The Temple of Thoughts and Memories

Chapter 1 - The Map

Luz Noceda sat at the dining table of the owl house that morning, staring at her phone. She was staring at the messages between her and her mom. She really wanted to get home. I mean, Mom definitely thinks I'm missing. I have to get home and let her know I'm okay- Luz's thoughts were interrupted by the fridge door loudly slamming closed, the cause being from Edalyn Clawthorne, getting a cup of Apple Blood.
"Eda," Luz spoke up, looking concerned, "is that your second cup of apple blood?"
"Yeah, so?" Eda said casually as she sat down in her chair across from Luz.
"You know you shouldn't be having that much, especially this early."
"Pfft, it's fine."
"Eda," Luz said sharply.
"Fine," Eda groaned, but quickly downed the cup while Luz looked away back at her phone.
The two sat in silence as Eda was pretending to have dumped her cup out, and eventually Luz spoke up.
"Hey, Eda?"
"What is it, kid?" Eda asked, turning around to look at Luz
Luz stood up, and powered off her phone. "Do-do you think I'll ever be able to get home?"
"Sure you can! You just have to know where to dig." Eda chuckled to herself, as she literally dug up her way to the human realm.
Luz's face lit up. "Where should I dig then?"
"I dunno...I have some old stuff in that weird closet of bathrobes and dusty traffic cones, why don't you check there?" Eda suggested.
Luz dashed off to said closet and swung open the door. She peered around at the dark room before noticing a stash of old papers in a box. She grabbed one of them and unfolded it, and, to her disappointment, the page was completely blank.
She sighed and opened up another, which was also blank. She unraveled another. Blank. Another. Blank.
Just as she was about to give up, she opened up her last one to see what looked to be a map, and at the bottom of the page read a bunch of scrambled words.
Luz looked at it confused for a second before realizing she had it upside down. She flipped it and it now read, "The Temple of Thoughts and Memories". Intruiged by this, she ran downstairs to meet up with Eda, catching her with a third cup of apple blood.
"Eda!" Luz shouted, but her voice sounded excited instead of stern.
Eda jumped and set the cup down. "Oh, hey, Luz, did you find anything?"
"A map to some place called 'The Temple of Thoughts and Memories'!"
Eda's face grew slightly stern. "Maybe you should find a different map."
"But all the other ones are empty," Luz said, sounding somewhat desperate.
"Well, you're not going. I've had enough of temples for one lifetime," Eda said, scowling.
"What if I just found someone else to come with me?" Luz offered.
Eda rolled her eyes. "Just don't get yourself killed. By the way, a friend's here to see you."
"Friend?" Luz asked, looking puzzled. She didn't recall anyone planning to come see her. Luz walked to the door and opened it to see a purple-haired individual. Luz blushed slightly.
"Oh-hi Amity!" she exclaimed. "What're you doing here...?"
"I came here to see you actually," Amity Blight said awkwardly, also blushing. "You, um, also left your cloak at our last Azura Bookclub Meeting." She handed Luz the cloak, who immediately gasped and put it on.
"I've been looking for this! And you brought it at the perfect time, because I found this map to this temple, and it might have something to helo me return home!" Luz said happily as she handed Amity the map. Amity inspected the map then looked back up at Luz.
"Sounds a little dangerous, is anyone coming with you?" she asked.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd come with me..." Luz said. "As Eda doesn't want to..." she added quietly, but the two had already exchanged blushes again.
"Oh-um-all right then. I suppose you should get ready-" But Amity was interrupted by Luz holding up all the stuff she needed; her cloak, Eda's staff, and the map. "-then. Nevermind, let's go then."
"Shouldn't you tell your parents or something, though?" Luz asked, putting on a slightly skeptic face.
"Oh-um-it'll be fine."
"You sure? They don't seem like the most pleasant people."
"I'm sure."
Luz shrugged. "Well, then let's get going!"
As the two boarded the staff (outside), Amity and Luz both blushed as Amity held onto Luz's shoulders so she, you know, wouldn't fly off. Luz kicked off and both heard Eda call after them, "Don't die!"