Tracker, Tracking.
Rin was traveling into the desert for half a day before she realised she couldn't find Sakura's trail.
In the Lunar camp she had been taught how to track in many terrains as it would be important if she wanted the heart blood of an animal. However as far as she could tell, Sakura had not been leaving a trail.
Upon realising this Rin cursed, her demons floated intangibly next to her so she spoke "Rubinrot, could she have entered Malfeas already?"
"No," Rubinrot assured her "It has not yet been long enough to cross the endless desert. If she has gotten that far though you don't have a chance of catching her before she reaches hell."
Rin thought for a moment "Are either of you good at tracking."
"Only blood." The Blood ape she had named Blutspucke spoke soon followed by "Not if it is a charm that hides her." from Rubinrot.
Rin thought for another moment "What species of first circle demon could help me with this?"
"Luminata" Blutspucke spoke quietly. When Rin looked confused Rubinrot continued "Luminata, The deer that hunt men. They would work fine for this but waiting for midnight to summon it would leave you a day behind in the search."
Rin nodded thoughtfully "True, but we don't have much hope of finding her normally. I will wait."
At sunset she pulled out the bag of powder she had been given in Paragon for summoning without proper tools. Inside the bag was a glittering black powder that she used to create a circle. She then touched a finger to the line and sent a small amount of essence into it to activate it.
The circle solidified into a band of metal, mostly black but with specks of gold and silver within it. The band expanded and locked itself in place.
It was only strong enough for one summoning but it would do much better than the sand she had been forced to use the first time.
When the moon was at it's highest she began, Before she had started the circle, Rubinrot had explained the hierarchy that the Luminata was at so Rin could focus on that while summoning.
"Come forth and serve me oh progeny of the Living Tower. I call a deer that hunts man. Come before me to hunt and serve me as is required by the oaths of surrender."
In hellish green light the demon appeared, it looked like a stag made of white tentacles. Rin's will clashed with the demon. After a moment the stag spoke.
"What would you have me hunt that you could not Child of the Moon?"
"I seek a quarry who can hide their tracks from me and who is likely escaping to Malfeas. I only seek them to save them, not to kill."
The Luminata tilted it's head "Disapointing. Regardless you have my services until the quarry is found.
The summoning complete the Luminata stepped out of the circle "Do you have anything of hers that I could try to smell for?"
"Before we exalted we were family, can you track through that?" Rin asked.
"Unlikely." The Luminata replied which Rin had kind of been expecting.
Rin sighed "Then your hunt shall begin in earnest when we enter Malfeas. Which way is the closest entrance to the endelss desert.
Her demons looked around for a moment before all pointing the same way, further south.
Rin picked up her supplies "Right, lets go. The sooner we are in the sooner we get to Malfeas right?"
"Do you have a name for your own?"
According to the demons they had only a mile before they got to the gate to the endless desert so she decided to ask a question of her new servant.
"No, I am not yet a citizen." Luminata replied
Rin concidered for a while as they drew close to the gate. She finally spoke again as they approached the line in the sand which was a different colour.
"I will name you Silber then." she looked at the Luminata who looked back in surprise. After a momnet it nodded but Rin thought it might have looked pleased. Hard to tell with a face made of tentacles.
Rin stepped over the line of pale sand and the entire desert around her shifted. She felt the warped nature of this place immediately.
She smiled and walked on "Geben Sie alle Hoffnung auf, wenn Sie hier eintreten" she spoke quietly in german before repeating in Japanese "Give up all hope when you enter here" It was not the best translation but she could be excused for have read the inferno in a language she actually knew.
In this desert nothing lived, her demons walked behind her, now that they were in a spiritual realm their natural state became physical.
It took five days to cross the endless desert. 120 hours after you entered you would reach Malfeas. No matter what speed you travelled at the time was exact.
Sakura was about ten hours ahead of her sister. She travelled without food and she ignored her constant companion so she was alone. She walked, filled with Love, Hate and Jealousy.
She would make them pay. That is what she thought. She planned to increase her power enough that she could force Shirou to come with her. Then she would have him to herself again.
End of chapter.
Yes a bit short but I needed to introduce Rin's third demon and show the travel to Malfeas.
I appologise for the google translate German this chapter. If anyone can think of a better name that Rin would use for the Luminata I would gladly take it.
For the German "Geben Sie alle Hoffnung auf, wenn Sie hier eintreten" was the closest Google translate could get to "abandon all hope ye who enter here" a line from Dante's inferno. In addition all of Rin's Demons are named in German.