All The King's Horses... and Hippos, and Hyenas...

[Uther Pendragon]

... and Hummingbirds, and Hounds, and Halibut, and Hookworms, and Humpback Whales, and... okay, you get the idea...


Day 3, 1809 Hours

It was, simply put, a Zoo. Or, in older terms, a menagerie, but that was an offhand matter entirely, having nothing to do with the situation at hand. Now what exactly the King was doing in a place like this, was up to debate. For one, he did not appear dressed for battle. In fact, the way he currently dressed implied he was anything but one of the old Kings of the distant past.

With that suit, he was more of some sort of entrepreneur visiting the city on a business trip than anything else. Now what a businessman on a working trip was doing enjoying a zoo and watching the equine exhibit was a mystery that perhaps only his Master knew the answer to.

And she most likely did.

After all, was it not her idea to explore the city, in order to get a better grasp of the future battlefield? Of the various luxuries that the King in his God-given right had to enjoy, one of his favourite such items of interest was animals. He did not keep any sort of menageries in his Kingdom. It was a time of war, after all, and no effort was to be spared from defeating the enemy, even if it meant depriving the King of such enjoyable marvels as animals.

That, and he tended to spend most of his time leading the aforementioned war effort, for only a true King would lead from the front. The Kings of today who gave orders from their thrones and did not accompany their men to battle were perhaps wise, but this had more to do with what the King had become in the epochs since his day.

The King was but a symbol of his nation.

And while this was a matter of fact, even in his day, it had also fallen the Kings of his era to prove their worth as a symbol, to lead the troops to battle, and serve as a beacon around which they could rally.

Saber bit off a large chunk of apple as he watched the last few visitors amateurishly handle the horses. They were well-bred, to be sure, albeit certainly not built for war.

Even war had changed. Almost nobody used ‘war horses’ as they should have been anymore. Instead, the greatest horses were used in a race not unlike the Hippodrome of Constantinople, if the chariots were removed, at any rate.

Perhaps, once he won the Grail, he would claim the finest horses from the Britannian Empire and have a Britannian Hippodrome constructed outside of Londinium, which had become the centre of Britannian power since the fall of the Pendragon House. It would certainly serve as a good initial project, before he would move on to greater things, such as rebuilding Camelot and transferring the centre of the Empire there.

But that was for another date. For now, the best he would be able to enjoy was playing with these glorious if sub-par horses. Not that his Master would want that, and she was right. If he had no time to enjoy a simple ride and hunt through the woods during the war with the Saxons, then he most certainly had no time to dawdle about and do the same on horses when the enemy was far greater and worthier than the Saxons who threatened his homeland.

He took another bite of the apple and gazed upon the trotting horses with their almost clueless amateur riders, the sunset beginning to fade into darkness as he stepped aside.

“I think I’ve found a favourite place in this city, Master. We should visit here again once the War is won, if only to see what other pleasant little distractions it has to offer.”

Finally, the King finished with the apple, chucking it into a nearby trash bin.

“Three days without any real conflict. I am utterly disappointed. It’s as if they’re too busy fighting with each other to deal with us. Although there does seem to be something else amiss, I can tell... A foul stench that I'm sure you can also smell.”

[Celestina Barbieri]

If Uther believed that Celestina was a great tour guide, he was gravely mistaken. Although she did well in hiding her lack of knowledge about the zoo, she felt like one of those little children, overjoyed in seeing something new, and at times her glance fell on one of those cute creatures, denying herself the right to simply jump up to the fence and take a thorough look. Well.... that would clearly be another form of entertainment for the other people, if she turned herself into an ape, or whatever the proverb was.

Fortunately her servant also managed to behave appropriate and although she was not sure about the dressing style, he did not stand out too much when they walked through the City. The young magus actually liked to be prepared at all times and the armor was a good sign of that, but there were situations when she could not walk around like that. Drawing too much attention was out of the question.... however they might eventually perform a bit too well in this matter. Celestina was not the greatest of analysts or some Caster who could find any kind of enemy, but she was quite gifted as one would expect from her heritage and knew that a lot had already happened.

The news were also speaking about some odd occurrences within the City Perimeters and while they did not mention anything that would make the general public believe in magic, someone who participated in this War knew better. It was all very strange, and although she had yet to encounter an enemy, the hot spots and fights seemed to be too many for a regular War. Was this really just the fault of one of those black creatures?

Maybe it was the most stupid decision to head to the zoo for some research, but those creatures caught a bit of her attention and she wondered if some of the animals in the zoo had gone missing, probably controlled by some unknown servant who was now sending them through the City to cause havoc, and she just could not allow that kind of behavior. Even in a War, there had to be some kind of rules and abusing those ultra cu... erm... people and animals who had nothing to do with the War was inexcusable.

And now she was here, the Noble of a Powerful House of Magi, albeit clearly undercover, with the King of one of the most well known Legends... in the middle of a zoo. If not for the time, they would probably be surrounded by children right now. Celestina was honestly glad that this was not the case, she remained reluctant about facing her own lost youth. Maybe her escort could understand her, back in the old days life must have been too harsh to really enjoy a healthy childhood. On the other hand he was not known to be the most abstinent living one either, and usually got what he had desired.

But that aside, Celestina had decided to forget the initial distrust she held towards Saber, and accepted that he wished to redeem himself in this Battle. It was simply better to trust him than think that he would now build a zoo for just himself after finding some interest in it, and he clearly expressed his interest. Although was it really his favourite place?

"There might be many places to offer distractions, but someone like us should not bother with distractions, or am I mistaken? ...Especially not now. The stench you speak of is indeed a problem, that does not allow us to let our guard down, and you can feel the problem throughout the entire city.

We certainly have not managed to participate in one of those great Battles thus far. I am surprised that the number of Battles actually seem to be on the rise rather than calming down. It almost seems as if more servants would make their appearance every day, instead of falling to the weapon or spells of Another.

Anyway, those so called black creatures in the news worry me. If this zoo is really the reason or not is up to debate, but stay cautious. Even if those animals here are apparently normal."

[Merlin Ambrosius]

Merlin was vaguely intrigued with the idea. Capture as many ferocious animals as possible and stuff them into cages for people to gawk at. Couples on dates to see the lion that would have loved to tear into their throats and fest on their Innards. The few children here with their families who thought a Hippos yawn were adorable instead of the territorial warning it was meant to be.

Oh the things some of these animals had planned if they ever escaped. If only the visitors could hear the language of the beasts like he. It was great, really.

The wizard had to admit he was savoring how his new and improved servant existence was making the animals nervous. He first noticed it while he was visiting the lion’s den, taking the time to properly admire the beasts her majesty had loved so much. As time pressed on, the lion started to become agitated. Until finally the best snapped and tried to get past the walls and up to him, roaring something that Merlin hadn’t caught. He settled down after the third attempt and instead chooses to hide himself behind a large rock in his pen. The actions had left him utterly perplexed. So naturally his first response was to test the other animals for any other odd behaviors. It wasn’t because the lion had amused him, or anything. No sir. This was purely for academic purposes.

For science

All animals, from the largest elephants to the tiniest of monkeys, became agitated in his presence. Some would hide away into their little homes, starring at him from the cover of shadows and patiently waiting for him to leave. Some stood their ground, glancing at him and muttering things to their pen mates. Only one other animal, an ape, had bothered to attack him. Via hurling poo that Merlin nimbly dodged. A particularly focused glare was enough to send the ape looking for his own little hide away.

The only thing Merlin could conceive to be the reason was either the animals could somehow sense his inhuman nature and it was making them feel uncomfortable. An idea that was quickly tossed aside, as Merlin had already held several discussions with animals across the city and they didn’t mind him. Then he thought of his demon heritage, sired from an incubus. This too was thrown aside when he once again considered all the animals he had previously talked too. Really, the wizard hadn’t a clue. The entire experience had been an utter mystery to him.

One he was quick to drop in favor of glaring at animals until they reached the point of rampaging around in their cells. Science was fun and all, but so was watching animals go crazy. The tourists seemed to agree too. For this reason alone has Merlin been on the move from cell to cell as swiftly as possible, hoping to rile up as many collective animals as possible. It was a wonderful way to waste a few hours at the zoo. Though, Merlin could only imagine what his fellow sightseers were thinking of the man as he stared so intensely at the animals.

Probably thinking 'bout how sharp he looked in a suit.

It was nothing special; he was just simply wearing the suit he had been summoned with. Simple, yet he loved the clothes so. More so then he had ever loved his personally styled magician’s robes. He had acknowledge somewhere down the twirling road that was his life that he just could not pull off a cape and robe together. It made him feel silly. Now, however, he could wear his most trusted garment in style...when he wasn’t in such a public place that was. Sad as it were, Merlin had to leave his most treasured item at home for this adventure of his. Too many muggles, too open a space.

On the plus side, they -as in whatever secret organization that was funding his summoner- had provided him with a nice hat. A white fedora, a head accessory he was finding himself in love with. It was no wizard hat but it was stylin. And Merlin was all for the style and flair. Though the greatest wizard of Britannia imagined it wouldn’t he as attractive to the ladies as his wizard attire. After all, witches loved robes and wizard hats.

“Pick up the pace, children.” Merlin spared a glance back at the group of kids that he had practically forced into coming with him. First, his master and most precious anchor to the modern world; Merlin didn’t think highly of the brat. Along with came his two “friends”, who Merlin found at least childishly amusing. They were only slightly more tolerated then his master. Merlin had contemplated briefly of shoving them all into the closest dumpster and enjoying the sights by himself but he decided against it. Merlin was at least trying not to make a habit of cramming children into garbage bins on a whim. He wasn’t a monster; he could let them have fun at the zoo too. It wasn’t like he planned on leading them to the ape exhibits with the intentions of startling the beasts until they hurled their improvised projectiles at the kids. Not at all.

Still, he had hopes something a little more interesting would happen but what can you do? At least the boredom meant he didn’t have to fight for his life in this ridiculous war…but, what was life without some excitement? Torn between his need for bodily safety and his need for higher entertainment, Merlin continued to push the children along from exhibit to exhibit, secretly hoping something would stir up this relatively dull day.

[Uther Pendragon]

"You're right of course, Master," Saber gave the horses one last look before turning to face his Master. She certainly seemed young, and this showed quite well. While she put on the excellent façade of the stoical magus from an ancient and powerful family, the little glint in her eyes told him that she too held feelings for the magnificent display of creatures the proprietors of this zoo had put to show.

”It was just a bit of… advanced planning, for the times ahead.” While it sounded arrogant to be already thinking of rewards that would come after the war, he had a good reason to believe they had excellent chances of winning. His Master was second to none. Even in the time of his court, he had heard of the affairs of the so-called Mage’s Association in Londinium, and more importantly, of their most prominent and powerful family of Barthomeloi.

Of the two dragons he had made, one he had willed to be kept safe in Camelot, while the other had found its way into their treasury. It was at the time, a gift of goodwill to the magi of the Association, and he certainly did not expect it to end up being used in this way. Nevertheless, even if his Master never told him where she was truly from, he knew that he was part of the winning hand.

Saber nodded as Celes cited her observations. The number of battles was increasing, and not merely intensifying. This was quickly becoming an abnormal war, where things could not be so easily explained. What exactly was going on, he could not tell. The Grail itself remained silent on this matter. All he knew was that there appeared to be more Servants than there normally would be. But how would one deal with those, then? Would there be new classes, or more of the same?

Only time would tell.

”It would be a shame if some impish Caster had infected all these animals and turned them into monstrous familiars.”

Not only were they a potential danger to the participants of the war, and served as another screen through which this Caster could attack, they were also a threat to the citizens of this fine Roman city. Not to mention the fact that replacing them would be very expensive, considering the number and assortment of animal displays in this zoo.

And were this magnificence truly corrupted into a magus’ tool for the War, he would strike it all down if he had to.

The very thought of this brought a heavy raincloud above his high expectations, dampening them and throwing in a smidgen of a sickening feeling in his gut. That some… individuals… existed that would dare to destroy such beauty for the sake of winning a War. He had done that before, destroyed a beautiful alliance, for an even more petty reason. Perhaps it was because he knew what it meant to do such things that he abhorred others who did them. They reminded him of the path he had trodden, of the person he had been: the despot who found all the excuses for actions that could never be justified.

And now, that despot sought atonement and redemption, to leave behind that ugly world, sift through the ashes of his fallen kingdom, and plant seeds that would sprout into a far greater empire. That was what he sought: a second chance, to do something right.

The horses’ caretakers brought them back into the stables as the last riders exited the pen. Lampposts switched on in a synchronized, sequential fashion, like disciplined twin columns of soldiers raising their halberds in salute as their King passed in between them. Darkness had completed its descent on the city.

The zoo would close in two hours. That gave them just enough time to investigate, to see if the animals out here would indeed change into horrors when the sun went down. The number of visitors were already thinning, possibly proceeding to the nocturnal exhibits, which were of course, kept separate from this particular section.

”I think it’s time we went to see if our guess is correct on the origin of the black creatures.”

And that was when it struck him. It was a sensation that was difficult to describe. At best, one might call it a strange buzzing in his head, but it couldn’t be called that either. Regardless of however it actually felt, the message it sent to Saber was clear. ”There’s another Servant nearby.” It was relatively close, within a distance of two hundred metres, if the information the Grail was giving him was correct.

”Perhaps it is our impish little Caster, preparing to call on his familiar army.” The preparations were quick. In the twinkling of an eye, the suit had been replaced with full armour. A golden sword materialized in his hand. The King was now ready to march into battle.

[Celestina Barbieri]

"Yes, the mana flow in the air is indicating a shift of balance," she stated unemotional. The interference by magic forces could be felt, but it was too low to tell more. Unlikely that any spell was actively casted, but the sensation was clearly there. Saber stated that it was another Servant, but why did it feel different from her own?

There was a nuance of something else in that presence, but Celes could not right tell what it was. It was something a relative of the past was meant to Battle, but for her it was just something felt, unable to grasp its essence she began to head to the source of the ominous source of power.

"..Can you also identify the Class? Is that what a Caster feels like?"

It was a question that did not make much sense, if her studies about the Grail War were accurate. Servants were not able to do this, and yet she wondered if the King managed to distinguish between them, or if her mind was only playing a trick on her, regarding the differences of the sensation she felt when it came to Saber and this unknown Servant.

"There is no need for a first Strike, but I wish to hurry."

Shortly thereafter the young woman with the fake Identity began to run, urging Saber to take the lead and intercepting the other Servant before the madness would spread, and harming uninvolved bystanders. There was less of a desire to earn the grail than getting it over with with as least victims as possible, and the past days had already claimed a couple of lives. A fact that made her grief and disgusted her, especially the own incompetence which showed her ineptitude as a Guardian strongly tore away on her self confidence.

There was no doubt in her heart that the woman holding upon the highest possible Rank within the Magi World would never have allowed such a disgrace to happen and harm to befall common people. Celes had just been too slow, too concerned with her own safety to act accordingly, and probably also a bit afraid to meet with people of the outside world. This young woman Kyouko for instance had made her realize quite clearly how little she knew about 'normal' behavior in modern society, and this was a very important thing for her.

"Hmm?"

She still remained expressionless, when she could make out the silhouettes of several people, most of them quite small, and Celestina identified them as children, which only made one figure stand out, the servant.

So this is the one..... The Brunette halted her approach, a servant was meant to fight a servant, albeit not being an extraordinarily weak combatant herself, and she was still not sure about the presence of those children. What could this servant wish to do with them? Were they prisoners, mind controlled or was one of them even the master?

Celes began to muster them, not issuing any command to Uther, yet not ordering him to stop either. No matter who the opponent was, she had already begun to trust in Saber's abilities, the class noted to be the strongest of all. He would beat this guy, presumed to be a Caster and free the Children. However there was still the chance that they were completely uninvolved. If that was the case, then she had to perform some mind cleaning....

"Engage..." After summoning up her courage and preparing her resolve, she also changed her opinion about the best decision and grabbed the steering wheel, unwilling to be caught up in the enemy's flow, rather than forcing him into hers.

"I will take care of the children." Enemies or not, they should not be left unattended.

[Merlin Ambrosius]

Merlin felt it, the sharp tug on his senses that alarmed him to the presence of another like himself. A heroic spirit…that was moving with haste right for them. And while Merlin had just moments ago been moaning for a more amusing evening, he wasn’t particularly thrilled at the thought of being murdered before he’d have his fun in the modern era. He glanced at his master and the boy’s entourage – he only needed his anchor alive. The other two, as marginally better he liked them than his own master, were just dead weights. If push came to shove he was all for abandoning the two in favor of a quick get away. Then relocating his workshop to another location; just incase the servant preferred to ask before maiming his masters little accomplices.

Merlin placed a hand on his master’s shoulder, ready to pull him out of the fire at a moments notice. “Everything’s going to be fine.” He was sure the boy was feeling it too. The tug and alarm to the enemies advance. Merlin closed his eyes. The enemy was rapidly approaching them but still he wanted to get a grasp on them; to try and sense their class. Britannia’s finest knew it was possible – he was a caster after all. But there was more to it then that. Merlin had always sensed the presence of others in his time, just another ability gifted to him from his unique heritage. And while he might not have been granted the full extent of his former capabilities (damn limited skill slots) he could still sense others and…

…and…

“…This is.” Merlin had found so much more in his attempts to pin a class. He had felt throughout this life hundreds, if not thousands of people. Most were the same – the drudging soul of a peasant or soldier, content to live their lives in pitiful existence - but some…no, few, the rare few that could shine were far and in between. Even fewer could shine as brightly as the precious few men and women he had bothered to befriend throughout his life.

And fewer shone brighter then a Pendragon.

He could no longer see that shining – servant limitations and lack of the proper system skills did not bless him with such privileges. Merlin, however, could still tell from a life time of knowing this one man; in this new form, in this new life, that his king was heading right for them. The wizard had realized that if he didn’t make his presence known the newly born knight would run him through, they had that silly war going on and all that, yet he couldn’t help but feel a smile tug on his face. The first, genuine smile he’s felt since he was reborn into the new world.

And when knight and master - who had some pretty nice legs on her, hmm – stepped before them, Merlin could barely contain his childish glee. Least until he notice the sharp sword pointed right at them. His liege’s sword, Caledfwlch, which would become his daughters Caliburn, was held before them. It was nothing like Excalibur, yet in his king’s hands Caledfwich was just as deadly a blade. Sans the sword beams of course. Nasty things, those.

"I will take care of the children." His king’s master declared, perhaps intent of removing the children from the soon to be battlefield. Merlin removed his hand from the boy’s shoulder, stepping between them and the ‘enemies’ in front.

“No need, girl.” He said in his true form and voice, unwilling to hide his original appearance away for this encounter. Merlin would save the mischievous shifting for when his king wasn’t pointing a legendary blade right at him. Merlin lifted the hat off his head, feeling a goofy grin grace his features. “Even’in Uther, your looking particularly,” Merlin took another glance at Caledfwlch, “sharp today.” It was a terrible pun befitting the King of Britannia.

The glorious, dragonic bastard he was.

Praise be to the king.


[] HURR HURR BEFRIENDING. []

[Uther Pendragon]

Saber kept his sword up and on the ready. Of all the possible first opponents he would be facing, never for once did he expect to go up against his very own advisor, a wizard of the highest caliber, and a very cunning opponent. Though the wizard made the first move to take a peaceful position, it nevertheless paid to be prepared. Certainly, Merlin had the potential to make an excellent ally. After all, they had been through so many troubles together.

“Merlin,” His voice was calm, and with a certain degree of amicability, although the fact that he still had the sword up and on the level. “Well if this isn’t a pleasant surprise.”

“I do apologise for keeping my sword up. However, I cannot take any risks for my Master’s sake. You are, after all, the most cunning magus I know, and given any circumstances whatsoever, I would offer you an alliance without second thought.”

Indeed, one might even say that this was exactly what he was thinking, how to convince his Master that Caster, that Merlin, was indeed a worthy ally. Would she consider such a thing? Saber hoped that she was pragmatic enough to understand the value of this particular Servant as an ally, and not an enemy to be crushed.

At the very least, let it not be that she was the kind of magus with a flair for dramatic last stands and brooking no alliances with any potential friends. Because if that were the case, then this war just got a little bit more difficult.

“However, that call is for my Master to make. I assure you that she is a competent strategist and powerful magus.” Saber turned his head to his Master, the young scion of the Barthomeloi house. “I can only advise you, Master, that while Merlin is a dangerous opponent, he can potentially be a very powerful ally. We would be better off joining forces with him. Do weigh your options carefully.”

[Celestina Barbieri]

"Alliance?"

Although her code of behaviour would usually strictly advice against the display of emotion, but anger was one of the more commonly seen in the Ranks of Nobility and just as genes and upbringing suggested, she had a lineage that was prone to that kind of act, even if she herself believed it to be no more than an insufficient training from her side.

She was just a young girl of the 'Barbieri' household, but how could her servant so swiftly voice this suggestion? His evaluation was without a doubt correct. Celes was not doubting his comment about the Caster in front of them. A strong enemy and strong ally alike, but that was exactly why she was confused. Merlin had only offered a greeting, his master was nowhere to be seen and as far as her current opinion about him was about to take shape, she still saw him as an enemy with hostages.

"I can not trust someone who takes hostages, or what was the goal of bringing those children into this zoo in the middle of the night? Even if it is not your intent to harm them personally, the opinion of your master might differ.

And Saber... even if he is a friend, don't ignore the master and command seals, or are you going to tell me that everything is alright, just because you used to know him?"

No, nevermind the master comment.

"Very well, I will await the explanation before deciding, and spare me from attempts to lie your way out. I do not take kindly to it....", she addressed Merlin coldly, ignoring that he was one of the strongest Casters one could summon. Even if she was still not exactly happy about the Legend of King Uther, she was already respecting him as a valuable Saber and believed in Victory when they began to start a Battle under the current conditions.

Is this person even interested in any kind of Alliances? It seems more like someone who is just using Others for his own goals...

Celestina was not formed enough to trust her assessment fully, but despite being aware of her own paranoia in terms of trust, she still did not see a potential ally at the moment. She had no idea why he dragged those children around, but it could not be anything good, ...could it?

[Merlin Ambrosius]

(Since I can't seem to code color the new Proboards, I just put the lines not Merlin's in * )

*“Well if this isn’t a pleasant surprise.”*

Merlin felt his lips twitch a little higher. "I know right? I'm like the best surprise imaginable." Now this? This was exactly what he needed. His king. His friend. To spice up his assuming short life as a heroic spirit in this supernatural war. What he didn't need, however, was the King's very sharp and pointing legendary blade pointed at him. Merlin pointed at the sword, and gently motioned his finger downward, gesturing for Uther to lower it. "So, uh, mind doing me a favor and lowering that Uther? Could do without the threat of immanent death hanging over me. Kind of a mood kill."

*“I do apologise for keeping my sword up. However, I cannot take any risks for my Master’s sake. You are, after all, the most cunning magus I know, and given any circumstances whatsoever, I would offer you an alliance without second thought.”*

"Wh-what was that?" Merlin reeled back in mock horror. "Logic? Reasoning? My god, Uther! What has she done to you?" Let it not be sad that his King had been a fool. Merely someone who had a tendency of...jumping into matters. Like charging headfirst into battle, or finding a wife.

Or drinking from a pool of water without testing it first.

"But," Merlin sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest and clutching his shirt, "I do understand the necessity. Even if it requires my greatest friend and king in the world whose been like a brother to me to try and strike me down. No. I completely understand. You don't have to explain yourself further. Don't have to explain your betrayal" He really wished he had his cape with him right now. Then he would have loved to add some royal blue flouoosh to the melodrama.

*“However, that call is for my Master to make. I assure you that she is a competent strategist and powerful magus-.”*

"So she's my replacement." Merlin stated, eyes narrowing in mock appraisal. When he couldn't 'find' what he was looking for, he leaned his body left to have a look at her sideways. "Well," Merlin straightened himself back up and gave a helpless shrug, looking away from them with a rather smug grin, "at least she's got nice legs."

*"I can not trust someone who takes hostages, or what was the goal of bringing those children into this zoo in the middle of the night? Even if it is not your intent to harm them personally, the opinion of your master might differ."*

"Hostawhat?" Merlin blinked, dropping his arms and looking at them curiously."Oh wait, Hostages?...hostages? What Hostages?" Merlin glanced around the area briefly, before realization suddenly hit and he glanced back at the kids. "You mean these brats?"

*"Very well, I will await the explanation before deciding, and spare me from attempts to lie your way out. I do not take kindly to it...."*

"They aren't hostages. They're friend's of the kid that summoned me." Merlin thumbed back at the group behind him. "Well, I use the term friends lightly. But it's as close the kid's got to legitimate playmates."

"As for why we're at the zoo in the middle of the night, well, it's about the only time we can come. Because, you know, super spiritual war of the aeons and stuff. With trigger happy masters who just love to rush head first into the enemy without regard to civies or witnesses. You know the type." Merlin opened up his hands and gave another helpless shrug, as if saying 'it can't be helped.'

"So what are you doing in the zoo in the middle of the night? Don't suppose it's to see the imprisoned wildlife is it?" Please let it be so. Please let it be so. That would mean less potential stabbings and horrific deaths for him. And that would just make his evening.

(Wiiizzzaaaarrrrddddssss so crazy)

[Uther Pendragon]

"My apologies, Master," Saber cleared his throat. "I was speaking out of line and did not consider the potential risks, and was merely voicing my opinion." That was one of his weaknesses, after all, an impulsive king who had a tendency to leap before looking. One did not need to remind him of this weakness, of course. The sordid regret of past impulsiveness stared him in the face everyday as he looked in the mirror. Be it betraying his own ally just to get his hands on a woman, or not having somebody check that pool for poison before himself having a drink just because he was too thirsty to wait, it was obvious that a few more moments of clear, lucid thought would have greatly helped his cause.

Of course the humour in this was how Merlin attributed this lucidity to his Master. To be fair, she had done a very good job of keeping him thought out. Nevertheless, one could never be a good king if one never grew out of this impulse. And as Merlin chided him over this... another betrayal, as he'd put it, the King had to find it in himself not to lose his composure and yell things out in his defence. Consider, especially, that he currently had a sword levelled at his old friend.

Instead, he decided to answer as calmly as possible. "Of course she is not your 'replacement'. She is my Master. We never exactly had the type of connection between a Master and Servant, after all, and is it wrong to give reassurance that my master is honourable and would not order me to do anything disreputable?"

He controlled his speech. At least Merlin wasn't taking hostages. Well, he said that. Though there were times that he did lie, if for a greater purpose. "We came here to survey the animals, yes." Specifically, to see if this zoo was where all the monsters that were appearing in the war were coming from. So far, nothing was happening yet, but one could never be too careful.

Maybe whoever was responsible would wait until everybody else had gone...

[Celestina Barbieri]

She threw another reproachful look at this excuse of a hero. His attitude and entire behavior seemed to be based on mockery and while Celes was quite aware of her own lack of experience, she did not like his lack of manners and lack of respect. It was difficult enough to respect a man like this and respecting someone who had just dared to reduce the new hope of an ancient magus line to just her legs was an inexcusable affront. How could this person have been allowed to disgrace the presence of Nobility? The young master of Saber could not believe her ears and increasingly Uther's mind for having ever trusted such a man... or was he also taking her for a fool?

This one... is supposed to be Merlin?

There were not many people involved in magic that did not at least know a slight bit about the life of this historic figure, even magus families that would have started before his time. There was also no doubt that this particular Caster had a vast amount of mana and spells in the arsenal that a modern magus could only hope to match when they were stepping over into the realm of monsters themselves. She was not scared of Merlin, but regardless of his lack of manners, she would not be foolish enough to take him for a mere clown, even when he tried quite hard.

Maybe he just tries to get our guard down with this odd behavior... but when they formerly were friends. Why would he go that far? Is his master this dishonorable?

It was really NOT a pleasant surprise. Every fiber of her upbringing told her to rebuke this Caster or ignore his entire existence. Certainly, after having spend a good couple of hours to learn about normal humans those feelings had calmed down a bit, but the act of reprimanding him remained strong. Playing with the pride of a magus simply had consequences and she was unable to keep completely unaffected. Nevertheless her facial features paid tribute to a title of Ice Princess, remaining emotionally unchanged.

"I'm not certain why you feel the need to agitate me, nor what my legs have to do with my qualification as a magus, but Caster, do you even have a shred of common sense?"

Celestina was not the prime example of a person with normal common sense, but she had good judgement and knowledge about Grail Wars as well as the secrets of magic. There were a couple of rules embedded in the circles of the Magic World that should not be broken, the revelation of magic bringing forth an eventual catastrophe to all who practiced the Arts. It could literally mean the entire downfall of magic. Yet, even when some things were particularly new, especially for someone as old as Merlin, the Grail was supposed to inform them properly.

"....the wise Merlin?"

Intelligent people often also happened to be arrogant, some of them who were definitely not as bright as they actually wished to be, but for Celes Wisdom was more than just the accumulation of knowledge, it was also the application of it, the passing on of knowledge. It was all bound to the individual behavior of a person. If someone claimed that Merlin was fitting the image of a wise man... Celes would fail to agree. For all that was important in the Grail War!! He was dragging normal humans behind and was talking openly about it!

"My servant has said it already, but we are indeed here to look at the animals. Without dragging around uninvolved people no less...."

[Merlin Ambrosius]

Merlin, ever the cunning half-breed, supreme archmage and all around trickster, looked down on the Master with an almost cat like smile. It could have been a real cat smile if he wanted but, ah, nothing he'd bother with. The little lady master was already agitated (successfully, he might add) and who was he to further mock his King's magus and anchor?

Merlin

Oh right; that does make him better than her, doesn't it?

"Child, live as long as I have and you'll notice things that shatter this 'common sense' you speak of." Merlin spread his arms wide as he grinned at the two, fwooshing dramatically, before placing a hand on his chest and bowing dramatically to the two. Like he would before snobbish nobles who thought higher of them-selves than they should. "But, ah, who am I to speak against the no doubt vast experiences, deep wisdom and greater accomplishments of a sixteen? Seventeen? Year old girl."


"And that's wonderful! Good for you!" Merlin praised like he was talking to a child (which he was), raising him-self back up upon hearing their plans for the animals around them. With a snap of his fingers, a staff was brought into existence. A wood carving, simple in design and curved at the top. He tapped it against the ground, testing the positioning and stability, before firmly stabbing it into the ground. He leaned on it, arm resting on the curved part and crossing his legs.

The wizard of Britannia looked perfectly comfortable where he was. Merlin lifted his hat up with his free hand, smiling. "I am, of course, at your disposal should you desire aid in this majestic quest to prod animals for evil sorcery of evilness that may plague them. At least, that's why I assume you're here for. Or is it for a more personal reason? Perhaps to visit your child's favored animal, my King?"

Well, that last bit he'd like to actually do. Connecting Uther a bit more to his cherished child would be most pleasing to the wizard. "Hmm, yes, I would love to show you them indeed. How about you young lady? Care to see the beasts favored by the greatest King of Britannia?"

[] I posted. le gasp. []