Fate oath/alternative (Festival of Epics Reboot)

Valeria Morris

Valeria heard the first statement then the second. When Octavian walked in front of her she sighed. "I'm capable of handling myself you know Saber" she grumbled. She reached for her shoulder and realized she had forgotten to bring a sword. She cursed under her breath; she certainly was not going to use her secret weapon so early on. As she looked toward the church and started to walk, moving around Octavian, she said "Come on, if they wish to strike let them, I could use the exercise."

Jesse

Jesse smiled wide, her eyes filled with lust. But not the normal kind. It would work! She could get her wish! She just had to beat out these other incompetents. And she'd summoned the best possible Servant for her. Famous and cute. Nothing could po-ss-ib-ly go wrong today!~

"So, have any of the other Masters, y'know?" She motioned, pointing down into the ground and clucking her tongue.

Emilia Archibald

It was then the first course arrived. Luxurious was an understatement. For Enkidu, an enormous crab-stuffed truffle omelet. For Emilia, a pan of lobster and oysters prepared in a bed of the finest ingredients.◊ It was the definition of opulence.

And without any further ado, Emilia began to eat it like there was no tomorrow.

Genghis Khan

"With all due respect, Master, my ability to scout the island would be less hindered if I were to leave the boat. A commander cannot truly call himself the leader of his men if he does not stand on the same battlefield as them. It is the same with me. If too many of my troopers leave my territory, I will lose control over them. This will slow our task considerably."

However, it didn't seem like Joseph was buying it. She sighed. "I will only be a foot from the boat. As long as I can make contact with the island, I can call it my territory."

Archer

Archer watched the little girl disappear. Although she was their enemy, he could not help but feel some gratitude.

"Heh. Thanks..." Slowly, he hoisted Jessica into a standing position, and started looking for a way out (one which wouldn't collapse on them at any given moment).

The Black Knight

Saber parried each of the blows directed towards her. Her arm, while hurt, stood in place. This was good. The blows of the giant would have considerable more effect on a one-handed sword than on a two-handed one. But still, this giant's strength, not to mention his persistence, was becoming annoying.

"Don't get cocky!" Saber roared, catching her blade against his fist before pushing back, throwing his arm to the side. She immediately circled around him, and swung at the offending shoulder, intending to sever the entire arm.

Kay, being summoned

The girl's circle began glowing, the air pulsing with power. Next came flames, blue flames that erupted from the circle, yet did not burn anything..The flames slowly took the form of a man, tall and imposing.

As the man emerged from the circle, he yawned and stretched his limbs.

"About damn time. I'm Kay. Servant Saber at your service."

Standing back to admire his work, Evander Barthomeloi smiled.

The summoning circle before him, its elegant, intersecting curves formed by silvery alchemical chalk, was impeccable, as always. But no, the Lord of Eulyphis had far more reason to smile than the flawless replication of a task he had preformed many times before and could probably do in his sleep. Rather, the circle itself was the finishing touch on his laboriously-constructed workshop. Its creation had taken nearly every waking moment since his arrival in Archwood, but now, at long last, it was finally complete.

Naturally, when he had stumbled across the theme park in his survey of the island, he had been at first shocked and appalled, and then furiously angry. As he had turned the idea over more in his head, however, he'd realized that it was by far one of the most ideal locations for a base of operations. Not only was it a great spot for avoiding confrontations during the day, and not only did an amusement park provide plenty of opportunity to lay unorthodox traps, but it was also right on top of a massive intersection of ley lines. So, with some money in the right places and the manipulation of a few memories, a certain section of the park had been slated indefinitely for maintenance, maintenance which the state conveniently couldn't find the budget to pay for. And though it had obviously been erected to glorify the inhuman scum that were called "vampires", having a base of operations here meant that once he no longer had a use for it, he could wipe this abomination, this brazen insult to the human race, this Brunestudland off of the face of the Earth in some catastrophic "accident". Yes, soon enough, the so-called "Kingdom of the Moon" would fall, crumbling into so much dust, just as its undoubtedly undead, nefarious masters would in time... but that was a matter for another day.

As usual, the Barthomeloi scion had stopped at nothing in providing his base of operations with layer upon layer of the best protections his power and ingenuity could muster. Over the area, he had crafted several different Bounded Fields that would repel any non-magi in the vicinity, alert him to trespassing, lock unknown spiritual bodies into a material form, and push intruders down with what amounted to several times Earth's gravity as soon as they began passing too far through the barrier. Inside the condemned block itself, he utilized the unusually enormous Hall of Mirrors as his headquarters, although there were a great many other "broken" attractions to distract attention. Nearly every inch of the building had been reinforced, the surface of every mirror formed a portal to another, with some actually leading back outside, and countless spirits waited to ambush the unauthorized in the corridors, with new ones being automatically summoned from any excess mana in the air. Deep within the labyrinthine structure, he concealed the true entrance to his subterranean laboratory and lair, rendered nigh-unreachable by anyone other than him without knowledge of the correct mirror-portal sequence.

It was in the huge central room of said basement that he stood now. The main cavern was a fully-functioning magecraft laboratory, complete with virtually every tool he could possibly need for experimentation. Dimly lit by candles as it was now, a large chandelier overhead could be ignited for less dramatic occasions, giving full view of the detailed city map that adorned one of the walls. A septet of earthen passageways led outwards to various other rooms, including a small kitchen, a bedroom, a library, and an emergency, one-way escape route that led to the basement of the Castle Brunestud replica. Everything was well-stocked, with enough food and water to last a month in the event of a siege, although it seemed doubtful that the War would last even that long.

Evander's smile widened as he shook his head, re-focusing his thoughts on the circle before him, and he spread his arms out as if to embrace it as he began his incantation:

"Tu princeps, O argentum, O ferrum,
O saxum basis, O Superdux Foederi,
Audite me in nomine nostrum magni magistris Superincantatoris Schweinorg:
Descendere venti tamquam murus sint,
Portas undique cludantur, super diadematem oririntur, trinitarium viam ad regnum rotetur!
Clude! Clude! Clude! Clude! Clude!
Quina perfectiones omni repetitioni."

Yes, yes! Everything was going perfectly. He could practically hear the prana singing through his circuits as it flowed out to fill the ever-brightening circle. Humming mana permeated the air, and he funneled it into the circle as well. His entire being, it seemed, was flowing into the glyphs. But he was far too experienced to be fooled by such an illusion, for he knew he had yet more power to spare. Far, far more...

"Tui corpore subter mei dominium iaceatur, mei fatum in te ensi iaceatur!
Si tu prebueris accitui Sacrati Calicis et si tu parueris hunc animum, hanc mentem, responsaveris!
Iuro mei iures hic!"

The words fell effortlessly one after the other from his lips, and his circle became almost painful to gaze upon. As he felt the energy build to its peak, Evander couldn't help but let a small smirk make its way to his face, and in the very depths of his soul, he rejoiced: His wish would finally come true.

"Sum illud qui decorum omnium caelorum exstiturus esse!
Sum illud qui maleficiis omnium abyssi exstiturus amicitur!
Tu septem caeli, comptus trinitate orsorum,
Veni per tui cohibendi circlum, et es manus ut ponderes servare-!"

The moment the last syllable left his throat, the circle exploded with the force of a bombshell and a light like the sun. Impossible winds raged about the room, tossing about papers and rattling instruments, but Evander remained rooted to the spot, unmoved. The cloak of his robe flared out, then just as suddenly pulled back to his body as the gale began to swirl in upon itself, condensing into a black, smoky form. With all but a few of the candles extinguished by the chaos, the only thing visible in the near-absolute darkness was a bone-white mask.

"Hmm," the magus hummed, unperturbed, "It seems my hypothesis was correct, after all. In the absence of a catalyst, the Servant that is called is the one whose nature is most perfectly compatible with the summoner. Welcome. Evander Barthomeloi is pleased to make your acquaintance, Assassin."

"Indeed." The Servant let out a low chuckle. "I, likewise-"

Another Assassin faded into view at the side of the first.

"-am pleased-"

And another.

"-to make your acquaintance."

In a few moments, dozens upon dozens of Servants stood behind the first, their shapes indistinct but unmistakably varied in the candlelight, their masks looming through the darkness like a pale sea.

"We, Hassan i Sabbah of the Hundred Faces, shall become true shadow, and grant you certain victory... Master."

Meanwhile, atop the lighthouse at Archer's Peak, a certain red-haired woman in a white sundress whispered a quiet word to close the wound upon her finger.

Erin Coleman, for that was the name the woman had assumed, rose to inspect the circle before her. Traced upon the floor of the room with her lifeblood, she mused that it was something she might once, many years before, have considered blasphemy. But those days were far behind her, and Erin dwelt little on them, for her doubts, too, were something she had discarded long ago.

It's time to begin, then. With Your strength, O Lord. She lifted her hands toward the circle, a diamond on her left catching the light briefly as she shut her eyes in concentration and began to chant:

"Ye first, O silver, O iron,
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract,
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg..."

edited 6th Aug '12 11:13:19 PM by darksidevoid

Bedivere

The circle finished in a bright storm of light, and in the middle stood a tall man, with long, pale hair. His name was Bedivere, and he was once a Knight of the Round Table. The most glorious position a warrior of his time could hold.

He looked to the woman standing opposite to him outside the circle. Ah yes. So that's how it was. Indeed, once he was a Knight of the Round. But now, it appeared he was just a simple Servant. Oh well. No harm there. He supposed the role suited him, in death as it had in life.

"Greetings. My name is Sir Bedivere, Knight of the Round Table. In this Holy Grail War, I have been summoned as the Lancer class. Tell me, are you to be my new Master?"

"Indeed I am, Lancer." After several moments of hesitation, Erin smiled cordially, offering her new partner a polite curtsey. "I am Erin Coleman, a servant myself of the Almighty God. I must say, I wasn't expecting to summon a hero of such renown. Some minor individual from a forgotten age, perhaps, but..." she paused, struggling to find words, "Your loyalty itself is legendary, Sir Bedivere. I'm most honored to meet you."

Bedivere

Bedivere smiled. "I am glad you think so highly of me."

He got on one knee. If this woman was to be his Master, he owed it to her to pay her the proper respect. "Lady Erin, from this moment forth, consider me, Sir Bedivere, your humble servant. I will do everything in my power to help you succeed. Your victory is my victory. My sword is your sword."

Elena, the battlefield

ALL MY HATE, DEATH.

This was a disaster. She didn't want this. What..what was Berserker doing?! And then the black Servant tried to destroy half the city. Then the red Servant came. This! This is insane! She tried to run towards her Servant...but then....

PAIN. BLOOD.

She collapsed. Something had hit her, right on her right leg.

She was bleeding, and she didn't know why.

"...Help...."

Lancer, nearing the Church

Gradually, the church came into view, and he sensed several sources of prana that could only belong to other Servants. Busy as usual, huh? Lancer smirked and turned to Chloe:

"The Church is near and there are few Servants hanging around. Do you want to wait here or go with me and play the role of my Master until we reach the Overseer?"

Joseph Vlkov, abroad the Windrunner

Joseph sighed.

"In battle, you can do whatever you deem best. I wont get into your way when you fight other Servant, I am not suicidal. But the whole point of this endeavor is to avoid outright confrontation. We are here as a scouting party, and I doubt you personally commanded every group of scouts that served in your army."

He idly wondered how longer will Rider tolerate him berating her like a dense schoolgirl. He learned to suppress his nervousness while interacting with her, as she seemed to like the direct and bold approach. But the nervousness was still festering inside him, creating a rather unpleasant images of his various deaths caused by annoyed Rider.

Joseph breathed out in relief. That was all he wanted.

"Excellent! .....Oh, and it looks like the island is nearby."

He pointed at the slowly growing piece of land slightly on the left side of boat.

Will wait until Nero acts before posting Berserker.

Nero — Mc Donalds

With Berserker charging in, Nero changed tactics. Originally she wanted to keep the fighting down but now that Berserker entered the fray, things changed. As the giant released his relentless attack, Nero brought her blade up and blocked all she could. Each blow pushed her further back and, when her guard finally broke, she flew backward and rolled onto the ground. "Ghh." the elegant, red-clad Servant stood firm with both feet planted onto the ground.

She gripped the hilt of her sword firmly, held it straight up at the towering giant. "Berserker." she mumbled to herself for reassurance of the monster's identity.

Noah — Archwood City

"I could dispatch familiars, yes, that would be the better idea." Noah walked forward, ahead of Rider, as she sped up her walk. Soon, they arrived at her apartment. Noah pulled up her hand, clenched the door knob and opened it up. Finally home, she hurried up the stairs, unlocked her own room and entered. After only a second of being home, she fell upon the couch with her arms and legs branched out.

Jeanne — The Church

"I don't want to involve the common folk, innocent civilians, in this war under any circumstances and do not fight in the day time. Both rules coincide with one another, as you can see." Jeanne stated as she folded her hands together. A smile formed from her lips. "Is that clear?"

Abandoned Manor

The structure of the floor began to shake and falter. Soon, the walls began to crack. Or rather, the walls located behind them.

Jessica fought to keep concious. The magic energy that flooded her body moments before had all but vanished. She gripped Lightray as tightly as she could as she didn't want to lose the blade. "Archer, I can't even... move." Jessica fell back, probably into Archer's arms.

Crack... crack...

The entire place was going to collapse. There, in front of them however, was a large hole where Jessica blew it up. Talk about convenience!

Rider followed behind Noah, coming up and into the room as she fell onto the couch. Oh dear, she really looked bad. She really looked like she needed help! "Oh, are you alright Noah? Did summoning me drain you? Can I get you anything?"

Berserker, Near Mc Donald

Both Sabers managed to block his attack. However while the red one got pushed backward, the black one deflected one of his blow and attacked. But she underestimated his speed - while she was far superior at the beginning of the fight, right now, he was her equal. He abruptly swayed to his side, escaping what should be a dismembering cleave with merely a deep cut. And even that might have been a result of his personal philosophy and not lack of agility.

His counter-attack were three lighting fast blow with his full power behind them, intended to push the black swords-woman back and to throw her off balance. And he followed it with… wordlessly withdrawing from the fight.

Without hesitation, he turned back to the fight and to the black-clad Saber and rushed to his fallen Master. He lived for the battle, but for him to properly savor it, he had to have someone to fight for. “Protect weak from the strong” was a core part of his personal way of living as much as “always take the hard way”.

Just as he returned to her position, suddenly, he turned back, while performing a sweeping motion with sword that could serve as grand gesture as well as wicked slash against anybody stupid enough to pursue him. Silently, he placed himself over her, shielding her with his massive body against any harm and faced the two hostile Servants and waited, ready to guard his Master from any further attacks.

Unlike before, he was not afraid he would miss a battle like he did with the Servant wielding a pike: The dark Saber already felt the kiss of his blade, and understood the honor of the gladiator- she will come to him to conclude their fight, either now or later. But she will come.

edited 7th Aug '12 10:59:54 AM by Drakovicz

Genghis Khan

As the island grew in the distance, Khan noticed something queer. The dark cloud was beginning to dissipate. Khan furrowed her brow. What was the meaning of this?

Finally, she pulled the boat up to the dock, and left it to idle with her Master still inside. She herself climbed onto the dock, and took one, then two steps forward until she reached dry land. She took a deep breath.

"Men!" she called. It was then Joseph got a true feeling for just who he was partnered with. While she had, at other points, been restricted in her power by the conceptual limitations of things like streets, rooftops, and mansions, she wasn't anymore. Now that she had deemed this island hers, she could really start showing off her strength in numbers.

A crowd of spectral Mongol warriors appeared before Khan, standing at attention before their leader. Their forces easily numbered in the low hundreds, and each was riding the signature stocky horse of the Mongol army. Khan squirmed momentarily, the strain of channeling enough prana to materialize this many taking its toll on her, but she quickly resumed her composure.

"What stands before us is the homeland of the enemy! We do not know them. We have not met them. Our knowledge of them is little. That is what I have called you to correct."

She pointed to the horizon. "Spread out! Search every inch of this island! The moment you find anything, report immediately back to me! Understood?"

The soldiers saluted, and each took off in a separate direction, quickly beginning their work.

Jesse

"Yes, we understand completely!" Jesse shook her head vigorously. Well, that was fine anyway. She did her best work under the cover of night. There was no reason this had to be any different. As for the innocents... well, acceptable losses. As long as no one found out of course.

Archer

Archer looked about the room, immediately singling out the hole in the wall his Master had blasted with that damned sword. As the walls began to creak and splinter, Archer weighed his options. There was no telling if that hole wasn't just a straight drop down into the ocean. With an exhausted passenger and water that was undoubtedly ice cold, chances are his Master would die if he stayed in the water too long. But she'd die if they stayed here.

A splintering board broke his hesitation, and without another thought, he dove through the hole, subjecting himself to the whims of fate.

Scáthach

She grinned. "Alright, that's what I like to hear! Let's get blotted!"

edited 7th Aug '12 4:12:46 PM by KSPAM

Gale, Average Apartment

Gale was only slightly surprised that she actually summoned a Saber, though, her eyes narrowed in annoyance at the casual and aloof attitude he gave off.

"Kay, huh? As in Sir Kay, one of King Arthur's knights? Wonderful~" said the girl with a smirk as she walked towards her Servant, inspecting him and his imposing taller self. "So, Saber, what is it that you can do?"

Rider with Jesse, at The Church

"Like my Servant said, we understand completely," said Perseus as he smiled and nodded his head in confirmation. "Well," Rider turned towards his Master, before looking back at the Overseer "if you don't have anything else to ask, Rider, I suppose we will be taking our leave then, Miss Overseer."

Master, what do you suppose that we do now? Shall we wait here a bit for other Masters and Servants, and check out our competition? Or... will we ignore the nice Overseer's warning, and begin the hunt? I can work wonderfully during the night and the day, so, I'm fine with whatever you decide.

Jesse

Jesse considered this. Let's go out on the town, look for some other people. I do my best work at night, so all we need to do is scout. See who we're up against.

Rider

Understood, Master.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then, Miss Overseer, it was truly a pleasure to have this nice small chat with you. I'd like to have another sometime soon, if that is alright." Giving off a small bow and a warm smile towards the Overseer, Perseus led his Master towards the entrance of the Church, before opening it and leading her out.

The Overseer seemed rather nice, don't you think? Anyway, do you have any ideas where we should start our search? If not, I could use my Aegis to search for some unsuspecting Masters and Servants.

Evander's Lab

This time, the magus made no effort to disguise the smirk curving his lips. "Very good." Raising a hand, he snapped his fingers, rekindling the room's full lighting. "Now!" he pointed to a briefcase on the side table, "The profiles I've compiled of Masters from the Mage's Association are there, and on the opposite wall, you will note a full map of the city. Several of you should stay here to study those and familiarize yourself with my territory. The rest will follow me and branch out into the city proper as I meet with the Overseer. I suppose you don't need to manifest all your bodies at once?"

A large portion of the Assassins vanished, and a trio moved over to the dossiers as the one in the center stepped forward to answer. "Of course not, Master. The tasks you have assigned us here will also not take long, for our memories are perfect."

Evander nodded, turning to stride up the earthen stairs to the surface. "Excellent. Three will be stationed here at all times as guards, then. Let's go. You can explain your abilities to me in more detail on the way."

Archer's Peak

Still slightly overwhelmed, Erin nodded demurely. "Thank you, Sir Knight. I gladly accept your allegiance. You have a wish for the Grail as well, of course. I shall do my best to make certain it is fulfilled. We will share in the results of our battles, whether they be victories or defeats, though I do pray that we have more of the former."

"Ah!" she started for a second, putting a finger to her chin as if remembering something, "Speaking of which, please do not be alarmed if I should enter into battle myself, perhaps even alongside you. I am no stranger to combat, even against superhuman opponents."

edited 7th Aug '12 12:20:04 PM by darksidevoid

Enkidu

"Oh this looks so grand!" says Enkidu as he takes a look out of his plate, clapping his hand once before grabbing his utensils "Smells great too, Master"

With that once again, the ancient hero set himself to eat, his eyes opening up wide and a smile appearing on his lips due to the exquisite taste.

Medusa, in front of the Church, running into Perseus

However, before her Master could reply to Medusa the Servant stood still... having just detected something she would have never thought she would run into. However, it seems like her fate was sealed and cursed... This must be a cruel joke of the Gods. Of course... that man had been lauded as a 'Hero', no? She should have foreseen his presence here.

He didn't have the presence of a Servant... He felt like a regular mortal man, but to her there was no mistaking him. Clad in clothes of this her, still his appearance, his voice, his essence remained undisguised.

The man that had come to her island, that had battled with her, that had finally ended her suffering... That foolish boy hero clad in the armaments granted by the Gods... He was their instrument, their latest toy...

Only after her dead, only in the records of Akasha has she learned of his name.

Perseus...

Perseus, in front of The Church with his Master, encountering Medusa

Without waiting for his Master to say something, Perseus noticed a presence... one he knew all too well. Immediately, a sudden killing intent burst forth from the usually cheerful and smiling young man.

Ah... It would seem there wont be any need to search, Master... for I've already found our first opponent, spoke the Servant mentally towards his Master in an unusual voice.

Turning, he faced the rivaling Servant who he had slain all those years ago on that island. The demon monstrosity whose death granted him the title of "Hero", and made him one of the most well-known heroes to ever exist. However, she looked nothing like the abomination that she once was... she looked human. Though, this did not surprise the Greek hero, for he knew that she was once a gorgeous being before being taken advantage of by his uncle, Poseidon, and becoming the dread Gorgan.

Narrowing his eyes, an eerie smile crept upon his face, one that would send chills down anyone's spine. The warmth that once emitted from this heroic Servant was replaced with a sense of great hostility, one that was directed towards the Servant he was now facing.

Walking towards the Servant, Perseus spoke in a voice so that the only ones who could hear him, was the Servant in front of him, and their masters.

"I'm surprised that I would encounter a creature such as yourself here, in a battle among heroes," chuckled the Servant in a warm voice that completely contradicted his killing aura. "It has been a while, hasn't it... Medusa?"

I can edit this to have Perseus say something else instead of revealing Rider's identity to their Masters.

Diomedes, King of Argos

Well, now his Master was asleep. Diomedes quietly left the hotel just as quickly as he had come. Perhaps out there somewhere was another Servant willing to talk or fight. He wasn't really interested in killing someone who would rather talk, but anyone cruising for trouble would certainly get it.

Marcus Erikson, with Drake

"Pay you?" Marcus asked, looking at the red headed woman oddly. "Why? We're partners, not employer and employee."

Bedivere

"Then this is good news. I am used to my liege fighting alongside me, as odd as that sounds." He offered a courteous smile. "Now then, shall we check ourselves in with the Overseer? That is standard procedure, isn't it?"

I intend for them to meet up with Arturia and co., who I assume are also headed towards the church.

Jesse

So this is Medusa? Jesse thought to herself. She studied the woman. She... wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. The snakes had obviously been a load of BS, unless this was just a good hair day for her, and she was actually very beautiful (although, Jesse noted with pride, she still won out in "assets"). She was nothing like the legends had described her. Except for one thing.

Jesse stared at the blindfold. It was said anyone who looked Medusa in the eyes would be turned to stone. Obviously that part they'd gotten right, because they were locked up tight. Even Jesse, who considered herself more of a magic user than a full fledged magus, could tell that blindfold was radiating some serious magic power. And it was all being used to keep those eyes away from the world. What were they? Some special kind of Mystic Eyes maybe? That'd be the only thing that made sense. But Mystic Eyes that petrified people? She'd never heard of something like that, and she certainly had no desire to face it.

"Easy, Percy," she said, walking up to her Servant and putting a hand on his shoulder. "As much as I hate to say this, put your junk away and let's go. We'll have plenty of time to deal with her when the whole world isn't watching us." And frankly, I'd like to get a good idea of just what you intend to do before we go rushing in. I don't wanna become a Jesse statue, I already have one of those.

Perseus

Perseus stared intensely at the Gorgan as his Master spoke, and after hearing what she said, he abruptly shook his head. "I'm sorry Master, but were she any other Servant I would happily do so, but I cannot just walk away after meeting her. "

And I plan to end her existence, Master. During her life she killed many, many people, and even devoured her own sisters. I will not allow a monster like that to arise once again, especially not in this city full of people where she can feast like a king.

Still smiling, the Servant gently removed his Master's hand from his shoulder, before patting her gently on the top of her hat. And don't worry, Jesse, I have no intention in letting harm come to you. Besides, if you haven't forgotten, I have a Noble Phantasm that reflects her eyes of petrification. Her eyes were extremely powerful when she was a full-fledged Gorgan, and my Aegis was still able to reflect her mystical eyes upon herself, allowing me to easily decapitate her. Now that she's human, her eyes are probably weaker... but it doesn't really matter whether her eyes are extremely powerful or extremely weak, my shield will still reflect them no matter what. So, there's nothing to worry about when it comes to her eyes, Master.

However, I don't want to risk you getting harmed... and so I'd like it if you could stay here at the Church. At least here you would be completely safe from harm.

"Gorgan," said Perseus with his odd warm smile as he walked forward, "you and I both know that I will not allow you to just walk away freely from this, considering who you are. I will fight you either here, or..." the young Servant turned and pointed towards the forest a ways away from the Church, "...there. The choice is yours, Medusa, but be warned that if we fight here, we are both at risk of facing the Overseer's wrath, and that our Masters will be in harm's way."

"Now choose."

edited 7th Aug '12 5:09:29 PM by Aevum

With Arthuria, in Town Near the Church

Felicia stepped out of the shadows as the duo entered the town. Popping out of nowhere inside a shop would lead to very awkward questions.

"...w-we should probably get you some clothes," she said quietly to her Servant, pointing to a nearby shop.

"Unless there's something specific you want...?"

It seemed that in the presence of other people, of which a few were walking around, her enthusiasm to speak with her Servant had dimmed. It was somewhat easier to see how she had gone without people to talk to for so long.

Yuna instinctively threw herself backwards with a blast of wind, tumbling to the side of the road. The first few seconds she could only watch as her Servant was attacked, first by a black-armored woman and then by a gargantuan figure. By the time Nero had her sword raised in defiance of "Berserker", however, she had had time to collect her wits.

S-Saber! I'm fine. Is there anything I can do?! Even her thoughts seemed rattled, but the Master stood back up, looking around for cover.

edited 7th Aug '12 5:58:38 PM by IchigoNeko

Florina

Florina stepped before Medusa cutting her off before she could respond to the challenge. "You are a fool for giving away your identity so quickly as is your Master for allowing you to. Either way your offer is being rejected. Stand down or we will cut you down where you stand." A pause to let her words sink in and begin to prepare a spell just in case one was needed. She continued to acknowledge the Servant before her. "You will let us through or suffer the immediate consequences of your actions." Florina cast a glance towards Medusa from the corner of her eyes before addressing Jesse.

"If you wish to fight we will be glad to deal with you. After we take care of our business with the Overseer." And after I figure out just how dangerous those eyes of Medusa's are.' "Do you agree or are you ready to die a fool?" She let her words hang as she faced the pair.

Outside the Church

Oho? Most interesting.

As the drama unfolded neatly below the steeples of the sanctuary, neither the Servants nor their Masters could have known that an Assassin crept in their midst.

It seems a confrontation is taking place between two Servants just outside the Overseer's church. The male instantly recognized the female as "Medusa", and although his own identity has not yet been revealed, his Master refers to him as Percy. The other Master is in plain view, as well, but neither matches any of the profiles you provided us with.

Hm. Perhaps my contacts aren't as useful as I thought. Medusa of the Gorgons, was it? I see. That would likely make this "Percy" Perseus, her slayer in life.

Your orders?

...Take no action for now, but if they leave, follow them. I'll send a couple more ahead as backups.

Understood, my Master.

Archer's Peak

"Well, yes, that would be the normal course of action, but there's a minor problem I want to deal with first." Erin's face darkened, and she pointed out to sea, where extremely conspicuous black clouds were hovering over the nearby island. "Do you see that, Sir Bedivere? The ferryman down at the dock tells me they've ceased service to the mansion there due to a sudden plague. Those are quite clearly not natural clouds, and I know not whether a Servant or something more nefarious lies at their root, but my instincts have been screaming at me ever since I laid eyes upon that place that some manner of heresy is involved."

"As a former Executor of the Holy Church-" she held Bedivere's gaze meaningfully and flicked her wrist, materializing a long dagger between each knuckle, "-I have always seen it as my solemn obligation to eliminate heretical threats to humanity."

edited 8th Aug '12 1:03:10 AM by darksidevoid