Arjuna answered the call of the Grail.
He could easily have refused it. The summoning was weak and unfocused, as if the summoner was not using a catalyst. The Grail was not forcing him to answer. Arjuna was being given a choice.
And so he made it. Why he made that particular choice was a mystery even to himself but it was his choice. And when the mist cleared he found himself standing in the middle of a summoning circle drawn in blood, in a dank and dirty basement, facing a ghostly white teenager with aquamarine eyes. Tousled white hair had flopped adorably over one eye and Arjuna blinked. Aside from the age and the hair, his new Master bore a shocking resemblance to his brother Karna. Arjuna wished he could believe that was a coincidence but he knew better.
"Are you my Master?" he asked and the child - was it a boy or a girl? He could hardly tell - smiled at him.
"Yes," he said before collapsing. Arjuna barely caught the child before realizing his arm was bandaged. Had he drawn the summoning circle in his own blood? It was a substantial amount! Frowning, Arjuna looked around. This - place - was utterly disgusting. In addition to being cold and damp, it was littered with trash that was further caked with filth. There was a soft rattle of claws on concrete and Arjuna realized with disgust that it was a rat.
"What kind of a Master would summon a Heroic Spirit into a place like this?" Arjuna asked, repulsed. There was a soft laugh and the child pulled away, smiling in an odd way. Arjuna hesitated, his instincts suddenly warning of danger.
"The kind of Master who belongs here," the boy breathed before focusing on him. "What is your name and class?"
"Arjuna, summoned into the class of Archer," Arjuna said, noticing as he did that no relic was present. Likely he'd been summoned because this boy was a reincarnation of Karna. The teen nodded slowly before meeting his eyes.
"There are seven people in the house. Three magi, two servants and two flesh dolls," the boy said and Arjuna blinked. Flesh dolls? Then the boy lifted his hand and Arjuna's eyes widened as the seals flared. "By the power of my Command Seal you will kill them all. Quickly yet carefully, like an assassin in the night. Now, go," the teenager said and Arjuna felt himself move like a robot, his mind cushioned with shock. What had his Master just...?
Arjuna did not want to obey his orders. His heart screamed in agony at the dishonor of it but the Command Seal compelled him remorselessly. The first to die was the cook and her helper. The helper was a young girl and to Arjuna's shock, she smiled beatifically just before she died.
The other servant was a butler and he died quite easily. The magi and the final 'flesh doll' were the most troublesome. Arjuna still managed to complete his instructions but he had to be very careful, obeying his Master's command to move like an assassin. The 'flesh doll' was a young man with waxen yellow skin and dark brown hair. The doll saw him but didn't raise a cry, just stared with empty eyes as Arjuna stabbed the magus from behind, ending his life with a dishonorable blow in the back.
"So he did it," the doll said, voice uncaring. Arjuna thought he seemed broken, even as he raised his backup weapon, a small blade, to end the boy's life. "Tell him to kill them all." Those words seemed to kindle something in the 'doll' and he smiled. Still moved by the Command Seal, Arjuna struck without mercy, painting the walls with blood.
Then the deed was done and the Command Seal finally released him. Arjuna took a deep breath before glancing around the room, truly taking in the magus' workshop.
"…" Arjuna felt an instinctive, atavistic repulsion as he gazed over the strange, fetus like things in tanks, the not dead but hardly alive things that wiggled and squirmed in various enclosures and cages. Swallowing, he began to understand what his Master meant by 'flesh doll'. Just to confirm it, Arjuna walked to the door of a large cooler and opened it. He immediately wished he hadn't and shut it again, trying to wipe the sight from his brain. "I see," he said aloud, suddenly more accepting of his Master's choice to use the Command Seal. Purging this filth had been necessary.
Then his Master walked into the room and Arjuna turned to see him giving the corpse of the magus a cold, cold smile.
"Not looking too good father," the boy said calmly and Arjuna swallowed. Father? "Arjuna, put the corpse on that examination bed, chest up. I need to get something."
"Master, I – " Arjuna stopped as his Master left the room, taking his compliance for granted. Deciding it was too small a thing to rebel over, Arjuna handled the body, grimacing at the feel of blood soaking through his gloves. What could his Master want with it?
That was answered when his Master brought in a glass jar of clear fluid and a very sharp knife.
"Alright, time to get started…" His Master said before carving into the body. Arjuna watched in shock and horror as the boy worked quickly but brutally, cutting deep into the chest cavity. "Good, it wasn't damaged. It shouldn't have been but you never know."
"Master, what are you doing?" Arjuna asked, repulsed as his Master quickly got bloody up to the elbows as he rooted through the body by hand. Aquamarine eyes were fixed on the body, not lifting towards him.
"Removing his Mage Crest." Arjuna vaguely recalled that a Mage Crest was a repository for magical knowledge, gathered for many generations. So this did make sense. "I need to have it transplanted into me. Since I'm technically a blood relative, it should work. Get me that jar." Arjuna bit back a groan before fetching the jar. "Thank you." At least his Master had some courtesy.
"Technically a blood relative?" Arjuna questioned and his Master nodded, hair flopping over his eye again.
"I take after my mother, she was albino, or so I'm told anyway," the boy said vaguely and Arjuna frowned, reminded that he didn't even know his Master's name yet. "Got it." The boy extracted something that looked like an organ. It was long, red and pulsing and Arjuna could sense a powerful magical energy centred in it. The boy dropped it in the jar, sealing the lid.
"Master, what is your name?" Arjuna asked and the teenager hesitated a moment before heaving a soft sigh.
"Six." What? "Because I'm the sixth flesh doll of my type. And yes, that's a terrible name, but it's the only one that's mine. If you want to name me something better feel free," the boy said with a wave and Arjuna grimaced to himself. It sounded like his Master had had a very unpleasant life. Vaguely, Arjuna wondered what Karna could have done to warrant such a reincarnation. "But I really don't have time to talk. I need to get the second Mage Crest."
What followed next was a stripping of another corpse, and then the removal of an intricate tattoo-like thing, embedded deep into the skin. That went into the second jar of fluid. When his Master was done, he began to issue crisp instructions.
"Please try to find a backpack or some other suitable bag and put together a travelling kit. Check in the kitchen for food and try to find clothing, whatever you think would be suitable. I'm going to have a shower," the boy – Arjuna had trouble thinking of him as Six – said before glancing over himself. Arjuna followed his gaze to the blood on his hands and arms.
"Yes Master," Arjuna said, wondering if he should be following so blindly. Yet, every command his Master had given so far had been completely logical, except for the first. Frowning to himself, Arjuna began searching for something to carry the supplies. He soon found a fabric bag and went to the kitchen. Ignoring the corpses and congealing blood, he looked for food that was easily portable and could be eaten raw. Tins of fish and meat and beans, meal replacement bars and a bag of trail mix went into the bag. Arjuna also found some water bottles and took several. Hmm, no materials to start a fire but hopefully they wouldn't need that. A can opener. Was there anything else? No, this would do. He also added extra clothing to the bag, as his Master had instructed.
He was just finishing when his Master appeared in the doorway, freshly washed. He was carrying the jars in a box and after a quick look at the bag, his Master hefted it over one shoulder.
"Master, I can carry that," Arjuna said with a frown. The boy shook his head.
"No, you need to dematerialize and keep watch over me," he said and Arjuna hesitated before nodding. "Follow me." The teenager's expression was cold and remote. Arjuna obediently dematerialized, trailing behind his Master like a spectral cloud. "Arjuna, you see the building down the road, two houses over? There's a man on the roof," the child said quietly and Arjuna easily spotted the man. With his Archer's eyesight he could see the man lifting binoculars. "Kill him."
Master, despite what you have commanded me to do, I am not an assassin, Arjuna said firmly. There was a soft sigh from the boy, followed by a very dry chuckle.
"But a Servant exists to protect their Master. Go, look at him, evaluate his level of threat. Then decide for yourself," the teenager said and Arjuna found that instruction to be far more palatable. Slipping easily away, Arjuna situated himself several rooftops behind the man before materializing. Then he looked over his prey.
Arjuna's lips tightened as he took in the high-powered rifle lying on the roof beside the stranger. Lifting his bow, he sighted just as the man reached for the rifle. Gandiva's arrow flew true, hitting the man square in the back. Arjuna spared no more attention for him, dematerializing and returning to his Master.
It is done, Arjuna said simply and his Master nodded.
His Master took them down into a subway system, beneath the ground. He boarded a train and sat quietly, box between his feet and bag on the seat next to him. Fortunately the train was not crowded and there was no one to object. After perhaps three stops, the boy picked up his box and exited the train. Arjuna followed behind silently, wondering where they were going.
It turned out they were going to a dirty old building in the industrial part of town. Arjuna watched over his Master carefully and once, was forced to pick off a few men hiding in an alleyway with intent to ambush. His Master noticed.
"Thank you," he murmured softly and Arjuna sent a mental acknowledgement, similar to a nod. He was pleased, though, to have the boy acknowledge his contribution. When they reached the building, his Master kicked on the door until it opened. A small, wizened old woman let them in. Behind her, two other women quickly gathered, a motherly woman with pale skin and long blonde hair, and a teenager, hardly more than a child, with very dark skin and kinky black hair.
"White, you came back. Where's your Servant?" The teenager said with a sneer and Arjuna materialized without a word. All three of the women looked taken aback as his Master smirked, setting down the box.
"Everything went as planned. Your fee is here," the boy said and lifted out one of the jars, the one with the tattoo. The motherly woman took it, holding it so the elderly woman could examine it. Arjuna frowned, suddenly reminded of stories he knew… the three witches. Maiden, Mother and Crone?
"Yes, it is perfect," the crone muttered before grinning. Arjuna felt a bit repulsed as he saw most of her teeth were missing and the few she had were disgustingly yellowed. "And the other one?" His Master lifted the second jar and the crone examined the organ within before grunting. "Ah, not an easy transplant, you were right. Well, it shant get any fresher. Mary, put that one away." The blonde woman nodded before hurrying off with her jar. "Tawny, get the tools ready. You may watch, spirit, but do not interfere. This will be a bloody business." …What?
"Master, what is going on?" Arjuna asked, voice chilly. His Master glanced at him and Arjuna was struck by the weariness in those aquamarine eyes.
"They're going to transplant my father's Mage Crest into my body. By opening me up and implanting it," he said and Arjuna's breath caught at the thought, his mind flashing back to the Crest removal. They would have to do that in reverse? "They'll put me up for three days after the operation, for recovery. Then we have to get out of here. Can you watch over me?" His Master's eyes flickered to the witches before moving back to him. "I don't trust them."
"Tch, that's rude boy," the crone said as she started off towards the back of the building. His Master followed, bag over his shoulder.
"We both know you don't care granny," the boy said and the crone wheezed a chuckle. Arjuna glanced around as they walked, his lips tightening at the concrete and the water stains on the walls. Did everyone here live in squalor? "Please tell me everything is sterile."
"No, we're just going to make sure you get infected and die. Of course it's sterile you moron!" The dark girl snarled.
"Given the rest of the surroundings, I would not take that for granted," Arjuna said coldly. "Do you ever clean?" There was nothing they could do about the water, perhaps, but they could take care of the dust. And the mouse droppings.
"Oh fuck you! I'm busy, can I leave gran?" the dark girl said sullenly and she nodded, waving the girl away. As they were talking, his Master was disrobing. Arjuna's attention was caught as he saw the golden markings on dead white skin. For an insane moment, Arjuna thought it was Karna's golden armor. Then he saw it was actually very unusual tattoos. Or perhaps body paint? It wasn't actual metal, that much he could tell. Arjuna frowned, though, as his Master finished stripping and sat on the edge of the table.
"You do intend to use anesthetic?" He asked and the old woman chuckled hoarsely before bringing out a cigarette? His Master took it and the crone pulled out a lighter, flicking the small piece of machinery several times to get a flame.
"The only anesthetic they have around here is pot. Fortunately I have a high pain tolerance," his Master said calmly as she lit his cigarette. This his Master began smoking it and Arjuna frowned. His knowledge of the modern era told him this form of pain relief would be inadequate at best, utterly ineffective at worst.
Still, his Master concentrated on the cigarette, finishing the whole thing before laying down for the operation to begin. He was given a leather strap to bite down on and unfortunately for Arjuna, he had to watch what followed. Fortunately, it was rather quick. As soon as the false organ was introduced into the child's body the crone began to mumble, something Arjuna quickly identified as a mystic chant. Then the organ slithered like a living thing, vanishing deep into the boy's body. The old woman continued to mumble, pressing her gloved hands against the bloody slit in the boy's abdomen. Something seemed to satisfy her and then she began sewing him up. His Master's eyes were tightly closed, the leather clenched hard between his teeth.
"Good, already I can feel it integrating. When the three days are up you will have a Mage Crest, boy," the old woman said as she finished with the sewing and began bandaging. The teen spat out the piece of leather before laying there, gasping. "You want another?"
"Please," he said weakly and the old woman gave him another cigarette. He smoked it while she continued the bandaging. Arjuna watched with a frown.
"Servant, you carry him," the crone said as she tied the final bandage and shuffled off. Arjuna accepted the order – the old woman couldn't carry his Master and the boy shouldn't be walking – gently picking up the teen, bridal style.
The room he carried the boy to was plain but mostly clean, a simple bed and nothing else. The crone pulled down the covers and Arjuna settled his Master onto the bed. The boy quietly thanked them both and closed his eyes. Arjuna glanced around and frowned.
"Might I have a chair?" he politely asked the old woman. He would like to speak to his Master while he recovered. She nodded.
"I'll go get you one," she said before shuffling out. Arjuna waited patiently and she came back with a basic wooden chair. Accepting it with quiet thanks, Arjuna settled in beside his Master. Aquamarine eyes opened, looking at him tiredly.
"Sorry about using a Command Seal like that. I had no time to explain, though, and knew nothing about you. If you were an Assassin class I might have taken the chance but…" he shrugged slightly and Arjuna nodded.
"I understand. But now that we have leisure, can you explain the situation to me from the beginning?" Arjuna suggested. Aquamarine eyes closed for a moment before the boy heaved a small sigh.
"Okay. My family is the Lupei clan. We're a very old family, tracing our roots back to Romania. However, we are not considered a clan of note. Our Origin is always Flesh, without exception." Arjuna blinked. Flesh? "We tend to modify ourselves and our descendants, as well as work with flesh in general. We excel in the creation of familiars and the power of our Mage Crest is mostly self-modification." The boy paused before smiling grimly. "That's part of why I needed you to kill them so quickly… father might have been getting old, but this Mage Crest is ideally suited for combat. If he'd had any time to get it off, you likely would have torn the house apart trying to kill him."
"However, I am not exactly part of the clan. I'm considered a flesh doll, a kind of homunculus," the boy continued and Arjuna frowned, watching him closely. "I'm an attempt to create an assassin homunculus, to serve as a bodyguard in the Holy Grail war. The first five were created from body parts but the strain of these – " the boy gestured to the tattoos on his body. "Destroyed them. Frustrated, my father resorted to cruder but more reliable methods. He kidnapped a prostitute, impregnated her and forced her to give birth to me." Arjuna swallowed at his matter of fact tone. "He modified me in the womb and outside the womb, so I grew to this age in just three years."
"Wait, you are three years old?" Arjuna asked, shaken. The boy nodded calmly.
"Yes, although father had the memories of a trained assassin implanted into me before having me trained. So I feel much older," his Master said, pushing back that flopping bang. It flopped over his eye again and the boy huffed in annoyance. "Stupid hair… I'm still growing, which could be unfortunate. I'm hoping to use the Mage Crest to make sure I don't lose coordination during the War."
"So you will reach adulthood?" Arjuna asked and the boy nodded, expression remote. "What will this do to your lifespan?" His Master grimaced.
"You go right for the jugular, don't you…? And it is drastically shortened. I'll live ten years if I'm lucky," the boy said and Arjuna swallowed at the thought. "The Mage Crest might let me stretch it out but too much damage has been done. I'm not going to have a normal lifespan unless I win the Holy Grail."
"I see," Arjuna said slowly before nodding. "A worthy wish." A selfish wish, yes, but most certainly a worthy one. Who would not want to live a normal length of time? Although. "Do you plan to wish for immortality?" The boy hesitated, catching his bottom lip in his teeth and chewing on it a bit.
"I don't know… immortality might give me too long to regret. A normal life is all I really need. But I'll think about it," he said and Arjuna nodded. "What do you want from the Grail?" Arjuna hesitated before shaking his head.
"Nothing," he answered, lying easily. He did not feel comfortable telling his Master his wish yet. How could the boy understand? His Master frowned at him, aquamarine eyes puzzled. "I am not sure why I answered the summons of the Grail. Although you bear an odd resemblance to someone I knew in life." Very odd. The golden marks on his body… they were very different, forming patterns that appeared to be mystical runes. Despite being so different, though, they were powerfully reminiscent of Karna.
"Huh. You know, I don't know anything about you. I've never heard of a hero named Arjuna," the boy said before smiling wryly. "Not that that means anything, since I'm just an ignorant flesh doll. But can you tell me about yourself?" …That would involve a lot of talking but it seemed they had several days here. Arjuna decided he did not mind.
"Very well. I am from a land known as India," Arjuna began and had to stop as his Master bit his lower lip, mildly ashamed.
"I'm… sorry… where is that?" the boy asked and Arjuna blinked before realizing this was going to take even longer than he'd thought. Patiently, he began to explain. When his Master had roughly grasped the position of India in the world, he went back to his own history. As he now expected, he had to stop many times to explain basic concepts. Oddly enough, Arjuna enjoyed it. It reminded him of teaching his own sons. "You sound pretty powerful. That's good, we're going to need it," the boy sounded relieved and Arjuna nodded.
"Forgive me, Master, but we can discuss it more later. You should rest," Arjuna said gently, noticing the way the child's eyelids kept drooping. The boy nodded.
"Yes… I want to know more but I'm getting so tired…" he slurred the last few words before his eyes closed. Arjuna dematerialized, watching over the boy while keeping his mana drain to a minimum. As he did, he thought about what he should call the child.
Six was no kind of a name. Arjuna would have to think of something better for him.