The Divine Chalice War: Chapter 3-A Knife in The Dark

  • Fate/Sundered Moons Chapter 3-A Knife in The Dark

    Vaveli Dreth sat in the dimly lit interior of her safehouse. It wasn't exactly the Tiber Septim Hotel, but the quaint little shack on the outskirts of Falkreath would serve her well. It had all the basic amenities. A bed, a chamber pot, a wash basin, a candle stand, and a small chest were the only real things of note. She awaited her Servant, sharpening her malachite dagger with a small whetstone. Though the Tong and the Brotherhood had a....strained relationship ever since the Night Mother had broken off from the Morag Tong (which in turn had led the Crimson Scars to split from the Brotherhood centuries later), even the more conservative among the reforming Tong gave the legendary Lucien LaChance their begrudging respect to the Black Hand Speaker. His deeds, and cruel death, were well known among the Tong.

     

    The Morag Tong assassin’s pointed ears perked up as she felt the air turn heavy. Her chitin armored hand gripped her knife, as she pointed the blade away from herself, ready to attack. She, as properly paranoid as any able bodied assassin, even a relative novice like herself, always slept with an ear to the ground, and a hand on whatever weapon he or she preferred. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the black cloaked figure materialize into assistance. “Do you have news Assassin?” she asked. Even though they were Master and Servant, she had not yet forgiven the man for being a member of the group that had butchered her brother Valen.

     

    Lucien LaChance bowed his head, kneeling. “Yes, my Master.” he said, his velveteen voice sending tingles down her spine. She nodded at him to proceed. “Both Berserker and his Master have entered Skyrim. The Servant appears to be a Minotaur, which leaves very few possibilities on their identity. Judging by the sword-spear on their back, it appears they are the Lancer of this War. His Master is an Orc, well armored.” he tapped his chin with a gloved hand, and rose when Vaveli allowed him. “If you wish, my Master, I can see if I can track down the others.”


    Vaveli stretched, sheathing her knife. She got out of her seat. “Go, Assassin, and see if we can at least take out one of our targets before hand. These fools won’t know what hit them.” she chuckled, eying the robed man.

     

    Lucien placed a hand on his chest, bowing his head, already beginning to melt into the shadows. “As you wish.” he whispered, before he vanished entirely.

     

    The Morag Tong Master rubbed her temples, and redressed. If she needed anything today, aside from one of the other Masters dead in some way, shape, or form, it was a stiff drink.

     

    --Dread-Beard’s Camp, Eastern Haafinger--

    Gaius panted as he drove his blade once again into the training dummy. The camp he and his Servant had decided to use as their base of operations, once belonging to a Nordic pirate before having been cleared out a few decades prior to the twenty-four year old’s birth, overlooked a good chunk of Haafinger, Solitude included.

     

    Even though he was the Master in their relationship, even though Gaius was confident in his skills with a blade, he would be a fool to refuse even just a shred of combat advice from the legendary Blademaster. Dusk had already begun to fall by the time Gaius had begun training.

     

    “Good Gaius, though remember to pace yourself.” Gaiden said, experience tinging his voice. The Redguard had pulled away his hood and removed his face mask, revealing his salt and pepper ponytail, and well trimmed beard. His scimitar, Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegār, his primary weapon and, when activated, Noble Phantasm, was gifted by him by Diagna to fend off the Orcish hordes and the Daedra their conjurors summoned. It granted him an increased Magic Resistance, stacking onto the one granted to him by being in the Saber class, but alongside that, when it struck a blow against that which he deemed his foe, the wound wouldnt heal, whether through natural healing nor Restoration spells. The cut or stab by his Shamshir would only be healed by a special potion which could only be crafted from rare ingredients, one of which being a Daedra’s Heart, bathed in the waters of each shrine to the Eight. He had sent his armor back to the Aether, for the time being. As Gaius had learned, he did not feel the need to be armored when he was sure they were safe. The Bounded Fields he and Gaijin had set up, though weaker than those of a Caster, were quite sturdy, and would alert them to the presence of any foe, Master, Servant, or otherwise, if they so much as breathed on the barrier.

     

    As Gaiden watched his Master practice, he felt the air shift. Shinji’s armor reforged around himself, his scimitar in hand. His burnt umber eyes flickered out, trying to discern where the threat was coming from. Gaius seemed to notice his Servant readying for battle. Slinging his lightly armored shield from his back, gladius in hand, he started turning in circles, readying himself to block an attack.

     

    That was when the air shimmered above Gaius, the outline of a cloaked figure materializing in the physical world. “Master!” Shinji called out. “Prana Burst!” he called forth one of his Servant skills. Mystic energy radiated off him, and with a burst of speed, he rushed between his Master and the figure. Whipping out Shamshir, he parried the knife, as Assassin came into view. Grunting, Shinji slammed forward with the flat of his blade, sending the robed man backwards.

     

    Flipping in the air, Lucien LaChance, executing a three-point landing, his hood disheveled. He slowly got up, the movement of his head sliding his hood down. His ebon hair was well kept, slicked back. His chocolate eyes burned with curiosity, and amusement. He twirled the ebony dagger in his hands. “Mmm, Saber, I’m surprised you managed to block my knife, even with Prana Burst.” he looked at his dagger. “I must give you some credit though. While you aren’t the Caster of this War, your Bounded Field did prove a challenge. Why, it took me four seconds to breach it.” he chuckled, applauding. “Most impressive, oh Heroic Spirit of the Sword.”

     

    Gaiden Shinji growled, grasping the hilt of his scimitar in both hands. Gaius stood before him, shield raised. “I don’t need, nor care, for your praise Assassin.” he pointed his blade at their foe. “You, who cower in the shadows, you, who haven’t a shred of honor.” his eyes burned with fury. “Come, Heroic Spirit of Assassinations. Come and face your death!” The Saber challenged.

    Dark mist formed around Lucien, cloaking him in shadows. “Your Noble Phantasm, I take it?” Gaijin asked, eying the mist clad figure. “A bold move, oh shadow knife, especially for a cowardly Class such as your’s.” he smirked. “Though not an unexpected one. You Assassins fare ill in open combat,” he readied himself, charging his own Noble Phantasm, as sickly green light began swirling around Shamshir. “Very well, I shall oblige in kind, as befits a duel.”

     

    Lucien was the first to make the first move, his cheeks caving in, his skin becoming a ghostly white, his eyes becoming as black as night. His body became wreathed in smoke, and his runed dagger glowed crimson. “Blade of Woes: Sanguine Sithian Spectre!” He intoned, rushing forward in a haze of ebon mist, the screams of the damned following in his wake.

     

    Shamshir!” The Yokudan Battlemaster called forth, bringing his blade to bear. As their blades collided, the Saber twisted the blade, and knocked the knife away, bringing it down upon Lucien’s arm, cutting deeply into the Assassin’s “flesh” Lucien growled, and jumped away, gripping his arm. While his Magicka reserves allowed him to heal the pain, the wound remained, a jagged, open sore that throbbed. “Yield, Assassin!” he ran a hand through his greyed hair, wiping the spectral residue from his sword.

     

    Lucien panted, his vision fogging. His heavy injury, and the already strenuous distance he was from his Master, caused him to grimace. “For now, I will, Saber. But know this, the next time my blade falls, it shall find its mark.” With that, he dissipated into shadows, and was gone.

     

    “The first battle of the Divine Chalice War.” Gaius muttered, as he began repairing the Bounded Field with the aid of Gaijin.

    “But not the last, I fear.” Shinji said, gazing into the darkened sky. He began patrolling the area as Gaius laid down to sleep in the tent.

     

    The first battle of the Divine Chalice War had ended in a draw, but how shall Gaijin and Lucien fare their next brawl?



Comments

10 Comments   |   SpookyBorn2021 and 2 others like this.
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  July 18, 2018
    I take it it´s some kind of a rule they have to shout what they are going to use, right? Nothing better than just letting your opponent know you gonna use some uber power. But anyway, go Lachance! :D
    • Chris
      Chris
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      I take it it´s some kind of a rule they have to shout what they are going to use, right? Nothing better than just letting your opponent know you gonna use some uber power. But anyway, go Lachance! :D
        ·  July 18, 2018
      Well, for most Noble Phantasms, to utilize its full power, or for even certain Servant Skills, they have to either invoke its True Name, or say the name of the skill they use. Take Excalibur for example 
      • A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        Chris
        Chris
        Chris
        Well, for most Noble Phantasms, to utilize its full power, or for even certain Servant Skills, they have to either invoke its True Name, or say the name of the skill they use. Take Excalibur for example 
          ·  July 18, 2018
        Speaking of which... isn't Mana Burst/Prana Burst a passively active skill? Iirc, Artoria didn't actually call out Prana Burst when she used it did she? 
        • SpookyBorn2021
          SpookyBorn2021
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          Speaking of which... isn't Mana Burst/Prana Burst a passively active skill? Iirc, Artoria didn't actually call out Prana Burst when she used it did she? 
            ·  July 18, 2018
          Kinda...its definitely a passive skill but it's triggered (mentally or magically but not verbally) rather than just always active like...say Charisma or Riding. So technically, unless this is a NP attack it wouldn't need to involve shouting at people.
          • Chris
            Chris
            SpookyBorn2021
            SpookyBorn2021
            SpookyBorn2021
            Kinda...its definitely a passive skill but it's triggered (mentally or magically but not verbally) rather than just always active like...say Charisma or Riding. So technically, unless this is a NP attack it wouldn't need to involve shouting at people.
              ·  July 18, 2018
            Ah, also, if Medb is right, the Riding skill does  also count for riding men, and probably women. 
            • A-Pocky-Hah!
              A-Pocky-Hah!
              Chris
              Chris
              Chris
              Ah, also, if Medb is right, the Riding skill does  also count for riding men, and probably women. 
                ·  July 18, 2018
              Ah, Medb. I hear she's currently having a case of wardrobe theft.
              • Chris
                Chris
                A-Pocky-Hah!
                A-Pocky-Hah!
                A-Pocky-Hah!
                Ah, Medb. I hear she's currently having a case of wardrobe theft.
                  ·  July 18, 2018
                Also, on a related note 


                In the wise words of this Merlin "Don't put your dick in crazy."
  • SpookyBorn2021
    SpookyBorn2021   ·  July 15, 2018
    Oh, and it might serve you to throw in the link for the previous chapter, and the ToC by now, just get it all flowing a bit better. Otherwise it might just be me reading it and while I can make Fate comparisons for days, not so good if you want any writin...  more
  • SpookyBorn2021
    SpookyBorn2021   ·  July 15, 2018
    Shiiiiit I quite like Assassin's Noble Phantasm being the Blade of Woe. That final line is really interesting if it's the general power of his Noble Phantasm, delivering a deadly blow on an enemy that he's already fought and injured...Reminds me of...can'...  more
    • SpookyBorn2021
      SpookyBorn2021
      SpookyBorn2021
      SpookyBorn2021
      SpookyBorn2021
      Shiiiiit I quite like Assassin's Noble Phantasm being the Blade of Woe. That final line is really interesting if it's the general power of his Noble Phantasm, delivering a deadly blow on an enemy that he's already fought and injured...Reminds me of...can'...  more
        ·  July 15, 2018
      ...Resistance for a Saber? That's kind of insane really, kind of the (weirdly) best part about him so far. I mean really if I were going with the idea of Gaiden being insanely durable (which would make sense considering his survival for so long in that wa...  more