1:00 am, Atop the Athenian Acropolis
Aaron leaned back in the office chair, its comfy leather easing his tired body as the wheels squeaked backwards across the tile floor. He sat now in the security office atop the Acropolis, one of the two modern buildings that stood among the ruins, the other being a small museum and guest center. The climb had been all-but easy, the slick marble paths inhibiting his progress towards the precipice of the steep mountain in the middle of the city. This mountain wasn't the only one of its kind either. Though one could hardly make out their silhouettes in the rainy night, giant pillars of stone stuck out from the earth across the landscape, many so steep that almost nothing could be built. The acropolis, having a large, flat top, was the exception.
It took all his will not to fall asleep right then and there. His job was basically done, yes, but it would still be problematic if the morning shift found him asleep in front of the security cameras.
Besides, there was still business to discuss.
The last hour and a half or so had been spent carrying out Aaron's 'master plan', as 'master' as it could have been considering that he had created it on-the-spot. Using his ability to manipulate magnetic fields, he was able to bypass much of the electronic locks and slip inside the office mostly uninhibited. Encountering traditional locks inside, he had intended to use Rider to force them open, but was surprised when his servant instead successfully picked the lock using a paper clip he took from a nearby desk.
In retrospect, he supposed that should've been somewhat obvious; in addition to war, Rider was also known for his craftsmanship. It made sense that he'd be highly dexterous and fairly clever.
And so things had gone off mostly without a hitch. Aaron stole a spare guard's uniform and equipment, used the custom printer to engrave a name-tag and give himself an official ID, and added himself to the electronic list of employees, marking himself for the morning and evening shifts. Afterwards, he got into the security database and was able to loop the camera footage, effectively erasing any record of an intruder, though perhaps the wards would've been enough, and he had just completed that task the moment before. It was far from a perfect plan, and it relied too heavily on people not asking questions, he knew that well. His computer skills, though certainly above average, were rudimentary at best, and any in-depth investigation would easily reveal all of his edits.
What would he do if he encountered the person responsible for hiring? Say he was transferred? As many connections as he had, he didn't have the kind of influence or time to make the ruse flawless, but it would have to do. He put himself as being positioned in the far corner of the acropolis, near the Temple of Hephaestus, and hoped he wouldn't encounter anyone noteworthy. Assuming nothing went wrong, he would have complete access to the Acropolis, an alibi for being there when people arrived at the start of the day and a reason to stay behind after the ruins were closed to guests: perfect for his purposes.
Aaron could feel the bags underneath his eyes, his features starting to slack from exhaustion, but there was no time to rest, not yet. Turning the chair around, he saw Rider standing stoically behind him with a simple stance that displayed neither emotion nor intent. Though it had initially caught him off guard, Rider's inhuman visage no longer bothered Aaron, at least not instinctively.
Logically, Aaron was anxious about the intent that hid behind Rider's mask, but this was best described as forcing himself to worry. Though he couldn't quite be sure why, he felt safe around Rider; he had the impression that Rider was someone who spoke his mind, who was honest to a fault, and felt that he could take his Servant's warm but servile demeanor to mean that he approved of his Master, or at least had yet to make a decisive judgement. Yes, Rider had been nothing but helpful since his summoning, and though they had been together for no more than two hours, it was clear that they were working towards a common goal, and so Aaron felt free to be frank with his newfound partner.
Despite his tiredness, he looked at his servant with hard, determined eyes.
...
About an hour earlier, as Aaron, in hypnosis brought on by exhaustion, had been watching the machine engrave his new name-tag, Rider had grabbed him and pulled him to the floor with a sudden urgency. At that moment, an undeniable energy burst forth from the earth, rattling Aaron to his core, even causing his Magic Circuits to tense and misfire. Lights flickered, blue static flew across the room, and his body was left sore from the burn-out.
With mutual panic, they agreed to have Rider scout the area in his invisible Spirit Form to see if he could locate the source of the disturbance. Aaron, for his part, had assumed the worst: an attack from an enemy Servant.
After frantically pacing the building for several minutes, he resolved himself to complete his piece of the plan, and was rewarded for his patience. Rider communicated telepathically that there was no sign of an enemy, though Aaron knew that servants of the Assassin Class could conceal their presence, so this did little to ease his fears, and they had agreed to talk more once he had returned to their new base of operations.
...
As desperately as Aaron wanted the night to end, it was too irresponsible to ignore this until morning; it could very well be the sign for an incoming emergency.
Doing his best to steady his voice, he began, "So... there's no enemy Servant?"
"Nay. None 'yond I can detect."
Rider's strong and assured voice eased Aaron despite the obvious caveat within his statement. "Tell me straight, Rider. What are we dealing with?"
"The energy thee hadst felt 'twas the earth itself, mine Master."
As if in agreement, thunder boomed outside.
Aaron's body straightened and tensed, and his brow furrowed as his tired mind struggled to comprehend what he had just heard. "What are you talking about, Rider? What happened? Do you know?"
Rider's voice came off as cold, not in admonishment of his Master, but the reverberation of his voice seemed to bring pressure to the room, revealing his absolute seriousness. " 'Twouldst seem that, among those of us called from history, lady Gaia hath found an old friend."
Aaron sat back into the cushions, and ran his hand through his hair.
'An old friend? If Rider is... and the reaction was that powerful... Does that mean...'
This was, without a doubt, the worst-case scenario. But Rider ought to be able to measure up, wouldn't he? Swallowing his anxieties, he asked the simple question, "What do we do, Rider?"
Rider grunted timidly in a kind of acknowledgement. "We cannot make a firm strategy 'til we know what we are against. We ought to gather what information we may; there is no sense in acting rashly, methinks... not yet."
Rider's words only worsened Aaron's anxiety. He cursed himself over and over for being such an inexperienced mage.
"Master?"
"I... I don't have any way to gather that information..."
"Thou art mistaken."
Aaron looked at Rider pleadingly, what did he mean?
"Should the worst come, we may always learn from experience."
Aaron's eyes fell to the floor in utter despair. The only way to defeat this mystery Servant was to attack blindly and hope for the best? Rider was powerful, sure, but his still-burning body told him all he needed to know in regards to his opponent's power.
"Besides, thou art forgetting our five- nay, six- potential allies in this battle. What we may lack, we may find in others, thus there is no reason to despair."
He was suggesting we make connections with other Masters. Aaron's plan had been to lay low and wait for the other Servants to eliminate themselves wherever possible. Aggressive strategy wasn't in his nature, but this mystery Servant could pose a real threat, especially given that, theoretically, there should be no more than three Servants currently summoned: Rider himself, the Servant whose summoning began the war, and the Servant who caused the upheaval. This would mean that Aaron, with Rider, would have to act as the vanguard- something he was highly uncomfortable with. That being said, so long as their opponent wasn't overly aggressive, they ought to be able to set some solid foundations for a counter-operation...
Having been purposefully avoiding Rider's gaze, Aaron jumped when his hand fell on his shoulder.
"'Tis late, mine Master, thou must retire. Without rest, thou cannot lead, nor shall I be able to fight. Thou has't done good work, but there is nothing to be done 'til the morrow, so rest, and I will guard thee meanwhile."
Aaron breathed a deep sigh, and began to stand. "You're right, Rider... you're right."
As difficult as it was, he did his best to push his worries to the back of his mind. For now, there was nothing he could do but wait. It killed him, waiting. It seemed like all he'd done, for all his life, was wait. Day after day he cursed his own helplessness, his own inability to change his life for the better, and he now thought himself a fool for thinking that would change just because he summoned someone who could do the work for him. He was pathetic.
After double and triple-checking to be sure he hadn't left any obvious trace of their presence, he locked up the building and walked back outside into the pouring rain, thoughtfully using his magecraft to alter his magnetism so that he wouldn't be struck by lightning.
Walking across the grounds of the acropolis' peak, tired, miserable, his anxieties finally calmed from sheer exhaustion. Every moment felt like a mile, his weary body rebelling against each step he took from the comfort of the security building. Rider opted against Spirit Form, instead trailing just behind him. It helped. It might have been jealousy, or pride, but Rider's calm and confidence kept Aaron moving forward, and kept him out of the fetal position he so desperately felt like curling into. He cursed himself once more for being so pathetic. Slipping, he also cursed the ancients who built paths out of such a fickle material as marble.
It was now that, among the booming thunder, which was louder and seemed to come from all around at this altitude, that another, similar crash reverberated through the air. It sounded like the same thunder, but was louder, and seemed to have intent all of its own, like the roar of a lion- or worse. Paired with this was a noise like a firecracker, a bang made from the crackling of gravel. The air seemed to turn cold around them, or, rather, it was as if pressure pushed the coldness of the rain far into his flesh. He turned around, but Rider was, naturally, already two steps ahead of him.
"Permission to engage?"
Aaron swallowed hard. "Do we have a choice?"
The air seemed to spark with an unspeakable excitement, as if the very atmosphere was filled with adrenaline. Though thoroughly intimidated, Aaron knew what had to be done. He nodded to Rider, and, with a blink and a flash of light, it was as if he had never been there at all.
Aaron ran over the edge of the cliff-face, and stared down to the city below. In the distance, maybe eight-hundred yards away, in the clearing where the temple of Zeus once was, stood what could only be described as a colossus.
....