Sea of Monsters Chapter 14:

War Meeting

"I see, so that's what happened." David said. "It sounds like you all had quite the ordeal."

"That's a major understatement." Tatsuko replied. While Drake and her crew were still coming ashore with the rest of the Servants, David and Atalante bade the shore party to follow them into the woods. Seeing no need for all of them all to go, Artemis, Orion and the twins decided to stay on the beach to wait for the others, leaving just Medea and the Chaldean Trio to go with their new allies.

"So why are we walking in the woods instead of staying on the beach?" Medea asked.

"We're going to show you all a place where the human crew members can take shelter while they are here." Atalante answered.

"Then why didn't we just wait on the beach for them?" Tatsuko asked.

"We will show them in good time." David answered. "Besides, there's something close by there that can help the boy's ankle."

"Oh, I think I know what we're looking for then." Medea said. "There's a special herb that could heal sprains."

"And it is right by the shelter." David replied.

"Wait, if this herb is so special, how come you don't have one with you, Medea?" Tatsuko asked.

"There's a perfectly good explanation." David said. "You see, the herb has a very short life span. Its healing properties will diminish very quickly unless it is used in that short time frame."

"It is also very rare." Medea replied. "It only grows in certain areas in the summer, and it is also very difficult to use in potions. Only the most skilled healers and Mages can properly turn it into an ingredient."

"If only the most skilled Mages can use it, then that means you could easily help Ritsuka by using it." Tatsuko said.

"I can also use it as well." David replied. "I am a bit of a healer myself."

Ritsuka perked up. David looked at the boy's face and raised an eyebrow. "Are you in the field of medicine as well?"

"Yes." Mashu answered. "Senpai is one of our two team leaders, and has been our team medic as well."

"I wouldn't say I'm the only medic." Ritsuka countered. "Medea would share that position with me."

"I'd say you're more of a medic than I am." Medea replied.

Ritsuka looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "How am I more of a medic than you are?"

"I might be an expert in healing magic, but there's only so much that it can do." Medea said. "You, on the other hand, have more expertise in treating people."

"I've only been learning how to since I was six years old." Ritsuka said. "I don't think that makes me that qualified."

"And yet you've applied those lessons well in the past Singularities." Medea countered. "Just remember, healing magic can only do so much. So your medical expertise is incredibly valuable."

"I…..thanks, Medea." Ritsuka muttered.

"It seems you two get along pretty well." David said.

"That wasn't always the case on my end." Medea replied. "I'm trying to make it right, however."

"As long as you acknowledge that there was a problem, you don't need to worry so much." Atalante said.

"I apologize for this, but I have a question about the Ark." Mashu said. "Is it near the shelter as well?"

"Indeed it is." David answered. "It's more useful there right now than out here anyway."

"What does it do?" Ritsuka asked.

"That's a simple thing to answer." David said. "The "Ark" is a third-rate Noble Phantasm. If you make someone touch the box, they die. That's all."

"That sounds more useful than you give it credit for." Medea replied.

"Perhaps, but there are some more problems with it." David said. "Strictly speaking, it doesn't belong to me. It's like a contract that God gave to humanity. It's not easy to steal, but it's bad news if stolen. What's more, you can't shift it into spirit form."

"That….does seem to be quite impractical." Mashu said.

"It gets worse, I'm afraid." David said. "I'm the Servant summoned to this world along with the actual physical "Ark." Even if I die, it will remain as long as someone possesses it."

"So if you die, and it falls into the wrong hands…" Tatsuko muttered. The female Master let out an audible gasp. "Oh fuck, that means face melting time!"

David looked at the orange haired girl in confusion. "I don't get it."

"I'll explain later." Ritsuka said.

"And we are now at the shelter." Atalante said. The Chaldean Trio and Medea looked at where the Archer pointed and saw the shelter in question. It was simple, but it was definitely a good place for the human crew members to wait out the potential war that would be coming. They then saw a large, ornate object sitting next to a hole.

"That must be the Ark." Mashu said.

"Correct." David replied. "I'll be right back, I just need to get the herbs for the boy's ankle."

Without another word, David left them and turned right and passed the Ark towards the treeline. While the others were getting Ritsuka situated to rest his leg, Tatsuko walked towards the Ark. The orange haired girl noted the ornamentations on the lid, the sides and the handles. This was the Noble Phantasm that could instantly kill anyone? It certainly looked the part at the very least. The female Master moved her hand ever so slightly, as if to reach out for it.

It was then that Tatsuko widened her eyes and gasped. The female Master stopped her hand and looked at the others for a moment. They didn't even notice her standing by the Ark, nor did they hear her. She then looked at her shaking hand. She almost…..

The sound of footsteps forced her to bury those thoughts. She then saw David walk back towards them with a cup of tea in his hands. The male Archer looked at her with slight curiosity and a head tilt. "Is everything okay?"

Tatsuko could only nod as a cover up. David seemed to have taken the bait, and walked towards Ritsuka with the cup in his hands. "Here, drink this. It should do the trick."

Ritsuka nodded and gently took the cup from David's hands before gulping the tea down. The male Master noted the sweetness of the tea as it went down his throat, only to realize how quickly the effects would take. He could immediately feel the pain in his ankle disappearing, and he moved the foot for extra measure to make sure he wasn't imagining it.

"Wow, that herb really is amazing!" Ritsuka said. "Thank you king David."

"Please, just call me David." The male Archer said.

"I have another question." Mashu replied. "Why did you set up a shelter ahead of time for us?"

"Actually it was mine and Atalante's for a while until we saw your ship coming." David answered.

"Then why is the Ark out in the open like this?" Medea asked.

"Out here it won't take as much space." Atalante answered.

"Well now that we know where it is, how about we go back to the beach and explain everything." Tatsuko said.

"I agree." Medea replied. "It would be unwise if we just stayed here and let everyone wait."

David and Atalante nodded and bade them to follow them from where they came from. As the Chaldeans followed them through the woods, Ritsuka could only think of the power of the Ark. If it was that dangerous, then he shuddered to think of what Jason would use it for. However, another thought wormed its way into his head.

If it kills anyone who touches it, how would the owner be able to move it?

"How long have they been gone now?" Stheno asked.

"I'd say about an hour." Euryale answered.

"Well they're back now." Okita said. "Look over there!"

The rest of the crew and Chaldean Servants looked at the edge of the woods and saw the Chaldean Trio, Medea, and the two Archers come out from the treeline. They then made their way towards the beach until they were within a few feet. It was here that Medusa noticed Ritsuka walking normally, and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be trying to not walk on that foot?"

"David here gave him some tea with a rare herb mixed in." Medea answered. "It healed his ankle in just a few seconds."

"Okay that makes…..some sense." Alexander said.

"There are more important matters to discuss though." Ushiwakamaru said. "I assume that Jason is looking for David."

"It's not so much David, but the Ark." Ritsuka countered. "It has to do with its instant killing ability, and I am certain of that."

"So that's it…." Stheno muttered. "He'd use the Ark to sacrifice us…."

Euryale took a step forward and stared at David. "If my older sister and I were to be sacrificed to this "Ark," what would happen? If nothing else, that seems to be their goal."

"Euryale, right? You were originally a Divine Spirit. If you were sacrificed to the Ark..." David shuddered. "Yeah, this whole era will die."

"I'm sorry, but did you just say that this entire era would die?" Mary asked. "How is that even possible?!"

"Allow me to explain." David replied. "Sacrificing a soul that exists as a god, regardless of rank, would cause the box to lose death of a god means the death of the world. The Ark is a disaster from that kind of era."

"There'd be no need to use a weird Holy Grail...or even steal mine, for that matter." Drake muttered. "They can use that box to sacrifice the twins, and at that point it will all be over."

"But why would Jason want to destroy the world?" Okita asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Who knows? He may not even know himself." Atalante replied. "Somebody may have convinced him that all he has to do is offer Stheno and Euryale to the Ark."

"And how come you're helping us?" Alexander asked. "I thought you were an Argonaut."

"I was wondering when someone would bring that up." Atalante said. "I was summoned as part of the Argonaut crew, but I didn't lose control of myself like Heracles. It's probably because I never liked Jason in life, or because I was summoned as an Archer who can act freely. Either way, once summoned, Jason immediately sought the Ark."

"Well it looks like you, Medea and I have something in common." Ritsuka said. "And that's hating Jason's guts."

"My lord, I know none of us don't really like Jason much, but you seem to really have it out for him." Ushiwakamaru said. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"I'd tell you, but I don't want Medea to think I'm treating her like a wounded animal." Ritsuka replied.

"It's okay Ritsuka." Medea said gently. "You don't have to worry about me. Just tell them why you hate him."

Ritsuka clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Okay…okay, do you all really want to know why I hate that man child? It's because of what he did to Medea. She sacrificed everything for him. She burned all her bridges. For him. She did everything to help him get the fleece, and in the process, had to leave her homeland, never to return. And after promising to be with her and stick by her, what does he do? He dumps her and decides to marry another woman! All for the sake of his ambitions! He made an oath to remain loyal to her, but instead of doing what a real husband should have done and sticking by her and trying to help her feel welcome in her new home, he just threw her away to the side when it was convenient! A real man would never do such a bloody terrible thing, and Jason proved himself to not be a real man!"

The male Master panted as he finished his rant, and he realized everyone stared at him calmly. That was, until Medea started to laugh. "I wasn't expecting you to go on a rant like that!"

"Hey it's not funny…." Ritsuka said.

"Oh, I'm not laughing because it's funny." Medea replied. "I'm laughing because this just proves you're Jason's polar opposite."

"I agree completely." Medusa said. "Sure Jason has some similarities with Ritsuka and Tatsuko, but for the most part, they are as different as night and day."

"Thanks guys." Tatsuko said.

"Now back to our situation." Mashu said. We know why they are after this Noble Phantasm,

and why we absolutely must stop them. The question is how do we defeat them…"

"We're up against Heracles, Medea's younger self, Galatea and Hektor." Atalante replied. "We don't have to count Jason, I suppose."

"Wait, seriously?" Okita asked. "You're just not counting him?"

"It's because he's weak." Atalante answered. "Rather, he's never actually fought."

"She's right." Medea replied. "He's a monster who formed the Argonauts with just charisma and eloquence, but he's no fighter. But I doubt having one useless member in their party poses any problems for them."

"Well they do have Heracles, after all….." Anne muttered.

"Multiple resurrections from the Twelve Labors." Mashu muttered. "And above all else, his prominent combat techniques. I do not see how we can beat him."

"We, on the other hand, are full of fighters who run the whole spectrum, but lack actual fire power." Orion said. "Well Artemis and Medusa might be able to do some damage, but they can only do so much before he gets to them…..no offense you two."

"None taken." Artemis and Medusa said in unison.

Ritsuka rubbed his chin for a moment, causing everyone to stare at him in curiosity.

"Hey Ritsuka, you okay?" Drake asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something…." Ritsuka answered. "But I don't know if this would work….."

"Well don't just leave us hanging." Mary said. "Tell us what you're thinking."

Ritsuka sighed and took a deep breath. "What would happen if Heracles touched the Ark? Would he die instantly? Or would it just shave off some lives?"

Everyone stared at him wide eyed. Doing something like that would be tricky no matter what happened, but if it was true, then it could solve their problems…..

"If we can get him to touch the Ark, we might be able to instantly obliterate him." David replied.

"Wait, I thought you said godly beings touching the Ark was a big no-go." Tatsuko said. "Wouldn't him touching it be just as bad?"

"He's a Demi-God." David countered. "If he touched it then it wouldn't destroy the world."

"Then, would it work?" Ritsuka asked.

"Most likely it will bypass his resurrections, and kill him on the spot." David answered.

"Then we have our answer on how to kill him." Atalante replied. "Though you all might want to apologize to your Heracles back in Chaldea. I don't know if he'd be offended or not."

"Good point…." Alexander muttered.

"Well while this is all great in theory, we do have one slight problem." Artemis chimed. "Would Heracles touch it that easily?"

"It's a what-if. Even a Berserker can sense the magical energy around Noble Phantasms." David answered. "You'd never walk up to a bomb, right? If he had no choice but to touch it, then maybe…"

"Well we also have Hektor, Galatea and young Medea to worry about too." Euryale said. "All three of them would be incredibly tricky."

"Galatea would indeed be the next biggest hurdle." Medea replied. "She's got a piece of Aphrodite within her, causing her to have high Divinity, and the fact she was once a statue, she would be incredibly tough."

"So Alexander, what is her weakness?" Ushiwakamaru asked. "You're the only one here who fought her, so you'd have a better handle on her strengths and weaknesses."

"Well, I don't really know for certain what her weaknesses would be." Alexander said. "But I do know for a fact that she hits hard with those weapons of hers, and her ability to fly would make her even more difficult."

"Then we'd need Archers to keep her at bay." Medusa said. "Well it seems we have some luck on this end. We now have three Archers, and one pirate that can snipe her."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about her?" Atalante asked.

"Now that you mention it…..there definitely was something off with her." Alexander said.

"How so?" Okita asked.

"I can't really describe it." Alexander said. "I guess…if I had to say it, it's that the way she spoke was too robotic. It was like her words were not her own."

Medea raised an eyebrow at the statement. So Galatea's words seemed to be forced out of her…..Medea's eyes widened in shock and realization.

"She's being brainwashed!"

"Is that even possible?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

"Usually it would be impossible for my younger self to be able to do that." Medea replied. "She must have something to increase her powers."

Medusa grinned. "Can you reverse it?"

Medea smirked. "It's possible."

"That's going to be difficult." Stheno replied. "We have Heracles to worry about first, and then the rest of them will follow suit."

"That might not be the case." Ritsuka said.

"What are you implying?" David asked.

"I just have a hunch that Jason will be sending both Heracles and Galatea out to get the twins."

"Then we'll do a divide and conquer strategy to make sure they can't help each other." Tatsuko replied. "I'll handle Galatea, and you can handle Heracles."

"While that is a good idea, we still need more details." Euryale said. "We need to figure out how to get Heracles to touch the Ark."

Ritsuka stood there in deep thought. Heracles might be a Berserker, but he wasn't a fool. He would never touch the Ark unless he was forced too. But if that was the case, they'd need something really important that would override any caution he'd have…. He then looked at the twins, and widened his eyes. This could work…..

"Ritsuka, what's wrong?" Medusa asked.

Ritsuka took a deep breath and looked at everyone. "I have an idea….."

Night fell over the island as the moon shimmered brightly in the sky. The camp fires raged on as the crew of the Golden Hind partied and drank together for one last night before they prepared for what was to come. They were all nervous, but they knew that if they failed, then all would be lost.

It was here that Tatsuko sat on a rock by herself, but near the camps. She looked at the papers describing the plan for the inevitable attack from Heracles and Galatea, and everytime she looked she couldn't help but try and think of other possible scenarios in the event things went south. The orange haired girl pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. While this plan was dangerous, it would definitely work if everyone played their parts right.

"Maybe you should take a break."

Tatsuko looked up and saw Medea, Medusa and Stheno walking towards her only to sit down on the sand next to her.

"Are you nervous?" Medusa asked.

"I'm not nervous." Tatsuko answered. "I'm just making sure everything is alright."

"Then look at it in the morning." Medea replied. "Just relax. Unlike Ritsuka, one of you is going to have to do that."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Tatsuko asked. The female Master then looked at the campfire, and noted that Ritsuka was not with the others. "Where did he go?"

"Well he felt bad about his rant against Jason earlier." Medusa answered. "Then he got the news that our Heracles back home was not particularly happy with him regarding that."

"I know Jason is his friend and all, but is he going to be a problem when we get back?" Tatsuko asked.

"He won't." Medusa answered. "He understands Jason needs to be stopped, and he understands why Ritsuka would hate him, but he had to let him know he did not really appreciate his tone when talking about Jason."

Tatsuko clicked her tongue. "This isn't going to help Ritsuka at all…."

"Why do you care so much about his personal problems?" Stheno asked.

"We're partners, and partners look out for each other."

"Don't forget you're in the same boat." Medusa said. "You need to take care of yourself as well."

Tatsuko gained a small blush, but said nothing.

"You don't need to think about it too much." Medusa said.

"Then perhaps we should change the subject." Stheno replied. "Oh, I know, what do you think of David and Atalante?"

"Well David seems pretty relaxed and wise." Tatsuko answered. "But he does seem to unintentionally act like a dirty old man."

"Is that going to be an issue with you?" Medusa asked.

"Not really." Tatsuko answered. "He seems to be aware of that and is trying to stop those antics from the looks of it."

"I get that feeling too." Medea replied. "I personally don't like him much yet, but at the very least he's civil and doesn't bother me too much."

"And now onto Atalante." Stheno chimed. "What's your opinion on her, Tatsuko?"

"I don't know much about her aside from the fact she was a follower of Artemis and served on the Argo." Tatsuko answered.

"I'll tell you more about her later." Medea said. "Oh, you had a pen pal, right? Can you tell us some details about what you two talked about?"

"Well one of our favorite things to talk about was Hindu mythology." Tatsuko answered. "Heck one of our favorite stories was the Mahabharata, and we would talk constantly about it."

"Really? I never thought you'd be interested in Hindu mythology." Medea said.

"I'm more into the stories themselves, but it really tells alot about their beliefs." Tatsuko said. "It's a really interesting piece of our history, and I think people should at least give it a try."

"It sounds like he's well traveled." Medusa replied. "What more can you tell us of ... .Renji, is that his name?"

"Well he was incredibly nice." Tatsuko answered. "Whenever I was down, I'd just read one of his letters, and it was enough to cheer me up."

"What else did you talk about?" Stheno asked.

"Lots of stuff. We'd talk about the latest fashions, movie genres….stuff like that."

"Wait, he talked about fashion?"

Tatsuko tilted her head to the side. "Yeah? Is there something wrong with that?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that most men don't usually care about such things." Medea replied.

"Well he seemed to be an expert on the subject." Tatsuko said.

"How did you get in contact with him?" Medusa asked.

"My landlady." Tatsuko answered.

"And did he ever share anything about his personal life?" Stheno asked.

"Not really." Tatsuko answered.

"You know, I have more questions about him, but I don't know how much you're willing to discuss." Medea said. "How about we go to a different topic?"

Tatsuko smiled and nodded. "How about you give a topic?"

Medea nodded and cleared her throat to begin their next topic. All that could be heard near their location was the discussion, their laughter and their merriment under the shining moon.

CV: He… Hehehe.

OC: Hehe…hehehehe

CV: Hehehehehe… Chapter 69.

OC (Clicks tongue): Noice.

CV: And that's all for this week, we hope you all enjoyed it!

OC: We apologize for the chapter being so short, but there wasn't much to do here so we decided to just make it a short one! So to balance it out, we will be discussing this chapter's points alongside next week's chapter! See you next week for one of the most chaotic chapters of this arc! Cosmic Vlad and Owen Chaser, signing off!