Episode Twenty-Five: Déjà vu

The bubble bursts and they land on cobblestone. Chaos surrounds them as they land smack dab in the square, the center of a large city not near as large or beautiful as Rome. Rome had paved roads here; they're dirt. Divots mar the roads which are strewn with debris, knocked over carts, bits of wood, stacked furniture. Under sheets, corpses are piled up. 30-40 dead. Here the buildings are a tad bit stranger than what they're used to. They're built with more rigid, more straight, smooth stone, and have a refined polish. The town appears to have been hit by calamity. Smoke billows in the distance. Large barricades block the streets. Signs of battle are obvious. They stand before a massive ornamental structure. A massive cathedral, town towers rising on its face beside a circular window. This appears to be the only building that has hardly been touched by carnage, only bearing three, huge scratch marks on the door. As if a demon rose from the pits of hell to strike at the hand of God.

In front of the cathedral is a large platform with a bladed contraption and a bloodied basket. People are moving all around, heading to their homes. To the group they are all strangely dressed. The women wear more familiar dresses but the men wear very frilly things.

Darkness edges the horizon, fought by nothing but a few torches in the cathedral and scattered fires behind barricades. The islands loom in the darkening sky, far more tranquil than below.

The guards who line the gates and barricades have a big brass canon.

Townsfolk slam their doors, close shutters, and stack furniture behind their windows. The bells ring out of the cathedral towers. Monks, nuns, and a few priests rush into the cathedral. A potbellied, balding, red robed man stands at the entrance, ushering them inside. He waits and watches people scurrying to their homes, eyeing the group that stands,making no move for shelter.

They find themselves their correct gender again as well as equipped with their gear. Hollinzoller stands, looking healthy, not a trace of black goo.

Castor, as one might expect, immediately dissolves into a panic attack upon arrival, barely taking in her surroundings, she breathes as if she had run a marathon. Shaking, she holds herself, knuckles white on her upper arms. Father Tobias puts a hand on her shoulder, “it looks as if something is going to happen. We should get inside.”

She doesn’t move. Her voice quavers, fear etched into every word, “she-she found us. She found me.” Ivetta puts her arms around Castor, trying to stop her shaking. “If she did it there she-she can do it here. Who knows how soon she'll come this time! She'll find us wherever we go! And I can't- I can't hide my magic yet! I can't fight her!”

Ever the realist, Tobias soothes, “We did last time.” Yet, this does little to calm her and her erratic breathing continues.

The pot bellied cardinal approaches the group as they are the last people in the square. Ivetta squeezes Castor in a reassuring hug and lets go to hold her hand. Tobias gently prods Castor to move. Yet she remains motionless, save her labored breathing.

“Hollinzoller, can you carry her?” he nods and catches her up in his arms, bridal style. She does not protest, squeezing her eyes shut, curling in on herself.

Tobias takes point and addresses the cardinal, “We've been traveling and it looks like we found a bad place to stop. May we find refuge in the church father?”

“I can see you are not around here. Travelers are you? Although, I’m not sure how you got through the barricades but of course you may find refuge here.” He steps aside, "Please quickly, we have no time to waste." They hasten inside.

The cardinal addresses them, "I know you're not from around here, but you must not stay out so late it is dangerous." He then turns, keeping watch outside for more stragglers for about 10 minutes.

The immense space is cavernous. Dimly lit yet splendid. Stained glass sparkles in each window, massive oak pews line the floor and at the far end, a massive organ sits in silence, waiting. As the cardinal returns he and several priests close the massive door, barring it, then reinforcing the barricade with more wood. The cardinal begins a prayer in Latin.

Hollinzoller puts Castor down on one of the many vacant pews. His own breath sounds labored. Ivetta and Tobias right behind.

Finding hollinzoller with her eyes, Castor addresses him, still breathless, “Are you, you're alright? D- Do you remember what happened in the last realm?"

“We were in Rome.”

"N-n-no. We went somewhere else, a prison and-and-and -you were- you had-had black goo coming out of your mouth, horrible sticky filth! You collapsed and we couldn't help! We were stuck in a time loop so it kept happening over and over and over and it kept getting worse. It- you- you died in my arms! What-what happened?! What was that? What was that black stuff?!"

Hollinzoller looks perplexed, "are you sure it wasn't just one of your visions?"

"No! It wasn't-"

Ivetta chimes in, “It was real, time kept resetting."

Warily, he says, "I'm not sure what to make of this."

Tobias adds, "As we were about to leave, we stumbled into the Mora vos Malus. I can predict we were in that place as a trap to give her more time to find us."

Ivetta holds up the pocket watch. "This thing on top of the watch, we spun it and it reset time." Hollinzoller reaches for it, Ivetta hands it to him. He twists the dial and nothing happens.

"I suspect it only works back th-" He begins coughing.

Castor asks, "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

He coughs something into his hand, looks briefly at it and closes his hand. Castor demands, "what's that? What's in your hand?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with. I'm sure whatever the sorceress did to me I will recover. I don't know what but I can feel… my powers will be diminished here. Yet I can still feel something, can you feel it? The magic all around us." Now that he pointed it out, Ivetta and Castor realize they feel an energy buzzing around them, a nice warm feeling. "It's different than other magics I've felt before."

"It could be wards protecting this building." Ivetta says.

"The cardinal seemed to be afraid of something…"

Tobias says, "If I had to guess it would be the soldiers and artillery in the street. We might need to find a way past them."

"Those bodies outside, they weren't just thrown, they were put there, deliberately, stacked neatly." Ivetta ponders.

"Organized, like the pyres back in Germany."

"Like the revenants?" Castor adds, fearful.

"I'm sure you know, Tobias, you're more familiar than most." Hollinzoller sighs sitting back on the pew, wincing slightly. "I don't know if I'll be able to help you with whatever calamity is here."

In a small voice Castor asks, "Can I help you?"

"No. But if you still wish to help once you found out the problem, seek me out and we can explore the arcane together." Castor nods. "Have you received a vision? Do you know what we are here for?"

"I… no. Not yet. Maybe it was my emotional state upon arrival? I was really scared. I- I don’t know…"

"Yes, calming your mind will help."  He sighs, "Whatever that woman did to me, she can do to you as well. You can shield your mind from her. But it is a difficult thing to do."

"How?"

"Nothing you can solve right now. It takes fortitude, an iron constitution, that sort of thing."

"So you used it then when...when…" Castor thinks back, "wait, but you've never even met the sorceress. How did she…?"

"That's correct but I- well I- she must have…" he seems confused. "She must have done something to me. That last realm did she do something there?"

"We saw her for only a moment before I activated the waypoint."

Ivetta says, "There's been some sort of mark on your back after the journals collided."

"I know of what you speak, but that is the result of the paradox, not her."

Tobias theorizes, "We found the stopwatch in the monastery. All three of us stepped through that magical doorway except Hollinzoller. Perhaps we might have been tagged in some way. The watch was there which sent us to that world. It could be a trap for those not part of the Mora vos Malus."

"That is possible."

Castor adds, "It did feel like some evil presence was there,some awful thing. After I touched the letter, the waypoint we had to find, the skies stopped falling, the islands stopped eroding, and the sky returned from red. The presence also felt like it was gone."

"You feel it now?" Hollinzoller prompts her.

"No. There I felt awful, sick to my stomach the entire time."

"This woman is very powerful. I don't know if we can win a fight against her. Next time you see her, you would do well to hide rather than fight." He looks pointedly at Tobias, "That goes for myself as well as you, soldier."

Tobias sighs.

"So you're cursed like Elizabeth? Maybe I can help get rid of yours?"

"Like I said, later tonight."

"You should rest." She adds

"Don't need to tell me twice." He sinks back into the pew and sighs, closing his eyes.

Ivetta draws out her journal and begins to write. Tobias moves away, going to speak with the cardinal. Castor rises and walks across the cathedral, finding a quiet spot away from Ivetta pen scratching and Hollinzoller's labored breathing. She kneels on the kneeler and prays, both praying for guidance and trying to ease her troubled mind.

She starts clearing her mind. The world fades away. She doesn’t see light or feel the chill cathedral air, she just hangs in a state of bliss. Then, at the back of her throat a queasy, nauseous feeling blooms. She feels weak as though she'd just gotten over a bad cold. Darkness and foreboding surrounds her. Something is wrong. All of a sudden she's being dragged somewhere. It smells like shit- for a moment she can actually smell. Her eyes snap open, she struggles. She can't see much but tiny chink of light stream through the bag covering her head. She hears doors on rusty hinges open. Pulled through it she's forced along. Light blinds her momentarily as the bag is yanked off her head.

Before her, a crowd. A mass of shouting, angry people. Hundreds of them amassed in the square. She stands on a raised platform, much like the one outside the cathedral with a similar contraption stained with blood. A hand shoves her and she moves forward. She's pelted with all sorts of things, rotten fruit, mud, but the worst of all, stones.

She attempts to speak, a masucline voice bubbling up her throat, but she's drowned out by the crowd. She's forced to her knees, the crowd jeering. Her head is pushed down, neck laid to bare. She stares at the bloodied basket in front of her, not wanting to face the crowd. They grow rowdier. For a brief instant Castor feels a pain. She lets herself fall forward. She sees the intricate weaving of the basket, stained crimson.  Her head is pulled up from the basket. She catches sight of an ornately dressed body being dragged away. It has no head. Cold realization hits her as she's turned to the crowd, they cheer and jeer. She tries to scream but her mouth simply falls open. Slowly, the world fades to black as she loses consciousness.

Castor startles awake from the vision, her hand tentatively touching her neck and looks immediately to Ivetta and Hollinzoller, both of whom have disappeared, a spike of fear jabs her. She looks around for Tobias. He is walking down the aisle heading toward her. She gets up and rushes to him.

"That horrible knife machine outside I-I know what it does."

He sighs, "The cardinal said the peasants have been organizing executions."

"They- they chop people’s heads off!"

"I have found the reason. The cardinal and the peasants claim there is a demon reeking terrible havoc on the people. The soldiers keep people inside. If we can find the force that attacks these people then the people will no longer see a need for these executions."

"We must find it!"

"I was given a list of names that come into this investigation."

"We'll share it with the others. Where did Ivetta and Hollinzoller go?"

He pauses, "they must have left while I was speaking to the cardinal." Castor casts her gaze about the cathedral, she spots them by the far wall sitting on the ground.

Ivetta sits, looking dazed. Her head resting on Hollinzoller's shoulder, her eyes puffy, tear tracks tracing down her cheeks. Hollinzoller has his arm around her, out cold. A few feet away the journal is bound closed, lying in a pool of black ink.

Castor crouches in front of her. "Ivetta… are you alright?"

Her head snaps up off his shoulder. Gaining awareness, she sits up, "Something bad happened."

"What happened? Are you alright??”

"I was writing in my journal. I asked my father a question. I asked him 'are we truly safe in this building?' He had no idea really, he guessed we were in London. I told him we were in a cathedral with soldiers, barricades, and three colored flags. After that his writing got frantic, sloppy. He told me to 'stay away from the tower!' Right after that a blot of ink appeared in the center of the page. Ink welled up, and kept coming, staining the pages black. Pages flipped rapidly and formed a picture. It was hard to see. A door appeared in the ink, a negative image. It opened slowly. A hooded figure snapped it closed. Pages kept flipping when a  figure came right at me, about to leap out of the page! I slammed it shut and dropped it. That's when it started oozing. Hollinzoller noticed and he did some sort of spell, he got it to stop oozing but he was out of breath. I was distressed, and he...comforted me."

"Who was the figure? Could you see?"

"No, it was too fast. I would guess it was *her*."

Tobias says, "She's still hunting. She failed in the last world, and might be further trying to close the trap on us."

"If she can even possess my fathers journal how- how can we ever escape?"

"Surely the journal must send information out to get to him. I wonder if she intercepted it while it was leaving. It's magic anyway. We know what we should be doing here. The sooner we leave, the less time she has."

"You're right, we need to keep moving. I didn't see any towers but we cannot go there. Something horrible is there, he wouldn't warn us if not."

Barely holding it together, Castor says, “there-there's nothing we can do about it now. She- she's not here, not yet. We're all okay. We should listen to Tobias, do what we came to do. Find that demon…"

"Exactly my point. Let us stop playing with magical objects we know-"

Ivetta cuts him off, "It was never dangerous before!"

"We were never hunted by a sorceress before. You do not understand the nature of it but our enemy has more comprehension of what they can do. We should not use things we do not understand, especially when the enemy can use it against us."

"I'm not going to open it again."

"What's been done is done.” Tobias sighs, redirecting, “There seems to be some sort of demon or dark being attacking people. And the peasants have been stringing people up. Or I should say, cutting them down to size. If we find it, we can end the cordon and the executions. Each of the victims have had bite marks on their necks."

"They could be possessed?" Ivetta asks.

"I have a list here, they could be perpetrators or witnesses, too soon to say."

Castor says, "Then we should go. Can Hollinzoller stay here?"

As she says this there comes a knock at the door. Tobias draws near the door.

Multiple knocks come, quickly contorting into pounds. The thick wood begins to crack.

Tobais calls to the cardinal, "Has this happened before?"

"No! Brace yourselves!"

The doors crack and crumble. The wood shatters, splintering toward them. In front of them is a mass of regular people yet something is a little… off. The dim moonlight illuminates them only just. A bite mark can be made out on their necks. A stench wafts from them, filling the room. A sickly, decaying smell.

The horde of revenants descends.

Tobias begins the fight off with four shots to four heads causing a pile up in the doorway, making it harder for more to pass. Castor shoves forward a pew, knocking two down and further blocking entry. Then takes out her hammer. Ivetta shakes Hollinzoller trying to wake him. When his head simply lolls onto his chest, she drags him into an alcove for cover.

“Castor, Ivetta. Keep falling back!” Calls Tobias.

“Hollinzoller’s unconscious!” Ivetta shoots back. Tobais blows away the four climbing the bench taking their heads off. Castor moves back and yeets another bench, this time with magic. It slams into one and bowls three more over. Ivetta, in the hopes of waking him, tries to give some mana to Hollinzoller but it sparks and fails. The revenants get closer, smashing windows, several gaining henry and advancing on the trio. The cardinal, nuns, and priests flee, heading to the dormitories.

Tobias takes down another three and reloads. Castor swings her hammer at one of their heads knocking it clean off. Ivetta tries to mana transfer again but sparks fly once more. She grabs the journal, makes sure the ties bind it tightly shut, and stuffs it in her bag. The undead move closer. Two attack Castor at once she manages to glean only a scratch.

“Castor! Ivetta! We need to pull back!” He calls again.

“Working on it!” Castor yells, grunting with the effort of fighting back the revenants.

“He won't get up!” Ivetta says desperately trying to rouse him.

Tobias mows down a few more. Castor swings her hammer in a horizontal arc. It connects with the revenant’s head and drags it into the huge stone pillar to the right. It’s head is crushed between the two. She breaks off, running toward Ivetta and Hollinzoller’s side.

Ivetta tries one last time to give him some mana. This time, her veins start to glow. Like water, it pours itself from her hands and flows into his skin. Despite the urgency of the moment she feels awe that she can do such a thing. She gives a look to Castor who gives a curt nod in return, already grabbing his arm to hoist him up. Ivetta runs toward the pulpit. Tobais moves toward them, getting a clear shot of the enemy. He takes out 3 more snarling zombies at the cost of Ivetta being extremely close, her ears ring. Castor grabs Hollinzoller in a fireman's carry and runs toward her friends. Ivetta looks to Father Tobias for help. Castor tells her to run and then shoot. Her ears still ringing from the shot near her head, she simply runs as far as possible, Castor hot on her heels. Tobias kills another three and shouts back, “Ivetta , Castor, flee with the cardinal!”

Castor is thrown off, “What? Where are you going?!” he doesn’t reply, simply guns down a few more before shooting out the glass of the window. He turns and hoists himself out of it.

Shaking herself from the shock of his odd behavior, nut trusting he has a plan, Castor keeps running.

Tobias runs around to the front of the cathedral and kills four more. Castor raises the pew on which several revenants stand. She raises it so high, they are crushed into the ceiling. After she pushes it away knocking down three more. Ivetta continues running and makes it to the back stairwell. The cardinal stands there waiting for them to catch up. Ivetta runs up the stairs. Castor hangs back a moment. She asks the cardinal if he could carry up her charge, insisting he should go up first. He agrees, saying, “follow right after me, my child.” She nods, passing Hollinzoller off to him.

When he’s safely out of view in the spiral stairwell she closes her eyes, lets out a breath and concentrates. She raises her hands, fingers splayed out. She then jerks back her hands, fingers curling. There's a crack, and massive scraping noise as she pulls the massive organ from its resting place. She tugs it across the floor several feet. It shakes the foundations of the cathedral cracking glass, jarring the standing of those on the stairs, and makes the ceiling rain rubble, killing a few unlucky revenants. Clangs echo through the hall as the pipes of the beautiful instrument are wrenched from their homes. When it finally comes to rest, it successfully blocks the entrance to the stairwell. A massive barricade.

Tobias picks off the rest, making his way back through the church from the front. He finds about 20 of the undead pounding at the organ, trying to get into the stairwell.

Ivetta, the cardinal, and Castor all make it to the safety of the dorms. The cardinal wheezing from the effort exclaims, “In the name of all that is all that is holy, what were those?!”

Clarifying Castor asks, “You haven’t seen them before?”

“No! You have?? What are they?”

Keeping it simple she says, “The undead.” He goggles at her. “That is to say, they are those who were lost, brought back from the dead. We’ve fought them before.” The cardinal looks absolutely agog.

Redirecting Castor says, “might I ask the year?”

He hesitates a moment, “my lady, if it will help with the investigation, it is the year of our lord, 1794. You see why it is imperative we stop this monster. These revenants, as you call them, they must be linked to the demon. Who knows what foul creatures it might summon next! ”

“Has anyone seen this demon?”

“We have not seen it, only what it has done. It has killed nearly 200 by now over the last 2 weeks. No one goes out at night. The people take refuge in their homes. Although it is of little help, the monster is not affected by barriers it seems. Please, you must find the perpetrator.”

Tobias has hauled himself over the organ and ascended the stairs, he appears in the doorway. The cardinal greets him, “I cannot thank you enough in protecting this holy site.”

“I can think of no way to serve the Lord better.”

Ivetta asks, “Is there a tower here?”

There are two magnificent ones in the front.”

“Is there another near here, a single one?”

He shakes his head, “Notre dam is the largest structure in Paris.”

“What about the second largest?”

“Chamber of secretaries? I am unsure.”

Castor whispers to Ivetta, “perhaps he didn’t mean here. You said he was guessing where we were.” She gives a non-committal shrug.

The cardinal questions, “Is that why they attacked?”

Tobias states, “I believe it was your ringing the bells. The demons are attracted to noise.”

“Where did they come from? Out of thin air?”

“From my experience, these creatures are the recently passed.”

“Yes, your companion said they were the dead, the dead risen.”

Ivetta asserts, “The tower of bodies outside. I’m sure it is where they came from.”

Tobias acquiesces, “Yes, the bells must have awoken them. I do believe the ones in the cathedral itself are truly dead. As long as the head is removed from the torso it is a surety they remain dead. We took to burning them.”

“We will do so in the square. It is difficult to find all the bodies, most do not seek them out. Please, you were sent here to help us.”

“We will do our part in finding this demon and by the grace of God this will be the last attack.”

The cardinal gives them a short run down and description of the suspected people from the list.

Jordan Boudon- an old, retired officer. Highly respected but not seen in weeks. \*used to attend church in his military garb

Jean-luc Dreyfus- was very highly respected but many suspect him of subterfuge. He is the only Doctor of the area. A middle aged, kindly man. His faith is Jewish. He goes from house to house making calls. It has been observed that many of them end up dead. No plague before this revolution started. He has experience with neck wounded men, he has most definitely examined the bodies.

Amanda Simon-  young girl pious but always promoting issues in the church. A very aggressive woman as of late she has been helping spur on the mob killings within the square. Her issues with the church include women’s position as ministers in the church, reconciliation, and sacraments.

Lucas Cortot- A kind young man before this mess. Fiercely religious but reclusive. Corrupted by revolutionary sentiment, zealot wishes to join the army. In the past he’s caused trouble, killed animals and brought them home. Can be found egging on or assisting executions. He prays before each execution.

Natanael Mallet- a kindly man but like others, he is reclusive, shy many think him strange. One of his most defining features is that he is from Algeria. Some suspect his baptism may not be completely legitimate. Works as the gain keeper. He has not attended mass for several weeks.

Aubin Gerin- an old man very angry, like the rest reclusive. When not screaming at anyone. He is the type of man who would hold a grudge. Never attends mass.

Armond Poulin- has a certain charisma. If not here he would be on the front lines. He’s taken it upon himself, without permission, to round up those who he thinks are perpetrators and kills them. He’s the man who pulls the cord. Used to attend mass but no longer.

Tobias questions, “He eggs them on, yet the killings continue. If you had the capability to summon demons, why would you need to kill through mobs as well?”

“Kill more effectively perhaps?”

“Or he needs bodies.”

The first to be killed were his enemies or rivals but now they seem to be random.”

Jennifer Poulin- Armond’s wife, highly respected by her peers, a noble woman. She reserved a certain hatred toward who she thought impure. Those with ‘low’ morality, lacking in wealth, or those who joined the revolution. She disappeared 2 weeks ago

“When did the killings start?

“About a month ago. It's been a fortnight since the city was cordoned off with soldiers. It has not yet been a full week since the residents retreat inside at night. No one leaves or enters. There is one bridge to enter and exit, the others were all destroyed.”

Lisa Tremblay- poor Lisa. She’s young and shy. She’s afflicted by a number of ailments like mother and father. Those who live near her believe her to be a witch. People say they hear noises at night. Her mannerisms are odd to some. She’s rarely seen outside her home and more rarely speaks

Deborah Carell- an old woman, quite old, and a busy body. She keeps tabs on the others. Not easily admitting her own sins, she believes herself to be above. Always been insensitive to others. At the same time, she gives a list of names each day and many end up being executed, killed by the guillotine.

Innocently, Castor asks,“The what?”

The cardinal clarifies, “The Guillotine, a horrible implement they use to kill those innocent souls.” Castor rubs her neck self consciously.

“At first they were only killing those against the revolution, but now it is any and all suspected of being a demon. I wish to find proof before acting on God's children and I beg your help in this endeavor.”

“Of course we will help as much as we can.”

“Excellent, for tonight, please rest here, I will speak with you more in the morning.”

Bite similar to human but bigger spacing is further teeth sharp

They rest uneasily, forty plus monsters lie dead within and around the cathedral with bullet holes between the eyes below them. An unearthly screech echoes in the night, making the hair on the back of their necks rise.

In the morning, the cardinal asks, “before you leave… all of you seem to have some understanding of these revenants, as you call them, will they be returning? Should we expect them again tonight?”

“It is entirely possible, but those without heads or burned cannot return. As long as there are no towers of bodies outside, it should be safe. It would force those creating them to hide them. But, with any luck, we will find the culprit before they can make more.”

“I pray this will be the case. In the meantime, the faithful and I will be cleaning the cathedral.”

He turns to leave but Castor catches him with a question. “Cardinal, there was a man, he was dressed very lavishly (she describes what her body in the vision was wearing) Do you…would you perhaps know who this man is?”

He looks a little taken aback, “you are French then? You said you were travelers.”

“No, I’m from Milan.”

“You speak perfect French,” he says.

“Ahh, yes well we travel often.”

“Well, I don't know how you could have seen this, but you saw the execution of King Louis the 16th.”

“The king? But I thought executions were just happening here.”

“This is not the case unfortunately but I suspect we are the only ones with a demon on top of revolutionaries. Regardless, this is not relevant to the task at hand.”

“Thank you for telling me, Cardinal.”

The crisp morning air brings the smell of death and empty streets. They plan on first meeting with Doctor Jean-luc Dreyfus. They rap on his door receiving no answer. Castor points out, “He is a doctor, he’s likely making house call.” Tobias shouts up to the house, “Mr. Dryfus, are you home?” the boarded windows stay shuttered. A man opens the door at the house next door.

Tobias questions him, “Is the doctor in?”

The man replies, “He leaves at dawn. He's out spreading his Jew magic.”

Castor whispers, “We can check where he will be. We know where one ill person resides.”

Ivetta says, “I was thinking the same.”

“Thank you, monsieur,” Castor calls as they head toward Lisa’s abode.

They walk up to the house and in that same moment they go to knock, a middle aged man comes out. He grumbles a semblance of good morning and tires to shuffle past.

Tobias stops him, “Doctor Dryfus, We just had a few questions about the recent happenings.”

“I don't know what I can do to help. Who are you?”

“We are staying in Notre Dame. Have you heard what happened last night?”

“No, is anyone injured?”

“Thankfully, no. Although there did seem to be a strange disease at work. I was wondering if you might take a look.”

“What sort of disease?”

“This may sound strange but it doesn't seem to affect the living, but the dead. It gives them a certain… it animates them to a certain degree. You can see them for yourself. The cardinal hasn't seen them before but we've seen them.”

“Then you are more the expert than I.”

“There are significant differences in these. Differences you might be able to assist with.”

“I don't know if I'm welcome in the cathedral.”

“Some of these had wounds to the neck, I had heard that you had attended bodies with this wound before.”

“It is common among the deceased. Those found dead in the night. What do you know about them?”

“Too little, I'm afraid. They are different enough here that this may be significant.”

“I can examine the bodies, but I give you no guarantees.”

“In your medical opinion what causes these wounds.”

“If they were normal times, I’d say an animal or murderer but there’s something out there in the night terrorizing the town. Something not of this world.

Castor queries, “Has anyone survived an attack?”

“No, but perhaps tonight will be the first.”

“Has there been any pattern to quarters spared?”

The doctor shakes head. “The killings are seemingly random. When I find victims of the night, I  will look for patterns.”

“Does the creature attack people who are alone or choose a house and everyone inside perishes?” Castor asks.

“Everyone in the house.” He grows wary, “You said you were sent by the church not the government?”

“Neither. We were simply asked by the church to investigate but our aims are to stop the killings of all kinds.”

“The cardinal has been no friend to me,” he spits. “Now excuse me, I must attend my patients.” He cuts through them.

Tobias calling after him, “Dr. Dryfus! Though we have been asked by the cardinal, all we wish to do is spare lives.That’s something you can understand.” He stops, acknowledging the statement but continues walking.

They ponder a few minutes, agreeing to interview Lisa next. Castor knocks on the door softly. There's no answer at first, but a few moments later the door opens and out comes a woman. She’s covered head to toe with clothing, her eyes downcast so she doesn’t notice the three people standing outside. She pulls the door closed behind her. Finally she looks up, jerking backward slightly.

“Oh, you startled me.” Her voice is soft, “I, um, what are you doing here? Are you here for my mother? She’s not well.

“Are you Lisa?” Castor asks. The woman seems to be about her own age, late teens early twenties.

“Yes.”

“We came to talk to you if that's alright.”

“Oh.”

“We mean you no ill will. We’re just trying to help. We’re gathering information on the creature that has been attacking people.”

She fidgets, “I’m not sure what I can do but I need to be going.” She doesn’t motion to leave, but it is clear she wants to.

Tobias joins in, “We know Armond and the people have been trying to find this nighttime killer but as the killings continue I fear they have only been adding bodies to the pile. If you could help us shed light on perhaps who the killer might be, we can stop the bloodshed.”

“I am not sure how I can help.”

“All we need you to do is answer a few questions.”

“I will answer what I can.”

Ivetta sees her twitchness, “Is there somewhere you'd feel more comfortable talking?”

She looks down, “Here is fine. Your questions?”

“You have heard of the demon attacks I'm sure.” Castor says.

She nods. Her skin looks pale and sickly. At a glance, Ivetta recognizes her illness as consumption.

“Do you know anyone who was killed?”

“Nearby? Yes. Of course, we all know someone. Is this a joke?” Her words are heated but it seems there is no malice behind them, “I’m not a witch!”

“N-no! I'm sorry! I’m just trying to establish if it happens everywhere.”

Tobias interjects, “have you noticed someone more or less active in the revolution now that attacks happen?”

“There's one, that retired officer. He hasn't been seen for weeks. Everyone else is much more fervent, joining the mobs.”

“Jennifer has not been seen in a while, is that correct?”

“I don't associate with her.”

“Because of her husband or...?”

“She always looked down on me. I have nothing good to say of her.”

“I take it she's not prone to taking week long absences.”

“She was always very public. Seemed to enjoy the attention men would give her.” Her voice is tinged with a bitter edge.

“Has Armond said anything of her absence- some public statement?”

“I try not to listen to him.”

“What is your stance on the killings? The executions I should say.”

“I don't want to talk about this. I have to be going…” this time she does lower her head and tries to leave.

Ivetta catches her, her tone sympathetic, “We've been accused of being witches before. We know how it feels. If there's anything you can tell us- it would help.”

Lisa coughs into her handkerchief, tucking it back in before anyone could see what’s in it. She says, “it’s good to know that others know what I'm going through but there's nothing else I can help you with. Please, I need to go to mass.”

“Thank you for your time.” Castor adds.

People pull bodies from their neighbors homes. Their wounds are similar to the revenants from the previous night. Church guy goes around and picks up bodies, putting them in a cart and wheeling them to the square where pires are set up and burning.

40 bodies total are amassed, many of them entire families.

The group sets out to interview Armond but they’re waylaid by the sounds of a crowd. They sound angry. Following the sounds they find themselves in front of the cathedral, most of the town conglomerating there.

Armond stands atop the platform in the square. Behind him, bound, beaten, and kneeling, are 10 townspeople. His "guilty" of the day. Two others from the list of suspects are present: Lucas who restrains them and Amanda who eggs crowd on. They're sufficiently whipped into a frenzy, calling for blood and justice for the traitors. Armond addresses the crowd claiming they need to be killed, that they are traitors to France and cohorts of the foul entity that terrorizes their fair city.

Castor immediately tries to push through the crowd to the platform. Ivetta grabs Castor’s arm, "what are you doing?!"

"More innocent people are going to die and we can stop it!"

"We're outnumbered and these people are insane!" Ivetta reasons.

"We have to try! This isn't like the last realm, we only have one chance, they won't come back!! Please, Father, you can convince them to stop! Please, please try!" They can see that the Cardinal’s mouth is moving, chastising their behavior, begging them to stop but his voice is drowned out.

Tobias sighs, "very well Castor, I'll see what I can do." He heads up to the stage and pulls himself up in front of Armond.

Armand gives him a look like “*bruh what you doin’ here”* and shouts, "You can't save them from justice any more than the cardinal can, *Father.*"

Tobias gives a half-bow to Armond and turns to the crowd. He holds up his arms, yet they quiet for Armond. "Don't listen to him, he's no revolutionary!"

"People of Paris, I understand that you're scared, that you are angry. You want an answer. You want the perpetrator of these killings to face justice! But how many have already been brought to the block and yet the killings continue?"

Armond butts in, "They will until all the traitors are rooted out! We will not stop!"

Tobias presses on, "For now, it is your neighbor. If you do not speak up for them how can you expect them to speak for you? If you won't listen to me, listen to him."

He gestures to the cardinal who says, "We are all Christians, you cannot do this!"

The crowd seems defeated, as they realize, oh, what are we doing? They don't leave en-masse but kinda trickle off, feeling like shit.

Armond tries to rile them up again, “This is Paris! What are you doing??" at his failure, he turns beat red, furious, "If you won't enact justice, I will!" He pulls his sword, lunging at the rope holding the looming guillotine blades. Castor tries to stop him, grabbing his sword hand, but she is overpowered, pushed to the side.

Tobias says to him, "you cannot kill these people without the authority of the people, Armond. If you drop that blade you are no exocutoner, only a murderer."

"Justice will be done!" Armond cries. His sword arm comes down and slices the rope. Castor leaps up and grabs the rope by her fingertips. He stabs at her but the cardinal grabs him. Armond struggles in the bear hug the cardinal holds him in.

"Perhaps a few nights in the cathedral dungeons will change your tone."

Ivetta, Castor, and Tobias unbind the ten and set them free. Castor thanks Tobias profusely.

"If the perpetrator was one of the people here it may be harder to catch them. But perhaps the community can rally and face the threat as one."

"It seems we made enemies of many of the suspects in one fell swoop." Castor laments.

They retreat to the cathedral as night descends. Ivetta heads out on the roof and looks out, trying to see anything out of place. She observes the towers and finds them, on the whole, uninteresting.

Castor finds Hollenzoller, as promised, who is awake and meditating. She joins him.

Around 2 am, just as Ivetta was about to drift off to sleep she sees it.

TBC

Episode Twenty-Six: Nights like These...