I don't own RWBY or Call of Cthulhu
Blackwater Creek General Good Store, Some moments after arriving in town
3rd POV
Trish was waiting outside. Normally she'd scuff at the ridiculous notion of preventing Irish people into stores. But it seems nowhere is safe from stupidity. As she tries to light up a cigarette a loud crash from inside caught her attention.
"WHERE IS SHE!" Jaune shouts from within the shop.
"Sheriff! Sherriff!" The man calls out only to hear the sound of his face being beaten in.
"God damn it Jaunny-boy." Trish said as she discards the cigarette. She quickly enters to find Jaune had beat the man senseless with a furious look in eyes. He throws another punch before screaming.
"WHERE IS YANG!" Jaune shouts as he held a bloody fist over the man's bloody face.
"I… I don't.. serve no…" Before the man could finish Jaune was about to punch him when Trish grabbed ahold of his arm.
"The feck you think you're doing?" Trish snapped as she pulled Jaune off the man.
"He knows! I recognize that arm anywhere!" Jaune shouts as he holds up the robotic arm. "Bastard tried to pawn if off like it was some trinket!"
"I'v fold yah… I'v hon't serve… ficy folks." The man struggled to say with a few teeth falling out of his mouth.
Trish had never seen Jaune so angry before. He was about to beat the man over the head with the arm when the sound of a cocking of hammers caught both their attention. A man dressed in an overalls and flannel, armed with a rusting double barrel. He stood his ground before speaking. "To why you outsiders are beating on poor old Dale?"
"Fon'd wisten to ah ford they say Hlim." The store owner struggled to say as blood rushes out of his mouth.
"He was trying to sell me something that was stolen." Jaune replies with a temper still on his tongue.
"Oh really now?" The stranger remarks before turning to the man on the ground. He looked him in the eye for a few moments before letting out a small sigh as he holsters his shot gun. "(Sigh) God damn it Dale. What he stole stranger?"
Jaune then presents the Arm. Slowly handing it over as the man overlooked the arm. His eye raised with curiosity as the man looked it over. After a bit he handed back the arm before remarking, "The hell kind of contraption is this? Some kind of art piece?"
"Advance prosthetic." Jaune remarks before calmy adding on, "He mention you were the sheriff?"
"Yeah, as well as the towns preacher. Say, don't you look familiar?" The man confirmed as the preacher asked
"I get that a lot, now do you happen to know where this woman went." Jaune remarks as he pulls out a picture of Yang.
"Can't say that I do. I'm not one who deals with whiskey." The sheriff said as he pulls out a cigarette. He takes out a match and lights it up. Taking a drag before continuing. "Though I recall hearing about a girl of her description being in town. Left with a menacing looking figure few days back."
"Did something happen? Yang wouldn't leave her arm behind like this." Jaune asked with a hint of desperation in his tone.
"Hmm, not sure. She left town before I could have a word with either one. Though I saw her leaving down the road to Dunwich by foot. Maybe she and that unsavory fellow headed to the dig site." The Sheriff answers giving Jaune a new sense of hope. However, Trish wasn't buying it.
"Uh huh. Tell me Sheriff um…"
"Dick Sproston but people call me Slim." The sheriff answers.
"Right, Sheriff Slim. Isn't it your job to stop prohibition? If the man she's with look like a criminal why not arrest him?" Trish asked as she crosses her arms.
"Your from the city ain't yah? How well that's working out?" Sheriff Slim remarks causing Trish to simply shrug. "I'm just a single man. Far as I see it. So long they don't cause trouble in town. I'd leave them well enough alone."
"Regardless, it's a lead. The dig site you said?" Jaune asked as he made his way to the door.
"Yep, Folks from that fancy school in Arkham were looking around for Injun artifacts. Not sure what happened but the head of the dig site sent everyone home. Wonder why?" Sheriff Slim said as he scratches his chin.
Jaune didn't care he quickly left the building and headed west along the dust old trail. Trish walked by the sheriff and apologies for Jaune's behavior. She then quickly sprinted after Jaune. Despite his crippled leg he moved fair fast for a man of his conditions.
10 minutes and a brisk walk later
Jaune remained ahead of Trish, Waling quickly at a brisk rate. He ignored Trish's calls for him to stop. His mind was focused on one thing. Yang. He continued to walk on till he found the dig site. Holes as wide as trench and as deep as his knees were spread out upon the ground. Jaune looked around for tracks but all he could see was tire tracks heading west towards Dunwich. He let's out a sigh and was about to concede that Yang is not here when he notices something. A discarded cigarette by the edge of the camp. He walked over to it, noticing a crudely discarded book next to a set of foot prints. He picks up the book with some interest, wonder if it has anything to do with Yang. Opening the book to the last open page he found a lecture on a local historical puzzlement.
Legend of Cade's Rest:
One Less sinister and undoubtedly less puzzling mystery of the Miskatonic Valley is the fate of the settlement known as Cades Rest. Historical records shows that following the hanging of Mary Dyer on Boston Common in 1660, a group of Quakers left Boston, fearing persecution at the hands of the puritans. This group was led by the tailor Ezekiel Cade, and included as many as ten other families. After some months of travel, they settled by the banks of the Miskatonic River, not far from the spot that would one day become Dunwich. While records from this point are scant, the folk story holds that the settlement thrived once Cade and his followers made contact with a local Indian tribe know as the Wskinnossis Mkazwi Ki or 'Children of the Black Earth' as the settlers come to call them.
Where the tale turns to folklore is in the demise of the settlement. Some stories have the earth opening and swallowing the settlers who. Others tell of them being snatched away by the Devil himself. Even the more mundane details are contradictory, with some describing the discovery of empty homes on the site, and others saying that even the buildings had vanish.
Given that there are mentions of Cade being spotted in Boston a few years later, the most likely explanation is that the settlers simply moved again, possibly spreading the rumors of their disappearance themselves to secure their privacy. Alternatively, they may have come into conflict with the Black Earth Tribe and been Killed. Regardless of the truth, the legend is a minor one at Best.
As he skims the pages Trish finally caught up to him, before promptly slapping the back of his head. Causing him to respond, "Ouch what the heck was that for?"
"One, ignoring me when I'm trying to talk to you!" Trish snapped before slapping the back of Jaune's head. "Two, for acting like a complete fool! And three for not using your damn head!"
"Ouch, hey, okay, okay! I'm sorry but you got to understand. Yang would never leave this behind. Never!" Jaune said as he holds up Yang robotic arm. "I'm just worried about her is all."
"Uh huh, well you can do a lot of worrying when your behind a jail cell you feckin idiot." Trish scolds as she crosses her arms. "So, now what? I'm sure we won't be put behind bars but all the same I'd rather not stick around long enough to find out."
"(Sigh) Yeah… again. Sorry." Jaune remarks as he stands up. "I don't think they left for Dunwich. I think they walked into the woods."
"You sure? Could be anyone's trails." Trish asked as she inspect the two set of footprints.
"Only one way to be sure." Jaune said as he pulls his sword halfway out of his cane. Inspecting the blade before inserting it back in. The two then walk into the forest. Unsure what they will encounter… or if the trail is truly Yang's.
The two shuffled there way inside the dense forest. It was almost like a jungle in the humid spring air. After ten minutes of walking the two came upon a clearing. There the trail goes cold. Multiple set's of tracks scuffled up the trail, though there were other items indicating something happened. Shotgun shells, cullet casings, and much to Jaunes mixture of joy and worry he found dust cartages. Yang was indeed here. Though what was she fighting? Over with Trish she felt a sense of unease as she notices a blood patch on the ground. A lot of blood, a broken rifle, and a single chewed finger on the ground. As she looks on in disturbance, she heard the chink of something underfoot. Looking down she notices a set of dog tags with a ring attached to it. Bending down to pick it up, she silently read the dog tag aloud, "Jacob Schmidt, 521791."
Upon finishing a rotting smell hits her nose. It was like nothing she ever smelled before in her entire life. As she tried to track where that unpleasant smell is coming from, she turned upwards to see a body. Rotting away in the tree's. She let's out a gasp in horror, alerting to Jaune who turns and see's the body. He too let's out a small gasp in shock as the view pulls in on his eye. With a blink his blue eye turns to Lilac color.
A few days prior (In black & white flash back!)
The scene pulls out of Jaune's eye revealing the scene has transferred to Yang, staring on in a gasp. The body was freshly swinging silently from the tree's. Blood leaking from multiple lashes as he silently swings from the vines.
"By Oum's name… is that?" Yang said from under her covers her mouth.
"Yeah. That, was our contact." Schmidt remarks before looking down in a moment of solace.
"Monty, what… who would do this to him?" Yang asked.
"Not sure but whatever did this is a dead man walking." Schmidt said as he notices a few smashed crates. "Not sure if it's the locals but someone here clearly don't care much for business."
Schmidt then grabs one of the broken Jars. As he inspects the bottle, he notices something odd. The whiskey was gone. Not in the sense it spilled out but rather as if something was drinking from it. As he overlooks the broken Jars, Yang begin to notice something off. A stump seemed to have moved spots. As she inspects the stump, an eye on the tree opens up, looking around before closing it when Yang looked around before turning back to the stump, now moved closer to her.
"What the…" Before Yang could finish a vine wrapped around her ancle and she was pulled up into the air. She dropped her shotgun as the tree suddenly game to life. Multiple vines lifted Yang up into the air, swinging her about.
"AHHHHH Schmidt get me down from here!" Yang shouted in a panic as the tree suddenly came to life. Spouting multiple eyes and three insidious jaws overgrown with gnashing teeth. Yang's eye's widen in horror. As memories of Arkham of flooded her mind, the trenches, the horrible faces, and especially… that… thing. Frozen in fear the creature opens it's jaws to swallow her when a 30-06. gun shot rang out. Yang fell to the ground with a hard slam as the tree branch fell beside her, oozing a black liquid.
"Yang get up! Now's not the time for combat fatigue!" Schmidt yelled as he chambers a new round and fires at the creature.
Yang quickly looked around for her weapon when she notices something on the ground. A single strand of her hair. Pull from her head. Time slowed down as the strand sank into the mud, just as it disappears rage overtakes her. "You… MONSTERS!"
She stood up with her hair on fire and eyes as red as crimson, catching Schmidt and the monster entirely off guard. She raced to the creature before delivering a punch so hard it cause the birch to shoot out on the other side. She then grabbed ahold of the creature by the jaw and threw it to the ground before repeatedly punching it over, and over, and over again. Every punch ruptured the creatures' organs and breaking it's wooden like exterior. As she punches with untapped rage not yet known, Schmidt's voice can be heard off in the distance.
"Yang! Yang! Yang! YANG! YANG! YANG! YANG! HEY YANG!" Schmidt voice called out as Yang continues to throw punch after punch till finally she felt something on her shoulder. She turned around and grabbed the figure by the throat with her robotic arm. That's when she saw it was Schmidt, inches away from her robotic right fist. She was strangling him with her left, and moments from breaking his windpipe when her eyes revered back to a calming lilac. Realizing what she was about to do she lets go of Schmidt
"Oh, Monty. I'm…" Before Yang could finish Schmidt held up his hand as he gasp for air.
"It's (Huff, huff) fine. (Huff, huff) Just answer me one (Huff, huff) question." Schmidt said as he catches his breath, he then stands up and ask. "Since when can you set your hair on fire?"
"My… hair?" Yang asked with a confused look on her face. She half expected Schmidt to scold her out when he asked her the strange question about her hair.
"Yeah. Your hair just… ignited. Burn the branches on that thing." Schmidt said pointing to the barks that were scorched entirely.
"I uh… I didn't know I could do that." Yang responded not realizing what she did.
"Hmm, sometimes I think you're like an onion. Just when I think I got to know always a new lair." Schmidt said while messaging is throat before turning to the strange creature on the ground. "But before I curse you for nearly breaking my neck, do you have any idea what these damn things are?"
"Um, no. Just that I know I hate it." Yang said with discuss at what she was looking at.
Neither one could describe the battered corpse that laid before them. It's limbs were like tree vines, the roots now removed had goat like features, and the eyes… they still pierce the soul, even when dead. As they look on, a loud sound can be heard over in the distance. The two quickly got into a defensive stand as they looked for where that sound is. As they looked around, Schmidt failed to notice the tree next to him opening it eyes. Just as Schmidt takes another step, the creature opens it's gob and bites down hard on Schmidt's left hand. Destroying the rifle as he screams in agony. The creature uproots himself from the ground and pulls on Schmidt's hand as his maws on him. As he screams out in agony, Yang quickly turns to rush the creature but was thrown away with a whiplash throwing her far. Yang quickly rebounds with her eyes bursting red in anger. The anger made her an easy target to hit but every time she is the madder she got.
Fighting through the agony Schmidt pulled out his knife and madly stabbed the multiple sets of eyes on the trunk of this massive creature. In his frantic and savage slashing his dog tags came loose and flew to the ground without him noticing. In response the creature begins biting harder, shredding Schmidt's fingers but unaware that Yang had sprinted up to it. Just as it notices her it was too late. The last thing it saw before it was cut in half was the face of one very angry woman. The jaws open and Schmidt fell to the ground holding his left hand. A single finger fell to the ground as two were hanging on by mere tendons. Yang's eyes return to a simple Lilac color as she raced over to Schmidt.
"Oh Monty, Schmidt are you…" Before Yang could answer another loud noise can be heard. And the tree's all around them begin moving, violently.
"No, but we need to go." Schmidt said as he struggled to his feet as he holds his hand in agony. His body was going into shock and his vision became blurry. He stumbles a few steps before nearly falling back down. Course Yang catches him before he could fall.
"Hey, don't black out. I don't want to carry you." Yang said as she pulled Schmidt toward the direction they came from, however three more of those abominations appeared blocking there way.
"You may need to do that." Schmidt said hazily as he could vaguely see the creature's open jaw.
It lashes out at the two, but Yang fired off a shot from her gauntlet. For some reason the creatures root like tendril caught fire and retreated. Not sure why she took advantages and dragged Schmidt away. The two raced through the woods in an uncertain direction. It seemed that almost all tree's in the area were hunting them. As every turn they make another one of those horrors spawn. Nearly wrapping it's worm like branches or tendril roots around them. Yet Yang managed to evade. Even with Schmidt weighing her down. Granted as much as a large stick can, but she couldn't break this stick to carry.
Eventually she spotted a clearing and quick pulled Schmidt towards it. Dodging more strikes from the nearly infant number of monstrosities she just looked back for one second to see more then thirty of those things were on her tail. Flashes of the nightmare in Arkham came pouring back as fear overtook her. So much she didn't even noticed the tree branch on the ground. She tripped over and the two fell out into a small sloop out onto a wide plain. Quickly reacting she turned and pointed both her gauntlet and robotic arm towards the forest. Expecting an attack. She held her breath as she scan the tree lines and listen with baited ears. Ready to attack the first creature who marches out of the forest. Yet for what felt like an eternity. Nothing happened. After a full three minutes did she let her guard down. Falling on her back besides a half-conscious Schmidt.
"Huff, huff… I… I we… loose them." Yang said as she huffed in exhaustion as she looked up at the midday sun with fear still lingering in her eyes.
"Yeah… think we're out of the woods, heh, heh-tsk." Schmidt struggled to say with a chuck through the pain before succumbing to it. Yang slowly got up noticing the hand was still profusely bleeding. Picking him up she drags him to a nearby rock to lay him against.
"Heh, and I thought I was the one who made bad jokes." Yang said with a small smile before noticing Schmidt's hand. Whatever that thing, was. It had ripped and torn Schmidt's entire right hand. A few of Schmidt's fingers were dangling by mere tendons. "Oh Monty almighty."
"Tsk, how bad is it kid? Cause I'm sure it feels bad if not worst then it looks." Schmidt said as he tries not to fall into shock.
"Like crushed raspberries." Yang remarks, earning a chuckle from Schmidt.
"Yeah, sounds about right." Schmidt said before reaching for the jar of whisky in his coat pocket. He struggled to open it before taking a sip. After which he then motions with his head. "Check out the campsite ahead. Might be something to wrap around these damn stumps."
Yang looked over to where Schmidt was pointing to. In the midst of the action she failed to notice the campsite laying a few feet away from the two. With a nod she got up and headed to the camp. Her gauntlet at the ready. She slowly made her way through the campsite. Looked like the place was ransacked but for the most part no sign of any monsters. She pushed aside multiple papers, books, and dirty supplies when she stumbled upon a letter, soaked in blood.
C/o Dennis General Goods
Blackwater Creek
Dunwich County
April 1st 1925
To my friends and Colleagues,
I am very sorry to inform you that I have been unavoidably delayed in my plans to return to the University. While, as we have discussed in the past, the dig site has proved fruitless, there is still some minor work to be carried out before I can extract myself from the area. I do anticipate returning to Arkham by the end of April at the latest. Again, please accept my deepest apologies for the inconvenience that this extension may cause.
In case you are considering sending any members of the field team back to the site, I would recommend against this in the strongest possible terms. As you have probably heard before, it saddens me to say that one of the local farmers has taken a strong dislike to our presence here, and he seems to have some rough associates. While the field team consist of Abigail and me, we probably represent sufficiently little instruction to be objectionable, but I am sorry to say that an increase in numbers may prove provocative.
Abigail sends her love, and we both look forward to returning to Arkham and join you and Mary for a bridge evening as soon as we can. I am so very sorry.
Your friend, Henry.
As she sets down the note, her eye turns to the bed. Beside it looked like a leather briefcase that was thrown aside when the camp was ransacked. Looking inside were a few medical items inside. Quickly putting them back inside, she raced out back to Schmidt who nearly halved the mason jar.
"Hey, found something to help. How are you holding up?" Yang asked as she takes the jar from Schmidt and begin soaking a few gauze bandages in it.
"Ugh, if not for the whiskey I don't think I'd be any better." Schmidt said as he prepared himself for the pain. "Not sure if it's the whiskey or I'm going into shock."
"Hmm, Maybe you should drink some more. I'd just waisted the bottle soaking these things." Yang remarks as she presses the alcohol-soaked gauze on Schmidt's stumps.
"Ugh, yeah. I'd like tha…AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Schmidt didn't manage to finish his sentence. His hand burned and ached like nothing. He had whiskey used as a disinfected before, but this was a new feeling. Yang was confused by Schmidt's violent reaction when her eyes turn down to his stump hand. Her eye widen in shock and horror as the nubs stopped bleeding, and bones begin pushing out.
"What in his holy name." Yang mutters as Schmidt held his hand in agony as the stubs grew back into full functioning fingers. Once fully regrown Schmidt looked down at his hand flexing his new fingers in shock and astonishment. They felt smooth, and unused. Like a baby's hand. After flexing them he turned to Yang with an astonish look. Yang then notices something. His scar covering his cheek, it was mending itself. Something under his skin was mending Schmidt. It took Yang a few moments to realize what was going on, she looked down at the jar before asking aloud, "… What the hell, is in that whiskey?"
Well… that was certainly an interesting turnout wasn't. Hello Everybody, Wombag1786 here.
Missing dog tags, a body hanging from a tree, and by the looks of it Whiskey that can heal any and all wounds. I wonder what the hell is going on in this small town. But I suppose that's up to the next chapter. Now onto question and comments.
From Black Cross0: It's good to be back. Yes so it seems… and that same thing found them. Few days later Jaune get's a bit antsy about finding Yang. Guess living in New York made him crazy for a familiar face that wasn't a New Yorker. (No offense to any New Yorkers reading. But as a native Bostonian It's my nature to say Fuck you! And your baseball team!)
Yeah I'm looking forward to the remake. Love the second remake and whish they did a better job with the third.
I'll be keeping an eye on it for now.
Heh yeah, Carre didn't realize it in his comment but glad you got the subtle reference.
Thanks for writing Black Cross0
From Crimson Weresloth: Oh trust me, you'll know soon enough.
Thanks for writing Crimson Weresloth
From Carre: 1. No problem
2. Alright. Got to keep track of who's playing who.
3A. Oh right… I'd just thought he look good in yellow. (also a subtle hint at what's going on in the back of his mind.)
3B. Um… well Wilbur Whateley was mauled in august of 1928, so no it hasn't happened yet but he and his brother was born in 1913 and his grandfather died in 1924… so it's happening but out of seen.
3C. Yeah… she is the wise big sister prostitute who knows the power of big tits. Heh, but joking aside this will be a recuring joke. A joke that might go a bit far as the preview of arc 18 has shown.
3D. well, it's technically Troskie's show. Stalin is in Mexico or living there currently, but I digress. It's small details that show the effect of one more year in ww1. Also it might open up a possible Italian themed adventure. (Mama Mia!) Truth be told I'm still working on this story and I am kicking around a few ideas.
3E. Heh heh, wrong Nickelodeon. When movies came out they cost a Nickle (5 cents or half a Krona) and they received the nickname Nickelodeon.
3F. Yep… well no actually. They are monsters that look like tree's.
4. Thanks will do.
Thanks for writing Carre
Well, with that done, please fav and fol the chapter. Leave a comment or question down bellow. Till then this is Wombag1786 signing off.