11:40pm, The Athenian Acropolis
Aaron stood at the center of the Acropolis in front of the Old Temple adjacent to the Parthenon. He stood in casual clothing, a black jacket over his typical tank top and baggy jeans, with his chin raised and arms crossed, doing everything in his power to look as badass as possible. Rider had informed him that the girl from earlier had arrived at the base of the Acropolis, and he stood in anticipation of her arrival. He was stressed, and eager to have this alliance work, but he wasn't going to show it. These sort of interactions went best when the person on the other end felt like you could walk away without a problem. Naturally, he had a plan.
Rider manifested next to him, appearing as if in stride just in front of his Master. The lower elevation gave Aaron the appearance of a lord over him.
"The lady shall be cresting the hill in moments, mine Master."
Aaron looked over his Servant. Rider appeared as he always had, except for one detail. He had tied back his long hair into something like a ponytail. Now, instead of the mane of floating hair he'd had before, it resembled more a fish tail in the way it moved with his head.
"What'd you do with your hair?"
"Ah. I simply did tie it to behold more presentable. One should not at each moment be dressed for the front lines."
Aaron looked at the hair again, which was beginning to now float back towards him after going as far as it could the other way. It was hypnotic, in a way.
"Fair enough."
As he looked back to the marble threshold of the acropolis, he saw the familiar, straight black hair rise up the stairs behind it. She walked up with surprising strength. Even after 'working' here for well over a week, he still couldn't make the climb with his breath intact, but she had no such issue. She stood with a straight back and no signs of physical exhaustion, at least none that could be seen from this distance in the darkness of night, though the bright moon behind him meant that the dark wasn't nearly as oppressive as it otherwise would've been. She stood with a military green jacket and black sports pants. From what he could tell, her expression was neutral, if tired.
He plastered a wide smile on his face, a maniacal grin like those you saw only in fiction, "So you actually showed up?"
She nodded. Not quite the reaction he'd hoped for, but better than hostility.
He raised his hands in a "Y" form and activated the runes he had placed around the acropolis.
In moments, the hilltop was alight with thunder as lightning came down and struck the various runes, creating a shifting cage of electricity behind and around him, a grand display created from a perfect storm of weather conditions and magnetic magecraft.
At first, she jumped slightly in surprise, likely anticipating an attack, but then took a deep breath and returned to her tired expression, unfazed.
His fake smile couldn't help but falter with the failure of his attempt at drama, but he refused to relinquish. He began to run across the rocks in front of him, allowing gravity to pull him down to create an almost-stumbling stride. Rider followed, but slowly and more deliberately, allowing his master to keep the lead while he maintained an air of diplomacy.
Aaron ran his hand through his blue hair with a false swagger, "Honestly, I'm surprised you came. I was worried we'd scared you off."
She nodded. "I think an alliance would be beneficial. Especially if this Berserker is as strong as you say."
What was with her? She had energy earlier- moxie, even. His wrist, now thoroughly wrapped and splinted, still hurt like a trainwreck and she was choosing now to be quiet and submissive? It would've been infuriating if it weren't so confusing.
He did his best to maintain a smile, though one far more casual than before, "Well... we agree, obviously. So why don't we talk about what we have to offer each other?" He laughed with false confidence, "I think I've made my contribution pretty clear, don't you?"
"I do."
She did?
"Before we continue, however, I do have one... condition." She cleared her throat, "Lancer."
The strange pig-creature with the bronze rake from that morning appeared at her side. Whereas his rake had been bared at them before, he held it straight up like a guard. At this point, Rider was now walking past and just in front of his Master, restoring the same general position they had started with, though now on equal footing so that he clearly stood above Aaron.
"As you can see," She began, "My Servant is fairly... recognizable."
The pig winced.
"It would not take much research to properly obtain his True Name, and... discern his abilities." She appeared to be struggling with the words; English clearly wasn't her first language. "With that in mind, I think the best starting point would be to equal the playing field by having your Servant reveal his name."
"Well that's no problem." He gestured with one hand and a slight, sarcastic bow, "This guy over here is Rider. I -uh- honestly haven't learned what he rides yet, exactly, but that's who he is."
Rider bowed with his hand over his chest.
"His fighting style is a little hard to describe-"
A bolt of lightning struck behind him, a slow rune finally finding its purchase.
He jumped, "Gah! Shit! Damn... things."
She laughed politely, thoroughly embarrassing him.
"As I was saying.... He fights well. That's all that matters."
"Well-" She began, collecting herself, "Though I appreciate that much openness, I would like his name, not just his class."
Was that really okay?
She did have a point. After seeing him first hand, it took only a quick search to figure out the creature was 'Zhu Bajie', though he had yet to do any real research beyond basic information. While revealing Rider's True Name would be fair, that didn't make it the right decision.
He looked at Rider.
Rider nodded with quiet confidence.
Aaron threw his hands into an exaggerated shrug, "Alright, then. Go ahead, Rider."
Rider strut forward until he was nearly halfway between his Master and Heping and stood at attention. He straightened his back, raised his chin, and put his hands on his hips. "Listen here, and listen well! I am Lugh, son of the sea, Mannanan Mac Lir! King and commander of mine own people, the Tuatha De Dannan, who hath left their once-homes for a better life across the ephemeral sea. Twas I who did slay the monstrous Fomorians, and their dreaded, one-eyed lord of death, Balor. I did rule for forty long years in the Emerald Isles, and yet still rule o'er the domains of light, war, and craftsmen. That, my dear lass, is who I am."
They all stood silently. Even Aaron was in awe. Rider's -no, Lugh's- sense of melodrama far exceeded even his own. He couldn't help but get the impression that he had prepared that little speech, and perhaps had been specifically waiting for that moment. An almost child-like satisfaction shone brightly even through his armored visor.
The pig stood with tight lips, clearly unsure what to do.
"I am sorry. Who? I do not think I know that name."
Aaron's jaw dropped, 'WHAT!? Of all the things you could've said, that's it!?'
She stood with a tilted head and quizzical expression, though clearly more attentive than she had been.
The warm air which had been flowing from Rider's form suddenly froze. It remained this way just long enough for Aaron to fear his rebuke when-
He laughed.
Rider laughed a strong, hearty laugh like he had never heard from anyone. A deep laugh that came from the very soul.
He doubled over, barely containing himself, "Hahaha! I hath not laughed so in many long years. 'Tis at your highest hour that Lady Fate should humble thee."
He turned back to his Master, who had yet to recover from the shock of the moment, "Mine Master, I do enjoy the lady. I should like to have her join with us."
"-Tsk- You better, bastard! I would've strangled you if you hadn't after giving her your whole life story!"
Heping let out a girlish giggle. All eyes fell on her for the moment, and even the Pig seemed surprised.
...
Atop a cloud
Archer stood with his bow drawn. As he pulled back the fire-orange string, black fire came forth from his fingers, an obsidian blaze that flew across the bow before solidifying in a strange, almost avian shape.
"I apologize, master. Their meeting went better than expected."
'We were both caught off guard. At least now we have valuable information on Rider.'
He pulled the string back as far as it would go, pulling the bow up and aiming it at a point on the horizon. "Do I continue with the operation regardless?"
'Of course. Fire.'
Archer let go of the string.
The arrow pierced the skyline, faster than any jet, and yet silent. The arrow spun through the air, becoming a fiery black comet that pierced the clouds. The arrow spun once more and became something new, a crow of midnight fire with a long tail soaring faster than any eye could follow. It adjusted its flight slightly in the air, turning and spinning towards a small shack on a distant mountain.
Just as the blazing crow approached the ramshackle cabin, it exploded. Red fire emerged from within its black depths, tearing at the form of the bird before rending it asunder in a brilliant blast of white-hot fire.
As the smoke cleared, the cabin stood strong, protected by its guardian, the marble colossus that now dwarfed it. He stood crouched with his axe out and in front of him, having swatted the black-fire crow out of the air. The grass, the trees and bushes around him smoldered black with orange embers, but the cabin directly behind his massive body was untouched by the blast.
And him? He was unfazed. Unfazed except for the blazing blue power in his eyes. The natural thunder that echoed from his body rising in volume and octave, like a growling lion.
Yanni swung the door open, stumbling through into the night air wearing nothing but his boxers, and bore witness to the destruction around him.
His shock fell into rage, "Go, my god! Erase them from the face of the Earth!"
With booming thunder, the colossus leapt with speed it should never have at its size, and disappeared into the sky, the shockwave sending Yanni to the ground as he left. Whistling through the air like a falling star, he raised his axe above his head as the Acropolis came into view, the black stain that had been standing on the clouds above it no longer visible.
....