Chapter 126: Turn left or turn right.
Cu rubbed his eyes as he stared out towards the sunrise, his expression blank before turning to stare at the sky. There wasn't much evidence left of the storm from the night before and there didn't look to be so much as a cloud in the sky.
That was both good news and bad news.
Good news? No one was liable to freeze to death or get lost in the storm. It also meant they weren't liable to get snuck up on by a swarm of wyverns and dragons in the sky
Bad news? If they were getting chased, then there wasn't anything in the way of cover that they could use in order to hide. An unfortunate situation.
Well, not that he was ever one to really bad down from a fight but picking and choosing one's was something he was more inclined for. Regardless, there was little that could be done about it except prepare for the worst.
Turning around, he walked back into the camp and raised an eyebrow as he watched a certain black knight waddle out of a nearby tent with his body now whole once again. "Hey! He walks amongst us!"
"Ah!" Tarkus jolted slightly at the voice, then turned to face the approaching Caster before waving towards him "Oh, it's you. Good morning, Mr Caster."
"...I still can't get over that." Cu remarked with pursed lips before shaking his head and stopping just in front of the Saber "So you're looking a bit better than yesterday considering you were…" he gestured to his side "Missing a few bits."
"Ah, right." Tarkus chuckled, pressing a hand onto his newly reformed portion of his body. "Well, it wasn't that bad…" he paused. "It did hurt but it wasn't enough to kill me so it's fine. The person I fought though…" he trailed off meaningfully.
"Yeah, nasty piece of work." Cu grunted in affirmation, looking left and right "Doesn't look like anyone else is around just yet but I'm sure that'll change soo enough." he sniffed before he made a face of realisation "Oh yeah, we got a new person to join up. You were a little out of it so you didn't get the chance to say hello."
"Really?" Tarkus hummed "In that case, I should go and say hello." He turned away from the Caster and looked around "Where are they?"
"She'll be about somewhere." Cu explained with a wave of the hand before he paused, frowning and then spoke again "Word to the wise, she'll probably be a little frigid towards you though. Also don't try to be too nice to her, seriously." Tarkus turned back to him and tilted his head in confusion. "I'm saying this for your own good, pal."
"Really? But that just seems rude…" Tarkus spoke in a slightly concerned tone of voice "I don't think I can do that. Mother always told me not to be rude to people."
"...Well, don't say I didn't warn you." Cu shrugged his shoulders before he sighed "Then again, I figured it was a losing battle right from the beginning. Just don't be surprised if she acts a little weird when you say something nice to her."
"Hmmmm." Tarkus gave a dubious hum in response before something occurred to him "Wait…were you awake all night long?"
"Huh?" Cu blinked at him "More or less, yeah." he shrugged.
"That's terrible, aren't you tired?" Tarkus helmet seemingly looked him over in worry, the Caster fighting the urge to laugh or be put off at the sight of the tall knight fretting over his health like a mother hen "My Mother always-"
"Said that you should get plenty of rest?" Cu ventured a guess as he rolled his eyes "I'm fine pal. Besides, Servants don't really need rest to begin with, remember?" he pointed out before he gestured to the knight "And you being you, can your kind even sleep?"
Tarkus remained silent for a moment before his shoulders sagged slightly "Ah, right…sorry. Forgot about that for a moment." he gave a nervous laugh "I guess you're right but still. You should probably rest every now and again. Sir Berenike always said it was good for the wit and kept the mind focused." he spoke, reaching up and tapping the side of his helmet. "Although he would also say to me I could rest a thousand years and nothing would change."
Cu stared at him blankly for several seconds "...Well then. Guess you don't have anything to worry about."
"I know." Tarkus nodded his head, the Caster could almost feel the beaming smile through the helmet "It's amazing."
"You two are already up? Good." The rumbling voice of Torin interrupted their conversation, the pair turned to see the hulking Caster approaching them with his arms by his side "And I see you are well enough to move now. The power of your written words is quite potent indeed." he praised Cu with a courteous nod of the head before turning back to Tarkus "I assume you have been informed of our latest arrival?"
"Mr Caster mentioned her." Tarkus replied before his voice turned troubled "He also said not to be nice to her…"
Torin raised an eyebrow behind his helmet before he dismissed it "While it is your own choice to make, she has expressed an interest in remaining emotionally distant. I will not invade her own garden of comfort and risk the consequences, nor would I recommend you to do the same but I am not your Chief."
He leaned back and looked around "Speaking of, she has not yet risen so I would advise you to wake her. I shall raise the others from their slumber and prepare us to move out once again. We have much ground to cover and now must concern ourselves with daylight."
Cu gave a grim expression "Knew you'd figure it out as well."
"Hmmm. For the time being we have the morning hours." Torin gestured towards the sun "And it shall allow us to see any attackers, as well as the distant man of blue light who travels with Chief Olga."
"Mr Archyman." Tarkus offered from the side, raising his hand as he spoke in a tone of complete confidence.
"Archyman is it? I shall remember that." Torin nodded his head in affirmation "Regardless, he seems to have some sense for detection as well and I already know of your affinity for early warnings." He directed that part towards Cu, the fellow Druid hummed and nodded his head slowly in response.
"Yeah, anything comes rushing towards us I'll be sure to let everyone know." Cu replied with a nod of the head before he sniffed once again, rolling his shoulders back until they cracked "Should probably get everyone ready to move now though."
"I'll go get Miss Animuspear." Tarkus spoke up, then turned towards the most out of place looking tent and started to walk towards it.
"Not that one." Torin called out to him, the knight paused and looked over his shoulder to the Millwood Chieftain, the taller man pointed away from the tent and towards one of the smaller ones off to the side which was rather obviously guarded by the snow covered shape of Stahl "She relinquished her tent for the injured and took one of the smaller ones."
"That was nice of her." Tarkus commented with audible cheer as he turned towards the smaller tent and resumed his walk, approaching the tent and waving to Stahl as he did so.
Cu turned back towards Torin and tilted his head "So how quickly do you want everyone to get ready to move? Because it's early hours as is and these people haven't been able to get a proper rest for some time now."
Torin gave a grim nod "I know…but we have little choice." He crossed his arms over his chest "Now that we are exposed under the sun we will be easy pickings for any wyverns that might start patrolling south or could already be here without our knowing. Unless we are to slay them all then there is very little that can be done if they inform our enemy of our location as they did before."
"True enough but if these people aren't well rested we might end up losing a couple more." He sighed, reaching up and running a hand through his hair. "And they still need to eat, none of these guys are gonna be marching very far on empty stomachs."
"...That is also correct." Torin exhaled, his right hand moved up and stroked his matty silver beard "We shall have to have them eat swiftly and nothing that can take too long to consume. They still have some of the salted meat that can be rationed out and the horses will need something to bring up their strength once again."
"Right…probably gonna still be here for a couple of hours…" He trailed off, then slowly looked to his right and stared at Tarkus who had reappeared next to the pair. Cu blinked twice before squinting at him "...Something wrong?"
"Ah, right…um…" Tarkus fidgeted, then raised his hands up and tapped the tips of his index fingers together in front of him "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."
"...You wake the woman from her slumber." Torin spoke in a blunt tone "Either gently with a mere nudge or…" he paused "The more forceful method would end poorly, just wake her with a nudge."
"But she has company…"
"...Huh?"
Olga gave a muffled groan as she huddled herself further into the warmth, her eyes tightly shut as she retreated further into her own comfort. It was surprising to her quite how easy it had been to fall asleep on the limited bedding she had, either she had been more tired than she realised or it had just been that comfortable.
It was simply a case of being aware that it was dark one moment and then in the next she was being assaulted by morning light bleeding into the tent. She knew she had to get up but getting a night's rest that was quite like this hadn't come about in some time so she was more willing to just remain where she was.
A few more minutes couldn't really hurt, could it?
As she nestled further into the warmth, her ears strained ever so slightly as she could just about make out some whispers towards the direction of the entrance.
"See?"
"...I see what you mean." An amused voice whispered back, her lip curled downwards as she recognised it as Cu Chulainn, the first voice being that of Tarkus. At least he was moving around again but she would prefer they come back later. "Really, I'm having some trouble here right now."
"I know she'd want to wake up early to get us moving but…" Tarkus trailed off, sounding nervous "She looks comfortable."
"I'll bet she is." Cu snorted lightly.
A loud sigh came from the direction of the whispers "Is there some cultural dissonance I am missing here?"
"Depends on what you mean." Cu whispered back "For me? It's normal but I'm talking more about the spectator value of what I'm seeing here right now."
"Spectator-?" Torin gave another sigh "If you dawdle around long enough, she will wake and find us all gazing at her like a pack of carrion gaze upon a carcass. I doubt that she will be amused by that and if she and the other woman have some connection to instigate this, then I will not pry further."
"I might." Cu muttered back "I mean she's getting more action than me here. I'm worried that underuse might cause them to fall off."
"What might fall off?" Tarkus asked in complete innocence "Are you not using something? Is it one of your muscles? Sir Berenike always said to take care of all your muscles-"
"Will someone educate him on euphemisms?" Torin grumbled in exasperation "Because he cannot continue to walk around as though we are speaking in an entirely different tongue. It is also disconcerting to be faced with such…childish ignorance."
There were heavy steps as someone - presumably Torin - walked off.
"...So how do you think we should wake her?" Tarkus asked again with a hint of puzzlement.
"Wake her?" Cu responded with his own confusion "I was just going to enjoy the show."
"Will you be quiet?" Olga growled from her slumber, eyes still closed by face scrunched up in annoyance. Her voice was naturally groggy from having only just woken up "If it's important just wake me up…don't whisper from the front of my tent…"
"Your tent?" Cu snickered, Olga cracked open an eye and shifted her body ever so slightly so she could turn to face him. Soon spotting the blue haired man grinning at her from the open tent with his crimson red eyes gleaming with mirth, Tarkus awkwardly stood by his side and offered a tiny wave as she stared at him. "Don't you mean our tent?"
Olga squinted at him "Our? What are you-" she cut herself off as she finally became aware of another feeling. Something tight wrapped around her waist and faint warmth that gently tickled the back of her neck. Beyond that, she craned her eyes down and stared at the fur blanket draped over her body that definitely wasn't there when she went to sleep.
Her confusion lasted for a brief second before she remembered she hadn't been alone in her tent last night. Slowly turning to the right and staring down.
Marie had her head gently resting directly next to Olga with her face almost buried in the crook of her neck, her breaths coming out as gentle whistles and her arms wrapped around the Director's coat. The cloak she had been wearing was spread across the pair of them like a blanket.
Either Marie had moved during the night or she just tossed and turned in her sleep.
Either way, Olga started to feel her face heat up before her eyes snapped back towards the entrance of the tent and to the all too amused expression on Cu's face.
"So…" Cu's smile seemed to grow wider "How did keeping yourself warm go? I take it you didn't have any problems?"
The smile barely even dropped as he quickly ducked his head down to avoid being struck by a Gandr shot.
"Huh, that was a nice little bolt you made." Cu had the nerve to compliment her as he continued to grin. Utterly uncaring to the index finger still menacingly pointed at his face and the outraged expression on the Director's face "Might have caused a bit of a sting if it hits me."
"Mr Caster…" Tarkus gently scolded from the side before his helmet turned to the pair inside the tent "Sorry, Miss Animuspear." he spoke in a genuinely regretful tone as he reached towards the flaps on either side of the tent. "I was told to wake you up, we're going to quickly have breakfast before we leave." he paused for a moment "Well, you are. I'm not because I can't really taste anything and I don't need to eat so you shouldn't really worry about me all that much…um…I'll stop rambling and let you get up properly."
Tarkus started to pull the tent flaps closed before he paused for a moment "Good morning as well, Miss Animuspear. Say good morning to Mrs Marie as well, please." the flaps closed.
"...Animusphere." Olga corrected under her breath with gritted teeth as she slowly lowered her arm. Then turned her attention onto Marie and pursed her lips.
She really should have been annoyed at the breach of personal space were it not for the fact there wasn't much room in here to begin with and Marie at least didn't seem as…
Well, she wasn't Nero.
"Hey." Olga bluntly spoke in a loud voice, reaching out and resting her left hand on Marie's shoulder and gently shaking her "Wake up."
"H-Hmmm?" Marie hummed almost melodiously as she slowly awoke from her slumber, her eyelids flickered before fluttering open and revealing her sapphire blue orbs. The Rider's gaze was confused for a brief moment as her eyes flashed upwards and stared at the Director barely a foot from her own face.
"Hmmm?" She voiced in confusion, squinting her eyes slightly before her expression shifted into a more tranquil one "Good morning." she whispered lightly.
"...Hmph." Olga grunted and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest after freeing her right arm from the Rider's grip "Why are you so close to me?"
"Ah, right." Marie - to her credit - did sound marginally guilty as she shuffled away from the Director "I should have warned you last night but it slipped my mind. I move around in my sleep a lot." her smile turned nostalgic "Louis always used to say I was a bit of a barnacle in the bed."
"...I see." Olga thinned her lips and nodded her head slowly "Well. As long as it wasn't intentional then…fine. I allowed you to sleep in here, complaining about your sleeping habits after the fact would be fruitless." she straightened herself out and slowly rose to her feet "Get yourself ready, we will be needed for preparations after the people have been fed and the animals saddled up."
Marie nodded her head, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the roof of the tent for a few moments "...Nero is probably going to express her jealousy at this, you know? Even if nothing happened."
Olga's eye twitched "...Most likely." she exhaled as she moved towards the entrance of the tent "But I will deal with that later. For the time being, the continued safe travel of these people takes priority over whatever fantasies that Emperor has." she paused just shy of throwing open the tent flap. "I would ask if all Romans are so obsessed with intercourse but then I recall that Nero was infamous for mass orgies."
Marie nodded her head behind her, sitting up and resting her hands on her lap "True enough, if anything I would say that being summoned in the modern era has actually tamed her a little bit."
"Yes well…" Olga grumbled quietly, "I would prefer it to tame her a little more." She threw the tent flap open and stepped outside, pulling her coat close to her and frowning when she realised it wasn't as cold as it was before. Looking around and staring up she could see there was barely a cloud in sight, with the early morning sky still a burnt orange as the sun rose in the distance.
Her eyes fell back towards the camp, taking notice of the small gathering of Servants not far from her location. Namely those she already knew to be awake; Torin, Cu and Tarkus were speaking with one another. Or Cu and Torin were speaking with Tarkus just stood off to the side of the pair and gazing at the sunrise in the distance.
Adjusting her coat, she started to walk forwards only for a voice to get her to pause.
"Ah, good morning, Pale Rose!" Nero called out as she approached, wading through the snow with her cloak dragging along behind her. The Director turned towards the blonde with a flat expression as she continued to beam at her. "I see you are looking much better, the wonders of a good rest shall never cease to amaze."
"Hmmm." Olga merely hummed in response before turning away from the Emperor "Did you sleep as well then?"
"Naturally." Nero responded as though the answer was obvious, closing her eyes and leaning her head back to show off her smooth skin "Even as a Servant in their prime, that does not mean I can ignore personal beauty."
Olga barely even gave her a second glance.
Eventually, Nero lowered her head back down and opened her eyes once again "However, I am gladdened to see that you are not too grimly affected by the losses we incurred last night."
"...What?" Olga slowly turned to Nero and furrowed her brows "...What do you mean by that?"
"I merely state that some might be disheartened by the power of our foes." The Emperor replied casually with a wave of her hand "However, considering you rise early with the morning and appear willing to take on whatever challenges greet you, I shall admire that determination."
"...Disheartened?" Olga repeated the words back in an almost empty tone of voice "A single Servant came this close to killing us all." she pinched her fingers together for emphasis "And we only survived by their good graces, without the help of Lancer we might not have even lasted the night and you're saying I'm…" she clicked her tongue and looked away. "Forget it."
"I am not ignorant to our position, Consul Animusphere." Nero spoke in a serious tone the moment Olga made to walk away, her stern words caused the Director to pause for a moment "However we entered this Singularity knowing we were facing an uphill battle from the outset. Beings who hold the power to upset the very flow of History itself are seldom weak beings. Those who do so for good and evil."
Olga turned to face Nero and furrowed her brows.
"After last night's engagement, we now know the face our enemy wears." She explained before her expression returned back to her normal smile "And now we can begin formulating plans to defeat them." she exclaimed, raising her hand and thrusting it towards the Director "...Which I shall leave to you!"
"Wha-excuse me?"
"I was an Emperor, not a general." Nero explained with a shrug of her shoulders before she paused and cupped her chin "Though I wonder if Imperial privilege might grant me some sort of tactical knowledge?" shaking her head, she turned back to the Director "Regardless, we can now…" Nero gradually trailed off as she looked over Olga's shoulder towards the tent and gave a blank expression.
The Director didn't need to turn around to know that Marie had just walked out of the tent that she had been seen leaving. The French Queen adjusted her cloak to fit her properly while reaching up and sorted out her bonnet before smiling to herself and continuing on her walk.
All the while Nero's eyes tracked her before slowly returning back to the Director. Then turned more amused "Oh? So that is the type you prefer is it?" Nero reasoned with a growing smile "The type that seems soft and delicate, if a little gentle…Hmmmm."
Olga closed her eyes and clicked her tongue "We merely slept in the same tent. Get that mind of yours out of the gutter and focus on getting these people ready to move the moment they are able to." she growled, turning away from Nero in a huff and marching through the snow.
Nero watched her depart, still rubbing her chin in thought before slowly nodding her head and loosening her smile ever so slightly. "It would seem a good night's rest can alleviate more than wrinkles in the skin."
Tarkus continued to gaze at the sunrise with a calm expression behind his helmet. He could barely make out the conversation between Cu and Torin to his left but he was more focused on the sights to be seen.
He tilted his head ever so slightly, raising his arms up and crossing them in front of himself as he stared out at the rising orb of flame.
The sights never quite got old, even when he was travelling with the other Knights from Baldur he was always an early riser just so he could see the sunrise. Wake up early to see the sunrise and go to bed after seeing sunset. That was how he dealt with things in regards to sleeping patterns but undead like himself didn't need to sleep all that much anymore.
Or at all.
"Are you going to stare at the sun all day or are you going to help out?" A stern voice jolted him out of his musings, turning his head towards it and finding himself face to face with the red haired woman from the village who tended to the injured.
She was staring at him with her arms upon her hips and a raised eyebrow, lips curled into a barely amused smile.
"Ah, sorry Miss Jorunn." He apologised, raising up his hand and waving to her "Good morning as well. I didn't know you had woken up yet."
"Half of the town is up already." Jorunn replied, moving her hands off her hips and crossing them in front of herself "The other half are either in the middle of getting up or are injured." she continued on, gazing past him and towards the other Servants "I see Jarl Torin and Seidr are discussing our next steps?"
Tarkus nodded his head "Mr Torin said we were going to move after you all had breakfast and the horses were cared for." he explained, turning to face the slightly shorter woman "Speaking of which, you should be going to get breakfast yourself Miss Jorunn." he pointed out "You'll be needing your strength for the walk."
"And what about yourself?" She pointed out, nodding him up and down "Warriors need more to eat than simple healers."
Tarkus paused for a moment before he replied "...Don't worry about me, Miss Jorunn. I can go a while without food."
"I think not." Jorunn replied in a gruff tone of voice, pointing towards his chest "A big warrior needs all the food he can eat. Especially if you're going to be fighting dragons and after the way you got treated last night…" she trailed off and frowned "...The blessings of the Allfather are always a miracle to behold."
The Berenike knight knew she referred to the Runes that Cu had placed along his body to speed up the healing process so as to not draw too much attention to themselves. He'd explained it at the time but Tarkus couldn't actually recall what he had said. All he really knew was that he agreed to it.
"But, Miss Jorunn you're going to need the food more than-"
Jorunn ignored him as she walked past, grabbing his arm and dragging him along behind her "Shut up and get the damn meat."
"B-but Miss Jorunn!"
"Shut it!"
"...Okay." Tarkus gave up swiftly after that, looking down and allowing himself to be dragged towards the direction of the provisions tent. Earning a brief glance from both Cu and Torin as he was pulled past them.
"Don't bother fighting her, big guy." Cu called out to him with clear mirth in his voice "Once Jorunn gets her hands on you, she ain't letting go. May as well get dragged along for the ride."
"Hah." That managed to earn a brief bark of laughter from Torin before it tapered off, turning to face them "Jorunn!" he called out, the red head paused and looked over her shoulder at the Caster "Don't give him too much. You will need the provisions more than I, he is like myself in that we can walk the land for many days without so much as touching a drop of water."
Jorunn frowned before she gave a nod of understanding "The Allfather?"
"...Indeed." Torin nodded his head and gestured to Tarkus "He has also received such a blessing of vitality."
"No excuse for not eating though!" Jorunn called back before resuming her kidnapping of Tarkus.
"True enough." Torin admitted wryly with a shake of the head as he turned back to Cu "What were you saying?"
"Familiars north have been spotting some nasty black clouds…guess the wyverns went back to burning."
"Troubling…" Torin responded with, crossing his arms and frowning to himself before looking over his shoulder and noticing Olga already approaching them. She still maintained her faint scowl although it looked marginally lighter than before. "You're up then."
"Not a word from you." She spoke in an irritated tone of voice, although her eyes were not actually fixed upon him but rather towards Cu.
Naturally, Torin turned to see the Caster grinning from ear to ear at her in an almost teasing way.
"Seidr, don't provoke her." Torin warned in a grim tone before he turned back to Olga "I would advise you getting something to eat before we continue. It will likely be a long march through the day with few breaks but…" he trailed off for a moment before he sighed "I suspect that our pace will have improved…both from the lack of a storm and other factors."
Olga's face twitched ever so slightly, showing her clear discomfort with the suggestion for a moment before it evened out. "I suspected as much." She continued on before she looked between the two of them "What were you saying a moment ago?"
"Seidr's familiars have spotted black clouds in the distance." Torin explained, his face grim "It would seem the wyverns have renewed their efforts of burning now that the storm has abated. However, whether this includes the dragons they travel with is something I am not yet sure of. How many dragons are actually here is something that we have been unable to determine."
Olga paused for a moment before she frowned heavily "Would it not have been just the one?"
"Nah." Cu shook his head, his teasing smile turning back into a serious frown "Remember what you heard when you first arrived?"
"...The black dragon."
"And the one that attacked us last night was red and there were way too few wyverns for someone like Fafnir." He continued on "You guys already fought him or something in France, right?" he tilted his head and gestured further into the camp "Little missy already spoke about that. How many wyverns were with the big bastard at the time?"
Olga thinned her lips "...Hundreds. Probably thousands." she whispered and shrugged "Many were engaged with the French Army in combat at the time so we never got a complete estimate…"
Cu nodded his head "Silver lining is that the dragon we fought last night looked to be one of the lesser kin." He explained "Still a dragon but probably only strong enough to burn…" Cu paused for a moment as he debated something "Maybe a small city?"
Olga squinted at him in slight annoyance "Is that supposed to be comforting?"
"It is when you consider that Fafnir is one of those stupidly powerful dragons." Cu bluntly countered with a cold voice, earning a flinch from the Director "You might think it bad now but we're not having to deal with country burning dragons right now. If we were, then we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Alright, alright…" Olga nodded her head, closing her eyes and exhaling "Then…lesser dragons." she carried on "Supported by wyverns…"
"...Yeah." Cu nodded his head "Still dragons though, saying 'lesser dragon' is like saying you're about to eat a slightly 'lesser' anti-fortress Noble Phantasm to the face."
"Crude but accurate." Torin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose "But the news is…there are benefits to this."
Olga whirled on him with a shocked face "E-excuse me?"
"The dragons are preoccupied with the continued burning of the northern settlements." Torin explained "Which means they are not likely to fall upon us for some time, at least until they have dealt with whatever resistance they face north of us." he gestured around them "It gives us an opportunity to make a safe evacuation south with what peoples we have before-"
"Before we begin our return journey north." Olga scowled "But if we wait too long then there won't be anything left to save!"
Cu grimaced and nodded to her "Lass has got a point though…might be easier for us to escape but there would be practically nothing to stop the wyverns continuing their burning." he jerked his head back "Even if the Lancer is right about Sigurd being here, he's still only one Servant and can't be everywhere at once." he paused before he shrugged "There might be some other Servants doing the same as us but they might also be dead now."
"We cannot afford to base it off chance." Olga bluntly stated as she turned to Torin "You said that the route south would be safer now? Then we can part ways with the caravan and continue our travel-"
"I will not leave these people." Torin cut her off before she could get much further "Not without good reason. There is a chance the route south will be safer with the dragons focused upon the Northern lands but nothing confirmed. If these people are attacked on the road and we, I, am not here to protect them, they will likely meet their end at the claws of these beasts."
"We're not here for just them though." Olga argued, looking around before focusing on him once again "We're here for all of human history."
Torin narrowed his eyes "Was it not you who stated she would prioritise the lives of these people?"
"That was before the situation changed to become more devastating." Olga informed him back before raising up her wrist "Romani."
"H-hm? Good morning, Director." The man blinked several times before waving at her "We were just about to call-"
"What is the ranking of the Singularity at present?"
"...Huh?" Romani blinked at her once again in confusion before he furrowed his brows and looked off to the side "It's still resting at a depth value of A." he paused, then squinted "Well…it's actually fluctuating quite a bit." he spoke in a worried tone of voice "Um…what's happening down there?"
Olga gestured to the man "If they continue burning the country then there isn't going to be anything left to save." she stressed "And by that point even removing the Grail and defeating the one in charge of this flock of dragons wouldn't be enough to-"
"Then you can leave." Torin sternly reminded her "Take your allies and head north, but I will take these men and get them as far down south as I can."
"You're tunnel visioning now." Cu spoke from the side "I understand what you're doing here but there are bigger concerns than one town. We're talking about a heck of a lot more lives-"
"And I am responsible for these lives." Torin stressed, waving a hand around them "These people chose me to lead them to safety. They put their trust in me." he pressed a hand into his chest "How then can I possibly remain true to myself if I were to abandon them now and depart into the horizon with the possibility they might meet their end along the road?"
Olga opened her mouth to retort before Cu placed a hand on her shoulder, the woman turned on him and paused when she saw the expression on his face.
"...Best leave it for a while, Master." He urged her before he looked down "Least until you've both calmed down a bit."
Both Olga and Torin remained silent for a moment before the latter grunted and turned away, barely even giving Olga the time to respond before he wandered off into the camp.
"What?" Olga all but gaped out as she stared at his retreating figure before turning onto the Caster and scowling at him "How can you think to let him wander off like-"
"If we're gonna talk about this, let's do it where no one's gonna stare at us like we're a fresh slab of meat and they're a bunch of jackals." He reminded her, Olga briefly paused to take stock of her surroundings. Sure enough, there were a great deal of the people staring in their direction. Eyes fixed upon both her and upon Torin as he moved away from the group.
Olga grunted once, Cu took that as affirmation and released her shoulder before he turned away and walked towards the far distance at the corner of perimeter.
As the two walked off, a blonde man with a stubble beard looked between the two of them before his eyes fell downwards.
Brynjar crossed his arms, having barely caught some of their conversation that hadn't been whispered but from what he had heard it didn't sound good in the least. He turned his head in the direction Torin had walked off before shifting his focus back towards the direction the Seidr and the pale woman had gone in.
His lips thinned themselves before he turned in the direction of Torin and started to walk towards him.
Cu stopped walking and turned back around, nodding once "This spot is as good as any." he sighed before looking at Olga "Now then…You're upset."
"Upset?" Olga growled, throwing her hands up "He's-" she cut herself off and looked to the side "...Protecting these people is all well and good but we're now discussing the complete destruction of this era, in the face of all that how can he still turn around and say-"
"Because he has his pride." Cu interrupted her but not rudely, his words were enough for Olga to pause and tilt her head at him. "No real shock, he's been assigned to act as both their leader and their guardian. Until they are safe there is no way he's ever going to abandon them, even for the end of the world."
Olga grit her teeth "It's stubborn and foolish-"
"Hey now." Cu frowned "It might look foolish to you, but don't insult the guys resolve like that. He's willing to let us go all on our own - let me go with you - so long as he can protect these people and I'm surprised you're not jumping to take that deal."
"Because we need all the Servants we can get." Olga retorted as if the answer was obvious "And unlike Fujimaru, I can't just call down Servants from Chaldea!" she looked away with clear annoyance before her breathing slowed "...I…He's the only help we have right now and leaving him here when he could be better served helping us is…"
Cu nodded his head slowly "What you say makes sense…but the guy has his pride as a leader." he gave her a half smile "So do you."
"W-what? Excuse me?"
"Come on." He gestured to her wrist communicator "Could you abandon all those guys in your little observatory if it came to it."
The woman clasped her wrist tightly, as if trying to stop it from being pried off "That isn't…this isn't…we're not…"
"The same?" Cu raised an eyebrow before he frowned once again and shook his head "Whether or not you can see it missy, you are. He's got to look out for the people he knows he can save, same as you." he sighed "You might not like it but that's the truth of the matter."
"He's being short sighted!" Olga argued back "Talk him out of it! You've known him longer-"
"It's because I've known him longer - although that's barely a few days longer, mind you - that I know it won't work." Cu bluntly pointed out before he tapped himself on the side of the head with his right hand "You not hear what I said? It's his pride as a leader. He's got to keep the people under his command safe and you'd probably do the same in his position."
Olga opened her mouth to retort before she stopped just shy of the words flowing out of her mouth. Remaining frozen with her jaw slightly parted before it slowly worked itself closed with a gentle click. The woman continued to stare off to the side for what felt like hours.
"Yeah." Cu snorted "No wonder you're pissed about it." he rolled his eyes before shaking his head "You can't make him leave. Only he can do that and that's not liable to happen so long as he's these people's protector and unless something happens, then that likely won't change any time soon."
He shrugged "Sorry to say lass, but looks like this might be where we end up parting ways depending on how quickly you want to go charging back up north into the mass den of wyverns and dragons." he pointed out dryly "We'd be spending a few days drawing up some kind of plan as well."
Olga flinched and looked down at the ground.
Cu sighed after a few moments and looked up "...Well, I'd recommend you getting some grub in your gut." he stated after a few moments before he grimaced "They ain't got no alcohol though, which is a shame as nothing quite goes better with beef than with some beer."
He paused for a moment before he groaned loudly "Wait…fucking vikings, they drink mead don't they? Do they even have beer around here or not?"
"Who cares about the beer?" Olga grunted back as she thinned her lips, Cu levelled her with a hefty frown.
"I care…I ain't had a proper drink in days."
Olga wasn't paying attention to him, suffice to say she was having her own problems right now. Not least of all was the choice that lay before her. Either to leave now and rush North to try and stop the dragons from burning the country to ash but to leave behind a potential asset, or to wait for perhaps a day until the people here had been led to safety and then leave.
Neither option was appealing and she…
She understood why Torin wasn't going to leave.
It was annoying for her and heavily inconvenient for her goals but she understood, in some way, why he wasn't going to. He had his pride as a leader, no matter what he was going to keep the people under his command safe because that was precisely what he was there to do.
If he left them, there was no guarantee of that.
Even a small flock of wyverns would make short work of the caravan and everyone probably knew it..
Closing her eyes, she exhaled before looking down. Either support the safety of these people and get them out of danger, or continue onwards and lose the strength of an Allied Servant - a Divine Spirit, no less - for the journey ahead.
They might have secured the aid of Brynhildr but it was better to make her an addition rather than a trade.
Staying with the caravan might cost them perhaps a day but that would allow the wyverns and dragons greater gains and further the damage in History.
The choice was clear enough in the bigger picture.
Olga looked back towards Cu "...We'll leave after I eat, there are some rations I can have. Tell the other Servants not to partake in breakfast. There is no sense in depriving the locals of precious supplies when we do not need to."
The Caster slowly nodded his head "That might be a bit challenging for one of them." he admitted with clear mirth "Jorunn is gonna practically shove the food down his mouth and he ain't likely to turn her down."
The Director squinted at him in confusion for a moment before her eyes dulled "...Tarkus." she flatly spoke, Cu nodded once.
"Yeah. I could go and try and wrestle him away but I doubt he will leave." Cu shrugged "He just doesn't like being rude."
Olga groaned into her hand as she palmed her face before lowering it back to her side. "Fine…fine." She conceded, although was clearly displeased about it, before waving her hand at the Caster "Just…tell the others."
"I can, but shouldn't you be doing that instead?" Cu pointed out with a raised eyebrow "You're the Master here."
"I'm delegating." Olga swiftly retorted "And I need to think."
"Ho? Alright then." Shrugging his shoulders, the druid walked past the white haired girl "I'll let them know but don't take too long thinking. You'll give the wrong impression."
Olga bristled and whirled around to face him "What impression?"
"Hmmm?" Cu turned to face her, looking over his shoulder and maintaining a blank stare. "The impression you're sulking after getting into a row." He stated.
"I am not sulking!" She snapped back "I'm thinking-"
"And it looks like you're sulking." Cu retorted with a wave of his hand as he kept walking away from her "Try to show you can handle a little argument without losing your rag. Really shows that you're a good leader if you can do that."
"Wha-" Olga sputtered in shock before her eyes narrowed and she stabbed a finger at the Caster "I don't need to hear this from-"
"Sure, sure."
"Don't walk away from me." Olga snapped, marching after the Caster with a heated look in her eyes. Jogging to catch up with him and step in front of the Servant, stopping him from advancing. "I have much more to consider than a mere debate and I will not be lectured on that by you-" Then paused as she saw he was staring down at her with a knowing expression.
"Heh." Cu snorted, shaking his head at her "I said impression." he pointed out "I didn't say you were sulking." the look vanished and was replaced by a more serious one "But whether or not this era is in danger, it doesn't change the fact that running off north is a sure fire way of us ending up all dead. Now, If I were a Lancer I'd be more inclined to run off and do that. It sounds fun, but I can't afford that sort of luxury while I'm swinging around this fancy stick."
He pointedly waved his catalyst "And our forces consist of three and a half actual combat Servants." He stabbed a finger over the top of the Director and towards the others "Not to mention the fact your Servant - the Golem - can't actually do shit unless you command him to."
He lowered the hand "Now, we have got some help but as was so wonderfully demonstrated by us taking a fucking beating last night, that mounted Servant with the spear can comfortably take us in a fight and little miss flowers in the red dress might give herself swordsmanship but I doubt she's gonna last more than ten seconds against that Lancer."
Olga grit her teeth "I know that…"
"So, what are you gonna do if we run into them again?" Cu asked, raising an eyebrow "Torin is another combat Servant and the way I see it, we need to overcome quality with numbers. Sure, our new Lancer gives us an advantage but what have we got apart from that?"
Olga remained silent.
"So…" Cu raised his hand "Think about that a little longer before you start saying we're gonna leave and become a man down." he closed his eyes, reaching up and palming his face "Not that it's a bad idea to leave. You got a point there."
That caused Olga to briefly twitch but say nothing more, content to stare at the Caster with no small amount of intrigue.
"We're in a shit situation." He lowered his hand "So how are you gonna handle it, Master?"
Olga pursed her lips and looked down.
"See?" Cu slapped her on the shoulder, causing her to stumble slightly "Now you don't look like you're sulking!"
Olga glared.
Brynjar didn't have to travel far to find Torin, the Jarl was near enough the horses with a bucket of hay to feed them. Despite his position, the man had very much enjoyed doing the simple tasks that others were better suited for.
As he got closer, Brynjar rolled his jaw as he mustered up the courage to call out "Jarl Torin."
The man paused, the horse taking another handful of food from him before he looked over his shoulder towards the voice. "Brynjar, an early riser." He called out with a nod of the head before returning his attention to the animals "You should go to get some food, we'll be having to leave early."
"...You seemed to get into an argument with the other emissaries."
Torin paused for a moment "...A difference of opinion." he explained in a slow tone of voice "They made their case, I made mine. We might very well be parting from their company soon enough."
"Where will they go?" Brynjar asked before he paused and thinned his lips "They intend to head North to do battle with Fafnir and his serpent kin."
"They do indeed." Torin nodded his head "However, our path to safety lies further south. They believe it best to head north to face the dragons before they destroy too much land but I will not part from you until I am certain you have reached safer grasses."
Brynjar frowned "...And the Seidr?"
"...He might go with them." Torin admitted with a shrug of the shoulders "But that is his choice to make."
The blonde man continued to stare at Torin in silence for a few moments before understanding dawned upon him. "They wanted you to come with them, didn't they?" he asked, already knowing the answer but needing to at least hear it.
"...They did." Torin confirmed with a nod of the head, putting the bucket down on the ground and turning around to face the younger man, lips drawn into a frown under his beard "We came to a disagreement about whether my staying behind was wise." he raised his hand "Make no mistake, the woman - Olga - is merely concerned with the fate of this land as a whole."
Brynjar nodded his head "They are emissaries of the Allfather." he pointed out with a frown as he walked forwards and gestured to the man "To be asked to aid them is a great honour and you…" he blinked twice and tilted his head "You rejected them?"
"And I would do so again." Torin replied without a moment of hesitation "You all chose me to lead you to safety and that is what I shall do. Until such a time passes, I will not leave your company. You have my word on that."
Brynjar's face grew a troubled frown "...Jarl Torin this is…the Allfather himself is waging war against the serpents and has called upon you to help." he looked back up and thinned his lips "To reject him in this way is…it is not wise-"
Torin grumbled "Whether or not rejecting the advice of Gods is wisdom is not something I will concern myself with for the moment." he waved his hand "You should not be troubling yourself over this, many of the wyverns appear to be remaining North from what Seidr has told me so there is slim chance that we shall encounter any more as we resume our journey-"
"All the more reason for you to accompany them."
"...You are not thinking clearly." Torin remarked in a steeled tone of voice as he looked the younger man up and down "Even if the chance is slim, it is not impossible. If I allow you to venture out into the snow and you are set upon by wyverns without my aid…" he trailed off meaningfully "I cannot allow that. I swore I would protect you-"
"You have already done so." Brynjar cut him off "We are as safe as we are likely to be-"
"That is far from the truth and we both know it. Do not try to convince me to abandon my post to seek out glory for the Gods of this land-"
"It is not about glory!" Brynjar snapped, briefly silencing Torin "You asked me to watch you and learn how to be a leader? Then this is how…" he closed his eyes and exhaled before they opened up once again "If the serpents continue to rampage through the land then soon nowhere will be safe and it won't matter if we are burned to death now or by the turn of the next sun."
Torin thinned his lips "I am not rejecting the notion that I will have to bear arms against the dragons. However, I cannot do so with you still so close to the furthest reaches of their numbers. The attack last night proved they are already starting to move again-"
"Which means they will soon be burning and destroying everything they can find." Brynjar pointed at the ground "This is not simply the land we live upon, this was the home of our ancestors - the Land blessed by the Allfather and Thor - and you expect us to simply abandon it to its fate?"
"You cannot contend with the dragons!" Torin snapped back at him "Does the loss of the dozens last night not convince you of this? A paltry force would have wiped you out if not for our presence."
"And you are here." Brynjar retorted "At the far flung edge of the land while the true battle lies north…" he sighed "Jarl…Torin. I…we can never repay you for what you have done for us but there is more than this single town." he clenched his hands into fists "And we are not animals to be shepherded. We can make it further south while you join the other emissaries and head north."
"...This is stupidity Brynjar." Torin spoke slowly "I am not making this statement out of arrogance but out of fact. If you are attacked by a dragon and I am not there…you will die."
"Then we will die in battle and be in the halls of Valhalla."
"It will not make for the proud story you imagine it to be." Torin coldly retorted "What will you speak of when they ask for stories? Will you tell them of the smell of burnt flesh? How it waters the eyes and churns the stomach? Will you tell them of the screams of your friends and family as their flesh peels away from their bones and turns to dust?"
His lip quivered slightly "Will you speak then of the way in which you have to listen to them beg for help while knowing you cannot do anything more than watch and wait for your own turn?" he pressed a hand into his chest "Can you do that with the knowledge that you were the one that was chosen to protect them? To keep them safe and your final memories of your people and everything that you held dear is little more than a haze of pain and death?"
Torin was breathing heavily before he all but glared at Brynjar "Well?"
Brynjar remained silent for a moment before he looked Torin in the eye. "You said to be a leader was to often think between your head and your heart…which are you thinking with now?"
Torin stood there for a moment, rolling his jaw in silence.
Brynjar turned around and walked off, not before looking over his shoulder one final time "Do not push yourself into an action you might regret later, Jarl Torin. If you have been called upon by the Allfather himself…then you should answer the call. It means a great deal more than you might imagine and speaks volumes of your worth."
Torin thinned his hips, watching as Brynjar retreated in silence before he exhaled and looked skywards.
"...Hmmmm."
AN: Dragons on the move and timetable kicked up once again.
Fun times all around.
Anyway!
Next chapter will open with some more Kalameet stuff because we now all love him.
And with reason.
I wanted to write someone who was an antagonist to our cast but who wasn't a villain. Someone whose motives were perfectly understandable and who you could look at and say that in any other setting you would root for them.
Because Fate is all about some of the bad guys not actually being bad guys.
Anyway…
Akal!
Also, an explanation for her stage 3 dialogue.
She's just wearing a smart white shirt with black trousers and a long black trenchcoat.
Akal, Mother of Dragons
Servant: Caster
Strength: B+
Endurance: B++ (A++)
Agility: B
Mana: A
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A
Eternal Stone Scales: A (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 0
The Stone Scales of Everlasting Dragons, she is coated in them which render her invulnerable to all harm. Or rather, all harm save lightning. As it was conceptual that Dragons were felled by lightning, she shares this weakness.
Even if the lightning is mundane electricity, they will still be affected by it and have their scales shattered at the point of contact. However, this only takes effect when in her dragon form.
Her human body is bereft of these scales but no less sturdy.
Path of the Dragon: EX (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 0
Just as Humans could take the path and become Dragons, so too could Dragons take the path of becoming humans.
Or at least, that is the thin form of logic that Akal uses to manifest. In truth, whether Dragons could become humans is a moot point.
The path of the Dragon details the transition between man and drake, there is nothing to say it is a one way street.
This NP is how Akal manifests as a human, she can also do much the same as others who follow the path.
She can manifest ghostly appendages of the dragon just as humans could.
Class Skills:
Territory Creation: A
Dragon-Kind: EX
Magic Resistance: C
Personal Skills:
Path of the Dragon: A+
Wisdom granted to her through ancient age, she lived for thousands of years until she travelled to Archdragon Peak and slumbered atop the mountain.
Having reached her full age and size before quietly passing in the comfort of a dear friend and one she would regard as a relative, ironic given who he was.
Though it might appear as though she is clairvoyant, she is just better at predicting outcomes.
Life of Sediment: A
Immune to pain, being half sediment even with the guise of a human it is a mere facade. She is still a being that cannot comprehend pain as humans can.
She is also blessed with incredible regenerative abilities as well as control over the elements. Or rather, the element of fire. The irony is not lost on her but she cares little for it.
Ancient Dragon: EX
Race of Ancient Everlasting Dragons.
She is like her kindred, a first generation child who inherited the eternal scales of her kin. Granted immortality and the ultimate in protection. She also has incredible magical energy.
Mother of Dragons: A++
She retired to the summit of the world, residing in the same land as the Nameless King and birthed many wyverns and other drakes. As such, she can spawn them consistently once she has acquired a territory and sufficient organic material to shape into a wyvern egg. She can also command lesser dragon-kind, as they recognise her as a Matriarch.
Summoning
"Hoh? This is a little strange…but not quite in the way you expect. Usually my people were the one who did the summonings. Not that it matters right now, this new experience will certainly be intriguing for me. I am Akal, Caster Class Servant and Mother of Dragons."
Dialogue 1
"Do you sometimes enjoy the peace and quiet? I do as well. Though some might mistake it for meditation…I just enjoyed a good rest every now and again."
Dialogue 2
"Have you ever given thought to styling your hair? We dragons didn't have as much freedom for our appearance and now that I do I find myself a little curious on how much I can really do. I wonder, can I call upon your help from time to time?"
Dialogue 3
"Master and Servant? How intriguing. The roles are familiar enough to me to avoid confusion and yet I am not without some sense of…curiosity. The role of Master and Servant. I wonder, what is it that you would wish for me to do beyond combat? I can provide wisdom if you wish. I suppose the best thing I can say is that I shall be there to witness your journey…I'm curious to see how far you'll go and be willing to take you there."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Elizabeth Bathory)
"Now that is something curious. A young crossbreed who pursues the path of popularity? Perhaps it is because I am human in this form but there is most certainly something about her voice that is painful to the ears. I wonder if she realises what the cause of it is…Hmmm. I'm tempted to point her in the right direction but I wonder…perhaps it is best to let her figure it out on her own. That is more worthwhile."
Dialogue 5 (If you have Sieg)
"He's not my child but I'll love him like he is one. Is that so strange to you? Though my definition of motherhood might be different to yours. I shall provide him with my wisdom and see where that leads him, though it does not appear as though he is uncertain with his path. Perhaps a little ignorant as to what he is doing here? Well…We might have that much in common."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Kalameet)
"Older brother…or so he likes me to call him. Hehehe…I think calling him 'his majesty' might be a bit beyond us right now but maybe one day. Does that surprise you that one who sought transcendence would support a King? It shouldn't…I merely fulfilled the role I was born into, that does not mean that I was motivated by it. Still though…he represents the future we could have taken if we had the will for it. Though it's a little too late for that now…He only gained that understanding in death. Maybe we had lost from the very beginning because we couldn't understand what the future really was…"
Dialogue 7 (If you have Vritra)
"So you too became human, or rather you took the guise of one. I see, acting as an obstacle to encourage growth? How interesting…I approve. Though be careful your obstruction does not damage them too greatly, I would hate to see humanity follow the same path as my race. Reclusing to what is known and safe."
Dialogue 8 (If you have The Chosen Undead)
"Ah…now that is nostalgic. For me it is difficult to remember if I met him long ago or just the other day. Even though I was affected by the Flame, my perception of time is still different to that of humans. All I know is that I saw him a long time ago and I remember seeing something else in him that I might have been a little guilty of…oh well."
Dialogue 9 (If you have Nameless King)
"Hello Faraam. I do appreciate you looking after my children so diligently, but it will not erase your crimes. Perhaps I would be more forgiving if you had helped them build something more but I suppose neither of us had much experience in that. Time left us both behind, it seems."
Dialogue 10 (If you have Priscilla)
"I see the same flaw in her that I had long, long ago. We are too fixated on our own goals. She will forever wish to protect the downtrodden because that is all she knows how to do. Much like I could only ever lead humans to my perspective, there was simply no other path available to me. She is a crossbreed though, so I wish she would use that little bit of choice she has."
Dialogue 11 (If you have Merlin)
"Observers of the world and all that reside within it? I suppose we are both a little distant from the people we seek to help, aren't we Merlin? Then again…my attempt at King making didn't go nearly as good as your own. But I'm glad that I tried it…because that felt like true wisdom to me for the first time."
Dialogue 12 (If you have Scathach)
"I was never mortal to begin with, so I cannot truly understand her pain. The passing of time affects me differently as well…Still, I can at least express my sorrow to her. In this human form of mine, I would not wish for eternity. I've seen what became of my children as they secluded themselves at the top of the world and simply…ceased to age. A shame…I hope she perishes before reaching that point."
Likes
"What do I like? What a curious thing to ask and yet…I shall think on this for a while. Ask me again at a later time."
Likes (Bond Level 5)
"Ah, I have the answer for you now. I like the…shortness of it all. Does that seem strange to you? However…I will ask you something, is a sunset beautiful because of its appearance or because of how fleeting it is?"
Hates
"What do I hate? When I think of what became of the Dragons it is…saddening to ponder. Not just because of our genocide but because of what became of us after. Tragic though it might be, our survival was just that. Survival. We gained nothing, made nothing and at the very end…we lost nothing but our lives. I did nothing to stop that but it was merely my path in life."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"Wish for the Holy Grail is it…Hmmmm…I'd like to watch your journey until the very end."
Bond Level 1
"Hmmm. This sense of freedom? Do all humans have this? If so it's quite exhilarating. Hm? What do I mean? I'll explain later."
Bond Level 2
"Ah, that sense of freedom I mentioned? I was born an Everlasting Dragon, at a time where they were all but extinct. How else could I act, save to carry on their way of life. That is to say…there wasn't one. No one raised me or taught me…I just existed and apparently humans saw that as wisdom. How strange that is."
Bond Level 3
"Do I consider living forever and just staring at the world as it passes you by without having the opportunity to act wisdom? Not especially. That's why I much prefer my life as a Servant now. There's liberation in how I act and what I can do. True, I might be bound to you but even then…It's something that I chose. So I'm thankful for that much."
Bond Level 4
"The path of the Dragon…You learn to walk in my footsteps and become a being that sits at the edge of time and waits for the close of the world. In truth…I cannot quite explain what it is beyond that. You become separate from the world and that is…I'm not sure why humans would ever willingly tread that path. I was born into it and was rather envious of their lives."
Bond Level 5
"...Do you want to know something? I love you. Not in a romantic sense, don't get too broken up about that, but in the sense of…how a human can love the stars. I might very well be the mother of dragons, but I love the freedom you humans can walk around with. I love the future you endlessly strive towards but never quite reach…I love the passage of time and the opportunity to experience each single moment. Most of all…I love the bonds that can be made…So this is what it feels like to be human?"
Birthday
"A birthday…something special to mark the passage of time for you. I'll see to it you have a good day today."
During an Event
"There's something different in the air today. I'd rather take part than simply stand back and watch, but the choice is yours…"
1st Ascension
"Don't focus too much on my appearance, I'm rather taken with it as is. Though these are clothes that were taken from the dead so…"
2nd Ascension
"Hmmm? You'd like to know if I'd fancy a different outfit or not? Well…if you're offering, I suppose I might seek one out. To choose my own clothing…how exciting."
3rd Ascension
"This outfit of mine? I like it very much. What are these called again? Smart clothes and this coat...I'm not quite sure why it is named after a groove cut into the dirt but that is something you all do."
4th Ascension
"I don't think I can quite thank you enough for getting me to this point, but I will continue to support you as best as I can. To be part of a story is something quite tantalising. I want to witness and be a part of every moment."