Chapter 3 - The First Guardians

Aegis HQ, London, England. Year 2004. Two weeks later.

Two weeks had passed since the confrontation that would go down in the annals of history as a victory for Humanity, a fruitful alliance between spirits and mages. It would be the foundation for the creation of the Aegis, the organ of truce between entities and mortals. That, at any rate, would be the official line, mused Professor Salar as he wandered the corridors. The Iraqi researcher doubted he'd ever get used to the military atmosphere, the immensity of the premises contrasting with the small number of active agents and the scarcity of spirits. He had missed the studious, buzzing atmosphere of the Clock Tower Academy in recent months, ever since he had been forced to leave it and abandon his own course. The researcher couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when he thought of his students and PhD students, whom he'd had to leave behind. This was not at all in keeping with his values.

An indescribable sense of relief swept through him as the professor finally rediscovered the freshness of the institution's inner gardens. Deprived of the Academy's immense library and the calm of his research office, this was the only place where he could find the serenity he loved so much.

Still convalescent, he had been placed among the reserves as soon as he awoke from the HQ infirmary. He'd been very lucky to get off so lightly, according to the institution's doctors. He hadn't been able to give them the answers they were looking for as to why he'd been brought back in such a state of extreme fatigue, or how his magical circuits had held up after being so obviously taxed. To tell the truth, Karim himself had wondered if he'd dreamt the whole mission and battle, his nightmares haunted by a shower of pure gold weapons and a blade that pierced him from side to side, as if he'd been impaled alive. Soon, however, he was jolted back to reality by the scars chiseling across his body that had not been there before, testifying to gaping wounds, the most terrible of which had, for some obscure reason, already been closed when he had been taken in. To his pleasant surprise, they hadn't got him out of bed to take him without further ado to a meeting with their director, De Clare. Karim feared, however, that they would take advantage of one of the rare occasions when Enkidu - his partner and not his servant, as he liked to remind some of the agents he had dealt with - was not present at the base. Lancer was indeed, obviously, an exception to the rule that spirits had to remain based at headquarters if not accompanied by a mage, in order to limit any avoidable contact between spirits and humans, under the truce that was soon to be officially ratified by powerful spirits, leaders and mages.

A smile tugged at the corner of Karim's lips. He could hardly imagine Enkidu being coerced in any way. The Spirit was like a breeze, impervious to any form of captivity. In addition to his character and great powers, his status as a Divine Spirit also protected him from the wiles of the mages, especially as he was currently the only one of them who had extended a hand to them, on his terms. He was a precious ally, but an ally of circumstance, an independent ally. Salar's features became more serious. He was all too aware that he was now the only link between Enkidu and the Aegis. His partner had made this very clear at his bedside when he had awakened.

"Why do I want to protect humans? They're a component of life on Earth, so I'm in their favor. However, their knowledge has also led them to detach themselves from nature. I feel closer to animals and plants. I'll protect them first and foremost, not humans."

Karim understood his opinion, even if it probably didn't reassure the Aegis leaders. This vision corresponded fairly well to the image of Enkidu that had remained in the oldest written texts in the history of mankind. The friend of the King of Heroes was the guardian of nature, and the first protector of the flora and fauna that had welcomed him from his first steps on mortal soil. He was, in this sense, closer to beasts than to humans, and looked after the latter only because they were living beings, one of the microcosms of the immense macrocosm of nature.

"You're no ordinary human. Your knowledge has not made you forget your primordial links with nature. What's more, this form, this power... you've given me what the gods denied me. You've accepted me as I am, so I'll walk by your side, and be your weapon to protect mankind."

The researcher remained fascinated as much by the serenity as by the ferocity of the Spirit, whose thought could display both immense sagacity and disarming simplicity.

"Can't you leave the premises? Ah, you have to respect the chain of command. That's a concept I can hear. The brain's role is to protect the body; the body's role is to obey the brain's orders. However, in order to do this, the orders of command must not be stupid. So if they hold you against your will, don't hesitate to call me. I'll come and get you."

Still, he hoped they wouldn't have to go to such extremes, so he reassured Enkidu and let him leave the complex without further ado. Even separated by distance, he still felt an echo of the presence of the Heroic Soul through their mental time, he had no doubt that they would be able to communicate by thought with the same ease as Elvaren's soldier and her partner, the famous Joan of the shade of a large tree just far enough into the gardens, Karim slid with relief against the bark of its trunk, until he found himself sitting on the grass, leaning against pulled a thick book of Sumerian archaeology from his satchel, which he had kept with him, and opened it to the page where he had left off the morning of the day the Aegis had "taken him away from the Academy".He perused it for several long minutes, before straightening up and taking out a pocket watch from his shirt opened it to consult the time briefly, before pressing one of its buttons for a few moments. The upper shell of the watch opened into a thin slit, revealing a photograph that rested on the open pages of the book. His dark eyes softened as much as his heart clenched at the sight of the woman and children who had been immortalized in the photograph. His dark eyes softened as much as his heart clenched at the sight of the woman and children who had been immortalized in the photograph.

"Out of sight, but not out of mind" ... he hoped it was true. He hadn't even had time to see them again, while the Aegis and the British government kept them as much under his protection as as "hostages" to ensure his full cooperation. He wasn't blind to this, having studied enough history to guess at the cunning of the rulers. He was drawn out of his thoughts by a feminine voice calling out to him, springing up beside him.

- I knew I'd find you here.

Without closing the pocket watch, Karim raised his dark eyes to the newcomer he hadn't heard approaching.

Unsurprisingly, the tall, slim shadow overhead belonged to the British military woman, whose accents betrayed her origins across the Channel. While her tone remained draped in military dryness, it had become less distant in recent months. The researcher gazed at her wordlessly, refusing to lower his eyes in the face of Elvaren's icy latter sighed and, to his astonishment, did not seek confrontation, instead shedding her military rigidity and taking her place on the other side of the thick, wide tree trunk where he was sitting. They remained in complete silence for several long minutes, one browsing through his archaeology book, the other consulting various files on the digital tablet she held in her hand.

- You look like you're back on your commented in a tone both cordial and even.

- Jeanne took care of me. She wouldn't budge. Elvelyn replied succinctly.

Without looking up from his work, Karim nodded silently in agreement. That would be just like the soldier's partner. As different as night and day in their temperaments, a particular, indestructible bond seemed to unite the military and intelligence officer with the Maid of Orleans. The researcher had also noted that d'Elvaren was more likely to use the first name of the Heroic Age than her class or any of her titles, such as "Pucelle d'Orléans".

It was a peculiarity that was both common and peculiar to the members of the 1st Division, as far as he could see, with the notorious exception of Rin Tohsaka and Archer, apparently by tacit agreement between the interested parties. He couldn't say the same for the organization's other few active agents and their spiritual associates.

- Your convalescence seems to be going well. observed the soldier after a short silence.

- Yes, indeed. I should be back on my feet soon. The researcher merely clarified. It was all true, and Salar saw no point in concealing this simple fact. As had been the case since their shadowy encounter, conversation remained difficult between them, and the researcher was surprised that the young woman seemed to want to engage in discussion with him, obviously despite her naturalness.

- That's a good thing. If I had to choose, I'd rather have you alive than dead.

Karim straightened his head, taken aback not so much by the former intelligence officer's impassive tone as by her words, which would have offended many.

Nevertheless, over the last few months of forced collaboration, he was beginning to get a better idea of how the military woman's psyche worked. Her aloof, haughty and stern mask concealed difficulties with social interaction and a deep mistrust of her companions, perhaps as a means of self-protection. He wasn't a doctor of psychology, but he'd dealt with enough students and individuals in his career as a teacher and archaeologist to get a feel for their characters. She sometimes displayed a peculiar form of black humor, which you had to be able to decipher to understand the real subtext behind the words she used. That's why the researcher smiled and ventured a touch of mischief behind his very serious tone.

- I can imagine. Less paperwork for you.

Although he couldn't see her reaction, since the tree trunk between them placed them back to back, he savored the moments of silence that followed, and especially the brief chuckle that was , this soon gave way to the unflappable seriousness he knew so well from Elvaren.

- You've been summoned by the director. He'll see you just after my debriefing.

Salar would have been surprised if they hadn't, and was even pleasantly surprised that their superior hadn't done so as soon as he'd woken up a week earlier. From the visits he'd received from Rin and Shirou over the last few days, he'd deduced that this lull had been arranged by the soldier herself. She had wanted to wait until he was awake and on his feet before having to submit to the debriefing, as she had apparently done for their young colleagues and the Heroic Souls accompanying them. Karim was touched by this thoughtfulness, but knowing the soldier, he preferred not to dwell on it.

- Thank you for letting me know. You wanted to talk to me in preparation for these interviews?

- Emiya and Tohsaka have given me their report. I'd like to clarify a few points with you.

By this he meant that the officer had been brought up to speed on the essentials of the confrontation, and that Shirou had reported most of the information concerning them during the confrontation. Rather than a complete summary, she expected him to point out elements that were peculiar to him. Karim complied, calmly justifying each of his decisions and initiatives as methodically as he was able. Not all were to the soldier's taste, but at least she made the effort to let him finish his presentation before making any comments. They agreed that the situation was exceptional, and that Salar would have to undergo intensive training and theoretical instruction to bring himself up to the level of his team-mates, and to limit reckless risk-taking. All that remained were the trickiest points.

- I'm not going to beat about the bush, Salar. What happened with Lancer?

- I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me. This has never happened before?

- Never before. I wouldn't be asking if it had. she replied dryly.

- I see. I'm having a bit of trouble putting it into words, and my memories are a bit muddled.

- Don't try to make sense of it right now. Just describe what you remember.

Karim was about to get annoyed when he realized she was asking him to describe, rationally, what he remembered in factual terms. He lent himself to the exercise and tried to answer her. When? During the close combat between Enkidu and the King of Heroes. Under what circumstances? When he had lent Emiya a hand, while they stalled for time as she had requested. Why had he done this? He'd asked Enkidu if he needed his help, Evelyn had been attacked by a hostile spirit, Shirou and Artoria were in a poor state, so they were in the vanguard. Frowning, the professor paused for a few moments before raising his voice to d'Elvaren.

- I asked Enkidu to draw Archer's attention to us, so that Shirou and Artoria could retreat to Jeanne and you could recuperate. He asked my permission to confront him, and I quote, "without the slightest restraint", and in that case, to "fight him". All I remember is that the seals on my right arm activated and a colossal amount of magic flooded my circuits. I lost consciousness shortly afterwards. I didn't regain consciousness until I was supporting you in the ritual you'd mentioned. He remembered Enkidu's gesture of invitation, the outstretched hand he'd grasped with his right arm. Karim fell silent again, returning his gaze to the arm in question, the same arm on which were magically inscribed the runes constituting the seal of the pact he had made with the Heroic Soul of Sumer.

- What happened in the meantime? Can you shed some light on this?

- Are you familiar with the theory of Pseudo-Servants and Half-Servants, Salar?

- I'm not familiar with it. Let me remind you that while I studied at the Clock Tower, the faculties I attended there were the Astaire faculty on the universal history of mankind and the Brishan faculty on anthropology, the past traditions of the magi and the traces they have left in human societies. This is completely outside my field of expertise.

- I'm no expert, but here's what one of my acquaintances told me: a Pseudo-Servant is a Servant who has manifested using a human as a vessel, while a Half-Servant is a conceptual human - an artificial human, or homonculus - into whose body has been placed the Holy Graph of a Heroic Soul, in short its spiritual essence. The Half-Servant thus has two Saint-Graphs, that of the human and that of the Spirit, while the Pseudo-Servant possesses only the Saint-Graph of the Heroic Soul. These are archaic notions, dating from before the Flood.

Before the Flood... no doubt other faculties of the Academy of Magi might have tackled these questions. It was the sort of question that might interest the Clock Tower, as well as other magician academies such as the Atlas Institute. This was of little help to Salar, who remained silent as he waited for his interlocutor to continue and eventually provide some clarification.

- From what I've been able to observe and deduce, what has happened to you borrows from both of these notions, but differs from them in that it is temporary and unpredictable, not the result of experiments carried out by humans, on humans or humanoids. Like the Pseudo-Servant, the human is used as a catalyst, a host that enables the Spirit to merge with it and manifest itself as a single entity, whose personality is either a fusion of those of the human and the Spirit. On the other hand, it differs in that, while your consciousness was dormant at the time of fusion, your consciousnesses did not merge and you were able to maintain it, once possession was broken. It also differs in that Enkidu is a Divine Spirit according to our classification, whose existence is self-sufficient and who doesn't need a host to be present here on earth. In short, it doesn't need you to manifest itself, yet it has chosen to use you as a catalyst to manifest itself in a third form. As far as Half-Servants are concerned, you are a flesh-and-blood human, completely natural, and the phenomenon occurred without any third-party intervention, it didn't affect your short- or medium-term health according to your medical records, and the Spirit has already manifested itself by its own means. Your existences can exist separately, but they can also merge. Finally, unlike these two cases, the Spirit's abilities and power are not diminished, but rather greatly enhanced, at the cost of the temporary nature of the phenomenon. What I can deduce is that this is a third category of Heroic Spirit Possession, which may be a consequence of the Flood.

Karim remained silent; this time, the researcher was impressed by the military woman's presentation and was eager to assimilate the knowledge and observations she brought to his attention as she concluded on the appearance that seemed to have been theirs, with far too much detail to be merely the product of imagination. He had no way of verifying the relevance of her hypotheses, but from what he could hear, the researcher at least felt they were plausible, even if science and scientific rigor would have to validate them according to the protocol that was de rigueur.

- Well, after such a presentation, you claim not to be an expert on the subject. I can't imagine what it must be like when you present a subject from your areas of expertise. Was it Director De Clare who inspired such an ambitious and rich theory?

- No, it's just the product of deductions from my observations and information passed on to me by my acquaintance. He was a researcher specializing in advanced thaumaturgy. The last time I heard of him, he was researching the Flood.

- Did you tell the Director about your observations and... hypotheses? asked Salar.

- He didn't ask my opinion, so I didn't share it with him. replied d'Elvaren.

Yet Karim sensed from her tone that this was not the only reason for her silence and discretion.

Her voice may have been impassive, but the turn of phrase and choice of words she had used did not strike him as innocent, and Salar thought of the mage she had mentioned, without ever revealing his identity. Yet she had not hesitated to share her theory with him, showing a rare frankness devoid of all restraint. In the space of a few minutes, the researcher had thought he heard curiosity in her words as quickly as his memory had been sharpened. Perhaps there was a facet of the former intelligence officer's personality that he had briefly glimpsed, escaping for a fleeting moment from the mask of the military woman.

- Evelyn... Salar began in a cordial voice, hesitating how to approach her.

- This discussion never took place, and what happened to you never happened.

- You surprise me, D'Elvaren. Is that wise? Shirou, Rin, Artoria and Archer...

- Are of the same opinion. All this will remain "shrouded in darkness" outside the 1st Division.

Several minutes of silence punctuated the firm words of the former military and intelligence officer, pronounced in an inflexible tone that would brook no argument. Why? The question haunted Karim's thoughts, and he couldn't understand his interlocutor's position. As far as he knew, the Franco-British woman had been very transparent with their superior until now, so why was she suddenly so insubordinate? It would have been in her interest to reveal what had happened: no doubt she could have obtained a promotion or a sizeable bonus, from what he knew of the governing bodies and even more so of the mages. It would certainly have prevented him from suffering a fate worse than death - ending up as a test subject, being imprisoned because deemed too dangerous, being coldly killed because deemed a danger to humanity - but it would have meant taking very great risks with regard to the Director of Clare, a highly influential man. On the other hand, the decision was understandable: she had every interest in keeping his cooperation if they wanted Enkidu to help them in their mission to mediate between spirits and humans, mages included. From what he knew of the Heroic Soul who had become his friend and ally, Enkidu would never allow himself to be harmed or hurt in any way, and he didn't wish anyone to incur the wrath of the Spirit, one of the only ones capable of competing with the King of Heroes... and especially one of the only ones whose company the latter accepted, he realized as he thought back to the latter's words.

"- You, the assistant. Enkidu seems to think the world of you, so you must be the least stupid of the lot. I know you can hear me. For the sake of an old friend, I'm letting you live today. If they value their lives, let them never set foot here again. I won't always be so magnanimous."

No doubt Evelyn, Rin, Shirou, Jeanne, Archer and Artoria had heard the words spoken by this regal, formidable and sagacious Servant. Karim straightened up, thinking about the words he'd spoken, then about his use of the third-person plural pronoun. He could have used the second person plural to include them all. Yet he had deliberately chosen to use "you", thereby including all the mages and spirits who had allied themselves with the former, but also excluding Enkidu and, by derivation, himself for as long as Enkidu wished his company by his side. Whether it was his features, his dialect or his personality... it should have been impossible, but Salar couldn't have been more certain of his identity. The professor was convinced he now knew the mysterious Caster's True Name. At last, the researcher understood the role he would be taking on within the Aegis.

- After this conversation, there's no turning back. This is your last way out. I can arrange for contacts to extract you from the Aegis and erase your memories since your arrival there. You'll go back to being the teacher and archaeologist Karim Salar, you'll be able to return to your courses, your expeditions and your family, and you'll forget everything to do with spirits. What's it going to be, Professor Salar?

He was becoming aware that he had stepped into a basket of crabs. An institution built on laudable intentions and an honorable mission, but what were they compared to the ambition of mages and human nature in general? Was Humanity, the world of mages, worth protecting? He thought of the two young mages in their unit and the Heroic Souls fighting alongside them. He thought back to their months of intensive training, and the battle in which they had shed sweat and blood. Enkidu's green hair, lagoon eyes and long white toga came back to mind, as the Heroic Soul held out his hand. Then he remembered the fierce crimson eyes of a child with short golden hair, which he shared with the severe crimson-eyed Caster who had held him by the collar. Karim took a deep breath, closed the thick book he'd been consulting with a sharp gesture and put it back in the pouch that never left his side, then folded up and stowed his pocket watch in his inner pocket, close to his heart. The researcher got to his feet and leaned against the thick trunk of the tree, his back still to the military. Dusting off his clothes, the Iraqi archaeologist and Clock Tower professor settled on a single question

- Do you think there could be several incarnations of the same Heroic Soul?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Evelyn get to her feet and face him, with that hushed, stealthy gait that was so characteristic of her. Before she could reply, two distinct voices called out to them, emanating from the same spot a few meters away.

- D'Elvaren, Salar! How much longer are you going to keep us waiting, chattering away like this? Lunch break's almost over and I'm not going to miss a meal!

- There won't be much choice left if we wait too long, which would be a shame.

Salar immediately turned his eyes towards the entrance to the gardens, where people were waiting for them. The first voice was that of Rin, impatient and glaring at them, her hands resting on her hips. The second voice, calm and good-natured, belonged to Shirou, who was trying to soothe her colleague. Once he and Evelyn had gained their height, the teacher was approached by the Lancer class spirit, Jeanne.

- I'm glad you chose to stay, Karim. There are other battles ahead, but I can see you're no longer afraid. That warms my heart. I'm sure we'll succeed in our mission, but let's take some time to rest, as there's still a long way to go.

- Please allow us to join you, Professor. We'll work together, I hope, in good faith. added Artoria, the Saber-class Heroic Soul who looked after Shirou.

Touched by a sense of belonging he hadn't expected, Karim smiled awkwardly and ran a hand over his neck, nodding his thanks. As Shirou and Rin led the way in lively conversation, and Jeanne and Evelyn slipped away towards the aid reserved for the Aegis management offices, a fourth voice addressed the professor.

- You sound more confident. That's good, that's the spirit. I know how you feel. You're frustrated by your powerlessness, but for now, keep moving forward.

Karim's dark eyes rested on the silhouette partly concealed by the half-light generated by the glow of the outdoor gardens and the building's porch.

The brown gaze of Archer, the Spirit who fought alongside Rin, watched him intently while his features remained unruffled, his arms crossed over his torso. Without waiting for her reply, he left his post to join the others. Karim, sensing something on his mind, stopped and turned his gaze towards the gardens. With a warm smile, he respectfully inclined his head towards the figure of Enkidu who was watching him from the gardens, a peaceful smile on his lips, before the mage rejoined the 1st Division and Enkidu disappeared, his presence fading from the gardens.

"Whether you like it or not, a new world is dawning. You can't stop it. Get it into your heads, adapt or perish, mongrels."

A new era was dawning, a new world for the peace of which he was ready to fight.