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Part 5: The Goth

Judy tilted her head. "Yeah. It's a kitchen. Not sure what you were expecting."

Kelli sighed a little, her arm still around the mouse's shoulders. "Yeah, I dunno. I thought it would be more exciting somehow." It was a large kitchen at least, but it was startlingly normal. Counters, an old fashioned oven, and a sink that was probably older than their parents. No sorts of pots or pans or the like littered anything, and there weren't even any knives. "I mean, the documentary about this place had said that there was some old cult or something way back when. I kinda thought they'd have like... I dunno... cannibal tools or something."

The mouse looked at her. "Cannibal tools?"

The bunny shrugged. "Yeah, like... I dunno. Bone saws or something. I don't know." She sighed again. "This is just disappointing." She looked at her girlfriend then. "So. Where should we explore next?"

Judy shrugged. "I dunno. We could see what Nate and Heather are up to."

The taller girl chuckled. "Probably still looking for the library. I might have forgotten to mention a right turn..." She felt as much as saw the glare she got. "Hey, I didn't mean to! I only remembered after they went off all excited!"

The mouse sighed. "Alright. Come on, let's go find them then." She turned around and tugged on the bunny's arm. "And you're going to apologize. You really shouldn't tease Heather so much."

She laughed softly. "Yeah, yeah. It's just so funny when she gets angry. It's so cute." She felt the glare again. "Oh come on, you think the kitty is cute, too." She didn't get a response, but knew it was true. Not that she would encourage her girl to act on it. Unlike the feline in question, she was a little more possessive of her mate. She was fine with watching other people bang, but not so fine when one of them was her own lover. Luckily, Judy was of the same mind on this.

The two walked down the darkened halls, hand in hand the whole way. Kelli broke the silence as they passed the main entrance, glancing at the stairs. "So, you think those two are still going at it up there."

Judy grunted. "Probably." Her response was dark and dower.

The rabbit continued thinking aloud. "Wonder how many times the big doggy's dumped his load into her?"

The mouse shuddered. "Ugh, gross. That's my sister he's fucking up there. I REALLY don't want to think about it more than that."

The taller of the two giggled softly, reaching out to tousle the mouse's hair a little. "Aw, sorry. Maybe we can find our own private room and I can make it up to you."

She grunted, running a hand over her hair to straighten it a little. "Maybe." She nudged the girl beside her with an elbow. "But I will make you pay for putting that mental image in my head. I'll be taking it out on your ass."

Kelli giggled. "Promise?" She lifted her little tail up, shaking her butt a little. She felt the hand slip under her skirt to smack her rear gently. "Oh... frisky."

Judy grinned. "Maybe a little." She pat the butt gently, then moved her hand to just put around her lover's back and hold herself close. She was about to lean her head against the woman's shoulder when the bunny stopped, her long ears perked up. "What?"

"Did you hear that?" The woman looked around, her ears waving a little atop her head as she listened. The mouse closed her eyes and tried to listen, though her hearing was not quite as good.

"...elp..." They both heard it then. It was very weak, coming from one of the rooms down the hall.

Judy tensed up. "That sounded like Nate."

Kelli nodded. "Yeah. It's coming from this way." She grabbed her mate's hand tight. "C'mon!" She started off at a fast pace, Judy doing her best to keep up. The two ran down the hallway. As they turned the corner, they heard what sounded like something falling. "I think they found the library. I bet that clumsy idiot got stuck under a pile of books or something." They continued on, until they came to an open door. "Nate are you..." They both froze at the scene inside.

Nate lay on the floor, a pair of spears impaling the grey-blue cat's body. One through his back, the other pinning his head to the floor, a large pool of blood slowly spreading out under him. Standing over him was a figure from a nightmare. A man, tall and skinny. A fox of jet black fur, in a kind of robe that seemed made out of smoke, his too-thick tail waving slowly behind him. He stood with arms open, a ghostly blue-green mist flowing out of Nate's body and into his own. There was some horrible sound filling the room. It sounded like Nate, shrieking in indescribable agony, but echoed and wrong.

As the ghostly mist faded fully into the man's body, he seemed to be aware of his audience. Slowly, he turned to face them, a wide Cheshire grin upon his lips, crimson eyes staring with evil intent. "Well, it seems I won't need to go looking for you two."

Judy's eyes darted between Nate's body and the man, her breath coming in short, rapid gasps. "Y-you... killed him!?"

The fox nodded. "I did. Your other friends, too."

She squeaked. "Y-you're lying!"

He shook his head. "Oh no. The dog and his lover? Headless. The overweight feline with the glasses? Shriveled to bones." He motioned to the body at his feet. "And the skinny cat. Impaled." He tilted his head. "How should I kill you two, I wonder..."

Judy was trembling. "A-Abby's..." She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't.

Kelli moved in front of her lover. "Who are you?" She gave him a stern look, her voice hard.

He tilted his head the other way. The bunny was clearly afraid, seeing her arms trembling a little, but at the same time she looked ready to make some kind of stand. She stood like some kind of warrior, in a black leather mini-skirt and tank top. He found it amusing. It had been a long time since he had hunted a rabbit. "Very well. I supposed I should introduce myself. I am Charles Telman, of house Telman." He gave a courtly bow.

The rabbit's eyes narrowed. "You mean the Telmani clan."

It was his turn to actually be surprised for once. "Oh. And here I thought no one in this age knew of us. I'm impressed."

Judy seemed utterly lost. "Who is he?"

"Bad news." Was the reply. "He's the owner of this house. Charles Telman. Head of the clan Telmani, a cult of demon worshipers." She narrowed her eyes a little. "Though the books got it wrong, didn't they. The clan didn't worship just any demon. They worshiped you. Right? Kitsune?"

He chuckled, clapping slowly. "Well, now I really _am_impressed, little bunny. That is all correct... except for one detail." The too-thick tail started to move, as if uncoiling from itself. It fanned out like a peacock, and the pair saw it was not one tail, but nine. "I am not a kitsune. I am nogitsune." Judy was lost, but Kelli clearly knew what that meant. Kitsune were tricksters and could be dark, but nogitsune were pure evil. Not bound by any authority but their own, they were true demons, living only for the pain and suffering of others. Legends even told some devoured the souls of their victims. Clearly, this one did just that.

The fox demon brushed a hand over his head, as if brushing back hair. "Now. With introductions and unexpected praise out of the way. It is time to kill the both of you." With no further warning, he rushed forward.

"Otsisbus!" Kelli shouted, holding out her hand. In the same instant, a bright light suddenly surrounded the fox. He stopped dead, as if he had suddenly run into a wall. The light seemed to shove him down at the same time, forcing him to his knees.

He grunted, clearly struggling. "What!?"

Kelli glared, holding up both hands now. "Artsualc!" She shouted another word that, to Judy, was utter nonsense. Another light shone around the man.

Judy stared at... whatever the hell was going on with complete shock. "W-what did y-"

Her mate gripped her hand. "Ask later! Run!" She yanked the girl's hand, tugging her down the hallway. "We need to find a place to hide. That won't hold him for long!"

The mouse blinked. "Hide!? We need to get the fuck out of here!"

The bunny shook her head. "No. We're in his lair. He won't let us out of here that easily. The doors and windows will be sealed with magic." She said it so matter-of-factly that it threw the mouse completely off. "C'mon, I think I know where we can hide." She led the way back towards the kitchens. "We can probably hide in the larder. I doubt he'll think to look there."

Judy huffed, struggling to keep up with her mate's pace, let alone her words. "Magic? Kelli? What is going on!? Was that what you did back there? Magic?"

Kelli nodded. "Yes. I'll explain once we're hiding. Now come-" They both heard the bellow from behind them. Judy was not going to argue the point anymore, since the rabbit seemed to know what she was talking about.

Within the study, Charles let out a howl of rage. The smokey shadows around him filled the magic barrier trapping him, pounding away at the invisible walls. With a final grand effort, he shattered those walls, his dark essence spilling out into the room once more. He growled, teeth grit. He stopped himself from running out of the room, taking a moment and several deep breaths, calming himself. "I did not think people of this time still knew magic..." He would need to be cautious around this particular prey. Her spells were simple, showing her lack of proper training, but they could still be a danger to him.

The pair of girls made it to the kitchens, not seeing the demonic fox behind them. Though they both knew it was only a matter of time. Kelli looked around, spotting a set of doors, like a closet. "There." She pulled them open and smiled. It was indeed a kind of closet. The smell of old spices was strong within. "Perfect." She looked at her girlfriend. "Get in. The spice scent will probably mask our own."

Judy nodded, stepping into the tiny room. She pushed herself back against the wall as Kelli got in with her, pulling the doors closed. "Kelli... what-"

"Hold on." The bunny ran her hand along the door, muttering a word. "Erarucsbo." As far as the mouse could tell, nothing happened, but her friend seemed satisfied. "There. That should help keep us hidden. For now, anyway."

The moment she turned to look at Judy, the mouse threw her arms around her in a tight hug. "What the hell is going on!?" She felt her lover shaking against her, clearly terrified out of her mind. She was impressed the girl was keeping it together as much as she was. She was barely holding it together herself.

She took a breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, so... I may not have told you... everything about me. Y'know how I sometimes go off on trips with my mom?" She got a nod. "Well, those aren't just little family vacations for some good mother/daughter bonding. It's... um..." She tried to figure out just how best to say it. With a sigh, she just said it like it was. "It's magic training. My mother's a witch."

Judy looked up at her, blinking several times. "Magic... training? A witch? Like... a REAL witch!?"

The bunny nodded. "Yup. So am I. Not the... bubbling cauldron and eye of newt kind like in bad movies. We're... uh... Mom's a demon hunter. She's training me for it. But this... this is WAY beyond my skills. Maybe beyond Mom's, too... That thing's a nine-tailed nogitsune. That's... extremely powerful. Like, demi-god level powerful. Our best bet is to hide and try and find some way out of here once he's lost our trail... are you following any of this?"

The mouse shook her head. "N-no... not really... I got magic and demons and the big scary shadow man is really strong because... tails? ...and you're... a witch?"

Kelli chuckled, nodded. "Yeah, that's about the gist of it"

She nodded slowly. "And... there's a special language for spells..."

The bunny chuckled. "Kind of. It's... It's Latin. Backwards. Mostly Latin." She chuckled slightly. "I think it's silly, too, but... it works." She slid her arms around the girl, holding her close. "Don't worry. I've never done magic on you."

The embrace grew tighter. "Okay..." Judy buried her face against her girlfriend's chest. The bunny just held her tight. She could feel the girl shaking still, and heard her fighting tears.

The two froze as they heard the man outside. "Where are you, little girls?" The voice was all around. "I can smell you!" Judy bit her lip to keep from making a noise, almost hard enough to draw blood, still shaking like a leaf in the other woman's arms. "I can smell your magic, little witch!" He grunted as he moved through the kitchen outside. When he spoke next, it was not the threatening, booming tone, more musing to himself. "Huh. Masked their scent with a spell. Clever little fuzzball..." The voice was right outside the doors. "Or maybe..."

The two inside clung tight to each other, trying not to make a single sound. Kelli's spell should keep him from even noticing the doors... in theory. They would simply slip past his perception, unless he thought about them directly. Problem was, he was so far beyond her level that he might simply just see through the spell. For one terrifyingly long moment, they waited, expecting him to fling the doors open and attack.

"Dammit." He muttered, and moved on, going to search other rooms.

Kelli let herself breathe again. "Okay... we'll wait a few minutes for him to move on, then-" She felt her lover's shivering, and caught the sob she failed to hide. "Hey..."

Judy did not stop herself from crying now. "We're going to die here... aren't we?"

The rabbit sighed. "Not if I have anything to say about it." She leaned down to kiss the top of the girl's head. "I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, okay?" Judy nodded slowly. She bit her lip, then thought of something. She reached up and took hold of the little necklace, a small purple gem hanging by a silver chain. She took it off, holding it down for the mouse to see. "Here. Put this on."

Judy leaned back a little, tears running from puffy eyes. "W-what... oh... your necklace?"

The bunny nodded. "Yeah. My mother gave it to me when I was a kid. Told me it's a protection amulet." She chuckled. "Pretty sure she might have just been making it up, but it's kept me safe so far." She reached out and put it around the mouse's neck. "Mom told me that, when it's a gift to someone you love, it will keep that person safe." She smiled. "And I certainly love you. So it'll keep you safe now."

The terrified mouse did seem to calm down, if just a little. She looked down at the little gem. "O-okay..." She sniffled, reaching up to wipe her tears away. "That's the first time you've said you love me without a joke afterwards."

Kelli smiled. "Because I do love you." She leaned down and gave her lover a quick kiss on her lips. "I'll make up for it later with a whole string of bad jokes. Once we're out of here." Judy smiled a little. "Okay. Now, I think I know where we can go to get out of here, but... it's going to be risky."

"More dangerous than facing down a demi-god demon fox asshole?" The mouse reached down and took the bunny's hand, lacing her fingers between hers and giving it a squeeze. "I love you, too. And I trust you. So what do we need to do?"

The aspiring witch smiled back. "Okay, so if I remember correctly, the magic that holds this place in a kind of... magical lockdown... is from a seal placed someone at the deepest level. A basement or sub-basement. Most likely in a hidden room... probably the very heart of his lair. However, as you get further from the spell, it gets weaker..."

Judy nodded, trying her best to follow along. "So... we have to go... up?"

She smiled. "Yes! The top floor would be where the spell is the weakest. So we have two options. Go down to the very heart of the lair, where he is probably the strongest... or find a way onto the roof from the attic, and then find a way down... without breaking our legs." She reached out and touched the doors. "Are you ready? He'll probably be able to smell us again once we're out of here. If we're lucky, we'll get up the stairs before he notices."

The mouse nodded, sniffling one last time and screwing her face up into as brave an expression as she could. The bunny smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "Here we go." She shoved the doors open, and the two sprinted out. They made for the front entrance as fast as they possibly could.

Judy was going to grab the box with their phones, only to just then notice it was gone. "Asshole stole our phones!" She followed up the stairs to the second floor.

The rabbit huffed. "Makes sense. I'll buy you a new one later." As soon as she was at the top of the stairs, she turned and dashed up the next set that lead to the third floor.

The mouse was close on her heels. "Right, like you can afford it. I'll end up buying you one."

"You won't need those devices!" The voice called out. It was right behind them. Judy glanced down to see a smokey cloud of shadows rapidly rising up the stairs to the second floor. She saw his burning red eyes within the cloud. "Going somewhere?"

Kelli growled just as she got to the third floor. "There's a ladder hidden in the ceiling in the last room. That'll take you to the attic. Go. I'll hold him off."

Judy hesitated. "W-what!? B-but you said..."

"_ GO! _" She practically shoved her girlfriend down the hall.

The mouse hesitated another moment, but then nodded. "You better be right behind me!" With that said, she dashed off to find the room in question.

The bunny took a deep breath, talking to herself. "Sorry, cute thing. But I'm not letting him get you." She readied herself, holding her hands out. The moment she saw the cloud rushing up the stairs right at her, she shouted. "Otsisbus!" Like the first time, the man let out a shout as a force of light shoved downward. He materialized out of the cloud, forced to his knees on the stairs.

He grit his teeth. "I'll admit... You've got... some potential..." He was clearly straining himself, but he did start to rise. Shadowy wisps of smoke started to pour off of him as he fought back against the spell binding him down, his tails writhing behind him. "But... you lack... training..."

Kelli growled. "Yeah... probably. But this isn't all I can do. Mutsubmoc!" She shouted another spell, and the fox suddenly erupted into flames. Blue fire flashed to life, completely covering him from head to toe. "Burn, you son of a-"

"You also lack experience." Her eyes went wide as the blue flames shifted to green. He rose to his feet fully, eyes burning at her hotter than the fire around him. "You never use fire on a kitsune. It's our element." He stepped forward, the flames extinguishing upon him just as fast as they had ignited. "You use water."

"Shit." She swore, backing up a pace. "Artsu-" She was cut off when a hand lashed out to grab her face, clamping over her mouth.

"No no. No more of that now." He slammed her to the floor, so hard that the wood floor cracked a little. She jerked in his grip, suddenly on her back, dazed but still alive. "You and your little magic have been a very annoying hindrance to what was otherwise a very enjoyable night." He brought her head up, but then paused. "Where is your little friend? The mouse with the odd essence?" He looked up, trying to pick the scent. He caught it down the hall, in the direction of the attic ladder. "Oh, very clever."

"E-Eralov..." He looked down as he heard the spell. He had loosened his grip on her head when he looked around for the other one. He did not know her form of magic, and had no idea what the spell she just cast was. Though before he could do more, he found out. His body was lifted by an invisible force, shoved upwards and slammed hard against the ceiling. It did not pin him there, however, and a moment later, he fell back down, hitting the floor with a thud.

He growled, claws digging into the floor as he pushed himself back up. "Oh, that is it." He looked over at the rabbit. She had rolled over onto her belly and was trying to crawl her way forward. He put an end to that real quick, grabbing the back of her head and smacking it against the floor. Again her body jerked as he dazed her. "You think it's funny to throw me around like some kind of leaf in the wind?" He rose to his feet, pulling her up at the same time. He held her by the back of her head, looking her in the face. "Do you!?"

Her face was a mess now, blood drooling down from a broken nose, staining the white fur red. One eye looked more swollen, and there was a cut on her forehead where he had smacked her into the floor. She coughed. " Flesruoy k'cuf og..." He growled at her again, feeling his anger boiling to the surface.

"Fine." He moved to the edge of the stairs, dragging her along. He shoved his arm out over the opening that looked down to the entrance, dangling her over the edge. "Let's see if you know how to fly." He released his grip. He saw her eyes go wide as gravity took hold of her. She plummeted down, her arms flailing the whole way. It only took a second, but he enjoyed seeing the fear for that second. She hit the ground with a thud, bouncing slightly before laying still.

He grunted. "Guess you forgot your broom, little witch." As much as he wanted to go down there and drain the soul of of the bitch, he had more pressing matters. He either had to let the dead bunny's spirit slip away, or let the live mouse get away. He knew which he would prefer to not let happen more. Turning, he made his way to the far room, and the last of his prey.

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