A Dance with the Devil

Aria thought Sir was in pretty good shape for a skeleton. He had no obvious cracks, and didn't seem to have anything important missing. She didn't know his name, but this office seemed the most important, so Sir felt appropriate. Still, dying in bed didn't seem so impressive to Aria.  Anyone can die lying on their back, but a real warrior would die with a blade in their hand. Although Sir might've not been a warrior. Maybe he was one of those who soldiers who kept track of things, like weapons and other soldiers, things like that.

Protecting her treasure seemed fitting for such a man, so she slotted it beneath the covers. She positioned the hilt in such a way so that she could grab it quickly. Sir seemed content with his duties, or at least he didn't complain. 

Aria shivered. Not out of fear for what she was about to do, but because a cold wind had claimed the keep. She breathed mist from her mouth and shivered with each passing gust. It was worse up here than even down in the vault. 

She bowed her head, clasped her hands together and began to pray.

She had prayed many times in her life, but always to God, and never for such reasons. She chanted the Devils tune, and begged until her voice was hoarse. Would it work? She had heard a magpie's cawing as she entered the keep, and had briefly let hope swell up inside her that this might actually work.  But why would it? Maybe the Knights had lied. Made up stories of some evil spirit to justify their control. It wouldn't surprise her. She'd never been particularly confident in the stories, but now she had no choice.

And even if it did exist, why would it make time for such a lowly mortal such as herself. It was probably busy making Hell extra terrible for her for when God inevitably casts her from his kingdom. But she couldn't stop. Every time she thought about it, a cold feeling gripped her tighter and tighter. Hatred for them! A sense of something missing. And most of all a determination. They had taken her little sister, and Aria would make them pay.

She would rescue Aura. That is what Aria longed for more than anything else in the world. So she bared the cold wind blowing through this God-forsaken keep! She clasped her hands so tightly that they turned an itchy red and she'd been praying so long that her knees began to bleed. Her prayer had begun as dignified whispers, and had slowly gotten louder and louder. Now she was screaming, howling into the cold night, begging for anything, any shred of mercy or power! Her ramblings became nonsensical but she persisted. She couldn't stop now! Determination drove her like a horse, and an all consuming despair chased her from behind. If this didn't work she didn't know what she would do, how she would cope! She might...

The cold wind blew black and white.

She thought it was smoke briefly, but she had never seen white and black smoke entwine like this. It slithered quickly across the ground until it gathered in a ball before her. More of this smoke seemed to drift in, from the windows or the cracks in the walls, and as Aria watched it twist and grow before her. She wanted this, she was ready for this, but that didn't stop her blood turning cold as ice. A shiver creeped its way up her spine and threatened to make her lose all the composure she had, but she rode it out and knelt stiff and firm before the creature.

It was much larger now, it would've towered over her even if she was standing. It looked like a human. It had legs, arms and eyes. But it didn't seem to have much substance like a real thing. It was built from black and white shadows that gathered in splotches as his body was built. Too big for the room it was standing in, the thing had to crane its neck downwards to fit, which let it gaze down at her where she knelt at its feet. Two glowing red shadows for eyes like an oozing wound. It stared at her and she couldn't stare back. Instead she focused on its arms, which were stretched out to the side with odd growths protruding from them. It took Aria a second to realize they were feathers, and that the figure had two wings attached to his arms. The shone an iridescent green and blue, glowing like the shadows of its eyes. The Angel of Hell had answered her call.

"I have heard your song, dear child." it whispered with a voice like the friction of two knives. "Your song of agony and sorrow. What do you wish would you like granted."

"I... " Her voice cracked but she soldiered on. "I want the power to stand up to the Knights of Haven, and rescue my little sister."

"Such ambitions for such a little girl. I too would like to rid this world of those Knights, but their boons from God has made it more trouble than its worth. I could only grant such power to those who have enough determination and drive..."

"Please! I have the determination! And the drive or whatever." She made sure that desperation was practically dripping from her words as she fell to the floor with her hands clasped, like a beggar at its feet. Its eyes gleamed, but only for a second lest she notice. But of course she did notice. She was far more composed than she was letting on.

"Your voice speaks true girl. I can hear your courage. Very well. You may be granted a glimpse of my power. In exchange, you will serve me and in doing so, guarantee the end of these evil knights. So... let's shake on it." He outstretched a winged hand before him.

Aria rose from her pathetic heap on the floor, and positioned herself with Sir's bed behind her.

"Quickly now!" The creature emphasized its hand.

Well, Aria thought, I guess I'm doing this. There's no going back. She spared a thought for the life she had led before. The sunny days now past. They were not coming back, no matter how much she wanted them to. With this handshake, nothing would be the same again.

She imagined what she would gain from the deal. What extraordinary power she would be granted. And despite her sorrow she became almost giddy with excitement. However it took a moment for her to realize that this was not her imagination, but the whispers of a dead keep. The skeletons seemed to call from their rooms, projecting their dreams onto the hand. It made shaking it irresistible. 

She reached out to shake it. Their fingers were about to entwine, before her left hand grasped the hilt beneath the bed, and swung the blade with every ounce of strength she had. She was not strong like Aura, but her sheer desperation seemed to carry her through. The red shadows of its eyes widened as it saw the faint glow of the blade, and the shadows tried to pull back. But Aria grasped the outside of its outstretched arm and held it in place long enough to sever it.

The arm seemed to dissolve into shadow as the Devil let out a scream of pure agony. The sound echoed throughout the keep and perhaps even beyond. It collapsed to the floor, writhing and screaming. The shadows that seemed so fluid before were now rigid and substantial. A black liquid that couldn't possibly be blood oozed from its wound. Aria averted her eyes to it, having never seen such horror before.

Instead she pressed the blade against the Devil's neck, and the emotion from its eyes morphed from shock into fear. 

"D-do-on't p-p-please." It had lost its composed and commanding voice, and now spoke with a high pitched squeal. "I can give you anything you desire! Power! Power! To save you sister. You can have as much as I can give you! But you get none of it if I die!" It stared at the sword pointed to its throat, in utter disbelief on how such a sword could be here.

"Bond with me then. Let our two souls become one. I as the Knight and you as the Squire." She tried her best to recall the Knights spiel, and the sword in her hand seemed to understand. Its silvery glow seemed to pulsate, as if waiting for a response.

"You... you can't be serious!" The Devil's fearful tone was replaced with an incredulous one. Aria remedied that with a quick prick to the neck, letting a small drip of black liquid flow from the hole. The Devil collapsed into another fit of writhing and screaming, and when Aria placed the blade upon its neck again, the fear returned. The sword continued to pulsate, seemingly waiting for acceptance or a firm rejection.

"I'm waiting." she said to the Devil.

It almost fell over itself trying to get the words out. "I accept!"
The moment the word were said, its form collapsed back in to shadow, darting around the room. It seemed determined to escape through the cracks, but some force was anchoring it to this room. Eventually it seemed to give up, and drifted, much to Aria's surprise, to the skeleton of Sir. The shadow seemed to sink into its bones. Sir moved from the bed, causing Aria to almost jump with surprise. He seemed to stumble as he walked, as if getting used to this new form. The eyeless holes on Sir's face now had a red glow deep within them.

"Where to next, sir." Sir said.