The night was utterly black with nothing but the twinkling of the stars to show any light. Patrick was thankful the group had a roaring fire going. Kept most creatures, even humans away out of fear. Either of the fire or of being spotted before they could try something. It didn't mean Patrick would let his guard down. All around him were potential killers.

Whether it be a literal viking warrior. A samurai. A Confederate soldier. Even that Homunculus was a possible threat. Each one of them could and did have a good chance of killing him. Heck, even that mad man they had met earlier could very well do the same. The only odd one out was the little girl and that left a bad taste in his mouth just thinking about it. The only thing that didn't dismiss her was that she was in control of a servant and from the looks of things, her Lancer was quite powerful. The same went to everyone else's. He would need to really think long and hard before he acted. He would not lose his one wish.

"So," Signy, the viking warrior, spoke up. All of the masters, including the child, were now around the campfire. A big cup of mead was in her hand. "Who wants to start?"

"Start?" Fumio, the samurai, raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Signy took a swig from her mead. "We're in this war together. Might as well start talking about what we want. Fair is fair anyways."

Peter, the Confederate soldier, nodded. "I aint afraid of telling no stories. So long as this one," he pointed and glared at Patrick. "Don't go off shooting me in the back."

Patrick scowled. He wasn't sure if he remembered this man or not, but he was awfully familiar. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Seems to be a bit of history between you two," Signy smirked. "Care to share?"

"Aint gonna talk about no traitor," Peter scowled. "He ran away when we needed him."

"We're losing this war," Patrick shot back. "My son was dead because we decided to fight and what good did that do? I don't even remember why we started this whole thing. It's all pointless."

"You're a coward," Peter stood up, looking to brawl.

"Please,' the homunculus spoke up with a slight stutter. "Don't fight."

"Kind of the point of this whole affair," Signy lifted a finger before drinking again. "Anyone want some? We brought plenty of the stuff."

"Now that I would take kindly too," Patrick nodded, thankful that Peter was now sitting down again. The others nodded, except for the kid who was still quiet. "I think I'll start. You already know about my son's fate. Died in combat."

"Bet he's lounging in Valhalla right now," Signy smiled. "Probably drowning himself in rum or hitting on a hot valkyrie I take it."

Patrick laughed, "Maybe he is, but it wasn't his time. I want to use my wish to bring him back."

"An honorable goal," Fumio said. "I have no such wish. I simply want to continue my family's journey and reach the Root of all things."

"Ah fuck the Root," Signy snorted. "That's all a load of rubbish. I just want to bring back the old gods."

"You wish to bring about another Age of Gods?" Fumio looked at her in confusion. "Do you know what that would mean for us?"

"Lots of adventuring and monsters to kill," Signy's smile turned bloodthirsty. "That and I'd love to meet Thor and do battle with him. Maybe he'd make me a Valkyrie or maybe I'd end up in Valhalla. Either way, I win."

"Not if I win first," Peter spoke up. "I want to use the Grail to win this war. The South will never lay back and be the North's prisoner again."

Patrick snorted but was cut off when Signy made a signal to zip it.

They all turned to the homunculus, who was known as Hilda. She blinked and looked around at them, "What?"

"It's your turn," Peter said.

"I…" She nervously fidgeted in place. It was rather adorable to watch. "I don't have a wish."

"Don't have a wish?" Peter looked at her incredulously. "You're in this war. You've got to have a wish."

"My master-"

"Fuck your master," Signy spat into the flames. "You've got to want something or else you wouldn't have those command seals. Don't let some bastard push you around. You've got to live life how you want or else you're nothing but a slave." She gestured a thumb at Peter, "These guys know all about that."

Peter opened his mouth but closed it. He simply scowled and crossed his arms. Patrick smirked but said nothing.

"So kid," Signy piped up again. "What's your wish?"

"I… I want my village back," the little native girl curled up into a ball as she sniffed. Thankfully she could speak and understand English. "I… just want them back."

Patrick frowned and a bit of rage went through him. He had heard stories about what soldiers did to villages that wouldn't leave American soil. None of them were pretty. Seeing a child hurt so… it made him want to shoot the bastards who made her cry.

Signy stood up and went to the little girl's side, curling an arm around her. "Shhh, it's okay. A sweet thing like you will turn out just right. You'll see your family again. I promise."

Patrick knew Signy meant more as in a new family or one in the afterlife. Both chilled him to the bone.

"Maybe we shouldn't let her participate," Fumio spoke up. "She is only a child."

"Her servant can still fight," Peter spoke up. "Why don't we just agree not to harm her and be done with it."

"Or we could let someone else have her servant," Patrick spoke up. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. "What? It's not like any of us want a child to participate in this damn war."

"No, we do not." Fumio nodded.

"But we hell's aint gonna let each other get another servant," Peter scowled. "That'd be stupid. So it's best she just keeps it for now. We'll just work around her and deal with her servant. It's not like a servant can't just fight on their own."

"It's possible," Patrick nodded. "So we'll agree on not harming the girl. About that other fellow-"

"I'll cut his head off," Signy snarled, keeping little Salali, the native girl, company. She acted like a mother bear defending her cub. "He doesn't get to stay anywhere safe. We'll hunt him down and kill him."

"Was already planning on that, darling." Peter smirked. "He's a master anyways. Two birds with one stone."

"Then it's decided," Fumio stood up. "I think it's best we got some rest. We have a long war ahead of us."

Everyone nodded. Signy accompanied Salali to her tent. No one questioned her on that since they were sure she wouldn't do anything to the child. Patrick didn't have the highest opinion of most magi but she struck him as the honorable type. He just hoped Peter would hold that same sense of honor or he should expect someone to kill him tonight.


Saber honestly felt a little awkward as she sat around her own campfire. The masters had theirs and the servants had their own. Now she wasn't unfamiliar with the sense of sharing space with a bunch of strange individuals. That's basically how she grew up. Her family and friends were amongst the strangest people she could imagine up until now and she had loved every one of them. She'd never trade them for the world.

Now though? All of these people wanted to kill her. She had the strange and aloof elvish woman, Lancer. The undead Archer elf who looked like she hated everything around her. The mute Assassin who seemed to think everyone as a joke with her eyes. Berserker was just a straight up monster. Lastly, Caster who seemed to be too busy strumming her little instrument to care about the others.

She didn't know how to handle this situation. She had been summoned to fight and kill for the grail. Now though? She was stuck playing nice with all of her opponents. Well all but one. Rider. That little green pest had fled. She would have loved to end the servant of the steed's life as any other. Now though, she still had six opponents which meant six people who could end her life.

"So… does anyone want to start?" Saber awkwardly asked.

"That's kind of hard since two of us can't speak," Caster snorted.

Assassin held up a sign that read 'I can still write, jerk'.

Caster held up a hand, "I got it. I got it. I might not be the best person around, but I'm not going to pick on the mute." A large growl resounded the area, "Or the beasts like you Berserker. I've met plenty worse in the Ghost Zone."

"Ghost Zone?" Saber quirked an eyebrow.

Caste nodded, "Yeah, the Ghost Zone. Basically it's where you go after you die. Well a lot of people anyways. It's full of all sorts of monsters and baddies. I'm one of them of course. Wasn't always the case. Was a bit of a nobody when I was alive…" She frowned, "No one cared about me aside from my family… I wonder how they're doing…"

"So I'm guessing you want another chance at life?" Saber asked.

Caster nodded, "Full on resurrection. I'm sort of tired of living life as an undead and having my butt kicked. I want to live again and rock hard." She strummed her guitar with gusto, "This time though, I want to do it right. In the now. Not then. I don't want to live that life once more."

Saber nodded, "I understand. I too want a new life. However, my land is besieged by monsters. We were all dying… I want to wish them away. That they never appeared and that my lands were safe from harm. That I could… see my father again."

"How touching," Archer chuckled, showing not the least bit of sympathy. "One wants to play an instrument with mortal fingers and the other wants to be the big hero. So very cute."

"Watch it, Archer." Caster scowled. "I could strum you into the ground."

"I hardly think you could," Archer countered. "Besides, living is terrible. I've seen the here after. I've lived my life fully. None of it was good. The world would be better if it was like me."

"A wretched corpse that breaks the laws of life?" Lancer spoke up nonchalantly.

"Do not speak to a queen in such a tone," Archer scowled.

"I will speak to one of my former kin in any which way I choose," Lancer spoke. "Your kind is so similar to mine. So similar in fact that I would have pegged you for a Dark Eldar with that sort of attitude."

"You have a death wish," Archer narrowed her eyes, looking like she was one step away from murdering Lancer.

"No, you do." Lancer looked rather bored. "You wish for everyone to be undead like you so you can rule over them. I wish for none of that. My wish is the same as Sabers but on the grander scale. The salvation of my people."

"Then I hope we can meet on the battlefield as true warriors then," Saber smiled.

Lancer gave a small bow of her head, "I am unsure about that at the moment but perhaps."

Assassin held up a sign. 'I just want my friend Torchwick back.'

"Ah a friend," Caster grinned. "It was a guy wasn't it?"

'He was like a big brother to me.' Assassin's sign read next.

"And you?" Caster asked Berserker. Berserker just growled and turned away. "Fine, keep your secrets."

"She wishes to be left alone," Lancer spoke. "That no monkeigh, I mean, humans come to bother her. I can also understand that feeling."

"Humans can be bothersome," Archer said.

"We're tenacious," Saber said. Assassin nodded at that, "It's what keeps us alive despite what the worlds throw our way."

"One day it will be your undoing," Lancer said. "Something is going to come along that you can't defeat."

"Then we'll make them regret it with our dying breath," Saber said fervently.

"Oh I'm sure you will," Lancer spoke.

"Enough about that," Caster grinned as she stood up. "How about we have ourselves a little campfire song."

"Please no," both Lancer and Archer said at the same time.

"Too bad," Caster said and then started to sing, much to the previous two servants chagrin.