1:35 am, The Cave of Heracles
Yanni paced in circles around the crystal ball in the center of the cavern, hands on his head. His 'God' had yet to return, so, for the moment, he was alone.
"WHAT HAPPENED!"
He pleaded with the universe itself; begging for some kind of explanation. Rage and panic rose in his chest, his furious, twitching expression not unlike that of his Servant, though that word, 'Servant', didn't mean anything to him. Precisely because of that ignorance, he struggled- racking his brain to figure out who, or even what, those figures were. He had seen the whole thing from a bird's eye view, the power of his family's crystal ball.
God was to make himself known to the world, and opposition was inevitable, but this was completely unexpected. "Rider", or so he had called himself, had moved to stop God for some reason. Who could he possibly be in the face of a god? No more than a mouse, a bug in the face of a supreme being, and so he dutifully recommended to his God that he be suitably squashed.
He recalled how his panic rose with each dodge, with each strike. Who was this man, no, this creature!? How could there be someone who rivaled a being from the Age of Gods!? It didn't make sense! None at all. He thought it might just be some mage here to investigate the surge caused by God's summoning, but that became harder to believe as the fight continued. Then, the second one came along...
For some reason, God followed his recommendations exactly. When he advised retreat, God retreated, and was on his way back now.
In a trance, he stumbled over to the staircase, sitting down and placing his face in his palms. He needed to collect his thoughts.
There were two beings not dissimilar to his god. Weaker, yes, but not so much weaker that they didn't pose a threat. What should he do? Should he try to squash them now, so that they didn't have time to regroup and strategize? Or should he wait and try to gather information before acting? He had the advantage... didn't he?
He punched the cavern wall. The hard cold rock cut into his knuckles, but Yanni was in far too much distress to be fazed by such trivial pain.
-Then, with rumbling like thunder, God manifested out of thin air in front of him, as if answering his unspoken prayers.
With the force of his undeniable presence stuffing the room, immediately Yanni felt ashamed of himself- ashamed at having doubted the power and majesty of his God, of worrying, and of feeling as if he was in some position of power over his God. He wasn't. He was nothing. He was nothing in the face of God. Trembling all over, a mess of emotion, he crawled forward and prostrated himself.
"God! Forgive my transgressions! You, and you alone- you are almighty and absolute!"
There was no visible change in God. Neither his stance nor the sound of his presence shifted even slightly.
Yanni didn't know how to respond. Was this mercy? Was this disappointment? He must want him to prove his loyalty. Yes! That must be it.
"I apologize for my earlier interruption, I worried for your safety and acted as such, but I understand now that I was a fool, a fool to think that those-" What should he call them, he wondered, "- creatures posed any threat to you, my lord."
No response.
"I am your humble servant. What should we do, my lord? How should we dispose of those who oppose your great works?"
No response.
Yanni's heart seemed to stop beating. He was so desperate for something- anything from his God, and yet he received nothing. Was he that unworthy? Was he that unsuited for the role he played?
Then another thought occurred, maybe it wasn't that God was disappointed, rather, he was waiting. Yanni was no longer an archaeologist, no longer some failed evangelist. He was the head priest of a new world religion; he had to prove himself. He had to prove himself as someone worthy of his title, to fulfill his duty as God's ambassador to a new era. He worked to organize the thoughts that had been flowing so erratically before.
"Forgive my insolence, if you should view it as such, but those creatures-"
He couldn't help but speak with animosity towards the sole opposition to his object of worship,
"-I believe they may be sentries of some kind, unless you know better-," He looked to God for a reaction, and, finding none, he continued, "That is- beings not so different from you. Remnants of the Age of Gods with the purpose of maintaining the division between here and the Reverse Side of the World, between men and their gods. With that in mind, I think combat with them, and maybe others..."
Here he remembered a phrase the green and silver man had said: 'seven servants have yet to gather...'. Did that mean that, including the two from today, there were seven total sentries?
Realizing he had paused for too long, he continued with great embarrassment, "..I think.. I think that combat is inevitable. It's only a question of whether it is best to take care of them now or later. That's my view."
He waited for a response.
He wanted to slap himself when he realized his error. Of course! If God wanted him to prove himself, he couldn't just end his deductions without offering a recommendation of action! Yanni cleared his throat and tried again, speaking slowly as he moved words and thoughts simultaneously.
"Personally... I think we should take some time to gather our thoughts. If they are here to force your return to the Reverse Side, then they will have to come to us eventually. After our retreat today, if we're lucky, they will underestimate your absolute power and attack without their full forces, and we can whittle down their strength over time. They... they'll have no choice but to attack in a frontal assault where you will have the advantage."
He turned his head to God, a nervous smile stamped on his face, and a forced laugh emanating from his throat..
"Of course, I'd invite your wisdom on this matter... You are surely far more knowledgeable on these matters than I."
It was a move of desperation, a shameless attempt to place some onus on God should things go wrong.
But God just stood there. Though his face was locked in permanent anger, his eyes expressed only endless patience. If not for his size, one could almost mistake him for a toy robot missing its batteries.
Yanni stood and clasped his hands together with false confidence, the fake smile still staining his face and failing to mask his insecurity. His eyes briefly made note of the red sigil that had appeared on the back of right hand after calling God: a mark like a polygonal fire. He had been aware of its presence for some time now, but, since he still wasn't used to its presence, his eyes were inadvertently drawn to it whenever it entered his field of vision.
"Well, it's been a long night, and I suppose we both should take time to gather our thoughts and energy, or at least-" He was about to say 'at least I do', but, realizing it made him look weak and uncommitted, decided against saying it. "-So, I will return to you in the morning. This place holds great power, and shields against magical detection, so I imagine you should be perfectly secure here, not that you need any protection, of course."
Swallowing the self-imposed awkwardness of the exchange, he turned up the stairs with a definitive "Good night." though he could still feel God's eyes following him on the way out.
...
Going to sleep that night, he could feel the presence of his God, and found it to be comforting, exhilarating, and nerve-racking all at the same time. With such extreme emotion, it was a restless, dreamless sleep that took him. A rest taken in anticipation of the day to come.
...
At the same time, The Alghul Villa
Aisha stood in the central living area facing the patio. The rain was coming down too hard to stand outside, but the door was wide open; rain water had begun to form a puddle on the hardwood floor.
Having been there for some time already, she only had to wait for a few more moments before her familiar returned- the undead crow flying through the open door and landing on her outstretched arm. Though she knew it was hardly more than a doll, she still scratched it under the beak before sending it to a perch on the far side of the room where it sat perfectly still, its lack of life made apparent.
Unfortunately, due to the distance between the villa and the acropolis, the crow hadn't been able to see too much of the battle at the temple ruins, arriving only a few seconds before Caster, maybe less.
Still, she had seen enough. Her body had been shaking with terrible fever ever since, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread brought on by the colossus that could only be Berserker. As much as she hated Caster, he had said it best:
'...a being of this strength has no right to exist in the Age of Man'.
And Rider was no pushover, either. Berserker was stronger, yes, but anyone who could go toe-to-toe with a being of that strength was someone to be reckoned with.
'How could this have happened!'
The filler servants weren't supposed to be this powerful! No, more than that, they shouldn't even be here! She had just summoned the first Servant tonight, the Grail shouldn't have interfered for at least another week! So what was it?!
-The storm.
Grail Wars were happening across the world: was the storm just a cover for someone else's summoning?!
'Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN IT ALL!'
There was someone else! Some other organizer, some other mage working in this, someone else working actively for the Grail. Did they bring other participants? Is that why there were three Servants already? Did the masters of Berserker and Rider have a falling out? Was it a mock battle? Did they realize that an unaffiliated Master had appeared? Was the whole exchange just an attempt to get her Servant to reveal himself!? Rider and Berserker.... Rider... Rider?
How did she know that the silver servant was Rider? That's what Caster called him. How did Caster know details that she didn't when her crow arrived before he did?
As if answering her call, she felt a presence appear in the master bathroom upstairs. Furious, she marched up the stairs and flung the door open.
Caster, still in his illusory form, though now naked, stood with his back to her. The bath was already filled, and had steam rising from it...
-Which would mean that he had hidden his presence in order to run the bath without her noticing... meaning that he had already outsmarted her detection system, and, to add insult to injury, must've used minor illusion magic to cover the sound of the running bath. Another show of power! If she could unsummon him then, she would've. In fact, she would've gladly given her Command Spells to someone else if she could've! Her servant was rebellious, evil, cunning, and likely not much help in a proper fight. In other words: more trouble than even the Grail was worth.
The bathroom itself was large and very comfortable. Cream tile highlighted by golden metal. The back wall held a large shower boxed in by sliding glass doors, a counter with two sinks and a large mirror to its immediate right. The right front corner had a toilet and a wardrobe, while the left side of the room had the tub which was almost large enough to be called a jacuzzi. With rounded corners, it could hold three people uncomfortably. Filled, the hot water steamed the entire room; she also noted the perfume in the air and the petals floating in the water. Currently, the room was lit by a warm lamp.
Showing no attention to her, he stepped into the tub and began to sink into it. The sight was so mesmerizing that she almost forgot her simmering rage- almost. The illusion washed off his form like chalk, coloring the water before dissolving completely and revealing his true form. Sitting comfortably, he cupped water in his hands and poured it over his head, removing the illusion in its entirety. It was here that he finally acknowledged her presence with a cold glare, his golden eyes and tanned skin contrasting oddly.
She walked in with some aggression, stopping where she could be within comfortable speaking range but not so close that she could see anything inappropriate.
"And what are you doing exactly?"
Aisha noted how her own anger and panic had diminished to mere frustration since moments before. That must've been the purpose of his display, to wind her down. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
"Taking a bath. Or am I not allowed in the 'master'-bath?"
His expression remained cold, though there was an obvious note of sarcasm. She noted how his demeanor differed from the arrogant and cruel man she'd interacted with an hour ago.
She groaned, "While I would appreciate it if you used the guest bathroom from now on-"
He clicked his tongue and raised a finger to interrupt, a cruel, trickster grin crawling up from the depths of his black soul.
'Here it comes'. She rolled her eyes.
"Now, Master. While I may be your Servant-" As he always did when he was bullshitting her, moving his hands dramatically as he spoke, "-there are some orders I just can't follow- you know that. I have my honor to consider, I have needs, just like anyone else."
He pressed a button on the side of the tub and jets of the water started pumping internally, causing the tub to surge and bubble. He readjusted himself to the water massaging his back, maintaining eye contact with his master, taunting her.
'You and your needs can both go to Hell.'
"As I was saying-"
Caster's smug expression washed away somewhat. Clearly, he was dissatisfied that his taunting was becoming less and less effective.
Their cold expressions met each other in hateful mutuality. "What were you able to learn?"
Caster sank deeper into the tub, closing his eyes and seeming to organize his thoughts. "There are two other servants, Rider and Berserker, already summoned. For some reason, they are already in conflict with each other. Berserker is very dangerous, and far more powerful than he should be. Rider is too polite; we may be able to use that, though he'll still be a task to take out of commission when the time comes. That's all really, you know I wasn't there very long." He rested his hands behind his head.
His analysis was concise but largely satisfactory. A simple analysis of the basic facts with a broad recommendation for future actions. Of course, there was more to discuss, but it was the ideal starting point. She couldn't help but think how useful he would be if he bothered to actually serve her rather than try to manipulate her.
'Servants, eh? What a misnomer.'
She got straight to the point, "How did you know the silver Servant was Rider?"
Still with his eyes closed, he talked to her like a parent to their child who doesn't understand what a long day they've had. "He said so."
She crossed her arms defiantly, "And when was that?"
"Before your bird got there."
"So you arrived before the crow? How long before?"
He shook his head and straightened himself, "No, no, no. You don't understand."
She got somewhat flustered at his talking down to her, "And what is it that I don't understand, if you would be so kind?"
He chuckled tiredly and looked at her with his cold eyes once more. "I am a divine magus from the Age of Gods, I'd be remiss if I didn't possess some level of clairvoyance."
He had a way of making her feel like a fool, and she didn't appreciate it- not one bit. "So you must know a lot of things you aren't telling me, you admit that?"
"Of course, I know a lot of things after all. Magic, history, metaphysics, lost knowledge and the like, but I get the feeling you didn't summon me for a university lecture, did you?"
Her mage's pride was hurt somewhat when he pointed out that, yes, she couldn't bring herself to care about his knowledge in the midst of a Grail War.
'So what,' she thought to herself, 'We're in the middle of a war! There are more important things to worry about.'
Nevertheless, she conceded the point to Caster, though she was getting too used to the sensation, but she only wanted the relevant information. Forcefully, she continued, "What do you know?"
He smirked a bit, but answered. "All I know is that Rider was summoned at the Acropolis, and that he and his Master are planning on making that their base. Other than that, nothing of note."
"What about their True Names?"
He looked to the side, "Berserker's I know. Rider is a mystery. He's certainly no one I would be immediately aware of, though that's not to say there can't be common history- there usually is with Divine beings. Your world has far more cultural exchange than mine. I imagine you're in a better position than I am to figure him out."
"You know Berserker's True Name?"
He seemed slightly surprised by the question, "He and I are somewhat well acquainted. I knew he might show up, but... damn. Not like that."
Aisha thought for a moment, could it really be-
Caster laughed. "I see that look in your eyes, and, as cute as you are when you're scared, I'm sorry to say that it isn't Zeus. If it were, I would've surrendered already, and you would've agreed."
'Then who could it be?'
He answered her unspoken question, "Heracles."
Aisha was taken aback. "What? That- that THING is the great Hercules?"
"No, Heracles. True Names are important to Servants, don't screw it up."
"H-how-"
He wasn't looking at her anymore, instead, Caster was looking deep into the cloudy water. "I don't know exactly. For some reason, his divinity was boosted to the point that he's practically a god himself right now. It might be because he was summoned on home turf, or the peculiarities of the leylines, but that's what we're dealing with."
Aisha was again flustered, frustrated by all the information coming at her one after the other. "And how do you expect to deal with him, exactly?"
Any playfulness in Caster's expression was gone by now. "I don't know, not yet. That's why I came here- to think. So if you're done whining, how about a little patience, eh?"
She was thoroughly insulted, but the frustration was nothing compared to the sting of Caster's venomous words, his cold admonishment. She couldn't even argue, but she knew, deep down, that he was in the wrong. She was right, just like always, and the reason she felt so flustered wasn't because Caster was superior to her, rather, it was precisely because he wasn't. His power was just too much for her to properly assert her dominance, and so she had to give him some leeway. Yes, that had to be it. That was what she told herself.
But she had to admit, she was very tired. Her mind felt like molasses, she had needed to rest for a while now, and it took all her willpower not to rush to bed right away. Even Caster's bath seemed appealing to her weary mind...
"Very well. I suppose it'll have to wait. If there's nothing else to discuss, I'm going to bed."
He waved her off dismissively and closed his eyes once more. She wasn't sure what she hated more, his insults or his apathy.
"-But you will have to leave the bathroom, I need to get ready for bed, and I wouldn't mind a bath for myself."
"Darling, you aren't getting me out of this bath without a Command Seal."
She stared daggers for a few moments, before groaning and stomping out of the room, moving to slam the door behind her. Before she could, she felt something that made her forget her anger-
A cold chill running all the way down her spine.
She turned around with a start to find Caster... sitting as he had been. Closed eyes, hands behind his head, the image of relaxation. In any other mood she would've reprimanded him for his little stunt, but she was tired, and was finding it more and more difficult to make sense of the stranger in her tub. She grimaced and closed the door behind her, forcefully but not violently.
She didn't see Caster's smile.
....