Okay so this chapter was by far the hardest to write so far. I just graduated High School, and then went on a vacation to a place with no internet connection so it may be a bit rushed, but I promised I tried the best I could and read through it to catch grammatical mistakes. That being said I am now looking for a beta reader to help proofread my story, and have it flow better. If anyone is up for the challenge of having to help an armature writer then please PM me, and if you have to stop at anytime that is fine.

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Chapter 5

Drake's POV

"... Derfel?", I look on still awestruck by her beauty, but that name shook me from my trance. It carried so much meaning for the women before me, and expressed hundreds of emotions at the same time. But it only managed to confuse me.

"Wh-who", The swordswomen weapon imbedded itself into the ground causing me to jump back in surprise. Looking back up I saw the hero's eyes widen in shock. The hands that once held her beautifully crafted sword were now at her side, and were clenched into fist of rage. Reaching to retrieve the blade she had dropped in shock only seconds ago I was convinced she was going to ram it through my chest. But just as she pulled the sword from the floor a new voice came into the room, and I saw Ceinwyn rise from the floor making her way between me and the heroic spirit dagger in hand,

"He is the ones who summoned you", The maid said before taking my right arm and revealing the marks on my hand, never taking her eyes of the girl before us, " These seals prove Sir Griffin is your Master". The women before us loosen her grip on her weapon, and her face went from anger to confusion. The sword she held then vanished into thin air leaving her arms grasping nothing but air.

"...Griffin?", rising from the floor I had no idea what to do. I was suppose to summon someone to protect us, but in less than two words I had screwed that up completely.

We need to start over

I move forward, but one step in I feel a hand clench my shoulder. Looking back I saw Ceinwyn slowly shaking her head back and forth. She still didn't trust the Servant not to attack me even without a weapon. Pausing my stride I stopped, the maid was right. Although I didn't know why, the hero I had summon obviously was not pleased with the situation she was in and I should approach with caution. So instead I remained next to the maid and gave off an awkward wave,

"H-hi I'm Drake Griffin and this is Ceinwyn… we're the ones that summoned you… I think", the words came out cowardly but it was the best I could manage at the moment. Looking at me the blonde girl gave off a sigh then relaxed her posture.

"My apologies Master", She began her voice and expression now incredibly cheerful catching both Ceinwyn and I off guard with the sudden change of attitude, "I did not mean to be so hostile towards you, I was just a little surprised to be summoned for this war". The smile now present on her face was incredible and it made me forget all the fear I felt towards her moments before.

"That's okay", I respond giving off a nervous laugh, "I'm just as confused as you are. To be honest I didn't even no magic exist until a couple hours ago", the swordswomen tilted her head in confusion before giving off a giggle that caused my face to heat up,

Can a hero from the past really be this cute?

"Then this quite the mess you've gotten yourself into Master", She looked up and made eye contact with me, but despite her much more positive attitude, the smile she gave me seemed force. Nevertheless she continued on, "But do not worry, as your Servant I pledge my sword to you for battle and protection".

"Which class are you?", a voice commanded reminding me that Ceinwyn was still in the room, and by the sound of it she was still wary of the hero's initial attitude. Walking forward the blonde turn towards Ceinwyn and her smile seemed to become more genuine. The maid grip on her dagger increased. The hero remained unfazed by this action, and once she was close enough she reach out towards the maid's hand. Ceinwyn eyes were still locked onto the hero, but she decreased the pressure she had on the weapon. Ripping off a piece of cloth from the nearby furniture, the heroic spirit took Ceinwyn wounded arm and began wrapping it up. Once finished the maid retracted her arm and looked at the bandage confused.

"You clearly are an ally of my Master. And as one I will do everything in my power to assure your safety as well", Ceinwyn cradled her bandaged arm but her posture relax, trusting the hero for the moment at least, "As for my class I am servant Saber and that is what you shall call me".

"What does it mean to be the Saber class?", I piped in deciding now would be a good time to find out more on what I've gotten myself into. Returning her eyes to me Saber giggled,

"Oh my you really must be unfamiliar with the Magi world Master. As a participant in this war I have been summoned as the class associated with swordsmanship."

"It is considered the strongest class. You did an outstanding job on the summoning Sir Griffin", Ceinwyn added with a small smile.

"Yes" Saber agrees, "I feel no restrictions and your prana reserves are plentiful".

"Wish I could take credit for the compliment but I really don't have a clue what any of you are talking about", Saber gives off another small laugh and I can't help but move the tips of my lips upward.

"That's very modest of you Master. I did not know Magi could act such a way, I would think the Masters in this War would be more ruthless. How did you two even find yourselves in such a dangerous event?". Saber remains smiling after the questions but the words seem to have a different effect on Ceinwyn and I as the sudden realization of why we summoned Saber returned.

"Because we need protection", Ceinwyn broke the silence here eyes once again glancing back towards the door in fear, "... We were attacked by another Master at the Aelle's mansion… Only Sir Griffin and I were able to escape". I see tears begin to form in the young maid's eyes but she quickly brought her sleeve up to wipe them away. Looking to Saber I see her expression change at will and she now stood as the hero she was summoned as. Her face stern and cautious, one, that despite her young age, seemed like it had been through many battles.

"I do not sense any Servants nearby but that does not rule out all possibility, I will remain on guard", Saber's sword rematerialized into her hand.

"We should be fine for now. The Servant he has summoned will be far too powerful to be Assassin"

Assassin? I think to myself confused.

"He attacked the house to steal an artifact… I don't know enough information on the item, but Richard told me it would be used to summon the most powerful Servant", Ceinwyn lowered her head and a shadow covered her eyes, but Saber laid a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Do not worry Ceinwyn I will not allow you or my Master to be harmed in this war. You have my oath as a knight". The maids eye remained covered, but I hope she would at least try to find relief in those words.

"... So what now?", the two female occupants of the cabin eyes turned on me.

"What do you mean?", The knight responded, "Now that I've been summon we will fight in the war as Master and Servant until I retrieve the grail for you". I rub the back of my head awkwardly,

"I mean what do I do now? I've summoned the heroic spirit, but I barely have any idea of what's going on. You guys keep mentioning these seemingly important things like Assassin and artifacts, but I'm not sure what any of it means or what I'm supposed to do about it. From the sound of things, and my brief experience in this war, it seems like not only the Servants fight but the Master's as well. And not only did I just learn magic exist I have no idea how to use it nor do I think I have the capability to actually kill another human being, even if it's in self defense". There was an awkward pause after my little outburst, and do to the silence that followed I couldn't help but wonder if I just said something completely stupid. That was until a lighthearted giggle echoed throughout the room. It wasn't a noise that was directed a my comment or one one that was meant to mock my statement. It seemed that it was somebody was laughing to themself at an old forgotten memory. Looking towards the noise I saw Saber kneel down on the wooden floor, before lightly patting the board next to her, motioning for Ceinwyn and I too sit. Confused and a little embarrassed I took a seat and adjusted myself on the floorboards. The strawberry blonde next to me looked on towards the ancient warrior cautiously but quickly kneeled as well leaving us in a tight circle in the center of the room. We both looked at Saber who had brought one of her hands to cover her mouth to suppress the noise coming from her, for me this only increased her level of cuteness and I began blushing, completely forgetting that she very well could be laughing at me. We both seemed lost in our own little worlds as I looked on watching her chuckle to herself.

"Ahum", an annoyed cough from broke me from my stare and I looked over at Ceinwyn, who must have made the noise, whose eyes were locked on Saber in annoyance. I shot my head down in embarrassment as my cheeks began to heat up even more, but Saber giggling eventually turned into a lighthearted smile.

"My apologies Master, I do not know what came over me", The smile never left her face but her eyes seemed to look off into space with sadness, "People like you simply don't belong in situations like these Master… but so long as I am your Servant I will do my best to further explain the conflict you find yourself in". My face remained red but I looked up ready for answer. From the corner of my eyes I spotted Ceinwyn open her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off when Saber began talking again, "I will give you the knowledge and rules of this war the best I can, but unfortunately many lessons in life are learned through actions and I fear you will have to adapt quickly to the upcoming battles you find yourself in. That being said having you be aware of some information and the basic layout of the war will be better than nothing". She paused and looked on at me, silently asking me if I was ready for her to continue. I gave a short nod wanting to know more of what I've gotten myself into, "Very well, as a participant of the Holy Grail War you will be one of seven Masters summoning a heroic spirit to fight on your behalf to acquire the all powerful Holy Grail to grant you a soul wish, but do to my existence here I assumed you know that much". I rub the back of my neck awkwardly,

"...Yeah, I got that part… kinda"

"Good, now we can get on to the mechanic of the War. Like their are seven Master in this war there are seven different Servants each one representing a unique class with a Noble Phantasm based on their legend".

"What's a N-", she raises hand to stop my question.

"A Noble Phantasm could be summed up as the representation of a hero's legend itself, and is their ultimate trump card in a fight. This may result in one devastating attack, or entire change to a landscape. It is quite difficult to explain because the function of Noble Phantasm can be limitless and completely unpredictable"

"...Okay", I still don't fully understand the concept of these Noble Phantasm and I get a bad feeling that these are going to be one of the rules I have to unfortunately learn in reality. I think Saber knows I'm still confused on the topic but she continues anyway.

As I said I have been summoned as the Saber class a master of swordsmanship and close quarter combat, do to my riding skills and magical resistance Saber's are typically considered the best class. Given your situation that is quite the accomplishment", a genuinely happy smile graces her face, and I can't help but wonder if this is how she always acts, beside the initial moment when I felt she wanted to beat me to a bloody pulp of course, "Next there's Lancer, a servant who has high agility and speed. Their weapon of choice will be a spear or lance. This can make them quite the difficult opponent since their tool can be used for short and long range attacks. Then there is-"

"RIDER", I look to my left in surprise to see Ceinwyn as the source of the sudden interruption. Saber appears equally shocked but sends out a short laugh. Her action only seems to embarrass the maid but she continues on, "Rider is the Servant representing mounted warriors. They tend to have lower battle stats then Sabers, but their Noble Phantasm can be extremely powerful, usually connected to their steed or vehicle they fought upon". Saber raises an eyebrow amused.

"That is correct Ceinwyn, your knowledge of the war is very good", Ceinwyn face darken in embarrassment at the compliment.

"As Sir Griffin's personal maid it is my duty to inform him on anything he may not know. I have been reading about the Holy Grail War for years", the strawberry blonde voice is filled with slight annoyance towards the Servant, but Saber doesn't seem to mind. The heroic hero from the past seemed to know more about Ceinwyn off behavior then I do.

"Please do continue, I would not want to get in the way of your duty". Ceinwyn raises her head, her face red as a tomato, but taking a deep breath she's ready to continue.

"The Servants Saber, Lancer, and Rider make up the knight class. Do to the nature and dignity of their class they tend to have higher stats than the other four. With that being said the others are no less dangerous. Archer, a master of the bow, attacks from a distance. While this class of Servant is generally weak in stats, the do posses an ability known as independent action", I do not even need to expresses my confusion for Ceinwyn quickly begins to explain the concept of Archer's special ability, "You remember how I informed you that your prana output is what allows the hero you summon to exist in this war", I nod remembering why I was the one who had to summon the Heroic Spirit, "Most Servants work the same way, however Archers independent action allows them to exist for a few days even if there prana connection is cut off"

"That doesn't seem that impressive", both females look up and stare at me confused, "Compared to the others so far I mean"

"Forgive me Sir Griffin but I do not see your logic behind that, being able to remain in the world even if we dispose of the Master is quite a dangerous skill"

"Dispose? What the hell do you mean by dispose". Ceinwyn looked up confused,

"While Saber is engaging enemy Servants I will be trying to kill their Master before they harm you. But since Archer can remain in this world either way, they may find another power source if needed. This means that we will have to defeat the Servant itself in order to get rid of them". I looked on in shock,

How could she say such a thing so calmly. Killing another human being, she doesn't look like she's even twenty why is she treating such a thing like it's nothing. Saber picked up on the situation and gave of a short grunt before giving me a reassuring smile,

"I would advise both of you not to engage with the other Master's", Saber turn towards Ceinwyn with stern eyes"I assure you I will be able to defeat the enemy Servants so their is no need to risk your own safety fighting another mage"

"I do not doubt your ability Saber", the maid continue to speak normally completely unaware of my feeling towards the subject, "But cutting a Servant from their prana supply is a great way of eliminating them. I assure you I will do all the fighting, Sir Griffin will be nowhere near the danger".

Can she just think about herself for a moment. She's talking about killing people and being killed on my behalf. Why does she want to protect me so badly?.

"Cein-"

"We can concern ourselves with strategy later Ceinwyn, but first I believe we should finish explaining the rest of the classes", the maid still looks confused but nods her head, albeit reluctantly, "Very well shall you continue or would you like me to".

"I apologize for getting off topic Sir Griffin", Ceinwyn bows her head, "Caster are Servants that have dedicated their lives to magic, and while they have the weakest physical stats, they make up for it with their extensive knowledge and manipulation of magecraft. This fact alone can make them quite the dangerous advisory"

Why do I even bother. She apologized and she doesn't even know why, it's just her automatic response… What kind of life did she have to live in that mansion?

"I know this is a lot to take in, but it is quite rude not to listen to a conversation you started", Looking up I noticed Saber eyeing me like a parent scolding their child. Ceinwyn on the other hand had stopped talking and seemed a little disappointed I was not paying attention.

Oh crap! I rub the back of my head awkwardly giving of a small chuckle which came out way more forced than I wanted it to, "Sorry about that I just kinda spaced out. All of this is just really hard to believe".

"Should I stop Sir Griffin", Ceinwyn shot her head up with a look of concern, "I did not mean to confuse you please forgive me".

"Don't feel bad, it's my fault. I'll pay attention from now on, I promise". Ceinwyn remained concerned, which was more than I could say about Saber whose expression had changed from stern to amused.

"Very well, the last two classes are Assassin and Berserker. The Assassin class may be the most difficult for us to deal with. Their skill Presence Concealments allows them to go undetected by other Servants. While other heroic spirits are able to sense each other if they are close enough. Assassin is able to remain hidden, and therefore will likely try to kill the Master". I visibly gulp, thoughts of me suddenly being skewered out of nowhere fill my mind, and a familiar sense of dread returns.

"Do not worry", Saber says reassuring me, "Assassins our cowards who fight from the shadows. Presence Concealment or not they will not be given the opportunity to slip past my defensive". For some reason that did little to lower my fear level, but then again it's been rising exponentially ever since I was thrown from my bed.

"Perhaps the strongest Servant physically speaking is Berserker. A warrior who has lost themselves to madness and rage. Their class skill mad enhancement boost most of their stats, but as a result they turn into a mindless entity of pure destruction". There was a short pause at the end of Ceinwyn explanation, and terror pulsed throughout my entire body once I learned about all the heroes who could easily end my life in a split second.

"Very well done Ceinwyn! I could not have done any better myself", Saber gave off a polite clap that echoed through the cabin.

What! Why is everyone so calm about this?

"If I may though I would like to give my input on the precautions we shall take depending the the class we encounter", The maid looks up at the swordswomen hesitantly, but eventually nods. Ceinwyn still doesn't trust Saber as much as I do, but for the past twenty four hours my very life has depended on trusting people I just met. "While I have been summoned as the strongest class the others don't come without their advantages towards me. Should we run into Berserker, Rider, or Assassin I am confident in my abilities to outperform them in close quarter combat"

Unless Assassin split my throat you mean

"Lancer on the other hand may be a tricky due to his or her weapon being able to function as a long range projectile. That being said however I do believe I will defeat them quite easily if I am to get in close", her voice is filled with both calmness and authority, "This leaves are greater threats as Archer and Caster. Archer's range allows them to be able to pin me down from a distant, but given the right battle ground and the opportunity to get to close quarter combat I will be able to dispose of them with ease". The knight takes a short pause before addressing the last class, as if this one holds more meaning than the others, "... Caster will be our greatest threat by far".

"I have to disagree Saber, while the Caster class is impressive their weakness in actual combat will lead to their downfall. This fact alone may make them the easiest target for us to deal with". Saber closes her eyes and shakes her head.

"I'm afraid it is not that simple Ceinwyn", The maid eyes turn sour and meet Saber's the second they re open, "Caster strength lies in their flexibility. They are intelligent and their mastery over magecraft allows the possibility of their Noble Phantasm to be infinite". The strawberry blonde continues to look on at the hero with cold eyes, but Saber now stares back with an equally chilling stare. The atmosphere in the room leaves them both staring questibally at the other, leaving me the only one cable of ending their endless contest.

"That's really good information guys. With all that's happen to me tonight, I'm glad you could be so patient with me. Obviously a twenty minute explanation on magecraft and the Holy Grail War pales in comparison to a lifetime of study and practice, but thanks to you two I won't go in completely blind". Ceinwyn is the first to look towards me and offers me a sweet and reassuring smile. Standing up she walks towards the couch stripping of the dust covered sheet.

"It is my duty and pleasure to meet every one of your needs Sir Griffin", I blush deeply, and I'm suddenly very thankful the light in the room is so dim

Why did she have to phrase it like that, I could already feel myself having to fight off ungentlemanly thoughts.

"I will ensure his safety until the end". The maid begins fluffing the cushions on the ancient couch, properly preparing it for one of us to sleep on. Saber remains kneeling on the ground for a couple more seconds, before rising up. Her attitude returning to her calm cheerful self. Whatever stuff was going on between her and Ceinwyn had completely vanished in her mind at least.

"Your devotion and self sacrifice to my Master is well appreciated Ceinwyn. If you were born earlier I feel you would be an heroic spirit in the making", The maid does not face the Servant, but from the corner of my eyes I see the tips of her lips go up.

For the next five minute nobody in the cabin talks, but I'm glad the sudden tension between Ceinwyn and Saber had disappeared, at least for the moment.

"Sir Griffin", I look to see Ceinwyn with her hands clasp next to the couch.

"What's up"

"I have prepared your sleeping arrangement for the night", she motioned towards the couch, "With all you have been through this evening, I believe you need your rest. I look between the couch and the maid.

"You take the couch Ceinwyn"

"B-but Sir Griff-"

"I know you want me to have it, and I really appreciate it. But you're the one who is injured, and after all you have done for me tonight it's only right you get a good sleep", I walk over to the chair in the room and grab a cushion from it before placing it on the floor and lay down on the wood. "Please just let me do this for you Ceinwyn, I need to act like a man at least one time tonight". The maid remaining standing beside the couch, a look of shock covering her face. Her face turns red, but she remains upright.

"What a kind gesture Master", Saber giggles reminding me of her presence in the room, "and here a thought chivalry was a lost concept in this time period". Ceinwyn looks between Saber and I before hesitantly sitting, then lying on the couch.

"Saber-"

"Do not worry master, as a Servant I do not need sleep. I will patrol the outside of the cabin to ensure both of your safety", just as quickly as the Servant entered the hut she left, leaving the maid and I in a silent dark room, before a whisper came from the void.

"... Sleep well Sir Griffin", I remain noiseless staring up at the ceiling. I still have so many questions and none of this makes sense. A part of me wants to go to sleep and wake back up in my house… but a smaller part of me wants to keep going into the void to see what else I can uncover. I take a deep breath, and let all my pent up tiredness take me over,

"Thank you Ceinwyn, for everything"

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Third POV

"Why", Saber whispered to herself outside in anger, "Why must he look like that! Why must he looked like him!". The young knight looked on towards the cabin with eyes filled with hatred and sadness.

Why must fate continue to curse me. Is my life a joke to God himself, or am I simply a toy for his amusement.

The Servant turned her eyes from the cabin, a single tear escaping her eyes, "It's not possible. 1500 hundred years separate those two… but then why must Drake look like his twin. Out of all the people on this cursed Earth why did it have to be him". The grip on the knight sword tighten in rage, and it takes all her willpower to stop her from tapping into her own version of mad enhancement and laying waste to the entire forest.

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Hope it wasn't to hard to read, but I promise the next chapter will be better (I hope). I'll see you all in two weeks and feel free to review or PM me if you have any questions.