Bewitched in the Woods:
Elaine and Wywatt were visiting the police station to see Caol for a few reasons. One was dropping off lunch to him and for a copy of the inventory list of the last estate robbery. Caol dare not ask, knowing fully well the answer would come later. Turning his attention to the covered basket of packaged food and drink.
"This is too much," He lifted a cover of the cloth used to cover the goods, "I'll have to take this home."
"Tell family hello for me and stay safe." She smiled.
She was allowed to sit down by Caol while Wywatt sat on chair's armrest. Awaiting for Caol to take their statement as Konstantin spotted them, across the way, since Serenity and he were there.
"I can take it from here," Serenity suggested, "Say hello and play nice."
"Not coming?" He asked.
"Actually…" She was a tad speechless once about that topic.
She would join him in her own time since she still had to give her side of the story of their latest case. Leaving Konstantin to make his way over to Caol's desk as Wywatt was talking. Sound of buttons being pressed on a keyboard by Caol. Didn't stop Elaine from noticing Konstantin coming their way.
"Hello detective," She nods her head to him, "Didn't take you for one for visiting the police station often."
"Found the time to come in and follow up with the police," He stopped, "Yourself?"
"Someone was stupid enough to break in while we were home and steal a few things," Wywatt answered, "A cryptid skull from my private collection and soiled bandages soaked in your blood."
"Strange?" Konstantin asked, rather intrigued.
He further learned the inventory list that Elaine Request had two items from a collection. First was a feather from an extinct species of cryptid bird. Second was a chuck of a meteor from a recent meteor shower. She was acting on a hunch that was bothering her.
"We're going to take a holiday by visiting my uncle in his cottage in the woods," She offered, "Would you come with us? He's been wanting to meet Serenity and you."
"You by chance wouldn't be visiting any magical protected groves?" Konstantin asked.
Wywatt smirked like he wanted to answer while Caol typing stopped suddenly. Forming an eerie tension of sudden silence with Elaine unphrased. She just kept sitting on the chair just looking at Konstantin. Blinking away like she waited for him to say something.
"Come and find out." She repeated her offer.
How Konstantin and Serenity left the hustle and bustle of the city for the quiet of the woods. Smells crisp and refreshing with an earthy mixture of damp wood, pine resin, decaying leaves, and fresh foliage. Sounds of birds chirping and wind blowing through branches of the trees. Sights of dense, interwoven canopy of verdant leaves, reaching high above the forest floor. Went side by side with a dirt trail leading up to a cottage with a garden. Rustic appeal of the building with solar array setup was out of fairytale. Greeted them when they arrived with Hepzibah and Corbeau running ahead of them. Yelling a single name with hounds chasing after them and Elaine's owl flew with them. Corbeau's snake held on tight from his coiled spot around a clothed neck. Their black cat was carried by Hepzibah as she tried out Corbeau.
"Remind you of the last time we visited the woods?" Serenity asked Konstantin.
"Case of the Hidden Grove?" Elaine spoke up, "I had a copy of the transcript from the radio broadcast for my niece and nephew. Still trying to get a copy of the recording despite my last attempt."
"Last one was a disappointment," Wywatt looked away with disgust, "I am not allowing ANYWHERE near me."
"Can't it be that bad?" Konstantin asked and didn't understand.
"Lady Reika is rumored to have two copies in her collection of mystery media," Elaine explained, "One to show off during her private parties or one for personal use."
They would have carried on, if the sight of a grey haired gentleman with his sleeves rolled up. Dressed with a worn tweed waistcoat and solid trousers with a belt. Sturdy pair of work shoes and a hat tipped to one side. Who put his watch back into the pocket of his waistcoat. Lingering on a single mourning locket on his watch's chain. One where he tranced the center of white ivory in silence sorrow.
"Welcome and who are our guests?" He noticed Konstantin and Serenity, "The famed detective and his doctor friend."
"Uncle Jack." Elaine was glad to see him.
"As from legend?" Serenity joked.
When Wywatt tried to not laugh and teens were instructed by Elaine to help with the bags. Led to them being visually shown around the place. Finding the living room windows was pointed in the direction of the moon. Along inside the cottage that seemed bigger on the inside, then outside. Jack explained to Konstantin and Serenity what his late wife's doing. She enchanted the building from the support beams to the roof's rafters. Her portrait laid on top of the mantle of the fireplace where Elaine's owl was perched. Women in the painting had silver shine to her hair and pale blue eyes.
"She died of an brian aneurysm," Jack looked at Hepzibah, "Grief was so much for that I sent our only daughter to be raised by HIM."
"Grandpa isn't that bad." Hepzibah put down their cat.
Gurt was the one that made a rough barking noise as he nudged Jack in the back of his legs. Followed by a screech from Elaine's owl lifting a single claw. Cat didn't care one way or another as he walked to the nearest cushion. Put a smile on Jack's lips when he looked down toward the hounds. Awara was happily all over Vones while Lioet and Ike settled on his couch.
"Who is this now?" His eyes laid on a wolf dog with thickest, shaggy black coat with white underbelly. Had the brightest hazel eyes with a beaded collar holding a single tag. Came up to his waist with sharp, pearly white fangs.
"He is my baby, I raised him from a pup and named him Fenrir," Serenity proudly bragged, "He's my good boy."
"I have treats for you." Jack spoke of antlers and dried Venison ears.
This made Fenrir's ears went from their pinned back pose to one of perked up. At the sound of a treat from this person when his tail started to wag. Only be joined by a huffy Gurt taking a seat next to him without a care.
"Glad to see you too," Jack's eyes turned a milky white for a split second, "I hear you've been repeatedly drugged by my daughter and my nephew."
Huff he got from Gurt when the hodag looked away from him was all he needed to know. Left him to ask in showing his guests to rooms they would be staying in. Went easier than he thought with Elaine staying behind to speak with him.
"You're going to ask about someone stupid enough to touch my ember?" He answered her, "We both know unless it's kept in that lantern, they would be burned alive."
"And the grove?" She turns her head.
"Now who would be dumb enough to go near that place?" He asked her.
"Someone dumb enough to steal from us," She informed him, "A skull and blood soaked bandages."
Jack laughed so loudly at her answer that the house almost came to life in a way. Lights flickered on and off while the whole structure trembled like jello. Made the cat yawned before curling up for a long nap. Further bothered Konstantin long into the evening when they settled in. When Elaine was stepping out in a Fuchsia colored hooded capelet with a crescent cloak brooch. Owl flew toward her and landed on her clothed shoulder. Basket and gloves she wore were also a red flag to cloak Konstantin. Walked after her when she spoke about going forging for wild herbs.
"Don't do what I wouldn't do." Jack saw them out.
Elaine waved to her uncle just when Konstantin joined her off the dirt trail. Taking advantage of the time alone with her to get a few answers. Ones concerning a hunch he has been carrying around since that night.
"Something bothering you?" She asked, "We'll play a game of 20 questions? Just make them a count."
"Silvery sheen in your hair and blue of your eyes," He pointed out a few of her family's physical traits, "Are you of lunar witch origin?"
"I wanted to know how fully human you are …"
Two ended up telling their personal tales to the other. Elaine's family came from a lunar witch and male nephilim union with one daughter born to them. Who in turn fell in love with a merman during her first trip to the coast. Resulted in twin girls being born to them on the night of a hunter's Moon. While a strange witch bloodline was created decades past. Konstantin was the crown prince of hell, along with being the first born of Lilith and Lucifer in the living world. His circumstances sent him to the living world and were shared with her.
8*8
Days spent in the hidden cottage came with one new activity each day with the hounds. From slow mornings when the smell of a traditional breakfast woke most up. An Assam and Ceylon based tea being freshly brewed beside food. Set up a table with an already woken up and dressed Wywatt drinking a cup of tea, and Fenrir beside his chair. A half chewed antler lay in those massive paws and was being enjoyed. Got him called a traitor by Serenity the first day when she watched him. Only to be ignored for the company of his companion snuggled to his side.
"I never seen love act that fast," Jack informed Serenity, "Wolf- dog and Dire wolf. Who knew?"
Serenity became speechless while she noticed Gurt was face down in his food bowl. Eyes so glazed over and transfixed that one could see the white of them.
"Draught of Peace was slipped into his chow by the teens," Wywatt sipped his tea, "He's been like that for an hour now."
Nothing new for her while Elaine and Konstantin walk side by side into the dining area. One was already dressed with her hooded capelet with a crescent cloak brooch on. She owl resting on her clothed shoulder and basket in hand. Other was still dressed in his nightwear with a housecoat. Bed head somewhat tamed with sleep fading from his eyes. A smile on his face after finding Elaine's quick tongue and coyly plays refreshing. Stopped for them when everyone came into view for them.
Became a morning routine until Elaine was off to forage for wild herbs and flowers with the teens. One of the hounds came with her besides her owl when she disappeared all morning. Leaving Jack to regale his guests with stories of his drunkard days. Revealing to Serenity since Konstantin figured it out his true identity. He was once the human who bested Lucifer and unnamed angel. Now unable to pass on to the afterlife with a ember of hellfire. Telling them he developed a hand for the art of mukimono and painting.
"What do you do?" Serenity wondered if she saw his work.
"A bit of everything over the centuries," Jack tried to remember, "My late wife's portrait was one of my firsts."
"Half the artwork we keep for public view," Wywatt mention artwork she's seen when drinking with him, "We sells a few pieces for him."
"Now I got to see what he can do." Serenity was interesting.
"We can show you." Hepzibah and Corbeau offered.
One of many moments that took place from that day forward whether they visited the lake to fish and play. Where Serenity and Wywatt showed off their skills with a knife when gutting and preparing the fish. Teens tested different underwater breathing potions after daily drugging of hodag. Konstantin learned Jack painted when he set up his art easel with Elaine's owl perched on top. Elaine would sit on a blanket and read in complete silence with her nephew's snake curled up next to her, until joined by Konstantin. Hounds surround them with Vones and Fenrir lying next to each other.
Sometimes they went on group hikes after lunch gathering and identifying plants. Hounds and Fenirir at their feet off leash since they always came back to the cottage. Elaine's owl would fly from branch to branch just screeching when on not on someone's shoulder. They always went on a new path each day as they took turns cooking dinner. Followed by a night of stargazing from the front yard of the cottage. Teens were surrounded by the hounds with Fenrir siting between Serenity and Wyatt. Jack sat a foot and half away from Elaine and Konstantin on the same blanket. N