CHAPTER 16:

MEETINGS

Darnic was surprised to find Harry Potter sitting at a table within Yggdmillennia's kitchens, eating a rather substantial portion of food. He'd received the report from a Homunculus after his meeting with Chiron and Fiore (and wasn't that disturbing?), so, with some trepidation and caution, he brought Vlad III with him. And yet, the sight of the teenager tucking into a rather hearty tochitură stew was surreal…until Darnic saw his eyes. Not the emerald of Potter, but rather, crimson and reptilian.

So, his first words to him were not some demand to return to confinement, or some pithy observation about the food. Instead, Darnic asked an insightful question. "Who are you?"

Potter, or the one using his body, looked up from his meal. "Interesting. You already know I am not Potter. Then again, the eyes are rather conspicuous. I should get that fixed. Looking intimidating is all very well, but one needs to have times to look normal enough. I know who you are, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Potter's memories were most instructive. I saw what he went through, before he vacated the premises. He's still alive, though, and I am sure that Homunculus that escaped has him within."

Darnic frowned. "You did not answer my question."

"Nor am I obligated to. For one thing, I am in dire need of food, as this body has subsisted on magically-enhanced, nutrient-laced breathing liquid. I'm glad that your Homunculi know how to cook tochitură. I visited this country a number of times back in my world, usually on the way to other countries, but still…about the only good things Muggles are for is cuisine. In more ways than one." Potter's body forked some meat from the stew into his mouth. "You know, that fat oaf of a Homunculus maker…he obviously spares no expense in teaching your Homunculi good skills, I'll give him that much."

"Darnic asked you a question," Vlad said coldly. "I'd suggest you answer."

The entity in Potter's body scoffed. "I want to eat a meal first. Can I at least savour that first? I am breaking in these taste buds into actual cuisine. This brat loves treacle tart and ice cream, of all things. Not a bad thing to enjoy, he has good taste, and unlike his Muggle relatives, he actually understands what moderation is. But…" Suddenly, stakes burst out of the table, forming a tent over the bowl. "…Really? You are that impatient? Very well then. I am Lord Voldemort. Now, can I finish my meal?"

Vlad dissolved the stakes he had formed with his Noble Phantasm, Kazikli Bey. Darnic sat down opposite the one claiming to be Voldemort. "How curious. If I recall what information I got from Potter, you were nowhere near him when he fell through the Veil, whatever that is."

"That is because I am not the main Voldemort. I won't bother telling you the details, I'd prefer to keep some secrets, but the short version is, I made a mistake that led to part of me latching onto his body. Bloody redhaired Mudblood slattern thinks she was so clever…" He spooned more of the stew into his mouth, finishing it off, before belching rather heartily. "Ah, well…pardon my rudeness. A new body is something to get used to. Some of his flippancy and childishness is affecting me too. I guess it's because his brain is still here. The mind is a plaything of the body, isn't that what Nietzsche said? Still…I suppose you want to get down to business. So, I should start off with the fact that I killed that Celenike woman. Normally, I would have tried to suborn her, she is so much like one of my own underlings, but gaining her allegiance would have taken too much time, and she was a liability anyway, to you and to me. She was going to command Astolfo to attack the people he was going to see."

Darnic scowled. If Voldemort was telling the truth, then Celenike intended to betray him, presumably out of spite. "And how can you know that?"

"Legilimency, mind-reading if you want to be boring," Voldemort said. "I snapped her neck, a quicker death than she deserved, but I wanted to be quick. Hopefully, Astolfo will run out of mana before he can be taken by any other faction, but even if he did…I decided to see if I could summon a Servant myself. One more powerful and reliable than Astolfo. I succeeded."

Darnic frowned. He wasn't exactly sorry that Celenike was dead, though he hoped that Voldemort was correct, that Astolfo would run out of mana before he could be contracted to another Master. Though he had to wonder what Servant Voldemort had summoned. "I presume you want command of Yggdmillennia?"

Voldemort scoffed. "I'm not an idiot, not like my original self was. Merlin, he was so full of himself and his own self-importance. I have one Servant, while Yggdmillennia, without Astolfo, have five. You are all magic users going against the status quo imposed by a group of antediluvian fossils who have no idea what true greatness is. I like that. So, for now, I am going to go for an alliance. And if you're worried about me stabbing you in the back, well, I'm surprised you aren't worried about the ambitions of any of your followers. Then again, Celenike is dead, and by all accounts, the others seem to be loyal. In any case, I think both the Red Faction and this…breakaway group are of considerable concern. The latter may have Potter if what I suspect is true, and that Homunculus is him. As for the Red Faction…I saw in Celenike's memories that the only Masters from the Red Faction that have been spotted recently have been that Homunculus and Kairi Sisigou. That's rather odd, don't you think? Especially as you haven't been able to pin down the coordinator sent by the Church."

"I do have his name through the few contacts I have in Clock Tower. Shirou Kotomine," Darnic said. "The little information I have suggests that he is the adopted son of Risei Kotomine, and adopted brother of Kirei Kotomine. He is sure to be an Executor of the Burial Agency at the bare minimum, if not working for the Eighth Sacrament as well. They're the Church's tomb raiders, sent to retrieve holy relics. The Eighth Sacrament have had an interest in the Holy Grail, despite it not actually being the cup of Jesus Christ."

Voldemort scowled in annoyance. "Is this lack of information normal?"

"No. The Vatican probably believe him to be their trump card, which is probably why there is a lack of information, due to them engaging in information control. Most of what I can say about him is inference, given that his adopted family are considerably better known. I met Risei Kotomine during the Third Holy Grail War, and he was certainly not one to be trifled with. Aside from the usual training Executors go through, he also knows a considerably lethal version of Bajiquan, a Chinese martial art. And Executors often go after Magi. Which means he is not an opponent that can be underestimated."

Voldemort scoffed slightly. "Perhaps. But then again, neither is my Servant. Come out, please, Avenger."

Darnic frowned. Avenger? That was one of the potential extra classes that he learned about from the von Einzbern's writings on the Holy Grail Wars, the ones he seized from that Homunculus' possessions. And then…Avenger materialised. A buxom woman melded with a snake with wings and claws, her long purple hair forming into vicious snake heads. Darnic could feel the power radiating off her in waves, and while Astolfo may have had the edge in versatility, he knew that this Servant had the crossdressing Paladin of Charlemagne beaten in terms of power and malice.

He also had a fairly good idea whom she was. The hair becoming snake heads, the visor covering her eyes, the reptilian elements, the divinity…if this wasn't the Gorgon formerly known as Medusa, he'd be surprised.

The woman scrutinised them from beneath the visor covering her eyes. Her first observation was to Vlad III. "So, you are Vlad Tepes, infamous as the Impaler. One who became a monster to protect those he held dear, like I did, striking fear into allies and enemies alike, only to be betrayed, you by your own brother, and I by my own nature." While her tone was haughty, there was something strangely…wistful in her tone. As if she understood him. Even sympathised with him, insomuch as the infamous Gorgon could.

"You've handled yourself well, Gorgon, in not retaliating when I used my Noble Phantasm to stop your Master from eating," Vlad observed.

Gorgon chuckled mirthlessly. "Having been hunted by so-called heroes throughout my existence, I have a good sense for killing intent towards myself and others. In addition, you exude power. Being summoned on your native soil agrees with you. I know when to pick my battles. I am a monster, not a base beast. However, know that any substantial threat to my Master's person, or my own, will be repaid with interest."

"The same can be said of myself and my Master," Vlad said coldly.

"In any case, it seems that your nemesis may have summoned a potentially more powerful Servant than we bargained for," Darnic said. "Our Archer spoke to me. He believes Rider of Red, also known as Altera or Attila the Hun, is an avatar for Sephyr."

Voldemort frowned in incomprehension, but Gorgon drew in a sudden hiss of breath. If her eyes were visible, Darnic was sure they'd be wide in shock. "The White Titan of Velber? Impossible…she was sealed away!"

"Our Archer finds it hard to believe, but the Sword of Mars, Photon Ray, is distinctive enough," Darnic said. "I found that rather odd. Velber and its heralds are destructive entities, and yet, Rider of Red's predisposition appears to be somewhat less destructive."

"Perhaps she conceals her true purpose," Vlad observed. "She may wish to be free from her shackles. But which ones? The ones the World imposed on her, or Velber's? Potter doesn't seem like the sort to indulge in unnecessary destruction, after all, and it seems that, despite everything you did to the boy, that hasn't changed. Otherwise, he would have unleashed her on this castle."

"Potter and his Servant are indeed a great threat, but far from an insurmountable one," Voldemort declared. "The priest you mentioned is perhaps a greater one, if only because we don't know enough about him and his Servant. Still…I am confident of victory."

But whose victory? Darnic thought. Yours or mine? He didn't trust Voldemort one inch. Celenike was a loose cannon whose loyalty to him was far from absolute (even Gordes, as pompous and opinionated as he was, was loyal), but she was also a known quantity. Voldemort wasn't. All Darnic knew of him was what Harry had told him about him, before Darnic decided Harry was better as a guinea pig and possible new body. He was already dangerous. With an Avenger, doubly so.

But Darnic was a pragmatist, and he hoped this Voldemort was too. That way, he knew that the dagger coming for his back wouldn't be planted into it until after the battle was done. Then again, you couldn't be too careful. He needed to find some sort of countermeasure to Voldemort and Avenger soon…

Harry and Altera were having…well, a date, having a nice meal at a café in Sighişoara. While Shirou had encouraged them to have one before, it wasn't quite one. Here…Harry felt that it was closer to one, oddly enough.

He didn't know it, but he and Altera shared many of the same feelings and concerns about their relationship. He was an eighteen year old wizard who now had a Homunculus body, she was a millennia-old destroyer of worlds who ended up becoming Attila the Hun for a time. And yet, he found himself caring for her, wanting to see her happy.

Maybe it was Velber's influence influencing her into tricking him, but he couldn't truly believe that. Altera was no willing destroyer. As Sephyr, she did it because Velber had her dangling from its strings. As Attila the Hun, she did so because she knew nothing different. But Altera…she had come to regret what she did. All she wanted was to live a life of her choice, outside of imprisonment and the influence of Velber.

In a way, Harry sympathised. Much of his life had been stage-managed, in hindsight. True, so was his involvement in the Holy Grail War and his commanding Altera's avatar as a Servant…but in truth, he would have done so anyway, to prevent the likes of Darnic or Celenike from getting their hands on the fully-primed Grail. At least Justeaze, once she made herself known, explained what she knew, unlike that old bastard Dumbledore. Even if Dumbledore meant it with the best of intentions, Harry felt his life had gotten royally sodomised as a result.

Would he go back to his homeworld? Probably not. Leaving aside the problems of explaining away what happened to him, if he couldn't win this Grail War, he wanted to stay, to try and find another solution to removing Velber's influence from Altera. His friends…well, some of them were still alive, Voldemort was gone (Sirius and Remus' theories notwithstanding, and those were scary enough), and Harry…had had enough of Magical Britain. Enough of being treated as a messiah one moment, and as a pariah the next.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't realise Altera had stiffened until she hissed, "Harry."

He looked up, and she flicked her crimson eyes outside the café. He looked out the window. Nobody familiar stood out…but then, he realised he could see someone watching them. A girl in her late teens, wearing what looked like a school uniform, with long blonde hair. Her purple eyes were peering at them with scrutiny.

"Who is that?" Harry asked.

"…A Servant," Altera said, as the girl then began walking towards the café. "But I do not believe that is one of Yggdmillennia's. We have seen Saber, Berserker, Rider and Assassin, I have seen Archer from a distance, Lancer is Vlad Tepes, and while she may be a Caster…I don't think she is. And that is not a Spiritron body like a standard Servant. I think she's a Pseudo-Servant. Which means…"

The girl had entered the café by this point, and had sat down at their table. "Forgive the interruption," she said, her voice tinged with a French accent. "You are with the Red Faction, yes?"

"…We used to be," Harry said. "We're sort of our own group now, with the former Rider and Assassin of Black. And who are you?"

"Désolé," the girl said, giving a bit of a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean to be rude, but I have been seeking answers ever since I have been summoned, and I was a little wary of approaching another Red Faction member, as I was attacked earlier by the Lancer of Red. My name is Jeanne d'Arc, and I am the appointed Ruler Servant of this Holy Grail War. And if you do not mind, I have some questions I would like answered, please."

"…I think we all do," Harry said, part of his mind numbed to the fact that he was speaking to Joan of Arc. "Because I think we have an answer to at least one of your questions…"

CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Harry and Altera have met Jeanne d'Arc, at long last. Oh, and Voldemort is making alliances and eating meals. That scene in particular, I realised, was subconsciously inspired by a scene from the Doctor Who novel The Romance of Crime, where the main villain Xais goes to meet her allies in the Nisbett brothers. Charlie Nisbett is eating a steak meal at the time, and Xais is rather annoyed at that, though she tolerates it until he's finished.

Also, making Voldemort saner wasn't quite what I intended, but it actually makes him more interesting. And dangerous. Just chalk it up to him having only a fragment of a soul and being stuck in Harry's body, and thus dealing with the hollow remains of Harry's memories and personality.

Anyway, don't expect the next chapter out for a while.

Review-answering time! Dragon Man 180: Actually, they're very compatible. This Voldemort, as shown above, is saner, and what's more, he's actually quite enamoured with her. Not in a lustful way, though he does feel some lust for her, but rather, he loves her as an embodiment of cruelty and destruction. She is probably one of the few beings he would respect, and he wouldn't see her as dispensable, a rarity for him. Conversely, Gorgon recognises this respect, and relishes the destruction and cruelty he will lead her to. He is a monster, he doesn't care that she is a monster, and so, they have a strong accord.

Skull Flame: Few Servants would be compatible with him. Virtually of them would be have to be outright evil. Jalter, Bluebeard, Moriarty, Hessian Lobo, Cu Chulainn Alter, Carmilla…you get the idea. Although I used Gorgon for Zabaniya, I chose her for this story for two good reasons. Compatibility, and the fact that the normal classes were already filled.

WearyCurmudgeon: Brynhild, the version from the Volsung Saga rather than the Nibelungenlied, is indeed a character in the Nasuverse, appearing as the Lancer in one of the stories of Fate/Prototype, as well as a Servant in the game Fate/Grand Order. She appears to be a lugubrious woman with extremely pale skin and hair, but is definitely NOT a Saberface. Also, keep in mind, Brynhild tries to kill the one she loves. While this generally means Sigurd, in Fate/Grand Order, this actually extends to other Servants, including Siegfried. These are Servants who are affected more by her NP, Brynhild Romantia, and given the 'Loved One' trait.

No numbered annotations this time.