Chapter 2
Luz groaned as she felt her body suddenly being shaken in place. Her eyes slowly opened and she realized she was looking back at the same people from earlier. That seemed to be all it took to make her wake up from whatever sleep she was just in. She looked around in fear and complete surprise to find herself in a completely environment that definitely was not her royal carriage.
"What did you do to me!" She yelled and the lady looked annoyed while the fuzzy black thing ran behind her legs when she screamed.
"Eda! Make her stop yelling!" He yelled back which kinda took away the point but the lady raised both of her hands.
"Relax both of you. Princess, look at yourself, you aren't tied up or anything, we just want to have a simple talk." After hearing this Luz actually did look down at herself and noticed that the weird lady was telling the truth. She took a deep breath in and moved her limbs just to make sure they were still working, and to her luck they were!
"Then... what did you do to me?" She asked a lot more calm this time around and lady looked at the black thing that was still behind her. She waved her hand and it stepped forward before reaching in it's pouch and pulling something out. Instinctively Luz closed her eyes and curled up but after a few seconds she heard another sigh.
"Kid, open your eyes." She did and she noticed the black thing had some weird dust like substance in his hands.
"What is it?" She asked while slowly reaching her hand out to touch it.
"It's sleepy powder! Makes anyone we pour it on instantly fall asleep! Makes heists super easy!" The black thing seemed pretty proud of himself, but instantly Luz pulled her hand away.
"But... but that's magic!" She yelled in surprise and the lady walked over to a long chair that was a little bit to the side of hers. In front of her was a cauldron like ones she used to see in picture books that evil witches would use. The lady didn't look at her before responding.
"Yep."
"But that's against the law!"
"Listen kid, the only reason magic is against the law is cause the people in charge are afraid that they can't control it. It's not evil, dark, or dangerous. It's the exact same thing as a weapon. Don't your knights and guards use weapons? The weapons aren't bad, but the people who control them can use them for bad reasons." The lady started adding things into the cauldron and Luz couldn't help but think about what she said.
Well in a certain way it did make sense, but she couldn't help but feel skeptical. How can you just question what you've been told all your life just because one person says so. Is she supposed to just call her mom a liar now? What would she gain from lying to her?
Then she started thinking about Amity. She couldn't help it, she was thinking about guards and knights so of course she would be the first person to come to mind. Luz could never see her as evil or doing anything bad in the first place... well maybe when they were younger but definitely not anymore.
"But weapons can't like... control people." Luz said slowly while thinking back to the witches and wizards from children books. The lady and the black thing stared at her for a moment before they busted out laughing.
"Magic can't control people!" The black thing yelled while still laughing.
"But in the stories you can!"
The older lady was still laughing and it took her a few more seconds before she could actually speak. "That's in your stories. They want magic to seem as bad as possible, even if they have to make stuff up."
"Then... are curses fake too?" Luz couldn't help but notice how the lady's hand stopped stirring the cauldron for a few seconds before she continued.
"Nah, those are all too real kid." She sighed before looking back at her and shrugging.
"But it's nothing for you to worry about, you'll be back to your old life soon enough without any memories of this." She said while adding something else.
"W-wait, what do you mean?" Luz's eyes widened again as she looked around frantically for some kind of trap or anything that might knock her out to cause memory loss.
"You've seen our faces. We can't just let you go free or you might report us."
"I wouldn't! Please don't hurt me!"
"Kid calm down. I've been working on a forgetting potion, but it takes some time. You'll drink it and return back to your castle without remembering any of this. We don't hurt people." She sounded offended at the thought and Luz slightly relaxed but was still a bit nervous.
"How much will I forget?" She looked back at the cauldron which the lady was now stirring again.
"Ehh, not too much. At most you might forget being in that carriage."
When she brought that up Luz immediately thought back to the reform school. If she went back that's where she would have to go. She sighed and covered her face in her hands.
"Um, is she okay?" The black thing asked while poking her leg.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just... am thinking is all. But besides that." She removed her hands and looked down at the black thing. "What are you?" She asked cautiously and the fuzzball's eyes widened and he let out a small squeal. The lady groaned from her chair right before the black thing ran across the room and pulled out a stool and then dragged it all the way in front of Luz.
She watched him and decided not to interrupt while he looked so excited. When it was in front of her he then climbed it and posed.
"I am the King of Demons! I have an army that follows my every beck and call, and I put fear in the hearts of all humans!" At his claims the lady scoffed.
"Your army is a bunch of stuffed animals."
"So what!"
Luz couldn't help but giggle. Who could be afraid of him when he was this adorable. "Well King of Demons, I think you're too cute to strike fear in my heart."
"Meh!" He yelled and turned back to her. "What do you mean! I'm not cute!"
"You're the cutest little thing!"
"No I am not!" He stomped his foot on the stool and Luz couldn't help but move closer to him, but he didn't notice.
"You are!"
"I'm not!" She moved even closer.
"You are!"
"I'm not!" She didn't give him time to react before she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.
"You are! You are!" As she hugged him he started squirming and trying to get away.
"Eda! Eda! Help me! She's trying to squeeze me to death!"
The lady sighed, "Kid as entertaining as that was, do you mind letting him go?" She asked and Luz pouted but still let him go. King ran over to the chair the lady was in and sat down next to her.
"Your arms are a death trap!" He pointed an accusing claw at her before turning his head away from her. She couldn't help but laugh again before she then looked back at the lady.
"So your name is Eda?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah."
"Are you a witch?" She asked and the lady looked at her and then down at her cauldron, then back at her. Luz didn't say anything as she waited for an answer, and after about 20 seconds Eda decided that she was slow and groaned.
"Yes, I am."
"How did you learn magic?"
"No we are not doing this. How about you and King go make something in the kitchen, just let me work in peace." She pointed in the direction of the kitchen. King eagerly scampered off the chair and into the kitchen and Luz grinned at the idea of working with the little cute demon.
"No problem Miss Eda!" She followed right behind King and looked around the unfamiliar space. "So what are we making cooking buddy?"
"Obviously we're making scones!"
"Well then! Let's get to work!"
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"Hey Miss Eda, we finished the scones. King was eating them up so I made sure to save you a few." Luz said while holding out the tray to her. Eda looked at her for a moment before shaking her head.
"I might eat 'em later, I'm trying to finish this potion before nightfall." She said and Luz turned her head to look out of one of the windows.
"It's a little late for that." She said slowly, not wanting to anger the older woman. Eda looked too before she groaned and threw her hands up. "Of course! This always potion takes forever. I hate making it." She took one of the scones off the tray and stuffed it in her mouth.
Luz slowly sat next to her and looked in the cauldron. "Why does it take so long?" She asked then looked back at her.
"It's because the ingredients are really exotic and need some time to settle together. They're from really different regions of the world and..." she stopped and leaned back. "You probably don't wanna hear all this."
Luz didn't hesitate to shake her head. "No, no! I do! Please continue."
"Well, they're from very different regions of the world and like I said they need some time to actually settle together. And certain ingredients need to settle before you can add others because there could be some very... interesting reactions when it's not done correctly. So it takes a lot of time."
"Oh, okay." Luz sighed and leaned back as well on the chair.
"You should probably get some sleep, but by the time you wake up your life should be back to normal." Eda leaned forward to look back in the cauldron trying to gauge how much more time it would take.
"I... can you wake me up before you give me the potion?"
"I probably shouldn't."
"Please?"
"Fine. But only a few minutes, and we'll have to use the sleeping powder on you again."
"Thank you." Luz then closed her eyes and let the noises of Eda making the potion lull her to sleep.