sweethymns | ғaтe/alт.dιѕтorтιon

Am I taking care of this while you sit here, or what? I don't mind, either way.

I think you better follow me. [She turns around and takes a step forward.]

After all, I'm the defenseless... one... [There's a sharp pain in her head. And in a blink, the environment around them changes, as if it was where they were all along.

It's a forest in the daytime. The physical senses are overwhelmed by the smell of grass, leaves, and warm if mild sunlight.]

... Oh god dammit. Definitely dealing with a Caster here, aren't we??

[And as if for atmosphere's sake and to mock the Master and Servant, a playful song can be heard, echoing throughout the forest.]

Tch. This isn't a fight, this is just a damn game.

[ Which he doesn't particularly like— there's a sense of pride he likes to stick to, even with all of his seeming playfulness. ]

Let's get this over with. It's stuff like this that pisses me off the most.

Right.

[She takes off her glove again and stretches her hand out to the side, groping for the wall that's supposed to exist and then to the ground.]

... 100 paces ahead. Count it exactly and don't stray off the path.

Got it.

[ 100 paces, in a straight line. He counts the steps in his head, lance poised and scratching at the ground, drawing a line in the "dirt". The song is getting grating, but it fades the more he concentrates, the more he hones his senses towards the heavy aura emanating directly in their line of movement. ]

—100!

[She touches the ground again, her nails digging into the fake earth.]

Gotta break it, gotta break it...

[Lien grits her teeth because the magic at work is overwhelming, but... there's a slip she's able to detect... She bunches her hand into a fist and focuses on concentrating a large amount of prana into her fist and then punching the ground. The ground beneath them looks like it's a cracked piece of glass and she shouts to Lancer.]

BREAK IT!!

[ He barely needs a prompt, working in complete unison with his Master: he has his lance poised the moment she brings her hand up, and he lets out a roar as he slams the blade of his weapon into the fracture of the spell, digging in and dragging out as if he's ripping a seam.

The scenery melts, and Lancer has to squint for a moment as the light around them vanishes. ]

—Stay back, they might attack!

[Lien is swift to get back up on her feet and behind Lancer. But then she spots something that had been obscured by the illusion; a rift, a thin threadlike crack that floats in the air as if painted there by some force.

Also, there is a shadow beast, akin to a fucking large bear, about the size of the dragon he fought before, forcing its way out. And upon the ledge, the cloaked Caster class Servant sits, not too far from the rift, ready to face them. But it looks like she's helping the rift open up...

Yeah, not good. Lien knows she has to make a choice and fast.]

... Lancer, I'm gonna find the kids. I can take care of myself if you get that Servant.

Edited 2014-12-06 09:36 (UTC)

Don't ask me for my permission, kid— leave the fighting to me.

[ A wave of his hand, his eyes fixed on the enemy in front of him, and that's all Lancer offers before he bolts forward: if past experience dictates anything, he should be able to kill the shadow quickly. It's Caster that's the problem— spellcasters always like to hide, and that's a bother.

A swing of his lance, and he swipes at the bear's legs, trying to climb up its girth to reach the Servant. ]

[And without another word, Lien dashes off in the opposite direction, praying for Lancer's success. Her one glove is still off and she quickly assesses the location of the children. She can see them through the flashes of the past, being placed within a large circle, their prana being drained...

Shit!

Any longer and they would provide Caster with enough firepower to give Lancer more trouble than it was worth. Although at this point, maybe he needed a good fight. Lien didn't want to ponder that though and she finds the double doors; of course. Covered by seals to keep intruders out. She yells in frustration and begins to run through ideas, spells she picked up in the book... Of course! Ignition!

She concentrates, going over the text she recalls in her head about ignition spells and with the instructions bright and clear in her mind, Lien snaps her gloved finger creating a spark. Snaps two times, a bigger spark.

Third time's the charm; the power of the spell overwhelms the seal and she gets the doors open. Although she was expecting it, Lien gasps when she sees the children laid across haphazardly in the spell circle, some with their eyes half-open and in a daze.]

No, no, no, no, no, no...!!

[Panic sets in. She needs to undo this. She needs to make sure they're all alive. All of them.

But where was the Master...]

[ On his end, Lancer is having more difficulty than he likes. Casters are always the more difficult Servants to beat for him; he'd prefer Berserker, at this rate.

The bear lunges and tries to gore him with its claws, which Lancer anticipates. A quick half-turn, and his spear goes right through the enemy's paw, pinning it down to the ground. ]

I didn't sign up for a hunt, so—

[ Still talking, he hops up onto the pinned bear's arm and pulls Gae Bolg out, gaining momentum from his enemy's thrashing to, again, go for the jugular. Quick and neat. ]

—Leave the heavy fighting to the real warriors.

[ He directs this last sentiment at Caster, who sits up from her perch on the ledge and frowns. How dare this uncouth Servant kill her pets!! ]

[First thing's first, she needs to break the spell circle without harming the children. Or rather she can change the markings on the circle, redirecting the prana back to the children so they weren't drained. Great. Yes. A plan!

She kneels down ready to change up the circle. She whispers to the children]

Hold on guys. You'll be home in the morning... [And then a magically enhanced knife flies by her face, scratching the side of her cheek. Lien is able to dodge and roll out of the way.]

Oh, you goddamn, ASSHOLE...!!!

[She's faced with a lanky and unpleasant looking magus, a man wearing a hood. Probably not a very refined magus, she's able to tell from his clothing and his body language. No less dangerous. He faces her stone faced and calm.]

[ There's a twinge when he senses danger on his Master's end, but Lancer has his hands full with his own trials: Caster isn't happy with him (predictably), and has taken it upon herself to vaporize the gnat who's infiltrated her territory.

A war is a war, but Lancer's not too thrilled, again, about his opponent being a woman. It's not the time to be talking preferences, of course, when he's being accosted by scores of magical beams.

A low click of his tongue, an internal you better hold out until I get rid of this Servant, and Lancer continues dodging and deflecting, trying to span the distance between himself and his opponent. It's not a good idea to use his Noble Phantasm when he can't get into position. ]

[Lien snaps her fingers, trying to cast another ignition spell towards the enemy Master. But...]

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

[The circle's glow grows stronger and one of the children whimpers, immediately stopping Lien.]

... [She stands up slowly. The man smiles slightly.]

Good, good. I need these children you know. I wasn't born with a good amount of circuits or prana... Caster and I need an edge in this War.

[Lien scoffs, clutching her fists together.]

Yeah, and I can't grow past 5'5 you son of a bitch. They don't have anything to do with this War! What the hell kind of wish would you have for the Grail if you're already resorting to this?!

[ Meanwhile, Caster has taken to laughing softly at her opponent, watching him from her vantage point as he progresses. ]

Your little Master is brave, but not too bright. [ Is her assessment, and her smile widens when she nicks the side of Lancer's face with one of her energy blasts. She's the type that likes slow kills, which is why she's fine with her Master's exploitation of innocents: whatever works. ] She's going to be used, just like the rest of them.

[ Her hand raises, and a mass of shadow pools on her palm to create a flock of inky crows; they fly at Lancer, who cuts them down without blinking, his own expression set in a semi-nihilistic grin. ]

So you'd take cowardice over courage? Looks like we're not gonna get along.

[ And he bounds right through the dissipating black feathers, looking for his opening. He knows she can't cast such big spells over and over without having to stop and recharge, and he sees his chance. ]

Why? Why indeed... You've seen the rifts.

[He begins to walk around the circle. Lien keeps an eye on him and then looks back at the children, their dead looking eyes burning into her memory. Her head is aching, her heart is thumping like crazy...

She wakes up from a chair of some sorts. There are noises outside. Shouting. People. She stares into the instruments above her, some sharp, some are mirrors, showing her thin face, her Eyes glassy and deep.

She gets off the chair. She knows she's not supposed to, but it's as if she's finally woken up. She goes into the next room. A boy. Brown hair. His eyes were like hers. He sits in a similar chair. His head suddenly moves on its own. His eyes look into hers. She says something. He doesn't answer. Her hand moves to touch his face, to SEE because he's not saying anything.

He's not saying anything because he's dead.

No. No. Nononononono. No. NO. No, no, no, no, no, NONONONONONONO...!!!

Her fingers are twitching and yet why is this asshole still talking as if she cared about what he wanted???]

...They'll keep coming from those cracks, targeting Masters and humans alike. I'm keeping both myself and Caster safe. And I do have a wish.

[Lien stares at the magus across from her.]

... And?

You know, it's not quite fair. That's a Lancer you've got isn't it? And I can tell, neither you or I are first rate magi. That ignition spell wasn't half bad, but I've seen better.

So how about this? I'll make a deal.

[ Lancer bursts through the barrage of birds, and swings his spear—

—only to feel his limbs forced back by magical chains, glowing violet in the dim light. He's ten paces away from Caster, enough for him to drive his spear through her if he wants, but the binds are tight and at full force. She's not half bad, this Servant.

A high-pitched giggle, and Caster floats towards him, crooking one long finger at his chin, tilting it up to get a good look. ]

My Master's a very generous human, you know. [ She hums, all-too-knowing of that little twitch of Lancer's brow. He can sense Lien's distress, and she knows precisely what must be going on in the other room. ] He's probably trying to make a deal with your little girl right now.

[ Lightly scratching the underside of Lancer's chin, she appends: ]

So? How about it? You can be my little dog, and we'll let you live.

[ Ah.

Lancer's brow twitches again, and his eyes widen to an extent where he looks fearsome—

— she used the "d" word. ]

[Lien tilts her head to the side, staring at the man through her glasses.]

Deal, huh?

[Something is bubbling up inside of her. It's a new feeling. Or maybe it isn't. Maybe it's been there the whole time and for the past decade of her new life, she hasn't had a proper way to express it. Lien's body relaxes and she even. Smiles. Just a bit.]

Sounds good. I'm all ears.

[The magus smiles back, a bit surprised she's relenting. But of course, they both weren't skilled magi. They'd be able to have a strong alliance and in the end he'd have enough energy for Caster to kill both her and her Servant, harvesting both for their purposes.]

Good. Now that you understand where I'm coming from, please listen...

[Something flies in the air.... Glasses? He squints because the room is dark, only illuminated by the glow of the prana draining circle. The magus hears a snap and the glasses are ignited, causing a blinding flash in the room, obscuring his vision completely.]

SHIT...! You bitch...!!

[He makes his way through the circle, teeth gnashing and angry. There is debris and dust everywhere and the light hasn't settled down. He hears Lien moving past him and he thrusts another magically enhanced knife in her direction. She yells in pain, but it only got her in the shoulder. But that was enough.

Lien finds that she's stronger than this lanky man just through fortune. She knees him in the groin and she casts another ignition spell, aiming at his face like a punch. It burns his face and he falls to the ground. Through the searing pain of his burnt flesh, the light settles down. And even though everything is a blur, the Master sees himself looking into her eyes.

The only expression that could be described is cold rage.]

Edited 2014-12-07 03:13 (UTC)

[ Her biggest mistake wasn't taunting him— he's had worse, honestly— but it was treating this duel like a means to a negotiation. Cu Chulainn doesn't negotiate, not on the field of a one-on-one, not with people who take others hostage. He has a warrior's oath.

And that oath is distinctly not thrilled by the dog assumption: Hound of Chulainn as he may be, his name is his honor, not a designation of servitude.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise to Caster when the chains binding him start to rattle, when the links start breaking and he wrenches one arm free, his smile as carefree as the breeze but as strong as a burning flame. ]

Don't make me laugh, Spellcaster.

[ And with that, he drives Gae Bolg into her chest, through her heartless heart. ]

[The man yells as Lien pins him down and straddles him, one hand wrapped around his throat and the other bunched up in a fist.]

You SON...! [A punch to the face. Not hard enough.] OF A BITCH!!! [SECOND PUNCH. In her rage she's forgotten about her prana laden hand and it's helping to not soften the blows.]

YOU ARE KILLING GODDAMN CHILDREN!!!! THE HELL THEY EVER DID TO YOU!!! I don't give a SHIT about being a half-rate magus. At least I wouldn't have to be...!! [Another blow. Teeth are knocked out. Adrenaline rushes to the brain. His face is going purple from just one hand around his throat.] ... A PIECE OF SHIT MAGUS LIKE YOU!!!

[She calms down. Barely. Probably not at all. The man isn't quite conscious anymore and the Command Spells on his hand have disappeared. Lien is panting, but she hasn't loosened her grip.]

... What good is magic if... If...

Edited 2014-12-07 03:36 (UTC)

[ And suddenly, from behind, there's a low whistle. ]

Hey, hey, little miss. Any more and that guy's dead.

[ Says the one that just killed a Servant to get here, but, well. He's seen the tail end of her outburst, and he's considerably more calm then he was when he was fighting: the storm's gone, and any offense has disappeared with it.

Solid footsteps take him behind her, and he tries to pick her up by the scruff of her neck (or, well, by her collar), like a kitten. ]

Cool it, unless that's what you're going for.

[It's his voice that snaps her out of her rage and makes her realize... Wow, yeah. A normal person would be more horrified at their inner capability of brutality.

Lien wasn't normal even when she tried to be. She's picked up by Lancer, but she doesn't let go of the man's throat. It takes her a good solid minute to drop him like he was a dirty rag and not a human.]

... [She doesn't feel the pain of her bleeding shoulder. Her opposite glove is on the ground, somewhere. She's lost her goddamn glasses.

Her Servant is alive.]

... Let me check on the kids.

[The circle is gone, now that the magus isn't conscious. The children are laying still, however.]

[ He puts her down, rolling his shoulders and letting her get to the process of checking on the kids. His focus is more on the fallen Master and on other presences that might have been clued in to this location through their fighting— nothing amiss so far, but that's not a guarantee. ]

I got rid of the Servant, so this bastard won't be a problem anymore.

[She nods silently at Lancer's report. They had won. And she goes around the circle, picking up each child gently, laying them against the wall. With her bare hand, she checks not only their pulse, but she learns their names, their ages, the areas they lived, all necessary to learn so that they could be returned properly to their homes.

No one had died. Some were on the brink, but no one was dead. They were asleep, dreaming real dreams and no longer staring at her with lifeless eyes.]

[And she finally collapses on her knees with her hands covering her face to muffle her sobbing. She's tired out, she's used more magic that wasn't her Eyes in years (something she swears she didn't want to do), she's still bleeding and her shoulder finally begins to hurt.

But they're alive. And she's crying after all the cold rage and for being able to make sure that these children didn't have to wait like she and her sister did.]

Thank... Thank god. Alive. They're all alive. Thank god, thank god...!!

[She wouldn't have to dream of more dead eyes tonight.]

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