Meeting With The Witch Of Greed

Hearing the peaceful breathing of the girl besides him, Julian felt complicated.

A part of him left him satisfied, feeling a sense of fulfillment and certain closure after the words he had said and the act of compassion he had done. And another felt uncaring, as if this result was par for the course. That side in particular held a strong desire that was amplifying by the day, now that it was let free. Yet Julian kept it at bay still, as not acting on his feelings was maybe one of his strongest skills.

But, less and less, both willingly and naturally, he bothered to stop it. It was time to grow up, if not at least for himself. For the people relying on him.

That's why, after tucking Rem in her bed. He couldn't help but admire her sleeping face and caress it with the back of his hand.

In the end, he realized it didn't matter much if he didn't know some people for long, or even just a day. Because he himself did, quite a lot too. It was the same with Emilia back in the day, and now it happened again with the twins.

"Well... Guess it's time to face reality." Standing up, Julian cracked his neck. A self-loathing snarl appearing on his face at the hesitation he still felt. "After all, there's no need to wait for the cult to appear to be subjected to authorities if I can feel them up from the source, isn't it?"

"Time to face some trials."

—————

Having parsed through Roswaal memories what seemed to him an eternity ago, Julian knew where the sanctuary was. The refuge turned prison for half-breed was deeper inside the the clown's territory, well hidden from the beaten paths and roads.

It would be a lie to say he had no expectations upon concerning his future meeting with the witches of the past. However, he took it in stride in the end. He was far from helpless, as the EC magic reserve Gate Overflow granted him allowed him to experiment and develop some new interesting tricks.

It was currently deep into the night as he set his sight on the village, a rather pitiful hamlet isolated from the world. It'd already been quite some time since he felt himself go through the barrier, he felt himself traversing a thin film of something, and skillfully concentrating mana in his eyes, he could see the barrier encompassing the entirety of the village and a huge area around he couldn't see the limits off from the ground.

The confusion didn't work on him naturally. As he saw directly from Roswaal's memory where this place was.

He had been curious if the barrier would have any effect on him, given that he was an 'half' in a sense. But he guessed not, probably because he was not a mere hybrid but an anomaly with a higher version of both of his 'halves' race. Well, it was that or because his bloodline didn't belong or exist in this world at all.

Speaking of effects, he had felt something 'probe' him as soon as he crossed the barrier, trying to teleport him. But sadly, it didn't work, and it went away too quickly for him to find a way to 'allow' it.

However, not long after he crossed the treshold into the village, a small looking girl with peach-pink hair and cyan eyes appeared before him.

She regarded him for a bit in silence while he yawned loudly. Upon which she looked at him strangely, making Julian get the distinct impression he was being classified as a weirdo in someone mind.

Shrugging, he waved her off and continued to walk toward where he perceived to be the tomb. "Sorry, been an awfully busy ye- couple of days for me. Now will you lead me to the sanctuary or do I need to go find it myself? And hurry up, please. I have an appointment, I believe."

The girl, he believed her name to be Ryuzu (insertvariationhere), seemed to think she wasn't paid enough for this as she turned away and pointed in a direction before promptly bolting away.

"Truly, my charm has never been higher." Looking at her vanishing behind one of the house, he shrugged. To be fair, he was conserving his wits and energy for the coming meeting and trials.

An eager grin slowly coming on his face, he continued walking at the same pace toward where the girl had pointed, not that he had needed to in the first place, and profitted from the chilly breeze and the rustling sound of the leaves.

The night was peaceful, and upon walking alone in such an time and place. His smile gradually lost in intensity until it finally settled into a shadow of its former self.

Did he ever do this? Walking alone at night, taking his time, with nothing to keep him company but his own thoughts? As far as he could remember, he didn't.

Before, he either always had something on his mind, or he had felt too afraid to let it wander, because it would risk cracking the mask he had made.

But now that he was here, right now, and doing exactly that. He thought he should go on a walk more often.

Right there, he had the impression he was grasping at an idea something that was important. So he applied himself to carve into his mind that simple, almost silly ideas to take more walks and take his time more often.

Unfortunately, every peaceful moment had to gave place to more excitable ones eventually, and that's what happened as he finally arrived before the trials ground. The old structure towering above the forest around it and looking properly ancient.

A small smile rising on his face at this sight, Julian tapped his cheek. "I wonder... how much she knows about me."

Stepping up the steps and going into the structure, after thinking for a while, he chuckled and proceeded to shake his fist to the sky. "Our battle shall be legendary!"

While his surrounding got darker and darker, he felt something brush against his mind and gleem something from it. He couldn't do anything to it too, he was aware it happened, but the defences he had put in place were just passed through as if they weren't there. But even as he knew that he still said. "Unfortunately, you lost from the start. Dear Echidna."

As he was struck by extreme dizziness that he felt he could resist, he didn't, and instead activated Gate Overflow and an orange outline of himself split itself from his stumbling body, appearing straight on his feet as he himself fell to the ground. At the same time that this happened, a melodious voice resounded known inside his mind.

'Is that so? Well, how lucky I am then, as It was never about winning.'

—————

Julian stayed seated as he found himself on a seemingly endless grassy plain, behind him, he could feel a vast, sickening presence pressing upon him. It made him nauseous to his core for maybe a split second before his wings automatically spread out from his back, and this aura became akin to a faintly sweet smelling breeze.

"Oh my... Here I was wondering if we'd be able to converse together for any amount of time." The same voice from before echoed out again, but from a distance this time, and sounding strained somewhat.

Leaning back on the grass with his elbows, he gazed at the peerlessly cloud free blue sky, taking his time as he chuckled. He wasn't in a hurry, in fact it was to his advantage. "The witch of greed indeed."

A sigh sounded out. "It's been so much time since I've conversed with anyone. Let alone someone such... as you. Could I perhaps interest you in some tea personally brewed by this maiden? To make up for my poor reception?"

After seemingly deliberating for a while, mainly to figure out the rules of this space and his current state as well as its make up. He nodded and with a flex of his wings, found himself on his feet. "Sure, why not?" Turning around, he was met with a quaint little table covered by a parasol at which sat an absolute beauty. She looked all the part of a doll, with long white hair adorned with a butterfly pin, white eyebrows, white skin, a black dress and dark brown eyes that appeared bottomless.

As he stepped up the small hill the table was situated upon, their eyes met, and the instinct finding itself stronger than himself, he averted his eyes. Though he could see that Echidna had done the same.

Sitting, he looked at the cup of tea in front of him containing a translucent liquid. It had probably been prepared before he came here. However, the real question was; should he drink it?

...

Well, he was curious. And he was a bit thirsty to be frank. So, after barely a second of thinking. He brought the tea cup to his lips and maintaining eyes contact with Echidna, he slowly drank it all. You know, to assert dominance.

It had the desired effect as she raised an eyebrow and asked. "So, how was it?"

"Taste a bit sweet for a bodily fluid."

"Truly?" She seemed curious at his answer. Not caring at all about the fact he knew that it was, in fact, coming from her.

"Yes, though mine are said to be unusual as well." Julian replied, unable to refrain his lips from twitching upward.

"Oh, I see." She said with sly smile. "You are quite the greedy individual yourself. What you desire is both simple and complicated, small and grand... And most importantly, immaterial."

Gazing in silence at the witch for a while, he finally asked. "Then, pleasy pray tell, what are my desires?"

"Mmh... First is what most people want. Happiness... Then love." She entertwined her fingers together and looked at him thoughtfully. "But those are only the ones deriving on the shallowest water. Deeper still lay redemption and purpose." Her smile widened ever so slightly. "And at the very bottom of yourself reside a desire for peace, yet also one for chaos, excitement. As well as... Everything that is genuine."

Julian stayed silent for a bit before he rubbed his jaw and smirked. "And tell me, Echidna. In all your wisdom, can you offer them to me?"

It was her turn to remain silent. Her light smile still affixed to her face. "I lack too much knowledge and context, however, if we sign a contract..."

She trailed off as she saw his growing grin and suddenly sighed. "It seems I've lost my touch." She slumped before putting her chin on her palm, looking at him with a less and less hidden intensity.

"What is it that you wish to accomplish by coming here exactly? Surely, it was not to torture a poor maiden like me, yes?" She cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea.

"I came here to meet you and the other witches, mainly. And see what could be done to further my goal. Don't worry, though, I have an offer for you especially." He leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs, opening one of his hand toward her.

"One you can't refuse."

"Oh? An offer I can't refuse?" She smiled, intrigued. "Well, let's hear it."

Julian smiled slightly, and proceeded to tap his finger rythmically on the table. After a while, he began. "You will pledge yourself to me, body, mind, and soul. As well as your wisdom, your expertise, your skill, you will give them to me and accompany me when and where I need you and follow my whim."

He grinned. "In short, I want everything that you are. For myself."

Then, he leaned foward. His vibrant blue-red eyes looking straight into her impassive deep brown ones. "In exchange, I give you the opportunity to study me and the possibility of travelling and have access to the countless worlds that are out there and the knowledge they hold... In short, I will pop the bubble you have been confined to for so long."

"So, what do you think?" His voice seemed to echoes unnaturaly in the endless plain, the symbol of a scale on his left black wing lightning up and taking upon a strange presence.

(A/N: Here we see a devil in its natural habitat. Joke aside, hope I got Echidna character right. Tell me if you don't think so.)