Fate/Stay Royal

In light of the overwhelming vote. We doing this now.

The more the situation progressed, the more Bazett realised how little control over the situation she actually had in the first place. Caster had already made a decision, and whatever that decision was, she was going to go through with it. If Bazett wanted to countermand her, then she would be doing so with a pissed off Archer right next to her.

Alas, it seemed Archer, likewise, had realised whatever control over the situation he thought he had, really had been just an illusion, for he looked suitably cowed at Caster's outburst to simply nod his head.

"Uh... this way..." He began walking without any real complaint. Caster did not immediately follow him, at least allowing Bazett the courtesy of walking alongside her as they followed him.

"You think this is the right choice?" Bazett asked. At least some insight into Caster's mind would alleviate the ill feeling permeating her gut.

"It's the right thing to do, as the idiot wizard would say." Caster answered dryly. "I don't think I've ever concocted something to save a life before. In a way, that's oddly exciting."

"Never?"

"My career was a boring one. You could call me a late bloomer, I guess. I'd already done most of the adventures that made me famous by the time I'd actually gotten the hang of magic, and no one was going to record what happened at the killing fields too closely." She answered softly. "Keep an eye on Archer."

"You think he still means to betray us?"

"You don't hate humans that intensely and not at least contemplate it." Caster admitted. "He might be willing to let go for his Master, he might not. His feelings on the matter will at a minimum be complicated. That, at least, will let us know his intent at any given time."

Chaotic feelings meant that hiding the intent to kill wasn't really possible. Bazett had to admit, Caster was right in that arena. There was little risk that Archer would be able to attack them without giving his intent to do so away well beforehand. That Bazett thought that he would do so was inevitable wasn't really a factor at all.

The walk to the storage container used as Hakuno's hideout was not as long as Bazett thought it would be. A flame crackled within it, and Hakuno's body had clearly settled into a deep sleep. In many ways, that was good, but in others, that was bad.

"Time to get to this." Caster muttered. However, before Bazett could follow her in, Archer stepped in front of her.

"If you expect me to trust you with my Master's life, than surely you can trust me with yours." He declared. A tit for tat. It was obvious for what it was, yet it was also clear that Archer had not yet made up his mind about whether or not to simply kill them. Caster shrugged her shoulders.

"If you truly are so insecure." She answered dryly. "Sure." Her footsteps did not slow, and soon enough, she had knelt down at Hakuno's side, muttering to herself under her breath. Bazett could only feel unease in the presence of Archer, but there was little choice but to accept his condition. The last thing she wanted was to deal with his attack now. Not when they were so close to potentially making headroom.

"How long has she been your Master?" Bazett finally asked. Archer blinked, a brief, silly thing, as he slowly tended to a container, ripping away the side and hoarding all sorts of rationable foods.

"This is the third day." He admitted.

"Long rituals are tough on the body. She's been out for most of it, hasn't she?"

"Perhaps." Archer did not immediately answer, nor did he attempt to address the question. Neither were surprising. He wanted his options open, much like they did. Perhaps this was a waste of time. Perhaps it was not, and Archer was simply a prickly hedgehog waiting to be reached out to. Either way, Bazett knew this was now in Caster's hands.

It took quite some time, in uncomfortable silence, for the gap to be broached again.

"Your injury is recent." Archer spoke up. Bazett nodded.

"The Master of Lancer of Black betrayed me." She answered simply. "He took my first Servant and ran."

"Then Caster is your second. What can you say of your first?" That Archer was simply fishing for information was not an unreasonable assumption. However, answering the question was also a show of good faith.

"He's less skilled with a spear then I believe he should be. He uses runes too well for someone who does not appear to know them. His speed is great, but his fighting skills don't reflect it. Oh, and he uses wolves as familiars." Bazett answered. Archer nodded each time, before reaching out his hand, gold melting from his palm until a great spear, more like a spiraled nail, rested in his hand.

"Did it look like this? This is the spear that this place remembers." Archer asked. Bazett shook her head.

"No." She answered softly. "It was far longer, a bit over two metres. I don't know that on-"

"It's Rhongomyniad. It's one of the sacred nails." Caster's voice cut into the discussion as she strode past. "Don't mind me, I need sea water." In her hands was something black, like ichor or a tumour. Whatever it was, it was beating.

"A nail?" Archer blinked, his gaze softening. "Ah..." With that, he let the spear fade away. "I see. The Lancer of the last war must have been a sight to behold indeed."

"I suppose so." Bazett muttered. Rhongomyniad. That implied that the Lancer of the last war was one of a very small group of people. "Why would a barely noteworthy spear be the important one?"

"It's barely noteworthy because no one used it." Caster grumbled, returning soaked. "I've got the crap out of her lungs and loosened her heart. It won't save her life, but it'll help her live a little easier. We need access to materials I just don't have if you want her to live."

"Like what?" Archer asked. Caster's face turned a little green.

"A bozoar grown in the human body." She answered. "Preferably a magus' body. Before extraction, the body needs to be poisoned with the venom of a vorpal rabbit. I can make something similar enough to the poison, but the bozoar extraction will be fatal... eventually." She paused, glancing at Bazett. "I should specify, it needs to be someone with a working magic circuit. Half bodies don't count, it needs to be intact."

Bazett was almost positive that last part was complete bullshit, but Archer didn't need to know that.

"I see. You believe that will cure her."

"Well, normally that's a path to immortality. It'll give her something resembling a human life span, plus a few decades at most." Caster answered dryly. "Or it'll kill her. Depends how far along that rot actually is."

"Rot?"

"Her spiritual organs are literally rotting, Archer." Caster's gaze softened. "But you don't know enough about humans to know that, do you?" The Archer's glare was the stuff of nightmares. The shear desire to kill he could bring to bare without any emotional preparation was staggering. Bazett felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach immediately shut down in preparation to fight for her life. If he desired to actually kill her, he could probably do it.

Then the sensation was gone as soon as it came, and Archer glanced away.

"No, I don't." In that moment, he seemed more like a pouting teenager than a destroyer of worlds. "I get that humans are frail. I get there are no guarantees. But still..." His gaze fell on the sleeping Hakuno, and for a moment, adoration danced across his face. "Alright. You have an idea of who can supply the body already, or you wouldn't have brought it up."

"I don't." Caster answered, her gaze pointedly going to Bazett. "She does."

"Kirei." Bazett whispered. This was certainly a fate worse than just dying, but somehow, Bazett couldn't bring herself to care. "You're right, I do know someone. The problem is finding the asshole."

"I could have just asked the earth once upon a time." Archer admitted, shaking his head. "But the lack of energy means that it's all I can do to keep the burden off of my Master. It won't recover, either." He glanced to the moon, pondering. "How do we find a human that will not wish to be found."

"We worry about it in the morning." Even without saying it, something had shifted in the tone of the conversation. Bazett liked that switch. The hostility had vanished and in it's place was something else. Perhaps it wasn't friendship, but Bazett was certain he wouldn't attack them anymore.

"Uhuh. Say it." Caster declared, pointing at Archer. "Are we allies or not?" The Archer blinked in confusion, staring at Caster.

"Huh?"

"Two way street, mister. If you want our help, then you're agreeing to be our ally. I'm not accepting any halfassery after that jackass of a Ruler." She glared straight at Archer. "You with us, or you against us?" Archer didn't even question the declaration, shaking his head.

"We're allies. We're allies."

"Good." Letting out a long sigh, Caster plopped down on her ass. "Man, what a night."

"It won't end anytime soon." Archer admitted. "Something has been drawing energy away from me. It's big, whatever it is."

"Huh?" Caster frowned. "Like what?"

"I'm not sure. Something building up to a- Huh?"

There was a crack and a boom, and then the sky lit up in red for the briefest of moments.

"That was a Noble Phantasm." Bazett growled, shooting to her feet, hand searching for Fraga. Caster shook her head.

"Relax. It was nowhere near here." She muttered. "Looks like its back towards that town near the Church." Archer frowned, his body shifting as his parameters changed. It was almost surreal to watch.

"The direction of the attack indicates that the fight is moving towards us." He noted. "There is no regard for collateral." It sounded almost like a fight someone who hated humans would conduct, in fact. Bazett frowned. Archer would likely go and investigate no matter what she did.

This would require a very split second decision.

[ ] Let Archer go alone.
[ ] Go with Archer to investigate.
[ ] Tell Archer to remain and investigate.
[ ] There was no reason to go. Rest till morning.