Fate/ Order of Shadows.
-Chapter I: Fateful Encounters-
- (Lords of Shadow OST: Ascension)-
Anno domini 1047.
Romania, First week of travel since crossing the Hunting Path...
"Can you keep up with us?"
At the knight's question, Martha replied in what her comrades at Chaldea and even her former Master called her "Saint Persona".
"So long as you don't look for an early grave, both of us can pull our own weight. While I'm not master of spells or weapons, I can offer support in the ways of healing and my own ride. And just because I am a pacifist does not mean I cannot go on the offensive"
At that, the knight grunted in acknowledgment but decided to not press the issue further, while their other companion once again apologized for the inconvenience.
First impressions were important, especially if one was in need of help from another.
And Martha had been in dire need of support since awakening in what they believed was some sort of singularity, since they had both been dragged by unknown means into the 11th century Eastern Europe.
One moment she had been looking for the solitary shield-knight, and the next she had run to reach for the girl as some distortion caught them both by surprise.
She had lost consciousness, only to awaken in the past alongside her fellow Servant, in the care of a stranger who looked and held himself as a veteran warrior.
Though perhaps that had been the third thing to call her attention.
The first one being the lack of a connection to Chaldea, providing her the necessary manna to remain manifested even without being contracted to a Master.
She had stumbled for a moment upon this realization, but this had quickly made way for her second concern: Mashu Kyrielight , who seemed to have awoken before her.
They had greeted the stranger and answered his first questions regarding their reason for being on the other side of what was called the Hunting Path, somehow safe in spite of being unconscious in a forest infested by Werewolves and Wargs.
Usually it was the Master of Chaldea who handled this side of relationships with the inhabitants of a particular singularity, but it now fell on their shoulders to find out more about the state of affairs.
Fortunately, Martha and Mashu had some experience due to being accustomed to wandering during their time in the Singularities, and Martha herself had experienced living as a pilgrim of sorts after her exile in her own lifetime.
And it also helped that both her and the warrior were fellow Christians familiar with the Supernatural, which made easier to reveal a version of their origins.
She had expected some refusal to believe their tale given the fact that time traveling was not something common even during the Age of Gods, and especially considering that they had no ways to prove their story.
But while reluctant to some of their revelations, the man had listened to them and given a measure of trust.
...
"While your tale seems very surreal even in the current state of affairs, my guts are telling me to give you a chance. But even if that is the case, you own situation seems dire."
She had given a sad smile in reply.
"We have found ourselves stranded with no support and no means to call for it. We have tried believe me" –she stopped for a moment to look into his eyes, pools of icy blue that spoke of mourning and tiredness, but also of conviction –And so, I am ashamed to say that I may need your very support.
You have told us that you have you own mission to accomplish, even if we have yet to hear about it. But as it stands, we are in need to go alongside you in these unknown lands, but to survive as well as to provide any kind of support so long as your goal is noble."
Her part said, she waited for his decision as his eyes bore into her own, as Mashu looked back and forth between the two adults.
Then, he gave his answer.
"I cannot deviate from my course to help you, as the means to get here are not at hand and the trail I must follow is provided by the small relic I carry. Once I find the one I'm looking for, it's safe to say the road ahead will be dangerous for wanderers…
That said, I cannot just leave you alone here, especially if your words are true. I am willing to trust you on this so tell me, what do I need to do?"
…
And so, Mashu had taught their new companion the chant to form a Master-Servant Contract, even as Martha had believed she would need to restrain herself to a tag along so as not to quickly drain their temporal master.
It had been a surprise for both of them that her external support had returned once the contract had been completed. And after some hesitation from her part, Mashu herself had agreed that the situation required all of them to be at their best.
True to her words, both Servants had offered to accompany and support the man on his journey, on the condition that he was honest as well as a mutual sign of trust.
…
"My name is Gabriel Belmont, a member of the Brotherhood of Light. I have been sent here to look for the Guardian of the Lake of Oblivion, who is supposed to provide guide to begin my actual mission"
"Umm, Mr. Belmont, can you tell us of your mission then"- asked the shy Servant of the Shield, now wearing her proper attire for battle.
Gabriel had been surprised by the armor, but it had to do more with the actual looks than anything else. According to him, there were indeed Warrior Sisters in the Brotherhood, even if their numbers still paled to the male ratio.
"Some weeks ago, the Elders in our Order confided to us that they had been contacted by the spirits of our esteemed Founders in Heaven, regarding the increase of activity of the monsters and demons roaming the lands. According to them, a spell has been casted to separate Heavens from Earth, leaving mankind to fend for itself against the upcoming onslaught."
At that, both Martha and Mashu had been surprised, but none more than the Saint herself.
If the words of these Elders were to be believed, someone had managed to isolate the Children of God from His protection, forcing Heavens to contact one of the Orders devoted to his Faith in order to solve the situation.
However there was something amiss in his explanation.
"Those are some grave news, Brother Gabriel. But if the situation is so bad, who are the ones behind this and why are you on your own looking for this mysterious Guardian".
It made no sense to send a lone warrior to deal with a crisis of such proportions, no matter how strong he was supposed to be. As a Heroic Spirit and part of the efforts of Chaldea to restore Human History, Martha was familiar with the legends of warriors and rulers that took upon themselves to face impossible odds.
But as far as she could see, Gabriel Belmont did not carry with him a particular blessing or Divinity, or any relic capable of providing an edge against something capable of denying Divine Favor.
He carried only some silver knives and an interesting weapon, a Combat Cross according to him; but none of this would be enough to deal with the stronger Phantasmal Beasts, or anything on the level of a Servant.
There was however, an unusual feeling about him that she could not quite decipher but spoke of something familiar.
And it was not Divinity or anything like that.
"Others had tried before, alone or in numbers, only to never return. Cardinal Volpe and the other Elders believe that only a warrior chosen by Heavens themselves can succeed where others failed. Besides…"
Martha paid more attention at the troubled warrior, his eyes narrowing slightly and his hands clenching into fists.
"My wife, Marie… was murdered but a week ago by the Evil that roams these lands."
At that, curiosity gave way to sympathy and perhaps a bit of regret.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Belmont" –offered Mashu honestly -"I… I know what is like to lose your loved ones to something dark, after being unable to stop it from happening"- added the young woman, getting a nod from left to right from Belmont in denial.
"I appreciate the feelings, but it's not your guilt to carry. Now, I am looking for a way to stop whatever is behind the rise of the forces of Darkness, so no more people are preyed by it"
"In that case, we shall help you, Brother Gabriel" –concluded Martha –"Your cause is both noble and your plight understandable, and we may see if something like the dangers we have encountered before is behind the current crisis".
…
Just like that, an expedition of one had become a journey for three, Master and Servants bound by a temporary contract and their mutual desire to do well.
From that conversation and the week that came thereafter, the Hoy Woman gained a better understanding of Gabriel Belmont's character.
A man of action that rarely hesitated, but willing to listen to advice in a respectful manner.
A man of few words, but strong emotions.
Carrying the burden of his loss, but still willing to fulfill his duty.
Also, a brooding type.
By God, she understood that he had more than enough reasons to feel that way, given what little time had passed between the death of his beloved and his departure to complete this mission, but she wouldn't mind if there was at least someone trying to lighten the mood these days, Mashu's efforts aside.
Hell, she would even welcome the annoying Samurai right now, if only to break the tendency of the mood to darken!
Which is why the encounter with the faeries was both a wonder and a breath of air for everyone involved, Belmont included.
But by the time of their meeting with the so called Guardian of the Lake, (who for some reason had been lingering in the forest), Martha had been able to ascertain another couple of things about their temporary contractor.
- (Lords of Shadow OST: Ice Titan)-
Anno domini 1047.
Lake of Oblivion, 17 days since the Departure of Gabriel Belmont...
Mashu Kyrielight had seen many things in her admittedly short life.
This included war and combat, mostly during her time accompanying Ritsuka-sempai in fixing the singularities created by Goetia.
Be it their allies or their enemies at the time, Mashu had become familiar with different styles of fighting, even though she could not boast to be a master of the art of discerning battle prowess as the likes of Karna, Scáthach or any of the other warriors amongst the ranks of the Servants of Chaldea.
Still he could pick up some things and categorize.
Those like Emiya-sempai relied on their battle experience and used their skills to create opportunities, mixing abilities with pragmatism.
Those like the Knights of the Round and some of the wilder fighters relied on their instinct to help their skills, finding opportunities and avoiding fatal results by relying on their "gut feeling".
There were those in between, and those who just brute forced their way to victory as most Berserkers and one Knight of Rebellion preferred.
That is how she could find something slightly familiar in the way her temporary master handled himself in combat.
Skillful and capable of adapting on the field, but ruthless and relentless when facing his enemies.
There was barely any hesitation, and every kill was as brutal as it was efficient.
It reminded her of Lancelot, the Berserker one.
Retaining the use of his skills and instincts, even as he mercilessly crushed the enemies on his path without sparing a secondary thought. Neither showing enjoyment nor regret, just lashing out with viciousness and making sure the target was no more.
Of course, he still paid attention to their wellbeing and was willing to follow their advice when he found it sound, which separated him from most of the Berserkers she had met up to this point.
Yet the similarities were still there, especially a bloodlust she was not sure could be blamed only on the grief of losing his wife.
But for now, there were more important things to worry about.
Like the frozen giant trying to crush them with his enormous hands, even as half of his body remained submerged in the cold, deep waters of the lake.
Three on one, especially with two Servants against a slow moving target, should have made things easier. But what the giant lacked in speed, it more than made up in endurance.
Martha-san had already used the offensive version of her Noble Phantasm in order to damage the thing, or at the very least to push it back, as she and Mr. Gabriel tried climbing on the arms of the Titan in order to attack what appear to be its weak points.
Suddenly the giant had thrown her current Master from its right arm, leaving him vulnerable to being smashed like a confused fly.
Mashu was rushing to save him, abandoning her position so close to the head of the giant, where the remaining point remained.
Even going at full speed, Mashu feared she would not be on time.
She would be too late.
Just like before.
Just like with sempai.
"MASTER, COMMAND SPELLS!"-she screamed in desperation, hoping Mr. Gabriel would call for her.
It was too late.
Just like before, she-
"!"
It seemed miracles indeed happened.
For an unexpected arrival had put himself between Mr. Gabriel and the falling doom, keeping it at bay on his own.
Those seconds were enough for them both to arrive and stand protectively in front of their master, who had gotten back on his feet as he looked at the new face.
And understanding came between the two warriors, as Mr. Gabriel threw one of his Silver Knives to the other man as he grabbed onto the giant's hand and managed to reach its head.
A successful powerful strike, and the giant fell not long after, like a puppet with the strings cut.
After confirming that their Master was healthy enough, both women proceeded to chew him out on his lack of use of the Command Spells.
In contrast with a Grail War, Servants summoned by Chaldea could be supported by Command Spells without the fear that the contract would be lost after their use, and even if the Master was in need of the bonuses they offered after spending all three of them, he only needed to wait but a day for at least one to regenerate.
The fact that their Master could carry his own weight in battle was no excuse to forget about those trump cards, even if it was simply to get away from immediate danger.
Of course their conversation did not last long as they had encountered what appeared to be a gathering of souls coming out of the lake where the frozen giant had sunk, which then flew into a nearby abandoned altar.
There, their Master had been reunited with the spirit of his wife, who had tried to communicate a message from the Founders of the Brotherhood, in the process revealing the gravity of the situation regarding the souls of the recently deceased.
Both Martha and Mashu had felt as they were intruding into a very personal reunion, so they had kept their distance during the brief but very emotional moment between husband and wife.
Afterwards…
"Do you think he is also somewhere, alone and trapped?" – asked the petite pink haired. Martha knew who she was talking about, most likely as a result of witnessing the recent encounter.
"I want to believe that even after the fall, Ritsuka is in a better place, Mashu. I cannot give you any guaranty of this to offer you comfort, but the Lord will surely reward someone who did so much and kept walking a righteous path until the very end"- she answered with a kind smile, before frowning for a moment, in preparation for a mood-lifting -"even if he was a deviant whose preferences included even holy maidens."
The jab did its job, as the girl reacted with a simple but honest giggle.
"I'm just… I'm just so happy we were not too late. That I was not too late. And is all thanks to that old man's help"- said Mashu while turning at the direction their helper had departed to.
- (Fate/Grand Order OST: Yuga Kshetra Map Theme 3)-
Zobek.
An elder Knight from the Brotherhood of Light, who had Gabriel's respect and ear.
He had provided help to their mission, not just at the end of the fight against the Ice Titan, but also to fill in the gaps of the message left by the younger man's late wife.
The ones responsible for the crisis that affected even the passing of the souls, The Lords of Shadow. Three powerful beings, each one commanding a particular Phantasmal Race and dividing their brethren in their respective territories.
In addition, they were key parts in a prophecy that involved both of them and God's Vassal on Earth, a position that apparently fell on the shoulders of Gabriel Belmont if he was willing.
With a new ally, they have decided to split once again. The three of them would continue making their way into the domains of the Lord of the Lycans, while Zobek would go directly into the Lands of the Vampires in order to prepare the ground for their arrival.
While Martha could appreciate the help from the other warrior of the Order, she was concerned about the last revelations.
While it was true that Gabriel had been honest, and continued to be so in regards of his duty and willingness to help others by breaking the Spell of Separation, the renewed vigor he was now showing came from a more selfish desire.
The possibility of bringing back his wife.
Being a Heroic Spirit and having encountered different kinds of Phantasmal Races, including different types of undead, Martha was familiar with a variety of ways to cheat death, if only for a while and paying a heavy price.
And having taken part of the struggle to restore Human History, Martha had been introduced to a similar tale that had been the centerpiece of the first official singularity, in Orleans.
Gilles de Rais had also fallen into despair after the death of the woman he loved, and the Servant that had been tainted by this despair had tried using one of the Grails of Goetia in order to summon his idealized version of that woman.
It had resulted in a new Heroic Spirit of the fictional kind, one who only knew the rage and hatred that had fueled the mad Caster's wish. A woman who could never become the one she was based on, and who could only think and act as her maker had expected.
Even if he had fallen into place after the summoning, the mad man had been cheated of his true desire because the artifact that promised him resurrection could only enact what he himself believed true.
Therefore, it had been more than clear that even powerful artifacts and relics were still bound by limitations, and even now Martha doubted there was an actual relic that could achieve true resurrection as promised by Zobek.
And still, Gabriel had latched onto that hope and move forward with that belief as only the desperate could.
A part of her wanted to convince him to abandon such a fool's errand, but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. And even the concerning drive of their Master was still not the only one behind his actions, as their mission still concerned the salvation of the people of these lands.
And so she continued giving her support.
Servant Rider, Servant Shielder, and the Knight of the Brotherhood that had been chosen to fulfill a prophecy... all of them made their way into the center of the Lands of the Lycans.
The Ruins of the City of Agartha.
A/N: Here it is, the following chapter of Order of Shadows. The golden trio is officially created, and their journey has led them to Zobek and finding out more about the prophecy and the personal story of the temporary new Master of Chaldea.
Next, cute mutes and fatherly Golems.