Chapter 2: Boy of Wrought

Stings... It stings... And burns so much... I can't breath...

The boy was pinned to a wall with three arrows. One to the heart, one to the lungs and one to his liver. The only reason why he wasn't dying faster than how he currently was, was partially unknowable. But for certain, as far as the red clothed Saber could tell, was that the arrows were preventing further bleading.

The Servant couldn't decide what to do. He knew this boy would grow up to be him, but he couldn't verify it, as all those memories felt as if he didn't experience them. But he couldn't finish him, as even though he didn't recognise this as what he experienced, he still couldn't be sure that this Shirou wouldn't turn out like him.

"Saber!" Rin shouted. Saber turned to look at his young Master, furiously sprinting towards him. "Did you find him?"

"I have. He's dying, but slowly. He propably is in too much shock right now to realise what is happening around him." He stated calmly, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Rin turned the corner to look at the horrifying scene. "I should be able to heal him. As long as we get out of here fast enough, he should just think this was all a bad dream. Right?"

"Is that really needed, we could just dump him somewhere else." Saber knew that it would be wrong, but maybe this is why everything was blurry, maybe he had finally killed enough, maybe he has been given a new chance to free himself. Maybe he was being tested.

"We can't just let him die. And the wounds seem to not be uterly untreatable. I should be able to heal him pretty quick... But he'll propably have some chest pain after that... That might actually help with him thinking he just passed out..."

"I could go leave him where he dropped those bows. That at least make it easier for him to think that..."

Rin nodded and after some first-aid being applied, they left him where he first saw the fight between Archer and Saber.

And a few moments later...

Where... Am I?

Shirou looked around, thinking where the two fighters were. He twitched as he clutched his chest.

Must've been a mage fight... Figures... They propably had to knock me out... Guessing they used magecraft to heal me... That guy fired those bolts at me... Maybe on the heart... Man, that sounds like something out of a poem, Taiga would love that...

Standing up, Shirou stretched a bit, still feeling his chest sting.

But that was seriously close... I'm pretty sure that was a lot of blood... Still kind of stings...

Figures... But I guess I should just get this done. A promise is a promise... Even to Shinji.

Shirou flinched as he bent down to pick up the bows on the ground. Looking around he became nervous, feeling like someone was watching him. He decided to make sure to do everything faster than normal.

Hopefully Sakura got home safe... That guy seems to still be around... Maybe he won't notice me...

After making sure that everything was in place, even if slighty less neatly than he had hoped, he began going home.

Opening the door, he was welcomed by a rapidly running, hangry Taiga. "Shiiiiiiirou!" She shouted as she grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where were you?! Do you realise how hungry I've been? And Sakura didn't even come by today! It's been torture..."

Shirou sighed, placing his scarf away. "You could've cooked for yourself for once..." Taiga showed him a sad face. "Allright I'll make some food quick"

As Shirou made and later gave food for Taiga, he noticed that Sakura really hadn't come by. "So you said Sakura didn't come by after school ended?"

"Yeah, it was really odd... But I guess it was some family business, 'cause when I saw her, she was talking with Shinji about something."

Shinji...

"But anyway-!" She stretched and yawned. "I think I'll go sleep now." Standing up she began walking away, first moving an umbrella a bit. Shirou began cleaning dishes.

"All righ-" Shirou felt a chilling nerve shock up his spine and quickly moved away from the line of sight of the window, still holding a dirty plate.

As he moved away, the plate in his hand was shatterd by a bright red arrow flying through the window and through a door.

Taiga quickly went down on the ground pulling Shirou towards her. "What was that." Taiga looked at the hole left by the bright red arrow. But before she could think, another arrow was shot at them, going right against Shirou's skin, but being narowly dodged by him as he grabbed an umbrella close by.

As another arrow flew in, Shirou grabbed Taiga and ran towards the glass hallway as more arrows rained towards them. Soon Shirou saw a rushing shadow jump on a tree right beside the courtyard.

Shirou leaped through the window as an arrow was shot right in-front of them. While chaneling something into the umbrella in his hand.

Trace. On. The umbrella in Shirou's hand light up and clearly hardened. Taiga barely noticed it as she ran with Shirou towards the shed outside in the courtyard.

Falling to the ground with glass in his forearm, Shirou was picked up by Taiga as she ran with him into the shed, locking it.

"What the what Shirou? Why do you have assassins after you? And why did your umbrella glow?!"

Shirou got up, at least to a sitting position as Taiga held her arms above his glass covered wound. "I don't know... I think I remember someone shooting those arrows at school when I was trying to clean up after Shinji-"

Shirou stopped as he heard a snap of a bow, barely dodging an arrow coming from right between the shed doors.

"Just open it, I'd rather not destroy such a fine home some more..." The Archer approached the door as the gravel was being shifted under his feet.

"No way! You'll just shoot us again you Robin Hood knockoff", Taiga shouted.

The man paused. "Ma'am? Are you perhaps a mage?"

"I don't even know basic party tricks! Why kind of question is that?!" Taiga yelled as Shirou saw a faint glow in the corner of his eye, while the two adults rambled.

"That's it. I'm usually not this impatient, but I got a kid to get back to... So if you don't mind-" The Archer burst through the door with a kick, braking the doors. He lifted his now revealed weapon, a crossbow, at Shirou.

In a moment the man fired a bolt at Shirou, but before it could reach even past Taiga, it was blown away by a gust of golden wind.

As Shirou opened his eyes after hearing the wind, he saw a tall knight in shining silver armor and a helmet modeld after a lion. In their hand was a spiraling lance.

"I ask you: Are you my Master?" She asked Shirou with a beautiful, but strong voice as he looked up. Taiga and the Archer looked in shock at the sight of the knight.

"I don't know..."

"Well then..." She turned towards the other Servant. "May I assume that this fellow is a threat to you? As it seems he has already damaged your home.."

"Y-Yes..."

"Good." She lifted her lance at the man. "You shall be my first opponent. Come at me Archer..."