Fate/Tempus Odyssey

Jason was not, if Shinji was honest, an unpleasant man to look at. His hair was short and golden, and his skin a faint bronze. He had to wonder if the man had actually spent that much time in the sun, yet his clothes had begun to fade from excessive sun.

He was a king, yet he did not seem particularly kingly. A man who had spent his last moments miserable due to the machinations of a witch. It was a classic Greek tale; Shinji's grandfather had told that tale with great relish once upon a time.

More then once upon a time, actually. Sometimes it was as if he was taunting Shinji with that one. Shinji had to wonder if the old worm had known something back then, but even so, the very idea of meeting a hero of the ancient past was ridiculous to most.

Shinji wasn't actually sure what brought him up to the ships captain. Perhaps it was a desire to meet the person who had made their survival, if it could be called that, possible, or perhaps it was just idle curiosity.

"Oh, so you're the one the cutie contracted."

"Cutie?" The Rider sprung back onto his feet, swooping up a bottle of alcohol as he did so and taking a long swig. Shinji couldn't help but crinkle his nose just a little. That brought back memories he'd rather forget.

"Caster. The girl. Sheba, I think she calls herself. Kinda novel, naming yourself."

"Then that isn't her true name?"

"Dunno. She's not a normal Servant." Another swig, and the captain grinned just a little. "Gotta admit, didn't expect someone to actually join me. Take a seat. Want something to drink?"

"I'll pass." Shinji's voice felt awfully small. So Sheba wasn't a normal Servant? He didn't even have a baseline for normal, so that didn't mean anything. "You're really Jason?"

"Yep, King of Adventurer's!" He posed for a brief moment, before taking another swig. Shinji was beginning to notice a pattern. Rider really was trying to drown himself in booze. "Mind, the adventure I had turned out to not be that good. I'd love to recapture that feeling though." He looked just a little nostalgic, plopping himself down. "King Jason, yeah, it has a nice ring, but I didn't do very well in the end."

"You were betrayed."

"You could say that, I guess." Jason just chuckled at Shinji's statement. "You look at this too simply, kid. My choices were my own, do try and learn from it." He let out a long sigh, glancing down at the deck. "I swear, this will be almost as bad as when Atalanta was here."

"Sorry?"

"Give it a few days. People will start feeling frustrated. That's when the annoying part starts." He sighed. "Mind, I suppose the real thing to watch for is Caster turning everyone to frogs." Another swig from his bottle. "So, who are you?"

"… Shinji Matou."

"Shinji. Nice enough name. Given Caster decided to contract with you, you can't be too bad." He paused just a moment. "Don't bother keeping secrets from her. I promise you she already knows."

"Huh?" Shinji just raised an eyebrow. "What, can she read minds?"

"Well, maybe yours. I know Kayneth can do something not dissimilar with us." Jason answered. "And I promise you she is way better at magic then he is. Might be better then Medea, actually..." He trailed off, as if he was considering whether that was right. "Anyway, she can see the future. Any secret you have, she probably knows."

"Right..." Shinji wasn't even sure how they'd gotten onto this line of discussion. Jason just smacked his back.

"Right it is. Now, remember, on my Argo there will be no flirting. We're here for adventure, do your bedding on your own time."

"What!?" Jason simply laughed. It was a nice sound. Shinji found himself smiling in spite of himself.

Still, who would think of such a thing at a time like this?

"In all seriousness, though. You scared us, kid."

"I did?"

"Yeah. That trick you pulled back at Chaldea. Whatever it was, it had Leonardo in a fit." Jason's face had turned stone cold. It was almost a rare moment of seriousness. Shinji wasn't even sure how to gauge his character. "It felt like Herk descending on us."

"You mean Hercules?"

"Herakles, yeah." Jason shook his head. "Unrestrained power and more. Whatever you did was scary." He glanced at Shinji for a long moment. "For your sake, don't do it again."

"Why?"

"Humans are not meant to be like us." He muttered. "Being a hero sucks. Being something like Herakles sucks on a whole different level. Leave it behind. Forget you can do it. It's all I can offer you." He raised his bottle again, drinking deeply from it. "Whoever it was liked you."

"What do you mean?"

"… It might be better you ask someone else." Jason shook his head, muttering under his breath. "I'm not a wizard. All I really know is Medea's pillowtalk." Shinji opened his mouth, but Jason just raised a hand. "You have a perfectly good Caster. Go ask her. In the meantime..." He jumped on top of a crate, peering over the side and whistling. "Man, this place is beaut-iiiii-fuuuuuul."

"Where are we, anyway?" Shinji had to agree. This place, a sea of colours, was quite a delight to the eyes.

"This sea is the place outside time." Jason answered. "If you went looking, you might find roughly the location of the Throne of Heroes. Oh relax, even if we found it, you wouldn't be able to see it." Shinji felt his eyes widen. They were outside time? "It doesn't really work like that. Even if you find the location of the throne or the root, there's not really any way to reach them proper from where we are."

"Why?"

"Well, I could tell you, but it'd be more interesting if you can work it out yourself." He paused briefly. "And no asking Caster, it's our little challenge between men, eh?"

"Sure." Shinji just nodded. A challenge between men. He could handle that. That was something that seemed almost normal, for once. It was something that was interesting, true, but he was not in a hurry to know.

The pair fell into a short, comfortable silence. In truth, Shinji would have been happy to keep standing there, staring out into the ocean.

"Problem, cutie?"

"I came for Shinji, Jason."

Shinji just turned, regarding the small Caster who leaned against the wheel of the ship. He wasn't sure when exactly she'd arrived, but she didn't seem to be in a hurry either.

"Well, that's your cue, kid." Jason grinned, nudging Shinji forward. "Sorry, but steering this ship is all I can do. I'm not a fighter."

"Okay." Shinji just nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… why do you need me?"

"For starters your stomach is bleeding." Sheba retorted drily. "You split the muscle in your right bicep, you have a bruised lung and who knows what else. I stopped looking after that."

"What? How?"

"Human's are human's, Shinji. Come on." She grabbed his hand. "I'll direct you later, Rider."

"It's a date!"

"Stop being insufferable!" Shinji was not about to get involved in that one. No, he was not. Sheba spent the entire trip down to the deck grumbling to herself, dragging Shinji along. "We'll have to get Roman to look at you."

"Roman?"

"Closest thing we have to a doctor." Sheba answered. "I'd take you to the chief of medical staff, but…"

"He's dead?"

"He was never going to make it." Sheba corrected. "Some people were simply destined to fall."

"That's..."

"Disheartening? Most of Chaldea's senior staff were the first to die." Sheba answered the question before it could even be voiced. "Roman was either beneath notice or escaped somehow."

"Which was it?"

"I'm not sure." Sheba didn't sound like she liked that she didn't know, either, as she led Shinji below deck. The very first thing Shinji thought was that the ships shape was horribly misleading.

"What the hell?"

"Don't think about it too hard. The layout of the Argo will give you a headache." She didn't seem too bothered. "Just keep where you want to go in mind and the Argo will deliver you there."

"That's convenient."

"I would hope so. Leonardo and I have been working on this for years." Sheba simply sniffed. Whether she was offended or not was simply impossible to tell. "This way."

It didn't take long, but Shinji ot the feeling that their walk down a straight corridor had turned them around at least twice, before they came to a door. Sheba didn't even knock before opening it. Shinji wasn't sure if following her lead was entirely wise, but the damage was already done.

"Oi, Romani, wake up."

"I wasn't asleep!" The response was almost indignant, from a man who'd been lying on a bed, absently looking at a computer screen and eating a stick of something. Shinji just stared, as the sounds of pop music entered his ears.

"Are you watching an idol?"

"Her name is Magi Mari! And of course I am!" The pale orange haired man cried. "Music is great for stress and can allow you to learn from other peoples life experiences!" Shinji wasn't entirely sure why he went to such efforts to defend his choice of media, yet Sheba just sighed.

"He's not a goof, I promise." She muttered. "Even if he looks it, he's actually really reliable." There was something under her voice, almost admiration. Romani, if that really was his name, simply looked between the two of them, before muting the video.

"I suppose he's the one that invited a spirit into his body?"

"Yes. I think he's pretty badly hurt, but I'd like a second opinion." Sheba paused. "Well, and someone who actually knows medicine." That part came out almost sheepishly. Romani just smiled, chuckling to himself.

"That's fine. Come here, then, I don't bite."

Shinji was unsure he really wanted to trust his fate to this man, but his face looked kind enough.

"Let's see. Shinji Matou. About sixty kilograms and one hundred and seventy centimetres. Eye dilation doesn't look too bad. Say ahh, Shinji."

Shinji wasn't sure if this was the most ridiculous checkup he'd ever had, but none of the questions Romani asked seemed to really have a point.

"Does this tell you anything?"

"No, of course not." Romani answered drily, as his computer beeped. "That, on the other hand, will. I just needed you to stop fidgeting." He spun around, back to his computer, humming as he read the readout. "Well, the good news is you will live. That's about where the good news ends."

"Are you saying I'm hurt?"

"Oh, viciously, but its nothing we can't fix." Romani waved off the idea of Shinji being hurt, not even regarding it as a concern. "You'll be fine by the time Sheba navigates us to our destination. However, it appears we will be having words as to personal safety, and that Magic Circuit you still have on." Romani stopped, his gaze falling on Sheba. "Is there a reason you didn't tell him how to turn it off?"

"I don't know how!" She admitted with exasperation. "I don't even use one!" Romani just sighed.

"You'll have to ask one of the other Masters." He admitted. "I'm not a magus, and Leonardo is… well, not someone you ask for explanations you want to understand. Especially not a complete novice like you. Anyway, let's get to the nitty gritty. Your body is host to about thirteen parasitic organisms in roughly the shape of a worm. Did you know that?"

Shinji felt a lump form in his throat.

"Grandfather said they all died."

"Your grandfather is… I assume Zolgen Makiri?"

"Who?"

"How old is he?"

"I don't know. Way older then anyone I know. Father called him grandfather too." That was all Shinji was willing to say about Byakuya Matou. He was perfectly happy to put him forever out of mind now. Romani just nodded.

"Your grandfather's original name is Zolgen Makiri." He confirmed. "The worms inside you are his familiars, at a guess. They are designed rather curiously, but that's a problem to throw at Leonardo some other time."

"What's your point?"

"Well, twelve of them are empty. I suspect half of them or more don't actually serve a function on their own." Romani admitted. "One of them sets off the Servant Matrix Graph. It reads Archer."

Sheba's mouth formed a small 'o', and then she broke out cursing.

"What kind of madman does that?"

"One that either has supreme confidence in their offspring, or doesn't care much about them. Romani muttered. "Your body is hosting a worm that is essentially storing a Saint Graph within it, or the data of a heroic spirit. Do you know what you did in the Chaldea facility, Shinji?"

"No, aside from it freaking Jason out."

"I suppose it would freak him out. You called a heroic spirit down from the Throne, using your body as its vessel." Romani mused. "For safety reasons, avoid doing so again."

Shinji's immediate thought of how cool and useful that could be was cut short.

"What?"

"Human's are not made for that, Shinji. Your soul and the soul of whoever you called down are extremely compatible; so much so I suspect the Hero you summoned actually knows you and did its best to insulate you from harm. You lasted seven seconds." Romani answered darkly. "Your body violently damaged itself maintaining the high abilities possessed by a Servant. Your soul rebelled against the hero's and tried to tear itself to pieces in response. In all honesty, three seconds is already too long to be transformed. Beyond that your risking real harm. Beyond nine seconds, it'd probably kill you, without some sort of insulating factor." Romani let out a long sigh. "It's a bit of a pity, since that's a really useful ability, regardless of intent, that Zolgen has left us, but right now it is too dangerous. Let Leonardo see what she can do to make it safe."

Shinji just let out a sigh. Well, that put a damper on his good mood. It sucked, finding out you had something cool, only to discover that it would kill you.

[ ] Ask something else.
-[ ] What?
[ ] Leave.

Shinji went to…
[ ] The Einzbern. He was probably the most approachable Master. Maybe he could help.
[ ] The Istari. He was easily the most experienced Master, after all, even if that gem trick was terrifying.
[ ] … Well, there was worse picks then the Archibald heir…
[ ] Testing his luck with Kayneth was not the dumbest thing that Shinji had ever done.
[ ] Understandable or not, Leonardo was someone Shinji was curious about.