Fate/Lost Dream

Chapter 2: Masters and Servants

Note: To clear up some confusion, this story depicts a hypothetical Grail War that follows the core principles of the conflict. There are Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou masters, the Assassin is a Hassan, etc. All the characters are original, although some are influenced by actual Fate characters. Grandfather Einzbern in particular is Acht, to the point I debated cutting out the middleman and making him Acht himself. But then he'd have been the only non-original character, and I was attached to the idea. Anyway, this is going to be a straightforward Grail War, which come to think of it makes it different from all the official ones.

Minato swirled his wine glass, more for the distraction than for the flavor. After the summoning, he and his new Servant had come to his study to formulate their strategy for the Grail War. Only, Minato's previous ideas for a strategy were in need of a revision since she wasn't really what he had been expecting.

She certainly looked the part. She wore garments of muted gold covered by a long crimson coat whose tails went to the floor. Though it lacked a sleeve on the right arm, she had a leather bracer to cover her wrist and hand. Slung over her back were a full quiver and an unstrung bow. The Servant herself cut a striking figure. She looked to be around forty, give or take five years, with hair the color of steel, vibrant blue eyes, and a wiry yet strong figure. She was an impressive Archer, to be sure. She just wasn't what he had been looking for.

"Master." Archer began, leaning up against a bookshelf with her arms folded. "You said you wanted to devise a plan for the Grail War, yet all you seem interested in is that drink. Are you sure you're taking this war seriously?"

Minato gave what he hoped was a disarming smile. "Forgive me; I was merely taking a moment to marshal my thoughts."

Archer frowned at him. It seemed she wasn't so easily dissuaded. "If something is troubling you, then you should speak it now, master. Better to air it now than let it fester and rear its head during the battle."

"Archer, you…" Minato wasn't sure how to put it. "You are not who I was expecting."

Archer reached into a pocket and pulled out a piece of wood. "You mean this?" It was a simple chunk of wood roughly round and easily fitting in the palm of a hand. If you saw it lying in the street, you would not have dismissed it as unimportant. It wasn't important enough to even warrant that little of your attention. However, this unassuming fragment had great value and greater history. It had once been a part of a bow, the weapon of a hero. A bow that had slain armies and laid castles low. And so, Minato had chosen to use it as his catalyst.

Archer looked fondly at the wooden fragment before returning it to her pocket. "While it is true this was a piece of my student's bow, I was the one who gave him that bow in the first place. Thus, it isn't surprising that it would call to me as well as him."

Minato rested his face in his hand for a moment as he exhaled slowly. "So after all that effort and care, I still missed something like that." Abruptly, he realized what he was saying and who he was saying it in front of. "I mean no offense, of course. It's just that your student was said to be the greatest archer in all of history."

Archer raised a hand to forestall him, amused. "I can hardly take offense at my own words. It was I who swore to make him the greatest in the first place, after all. I cannot fault you for wanting the product of all my long years of hard work. But master," The amusement drained from her face. "that is not what truly gives you pause. Men ought to speak their words openly and plainly."

Minato sighed. As expected of an Archer, she was a perceptive one. Very well. "Why are you a woman?" He asked, abandoning subtly or pretenses. "You may not be the Heroic Spirit I was hoping to summon, but you should not be a woman either way. In the legends, you were a man same as him."

Archer 'hmph'ed, looking past him through the window out into the night. "The princes I tutored would not have accepted teaching in the arts of war from a woman. Even if they had, the mockery they would have faced from their enemies would have been intolerable. So I masked myself as a man, to avoid that issue altogether. In this conflict, that guise will not be necessary so I have not donned it. That is all there is to it."

"I see." And Minato did. The attitudes towards women in that part of the world, especially back then, entirely justified the deception. Archer nodded agreement. "Now that we've gotten to know each other a little more, it's time we got on with devising a strategy."

"I agree." Minato said. "I'll defer to you in this field."

Archer looked at him, surprised. "Oh? A master that isn't taking charge? That's a rare occurrence."

Minato shrugged. "I am not a sublime warrior with years of experience in war. You are. Victory in this Grail War matters more to me than my pride."

Archer stared at him for a long moment, face unreadable. Minato stared right back. It was true, and if she was really going to argue for less autonomy… Archer grinned.

"I've misread you, master. You impress me with your clarity of thought and insight." Archer held a clenched fist over her heart and spoke with sudden ferventness. "I make this vow; I shall deliver unto you the Holy Grail, or fall in the attempt. Before all the gods I swear it."

Minato was at a loss for words. "Archer…"

She just smiled. "Come, master. Let us chart a path to victory for the both of us."

The airport was crowded, but even so Marcellus' party stood out. White hair on people under twenty wasn't particularly common and Idra's hair was too long to hide under a hat like his was doing. Add in three identically dressed homunculus maids and the striking presence of his Servant, and they were turning heads. So much for entering the country quietly.

Marcellus vented his irritation at the only acceptable target. "You could have taken spirit form for the trip."

Lancer stood out almost more than Idra did. While his tanned skin and dark hair weren't particularly notable, there was a certain intensity, almost a glow, to him that caught the eye. He'd shed the various pieces of his armor in favor of modern attire, some dress pants and a button down shirt, but even so people were practically gawking at him. "The knowledge the Grail had granted me regarding planes was intriguing. I wanted to experience one for myself."

"Besides, it's not like the ticket was too expensive or anything." Idra took Lancer's side, seemingly oblivious to the stares and murmured comments that followed them. Marcellus glowered at both of them. The unusual group proceeded through customs without incident. Grandfather had objected to Idra's idea to use forged documents rather than mental influencing, but gave way when Lancer had sided with her. It wasn't fair to toy with the minds of the ordinary people, he had said. Since it had worked fine, Marcellus didn't care one way or the other.

The hired car was waiting for them outside. Idra's maids, Mia, Nia, and Lisaret, loaded the luggage while Marcellus spoke to Idra. "You are to stay in the castle at all times, unless I specifically tell you otherwise. The only exception is if the castle comes under attack by the enemy."

Idra's face fell for half a second before she recovered herself. Marcellus didn't prefer it himself, but her safety trumped her desire to explore. Lancer noticed the flicker. "Surely there's no need to confine her like a prisoner."

Marcellus folded his arms, his face a mask. "The last Grail War ended with the vessel being destroyed in the crossfire. I'll not have that repeated." Lancer didn't look convinced; Marcellus retreated to the relative safety of addressing Idra's maids. "And should the castle come under attack, what will the three of you do?"

Lisaret stepped forward. She was the talkative member of the group, the other two were more specialized for combat. Lisaret spoke in a clipped, almost emotionless voice. "We will hold off the enemy and buy Lady Idrasviel time to escape with our lives."

Marcellus nodded, considering the answer sufficient. Apparently, Lancer didn't. "What idiocy is this? You would throw your lives like trinkets?"

Lisaret responded before Marcellus could. "It is the duty of an Einzbern homunculus to offer their life up in service to the family. To do otherwise is to spit on our entire purpose for being." She sounded a little offended he would suggest they should do otherwise.

Lancer gave her a look so withering even Marcellus felt an urge to take a step back. "And when you fulfill your duty and die heroically buying your mistress a few seconds, how will I and my master know who is responsible for the attack and where to look for Lady Idrasviel? Someone that is specifically targeting her will almost certainly know she is the vessel. They will not harm her, or risk damaging the Grail within her." His expression softened. "You should not treat your lives as worthless."

Marcellus considered that. It was true that any assault on the castle that the maids wouldn't be able to drive off would almost certainly be done by a Servant. The maids would barely be able to slow down one of them. And with a Servant, any information would be useful in deciphering their true identity. "You make a good point, Lancer." He turned to face Lisaret and her sisters. "I am altering your orders. While your first priority remains protecting Lady Idrasviel, if that proves unfeasible you are to withdraw from the encounter and escape yourselves."

"But sir-" Lisaret began. Marcellus rolled right over her objections. "Though we have formed a sympathetic link, you and I can only communicate in general emotions. So to exchange detailed information, you have to be alive. At any rate, if an enemy does attack I'll use a Command Seal to send Lancer to the castle in an instant, so the issue will most likely never arise."

Idra was looking distinctly uncomfortable with the conversation, so Marcellus changed the topic. "You know what to do now?"

"Yes." She replied. "The four of us will go to the castle and prepare the barriers and other defenses while you and Lancer familiarize yourselves with the area." Though he'd poured over maps of the city of Fuyuki and surrounding areas, Marcellus wanted to see the region in person. A map was not the land, no matter how detailed. In broad daylight this early in the game, the chances of an enemy attack were fairly slim. "After that, you will return to the castle and we will begin the Grail War in earnest."

Marcellus nodded. "Good." He turned to Lancer. "It's time we were off."

"Very well." Lancer waved goodbye to Idra and her maids. "See you later, Idra." Marcellus raised an eyebrow at the informal goodbye, but said nothing. Lancer had already demonstrated he wasn't big on decorum and formality. As evidenced by his easy adoption of Idra's nickname for him.

"So, where did you want to scout out first, Mark?" Ever since he had heard Idra call him that, Lancer had used that name to refer to him. He said he liked the name, and considering his identity that wasn't terribly surprising, Marcellus reflected.

"The river that divides the city may prove a critical obstacle when traversing the city. We should start with scouting the primary bridge across it."

"After you." Lancer said, giving him a half bow and gesturing him forward. Marcellus sighed and prepared himself for a day's worth of walking around the city.

Hina tried to get her bearings yet again. This was probably the third time she'd gotten turned around on her way to the church. She really should have just sprung for that map when she had the chance.

"We're lost again, aren't we?" A voice spoke from thin air, low enough that the people around her couldn't hear.

"Shut up." She said, not low enough that the people around her couldn't hear. A few heads turned to look at her quizzically for a moment, then lost interest. Hina flushed and angrily whirled on where she was fairly certain her spiritual companion was. "Look what you made me do." She said, this time keeping her voice quiet.

"You did that all on your own." Rider admonished her. God, he sounded like her dad. Hina grimaced at the memory that thought evoked.

"No. No no no NO! What is the world made you think I would let you do this!?" Dad was shouting, almost screaming, the angriest she had ever seen him. He rounded on Rider, not caring that the Servant could rip him in two if he wanted. "Why would you have compelled my daughter to do this!? To get involved in this bloodbath for something as ludicrous as an 'omnipotent wish granter'! How dare you!?"

Rider weathered the barrage without shifting his calm expression and folded arms. "You are mistaken. I, and all the other Heroic Spirits, have no say in who summons us. Though, to be fair, I did specifically answer her call but some other Heroic Spirit would have if I hadn't."

That turned Dad's attention back to her. Thanks a lot. Hina thought at her Servant as Dad began another tirade. "You are not going. In fact, you aren't leaving this house for any reason since you are grounded until you're THIRTY!"

Hina couldn't stifle the chuckle. Dad gave her a glare that two days ago would have frozen her blood. "And what is so amusing?"

Hina tried to suppress a smug smile. "It's not like you can stop me from going. Not with Rider here as my familiar. Good luck overcoming him." She was being rude, she knew, but he needed to face facts here. Now that she had a legendary hero as a follower, the days of him being able to tell her what to do were over.

"Actually," Rider said. "If your father refuses to let you participate I will not defy him."

Hina whirled on him. "WHAT!?" She shouted, incredulous. "You were summoned to fight in the Grail War, that's the whole reason you are here."

"It is." Rider acknowledged, nodding. He met her eyes and in them she could see steel. Not a violent force, but an unbendable will that could not be countermanded. For the first time, she had some inkling of what being a Heroic Spirit really meant. Her mouth was suddenly very dry at the thought of her having to actually control this man.

Rider continued. "You do not need to be on the front lines, or even in Fuyuki at all, for me to fight for the Grail. And as this man's daughter, you will respect his decisions and judgement." He spoke quietly, but even so the words were laced with inviolable certainty. She almost sagged with relief when his gaze moved to her father. "That being said, I do think he should reconsider."

"And why the hell do you think that?" Dad asked hotly, but at least he wasn't shouting anymore. Rider unfolded his arms and stepped closer. For a man his size and build, that might have been seen as a threatening gesture but Rider seemed perfectly at ease. "It's quite simple. Your daughter's wish for the Grail is something she is willing to risk her life to accomplish. You cannot deny her that without crushing her spirit irreparably."

"She's sixteen." Dad retorted. "She thinks she's immortal and doesn't understand what she's really getting in to."

Hina was going to protest when Rider nodded in agreement. "True. However, she is not in as much danger as you think."

"Really?" Rider plowed through Dad's thick sarcasm without slowing down. "Yes. The church dispatches a special overseer to keep defeated masters safe. If I should be defeated, your daughter need merely claim refuge there and she will be safe for the duration. And I swear to you, I, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, living or dead, will not let a single hair on your daughter's head be harmed during this Grail war."

Dad was at a loss for words. So was Hina, to be honest. She had been so focused on the act of summoning; she hadn't put much thought into the actual hero she was summoning. So far, Rider was proving to be one surprise after another. Dad looked from Rider to Hina, back to Rider, then at Hina again. He opened his mouth a few times, but didn't say anything. Finally, he found some words. "You truly believe this is something my daughter needs to do?"

Rider nodded. "I do."

Dad let out a long sigh and looked Hina in the eye. "Do you promise to not take any risks and to immediately go to safety if you are ever in danger?"

"Yeah Dad, of course." She replied. He looked down at the floor, then at Rider, and finally back to her.

"Fine."

"Anyway, we aren't lost." Hina said, back in the present. "I'm just a little turned around."

Rider's ghostly voice chuckled. "I used to say that a lot to my men… whenever we were lost."

Hina didn't dignify that with a response. It took another half an hour and asking for directions twice, but eventually they reached Fuyuki Church. It was a garish thing, not fitting the area at all. Rider seemed to like it, though. "It has been far too long since I have been in a house of God." He said as Hina looked the building over.

"Yeah? Why's that?" Hina asked absently while she tried to figure out what she was going to say once inside.

Rider chuckled warmly. "Battlefields often have a short supply of places of worship."

"I suppose so." Hina pushed open the heavy doors. The inside of the church was empty and seemed pretty normal, but something was setting her on edge. She couldn't say what, but there was a distinct sense of menace in the air. That made sense though, right? She was a mage and the church was opposed to magecraft. So it made sense she would feel threatened in a bastion of the Holy Church.

"Hello there." Intruding into the quiet, an elderly priest entered the chapel from a side door. He looked to be about in his fifties or sixties, with gray hair and a lined face. Despite that, his steps were quick and sure, so he was probably still physically fit. He greeted her with a friendly smile. "I am Father Rikuto Kotomine. How may I help you today?"

Hina swallowed her nerves. "Hi. My name's Hina Takaharu. I'm here about… something secret."

The priest raised an eyebrow. "You are here for confession?"

"Not exactly." Hina glanced around the empty chapel. It seemed safe enough but you never knew… "Is there some place more private we could talk?"

Father Kotomine frowned. "I am afraid I am rather busy at the moment. I have no time to humor your mystery games. Good day to you." He turned to leave, a clear dismissal.

"Before we go, Father, would you mind if I took a moment to pray?" Rider asked gently, materializing as he did so. He was a tall man with a long brown beard. A mail suit covered his upper and lower body and was itself covered by the tabard he wore, emblazoned with a golden dragon. A sword was belted around his waist, the hilt unadorned and unremarkable. As far as Noble Phantasms went, it was an unimpressive thing.

The priest stared flabbergasted at Rider for a moment before composing himself and looking back to Hina. "I take it that you are one of the masters of the upcoming Grail War?"

"Of course." Shouldn't he have been expecting her? Hina waved to the knight next to her. "This is my Servant, Rider."

"I see." Kotomine raised a hand to cradle his chin, thinking. He still looked a bit surprised. "To answer your question, Rider, this is a house of God. It is always open to those who seek to commune with Him."

Rider nodded his thanks and slunk into a nearby pew. He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed his head, mouthing words Hina couldn't hear. Kotomine addressed Hina. "I'm surprised to see you here. With the war about to begin, most outside masters would be fortifying themselves in their new bases of operation."

"Well, shouldn't we masters come by to ensure we know the rules of the war?" Hina asked.

The priest looked as surprised as when Rider revealed himself. The astonishment gave way to a rueful face. "Oh dear. It seems we have a lot to talk about."

AN: Another week, another chapter down. So, I couldn't help giving out one Servant's identity early on, but the rest will keep that card closer to the chest. The hard part about this chapter was trying to describe what being on the receiving end of a Charisma skill is like. Since Rider was a popular military commander with a large following in life, he's got B rank Charisma, which is how he won over Papa Takaharu so easily.

Leave a review letting me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions.