get your words out { 2022 } yahtzee tracking

[iluvroadrunner6]

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Running Score: 260 (8/8)
Word Count: 36,156

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running from our elaborate ruse | regency au | 1,375

[iluvroadrunner6]

[Prompt]

Kate can feel Peter’s eyes digging into her back as they ride towards the small village. She knows he has questions about why she’s chosen him for this mission, rather than someone she trusts more, but oddly enough, of the options available, Peter is the one she trusts the most.

It’s sad for the state of her life, she’s sure, but to his credit, he doesn’t ask it. At least not yet.

“Tell me about La Bete.”

That is a question she can answer. “His name was Sebastien Valet. He was the older brother of my great-great grandmother, Marie-Jeanne. He wasn’t a soldier of particular renown, but I was told he had a mean streak a mile wide. They say that he drank water from the paw print of a wolf and, as a result, became a werewolf.”

She doesn’t put much stock in that, being turned without a bite, and she’s unsure if Peter does either. He only raises an eyebrow and she shrugs.

“That was the story.” She wasn’t there, obviously. “He turned rather monstrous. Officially killed a hundred and thirteen people, but some accounts say it might be closer to five hundred. Marie-Jeanne had to put him down herself.”

Peter frowns. “That must have been difficult for her.”

“I’m sure.” Kate isn’t sure she believes it. If her brother had killed over a hundred people and didn’t regret a moment of it, she would have no trouble shoving a pike through his chest. But Kate, she’s learning, isn’t most people.

“So what are these Dread Doctors?”

“Marie-Jeanne instituted a Damnatio Memoriae, to erase Sebastien from memory. But his best friend, the one who covered for him and helped hide the bodies, didn’t take his death so well and was determined to bring him back. He formed this…collective, dedicated to that cause. Mixing science and the supernatural to extend their lives until they could find a viable solution to the problem.”

“And you’ve been tracking them?”

“Not exactly. But sometimes their work finds its way to my front door.”

The village itself is small, a little hamlet close to Orleans. Few villagers are out at night, but the few that are eyeing them suspiciously, as given everything that’s happened, they’re not much for strangers at the moment. Eventually, Kate brings the horses to a stop in front of one house, where a straight-backed young man stands, eyeing them both curiously.

“Is this your backup, Lady Argent?” he smiles magnanimously, almost teasing. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“Would you trust you?” she retorts as she slides off her horse. “Peter Hale, Marcel Gerard. The current head of the vampire faction in Orleans.”

“I’ve heard of you,” Peter acknowledges.

“Likewise,” Marcel smiles. “A werewolf, a vampire and a hunter walk into a house. Sounds like the start of a bad joke.”

“I am curious what your interest in this is.”

“This is technically my territory. I enforce the rules. And one rule is that you don’t mess with kids.”

Peter turns and gives Kate a shrewd look and she turns to lead the way in to the warm house. The sound of soft sobs coming from within make her heart sink. As she rounds the corner into the room, the man sitting by the side of the bed straightens, comforting his grieving wife. On the bed is a young girl, likely not over sixteen. She’s been dead for a few hours, and the scene is quite gruesome.

“Lady Argent. You’ve returned.”

Kate nods. “This is Lord Hale. He’s going to assist me in finding out what happened to Madeline.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Peter nods.

“Would you give us a moment?” Kate asks, and Madeline’s father nods, taking his wife and heading back to the kitchen. Once they’re gone, Kate turns back to Peter. “We have little time. The hellhound will be here soon.”

“The hellhound?” Peter frowns. “I thought they were myths.”

“There’s one in this village. It usually happens when there’s a nematon around. Originally Marcel heard that there was a case of body snatching, but when we tracked the bodies to the nematon, we realized it wasn’t stealing them—”

“It was protecting them.” Peter lets the subject drop at that and focuses on the matter at hand. “This body makes little sense.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Kate sighs, before making her way closer. “Never mind the fact that she hasn’t returned to human form, but the coloring is nagual while the teeth.” She pushes back the lip of the girl to reveal wendigo fangs.

Peter’s eyes widen in horror, and he keeps looking her over. He swipes his thumb through the strange liquid coming out of her ears. “This smells metallic. Mercury, maybe?”

“Can you pick up anything else from the scent?”

His eyes narrow at her. “I see. You needed me for my nose.”

Kate rolls her eyes. “Later, Peter.”

He smirks before taking a deep breath, trying to get as much as he can from the body, as well as looking for any additional clues. Just as he finishes, Marcel’s voice comes from the door. “Kate. She’s coming.”

Kate takes Peter’s arm, pulling him away from the body and back into the kitchen where the parents waited. From there, they watch as a woman on fire, clothes burning away as she walks, walks into the room and heads straight for Madeline’s body. Her parents cry out in protest, but Kate and Marcel hold them firm as the hellhound takes the body and leaves.

They finish offering their condolences to the parents, and head back out into the village. Marcel leads them to a local pub where he orders them a round of drinks.

“So? Anything?”

Peter frowns and shakes his head. “Nothing that has context yet. How many children have turned up like this?”

“Five, including Madeline.” Marcel rubs a hand over his face. “And two still missing.”

“Do they have anything in common? Anything in their history that might show they could be viable for this sort of procedure?”

Kate’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

Peter turns to face her. “We don’t know for sure what makes someone viable for the bite. It seems at random, but whether it’s a question of metaphysical or circumstantial, sometimes the bite is rejected. These…chimeras must have a common criterion that makes these Dread Doctors think they’ll be viable.”

Marcel raises an eyebrow. “You assume that this is founded on logic?”

“They’re trying to raise a dead, mass murdering werewolf. There has to be some lunacy there.” Peter takes a sip of his ale. “But they call themselves ‘Doctors’—that implies some kind of knowledge of the sciences.” He sighs as he leans back. “I’ll have to send word to my sister. This may take more than a night.”

“Of course.” Kate takes another sip of her ale. “Wouldn’t want to leave the lovely Victoria waiting, either.”

Peter rolls his eyes at her, before excusing himself to ride back to the village to get his things and send his missives. Marcel raises an eyebrow and smirks. “That wasn’t bitter at all.”

Kate snorts. “I’m not bitter. There’s nothing to be bitter about.”

“I’m sensing a history.”

“Our families have history,” Kate points out. “Peter and I have nothing of the kind. In fact, I find him to be an insufferable asshole.”

“Yet you asked him to help with this.”

“We needed a werewolf.”

“I know werewolves.”

“We needed a werewolf I could trust not to murder me once they found out my family name,” Kate retorts, placing the mug down. “As much as you might trust your friends, I don’t. At least the Hales have signed a piece of paper promising not to kill me.”

Marcel nods, though he doesn’t seem convinced. “Fair, I suppose.” He then leans back in his chair. “When we find the Doctors and end this, will we be able to give these families their children back?”

“I don’t know. I think that’s going to depend on the hellhound.”

Marcel nods, before heading to the front to book them some rooms for the night. Kate finishes the ale and hopes against hope that they resolve this before they have to bury any more children.