The Grail Games IC

Illya, Payne - Docks

Something had to be done. He wasn't stupid enough to just charge in, so he would go for another approach to provoke a reaction. Even if there was a Servant nearby, it was a chance he was willing to take.

"Cloud," he whispered and a thick fog began to obscure the area around him. He backed off and from a little distance picked three likely buildings, among them Eames' hideout.

"Coming down from frozen crystal rays, icy spears to pierce the heavens." His words and motions were fluid, revealing long practice. Quickly the lances appeared and immediately he directed them at the windows of the buildings he picked out. WIth a loud crash they shattered through the windows.

Jayce backed off to the side where he had a good viewpoint to see what would happen, prepared to leave if the worst case was confirmed.

Lancer, still on the roof, looked down with renewed interest when Jayce decided to randomly attack three buildings. She couldn't sense any Servants nearby which meant there were none or that there was a chance Assassin was around.

"Shiyan Fu": Raphael [Chapel]
She sighed. There was definitely an answer in there, and was relieved of it. Let the love flow, but don't flow into it. Good. "Faith... it's a problem that people can put them in the wrong thing. The love I'm talking about... It is definitely of utter devotion. It could easily be called faith. It could easily be called one-sided familiar love. But considering the way our family works, it's clear... " Here the woman cleaned her throat. It was clear she was feeling awkward about the whole situation, but this must part must be exceptionally so. "It's clear she thinks of it as another kind of love. If you think it's best to simply ignore her affection, then I will continue as I have been doing since... Always, I suppose. I'm afraid my failure at this war will only intensify her feelings and give her more reason to try, though." She looked glumly at her stump of a hand, making it clear that she wasn't just talking about the war. Now, her body itself was a failure. Her reputation and abilities had been tarnished, and it was likely she would never be the same again.

"She's probably rushing over here, whether I tell her I'm fine or the truth. I suppose I must mitigate the trouble as much as I can. ... This is an odd question, but do you have a phone I could use?" Dull, as if she was just going to let everything happen and not do anything herself.

Noin - Docks

"Move."

Eames was startled by Assassin's order, coming hard and abrupt. Confused, the young magus stepped toward the hallway, still staring at the window.

"What is it?" he asked. Assassin did not respond, watching as unnatural fog began to obscure the surroundings. No doubt it was meant to act as a screen from any watching eyes, which would indicate an imminent attack.

Eames had just backed into the hallway when the sound of shattering glass broke through the tense silence. Shutting the door, he hurried down the hallway and into the boiler room in the middle of the floor. If that magus was stupid enough to press his luck and come inside, he wouldn't be coming back out.

"Well, anything?" he asked his Servant, waiting tensely. Assassin, lurking unseen and unfelt on the wall outside Eames' room like an oversized spider, watched the magus carefully from his place, waiting to see his next move.

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Gedo - Chapel

Raphael was surprised but intrigued by Meng Yui's assessment of love as a type of faith. It was true that to love something, one must have faith in it - for both the mundane and the divine.

But it was mention of her family that made his attention focus, brows furrowed. So she was referring to a specific person in her questioning... a family member, evidently. This was somewhat disturbing, given the connotations. And with Meng Yui's fragile state of mind, Raphael did not much like the idea of the young woman being bombarded by unwanted, unrequited affections. But perhaps it wasn't his place to question this.

"Yes... I think that best," he told her, feeling that it would indeed be troublesome for this relative to burst in here and upset the delicate peace of the Games. "But I must insist you remain here, despite any persuasion to the contrary."

There was no telling what this woman might tell Meng Yui to do, if given the opportunity. It was important to establish this, therefore, before that could happen. Leading his guest to the back sitting room, Raphael indicated the phone before stepping into the hallway and closing the door, wanting to give her privacy.

Illya, Noin - Library

To his credit, Logan didn't bristle when the man sat down at the table with him, or when he asked about Logan's research. Instead, he looked up passively, as if weighing the other man's words.

"No, I'm afraid that I'm not one of your students professor, nor is this my first outing into the mythological world." He leaned back in his chair a bit and pushed the book across the table towards the other man. "If you'd be willing to share a bit of your expertise though, I'm all ears. Some research of mine has led me to these creatures as a possible candidate for an unexplained event. Have you heard of the recent fires around this section of the country?" Of course the man hadn't. There had been no such reports, but Logan patiently awaited his response none the less.

"Shiyan Fu": Raphael (Chapel)
She sat on the bed. The woman was contempt despite the situation, because it was supposed to turn out this way. The priest was supposed to resign to the woman's lover coming over, more adament on the fact that Shiyan, the important one, wouldn't be leaving. It was all supposed to be like this. The number was dialed without the woman even knowing which numbers she pressed. Everything was set. The phone rang...


Meira Franz: Ro, Berserker (Warehouse 2)
A phone call disturbed the high of her enjoyment. She smiled brightly once more, looking around at her goonies. "Ahahah, she's done it. Could this day get ANY better?" A figure of speech, of course. There were infinite ways to make things better. Unfortunately though, this was the last planned thing. She couldn't leave here, not with her second Devil's castle underaway. There was no such thing as overdoing it. Not with six servants running around. ... Soon it would be seven. Damn her human heart. But for now she had to put up a loving front to Meng... No, Shiyan Fu. Who knows who might be listening on the phone. She wouldn't give a name. "Shiyan" would simply call her 'you.' And the loving tone wouldn't be too hard, she was actually happy right now anyways.

The beep of the cellphone answering. "Shi-Shi! Ni hao!" The rustic mandarin they had used back at the opening of the grail games. It would also be fun to see the confused reactions of Ro and Berserker, seeing their 'Master' act all friendly and worried. Of course, Meira didn't know that Ro would be able to understand everything.

"Ah, I mean Shiyan. ... Miss Fu. A-Are you alright? I'm... sorry you got... Yeah I know, I've been worried si... Y-Yes... No... Well... Can't you shut up and let me worry!? I-I can't take this. I'm really glad you're alright though! ... ... You're... not? What happened?!? Tell me! Hey! Please! I can't take this. You're my master! My friend! My parent! My... Just tell me what! ... Fine. I'll find out for myself. ... Yes, I'm coming. No, I won't listen. Of course I'm going there, I don't care what happens. ... Yeah... The family's not going to be too happy with you either. Everyone knows how soon you failed. ... I... really think you shouldn't come back. ... Of course you must. I'll... follow. As always. ...I swear, I'll be there in three days. ... No, make it two. Okay? Don't... don't worry. ...I know that won't help. But neither will worrying. ... Goodbye, Shi-Shi."

The phone was disconnected. Meira burst out into laughter as she snapped the phone in half. "Ahaha, that was too rich. Can't even... I should take up acting. It's just... Aha, so fun. Fooling people into believing crap... ah, that's conning? Oh well, same thing. Heh hee... Oi. One of you two. Her happiness left her as she adressed her glum pair of mutts. "Throw this phone away. Far away. I don't want it to be traced. " It was, of course, unlikely that a Magi would do the tracing. She wasn't worried about those people when came to these things. There was a whole other group to worry about... "You know what, each of you throw a piece in the opposite direction. That'll be poetic, right?" Without looking back, she each tossed a piece of the broken cellphon at their general location. She went back to watching the TV. "I think I'll watch the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen... that Dorian Gray has quite the villainous suave going on." She was stuck inside once again.


"Shiyan Fu": Raphael (Chapel)
She hung up the phone sullenly. The woman stood up, exiting the room. She found Raphael once more, and upon her face he would see despair, but also some relief. But the most residing trait in that unpainted face was resignment. It was so easy to read all of her emotions now that she wasn't hiding behind a mask. "How could that worthless dog of a servant I raised by abuse fall in love with me... honestly. It's done, Mister. She'll be here in two days. Of course I'll stay here too. I'd like comfort, but I'm not about to go running away from everything, let alone with some woman I don't even love. Thank you for your support." She bowed to him.

Illya, Payne - Docks

Jayce watched for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Shaking his head, he approached the broken windows under the cover of fog carefully and took a peek inside. The inside of the first two revealed that they were empty and in the third one he didn't see anything too extraordinary.

Slowly he backed off again and headed down to the waterfront. He would have to do a grid search of this place, however one glance at the sky told him that he wouldn't be able to finish it today, so he needed to come back another time.

Well, maybe this day wasn't totally wasted if he could find something at the other places he wanted to look. With a determined nod, he walked back to his motorcycle.

"Finally you're done," a voice said behind and Jayce spun around, dagger in hand. It was Lancer who had decided to finally leave her role as observer. Jayce straightened a little from his crouch when he recognized her. Surely, if she meant to kill him, she would have simply done so.

"Lancer, if I remember correctly. What do you want?" he asked politely.

"Information of course," Lancer said and gestured around him. "Who were you looking for?"

Jayce gave a short laugh that faded into a smile. "You know, I'm not even supposed to talk to you," he replied. "What makes you think, I will give you any information?"

He put up a brave front. Of course he knew very well that if she decided that he was useless, she might simply kill him or follow through with whatever order her Master had given her.

Payne - Library

The professor adjusted his glasses as he leaned forward enthusiastically, seemingly having found another enthusiast on the subject. However, he stopped short as the book was pushed under his nose with some rather unexpected words. At first, the man simply blinked, as though waiting for the punchline.

"You're joking, yes?" he said, smiling uncertainly. When he received no such response, the smile faltered and vanished.

"You're... not joking," the professor murmured, sliding back into his chair as his glasses tilted askew. Swallowing thickly, the man looked around for some help that would not come before switching his gaze back to Logan.

"I suppose you're talking about ifrits," he said at last. "That is, a type of infernal djinn with control over fire, supposed to be particularly ruthless and wicked."

He waited uncertainly, still watching Logan as though expecting him to suddenly drop the pretense.

--------------------

Noin - Docks

"Oooh?"Assassin mused, watching Lancer speak with Jayce. It would seem that the other Servant had finally decided to make a move on the magus. No doubt she would not take him to obtain all his information, then possibly consume his soul.

"Well?" Eames asked insistently from his hiding place, causing Assassin to sigh inaudibly.

"The danger has passed for the moment. Lancer is taking the magus hostage. We should be safe," he reported. Eames wasn't pleased, however. It was true that they may be fine for the moment, but others would keep searching.

"We may need to give them something to find..." the magus sighed, feeling irritated at the insistence of these pesky Masters to keep him from simply hiding away from these ridiculous games.

"Do you have any to spare..?" Assassin asked, feeling certain of his Master's idea. Eames found the question insulting.

"Of course I do. We'll have to set things up today, once the coast is clear. I'll rely on you to make sure they don't notice until things are set up."

"Understood, Master," Assassin replied, his eyes turning back toward Lancer and Logan. Perhaps a bit of eavesdropping would be in order first, however.

--------------------

Gedo - Church

Raphael nodded noncommitally at Meng Yui as she exited the office, evidently done with her business. However, he felt a strange sense of uneasiness at these events. Someone coming to the church? No, not just someone - this strange, unrequited lover?

"I have other duties to attend to then," he said mechanically, his thoughts only half in the present. "Please, make sure to rest. Your recovery depends on it."

He turned on his heels and vanished down the hall, still combating his insistent, nagging doubts.

Illya, Noin - Library

Logan gave the man a moment to collect himself. Even to those who researched the paranormal, the reality of the magi world was still unsettling, but this man had knowledge, and Logan intended to use it.

"Control over fire..." Logan muttered, repeating the man's words aloud. "Can they also create it, or only control a fire that already exists?"

He paused for a second, looking first over on shoulder and then the other, almost as if he was expecting to find someone there. "You see, there has been a large outbreak of fires in this section of the country recently. However, none of these have been reported because of their strange circumstances. The buildings would suddenly light up in a brilliant blaze, but before emergency units could respond to the call, the fires would suddenly die out. When they arrived, they found the charred buildings, but there weren't any flames, embers, or sparks. It was as if the fire had happened weeks before and only the evidence remained."

Illya, Payne - Docks

"I respect your bravery, but you must know it is to no avail," Lancer replied and smiled. Slowly, Jayce began to back away, one step at a time. His eyes glanced around for a way out, but in this corner of the parking lot, people were probably used to looking away.

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a young girl. She was trying her hand at fishing and looked up for a second when Jayce and Lancer began to shift positions.

Perfect, he thought and used the second that their eyes met to unleashed the full force of his Mystic Eyes of Illusion on her. She was farther away that he would've liked, but she was young, human and had nothing to protect her against his spell and the mesmerizing power of his blue eyes. With a flick of his hand he created the library and Jacques' image and his office before the young girl's eyes and whispered only one command. "Tell him."

The process had only taken a few seconds and he returned his attention back to Lancer.

"I meant no disrespect to your power," he said, seemingly resigned and put his dagger away. "I had to try though."

There was a pause while they eyed each other suspiciously. "Are you going to kill me?" Jayce finally asked.

Lancer shook her head and stepped up to Jayce, too fast for him to follow. Her spear, that suddenly appeared in her hand, went down on his neck with the blunt side first and a moment later he sank to the ground, unconscious. "No, but I have to do this," she said and looked around. The area was deserted and the few people from before had all disappeared. With no effort, she lifted Jayce on his motorcycle and got on behind him. The machine sprung to life with a roar and Lancer sped off towards the bakery.

Logan, I'm on my way back, she told him.

----------------------------------------------------------
Library

The young girl walked up the steps to the library, her eyes wide with enlarged pupils. She looked around, searching for the right hallway. No door that she opened seemed to be the right one and she kept looking, the urge to find Jacques or his office still strong.

"Hey Mister," she asked one of the scholars, "I'm looking for an old man, he has a beard and kind brown eyes. And he lives here at the library. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Sorry, I haven't seen him," the man gave her a friendly smile. "Are you sure you have the address right? No one really lives at the library."

"No, but I'm sure. I have to tell him something really important," the girl insisted and turned to walk down another hallway.

Payne - Library

The professor seemed to be trying to detach him from the context of the conversation, simply regurgitating information from a purely academic standpoint.

"Ifrits are the essence of fire itself," he said, flipping to a page in the one volume and tapping at the image of a winged being, vaguely human in shape, wreathed in smoke and flame. "As such, it should be able to produce fire from its being, as well as control fire as an extension of itself."

He paused, looking disconcerted, as Logan looked about conspiratorially before leaning in to detail the mysterious cases of unnatural fires in the area. Unsurprisingly, the man did not look convinced.

"Well..." the professor said uncertainly, licking his lips as he fiddled with his glasses. "I'm sure there's some... reasonable explanation behind it."

-------------------

Noin - Docks

Assassin watched with piqued interest as Lancer moved in on Jayce, ultimately capturing him and taking off toward her hideout. A quick confirmation of a clear coast to Eames and the silent killer was off in pursuit, moving unseen and undetected through the city after them.

No doubt, there would be a good deal of information exchanged, and he planned to be privy to it. Besides, they might have to resort to torturing the young man, and that would be entertaining to watch.

"Caster was right about one thing," Assassin though to himself, chuckling. "Lancer and her Master are certainly the most enjoyable to watch."

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Noin - Library

Jacques was deep in concentration when his sharp ears picked up on a nearby conversation. He was prepared to dismiss it when certain words caught his attention.

An old man... a beard and kind brown eyes... lives here at the library.

Strange, he felt certain that the voice, likely that of a young girl, was looking for him. But who...?

"Jayce," he thought, standing suddenly. He moved out into the hallway just as the girl turned down the corridor and stopped short in front of him. Smiling, Jacques kneeled down to her level and looked the girl in the eyes.

"Were you looking for me?" he asked, searching for traces of Jayce's mana.

-------------------

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

Calisa stirred for the second time that day, eyes opening to search the room. This time, she recalled much more quickly what had transpired and sat up, still feeling a bit groggy but not as weak.

"Caster...?" she wondered, looking about. There was no sign of the Servant anywhere in the room, but she didn't feel too concerned. The connection between them was still burning strong.

Slipping from the bed, Calisa moved slowly to the door and headed out, finding herself abruptly standing in the midst of the ruins. Kaiserpfalz... she remembered it from her brother's study of the city. It looked largely as she'd imagined... except for the tree sprouted in the midst of the desolation.

She didn't realize that she'd begun moving to it automatically, as though drawn to its presence. It seemed to radiate a holy and gentle, warming aura. The wood of the tree seemed to have a golden hue to it that gave it a beautiful, enchanting radiance. Calisa placed a hand on the wood, moving her hand slowly across the bark as though to draw in its essence.

Quite suddenly, she felt a strange deviation in the presence about her and looked up to see Caster aloft in the branches, resting quite comfortably amongst the foliage. It was strange, almost irreconcilable to see Caster there, like a cold, dark blight in the midst of such a heavenly place.

"What is it?" she asked, unable to help herself, as her eyes turned back toward the tree, feeling its life beneath her fingertips.

Illya - Library

Sudden recognition dawned in the girl's eyes when Jacques stepped out of his office. She nodded with relief. "Yes, you're the one I've been looking for," she confirmed.

Without fear she took Jacques hand and lead him back into his office. Her voice quietened almost to a whisper. "I was down by the docks fishing when I saw this man. He was tall and with dark hair and really blue eyes. And then there was this beautiful woman with him. She looked like her hair was on fire and she did something to him and then took him away on the motorcycle."

A few seconds passed and she looked at Jacques again, her expression suddenly confused. "This was important?" she asked unsure and looked around as if she was wondering why she was here.

Illya - Kaiserpfalz

Caster rested in the branches of a tree in the middle of ruins. Such a scene was strange, to begin with that tree was not there four days ago, yet now it stood there, clearly caused by Caster, however another strange thing was present, the tree emitted an aura that was the polar opposite of Caster.

Thus it was strange, a tree growing in the middle of decaying ruins, emitting an aura of holiness and it's creator resting in it's branches, emitting an aura of dark and cold.

"What is it?"

Caster hears Calisa's voice, Servants don't sleep, they can rest, but it's mostly just keeping inactive. So once Caster heard the voice, she had no difficulty opening her eyes and looking at Calisa. Her aura slowly disappearing only leaving the warm feeling from the tree.

"Ah, Calisa you finally woke up again?"

Caster smiled, she didn't blame Calisa, a normal magus would feel completely overwhelmed by the contract alone, given she didn't receive any training at all, it was natural for her to exhaust herself so rapidly.

Caster notices Calisa interest in the tree, she seemed to be entranced by it.

"Do you wish to know?" Caster asked while looking at the tree "This tree is my crystallization as a legend, my Noble Phantasm." there was a sad tone in her voice "Everything began because of it." Caster didn't explain much else from that, her voice had a tone of sad, yet her look was strange, as if she was looking at a memory.

"Calisa, if you wish to know more you will have to ask me directly."

Caster stated, her voice a bit more cold yet still with the trace of kindness towards Calisa, showing that Caster did not feel comfortable talking about it, but was willing too if asked.

Illya, Noin - Library

"Interesting..." Logan responded to the man's comments while scratching his chin thoughtfully. Assassin had only removed fire from the air, rather than creating it. Did that mean he didn't have full control over the ifrit? Or had he simply not bothered to use its full capabilities?

Lancer's words pricked at his mind, bringing him back to sharp attention.

I'll be there soon.

"You're probably right." Logan said aloud, closing the book. "Honestly, my supervisor keeps saying the same thing, but it all just seems so weird..." He sighed and then extended his hand towards the other man for a shake. "Thank you for your time professor, and your insight. I should be getting back to the office before anyone decides to come looking for me."

After shaking hands with the man, Logan exited the library and made his way down the street, being sure to blend into the crowd before doubling back towards the bakery. No sense in being followed back home when he would be unable to fend off an attack for a few minutes...

Noin, Payne - Library

Jacques allowed the young girl to lead him back into his office, where she recounted the events at the dock. His mouth grew taut as the realization that Jayce could, in fact, be dead because of him really settled in.

Jayce's spell appeared to be wearing off, as the girl seemed a bit confused as to why she was there. He attempted a smile as he pulled out a bill and placed it in the girl's palm.

"Yes, it was very important," he said, patting her head. "You've been a great help to me. Thank you."

The girl seemed to brighten up, perhaps thinking of what toy or candy she could buy with her newfound money. Jacques watched her depart before leaning forward onto his desk, burying his face in his hands.

"Not the boy..." he muttered, shaking his head.

--------------------

The professor shook Logan's hand, watching him depart into the streets. For a few moments, he sat still at the table before standing up and heading deeper into the library, searching for a particular office. Once he reached it, he made a peculiar action in the air, as though pulling something off. As he did, his appearance suddenly changed.

"As you suspected, it was Lancer's Master," Archer replied, holding a shimmering cloak in his hand. It was a magnificent piece of workmanship, but so much more than just a simple bit of cloth. This was a Noble Phantasm, capable of creating a nearly impenetrable facade.

"He was researching djinn... Ifrits, to be precise," he continued. "I presume it's with regards to Assassin, as no other Servant hails from that region. But how..."

Archer stopped as he realized Jacques strange demeanor. Instantly, his attitude shifted into a cold, tense disposition.

"Master, what's wrong?" he asked, stepping forward. Jacques looked up, face pale with worry and regret.

"Jayce... They captured him," the elderly magus answered quietly. Archer gritted his teeth, looking distraught. He wasted little time on being upset, however; immediately, he was going for the door.

"Archer, wait-" Jacques began, but the Servant turned his noble head in dignified defiance.

"Order me not to save him," he replied softly, waiting for a response. But Jacques could give no such order, as Archer well knew. After a moment's silence, he turned and departed the office, heading out in pursuit of Logan.

--------------------

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

Spoiler:

"Your Noble Phantasm..." Calisa said softly, almost reverently, as she stared at the golden hued bark of the tree. She could sense Caster's mixed feelings toward this tree, or perhaps what it represented, even hear it in her voice. She felt a strange curiosity toward the tree, toward Caster and her connection with it.

Caster seemed to perceive that and gave a cold, measured response, though Calisa could still hear the affection toward it.

"Calisa, if you wish to know more you will have to ask me directly."

She did wish to know, but it was obvious that Caster did not feel comfortable talking about it. She would not press the Servant, just to satisfy her own curiosity. Caster had already done so much for her already.

"No... that's all right," she replied, sitting down at the base of the tree and leaning back against the trunk. "We all have things we'd rather not remember."

Calisa gazed down at the bruise on her wrist, beginning to heal from where Jamie had grabbed her. The sight of it brought a stab of undefinable pain that cut through the tranquility around her.

"I wish I could forget. I wish I didn't have to feel the terror that I could be dragged back at any moment... that escape might only be an illusion," she said softly, turning to stare up through the leaves at the darkening sky.

Illya - Kaiserpfalz

Caster gave a small nod at Calisa's understanding, Caster would rather avoid revealing her identity, it's not that she didn't trust Calisa with the secret of her identity, it's that she didn't know what to expect of her reaction.

"Thank you, I promise you to tell you one day..."

Caster listened to Calisa's words, her gaze shifting to the bruise that Calisa had received in her wrist, her eyes where sad and scared. In a shift moment, without Calisa even realizing, Caster jumped down and embraced Calisa.

"There there, everything is fine, I won't let anyone trap you in a cage again."

Caster's words were firm and reassuring, as if she wasn't just saying it to make her feel better, but that she actually understood her situation, her fear. Caster slowly let go of her, holding her hands and looked at Calisa in the eyes. A small light emitted from Caster's and Calisa's hands as the bruise began to disappear.

"If you fear to be dragged back, then all we need to do is make sure you CAN'T go back."

Meira: Berserker, Ro (Warehouse 2)

She had changed clothes right in front of them. It was clear she had ended up of thinking as the two men as tools, meant for only their purpose. It was also easier to think that way. If she thought of them as human, she might get on their bad side. Or harm them. If they were just tools to be used, then she could focus her innate malicious desires elsewhere. At first she had hoped they would have more personality. More life. But they were servants. Not friends, not enemies, not targets. She found it... a bit dissapointing. Now in the final days of her fake life, was the only time she could make friends. Become closer to people beyond that of Master and Servant. In a few days... she would become the loneliest being in the world. By choice. By fate. By the world. By her hand. It was that solemn thought that kept her early giddyness at bay. She wanted nothing more than to torment and kill anyone, everyone. But she had practice keeping it at bay. While her heart was a torrent, she had built a dam around it. The organization needed calm, level thinking. Smart thinking. Brute force was only an asset. Of the kills she had made, none had been for pleasure. That didn't stop her from enjoying of course...

She pondered briefly about what would be her first pleasure kill. She had made plans for it, of course. Now, of all the times in her life, was also a time to be careful. But not as careful as usual. No. Here, the worst possible fate was death. A simple thing. She was faced with the possibility of worse than that every day. It was what drove her; running from the hounds of hell. But soon she had well outpaced them. All she had known to do by then was keep running. Heading forward. Mastering everything so she needed nobody. "You know, there's one major flaw most assassins since the creation of man... No, simply most hunters. Killing Intent. The focus and preperation to kill something. By simply thinking about it, it gives you away. ... The only way to get around that weakness is by not killing. Not trying to harm someone. Or simply, to have that state be your very entity. There is no killing intent in brushing away a fly, although your hand could very well kill it. That is one method to normalize your killing intent. The other one, which I'd like to think unique to me... Well to me, it's just being normal. But my 'normal' is the idea to kill. Everyone I glance on. There is no change of thought when I try to kill someone in action. There is no focus. For me, it's easy to remove the 'killing' part of killing intent. That said, I can of course focus it. To do harm. To reap the person's beloved everything. But if I control that, I have no killing intent. Breaking arms, gouging eyes, ripping flesh, snapping necks... It can be as casual as breathing. No, more like my heart beating. ... Of course It could all just be non-sense. I've hardly faced someone as sensitive as a Servant before."


A monologue to empty air. She didn't expect a response, and didn't leave room for one. Meira was standing in an empty spot, both in mind and body. Her mouth just moved, talking about something without thinking. Now, she stood completely different in image. While her first appearance was almost that of a grown girl, and her second not so modest, now she was... In sort, it was now easy to see that Meira Franz was indeed half-Chinese. A black half-tanktop to cover her chest, the only other piece of clothing were a pair of simple baggy white pants tied up at the feet and waist. Her hair, usual left shaggy, was tied up in a ponytail. It was sprayed at every end, but now it was like a rough tail rather than a lion's mane. It had brought the hair out of her face, a mask removed. The scar that covered her eye could be seen continued onto the shoulder and dissapearing into the tanktop, off to the side of her chest. Meira's face was not pretty. It was obvious from her unpronounced cheeks she did not smile much. It was clear from the uneven skin that she was often stressed. It was easy to tell from her discolored skin that there had been numerous beat-downs in her life. There was a three stitch scar at the top-left of her head, almost hidden by the beginning of her hair. Her only blessing in appearance was her childish face.

Her muscles were well hidden, but even relaxed they could be traced. Nothing of her could be called soft. At best, the word 'smooth' could be used. It was this body that focused on only strength that began to move. Slowly. Purposefully. Like clothing waving in a soft wind, her limbs extended, lifting and slowly rotating. Every muscle in her body was in motion, even that of her face. A tense, focused, and yet blank look stood there. Her hair flowed like a sash tied to a spear. It waved back and forth, never once resting on her back despite her slow movement.

It would be clear, even to an average observer, that she was practicing T'ai chi ch'uan; or better known as Tai Chi. "I don't need to think to kill. I don't need to feel. I don't even need to listen to instinct. Harm to others... It's written into my blood flesh and bones. If I were to lose my mind, I would still try to kill. If all thoughts dissapeared and I was left as a soft pink rock, I would still try to maim. One does not need to crystalize their intent if they need none. I can drink tea from an empty cup, so there is no need to fill it." She seemed certain of her words, as if speaking them made her accept them.

It was hard to tell from constantly watching, but if one were to look at ten minute intervals, they would sense a subtle change of pace. A gradual growth, so slow it couldn't even be called a crescendo. By the end of an hour, her entire body was tense. Hidden muscles were no longer an illusion. Her body was not large, even though she was somewhat tall. But what there was, it was built like a Tiger. The body was flowing gracefully, a river-born boat that needed neither oars nor sail. There was no wasted movement, no underlying convulsions. She simply moved this way, then that way. No stopping. No slack of body. Minutes passed, and soon another hour did as well. The body of the martial artist was now sweating fervently. Not once had she slowed her growing pace, not once had she released any of her muscles. Not once had her hair rested.

At the mark of three hours, her body had developed bruises. The floor around her was now a puddle. Where it did not have internal bleeding, her skin was going pale from dehydration. Despite this, her chest heaved slowly, as strict as her dance. She was in complete control. She was excercising her body to the upmost.

By four hours, she had made small scrapes on the bruises to relieve the building pressure. Blood was now mingled with the sweat on the floor. Needless to say her body was racked with pain. Her bare feet were dripped with red. Her slack empty pants now clung to her, heavy with sweat. But her breathing was steady, her movements were smooth. Her dead body did not stop moving. It took ten minutes, but she suddenly stood still, her hair finally resting on her back. She lost all elegance then, drooping her stature and slovenly marching herself to the fridge. Her lips parted painful, her over-exerted and dehydrated body opening the fridge and retrieving a gallon of fruit punch. Meira Franz wordlessly chugged a large portion of it before capping it and throwing it onto the couch. She carelessly changed once more, wiping her body clean with a towel once undressed. Now she was once more half-dressed, the metal claw dragging her arm down like a slackened noodle. She threw the towel into the spoils of her excercise, simply giving an order to no one in particular. "Clean that up."

The tired woman marched herself to the couch and turned on the TV, as if the past few hours had never happened.

Payne, Illya - Bakery

Undisturbed, Lancer arrived back at the appartment above the bakery and effortlessly carried Jayce upstairs. Thankfully it was already late enough, so the few people still outside paid almost no attention to Lancer.

Inside, she basically dropped Jayce to the floor. Roughly she looked for his weapons and placed the two daggers on the kitchen table.

After watching him for few seconds to make sure he was still completely unconscious, she sat down on the table and disappeared into spirit form to keep watch.

Illya, Noin - Bakery

Logan could feel the eyes on him as he made his way up to the front of the bakery. Someone was watching, but he wasn't sure who. He'd been unable to pinpoint exactly where the person following him was, but with Jayce already captured by Lancer, he didn't have a choice in going back to the bakery, at least for the moment... It would mean that his original workshop was now compromised though, an unfortunate turn of events, but one he had prepared for ahead of time.

Instead of moving into the alley, where the stairs that led up to his flat were, Logan slipped inside the bakery itself and stepped over to the phone on the wall. He picked it up and dialed in a number before listening to it ring. When the receiver on the other end clicked, he spoke promptly. "I'd like to order a spinach pizza..."

After giving the woman on the other end of the line a false name and the bakery's address, Logan dropped the phone back onto the receiver and stepped back outside. Again, he felt the eyes, but he didn't look around for them. There was no point.

We have company. I don't know if you were followed or if I was, but someone is out here. His thoughts were calm, but sharp nonetheless. I've arranged for a distraction in roughly 20 minutes, but I'll need at least 10 without being interrupted to get the information I need. Don't make a non-defensive move unless you absolutely have to. I'll be as quick as I can, but while I'm working on him, you're my line of defense.

As his fingers closed around the doorknob, Logan's raspy voice had already begun the soft chant. "The grinding of the earth, the wheezing of humanity's breath." He stepped inside, eyes immediately tracking to Jayce's still form. "A torrent of echos washing through the mortal mind." Logan knelt beside him, placing one hand on the man's head and the other over his heart. "So many distractions, but beneath it all, a silent voice whispers." He slowly closed his eyes, letting his mind sink into that of the man lying beside him. "Open up your heart and soul, and let the Master in."

A soft light seemed to envelop both Logan and Jayce, and Logan's eyes opened once more, but he saw nothing of what was in front of him. What he was looking at were Jayce's memories and conjectures from the last several days.

Faces flashed through his mind like photos being fired in a random order. Jacques, Archer, Dowth, the girl that was somehow associated with Saber. Logan stopped at that one, observing her closely. How had Jayce met her? The memory fired, as if called to life by her image. Grocery bags... He'd ask if he could help, but she'd declined coldly. The image faded, replaced by a memory of Jayce's fingertips pressed up against the wall of Kaiserpfalz. Something was within, something powerful... One of the Servants perhaps?

Again the memory faded, replaced by images of Logan himself as Jayce had followed him home. Sneaky bastard... So the bakery had already been compromised anyway. A small girl suddenly jumped to the front of everything. Why was she so important? Why did Jayce's mind focus on her? Logan pulled on the string of the memory. A message? To Jacques! The one who was following him must have been Archer. Well, that was just great... Still, how had he managed to get his message to the girl? The docks... He saw Jayce smashing up the building, looking for some kind of reaction. Did he suspect someone was inside? Yes, and considering the circumstances, Logan had little trouble believing it for himself. He had to give this man some credit. As informants go, Jayce was the real deal. All the intel was solid, and most of it was gathered without ever being noticed. If Lancer hadn't been following him, he might have even flushed out one of the Masters, or at least the Servant. That would have told Logan who was at the docks, but it also would have probably been the end of Jayce. Then where would all this intel be?

Payne, Illya - Bakery

"I'll be on the roof," she replied and moved out of the room. "Just make sure you can handle him when he wakes up."

On the roof, she stood in spirit form, waiting for whoever followed Logan. Slowly she reconized another presence. Another Servant. Maybe Archer but possibly someone else.

"Let's not play folly," she called into the clear evening. "Show yourself."

--------------------------------

Jayce could feel his mind pull back from the depth of unconsciousness. The first thing he noticed was the slight pressure on his heart and his head. At least that meant he was still alive.

Without considering his possile situation, he simply reacted and opened his eyes. The instant he reconized Logan, he was already moving, grabbing the magus by his wrists and flipping him over so he could look into his eyes.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked, anger in his voice. He stared at Logan's eyes, activating his Mystic Eyes and underlining every word with the power of suggestion, making it hard to resist his questions.

"Are you trying to kill me? What do you want?"  he was still angry, but calmer. Jayce drew in a deep breath to assess what had been done to his body. He had no idea how long the unconsciousness lasted, but aside from a pain in his neck he couldn't discern anything.

Illya, Noin - Bakery

Darkness... The memory Logan had been looking at just faded to black. There were no further memories, and the last thought he'd felt before the silence was alarm.

His eyes continued to see only darkness for a few more seconds before he registered that something was wrong. Logan willed his limbs to move, but it was like trying to drag his body through tar. Was he restrained? Had he been captured?

Logan blinked twice, his eyes finally refocusing on the reality around him. Jayce's words had been hazy at best, as if he were trying to yell at someone on the other side of a waterfall, and Logan hadn't properly understood any of them. What he did understand was that he was on his back, and the other man had pinned him down. Well, for a moment, he had...

Reacting purely out of instinct, Logan ripped his arm upwards, dragging Jayce's own tensed arm with him. In a battle of brute strength this man had nothing on a Burial Agent. Logan's fingers wrapped around Jayce's neck with an iron grip, and he crushed them down, brutally constricting the man's windpipe. "Should have stayed knocked out..." He growled, but the look in his eyes reflected more sadness then anger.

Transition - Night IV

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

Calisa was surprised by Caster's sudden move from the branches of the three, pulling her into a tight embrace. It was strangely reassuring to here those words, and she found that she actually believed them.

"Thank you. I..." Calisa tried to say, but it was hard express quite how much this meant to her. It was actually a bit startling, when she realized it. For the first time in her life, someone really cared about her and how she felt. The healing magic that removed the bruise felt as soothing as Caster's words, but she felt a chill of fear at Caster's next words.

"If you fear to be dragged back, then all we need to do is make sure you CAN'T go back."

The parallel was only too obvious when she stared at the healed skin over her wrist - the pain would remain until they removed its source.

Calisa looked off into the darkening sky, contemplating this idea. But was that really a good idea? She knew what this might entail. Was that something she could bear?

But when Calisa looked into Caster's eyes, the conviction she saw there solidified into her own. Caster was right. Things had only changed for her when she'd taken matter into her own hands. She wouldn't go back... not when there was nothing to go back to.

She didn't have to say anything. She merely looked up to meet Caster's gaze, mouth tightly set, and gave a slow, steady nod.

--------------------

Noin, Payne - Bakery

Archer manifested on the roof across from the bakery, his normally dignified and cordial behavior strangely absent. He glared coldly at Lancer as the night air picked up, whipping his long hair about.

"I thought you and your Master were smarter than this," he said flatly, and he sounded genuinely disappointed in her that it had come to this.

In an instant his bow was in his hand, and an arrow pointed at the apartment below her feet. Wind began to swirl in a torrent around the arrow head, as he narrowed his gaze at the Servant opposite him.

"Like you said, let's not play games. Release your captive, or I'll blow that whole dam building to splinters," Archer said, deadly serious. "You might manage to survive, but neither of the two inside will. Either way, our secrets stay preserved."

He drew back the arrow, the bowstring pulling tight as his gaze sharpened with deadly focus.

"You have three seconds. Act fast."

Illya, Payne - Bakery

As soon as Archer pulled out his bow, Lancer sent a short message to Logan, warning him of the impending danger. "Sometimes taking shortcuts pays off," Lancer replied in an equally cold voice. She didn't seem fazed by the threat he posed for Logan by threatening to collapse the building on them.

Her spear appeared in her hands and she balanced it carefully. Lancer clicked her tongue at the obvious threat in Archer's voice. "I think if you simply came to kill that man, you would've done so already," her bright eyes watched him carefully when she called his bluff. "But I think, you really care about him. How strange. You want to save him," there was curiosity and wonder in Lancer's voice.

"Now, we can do this the hard way or the easy way," she offered with a smile and pointed her spear at him. "Jayce is still unharmed and we'll give him back. For a price of course."

--------------------------------

Logan's pupils were too dilated, Jayce stared at them confused that his Mystic Eyes didn't have the intended effect. There had to be some other spell that was overriding his ability. This second of confusion was enough for Logan to regain the upper hand. In terms of strength, he was in less than ideal position and with his air supply rapidly decreasing, fighting Logan with pure strength alone wasn't an option.

Wasting no more time with trying to gasp for air, Jayce lifted his hand towards Logan and whispered a single word.

"Crush."

He could feel his vision fading from lack of oxygen while the water rose around them, attempting to sweep Logan off his feet.

Noin, Payne - Bakery

Archer gave a cold smirk as Lancer tried to call him on his bluff, but it wasn't her best work.

"Of course I do. He's more valuable to us alive than dead," he said, his arms never wavering despite the exertion of holding back such a powerful bowstring. "But either one is preferrable to letting you get use out of him."

His killing intent suddenly rolled over Lancer and the bakery like a tidal wave, and it was obvious that the moment for his attack was only seconds away.

"The only thing I'll bargain for his life is your own miserable ones. It's not much, I'll admit, but it will have to suffice. Now, release him."

--------------------

Jorg - Schloss Eller

Jamie sat in ill-tempered silence, stabbing moodily at his plate while his eyes stared unseeingly across the room.

How could Calisa still not have returned? What would their father say if he came back without her? No, he wouldn't care about her personally; he would just be appalled that his son and heir could not control her and had let her run off with secrets of their family.

He, Jamie, would be humiliated and disdained. They would see him as a tarnish on the Lannister legacy.

Angrily, he threw his fork onto the plate, violently startling the nearby made with the loud clatter of the metal on the delicate china plate.

"Take it away!" he snapped, leaning back in his chair and turning away from the plate. The maid darted forward, retrieving it hastily before her master could make any sort of response, and hurried out of the room.

"She has to come back. She has to..." he muttered, glaring at the wall. Rider, who had been present for some time, materialized at his side.

"Master, I think it prudent that we-"

"I don't care what you think!" Jamie snapped, grabbing his wine glass and hurling it at the Servant. It smashed harmlessly on his shoulder, sending dark red liquid cascading down his arm. Rider made no response, but merely narrowed his eyes in so sharply reproving a manner that Jamie instantly shrank into his chair, unable to face him.

"She has to..." he muttered again, biting his lip distractedly.

Rider sighed. There had been no getting through to him since Calisa had left the previous evening. And with each passing hour it seemed to be worse. Jamie's shattered ego had left exposed a very unbalanced young man.

"Master-" he tried again, but this time was interrupted by a scream from outside in the main hallway.

"Master Jamie, she's here!" the maid screeched, having been given the strictest of orders to report the moment Calisa had returned.

Jamie leaped from his seat, barely sparing Rider a smug glance as he hurried into the hallway to face his sister as she slinked home, broken and defeated. Rider, surprised by this turn of events, followed uncertainly after his Master.



Jamie entered the main hall, dismissing the maid with a sweep of his hand before turning to face his sister, feeling giddy with relief and the satisfaction that she still belonged to him, no matter what she tried to the contrary.

"Ah, so you've finally..." Jamie began, but trailed off, stopping at the sight of Calisa standing hard and still like an elegantly carved statue. Her demeanor was not one of an inferior, returning humble and defeated. No, there was something dangerous in that icy stare she gave him.

But it only took a moment for Rider to take in Calisa and grasp the sense of foreboding before something far more alarming reached his senses.

"Stay back!" he ordered Jamie, shoving the young man behind him. Jamie spluttered indignantly at the ill treatment, wondering what had gotten into his Servant. But Rider had no spare attention for him. He was staring into the air around Calisa, his face set grimly.

"Calisa... what did you do?" he asked, the words almost sounding like a groan of anguish.

Illya - Schloss Eller

The air distorted and thickens as particles of dark light make a form of a woman floating in the air. To the pair of Master and Servant in front of them, she was elegant, beautifully, but also deadly, no doubt it was easy to figure out what she was, a Servant.

"Lovely night isn't it, Rider and Master of Rider."

A cold and chilling voice, gold eyes as sharp as knifes. Caster oozed with danger, yet Calisa seemed unaware of this, no, she wasn't a target of it, where as Rider and mostly his Master were.

"While I would love to butcher you for what you have done, I have decided to grant you a miracle!"

Caster spoke comically, raising her arms forward as if she was bestowing them a great gift. But soon it became apparent why she did that.

Wood snapping and bending, stone cracking, foundations tumbling. The entire Schloss Eller building was surrounded by a dark light, a massive circle beneath it. But the building wasn't the only thing being destroyed, Jamie too felt it, the massive pressure, his bones and organs being crushed by a weight never faced before.

"I would hurry up and run little rat, you wouldn't want to have your body turn to mush, would you?"

A terrifying magecraft, though Caster only desire was to flatten the building, the result was this, a spell that multiplies gravity to a new level. Those inside of the building would be smashed to mush, nothing would be indicative that said piles of meat were once humans. Yet Calisa and Caster were unaffected by this.

If one looked at the ground, one would see the various cracks growing in it, but they all stopped a few meters aways from Caster, as if there was an invisible safe haven where she was.

Jorg - Schloss Eller

Spoiler:

"A Servant?" Jamie croaked, ashen faced. He had never encountered another Servant, and this one was terrifying to behold. A beautiful, regal figure, yet an omen of swift death.

Death... yes, he could feel the killing intent emanating from her with shocking intensity. At first, Jamie could only surmise that Caster had somehow kidnapped Calisa, but... No, she seemed strangely immune to all this. In fact -

As he moved, he caught sight of the red, intricate symbols branded onto her arm. Command Spells.

"You-!" he hissed, outraged, but the words caught in his throat as Caster's eyes turned toward him. Butcher him? For what he'd done? What could she mean?

But suddenly, Caster raised her hands up, and Rider immediately tensed for a spell. But he couldn't have anticipated something like this.

Wood snapping and bending, stone cracking, foundations tumbling. The entire Schloss Eller building was surrounded by a dark light, a massive circle beneath it. The building and all within it suddenly felt an enormous pressure forced upon them, a crushing weight threatening to break them apart. Rider staggered under the force, though he remained upright. Jamie, however, collapsed immediately, floundering and gasping under the effects.

"I would hurry up and run, little rat. You wouldn't want to have your body turn to mush, would you?" Caster taunted. Rider knew there was little choice in the matter; he could stay and fight - perhaps defeat Rider - but Jamie would surely never survive in that time.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing Jamie and hoisting him over his shoulder before sprinting for the nearest exit. Debris rained down from above, and both walls and ceiling collapsed in on them, but Rider's speed was more than a match for it. He could feel his legs and feet ache and bleed under the force resisting his movement, but he burst through the field nonetheless, collapsing a safe distance into the treeline. Jamie flopped unceremoniously into the dirt, gasping and writhing in contortions of agony. But he would survive - for now, Rider spared him no more thought. Instead, he turned his attention back to Schloss Eller, watching the magnificent building collapse into a pile of rubble.

"Calisa..." he whispered, unwilling to believe what he knew to be true. The idea of never seeing her again had been terrible; but the prospect of seeing her again under these circumstances was unbearable. They were enemies now. And only one side could come through alive.

--------------------

For the first time since they'd arrived, Calisa had faltered at the sound of Rider's voice. She couldn't look at him - she knew her resolve could break with the slightest provocation from him. When Caster appeared, then, it was only too easy to shift her attention to the magnificent Servant, who conjured magic she couldn't even dream of with effortless ease.

When Jamie collapsed under the force, she felt a strange lurch inside her that felt difficult to quantify. It wasn't pity... no, strangely enough, she felt none for him, despite being her brother. It was awe at this display of power.

The building seemed to collapse all around them, but the place where she and her Servant stood was oddly unaffected. And as she watched each piece of foundation break apart, each exceedingly ostentatious artwork and sculpture shatter into dust, she could see the shackles binding her evaporate with them. Every memory of oppression, of neglect, of misery... All broken in an instant.

Someone was laughing intoxicatedly, the sound echoing all around, and it was a few moments before she realized it was her own. Looking down at her feet, she saw the medal with the Lannister crest at her feet, having fallen from Jamie's jacket as they fled. With a smile, she brought her foot down and crushed it beneath her heel.

"Never. Again."