Hellhound AU

[just_aces]

Sometime round about 1900, a witch summoned a hellhound as a familiar.

He didn't mind it, hellhounds are loyal after all, and if some of her spells left him tired and drained, well, that was what he was there for, to keep her from using too much of her own energy for things. That and to eat the souls of her victims, sometimes.

But then, in the early 1970s, she ran afoul of a much stronger coven.

She was quite quickly banished to hell, but the hellhound couldn't be allowed to go with her, because, well, hellhounds are loyal and she was powerful and would have been able to use him to escape.

So the hellhound was made human, figuring that sixty, seventy, even eighty years if he was lucky would be enough time for the witch to have been consumed, so that even when the human-that-had-been-a-hellhound died, and Death herself realized that he was definitely not where, or what, he was supposed to be, she'd send him back.

But then one Charles Rowland kind of fucked up that whole plan by dying young and immediately running away from Death herself.

So the ghost-who-was-the-boy-who-was-the-hellhound has no idea what he was, or still is, under it all.

But, after a trip through hell to save his best friend (Hellhounds are loyal, after all) and time spent in a familiar position -though not a familiar kitchen- after that has been enough to knock a few things loose...

Comments

[just_aces]

Old Bailey turned a truly withering look on the Duchess, the kind of look that would have made anyone else quail at least a little, though didn't seem to have that effect on her, though it was enough to have some of the gallery going quiet again as well, "The opposition will remain silent. You'll have your turn to speak."

That said he sighed, turning to Edwin and the Lady Goode again, "Lady Goode, whilst human, would anyone who wasn't involved with the initial spell-work be able to detect anything of the creature's true nature on the human Charles Rowland?"
She straightened a little, because while that wasn't exactly a question they'd been expecting, it was near enough to one, "No, your honor, even those involved shouldn't have been able to once the work was finished. He was well and truly human and would have remained so for the duration of that human life."

Charles' eyes narrowed briefly, because he'd definitely noticed that she'd referred to him as 'he' and not 'it', and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of that.

Old Bailey nodded once, the council at the bench clearly noting that information even as the barrister continued, "And master Payne, at what time were you certain of the then-deceased Charles Rowland's true nature?"
That was definitely one of the questions that Lady Goode had prepared him for, no one involved had been certain until he and Charles had actually met with the coven. Suspicions were one thing, even well-informed suspicions, but certainty was something else again, especially for a trial like this.

[uptightboy]

Edwin did wonder how was she aware that he had been to Hell but they had more important things to worry about. The question about the nature of Charles's spell was risky but it could have a positive impact on their case. If nobody could tell what Charles was, not even the ones who cast the spell, then why would anyone want to steal him on purpose? It also explained how they could lose track of him so easily.

"It was when we visited Lady Goode," Edwin said, deliberately leaving out the part 'to seek help about Charles's nature'. "About a week ago," he added. "Only then did we discover the strange nature of his bonds."

Once again, the urge to have Charles by his side gripped him so much that Edwin was sure he would suffocate if he needed air. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if he had to return to his old master. To that witch. Edwin did feel selfish for thinking that the worst thing would be him losing Charles and not a powerful witch gaining more power...

[just_aces]

Charles yawned, as widely as the muzzle would allow, which was still enough to show off the far too many teeth, tongue lolling for a moment, just snapping his jaw shut again a moment later, licking at his snout and settling down instead of sitting upright, as if realizing for the first time that this was going to take a while and he might as well be comfortable for the duration.

The answer did get another murmuration through the gallery, though it was one that passed quickly. Old Bailey gave another nod, "Very well." He turned to the Duchess, then, "Duchess Nocturna, at any point during your incarceration did you attempt to recall or recover the Hound?" It wouldn't necessarily have broken the terms of her banishment if she had done, mostly because even if she'd tried, she wouldn't have been able to do so thanks to the transformation.

"Only once." She replied, lifting an arm to indicate the chain bracelet there, "When this returned, I knew it meant that my Hound couldn't be far off, but by the time I was able to gather myself to try he had already returned to the mortal plane."

[uptightboy]

Already returned? Edwin felt cold dread grip him. She was banished and without her Hound, and there was no way for her to find him. But then... then Charles followed Edwin to Hell.

Edwin looked at Lady Goode for a second but then at Charles. He knew it didn't happen but the bare thought of what if she was faster could not leave his mind. Charles would have left him then? Did he almost stuck in Hell and did Charles almost go back to the witch who hurt him? Did they only escape by sheer luck?

Edwin was wringing his hands nervously. It was his fault this was all happening. It also alarmed him that if the Duchess called Charles to her he might go. It would be an all too conclusive proof of ownership. Edwin so wanted to speak, to ask what kind of question that was anyway, but Lady Goode prepared him well; do not speak when there was no question asked of him. And only tell what is absolutely necessary.

[just_aces]

Charles didn't particularly like that phrasing, especially knowing what he now knew about how thoroughly changed he'd been, and sure, his true nature had already been spilling through at that point, but he didn't think she should have been able to tell where he was, only that he wasn't in Hell any longer. The problem was that he couldn't put that much thought into it at the moment, and he itched to be himself again so that he could argue, so he could say that he didn't trust her and he wasn't going back and that her eye patch looked stupid. But instead he had to settle for glowering and flicking an ear in annoyance.

Luckily the barrister was good at what he did, one would think as much for as long as he'd been doing it, "And with the deceased Charles Rowland's coven-imposed transformation back in place, how is it that you knew where he'd gone when no longer in hell?"
She shook her head, "It was merely a suspicion, of course, as the summons didn't work, but a suspicion that's been confirmed by his presence here." The answer did cause some murmuring in the gallery and among the council, but it subsided before Old Bailey had to quell it himself.

[uptightboy]

Edwin heard Lady Goode hum in distaste, and murmur something under her breath he couldn't exactly catch. But it was better that way. They weren't here to point at lies they were here to bring Charles home. But...

"Is there a way she could tell Charles was with you?" Edwin couldn't help asking Lady Goode.

"I wasn't sure before, but she may have her methods. It means she's desperate and I'm not surprised," the Lady answered. "It also could mean the bonds are still strong enough for her to feel her puppy this much." Though, at the sour expression on Edwin he looked at him instead of the Duchess and continued quietly. "She may have the bonds but you have support, boy, do not forget that. The court will see it soon."

[just_aces]

The next nearly two hours progressed much the same, and while Old Bailey had to remain neutral, and was good at it, it was easy for him to let the answers to questions stand for themselves, and not just the answers, but how they were answered.

There was a short recess after that, mostly to allow things to settle again and to collect those who had been summoned, and it seemed that Edwin and the Coven weren't the only ones with support, though the Duchess' support seemed to consist of a single lesser demon -likely whoever she had annexed her space in Hell from- and a pair of imps who were likely her employees, as it were.

Once court resumed both of the imps were quickly dismissed as they had been commanded to attend by Nocturna and not properly summonsed as everyone else had been, and while the demon wasn't dismissed, his support was lackluster at best, consisting mostly of questioning why the Duchess couldn't be allowed to have her toy back as it had already returned to hell of its own accord once.

That was a revelation that had the gallery murmuring again and Old Bailey nodded, raising a hand for silence before turning to Edwin and the Lady Goode, "That does raise a good question. If the at that time deceased Charles Rowland was unaware of his true nature, why was he returned to Hell? That is not a trip to be taken lightly, even for a ghost."

[uptightboy]

It was excruciating. Answering questions and remaining calm while there were demons and imps around, without Charles, was tiring. But this was also a different kind of fight than they were used to. Edwin also idly wondered how lucky Charles was in such a form now, maybe the boredom was more manageable for him this way.

Then came that question. Edwin swallowed nervously. This was a crucial question and Lady Goode also told him that the answer could push his case in a good way with the council.

"He-" Edwin started startled at how his voice trembled. He cleared his throat then continued. "He came after me," he answered. "I was taken, on unfair grounds mind you. I was not supposed to be there and Charles came for me. He saved me."

Without summoning. Without calling. Without a stupid chain bracelet on his wrist. Charles just fled to his side without thinking. Even after all this time Edwin still felt anger over it rise in his stomach because it was so, so stupid... Yet, they both knew how it all ended.

[just_aces]

That was a question that had Charles sitting up to attention again, leaning as close to the edge of the circle as he could get, thankful that the actuary with him allowed him that much lead instead of trying to pull him back. That tremor in Edwin's voice was just wrong, he needed to be over there at Edwin's side so he didn't have to worry that way. He wasn't going back, Charles wouldn't allow it.

The answer led to the Night Nurse being called up first, both to explain how such a thing had been allowed, to which she made clear it was Charles' idea and had gone against everyone's better judgment and advice and had caused her additional paperwork on what should have been a very straightforward collection jobs.

Which in turn led to her explanation of how she knew both Charles and Edwin, and the only times she'd seen Charles anything close to dangerous was in defense of Edwin.

It was her testimony that started the collection of people who knew the pair, Crystal making clear that she'd never seen Edwin use Charles' energy for magic, and often when Edwin was doing magic Charles had been on task with her and wouldn't have been able to lend anything in the first place.

[uptightboy]

The whole thing was almost surreal, Edwin wondered. Listening to people talk about them, their friendship, and how they saw them, just to prove that Edwin wasn't a thief was a lot. As if he only did all that to keep a Hound. A beast he would have run from under different circumstances.

But while the confessions of the witnesses were a bit uncomfortable to listen to, one thing was clear. Charles had changed. He wasn't a toy of a witch anymore, he was a protector. He was a bloody hero as far as Edwin was concerned. He was fierce and always ready to jump between Edwin and danger without any orders.

Although, the Duchess had an argument about magic and ghosts as a reason for Edwin to want to keep one. Ghosts used magic in different, slightly weaker ways. Magic was more powerful when channeled through a body, even if it was dead. Ghosts had no bodies thus their magic was significantly weaker, but add a Hellhound to that equation and get a powerful ghost. Very useful to one who did not want to go to Hell where he belonged, the witch remarked.

"I did not use--" Edwin snapped before he could stop himself in time. But the accusation was so out of line and so vile. If anyone used Charles it was the Duchess. Edwin could never, not like that...

[just_aces]

Charles, likewise, hadn't realized they had so many friends, or at least acquaintances who were friendly, even the postman spoke up for them, that of all the things he'd seen in his moments in their office on his rounds, it was nothing to be concerned with or, as a civil servant, he would have reported it long before.

It was the Duchess' accusation, and Edwin's bitten-back reply that had another murmur going through the gallery, which was apparently enough to make the Duchess bold, "This is all well and good, but my Hound knows where he belongs. If it's that important, let it speak for itself." That definitely raised questions in the council, which Old Bailey considered, mostly it seemed that no one had thought of that yet, likely because no one thought that Charles would be able to regain his human form once he'd been returned to his true form. Certainly the Duchess herself didn't, or she wouldn't have been so quick to suggest it.

Finally the barrister nodded, raising his hand for silence once more, "If it will keep this from rolling over to a second day, yes, let the Hound speak for itself, if it's able."

Charles just blinked at that order, looking puzzled at first, though he'd trundled to his feet at the Duchess' initial scoffed statement. There was a long moment of anticipatory stillness in the gallery and from the council, but that was all the time Charles needed to make himself change back, once again human fingers lifting to tug the muzzle free, lifting it away from his head, nose wrinkling at the way the nails singed at his scalp and ear before it was clear and he could set it down on the floor, unfolding slowly to his feet, mostly to make sure that he was actually dressed as he did so, tugging his jacket collar straight once he was solidly himself again.

The transformation itself was enough to cause an out and out uproar in the gallery, the Duchess blanching visibly, though even with the muzzle removed, those corroded chain links were still tangled tightly around Charles' right wrist, while Edwin's golden halter was loosely looped around the left.

[uptightboy]

Edwin was ready to retort about how silly that request was. They were talking about Charles's form with Lady Goode and she had a few suggestions but that was if Charles could be returned to Edwin. Definitely not during the trial. Because it was unheard of for a Hellhound to change shape or form without any magical help. That fact scared Edwin because would that mean Charles may never be back again?

So as he was watching the hound change back and take off the muzzle, as if shedding some of his old bonds, some of Edwin's worries calmed. Though, he had little idea what this all meant for their future.

"Charles..." Edwin sighed in relief seeing the boy again. He heard Daphne gasp in delight and Lady Goode murmuring something along with curses. This was Charles, Edwin wondered, defying his nature. He defied death first and now this. Edwin hoped Charles knew just how proud he was of him.

So once Edwin settled his fluttering heart, his gaze found the Duchess again. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question: 'You were saying?'

[just_aces]

Charles worked his jaw for a moment, it had only been a week, but he had to remember how talking worked, how to form the words, how to actually say things. His voice was a little rough when it came, "I choose Edwin." He knew that he was going to have to explain himself, even as Old Bailey gave a nod, voice quieter than it had been though still just as resonant, especially in the shocked silent room, "Can you elaborate on that, Master Rowland?"

Charles nodded, jaw working again, tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth, the shape of it feeling wrong even after just a week with a maw instead, "Until last week, I had no idea I wasn't... me." A gesture with his left hand at himself, "This, just... human with a life stopped too soon who chose a friend over the unknown." His brow creased a little, words coming more easily and more clearly as he kept talking, "Or, he wasn't a friend yet, but I knew he needed one, as I explained to the Coven, Edwin didn't have anything to gain by helping me then. When I died. He put himself at risk by staying, even. He didn't know anything more than I did, then."

He swayed just a little, jaw tightening as he drew himself up again, squaring his shoulders, "In the years since he's never, not once asked anything of me I wasn't willing to give." His jaw worked silently for a moment, gathering his words once more, "When under the Duchess' control I might as well have been a tackle box full of parts that could sometimes take out the trash."

The Duchess was livid, and couldn't quite manage to hold her tongue, snapping: "But my bonds still hold. Your opinion may have weight, but you're still my Hound." It was enough to make Charles twitch, a little, but he didn't fully cringe away from her anger, despite the obvious tension coiling down his spine.

There was another murmur across the council, one of them dipping close to the Barrister, apparently to relay the wording of the law, and Old Bailey sighed, but nodded, "Unfortunately as there is no precedent for something like this, while your opinion will hold wight, it cannot be the final decision. However, as Master Payne would have had no way to know what you were at the time of your meeting, that means that no theft has occurred, this is now a matter of custody."

Nocturna cut in before he could continue, sure of herself once more, "Trial by combat." Her expression was neutral enough but somehow still managed to be a sneer, "We know the ghost isn't going to do the right thing and cede custody, which means there's only one way forward, yes?"

It was clear that the Barrister was fighting off a headache, even if it was a metaphorical one, "That is the simplest form of determination, yes, if both parties agree."

The Lady Goode had been silent after her initial frustration with Charles being able to change himself back, but she gave Edwin a barely-there nod, "Agree, choose your champion well, she has no one who will stand for her." If she did have, they would have been summoned already. Likewise Lady Goode couldn't outright tell Edwin to pick Charles as his champion, previously she would have assumed that he would do so regardless, but now she couldn't be so sure.

[uptightboy]

If anyone had any questions about Charles, all of that was answered, Edwin thought as he listened to the boy. It may have been a little out of place but his heart fluttered too.

But he did not expect the Duchess's next move.

"Combat?" Edwin repeated in disbelief. It wasn't fair. Was that justice? Was that allowed...? But then Lady Goode assured him and Edwin's hands tensed into fists. He knew quite well he was no match for Nocturna. But Charles... could he go against his master like this? Edwin couldn't know how strong the witch was, or how strong she would get if she got close to her Hound. Because the bonds seemed to strengthen by the proximity of the master; they certainly did when Edwin was close.

So Edwin hesitated still and looked at Charles. He was the brawn. He was the fighter... he always was. He was the reason Edwin could finally feel safe after running for so long in Hell. It was a simple answer and yet, Edwin's heart was heavy as he said it.

"In this unfortunate case, I choose Charles Rowland as my champion," Edwin said, his voice breaking on the last word. He knew there was no other way but he was still worried.

[just_aces]

That confidence, even despite the crack, was enough to steady Charles again, a little, it had been a long week, he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to be back on two feet again, things had been so much simpler as a hound, emotions were much more complicated in this shape.

Old Bailey nodded, "And Duchess Nocturna?"
Her smile was sharp as anything, "I need no champion, I fight for myself."
"Very well, we shall take a short recess to prepare the arena and ward the gallery. We'll reconvene in a quarter hour." A brief pause before adding, "Master Payne, take this time to confer with your Champion as to how you intend to proceed."

Charles was practically vibrating at that, especially as the magic of the trap he was still penned in by dimmed away, which was when he all but threw himself across the room to catch Edwin in a rib-cracking hug, only letting go because they -along with the actuary, Lady Goode and Daphne- were being ushered off to one of the mediation chambers to wait.

[uptightboy]

A part of Edwin could not believe they let him pick Charles, the very being they were fighting for. But then again, of anyone should face the Duchess it should be Charles.

And as he saw the boy fly toward him, he welcomed him just the same. Hugging him tight and clinging to him for as long as they let them, which wasn't long. But once they were in the room, Edwin grabbed at Charles's hand again. He missed him so, so much. And now that he was back, by his side, only then Edwin realized just how deeply he missed him. He wanted to keep hugging him, just hold him and hold him forever... but they had a fight to do.

"Alright, Charles, we need to talk about tactics because you absolutely cannot run into this without a plan," Edwin said, and took his notebook. He started to recite everything he got to know about Nocturna, then what he knew about witches. He told Charles spells, and rituals he could use, even if he knew the boy was never good in magic, or if there was any time or way to use rituals... Edwin just wanted to make sure he knew everything. It was the only way he could protect him. And only halfway he realized he was actually rambling.

[just_aces]

Charles clung to Edwin's hand even once he'd disengaged from the hug, and then had to let that go so that Edwin could go over his notes, which on the one hand was so perfectly Edwin it made his heart hurt, bursting with pride and relief and what could only be love of some kind.

Finally, though, he had to just press two fingers to the notebook, tilting it away, "Edwin, we both know I'm not going to be able to remember any of that, yeah?" He gave a little shrug, "Besides, if it's just her and me, I'll clothesline her with her own chain, quick and easy."

That got a quiet hum from Lady Goode, "Good news and bad news there. To keep things fair, you will be freed from any standing bonds for the duration, as the arena acts much the same as any binding circle, neither of you will be able to leave until it's over. So severing the bonds will keep her from being able to control you unduly, but also to keep you from receiving help from Edwin that might give you an unfair advantage."

[uptightboy]

"Charles, at least do try--" Edwin scolded half-heartedly. He would have also retorted to Charles utterly ridiculous plan but then Lady Goode hit them with the news. Good news that she wasn't going to have advantage like that, bad news... that she was still a witch against Charles.

Without thinking, Edwin grabbed Charles's hand again. He just got him back... and he trusted him, he trusted him with his afterlife but they both knew what witches were capable of. And Charles will be alone in that arena. For a second Edwin wanted to apologize for picking Charles as his champion but that wasn't right. Charles was his champion, and apologizing would be like he was ashamed of it, or didn't trust him. No, none of that was true. Edwin was only... he was just so worried. So instead of apologizing, instead of telling him how he wanted to be there with him in that arena, he decided on something else.

"It... It is your fight, Charles," Edwin said quietly, picketing his notebook with one hand. "I do suppose it is a literal fight for your freedom. I shall be here when you walk out of there."

[just_aces]

"Right, so plan A is out." He replied, not even bothering with sounding disappointed, it had already been a far chance at best and he knew it, he didn't know how quick she would be, or what spells she might have at her disposal even without the bonds, or, more than that, what information she might have picked up in her time in Hell. She was definitely younger than he remembered, and the eye patch was new.

But seeming younger could just be simple glamour magic, and the patch could be covering an injury earned in Hell, not every damned soul regenerated the way that Edwin had.

He kept his hold of Edwin's hand, "Suppose that means I'll have to go with plan B." The tip of his tongue was pressed against the edge of his teeth again, as if still expecting them to be sharper, or perhaps more numerous, than they were. He made sure that he was looking right at Edwin as he blinked slowly, eyes going from their usual warm brown to the Hound's banked-ember depth between one blink and the next and back again just as easily. Charles wasn't entirely sure he could control the change on a dime like that, but it felt like he could, but it was also something he didn't want Lady Goode to see, or know about for sure or he would have just said it instead.

[uptightboy]

"Plan B?" Edwin asked, ready to be outraged because Plan Bs were usually pretty reckless. Plan Bs were Charles's plans. And then he saw the subtle change in Charles's eyes. Well, that was definitely a plan, indeed. It made Edwin realize that Charles had changed in many ways and yet he was still there, still holding his hand.

Edwin moved closer, licking his lips.

"Do be careful, Charles. Even if I am aware saying something like that may fall on deaf ears," Edwin huffed. He desperately wanted to ask what Charles was planning other than transforming but he did not want to give away too much to the witches around either. He just had to trust Charles, which he never had problems with. "Is there anything you wish me to do?"

[just_aces]

He flashed Edwin an actual smile at the comment, "Plan B, you know, 'wing it'." He did sober, a little, at the rest, however, giving Edwin's hand another squeeze, just reveling in the fact that he still had hold of it and Edwin hadn't actually tried to get it back yet, nor had anyone else tried to detach them, "I will, have to get out of this in one piece, don't I?"

His brow creased at the question, because he didn't think there would be much Edwin could do until it was over, "Don't watch just to bear witness?" He shook his head, "I mean... I don't know what it's going to look like in there, but if it hurts more to watch, you can look away. I'm not going to hold that against you."

[uptightboy]

Edwin shook his head and moved to pull Charles into a hug.

"You are the most stupid if you think I will look away even for a moment," he said determined. As if he would look away from the most important person in his afterlife. He had seen so many violent, unspeakable acts, why would he skip on something that mattered? "I will watch you burn her if I must," he added quietly.

[just_aces]

Something that had knotted up in Charles' chest at the idea that things might get too violent, too extreme, for Edwin to watch uncoiled again at that answer, just nodding once and taking a moment to bury his face against the arch of Edwin's neck as Edwin pulled him into a hug, as if he might be able to hold onto that contact, keep it at the surface of his mind so that he didn't wholly lose himself in whatever happened.

The Lady Goode cleared her throat just once, "We've a few more minutes, if you want to do any actual strategizing."

Charles lifted his head then, smiling his usual broad, just a little too toothy smile, "Nah. Her minders'll be more eager to take her back if she fails than if she doesn't, because if she wins it means they'll have to deal with me, too, and there's not an imp in their right mind wants to deal with a Hound." Not that the two lesser demons that made up the Duchess' so-called legal team were imps, they definitely had more power than that, but Charles' point was a good one.

He shrugged, swiping at his nose with the back of his wrist, "So as much as I don't really want to make any kind of demon's job easier, kind of feel like I should, just this once, yeah?"

That was all the time they had before being summoned back to the main court. The gallery was already filled again, behind a triple ward line, and likewise both sides of the conflict had space to either side of the council bench, behind a quadruple ward line. The arena in the middle of the room had been cleared, the magic of the circle already at a dim glow, one that Charles knew would flare to actual activity once he and the Duchess were both inside.

Once everyone was in place, Old Bailey raised both hands for silence, laying out the rules of the match, though there was only one, that it would continue until a clear victor emerged, and Charles didn't like the sound of that even a little, because first blood was one thing, but 'clear victor' felt a little too close to 'to the death'.

[uptightboy]

Charles was always the optimist. The one who kept spirits up. The one who said that he should win because the imp handling the Duchess wouldn't want to deal with him. Edwin hid a smile at all that. He shouldn't encourage silly ideas in the wake of disasters after all. He believed Charles, of course, but he wished his mind could calm and not list all the scenarios in which this could go wrong.

Edwin did not let Charles go until it was absolutely necessary. He also noted that it was different to hold him - as if he was more solid, as if he had more to his existence? Edwin couldn't possibly know what exactly and it wasn't as important as them getting through this trial together.

So once it was time to get back to the room Edwin walked with their little group with a heavy feeling in his chest.

The rules did surprise him too to the point of annoyance. So much for clear laws and decisions. So before Charles could walk away, Edwin reached for him again.

"Do remember you died once, she has nothing on you," he said. It may have been a silly thing to say but death wasn't their thing. It wasn't life they were fighting for here. It was... something else.

[just_aces]

Of all the things Edwin could have used as encouragement, that was probably the best, even as grim as it would have sounded to anyone else.

Once in the arena, the Duchess wasted no time in simply flicking some sort of cutting hex in Charles' direction, one that he ducked easily despite there being no cover. Though the hex had, apparently, just been to test if she'd been given access to her magic back, because even though he'd ducked it, she grinned, reaching up to snap one of the necklaces she was wearing, giving a little flourish of her wrist as it came free, the whole of it growing and shifting into a brutal looking bullwhip of a lash, apparently made of the spine of some kind of serpent -and Charles had a moment to silently question what was it with witches and snakes?- interspersed with twists that appeared to be the barbs from a barbed wire fence, but Charles could already tell were, in fact, iron, and he didn't like the fact that the knowledge felt more like a memory than a realization.

Charles kept his focus on her even as he dipped a hand into the front pocket of his coat, because if he had his coat back, that meant he had access to whatever he'd remembered to stash in the front pockets. He knew the bat was still in the backpack, and he couldn't fully remember if he'd actually had his coat when first visiting the Coven, because if he did that meant there weren't any weapons in it, but he must not have had because the first thing his fingers met was the handle of the backup bat, and he could only grin as he pulled it free, giving an almost-lazy rotation the same way he always did, halfway to limbering up.

Though he almost immediately had to bring it up to block the first swing of that lash, yanking his head back out of the way as the whip coiled around the bat twice, making sure the spined tip of it didn't catch him. He wasn't quite sure what to do with the Duchess being quiet and intent when she'd been out and out mocking before, that had been irritating, but this felt actually dangerous.

He shifted his footing, giving some weight to pull the bat back, lash still tangled around it, but all that managed to do was shatter the wood in a rather spectacular fashion and he cursed softly, just sparing a thought to be thankful that the good one, the fully-enchanted one, was still safe in the backpack.