Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 37 (Septem)

Leo's footsteps echoed down the tunnel as he walked, steady beats that helped ground him in the white maze. Despite the tunnel continuing in a single direction, with no twists or turns, the white material and soft luminescence coming from the crystals threw off Leo's sense of direction. Were it not for Oberon keeping a steady pace behind him, he might have lost his way once or twice. Whether this was a spell cast by Stheno upon this place or a natural feature of the terrain, Leo could not tell. He lacked Kadoc or Ophelia's fine sense for magecraft and could only trust what limited information he could obtain from his eyes and ears.

Eventually, the white gave way to dark stone, the luminescent crystal stopping with it. Leo stopped at the edge of the white stone, a large cavern expanding into the darkness before him. Oberon moved up beside him, squinting into the blackness.

"This is certainly ominous, Master. I don't suppose you know what to expect from these trials?"

The question was asked flippantly, but Leo sensed the intent that lay beneath. He shook his head in response.

"Only that it will be a struggle. Expect anything, Oberon. Remember, our objective is finding Kadoc, not beating the cave."

"Hmm," Oberon peered into the darkness once more, before summoning several brightly glowing bugs that began to move into the cavern, shifting like floating torches in the darkness. "I am not opposed to finding our companion. But if my measure of that goddess is right, I fear we may have more pressing concerns to face."

The pair began to move into the room, following the path lit by the glowbugs. The stone here was dark and wet, in sharp contrast to the tunnel that Stheno had carved. Leo kept an eye out as they moved, until a shift in the darkness caught his attention. The pair stopped, watching closely, as a figure stumbled out of the shadows. Leo's eyes widened as he saw Kadoc, blood coating his front, a gaping wound at his side, stumble into the light.

"Kadoc! What on earth happened!"
Leo leapt forward, catching Kadoc as he slipped on the wet stone. His eyes were unfocused, passing over Leo with a glazed expression, even as he was slowly lowered to the ground. His mouth opened slightly, a word too faint to hear escaping it.

"Stay with me, Kadoc. Keep your eyes on me," Leo said urgently, looking over his body. Cuts and gouges riddled his body, the mark of something that had torn through him. The worst was a hole that had been ripped from the side of his chest, blood oozing out of the wound. It was a miracle he was still alive, or perhaps it was the work of his magecraft circuits. Either way, he needed treatment desperately. Leo had a sudden flashback to when he had met Vel. He had no medical training with which to help Kadoc in any serious way, nor any magecraft that could solve the issue.

"Oberon, pain relief, now"

"Master, what are you-"

"Don't argue," Leo quickly pulled out his book and quill, preparing to write. "We need to hurry; we can still save him."

Oberon grabbed Leo's arm, causing him to shoot an annoyed glare at his Servant.

"Master, wait a moment."

"The longer we wait, the worse he gets!?" Leo snapped.

"Who is he?"
Leo blinked, confusion and shock momentarily taking over. He glanced down at Kadoc and back up at Oberon.

"What are you talking about?! It's Kadoc."

"No, Master," Oberon shook his head. "There is no one here. Look again."

Leo looked down at Kadoc in confusion, then jumped with a start. Kadoc had frozen, his body motionless. One of his hands had stopped in the act of reaching up to Leo; now it hung in the air, like a statue captured in flesh. As Leo stepped back, Kadoc slowly dissolved into mist, which swirled around Leo's ankle.
"What... is this..." Leo said, with quiet anger in his voice.