I admit this took a little longer than I expected, partly in the fact that the third lostbelt was released and I have been playing around with that...having Artoria in the frontline again was nostalgic and so good for me. This will be...interesting later for sure. But that is a long ways off. For now, I present the first actual chapter of Orleans and I apologize if it's a little dry compared to some things...It is just Mash and Cira really here, the others will come in later once the leyline is set up. Likely in the next chapter. Anyways, I shall let you read.

Orleans: Land of the Hundred Years War

Mash's eyes flashed open as she felt the solid ground beneath her. The feeling of panic suddenly resurged, greater than ever, within her though it wasn't her own panic, she realized. She bolted towards Cira who was standing upright, but her eyes weren't focused and her breaths still came out in hyperventilation.

"You have to calm her down," her inner voice said, "she needs you. Your Master needs you, so help her."

"Cira, no...Master!" Mash cried, putting her hands on Cira's shoulders, "It's alright! We made it! We're safe!"

Cira jolted, her eyes wild and nearly silver blue with terror, she immediately jerked backwards away from Mash, only to trip over a tree root and land flat on her back. The blunt force trauma seemed to snap her out of it and the young Master groaned as she put a hand to her head.

"Are you ok?" Mash asked, kneeling down next to her Master and putting a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"I. Hate. That." Cira groaned, "That was not fun. I'd rather go through the explosion again."

"What happened?"

"I don't remember…" Cira shuddered as she sat up, "I remember everything getting smaller and smaller and there was water...and then nothing. I'm sure I didn't pass out...but like, I couldn't sense anything. I normally get feedback from you guys...I could feel you in the other Coffin right before this happened, I could feel Artoria, Cu and Lily too...but it just cut off and I thought you died or left me alone and something had gone wrong and I'd end up like the Director an-"

She cut off as she shook her head to clear it.

"Sorry…" Cira apologized, "It was...a very weird feeling and I don't like it very well."

"Well, we actually managed to do it properly this time," Mash reassured her, "We made it to...I'm not quite sure where. The Doctor didn't tell you where this was?"

Cira shook her head as she looked around the wooded area, the birds sang and the sun speckled through the leaves. It seemed they were on the edge of a forest as to their right the forest opened up to a large grassy plane with gentle hills. She opened her mouth to answer, only to give a sharp squeak as something shot out of the underbrush and collided with her chest, knocking her down again.

"Fou fouuuuu!" Fou chirruped, gently licking Cira's nose and making Cira give a relieved laugh.

"You gave me a heart attack!" she scolded.

"He must have tagged along again," Mash smiled, reaching down to ruffle Fou's ears.

The little creature hopped off Cira's chest, his ears swiveling around as if he were trying to find a sound. Mash offered her hand to Cira

"As in, snuck into one of our Coffins," Cira said, taking Mash's hand and getting to her feet.

"Likely," Mash nodded, "At least he's not hurt. But since he's attached to one of us, when we go back he'll return as well,"

"Right...not our real bodies," Cira stated, pointing a finger, "Sorry...still...getting used to this. Still trying to calm my heart."

Mash looked around the area, eyes almost...confused. The golden band around her irises seemed brighter than ever. She frowned, shaking her head.

"You ok?" Cira asked.

"I...am not sure," she admitted, "I feel like I have been here before. But I know that is not possible. I have never left Chaldea before,"

"Maybe whoever is bonded to you?" Cira suggested, "Maybe they're from here?"

"It is strange...I feel like I know this place but it's slightly off. Right place, wrong time?" Mash reasoned, "I remember hearing something about 1431,"

"The Hundred Years War?!" Cira sputtered, "I mean, I guess that would make sense since we think your Heroic Spirit half is some sorta knight. Least that's what Artoria's thinking,"

"We should not have that much of a problem," Mash reassured her as the two started walking out of the woods and into the sunny field, "This was during the respite period of the War, knights were captured and released every day and…"

She trailed off, looking at Cira...whose storm blue eyes were locked on the sky above them.

"Master?"

"The sky," Cira whispered, "Mash…"

"Oh! It's clear!" Mash beamed, excitedly, having seen nothing but clouds and blizzard before, "I…"

She froze and what color was in her pale face drained as she looked up at the blue expanse.

"What...is this…" she asked, her voice hoarse and hushed.

Cira's watch beeped and Roman's hologram appeared above the white metal.

"Yes! We're connected! Not the best quality, but I've got video feed too!" Romani beamed, "See, DaVinci, I told you that it was going to work! Wait...uh...Cira? Mash? What's wrong? Why are you staring at the sky?"

"I'm sending visuals…" Mash whispered, "Doctor...what is this?"

There was a brilliant blue-white ring, thousands of miles across shining in the sky. The sun seemed outshone by it, it was wispy, almost like clouds...but there was a feeling of dread that sank its claws into both Cira and Mash.

"...That's some sort of magecraft…" Romani finally said, "It has to be…It...looks to be as big as North America. It's huge…no records of anything like this have been recorded in 1431. It's definitely one of the reasons for the disappearance of 2019. We'll look into it here, I promise. You guys need to continue with the mission. Look for those leylines, that way we can get better communications down."

"Cu, Lily and Artoria?" Cira asked, looking at Romani finally, "Are they ok?"

"They disappeared after you Rayshifted. Artoria nearly broke your Coffin to get to you," Romani deadpanned, "I think we're gonna have to knock you out when you Rayshift from now on, Cira...else we're gonna have to replace Coffins. But yeah, as soon as the Rayshift completed, they all disappeared...they're likely waiting for you to bring them in. So...uh...I'd prepare to get an earful from Artoria. Maybe Cu. And Lily might just crush you in a bear hug so yeah have fun with that."

"Sorry…" Cira mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Eh, it's my fault. I forgot you're claustrophobic." Romani said, "But you two get going. Alert me when you get to a leyline or run into trouble, ok?"

"Got it," Cira nodded as Romani's hologram winked out, "Well at least he didn't cut out like last time,"

Mash nodded.

"We should start towards a city I suppose," she suggested.

"Yeah, that'd be a smart idea," Cira agreed, "Find out where exactly we are. Since we know the when. Though uh…"

She looked at Mash's shield and gave a slight frown.

"You think we might scare people off if they see it?" she asked, "I know you can't do much to hide your armor but people might be more willing to talk to two unarmed women than a 'soldier' and an unarmed woman,"

"Right," Mash nodded, holding out her arm as the shield suddenly shattered into particles of mana, leaving the Demi-Servant's hands free, "Shall we?"

The girls had spent a while walking, so long that the sun was far overhead where it was just rising when they arrived.

"It's so...peaceful," Cira commented, "You wouldn't know they were at war."

"Right," Mash agreed, only to freeze and put her hand in front of Cira's chest, "Stop...someone's ahead,"

Cira froze, straining to see...but it was out of her sight.

"What's wrong?" Cira asked.

"...Soldiers, scouting brigades," Mash said, "Armor style looks like that of the French,"

A shudder ran up her body as her eyes turned more gold for an instant before fading back to violet and Mash shook her head as if to clear it.

"...Is that the Heroic Spirit?" Cira wondered, "I'll have to keep an eye on that,"

"Master?"

Cira started, looking at her friend again.

"I asked if we should make contact," Mash told her, "You were spacing out again,"

"Sorry," Cira admitted, "But uh...yeah, like I said...they're less likely to attack two unarmed women, right?"

Mash nodded and the two continued over the rise, coming in view of the soldiers.

"Excuse me!" Mash called, getting their attention, "We are travellers-"

The soldiers looked at the girls, fear in their eyes as the two girls got closer. Fou crawled out from under Cira's hair and yawned, stretching. A cry rose up around the girls, revealing that there were far more soldiers than they originally thought. Spears and swords were unsheathed and the soldiers bolted around them, making sure the two were surrounded.

"Oh this is not good," Cira whispered.

"...J'aurais dû parler français…" Mash muttered, her golden gaze watching the soldiers sadly as she held out her hand and her shield materialized with a heavy sounding thud.

"Magic!" the soldiers gasped.

"Since when do you speak French!?" Cira demanded.

"Did I?" Mash asked, shaking her head, "Later...Combat is unavoidable I believe,"

"Mash these are soldiers!" Cira protested, "They're not skeletons, they're not Servants, they're human. We can't hurt them!"

"I will not hurt them," Mash reassured her, already tensing to leap into battle, "I am just going to make sure that they do not go any further...and that means attacking them to hold them back."

"What are you talking about?!" Cira demanded.

Mash seemed to freeze and she relaxed, looking towards Cira with complete innocence.

"...Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"In that case you should hit them with the back of your blade." Romani's voice piped up as his hologram flickered on again, "Limit it to a minimum!"

"You are not helping!" Cira hissed, "And how the hell would you do that?! With a shield?!"

"You're creative! Figure it out!"

"I'll think of something!" Mash reassured Cira, "For now...FIRE!"

"BURNING IS OUT OF THE QUESTION TOO!" Romani yelled.

Before Cira could stop her, Mash bolted forwards, her shield flashing in the light with a dark gleam. She swept one soldier's feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground. Another one slashed at her but Mash blocked the strike and shoved forwards, slamming her shield down on him and knocking him unconscious as well. She bolted through the ranks of the soldiers around her, fighting in a whirl of sable and violet. A soldier managed to get around the back side and raised his blade.

"NO!" Cira shrieked, raising her hand as a warm feeling bloomed within her chest, flooding through her in a hot wave.

Her body glowed brilliantly, almost making her a star in human form. She thrust out her hand and a bolt of white-hot light shot from her palm, slamming into the soldier and knocking him away. Mash jumped away from the bolt, her head snapping towards Cira, whose body was still glowing brightly, more and more intense as the seconds wore on, causing the soldiers to shield their eyes.

A massive drop in energy from Cira came through the bond between her and Mash and the light suddenly faded. Cira wobbled on her feet before collapsing to her knees. Mash gasped, rushing towards her Master and picking her up.

"Go…" Cira hissed, her face flushed and she felt very feverish.

Mash nodded and carried Cira off a ways, the soldiers incapacitated due to the, for lack of a better term, flash bang.

"Are you alright?" Mash asked, setting Cira down after they got far away.

"I'll be fine after a few minutes," Cira admitted, "You?"

"I'm fine," Mash told her, "I didn't hit them hard enough...It looks like they're running away,"

"Back to their fort, likely," Romani said, "See if you can follow them...find out what's going on anyways. And uh...don't forget to speak French this time,"

"Uh…" Cira started, "I...know conversational French but that was four years ago!"

"...Leave that to me then," Mash said.

"Oh come on!" Cira huffed, "I'm not that bad!"

They made it to the fort not long before sundown. Both girls staring at the building before them, seeing no one in front of the gates to guard it. They walked right in, not even being stopped and they stopped as they walked inside.

"This is...awful," Mash whispered, "On the outside it looks fine but...the inside is nothing but ruins."

"Ruins and wounded soldiers," Cira pointed out, seeing hundreds of soldiers laying on the ground and in cots bandaged and still bleeding.

A sickly smell rose on the air where some of the soldiers' wounds had become infected but seemed to be untreatable.

"In 1431, Charles VII entered a peace treaty with Phillip III of England," Mash stated as the girls walked through the camp, "There were probably skirmishes...but I doubt that it was anything on this scale."

It was at that point someone noticed the two girls and an alarm was raised.

"Elles sont de retour!" a soldier yelled.

"Cira...the translator finally updated. You should be hearing it back in English soon," Romani whispered, "Sorry it took so long!"

"Bonjour! Nous sommes des voyag-ers," Mash greeted with a friendly wave as the translator finally kicked in, to Cira's relief...though the latter could still tell Mash was greeting them in French, "We don't want to hurt you...please lay down your weapons, sir,"

"Thank you Roman," Cira breathed.

"You're...not the enemy?" the soldier asked.

"Well...least they're more rational now," Romani reasoned, "Either that or...oh...maybe they don't have any fight left in them?"

"But why would that be a thing?" Cira asked.

"Why didn't Charles VII sign the peace treaty?" Mash asked, not paying attention to the conversation between Romani and Cira.

"King Charles?" the soldier blinked, shaking his head in disbelief, "You mean you do not know?"

His face turned sad and his shoulders sagged, years seeming to pile onto him.

"The King is dead. He was burned to death by a witch's flames," he whispered.

"Dead?!" Mash echoed, "By a witch's flames!?

"Jeanne d'Arc," the soldier shuddered, "She's back from the dead...resurrected as the 'Dragon Witch'. The English retreated back a long time ago...but where could we go? This is our home...but there is nothing we can do,"

"Jeanne d'Arc is a witch?" Mash whispered.

"A Saint turned into a Witch?" Cira shook her head, "That...shouldn't be possible...right?"

An ungodly screeching sound filled the air and the soldier's face turned white.

"They're here! They came back!" he yelled, bolting off and raising the alarm.

Cira and Mash turned to the entrance way, seeing...soldiers. But something was off. They moved, shuffling as if every step was painful and forced. Their skin was nearly falling off their bones as they staggered forwards.

"Humans reanimated by necromancy. Ok, this time is different, you two," Romani said, "GIVE 'EM HELL!"

"Mash!" Cira ordered.

"Got it!" Mash nodded, her shield once more appearing in her hands as she bolted forwards.

Cira watched as Mash brought her shield down on the head of the first zombie, caving it and sending it crumbling to the ground. The Shielder reared back her shield once more and caught another, knocking it off balance before a savage punch from Mash knocked it's head clean off.

"Ok that was brutal," Cira said, raising her hand and concentrating on firing a bolt of light...only for her head to get hit with a massive wave of dizziness, "No...I'm...that last fight…"

"Come on, men!" a soldier's voice roared, "We cannot let these women fight our battles for us! Forward! Help the young ladies! Pierre! Take this other young woman inside, make sure she's fine!"

Cira felt a hand on her shoulder and she batted it away.

"I can't leave her," she growled as soldiers surged forwards, joining Mash in her battle, though none of them could keep pace with her.

"She will be fine," the soldier who had spoken to them earlier, Pierre, said, "Please, come with me,"

Cira allowed him to take her to the entrance of the fort, but refused to budge until the battle was over. Pierre agreed, but only on the grounds that she would run inside should the line break. His worries, however, were unfounded as the last zombie fell and Mash jogged back to her Master, a smile on her face as she wiped the spattered blood off her armor.

"It's over," she said, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, little dizzy from earlier, but other than that yeah," Cira told her.

"You travelers are insane for taking them on," Pierre scolded, "I am impressed, but you should know that it was foolish,"

"We're used to it," Mash dismissed, "Now...I'm sorry, but could you please explain everything from the start? It's true that Jeanne d'Arc has been resurrected?"

"I am sure," Pierre growled, "I was there at the siege of Orleans and at the execution...I remember it well. Her hair and skin color are different...ashen from the flames they resurrected her from...but it is Jeanne in body. Hearing that she had been burned filled us all with such a fury...but the fact she had been resurrected...and with a pact from the Devil? I do not understand...my sister...what happened to you…?"

Cira's eyes widened.

"You're Pierre d'Arc!" she gasped, "Jeanne's older brother who was captured alongside her!"

"I am. And I know one thing. Whatever that thing is…" he hissed, "It looks like my sister, but I refuse to believe it is her!"

His eyes were so full of rage...and yet a glimmer of despair shone through them. Cira's heart hurt just looking at them. To watch his little sister being tortured and eventually executed...it had to have been hard. She opened her mouth to speak when a screeching sound tore through the air. Pierre's eyes widened as his head snapped up.

"Wyverns!" he yelled, "GET THE WOUNDED INSIDE! WE HAVE NO CHOICE NOW!"

He took his sword and unsheathed it.

"If we do not resist they will eat us!" he snarled, "We must fight!"

"Master?" Mash started, looking towards Cira, "This is far different than anything we've fought before. What are your orders?"

Cira's blue eyes reflected the scaly creatures diving through the sky at them, talons extended. Her voice froze in her throat as the sound of their wings thundered in her ears. A gentle hand lay itself on her shoulder.

"Good soldiers," a female voice called, "Douse yourselves in water...by doing that you may momentarily defend against these creatures."

Her voice was calm, commanding...not too different from Artoria's and yet very different. It didn't carry the noble, royal command that the King of Knights' voice did, rather a simple command of a lower born commoner put in the role of a general.

Cira turned to face the voice and took a slight step back. Dressed in violet and silver armor, the woman before them's long blonde hair rippled down her back in a thick braid as a silver headdress caught the dying sunlight. The woman's brilliant amethyst gaze sparkled as she looked at Cira. She readjusted her grip on a long spear bound with snowy cloth about three quarters of the way up.

Pierre seemed to jump as if he was stung. He whipped around, his sword clattering from his hand as he saw her.

"You…" he whispered.

"Please, pick up your blade and fight," the woman said, her eyes turning more fond than anything, "Once more with me,"

His eyes filled with tears and nodded, picking up his blade once again.

"...She's a Servant," Mash said.

"She's right," Romani chimed in, "But her energy is really weak. What...is she?"

"Talk about that later," Cira started, "We need to kill these things."

Mash nodded.

"There's only three of them...two Servants...it shouldn't be too bad I think," she admitted.

"Have at it!" Cira yelled as Mash dashed forwards and the wyverns touched down.

Pierre and the new Servant joined her, followed by another group of soldiers. The Servant's lance darted forwards, the silver spike at the end jabbing deep within the eye of one wyvern, making it shriek. Pierre dove underneath the creature, slashing its wing joints on its forelegs and making it collapse forwards, unable to stand upright. Mash leaped upwards, bringing the sharp bottom segment of her cross shaped shield down on the creature's neck, severing its head from the long serpentine thing. The wyvern's tongue lolled as the head bounced across the ground and landed at Cira's feet, making the Master jump back in shock.

"Head's up!" Pierre roared as a wyvern snapped at Mash.

Mash brought her shield up and the creature's mouth snapped around the sable metal, fangs screeching as they could not find purchase on the metal. A great force struck her legs as the reptilian tail swiped her legs out from under her.

"MASH!" Cira shrieked, running forwards.

Mash held her shield over her head as the wyvern screeched, snapping and trying to bite through her shield.

"GET OFF MY FRIEND!" Cira roared, picking up a sword from a fallen soldier and trying to heft it over her head to chop at the creature. She was only able to raise it to about chest height before her arms started straining.

"Good enough," Cira thought with a snarl on her face as she ran forwards and stabbed at the wyvern.

The blade bounced off its scales...but its head snapped towards her. It got off Mash's shield and screeched at Cira, stalking forwards towards her. Cira dropped the sword out of terror and started moving backwards, her blue eyes flashing brightly as she tripped over a rock and went sprawling on her back.

"MASTER!" Mash roared, her footsteps pounding across the ground as the wyvern pinned Cira to the ground with a claw, its jaws opening to clamp down on its prey…

Right as a sonorous clang sounded off...as well as a horrific snapping sound. Mash's shield flashed darkly as the wyvern's head snapped to the side, the force of the blow knocking it off Cira. The Demi-Servant immediately took a stance before Cira. Her eyes blazing violet and gold in fury as light crackled around her.

"You will not harm my Master. You will have to go through me!" Mash snarled.

The wyvern's body thrashed on the ground in death throes...Mash's blow had snapped its neck. Realizing it was dead, Mash's gaze snapped to Cira, who still stared at the creature that had very nearly killed her.

"That was very foolish," the golden-eyed Servant finally got out, "How could you have thought that was a good idea!?"

"It got it off you and that's what I aimed for!" Cira groaned, the adrenaline finally letting her relax from this ordeal, "I didn't want you to die,"

Mash started slightly and she sighed, hanging her head for a moment before offering her hand. Cira took it and was helped to her feet again, meeting the violet gaze of her friend.

"Don't scare me like that," Mash ordered, "Without you...we have nothing. Our mission is going to fail if you die...and I don't want to lose my friend either,"

"You two fight well," came Pierre's voice as he and the Servant came up, "Though...your swordwork could use a little work, blonde Mademoiselle,"

"The wyverns are defeated," the Servant said, looking at the other dead creatures, "You should be safe here now."

"That was a very intense battle," Romani said, his hologram popping up from Cira's wristwatch and making Pierre jump as he stared at the glowing figure, "I was watching with sweaty palms and sweets in my hand."

"...Did you take mine!?" Mash demanded, looking towards the hologram.

"...Were they in the Command Room next to the tea?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"...I don't know what you're talking about, these ones were next to the coffee," Romani said, popping another candy in his mouth.

"Those were for Cira! As a thank you when we got back!" Mash yelled, "They weren't yours!"

"Oh, Mash, you've become such a thoughtful person," Romani smiled, popping another candy in his mouth, "They're fantastic by the way...Cira'd love some like this,"

"...Master, when we return to Chaldea, please reserve some combat resources for one attack," Mash seethed, "There's one more enemy I'd like to hit with the 'back of my blade'."

"Noted," Cira nodded.

"Oh come on!" Romani protested.

"You took my candy! You get no mercy from me!" Cira growled.

The Servant next to Pierre gave a soft laugh and took a step forwards when a cry rang up.

"Impossible!" a soldier yelled, "It's the witch! Run! Get the wounded out of here! Take up arms!"

Pierre looked at the Servant, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Go, maybe we will meet up again to talk," he told her, "I knew I was right...I don't know how this is possible...but I am glad to see the world is wrong, even if the truth stares them straight in the face."

"Pierre…" she whispered.

"Go!" he hissed, gently hip checking her, "Perhaps we will meet again,"

And he ran back to the fort. The Servant watched him go, tears in her violet eyes before she gave a sigh and turned back to Mash and Cira.

"Thank you for your help," she said, "You have no idea how much I appreciate that,"

"It was nothing," Mash smiled, "Um...who are you?"

"'Ruler' is the class name I have been given," the Servant, Ruler, said, "But my true name...is Jeanne d'Arc,"

Cira's eyes looked towards Pierre, who was helping move wounded.

"He knew," she murmured.

"He did…" Jeanne sighed, "I wish I could have talked with him longer...but that is impossible now,"

She turned back to Cira and Mash.

"Please...could I speak to you? Not here of course, but somewhere safe,"

Mash looked at Cira and Cira nodded.

"Let's get out of here...we can talk somewhere safer than here," Cira said as Fou chirped and hopped up on her shoulder again.

"Merci," Jeanne breathed, her shoulders sagging in relief, "There is a clearing not far from here, we can talk there,"

And with that, the trio made their way towards the forest.

Master: Cira Albion

Servant: Shielder- Mash Kyrielight

Servant: Saber-Artoria Pendragon

Servant: Lancer/Caster-Cu Chulainn

Servant: Saber- Saber Lily