By the Bonfire: The Beauty of an Everdistant Utopia
Ritsuka didn't consider himself surprised all that often, even this wasn't a surprise all this considered, but he still considered it something of an event when he stared across at the two people standing on the summoning pad, brought forth one after another.
He knew one of them already, they had shared a conversation after a rather troubling encounter, all things considered, and his mind was already racing with the possibility of whether something like that would happen again. It wasn't something he would dismiss immediately.
Padded leather armour with metallic plated rolled over their shoulders, thick gloves, steel caps around their elbows and knees.
The fully enclosed knight helm and twin swords hanging from either of their hips.
Their hands moved up, clasping the underside of their helmet and lifting it off the top of the head, taking a single step forwards and resting it under the crook of their arm. Deep red hair and brilliant violet coloured eyes, the man smiled down at them and bowed their head ever so slightly.
"I am Bedric, Saber Servant and Lord of Cinder. As a Knight of the Darkmoon, I have answered your summons and shall do all I can to aid you."
Ritsuka knew enough about who they were, the warnings from the doctor about the surge in divinity combined with the proof of the man before him were all of that. Their previous meeting still lingered in his mind, as well as the thought of if they remembered all of it. If they did, then they gave no indication of it.
With a smile, he nodded back to the Servant. "Ritsuka Fujimaru, glad to have you onboard."
A bright call from his side.
"Mash Kyrielight, Demi-Servant Shielder. Pleased to meet you as well, Sir Bedric."
That done, his eyes turned next to the other Servant as they stepped down from the panel, the complete opposite of the one who he had seen before, even though he did know their identity already, that didn't take away from the differences between the two of them in the least.
Rather, it only further compounded how two people could be so different.
"I am Artoria!" The girl introduced themselves with a bright smile, piercing green eyes and a disposition about her that was almost akin to looking the sun in the face. He could have sworn she was almost sparkling with how much she just radiated energy, it was rather stunning.
Especially since her counterpart did pretty much the opposite.
"Ah, but I'm still technically in training, so you can also call me Lily as well." Her addendum was coupled with a small nod of the head, a slightly unsure smile for a split second before her face shifted into a larger grin. "But I vow to serve you faithfully in the years to come, Master!"
He hoped that she was wrong.
Not because he didn't like her, but because her sentence implied that they would be doing this sort of thing for years. He'd rather not think about doing something this stressful ever again in his life, not that he could help it.
Still, with a bow of the head, he did as he had been able to learn from bits and pieces during his brief interactions with Flann and what the King expected. Coupled with the brief moments in which he had seen Gilgamesh. "And I look forward to working with you, King Artoria."
Ritsuka brought his head up, the immediate reactions were apparent.
Bedric mouthed the word 'King' to themselves while shooting a pointed look in the direction of the young blonde, all while the individual in question blinked for a moment and then awkwardly shook her head from side to side.
"Oh, I'm not actually a King 'yet' per say. Rather, the me you're talking to is the me who only just pulled Caliburn from the stone." Proving her point, she held up an ornamental blue and golden sword which - while certainly beautiful - was a far cry from the design of Excalibur he had seen.
Admittedly the Excalibur he had seen was black and red, and also a little scary, while this looked more like a design piece weapon with a narrower blade to it as opposed to the wide brimmed sword wielded by her apparently older counterpart. He glanced from the weapon at the girl once again, then swiftly nodded his head.
"I see. Sorry about the confusion then, Lily."
He was really thankful she gave him an out there.
Otherwise he'd need to specify which Artoria he meant.
And he didn't want to have to resort to just adding 'the light one' or 'the dark one' to the front of their names.
"From before you became the King of Britain." He spared a glance to the whisper, Mash was looking on with a surprising amount of puzzlement upon her face. She quickly caught his eyes and rolled her lips. Then offered a tiny smile as she explained. "Sorry, Senpai, it is just that Servants are summoned during the prime years of their life. And for someone like King Arthur-"
"Their prime years would be when they are King."
He understood their point, then placed his hands on his hips.
That did strike him as a little odd.
"Ah, sorry if that sounded rude, your M-Lily-san." Mash quickly bowed her head as she offered a hasty apology.
"Oh, not at all." Like the apparent ray of sunlight she was trying to be, Lily merely waved her hand and offered an understanding face. "I'm actually a little bit surprised by all of this myself. Perhaps it has something to do with my last summoning? I can't be too sure…but merely think of it as an impossible summoning that did happen."
A slightly nervous noise escaped her, she brought her hand up and rubbed the back of her neck in a move that was rather…ordinary, he supposed.
"Sorry, Merlin would probably be able to explain this much better than I."
He figured that might be the case.
"Fou!"
An angered bark by his ankles turned his eyes to the caller, the rather aggrieved look Fou shot the girl was a bit surprising, but he got the feeling they weren't so much angry at her as they were angry with the words they brought up. Though quite why Fou would be so angry at the mention of Merlin was a bit jarring to him.
"Ah, I know you don't like him, Cath." Lily leaned forwards, Caliburn dissipating, and clasped her hands together over her knees. Showing an apologetic smile. "But you know I'm right with this, don't you?"
"...Kyu." They sounded like a resigned bark to him.
"...Wait, Cath?" What did she call Fou?
Lily paused, her head rose up and towards him, blinking twice and then tilting. "Yes? Oh…did you not know that?" she winced a moment later, then glanced towards Fou and looked down with an apologetic wince. "Sorry about that, Cath."
"Fou…" Another exasperated bark, he watched the small animal shake their head and turn around, trodding towards the door and right through into the hallways.
Both he and Mash turned and looked at one another, neither of them particularly sure what had just happened there.
"...Do you know what Fou's species is or something?"
Lily winced again, then gave a nervous chuckle. "Eh-he…I suppose you could say that I am familiar with a bigger version of them. Or, well, my future self is? These memories are something of a confusing situation, I admit. But I do not believe it will be too big of a problem for us."
"Hmmmm."
A long hum broke their conversation up, eyes turned towards the silent Bedric who had clearly been watching them all talk amongst themselves.
Ritsuka cringed at the fact they had ignored him. "Ah, sorry about-"
"You do not need to apologise for that, Master." Bedric replied smoothly. "I did not wish to break up a conversation. Rather, I have put some thought into the words of my peer and believe I have come to an understanding."
His gaze shifted into something more studious. "As it was explained to me, the flow of time being in jeopardy allowed for differing timelines to cross over into one another. The summoning between which became a trifling matter. As such, it would hardly be a surprise to walk between worlds during such times. While different, I believe the Incineration of Humanity would qualify for one such event."
Ritsuka blinked, leaning back a little at the rather simple explanation they gave. "So basically, we could summon Lily because the timeline of the world is messed up?"
Bedric gave only a single nod of the head and a patient smile.
"Oooooh. That makes sense." Lily muttered quietly, putting her fist into the palm of her other hand with a light thud. With a gaze that was more focused, she gave a slow nod of the head before turning onto the man. "You know a lot about this sort of thing?"
Bedric brought his hand up, making a 'so-so' gesture. "I am not an equal to the academics of the dragon schools. They could explain it better than I, of that I am certain, but I held the company of some intellectuals. One could listen to Big Hat Logan speak for hours about the nature of sorceries."
His tone was rather nostalgic, all while Lily made an odd face.
"Big hat…Logan?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes." The knight caught himself. "A sorcerer. Made famous for his astounding skill in the arts, perhaps the greatest in the land, many claimed that his spells were on par with the lightning of even Lord Gwyn himself. He was also known for having an absurdly large hat. Very distinctive."
The mention of Gwyn - and the subtle respect they spoke the name with - brought a faint grimace to his face. He spared a glance at Mash and saw she had caught it as well, glancing to him worryingly before back to the knight.
Ritsuka broke the silence first. "About Gwyn…I feel like I should tell you that, as it stands, we're on…hostile terms with him."
The reaction was immediate.
The expression of Bedric turned blank. "...Is that so?"
"It's us and whoever Gods have allied with us…which include pretty much all of his children and his wife…Ex-wife."
Confusion coloured his features "Ex-wif-? No, all his children? Does that mean Lord Gwyndolin is similarly here as well and allied with you?"
He nodded once.
Bedric loosened his posture. "They are here willingly?"
Another nod.
"Then that is all you need to say." Bringing his free hand up, Bedric placed it against his chest above his heart. "I am a sworn knight of the Darkmoon. I may not raise my blade against Lord Gwyndolin, but I shall oppose all those who are deemed his enemies. Even if that list includes his own father."
…That went well.
Ritsuka loosened his posture, a sigh escaped him as he brought his hands up to cradle his head. "I'm not going to lie, that is a pretty big relief…I didn't want to have to spoil our meeting by finding out that we couldn't get along or something like that."
"Indeed, that would certainly put a damper on first meetings between the two of us." With a good natured chuckle, the red haired man smiled for a moment before their expression dimmed a little. "...Though I am inclined to ask, does the…undead still hold ranks with you?"
Ash.
They meant Ash.
"He does."
"...I see."
Ritsuka slowly nodded his head. "I know he has problems but he's…he's trying to be better?"
Bedric raised a brow at him, merely questioning, nothing judgemental or incredulous, so that was good. "Is that so? I shall have to see it with my own eyes, but if what you speak is the case, then I shall re-evaluate my opinion of his character. Though if he continues to use the Abyss, I must warn you that it is not a power to be trifled with. Not even mere dabbling. I have seen what it can do."
So had he.
"Yeah…I know about that." He shrugged. "Ash claims he knows what he's doing and I trust him to know about that."
"...A risky situation to trust, but you have known him longer than I." Bedric figuratively stepped back. "To demand you adhere to my words within mere moments of meeting me truly would be the height of arrogance. Rather, I shall stay my tongue until I know all there is to know of this. Until then, I ask where you would have need of me?"
Well.
"Would you two like a tour?"
For the time being, there was very little for Bedric to say in regards to Chaldea.
As far as covenants went, he knew that they accepted all manner of individuals from across all walks of life. That much was something he had long since come to accept, that being said, it would not prevent him from being slightly on edge when it came to those individual members.
Whatever else the word of his new summoner had, he was still apprehensive in regards to the unkindled.
They had shown him their true thoughts and he had shown them his own.
Hearing that since that time they were trying to change was some rather welcome news, but it did not alter his own perception of them. Trying to be a better person did not shift the blame for past crimes away. In snuffing the flame, the unkindled had committed a terrible sin and regret would not undo it.
Nor would his own actions now, which would be tantamount to revenge.
Could he kill the Unkindled? Yes, but he knew the futility of killing an undead being.
More to the point, those they slew would remain dead.
Was it justice? Perhaps, but so long as they fought on the side of his patron Lord Gwyndolin, then he would stay his hand for the time being.
"Sir Gareth?"
"Yeah, and Sir Lancelot."
The names fluttered through his mind for a brief instant.
A flash of history through his mind and his brows furrowed almost immediately, turning a questioning gaze onto the young man and watching their own expression shift in some small amount of discomfort. "Would that not be the man who slew them in the first place?"
"...Yeah. Sir Lancelot…" His summoner, Ritsuka, only grew more uncomfortable as time passed before they eventually spoke further. "He's a Berserker but I think that there is a bit more in there than you'd think…whatever the case, I think he avoids Sir Gareth as much as he can and…well…he avoids a couple of other people. Namely the other version of you that we have."
The latter part of the remark was directed towards Princess Lily, or would it be Prince Lily?
They claimed they would become King, so at their current stage, they would be a prince.
The blonde girl jolted for a moment, then brought their hand up and gestured to themselves with a look of surprise. "Another version of myself? I did not think that it was possible to get two versions of the same Servant summoned in the same place…are they in another Class to my own?"
"...No."
"They're also a Saber?" Prince Lily muttered to themselves, a hand cupped their chin as they gave a thoughtful hum. "I assume that they are the me from when I was King?"
"...Kind of?"
Bedric raised a brow at the unsure remark, the discomfort shared between the two teenagers in front of him was growing more apparent as time progressed. It was clear to assume that there was something related to this other version of Lily that the pair were unaware of how to voice delicately.
He supposed he should step in and provide some assistance to them. "Might I assume that this version of them is…different to what your expectations would have been?"
Ritsuka turned to him, then back to Lily before they dropped their shoulders. "The Singularity we originally encountered them in was rather odd. Something happened to them there, from what we can figure, and they've become what we've called an Alter."
"An…Alter?"
"Not really-" Another pause, the boy winced. "Not really an evil doppelganger as much as how someone else might have seen them? We're mostly thinking that this version of King Arthur is how the people who didn't like them might have perceived them."
Ah, yes. He could see the problem.
He doubted that any version of oneself viewed through the lenses of their hated audience would present a particularly flattering image.
Shifting his attention to Lily, he watched a flicker of discomfort move across her face for a brief moment before giving a slow nod of the head. Though whether it was one of understanding or one of acceptance was something that he could not tell. Perhaps it was for the best, he did not envy her position. He was certain there would be many who viewed him as a monster in light of his actions.
"I understand, Master." Lily eventually found her voice and replied, keeping her tone even but the tension in her posture betrayed her unease with the subject.
"She's workable." Recognising this, the boy quickly turned on her with a comforting expression. "Like, she's not really overtly hostile or anything else. We've not had any problems but it's more that she's….well, Berserker gets along with her pretty well. Though that might be because they both like the same food?"
"I think it's a very good common interest to have, Senpai." The girl, Squire Kyrielight, voiced with a touch of levity, it swiftly changed into an expression of unease. "Though I do think that Archer-san might be getting slightly put off with their demands of greasy foods…I think he was complaining about it the other day. Caffrey-san is still trying to chase Berserker-san for his table manners as well."
"I vaguely heard about that, but seriously? He's like twice her size."
A nod of the head from the girl.
Bedric found himself presented with the curious mental image of a small young woman trying to beat dinner manners into some armour plated giant of a man. The image, while amusing, was only second to the flicker of the name that passed through his mind.
Caffrey.
A Goddess…but one that he predated?
One of Fortune, was it? He could have done with her blessing numerous times.
"How…How does Sir Gareth react to them?"
Ritsuka blinked, then made a small noise as if the question had never occurred to them. "She hasn't said anything about it to me. I don't believe she's mentioned it all that much…Then again, it might be because she's trying to downplay it. She did something pretty similar when Lancelot's identity got revealed to us…"
Now they sounded concerned.
Lily gave a swift wave of the hand. "Ah, that is just what Sir Gareth is like though. If she claims to be fine with it, then I shall trust in the judgement of my knights…as for Sir Lancelot, please do not think too harshly of him…he's always been very hard on himself. I don't think he deserves half of what he thinks he does."
Bedric perked up, not because of any words, but because of the sensation that was rapidly approaching from further down the halls. It did not betray an ounce of malicious intent, rather it was more akin to a genial stroll.
A woman rounded the corner, the dark gown of a cleric overlapped with silver plated armour.
"Master." Speaking with a rather light voice, the woman offered a single smile before she paused, turning her eyes onto both himself and Lily.
Bedric shifted, glancing between the two of them for a single instant and making a small noise. "This is rather curious, though I recall the other version of you accusing me of being someone else. So perhaps this is merely the case…but you do not hold the appearance of the Emperor Nero as well?"
Mash looked at him rather sympathetically. "I have noticed it as well, Sir Bedric…rather, I think it might be turning into a trend. Okita-san also looks like them…and Cecilia-san looked like Jeanne-san."
…How could one face be worn by so many?
"...Do they all share a common ancestor?"
The armoured cleric shifted for a moment, then offered a faint shrug of her shoulders as she collected herself. "I cannot claim awareness of any relation with either Emperor Nero nor King Arthur. Rather, their appearances were just as much a surprise for me as they would be to anyone else looking on from the outside…Even if that were the case, I am unsure as to how Okita Souji would factor into it."
"...Probably best to just take a note from Nobunaga and just ignore it." Ritsuka muttered with a shake of the head, then brought his eyes to the woman. "Ah, right, we summoned these two recently…I'll let you all introduce yourselves to one another."
Bedric straightened, pulling a cool smile and bowing his head. "Well met, milady. I am Bedric, Knight of the Darkmoon and Lord of Cinder. Though you should not feel inclined to show me more respect than you feel necessary."
"Artoria Lily, wandering knight of Camelot and on the quest to become King."
The woman - though she looked more like an old teenager - glanced between the two of them for a second before her own lips pulled into a greeting smile. "Jeanne, Ruler Class Servant. You may call me Jeanne if you wish, I find myself repeating your own words."
Saint Jeanne.
Bedric inclined a brow. "You do not hold attachment to your veneration?"
"I merely did as was needed of me at the time." Jeanne replied evenly, shaking her head from side to side. "Though the title of Saint is one that I shall not spurn, that does not mean I must wear it at all times…rather, I am merely Jeanne. The girl who fought for what she believed in and what was requested of her."
…He could understand the feeling.
"...Then Jeanne it will remain." He offered an understanding smile to her, one that she clearly recognised if her mirror of it was any indication.
Ritsuka turned on the Ruler. "Was there something the matter, Jeanne?"
"Hm? Oh, not as such, Master." The woman quickly replied with a shake of the head. "I was merely on my way to visit Marie. She's been rather insistent on inviting me for a tea party…"
An understanding hum was levied to her by Ritsuka, "Yeah, that sounds about right from her. It wouldn't surprise me if Siegward comes walking around the corner any second now with some fancy bread or something like that. But to each their own."
Bedric glanced around the saint and raised a brow.
As if they had been summoned by the words of his Master, a new pair rounded the corner. A brunette woman with short hair and an expression on her face that betrayed a sense of ruggedness hiding beneath her feminine gaze, and a slightly older fellow with a bushy moustache across his face, wearing the attire he would have associated with a server.
"Kerry-san?"
"Oh, hey Mash, little dude."
The woman greeted the pair with a rather carefree wave of the hand, unconcerned with the crowd around her. "You guys just get back from summoning around or…" she trailed off, her eyes lingered on Lily before sending a look to the boy.
"...So…you got a type or something?"
Ritsuka just rolled his eyes. "Yes, very funny."
"Just saying, I wouldn't judge."
"Kerry…"
"Alright, alright." With a shrug of the shoulders, her lips formed a smooth grin as her eyes wandered towards him. Making a slow show of moving up and down before lingering on his face. Leaning on one side, she bit her lower lip before speaking in a deliberately slow voice. "Ya like jazz?"
Did he like wha-?
"Pffft!" The rather sudden reaction from Ritsuka was immediate, the boy stumbled to one side and slapped a hand over his face. Coughing a laugh into it as though they had heard the funniest joke in the world. "W-w-wh-what!? You can't-! You did not-Pfftahahahaha!"
Bedric felt as though he was missing something, and he quickly found that he was not alone if the entire hallway was now looking between all of them with the most bemused and bewildered expressions he had ever been presented with. With his eyes lingering on the laughing form of his master, he glanced back at the woman and thought more on her question.
"...I cannot claim to like a genre of music I have never heard…But I suppose I would be curious to partake in this lands culture."
"Ah, spoken like a true fellow." The boisterous voice of the man echoed around him, they stepped forwards and sported a wide grin. "I am Siegward of Catarina, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Bedric of Lordran." He felt his own smile widen as he spoke with a man who reminded him so very much of another he knew. Rather, more than that, their voices were eerily similar to one another. Then again, it was entirely possible that they were a descendant of sorts. He had met with Sieglinde. "A Knight of Catarina? A blessed day this is. I have seen first hand what the strength of your arms can entail."
"Aha! You have met some of my countrymen then!" Siegwards smile widened. "I am most pleased they left you with such a good impression. I would consider it rather a shame if we had done you an ill-hand."
"Not at all."
Ritsuka was still coughing in the background, now being tended to by Mash, all while the one responsible looked about as far from guilty as the sun was from the moon.
The woman, Kerry, merely shrugged her shoulders when his eyes landed on her. "Hey, he was complaining about no one getting references. Really, he has only himself to blame for all of this."
Bedric found himself more confused about what this related to than anything else, though it seemed like good natured teasing between friends in his eyes. As expected, he would not understand the inside jokes having only known them for a few minutes at best and the woman even less.
"An entire theatre performance about the life of a bee?"
None could have predicted the conversation that would entail when he inquired as to what the reference was about. He was expecting a short anecdote relating to a simple event which occurred, and instead he found himself - and the others - being treated to a swift explanation of one of the most bizarre things he had heard in his life.
His brows furrowed as the lift continued downwards.
Sure enough, he didn't understand a word of what was being said.
"...Do the humans of this world truly have such free time on their hands as to make up such plays?"
It wasn't as though he was critical, merely that he would have expected to hear more about some manner of performance similar to what he knew of. Great tales of knights or perhaps even some manner of political drama in regards to some fictitious story. His own homeland did such thing, travelling troupes and the like.
Ritsuka merely offered a shrug. "They're not all like that, but it was mostly because it was so absurd, that's why people know about it even if they haven't seen it. To be honest, I didn't understand much of the film when I watched it either…rather, it felt quite bizarre."
Bedric hummed and nodded along, then rolled his jaw to the side. "Did you, at least, enjoy it?"
"...It was alright, yeah. I could have thought of worse things to do at the time."
That was hardly a ringing endorsement of it.
But it brought good natured cheer, so there was clearly something of value found within the experience, even if the end product was not all that good, if the opinion of his Master was any indication.
"What of you, Kyrielight? Have you any performances that captured your own focus?"
The girl blinked at his sudden question, then offered a slightly apologetic frown. "Sorry, Sir-I mean, Bedric-san. I don't have as much experience with movies and performances as Senpai…but I do have some favourite books."
"That is a medium I am more familiar with." He admitted with a wry smile, rather it was a greater comfort to be presented with something he might actually know. "Would it be something of a wasted hope to assume you were well-read on any of the tales of great knights? Or perhaps stories of valour and courage?"
"Sometimes." The girl admitted with a nod of the head. "Though I am unsure how many of the stories are fictional and how many have facts within them. I have read many stories about the Knights of the Round Table and other such legends of history. Though I believe most of those wouldn't count as history books."
Bedric furrowed his brows. "Not history books? Would the tales of King Arthur and their knights not be lauded through the ages?"
He received mixed stares in response.
"It…it's more like those stories are considered fictional."
Finding himself at a complete loss for words, all Bedric could do was stare dumbly at the young man in front of him, then towards Kyrielight and then finally shifting his attention onto Lily herself and judging her reaction, it was one that was utterly unsurprised, rather she looked as though she had expected the answer.
"...Fictional? How…how can such a thing happen?"
Ritsuka scratched the underside of his chin. "To be honest? I'm not all that sure, but it's mostly due to people trying to keep all the magical stuff secret…and, well, modern humanity has sort of moved to leave that kind of thing behind? I guess? Or at least the wider public has."
"...An abandonment of magic?" It sounded rather absurd to him, almost baffling. His hand moved up and cupped his chin, a rather disturbing thought slowly took root within his mind. "What of the Gods of your own land, have they similarly been regarded as…fictional?"
The boy opened their mouth, then paused and winced. "...Sort of? Some more than others."
How tragic.
"I see." He rolled his lips and turned his head, pinching his brows.
This was indeed a strange land he found himself within.
The door opened up as they ground to a half, swiftly opening up and revealing a figure stood on the opposite side. He jerked and stepped backwards, caught off guard by the appearance of them before catching himself a moment later, instantly noting the differences between them and the person that he had met.
Chief of all was that he was taller than them by at least a head.
"An avid admirer of Ser Ornstein?"
If at all possible, the knight adorned in the dull grey version of the lion knights famous armour straightened even further at the mention of the name. Swiftly turning to him with their full attention and speaking. "You know of the Dragonslayer?"
A woman's voice.
"Yes, and that was rather sudden of me to ask." Catching himself, he lightly smiled. "Bedric of Lordran, Knight of the Darkmoon."
"Ser Sanura of Heide, Knight of the Flame God."
Another Kingdom he was either older than or the same age as. One of the two, he assumed, it was rather difficult to tell when it came to a clear timeline.
"Well met then, Sanura of Heide." He twitched a smile at them. "If you are even half as good as the legends spoke of them, you are indeed a fine blade to have at our side."
"To you as well, blade of Gwyndolin." She greeted evenly, then turned her head onto the others in the elevator, pausing for a moment when her gaze landed upon a singular figure. "...Are you, perhaps, another version of King Arthur?"
"I am, yes. Though I'm not actually a King yet. You may call me Lily." The girl introduced herself with a small bow of her own. "A pleasure to meet another Knight who appreciates lions."
He suppressed a snort, idly turning his head to glance at the ceiling and admire the cleanliness of it all.
"Y-yes, they are rather powerful beasts." Even through the armour, it was clear that Sanura was rather taken aback by the whole exchange. Collecting themselves and folding their arms behind their back, their composure regained, then nodded once. "Having seen your elder self first hand, I can admit my own intrigue in seeing your skill as well…That aside, I am most pleased that Master has summoned yet more trustworthy Servants to his side."
The way she implied that gave him the indication there were untrustworthy Servants, and more than one.
Concerning.
"Oh yes, I believe it would do you well to pass along a warning to your superior, Master." Sanura shifted the topic, turning her head towards the boy and giving an audible frown. "Whether she is aware of it or not, I believe it is rumour that Elizabeth is currently making an effort to stage another performance…I am unsure how many she has asked, I myself only found out through a strained message from Sir Arkon."
The smile on Ritsuka's face was like brittle glass. "That's…great. I'll be sure to set aside an hour for her work…"
"...I'm certain we could find something else to occupy the time, Master."
"She would just reschedule."
"..."
"Or track me down."
"...That is quite true."
They spoke of this like it was a torture.
Bedric kept silent as he watched the man in…nothing more than a helmet and loincloth bellowing out orders at the top of their lungs at the people sprinting across the short path.
They were wearing uniforms similar to that of his Master, but with differences in the colouration and the like.
He knew what this was, but it seemed to be more like a drill camp than anything else, his arms folded and his face evened. Casting a glance downwards onto the others for a moment and raising a lone brow at them.
"Come on Maxwell! You can do it!"
That shout was soon followed by some heavy clapping, the echo of metal rang through his ears. Turning his head to the man with long blonde hair and a simple chainmail tunic applauding the runners. The unmistakable aura of divinity was upon them, a rather powerful one as well.
"Ah, figured that's where Nudd would be." A light mutter from Ritsuka, full of approval.
It seemed this was not an uncommon occurrence.
"Sylvia! I see you in the back, you're doing great work!" The God - Nudd - pointed towards a blonde woman near the end of the runners, lagging behind and with an exhausted expression but still pushing onwards. "Meuniere, I'm proud of your progress!"
It was rather…jarring.
Nudd, they called them.
"They seem very supportive." Lily took the words right out of his mouth, he offered only a hum and a nod of the head in support of them. "I think that's rather nice. Though I'm a bit surprised to see ordinary humans doing this sort of thing. Not that I have a problem with it, just a bit shocked."
"Eh, Leonidas started it up to whip me into shape then some people started joining as a sympathy thing…which, in turn, had him set his sights on all of them."
Bedric found himself somewhat unsurprised, the barely armoured man radiated passion.
"And the appearance of Nudd?"
"He just likes to show support for them. He keeps some water for them at the end as well. Heals their muscle aches and the like."
Interesting.
"They sound to be of a decent sort."
What else was there to say on the matter?
The cheering of Nudd fell silent, the blonde turned to them and blinked, rather it looked as though they were taken aback by their appearance. Swiftly a casual smile laid over their features as they started to approach them, waving their silver arm in greeting.
It was only as they got closer that Bedric noted the arm was silver and not simply more heavily armoured than the other. He was rather curious how such a thing was even possible in the first place, but he put it down to the abilities of the Gods. More than that, the arm radiated power just as much as the owner of the limb.
"Afternoon, son." He greeted Ritsuka with a nod of the head as soon as he were close enough. "I see you've summoned a few more Servants here. I'll introduce myself if he hasn't already, Nudd."
The God extended a hand to him, he paused for a moment then clasped it on his own. "Bedric. An honour to make your acquaintance, Lord Nudd."
A wry chuckle escaped the man as his head shook. "Please, you may just call me Nudd. Bedric, is it? I sense the fellow divinity upon you and yet…Ah, I see. A Lord of Cinder, is it?"
"You are familiar with my peers?"
"...Of a sort." The even reply was mixed with some worrying signals, yet the smile remained. "But anyone who would aid in the return of history is one that I can allow some level of trust in. Besides, I believe I have something of a gut feeling when it comes to good natured individuals."
"Then I shall endeavour to live up to these expectations of yours."
"Do not feel too pressured by my words." The God chuckled once more, then withdrew his arm and shifted his attention towards Lily. "And I suppose you…No, I will let you introduce yourself, and introduce myself in turn." he stepped forwards and extended his flesh and blood arm this time.
"Artoria, but you can call me Lily." The Saber spoke, stepping forwards and gently clasping his hand. Bedric watched the handshake with a raised brow, a complete shift in handling compared to his own encounter. His grip with him was firm but he could see they handled Lily akin to a fine art.
"I suspected as much, but wished to make no impromptu remarks. Still, if your character is at all like that of your counterpart, you are a welcome addition all the same. Feel free to call upon me if there is anything you wish to speak of."
Lily hesitated for a moment, then wet her lips. "You speak of my counterpart well, though I have heard some troubling things…"
"Ah, as expected. She does present herself as rather cold and distant, I must say." Nudd replied rather smoothly, but offered a small but genuine smile at the end. "Though that does not detract from her ideals as a King. You and her are one and the same, though your thoughts and feelings might differ at times, you still pursue the same dream."
"...I…That does sound reassuring." The girl gave a light sigh.
"Do not be so intimidated. I doubt you will find many around you who are not haunted by some manner of demon." Drawing his hand back, Nudd continued on. "If nothing else, take comfort in the fact that she did come here to offer aid to Ritsuka and pledge her blade to his cause. I believe that is worth something."
Lily seemed far more comforted by the idea now, if her light smile was any indication.
Nudd clapped his hands together, glancing at Ritsuka and Mash. "Now then, I'd recommend you all beat a hasty retreat before Leonidas lays his eyes on you. Unless you wish for your tour to come with a several hour workout routine. He has already sent for Romani to be retrieved…poor man has been trying to hide from it."
"Retrieved?" Ritsuka repeated the word back with a hint of bewilderment. "Who did he send for that?"
"Sanura."
"Yikes."
The Lioness knight they encountered earlier? Hmmm.
"I'll take your advice on the latter part." Ritsuka hurriedly chuckled, backing away. "Keep up the good work, Nudd."
"You as well, son. Don't forget to let me know if you get caught either. I'll come by and cheer you on."
"Shouldn't that be phrased as 'rescue me'?"
"From what? Exercise?"
Ritsuka merely laughed as if that was amusing and made for the door once more, with a final nod towards the God, Bedric turned and swiftly followed along behind Ritsuka. Moving to their side and leaning forwards slightly to speak with them.
"Son?"
His master caught on quickly. "Oh, it's just something that he calls everyone…well, mostly everyone. I've never heard him call Mash 'daughter' or something like that. Actually, what does he call you?"
Mash jolted slightly at the question, then inclined her head slightly. "Either precious or dear, Senpai."
Bedric listened to them with a touch of puzzlement, then angled his eyes just over his shoulder towards the God once more. Watching as they continued to shout encouragement to those running on the track once more.
Certainly an odd quirk but relatively harmless.
The Cafeteria, that is what had been called next them.
Though Bedric doubted very much that he would make use of it for the intended purpose of eating, given his nature as an undead. Though socialisation through food was also an acceptable way of getting to known his peers-
His mind dragged to a halt the second he laid eyes on a very specific individual in the far corner.
It was as he had expected, given he knew they were present, but what he was not expecting was to see them as they were. Nor for them to look in their direction and visibly brighten their expression, already they flashed towards them with a singular beam of light carrying them from one spot to the other.
"Ritsuka, you neglected to mention that you would be summoning other Servants."
Bedric caught himself before he blurted out what he wanted to say, instead he just looked in shock at the almost gentle expression on the face of the God, combined with the somewhat cringing expression on the face of Ritsuka, he was unsure if this was a cordial meeting or not.
"Yeah…sorry…" The response from Ritsuka was rather slow, the boy reached up and scratched the back of his head in a rather awkward gesture. His eyes flickered around for a moment before they continued. "I…I wasn't sure about whether you even wanted to…Nevermind, I probably should have asked."
Gwyndolin's expression evened out slightly, his brows pinched. "...I have accepted that it is the nature of you to welcome even those I would despise, perhaps it was my own flaw for the…no, I will not apologise for my words, nor do I expect an apology for your actions. Perhaps it is a case of both of us acting according to our true thoughts?"
"Even still…" Ritsuka muttered, then exhaled and lowered his arm. "Alright then. Ah, right. I'm not sure if you know him directly but-"
For the first time, Gwyndolin actually turned and directed their focus on him.
Their expression froze solid, like that of ice.
Bedric lowered his head immediately, dropping down into a bow right before the God. "Lord Gwyndolin, to be in your presence once more is a great honour. Bedric of Lordran stands before you once more, a still faithful knight of the Darkmoon."
"S-still…faith…?" He barely caught their shocked whisper before their throat cleared ever so slightly. The silence pervaded for several moments, he almost dared to raise his head, but would not do so until given permission. "You…you are free to rise, Bedric, Lord of Cinders. You stand now as a God, perhaps greater than I-"
"Nonsense." He declared without hesitation, raising his head swiftly and looking the God right in the eyes. "There is no doubt that you are still my better in every way that matters. All I could accomplish was carrying out the commands you bestowed me, little else."
Rising up, he folded his arms behind his back. "If you work now through Ritsuka, then I shall trust in his judgement just as you do."
"...Then that is acceptable." Gwyndolin replied after a moment, their eyes never once leaving his face. Their hands folded together, then they turned back towards the young man. "In which case, I shall trust that you obey the words of Ritsuka as if they were my own, he has earned himself my…friendship."
His eyes whipped onto the back of the young man's head and stared at it for a few seconds.
He neglected to mention they were friends with his Lord.
His focus shifted back to that of the God and then something else occurred to him. "Though there is another thing that I might ask, are Ser's Artorias and Ornstein present?"
Gwyndolin shook his head. "They are not, as of yet. Though I do not believe we should expect their arrival-no, perhaps that might be a mistake for me to assume. Given their tutors are in Chaldea also." it might have been his imagination, but it sounded as though his Lord sounded rather…bitter, towards these tutors.
"I understand, my Lord." With a short bow of the head, he stepped backwards and shifted his gaze towards Artoria.
Who has since ventured from them and moved further towards another pair at the far-
Bedric narrowed his eyes slightly at the taller of the two.
Matted blonde hair stained with traces of obsidian.
But more than that…the feeling they gave off was…familiar.
It was impossible, and yet…could it be them?
She knew it was rude of her to wander off while her Master was speaking with someone else, but it felt as though she would eavesdrop on a personal conversation.
And there was something else that she found that gripped her attention immediately.
Her feet were already carrying her away before she even realised what was happening, halfway towards the table before she caught herself. By that point, it was impossible for her to not go the full distance and approach with renewed vigour, yet there was a sense of unease.
They had been spoken of but seeing this was unsettling.
She took small comfort in the words passed down to her by Nudd, if they were here to help, then there must be something about them that was still akin to the ideals she held dear, even if they did not give the impression of such. Though the chill that permeated from them was making it difficult to believe the words.
Her eyes flickered from the dark figure to the one opposite, her ears did not pick up any trace of their conversation, more akin to her being much too focused on what was before her.
They were taller, blonde hair and mismatched eyes, yet his expression was rather animated.
Rather, despite their almost fearsome visage, she did not have any strong reactions from them in the least, rather it was as though there was a sense of kinship? It was peculiar. More so when the Servant paused and furrowed their brows, halting their words and turning their head until their gaze landed upon her.
His eyes widened and his mouth closed.
It was a single moment later when the figure of interest turned her head to see what her companion was gazing upon.
By that point, she was already standing behind them and gazing down.
Her mirror image gazed back, a flicker of intrigue shone through pale gold eyes but was quickly stamped down. Slowly but surely, the black mirror of herself rose from their seated position and turned around to face her, inclining their head slightly as their gaze rose up and down.
"Ho…To think that such a version could be summoned. I had thought that the first of my other selves would be…No, you do not need to be told such things, do you?"
"...I'm rather surprised as well." She found herself speaking purely on instinct, her jaw rolled as she found herself unable to find much more to say. Rather, it was as though there was nothing that either of them needed to say.
Their staring contest continued.
"...Another version of yourself, little sister?"
That single innocent remark cut through the fog of her mind like a sharp axe through wood. Lily blinked and turned her gaze to the speaker, staring at the blonde man as they looked between her darkened self and her several times, then raising their brows when their eyes fell upon her. "This is rather…unexpected. Though I'm not quite sure what to make of it. You feel like one another but one is…smaller? Are you perhaps younger?"
"Do not pay much focus to it, Berserker." Her other self declared rather swiftly, a cold tone as she turned back around and lowered herself into her seat. "It hardly bears mentioning. Though I am curious in part, did you come here to reject me?"
Did she come here to reject them?
Lily could not say.
Perhaps she should have felt more strongly about this being an interpretation of her rule, but at the same time, she could not deny that there had to be some part of them that still cared so long as they answered a summoning. She clasped strong the words of Nudd and brought those to the forefront of her mind, looking down at the back of her other selves head before pulling a light smile.
"Why did we make Bedivere a knight of the Round Table?"
Perhaps she should have asked why they made him a member of the Round Table, as it had not truly happened for her yet. Still as a Knight who wandered the countryside with her brother and Merlin, but she asked all the same.
Because she knew the answer, even if she had not yet experienced it.
Her other self stiffened. "...What?"
"Please answer."
For a brief moment, she thought they might scoff at her words and refuse, it was the aura they projected even with their back turned to her.
She could not see the face they made, but for a single brief instant, the dominating cloud that hung above the head of her blackened self relented. "I wonder why that was. He was unlike that of the other knights, with neither strength nor blessings. Though…It isn't worth mentioning. It was only natural that someone like him be made a member of the Round Table."
That decided it.
Lily felt her smile pull across her lips after those words.
"Then I have no reason to reject you." That was all she needed to know, because there was a single reason that she brought Bedivere onto the Round Table, just that one reason.
Because that knight truly had more spirit than any of them.
Her eyes turned to the Servant who watched the proceedings silently, the blonde looked between the two of them. Then offered her a smile and a nod of the head, "Berserker."
"I am sorry for intruding between the two of you-"
"No…You are free to join as you wish, Sister." The man shook his head from side to side. "Any sister of mine is welcome."
They were rather quick to declare her a sister, but now that she was closer, she could sense it. The aura of a dragon, which explained why they considered her their sister, clearly through that single similarity between the two of them.
Turning her eyes away from them, she glanced back towards the direction where her Master and the others were. "No, sorry. I believe I might postpone that for another time. I wandered away without consideration for Master and the others."
"Ah, yes…I have done the same thing." Berserker admitted rather shyly, rubbing the side of their neck and sporting a wry smile, turning their head to look in the same direction she had. "But that is no-"
His sentence ended suddenly.
She blinked, looking at them and saying a frozen look upon his features, eyes wide and jaw still parted.
Her focus switched back.
Bedric looked across at them with a blank expression, or rather, looked across to a single Servant in particular.
"Do you know one another?"
"...Of a sort. We met only once."
"A friend?"
"...No."
Oh.
Oh.
Her expression rapidly fell, her eyes slowly turned towards the still silent Bedric who watched them with an unblinking gaze.
Which now held a very different meaning in her eyes.
"Lucius…No, he lacks the insanity in his eyes." The utterance from her alternate self. "A curious case of shared faces, though I doubt it holds significance."
Lily wasn't so sure about that, but that was neither here nor there.
Though now that she was stood here, surrounded by all these sorts of Servants…how useful was she actually going to be?
Her eyes turned away from them, then double taked at the individual she spotted behind the counter of the kitchen.
Her legs carried herself towards them rather quickly, a small smile grew on her face until she was all but leaning over it. "Gawyn!"
The blonde she called to jerked rather suddenly, his head whipped towards her so fast she could have sworn she heard bone snap.
But what was striking was the almost glare he levelled at her for half a second before he seemingly realised who she was, then it lessened into something more like an annoyed frown before vanishing completely.
Abandoning whatever they were doing, Gawyn moved towards her.
"...I would prefer you call me Ash." Were the first words out of the mouth of the Gawain lookalike, but it confirmed that they were indeed Gawyn. Yet his words gave her pause, her brows furrowed and her head tilted to the side.
He remained silent before eventually they saw fit to elaborate further.
"My life as Gawyn is a…separate matter from the me standing before you. We are entirely different people and your…" He hesitated for a moment, rolling his jaw before grunting. "Your friendship with him should remain limited to him. Just so you do not transfer your shared feelings between us."
Lily's smile fell ever so slightly at Ash's words. "Oh…I see, I apologise for insulting you then."
Ash's expression remained blank. "It is not that you insulted me, you were simply not to know. If you do so again, I would be insulted, but that is…Nevermind. I had thought I sensed a familiar presence."
Sensed?
She blinked at them. "You sensed me? Are you secretly a Caster?"
"What? No, I…" Ash paused, then rolled his lips and shook his head. "It is more to do with my own nature. Just think of my senses as being above average and leave it as such…Was there something you needed? Because if it was just for the company of Gawyn, you will swiftly find yourself disappointed."
She remained silent, hiding her despondency over the cutting remarks.
Forcing a smile, she stepped away. "I merely saw a familiar face and wanted to pass along my greetings and my hopes that we would work well together. Though if you are as you claim, then I would simply introduce myself to you."
"I know who you are already."
"...But you claim we have not met before."
"...No, I suppose not." Ash replied slowly, then straightened himself. "Ash of Lothric."
"...Lily of Camelot."
He raised a brow but said nothing, eventually he grunted once and turned his head. "Well met then, Lily of Camelot."
"Are you still fighting for those smiles?"
She all but blurted out the question, bringing a stiffening movement from the Servant, his arms tensed. Ash's green eyes snapped down onto her, but it confirmed that even if they were different, they still remembered their pledge. That understanding the two of them found, or that she and Gawyn found when they fought against one another.
That shared ideal.
Ash remained silent for a few moments, then brought up his arms and folded them. "I want to learn the value of a smile before I fight for it, though…even if I never smile for myself, I am content with the knowledge that others will enjoy their lives. Does that answer your question?"
Lily felt a more honest smile form on her face. "It does. Whether you are Ash or Gawyn…if that is what you fight for, then I know I am in good company."
Ash's expression dimmed. "...I would not speak so certainly about something like that…But I cannot stop you."
That sounded rather…unsure.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly at their expression, yet they turned from her before she could inquire further, retreating back into the kitchen and resuming their task as though they had never stepped away from it.
Lily pondered whether she was the only one who felt the need to grow.
