I stifled my yawn as I rose up from my bedspread, the dawn light poking through a small hole in the side of the canvas tent Drake had lent Ritsuka and I. My fellow Master was fast asleep, snoring away softly. I took a moment to listen, managing to drown out the noise he was making.
Utter silence beyond the typical noises one would encounter in an outdoors setting like the one we were in. Bird chirping, leaves rustling, and the faint sound of the ocean if you strained your ears hard enough.
"Sounds like everyone else is still asleep," I said softly. Almost as if he could have heard me in his dreams, Ritsuka gave a soft snort, before rolling to the side, his back now facing me. Though thankfully he hadn't drunk any more rum, but the booze clearly had taken a toll on his body. Either that, or he was immersed in another dream sequence with Mash or one of his other Servants.
Judging by the lack of discomfort or distress on his features before he had rolled over, however, I felt that was highly unlikely to be the case. Thank goodness for that. Personally, I was impressed that I managed to get a decent night's rest myself, considering all the noise and drunken singing Drake, her crew, and a drunk Astolfo, Nero, and Jing Ke had made.
Honestly, I really pitied Amadeus right now. If the arguing between Kiyohime and Elizabeth had been agonizing for him back in Orléans, then last night must have been like some kind of hell for him. I made a mental note to figure out some way to make it up to my Caster, either before or after we return to Chaldea.
I gave off another, soft yawn, before carefully moving towards the entrance, grabbing my sword, dagger, and overshirt while on the way out. I had promised Mordred a spar this morning, and if she was up, I wouldn't want to keep her waiting any further.
Finally stepping out of the tent, I blinked my eyes rapidly several times as they were exposed to more sunlight. When I had finished, I grinned to see a familiar figure standing a few yards across from me.
"Finally," Mordred said with a rather dramatic huff, in her armor but without her helmet. My partner was leaning against Clarent, the tip of the massive sword pressing into the ground. "I thought you'd never wake up."
"Impatient as always, aren't you?" I snarked back cheekily. "Sleep well?"
"Well enough," Mordred grunted. The blonde knight was bouncing back and forth on the back of her heels, not even trying to hide her impatience. "I thought we were going to be sparing, not talking."
"Not like we can't do both," I retorted, and Mordred nodded a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. I was probably one of the few, if any, who could talk back to her so casually without a fear of relation.
Or at least, of harmful retaliation. Mordred smirked ferally.
"Oh, feeling confidant today, are we?" She asked teasingly. "Last I checked, the score was 21-0."
"Twenty-two, actually" I grumbled under my breath, causing Mordred's smirk to expand. I love her, I really do, but damn, if that ego of hers doesn't sometimes get too annoying! At least it is an ego that is backed up by skill, though.
"Then I guess this is going to be 23-0," she taunted, and I growled softly.
"We'll see…"
Mordred smirked savagely under her helmet as she caught her partner's blade with the back of her left gauntlet, before swinging Clarent at his side using the flat of her blade. Her Master grunted, and leapt backwards a few yards, having activated his Magical Circuits just in time to dodge the attack.
Jacob wasn't all that bad of a sparing partner, especially as seeing how he wasn't a Servant. Sure, Mordred didn't have moments where she found having to hold back somewhat to be aggravating from time to time, but he was much better than those simulation Servants Da Vinci had wiped up for letting the Knight of Rebellion and Chaldea's other Servants practice their fighting skills, and to alleviate boredom for those who didn't enjoy doing nothing.
Of course, that wasn't to say that she and Jacob hadn't done anything. Honestly, it was both exciting and nerve-inducing, their new-found relationship. While she wouldn't admit to it, and in fact hadn't to Jacob in particular, the blonde knight rarely got to have a truly peaceful time sleeping. Or at least, that was until the night they had first kissed, and pretty much every night since then.
Of course, it did chip away at her patience (and sanity) over how Marie and, to a lesser but still grating degree, Jeanne were constantly inquiring as to the activities she and Jacob would get up to. Which, to be frank, wasn't much. The occasional kiss in the privacy of his (or was it now their?) room. Sharing the same bed. But other than that, it was the same as when she had first met him. Quite frankly, that was an outcome she was perfectly fine with. She didn't know how best to describe how she felt during those moments with him, other than happy.
And she wasn't going to give that up.
Mordred quickly raised Clarent as her partner unleashed a flurry of slashes and strikes. Each time his sword clanged against hers. He didn't have a look of irritation on his face, but his eyes did bulge slightly when she lightly tapped his stomach with her knee, pushing him back. The blonde knight had dismissed her armor in that area just before impact to minimizes the damage at least.
"Should have seen that coming," Jacob grumbled, circling around her warily. Mordred's smirk merely widened as she stood still, though adjusting her angle slightly when needed.
Speaking of grumbling, it had been surprisingly entertaining to listen to a flustered Mash last night going on about Drake's dismissiveness over the 'dire situation that we had to resolve, the last place to be throwing parties,' and about how her Master was foolish for getting drunk.
Definitely a much better comrade than Galahad, that's for sure. She sidestepped the sudden thrust of Jacob's sword, letting him run past her before tripping him up and causing his sword to fall out of his hands as he landed firmly onto his back. He started to push himself off when Mordred walked over, dismissing Secret of Pedigree.
"Yield," Mordred said proudly, the tip of Clarent just hovering over his Adam's apple. Once again, her winning streak was unblemished as he grunted and signaled his surrender. Mordred swung Clarent to the side and dismissed her weapon, offer her partner a hand, which he accepted and he pulled him back up onto his feet with zero effort.
"You know, one day I will win," Jacob said, her Master giving her a clearly fake scowl as he patted down his pants, getting rid of the dirt. Mordred gave off a soft bark of laughter.
"Maybe in your dreams," she said playfully. Jacob snorted in amusement, and she smirked at him, before suddenly sensing the presence of someone else nearby. She whirled around, ready tor react to whoever they were.
"Have a nice spar?" Drake said, hands on her hips, a wide-ass smirk on her face.
"It was certainly fun," Jacob said, giving Mordred a lopsided smirk as he picked up and sheathed his sword. "So, what's the plan today, captain?" She saw that there were now more people up and about, and that the tents were starting to be brought down and packed up.
More importantly to her, however, she could smell the scent
"Grab some grub, we're leaving in the next hour or so!" Drake called out, already heading back to camp. Jacob made an 'after you' gesture, and Mordred lightly bumped his shoulder with her fist as they headed back to camp.
"All right, we're setting sail! Drake roared from the quarter deck excitedly. "Raise the flag, the Golden Hind is moving out!"
"Aye-aye, Boss!" Bombe replied with a sloppily salute. Drake's first mate began barking out orders similar to the ones his captain had given him, and more of Drake's crew began to scramble around. However, it was in a surprisingly-organized manner. A trait that distinguished a well-trained and veteran crew, despite their scruffy appearance and mannerisms (or in the case of the latter, the lack thereof).
"Blast that cannon! Let's liven things up!"
"Aye!"
The ship rocked to the side slightly as one of the canons lining either side of the ship belched fire and smoke. Mash, Ritsuka, Mordred, and I were all grouped up at the ship's forecastle. Despite her attempts, I could see that Mordred was still nervous about being on the open water, and I gently nudged her arm with my elbow reassuringly, while Mash sighed softly.
"What's wrong?" I asked, while Ritsuka moved closer to our friend.
"You're still getting used to the ocean?" He added softly. Mash nodded at the both of us.
"Yes," the pink-haired girl admitted quietly. "We saw never-ending land the last time, but I've never experienced an ocean as far as the eye can see." Mash stilled and I frowned, as did Ritsuka. Antarctica was surrounded by water. If she had lived at any point outside of Chaldea, surely she would have seen such a sight by now. "Ah, don't worry, I haven't let my guard down," Mash added quickly, having noticed our expressions and taking two and two to get three.
The Demi-Servant turned to Rits with a contemplative look in her violet eyes. "Senpai, you seem to be having fun. Unfortunately, this is not the time for that. I'm afraid things will be slightly different this—" A shrill cry overhead interrupted Mash's little speech, and the Shielder looked up in awe. "Ah, Senpai! Seagulls! Seagulls overhead!"
"In my family, we call them rats with wings," I remarked as a trio of said flying pests took off from their perches on the main mast. Still, it was adorable to see the surprisingly-sheltered Mash gazing around in wonderment at what were apparently new experiences for her. It really was both heart-warming and heart-wrenching.
"And look, I see more pirates on the deck!"
….Wait, what?
Sure enough, several dozen or so pirates had appeared out of nowhere on the main deck! "Well, this is a problem…"
Mash coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, now, here I go!" She said resolutely, summoning her shield while Mordred did the same with Clarent, her helmet reassembling itself and obscuring her savage grin once more. I gesture to Ritsuka to stay back as I gripped the hilts of my own weapons.
"Captain, enemy boarders over here! They're not with us!" I hollered as the intruders drew out cutlasses, hatchets, and a few firearms. I drew forth my own weapons, the steel blades emerging into the sunlight with shrill ringing sounds to the. "Team, take them down hard and fast!"
I didn't have time to acknowledge any responses, for a large, burly man charged at me, swinging his cutlass down. I swiftly positioned my sword horizontally, caching the broader blade of the cutlass with my own blade. My attacker tried to push forward, seeking to overpower my guard, and also not noticing my free hand.
He stiffened as I plunged my pugio dagger into his exposed and unprotected armpit, twisting the blade for good measure, before placing one of my booted feet to his midriff and kicking him away from me.
I heard the sound of a flintlock being cocked, and my eyes widened as I saw a second pirate glaring hatefully at me, getting ready to pull the trigger of his pistol. He was too close to reliably miss, but too far away for me to strike him down in time.
"Don't you fucking dare!" A familiar voice hollered before a flash of crimson and lighting appeared before me. I heard a swooping sound, and then saw a large splash of crimson erupt diagonally across the pirate's chest, before his body suddenly vanished. Mordred looked over my shoulder, and while I couldn't see her face, I could sense her looking at me reproachfully.
"Be more careful, will ya?" Mordred growled. It wasn't in anger but one of her unique ways of showing concern over my wellbeing, and I nodded at her display of concern. Two more pirates charged us, and I scoffed derisively at the one swinging a hatchet at me, while Mordred snarled and cursed at the one charging towards her, and I lost sight of her.
"Do you mind? I was trying to apologize to my partner," I growled, gritting my teeth before using my dagger to slice through the wooden shaft of the pirate's weapon. A follow-up thrust of my sword dealt with the threat. "I swear, absolutely no manners!" Just like with the last two slain pirates I had seen, the body faded away almost instantly. It wasn't exactly the same way that a Servant's did, but more like the wyverns we had dealt with in Orléans.
I felt both relief and mild confusion. Relief because unlike in Rome, I wasn't killing fellow humans, and confusion because if they weren't humans or Servants, what were they, exactly?
Lu Bu's roar shook the ship as the sole Berserker of our party cleaved in two almost a half-dozen attackers with his halberd. Drake and her pirates had joined in, too, though mostly keeping their distance and using muskets and flintlock pistols to pick off the enemy numbers.
Despite their supernatural arrival, it seemed that the attackers weren't any stronger or more dangerous than the non-Servants fighting them. The fight was over in only a few minutes, with no casualties of any sorts sustained by our side.
"Whew," Mash sighed, rubbing the back of her free hand across her forehead. "I'm all sticky from sweat and seawater," she sighed, blushing slightly. I grunted sympathetically and sheathed my own swords. I had no need to flick them to shake off the blood that had been covering the blades, as both it and the various bodies had vanished the instant they fell, just like the ones Mordred and I had dispatched at the start of the fight had.
It was unusual, but at the same time, kinda par for the course for us.
"Hey, hey, Jacob," Drake said, striding over towards us. A concerned look was on her features as her crew shook off their confusion at the vanishing bodies of the defeated enemy pirates and went back to their various tasks. I saw out of the corner of my eye a giddy Astolfo climbing up to the crow's nest, and quickly muttered an apology to the poor lookout already up there as Drake came to a halt. "You guys got a second?"
"Yes, what is it?" Mash asked politely, dismissing her shield. Was it just me, or did Drake look uneasy for once? The pink-haired woman gestured behind her at the main deck with one hand, while the other rested against the handle of one of her flintlocks.
"What the devil was that? First, those people appeared out of nowhere, and now they have vanished! Have you lot encountered this before?" Drake asked us sternly. I grunted softly, frowning.
"I've seen something similar happen before, but I'm not sure I am the one qualified to give a definitive answer. Doc?" I asked, raising my right arm and activating my commlink.
"One moment," Roman responded, humming under his breath as he did whatever it was that he deemed necessary in order to acquire the requested answer. "Okay, just as I thought. It seems like it is the concept of pirates that exist in these waters."
"…Meaning?" Ritsuka asked the question we all were now thinking.
"A concept is a type of spiritual body etched in the memories of an era. In this case, the memories of the 'Age of Exploration'. They can only act to fulfill their roles. They have their own will, but are models of an idea. Call them an infinite copy of the 'average pirate', if you will. On their own, they shouldn't do too much damage, but unless the world is correct, I'm afraid these 'bugs' will keep spawning forever," Roman finished apologetically. So, kinda like a video game, almost. I snorted in dry amusement at that thought.
"…and what do you mean by that?" A still-confused Drake demanded.
"If I had to sum it up in a single word, those pirates are like…ghosts," Mash said, trying to be helpful like always. Drake actually flinched slightly at the mention of that last word.
"But, they took damage from bullets and swords, you know? Not just mine either, from the scallywags as well," Drake countered, speaking just a tad faster than normal. Was she…was she actually afraid of ghosts? Mash hummed thoughtfully, rubbing her chin slightly before replying.
"Sorry, let me rephrase that. Think of them as ghosts, but ones with physical bodies." Drake laughed, her body relaxing instantly.
"S-So they have physical bodies. Then we're okay! There's no problem!" I opened my mouth to comment on Drake's reaction, paused, and then closed my mouth after realizing that it might not be the best thing I could do. Thankfully, Mash was the one still speaking.
"Yes, that's correct," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now, let us be on our way!"
It had been a few hours since then, and I was having trouble fighting the sensation of boredom as the Golden Hind continued sailing, seemingly aimlessly. Of course, I was confidant that Drake and her bunch knew exactly what they were doing, but the lack of action was starting to kill me. (Or was it Nero and the pirate crew's combined singing 'skills'?)
That, of course, meant that Mordred was in the same mindset times ten. Luckily, the Saber hadn't tried to challenge anyone to a mini-spar to kill time. Easygoing though she seemed to be, I didn't think that Drake would take it well if Mordred or someone else tore up the wooden planks of the main deck or some other form of damage to her vessel. Didn't keep her from complaining, nor me from being a sympathetic ear for the Servant.
"This is worse than a normal day at Arthur's court," Mordred groaned, leaning her head back as she sat down against the forecastle. She had avoided the areas that were railing, opting instead for the bulwark section of the forecastle. I was seated next to her, my knees curled up to my chest. Further away, but still within hearing distance, Mash and Ritsuka were leaning against another section of railing.
"At least this time we won't have to worry about Nero trying to steer the damn ship," I said, earning a bark of laughter from the surly-looking knight.
"Yeah, if she had, I might've been forced to punch her lights out!" Mordred exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Might have?" I drawled, remembering the disdain Mordred had towards Nero. The Emperor of Roses, for good or ill, hadn't really reacted to the enmity displayed towards her by the Knight of Rebellion, at least. Mordred had the dignity to blush slightly.
"I wonder when we will make our next stop?" She mused, clumsily changing topics. I hummed and poked my head up, taking a quick peek at the mass of clear blue water in front of us.
"We'll just have to wait on Drake for that, I' afraid," I said in an apologetic tone as I heard a pair of boots tromping over towards us.
"Hey, Mash, got a moment?" Speak of the devil and she'll appear. Drake leaned against the railing, staring out to the horizon next to Mash.
"Yes?" Inquired the Demi-Servant sounding both polite and yet hesitant.
"What do you think are in these waters, anyway?"
"If what the doctor says is true, there might be a treasure here," Mash admitted with a healthy dose of skepticism in her voice. "However, that means that these waters are basically the same as those in the Age of Exploration."
"Meaning that there's probably other pirates out there too, isn't there?" Ritsuka said resignedly. Thankfully, we hadn't encountered any more random-spawning pirates, but knowing our luck, there were, and some of them were probably Servants, too. Drake, of course, took this in stride, as she did with most things, laughing heartily.
"Ahah! That gets me all fired up! First come, first served. Is there anything simpler than that?"
"But Boss," one of her subordinates (thankfully not Bombe for once!) pipped up, a coil of rope over his shoulder, "we don't have any leads. Drake snorted derisively, though not cruelly.
"Fool. We're going to start by finding those leads!"
"Island up ahead!" Astolfo cried out excitedly.
"Hey, that's my job! I mean, Boss! An island in sight! East-northeast of here!" The aggravated lookout added.
"Helmsman! Make for that island! Lads, I think we just found our lead!"
"And a chance to step onto dry land," Mordred muttered, and I snorted softly in amusement as I felt the ship wheeling around slowly in the water. The crew became extra lively, no doubt eager to see what our next stop would be holding in store for us.
"See?" I said with a lopsided smile. "Told you Drake would come up with something."
The island was seemed to be somewhat smaller than the last one. Flatter along the coast, too. The sand was white and soft-looking, belying that annoying tendency of getting everywhere you don't want it to. Further back from the beach, the sand gave way to earth, and a tropical-looking forest.
"It is indeed an island. Doctor?" Mash asked.
"Detecting a Servant signature on the island," the ginger-haired man swiftly reported.
"Captain Drake," Mash began, turning back to the pirate captain. "That island has one of those superhumans you mentioned last night. Please have your crew wait on the ship. Aside from us, you're the only one who is capably of fighting them."
"Already? Well, you guys are with me this time. Hey scumbags, protect the ship!
"Roger that, boss!"
"We look forward to your return!" A second pirate added. I turned to Ritsuka, motioning for him to lean closer, and he did so.
"I don't think we should take all of our Servants with us. It's not about Drake somehow betraying us. Rather, I'd feel more comfortable if there were some Servants to guard the ship against any other Servants."
"Agreed," my friend said softly. I turned around to look at my assembled Servants. I bit the corner of my lip briefly, contemplating on who to bring before finally coming to a decision.
"Mordred, Vlad, Jeanne, and Amadeus, you're with us. Astolfo, Lu Bu, and Sasaki, you three stay here and help protect the ship," I decided, and my six Servants acknowledged the instructions. I had chosen Mordred because honestly it would be weird to not have her nearby. Vlad because of his Noble Phantasm being potentially useful in an area with dense foliage, even if it was weaker due to us being outside of Romania.
As for Amadeus? That was more to give the poor Caster a break from the signing that would inevitably begin during our absence. I suspected that Amadeus had figured that out, as the beleaguered-looking stared at me with an extremely thankful look in his eyes.
"Medea, Nero, Marie, and Chiron, you'll help guard the ship as well," my fellow Master instructed his own companions. Not a bad choice. Medea would serve as a counter-mage force should anyone opportunistic enough tried to attack the Golden Hind while we were gone. Marie's mount would probably not be useful in the forest, as I had decided on leaving Astolfo behind. The forest would also probably hinder Chiron's far-reach capabilities.
"Good luck, Amadeus," Marie wished her close friend, who smiled gently. For all that he professed to not love Marie, she certainly had a way of charming the composer. The other Servants began exchanging similar remarks of goo luck, while I watched as Drake oversaw the lowering of one of the rowboats to bring us to shore.
"If I somehow fall into the water, you better be right behind me," Mordred muttered. I gripped her shoulder gently, reassuringly.
"It'll be fine," I whispered soothingly, while also making a mental note to teach Mordred how to swim when we got back. Maybe we won't have to deal with a massive ocean in any of the four remaining singularities, but it was better safe than sorry.
"Alright, let's find those leads!" Drake roared as she stepped into the now-ready rowboat. The shore-party quickly followed suit, and I watched as we were lowered gently into the water, then stared ahead as we moved closer to the shore.
Original Endnotes: And done! What did you guys think? Especially curious to see what you guys think of how I have decided to Mordred's thoughts on her new relationship with Jacob to be. Also, poor Mash, she really has missed out on so much! Speaking of poor souls, can't forget about that poor lookout Astolfo is hanging around with. (Astolfo is good person though) At least Amadeus will get a few moments of sanity (hopefully), right?
For the question(s) of the chapter: Do you enjoy going to the beach, or do you prefer to be more in-land? Second question: Who would be a worse helmsman, Nero or Astolfo? Finally, for all those FGO players out there, what are your current thoughts about the Fate/Kaliad (forgive me if I misspelt that) event? I personally am unsure of what to think, because sometimes the dialogue has me laughing, then the other times it has me cringing.
As always, thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment or leave feedback in some manner, and I hope you enjoyed chapter 55! Can't wait to see y'alls thought's and responses and all, and have a wonderful weekend! See you in the next chapter!
Updated Endnotes 10/8/21: As always, original copy of my story can be found on Archive of our own, with Chapter 126 having been posted today. For those of you who stick to this version that I post here, I hope you enjoyed it and see you all in a few days in the next update.