Third Singularity, Part 5: The Constellation
1573
The sounds of battle filled the bloodied beach, its once golden sands stained a deep red, with traces and traces of endless corpses piling up the surface. Most of the Golden Hind crew were shooting and slicing the sea monsters without fear, not with their fearless Captain there right by their sides. Their efforts were helped by the smaller pirate Servant, with her cutlass free from its wrapping, though the color it carried was no different with the blood that painted it. And as of this moment, she was one of the few Servants still in combat, much to her chagrin.
The Archers, still perched on the crow's nest, held their weapons aimed vaguely at the direction of the Argo, with EMIYA in particular aiming his sights on Jason. The three of them were waiting for the signal, whatever it was in this tense situation. Blackbeard was on the Golden Hind, standing beside Captain Drake, the both of them looking at the scene with enraptured awe. Martha and Sir Lancelot were locked in a tight battle with Herakles, but it wasn't that that caught their attention. It was the verbal confrontation between Ayako, and Jason himself, that left the hero gob smacked in silence.
The renowned Pirate chuckled amusedly, nodding in acknowledged appreciation. "That lass sure is somethin'. I like 'er."
"She beat my ass handily." Drake said in agreement, watching the scene with careful eyes.
"With what I've seen? I can see that." He said, savoring the expression Jason had.
Shocked bewilderment, like a deer caught in headlights. His nostrils flared, as the expression morphed into one of rage, his tanned skin flushing red. "I'll teach you the price of that mouth, whore! Herakles!"
The raging Berserker stilled, his body unmoving like a statue upon being called.
"Kill her!" he ordered, pointing angrily at the crippled body of the Puppeteer. "I want her head!"
Without a word, the Berserker turned his head to the Master, looking back without an ounce of fear in her eyes. Herakles made to move, but found himself unable to do so. He looked back, seeing his hand held in place, by the far smaller Ruler, smirking at his stony face.
"We are not through yet." She said simply, before flipping him up and over her with an ease one wouldn't expect from such a small person in comparison to Herakles. She slammed him down with a fervor, a light quake spreading throughout the island, reminiscent of a large boulder falling from a great height.
Not too dissimilar to what had actually happened, if one were to squint their eyes at the scene.
"▂▂▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅!"
Water splashed upward, as the Greek Hero stood up in rage, one hand holding the large sword-shaped stone, the other hand clenched to a tight fist, pulled back. He swung fist down onto the Ruler Class Servant, and one would expect her to be crushed by him. Jason certainly thought so. The brief smile on his face disappeared, when their fists met, sending out a shockwave from them. The large, beast of a man, against the armored Saint, smiling back to him with a confident smile.
"▂▂▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅▅▅▅!"
Herakles roared again, switching to his weapon, swinging it down onto Martha, but instead found itself lodged into the sands. A blackened blade, with dark smoke seeping from its make, had deflected it away from Saint Martha. The dark helmet, with the glowing red visor, looked back at the Greek Hero challengingly, one could only imagine the enraged glare that was hidden by the helmet.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Sir Lancelot swung the corrupted Arondight upwards, forcing Herakles back. The larger Berserker swung his weapon down on the Knight, who sidestepped it easily, a large crater created from the impact. The Greek Hero was stronger than Sir Lancelot, but he was quicker. And with the support of Martha, who had time to heal both herself and Chaldea's Berserker, meant that they were able to hold Herakles back.
"What are you doing, Herakles!? They're nothing to you! Finish them off, and get that Master!" Jason roared from the Argo, the whites of his knuckles visible, gripping onto the wooden railing as he leaned on it.
"▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
"You both scream too much!"
The two-on-one battle ensued, the land and the sea parting beneath the destruction caused by the powerful Servants. Back with the Masters, Kagiso had brought Ayako up in his arms, holding the battered and limp Puppeteer.
"I'll leave it all to you guys." Ayako said, her voice only a whisper, her energy drained from her vocal outburst.
The three other Masters nodded together, eyes meeting one another. "Kagiso, you and Medea find some place to lay low, focus on healing her." Koleen said, taking charge easily, glancing to their Caster briefly. "Can you call Circe here, Medea?"
The Grecian Witch nodded. "Aunty, you're needed here!"
The winged Servant landed before them, her staff glowing with unbridled power. "Alright, alright! Stop it with the auntie already!"
"Mash, you stay on the ship, focus on protecting the Golden Hind!" Ritsuka ordered, his eyes returning to the ship. "EMIYA-san, we need you here!"
"Yes, Master!" replies came from the both of them, as the tanned Archer landed beside them, his bow replaced with his signature married blades.
"Circe, if you would, please support our Servants. EMIYA, you're our shield for today." Koleen said to the Enchantress, her wings bristling lightly, but complied by firing at the boulder of a man. EMIYA positioned himself in front of the Masters, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
"Kagiso, this way." Medea called out, leading him deeper inside the island.
"Where are we going?" he asked her, as she slowed down to lay a hand on his shoulder.
She looked at him with her purple eyes. "Back to the ship." She said, before all three of them folded into themselves. Within the second, they reappeared back inside the ship, specifically Medea's tent.
Kagiso dropped to his knee, but made sure that Ayako was still in his arms. "Oh, that's how it feels like." He commented, feeling the brief nausea inside him.
"Place her on the array." Medea indicated to the wooden floor, where an elaborate magical circle had been engraved in, as she procured a pillow for the Puppeteer. Kagiso laid her gently, being careful with her mangled body even though he had lessened the amount of pain she was feeling. "I will take over from here. You go assist the crew, provide healing for them."
"I will." He said, carefully standing back up. "Don't die on us now, Ayako."
It will take more than that to kill me. She thought with a smile, lacking the energy to even speak. He nodded to her, and to Medea, before leaving the tent/room.
Medea floated to her side, her hands aglow with her healing spell. "This will take a while, Ayako." Medea said with a frown on her face. "Unless you're willing to spend a Command Spell to speed this up."
Ayako shook her head, as much as she could anyway. "Everything's going to be fine, 'Dea." She said telepathically.
"Yes, I will make it better, Master." Medea said with furrowed brows, focusing all her concentration with healing.
"No." Ayako shook her head again, showing a smile on her face. "Everything will be fine. Don't worry about it, alright?" she groaned, feeling a bit of the pain creep back up before it was doused by Medea's healing. "We can get through all of this, easily, together. Everything, will be okay."
Although the healing hadn't stopped, Medea's hands did, hovering over Ayako's own hands. The Puppeteer reached up to grasp the gloved hands, trying hard to hold onto them. Eventually, Medea responded by holding them back. "Ayako…" the Caster whispered, her mind wondering from the spell.
"You've been holding it in, Circe told us. She's been keeping us up to date with you…" she paused to breathe, as if she was actually speaking. "Don't. Don't hold it in, it will fester like a plague. Just, let it out, once in a while, okay?"
"Why…" Medea's hand tightened around Ayako's, a ghost of a tear trailing down the Caster's face. "You're in grievous pain, dying, and yet you're consoling me?"
"That's a stupid question, 'Dea." Ayako cough, pain briefly shooting throughout her body. "It's because we care, silly." She sighed tiredly, feeling her eyes slowly droop. "This contract is a two-way relationship. We need you, just as much as you need us. And when you need us… we'll be there… just like you… when we… need… you…"
Ayako briefly saw Medea's mouth move, but she couldn't hear anything of it. It wasn't long, before her body fell unconscious, already reaching its limit after the hell it had been through earlier. And yet, even with the pain, the mangled body, she still smiled with her hand holding Medea's, holding on dearly to comfort.
"Hektor!" Jason yelled to the older man beside him. "Find that Master, and that magus! I want Red's head!"
"There's a bit of a problem here, Jason." Hektor replied.
"What?! What's the problem here?!"
Arrows landed around them, startling a scream out of Jason. Hektor moved his weapon with a quickness, deflecting the bullets that rained upon them. "That. That's the problem."
"Atalante! Traitor!" Jason pointed his sword at the Huntress, as even with the mask she was very recognizable. His sword was immediately shot off by another arrow. "You're supposed to be dead!"
"And you will pay for that, Jason!" with an angered scowl, she rained her arrows down on them.
"Hektor! They're just two Archers! You can deal with them! You are Hektor, the Gleaming Helm of Troy!" his voice was shaken with anger, and desperation.
"Aahhhh! Fine, as you command, Jason!" with a pained scream, Hektor launched himself off of the Argo, his weapon primed to strike Atalante on the crow's nest.
The Huntress deflected the attack with the arm of her bow, stepping off back onto the deck, firing a few more shots upwards to her enemy. He deflected them all, following down towards her, thrusting his lance at her. She split her legs, another arrow knocked and ready to let loose. She scowled at the older man.
"Why would you follow Jason?" she asked him, holding her arrow.
"I have no choice." He said, almost gurgling in pain, twitching his head suddenly, before thrusting his lance.
Atalante managed to loose her arrows, leaping away from him. "There is always a choice!" she said, her mind connecting the pieces that lead to her fate. "I made the choice!"
"And it lead to your death!"
"Death is preferable!" Atalante shouted, her eyes flicking to the side when she noticed a figure rushing towards them.
"And I'll make that damned choice fer ya!" a hooked claw came down on Hektor, forcing him to leap back himself, as Blackbeard's attack damaged the deck of the ship.
"Don' ruin mah ship, Teach!" the Privateer's voice spoke up from elsewhere on the ship.
"The Chaldean's'll fix it!" he swung back up, his attack barely doing any damage to Hektor. But he wasn't alone.
Just as Atalante fired arrow upon arrow on Hektor, so too did Anne, taking potshots at him without abandon. "That's wha'cha get! Ya old bastard!" Blackbeard shouted in anger, slowly becoming the very image he projected himself as, at the height of his notoriety.
The renowned Pirate knew that he was no match against the likes of Hektor, and so was Anne to be fair, the only reason he survived was because of his Battle Continuation. But he was confident in their chances in facing him, what with the Chaste Huntress also releasing her rage upon him, just by his mere association with Jason the Argonaut.
"Teach! Here is a pick me up!" Kagiso shouted when he reentered the deck, his Command Spell glowing beneath his clothes.
A devilish smirk formed on the Pirate's face. "Aright! I owe ya one!" he charged forward with a fervor, swinging and shooting his hook and pistol.
Hektor managed to get a few hits in on the Pirate, even successfully cutting off Blackbeard's fingers, sending his pistol off the deck. He pierced his lance onto the Pirate's shoulder, pinning him in place as he pulled out his sword to deflect the arrows and bullets that were coming his way. But eventually the numbers paved through, his body tanking the hits from the Archers around him. He grunted in pain that was coming from without and within, before he turned his face away from them.
"Jason!" Hektor called out, pulling his lance free from the Pirate, leaping back onto the Argo. "She's here!"
"What?!" a semblance of fear flashed on his face. "She shouldn't be here!"
"I know!"
A flash in the skies brought the Archers' attentions, like a star shining in the bright midday skies. The older Greek Hero held his lance above his shoulder, aiming with his other forefinger and thumb. His gauntlet burst like a rocket ready to launch.
"Target confirmed. Position fixed!" the fire coming from his gauntlet surged like a flamethrower, before he threw his weapon with great strength. "Durindana!"
Like a rocket, the lance flew from his hand, leaving behind a trail of smoke and fire, flying to the sky at the thing that was coming towards them. Towards the Argo. A shockwave erupted from the contact between the Noble Phantasm, but it wasn't over. Another flash, off in the distance, signaled another coming attack.
"Hektor! Another one's coming!"
"I can't do anymore." The grizzled Servant said, dropping to his knee as his spear returned to his side.
"Damn it!" Jason turned to the inner deck. "Medea! Get over here, now!"
The screams that echoed on the battlefield stopped, with anything left being drowned out by the ongoing battle between them and the sea monsters. The door to the inner deck opened, and a familiar, but different, Servant floated out. Dressed in a beautiful, sky blue dress, and wearing small gloves and thigh high boots with mix matched colors. Her hair looked far brighter, tied in a high long ponytail. The staff in her hands, was the staff of Hecate's.
"Lord Jason." The Servant, so obviously Medea, even though she was different, answered with a soft, almost manic smile on her face. "What is it that you need?"
"Get us out of here now, woman! Herakles, get on, we're leaving!"
With a final roar, the great Herakles leapt off the sands, landing roughly back on the Argo.
"Medea! What are you doing, girl!?" Circe called out, a beam of energy erupting from her staff, scorching the wooden make of the Argo.
The smile on the Caster's face grew disarmingly, looking unnatural on her face. "What I was meant to do, Auntie." the Servant slammed her staff onto the deck of the Argo, a shimmering orb appearing around the ship.
"Τρόφα!"
The shimmering orb morphed into bright colored wings, before it folded in on itself, with the projectile that was heading towards them leaving behind an explosion of sea water. In a single flash, the Argo, after constant bombardment from the Chaldean side of the conflict, disappeared. Considering who that Caster was, it wasn't much of a mystery on what had actually happened. The Masters on the beach, Koleen and Ritsuka, fell on the beach in a tired heap. On the ship, Kagiso got to work with providing his aid to the very human crew, just as exhausted as the rest of them. The other Servants; EMIYA, Atalante, Anne and Mary; set about to clean up the rest of the monsters that lingered.
Circe, Lancelot, and Martha were the first of many to return to the Golden Hind, though the Berserker still had his helmet atop his head. His body was shaking with lingering rage, his hands gripping onto his sword and Ayako's rifle tightly. Martha placed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him down. Circe, with a massive frown, began working on the ship, repairing it of its damages that it had sustained. The crew she passed by all gave her a wide berth, fearful of the expression that she didn't bother hiding.
"And I thought Poseidon's lackeys were a pain in the arse…" Captain Drake commented, dropping herself on one of her ship's cannons, scratching her forehead with the barrel of her pistol.
"You didn't face them, Captain?" Mash asked, planting her shield beside the Privateer. Compared to the others, she didn't do much aside from defending the ship from the most dangerous of attacks.
"Nah, mostly spirits." She visibly shivered at the memory, shaking her head with a frown on her face.
"Saint!" Blackbeard called out, as the effects of Kagiso's Command Spell wore off. "Where's that turtle o' yers?"
"He is busy cleaning the seas." Martha replied, gesturing with a nod to the growing stain that spread on the surface, the blood of the creatures clotting the salty water.
"That went as well as about expected." Kagiso said as he approached the Captain and Mash. His eyes were still milky white, as smoke held onto his form like a blanket.
"How is, Ayako, Kagiso?" Mash asked with visible concern.
"Medea took over the healing." The Shaman replied with a grimace. "It was quite gruesome a sight." He added, as he began to heal the Privateer.
The renowned Pirate chuckled amusedly. "The lass cer'ainly took it better 'an the Huntress."
"That body of hers is reaching its limit." Said Huntress said as she joined them, followed by the two women pirates, and EMIYA as he helped the two Masters up. "Can she carry on, like this?"
"She just needs to rest up a bit." All heads turned to the hooded Caster, floating out of the inner deck. "Her body is as good as new, but she is still exhausted."
"Did you check up on out guest?" Koleen asked through ragged breaths, leaning on the wooden railings.
"Yes." Medea nodded. "She is still unconscious."
"Does anyone recognize her?" Kagiso asked, his eyes pointedly focused on the Greek Servants they had among them.
Both Atalante and Medea shook her head, but fortunately Circe had an answer. "She is one of the Gorgon Sisters." The older Servant said, the deep frown still marring her otherwise pleasant face. "Either Stheno, or Euryale. They were twins, but apparently there was enough of a difference between them, even as minutely as it was. I never knew them beyond a cursory understanding, even back when we were alive."
"Your-eye-a-lee? That's how you pronounce it?" Koleen commented with a slight frown. "There's still a lot for me to learn, apparently."
"That arrow…" Ritsuka spoke up, finally gathering himself. "Does anyone know where it came from? It targeted the Argo, specifically."
"Our destination." Blackbeard answer, pointing into the distance, to the island just on the horizon. "That's where our friend should be."
"Quite the timely save, too." EMIYA commented with a nod. "Shall we get going?"
"Not until mah ship's repaired!" Captain Drake said with a groan.
"How was she, Circe?" Medea asked suddenly, before the Casters left to repair the ship.
"How was who?" the shorter Servant asked back. "How were you? She's all your worst aspects, bundled up in this cute little packaging. It's like the first time you came to me, except without the childish naivety."
Medea's eyes briefly widened for a second, before narrowing to a sharp glare. "Then Jason is not the one in charge here."
"So like the previous Singularities then." Kagiso commented with a sigh. "The Dragon Witch, and Bluebeard. Romulus, and Flauros. And apparently, Jason and Medea."
"What makes you so certain?" EMIYA asked, with a healthy amount of skepticism, as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"The fact that he would willingly let me be near him, if my aunt is correct in her deduction to my counterpart." The Caster explained. "He's arrogant, brash, and weak, but he is no fool. He is a master tactician should he need to be. He should have noticed to telltale signs that I exhibit, and cut off that branch before it festered."
"Granted…" Circe took over, stepping closer to them. "We're not certain on who the mastermind is here. Medea is just the likeliest suspect."
"Hm." EMIYA nodded, taking the explanation at face value.
"So what should we do now?" Anne asked, with his long rifle on her shoulder. Mary hummed in aggrement beside her.
"We'll get the ship fixed up, and then we continue our journey." Koleen declared, nodding to the Privateer who nodded back.
"Where's Sir Lancelot?" Ritsuka asked, just noticing that the Berserker was no longer with the Ruler.
"He went inside." Said Ruler answered, standing beside them all. "He is waiting outside Medea's tent."
"Then can you wait for our guest?" Kagiso asked.
"Yes I can." She said, her feet already moving.
"Everyone else…" Koleen clapped her hands, like how Ayako would do. "We get as much rest as we can. The Argonauts are on the move, we're on a tight deadline here, before they strike again. Am I clear?"
"Yes!" they all answered in a chorus of replies.
"We were this close!" the angered cry of Jason reached around the sparse deck of the Argo, a heavy thud resounding as he slammed his fist onto the wooden wall. "And we let it slip! Hektor!"
The grizzled Servant looked up, leaning on the mast, breathing heavily. His free hand was holding the side of his head, as he grunted pain. "Yes?"
"What the hell was that?! They were nothing to you! You could have handled them, easily!" he shouted, pointing angrily at the Lancer. "You even have Medea's enchantments damn it!"
"And her enchantments are killing me, Jason!" he stood up, almost matching the Argonaut's height. "That strength means nothing if I die!"
"▂▂▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▄▃▃▃."
The both of them turned to the giant of a man, kneeling beside them. The large Berserker shook his head.
Jason clenched his hand into a tight fist, before turning on his heel to make his way deeper inside. "We'll talk more later, Hektor. Don't forget that."
"Understood, Jason." The Lancer replied bitterly, leaning back onto the mast.
Jason made his way below deck, where the screams were at their loudest, finding the young Witch at her element, floating just above the wooden floor with her staff spinning in place. "Medea." He called out, biting the scowl back from forming. "How's your progress?"
"It is going well, Lord Jason." She replied, slowly descending back down. "There is a lot of resistance, but it won't be long until he is under our control." As if punctuating her words, the scream grew louder.
"And he won't be a problem?"
"Of course not, Lord Jason." Medea said, turning to face him, showing a beautiful smile on her face. It almost made his heart skip a beat. "We can make him comply, won't you, Cousin?" she said, turning back to the large Servant, crouched in pain with chains around their limbs.
"…Why?" the large Servant cried weakly, before he screamed in pain once more.
"Oh, don't worry, Cousin. It will all be over soon." She said, the smile still on her face.
"And you are certain, that this Privateer has the Grail we want?" Jason asked, ignoring the horrific sight before him.
"Of course, Lord Jason." Medea replied, turning back to him smiling at him innocently. "With Captain Drake's Holy Grail, and the Ark that we are seeking, we are closer to achieving your dream of a utopia."
"Good." He nodded, showing a rare smile, even rarer to her. "Good." He turned around, eager to step back out. "We must create that utopia, against all odds."
"Yes, Lord Jason." Her beautiful smile turned sinister, unseen by him. Her eyes glowed in the dimly lit room, the innocence she projected disappearing for a moment. "That utopia will be ours."
"On my next expedition, I'm gonna make sure I have a mage with me." The Privateer commented with a smirk, inspecting the Golden Hind now that it was anchored off shore, from the island of their destination.
After the repair job of the Casters, they set sail as quickly as they could, not wanting to waste any more time. A day's sail to reach where the projectile had come from. The Servant that proved to be the Argonauts' biggest obstacle. And now here they were, all on the beach, gathered together to explore the island. The only ones who weren't, were EMIYA and Lancelot, along with Anne and Mary, two Servants each guarding one ship.
There was also the matter of the guest they had picked up, who had yet to awaken since they rescued her.
Ayako was checking her body with her hand roaming around, carefully making sure that everything was where they should be. She sighed begrudgingly, her mind briefly wondering if she should just end her current life. This was, after all, a backup that was created from before she arrived at Chaldea.
"So, does anyone here have some first impressions?" she asked the group, also to shift her mind away from these macabre thoughts.
"Yes." Two Servants replied. Martha, and Atalante. The both of them briefly looked at one another, before turning their attention to the Masters.
"There is a familiar, Divine signature coming from deeper in the island." Martha explained.
"There is another one as well, one that is familiar to me." Atalante said behind her mask, her voice lilting for a short moment.
"So, should we wave our flags here, say we come 'n peace?" Blackbeard asked them.
"I don't think we need to." Koleen said with an affirmed nod. "Whoever they are, they saved us from the Argonauts yesterday. I think simply approaching them would be enough."
"I agree." Ayako said, wrapping an arm around the Witch's shoulder. "We come in with open hands, and we'll be right as rain."
A chorus of agreement spread around the group, before they as a whole moved as one. The Masters and the Captain were in the middle, with Mash and Martha leading the formation, while Blackbeard and Atalante covered the rear. Throughout their trek, they found their path oddly clear of wildlife, aside from the ambient sounds that echoed around them. For some reason, they all felt, safer.
"Hold, Chaldeans!" a feminine voice reached their ears through the canopies, and just as ordered, they all stopped, looking up to the skies that were blocked by the branches of the jungle.
A woman of below average height descended, wearing a white-to-red dress that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Some might say it was too generous. Her wavy hair was just as white, with blue eyes that matched the sky. A metallic crescent shape seemed to be attached to her back, along with the weapon that she was apparently sitting on; a golden bow of divine make. And placed on her left shoulder was a small teddy bear doll, dressed like some caveman.
"Hello!" her voice was, an odd combination of melodic, and grating. "I am, Orion! Archer Class Servant, here to welcome you!"
Before any of them could respond, another voice cried out. "Dammit woman! Stop introducing yourself as me! You're not me!"
The teddy bear that they all thought was a doll, turned out to not be a doll. Koleen latched onto this fact almost immediately, befitting of the amateur Historian. "Are you telling me, Orion is a teddy bear?"
"No, I'm not! Damn it, Artemis, not even one second, and you're already ruining my image with these lovely ladies!" the doll declared, earning a disgusted groan from Mash.
The woman, Artemis, grabbed the doll with her tight fist, holding it as if she had intended to crush it. "Oh? I don't think you'd need me to ruin your reputation, Darlin.~~"
"Lady Artemis?" Atalante spoke up, her voice carrying with it a hint of reverence, and hesitance, mixed with a dash of disappointment.
"Hm, yes?" the Servant looked up, locking eyes with the masked Servant, before gasping. "Atalante! Oh dear, dear, Atalante!" she rushed forward, bringing the feline Archer into a tight hug.
"Lady Artemis… how are you here?" Atalante managed to croak out.
"Oh, I just hitched a ride here!" she said, gesturing to the doll. "I wasn't going to leave him alone with any of you girls."
"I did nothing to them!" the doll complained, batting his "bat" onto the apparent goddess, as she turned around to fully acknowledge the rest of them.
"And you must be the Chaldean Masters." She said, nodding to them one by one. Her eyes then landed on Circe and Medea. "Ah, my niece! And grandniece!" she said, hugging the both of them.
"Is that true?" Ritsuka asked Koleen.
The Blonde Witch shrugged. "Depending on the source, and there are many sources."
"If it's true, then it's unsurprising." Ayako commented with an amused chuckle. "The family tree of the Greek Pantheon is a mess."
"Thank you for saving us, Lady Artemis." Mash said with gratitude, bowing before the goddess.
"Oh, don't think too much about it." She said with a wide smile. "The people dear to me were in danger, so of course I helped."
"Almost missed the timing too." Orion commented with an exaggerated sigh. "Come on, the Argonauts aren't going to stand idly by, Artemis. We need to bring them to David."
"Of course, you're right, Darling." She said with a nod, as she began to lead the group.
"David? David who?" Koleen asked, increasing her pace to match that of the goddess'.
"King David, of Jerusalem." Was the answer she received.
"Ah, now it makes sense." Martha said with an understanding nod.
"Wow…" Koleen also nodded, her voice just above a whisper. "He stands out compared to everyone else here."
"I know, right?" Artemis said with a light giggle.
"Who's King David?" Ritsuka asked again.
"Isn't he the one who slew the goliath?" Captain Drake said with furrowed brows. "David and Goliath, with a well-placed shot."
"Sounds like the perfect guy to beat Herakles." Blackbeard commented.
"How are you feeling?" Medea slowed her pace to match Atalante's who had been oddly silent, despite being in the presence of her patron deity. "Disappointed?" she asked with a smirk.
Her answer was mostly silence, before a minute passed for her to finally deign Medea with an answer. "Come back to me." She said, her voice sounding a lot more hollow than usual.
"Why is it so dark already?" the crewmate said, mostly to himself, sinking into the crow's nest they were sharing. "It's noon, right?"
"Yes, it is." EMIYA replied, his eyes narrowing into the horizon. It had only been an hour since the group left. But the answer was fairly straightforward, the storm was approaching.
And there was nothing natural about it.
"Do you two see that?" he asked the Servants on Blackbeard's ship.
"Yup!" Anne replied, though there was a fakeness to her chipper attitude. "This is gonna be hell."
"We need to warn them." He said, turning to himself as he connected with Ritsuka. "Master, there seems to be a problem."
"Oh, really?" the inexperienced Master replied. "Well, we kinda got some good news here. We're coming up with a plan to defeat Herakles in one blow."
"That sounds like quite the feat." He commented idly, his eyes trailing back to the storm. "The storm is approaching, I think they want to end this."
There was a short pause, before Ritsuka replied. "Of course, it goes back to that storm." He could hear the sigh coming from the Masters. "Well, Medea-san is heading back, she said she wanted to prepare something to help us defeat herself."
"Is that so?" he spoke aloud, noticing said Caster that had floated up to the crow's nest. "Then I assume she can share with us the plans?"
"Yes, EMIYA-san."
"Very well, I'll notify you if there's anything new, Master."
"Thank you, EMIYA-san."
EMIYA stood up to his full height, effectively dwarfing the Greek Witch, who was looking up to him, trying to match his steely gaze.
"Archer." She called out, her gloved hands clenching repeatedly. "I… would like to borrow something."
An eyebrow rose. "Borrow?" he asked back, confusion taking over.
"Yes." She nodded, letting out a long drawn out sigh. Something then appeared in her hand. The crystallization of her Divinity. "Your… Noble Phantasm, has this, right?"
There was hesitation within him, thanks to his hazy experiences with the Caster before him, but he nodded. "Yes. Why?" he asked back, again.
"I…" she swallowed the lump in her throat, shaking her head and letting her hood fall down. Her long ears almost shot out. "I… would like to borrow a Broken Phantasm."
His grey eyes widened, before a deep chuckle escaped his lips. "I see. So you hate yourself that much, I take it?"
"Yes, I do." She replied without shame, already accepting that part of her.
His chuckled morphed into a hearty laugh, he himself shaking his head at the woman's audacity. "Hm, well then I guess that's one thing we share in common." He said, as something appeared in his hands. Then right before their very eyes, it transformed, Broken from its initial form. "Will this suffice?"
Medea's eyes were glued to the construction, slowly nodding along. "Yes, absolutely." She replied, sounding a lot more resolute since they entered the Singularity.
Hopefully, this won't come back to bite him in the ass.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
this chapter, is a lot shorter than the previous ones. i initially wanted to have David be introduced here (with the chapter itself originally titled: The Ark). but, i'm feeling really under the weather here. not COVID, hopefully (i think), i'm just not feeling good right now. so that was essentially an impromptu time skip, where everyone had met up with David and the Ark, and they explained their plans. that doesn't mean i'm not gonna come back to it, i'm planning on having a short "flashback" next chapter, so we can see what happens.
speaking of timeskips, some of you who are rereading this might notice that the timing's changed (in regards to their stay in the Singularity). i just recently found out that it doesn't take as long as i thought to traverse the Atlantic by ship. at the fastest, from Britain to the Americans with period era ships was 20-ish days (which is crazy). so, i'm updating them to somewhat match up here.
also, let's touch Medea Lily for a second here. can i just say, how disappointing it is, that the Medea Lily we(the player) summon is different from the Medea Lily in the Singularity? such a shame, i want the crazy manic Medea Lily, not the sweet young Medea Lily.
now, onto the reviews!
King0fP0wers: yeah, i get that, but i wanted Blackbeard to show his more serious side before he finds his new groove.
amerdism: for the first part, it doesn't really line up with the game's way of presenting the outside world (especially since i'm following the game's version). even Ayako, way early on after Singularity F, rushed outside and only saw darkness.
for the second part, yes, that's how Divine Spirits get summoned. they need something/someone else to be the host. it's true for all the god Servants (including Quetz, it's just that her host is someone else random), sometimes you can even use puppets/homonculi as hosts as well.
tresboy164: i research as much as i can for the spells.
Addicted2fanfics: Stheno was not in Okeanos, she was in Septem.
downix2k: yup!
ptl: well hold on to your pants, he will get the beatin' of a life time.
Lumene: i wished it was more consistent though, in the game some servants remember, some don't. i mean, come on.
they will try to befriend him.
omegadramon2: it's gonna be slightly different.
Thekiller7: uh, sure?
TalonScythe: yeah, Ayako's in that delicate spot of being a valuable person, and an expendable one. because of her backups, she can pretty much go into an altercation without much fear. but, the tradeoff is that it comes with pain, especially with a weak body, comparatively.
well, thanks again guys for dropping by! it's awesome!
leave a review if ya'll don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!