//Chaldea//
Roman was just finished taking his break and was walking back to the operations room. Making his way through the halls of Chaldea with a cup of coffee in hand, he hears commotion coming from one of the engineering departments. His curiosity piquing, Roman walks up to the doorway where the noise was coming from and listens in.
"Alright, let's try this again..."
Roman recognizes the voice of Da Vinci, who hasn't shown up at the operations room since the masters and servants left for Scotland. She had been secretly cooped-up at engineering and neglected to tell Roman what she was working on.
"Proof of concept, test 4. Ignition in 3... 2... 1!"
Roman then heard the sound of some kind of engine whirling to life, but it didn't sound like any jet engine he had ever heard. His confusion only grew when the "engine" sputtered and whined down, giving way to a disappointed Da Vinci.
"Huh... looks like I still have some kinks to iron-out. Whatever... I'll get this right eventually... let's see what this does..."
It sounded to Roman as if Da Vinci was building some new toys, and she was about to test out another one.
Just what is this all for? He wondered.
"Transmodifiers, test 1. Activating in 3... 2... 1!"
What he heard next sent Roman's mind reeling. It sounded like the buzzing of robotic insects followed by a combination of surging mana and warping metal. Roman had no idea what that was, but whatever happened made Da Vinci ecstatic.
"Yes! It worked! Now to try it on something bigger..."
Roman raised an eyebrow at that. He checked his watch and decided to return to his post, leaving Da Vinci to her own device. What ever she was working on, Roman will inquire about it when she was ready to show it off. This was history's greatest inventor in her element, and Roman was cautiously optimistic that her new toys would be of great use to Chaldea.
That brain of hers just never stops working...
---
In an abandoned building in Edinburgh, Zenith sat in front of his computer in a dingy, blacked out room. On it was images of files stolen from a Clock Tower outpost he raided days ago. They depicted background information of the Chaldean masters and their current roster of servants. From what he gathered from these, he figured it wouldn't be wise to risk a direct confrontation, especially not with the small number of servants he has now. Chaldea had selected mages as master candidates for their potential to command multiple heroic spirits, but even in his case that only got him so far.
-Fujimaru and Rutherford are Chaldean masters. With the numbers advantage they have, I'll need a surprise attack ready for when the time comes to steal their objective. I just need more information first. Where are you fools heading?-
Beside him was a floating globe-like artifact that had an ever-shifting surface of liquid bronze that showed the land mass of England close-up over Scotland. There was a blue spark travelling across the surface heading to a representation of the Isle of Skye. He took a long glance at the globe and asked himself:
"Now what could be up there?"
Zenith was not alone. In the same room were his servants; the armored Saber, the masked female Assassin, and the hulking, stoic Berserker. Assassin shadowed the master while Saber was standing against the wall, cross-armed and tapping his booted foot impatiently.
"I don't like this idea of waiting… we should eradicate our foes right now." The Saber's baritone voice resonated out of his helmet as Assassin responded.
"Patience Saber," Assassin said, her expression unreadable under her "face". "The art of a kill is waiting for the prey to become complacent and strike during their weakest moment."
"Assassin is right Saber," Zenith said to him over his shoulder. "Now's not the time to get our hands dirty. We need to wait for those ignorant fools to lead us to pay dirt. They're no good to us dead."
"Are you sure they have something to be seeking, Master?" Saber asked bitterly. "Something of value to your… superiors?"
"If you're referring to the Crypters, they are NOT my superiors," Zenith corrected firmly. "I like to think of it as a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kind of set-up. I could care less what they plan to do after I get even with Chaldea. Speaking of which, Chaldea would never risk sending their last bastions of humanity outside their boundary field if what they're after wasn't worth chasing. Thanks to the tracking spell I've put on the clueless Gabby Rutherford earlier, we can follow them anywhere on the planet."
"I hope we do not have to wait much longer. My blade thirsts for blood…"
"Oh come now…" Zenith jabs lightheartedly. "Do you hear Berserker complaining? At least he and Assassin can get behind my ways, unlike those stiffs in the Observatory."
"I sincerely doubt Berserker is concerned with how you operate master." Saber stated bluntly.
"Is that so? Well why don't you ask him?"
"I would, but the only sounds I've heard from him so far are roars and grunts."
"I can assure you, there's more to my precious Berserker behind his insatiable blood-lust," Zenith feigns offense as he turns to the servant in question. "Am I right big guy?"
"(GRUNT)"
Berserker's unintelligible response earned another deadpan remark from Saber aimed at his master.
"See?"
Zenith was about to retort when Assassin interrupted.
"Master, your tracker stopped."
Zenith turns to look at Assassin who pointed on a spot on his bronze globe. Zenith takes a closer look and sees where the area that the blue flame stood stationary over.
-Dunscaith? Now THIS is a surprise…-
---
"So this is Castle Dunscaith?"
Gudao asked Cu Chulainn as they observed the scene before them. The whole group have traveled over 5 hours by car from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye. Now very late in the day, Margaery Fairborough had stepped aside with the drivers as the other servants waited by the vehicles.
And so far, Gudao wasn't impressed.
The fortress itself was quite small, sitting atop a large rock with a huge body of water in the background. It was in a state of disrepair, with most of the stone walls collapsed or broken and the whole structure was slowly being overgrown, becoming one with the rock it was situated on. If not for the stone bridge, stairs and brick-work, no one would think that there was ever a castle here.
"Roman was right," Gudao remarked as he looked back at the ruins. "It doesn't look like much…"
"Neither do you, master," Cu countered. "Do not underestimate my teacher."
Gudao ignored Cu's lighthearted jab and turned to Gabrielle, who had just walked up behind them with Mashu following her.
"What do we know about this place, Gabby?"
"According to Roman, the fortress was fought over between various Scottish clans between 14th and 15th centuries, eventually being abandoned entirely," Gabrielle explained as she scrolled through her IPad. "Archaeologists have dated the site existing long before the feuds, but could never determine who built it. I'm not detecting any mana coming from this site..."
"Lancer, are you sure this is the right place?" Mashu asked the blue-haired servant.
"Positive lass. You seem to forget that I've been here before. This Dunscaith is just a cover, for the real one is hidden away on a split plane of existence parallel to this one. That's why no one can find the Land of Shadows."
"Scathach can do that?" Gudao asked in amazement. For someone to be able to replace an immense area of land and relocate it to a new permanent location outside this physical realm was nothing short of amazing. Gudao surmised that it must take a tremendous amount of mana to create a mini-parallel world, enough for several Grail wars. Such a feat with regular magecraft just isn't possible…
-Just who on Earth is this woman?-
"You haven't seen anything yet, Master." Cu answered with a smirk. "Just help me find the entrance and I'll open the portal."
"Wait," said Mashu. "I thought you said you've been here before… you should already know where it is…"
"Yeah well, about that lass…" Cu rubbed the back of his head with slight embarrassment. "When I arrived here, Teacher's emissaries had me blindfolded and took me into a cave. When they took it off, I found myself in a forest. Don't worry; I'm pretty sure it's around here somewhere."
"Ummm, Lancer?" Gabrielle asked nervously, and it looked to Gudao and Mashu that she was hiding a blush as she spoke to him. "Assuming we do find this cave, how do we open the portal to the Land of Shadows? I assume the password is not "open sesame"?"
Her little joke earned a slight chuckle from the Hound of Ulster.
"There's no password. I'll use this."
Cu held out his hand, and in a flash of light appeared his signature weapon: Gae Bolg. The masters and Demi-servant eyed the deadly implement and gave the Lancer questioning looks.
"The spear was created in the Land of Shadows," Cu explained upon seeing their skepticism. "It can find its way back home. That being said…"
He motions to the Mage Association representative casually talking on her phone.
"We'll have to give her the slip."
"Da Vinci gave me a little surprise for her before we left," Gudao said pulling a metallic orb out of his pocket and tossing it in his hand. "We just need the cooperation of the others."
"You do realize Gu-dork that we'll have to come clean to our servants," Gabrielle pointed out. "They'll want to know what we're planning."
"Don't worry Gabby, I was planning on telling them soon anyway. Me and Mashu will gather the others. You go with Lancer, and find that-"
"Gladly!" Gabrielle exclaimed cheerfully. Gudao and Mashu watched in bewilderment as she grabbed Cu's hand and pulled him towards the fortress. The Lancer was stunned as the female master led him away in a hurry.
"Is it just me, or did Gabby seem way too happy to go with Lancer?"
"Sure sounded like it to me Senpai…"
---
-What are we even doing?!-
Mordred was visibly frustrated with boredom. She was sitting on the hood of one of the land rovers, hunched over with her head tilted against her hand. Nearby was Jekyll admiring the scenery while Astolfo was tight-rope walking on a fallen tree. Across from them was Arturia chatting with Jeanne while Emiya was leaning against the other car simply listening to them. They've been travelling for almost half the day from Edinburgh only to arrive at the sight of insignificant ruins, which for Mordred was a huge buzzkill. As soon as the company arrived here, the masters along with Mashu and Cu went off without them, and it didn't sit well with the red Saber.
-We left the city for this dump? Something isn't right, and I bet Clarent that the mutt has something to do with this…-
What was worse was that the Fairborough woman came with them, and she seemed to be eyeing them all like a hawk. Mordred had not spoken to her since she and Astolfo joined back with the others, and the Saber still felt a bit sour at how Fairborough talked down to her earlier. She wouldn't mind chucking the mage into the loch right now to relieve her boredom, but something told her that her father would take issue with that.
-I can't believe that the masters left us alone with her. That wretch has been nothing but a nuisance.-
Mordred steals a glance towards Arturia, who was still in deep conversation with Jeanne, too much so for her to notice the Knight of Treachery eyeing them with a hint of jealousy.
-I see father is still buddy-buddy with Ms. Goodie Two-Shoes. They're so blatantly similar that I'd say that they're made for each other.-
Her gaze then travels to the brooding Archer.
-That guy is such a creep. I don't get what Father sees in him--
Her thoughts stop when he looks in the Saber's direction, and Mordred immediately looked away. She felt Emiya still eyeing on her, not maliciously or vulgar in any way she could sense, but it still made her uncomfortable. Mordred had no idea what his deal was, nor did she really care. Her main complaint was that they were all waiting around next to a fortress that for some reason has her masters' interest.
"So bored…" She sulked.
"Relax Mordred. I'm sure that the Masters have something fun planned for us," said Astolfo while trying to balance on a tree stump.
"And what do you suppose that is, Birdbrain? Between leaving the city and stopping here, I don't see the fun in what the masters are giving us…"
"It is a bit strange," Jekyll pondered. "I don't think the masters are deliberately spoiling things for us, but to have us go sight-seeing of these ruins; one would think they could come up with something better…"
"My hunch exactly, Beansprout," Mordred stated. "This trip has been fishy right from the start. We're not really here on vacation, are we?"
"That's crazy! Why would the masters lie to us?" Asked the Rider.
"Wish I knew," said Jekyll as he takes a glance at Fairborough, who was watching them while on her phone. The Assassin notices her turn away as he looks at her. "But I think our babysitter is equally interested too…"
Mordred internally scoffed and thought:
-Hmph! If you could even call that bitch our babysitter…-
Before the Saber could express her thoughts to the doctor however, to her surprise and shock, Arturia started scolding her.
"Mordred! Language!"
"What? I didn't say anything!" She insisted as Arturia crossed her arms in disapproval. Mordred was wondering how on earth her father managed to hear her thoughts while Astolfo spoke up:
"Hey, I heard that too…"
Mordred was bewildered, but before she could figure out what was happening…
-So did we…-
Mordred nearly jumped in surprise as she heard Gudao's disembodied voice in her own head and immediately thought:
-WHAT THE HELL?!-
Jekyll covered his ears from Mordred's "outburst" and thought:
-Mordred, you're too loud!-
"Not you too!" Mordred yelled. "I didn't say anyth-!"
She froze when turned at Jekyll and saw his look of realization, and then it dawned on her. She was proven right when she heard Mashu's voice in her mind.
-Sorry for this everyone. Senpai will explain.-
Mordred looks around at the other servants, who were all looking around for the source of the voices, and before the Saber knew it, she was hearing everyone.
-Mashu?- Thought Jeanne.
-Master Gudao?- Now Arturia…
-What's going on?!- Astolfo was nearly hysterical, his thoughts running rampant while he looked around at the others frantically. -Your mouths aren't moving but I can totally hear you all! Am I losing it?! I'm totally losing it, aren't I?! I knew my time of being a tree was going to catch up to me one day! I KNEW it!-
-What are you rambling on about, Birdbrain?!- Mordred leered at the distressed Rider as Jekyll clarified mentally:
-I think he's talking about when a witch had turned him into a plant, or so I've read…-
-Calm down everyone. It's just the mental link…- Emiya relayed telepathically, not at all concerned.
-That's correct Archer-, thought Gudao. -I turned on the mental link between us all. We can all hear each other's thoughts…-
Astolfo had managed to calm himself in that knowledge.
-Oh good, at least I know I'm not going crazy.-
-But you had already left your sanity on the moon…- Jeanne stated as a fact.
-Care to explain the meaning of this, Master Gudao?- Arturia asked.
-Sorry, but I didn't want Fairborough hearing this. Just act normal…-
-While we're at it, how about a little "heads-up" next time Master?!- Mordred interjected. -I prefer my thoughts to be private!-
-So would I…- Arturia thought bluntly, earning a distant glare from Mordred. Before she could retort, Gudao continued…
-ANYWAYS… Me and Gabby have to tell you guys something; we've not been honest with you all.-
-What are you talking about?- Jeanne asked.
-He means that this is not a vacation…- Mashu clarified, earning surprise from the servants, especially Astolfo and Mordred.
-HUH?!-
-I knew it!-
-BOTH of you please... Let master explain.- Jekyll instructed.
-No need.- Emiya cuts in. -This was Lancer's idea. Our training sessions weren't going well, so he supposedly has a plan to help us.-
-And you knew this whole time Shirou?- Asked Arturia, stunned that he would keep this a secret. Mordred however was furious about this revelation and berated the Archer.
-Bastard! Why did you keep your mouth shut?!-
-Mordred, apologize at once!- Arturia angrily commanded.
-I'm not apologizing for anything! He should have told us!-
-Calm down, BOTH of you,- Jeanne intervenes. -I'm sure he had his reasons. Right, Emiya?-
-Even if I wanted to tell you all, I have no idea what the dog has in mind,- Emiya explained. -But the masters seem to trust him, so I gave him some leeway.-
-Still though… why the secrecy master?- Jekyll asked. He was far from the only servant wondering about their real reason is for being here in Scotland.
-We'll tell you all later, I promise,- Gudao assures them. -But for now, we need Fairborough out of the way. Listen carefully…-
---
"Nothing's happened so far… The servants are docile for the most part… I know… Chaldea is not to going to withhold this discovery from us… I intend to find out as soon as the masters come back… I'm not going to let them out of my sight…"
Margaery Fairborough was still talking on her phone while taking an occasional glance at the servants. They may be cooperating so far, but the seasoned employee of the Mage's Association knew better than to continually trust the whims of powerful, spiritual beings; especially when they are under the command of a couple of naïve teenagers. Any incident could expose magecraft to the entire world, and would be a hell of a mess for the Clock Tower to cleanup. She was suspicious of Chaldea's reasons for taking their servants to this unremarkable fortress, and felt that they were hiding something big from the community at large. On behalf of the Association, it was her job to do all in her power to find out what that something was.
Turning away to speak though her phone again, Margaery continued…
"I have no idea what it could be, and the masters are keeping quiet… We'll definitely talk to Archaman about Chaldea's autonomy to the Clock Tower… They shouldn't stockpile so much information from-"
The rep suddenly stopped when she heard a loud animal noise, followed by:
"Get your Hippogriff under control Rider!"
"I'm sorry! I can't help it when he stays in spirit form too long!"
"Birdbrain, hurry up and hide that overgrown chicken!"
(Screech!)
"I'm trying! And I don't think he liked being called a chicken!"
Fairborough turns and to her horror sees a half-horse, half-eagle creature causing a commotion among the servants.
"I've got to go!" She hangs up, and frantically runs to the group, many trying to restrain the crazed animal. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"It's just my Hippogriff," Astolfo explained as he, Jekyll and Mordred were hanging on to wing, trying to stop the beast from going airborne. Arturia and Jeanne held the other while Emiya was still leaning against the car without a care. "He gets bored in spirit form and comes out once in a while! It's nothing to worry about!"
"Nothing to worry about?!" Margaery yelled as the Hippogriff grew more agitated and tried to wrestle itself free from the servants. "Put it away before someone sees it!"
"He won't go back without something to calm him down, and I think master has it!"
"Rider!" Gudao called as he and Mashu ran up to them "seriously" concerned. "Your Hippogriff has gone berserk again?!"
"Wait! This isn't the first time it happened?!" Margaery questioned.
"Nope," Emiya answered casually, much to the representative's surprise.
"Why are you so calm?! Shouldn't you be in there helping them?!"
"Why?" Emiya replies with a smirk. "They've got it under control…"
"Hey master! (Grunt) You've got the goods?" Mordred called out from behind a wing of the creature, straining to keep it from flapping dangerously.
"I do, and it's right here!" Gudao answered as he pulled out a shiny, orb-like device from his pocket and held it up for the servants to see. But as soon as the glint from the object entered the sight of the Hippogriff, all hell broke loose. The phantasmal beast thrashed about and threw all the servants off it in a single powerful motion. It flapped its wings, knocking down the representative along with Gudao and Mashu in a gust of wind. The orb was dropped to the ground as the Hippogriff flew at Gudao with its talons raised. Mashu recovers just in time to summon her shield and stand in front of the master, tanking the blow from the crazed animal.
"Ms. Fairborough!" Mashu called as she strained against the beast weighting against her shield, just as the rep sat back up from her tumble. "Here!"
The Shielder kicked the orb over to Margaery, much to her shock and confusion. Before she could ask what it was, the Hippogriff ignored Mashu and followed the rolling orb right to her. Seeing the creature charging at her made the representative terrified.
"What do I do?!" She asked Mashu frantically as she grabbed it.
"He wants you to turn it on! Twist the two halves! Hurry!"
Fairborough quickly did what she was instructed and turned the two halves of the rigged orb in opposite directions, just as the Hippogriff closed in on her. The device lit up and she suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. The creature stopped and sat down, folding its wings and becoming docile. The servants stood up and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good boy, Snowball," Astolfo said while dusting himself off. "Way to make it look real…"
The Hippogriff disappeared in a shower of mana as Gudao was helped back on to his feet by Mashu.
"Nice work everyone." The master says before turning to Emiya, "Did anyone see any of that, Archer?"
"No Gudao," stated Emiya. "There's nobody else within a mile from here."
"Excellent. Now we can join up with Gabby and Cu without Fairborough breathing down our necks…"
"By the way master," said Arturia. "What happened to her?"
"Da Vinci fashioned a device that transports its user to a random location within a mile radius. She should be alright…"
---
"AHHHHHH-!"
(SPLASH!)
Margaery found herself falling backwards into a pond on the Scottish countryside. She breached the surface and gasped for air. Soaking wet with weeds hanging from her head, she looked around frantically, trying to process what just happened. After a moment, it was clear to her that she wasn't at Castle Dunscaith anymore.
-Where am I?! Where is everyone?!-
She remembered the animal running at her and Mashu telling her to activate the-
-That was it! That orb teleported her here! They whisked her away so they could keep the secrets of that fortress to themselves! It was all a trick! The masters! They were planning this all along!-
Margaery clenched her fist and thought angrily:
-Those little devils! When I get back to London, I'm going to put those brats in a hole so deep, they won't know which way is up! I'll see to it that they--
(Ribbit)
"AH!"
Margaery squealed and recoiled in fright when a frog jumped onto her head. She attempted to swipe at it, only for it to hop off and land in the water with a splash, soaking Fairborough even more than she was. She wanted to curse at the misfortune she was experiencing, but relented and said with utmost bitterness:
"I really hate children…"
(Ribbit)…
---
"So what are we looking for Lancer?"
"We'll know when I see it Master."
Gabrielle had been following Cu around Castle Dunscaith. After finding nothing noteworthy in the ruins, Cu suggested that they try the surrounding ravine, and the female master was growing more apprehensive. She sure hoped that they haven't traveled all this way for nothing, yet the longer they were here meant more alone time with the Lancer.
Gabrielle had her eye on Cu Chulainn ever since she summoned him. Having grown up in Ireland, she had heard stories about him and his heroic feats, developing an admiration for the Celtic warrior. Now that he was here in the flesh, Gabrielle started having a different disposition to the Lancer. Something she could only describe as…
Attraction…
She knew it was ludicrous, but alas hormones from being a teenager urged her to hang around the Lancer and get to know him better. Her role as master left her with almost no time to pursue a romantic relationship; something she had to leave behind since coming to Chaldea. Her boyfriend never bothered to message her since then, and Gabrielle figured that he had forgotten all about her. If she were being honest with herself, she'd say that left her feeling lonely…
And sexually frustrated.
"It's got to be around here somewhere…" Cu whispered out loud as he was scanning the ravine walls. "Give me something Teacher."
Gabrielle heard him and thought about what this Scathach woman meant to him. She had never heard of this person in all the iterations of Cu Chulainn that she had read, and he insisted that was who gave him his spear. It was also unsettling for Gabrielle to hear him talk about her so highly.
She wished that was herself, especially after all the times they've worked together in past singularities, and all the tight scrapes that they've fought through.
-Cu… what do you think of me?-
"Did you say something master?"
Gabrielle gasped as the Lancer turned to face her. Did she accidentally turn on the mental link?!
"I- Uhmm- What I meant was… uhhh…"
Gabrielle was stammering and blushing madly for the Lancer to see. He asked worriedly:
"Do you want to ask me something?"
Gabrielle was drawing a blank. Between slipping her tongue and seeing his handsome face showing concern for her, she struggled to think of something to say without sounding stupid.
"Uh… yeah… what do you… think of Scotland so far? I mean… you've been here before, sure, but how about in context of today?"
That still sounded stupid. Gabrielle was internally kicking herself for asking Cu a dumb question. Nonetheless, the Lancer thought about it and gave an honest answer.
"It has sure changed a lot, I'll say that much. Yet, I'm glad the landscape was mostly untouched. The fields, the hills, the mountains, so much like home in Ulster… they're a splendor to see, no matter what era of time we're in. I'll take this over Antarctica any day…"
Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief, yet was also impressed by his answer. The Lancer continued scanning the cliff-face. She watched as Cu started feeling around with his hand, noticing how the hem of his shirt rose ever so slightly when he reached upwards, revealing a glimpse of toned muscle underneath.
-Oh boy…-
Gabrielle could not stamp-down the arousal making her face heat up. She had seen the Lancer in action enough times both in battle and in the gym to know how vigorous he was. It made her wonder what he could do if they were to-
"Here…"
Gabrielle stopped daydreaming and snapped her attention to what Cu showed her. It turned out to just be a few scratches on the rock wall.
"This is it? It's just random dents."
"No master. It's one of teacher's tricks. She removed some lines off a rune to hide the entrance to her realm."
"An incomplete rune… so we just have to draw the rest of it!"
"Precisely. And I think I have the means to complete it."
Cu summoned his spear and used the tip of the blade to scratch more lines on to the rock. While he was carefully doing that, Gabrielle asked:
"You know what the rune is supposed to look like?"
"I have a hunch. Even though I wasn't particularly good at it, I memorized some symbols she frequently used, some of which she came up with herself…"
Gabrielle nodded in understanding as Cu continued to work. One other question lingered on her mind however, and it's one that bothered her since Cu first told them of the mysterious God-slayer that was Scathach: The Shadow.
"Hey Cu? What exactly is the Land of Shadows? Why is it such a big secret?"
"Well master, from what I understand of it, it's a spawning ground for phantasmal beasts," Cu explained. "It's also a path for which lost souls can enter the afterlife. There are powers in that place that mages would absolutely kill for; hence why Scathach insisted on no one ever knowing about it. Her powers keep that place in check."
Well that answers that, but for Gabrielle, it presented another peculiar conundrum.
"But if she's so powerful and so secretive… why did she take the time to train warriors like you? What did she get out of it?"
Cu suddenly paused, and the master could have sworn that she saw his face fall solemnly. In fact, the Lancer looked conflicted, much to Gabrielle's astonishment. Did she say something wrong?
"I'm sorry master," he said finally after letting out a sigh. "But it's not my place to tell you that. All I can say is that she has her reasons…"
Cu bitterly resumed drawing, leaving Gabrielle in a state of bewilderment. The Lancer had never acted like this before, and it astonished the master to no end. Her mind was now reeling with questions on what happened between him and his teacher back then, and why the subject was so painful to the Lancer. She had no idea what it could be…
Perhaps there was even more to the Shadow than even Cu was telling her.
"It's done…"
Cu stepped aside and revealed to Gabrielle the finished rune. It looked more complicated than any she had seen during her time in the Clock Tower.
It seems rune-craft was a lost art indeed…
"So what now?" Gabrielle asked.
"It just needs some mana poured into it," Cu told her. "Would you kindly?"
Gabrielle smiles and steps up.
"I can do that…"
The master put both hands on the rune and focused, letting mana flow through her circuits, and into her fingers. The rune slowly lit up red until…
(RUMBLE)
Gabrielle quickly stepped back on instinct, and watched in amazement as light spread from the rune and into the surrounding rock, forming cracks like puzzle pieces that jumbled and shifted the earth apart. The intricate parting of rock continued as it revealed a crack that gradually expanded until it became a tunnel that led under the fortress. Cu gave Gabrielle a sideways smirk as the secret tunnel was completed.
No doubt Gudao and the others will want to see this…
"Okay," She remarked. "Now we're getting somewhere…"
---
"So let me get this straight…"
Astolfo was walking just behind Gudao and Mashu with the rest of the servants in tow as they descended into the ravine to meet up with Gabrielle. The servants were brought up to speed by the master and Demi-Servant, who told them all their true reasons for coming to Scotland, and the Rider was trying to clarify what Gudao had revealed.
"We traveled here to Scotland not for a break, but to find this all-powerful warrior in hopes that she'll help strengthen us and prepare for the next time we face the big-bad himself: Solomon. And we are here in these ruins to find the entrance to her hideaway, which Gabby and Lancer already found… did I leave anything out?"
"You missed the fact that she was Cu Chulainn's former mentor and the original owner of his spear," Jeanne stated.
"I'm not impressed," Mordred threw that one out there, unconvinced of the credibility of such a supposedly powerful individual. "This Scathach doesn't sound that tough… I bet I can take her!"
Arturia rolled her eyes at the Knight's boastfulness as she walked behind Jeanne and in front of Emiya, who called out to the master up front.
"Master, how will we know when we find them?"
"Gabby said to follow the ravine to a tunnel; I'll think we'll know when we- Oh…"
Gudao and the others turned a corner and saw the obvious tunnel Gabrielle mentioned. She and Lancer were nowhere in sight, so they must have been inside already-
"A secret cave!" Astolfo exclaimed excitedly, making Gudao and Mashu jump. The Rider dashed ahead of them cheering, "Secret cave! Secret cave! Secret cave!"
"Hey Birdbrain! Wait up!" Mordred followed suit, annoyed at the paladin's recklessness as he disappeared into the cavern. Once the Saber entered, Gudao and Mashu looked at each other awkwardly as Jekyll walked up behind them and remarked:
"It's fascinating how that curiosity never killed him…"
"That's not even half of it," Gudao humored the doctor. "You think you can figure him out doctor?"
"I think trying to understand Astolfo is a bit above my pay-grade master…" Jekyll said to the master before following the Rider and Saber into the cave, followed by Mashu and Gudao. They were soon joined by Jeanne, Arturia, and Emiya. They weaved carefully through the dark, narrow tunnels that went deep below the fortress. Eventually, the path led to a reasonably sized, dome-shaped room, where Cu and Gabrielle were patiently waiting. The female master held an orb of light created by her magecraft which lit up the room enough for everyone to see.
"Nice of you all to join us," Gabrielle greeted. "I take it you have all been briefed?"
"They have Gabby," Mashu told her.
"So Lancer," Gudao addresses the blue-haired servant beside his sister. "We're all here, so what happens now?"
"Simple master. Just look down…"
Everyone did as instructed and saw that they were all standing on, which turned out to be a big magical circle etched into the floor.
"Listen carefully," Cu warned. "As soon as the tip of my spear touches the center, everyone needs to be standing in the circle, and not step out until it finishes."
"Finish doing what exactly?" Emiya asks, not liking where this was going.
"The circle will take us to the forest, right at teacher's doorstep. There is even more to fear in that place than just her wrath, so we may be in for a fight against the local monster population…"
"Let me at 'em!" Mordred boasted as she summoned her armor. "I've been itching for a fight lately…"
"I trust your words Lancer," Arturia said. "If we get into trouble, the masters' safety takes priority. We need to be prepared for anything."
She summoned her armor just the same as Mordred did, and the other servants followed suit. Mashu stayed close to Gudao and Gabrielle, ready to summon her shield at a moment's notice. Gabrielle signaled to the Lancer.
"We're ready…"
"Alright," Cu acknowledged as he stepped to the middle of the ritual circle, summoning his armor and spear. "Brace yourselves…"
Cu set the blade part of his spear down, and to everyone's amazement, the circle lit up and pulsated with violet light.
That was when the cavern started to shake. Everyone looked around nervously as the possibility of the tunnel collapsing on them grew. Then Gudao noticed:
The exit was gone! They were trapped!
The light from the circle grew and spread to the dome wall that lined the cave, leaving lines resembling cracks. The wall crumbled and disintegrated, and to everyone's amazement, revealed daylight that grew as the wall disappeared. When the room was gone, everyone found themselves standing on a stone circle with forest completely surrounding them. The sky was gray and overcast, unlike the clear sunny day back in Scotland, and there was a very eerie fog all around. It became clear to all present that this was an entirely different place as Cu broke the stunned silence.
"We've made it…"
---
"Huh…"
Zenith stood dumbly staring at the spot where the blue flame suddenly vanished.
"What is it master?" Assassin asked.
"It seems that their signal has disappeared. They're not on my map anymore..."
"You've lost them?!" Saber asks angrily, causing Zenith to turn to him with a serious expression.
"I did NOT lose them… they were last positioned near Castle Dunscaith on the Isle of Skye," he looked back at the globe and pondered out loud, "They must have gone through a portal to somewhere, so I think it's time we followed them and check out the fortress. Chaldea has definitely stumbled on something juicy. Objections?"
Zenith looks at Assassin and Saber, who stay silent. Zenith then turns enthusiastically to the remaining servant.
"Alright… how about you Berserker? Should we go?"
Berserker looks at Zenith and opens his mouth, letting out a deep and guttural:
"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
After briefly being stunned into silence, Zenith then says awkwardly:
"I'll take that as a YES."
---
"This way lads… Stay close."
Cu led the way through the forest, with the masters and other servants following. Mashu was staying near the masters in the middle of the group, wary for threats. This place felt so ominous, like anything could just come out nowhere and attack them. Arturia's instincts were going haywire, making her skin crawl.
And the air felt heavy, even for a servant like herself.
"Jeanne," Arturia whispered to the Ruler walking in front of her. "Are you sensing anything?"
"Yes," Jeanne replied in a serious tone. "There is something wrong with this forest… almost like it's cursed or something. I don't like this…"
"You guys should see these readings I'm getting," Gabrielle said as she scrolled through her IPad-like device. "This place is over-flowing with mana… it's everywhere. Not even Fuyuki or Chaldea has residual mana levels this high."
"No leyline on earth has it Gabby," Gudao added. "A place this rich could fuel magecraft for generations to come. Lancer wasn't kidding when he said mages would be interested in this place."
Mashu heard them and was fascinated about this mysterious forest as well as wary. It made her wonder:
-Is this really the Land of Shadows?-
"Masters! Look…"
Jekyll called out, stopping everybody. The servants were on high alert when the Assassin pointed at something in the mist. Gudao follows it as Mashu and Cu went with him. The master could make out a dark mass coming out of the fog.
"Senpai, be careful…" Mashu whispered as they walked on slowly. The servants followed close behind as the object emerged, prompting the male master to tilt his head up to see it.
"Whoa…"
Before Gudao was the corpse of a massive serpentine creature that was impaled and wrapped around a giant, blood-stained wooden spike. Everyone was in awe, thinking about what kind of being would be capable of slaying such a beast; a tall feat even for most heroic spirits. Cu walked up behind and remarked:
"I see you've found Teacher's way of saying hi to guests, master."
"Did Scathach do this?" Gudao asked, unable to look away from the gruesome sight.
"Aye," Cu affirmed. "I told you she doesn't mess around. Consider this a warning of what you're about to come face-to-face with."
Gudao was now feeling beyond anxious. In fact, he would go as far as to say he was now scared at the prospect of meeting the Shadow. The master looked back at Gabrielle and Mashu, and could tell they were equally enthralled, and probably dreading it too. Jeanne and Jekyll were lost for words as well as feeling worried of what was to come. Mordred remained quiet, probably doing her best to stay composed and not intimidated for others to see, unlike Astolfo who was visibly nervous; the recklessness he had earlier was completely gone. Arturia looked back at Emiya, who met her gaze with the same wariness that she was feeling. Any assumptions that the Saber had of this Scathach was suddenly put into perspective as she thought:
-To think someone apart from a servant would be capable of this… I really wonder if a servant could even stand against someone so powerful…-
She remembered being caught off-guard fighting Caster's master in the Fifth Holy Grail war; Kuzuki, Shirou's ethics teacher. Despite not being a mage, his servant: Medea, had empowered him to the point where he could fight-off the Saber and even land some hits on her. Arturia now knew better than to underestimate any opponent.
And it seems that her thoughts on the Shadow were correct. This was a truly formidable force.
(Howl)
Everyone tuned around in alarm at the sound of a creature (or creatures) and the servants gathered around the masters, weapons drawn.
"What the hell was that?" Gabrielle asked.
"Bad news is what that is," Emiya answered.
Everyone looked around for the source of the noise as it grew louder, and soon was accompanied by growling and blood-curdling moaning. They all saw shapes emerging from the fog and they soon became surrounded by undead soldiers and dire-wolves, all of which closed in the group menacingly. Gudao was shocked at the sight.
"Zombies?!"
"Draugr, master," Cu corrected. "Not the same thing…"
"Who cares what they're called!" Mordred said while her sword arced with red electricity. "To me they're all just dead meat!"
The Knight of Treachery took off and met the horde of creatures head-on, brandishing her sword to slice apart draugr left and right. The rest of them closed in on the servants, who met their assault. Mashu batted away any creature that closed in on the masters with her shield. Emiya and Jekyll opted to fight close up with twin blades, not wanting to use projectiles in this fog and risk friendly fire. Jeanne summoned a bright, holy ward, burning away any undead that approached while Arturia, Astolfo and Cu dealt with the larger enemies. The King of Knights was eyeing the other Saber between killing wolves, critical of seeing her knight engaging so far away from the group.
-She is too far out! Blast it Mordred… we're supposed to be protecting the masters!-
Mordred was still in the thick of all the fighting, having thrown her blade into the chest of an armored Draugr and was now fighting bare-handed. She picked up and threw a draugr into a tree before sweeping the legs off another, knocking it down and then stomping on its head with tremendous force. Before she could retrieve her sword, Mordred was suddenly jumped by 3 other draugr, one of which had huge glowing purple boils on its body and swelled as it restrained the Saber. Her instincts kicking in, Mordred opens the front of her armor and jumps out just as the deformed draugr exploded, taking her armor with it. Mordred was thrown back by the force of the blast and rolled along the ground to a stop.
"Damn!" Mordred exclaimed as she got back on her feet. "Those things blow up!"
"Tch! There is so many!" Gabrielle looked around at everyone fighting and the enemy assault not at all dwindling.
"There is about to be more of them masters!" Emiya called out as he saw glowing purple draugr emerge from the fog, followed by-
(ROAR!)
The Archer suddenly had to evade as a hulking gray mass charged out the mist and nearly trampled him. Gudao, Gabrielle, and Mashu turn to see the ogre running right at them and raise its fists up to slam down on them. They dive out of the way just before it him them, but Mashu and Gabrielle were on one side, leaving Gudao by himself.
And unfortunately, the ogre saw him as an easy target. The master looked up at the monster about to slam its fist down-
(GONG!)
Gudao flinched as Mashu dashed in front of him and raised her shield, absorbing the impact of the blow. Gudao looked up astonished as Mashu struggled to hold back the weight of the frustrated monster. She looks back at Gudao and yells:
"Run!"
Gudao reluctantly obeyed and ran off. Cu saw the master going off as he killed several draugr and was immediately worried.
-No Master! Not THAT way!-
The Lancer immediately dashed in the master's direction and quickly caught up just Gudao was about to unknowingly run off a cliff. He grabbed the master by the collar just in time. Gudao gasped as he looking down into a deep, fog coated ravine. Before he could thank him, Cu suddenly spun and pushed the master away just as a dire wolf came out of nowhere and pounced right where the master was a second ago. Cu was knocked down as the beast dug its claw into his shoulder. The Lancer grunted in pain before summoning his spear and drove it with one hand into the wolf's torso. The cliff edge cracked and collapsed, making both him and the beast fall into the mist below. Gudao quickly crawled up to the edge and shouted:
"Lancer!"
They were gone… Gudao checked his command seals and saw that Cu's were still intact, which meant he was still alive. For now at least…
The master hoped that the Hound of Ulster would be okay.
Mashu was still grappling with the ogre. Gabrielle watched helplessly as the ogre continued to pound on the Demi-servant's shield, too engrossed to notice a draugr run up and raise its sword to strike her. Gabrielle gasped as the draugr was impaled by Jeanne's banner.
"You're not safe master!" Jeanne said as she held out her hand to the master. "Stay with me!"
Mashu was on her knee at this point, her strength waning as the ogre then stomped on her shield, putting its entire weight on her determined to crush the Demi-servant. Suddenly the leg was batted away by a white lance, courtesy of Astolfo, who helped the Shielder up to her feet quickly before the ogre could retaliate with an arm swipe. They dove out of the way as the ogre swung, turning to face them. It was suddenly blinded by a flash of light from Arturia's Excalibur, who arrived to aid. Mashu turns to the Rider and says:
"Go help Senpai. Me and Arty got this…"
"Okay!" Astolfo nods and runs off to Gudao, leaving the Saber and Shielder to deal with the imminent threat.
"It won't stay blinded for long," Arturia says to Mashu. "We need to act fast."
Gudao was hurrying back to rejoin the servants as he was being chased by draugr. He fires a curse behind him that strikes one but fails to stop the others from closing in. A draugr was about to jump him when Astolfo dashed in and swung his lance at it, splitting it in half. The Rider then gracefully batted away the others, including a boiled draugr that blew up when it landed against a tree.
"Thanks Rider!" Gudao says coming to a stop.
"Not a problem master!" Astolfo said cheerily while leaning on his lance. Meanwhile, Arturia and Mashu were about to square off against the ogre, who had nearly recovered its vision.
"Go!" Arturia shouts at the Shielder and they explode into motion. The ogre slams down at Mashu as she slides under the beast, hitting one of its legs as she passed. The ogre stumbles, letting Arturia slice across its other leg with Excalibur. With the monster forced on to its knees, Mashu throws her shield at the ogre's back with such force that the impact knocks it forward, making it fall to the ground on its stomach. Arturia spins and thrusts her sword down on the ogre's exposed neck, killing it. The monster evaporated in ghostly mist much to the servants' astonishment.
Emiya threw his twin blades at a couple of draugr and quickly projected new ones to slice apart one that tried to attack him from behind. Jekyll used his knives to stab an undead in the throat before he got jumped by a dire wolf that pinned him the ground. The beast opened its jaw to bite-
(WHAM!)
A red blur collided with the dire wolf, knocking it off of the Assassin. Jekyll turned his head to see Mordred grappling with the creature, and quickly threw his knife to the wolf's side to give the Saber an opening. The beast howled in pain as the blade struck, letting Mordred drive Clarent right into its chest. The wolf died instantly and disappeared as Mordred helped Jekyll back on his feet.
"You're still biting off more than you can chew Beansprout…" She remarked in a serious tone, making the doctor deduce that she was showing genuine care for him.
"And you're still looking out for me I see… guess I owe you one," Jekyll replies coyly, making Mordred turn away in startling embarrassment.
"Yeah well- Just don't make it a habit!"
"Everyone, gather 'round!" Gabrielle calls out. She and Gudao stand behind Mashu and Jeanne, forming a defensive circle. Arturia, Jekyll, Astolfo, Emiya and Mordred stood in front of them, forming another line of defense. Everyone looked around and saw the growing number of enemies still coming towards them, never-ending.
"They just keep coming!" Gudao said in frustration.
"Hey Gu-dork," Gabrielle called out to her brother from over her shoulder, sounding rather exhausted. "I don't know about you, but I'm running on fumes here…"
"Same," Gudao admitted. Keeping all their servants fighting for this long was taxing on their magic circuits, and it won't be long until the servants start getting weaker.
And on top of that, Lancer was still missing…
"We're not letting them touch you, masters!" Arturia said adamantly. "We'll fight to our last breaths!"
Everyone raised their weapons, ready to meet the charging undead army-
(BANG!)
Everyone shielded their eyes when all the draugr, ogres, and dire wolves suddenly burst into flame and turned to ash in seconds. The flames disappeared as soon as they came, leaving the group in a state of shock and awe. Silence briefly hung in the air as the threat of any more monsters waned.
"What just happened?" Astolfo asked, "Masters, did you do that?"
"No…" Gabrielle answered, she too confused on what suddenly occurred. Mordred spoke under her breath:
"I have a bad feeling about this…"
"Masters…" Emiya's voice was low, and he instinctively summoned his bow and aimed it at the fog-shrouded treetops. "We're not alone just yet…"
"Everyone, eyes-up," Gudao instructed, and all the servants readied themselves, scanning the canopy for any sign of a threat.
"Senpai, Gabby, stay close," Mashu whispered, holding up her shield.
No one dared make a sound. The atmosphere had gone dark and silent. There was no daylight anymore, and the shadows cast by moonlight felt alive, always moving, always watching. Arturia's instincts were going crazy despite her resolve keeping her focused, ready to engage this new foe. She could hear her heart; her spiritual core hammering against her chest as she tightened her grip on Excalibur-
…!
She could have sworn she detected movement above. The Saber darted her eyes, but every time she zeroed in, it would move again. Arturia couldn't see it, but she knew it was there, stalking them. It wasn't just using the shadows to stay hidden, but rather it was the shadows.
Arturia could see her breath. There was a growing cold bite to the air, especially around the Saber's feet…
-Wait a minute…-
Arturia looked down and saw wisps of black smoke travel past her boots behind her. She quickly turns and shouts in horror:
"Masters!"
Everybody turned, alerted by the Saber's voice. They all looked down to see a column of darkness rising between Gudao and Gabrielle. The masters stood there shocked while Mashu quickly pulled the two of them back before-
(WHOOSH!)
The column of darkness forcefully expanded outwards in all directions, sending all the servants flying backwards. They all landed with a thud as the distorted mass of black smoke changed shape into a humanoid and holding a polearm that too was concealed in shadow. The specter started walking towards the stunned masters, who just managed to recover from the initial assault. Mashu stood up and charged at it with her shield. The specter waved a hand making a symbol appear in mid-air, and the Shielder was suddenly thrown off her feet sideways, pinning her against a tree and unable to move.
"Mashu!" Gudao and Gabrielle shouted as the specter slowly closed in on them. Mordred got up and yelled at the creature.
"Hey creep! You want a fight?! I'll take you on!"
The specter looked back at the Saber and tilted its head in interest. Arturia got up on her knees and asked Mordred harshly.
"Now what are you doing?"
"Getting its attention... What does it look like?" Mordred said angrily.
The specter stood there waiting as the other servants struggled to get back up.
"We don't know what we're up against Mordred," Arturia said sternly. "We need a plan of attack."
Mordred picked up her sword and summoned her armor, not about to let her father deny her this chance for glory.
"I do have a plan," She stated as her helmet folded over her face. "Attack."
"Wait-!"
In a burst of mana, Mordred launched herself towards the specter and swung her sword. The specter sidesteps effortlessly, but Mordred follows up with another slash, only for it to be blocked by the enemy's spear. Mordred attacks with incredible speed as their exchange became a hurricane of air and sparks. Mordred becomes frustrated as this foe was meeting her blow for blow, not even moving from where it stood. She musters all her strength to overwhelm her opponent with a single, overhead strike, but to her shock, the specter kicked her away with such speed and force that the Saber didn't see it coming and didn't even feel the impact on her stomach until after she flew and crashed into a tree, which exploded into splinters from the impact.
"Mordred!" Jekyll yelled as he threw a shower of knives at the wraith. It turned and twirled its spear, knocking away all the blades before casting a rune that blasted the Assassin backwards. Jeanne and Astolfo moved to engage; trying to catch the specter in a pincer attack, but it flipped out of the way and began blocking both of their follow-up attacks. The specter then caught Jeanne's banner in a lock and kicked Astolfo in the face, stunning him. It then swept Jeanne's legs out from under her with a quick twirl of its polearm. Briefly suspended mid-air, the Ruler was then kicked in the back, sending her crashing into the Rider. With both of them knocked down, the servants found themselves immobilized in a rune. Emiya materializes his bow and chants:
"Trace On."
A spiral sword appears in his hand, and he notches it against the string, aiming at the specter, until it suddenly flew up in the air and changed direction, darting right towards him at astonishing speed. He quickly changed tactics and chanted:
"Rho Aias!"
The bow disappears, and in its place formed a multi-petal shield. Emiya holds it up just as the specter slashes down at him. The shield shatters and Emiya found himself defenseless as the wraith spins and forcefully jabs the blunt end of its spear into his abdomen before he could summon his swords again. He was sent rolling across the ground like a ragdoll and came to a stop as the wraith prepared to fire a spell at him, until it was stopped by Arturia. It quickly turned to intercept an incoming strike from Excalibur, and they began to swiftly exchange blocks and parries. The Saber couldn't help but be impressed by this wraith's ability to keep up with her, despite her master swordsmanship as well as her strength and speed as a servant.
-It sure is strong, but I can slay it with Excalibur…I just need to make an opening…-
Arturia feigns and reflects the specter's spear away with a powerful burst of mana and proceeds to swipe at her opponent with the Sword of Promised Victory. With her enhanced vision, she sees pure Fae steel contact the specter's torso…
-Now I've got you--
And pass harmlessly through.
…!
In her shock, Arturia realized too late that she left herself open as her sword was suddenly knocked out her hands by the specter's spear with a spin. It then sent a knee kick into the astonished Saber's abdomen, knocking the wind out her and sent her flying backwards.
-Impossible!-
Time slowed down as Arturia sailed through the air and her thoughts still processing how on earth the tide shifted against her. She sensed the specter dash past her and wait for her on the other end, and in that moment Arturia knew:
She was done for…
The specter sent a fist down on the Saber's chest, slamming her into the ground with a crash, kicking up a lot of earth and forming a crater. Mashu watched, lost for words while the masters sat there completely shocked. When the dust cleared, they could see Arturia lying there beaten and bruised with pieces of her armor broken. The Saber was wincing in pain, still reeling from the blow.
To them, it all happened so fast, and the masters were both left in total disbelief of how this creature single-handedly neutralized all of their Servants; beings stronger than any human or mage in existence.
And the specter brushed them away like they were nothing…
To Gudao, it was like losing to Solomon all over again, and he felt the familiar feeling of helplessness as his eyes darted to all his fallen comrades. Mashu, Jeanne and Astolfo were all immobilized while Mordred, Emiya, Jekyll and Arturia were seriously injured.
The specter left Arturia's battered form alone and walked back towards the masters with spear in hand. The masters sat there frozen with fear as Mashu tried to move to no avail. The Shielder was still pinned, unable to protect her masters. She watched as the specter stopped right in front of the masters and spoke down to them with a distorted voice.
"You shouldn't have come here…"
Gudao and Gabrielle were caught off guard by the fact that this creature was actually speaking to them. They looked at each other, seeing if the other knew how to respond. It wasn't necessary, as they looked back and saw the specter's form start to shift. Black mist lifted off the creature's weapon, and to the masters' surprise, revealed a crimson red spear. Both masters' eyes widen as they recognized the spear's design, so much like Cu Chulainn's.
-That's Gae Bolg!-
They stared in awe as the rest of the specter's shadowy form fell away, revealing a tall woman with long maroon hair, and a flawless face with two piercing red eyes. She wore a black-purple outfit that hugged and accentuated every curve of her well-endowed body. The body suit was so thin in some places that one could almost see through to her skin and was complete with 2 silver shoulder guards as armor. The reveal was like watching a dark flower bloom before the masters' eyes as the black mist seemed to caress the woman's body as she emerged. Gudao could only mutter a single word as the hauntingly beautiful warrior stood over them. His voice was barely above a whisper as it escaped his lips, as he and Gabrielle came to the same conclusion: this was whom they've been looking for.
"Scathach."
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly at that name, and she studied the astonished masters in a scrutinizing gaze. When she spoke, it was in a slightly accented voice that flowed like honey, and yet still held a hostile edge.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my lands?"