Ici il y a des dragons Chapter 1:
Arrival to Orleans
PROLOGUE
The entire room was silent. Three people were in the room, a woman with short white hair and yellow eyes. She wore blackened armor with a great black coat to cover her. In her right hand was a flag and on her hip, a blackened sword. Behind her were two men, one had black hair, his skin pale and deathly. His eyes were large, as if they would bug out from their sockets. He wore blackened robes with a black and red collar. The other man wore the robes of a bishop, but his head was covered in a sack.
The white haired woman walked to the center of the room where a great summoning circle lay. She extended her right hand out and took a deep breath.
"Heed my words." She said calmly. "My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me."
The circle started to glow. The woman continued to frown as she continued her chant.
"I hereby swear that I shall defeat all evil in the world." She said. "But let thine eyes be clouded with the fog of turmoil and chaos. Thou art trapped in a cage of madness, and I the summoner who holds thy chains."
The circle began to crackle with energy as the entire room lit up. The woman smirked at the sight. "Seventh Heaven clad in the great words of power! Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
A surge of energy burst forth, illuminating the room in a brilliant light. The woman did not bother to shield her eyes at all, opting to stare at the scene with an eerie calmness. As soon as the light faded, the woman's smirk widened as she saw six figures standing before her.
"Thank you for coming, my fellow Servants. I am your Master." She said, The Servants said nothing as she paced back and forth.
"You all know why you were summoned?" She asked. The Servants said nothing. The woman's smirk turned into a grin. She outstretched her arms while continuing to keep eye contact with the Servants.
"These are your orders; Destruction and slaughter!"
The white haired woman brought one hand and pointed at the Servants with a maniacal look in her eyes.
"If a city is reveling in spring, then destroy it. If a town is celebrating spring, then burn it. It doesn't matter how cruel you are, God will forgive your transgressions. However, if he doles out any punishment, then to hell with him!"
The woman's smile faded as she turned back to look at the black haired man. "Now, then, Gilles.
Please bring that fool over here."
The man named Gilles smiled and nodded. "As you wish."
The woman tapped her foot as Gilles grabbed the man on the floor and dragged him towards her. Gilles threw the man to the floor with a curious smile. "Have you considered what you wish to do with him?"
The woman smiled sinisterly. "Oh yes, I know EXACTLY what to do with him."
She walked up to the man on the floor, and tore the sack off his head, revealing the wrinkly, and somewhat piggish face he wore. The bishop looked around with slight fear.
"Wh-What's going on? Where am I, and who are you people?" He asked frantically as he pointed at the crowd of people in front of him. They remained silent causing him to become irritated. "Answer me! Are you deaf?"
They remained silent, causing the man to point at the white haired woman.
"You there—no, no it can't be!"
"Why if it isn't Bishop Pierre Cauchon! It's so good to see you again!" The woman shouted sarcastically. "Oh, how I have missed you!"
The bishop trembled at the sight of the woman as she chuckled at him. "Not a moment goes by when your face hasn't crossed my mind, your Grace."
"T-t-t-this is impossible!" He shouted. "You died three days ago! I killed you! I thought-"
"You thought that I'd be in Hell by now?" The woman asked. "Sorry, but it looks like Hell didn't agree with me."
Pierre shrunk from her gaze. "T-this has got to be some sort of nightmare!"
"Oh dear, it looks like he's running from reality." Gilles said with a smile. "Shall I do something about it?"
The woman shook her head. "No, I'll do it."
She knelt down and stared at the bishop with a stern gaze. "What will you do, Your Grace?
The woman who you accused of heresy, stands here before you."
The woman gripped her flag tighter as she glared at the bishop's frightful eyes. She saw the crucifix hanging around his neck, then returned her hateful gaze upon Pierre.
"Should you not grip your crucifix and offer up a prayer to God?" She asked quietly and calmly. "Should you not mock me? Scorn me? Abuse me? Trample me? And tell everyone the wicked witch is here."
The man whimpered as she continued to glare at him. "Should you not roar like the brave lion you are? Well go on, do it."
The man continued to whimper as the woman's eyes narrowed. "Do it."
The man didn't say a word, nor a prayer. The woman's eyes widened maniacally as she glared at him with absolute rage and hatred.
"DO IT!"
The man completely shrunk away causing the woman to click her tongue in frustration.
"Spa–" He muttered. The woman raised an eyebrow at what he was trying to say.
"What?" She asked.
"S-spa-"
The woman mockingly brought her hand close to her ear and leaned in as if she wanted to hear him better. "S-s-spa? I'm sorry, I can't really hear you. You're gonna have to speak a LITTLE louder."
Tears of absolute terror flowed down Pierre's face as he clasped his hands together and lowered his head.
"S-Spare me!" He shouted. "I'll do anything, so I beg of you, please spare me!"
The woman stared at him with widened eyes. A moment later a small, sinister smile formed on her face. She began to chuckle and covered her face with one hand. Everyone but the bishop watched as the woman soon lowered her hand, and laughed maniacally at the request given to her.
"Did you hear that, Gilles?" She asked in between laughs. ""Oh spare me, spare me," he says! This bishop who tied me up, mocked me, and burned me alive as if that were nothing. The bishop who told me with kind eyes, that I was going to be killed. Is now begging for his life! Oh, that is rich!"
The bishop continued to whimper as the woman continued to laugh at him. The moment she stopped, his trembling lessened.
"After all, that won't save anything." She said dismissively.
Pierre shot his head up in shock and saw the woman's frown. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Do I really need to spell it out for you?" The woman asked. "Your faith won't reach God now.
Someone who has forsaken him, and clings to his life by begging a witch like me, can't be called a believer now, can they?"
"I-I-I don't understand!" Pierre shouted. "What are you saying?"
The woman's frown changed into a sinister smile."You just gave testimony that you are now one of the heretics. Now, think back, Your Grace. You know what sentence awaits heretics, don't you?"
Pierre's eyes widened. "N-No, no, no! Please, spare me!
"Nope, sorry but I'm afraid I ran out of salvation today." The woman said. "Indulgences are not for sale in this era. Goodbye."
The woman snapped her fingers, and a pillar of flame erupted beneath Pierre. The bishop screamed in terror as he was being burnt alive. No one lifted a finger as they watched his flesh melt off his body, and the screams of agony became shriller and shriller. They merely stared as the screaming stopped, and Pierre's body slumped back to the floor. A few moments later, the flames died down, revealing nothing left of the bishop's body.
"Not even the ashes remain, I see." The woman said calmly. She turned to her Servants with a serene expression.
"Rejoice, my ignoble Servants!" She shouted. "I have but one order."
She planted her flag onto the ground, revealing the dragon emblem on it.
"Wipe out this country, this mistake that is France." She said, "Overrun it, trample it, reap it. I don't really care, just destroy it all. We will begin with our dear Orleans, and we shall turn this bountiful place into a barren wasteland!"
The Servants said nothing as she stared at them with absolute conviction. "Age, gender, and religious beliefs are of no importance. Make sure you kill them equally, and leave none alive! That is the only order I give you as your Master!
The Servants nodded at her request. The woman smirked at their obedience.
"To that end, I have given you all the attributes of a Berserker." She said. "You may be a saint, or a hero, but now you shall dance with your broken soul."
The white haired woman pointed at one of the Servants. They had an androgynus appearance, with blonde hair and blue eyes, They wore a light blue coat and a darker blue hat, their pants and gloves were completely white. On their side was an ornate rapier.
"You are now Berserk Saber." The woman said. The Saber nodded and stepped forward. The woman looked at the next Servant. A female with green hair with golden streaks and a green dress. The most distinctive features about her were the cat-like ears atop her head and the tail of a lioness that showed beneath her skirt.
"You are now Berserk Archer." The white haired woman said. The green haired archer stepped forth. The white haired woman looked at the man next to her. He was tall with light blonde hair and a goatee. He wore a large black cloak and carried an interesting looking spear.
"You are now Berserk Lancer." The woman said. The man stepped forward. The woman looked at the purple haired woman with the staff that ended with the cross at the top.
"You are Berserk Rider." The purple haired woman stepped forward. The white haired woman looked at Gilles with a dismissive glance.
"You're Berserk Caster." Gilles nodded at her declaration. The woman looked next to him and saw another woman with white hair and yellow eyes. Her attire was….skimpy to say the least. But the most distinguishing feature was the torture device behind her.
"You are Berserk Assassin." The woman said. Berserk Assassin stepped forward with a smirk. Next to her was a man covered in black armor, with a blue like plume sticking out of the helm. His visor was blood red. In his hands was a large, blackened sword. The woman could hear him hissing and groaning, as if he was trying to restrain himself.
"And you are just….well, Berserker." Berserker didn't even step forward, not that the woman cared. She turned away from the Servants and unsheathed her sword.
"I shall pass down judgment as this world's Ruler." She said as she unsheathed her sword. "Humanity has no value, for it failed to realize their sins. So we shall kill them all."
The woman pointed her sword at the door and grinned.
"I will not tolerate a single one escaping." She said. "Now go my Servants, lay waste to the land. Kill everyone in your path, and let them know that I, the dragon witch Jeanne D'arc, sent you to deliver justice!"
Ritsuka shot up from his bed and gasped. His eyes widened as he wiped the sweat off his brow. That was definitely not a dream he was expecting. He then felt a ticklish sensation causing him to look down, and smile as he saw Fou licking his hand.
"Fou, Fou!"
"Hey Fou, how are you buddy?"
"Fou!"
"No idea what you said, but I hope you had a nice nap." The male Master said playfully. His eyebrow then raised itself when he noticed something. Usually Fou was with Mashu, so why was he-
"Good morning Senpai."
Ritsuka turned to look at Mashu sitting in a chair next to the bed. While most would be shocked that someone would be in their room when sleeping, Ritsuka merely took it in stride. If Mashu was already inside, then he must not have heard her gently knock on the door. Then again, that dream he had of what happened…..The male Master shivered from the memory.
"Are you okay Senpai?" Mashu asked.
Ritsuka shook his head. "No, I had a pretty bad nightmare."
The Shielder looked at the male Master with a sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Ritsuka smiled. "I'll be fine, but thanks for worrying about me Mashu."
Mashu blushed slightly at the comment. "O-oh it's nothing really. Anyway, Doctor Roman told me to come get you and Tatsuko right away."
"Really? What for?"
Mashu's expression hardened. "We found the first of the seven Singularities."
Ritsuka's eyes widened. "You're sure?"
Mashu nodded. "Doctor Roman is absolutely certain. He's asked that I bring you and Tatsuko to the Command Room while he gets some of the Servants in there and up to speed."
Ritsuka nodded. "Is Tatsuko waiting outside?"
"No, I came to get you first." Mashu answered.
"Then let's pick up Tatsuko and see Roman."
The Shielder nodded. "Roman also wanted me to give you this Mystic Code."
The lilac haired girl handed Ritsuka a black and white uniform. It looked like a plug suit of some sort. "Thanks Mashu, I'll get it on right away."
Mashu smiled as she got up and walked out of the room so the male Master could get changed into the new Mystic Code.
APRIL 5th, 2015
"So let me get this straight; We BOTH had the same nightmare?"
"I guess so." Ritsuka answered. "Either way, I don't like it."
Tatsuko shivered. "Yeah, that was freaky as hell."
The Chaldean Trio walked towards the Command Room as fast as they could. Like Ritsuka, Tatsuko also got the plugsuit-looking Mystic Code, but where his had black accents on the sides, hers were orange, like her hair.
"So, what did you two dream of?" Mashu asked. Ritsuka and Tatsuko shivered.
"Trust me Mashu, you DON'T want to know." Tatsuko answered.
"Oh…..I was just wondering if it was something I could help with."
"I don't think anyone could help with what we saw." Ritsuka stated. "Oh, looks like we're here."
The Chaldean Trio opened the door to the Command Room and saw Roman and Davinci standing near the center monitor looking at them.
"Good, you're all here now." Roman said calmly. "I assume that Mashu told you everything?"
The two Masters nodded. "Good, so I'll go over what you all need to do. First, investigate the Singularity and then correct it. Second order of business, find the Holy Grail that is in there, and either return it here, or destroy it."
"Understood." Ritsuka replied.
"There's also something else you should know." Roman said. "Time moves differently in them."
The Chaldean Trio looked at the doctor with confusion. This was the first time they heard about this.
"Care to explain Roman?" Tatsuko asked.
Roman nodded. "Well you see, it would seem that time moves much faster in the Singularities compared to our time."
"How much faster?" Ritsuka asked. Roman took a deep breath as he looked at the trio.
"If our estimations are correct, then eighty days inside there is about twenty four hours for us here in Chaldea."
The Chaldean Trio looked at him in shock. That's a huge time difference, and because of that, more problems could arise.
"Wait, then how will we contact you?" Mashu asked. "If the time displacement is that great, whatever you send could be hours behind what we might learn."
"~That's my cue!~" Davinci chimed. "You see, I decided to enhance everyone's communicators, and the equipment so we can acknowledge your existence. Meaning you all can talk to us without any time lag, AND we can make sure you don't go poof."
"When did you do this?" Tatsuko asked.
"A few days before the expedition to Singularity F." Davinci answered. "Director Olga asked me to do this in case we ever ran into this kind of scenario. And I'm glad she did."
The trio looked at each other and smiled. It would seem Olga thought of everything. Roman cleared his throat to bring them back to attention.
"Now that that's out of the way, we also took the liberty to make the team lineup for you guys." He said calmly. "While Mashu did splendidly in Singularity F, it would be wise for you both to have more Servants to back you up."
"I agree." Mashu stated. "Having a team of Servants would boost our combat capabilities to new heights!"
Ritsuka and Tatsuko looked at the doctor with curiosity.
"So who's coming with us?" Ritsuka asked.
"We are."
The Chaldean Trio turned around and saw Artoria, Medea, Emiya and Kojiro standing by the door frame. The four Servants walked up to the Chaldean Trio before stopping right in front of them.
"Are you sure you're okay with this Artoria?" Ritsuka asked.
The Saber nodded. "You need not worry, I'll be sure to do as you asked and remain civil."
"I'll do the same for Medea as well." Kojiro replied. "There's no sense of squabbling if it'll get us killed."
"Thank you for that kind statement." Medea said sarcastically. She turned to Ritsuka with a stern look. "I understand that you have some experience with treating the injured."
Ritsuka nodded. "Then it looks like you and I might be working together closely, boy."
"I look forward to it." Ritsuka replied.
Medea scoffed as she walked away from him. Ritsuka winced at the dismissal. Roman smiled at him reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I think you and Tatsuko will do fine." He said.
"Thanks Roman." The male Master said.
"Anyway, you guys should get into your coffins so we can prepare the Rayshift."
The team nodded and headed towards their coffins. The moment Ritsuka settled into his coffin, he became slightly nervous. The door closed in front of him, and he could see Mashu smiling at him. A moment later, he heard the buzzing, signifying that the Rayshifting process began. The male Master closed his eyes as a bright light engulfed him.
It didn't take long for Ritsuka to open his eyes again, and when he did, his mouth stood agape. Lush green hills as far as the eye could see filled his vision. He saw the trees in the distance billow slightly in the wind.
"Wow, this is beautiful." He said.
"You can say that again."
Ritsuka turned around to see Tatsuko and the others staring at the sight before them. The male Master then saw Mashu smiling at him.
"It seems we all made it here safe and sound, Senpai." The Shielder said.
"Yeah, it seems so." Ritsuka replied. The male Master then felt a buzzing sensation in his pocket so he reached in and found the communicator. After pressing the button, Roman, Medusa and Cú appeared on the communicator's projection.
"Hey guys, so Medusa and Cú were just curious about how you're all doing, so I decided to put them on the call." Roman said.
"Well we just got here, so nothing's happened so far." Emiya replied. "Speaking of that, where are we anyway?"
"Right now, you're in Orleans, France, in the year 1431. This is in the middle of the Hundred Year's War, but it should be during one of its lull periods." Roman answered.
Medusa chuckled. "Looks like Ritsuka was right about the first Singularity being in France after all."
Ritsuka scratched the back of his head shyly. "Well, it was just an educated guess."
"Either way it was impressive." Kojiro replied. The male Master chuckled, only for him to feel something move inside his Mystic Code. He turned around, causing everyone to stare at him with raised eyebrows.
"Hey Twig Boy, you okay there?" Tatsuko asked.
"I don't know." Ritsuka answered. "I think something's inside my uniform."
"Do you need help Senpai?"
Ritsuka shook his head. "I don't think so, Mashu. I just need to lead it to a single point."
The male Master maneuvered his hands to guide the moving object in his uniform towards his collar. Not a moment later, a small white head popped from the front of his collar.
"Fou, Fou!"
"Hey there Fou, how did you get in my uniform buddy?"
"Fou, Fou!"
The Chaldean Trio smiled at the little critter as he stayed where he was.
"Looks like Fou decided to sneak into Senpai's coffin." Fou tried to get out of the collar but almost fell to the ground, luckily Mash managed to catch him before that could happen. After that, Fou jumped on her shoulder.
"Well, we have no way to return the squirrel to Chaldea, might as well keep it with us. Just stay out of trouble little one" Tatsuko said while pinching one of Fou's cheeks.
"I don't know how I feel about him coming with us though…"
"Calm down twig boy, it will all be perfectly fine."
"You know that every time someone says that, something bad immediately happens right?"
"Have a little faith would you?"
"Okay you two, let's focus on the objective." Emiya said playfully. "Now let's see what's-"
The Archer's eyes widened as he looked at the sky. "What in the hell is that?"
Everyone looked at Emiya before turning to look at what he was staring at. The moment their eyes saw it, they all immediately became speechless. Up in the sky was a giant circular band in the shape of a ring.
"I don't know what that thing is." Roman asked. "But it's about the size of North America."
"You can't be serious Roman." Cú muttered. "It can't be THAT big."
"No, he's right." Medea said. "And what's worse…..this is definitely some form of Magecraft."
"Shit….alright, we'll have to deal with that later." Roman said. "Right now, stick to the plan and investigate. And while you do that, look for any leylines so Mashu can use her Noble Phantasm. You can summon more Servants that way or we can send supplies."
The two Masters nodded. Ritsuka turned off the communicator and looked at the group. "Okay, so where should we begin?"
"How about we find a town to gather information." Kojiro suggested. "It'll be better than staying out here."
"For once we agree on something." Medea muttered.
"Oh, maybe I can help!" Mashu chimed. "I've studied all about this time period thanks to SHEBA, so if anyone has questions, I should be able to answer."
"Wow, you're amazing Mashu!" Ritsuka was excited about what the girl learned. This type of flattery caused Mashu to blush a bit.
"Thanks a lot Senpai." She said as she tried to compose herself. "We're currently in the middle of the 100 Years War between France and England, so we should be careful when interacting with anyone."
"Hey Mashu, can I ask a question?" Tatsuko asked.
"Yes?"
"Were there any dragons in France during the 100 Years War?"
"No, why would there be?"
"Come on, take a look." Tatsuko said as she pointed to her left. Everyone looked at where she was pointing, only for them to stare with their mouths agape.
Out in the distance several wyverns could be seen, fighting with a group of soldiers and quickly finishing them off before flying too far until Chaldea couldn't see them anymore.
"See? Dragons."
The rest of the group looked at each other with widened eyes.
"Those things shouldn't be here." Artoria muttered.
"Well, shit." Tatsuko muttered. "Hey Twig Boy, what should we-hey, you okay there, Ritsuka?"
Ritsuka turned to face the female Master and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little shocked to see dragons roaming about in an era free of them."
"Those aren't actually true dragons." Medea answered. "They're wyverns, while they're a subspecies, they're much weaker than the actual thing."
The two Masters looked at her in surprise. Those things were WEAKER?
"Well in any case, they're gone now, so we don't need to worry about them." Artoria stated.
"You're right, we should be finding a city." Ritsuka replied. The Chaldean Trio looked around and saw a road that looked promising. The four Servants followed them as they took their first steps onto the road. A few minutes into their walk, Emiya looked at Mashu and raised an eyebrow.
"Mashu, I know it's rude for me to say this, but I think you should cover up."
The Shielder looked at the Archer with a curious glint. "I don't understand."
"Your attire." Emiya answered. The lilac haired girl looked down and looked back at him.
"What's wrong with it?" Mashu asked.
"It leaves your midriff bare." Emiya answered. "So you should cover yourself, otherwise you might catch a cold."
"I'll be fine." Mashu stated. "I won't get cold. And besides, when it comes to a Demi-Servant's appearance, it's dependent on either the Servant, or the human they fused with."
Tatsuko looked at the Shielder with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"So what you're saying is, SOMEONE among the two is a pervert." She said teasingly. "But which one?"
Artoria chuckled. "Which one indeed?"
Mashu blushed crimson red. She tried to say something, but couldn't, and instead became a stuttering mess. Fou did his best to comfort his caretaker by licking her cheek, but it was of middling success. The Shielder looked in front of her and gasped.
"Look everyone, a platoon of soldiers!"
The group looked in front of them and saw the soldiers walking in their direction. They looked somewhat frightened, but they didn't seem to be hostile.
"I'll try to talk to them." Mashu said calmly. The Shielder waved over to them. "Excuse me! We're travelers looking for-"
The soldiers stared at her wide eyed, before glaring at her and the others.
"Enemy spies!"
The soldiers surrounded the group and pointed their spears at them. A second later, Roman appeared on the communicator.
"Hey guys, I'm free to talk now and…why are you guys surrounded by soldiers?"
Mashu looked at the doctor shyly. "It's my fault, Doctor. I greeted them in English instead of French…."
"Well nothing you can do about it now." Roman said "Right now, we need to figure out how to get you guys out of this situation!"
"Well we're all ears, Roman!" Tatsuko shouted. "You got any good French jokes?"
Roman looked at her in disbelief. "Hell if I know, I'm a loner! But wait, let me think...I just need to think of a witty joke, right? Like "knock, knock!"
One of the soldiers flinched. "I'm hearing a silly voice from them! Get ready for anything!"
The soldiers closed in.
'Fou, Fou!"
"Fou, hide inside my shield."
"Thanks a lot Roman, now you made it worse!" Emiya shouted.
"Why don't we just fight our way out?" Kojiro asked. "Why are we even letting them surround us like this?"
The Chaldeans looked at him and sighed. The Assassin had a point, they could just fight them to escape.
"Kojiro's right!" Roman shouted. "Everyone, just break through and beat them. Mashu, use the back of your blade. The back of your blade!"
"With a shield?" Ritsuka asked. "Nevermind, we just need to fight them off! Everyone, you know what to do!"
The Servants nodded and summoned their weapons. Emiya sliced two of the soldier's spears with his swords before tripping them with a sweep of his leg. Kojiro sliced two more spears before slamming the hilt of his sword into their guts. Four soldiers attacked the Masters, but Mashu was upon them in an instant, slamming her shield into their sides, and knocking them down. Two soldiers attacked Artoria, but the Saber merely side stepped and smacked them on the head with Excalibur's pommel. Medea shot forth a small burst of ice, knocking the rest of the soldiers to the ground.
The French soldiers groaned on the ground as Emiya walked towards them. "Now to finish it."
The Archer raised his blades high as the soldier in front of him stared at him in fear. "Mercy! Mercy!"
Emiya did not respond. He brought his blades down to strike and-
"Wait, don't kill them!"
Emiya's eyes widened in shock as Ritsuka blocked his path with a frantic look in his eyes. The entire group stared in absolute shock as the Archer stopped mid-swing to look at the male Master in disbelief.
"Why shouldn't I?" Emiya asked. "They attacked first."
Ritsuka shook his head. "It doesn't matter. They thought we were the enemy, and were just trying to defend themselves."
"And if we spare them, they'll just attack agai-"
"Please, Emiya, don't do this."
Emiya looked at the male Master in shock at that request. The sound of screaming broke him from his trance and watched as the French soldiers ran away.
"Well now what?" Medea asked. "If we let them escape, we're going to be targets no matter where we go."
"Not necessarily." Artoria replied. "They may be running, but where to?"
"They're afraid." Kojiro stated. "Fear makes men run in unsensible places."
"No, not this time." Artoria countered. "They're running together, which means that there might be a fort nearby."
Everyone looked at the Saber in surprise. A small grin formed on Tatsuko's lips. "Looks like we can probably clear up everything if we follow them, AND get some information. Good thinking Twig Boy!"
Ritsuka flinched. "Yeah…..thanks."
Emiya looked at the male Master with suspicion. He didn't seem to be enthused with the reply, but the Archer decided to pay it no mind.
"Okay, new plan: follow those soldiers!"
The Chaldeans continued to follow the soldiers sneakily. While they could easily catch up to them, they didn't want the soldiers splitting up, and forcing them to chase them around. It was decided that moving silently was the best option, and so far it proved fruitful.
However, the soldiers stopped in their tracks, causing the Chaldeans to stop as well.
"Do they know we're following them?" Mashu asked.
"No, whatever stopped them, it doesn't look good." Emiya answered.
"The fort is under attack!" One of the soldiers cried. The rest of the platoon ran once more towards where the fort was supposed to be. The Chaldeans followed them, and the moment they saw the fort, their eyes widened in shock.
The fort was on fire, courtesy of the attacking wyverns. The group looked closely until Tatsuko gasped. "Those are the same wyverns we saw earlier!"
"It would seem so." Kojiro stated.
"Well regardless, we should help them!" Mashu exclaimed.
"And why should we?" Medea asked. "They were wanting to kill us, and now we have to save them?"
"We can't just leave them to the wyverns. That's too cruel." Ritsuka answered as Fou jumped onto his shoulder. "Besides, we need them to tell us what's going on."
"Life is cruel boy, so-" Medea's eyes widened before recomposing herself. The Caster sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll play along."
"Good, because it looks like someone else had the same idea, and I don't think they'll be able to handle them alone." Emiya replied. The Archer pointed towards the fort, and everyone squinted as they saw a lone woman rushing to the soldier's aid. She had long blonde hair tied into a long braid and blue eyes. Her battle dress was blue, with silver armor covering her hips, legs and hands. She held a large flag, and used it to fight the wyverns off from the soldiers.
"Soldiers, douse yourself with water!" She shouted. "And you there! Please pick up a weapon and fight!"
The soldier did as she asked by getting up and grabbing a spear.
"Good, now I know it's frightening, but please follow me!"
"Looks like another Servant came to help." Roman stated. "But she seems to have weak magical energy."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Artoria "Let's help her!"
Emiya looked at Ritsuka with a stern gaze. "Are you going to stop me from killing the wyverns too?"
Ritsuka shook his head. "Nope, wyverns are fair game."
The Chaldeans nodded and rushed towards the attacking wyverns. Emiya summoned his bow and took aim. The moment he had a clear shot, he let loose his projectiles, and hit two wyverns dead in the eyes, killing them instantly. Artoria leapt into the air, and sliced the wings of one wyvern, but left herself open for another wyvern to try and bite her. Fortunately, the wyvern was slain by the newly arrived Servant, who nodded at Artoria. Two wyverns surrounded them, causing the two women to be back to back with each other.
"Thanks for saving me back there." Artoria said.
"Don't mention it." The Servant replied. "Though maybe we should skip the pleasantries until we take care of the wyverns."
"You just read my mind."
The two Servants immediately worked in tandem, with the newly arrived Servant using her flag to keep one wyvern at bay, while Artoria slew it. The Saber ducked as the other wyvern tried to swoop down to kill her, but the new Servant stopped it by smacking it away with her flag. Artoria took the opportunity to finish off the wounded creature.
While that was happening, Mashu and Medea stayed close to the Masters, who tried dragging as many of the wounded soldiers towards safety. It was a slow process considering the armor the soldiers wore, but Ritsuka was really struggling. Thankfully, some uninjured soldiers ran up to aid them, leaving the lilac haired girl and the Caster to deal with the wyverns heading towards them.
Medea summoned her staff, and shot two bolts of lightning towards the wyverns, killing two of them, and scattering the rest. One brave wyvern repositioned itself and dove down to attack the group, but Mashu took this opportunity to throw her shield at it. The shield slammed into the wyvern, causing it to fall from the sky. Medea made a quick chant, and fired a shard of ice at the falling target. The shards found their way into the wyvern's chest, striking its heart while Mashu leapt into the air, using the wyvern's corpse as a platform, and shot forward to grab her shield. The moment she landed, she ran back towards Medea and the two Masters.
"Nice work Mashu." Ritsuka replied.
"Thank you Senpai."
"Wait, has anyone seen Kojiro?" Tatsuko asked.
"He'll be fine." Medea answered dismissively.
"How can you be sure?" Mashu asked.
"See for yourself." Medea answered. The Caster pointed her staff, with the Chaldean Trio turning to look in the same direction. Their eyes widened at what they saw.
Several wyverns lay on the ground at Kojiro's feet. It seemed that the Assassin killed them all without even a scratch on him. There was only one wyvern left, and it charged at the Assassin. Kojiro merely readied his blade, and when the wyvern was in striking distance, swung his sword.
"Tsubame Gaeshi!"
Several deep cuts appeared on the wyvern's body as its corpse fell to the ground with a loud thump. The Chaldean Trio stared at Kojiro in awe as the Assassin nodded towards them.
The wyverns were all slain, and the wounded soldiers were getting ready for treatment. The Chaldean's regrouped and were about to help Ritsuka so he could aid in tending the wounded, when the new Servant cleared her throat.
"Thank you all for helping me." She said. "I don't know if I would have been able to fight them alone like that."
"It's nothing." Ritsuka answered with a smile. "I don't mean to impose, but can you help me and Medea here heal these soldiers?"
"No, no, she's the witch who sent those monsters!" One of the wounded soldiers cried. "Keep her away from me!"
"What did he say?" Tatsuko asked.
Mashu flinched. "I don't think they'll be wanting her help….."
"Why?"
"I'll explain later." The Servant answered. "But I appreciate that you asked for my help."
"It's fine." Ritsuka said calmly.
"Hold a moment." Artoria replied. The Saber walked up to the Servant and planted her sword into the ground. "There's something we need to know. Who are you?"
The Servant took a deep breath.
"My Class is Ruler. But my True Name is Jeanne D'arc."
OC: Wow, this one was a long one wasn't it?
CV: Sure was. I thought the prologue was part 1 lol.
OC: Lmao! Well I thought it would be a little more fun if we made this a larger chapter, but next week we WILL be going back to the three scene format.
CV: Not gonna lie, I liked Jalter's dialogue during the prologue, made her look very intimidating
OC: The best part is a lot of that dialogue actually came from the game itself. It was so good I just couldn't bring myself to change it. But there are some minor differences. All in all I am very proud of how Jalter's big entrance was written here. I actually got a little scared when writing her dialogue BECAUSE it was terrifying. How she went from calm one second to absolutely going apeshit, then acting like a snarky teen when wanting the bishop to speak up really drives home the fact that she's a genuinely frightening woman.
CV: Really helps to set her up as the first major threat that Chaldea will face, one that doesn't fuck around.
OC: Oh most definitely. Though I will say I like how Ritsuka practically jumped in front of Emiya to stop him from killing those soldiers too. That took a bit of bravery, and him asking him to not do it really shows what kind of person he is.
CV: Yeah. Sorry Emiya but there's no killing on this one, you'll have to learn to behave. Or I'll kill you.
OC: I'm pretty sure it's the other Emiya that's gung ho on killing. Oh wait…..there's three of them….
CV: Yeah, the edgy one, the edgier one, and the one that has a thing for guns.
OC: That last one could apply for two of them you know.
CV: True, true. Either way they won't have to kill anyone innocent while working for Chaldea, that's going to be a change of pace for them.
OC: One that I think regular Emiya will appreciate.
CV: Plus he gets to fight alongside former allies, and some enemies.
OC: We're going to be seeing a lot of that. As for Ritsuka stopping him from killing those soldiers, shall I address it or do you want to?
CV: I'd like to leave it a secret for now, so I'll just say that his desire to not kill will become important down the line.
OC: Most definitely.
CV: Although his "no killing" rule does have exceptions, which will be uncovered later in the story.
OC: This little rule of his also shows just how compassionate he is.
CV: Reminds me a little bit of Batman. Oh, can we have him say "I'm vengeance." ?
OC: MAYBE In 2016 when he's got the confidence lol. But that is a pretty hilarious idea.
CV: As long as he doesn't start dressing like a bat and using small children as meat shields.
OC: Or have an underground cave.
CV: Or develop serious mental issues. Oh wait…
OC: Lol, hey that's not exclusive. Now some of you may be wondering why the team is bigger than it was in the game where it was just the player and Mashu. The reason is because it just didn't feel right that for every major singularity it would just be them and the Servants they meet in there. We decided to do what Fragments did and make the teams bigger so that way everyone gets a moment to shine, AND they have to learn how to work as a team.
And as a reminder from the very first chapter in Chronicles, 80 days in a singularity will equal 24 hours in Chaldea. The reason for that is because we wanted to give everyone a chance to actually form deeper bonds and not rush it. That and it gives everyone more time to train and prepare, while also giving the singularities some breathing room. It just didn't sit well with us that these people wouldn't get to interact as much if it was non-stop work. They need time to cool off and be able to unwind. Also at least this way everyone can celebrate their birthdays in Chaldea instead of having to skip it.
As for how they can still communicate with Chaldea with this time difference; A friend of mine on Reddit actually pointed out the problem with the time difference, and he had a point. However, I decided that allowing some down time for characters and stretching things out to get proper character development was more important, so Vlad and I made it so Olga knew of this and had Davinci revamp Chaldea's tech and equipment to bypass that issue. So in the end, Olga really saved everyone's bacon. At least now it can be said she can finally have the validation she rightfully deserved.
CV: As always my partner coming up with excellent ideas. This was all made to ensure a better flow through the Singularities, thanks a lot buddy.
OC: Dawwww stop, you're gonna make me blush.
CV: That's all for this chapter of Chaldean Chronicles, we hope you enjoyed it and we'll be seeing you next week.