Eric Weathers and his Caster-class Servant, Christopher Marlowe, minding their own business within their Faction's temporary lodgings in the Digital Sea, found themselves enveloped in a sudden disorienting sensation in a surprise, sudden onset of warping code and blinding light. As the world around them blurred and twisted, they prepared for what this inevitably meant; the beginning of the Grail War had come.
When the sensation ceased, they found themselves standing on the streets of Britain on August 31st, 1939.
The air felt heavy with tension, as if the very fabric of reality was being stretched thin by the impending war. The subtle late night ambiance and cold air breeze sent a chill down Eric's spine, though, Marlowe seemed unperturbed by it all. He was, after all, a native of Britain, and a Caster beyond that. No doubt this happenstance was just another day in the life for the dour author slash Magus.
Eric looked around carefully, taking in their surroundings as best he could. The streets were lined with tall, ornate buildings, and the gas lamps cast eerie shadows on the cobblestones. His eyes were drawn to the small park nearby, where a few people enjoyed the tranquil midnight hours, blissfully unaware of the wars that would soon unfold, conventional and supernatural alike.
"Hmmmmmm... Master... I can feel a... presence... Yes, like a flair in the dark... a being of excessive power and... serene calmness... Hmmmmm... this aura... it can only be-"
"A Servant." Eric finished.
"An astute assumption Master. I was thinking the very same. Non-Combatant sort no doubt. The type we'd be well served negotiating with. Or, if all else fails, frighten off without too much difficulty."
"If it means we can put off fighting until we've had a chance to get ourselves set up then go ahead, find the competition and shoo them away. In the meanwhile, I'm going to get you something to wear that doesn't stand out like a sore thumb."
Marlowe nodded, his cloak rustling around him as he did so.
"Our tasks are set then. I will find our potential foes, and you will find some more appropriate clothing for me. I must agree, I doubt my current attire will blend in well with this era. Just be sure to grab something of quality."
"And you be sure to keep that Servant as far away from us as possible" Eric replied, his Servant shuffling off to fulfill his command in short order.
With that, Marlowe set off through the streets, searching for any sign of Mary and Oscar. As he walked, Eric's set about finding something for his Servant to wear, his disease gnawing at him all the while, reminding him of his frailty and the limited time he had left.
Despite the urgency of the situation, Marlowe, much to his chagrin, could find no trace of the other Servant or their Master.
"It seems they were aware of us as well. No doubt they've fled, rather than so much as chance a hostile encounter. Wise. I might well have done the same, were I the weaker party. Hmmmm, no bother wasting anymore time on this errant, I best return to Master Eric's side."
Before long Marlowe rejoined his Master, and together they waltzed through the midnight streets, looking for some period appropriate wares to claim, to avoid drawing any undue attention.
After some searching, they found a small tailor shop tucked away in a side street.
Eric selected a business-casual outfit for his Servant, who quickly, and effortlessly, broke into the store and claimed the garments, changing into the more modern attire.
"Now then," Eric said, his voice resolute, "let's send out some familiars to contact the rest of the Black Faction."
Marlowe nodded in agreement. "I can create some shadow creatures with my Shadowcraft if you wish. They should be suitable for the task."
"Perfect. Let's do it."
And so, Marlowe focused his magical energy, casting a spell that caused the shadows around them to come alive. The inky blackness coalesced into several small, bat-like creatures, their eyes glowing with an eerie luminescence.
Eric cleared his throat, ready to give the gribbly little things his orders.
"Ahem... I command you all to find Mary and Tolkien, Jezebel and M.R. James, and Abid Armitage and H.P. Lovecraft. Let them know of our current location, and that we will convene with them at the first available opportunity."
As the shadow familiars took flight, disappearing into the night, Eric and Marlowe prepared themselves for the trials that lay ahead. The first steps in their journey had been taken, and time would tell how well-spent their first few plays of the war would turn out to be.
Time passed by quickly, the shadows of night deepening as Eric and Marlowe reluctantly decided to secure a temporary hideout. Nothing too grandiose, just something to wait out the dead of night while they awaited a response from their Black Faction allies.
Quickly, they happened upon a place that would serve them well enough, an abandoned building in a quiet part of this unknown city, its crumbling façade a testament to the passage of time.
They discreetly entered the structure, finding its interior dilapidated but serviceable.
Marlowe, using his Territory Creation skill, established a small workshop within the building, allowing them to fortify their position and work on magical research if so desired. As they settled in, the shadow familiars began returning one by one, carrying messages from the other members of the Black Faction.
The familiars brought brought good news from Mary and her Alter-Ego Servant, Tolkien. It seemed that they'd successfully made their way to Stirling Castle, and has started setting up the Black Faction's primary base of operations there. They also brought with them a message from Jezebel and M.R. James, who were eagerly making their way to Stirling Castle at that very moment, very nearly arrived in fact.
Of Abid Armitage and Voyager, there was, concerningly, no sign of them.
"Well then, let's just hope they got sidetracked by something they can handle." Eric sighed. He just hoped they hadn't run into any enemy Servants, thinking back to his and Caster's own close encounter.
"We should proceed with caution," Marlowe advised, concern etched on his face. "I recommend staying in our current location until we know it is safe to abscond to Stirling Castle ourselves. Moreover, if we maintain my current, hastily made workshop as a secondary, hidden base, then we provide another place of refuge for Abib and Voyager to flee to, should they have gotten themselves into trouble.
Eric listened to the words of his Servant carefully, his concentration in these moments only rivaled by the unending pain of his aching body, made all the worse by the stress he was currently subject to.
"We'll make a decision on how to proceed in the morning. Till then Caster, Keep your familiars in constant contact with Stirling Castle, and let me know if they pick anything up on the side while doing so."
"As you wish, My Master." Caster said, before reaffixing his attention to the establishment of his workshop, leaving his master to sleep off the anxious air of these turbulent first hours of the False Moon Cell Holy Grail War.