Third Singularity, Part 2: The Golden Hind
1573
"Remind me again, on why the hell am I agreeing to this?" Ayako asked with her rifle in her hands, standing a good few feet away from the woman known as Francis Drake.
"You lot wanted a ride, yeah?" the Privateer twirled her pistol on her finger, smirking at her with confidence. "Best me here, and my crew and I will carry you along this quest of yers."
"Anywhere?" she returned her own question, placing her rifle on her shoulder.
The smirk on Drake's face became even more pronounced. "Anywhere." Her voice was goading the Puppeteer, as much as Ayako could tell.
She didn't sigh, but Ayako did breathe out for a few seconds before she met the Privateer's challenging gaze. "Alright. Name the terms."
"Until the other no longer can keep fighting!" she pointed one of her pistols up into the sky firing it without caution. "You lot said you weren't mages! Prove it!"
"Fuck me…" she muttered beneath her breath, falling into a stance as she prepared herself.
"Don't worry, Ayako-san! You can do this!" the voice of Ritsuka spoke up from the sideline, holding a bag of ice to his head. It seemed Mash's Poison Resistance wasn't enough for the young man who had never had an ounce of alcohol in his system before.
"I'm facing a Godslayer, dammit!" she exclaimed to them, gesturing to Drake with an empty, who cackled in amusement.
None of them expected to see Medea leave her tent in the dead of the night, just as the celebration came to a close, with a short winged Witch trailing behind her. Their first clue to anything involving the Singularity, and what a damn coincidence it was that the first Rogue Servant they'd meet was someone Medea knew well. It was a shame that the famed Circe was also in the dark just like them, aside from the fact that she had assisted the Golden Hind in taking down Poseidon, of all gods.
Who knew Francis Drake had such an insane history?
"Then you will be the one to slay the Godslayer!" the aforementioned Witch spoke up, with her wings fluttering behind her. "The Godslayer-slayer!"
Roars among the crew grew, or as much as they could with the majority of them nursing hangovers. The roars quickly morphed into groans of pain that echoed in the morning beach. "Cap'n! Use the cup!" one of them shouted out.
"Eh?" the woman turned to the man with a frown replacing her smile. "A bit much, don'cha think?"
"Yer duelin' a witch, boss!" another one spoke up, almost slurring his words as alcohol dripped out of his mouth. "Best to stack up as many coins on yer favor!"
The fervor of her crew grew louder, as if their collection hangovers were forgotten. The woman had the audacity to sigh, though she still had a smirk on her face. "Alright! Jensen, fill me up!" she said, as she pulled something out of the back pocket of her coat.
"Oh, right…" Circe's voice seemed to penetrate their ears, as they all had a collective gasp at the object Drake had pulled out.
Medea was the first to free herself from her stupor, turning to her aunt with wide-eyed bewilderment. "Circe!"
"Yeah, Captain Drake there found a Holy Grail in the storms." The Enchantress said in a practiced dismissive tone. "It's what made her stand up against the old fart."
"Koleen." Kagiso turned to their resident historian, squaring her with an imploring gaze.
She was just as flabbergasted as the rest of them, her mouth hanging open at the unbelievable sight. "I've read once, once, that Sir Francis Drake returned bearing untold riches, including that of a Holy Grail." The Witch visibly swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "Once. Any other recollection seemed to be unspecific."
"So, this is a Grail that's native to the world, then?" Ritsuka asked, his own hangover completely forgotten, though another kind of headache seemed to be coming his way.
"It would seem so." she said back.
The Puppeteer groaned, keeping up with the conversation from where she stood. "A Godslayer with a Grail… as if this whole shtick wasn't hard enough already."
"It means you shouldn't hold back, Master." Sir Lancelot said, somehow sneaking up behind her. He planted a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You would need your entire arsenal here."
"Evidently." She glanced behind her, nodding to the Berserker. "Can I borrow your sword?" she asked with a smile.
The unmasked Knight merely raised a brow in return, a ghost of a smirk gracing his face. "Are you trained in the art of swordsmanship?"
"No." she replied with a shake of her head.
"Then no, Master." He lifted his hand, patting her back as he retreated to where the rest of the Ground Team were. "Good Luck."
"Thank you." She sighed again, turning her eyes back to the Captain, seeing an unassuming man pour over some dark colored drink from a small barrel into the Grail. A very dark purple, but still translucent. She wanted to laugh at the sight, a genuine powerful artifact, used as some kind of vessel for alcohol.
She probably would have, if she wasn't standing on the other side of the field. Her eyes never left the woman as she drunk the liquid inside the Grail, and immediately they all saw the effects; a light glow underlined the Privateer as her entire form was bathed by the blessing of the Grail.
"Ah, now we're ready." She said, tucking the Grail back into her coat. "Are you?"
"Hold on, I feel like this could be more thematic." Ayako replied, holding an empty hand out. "Rauðr!" her folded coat flew out towards her, wrapping around her shoulders, closing her body in its wrap. "There we go. Between redcoat, and redcoat."
"Ha! I like the way ya think! Jensen!"
"Aye, Captain!" a lone man stood up, pointing his pistol into the air. Blue eyes, locked with golden orbs. One pair of hands, holding onto a falchion and a pistol, the other onto a rifle, with runestones ready in her pockets. Their eyes narrowed onto one another, fingers gripping onto their weapons tightly.
Bang!
Her coat tightened around her body, bracing for the impact as Drake rushed her with a speed no modern human could achieve, further enhanced by the Grail that was empowering her. The Privateer swung her falchion downward, the force of it lessened by her Mystic Code, though she could feel the fabric struggling. Even with the added protection, she could still feel the pain of the attack, no doubt a bruise would be left behind on her shoulder. She used her rifle to parry the pistol that was aimed onto her abdomen, mere milliseconds from firing, sending its pellet into the sands behind her.
She retaliated, firing her rifle, and sending Drake back by the force of the muzzle fire. The space created, she fired again, her own enhanced bullet deflected by a falchion. She was, momentarily, surprised when she noticed a slight crack on the weapon. The observation was already stored in the back of her mind, as she fired another shot, this time dodged by the Privateer, who launched herself towards Ayako once more, falchion already swinging in the air.
The sword struck nothing but the air and sand, as Ayako maneuvered herself with the help of her coat, gliding with speed to the side as she aimed her weapon again. Ljósta she intoned beneath her breath, her rifle glowing a light blue color, firing three more shots at the Captain. Two of the bullets were deflected, spreading the cracks farther and farther, as Drake ducked under the third shot. The scarred Captain raised her own pistol, taking her chance to fire upon Ayako. The first shot, aimed at her sternum, the impact lessened by her coat, though once again the pain still spread throughout her body. The second shot, missed entirely, without her having needing to move.
The game of cat and mouse carried on for a full minute, the Captain's crewmates struggling to even follow the movements with their mundane eyes. The rest of the Ground Team were looking on with worry. As much as it seemed that Ayako was keeping up with Francis Drake, she was still fighting without any sort of enhancements to her body, unlike the Captain who was blessed by the Grail in her pocket. The few hits that she already took were taking its toll on her body, regardless of whether it was artificial or not. They breathed a sigh of relief, when the two of them stopped, standing on opposite ends in the clearing.
"We're gettin' nowhere with this! Let's just cut to the chase, hm?" Drake offered, looking barely phased, with her falchion and pistol in her hands. The effects of the Grail shone through.
"Yeah, this constant chasing is just tiresome." Ayako replied, her breathing ragged, as the duel was catching up to her body.
"I'm surprised yer not pullin' somethin' outta yer sleeve already." The Captain said, gesturing with her pistol to her.
"And give you the opportunity to cut me down? I think not." She replied with a confident smile. "You want to finish this now?"
"Yeah, one last shot!" Drake aimed her pistol, one eye closed as her finger touched the trigger.
"Good." Ayako sighed tiredly, channeling the circuits in her eyes with a whisper. Before the Captain could respond, her Mystic Eyes shone with a brightness. "Stop!"
As enhanced as Francis Drake was, powered by a Grail that actually existed within the time period, she was still very much human. She was nowhere close to a Servant's strengths. Thus, it meant that her eyes would have an easier time, holding the Privateer down.
She chuckled, feeling her body grow heavier and heavier. "I should've done this from the start."
"D…damn!" Drake struggled through its effects, forcing her all just to speak. "You have… them eyes?!"
"Damn straight I do." She dropped her rifle onto the sand, tapping the shoulder pieces of her red coat with her hands. Two distinct runes appeared on them.
ᚾ ᛉ
Naudiz, of Need. Algiz, of Protection. Her beautiful Mystic Code turned into a yellowish orange, as her red hair shifted through an array of colors. "Skjöldur!"
Her coat flew off her arms, speeding towards the Privateer, and wrapping itself around her feet. It dug its way into the sand, holding itself, and her, in place. She deactivated her Eyes, freeing Drake of the hold she had on her. Her hands reached into her pockets, searching for the specific runes to end this insane duel.
"Now yer getting' crafty!" Drake said appreciatively, swinging her falchion down onto the coat. It shattered easily, leaving only its handle. "Damn!" she looked up when she heard a loud clap, in time to see six runestones floating in-between Ayako's held out hands.
ᚦ ᚨ ᚠ
ᚻ ᛊ ᚦ
The Captain fired the first shot, missing Ayako by a hair's breath, as she chanted. Her colorful hair began shifting to a dirty blonde, the tips of them smoking with sparks lighting among them. "Thurisaz, of the God Thor. Ansuz, of the God Odin. Fehu, of the God Freyr. Hagalaz, of Hail. Sōwilō, of the Sun, and Thurisaz, of the God Thor." The runestones disintegrated, the very runes themselves floating together, glowing brightly in the morning sun. It congregated, before flying up to the clear blue skies, pulling the dark clouds of the storms towards it.
Drake fired again, striking Ayako's left arm, blowing through her left forearm with ease. She held back the burning pain, as she raised her right arm into the sky, holding onto an invisible handle. Thunder boomed in the skies, as their sunny day was blotted out by the stormy clouds. A few of the crewmates looked at her with fear, and awe.
The Privateer aimed carefully, and fired again. Yet this time, there was nothing, but a clock. Her pistol, the one that she's been using, had jammed. Both women shared a smirk, as they both accepted the inevitable. She brought her raised hand down like she was swinging a heavy hammer.
"Mjölnir!"
Bright blue lightning struck down from the thundering clouds, striking the very form of the Captain of the Golden Hind. The very body of the future Sir Francis Drake, a billion volts coursing through her veins. Sparks flew out, sending the mundane crew back thanks to the shockwave it emitted. Ayako fell to her knees, exhausted to hell and back, biting back the bile of irritation in the back of her mind. So fucking early, and I'm already this tired. She thought to herself, feeling the Earth's very effects on her own body. The late 1500s should not be this abundant in mana.
"Hahaha! You win!" she looked up, her eyes landing on the laying form of Francis Drake, sprawled out on the sand. The Grail's effects had already dissipated, leaving Drake behind in a singed heap. "Yup, wouldn't be a mage without somethin' up their sleeves!"
A long, tired chuckle escaped her lips, carried by Drake's hearty mood. "You almost got me there." She said with a pained wince, as her friends rushed towards her. Kagiso was the first to reach her, already inspecting the wound on her left forearm. It was, to put it in simpler terms, mangled. She couldn't see him, not without moving her tired head, but she could feel his hand slightly tighten around her arm.
The hooded form of Medea hovered over her, and muttering a spell in her ancient language, fixing the broken appendage with ease. "You could'a ended it right then and there!"
"I underestimated you!" Ayako replied, pulled up to her feet by the Shaman and the Grecian Caster. "That Grail really turned you into something else, Captain! No wonder you defeated Poseidon!"
"Grail? You tellin' me, the cup's the Holy Grail?" the Privateer was also helped to her feet by her crew, with Circe herself healing her with her magecraft. Cheers erupted around her, as her crew too realized what it actually was that they had uncovered.
"What did you think it was?!" Said Enchantress exclaimed exaggeratedly, eyes bulging out at the absurdity of the woman's ignorance. "It's a golden chalice! What else could it be?!"
"I'unno." Drake shrugged, the smile on her face showing how much she was enjoying the outburst. "It looked like a fancy cup."
"How's the arm, Master?" Medea asked, bringing her attention back to their Caster. She looked down onto her arm, now fully healed from the gunshot wound. She flexed her fingers, twisting the limb, feeling the muscles beneath her skin.
"It's great, 'Dea." She said with a smile. "I'm still tired, though."
"We've noticed." The Shaman said with a chuckle, patting his metallic hand on her shoulder.
"We got passage on the ship at least." She sighed tiredly, leaning into their arms. "You guys take the lead, alright? I'm gonna pass out when we set sail."
"Leave it to us, Ayako." His nodding head was the last thing she saw, as exhaustion took her, her eyes drifting off to sleep.
"That huge turtle yours?" the Captain asked, referring to Tarrasque, still swimming below the ship.
"Yes, and he'd appreciate it if you would not refer to him as a turtle." The Saint replied, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes.
Drake took a step back, unnerved by the Ruler Class Servant. "Alright, I'll spread the word out to my men." She turned to the deck, where her rabble of people were scurrying about. "Weigh anchor, gents! We're setting sail!"
"Aye, Cap'n!" a chorus of replies echoed on the ship, the assembly moving with a fervor.
"Jensen!" she called out one of her men, the younger looking man that signaled the earlier duel. "Bring the mage and her attendant to the Guest Quarters. That'll be where they'll stay on this voyage."
"Aye, Captain." He gave her a sharp salute, before leading Berserker along, who was princess carrying a tired Ayako. "This way, Sir."
"Much obliged." The unmasked Servant replied respectfully, following behind the shorter man.
"Ev'ryone else, join me in my quarters." Drake said with a smile, leading them towards her own room.
Their eyes glazed over the room and all of its detail. They could all see that it was once opulent, and extravagant. In a sense, it still was, but the occupant seemed to not take much care in keeping the room in its original pristine condition. Who was this person? They all thought to themselves. Someone who seemed to have a close relation with Queen Elizabeth I. For Koleen, who was someone who considered herself as an amateur historian, this relationship was even closer, than what she has read.
A heavy thud of brought their minds back, the Captain's hand dropping a rolled piece of large parchment. She rolled it out, revealing what it was. A map.
A crudely drawn map, presumably of the surrounding waters. The Privateer tapped the map with a gloved finger. "Most of these islands don't exist. Based off of previous explorers, mapped by their own cartographers. We had to make one of our own."
The Masters approached the table, all standing around as they looked over the map itself. Rough outlines and shapes, made by someone who was not a professional. "Did you not have a cartographer of your own?" Koleen asked, brows furrowing as she tried to make some sense of it.
"Nah, no one answered the call for gold." Drake replied with a disappointed sigh.
"I assume the crossed out ones, are the ones you've been to?" Ritsuka asked, his own finger touching one of the crossed out islands.
"Yup." She replied simply. "Most of them were filled with mindless beasts. No different than what you've tasted on that island."
"Which island did we stop by first?" Kagiso asked to the Servants behind them.
Atalante walked over, giving the map a quick onceover. "This one." She pointed, her voice slightly muffled by the white mask she was still wearing.
"And it's still nothin'?" the Captain asked them.
"Nothing."
"That's less work for us then." Drake said, taking a pen that was laying on her desk, crossing it out swiftly. "So, where'dya wanna go?"
"We still don't really have a good direction." The blonde Witch said with a sigh. "We can start with, the closest island that you have not explored yet."
"So, this one then." She pointed to one that was North West from their current location. "Assuming the weather is on our side, it should take at the most, four days."
"Oh, this is gonna be like Rome again." The Japanese Master said with his shoulder sagging tiredly.
"Cheer up, Senpai. At least we have transport now." Mash said, patting him on his back. She glanced behind her, to where the two Casters were standing. "Can either of you detect the strongest leyline?"
"Most of them are on the seabed." Medea replied, her hood drawn over her face.
Circe approached the desk, eyeing their current destination. She smiled. "We're passing by one though, a couple of hours away."
"Then, can we stop there, for half an hour?" Mash asked the Captain.
Drake looked at the Demi Servant with slight confusion, but she nodded either way. "In the middle of the ocean? Sure, we can do that."
"Thank you."
"So what's wrong with yer leader? Never seen a mage so tuckered out like that." Drake asked them, her face showing concern. "I mean, I've heard of 'em types before, but…"
Koleen was apprehensive in answering the question, but someone else thought otherwise. "Her brand of magecraft pulls the Earth's mana to empower her spells. You saw those stones? That's how she channels them." Kagiso answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Coupled that with her having less than average circuits, it means her body can give out if given enough push."
While the Privateer digested the information, Koleen turned to her fellow Master with a frown. "Did you think it was alright for you to say that?" she asked with visible concern.
"I don't think so." he answered truthfully. "But, of all people, Ayako is the one person who cares less about these conventions, especially amongst allies."
"That's true." She said in understanding, though her expression showed that she was still of two minds about it.
"I will bear the responsibility, if she thinks I have overstepped my boundaries." He said, as doubt seemed to creep up on his face.
"Well, as you said, Kagiso-san, I think Ayako-san would be the last person to be angry at this." Ritsuka interjected, stopping the conversation from further escalating. A frown then took form on his face, his mind diving deeper into his memories. "Though I wonder, why is she having more difficulty now? She didn't when we were in France."
"Doctor Roman did say yesterday that the ambient mana is abnormally more potent that it should be, Senpai." Mash reminded him.
"That's right. And her current body can't handle the stress of it." Koleen further added. "Her backup bodies, however, should."
He grimaced at the thought, turning away briefly from them. "So she has to die first?"
"Yes. At least, that's what she told us." Koleen said with a heavy shrug.
"So she's gonna be alright?" the Captain asked, cutting into their exchange.
"She should be, nothing a quick rest won't fix." Kagiso replied, a calming smile on his face, not just for the Captain, but for the rest of them as well.
"Well, if we're going to be here for a while, we might as well make ourselves useful." Koleen turned to the Casters, meeting their eyes as they felt her gaze on them. "Can either of you reinforce the ship?"
The both of them rolled their eyes, with the older of the two scoffing in response. "Child's play." Medea said with an air of confidence.
"Let's show these kids what we're made of, Medea." Circe said, her wings fluttering in excitement.
"I've had time to show them my capabilities, Aunt Circe." Medea crossed her arms, eyeing the older- but shorter woman. "I've even been teaching one of them back in Chaldea." She said, gesturing to Ritsuka.
"You have a student?!" the Rogue Caster shouted in the crowded room. "Since when?!"
The purple haired woman rubbed her ear exaggeratedly, before deigning an answer for her aunt. "Since I was summoned. And I've been molding him into someone that will be adept in the craft, even if it's not our own."
"Can you two get on with this?" Martha asked, who had up till this moment been in silent prayer, eyeing the two women with thinly veiled irritation.
The Casters gave a glance to the Saint, before glancing at one another. The both of them shrugged, as they moved out of the room, leaving the rest of them inside. Martha sighed audibly, turning her own eyes to the Masters, clapping her gauntleted hands. "Well, why don't we all get ourselves situated?"
"Where's EMIYA?" Kagiso asked them, looking around the Captain's Quarters. "I just realized he's not here with us."
"He's at the crow's nest." Ritsuka replied. "He made his way there when we all got on the boat."
"The ship." Koleen corrected.
His brows furrowed confusedly, turning to the Witch. "Is there a difference?"
"Boats lean into a turn. Ships lean out." She explained.
"Alright, why didn't you all listen to the nun, and get yourselves situated." The Captain rolled the map back, patting Atalante on her shoulder, since the Servant was the closest person to her. "Now get outta my room!"
2017
"Do we have anything in our records about King Solomon?"
"Hm?" Roman turned to his side, where the Clock Tower Lord had sat himself, his own bespectacled eyes locked to the screen. "Why?"
"Because we are getting nothing." He sighed tired, pushing himself off of the desk and leaning into his chair. "No matter what we have searched, we come up with nothing." He gestured with an arm to everyone else in the room.
Roman's eyes trailed across the room, the seeing the dejected look on the crews' faces, all of them in varying degrees of stress. A grimaced wormed its way onto his face, sympathizing with their efforts. He turned his eyes back to the Pseudo-Servant, looking as unsure as he could. "And you think this ring has something to do with Solomon?"
"It is our biggest lead, in regards to whatever it is that we are facing here." He said with his hand reaching for his coffee mug. "Regardless, of whether it's a fake or not."
Roman sighed dejectedly himself, his hand reaching for the back of his neck. "Probably, but I don't think we have anything in regards to his parameters as a Servant."
El-Melloi clicked his tongue in frustration, moving in closer back to his computer. "Then I guess I'll get started."
"Doctor!" he turned his head to his other side, seeing the chubby face of the French operator. "We've got a connection with the Ground Team!"
"Excellent!" he stood up, almost toppling his chair over. "Meuniere, put them through!"
"Right, Doctor, on it!"
"So, you think things changed for them right now?"
"Holy…!" he jumped in his spot, almost crashing into El-Melloi because of Da Vinci's sudden appearance. "Da Vinci, you crawled out of your hole?"
"Rude!" she said back to him, hands akimbo. "I just wanted to check up on the kids!"
"They can handle themselves, Da Vinci." Another voice spoke up from behind her, towering over the shorter Servant. He placed his wooden staff gently on her shoulder, almost tapping the side of her face. "This is their fourth expedition, things should be fine."
"I'm still gonna be worried for them, Setanta." Da Vinci said, patting the Druid's chest with the back of her fist.
"Doctor, we've got a connection!"
"Good, patch us through!" he turned his attention back to the main screen. When the screen lit up, he smiled. "Mash! Ritsuka! You guys are alrig- are you on a boat?!"
The sight of them, sitting in the middle of the deck of a ship, with the shield laid on the wooden planks. There was constant movement around them, of the ship's crew working and turning on the ancient vessel. It was, jaw droppingly awesome.
"It's a ship, Doctor." The male Master replied with a chuckle. "We got passage, so we can traverse the seas better."
"Ayako had to duel the Captain, but everything's alright now, Doctor Roman." Mash said, answering the question he was just about to ask.
"The Captain? Who is the Captain?" he asked them.
"Francis Drake, Doctor. We're on the Golden Hind."
"Wow! Really?!" he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "That sounds awesome! So where are you guys going now?"
"An island northwest of our current position. One of the islands that Captain Drake hadn't explored yet." Mash answered.
"Uhm, Doctor. Most of the islands don't exist." Ritsuka said, putting a hand on Mash's shoulder, allowing Fou to walk across, after having spent most of its time on the Demi Servant's head. "She's showed us her map, and they had to map it out themselves. I think these islands are because of the Singularity."
"That certainly explains a lot." He said, turning his mind back to the readings they got yesterday. Wait a minute… "She? Who's she?"
"Captain Drake. She's a woman." The Master replied simply.
The Chaldean Doctor rubbed his temple, as a migraine began growing in his head. "Is there nothing in the history books that's accurate?" he whispered to himself.
Mash's eyes looked around, trying to find something on their end. "Where's… the Director?" she asked them.
"She's taking a much needed rest, caught up with the thing you guys gave her yesterday." The Lord answered. "She enjoyed it, by the way."
"Oh… thank God…" Mash sighed with relief, as a soft smile graced her face.
"Where's the rest, Ritsuka-kun?" Da Vinci asked as she stepped forward, deftly ignoring his headache.
"Uhm, EMIYA is on the crow's nest, keeping an eye out for us. Atalante said she wanted to join him, but Koleen-san made her got to the bow of the ship. Kagiso-san and Martha-san are offering their services to any of the crew that needs some medical attention, or some faith. Koleen-san is in the Guest Quarters with Sir Lancelot, looking after Ayako-san."
"What's wrong with Ayako?" the Druid asked beside them.
"Her body's just tired." Mash answered. "She had to use one of her heavier spells in her duel against the Captain."
"Ah, understandable." El-Melloi replied for them. "Especially since she hasn't changed her body yet."
"What about Medea? Where is she?" Romani asked, after finally getting his bearings together.
"She and Circe are reinforcing the ship, they said they're bringing it up to their standards." Mash said, glancing to Ritsuka for a second.
"You found a Rogue Servant?" he asked as a spark of hope lit up.
"Yeah, but she doesn't really know what else is going on here." Ritsuka replied, as a figure dropped down behind him, placing their dainty hands on his shoulders.
"Hey, that's rude!" the winged Servant said with an exaggerated scowl. "It's true, but it's rude!" she looked up, turning her technicolor eyes onto them. "Ooohhh, is this Chaldea? What an eccentric group you have."
"Maybe you could join us when this is all over." Ritsuka said to the Servant, showing a rare smirk on his face.
"Hmmmm… maybe." The short Servant replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "So, these are your superiors, yes? I assume you have questions for me, as useless as they might seem to be."
"I'm surprised you're volunteering yourself, Circe." Mash commented with an amused smile.
"It's 'cause Medea told me to. And don't get me started on her. When that girl gets angry, ho boy, you wouldn't believe what she can do."
"Well, if it's offered…" Romani straightened himself, reminding the room of his seniority, even if he didn't intent on it. "It would be greatly appreciated if you can tell us what that storm is."
A proud, knowing smirk formed on the Enchantress' face. "I thought you'd never asked."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
i've got a good outline of what the Singularity is going to entail, and that's a great thing. the unfortunate thing is, the other things that's going to fill the chapters. it makes it somewhat difficult for the early Singularities, because they're all real straightforward. just find the thing and kill, essentially.
the point of this chapter was mostly focused on them getting on Drake's ship. so that meant that once they got on the ship, we're cool.
but, once the point of it was over, it was difficult to fill the chapter without it being just filled with (no pun intended) filler. hence why, i'm not really that happy with the last section there, so i apologize.
well, aside from that, next chapter will be where we see the biggest change, in regards to the Singularity, so hold on to your pants ladies and gents.
speaking of FGO, i am sad to report that i failed to get Sigurd and the Valks (at least we can get them with the free upcoming SR ticket, so there's that.) also, i have failed to get Skadi with all the quartz we all just got. my luck with FGO has run out, unfortunately.
the biggest surprise to me was how little i was affected by it. i was worried that i'd be pissed at not getting them, but so far it's all good.
i guess it's because, even though i wasted all of those quartz, those two aren't the Servants that i really wanted. i've already gotten them (Ruler Martha, First Hassan, and Kiara), and the only Servants that i really want that's not here yet is Maou Nobu and Orion.
fingers crossed for that, guys.
well, venting done, let's get on to the reviews!
Addicted2fanfics: failed to get Majin, damn shame too. she was cute.
ptl: we're all imagining it here dude.
A casual Wingman: thank you, seriously. if i manage to get that far, i am definitely going to write Part 1.5 and 2.
DieMongrel: ah, you're right. the "British Empire" started in 1707. thanks for the correction.
Guest1: i don't think i'm gonna switch any of them around.
MirageSPL: yeah, sometimes you can't just beat something that's made with love, by a loved one.
Quartermass: yes, they will definitely reconcile.
i know i've sorta made her a bit nicer than usual (she is, after all, still a vain magus, if nothing else), and it's been a while since i played Salem, but basing it off of her lines she doesn't seem that far off the mark. i'm hoping that i at least bring back that sort of bite she has on her here.
King0fP0wers: probably? it's just that, just because Circe's the teacher doesn't mean she's better than Medea. who knows, she might have surpassed her teacher.
oh, i can't wait until Goredolf arrives, that'll be fun.
primus101: oh, Asterios, that'll be interesting.
Guest2: Marisbilly could've at least brought her into the fold, and passed on his views to her, instead of leaving her in the dark.
C2M1: considering who her mom and aunt are, it shouldn't be surprising. but i've never really like to go into that much detail on a person. it's not that kind of fic after all, you know? and if she really puts her all, she can definitely turn heads if she wants to.
TalonScythe: nah, i don't think the ring's every elaborated, other than "oh, the ring's still there." every chapter. it's definitely going to be a major chapter for Medea, and other connected Servants.
thanks again dude for the review!
phew, that was an awesome ride, reading all of your guys' reviews, it's amazing, thank you everyone!
with that out of the way, drop another one if you don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!