So I looked at the challenge I put up about Fate and Vanadis and... well, I might as well try it out myself. I've improved quite a bit since then and I happen to have a different idea about it. So well here it is.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fate series or Madan no Ou to Vanadis.
Chapter 1: A Changed Fate
-Siegfried, centuries before the Battle of Cammlann-
It was not supposed to end like this.
He was supposed to die in order to protect his brother-in-law and sister-in-law's honor. Even if nobody knew it, it was actually he himself who plotted his own demise at the hand of his once friend. He could resist if he wants to. He had seen it coming and all it takes was for him to turn around and the spear will not harm him.
But he did not, nor did he ever plan to resist.
So how did it come to this? How is it that the one who died by the spear is not him but her? For the spear had not pierced his back but instead is embedded deep in the chest of the woman he called his wife. Lying in a pool of her own blood after taking the spear meant for him is Kriemhild.
He had not foreseen this, not once, not ever. Kriemhild wasn't supposed to be here either. So how did it come to this?
Siegfried, the Dragon Slayer Hero, cradled his wife's dying form, mortified at what had happened. Hagen long gone after seeing that his plan had failed. It was a one-time only chance and he had failed and instead it was Kriemhild who was speared.
"Why… How?"
Siegfried asked, still in disbelief.
"Do you think you could keep this from me, dear husband?"
Kriemhild had noticed her husband's troubled look and recently, the look of a man prepared to die. She is his wife. It is her duty to know these things. It is also her duty to save him from himself. And thus, the act of a wife protecting her husband had changed the course of history. As Kriemhild lay dying in her husband's arm, she reached out to him one last time.
"I'm sorry but I cannot live in a world without you. Without you, I wouldn't be complete. Without you, I will be broken. I'm sorry… but I have to do this… so you may live."
"I'm supposed to die. I've prepared myself."
"But I have not. That's why… I'm sorry. I just want you to live. You have done so much… For me and for everyone else… You just want to help. Someone like you… cannot die here. So please… live… live and be happy. You earn it, Siegfried."
Perhaps for the first time in his life, as the body of his wife went life and her life ended, Siegfried allows tear to come out from his eyes. And thus the fate of one hero changed.
-Arthur, The Battle of Cammlann-
It was not supposed to be like this, countrymen fighting against each other. Where did it go wrong? Where did his rule go wrong? Arthur look up to the sky, begging for an answer. But none came, none apart from the memory of a certain knight telling him that he does not understand human heart.
Perhaps he does not. If he did, perhaps he can prevent this from happening.
A King cannot protect the people with human emotion but it was his lack of human emotion that eventually caused this, the Battle of Cammlann, to happen. The only battle which he knew he had lost no matter which side remains standing. The Round Table has fallen and so does Camelot.
His Camelot.
"Sir Bedivere… call for a ceasefire. At this rate, the country will fall no matter which one of us wins."
"My liege, you can't possibly think of surrendering!"
Sir Bedivere, the only Round Table Knight currently by his side protested. But Arthur had decided. If he were to lose today then so be it. But let it be only him who lost and not the people. Not his country. Although Bedivere would like to protest more, he had seen the resolved look on the King's face which is also riddled with deep sadness and regret. As his loyal knight, Bedivere obeys.
With one decision, the Battle of Cammlann ended in a very different way, changing the course of history. Hundreds of thousands died along with the majority of the Round Table but it could've been worse. By the time the battle truly ended, the remaining Round Table Knights had gathered together in a camp, including both Mordred and Arthur.
'It feels… empty.'
Arthur noted as he scan the table that was usually used for meetings between his knights on the battlefield. The only Round Table Knights that now sat with him are Mordred, Lancelot, Bors, Dagonet, Percival, Bedivere, and himself. Arthur called for a ceasefire and a meeting only for one purpose and his eyes went straight to Mordred.
"Father."
Mordred greeted him as the knight enters the tent. When everyone is seated, Arthur spoke his decision.
"I have called for a ceasefire and this meeting for one thing only. If this battle continues, Camelot will truly come to ruin. As it is now, we can still salvage it and to save this kingdom we have built with our blood and sweat, I have come to a decision."
Everyone listen intently to Arthur's words but none more so than Mordred.
"Mordred… take off your helmet."
"…why, father?"
"I still won't give you the throne, at least, not without you proving me wrong. But first, won't you show us your face"
All the remaining knights gasped. The King had just given the traitor a chance. All eyes turn to Mordred, waiting for the knight to decide. Mordred put her hands on the large helmet and slowly took it off. Once the helmet was taken off, everyone gasp when the knight that stares back into the King's eyes does not have the face of a man but a girl, a girl that is probably what the King would look like had he been born a woman. Even Arthur himself is surprised at the revelation of Mordred's gender.
"Well, that was unexpected."
Sir Dagonet voiced out everyone's opinion. Arthur agreed while keeping his gaze straight on his son, no, daughter.
"It matters not if you're a girl or not. I promised to give you a chance and a chance is what you will get. Let's do something familiar then."
Arthur stand from his chair and leapt over the table. He went to the center of the tent where there is a stone, something he wanted to use and therefore why he asked the tent to be made right on that location. He drew the Sword of Promised Victory and stabbed it right into the stone.
Out of curiosity, Arthur once asked Merlin what kind of enchantments was used to keep Caliburn in the stone before he pulled it out. Merlin told him and now he used that knowledge to create a similar situation. Arthur might not be a Magus but he has a magic core and he did learn a few tricks from Merlin.
Arthur went back to his seat and offered the chance to Mordred.
"Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise King of all England."
Arthur repeated the words he read on Caliburn's hilt when he pulled out the original Sword in the Stone. With this one single act, Arthur Pendragon had changed the course of history.
-Four hundred years after Cammlann-
Siegfried Volsung, the last of his people, sighed as he walked down from the deck of the ship that had brought him to this far western continent. He had forgotten how long has it been since Kriemhild died and he discovered that the Dragon's Blood had not only granted him skin as hard as a dragon's scale but also granted him a pseudo-immortality.
He can no longer die of old age.
And so he watched as his children and his children's children and then their own children grow and pass away. After the fifth generation passed away, he left his homeland and begun travelling. He had watched civilizations rise and fall in his long life. After having travelled the whole continent, Siegfried finally set his eyes to the rumored land beyond the sea where no sailors had dared to sail to before. Being an immortal with the body of a dragon, he flew there using dragon wings that he possessed. After a hundred years he finally found that some part of his bodies could 'dragonify' so to say and luckily for him he has powerful wings.
Siegfried landed on an island not far from the mainland to first see what's in the new land before taking a ship that happens to pass to get to the mainland.
Siegfried had discarded his old armor as time passes and is now wearing a simple black tunic and pants along with a brown boots that will not hinder his movement. He also wore a brown cloak with a hood that's currently down. He had also cut his wild silvery hair until it only reaches his shoulder. Now he looks like a normal traveler.
Kriemhild wanted him to live but Siegfried doesn't know for what reason does he continue living. He only kept on living because he made a promise to her as she lay dying in his arm. But his life is empty. It has always been ever since he slew Fafnir and become the greatest hero of his age. Only his family gave him a semblance of life and now that he is the last of his people, he has nothing more to live for but he is also not allowed to take his own life.
Maybe here he will find a new purpose in life. He still helps people along the way but it is more like his nature rather than a purpose. First thing to do would be learning about where he is and the best place to ask questions is usually the inn. Siegfried look around town for any sign of an establishment resembling an inn.
So far all he knew about the new land is the port town he's in called Lipner in a kingdom called Zchted but that's it. He did not ask the sailors any further. When he finally found an inn, he entered the establishment and went to the innkeeper. It is fortunate that he had traded a few things back in the ship for some money. Being a centuries old traveler, Siegfried had the foresight to always have something to trade for currency, usually gold or silver.
Like most inns, the establishment also doubles as a bar and Siegfried does what he usually does when he arrives in a new country. Order a mug of ale. The innkeeper who also doubles as bartender serves him a large mug that he downed immediately before they start talking starting from the innkeeper.
"I've never seen your face around here before. You're not from Zchted are ya?"
"Nay. I'm a traveler. This is the first time I came to this kingdom."
"Hoho, a traveler you say? Where did you hail from?"
"I can't remember. I've always been traveling for as far as I remember."
"You must've been traveling since you're very young if you can't even remember where you hailed from."
The two men chuckled. Siegfried is not entirely lying. He had forgotten many things in the course of the year and the name of his hometown is one of them. He doesn't even know if it's a town or just a village. The memory of his childhood days has become very blur throughout time.
"Well then, I welcome you to the kingdom of Zchted. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
"I'm sure I will. It's quite different from the last place I visited. If you don't mind, can you tell me where I should go next? I don't know the lay of the land well considering this is my first time here so I appreciate if you can help me find a good start."
The innkeeper thought for a while, at least, he looks like he's thinking. In truth, he already has an answer for Siegfried and went to the map of Zchted hung on the wall behind him. He point at a certain place on the map.
"Here. The town of Legnica. It's a few days ride on horseback but if you're not in a hurry then you can take your time. It is to the east of Lippner and is governed by the Vanadis, lady Alexandra Alshavin."
This caused Siegfried to perk up. Vanadis. He recognize the name as an alternate name of the Goddess Freyja who is the Queen of the Valkyries, a Goddess hailing from the same land as him.
"I'm sorry but what is a Vanadis?"
"You do not know of Zchted's Seven Vanadis? You must've come from a very far a way place my good man."
The innkeeper then proceeds to explain about the Vanadis of Zchted. Seven women chosen to wield powerful mystical weapons called Viralt that was said to possess the power of a dragon. At the mention of dragon, Siegfried gave the innkeeper his full attention as he continues his story.
A knight who claims to be the incarnation of a Black Dragon. Siegfried didn't miss the irony. That description can be applied to him too. And these Viralt sounds like something akin to a noble phantasm, a weapon of great power like his own Balmung sheathed on his back. Now his interest is truly piqued. It seems that he had landed in a very interesting place.
"I thank you for the information good sir. I think I will head to Legnica immediately."
"Hoo. Are you sure you won't stay the night? It's almost nightfall and there are bandits along the road."
"I appreciate your concern. Here, keep the change as thanks. You've provided me with some intriguing information."
Siegfried paid the innkeeper extra and walk out from the inn.
"Vanadis huh. Perhaps this is a sign."
Without waiting any further Siegfried head eastward towards the direction of Legnica. It might just be a coincidence but maybe this is a start of something. Maybe… he can find a new purpose in this foreign land. At least he knew where he's going for now.
I present, another one of my crazy idea! This story will feature Siegfried and Arthur Pendragon. My favorite Saber-class Servants... except, they're not really Servants here, are they? Their fate had changed and both Siegfried and Arthur lived. Making them live long is easy enough too. Siegfried is basically half dragon and yes, he can partially turn into a dragon. Just look at his third ascension in FGO. Naturally, he has longer lifespan than a normal human. Arthur pulled Caliburn that stopped his aging and I just took it further to the point that he can't die of old age. So the continent where Madan no Ou is set replaces America as the continent to the west and voila, I got myself a setting where I can put Siegfried and Arthur in Madan no Ou without making them overpowered Servants, just some particularly strong humans... half humans... whatever they are.
Plus those two suits the theme. Arthur has the factor of a dragon while Siegfried IS part dragon due to Fafnir's blood so... imagine how the Viralt will react to them and of course, the Vanadis. And don't forget the demons and dragons. So far, I have confirmed 3 Fate characters that will appear. Siegfried and Arthur obviously and the third will be Mordred. I have my tricks. Plus I want to see if I can pair Tigre with Mordred. Just an idea though.
Now Siegfried is on his way to Legnica to meet Sasha. So where is Arthur? I haven't got round to deal with him yet so he'll take center stage next chapter along with Mordred and they will be meeting Tigre and Ellen.
As for pairing... Well, Sieg is pretty much paired with Sasha here but I haven't decided on Arthur yet. Maybe Asvarre's Guinevere. That would be ironic in so many ways. My ideas so far for Arthur are Elen, Lim, Regin... ohh, how about Valentina? It would be a messed up couple considering their personality that could clash at any moment.
Well, that's all for now. Give me an opinion for this story, kay?