The Clawthornes were...a strange family. Some of the members often had two paths to destiny. Their destiny would either be:

Crazy and homeless or brilliant and wealthy.

Edalyn Clawthorne was a bit of both. She wasn't homeless, but she wasn't wealthy. She was a little crazy, but brilliant. Not to mention, she was surprisingly kind...somewhat. She had a bit of a criminal record.

People called her 'The Owl Lady' due to living in an old house in the forest, along with having a thing for pet owls.

Eda groaned as she drove through the night, her pet owls 'Owlbert' and 'Hooty' in the backseat in their cage. "That was a close one...you almost exposed me, Owlbert."

Owlbert just let out a 'hoot' in response.

"Oh, don't give me that face. I can't scam someone into thinking they got a wealthy future if the crystal ball is just knocked off and shattered. That things just a fish bowl with lights in it."

Owlbert just blinked before letting out another hoot, walking around his cage with Hooty.

Eda sighed before she came across the entrance to the forest...but then saw something in the sky. She narrowed her eyes. "Wow. Moon's real bright today."

Then? She saw a shadow or silhouette of something falling. Eda just shrugged it off, thinking it was a bird. She eased her foot's grip on the gas petal, just in case the bird decided to be dumb and hit her window.

"Huh. That's a big bird. Kinda looks like a person!" Eda laughed before her eyes widened. "IT IS A PERSON-!"

The shadowy figure CRASHED against Eda's window, cracking it before rolling off and then tumbling into the weeds. Eda slammed on the brakes, turning on the wheel to not make it slide off the road.

The tires screeched as Eda turned, and Owlbert and Hooty screeched in fear, crashing around the cage.

Eda breathed heavily as her car screeched to a stop. She then growled and grabbed a shovel from the back, putting on her lights from her car. "OKAY, TIME TO KILL A DUMBASS SKYDIVER."

She slammed open the door and stepped out, gripping the shovel and slowly walking over, but then her eyes widened.

Some kind of teenage girl was cradling a furry creature, whispering sweet nothings to it. But that wasn't what weirded her out. She had a purple cloak, a white tunic, golden belt, and black and gray boots, pants, and sleeves. They looked like a superhero from a comic book.

When the light of her car shined upon the girl and the furry creature, both froze.

Eda then cleared her throat. "Uhhh...you good? And believe me, it's important that I'm asking if you're ok. My window's gonna take forever to pay for-"

Then, the girl turned around, hiding the furry creature in her cloak. She was just a teenager. Maybe 16 or 17.

She was just a kid.

"U-Ummm! Hey!" The girl said nervously. "...You don't eat flesh, do you?"

"Do I look like a cannibal?" Eda asked, but before the girl could answer, she shushed her. "Don't answer that, kid. I may look like I eat humans, but believe me, I don't unless they-"

The girl suddenly shrieked and hid completely in her cloak. "DON'T BURN MY COPRSE ON A STAKE!!!!"

Eda was VERY confused. Was this some dramatic cosplayer with a puppy or something? She couldn't seem to get it until she saw the girl's ears.

They were pointy. Like an elf's. But it wasn't plastic or foam or rubber...they were real. And Eda was a scammer, she could tell the difference between real and fake.

Eda then gently set down the shovel and raised her hands. "Hey, now...I'm not gonna do that. You're just a kid. Okay? I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Eda."

The girl revealed herself. "...My name's L-Luz..."

"NO! SHE'S GONNA BURN US!" Another voice said. "RUN!"

"Uhhh...who said that?" Eda asked.

Luz chuckled a little, but it was clear she was still nervous. "Hang on a second, umm, Eda."

She then began to whisper things into her cloak, and whoever screamed earlier began to whisper back. Then, Luz faced Eda and then pulled back her cloak to reveal the furry creature.

King.

Eda's eyes widened and then she blinked. "Well...there's...something you don't see everyday." She then noticed the wounds on Luz and King. Something else had hurt them before Luz crashed into her car's window.

"So...you're not gonna hurt us, creepy old lady?" King asked.

Eda narrowed her eyes. "I'm not an old lady. I'm like 42. Creepy? Maybe." She then sighed. "Okay. I may of come off a bit harsh. You're hurt and you fell from the friggin' sky. I can take you to my place so you can rest up...unless you want to start walking for miles with a broken leg."

Luz looked at her leg and then sighed. "T-Thank you so much."

"But then? You gotta explain everything." Eda said, walking over and helping Luz stand and walk to her car. "AND pay me for the window."

"C-Can I work it off by any chance...?" Luz asked. "I'm...sort of broke."

"Explanations are for when we get back, kid."

Later, they made it back to Eda's home, and she helped both Luz and King sit down.

Eda examined their wounds and sighed. "Alright. A few bruises and cuts. You'll be ok. Just need to let em heal."

Luz smiled. "Thank you so much. I never knew humans were this nice."

"Eh, some are." Eda said as she grabbed two ice packs for both of them and handed them to the two. "Alright. Now explain. Why did you just fall from the sky...and how can that thing talk? He looks like a dog with a dinosaur skull over his head."

"I have no idea what a dinosaur is, but it sounds like a compliment!" King said triumphantly.

Luz giggled before gently setting King on her lap, petting him and helping him hold his ice pack. "Well, anyway. My name is Luz Noceda, and well, I'm a witch."

"You? A witch?" Eda asked. "So, magic and evil cackles and flying brooms?"

"Whaaa? No! I'm not a savage!" Luz said, a little offended. "But yeah. Magic." She then spun her finger around in a circle and showed a glowing orb of light.

Eda stared at the glowing orb with amazement. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Despite Luz and King's appearance, she had been fooled before. But this? This was real.

Luz then lifted the glowing orb and it became a light to the house, despite the lights already being on. "I'm the Wild Witch of The Boiling Isles. The only one. I'm a criminal where I come from."

"A criminal?"

"Well, I mean, not really. I was only declared that just for- You know what. I'll start from the beginning." Luz said before clearing her throat. "Oh, I love this backstory! It all began with The Boiling Isles. It was a peaceful place. Magic, monsters, and harmony. There was no limit to the magic we could do...but one day, everything changed. An evil man from another realm came to us, and told everyone in the realm that magic was being used incorrectly. That man assumed the throne, and became Emperor Belos."

King growled a little at the name. He hated Belos for all he had done.

"But a few witches refused to obey him. They knew Belos just wanted to control everyone and prevent them from becoming any more powerful. My mother was one of them." She then smiled. "She was pretty tough and strong. An expert with magic. And when I was old enough? She taught me everything she knew."

Eda smiled a little. "Was she strict?"

"Not really. Only when it got dangerous. She was the best mother I could've asked for...but then one day..." Luz clutched her cloak, her fist shaking.

Eda saw it and her eyes softened. "...She didn't make it. Did she...?"

"B-B-Belos...took her away..." Luz sniffled before seeing King cuddle in her chest. She pet him, taking multiple deep breaths. "I...I became a criminal and lived in a cave with King for a little while...until recently, me and him were found and thrown through some kind of device, built by Belos. It was a portal to here. They were testing it, and had me and King as test subjects. It would either kill us or work correctly."

"Why do they want a portal here?"

"I...don't know." Luz said. "But whatever the reason, I'll stop it."

"Don't worry, kid. Evil bastards like this Belos guy always have what's coming to them." She then looked at King. "So, King...are you like her pet sidekick?"

"THE KING OF DEMONS IS NO ONE'S SIDEKICK!!!!" King screamed.

Luz sighed, petting King to calm him down. King huffed and then sat back on Luz's lap, slowly calming down. "He's my partner. I found him when he was little, when I was about 4 years old. Me and my mom adopted him, and he's been with me for 12 years."

"Wow." Eda said. "Really embracing on the man's best friend part."

"I'm not a pet." King growled.

Luz kissed his forehead. "No, you're way better."

"I know." King said, his tail wagging a little.

Eda then sighed. "...Alright. I'll make a deal with you. So, you don't know when you're gonna be going back home, right?"

"Or if there is a way, yes."

"You can stay here as long as you'd like. All I ask in return is help with chores and other stuff...speaking of which." Eda then reached into a drawer and grabbed a rock.

"Uhhh...?" Luz said, blinking.

Eda then held up the rock towards her. "Now turn this thing into gold."

"No."