This may be a longer chapter just because of the points I want to hit before the war fully starts. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 2: Masters and Servants
On the island of Patch, just off the coast of mainland Vale, two girls sat in the living room of a large house, working diligently on their respective assignments.
Once they arrived in Vale, Rin and Luvia immediately sold several non-prana charged jewels in order to acquire some money to set up a base and safe zone for the coming Grail war, leading to their decision that Patch was well enough out of the way to suit both purposes.
Luvia sat at a table, reading a book, with several Dust crystals in front of her, studying its properties, while Rin sat in a chair, writing several letters while constantly looking between them and a book she had informing her on Master locations.
On girl's left arm, a red tattoo was set, representing their Command Seals as overseers of this war.
"Rin," Luvia said, not looking up from her work, "Have you set up the bounded field yet?"
A tick mark appeared on Rin's forehead, but she continued working. "Yes, Luvia."
"Are you almost done with those letters to the Masters? We need to get this war over and done with as soon as possible."
Once again, Rin gained an irritated look. "Yes, Luvia."
"And the Masters have all been chosen, correct?"
Rin signed the last letter and summoned a couple owl familiars to deliver them. "Yes, Luvia. Now, could you please stop asking stupid questions? Your voice is irritating."
It was Luvia's turn to look irritated, a dark look appearing on her face as she picked up a red crystal to examine. "Only you would find a voice as angelic as mine to be irritating, Rin Tohsaka."
"If anything, your voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard to my ears," Rin countered.
"So unsophisticated…" Luvia muttered as she tried to pour a bit of prana into the crystal, causing it to explode, covering her in soot and destroying part of her clothing.
There was silence in the room for a few moments before Rin broke down laughing. "If you had read the book properly, Goldilocks, then you would know that crystal is highly volatile, and should be used carefully!"
She continued to laugh as Luvia tackled her to the ground causing an all out brawl to start, with each girl flinging petty insults at the other.
Beacon Academy
Sitting on her bed in her dorm room, Blake Belladonna idly examined the red tattoo that had appeared on the back of her hand. It had appeared a couple nights ago, a burning sensation coming with it. She and her team had only just back from helping in the Breach incident when it appeared. She had spent an hour in the bathroom of their dorm trying to scrub it off to no avail.
It appeared to be something like three, almost lightning bolt shaped lines, all centering toward the center of the back of her hand. She vaguely wondered what they were for when a tapping at the window disrupted her musings.
"I swear if that's Sun in the tree outside our dorm, I'm going to shoot the branch he's hanging from," she muttered, getting up and walking to the window.
To her surprise, instead of the smiling, upside down face of Sun, she found a grey owl. She opened the window and it hopped in, sticking out a leg for her to see what it was carrying. Tied to its leg, were three envelopes and a note that said, "Please take one. Details on the tattoo that is undoubtedly on the back of your hand are inside."
Blake's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly took an envelope, the owl hopping back out and flying off once she had done so.
Inside the envelope, she found out things she would rather not be a part of. Would she ever catch a break?
Elsewhere
Weiss Schnee had decided to take a walk around the Beacon Academy grounds to vent her frustration. She had been trying for two days to remove the stupid red tattoo from the back of her hand, and it simply wasn't budging.
The thing wasn't even in a design she liked, either! It almost looked like a set of gears or the like. That wasn't something she was interested in having on the back of her hand.
She was just contemplating using some sort of Dust mixture to try to remove it when a flurry of feathers passed right in front of her face. Looking around for the source, she found an owl sitting in front of her holding out a single letter on its leg. Taking it, she opened the envelope to find details on a coming "Holy Grail War", and her participation in it.
And she had thought she'd seen enough for one lifetime.
Aboard the Atlesian Airship
General James Ironwood sat behind the desk in his quarters with a window overlooking the city below him. His attention, however, was not on the astounding view, nor was it on his work. His attention was reserved solely for the markings on the back of his left hand, and the letter he had received via owl. A strange way to receive a message to be sure, but the information in the letter explained everything from the markings on his hand, which he learned to be called "Command Seals", to the coming of something known as the "Holy Grail War", some sort of large ritual as the sender described it.
Normally, if he received something this farfetched, he would disregard it and arrest the person who had wasted his time. Now, however, he could not only see the truth in the words of the letter, the Command Seals refusing to remove themselves from his hand, but he didn't know where to find the person, other than their given safe zone on Patch.
He once again examined the markings on his hand. The red tattoo looked disturbingly like the top view of a Beowolf head.
He would go and try to stop this "ritual" from happening, but something told him that no matter what he did, it would begin with or without him. So, he decided to the next best thing. He would participate in the War, and he would protect civilians from being hurt by the collateral as he did so. Nothing was more important than the people, and if he had to kill another Master to protect them, so be it.
Meanwhile
In his cell on the Atlesian airship, Roman Torchwick was excited. Somehow, someone had managed to get some sort of message to him.
At first, when it wasn't from Cinder, Neo, or the White Fang, confirming an escape plan to get him out, he was a bit disappointed, but as he continued reading, he had to stop himself from laughing. This was going to be his chance to get out of this dump. He could summon this so-called "Servant" to assist him to escape and get what he most desired when he won this "Holy Grail War"!
He chuckled again as he looked at his left hand once more, his glove removed so that he could see his way out of this cell. The red tattoo on his hand vaguely reminded him of a spearhead with two barbs at the base.
The next time the guards let him out, he would need to swipe a knife, and something to draw with, one of their Dust containers would work well enough.
Soon, he would be free to accomplish his goals and wishes.
In the Guest Dorms of Beacon Academy
Cinder Fall sat in the guest dorm room, idly reading a letter containing information that she was very much interested in as Emerald and Mercury continued their playful banter nearby.
The seals on the back of her hand were a deep crimson color and looked like two crossed blades over a jewel-like pattern.
"Interesting," she whispered to herself before speaking for the other two to hear, "It seems we have gained something to help us further our goals."
"I thought we were lying low for a while to avoid those stupid girls who messed everything up?" Emerald said.
"Indeed we are," Cinder replied, "But there is something we can use to eliminate them quickly and efficiently, while striking fear in those who see it."
"What is it?" Mercury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Something called a Servant…"
"What do we need to do to find one?" Emerald asked.
"You don't 'find' them. You summon them. Get me some chalk and a knife. I will summon one tonight."
Upon hearing the order, Emerald and Mercury moved to get the required items.
The war would be starting soon.
Later That Night
Blake stepped back from the circle she had drawn with the chalk she had found. She was just inside the Emerald Forest, deep enough inside that no one would find her, but close enough to the school to have some measure of safety from the Grimm.
Drawing Gambol Shroud from her back, she made a small cut on her right hand, allowing it to drop and hit the chalk, causing it to begin to glow.
Holding up a paper that had been included in the envelope, she began the summoning.
"Heed my words," she chanted, " My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning!"
On the Atlesian airship above Vale, two others were also in the midst of summoning their Servants.
"I hereby swear," Ironwood stated, "That I shall be all the good in the world, and I shall defeat all evil in the world."
"From the Seventh Heaven, attended by three great words of power," Torchwick continued, the circle he had drawn getting brighter and brighter.
Cinder finished the chant, as the circle grew brighter, blinding Mercury and Emerald.
"Come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"
A bright light blinded the five Masters as they each finished summoning a Servant. Each one peered through the generated smoke to see what their Servant looked like.
On the roof of her dormitory, Weiss peered through the smoke to see a figure in brown armor with a blue and white coat, black pants, and brown boots with a belt around his waist holding various objects and ammunition.
He gave her a confident grin as he turned towards her. "I am Servant Rider, at your service."
The smoke cleared more and she was able to get a good look at his face. Blond hair was parted neatly on his head, and his ocean blue eyes showed experience in battle.
Roman sat in his cell, blinking as the light faded, only to hear two thumps as the guards outside were knocked out. He then heard the sound of metal meeting metal and the door of his cell was torn off to reveal a teenaged girl of average height with long orange hair similar to his wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, blue skinny jeans, and red one-inch heels holding a red spear in her hand.
"I am the Servant Lancer," she said, "I assume you are my Master?"
Roman stared at her for a moment before saying, "Well, that wasn't what I expected, but if you could get us out of here, that would be great."
Lancer nodded before helping him out and they both began running down the hall.
When the light faded, Emerald and Mercury stared in awe at the raw power coming from the Servant Cinder had summoned, while Cinder herself looked on in fascination.
"If I am correct, then this Servant would be Berserker," she said, gesturing to the Servant surrounded in dark mist, "Our enemies no longer stand a chance." Cinder smiled at her luck.
Berserker looked forward from his crouched position on the ground, his golden eyes surveying the room, searching for threats. His short black hair seemed close to Cinder's own hair color, and she thought she might have seen a flicker of recognition go through his eyes just before Mad Enhancement set in.
Her victory was assured.
General Ironwood looked in wonder at the Servant he had summoned, his teenaged appearance throwing off slightly. He had a pale complexion and black hair, and his emerald green eyes seemed to read pierce and read him without any trouble. His long black coat held several silver containers on the front, and he had dark grey pants tucked into tall black boots, and he had a slightly torn green scarf around his neck.
"I am Servant Assassin," he said, "You are my Master, correct?"
Ironwood cleared his throat. "Indeed, I am General James Ironwood. Now, I have been told that you can sense how many Servants remain active or have been summoned, can you please tell me how many Servants have been summoned so far?"
"Of course, Master, or do you prefer General?"
"General is fine," Ironwood replied.
"It seems that six- oh, all seven Servants have now been summoned. The Grail War has begun."
Blake looked through the smoke surrounding her, using her enhanced vision to try to find the Servant she had summoned. She idly wondered if she had somehow failed. Maybe she should have used some sort of catalyst after all.
Then she heard it, the familiar sound of a cloak billowing in the light breeze. She turned to see a teenager who couldn't have been much older than her with a fair complexion, black hair with a silver streak running through it, and dazzlingly bright golden eyes.
His black cloak billowed in the breeze, revealing his black jacket, white shirt, black pants and boots, and the revolvers holstered on his thighs with swords sheathed on his back.
She couldn't help but stare in awe at the Servant, because, while his appearance seemed standard, she could somehow tell there was more to him than met the eye.
He looked around a bit before spotting her, a small smirk coming to his mouth.
"I am Servant Saber, and I would assume you are my Master?" the Servant asked.
"I am," she said, trying to remain calm, "My name is Blake Belladonna. Please call me Blake. 'Master' is a bit awkward."
"Well then, Blake," Saber said, "What do you say we get started?"
And that's the chapter! Sorry if it jumped around a bit too much, but I wanted to set up these particular Masters and Servants for the next chapter. No, I did not forget about the other two, I just left them out for the moment, but don't worry, they will be making an appearance soon. I wonder if anyone, outside the people I've already talked to about this, can figure out what the deal is with these Servants. I'll see you guys next time!