Chapter 120: Those who speak the language of the trees.
The carriage continued to trundle along in the direction of the settlement, as they grew closer and closer to it the occupants could clearly make out more discerning features regarding its design and manner of protection.
Tarkus stuck his head out of the window, briefly causing the others to shiver as they were blasted with cold air from the outside. "I can see the town." he called back as his gaze switched between the interior and the exterior.
"What can you see?" Olga asked as she hunched herself closer and pulled up her thermal mask to keep some warmth about her.
"...It looks like…" Tarkus' head leaned forwards slightly, the man likely trying to squint "It looks like tree's, Miss Olga." a pause as the knight gave a thoughtful hum "Maybe a bramble bush?"
The Director regarded him with a raised eyebrow as she tilted her head "You mean that Ribe is surrounded with plants?"
"Yes." The knight nodded his head "It's very tall, Miss Olga." he leaned back into the carriage and closed the window "I wonder how they managed to grow all those bushes." he asked aloud as he looked up "Actually, if all the forests around here were burned down then how did they avoid it?"
"A conundrum." Nero hummed, crossing her legs over one another and cupping her chin "Ah, I believe that the air headed man speculated that the town was protected with some manner of spell, no?"
Olga drummed her fingers on her arm.
That was likely the answer, which meant they would likely be dealing with some manner of Caster class Servant who held dominion over fauna based spells. Likely working up some sort of spell to protect the entire town while also keeping their position hidden as best they could. This leant more credence to the speculation that they were instead dealing with some manner of final bastion to defend against an outbreak of something as opposed to the ones responsible.
However, she couldn't be certain of that.
"So you can get spells to grow plants?" Tarkus asked, sounding rather impressed by the reveal "Wow…" he spoke in an awed tone as he turned back to the window and gazed out across the landscape towards the growing shape of their destination "Magic plants…"
"When we arrive, I shall engage with whomever is in charge." Olga announced, prompting the other Servants in the carriage to stare at her and for Romani's face to flash up.
"Is that…wise, Director?" He asked in a slow tone of voice, when she turned to him he raised his hands to placate her "What I mean is that we don't know what sort of Servant we're dealing with here and-"
"What is the issue?" She demanded with a frown behind her mask "When Fujimaru approaches whatever stray Servant crosses his line of sight, you remain tellingly silent." she crossed her arms and looked to the side "If that civilian can manage it without issue, then it is a given that I can do much the same."
"Director…" Romani winced, reaching up and rubbing his forehead "Fujimaru-kun has much better compatibility when it comes to be a Master than you do…" he bluntly stated, prompting the woman to whirl on him "Not that you don't because you have a Servant of your own." he hastily added on "But…well…given the type of Servant you summoned…" he trailed off meaningfully.
Olga clicked her tongue "Shut up. The mere fact I can Rayshift and was able to summon a Servant to begin with is proof that perhaps the system we utilised to determine Master-Servant compatibility was faulty from the beginning." she turned back to him and stabbed a finger in his direction "If that-that magically ignorant child can do it, then so can I."
Romani just doubted her from the very beginning, they all thought she was going to do a terrible job of it. That was simply it. That's what he was saying, that she was somehow worse at being a Master than someone who hadn't even known what a Servant was before coming to Chaldea, Fujimaru hadn't even known of the existence of Magecraft before he came to Chaldea.
"...If you say so, Director." Romani spoke again after a few moments, sounding more resigned than he really should have "We'll be here if you need us." he raised his hands "Not to say that you do." he hastily added on before she could perceive it as a slight against her skill "But just in case."
"Why not let me approach them?" Nero asked as she turned to the Director and raised an eyebrow before sporting a proud smile "With my Imperial Privilege, I can merely give myself the Charisma skill and convince them to aid us." there was a pause before the woman pouted and crossed her arms "In fact, the mere fact I don't possess such a skill to begin with is a travesty! As if there is a single soul who could not be swept away by my words."
"Charisma is a skill?" Tarkus asked in surprise as he turned to face the Emperor "I didn't know that…" he muttered to himself before shaking his head and nodding to the blonde woman "I'm sure that you are a very convincing person, Miss Nero."
"Umu, umu!" The Emperor beamed and jutted her chin upwards "Of course I am, naturally as the flower of Rome my beauty is like the Gods themselves."
Tarkus didn't actually respond that time, instead he turned and looked down at his hands for a few moments. The move brought a raised eyebrow from Marie who looked the black knight up and down "Is something the matter?"
"Hm? Oh, no." Shaking his head, Tarkus injected his voice with cheer once again "It's just that I've never seen any Gods so I don't know how to answer Miss Nero." he responded in an abashed tone "She's very pretty but all the stories about the Gods said they were also…" he trailed off, tapping his fingers against his knees "They said the Goddess Gwynevere was a beauty without equal."
"What was she the Goddess of?"
"Beauty."
Marie released a small huff of amusement at that, shaking her head at the man and turning back to see how Nero was responding to the threat of competition. Predictably, the Emperor didn't seem disturbed in the least by the potential threat, rather she looked more excited.
"I'm sure that if we were to stand side by side, all would see my beauty." The girl boasted, placing a hand over her chest and giving a proud smile before she returned her attention to Olga "What say you, Pale Rose? I can handle negotiations with ease-"
"I'm not going to let a Servant speak for me." Olga bluntly replied, not looking towards them and still staring out the carriage "As a Master, I should be the one to entreat with them first and foremost."
That was what Fujimaru did and that was what she was going to do.
"...Alright then." Nero responded with a nod of the head and leaned back, closing her eyes and thinning her lips.
The remainder of the carriage journey was one of complete silence.
Torin stared out at the horizon, raising an eyebrow behind his helmet and watching as the wagon that looked as though it had been made from glass approached them. Despite it's unusual material, he couldn't actually see the interior of the vehicle which struck him as rather odd.
Presumably it was some sort of magical construct which meant he was dealing with either a Rider or a fellow Caster like himself.
The fact they were approaching via the open meant they either had little choice in their method of transportation or they were just overly confident. Or ignorant to the current situation.
Torin's eyes briefly turned skywards, trying to pick out any sort of silhouetted shapes amidst the storm clouds and allowing a sigh of relief when he didn't discover any. It meant that they weren't likely to be attacked any time soon, beyond that he suspected that his fellow Druid would be able to divine an attack before it happened.
It would at least give them time to prepare.
His eyes returned to the carriage as it twisted and and faced him side on at a considerable distance.
He didn't make an effort to move or brandish his weapon, content to remain where he was and wait for the new arrivals to approach him.
As the crystalline contraption opened up, he watched as four figures emerged from it and out into the open. He thinned his lips behind his helmet, only two of them were dressed for the weather they were in and the fifth Servant - that he could sense - was still in Spirit form and hanging out behind them.
The lead figure, a thin looking person wearing a large grey coat with white fur lining the hood and some sort of protection for their face turned in his direction and stared at him. She was flanked by a rather tall knight in pitch black armour and a greatsword shouldered on his right side.
The other two were women and between them, one of them was wearing what looked like a red dress with the front cut out of it and the other was wearing a short sleeved shirt with an oversized hat.
If they were going to be allies, he would need to get them into some furs.
Servant or not, this cold was going to do no one any favours.
Olga stared at the hulking figure standing just beyond the periphery of the bramble like wall, the man garbled in dark cloth and black fur with an antlered helmet stared out across to her with his arms crossed.
"Romani?" She brought up her communicator "Is that a Servant?"
The doctor was quick to respond, "Yeah, it is." a beat "And…oh dear…"
"Oh dear?" Olga looked at him "What do you mean 'oh dear'?"
"From the looks of things…They're also a Divine Spirit." The doctor responded with a wince "Their Class is consistent with a Caster but there's a considerably high ranking of Divinity about them, presumably a Divine Core although…" the man frowned and tilted his head. "It's…different from the Rider in France and Gwyndolin in Chaldea."
"Different?" Olga furrowed her brows at him "Different how?"
"It's just the readings are different. They're…wow…" He blinked "It's weaker than the Divine Core that Gwyndolin has but stronger than the Divine Core that the Rider had so…It's strange." there was a pause "I'd recommend caution-"
"Obviously." Olga snapped at him "They're a Divine Spirit in Denmark and their appearance seems very Scandinavian." she turned back and shifted "Is it…could it be a local Divine Spirit?"
"I don't know." Romani admitted with a shrug "You'd have to meet them but the fact they haven't started attacking is a good sign." he pointed out with a half smile.
Clicking her tongue at him in annoyance, she turned back to face the Servant who hadn't made an effort to move. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, she took a single step forwards into the snow. Then another and another.
The crunch of snow underneath her boots was akin to gunshot as she approached the Servant staring down at her, even the knowledge she was supported by four other Servants did little to ease her worries. Especially given what they had dealt with when it came to the power of Divine Spirits and if it was a local one then they would be completely within their element.
In effect, they were in the worst possible position.
The Servant in front of them never once took his eyes off of her, she felt her skin crawl as the ports of the helmet remained locked onto her. A feeling of intense dread flooded through her body as she got closer and closer, despite that she managed to keep herself upright and standing. The Saber in Fuyuki had been more intimidating than this, Aldrich had been more intimidating than this so she could do it.
She could do this.
"You're going to get cold if your friends remain dressed like that."
It took her a few moments to realise the Servant had spoken, her feet rooted themselves to the ground and she ceased her movements. There was at least five metres separating them and she had commanded Berserker to charge the Servant if he made any hostile moves.
Before she could open her mouth and respond, Tarkus took the initiative.
"I said that as well." The black knight nodded his head in a sage manner "I don't think they have any warm clothes though." he lamented.
"Truly?" The Caster tilted his head ever so slightly, arms still crossed over his chest "One would assume you had planned poorly were it not for the fact that your leader is dressed for this weather." he turned to Olga "Could you not spare your allies some appropriate cloth?"
Olga's mouth opened and shut repeatedly behind her mask.
Barely five seconds into dialogue and she was being critiqued by a Servant?
She felt her irritation rise "I didn't know they were coming!" she snapped back at him before she could help it "They just tagged along!"
"So you mean to suggest they stowed away like children?" The Caster's voice was dubious, Olga felt her irritation rise higher and higher, he spoke again before she could explode on him "However, that is not the most pressing issue for us, is it?"
His arms uncrossed themselves and fell to his side "I have one question for you, are you of those who watch the stars?"
Olga blinked at him incredulously. Was that supposed to be some sort of riddle?
Watchers of the stars?
"Ah, you mean Chaldea!" Romani's voice came through her communicator, the man's face flashed up and pointed at the Caster before he realised something "Wait, you know about Chaldea?"
"I know of it." The Caster admitted with a nod of the head "But that is it. Your existence was all I knew of as well as the fact you would be likely to arrive." he turned to face Olga "Your arrival was divined several days ago."
"Someone predicted our arrival?" Romani tilted his head ever so slightly "But not you?"
"No." Caster shook his head "My skill does not lie within the gift of seeing." he gestured behind himself to the walls "This is the limit of my craft."
"Aren't you a divine spirit?" Olga blurted out in surprise "Shouldn't you be capable of more?"
"Oh, you know of that?" Caster responded in a hint of surprise before he shook his head "No, the God who has lent his aid to me is one of nature as is fitting for my faith." he pointed at the group "But if you are from this city of star watchers, then you are here to lend your aid?"
"We are here to resolve the Singularity." Olga confirmed with a nod of the head "Which means we shall require all the information you have."
Caster stared at her for a few moments in silence, crossing his arms once again and levelling a pointed look at the Director. The woman shifted on the spot as the silence continued to stretch on, after nearly half a minute Tarkus leaned down towards her and dropped his voice as quiet as he could.
Which, for him, hardly made any difference at all "I think he wants you to say please, Miss Olga." the knight advised her "Mother always said that manners were important when meeting new people."
Olga blinked once, then slowly turned her head towards Tarkus and all but glared at him behind her goggles. The Knight - despite not being able to see her eyes - felt the burning glare directed at him and quickly retreated, lowering his head and taking a step backwards and resuming his casual interest in the falling snow.
Caster watched the display in silence. "There is a lot that can be said for a leader by how they treat their subordinates." the man spoke out towards her in a tone that sounded exceedingly disappointed "And the Knight was not incorrect, we are currently two groups that have no knowledge of one another and you are to make demands so readily?" he shook his head slowly "There must be a fair exchange made."
Olga bristled at the haggling, before she could open her mouth Nero decided to jump in.
"Umu! You will provide us with the knowledge we seek and in exchange we will provide you with something of equal value?" She surmised with a nod of the head "I see."
"That is how it should be beneath the ethereal oak." Caster confirmed "I offer my word that I shall be truthful, but I would advise you to make a decision swiftly."
Olga narrowed her eyes "...Why?"
"Though the clouds might conceal it, the sun is setting swiftly and the nights here are dark and full of a great many terrors." The Caster warned them in a grim tone "Should you venture forth without any knowledge of what you will encounter, I have little doubt you will not survive the night."
Marie tilted her head and him and gave him an apprehensive look "You sound confident in that having only just met us…"
"I know what it is that stalks the skies here." Caster revealed, then turned to the Director once again "This is my exchange, I shall inform you of your foe and in return you shall aid me."
The Director frowned, crossing her arms "We get information and you suddenly get our aid? How is that fair?"
"Because it aids you as well, your timing is both fortuitous and dire…" His voice shifted into a more apologetic one "And for that, you have my sincerest apologies, it is merely that there is little choice."
"This is extortion." Olga bluntly surmised with irritation in her voice as she clenched her hands "Not an exchange."
Caster's posture shifted subtly, but the pressure being exuded by the horned Servant rocketed upwards "...This is as fair an exchange as I can manage. You are free to leave and ignore my warnings but doing so is akin to suicide. We both fight the same foe and I offer an alliance." he paused before he uncrossed his arms "But the choice remains yours."
The Director grit her teeth behind her mask, her hands clenched into fists and trembled at her sides "Fine!" she snapped "What do you want?"
The aura of the Caster subsided "Not as unreasonable as I thought." he muttered in a quiet voice to himself before he continued on, turning around and gesturing to the town behind them "This has served as a safe haven for some time but it will not suffice for long. Our foe will be upon us by the end of the day…perhaps the next morning if the storm works to our favour but either way, it shall be upon us."
Tarkus raised his hand "Do you need our help to fight, Mr Caster?"
Caster let out a self-depreciating bark of laughter "Much as I wish that were the case, no…I need your aid in retreating." he replied truthfully as his hands dropped to his side "While myself and my other ally might deal with the serpent babes, we cannot content with their leader…or his kin."
Olga frowned, crossing her arms at the Servant and inclining her head to the side "If you admit to being too weak to aid us against the orchestrator of the Singularity, then why would we even bother in teaming up with-"
"What she means to say is-" Marie stepped in front of the Director, cutting her off with a strained expression and raising her hands in a placating manner "Is what you can tell us about this foe, just to give us some small measure of indication?"
"The locals refer to them as Fafnir."
Marie blinked several times before she lowered her hands to her side, her expression fell ever so slightly "...Oh, the dragon?"
"The Black Dragon, yes." Caster nodded his head, then looked past her to the Director. "But he is not alone and while I have had little personal confirmation…the first few survivors who escaped from the north of the country had a great manner of worrying tales to tell." a paused "However, if you feel as though you have sufficient knowledge on your own then you are free to wander through the lands by yourself." he gestured with his free hand to the snowy expanse "And I shall bid you farewell and assume to never see you again."
Olga grit her teeth behind her lips, placing her hands on her hips and tightening her grip as hard as she could through her gloves.
"...Tch." Clicking her tongue, she looked down and shook her head "...Fine, fine…" then looked back up and pointed at the Servant "But I expect you to reveal your true name before we go any further!"
Caster stared at her "And in return, your companions will provide me with their own names?" there was a pause as his head moved past them and towards the empty space some metres to their left "Including that of your invisible companion. Their lack of appearance since our conversation began speaks of a great deal of distrust on your part." he pointed out as he shifted his attention back to the woman.
Olga scoffed at him "You think I'm going to take you at your word just like that? I'm not nearly stupid enough for that." she crossed her arms once again "And the handing over of True names on our part will only occur if we are confirmed to be allies."
The Caster shook his head slowly at her "Your bargaining posture is highly dubious, you make demands from a seat of authority that you do not possess." he sighed "I can see that your…" the Servant stopped speaking, humming to himself before he decided not to speak further on the topic "But very well, perhaps I might alleviate some of that distrust not that I suspect you will have heard of me."
He straightened himself out "I am Torin, Chief Druid of the Millwood Forest, guardian of the Ethereal Oak."
Olga narrowed her eyes "...And the Divine-Spirit?"
"I am a pseudo-Servant." He explained simply enough "The light-kin is not one from my homeland nor did he come from Lordran. Even I do not know their true name, only that they hold a great deal of love for the woodlands, much like myself." he gestured towards them "I have extended the hand of good faith to you now, should you slap it away I will tolerate no further dealings and you shall be left to fend for yourself against the Black Serpent and his kin of scale and fire."
The group remained silent as his words hung in the air, the Director was still as she engaged in a staring contest with the Caster - Torin - and he held her gaze without so much as flinching. Eventually, the pragmatic need for information won out over the potential delay and whatever else she might say, if they were dealing with Fafnir once again then they would need every Servant they could get their hands on.
At least to thin out the horde, Stahl was a Dragon-Slayer so she could just use them against Fafnir in the end but it was whether there were other hostile Servants present. In France it had been Fafnir led by a summoned version of Jeanne d'Arc and her own band of Servants. They were fortunate that Siegfried had been summoned at the time.
And it was nearing the end of the eight century, meaning if Siegfried was summoned then he wouldn't benefit from any sort of reputation boost.
Not discounting any other Dragon-Slayers being summoned and they had no way of knowing if this Caster was a Dragon-Slayer himself. That and this 'pseudo-Servant' claim warranted further investigation.
"...Very well." She straightened herself out "You will provide us with the information we require and then we will aid you in leading these people to safety." they were still here to protect history and it wouldn't do to have the Norse population wiped out so early into their history. She didn't even know if the Viking Age had come about yet.
"You bask under the tree of wisdom for now, it seems." Torin murmured to himself, Olga bit back a retort asking what that was supposed to mean. The Caster turned around and brought forth a large two handed two-sided axe. The weapon looked as though it was crafted from pure bronze by the dull material it held.
"O' Tree, sýndu slóðina." He chanted out as he slammed the base of his weapon into the snow with a gentle crunch. There was a silence before the walls started to shift, the interlocking branches slowly started to uncoil themselves from one another and retract, opening up a path into the town itself.
Torin didn't bother to see their reactions as he walked into the settlement, calling out at the top of his lungs "Brynjar, we have visitors. Eirunn, find some furs for our…lesser clothes guests, they will need it."
"Furs?" Nero parroted behind the Director with a puzzled tone of voice, looking down at herself "Why would anyone wish to cover this luscious sight?" she shook her head in disbelief before looking back up "Unless I might get them fashioned into a cape…" she realised, cupping her chin and humming to herself "Would that work?"
"I'm not sure." Marie offered honestly before she smiled "But I'm certain you'll look fabulous in it." she shivered slightly "On another note, I would be more than grateful for something warm to wrap around myself."
"Worry about it later." Olga bluntly commented as she started to walk forwards, Tarkus waddled up to fall into step at her side. The two of them were the first to pass through the periphery of the wall and into the settlement itself. Olga thinned her lips as her eyes scanned their surroundings, she caught sight of nearly everyone looking in their direction and whispering to one another.
The town itself was made of thatched huts and the odd wooden home, although she could see traces of scorch marks lining the roof of several houses closer to the wall.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. So that was why he warned them, their scrying was no longer an effective camouflage if they had been found. Her eyes shifted towards the walls and she almost did a double take, staring at them in surprise before she stepped closer to them and found her attention drawn to the glowing symbols carved into the bark.
"Runes?" She muttered to herself, it made sense. The Caster had outed himself as a Chief Druid with a Divine Spirit but these were like the Caster of Fuyuki's Runes, which meant they were primordial.
"You recognise them, do you?" She jolted whirling around and seeing Torin staring at her from a short distance with his arms by his side "They are not my work, before you ask. At best, I can beseech the tree's for aid."
Olga narrowed her eyes at the wording "Beseech?"
"I speak the language of the Ethereal oak." Torin replied with a prideful tone in his voice "The language is known only to the highest of our sect…Though to discover it is rather common here was mildly disconcerting, but I shall not let it damper my spirits." he went on with, turning around and waving his hand forwards "Come, while your odd transportation might be swift I doubt it keeps you warm. There is a fire going in the main lodge and the Völva-"
He paused, sighing to himself "That is a slur isn't it?" shaking his head he continued on "The Seidr has been waiting for you for some time."
Olga narrowed her eyes "...Seidr?"
"He is a fellow Druid but his craft and mine are as different as the stars and the moon." Torin joked with a shake of the head as he moved through the street, approaching the reasonably large hall at the far end of the settlement, twin wooden doors blocked their path and stood a good foot above the Caster himself.
As Torin approached, he pressed his hands on the wooden doors and pushed them open with ease.
"The Watchers from the City of Stars have arrived. Seidr." Torin announced as he entered, staring across the room towards the man sitting by the fire, his back facing them as he poked at the fire before him with a stick.
"That right?" The man asked in a voice tinged with amusement "'Bout time, I was getting a little bored sitting on my ass all day."
Olga paused at the familiar voice and found herself staring at the back of a very familiar sky blue robe with a white fur around the hood.
The man rose up from his seated position in front of the fire and turned to face them, his hands moving up to the hood covering his features and grasping it, pulling it back and exposing his face to the outside world. Bright blue hair flowed down from the top of his head, crimson slitted eyes locked onto the Director and a sharp grin came to the man's face.
Raising a hand, he gave the group a lazy wave of the hand "Yo."
"Wha-" Olga sputtered before she stabbed a finger at him "You-but-how-when-?"
"Yikes." Cu Chulainn shook his head at her, sporting a wide smirk as he beheld her state "So stunned for words are you, don't worry." his smile became more predatory "I know the effect I have on women."
"They can't speak in front of you?" Tarkus asked as he joined the Director by her side, staring at the Caster and tilting his head "Because I sometimes do that around pretty women…" he paused and looked down at his feet "I…I actually struggle a bit sometimes."
Cu Chulainn gave the black knight a single blink before he opened his mouth and responded with "Sounds rough pal." he paused as he looked him up and down "You're a big lad so I'm sure that…" he paused and narrowed his eyes "Wait a moment here…" he closed his eyes and sighed "You're one of those guys, right?" he asked with a resigned tone of voice.
"Those guys?" Tarkus responded with a confused tone of voice.
"You know…" Cu gestured with his hand "The mortally challenged?"
Tarkus regarded him with a silent stare.
"The deathly undeparted?"
More silence.
"...Undead." He whispered, making sure none of the other Norsemen could hear them.
"Oh." Tarkus made a noise and nodded his head "Yes, I am a-" he spoke in a loud tone before Cu widened his eyes and waved his hands in front of him.
"Oi, oi, oi!" He cried out "Keep that to yourself." he warned, throwing a hand around him "These guys have enough trouble with dragons, they think Draugr are suddenly walking around and they'll be waiting for fucking Surtr and his army of Jotunn's to come calling."
Tarkus tilted his head "Wh-?"
"Nevermind." Cu shook his head and turned to the others as they filed into the room, allowing the smile to return "Well, well. Finally, some nice women to look at." he grinned "Nothing against the lasses here but sometimes you just want a girl who can't snap a sword with her gate."
"Can't all gates do that?" Tarkus dumbly asked, prompting looks from both Nero and Marie as they understood just how innocent the knight truly was.
"...Um…Depends on the type?" Cu responded vaguely before he shrugged his shoulders.
"If you're done being brash." Torin chided the group as he closed the doors behind them, shutting them in the room and once again turning to face the room "We have something to discuss." He walked past the group, pausing as he moved past Cu Chulainn.
"Beware of the woman." He whispered to his fellow Druid "She has a rather frightful temper."
Cu snorted and gave Torin a knowing look "You don't know the half of it."
A shadow moved through the sky, panting and wheezing as it forced what little strength remained in its body to carry it all the way home. It had barely managed to escape with some of the others from the attack but they had succumbed to their injuries, made infinitely worse by the storm.
As long as it could return home, to the nest, then all would be well.
The bronze coloured wyvern's eyes dimmed slightly as it started to feel the full effects of the deep slash running across its torso. The wound had already scabbed over but that didn't change the fact bones had been shattered and organs had been damaged, as sturdy as their kind were they had their limits.
As it closed in on the distance shape, a towering tree stretched high into the sky. The shape akin to one of stone, moving past the clouds and touching the heavens.
Hundreds of shapes moved around it of all shapes and sizes and all manner of differing colours, all of which were wyverns like themselves and along with the occasional dragon to accompany them. Their larger cousins dwarfed them but remained closer to the ground, not as content to circle the great tree as their kin.
The bronze wyvern moved towards the entrance, a large hole carved out in the front of the giant plant.
Its strength could no longer support its flight, the wyvern felt its wings give out and its body start to glide through the air as it approached the ground, rapidly picking up speed as it did so with no possible method of slowing down.
A blur moved through the sky before it impacted the ground, the wyvern found its momentum halted rather suddenly but not painfully, a pair of huge arms wrapped around its body and shielded it before a deep crunching sound went off. For a few moments the wyvern was left confused before it noticed the deep cracks spreading across the surface of the ground, realising that what had caught it had clearly taken the impact for them.
"Such deep wounds, little brother." The one holding it spoke in a growling voice as they lowered the small dragon-kind to the ground, lying the reptile on their side. The shadow loomed over them, elongated head scanned their form before slowly turning skywards "And you return without your kin? This means you encountered equals."
The wyvern released a soft growl.
"Where?" The head turned down to them once again "Where did you meet them?"
The bronze wyvern slowly looked up to the shadowed figure before it growled once again, the figure nodded their head in response and slowly backed away from the wyvern as consciousness left it.
"So…further south, is it?" The voice muttered again before it shifted into one of finality "I wonder…is that where the one of the crystal knives escaped or are there more?" a silence stretched on before the figure shook their head and turned around "Sister, see to it that this young one is healed."
A deep rumble sounded out from further within the cave, two hazel coloured orbs shone through the darkness and stared back at the smaller figure.
"Naturally." The voice responded, as if in complete contradiction this one sounded much gentler and distinctly feminine. "They are my child after all."
The dark shadow nodded once then turned away and towards the figure stood not far from them "Shall I depart to investigate this, or do you wish to do so instead sister?"
The black armoured knight shifted in their mounted position, the black horse beneath them snorted once. Horned helmet turned in the direction of the speaker, an authoritative voice sounded out from behind the helm "Very well. I shall deal with this myself." their voice was cold as the icy fields that surrounded them.
The horse trotted forwards "If they are the ones my spear has been summoned to destroy, then so be it. They shall either be crushed beneath me or they shall best me."
The first figure stared at the rider for a few moments in silence before nodding their head "As you say. Take some of your kin with you."
The rider paused, "...If you say so."
A large scaled hand raised itself into the air, the sharpened maw opened wide and a guttural roar echoed out from the throat of the first figure. A dozen wyverns answered the call as well as a singular dull red dragon, the larger beast rose its head up from its position lying down on the snowy embankment and slowly spread its wings wide on either side.
Pushing itself off the ground and taking off into the air.
The dark armoured knight cracked the reins of their horse, the beast let out a cry of acknowledgement before it charged forwards. The pair of them galloping through the snow and closely followed by the detachment of wyverns and singular dragon.
The tall figure watched them depart, slowly bringing their arms over their chest and crossing them "...I wonder why she speaks so strangely to me sometimes."
A snort echoed out from behind him.
"She is a Servant and expects you to act like a Master."
"...Master?" A pause "What does that word even mean?"
"So let me confirm something." Romani started the discussion, his hologram appearing in front of the group and facing the direction of Cu Chulainn "The way you spoke when the Director first arrived indicated that you have some memory of us, right?" there was a pause "But we've already got a version of you summoned to Chaldea who appears to have the same set of memories…"
"Confusing, right?" Cu merely replied in the form of a grunt, his expression turned thoughtful "Lets see…For me, it's like being told about something that I did rather than experiencing. For example, I know for a fact that we met in some burning city." he nodded at the group "But I've never experienced any of that personally. Just think of me as a little different from the Lancer me that you know."
There was a pause before the Caster made a face "Lucky asshole."
"Seidr." Torin chided from the side of the room, kneeling in front of a small tree and staring at it.
"Right, right." Cu waved him off before he turned back to Romani "So yeah, I know things - like how I know you're a gutless coward-" Romani deadpanned at the Caster "-and I know that you've got a temper about you." he smirked at the Director, the woman bristled and scowled at him, earning a chuckle from the Caster. "But I also more or less know why you're here as well considering that these guys really shouldn't be putting up with this sort of thing."
"And what sort of thing is that?" Olga bluntly asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms "From the damage we have seen outside, it appears to be a strong indicator for the presence of wyverns and the locals have already spoken of Fafnir."
"They ain't wrong." Cu affirmed with a grim nod of the head "We got dragons aplenty here." he paused "And I do mean those on top of wyverns as well."
Olga blinked several times, failing to comprehend what he said "H-huh?"
"Dragons." Cu reiterated "Big lizards, breath fire and kick up a ridiculous amount of magical energy just by existing. Those guys." he frowned, shooting a side glance to Torin "We've been able to keep away the wyverns for a while and we managed to kill a single dragon-"
"You killed it." Torin corrected "I merely distracted it."
"Sure, whatever." Cu waved his hand "We killed it. But there's more out there…how many more? I don't have a clue but they all came from way up north." he gestured with his thumb "Had some flee down to us speaking of their settlements being flamed out of existence and there was one guy before he died who was ranting about a black dragon."
"The Norsemen call it Fafnir." Torin spoke up from the side, once again taking control of the conversation "The black dragon slain by the Hero Sigurd." there was a pause. "At least, that was what one of the escapees said before he passed." the druid gave a long sigh "As it stands, there is little information we truly have available to us, as many of the survivors from the northern burnings are still wounded and yet to wake."
Romani raised an eyebrow "Northern burning?"
"I was already here for that." Cu waved his hand, then sighed "Yeah…Big black cloud spread down from the north, then it rained ash for several days." he nodded in the direction of the door behind them "Leaves little to the imagination of what happened so I'd wager that the dragons are roosted up north."
Marie frowned "Would there not be a Dragon Slayer also summoned?" she asked as she looked around. "There were two summoned in France, and from what you describe this is a much more dire situation that might warrant more."
"If there are any, they never made it south." Torin grimly commented, gesturing to himself "I might have some meagre advantage over the sky serpents but I am no slayer of drakes and their kin. It was difficult enough to contend with a dragon here with just myself and Seidr."
"Yeah." Cu nodded his head, then tilted it "I take it that he's told you about what we're asking?"
"You want help to lead the citizens of this settlement south because you're worried an attack might come?" Romani ventured.
"Will." Cu corrected him "A couple of wyverns escaped the last attack so they'll be heading back home…probably going to growl of chunter or whatever those things do to speak with one another." he gave an empty laugh "So we're gonna have to get ready to be gone…round about now."
Olga shook herself from her stupor and stared at the Caster "And in exchange?"
"Once this lot is safe from harm, same deal that other me made you in that burning city." Cu responded with a half smile. "You help me, I help you."
"...As will I." Torin added from the side "Reluctant though I might be to abandon these men, it would not do well to abandon the greater goal here and…" he trailed off for a few moments, his eyes sweeping over the group and his arms still crossed over his chest "...It would appear, you are the only aid I shall receive."
Olga made an irritated face at the Caster for his back-handed remark towards them, it wasn't like he was any better right now. What they actually needed were more dragon slayers and he had all but admitted to being only marginally better than the average Servant. At least Cu Chulainn knew Primordial Runes so could at least pull his weight as a Caster class Servant, she didn't know what this one could do in the least.
The fact he had admitted to being weaker in terms of magical skill to the Irish Servant was also proof that he was marginally less useful, although his preference for a large axe seemed to place him as one of those strange Servants. Like the annoying Archer who used swords instead of a bow.
Torin rose to his feet, looking down at the group in silence for a few seconds before he shifted his attention to Cu Chulainn "You have had dealings with them before, it seems. I shall leave this to you. I will see to it that the people are ready to depart within the hour."
He moved past them, striding out of the room and back into the cold without another word to them in the least.
Cu breathed out between his teeth and shook his head "He's a straight and narrow one, him." he nodded in the direction of the door as he returned his attention to the Director "But he ain't wrong. Let's face it lass, with dragons about you're gonna need all the help you can get." he chuckled "Guess it's just something about you and me and having no choice in the matter, right?"
Olga clicked her tongue, glaring at the fire for a few seconds "...How long do you suppose a journey to safety would last?"
Cu thinned his lips "We'd have to send them off ahead anyway." he remarked with closed eyes "We'll be leaving tracks for the dragons once we leave so we'd have to double back." he nodded up "And this storm ain't doing us any favours on covering our tracks, trust me."
Marie blinked "Why not?" she tilted her head to the side "Shouldn't the snow fill in all the footsteps?"
Cu snorted "Not those kinds of tracks." He reached up with his left hand and tapped his nose twice "This sort. We're all gonna stink something fierce out there and the noses of wyverns are bad enough, nose of a dragon?" he whistled "Yeah…Miles for that lot."
Olga narrowed her eyes at the Caster "That just sounds like walking us into a battle to distract the pursuers."
"Yeah, that's exactly what it is." Cu confirmed uncaringly "We need to be slaying dragons anyway and the way I see it, they ain't gonna be sending too big a force to this place." he paused before he winced "Unless they do in which case…" he shrugged "Meh. I'm told we fought King Arthur in Fuyuki and won so how much worse can it get?"
Romani gave an exaggerated sigh "If Fujimaru-kun were to hear you saying that…" he shook his head before he paused and looked back towards Cu "Oh, the Caster said he was a 'pseudo-servant' what does that mean?"
"Mmmh?" Cu blinked at him before he shrugged "Nothing all that special." He explained "Some God has just decided to lend him their power and not outright possess him."
Romani blinked "Possess?"
"Yeah." Cu nodded "Divine Spirit manifested in the same class as a Servant." he reached up and scratched his chin "Basically nothing much beyond that, you get a couple new tricks but having some God saddled up in your head sounds like more trouble than it's worth."
"A Divine Spirit lending their power…" Romani trailed off, cupping his chin "Using a host to wield it…that sounds like…"
"A Demi-Servant?" Olga surmised with a frown before she shook her head "No…They called themselves a pseudo-servant?"
Romani shrugged "I don't understand it either, Director." he paused for a few moments as he contemplated his next sentence "We could always ask the Caster about it directly if it matters so much?"
Olga internally debated it for a few moments before shaking her head "A later time." she decided as she rose to her feet and stared down at Cu "If we're going to be helping move these people to a safer location, then speed is of the essence?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow, at the Casters nod she continued onwards "Good. The sooner we get them away from here then the sooner we can resolve this Singularity."
"Sure, one way to look at it I suppose." Cu admitted with a lazy wave of his hand "So how long is the other guy gonna keep in Spirit form?" he smirked "Are they shy?"
"Ah, you mean Stahl?" Nero spoke with absolutely not restraint as she looked up at the height of the ceiling and gave a thoughtful hum "I am not sure if they would fit…Unless…how high is the ceiling of this shabby abode?"
Cu blinked once "...Well shit, nevermind then." he grumbled as he got to his feet and rolled his shoulders "So lets go get everyone ready to move." he paused for a moment "Bring out tiny as well-"
"I will decide what my Servant does and does not do." Olga snapped at him, earning a raised eyebrow from the Caster.
"Uh-huh." If the Caster appeared take aback by her attitude, he didn't much show it beyond a roll of his eyes "Well whatever, this is sort of an all hands on deck situation and weren't you the one talking about speed being of the essence."
She had said that, hadn't she?
Curse this Servant for using her own words against her.
"F-fine!" Olga turned on her heel and made for the doors, placing her hands on them and pulling them open with a grunt of exertion. Her eyes fell upon the people of the settlement already rushing around trying to prepare themselves for departure.
Then noticed a slightly younger man with a rough cut beard and long blonde hair moving towards them with his arms carrying a bundle of furs. He slid to a halt and instantly his eyes fell upon Nero and Marie with nothing shy of bewilderment "I-I thought the Jarl jested when he spoke ill of your cloth!"
"He spoke ill of my dress?" Nero looked horrified "How? Has he never laid eyes upon true beauty before?"
The man didn't respond, although his eyes did wander up and down her form for a few moments in silence before a loud cough brought his attention to Tarkus.
The black knight stood with his arms crossed and staring at the young norseman, radiating a pure aura of disapproval before slowly shaking his head at the man. The blonde haired man paled ever so slightly before he swiftly moved to the knight and held out the furs in front of him.
When Tarkus took them into his hands, the young man stumbled away and turned about face, rushing back the way he had come.
"Yeah, I'd recommend dressing warm." Cu commented as he stepped out into the open, gripping his hood and pulling it up. "Not that I don't appreciate a show." he smirked at Nero "But if you're gonna be in physical form, you're best to dress warmly and turning into Spirit form around these guys is…" he paused then shrugged "...They'll probably think you some sort of Draugr like the big guy so…you know…don't."
He paused before he stepped forwards "Actually." he raised his hand into the air, manifesting his curved wooden staff before slamming it into the ground, the noise seemingly echoed out across the entire settlement and ground all the hustle to a complete standstill "Good news everyone. The Allfather has sent us his envoys!" He raised the staff and levelled it towards the group "These brave shield maidens and their warrior guard will lead us all to safety!"
Dead silence followed in the wake of his announcement.
Olga couldn't help but gape at the Caster with sheer horror at him using the name of Odin so casually.
Then the people started to cheer loudly, as if a second wind had been breathed into them and their pace doubled.
"You-you-you-!" Olga sputtered as her shock swiftly gave way to terrified anger "What are you even-how can you-why would you-?"
"These guys don't need to know about Servants and all that." Cu explained as he closed the distance with her and dropped his voice into a whisper "And it also avoids a lot of the guys trying their luck with you…The last guy to try and lay with a Valkyrie was Sigurd and everyone knows how he ended up." he winked at the Director "Trust me lass, I'm something of an authority when it comes to sleeping with the wrong people."
"B-but-!"
"Um…Mr Chulainn?" Tarkus tilted his head, the man paused and turned towards the black knight with an intrigued look. "Should we really be lying about that sort of thing?" he asked, his voice shifting to be more concerned "Because…um…I don't want to make the Gods man…"
Cu snorted at him and pointed "Smart lad as for the first part, we're here to save his people." he pointed out with a shrug "We're basically doing his dirty work for him, way I see it…Allfather probably wouldn't mind in the least so we're his envoys on a technicality."
"Oh…Okay." Tarkus nodded his head, accepting the reasoning fairly easily before he turned towards Nero and Marie "Oh, you two need to take these to dress up warm."
Nero frowned, hesitantly reaching out and grasping the top fur cloak and pulling it upwards, it was a patchwork of multiple cuts of fur, some dark brown and some pure black. The actual cloak itself was around the Emperor's height, likely made for someone who stood around the height of Tarkus instead of her.
"Well…" Nero made a face at it "I suppose I should admire the gall that a person would have to wear something such as this…but on me it is-"
"Put on the damn cloak and stop complaining." Olga snapped as she turned around to face the two of them glowering at the pair.
Nero pouted at her before she slipped on the cloak, wrapping it around herself and frowning as it soon covered her entire body and stretched down to the ground. Effectively making her look like a large furry bush with a head jutting from the top. Not that Marie was any better, however hers was more coordinated in its colour scheme of hazel fur.
The French Queen allowed a smile to come to her face as she gripped the inside of the cloak and pulled it close towards herself, a pleased hum emanating from her "This is rather warm…" she turned to Cu and gave him a knowing look "I can see why you wear something like this."
Cu blinked once "Actually it's just sort of a uniform." he bluntly stated before he gave her an odd look "Could you imagine me wearing the outfit of my Lancer self while being a druid?"
"That's a good point." Romani's face popped back up, turning to the Caster "Where do you even get spandex in Ulster Cycle Ireland?"
"Eh? I don't answer questions from weaklings." Cu waved his hand at him and started to walk away "Do some heavy lifting and maybe I'll tell you!"
"...I think it's a very good question." Romani mumbled to himself in a defeated tone, crossing his arms and looking away to the side.
"It also doesn't matter in the least." Olga bluntly reminded him with an annoyed scowl before she sighed and turned around to face her Servants "Help them where they need it but don't give away your true names and make sure they don't slow down. We're already losing enough time being here rather than chasing down whoever is behind this Singularity-"
"Fafnir." Tarkus raised his hand, thinking the Director had forgotten.
"Someone had to have summoned them." She exhaled in annoyance "And they likely did so with a Holy Grail, we deal with them and we restore History to the way it should be."
"...Okay."
Olga watched as the Servants shuffled off, however she kept Stahl close to her and in Spirit form. She wasn't going to leave herself alone without some form of protection against actual Vikings, she doubted even Fujimaru would do something that stupid.
AN: Torin, Millwood Knight.
Cool guy.
And hello again, Cu Chulainn Caster!
Welcome to Scandinavaia!
But anyway…
Stats!
Torin, Millwood Chieftain
Servant: Caster
Strength: B+
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Mana: C
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: C
Chieftain of the Ethereal Oak: C (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 5, Max Range: 1-5
Commanding the trees to his side. He can manifest a spiritual tree to his aid to ensnare his opponents within its branches.
Class Skills
Magic Resistance: C
Item Construction: D
He can craft low power weapons with minor influence over the ground, however they aren't particularly powerful.
Territory Creation: E (C)
He was a chieftain of the Spirit Forests and guardian of the Ethereal Oak, however with the forest destroyed. He no longer has anything he can call a territory. However, the rank would rise if he were within a spiritual forest.
Divine Core of a God: C
For the time being, Torin refers to them as a nature God.
Personal Skills:
Druid of the Forest: B
Torin is a Millwood Druid, as such he has advantages within woodlands. Can also command the trees with some great success. Formation of Familiar contracts with animals is also much easier.
Shaker of the Earth: B
His heavy bronze axe, it can command the Earth around him to create short range destruction.
Millwood Chieftain: B+
Can boost his strength stat briefly.
Foe of the Black Dragon: C
While he is no Dragon-Slayer, he is a foe of the black dragon that raised the forest to the ground. While battling dragon-types, he has some minor advantage that at least recognises him as a threat beyond the average one.
Summoning
"I am Torin, Chieftain of the Millwood Knights and Druid of the Forest. I have manifested with the aid of a God to assist you. Let us protect the green together."
Dialogue 1
"Man is just as much a part of nature as the plants and animals are, though we might split from it we must never forget our roots."
Dialogue 2
"I wonder…You say you have sun flowers and greenhouses? What aid would they serve you in…Ah, mere titles. I see.""
Dialogue 3
"I answered your summoning, as did the God who dwells within me. We shall aid you whatever needs done."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Quella)
"...A great Spirit of the Forest…to be in the presence of one, though it is almost impossible to admit I believe they might be stronger than the Ethereal Oak…I say strength in a physical capacity. There is more than one method of being strong."
Dialogue 5 (If you have Saint Elizabeth)
"The garden that I and Lady Elizabeth have been growing is coming along nicely, I must thank you once again for allowing us to create it."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Artoria Pendragon Alter)
"This aura…The Abyss Drago-No…no…You are indeed a black dragon but I do not recognise you. That spear you hold is also…Regardless, I shall thank you to steer clear of me for now. Though it is no fault of your own, I have little love for dragons."
Dialogue 7 (If you have Sieg)
"There is a boy that sometimes wanders these halls, I rarely see him but on occasion I spot him. Of simple dress and dull red eyes. There is something about him that I do not approve of but I cannot discern what it is."
Dialogue 8 (If you have Vritra)
"For a Dragon to claim to be an avatar of struggle…How horrifying, though that might be a difference between our worlds. However, dragons of calamity and myself are a poor mix and I doubt I can entreat with her from a point of neutrality."
Dialogue 9 (If you have ?)
"Do not ever put us on the same team."
Likes
"That which I like? The forests, though there have been few chances to enjoy the outdoors in Chaldea…"
Hates
"If I am to be truthful…I am often ill at ease within this place, Chaldea is much too…metal for my liking. We druids lived generations in the woodland realms and that is all I know of normality. Though it is no fault of your own, it is my own preference."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"I wish to see the forests of Millwood restored to their former glory and for the Ethereal Oak to stand tall and strong once again."
Bond Level 1
"We have done well thus far…No, you have done well so far. But remember, I was a leader of men once. Should you ever need advice, I shall provide it for you."
Bond Level 2
"The Halls in Chaldea are…If I might make one request, you spoke of a 'Greenhouse' might you explain such a thing further to me? It sounds to have a great deal of interest in it."
Bond Level 3
"I have investigated the room you have set aside for me…I cannot express my gratitude enough, though I know not what will occur when I depart this place. I hope that small corner of Chaldea is blessed by the spirits of the forest."
Bond Level 4
"Hmmm? You wish to join me in tending to the garden? I can allow such a thing. I will ask that you tread carefully though, some of the plants have begun to sprout and I would prefer them not be trampled."
Bond Level 5
"Tips for gardening? I am a Druid, I merely commune with the woodland realm but…I can teach you how to understand that which they desire. You must approach the life of the forest as you would approach a close friend, if you gif them with care they shall do much the same to you. Demand too much from them and they will die…Much like Servants."
Birthday
"A fine day to you on this blessed occasion, may the branches of the Ethereal Oak protect you from all harm."
During an Event
"You are aware of that outside as well, are you not? Then I would suggest we depart at once. In truth…I tire of being stuck within the halls of Chaldea."
1st Ascension
"Hm…So I got a little stronger."
2nd Ascension
"This must be the blessing of the Ethereal Oak at work, marvellous."
3rd Ascension
"To be blessed by both the Ethereal Oak and a Light-kin, I know not if I was chosen by fate or mere happenstance but I shall do my best to fulfil their expectations."
4th Ascension
"The name of the Divine Spirit? I apologise, even if I knew I would not tell you. It is a matter of respect for me, if they wish for you to know their name then they will introduce themselves to you through me. Until such a time, you can only trust in my word that they will aid you as best they can. And now that I am at full strength…So can I."