Scene #9770: Hound of the Baskervilles-2

Owner	Pose
Foundation Scions	'Go on! Get him home!' Comparatively gently, for their behavior towards the arcanists and Elites present, the two chatty bystanding men tap the distressed (and somewhat-relieved, without reducing her worry) Ms. Taylor, encouraging the middle aged woman to step out of the road, and free the car to get out of there, once people scramble in. With her hands once more nervously pressing the straw-filled doll to her chest, she nods at the scrambling outsiders, hopeful, invested, and teary-eyed helpless. Before the car leaves, Matilda is quick to provide Leilani the general directions sussed by her divinations indicated- that it's in a thick, mossy boulder-filled cluster of woods to the west-north-west, on the other side of a highland peak from here (simple as the crow flies, but difficult overland). Of course, wayfinding towards it is already something in her wheelhouse, with her practiced array, it's a certain thing that she, in the car, can guide the others convene to the divined point where the injured Edward lays. Ms. Taylor waves, as the car pulls away, dust kicked up in its wake. While Tamamo prepares for medical aid, Matilda, the other earmarked person present to be just 'teleported' ahead, busies herself with one more, quick divination- "Oh boule de cristal, prévenez-moi de mon sort, s'il te plaît..." The result, after a moment of furrowed-brow focus, seems to be hardly clear, to her. In a spare moment, scrambling back up to her feet, and stowing-away that ridiculously heavy ball, she says, worried, "The omens, they are quite murky, Mrs. Rook!" The route is measured in 'minutes' by driving, even as roundabout as it has to be, in the streamside valleys, but would be measured in 'miles' by foot- and even by car, roads give way to rugged, inaccessible hillsides, even before trees and boulders render even hiking difficult, before the destination is reached. The last stretch can only be done on foot, the car abandoned, either by choice, or by wedging itself between precarious granite boulders. Edward's condition is much the same as the vision indicated- which is to say, his leg, and arm, both have nasty (and huge) bites through the thick clothing, stained-over with blood. In the little hollow, it's finally clear, from the wounds and the pattern, here- "He looks to have-been dragged here," says a nervous Matilda, hand steadied on a faintly-glowing crystal flashlight, cutting through some of the even midday gloom of the thicket. She points it at blood-stains atop the mossy rock substrate, from the direction of the broken branches. As the teleported-ahead trio assess and attend, and the not-far-behind car group reconvene, miraculously, Edward Taylor starts to stir on his own- "Huh? Are you the angels, come to spirit me away..?" Clearly, still out of it, but no doubt a good sign. Less a good sign is his next words, in dire urgency- "Did it leave?" In the foggy, moss-shrouded woods, of clustered, gnarled oaks, it's the very-faint snap-crack of branches, faint and hushed, but too close for comfort, that alert those of especially-keen hearing to something being wrong. Despite how quiet the snapping is, this isn't a wood with low underbrush, and many dense bushes, save for the thicket the group now clusters in. It's something large moving. That warning comes only a moment before an announcement- a howl, mournful, echoing, and close.
Foundation Scions	Nervousness in her voice, Matilda answers Edward, almost hushed, but not really believing 'being quiet' to matter, at this point- "It seems it did not!" She's brave enough, despite staying in the thicket, to draw her own sword out and face its edge- but, still nervous, add, "Um! Mrs. Rook..? How soon-after can you again perform your teleportation arcane skill..?" Evacuating, fully, would waste the important opportunity for the general objective of this mission- to deal with the problem, though, whether this is still within the scope of a job originally assigned to one Zeno scout and one Foundation Junior Investigator, is questionable. "Its arcane signature, is- er, well, there is one! Quite strongly felt!" Outside the thicket, branches rustle from the overhead trees- the 'hound' that must be out there, unseen by obscuration, still, circles, and waits for the first moves to be taken.
Regulus	"Can't you drive this thing any faster?" Regulus asks Sarracenia (she naturally took 'shotgun'). "Man I would've brought my motorbike if I expected to be in such a hurry, lesson learned for next time--bring your ride, Regulus." It doesn't really matter how fast Sarracenia is going, Regulus is going to be asking this question. It's just how it is. ''The omens, they are quite murky, Mrs. Rook.'' "That means we got a chance to change the outcome!" Regulus says optimistically. She didn't evne put on her seatbelt so her seatbelt is actually trying to bite at her because the seatbelt is actually two chomp chomps that have to bite each other to lock the belt in place so Regulus has been batting them away with her hand so they don't bite her and still hasn't even considered for a second buckling up. But this does mean that the moment the car inevitably slows down to avoid crushing itself between granite boulders, Regulus leaps out withhout a second thought, running along the path and lighting up the area in front of her with her arcane skill, wiggling her finger as she moves. ''HHuh? Are you the angels, come to spirit me away..?'' "Ah, nope, your mum sent us to help!" Regulus assures her but can't really properly tend to his wounds and definitely didn't bring any medical kit besides. She's really accustomed to Odette and Holly handling all that noise over the past few months. It didn't even occur to her to learn. ''How soon-after can you again perform your teleportation arcane skill..?'' Maybe Lilian's gotten better with it since the time she used it and sent her sprawling across the floor. It's only one person anyway, presumably. "Oh yeah, Lilian's arcane skill would be perfect for this." Of course, DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM for Regulus is less important than saving a life but there's enough people here that she figures they can mmanage both. "We should probably treat his wounds first, though, teleportation can get a bit rough. From experience." She looks around but doesn't immediately see the 'hound'. "I get the feeling it's here," Regulus says, off of vibes. "But no idea where it's at. Do you got a general direction? Maybe I can get lucky." She looks to Leilani. "Though considering you're a crack shot, how about I send a light up, you see if you can see the hellhound and get a shot off while it's still bright." And so Regulus plants herself down before spinning her finger into the air before sending a vibrant bright light into the air, piercing through the fog like a Big Walk flare, to try and get Leilani the sort of sightline she needs to get an arrow off on the creature.
Team Timekeeper	Vroom!!! Leilani sticks her head out the window of the car as Sarracenia floors (carefully navigates the dirt roads until they peter out into woods and rocks) the pedal. Her wayfinding spell glows in her compass, and Matilda's divined the final destination, so the direction to go is easy-- they just have to endure minutes of driving there first! Leilani has her spyglass out, sweeping the woods for any sight of the monster they're on the hunt for while breezing by in the car, but when the car's wheels start rattling over rocky offroad terrain, she nearly drops it. "Ug-ug-ug-ug-ug-ug-- wah! Oh-- the spell's still pointing that way, past those trees! C'mon!" A regular overland trooper, this is the environment that makes Leilani seem most like a soldier, or a scout, at least. She clambers over mossy boulders and up root-filled cliffsides with all the dexterity of a squirrel, giving those slower than her a hand up habitually. At each high vantage point, she peeks around with her spyglass, then swivels to point at the next direction to go. "He looks to have-been dragged here," "Ah! That must be Edward!" exclaims Leilani upon cresting the hillside, for the sake of audio only players. Also, because she only saw Matilda's divination secondhand. "He's hurt!" Leilani slings her bow off her back, feather-fletched arrow hanging between her fingers as she creeps around the scene. "No sir, it's not here now, but it must be close...." The arrow's nocked in an instant and its point snaps to track the invisible target through the undergrowth, as Leilani behind the string looks more and more anxious. The howl makes her gulp audibly. "Um... that doesn't sound like any critter I know. And it sounds big...?" "Do you got a general direction? Maybe I can get lucky." "Ah, mhm, mhm. It's thataway... like, one hundred fifty meters? One hundred? Er-- eighty-- go, go, go, tracker shot, I'll follow!!!" After Regulus launches a beam of light towards the direction through the woods that Leilani indicates, she murmurs a quick little spell. She sends the arrow flying with a sharp twang, and it tears through the air towards the target, enhanced to make its tip razor sharp.
Lilian Rook	'The omens, they are quite murky, Mrs. Rook!' Hardly what she'd like to hear, but Lilian hasn't asked for her fate read before, and isn't about to start now. "Then just stick close to me." she says, meaning to give direction in a moment where she could imagine Matilda suddenly feeling uncertain, but then wondering if that actually has anything to do with it. "Here. Eyes up. Deep breaths." None are relevant to the process. Lilian has to memorize the directions at least as well as Leilani, before "Liomsa uile na fuílleach Ama." -------- Lilian has clear preferences as to whom she is going to carry there more gently, and Tamamo is the winner. Matilda is dropped off with a feeling not unlike that sense of 'falling into bed' when waking up, and one quarter of a gut punch around her middle. She accompanies her wife all the way to the injured boy, then turns her back immediately, watching out behind Tamamo with rehearsed ease, hand on the hilt of her sword. 'Huh? Are you the angels, come to spirit me away..?' "I'm afraid we've only come to take you back home, though I appreciate the compliment." Lilian says. The matter of how injured he is, and how to treat it, is something Tamamo can handle, and she can't. "Don't relax just yet. I need you to stay focused. No closing your eyes, no going quiet, and certainly no drifting off." 'Did it leave?' Lilian clicks her tongue the minute she hears it. "As if on cue." she says, turning her head in the direction of the noise. 'Um! Mrs. Rook..? How soon-after can you again perform your teleportation arcane skill..?' "Not until he's fit to be moved. If it isn't safe to carry him out in the back seat of the car, it isn't safe to teleport him." says Lilian, which means 'any time, but you're not backing out of this yet'. "Come now. You're a Junior Investigator and a Zeno Private. Regulus isn't helpless either. Keep the point of your sword low and your arms well behind it."
Sarracenia	Tamamo: 'Agrees that Sarra is an idiot and gives details on what makes her so in this situation' Sarra frowns at Tamamo's reply. "I fail to see how I may have indicated they are now in interesting times that are not well-handled. -Or- how the analogy of the doctor is parallel to this. I did not say anything that would imply that I am not familiar with such threats and I would hope my actions had displayed that I -could- handle them." She huffs. "I usually appreciate your advice, Lady Tamamo, but in this instance I think you are quite mistaken." Leilani: 'Got the location! Get on the road, then bank two o'clock towards the woods!' "I am fairly certain you cannot bank in a car! That is for aircraft!" Sarra replies even as she follows the directions from both Matilda and Leilani toward the imperiled Edward. Being a car from the Sundew kingdom, it is quite durable and actually not bad offroad. As long as they don't hit deep mud or something. Regulus: 'Can't you drive this thing any faster?' Sarra mmphs in annoyance. "I am going as fast as I can! It would serve no one if we ruined the car before even reaching Edward!" she says. Even though she is definitely driving at unsafe speeds on country roads or not even on roads as they head west-north-west toward the cluster of woods, her copper hair fluttering in the wind of the open windows, held only somewhat in check by her red and gold driving goggles (which she totally had the entire time). Though, Regulus might notice that the car sounds a bit odd. Like there is a rocket mixed in with the pistons pumping. The car skids to a stop when they reach the impassable area, and Sarra opens her door quickly before hopping out and pushing her goggles up to rest over her forehead. "Quickly!" she exclaims, and starts platformering her way up toward Edward, leaping over boulders as big as houses and kicking off of them for even more height and speed. Before realizing she has to follow Leilani and Matilda. She's no tracker and left her drone at home. She eyes the drag marks Matilda points out. "...dragged...why? Why would they leave him?" When they reach Edward she gasps and covers her mouth in shock. She has seen many things since entering the Multiverse, but someone savaged by a wild animal has not been a common one. Edward: 'Huh? Are you the angels, come to spirit me away..?' Sarra can't help a bit of a smile at that. "Yes, but only back to your home. You are safe now." she says. Sarra doesn't notice the branch snapping, but the howl is hard to miss. Sarra stiffens instinctively, then turns toward the sound. Instead of the sword, she reaches to touch her metal lotus and forms metal gloves over her hands before forming her Silver approximation of her hammer. "You best be on your way, beastie! You have chosen the wrong prey today!" she calls out, giving it a chance to turn tail before more harm is done. As an added incentive, Sarra swings her hammer, sending a wave of Silver fletchettes in an arc away from the group.
Tamamo	Tamamo gets everything together, and grabs onto Lilian the moment before the 'teleport' -- which is nigh entirely unnecessary, apart from the fact that she wanted to do it. So far as she knows, she is immediately elsewhere, with only gentle sensations already fading out of memory. 'Huh? Are you the angels, come to spirit me away..?' "Your mother is terribly worried, young man, and we will not keep you from her overly long. Focus on your breathing, now. It is very important to keep breathing." 'Um! Mrs. Rook..? How soon-after can you again perform your teleportation arcane skill..?' "Such teleportation is still 'moving', Junior Investigator Bouanich, which, I am solemnly obliged to say, would be against medical recommendation. Please allow me some time to work, and hold the threat at bay until then." She's speaking more quickly than usual, tension evident for the situation, without taking her eyes from her patient, but not so distracted as to break form. There's one beast, as far as she can tell so far, and there's two arcanists, a princess, and her very own knight behind her. Even with Lilian only keeping an eye on the situation, surely they can use their numbers to control its -- oh, perhaps she should mention that. "Form a line, if you please. You can control its movements so long as there are more of you than of your quarry, and your positions are known." If people are darting every which way, that'll only make her own position more dangerous. With that, she gets to it. Tamamo's handbag may or may not be magical, as it always has what she needs in it. In this case, at first, it's a rather heavy pair of scissors, and a twine-bound stack of paper talismans. "My apologies for your outfit, young man, but I am sure your mother will be understanding of the need." One talisman to the back of his neck to start, sticking as if plastered, and then she starts to cut away the cloth around each wound. The magic will help stabilize him until she can get bandages on.
Foundation Scions	'Focus on your breathing, now. It is very important to keep breathing.' "That's easy 'nough," Edward says- the resemblance to the worried-sick Ms. Taylor is clear, in the exhausted and injured young man. "Been doing that all my life, you know." He's got the spirit to be funny, at least. 'My apologies for your outfit, young man,' Worried, "Did I get it that filthy?" slips out of Edward's mouth. Matilda, a bit nervous, and trying to be focused, actually giggles a bit at that! "It is quite a mess!" Cutting away mess, cleaning wounds, and applying talismans, as-ever, have the intended effect- while he might have struggled to walk at all, let alone escape the Hound, with these injuries, this isn't life-threatening harm, and nothing residual remains in it to keep it harmful. He murmurs distracted bits of thanks, as the healing gets to a point where there's noticeable relief. 'I am solemnly obliged to say, would be against medical recommendation.' Matilda nods- she felt how much it jostled her! "Then, er, it is best to, not, and..." Thinking for a moment, and replacing her held flashlight-crystal for another object pulled from a pocket, a (familiar to Regulus, only) string of polished and facetted quartzes, chained together like jewelry, to wrap in-hand, faintly, itself, still glowing. A more convenient wand for arcanum than a thirty-five pound crystal ball, that. "Keeping it at-bay, at-least, should be une part de gâteau. Neither should be defeating it!" Come on, Matilda. There's no excuse for that being where you interject French. 'Um... that doesn't sound like any critter I know. And it sounds big...?' A little nervous (but keeping her sword point low, now!) Matilda answers, "I do not recognize its sound, either! Not from the SPDM's critter pens, at-least!" It's clear by how she quiets-up a little bit, that she's trying to focus closely on the sights and sounds, to be prepared for whatever it is that the wolf might do. She clusters, with Regulus and Leilani, to stay interspersed between the rustling noises, and Edward, being attended-to in the middle of the thicket.
Foundation Scions	In the gloom of the dense woods, canopies shade out most of the grey daylight- in that gloom, is where the Black Hound lurks. It's not invisible itself- just camouflaged, seemingly made of the shadow that hangs in the air and paints the surfaces of the quiet grove. That, is only illuminated by Regulus' beam, a lucky shot that fizzles away through the trembling branches and leaves. Mist-silver eyes fix on where the beam came from- so, right at Regulus, through the gap left behind. Growling a bit, it advances, with quiet footsteps- tens of meters off, but it got scarily close, regardless, before stepping into a sunlit-enough spot that it can be seen. The Hound is a hound, not a wolf, clearly- its ears hang low at the side of its head, its face isn't as rounded and predatory, and its coat, despite seemingly being made of whispy shadows, is close to its body, too sleek for a wolf. It stays cautious, or confidant, in the distance, as Sarracenia, Matilda, Regulus, and Leilani take to the edge of the thicket. Leilani's knocking, and loosing, of an arrow doesn't seem to register as a threat, until the bowstring's twang reverberates. The shadowy beast tries to duck out to the side, low, but can't move faster than a true arrow. Concerningly, there's no yelp of pain as it impacts the Hound, and while the arrow vanishes into it, and the tracking spell takes hold, as it tries, again (and fails) to slink back to the camouflaged gloom, it seems to, itself, notice the change in arcane fluctuations of 'a spell' being present. When the misty glowing eyes stare back from the woods, it's almost, now, out of confusion, a predator circling a turtle, unsure what angle to take to get to the food that's past the shell. Sarracenia, running out, and swinging her hammer to pepper the woods with shrapnel, upsets it, in a flinching-low and confused way, fragments fizzling into its coat, and scattering, embedded in centuries-old oaks. The Black Hound snarls, and finally deigns to charge, careless and animal- this isn't something familiar with 'fighting'. Its lunge comes with batting swipes- its bulk, as a cow-sized hound, is scary, and only there, in its close-ranged strikes, charging up against the defenders, is there an even more tangible (to the attuned) surge of arcane energies, emanating from it, rather than some effect. There is, in addition, a faint metal-clinking noise. Matilda, previously not having much to do with the at-range skirmishing, tries to go for an opportunity to strike at the Hound as it charges Sarra, an upward strike as it passes-by her, with a well-timed firing-off of her SN-13's gout of heat and cutting-force. Matilda, and the Hound, squeak in unison- "Hein?" Because, despite the bright flash of heat and the force of it all, the most that's happened to the oversized dog, is a ripple and wake of shadowstuff. Cautious again, as close as it can lunge, and then retreat from, are strikes, bats, and bites, at the four combatants. As with many animals, but notably, here, it doesn't try to bite Sarra, or Matilda, for the close-range risk they pose; cautious and protective of itself, in its attempt to, apparently, hunt. To Leilani, mostly, panted and scrambling-back a bit, "Why does it seem, hesitant? Do other strange critters do-such?"
Sarracenia	Tamamo: 'Form a line, if you please. You can control its movements so long as there are more of you than of your quarry, and your positions are known.' Sarra huffs softly, still annoyed about earlier. She doesn't so much for a line as just keep herself between the hound and Tamamo and Edward. "It will not get past me." she says resolutely. Matilda: 'I do not recognize its sound, either! Not from the SPDM's critter pens, at-least!' "Something even you are not familiar with, Miss Matilda?" Sarra asks, surprised. She watches as the various missiles disappear into that shadow fur. "It might be best to keep our distance. If arrows and darts disappear into it, who knows what might happen if we touch it." Sure, Edward is not dead and was bitten, but Sarra is kind of worried around such things after The City. Keeping distance turns out to be difficult as the hound rushes them! Sarra grits her teeth and pulls her hammer in to try and use it as a shield. But, shielding a charging cow-sized hound really isn't a good idea. It hits her hard and she goes flying back, crashes in the dirt, then into a tree. With an annoyed groan she uses the tree to get back to her feet. "...Okay...perhaps that was not the -best- plan..." she mutters to herself. She still needs to keep the healer and the victim safe, so she moves back into position. "Perhaps it is not merely a wild creature. Or at least a wise wild creature." she says, then reaches into her purse... ...before she looks toward Edward. She mmphs in annoyance. "This is a severe hinderance!" she says to no one in particular. Instead of her usual bob-ombs or bullet bills, she pulls out a normal-looking cannonball. "Let us see how you like this!" she says, then tosses it up in the air and twirls quickly. As the cannonball comes back down she hits it squarely with her hammer with a sound not unlike a cannon firing, sending the cannonball off like a shot toward the creature.
Regulus	''I am going as fast as I can!'' "Your car is made out of wood, we're in thew oods, you should be able to at least go ten kilometers an hour faster!" Regulus protests though she does get distracted by the strange noises the vehicle is making. Regulus isn't a soldier by any stretch of the imagination and isn't entirely sure what Tamamo means by forming a line but the odds that Regulus will chase after an unseen beast into an area this thick with mist is pretty low anyway. Regulus is a little Reck(u)less but she's not a complete idiot. Or is she?! ''Mhm, mhm. It's thataway...'' "Ahhh it's definitely spooky." Regulus quirks her head to the left. It looks like 'Black Dog' was right on the money. "Nice! Right on the money, Leilani!" Regulus says as the arrow strikes true and uh... ...Dog seems fine. The Dog seems ... confused? Of course, Regulus knows that sometimes that reading an animal is tougher than reading a person and even things that an animal does that looks like happiness might actually be anger or vice versa. And it's especialy hard for Regulus to read how a hell hound might be thinking. It doesn't feel like this creature gets into a lot of scraps though like one might expect out of a hell hound, though Regulus knows that stories and the truth often only intersect so much, but she is getting a strange vibe here. "Ah heck here it comes..!" ''Do other strange critters do-such?'' "Nah this feels weird." Regulus admits to Matilda. "But that might just be because there's so many of us. Maybe it prefers to pick off solitary people? Unattended or...?" She hops up into the air as the beast lunges at her, summoning one of her glowing musical platforms in the dog's path suddenly as she uses it to bound over it. She's pretty agile so she is confident she can keep the beast busy, at least. If the creature ends up BONKING into the platform, it makes a musical KLINK noise before dissipitating and if it doesn't it'll vanish shortly after Regulus's hop anyway. "Maybe if we spook it off we can follow after it later with Leilani's trace--or we can calm it down and see what's got it so upset?" She's trying to get a good look here because she HEARD that metal clinking noise and metal clinking noises draw Regulus's attention for several reasons because she is someone who is drawn to pickpocketing, weird devices, shiny objects, and so on. "Leilani, do you see anything strange?" Regulus asks. "Metal-ish? Maybe it's a lion's paw situation." ,''cannonball'' "Holy shit" Regulus says because doing that with a cannonball is crazy.
Team Timekeeper	"You best be on your way, beastie! You have chosen the wrong prey today!" Leilani, over the wary arm of her bow, shouts off into the woods like she's trying to ward off a completely normal dog. "Yeah! Shoo! Go on now! --Ah, wait, but we have to hunt it for the mission, though!" She breathes a huge sigh of relief at Edward being taken care of by Tamamo and Lilian. She would never say this out loud while the injured guy is right there, but she actually did horribly at all her Multi-Focus Civilian Defense battle simulations at Zeno. The splatter of ballistic dolls or confetti from paper human simulacrums because she got too distracted by the enemy... but not here! Go Leilani! She yelps when the beast leaps out towards her, releasing her bow with one hand to draw her machete and thrust it to interpose the blade in front of its claws. The strap of her bag gets caught and rips when she jerks away, spilling its contents on the forest floor, ranging from navigation tools, to nutrition bars, to a kind of trashy travel magazine that's halfway to being a tabloid. "Wah--! I don't know!" She exclaims to Matilda, shoving her machete back into its sheathe and fumbling for another arrow. "Not a wolf, not a Cuahl, not a Managarmr-- umm-!" She's really bad at multitasking! Until she's scrambled for space from the dog, falling behind Matilda to use her as the close quarters ward to intercept the monster before it can interrupt her archery, Leilani hardly forms a coherent sentence at all. The spot where the arrow punctured the shadowstuff leaves a sparkling arcane trail weaving through the air, making it easier to keep track of its motions, but it's so worrying that it barely seemed to hurt it. Once she's drawn an arrow, Leilani's queued up thoughts all spill through at once, without unbalancing her aim. "It looks like it's conjured instead of a natural critter, 'cause of being made of shadow, but if this was someone's summon, it'd be following orders to attack instead of protecting itself! So that means... it's been influenced by an arcane skill, rather than created by one, I think...? A-ah-hhh, we can figure it out once it's down! Down!" Aiming broadside at its flank while Sarracenia takes the dog's attention, Leilani releases a flurry of arrows aimed at different spots to try and test for weak points. Now steadied, the next time it lunges at her to retaliate, she rolls without letting go of her bow, loosing a shot upwards from low to the ground.
Lilian Rook	'Form a line, if you please. You can control its movements so long as there are more of you than of your quarry, and your positions are known.' Lilian, immediately assuming this much is completely beyond Sarracenia, says, "Matilda, Leilani, Regulus; first rank, second rank, third rank. Three arm lengths between you side to side. If you lose sight of it, don't all face the same direction; wolves want to attack you from behind when they can. They'll go for the legs or an available arm and take you down to the ground, then move on to the throat." Presuming the monster is anything like a wolf at all, that is. "Don't stray off. It'll want to go for stragglers first." 'Been doing that all my life, you know.' Lilian cracks a smile despite herself. It's easier for her, being more than familiar with this sort of emergency situation humour. "Everyone says that 'till they stop you know." she says. "You look like shit. We'll have to clean you up before your mother sees." The fact that she still hasn't drawn steel, despite clearly guarding Tamamo's back, increases her sense of poise, though her hand hovers over the hilt. 'Keeping it at-bay, at-least, should be une part de gâteau. Neither should be defeating it!' Lilian, now starting to wonder how much real combat experience Matilda actually has compared to Leilani, says, "Your job here isn't to rescue one person; it's to stop the howling. Don't you even think about 'holding it off' until you can run away." Of course, she doesn't expect Matilda to chicken out, but she can't quite shake the feeling that having herself and Tamamo at her back is the cause for Matilda's oddly deferent, wishy-washy attitude. . . . She doesn't like that it got so close either, once Regulus' spotlight beam vanishes into the oaks, but the fact remains that it didn't get any closer than that. Sarracenia's absurdly lethal 'warning shot' (while talking to it) confirms that there's no point in shooting at it from this distance, nor can it understand human language. So the sensible thing to do is wait until it-- Charges? Right out here? Lilian's back foot slides closer to Tamamo, readied for a speed-drawing posture, but her hand actually lifts slightly away from her weapon. "The hell is that noise?" she whispers to herself, narrowing her eyes and peering into the gloom at-- 'Hein?' "No way. You're fucking joking." Lilian whispers. Her right hand drifts all the way over to Tamamo's shoulder, and gently taps twice.
Lilian Rook	'Let us see how you like this!' Whatever Lilian said at that moment, nobody can hear it over a cannon going off. Mostly, the boom fades out to "--it off! This is a Foundation mission you knob! Do you want me to arrest you right here and now?!" 'Why does it seem, hesitant? Do other strange critters do-such?' 'Nah this feels weird.' Stifling down boiling exasperation at the Foundation's unannounced tagalong, Lilian returns to an ordinary standing posture, turns her back to the others, reaches down to help prop up Edward as Tamamo wraps up, and says "Of course it is. That's no ordinary wolf, after all." in a very strange tone. "It was certainly correct of them to send skilled arcanists to do the job." still weird. "But I've seen enough. You should be able to handle this just fine." 'So that means... it's been influenced by an arcane skill, rather than created by one, I think...? A-ah-hhh, we can figure it out once it's down! Down!' "Good luck girls. This'll be valuable experience for all of you."
Tamamo	'I fail to see how...' "You brought out a sword to showcase your prowess in the 20th century, Princess Sarracenia. I did explain this. Using a sword to fight wolves is not 'normal' in any era of Earth history." She's being so patient. Or rather, she's only paying a little attention, because there's something a lot more immediately important, even on the same topic of 'impressing the locals,' right in front of her. "You might consider the customs of the lands you visit," she says, in her customary Early Middle Japanese. 'Been doing that all my life, you know.' A bit schoolmarmy, "Very good." 'Did I get it that filthy?' "Unfortunately so." It would be incorrect to call blood 'filth' in a general sense, but in the context of stained clothing, certainly. 'Keeping it at-bay, at-least, should be une part de gâteau.' Interpreting the French entirely by tone and knowledge of character, "That is good to hear." Snip, snip, go the scissors. She'd have used tailor's shears, once upon a time, and she imagines she did quite well with those, and this new pair is a bit too impersonally 'modern' for her liking, but she can't deny the effectiveness. She'll have to see about personalizing her own pair of trauma shears at some later date. She can certainly afford to be picky, so long as she's prepared. "Mr. Edward, was it?" She's already thinking of 'Mr. Taylor' as his late father. "Did you drag yourself here? There seems to be quite a trail. Oh, you were a bit lucky, were you not? You should be fine without any stitching, but do not move just yet." Disinfectant. Bandaging loosely, then tying or taping the bandages down. There are bites, yes, but for round punctures and blunt trauma, suturing would cause its own problems. Doing it this way takes a little bit longer than using more of her talismans would, but Matilda said it was well in hand, so she can surely take her time. Creating the talismans takes her quite a bit longer than stocking up on ordinary medical supplies does.
Tamamo	...a faint metal-clinking noise. 'Metal-ish? Maybe it's...' Tamamo's ears perk, one turning partway to the side. ...to Tamamo's shoulder, and gently taps twice. Only now even glancing away from her patient, "Mm?"
Lilian Rook	'You might consider the customs of the lands you visit' Lilian sighs, like she's disappointed that the topic is even ongoing. "Tamamo, come on . . . You know she's delusional. Everything is dungeons and dragons to her. I bet she thinks adventurers are out slaying monsters in Teignbridge Devon out to the seventies." Even a little whiny about it. 'Very good.' Whatever else she was thinking can wait. It seems? 'Did you drag yourself here? There seems to be quite a trail. Oh, you were a bit lucky, were you not?' "Presuming it wasn't trying to lure us." says Lilian, weirdly calm about the whole idea. "No stitches? My my, that is quite lucky." She knows perfectly well why. "No ringing in your ears right, Edward? Dizziness, blurry vision, nausea? And no especial pain in your back? You seem like you've got your wits about you, so once you're wrapped up, we'll be getting you out." 'Mm?' Lilian crouches partway down, until the tip of her scabbard touches the mossy stone, and lowers her voice just for Tamamo's ears . . .
Foundation Scions	'Everyone says that 'till they stop you know.' Edward balks at that. "Yes'm, I'll give it my all." 'Unfortunately so.' "Fuck," is all Edward has to say about that! His shirt's as filthy as his language! 'Don't you even think about 'holding it off' until you can run away.' Matilda gives Lilian a confused little over-the-shoulder glance, and then re-readies her posture, like that's a nod, "I was, in fact, not thinking that!" Whether that's true or not is up for debate! "It is for you to escape with him! I know the job is not-yet done!" It's a little easier for her to be confident when called-out before the animal rushes in. The fact of the matter is: Matilda Bouanich, Junior Investigator, SPDM Graduate... does not have much combat experience at all. 'Ah heck here it comes..!' Close calls, and a ripped-apart satchel, and Sarracenia battered out to the side, the scuffle is a back-and-forth, animal and hunters both dashing in and out to try and find something that works. It's, almost, in a way, playful, were it not for the cow-sized dog's growl, and obvious history of having killed others. 'Not a wolf, not a Cuahl, not a Managarmr-- umm-!' "Perhaps, it is, newly-discovered?" Is a worried and simultaneously excited possibility- Matilda shakes her head. "Non, ce n'est pas possible. It does not sound like the critter stories they had..?" 'Did you drag yourself here? There seems to be quite a trail.' Edward feebly shakes his head- 'No, ma'am, I..." He looks around, "I don't recall where this'd be, last thing I rememember, I saw.." He shrinks back, catching sight of the scuffle, momentarily, and mumbles "Those terrorifyin' eyes." As to signs of head, or spinal injuries- he's about as lucky as can be. He'll make a recovery just fine, with everything disinfected, if he's brought out of here.
Foundation Scions	'So that means... it's been influenced by an arcane skill, rather than created by one, I think...?' "Yes! It is rare, for arcane creations, to need to sustain themselves, additionally- Regulus! Did you spy, perhaps, a marked array, somewhere on the dog? Nothing looks like a power-source, or le pièce maîtresse of the arcane skill, from here!" Regulus, from up in the air, can see that that isn't the case. Unfortunate! It's difficult for Regulus to get 'up high', the canopy is low, and from above it, everything would be obscured- but she can get a bit taller than the dog, and keep it in her sights, and avoid many of the treacherous terrain-bits of the moss-covered stones and gnarled roots. She can see, on occassion, as the beast twists and turns, something deep in the shadowstuff of its neck, mostly over-shadowed by the loosest 'fur' the Hound should have. It isn't shiny, but moves, slightly, with additional faint clinking. If Matilda's strikes with the SN-13 made it likely, Sarracenia's cannonball confirms the obvious- whatever the arcane functionality of this animal, 'hitting it hard with attacks' isn't leaving lasting injury. The cannonball blasts through it, like it would through thick sand, or jello, but leaves only ripples and wispy wakes of shadowstuff- it looks upset, scared, or angry at the attack, but not closer to being defeated. 'Good luck girls. This'll be valuable experience for all of you.' "Oui!" Matilda calls out, having not really processed Lilian's words- with only minimal distraction, in the midst of another of the Hound's lunging charges, almost squeaked, is, "Hein? Valuable-" and then an 'ouphe!', of ducking out of the way, and having another strike directed her way. Despite blocking that other thrashing paw-strike, Matilda, low and braced as she can be, doesn't have the bulk or the leverage the Black Hound does- with comic-book noises of exasperation, she's knocked back and down, away. In the scuffle, and the change of perspective, however, she, too, spots something like what Regulus did- the motion of something around the neck. "Ah! Le cou! Un collier?" Matilda calls, sparing a moment to point, as she gets back up to her feet, surprisingly nimbly. "That could be it! Er, come to think- did they not say, back in-town, that a dog had gone missing..?" The Black Hound, at the noise, the sensation, and the reassessment of 'danger' from the cannonball, takes that inopportune (for the hunters) chance, to turn away and place its tail held between legs- caution, not guilt. Looking back over its shoulder, just once) towards the elites, it obviously braces to start running away when a moment makes itself clear- "Glacies Freeze!" erupts from Matilda, the incantation for an arcane skill, as, from the string of faceted crystals wrapped in her hands, a spray of ice covers a wide area of the forest floor. The Hound slips and falls to its side, scrambling to turn around and twist back up, and largely floundering. "Please, try and get it still- Leilani, do you have rope-arrows, or sticky spray?" It sounds like Matilda's probably making those up. She doesn't know what Zeno scouts are outfitted with. "Ms. Sundew..? Do you have either?" The icy floor is the best tool for that purpose at Matilda's disposal, and she closes distance, again, keeping out of the way of the thrashing- more dangerous, frantic snapping and twisting, now, at any that come close; it's more scared than hungry.
Regulus	''Good luck girls. This'll be valuable experience for all of you.'' "Uh thanks!?" Regulus almost asks more than she is expressing gratitude. She didn't get into this thinking Lilian wasn't going to be lending a hand directly but you know what that's fine it just means that she, Leilani, and Matilda can show off the teamwork of Team Timekeeper. Matilda might not be technically a member but if Mesmer can have a room she has to clean all the time then Matilda can count as an honorary member too, even if she doesn't really have much teamwork experience with either of them. Like one mission with Leilani and then one time fighting Petra while she was destroying America. ''They'll go for the legs or an available arm and take you down to the ground.'' "Learning a lot of Paladins lore today..." Regulus murmurs, apparently adding 'how to survive a dog attack' to the list. But everyone's already agreeing it's not a normal dog, including Regulus, can she really be confident it'll only go for the same tricks a normal canine would? ''Perhaps, it is, newly-discovered?'' If Matilda doesn't recognize the arcane creature, Regulus can't imagine she would, while she doesn't imagine that the Foundation has the best records--it's certainly likely to be better than her own experience with supernatural dogs. She's experienced plenty of arcane critters of the seas, less so in the rurals, and even then this one seems espeically unusual. And her instincts tell her that you shouldn't pick a fight with so many important uhnknowns. Is this the sort of situation that's normal for Foundation investigators? ''Regulus! Did you spy, perhaps, a marked array, somewhere on the dog?'' "Tough to see with all that shadow but I'm trying...!" She says. "Sarracenia, we gotta fight smarter not harder here!" ''Did they not say, back in-town, that a dog had gone missing..?'' "Yeah I see something around the neck--might just be a collar. Maybe it's a spirit of that dog that went missing? Or maybe some sort of arcane talent was used to modify it--" She turns herself invisible. This isn't exactly perfect for evading a beast's notice specifically but in a fight getting a scent of something that just doesn't seem to be there isn't exactly the same as having perfect awareness of their position. It doesn't seem to have supernatural intelligence, it seems to have dog intelligence. ''Please, try and get it still-'' "Alright I'll try somethin'!" Regulus says, clambering partly up a tree before throwing herself back down for the dog, aiming to land on its back and blast its eyes with a sudden flash of light, reaching to try and grab hold of that collar and pull it up to make it easier for someone like Leilani to see.
Lilian Rook	PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "That's a dog, isn't it?" PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "That's a dog someone cast an illusion on. A big one, perhaps, but look at everything passing through it. Doesn't that sound like a collar?" PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "Someone stuck something on a wild dog, mark my words." PHONE: Tamamo says, "I do hear something like a chain. Perhaps a short length of one. You do not see one, do you?" PHONE: Tamamo says, "The missing dog..." PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, ". . . We should probably be sure that they don't kill Spot." PHONE: Tamamo says, "Those poor children... let us avoid bringing them any grim news." 'That could be it! Er, come to think- did they not say, back in-town, that a dog had gone missing..?' Lilian glances up from whispering to Tamamo, and huffs "Oh thank fuck." Knowing that the others have gotten with the picture, Lilian sighs, straightens up, dusts off her skirt for imaginary dirt having been picked up while not touching the ground, and calls out like an inattentive supervisor to a 9-12 league soccer match, "That's right girls. You've got it now. Just finish the job." 'Yes'm, I'll give it my all.' "See that you do." Lilian almost laughs. She claps her glove off on her hip, leans forward with her other hand on her knee, and offers her hand for Edward to take as Tamamo finishes up. "Careful your mother doesn't hear you swearing like that."
Sarracenia	Tamamo: 'You brought out a sword to showcase your prowess in the 20th century, Princess Sarracenia. I did explain this. Using a sword to fight wolves is not 'normal' in any era of Earth history. You might consider the customs of the lands you visit,' "Wha-..." Sarra is a bit exasperated herself now. "I did! I chose my clothing carefully! I picked a vehicle that would not be too out of place! And I do not use firearms, whether modern or not! A sword is a noble weapon respected by everyone! What would you have me do?" Lilian: '--it off! This is a Foundation mission you knob! Do you want me to arrest you right here and now?!' "Arrest?! For what?! And again, what would you have me do?! You act as if my help is doing more harm than good! Have you had to step in and deal with the hound? No! Is Edward somehow worse off? No! Are you going to shoot me -again- just for helping?" Sarra looks to Matilda, Leilani, and Regulus after that. "Or perhaps I should ask you three! Instead of telling me what I should -not- do, tell me something I -should- do!" may or may not have heard the metallic clinking, and even if she has she doesn't seem to think enough of it to comment on it. She is listening to Matilda and Leilani analyze the creature, though. Conjured from shadow by someone. This almost instantly darkens Sarra's mood. She had a bad run in with someone who conjures things from shadows not all that long ago. "Are you saying...someone is doing this on purpose?" she practically growls. Matilda: 'Ms. Sundew..? Do you have either?' Sarra let's out a frustrated and emotional mmph at the question, a hand going to her head and rubbing over her hair in exasperation. She bites her bottom lip and it quivers a bit. She's getting chided and insulted and yelled at for (as far as she can tell) just helping. "...n-no...I do not keep rope or anything of the like..." she whimpers. The dog thrashes when she gets closer, and sends her sprawling again. She gets back up quickly, eyes tearing up. Doesn't she have anything that can help...? 'Glacies Freeze!' And after all of that, Matilda uses a magical ice attack! Sarra is very confused now! And pretty upset! And apparently not allowed to use power-ups or cannonballs or swords! What else does she have?! Regulus: 'Sarracenia, we gotta fight smarter not harder here!' This does not lower Sarra's stress level. Not knowing what else to do, she reaches to her lotus (she didn't get yelled at for using it at least), and her Silver flows over her until she is a living statue of metal. Then, she just leaps at the dog and tries to wrestle it down herself! She's definitely no wrestler though, so all she can really do is hold on to it. "Will this work?!" she shouts, much louder than is necessary to be heard.
Team Timekeeper	"Perhaps, it is, newly-discovered?" "Oh, gosh, does that take me back." As long as she's got the bow in hand, Leilani is downright chatty, so singularly focused on her target that the words just thoughtlessly flow past her lips. "In the Academy we were talking about critter hunting and tactics and stuff and they went on this tangent about how we have to be prepared to encounter monsters in the field that might be rare or even thought extinct and I was like 'oh what if we captured them for research and then we could help the population recover!' and they were like, 'noooo Leilani noooo, you'll put yourself in danger like that, Zeno's job is to ensure the safety of civilization, leave the environmentalism to the chromeheads in Laplace!', and then later I had to get a wild cat away from the chickens on base and it took me like twenty minutes wrestling with it and getting all scratched up and I was like wow imagine if this cat was the size of a horse or a canoe or an aeroplane and then while I was thinking about that it bit me and ran away and I had to clean to coops for a week. Isn't that funny?" A while passes after that completely pointless story, until Leilani suddenly blurts out in a realization whose dots only connect inside her mind: "Oh no! This must be Spot! From the town!" "It was certainly correct of them to send skilled arcanists to do the job." "Wait, are we skilled arcanists?!" Leilani sounds more shocked at that than at her epiphany regarding Spot. She gasps in unearned pride and starts to exclaim to the others, before the shadowy tail of the dog whips around and incidentally clotheslines her to the ground. "Matilda, Miss Princess, Regulus, we've gotta neutralize this spell and rescue--" Leilani picks herself up with little more than some scuffs and scrapes for her clownishness. Hopping and shimmying her way up the slick moss-covered trees that droop over the slope of the forest, she readies her bow to carefully aim down at the beast in relative impunity as long as it doesn't notice she's up there and jump. She's maybe six feet off the ground-- not great for a vantage point, but better than being caught up in the fray! "Instead of telling me what I should -not- do, tell me something I -should- do!" The tip of her tongue sticking out of her mouth, Leilani delicately zeroes in the point of her arrow on the flailing shape of the dog, trying to predict its movements but failing in the chaos. Regulus has pointed out the collar that's probably enchanting it, but without a clean shot, Leilani might not manage anything, or worse, she might accidentally kill Spot himself! "Miss Princess! Hold it down please if you can!" Which Sarracenia exactly proceeds to do! The bobbing arrow steadies, and Leilani chants an incantation before letting it loose. "Razorium Reap!" With a faint glittery sheen, the metal tip slices down towards the pinned dog, nicking exactly the thin band of metal or leather that holds the collar together where Regulus holds it. Enchanted as it is, it passes through with next to no resistance, burying itself in the dirt.
Tamamo	Tamamo whispers to Lilian, conspiratorially wifely. "Bite marks... most likely... 'intruders,' then... madness..." With everything tied off, she wipes down her scissors and then bundles them up into her bag, to be properly cleaned later, also putting away the rest of her supplies. Lilian's helping up Edward, and she has a number of questions, but little to add. If Lilian doesn't feel a need to step in just yet, neither will she, naturally. Questions... "Your mother mentioned no one having heard from the Evanses. Did you happen to learn anything of that, Mr. Edward? Ah, perhaps we should move somewhere... no, on further thought, better to wait until this is more firmly handled." During which... 'I do not use firearms, whether modern or not! A sword is a noble weapon respected by everyone! What would you have me do?' Firing off depsite Lilian's earlier complaint on the matter, "Realize the selfishness of what you have just said. You are only talking about what you happen to prefer, as if that should matter to people who have never met you."
Lilian Rook	'A sword is a noble weapon respected by everyone! What would you have me do?' "Not show up, ideally." Lilian snaps. "You're the picture of the negative stereotype of an arcanist. You sound like it right now!" 'Arrest?! For what?!' "For butting in on a Saint Pavlov Foundation official investigation and blasting the bloody woods to pieces five minutes out of town! You--" Don't say lunatic. You can't have that word anymore Lilian. It's 1912. "--madwoman! If you're going to insist on being a vigilante tagalong you could at least not act like an armed and dangerous maniac for Bouanich to soak up the complaints for! We're at Buckland for Christ's sake!" Now, this is pointlessly raising her blood pressure, and also, doesn't look great in front of Edward (because it's loudly admitting that Sarracenia isn't legally supposed to be here and is just being welcomed by Matilda and Leilani because they're scared and wanted help), so Lilian decides to shut up and hurriedly confer with Tamamo instead. PHONE: Tamamo says, "The bite marks... are too set-apart for an ordinary dog, even if rather large." PHONE: Tamamo says, "Not an illusion, then, as such. However, also..." PHONE: Tamamo says, "They are too shallow for an attempt to take off his limbs. These are accidental injuries. Clumsiness by size, I would wager." PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "So it's been cursed, then?" PHONE: Tamamo says, "Most likely. Spot was trying to get to him when we arrived, too... we were the 'intruders,' then. No signs of madness. No cause for the missing Evanses, unless they died of fright." PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "Well then. That's not ideal." PHONE: Phoning Tamamo, Lilian Rook says, "That does sort of suggest foul play, doesn't it? Someone with a nasty set of arcane skills pulling off an abduction or murder and creating a monstrous scapegoat on their way out." PHONE: Tamamo says, "It does seem like an odd form to have been naturally occurring, though I cannot say for sure without getting a bit closer." 'In the Academy we were talking about critter hunting and tactics and stuff and they went on this tangent about how we...' '...Isn't that funny?' "Yes! Just like my time in the Academy, even! Now look after yourself first!" Lilian hollers back. 'Wait, are we skilled arcanists?!' Good thing there's no way Leilani will hear her sigh.
Regulus	''Wait, are we skilled arcanists?!'' "Yeah! We're the elite Team Timekeeper, remember??" Regulus shouts back. ''Instead of telling me what I should -not- do , tell me something I -should- do!'' "Why does everybody expect me to know everything that they can do and what would be best in the situation??" Regulus asks since this isn't the first or even second time that someone has asked Regulus to use her brain to supplement their brain. Oh well, Regulus will just have to remember for the future that Sarracenia needs to be told what to do. She understands that. Sometimes Regulus needs to be told what to do. "Yeah that!" She says to Leilani's suggestion since pinning a cow sized dog is probably a multiple person job. "No idea if it's on PURPOSE." It's hard to imagine why someone would curse a dog to be a dog, but scary. She really hopes that Leilani's as skillful as shot as she said because that arrow is gonna be moving awfully close to her hand.
Foundation Scions	'Your mother mentioned no one having heard from the Evanses. Did you happen to learn anything of that, Mr. Edward?' Taking a moment to think, he shakes his head, flat expression from shock not yet having faded yet. "Nobody's heard a thing since back a ways, Ma said to watch out, just in case." He looks around, and sniffles, maybe just to clear his breathing. "Bet she'll yell my ear off 'bout how I didn't." 'Wait, are we skilled arcanists?!' "Of course we are! That is why we, of all-possible available, were tasked with this mission!" This is totally the sort of mission handed-off to arcanists that Zeno and the Foundation like, right? Right..? 'Are you saying...someone is doing this on purpose?' "It, is very-likely!" That's an upsetting little realization to focus on, in the midst of this- no one really wants to think about how something evidently having been set to be bad, had someone to set it that way, when the problem isn't solved and no clues yet have revealed themselves as to the overall culprit. With a sighed exhale, in the medium-paced scuffle, Matilda says out a reminder of- "Investigating and stopping the howling, is, all there is to do, however!" The existence of a culprit is for her report, after this. It has to go well before she can get to the report-writing part, and then, no doubt, it'll be someone else's job to track down wrongdoers, conspiracies, or wherever any of this leads. Someday, it'll be hers to do... 'Matilda, Miss Princess, Regulus, we've gotta neutralize this spell and rescue--' Dropping her guard to hold her sword just one-handed, Matilda pulls out a crystal, setting it aglow with a whispered little request, tosses it near-abouts the head of the hound! While it's nothing like the intensity of Regulus' light, it's an additional source near-enough to make the object hidden amongst the Hound's shadowstuff more visible. 'That's right girls. You've got it now. Just finish the job.' "Hein-? You, already knew..?" A pause, and, "Well! I did too!" 'Why does everybody expect me to know everything that they can do and what would be best in the situation?' "Yes! Why would you?" Well, that's a little mean for Matilda to say! 'Hold it down please if you can!' 'Will this work?!' Despite the Black Hound's thrashing, it's as big as a cow, and size comes with some clumsiness- especially without traction or footing from the ice. It's a struggle to get in past flailing limbs; those limbs still hurt to get struck by. Still, with what amounts to a really big, restraining hug, the hound's capacity to move its neck around is greatly limited.
Foundation Scions	'Razorium Reap!' Ksh-k! Right at the center of a single chain-link, the arrow severs the still mostly-obscured collar, and whistles onwards until it's embedded in a rock. Immediately, to those attuned to the fluctuations of arcane energies, there's a steep shift, as the brunt of the strongly-felt effect vanishes. The shadowstuff that seems to have coated, or made up, the 'Black Hound', fizzles away and shrinks down into nothing, and nothing, and nothing- Except a very confused and completely normal looking border collie. 'Spot', evidently, for the big white spot on its side, asymmetrically, breaking up a very mundane black-and-white coat patterning. Spot lays there, upside-down, paws up, panting nervous-excitedly, before scrambling up and dashing to sit a body-length or two away from the elites, letting out a nervous, friendly little whine. The collar so cleanly shot off sits amongst the now-thawing mossy rocks, an oversized black leather and unpolished metal chain affair, its front decorated over with a half-dozen huge canine teeth. While the arcane fluctuations from the 'Black Hound' manifestation are gone, this object is still radiantly magical. Without, it seems, the capacity to wrap around an animal (or a dog?) it's, probably, harmless; classically a circle is the sealing effort for powerful rituals. Cautiously, Matilda sheathes her sword, after staring and ascertaining that Spot, certainly, didn't appear to be an illusioned-down version of the giant dog, rather than the true opposite. Still slowing her breathing a little, and in part, because boastful-tone helps her clear her head, Matilda steps forwards, saying, "Ah-hem, this article- it is very-clearly an arcane object, so, allow me." She leans down to pick it up, going even so far as to use a handkerchief between it and her hand, for caution and for not interfering with evidence, perhaps, Matilda holds the large collar up, to examine it at eye level. It slips out of the handkerchief as she does so- she catches it, bare-handed, with her other, and- "Merde! Ow!!" Pouting, immediately, and waving her hand in the air to shake pain out of it, Matilda whines, "C'est aiguisé!" Droplets of blood well up, and she sticks the little finger-wound in her mouth, an instinctive little gesture. . . . In the end of the day, returning to Postbridge with Edward, and Spot, well-enough and in town, is a happy day. Despite that, none of the townsfolk, particularly, humor the idea of the newcomers lingering around longer than the bare minimum- Matilda hassling a few for testimonies, and to pass off the likeliness of future telegrams to arrive concerning this incident. With the strange magic collar, and no un-certain fates left up to the 'beast', and no 'beast' left, it's a solved case.