Chapter 150: The Friendship we made along the way.
It's strange to see.
He lies there, looking almost peaceful.
Slumped against the wall, just out of sight. A thief until the very end, it took far too long to find him. Perhaps that it is a credit to his skills that even now he can evade capture.
…
It's not funny.
There's no humour in this.
There is nothing.
It's empty.
It's so empty it burns, it rages, it drowns, it explodes, it hides, it shrivels, it just is.
He stands there, staring at the boy that seems so far away now, yet so close.
The first step takes aeons, each motion is punctuated by the grinding of metal and the creaking of leather as he forces his body to obey him. Dragging his feet with each step he takes, it's as though he is climbing a mountain with how arduous the task of moving is.
In many ways, that is not far from the truth.
He drops down onto one knee with a thud, ignoring the cracks beneath the limb as he makes contact with the stone ground. He's lost to all the world and focused on the here and now.
The man dressed in rags, who wears a point sack over his head with eye holes cut out in the front.
Blood pools beneath him, long since cold.
A single slash across his chest, he's experienced wounds like that.
It wasn't quick, he dragged himself here and then succumbed.
He's not moving at all.
A hand reaches towards the limp figure, joints crack as the fingers curl down. The hand falls onto the shoulder of the man and jostles him slightly. The only movement to be seen is caused by him.
The man is dead.
He's dead.
He's dead but his eyes are still open.
"Stop…stop looking…" The hushed whisper leaves his mouth before he can help it, caught between a desperate plea and a furious demand. The anger is directed somewhere, perhaps himself for letting this happen, perhaps the world for killing him, or perhaps the corpse for being so foolish.
There is just anger.
"Stop looking at me…"
The hand moves from the shoulder, reaching towards the head.
He doesn't remove the hood, he can't bear to look at the face.
The fingers poke through the premade holes, sliding the eyelids down.
He's still here.
Which means he won't be there when he returns, that corner will remain empty for as long as he still draws breath. It was empty when he first arrived, but now the thought of it returning to that state is hideous to him.
It's wrong.
This shouldn't have happened.
It's simply wrong, there are no other words that can describe this disgusting image that lays before him. It is evil.
This land is evil.
This land is cruel, it's vicious and it's revolting.
Why would anything good come from this? For what purpose did he die?
"Ah…"
A glimmer of something still clenched in the palm of the man, he twists their hand around and pries open the fingers. His hands stop when he stares at the bottle. It's impossible, it shouldn't be there.
If it's there then…
"You could have…"
His words ring loud, like bells they echo through his mind.
"Now it's time I do my part. Whatever trinket you need, speak up. Just don't ask me how I got them."
Ah, he couldn't have.
Because he thought it might have something like this and he asked him to look out for them. If he hadn't done that then…
His hands clenched into fists.
It wasn't the world.
It was him.
He was revolting.
Because he did this.
Because he wanted more.
Because he wasn't satisfied just yet…
Because if he had stayed focused on what his task was and hadn't thought about what he could obtain, then this would not have happened.
He takes the Divine Blessing from the hands of the bag headed man, he holds it so gently as though the slightest crack would destroy it.
"...I wasn't worth your life."
He wasn't. It was his desire that did this, his demand…his greed.
Because that's what it always comes down to.
He has no tears to shed, he cannot cry for he is undead. A man who deserves to be mourned, who did what was right for his friends and family until the very end.
And his friend cannot even cry over his body.
"..."
Until the very end, he protected what he wanted, he wanted to get back to his friend and give him what he asked for.
Because he asked him to.
What cruel fate is this? How many more have suffered for such inclinations?
Why?
The words do not reach him, the air remains hollow and devoid of warmth. There is nothing to be said and even if there were, he would not have the strength to day it.
This horrible feeling, this terrifying sense of loss.
…He shouldn't have done it in the first place.
If he remained focused on his duty, it would not have happened.
He slams his heart shut, cutting away the pain as best he can.
He won't go through it again.
Never again.
He'll throw himself back into duty, for it is the one thing that gives him purpose. If he can uphold that duty, if he can use it to smother these feelings.
Then that is right,
That is good.
He is how it should be.
A complete focus on duty, the end of suffering of the mind and soul. So long as one does not suffer the same sense of loss, or desire for treasures that claimed this soul, all is fine.
The body hit the floor with a thud, flopping around on the ground as though it was a fish. With little resistance from the unconscious individual - and very little tact on the part of the one who had been carrying them - the end result was them falling into a new and rather baffling situation with one of their arms lying over their face, another stretched out above their head and their legs spread wide.
"Sir Mordred!" Mash hastily called out as she rushed towards the man, already taking care to try and position the body in a much less embarrassing posture. "Shouldn't we be careful with them?"
"Ha?" As expected, the knight simply made a noise of annoyance blended with confusion, the horned helmet snapped backwards, green eyes narrowed as brows furrowed and the lip curled down in a puzzled expression. "What the heck do you mean?" she pointed down at the body of the unconscious man on the floor, messy brown hair and a scraggly beard, dressed in a simple button up white t-shirt and belted black trousers. "He's fine, ain't he?"
A snort "Least, I don't hear him complaining."
Mash just stared at her with something akin to horror "H-he's unconscious though! He won't know if he's in pain or not and that landing didn't look very nice."
Mordred rolled her eyes "For crying out…he's fine! A fall like that never killed anyone…or if it did then that's their fault." crossing her arms over her chest, she adorned a look of complete certainty "If he ever wakes up he'll have a light headache or something an-what the heck are you doing!?"
The Shielder jolted at her tone of voice, staring up at her with wide and now panicked eyes. What did the Saber mean? Had she been doing something wrong, she didn't think she had been. She glanced back at the man and made sure everything was alright, his arms now lay by his side, his legs pressed together. Yes, everything looked fine to her. Which only meant that her concern fell away, giving rise to confusion "Uhm…what do you mean?"
Mordred stared at her in complete bewilderment before waving her hand at the man "You look like you're setting him up for a funeral pyre!"
"I am?" She was? "But I just thought this position looked more comfortable for him."
"There was nothing wrong with just leaving him there."
"But it looked uncomfortable."
"So? We're all uncomfortable! This place ain't exactly the picture of comfort so who gives a sh-"
"I trust the raised voices means that we're all back, safe and sound?" Jekyll's voice rang out behind them, the pair turned to the back of the room as his slightly muffled voice was accompanied by the gentle tapping of footsteps, the handle of the door creaked as it was twisted, then pushed open as the blonde man stepped into the room. "I'm relieved to see it, were there any compli-" he trailed off when he caught sight of the man now lying face up on his floor, perfectly prepared for a trip to the morgue, if the looks were any indication.
"We got a bite, yeah." Mordred boasted with a sharp toothed grin, then paused before it fell away "No sign of anyone else out there though. A couple more frozen bodies - probably this guy's servants or whatever - in the house but not that much else." she sniffled for a moment "...Then again, I probably should have gone looking for stuff that might have been useful."
"Please refrain from telling me about your plans to rob my neighbours…" Jekyll pleaded with a slightly exasperated look, though Mash could see that at this point he was more accepting of whatever Mordred was saying. Or he was resigned to it, one of the two, she supposed. Either way, she felt a great deal of pity for the man, considering she had a tough time trying to convince Mordred not to smash open the doors.
"Hmm?" Jekyll paused after a moment, narrowing his eyes at the body and slowly walking across the room to approach it. Leaning over, he stared down at the man with a flash of recognition.
"You know them, Doctor Jekyll?" Mash inquired, glancing between the two of them with a bit of worry now. If this man was one of Jekyll's friends, then that might make this sight a bit uncomfortable for him to be around.
"In passing, only because we lived across the street from one another." The man exhaled "Professor Sterling Lawson, he performs seminars at the polytechnic institute in Westminster. He's hit a sour spot as of late with the loss of his wife. Poor fellow hasn't been seen at the institute for several weeks, or at least before the whole fog and storm rolled in." closing his eyes, he reached up towards his face and pushed his glasses up to rub the bridge of his nose. "I suppose it would have made sense for Professor Lawson to be caught up in this as well."
"Thought you said you weren't friends? What are you getting so worked up over?" Mordred's comment came from behind the two of them, the knight tilting her head to the side and her lips drawn into a thin line. "Probably plenty more like him outside, you gonna get teary eyed over every single one of them?"
A snort from the doctor cut off whatever response Mash had building up in her "Haha…probably not. It wouldn't serve much purpose to be weeping over them and I suppose you're right in the sense I shouldn't be getting so worked up over it. All the same, Professor Lawson was one of the few men in the career of science and learning who did not decry me a mad crank…Though that might have simply been on account of his lack of understanding towards my work."
Returning to his standing position, Jekyll placed his hands on his hips "Regardless, I believe it would be prudent to take him to Caster, see if she can unravel the mystery of whatever is plaguing this city or dream, see if she cannot find a way to wake these people from their nightmares."
"They'd probably all go back if we killed the asshole behind all this." A disinterested shrug followed her declaration, Mordred glancing away from the pair "Just saying."
"...I think it would be a good idea if we made sure first." Mash countered as she similarly rose to her feet, though her tone wasn't all that hostile and more conversational. She didn't think that Mordred was wrong in her statement, but when dealing with situations such as these she would much prefer that they had a plan that was one hundred percent, rather than guesses.
Unless it was a guess from Senpai, then those would usually be proven correct. He was very good at things like that.
Whether Mordred was at all bothered by her words was something she didn't show, simply regarding the Shielder with a raised eyebrow before giving an uncaring grunt. Waving her hand slightly "Fine, fine. Makes sense to have a plan…Probably something that Agravain would try and drill into my head and all that." she made a noise before looking around with a raised eyebrow "Where has the witch skulked off to? Some dark little corner?"
"Hardly." The voice of Medea cut through the air, the Caster fading into existence not long after with her lips drawn taught into a thin line. Mash internally cringed at the slight edge in the Servants voice, neither one of them had made their dislike of the other much of a secret and at this point, she was starting to get a little concerned about proper team cohesion.
It also made her wish that Senpai was here now, more than ever. He always had a habit of being able to get different sorts of people to work together with one another. While this particular situation might have proved a little more challenging than normal, she was convinced that he was absolutely up to the task.
"Just because I do not stomp around the property like a rowdy child, does not mean I have been lapse in my performance." She glanced down towards the body of the man, Mash pointedly ignored the fact that Mordred was now making a growling sound much like a dog would have made. Sure enough, when she snuck a glance to the Saber she immediately snapped her attention back to where it had been.
More on account of the actual snarl plastered over the Sabers face.
"Caster, what do you make of his condition?" Thankfully, Jekyll took it upon himself to brave the storm in front of him and try to steer the conversation away from insulting one another and back towards the most important aspect. Namely figuring out everything they could about their current situation. Mash had understood some of the topics that had come up, enough to say that she wasn't completely clueless about everything.
But she would never claim to have the same level of understanding as an actual Magus from the Age of Gods. Especially one such as Medea, her skill in magecraft would most likely be some of the most powerful she would have ever seen. With the notable exception of one other Mage but…she would rather not see his prowess up close and personal ever again. Even if it was inevitable they would have to.
Medea shifted her attention slightly towards the blonde man, staring at him for a moment before she glanced down at the boy. A hum rippled from her throat as she floated across the room towards him, both Jekyll and Mash took a step backwards in order to provide room for the Caster to work.
The woman raised her left hand, holding it over the body and moving it towards the direction of his head before ceasing. The hand remained outstretched, fingers pointed towards the face of the man and flickers of light dancing between her fingers. It wasn't very flashy, nor did it seem to rely on the chanting of words but at the same time, Mash was certain that they would probably get something useful out of it.
"...There is a definite sign of manipulation present." Medea announced after half a minute of silence "Though it is not a complicated spell. Hmmm, it appears to have been weakened in some capacity, presumably an outside force acting to counter the effects of the Reality Marble."
Mash widened her eyes "An outside force…you mean another Caster who is working against-"
"Possibly. Most likely." Medea cut her off before she could finish, Mash didn't personally mind it though, that was the sort of information that was very important to them. Especially since she had no idea where anyone else in Chaldea was at the moment, more importantly they couldn't contact Chaldea which meant that bringing reinforcements here was something that would probably be impossible as well. Therefore, any and all allies they could find would be invaluable.
Especially one who could weaken the effects of a Reality Marble such as this.
"Though as you can tell, they were unsuccessful." The Caster continued on, either ignoring the way Mash slumped nor just not caring about it. "Hmmm…Ah, I see." she retracted her hand, examining the man for a few moments, then looking up and seeing the expectant faces of everyone in the room.
"..."
"..."
"...You gonna just stand there like a damn statue or something!?" Mordred evidently lost patience after the first ten seconds of silence, looking none too pleased at the fact that the Caster hadn't said anything. Mash winced at the volume, but she did share in the desire for answers. By all accounts, Medea had evidently seen something useful and she thought it would have made sense to alert everyone about it as soon as possible.
"I was thinking." Caster's voice was a touch annoyed, no doubt with the shouting of the Saber, before she directed her attention back to the man. "I could most likely break the enchantment placed upon him. However, it would be a useless gesture."
It would?
"Eh?" She blinked at Medea, tilting her head to the side and looking between the two of them repeatedly "What do…what do you mean, Caster-san? Shouldn't we be trying to-"
"Because he would return to this state not long after I freed him." The words cut off whatever Mash was going to say, instead feeling confusion flood through her mind. He would return to his current state? What did that mean? Shouldn't Medea have been able to erect some sort of mental barrier to protect him? In fact, Doctor Jekyll wasn't a Servant and he was still walking around without any sort of trouble.
So how was it that he was alright but this man wasn't?
"Caster, might I ask for an elaboration?" Jekyll spoke what they were all thinking, or at least Mash believed that to be the case. As she cast a quick glance around the room, she could see the twitch of annoyance on the brow of Mordred, with her mouth half open and her eyes narrowed, it was obvious she had been gearing up to say something as well. Though with Jekyll having acted first, she settled for just looking slightly annoyed.
As Medea opened her mouth, she paused and then looked around the room as if realising something for the first time. Her lips shifted into a faint frown, her head moving around slowly from side to side. "Where is the other brute?"
"Ah, you mean Vordt?" Jekyll made a noise "He said he was going for a nap…" he must have realised how odd it sounded immediately after he spoke the words, especially considering he now found himself under the incredulous stares of not one but three Servants, Mash was sure it might have made for a touch more intimidating sight than she would have wanted, but she had trouble keeping her puzzlement out of her face.
He was going for a nap?
Now, of all times?
Why?
Wasn't that a really careless thing to do?
"I'd ask if he was some sort of idiot, but I know the answer to that already." Mordred grunted, while it wasn't quite how Mash would have phrased it, that didn't make his actions any less silly in her mind. Taking a rest now of all times, in an unknown reality Marble with dubious effects related to forcing people into comas and he decided to go to sleep?
"Should someone wake him up?"
"I am not here to babysit oafs and fools." Medea coldly remarked with a distinct lack of care in her tone "If he wishes to play the part of a child, then I shall leave it to you to educate him when he awakens from his slumber. Fool that he is." with a sigh, her attention once more returned to Jekyll. "As for you question, it would be a fool's errand to change it because his mind had already accepted his current state of being as 'natural'."
Jekyll frowned, then glanced down at Professor Lawson with a troubled frown "Natural? You mean to say that he believes this…endless sleep is the proper way that he should live?"
"Yes. It's a simple spell but the effects cannot be denied. The moment he turned into this…listless husk, he accepted that this was the natural state of being for him to remain. I could break the hold of this world over him easily, but he would defer back to his after a short interval. It is something he accepted of his own volition, a continued effect that seems to play upon the worst memories."
"Worst memories?" Jekyll muttered, reaching up and cupping his chin "You suggest this world somehow…made his nightmares real to him and he had fled into slumber to escape them?"
"A not incorrect way of putting it, I suppose. Regardless, the only manner in which you could ensure that he avoided this state would be to lock the memories that are being affected. From what my analysis could infer, the more pronounced the effects of the trauma on the psyche, the much simpler it becomes to enter this slumber."
Mash felt her eyes widen, understanding flooded her mind as the pieces fell into place with her. "You said he lost his wife recently, right?"
"I did-" Comprehension flashed across the face of the doctor as well, his head snapped up as he regarded Mash with the same manner of clarity that she now possessed. "He was listless in the wake of her death, he had not been seen for weeks…this world bringing the sense of loss to the forefront of his mind would have been far too much for any man, let alone for Lawson…He must have fallen into a coma quickly."
His hand moved further up his face, now engulfing it and hiding away his eyes from view. "And if the storm remains present throughout the entire world…we would need to excise any memory which might inspire the same sense of loss or despair from every single mind of those who have already been afflicted." a sigh escaped him, Mash felt her body go numb.
The population of London had to be around five million people by this point in time. To try and cure every single one of them would be a momentous task. It demonstrated the power of the Holy Grail in the hands of someone capable but it also demonstrated just how challenging this would be. With such a large population and the environment at the mercy of the Reality Marble, there was no telling how much of this place actually looked like London in the first place.
"...I assume this makes it all the more pressing that we kill the one who is behind all of this?"
"Yes." Medea nodded her head "This Reality Marble has thus far not ensnared the souls of those present here. At least, not that I can determine though affecting the soul is a challenge, even for myself." there was a pause before she hummed "It might well be the scale of the Reality Marble has hampered the user in some capacity, laying claim to a single soul would be difficult enough, but to lay claim to an entire cities worth of them while also dealing with resistance from within?"
That would be rather difficult, Mash could admit that. "You think they might be focusing more on waiting for all the remaining people to fall asleep before they claim them?"
"Smart." Mordred grunted, rubbing her chin "Well…it could go either way. Claim all you can but it doesn't make sense to accomplish that if you're gonna end up dead. I'm not a witch, but doing something to this scale would take a long time to complete, even with the Holy Grail juicing you up. Gotta make sure you don't mess up."
"The more pressing concern is the fact the environment has been diluted. The unknown element I detected has been influencing the mind. Attempting to make them more aware of the better parts of their lives, to diminish the effects of the storm."
"So someone is trying to make them all warm and fuzzy and someone is trying to make them feel like crap?" Mordred scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and regarding the Caster with a dubious stare. "Is that seriously what you're telling me is going on here? Battle of the happy times versus the shit times?"
"...Yes."
"...Not looking so well, is it?"
"I believe the fact they have been able to compete with a wielder of a Holy Grail inside a Reality Marble is telling enough of their power." Medea countered with a wave of their hand "Not least of all because they have been able to exert even an ounce of influence over this world with their powers. Either through spellcraft or an inherent ability, it matters very little in the end. Such a feat cannot be overlooked. It might very well be the reason that some of the citizens, such as him-" she gestured to Jekyll "-remain conscious even now."
Jekyll made a face of surprise "An unknown ally…well…I admit my dreams have been rather pleasant, but-"
"Shitting me? Dreams?" Mordred spat, turning away and dropping her head into her hands "I swear if it's that guy…"
Mash sent her an odd look. That guy? For whatever reason, the Saber now sounded less angry and more apprehensive, did that mean she suspected who was behind this? "What do you mean 'that guy', Sir Mordred?"
Evidently the knight didn't think she was heard, as she whirled around and faced Mash with clear surprise, her mouth open slightly and her eyes a little wide. The expression remained present for a split second before it was replaced with something like exhausted annoyance. "Trust me, it ain't worth thinking about that flowery prick. If it's him…" she shuddered slightly, metal chittered as the movement caused the plates to grind against each other. "I'm not being in debt to that guy, no way."
The Shielder had very little idea as to what the Saber was alluding to, so much so that she sent a curious look towards the only other person in the room who she figured might offer her an opinion on the matter. Unfortunately, Jekyll looked just as bewildered as she did, noticing her look aimed towards him, he just shrugged his shoulders.
"Forget about that guy for now, whoever he is." Mordred announced - or virtually declared, one of the two - as she turned about face and fixed a stone visage onto the room, something about her presence now feeling much more commanding than it had done previously. As though her very words were now taking hold of her attention. "Right now, we're at a limited capacity. You can't do your bounded fields here, can you?"
"In a Reality Marble? You must be joking." Medea scoffed at the notion, as though it had been a stupid question in the very beginning. Though, in fairness, Mash had already known the answer to that one as well. Setting up a bounded field inside something that was regarded as the ultimate in bounded fields seemed fairly impossible.
"Yeah, just making sure." Mordred didn't look put off by the scoff in the least "Which means you're gonna have to play a role of support, unless you want whoever is outside to cut you to shreds." there was a beat, then she snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not that I wouldn't find it a good laugh seeing you dance about trying to avoid a sword."
"Not all of us practised the art of swinging a sharp stick." Medea countered coolly, her lip curling upwards in an almost smug smile. "Some of us preferred a different approach, for a more civilised people."
"...Bitch." Was all Mordred said in response to that, which was - at the very least - straight to the point. Though Mash figured this was the opposite of good team work. "So long as you aren't useless, I won't be tempted to ditch your sorry ass for being dead weight." a snap of her fingers and Mash blinked, looking down at the armoured digit now pointed directly at her face "You're the defender. I assume you can swing that shield of yours, right?"
"Y-yes, I-"
"Great." She was cut off before she could finish "If you're half as good as you look, then you should be able to keep bean sprout and the hag alive."
"Bean Sprout?" Jekyll whispered to himself with a puzzled face.
Medea? Her reaction was slightly different. "Hag?" Mash was almost certain there was now a dark aura surrounding the Caster, the sickeningly sweet way she had repeated the word was almost like nails on a chalkboard. "I've always heard that Saber Servants have the highest levels of Magic Resistance…maybe I should run a few tests to confirm that? Hmmm?"
"Uhm…" Mash raised her hand slightly, glancing between the two of them as they now made zero effort to hide their glares, for a brief second, the Shielder imagined she was seeing sparks fly. Then she took notice of the fact that the room now felt much more electrified than previously and the sparks were indeed flying…
…From Mordred, and in flashes of crimson light dancing over her body.
"I think we should be more focused on the plans, right?" She looked to Jekyll for support, something she received rather quickly.
"Mash is correct, this doesn't help anyone and least of all us if you two decide to fight and destroy our current refuge."
Mordred was silent, glaring at the Caster before she turned her head to the side, eventually letting the light show die down and loosening her posture. "Tch, I wasn't actually gonna do anything."
"Hmm, as if I would waste my talents on disciplining a child." Medea similarly settled, no longer channelling magical energy around her with the circles that hadn't quite formed once more fading into the throes of non-existence.
Crisis averted, for the moment at least.
"I think what we should work on first of all is trying to see if we can find anyone else outside." She put forth her own suggestion, glancing between the two others in the room to see if they offered any sort of counter to her statement. When she received none, she took that as permission to continue onwards. She might well have been stating the obvious course of action, but all that was running through her mind at the moment was 'what would Senpai do?' and she had been a Master candidate, after all.
Well, Master candidate in name only, it was only her superior magic circuits that had allowed her to join the ranks of Team A. Mash didn't think she was anywhere near the experience or competency of the others, especially not someone like Wodime. Everything about him had exuded an aura of being calm and collected, as expected of someone with his status.
That aside, she went about formulating what she believed would be a good starting point for them to do.
"If there is someone out in this world diminishing the efforts of the Reality Marble, then they obviously aren't allies with each other? So they might be willing to work with us…" She took a deep breath. "Even then…I think it's vital that we find the other Servants from Chaldea and join up with them, especially Master."
"...Meh, not a bad start, I guess." Mordred grunted, Mash felt relief course through her at not being shot down for making the suggestion. The blonde Saber reached up, scratching her chin while levelling a thoughtful frown towards her. "Though I'm not one to think that going outside and shouting out at the top of my lungs is a good idea. Not unless you want everyone to wind up finding you…" her lips parted in a slight snarl "Besides…I need to go outside anyway…find that asshole who stole my sword and turn them inside out."
How violent.
"O-okay." She replied instead, letting her true thoughts hide down inside her while she attempted not to let her expression show just how disturbed she was at the comment. The way in which Mordred talked about her sword was a far cry from what she imagined Ash would do if he lost a weapon.
Namely, he would probably just take out another one and continue on as if nothing had happened. He had outright given her a spear at one point to try and let her practise with other weapons. The 'Follower spear' wasn't even an ordinary weapon either and she suspected he had many, many more.
"This aside, I doubt much more can be achieved in this location." Jekyll remarked with a frown, crossing his arms "We've been here for several days now and accomplished very little in terms of understanding this world and you've been here for little more than a few hours and in that time you have unravelled much of this world." a half chuckle escaped his lips "Rather telling, I suppose."
"Hmmm. You were neither equipped nor informed enough to learn of your location." Surprisingly, Medea dismissed his self depreciation, if in a slightly backhanded manner. "You barely pass as a spellcaster if your research is of any indication. A mere amateur in alchemy would have little way of knowing the truth of this world…combined with your company."
"I'm…Well, excuses can only free me of so much worry." The doctor gave a light protest, but his heart was hardly in it, glancing towards the Saber "I don't suppose you have any experience in a town by town search, do you?"
"Course I do." Mordred snorted, giving a proud smirk and suddenly looking the picture of confidence. "Anyone with a base of sense would move from house to house, never staying in one location for long before they carried on." her green eyes fell onto Mash "If your Master or your pals have any sense in their heads, they'd be constantly moving locations."
There was a pause before she thrusted a thumb at her chest "We get a pass because no vulture with arms is gonna get past me, no point in moving."
"Yes…quite." Jekyll gave a wry chuckle, quickly shaking his head "But even when the storm eases up, moving outside is still far beyond something I can achieve in what little clothes I have. Even my winter wears won't afford me much in this ice."
Mash glanced at Medea "...Do you think you can-?"
"Possibly. Though the question remains of why you would want to take a human outside into the storm?" The Caster responded with a raised eyebrow aimed back at the Shielder "Though I suppose if we left him here, we would need to venture forth with reduced numbers." There was a brief silence before the Caster made a noise "Something that would be best, this remains the only safe refuge we are aware of and there is little knowing what might befall it should the owner venture out."
Mash tilted her head "You mean you'd stay behind?"
"Even a Reality Marble is capable of navigation, I simply need time to prepare such spells to accomplish this." Her words were without arrogance, only certainty. "Therefore, you are free to take the brutes with you as you conduct your search. I am more than capable enough of defending myself."
As if on cue, a layer of violet dyed smoke slipped across the floorboards, drawing alarm from the others in the room as they watched a skeletal hand emerge from the smog. The fingers were sharpened and crooked, reaching upwards before slamming down into the wood with a sharp crack, the rest of the body followed.
Darkened bones free of skin and flesh, a head that was jaws only, the upper half of the skull was missing with the teeth being sharpened and serrated, much like a lizards. Clasped in the right hand of the summon was a long bony looking sword, the skeletal figure glanced around the room, then walked past the Shielder without a care in the world and assumed a position as some manner of guard.
"T-that is…uhm…" Jekyll swallowed, eyes still fixed upon the skeleton now standing in the corner of his study. "That is…Victor would have quite the fright at seeing something like that…"
"Hmmm. In the meantime, I shall develop some method of communication that will enable you to remain in contact with me at all times. For the time being - though it lacks the same capability as a worksop - this would do well to remain our base of operations…at least until more suitable accommodation has been discovered."
Mash nodded her head to the Caster, if the owner of the Reality Marble was always aware of their presence at every single moment of them being here, then moving around wouldn't gain them much in the way of security. She had no way of knowing how the enemies here got about or whether they could be summoned just as easily as Medea's bone warriors. As it stood, she didn't think they had much choice in the matter.
Though there was a question that remained, at least when they went underway in their search for others. "Do we even know where we're supposed to look?"
The question hung in the air for a few seconds, silence being the only response. Then it was disrupted by a thoughtful grunt from Mordred, the knight frowning to herself as her eyes flickered to the side, narrowing slightly as she internally debated something.
"Hmmmm." A long hum rippled from the throat of the Saber, then she eventually glanced up towards Mash "No. Best we can do is just perform some patrols around the area and check every house we come across. Probably during the times when the storm isn't as bad as it is now." she paused for a moment. "It's always snowing outside, the only thing that changes is how easily you can see through it."
Crossing her arms over her chest, the knight tapped her fingers against her forearm. "If this fake is faithful to the real thing, then anyone with an ounce of sense would probably go for the sewer systems."
Mash made a slightly disgusted face, something that did not go unnoticed by Mordred.
"It's not like we'd be wading through shit." She grunted back with a roll of her eyes "Just that the sewers would be a good bet. Easily defensible if you get attacked and you can walk around there even during the storm or whatever. Though I doubt you have any sewers about…" Mash would note this down as the first time she had ever seen someone look disappointed at the prospect of not having to wade through sewers.
It was also the first time she had a conversation related to this topic, which meant she was breaking new ground. She was sure that Doctor Roman would be pleased at her branching out in her new types of conversation.
"Caster?" Jekyll shifted his attention to the cloaked woman "I believe it would be best if you set about doing as you volunteered, if you would be so kind." he flashed her a polite smile as he spoke, seemingly pleased when Medea made a small noise of affirmation and then vanished without another word, fading away into vaguely butterfly shaped particles. Jekyll stared at the spot where she had been for a few seconds, then moved his hands to his hips and whistled "I do not believe there shall ever come a time when I am not amazed by such displays."
"Ha!" Mordred barked a laugh, shaking her head from side to side "Trust me…You will…"
"I shall take your word for it, though I remain personally sceptical." He looked back down to the floor "In the meantime - though I am quite loath to ask women to perform such tasks - would you be so kind as to lend me a hand in moving Professor Lawson to one of the guest beds? I would rather he not remain curled up on the floor as though he is a corpse."
For Mash? She was happy to help.
For Mordred? Evidently there was a takeaway from that sentence that wasn't anticipated. At least not from the Shielder. "Who the fuck are you calling a woman!? Hah?!"
…Mash didn't know what to say, and now she really wished that Senpai was here right now.
The door behind them creaked open, a head poked itself through the door with an eyebrow raised. Messy white hair and a shaven face stared back at them, Vordt once more bereft of his helmet stared at the room with no small amount of surprise. Then he stared down at the body on the floor and blinked twice. "...Did I miss anything important, by chance?"
With a new target for Mordred, the anger she directed towards Jekyll was forgotten and instead focused a rather hefty glare of annoyance on the newly arrived Servant. The Rider pushed the door open fully and stepped through, his eyes remaining on the downed man before they flickered over to the shorter knight, now pausing as he took stock of her expression.
"The hell are you playing at?" Mordred snapped at him, though she didn't sound as much angry as she just sounded bewildered. "We're all working our asses off here, even this guy-" she pointed directly at Jekyll's face without even turning to face him "-and you vanish off into the house to go for a damn nap? You're a Servant! You don't need to sleep, unless you're cursed…You cursed?"
"Well no-"
"No? Then why were you lazing about the house! It's a goddamn joke!" Mash was surprised by the aggression coming from the Saber, it was completely different than before. If she didn't know better, she would say that Mordred was disappointed in the Rider. "We're here to save the city and you think you can just kick your feet up for a rest? What the hell kind of knight are you!?"
The white haired Servant made a face at her, then raised his right hand in a placating manner "I would not usually do such a thing but there was…" clicking his tongue, he glanced to the side for a moment. Mash felt slightly bad for what was happening but she was similarly a little puzzled by why he had picked now for a nap.
While her disappointment wasn't anywhere near what she imagined that Sir Mordred was feeling, that didn't mean she felt nothing at the thought of the Servant missing out on an important meeting because he felt tired. Then again…
"Sir Mordred." She stepped forwards, feeling the need to at least offer some sort of defence towards the Rider "Vordt-san has been outside in the cold repeatedly and came back wounded. Taking a rest after all that is expected, right?"
"Yeah, for a grunt!" Mordred all but sneered back at her, waving an arm in the direction of Vordt "Not a Knight, or someone who claims to be. You think I could just take a quick nap whenever I got a little scratch on a battlefield? Or Percival? Or Tristan?" she then pointed to the ground "That dumbass Gawain charged me at Camlann even after nearly being gutted. Injured or not, taking a rest is a luxury for a Servant, doubly so for a knight."
"...Sir Mordred speaks truly, Sir Mash." Vordt spoke up before Mash could say anything else, his voice resigned and accepting, though he did offer her a thankful smile. "It was remiss of me to take such a rest that deprived me of being informed. My actions were in error…though there has been some benefit from them, the fact I took them without knowing makes it an error all the same."
Mordred stared back at him, then grunted as she nodded once "Good, do better next time and-benefit?" she detected the same word that Mash had, her face shifting from annoyance to intrigue rapidly "The heck do you mean, 'benefit'? So help me, if you say you're now feeling spry-"
Vordt snorted "That should go without saying, but as I slept I…experienced a vision of sorts." reaching up, he ran an armoured hand through his hair, face shifting as he obviously tried to recall whatever he had experienced. "I believe someone attempted to make contact with me during my slumber."
The Knight of the Round Table tensed at his words "...That right?"
"I…it was vague, I admit. Though it was…there was clear intention behind it." He continued on, lowering the hand back to his side and closing his eyes. "I…stand in the midst of a storm, such as the one outside. Rather than the howls of the wind…the screams of my failure haunt me and yet I…walk into a clearing. In this clearing there is naught a sound to be heard and it is…" he opened his eyes, exhaling "It is not something I can describe beyond feeling at peace. Greenery, flowers, clear skies…this isolated oasis in the centre of the horrors and standing tall in the middle of this small paradise is a lone white tree."
He finished, looking around the room and studying their varied reactions. Mash found herself blinking at the man. It certainly sounded rather bizarre but Magecraft that could influence dreams wasn't something that was uncommon for her. Though she hadn't experienced it, she could still say she knew it existed. Though to affect a Servant? At the same time…
"The tree that protects me from the cold…" Jekyll whispered out, his own expression strained "I…I know of that…Though I thought nothing of it at the time." he glanced at both Mash and Mordred "Perhaps it is…prophetic, of sorts? Offering us safety?" Even he sounded dubious, though Mash could not dismiss it immediately.
"...You think that someone in the Singularity might be reaching out to us?" She directed the question to the crimson Saber, Mordred's expression was unreadable. Her eyes were clouded and her lips drawn tight, emerald green orbs flickered between Vordt and Jekyll several times before she exhaled.
"No way of knowing. Not his usual style…far too visual." The Saber grunted, then brought her right hand up and scratched her head, a faint scowl upon her lips. "...Damn it!" She cursed "Fine, wait for the witch to finish her little talking stones or whatever, I'm going to go take a nap!"
Mash blinked "Uhm…to experience the dream?"
"To get some answers from whomever is invading people's minds." Mordred grunted back in annoyance, making for the door and pushing past Vordt. Her voice echoing back through the hallways "Doesn't sound like the bastard I know, but I'm gonna damn well make sure!"
Silence descended upon the room once more, then Vordt cleared his throat "Perhaps I should have attempted to interrogate the tree myself? Though I saw no figures in this paradise…"
"Who can say?" Jekyll chuckled under his breath "Though I have the strangest of notions that Sir Mordred would indeed try and strangle a tree for answers if presented with the opportunity."
"I heard that bean sprout!" The irate voice of the knight echoed through the building.
"...I have also been known to, on occasion, fit my entire boot in my mouth."
His eyes scanned over each and every detail from the street across from him, making sure to not just pay attention to the ground but catching glimpses of the rooftops as well. He knew full well the dangers that the Corvians possessed if you didn't see them coming, far too many times of having them drop on his head and tear him open had taught him that.
He'd left the others inside to think on their own matters, Ash had other things to consider which he would prefer to be alone to do so. Being in this place once more, in this land was…troubling to him.
No, that was not the correct word.
It was disgusting, his mind relaying him back to the image of the family frozen in the corner of the room, huddled together and all with peaceful expressions upon their faces. He knew full well why he had held himself back then and there, it was because this land could not be Ariandel. There was no manner it could be, it was a 'Reality Marble' and therefore, this world operated under the guidance of another.
Their mind influencing all those without proper protection, that was why he held himself back. That family were mere victims of another's machinations, as such the right and proper course of action would be to find a way to set them free. Presumably they would return to normal after the death of whomever orchestrated this world and continue on as though nothing had ever happened.
That should have been more than enough for him.
But for whatever reason, his mind was drawn back to them. Their peaceful expressions, that contention in their faces. There was no sign of struggle, no sign of fear or resignation. They almost looked as though they were at peace, welcoming this sickening cold and abandoning the world at large to be with it.
He blamed it on the mental interference because it had to be.
Some manner of trickery to take the people of this land and turn them from the proper path and towards this stagnant acceptance. To make them embrace the rot and to find comfort in the cold. If there was any other reason about it…He knew what he would have to do. At that point, if they could not bear the weight of their own lives, it would be better to end them.
He could not bear to see it, nor could he ignore it. As was his duty, as was his purpose that he deigned to grant himself. He had seen what accepting the cold brought about, the rot it left in its wake and the desire of those to simply perish rather than let things continue on as they were. After all, it was better to die than live in this endless suffering.
There would be more out there in this world, more who had fallen victim to this cold but…
The traitorous thoughts lingered in his mind.
'What if they accepted the cold of their own volition?'
If they had done so, then the answer remained simple. The answer was always simple and was always present. If they had accepted the cold of their own will, then they had admitted they could no longer accept their lives at present. Without the strength to continue on and without the capacity to better themselves, the solution remained simple.
His Mercy.
If he learned they accepted this cold, then there was nothing more to be done but put them to rest. Even freeing them would not remove the weight of this sin. It would forever remain a fact of life that when presented with the opportunity, they had abandoned this world and forfeited their right to continue existing in it.
He just couldn't grasp it, however…
Those of the Painted World had been subject to tremendous loss and seduced by greater powers, the hollow promises of Friede and the guidance of Father Ariandel. The Followers of Farron who lost everything when they could not match the step of the Legion, they had little else and sought refuge in a world for those who had nothing.
It was a world that should not exist.
How anyone could bear to see such a thing was beyond his comprehension, how you could stare into the eyes of those defeated souls and do nothing to alleviate their suffering…it was monstrous.
That being said, he knew not why the people of this place - this London - would accept something like the rot of the painted world. By all accounts, there was precious little wrong with this world when compared to his own. Though he lacked true understanding of its history, he knew enough to see the progression of the world and the loss of the Gods.
With no undead curse, there should have been nothing to bring despair to humanity, and with all they had achieved it would have been the result of those who held a clear passion for their duty. What else could be the reason behind such a thing?
Though…
Francis Drake.
Pioneer of the Stars.
Such a woman had existed and what was worse, she had heralded the 'age of discovery' around the world, influencing all of humanity with her actions. Though he knew what she was, he knew what her lifestyle was. It was disgusting in every sense of the word, how humanity had benefited in any capacity from such a creature of avarice as her was shocking to say the least.
Yet, her personality had alarmed only himself and Oscar, to the others they had done nothing but shrug their shoulders at her and ignore everything she represented. Such a casual response to her nature…left him disconcerted.
"Is greed commonly practised?"
"Do you want an honest answer? Because I get the feeling you won't like the one I give you."
Ritsuka's words pounded through his skull like an ever present drumbeat. Each strike almost left him reeling, he brought up his left hand and rubbed the gauntlet over the front of his helmet. Exhaling and closing his eyes for a brief moment.
…He was sure he would not have liked the answer.
All the same…
It would have been one he needed to hear.
He'd charged into this under the pretence he was fighting for the best aspects of humanity but it occurred to him only now…
He didn't know what type of humanity he was fighting for…
And he could not fight the hollowing feeling in his gut that perhaps he had misunderstood something fundamental here.
All those he had met, he had spotted parts of them he had disagreed with but they had been minor things. None displayed the same aspects as Drake but…
The small things, the minor things…
They added up…
He brought his hand away, raising his head and staring to the distance, visibility slowly crept back into the world. Though it was certainly not clear line of sight it was better than the storm it had been for many hours before.
Perhaps it was poetic timing, as Ash felt as though his own eyes were being opened.
There might be something wrong with Humanity.