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

[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.

[uptightboy]

The fickle use of magic signaled Edwin that this witch was still as powerful as she was in life. He had no idea what kind of pact he could have made but it allowed her to use her full powers, which was the hardest thing for a ghost. Magic was difficult and having a body actually made it easier to wield it. Ghosts either couldn't use magic or their spells were weaker, Edwin knew all about that. But as he was watching the Duchess create a weapon he knew that she did something to keep her powers.

Despite the wards, everyone stepped back once the bat broke, except Edwin. He even moved closer. He was trying to look for weaknesses in her magic, in anything she did. He knew a bit about her and while Charles could not remember his lecture about her, Edwin still had the knowledge. But yes, Charles actually had intimate knowledge of her, if only he could remember.

"Charles, you know her better than any of us," Edwin yelled. "You will know what to do," he added, ignoring the look the Duchess sent his way.

[just_aces]

Charles was trying to remember, but he was trying to remember while trying to dodge and that wasn't as easy as it usually was, mostly because he was still disoriented by only being himself again for the past half hour after having been the Hound for a week.

He knew she was a necromancer, but that only meant she had trouble working with living materials, but there was no telling what kind of deals she'd made in hell, though Charles knew the weapons disguised as jewelry was nothing new, he knew that much, but he was too busy trying to remember what he had that he could use against her to actually dodge the next sweep of that lash, arm swinging up to protect his face at the last moment, and he bit back the noise of pain as those barbs bit at his arm when the whip coiled around his arm the same way it had done the bat moments before.

The thing was, it had also trapped the remains of the bat against the edge of his forearm like some kind of bracer and he slammed his free hand against the worn wood of the pommel, knowing that he'd need leverage so as not to shatter his arm even as the Duchess tried to pull him in. There was a spell, he knew there was, to remind wood that it had been a living thing, he could feel it at the back of his mind, Edwin had drilled him on it repeatedly for the Case of the Wandering Woods, because they'd needed to be able to remind an abandoned lumberyard that it had, in fact, been a forest.

He knew as soon as he said it that he'd fucked up the pronunciation somewhere, because while that splintered end of a bat did shift, wrapping the rest of the way around his arm, forcing the barbs of the whip away from his skin, he could feel the way it had rooted itself, roots seeking deeper soil just curling into his bones, and even if it wasn't physically doing so, the magic doing the same was as good as and the initial bitten back scream finally broke through as he wrenched his arm away, it was enough to shatter whatever was holding the lash together, sending bits of bone and iron spines scattering in all directions.

The release of tension -along with the shock of pain- was enough to send Charles to a knee even though it was only enough to send the Duchess staggering back, catching her balance quickly enough, lighter on her feet than Charles remembered, which meant that maybe looking younger wasn't just a glamour.

She also recovered more quickly than Charles did, and while he didn't know what spell she was trying to gather, he knew he wasn't going to like it, which was why he muttered a pain-rough: "Nah, fuck this." One hand already scrabbling in his pocket again where he knew the smoke bombs were. He didn't need all six of them, especially when he wasn't sure if magical smoke would also be confined by the magic circle that was the arena, but he was still going to use all six of them, mostly because the roiling cloud of smoke would cover his transformation.

He could tell, even as he shifted, that something had changed, he was definitely bigger than he'd been before. While still constrained by the Duchess' chains and Edwin's gentler halter he'd been large, for a dog, yes, but now? Now he was closer in size to a draught horse, his eyes not just banked ember-warm as they had been, but live-coal bright, and while the willow-wood that had been a broken bat was still wrapped around what was now a leg and paw rather than an arm, he wasn't going to let that slow him down, bounding forward out of the billowing smoke only to bat at the Duchess with one solid swipe with a paw the size of her face.

It was enough to interrupt whatever she'd been trying to cast, mostly because it was enough to knock her sprawling, rolling twice until she came up against the edge of the circle keeping them contained.

[uptightboy]

It was hard to watch, indeed. Not because what was happening was so gruesome but because it was Charles. Charles was in danger and Edwin wasn't entirely sure the witch was playing fair at all. But he didn't dare to look at the Old Bailey or at Lady Goode. He promised Charles he would not look away, so he did just that. He was trembling in all his body, watching the fight.

"Wait, Charles..." he frowned when he heard the spell from the boy's lips. "No, no, no, that is-" But it was too late, the wood was already working to fuse with Charles's body as the malevolent result of the spell. Edwin winced at the result. Right, that spell worked only on pure wood, without any magic already placed on it. And Edwin knew for a fact that none of Charles's weapons were simple, they all had magical abilities or enchantments. It was lucky nothing worse had happened and Edwin made a note to lecture Charles about spells once again when he was out of this fight.

But then, there was a Hellhound standing in the middle of that circle. Bigger. Stronger. Without shackles. It was Charles and yet, Edwin felt fear settle in his stomach. If his shackled form reminded him of hell, this one even more so.

"Charles," Edwin whispered, hearing the angry and surprised comments from Lady Goode behind him. Then the Duchess came to a halt against the circle, right where Edwin was standing on the other side.

"Do you still think you can handle him?" Edwin heard the Duchess hiss as she was pushing herself up. "A beast from Hell, chew toy?"

[just_aces]

His arm -leg- still hurt, but at the moment that didn't matter, because at the moment all he could see was the Duchess and the way her attention had shifted from him to Edwin as she picked up her spell again, voice too quiet for Charles to catch.

Logically, of course, he knew the wards were to prevent just that sort of thing, but right at the moment, things were simpler to process all he knew was that she was a threat not just to him now, but also to Edwin, and that was the one thing he wouldn't allow.

There was a growl rising in his chest, the kind of thing that was felt more than heard, something that set the scattered bones and iron shards on the flagstone floor to skittering as if in the precursor to an actual earthquake, but it wasn't until the growl reached an audible register that the Duchess concentration actually broke, though it was as much the sound as the fact that Charles had prowled forward across the space, backing her against the edge of the circle so that she was out of space to retreat.

It was a credit to her skill that she did try to redirect that spell at Charles instead -or possibly had intended it for him in the first place and was just watching Edwin as a misdirection- but it didn't matter in the end because Charles didn't give her the chance to actually finish it, pouncing forward to drag her down, jaws locked around her throat -and jaw and chest given the size of his mouth- just shaking her, hard.

It was brutal and savage in a way Edwin had only seen in Charles a handful of times, though the shape definitely made it clear where that ferocity came from even in his human form. It happened quickly enough that the council's spell-casters didn't have a chance to intervene before it was already finished and Charles had thrown the Duchess' lifeless body to the side. Though even as they moved to action, Old Bailey was ordering that the gallery be cleared, the matter was settled, as there was a clear victor.

Getting him contained so that the Duchess' team could retrieve what was left and return to Hell didn't prove to be as complicated as expected, mostly because even as the magic of the arena shifted, shrinking some to contain Charles but not the Duchess' corpse, Charles shrank back as well, not transforming back to his human shape, but instead the smaller version of the hound, clearly exhausted, sides heaving even as he gnawed reflexively a the wood still encircling his limb.

[uptightboy]

It was... something. Being called such a name and then watching the Duchess being gnawed on like she was nothing more than a toy herself. The sight was undeniably horrid and all too familiar for Edwin's liking. He had seen Charles being angry like this before, killing someone. But with his newfound powers it was even more brutal. Similar to a spider made of doll heads, Edwin couldn't help thinking. Hell was still near, Hell was present and there were bones crushing, teeth chewing on a spectral body... if Edwin could he would have gotten sick.

The whole court was in an uproar at the violent results but Edwin paid no attention. All he saw was Charles. And when the Duchess's remains were picked up Edwin's legs moved to bolt, despite the deep set fear in his stomach.

"Hold on, boy," Lady Goode yelled, grabbing Edwin before he could run. "That hound may not be the same hound you let in the arena. He could tear your soul apart just like he did to his old master."

Edwin frowned at her then looked over to Charles.

"No, no, he- he is still Charles, I know it," he insisted tearing himself away from the Lady, running up to Charles. And yes, he did feel like when the first time he had seen him like this: afraid and unsure. But this was Charles... and he was free...! "Charles," Edwin called him, tentatively stepping closer. He knew there was a circle containing the beast but it wasn't him Edwin was afraid of. He was afraid of the possibility that what Lady Goode said was true.

[just_aces]

Charles was watching the hubbub, dimly aware of the blood on his own face as he just continued gnawing at that bent willow wood that was the one thing still keeping him from being comfortable so he could just have a minute to recover.

The demons retrieving the corpse gave him a wide berth before simply vanishing with the remains and it was the movement from Edwin and the witches that had him lifting his head again, ears perked forward at Edwin's approach, because that was Edwin, and he was safe and Charles had made damn sure of it.

But more than that, Edwin would be able to fix the problem of the magic gone wrong, he would know what to do, because he always knew what to do, and even as exhausted as he was, Charles managed to push himself up into a sitting position, whining quietly at the spike of pain putting pressure on that foreleg caused, lifting it to let it dangle limply in front of him instead, expression about as pleading as it could be, even in the current shape, even covered in blood.

[uptightboy]

Edwin did hesitate for a second. But only a second before he closed the distance between them and knelt by him to examine the damage Charles had done to himself.

"You should have been more careful," he scolds as he holds the giant paw in his hand to check if he could use a generic counterspell to undo the spell. "I always tell you to check if an item is enchanted before applying another layer of magic, Charles, you should be bloody aware about it by now! How can you be so silly! It could have-"

Edwin quickly wiped his eyes, just in time for Daphne to arrive by his side.

"A counterspell may not work but I can reverse it," she said gently. "It's what we do after all. I will have to charge you later but he will be good as new in minutes," she assured with a small smile.

Edwin swallowed, suddenly unable to speak.

"Right, please do," he nodded when he was finally able, looking up at Charles again. "It shall be alright."

Daphne smiled gently, then put her hand on Charles's paw, as Edwin held it, and started to work.

[just_aces]

He didn't exactly cringe at the scolding, but his ears did pin back, head dipping, and looking for all the world like a dog that was being told off for having gotten into the garbage again, and mostly he was just confused, because he'd done the right thing, he'd removed the threat, but Edwin was still upset and Charles was too tired and too close to just letting the Hound run things for a while to realize that he wasn't being scolded about that but about an ongoing problem with forgetting what spells would clash with each other, and badly.

Daphne's approach was almost enough to stir a growl in his chest again, except that he recognized her as the one who'd been at Edwin's side all week, whenever the Night Nurse had left the office door open, Edwin had been there, and so had this witch, and so he let the noise die again before letting it fully build.

The relief when that band of wood returned to the shattered end of a cricket bat and clattered to the floor was immense, and it was only the realization that he was still covered in gore that kept him from surging forward to lick her face in thanks, instead just extending the now-freed paw in Edwin's direction, there was something akin to an iron burn wrapped around it where the wood had rooted itself, but the magic was gone, which meant it would heal, which in turn meant that Edwin didn't need to be upset with him anymore.

[uptightboy]

As Edwin was watching Daphne work only then it settled in him: they won. Charles won. He sent his master back to Hell, and their bonds were broken now. Charles was free.

"Detective." Daphne's gentle voice pulled Edwin back from the panic that was about to grip him. Now that he was safe, now that everything settled, only now he let himself feel the despair of it all.

"Thank- thank you," Edwin stuttered at Daphne. The he reached for the paw Charles extended to him. He held it in both hands, feeling its weight and warmth. This was Charles now... well, it always was.

"You did well, Charles, you did well," Edwin swallowed, looking up at him. He reached up then, petting the hound's head.

"We'll handle the papers from here. Once you are ready, you are free to go," Daphne said. "It has been an honor, detectives. But I'm sure we will seek you out soon. It is our task to monitor Hellhounds on this plane."

[just_aces]

He relaxed as he tilted his head up into that touch, those faintly-glowing eyes dipping closed in relief, practically sagging into Edwin as he did, because they were safe and it was over and that meant they could go home and rest.

He hesitated only briefly before pushing his head up past Edwin's hand to nose into his pocket where the binding charm string was usually kept. Part of him still knew that a Hellhound, much like a human, wouldn't be able to travel by mirror -which once he was able to actually think about it would probably explain his own trouble with learning it- but he likewise knew that they couldn't just wander around the city without some kind of lead, despite the fact that he wasn't about to stray from Edwin's side even for a moment.

But just because the two of them knew as much didn't mean that anyone they passed on the way would.

[uptightboy]

Edwin blinked as Charles turned his attention to the string. He did not want to put anything on him but it did make sense. Still, his heart broke that Charles still wasn't entirely true, even if he didn't want to use him in any way the witch did.

"I can send you a list of binding spells, more comfortable than the string you have," Daphne offered.

"Is it necessary?" Edwin could not help but ask as he took the string and activated the magic of it.

"Hellhounds are not allowed without a bind. But don't worry, most of the collars are barely recognizable," the witch assured.

Edwin pursed his lips and put the string around Charles's neck, holding the end of it. The circle around them disappeared the moment the hound was tied to him.

"Let's go home, Charles," Edwin tells him gently. He is ready to settle back in their usual place, and let Charles heal. Maybe help him heal too. But most importantly Edwin just wanted to bring Charles home finally.