Ties that Bind

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Day: 1 - Midnight

Tyonis reposed the butler’s blood off his sword, sighing unhappily. The old man was a kind, loyal soul. And because of that, he chose to oppose Tyonis on behalf of his master. Tyonis had to admit the man was unbelievably spry for his age and equally skilled with a blade. He lasted a grand total of two seconds against Tyonis’ Reinforced body and had actually managed to almost parry his first attack. It was an excellent block and would have been successful if Tyonis’ own sword didn’t chop straight through it like it wasn’t there. He gave the old man a slight bow and sprinted after his real target. Fortunately, before his employer could escape, Tyonis had cleaved off the Magus’ right arm. Within seconds, Tyonis had cleared three hallways and caught up to the crippled Magus.

Agostino Melitian released a barrage of Ice Lances the moment Tyonis came into his vision. Once more, Tyonis was surprised. Most humans had a hard time coping with a lost limb even after the pain subsided and the bleeding stopped. It was even more unreal to think clearly enough to cast any kind of Magecraft under such mental and physical pressure. If his sneak attack hadn’t dismembered the limb with Agostino’s Magic Crest, Tyonis might have lost this fight. As an Enforcer, Tyonis acknowledged Agostino’s mastery of his Element. Even if it was futile, the man was a true Magus. And just like any real Magus, he was either destined for greatness or he would die horrendously. In this case, it would be the latter.

With a single sweep, Tyonis brushes aside the assault and throws his sword through the hallway. Like an arrow, it cuts through the air, tip forward thanks to the power behind Tyonis’ augmented body. In a blink, it clears ten meters, impaling Agostino through the chest and hitting him with so much force that it sends him flying back two feet. Unwilling to give Agostino any chance to recover, Tyonis dedicated himself to the offense. Truthfully, his ranged attack was merely a ploy to keep the Magus occupied. As Agostino hovered over the ground from the sword‘s impact, Tyonis lifts and links his hands together then slams the Magus’ head into the ground. Like an egg, Agostino’s skull shatters against the marble floor, staining it purple and red and splattering gore across Tyonis’ body. He couldn’t risk leaving Agostino’s brain intact. Unlike normal people, who could be rendered harmless the moment a sword pierced their chest, Magi were a threat even when their body was destroyed - their Magic Circuits would keep them alive through Prana and would even cast spells. The only way to truly kill a Magus was to destroy their brains or their hearts. It was a fact Tyonis was well acquainted with. Before Tyonis extracted his blade, he shaved it across Agostino’s chest, cutting the heart in half to finalize his victory.

Despite having done this hundreds and hundreds of times, he still found the act disturbing. Although one could justify it as eliminating a threat, it was still corpse mutilation.

Tyonis relaxed a breath he had been holding and deactivates his Reinforcement. With a thought, he banishes his blade, watching it shatter it into formless black sand, momentarily filing the air with thick dust before gathering into a vial concealed under Tyonis’ right sleeve. A broken chain lies in the body’s pooling blood. Tyonis retrieves it and holds it up to his face, watching the blood drip off. Despite being hundreds of years old, the chain has minimal damage.

It was Agostino’s catalyst.

The Magus had intended to call upon the powers of Robin Hood, the legendary archer of European myth and the guardian of Sherwood Forest. It was ambitious, but Agostino boasted of his evitable success - commanding an archer of great renown and skill, he would win the Grail War without even having to see the enemy up close. Tyonis preyed on that cowardice after Agostino hired him as a bodyguard. He gave the chain one more look before wrapping it around his arm and making his way down to the basement.

Aside from the butler, Agostino brought no other servants, making Tyonis the last living soul in the mansion. He was the one to suggest it, saying it was too dangerous to bring anyone else but those Agostino trusted absolutely.

It made killing him so much easier.

Shoving the basement doors open, Tyonis was greeted by a unique sight. The room should have been pitch black, but the summoning circle was glowing faintly, illuminating the room from the floor up. The closer he approached, the brighter the circle became. Tyonis was vaguely aware that it was not reacting to him, but to the chain he held. He stepped towards the center of the circle, careful not to tread over any part of the summoning array. There were a few more minutes until the appointed time, and Tyonis stood in the middle of the array, letting his mind wonder. In that empty silence, he relives a painful memory. He stares, eyes glazed, at images only he could see.

His watch clicks midnight.

Tyonis shuts his eyes and breathes deep, calming his mind and erasing all thought. No longer Tyonis - no longer a human being, but merely a machine: a terminal of Prana programed for a single task.

“Draw your sword.”

His mind shifts as he feels his Magic Circuits hum to life, echoed by a mental image of a sword slowly sliding out of its sheath; the sound of the blade ringing free fills his ears. He raises his hand as if to brandish the unseen weapon. The summoning circle flares to life.

"I hereby propose,
Thou shalt come under my command,
And thy sword shalt control my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou accedes to this will and reason, answer me!”

“I hereby swear,
I am all that is Good in the Eternal World,
I am the disposer of Evil in the Eternal World.
Thee, the seven days clad in the Divine Trinity,
Come forth from the circle of constraint, Guardian of the Heavens!"

"Accedest to me, and my fate shalt become thy sword!"

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[Marian Fitzrobert]

A single flash in the darkness. A solitary beat in the depths of the void.

How can one describe what they feel when they no longer have a body?

It called to her, drew her out. A whisper in her ear, promising her hearts every desire, promising the impossible, and all she had to do was what she did best.

She accepted the call, and the reply was instantaneous. She could feel as her senses expanded outward, even as her own consciousness withdrew back into something suitable for an earthly form. Bones and flesh knit themselves together as she once again came to possess a body. A typhoon raged around her as the grail constructed her possessions, the rituals light filling whatever space she had been called to.

The entire Summoning was over in an instant. The light receded as the basement was plunged back into darkness, and random debris settled back to the floor around its latest guest. Marian took a moment to scan her surroundings. Tables lined the walls, papers and strange objects piled atop them haphazardly. A sliver of moonlight streamed into the room from a small window high up the wall behind her. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh – she had long since had enough of dungeons, and while this room lacked the chains, its atmosphere was more than appropriate.

She took a moment to take stock of her own being. It felt good to feel the weight of the bow in her hand again, the feeling of the quiver on her back. Her gaze drifted towards her own wrist as she slowly pulled back her right sleeve to reveal….

Nothing. She paused for a moment, wondering how. As if in response, the answer came to her mind. It was like a voice was telling her the truth, but she felt that she already knew it. In a heartbeat, everything was known to her. She would fight in this war, fight for this grail, and kill for this grail, if she wanted her desires granted. But, she could not do it alone.

She turned to the man who had stood before her as she had appeared and who had simply watched her for the last minute or so as she had acclimated. With a flourish, she bowed, bow in hand. “I am the Servant Archer. I ask of you – are you my Master?”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Tyonis had witnessed a number of summoning rituals. Evocations which called forth spirits to serve - they were uncommon, but the practice was one the Mage Association devoted a whole Department to. But this was not a summoning ritual. It was a resurrection. He knew the Holy Grail gave life to Heroic Spirits, but nothing could prepare him for the sheer amount of power it took. The body came first, manifesting in an explosion of light blinding Tyonis, followed by blast of pure Prana so thick that it sent him reeling back along with anything not bolted down to the ground.

Reflexively, Tyonis regained his footing, backpedaling only a few feet. His vision cleared slowly after the light drained out of the room. He blinked his eyes into focus and was taken aback by the sight. Even in the dim light, he knew the girl who stood in front of him was beautiful.

Moreover, she was a girl.

Dumbstruck, Tyonis stared, backtracking to what possible error he must have made to result in such an abysmal failure. His gaze shifted from the catalyst, back to the girl, and back again. The chain regained its original shape and despite being coated in blood, the mental was completely clean, shimmering with what little light the basement could provide. Just holding it filled Tyonis with an ancient and potent power. Without a doubt, it her Noble Phantasm - The Victor's Chain. She was a Heroic Spirit. Then why? WHY A GIRL?! He rubbed his head with both hands trying to push back a sudden migraine. He could hear Agostino Melitian laughing hysterically from his grave.

Tyonis, so shellshocked by the immensity of the unforeseen setback, did not notice Archer address him until a good thirty seconds after. He peers at her between his fingers and eyes her up and down, before stating the obvious:

"You… are not Robin Hood."

Tyonis allows him self another few moments to grieve over his miscalculation before shrugging off his doubt. This girl was a Heroic Spirit. Even if it wasn't the one he intended to summon, there was no question about her power.

"Nevermind, it's not important.

Only one thing matters: you can fight and so can I.

My name is Tyonis, and I am your Master."

[Marian Fitzrobert]

For so long she had lived in his shadow, but for that she held no grudge. He had taken her in and had taught her. She had been happy with him… but still, everybody wants to make a name for herself, and here she was! In a war where only the strongest survived, somebody had decided that she, not her husband, was the best choice. This was obviously somebody who….

“You…. are not Robin Hood.”

…. Had messed up their own ritual. Marian couldn’t help but slump her shoulders a little. Just like every tourney, every festival she had ever been too – nobody betted on the woman over the legend. Straightening back up, she turned to face her ‘master’. “Excuse me for not being who you expected.” The reply rolled off her tongue with a little more anger then she had expected. “I’ll let you know that…”

"Nevermind, it's not important.”

Marian stopped mid-sentence. Did the man in front of her just claim the he didn’t care? She quickly racked her grail-granted knowledge for an answer. If the stakes of this war were as high as she thought, he should care.

“Only one thing matters: you can fight and so can I.”

It was now Marian’s turn to stare. This man recognized the one fact that so many others in her life had tried to deny – that she was not some damsel to be saved and carted off as a prize. A small smile spread across her face. She just might enjoy this more then she thought.

“My name is Tyonis, and I am your Master."

Tyonis, hmm? An interesting name. Didn’t sound like anything from the Isles – at least, not that she could recall. Well, he had given her his name, so it was only fit to give him hers. “Master Tyonis, I am Marian Fitzrobert, Countess of Huntingdon. From this day forth, I pledge you my bow, and my life. But I will not follow blindly. There are things I cannot and will not do. This is something you’ll have to live with. If you can’t, then are business is at an end.” The Grail told her what she was, how her new form worked, how it died – and how it could be made to grow. Just the thought that anybody would even consider such actions sent a shiver down her spine.

With the formalities out of the way, Marian relaxed a little, poking about the random debris that scattered the room. So many things he did not recognize – how long had she been gone, she wondered. She browsed through a bookcase full of dusty tomes, none with names she recognized, while watching her Master out of the corner of her eye. He was a handsome looking young man, with the air of a warrior about him. Just the way he held himself told her he was trained as a warrior. Considering the fact he was entering this war, a damn good one. Good, or foolish – she didn’t know yet. In her experience, however, the two often went hand-in-hand. ‘Just like him’ God, how many insane ploys had he come up with? How many bizarre plots to escape the sheriff, to rob the king? ‘But all the ploys in the world didn’t help in the end….’

She cut that train of thought off abruptly, instead turning to her Master. She thought it sounded strange, to be talking about her master. It felt... unnatural. She had never been one to be chained, but that was the price of the exchange. “So, tell me Master. What would be our next move?”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

"Marian - as in Lady Marian," Tyonis repeated sighing again. "You’re Robin Hood’s widow. Wow - small world." There was a hint of bitterness in his observation. Although reassured now that he knew Marian's identity, she was still not who he intended to summon. He continued to watch her as she scanned the room, letting her inspect odds and ends that one would call useless or mundane. It gave him time to rethink his plans. Unlike Agostino, Tyonis was far more suited to actual combat. His employer was content to sit back behind his fortified mansion while his Servant fought. Tyonis was suppose to act as Robin Hood's surrogate Master and support him on the battlefield. Since Masters were always preoccupied with providing Prana for their Servants, they could not fight at their full potential. Moreover, the more powerful the Servant, the higher the upkeep. Agostino had expected Robin Hood to take a large portion of his Prana pool, disabling his combat capacity. Fortunately, Tyonis would be free from such limitations, allowing him to attack a burdened Master without having to worry about running out of Prana himself. It was a simple but solid plan.

That had all changed when Tyonis chose to become a Master.

Even now, he felt the weight of Marian’s existence constantly drain him. It was not much, but Tyonis could see how difficult it would be when his Servant expended more Prana in battle. Not only would she eat away at her own reserves, she would take his as well. Normally, Tyonis stored about 15% of his Prana as an emergency stock, using it only when he absolutely had to. If he assumed Marian took up about 30% during battle…

Tyonis closed his eyes, lost in thought, unaware of Marian’s own scrutiny. After what seemed like a few minutes, his musings were shattered by Marian’s question. He grunted grumpily.

"First off, this belongs to you, right?" He didn’t wait for an answer and tossed the Victor’s Chain at her.

"Agostino set some bounded fields around the mansion before I killed him, so this place is way better than any Workshop I could ever make. It'll be our base of operations... for now."

Tyonis closes his eyes, focusing on the image of his Servant. Marian’s status page materializes within his mind and he glances through it momentarily before addressing her again. "Good, you have superior observation skills. We’ll make use of them. I wanted to start by scanning the city for other Masters but we'll have to settle our differences first. I don't think Agostino expected someone of your personality."

Tyonis shook his head.

"Speaking of which, I need to dispose of the corpses before they start to smell."

Before Marian could interject, Tyonis left Marian in the basement, heading straight for Agostino’s body. The blood pooled considerably, leaving half the hallway coated in moist crimson. Treating it like a bag of trash, Tyonis drags the corpse across the floor and back to the basement. In the corner, a large furnace sits, unused. It looks out of place in modern times, functioning as an emergency source of heat and energy if need be. Tools to light and fuel it lay scattered around from Marian's summoning. Tyonis drops the body at the furnace and and goes to fetch the butler, who’s remains lay broken in two halves at the foot of the spiral staircase leading to the second floor. He was completely fixated with his task, unable or unwilling to give Marian a single glance.

After recovering the burner's shovel, hatchet, and a box of matches, Tyonis hefts the axe to test its balance. He tries to maintain an air of apathetic detachment, but a twinge of disgust crosses his face. Exhaling away his compassion, Tyonis takes one practice swing before skillfully dismembering both bodies. The process is surprisingly clean - Tyonis performs the butchery with disturbing swiftness and grace. In seconds, the corpses are carved into a heap of bleeding meat. Unceremoniously, Tyonis shovels the pile into the furnace then lights it. The chore takes only five minutes.

"That Magus was going to be your Master." Tyonis says suddenly, watching the remains slowly turn to ash while shaking his hands free of loose blood before rubbing them along his pants. His voice is steady but the shame of his betrayal hovers behind a veil of hard eyes. Agostino was a conceited coward, but he was not a bad man - he deserved a better passing. Tyonis had killed him just like any other dangerous, immoral Magus; Agostino’s butler was simply a man who chose to defend his master. Not only did he murder them both in cold blood, he failed to give them a proper funeral, and even desecrated their bodies.

He could lie to himself in the past, but there was no denying it now: Tyonis Reybrant was a manslayer who killed purely for his own gain. Any notion of his innocence burned away, along with his two victims. He knew there were more murders to come, and if he wanted to win, he would be the one to carry them out.

His eyes shift to Archer. Was his Servant just as determined? He motions for Marian to follow him into the spacious living room.

"Take a seat." It wasn’t a request. To mirror his own intent, Tyonis chooses to relax on the sofa, his expression slowly softening. He waits for Marian to pick a spot before continuing.

"All right - This is our first move: Getting to know each other." It was awkward and Tyonis hated talking about his past, but he needed to familiarize himself with Marian. He was no fool - fully controlling a Heroic Spirit was not something a human would be capable of even with Command Seals. Marian's attitudes and tastes would reflect what route they took for the War. Tyonis knew of his power as a Master but he also acknowledged Archer's independence. It was apparent she had her own reservations about battle and tactics. She clearly stated so prior to accepting the pact. Any ideological differences would have to be settled now. On the battlefield, hesitation meant death.

"So my question to you is: What do you want so badly that you choose to sell your service to me?"

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian watched as her new Master contemplated his current predicament. The flow of prana from him seemed a little off. Not unusual, but off, like he was unaccustomed to such a drain.

“First off, this belongs to you, Right?” Marian looked up from a bookshelf just in time to see something flying at her face. She grabbed it out of reflex, only realizing what it was a moment later.

“His chain…” She recognized this chain – how could she not? She ran her fingers over the links, the polished metal gleamed like it had been crafted yesterday, only tarnished by the specks of blood. She held it for a moment, felt its weight, its power, before letting it sublimate. It was comforting to have something of her old life, thought it would be more comforting to have her sword. As if on cue, she suddenly felt a weight in her right hand. Looking down, she saw that she now had her arming sword in hand. “Well, that’s convenient.” She slipped the sword into its scabbard at her waist, and turned back to her master.

"Agostino set some bounded fields around the mansion before I killed him, so this place is way better than any Workshop I could ever make. It'll be our base of operations... for now."

She stared at her master for a moment. Who the blazes was Agostino, and why did he kill him? Her master continued to talk as he walked up the stairs, discussing scouting plans and something about her personality. She only heard about half of it, her mind still hung up on the dead man. She watched silently as he moved the bodies towards a furnace and with an alarming level of proficiency began to carve up the bodies like they were cattle.

“This Magus was going to be your master.” Ah, now it made sense. The man, now little more than a pile of ashes, had been competition. She watched him calmly wipe his off on his pants, going about his grizzly business as if it was normal.

“What was he like?” Marian asked, gazing into the flickering flames of the furnace. For a moment, she wondered if she had been summoned by a butcher, but only for a moment. Something in his eyes, in his level voice, betrayed his true feelings. He didn’t like this any more than she did. The question was, why did he do it?

“Take a seat.” Her master gestured toward a chair as he took a seat on the sofa. Marian took the offered seat as her master tried to make himself comfortable. "So my question to you is: What do you want so badly that you choose to sell your service to me?"

“As I am sure you are aware, every servant has a wish the want granted.” Marian began. “Want I want is simple. I was betrayed in life – My husband lost his land, and his title, and I lost my husband. I simply wish to set things right, and to reclaim what rightfully belongs to my husband. How the grail grants that to me is of little importance – changing the past, or granting me a second life, so long as I get my wish.” Marian leaned back in her chair. “What about you, Master? What would make you kill a man just to join this war?”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

“What was he like?” Marian asks. Her Master cannot tell if there is disdain in her voice.

"He was a real Magus," Tyonis concluded, as if it was enough to describe Agostino’s entire life. As they slowly made their way to the living room, he felt a pang of mental, physical, and magical exhaustion. He tried to shake it off, but the stress dug deep. Tyonis had the conditioned mentality of a killer, but he never actually knew any of his victims personally. To murder someone you knew was far different from killing a nameless face. You could dehumanize targets much easier. To become acquainted, to share meals, to talk, meant to establish a connection. Tyonis was learning just how difficult it was to sever such bonds - with death.

“What I want is simple. I was betrayed in life - My husband lost his land, and his title, and I lost my husband. I simply wish to set things right, and to reclaim what rightfully belongs to my husband. How the Grail grants that to me is of little importance - changing the past, or granting me a second life, so long as I get my wish.”

For all her power, Tyonis thought the girl a fool. It made sense given her real age, but to be so blindly tied down by such a pointless wish? Did she realize the implication of it?

"I've studied the Earl of Huntingdon’s history, extensively," he began, leaning forward, his eyes hard and accusing. Under the dim light, they glared daggers into Archer's own. "Marian, have you taken into account that your existence is the reason why your husband lost everything he held dear? Along with your love, you gave Robin Hood the wrath of Prince John. You brought his doom upon him, intentional or not. And if it wasn't Prince John to damn you, I‘m sure there are countless other noblemen of your time who would destroy Huntingdon in its entirety just to bed you. Your story will not have a happy ending as long as you, Lady Marian, love Robin Hood. Your happiness will not be found that way - maybe someone else's, but not yours."

"...Or, I could be entirely wrong." Tyonis shrugged off his stabbing hypothesis on a whim.

"Why did I kill a man just to join this War..?" He reiterates as if unsure of his reason.

Tyonis closes his eyes for what seems like an eternity.

"I committed a great sin that can never be repaid for. I don’t wish for redemption or forgiveness - those things will not rectify what I have done. What I want is to rewrite reality and have my life erased. That way, whatever happens in this world will no longer matter to me. It will not matter if I can be absolved or not. What I wish for, Marian, is freedom from this miserable, hypocritical existence."

[Marian Fitzrobert]

"Marian, have you taken into account that your existence is the reason why your husband lost everything he held dear?”

Marian was on her feet before she realized it, even as this man continued to talk. She talked of her life as if he knew it better than she did. And he had the gall to claim that her Husband’s death was her fault? “I will not stand for this impudence!” She shouted, not at a Master, but at a man, for at the moment she did not care that he was the only thing keeping her in this world. She could take many things, but this was not one of them. “John had chased him into the Forests long before he ever met me! He took me in when John proved that he was more of an animal then a man. John killed my father and chased me from my home. Of all the men who had ever courted me, only he was the only one who ever mustered an entire army just to try and get me. I do not know which Earl of Huntingdon you have been reading of, but I have not met him. The only reason I am before you today is because a monster didn’t know his place.” They stood there in silence for a moment before the Man muster a brief reply. Whoever this man was, Marian had to wonder what would get such a man involved in such a deadly game.

And then he explained his own reasons.

She just stared at him for a time, taking her seat again after a moment. “You want to make yourself disappear? Make it so you never existed in the first place?” Something in the back of her mind suggested that there was something wrong with this, but she dismissed it quickly, her own anger quickly brushing it away. “Are you so eager to run away from your own problems? You didn’t even say you want to change what happened – you just want to disappear. You would leave the issue at hand for somebody else to deal with? I was wrong. you’re not a warrior – you’re a coward.” This man was a fool of the highest caliber – trying to run away from his own problems, burying himself in self-loathing. She wasn’t sure what she should be feeling – pity, or disgust. “So, Mister Reybant, why should I work for such a miserable self-loathing fool? After you tell me that - and if I'm still here at the end of it - perhaps you can illuminate me as to any actual strategies you may have.”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

“I standby my assessment." Tyonis returns, coolly. "It is true that Prince John drove the Earl out, but you were the straw that broke his back. But there's more to your wish than just reclaiming your husband's honor. When you talk about Prince John, the seething hatred in your voice eclipses your love for your husband."

"So, if the Grail brings forth an answer from the deepest part of your soul, don't hide behind petty, shallow justice, Marian. Wish for what you truly want: vengeance on Prince John. Take up the sword of divine retribution and strike him down yourself. Wish for his death - wish for him to be erased. If you do that, then the Earl would never have to suffer in the first place and your family would be unharmed."

At her own stabbing retort, Tyonis leaned back, drowning himself in another memory before addressing her again.

"Changing what I’ve done, huh? No I’ve thought about that. Honor is as much a curse as it is a blessing - a justification to oppress and even kill others. Someone like me, who feels guilt at its loss, is beyond salvation. There is no other fate for me, because if Tyonis is born into the Reybrant family and becomes a knight, he will serve the masters known as doctrines and ideals. Tyonis Reybrant will be raised by them and, at their beck and call, he will kill in their names. How is that any different from my current existence? Well, I guess people will actually praise me for my murders. But if I cease to exist, none of it will matter. The honor, pride, guilt... nothing will matter. Fool, coward - call me whatever you want, Marian," Tyonis dismissed unphased. "But this foolish coward stands as one of the strongest combat-magi in this city." There was an uncharacteristic confidence in Tyonis' voice. As if killing people was his only redeeming trait.

"But there is something far more important than just power and ability: conviction. Even with both my arms cut off and my legs gone, I will spit and bite my way to the Holy Grail. This coward will sacrifice everything he left has for his wish. You will find no one with a greater will to fight than I. Because, unlike other participants, I have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. That’s the real reason why you should work with me.”

"Besides," he continued, leaning back. "If I die, then you can easily replace me. Your Rank in Independent Action will buy you more than enough time. Or you can kill me yourself, right now, as the only way to form a contract with another Master is by my death or willful annulment. And I have no intention of letting you go. But will you take another blow to your pride and honor by betraying me, the person who gave you the chance of regaining everything you lost?"

There was a tenseness in the air, as if every molecule had frozen solid. Tyonis chose to break it himself.

"That sword is beautiful in its simplicity." Tyonis points to the blade belted at Archer’s side. "I wouldn’t mind dying to it." He commented, to hasten her choice.

"What will you do, Marian? It’s your call, now."

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian simply glared at the Master as she thought. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. She wasn’t about to kill him over simply pissing her off, and he was right about is capabilities, or at least his physical abilities. Killing him now would be tactically and practically counter-productive. There was no assurance that she would be able to find another master in time, and there was something else. There was something about him – what it was, she wasn’t sure. What she was sure off was that he was not your usual Knight.

Without saying a word, she drew her sword. “I probably spent half of my life practicing with this sword.” She practiced a few flourishes, checking the weight of the blade. “All of it so that I would be able to kill only who I wanted to kill.” Faster than the human eye could follow – faster than even Marian thought was possible – the blade flew forward, its tip stopping a hair’s breadth from his throat. “I could kill you.” Marian calmly lowered her sword and returned it to its scabbard. “But I won’t. I’m not in the business of murder. That is a fact you should remember. I will not hesitate to kill another master. They knew full well what they were getting into. But I will not kill innocents. If you order me to do so in order to increase my power, my first free action will be to kill you. As are conversation up to now shows, I doubt that we could be anything resembling friends. However, are personal feeling have little bearing on the task at hand. We are partners by contract, and nothing more. We have business with each other and that is all that matters. So, I will work with you until we obtain the grail – and we will obtain the grail. I do not intend to have let you waste my time.”

Marian studied the man for a moment. “If that concludes negotiating are contract, perhaps me might start actually working before the May Games arrive?”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

"I figured as much - you refuse to do anything unseemly, right? Fine. I don’t really want to get anyone else unnecessarily involved in this blood game, either." Tyonis agreed, rubbing his neck irately. He hated bloodless cuts. They itched constantly and stung with a numbing pain, as opposed to a normal cut, which was momentary before the brain naturally cut off nerve signals from that area. He continued to scratch the spot until the cut broke open into an actual wound and a thin, red trail dripped down his neck and then dismissed it entirely. All the while, he let Marian’s threat hang in the air while contemplating their next move. Physically, Tyonis was fine - the only wound he actually had was from Marian. The problem was his mental exhaustion and his magical depletion. He could fight any Average Magus even without magical energy, but those of the Holy Grail War were suppose to be the best of the best. They were Magi that Tyonis would be paid a business man’s yearly salary to hunt and capture. They were Magi that Tyonis could defeat only if he were at his peak and if he were to use everything he had. They were Magi that would smite him easily in his current state.

"We won’t hunt tonight. Your Master’s condition is poor. It‘d be stupid to go out, now, only to die on the first day. Unless you want me to die..?" Tyonis couldn’t help but smirk. "If that’s the case, you’ll have to start planning for my death, if you don‘t want to kill me yourself, Marian."

Rising slowly, Tyonis addressed her again. His words were apathetic, but his tone was clearly more sincere.

"You do not wish for your happiness, Marian. You wish for only your husband‘s. But human beings are selfish, greedy, vicious animals. If you were thinking about your well-being, you would wish for your own happiness along with your husband - he would merely benefit as a side-effect of your desire. I have no right to change your wish, but I can’t see your happiness when you fight and kill solely for the purpose of uplifting someone else in the name of honor or even love."

"This second chance you have at life; this one wish you will have granted; devote it all to yourself. This Holy Grail is not a sacred relic that should be treated with the greatest respect and admiration. It is the embodiment of all humanity‘s evil, and those that participate in this War are nothing but a caged group of starving, half-dead dogs killing each other for a piece of meat. Do not give away that prize so easily, Marian. The Grail is not for your husband, especially not for your ideals. So, if you have a dark, selfish, self-serving, self-satisfying desire that will benefit no one else but you, do not be ashamed of it just because your honor tell you that it is wrong."

"You may think my wish is sad, pitiful, and cowardly. And it probably is, but it is something that I have decided after long, long deliberations, through many sleepless nights."

Tyonis turned to leave, unable to look at Marian’s purity.

"The sin I that drove me to this point was murdering my own sister. I followed the code of honor and sacrificed my sister’s life to it. And yet the path that it chose for me led to ruin. I killed her without a second thought - without a moment of hesitation. What I cared about was not her life, but what her life would tarnish. And so, I dealt death to my own sister in the name of honor. I did not choose between the two; that choice was already made when Tyonis Reybrant was born - when Tyonis Reybrant was given a sword and told to become a knight - to kill in the name of justice and honor."

"Don't let ideals and doctrines like justice honor and love choose a path for you. You choose the path and bear its ideals (sins). If you don’t, then there will be no meaning behind your sacrifice. If, after our time together, you still decide to follow-through with your wish, then so be it. But at the very least, promise me you will think about yourself and where your happiness resides, Marian."

“But even if you do choose to sacrifice yourself, nothing lies at the end of that path. Because honor will eventually take everything you hold dear and you will have nothing to show for it. That is why Prince John triumphed over both you and Robin Hood - he was a human being driven by vile, base desire not by honor.” Tyonis couldn’t bring himself to utter those last words.

"There several unused bedrooms, if you want to sleep and shower," Tyonis informed, his voice unreadably even, despite the heavy air. He still kept his back at Marian, however. "You can make use of anything within the mansion if you don’t want to sleep, just try to keep it quiet. Tomorrow, we‘ll go into the city and scout out the battlefield."

With that, Tyonis ascended the staircase, disappearing into the second floor.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian Watched as her Master headed up the stairs. “The sin that drove me to this point was killing my own sister.” That’s what he had said, but Marian still couldn’t understand it. Killing his own sister had obviously taken a huge toll. If he had been so against it, why did he do it? If he had a good reason, why did it not provide some solace in it? Unless… He had mentioned honor. Had he been forced to kill her after she dishonored herself? She had heard stories about cultures where it was accustom to kill oneself after a loss if they survived. Some thought it was noble. She thought it was insane. Everybody lost a fight or two. Hell, she’d lost a few. What counted was that she was still alive. If you survived, learn from your mistakes. Still, it was his wish and he was allowed to have it. That didn’t mean she had to stop puzzling over it. As for her own wish, if her husband is happy, she’s happy. If it leaves King John in a sputtering rage, she’s even happier. It was simple as that. Ideals were not involved, just rules. A thief doesn’t have room for ideals.

She finally followed her master up into the house proper. It was a nice place, though she didn’t recognize the architecture. Seeing as he had invited her to use the shower and a bedroom, she was guessing that he wanted her to stay in physical form. That or he didn’t realize she could go into spirit form. Whatever the reason, tonight would be a good chance to get an idea of this town’s layout. But first, she was looking forward to a bath…


20 Minutes later, Marian found herself on a balcony overlooking part of the city. Her bath had been quite relaxing, especially when she realized that this era not only routed water into their houses, but hot water. It left her wondering just how long after her own time this age was. As she looked over the city she realized the answer – very long.

Spread out before her was a city larger then she had ever seen. Building, packed together and towering above the ground, Vehicles speeding along the roads between then. And the lights. Every single building, vehicle and road was illuminated in countless lights. Even in the dead of the night, it was almost enough for her to read by. As incredible s it seemed though, it wasn’t important. What mattered was the layout. The buildings seemed to be built in a fairly regular pattern, with a few exceptions. Occasionally she could make out small clumps of trees, the larger ones enclosed by roads, the smaller ones with walls. The smaller ones were most likely gardens of some sort. The larger ones, however, reminded her of the royal woods. Sections of woods claimed by the king, set aside and protected from the locals by royal decree, they were for the personal use of the King. One such wood was Sherwood Forest.

As she stood there, she could feel her masters’ presence. While more than adequate, it seemed…strained, like he didn’t want to give her as much as she might take. He had mentioned being in poor condition. He probably wasn’t used to having to sustain a something like a Servant. It would probably be best if she did sleep – she wouldn’t get into spirit form just yet, in case her master wanted her in this form. With one final look at the city, Marian headed back into the house, in search of one of the beds he had mentioned.

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Tyonis stripped himself unceremoniously before taking a long shower dragging a bottle of vintage wine along with him. He drank deeply as he soaked his skin, relishing in the smell of liquor that temporarily overcame the caked blood in his nostrils. The scolding hot water refreshed his suddenly dim senses. The day’s toll was heavy – he rarely opened up to anyone before and he was rarely so moved by someone. Marian was a baffling enigma. She was someone who he idolized – a being so pure of heart that nothing could corrupt it. Someone so blinded by their ideal that they did not see the contradiction behind it. Her happiness lay with her husband? Tyonis could not even fathom such a thing, not after he had sacrificed so much, single-mindedly following his own doctrine.

Was the ritual truly a mistake?

Or was Marian not someone he meant to summon, but someone he needed to.

Tyonis raises his head up and opens his mouth wide, breathing in the falling water, painfully choking on it, yet refusing to stop out of pure willpower. With his lungs partially filled with water, Tyonis doubles over, coughing and hacking, almost vomiting in the process. Another minute of self-torture passes before his lungs are completely void of fluid. He then pours the remaining half of his wine bottle over his head, killing the stench of death with alcohol. Soup and water remove what’s left and Tyonis reluctantly steps out of his musing. He emerges relaxed, his expressions and emotions reset. His doubt and worry drain away along with several gallons of fresh water.

Soon, he is in bed, taking up the room Agostino assigned for him. Through his mind’s eye, he checked Marian’s status before sleeping – apparently she would stay corporal. Tyonis knew it was more strategically sound for a Servant to assume their astral form when out of combat, but he felt he should not push the issue. He had insulted his Servant enough tonight. The moment Tyonis closed his eyes, exhaustion finally overtook him, sending him into a deep, trance-like slumber.