O Cursed Fate
By Sapadu
Chapter 21: Followers of Darkness – The Skeleton Diver
True to her word, Saul kept her silence as they returned to Julia's and began their preparations for the final excursion in the Aqueduct. Instead, Solomon deigned to take the lead, and began extolling every detail of their battles – so quickly that Julia even seemed surprised by the suddenness of such a speech, and even displayed a note of panic, searching for a means to record every word that, in her haste, even knocked books from her shelves and rattled the wooden counter as she slammed the parchment and ink down, bidding Solomon to begin again. Hector held his tongue and waited, perplexed and amused, as the two held a most fervent conference discussing the nature of the creatures Hector himself had faced in the past day or two.
By the end of their discussion, and as Hector was beckoned to the counter, Julia was more readily eager to hear his explanation for his return - as well as assurance that he would not require a reminder from his last folly. How near they were to the final passage of the Aqueduct, and from there, to the Forest of Jigramunt - and, of course, Julia was most keen to see this.
"Pardon my impudence… but how came you to this place, in the beginning?" Hector finally asked, realizing that he could not puzzle out Julia's journey alone - the paths surrounding Garibaldi were sealed and impassable, and if Julia had come through the Castle, surely, she would have met her share of monsters…
Julia did not answer for a long moment, her back to him, and in that time, it occurred to Hector what means she would have been forced to use, just to escape from the witch-hunters.
"No - forgive me, I did not mean to intrude. Twas idle curiosity - I should not have sought to meddle in your affairs."
When she turned back, it was with a peculiar look, almost amused, before her usual smile broke.
"Well, if that is all for the day, I should see no reason to begrudge you to stay the night." She concluded, "If you are nearing the final passage of the Aqueduct, no doubt a more strenuous battle, and it would not do for you to meet it, ill-prepared."
And this was agreeable enough - Hector found a place to settle for the night, and fell asleep by her fire to the sound of a gentle rain on the windows.
~ Western Village ~
The crops grew terribly - a multitude of poor fortunes that might have been borne in solitude, but together left a crop that even an untrained eye could see would leave them hungry quickly. Many hopes were left with the chickens and their eggs, the sheep and the goats, and precious hogs - though many were still so young that an early butchering would only stave off starvation, and leave the next summer grueling and harsh.
Hector envied Rosalee's unwavering spirit. She was determined that nothing would shake her spirit, not drought, nor frost, or even the incessant howling of werewolves and hellounds that plagued the night and ushered everyone indoors, even when a guard would be prudent to protect the sheep - not a morning passed that they did not find some sign of mischief, the mildest being broken fences that would need urgent repairs and cost them other work that needed finishing. The worst mornings, the ground would be red with blood, the flock smaller and terrified, and frightened goats and sheep would not milk as easily. For such a cowardly wretch as himself, her determination seemed like a blessing from God, Himself.
At last, one night, Hector crept to the pens and awaited the hunters - whether they were normal wolves or something from the grave, he was ready to face them and do what he could. They came in the full moon, and he knew their shape was not of this world. He did not even need to make a sound to know that they had spotted him, and were drawn to the power of a Devil Forgemaster, even if his power was weak and faint with disuse. It was a quick chase into a sheltered wood, and Hector was in a tree, waiting for all his pursuers to gather, before he was rid of them with one blast - 'Twas a crude piece of magic, one that was more akin to the sacrifice of an entire woodpile to build a bonfire, than feeding logs and kindling into a slowly burning, steady chimney hearth, but he felt it well worth the cost of the last of his power to be rid of any more accursed beasts. And, surely enough - they lost no more of their stock in the following weeks.
This did not stop the powers beyond mortal control - a tempest came in the last week of summer, flattening the fields and washing away the roads. That whole time, everyone made the effort they could to keep what little they could sheltered and safe, until the storm was unbearable, driving them indoors. Twas only thence the thunder came.
Hector had never seen Rosalee startled, but she let out a scream that Hector did not recall since the last battle he had fought in. It was a far milder sound than Hector might have expected, but it inspired in Rosalee an unshakable terror - she could not stand, nor speak, and there was nothing he could do, but stay at her side until the clouds had passed.
Serebande of Healing ~
The clap of thunder awoke Hector with a start. Julia was hastily wrapping a cloak about her, as though some greater purpose called her. The windows of her shop rattled in the wind of a storm that Hector did not remember when he'd fallen asleep, whispers of cold air seeping through the crevices and the occasional droplet of water running down the edge of the window frame or pooling at the door - a thought that, upon seeing it, made him realize Julia's shop was better constructed than the casual eye might guess.
It was little matter - he was out of the chair and a hand on her shoulder before she had opened the door.
"Don't… this is…"
"Strong enough that my spells won't hold if I do not tend them." Julia sharply interjected, pushing the doors open and out into the maelstrom. Hector was left, stunned, before he followed without any further hesitation. The winds whipped so viciously, pelting icy rain into his face as though a thousand knives were being driven into his skin, and nearly lifting them off their feet. Julia moved slowly, but did not seem hindered by the storm's will, steadily planting wooden stakes into the ground at their feet and running chords betwixt them, of woven leather, straw, and cloth. There was no questioning her when she passed him an armful and bade him follow her path on the other side of the unmistakable line between her door and the sanctuary nestled in the mountains, and when their task was scarce completed, a shock of energy rippled through the ropes and it was as though the winds passed over their heads, bending and curling away, leaving the ground dry and undisturbed. In the sky above, Hector could still see roiling, dark clouds, thick as smoke from a greenwood fire, and the clashing of lightning and a muffled roll of thunder, as though a host of weighted soldiers and their hunting hounds rode on the clouds into battle.
"I hear the Herle King and his court - but we are safe enough now, it would be fair to return inside." Julia commented, still in that tone which offered no argument, and which again gave Hector pause - first, at his own foolish notion that a witch would be afraid of the storm, and then at his own surprise that it had never occurred to him that she would be fully familiar with the flight of the Host.
Dracula had told him of these stories, when he had been a boy in the castle walls - of a Hellequin, that rode through the night with his retinue, in pursuit of some unknowable prize and desolating any living being in his wake - and even as a naive, untested youth, Hector had not missed the disgust in his master's voice as he spoke of old legends and superstitions, explaining the true causes for such phenomena. When Hector had lived with Rosalee, the village people had held to the belief - perhaps not without reason - that it was the sound of the Devil and Dracula himself, traveling unseen to mortal eye, but passing through and taking the souls of any who did not close their doors and cover their windows. In either case, Hector had not thought to question - not when Dracula had always been a foul temper when questioned, and Rosalee had been prudent to advise Hector not draw suspicion on himself from the other villagers.
But of course Julia would not only know of old tales, but also see the true explanation for itself - he might have admonished himself for forgetting that she was not as frail as she appeared, had there not been a pressing matter at hand, to return to the Aqueduct and continue his journey.
Instead, he retrieved a yet unforged shard from Samson, and thus sprung a new Devil - this one, he named Joshua, for the man who toppled the walls of Jericho with little more than his faith - and took him back to the Aqueduct, and onto Hector's purpose.
~ Mortvia Fountain~
Hector was pleased that Joshua seemed to grow even more rapidly than his predecessors, and kept liberal application of his clubs and axes to grant him a second figure in silver mail. It made the final push through, past the third floor and descending to the second again, that much less of a challenge.
These rooms had still more Fishmen and the occasional skeletal foe - not so long ago, these had been so difficult to face, even with his strongest devil at his side, and yet were now easily conquered - and the rooms far less twisted or entwined. Now that he was accustomed to the movements of the Blazes, and the trickery of the Wolves, Hector was able to direct Joshua in more tactical movements, surely and swiftly separating their numbers, leaving him the opportunity to circle around and fell them in single blows.
There was one room that posed some difficulty - just past a long corridor, in a room with a pool in the center of the stone that seemed to gleam with a different, unnatural light, and it's two walls with the remnants of what might have been doorways, only sealed and bricked as though to keep some passage barred from entry, Hector was not surprised to see more Fishmen crawl from the pool, but it was the light emanating that summoned two new foes - at first, all he could see was the wings, but they were leathery like bats, and the bodies shriveled and crumpled, not at all like demons. Hector bade Joshua to keep the Fishmen scattered and confused, whilst Hector bore the brunt of their alighted foes - only when he was in close quarters did he see their faces, a mockery of human features, with a gaping, toothy mouth and horns stretched over their skulls. The second creature he knew, answered only to Death, and would scour the lands for easy prey the same as Succubi and Bats served Dracula - as he and Issac forged winged Devils to do their bidding, once.
The Gaibons tried to catch him in their claws, only missing by a hair and Hector having little chance to strike back. His opportunity came when he lured an unlucky Fishman to position and, just as the Gaibon let out a paralyzing screech, moved to force the monsters to strike each other. The Fishman remained still, dazed, as Hector leapt off its back and onto the Gaibon, his club cracking the fiend's skull and driving it to the floor. Joshua quickly tore through their foes, and in but a moment, it was as though nothing had even risen in the first place.
The last few rooms were more Fishmen and Dragons mounted on the far walls - though they had breath of an icy chill instead of flames, they were no different from normal dragons, or how to fell them - until Hector pushed the final door open, and a blast of icy air and the stench of rotting moss and salt water seemed to seep from the rocks. To one side, a wall of stone that could only be the exterior walls of the Aqueduct stood, silent and looming like a sleeping giant, and the other was a railing of carved rock, overlooking a slowly churning bed of crystalline, blue water. He could see, in the distance, barely obscured in the mist, a red doorway, and not too far to the side, ledge of rock, as though protruding from another hill or wall, barely separated from the balcony.
Joshua did not waste a moment - he charged straight ahead, without any care for the possibility that new monsters might rise. Hector followed, but cautiously. As he strode down the path, the layers of mist slowly revealed a sloping stairwell off the balcony - one down to a pit of earth and stone, at the base of the cliff, and upon closer inspection, Hector realized there was a tunnel at the top of the cliff, with glowing red spikes barring any entry or exit, and spurring the realization that this must be the entrance to the forest. The other stairwell, however, led down to the basin of water just below them. When Hector looked over the edge, he saw rough, jagged edges of the balcony, as though there had once been a floor, long since fallen away. The side of the Aqueduct loomed heavily, a row of arches, pillars and a single doorway, with no means of ingress or egress, protruding over an empty, hollow space below. When he began a trepidatious descent, the water came up the steps and he only barely felt it lap at his feet before a more terrifying possibility occurred to him - he could see only a little below the surface, before the water's surface obscured any exploration, and he could only ponder how deep the bed ran and the only hint at some other fixture below the water surface was a single stone statue, barely visible in the distance, with a shape that seemed to hint of wings. In his ear, he could hear Saul's nervous chitter - she seemed more agitated than he, and all the more eager to be away from this place. Hector readily agreed, especially as he saw ripples in the distance, and had the notion that there was undoubtedly something more in the water below. With this all accounted for, and Hector's understanding of Issac's design, he knew the path ahead was their only path forward - and, with his experience, that could only mean a forthcoming battle with the creature behind the crimson door.
~ The Skeleton Diver~
Inside the chamber, Hector was not surprised to see the stone walls had crumbled, more significantly than any other architecture in the Aqueduct - the roof had long since been broken and pulled away, and whatever support for the waterways had once been maintained under Dracula was now in the ready process of returning to the bottom of the dam. Hector held Joshua back from a reckless charge, instead beginning a cautious trek across the narrow bridge that served as the pitiful remnants of the floor. The wind howled and Hector could see swirling clouds in tempestuous grays and blues whirling away through the cracks. Offhand, it occurred to him that he could not recall what the purpose of this chamber might have been - he had seldom passed by this way, in all his time…
His train of thought was cut short as he felt the bridge shudder, and, before he could even think to rush back to safety, several key stones gave way and a large platform of rock fell into the basin, rocking and splashing like a hideous raft. He staggered, but found his feet, just enough to see the water around him churn and bubble.
A shower of water washed over the platform, piercing and icy cold, as a creature broke the surface and arched through the air. Hector could not see through the spray and the splash of mist that arose, until he had tumbled back, and the creature arched through a ray of dim torchlight - it was a skeleton in the shape of an enormous fish - that which might fit the description of the ziphius, or leviathan - a monster the size of a horse, or possibly larger, for between its pointed head and fin, there was a rider upon its back. Between the ribs, bright red strips of flesh and organs had still yet to rot - they were the color of fresh meat, and liver, and pale sinew and fat. The beast - that could not be called merely as a 'fish', this steed for the Skeleton Diver - must have still possessed something living inside, for Hector could hear a hissing snarl, not dissimilar from a Lizard man's roar.
The monster and its rider dove back beneath the water, and Hector could see a circling fin. He stayed back, away from the edge, and waited. On this pitiful platform, he was all too aware of how exposed he was, how easily they were at the mercy of this foul thing from the deep. He could only wait, and plan, and hope.
Another spray came as the beast jumped from the water, arching completely over the platform, and Hector saw the shadow of its rider leap from his perch. He landed with a shock just a hair's breadth away from Hector, and finally, he saw the rider's full image - bent over, skeletal, and Hector recognized too well the hood, and the trident.
Hector drew his sword and bade Joshua to circle and counterattack, even as Hector did the first and foremost match with their foe. The old head guard - now silent but still no doubt possessed of that same contemptuous spirit - swung his trident and made swift his attacks. Hector could only dodge or meet them, in no small part because the trident had a range and weight that he could not hope to break through with mere brute force. He had to rely on Joshua's speed and magic to land more counterattacks - and though this strategy proved fruitful, it was still not without fault, as the Skeleton Diver was just as quick of foot, if not of wits.
Their press was bested, at last, when Hector heard the splash and felt the platform tilt as, just behind him, the ziphius launched itself onto the edge. Hector had only a moment to glance behind him, that he saw he was so near its jaws, before the wretched thing began to wriggle its body and begin a squirm across the platform. Hector had to dart to the side, perilously tilting the platform further, but avoiding those jaws that, if they had closed around him, would have been an instant end. Joshua was quick, and moved to land several blows, but the sheer size of the fiend knocked him backwards and only left the monstrous steed with one or two wounds.
The old guard continued to press his advantage, but Hector had now a thought to consider - he had managed some success with Joshua being quick and sure, but against the greater size of the cetus, he was easily overpowered. How well, then, would Samson fare? Hector called for Joshua to keep the guard pressed and harried - he could draw the attention and lead the guard into Joshua's attacks, and in a short order, Hector was pleased to see that one of the skeletal arms came flying off, landing in the waters and sinking.
Again, the monstrous steed reared his head, but this time, Hector was ready. Quickly, he summoned Samson, and the Juggernaut stood firm before the enormous jaws. They tried to close around his Devil, and Samson only pressed his fists into the cavernous maw and forced it backwards. Hector heard a crack, and realized the ziphius' jaws were shattered, rendering their bite useless and its danger, lessened. Hector switched from his sword to a weapon better suited for heavy swings and hard, crushing blows, and laid against the writhing sides of the monster. He could feel its sides giving way under his attacks, and whenever he became aware of the Skeleton Diver, he was also comforted by Samson's devastating swinging arms, keeping a distance between him and their foe.
When their pelagic adversary had crawled its course across the platform and dove back into the water, so too did its rider flee their more direct combat, instead preferring to ride atop his steed as it swam, circling them, and with the occasional toss of a spear.
"Samson." Hector commanded, and the Juggernaut dove towards the tail, clutching with his massive fists. The old guard did not hesitate, and instead chose to dive, out of reach. Of course, since Issac had so readily taunted Hector of his shared cowardice and tendencies to shrink from battle when his advantage was not assured. This battle would have the added burden of his foe being unwilling to stand forth, in keeping a distance that would make landing a blow a completely different challenge.
There was another splash, and Hector again saw their aquatic enemy leaping over the platform, just in time to see the rider dismount and hurl himself down for combat. Hector was ready, and had Joshua summoned before the old guard had a chance to regain any semblance of balance, immediately striking with a swiftness that Hector could perfectly match with his sword. This time, they managed to keep their enemy from counterattacks - the most he managed was defensive parries, or to dodge, and even then, Hector's combined strokes awarded no opportunity for true retreat or safety.
He had nearly forgotten their enemy's steed. Because of Samson, Hector had believed that the ziphius, regardless of size, could do him no harm. But he heard a peculiar hiss - not a roar, not a shriek, but more akin to that cold burn he associated with tumultuous storms, and the surging power that could split a tree, but not with the force of natural power or God, but a wicked, human summoned strike. It was the sound that accompanied a magical attack - he knew it well from the invaried times he had invoked such powers - and he had but a moment to leap to the side before he saw a beam of blinding light, crackling like lightning, and he felt the sear and pain as Joshua could not escape and was reduced to a kneeling, weakened frame. The old guard must have been somehow one with the power, as he hopped through the beam, unimpeded, and Hector was only grateful to see that Joshua's sacrifice had not been in vain, as their foe had lost most of his core frame and a whole leg. Hector would not question how their enemy continued to hobble, especially not when, as he readied to counterattack and the blast of magic faded, the Skeleton Diver returned to his steed and disappeared back under the waves.
Their task was nearing completion, Hector knew. He had, deep in his soul, a sensation that their enemy could not withstand much more, and for that, he also feared the creature would not deign to face him on equal footing again - their battle would be from the water, in hopes of a vain measure of protection. Samson, then, must be his companion in this endeavor. Hector summoned him, and downed his two remaining potions, repairing his own wounds to ensure the cleanest possible victory. When the ziphius next surfaced with its rider, Hector bade Samson to cast a spell of his own, summoning a host of gleaming bronze orbs carved into the shapes of eyes that erupted in flames and smoke when their foe collided with them. There was no way to avoid their meeting, and the rider was halted from continuing his assault, atop his steed. Samson's attempt to catch the circling menace was more a success, even as the cetus continued past and Samson was left grasping fistfuls of bone and rotting fish-flesh. Hector managed a few blows with the bullova axe, taking the entirety of the pointed nose completely from their adversary. Then, they dove under the surface again, leaving Hector and Samson without a means of catching them.
Hector watched the surface, irritation slowly mounting. There was no real sign of where the pair had fled - he knew they only had one path to travel, but where they would emerge was his best chance at mounting a counterattack, and there was nothing to even hint at the speed or depth at which his foe was moving. Samson paced on the opposite side of the platform. His stance was hunched and arms swinging, somehow more vigilant than Hector had ever imagined his creations becoming.
They did not wait long. The Skeleton Diver bobbed to the surface, barely even half of its initial figure still intact, and both Hector and Samson chased their enemy. Samson struck at the head, Hector swung his axe and tore slowly at the tail, steadily shortening their enemy. The old guard, from the safety of his perch, swung his trident, occasionally catching Samson by sheer chance of his size, but always missing Hector. Then, they returned to below the surface. Hector watched the water, already feeling the weariness of the long encounter weighing on him. The chill in the air, the fog that seemed inescapable and even as though it had followed him where there was no visible mist, as though it had somehow rooted inside of him, was deadening his limbs and burning his eyes with tiredness.
The chamber echoed with the stillness. Samson swung his arms. Each moment seemed endless. Hector contemplated if perhaps they had managed the final blow, and their enemy had simply sunk, or if their attacks had been the limit it could withstand, and now all that was left for it to lay at the bottom of the pool and wither away. If that was so, how long would it take, if the fiend had lasted all this time? Hector sank to his knees, staring at the water and fighting against the urge to collapse. The water surrounding the platform was only disturbed by the ripples from a streaming leak in the wall, cascading softly from high up in the chamber.
"Master." Hector's eyes opened to the sensation of Samson's hand on his shoulder. Had so much time passed, or was Samson simply remaining vigilant in his stead? Where was the Diver? He hadn't felt yet, the rush of magic that always flowed backwards from his defeated foe and into him. Surely, the pair must still be swimming under the surface.
"...This is his end." Hector realized. Waiting for him to relent, for the exhaustion and time to take its toll, and then find an opportune moment to strike when he was no longer alert, "Samson, rest – I shall need Saul's assistance more readily than you or Joshua's."
His devil bowed, and in a burst of light, Saul took his place and healed Hector at his bidding, before tittering about the edge of the platform.
"Master, how are we to escape this?" She asked. Hector had no ready reply, for he had presumed there would be a means - somehow - if this was still part of Issac's game. But it did strike him as perhaps prudent to consider, if they had a moment.
As if in mockery, there was a crash of something breaking the water's surface and a spray of water followed. Hector turned to see the shadow of the Diver's steed leaping over them. It was only providential grace that his instinct - to rush to the edge of the platform - ensured he missed being struck by three flaming tridents.
The Diver and his mount surfaced again, circling the platform and the rider swinging his trident when Hector was near, or throwing one when Hector was at a distance. It was as though his purpose was to pester and frustrate his prey, rather than an outright end.
"Master, below us!" Saul chirped in his ear. Hector dared a glance and saw below the surface of the water - they were just at the edge of the platform, closest to the door, where he saw the shape of a fallen pillar of stone running alongside their perch. If lifted, it would be the perfect bridge for Hector to climb to the other end of the chamber, and the means of how… Well, he reasoned that the weight of their opponent as he fell would suit that need.
This, Hector concluded, would be a path to victory. He ceased to chase his quarry. He saw the Diver sneer, and then ready to throw his trident when he was at the furthest point.
Hector knew the speed they traveled. He put on enough to meet them, just at the juncture of the beam. With the mace, a single, swift blow, the rider and the beast's heads cracked and he had an immediate sense of a release of power. The beast reared, and then sank. Below the surface, Hector felt the swell of power released, before a column of water exploded above his head.
Behind him, Hector heard the rumbling of stone scraping on itself. With the final motions of weaving a healing circle and feeling himself and his Devils restored, Hector began to climb until he reached the other edge of the platform and was greeted with the familiar door of the Devil Forging chambers.
He paused - thus far, he had followed the game as Issac had laid it, and been kept at his limits. Each new encounter had tested him and worn him and nearly ruined him several times. He knew the plot Issac desired, that he would expect Hector to forge a winged Devil next, as a means to cross to the ledge and enter the forest.
But he now had an ally that Issac did not intend. He could not know of Julia, or surely, he would have done some mischief against her by now. If he could deal Issac an unexpected strike, it would be all the better, and what better way, than to save this forging chamber for another, more urgent time - for when he could devise a conjuring to suit his needs?
Satisfied, Hector withdrew the last magical ticket released it's spell.
~ Encounter with the Innocent Devil ~ Crow ~
Hector arrived back at Julia's shop with an ungainly haste, and had been impatient in ushering her along - she was surprised and confused by his badgering, into the chamber with the chair - and perhaps not without reason, as the brief journey was awkward and uncomfortable. When they finally arrived outside the Aqueduct, only then did Hector reveal his thoughts.
"If you can transport me across the way - and whatever price you might name, or choose to hold me to in the future, I'll not argue - once I find a place inside the forest to make camp, I can return to you, and have a more ready means of transportation back." He explained, especially eager that, once this could bear fruit, he would have a Devil Forging chamber still awaiting his use and at his whim - surely, this would be useful, in times of greater need.
Julia was silent for a long while as she met his gaze, before she finally answered.
"Transport? How?"
"By broomstick."
Again, she held a very long silence.
"I had feared this - Hector, have you need for me to heal you, either your eyes or perhaps your wits? Where about me do you see a broomstick?" Julia asked, turning about as though to illustrate her point, "Do you truly believe such ridiculous notions? I took you to be more sensible - tell me, where did you even think to entertain a fantasy?"
It was a remark that Hector had not prepared himself to defend, and when his voice finally returned, he could only offer that he had truly thought all witches did so - 'twas the consensus of books on witchcraft he'd ever read.
"Yes? And I suppose you also have confirmation that we do our work, by the full moonlight, naked, and drinking the blood of human babes and poorly butchered swine and chickens? Whose word was in those books? Other witches, themselves? Betraying and revealing our secrets, the likes of which would only confirm the suspicions witch-hunters have of our practices?" Julia pressed, with each word, impressing Hector with a layer of shame that he had not applied the same level of prudence or forethought or examination that he'd had for other, more trivial prospects, "If this is what you think of me, then I'll have no more of this partnership."
Hector was shamefaced and silent as Julia turned and began her march away. So, that was his plan in shambles, and a folly of an error that cost him. He would have no choice, but to continue in the predestined course.
But, perhaps…
"Julia." She paused in her stride and turned to glower, imperiously, down her nose at his impudence. "I would request a boon. Please, I only beseech that you stay by my side and indulge me for a brief moment."
Julia made no reply, except to tilt her head - to Hector, the moment felt like it stretched to eternity, and it was a more infernal punishment than the fires of Hell.
"...Just beyond here, there lies a devil forging chamber. Would it interest you to see a Devil Forgemaster at his work?"
At any rate, this did spark a response from Julia. The gleam of curiosity lit her eyes as surely as a lamp.
"I have never seen a Devil as it is newly forged - yes, I should like very much for the privilege of seeing this." She agreed, not accepting the hand Hector extended - perhaps she was not so ladylike as Hector had thought, "Lead on."
Within the chamber, Hector kept his sword drawn - these chambers rarely attracted other creatures, just after their primary occupant had been expunged, but he was not so ready to accept for granted that there would be no obstacle. Julia's feet made soft padding noises on the ground, drowned out by his clicking boots, and he felt no shortage of unease that he kept looking back and checking that she was still following him. He leapt off the edge of the bridge, down to the floating platform, and might have turned to beckon Julia after him, had she not already done so, landing nearly on him. Without a thought, he had summoned Joshua, and the figure nearly as tall as David caught Julia, effortlessly. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she began the march upwards, towards the door, as though unconcerned with any impediment.
"Master." Joshua came up alongside Hector, "Who is that?"
For a brief moment, Hector couldn't answer – what a question it was, and how little it revealed he knew or understood, that he couldn't put words to who Julia was. He knew of her abilities, and believed he had good measure of her motives and thoughts - but how could he be certain?
"She is a witch." He replied to his innocent devil, "And an ally."
Joshua, oddly enough, seemed to consider this as much was possible in the range of an innocent devil's limited understanding.
"She art a fair maiden." The devil said, simply. Hector did not know what to say, save for a quiet rebuke,
"She has more steel than many men we have faced in battle."
Any reply Joshua might have conjured was interrupted by Julia, awaiting them atop the slope.
"You do realize I can hear every word you speak." And that ended any further remark from Joshua, as Hector alighted the path and met her at the door.
The warm glow of the chamber was familiar to Hector, but when he turned to Julia, her countenance was stricken and ghastly. When he reached out to her, Julia pulled away and held herself against the stone doorway of the chamber.
Putting his disturbance out of his mind, Hector stepped up to the tombstone and placed his hand on the stone slab. It was easier, now, with the familiar feel of his own power at his fingertips. With such power, Hector could easily forge a devil strong enough to cast its own spells, instead of needing Hector's leave or power or care.
"Is this the ritual?" Julia asked, stepping up beside him at last and looking into the basin of crystal.
"Have you never seen thus?" Hector couldn't help but be skeptical, "You are so well-informed of the nature of Innocent Devils, I assumed…"
Julia would not meet his gaze.
"My arts oft prove incompatible with such works as Devil Forging. I never..." Her nails scraped against the stone as her fingers trembled. Hector said nothing, wondering what her past was with Devil Forging - she knew Issac, enough to call him her enemy, but how? His first worry was she might have been his lover - but he'd never known Issac to have any interest in other humans, save their demise, and perhaps Hector, himself. This passed through his mind in an instant, and he dismissed it just as quickly. First and foremost, he decided, they were allies. She knew a great deal and the fact that the creation process was foreign to her mattered little.
"Know you what form this devil will take?" Julia asked.
"I had hoped for a mage." Hector replied, "But if there's no other means of flight, I suppose I shall have to forge a bird."
It was a task to keep his bitterness from his voice - of course, 'twas not Julia's fault that his plans would have to be altered and he should have remembered that this was a game to Issac. Doubtless, he had set these obstacles to hinder Hector's progress, to ensure his own means carried out.
"You said it was a mage you wished to forge?" She inquired and when Hector gave his assent, "And such devils are skilled in casting spells and use their magic to suit your purposes, do they not?"
The few that Hector had ever forged were, indeed as such. He remembered more of their abilities than he had of the others, but it was still precious little – namely, the mage devil could stop time. Of course, there were also those variants that Hector knew naught of, now that Issac had managed to create new devils just by raising them correctly, and their powers could be any number of different creations.
"'Tis so... but what does that matter to you?"
"Patience." Julia chided, her voice returning to its usual timber of sharp and business-like for a moment, "When the moment comes that you shall forge a little friend as that, would it not be best for you to have a name suited for such a being?"
That much, Hector could not dispute.
"If you desire to give your friend a name that will bode well for his powers and to bind his powers, then..." Julia paused, pondering, "Why not name him for the home of the Oracle – Delphi?"
"Delphi..." Hector mused, and immediately felt a charge rush through his veins. He knew some of the myths, albeit only the little that could be considered the sum of one's knowledge after the church had found hold in these lands - and that which he did know was the power of the Oracle, and her grasp of the fates and the lives of men, and how her words would sway even the mightiest rulers and heroes to that which was above them, "Yes, I think I shall use that name, when the time comes."
But, returning to the matter at hand, Hector was left to ponder an appropriate name for a bird. Of course, the name seemed to come to him, as though a muse had whispered into his ear. He pressed his hand to the stone, and when finally the innocent devil - Gabriel - lifted out of the crystal and glided over to Hector's side, he first looked to Julia and was alarmed to see the pallor of her face, again.
With nary a thought to his new creation, Hector strode around the tombstone and seized Julia by the shoulders before she became too faint.
"Julia." Her hands braced themselves on Hector's arms - only then did it occur to him how Julia was such a little thing. He looked into the basin, saw the fading symbol that had glowed atop the bed of crystal, then turned his gaze back to the witch, "Saw you something in the tombstone? Was it an omen?"
After a moment, Julia shook her head and pushed away. It still surprised Hector how easily her hands and words held sway over him.
"No... think naught of it... 'tis nothing." She staggered away, towards the door, and nearly collapsed, save for the wall. Hector heard a clatter, and realized that, again without realizing it, he had summoned Joshua to take the newly forged Gabriel's place. The disfigured armor then clattered over next to Julia's side and extended a gloved hand,
"Milady, are you well?"
To Hector's relief, though she had pushed away his own support, she accepted Joshua's and remained steadily on her feet.
"Well enough – forgive me, but the magic in this place is at odds with my own powers. It taxes me, just a little."
Hector didn't like the sound of that. He pushed the door open and held it for Julia, waiting until she was fully outside to close it behind him. Outside, though the air was still choked black and foul with the curse, and icy cold and hissing with the sound of the waters churning below them, Julia breathed more easily. When Hector joined her, she gratefully leaned against his arm. Quietly, Hector cursed himself for being so short-sighted - a newly forged crow like Gabriel might be able to bear the weight of his master, but to carry Julia as well would be risky at best, perhaps even deadly in her current state. And to think, he had even forgotten to ask for a Magical Ticket whilst they were still in the safety of Julia's shop, and she might have been able to make one...
"Wait..." Hector dug into his satchel and pulled out a single Memorial Ticket – the last sanctuary he'd bound it to was just before the grand chamber, but any sanctuary might be all the chance they had. Not a moment passed before Hector wrapped his arms about Julia's shoulders – he could feel her trembling, even through the heavy brocade she wore – and pressed her hand into his so both their fingers entwined about the ticket. He focused, and then…
~Mortvia Aqueduct~
When Hector released Julia and opened his eyes, the blue glow of the sanctuary surrounded them. Her face was relaxed and her eyes closed, but when at last they opened, they seemed filled with her healthy laughter and cool, piercing thoughtfulness. Indeed, her trembling had ceased and she was able to stand of her own accord.
"Are you well now?"
"Well enough that I shan't be a hindrance, if that is what you ask of me." Julia remarked. Even her voice had returned to its musical playfulness, and the fact that Hector's spirits were lifted to hear it was more than enough, "How near are we to a proper return?"
"The chair that brought us hence is just outside these doors - shall I accompany you?"
She had no need, but bade him farewell with a smile. They parted ways, Hector returning to a path through the Aqueduct - before entering the forest, he wanted Gabriel to have a chance to sharpen his beak and stretch his wings.