Fate/Order of Shadows
-Chapter II: Sleep no More-
- (Lords of Shadow OST: Waterfalls of Agartha)-
Anno domini, 1047.
Waterfalls of the Ruined City, Three weeks since the departure of Gabriel Belmont...
Agartha was once a prosperous yet small city, known for the longevity of its people and the technological wonders born from their mage-smith and Golem Magic.
However, its history came to an end after the being left alone to fend off the Lord of Lycans, in the conflict known as the Necromantic Wars. The Agarthians fought bravely alongside their legendary Titans, but eventually they were overcome and annihilated by the Lord of Shadows.
Now, the beautiful remnants of the once proud city had become the home of the rabid pack commanded by the Lord of Lycans, preying upon the unfortunate souls finding themselves in their territory or hunting for prey and new acolytes by launching incursions into the human villages.
To find the first of the Lords of Shadow and claim whatever power he had according to the prophecy, Master and Servants needed to make their way deep within. Going through waterfalls, caves and abandoned buildings, all while facing packs of different kinds of werewolves.
Fighting aside, it had been a very enjoyable sighting, the landscape filled with wonders in spite of the infestation of monsters.
But what made it even more enjoyable were the new members of their adventure, one of which had a good sense of humor and did not hesitate to lighten the mood at every chance she had.
Claudia and her Black Knight.
The last of the Agarthians, and the last of the Golems made by their arts, with the latter being tasked to protect the young looking woman.
As before, first impressions had been important, and the blonde really outdid herself in her introduction.
Summoning a creepy Female Demon by breaking a Crystal, in order to eliminate the beasts surrounding her.
That certainly caught their attention.
After that the young woman had invited them playfully to follow after her, all the while jumping high and far as if it was no one's business.
Yes, the people of Agartha must have been a very unusual bunch.
Their chase had ended in a cave, where they had officially introduced to each other, including her guardian knight, a giant clad in black armor that stood as tall as Heracles back in Chaldea.
Their meeting started without troublesome issues, not taking into account the initial hostility from the Black Knight before he had been quickly placated by his charge.
However…
Two nights ago…
"How are you speaking to us if-?"
"…I'm not moving my lips?" –Interrupted the smiling blonde as she got into Gabriel's personal space –"I have the Gift! I can also read minds"
"…Who are you?"- was all their Master could say, not that they had anything clever.
"My name is Claudia and this is my protector. He looks after me. In return I catch evil souls, so that he can absorb their energy. Without it, he will stop working"
"Excuse me, Miss Claudia. Not think bad of you but, when you say evil souls you mean…?" -questioned a nervous Mashu, at which the blonde made an expression that would have meant a giggle, with a hand on her mouth as her shoulders went up and down.
"No, silly. I don't harvest human souls. All of the monsters here in Agartha have souls of their own, and we hunt them to keep him working" –as she finished, however, the blonde's expression turned thoughtful as she stared at Gabriel.
"Hmmm… there's something different about you. You seem good somehow, so we won't kill you!"
"…"
"…Eh?"
…
"I'm relieved to hear it" –replied Gabriel, his voice carrying some mirth in spite of the blonde having just said something so awkward.
'What do you know? He's capable of breaking awkward moods by himself'- thought Martha in good humor.
'Indeed'
"… Are you reading my mind right now?"-she asked the Agarthian with a blank expression.
"No, but you had this face that spoke of something like that. That said, to actually read someone's thoughts I need to touch them"- having said this, she turned back again to Gabriel and reached out to his face with one of her slender arms, but the man looked away in a sign of denial.
The Agarthian, however, didn't give up.
"It's ok, let me read your thoughts. I promise I mean no harm."
Willing to trust the younger woman, Gabriel had conceded, and a Claudia asked him to lower himself a little, to make it easier to grab his face with her right hand.
Everything seemed to go fine up to the moment the girl closed her eyes in focus…
"No!"
…and immediately recoiled in surprise. The look on her face told them that she had seen something very upsetting, yet she had taken a deep breath and spoke in an awed tune.
"You are here to kill the Lords of Shadow and take their power. You mean to save us all… and bring the one you love back…"
At her words, their Master didn't look proud or surprised. Instead he looked away once more, as if ashamed of his personal motivation being exposed.
But Claudia paid this no mind, asking the Black Knight to carry her on his shoulder before looking at them all with a resolute face.
"I am not afraid…We are coming with you. You won't make it on your own."
Once again, denial was the first response she got.
"No, Claudia. I…" –a sad face and a scowl from both Martha and Mashu, respectively, made him correct himself –"…we must do this by ourselves. We are not facing just wild trolls and werewolves, but the Lord of Lycans himself. I don't want to drag you into this."
Once again, the blonde was undeterred.
"I know the way… you don't. You need me! And you certainly could do with more muscle, like him" –she finished pointing at the Black Knight with her head.
"…She does have a point, Master"- added the youngest of their group, while Martha herself nodded in agreement.
Sighing in defeat, but lacking any animosity in his reply, Gabriel accepted.
"Very well…"
The rest of the night the blonde continued being her bubbly self, even as she looked thoughtful and a little sad when she thought no one was looking her way.
The next morning, the now bigger group of five left their refuge to look for the way into the lair of the Lord of Lycans.
And so, two days had passed, and in the short amount of time, the Saint could admit they have all grown fond of the new additions to their small team.
Anno domini, 1047
23rth Night of Gabriel Belmont's Mission
After the confrontation with the Stone Idol Titan...
Another Golem tall as a Skyscraper had stood on their path, this one able to manipulate stone and rocks to block their path, rebuild its body and throw debris at them.
While there had been no grave risk involving their Master's safety this time, the fight had been harder, as the Titan recovered in little time even from a full strike from a "Tarasque Missile"TM. But since it had the same weakness as the last one, they were able to dispatch it the same way.
Now, they were resting around the campfire, at least most of them.
The Black Knight had gone to make a patrol on the surroundings, a sign of the trust he put on them regarding his charge, according to the blonde herself
Mashu had been touched by this and had promised to do her best to ensure nothing happened to their new friend. The black giant was no longer in sight when she made her vow, but Ms. Claudia still gave her thanks.
Gathered once again around the fire, conversation took place.
-(Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel ll Lost Butterfly - Heaven's Feel OST)-
"So… according to what I got from Gabriel here, you are from a group tasked with protecting human history across time, right?"- asked Ms. Claudia by speaking into their minds.
"Yes. We are members of the Chaldea Security Organization, and we are responsible to preserve the normal flow of history from alterations that would risk the future"- she answered. Then she saw the woman put a finger on her lips, which moved to make an expression of confusion.
"But wouldn't that mean that you being here is changing history anyway?"
"I'm…I'm not sure? Usually we got the information of how things are supposed to go before we went into a mission, but since we are cut off from Chaldea Head Quarters… I can only say that both Ms. Martha and I agreed to help Master Gabriel since we have never heard of anything like the situation here and a singularity may be happening. Once the origin of the alteration is gone, history adapts at best as it can to the original flow" –she explained.
"You say that you don't know, and you cannot ask your friends back in Chaldea. What if… what if this is how things are supposed to go? The Rise of the Lords of Shadows and the Prophecy of the Founders, what if Gabriel here was supposed to fulfill it on his own?"
Their Master said nothing, but Mashu had the feeling that he was paying closer attention to their conversation now. As for her, the answer did not come immediately.
In the past they had gone with the support of the people of Chaldea, including Dr. Roman and Da Vinci, in order to correct anomalies in the flow of time, and preserve human history from the incineration caused by Demon King Goetia.
Now however…
"You and Lady Martha here are supposed to be Heroic Spirits, correct? But we have yet to find any others, or even those fake Holy Grails. In the case that you are the only Heroic Spirits and no grails are changing history, aren't you changing the original human history by taking part on this quest?"
…There was the possibility that they were making changes against the original flow.
While Chaldea was concerned about the survival of Humanity, it was a responsibility based on maintaining the events of history that allowed Humanity to reach their current present, and looking for whatever was risking the future so it could be corrected in time.
Messing with the past for the sake of a different history was not only frowned upon, it was considered a crime of grave consequences that would entail both a severe punishment and a new expedition to "correct" the alteration of the Human Order.
Mashu knew this, just like Ms. Martha and all the people back in Chaldea. Even her late Ritsuka-sempai had agreed on this, no matter how painful it had been to witness the deaths of innocents and their allies during their missions.
Without anyone to ensure that their course of action was in the name of restoring what was supposed to be the natural flow of time, and no means to return as of now, both Servants were forced to guess and decide on their own suppositions.
But even so…
"Even so, I believe that this is the right thing to do. I believe that we must help Master Gabriel here to complete his mission, hopefully finding a way back to Chaldea by the time he is done. That is what Ms. Martha and I want to do… what my last Master would wish to do…"- concluded Mashu with a sad smile, nevertheless her voice still firm.
While Master Gabriel remained silent and Ms. Martha offered a look of approval, Ms. Claudia grimaced.
"I'm so sorry for bringing back bad memories, but even so thank you for giving me an answer. And I'm sorry again for being so nosy but, if you don't mind me asking… can you tell us more about this man of yours? Ritsuka, was it?"
Not minding their friend's last request, Mashu felt her smile widen as she began to tell her audience of the man who had stolen her heart, and perhaps that of others back in Chaldea.
(Mirror of Fate OST: Gabriel's Farewell)
The somber mood lifted by the gossiping, they all had forgotten their heavy quest if only for a little more than an hour.
Young Mashu had shared the stories of the sort of dorky but reliable boy that had been Ritsuka Fujimaru. From the most hilarious situations he had found himself in, to his strength of character even when faced with challenges that would have broken older men.
Claudia and Martha herself had never entered into a proper relationship, so all eyes fell on the only man currently present in their team.
And so, for the first time in weeks, the eyes of Gabriel Belmont carried something different that ruthlessness, conviction or occasional mirth.
As he spoke with nostalgia of his beloved Marie, his blue eyes looked full of happiness and energy, as if he had rejuvenated entire decades. And for a very brief moment, Martha was sure those eyes would not be strange on someone else's face.
"I was but an orphan boy raised amongst many others within the Brotherhood of Light. I had nothing on me but a cross, the clothes provided by our caretakers, and a family name with no background that I took due to my love for the mountains. She was the daughter of a known family of traders in her hometown, raised with the expectations that she would eventually marry someone who would increase her family's fortune and prestige.
And yet, we simply connected. Even as a little girl, she was always there for me. Always the patient and understanding one of the two. We promised to each other as kids, as many boys and girls do, but she made sure that flame became a powerful fire that culminated in our weeding when I was finally a full-fledged Knight…"
"Daww, you married your childhood sweetheart then" –squealed Claudia, while Mashu also found it sweet how the love that began as children crystalized into a lovely marriage.
"Despite current circumstances, I am glad you both were able to fulfill your love for as long as you could, Master. The Lord blessed the union between you two, so I am sure he will give you the strength to free your beloved from the nightmare afflicting these lands"- added Martha.
Gabriel Belmont nodded, even as sleep began to catch up to him.
Since the beginning of their journey, and perhaps even before their encounter, the warrior of the Brotherhood had caught little sleep. And the few times he did, he barely got any as he was awoken soon enough by whatever haunted his dreams.
As Servants properly supported by a contract and somehow by Chaldea, Martha and even Mashu required little in sleep. Having a living body, Mashu did need to rest from time to time to recover her physical health, but Martha would only experience mental exhaustion at worst. And she could solve that problem with but a few hours of rest.
Just like Ritsuka, Gabriel was human. So his body needed the rest, and the Saint hopes that the last days had lifted the burden on his mind enough that he could give himself a decent sleep for the first time in weeks.
"Master sleep well. I will take the first watch while Ms. Martha goes to retrieve our other friend!"
The Saint giggled at the enthusiasm of her fellow Servants, as it seemed the last days had helped her as well to break away from her own grief.
As she made her way into the forest, she prayed that both Master and Shielder Servant would gain more in spirits for the challenges to come…
"!"
The Shielder Servant broke from her sleep, startled.
A chill running from her back to all over her body, hastening her return to her senses.
When had she fallen asleep?
For how long?
These questions would need to wait, as another gasp or surprise catches her attention. Her Master has just awakened as well, turning to her with a questioning look.
Before she could say something however, she is interrupted by a shimmering of light, as the Guardian of the Lake, Pan, makes his appearance.
"Do not let the Darkness possess you, Gabriel"
What is he talking about, and why is the chilling on her back getting stronger?
"You must remove the gauntlet from the Knight. It is a key and the moment would come when you will be in great need of it"
Mashu went full alert at that.
"But… Ms. Claudia said that the only way to remove it would be by destroying him!"
Her Master agrees with her sentiments and replies in the same line.
"No! I will have to continue without it. We have managed until now and I have become stronger than when I started this journey. After all the help they have given us without asking anything in return, I will not harm them."
What Pan said next, however, made their conviction futile.
-(Mirror of Fate OST: Lament)-
"I'm afraid it is far too late for that…"-Pan finishes, while pointing with his right arm.
As she had been probably hours ago, Claudia lays unmoving above the stone altar she had taken as a bed. Only this time, her shirt sports a red stain, surrounding the knife currently protruding from her chest.
A Silver Knife just like those her Master carries with him.
Both Master and Servant go quickly to the blonde girl to do something, but it is to no avail.
Eyes closed as her face looks peaceful, but no reaction or even a twitch at their touch.
Her Master collapses on his knees, his vigor sapped by the horrible image most likely conjured in his mind.
"No…no…no…" – he repeats in despair, and Mashu is not far behind, even as she tries checking for a pulse in hopes of a different outcome.
"Ms. Claudia, please get up… please say something… please not again"
In a last desperate attempt, she looks back to Pan for help, but he is no longer there.
Instead, there stands the Black Knight, sworn protector of the woman just murdered.
Still in shock, Mashu says nothing as the black giant approaches his former charge, and touches her face as if to awake her.
Understanding comes to him as he stares at the murdering weapon and, as he turns at her Master, Mashu finally breaks from her recent trauma.
As the giant moves, so does she.
And so she catches the sword strike from the Black Knight, even as the force behind it throws the pair of Master and Servant from the cliff and onto the cold stone on the other side.
Both of them are strong enough to handle the throw, most of the force absorbed by her defense, but the enraged giant falls upon them just as they getting up, forced to split from a new strike.
And like that, a painful battle begins.
A/N: I feel inspired and I can still fool around for a bit longer, so here we are. Those familair with LOS know what comes next so I hope the next chapter lives up to your standards. Soon we will get a little change in perspective, but the main drives of the writing will continue to be the two women who found themselves in the company of poor Belmont.
I welcome reviews so long as they are respectful, and please do not be afraid of posting idead in them or through PMs.
Please enjoy the read, and see you next time.