The Docks
- Thread starter Knosis
- Start date
@TheGreenerGrey
The warm, salty breeze that blew in through the open door of the smaller warehouse ruffled Jannik’s hair, forcing him to pause from his inscription of the large summoning rune he was making. He tied back the longer portions of it, though his bangs and part of of the rest of his hair flopped out from the the loose ponytail he had, drifting into his face once more. He once more pulled out his scribe, setting to work on the circle he was carving into the concrete floor.
It had finally happened. He’d had a feeling that something big had been coming for the last week or so, and when the seal had finally formed on the back of his left hand, he knew he’d been chosen for the Holy Grail War. At that point, it had been a matter of finding an artefact from one of the heroic spirits that he would be able to summon. After a few days of searching, using his runic magic to effectively seek out the nearest one, he’d stumbled upon a very old helmet in an antiques shop. It had listed that it as simply a reproduction of a classical piece, and Jannik was able to purchase it fairly cheaply, but he knew it for what it really was: armor from a man who’d become a heroic spirit.
So here he was, sweating ever so slightly as he used the utmost care to carve the razor-thin lines of the circle he’d made. It was a slight variant to a normal summoning circle, meant to use some of the latent magical energy in the world around him to help fuel the summoning, though not allowing any of the binding process to be left out. He wouldn’t lose control of the Servant, if they chose to answer his call. The helmet sat on a simple wooden pedestal at about waist height, ready to be picked up and put on. He’d taken some time to learn who the helm had belonged to in the past, and though the man wasn’t exactly who he’d hoped, there was a good chance he’d make a very powerful servant.
As he finished the circle, Jannik stepped back and looked at his work. It was perfect, perhaps as well done as he’d ever managed, and it had a certain gravitas to it that other rune-work he’d done simply couldn’t match. It truly was a circle of a Master. He set his scribe down on a folding table he’d brought with him, picking up a thin notebook instead. While he was certain many in the magical community would scoff at him for having such modern implements, in his opinion, they could all go fuck themselves. If he could use a simple table just to hold his shit while he worked, then why did he need some hundred-plus -year-old desk from someone famous? For the sanctity of the situation?
He laughed, then opened the notebook, starting the incantation that would summon his Servant, though he wasn’t yet sure which one he’d get. Based on the fact that he was using a piece of armour as the catalyst, he suspected it would be either Rider or Saber, possibly Berserker, but he couldn’t know until he’d finally cast the spell.
As he spoke, he felt the magic gripping him and almost pulling him along, but he was in control of it, and thus he continued.
He could not only feel it working, but see it as well. The circle was radiant at his feet, brilliant ice-blue light emanating from the carefully scribed lines.
The circle flared with light, blindingly bright. Outside of the warehouse, it looked like a lighthouse had gone off within, bathing the waterside immediately next to the building in light like the noonday sun. Within, Jannik waited to see if his summoning had actually worked.
As the light dimmed, Jannik was greeted with the sight of a powerful figure clad in armour kneeling before him, wisps of ice-blue power trailing from the armour as the figure knelt, head bowed yet still at face level to the Master.
A truly massive, metallic tower shield was clad to the arm of the armoured figure. Larger than even the heroic spirit, the shield caught the eye of all who witnessed it, as grand as it was. Power practically came off of if in waves, and as it touched the floor of the warehouse whilst its master knelt the floor cracked and splintered beneath it.
Behind the figure, another rose in the darkness. Sockets that had long since held eyes peered down at Jannik whilst gums held in a permanent state of decay peeled back to reveal jagged fangs and once again that blue light. The massive, undead wolf silently watched Jannik and its Rider as it memorized its new charge.
Standing, the armour clad figure rose from its kneeling position. From there Jannik saw that what he had once thought a helmet was instead the spirit itself. Flesh and blood met the gaze of bone and magic, trails of blue light emanating from the skeleton’s sockets as it silently reached forward for the helmet upon the stool with one hand.
Grasping it, the skeleton looked away from the one who summoned him to gaze at the helmet. Before Jannik’s eyes, the ancient and tarnished metal warped and shook, taking upon a luster to match the rest of the armour Rider wore.
Still looking at the helmet, the jaws to the skeleton creaked open. “Are you… the one to be my master?”
Jannik paused as his Servant appeared, unsure of how to react. He wondered if he’d not done things perfectly, considering the state of decay that the Servant was in, but then again, who knew the fine details. The magus grinned a bit wryly, then cleared his throat.
“I am.” He looked to the massive wolf behind the armored skeleton, then back to his Servant. “I take it that you are of the Rider class. Am I correct?” He stepped forward, noting the cracks in the concrete where the shield had met the artificial stone with curiosity. If just resting the item there could cause such damage, just how powerful of a Servant had he summoned.
A secret exuberance thrilled through him at the thought. Perhaps he would be able to redeem himself in his family’s eyes after all. Maybe he’d manage to win and- He stopped his train of thought. A Holy Grail War would not suffer ‘maybe’ and ‘possibly’. It needed absolute confidence from the mage in their Servant and their skills for a victory.
Rider nodded, reaching a gauntleted hand behind himself to stroke the Wulgar. “Yes. I am a Rider. This is my mount, Revenant.” He states simply, voice an eternal death rattle.
Pulling his hand back down, Rider, placed the helmet over his eyes, obscuring his true nature to the world as the armour blocked all insight as to his true form. “I am to be your servant throughout this war.” He stated, a fact known to both. “I swear upon mine honour,” he continued as he bowed his now armoured head once again towards Jannik. “That as long as the code of honour is followed, I will let nothing stand in our way. I shall serve you until victory… or death.”
“What is your name, my master?”
With the armor now complete, Jannik couldn’t help but be impressed. Where he’d been concerned, there was now only the solidarity of the coming victory. With someone so strong, and so well protected, there couldn’t possibly be any way he’d lose. His wry smile became a somewhat toothy grin, confident.
“My name is Jannik Schreiber,” he pronounced it ‘yannik’, “ and I’m pleased to have you as my Servant, Rider. You and Revenant both. Tell me, who were you before you became a heroic spirit. I know some lore, but none that includes such a mighty individual and a creature as powerful as your steed.”
His curiosity was piqued, that much was certain, but even as he let loose with his emotions, his excitement showing, he was already trying to think of ways to use Rider’s physical attributes to their utmost potential, especially with Jannik’s less capable casting methods.
“I was… a defender. A champion of the people. When others turned their backs on them, I stood for them. It didn’t matter where they were from. I would not, and will not, allow the innocent to come to harm over the squabbles of the noble and the powerful.” Rider stated, gauntleted fists clenching for a moment before releasing as the skeletal figure glanced at Revenant.
“That is how I met Revenant. A town gave him to me when he was but a cub, as a thank you. They said that the Wulgar had long been the guardians of their people, and what better companion for a defender? I was unable to refuse, and I am glad for that.” At his words, the massive wolf leaned forward to sniff at Jannik, air rushing in and out in a large wave, despite the wolf’s state.
Jannik listened carefully, trying to understand this spirit who’d once been such a staunch man. It wasn’t necessarily a perfect fit for him, a mercenary might’ve been better, but he was in a position where what was given to him was good. Very good. As Revenant sniffed him, the magus raised a hand to the Wulgar’s snout, palm open, but did not touch the creature. He simply was offering for it to get his scent, to know who he was.
“I see. It would seem that we might make an excellent team, then. One last question, before we start preparations for this war in full. What, might I ask, if your name, Rider? I would know the name of the Hero who has answered my call, who bears my fate and protects it with his shield.”
The wolf sniffed Jannik twice more, eyes narrowing before it turned away and retreated back behind its rider. Said rider was busy looking at the mage, gauging them and scrutinizing Jannik’s every action.
“There is a.. power, that comes with names. To divulge mine comes with a potential risk it can be used against me, should our enemies ever hear it.” The ancient warrior speaks. “However… I feel as if that warning alone will not stop you. In that case…”
The Rider straightened, standing to his full height and looked down at Jannik. His full form easily bearing the weight of his shield and armour, with Wulgar protectively nearby, he spoke.
“I am Magnan. Magnan the Defender.”
The warm, salty breeze that blew in through the open door of the smaller warehouse ruffled Jannik’s hair, forcing him to pause from his inscription of the large summoning rune he was making. He tied back the longer portions of it, though his bangs and part of of the rest of his hair flopped out from the the loose ponytail he had, drifting into his face once more. He once more pulled out his scribe, setting to work on the circle he was carving into the concrete floor.
It had finally happened. He’d had a feeling that something big had been coming for the last week or so, and when the seal had finally formed on the back of his left hand, he knew he’d been chosen for the Holy Grail War. At that point, it had been a matter of finding an artefact from one of the heroic spirits that he would be able to summon. After a few days of searching, using his runic magic to effectively seek out the nearest one, he’d stumbled upon a very old helmet in an antiques shop. It had listed that it as simply a reproduction of a classical piece, and Jannik was able to purchase it fairly cheaply, but he knew it for what it really was: armor from a man who’d become a heroic spirit.
So here he was, sweating ever so slightly as he used the utmost care to carve the razor-thin lines of the circle he’d made. It was a slight variant to a normal summoning circle, meant to use some of the latent magical energy in the world around him to help fuel the summoning, though not allowing any of the binding process to be left out. He wouldn’t lose control of the Servant, if they chose to answer his call. The helmet sat on a simple wooden pedestal at about waist height, ready to be picked up and put on. He’d taken some time to learn who the helm had belonged to in the past, and though the man wasn’t exactly who he’d hoped, there was a good chance he’d make a very powerful servant.
As he finished the circle, Jannik stepped back and looked at his work. It was perfect, perhaps as well done as he’d ever managed, and it had a certain gravitas to it that other rune-work he’d done simply couldn’t match. It truly was a circle of a Master. He set his scribe down on a folding table he’d brought with him, picking up a thin notebook instead. While he was certain many in the magical community would scoff at him for having such modern implements, in his opinion, they could all go fuck themselves. If he could use a simple table just to hold his shit while he worked, then why did he need some hundred-plus -year-old desk from someone famous? For the sanctity of the situation?
He laughed, then opened the notebook, starting the incantation that would summon his Servant, though he wasn’t yet sure which one he’d get. Based on the fact that he was using a piece of armour as the catalyst, he suspected it would be either Rider or Saber, possibly Berserker, but he couldn’t know until he’d finally cast the spell.
“Let Silver and Steel be the essence.
Let stone and the Archduke of Contracts be the foundation.
Let my great master, Schreiber, be the ancestor.
Let rise a wall against the wind that falls.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.”
Let stone and the Archduke of Contracts be the foundation.
Let my great master, Schreiber, be the ancestor.
Let rise a wall against the wind that falls.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.”
As he spoke, he felt the magic gripping him and almost pulling him along, but he was in control of it, and thus he continued.
“I hereby declare,
My will creates your body,
And your shield will ensure my fate.
The Holy Grail summons you.
If this offering is accepted, answer my Summoning.”
My will creates your body,
And your shield will ensure my fate.
The Holy Grail summons you.
If this offering is accepted, answer my Summoning.”
He could not only feel it working, but see it as well. The circle was radiant at his feet, brilliant ice-blue light emanating from the carefully scribed lines.
“Thus I swear,
I will be all that is good in the World and in Heaven,
And I will protect all from the Evils of Hell.”
“You, who are with the Trinity of Power,
Come forth from the circle of constraint.
Protector of the Divine Balance!”
I will be all that is good in the World and in Heaven,
And I will protect all from the Evils of Hell.”
“You, who are with the Trinity of Power,
Come forth from the circle of constraint.
Protector of the Divine Balance!”
The circle flared with light, blindingly bright. Outside of the warehouse, it looked like a lighthouse had gone off within, bathing the waterside immediately next to the building in light like the noonday sun. Within, Jannik waited to see if his summoning had actually worked.
As the light dimmed, Jannik was greeted with the sight of a powerful figure clad in armour kneeling before him, wisps of ice-blue power trailing from the armour as the figure knelt, head bowed yet still at face level to the Master.
A truly massive, metallic tower shield was clad to the arm of the armoured figure. Larger than even the heroic spirit, the shield caught the eye of all who witnessed it, as grand as it was. Power practically came off of if in waves, and as it touched the floor of the warehouse whilst its master knelt the floor cracked and splintered beneath it.
Behind the figure, another rose in the darkness. Sockets that had long since held eyes peered down at Jannik whilst gums held in a permanent state of decay peeled back to reveal jagged fangs and once again that blue light. The massive, undead wolf silently watched Jannik and its Rider as it memorized its new charge.
Standing, the armour clad figure rose from its kneeling position. From there Jannik saw that what he had once thought a helmet was instead the spirit itself. Flesh and blood met the gaze of bone and magic, trails of blue light emanating from the skeleton’s sockets as it silently reached forward for the helmet upon the stool with one hand.
Grasping it, the skeleton looked away from the one who summoned him to gaze at the helmet. Before Jannik’s eyes, the ancient and tarnished metal warped and shook, taking upon a luster to match the rest of the armour Rider wore.
Still looking at the helmet, the jaws to the skeleton creaked open. “Are you… the one to be my master?”
Jannik paused as his Servant appeared, unsure of how to react. He wondered if he’d not done things perfectly, considering the state of decay that the Servant was in, but then again, who knew the fine details. The magus grinned a bit wryly, then cleared his throat.
“I am.” He looked to the massive wolf behind the armored skeleton, then back to his Servant. “I take it that you are of the Rider class. Am I correct?” He stepped forward, noting the cracks in the concrete where the shield had met the artificial stone with curiosity. If just resting the item there could cause such damage, just how powerful of a Servant had he summoned.
A secret exuberance thrilled through him at the thought. Perhaps he would be able to redeem himself in his family’s eyes after all. Maybe he’d manage to win and- He stopped his train of thought. A Holy Grail War would not suffer ‘maybe’ and ‘possibly’. It needed absolute confidence from the mage in their Servant and their skills for a victory.
Rider nodded, reaching a gauntleted hand behind himself to stroke the Wulgar. “Yes. I am a Rider. This is my mount, Revenant.” He states simply, voice an eternal death rattle.
Pulling his hand back down, Rider, placed the helmet over his eyes, obscuring his true nature to the world as the armour blocked all insight as to his true form. “I am to be your servant throughout this war.” He stated, a fact known to both. “I swear upon mine honour,” he continued as he bowed his now armoured head once again towards Jannik. “That as long as the code of honour is followed, I will let nothing stand in our way. I shall serve you until victory… or death.”
“What is your name, my master?”
With the armor now complete, Jannik couldn’t help but be impressed. Where he’d been concerned, there was now only the solidarity of the coming victory. With someone so strong, and so well protected, there couldn’t possibly be any way he’d lose. His wry smile became a somewhat toothy grin, confident.
“My name is Jannik Schreiber,” he pronounced it ‘yannik’, “ and I’m pleased to have you as my Servant, Rider. You and Revenant both. Tell me, who were you before you became a heroic spirit. I know some lore, but none that includes such a mighty individual and a creature as powerful as your steed.”
His curiosity was piqued, that much was certain, but even as he let loose with his emotions, his excitement showing, he was already trying to think of ways to use Rider’s physical attributes to their utmost potential, especially with Jannik’s less capable casting methods.
“I was… a defender. A champion of the people. When others turned their backs on them, I stood for them. It didn’t matter where they were from. I would not, and will not, allow the innocent to come to harm over the squabbles of the noble and the powerful.” Rider stated, gauntleted fists clenching for a moment before releasing as the skeletal figure glanced at Revenant.
“That is how I met Revenant. A town gave him to me when he was but a cub, as a thank you. They said that the Wulgar had long been the guardians of their people, and what better companion for a defender? I was unable to refuse, and I am glad for that.” At his words, the massive wolf leaned forward to sniff at Jannik, air rushing in and out in a large wave, despite the wolf’s state.
Jannik listened carefully, trying to understand this spirit who’d once been such a staunch man. It wasn’t necessarily a perfect fit for him, a mercenary might’ve been better, but he was in a position where what was given to him was good. Very good. As Revenant sniffed him, the magus raised a hand to the Wulgar’s snout, palm open, but did not touch the creature. He simply was offering for it to get his scent, to know who he was.
“I see. It would seem that we might make an excellent team, then. One last question, before we start preparations for this war in full. What, might I ask, if your name, Rider? I would know the name of the Hero who has answered my call, who bears my fate and protects it with his shield.”
The wolf sniffed Jannik twice more, eyes narrowing before it turned away and retreated back behind its rider. Said rider was busy looking at the mage, gauging them and scrutinizing Jannik’s every action.
“There is a.. power, that comes with names. To divulge mine comes with a potential risk it can be used against me, should our enemies ever hear it.” The ancient warrior speaks. “However… I feel as if that warning alone will not stop you. In that case…”
The Rider straightened, standing to his full height and looked down at Jannik. His full form easily bearing the weight of his shield and armour, with Wulgar protectively nearby, he spoke.
“I am Magnan. Magnan the Defender.”
Several hours following the summoning of Rider, Jannik was sitting on a folding chair within the dockside warehouse's cavernous space. It was strange, to sit here, now that he no longer was trying to summon a Servant, yet at the same time relaxing. He knew Rider was still nearby, as nothing had, as of yet, occurred that would have him out roaming. The magus looked up from him ruminations, into the sky outside, still lit by the light of the city. A part of him wished he could see the stars.
"I'll need to protect this place, if I'm to win this war. After all, a Magus with an undefended base of operations is a sitting duck against the likes of a Servant. And if it was Assassin, then I'd stand even less of a chance." He was talking to himself, walking through the details of one of the things he viewed as a major problem for himself. After all, not being able to cast terribly quickly would be a crippling disadvantage if things came down to magical combat against one of the other Masters. Better to play it safe instead.
"Rider, you're likely aware of common defensive tactics. How would plan the defense of a place like this?" He gestured at the warehouse around him. Though his Servant was nowhere visible, Jannik knew that Magnan would be able to hear him. Such was the bond that was formed between Master and Servant, after all. "I was thinking of warding every wall, and possibly the ceiling, then laying snaring traps along the floor, but I suspect there may be a better way. I'd like your input, if your have any to give."
"I'll need to protect this place, if I'm to win this war. After all, a Magus with an undefended base of operations is a sitting duck against the likes of a Servant. And if it was Assassin, then I'd stand even less of a chance." He was talking to himself, walking through the details of one of the things he viewed as a major problem for himself. After all, not being able to cast terribly quickly would be a crippling disadvantage if things came down to magical combat against one of the other Masters. Better to play it safe instead.
"Rider, you're likely aware of common defensive tactics. How would plan the defense of a place like this?" He gestured at the warehouse around him. Though his Servant was nowhere visible, Jannik knew that Magnan would be able to hear him. Such was the bond that was formed between Master and Servant, after all. "I was thinking of warding every wall, and possibly the ceiling, then laying snaring traps along the floor, but I suspect there may be a better way. I'd like your input, if your have any to give."
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
"Hm." The Heroic spirit comments as he looked around the barren warehouse, calling up age old memories as he thought. As he was right now, Rider was invisible to the naked eye, simply standing guard around his Master while the young Magus performed whatever magic he did. The spirit wasn't the best acquainted with magic, despite his nature, and generally left it alone in favour of playing with Revenant or working out.
At his master's question though, he pauses from where he had been practicing with his shield. Raising a gauntleted hand to his chin, he thinks on it for a second. "Well... the biggest factor in laying traps is deception. I find that lulling people into a false sense of security is effective. For example, make one easy to spot trap that has got two other, far better concealed and far deadlier, traps to either side." He counts on his fingers as he does this.
"Following on from that, when they get really tense and nervous because they've caught on, they won't notice some subtler, less related things that they normally would. Fake walls, decoy or trap rooms and the like, as they'll be too busy looking for traps." As he finishes he shrugs and turns back to his exercises.
"It would be helpful if we actually knew who or what we were up against, so we could plan accordingly."
At his master's question though, he pauses from where he had been practicing with his shield. Raising a gauntleted hand to his chin, he thinks on it for a second. "Well... the biggest factor in laying traps is deception. I find that lulling people into a false sense of security is effective. For example, make one easy to spot trap that has got two other, far better concealed and far deadlier, traps to either side." He counts on his fingers as he does this.
"Following on from that, when they get really tense and nervous because they've caught on, they won't notice some subtler, less related things that they normally would. Fake walls, decoy or trap rooms and the like, as they'll be too busy looking for traps." As he finishes he shrugs and turns back to his exercises.
"It would be helpful if we actually knew who or what we were up against, so we could plan accordingly."
Jannik smiled again at the words of his Servant, nodding. It was sound advice, but even with false walls, he'd need to make this place look more like a headquarters than it did now. Having just the inscribed summoning circle in an otherwise barren warehouse wouldn't do at all. He stood and walked over to the folding table he'd used as a workbench, absentmindedly fiddling with some of the items on it.
"Rider, I agree with you. I know nothing of the other Masters or their Servants, information we'll need to have if we're to win this." He paused for a moment. "I'd like you to go and perform some reconnaissance on the others here in the city. I leave the 'how to' of your information gathering to you, but if you get into any sort of trouble that involves another Servant, I'd rather you return to me than fight. I have no intention of staying out of fights in this war, but the longer I keep what you can do private information, the more of an advantage we'll have when the fight finally comes to us."
"You have access to my mana, as you need, in order to perform this task Rider. I will be using some to make this building more defensible, but the bulk of it will be available to you. Hopefully, when you get back, there will be some amount of defenses to this place.," He sighed and opened up the notebook he'd used for the summoning, flipping through the old pages from his days of schooling.
There were plenty of wards, sigils, and traps laid out in here, things he'd drawn and drafted out of anger towards his family or in simple boredom. Many were imperfect, as his more educated eyes could see, but the flaws were easily fixed and accounted for. What he needed first, however, was security and a floor layout that would act like a maze, confining whoever approached into a tight space that would set them on only one path in or out. That, and a general ward to keep out the non-magical populace. He really didn't need some mundane person getting snared and killed by a trap meant for a Master.
"Oh, and Rider, please make sure that you avoid the city's North Quarter for now. There is someplace there that I have plans for." He wished he didn't have to say anything about it, but there was a reason he'd liked that shop. "Beyond that, when you get back, we can get you some attire..." He let the words drop when he realized that normal clothing wouldn't really work with his servant. He sighed.
"Be careful, Rider, and may you have all the swiftness of the wind."
"Rider, I agree with you. I know nothing of the other Masters or their Servants, information we'll need to have if we're to win this." He paused for a moment. "I'd like you to go and perform some reconnaissance on the others here in the city. I leave the 'how to' of your information gathering to you, but if you get into any sort of trouble that involves another Servant, I'd rather you return to me than fight. I have no intention of staying out of fights in this war, but the longer I keep what you can do private information, the more of an advantage we'll have when the fight finally comes to us."
"You have access to my mana, as you need, in order to perform this task Rider. I will be using some to make this building more defensible, but the bulk of it will be available to you. Hopefully, when you get back, there will be some amount of defenses to this place.," He sighed and opened up the notebook he'd used for the summoning, flipping through the old pages from his days of schooling.
There were plenty of wards, sigils, and traps laid out in here, things he'd drawn and drafted out of anger towards his family or in simple boredom. Many were imperfect, as his more educated eyes could see, but the flaws were easily fixed and accounted for. What he needed first, however, was security and a floor layout that would act like a maze, confining whoever approached into a tight space that would set them on only one path in or out. That, and a general ward to keep out the non-magical populace. He really didn't need some mundane person getting snared and killed by a trap meant for a Master.
"Oh, and Rider, please make sure that you avoid the city's North Quarter for now. There is someplace there that I have plans for." He wished he didn't have to say anything about it, but there was a reason he'd liked that shop. "Beyond that, when you get back, we can get you some attire..." He let the words drop when he realized that normal clothing wouldn't really work with his servant. He sighed.
"Be careful, Rider, and may you have all the swiftness of the wind."
It had been about two hours or so since Rider had left, and Jannik had not spent the time idle. While he could still sense his Servant, he wasn't exactly sure where the knight and his mount had gotten off to. It didn't much matter, though, because his focus was preparing the warehouse for the war to come. He'd called in a few favors from a few colleagues, and while they weren't going to fight with him in any capacity, their usefulness would be welcome. After all, he'd need plenty of concrete and rebar to begin his plan.
He was going to turn the interior of the warehouse into a maze, two stories tall and filling up the building completely in length and width. So he'd called in some people, both for getting the materials and for their magecraft, allowing the walls to be built in a few dozen minutes, rather than days. Time was a luxury, money was not. Though he'd helped where he could, there was only so much he had been able to do with the construction. his contribution, ostensibly, had been purchasing the materials and having them rushed over. Conveniently, being down by the docks had its uses, as almost everything he'd needed was readily available, if at a steep markup in price.
With the walls in place, and the map for it in his notebook, Jannik began walking around the exterior of the warehouse. He'd waited until now to begin the process, if only to make sure everything inside had gone flawlessly. As he walked, he chanted quietly, pausing every so often to kneel close to the ground and scratch a series of runes and glyphs into the concrete foundation of the building. He could feel his mana draining slightly with each carving, and was well aware of how strange it would look if someone saw him, but the effort would be worthwhile. After another twenty minutes or so of work, he'd reached the entrance once more, the double door flung open wide to reveal smooth concrete walls with a door maybe seven feet wide, dead center. Along the ground in front of each wall, he made the same carvings, and when he reached the doorway into the maze, he made a very complex structure of runes, weaving in and out of one another, making small knots and whorls of depth. The final effect was what looked like an artistic take on knotwork designs, but in reality, the doorway, combined with the runes he'd made around the building, would keep out people untouched by magic. Only a magus or a servant would be able to enter the building at this point, which while it was useful for hiding his base from outsiders in general, would also serve as a beacon to those sensing magic nearby.
He knew the risk it would be, but it was time to work on something else. Something equally necessary for success.
He'd ensured that the 'end' of the maze was at the center, a circular room about twice as wide as the summoning circle in its center. He figured it was as good a place as any to set up shop, safe from all angles by almost the same distance. Not perfect, but it would have to do. He'd brought a few changes of clothing when he'd first arrived here, not entirely certain how long he'd have to be in the warehouse before his summoning had worked. When it had taken less time than he'd expected, he realized that such things as extra clothing were somewhat foolish, but they provided him an opportunity to help his Servant, and thus himself.
He took one of his undershirts, a simple, light grey item, and laid it flat on the table. His Servant needed to look more human, more alive, and this would be how Jannik solved the problem. A little bit of illusory magic, sustained by runes on the shirt, and all would be well. He wrote the runes in black ink, forming a spiral of them on the center of the shirt's chest, styling them such as to make it look like a t-shirt for a rock and, or some other locale that did touristy things. As he worked the design outward, the spell took form and the shirt grew several sizes, as it would need to be to fit Rider's torso. Jannik debated giving it specific visuals, but decided against it. Whatever Rider used to look like was beyond Jannik's knowledge, and so he put a generic version into the writing, so that it would simply make Rider look like a living man, even if it wouldn't give him back the flesh and blood of a body.
After about an hour and a half of working on the shirt, pouring a more substantial amount of mana into it than he'd expected, Jannik stepped back, admiring his handiwork. He'd need to rest at this point, to allow Rider to have access to a large enough backup of mana in case problems arose, but two things were out of the way. The next day would bring new challenges with it, but for now, the magus could rest easy. He'd started, and starting was one of the hardest parts.
He was going to turn the interior of the warehouse into a maze, two stories tall and filling up the building completely in length and width. So he'd called in some people, both for getting the materials and for their magecraft, allowing the walls to be built in a few dozen minutes, rather than days. Time was a luxury, money was not. Though he'd helped where he could, there was only so much he had been able to do with the construction. his contribution, ostensibly, had been purchasing the materials and having them rushed over. Conveniently, being down by the docks had its uses, as almost everything he'd needed was readily available, if at a steep markup in price.
With the walls in place, and the map for it in his notebook, Jannik began walking around the exterior of the warehouse. He'd waited until now to begin the process, if only to make sure everything inside had gone flawlessly. As he walked, he chanted quietly, pausing every so often to kneel close to the ground and scratch a series of runes and glyphs into the concrete foundation of the building. He could feel his mana draining slightly with each carving, and was well aware of how strange it would look if someone saw him, but the effort would be worthwhile. After another twenty minutes or so of work, he'd reached the entrance once more, the double door flung open wide to reveal smooth concrete walls with a door maybe seven feet wide, dead center. Along the ground in front of each wall, he made the same carvings, and when he reached the doorway into the maze, he made a very complex structure of runes, weaving in and out of one another, making small knots and whorls of depth. The final effect was what looked like an artistic take on knotwork designs, but in reality, the doorway, combined with the runes he'd made around the building, would keep out people untouched by magic. Only a magus or a servant would be able to enter the building at this point, which while it was useful for hiding his base from outsiders in general, would also serve as a beacon to those sensing magic nearby.
He knew the risk it would be, but it was time to work on something else. Something equally necessary for success.
He'd ensured that the 'end' of the maze was at the center, a circular room about twice as wide as the summoning circle in its center. He figured it was as good a place as any to set up shop, safe from all angles by almost the same distance. Not perfect, but it would have to do. He'd brought a few changes of clothing when he'd first arrived here, not entirely certain how long he'd have to be in the warehouse before his summoning had worked. When it had taken less time than he'd expected, he realized that such things as extra clothing were somewhat foolish, but they provided him an opportunity to help his Servant, and thus himself.
He took one of his undershirts, a simple, light grey item, and laid it flat on the table. His Servant needed to look more human, more alive, and this would be how Jannik solved the problem. A little bit of illusory magic, sustained by runes on the shirt, and all would be well. He wrote the runes in black ink, forming a spiral of them on the center of the shirt's chest, styling them such as to make it look like a t-shirt for a rock and, or some other locale that did touristy things. As he worked the design outward, the spell took form and the shirt grew several sizes, as it would need to be to fit Rider's torso. Jannik debated giving it specific visuals, but decided against it. Whatever Rider used to look like was beyond Jannik's knowledge, and so he put a generic version into the writing, so that it would simply make Rider look like a living man, even if it wouldn't give him back the flesh and blood of a body.
After about an hour and a half of working on the shirt, pouring a more substantial amount of mana into it than he'd expected, Jannik stepped back, admiring his handiwork. He'd need to rest at this point, to allow Rider to have access to a large enough backup of mana in case problems arose, but two things were out of the way. The next day would bring new challenges with it, but for now, the magus could rest easy. He'd started, and starting was one of the hardest parts.
Jannik woke up, feeling stiff from his toes to his shoulders. He'd thought he would have managed to sleep well, but the small cot he'd gotten set up, no more than a piece of canvas on a metal frame, was far from 5-star. He sat upright, groaning and wishing he'd taken some painkillers before going to bed, but as the minutes wore on, he realized it was only going to get better after he got up and started moving about. With a few pops from his joints, the magus stood and moved over to the table.
As sunlight filtered into the building, a few skylights up above in the central are allowing it in, he went through a few daily ablutions. He tucked his hair back from his face, loosely tying it up so he could work, and dressed himself, throwing on a pair of roughed-up pants and a loose t-shirt. Today was for working, not for trying to impress others. He set a pot of coffee to brew, leaving it while he finished some other few things up, then sat down until it was finished. Briefly, he debated making breakfast, but he didn't have anything here to make it with, so he instead broke into a protein bar.
After finishing his 'meal', he poured himself a cup of coffee, adding sugar and creamer in to taste. He sipped it once, the heat running down his throat distracting him from the soreness in his body, acting as a pseudo-analgesic as he became more and more awake. A few minutes later, the caffeine kicked in, pepping his brain into overdrive and bringing him more fully awake. With a satisfied sigh, he set the cup down and turned around.
"Rider? Are you around yet?" he asked, not trying to sense his Servant, rather choosing to let Rider have a rather lengthy leash to allow him more freedom. After all, Jannik may have been the Master int he arrangement, but he didn't seek to drive his Servant to the point of frustration or possible disobedience simply over a dispute caused by the micromanagement of a magus.
As sunlight filtered into the building, a few skylights up above in the central are allowing it in, he went through a few daily ablutions. He tucked his hair back from his face, loosely tying it up so he could work, and dressed himself, throwing on a pair of roughed-up pants and a loose t-shirt. Today was for working, not for trying to impress others. He set a pot of coffee to brew, leaving it while he finished some other few things up, then sat down until it was finished. Briefly, he debated making breakfast, but he didn't have anything here to make it with, so he instead broke into a protein bar.
After finishing his 'meal', he poured himself a cup of coffee, adding sugar and creamer in to taste. He sipped it once, the heat running down his throat distracting him from the soreness in his body, acting as a pseudo-analgesic as he became more and more awake. A few minutes later, the caffeine kicked in, pepping his brain into overdrive and bringing him more fully awake. With a satisfied sigh, he set the cup down and turned around.
"Rider? Are you around yet?" he asked, not trying to sense his Servant, rather choosing to let Rider have a rather lengthy leash to allow him more freedom. After all, Jannik may have been the Master int he arrangement, but he didn't seek to drive his Servant to the point of frustration or possible disobedience simply over a dispute caused by the micromanagement of a magus.
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
"Of course, Master." Came the reply feom behind Jannik, the grating voice echoing out as Rider materialised into view. No longer dressed in the illusionary shirt, Rider had reverted to his fully armoured self and was currently perched on a rather large chair had had purchsed for himself once he had realised his master was still asleep.
Behind Rider stood Revenant, the large wolf eagerly (yet barely managing to) sticking nose in a massive bag of dog food that Rider had bought for the overgrown puppy. At the sound of the two voices however, Revenant looked up from where he had been pursuing his food, the bag still toght around his snout before he shook his head to remove it.
Hefting his shield, Rider stands and approaches Jannik. "In the time you have been preparing and resting, I have learnt a good deal of information." Rider states, tone matter-of-fact as he begins to count on his fingers. I have met with two servants, a male and a female who go by the names of Ira and Lady respectively. Both likeable individuals, one of great charisma and the other of grand beauty. I believe Ira to be most likely of the Archer class, although it is also likely to be Lancer or Caster, due to the relatively slim build of the man. Lady is certainly either Saber or Lancer, as she had been wearing armour when I first saw her."
At this Rider tilts his head downward, voice becoming darker and more menacing as a blue light ginted behind the darkness of his helmet. "And then we met the Ruler class. Broch. He came to warn us. There is an 8th participant, a man that goes by the name of Max Foster. He apparently managed to ambush the Ruler and stole command seals from him, allowing him in to the war. I'm not sure if these command seals were special in any way, but we should be incredibly careful once we identify which servant is his. As for his wish... the madman wishes to end magic. To end the world as a whole." As he finishes, Rider moves over towards Revenant, scratching the massive hound against the ear.
"No more planet. No more life. I'm not sure even Revenant and I would survive, with no one to remember us. He needs to be stopped." Rider mutters, continuing to pat the now whining Wulgar. Looking back towards Jannik, his tone lightens. "So, what's the plan for today Master?"
Behind Rider stood Revenant, the large wolf eagerly (yet barely managing to) sticking nose in a massive bag of dog food that Rider had bought for the overgrown puppy. At the sound of the two voices however, Revenant looked up from where he had been pursuing his food, the bag still toght around his snout before he shook his head to remove it.
Hefting his shield, Rider stands and approaches Jannik. "In the time you have been preparing and resting, I have learnt a good deal of information." Rider states, tone matter-of-fact as he begins to count on his fingers. I have met with two servants, a male and a female who go by the names of Ira and Lady respectively. Both likeable individuals, one of great charisma and the other of grand beauty. I believe Ira to be most likely of the Archer class, although it is also likely to be Lancer or Caster, due to the relatively slim build of the man. Lady is certainly either Saber or Lancer, as she had been wearing armour when I first saw her."
At this Rider tilts his head downward, voice becoming darker and more menacing as a blue light ginted behind the darkness of his helmet. "And then we met the Ruler class. Broch. He came to warn us. There is an 8th participant, a man that goes by the name of Max Foster. He apparently managed to ambush the Ruler and stole command seals from him, allowing him in to the war. I'm not sure if these command seals were special in any way, but we should be incredibly careful once we identify which servant is his. As for his wish... the madman wishes to end magic. To end the world as a whole." As he finishes, Rider moves over towards Revenant, scratching the massive hound against the ear.
"No more planet. No more life. I'm not sure even Revenant and I would survive, with no one to remember us. He needs to be stopped." Rider mutters, continuing to pat the now whining Wulgar. Looking back towards Jannik, his tone lightens. "So, what's the plan for today Master?"
"Hmm," the magus said, not turning around initially. So the recon hadn't been for nothing, which was good, but it didn't give him nearly as much information as he'd hoped. Not perfect, but not unexpected. He turned to look at Rider, a few strands of his hair falling out of the loose ponytail and into his face. Brushing them behind an ear absentmindedly, he took another sip of his coffee, then set the cup down on the table beside him.
"So, then we know for certain that Lancer was among the four of you, wherever you were. Based on your descriptions, I think it's very likely that this 'Lady' is Saber. Most armored individuals would fall into that category or your own, based on the fact that armor would commonly be useful for such a hero. As for this 'Ira' character, you think he's Archer, but I'm thinking he's more likely to be Caster. While I don't doubt that Servants can have charisma all their own, a Heroic Spirit with such likely has the capability of producing glamours and other such illusory physical and mental effects." Jannik paused, sipping from his coffee again. Though his cup was nearly halfway gone, he still had plenty more in the pot to keep him wired until his first actual meal of the day.
At the mention of Max, Jannik stood still, frozen slightly. An 8th Master? It wasn't something he was even aware could happen. That, and the fact that he hadn't been granted Command Seals, but had rather taken them by force, worried the magus. Ruler wasn't a creature to bother lightly, and to be so bold as to steal from him directly was tantamount to insanity. Adding to the list of things that could qualify a man for being crazy was the wish to end magic entirely. It wasn't that Jannik couldn't function without it, at least physically, but it would destroy so much more. The various magical communities, the subculture that mages lived in, the world itself, and even the Grail. All gone with one wish.
"He cannot be allowed to succeed, Rider. Max Foster is, in my opinion, far more dangerous to this war than the other Masters." He ran a hand over his head, smoothing down some of the more wild loops of hair that curled away from his scalp. "Today," he started. "Today I will be working more on the defense of this building, which is, so far, coming along fine, but before I get into that, I believe there is some research to be done. You've given me enough to start looking into legends, and that alone will give me a starting point."
"That being said, I will take what advice you may have. You know yourself better than I do, so your own capabilities I leave to your discretion, though I would prefer to avoid combat still if possible. I would appreciate your company while I am at the library, if you wouldn't mind joining me there, but otherwise..." He stopped, wrestling with some mental indecision. It was there again, nagging at his brain, his mind trying to picture all the outcomes at once. A bad habit, and one he'd likely never truly break, but one that had helped to confuse him too many times. As he stifled the urge to parse infinity, he shook his head somewhat, as if to shake it to clarity.
"I want to know what you advise we do. While I haven't asked about your past much, I suspect you know more about how things should proceed from here. Obviously we'll eventually fight the Masters and their Servants to see who gets the Holy Grail, but I would know where your priorities lie in the matter."
"So, then we know for certain that Lancer was among the four of you, wherever you were. Based on your descriptions, I think it's very likely that this 'Lady' is Saber. Most armored individuals would fall into that category or your own, based on the fact that armor would commonly be useful for such a hero. As for this 'Ira' character, you think he's Archer, but I'm thinking he's more likely to be Caster. While I don't doubt that Servants can have charisma all their own, a Heroic Spirit with such likely has the capability of producing glamours and other such illusory physical and mental effects." Jannik paused, sipping from his coffee again. Though his cup was nearly halfway gone, he still had plenty more in the pot to keep him wired until his first actual meal of the day.
At the mention of Max, Jannik stood still, frozen slightly. An 8th Master? It wasn't something he was even aware could happen. That, and the fact that he hadn't been granted Command Seals, but had rather taken them by force, worried the magus. Ruler wasn't a creature to bother lightly, and to be so bold as to steal from him directly was tantamount to insanity. Adding to the list of things that could qualify a man for being crazy was the wish to end magic entirely. It wasn't that Jannik couldn't function without it, at least physically, but it would destroy so much more. The various magical communities, the subculture that mages lived in, the world itself, and even the Grail. All gone with one wish.
"He cannot be allowed to succeed, Rider. Max Foster is, in my opinion, far more dangerous to this war than the other Masters." He ran a hand over his head, smoothing down some of the more wild loops of hair that curled away from his scalp. "Today," he started. "Today I will be working more on the defense of this building, which is, so far, coming along fine, but before I get into that, I believe there is some research to be done. You've given me enough to start looking into legends, and that alone will give me a starting point."
"That being said, I will take what advice you may have. You know yourself better than I do, so your own capabilities I leave to your discretion, though I would prefer to avoid combat still if possible. I would appreciate your company while I am at the library, if you wouldn't mind joining me there, but otherwise..." He stopped, wrestling with some mental indecision. It was there again, nagging at his brain, his mind trying to picture all the outcomes at once. A bad habit, and one he'd likely never truly break, but one that had helped to confuse him too many times. As he stifled the urge to parse infinity, he shook his head somewhat, as if to shake it to clarity.
"I want to know what you advise we do. While I haven't asked about your past much, I suspect you know more about how things should proceed from here. Obviously we'll eventually fight the Masters and their Servants to see who gets the Holy Grail, but I would know where your priorities lie in the matter."
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
"So long as no innocents are put in harms way my first and foremost priority if your safety, Master." Rider amsers simply as he continues to scratch Revenant, glad that Jannik also agreed with his opinion of this Max Foster. The man was a threat to quite literally all, and would age to be expunged from this world like the threat he was through any means necessary. Said means would be violent.
"As long as you survive we have a chance at winning this war, and both I and Revenant will do anything in our,power to keep you out of harm's way. It is why I had Revenant guard you today, as should you be found he would be able to tie up a servant long enough for you to make a getaway." Rider elaborates, finishing with the petting of his wolf and hefting his titanic shield once again as the Wulgar returns to eating.
"As for the library... I'm not the most knowledgeable on it, hells I couldn't read during my time, something the Grail has seemingly corrected. But from what I do know of the library, we need to have some pretty specific information. A few aliases and an indication of their classes may not cut it, but if you believe it is our best shot I will make sure to guard you while we visit. We will, however, be locked in for at minimum two hours and be at the mercy of any who may wish to ambush us there. Fortunately, the Library is also quite massive, and we may be able to simply avoid them. In any case, it is up to you what we shall do. I am your shield."
"As long as you survive we have a chance at winning this war, and both I and Revenant will do anything in our,power to keep you out of harm's way. It is why I had Revenant guard you today, as should you be found he would be able to tie up a servant long enough for you to make a getaway." Rider elaborates, finishing with the petting of his wolf and hefting his titanic shield once again as the Wulgar returns to eating.
"As for the library... I'm not the most knowledgeable on it, hells I couldn't read during my time, something the Grail has seemingly corrected. But from what I do know of the library, we need to have some pretty specific information. A few aliases and an indication of their classes may not cut it, but if you believe it is our best shot I will make sure to guard you while we visit. We will, however, be locked in for at minimum two hours and be at the mercy of any who may wish to ambush us there. Fortunately, the Library is also quite massive, and we may be able to simply avoid them. In any case, it is up to you what we shall do. I am your shield."
"Would you suggest we do something other than go to the library? I can only think to do that and to continue to fortify this location. Both are things I wish to do, but the order in which they're done isn't necessarily important. After all, once I have the knowledge of my enemies, their weaknesses become more easily known, and once I get this building fully fortified, it will become very, very difficult for any Master to get through, and possibly even too much for a Servant, though I think that would be a bit more difficult to stop." He seemed pleased with himself as he spoke, thinking of the maze he'd built filling with traps, magical and not, to stymie and possibly kill any of his enemies who would dare to try and get to him here.
The surprise he felt at his own feelings on the subject stayed under the surface, not shown in his demeanor, but it was there, and he felt almost shameful.
"Tell me, Rider, how would you go about dealing with this Max person? At least, how would you do so, knowing you have me as your partner, with all my strengths and weaknesses?" Jannik asked, figuring there wouldn't likely be a better time to figure out what Rider's thoughts were.
The surprise he felt at his own feelings on the subject stayed under the surface, not shown in his demeanor, but it was there, and he felt almost shameful.
"Tell me, Rider, how would you go about dealing with this Max person? At least, how would you do so, knowing you have me as your partner, with all my strengths and weaknesses?" Jannik asked, figuring there wouldn't likely be a better time to figure out what Rider's thoughts were.
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
"Preferably? With a near stupid amount of explosives and other such runes that create things humans can't survive whilst I distract the servant. Or better yet, a duo much more suited to ambushes takes him out from long range in a single move, such as Caster or Archer. I have no delusions about my power, and I am no Assassin, nor will I ever choose to be. It is why I must always be on guard for a single attack and that during combat I would prefer you be at the maximum safe distance."
Shrugging, he continues. "As for the library... well, I suppose there is a chance we could learn from it, and your reasoning about tailoring the traps is valid, even if I believe we would have a lot more to worry about classes such as Assassin or another Rider. If those are the two options available, I vote we go to the Library. It's a larger risk than i'd like, but we may have the chance to learn something." At that the Servant moved past Jannik and went to stand by Revenant, heftinf himself up onto the back of thw Wulgar.
Leaning forward the man crosses his arms at the base of his Wulgar's head. "When you're ready to go to the Library, just climb aboard Master."
Shrugging, he continues. "As for the library... well, I suppose there is a chance we could learn from it, and your reasoning about tailoring the traps is valid, even if I believe we would have a lot more to worry about classes such as Assassin or another Rider. If those are the two options available, I vote we go to the Library. It's a larger risk than i'd like, but we may have the chance to learn something." At that the Servant moved past Jannik and went to stand by Revenant, heftinf himself up onto the back of thw Wulgar.
Leaning forward the man crosses his arms at the base of his Wulgar's head. "When you're ready to go to the Library, just climb aboard Master."
Jannik looked up at Rider, sitting astride his mount, suddenly feeling intimidation at the sight. Sure, neither was in fully-fleshed form, but he could easily imagine it, and the thought of the sight out a fear in him. It was a fear that all natural things have, the fear of prey, of being hunted. He was suddenly very glad that he didn't have to fight against Rider in the War. If he'd gotten a different Servant, he could only imagine himself wanting to flee at the sight of such a massive man on an even larger creature as it barreled towards him. He smiled, is a bit out of morbid humor as well as actual entertainment.
"To the Library, then. Hopefully we'll be able to get there, do our searching, and return without drawing too much attention to ourselves, or, better yet, without meeting any of the others. I can only wonder what the other Masters' reactions to the new of this False Master." He stepped up beside the massive undead wolf and paused, then apologized quietly as he gripped the fur and, with several moments of poor skill, managed to get himself up behind Rider.
"Let us be as the Wind, Rider."
"To the Library, then. Hopefully we'll be able to get there, do our searching, and return without drawing too much attention to ourselves, or, better yet, without meeting any of the others. I can only wonder what the other Masters' reactions to the new of this False Master." He stepped up beside the massive undead wolf and paused, then apologized quietly as he gripped the fur and, with several moments of poor skill, managed to get himself up behind Rider.
"Let us be as the Wind, Rider."
The mid-morning tropical sun beaming down on the wide open shipping yard, gleaming off of the mirror of a nearby forklift truck and leaving the tarmac hot to the touch. Clad in an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, shorts, a broad-rimmed sunhat and a pair of stylish sunglasses, Ira didn't exactly cut the most imposing figure where he stood propped up against a shipping container and sipping a canned cocktail through a straw. The colourful floral wreath he'd picked up from a local souvenir-stand along the way didn't help.
This was the kind of stake-out he could get used to. A cooler filled with more cans sat on the ground next to him - enough to last a good few hours - the sea breeze was just cool enough to take the edge off of the sun's luxurious heat, and he had a delightful view of the mountains in the distance. Life was good.
He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Thomas' somewhat less glamorous positioning, but the mage was practically minded enough for it not to bother him. The guy really needed to lighten up a little and enjoy the tropics in the time he had here that wasn't a fight to the death, but Ira supposed there were some benefits to rigid pragmatism.
This part of the docks - part of the industrial side - was fairly deserted. A quick scout around had turned up only a few staff and security workers on shift in this particular storage yard, and they'd all been easy enough to send on their way with just a little mental manipulation. A warehouse building rose at one end of the yard, whilst the gates out to the road stood at the other. The result was a battleground where, as long as things didn't get too messy, they'd be relatively safe from the prying eyes of uninvolved civilians.
Humming to himself, Ira conjured forth a single golden spear in his free hand. Spinning it there a few times, he hefted it up, and then slammed it into the ground. The weapon flared with a powerful surge of mana, as a pulse of golden energy rippled along the ground, harmlessly fading away as it reached the edges of the storage yard. The rush of mana would be like a beacon to servants, over a wider area than his natural aura would normally reach.
All that was left to do now, was wait. So for the moment, he turned his thoughts inwards, sending a message to where Thomas was waiting.
'All quiet on the western front for now, but I've just sent out a little flare that hopefully at least one of our friends might pick up on and drop by to investigate. Hope you're not having too much fun down there without me.'
This was the kind of stake-out he could get used to. A cooler filled with more cans sat on the ground next to him - enough to last a good few hours - the sea breeze was just cool enough to take the edge off of the sun's luxurious heat, and he had a delightful view of the mountains in the distance. Life was good.
He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Thomas' somewhat less glamorous positioning, but the mage was practically minded enough for it not to bother him. The guy really needed to lighten up a little and enjoy the tropics in the time he had here that wasn't a fight to the death, but Ira supposed there were some benefits to rigid pragmatism.
This part of the docks - part of the industrial side - was fairly deserted. A quick scout around had turned up only a few staff and security workers on shift in this particular storage yard, and they'd all been easy enough to send on their way with just a little mental manipulation. A warehouse building rose at one end of the yard, whilst the gates out to the road stood at the other. The result was a battleground where, as long as things didn't get too messy, they'd be relatively safe from the prying eyes of uninvolved civilians.
Humming to himself, Ira conjured forth a single golden spear in his free hand. Spinning it there a few times, he hefted it up, and then slammed it into the ground. The weapon flared with a powerful surge of mana, as a pulse of golden energy rippled along the ground, harmlessly fading away as it reached the edges of the storage yard. The rush of mana would be like a beacon to servants, over a wider area than his natural aura would normally reach.
All that was left to do now, was wait. So for the moment, he turned his thoughts inwards, sending a message to where Thomas was waiting.
'All quiet on the western front for now, but I've just sent out a little flare that hopefully at least one of our friends might pick up on and drop by to investigate. Hope you're not having too much fun down there without me.'
Lobos
The Big Bad Wolf
Thomas paused in his routine with the staff, easing to a resting position in the sewers below. He smiled slightly, peering upwards at the concrete above his head.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Ira. Just been focusing on minimizing my presence and remaining limber for what's to come."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Ira. Just been focusing on minimizing my presence and remaining limber for what's to come."
After exiting the Library, Jannik had thought they battle would be more easily watched, but as it had turned out, he'd been wrong. There hadn't been enough room for both Servants, along with Revanant, to fight, so they'd gone to the roof of the building. While a little unhappy that he hadn't been able to gain a better view of Archer's abilities, at the flash of light and sound like an entire brigade of artillery firing at once, the magus thought he'd just been succinctly knocked out of the running for the Grail.
Then the small fragment of bone, the tip of a finger, hit his head, and when he caught it and gave it a good look he could see the faintest wisps of ethereal blue light around it. Moments later, Rider had him tucked under an arm like a sack of flour, and the three of them, for the warg had arrived as well, stepped back to where they'd come with haste. The sudden motion of being picked up and then brought back across a questionable amount of distance caused Jannik's stomach to very forcibly remind him that he had yet to eat since they'd left.
Now back in the warehouse's central chamber, Jannik set about eating something. He slapped together a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and more or less crammed them down his throat, trying his best to refill what mana he could. Rider hadn't used any of his more powerful techniques, but there was still a substantial drain on Jannik following the fight, and he had no desire to let himself be caught at a weak point if he could. He spoke in between bites.
"Rider, I can only assume that you didn't give him the option to play around, judging by what I could hear. Hopefully we'll have some time sooner rather than later to assess just how capable he is in combat. And that was without his Master being there, which has me concerned. More bothersome, however, is the fact that the Library seemed to start crawling out of the building. There looked like sentences and words sliding out the windows towards the roof. You didn't happen to invoke the wrath of the Librarian, did-" He stopped short, turning to face the entrance, though it was decently far away considering the size of the warehouse.
Something was outside and wasn't entirely safe. He was about to bring it up to Rider when a flare of energy, practically raw mana, flooded through and around him in a wave.
"Servant, and not the kind who hides themselves," he said, finishing his last sandwich. It hadn't been long since they'd left the Library, but they'd spent a good amount of time in the building, so he wasn't surprised. If nothing else, he strongly suspected that, intentionally or not, whoever was outside had been drawn towards this place by the heavy amount of mana he'd infused into the traps and safety precaution of the warehouse.
Then the small fragment of bone, the tip of a finger, hit his head, and when he caught it and gave it a good look he could see the faintest wisps of ethereal blue light around it. Moments later, Rider had him tucked under an arm like a sack of flour, and the three of them, for the warg had arrived as well, stepped back to where they'd come with haste. The sudden motion of being picked up and then brought back across a questionable amount of distance caused Jannik's stomach to very forcibly remind him that he had yet to eat since they'd left.
Now back in the warehouse's central chamber, Jannik set about eating something. He slapped together a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and more or less crammed them down his throat, trying his best to refill what mana he could. Rider hadn't used any of his more powerful techniques, but there was still a substantial drain on Jannik following the fight, and he had no desire to let himself be caught at a weak point if he could. He spoke in between bites.
"Rider, I can only assume that you didn't give him the option to play around, judging by what I could hear. Hopefully we'll have some time sooner rather than later to assess just how capable he is in combat. And that was without his Master being there, which has me concerned. More bothersome, however, is the fact that the Library seemed to start crawling out of the building. There looked like sentences and words sliding out the windows towards the roof. You didn't happen to invoke the wrath of the Librarian, did-" He stopped short, turning to face the entrance, though it was decently far away considering the size of the warehouse.
Something was outside and wasn't entirely safe. He was about to bring it up to Rider when a flare of energy, practically raw mana, flooded through and around him in a wave.
"Servant, and not the kind who hides themselves," he said, finishing his last sandwich. It hadn't been long since they'd left the Library, but they'd spent a good amount of time in the building, so he wasn't surprised. If nothing else, he strongly suspected that, intentionally or not, whoever was outside had been drawn towards this place by the heavy amount of mana he'd infused into the traps and safety precaution of the warehouse.
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
Rider couldn’t help but let out a groan as he sat, his neck twisting from side to side as bones clicked and clacked, echoing out of his armour and through the air. What he wouldn’t do for some mead right about then.
The battle with Archer had been all sorts of fun, and yielded results he knew his master could utilise. Despite not feeling pain anymore, he still found that he felt far more pleasant after a fight than during. Funny, how the mind worked like that.
Reaching forward, he rubs and scratches the matted fur of Revenant, analysing the damage done by Archer’s attacks to the majority of his friends lower skull. The flesh that had once covered it was now blown away, simply ragged tears, the bone now exposed and moving freely. Revenant whined at the new sensation, the only one of the duo to feel any modicum of anything, and Rider cooed comfortingly.
For a while that was all that happened, as his body was once again reincased from head to toe in his armour, until his Master spoke to him. He was already aware of what his Master was going to say, and had a response prepared on his lips, before that feeing of power enveloped them. Familiar power.
Ira’s.
Straightening, Rider grabs his shield from where it had been supporting a wall and strides over towards his Master, uncomfortably aware of how close the rival Servant was.
“I recognise this essence. It is one of those I met at the bar. The slender male. Should you wish to fight, I am at full capability Master.”
The battle with Archer had been all sorts of fun, and yielded results he knew his master could utilise. Despite not feeling pain anymore, he still found that he felt far more pleasant after a fight than during. Funny, how the mind worked like that.
Reaching forward, he rubs and scratches the matted fur of Revenant, analysing the damage done by Archer’s attacks to the majority of his friends lower skull. The flesh that had once covered it was now blown away, simply ragged tears, the bone now exposed and moving freely. Revenant whined at the new sensation, the only one of the duo to feel any modicum of anything, and Rider cooed comfortingly.
For a while that was all that happened, as his body was once again reincased from head to toe in his armour, until his Master spoke to him. He was already aware of what his Master was going to say, and had a response prepared on his lips, before that feeing of power enveloped them. Familiar power.
Ira’s.
Straightening, Rider grabs his shield from where it had been supporting a wall and strides over towards his Master, uncomfortably aware of how close the rival Servant was.
“I recognise this essence. It is one of those I met at the bar. The slender male. Should you wish to fight, I am at full capability Master.”
"From the bar? I see." Jannik looked around and grabbed his bag from the table he'd left it on when they went to the Library. He checked the contents, verifying that the variety of items he kept within were still there and, once finding each item was as it had been left, he slung the strap over his shoulder.
"If it's not Archer, then that means there Master must be reasonably close by. I'm not completely familiar with the area, but there aren't too many places a mage could hide without being seen, especially not if they're right outside." He paused for a moment, then reached into his bag and pulled out a small dart, similar to those used in bars and pubs around the world, save that rather than plastic fins, it was comprised from what appeared to be a single hunk of metal with black stone tips, runes carved carefully and precisely into the broad central portion.
"I say we greet our guest, though perhaps not quite with force at first. I want to see if we can learn anything before having to go and kill this Servant." He nodded towards the way out, complex as it was, and began heading down the twisting myriad of passages he'd carefully worked into the interior of the warehouse. With the traps keyed not to stop him or his Servant, they would make quick time to the front, and exterior, of the vast building.
"If it's not Archer, then that means there Master must be reasonably close by. I'm not completely familiar with the area, but there aren't too many places a mage could hide without being seen, especially not if they're right outside." He paused for a moment, then reached into his bag and pulled out a small dart, similar to those used in bars and pubs around the world, save that rather than plastic fins, it was comprised from what appeared to be a single hunk of metal with black stone tips, runes carved carefully and precisely into the broad central portion.
"I say we greet our guest, though perhaps not quite with force at first. I want to see if we can learn anything before having to go and kill this Servant." He nodded towards the way out, complex as it was, and began heading down the twisting myriad of passages he'd carefully worked into the interior of the warehouse. With the traps keyed not to stop him or his Servant, they would make quick time to the front, and exterior, of the vast building.
TheGreenerGrey
Self-proclaimed everything expert.
Rider nods at his Master’s wisdom, placing one heavy hand upon the back of Revenant as the duo exit the warehouse. He had a solid idea of where Ira’s location was, and so he knew that his next step would be easily noticeable for the fellow Servant.
“I shal send up a surge of my own Master, to announce our intention. I suggest you make yourself scarce. Having Ira notice you could be disastrous.” Rider says.
After making sure his Master was in a safe position, Rider shares a look with Revenant before straightening his back, squaring his shoulders and letting loose his power as a shining beacon to those around.
“I shal send up a surge of my own Master, to announce our intention. I suggest you make yourself scarce. Having Ira notice you could be disastrous.” Rider says.
After making sure his Master was in a safe position, Rider shares a look with Revenant before straightening his back, squaring his shoulders and letting loose his power as a shining beacon to those around.
Ira quirked an eyebrow as a pulse of power responded to his own, not a minute later, and grinned. 'Bingo. We have our first guest. Mag's nearby,' he sent down to Thomas, dismissing his spear away with a flourish and reaching down to pluck the cooler from the ground. With it in hand, he leaped effortlessly up and backwards to land atop the shipping container at his back, taking a vantage point on the shipping yard and its surrounds. The floral wreathe around his neck fluttered gently in the breeze. "Now, where are you, my honourable buff friend?" he mused aloud to himself, tilting his sunglasses up to scan the area. "I'll be disappointed if you don't make a good entrance, after that."
Clearing his throat a moment, Ira called out, voice carrying further than the voice of a man of his size ought to have been able to. "Come on over, big guy!" he yelled, pulling a cocktail can out and waving it in the air. "There's plenty of drinks to go around!"
Clearing his throat a moment, Ira called out, voice carrying further than the voice of a man of his size ought to have been able to. "Come on over, big guy!" he yelled, pulling a cocktail can out and waving it in the air. "There's plenty of drinks to go around!"