Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, but University kind of killed me a bit.

Enjoy the chapter! As always, let me know what you think in the reviews!

02. Preparations

Edenborough, Scotland

Thea's Apartment

"I can't believe this is happening," Thea groaned, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes. Now that she was free from her crazy family, the situation she found herself in was now fully settling on her. She had a Servant. Despite all she had done to avoid it, she was now a master in the Holy Grail War… what a mess. And she had somehow been paired with the strongest of servants to boot. "Why me?"

"Are you quite alright Master?" Her Servant asked and Thea slowly lowered her hands, her blue eyes meeting the calm gaze of her Servant's as she took her in.

Saber was breathtaking. She had, long silky dark chocolate brown hair that was pulled back into a thick braid that flowed down her back, with a few strands framing her face, her bangs brushing against the top of her brows, flawless peach-toned skin, and large, green eyes that were a perfect leaf green with dark lashes. She was also clad in gold armor that was a mix of Grecian and European armor over a long-sleeved white-and-green tunic with gold trimming and an emerald green skirt that had slits on either side of her legs.

"I'm fine. Why? Does it look like I'm not?" Thea demanded defensively, stunning or not, she wasn't sure if she could trust this Servant.

"It's alright if you need a moment, Master." Saber said calmly, "From what I saw when I was first summoned, it looked like you were about to be sacrificed and your command seals taken. And from what I'm seeing right now, it looks like you weren't prepared to become a Master. It's alright to be shaken by the events tonight."

"Most other mages would probably just shake it off," Thea mumbled, looking away, she knew her grandfather would and if he had survived Saber's slaughter, she knew he would already be planning on a way to steal her Servant along with her command seals. He wouldn't care about all his followers who had just been killed.

"My Grandfather did want to forcefully take my command seals," Thea admitted a moment later, noticing that Saber was keeping quiet and suddenly wanting to fill the void of silence. She also didn't see any reason to keep the information from the Servant, she did save her. "You probably would have ended up with a better Master if you waited for the seals to be transferred. My Grandfather is a powerful and talented mage… and I'm not."

Saber cocked her head, contemplative, "Power and talent don't mean victory, Master. And only fools wouldn't be cautious or afraid in your situation. Remember this Master, there is a very fine line between bravery and idiocy, you would do well not to cross it. Since you don't seem to be a fool, you may be my ideal master."

Thea blinked at Saber, "Thanks? But I don't know if I'd be anyone's ideal master. You must have a wish right? I gained my command seals when I was seven and spent my entire life trying not to be part of the Holy Grail War. I don't have a wish. All I want to do is survive... and maybe stop my Grandfather from getting what he wants."

Saber was silent at that, once again, a thoughtful look on her face, "It's unfortunate, you were marked for the War so young, but I don't find that to be an issue. Some Servants merely want to face strong opponents, legendary warriors by fighting in the Holy Grail war."

Thea blinked at her Servant's confession, "Really? I didn't know that you'd think Servants would only fight for a wish…" She trailed off, looking thoughtful. "And you don't care if your Master doesn't have a wish? Do you have a wish?"

"I do, but two people don't have to have the same goals to work together," Saber said simply. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe in this Holy Grail War, I will be your shield and protect you with my life. All I ask in return is that you don't get in the way of my wish." Saber said.

Thea considered her options, it seemed like it was the best option so far, for the both of them. "It's not like I have a choice, "My best chance of survival is to stick with you. I don't want to die, so I'll support you as long as you protect me long enough to return to a normal life."

Saber raised her brows in surprise, probably thinking she'd argue a bit, "You're not curious about my wish?"

Thea shook her head, "You seem happy enough with a sub-par Master like me so I don't need to know."

Saber gave her a slightly calculating look before a small smile formed on her face, "I see. Then, Master, what do we do next?"

Thea looked shocked at the question, uncertain. "I don't know. Should we wait for the other masters to come to us? I'm not even sure where everyone is. They may have already gathered to where the war should take place."

"Do you know if all the Servants have been summoned? Or where the Grail is being held for this Holy Grail War?" Saber asked.

"My Grandfather told me as I was being tied up, he was boasting and telling me about the wonderful war I'd be missing, you know, after he killed me," Thea scoffed, a scowl on her face as she remembered the smug look on his face. It was too bad she hadn't had the chance to look at his expression when he fled the scene of the crime, tail between his legs; while his wounded pride gave her a sense of satisfaction, it also gave her a sense of dread because she knew him. He would still hunt her down and force her command seals off her, he'd be even more determined now since he saw the Servant she summoned.

"He said that the Greater Grail was moved to Arundel, England for this Holy Grail War, I also think he did say all the Servants had been summoned, the last one is you, Saber."

The Servant nodded, "Then it won't be surprising to think that they will all eventually make their way to Arundel. We should get there as soon as possible and set up a base for operations. Do you need to grab anything from here?" She looked around the small room, taking in the lack of decor and furniture.

"No, I've always been on the move for so long, that I've gotten used to packing light." In case I have to run at a moment's notice, my parents got me used to that, she added to herself, her eyes landed on a picture frame of her and her parents, sadness filling her; it had been a hard life on the road, but she would always cherish every moment she had with them before they died. They gave up everything for her, the least she could do was survive and make sure her grandfather didn't get his way. Her resolve slightly strengthened, she took a deep breath and grabbed the picture frame, gently sliding it into a light purple travel pack. "Let's go, Saber."

Prague, Czech Republic

A Warehouse

"Please! Stop! I didn't know anything about what happened to Lucia!" A man scrambled back from a woman with wavy white-blonde hair and midnight blue eyes, his eyes widening at the scene behind her. She ignored the yells and crashing noises from behind her, simply staring at him. "Please, Ash!"

"You were one of the last people to have spoken to her before she died in the fire," Ash said, her voice calm and cold. "What did you two talk about?"

"Just her research!" The man insisted. "I wanted to know more about it since it was so complex and outside of our norm,"

Ash nodded, brow raising slightly, "So interested that you stole her work? The most recent papers I've read from you are almost an exact copy of Lucia's theories."

The mage blanched at her accusation, sweat dripping down his brow. "I-I didn't. I-I never took anything! It's all my ideas!" Anger suddenly took over his face and he bared his teeth at her when he realized she didn't believe him, "What does it matter? No one will believe the Outcast of Clock Tower that I took her work! And she's dead! What good wo-" The sound of gunshots resounded through the air and the man screamed in pain, both his knees a bloody mess.

Ash calmly looked to her right, eyes landing on the inky black metallic bird that hovered at her shoulder, its metal beak open and smoking, the hints of a gun muzzle retracting back into its beak. "Good job, Lux,"

The bird chirped at her praise. "Thief! Thief! He's a Thief Ashes!"

She turned back to the man who was trying to crawl away, "That he is, but he's not worth our time. We took back what we came for." She turned to the commotion that was happening behind her, watching as a woman dressed in a black-and-white dress and silver armor easily swung a sleek silver, black, and purple lance, cutting through the throats of the mage's henchman and spraying blood everywhere.

"Lancer," she said, causing the Servant to stop. "We're done here."

The servant gave her a curious look, deep purple eyes looking around before landing on the mage who was trying to crawl away, without a word, she threw her lance, the gleaming black-and-silver weapon soaring through the air and piercing the man straight through his back, causing his body to shudder before going still.

"You missed one Master," Lancer said casually, she held her hand out and the lance flew back into her outstretched hand. She flicked the weapon, cleaning it of the blood.

"I was going to leave him to crawl back to his masters, He could have been a solid lead, Lancer," Ash said, but she didn't sound too angry that her Servant had killed the man. She walked out of the warehouse, glancing around at the dead bodies on the ground. One man, upon seeing her, tried to push himself up, stumbling towards her, rage in his eyes, but his progress was halted by the sound of a loud gunshot; the man stumbled before falling to the ground dead.

"Hmm," Ash strode towards a black sedan, slipping into the driver's seat as she waited for the last person in their group to join them, Lancer easily slipped into the back, dematerializing her weapon, and relaxing.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it Master," Lancer asked, looking at the blonde, a small smile on her face. "Though, I don't understand why you're doing all this. You're a Master in the Holy Grail War, shouldn't you be more concerned with preparing for the other Masters than hunting down nameless mages?"

"I have prepared," Ash said back, glancing at her Servant, "I know who all the other masters are, and their current locations. All the Servants but Saber have been summoned to my knowledge. No one has moved to where the Greater Grail is yet. I think they're taking their time to get to Arundel."

Lancer looked impressed, "Interesting, I'd never thought you'd have such resources."

"My family helped to create the Magical Technology Department in Clock Tower, my father was the head of said Department before he passed away, what our family has built can almost compare to the technology in the Atlas Institute." Ash explained, "I was supposed to take over as head of Department... but I'm not interested in Clock Tower politics or the crazy people in Magus society, I'm much more interested in revenge. The heads of Magus society didn't want me in charge anyway."

"Simply put, things came up and you were ousted from Clock Tower." Lancer mused.

"Nothing simple about it, but I can focus on my revenge this way instead of meeting with stupid old men and women with stupid old values." Ash sighed, she'd always hated politics, give her a wrench and a machine that needed fixing any day.

Lancer chuckled, "Amusing, I don't mind helping you with your revenge, it's more entertaining than a Greater Grail War, and I have no wish that needs to be fulfilled.

"I'm glad you're amused," Ash scoffed, glancing over when the passenger door opened and a tall man with fair skin, short, tousled sandy blonde hair, and stormy gray eyes entered the car. He was dressed entirely in black, a rifle slung over his shoulders.

"Mission accomplished?" The man asked, glancing at her and Lancer.

"More or less," Ash shrugged, starting the car and driving off. "That idiot didn't say anything I didn't already know. He's also dead."

The man's brows rose, "I thought you planned to keep him alive,"

"Plans can change," Lancer shrugged, causing the man to scowl at her, "Relax Kole, I'm sure you and Ashy will find another lead for your revenge."

"Don't call me Ashy," Ash sighed annoyed, thinking of what to do next. She didn't want to head to Arundel yet. The useless bloodshed could wait a few more days, especially with no confirmation that the Saber-class Servant had been summoned.

"Where to next? Kole asked, giving her a curious glance.

Before Ash could reply, Lux went wild, flapping its metallic wings wildly and nearly slashing Ash's face. "Servant! Servant! There's a Servant nearby!"

"Lux is right," Lancer looked like she was about to bolt out of the car to face the Servant, an eager smile spreading across her lips.

"They're nearby?" Ash asked surprised.

"Yup!" Lancer was about to launch herself out of the car when she faltered, a pout appearing on her face as she slumped.

"Gone! Gone! Gone! Too late Lancie!" Lux chirped, once again flapping its wings as the Servant retreated.

"I know you metallic bird!" Lancer snapped, disappointed. "Maybe I should chase after him..."

"Don't bother," Ash said, relaxing slightly. "Restrictions for the Greater Grail War are stricter now. Servants can only fight in the designated city where the Greater Grail is and no combat before all Servants are summoned."

Lancer slumped in her seat, "Then where are we heading?"

"Belgium, there's some paperwork I need to collect from there... after that, we may as well head to Arundel, so cheer up."

Lancer huffed, "I guess I'll see you later. You better put up a fight..."

Ravenna, Italy

A man with pale skin, short, pulled-back white hair, and upturned red eyes silently took one last look through the scope of his sniper rifle, seeing the dead bodies of two men and one woman; there were two little children frantically running around, crying and calling for help.

With a sigh, he stood up, starting to disassemble the rifle with practiced ease. He wore a black fitted robe, a long black coat with four buttons on the right side, and a hood, he also had on black military pants and combat boots.

"Why not kill the children too, Andrea?" A man with fair skin, spiky dark gray hair, and yellow eyes asked. He was dressed completely in black shinobi clothes, that had accents of dark gray, two swords slung across his back.

The man removed the metal mask that covered his face from the nose down, giving the other a bland look. "I don't kill children, Assassin." He said simply, "It goes against what I believe."

Assassin raised a brow, "You just killed their parents, wouldn't it be better to kill them, so they don't seek vengeance? It's a bit sloppy, no?"

Andrea shrugged, "If they want to come after me when they're adults I'll kill them then. I won't ever kill someone under eighteen Assassin. I only do what the mission requires, no more, no less. Surely you don't have a problem with that."

"If that's how you operate then I won't do anything different. I'm the same." Assassin smiled slightly. "Doing more than I'm required to is a pain with no extra reward."

"I'm glad we can see eye to eye for that," Andrea nodded, stealthily going from rooftop to rooftop. "I'm also telling you now, this will also be the same for the war, your objective is to take out the other Servants first and foremost, if the masters get in the way, you can take them out. But if the Servant is gone, leave them be."

"Even if it means the Master can create a new pact?" Assassin questioned.

Andrea nodded, "The Servants are the main goal since they're the ones who can touch the Grail."

"If that's what you want Master," Assassin nodded to the man, so far, it seemed like he lucked out and had the ideal Master. They seemed to have the same code, the mission, and only the mission. It was a rule he had followed while he had been alive; and because of that, it had caused others to fear him and give him wealth and renown in his circle of associates.

"We should head to Arundel soon, the Greater Holy Grail War is bound to start," Andrea also added, "My family wants us there before everything happens."

"Yes Master," Assassin said, "It is curious that they did move the Greater Grail from Fuyuki. It's the city where everything started and where the first Greater Grail wars took place."

"The first Four Greater Grail Wars took place in Fuyuki City," Andrea agreed, "But at the end of the Fourth War, something went wrong, a fire spread across the city, killing thousands and all around the world, highly concentrated areas of natural magi erupted, decimating more cities or towns and ruining natural resources. After that, there was no way to keep the magi society hidden from the rest of the world."

"The Grail gave me some knowledge of the results," Assassin admitted, "The magi and the rest of the world almost went to war, but Clock Tower and the UN tried for negotiations before things spiraled out of control."

"Yes, and most importantly, they were made aware of our Greater Grail War, the cause of the catastrophe that happened to the Earth, at the end of the fourth one, though to be honest, no one knows what went wrong," Andrea explained. "Governments around the world forbade the War from taking place in Fuyuki again, and since then the Greater Grail has been moved to different cities. The government also insisted on being told when each War would start and where they would take place so people could evacuate if they wanted to."

"Seems fair," Assassin said, looking around lazily, they had stopped on a roof six blocks away from where Andrea's targets were. He watched silently as Andrea opened a latch on the roof before dropping down into the room beneath them.

He silently watched as his Master pulled his coat off, hanging it neatly on the back of a chair. "With the war coming, may I ask your wish master?" He asked.

"A rival," Andrea said honestly, looking at Assassin to see his reaction, "It's a bit mundane, but I've never met anyone who could match me. Someone who can't kill me and I can't kill them, that way, we'll continuously have to get stronger and stronger until we reach our peak."

"Someone who can match you, huh?" Assassin felt a small, but genuine smile creep onto his face as he remembered a certain idiot from when he was alive. "Having one certainly makes life worth living."

"What about you?" Andrea asked.

"Honestly, I'd like to see my rival again too. Maybe we'll both get our wish." Assassin said.

Prague, Czech Republic

Garden of Babel, Auction House

A beautiful woman with light brown skin, long, thick wavy dark brown hair in a braid, and muted purple eyes strolled through her room of antiques. She was dressed in a black short-sleeved keyhole crop top with a high collar, washed-out jeans that reached her ankles, and black two-inch high heels. She looked over each one carefully, her eyes intense, looking for any flaws; everything was in order from what she could see.

A booming laugh interrupted her inspection and she turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with deeply tanned skin, short tousled dark brown hair, and piercing bright gold eyes. He was dressed in an open black tunic that showed his chest and abdominal muscles, blue-and-gold shoulder pauldrons with dark brown leather armor, tight-fitting black pants, and armored boots.

"You've got quite the collection here," The man laughed, admiring a shield that she had on display. "Any of these would have led to you summoning a powerful Servant. But of course, none of them would have been as strong as me." He grinned.

Maggie kept her face neutral as she looked him over, weighing his confidence. Ever since she had summoned him, he had been bursting with confidence that he would win this Holy Grail War. He also treated her nicely, jumping to help her organize the auction house when he saw her hard at work despite her protests.

"I guess you're right," she said, joining him at the shield and carefully looking it over. "Does it remind you of the one you had to use during life, Rider?" There was a spark of interest in her eyes as she looked at him, eager to know more about his history.

Rider looked at the shield closely before shaking his head, "No, the types of shields my people used were older than this. But man, seeing this reminds me of the charges I led with my people at my back, knowing I had nothing to worry about if they were there." For a moment, he was lost in remembrance before blinking. "May I ask why you started this auction house?"

"Because I love artifacts and history, by collecting all of this there's no end to what I can learn and the history I can explore," Maggie admitted, seeing no harm in telling him.

She also felt proud of how well her auction house did despite the heavy anonymity that it had. It was something that she could truly say was hers. Before the war, some catalysts even came through here. You wouldn't believe how much I was able to sell them for."

Rider rubbed his chin, "You probably made a fortune with the War so close, I'm sure there were many eager mages who wanted to summon a Servant."

"Yes..." Maggie nodded, looking down at the ground in uncertainty, she knew what Rider was about to bring up.

"And speaking of Servants... are you sure it was a good idea to just let Lancer and her Master go? Who would have thought another Servant would be in this city so soon."

"I'm sorry if you wanted to go, but we didn't have enough information about the Lancer-Class Servant. It seemed a bit reckless to charge in without knowing." Maggie explained.

"Well, there won't be any information of Servants until we start fighting," Rider reasoned, "Someone eventually has to throw the first stone to get things started or else we'll get nowhere."

"I'd rather we aren't the first to start anything," Maggie said, sounding civil. "And the Greater Grail War hasn't officially started yet."

"You're right Master," Rider sighed, "Sorry for being hasty., I'm just eager to meet these other Servants."

"There's no need to apologize," She insisted, "I understand you're eager, but going in without a plan won't help."

"Understood Master," he grinned at her, "I have complete faith in what you may come up with, my strength is yours."

Maggie allowed a small smile to grace her face, "Thank you Rider, I promise not to let you down."

Arundel, England

Overseer's Church

A man dressed in the garb of a priest looked up at the altar, he had short, neatly combed black hair that was graying and dark brown eyes. "All the Servants have been summoned." He glanced back at the other occupant in the room, it was a beautiful young woman with extremely pale skin, silky, long black hair, and bright crimson red eyes. In her hand was a crystal wineglass full of dark red liquid, "In the next few days, they should all be gathered here and the Seventh Greater Grail War can finally start."

The woman hummed, twirling the liquid in the glass, "Good. It's about time. I was getting bored waiting for all of them to be summoned... but who would have thought that Servant would once again be summoned? The Grail certainly works in mysterious ways."

"Will she be a problem for our plans?" The Priest asked.

"I do hope so... after not seeing her for so long, I'd be disappointed if she didn't cause trouble in our games." A twisted smile full of glee formed on her face as she thought of that person. This Greater Grail War would be even better than she had expected.

And that's the end of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you guys think in the reviews, constructive feedback is always appreciated.

Submitted OCs:

Ash Nox, Master of Lancer, created by RevolutionaryCleo

Andrea Taurini, Master of Assassin, created bY SoImAWriterSoWhat

Maggie Heron, Master of Rider, created by RenRen-Writes