sweethymns | ғaтe/alт.dιѕтorтιon

[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.]

[ He wasn't sure what he was expecting— grief? Relief? Happiness? It would have been one thing for her not to bat an eye upon seeing a sea of lifeless children, but it still disarms him, her tears. Admittedly, he should have seen it coming, from the moment he'd seen her anger.

There's an awkward moment where he shuffles his feet, scratches his chin and lets his spear melt into the night until he has to call upon it again; he's been summoned to this world for a fool's errand, to fight and kill, and suddenly he has to contend with a Master that cares about people.

Ah, but then again: he's used to drawing the short sticks.

Striding over towards Lien, he stands next to her and puts a heavy hand on her head, patting it with no amount of delicacy. ]

You didn't do bad, for a little girl.

[ Another rough pat, and he lets go. ]

[She sniffs, accepting the pat on the head wholeheartedly. Lien wipes her eyes, putting a hand over her bleeding shoulder and she sits against the wall, silent for a few moments.]

... I'm exhausted. You, Lancer?

Still energetic enough to carry you back if I need to.

[ A small shrug, and he puts his hands on his hips. ]

Don't underestimate us Heroic Spirits.

Got it, got it. Don't rub it in, I'm too tired to pretend I'm not impressed.

[Another pause as she ponders whether to heal herself or just. Be the tough person.

Suddenly, she chuckles.]

Hehe. "Die Hard."

Die hard?

[ This is beyond Grail knowledge, so he thinks she's referring to what just...happened. ]

Don't be a martyr, stupid. Fix yourself up.

No, no, stupid. I'm talking about a movie. [Eh, he'll get it when she explains. She gestures with her hands as she explains it.]

The story is that a police officer gets trapped in a building by terrorist thieves who are holding hostages in the buildings in order to stall for time and steal all the money. That lone man goes through the building, defending himself and killing the villains and all while having no shoes, and surviving a lot of explosions and property damage. The main villain has the most ridiculous name, Hans Gruber and in the end he gets thrown off one of the top floors of the building.

[She looks up at him and smiles.]

We'll watch it together. It's really great.

[ Movie...right, the moving pictures thing. He gets an image of it in his mind, but he'll still have to see it to believe it. ]

Heh. Reminds me of that time I took an entire castle down when I was your age.

[ Again with this... but he sounds intrigued!! ]

Alright, I'm game.

Did you step on glass with your bare feet?

[A joke, but she wouldn't be surprised at this point.]

It occurs to me that while I wasn't thinking clearly while taking on that asshole over there... [Jerks a thumb towards the enemy not!Master]

... I was gonna do a Hans Gruber and toss him out the window. Ah, well that's morality for you.

[ A beat, as if he's just remembering. ]

Right. What are you gonna do about this, anyway? Are you going to...

[ He racks his mind for references, things he's learned about this world through osmosis. ]

"Call someone"?

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