Chapter 161: Our Actions…
"Gugh!" He jerked into consciousness rather suddenly, his body snapping back into a wakefulness and finding himself in a rather odd position. His legs were most certainly not touching the ground and he could feel himself resting atop something, albeit only partially given the pressure running along the middle of his body when compared to his upper half and his legs.
Ritsuka could also tell he was in a folded position, his arms dangling past his head and pointed towards what looked like a rushing wall of white. He blinked once, then glanced down and raised his brows as he found himself staring at the back end of a pair of armoured legs as well as a short metal shirt.
Ah, that was Mash's skirt.
"What the-?"
"Senpai!?" The voice of the Shielder filled his ears a second later, filled with a tone that he couldn't quite decipher but was at least able to understand as a mixture of relief and concern, suddenly finding himself moving once again as a pair of hands brought themselves to his waist and he was dragged off the shoulder of the girl and into the air, he could do nothing more than sputter at the fact she was now holding him above her head with her hands resting just underneath his armpits as though he was a child.
Mash stared into his eyes, her own narrowed for a split second before they widened and her lip warbled ever so slightly, what looked like a dusting of tears built up in the corners of her eyes as she let out a shuddering breath. "Is that you, Senpai?"
"Yeah, I'm…um…" He looked down in a meaningful manner, staring at his feet about ten centimetres off the ground and then back towards his junior. "It's me uhm…can I be put down now? Please?"
She didn't say anything for a few seconds, then her cheeks dusted bright red and she let out a cough, lowering him back to his feet and taking a hasty step backwards, although she did hesitate for a brief moment and looked as though she was going to grab him again when he stumbled. He did manage to catch himself at the last moment, the flash of pain running through his right arm had him grimace ever so slightly and move his left hand to cradle the limb.
"What the heck happened while I was out?"
He looked around and then did a double take as he stared at the sheer number of people that were now surrounding and staring at him, leaning back at the array of faces that he didn't recognise before he came upon one that looked more than a little worse for ware, widening his eyes ever so slightly and deeping his grimace. "Dear Lord, Sulyvahn…what the heck happened to you?"
Sulyvahn looked like an absolute mess to say the least, the front of his body was very nearly burnt black and that was somehow the tamest of his injuries, the left side of his body looked as though someone had just cut through it as cleanly as possible, like taking a pair of scissors to a sheet of paper. His left arm was just gone at the shoulder and a little bit of his side with it, the fact his robes looked as though they had been cleanly cut through as well was rather disturbing.
The Pontiff made a wheezing noise, letting out a cough as he glanced away from him, "I encountered some problems after being abandoned by the Saint." for whatever reason, Ritsuka was slightly doubtful of that turn of events, though more bizarrely there was a strange note of begrudging respect in the words of the Caster as well. Though Ritsuka wasn't going to try and guess why the man was respectful of what happened.
He took another look around himself and saw that there were more than a couple of new faces as well, he hadn't seen all of the people who had accompanied Mash but he certainly didn't remember the tallest one in the room, or the second tallest? It was a little difficult to be sure between the two of them. At the very least, she was around Llew's height and there was something about her that was almost…enrapturing-
It took him a split second to tear his head away from her before he could look a moment longer, furrowing his brow in confusion before understanding set in. That would most likely be Gwynevere, suddenly the warnings of Caster - or rather, Haku - made a lot of sense to him.
That was rather dangerous.
He frowned as he glanced at his arm, though the pain remained it wasn't nearly as bad as he was expecting. Bringing his head back up and looking about the location once more and raising an eyebrow at it. They were still in the open but there was an almost unnatural silence to it, not even the howling of the wind was anywhere near them, there was no end of questions budding in his mind, but for right now he turned his attention back towards Mash.
"Did anyone explain what happened while I was out?" He paused for a moment "And did someone heal my arm? Because it doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would."
Mash looked hesitant for a moment, then she nodded her head once, opening her mouth to speak. Though she wasn't even to get anything so much as a word out before the voice of Medea spoke up.
Sounding none too pleased.
"The Servants you encountered during our period of separation informed us that you are now playing host to a Caster class Servant bereft of a body." He winced, turning towards the direction of the voice and finding himself being stared down at by the floating Caster, her lips drawn tight with obvious irritation. "One whom claims to have no true name to give due to damage they received and is bound so tightly to your body that it would be difficult for me to extract them out. As for your arm, yes, I managed to apply my magical talents to ensure that you kept the limb."
Ritsuka got the distinct impression that her eyes were narrowed.
"Setting aside the fact that you did something as reckless as play host to a Servant when your own capacity for magical talent is so poor as to be nearly nonexistent, I feel the need to question what thought process was going through your mind at the time."
"Caster…well, his name is technically Haku now-"
"Technically?"
"Yeah, he came up with it for himself." Ritsuka offered a smile which didn't really land with anyone, the expression soon dying as he was placed under the scrutinous eye of anyone who wasn't already aware of the current situation, though he noticed that the Goddess in the corner - Gwynevere - had yet to speak up or even turn her head away from the direction of Llew, who himself was so intent on staring at the ground that he looked like he wanted to become part of it. "Right, sorry. Haku saved my life and then said he was dying and that he could inhabit my body-"
"And you just let him?" Medea pushed further, lowering herself ever so slightly and causing him to lean back, already feeling some sweat tickle his brow from the sudden heat that was coming from somewhere, like he was behind held under a spotlight. "Do you have even the slightest notion as to the danger you were, or are currently, in?"
"W-"
"I shall take the answer to be no." She cut him off with a flat look on her face "Because you are a fool who hasn't even the faintest notion of what actually takes part in the creation of someone like yourself. Else you would not have even humoured the idea in the first place." she gestured towards Mash "Not every situation is as fortunate as hers, there is every chance the Caster could have - and still might - usurp control of your body and burn your soul away for fuel."
"He wouldn't do that." Ritsuka did still feel the need to defend Haku, whatever their differences might be, the man had still saved his life. He could see Medea gearing up for another round of argumentative points and he could probably guess a few of them, so he continued on while he still had some momentum in his words. "He approached me and told me exactly what was going to happen. If he really wanted control of my body, he probably could have just taken it from me and there would be nothing I could do about it."
Pointing at his chest, he continued on "Even if it was a bit reckless. He still saved my life when I was dropped into that storm all alone. I wasn't about to let him just fade away and die after that. I owed him that much."
Mash opened her mouth in the corner of his eye, then closed it again and looked away with a vaguely troubled expression.
"This bickering serves nobody." He blinked, a blonde man with glasses stepped in front of him with a hand raised in either direction of himself and Medea, wearing a rather smart attire of a white shirt underneath a black blazer which tapered off into a sky blue colour. Turning his expression in Ritsuka's direction, the man offered him a polite smile. "This young man has been through quite an ordeal and I would say the last thing we need is to be shouting in his face over choices that were made. Regardless of how we all feel, I would suggest we focus on the positives first and foremost. He is alive and well and, apparently, not suffering from possession?"
His tone switched into a slightly questioning one, his brows furrowing in clear confusion and he glanced back to Medea "Is that correct?"
The Caster made a noise "Just because it has worked in this single instance does not make it any less foolish. It simply makes him lucky as well as stupid."
The blonde man exhaled, shaking his head and bringing himself back to face Ritsuka, holding out his hand and giving a rather exhausted smile. "Though I would suggest that manners be observed first. I would like to greet you formally after hearing much of you from a mutual friend of ours. Miss Kyrielight has been a most worthwhile companion. Doctor Henry Jekyll."
Ritsuka looked at the extended hand for a moment before bringing up his own and clasping it, noting that the pain was virtually nonexistent now. Also that the name was vaguely familiar to him but he just couldn't place it. "Ritsuka Fujimaru." He let his lip twitch upwards at the compliment. "She's bailed me out of more than a few figurative and literal fires by now."
"That's not true Senpai!" Mash hastily called out from the other side of the little gathering "If anything you're the one who has bailed me out of problems!"
He couldn't help but chortle at her words, not at all sure about where she managed to pull that take from. It was consistently the exact opposite, he was normally looking at her to save him when things inevitably went wrong, either her or Ash but it would seem that…
Wait a second.
"Hey, is Ash not here?"
Mash winced, then shook her head from side to side "No, Senpai. Neither Ash-san, Nobunaga-san or Jeanne-san are here." nodding her head in the direction of the wounded Pontiff, she continued onwards. "And only Sulyvahn-san has only seen Jeanne-san during the Singularity so far."
Letting out a noise in understanding, he made sure to try and keep his visible emotions in check but he felt the dejection all the same. With those three missing - even with the new allies they had found - he felt deeply understaffed. If only because he didn't know who half the people here actually were in the first place. That and, as their Master, it was his duty to ensure that his Servants were at least kept safe. Or he liked to think so, at any rate.
"Don't worry, Mr Ritsuka." He heard Nursery from somewhere, turning his head in the direction of the voice and then freezing as he caught sight of the rather hulking individual in silver armour. The Caster was briefly forgotten, her words passing as little more than muffled noises as he stared into the diamond shaped helmet and the glowing eyes of the Berserker from Rome. Though they were quite a bit shorter, he could still hear the faint screeching in the back of his mind-
He jolted at the touch on the side of his head, whirling in the direction and finding himself staring up at the tall woman, wearing a silken white robe and a gentle smile that could not be described as anything less than beautiful. "You were spacing out there, young one."
The Goddess, who could only be Gwynevere, ran the back of her knuckles across his cheek in a manner that was eerily similar to how someone would pet a dog and yet he could not find it within himself to complain. It actually felt rather nice, especially with all the stress he had been suffering from recently. Just feeling like he could indulge in the moment. Gwynevere fluttered her eyes, a rather content smile on her face as she continued the motion. "It seems as though you've been through quite a lot. Don't worry about a thing, you can just take it easy for now."
Take it easy, eh?
That sounded…pretty alright-
He was jerked away, the sensation that had flooded his body snapped away from him like an elastic band and he felt a pressed around his left arm pull him well over a metre away from the direction of Gwynevere, blinking profusely and catching sight of her surprise on the face of the Goddess morph into a faint degree of irritation, though none of it was directed towards him-
"Keep those hands to yourself, Gwynevere." Ritsuka blinked, he'd only ever heard Sulyvahn sound that angry when he was talking about Gwyndolin, a quick glance over his shoulder revealed that it was the Pontiff who had grabbed ahold of his arm and yanked him away from the Goddess, clarity started to bubble within his mind as he realised once more the warnings of Haku.
…He could very clearly see the danger that the Caster had warned about.
"Is there something you wish to speak of, Sulyvahn?" The irritation melted away, replaced by a sweet smile as she lay her hands atop one another and looked to the Caster with a half lidded expression, for whatever reason, looking at her face brought a slight tremble up his spine. It was a creeping sensation, like observing a picture that wasn't quite right. There was definitely something amiss with the expression that was causing him to react like that. "I am offering my own advice on his well being. The poor thing looks as though he is going to keel over any second."
Her eyes flickered to him for a brief moment before they darted back to the Pontiff, Ritsuka noted that the Caster pulled him even closer and actually stepped around the side to try and block off her line of sight with him, it wasn't working all that well but he was more flabbergasted at how Sulyvahn looked to actually be protecting him. Then there was the action of Medea, the tensing of her posture and the fact her cape was now slowly spreading wide like a pair of wings opening up.
"And he can be supplied with rest by one other than you." Sulyvahn spat back at her "I will not have my summoner reduced to one of your addicted sycophants like that fool currently mewling behind you."
Gwynevere frowned in disapproval "Llew does not mewl. He's just a little on edge right now. It's natural, our parting was rather a shock and I suppose the emotions that came about from that are rearing their head." she gradually turned her attention until she could glance over her shoulder. Ritsuka followed her line of sight as best he could and watched as Llew flinched the second that her eyes landed on him. "You were rather emotional at the time and weren't thinking straight. I'm sure that seeing me again has brought all those awful feelings to bear once more."
The genial smile "But we shall have plenty of time to sort through all those worries of his and make the most of this second chance. Before you even realise it, he shall be back to his old self." then the smile faded "Which brings about concerns for your old self. Sulyvahn."
"Keep your list of victims short." Was all the Caster said, then Ritsuka found himself moving once again as he was abruptly dragged along with the Pontiff, moving into a rather brisk walk to stop himself being bowled over. "We have wasted enough time, with the summoner awake we can resume moving-"
"Mister Ritsuka is still tired!" He heard Nursery argue "He needs rest-"
"He can receive plenty of that when we return to the forest." Sulyvahn replied without even turning, Ritsuka turned his head up and stared at the Caster with a rather curious expression. The urgency in his voice could not be mistaken and he now found himself dreading how many were actually afraid of Gwynevere. The reactions of Llew were deeply concerning and now Sulyvahn looked like he wanted to get as far away from her as possible.
"Let the boy go you-"
"Be silent for a moment, dog." The sneer in the Pontiff's voice was apparent as he whirled around, Ritsuka turned and found himself staring at the body of Vordt once again, though the fact the man had just spoken - albeit, slightly echoey - let him loosen his posture a bit. It wasn't that he was scared of Vordt, per say, it was just that he got…flashes of the 'Accursed' as Ash called them. "Go back to standing watch. That is, after all, your one and only talent."
Vordt's entire body shook, Ritsuka widened his eyes as the man let out a noise that sounded very much like the Berserker self he knew, stomping forwards a second later and it was only the fact that Mash caught him by his arm that stopped him from charging the pair, even then her legs dragged through the snow for a few inches before the silver armoured knight with the face of Nero stepped in front and placed their hands on his shoulders.
"Oi, oi!" The Nero-face shouted in a gruff tone of voice, planting her feet down and holding Vordt back without looking as though she was really trying. "You really gonna throw some hands over a couple of shitting comments from a fucking branch?"
"A branch!?" Vordt snapped his helmet towards the knight "He's the one who-everything I became-he…he's the one who tortured Carwen into a monster!" the voice was almost a crackle, emotion now seeping into it. "M-m-my Carwen! He broke her and made her a mindless killer!" the snarl was back as he started to struggle once more "I won't hear of it! I'll tear him-"
"Vordt-san, please! We need to get to safety!" It was Mash's turn to beg now, and it truly looked as though she was.
The dam broke.
An entire cacophony of voices and grunts from all the different Servants spoke up at the same time, voices shouting to get over the volume of one another with fingers and hands being pointed in any and all directions. It was chaotic beyond even the deepest reaches, Ritsuka glanced around with a new sensation of helplessness within him, he had no idea where to begin and it looked as though the greatest enemy they faced right now was one another.
His eyes snapped to Gwynevere, the only one - aside from Llew - who was not actually shouting, her brows pinched themselves together as her eyes danced across each and every single individual. As the orchestra of shouts continued, Ritsuka felt everything else become drowned out as he focused on her actions. The Goddess closed her eyes and brought her hands up in a clear sign of prayer, clasping them together and lowering her head slightly.
Then her body started to glow, it was a faint lighting at first that very soon started to intensify, getting to the point where her entire body was a luminescent figure, if it had just been the light he wasn't sure what it would have achieved. However, there seemed to be something more to it.
It was just a feeling of serenity.
Whatever emotions had been boiling up inside him, all the stress and the worry, they just…evaporated. It was as though they ceased to exist, the shouting and jeering tapered off just as quickly, the Servants losing their angered or stern expressions and loosening their postures. After a few moments, the light started to dim and the Goddess opened her eyes once more.
"Children, please." She began with a stern tone of voice but still soft. "Can you not see the harm these barbed words you trade with one another cause? We are, all of us, brought together for a shared goal and if our current course is not changed, we shall perish by our own blades before we see even the reflection of our foes arms."
Her head turned to Vordt "We each carry a deep pain, the loss you feel touches my own soul, for I too have experienced such things. However, to let ourselves be lost to our emotions at such a trying time for us all will help none but our enemy." spreading her arms wide, she soon pointed to Ritsuka himself. "We are Servants, brought here at the behest of humanity and not once have we considered the wellbeing of the single human here, either of them."
Either?
He shot a quick glance to the man by the name of Henry Jekyll, noticing that he didn't really feel at all like a Servant.
"If we cannot tolerate one another, then perhaps we should tolerate the human we shall soon find ourselves linked to. Once his fate is secured…" He watched the light dim in her eyes. "Then we might have the freedom to discuss the status of present allies."
A cursory glance revealed that the Servants around him were a lot more placated, though he jotted that down to whatever Gwynevere had just done in combination with her words that…well, they just sounded like common sense to him, but he didn't have the same background as someone like Vordt had and he was under no illusions with Sulyvahn. Ash had been rather open with detailing how cruel the Pontiff could actually be.
"The ability to speak words of sense is hardly a surprise for her." He kept his expression schooled as Haku whispered in the back of his mind, though the presence of the Caster was far more muted than in the past. Quite literally, as though he was hiding. Then again, if he had history with Gwynevere, it would be understandable if he wanted to remain hidden…except he couldn't really remember much, or so he said. "Fragments of my life remain intact, and I am not so desperate for my past as to risk conversation with Gwynevere. The Crossbreed Spirit behind you has the right of it, she is dangerous."
'She was certainly a little…uhm…what was that anyway?' He figured he wouldn't have to be any more specific in regards to what he was asking.
"Gwynevere's beauty is…all encompassing. The First of the Lordkin inherited the purest Souls. Those that stemmed from the flame first. While her soul is certainly not on par with the likes of the First Four, that does not make it any less potent. She inherited the Soul of Bounty and Fertility." Haku made a small noise that sounded almost disturbed. "It would not be wrong to call her beauty incarnate. Regardless of your race, her soul was capable of making all see her as attractive."
'Regardless of race?'
"Indeed. Worse still, she is far from foolish. Once the betrayal of the firstborn was done, she was seen as the de facto heir of Gwyn, even if the role should have been passed to his second son. Looking to the past, there were a great many Kingdoms that flourished under her guidance, and fell when she departed the lands. Make no mistake, she is most likely the second smartest person here."
Ritsuka very nearly laughed, instead his lip warbled as he glanced to the side, moving his hand up to cover his face just in case anyone happened to spot him. Though it was inevitable now, glancing to the side and seeing Fran staring at him with a tilt of the head, "Just something Haku said to me." He whispered to her, getting a grunt of affirmation in response.
'How many guesses do I get to determine who the smartest person here is?'
"Do you truly believe you would need more than one?"
That time, he did snort.
It didn't go unnoticed either, he froze when quite a few heads turned in his direction and stared at him with varying degrees of curiosity and bemusement. He froze on the spot, his eyes widening and glancing around. The fact no one said anything and just seemed content to stare at him was more than a little off putting, to say nothing of the fact that Gwynevere's stare most of all was the most piercing one there. "S-sorry, just…erm…heard something funny." He gestured to the side of his head. "Haku."
Gwynevere stared at him for a moment longer, then the gentle smile adorned her features once more. "In any event, I am gladdened to see that you are returning to good health, though I must warn you about overexerting yourself." she took a step towards Mash, for some reason, and reached down without even looking at the Shielder, placing a hand atop her shoulder. "This young Knight was ever so worried about you…it was a most beautiful display to see you encourage such devotion."
The hand moved up her shoulder, the back of her fingers brushing against the Shielder's neck and making her visibly shudder as she took a step away, releasing Vordt and moving her hand like lightning towards the spot where she had been touched, eyes widening and a faint red dusting her cheeks. She very much had a deer in the headlights look.
"Oh, sorry about that." Gwynevere pulled her outstretched back back "Fufufu…you're a rather shy one, aren't you? But that's alright. Those types normally have the biggest hearts."
Ritsuka would have commented on that, but then glanced at the Nero-face Servant giving the Goddess a gaze that was rather scrutinous, her green eyes roamed the Servant up and down before lingering on her face for a few moments, after a tense second - or what Ritsuka perceived as tense - the knight stepped away from Vordt and in front of Mash, crossing her arms over her chest and schooling her features as though the hard look at never been there before.
"Yeah, great." The knight grunted, furrowing her brows and then looking towards him for the first time. "Now that we're all done trying to gut each other or fussing over the princess there-" she pointed to him, Ritsuka felt his brows climb up his forehead. Rather than feeling insulted, he very nearly chuckled at the nickname. If only because he did feel rather put on the spot, as it were. "-perhaps we can get a move on? The sooner we don't need to worry about zombie dragons bursting from the ground or skeleton wheels drifting through the snow, the better."
"A most astute suggestion." Nodding her head to the knight, Gwynevere glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't you think so, Llew? You've been ever so quiet over there." a worried look appeared over her face "You've never been this nervous before. You can offer your opinion without permission."
Llew jolted. "Y-yes." His voice cracked, coming out rather strained.
That was sure as hell not right.
"T-the knight speaks truly." Llew gestured towards the direction of the Nero-faced knight, he really needed to introduce himself to her and get a better name because he was really feeling bad at just calling her 'Nero-face' or something along those lines. "And it was th-the goal to head in the direction of the…the…lo-location that Lady Rhyme discovered." the helmet moved around quickly before it landed onto the childlike Caster, nodding to her once "At the behest of Haku. One would assume this is the safe haven that Sulyvahn speaks of."
"Then we are in agreement we have dawdled long enough." Sulyvahn grunted from behind him. "Perhaps we can continue moving."
"I can take Senpai from here, Sulyvahn-san!" Mash called out from in front of him, losing the concerned look she had moments ago and instead replaced with an almost desperate one as she charged forwards and then came to a halt right next to him, "Mash Kyrielight, reporting for duty once again, Master!"
"Loyalty such as hers is a curious trait…It goes quite far, doesn't it?" Haku commented with an intrigued tone of voice. Ritsuka internally shrugged his shoulders.
'I don't know about that, but me, Mash and Ash have been through quite a lot so far. Same with the others at Chaldea.'
"Is that so? Hmmm." Haku went silent not long after that, leaving Ritsuka's head quiet. Which, now that he considered it, should have been the regular state of affairs. It said a lot about his life that he was more accustomed to having voices in his head than not.
He noticed that Mash was still staring at him, growing a smile on his lips that he had been holding back since he heard her earlier, he brought his hands up and placed them on his hips, nodding to the Shielder. "Yeah…happy to have you back, Mash…"
Something struck him as odd "Hey…wait a minute…where is Fou?"
There was something about this place that he had not initially noticed when he arrived, but had since realised the longer he had been here. It had a feeling to it that was eerily similar to that of the Shrine. The lack of the firekeeper aside, this place was…
Oddly comforting in a manner that could not be explained, rather it had to be felt. Or if it could be explained, he lacked the words to be capable of that. Suffice to say that being here was something that he was somewhat grateful for. Turning his head ever so slightly, he glanced out of the corner of his eye to the young red headed teenager currently associating with children, smiling and interacting with them in a manner that was wholly unfit to behaviour attached to his name.
How that could be Sulyvahn was beyond his understanding, though it was a mystery that could be dealt with at another time. He drew his gaze away from the direction of the young looking Pontiff - if he could even be called that - and returned it to the large white tree that resided in the centre of this small haven.
Everything about this place was strange.
It carried none of the tension that the world beyond the wall of interlocked trees held, though the sky remained the same, this one was strangely comforting. Or perhaps, it was less foreboding, the faint tinge of grey and the swirling of clouds above was much less threatening here. Perhaps it would not be odd to say that this location was an equivalent of a Shrine, at the very least it promised security.
Physical security, at least.
His mind had shown little to no signs of recovery, but although he could see the shadow in the corner of his eye, there was something that made it appear much less threatening as it had done so earlier. However, he knew that was merely the result of this strange outcrop grove in the midst of nowhere. The moment he ventured beyond the walls of this sanctuary, he would be at the mercy of them once more and he could do nothing to stop them.
A crunch of footsteps behind him gave him pause, briefly forgetting the shadow and turning his head around to glance over his shoulder. He watched as Jeanne climbed the hill towards him, briefly pausing when they exchanged glances - though his helmet remained on, he knew they locked eyes - before she offered a cordial smile and a wave of the hand, resuming her short climb towards him.
"Ash." She greeted when she was close enough, nodding to him as well.
"Jeanne." He nodded back to her, keeping his eyes on her for a few more seconds before he turned his head away and back towards the tree. Her approach could have been due to any number of factors, but he supposed that his behaviour was probably obvious enough that the Saint took notice of it and wished to ensure all was well.
She had been here alone with Sulyvahn and the Lordkin boy when he and the others had arrived, so there must have been something about him. More to the point, he did not know where the other Sulyvahn was…now he came to the realisation that there were two Sulyvahn's present, which was two too many.
Before he even realised it, Jeanne was standing next to him and staring at the tree also, though she did not initially begin a conversation with him. Both of them staring at the tree in silence. Perhaps it was the odd nostalgia or the vague similarities in the design of their attire, but for a brief moment he truly felt as though he was back in the Shrine and waiting to depart for his next venture into the unknown.
A fitting memory, he supposed.
"...A young Sulyvahn."
"Hmm?" Jeanne made a noise of confusion at first, though it quickly shifted into a hum of acknowledgement. "Ah, yes. Though, he prefers to be called Sully."
Sully?
"And, like myself, he is a Ruler-Class Servant." Another silence fell "Whatever problems you might have with the Caster Servant we are both affiliated with, I can assure you that Sully shares none of them. I would dare say he is the opposite of his older self in every way that matters. It is through his hard work that those children who frolic with Quella are even still alive to begin with."
That time, he did turn his head in the direction of the children and watched as they amused themselves with a small furry-
"Is that where Fou disappeared off to? I would have thought him to remain with Ritsuka and Mash."
"Oh. So it is." Jeanne similarly turned her head at his words, clearly being unaware of the presence of the resident Chaldean animal either. Ash would admit some small concern, Fou did not regularly stray from the side of Ritsuka and certainly not from the side of Mash without due cause. That he was present here at all meant that those two had landed somewhere without him, or he had been separated like they had been. "Master and Mash will be relieved to see that he is well."
He supposed they would, as for himself? It would have been stranger to be absent from the presence of the animal than to be with it at this point. He did not believe he cared for it one way or the other, but Mash and Ritsuka were comforted by its presence, so he could not bring himself to complain over anything. It was inoffensive to him. Beyond accepting Fou's presence, he had not really given them much thought.
"Most likely." He answered aloud, keeping his gaze on the small blonde girl who was touching Fou behind the ears and then making loud excited noises as the beast rolled onto its back and let her run her hands along his stomach. Soon joined by an array of small limbs that partook in the fuss of the animal.
Jeanne chuckled under her breath "Though, it would seem he is rather enjoying himself a great deal. Perhaps we should be concerned about Fou leaving Chaldea for this warmer atmosphere?"
"I doubt it." That being said, he did not understand the behaviour of Fou at all. They would go from moments of intellect that made him believe the beast no smarter than a common animal and then to moments where they seemed a great deal more aware than he would give them credit for. Though, that was not unusual. The great wolves were very nearly as smart as people or perhaps just as in the right situation, Sif seemed to be one of those sort.
But that might also have been a result of close proximity with the Lordkin carrying some manner of blessing onto them.
Though, distracting as the conversation was, that was not quite where his interests lay at the present time. "You truly trust this iteration of Sulyvahn?"
"I have more reason to trust him than to not trust him." Jeanne replied, not taking her eyes off the theatre happening before the pair of them. "He had demonstrated himself to be a most valued ally who was willing to lay down his life to allow others to escape. Perhaps my time fighting alongside him and speaking with him has not been long, but I have great faith in his character all the same."
"...Even knowing who he will become?"
"This version of him will become nothing more than what he is now." Was the argument he received, Jeanne dismissing his words quickly but not rudely. "He was summoned in this form into the class that would ordinarily arbitrate Grail Wars, those who could be entrusted to keep people of the modern world safe from harm in such conflicts and punish those who broke these rules."
She turned, looking him dead in the eyes. "That granted me foundation, everything else comes from his own actions. If you ask? I do indeed trust Sully. While I remain doubtful of the older variation, his younger self is much more agreeable…though that lends credence to the belief that some tragedy befell him and warped him into the individual you know."
"...Perhaps. Though…No. Nevermind." It was probably of little consequence regardless, he doubted he would interact much with this iteration of Sulyvahn regardless. Though, the idea that he had merely lost his sense of duty and become corrupted did play into his mind, they were born at different points in the world. Their end goals did coincide if their methods did not, so perhaps he might well find this version more agreeable.
Another time would be best, if at all.
Jeanne watched him for a moment, then drew her lips into a thin line "As for earlier…I am sorry that your arrival was marred with rather hateful comments-"
"From the Lordkin boy?" The golden child who reeked of divinity and gave him all manner of crude names when he first arrived? He was far and above crude insults. Least of all caring what some divine child had to say about him. "You need not concern yourself with him. I care little for whatever opinion he might hold towards me, he only serves to insult his brethren for creating me."
The blonde woman winced "That would be a rather odd comment…considering his identity. He is Gilgamesh, the oldest-"
"The oldest known Heroic Spirit of this world." He finished her sentence before she did, turning his head back towards the direction the blonde had wandered off in, catching a glimpse of him still strolling around but maintaining a distance from the rest of them, for whatever reason he was assuming the role of a watcher and merely gazed at them. It would seem as though he was in no rush to interact with them, though Ash doubted it was due to feeling ostracised from the backlash he received. The boy did not strike him as an idiot.
"You know of him?"
"Olga spoke of him once before, in a discussion about the power of Servants relative to their age." He recalled that one well enough, it also brought up the mention of Havel in addition to that, as well as the Dragon Slayer armour. His brows furrowed behind his helmet as he stared at the golden haired child, there was something strange about them. They might well have been divine but it felt muddled to him, not limited in the same way as the Silver Knights, Arkon's was much purer. Gilgamesh felt as though there was something else mixed in. Much like…
"Is he a child of a God?"
"Gilgamesh is indeed a Demi-God. One of the earliest recorded Demi-Gods." Jeanne supplied for him, her willingness to divulge this information was rather gratifying to hear. "Much of his story is detailed in the 'Epic of Gilgamesh', though I suspect this version of him is from before that story itself."
He did not know of that. "...He is a King, is he not?"
"He is."
Another Kingdom and a ruler of one, this represented a chance and something to distract his mind-no, it was not a distraction. It was the opposite, the shadows that haunted his every step were the distraction and this was the true goal. Understanding humanity as a whole, or this version of humanity. Until such a time as he did, he was withholding judgement. Though what he had heard of with Camelot was troubling enough towards the end. "What do you know of his legend?"
There was no reply for a few moments, causing him to turn his head in the direction of the woman and find that her expression was one of surprise. She stared at him for a few seconds in silence, the surprise fading. "I had not thought you so interested, but I would only provide you with the information granted to me upon my summoning. It would not nearly be as detailed as the source-"
"It would be unbiased." He clarified "And I have little doubt he would trade many words with me."
She winced at his words, then nodded her head up and down before she paused. "Before all that…I noticed that there is something ill at ease about you." there was another hesitation, then she spoke slowly "And I was informed by Nobunaga of your current condition-"
He straightened his posture, drawing his shoulders in tight, clenching his hands into fists beneath his cloak. The reminder was not at all what he wanted, he had been hoping to avoid the discussion further, considering it was nothing.
It was nothing.
It was nothing.
It was nothing.
"You need not be concerned." He kept his voice curt, trying to avoid letting his emotions slip on the subject. Reining them in was proving difficult, he was finding it increasingly difficult to avoid them. "It…is akin to a poison of the mind. It will pass with time."
Jeanne's expression did not shift, then her brows pinched together as she leaned forwards "Will it pass? Or are you hoping it will?"
"..."
"There is no shame to call upon your allies for assistance." She continued on, softening her features "While I am not well versed in the intricacies of magecraft, especially from those of the Age of Gods, I can at least provide aid in comforting your mind if you are so troubled with what you have been afflicted with. I can combat curses, as you well know-"
She stopped speaking for whatever reason, it took him a moment longer to realise that she was now further away from him than before. He had not even seen her take a step, more to the point her expression had shifted into blatant concern, had she seen something that warranted this change in emotion?
…Ah, right. He was the one who had retreated.
"...Your offer is acknowledged…but I would…prefer my mind be left untouched for now."
He did not know what frightened him more.
The fact that even with her efforts, Jeanne would be unable to rid him of the voice…or the fact that she might.
"Ash, you are clearly disturbed by this." She pushed onwards, if anything it would seem his response had spurred her into action. Her features hardening and taking but a single step, though still keeping her distance. "This is not something that I would be comfortable with in leaving you to suffer through. I am asking you to let me help you-"
"It is unnecessary." He ground out "It will pass."
"And if it does not?"
"It will."
"You cannot be certain of that." Jeanne shook her head, grimacing "If not for your own sake, then for the sake of your Master. How do you think Ritsuka would respond if he heard any of this? If he knew that you were suffering through something and resisting treatment?"
Treatment?
He wasn't resisting treatment, it was just not necessary.
"It is not something that you need concern yourself with-"
"This is no longer something I can ignore, your reactions speak volumes not just to me but to everyone with the sense to see them." Her expression faltered "I am not seeking to mock your condition, nor draw you into a position you are uncomfortable with. But you are not well, Ash. You have been wounded, perhaps not in the traditional sense, but a wound it remains. I am asking you to let me treat you. If this continues and, Lord forbids, gets worse, then it is not just you at risk."
She took another step forwards, he held his ground though felt his positioning weaken.
"If you falter at the wrong moment then it could very easily end with someone injured or worse, dead. It might not be you, it could be another Servant or perhaps even Master himself." By the final step, she was still directly in front of him with her hand outstretched to him as though trying to shake his own. "Please, let me help you."
"Yeah, listen to what she said." He jolted, turning to the voice and finding Nobunaga stood not far from him. The fact Jeanne did not react proved that she had been aware of the approach of the Archer while he had not. Were his thoughts so mixed that he could not even acknowledge the arrival of another Servant?
If she had been an enemy…
Nobunaga continued on "You're not right in the head at the moment and she's offering to treat you. I'm damn near certain that Master would be saying the same thing." she pointed towards her own temple as she spoke, then lowered the arm and made a huffing noise. "If you're worried about someone messing with your head like last time, remember who this woman actually is."
He looked between the two of them, feeling as though he was being driven into a corner.
"Just think of it like someone putting a bandage or casting some healing spell over a stab wound or whatever." The Archer offered up another example, putting on a more confident aura. Though the disapproving frown remained on her face. "Willingly walking into battle with an untreated wound is like saying you want to die." her eyes narrowed and she looked him up and down "Are you looking to kill yourself?"
"No-"
"Then let the Servant help you-"
His emotions surged, something broke. "The words of the Queen are all the help I need." He blurted out, they fell so quickly that it was as though they were natural to him.
Silence descended.
The expressions of both Jeanne and Nobunaga twisted into bemusement, the pair of them sharing a look for a few moments before their eyes returned to Ash. The latter was the first to speak, where there had been disapproval before, there was now replaced with apprehensive confusion. "Uhh…what Queen?"
What Queen?
What a laughable comment.
What other Queen could there be except…
Except…
…What Queen was he talking about?
"I…I do not…" His voice wavered, his head ached and he felt his expression pinch itself. The temptation to cradle his skull now more pressing than ever before, a flash of something filtered through his mind for a brief second before it vanished.
The Queen who…
The Queen who gave him value.
The value in serving the Queen…
Who was the Queen…?
Why did he…?
He froze.
He could just make it out from the corner of his eye.
The shadow was closer than ever before.
The golden eyes that burned like twin suns gazed down at him, yet the form remained little more than a silhouette.
It moved-
Remember your purpose.
For that is what makes you treasured.
As long as you hold that duty true.
As long as you hold it tight to even your soul.
Your life will be one of meaning.
You will burn with the fire of the world in your heart.
Make right the darkening world.
Let your value fuel the flame.
Go forth and shine like the sun.
Gawyn.
"Don't trust her."
"Huh?" Rituska turned to the voice, realising that the silver knight with the face of Nero was now walking alongside him. He hadn't even noticed her get that close to him. He really needed to ask her name, because it was the polite thing to do but Servant true names were regarded as a pretty big secret and just asking seemed rather iffy. Then again, she had arrived with Mash so…
The knight made a face at him, then schooled her expression and looked straight again, dropping her voice into a low whisper. "The tall woman. Don't trust her. She fucking stinks of my mother." A brief moment later, she shuddered slightly as if remembering something unpleasant. "Got a lot of nice words about her but there's something not quite right. She's a schemer, that one."
He started to turn his head to look over his shoulder, barely making it more than an inch before the green eyes of the blonde snapped to him with a hard look that flat out warned him not to continue his course of action. He froze for a split second, then returned his focus straight ahead. "...You mean not to trust Gwynevere?"
"The fu-her name is Guinevere?" The knight made a dumbfounded noise "Is that some sort of joke? Are you taking the piss?"
"Uhhh…no?" Ritsuka furrowed his brows, turning his head and showing his confusion as best he could. Not really understanding what the knight was talking about in the first place. "It's just her name is Gwynevere…she's actually a Goddess." he paused for a moment, then brought his hand up and pointed towards his head "At least, that is what Haku is telling me…says he knows her…he's also saying not to trust her as well."
The knight blinked once, then her expression settled "Seriously? Hmm. You got at least one voice of reason in your head but this is my gut telling me this." shaking her head, she looked straight ahead. "I trust my gut on this stuff…that's why I'm also telling you that one armed kindling looking guy is shifty as shit, but you probably know that already." her lip curled into a frown "If you don't, then your skull is thick as brick."
"Sulyvahn is…well…I had hoped to actually get a conversation in with him." He looked over to the Caster who was still actually within earshot of them, having stuck to his left side ever since they started walking and frequently taking a glance over his shoulder towards the direction of the Servants behind them. Ritsuka didn't need to be told what was going on. "We haven't had much of a chance."
"I'm sure the opportunity will arise, Mr Ritsuka." Nursery remarked with a hopeful tone of voice from over his shoulder, resuming her usual spot of being a Rider on his back. He was tempted to make a joke if this now qualified her for the position. "Maybe you should invite him to a tea party?" came her earnest suggestion. "Those are most wonderful for getting people talking!"
A tea party?
He hummed to himself, the fact the suggestion actually had merit at all was rather interesting and something he had not considered. Maybe he should start joining different Servants for lunch, he did frequently eat with Mash and - as much as he loved doing so - it did mean neglecting some of the other Servants he summoned. Hell, he couldn't actually remember sitting down to talk with Medusa once since she had been summoned.
…Yikes, that sounded bad.
"Would you be up for that Sulyvahn?"
"Are you joking or are you that stupid?" Came the near instant reply from the Caster, the fact he had not even turned his head to look at him as he answered was a little on the nose. "For one thing, Servants such as ourselves had no need to eat, quite why you indulge this fascination at Chaldea is a mystery to me…for another, what would we even discuss?"
"Anything."
"...Hmph."
Ritsuka kept his expression level, staring at the Caster for a few seconds more and then pulling his lips upwards. He did not hear a no anywhere in that sentence, which means it was technically a yes. Calling that a victory felt more than appropriate.
Turning his head back to the blonde, he saw she was giving him a weirded out look. "So anyway. Hello, I am Ritsuka Fujimaru." looking past her, he gestured towards Mash with his hand as best he could, his forearms being used to support Nursery. "I take it you and Mash know each other already?"
"Yes, Senpai." Mash nodded her head, then looked to the Saber questioningly "Is it alright if we discuss true names?"
The blonde scoffed "You already know it and I never said to keep it a secret, else I wouldn't have told you in the first place." they then shrugged "Fine." bringing up her arm, she pressed a thumb against her armoured chest and cracked a sharp smirk that was eerily familiar to the same sort that Cu would give. He was struck with the belief they would get along well. "I'm Mordred, Knight of the Round Table."
Morded.
He raised his brows "Oh, you're-"
"Yeah, yeah Knight of Treachery/Gareth's little sister."
"..."
"..."
"...The fuck did you just say to me?"
He blanched, a chortle sound somewhere in the back of his mind that sounded eerily similar to played through his skull. The words that accompanied it removed any doubt from his mind. "Your ability to go from being charismatic to a fault to inviting a beating is as astounding as it is bewildering. I do so wish you would exercise this ability of yours when I am not a resident in your body."
"Th-that…uhmm…" Clearly his throat loudly, his eyes darting past her towards Mash in a silent plea for aid was the best he could manage. Unfortunately, Mordred caught it and took a single step forwards, blocking his line of sight with the Shielder while keeping her face remarkably blank.
That was somehow the worst part.
Mordred took in a visible breath, then slowly exhaled, the next words being spoken with a forced calm to them. "I destroy King Arthur's Kingdom, I kill him…and you know me…as Gareth's sibling?"
"...I-it didn't seem like the best thing to really bring up to your face is all?" He winced, bringing his hands up as best he could and giving a shaky smile. Feeling a slight bead of sweat drip down the side of his head. "I mean…I figured that the whole thing with Camelot might be a sore spot so I wouldn't bring it up-"
"You think I need you trying to look out for my feelings?" Mordred cut him off, narrowing her eyes and leaning forwards, her arms crossing themselves over her chest as she took a single step to the side, making sure they were now shoulder to shoulder as they walked.
He instantly turned his head from her, though could still feel her eyes burning themselves into the side of his head.
"...I'm just working by what Gareth said." He glanced back at her from the corner of his eye and watched her demeanour change ever so slightly. The calm expression melting into exasperation and turning to the side. "I mean…You do look like King Arthur-"
"You've met Father!?" And just like that Mordred was back in his face, except this time there was an entirely different look in her eyes that very nearly took him by surprise. He had been expecting something akin to rage over the whole dying thing, but instead it was replaced by an excited expression, of all things. He was getting some very mixed vibes. "Where did you meet them? Did you see their full splendour? Pfft, what am I saying, of course you did!"
"Well…I guess so?"
"...Oi, what's with that doubt in your voice? Are you saying father's performance disappointed you?"
"Huh? Oh, no!" He hastily shook his head from side to side "I was downright terrified of them the first time we met. With the black sword and the-"
"Black sword? What in the-what black sword?" Mordred's expression twisted, replaced by confusion "Father never wielded a black sword. Are you stupid or something? Did you mistake some no-name knight for father?"
"No…she definitely said Excalibur, right Mash?"
"Yes, Senpai." The Shielder provided from somewhere "Excalibur Morgan-"
"Excalibur what?"
"Outstanding. You have snatched danger from the jaws of safety." Haku muttered through his mind once again, Rituska got the distinct impression the Servant would have been glaring at him if he had a body. "For one who criticised my own recklessness, you seem to put just as much effort into purposefully causing harm to yourself as I did so through an accident."
"But that was the corrupted version of King Arthur from Fuyuki, Sir Mordred!" Mash hastily added on "There was the version we encountered during the Nerofest that seemed much less hostile-"
Mordred had long since stopped looking as though she was registering what was being said, instead she had a glazed over look on her face as she leaned closer to him. "What do you mean…Excalibur Morgan?"
"Uhhhmmm…she-"
"We're here."
He had never been so thankful to hear the voice of Sulyvahn before in his life, swiftly turning his head straight ahead as he rounded the next corner. Then found himself slowing to a halt and raising his brows, his jaw dropping ever so slightly as he beheld the sight before him. "What the…?"
"Oi, don't ignore me!" Mordred snapped next to him "What do you mean Excal-what in the hell?"
She trailed off as well, her voice going from infuriated to baffled in a split second and Ritsuka could empathise with her completely. It wasn't at all what he had been expecting.
Before him stood a wall of white birch trees, each of them interlocking over the other with their branches embracing their neighbour so tightly that no gaps could be seen through it. The trees curved slightly, giving the impression that the entire wall was a circle rather than that of a cube shape, they stretched quite high into the air as well, well over ten metres by his own reckoning and though they were bereft of leaves, he could not call them dead by any stretch of the imagination. He didn't know why, considering they looked for all intents and purposes exactly like dead trees.
Though right at the front of the wall, there was a single arch made into the wood the shape of a doorframe, though it lacked a door and was instead replaced by a veil of smoke. A foggy cloud that was thick enough to prevent him from seeing through it, yet it did not spill out from beyond the confines of the interior, as though an invisible wall kept it in place.
Sulyvahn had not stopped unlike the rest of them, he continued marching onwards until he came to a halt directly in front of the fog door. Then stopped and looked over his shoulder towards them. "You do not need to worry yourselves over appearances. The fog will allow you entry." Turning back around, he took a single step into the fog and then submerged himself within it, pushing through and vanishing from sight.
"...Come this far, I guess…" Ritsuka muttered under his breath, then looked to the side at the others "Might as well take the plunge, right guys?"
"Don't worry, Mister Ritsuka." Nursery spoke from over his shoulder, he could feel her small arms wrap around his shoulders in a manner that was remarkably comforting. "I will be right there with you along with Miss Mash. Right, Miss Mash?"
"Yes, Senpai!" The Shielder chimed in "Don't worry about a thing, I will protect you in case anything happens."
"Yeah!" With a cheer in his voice, he picked up his pace and marched straight towards the fog door, though he did turn his head ever so slightly as he drew closer to it. Perhaps it was a psychological thing, but he was already bracing himself for running straight into a glass door or something, like out of some internet video and falling flat on his back to be laughed at.
His face hit the fog.
