Gus

Darkest Tome (Original Draft of chapter 1)

Added 2023-03-19 18:00:03 +0000 UTC

A/N: To explain why I didn't post Dragonborn Ascendant 30 last week, essentially, I was too fascinated with a little thing called The Darkest Tome. Essentially, it's Celestial Forge, except instead of things you can craft, it's for a summoner type character, mixed in with demonologist and mad dark wizard - not the HP ones.

This is the first of four chapters I originally wrote literally the day after I found about the Darkest Tome instead of writing DA, and its the only one that will remain available for all patron tiers.

-x-X-x-

Words: 4.7k

The shift was sudden, and yet so subtle it would have been hard to say something happened at all in the first place. Day seamlessly transitioning into night, the room around me changing while obfuscated by an almost blinding brightness of what had once been a computer screen, turned into something else entirely as I stood, a sense of anticipation welling in my stomach as I waited for the light to recede, leaving the room in a penumbra of moonlight coming from the windows and filtered through white curtains.

My breath caught on my throat.

Her dress was white, small and provocative, with a neck piece covering her neck underneath a chain being the most modest of her articles, aside from the long white mantle with gold trimmings. She wore long gloves that reached above her elbows where a large, puffy ball held the gloves in her arms made of a material that was almost velvety while also taking some characteristics from satin. Her dress was… It was hard to call it a dress, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander, her bountiful breasts tightly contained, almost spilling from a tight white corset whose front was covered in an intricate lace pattern arranged on both sides of a zipper, the fastener going down to her navel, hid by a belt of ivory and gold that drew the eyes to her naked hips and long, toned legs, milky white skin looking supple and impossibly young.

She was gorgeous, perhaps- no, definitely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life, so beautiful it was almost impossible to believe she was a human and not some angelical figure. And it was hard to meet her eyes because of that, hard to look anywhere near her because I felt my eyes would inevitably wander.

And so, I avoided looking at her form, averting my gaze as I swallowed, body feeling unbearably hot with the strain of my magic circuits as the girl stood - albeit not tall - prideful and with a coquettish smirk on her face, haughty, almost arrogant as she tilted her head back to stare up into my eyes.

“Answer me,” she demanded in a commanding tone. “Are you my Master?”

A breathless laugh escaped my lips, an action that put a frown on the girl, her face scrunching up in a cute manner, eyes narrowing.

I had heard similar words before, perhaps not said in the same manner, but whose message was still the same, whose question remained immutable amongst the Heroic Spirits participating in the Holy Grail War.

I had a Servant…

The implications behind the fact terrified me, and I had to forcefully swallow my fear and steel my nerves, banishing dark thoughts before they could even arise before meeting lime green eyes, the stance of the girl shifting as her mood became visibly pleased.

“Indeed,” I answered with a nod, subtly adjusting my position and rising to my full height. “I am your Master,” I declared, bringing a clenched fist forward to light, a complex symbol drawn in red on the back of my hand. “And these are my command seals, as proof of my claim.”

“Umu,” the Servant nodded, leaning slightly forward before returning to her original position with a smile on her face. “I am Saber Bride, and though I’m an emperor, as my Master you may address me as an equal and call me as Saber.” The Heroic Spirit declared, tilting her head back and raising her nose in the air as she placed small, delicate hands on her hips, pushing her chest out as she puffed up.

My lips twitched, cute, I thought, and the smile on Saber’s face only grew in return. “I see,” I replied. “Thank you, Saber, you can call me Sigmund, or Sig, if you prefer.”

“Umu,” Saber nodded, “I shall endeavor to do so.” She declared, to which I nodded, satisfied.

“Right,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “It’s the third of February,” I declared, looking to the side at a calendar hanging on a wall, voice low as I took a contemplative tone, expression settling on a frown as I began to search for things in my mind and ponder my available options. “Which means Rin must have summoned Archer yesterday or the day before, considering Emiya was alive and healthy today…” I hummed, mind returning to the memories of school and classes today at Homurahara Academy before a frown came to my face, lips tugging downward.

If my suspicions prove correct, then that means Shirou Emiya would die tonight, or at least have his heart pierced by Cú Chulainn just to be saved by Rin Tohsaka and have the same fate befall him another time, back in his own home and alone, without any other friendly Master to defend him. Except, with me having summoned Saber this time, that also meant Emiya wouldn’t be able to summon Artoria to protect him and fend off Lancer.

And if he died, then Sakura…

“Master?” Saber inquired, leaning forward while waving a hand in front of my eyes, waiting for a reaction and to gauge a response.

Blinking for a moment, I turned, setting my jaw and clenching my fists as I went to procure some warmer clothes in my wardrobe. “Saber,” I called, my Servant making a small noise waiting for me to continue. “I know this is sudden, but we’re going out right now.”

The white wearing girl tilted her head back, watching me through narrowed eyes as I put on a jacket before she decided to voice her question. “Where to, and for what reason to demand so much hastiness from you, my Master?” All very pertinent questions I wouldn’t have assumed Saber of all Servants would ask, which is why they gave me pause as I considered for a moment.

“Turn into spirit form,” I asked. “I’ll tell you on the way. I'll just ask you to trust me for now.”

“Hmm,” Saber crossed her arms, this time raising an eyebrow that combined with her narrow eyes to assault me with a judgmental look and for a moment I thought she would refuse to move, but her next words put me slightly at ease. “I will allow it this once,” the golden haired girl said, a breath I didn’t know I had been holding leaving me as the Servant shimmered in motes of light before her body disappeared, her voice returning to appear directly in my mind. “But do not think I will acquiesce to such a sudden demand a second time. Not even from you, Master.”

I grimaced in response, an action that resulted in another second long pause before I returned to moving. “That’s fair,” I nodded, pursing my lips. “I promise I’ll explain the situation to you, however, Saber. And why I’d rather postpone making our deals as Master and Servant than miss this. I just hope you can realize why I believe the situation is so… alarming, at the end of it.”

There was another hum from my Servant before her voice echoed in my mind once again, her tone noncommittal. “I will be the judge of that…” She declared before falling into silence as I procured the keys to my home and my bicycle before leaving home on the cold winter night.

Fuyuki City was a city cut in half by a river, the Mion River, where its two parts developed differently from each other because of this natural divide. In a sense, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say there were two towns inside the city, each with their own characteristics. Miyama Town was part of the old Fuyuki and home to its original settlers, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as Old Town and also why, for the most part, the residences are traditional and not too tall, and the only begin to truly rise in height the closer one got to Fuyuki Bridge, the only connection point between the old and new parts of the city - which, I found, was a gross example of city planning and traffic management.

The Emiya Residence was located in the old part of the city in Miyama Town, on a gentle slope that subtly rose in the direction of Mount Enzou to the southwest, in a distant neighborhood with few, large houses surrounding it. Even as I rushed, going so far as to use reinforcement on my legs, the distance between my home - an apartment building in Shinto - was so large it still took me minutes to reach Emiya’s poorly lit street, only slightly tired as I ditched my bike, placing it on the old japanese mansion front door. At least one good thing came from those minutes spent pedaling, an ample opportunity for me to give a summarized explanation to Saber as to why stopping Emiya from dying today was a priority, as well as a brief retelling of why the Holy Grail War was condemned and why it should be destroyed.

An eerie quietness was placed in the neighborhood.

“Saber,” I called the Servant through our mental link. “Search the house, look for an auburn haired boy.” I asked, receiving an affirmative impression in response before the Servant moved.

There was a vague sound of glass shattering for a moment.

“Master,” Saber’s voice filled my mind. “I have found this boy you mentioned, alongside Lancer who was about to stab him in the heart.” I was told, which made me grimace as I forced my way inside of Emiya’s house. “We are in the courtyard right now, should I engage him?” Was her question, voice sounding almost eager.

“Do as you please,” I returned. “Just don’t underestimate him. Lancer is a powerful foe and his spear even deadlier. I’ll go check on Emiya.”

“Understood.” Was her reply before blows began to be traded, the clashing of steel audible even from inside the house.

I quickly made my way through the corridors before I found myself standing in front of the backyard of the residence, or inner courtyard depending on how you saw it. Saber and Lancer were two white and blue blurs moving at blinding speeds in the open field, and with a small reinforcement to my legs, I zoomed past the two combatants to the small building with open doors on the other side, a shed of considerable size, filled with boxes and various tools and which a boy around my age laid unconscious on its cold concrete ground.

“Emiya!” I called, but there was no response from the boy, making me move before kneeling down before him, checking on the auburn haired teen for any deadly injuries as my heart hammered in apprehension.

A sigh escaped my lips. “Thank God…” I muttered, some of the tension leaving my shoulders when I realized he was only knocked out and not dead. “Saber,” I called. “Either kill Lancer or force him to retreat.”

“As you say, Master,” the Servant answered, a smile in her voice that preceded a lull in the fight happening outside and her following loud proclamation. “Lancer! You are a mighty warrior indeed! Unfortunately, my Master demands your life, and so I shall kill you!”

“Tche!” Was the enemy Heroic Spirits response. “You’re awfully cocky girl! Bah, it’s fine, I like that fire, but don’t think you’ll be able to kill me that easily.” He declared.

There was a moment of silence, a moment where I felt my tension rising once again before there was a burst of movement and noise when the two Servants began to fight once again.

I didn’t dare move from the side of the downed teenager, but I did produce a fist sized yellow gem with a round triangular shape as a precaution, and then proceeded to load a not inconsiderable amount of mana in the gem, watching it morph through a few forms before I stopped, letting my magic circuits cool off another time. The result I held in hands was an adequate magical artifact that would likely kill anyone not a Servant. Luckily, I intended to only use the gem as a last resort, a safety measure so I could attempt to escape Lancer if he ever came to attack me and Shirou.

Though, considering he hasn’t already, there was a not small chance that he wouldn’t. Especially considering- “Master,” Saber’s voice called me, an annoyed sound in her tone. “Lancer has fled…” Declared my Servant, and I sighed.

“So that’s why you sound so irked…” I commented, a shaky smile coming to my face as I emerged from the shadows of the shed. “Annoyed you couldn’t kill him?”

“Hmph!” Saber crossed her arms, her sword - a metal piece even taller than her with a strange, wavy shape and colored in black and white - dissipating as the blonde frowned, lifting her nose with a pout in response. “Our battle had just reached its climax, Lancer had unleashed his Noble Phantasm before I nimbly dodged his attack and struck him down when his Master ordered him to retreat.” I was informed, my Servant’s expression souring as she retold the fact.

A frown came to my face. “Saber, what did I tell you to not do when dealing with Lancer?” I asked, and the short beauty turned to regard me with a frown of her own, confusion written on her expression.

“Not to underestimate him, Master,” she declared, her frown becoming pronounced with a pout as she decided to continue. “I don’t see why, in a match of pure skill I was clearly the most skilled fighter.” She added and I sighed, approaching the girl.

“Perhaps,” I conceded to her point with a nod. “Still, at least his Noble Phantasm shouldn’t be something you take lightly, Saber. You might be strong and have excellent luck,” I smiled. “But even your luck will run out some time, and then you won’t be able to defend yourself from an attack that pierces your heart unerringly.” I declared.

Saber frowned another time, her pout growing as she averted her gaze, refusing to meet my eyes. “He missed, though,” she said, petulant like a child. “I would have won.”

I sighed another time. “I’m sure you would,” I nodded in agreement. “He was smart to avoid battling such a powerful Saber, it would have surely spelled his doom to do so.” I declared, and that seemed to improve the Heroic Spirit’s mood who started to preen in response to the praises. “We should go back now, though. Ensuring Shirou would survive was all we came here to do, and with Lancer repelled for today, we have no more reason to stay here.” I declared.

Saber nodded. “Umu,” she smiled. “We shall then proceed to make our pact, I assume.”

“If you want to,” I shrugged. “I’ve already told you why going after the wish the Grail is granting is… ill advisable, to say the least. And with a secret contestant like the King of Heroes, acquiring the Grail would be an entire task on itself besides even surviving the Grail War…”

“Hmm,” Saber hummed. “There’s truth to your words,” she declared after a moment of consideration. “Besides that, my wish is one I can acquire without the Grail, so perhaps participating in the War isn’t strictly necessary…” She trailed off with a mutter, leaving me wide eyed for a moment.

“That’s… That’s good news,” I decided, breaking the silence. “Great news,” I smiled. “I also don’t want the Grail for any purpose other than denying it from everyone else,” I informed the Heroic Spirit, but a frown still came to my face as I pursed my lips and met Saber’s green eyes. “That means we’d have to fight for the Grail either way…” I muttered, watching an understanding light shine in her irises.

“Umu,” she nodded, placing both hands on her hips. “If fighting is necessary then fight is what I’ll do.” Saber declared, making me slightly deflate in relief.

“I see,” I nodded. “Thank you, Saber.” I said, smiling at the Servant who offered a bright smile of her own in return. “For now, though, I think we should head back home,” I decided. “I’ll put Emiya under hypnosis and then we can leave.”

Nodding, Saber opened her mouth. “Then I shall-”

“Weiss-kun,” a sickly sweet voice echoed in the air, and I felt the hair on the back of my head standing on end just as the red clad Servant shifted her stance, tensing up as her hands wrapped around the hilt of her sword that reformed from thin air.

I couldn’t hide the wince when I turned to face Rin Tohsaka, the smile on her face so obviously fake it was almost painful, the petite girl burning a hole in my head with her icy glare.

“My, oh my, Weiss-kun,” the Tohsaka tutted, a finger tapping on her arm expressing her barely hidden irritation. Not hiding the yellow gem was a smart thing to do, after all. “What could you possibly be doing here, at this time of the night? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

A scoff escaped me in response. “I could ask you the same, Tohsaka,” I fired back, raising an eyebrow. Then, a smile opened in my lips. “A frail girl like you walking around, alone and unprotected. There are several people that would immediately jump at the opportunity to get their hands on a pretty thing like you.”

“Hmph,” the brunette huffed. “I’m not a helpless damsel that needs a knight to protect her, Weiss-kun,” remarked the blue eyed girl with the slightest bit of an upward quirk happening on her lips. Then her eyes narrowed. “Why are you standing with a Servant next to you?” She demanded the next moment, voice taking a chilling tone that made Saber tense up.

“Calm down,” I urged the blonde before turning to regard the brunette.

There was a certain tightness to her expression and clippedness in her tone, a tension in her body that told me she was only barely restraining herself from attacking me. Rin Tohsaka was livid, downright furious. A blind man could see it in her demeanor, to feel it just from standing in her presence.

And yet, she hasn’t attacked me yet.

My lips twitched as I relaxed. “What else do you think, Tohsaka?” I fired back before showing her my command seals. Confirming her suspicion only seemed to make her eyes narrow further, but that still didn’t make her attack me, so I continued. “I’m participating in the Holy Grail War, and I know you are too,” I declared. “Where’s your Archer?” I asked. “On the rooftop aiming an arrow to the middle of my head?”

The brunette’s face twitched. “How do you-?” She started before visibly restraining herself in order to give me a reevaluating look a moment later in return. “Archer.” She called, and EMIYA reformed next to his Master, one step in front and to the side of Rin, Kanshou and Bakuya drawn.

Fuyuki City’s Second Owner then continued, drawing my attention to her pursed lips. “There, I’ve shown you mine, now we are even,” she declared. “Now tell me what you were doing here, Weiss-kun. And it better damn be a good reason.” Bit out Tohsaka, getting a raised brow from me in return to her demand.

“Are you not going to attack me?” I asked. “That seems… awfully generous of you, Tohsaka.” I muttered.

A vein pulsed on her forehead as the magus clenched her teeth, a growl escaping her lips before she contained herself. “I can’t get answers out of a dead body, Weiss-kun,” she said, glaring daggers that would have killed me if they were real. “Now, talk.”

My answer was to simply huff. “I was protecting Emiya-kun,” I said. “Lancer came here to finish the job you fixed. He was about to stab his heart when Saber stopped him.” The mention of the Servant and her class made her eyebrow twitch another time before she took a second glance at my Servant. “Don’t even think about it, she’s mine.”

Rin’s lips quirked into a smirk. “Possessive much, aren’t we?” She remarked, to which I grunted. “Fine, I’ll let you go this time,” she declared before raising a finger. “But don’t you dare think that means we are friends. The next time we see each other it will be as enemy Masters.” Affirmed the brunette.

“Or,” I started. “We could do the smart thing and form an alliance.” I suggested, which earned a raised brow from the girl and a curious look from my own Servant. “I know the identity of all Masters and Servants in this war, Tohsaka, and let me tell, while I’m confident I can win with just my Saber alone,” another twitch of her eyebrow, “I sure as hell wouldn’t refuse some help. Especially a good one, like yours.”

“Hmph,” Rin smirked. “If you’re so confident then why do you need my help?”

“For one,” I declared. “That means one less Master I’d have to kill,” I answer. “For two, I don’t want to kill you, even if I have to… Which hopefully I won’t, even if that wouldn’t immediately take Archer with you.” I grumbled, cursing his Independent Action while hiding a grimace. “For three, the two of us together would be better than the two of us alone.” I pointed out. “And lastly, I know the identities of all Servants and Masters taking part in this war, I did say that, and let me tell you, Berserker and Caster?” I shook my head. “I don’t particularly like my odds while fighting either of them alone. Even Lancer can mean trouble, and let’s not get started on Rider and Assassin’s case.”

Rin frowned at my claims, glaring at me. “You claim a number of things but do you really expect me to believe you? To think you aren’t simply spewing hot air from your mouth?”

My lips twitched in return. “Do you want me to give you proof?”

“By all means,” the Head of the Tohsaka family declared, making a gesture with her hands for me to continue. “Tell me something then.”

“Master…” the male Servant started in a quiet voice. “Should we really-”

“Oh, shut up, Archer,” Rin declared. “I want to see him embarrassing himself in front of his own Servant.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, Rin,” I declared, ignoring the indignant squeak from the brunette when I referred to her by her given name. No, I decided to turn to the white haired man instead, his steely eyes staring straight into mine. “Must be rough, right, EMIYA?” I asked, immediately getting a response from the man, a minute widening of his eyes, a subtle shift of his stance. A smile came to my face. “Being Tohsaka’s whip dog every time… Are you still playing the amnesiac right now?” I asked, which earned an intense look from the Counter Guardian who shot me a murderous glare.

“Master, I’m going to kill that boy.” The Heroic Spirit announced, which made Saber jump to put herself between him and me.

“No, you won’t!” Rin snapped. “I’ll use a command seal if I have to. And what is this about? EMIYA? Care to explain yourself, Archer?”

“Leave the man be, Tohsaka,” I sighed. “He’ll tell you if he wants to tell you.” I said, a response that didn’t please the other Master given the fact she was now silently grinding her teeth as she glared at Archer’s back who glared into my skull in return.

I tilted my head.

“Believe me now?” I asked. “Or do I have to tell you about your sister?”

“There’s no need,” my fellow magus grit her teeth. “I believe you, Weiss-kun.” Rin forced herself to say. Then, after a pause, she continued. “That still doesn’t mean I’ll accept your offer.”

I frowned at that. "Stubborn girl…” I grunted before eventually sighing. “You know what, fine.” I ground out. “We don’t need to have this discussion right now,” I decided. “By the way, if Shinji asks you to form an alliance with him, don’t do it. He might be a Master, but that’s just in name really. I’ll be going home now.” I said, meeting her eyes. “Unless…”

We held each other’s gaze for a moment, Rin’s piercing blue eyes meeting my dark brown ones for a moment before she sighed, letting her arms fall to her side.

“I suppose I should be going back too…” She muttered, looking away for a moment. “I guess this is a temporary truce then.”

“I guess so,” I grunted, nodding. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then, Tohsaka, and we can revise that thought later.”

“I find it unlikely that you’ll be able to find any compelling enough argument to sway me into an alliance with you, Weiss-kun,” the brunette snorted, a derisive smile coming to her face before her eyes landed on my Servant. “Even if the promise of Saber sounds irresistible…”

“Right,” I snorted. “Let’s go, Saber.” I called the Servant who dematerialized in front of me.

When I arrived back home, it was already well past midnight when I unlocked my apartment door, pushing it open to be faced by the four meters corridor that separated the entrance from the rest of the rooms. I had barely closed the front door, twisting the key and locking the door close when Saber materialized herself one step behind me, forcing me to pause when I turned lest I simply walked over her.

Her expression was decidedly unhappy when her lime colored eyes met mine, a small frown on her face as she held her hips with pursed lips.

“So you know the identities of all Servants taking part in the War…” she muttered, her question, even if unvoiced, echoing loudly in the air.

I didn’t hide the wince at her flat, almost subdued tone.

I knew she would be asking this as soon as the opportunity was given after my declaration to Rin, and how I seemed to indeed uncover Archer’s identity, even going so far as to allude at the other Master’s sister and her own status when I shouldn’t even even the faintest impression that the two of them were siblings. Considering that, Saber’s worries weren’t unfounded after my display, and I knew the subject of her true name and thus, identity, could be a matter she wasn’t particularly open to discuss about.

A sigh eventually escaped me after seconds where I worked my jaw in silence, considering in my mind the best approach to breach the subject to the golden haired girl before ultimately deciding honesty was my best choice.

“Nero,” I called the girl in a soft voice, extending a hand to cup her cheek. Saber flinched, but didn’t shy away from my touch, eyes darkening as they held my gaze. “Knowing your name, who you are or used to be, won’t change the impressions I have about you,” I told the blonde, my tone gentle but firm, and hopefully reassuring to the girl. “I also don’t let the things I learned in history books color my ideas, because rarely the things written down in books are so black and white. But if you prefer, I’ll address you as Saber until you feel comfortable enough to reveal your identity to me by yourself.”

“There’s no point in theatrics when they try to fool only the audience…” The blonde remarked, her voice quiet. “I shall not shy from your judgment and impressions, Master.”

My expression twitched into a frown. “And I’m telling you,” I started. “I won’t judge Nero, the emperor who died thousands of years ago, but the girl standing in front of me.” I declared. “And so far, I’m happy it was you that I summoned, Nero.”

There was a quirk to her lips.

“Umu,” Saber nodded. “Then I shall not wallow in my past, Master.” She declared, smiling.

“Great,” I offered her my own smile, nodding in return. “I’ll be going to sleep now if that’s all. We can discuss more tomorrow morning.”

“Umu,” Nero nodded. “I’ll be guarding you until you awake, Master.”

-o-O-o-

Rolls made:

1- Index #6 - Wells of Power; Item #3 - Late Nights and Dusty Tomes - 100 CP

Total CP: 100

Purchase Successful

Total CP: 0

2- Index #3 - Infernal Boons; Item #18 - Chromafactor - 600 CP

Total CP: 100