#witches before wizards

[teartra]

“Today I'm delivering packages, but tomorrow I'll be earning the respect of everyone on the Boiling Isles with my magical prowess.”

Luz, you have no idea

[findmeinthefallair]

[owlhousetarot]

Seven of Cups: Adegast Tempting Luz

Upright: Choices, opportunities, wishful thinking, illusion, fantasy, daydreaming, indecision, searching for purpose

Reversed: Confusion, distraction, diversion, overwhelmed, clarity, personal alignment, making a choice

The Seven of Cups is the card of choices and opportunities, but also illusion and wishful thinking. It represents a moment where you're faced with a myriad of different options for the future, each seeming more exciting than the last—though you must be careful what you wish for, because all that glitters is not gold. The Seven of Cups may suggest your expectations for the future aren't grounded in reality, and that you're prone to wishful thinking and unrealistic ideals. This is exactly the situation in which Luz finds herself in Witches Before Wizards: she's followed the pipe-dream adventure Adegast set up for her, playing masterfully into her preconceived notions of being a fantasy protagonist, unknowing that she's being led by illusions straight into a trap.

The Seven of Cups reminds you that while wishing and dreaming are all well and good, there comes a time where you need to let go of your fantasies and face reality. Luz does exactly this by choosing Eda and King over Adegast's puppets, breaking free from the fantasy illusion and saving them both. This is Luz's first step on her journey of deconstructing her fantasy-hero complex and maturing into a more grounded person whose actions are guided not by unrealistic fantasies, but by her personal values and convictions.

Deck Order:

< Previous: Six of Cups | Next: Eight of Cups >

Show Chronology:

< Previous: King of Wands | Next: Six of Wands >

[icy-watch]

Well, that's a skeleton

[sepublic]

            Can’t believe there are still some people out there who think Witches before Wizards is “filler” or “padding” that can be skipped… Just admit you weren’t paying attention to Luz’s arc or the central themes of the show. And if you don’t want to hear it from me, how about from Bosook Coburn, who worked on TOH for its entire run?

        I’m not asking you to like it or even think it’s good (not that I don’t think either of these things). I just need you to acknowledge how indisputably important it is, how it directly follows the first episode and Luz’s affirmation of her weirdness and right to be herself for a reason. At worst, Witches before Wizards is a nasty medicine or vegetable; Unpleasant, but necessary no matter how you feel about it. You HAVE to include it, or the rest doesn’t make sense or isn’t as good as it should be, and you have only yourself to blame if you find it deficient without the part you skipped.

[drbtinglecannon]

S1E2 vs S3E3

[butterstikk]

S1, Ep2: Witches before wizards

[animerunner]

I genuinely feel like anyone who still thinks Witches Before Wizards is filler. Hasn’t watched the episode in a long time.

All of the themes that are presented there are huge parts of season 3.

It really acts as almost a secondary pilot. Because so much of what essential to the shores core is in that episode.

It’s not filler. It hasn’t been filler for a while. If you genuinely think that maybe rewatch and this time pay attention to what the episode is saying in conjunction with what S3 was saying.

Because the later really picks up on it

[flower-boi16]

I know many people see the episode Witches Before Wizards as nothing but a filler episode, but I disagree, it's one of the most underrated episodes of the show imo. The episode first shows how The Boiling Isles isn't the idealized fantasy world that Luz expected it to be, as Eda and King say it's actually very nihilistic. Then while delivering stuff for Eda, Luz comes across a wizard in a castle that says she's a chosen one to get the celestial staff.

After Eda and King mock her for this, Luz goes on the quest and goes into what looks like a village, something that looks more like Luz's idealized fantasy world that she thought the boiling isles was gonna be like, and for a second she does think that this is what the boiling isles really is, because it fits her idealized version of a fantasy world more than what it's actually like.

However, as the episode progresses, we begin to see that Luz is being tricked, when King tells Eda what Luz is doing and finds that Luz is being tricked. Later in the episode when Luz reaches the end of her quest and she gets the staff, it was a trap all along as a weird creature thing reveals itself and says that he wanted to lure Luz in because he knows Eda will come to save her, and ofc, she does. After they fight off the monster and defeat him we get the ending scene.

Luz is sad that the boiling isles isn't the fantasy world she thought she was, and to cheer her up, Eda goes and takes Luz to a mystery flight on her staff, and takes her to a beautiful view of the boiling Isles bones. They tell Luz that while the boiling isles is kind of a slimy, stinky and gross place, if you look at it from a different perspective, it could look beautiful, and Eda tells Luz to choose herself instead of just waiting to be chosen.

I love that the episode took the chosen one trope and subverted it in a way that's interesting, where Luz wants to go on a fantasy quest to make herself feel special because she felt like a nobody back at her home, and wants to try and think that the boiling isles is idealized fantasy world she had in her head. She didn't feel like she was special back in her home, so going on this quest that is exactly what her version of boiling isles looked like made her feel like Azura (the main character in a book series that Luz obsesses over), a character who Luz wants to see herself in, so going on this quest made her live this fantasy world she always wanted in real life.

It's great for Luz's character and develops her in a great way. I also love the ending, where Luz sees that although the Boiling Isles isn't the perfect fantasy world Luz wanted it to be, if you look at it from a different perspective it could look beautiful in its own way.

Witches Before Wizards is the most underrated episode of the show for how it cleverly subverts and parodies the typical chosen one story into something interesting and what it does for Luz's character. Probably one of, if not the best episode of season 1, and one of my favorite episodes of the show. This episode does NOT deserve to be considered "filler".

[yahoo201027]

Day in Fandom History: January 17…

Hoping to become a witch in training under Eda’s wing, an ancient magical wizard gives Luz a quest while doing errands for Eda to become a powerful being herself, not knowing that something is off about the said quest. “Witches Before Wizards” premiered on this day, 4 Years Ago.

[gaylos-lobos]

Witches before Wizards, what elements of it we see throughout the show and what it might tell us about its end.

Witches before Wizards is quite an interesting episode in retrospect, it set up several things like Luz having to earn her staff herself (and Eda helping her to gain one someday), pushing the fails idea of Luz being the only human on the isles and Eda spelling out a core aspect of several characters development journeys with telling Luz that one has to choose themselfe. 

There have however been other recurring aspects of the episode throughout the entire show, some plot points, some imagery, some aspects we see in other characters that play similar roles. And most importantly, there are several parts of the episode that haven’t yet happened which might give us an idea of what Watching and Dreaming might entail. 

So let me start with laying out the things we have already seen throughout the show. 

In Sense and Insensitivity (S1 Ep11) both Lilith and Eda get their hands on a map (one of many) from the same person (in Witches before Wizards Eda finds it in the collapsed castle of Adegast) which is supposed to lead the quest goer to a “treasure”, at the end of the quest it however turns out that this was a scam all along to kill whoever fell for it (while in WbW it was to kill Eda specifically). 

Seven episodes later in  Agony of a Witch (S1 Ep18) Luz gets captured so that Eda can get lured into a trap. Eda flies into what she  knows to be a trap and demands her students freedom.

The big similarities in season two start with us seeing Luz set out on a quest. In both Witches before Wizards as in Elsewhere and Elsewhen, the idea for it is set into her head by a bearded older man who uses compliments to lure Luz into a sense of safety as they journey together (in this case the puppeteer controls all of the people Luz travels with), it turns out at the end however that this was only a trap and that he had been manipulating her the entire time. 

Luz says at 5:35 in WbW that she might have a “predetermined path (of greatness)” and at 16:25 she says that she “came here for a reason”. At the end of Elsewhere and Elsewhen it turns out to the viewer and in Hollow Mind to Luz that there was indeed a predetermined path waiting for her on the Isles. As she teaches Philip the light glyph and helps him find the Collectors mirror in the titans skull, this helping Philip to build his empire and the near extinction of wild magic with the day of unit. 

It turns out in both WbW and E&E that the kind bearded man that set Luz onto her quest was an act all along to lure her to do his bidding, in both cases Luz is simply a puppet in someone else's game to get revenge on someone else (this is only revealed to Luz in Hollow Mind). 

While Luz has traveled more than once into a forest, in Thanks to Them she and Hunter travel into one to find the Titans blood they need to create a portal back to the isles, in both cases, the titans blood and celestial staff, are on a small island in the middle of a small lake a bridge appears in WbW and Luz creates on in TtT, this small island is also the place the final fight of the episode takes place. It turns out that the people/person Luz traveled there with have been puppeteered as to lure her into a trap, in both cases her friends come just in time to save her.    

In For the Future as in Witches before Wizards we see collapsed and ruined towns that had been beautiful illusions, throughout a  puppeteer uses a variety of  puppets to play out a fantasy, in both episodes King is held hostage by the puppeteer (while not for the same reason King is indeed still a hostage of the Collector even though his opinion of them seems to be somewhat positive).  

At the end of WbW Luz, Eda and King are looking over the Titan together and see a blue shooting star pass over its head, this blue star imagery comes up constantly again in For the Future. The big wave (alongside shooting stars) the Collector sends out directly over the Titans head in the beginning of the episode is in similar blue colors, the spies he sends out over the isles share a similar dark blue. He and King are shown to fly over the isles on top of a blue shooting star and Belso is shown in the trailer for Watching and Dreaming to hold a blue star (potentially representing how the Collector is once again a puppet in his game). While this alone is not enough I do think the fact that the Collector was entrapped inside the titans skull (well his mirror) and the first time we see a blue shooting star appear in the show is indeed of significance and might not just be coincidence. 

Both Adegast and the Collector are associated with imagery of the stars and moon (this is especially important considering before we even meet Adegast we see the moon and stars hanging from his castles ceiling (at 7:13)), while King only calls Adegast outfit jima jams (at 7:34) the Collector seems to actually be dressed in some type of pajamas. While Adegast is only a puppet the Collector as mentioned above is also a puppet in Beloses game, a game where both puppeteers' end goal is revenge.  

Let me now go over Watching and Dreaming, what is similar in the trailer and what could happen in the final.

While some of these mentioned examples might be more flimsy or even coincidental I do believe there to be deliberate connections especially the ones with Philip and E&E and also the ones with the Collector and the shooting star seem to fit way too well for them to just be coincidentes. So what does the rest of the episode have in it that might still appear in Watching and Dreaming? What might we see in the final and what of this is just connecting dots that really aren't there?      

We see in the trailer for Watching and Dreaming that Luz, Eda and King have been put into a dream-like world (illusion) by the Collector (which happens because the real puppeteer (Belos) is controlling him). This is similar to how Adegast is the one to set Luz into another illusion at the end of the episode but is actually just a puppet hanging off one of the  actual Puppeteers' many tentacles.

While we can only guess, through the way it is presented it seems that Luz wakes up in this dream like reflection of the isles, making it hard to tell if it might be reality or a dream, while mainly used as a way to recap in WbW Luz wakes up after a small montage of the first episode wondering if she is dreaming or if it’s real. Considering the places we see in the trailer the Collector seems to let them relieve some of their memories or at least similar memories. 

One of the first scenes of WbW is Eda not remembering Luz, of course here it is played as a gag but considering the shot of Eda and King in the trailer it might seem that Luz first has to remember her family who she is considering the Collector has dressed her up as Belos.  

Another thing we have seen already in the trailer is (presumably) the Collector using Eda and King to attack Luz and potential also Amity, Gus, Willow and Hunter to attack her, the way the Puppeteer uses the puppets Luz has been traveling and formed bonds with to attack her, Eda and King at the end of WbW. 

At WbWs end Luz was put into another illusion. We see her breaking out of it to save her friends, because even though she was offered to live out her fantasy she realized that reality is, while harder, more important than any ideal an illusion could offer. While Luz and King have already learned this lesson throughout their journeys in the show we see the Collector play out fantasies throughout FtF and are shown several times that he does not seem to really understand what kind of consequences their way of play would have on the inhabitants he plays with. While our main trio is the one that has to break out of an illusion, I think we might see the Collector learning the same lesson Luz and King had to already. That reality is more important and has more worth than any fales illusionary world could ever have. 

Early in WbW Adegast mentions that the chosen one will have to defeat an ancient evil and as we learned in FtF the Collectors (and with that our Collector) do fit that description quite well. They travel from planet to planet and archive who and what they want and if they do not get their way they scorch everything, they are even the reason why the Titans are near extinct. Defeating the Collector (note; this does not necessarily mean killing them) would indeed mean the defeat of an ancient evil, this especially after Luz has just gotten her staff the way the Celestial staff would have made her the chosen one to defeat the ancient evil in the fake prophecy. 

During WbWs final fight Luz first defeats Adegast before she is able to defeat the Puppeteer. This to me implies that Luz and Co. need to first defeat the Collector before she can finally defeat Belos, ending the real Puppeteers shared once and for all. 

An eager Luz says at (5:48) that she is going to earn the respect of everyone on the isles with her magic, considering that she, Eda and King are most likely going to be the ones to take care of both the Collector and Belos and considering that Luz has earned her staff and grown significantly as a witch over the show this comment of hers might actually come true by the end of her story. 

As mentioned earlier Luz, Eda and King are watching over the isles at the end of WbW (same in the season two ending credits) and I believe we are going to see a similar shot at the end of WaD, one where their little family is looking over the restored isles together, maybe even seeing the Collector off as he travels back into the sea of stars.  

[gr3at-s4ge]

another comparison post but.

TKO 🤝🏾 Witches Before Wizards 🤝🏾 Macaque

gullible protagonist [who i relate to] is lead by a mysterious stranger who promises power and/or some form of "fantasy destiny" only for it to be a total trap in which the protagonist has to stand up for themself after being hyped up by their close companions

[top-tier-tickles]

Princess Luzura of The Boiling Isles

Chapter 3! Of course, this is going slowly because the first few episodes of TOH are mostly slice of life adventures, but we'll get there 😉

______________________________________

Chapter 3: To Be Chosen

Luzura sat at her desk, staring at the clothes she laid out last night. Was she really going to do this? Yesterday was like nothing she had ever experienced, she could barely sleep throughout the night. She wanted to know more. She had to know more.

Breakfast was awkward that morning, her father commenting how she was oddly quiet. But Luzura couldn't speak a word for fear of ratting herself out.

Now there she was, tying multiple bedsheets to each other to make a stealthy escape out of her window. She tossed it out, thankfully it was long enough for her to climb out without injury. Luzura exited through her window, slid down the roof of the castle, and made her way through the forest.

She approached the Owl House, surprised that Hooty hasn't said anything when she showed up. She knocked on the door. No response.

She knocked again. Nothing.

One final rap on the door, and a voice could be heard from inside.

"Cool it! Cool it, I'm coming!"

The door creaked open, Eda sleepily cracked her eyes open to see who disturbed her slumber.

"Eda the Owl Lady. I, Princess Luzura, would like you to teach me magic!" Luzura said, having rehearsed that line about a hundred times.

Eda yawned, rubbing her eyes, her mascara still on from yesterday.

"Who are you, again?" She finally asked.

"Huh?"

Eda ignored her, walking back inside and into her kitchen, Luzura following behind.

"I'm Luzura, remember? We freed the oppressed and defeated the evil warden together? Yesterday?"

"Easy, kid. I haven't even had my cup of apple blood yet."

Luzura didn't reply, instead excusing herself to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror, eyeing her features. Her brown eyes were wide, complementing her light brown skin, there was something missing, Luzura just knew it!

She reached into her pouch, pulling out her Good Witch Azura book, scanning the green-haired heroine on the cover.

"Hmmm." She had the robe, as she was wearing a black robe above her normal clothes.....Aha! A hat! She needed a hat!

"Hello your majesty!" Hooty suddenly screamed, making Luzura smack him in the face.

"Ouch! I was just wishing you a good morning! Sheesh!"

"Sorry Hooty!" She apologized, returning to her task at hand.

Luzura peeked inside the hall closet, praying that Eda had witchy hats stored somewhere. Luckily, there was a whole stack on them, right in the corner.

She returned to the kitchen, Eda sitting on the table drinking put of her mug while King sat on a chair, poking at some scrambled eyeballs with his fork.

Luzura couldn't help but run up and hug him.

"How's my little cutie pie, huh?" She cooed.

"Ugh, I am not your cutie pie!" He squirmed.

"Yes you are!~"

"*Sigh*..I know..."

Luzura let King go, turning back to Eda.

"Remember me now?"

"Hm? Psh, of course kid! How could I forget?"

Luzura squealed with excitement, and immediately began ranting off a billion questions at once.

"Teach me some spells! When do I get my own magic staff? Should I have brought my own runes? Do you have a dangerous magic quest for me?!"

"Wait, kid. Yesterday you showed me that you don't have any powers..."

"Weeell, maybe I just need a good kick! Something that'll spark my magic into action! Like- Like-"

"Woahwoahwoah. Slow down, kid. Being a with doesn't happen overnight. And right now you're just wearing a bathrobe and the dirtiest traffic cone I've ever seen." Eda snorted.

Luzura took her hat off, blowing the dust away, only for it to reveal itself as a filthy, bent traffic cone. King laughed when this was discovered.

Eda drank the last of her apple blood, wiping away the red liquid on her lips.

"But magic staff, eh? How come you don't already have one?"

Luzura stayed silent, she didn't know why she was never given a staff. Her father had one, the coven leaders had staffs, and other important figures of the Boiling Isles had staffs. Why didn't she have one?

With her lack of an answer, Eda finally said, "Magic staff, come to me!", extending her hand.

Silence, followed by a series of crashes as the owl staff rushed towards the old woman, smacking her in the face.

Eda struggled to grasp the staff, finally sighing as she got a hold of it.

"It's early..."

"Now, witches usually are awarded their staffs from school. With me as your teacher, you'll be taking a different approach." She grabbed a sack filled with glass bottles filled with potions.

"You'll have to actually work for it."

Eda began walking through the living room, towards the front door, Luzura ditched her robe on favor of her purple royal shirt, and followed with the sack.

"I run a few small businesses. On weekends I offer human artifacts the Owlbert drags from the human realm." She picked up a sword off the mantelpiece, pressing a button on it. The sword's artificial blade lit up, speaking: "I shall smite my enemies! Ages 6-11." Before Eda tossed it away.

"But most of the time, I sell only the finest homemade elixirs and potions." Luzura dug into the bag, pulling out a bottle.

"Snake oil?"

"Yup! Nobody wants an unoiled snake! Follow me." Eda lead the princess to the balcony, having a perfect view of Boneborough.

"Today you'll deliver packages to that town. But be careful, I have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down, and you along with it. And I can imagine those guards wouldn't be too happy to figure out their princess has gone missing. So wanted a dangerous magic quest? Sister, you've got one." Eda said.

"I won't let you down, Ms. Eda." Luzura turned, only for the bag to slip and fall to the ground, shattering the bottles.

"I'm sure." Eda said.

They went back inside, Eda repackaging her potions while Luzura made a plan to avoid being spotted. She'd have to stick to the shadows, and she had to do this quickly if she wanted to make it home in time for dinner.

"Alright, kid! You're good to go!" Eda handed her a new bag and pushed her out the door, "Remember, never befriend a man in sandals and always measure twice, but once."

"Uhhhh..."

"Good luck!" Eda slammed the door shut. She spotted king curled up on top of a chest, sleeping.

"Hate to interrupt your power nap, but you gotta go with her."

"What?! But I just found the perfect spot, why do I have to go?!"

"You and I both know that she'll either get lost or eaten. Probably both."

"I will not!" Luzura screamed through the window.

"And because you work for me too. Unless you want to start paying rent?"

King growled, hopping down and walking out the door.

"Be back by nightfall or risk mortal peril!" Eda yelled, slamming the door once again.

"Have a nice trip!" Hooty said.

King sighed, "Let's get this over with."

They made their way back to the town entrance. Luzura gasping at all the sights there.

"Hey, y'know it's rude to stare." King said.

"This is only my second time seeing all of this. It's incredible! And I'm gonna be the ruler of this someday?"

"Well that's kinda how the royal line works, right?"

"But that's just it! There's gotta be a reason! Why am I here? What if I, Princess Luzura, had a predetermined path of greatness? Just. Like. Azura!"

"Heh, yeah. Did Azura's path to greatness involve her delivering boil cream?"

"Today, I'm delivering packages. But tomorrow I'll be earning the respect of everyone on the Boiling Isles with my magical prowess!"

"And what would the emperor say when he finds out about all this?"

Luzura went quiet. She knew how angry her father could get if he knew about this. Maybe she should hold off the magical prowess for the time being."

"Besides, the Boiling Isles is nothing but a cesspool of despair!" King said.

"I cesspool of delight, you mean!" Luzura slung the bag over her shoulder, scoping out the crowd of shoppers. She spotted a centaur inspecting a gourdbeast egg. Bingo.

"What has four hooves and wants to buy a potion? This guy." She pitched, giving him the good ol' finger guns.

"Uhm. My eyes are down here." He put the egg down, pointing to the face on his chest.

Oh.

Luzura decided to put that behind her, and make their way to the first house. She rang the doorbell, only for it to clamp down on her hand and slowly start eating her, luckily, King yanked her out before she got digested.

More and more houses, more and more near disasters, who knew such a quaint little town could be so deadly. As they made it to the second to last package, King tugged on Luzura's sleeve, pointing to a Not Dog stand.

They sat on thesidewalk, King chowing down on his not dog, and Luzura staring at the cover of her Azura book.

"Whelp. I've had enough delight for one day." King said.

"I don't get it. I thought being a young newcomer discovering a town like this would make me special, but apparently it just makes everyone either yell at me or try to eat me." She sighed, cracking open the book to a picture of her hero being sent on a quest.

"At this point, Azura had already been sent on a magical journey. Where's my quest-granting wizard?" She pouted.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone here is that well dressed."

Luzura sighed again, picking up the sack and bringing out the delivery list.

"Let's just finish this last delivery and head back to the Owl House." Despite all the peril, they had made great time. If this was the only thing Eda needed her to do today, she'd be home way before dinner.

She followed the alleyway, lifting a curtain and gasped. Behind that shag was a glorious castle, the sun seemed to shine a heavenly glow upon it, almost magical. It was calling to Luzura.

They rang the gold-plated doorbell, and the fifty-feet-high doors slowly swung open, revealing nothing but darkness inside.

"Uggh. Big houses always belong to big wackjobs. I say we kick the package inside and get out of here." King said. Luzura didn't hear him, as she stepped inside, calling out to anyone who might be there.

King quickly followed, yelping when the door slammed shut behind them. They stepped further into the void, Luzura paying no mind to any suspicious activity.

"Hellooo? I've got a package from Eda the Owl Lady?" She said.

Suddenly, the mounted candles were set alight, illuminating the walls and room. They were in a giant library, large circular shelves filled with books upon books made up the room. A large door was across from them, a wizard in a purple robe stepped out.

"Ohoho! Today just got good!" Luzura exclaimed.

The wizard began to slowly descend down the steps.

"Magical wizard!"

"Weird old man in jim-jams."

The old man ignored King's remark, clearing his throat to speak.

"I was in my Oscillarium, reading the stars. And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity?"

"I...uhhh.."

"Young lady, dareth I say, but I sense something....unique about you." He casted a spell circle to conjure up two plush chairs and a table filled with snacks.

"Please, won't you join me for tea?"

"O-Ok..." Luzura agreed, but not before King jumped on her shoulders.

"Let's scram. Wizards are just old guys with glitter in their pockets!" Just as King said that, the wizard had picked out a handful of glitter, and tossed it on the floor.

"But the stars on his robe are sparkling! And there's a baby fox in his beard! Plus, there's scones on the table~"

"Where?!" King leapt off Luzura and onto the table, scarring the scones down.

"I'd love to join you for tea."

She was just about to drink when. She noticed a batch of vials on another table.

"Do you sell potions, Sir Wizard?"

"Please, call me Adegast. And yes, I run a small business."

"You should run a small business of more scones! Into my mouth! Haha!" King interjected. They ignored him.

"I'll admit, I'm surprised to see you here. It was my understanding that Eda delivered the packages herself."

"Weeell, I'm kinda-sorta her apprentice."

"Oh? And how do you find the experience so far?"

Luzura sighed.

"May I be honest, Sir Adegast? When I made the decision to ask Eda for an apprenticeship, I thought I was meant for something good, but Eda thinks I'm only good for chores. Maybe I made the wrong choice..."

Adegast hummed and stood up.

"I have a quest-"

"A QUEST!?"

"Aheheheh! You didn't let me finish. I have a question."

"Oh..."

"Would you like to go on a quest?"

"Yeees!"

Adegast produced a scroll from his beard.

"I might have just the thing..." he unfurled it for Luzura to see.

"The prophecy says of a young witchling of royal background who will claim the Celestial Staff and free this world from an ancient evil. Perhaps thou have cometh here for a reason?"

"Perhaps I have..." Luzura whispered, running her hand down the map.

"Should you believe yourself worthy of this quest..."

"So worthy. Very worthy."

"You should know the road is dark and perilous."

"I LOVE peril!"

"And only the Chosen One can pull the staff from its resting place."

"Chosen one-"

"Great story. Awesome. Anyway, your food is gone and we are too!" King suddenly interrupted.

"Yes, we have to leave....and packe for this enchanted quest! I'm in!" Luzura cheered.

"Wonderful!"

The pair made their way to the Owl House, Luzura immediately making her way to the room Eda stored things in. She toyed with the fake sword, pondering.

"So, King, what sort of chosen one should I be?"

"Huh what?"

"Should I be full of optimism and goodness? Like the Good Witch Azura? Or should I be the bad girl chosen one with black nail polish and a mysteriously withdrawn attitude?" She began to use her book as a puppet, "'I act like I don't care, but I secretly do...'"

"Ohhh, are we talking about bad girls?" Eda popped into the doorway, waving a severed hand around, "Waaait, what's going on here?"

"Eda, tell Luzura who dumb wizards are." King complained.

"Ugh, Wizards are the worst. Never trust a man in casual drapery. Why?"

"Heh. Your wizard client-aheheheh- t-told Luzura that she wahahahas the chosen one! Hahahahaha!" King burst into laughter, Eda did as well.

Luzura sat dejected, covering her face with her book. What was she doing to make everyone laugh?

"L-Lemme see this map you got..." Eda stopped laughing, grabbing the scroll from Luzura, she looked it over and snorted, "You didn't think this was real, did you?"

"What?"

"This map is bunk! There's no lake with a Celestial Staff on the Boiling Isles! I would've stolen it years ago..." Luzura sank further, "Aw, but don't worry. Couple more months with me and you won't look like such a mark..."

"Please....may I have some time alone?"

Eda shrugged and left, King following. Luzura sat against the wall, sighing.

"They're probably right. I'll be a powerless weak link forever..." the corner of the paper began to shine in the sunlight, revealing a message.

'The Chosen One,

The path will only appear to the worthy~'

Luzura gasped, "That's why Eda couldn't see it! But am I worthy...."

The window cracked open, blowing wind into the room, sending the map flying next to her book. The pages flipped to a picture of Azura presenting her staff, her companions looking at her with pride.

"Well, I'll never know unless I try..."

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Finally! All that mean-spirited laughter made me sleepy." King yawned, curling up to a pillow.

"Crony! Wake up. You said that wizard was one of my clients?" Eda asked.

"Yes. Now go away."

"I don't know him that well. I don't like this itch he's scratching on the Princess..."

"Less talky. More nappy."

Eda sighed, and walked back up the stairs to the store room. She opened the door gently.

"Hey, Luzura-?"

The window was open. No princess to be found.

"Aw nuts." Eda poked her head out the window, "Hooty, where'd she go?"

"Hoot hoot! If you want the answer that you seek, solve my riddle within a week-"

Eda slammed a hard punch against teh outside of the house.

"OUCH! Okay! Okay! She went into the woods near Bonesborough! Sheesh!"

/////////////////////////////////////////

Luzura stood on the city limit of Bonesborough, taking in a deep breath.

"Okay, my first mythical quest!" She slid down, heading into the thick woods, thankfully she had a few hours until she needed to be home to not raise suspicion.

As she walked further, thick fog coated her surroundings, obscuring much of her vision.

"Okaaay...Got my scroll got my youthful optimism, got my weapon!" She clicked the button.

'By the power of Skullgar! I am out...of....batt...er..ies..'

After a little while wandering the woods, Luzura's doubt began to creep in once again.

"Y'know. Maybe I didn't make the right decision coming here....." Just as she cut the vine, a quaint little town came into view, the inhabitants were cute little cats.

In the town center, a beautiful fountain laid, and out of it emerged a man with dark, flowing hair, an eyepatch, a sword, and rippling muscles.

He stepped out of the fountain, dripping with water.

"I see. So you're the chosen one...The Celestial Staff should've picked me. Nevareth Bladestife, teen prince of Angstmore."

"Yes. Yes, I absolutely did make the right choice...."

/////////////////////////////////////////

King sniffed out a trail, following their earlier path. Eda shifted the drape, and was met with a very different sight.

The castle was desolate, crumbling walls and caved in ceilings. It looked as if no one had inhabited it for years...

"It didn't look like this before..." King said.

"I don't like this..." Eda said.

They entered the castle, torn scrolls strewn across the floor, the library completely destroyed.

Eda's foot bumped into a stack of scrolls, she picked them up, only to find that the Chosen One message was the exact same for all of them.

"I really don't like this..."

/////////////////////////////////////////

Luzura walked next to her new allies, chatting.

"Nevareth, your vengeful backstory is so compelling, and I'm loving your animal sidekick!"

"After my village was consumed, my heart has known nothing but vengeance..." Nevareth relented.

"Nevareth..."

"Lady Luzura. Do you think love can bloom on the battlefield?"

Luzura turned away, "Ohhhh, this quest is questing in all the right ways..."

The pair began to cross a bridge, when a mangy cat creature hopped in front of them.

"Ew."

The cat began to sing.

"Hummdee-diddle! To pass the bridge, you must first solve my riddle!"

"Hit me, little furry man!" Luzura said enthusiastically.

"Your quest will end if you fail this game. So tell me, my dear, what is my name?"

The cat puffed it's chest out, revealing that it wore a nametag: "Chris"

"Uhhhh...Chris?"

"That's it! You may cross the bridge! And please take this, chosen one! It will help you on your journey!" The cat man handed her a gold ring.

"Woah. This is amazing..." She said, putting on the ring.

"Do you need a cape?" Nevareth asked.

"Nah, I think I'm goo-"

"You can use my shirt!" He suddenly ripped the material off of him, revealing more of his muscular body.

"Yes! Yes, I need a cape!" Luzura grinned as he tied the makeshift cape around her.

"Three cheers for the chosen one! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip-"

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Oh no."

The cat town had become just as dilapidated as the Adegast's castle, broken down buildings and rubble everywhere. A total ghost town.

"Are you sure she went here?" Eda asked.

"You can't mistake her scent. Like lemons and young, naive confidence." King answered.

Eda spotted a still local intertwined in the thick vines that broke down the fountain.

"Hey you! Wake up! What've you done with Luzura? What's your endgame?!"

The cat turned its head, sunken eyes and an unmoving mouth spoke back.

"To find your pupil and still your wratWrath, ahead and follow the path..." the cat began to wither away, giggling.

"Ah! The cat man melted!" King yelled.

"It's a trap. They want me to follow Luzura."

"So what do we do?"

/////////////////////////////////////////

"Thank you so much for inviting me to your feast, Princess! All your food was so tiny and cute!"

The flying fairy produced two gold bracelets, giving them to Luzura.

"For you, chosen one!" Luzura slipped the bracelets on.

"Thank you. All of you! You've all been so kind and thoughtful! I hope this quest never ends!"

"Your quest will soon come to an end, for the staff you seek is around the bend!" Chris rhymed.

"Thanks for ruining that, Chris..."

"Go on, chosen one! The Celestial Staff is yours!" Nevareth encouraged, "You've earned it."

Luzura smiled, venturing forward as her allies wished her farewell. If only Eda could see her now...

There the Celestial Staff stood, stuck in the ground with a moat protecting it. When Luzura approached, the water glowed, raising a path for her.

"I knew this world wasn't all gloom and doom. There's so much wonder! I think I came here for a reason!"

She approached the staff, taking deep breaths.

Moment of truth...

Her hands gripped the staff, blue energy swirled in the air as Luzura yanked it out of its resting place.

"Yes! I AM the chosen one! I knew it! I always felt that there was a reason I never felt like I belonged in the palace!"

As Luzura hopped and danced around, the staff began to dissipate and fade into dust, the life of the area drained around her, leaving her in darkness.

What has she done?!

/////////////////////////////////////////

"I know this guy. He's no "wizard", he's what you call a Puppeteer! A demon who specializes in scamming and manipulating people! He's trying to use Luzura to get to me!"

"And we're flying right towards him?!"

"Hey, you got a better idea?!"

King shook his head.

"I thought so." Eda booked it on the owl staff, trying to get to the princess before it was too late.

/////////////////////////////////////////

Luzura drew the false sword, keeping on alert.

"Princess Luzura..." Adegast walked out of the mist.

"Magical Wizard?"

"Your hubris has failed you, witch apprentice!" His eyes popped out, as he wad thrown in the air, a giant octopus monster literally pulling his strings.

More of her allies dug out of the ground, attached to the monster.

"Okayokayokay. Don't panic. This is classic chosen one business, just rescue everyone and beat the villain." She reassured herself.

"Don't you get it?! I'm no wizard, and you're no chosen one! I've tricked you! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What?"

Ther accessories began to glow, gaining minds of their own, her cape tying her up, her bracelets forming handcuffs, and the ring trapping her fingers.

"No! Betrayed by my own cool accessories! Why are you doing this!?"

"Your mentor has been stealing customers from my potion business for years! She must be destroyed!"

The puppets surrounded her.

"Does everyone have a problem with Eda here?"

The puppets all agreed.

"And I've lured you right into my trap! All because you wanted to be special!"

"No! Jokes on you! Eda isn't stupid enough to fall for this!"

"Adegast!"

"Oh, Titan..."

Eda broke through the mist, standing confidently in front of the demon.

"Eda, I've got you now!"

Two more puppets rose from the ground, trapping Eda and King, sending them high into the air.

"That's right, you've got me! Now release Luzura!"

"Oh, she can leave if she wants to, but I sense she wants a real fantasy!" One puppet sprayed a mist on Luzura, and when she opened her eyes, she was in darkness, surrounded by her old allies.

"Stay with us, Luzura. Stay with Adegast. We need you here. You could be our chosen one..." Nevareth said.

"Yeah. You can eat our tiny foods forever..."

"Why would you want to stay in a world where people laugh at you?"

"It is beautiful here...." Luzura admitted.

-"Luzura!"-

"And you guys think I'm special..."

-"No!"-

The puppets slowly closed in on her...

"But it's not real!"

She knocked them away, grabbing the sword and pointing it to Adegast.

"I am a witch's apprentice! And I'll earn my magic staff the hard way! I believed you, magic man, now feel my wrath!"

She drove the sword through the wizard, Adegast yelling in pain, dropping Eda and King.

The trio began to attack each puppet one by one, breaking Adegast down slowly. Nevareth attacked back with his own sword.

"I thought we had a connection, Nevareth!" Luzura stabbed him through the chest.

"AHHHHH, MY FLAWLESS PECS!"

"Back off, or the dog gets it!" Adegast threatened, holding King in the air.

"I am not a-" King's mouth was covered.

"King, I'm sorry! I should've listened to you and never trusted that wizard! He's not mystical or magical! He's a big, slimy jerk!" Luzura managed to kick the sword right into the demon's forehead. The creature screamed, shrinking smaller and smaller until he was completely harmless.

Eda picked him up by te tentacles, "Well, that's the last time I take an outside referral...", She held him up, and ate him in one go. She didn't even chew...

"Oh, did you want some?"

"U-uh. No. I'm just confused..."

"Thinking of calling it quits?"

"This is nothing like I imagined..."

"Maybe not here....but come with me. I got something to show you..."

The sun was beginning to set on the Boiling Isles. Luzura would need to leave soon. She took the blindfold off, and gasped.

"The Bones of the Isles....Up close they can be slimy...."

"And very stinky!"

"And gross...But if you look at it from a different perspective...

"It's beautiful...." Luzura said, watching a shooting star.

"Yeah..." King said, nodding off.

"Eda, how did you know that wizard was lying?"

"Look, kid, we all want to believe we're "chosen". But of we all waited for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting...So you need to choose yourself...."

"So, you'll give me a magic staff of my own? It's not like I've gotten one from my father.."

"Not yet...but someday.. Now, we'd better get you home..."

Eda dropped Luzura off on the back roof of the castle, where she was able to sneak back in through her bedroom window, right before she was called to dinner.

She sat across from her father, slowly chewing her food. When suddenly her father asked:

"So, what have you been up to, holed up in your room all day?"

"O-Oh, well, just catching up on my studies, y'know..heh.."

"Good, good.. It's nice to see you're taking them seriously."

She was taking her studies seriously, just not the ones her father wanted... They sat in silence for a few more minutes, until...

"Father...why don't I have a staff?"

"You will inherit mine when I pass the throne to you, dear..."

"But don't I need to learn how to use it? It will be long time before I take the throne..."

"You will know, trust me. Right now you need to focus on your current work. Don't trouble yourself with affairs that will handle themselves..."

"But...."

Despite the mask, the look he gave Luzura made her shut her mouth.

"I understand...."

"Good."

"May I be excused?"

"Yes, you may..."

Luzura got up from the table, heading towards her bedroom.

"Luzura, before I forget..."

She turned back to her father. He now stood as well, holding something behind his back.

"Remember your speech that you must give to the students of Hexside Academy Of Magic and Demonics tomorrow. I expect you to prepare for that..."

Oh yeah, she'd almost forgotten. Luckily she had already prepared for weeks in advance.

"And you'll be needing this." He revealed what was behind his back, a golden mask, more circular than her father's but the eye slits were slightly upturned, in an almost jovial expression. She put it on, a perfect fit.

"Thank you, father. Goodnight..."

"Goodnight, Luzura..."

Luzura finally got back to her room, barely able to change into her pjammas before flopping onto her bed. She already couldn't leave the castle, now she needed a mask too?! Oh, well, such as the life of the Princess.

She cracked her eyes open, spotting a paper attached to her window, she picked it up, it was from Eda.

"See you tomorrow, Kid!- The Owl Lady"

Luzura laughed, and laid down in her bed. Princess of the Boiling Isles and secret student of the Owl Lady...

'I think I'm gonna like this double life...' She thought.

______________________________________

END OF CHAPTER 3

[icy-watch]

As accurate depiction of Icy's room

[witch128chick]

It's Thursday again!!

[goodwitchazurafan666]

God if I have to see one more person miss the entire point of Witches Before Wizards. It's not 'escapism is bad'. Remember that the isles are a metaphor for the queer community- the point is that Luz has to learn that even these excepting places have problems. Metaphorically, she's learning that though the queer community is more accepting than 'regular' society (the human realm) there are still problems to be solved. The point isn't 'escapism bad', it's 'every community and group has problems and it's naive to assume otherwise' and, metaphorically, it's 'the queer community has problems actually'. Luz does have to learn to grow up, but not in the way people think- Witches Before Wizard sets up a lot of the themes the show has, and people keep missing how.

TLDR Witches Before Wizards is good actually.