The breeze wafting over the cemetery smelled of beaten dirt, cut grass and wilted flowers. Erebus passed a finger on the ground, drawing it back covered with dust of the soil. His tongue darted out to touch it; it tasted of death and quiet remembrance. A honest taste. More than adequate for a battle.
"They're coming!"
Lilysviel Von Einzbern, a girl with long, silver hair and deep red eyes, came running toward him. Her fiercely enthusiast expression made a stark contrast with her pretty, white dress and doll-like, soft features.
Erebus grunted an aknowledgemt and got up from his kneeling position. A little shock passed through his fingers when they closed around the haft of his halberd. He felt the thrill of a shiver, but didn't pause to aknowledge it.
Slowly, he clambered up the slope that brought from the cemetery to the road. Already there, Lilysviel wasn't shy of throwing hard stares his way, wordlessly urging him to move. He ignored her. He had got used to do it, but that time came easier than usual.
He was in awe.
After ages trapped into that wretched Throne, he was about to step once again upon the battlefield. He felt it, thrumming deeply into his bones, resonating within his battle-hardened soul, humming softly into the air. It had a bit of the joyous waiting for a lover, a bit of the ecstatic nervousness of the first date and a bit of the weight of destiny come finally around. The enemy was coming. Battle was coming. He didnt know much about anything, but, to his humble opinion, that was what happiness felt like.
And he was tasting it again after death. He could barely believe it, really.
He gave a slight grin to her Master, that in all response scoffed and pointed a glare at him, before turning toward the end of the road. "Do not speak if you aren't told to." She had said, and he was happy to oblige. He had enough to think about, really.
He took a deep inhalation through his nose, letting the fresh air of the evening fill his lungs and previsions of the battle ahead fill his head. The territory he scouted, the tecniches the enemy could use. They appearead in his mind like water stains on paper, ready for him to analyze and put in order. Ah, it was like returning home. Warm, conforting.
His emotions were hidden embers in his chest, a thrill ready to be unleashed, but not yet, not yet.
The trio appeared at the end of the road.
They stopped as soon as they saw them, and Erebus scanned them. Two kids of that age, a girl and a boy. Their clothes were strange as well as their hairs, but what attracted his attention was the third figure.
There it is. His opponent.
Saber.
He felt his heart start pumping, the ember threatening to flare up. He pushed them back with a flick of will. Not the time yet, not yet.
He focused over the figure. He, or she?, was small, a lot smaller than he thought. Young, looking almost like a kid, their soft, androgynus features were plain for him to see even at that distance. They wore a raincoat of a brilliant yellow, one of the plastic clothes that humans of that age seemed to like to put everywhere. It would almost looked comic, if he didn't feel the power clinging to that small figure like smell. It was deep, solidly-built, true and pure, but not outspoken nor blaring; subtle, wordless, a wall of steel and silence and determination.
Saber. The spirit of the Sword. Only the greatest of the Heroic Spirits could be called under that form in the material world.
Erebus couldn't contain himself; he smirked, awe and giddiness welling up in his chest. Licks of flames ran across the embers, that crackled once.
Their Master was talking, exchanging words of presentation. Erebus caught the hateful, confrontational aura of her missy, her glare directed at the red-haired kid, but, apart of that, he left the discussion fly over his head.
He had eyes only for the other Servant.
And so the opposite was.
From under the yellow cowl, Saber's eyes, gems the color of pure sea, impossibly vivid even under the gloom of the night, gazed silently at him. There was aknowledgement in them, recognition of a fellow Heroic Spirit, a challenge and a warning: their arm-sword was strong and ready to meet any offence; and, at the same time, the disciplinated scanning of a veteran warrior, taking the measure of their opponent.
Erebus' grin grew wider. The embers crackled.
"Crush them, Berserker."
He didn't stop to think, nor to aknowledge the order. He just let it go.
He dashed forward, air slapping his naked torso. The missy's order wasn't: "destroy the Servant", it was "crush them."; and so, he went over the two kids, polearm raised to strike. No pity for them, only a brief thought over the necessity of a well-placed, single blow.
The polearm clanked loudly against another weapon. Erebus had the quick vision of two stern acquamarine eyes and a sword that looked like a blue flame. Then, the flame washed over him, throwing him away.
He rolled into the air and landed on his feet at some distance.
Saber was out of his raincoat now, a full battle armor covering their small frame. They held the handle of a sword, but the blade of the weapon was a blue, soft mist.
Between the ecstatic joy pounding in his chest, Erebus registered the detail.
The surprised, scared tension of the two kids was an afterthought as he slowly got up to his feet. Saber raised their weapon, taking a defensive battle stance.
Their gazes locked; Erebus' full of fond delight and Saber's of stern concentration.
The flames licked upwards.
Berserker opened his mouth and roared. The sound exploded outward like a physical blow, the armored vest of Saber flapping under the wind, but their stance and gaze remained unmoved.
The ground gave way as Erebus dashed forward, his polearm spinning into a vicious arc. The invisible blade raised to meet it and the weapons clanked against each other.
There. One.
The polearm pushed forward, the spear-tip skillfully dodged, before a reposte smashed against the haft of the weapon.
Two.
Erebus pushed forward, pushing Saber away and following with an axe-blow that viciously met the blade, before skimming all across it with a cascade of sparks and a defeaning sound as the two warriors drew the weapons back.
Three.
Saber attacked, their blade drawing a brilliant arc into the air. Berserker met it with the haft of the polearm, blocking it. The weapons slided and grated against each other in a moment of stall. The two warriors exchanged glances.
Four.
Erebus' hand shot forward.
Saber slapped it away with their gauntleted hand, but the fingers of the other pushed through and took hold of their wrist. With a grunt, Berserker swung around, dragging the other with himself.
Saber smashed messily against the floor, a cloud of dust raising to cover them as the ground gave way. Erebus' polearm fell through it, clanking heavily against the raised sword. An armored fist punched his hand, forcing him to let go.
Berserker drew back, before his eyes widened. He twisted back, just in time to avoid having his head cleaved away by the sword slashing through the dust. Without pause, he rotated, bringing his weapon around in a vicious arc.
The dust was blown away, revealing Saber, his blade raised to block. The weapons smashed against each other, and the warrior was thrown bodily back. They flew through the air, spinning gracefully and landing at some distance away.
Unmarred, they raised their weapon again, retaking their battle stance. Erebus hadn't followed.
Silence fell.
As the moment stretched the kids exchanged some shocked words, as well as his Master said something, but Erebus barely aknowledged them. Savage, fierce joy surged through him, so much that he barely could hold himself together. His hand throbbed, he felt tingly all over. How much time? How much time had he passed inside the Throne to enjoy battle's caresses as much as he was doing in that moment? An age? An eternity? He felt like the kid that had just left the river of his parents in search of adventures. He couldn't stop grinning.
Saber's countenance, instead, was severe. Erebus tried to push through the joy, and to focus over the wealth of information they had shared. Four blows had been needed for him to get a basic grasp of the other's invisible weapon's lenght. Too many, but it was to be expected. He had taken a taste of Saber' fighting style, as well of their adaptability: they left themselves get drag around instead of losing time opposing a superior force, and, as they did, they brought reposte and counterattacks to bear, without ever losing their balance and cool. That was the mark of great experience against opponents with superior strenght. To not talk about her ability with the sword! That was simply deadly. And what a control of their emotions! He couldn't perceive a speck of fear, of doubt! Nothing!
Erebus lost his train of thought, sheer happiness smashing through it. Oh, he was… simply… so… happy!
"Mantain your focus, Erebus!"
He didn't even bother to listen to his master's mental command. He leaned on his knees and dashed forward, a savage grin plastered over his face.
Saber took the charge like a leaf before a storm. Her blade blocked the spear-stip aimed at their chest, and she let themselves get dragged away. Erebus registered their strained expression, before letting out a gleeful roar and jumping over them. His spear came down in a rain of blow as he passed over them, the weapon repeatedly smashing against the other's. He landed behind them, his halberd spinning low. The hammer-head smashed against the sword, and Saber was thrown bodily into the air. Erebus jumped, got over them and made his weapon falls in a hammerhead blow.
Saber was crushed to the earth, and Berserker followed them soon, his weapon never standing still. The axe-head met the blade, and Saber was thrown once again away, but not before their sword flashed forward. Erebus felt the sting of the iron on his shoulder, together with a spike of emotions in his chest.
Grinning, he met Saber's eyes for a moment. Then it was their turn to attack.
When they drew back fom each other, they were at some distance from the cemetery, in a empty patch of land and rock.
Their weapons clashed against each other, and their gazes met.
"You wounded me." Erebus said with a savage grin. "Just a scratch, but you actually did it. It's ages that i didn't feel pain. Good job!"
Saber scoffed, then her blade flashed, pushing the other back and they both jumped away.
They landed at some distance from each other, sizing each other up.
"You are powerful." Saber commented. "Your skill with the polearm is impressive, as well as your footwork and your strenght." They nodded seriously. "I cannot help but feel impressed."
They began to slowly circle each other, weapons at the ready.
"Why, thank you." Erebus smirked. "Even you aren't half-bad, with all that jumping and slashing around. Hitting you is like trying to cut off a feather And that trick with the invisible sword? Not bad at all."
He didn't miss the little flinch they had, but he supposed it was only because they allowed for him to see it. Interesting.
"I thank you for your words." They nodded, keeping their sword high.
Erebus raised his polearm.
"And i thank you for your strenght!" He exclaimed gleefully, before dashing forward. Saber met him in stride, and they lost themselves in a vortex of blows and counterblows.
"I am glad to have met you." Erebus said, grinning widely as their weapons stood locked. "All this Grail War nonsense is really paying off after all. Don't you think?!" He pushed forward, breaking the deadlock and smashing upwards, a blow that Saber deftly diverted. "I don't care for weaklings." He continued, even while he rained blow after blow on the other. "I care only for the strong. And you are strong indeed! Let's be friends!" Saber ducked under a wider swing, thrusting their weapon forward. Erebus blocked with the haft, then brought his fist down on the other. The ground exploded under the blow, dirt and dust blowing up into the air. Saber jumped out of it, unmarred.
They stopped into a slide, then raised their sword into a battle position.
"I am Saber, the Spirit of the Sword." They exclaimed, voice bright and clear. "Honor dictates for me to reveal my name, but this war's rules pretend otherwise, and i am bound to them. Know though that i am a knight, and, on my honour, i will fight you as such."
The polearm slashed though the dust, blowing it away and revealing Erebus, a new slash over his chest, dripping blood.
"Ouch, so cold." He said, a joyous note in his voice. "What, i ask you to be friends and you give me this little speech? Cold, mr. Knight, cold." He paused briefly, looking like he was noticing something just then. "Mmmh, not a mister, though. You smell like a woman." He wrinkled his nose. "Your voice too… i was unsure of it, but, yes, a woman, without a doubt. You look young, but your sword skills are those of a long-time veteran." He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
Saber didn't budge under his gaze, nor at the fact of having her gender revealed.
"Shamefully, i cannot reveal my name, as it would hinder my mission."
Erebus looked at her for a moment, before smirking.
"Smart." He just said. "Still, you didn't answer my question. Don't you want to be friends?"
"Please, refrain from jesting. The battlefield isn't place for it."
"Oh, but i am not jesting. Us Heroic Spirits have to stick together. With all these humans thinking they can throw us around like we are their servants. Bah!" He spat. "We do all the dirty work, isn't? They have balls to think they can order us around." He jabbed a thumb toward his chest, smirking. "What about it, Saber? You and me, friends in this strange age. The strong and the strong. Joyfully battling with their lives on the line and spitting in the face of those that think they can order us around. You in?"
Saber didn't answer, her sword still raised.
"Cold. Cold like the mountain's winds." Erebus shrugged. Still, he didn't look disappointed. "What's the matter, miss knight? Your look isn't only the one of a stern knight during a battle. I see a bit of antipathy toward me."
Saber clutched her sword tighter before answering. "I have felt the bloodlust in your blade, your unrestrained joy. Why do you fight? What is that you wish from the Grail?"
Erebus seemed to ponder over that question, even if his eyes never let go of the other. "Wish, you say? Nothing, really." He smirked, giving his weapon a shake. "I fight because is fun!"
A crease formed between Saber's eyebrows. "Nonsense. Battle isn't something to be enjoyed. It's a mean to an end."
"You're wrong. Battle is blood pumping and soul singing. Battle is everything."
"I refuse to believe that you fight only for fight's sake. There must be something you seek at the end of it, something you wish for."
Erebus shook his head. "There isn't." He passed a hand on his chest, then licked his own blood from his fingers. "I fight, then i drink. I fight, then i sleep. I fight, and then i die. Hell, i fight and then i fight. That's all that there's. That's all that there will always be." He tilted his head slightly at noticing the surprise on Saber's face. "Don't make that face now, mrs. Knight. I bet that you understand what i am talking about. I can smell it all over you."
Saber clutched her sword tighter, a determined grimace replacing any other emotion.
"Ridiculous." She hissed, before declaring loudly: "Berserker! If these are your true feelings, i swear that i am not gonna let you win! The Grail, nay, victory isn't destined for those like you! I will cut you down here and now!"
Erebus retook his battle stance, grin widening. "So serious. Let's see those words become actions!"
Saber dashed forward, the nebulous flame forming her sword flaring to wrathful life. Berserker roared, his polearm shining with red light as he brought it down. The ground exploded forward and outward, a wave of red energy crashing toward Saber, splintering the earth.
The knight pointed forward, the nebulous energy radiating to enwrapping her in a single mass. She smashed against the red wave with a defeaning sound, and, with a ferocious scream, she pierced straight though it.
Berserker was there, waiting for her, a wild smirk crossing his face like a crevasse as he swung his blazing polearm against her.
The two weapons collided with a defeaning sound.
They remained like that for a moment, striking each other, weapons locked, the stern Knight and the wild Berserker. Then, the built-in energies exploded, and enveloped them. Red and blue clashed ferociously before radiating forward into a single blast that devoured everything around.
Saber emerged from the explosion in a backward jump, ending on a slide on the ruined ground. She barely had the time to get her bearings, before she had to raise her weapon to block an axe-blow that would have taken her head. She resisted for an instant, teeth gritted for the effort, before being blasted away. She smashed against the ground messily, rolling and raising dirt, before managing to plant her sword down and put a resistance to her momentum. She came to a stop just where the empty land gave way to the trees. Her armor was dented and bruised, trails of smoke raising from it. She panted heavily, and a a trail of blood trickled down her forehead.
With visible effort, she raised her sword, retaking her battle stance. She was trembling slightly.
Berserker emerged from the smoke. Bloody wounds marred his chest, arms and face, but, as he walked toward her, they started to mend. When he stopped before the knight, they were nowhere to be seen.
He watched the panting Saber, an inquisitive expression on his face.
"Something's not right here." He said after a moment. "You cannot be tired after that little thing, right?"
Saber didn't answer, watching him with fierce determination.
Erebus looked thoughtful, before raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that your Master cannot provide you with enough mana?" Saber flinched slightly. "Ye, i am gonna take that as a yes." He rustled his hair, looking irritated. "Really, man? Just when i found someone worth having a tussle with? That's not fair!"
Saber moved fast.
Her sword thrusted forward, clanking against the polearm.
"Getting sloppy there, mrs. Knight." Erebus smirked at Saber's wide-eyed expression. His hand shot forward. Saber tried to move, but she was barely managing to keep herself from disappearing. She could only brace…
But no blow came.
Slowly, Saber raised her face to look at him. Erebus smirked.
Then drew back.
The last of her strenght left her, and Saber fell on a knee, her shaking hands barely keeping her grip on Excalibur.
Erebus watched her for a moment with an indecifrable expression, then he made to turn around.
"W-wait!"
He paused, and looked at her.
"Where are you… where are you think you're going…" There was sincere surprise as she watched him.
Erebus shrugged. "Away. I told you. I don't care for weaklings. Right now, you're one. No fun in killing you now."
Saber's eyes widened, before her features twisted into an angry grimace. "I am not… i am not done yet…" She struggled to her feet.
"Right, you knight have all your sense of honour thing." Erebus looked at her, looking like she could tip over any second. Then, suddenly, he dashed forward and punched her in the gut.
Saber let out a choked scream, and fell to her knees again, barely managing to not smack her face on the ground.
"There. Now you can't get up even if you want." Erebus commented, impassive, while she coughed violently. "It's not mercy, mrs. Knight. I just dislike losing a worthy opponent for a Master that didn't know how to do his job." He grimaced with disgust. "Masters, bah." He hefted his polearm over a shoulder, and turned around. "See ya around."
Even still in the throes of coughing, Saber still raised a hand toward his retreating form. "W-wait! Y-you cannot…"
Erebus paused, then turned to look at her with the tail of his eye. "Do yourself a favor and shut up. Anyone else would have just taken your hand and be done with it. Be happy that i don't care about winning this stupid thing." His lips formed a smirk. "You got strenght, and i am not losing a friend like that, no way. Next time, mh? And tell your master to learn to do his job, would you?"
And just like that, ignoring Saber's choked words, he walked away.
He stopped after a while, looking like he had remembered something just then.
"One last thing." He said without turning around. "That last attack of yours told me a little. Your blade is full of doubts and regrets. You got a big hole in your chest. Think on that."
And without adding anything else, he walked away.
Saber kept calling for him to come back and fight even after the last of her strenght had left her, stopping only when inconscience finally got the best of her. Shirou and Rin found her much later, strewn in the dust, her armour gone but her hand still clutching her sword.
