AMoS Chapter 6-2

[eiahmon]

Title: A Moment of Stupidity Part 6: 1568 - 1619
Rating: R for language, and mentions of RAPE and M/M SLASH. Don't like, then don't read.
Disclaimer: Castlevania and its characters and situations are the sole property of Konami. I am making no money or profit off of this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: AU. What if Joachim Armster had lived through his fight with Leon Belmont? What might have been different? Well hang on, because Joachim is going to tell you all about it. From his kidnapping and forced turning to his rescue from the ruins of Walter's castle, and from Trevor's birth and to Richter's death of old age, he tells all - and blames it all on Leon while he's at it.
Section Summary: Part 6 covers from Liron's funeral to just after Belmont's Revenge.

2.
Protection

As strange as it may sound, with the way I reacted to Liron's loss, I was actually a little relieved that he was gone when Silvanus visited me early in the winter of 1569.

"There's talk of restarting the council meetings." he said without preamble, and if I had needed to breathe, I would have choked on my hot cider. Hector, lying in a huddle of blankets on the couch beside me looked up at me with tired eyes, though the bond made it clear that he was alarmed at my reaction.

"What brought this on?" I asked as my thoughts began to run around in circles. Hector, I would be taking Hector into Actose's presence... Actose would no doubt try to terrorize him, hell he might even try to get his hooks into him again. I actually envisioned Hector then, lying pinned under Actose, screaming in pain and horror, and I shivered.

"Joachim?"

I took a deep breath and looked at Silvanus. "I'm all right. So, what brought this on?"

Silvanus looked at me seriously. "Are you sure you're all right? You looked like you were about to have a panic attack for a moment there."

"I'm fine."

He looked at me for a second, and then he answered my question. "Ladislas and I are constantly having to deal with others, asking us to mediate for them. The elders on the other side of the mountains are having the same issue. There are also many new, younger vampires moving into the area -"

I thought of the ones that had attacked Liron.

"-and they are stirring up trouble. We've been discussing restarting it as a better way of dealing with complaints and showing the new ones that the laws will be enforced."

"Any idea when? Or where?"

"Probably not until next year, so we can return to the schedule of every five years. As for where, we aren't sure yet. I don't think anyone wants to return to that castle after Dracula attacked it, and without anyone to care for it, it might not be in usable condition anyway. So we'll have to find a place first. Only once that is found can we move forward."

"You'll keep me informed, won't you?"

"I will." He stood up. "I'll let you know as soon as I know something."

"Thank you, Silvanus." I said faintly as he walked towards the door, and he let himself out as I stood up to carry Hector to bed. He reached out to me as I laid him down, so I laid down next to him and pulled the blankets over us as he curled close for warmth. I expected him to ask about the council, and I was very glad when he didn't. No doubt worrying about it would keep him awake all day.

He slept deeply through the day, and it was the next night, after he had been fed, that he asked about it.

"What is the council that you and Silvanus talked about last night?"

I didn't answer at first. Instead I scooped him out of bed, sat down in the rocker with him on my lap, and wrapped him in a quilt. Then I explained.

"The council," I began, "is a meeting of all the vampires in this area, and it's used to settle dispute and keep relations between us running as smoothly as possible. If someone breaks the laws, the injured party can appeal to the council for compensations for example. It used to take place every five years in a castle in the neutral zone, but it stopped when Dracula attacked one just over a century ago and killed many of those that he found there."

"All... of the vampires in the area?"

"Yes, Hector, all of them, and yes, that means that Actose and his children will be there."

His eyes widened as his heartbeat accelerated. "Do we have to go?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yes, little one, we do. Attendance is mandatory."

He shook his head. "I don't want to go!"

I held him tighter. "Actose will not touch you again, child. He will have to go through me to get to you, and you are still young and still under my care and protection. It is illegal for him to touch you." Not that that's stopped him before, I thought.

Hector shook his head and began to cry. "I don't care!" he wailed. "Don't make me go near them!" His hid his face in my hair and bawled. I couldn't bring myself to scold him for his behavior, because I remembered all too well my terror of those meetings centuries ago. "I don't want to go." he sobbed.

"Trust me, Hector." I said as I rocked the chair. "Trust me to protect you as I always have. Trust me to keep them away from you."

He didn't answer. He just cried as I rocked him and stroked his hair, and once he had quieted, he still clung to me as tight as he could, and he spent the rest of the night in my arms.

Of course, I was also very worried about Actose getting close to Hector again; I just hid it from him as best I could. He needed to believe that I would keep him safe. He wouldn't believe it if he saw just how afraid I was. Once he was asleep for the day the following morning, I slumped down in a chair at my dining table and worried about how I was going to protect him.

It had been 29 years since I had claimed Hector as compensation, and I'm sure that Actose had spent every one of those years seething and planning to get Hector back somehow. I had no doubt that he would send his other children to terrorize my child as much as possible; he might even do it himself. I owed Actose nothing, but I fully expected him to come up with some flimsy excuse to force me to give Hector back to him. Silvanus would side with me, as would Ladislas, but the elders on the others side of the neutral zone might not, and if enough of them agreed with Actose...

I shuddered.

I went through my normal routine while Hector slept the day away, but I must not have kept my fear to myself as well as I thought I had because at one point, I felt Kerwin tug on our bond and ask if I was all right. I assured him I was, and he backed away.

Hector and I had dinner at the Lord's house, but he didn't eat much, citing that he felt unwell. He then went right back to bed once we were home. I checked him over, but he was showing no sign of a relapse. It was while I was doing that that I felt Kerwin cross onto my territory. I tucked Hector under the quilts and went to meet Kerwin at the door.

"What brings you here?" I asked as I walked him inside. He hadn't visited my home in a few years, though we still saw each other regularly.

"Sit down with me, Joachim." he said, and we walked over to two chairs in front of the living room fireplace and sat down.

He didn't waste any time. "You're worried about Hector's safety at the council." he said.

I sighed. "I've dealt with Actose far too many times to hope that he will leave Hector alone. I know that it's against the vampire laws for him to touch him in any way, but he's never let the laws stop him before. I know he's still furious over me taking Hector from him years ago, and I fully expect him to try something."

"How is Hector taking this?"

"He's terrified, like you would expect. He's already begging me to not make him go."

"Hmmm." Kerwin frowned in thought for a moment. "You know, I don't think I ever told you this, because I assumed that Walter would have explained it to you."

"Told me what?"

"Did you know that you and I are part of the Asenti clan?"

"Silvanus has no family left alive, Kerwin."

"I didn't say Asenti family, I said Asenti clan. There is a difference. A vampire family is a vampire, and his or her spouses, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, vampires that are all actually related to each other. A clan is a group of vampires that are joined by blood but not actually related. Silvanus turned my father to him but did not adopt him, so -"

"Walter was his child, but not his son. I know that Kerwin."

Kerwin glared me into silence. "Yes, he was, which made him part of the Asenti clan, not the Asenti family, and by extension, did the same for you and me. Matatias and I are part of the Bernhard family that's within the Asenti clan. Since you are part of the clan, then so is Hector, which grants him a great deal of protection. Why do you think Actose handed him over when he's more than powerful enough to put the hurt on you? Why do you think Actose has never attacked you since I let you go? I tell you why; because he's terrified of Silvanus, that's why, and he knows that Silvanus will move Heaven, Hell, and Earth if it means protecting you.

"It is also why you won't have to worry about Hector's safety, because it's known that Hector is under Silvanus' protection in addition to yours. If Actose or any of his children attack Hector, not only would they have to fend you off, they would also have to deal with me and Silvanus, and that is something he'll want to avoid." Kerwin leaned forward and put his hands on my shoulders. "He can mock Hector. He can tease him, but that's all he can do. Hector is still a child; a sickly one at that, and none of the elders will tolerate any threat against him, especially when words slips out that his health is fragile because of the way that Actose treated him. Abusing one's child is not illegal, but it is frowned upon, especially when it wrecks the child's health."

"But what if he tries to lay a claim on him? What if the other elders believe him? What if they take him away from me, Kerwin?"

Kerwin squeezed my shoulders. "They will never return him to a master that will be cruel to him, Joachim. You never have to worry about that. And by some chance that they do, do you really think that Silvanus will sit there and do nothing? He is the most powerful vampire in this area and one of the oldest in the world; if they take Hector from you, Silvanus will kill everyone in sight to get him back." He let go of my shoulders and leaned back in his chair. "We'll keep him safe, Joachim. You, me, and Silvanus."

Outwardly I nodded, but inwardly I kept thinking of how Actose had been bold enough to attack Rachim, when he knew Ladislas was nearby. If he was crazy enough to try that, what was to stop him from doing the same to Hector?

******

Hector woke to be fed a few hours before the dawn, and he looked so pale and tired in the chill air of the bedroom. The fireplace was going as always, but even it could not keep the room warm enough for him. Once he was done drinking, I laid him down, laid down beside him, and pulled the quilts over us as he curled close.

"Joachim?" he mumbled into my neck.

"Hmm?"

"Would it be all right if I... if I... made another Innocent Devil?" He scooted away a bit so he could look up at me. "Just in case?"

I gently ran my fingers through his hair. "What do you have in mind?"

"A battle type of some kind. I'm not sure yet exactly."

"And where would you put it while at home? Isaac can fit at the foot of the bed and curl up on your lap. A battle type, I assume, is much larger?"

He looked down, and I could feel his disappointment. "No, then." he whispered.

I tipped his chin up to look at me again. "Hey, I didn't say no yet. I just want to make sure that you can take care of it first. This is a small house, Hector, and battle types are very large."

"I.. I don't know where I would put it. They have to have a place to be when they're not at their master's side, so I don't know..."

"Well, we'll figure something out."

"So I can?"

I smiled at him. "Yes, you may, just not now. Let's wait until spring arrives, and it's warm enough for you to go out, and then we'll gather what you need, and I'll take you outside the wards to do it."

Hector gave me a wide smile, and then he snuggled close, tucked his head back under my chin, and settled down to sleep.

******

Once the spring of 1570 had arrived, some work was done on my house to expand it a bit. Not too much, just enough to make enough room for a large Innocent Devil to move around without wrecking anything. The floor was also shored heavily up to support its weight as it walked around. Finally a room was added off the back, accessed through the kitchen, for it to sleep, since there was nowhere in the rest of the house where that would be possible. It was set up very much like a horse stall, with a stone floor covered in straw, and Hector said it was enough.

Like he had with Isaac, Hector sent the children on materials gathering errands, and they slowly collected the dirt, clay, stones, and other things he needed.

"It's faster to conjure matter," he explained as he sorted through the things they had brought and put them in storage chests in the new room, "but I don't think I could conjure matter without tiring, and then I wouldn't be able to summon a soul. This will do fine though; it will just take longer."

He also went on material hunts himself a few times, with me following him, and I couldn't believe the change in his personality while he was looking. Since I had brought him home, he had been meek and quiet for the most part, only acting differently when he was frightened. When I had met him years ago in the Baljhet Mountains, he had also been fairly quiet, but it hadn't been the quiet of a traumatized child, rather it was of a seasoned warrior that was assured of his own power. This Hector that I was following at a brisk pace through the forest was neither of those. He forged ahead of me, without any worry or concern about what might lie ahead, and though I watched him closely for sign that he was tiring, I saw none.

"Does the material you use matter?" I asked, hoping that answering the question would make him slow down a little. I really didn't want him to relapse from pushing himself too hard.

He didn't even pause. "Somewhat," he said without looking back at me. "I have to make a sculpture of what the finished devil will look like, like I did with Isaac, and it has to be strong enough to support its own weight for the summoning. It wouldn't do for it to crumble just as I'm giving it a soul." He forged on ahead.

"Hector, slow down, before you give yourself a relapse!"

"I'm fine, Joachim. Stop worrying."

"You either slow down, or I'm taking you home!"

He stopped and whipped his head around to glare at me for a second, and I met his glare. After a second, he sighed and continued on, but much slower than before.

A few weeks later, with the help of a wagon and horse team, Hector and I returned to my old house, and he spent two days making the sculpture that would become the Innocent Devil. I watched him as he worked, and it made me think of stories of the large snow beasts that were rumored to roam the icy plains of the far north. Using his claws and fine sculpting tools that Adrian had acquired for him, he carved the breaks and rolls in the creature's fur, it's short, but sharp claws, and its large, expressive eyes.

"What determines things like the color of the hair and eyes?" I asked as he worked on the thick fur on the neck and head.

"My intend during the summoning of the soul." he replied as he shaved a bit of clay off the eyelid. "All of that is determined by my magic during creation."

Once the sculpture was created, it was time for the actual forging, and at his instructions I stayed back out of the way, but still in a place where I could see him easily. Apparently it hadn't been just the backlash of the wards that I had been caught in 27 years ago. Only Devil Forgemasters and Necromancers could stand to be within the circle of power during the creation of an Innocent Devil. Even Dracula had kept his distance while Hector and Isaac were at work.

So I did as he asked and watched from the shelter of a nearby tree as he started the incantation, and like before, I saw the power rush from him to the sculpture, saw the sculpture seemingly draw it into itself, and then it just came alive in front of him. The brownish-gray color of the clay he had used faded away and became soft white fur. It blinked its startling blue eyes at him, stretched, and walked forward to catch Hector in its arms as he collapsed. The bond narrowed as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, and the Innocent Devil gathered him up and carried him over to me.

I accepted him into my arms. "Thank you...?"

"August," Hector mumbled, "His name is August."

"Thank you, August." I looked down at Hector. "Let's get you home and into bed."

For the next few days, Hector stayed in bed and recovered from the small relapse that the summoning had caused, and Isaac curled up at his feet while August hovered protectively nearby. To my surprise, he ate mostly vegetables, with only small amounts of meat, unlike Isaac, who ate meat only. The children quickly spotted him, and they were just as fascinated with him as they had been with Isaac, though since Hector was not well, August paid no attention to them and focused on his master.

******

Since the relapse had been a minor one, Hector was fully recovered from it when the time came to depart for the council midway through the summer. As we had years ago, Silvanus, Kerwin, Matatias, Celia, Ladislas, Rachim, myself, and Hector went together. Isaac stayed curled up on Hector's lap during the trip, while August was left behind, but Hector explained that he could summon him from anywhere, and August would appear at his side. It was a good thing too; I hadn't wanted to think about transporting such a large creature in a horse drawn carriage.

The elders had not been able to find another suitable location, so they had been forced to use the old castle again. It had needed many repairs to make it habitable again, but most of us were wary of returning to a place where so many had been killed. What if Mathias appeared there again? It had been nearly 100 years since his last resurrection; how long before he resurrected again?

There was talk of that as we stood in the entrance hall, waiting to be escorted to our rooms, but to no one's surprise, Hector wasn't worried about that. No, he was more concerned about Actose's gaze on him, and he summoned August and hid behind him as he clung to me. His terror was so strong it was rattling my own nerves, and I whispered assurances to him, but he only squeezed his eyes shut, so I picked him up and held him and sent a nasty look at Actose, who only smirked at me. Silvanus had already gone to his rooms, so it was Ladislas that snarled at Actose, and it was that that finally made him look away. He growled something turned to one of his own children, who had a blanket covering his head for some reason, and hustled him away.

I carried Hector down the halls when we were taken to our rooms, and he kept his face hidden in my hair until we were safely inside the with door closed behind us. I laid him down for a nap – the suite had two beds, but he would sleep with me as usual – and began to unpack. It was while that I was doing that that I sensed Silvanus approaching, and I called out for him to come in when he knocked.

He got straight to the point. "I want to have Hector with me during the first meeting."

I blinked: I hadn't been expecting that. "What? Why?"

"I intend to send a message." was all he said in response. "Just bring him over to me once it starts."

I nodded mutely, and he gave me a faint smile and walked out.

A few hours later saw Hector vibrating with nerves as I carried him towards the meeting hall, even with Isaac and August tagging along. Ladislas and Rachim met us not far from our door, and Kerwin, Matatias, and Celia met us at the juncture of the corridors. It looked like to me that, despite Kerwin's talk, they were just as concerned about Actose as I was.

When we stepped into the hall, I immediately felt Actose's gaze on us, and I looked to my right to see him looking at Hector with the look of a predator sizing up its next meal. I sneered at him as Hector whimpered and gripped my arms so hard his claws made indentations on my skin.

"There you are." came Silvanus' voice, and the crowd parted for him as he approached. I felt him reach out to Hector through the bond and soothe him, and to my surprise, Hector let go of me, turned to face Silvanus and reached out to him. Silvanus picked him up. "Don't be scared, little one." he whispered. "No one here will hurt you."

Actose laughed, and the look Silvanus gave him in response could have melted steel. He then turned and, still carrying Hector in his arms, swept off for his chair at the front of the room.

For the rest of the meeting, Silvanus either carried Hector with him, or held him on his lap while sitting in his chair. Actose glared at them, but even he read the message loud and clear. Once the meeting was drawing to a close, Silvanus returned Hector to me, and I carried him off to put him down for another nap. As I was leaving I heard one of the elders from the other side of the mountains asking about him.

"He was a compensation agreement..." was all I heard from Silvanus before the doors closed behind me.

Once Hector was in bed for the day, Silvanus came by again, and we took a seat by the empty fireplace.

"That should do it." he said as he leaned back in the chair.

"I assume that entire thing was to make it clear that Hector was not to be harassed?"

"You assume correctly. Of course, the other elders, save Ladislas for obvious reasons, were curious about why I paid so much attention to another's child, so I had to explain it to them."

"About Hector being part of your clan?"

"Along with him being sickly thanks to the cruelty of his first master."

I felt the corner of my mouth curl up into a smirk. "Thus ensuring that no one will even consider returning Hector to Actose's custody while warning everyone that he's under your protection." I gave him a slow clap. "Well played."

He laughed quietly. "I know Kerwin talked to you about it, but we're all aware of how Actose thinks he's above the laws, and it was only a matter of time until he tried something. That should throw whatever he's planning into disarray."

I laughed a little myself, and then I became serious again. "I appreciate it, Silvanus. I knew he was going to try something sooner or later."

Silvanus stood up and clapped me on the shoulder. "Well he won't be doing it here. The other elders will shred him if he tries, and that's only if I don't get to him first."

Silvanus departed then, and I went up to bed, feeling much better about the council.

Things went smoothly for the rest of the week, though Hector refused to relax with Actose being in the same building, and I feared that he would give himself a relapse if he didn't calm down. Silvanus finally had to cast some kind of calming spell over him so he didn't work worry himself into exhaustion. Hector wasn't happy about it, but since it did not affect his ability to think and react, I let the spell be for the time being.

In hindsight, I should have expected Actose to try something anyway.

On the last day, Hector and I were summoned to the meeting hall, and Silvanus informed me through the bonds that Actose wanted to offer a trade.

A trade of what? I asked in bewilderment. What could he possibly have that I would want?

Children. Silvanus said in reply.

Children!

Yes, children. Now hurry; everyone is waiting.

I dressed Hector, draped a blanket over his shoulders, ignored his puzzled looks, took him by the hand, and began to lead him to the hall.

"What is it, Joachim?" he asked. His voice was calm due to the effects of the spell, but there was still the slightest tinge of anxiety through the bond.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned him to face me. "Actose wants to discuss trading children." I replied, and for a second he swayed on his feet like he was going to faint. "I will never trade you away, Hector. I believe this is his attempt to get you back, since simply stealing you back has been closed to him." I pulled him against my chest. "He's never going to take you away from me." I stepped back and began to lead him on again. "Let's get this over with."

Hector clung to my side as he walked into the hall, and I kept one arm around his shoulders as we went. Rules dictated that he should have walked a step behind me, as I had once done with Kerwin, but I really didn't care. Considering who he was going to be in the room with, and his frail health, I don't think anyone cared really. We walked up the middle of the floor and stopped just a few dozen feet in front of Silvanus, who smiled at us. Ladislas, with Rachim on his lap, was a few chairs down. Actose was about 20 feet to my right, and he had the child with the blanket over its head beside him.

Even though its upper body was covered, I could tell a lot about the child with just a look. Its arms and legs were nearly skeletal, so it too had been badly starved. The scent of blood as well as blood spots on the blanket also bore that out. Fear clung to it like a miasma, and I could easily detect the musky smell of sex. Above that though, I could scent something else that was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"You wanted this horse show, Actose." Ladislas said in a bored tone. "Now get on with it."

Actose looked at me. "I offer you a trade. You give me Hector, and I will give you this one -" He shoved the sick child next to him towards me, which caused it to stumble and nearly fall. "- here. What say you."

My answer was easy. "I say no." I replied. "Hector is going nowhere."

"I want Hector back with me."

"You're not getting him." I really did wish I could remove the other child from his care, but truthfully, I wouldn't be able to care for a second sickly child.

Actose growled, and Hector whimpered while the other child cried out at the sound. "What do you want?" he snarled.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I tugged Hector close to me.

"What do I have to give you to make you give Hector back to me?"

"There's nothing you can do to convince me to hand him over. He will never return to you."

Actose growled again, and his eyes began to glow.

"Enough!" Silvanus' voice rang out in the room. "He has refused your offer, Actose, now leave it!" He looked at the other elders. "We are done here; I'll see you all in five years time."

I took that as my dismissal and walked Hector out of the room

Late in the morning, as I laid in bed next to Hector, I heard a voice crying. I raised my head from the pillow and listened, and I quickly recognized the voice as belonging to Actose's child. I laid my head back down and tried to shut out the sound, but it was impossible. It wasn't the howling of a child in severe pain, not it was worse, the soft sobbing of someone that's had their heart broken into pieces, the sound of one who just had their last hope cruelly extinguished. A few seconds later, the cries changed to one I knew well, and I tried not to picture what Actose was doing as I closed my eyes and held Hector tight.

"I'm sorry, little one." I whispered in the dark room. "I wish I could have helped."

The cries then abruptly stopped, and I winced at the implication. Sleep was a long time coming that day.

Chapter 6-1 -- Chapter 6-3
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