The Will of an Enemy (Lumity)

Lay and Await

Luz laid around the house, petting the furry demon that rested in her lap. Letting out a groan, she called out, "Edaaaaaa! I'm bored!"

"Listen Kid, you know I can't let ya out right now!" She grabbed her staff. "Especially with the guards after ya."

Luz glanced over at her wanted poster on the wall, then pouting. "Pleeeeeease?"

"Don't wanna hear it." Eda had built up a tolerance for Luz's begging over the years. "It's for your own good!" She opened the door, taking one last look at the human. "Now stay put while I go into town!" The human watched as her silver mane slid past the doorway.

The human sat up which woke up King. "Neh, who needs adventure when you can stay here and pet me!" He gleefully said.

The human couldn't help but chuckle, giving into the creatures demands. "I wish Eda would have a little more faith in me.." she mumbled.

"Oh you know her," The demon purred. "Always so overprotective!"

"I guess I did give her a scare.." Luz looked down. "It was hard enough for me to process.."

"It's not like there's anything going on outside anyways!" King curled up into a ball. "Except for the starfall tonight."

"Starfall?" Luz perked up.

"You know, when the stars look like they're falling... and sometimes even do..." He shuddered.

"Like a shooting star!" Luz's eyes gleamed. "I loved watching those with my mamá!"

"That sounds a lot worse than just being trampled!" The demon squeaked.

"No, they don't actually shoot you!" Luz giggled, "But they're so pretty, I wanna go!"

"Luz.." The demon sighed. "You know Eda wants you to stay home. And if she caught you, well.. I don't even know what she'd do!"

There was no changing her mind. The excited human shot up, quickly throwing on her oversized jacket. "Don't worry king, I'll try to blend in!" She threw on a beanie to serve as both warmth and camouflage. "See? Im taking all the precautions!"

"You look like you always do." King rolled his eyes, slouching back on the couch. "Hope you have a good funeral when you come back!"

Luz completely ignored what he had said, already out the door. "I'll be back before Eda comes home anyways!"

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"I need to focus." Amity cleared her mind as she scoped the forest. "Would she even be out here tonight?"

The green guard felt the nip of the frosty breeze and put up her uniforms hood. "I really blew it last time.." She groaned into her hands. "Why did I have to get assigned to her?? Of ALL the witches on the boiling isles.. It just HAD to be Luz!"

What does the Emperor even want with her?

"Not like I'll ever get an answer to that." She sighed. "I mean.. The Emperor is always so secretive.. And Luz probably will never speak to me again."

The realization stopped the girl in her tracks. "She probably hates me now.. for good reason." She reached up to her hood again, gripping tightly to its fabric. "Luz.."

"I-it can't be helped.." The girl tried to put on a brave face, but her weakness was exposed to the surrounding trees. "It's not like I..." Her grip loosened.

"No." Her gaze shifted into focus. "There's no turning back now.."

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Luz decided to take a less traveled trail. She cautiously glanced around as she traveled deeper into the woods. The human had remembered a clearing in the forest, an open meadow where no tree would block her view.

Shoving her hands into the rough material of her jacket, Luz hurried on as the fog of her breath trailed behind.

Finally, the human came across the field. Since her last visit, the harshness of winter had killed off the mystic flowers that scattered the plain.

"Willow always loved talking about these guys.." Luz bent down, gently holding the faded red pedal of the dying flower. "And Amity's hair always glowed when she was near them.."

The girl went silent for a moment. She could never understand.

What Changed?

Suppressing her feelings once again, Luz stood back up and glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to fall.

As a bitter gust of wind soared through the clearing, the human felt a shiver go down her spine as her hands looked for warmth in her jacket.

With the sound of halting footsteps, the Human's head turned. The green guard's cape flowed on the other side of the opening as the two locked eyes.