Chapter 136: The happy couple.
"What do you think we are going to expect from this group?" Gordin asked Sigurd as he walked in stride with the man, the Saber gave a ponderous hum as he considered the question for a few moments.
"Lady Alsanna has told me that they have not yet made a move since the arrival of Erik and Zallen." He explained, still looking ahead although he did briefly glance at Gordin from the corner of his eye as he spoke. "Therefore, I would assume that the lack of hostile action from them at this point in time is indeed good news. She also tells me that it appears they were heading North at the time of being found by Erik."
Gordin blinked behind his helm, then made a noise of understanding "It is hardly as though the direction the dragons come from is any secret." Sigurd nodded as well, his lip curling upwards into a faint smile. "Which would mean they hold the same goal as us, that is, to defeat the dragon Kalameet."
"Exactly. She tells me that they have a number of Servants already accompanying them." He remarked, quickly schooling his features "Although the lack of conversation from Erik means they likely assume him to be a Berserker, which he is, and unfortunately there are a number of women in the opposing group…"
"Which means Erik cannot truly relay any information to them." Gordin realised with a faint sigh, reaching up and rubbing his hand over the bridge of his helmet "I suppose that was to be accounted for when he sent him off, hardly like we had much choice in the matter though."
"What is done is done, complaining about it will not change the outcome now." Sigurd waved his hand to placate the Saber "It was a plan made from desperation and sense, we had no way of knowing whether or not anyone would truly be marching North. What does concern me is the number, there are Servants with the group but Lady Alsanna told me they were accompanied by no small amount of warriors. Perhaps a third of our own."
Gordin gave a pleased hum "That is certainly brave of them and understandable." Sigurd's face remained unchanged "Fighting for the defence of one's homeland is as good a goal as any. Doing so with the full knowledge that what you are facing might well be stronger than you is braver still…or perhaps foolhardy, but what is bravery without a dash of recklessness?"
"Perhaps your elements of Tyr are shining through." Sigurd joked as he adjusted his glasses "In any case, I was expecting something along these lines. We can ask the people of this era not to get involved but we cannot truly make demands of them. If they wish to fight, then I see no reason in turning them away." he gestured behind him "It is only because of the vulnerable we currently travel with that I did not extend this choice to them as well."
"What do you suggest we do then?" The Forossan asked with a tilt of the head "If they are heading north to do battle with the Calamity dragon, they will surely ask for our assistance."
Sigurd was silent for a moment, the man's features were a perfect mask as he debated his options within his head before he responded. "The situation at present is untenable and a better opportunity may not yet arise. I fear we will have to depart with the people behind us and join this new group instead, provided they continue to head south they should be able to avoid any instances of wyverns."
"Will you extend the offer for all those who wish to accompany us?"
"...Do you believe we should?"
Gordin was silent for a moment, then nodded his head once "If it is their homeland, I believe we should offer them to fight alongside us and die for it. Although the culture of one's people resides just as much in their heart as it does in the land." he tapped a finger on his breastplate "The fall of Forossa was something that fractured many of our people, some lost their way and others stayed true to the path."
"You would wish to fight if this were your homeland?"
"I would, and yourself?"
"There was never a moment where I did not intend to offer them as such." Sigurd responded as though the answer had been obvious from the start, to him it truly was. "I will not spurn any who wish to accompany me, nor will I mock any who wish to pursue safety. I will speak truly and accept all decisions made post hence."
Gordin nodded along with the statement, accepting the words for what they were. It was a fair choice, they were only leading the people to a safe enough distance where they could have made the choice. The intention had always been to travel back and do battle with the dragon to bring stability to the era.
Though it might have been more preferable to wait until they had gained more distance, Sigurd was right in the sense that a better opportunity would likely never arise. The possibility of more allies to battle the dragon - considering how the last engagement had gone - was something that could not be scoffed at or looked down upon.
Sigurd squinted his eyes ahead of them "I can spot Zallen now." he informed Gordin, bringing the knight's attention to the distance and easily spotting the distinct shape of the cat on the horizon. It meant they were getting close and he could just about make out the feeling of Servants in the distance, although he was sure that it was likely Erik being at the very edges of his senses.
It was hardly like the feeling of Zallen could be concealed so easily.
Sigurd abruptly stopped walking and widened his eyes "It can't be…" he whispered out in shock, prompting Gordin to also stop by his side and turn his attention upon the Saber with no small amount of concern.
"Is something the matter?" He asked, tensing his body as he directed his attention ahead once again to the far distance. Something had put Sigurd on edge, or so he imagined by the way he had suddenly stopped moving and now had razor sharp focus.
"I know this feeling." Then Sigurd grinned, it was the smile of a man who had not seen trace of water for days suddenly laying eyes upon a clear stream. Gordin did a double take behind his helmet as he abruptly picked up the pace and now moved at a much faster pace than before, Gordin watched him with surprise and then moved to catch up with him.
"Sigurd!" Gordin called out to him as he trailed behind "Is there some issue?"
"None at all!" Sigurd called back to him in jubilation, never once turning his head from the location directly before them. "I dare say the situation could not possibly be better!"
Gordin found himself moderately surprised by the tone of the man; he'd never heard such joy from the usually collected Servant. Sure, there had been moments of levity here and there but this was completely different, he was half expecting the Saber to jump with joy and cheer to the heavens at this rate.
Then he sensed it, just tickling the very edge of his senses. It was an odd feeling, both familiar and alien at the same time. He knew this feeling, this aura, but in the same breath he would declare he had never once felt like this in his entire life.
"Whatever else you see." Sigurd spoke once again, waving a hand in his direction and telling him to slow down as he similarly lowered his pace. "Do not think strangely of it. Though she might aim to kill me-"
"Who might aim to what?" Gordin blurted out in surprise as he gaped at the back of the Saber's head.
"-it is by no means her fault. I shall survive and prove my love for her eclipses her desire to kill me." His voice sounded completely lovestruck now.
Gordin looked ahead, watching as several figures moved ahead of group that Erik had found, a man who looked like he was a pyromancer, except he wielded a large catalyst, a woman with pale white hair and a rather bulky coat of some sort and then a final figure that he could swear he knew but at the same time had never seen before.
She was also a white haired woman, adorned in a black dress with purple armour around her waist and limbs.
He knew her. He was certain he knew her and yet at the same time, he had no idea who she was. This familiarity was akin to Sigurd's when they first met but much, much closer than that. It was almost like she was…family.
Then she twirled a spear in her hands longer than she was tall with an extraordinarily wide blade and nearly decapitated her ally with a swing of it. Then charged forwards with nothing shy of murderous intent and nearly ran down the pyromancer(?) and made a beeline straight for them, all but ignoring Erik in the process and leaving both him and Zallen rather drumstruck as she hurled herself bodily at Sigurd.
How did Sigurd respond to all this?
He advanced upon her with his arms spread wide, calling out in a perfectly clear and joyful voice "Brynhildr! My sweet!"
"...Huh?" Gordin could only respond with a noise of confusion, even as the woman let out a euphoric moan as she ran.
Then thrust at his head with her spear.
It was a dance of death, both parties watched with clear apprehension as the two fighters blurred across the ground between the groups. Flashing in and out of being seen by the naked eye as their weapons clashed against one another with echoing roars of steel.
The Saber would parry a blow aimed at his chest and respond by shoving the Lancer away, the woman would counter the shove by falling into a backflip and kicking up with her legs to catch the Saber in the chin and knock him skywards.
As she leaped into the air with a burst of speed, the man merely laughed out loud and cried with clear joy. "You are as beautiful as I recall, Brynhildr!" Clearly pleased with her attempts as he righted himself in the air and swung down with the crystalline greatsword in his hands.
He struck the polearm of the lance, swiping the attack to the right and away from his body as he placed his feet against her forearm and kicked off to knock them both away from one another.
The two fell back to the ground, landing with perfect grace.
"Sigurd…" Brynhildr all but moaned out the name, her face burning bright red and her lips curled up in a purely loving smile, even as she had attempted to bifurcate the man no fewer than a dozen times in the last minute of combat.
"Brynhildr!" Sigurd called out to her again "I am beyond happy to see you in this place! Amongst these scorched lands and saddened souls, you shine with the brilliance of the dawning sun!"
Dead silence followed in the wake of the statement, save for the joyful noises of Brynhildr as she cupped her face and his her mouth behind her palm. Muffling herself and turning away somewhat abashedly, flushing a brighter shade of red as if such a thing was possible. "Oh, Sigurd…" she lowered her hand, darting her eyes to meet his once again as if sneaking a glance across a classroom. "You shouldn't say such things…you know it will only make me…"
'Want to kill you even more', were the unspoken words.
None understood this more than the man they were aimed upon.
"Hahahaha!" Sigurd instead joyfully laughed, not even being cowed by the obvious threat against his person "I shall never lie to you, my dear. I speak only the truth in regards to your beauty, to ask me not to compliment you is to ask the stars not to shine in the night sky. It is an impossible act and I would not have it any other way."
Brynhildr only fidgeted more, breathing somewhat erratically at this point before she charged forwards "Oh, Sigurd!~" she sang out his name accompanied by a somewhat throaty groan, moving as little more than a blur as she crossed the space between them in mere heartbeats.
Her arm coiled back and her spear prepared to thrust deep into the man, Sigurd merely adjusted his stance in preparation to catch her attack. Even as she thrust the spear forwards as a blur of light the near tranquil expression upon his face remained as Gram spun through the air and blocked the attack, Sigurd's legs bent forwards as he avoided sliding backwards.
The two fighters locked weapons with one another and were almost nose to nose with how close they were standing.
"That you are so desperate to kill me only shows the depth of your love." Sigurd's voice carried over the wind, the gentle tone was almost pleasing to hear. "I am honoured beyond words to receive your favour, Brynhildr. However, it only drives me further to showcase my own love to you by surviving this!"
With a grunt, he hefted the greatsword upwards and reversed the grip on the weapon, Brynhildr abruptly fell as the resistance to her pushing all but vanished. Sigurd twisted the sword and swung down towards her legs, catching her shin with the flat side of the blade and sweeping her legs out from underneath her, she let out a surprised gasp as she fell forwards, her eyes tracking the Saber as he ducked around to the side and dissipated his sword.
Then threw himself forwards in a tackle,sliding one arm around the back of her shoulders while the other curled around her legs and swept her off her feet in a princess carry. Making sure to kick the spear from her grasp as he moved, the weapon harmlessly sailing through the air as he hefted her up and beamed down at her with a loving smile.
All the while, Brynhildr burned bright red and made several sputtering noises as she tried and failed to formulate a sentence.
"Your beauty is unchanging for whatever angle I view you, be it from a distance or from mere feet." Sigurd remarked almost casually, then his smile turned more loving "Though I much to be close enough that I might take you into my arms."
"Sigurd…" Brynhildr whispered, then slammed her hands up and covered her face in an attempt to hide away her embarrassment. Not that the knight seemed to be put off in the least when it came to lavishing her with compliments, rather it only served to spur him onwards.
"I beg you not hide your face from me, it is a crime to conceal such radiant beauty from the world."
"Sigurd!" Her hands shot forwards, parting from her own face and wrapping around the back of the Saber's head. Using it as leverage, she pulled herself up and firmly planted her lips upon his in a rather passionate display of affection, wholly uncaring for the nearly three hundred strong audience who had witnessed this spectacle.
The lips of the two parted, lost as they gazed into their beloved's eyes.
It was only the applause that followed, the clapping that echoed out around the battlefield nearly turned bed-chamber with how affectionate the pair were being, that pulled the attention from the couple and onto the individual who had started to show their appreciation.
Low and behold, Tarkus stood next to Olga and loudly clapped his hands together, soon shouting out with as much gusto as he could manage "I'm happy you found your husband, Mrs Brynhildr! He seems like a very nice man!" the knight continued to call out to them "Nice to meet you as well, Mr Sigurd! You have a very pretty wife!"
Sigurd stared at the Saber dubiously for several seconds, then felt his own lips curl back into a satisfied smile, giving a single approving nod to Tarkus "Thank you! Indeed she is." he raised the woman up in his arms slightly "I feel blessed every time I think about it."
""Can we please get onto the important stuff!?"" Two voices shouted out at the same time, Olga from one end and Gordin from the other. The two shared a single glance across the distance separating them and came to an understanding between the other. This display was certainly something that would be better left forgotten if they hoped to get very far.
"Enough."
The frozen voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade cut through flesh, the chilling words silenced anyone else who might have thought to make a comment in that one moment. The attention of all those present was instantly drawn towards the owner of the voice.
The unnatural flicker of fear in the back of the mind, the slightly quickened beat of the heart and the rising hairs upon the neck.
All of these symptoms were owned by the individual currently riding atop the second black tiger, the shadow beast itself even seemed lesser than the rider atop it despite her visibly thin frame.
Despite that, she lost none of her presence. Rather, being the one more feared than the cat in that one moment only added to her authority. At least, those who did not have enough adequate Magic Resistance to overcome her tapping into her true nature.
The woman looked down from atop the cat, her cold red eyes first falling upon Sigurd from a short distance as she spoke again. "Though you are no doubt gladdened by your reunion with your beloved, Sigurd. Remember your place and our position."
Her eyes then turned away from the man, towards the others at the other end - namely Tarkus - and continued to stare at him until he stopped clapping and looked down to avoid staring at her. "Are you not a knight? Have more sense than to applaud such a display of violence and lust. You have no knowledge whether we shall be enemies or allies in this moment."
Her eyes finally fell upon Olga, the Director herself felt as if she was put under a microscope "You are the one who commands the other Servants here, are you not?" she tilted her head ever so slightly, not even waiting for a response before she spoke again "Then control this situation first and foremost. I shall use it to judge your abilities."
"Wha-" Olga sputtered out in shock, fear forgotten as she stomped her foot and pointed at the woman from afar "Who do you think you are to-"
"I am Alsanna, Queen of Eleum Loyce, Guardian against Chaos and heir to the Ivory King's laws." The woman stated, stopping the Directors tirade before it could even gain traction and looking down at her with piercing dull red eyes that seemed to examine every single nook and cranny of her, so much so that for a split second Olga might have thought the Servant was using some manner of spell to analyse her very being. "I told you to expect judgement, and it has arrived. Now, I shall see what manner of ally you prove yourself to be."
She touched the back of the tigers head, the beast jerked slightly and turned before it started to plod back the way it had come. "I leave this in your hands, Sigurd. I shall return when the moment is opportune." with one final glance towards Olga from over her shoulder, she turned away and moved on.
Leaving everyone else now feeling a touch bit awkward.
Sigurd coughed loudly once, making himself the centre of attention once more "As she says, it would be best if we try to organise some manner of information exchange, yes?"
"So now that Mr. Smiley is done showing off his happy married life to all the single people…" Romani grumbled under his breath, staring at the Saber in question through his screen with a rather dull expression. "Perhaps we should start off with an introduction all around? Not that it's difficult to figure out who some people are…"
"Did you miss the part where she tried to skewer him?" Olga looked at him with mystification, pointing to the pair who now stood side by side as if nothing had ever happened in the first place.
"Ah…yes." Brynhildr cleared her throat, looking meaningfully to Olga "In regards to what we discussed earlier-"
"Are you utterly bereft of tact?" Olga blurted out to her in shock, pointing at Sigurd with wide panicked eyes "Don't bring that up now and how can you even expect me to debate it after that public display of affection-"
"It was lovely, by the way!" Marie whooped from the side, giving the Lancer and Saber a thumbs up "Like something out of a storybook! You agree, don't you?" she looked at Tarkus, the Saber nodding his head up and down rather enthusiastically.
"You look really happy now, I think that's for the best."
"To think my separation from you had caused such heartache." Sigurd lamented, Olga at first thought he was trying to be funny but then realised there was actual remorse in his tone of voice, now gaping at the Servant. "I only hope you will forgive my lack of haste when it came to meeting you. Had I known you were here, I would have marched south through night and day to be by your side once more-"
"Sigurd." The knight dressed in the exact copy of the armour Ash had worn when he was first summoned coughed the name loudly, a fist raised up to the front of his helmet lowered itself as he turned his attention on the Saber in question "As pleased as I am you have found your dear…wife." he nodded to Brynhildr, who was now looking at the Servant with an odd expression. "I believe we should focus on the more important matters at hand…"
"Of course, brother-in-law." Sigurd nodded his head several times, then his eyes gleamed with understanding as he saw Brynhildr's look of confusion "That is right, my beloved. You would not know…" smiling widely, he pointed at the knight who fidgeted on the spot "This is Gordin, he is a Saber Servant and a warrior worthy enough to become the vessel of the God Tyr."
"This is too much…" Olga quietly whispered as she ran her hands through her hair, Nero patting her on the back in a comforting manner. Walking into Sigurd in Denmark was one thing, walking into Sigurd and the Nordic God of War was an entirely different matter altogether.
Brynhildr was staring at Gordin with an astonished expression, looking him up and down before she stepped away from Sigurd and towards the knight, her expression shifting several times before it settled on a somewhat gentle one "I see…Gordin." She inclined her head slightly in a faint bow "I am Brynhildr, I would be considered sister to Tyr…I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
"...Yes…right…" Gordin awkwardly responded, looking past her to Sigurd for some manner of assistance. All he got was an encouraging smile and a nod of the head from the man in question.
"Another Pseudo-Servant?" Romani commented aloud, cupping his chin and giving a curious hum as he opted to move away from the conversation about successful love lifes. "And a Divine Spirit as well, just like you isn't it?"
He directed the question to the taller Servant in the group, the Millwood Chieftain looked towards Gordin for a few moments before he grunted and nodded once. "I am Torin, Chieftain of the Millwood Knights and…current co-leader of the band of warriors behind us." he threw a thumb over his shoulder towards where the two groups were mingling with one another.
"Co-leader?" Sigurd raised an eyebrow, humming to himself and nodding several times "Between yourself and you, I suspect?" he directed the latter part of the question towards Olga, the woman paused and looked up as she realised she was being directly addressed, then coughed to clear her throat and rapidly shot up to compose herself.
"Yes." She gave a single nod, her features schooled and dignified "I am Director Olga Marie Animusphere from Chaldea, we have arrived in this land to correct the Singularity and restore the regular flow of History." she rattled off the standard introductory line, then looked to Sigurd "Will we count on the support of you and the other Servants behind you?"
Sigurd regarded her for a few moments, crossing his arms over his chest "...I cannot speak for others-" he looked to Gordin "-but I would be perfectly willing to aid you to the best of my abilities, once we have exchanged information and suitably decided what shall become of the refugee's I have been escorting."
"Naturally." Olga nodded with his assessment, that made sense. It wouldn't do to be saving all those people only to up and abandon them in the cold the very second they needed to be elsewhere, there was a good chance that these were the only survivors from the Northern sections of Denmark, in which case it would be vital that they survived at all.
The woman looked over her shoulder, giving a quick glance of all those Sigurd and his entourage had arrived with before she returned her attention to him. "Once we have finished that, we will then begin a briefing on the information we have available and understanding of our opponents capabilities."
Sigurd's expression turned grim at that "...We have already fought the one responsible for this Singularity." he looked at Gordin, his tone of voice indicating that it hadn't been a pleasant experience. "I will not lie, he is a formidable opponent and one that even I would be hard pressed to battle." he raised a hand quickly "There were extenuating circumstances at the time, but…his capabilities as a warrior cannot be underestimated."
Olga thinned her lips "...Even as a Dragon Slayer?"
"Even as a Dragon Slayer." Sigurd confirmed with a curt nod "Though we can leave such grim news for later, yes? Perhaps we can discuss what becomes of the people while our two groups learn of one another?" he suggested with a raised eyebrow "If that is acceptable with you."
"If they understood nothing of one another, they would make for poor teammates." Olga bluntly commented with a frown, then waved her hand permissively "The Servants you arrived with are free to interact with the ones I have under my command, provided that no troubles emerge-"
"I can see to that." Gordin nodded once in Sigurd's direction "I have more faith in your abilities as a diplomat than mine."
Sigurd made a noise of affirmation "Ordinarily I would ask you not to think so lowly of your own abilities, but it is prudent to be aware of one's strengths and weaknesses." he added on "I can trust the Lady Alsanna to handle things easily enough in terms of negotiations."
"Ah, right…yeah…" Romani coughed nervously "The giant sabre tooth tiger in the room."
Olga clicked her tongue, aiming an irritable glance at the doctor and having him raise his hands somewhat placatingly towards her.
"You misunderstand." Sigurd raised his hand "Though her first appearance might well be considered cold, she is approaching you in much the same way she would approach an equal. You are a commander of individuals as well, though not quite at the same scale as a Queen…" he admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head "Regardless, it is best to approach her from a position of mutual respect and I believe you shall get along with one another splendidly."
"After that whole judgement speech?" Olga huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning at the man "Her first impressions leave much to be desired."
"Didn't Fujimaru-kun fall asleep in your opening briefing?" Romani couldn't help but comment, tilting his head almost innocently and causing the white haired woman to freeze on the spot. "And then you slapped him and tossed him out of the room?"
"Wha-he-!" Olga sputtered several times before she rounded on the doctor and pointed at him "He was snoring in the middle of a very important announcement! This was after he showed up late! My irritation with him was perfectly justified!"
"Why do you talk about striking sleeping subordinate's as if it's strange?" Gordin asked, looking at the pair oddly "If any of the Knight commanders caught me sleeping during an important meeting, they would do worse things to me than give me a mere slap and toss me from the room." he looked at Olga and shrugged "If anything, you sound exceedingly merciful."
Romani opened his mouth to respond "It isn't like that-"
"Exactly!" Olga cut him off first, looking to Gordin as if he had been the first sensible person she had ever met. "He should be happy that all I did was slap him and throw him out! If my tutors had caught me sleeping, then I would have received a far greater punishment." she nodded her head several times, closing her eyes and giving a self-satisfied smile "That's just how it goes."
"I'm glad you're confident." Sigurd nodded once "It will make speaking with her all the easier." he looked past "In the meantime, there is something I would like to ask you before we begin." he pointed just over her head towards the other warriors "They all decided to accompany you willingly to do battle with the dragons, yes?"
He noticed the way in which Torin's posture tightened and Olga had a thoroughly displeased look upon her face the moment his words left his mouth.
Lowering the hand, his lip curled down slightly in a troubled manner "Though I sense it is a choice that neither of you are particularly pleased with."
"Suffice to say there is a difference of opinion." Olga remarked in a tired voice, reaching up and rubbing her forehead. "A difference of opinion and hardly a choice at all." she jerked her head behind herself to the norse "They made it clear they would either go it alone or they would go with us north."
Sigurd looked between the two of them, then looked down to Brynhildr with a raised eyebrow. Watching as the Lancer nodded several times in affirmation.
The man smiled and gave a light chuckle, shaking his head from side to side and placing his hands on his hips, almost as if he was a proud father at a football game "A group of Servants held hostage by humans into letting them fight. Certainly not the news I was expecting." he admitted with a nod of the head, then looked past the Director towards the humans in question "Though I cannot say I am surprised, we're a hardy people."
Brynhildr gave a nod of affirmation.
"Well, I should let you know that I intend to give the same option to those who accompanied us south as well." Sigurd spoke up.
Olga's eyes were upon him in an instant, wide and full of fury "Are you completely-!?"
"Our two groups have already begun interacting." Sigurd responded in a measured voice before she could begin to shout at him. "Questions will be asked and answers will be traded. Afterwhich, I have no doubt some of the survivors will be invigorated by the tales spread about by your group and feel similarly emboldened to take up their weapons and fight back."
Olga closed her mouth, looking over her shoulder once more and furrowing her brows slightly. She could feel a slightly nervous element creep into the back of her head as she weighed up the words in his speech. He was not wrong in the least, it was something that would indeed end up happening, most likely at least.
"Therefore, it is only best to discover how many intend to air us and how many will continue onwards to safer regions south." Sigurd finished, looking from Olga to Torin expectantly as he awaited a response "Well?"
Torin remained silent with his arms crossed, staring down at Sigurd for a few moments before he shrugged his shoulders "They are the people whom you are in charge of protecting…it is not up to me to decide what options you should provide them with." his voice was emotionless as he turned around, starting to move away before he paused. "Though my own advice on this matter, if you would hear it, would be for you to tell your people to flee south as fast as they can and not look back."
With that said, he walked off towards the crowd of people and where Cu was also currently residing, having decided to hide away the moment Sigurd had arrived and opting to steer clear of the Saber's line of sight.
The group was silent for a few seconds following his departure before Romani spoke up "Well, that aside. I think we should all get together for a good meet up…especially if we're gonna be working together in the future, right?" he waved his hands around, giving a slightly cheerful smile "You know…get some teammate energy going."
"A decent enough suggestion." Sigurd nodded several times "There are some others whom we haven't introduced…on another topic, you may have seen Erik." he looked around "The Berserker who doesn't speak, well…he does, just not around women." he added on with a wry chuckle "Gunhild, his wife, is very possessive of him so she takes issue with other women speaking of him. Except Alsanna because she is happily married…I believe Brynhildr might also be safe because of her marriage with myself."
"But not any of the female Servants present…or me…because we're all single and we're women." Olga dryly responded as she looked around. "So we have a Servant who will not respond to us in any meaningful way…because we have no love life to speak of."
"That's cold." Romani nodded his head, giving Olga a pitying look "Don't worry, Director. I feel for you."
"I don't want you to feel for me!" Olga snapped at him "I want to know what manner of idiotic-" she scowled, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing loudly "Forget it. This is complete nonsense…fine, someone else speak with him and then act as an interim if it is so disastrous." she paused for a moment before she grunted "Tarkus will do it."
"I will?" The Servant in question looked up, then nodded several times before he wandered off like a child departing his parents "Okay, Miss Olga! I'll go find Mr Erik and talk with him! I'm sure we'll be great friends!" his voice got quieter the further away he got as he moved into the thick of the crowd.
Gordin watched him depart for a few moments in silence before speaking aloud "Is he slow of mind?"
""Brother."" Two voices scolded at once, prompting him to jolt slightly and turn to face Sigurd and Brynhildr giving him equally chiding looks.
The knight was silent for a moment before he shivered "I will…be off…somewhere." he muttered, then departed at great haste to avoid being in direct contact with the people.
Sigurd looked somewhat guilty "I should not have called him that…" he whispered to himself before he shook his head, "Come…we should speak with Lady Alsanna." he pointed behind them towards the woman still sitting atop the large cat "It is best we not keep her waiting long."
"Very well." Olga nodded her head "Marie, you're with me."
"I am?" Marie blinked once, then stepped in close to be practically touching shoulders with the Director "Ah, right. Queen to Queen, right? I can do that."
"I see you are finished with your theatre display." Alsanna bluntly commented as she looked down at the group, her hands resting atop the back of the large cat and her voice as flat and imperious as ever. "It would make for a fitting source of entertainment for the denizens of my Husbands Kingdom, however. The language was certainly flowery enough."
Sigurd at the very least had the decency to look marginally sheepish "Apologies, I merely lose myself in the light of my beloved's eyes and forget all else." he responded with, looking up to Alsanna "Being married yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate the value of the bond especially after lifetimes apart."
Alsanna was silent for a few seconds before she cleared her throat and gave a curt nod "Yes…I suppose I can overlook such reasoning. You had already clear the love for your wife, so I cannot truly bemoan your display of affection towards her." she allowed, then raised a delicate eyebrow "And the matter of her attempt on your life?"
Brynhildr looked away guiltily as Sigurd moved to answer once again, this time Olga cut in.
"It was a risk we were already aware of when we encountered her." Both Sigurd and Brynhildr looked to the woman in surprise as she stepped forwards, bringing the attention of the Caster upon herself "She informed us of the curse surrounding her existence and how she is compelled to slay Sigurd which might strike her at any time. Knowing this, I still allowed her to accompany us, though I was not aware Sigurd was summoned to this Singularity at all."
Alsanna hummed "A curse, you say? I cannot say I am unfamiliar with such a thing that causes loved ones to turn against one another. All humanity is branded with it…" she looked past the pair towards the far end "The Knight in black armour holds it. Though this is not about him." she looked down to Olga "It is about you…what do you intend to do now? One of your allies will make regular attempts on the life of one of mine. How do you intend to offer this Queen assurances this will be controlled?"
Olga sent a wordless glance to Brynhildr and then returned her gaze to Alsanna "That is for me to decide, not for you. I am her Master at present, so I am the one who is responsible for any actions she commits."
"And you would accept due punishments?"
"I would point out that Sigurd himself seemed unsurprised at her attempt on his life." She quickly shot back, the Knight in question nodding his head several times. "Meaning any and all issues would be between them." crossing her arms, she schooled her features "And any attempt to separate them will likely end poorly."
Alsanna was silent for a few moments, then nodded her head in acceptance "I shall acknowledge this answer for now. Sigurd would give notice of any harm to his wife and I shall not separate them, curse or no curse." she looked down slightly "I have felt the burden of isolation from one's beloved and shall not inflict the same cruelty."
Sigurd smiled up at her "You have my deepest thanks for this boon, Lady Alsanna."
"As long as she does not kill you."
"If she ever succeeded, I fear I would be unworthy of her affection."
"Don't say such sad things, Sigurd…" Brynhildr whispered as she leaned into his body "I…"
"This is really sweet." Marie whispered to Olga, still grinning as she drank in the image of the knight and his almost maidenly wife. Olga sent her a side-eyed glance before she coughed loudly.
"Can we get back to the manner at hand?"
"I concur." Alsanna supported her "Your goal lies to the north, yes?" at Olga's nod, she continued onwards "You are aware of the foe you do battle with?"
"Some more intimately than others." She grumbled under her breath, then flicked up her communicator "Romani? Is Da Vinci still there?"
"Yeah." The doctor replied "One moment…" his screen flicked off, then was quickly replaced with the transparent image of the Caster in question.
"Well, well, well…" Da Vinci leaned back in her chair, still very clearly in the command room, and smiled "So, what can I help you with?"
"Sigurd encountered Kalameet."
"Huh…" She hummed "He did mention that when we spoke with one another." then quickly raised her hand "He said he fought a dragon slayer. He didn't mention any names." she lowered the hand, Olga's comment dying on the tip of her tongue.
Sigurd tilted his head "Excuse me, you spoke?"
"Hmmm." Da Vinci nodded several times "We did. One of his allies managed to swipe our spare communicator and called me. We talked for…about an hour or so?" she shrugged "I wasn't paying attention all that much to the time, but it was a very nice conversation. He seemed somewhat pleasant to speak with…did he tell you all about his dream?"
"The Kingdom of dragons?" Sigurd raised an eyebrow and saw her nod "Indeed. Though the manner of our conversation ended somewhat…poorly, I suppose. Words were exchanged that led to a heated reaction and one of our current members is a Knight who served the gods during that period."
"Ah, another Silver Knight? You have a name for them?"
"Ledo."
"Alright then. We'll see if Arkon knows him." She nodded her head, then saw his curious expression "Another Silver Knight we have back here. He also served during the wars, or so he says."
"Ah, I see." Sigurd nodded once in understanding "In that case, all will likely be well between the two of you when you meet. Although bare in mind that Ledo can, at times, be eccentric. He is still a Berserker and we aren't quite sure how his Madness Enhancement has chosen to manifest."
A frown came upon the director, Romani appeared once again and raised a curious eyebrow before commenting "You seem to attract an odd amount of Berserkers, director."
"Speaking of which." Sigurd looked around curiously "Is the final of your number one who is unwilling to speak openly? They have been in Spirit form since our arrival."
Olga grunted once, giving the Knight a mystified expression before she understood what he was pertaining to. "Stahl." Was the simple command she gave, the Berserker formed behind her. The giant suit of armour standing just shy of three metres tall crested over the smaller woman by a considerable amount.
Sigurd looked at the Servant for a few moments in silence, reaching up and adjusting his glasses before giving a singular hum "I see. A Golem brought to life through the memories of its previous owner. A most peculiar Servant." he cupped his chin "Dragon slaying capabilities itself? I dare say they have more in common with a living Noble Phantasm than they do with a typical Servant."
"What?" Olga blinked in surprise, then frowned "How-"
The knight tapped the rims of his glasses "A boon following my slaying of Fafnir. Crystalised wisdom."
"Huh…That's pretty impressive." Romani praised with a minor nod of the head.
"Quite so." Sigurd pushed the rims of his glasses up so the light ended up reflecting off the lenses "I believe they also make me look incredibly intellectual."
"And just like that…" Romani bemoaned with a shake of the head, his hands reaching up to hold his face.
"If you are quite finished." Alsanna cut through the chatter once more, then sent the knight a slightly chiding look "Sigurd, do not encourage distractions in the conversation." she returned her attention to Olga "As for the Golem, how useful a construct is it? I knew of many such creations but I learned that as rapid as they were to build, they could not always counter the skills of the living." her eyes narrowed "And to battle a dragon requires the utmost in skill."
"...They will suffice." Olga answered resolutely, then gestured to the large cat "What of your mounts? They might look intimidating but I can tell they are no match for a dragon."
Alsanna was silent for a moment "The companions of my King are powerful enough, raw strength is no substitute for skill. Lud and Zallen might not match a dragon in combat, but they can stand their ground and slay legions of wyverns with ease. That slaughter of fodder is as valuable as the death of generals."
"And other times, raw strength can overmatch skill." Olga countered easily, crossing her arms and locking eyes with the Servant. "You could slay legions of wyverns but they would be bested by a dragon." Jerking a thumb over her shoulder, she pointed at Stahl "My Berserker has already slain one dragon in combat."
"Truly?" Sigurd asked in surprise, then looked to Marie for confirmation.
The French Rider nodded her head "It was a team effort but Olga's Berserker did aid in dealing the final blow." she then pointed to Brynhildr "Although it was your wife who gave the opening." she beamed "She was magnificent, by the way."
"Ah! I am touched to hear this." Sigurd gave a gentle smile, pulling Brynhildr into a half hug.
"I…just thought of what you would do in that situation." Brynhildr defended, looking to the side in order to hide her face.
Marie then turned towards Alsanna "Though, if I might interject…" stepping forwards, she placed her hands on her hips "This talk of judgement seems a little presumptuous. We're all going to fight the same foe together, so I think it would be wisest if we all joined forces without the need for wordplay or veiled insults against one another." she pointed to Stahl "He is physically strong and while not the most skilled, is at least able to deal with a Dragon physically whereas your…um…pets, can't."
Alsanna was silent for a moment before she nodded her head.
"I might not have a talent for strategy." Marie continued on "But covering for someone else's weakness seems like a sensible idea, doesn't it?" she looked around, raising her hands "Right?"
Sigurd chuckled "She speaks truly. More to the point, it is hardly as though we are left with a choice in the matter. We might very well let them go on their way, but we would lose the chance of doubling our numbers and raising our possibility of victory. At present, it is not as though we are a perfect team either."
Alsanna looked at Sigurd for a few moments, then returned her sights to Olga and stared back at her resolute expression. "Hmmm. That much is true, therefore I accept it as an answer. Yes, we shall join forces though do not expect me to treat you as a superior." her voice lowered further "There is only one whom I will ever consider my better."
"Fine." Olga then pointed at her "However, if someone dies because you think you know better, then I-"
"Hehehe…" Marie grabbed her wrist and pulled it downwards while giving a nervous laugh "What she means is 'thank you for this chance.' because shouting at our new allies isn't really a very good team building exercise, is it?"
Olga gave Marie a slightly annoyed look before she pulled her arm from the Servant's grip, the Rider not resisting in the least, and placed her hands on her hips. "...Yes. I expect full cooperation from you." Was the statement she instead made, fixing the Caster with a rather determined look.
"Hmph. Then you will have no issues with me having the exact same demand of you."
"Not at all."
"Splendid."
"Good."
"I'm glad we're getting along so well." Marie cheered quietly at the side "I saw this ending very differently."
Olga did a double take at her, expression shifting from surprise to hurt and then finally to anger "Did you think I couldn't do it or something?"
"Oh, not at all." Marie widened her eyes and shook her head from side to side "I was more worried about me messing up." she gestured to herself, bringing Olga's tirade to a halt "Louis was always the one who handled the meetings and the like…I'm not all that aware of the right thing to say."
"Ah…right…yes." Olga quickly composed herself, coughing into her fist and turning her head away "Naturally. I was the Master, so as my Servant you were here for support."
"Awwww." Marie cooed, leaning in closer and tilting her body to look at Olga from her right side "You trust me that much?"
"I'm trusting you with my life!" Olga snapped "It's a basic requirement if someone is to be a Master, they must trust their Servant will have their best intentions at the forefront of their mind at all time."
"You could have picked Nero though." Marie remarked with a shrug "Or Tarkus. Or Cu Chulainn." she then nodded to Stahl "Or him. Or Torin-"
"I get it." Olga exhaled, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose "First thing is first, Torin has already shown a preference to being near the Norse so removing him from there would make him irritable. Cu had no experience with this manner of dealing or at the very least has little interest in it from the start. Tarkus is an idiot and Stahl is…his issues are known." she huffed, looking to the side "And all Nero would be considering is how to get in my underwear."
Marie nodded her head in an understanding fashion "I see, I see…One thing, however." she raised a single finger, then leaned in close enough that her breath tickled the directors ear "What makes you think I'm not trying to get in your underwear?~"
Olga slapped a hand over her ear, violently turning to face the Rider and staring at her with a bright red face "You-!"
Marie giggled, waving her hand "I'm just teasing, I was curious what sort of face you would make."
"I'm never trusting you again!"
"Oh, don't be so cold!" Marie pouted, spreading her arms wide "It was just a bit of fun between friends."
"We're-" Olga made to speak, then stopped "...Friends?"
"Well…Yes." Marie blinked, then looked at her oddly "Of course we are."
Olga opened and closed her mouth repeatedly before she turned around without making another sound, walking back the way she had come and not even looking over her shoulder.
Marie lowered her arms, frowning ever so slightly "Did I say the wrong thing by mistake again?"
"Perhaps." Sigurd commented from the side, his own voice troubled "Though I doubt you were to know."
Da Vinci watched the screen that Romani was staring at, then turned to the one that was directly in front of her "So, what do you think?"
"You were right." Kalameet responded through the link, the dragon tilting his head slightly "She does sound interesting. The girl that talked about accounting for the weaknesses of one with the strengths of another, that is a human trait as well, right?"
She nodded once "Some people are better at certain things than others, so they play to their strengths. Find someone who can do something they can't and so on."
"I see, I see." Kalameet muttered in response, then cupped his chin "That makes sense." he paused for a few moments "Aren't you going to tell them I am present?" he asked, then paused before looking over his shoulder "Though it might not be for long, I told my sisters about you and…They did not react with the same joy I was expecting…"
Da Vinci raised an eyebrow "I'm not all that surprised, people don't usually get all excited about actively talking with the enemy, you know? You're a bit of an outlier."
"Isn't that what you're doing?"
An unashamed smile was his response.
"Hmmm. Nevermind. As I was saying, they wanted me to smash the communicator and not speak with you again…I said I would think about it and went away so they could not disturb me."
"So you basically got told off and then ran away to do the thing you got scolded for in the first place?"
"...Yes."
"Good on you." Da Vinci praised "In the meantime, did you have something you wanted to talk about?"
"I was going to try and speak with the Olga woman, see if she wanted to ask me anything and then tell you where I was so you could come and find me."
Da Vinci did a double take at him, turning in her chair and leaning forwards "Seriously?" she whispered in shock "Why?"
"So we could fight?" Kalameet tilted his head "Is it so strange? I wish to resolve our conflict swiftly so that I might move onto the next stage of my peoples future. I am sure you would wish to kill me and stop me from doing more harm. It works out easier for both of us if we fight quickly. You stop me doing more damage if you win, and won't need to worry about strong resistance in the future if I win."
Da Vinci blinked at him several times "There is a fair bit wrong with that but at the same time, it makes a fair bit of sense as well. Also it's sort of just like you."
"Oh, thank you."
"Eh…Alright." She shrugged, "By the way, you should have listened to your sisters because we can just track your location from the communicator."
Kalameet was silent as he stared at the communicator in his hand before he spoke up again "Fortunately I did not break it then." he smiled as best he could, showing off his large fangs.
"In the meantime…" Da Vinci turned around, and smiled "Romani! There's someone I want you to meet!"
"Huh?" Romani turned in his chair, raising an eyebrow and standing up "What are you talking about Leo?" a hopeful look came upon his face "Did you contact Fujimaru-kun and Mash!"
"Ah…no." She shook her head, only feeling slightly guilty at the way his shoulders slumped but it was his own fault for having those expectations to begin with. He should have known she would have cheered much louder than that. "He called in secret about two minutes ago."
"He?" Romani blinked, moving to Da Vinci's side and looking at the screen "He who-?" he cut himself off, rapidly paling as he saw the face on the screen. The monstrous sculpt of the head, the singular orange eye in the centre of the temple and the sharpened fangs jutting from the elongated snout.
"Hello." Kalameet greeted almost cordially "You are Romani, yes? A friend of Vinci-" he then paused as he realised something, looking at the genius "He called you Leo…does that make him the person who you wish to be-"
Da Vinci closed her eyes and smiled at the dragon.
Kalameet stopped talking "...Nevermind. I don't think I should speak further."
"Leo!?" Romani all but screamed as he pointed to the screen "You did it again!"
"He called me and the director was in the middle of negotiations." She countered easily "I wasn't going to block him and I didn't want to interrupt."
"Did he hear?" He looked at Kalameet "Did you hear!?"
"Yes. I think the Olga human is interesting." He responded with "And your two groups met up? I am glad. I thought I might have to ask one of my sisters to bring you together."
Romani did a double take "Huh? Why?"
"Wait for it…" Da Vinci whispered, giving Romani a knowing smile.
"Well…I am leading a unified front for the Dragons, so it makes sense that all the humans who stand against me are also unified…right?"
"And there it is."
Romani stared at Kalameet in complete incomprehension for several seconds, then looked at Da Vinci "Is he-"
"Yep." The woman nodded her head several times. "He is."
"I just…I can't even…" He turned away, placing his hands on his head and exhaling "...You are gonna tell the director, right?"
"Yes, are you?"
Da Vinci looked between the two of them with a flat expression "Am I being harassed in stereo now?" she pointed at Kalameet "First thing is first, I already said I would talk to her and see if she wanted to speak with you." then pointed at Romani "And second, of course I am going to tell her. Especially considering he actually wants me to in the first place."
"She is right. I do." Kalameet nodded his head in affirmation "...Who are Fugeemaroo kun and Mash?"
Romani turned and stared at her with a frazzled expression, the woman shrugged "Don't look at me. You were the one who said it." The doctor rolled his eyes and turned away from the woman, moving back across the room and falling into his seat.
"Wait, have you got the big bag of the Singularity on speed-dial or something?" Kerry asked from her own seat, turning around and standing up before jogging around towards the desk "Because this I have to see-holy shit, you actually do!"
Kalameet regarded the woman with a curious glance before he looked back at Da Vinci "Are all humans so bold? I don't mind it."
"No, she's just Kerry." Da Vinci explained with a wave of the hand, then pushed the woman aside when she made to lean over and look at the monitor "And should be getting back to her job of monitoring those readings in London while we wait for contact." she stressed with narrowed eyes.
Raising her hands in surrender, Kerry turned back around and returned to her desk "No fair how everyone else gets to meet all these people…"
"Anyway." Da Vinci returned to Kalameet "Mash and Fujimaru are people I am not supposed to talk about. Suffice to say they are somewhere else and we can't speak with them right now. Then again, I'm sure they would actually be happy speaking with you."
"Now that you say it out loud, I can actually see them doing that." Romani sighed from his seat, leaning forwards and allowing his head to fall into his hands. "So I can't even make a complaint about that…I mean, it's still fairly weird, isn't it?"
Kalameet looked around the room "Is it truly so strange? You said I was an outlier but the reactions are far more-"
"Are you talking with the enemy again!?" A furious voice thundered, the room turned to Kalameet and watched the dragon flinch as though he was a child.
"...Yes."
"Are you bereft of wit as well as strategy!?" The cold feminine voice continued onwards, Romani tilted his head and furrowed his brows ever so slightly as he recognised the voice. "You do not casually engage in conversation with your foes unless it is to make demands. Are you making demands?"
"Yes."
"And are these demands for further conversation?"
Kalameet didn't respond that time.
"If you wish to engage in these pointless discussions, then do so at your own leisure. Not that there is much point, after you are victorious their motivations and personal opinions will no longer matter. They will be dead and crushed, have you had a change of heart?"
"No."
"Then cease this foolish display-"
"Just because I have every intention of killing them does not mean I will not afford them the basic respect." Kalameet coldly replied back, the room continued to look at one another somewhat awkwardly "Even if they will die when I win, that does not mean I will mock or dismiss their motives. They have a desire to see the future, just as I do. Just because my vision might prove triumphant in combat does not make theirs any less important. That is how I showcase my equality and I will not change that stance. Nor do you hold any power over me to enforce that change. Do not bring this matter up again."
"Ho?" The voice sounded a touch amused "So you speak so boldly now that you have found a sliver of determination? Very well then. If your conversation with your foes has indeed facilitated this growth in personal strength, then perhaps I shall retract my complaints on it. At the very least, I would never imagine you to dare speak with me in such a tone or make demands of me otherwise." the voice turned cold again "Do not pursue this fancy of yours over your own people. That way spells disaster."
Kalameet kept his eyes on the figure not on the screen, he turned his head to imply they were leaving before he exhaled and looked back to the Chaldeans "...I should most likely return to my own matters. She was right not to ignore my own people. In any event, I hope Olga will agree to speak with me before we battle, if we don't then that is fine in its own way. Clashing our wills together will be all the exchange that is needed."
The communicator shut off.
"Well…It definitely sounds like King Arthur." Romani couldn't help but comment with a somewhat baffled face "So…what now?"
"Now?" Da Vinci shrugged "Now we see if the Director wants to speak with him."
AN: Yep.
In the final few Chapters of this Singularity.
Probably 2 or 3 left but I don't see it being more than that.
Don't quote me on that though.