Witches Among Humans (TOH)

Chapter 6: The Aftershock and Mythology

Luz's Saturday had turned out to be more eventful than she ever imagined. She had hoped to hang out with her friends after school, but she figured they had probably run away after the fight with the trash slug. After the fight, she wanted nothing more than to go back with Eda, check that they were both okay, and take a breather to process everything that had happened.

When they got back, Luz discovered that her palisman was injured. Her little Stringbean lay curled up on her lap, whimpering softly. Luz stroked her fur gently, giving her much needed attention.

"How is she?" Eda asked, walking into the room with two cups of hot cocoa. She had learned that Luz liked the sweet drink, and thought it might help calm her down.

"She'll be okay. It's a small crack on the top of her head. I know what herbs I need for a healing spell. Thankfully, your doomsday supplies can come come in handy. You have everything I need here for it." Luz had helped Eda reorganize her storage bins and supplies all week. She knew she had already sorted through the herbs and medicinal plants, so all that was left was mixing everything together.

"Thank you, by the way." Luz muttered so low, Eda barely heard it. "I haven't had anyone have my back like that in a very long time, so... thanks."

Eda set the cup of cocoa down in front of Luz, sliding it towards her so it would be within reach, before she took a seat herself.

"Were you on your own on the Boiling Isles? In your world?" Eda asked softly. She had always suspected as such. She hadn't asked before, as she figured Luz would bring it up when she was ready. It wasn't her place to pry.

"I didn't exactly make friends that well in my world..." Luz started. If she was going to live with Eda, she might as well tell her her story.

And so, Luz told her story. She told Eda about her father, mother, and herself. Luz's father was killed by the Emperor's Coven when she was nine years old. She watched him die right in front of her, powerless to do anything.

Luz took a breath, wrapping the cape around her shoulders. She told Eda how her father had woven the cape for her a year or so before he died. She shared a few other stories of her father, such as when he took her to see the Boiling Sea and told her about the trash slug.

"So that was how you knew how to defeat it?"

"Yep." Luz chuckled sadly at the memory. "My papa, he was a... strange man. But he did everything to protect my mama and me."

"It was really hard on my mom and me after he died." Luz continued. Shortly after her father's death, their home was raided and they had to flee. Her mom and she found a new place to live together, hidden deep in the woods. She mentioned the times she baked with her mom, and all the times her mom tried her best to make her daughter smile again.

"She always tried her hardest to make me smile. She knew I was never the same after we lost my papa and our house. When she thought I was ready, she showed me how to carve my very own palisman. You see, palismans are carved out of bark from the palistrom tree. The magic within the tree is what gives them their sentient form... Anyway, it was probably the happiest I had been after so many years..." Luz paused in her story, finding comfort in petting Stringbean's fur.

Luz continued. She told Eda what happened next. She had just turned fifteen. It was barely even a year ago. And it was the memory that hurt the most. She told Eda how the Emperor's Coven had once again found them and took her mother away from her. And what she did after that.

"I'm a wanted criminal in my world. Wild magic was outlawed. If one doesn't join a coven, they are captured and forced into one or dumped into the conformatorium. And since my parents always believed there was something off with the coven system and refused to join, they were hunted down for it. It wasn't just that though. After my mama was taken, I learned they were part of a rebellion working to overthrow Belos. I joined them myself and made myself a target..."