Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 - Walking a Changed World
In which robes are wagered, a Blight’s legs are discussed, and coral doesn’t grow.

With their lungs gasping for air and their muscles burning from exertion, Gus, Eda and Amity ran through the cool night, the blue moon high overhead and mist clinging to their legs. They’d given the pursuing coven guards the slip, in no small part thanks to Gus turning their illusions back upon them.

“Nice work Gus!” panted Amity, the least out of breath. Eda managed a thumbs up.

“They… were strong!” said Gus, leaping over a small rocky ledge. “But… not very good!”

All of them were sorely missing the presence of their fellow rebels - especially Luz, Lilith and Willow - but with conflicts escalating across the Isles they couldn’t all stay as a team anymore. The others had their own work to do, just as they did.

And what a job it is, thought Gus, ducking and weaving around a few branches through the wilds. They had left Bonesborough behind them almost an hour ago, going out in search of a rare magical reagent. With the blue moon’s pale light bathing the isles, tonight was the only night for years that they would be able to get one of the most potent illusion boosters there was - crystallised blue moonlight. According to Eda, reigning queen of esoteric magical knowledge, there was a set of broken ruins around here somewhere that housed an ancient device made to collect moonlight, and that was their best bet.

But things had gone awry. Belos knew even more ancient magical secrets than Eda did, and they had run into a platoon of the Emperor’s Coven just when they thought they’d found the right place. A brief and intense struggle had ensued, and they had managed to brush off their pursuers by fleeing into the undergrowth. Once again the Owl Lady proved her reputation wasn’t just for show, quickly leading them back on track even in the dark. For an older witch she set a good pace, and the two younger witches hustled to keep up.

Thankfully they found just what they were after before too long, though it was a mixed blessing at best. They broke through the treeline and Eda skidded to a halt, Amity almost plowing into her and Gus a step behind. “Woah…” he breathed.

“Mana,” said Amity softly. “Is this what we were after?”

Eda rolled her head back and forth. “Well, yes and no.” She pointed forwards with her staff. “Yes, these are the ruins we were looking for.” A broad pathway stretched out before them, the stones paving it half buried by greenery as the forest attempted to reclaim the land. Lining each side were tall, grand looking pillars, only a couple still standing with the rest in ruins around them.

“But that doesn’t exactly look ruined, does it?” The path stopped at the base of a broad set of stairs, leading up into a grand banquet hall. Bright torches blazed on either side of the doorway, and light poured out from inside. Smoke even curled up from a chimney. The place looked new, the paint fresh and crisp, not a sign of wear on the roof or walls.

But they were all three of them too canny to fall for the trick. They rapidly looked over the structure, spotting the tells. A waver here, a running colour there, a melded section way over there. The entire place was an illusion - a huge, powerful, terribly skilled illusion.

Gus gulped nervously. Sure, a group of skilled illusionists could have pulled it off, but why stand and wait? If there was a team of witches that skilled this far out surely they would have made a move by now. There were only a few witches skilled and strong enough with illusion magic to do this solo. But of the ones the young witch knew of, only two were bold enough to sit and patiently wait for their prey to come to them… and Belos wouldn’t have left his castle for this.

He wet his lips nervously. “It’s Artemis.”

Eda frowned, but Amity shot him a harsh look. “It couldn’t be. Belos wouldn’t send someone that strong out for this.”

Gus shook his head. “I don’t think he’d need to. Blue moonlight is the best reagent you can get for illusions… I think they would have come anyway.”

Amity hesitated, before looking to Eda. “Plan?” If anyone was good at misdirecting, distracting and stealing, it was the Owl Lady.

But Gus stepped forward. “There’s only one thing we can do. Artemis is waiting, they know we’re coming. They probably know we are here right now. Mana, they are probably watching.” He impulsively waved at the illusory hall before them, and as if rehearsed, part of the walls melded into a big hand and waved back. Gus clenched his jaw. “You two go and get the moonlight. I’ll distract them until you get back.”

“What?!”

“Are you crazy ?!”

“I’m crazy good at illusions, and neither of you are. This isn’t a fight that either of you are equipped to handle.” He glanced at them from the corner of his eye. “Do you see me insisting on fighting an abomination expert? Or a... master thief?”

Eda was just barely more flattered than insulted.

Gus began walking forwards. “You two go. I’ll keep them busy for as long as I can.” His tone lowered. “Please hurry.”

Amity was having none of it. She stepped forward and grabbed his arm - Titan, he was taller than her now. “I don’t care if you’re the strongest illusionist there ever was. We are NOT splitting up and leaving someone alone! There’s no way you can take on the head of the Illusion Coven by yourself!”

He grinned, and to their surprise it was a cheerful, cheeky expression. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” And at that, Gus seemed to shatter into shards of light, Amity’s fist clenching on nothing as the illusion fell apart. At the same moment, far before them, the open doors of the illusory hall slammed shut.

Amity swore softly, looking at the dissipating wisps of light blue magic. When had he even done the switch?

“Come on kid,” said Eda. “I think he just gave us a pretty compelling argument as to why he’s the guy to leave the illusion fight to. Now you heard what he said - let’s hurry.” 

Looking back the whole time, Amity followed Eda deeper into the ruins. 

Inside the banquet hall, Gus watched with interest as the doors closed behind him. It was remarkable; the grain of the wood, the rattle in the frame, even the displaced air whooshing over him. The illusion was magnificent, the whole hall was. The interior, under the watchful eye of its creator, was perfect.

And indeed, the creator watched on even now. The hall had great tables on either side, leading up to a raised dais and throne at the far end. Torches and magelights lit the interior, lighting it up brightly, even cheerfully. And lounging in the throne at the end of the room, resting on the armrest with their fist propping their face up, was Artemis. 

The leader of the Illusion Coven was a tall, almost cadaverously thin individual, their form obscured by a thick, trailing cloak. A dark shade of blue with lighter trim, the garment sparkled with lights, the constellations of the Isles slowly roving over its surface. They wore long sleeves and pants, with gloves covering their hands and fully hiding their skin. Within the confines of their raised hood were no distinguishing features - only a glittering pane of blue light. Gus had seen them once before, at an illusion magic showcase years ago, and they hadn’t changed a bit.

“Well well, isn’t this interesting!” The words floating out from the light gave no clue to identity, sounding like a high pitched and a low pitched voice speaking in tandem. But the tone was clear - they sounded excited, even giddy. “It’s so rare that I take a personal hand in these things, I almost forgot what it felt like!”

Gus smiled wanly. “I’m glad to see I merit personal attention.”

Artemis sprang to their feet, their motions excited. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that just yet! We’ll discover that in a moment, once you realise I've started attacking you.” That put Gus immediately on guard, but a rapid look around revealed nothing, nor did a pulse of illusion-shattering magic, though it did make the hall around them waver for a moment. “Oh, nothing that pedestrian, come now. No, I’m rather more interested in Miss Blight and the Owl Lady, they should prove quite interesting, oh quite interesting indeed!” They cocked their head to the side. “Say, what’s your name? Seems rude not to know and people don’t tend to talk much when they don’t have necks anymore.”

Titan, they were much creepier in person. “Gus.”

“Gus? Just Gus?”

“Just Gus.”

Artemis straightened to their full height, wriggling their arms to either side. “Ugh. How boring. Still, you’re not bad for a witchling.”

“Hey, I’m almost fully grown!”

“Pfff, sure. You don’t even have a beard. Not even a moustache!”

Gus scowled. I knew it!

“Anyway, as I said, not bad. To make two- no! Three! Three clones while holding a discussion.” Artemis clapped their gloved hands together. “I’m not even sure I could do that at your age. You’re growing up into a proper threat, aren’t you? Still…”

The coven head flicked a finger, and a wave of blue light washed out from them, filling the room and revealing three more hidden copies of Gus, all looking stunned. A moment after that, two copies of Artemis shimmered into place beside each of them, the coven head already a step ahead. “You’ll have to do better than that .”

“I agree,” smiled Gus, before collapsing into shards of light. 

Artemis chuckled, doing the same a moment later. “Smart.”

Only moments into the fight Gus realised just how outmatched he was, and a mere thirty seconds later he was already feeling the crushing drain on his magic just to stay in the game. Each of his illusions was immediately countered - until they weren’t, and Artemis seemed to fall for them. Then Gus fell into a trap himself, and it took more effort to get himself back out again. Every glimpse he got of the coven head through the flashes and smoke of their casting, a flicker of a cloak around a rapidly rising wall here, a flash of their mask vanishing into invisibility there, never revealed a thing. That mask gave them the best hold ‘em face once could ask for, and for all the younger witch knew, Artemis wasn’t even breathing heavily yet. 

It was a battle of wits as well as magical prowess, a constant struggle to stay one step ahead. They started in the banquet hall, and each object thrown was a mystery. A chair flying towards Gus - was it an illusion with no substance? An illusion with substance? A glamour cast over a rock? Or a literal, actual chair? He had an instant to judge each obstacle thrown his way, and each wrong guess was another dip in his stamina. 

The banquet hall was too difficult - Artemis had created the place and who knew how many traps they’d laid as they waited. Distracting the coven head for a moment with an illusion of a falling pillar - and mana, it really only was for a moment, the older witch saw through everything almost instantly - Gus reached out with his will and imposed it over the hall, ready to-

He rapidly shifted his body to the side, avoiding a dagger thrust at his back. It had been a feint, and he’d almost fallen for it. Artemis had been waiting, and it was another drain on his magic to blow a pure blast of concussive force to disperse the clone behind him.

Artemis’ amused laughter rang through the hall. “Smart!”

But Gus was a prodigy, and had a few tricks of his own. He layered an illusion over his body, calling out a defiant statement even as he himself took control of the hall illusion. A whip of pale blue light swung out at him, forcing him to duck as it shattered his glamour at neck level, but he’d had enough time. Like paint running down a wall the banquet hall faded from the top down, melding into another landscape. Artemis paused for a brief moment to adjust, their own energy reaching out and bracing their fading illusion like a scaffold, but now Gus was on the offensive. 

He ran forwards, closing the distance even as he spun a circle and a thorny vine sprang from the ground to lash out at the other witch. They’d all had to learn a few tricks from each other, and there was nothing like a big, spiky surprise to startle opponents. As Artemis stepped smoothly away from it he cast again, shooting out a harsh bolt of lightning, forcing the coven head back a pace. Finally he ducked and scooped up a stone - a good one, jagged, filling his palm - and with unerring accuracy cast it at the other witch, striking them in the shoulder and causing them to let out a hiss of pain. A hand came up to grab their arm, pale skin bleeding through a small tear in their sleeve.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING BOY?!” Artemis’ shout was sudden, booming and terrible, the sudden explosive sound almost making Gus stumble. Their voice was suddenly wrathful, furious, a far cry from the amused banter of a moment ago. But it did the trick, and their will faded from the failing illusion above, letting Gus’ take over as the hall faded into the corridors of Hexside. 

“A FOOLISH WHELP TRYING TO MASTER HIS BETTERS!” snarled Artemis, suddenly splitting into a dozen copies. They spoke in chorus. “LEARN SOME RESPECT YOU SNIVELLING PISSANT!” All of them faded into the walls around them and suddenly it was like the building came alive, tiles flying off the floor, lockers springing forwards, phantom limbs reaching out to hit, to grab and strangle. 

Gus rapidly retreated, eyes constantly moving, working on his next move. That was the trick. Never play against their move, always make them play against yours, and he already had one in mind. A good one. But he needed to keep this going a bit-

He was on the floor. Why was he on the floor? When did that happen? His eyes wouldn’t stop blinking, and it took him a moment to close his mouth and get his thoughts in order. His head hurt - something had hit him. Why would something hit him? His eyes shot wide open and he rapidly flung himself to the side, sliding across the smooth Hexside halls as the ceiling tried to skewer him, shaped into a barbed stinger like a manticore’s tail.

“Sorryyyyy!” called out Artemis, sounding quite cheerful again. “Didn’t mean to startle you like that! You know how I get sometimes.” Their words echoed and Gus spun, trying to catch their origin. It was like trying to grasp a shadow in his fist. “Wait, do you? No, you don’t. Well, wanna see?”

With a sound like a stone being split in two the ceiling tore asunder, and a new illusion began creeping down the walls. Gus grit his teeth and threw his will against it, trying to maintain the illusion of Hexside around them. A moment later he staggered as his magic blasted right through the false illusion Artemis had laid over the ceiling, Hexside snapping back into view. 

Crap, that meant-

Gus let out a shout as he let loose a pulse of raw magic around him, a dome of energy briefly visible and revealing the shimmering forms of several copies of Artemis, already falling into shards of light. He wiped sweat from his brow, breathing heavily. That had been… draining.

“Oh, now we’re getting somewhere!” A section of the wall folded in on itself, the tiles morphing into small birds and beasts folded like paper as a doorway grew in place. Strolling out of the darkness beyond it was Artemis. “Come now, what else have you got?”

For long, crushing minutes they duelled back and forth, Gus doing his utmost to simply stay in the game and entirely unable to get a read on the other witch. As far as he could tell Artemis was utterly unruffled, and the only ploy that had worked so far was throwing a rock at them. 

Well , he thought, very carefully not looking at a certain spot. Not the only ploy.

Eventually the older witch landed a powerful blow, and Gus’ body was sent flying through a wall that proved not to be illusory at all, rolling over on to his front as he groaned and struggled to his feet. Artemis walked calmly after as the wall knitted itself back together, the illusion around them now resembling a Bonesborough street. 

That was fine though. Almost there.

“‘Just Gus’, you have proved to be an UTTER WASTE OF MY TIME!” howled the coven head, suddenly furious once more. They struck out, forming a massive, glowing fist and slamming Gus to the side as they stalked forwards, hands trembling. “HOLD STILL AND LET’S END THIS!”

Gus laughed softly, bleeding and clutching his side from that last blow. Holding still sounded just fine to him… especially as he was right where he needed to be. “Sure, let’s.” He drew himself up, cloaking his exhaustion in swagger. “But you wanna see something cool first?”

Artemis’ whole demeanour changed as they straightened, voice changing to delighted. “Ooooh, definitely! Is this the big move you’ve been working towards?”

“Something like that.” Gus kicked a stone away before him and let out a sigh of relief - his sense of direction hadn’t failed him. He was right where he’d started, and the illusion glyph he’d planted was still in place. “More of a set up really.” 

Artemis’ hand sprung up, already spinning a circle. The Emperor’s forces were well aware of the threat that glyphs posed, and the general lack of knowledge surrounding them had made them even warier. But this time the coven head was simply too slow. Gus tapped the glyph with his foot even as his other hand slipped into his pocket. From the slip of paper - the ink used upon it was apparently so rare that thinking of the cost had made Eda almost physically ill - came a wash of light blue energy, almost identical in colour to illusion magic. But it was off, slightly. Too bright in places, too dark in others, almost shuddering like a living thing. 

Where the energy flowed, illusions shattered. Amity had discovered this use of the glyph almost by accident, and a standard pen and paper one barely had the effect travel three paces. But this empowered glyph reached far further, and for a split second the street around them shuddered and faded, revealing the crumbling ruins they were really fighting in. Lights sputtered out, sounds rushed back, and Gus saw the flinch run through Artemis as their casting was dispelled, the pane of light hovering over their face flickering for an instant to show wide, disbelieving eyes.

Then Gus’ arm flung forward, and a ball of fire engulfed the older witch as a concussive boom threw Gus off his feet, and he thanked the Titan that whatever glass Eda used for her potion vials was tough. She’d given both him and Amity a couple of surprises when they’d first set out, and they were paying for themselves and then some. He’d worried when he’d taken a tumble in the halls of Hexside, but he hadn’t felt broken glass and it had all come together. He hacked out a laugh as he climbed to his feet, clothing ripped and torn from the blast. Something had gone flying out of the other side of it, trailing smoke as it smashed into a crumbling wall and brought it down, and he sincerely hoped that Artemis would be out for a while. 

Then he felt a sharp, white hot line of fire traced across his left arm, and before he could even let out a shriek he was struck aside. Artemis shimmered into existence, blackened and panting, their mask of light crackling harshly. 

Even through his agony Gus could barely believe it. In the instant after the fireball had engulfed the master illusionist, they had spun a glamour of something smashing down a wall behind them and made themselves invisible to get the drop on him. What were they made of?!

“Well, ‘Just Gus’,” they said slowly, looming over them as fire threw harsh shadows over their body. “I can see that I’ll have to take you seriously.”

Gus couldn’t help but whistle to himself as he strolled along the well-worn, sunny path to the Owl House, hands clasped comfortably behind his back - one of the same dark skin he’d always had, the other a translucent, light blue. Up one of the loose, flowing sleeves of his long coat was the remains of his arm, terminating a little above his elbow - a souvenir from his showdown with one of the greatest illusionists of the era years before. The illusory limb flowing out from it was a much more recent addition, the culmination of long months of work amongst some of the best minds in the Illusion and Healing Covens, not least of all Gus himself. He was proud to be one of the few witches selected to test the prototype limb, and relished each opportunity to smoothly button up his shirt each day. 

The prosthetic originated from a complex combination of traditional magic and glyph work hidden up Gus’ sleeve, requiring very little energy for him to maintain all day. They were entering the final stages of testing now, and hoped to start spreading them across the Isles soon. He couldn’t wait to show it off to the woman who’d done the larger part of the glyph work, and just thinking of that reminded him of what a good mood he was in.

Yesterday, Amity and Luz had returned to Bonesborough. 

The two were in high demand these days, always in the thick of the reconstruction efforts after the rebellion, and they’d been away helping establish a new coven for too long for his tastes. He’d made sure to give them a day to rest and recover, as well as seeing their family again, but he could only resist so long. As he rounded the final bend and the Owl House itself came into view before him, it was all he could do not to break out into a run. He hadn’t let them know he was coming, and it wouldn’t do to spoil the surprise.

The morning sunlight was pleasantly warm as he crossed the front lawn, the loose fabric of his trousers swishing about his legs. The witch had grown to what he’d begrudgingly realised was his full height, though to his relief he was at least still taller than Amity. Dark boots trod the lawn as he strode forwards, and a long, pastel blue coat flapped around his ankles. He idly scratched the scruff on his chin as he mentally prepared himself for Hooty to notice him.

The house demon didn’t disappoint. With a comically loud gasp he rocketed out of the front door, wrapping Gus up in his coils. “Hoot hooty HOOT! If I’d known you were coming I would have cleaned up, I’m a mess!” Hooty looked the same as ever, not a scratch marring his long, tubular body despite some of the action he’d seen over the last few years. The demon had taken some pretty strong blows when the Owl House itself had been attacked, but it seemed that even when they were playing for keeps, the Emperor’s Coven had underestimated the wily owl. 

Trapped in Hooty’s uncomfortably moist embrace, Gus couldn’t hold in his laughter. It was hard to ever be mad at someone who’d fought for your life. “Hey, hey! I’m glad to see you too Hooty, but keep it down! I’m here to surprise Luz and Amity!”

Hooty unfurled from around the witch and blessedly lowered his voice. “Oooh, can do!” He adopted a look of concentration. “They’re just waking up now!”

Not thinking too deeply about how the demon knew that - it was generally considered wise not to think too deeply about Hooty at all - Gus raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? It’s mid-morning already.”

“They like to sleep in, hoot hoot!”

The door to the Owl House swung open, a big mane of silvery grey hair poking out. “Hooty, what - oh! Dweebus himself!” Eda stepped out, baring her golden fang in a grin. “Here for a social call, huh?” 

Gus had talked to Luz about the older witch’s nickname before, and she had waved off his concerns. “ I wouldn’t worry about it! She called you that because she didn’t care, and now she calls you that because she does ,” the human had said. “ It’s when she stops calling you nicknames at all you gotta worry. Or if she calls you by your full name. Honestly if she does that just turn yourself invisible and run away, it’s what I do. ”

The Owl Lady had been in her fair share of conflicts during the rebellion, but had emerged relatively unscathed, with a couple of fresh scars hidden beneath her clothes. The four years since they’d broken the Emperor’s hold over the Titan hadn’t been long enough to carve any new lines into her face, but her wardrobe had gone through an update. Gone was the functional dress of old, replaced with a dark crimson skirt and a bright, baggy sweater, one sleeve perpetually bunched around her elbow. 

Gus smiled to see her. “You know it! A little fairy told me that two little fairies were back in town!”

Eda snorted. “One of those little fairies is bigger than you, kid.”

“And yet, still a fairy!”

“She could probably kick your butt too.”

“Still a fairy!”

Eda cackled. “Yeah, I guess she is. Alright, come on in, you’re letting the weird out.” She stepped inside, ushering him in. “Visitor! Cam, can you get the kids?”

An answering shout came from upstairs, along with the sound of paws rapidly padding. King skidded into the room a moment later, looking around with wide eyes. The little demon hadn’t grown an inch, but had matured a lot… at least, when he felt like it. He launched himself at Gus for a big hug, apparently not feeling mature today, and a moment later was rapidly talking with him, asking questions and demanding royal answers. 

Camila came down a few moments later, still dressed for bed with her slippers padding softly along the floor. She smiled to see the young witch and drew him into a big hug. The older human had picked up a grey hair or two but remained vital and healthy, and her eyes shone as she smiled at Gus.

“Augustus, it is so good to see you again! Ah, you must come by more often, you are not here enough, no? And look at how tall you’ve gotten!” She beamed at him as she held him at arm’s length, the younger witch flushing with embarrassment as he stood taller than her. She was one of the only people that still called him Augustus, but for whatever reason it just seemed to work for her. 

“Aw, come on Ms. Noceda,” he said, smiling bashfully.

“Ah-ah! None of that here, it’s just Camila for you!”

Interrupting the moment entirely, a shout drifted down the stairs. “Is that Gus?! ”

They all braced themselves as footsteps thundered down the hallway, and a moment later Luz came charging into the living room, eyes landing on her friend as her face lit up in joy. “Gus!” She bounded forward in a couple of long steps and wrapped her arms around him, lifting him up easily and spinning him around with a laugh.

Luz had ended up tall, taller than most all of them except for the Clawthornes - though Lazarus was still the reigning king of reaching high places. She had broad shoulders, with strong, wiry muscles visible on her uncovered arms. She’d kept her hair more or less the same length as always, just long enough she could tie it at the back if she wanted to. A sleeveless tunic clung to her torso, something everyone was quite sure Amity had a hand in, and a pair of slim pants fit snugly around her legs, tucked into her tall boots. 

Laughing along with Luz, his feet dangling off the ground, Gus spied the last member of the group entering the room. Coming down the stairs a bit more calmly than Luz had was Amity, a hand trailing along the banister. She smiled broadly at him, and he was reminded why so many young witches’ hearts had been broken when they found out she was seeing someone. Slender and lovely, Amity had inherited the sharp, beautiful features of her mother, softened by her own warmth. “Gus! It’s so good to see you!” She moved over, wrapping her arms around the pair of them and adding herself to the hug. Her long, bronzey hair swished behind her, a straight, shiny curtain falling to the small of her back with a few braids helping keep it in place. Of a height with Camila, the witch wore a long, dark brown dress, half baring her shoulders with long, black gloves fitted tightly to cover half her palms. The dress was cinched tightly to her slim waist, its skirts slitted to show the beige pants and tall, brown boots beneath. Sitting proudly on her chest was a golden gem, an old present from Eda and a near copy of the one the Owl Lady herself used to wear. 

Gus returned their embrace, unable to wipe the smile off his face even as they stepped back. It really had been too long. “I heard you guys were back in town, so I thought I’d surprise you! It’s not a bad time is it?”

Amity waved his concerns away. “Not at all, perfect timing actually. I only just managed to get this one out of bed.”

“Yeah, with your weaponised cold feet!”

“It’s your job to generate heat.”

“Oho, you want me to generate heat huh?”

Rolling her eyes at her partner, Amity focussed back on Gus. “Sit, sit! We want to hear everything we missed. How have you been?”

“And I want to hear everything about your new arm!” beamed Luz, eyeing the magical prosthesis.

Eda began walking into the kitchen. “If you’re all just doing the meet and greet then I’ve heard both sides of this story already. If you need anything let me know, but I probably won’t do it!”

Letting out a snort, Camila retreated as well. “I’ll leave you all to catch up. Luz, remember Eda needs help later!”

Contrary to what her friends expected, the human’s face lit up with a big smile at that. “Not a problem!”

Camila left the room, but King settled right in on Gus’ lap the second the witch sat down. There were only a few people the demon trusted implicitly, and Gus was firmly on that list. “So, how are things out at the Dunewinds now?” Gus asked, fingers running along King’s fur and getting a pleased murmur. “Fully settled and ready to go?”

Both of them let out soft groans at that. “Ughhh, we wish!” said Luz. “There’s always something else that needs doing, and every time we solve a problem it makes another one. Or two. Or like, eight .”

“I never thought that settling the old covens again would be easy,” said Amity, sitting beside the human. “But the problems just never stop, and you’d be amazed at how… useless some witches are. So we’ve got the first test group of settlers with us, right? Mostly Construction and Plant Coven. And just… imagine a pair of witches old enough to be your parents come to you and ask you to decide which of them gets to shower first. It boggles the mind!”

Gus snickered at the frustration in their tone, well aware that neither of his friends would change what they were doing for the world. Once the rebellion had succeeded and the Isles had slowly gotten back in order, Luz and Amity had thrown themselves into the business of settling the old covens again, clearing them out and slowly reintroducing witches to the ancient ways of their ancestors. In a different time, some might have taken umbrage to a human teaching them what it meant to be a witch, but the both of them were heroes these days. “And the Dunewinds has your full focus now? Willow has things sorted?”

Luz laughed outright, and Amity let out a snort. “Willow barely even needed our help,” said Luz. “Honestly the second she moved out to Wolfrest, she had the place running how she wanted it in about two days. All we did was convince people that the Bonewilds was ready for witches again, and help sort out the basic infrastructure. It took a bit, but after Willow moved over in the… second?” She looked at Amity questioningly, and the witch nodded. “The second wave of settlers, we barely did a thing. You know how she can be.”

Gus laughed, remembering their kindly, nurturing friend, and the gentle smiles she could give people as she made enormous, hungry plants grow around her. “Yes I in fact do. So how are things with the Dunewinds witchwolves?”

“They’re going well!” beamed Luz. “They were always going to be pretty open to the idea of new settlers, and they’ve been helpful every step of the way. It’s… an adjustment for them, meeting not only new witches to try and bond with as a coven but also being introduced to all the modern changes.”

“Modern changes like someone showing them how a scroll works,” smirked Amity.

Luz hunched her shoulders defensively. “I didn’t think the flash would freak them out that much!”

Gus turned curious eyes on Amity, his smile asking the question, and she smugly explained. “So she showed Shaper and a few others her scroll, and then asked if they wanted to take a picture. After she finished explaining what that was and they said yes, she got them ready… but didn’t say anything about a flash.”

“I thought the flash was off!”

“You didn’t check and that’s your own fault, cutie. So she takes the photo, the flash goes off, Shaper jumps up as he grows a pillar of rock beneath him, and two of the others blew what felt like a hurricane forwards. Luz went flying, and it took us about thirty minutes to find her scroll.”

Gus was laughing before Amity was even halfway done, and from the twitching at the corners of Luz’s mouth the human was holding back a laugh too. “So what did you learn?”

Luz grinned roguishly. “Don’t flash strangers.”

Amity slapped her arm.

“Right, right. Don’t flash strangers without warning .”

Before the two could settle into their standard routine, Gus leant back and let out a wistful sigh, a smile in place. “Man, I can’t wait until you open up colonisation there for real. I am gonna be in the first wave of settlers!” 

Amity smiled gently. “Still keen on that, huh? You know that the first wave is technically already there?”

Gus waved a hand. “Pshhh, the construction crews don’t count.” Luz cleared her throat. “You two don’t count either.”

Amity exclaimed “Rude!” as Luz made an obscene gesture with her hand, but Gus simply grinned as the responses rolled right off him. “Speaking of, how is the construction coming along? I remember you were having troubles with the sandstorm.”

“Yeah, but we’re making progress!” said Luz. “At this point they’re keeping the sandstorm up more out of tradition than as a security measure, and I think we’ve almost convinced them to drop it entirely. Then we can start bringing in heavier loads of materials, or the delicate stuff. After that it won’t be long before the whole place is ready to go!”

“And I’ll be in the first wave, right?”

Luz rolled her eyes. “Yes, Gus, you’ll be in the first wave. Probably. You know we don’t control that.”

“Like mana you don’t.”

“We don’t!” insisted Amity. “Sure, they… listen to our input, but we can’t exactly command the council to do stuff.”

“And speaking of the council!” exclaimed Luz, sitting forward in interest. “How are things going?” Her eyes were almost sparkling with excitement. “Are the Isles ready for their first election?”

After the Emperor had been dethroned, there had been a complete vacuum of power. The nine covens, the greatest assembly of witches and only large-scale organised hierarchy left, scrambled to fill the void. Within days a rudimentary council was established, with a seat for the leader of each coven. Only a couple of coven heads had sided with the rebellion so there were a few gaps at first, but new leaders were rapidly appointed until the council was complete. Mandatory coven branding was abolished, and covens became more of a collection of like-minded individuals than a strict choice, encouraging the blending and use of more than one school of magic.  Removal of coven brands was freely offered to the population, and being affiliated with more than one coven was becoming more and more common, as was the practice of wild magic. 

Cracks began to form in the new government’s infancy, as coven leaders squabbled and wasted time over unimportant or spurious issues. A solution was rapidly put into place - the office of Speaker was created as the new highest authority in the land. The Speaker was to preside but not rule over the Council of Covens, directing and managing their issues for the betterment of the Boiling Isles. By widely popular acclaim, the first Speaker quickly put into power was none other than Hieronymus Bump. The former principal immediately got to work managing the council, not hesitating whatsoever to correct or discipline them as he saw fit - especially as he recalled teaching several of them. 

The very instant the Council of Covens stabilised into an effective ruling body, Bump gladly abdicated his role to take up teaching again. He left a final note in his temporary office, suggesting some sort of threat to loom over recalcitrant coven heads. He strongly advocated for the purchase of a Choosy Hat.

Speaking to the leaders of the rebellion in the forms of Luz, Amity, Eda and Lilith, the council requested their assistance in selecting a new Speaker. Luz had suggested that they allow the Isles to pick one for themselves, to manage and be managed in turn by the council, and the idea quickly took root. Now they were almost upon their very first election, and the frontrunner took them utterly by surprise.

“The election is actually just about a month away,” said Gus, sitting back in his seat. “Good thing too, because I know the council has been grumbling about a lack of leadership. There’s only a few candidates really in the running anymore - or at least, candidates with a following worth the name.” A broad, amused grin split his features. “And I guess you really are out of the loop out there, if you don’t know who the favourite is.”

Luz leaned further forward, enraptured. “Who the honk is it?”

Gus preened, building the tension. “The current top candidate, and the frontrunner to take up the title of Speaker and the highest office in the Boiling Isles, is none other than…!” He paused, grinning at their expressions. “...the eldest child of the noble house of Blight!”

Luz gasped hugely as Amity’s jaw dropped. “You are kidding me,” said the witch.

Gus shook his head with a laugh. “Not at all. She’s been campaigning for a while, and actually doing a pretty good job of it. She has the most followers easily. I’m not gonna say she’s won already, but she’s definitely top of the heap.”

“But… But Emira ?” sputtered Amity, at a loss. She knew her sister was smart, much smarter than her grades would ever let on, and had always been a bit more ambitious than her brother. But this seemed a bit much.

Gus shrugged. “That’s what we all thought too, but she seems really genuine. We talk sometimes, and she really seems to just want to do the best for the Isles.” He idly scratched at the scruff on his chin. “You know she’s got the strength and the smarts for it, and let’s face it - she can be charming as mana when she wants to be.” He leant in, lowering his voice. “You didn’t hear this from me, but I’ve kinda gotten the impression that she’s trying to get out of your shadow.”

Amity sat back, stunned, her eyes wide. “ My shadow?” That was her world flipped around, when her charming, beautiful, gifted older sister was trying to catch up to her . 

“Well, yeah plátano .” Luz nudged her with a bright grin. “The gorgeous, sexy, powerful leader of the rebellion who freed the Isles from the Emperor’s tyranny? Those are some big shoes to fill.”

Amity flushed brightly. “I was not the leader, you were.”

“Oh we are not doing this again.”

“Aaaaanyway!” said Gus, drawing their attention back. “She told me herself that she wants to play a part in helping stabilise the world her sister had such a big role in making. Plus, well, what else was she gonna do? You know that after things quieted down she didn’t know what to do with herself.”

The two women frowned, exchanging a glance. That much was true. After the dust had settled from the fighting they had all dived into their new roles with gusto, but Amity’s older sister had floated from job to job, helping here and there but not throwing herself heart and soul into anything. 

“How long are you two in town for this time? You can talk to her yourselves!”

“We’re gonna be around for a little while,” said Luz. “Maybe not in Bonesborough, but close enough. We wanted to visit Willow too. I’m sure we can find the chance to catch up with Em.”

“Oh, shoot! Speaking of.” Amity glanced up at the clock sitting over the fireplace, noting the time. “We’ve gotta go Luz, we’re meeting my parents soon.”

“Aw farts, that’s right!” Mildly alarmed by the time, Luz quickly levered herself to her feet. “Sorry Gus, we’ll have to catch up with you more later on!”

“Hey, all good. I figured you might be busy but the surprise was worth it. I can walk you into town, then we’ll figure something out later. You’re not getting rid of me that easy!” 

Luz and Amity quickly moved about the house gathering what they needed. The pair were well used to traveling with all they might require, and it only took a few moments. Amity returned with a satchel resting comfortably against her hip, and Luz with her long cloak on - cat ears and all - and a long, leather glove. Made of a dark, tough material, the glove reached up to her elbow and had a shimmering metal plate on the back of Luz’s hand. A triumph of glyph engineering, the glove responded to a series of lines and taps sketched on to the blank metal plate to ink a corresponding glyph onto whatever surface it touched, whether smaller versions with each finger or a larger one with the palm of the hand. Luz had invented the code for each glyph on her own and knew them all off by heart, able to rapidly cycle between them and tap down a series of them as she went. The glove, a combined effort of some of their best engineering minds, had become Luz’s go-to tool for any situation where she might need to cast - eclipsing even her old glyph belt and necklace. Still, it paid to be cautious, and she checked the necklace under her shirt even as she slung her belt around her hips. 

“Mom! Mamí ! Amity and I are heading into town to see her parents!” Luz hollered into the house. The sound disturbed a snoozing King, getting a grumble as the demon slid off Gus’ lap and left the room, pressing a hug to their legs as he went. Gus finally stood, stretching his legs as Eda walked into the room.

“You’re outta here? Perfect timing!” She smirked as she reached into her hair, pulling out a tightly rolled parchment. “I have some stuff I need picked up, and I’m far too busy and important to do it.” A snort floated through a doorway from Camila, the woman grinning as she came to see them off.

“Yes, of course. Why, who else will supervise King’s nap time? From start to finish? Next to him? Asleep?” pressed the woman, nudging Eda and getting a grumble. She wrapped each of the younger witches in a hug, going on her toes to press a kiss to Luz’s forehead as she did. “Don’t be a stranger, Augustus! You’re always welcome here.”

“Yeah, what she said Dweebus.” Eda stepped forward and shoved the paper into Luz’s hands. “Now get cracking, mama needs her ingredients.” Amity leant in, curious to see what the Owl Lady was after, but Eda shooed her away. “You get going Baby Blight! Keep Dweebus company, I’ll explain it to Luz.”

Long used to Eda’s eclectic and forceful mannerisms, Amity rolled her eyes and moved outside with Gus, asking about Emira. The second the door swung shut behind them, Luz spun back to face her mothers.

“Is this everything?” Her voice was low, and a little strained. 

Eda snorted. “What do you take me for, a hack?” Luz opened her mouth. “Don’t answer that. Yes, it’s everything. Now get going, don’t wanna be late for the Lord and Lady Blight.” Luz still very much looked up to Eda, not least because of the sheer amount of sarcasm she could pack into her words.

She turned to her mother, seeing a teary eyed smile on her face. “Good luck cariño ,” said the older woman. “I can’t wait to see it!”

Luz smiled nervously. “Neither can I.” Quickly pulling them both in for a hug that Eda didn’t even try to fight, she moved outside, jogging a few paces to catch up with the others. When her girlfriend looked at her curiously she shrugged and held the parchment up. “Just some last minute explanation.” Amity nodded, tuning back into Gus’ stories about her hometown. 

Stashing the paper away, Luz eagerly listened in as Gus brought them up to speed, keen to see Bonesborough once more. She’d seen it when they had returned yesterday, but had been so eager to return to the Owl House that she hadn’t really taken the sights in. Along the way he was more than happy to show off his prosthesis, bending the limb in ways that anatomy typically didn’t allow and rolling back his sleeve to show them the glyphs on his arm. When the city was revealed before them, Luz couldn’t help but grow a big smile. Bonesborough had taken a few knocks throughout the rebellion, but had come out mostly unscathed. A few streets now turned a different way, a few more buildings still had the look of being much newer than their neighbours, and a couple of the larger impact craters remained, but otherwise the place was almost back to normal. The only true difference lay in the large, squat building on the outskirts of town.

The Conformatorium, formerly a bastion of the Emperor’s supporters and a draconian institution of punishment, still retained its original purpose. Built as a prison, the ever practical Council of Covens had elected to keep it as such and it still served to house the criminals of the Isles. But many of its practices had been abolished, chief among them torture or petrification. The place had even been renamed the Reformatory, though the name hadn’t stuck just yet. With many of the darker stones removed and a much more open plan put in place by the Construction Coven, the building no longer had the black, hulking presence of old. It was considered a symbol of the changing times, that even though there were still criminals or malcontents around, there was a place for them to reform and try to be better people.

All too soon Gus had to part ways with them, with Blight Manor looming on the hillside above. The trio exchanged warm farewells, pressing into a group hug and squeezing tight. Gus moved off into Bonesborough with a final wave, calling out, “Remember, Dunewinds, Gus, number one!”

“What was that? Number two?” called Luz.

“Number one!”

“Are you saying number three?”

“Eat mana Luz!”

“Five it is!”

The departing witch made an obscene gesture with his illusory arm and caused them both to break out laughing, smiles on their faces as they turned and pushed open the grand gates to the Blight estate. The grounds remained untouched even at the height of the rebellion, and Amity’s parents were both well aware of the frosty reputation they had gained among some circles. Still, they were doing their best to thaw it.

The Blight family, specifically its Lord and Lady, had a complex history over the last few years. Proudly outspoken in their support of the Emperor, Alador and Odalia had seemed to be the very thing they were all fighting to bring down, partisans of keeping magic divided and the Emperor in power. It was not until an accident revealed just how many of their snails were funding the rebellion that the truth came out.

Though pragmatic, and not at all eager to tie their family’s reputation to a sinking ship, the Blights were more than able to read the way the wind was blowing. As the Emperor lost ground they became less outspoken in their support, and their clandestine aid towards their daughter’s cause had grown. In the end it was the very idea of their family that proved their allegiance - when given a choice between loyalty to the Emperor and the safety of their children, it was no choice at all. 

The Blights eventually spoke up in open support of the rebellion, but by then much of the damage had been done amongst the populace. Public opinion was hard to sway once set, and their early support of the Emperor was well known. The sum of their support was never fully disclosed, further hurting the impression of their allegiance, and to many witches the subtle support of funding was not as important as a presence on the battlefield. 

Alador and Odalia were well aware of all of this, and had already taken steps to account for it. The pair had mellowed out significantly since the fall of Belos, becoming much more relaxed about their reputation and standing. This was due in no small part to the vacuum of power at the top of the Isles. With Belos and the majority of what could be called his court gone, the Blights had become one of the most influential and prestigious remaining families there was. Now that the pair were essentially at the top of the social heap, they no longer had to worry about carefully navigating the politics and cues of their peers - people followed their cues now. At first Odalia had been leery of the change, but Alador had adapted much more rapidly. To prove the point to his wife, after accepting a wager from her he wore his bathrobe out on business.

It was the latest fashion for a month. Alador had smugly reminded his wife of this constantly, and rumour had it that behind closed doors she had to wear a robe of her own. One that she wagered against, and that Alador gleefully picked out.

The source of these rumours was none other than the final Blight child, Edric. The only one of his siblings to still live at home, Edric spent much of his time cloistered in the office with his parents. Well aware of their reputation among the younger witches of the Isles, it was an open secret that the pair were grooming him to take over. Alador especially didn’t mind, as he had rather enjoyed wearing the bathrobe. 

When the pair reached the front porch and rang the bell it was Edric himself who answered, glasses on and looking frazzled. Of a height with his towering father, the older witch’s hair was rumpled in a way their mother would have never allowed in the past. He smiled broadly to see them despite the dark circles under his eyes. “Luz, Mittens!” He leant in and scooped them both into a hug, ignoring Amity’s protests even as her arms tightened around him. “About time you two got back here!” He stepped back, hands on his hips as he looked them up and down. 

While busy gradually taking over the family’s affairs, Edric still found the time to make his own progress. Always skilled with illusions, the witch was a pioneer amongst mixed-magic users, picking up skills from both his mother’s oracle abilities and his father’s abominations to enhance the product of all three. His dream was of an abomination servant with minor prophetic ability that could be made to look less… abominable. Already his work was showing results, and he was eagerly leveraging his growing influence to funnel more resources into it.

Amity leant in, violating her brother’s personal space like only a sibling could. She frowned up at him as she reached out and brushed his hair back, eyes moving over his face. “Ed, have you been sleeping enough?”

He gently pushed her hand aside, still grinning. “Hey, we don’t all have your years of practise with studying.” He posed, hands on his hips. “Some of us just got it .”

“Well big shot, some of us just got sleep,” said Amity drily, chivying her brother aside as she and Luz moved past him. Blight Manor looked the same as always, but years away from it gave Amity a fresh appreciation for the house she’d grown up in. She looked around with a soft smile on her face, and Luz grinned to see it. 

Ed walked past them, moving deeper into the building. “You’re just in time. You don’t want to keep the eminent Lord and Lady Blight waiting do you?”

Luz snorted. “Aren’t you gonna be Lord Blight one of these days?”

“What, you don’t think I could be Lady Blight?”

“...you haven’t got the legs for it.”

“That’s a lie Luz, and you know it.”

Casually ribbing each other, the trio stepped out the back door of the manor, entering the large patio area. There, sitting at the very same table where Luz met them six years ago, were Alador and Odalia Blight. Amity’s mother hadn’t aged a day, still impeccably dressed in a conservatively cut dress. She hadn’t lost the taste for looking perfectly put together, even after all that had happened, and both younger women doubted she ever would. In contrast, Alador had accepted his semi-retirement much more readily. There were a couple of slivers of grey in his beard, and he wore much simpler clothing. Luz could have sworn he was wearing pyjama pants, and though the smoking jacket he had on was of surpassing quality there was no missing that the witch would have looked right at home sitting up in bed, maybe reading a newspaper. 

The elder Blights looked up as they stepped out, and both smiled to see them. “Just in time,” Odalia couldn’t help but say, but there was a warmth to her smile that Amity still dearly enjoyed seeing. Alador wrapped his daughter in a big hug before shaking Luz’s hand, the gesture his way of trying to be accepting of her as a human. It was a minor thing, but she appreciated the effort. Odalia wasn’t quite as physical as her husband was, but she still took Amity’s hand for a moment and squeezed it, smiling wider when the girl squeezed back. 

They took their seats at the table, Odalia delicately folding her hands in front of her. “Please help yourselves, I hope you’re hungry.”

Luz dug right in, piling her plate. “Starving! Gus surprised us this morning so we didn’t get breakfast.” Hungry as she was, she did her best to show good table manners. Odalia had relaxed, but not that much.

Edric, bless him, took the heat right off her by doing just the same. The witch pulled his food close and took a huge bite, groaning in happiness and getting a sharp look from his mother. He’d always been something of a bottomless pit when it came to food, and never seemed to put on any weight - much to his sisters’ annoyance. “Daytime food is so good .”

Amity rolled her eyes, pulling a much more reasonable serving over to herself. “As opposed to what? You two aren’t working him night and day, are you?” Her tone was teasingly reproachful, an attitude she would never have taken a few years ago. She’d never felt so free with her family, and revelled in it. 

“Nothing he doesn’t want to,” assured her father, taking a bite out of a sweet pastry. He brushed crumbs to the ground from his jacket, and seemed to take joy from his wife’s pained grimace. “We go over some papers and figures, discuss some of the next steps to take, call it a day, and then I find him there the next morning asleep at my desk.” He pointed at Edric with his half-eaten pastry. “You’ll hurt your back doing that.”

Edric snorted. “Maybe if I was your age.”

Alador grinned cheekily. “Not at all. If you were my age, you’d be retiring.” Edric groaned at the reminder and drew a laugh from the rest of the table, even Odalia tittering behind her hand. 

They lapsed into pleasant conversation as they ate, updating the Blights on what they’d been doing and more or less repeating what they’d told Gus earlier. Emira’s campaigning was a hot discussion topic, the eldest child apparently too busy to attend that day. She’d sent a thornberry tart to the manor to apologise, and Amity had swiftly forgiven her. The visit was pleasant, as pleasant a time as Amity could remember having with her parents, and she was thankful once more for the changes in her life ever since the woman she loved had crashed into it. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she sought Luz’s hand under the table, squeezing tightly and relaxing at the pressure in return. 

If there was one sour note to the visit, it was a topic her mother had been increasingly vocal about for a little while now. Apparently as she had done it herself quite young, it was now entirely appropriate for her to bring it up with her twenty year old daughter. As time passed, and as she and Luz grew more and more comfortable together, Odalia had been more and more focused on one thing: grand witchlings.

“You simply must let us help you pick a nice home to settle down in, once you’ve finished your work with the covens,” said Odalia, smoothly pouring a cup of tea. “Something private and a little distant would perhaps work best as a refuge from your celebrity, but there’s something to be said for living closer to the beating heart of things. More convenience, for one, to businesses, wherever you may choose to work, even schools!”

“Neither of us wants to teach, mom,” said Amity drily. A complete lie, as both she and Luz were intrigued by the idea.

“Well you don’t need to teach to want to be near schools, dear. School, I suppose, as any witchling of yours would no doubt attend Hexside. Goodness, I hope Bump has retired by then. Though I suppose it could be just a few years from now. For that matter, when are you two planning on having-”

“Is that the time?” said Amity loudly, springing to her feet and scooting her chair back. She was staring straight ahead, red in the face, and beside her Luz looked moments away from turning herself invisible. “Wow, we better get going Luz!”

“Yes, we should!” agreed Luz, just as awkwardly loud. 

Odalia looked annoyed and Edric was barely holding in his laughter, but Alador took pity on them. He smoothly rose as well, smiling. “Always a pleasure to see you Luz. Amity, please come and see us whenever you can while you’re in town.”

Amity’s face softened as she pressed in for another hug. She’d never get sick of these. “I will. Thanks dad.”

Her manners prevailed and Odalia stood to wish them farewell, before Edric led them back outside again. He wouldn’t stop snickering or suggesting baby names, and had gotten sneaky enough with illusions that Amity wasn’t sure her normal Edric solution - violence - would work anymore. She simply sighed and pulled him into a hug at the door, nodding at Luz over his shoulder when she did the same. The human grinned and squeezed extra hard, making the older witch wheeze as his ribs creaked. He stepped back holding a hand to his midsection. “I deserved that.”

After leaving the estate Luz and Amity slowly wandered the streets of Bonesborough for a while. They picked up a fizzer to share, never quite having lost the taste for splitting one with two straws, and giggled at each other like children as they did. It was a warm, sunny day, they were strolling through the markets hand in hand, and the world seemed pretty fantastic. More than a few of Bonesborough’s citizens called out hellos as they walked past, the pair even stopping to talk to a few they knew a bit more personally. The rebellion had ended just long enough ago that some witchlings had no recollection or idea of what had happened. They were just told that the pair of young women were heroes, and more than a few toddled up to say hello, often pulling parents along by the hand. One handed Luz a flower crown that he had made himself, and the human had to wait until he was out of earshot to burst into tears. Amity patted her hand as she sobbed, “He was just so small .”

“I know, I know he was small,” soothed Amity, not unaffected herself. Still, Luz was the big softie, and she looked around for something to distract her. She heard the rustle of paper, and noticed the parchment Eda had given them poking out of Luz’s tunic. “Hey, look at this!” She plucked it out, showing it to Luz. “Eda’s list! Maybe we should get started, huh?”

Luz wiped her eyes, already looking excited again. “Oooh, sounds good to me! Let’s have a look and see what’s up first.” She wiggled her fingers and grabbed the paper, unfurling it to have a look at the list. 

Reading over her girlfriend’s shoulder, Amity frowned. “Wow, this stuff is rare even for Eda. What do you think she wants it for?”

Luz gave an awkward sort of half shrug. “Who knows, you know?” she said, still looking at the parchment. “It’s Eda, you never know what she’s going to do.” She held in a sigh when she saw Amity nod in her peripheral vision.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. No predicting crazy, right?” She smiled, and Luz let out a snort.

“I honestly don’t even know whether she’d be happy or mad to hear you say that. Probably both.” Focusing on the paper, she tapped a finger next to the very first item on the list. “Well, looks like we know what’s up first. And hey, we don’t even need to go that far.” Written across the top of the page in Eda’s surprisingly smooth handwriting were the words ‘chrome coral’. Next to it was a note. ‘Can find in Bonesborough. Hero’s discount.’

They both rolled their eyes. ‘hero’s discount’ was what Eda liked to call it when people gave them free or heavily discounted things due to their role in the fighting. As they turned towards a likely stall, Luz asked Amity, “Do you know what chrome coral is? That’s a new one for me.”

The witch nodded, long hair swaying down her back. “Yeah, it’s a type of coral that grows in-”

“Lives.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t grow , it lives . Coral is an animal.”

“Are you serious?” Amity’s voice was very flat.

“Of course I am, did you not-”

“Animals grow too.”

The pair bickered up until they reached a stall laden with shiny objects, just the kind of place where Eda’s sticky fingers would wander. Gems, broaches, rings, necklaces, a few more esoteric items in small display cases. The stall owner greeted them warmly, but had to shake his bulbous, shaggy head when they asked for chrome coral. Still, he was nice enough to give them directions to another likely stall. Along the way Amity explained that the coral lived in the Boiling Sea, often quite close to shore. Chrome coral was a rare variety that filtered a type of metal particulate from the water, and it built up on the coral’s body as a reflective layer of defense. 

To their dismay, it seemed a bit too rare. The next stall didn’t have any, nor did the three after that. They were close to giving up when a glimmer of light caught their eye from the final stall, and Luz almost knocked other shoppers off their feet as she charged forward, pulling Amity along in her wake. She excitedly pressed her face up against the side of a glass display case, fogging it with her breath as Amity spoke with the slender witch standing behind it. With greying blue hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and a ready, winning smile, the witch addressed them both. “Welcome to my humble shop, Miss Noceda and Miss Blight! How can I help you today? Anything for the heroes of the Isles!” She noticed Luz’s interest. “Ah, I see you’ve already got something picked out! You have exquisite taste, perhaps for someone special?” She shot a sly look at Amity.

Luz shot up straight, laughing awkwardly as she flushed red in the face. “No, no, it’s - I - Eda! It’s for Eda! She’s the Owl Lady, Eda the Owl Lady, she needs the thing, not me.” She didn’t miss Amity’s amused smirk at her expense. Luz cleared her throat, pointing at the small, shiny trinket. “How much is it?” The saleswitch named her figure and Amity winced, Luz letting out a soft whistle as she looked at it again. 

The witch looked a little uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I would do a better price if I could but that’s already as low as I can take it. It can be difficult to obtain.”

Luz smiled at her, smoothing her expression. “Hey, nothing to apologise for! We don’t wanna cheat anyone, and we appreciate the discount to begin with.” She turned. “What do you think, plátano ?” She’d once been worried about calling Amity a pet name in front of other people, until the witch had grabbed her face with both hands and told her to say it in front of as many people as possible.

Amity was already reaching into her bag. As the witch started counting out snails, a thought occurred to Luz. She frowned, before shrugging. Why not ask? “Hey, you said this stuff is hard to get? Where exactly do you get it?”

The witch gave her a considering look, before leaning in. “You swear not to tell?”

Luz held a hand over her chest. “Scout’s honour.”

That seemed to be enough. After quickly glancing left and right, the witch gestured they lean in. “Glimmer Beach. There’s a sandbar a little ways out, where the frostwater comes from.”

“I know the place,” said Amity.

The witch nodded. “Just past that sandbar the water drops off, but there’s a little shelf almost tucked back underneath it. It’s hard to spot, but I’ve always known there to be chrome coral growing there.”

“ Living .”

“What? Whatever, just give that place a try.” She grinned. “It’s my secret spot. No telling!”

They thanked the witch warmly for her help, and made sure to make a few purchases to show their gratitude, insisting on paying full price. Amity tucked away a bracelet made of a softly glowing, cyan stone, insisting that Emira would love it, and Luz picked up a golden brooch for Camila. Just like that they were off, walking the streets as they made their way to the outskirts of town and Glimmer Beach, remembering a date that two witchlings had gone on years and years ago. The path was just as they remembered, and before too long they found themselves standing on the boardwalk looking out over the shining, glimmering sands of the beach, out over the softly splashing, purple waves. Skullshells flapped on the ocean breeze, and people wandered about the stalls and food vendors set up along the boardwalk. Both women had warm smiles on their faces as they looked out over the water, and Luz’s arm automatically curled around Amity as the witch leaned in against her shoulder, hand settling in the dip of her waist. 

“Remember when we first came here?” asked Amity softly.

“How could I forget? Thinking of that day still makes me smile. And a couple other days.”

“Oh yeah? Which ones?”

“Any of the ones with you in them.”

Amity ducked her head into Luz’s shoulder, smiling broadly and going a little red. Even after all this time, Luz could still get to her in the best of ways. The human mentally high-fived herself, proud of how smooth that had been. The pair moved down towards the water, and Luz followed the insistent tug of Amity’s hand in hers towards some changing tents. The witch was already digging through her satchel, pulling out their swimsuits as they walked, and as she handed Luz’s over the human had to smile. Amity was always prepared.

When she tried to follow Amity inside, the witch pulled the tent flap closed behind her. “Ah-ah-ah!” Her smiling face poked out into view, framed by bronzey hair. “Out in public, where anyone could see?” She put the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. “What will the witchlings think?”

Luz grumbled. “They’ll think ‘wow Amity is so hot, I am so jealous that Luz who is awesome and cool gets to do sexy things with her!’”

Amity laughed outright at that, pulling back inside. “Well go and do sexy things in your own tent!” Luz’s shoulders slumped. “...but maybe later.” 

The human moved to the next tent with a spring in her step.

Luz stepped out first, patiently waiting for Amity to finish. She always changed or got ready for things quicker than her girlfriend, but never rushed her. She chalked it up to years of meeting her mother’s exacting standards, and figured that it wasn’t something worth worrying about. When her girlfriend finally stepped out, she couldn’t hold back a wolfish grin. “Is that maybe later still on the table?”

Amity grinned coyly up at her as she walked over, pale skin on show. She was wearing a classy, high waisted bikini, with straps crossing her back. Relatively conservative - Amity always leaned a bit in that direction - but still highlighting the curves of her figure. She had even pulled out a straw hat with a cute bow the colour of her hair. “I think it might have to be, looking at you now.” She stepped close and traced a finger lightly down Luz’s arm, over her bicep.

Luz felt a swell of affection and excitement rise up inside of her, a common occurrence around the perfect witch she got to be with. It had taken a while, but she’d eventually figured out just what her body could do to Amity as well, and leveraged the full force of that as she put her hands on her hips. A pair of dark swim trunks clung to her hips, and a sports bra top left all the definition of her stomach, shoulders and arms on display. Amity’s roving eyes made her smile grow bigger and she crossed her arms, a line of muscle appearing down the centre of her chest. “Why? Do you see something you like?”

The pair stood close together, smirking at each other as they made eye contact and feeling the tension rise. It was Amity who broke it, tracing a finger up the centre of Luz’s stomach and chest to gently pat her cheek. “Keep a lid on it, human.” She turned and walked off, swaying her hips more than was strictly necessary and heading around the curving beach out towards the sandbar. The swimming area of the beach was more of a lagoon than anything else, with great curving arms of sand pressing out to either side of it, and they moved along until they could see the shallow sandbar through the water.

Luz let out an overdramatic groan and followed, slumping over and trying to shake off her excitement. “Tease!”

“You love it.”

“No I don’t!”

“Yes you do.”

A pause, and a sigh. “Yeah, I do.”

Amity laughed outright as they reached the sandbar, walking along it and carefully testing the temperature of the water as they went. It was definitely warmer here than further in, though thankfully not boiling. Still, the occasional wave pushed hotter water in, and it fluctuated hot and cold around them, a very odd feeling. At its deepest point the sandbar was just barely too deep for Amity to keep her head above water, and they stopped at about waist height. 

The witch frowned, peering down through the water. She could see a few of the fissures and vents that bubbled out frostwater, keeping the temperature cool enough to swim in. She noted they’d have to avoid those as she tried to spot a glimmer of chrome down below. They needed to do this carefully. 

“Luzmarine diving!”

“Wait no- ”

Too late. Luz pointed her arms and dove straight down, body undulating up and down before her strong legs started kicking. Amity groaned as she watched her girlfriend dive, insisting to herself that she was watching respectfully. At a decent depth Luz stopped, twisting this way and that to look around. Amity stayed on lookout duty, remembering exactly what happened the last time they came to this beach and ready to defend Luz if need be. After a few moments Luz surfaced again, kicking her legs and tossing her hair back as she gasped for breath. There was a flush to her dark skin from the intense heat. “Whew, it’s hot down there! The chill vanishes pretty dang quick.”

Amity frowned as she looked Luz over. “It’s not too hot is it? I don’t want you getting hurt, and it’s called the Boiling Sea for a reason. You know I can just-”

“No, I’ve got this plátano ! Hold on.” She took another deep breath and went down, kicking harder this time. She descended to the same point, looking around, then started kicking off slightly further out. Another moment later she turned back and rushed up beside Amity again, spraying water.

“Luz, seriously, you don’t-”

“I have it this time!”

Over Amity’s protests Luz shot off, heading straight down, moving deeper in the same direction as before. Amity followed her girlfriend’s path and saw something glint down below, not too far away. Luz had spotted it, but as the witch glanced back at her she knew that the human wasn’t going to make it there in time. For that matter, the water that far out had to be almost painful.

Luz had to turn back and surface again, looking frustrated as she stood on the sandbar beside Amity and gasped for breath. “Okay, this time I’m going to go out deeper, then go straight down-”

“ Luz .” The human froze. That was Amity’s serious voice. She turned to see her girlfriend glaring up at her, and for all that she was much taller, at that moment Amity seemed to tower over her. “You are not going down there again.”

“But Amity…”

The witch reached out and jabbed her reddened skin, forcing out a pained hiss. “Luz if you go out that far you’re just gonna boil yourself. It’s cute that you’re trying to impress me, but cutie, I’m already plenty impressed.”

Luz looked faintly embarrassed at being so easily caught out. “I just, you know…”

Amity shushed her. She reached up and caught Luz’s lips in a kiss, lingering for a moment. “Yes, I know.”

Mollified, Luz turned to frown out at the ocean. “So how are we going to get it?”

Amity closed her eyes for a moment. Titan, and this is the one I love. “Sweetie… look.” She spun her finger, a spell circle flaring as a sleek, aquatic looking abomination rapidly congealed in the water before her. It thrashed its tail and shot off into the water, heedless of the temperature.

“Oh. Oh yeah.”

“You’re lucky you’ve got looks, Luz.”

“Well, I do have looks.”

With the coral finally gathered, the pair carefully put it away before moving into the safer area of the beach and enjoying themselves. They swam and splashed, stretching out on the sands to dry off and relax before moving back into the warm water. Luz walked off and brought back an ice scream for them to share, and as the sun began to dip they packed up and began to walk home, tired and content. They’d changed back into their normal clothes, hair still wet from the swim. As the towers and shops of Bonesborough began to loom before them again, Amity spoke up.

“So, where are we off to next?”

Luz pulled out the now slightly damp list, and looked at the second stop on their journey. “It looks like we’re going to Wolfrest.”

Coming next week, Chapter 2 - The Witches, the Wilds and Wolfrest
In which a song is sung, a rift is mended, and a spider is faced once more.