"Hold it right there, Owl Lady! We have you surrounded! Place your hands apart in the air and come quietly. This doesn't have to end violently." A deep masculine voice bellowed.

For most people, being encircled by five witches from the prestigious Emperor's Coven would have a deer in headlights effect. Not knowing what to do or say, the feeling of dread and regret lumped in the deepest pit of their stomach, and the looming threat of incarceration would be enough to stop almost anyone dead in their tracks.

Almost.

For the Owl Lady, or Eda, as she were also referred to by a few, being surrounded by the authorities was just another day in the life. The feeling of immobility and danger was not so prevalent anymore. It was more like a sparring match for her. There was essentially a lack of repercussions when facing the Emperor's equerries, one which she certainly loved to take advantage of every time the opportunity presented itself.

"Well boys," Eda addressed the coven members with a smirk, "it looks like you caught me this time. I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to get myself out of this one. So I guess I'll just have to turn myself in..."

Eda raised her arms and bowed her head as the coven members began to close the gap between them and her. They cautiously took one step after another making sure to note any twitch in her arms which could spell trouble.

"Smart plan." The deep voiced man said. He must be the one in charge of these dunderheads. "And you might just get lucky too. I've heard that Lilith has taken a special interest in you, and assuming all goes well at the Conformitorium, you may just have a future within the Emperor's Coven. Whether you like it or not." The leader said with a baleful laugh.

"Oh?" Eda questioned. "You know, I've heard rumors that the true reason there's such a hefty reward for me isn't because I've broken the law, but because the Emperor himself wants me to be one of his personal associates. I've always passed it off as ridiculous, but if you guys are hearing it too, well, there may be some truth to it after all." She smirked.

The guard teamed up slightly and grunted, taking another step towards Eda. "Regardless of what you heard, you'll be coming in for processing first and foremost. Until then, I suggest you remain silent." The guards drew small circles of various colors in front of them and stuck their hands through them, encasing their wrists. One guard prepared a set of magic-nullifying handcuffs and began closing the gap between himself and Eda.

"As much as I would love to see Lily, I don't think it's in the cards today. But pass along my well wishes to her, would ya?" Eda asked with a smug grin.

The guards shifted uncomfortably and before they even realized what was happening, Eda made her move to escape.

Unbeknownst to the poorly trained eyes of the circled up coven members, Eda had drawn a spell circle on the ground with the tip of her boot. She shoved her foot through the hole toe first, plunging her foot into the ground. She drug her foot up and out in an arch from beneath her, dropping her body backwards at the same time. The ground peeled up with her foot like a blanket and she grasped the sides of the dirt, pulling it in close to her like a makeshift cocoon.

The coven members unleashed their handheld assault spells at her. A beautiful and deadly assortment of colors ripped across the small space between their palms and Eda. The cool blues of water spells intertwined with hot orange fires mixing with yellow lightning and other elemental arrays created an explosion rivaling a large land mine. The blast kicked up a dust cloud which covered countless stands and bystanders in the vicinity in a thick layer of dirt and gravel.

Below the cloud, Eda breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that her orange magic shield underneath the ground she pulled over her withstood the force of the blast. She may be the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, but even she has a limit to the power her spells can achieve. Going up against five members of the strongest coven pushed her pretty far, and if she was being honest with herself, they came pretty close to beating her. But once again her self proclaimed title of the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles proved its legitimacy since she was still standing. Figuratively at least, being on her back and all. The next course of action though was to get off her back and the hell out of this mess.

Drawing up a blue spell circle above her head, Eda pulled her spell over her body which gradually turned her invisible as the ring made its way down her slender physique. Say what you would like about the Illusion Coven's excessive and unnecessary spell casting techniques, but they sure knew how to muster up a great stealth spell.

Knuckles turning white, the leader of the Emperor's Coven task force cast a large white spell circle above his head which vacuumed up the surrounding dust and debris, expelling it all spiraling into the sky.

Eda rolled backwards and popped onto her feet, her shroud of dust quickly disappearing. She had to get out of there fast before her extra layer of stealth was gone. Flying was out of the question since it would create too much noise, and she was not up for the physical strain tunneling would put her under after taking that blast. There was only one way out of this.

"Don't let her get away! If we come back empty handed again, it'll be our heads the Emperor has instead of hers!" The leader's voice pierced. If nothing else, he had an excellent voice of rage.

Oh great. Eda thought. Just what I need. Another beheading. She crouched down and saw where the closest two coven members were positioned. They looked just far enough apart that she could squeeze between them. This was her out.

Eda grabbed her hair that draped behind her and pulled it over her shoulder, flush to her chest. No way was this cosmetic beauty going to get her arrested and possibly forced into enforcing Bellow's will. Her cloud cover would soon be gone and they may find her footprints moving in the act. She quietly shuffled sideways between the two coven members, narrowly avoiding the touch of one who went to go scratch his nose.

These jokers can't even stand battle ready during a fight. And they're supposed to be the best? Please. Eda thought condescendingly.

Eda made it outside of the circle the guards created to surround her without drawing any attention to herself. She brushed her footsteps as she walked away and hoisted herself up atop a nearby pillar, watching as the goons below her took notice of their absent target.

"Where is she?" The leader demanded. There was a murmur of responses from the others.

"I didn't see her leave." One replied.

"She was just here." Another answered.

"I hope nobody saw me picking my nose." A third whispered to himself.

"Agh! Useless, the lot of you!" The leader gestured to the group.

Well maybe if he stopped blaming others for their shortcomings, which he definitely shares with them, he might have a better chance of finding me. But then again, men like them never take accountability. Eda smirked, pleased that this hothead was too engulfed in his own rage that he didn't even bother to stop and think that maybe she just turned invisible. Chumps. Eda leaned back on her hands, crossed her legs and continued to watch her own personal show. It was as though she were an empress and her royal jesters were doing their best to keep her entertained.

They were certainly succeeding.

"Everyone spread out! She couldn't have gone far and we need her now!" The leader ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The others replied in unison.

After the Emperor's Coven members split off in different directions looking for her, Eda deemed the coast clear and nullified her invisibility spell. There was a feeling of relief and pride which ran through her after a good chase. Even if the chase was all of thirty seconds long and only displaced her about twenty feet. But seeing those goons confused and panicking was something that she would never get tired of.

"Well Owlbert," Eda said to her small avian friend, "looks like we win again. I don't think they'll ever have the wits to catch us. And let's be honest; even if they did, their elite prowess couldn't hold us for long."

"Hoo!" Owlbert exclaimed.

"I am not being reckless! Please, when have you ever seen any of those guys do something that I couldn't handle?"

"Hoo hoot, hoot."

"Yeah well, nobody asked you."

"Hoot."

"Psh." Eda scoffed. "I don't see where you get the beak to mouth off to me. You're my palisman after all. Ever since Luz got here a few years ago it seems like you've been getting sassier with me."

Eda stared down Owlbert with friendly disdain. The two of them have been through thick and thin together ever since she had crafted him. Their brushes with death, almost constant run from the long arm of the law, and not to mention a few very close calls with her curse, had forged an inseparable bond between them.

And that bond paved paths to so many different connections between the two. It were as though the two independent entities they were acting on the same prompts, and in the same manner as well. Battles were so much simpler when all you had to do is point your staff at someone and the palisman takes action in the precise manner you would like. Such as Owlbert's sneak attack on Lilith during her and Eda's battle at Luz's first covention. Or how even on the worst of days, they had each other to talk to. Say what was on their mind and have the other to sit, listen, and comfort. It was a beautiful connection that Eda always treasured.

But still, she had felt like something had been a little off for a while now. It was like he was getting antsier every day since Luz came to the Boiling Isles. At first Eda just played it off and attributed it to the fact that she was a human and he was still getting used to her aura. But it's been almost four years since then and any funny business like that should have gone away by now. So what was up with him?

"Hoo!" Owlbert snapped Eda out of her internal monologue.

"Huh?" Eda blinked mindlessly.

"Hoo." Owlbert pointed around them.

"Oh, yeah. We probably should get out of here while we still have the chance." Eda hopped off her perch and brushed her red dress off. She held out her staff towards her faithful companion. "Come on you adorable little miscreant. Let's go."

Owlbert flew up and perched on top of Eda's staff. She screwed him into place and hopped on the staff side-saddle, blasting into the sky, much to the disdain of the pedestrians who got dust knocked all over them. A few choice words and hand gestures were thrown at Eda as she jetted off into the bright and sunny day which awaited her.