Scene 3: The Ceremony

Nathaniel, having completed the task he came for, decides that now is a good time to leave. He starts talking before he reaches Alexander and the girl; " I saw Elias, and he mentioned something about a live offering being needed . . . "

Alexander points to the hideous creature in the flames. "That... thing... is our family, cousin. I wouldn't look if I were you. It can burn for all I care, and this ceremony can go to rot." He spits, the saliva seeming to come out of the blackness that his is cursed face. "I'll not be part of any ceremony."

Nathaniel does his best to avert his eyes from the flames, he is curious, but trust Alexander in this instance. "Oh, good, uh, no ceremony then. That's just as well, since Elias seemed intent on me being some sort of sacrifice." he still has his hand blocking his view as he ask "What am I, eh, not looking at?"

Alexander tries to understand what the creature is and what it intends to do. "I wish I could say what it is, cousin. I'm hoping it isn't intending to exit this conflagration, as I hardly wish to engage with it..."

Alexander instinctually recoils behind Nathaniel as the creature leaps out. As it sets itself upon the witch, he realizes his cowardice and takes a halting step toward it. "My gods..."

"Oh my lord . . ." is all Nathaniel can stammer out as the beast attacks. Hopefully his resolve will harden so he can help, but for now it seems this place still has surprises in store.

As Alexander and Nathaniel are shocked by the sudden and brutal scene, the girl is overtaken by the emotional stress and challenges the nightmarish creature. The thing lets go of Dusk for a moment and turns toward the girl, its head tilting as it studies this new... target. "Greeeey ... rousee?" the thing asks in a deep guttural voice



Twilight herself changes her appearance as the creature jumps out of the flames, she prepares to take on the hellish beats. "The Mjöllnir! Dusk has it. The Strigoi will weaken" she shouts to the three Rookwoods.

"Why does everyone here insist on talking in riddles?" Nathaniel says exasperatedly. Then he rushes over to see if he can help Dusk while the beast is distracted.

Nathanial kneels next to Dusk, ignoring the beast and assessing the situation. His hand are moving unnaturally, partly due to his reflexes taking over, and part due to his arms lack of rigidity.

Assuming Dusk is even able to talk, Nathaniel ask "Do you, uhm, perchance still have that odd metal symbol that can ignite things?"

Nathaniel quickly rushes to the wounded witch and grabs her neck, applying pressure to keep her from bleeding out. He feels his hand a little itchy as he instinctively tries to stabilize the woman using all his mundane medical knowledge. When the discomfort gets too much, he turns to look at his hand and notices that not only his skin is loose, it is also merging with Dusk's, slowly regenerating the wounded tissues as he sheds parts of his own slimy body. Dusk's eyes are wide open in shock and it is not clear if she is actually aware of her surroundings as Nathaniel asks her for the witch amulet. However, her hand grabs his "solid" free hand and show him her pocket.

---

As the girl falls for the creature's magic, it is almost as if her body starts to fade away. At a first glance, it would look like only the shape of her remains, a ghost or maybe even only a memory of something. It takes a little focus to perceive her actual physical body. Twilight gasp as she understands she doesn't have much time before the creature finishes whatever it is doing. Before the dead take the girl and return to this world. "The ashes! Are the ashes here?" she suddenly realizes something. The tree, the rune, the dead. All are ashes. "Has the slumber of the Lord of Ashes been disturbed?" The witch asks the devilish creature, which notices her and, again, jumps like a deadly predator looking for a quick kill. This time however, Twilight is ready for it and dodges the creature drawing her ironshod cane and gently resting it on the creatures skull. The thing trembles, unable to coordinate its own body as it stumbles away from the witch, stepping closer to Alexander.