew. Being reasonable, it was allowed to do whatever she wanted in her bedroom an hour after. After that, Luz had promised to go to sleep then. Pulling her from her thoughts, the teenager shifted, breathing shakily. Gripping onto the spare blanket, a pained grimace filled her features, hardening them. With a low whine, she rolled onto her back and stiffened. Golden eyes filling with worry, the older witch approached the child. Casting a few stray clothes of hers, the mentor crouched, weary of the groaning floor. Placing one hand on her shoulder, she gave a gentle shake, mindful of how fragile the teen was compared to the witchlings of her summers. “Hey, Luz?” Eda spoke in a soft voice, one that she hadn’t even thought she could do. “Are you awake, kiddo?” Shifting, Luz’s eyes fluttered open with a low grumble. Taking a shuddering breath, the fourteen-year-old stiffened, one hand clutching onto the extra blanket. Taking another breath, the teenager hissed. “Luz?” “Hmm,” hissed the teen. “Shoot.” “I know that feeling,” assured the witch as she stood up. “But, its time to get up and ready, kid. The market place won’t wait to be busy for us.” “Hmm,” groaned the teen, blinked open her pale brown gaze. “K-kay,” she mumbled in a tired slur. “G-give a sec.” “We leave in ten minutes,” said the owl lady, starting to retreat to the door. “Change your clothes and do your other human things. I’ll grab you a takeout container to eat your meal at the stand.” Mumbling a short reply and trying to stop the low waves of pain through her, Luz deflated as soon as the door closed, and her mentor was gone. --- She couldn’t recall the first time she had the pains. It always had been something apart of her. Experiencing along with her first period, first falls while learning to ride a bike, and more, she had learned and adapted. Things as getting dressed and moving through the day became second nature to her as she moved with short steps, breathed in puffs, and didn’t stand straight when it became too much. Evan then, with learning and adapting, there were still times it was too much. Times where it felt impossible to get out of bed, to toss and turn, or even to shift to allow her spine to decompress. Those moments were the ones that caused her to jerk up, cuss until blue in the face, or hold her breath until her lungs ached, or triggered an asthma attack. Most of the time, those happened when at home, in the privacy of her own bedroom. But occasionally, it was away from one. One time, she recalled with grimacing haze as she forced herself to get up, despite the stiffness of her back and aching points, had been at her only sleepover. Being the reluctant guest, she had been put on a small mattress on the floor, while the others overfilled the small mattress. At some point, between the hours of faking interest in gossip or trying to past time with reading her book, she had woken up suddenly, having a bad squeeze of pain, enough to make her curse. Shocked faces of the other girls and the disgruntled parents was a constant figure, often popping up when things got to quiet. Or, during a running day at gym, she had started running but soon, barely able to walk, had slowed down, being passed multiple times by the same students. The teacher had a short temper that day, sending her to the principals’ office. Being labeled as lazy and acting up for attention, very few listened or paid attention when the pains came and took hold. Many adults, sometimes including her own Mami, dismissed her pains and expected her to act normal. And here, in place of magic, Luz knew she wouldn’t be able to bear the same dismissal from her mentor. Fearful, as she slowly clambered down the ladder, a small voice whispered of how Eda would end her apprenticeship. Nobody would want to have a liability as a student. Carefully, slowly that she would have liked, Luz navigated through the darken halls and arrived at the kitchen where Eda was replacing the grated cover over the hearth. Ears moving back to assure that the witch had noticed her, the graying mentor quickly pushed the lock into place before stepping back. Whistling to place an added protective barrier, Eda turned around to see her apprentice waiting beside the door, her son at her feet. “Alrighty, we’re all set,” said Eda as she moved over to the table. “You, two have your little toys to keep you busy for the afternoon.” Gestring to the small bag on the floor, King had spent the last twenty minutes packing and repacking, picking out the perfect toys. “Luz?” Still holding her breath, Luz gave a tiny nod. She had packed her bag the previous night. Inside was the first two Good Witch Azura books, her sketchpad and pencils, and her half charged phone. “We’ll be there until the last opening hour.” Eda grabbed her own bag, containing her money envelope and her budget binder. During the lull times, she could go back over her upcoming bills, deciding which one to pay first. “Does that mean we get takeout tonight?” King’s small tail wagged as he asked, hopeful. “If you two are good and help when we are busy,” promised Eda as she toted her bulging bag across the living room. “Property taxes and rent is coming up soon. I need all hands on deck to help sell as much wares as possible.” “Let’s go!” King fell on all fours and bounded over to his mother, pelt puffing up in excitement. “The sooner we get there, the more customers we will get!” A bit slower, Luz soon joined them, almost flinching at her mentor’s concerned look. Today, much as she hated to think, was not going to be an easy one. --- If the pains were making it bad, the oppressive heat made it downright almost unbearable. It felt like her clothes stuck to her as she found herself leaning against the table, trying to lose herself in the third installment of Good witch Azura. She was getting close to her favorite part, but the protests of her back made it difficult. “Maldito infierno.” She growled under her breath; thankful Eda didn’t know Spanish. If Mami had heard her mutter that, her mouth would have been washed out with soap several times. Gritting her teeth and turning back to her book, she released a small puff, following her learned pattern from before. One puff, hold for five seconds, two puffs, hold for ten seconds, and repeat until it didn’t feel like her body was trying to disengage itself. “Luz-“ Eda called over from where she was helping a customer, a young witchlet who was spending the day with their Opa. “Can you run to the back and grab me one of the lynx plushies? They bought two of them. I have the red one. But they also want one of the gray ones.”Nearly snapping out a push back, Luz reminded herself of what could happen. This was only her second week with her mentor. She had no idea how the witch would act to her being snappy. So, abandoning her book, the human teen carefully stood up, forcing herself to move faster than her body willed.Disappearing into the back and taking a moment to sag into a large pile of collapsing boxes, Luz took a few puffs, trying to follow her learned pattern. Despite the dull burning of her lungs, she found it a tad easier to carefully work her way to the back. Eda, much as she did, had a very messy and chaotic organization system. Merchandise could be in one place at the start of the day and moved to a completely different area by the time the marketplace closes. Her mentor said that she always knew where it was and never bothered to create a list for either Luz or King. Moving to the first large stack of boxes, Luz sank to the floor, nearly coughing as she started to pull the flaps open. Inside, rummaging through, she found little trinkets from her realm, the primitive realm. Seen as cheap novelty items and almost breakable toys found at the dollar store, the teen knew these were considered higher end goods. Having very few direct links between the two realms, any primitive items were worth their weight in gold, more than what herself or her mentor could afford. Coming to the bottom and finding nothing like what her mentor was requesting, she nudged it to the side, heaving another box to the ground. Inside, after opening the flaps, were ancient, yellowing documents. Skimming through a few, it looked like they were important. Being in the scratchy runes that her mentor could decipher, she understood almost none of them. But a few, some newer, held translated scribbles. One, someone named Lilith, was right beside her mentor’s name, only it was in a blue color while Eda’s was gold. Resealing the box and pushing that under the do-not disturb tarp, the fourteen-year-old was beginning to grow frustrated. How could it be so possibly hard to find a stupid stuffed animal? It wasn’t like there were a lot of boxes to look through. Or, at least, boxes that were magically sealed from being opened by anyone outside of her witchy teacher. Many boxes in the tarp were humming or had a faint glow of protective sealant around it. Eda never explained why outside of it it being unsafe for either her son, King, or her to handle them. Shifting away and reaching up, Luz was in the process of grabbing a box from another stack. This was the only one within reach that didn’t have the dim glow. “Come-” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Come on. Just-” The teen stood on the tip of her toes, trying to will her shaking limbs to extend further. “It’s right there.” “Luz, kiddo-” Eda spoke as she ducked in. “The witchlet is getting impatient. Have you-” The noise of the market place and her mentor shifted to the back as a sharp jolt of pain stabbed through her spine. Body growing taut and legs buckling underneath her, Luz fell to the ground as several heavy boxes and wares rained down on her. In the background, almost piercing, Eda shouted, “Luz!” ---Waking up was in brief flashes as Eda rushed over and fawned at her, worried about the heavy boxes that had landed on her. Being escorted from the back and seeing her mentor rush to shut her stand down, the three of them quickly returned to the Owl House. Being placed on the couch and ordered not to move, the witch had taken to her private study tucked in the furthest corners of the house. Skimming through the few recourses she had about human biology and their ailments, the Owl lady felt at loss on what could have happened. Nothing explained her suddenly collapsing or why her body never seemed to relax since she woke up. Leaving her books in a heap on her desk, the witch stalked out to the living room, finding Luz curled up, vacant gaze staring at the Crystal Orb. In her absence, King had turned on some witchlet show to keep them entertained. “King-” Her gold gaze settled on her son. “Go and get a snack from the pantry.” “But-” The black pelted demonling glanced at Luz. “She-” “This is an adult discussion,” said Eda forcefully. “Now, unless you want to hear about gross stuff, I think a snack is calling you.” “Yuck!” King threw the crystal ball down, scurrying off. “You could have told me that, Mom!” “Kiddo-” She gently shook her apprentice's shoulder. “Kiddo, I need you to wake up.” “Mmm-” Luz’s face scrunched up as she shifted away, withdrawing more into the plush backing of the couch. Tightened and grimacing, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. “Luz, wake up,” spoke the witch gently. Whimpering, puffing out breathes, Luz hissed, “Ow.” “I’m sorry-” Eda’s ears pressed back as she crouched down, brushing hair out of the girl’s face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, kid. But I need to know what is going on. I can’t be kept in the dark.” “Noo-” Luz refused to open her eyes as she gave a very stubborn shake of her head. “Hurt and tired. P-please, Eda,” she said, starting to tear up.” Gaze softening, Eda removed her hand from her apprentice’s shoulder, gently. “We need to talk,” she began softly, not wanting to overwhelm the girl. “But, I know that you aren’t having a good day. If I let you lay down, for an hour, will you being willing to talk after that.” “Yes,” agreed Luz, daring to crack open one eye. “Just need sleep. Tired.” Eda frowned. “Take a short nap, then we will continue this discussion,” she said. “D-” Her gold gaze flickered in the direction of the ladder that led to the girl’s attic bedroom. “Do you need help climbing the latter?” The girl almost dies there. It was one thing to have her Mami help her to her bedroom. But, for her mentor, it felt wrong. She had only known Eda for less than two weeks. It felt wrong to be a burden on her. “I can-” She started as she forced herself to stand. “I can manage.” “I’ll follow behind you.” Eda looked concerned as she shuffled forward, taking one little puff breath at a time. “Just want to make sure you get to bed safe, kiddo.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
An hour later, her eyes fly open and sleep disappear from her mind, Luz found herself almost fully awake. Several things, almost at once, still felt off to her. Her back, stiff and almost frozen, clenched tightly with any little movement. Limited movement in her limbs coming from pain radiating through her back and her chest feeling tight. Half aware, she went to reach for where she knew her inhaler was located. Instead of finding her medical device, Luz found herself digging her fingernails into the softwood as a jolt of pain crashed through her spine, drawing out a muffled curse. “Mierda,” she groaned when she realized what had happened. Of all the places and times, she had to be experiencing a bad bout of pains, it had to be now. Eda, moving closer to Luz, hovered, unsure of what to do. “Luz,” she began after a moment, voice filled with uncertainty. “Is there anything that I can do? Or anything that I can help with?” “I..” Luz found herself having no way to explain what was going on. How could she explain something that was dismissed as normal and within healthy limits that caused her pain? If the doctors thought it was normal would her mentor think so too? “It’s nothing,” she wheezed out after a moment, scowling heavily in pain. The fourteen-year-old wanted to curl up and just let the pain wash over her but it hurt too much to move. The only thing she could do until it faded a bit was to sit there and let her spine realign like in the past. Once it hurt less and no longer sent pain stabbing through her back, she would attempt to get up and go to the bathroom to start her morning routine as if there was nothing wrong. But now, she had to convince Eda that there was nothing wrong. “Luz!” Eda was now crouched down beside her, gently brushing the hair out of her face, trying to calm the teen’s racing heart. “Luz, tell me what’s wrong? What can I do to help you?” “I-I’m fine,” she said, starting to feel her breath comes back to her as the teenager took a few shaky breaths. “I just need a few moments to catch my breath,” she reassured her mentor, allowing her eyes to flutter shut and her wheezing slowly became normal regular breathing. Once her breath returned to normal, her full attention was called the throbbing from her back, making it impossible for her to get up off the floor without any assistance or something to hold onto. “It doesn’t seem that you are fine,” Eda pointed out gently, not moving until her apprentice would be to her feet. “Please, Luz,” she began, giving her a pleading look. “Tell me what is going on. I can help you if you just tell me what is bothering you.” “It’s stupid,” Luz began, looking at the ground as she stiffened, not moving an inch. “I-it’s just that my back is hurting,” the teen sighed achingly. Avoiding her mentor’s gaze, she expected some kind of rebuttal about her being lazy or how she, or someone they knew, had it worse. “Oh, thank the Goddess and Titan.” Eda almost collapsed in relief as she sat in a better position next to her apprentice. Her apprentice hadn’t been acting like a stereotypical teenager or ignoring her as she thought. Instead, Luz was dealing with something simpler that Eda had experience with and knew how to help lessen. “I can dig around to find a potion that will help with your pain,” she explained, at last, seeing the shocked look of the teenager. “It may take a few hours to find a potion recipe that won’t make a potion that won’t have bad side effects with you being human.” “Thank you, Eda,” she said, almost forgetting about her pain. It felt nice to have someone who didn’t dismiss it as something that wasn’t a problem or her just being lazy. “But I don’t think that a pain potion will help that much,” she explained, stiffening and squeezing her eyes shut as the pain began to spread through her back once more. Eda watched Luz with a bated breath, worried. While she knew how aches and pains could mess with a person, she didn’t know how turning down a pain potion would do anything but harm. “Kid, what are you telling me,” she sighed softly, beginning gently to stroke the teen’s hair, murmuring soft words of comfort until she was back to the world of the living. It was the tender touches of her mentor that brought the fourteen-year-old back into focus, dark brown eyes misty. “I’m awake, I’m awake,” she mumbled, body sagging very little as the pain faded a minuscule amount. “I just have to let it calm down a bit,” she explained. “Is there anything I can do?” Eda asked with a concerned look. “Do you want me to fetch King or read one of your flowery books?” Holding back a soft, pained giggle, Luz gave a shake of her head. Her mentor must have been desperate to keep her occupied from the pain if she was lowering herself to read something that was “beneath her as a witch”. “I’m used to this,” she explained, starting to feel strong enough to begin the process of sitting up with nothing nearby to grab onto. “Are you sure there isn’t anything that I can give you? Perhaps a simple cup of willow bark tea?” she pleaded, desperately for any way to stop her apprentice’s pained reactions and movements. “Is there anything from the Primative realm that can help you?” Luz had no heart to explain to her mentor that there was something called painkillers from her Realm that would normally help with the pain. However, when it came to her back and its weird pain, it didn’t help instead just was a placebo to her. The only thing that could truly stop it was slouching, leaning into something soft, or laying on a flat surface to allow her spine to realign and the pain faded as it did that. “I have some Advil in my bag,” she sighed, deciding to bite the bullet. Even though it didn’t help in her Realm, maybe, if some possibility, it could work in the Demon Realm where there were magic and mystical creatures that she once thought weren’t real. Finally, feeling some courage, Luz pressed her elbows into the hardwood and began to sit up, trying to ignore the pain that seems to tighten into her lower back. At least, she thought, shoulders slumping. The pain is now just in my lower back. “What do they look like?” Eda said, getting to her feet. “Where are they stored?” Approaching the small cubby where Luz stored her few scant personal items, she carried it back over to her, settling on the floor. If Luz wasn’t in pain or she wasn’t full worried, Eda might have taken a chance to explore what was inside her apprentice’s bag. She had always been curious to see what she carried around for daily routine. “It’s in a bottle that is labeled Advil,” she began, pausing to take a shaky breath. “It will have a small rounded picture on the front that is red.” “What are these Advils exactly?” Eda questioned, hoping to keep the human teen occupied for a few moments. “Are they anything like our potions? The ones that help stop the pain a person or creature might be experiencing.” “Their like potions,” Luz said, thinking. “But they aren’t always liquid. They come in pill forms. Pills are small, round. Kinda like those pill bug thingys that you force King to take after every meal.” “Oh, they are supposed to help you?” The Older Witch realized after a moment. “But I am guessing they aren’t like King’s medicine. Those bugs are for his developing heart, eyes, and teeth.” “We do have something like that,” she said, hissing softly as an unexpected jolt of pain rushed up to her back. “T-they’re called vitamins,” the human explained as the pain began to fade, causing her to hold herself up with one shaking arm and the other rubbing her back, hoping to mellow out the pain slightly. “Is this what you are talking about?” Pushing a small plastic bag, labeled “pads” to the side, she pulled out a rounded bottle that rattled with something small inside. “It’s awfully noisy and small to seem so important.” “Yeah, that’s the Advil bottle,” she said, taking the battle from her outstretched hand. Removing her hand from the back and the other propping her up, she grimaced as she began to unscrew the lid, careful not to spill any pills on the floor. With someone young as King, who still put anything in his mouth, dropping anything foreign like primative realm pain medicine could be hazardous or even deadly. Eda’s ear twitched at the cap clicking into place. Eyes widening, she watched as Luz turned the lid partly before grabbing the pink water bottle next to her bedroll. Uncapping it, she swallowed both pills with a huge gulp of water, drawing out a weak cough. “Why did it make that weird clicking noise?” she asked, lifting the small pill bottle up to examine it. It was small, almost minuscule, in her larger hands. “Does it have some kind of magic seal that keeps the tiny warriors inside?” “The bottle is childproof,” she explained, feeling the color beginning to return to her face. “The click is so that I or any other person closing it, knows it is locked into place so that someone, King as an example, can’t get ahold of it. If a child gets ahold of the pills and swallows them, it could make them very sick or even kill them.” Hearing this, Eda’s eyes grew wide as they glanced down at her. From the way she was staring, Luz half thought she expected her apprentice to suddenly drop dead before her. “ Maybe I should store these in my bathroom,” she suggested, worried. “So that I know King won’t be able to get ahold of them and I know you are using them too much to make you sick.” “Eda..” Luz realized that it was too quiet. Even if King was downstairs and playing, there was still the loud roar of the cartoons in the background or some other noise he was making with his toys. “How long as King been downstairs without you and I checked on him? It’s too quiet. I think he is up to something. A-a-and could you keep him busy. I don’t want him to worry if he finds out that I am having some pain.” “I will go and check on him now,” she said with a nod, rising to her feet and taking a moment to stretch her limbs, grateful to feel the tightness slipping away. “When I’m sore from hauling stuff, I find using a hot pad or a towel to lessen the pain. Do you want me to prepare a hot pad for you?” Perking up, Luz nodded. “Please,” she said, grateful. “Thank you, Eda.” “Just shout or pound something against the floor if you need me,” she explained, approaching the hallway. “And take all the time you need before coming down Kiddo. Enjoy the quiet and silence while you can.” Receiving a nod in answer, Eda ducked into the hallway and headed back to the main floor of the Owl House. ---Reentering the main floor and approaching the living room, Eda paused, seeing Owlbert perched on the edge of the couch and King petting him, eyes focused on the Crystal Ball as it played “Nino and Mr. Pixie.” “King,” she said, keeping her voice so the young canine demon didn’t grow worried.The young demonling never did well with raised voices or scornful looks. It was better to be calm and level-headed when speaking to him if he was in trouble rather than angered and in the moment. “Come here for a minute.”“What’s up, Eda?” the small canine demon approached his caregiver, stopping at the entrance to the living room. “Need help with anything?”“I want you to go to the Human Market and if possible, get half a pound of those Tostonies, for Luz.” Ea gestured over her shoulder with one hand in direction of the main door and dug into her pocket with the other. Pulling out some crumpled snails and a few loose changes, she hopes it would be enough. With rent coming soon, the forty-three-year-old knew she couldn’t spare more than two or three snails and a few pence for King to buy Tostones.“They are her favorite and she deserves a treat.”Grabbing the money and storing it inside a small makeshift purse, King gave a nod. “I’ll see how much I can get.”“Try to be back before suppertime and don’t talk to strangers,” she cautioned. “I don’t want Luz not to eat supper because she has some Tosonies to eat instead of her evening meal. Don’t dawdle too long, King.”“If I take the shortcut, I should be back by the time the evening rushes calms down and the vendors start their sales.”Zipping up his purse and glancing once last time at the Crystal Call, King began to scamper away, Owlbert perching on his shoulder. “I will stick to the pain path’s Eda,” he promised.“Watch over him, Owlbert,” Eda added quickly. “And King listen to Owlbert. Straight to the marketplace and back. No pit stops along the way.”“Okay,” King said as he left, leaving Eda and Luz alone.---Luz lost track of how long she had been laying in her bedroll after Eda had gone downstairs. She half expected after a few moments for her mentor to storm upstairs and berate her for being lazy, and sleeping the day away. But much to her shock and relief, Eda had stayed true to her word and gave her time to come downstairs on her own. Not once did the older witch come up to bother her or to peek in her room as the fourteen-year-old sluggishly began to prepare for the day, weary of the pain that was starting to return full force back onto her.Her routine, normally involving standing under a cold shower and changing into different clothes, had been changed to simply pulling her favorite cat hoodie on and grabbing her Good Witch Azura book from where it lay in her cubby. Recalling the promise of a hot pad, she began the slow trek down the steps, gripping tightly onto the stair railing, leaning forward slightly instead of standing straight up like normal.She didn't know if it was just her false hope or if it was truly working but the pain lessened enough so that she could walk and not feel pain jolt randomly up her back.Instead, it had gathered fully around in her lower back, making her grit her teeth and bear it with a grin.Coming to stand in the entrance to the living room, she looked around, hoping to find Eda. Even after two quarters of living with her mentor, it still felt weird walking around a home that wasn't her own."Hey, Kid." Eda approached her, holding a box underneath one arm. "How are you feeling? Doing any better?""A bit," she said, almost sagging in relief at the sight of her mentor.Scanning her apprentice up and down, she quickly could tell she was telling the truth. The color had returned to her apprentice’s face and she was no longer wheezing as she had been before. The only thing that had worsened was her pained expression and the stiffness in her body.“Let’s go and sit down,” Eda said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and guiding her over to the couch. Pausing to place the box onto the coffee table and arrange the pillows for her, the older witch helped her apprentice settle in, grinning as she heard her relieved sigh and shoulders sagging."Now, I know you may not want to talk about it but I would like to know what is fully going on. It may help in the future if this were to happen again."“I don’t really have much to say,” she whispered, grimacing faintly as Eda began to busy herself at the coffee table. “It’s something that I have lived with for long as I could remember. Nothing more, nothing less.”“There has to be a Healer or someone that noticed your pain,” Eda commented, beginning to prepare the heating pad for her. “Something like this can’t go unnoticed, Kiddo.”As if understanding her, Luz gave a hesitant nod, memories of that day coming rushing back to her.“It was my Grandma who noticed that I had a small curve in my bag,” she said, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Grandma told my Mami and I went to the doctor’. Because, at the time, we lived in such a small town, we had to travel an hour to a bigger town that almost didn’t take me.Thankfully everything worked out and they did Xrays of my back and legs. It was a few quarters, not fully sure, that we went to hear about the results. The doctor said that-“She paused, taking a moment to blink the tears out of her eyes. “That the way my spine was curved it was still in the acceptable percentage that they couldn’t diagnose me with Scoliosis."“Scoliosis?” The word fell off of Eda’s lips unnaturally. Turning away from the heating pad, she faced her apprentice. “What is that?”“Umm..” She paused, thinking. “Scoliosis is when the spine curves sideways. It happens during one of the growth spurts during childhood before they experience puberty.”“Is there anything else?” she pressed gently, rising to her feet and approaching her apprentice. Helping her lean forward, she placed the heating pad on her lower back, causing her to prop her feet up as Eda settled down beside her on the couch."There is a part of me that wished that I had been diagnosed with Scoliosis," she confessed pitifully. "While it's filled with much unknown, whatever treatment they have for it, may have been able to help me. But it's too late now."Eda looked confused. "Can't you see your Realm's version of a doctor or talk to someone?"Shoulders slumping, she shook her head. "The healthy insurance, I was on went out of business," explained the teenager. "Mami has tried many times to find another plan that would take her and me in the price range she could afford. It's always over three hundred dollars or more a month. Mami has health insurance through work but it doesn't cover that well.""What about talking to someone?" asked Eda."Doctors, most of the time, don't like to listen,. Especially when it comes to someone that is female," she scoffed, crossing her arms as the pain began to fade into a dull ache. "It hasn't happened to me personally but I have heard stories of doctors refusing to investigate someone's complaints of pain because they thought the person, a woman, was exaggerating. One story almost came to her death story.“ It turned out to be her appendix had ruptured and she was slowly becoming sepsis. It was only the act of God she survived long enough to find someone who finally listened to her.""Good God!" Eda looked shocked, jaw almost hanging open. While the Healers on the Island were more hard headed and stubborn when it came to giving potions that were only allowed by their permission to be given, they investigated any complaint or issue that the patient had.Most of the time, from what it appeared, it was something that a normal pain potion and some rest could fix. Other times, it was severe as something if left unattended could have killed the witch rather quickly."Are they allowed to get away with that?"Luz gave a shrug. Truthfully, she didn't know."Well, kid," Eda said, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. "I know that this isn't much but I will do my best to help you when you have bad days.""Moments," Luz corrected, feeling better to sit up straight.“What?""Bad Moments," the fourteen-year-old explained. "I have bad moments where my back hurt or my asthma acts up. But I try not to have bad days where it is made too hard for me to go out of my routine.”"Okay," she said. "I will do my best to help you when you have bad days, bad moments."