Purging Flames

With the light of a full moon pouring through overhead branches, the Nostrum raise their lanterns and begin yet another march across the estate. Fumbling wood assures them that Samuel has once again sealed them in as they wander off towards the furthest corner at their right. Lee, taking the lead once more, keeps Hael- who is now without a lantern- at his side, allowing Marne and Yuler to stray near the rear. It takes little to no time at all for them to stumble upon their next, and seemingly finally target. Heaps of straw litter the ground, yet seem to bulk together with one another the further on that they travel. As they lay their eyes upon a great mound of it, they quickly dim the light from within their lanterns. Partially to keep hidden, and partially to avoid setting the lands ablaze.

"If it weren't for the circumstances we're working with, I'd gladly cut our work short." Whispers Lee, who is the last to close his lantern's vent. "Damn shame."

"This is quite an unusual sight, is it not?" Yuler studies the way in which the straw has been lain out as if to be the only one who has noticed something offputting. "This doesn't look to be a nest constructed by beasts."

"What are you suggesting?" Marne moves to Yuler's side, attempting to follow her eyes with his own and being the only one who has heard her words.

"I could swear that only a human would put something together so meticulously."

Taking a step back, Marne notices what it is that Yuler means. The straw is not strewn about in any animalistic way. Instead, it appears to have been placed by hand. Most strands near the middle and top of the pile appear to run almost vertically, whereas the area near the bottom has clearly been disturbed. With this knowledge, they look to one another and then at their counterparts, who have already begun walking around the base in search of an entrance.

"Psst! Here!" Lee beckons them over with a wave of his hand, just as a faint growling comes from behind him. As the sound is noticed, all four turn to face a smaller pile, which immediately erupts. As straw flies through the air, the strangest beast they have ever come across bursts from where it had all been resting. Its silky black coat shimmers silver as the lantern light hits it, giving away the location of a large, elongated, furless paw that has been extended upwards in a striking position. "Argh!" Stunned by the sight of the creature, Lee fails to guard himself well against the attack and is sent spiraling to the ground.

"Fardel!" Cries Hael, who acts off instinct and rushes the monster with her sword at her side. Swiping it at the thing, she finds that her blade is useless against its coat. Thin strands of fur are cut loose, but no wound is made. The creature, now turning on Hael, jerks back the same paw it had used to strike Lee and knocks it against Hael, who guarded herself just in time to avoid head trauma. With Lee having sunk partways into the nest and Hael laying almost unconscious, Marne and Yuler step in.

The creature flicks batlike ears as the duo closes in on it, then twists its abnormally long neck to face them with incredible speed and flexibility. Its head pivots much like an owl's and shows only the twisted, toothy, grinning face of something human, but most certainly not. With black pearls for eyes, the appearance alone makes their blood turn to ice, but the shriek it emits is otherworldly. Still, Marne finds the will to shout back at the monster and swing his cleaver at the bald, pale face. As he does so, Yuler places one end of her ax against the ground and drags it towards the hind legs. Seemingly bewildered and uncertain, the beast chooses only to guard its face. In doing so, Marne's cleaver manages to tear through the flesh of its wrist. The beast squalls angrily as its paw falls limp, hardly remaining attached, and dips its head beneath the injury. As its teeth puncture Marne's boot, the creature yanks him into the air, but before it can fully wind back its attempt at tossing him, Yuler's ax runs up the length of its body. Managing to get the edge of her blade into the bare flesh around its ankle, the lesion easily extends to its waist, but no further. The thickening fur at its side forces the blade back out just as it slings the weight of its body at her. Yuler stumbles back but manages to find her footing again before she can be crushed. The beast slams against the ground and scatters about, attempting to get back up, but struggles to do so with two of its limbs so badly injured. Before it manages to do so, the sound of a knocking coo comes from its vocal cords and rings out loudly. So loud, in fact, that Yuler, who stands the closest, has to cover her ears. While she attempts to block it out, she sees the metallic teeth of Marne's cleaver zip by, and the wind it produces pushes her hair off to one side. The sound of bones breaking cuts the cooing short, and Yuler relaxes. Now, Marne's heavy breathing and the grunting of Hael, who has managed to pull herself up again, are all that can be heard.

"Never... in all my time... have I seen a beast like that." Ensuring he has severed the spine, Marne folds the handle of his cleaver and falls to the ground, allowing himself a moment's rest.

"Hael, are you alright?" Yuler steps away from the creature's remains and rushes over to Hael, who is leaning against the trunk of a tree.

"I'm alright. I'm fine. Please, assist Lee."

Yuler gives a quick nod and turns to the straw. As she takes a few steps towards it, she freezes in place and gasps. In doing so, she manages to catch the attention of Hael and Marne, who both spot the head of a similar creature spying on them from within. Aware that it has been noticed, the monster retreats back into the nest and begins letting off a soft coo, similar to the one they had all heard the other make. Yuler rushes to Lee, who has remained as motionless as possible as the beast was no more than a few feet from where he has been laying and pulls him away from the nest. With the cooing still coming from within, Hael stumbles towards the nest and allows herself a peek of what resides within.

"Is it alone?" Marne asks, now assisting Yuler with bandaging up a wound on Lee's abdomen.

"In essence, yes."

"What does that mean?" Questions Yuler, noticing a hint of distaste in Hael's voice.

"This beast is carrying a litter."

"It's pregnant?" Marne turns back towards the corpse of the first, clearly feeling threatened by the idea of more coming into existence.

"Pregnant?"

The party turns its attention on a fifth voice that approaches, making out the frame of Samuel before the light of their lanterns can fully illuminate him. "I-I'm sorry, but I heard a rather... unique sound and thought I should come to investigate."

"Samuel, this is no place for you at this time." Lee attempts to wave him off, but Samuel instead comes closer. "Please, return to the manor."

"Are you hurt? Can I-" Looking to the corpse, Samuel losses his train of thought. "By Numen, what on this earth..."

"Return to the manor, Samuel." Hael lifts her sword from the ground where she had dropped it and turns to face the man. "We've not yet finished our work here."

"No, no, I think you have."

"Samuel, this beast is carrying pups. Pups I'm not sure you will want running about in the coming weeks."

"Listen, I understand the risk at hand, but I am demanding that you stop at once."

The Nostrum look about themselves in utter confusion. Still hearing the cooing coming from within the nest.

"Young man, if we allow this beast to live you will have a much greater issue at hand." Lee pulls himself up with the assistance of Marne, then scowls at Samuel.

"While I understand the risk I am taking, I demand that you stop. Killing such a beast in a time like this would be inhumane."

"Inhumane? What about this could poss-"

"These are my lands and my demands. How do you think The Bethel might feel about your efforts here? Seeing as Dabria's work remains incomplete?" The Nostrum become quiet now as Samuel speaks on. "They may even ask who it was that has been assisting us and... well... I'm sure you lot would not be too appreciative of being exposed to that. Now, would you?"

Lee backs off as these words are spoken. Now realizing that they have been being played all along.

"So be it." Raising his lantern out in front of him, he glares into Samuel's eyes. "Your lantern. Have it."

As Samuel raises a hand, ready to accept the lantern, Lee busts the glass with his blade and tosses it towards the nest.

"NO!" Desperately stomping at the flames as they begin to spread, Samuel takes his eyes off the others. Marne and Yuler, looking to Lee, give him a nod. Then, they each bust their own and toss them towards the nest's entrance. "Stop! Stop!"

"Come. It's time we leave."

Rushing passed the guard at the door who attempts to question them on Samuel's whereabouts, the four of them head for the front of the manor. Attempting to avoid any further interaction with the staff or Decwicks. Everyone that is, except for Yuler. As they round the front of the building, Samara is seen sitting on a bench with a book in hand. She immediately looks to them as the sounds of stomping boots and rattling metal bits meet her ears.

"Oh, done so soon?" Her eyes drift from the Nostrum to a column of smoke that has begun to swirl in the sky. "My God, what has happened? Where is Samuel?"

Lee doesn't respond with words. Instead, he merely shoves a thumb over his shoulder towards the smoke and presses on towards the door, followed closely by Hael and Marne. Yuler, however, stops herself in front of Samara and lays a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Your brother is still very much alive. A fool, but a living fool. Please, come with us."

"Wh-what?"

"I saw you and your brother this morning. You do not have to endure his abuse- his... experiments... any longer. All you have to do is come with us."

"Yuler, we're leaving." Lee reminds, stopping only for a brief moment to do so.

"Please, come."

Samara's expression turns to hope, but quickly descends into sadness.

"I-I can't. I'm sorry. I must stay."

Yuler sighs heavily, but does not put up any more of a fight.

"Yuler!" Lee stamps his foot once more, nearly being at the woodline that leads to their escape. "Unless she is offering us directions we must leave now!"

"Directions?" Samara looks to Lee, then back at Yuler, who now releases her shoulders and admits defeat.

"To the catacombs. We're searching for... something."

"You seek to destroy Dabria."

Yuler does not respond. Instead, she simply looks into Samara's eyes with pity and eagerness. Samara lets her eyes fall to the ground for a moment, then looks back at the smoke that continues to grow larger.

"The Bethel's dungeons. There is an entrance beneath each of the four towers. Look for the warden's office."

Yuler, surprised but thankful for Samara's assistance, gives her a tip of her hat and rushes off to join Marne, who chose to wait before crossing into the woodline.