Thanks for coming to the second chapter! I hope you enjoyed the first. I'm still not sure where the story is going to head for sure, so any suggestions are welcome. (as in ideas/themes to use, not I want X-shipping/ harem, or anything or how about how this is version 2.0 and how the first chapters are too same-y/different etc. it'll be annoying and deep inside you know it. [If you must, at least provide something constructive with request/complaint])
Most of those who believe they should stop,
find it very difficult to do so.
They find it's become a deeply ingrained habit,
a habit they can't change, just because they want to.
486 CE Dunmonia/Cornwall
Onwards he trod. Bound by his hands to the saddle of the horse. He was still confused and unsure of what was happening. All he knew was that he was a prisoner. Luckily the knight was kind enough to ride slow enough so that he could keep up. He wouldn't be dragged across the mud today. The knight who he had surrendered to was cautious, but not aggressive or malicious. Surprisingly, he checked Shirou for wounds, and tended to a cut that he had somehow gotten from the fight. He hadn't noticed it until the knight had found it; and while it stung, he was glad the wound was at least bound.
Now Shirou had a chance to get a closer at the knight, he seemed awfully young. His face yet to fully develop and chisel out. No stubble grew around his neck, and the rest of his face remained clean. He was quite short, not at short as Saber, but still shorter than he. If Shirou had to guess he would be a about 160cm (5'3") . He had pale blonde hair, and green eyes. But while the color pallet was similar, he looked different to Saber. While Saber was obviously feminine, this knight looked a bit more androgynous, but not by much; he reasoned it was probably due to the fact that he was so young.
The knight had tried to converse with him but it was apparent that they weren't going to be conversing anytime soon. It wasn't Shirou's fault either. Over the many years of working for/against the yakuza he had picked up a considerable amount of English and was somewhat fluent. However, he understood not a single word. It was obvious that it was not English that the knight spoke Interestingly, he had picked up on two terms that struck him.
The first was Bedivere. The name of the famous Knight of the Round table. The knight who always had stood by the king and was the last to do so, returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Shirou clumsily managed to confirm that this was indeed Bedivere. He pointed at him-self and said his name, and indeed the knight pointed at himself and repeated the name. Despite being in the presence of a star of history, the first thought that went through his head was if he knew where Saber was.
But not Saber, Arturia, No Arthur, he mentally chastised himself. Saber was a name that held value to only himself, and maybe another magus if he ever came across one. Arturia was the name she had gone by in secret to hide both her true identity as a servant as well as to hide her gender in her life. Arturia to him was the type of friend that you could go an entire life time without finding, even if she was an endless glutton, a lifelong companion even if in spirit, a servant to fight in the Holy Grail War, that was Saber. Arthur Pendragon was the name of the ruling king. Son of Uther, champion and defender Britain, man to draw Caliburn from the stone, and wielder of the holy sword Excalibur. That was the difference between the two, and they were like opposite sides of the same coin. Where Saber had (eventually) accepting and open to the world, to him, King Arthur would not have allowed a ray of humanity to shine through lest it lead him astray from his duty. He vowed to himself that if he ever found Saber that he would not let her carry that burden alone.
"Bedivere" he got the knight's attention.
Surprised, the knight turned around in the saddle. He had just recently stopped for food and couldn't think of any reason to try again. Clearly they couldn't communicate, so why bother getting his attention? He gave the foreigner a look that signaled him to continue with whatever he wanted.
Shirou made a motion to try to communicate he was searching, well at least as well as he could with his hands tied, "Arthur?" he asked, hoping that the name would be recognized.
Obviously that had been a poor thing to ask about. Instantly, Bedivere's hand went to his sword, and he would have drawn it if Shirou had not been tied up. Shirou seeing that Bedivere was about to draw a sword backed up a bit, trying to clear some distance. But Bedivere only gave Shirou a long hard look, and then turned without a word and contained riding onwards.
Despite the silence, Bedivere's mind was racing. What does that man want with Arthur? No one should even know he existed outside of the few village dwellers in the region. Had Morgan LeFay found them? Bedivere didn't know. Despite the fact that this man was tied up and has showed no further inclination of hostilities, he found himself slightly afraid. This man seemed to be surrounded a magic presence, and if Arthur was found, he would be in great danger. Despite being a knight, he was practically a squire, only being knighted weeks before, and had yet to kill a man in battle. Yet, he was tempted to slaughter his prisoner before anything could happen. After all, he was currently leading him to Arthur's location.
A cold sweat broke out across Bedivere's skin. Forget the fact it was Arthur, if he allowed any of his friends to be hurt, he could never forgive himself. It was something that he could not allow to happen.
He jumped off his horse, and drawing his sword, he quickly turned, raised him arm and slashed at Shirou in an instant. Due to the fact that he shared some of EMIYA's spirt and had just come out of the fight of his life, the Holy Grail War, Shirou was able to detect the swing before it even started to pick up speed. Backing up, he let as much rope slack before he was caught under the blade. The blade came down onto the rope severing it.
The two eyed each other, both momentarily frozen wondering what the other would do next. Recovering first Shirou quickly gathered the rope still attached to him and fled into the forest. Things had gone from bad to worse, and he wasn't going to stick round and see what happened. Bedivere quickly recovered and took off after him.
It wasn't long before Shirou was able to put some ground between him and the heavily armored knight. He wondered what he should do. Should he surrender? No, he had done that once before and asking about Arturia had clearly landed him in trouble. However, the way the knight had reacted indicated that he definitely knew where she was. Clearly the only two options were to escape or fight. If he escaped, surely Bedivere would come back with a search party, and while he had no clue where he was, Bedivere did and was probably intimately familiar with the surrounding area. It would only be a matter of time before he was found. So he was left with fighting.
"Trace On" he whispered, hoping that Bedivere wasn't anywhere nearby for the time being. However, he quickly was greeted by the mental image of the Grail's sludge blocking his magical circuits; so magic was out. With little alternatives, he quickly devised a rudimentary plan. While before he had no way to close the distance between him and Bedivere without getting cut up, now he had a rope at his disposal, and that was all he needed. Despite being unable to use his hands properly, he was still able to use the rope as a weapon against Bedivere. Shirou was easily able to stealthily circle around the young knight and managed to trip and snare his opponent with the rope. He winced as Bedivere's head slammed against a tree, unconscious.
'Well that went easier than expected' Shirou thought. However, now he had an unconscious knight to deal with. First though was to free his hands. Using the sword to cut the rope he freed his hands and took the scabbard. Aside from a dagger strapped to the inside of his leg, Bedivere seemed to have no other weapons on him. He slowly dragged the man back to his horse (armor was heavy!) , and manage to tie him down in a way so he wouldn't fall off. Now he had to decide what to do next. Once again escape would not be an option, a search party would be out in days. Killing Bedivere was something that hadn't even crossed his mind, but he also couldn't bring himself to take the horse and leave he knight stranded, and so he found himself riding onwards in the same direction as he had before with Bedivere precariously in tow.
However, he soon found it difficult to ride smoothly. Now Shirou was no stranger to farm animals or even horses. Fuyuki City had one of the fastest urban to rural transitions he had ever heard of, one could probably walk two and ½ hours, maybe three, from any spot in the city and stumble upon a farm of some type, and that was from any point, including the downtown with its skyscrapers and heavy traffic. One mornings when the winds blew just right, you could smell the must of the farm on the wind from his front door, and he had helped out pretty much every one of his neighbors with something at one point or another in the past.
No, the problem that there were no stirrups on this horse, and he couldn't keep his balance, so he was left with loosely sitting on top of the horse and trying to grip the saddle with his hands and the flanks of the horse with his legs in a desperate attempt to keep his balance. Unfortunately this only aggravated the horse and made things worse It also wasn't helping that he had to try to not push Bedivere off the horse in his attempt to stabilize himself. It wasn't long until his thighs were sore.
Nevertheless, on horseback it was not far before he started to see farmlands on the horizon. Soon however, a group came across him. It was possible, but he was caught totally off guard. He had been rounding the crest of the hill when they came out of nowhere from the other side. Two men were walking and talking about this or that, but behind them was someone truly unexpected. It was someone who the Shirou of the past had given up on seeing ever again, and someone who EMIYA would never meet in the same light again. Saber.
It was unexpected that he would find Arturia so soon, but there she stood. Emotions that he was unaware of rushed to the surface. Even though Shirou had spent the summer with his servant in a life of idle content, the parts of other Shirou's and EMIYA's from other multiverses had gone decades or even centuries without being able to see their servant. The Shirou's of the past had given up on seeing ever again, but would always hold a special place in the heart, and someone that EMIYA would never meet in the same light again.
She was not the graceful king that Shirou had expected, nor even a tough knight, but a teenage child. She was the same height as the Saber he had seen hours before, but she lacked any of the muscle build that a sword wielder would have, she also lacked any sort of weapons or armor. She was in men's clothing and it was clear that her appearance was not something to be broadcast. But despite the non-obvious initial sighting, what had given it away to Shirou was her eyes. Green and bright, they widened as he made eye contact with here, but within there was no trace of hardship or loss, of pain or suffering. They were bright, playful and curious. Innocent. A soft "Saber" was all he could let out as he stared at her, and just for a second, everything was right.
For a second Shirou was lost in her eyes, but the two men with her were immediately alert. The older of the two did not move, but merely eyed Shirou with a look of curiosity in his eyes. Upon seeing Bedivere on the back of the horse, the younger man's hand went to his sword immediately. He gruffly shouted, "Get back Wart!" But in the end, he didn't even give him an option as he roughly forced him backwards and he drew his sword.
In the commotion, the horse reared backwards, and he lost his balance and fell. As he got up to try to turn and run or fight, Bedivere suddenly rose up from behind him. "Not today!" he roared and drove his elbow into the back of Shirou's neck. Bedivere was so close and quick to strike, he barely even reacted before he felt the metal dig deep into his neck. As he collapsed of the horse he felt faint, not due to the blow, okay maybe a little, but because he had finally felt an invisible burden lifted off his shoulders. As the world faded to black a thought crossed his mind. He knew that he could rest easy, for no matter what would happen from here on out, he had a goal, a purpose, a wish that had been fulfilled.
He had found Saber.
As Shirou came to, he found himself at the crossroads for those destined for greatness, a prison cell. Damp, dirty, and dark, it was the stereotypical prison; with a heavy wooden door and no windows, the only source of light was the small window bar which only gave him a view of the direct area outside cell; it was definitely larger than the average solitary confinement cell in modern prisons. He was lucky he wasn't in an oubliette or just some hole in the ground with a trapdoor over it, or dead considering what had happened today.
Groggy and confused, he stood up; well at least he tried. He quickly discovered that there were ropes that bound his legs together; but luckily, his hands were unbound. Wiping away the grime from his face, he tried to figure out what had happened. He had won the Holy Grail War, became lost in the forest, got captured, and then turned the tables and captured a knight of the round table, only be knocked out after becoming star struck by Saber's mere sight, and now he was in a prison. He knew that Saber was here, and that Bedivere was too, so if he had to guess, he would say he was in Dark Ages Britain. Other than that, he knew almost nothing. Additionally, he could do nothing to escape from the prison. Once again, he tried to summon a weapon or use reinforcement magic to break the door, but whenever he tried, his arm and head started searing with pain. Not even Avalon would respond to his trace attempts. With nothing else to do he eventually found himself in a restless sleep.
The clamoring of a keychain woke him from his slumber. How long had it been? In the confines of the cell, he was unsure of what time of day it was, heck he was unsure of where he was or even what year it was. A gruff man came into the cell. He couldn't recognize a single word he said; it was clear that he was not happy to be there, but instead, he was bringing something for him to eat.
'Something to eat' turned out to be a grey morass of matter (he wasn't sure he could call it food) and a piece of moldy bread. Saying that it was slop was an insult to the pigs of the world; it was rancid, smelling worse than the one time he was late coming home and Fuji-Nee attempted to cook something. Having a taste, he discovered that it was indeed worse than Fuji-Nee's abomination. In fact, it was much worse than he could have possibly prepared for. Vomit, dirt, snot, bugs, these were all things he would have rather eaten. There was no way he was eating that. He would sooner die, and so he choked down the moldy bread and so, exhausted, cold, and defeated, he turned over and tried to sleep.
It had been several days since Shirou had been thrown into the dungeons. He wasn't sure how long it had exactly been. It was definitely long enough to note that there were exactly five planks on his door, eight steps that he could see from the slot in his door, and that he could count to 19,275 in 12 hours if he spoke at four syllables a second. The guard that came to give him food and drink wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation with a suspected mage who had captured a knight and had been looking for the son of the lord. It also didn't help that his language was viewed as incantations for a spell. He supposed he should have known it was a fruitless endeavor, but he had tried to ask the first guard a few questions. He had fled in terror (and getting the horrible smelling 'food' everywhere in the process), and from then on out, and armed guard came to deliver food and water. He had been restrained, abused, gagged, beaten and starved until it was made clear to him that 'practicing magic' (speaking Japanese) was forbidden. How was he to escape? What had he done to deserve this?
From another dimension he swore he could have heard a small girl whispering, "It's your purgatory for screwing up everything." Perhaps it was a sign that he had started to go insane as well.
Smoke
Fire
Misery
Destruction
Death
In the middle of the night, Arturia awoke from a dream, no a nightmare. For the past few days her dreams had been filled with a great tragedy in a faraway place. A small burnt and destroyed child. Snippets of the horror came through to her, but it was more than enough to cause a whimper. What was the cause of this devastation? She pondered the cause. It had started back when she had encountered that boy with Sir Bedivere, or at least that was the last exciting thing to happen to her. Ever since then, Merlin had been different. Normally he was near impossible to decipher, but she could just barely able to place her finger on it this time. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen. She was sure of it.
Several days later, (Weeks? A month? He wasn't sure, the spouts of consciousness were too few and far between, and the time he did spend aware was either in listless boredom or in pain.) the sound of light clinks of armor and someone scampering down the stairs altered Shirou to another presence. Normally the heavy clunking of the guard as he lumbered down the stairs to bring him more edible filth was the only thing that he heard at all.
Curious about this newcomer, he pressed his face to the narrow slit in the door. As Shirou saw the figure emerge from the stair well, his eyes went wide with shock. His ragged throat gasped, well it would have if it wasn't so ragged and hoarse. It was something he had never expected to see, not in a thousand years.
She was just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her, and down in the dungeons, alone and not being assaulted, he was able to process the fact that she was actually there without being overwhelmed. She and her clothes were slightly dirty and unkempt. Like all those in the era since the Roman baths had fallen into disrepair, the filth that everyone was covered in was inevitable without a stream or the ocean nearby. In Japan a host would be appalled at such filth, and the offender would probably result in being asked to leave immediately, but any peasant in Britain would marvel of how clean they were.
But it was her eyes that drew him in. Bright and green, they stood out like a blazing sun in the dark dungeon; her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected contact, piercing into him. The glow of the torch light outlining her face like an angel. Upon seeing her again, a sharp pain entered his mind and it proved too much for his weakened body as he quickly fainted, collapsing into a heap on the cold stone floor. A weak gasp escaped his throat as he faded into oblivion for the nth time that month, "Saber…".
A small teen scampered down the stairs, she had to see the new prisoner. It had taken a while, but she had been able to escape her training and see this curiosity. As far back as she could remember, her father and brother had always protected her from harm. It was their sworn duty to their late king, Uther Pendragon; of course, this oath must remain private, for public exposure would only lead to further danger. She wasn't complaining about the protection. Lord only knows over the years the number of people who had managed to find her.
But she was now a squire and yet she found herself being treated as a page or a mere child, someone always who needed help. But for every threat that reared its ugly head, it seemed that there was a dozen or two (or even more than that) who were probably not a real threat, and her father tended to be quite overprotective. Whispers had been thrown about the court of a rouge mage in the prison, the first of the type. Even Bedivere said that gossip would do no good. What that meant to Arturia was that the knight didn't know anything either.
It had usually been some loon who was interested in 'the feminine looks of the squire named Arthur,' or the (extremely) rare legitimate threat. But the excuse of a mage? She couldn't believe it; Merlin was the only mage she knew of, and he always came from his journeys to deal with anything magical. Well that might have been lie, she had seen him briefly before being whisked away again by Kay, but for the brief moment she had looked at him, she felt drawn to him, curious. The word he had said had stuck to her brain like magic, Saber, what did that mean? She had to find out, or the curiosity would drive her insane, she knew that this boy wasn't the usual stock prisoner.
She snuck into the prison guard shack; the guard posted for this week was fast asleep. (It was barely past midday! Nevertheless, the was glad that they always placed this guard on prison duty, it made getting in and out so much easier.) Tiptoeing down the stairs, she crept closer to the first door. Peering inside she found… nothing. Well, there were about a dozen to check. Turning around, she saw a face peering out at her. They locked eyes, and hers widened in surprise. She had been trying to be quiet, yet here this individual had seen her first. It was a good thing he was locked behind the door, or else she really might have been in trouble if the prisoner was really out to get her. The second thing she saw was the hair of the prisoner. While in the daylight his hair had been burning like an open flame, in the darkness of the dungeon, it was smoldering ember which threatened to erupt back into fire if given the slightest bit of air.
However, she was quickly pulled out of her daze as the boy muttered something. There it was again! That word, Saber! What could it possibly mean? She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she was certain that it didn't sound remotely like Brythonic. It was at that moment she remembered rumor that the prisoner was a mage. She also remembered that Bedivere had told her that the tongue this boy spoke wasn't anything recognizable.
A clunk from behind the door snapped her out of her thinking. She drew back, unsure of what was going to happen next.
…
Had he fainted? The boy had disappeared from the slot in the door and she had heard a dull thud from the other side of the door, but she had no way of knowing what was going on.
She cautiously slowly crept forward and brandished the dagger that she had brought with her, her hand was quivering slightly as she was still uncertain if this was a ruse to get her to let her guard down or what. But after a few terse minutes, she concluded that the boy had actually fainted. Her first thought was one of indignation, 'Really? After Sir Bedivere had said this mage had been the reason for being tied up on the horse, and her brother had talked up this 'dangerous mage' to all of his friends in the garrison. But in the end, it just turned out to be just a boy who faints at the mere sight of his victim? Unbelievable.'
Although one thought still found its way to front of her mind, 'Just who is this person?' He might have been a mage, but the notion was fast fading from her mind, but refused to be totally dislodged. Still curious about the prisoner, she crept even towards the prison cell. A lack or response from the boy meant she was in due for a nasty ambush, or he really had fainted. Curious she entered the prison cell. Locked. Obviously, it was the reason she had stolen the keys from the sleeping guard. Now which key was it? This one? No, perhaps the next one would be it…
While Arturia was attempting to find the correct key, Shirou slept in a restless slumber. The last thing he remembered was Saber coming down the stairs, being overwhelmed, and then the light from the torch had grown in intensity until he had passed out. Now he found himself standing in space, looking over the Earth; nearby him, a small girl and a man stood, but it was hard to discern any of their features.
The girl spoke, startling him, "Do you know why you're here?" It was less of a question and more of a demand. It didn't do anything to help his confusion; if anything, it made it worse.
He was careful of how he responded, he didn't know who this was, but she sounded irritated. "No, I'm not entirely sure of how I got here either, but I…" he cut himself off as the girl started to talk to herself incessantly.
"Great, just great." She started. "You don't even remember a single thing. How could you be so useless?"
Shirou backed away, he wasn't sure what was going on, and he didn't want anything to do with it. The complaints of the girl were growing more aggressive and pointed.
Just as he thought she was going to completely lose it, the man placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now, now. It's not entirely Shirou's fault."
This only confused Shirou further, what was his fault? The fact that he was dreaming that he was in space? Or was it the fact that that he half-dying, stuck in a prison cell?
Calming down a bit, Alaya slowly, yet still angrily, told him, "Let me explain this to you like you're three. You. Screwed. Up. You were supposed to wish on the stupid grail and make everything right!"
Shirou got a strong Fuji-Nee vibe from this girl. He felt that if he angered her too much that his life would be jeopardized.
After some time (He was unsure of exactly how long, not that time in this universe made any sense at all.) he decided that the clueless and beg for mercy if necessary card was his best play. He carefully the girl, "I don't exactly understand how I am here, or why am I here, but I would like to help you if would tell me what's happening."
Her face contorted, still angry, "You're supposed to save the world!"
One could practically see Shirou sweat drop, "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.
Alaya went into a rage, "Do you not remember anything EMIYA?"
By reflex, Shirou corrected her, "Please, call me Shirou." He then realized that he didn't know this girl, or the man's name while they seemed to know his, so he asked the two, "You seem to know my name, but I can't seem to place yours. Have I met you before?"
The man threw his head back and laughed, while Alaya's jaw dropped to the floor. Trembling she pointed a finger at him and stuttered, "Y-y-y-you have to be kidding!" she finished in a low wail as she began to mope about like a child.
The man recovered first, still chucking he introduced himself, "My name is Gaia, and this here, is Alaya, the grand protector of all humanity." He sarcastically motioned to the quivering mess on the ground.
Being polite, he responded, "Nice to meet you Gaia, and you too Alaya…" he glanced to the girl who had started to calm down again. "But that doesn't answer anything, why am I here? And what is this place?" He motioned to the dimension around him.
Seeing his confusion, the man placed his finger on his forehead, "Perhaps this will answer some questions for you."
It didn't answer any questions, well at least not at first. It brought only an staggering amount of pain. His brain felt like it was going to melt, and his arm felt like it was going to burn itself off. Visions of multiple universes flashed through his head, a deal with this child, pain, betrayal, a chance to save the world. Were they memories? No, the actions were his, but they belonged to another person, separate from Shirou. Yet the pain from this figure could be felt through the link.
After some time (He was unsure of exactly how long, not that time in this universe made any sense at all.) the pain faded, and he opened his eyes and asked the two what was going to happen next.
Alaya perked up a bit and asked, "First thing, are you EMIYA or Shirou?"
The question made little sense to Shirou, but a part of his brain nudged him in the right direction. Was he Shirou Emiya, son of Kiritsugu Emiya and a Champion of Justice or was he EMIYA, Counter Guardian and Archer Class Servant in the 5th Holy Grail War? He searched his soul for a bit, (the benefits of having no time dimension in this world-space) was he determined to save everyone? No, he realized now that was an impossible task. Save as many people as he could? Maybe. As his mind wandered it inevitably ended up on the topic of Saber. Would making her happy be something that he could devote himself to? Well he would certainly try.
"I am Shirou" he declared.
Immediately Alaya looked depressed, "Well then, your useless to me, what can you do for me? Nothing! Now begone! I have no use for you anymore." She was growing agitated again.
Suddenly a magic unknown coursed through Shirou's body. His eyes widened at the sensation. It was not painful but felt quite pleasant. The Archer inside of him knew deep down that in Alaya's mindless ranting, somehow his contract with The World has been severed.
Alaya apparently realized this as well and she looked as if she was considering either going to tear her hair out in frustration or tear out Shirou's hair in anger, "Gah! This can't get any worse!"
Gaia spoke up again trying to calm down the berate girl next to him, "I guess you just have to do your best and see how it all works out."
This did not improve the situation, "Try his best?! See how it works out?" she cried, "I'm doomed!" and with that she disappeared.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Gaia told Shirou, "Well that could have gone better. Don't mind her, she's just exhausted, a little confused, and really angry. I was serious, though, we have no idea what is going to happen from here on out.
Shirou asked, "What about you? What will you be doing?"
Gaia only laughed, "My boy, I didn't even know that this was possible until now. Alaya might keep some real nasty tricks up her sleeve, but this one is a pleasant surprise. Normally, I would probably kill you on the spot, but this time reversal is a chance for us to co-exist. I need to go prepare for you guys to start screwing up everything. I can manage humans a second time around. It's just that the rate of change was very unexpected. I hate to admit it, but if humanity got themselves killed, I would probably get bored without Alaya around. Humans may have been worst thing to happen to the Earth, but you are interesting; I'll give you that. Anyways, there's not much more I can do for now. This is Alaya's dimension right now. So, send you back to your… current residence."He slightly grimaced and shot Shirou a look of pity.
As Shirou faded back into the material plane, Gaia spoke up, "One last thing. Please do not start the Industrial Revolution hundreds of years early. Or at least if you do, give me a bit of a heads up? Do be considerate."
As he came to, Arturia's face was right in his, looking at him. Her face was scrunched in concern as she observed him. 'Too cute, too close' was his first thought, and he tried to back up, but only managed in hitting his head on the wall.
"Careful! Arturia cried out. "Don't go fainting on me again. "though the latter was more muttered to herself than it was directed at him.
Turning to him she leant down and smiled, "Hey there. You took a nasty fall. Everyone else says you can't speak Brythonic, can you understand me?" She spoke slowly as if one was speaking to a small child. Then she started speaking some sort of garbage that he really didn't understand. Oh wait, she was speaking Latin, but it was poor and quite broken.
Unconsciously he nodded his head no; of course he didn't speak Brythonic. It took a couple of seconds for him to realize that he was nodding in response to the question.
'Hmm, I can understand the language now, thanks Alaya, I guess you did have a vague plan.' He thought.
'She's still off somewhere complaining, that was me.' Gaia's voice rang though his head.
Of course it was, she didn't seem like the helpful type.
Arturia was confused, she had asked him a direct question, and he seemed to follow and nodded his head, but he nodded no. Had he really hit his head that hard? Maybe it was the combination of fainting and then hitting it a second time when he woke up.
It was at that moment that Shirou managed to realize that he was nodding his head no. He jerked upright and tried to correct his mistake. Well, at least he tried to anyway. What was intended as "Yes! I do speak Brythonic!" or something similar, came out as a hoarse gasp. When was the last time he had anything to drink? (or at least something that wasn't filled with filth) When he tried to sit up, all he managed to do was flail around loosely, his body weak from the extended imprisonment, torture and the recent fainting.
Arturia moved to support him. He was so frail, she could feel his bones through his clothing. She looked around or water or anything to give him. What she found was… what was that? A grey and brown paste? She took a sniff and threw it away immediately. After gagging and retching for a bit she realized that filth was the 'food' that he had been given to eat.
She was appalled. He was a prisoner, but that didn't mean that he had to be treated like an animal. The guilt was compounded by the fact that it was her fault that he was in this situation. She always tried to help the prisoners that came in, but the treatment that this boy had received was above and beyond anything she had seen before. It made her mad and ashamed that someone was abused so harshly due to the need to protect her.
Lying him down, she got up and headed towards the stairs, "I, Arthur, swear that I will return with help. I won't be long."
As Shirou sat moaning on the floor of the dungeon, he found that he didn't particularly mind the pain, there had been worse moments over his imprisonment, and much worse from his memories of the Grail War. Correction, it did hurt like hell, but the only thing on his mind was the picture of her face the last thing she had said. "I, Arthur, swear that I will return with help. I won't be long." "I, Arthur, swear…" Arthur.
That she had to hide her gender her whole life, at first due to the fact that she was raised a knight and was destined to become a king, and then to protect the illusion that it was a king who led the country was a mixture between worrying and upsetting to Shirou. He was upset because she never should have been put in that position. Together with having to suppress her emotions had almost destroyed her as a functioning person. It was something he hoped he could do something about.
It worried him because even though she tried to hide her gender, everything about her screamed Saber. The way she moved and spoke. The way she smiled. They all shattered the mirage of masculinity and reminded him that he was looking at Saber/Arturia, not Arthur How long was it going to take before he screwed up and called her Arturia? Or worse, if he called her Saber. How in the world would he explain that?
Arturia crept back up the stairs; she had to be careful of not waking the prison guard, or she would hear from it from Sir Ector, her adopted father, for weeks. Once free of the guard house, she ran for the servant's quarters. If she went to her brother, he would almost certainly react with hostility if he knew who she was helping. Her father would most likely help if she asked, but she would probably be lectured later, something she wanted to avoid. Finally, she could probably compel a guard or two to assist her, but the grumbling would inevitably make its way back to her father or brother; or both if she was unlucky. If anyone was to help her, it would probably be Merlin; the old man was eternally curious and she could probably tempt him to help in some way or another.
Rushing into the quarters, she went straight to the old man. He was many things: a wizard, a genius, a prankster, and a womanizer. To her he was a teacher, a mentor, and more often than not, a pain in the ass. For as wise and old as he was, he never ceased to find pranking someone amusing. Sure, it was hilarious when they were against Kay, and sometimes funny when against Sir Ector, but when he was out to get her she knew to hide.
But for as many times as he had wronged her, he was someone who she could always go to for help and advice, steadfast and loyal were words that weren't too far off. And so, Arturia found herself asking him for help once again.
Looking for the wizard, she soon found him in the fortress grounds. He was busy telling a story to a small group of people, a small child who seemed enthralled by the tale he was spinning, and a pair of young women who seemed more interested in the looks Merlin was giving them.
"Merlin, I need your help!" She hollered as she came running over panting heavily. The commotion caused them to look up in surprise. The boy, upon recognizing Arturia (Arthur), shrunk back. After all this was the son of the lord, and this was Merlin he was seeking. What could he need? It must be urgent. The girls quickly started chattering between the two of them, looking at Arthur and giggling.
Merlin clicked his tongue, more annoyed at the disturbance than to the child he shooed him away, "Looks like young Arthur needs something. Go find your mother, perhaps she can find something for you to do."
"Aww, but I wanted to know if Attila beat the Romans at 'cattle low land'." the boy muttered out, he was obviously a little upset that Arturia had interrupted his story, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.
"Catalaunian" smiling slightly, he gently corrected the boy, "Now go on, I promise I'll tell you about it someday."
The boy's eyes lit up, "Really?" He asked, his voice full of hope.
"Yes, yes." came Merlin's reply,
"Thank you!" the boy shouted, he quickly went back towards his home, but Merlin was distracted as he was more focused on the two women.
"And I'll see you ladies later?" He asked raising an eyebrow and casting a sly smile.
"Well.." Started the first one.
"We actually have to head back to our village now, but it was nice to meet you!", the two fled red women raced from the scene.
Once the women had left, Merlin chuckled a bit, "I supposed as great as I am, I can't get all of the beautiful women of this world. Now what do you need? I wonder what gets young Wart to move so quickly first thing in the morning? Did you do something to anger Sir Ector, or perhaps did you smell the dried meats under my cloak?"
Arturia's face turned red, partially blushing and partially fuming. She hated being called Wart. It was some stupid nickname that Merlin had invented with Kay. Ostensibly it was an alias to 'protect her identity' if she ever needed to go into hiding or if they needed to talk about her without alerting others. Merlin used it whenever she 'deserved it', what did that even mean? He was usually the one to start anything. Also, did she really eat so much it was something to comment on? She was growing still, and training to be a knight was hard. It took a lot of energy to be around Kay and have him lord over her.
This man, no matter how wise and old he was (or maybe it was because of his wisdom), always managed to find a way to irk her. Exasperated by the use of the stupid name she sighed, "Please, just call me Arthur. Nobody is tracking me down to kill me."
Merlin only shook his head, "You seem so carefree, but you must be careful. You never know who might wish you harm. Also, I'd rather just call you Warturia, or perhaps just Warta if you don't mind. Perhaps if the sight of Bedivere unconscious didn't scare you enough, maybe I could summon something to scare you straight." He chuckled, evidently satisfied with his own awful portmanteau, but his eyes lingered on her, a curious glint contained within them.
At the sound of his terrible joke, Arturia clenched her teeth, she was about to lay into him again when he brought up the notion of the prisoner. She gasped, what was she doing?! Here she was being petty while the boy was suffering in the dungeon. "About that, I need your help! There's someone in the dungeons who is at death's doorstep. He's been down there for days with not food or water. He's wasting away and burning up. You have to help me!"
At this Merlin raised an eyebrow, "Do you happen to refer to the magus that I imprisoned earlier this month? I suppose have to drop him a visit someday. What do you want with him?"
Merlin frowned, suddenly realizing where this was going, "Wait, I know exactly why your asking, and the answer is no. He is of no interest to you." He paused, "Well he is interesting in the traditional sense, but not something you should be concerned with. He is not powerful, but is intriguing and very dangerous. His blood smells of corruption and raw magic; even more of a reason for you to stay away."
Arturia's eyes widened, so he was a wizard. Regardless, she still had to do something, it was a matter of time before he succumbed down in the dungeons, magical or not, "Merlin! We have to help him! He is going to die if we don't do anything."
Merlin frowned, Arturia had a look in her eyes that told him that this wasn't an issue that was going to be dropped. "So it's going to be like this then? Of all the prisoners we've had she chooses to help the first credible threat?" he muttered to himself.
Unfortunately for Merlin, Arturia had overheard him. She exclaimed, "What do you mean a 'credible threat'?! In the condition he's in he couldn't hurt a fly! How can he be dangerous?! He onl…"
He gave her a stern look and warned the foolish child who had absolutely no idea what she was getting into, "Arturia, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. He is a dangerous magus who should be left to die. His blood is tainted with corruption and raw Mana that I have not seen in decades if not a century or two. He is extremely powerful and not to be taken lightly *. He singlehandedly took out Sir Bedivere and I found a pendant on him with incredible amounts magic potential. If he decides to move against you, it may end any dreams you have about becoming the next King of Britain."
* (This may have been an exaggeration, Merlin sensed he only had about 25 or so magic circuits, but Arturia didn't need to know that. The part about great danger was true though.)
Still fuming she sarcastically asked, "So are we just supposed to leave him to rot?"
Merlin gravely nodded, "Yes, it may seems harsh, but it is for the best that you forget that he existed."
The anger boiled over and she shouted, "What do you mean forget him?! He's just a few years older than me! How can he be dangerous?! He onl…" she halted her words as she could see that Merlin's expression was unchanged.
No words could describe how angry and conflicted she was. All her life she had been trained and told to defend the weak to protect and bring justice to those who could not fight for themselves. She would be a relentless force on the battlefield that would protect Britain, but she was also to be a righteous king who was merciful and fair, a just and lawful ruler. But now, now she was told that in no uncertain terms that they were going to exterminate the weak like human filth. She wasn't even sure she could have let him die if she knew for certain he was a Saxon.
Now certainly some (probably a majority) of the veterans of the garrison might have the hatred inside them to instantly murder any barbarian invader, but a young teen who had never had to kill a man simply in cold blood did not possess the coldheartedness, the cynicism to follow through with such an action.
Merlin gave her an exasperated sigh, due to his extraordinary origins and lifetime of study he had the power of prophecy, and clairvoyance. When he had assessed the magus earlier his assessment was very unclear and uncertain, but the outcome of associating with such an individual would either turn out for the better, or end in catastrophe. Now he too had been tempted to see what this individual could offer them, but the simple risk of the downside far outweighed any benefit he could get out of this not very powerful magus.
As Arturia continued to stew and make complaints that he had long since tuned out, he reconsidered the situation again. If he was to acquiesce and let Arturia continue in her fools errand, perhaps he could stick close and do damage control if things got too out of hand. (If it turned out for the best he would have to come up with something for whenever she rubbed this in his face [He could envision it now, "I was right!"]. That bridge could be crossed if it came to it.) Anything to get her to shut up and calm down would be suitable, and since the idea had obviously taken root in her head, this was now the path of least resistance.
Cutting her off, he "Arthur, I swore to your father to assist you and train you. It is your destiny to rule this land, and if you wish to put your life in danger for those in need it is not my job to stop you. If this is what you truly wish to do. I will aid you, but let it be known that I have a bad feeling about this."
Arturia was stunned, 'Well that was easier than expected' she thought. As she was complaining she saw that Merlin's eyes had glazed over and she knew that he was barely listening if at all. She had been debating to go beg Bedivere or Sir Ector for assistance when Merlin suddenly folded. She was a bit suspicious of his motives. However, he had used Arthur, not Arturia and actually used a serious tone so she knew it was true, and wasn't foolish enough to question the sudden change of heart.
Procuring a loaf of bread from seemingly nowhere, Merlin handed it to Arturia along with a random assortment of items. He explained, "Some bread is the only thing he is to eat at first, and make sure he doesn't eat too much. It he does, or eats something too rich, he'll just throw it all up. Also throw some of this into his water before he drinks it."
Inspecting the substance, she was bewildered, "Is this salt? I thought you said you weren't trying to kill him." The question was less anger filled and more inquisitive.
Merlin shrugged his shoulders, "Well if you want be useful, throw it all in and start digging the grave." Seeing that his joke was starting to irritate her again, he quietly explained, "You only throw in a tiny amount of the sea salt. It'll help him since he's so dehydrated."
As she sped off to the prison, he went to his workshop, he had some work and preparations to make now.
As he went off, he bemoaned himself, 'And to think, I could have been having fun with those lovely ladies earlier. But no, here we go on an adventure. May we live in interesting times.'
After explaining a few more things she was sent back to the dungeons with the provisions. There she found the boy staring up at the ceiling with blank eyes, ragged wheezing the only sign that he was awake. The pain from the head impacts was slowly fading, and now only the torture of thirst and hunger remained. Rushing over to him, she slowly lifted his head and tipped the water into his mouth.
Shirou instantly felt better, but it was (mostly) not due to the food and drink that he was receiving. It was Avalon. He could feel its presence coming from Arturia and healing him. It became apparent that Arturia was oblivious that this was going on and he assumed that Merlin must have stuck it in her at some point and not told her. All of the time he spent with it inside of his body as well as his connection with Saber must have left a residual effect that allowed him to tap into its power now. It didn't have a huge effect, but it was better than nothing. However, the feeling of relief was nothing compared to the things that Arturia had brought with her.
Shirou drank deeply and greedily, it was actually something that didn't taste revolting. Who knew one miss the taste of a cool glass of water so much?
This continued in silence for a few minutes, Shirou eventually moving on the to the bread that he was given. "Itadakimasu", he had never been more grateful for something to eat. While it was coarse and hard, the experience was similar to dining at a five-star restaurant to him.
After Shirou had finished the bread he turned to his savior. He turned to her and thanked her in only slightly hoarse voice, but she was too busy studying him with an intense look to noticed. When she finally noticed he was trying to get her attention, she blushed a little at being caught staring, but she couldn't help it.
This boy was unlike anything she had ever encountered. He acted like no other person she met, the way he ate for example. The words he spoke at the beginning alarmed and interested her. Like the word he spoke when he first saw her, it was of a language she had never heard before, perhaps it was a magical incantation? This prospect caused her to draw back a little. Maybe Merlin was right, now she would die for being so foolish. No, she reasoned that if Merlin had intended for her to die, he would probably make sure it was entertaining and watch the show unfold. Anyway, if "Itadakimasu" was a spell, it was directed at the bread, for the only thing he ended up attacking his food.
"Thank you for the bread and water." Shirou simply thanked her.
She paused for a second; how was she to respond? With a 'you're welcome' was obvious, but what then? Was she to question him about who he was? If he was a mage? Or pretend that he was just some nobody who she happened to stumble upon. The one thing she did need to know was his name; she couldn't go on referring to him as 'that boy' forever.
This is what she settled on and out of courtesy she introduced herself first. "You're certainly welcome. I would like to apologize for your treatment here. My name is Arthur, son of Sir Ector, the owner of this fortress. May I ask yours?"
Shirou grimaced a bit as the sound of her alias. Arturia, seeing the doubt, suspicion, and curiosity in his eyes, flinched at this expression, did this man know who she really was? Or was she imagining things? However, the look was quickly replaced with an introduction and a chuckle, "My name is Shirou Emiya. Don't worry about it. I'm alive, right? Plus, it's not your fault that I was imprisoned."
Why were everyone's words causing so many mixed emotions within her today? The first thing she felt was shame. It was pretty much 100% her fault that he was imprisoned. She could see evidence of the torture he had endured, not just his bones showing through the rips in his clothes, but the bruises and cuts on his body. It was done to 'protect' her after all. If only others could recognize that she could have defended herself. But alas, she as just some squire who was treated as a child, and this was the result.
The other half of his response brought more excitement. Shirou Emiya, what a foreign name; she had never heard anything like it. Why did he have two names? Sir Ector said that the Romans had the practice of holding more than one name, and she had more than one. But she was the heir of a kingdom, and she could tell that this was no Roman. Where could he be from? This was something that she would have to ask that sometime soon; she had to know more.
Shirou had a few problems to deal with. Not many people would want to talk to him. They would assume him to be either a foreign spy, a demon, or a wizard, or just some peasant and ignore him, but hopefully he could ask Arturia and seek some answers.
He needed to know a few things before he could talk to anyone else. The most important things to know were where and when was he.
And so, upon him asking, Arturia responded in kind, "We're just outside the old Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum, a few hours down the Fosse Way if that helps you."
Seeing he was still in thought, she blushed for a second, but still continued with her question, "Uhh, My brother, Kay, he was the one of the men who was with me when we met on the hill, says that you put up a big fight down here and that five men failed to restrain you until he came down here and locked you up again. Although I'm not sure if I can believe him, he is a braggart." Arturia then shot him a look, asking with her eyes to confirm or deny the tales of Sir Kay's glorious fight that he had been spreading amongst his friends.
A brief flash of recognition showed on his face. Arturia's brother? So, it must have been Sir Kay who pushed back Arturia on the hill, as the other man was far too old. But beyond that, Shirou's brain only blanked out as he didn't recognize the names of the places. He had studied some of the Arthurian legend with Rin, but nothing rang a bell. How could he possibly be familiar with the ancient names of every little hovel in Sub-Roman Britain?
While he was thinking, a, "Well?" came from Arturia. He looked up, and Arturia was looking at him expectantly.
"Well what?" was the answer she got.
"Did he fight and defeat you to re-capture you?" the look and tone in Arturia's eyes was one of curiosity, she really wanted a chance to put down her brother. Catching him lying about his 'achievements' would sure irk him.
Shirou scratched him chin while trying to remember. The result was that he couldn't remember the details perfectly, but he was certain he didn't fight him. Thinking about it more, he was certain, his imprisonment had been pretty a one-sided affair.
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I don't really remember being down here that well; it's all kind of fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't fight anyone down here, and when someone came to torture me I didn't have the chance to fight back."
Having told Arturia that no, he did not ferociously resist, she smiled wide, smacked her fist into her palm and muttered to herself, "I knew it! Wait until I get ahold of him. Maybe I'll tell him when he's with tha…"
Shirou tuned out Arturia's machinations out for a second. He was over-joyous to see Saber, but he really needed time to think. Alone. He still had no idea where he was. Isca Dumnoniorum? Fosse? Thinking about it, these were definitely places he had never heard of and they could be outside of England for all he was concerned. They certainly didn't sound English, maybe he was in Wales?
Interrupting her scheming against Sir Kay, he decided to rephrase the question, "I'm sorry, but could you be more general? I don't remember where we are in the country. Perhaps you have a map of England that I could see?"
Arturia was stunned by the first part of the question. She was stunned because she was seriously wondering if Shirou had suffered amnesia when he hit his head or if he was playing clueless. How did he not know where he was? If he was really sent after her, he would have to know. The alternative was that he was a local, and the question wouldn't make sense either.
The last part was like a switch had been triggered in her mind; curiosity and novelty was replaced with fear and hostility. Her mood shifting on a dime, she drew back and wielded her knife at him.
Shirou stumbled back a bit at this sight. "W-Whats wrong?" he asked, as he started to move a bit closer to Arturia.
"Stay back!" Arturia cried out. An unexpected tone of panic fear filled her voice, but a tinge of anger was evident as well. She started to blabber to herself. "I should have listened to Merlin, he was right about you!" As Shirou moved his hands slowly above his head she pointed the dagger at him and squeaked out, "Don't move!"
Shirou had no idea what was going on. What he had done to spook her was beyond him. One second, he was asking where on Earth he was and now he stood with a dagger held in front of his face. On the upside, he was certain that this Arturia was not as strong a fighter as Saber was and he could almost certainly disarm her in her terrified state, but he couldn't guarantee their safety and it would only make her even more scared and distrusting. And then what would he do? He would be stuck in a prison cell with an angry / unconscious / injured girl. So, he tried to understand why he was stuck in this situation and hopefully he could resolve it without coming to blows.
He began and Arturia tensed up again, "Listen, I just want to talk. Just put down the knife and…"
"No" a single shaky word was the only thing out of her lips. A declaration that stated that she was not willing to negotiate.
With that matter settled he tried a different approach, "Well can you at least tell me why you want to kill me now? You just helped me and now this?"
Arturia wasn't about to fall for any more of his tricks. He had somehow not followed through on his assassination attempt, but now she would not let her guard down again. Nevertheless, she decided to humor him, "I don't know. Maybe because I didn't know you were going to kill me the second I turned my back." She saw a look of confusion on his face at this.
She laughed nervously, "I have to commend your acting skills, you are quite good at playing stupid, but have made one fatal mistake."
Curious of what he did that made her so irate, he slowly and cautiously asked, "So what exactly have I done to draw your ire?"
This only got her angry, "Shut up you filthy German! I won't fall for any more of your tricks!"
Shirou began to ask another question, but Arturia cut him off again. "You claim innocence, yet you call this land Engle-land." The Germanic word came off her tongue slowly, but it was filled with hate and disgust. She continued, "No one but the most hate-filled and violent invaders dare to call Britain that. I thought that there was a chance that you could be friendly, but the use of that word tells me that that you only seek to destroy me, and I will not let that happen today."
It was only then that Shirou realized what had gotten her so worked up. Searching his memories for the cloudy remnants that consisted of his history class he vaguely remembered England literally meant "Land of the Angles". The Angles being one of the invaders that Arturia was fighting against. It only made sense that by calling the country England, she assumed he was a sworn enemy. Britannia, Albion, or maybe even Prydain were things she might have been familiar with, but England was a foreign and offensive word. It implied that the destruction of her peoples was inevitable.
Shirou also realized that it would be very confusing because the language and pronouns that would normally use identified more with the invaders than the native Britons. After all, the most of celebrated history that concerned Britain was the story of the Anglo-Saxons (albeit with a merger with Norman French nobility) and their ancestors. Boudicca and King Arthur were literally the only examples he could think of who came before the Anglo-Saxon invasion, and in his own time, King Arthur was assumed to be fictional by many. The prefix Anglo- was used to describe many things British as well. Yet it was apparent that if Shirou even expressed the slightest notion that he was an Angle it was practically a death sentence for him in Sub-Roman Britain.
He sighed internally, it was yet another thing that he would have to remember. First having to remember to call Saber by her persona and now this. At least he wouldn't have to worry about getting beat into unconsciousness by Fuji-Nee if he called her 'tiger' anymore. Really, he was just switching out a few old mental burdens for a multitude of new ones.
Well, he had to think of something to diffuse the situation, convincing her that he wasn't an Angle seemed to be the easiest solution. (and the only one he could think of) "I am not a German. I can prove it to you." He stated.
"Are you mocking me? Do you think that I am a fool who can be so easily convinced?" she asked him incredulously.
"Think about it," he began his all or nothing persuasion attempt, she would probably try to kill him if he failed to convince her, "Do I look like any German that you've ever seen?" Motioning to his face he continued, "My hair says that I am probably a Pict, but my complexion is unlike any German, Irish or Pict you'll ever seen."
Arturia found herself nodding to this; it was true that he didn't look the part, but maybe it was some kind of mage craft. She knew Merlin could disguise himself to look like another person, but it didn't appear to be a disguise. In fact, it would be a terrible disguise as it would draw the attention of everyone who happened to see it.
Curiosity got the better of her, "If you say you are not a German, then where are you from?"
Here Shirou hesitated, the name Japan would mean nothing of her. The farther east one went, the more mysterious and legendary the tales were. Sassanid-Persia was the mysterious and hostile empire east of Rome, and India was the legendary continent that even Alexander The Great couldn't conquer. China was known to only the elite of Roman society and merchants and was considered a fairytale by many. Japan would not even be mentioned until around the time the travels of Marco Polo were published (1300 C.E.) and no European would ever see his nation until 1543.
Growing impatient and nervous, she warned him, "You'd better not be planning anything. I'll ask one more time. Where are you from?"
Well crap, it was too late to come with a lie now. He would have to tell her the truth He hesitantly told her, "It's not going to mean anything to you. It's a place you have never heard of."
"I'll be the judge of that, just tell me." she snapped.
Not being able to come up with an alternate, he decided to just tell the truth and deal with the consequences. "I am from Japan." He declared, hopefully he would get the chance to explain with a map later.
Arturia stood there for a few seconds. Trying to remember her geography lessons from Sir Ector. However, she eventually gave up. She had never heard of such a land. It sounded strange and foreign just like the language he spoke.
"Where is this Japan. I've never heard of such a place." She demanded from him.
In response Shirou merely shrugged his shoulders, "I told you wouldn't, but I can show you if you have a map or some paper and something I can write with."
This made her pause. Well he wasn't wrong; he did in fact tell her that she wouldn't know of this Japan. Additionally, she didn't have paper or a map. If she were to get some from the fortress, she would inevitably be questioned by her father. Although he might not be exactly pleased at the fact she had let the prisoner free, hopefully Merlin would be willing to help her again.
Thinking about it, Merlin would probably know of Japan. Arturia wouldn't be surprised if he told her that he had been there once before. Glancing suspiciously one last time at Shirou she decided that she could let her guard down a little. Despite being on his feet, he was still rail thin and weak. There was no chance he could overpower her, and if he really wanted to kill her, she would already be dead. She didn't know much about mages, but Merlin had clearly warned her how dangerous this one was.
Lowering, but not putting her dagger away, Arturia relaxed her posture a bit and told Shirou "Come with me, but if you try anything…" the threat hung in the air, uncompleted.
Gulping, Shirou silently followed, he decided that anything was an improvement over having a knife in his face. Additionally, he might actually be able to leave this horrible dungeon.
As they walked up the stairs with Shirou in front, Arturia wasn't going to risk anything yet. Shirou was eager to be out of this hell hole; Arturia had informed it had been 47 days since he was first captured. It had felt like an eternity, but before it could end. He nearly collapsed. A shooting pain going down his back, it was something he hadn't felt for a while now. It was the feeling that accompanied the insertion of his "iron rod" into his spine, his magic circuit one that he had done manually every night every day of his previous life. It was a pain that he had once gotten accustomed to.
But sometimes pain is more bearable if you know it is coming.
This seemed so much worse than he had ever experienced. He could practically see the red-hot iron in edge of his vision, burning the world around him. It forced its way down his spine and burned the nerves that kept his brain in contact with his muscles. He could feel the grail's corruption being forced from his body as the iron drove through him, but it was going to fight back with all of its might on the way out.
As he collapsed down the steps, Arturia moved to support him. Well, she really had no choice; he was in front of her, the stairs were too narrow for her to move aside, and she didn't particularly feel like breaking his fall with her body. As she was wondering what was happening to him, he began speaking in tongues. In addition, his eyes rolled back in their sockets and he started sweating heavily. Maybe it was the language of Japan, but she wouldn't have known the difference anyways. She couldn't do much as he was trashing about. If she left him here he would fall down the stairs, and he was too heavy to lift properly. What on earth was she supposed to do?
This continued for a few minutes and his body temperature began to rise. It started to become uncomfortable to just hold him. 'Either he is a mage or a demon.' She thought as she tried to control his increasingly violent movements. In his eyes she could catch glimpses of her dream fire and pain were reflected in the glimpses.
Luckily for her, he was weak from the extended starvation. A few more minutes elapsed, and just as she was about to panic. He suddenly opened his eyes and the episode was over just as fast as it began.
Shirou began to sit up, rubbing his back. He evidently was a little sore there, curious. However, Arturia was speechless. What the hell had just happened.
Not noticing her gob smacked expression, he turned to her and said with a smile, "Well? Let's go. I'm ready to get out of this dungeon."
As he walked ahead as if nothing was wrong, Arturia followed shocked and, for the nth time today, confused. She wasn't sure what she had just witnessed, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Looking at Shirou, if she knew anything it was this: she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she knew that her life was going to get much more interesting.
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