On the Clock

[Aashiq Nassar]

[] Day 2 - About 4:30am []

Not this again.

Jeremiah stood overlooking Lucca's old town from the balcony near the top of the clock tower that rose from the city hall. The view was quite nice; the starts were visible, and only the streetlamps of the city were lit. In this area, the buildings were old and low to the ground, marked by age and antiquity, while the gleaming and shining pillars of downtown glistened from the lights above and below. It could have been midnight in the city. Only the occasional flash of light to show a car passing, the odd window still lit by an early-riser or an all-nighter.

And more than anything it was peaceful, especially up there in the tower. A balcony positioned above the inner-workings of the clock tower, the great gears and chimes moving almost soundlessly beneath his feet. The air was chilly, though still nicer than Chicago was this time of year. That lake-effect snow was probably hammering his childhood home.

Is there just something wrong with me? This is unprecedented.

Jeremiah wasn't watching the view, or the lights, or the clock, or anything in particular. Maybe the odd glance at his companion, Saber, standing with him on the balcony, but nothing was catching his eye. A shame really, he had come here to get a better view of the city's layout. Instead he was too busy noticing the time. He had a cigarette in his mouth, hoping Saber wouldn't object to it in the open air, he needed less stress at a time like this.

Two days in a row, up before dawn. Seriously, what the hell?

He sighed, yesterday had been wasted. Saber had been scouting while Jeremiah was recovering. The summoning took a bigger toll then he had felt at first; and while Saber had gotten him out of bed by noon, he was practically limping for the rest of the day.

Even now, he felt like his circuits had been burned into him. It was problematic on a whole new level when you could say with a straight face "My soul aches" and not mean it as some kind of metaphor. This wasn't helped by the unwelcome news that his Servant couldn't dematerialize...and needed food. Jeremiah wasn't sure what was going to burn out first at this rate, his prana or his finances.

He felt he probably had plenty of prana left, the grail supposedly took care of most of the cost. Jeremiah supposed he would just have to get used to this feeling.

From his inside coat pocket he produced an ornate magnifying glass. The handle was polished bronze and the glass, instead of magnifying, was perfectly clear; catching no reflection or glare, as if it wasn't even there. Holding the lens up to his right eye and closing his left, Jeremiah began to concentrate, and began to feel the energy flow from his body and into the glass. It wasn't a good feeling, the familiar burning in his hands, but it wasn't as bad as he had expected. It was a bit like moving an aching limb.

As mana began to flow into the glass, the city through it began to glow with a new light. Blue lines, too hazy to make out proper locations or distances, crisscrossed the city. Coming and going through every nook and cranny, dispersing in some places and converging in others.

The light show demonstrated what Jeremiah had feared. This wasn't a city, it was a war zone.

just how many servants are out there?

He moved the glass to view the building below him, leaning out over the parapet.

"That's odd..." It had taken him so off guard he said it aloud. There were mana trails...or spots in this case, lining the roof below. For something not to leave a trail in Pragmatist's Eye, it must have been sitting there for days.

Suddenly, it stopped sitting.

The little blue balls were now crawling at a slow pace towards the tower. At least five of them, all lining the roof at the edge, lurching silently towards them.

" Saber," He turned to her, lens still over his eye, he saw her coated in an aura of bright crimson. It fit, in an odd synesthesiac way. His voice remained steady, but urgent.

"I think we're about to have unwanted guests coming up from below."

He removed the lens from his eye and cut the flow of power into it, then he looked back down to where the glow had been. It was still dark, a few hours from sunrise, but the faintest hint of movement could be seen. A cracking of stone here, a low hiss there, it was as if the statuary was coming alive.

Which it probably is...

Jeremiah thought back to when they had entered the silent building. Had there been gargoyles lining the roof? Probably, it was an old building after all. He had been too busy wondering if the doors leading up here were open, which they had been...mostly...he was sure the janitors wouldn't mind.

"Care to show them the way out, Saber?"

[Ogier]

The lightshow down below was quite beautiful and demanded one's attention. Saber had to admit that she had never seen anything like that before and had an appropriate charme. Ogier had allowed herself to be captivated by this new town, during the short time where peace prolonged.

She really liked this town by now, and it was horrible that some parts of it might be lost during this secret and dangerous war. Nevertheless, even the most charming situations would eventually lose their attraction after some time. She would never cease to be partially amazed, for she had spend an eternity with a single person without getting bored, but she had stopped staring at every single light with admiration.

It had been an interesting trip the other day, but even the beautiful scenery could not help her over the boredom when the streets were empty. Daylight also brought things to the surface that were actually more to her liking. But what had they done with the flowers? What had they done with their fields, the trees? The paladin was clearly not a representative of the flower power generation and honestly wondered how Morgan could have been that interested in those plants, but seeing the destruction for the sake of modern comfort was painful to watch.

Magic no matter how problematic was still a better alternative to modern science and what effects it had on their surroundings, on Gaia. Could Fairies even still exist in this harsh environment? Humans were the cause that many of this planet's lifeforms were close to extinction while they gave birth to something anew. One of those was unfortunately greater evil, an evil that even Saber, despite her countless battles has never felt before. Nonetheless, it felt distant at the moment... not helping the situation at all, but she would not have to face those worries tonight.

A rather fortunate situation when one considered the condition of her master. He really was not the toughest around and Saber had almost lost her countenance when he had still not gotten up by noon. In the end she had attempted to wake him up as gently as possible after the morning hours, despite her evergrowing hunger, and that was more than just a nuisance. Her master was not the strongest, maybe also not the wisest, but she had accepted him, despite his obvious, just too obvious weaknesses.

And she was none to talk, Ogier was clearly giving him a handicap with her drain on him, but yet her management should be proper enough to keep him alive. She was not someone who emptied the secret beer reserves of the person who was treating her like a guest. She already had considered to keep a low profile to conserve prana, albeit being totally different from her usual activity.

Ogier still remembered how troublesome it was to convey those bad news to him. His first reaction... was interesting to say the least. It would probably only be a matter of time until he would resume his question session about every detail of her life. He could really be a bit pesky...

Saber's gaze was still resting on the scenery before her when she felt something approach. It did not appear to be a servant, yet threatening enough to warrant her attention, and she actually longed for activity.

Despite her calm demeanor, she hated to sit still and wait.

"I fear that you will have to show them. I must have left my map behind, but I can certainly have them leave."

....... Ogier prepared herself mentally on combat, armor and sword ready for the attacks. How strong would they be? Would they provide some entertainment?

"You might wish to step back. The battle potential of them is completely unknown to me."

[Enkidu]

[] Day 2 – Around 3:30am; Versilia Palace Hotel []

I’m soooooo booooored! Enkidu thought to herself as she stood near the window of her and Renard’s hotel room. The previously immaculate hotel room was now a horrid mess that looked as if some kind of great battle taken place within its borders. Of course this was entirely Enkidu’s fault as she had forced Renard to order numerous packages of takeout from a variety of different restaurants. There was a reason for this of course as due to the great strain of summoning Enkidu and maintaining her massive prana requirements, Renard had been too sore to move for the past day or so.

Enkidu, being a person of action could barely stand this and required that her master order so food for her to eat to pass the time. Plus good food would give her energy and lessen the strain on her master. It was a win-win situation for everyone!

Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored! Which of course brings us back to the current situation. After spending the whole day eating to gain more energy, Enkidu had grown restless and with Renard too tired to effectively defend himself she had to stay in the hotel and relegate herself to watching the scenery. And what a scenery it was. Once again Enkidu was struck by how interesting the modern world was. All of the bright lights and moving people even so early in the morning was astounding to her.

Certainly in Uruk they had much more impressive structures. The technology of the time used advanced magic to work and if painted a far more impressive sight than what she saw here. They even had the equivalent of nuclear bombs during her time! How could the modern age even compare? Still, it was impressive in its own right for such a grey and colorless time. Humanity had lost their magic and so had to rely on technology to advance themselves. It was a sad fact but society had done well for itself despite the disadvantages.

At least the sky is the same. Enkidu mused to herself. In the early hours of the morning before the sun was yet to rise, she would rouse herself from Gilgamesh’s embrace and watch the sun together with the only man to ever truly care about her. Even now, as she watched the dark pre-dawn sky, she could imagine him by her side, awaiting a new dawn to wash over them and the city they loved. Yes, even now she could imagine it and she liked to think that they were still connected by that same sky, that somewhere out there was her Gilgamesh feeling the same feelings under the sky, their hearts and feelings connected together forever as they always had been.

Shaking her head softly Enkidu turned back to the room and made her way over to the small sitting area. Once she had made her way there she sat down and picked up one of the tourist guides that the hotel had set out for their convenience. The day was still very early and she needed something to take her mind off her own thoughts. If anything it would be better to pick out something to do for the day once Renard was finally up to moving about.

For a few minutes she flipped through the magazine looking at the various ads and featured locations that were talked about. As she flipped through the section on Old Lucca, Enkidu stopped as something caught her eye.

“Come watch the sunrise over Lucca from one of the oldest clock towers in Italy! Its antique charm is best for those young couples wishing for a romantic getaway!”

For a moment Enkidu just sat there and re-read the advertisement over and over . She didn’t particularly care for the romantic aspect of the clock tower at the moment, seeing as Renard was too tired to play with at the moment, but to watch the sun rise up over an old city again……..Her thoughts strayed again to her golden lover. Yes, that would be perfect.

Moving over to her master’s side of the bed. He was sleeping peacefully, the peaceful sleep of those too tired to do anything else. Oh well, the shrugged. He has been too lazy lately anyways.

Stepping back a bit, Enkidu move forwards suddenly and leaped onto the bed, crashing directly into Renard and glomping him as delicately as possible so as to keep from harming him.

“Ren Ren Ren Ren! Get up Get up Get uuuuuuuup!” she yelled at him cheerfully as she shook him awake. As soon as he was even remotely awake, Enkidu grabbed him and began the process of dressing him. As soon as he was dressed and after nearly ten minutes of protest and arguing, mostly consisting of Enkidu giving him her puppy-dog eyes and pitifully saying “B-b-but I just want to see the s-sun rise….” Renard eventually gave up and left the hotel along with her.

After about an hour of uneventful travel, the master and servant pair got within a few blocks of the clock tower when a sharp feeling and wrongness struck Enkidu. For a moment, Enkidu stood still as she tried to tease out what the wrongness was and why it had taken so long for her to notice it. When she come up with a blank, Enkidu quickly stopped and held out an arm for Renard to do the same. Enkidu concentrated and opened her senses to the Earth around her, becoming one with it and feeling out the presences of all though within two kilometers of her location. As she did so she immediately felt the presence of another Servant as well as a group of some kind of evil presence that she could not quite define. Whatever it was, it made her skin crawl. If she were to face any of the evil presences she wouldn’t hesitate to destroy them.

Turning to her now concerned Master, Enkidu’s face took on a rarely seen serious expression. “Master, there is another Servant on top of the clock tower as well as several presences that I can’t define as anything else but evil. What are your orders?”

[Renard Aestling]

Pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly, Renard struggled to keep his mind together. Due to the fatigue he suffered even now, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep his thoughts from wandering aimlessly... After a moment or two passed however and the severity of the situation sunk in, his veins were shot through with adrenaline and suddenly he felt more awake and alive than he had been for days now.

This oppressive 'evil' presence was nothing new, he had been feeling it at the fringes of his perception even as he first came to this city as if it were tinnitus in a quiet room... However this Servant was more worrisome, for odds are that given the relatively short range Enkidu's senses have as a Berserker it was likely their enemy had picked up on their presence as well, and probably earlier than Enkidu detected it, putting himself and Enkidu in a rather difficult position. If they fled, the Servant would likely just pursue them. If they charged in, they might have something of a chance, though it was rather foolish given their adversary might know the area better and might have set up something in advance to 'greet' any potential attackers. Of course, if they were warding off this other presence, they might welcome any support... It was a gamble either way, but it would be better than doing nothing at all.

After a moment's consideration he turned to Enkidu, put on a brave face and a smile, and said "Well... Let's have a look then, shall we? Maybe you'll even get to play around a bit as we see the sights. Besides, it wouldn't do to allow a bit of unfortunate business ruin our day out, hm?" before starting for the tower's entrance.

[Aashiq Nassar]

Jeremiah let out a wry smile. It may not have been the best joke he'd ever heard, but it was still an attempt at humor on Saber's part, and that was enough for him.

"Very well. Watch out for any nasty surprises...and saber..."

He tried to keep up the smile and turn it into something supportive.

"...try to enjoy yourself a little, these guys are probably no match for a servant...as for me..."

He decided to forgo the marked entrance, spotting an old wooden trapdoor leading down into the clock tower's mechanics. It had been painted over but didn't seem to be locked. In an instant his switchblade was out and he had cut through the paint and, using the knife as a lever, pry the door open.

He looked down into the inky blackness, down there would probably be safer. He would have control of the terrain, as well as a more protected view if his assumptions proved correct.

"I'll be heading inside the clock. I need to check the time."

Without another word he climbed down into the belly of the clock, a short ladder leading him to the floor below.
His view was dominated by the great opaque glass face of the clock.

He had expected more gears, but a steady ticking sound from the level below informed him of his error in clock tower construction.

"Huh...learn something new every day."

He muttered silently to himself as he began to feel around the face of the giant clock, only the opaque moonlight to guide him.
Slapping himself for his stupidity, he pulled out his lighter and took a step back before finding what he had been searching for, a handle, invisible from the outside, built into the back of the "V" in VI.

With a heave, he pushed a section of the face open, letting the fading starlight shine in. This perch would afford him a better view and only one entrance should the creatures attempt to get in uninvited.

Slipping into a comfortable position, his back leaning against one side of the opening, and a foot against the opposite one to prop him up, he retrieved the Pragmatist's Eye and once again began his survey.

Apparently only bad things happen when he does that. With a start he saw two new trails that lead in the direction of the tower. Following the trails, he just made out two dots walking to the entrance, and instantly their trails changed color. Both of them were blue-green in color now, or at least their prana was, except one was noticeably darker than the other. Regardless, a pair of moving prana trails could only mean one thing.

Saber, I think we're about to have more company. Servant company. I'll seal the entrances to the tower's insides, but chances are they already know we're here. Do what you can with the creatures, but get in here asap, I don't want us caught off guard and separated.

[Ogier]

"Enjoying..." That was not exactly the best word to describe it, but she actually thirsted a little for action. No matter how cruel the wars were and how much she disliked the idea of seeing people die, especially her friends, standing still was also horrible. Probably the worst was sitting far away and later getting a note about a good friend's death. With her master gone inside, the worry about his safety did not just disappear, but Ogier could fight and keep her senses sharpened to deal with trespassers into her master's safety zone. None of those beasts would get through.

Saber materialized her sword and began to deal with some of the creatures, carefully avoiding contact with them. They were apparently no match and their numbers too few to overwhelm her. The lack of tactic was also barely providing a challenge. If one enjoyed hack and slay games, then this was the ideal situation for them. But she still disliked the idea of having them even touch her sturdy armor, which was heavy enough to have most horses collapse under the weight. They were dark, and made from something that disgusted her greatly.

In some Legends they fought Trolls or Demons, and albeit Ogier not remembering much of that actually, it was still a well fitting story for Paladins. No matter how much they actually had to do with God, it had become a term for a Holy Knight, and Saber was a little bit proud to be one of them. She had never cared too greatly for religion, but those Holy Men serving during Charlemagne's reign had her uttermost respect.

It was now just to fitting for her to finally fight some real dark monsters, although her horse was an actual demon, and quite dark it was her friend. Maybe a reason for the difference in feelings. Cumbersome opponents... Another Beast almost reached for the edge of her armor and Ogier began to regret a little that she could not call some kind of legendary shield her own. How nice would it be to just smash their face in rather than having to deal with each individually by using her mighty sword.

"Tch..."

Maybe she had made this 'no-touch' policy her kind of challenge to spice things up a little, but she continued this battle with mixed feelings. They were no match, but humans of this time would fall to them like peasants. A very displeasing thought and yet it was wonderful to cleave those things in two without the heavy burden of having taken a life. She ducked and rolled off, preferring the hard floor and dirt on her armor than getting tackled by two creatures at once and briefly admired the result.

Both monstrosities were kissing each other and for a short moment, the Veteran Warrior recalled a weird scene of two girls playing on a field of flowers. A bit cheesy maybe, yet worse was that none of those creatures could actually meet the beauty of Morgan Le Fay.

.....

"Forgive me..." She face palmed and the next instant the face of a very sad Morgan appeared in front of her inner eye. Heck.. those things were butt ugly. How could she even have those thoughts!? Ogier swung her sword down, cutting the image and those two beasts apart. Their interlinked condition, a result of their 'romantic scene', a follow up-hug after the equally 'unemotional' as disgusting kiss, made it easy to take their heads in one swing. Head next to Head.

Then another rather unpleasant message made it to her. A challenge, an honest duel would be the ideal situation for Ogier, the Paladin, but the time could hardly be any worse. A servant...? Saber was known to rush to her Emperor's side when he was in need. No matter how far away she was, no matter the risk, a proper bodyguards by all standards. She was very sure to sense when her master was in danger, but that was perhaps a bit too arrogant.

The love interest of Morgan had been too absorbed into her little self made challenge and tried to keep the monsters away from Aashiq to take servants into consideration. ....At least they were not there. It was embarrassing that he needed to inform her about the presence of a new enemy, but she could now feel them, and they were not at her master's location... not yet.

"Sorry guys.... and even more apologies if some of you are actually girls, time to end this. Play Time is over."

Great. That would mean that the challenge was over as well, but touching them still seemed ultra unpleasant. Yet, there was no other way to cut down on the time and end this battle as fast as possible. Ogier resumed the battle, this time grabbed one monster and threw it over the edge of the building, before rushing in best football manner to push another two down the way they came from. Why should she be the only one to enjoy them?

Saber continued to provide a little bit of entertainment for the newcomers, not knowing how many of those things would actually survive the fall, and did not bother to clean up the rest before rushing to her master's side.

I am right there.

(Decided to use underlined text for mental notes to the master.)

[Enkidu]

"Well... Let's have a look then, shall we? Maybe you'll even get to play around a bit as we see the sights. Besides, it wouldn't do to allow a bit of unfortunate business ruin our day out, hm?" Renard said before starting for the tower's entrance.

"Yes!" Enkidu cheered as she skipped alongside Renard, easily matching her master's quick pace with a few short and simple strides. Yes, this would certainly be fun Enkidu mentally conceded. Even though she had only been in the living world for a few short day, she was already bored with the seemingly 'modern' marvels that this era held. To finally be able to cut loose and fight another hero from the past when the world was a stronger and wilder place would be a breath of fresh air to her anticipatory existence.

The last few blocks to the Lucca Clock Tower were uneventful. A heavy silence had settled itself over the Master and Servant pair and each member of the two person team was consumed by their own thoughts. For Enkidu, those thoughts were of the upcoming battle. Who was the other Servant that she would meet? What Class was the other Servant? WHat was the other Servant's gender? Was he or she a great warrior like Enkidu? Thoughts of possibly meeting her Gilgamesh at the top of the tower flitted through her mind for a few brief instances but she quickly banished those thoughts. It would be too convenient to meet her love in the place that had so reminded her of him.

It wasn't wise to get one's hopes up or to grasp for something beyond you means. The gods or her time had taught her that.

Finally, after several tense minute of travel, Enkidu and Renard reached the Lucca Clock Tower. As they did, Enkidu once again concentrated on her ability to detect other presences and sensed the battle happening above her. The other Servant at the top of the clock tower easily dispatched one of the evil presences and in a burst of speed launched three of the presences over the edge and down below towards she and her master.

Looking up, Enkidu spotted the vile beasts falling aimlessly through the air towards Renard and herself. Suddenly all of the tenseness leaked out from her body as she prepared for battle. All of the sudden, a frighteningly bloodthirsty grin stole itself across her features and as the light reflected off of her eyes, making them flash a bright green color, she appeared to the world as if she were a great and terrible specter, come once again to grace the world with the touch of death.

Enkidu materialized her ax and began to spin it rapidly by the long chain that sprang from it's handle. By the point that the shadow beats were halfway down the tower, her weapon was a whirlwind of live steel that ached for the blood of her enemies.

Whipping her right arm upwards and at an angle, Enkidu sent the ax sailing skywards in and arc towards the beasts. As it shrieked through the sky towards its intended victims the beast writhed in the air to escape the oncoming death but to no avail.

The ax met the first beast like a comet cutting a trail against the darkness, the weapon glowing with supernatural energy. The first beast did not stand a chance and was cleanly bisected by the glowing weapon which then, with but a simple pull of her chain, Enkidu manipulated onto a course with the second beast.

The second beast was somewhat luckier than the first beast as the ax was unable to kill it in one strike with it's present angle of attack. Sadly for the second beast, the ax was a sharp weapon moving faster than the speed of sound and when it struck the second beast at it's present angle, the ax pinned it to the side of the clock tower, grievously wounding the monster but leaving it barely alive and stuck to a brick wall by the edge of her ax.

Grinning at her success, Enkidu hoisted Renard into her arms and positioned her master to be carried bridal style. As she did, Enkidu cradled her master with her left arm and grabbed her chain with her right hand and pulled her master and herself with all of her might as she jumped with all of her power towards the location of her ax.

Sailing upwards, Enkidu landed on her ax, crushing the beat stuck under it even more and jumped yet again, running up the wall of the clock tower towards her opponent. After but a moment, Enkidu approached the final beast that was sent sailing over the edge of the tower. With the savage grin still on her face, Enkidu snapped her leg out in a ferocious kick at the beast's head. When the kick connected there was a horrific snapping of bones breaking and a vomit inducing sound of flesh tearing as the beast's head was ripped clean from it's body and send flying outwards away from it's body and towards the other side of the
street below.

Nearly a full second later, Enkidu landed on the top landing at the peak of the Lucca Clock Tower. As she did, Enkidu set Renard down and yanked on the chain to her ax, pulling the weapon and the beast that was stuck to it into the air above them. As the weapon and victim reached the point when they were forwards of Enkidu and her master, Enkidu twisted her wrist in a precise manner and neatly bisected the remaining beast so that the fron part of it's body landed in front of her.

Stretching out her senses, Enkidu noted that the other Master-Servant pair that she had sensed before had moved into the the clock tower itself, behind the clock face. Turing towards her master she gave him a solemn look. "Stay here." she commanded him.

Moving towards her enemy, Enkidu deliberately stepped on the beast's head, crushing it underneath her foot with a loud crunching sound. The bloodthirsty and manic grin was now absent from Enkidu's face, replaced by a faint yet serene smile.

Twirling her ax again, Enkidu launched the weapon forwards sent the ax through the door on the clock face before yanking it back with a flick of her wrist, tearing the door off of it's hinges and a part of the wall off as well.

Looking into the opening that she had made, Enkidu finally saw the face of her opponent. She studied the other Servant intently for a few moments, feeling a slight bit of disappointment upon discovering that the other Servant wasn't her Gilgamesh. It wasn't like it mattered though, at least she could make a new friend out of this.

Waving slightly, Enkidu called out to the other Servant. "Hi! Sorry if I stole your kill." With a subtle shift in her stance as the only warning, Enkidu suddenly rushed the other servant. Once she was within a few feet of the other warrior, Enkidu jumped slightly and brought her ax down at the pink haired knight with devastating force.

"Lets be friends!"

[Renard Aestling]

Renard couldn't help but feel somewhat chagrined for the manner in which he was carried, though he couldn't fault its efficiency, and efficiency is what the situation required as Enkidu lashed out with her axe at the beasts in a deadly dance that might have been almost beautiful in its brutality if these gargoyles offered even a bit of a challenge to her. Picking up on Enkidu's own vague sense of disappointment underlying her blood frenzy, Ren sighed and extinguished the fireball he had ignited in his hand for any opportunistic strikes...

Even still... Even being held over the shoulder would be a bit more dignified than this... he thought idly, though he quickly banished this from his mind in order to focus on the matter at hand, noticing that he was being lowered back down. As his Servant ordered him to stay put he felt another moment of chagrin overtake him, but she was gone before he could properly protest, leaving him on the landing just inside the door. As the realization hit him that Enkidu was just now starting to take things seriously he felt rather awed at her power, and at the fact that he was the one that managed to draw forth such raw strength. "Though it's not like I didn't pay for it..." Renard thought aloud as he twisted his hand about and flexed his fingers, he still felt a bit stiff and fatigued from the ritual, but was still confident that he could escape if things went south.

Risking a peek outside he flinched back as Enkidu began 'making friends' with the other Servant, which looked as though she could match Enkidu's enthusiasm with experience and stoicism. He knew that it would end poorly if he was spotted, but still he watched as the Servants traded blows as swift and brutally powerful as lightning. Before long however, the sparks from their clashes grew so bright as to be painful, and so he cast his gaze further afield, hoping for a glimpse of his true adversary...

[Aashiq Nassar]

Through the hole in the clock face he had found, Jeremiah had just enough time to watch this new servant fly up the side of the clock tower, Master in arm, like some chain-axe wielding ball of energy. From what he gathered, it had made quick work of the other monsters.

He was relieved Saber had gotten to him before the other Servant could intercept them. He didn't want to think about what would happen if the servant managed to control the distance between them, especially if their master was here. Jeremiah didn't like his chances against some experienced Clock Tower brat.

He heard the other servant land on the roof above them with a crash. Hurriedly, Jeremiah swung around part of the large, geared clock mechanism that continued up from the floor below, here only about the size of a small couch, hiding himself from view. Although in all honesty, the Servant could probably sense him, this was more for protection than concealment, and it allowed him to avoid the worst of the crossfire that was to come.

His fears seemed warranted when the other Servant ripped the door and a portion of the surrounding wood clear of its hinges. Then came flying in like some great green and grey blur.

"Let's be friends!"

High on the list of things Jeremiah had never wanted to hear being said by a woman with an axe were the words "Let's be friends!".
Clearly it had to be a woman, although she was still moving with surprising speed, the high voice and great waves of teal hair gave her away.

Jeremiah needed to get out of this relatively cramped space quickly, but he couldn't think of where to go. To get back to the floor above would be to expose himself to this new Servant, not to mention the magus waiting for him. And the only way down was out the hole in the face and down several stories to the unyielding pavement.

And here I am without my trusty parachute.

He decided to huddle up and watch how the fight went. Hopefully Saber's stern "Ready for Action" manner gave her an edge over this new girl's ferocious attempts at "befriending" her.

I'll leave the fighting to you while I figure out an escape route, Saber.

[Ogier]

Saber did not expect that the foul monsters would be enough to hold a real warrior back, and most servants were of that category. Needless to say that Ogier was well prepared for the encounter, yet less happy about her master's stance of deciding to retreat before the battle had even begun.

What were his thoughts on this matter?

Was the reason the uncertainty about having to deal with an enemy master or did he not trust in her abilities? She could not exactly hold either against him, because he lacked information, and this was one of the things that the Paladin had gathered from his behavior, he was careful and preferred to hold the information. Probably a suitable choice for a master, especially because Ogier liked to keep the tactical level to a reasonable level. Army vs Army, rather than Kingdom vs Kingdom.

She had the charisma of a king, but not a Tactical Leadership ability of a Legend. Well, judging from the incoming ball servant, in more than one meaning of the word, Saber was likely to be the more cool headed of the two.

"Then let me respond properly to this greeting, my friend!" she answered and swung her sword eagerly in reply, after securing her stance and making all the use out of the massive armor worn over her trained body. This were the moments when a knight began to miss the shield usually coming in the package with armor and sword, but the Paladin of Charles flame of passion for fierce battle was lit by the green fire, and her master's desire for a fast retreat fled more and more into the dephts of her subconsciousness, while her senses focused on the battle itself.

An explosive roar and aching of steel resounded all over the place when the weapons met, and the feedback was well received. Ogier could feel the blow in her hands, and despite the heavy armor and powerful blow, she definitely had the disadvantage in terms of stance. Only a fool or arrogant person would respond to an overhead attack in this manner, rather than turning the rash act of the enemy into an advantage. Saber was neither, albeit a slight foolishness existing when strictly following a codex of respect and chivalry. War was not beautiful, and King Arthur's rules too beautiful to not end up in a form of handicap.

Yet even without being a fundament of unmovable steel, she was still one of the tougher servants, and used this handicap for her horse for a beneficial cause. She immediately after the first strike, both weapons slightly forced back because of the massive kinetic force involved in the attack, dashed forward to ram an armored fist straight into the free side of her opponent. Even, if Saber had not taken advantage of the girl's overeager advance towards friendship, she still held the Initiative in the second repartee.

An axe... unlikely to be a Saber, but there is a lot of strength behind her attack. Rider?

While the Knight with dark pink hair was quite happy that her sword was not the standard issued weapon that she was used to in the begin of her career, she still felt slightly reluctant about exposing it forcibly against an axe. She decided to keep on the attack, before allowing the other servant another chance of taking full swings against her.

"I certainly did not expect someone in this War to share my sentiments!"

Saber was a person who had formed several friendships out of Battle. Yet it was still funny that a servant would approach another for this purpose. It made one wonder what other goals could be found in this Grail War. As long as none did it for ricecakes or something similar, Saber could care less, though. Retreating? This was not an option for the battleproven Knight. The stern expression slowly yielded to a faint smile.

But... she did not ignore the presence of the enemy master entirely. He probably could dish out some spells which were capable of even harming a Saber. Ogier was not a coward or worrywart, but neither arrogant enough to automatically reject the possibility. There has already been a grave misconception in her past and the proud Paladins more than once fallen victim to powerful magic. The Danish King herself had not been spared. This was a welcome chance to see the abilities and strengths of others for a better picture of the war. The fun had just begun.

[Enkidu]

"Lets be friends!" Enkidu called out as she swung her ax down on the enemy Servant with terrifying force. Normally another warrior would evade such an obvious overhead strike or even hesitate for a moment if they were unused to combat. The pink haired knight however calmly stood her ground against Enkidu's oncoming assault.

"Then let me respond properly to this greeting, my friend!"

As their weapons clashed Enkidu was surprised to see that the knight was still standing. I must really be weak in this form. She thought as that level of attack was enough to cleave city walls in twain when she was alive. But it was more than that she knew, in her current class she was limited to Anu as her only weapon. Since she had not gained her other weapons until later on when she was fully civilized, it would make sense that as a Berserker she would only have Anu to rely on. Yes, if for instance she had been summoned to the Saber class, there would be no doubt that she would have the whole of her and Gilgamesh's treasury to wield in battle.

Now though she was weaker and thus as the two weapons clashed, the force of the collision caused the two warriors to separate momentarily. For a brief moment Enkidu was off balance and it was in that moment that the other Servant attacked.

While Enkidu was stumbling away, the pink haired knight dashed forwards and nearly decked her, knocking the green haired Servant cleanly to the ground. "I certainly did not expect someone in this War to share my sentiments!" the pink knight called out. As she hit the ground, Enkidu rolled with the impact and tumbled out of the way of the knight's immediate range.

Coming to her feet in a flash, Enkidu grinned at her new friend and called out to her as she dashed forwards. "Then lets have fun shall we?"

AS Enkidu dashed forwards, she took a long length of her chain and swung it in an arc towards her opponent's legs. As she did, Enkidu charged her opponent with her ax aimed at the knight's side. If her opponent didn't move then she would be knocked down and if she jumped of moved back then Enkidu would close the gap and she would be able to deliver a critical blow.

Either way this looked like it would prove to be fun.

[Renard Aestling]

As Renard watched on he started to notice that despite brutally powerful blows, that they were actually holding back on each other. They were fighting with greater skill as time went on, to be sure, but the whole thing had the air of a friendly competition about it in how they seemed to keep testing each other rather than simply beating each other into the dirt as expediently as possible. I didn't realize she meant that 'Let's be friends!' bit so literally... he thought as he smiled and shook his head in spite of himself. Though he did have to admit that this was the better approach to take rather than being overly aggressive and possibly inviting a vendetta of some sort. ...And if nothing else, it's a good test of her abilities.

Though he dared not emerge from cover with the fight going on outside, he still quickly took stock of the area outside and even craned his neck to look up and around the clock's face for any other holes where the other Master could be hiding as he was, and he was rewarded for his efforts as he spied a promising prospect not far across the face from him, though it would require him breaking his concealment and there was no telling how prepared the other magus was or how he was in a fight. Thinking quickly he 'spoke' to Enkidu through their telepathic link, saying nothing but "Do you think you could hold her attention away from here for about a minute?"[/i] as he readied himself for his bid to get across the platform (and just as quickly back if needed).

[Aashiq Nassar]

Jeremiah spared glances out from his hiding spot to steal glances at the battle. The sound of enchanted metal colliding rang through the clock tower deafeningly with each clashing blow, and he felt wind whistle past his hiding spot with each swing of their weapons.

This is getting exceedingly uncomfortable.

Once again he weighed his options. He could run for the ladder and get back to the roof, but then he'd be trapped up there, and there might be a straggling gargoyle or two to deal with. Jeremiah didn't like his chances on his own against one of them, and climbing the ladder with any speed with the enemy servant there wasn't likely, although...

He heard Saber offer up her own banter before the resounding clang of blades. At least she seemed to be somewhat enjoying herself, as did the enemy servant. Perhaps they'd be distracted enough for him to make a run for the ladder...

It was worth a shot, he'd analyzed the room again and again but came up with nothing that could aid him. It was either the ladder to possible safety, stay where he was in harm's way, or a long drop through the clock face to the ground.

Ladder it is then.

Jeremiah got into a crouched position behind his protective pile of machinery, and positioned himself so he was facing the lone ladder.

Saber, It's getting a bit too hot for me here. I'm going to make a run for the ladder, so cover me as best as you can.[/color]

Curling his legs like a runner preparing for a race, Jeremiah shot off, sprinting as fast as he could towards the ladder.

[Ogier]

A big smirk grew on Saber's face as she could see a proper battle meal before her very eyes instead of just some little snack which only left you more hungry than before. Nevertheless, she was still not ready to go into the final phase and mindlessly consume the offering, rather than working up her appetite and savoring the feeling. Some might probably describe her as overly battle lusting, but there were not too many opportunities in the recent past to test the skill.

Saber, It's getting a bit too hot for me here. I'm going to make a run for the ladder, so cover me as best as you can.

...This was her master's answer to the situation. Why did he not fight back? Ogier had been aware that he was quite different from her past 'Masters', but it honestly hurt her down to the bone, that he had displayed some cowardly tendencies... No, that was unfair. He was the kind to not fight battles he could eventually lose. Yet, he could also win. Maybe this was the reason for her sudden drop of mood, her previous grin turning into a disappointed frown, just too clearly visible on her facial features. She had never been the kind to completely hide her feelings and it was clearly a bit late to begin with this.

A part of her wished to voice her complain, but a Master was a Master and a quarrel at this point could cost either their life. They simply had no time, she had no time. Aashiqu had already given up and moved into the next stage of a Tactical Retreat. All Saber could do was complying to his wishes. "Understood... master." Her response was cold and undemanding, albeit the undertone revealing her discomfort about the situation. There were rarely any moments in her life when an escape was the means to survival. Always looking forward and advancing, that was her lifestyle...

Her master had set her on a diet. My armor is the heavy part. There was absolutely no need to make her starve for Battle, but Magi might have their own very unique reasons. However he desired to end this conflict, the Paladin had no right to complain and accelerated straight at the incoming 'Unfriendly Projectile', whose name was still a mystery for the pink haired sword fighter. Increasing the distance and prepare for the onslaught might have been better, and her brain had registered that option, and yet discarded it, in favor of her personal enjoyment... well, and her master's orders.

She could hardly stall for time, if she were to withdraw back towards his location. No doubt about this opponent being quite similar in the style of approaching 'friendship', their way of fighting and as it seemed were both also not strangers to chains. I see what you did there, young girl. A synchronized attack could allow this Individual, who still could fit almost any other Character Class, to put some pressure on Ogier only wielding her sword. This was kind of funny. Already the second time, Saber had longed for a Shield.

Ogier as well as her enemy were coming with some experience about handling and avoiding chains. This made the young knight think a bit more careful about her future steps and especially how far her master had to go before he was really out of reach. And this was not even a Noble Phantasm.... But like everything there was not just a maximum reach for a weapon, but also some kind of minimum before it became really effective. By decreasing the distance, she was at least partly reducing the chances of getting taken in like some fish for breakfast.

"Nice try!" she shouted and swung her blade at the chain with full force, well aware about the risk of having it coil itself around her trusted weapon, but a bit too proud to admit the immediate danger this fact carried. One could also not exactly describe her approach as a well demeanored and stylish attack on par with the top fencers of the World, rather than a brute method bound to destroy everything in its path.

Yes, Saber did not care about keeping the physical structure in tact rather than destroying it and laying a path for her master. Or, to be more exact, a wall of debris and a big hole in the floor to stall the enemy master from advancing. It was almost a shame that her weapon was not some kind of crude Club or the damage would be more apparent and harmful for the approach of the 'Befriender' and her master, who likely was equally careful as the runaway Detective.

The result was clearly not following the most desired intention, but she still had taken out a considerate amount of the ground's surface and throwing it in the advancing servant's direction, as well as leaving an interesting smokescreen behind. The ground was still not a hole, but maybe another series of blows could change that. Saber was still not completely up to the destruction of public property though.

"How amusing... " They would really end up becoming an awkward Quartet. Saber could already feel the wind pressure and sharpened her eyes to make out the silhouette of her opponent, greeted by smaller debris, and slightly proud of her deed, even if it lacked the desired devastating force which would be required to smash the entire building with just one blow. Once again she had given the Initiative to the other Servant. That was really totally unnecessary, master. There are times when you need to run, but this does not look like one. Or does he really not trust me?

It was now up to her master to at least run away with some style.

[Enkidu]

Enkidu was having the time of her life. The Servant in from of Enkidu really was funny!She was so serious, making all those determined faces. Enkidu just wanted to pinch her cheeks it was so cute.

But she was in the middle of a fight so that wasn't really on the table at the moment. Despite the fact that neither of the two Servants was taking the fight seriously, their Masters apparently were.

Enkidu puffed out her cheeks in irritation at Renard. Didn't he see that she was having a friendly spar here? Honestly, it looked like she was going to have to teach him what a real battle was like when she had the time.

Moving away from her future plans of punishment, Enkidu was a bit surprised when the pink haired warrior batted her chain away. The attack the other Servant had executed was not really an attack at all. The way she had hit the chain one would thing that she was trying to slice through it but that would make no sense. Both the items were Noble Phantasms so unless she had an ability to break through weapons, such an attack was useless.

It would have been much better to have batted the chain away with the flat of he blade. This would have left her with the perfect positioning to close distance and end the fight with a thrust. Enkidu could only think that she wasn't taking things seriously. That was fine though since Enkidu wasn't taking anything seriously either. This was all fun after all.

Never the less, Enkidu was bound to obey her master and so she maneuvered herself between the other Servant and Renard, giving her master a clear way to the tower. Bringing her ax around for a strike to the other Servant's left side, Enkidu hoped to force her away from Renard's future path towards the tower.

[Renard Aestling]

Well... Here goes nothing! Renard thought before he bolted for the door once Enkidu seemed to have drawn all of the enemy Servant's attention to her. It was far from a perfect plan, but it worked so far which was enough for him at the moment. Once inside he strained to find the other master amid the din and clamor of the clockwork, with his efforts soon rewarded by the sight of a dark shape disappearing up a ladder to parts unknown.

Blast... Hopefully we managed to pick off all those gargoyles during our ascent, or this could get very complicated... Renard mused as he quickly made his way to the ladder, then carefully made his way up it and tried to keep himself hidden. If he managed to get the drop on this other magus, then he could at least try and take control of the situation, and in the best-case scenario might be able to resolve it with minimal bloodshed. However, things often happen as they will regardless of the wishes of men and magi, and so he was still prepared to kill the other magus if he proved uncooperative.

It would be nice if I at least knew more about this guy... I hate going into things blind like this... I never thought I'd say this, but I probably could have used her help about now...[/color] he thought, shaking his head in spite of himself before peeking over the edge of the gap above him... After which point he quietly cursed his luck as all color drained from his face...

[Aashiq Nassar]

Jeremiah got to the ladder easily enough; in fact, it almost seemed like the other Servant wasn't even taking this terribly seriously. Saber, on the other hand, seemed ot be taking it rather seriously, or perhaps it was just the displeasure Jeremiah felt from her. Chances are, as a tall and stately knight, his actions were pretty dishonorable in her eyes. Oh well, Jeremiah wasn't known for his honor, just his pragmatism and sharp mind.

However, it looked like someone else had reached the ladder first.

"Morning," called Jeremiah up at the other Master.

He considered his options at rapid speeds. He valued his odds over another person in a fight. Magus or not, they were still human, which is more than he could say for the other servant who would no doubt come to cleave his head in two at the slightest provocation.

"Would you mind talking this over, by any chance? no need to tear this old clock tower down over nothing." He laughed casually.
He was hoping for a chance to talk this out. Not only to prevent further rampant destruction, but also to learn as much as he could about this other master. From his current vantage at the bottom of the stairs, Jeremiah couldn't see him too well. But hopefuly it wouldn't be too hard to tell if he was someone worth negotiating with, or some Tower trash who would as likely stick a knife in his back as shake his hand.

"Either way, I'm coming up."

Saber, keep her busy...although you seem to be doing a fine job of that so far. I'll see what I can get out of the other Master. I'll tell you if things turn nasty.

[Ogier]

A Knights foremost duty was to protect the King or in this case the Master. Naively trying to force her into a situation where she forgot this duty in favour for fun was quite the affront. She stopped enjoying the Battle and remained stubbornly in position to keep herself between the enemy and the pair of magi. What did they think? That everything just went according to plan? The Paladin was not some statue or slow moving Oger, but fast and unlike some other servants in this War particularily known for her extraordinary qualities in protecting a particular position or person.

"I don't hate the spirits of you guys, but don't think it will go that easy."

She would not dare to call herself selfless, but there were likely no better bodyguard candidates around than Saber. However, the enemy master managed to slip by and this was angering her enormously, drawing more prana from her master as a result, but also increasing the power of her swings with more devastating force. Although there was no doubt that Ogier felt the pummel of attacks she returned them equally if not harder and remained a tower of strength.

The enemy had done well in rushing through the 'fog of war' and over the smaller hurdles and holes laid out by Saber's previous attacks, but this did not mean that she would also allow the enemy servant to take the lead. For that she enjoyed by far too much how this arrogant magus might get crushed between herself and Aashiq. However her master did not seem to require her strength in the moment. Instead of calling her she was ordered to keep up with this stalesmate game. If she had the time, she would probably sigh disheartened, but a slightly rising anger and the Loyalty to her Master's Orders gave her strength and the conviction to stay her ground.

Make sure to tell me when I should rush to your side. The enemy might be fast, but the current setup allows me to force the enemy master into the ground. He might be a daredevil, but also too careless.

Perhaps she was even a bit glad that her own master was a bit more ...cowardly, although she only thought of this word because she was too occupied to find more noble synonyms. He took the gamble of both servant and master easily bypassing Ogier, but her primary objective was to remain between this offensive, joyful servant and the masters. Either things went too easily for them up to until now or they are too much assuming to have an easy Victory. It's not a Game after all.

However... this all did not stop her from wondering what her master was actually thinking. Did he had some kind of secret plan or was he suddenly trying to act like a hero and take care of the enemy himself? Quite frankly, it would be suitable for a master fighting a master when the servants were occupied, but on the other hand, the paladin disliked how her Lord had to fight on the front. The risk of losing him was just too great. At least the current combat and her orders required her concentration and did not allow her to think too much about useless things. The next blow meant for her left, blocking to the side and preparing herself for a counter attack told her that just too well.

"That's not going to convince me to let you pass."

An overhead swing followed, that could easily split a helmet in two... back in the days when people actually bothered wearing one.

[Enkidu]

It was funny; Enkidu thought to herself, that she would once again be protecting someone. During her life at Uruk she would be the one who would protect Gilgamesh’s back and now here she was providing a distraction for her Master. She would never admit it but it was proving to be a hard job. Saber’s strength and speed were both slightly higher than hers while she wasn’t in Mad Enhancement . This made this slightly more difficult to deal with but Enkidu was not a veteran of thousands of battles for nothing; she knew she would be able to hold the other Servant until her Master needed her.

In all honesty though, Enkidu wished that her Master had summoned her as a Saber or a Lancer. As a Berserker she was much weaker than she normally would be. It showed as Enkidu traded multiple blows with Saber. With every attack that Enkidu made, Saber would return the attack with more and more force. As the fight drug on, Enkidu was forced to use more and more skill with ever blow and counter. As Saber would make an attack towards her side, Enkidu would alter the path of the blade with the haft of her ax. When she was attacked from overhead, she would sidestep and alter the path of the blade with the head of her ax.

Enkidu knew that she could not keep up trying to hold Saber here. With her current strength and speed Enkidu knew that she wouldn’t win the fight if she did not put her all into it. But even so, Enkidu was enjoying herself. The night before she had fought with the dark knight Sigurd and on this night she was engaged in battle with another worthy adversary. Except for one thing, there really was nothing more that Enkidu could ask for.

As the fight continued, Enkidu’s expression became a serene and content. It was a strange expression for someone in a life or death battle but Enkidu could not feel any other way. She was happy here to match blades with this nameless opponent and she had decided that s he would not sully the match by holding back.

As Saber brought her blade down with the intent to split Enkidu in two, the green-haired girl side stepped the knight. In the same moment, Enkidu slung her chain at Ogier’s wrists. As the chain started to wrap around Saber’s wrists, Enkidu pulled the chain down sharply to pull her off balance. Following this, Enkidu brought her ax down on her hopefully off-balanced opponent.

(OOC: It’s up to you if that little combo works or not.)

[Renard Aestling]

Renard's mind raced as it was confronted with the pair of threats now before him. Above was a black... Winged... Thing... Likely a survivor of the group that Berserker had slaughtered during their mutual ascent of the tower. Below was what he assumed to be the other master. The itching in his command seal when he looked at the man only confirmed his suspicions, as well as the fact that there were few other people who would be here in the tower at this godforsaken time, and fewer still who would be so blasé about the titanic fight ensuing just outside. Through the frantic haze, two main points stuck out in Renard's mind:

The mage might kill him.

The gargoyle would kill him.

His mind made up he quickly closed the trapdoor above him, praying that it would at least delay the gargoyle somewhat as he heard the beast claw and beat against the wooden slab. Descending the ladder, he paused briefly to look the other mage over... And then gave him yet another once-over, noticing that something about him was oddly familiar... Though he quickly pushed this from his mind in favour of more pressing concerns. Passing resemblance to familiy members aside, if he attacked this mage here it could mean that there was one less variable to account for in planning his path to the grail. On the other hand, it seemed rather bad form to attack on impulse when this strangely amiable adversary openly announced his presence and met him face-to-face. For that matter, he did say that he only wanted to talk...

Though his muscles remained tensed and ready for action, Renard smiled disarmingly and quipped "I would not be opposed to that, though we should probably deal with the unruly intruder above us first."

[Aashiq Nassar]

"Yes right, the intruder." Despite his words, Jeremiah's eyes were locked on the other Master. He was tallish, grey-haired but young, probably around his age. He looked tired, fatigued like he was, but otherwise healthy; and judging by the way he carried himself he was as apprehensive as Jeremiah. Good, let him worry a little.

His mind moving back to the gargoyle, it didn't take long for a plan to formulate.
"Easy." He said, casually. "Let the servants take care of it. I don't feel like smashing gargoyles at the moment."

It was simple really, the trapdoor above that the creature was desprately clawing against was directly above the ladder that led to the tower below where the two servants fought. Tossing something like it down there was like throwing it into a meat grinder. The answer was so simple it was almost cartoonish.

He casually knocked on the trapdoor. "Scuse me, ugly. Scratch harder, maybe it'll do something." He didn't know whether the thing could under stand the taunt, or if it was just angry at the noise but the sound of scraping and flapping increased.

Saber, expect incoming. If you and the other servant can finish another one of the beasties, that'd be lovely.

He put his hand over the latch as the wood began to splinter and crack. "You might want to stand back."

With one swift move he threw open the trapdoor and the gargoyle tumbled into the room and down into the room below. But before it could fall all the way, its claws scraped onto the ladder, attempting to pull itself back in towards them.

Well, no plan was perfect. Before letting it ready itself, Jeremiah brought his boot down onto its face, sending it tumbling the rest of the way down.

"Well, that's taken care of. Any chance we could call of this little duel?" He asked, his voice friendly and amicable as he pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket.

[Renard Aestling]

Renard's eyes flicked over the rakish figure before him, studying him at a glance before making his next move. This man certainly seemed pleasant enough, but given how his Servant was busily trying to destroy Enkidu it could easily have been an act to throw him off. Something in the back of Renard's mind nagged at him though, and this other Master seemed oddly familiar somehow (and not only for their shared hair colour). Seizing upon this his mind started to race as he tried to divine this man's identity, a possible escape if things came off any more half-baked than they already were, and whether or not he could actually survive this encounter...

Though on the surface, he struggled to keep a calm appearance as he simply said: "Perhaps. Though this depends on your actions as well."

Seeing that this strange fellow had pulled out a cigarette, Renard elected to do so as well with a muttered "I take it you don't mind if I smoke then...", partly to keep from disturbing the diplomatic air that suddenly arose, and partly to help soothe his fraying nerves.

As he sparked up his cigarette and took a long drag from it his mind cleared, something finally tripping and a possible identity for the man coming together... But first it was time for a bit of a gamble...

"...I don't suppose you would know a woman by the name of 'Alvitta', would you...?", he inquired, once again carefully studying the man for his reaction.

[Ogier]

Saber's condition still remained very high and had not changed much since the Battle had begun, nor did her stamina had much reason to fall below bearable levels. Both combatants had until very recently just tested out each Other's skills. Unfortunate for Ogier, this little testing had made her a bit too confident and her master was in danger. Certainly she should properly concentrate on the opponent at hand. It was the task of the Knight to protect the King, but she had to have some trust in Aashiq's abilities to protect himself.

Still annoying to end up in a counter attack, even though it proved to be more of a hassle than immediate danger. The idea itself was good, but the distance a bit too close for the pull to reach its full potential, for that this energetic servant would have needed to gain some distance.

She had not fully thrown herself into the attack either, but it certainly was surprising enough to have some effect on her recovery. Enough, that the Knight had to take the incoming attack. It was enough to provide problems and also reminded her of a particular fight in her past, where someone had used those means to fight her. Ogier instinctively grabbed hold of the chain to stabilize it, and grit her teeth. Falling for a similar trick twice.... she really began to hate chains.

Just like her enemy she was a bit too close to make a pull count, but her main intent was to have her opponent in a direct duel for Strength. As far as Strength and Weight were concerned, Saber had the upper hand. The armor proved to be one of the more useful equipments, she ever had been able to call her own. Yet, this was not all. Thankful for the armor as it otherwise would have probably dug into her flesh, she raised her unbound arm, sword in hand, to parry the incoming strike.

All she could do was to trust in her sword and arm, the loud sound of both weapons meeting each other and luring more beasts into their direction. When Ogier took a brief look at her weapon, she once again could admire its shape and was glad that it had survived the brutal assault of the axe.

That hurt a bit.... Of course she could not just shake it off. This little fellow was quite strong and the weapon nothing to joke about. Her arm remained functional but slightly numb from the most immediate embrace of kinetic force. Mostly, she was just getting into a state where tactics played a minor role.

"That was quite the stunt you pull..." Ogier pulled on the chain just accompanying her words. Certainly her opponent would not be steady after the attack, yet nor could Saber claim to have full control over her opponent. There was no point in getting so close for anything but a dance!!? Or maybe grappling, but Knights were not exactly trained and both of their hands were full.

Full with more than just each other and their weapons. Some monsters had used their focus on the roughly equally strong opponent to creep closer.

I could say that I am busy with dancing, but it seems that there are more partners trying to ask for one. Be careful, this place has some of those in hiding.[/i][/color]

Their difference in height allowed Ogier to see some of the incoming Gargoyles, and although they were not exactly the epitome of Intelligence, she had to praise them for their Talent in appearing at one of the worst moments possible.

"....There are four behind you. How many do you see behind me? I somehow never managed to learn dancing and don't want to get tangled up with you. I request a temporary pause of our duel."

If this would work or not was in the Stars and Saber had met people who believed in the word of a Knight and went along with ceasefires, she actually even would call her most important friends among those she met in such crazy moments. Unfortunately, those who never cared about such verbal contracts were also numerous.....

But the options were limited. They could only keep holding on each other like some strange dance pairing or two chained dogs barking at each other and get a claw in their back or they had to cooperate with each Other. It was not the first time she entrusted her back to a former enemy, either.

"I am really having one nostalgic moment after the other." I might need to suggest a ceasefire until we cleaned this place out, properly, Master.[/u][/color]

A duel was one thing, but her master's safety came in first place. They could just restart whenever they wanted, anyway.

[Enkidu]

It had been a long time since Enkidu had fought an entertaining opponent. Sure the Lancer and Saber from the fight the other night had been strong fighters in their own right but it was rare for the teal Berserker to find a courteous enemy. In her previous fight on Italian soil, Enkidu had faced evil and bloodthirsty men but this Saber had matched her with honor and skill. It reminded her of her King's better moments.

Still, the rose knight acted just as Enkidu had expected she would when the Berserker's chains wrapped around the knight's hand. Honestly, there was little Saber could do when one of her hands were bound so Enkidu was not surprised when their blades met in a test of strength. While the knight had a slight edge on Enkidu in terms of strength, Saber was slightly off balance due to the positioning of the chain to the bottom of Enkidu's axe pulling her other arm down and away from where the two weapons met.

This was a contest of strength that would have lasted minutes if left undisturbed but sadly that was not the way things were meant to go. After a few moments of testing one another the two servants detected the foul gargoyles approaching them. The two servants looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Saber finally spoke. "....There are four behind you. How many do you see behind me? I somehow never managed to learn dancing and don't want to get tangled up with you. I request a temporary pause of our duel."

Mentally, Enkidu activated her Field of Detection and immediately sensed the three gargoyls approaching the knight's back. With an uncharacteristic frown, Enkidu gave her reply. "Fine, I'll take the three behind you then. Just don't run away from our fight after this!" The chain around Ogier's off-hand immediately lessened as Enkidu unwound it and in a blur of teal, Berserker was off.

AS she dash past the Saber, Enkidu gave the three gargoyles before her a once-over. They were stone constructions just as the previous ones were and their rocky exterior would part like butter just as they had before. Her mind made up, Enkidu tossed her chain towards the feet of one of the gargoyles and wrapped the metal links around it. The moment she did that, Enkidu slid to a stop and swung the chain towards the two other enemies before her. The first gargoyle was yanked to the side by her chain and collided with it's brother in seconds leaving one enemy still standing while the other gargoyles tried to stand back up from the tangle they were in.

Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Enkidu leap forwards with her weapon in hand and sunk her axe into the skull of the third gargoyle. The creature made a keening sound as it's cranium was parted but soon shuddered to a stop and crumbled to dust like the pathetic creature it was.

Turning to face the other two who were now just standing, Enkidu grinned. What a fun distraction!