Today, a bunch of years ago I started existing. So to celebrate here's a chapter! The first chapter of s2 and the start of a new code- oh wait you didn't see the last code? Hmm, I'll leave it a mystery for now- maybe till someone gets it. :)

Luz leaned against the railing of the ship, watching the crashing waves of the boiling sea hit against the boat. Her cape billowed in the wind as she kept an eye out for the Selkidomus.

It had been a week since the Petrification Ceremony. A week since Luz returned to her duties as the Amber Guard. A week since she betrayed Eda and gave Belos the portal and key. A week and she was still cursed, still on the Boiling Isles and still nowhere closer to getting back to the Human Realm.

She hasn't touched the cloak Eda gave her since putting it into the drawer in her room. She just couldn't bring herself to look at it. She still kept the belt on her though, it was useful in carrying an elixir with her at all times plus any potions she could use.

Luz sighed and turned around to lean her back against the railing. The assembled crew were all doing their tasks aboard the ship. Sweeping, shoveling coal, hoisting the sails, among other tasks.

It was weird having to get back into the routine of things. During the week she trained with the Coven Heads and the weekends if she was lucky, she got to go out on missions- usually with Hunter. At least she didn't have to go back to the Conformatorium every night like before. The Emperor had still viewed her as a prisoner after allowing her to start training six years ago. Now she was at least given a little more leniency, with the new room and all.

Hunter was elsewhere on the ship, probably filling out reports or something. "We're here. The Simmering Shoals. Eyes peeled, mates." Salty, the captain of the ship said. The crew stopped their tasks and looked over the sides of the ship.

They sailed past a burning ship, the sailors took off their hats and paid their respects. "She's close." Salty muttered as Luz walked closer to the crew. The Selkidomus's tail rose from the water and thwacked against the side of the ship. The ship jolted as everyone stumbled, Luz regained her balance first and quickly took action.

Luz spun her staff, causing ice pillars to rise around the Selkidomus and trap it. Vines shot out of her staff and wrapped around the creature. "Help them, boys! Put your backs into it!" Salty called as the crew came and grabbed onto the vines, helping Luz to pull and eventually tie the vines to the ship.

Footsteps thunked against the wooden deck as Hunter stopped beside Luz. "Did you capture it?" He asked leaning over the railing to take a look. "Yeah we got it for now, where were you?" Luz asked. "Cleaning up the ink mess before it ruined all the reports I just did." Hunter replied. "Alright lets go ahead and-" Hunter was cut off as an explosion went off on the other side of the ship.

Smoke billowed through the air as Luz picked herself off the floor. The Selkidomus broke free of it's restraints and fled. Luz ignored that in favor of investigating what caused the explosion. A silhouette of someone was picking up the bag of money and tossing it over the side of the boat, before following after it.

"Is that a- a ghost pirate?" Salty stuttered in fear. "The money! We're being robbed! Come on let's go!" Luz pulled Hunter to his feet and the two of them hopped onto their staffs to chase after the thief.

They flew after the thief and followed them to a nearby island. Hunter dived down on his staff, Luz rolled her eyes knowing that he would most likely do some flashy entrance. Luz closed in on the shoreline, jumping off her staff and landing on the sandy beach. "Stop! You're under arrest for stealing from an Emperor's ship!"

The thief laughed, "you'll have to kill me first!" Just then, a fist of boiling water rose from the waves and crashed against the beach, sending sand spraying everywhere. Both Luz and the criminal had to cover their faces from the sand, the water receded back into the ocean. Hunter looked up, smoke still rising off him. "That can still be arranged."

"Hello, criminal. What's about to happen should be relatively painless, if you just do what I say." Hunter said, standing up straight. "And why would I do that?" The thief said while adjusting the stolen bag of snails over their shoulder. "Because you can't use magic." Hunter replied, he pointed his staff at them and a quick blast knocked their hat off their head. They dropped the bag of snails in surprise, Luz teleported over, snatching the bag and teleporting back to drop the bag beside Hunter.

When she looked up at the thief again, she froze. It was Eda, though now she had mismatched eyes, one grey and one gold. "So the Owl Lady will be arrested, again, for attacking one of the Emperor's ships." Hunter said. "Why are you guys hunting the Selkidomus? It's a peaceful creature, and you're provoking it!" Eda said with narrowed eyes.

"The Emperor ordered us to slay one. We're just following orders." Luz replied. Eda looked her over for a moment before looking back at Hunter. "Well, I'm just gonna smack you around a bit!" She ripped off her arm to use as a weapon, swinging it around but missed and was blasted away by Hunter.

Luz didn't bother to join the short lived fight, preferring to just watch. "How about..." Hunter powered his staff. "I leave you dangling above the Boiling Sea?!" He manipulated the land to move Eda directly above the steaming water. "Around these parts, just the steam is enough to cause third-degree burns." Hunter threatened as he brought her back to land. "But I don't have to be that mean. You won't have to get arrested, if you follow those Selkidomus tracks and slay the beast. Here! I'll help!"

He used his staff to create a sword, which thunked against the sand. "I'll even let the Amber Guard go with you! Can't have you escaping or tricking us now can we?" Hunter said, looking to Luz. Luz didn't move for a moment, her brain took a moment to catch up. Once realizing what she was supposed to be doing, she walked over and kicked the sword over to Eda. "Fine. Come on then Owl Lady, time's wasting." She said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Eda looked her over again before picking up the sword and standing up. "Lead the way then, Amber Guard." Eda said cynically. Luz gulped and gripped her staff tightly before leading the way to the cave, Eda following behind her with the sword and Hunter watching them from the shoreline.

The two of them followed the tracks into the cave in silence for awhile. They came across a cliff edge, a large ship, broken and battered lay within the cavern. Luz tried her hardest to ignore Eda standing beside her, but it was hard to ignore someone staring directly at you.

"If you're gonna say something, just say it." Luz stated, refusing to look at Eda. Instead she looked over the cavern, trying to figure out where the Selkidomus would be. After another moment of silence, Eda finally asked. "Why?" Luz tensed, the question echoing off the walls.

Even after Luz had asked herself the same question time and time again, she still wasn't sure she had an answer. "Why what?" Luz stalled, she jumped onto the mast of the ship, walking across the worn down wood until she reached the middle. Resting a hand on the pole, she looked down, seeing if she could spot the Selkidomus.

"Everything!" Eda said, she didn't sound angry like Luz was expecting, she sounded more exhausted than anything. "I just wanna know why you did what you did. Was everything an act? Did you care for us at all? Lilith said you did, but I don't know how much I can trust her. I need to hear it from you." Eda continued with a sigh.

"I just want to understand."

Luz finally spotted the Selkidomus, it seemed to be sleeping at the moment. "There's nothing for you to understand." Luz replied, she had to distance herself from them, she couldn't let herself stay attached to them. It would be easier if they hated her, it would be easier to detach herself emotionally from Eda and King.

"Yes there is." Eda argued. Luz felt the mast jerk slightly as Eda climbed up after her. "You won't understand." Luz snapped back. Eda grabbed her wrist and Luz snapped her head around to look at her for the first time since entering the cave. A look of desperation filled the features of her face. "Then make me understand! I want to help you!"

"I don't want your help!" Luz shouted, snatching her arm back. Guilt flooded her immediately as a hurt look crossed Eda's face. Luz turned away "I never needed your help, and I don't need it now."

"If you really want to know. Belos will heal my curse after the Day of Unity, so I'm doing pretty great right now." Luz lied, she was pretty sure Belos would uphold his end of the deal after the Day of Unity. She wasn't a 100% confident though.

Eda was silent, Luz looked back down at the Selkidomus. "Come on, we have a job to do." Luz said, jumping down into the cavern. "Wait!" Eda called, looking over the edge as Luz landed on the Selkidomus's snout. It stirred, Luz jumped off and landed on the ground as the creature roared.

The Selkidomus puffed up, spikes shooting out in all directions. Luz rolled out of the way, hiding behind a plank of wood sticking up from the ground. Once the attack stopped, Luz sprinted from her hiding place and towards the Selkidomus. A glow formed at the tip of her staff, a pillar of ice forming beneath her, launching Luz into the air. She lifted the staff above her head, ready to slash down like a sword as she flew through the air.

Eda swung in on a vine and grabbed Luz in midair. Luz lost her grip on her staff, it fell and clattered on the ground as Eda and Luz landed behind some cover. "Luz," Eda started. "...If I ever truly knew you, you'll help me get out of this without hurting the Selkidomus. I know you don't want to hurt an innocent creature... right?" Eda asked, trying to search for any sign that Luz would agree.

"I have a job to do, Owl Lady. My feelings on this doesn't matter and I won't let you get in the way." Luz replied, standing up. A high pitched cry sounded behind, Luz turned to see a baby Selkidomus behind her. It bumped against her leg and looked up at her. It was incredibly adorable.

Luz took a couple steps back, it followed her while sounding little chirps. Eda laughed, "someone likes you! Seems you've made a friend there." The baby Selkidomus bounded over to Eda and chirped. Eda patted it's head affectionately.

"Fiiiiine, we won't kill the Selkidomus." Luz grumbled, unable to resist the cuteness. Eda smirked at her "so you do have a heart!" Luz crossed her arms. "I'm not doing this for you! I just don't want to carry the guilt of killing a mother and orphaning a child." Luz replied. Eda shrugged, it was still a win for her.

"Gotta plan to convince Goldie Boots out there that we killed the Selkidomus then?" Eda asked. Luz hummed "not yet..." she went to look out of their cover spot, surveying the area. The Selkidomus mother was still looking for them nearby. Eda came up to stand beside her, "I believe once the Selkidomus realizes we aren't a danger to her baby she'll back off."

"I think I have an idea, but I need my staff." Luz said. "What about your glyphs?" Eda asked, Luz shook her head. "I don't have any paper and I still need my staff to write. Plus the glyphs are wild magic, they're dangerous and illegal to use." Luz informed, Eda and Luz ducked back into cover when the Selkidomus looked their way.

"Well you used them when living with me, they seem to function like normal spells. So I don't see anything wrong with using them, now if you told me you accidentally cursed yourself while using them- that's a different story." Eda replied.

"I still don't have anything to write with." Luz said. "Oh wait!" Luz looked to Eda in confusion as she pulled out a notebook and pencil from her hair. "I forgot that I started carrying these around. I don't remember your glyphs all to well, but since I can't do magic I figured I'd carry these incase I remembered." Eda handed the utensils to Luz.

"Oh... well alright then." Luz sat down and started drawing lots of light and plant glyphs. Eda sat down beside her and watched her draw so she could remember them later. "What's your plan anyways?" Eda asked as the baby Selkidomus snuggled with her, chirping.

"Well I figured we could put on a bit of a show using shadows and props." Luz explained, setting aside a finished light glyph and started drawing a plant glyph. "I recognize this one." Eda pointed at the light glyph. "It's light, right?" Luz nodded with a hum, she finished the plant glyph. "And this one's the plant glyph." Luz commented.

Once they had a decent amount of glyphs, the two of them came out into the open. The baby Selkidomus stuck it's head out and chirped which grabbed the mother Selkidomus's attention.

Eda was right, once the mother Selkidomus saw they weren't a danger to the pup it backed off. Though it was still hesitant of Luz and Eda had to vouch for her to the creature. Luz wasn't sure how she felt about that but nonetheless they set up the pieces of their plan by the cave entrance after Luz picked up her staff.

Dozens of light glyphs floated in the air as Luz used the plant glyphs to create a Selkidomus made of vines. Eda stood back making sure the shadows appeared on the wall and could be seen from the cave entrance.

Hunter leaned against his staff, waiting for Luz and the Owl Lady to return. He was facing the cave when shadows appeared on the wall with the Selkidomus, Luz, and the Owl Lady fighting. When it seemed that the Owl Lady killed it, Hunter walked closer to the cave entrance but stopped when Luz and the Owl Lady came into view.

"Is it done?" He asked as Luz walked past the criminal, staff in hand. "The Selkidomus has been slain." Luz answered, standing beside him. "Good." Hunter then turned his attention to Eda. "Thank you for your service, I suppose you're free to go. Just remember that the Emperor is not a merciful man... Byeeeee~" Hunter waved, turning and walking away.

Eda rolled her eyes "thanks for letting me do all your dirty work." She replied sarcastically. Eda shifted her gaze to Luz, a pleading look on her face. However Luz turned away, following after Hunter and picking up the bag of snails.

Eda watched them go, her shoulders sagging as they mounted their staffs and took off. She turned away and entered the cave again. The large plant they used laid on the ground, glyphs covered the surface of it. Eda crouched down beside it, she'd managed to snag a couple light glyphs they didn't use. She took out her pencil and notebook and copied the plant glyph down for later.

Lilith would probably have a blast studying them, once Eda was done sketching out the plant glyph she stood back up. The light glyph was the one Eda knew the best, with Luz drawing it so much after the discovery and Eda getting the custom-made belt, she knew it pretty well. The other glyphs were more unfamiliar to her, since she didn't see them as often.

Anywho she needed to find where the Selkidomus went. After a couple minutes of looking she found the Selkidomus and her pup. "This area is dangerous. You need to move further out into the sea." She explained. The Selkidomus nodded before regurgitating a pile of golden selkigris.

Meanwhile, Luz and Hunter made it back to the ship. The thunk of the money bag landing on the deck alerted the crew. "The Selkidomus has been slain, don't worry you all will be getting a cut of the gold." Hunter informed as the crew cheered. Luz slipped away from everyone, heading into a separate room to rest before they got back to shore.

She didn't think she'd see Eda again so soon after the Petrification Ceremony. Also the fact that Eda wasn't in her cursed form confused Luz, how did she manage to turn back? Luz was so sure that she would be stuck like that... well however she did it, Luz was glad for it. She didn't need another thing to feel guilty about.

The mismatched eyes were new though, Luz couldn't come up with any logical reason on how that happened. Luz thought back to the conversation they had in the cave... if you could call it that. Eda just wanted to understand, Luz could've answered her questions truthfully. Though that would probably result in more questions being asked and ultimately lead to Eda trying to help her and getting herself hurt or captured again. Luz's best option was to distance herself and hope that Eda would back off.

The Emperor didn't see Eda as much of a priority now that she was powerless, leaving her be for now. Luz didn't want Eda to put another target on her back by trying to talk to her. Luz couldn't help Eda like she did with the Selkidomus just now, if she ran into a similar situation like that again, Luz couldn't risk getting herself into trouble. She still had to gain the Emperor's favor if she wanted her curse to be healed and if distancing herself would keep Eda safe from Emperor Belos, than so be it.