"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Mental link"

"Noble Phantasms"

POV

Chapter 37: Grouping up

Ritsuka Group POV

"You seem terribly cavalier about this." Quelaag pointed out with a slightly raised eyebrow as Ritsuka regaled the group with his visitation from the night before.

"Oh, no." Ritsuka waved her off with a nervous smile "I'm actually freaking out right now. I was literal told by a burning bush that I'm on the road to become a King." his expression became strained "I'm really not looking to be the next Moses."

Romani wheezed, coughing heavily while the servants who were not familiar with the story looked to eachother in confusion for a few moments before they dismissed it.

"My Liege, I don't think you realise the implications here." Verndari spoke up in a serious tone of voice "This 'Caster' whom you spoke with infiltrated the heart out our camp, while over half a dozen servants were present, might I add, completely undetected, and then proceeded to enter your own private quarters, where for over a minute he spoke with you, completely undetected, and then escaped without any of us being aware."

"He's right." Romani nodded his head gravely as he controlled himself "Fujimaru, only the highest level of presence concealment could accomplish that, for this Caster to simply manifest himself in the middle of a group of servants without any of them realising...if he had any other motives other than to talk with you…" he trailed off meaningfully, Ritsuka remained silent for a few moments before his legs lost their power and he fell on his behind.

"Oh...y-yikes…" He panted "That guy...whoa...I could have died, huh?" he asked, seemingly to himself "Um…"

"My Liege, for the time being I recommend that you remain close by the side of myself or another of the Servants, in the event of another appearance of this Caster." The Shielder offered, he turned to Beatrice and Quelaag "Can either of you two do anything to remedy our lapse in security?"

"Oh…" Beatrice winced "I'm...not that good at setting up traps or warning fields."

"What do you want me to do?" Quelaag scoffed "Spin a web?"

"Outstanding." Verndari growled "Two witches, admittedly one is a hermit from the woods-" Beatrice slumped at the dismissal "-but the other is a Chaos Witch of Izalith, supposedly some of the most powerful and the only thing you are capable of is spewing flames."

"Pyromancer, you dullard." Quelaag hissed "Pyromancer. Not sorcerer. You want magic that can alert you to people in any direction? Summon Seath or some other Caster. Maybe you should have brought the Caster made of Kindling, he might have been of some meagre use to you."

"What's done is done." Ash interjected before another fight could break out "For the time being, we are at least aware that this Caster poses you no harm." he gestured to Ritsuka as Mash helped him back to his feet "And I suspect he would be an extraordinarily talented one to manage such a feat."

"So…" Ritsuka replied, a nervous tinge in his voice "He doesn't want to kill me?"

"For the moment? I would say no." Ash nodded "But, Ser Verndari does raise a good point, it would be wise for us to position a servant near you at all times."

"Mash." Arash coughed into his hands, not so subtly with an amused expression.

"Eh?" The girl blinked at her name being called out, she and Ritsuka turned to eachother with wide eyes and then back to the group "W-wait, I-I can't-"

"The suggestion has merit." Verndari cupped his chin "Squire Kyrielight is one of the more durable servants here, oppose to myself, and would be able to occupy an assassin long enough for the rest of us to be notified." he slowly nodded his head "However, her status as a Demi-Servant means she still requires sleep…"

"I would not be against offering my own services." Cecilia spoke up, the group turned to her as she sat on a nearby log, Fou curled up on her lap as she stroked the white animal "Mine senses were keener to balance my lack of sight. Should violence emerge, the shadow of milord can stand guard."

"So, Master is going to sleep with Mash and Cecilia then?" Gareth asked, tilting her head innocently.

Dead silence followed her question.

"...I most certainly hope not." Ash replied, crossing his arms and staring at Ritsuka. The Master was caught between the blood rushing to his face at Gareth's poor wording and the blood desperately attempting to leave it at the glare he could feel Ash bore into him through the helmet.

"What?" Gareth looked around, confused as to the awkward atmosphere "What did I say?"

"Wording, kid." Arash pat her on the shoulder "Wording."

"In the meantime." Romani coughed into his hand, trying to shift the topic of the conversation back on track "You should be joining up with the remnants of Vespasian's legion soon, from the location Solaire provided, they're camped about thirty miles from you."

"Right!" Ritsuka jumped at the change in topic with a thankful look in his eyes "Lets get breakfast and get going!"

"Doctor." The man turned his head towards Mash "Has there been any news on the Director?"

"Still nothing." Romani sighed "We've been trying to...huh!?" he suddenly gaped and stared at something "Ah! Her signal just appeared again! And...Whoa! These readings of divinity! They're even higher than the Rider in the France singularity!"

"Found the God then, did she?" Ritsuka asked "Can we...I don't know…" he shrugged "Call her?"

"Ah! Right, yes!" Romani enthusiastically nodded "I'll do that now!"

There was a tense silence for a few moments as a second screen popped up next to Romani's, for a few seconds it was nothing but static, then it cleared up to reveal that the Director was situated on a beach, although the first voice to speak was not hers.

"Spell of farseeing?" An effeminate voice called out in confusion "Most quaint. Thee uses this for communing?"

"Y-yes." Olga replied, obviously a little nervous, Ritsuka and Mash blinked at the tonal shift in her voice from the usual confident, if often irritated, Director.

"Intriguing." The screen panned around to reveal the androgynous appearance of a figure in a white dress with a seven pointed star shaped golden crown on their head "These art thy companions?" he figure cocked their head at them "Hm...Most ordinar-"

"Gwyndolin?" Quelaag called out from behind them "Is that you?"

The figure suddenly sputtered, looking far more dishevelled than they had a moments ago "L-Lady Quelaag!? What are-" they turned off screen, presumably at Olga "Thee did not state that Lady Quelaag was amongst thee!"

"W-well...Um…" Olga sounded continually nervous as Quelaag marched her way over to the screen and leant down towards it.

"Gwyndolin." Quelaag raised an eyebrow "What are you doing, what is that voice you are putting on?"

"I do-" Gwyndolin coughed "I am unaware as to what thee refers to." a soft giggle emerged from behind Gwyndolin as another figure leaned out from behind the God, this one was only slightly shorter than him, with long purple hair, a white dress with black highlights and an amused smile on her face.

"What's this?" Stheno asked in a teasing manner "The whole time you've been here, you haven't cracked once, and yet the second this woman appears you suddenly bite your tongue."

"I-I was merely surprised as the appearance of Lady Quelaag." Gwyndolin replied, finding his confidence again "Tis had been many years since we had spoken."

"Because you all thought I was dead." Quelaag bluntly pointed out, to which Gwyndolin flinched. "Then your father sent his armies into Izalith to wipe it out."

"Surely thee understands that the outbreak of demons-"

"Oh, I'm not angry about the attack." Quelaag dismissed "I'm angry it failed." she curled her lip in disgust "Great Lord of Sunlight indeed, routed by mere beasts." Gwyndolin bristled at the comment but eventually relaxed their shoulders.

"Thy tongue has only gotten sharper...Lady Quelaag." Gwyndolin spoke in a softer tone of voice, almost nostalgic.

"And you've gotten more dour." Quelaag replied with a frown and narrowed eyes "You feel older."

"Ah…" Gwyndolin gave a quiet chuckle "In truth...tis many an age since I last saw you. Until this moment...I had forgotten even thy face…"

Quelaags face changed from annoyed to mildly concerned within the blink of an eye "Gwyndolin?"

"The time for reunions is not yet upon us." Gwyndolin composed himself again, turning their attention to Ritsuka "Thou art the subordinate to the human, Olga?"

"U-um." Ritsuka coughed and nodded his head "Yes. Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Thee should be grateful to thy lord." Gwyndolin spoke down to him "She hast secured mine aid and the aid of Ser Gough."

"Oh?" Quelaag chuckled "So that cantankerous oaf is lumbering about?"

"Thee speaketh most harshly for one whom would demand a carving from the 'oaf' regu-"

"Ahhhhh!" Quelaag changed into a flustered state in a moment, causing most of the servants to stare at her in naked amusement "You've been alone too long! That never happened!" she glared at Arash "Get that damn smirk off your face!"

The Archer servant covered his mouth and looked away, eyes still flooded with mirth. Quelaag growled at him before she returned to staring at Gwyndolin "So, you're coming here then, are you?"

"Shortly." He responded "Conjuring transport takes precedence. Gough cannot fit in their current boat."

"This is pretty good work you've done Director!" Romani praised "Securing the help of a God like this is amazing!"

"O-of course." Olga nodded her head, smiling triumphantly and placing a hand on her chest "I-its only natural."

"Did your negotiations with Doll take place before or after your rather fearful episode?" Stheno asked mischievously, a teasing smile on her face as Olga sputtered and scowled at the Goddess.

The purple haired deity sighed "Regardless, I'm afraid I cannot do much. I'm quite useless in combat."

Gwyndolin stared at her "Thou art remaining behind then?"

"I am." Stheno confirmed "I'm not cut out for all that nasty work, prefer to let someone do it for me."

Gwyndolin stared at her for a few moments before he let out a near imperceptible sigh of resignation "Very well...The sentinel illusions shall stand guard for you." he responded after a few moments.

Stheno gave him a small pat on the arm "Oh? Concerned about me that much are you? You didn't look the caring type."

"Apologies." Gwyndolin's lip twitched upwards into a sad smile "Thou were...nostalgic…"

"I'm sure we'll meet again." Stheno hummed "Maybe you shall meet 'myself' and my little sister."

"Perhaps." He turned away from her and back to the screen "Thou shalt await my arrival."

"Umu!" Nero's head popped up in front of him, causing the God to send her a frown of annoyance "Await our glorious return!"

The screen cut off, leaving the group dumbfounded, Ritsuka stared at it for a few moments before he looked at Romani "Well...at least we have help now."

"Yeah." Romani chuckled "There is that, I'm just glad the director is alright." he gave a relieved smile "In the mean time, you should probably get ready to move out, the problem of this singularity won't fix itself."

"Yeah…" Ritsuka groaned "...Not looking forward to fighting the nasty weird things again."

Olga Group POV

Gwyndolin waved his hand, a few hundred metres out at sea, the air began to shimmer as the distinct form of a ship slowly began to manifest itself. Nearly twice the size of the one they had been sailing before and far more intricate in its design. The dual masts with perfect white sails, mounted on the front was the shape of a man, long bearded with his sword pointed downwards.

"Of course." Sulyvahn groaned when he caught sight of the statue on the front of the ship "Because Gwyn did not receive enough lascivious praise in life."

"Thee should speak with care. Tis only because I stay mine own hand that thee still lives." Gwyndolin gave a swift rebuttal as his arms spread wide, Olga gaped as a large golden circle manifested beneath them.

"Wha-" She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, only to find her feet no longer on the sand and instead on planks of well polished wood. She gaped and looked around, finding that she and everyone else had been transported onto the boat.

Gwyndolin lowered his arms, showing a slight tremble to them "To think it would be this strenuous…" he muttered under his breath before he straightened out his posture, turning to the Nero and speaking with confidence again "Thou has a destination?"

"Umu!" Nero beamed "This is most impressive, as expected of a God!" she turned back to Gwyndolin "Ah, yes! Sail North! We shall meet with our compatriots along the coast!"

"I had not considered that I would find myself at sea." Gough rumbled in amusement as he stared at the ocean with crossed arms "Tis surprisingly relaxing."

"Ah, I only ever crossed the sea once before this." Solaire replied to him, standing next to the giant "Coming to Lordran from Astora was quite the journey."

"Suppose it would be." Gough nodded along "I confess some excitement to meet with Quelaag again." the giant gave another quiet chuckle "Twas many a season since I had seen her last...Still, even with this 'Throne of Heroes' I had not thought to see her again."

"There are many surprises." Solaire replied with a nostalgic tone "I had not thought to meet another of the Sunlight Covenant." he nodded his head slowly "Especially one who had met the patron Lord."

"...Twould be best to keep that out of Lord Gwyndolins ear." Gough warned "The young lord suffered much...And holds onto a great many a grudge against those who left. So long ago, even after death."

"Hmm…" Solaire hummed "Yes...Although should he decide to aid this Chaldea in the future, it might prove problematic, considering the Patron already requested to be summoned as well."

"Hmm...Yes, I can see that proving quite the conundrum." Gough sighed "But...perhaps for the best. Lord Gwyndolin always did hold his siblings in high regard."

"Still…" Solaire chuckled, shaking his head "To think I would be stood next to one of the four greats knights. Truly, this is a blessing from the sun."

"Oh, I'm merely an Archer." Gough waved him off "Thou would find me better suited to hunting dragons."

"Well...I'm participated in a dragon hunt myself." Solaire scratched the back of his helm "Quite different to what one would imagine...it converted its body into a mouth."

"Oh? Sounds quite ferocious." Gough rumbled "You slew it, did you not?"

"With aid from a good friend of mine." Solaire replied "We did, quite the challenging task it was too, but jolly co-operation saw us through in the end."

"Dragon hunting...Knighthoods highest calling." Gough let out a low chuckle "And to think I may get the chance, with my body in its prime...tis a most wondrous feeling."

Ritsuka Group POV

"Scouts came back about five minutes ago." Aulus reported to Ritsuka and Verndari "Said the nearest town had been...laid waste to."

"Incursions of the Spiders so close?" Verndari asked, cupping the chin of his helmet "This seems a bold play...could they have already destroyed the Legates legion?"

"The scouts said that the damage done was...different to the spiders." Aulus hesitantly replied "They said that the bodies had been gathered up and...mutilated."

"What?" Ritsuka blinked "Mutilated? How so?"

"Well...They were ripped apart, sir." Aulus gave a shrug "That's what they said, no sign of any spiders either. No webs, no tunnels and no cocoons."

"Perhaps it is another of this fiends creatures." Verndari crossed his arms "The beasts we encountered did not bare seem to bare much similarities to the spiders, my Liege."

"Hm." Ritsuka bit his lip, turning to Verndari "Do you think we should check it out?"

"It is your choice." The knight replied "However, it would not be too grand a detour for some servants to investigate it while the Cohort continues its march."

"Right…" Ritsuka nodded, turning back to Aulus "Were there any survivors?"

"None." The man shook his head "Or if there were, they aren't there anymore."

"Alright." Ritsuka gave a tired sigh as he rubbed his forehead "You can...um…"

"I'll return to the men, Sir." He nodded to Ritsuka and Verndari before turning on his heel and departing.

"You seem troubled." Verndari pointed out "Does something concern you, my Liege?"

"Yeah...I think I might be getting desensitised to being told people are dead…" He said in a mirthless chuckle "God...I hope not."

"That is an unfortunate part of bearing the mantle of leader, my Liege." The looking glass knight offered "I cannot help you in coping with it. I was raised to fulfil the role of soldier of the kingdom, I grew accustomed to the prospect of death rapidly, as did my comrades."

"Yeah...I'm not much of a knight." Ritsuka mumbled out.

"No, I admit, as you are, my Liege, you would make for a poor squire." He bluntly put "However, I'm sure with time you will grow accustomed to the role."

"Ar-are you telling me to get used to people dying?"

"It would be for the best." Verndari replied, then sighed "However, I can see that look in your eye. I apologise if I have offended you or overstepped my bounds. Perhaps another would be better suited to discussing this with. In the mean time, do you have recommendations for the scouting party?"

"Y-yeah." Ritsuka coughed out "Ash, Gareth and Sif. They are the fastest amongst us and Ash is pretty versatile."

"Very well. I shall inform them."

"Because its still bothering me." Gareth replied, frowning as she stared at the Firekeeper in the distance "Its...its weird...surely someone would have noticed?"

"...Didn't you have a wife?"

"Eh?" Gareth froze "W-well...Lyonesse was...um...she was...er….we were…"

"Hmmm." Arash hummed as the lancer froze, idly staring over the arrow in his hand with faux interest as he was caught between hiding his amusement and the smile that threatened to split his face.

"Oh?" Ash blinked, looking up, his helmet off and revealing his intrigued expression "You were married?"

"W-well...it was expected of a knight." Gareth sputtered "And she was a very close friend."

"Very close." Arash nodded dutifully "Of course."

"Y-yes, exactly." Gareth smiled "And she was a very pretty girl and...oh...you're teasing me aren't you?"

Arash snickered "Really, I don't see much of an issue." he replied "So what if King Arthur of this world was a woman, from what I gather, she did virtually exactly the same thing as the King Arthur who was a man."

"But…" Gareth slumped in her chair "It means that...no one really noticed what was wrong…"

"Not worth thinking about now." Ash cut her off "Whats done is done. Did your King ever appear bothered by it?"

"Well...no. He...she...they didn't really show all that much emotion." Gareth replied "Well...except irritation, but that was only when Merlin was around."

"Court wizard, yes." Ash nodded "Was there an issue with him?"

"Half incubus." Arash interjected "Famous trickster too."

"...Incubus?"

"Ah...type of sexual demon."

"...Oh." Ash blinked "...I see." he furrowed his brow and then looked back at Gareth "Did he look...human?"

"Yes." Gareth nodded her head slowly "Why wouldn't he?"

Ash slowly turned his head in the direction of Quelaag, Arash and Gareth followed his gaze to the chaos witch.

"Oh...right." Gareth coughed "Y-yes. Merlin looked human." she nodded "Completely."

"Well. That must have been nice." He replied "Very accepting Kingdom, was it?"

"Well, there were a lot of Faeries living in the wilds." Gareth replied "Especially in the countryside. Occasionally you would get some black dogs or maybe a giant you'd have to deal with."

"A giant?" Ash blinked "You killed Giants?"

"W-well, not me personally." She replied with an awkward scratch of the back of her neck "Mainly the other round table knights."

"I'm sure you were a part of the action too." Arash offered, turning to Ash "Why? You ever kill giants?"

"A couple." He replied "Mainly in Irithyll. I also made friends with one."

"Oh? Must have been nice."

"Wasn't much of a conversationalist, but he was good help." He replied "Big bow too. Arrows the size of trees." he huffed "Of course we are apparently going to receive aid from Hawkeye Gough himself, so that is something."

"Famous is he?"

"Hawkeye Gough is probably the most well known Archer in Londor." Ash replied "Even countless millennia after the fall of Gwyn's kingdom, the stories of his four great knights continue on. Gough was a giant who fought during the war against the everlasting dragons. As you can imagine...a giant armed with a bow was quite the Archer."

Arash gave a slow blink as his eyes gradually widened "I see...Yeah...That'll probably do it." he turned away chuckling in disbelief "A giant armed with a bow? This I have to see."

"Closest I assume I got was the giant residing in the undead settlement." Ash shrugged "But yes...Gough and Gwyndolin…" he paused at the last name "Hmm...well...Yorshka spoke highly of him, I suppose."

"Problem?"

"Well, last time I encountered him was in a...precarious position."

"How bad?"

"Half eaten."

"Ewww!" Gareth's face soured "That's disgusting."

"More so for me, considering I as standing in sludge." Ash grumbled "Still, I am surprised Sulyvahn is still alive, considering Gwyndolin was the one he betrayed." he shrugged "Well...I doubt he trusts him, but I can at least rest easier knowing there is another prepared for the Casters treachery."

"Suppose there is that." Arash mused, then looked over his shoulder as someone approached "Morning Verndari."

"Morning Bowman Arash." Verndari nodded back to him, then turned to face Ash and Gareth "Our Liege has ordered you two to take Sif and investigate a nearby town east of here. It was wiped out, it doesn't point towards spiders, but our Liege would like to be sure."

"Understood." Ash nodded, standing up and manifesting his helm over his head, slowly turning to Gareth "Come then, let us grab the wolf and be on our way."

"Coming Big Bro-...I mean Ash!" Gareth cringed "Sorry, its a little confusing."

"Well...I cannot change my appearance." Ash shrugged "I'm sure we will get used to it."

"Yeah." Gareth nodded along "I'm sure I'll get used to it. But really...how coincidental that a person with big brother Gawains face is friends with someone who shares King Arthurs face?"

"Now that you mention it, that's a little strange." Arash mused "Probably fate or something like that."

"I'm not one to believe in pre-ordained destiny." Ash waved his hand "If I did I wouldn't exactly be here."

"That sounds like a story and a half." Arash chuckled "But another time, I suppose. You'd best be on your way."

"Indeed." Ash nodded turning away and moving off towards the direction of Sif, Gareth trailing behind him with a wide grin on her face.

Ritsuka POV

"Are you alright, Senpai?" Mash asked as she looked at him from her own mount, the Master was tightly gripping the reins of the horse he was riding so hard that his knuckles had gradually turned white.

"Y-yeah." Ritsuka nervously replied "Just, never rode a horse before...kind of scared of falling off."

"I'm sure you'll do great, Senpai!" Mash cheered "You've already gotten this far without falling off!"

"Yeah!" Beatrice cheered alongside the shielder "You've done better than me!"

"Never rode a horse before then?" Arash asked the Caster, the woman shook her head.

"You didn't get too many animals alive in Lordran, or if you did I never saw them." She shrugged "That and if there were any cities or towns that hadn't fallen to ruin, they probably wouldn't sell them to me."

"Why?" Mash asked, Quelaag scoffed in the background.

"Heretic witch or undead. Take your pick. You'd probably be right on both accounts." The Chaos witch interjected with a bored expression.

"Well, not that I could complain too much." Beatrice replied with a wave of her hand "I'm used to working off scraps, that and I count myself luck I was able to avoid an asylum." she saw the minor looks of confusion in the faces of those present before she elaborated "Basically where they dumped all the undead."

"Oh." Ritsuka nodded in understanding, then frowned "Dumped them? They didn't try to help them?"

Quelaag laughed loudly at that, even Beatrice allowed herself a small smile.

"Ha…" Quelaag's chuckles died down as she stared at Ritsuka as if he were a child "That was helping them." she dismissed with a wave of her hand "Just dump them all in some far off place and call it a day."

"That...doesn't sound like it solves the problem." Ritsuka frowned "And it seems a little cruel."

"Crueller when you consider that the curse of undeath could spontaneously appear on anyone." Beatrice offered with a minor shrug "Go to sleep one day, wake up the next with the brand of the dark sign on you."

"Then they just took you to an asylum?" Mash looked aghast "Thats...but its not their fault!"

"Its not worth thinking about to heavily." Beatrice shrugged "Most drove themselves crazy trying to cure it. I just focused on other things at the time."

"Still, that seems-" Ritsuka cut himself off as he stared off at something, slowly nodding his head and furrowing his brows.

"Something wrong, Senpai?" Mash asked, Ritsuka turned to her with a sober look, then to Quelaag and Beatrice.

"Have either of you two heard of a Dark Wraith before?"

Ash, Gareth and Sif POV

"I've sent the warning to Master." Ash responded as he stared down at the body, the torso had the mark of a hand burned into it, the surrounding skin near the mark had been dessicated and the features of the corpse were gaunt.

"You're sure you know what did this?" Gareth asked with a concerned expression, Sif was still growling at the surrounding area.

"Having been on the receiving end of Dark Hand before, I can." He nodded, slowly standing up, then gestured at Sif "His reaction only confirms it."

"How dangerous are they?"

"Dark Wraiths in terms of strength are monstrous." Ash replied "Not quite my physical equal, but close enough to it. However, they rarely travel alone. Their true power." he pointed at the body "Is this. They consumed the humanity of these villagers."

"So, they ate their souls?"

"In effect." Ash nodded, looking around "However, what concerns me is the placement."

"What do you mean?"

"The bodies are all dumped here." He gestured at the pile "A Dark Wraith would merely rip the humanity from your body and leave it where it fell. No...this is the work of Dark Hand, but perhaps…" he hummed in thought "We may be dealing with a Servant instead. In which case, one who was affiliated with the Covenant of Dark Wraiths."

"How bad then?"

"Depends, if it is an invading Dark Wraith using a Red eye orb, they are already long gone and, as such, beyond our ability to chase down." He stared back at the bodies "Either way, we have confirmed the presence of more than Spiders here." he crossed his arms "However, whether they are linked to Aldrich is unknown to me."

"Sounds pretty in line with what we've seen so far."

"No, The Darkwraith covenant existed long before the devourer." Ash replied "A-…" he trailed off, staring at the pile again "Gareth...Do you notice something odd here?"

"What do you mean?" The Lancer asked, walking up next to him and souring her expression at the corpses "Is there something wrong?"

"...Where are the children?"

"What?" The Lancer turned to him as Ash walked towards the pile "Wait….There aren't any here! Its just the adults!"

"Indeed." Ash responded "Meaning they were taken, in which case it would point towards Aldrich."

"Wh-...oh."

"Hmm." Ash nodded, turning around and walking back towards the Saber while Gareth followed after him "Sif, are there any close by?"

The wolf took another sniff of the air before it growled but shook its head.

"Any scent of the children?"

Again, another shake of the head, Ash and Gareth furrowed their brows at the wolf.

"So, they just disappeared?" Gareth responded with a tilt of her head "Can they do that?"

"Aldrich was capable of short range teleportation." Ash replied "But it would have been obvious if he were here." he sighed "There is something else going on here. Regardless, we have determined what occurred here was the work of Darkwraiths, which may be affiliated with Aldrich, but we cannot be certain."

"Better to be prepared for it, in case they are though, right?" Gareth asked, Ash nodded his head in response.

"Indeed." Ash responded "In any event, our work here is done. We had best return to the others, they will likely be approaching the remnants of Vespasian and the new servant."

"Right!" Gareth beamed, nodding her head "Although...I've never heard of a 'Foreigner' class before." she wondered "Then again, I've never heard of a shielder class either, so it might just be a new thing."

"I've only been a servant for a short time and my knowledge is limited when it comes to this situation." The unkindled gave a hapless shrug "Then again, charging blindly into a new situation is the hallmark on being undead. So I suppose there is little change from what I did before this."

"At least you're comfortable." Gareth offered with a half smile, Ash chuckled.

"Well, there is that."

Ritsuka Group POV (One Hour Later)

The Master felt sweat forming on his brow as he was stared down by the servant in front of him, Mash was protectively stood by his side.

They had finally been able to join up with Vespasian's legion, finding out that nearly half had been wiped out was a serious blow to morale, but when they were told that the Emperor had been able to get the help of a God and a Giant, Vespasian had merely chuckled and said that 'it sounded like the sort of thing the Emperor could do.'

It then led to a situation where he had been introduced to the servant who had saved them. The Foreigner who went by the name of Lucien.

Who was starting to unnerve Ritsuka with his blank stare. The servant was dressed in what looked like clothes from Victorian Britain, a long black leather coat, dark linen shirt underneath, a black bandanna covering the bottom half of his face and an arrow shaped hat on his head.

The man had merely stared at Ritsuka after he made his introduction and hadn't said a word since.

"...You're young." He eventually spoke, his voice was heavily accented, however it was surprisingly quiet, almost gentle to it.

"Y-yeah." Ritsuka scratched the back his head neck "S-sixteen...well...Seventeen next week."

"This is no place for boys."

Ritsuka winced "Not much choice…"

"Not enough of you?"

"No."

"Hm." The man slowly nodded his head "I'm Lucien. A Hunter of beasts."

"Fujimaru Ritsuka, I'm a Master of Chaldea." The boy nodded back, then gestured for Mash to introduce herself, the girl blinked at the sudden attention before she straightened herself out.

"Mash Kyrielight. Demi-servant." Lucien's head slowly turned to her, scanning her up and down.

"You're young too." He replied "Hunt is no place for children." he sighed, a long an exasperated one "No choice though." he turned back to Ritsuka "I'm not here to help you with you're errant clergyman."

Ritsuka furrowed his brows "You...aren't?"

"No." He shook his head "I'm here on my own business, it happens to coincide with yours. There's a beast here. Attacked this lot several days ago."

"The thing Solaire-san described?" Mash guessed "You were summoned to deal with it?"

"Hm." Lucien made a noise of affirmation "I'm here because…" he suddenly looked away from them, his head twitched as if something was speaking to him before he slowly tensed his shoulders, then sent a small glance in Ritsuka's direction.

The barest hint of pity past through his eyes before they became blank again.

"Turns out I might be of aid to you." He responded after a few moments "I can kill the beast. Leave the rest up to you."

"By yourself?" Mash asked worriedly "Isn't that a dangerous?"

"No. I've slain beasts before. This is no different." He replied in an even tone, not sounding offended by the question of his skill in the least, he slowly turned back to Ritsuka, rising from his seating position. "Its an offer of partnership."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow and tilted his head "Why the sudden change?"

"...Advisement." Lucien responded "From a close source."

"O...kay…" He slowly nodded his head, not quite understanding but thinking nothing of it before he extended his hand to the hunter "Happy to work with you."

The Hunter stared at the outstretched limb before he grunted "Nothing worth being happy about in this situation." he reached out and clasped it in a firm handshake "But Hunts are never joyous."

Ritsuka wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so he kept his face blank and nodded his head slowly, eyes briefly darting to Mash, conveying his feeling of being at a loss. The Shielder servant met his eyes and offered a tiny shrug, convincing him that she wasn't sure either.

"Fujimaru." Romani's voice came up, Lucien released his grip on the boys hand and raised his eyebrow slightly, showcasing a mild sense of intrigue as the Doctors face popped up "We were detecting another servant near you're loca-...oh." he blinked when he saw the Hunter "Nevermind, they're right there."

Lucien stared at the Doctor, squinting his eyes with a particular intensity that had the man shift in his chair "F-Fujimaru." the doctor whispered "This servant is looking at me funny."

"No." Lucien went back to a blank expression "Its nothing. My mistake." he looked the Doctor up and down, then looked back at Ritsuka "Your allies, I assume?"

"Yes." Ritsuka nodded "This is Doctor Romani from Chaldea."

"It is a privilege to meet you, honoured Heroi-"

"Why is he talking like that?" Lucien grunted, cocking his head to the side "Are all your allies bootlickers, or is it just him?"

Romani slumped in his chair "I can't even be nice to them anymore…"

"Did you need something, Doctor?" Mash asked, Romani jolted in his seat before turning facing her direction.

"Yes, the Director says she's close to your location, well...Closer than she was." He chuckled "Oddly enough, the God can't conjure a speed boat."

"...God?" Lucien furrowed his brows "What manner of God do you…" he trailed off as his eyes caught sight of something behind them, suddenly intensifying. Ritsuka and Mash followed his gaze to see him glaring at Quelaag, the Chaos witch completely ignorant to the murderous glare being directed at her.

As quickly as it came, it vanished. The Hunter relaxing his body again "Hm...Don't smell the Beast Blood in her...odd." he grumbled, then looked back at the pair to see them giving him wide eyed looks of shock. "What?"

"N-nothing." Ritsuka gulped.

"Hmph." Lucien shook his head, turning his eyes back to Romani "God?"

"Divine Spirit." Romani elaborated.

"...Like an Old One?"

"A what one?" Romani furrowed his brows "Like Lovecraft?"

"Who?"

"I...Don't think that they are an Eldritch monstrosity." Ritsuka awkwardly answered "He looked human to me."

"Huh…" Lucien blinked "Nevermind then."

"Sir." Aulus voice brought their attention over to the Centurion "Your compatriots have returned from their scouting mission."

"Good." Ritsuka nodded, then turned back to the Hunter, seeing his blank stare "...Monsters attacked village, consumed souls."

"...The Fuck?"

AN: The Good Hunter arrives!

You know what that means, don't you?

Stats and Dialogue!

Good Hunter 'Lucien'

Servant: Foreigner

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: E-A

Hunters Workshop: E-A

Holds the Hunters weapons and items, can be withdrawn through help of the messengers.

'The Dream': B (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 5

Pulls target into the Hunters dream, or rather into the Moon presences domain.

Without strong mental fortitude, they fall victim to the Old One's madness.

Class Skills:

Existence outside the Domain: B

Divinity: C

Direct servant of the Moon presence.

Personal Skills:

Caryll Runes: -

Runes of the Old Ones, a language none can understand save their wielder, however, that does not disregard their potency. Or deadly nature.

Beast Hunter: A

Insight: A

That which is seen, cannot be unseen.

Immune to mental pollution.

The Old Blood: B

Similar effect to a madness enhancement, however the bloodlust will continue until they or their opponent is dead, similarly, doing damage to their opponent restores their own wounds.

Old Hunter Bone: B

Adds a '' modifier to speed and shrouds form in fog in short bursts.

Keeper of the Dream: B

Moon presence Direct envoy, and it has little patience for other Old Ones. When battling foreigners and others of Eldritch origin, is more effective.

Understanding of Anatomy: B

"Its easier to kill something if you know what makes it work." Has an adequate grasp of the living bodies of most creatures, would make a capable field surgeon.

Summoning

"Servant. Foreigner. I am here on behalf of the Moon Presence, I am Lucien, a Hunter. What beasts need slaying?"

Dialogue 1

"Free time is a new one. Didn't have too much of that after becoming a hunter...still don't have it."

Dialogue 2

"I'm not like the other servants here, obviously, not quite alive either...Just think of me as a waking dream."

Dialogue 3

"Master and Servant? I'm merely on loan here...But I am glad you do not act as a master."

Dialogue 4 (If you have Gilles de Rais [Caster])

"Moon cursed idiot doesn't know what he's doing. He raises that book near me, I'll have his head."

Dialogue 5 (If you have Divine Spirits)

"...Actual Gods...Never thought I'd see one..."

Dialogue 6 (If you have Atalanta)

"That woman...with the ears of a cat. I nearly shot her on instinct yesterday. I know she isn't a beast but...still strange to see."

Dialogue 7 (If you have Thomas Edison)

"...Never seen something like that...Head of a lion...Didn't have any beast blood too...strange."

Dialogue 8 (If you have any of the Tamamo Nine)

"...What the...Saw a woman with a fox tail in the kitchen...Something wrong with this place..."

Dialogue 9 (If you have Abigail Williams)

"Wish she wouldn't follow me around...Keeps calling me big brother as well...Hm? Ah, right...you can't see it, can you? I envy that."

Dialogue 10 (If you have Katushika Hokusai)

"Hm? Sorry, wasn't looking where I was...What is that...on your...By the Moon!"

Dialogue 11 (If you have Jacques de Molay)

"There are many Old ones in the sky...as bad as I claim my owner is...There are worse I could be subject to."

Dialogue 12 (If you have Ludwig, The Holy Blade)

"Hm? You seem sane. Don't worry, if that Noble Phantasm is used...I'll be sure to put you down."

Dialogue 13 (If you have Mysterious Heroine XX)

"Another emissary of...Get that damn spear out of my face! Think you're playing at!? Huh? Foreigner hunting!? You bungler! I am the Hunter of Old ones!"

Dialogue 14 (If you have Artemis)

"I feel a...connection with her...Hm? Goddess of the Moon you say? That explains it...well...mine isn't as eccentric as that one."

Dialogue 15 (If you have Voyager)

"Went to the moon, eh...Ha...That's...not somewhere I would travel willingly...But...hm...He's not a bad child...Even the Moon presence is indifferent to him."

Dialogue 16 (If you have Yang Guifei)

"I feel a sense of companionship with you...we've both attracted the loving attention of one of them...I pity your sorry soul."

Dialogue 17 (If you have Gehrman)

"He looks more lively than I remember...but I see the way he stares at me. He shouldn't blame himself, I took this role...To see him free of the dream...I can live with it."

Dialogue 18 (If you have Counter Guardian Servants)

"I feel an odd sense of kinship with them...I feel it is one none should ever share. Slaves to something greater...still...I suspect we all made our choice."

Likes

"Likes? Don't have much time for those...Suppose there might have been something some time ago...can't remember it."

Hates

"Beasts...They come in all forms. Those who lose themselves to their base instincts...who become naught but animals. I really...can't stand them."

Wish for the Holy Grail

"Ha...I just...want to wake up..."

Bond Level 1

"I'm a Hunter. I'm just here because my Master ordered me to help out. Nothing more."

Blond Level 2

"Strange that you seem to favour me so...Why is that? Not much in the way of personality."

Blond Level 3

"I kill things. Man and beast alike. That's all I'm good for...There really isn't much to speak with me about."

Bond Level 4

"...Strange one you are. To try and become so close with a Hunter...still...your choice. Just don't expect too much to come out of it."

Bond Level 5

"I lied. I'm here to help...but also because my owner has taken an interest in you. I pity you...you sorry bastard. But...hmm...I remember what it was like...to feel. Thank you...you've made me feel a little bit human. Even if I'll eventually go back...return to the dream...I'll remember you. Thank you...truly."

Birthday

"A birthday...growing old...yes...I did such a thing...treasure the years as they pass you by...you'll soon forget how many have."

During an Event

"Awful ruckus going on out there...best investigate."

1st Ascension

"Strange doing this again...Doesn't even need blood echoes."

2nd Ascension

"I can hear something a little...hmm...I feel different than before. Ascension...Yes….Hmm..."

3rd Ascension

"I find myself closer in strength to being back home...but...I'm closer to...nevermind. I'm still me..."

4th Ascension

"Huh...Gehrman...Doll? I can't...I'm still in the dream...please...I don't want to...I want to wake...the night blocks all sight...somebody anybody...help me...please..."