A faraway dream. A foggy memory. A blurry vision of the future. Unclear, confused. A tendril of thought reaches out in the mists of unconsciousness, and connects.

One eye opens in reality, and two in the dream.

With quiet ease, an eyepatch-wearing maid slips into the hollowed-out warehouse. A soft voice speaks, halting and slightly broken.

“Greetings. This one greets you all in the name of my master.” A small bow, as her eye quickly takes in the surroundings. She views the map that Caster rolls out and his declaration of where the base would be located, and nods.

“This one’s master is the Master of Saber. Due to circumstances, he has elected to remain hidden until a proper base of operations is created for this team. We shall meet again at Caster’s territory.” With that and no more words said, she backs away and disappears into the night, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly audible before vanishing just as quickly.

The dream fades. The tendril vanishes.

-



“Well, here we are, Master.” An imposing figure sits atop a horse with a much smaller figure sitting in front of him in the saddle. The smaller one, a white haired boy who seems as though he has taken a nap on the large grey mare, slumps forward with the movement of the horse. “Whoa there, careful now. Mind taking care of him, you lot?” At his words, a pair of maids steps off of the large wooden board tied to the horse in some bastardized approximation of a sled, one pulling a wheelchair off of the sled and the other taking the white-haired boy into her arms to put into the chair.

After the Master is settled in and comfortable, the horse vanishes and leaves behind the sled with the rest of its occupants. A group of five taking positions around the Master as one of the first two who got off pushes the wheelchair while the other, who looks similar enough to pass off as the same, perhaps a twin, picks up the large board used as a sled.

“All that’s left is to knock.” A fierce grin spreads across Sigurd’s face as he steps up to the edge of the Bounded Field.

“Knock-” A fist winds back-

“Knock.”

It flies forward.

Two more arrivals. Good. Their party of three had grown, to a party of five. Two still unaccounted for but they would show themselves in time. Some Masters usually avoided getting involved, and would work by sending out their servant and remaining hidden themselves. While it secured their safety, Emilia often found the benefits were outweighed by the risk. Since one would be unable to fully cooperate with their servant when they were so far away. But then, some just aimed to survive, and that was more than enough for them. The older woman remained seated, with her legs crossed, and her hands pressed together, but every so often she adjusted her hands, as if thinking about knitting again. Such an old hobby.

She wasn't surprised that Thule had sent a representative. In truth she had planned for it, but even she had to admit it was shocking... No intriguing that he'd have a Valkyrie as his servant, especially one so open about who she was. Hildr, one of the famous deathseekers who judged men and woman as they died. She had to admit, it was going to be useful to have a being like that allied with them.
Then there was the Master himself. Thule. The magical community who had supported the Nazi party on their initial rise to power. In a way, they were the real power behind the crown, in a way of course. One could never say the Fuhrer was bound to them in any way shape or form.

"Well, we now have Master of Berserker, Archer, and Lancer." Saber said, already smiling at the Lancer. She was no conqueror like him, but even he had to appreciate the courage of just outright announcing ones true name. "I'd love to introduce myself to you, Ms. Hildr, but my Master would frown upon it if I told you I was anything other than Saber." He turned that smile to Emilia, who nodded back with a firm gaze. Saber would then hold out his hand to Archer, as if expecting some kind of friendly brotherhood. After all, they were all fighting for one side, no matter how short that alliance may last.

"Welcome, Ronzekruetz." Emilia said, with her attention on Berserker's master. She could not see Berserker yet, but in time she expected him to stand amongst the others. "Despite your occupation, I expect those on the other side of this war would more likely fall under the spectrum of being mercenaries too. The only difference is that you are not so... Boarish." She liked that word. Chaud at the very least seemed eloquent, which was a fine quality in any man. No matter their job description. "At the very least we know exactly where you stand." There was an implication that others may catch, but it was clear that she found it very difficult to trust others. But, at the very least she knew for sure she could trust Chaud to operate under this own best interest.

"Archer, it is a pleasure to meet you." Saber said, a big hand held out. In a way, he wouldn't have been surprised if others mistook him for a Berserker. It was only his mannerisms that made him seem like anything else. "Expect in time that we will be sharing glorious stories of war, once our masters no longer demand so much secrecy between us." The oddly dressed servant flashed a smile broader than all the others, and then he looked away, for outside the window there was fire.
__________________________________________________________________________


The man in white only smiled, and turned to each master in turn. Yuri seemed so, interesting. In truth, while the man shouldn't make bets, he was sure he'd love to see Yuri's actions in the way. After all, a man with no real direction in life stumbling into such an event? It seemed so intriguing. Like a genuine human moment. "It's true, I did say wish. And that is where you, have a choice." The man stepped in closer, and whispered only words that Yuri need listen to. Since the others should all be focusing on Caster's new plan. _{"When your team grasps the grail, give it to me, and the Clocktower will make sure you are not only endlessly wealthy, but that your personal desires are all met. You will become unshackled. Because to claim that wish, the others will betray you. Only the clocktower can give you what you really need, and the grail cannot.}" Before letting Yuri reply, the man took a step back, a letter now resting in Yuri's grip. "Only the man still in the game at the end gets to make a wish. I'm sure you understand, survivors of your team will fight you, and you them. There is only one true course of action in the end." With a smile, he began to walk away. "If you have questions, Mr. Yuri Fyodorovich Romanyuk, that letter contains all the information you will ever need to find me." And the man was gone, leaving the team to their actions.

Their actions... And the smoke they could see from the windows of their new home.
__________________________________________________________________________


The Cathedral of St. Hedwig had seen far better years. A year ago its very own canon had been taken away. The priest, Bernhard Lichtenberg, had prayed for the jewish souls that suffered in the results a tragedy. The Night of Shattered Glass, where the people of germany had destroyed homes, and shattered lives like stained glass windows. The priest had prayed, and the police took him away. Nobody talked about it, but many knew it was a tragedy, and they'd never see him again. Not that anybody tried to stop the police. People still went there to pray. The people of germany, and the odd person needing peace.

It no longer looked like the pristine building of old. The doors were gutted. Blown off their hinges by a force of nature. A force of an explosion, with people staggering out of the depths of the building that bled smoke and ash. From all over Berlin, anybody could look out their window and see the smoke that poured into the darkening sky of night. The screams of people echoed down the streets, with the people so rapidly fleeing the structure that the area may as well have been a graveyard, except for the odd person looking out a window to gaze upon the dying building. That dying building, and the people still trapped inside.

"Well, the war starts with an eruption. Clearly the gods have a sense of humor." Saber said, gazing out the window as his body slowly drifted back into spirit form. What each master did now, would show what kind of person they are.

"Hmph. I'm not fond of churches, chapels or cathedrals but it looks appealing enough, it should do. A lot better than the old meeting spot." Henrietta stops in the middle of the Berlin Catheral and takes out the travel bag she had with her. With it came an antique flintlock pistol, a caged raven, a knife, and a note for the summoning ritual written in her cursive handwriting. She turned half faced toward her "teammates" and waved her right hand dismissively. "If any of you need me, don't bother. I plan to summon my Servant in peace." She states before proceeding to ascend to one of the floors of the Cathedral.

...

Finding a suitable place for the summoning circle, she moved all the furniture behind her to make up for a whole lot of space and cleaned the area so as to not dirty her summoning catalyst, the pistol. By slicing the raven where they bled the most, she was able to create a summoning circle made of blood and threw the corpse of the dead bird out the open window before she shut it closed. A little ironic considering this was a Church and the fact that what she plans to do is almost an equivalent at summoning demons to the World.

Of course, they're not wrong. There's really little difference, but to someone like her? It didn't matter.

Raising her right hand over the pistol and circle she begins to recite what is written in the note with her left hand.



@Mega Birb