September 13th, 2020
Countryside/ Greyhollow/32 mils Outside Boston
It was smaller than she recalled. Katherine stood outside the old mansion, her eyes wandering the worn, wooden building. The paint had long since peeled away, the windows had been boarded up, the porch was a maze of missing planks, and forests of weeds choking the pathway up to the house. The home of her childhood, rich, and darkly painted with vibrant rose bushes all around was a mere bit of hazy on the horizon of her memory. She climbed the creaky stairs to the door. The inside was no better. The sounds of rats and other rodents scampering about could be heard in the walls and the air was stale and dusty. The floors were bare of furniture, masses of cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Katherine walked through the house, its memory souring with how the house had fallen into such ill repair, the oddest thing being the number of old candy wrappers scattered about the main hall. The kitchen was in ruins with leaves littering the floor and the back door wrenched off its hinges.
Behind the mansion was overgrown with grass, weeds and wildflowers, but to her eyes she saw a poisoned garden, sick with Mage magic from having been set aflame.The echoes of what was once the Gardens’ true home still cried out. Searing pain lanced up through her feet and straight to her breast as her magic reacted to the pain, anger, and misery infused into the ground. The blood of witches had watered this dirt while their bones littered the woods. Katherine stumbled, catching herself on a pillar. She grit her teeth and wiped the moisture from her eyes. Now wasn’t the time for this. The high concentration of magic here created its own bounded field from the echoes of memory. A cold, calculating part of her mind intone the use such a natural bounded field proved rather useful should other Masters come sniffing about the place when the battle royal for the Grail began. She clung to that line of thinking rather than drown in her own sorrow.
Katherine made her way back to the front. She uttered a few words in an eldritch tongue and touched the main doorway. Ancient magic stirred to life at her touch- a Mistress was finally home. Seals, spectors, and any other bit of her family’s magic that survived the massacre came alive. Finally finding a reason to smile Katherine walked to her car. From within she pulled wooden cases and a few suitcases. She began up the path to the stairs when a beat up pick up truck rolled up the drive. From within a grizzled, bear of a man got out. He was perhaps in his late fifties, early sixties. He looked hale and hearty and towered Katherine, which was quite a feat unto itself. He waved as he made his way up the path, a friendly grin on his face.
“Afternoon, it’s good to see another friendly face out this far! I take it you’re the one moving into the old Wormwood place eh?” He stopped just short of her and looked up at the mansion. “Many’s a buyer that’s tried and failed to turn her around.”
“I hope to be the first,” Katherine said with a giggle. She extended a hand. “Maggie Baker.”
“John Jessepe.” He shook her hand vigorously. “Want some help with that luggage?”
Katherine nodded. “I’d appreciate the help yes.”
He grasped her suitcases but upon reaching for the large wooden case she stopped him. “I can handle this one.” She remained friendly but stayed firm. She didn’t need the seals to lash out. “I take it this place has changed many hands?” She mounted the porch stairs. “The realtor was cagey with details.”
John shrugged and together they walked up to the house. “Most people avoid it like the plague.” A grin split his lips. “It’s got something of a local legend about it; people are convinced it’s haunted. Heck I’m inclined to agree. Kids around here are gonna be disappointed though.”
“Why’s that?”
“It's a tradition for kids to spend the night here on Halloween.” His grin turned nostalgic. “I did it once or twice when I was a little.”
Katherine resisted the urge to frown and instead laughed. “Well hopefully they won’t mind getting free candy in lieu of losing such a tradition. You’re from here then?”
“Yes ma’am,” he said proudly. “Born and raised. I own the ranch down the road aways, only house for miles. You’re welcome to call on me and Annabelle anytime ya wish if ya need something.” He blinked. “That reminds me!” He set the suitcases down in the foyer and raced to his truck leaving a bemused Katherine behind.
He came back with a covered dish. “The wife insisted on making our new neighbor one of her chicken bakes. Careful though she’s got a thing for making her chicken spicy, might be a tad hot.”
“Thank you.”
John whistled as he gazed around the ruined parlor and main hall. “This place is in worse shape than I remember. If you need any help with this place I know a guy who’d give you a fair price in town.”
“I appreciate that thank you.” Katherine said before tapping on the forehead. The man collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. “But I’ll require something a little more from you my kind fellow.
June 21st, 2021
Rebuilt Wormwood Manor
The next few months saw a somewhat stately home appear where the hollowed out curiosity once stood. Townspeople whispered about the old Wormwood residence and its new owner. They eyed her, suspicious but soon waved her off as a nice enough lady though a bit of a recluse. Katherine had the weeds about the house torched and used sweet smelling incense to draw in the animals that wandered the nearby forest. Their carcasses made for prime fertilizer and in time her Mother’s garden returned healthy and whole.
Katherine felt proud of her work when the garden took to the Sanguine Gardens bounded field. Her wraiths and alchemical plants flourished and her potions seemed stronger than ever before. The moon was high and full in the sky. The garden’s heart pulsed with mana, and not just her own, the old interesting leylines pulsed in the light of the full moon. Katherine paused to look at the mark on her left hand. She half expected the Grail to ignore her given what she truly was but she certainly wouldn’t dare look a gift horse in the mouth. She felt it rather interesting how a simple side project ended up drawing her attention so readily.
“A fine night don’t you think?” Katherine asked her guest.
John gave muffled reply through his gag. He sat in the center of the magic circle carved into the ancient stones. Behind him an altar rested with a massive oaken club atop it. The manawraiths snapped and hissed at the circle and her guest- poor dears were so hungry. Annabelle waited patiently to the side, her stare vacant as a misers soul. The pleasant if frail woman held a silver tray in her hands. John rattled the chair trying to scream at her through his gag.
“Now, now my lovelies you’ll eat soon I promise.” Katherine. “Mummy must do some work first.” She walked up behind him and began the chant. With a swift slash she opened his throat and his lifeblood filled the stone circle’s groves. Mana burned bright as the summoning took hold and Katherine witnessed a sight unlike any she’s ever witnessed.
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