Witches Among Humans (TOH)

Chapter 26: The Punishment

"...and that's how I found him freezing to death behind a dumpster. I brought him home. I didn't know how he got there. I just assumed he was an abandoned kitten, so I got him a collar and kept him as a pet." Eda finished explaining the tale of how she came to find King.

"King, do you remember anything?" Luz asked, turning her attention to the newly found demon.

He shrugged, looking down at the ground. He racked his brain for the memories of that night. "It's a bit of a blur, but I remember some of it. I hatched from an egg. As I was crawling out, a portal opened up and brought me to your realm. Something must have transformed me into a cat."

The group was no closer to discovering what had happened to King. The only thing they knew for sure was that he was definitely some kind of demon. They ran through a few tests to find out if he was some kind of bug, beast, or biped demon, but all came back inconclusive. Besides his roar, he didn't appear to have any other magic abilities.

They tried to make him fly, breathe fire, shoot lasers, and shape-shift, but nothing worked. He just ended up frustrated and exhausted.

King looked downcast, feeling confused about his origins. 

Luz scooted closer to him. She laid a gentle hand on his skull. 

"Don't worry, buddy. We'll figure it out." 

She gave him a reassuring smile and a hug. She knew how it felt to be different and not fit in.

King smiled up at her, grateful for the support everyone was giving him.

Luz leaned down, as if to tell him a secret. She made sure her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Besides, think about all the blackmail that you have on Eda now."

King smiled mischievously, looking over towards his owner... former owner? It was something he had to work out He still considered her his family, even if their relationship had changed.

"Hey! I heard that!" Eda scolded jokingly.

She pretended to be angry, but she couldn't hide the fondness in her voice. She loved King, no matter what he was. 

The group joked and laughed, trying their best to brighten the mood. Some of the witches and demons from the rebellion had happily joined in, creating a decent sized gathering around the backside of the waterfall.

They shared stories, food, and music, enjoying each other's company.

This kept up until a familiar sight of mint-green hair appeared around the corner pulling a certain human from the conversation. 

She got up, silently excusing herself as she followed after them. 

Raine smiled as they noticed Eda approaching. "Hey, how's everyone doing?"

Raine had been out, performing their duties as a coven head. They still had to keep up appearances, what with the whole 'Day of Unity' coming up.

Eda looked back towards the group. Her gaze settled on Luz in particular. She could see it in her eyes. Her kid was putting up a front for the others not to worry about her, but Eda could see through it clear as day. Anytime Luz assumed no one was looking, she had a far off look in her eyes. She had to be mad with worry about her mother, but with no real plan yet, she knew she couldn't do anything.

She wished she could do something to help Luz, to ease her pain and fear. She wished she could tell her that everything would be okay, that they would find her mom and bring her back safely. But she couldn't make promises she wasn't sure she could keep.

"They're holding up." 

Raine followed Eda's line of sight, knowing who she was referring to.

It helped that the group had met up with the resistance. But that was only two days ago. They needed time to plan and to think.