Kerštas (Part 4)

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Kerštas (Part 4)

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Tairais

Tairais

@Amuulzhaan 2 years ago

(( Woops, forgot to post this in the midst of all the busy craziness going on at school. ))

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Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Elias was immediate to oblige despite Huxley’s attempt to snatch him by the arm — he pressed forward, determined, scooping up the book and cracking it open impatiently.

Huxley gave a faint shudder, on edge despite himself as the heavy weight of magic bore down around them. “What is it?” ))

"Nothin' terrible, 's just closed ta me. Cannae interfere with the two of them directly, an' that includes with interactin' with their lackey's journal with the sole intent o' trackin' them down, 'parently."

The inside of said journal's cover held the name 'Jacob E. Knight' in simple print. Thumbing through it quickly revealed the life of an ambitious, but slightly naive detective based in London with a fairly average career.

He had apparently been hired to keep tabs on Richard for several months, noting everything from who he spent time with, to the fact that his handwriting was a terrible mess of chicken scratch. Several times, he mentioned a contact nearby with whom he traded notes to pass on to his 'employers'.

The notes spanned months, verging on a year- almost exactly the amount of time Richard had been living at the Society prior to the sudden end of the notes.

His final entry mentioned an irritation at having to forward his reports to Venice, seeing as he'd always wanted to visit the canals. There was no mention of being afraid, nor any suggestion that he was aware of his part in the schemes of many.

Jacob Knight died as quietly and as averagely as any unfortunate soul could hope.

It left a bemused, but bitter taste in Charricthran's mouth.

Richard's one mistake, and it had cost so many so much.

(( chatterghosts ))

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias’ expression pulled and soured as he came to the conclusion of the entries, hardened by the distress that clouded him. Forcing himself to break from the rigidness that had quietly slipped through his posture, he dropped his shoulders, gave the journal one last, quick scan, and then closed it. “Jacob Knight. Seems he’s been keeping eyes on Richard since his arrival—the notes are in depth, covers just about everything you can want to think of. He’s got a contact in all of this, someone through which he passes his observations on.”

He rocked forward and backward on the balls of his feet, apparently anxious despite the bitterness in his expression. He had come to a similar conclusion as Charricthran— Richard’s mistakes had brought this down on all of them, but none had suffered more than how Elias had.

Well. Perhaps that wasn’t true. Elias was still living—not everyone caught in this mess had that luxury.

“Luxury”.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Charricthran tilted his head and listened intently as Elias spoke. None of that was particularly new, except...

"He say where he was forwardin' shite to? An' how recently he say it? Could be where they are now, an' even if its not, 's the only place we've got ta start with."

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias gave another hurried thumb-through before closing it again, sighing and picking aimlessly at the journal binding as he answered. “The last writing mentions he’s forwarding all of it to Venice.”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Charricthran was quiet for a handful of moments before he answered.

"Best lead we have, then. Least there's only a few places I know they would've gone ta ground in. Hope no one minds the rain an' wet terribly, cos if the acqua alta feels like bubblin' about, it'll be a titch annoyin'. Think we're gonna miss the worst o' it, butcha know."

He shook his head with a chuckle, sighing.

"Well. Cannae think of anythin' else I know of that'd help. D'ya feel like we should head back or..?"

Or what? Nine Hells if he knew.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias chanced a look toward Huxley, who was focused rather intently on something none of them could see. Opting to speak on others’ behalfs as he so irritatingly often did, he sighed and cleared his throat. “I do hope Venice is nice in winter, then.”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

"Yeah, you'n me both, kid. Hate ta add bad weather to an already interestin' situation."

Charricthran cast his own glance Huxley's way, then shrugged and began to meander away.

The guy could move Between things, same as he. It'd be fine.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias was not so kind — impatiently slugging Huxley in the shoulder after pausing but a moment to see if he would actually move, the two of them turned attentions toward Charricthran and followed along behind him.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Charricthran led them back the way they'd come, unease still wrapped around his throat.

It couldn't be that simple. Since when was anything that simple? What was missing? Was anything actually missing, or was he being paranoid?

Too many questions and not enough answers.

They found their way back to the Society in due time, and to the library shortly thereafter. Lost in thought as he was, Charricthran didn't announce their arrival, merely left Elias and Huxley at the entrance and disappeared between the shelves of books. He had several ideas of varying quality.

Most of them were terrible, frankly.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Huxley stared after Charricthran for a moment before following in his steps, weaving his way toward him through the shelves. “You seem skittish. What’s got you?”

Elias, still at the entrance to the library, sneered and scoffed indignantly, faintly stomping and grinding the tips of his shoes into the library floor like a child. Leave me here, then. Fine.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

(( Helen Jekyll or Jekyll1886, dunno if we should merge the two lines or what, but everyone's in the library for the time being, so XD ))

"'S all strikin' me as too easy. Now, don' get me wrong- I love simple answers, could do for a fair few things bein' less complicated than they are, but there's enough little things that I'm startin' ta wonder if it might be a big thing, y'know?"

He pulled a book off the shelf, glanced over a few pages, scowled and put it back. The pattern repeated every couple of rows with a lazy sort of urgency.

What was he missing? What was their game?

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Ah, hello Elias, Huxley, Charricthran," greeted Lewis as he looked up from a stack of books. He and Helen had finished their research on wendigos and moved on to vampires.

((Helen Jekyll ))

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Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Helen Jekyll and Jekyll1886

Jekyll1886:

"True," he said, and handed her half the stack.

They set to work searching for anything in any of the stories that resembled a wendigo. ))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

((Helen Jekyll ))

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Helen had tracked down a pen and some paper and had begun taking notes on the various stories, writing down various facts and their sources in neat, precise bullet-points.

It seemed that wendigos were, if not completely invincible, then nearly so.

Nothing save large amounts of fire and silver seemed able to harm them, and even if by some miracle one managed to slay the creature, rather extensive efforts had to be made to ensure the wendigo wouldn't return.

Thank goodness I convinced Lewis to hang back, She thought as she leafed through the pages. It seemed most of the time, anyone who confronted them was met with a grisly death.

Within the back of her mind, her counterpart was following along with an unusual level of attention.

Looks like being one of those things is even better than a werewolf. Maybe even better than a vampire, observed Hela casually after a time, though the energy behind the thought betrayed her intrigue.

I wouldn't say that, Helen stared at a distant point in the room with the pen in hand, frowning faintly as if thinking of what to write next, Those both retain at least some shred of their humanity, and some even learn to control the impulses. But, these wendigos are just... monstrous.

I know, isn't fantastic? They're the perfect predator.

A beat as Helen paled.

Hela, I swear by all the stars, you are not going to get us turned into one of those things--!

What makes you think you can stop me? A laugh. All I'd have to do is off some bloke no one will miss--

I said, no!

--and cut off a few pieces to eat--

Hela! Stop!

--though I dunno how much I'd need, but I can just rise and repeat until it--

"You are not going to do anything of the sort!" hissed Helen under her breath, knuckles white around the pen, jaw clenched.

A quiet moment, her counterpart caught off guard.

She inhaled, then released the air slowly, mindful of her surroundings.

"You..." do realize that I would rather die than let that happen, don't you?

...you couldn't take your own life if you were a creature like that.

I would never let it get that far. And neither would Lewis.

They both fell into a tense silence, Helen's hand trembling as she went to turn a page.

((Jekyll1886))

see more

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Hela's not going to do anything of what sort?" asked Lewis quietly, after a moment.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Helen jumped slightly. She'd nearly forgotten he was there.

"Ah, w-well--" began Helen in a stammer, flushing, "Hela wished to, uh..." She dropped down to a much softer volume, "...consume human flesh, so as to become one of those... beasts." A flicker of disgust as her voice steadied. "Apparently, she's taken a liking to them."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Lewis snickered.

"If that were all it took--" he began with a wide grin, but cut himself off.

He cleared his throat.

"In any case," he said with a small smile, "I'd wager there's more to it than that. After all, there are peoples in the Pacific who engage in the practice, and none of them turn wendigo."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Helen breathed a sigh of relief, even as an wave of disappointment crashed down on her counterpart.

"It's a relief to hear that..." She said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I would, ah, appreciate it if you helped me keep her and I ignorant of how it's done."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Considering I don't know how it's done, that won't be difficult," Lewis assured. "We've studied every scrap of lore the Society has on wendigos and have yet to discover that."

He considered a moment.

"Perhaps we ought to move on to vampires," he suggested.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Hopefully it won't be something we need... You grab the new material, and I'll put these away?" offered Helen with a smile, standing and beginning to gather up the books.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Will do," agreed Lewis.

They set to work on their tasks and were soon immersed researching all manner of vampire legend.

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