Well, I finally got this one out. I really like the ideas I have for this story and intend to make this story one of my main stories on this site. I had to do months of research to get a lot of the servants in this story, even the ones I made up. So I hope you guys like it. This is a work in progress and will most likely go back on the chapters and change them when they need to be fixed, if I find errors or I have a change in ideas. Just make sure to give me feedback as I welcome it and want to write the best story I can. Thanks guys!

"So tell me, what is your true identity?" Asked a young but dapper man, who sat behind a large ornate wooden desk. Around him, many men, as well dressed as he was, stood around his desk as he spoke to the woman that sat across from him.

The woman looked up at the man, moving a strand of her long hair away from her face. She looked at the men and then back at the one that spoke to her. She smiled and replied, "Inoe. Inoe Haruka is my given name by my mistress.."

"Do you realize how hard it is to find anything about you in history? Your name is very common in Japanese society. Is that really your name?"

"That is the name I had in my service."

"Any titles?"

"I was once known as the Iron Blossom."

"I'll have someone look into that. Forgive me for all the questions I have thrown at you within the last day. It's just that...well, I was not expecting to summon you for the Holy Grail War. I saw the pommel from the museum and assumed that it was the catalyst for…"

"Gozen Tomoe?" Haruka asked, interrupting him.

"Yes. With all due respect, I was hoping to have her as my Saber servant."

Haruka sighed and shook her head, "Then I will apologize for not being Lady Gozen. I was once one of her trusted retainers. She taught me the ways of the sword when I was a young girl and helped me refine them. She is the one that gave me the name of Haruka."

The man sat up and sighed in relief, "Now we're getting somewhere. What was your birth name?"

"Inoe Ai. I was the daughter of a fisherman in the Musashi Province. During the time that my mistress began to instruct me, the emperor was the newly crowned Emperor Antoku. I hope that aids you."

The man turned to one of his lackeys and ordered him out to look up the information that Haruka had said to him. The man stood and ordered, "Everyone leave. I wish to speak to my servant alone."

The suited men quickly bowed to their leader and walked out of the room, leaving the two alone and in silence. The man stood from his seat, adjusting his suit before addressing Haruka, "I am Sado Sora. I will be your master.."

"This much the Grail has told me. It has also told me other things about you. You're involved with crime, or am I wrong?"

Sora sighed and sat back down, "I am part of the yakuza, yes. Let it be known, however, that I am not like my…"compatriots". I try to keep all my business legitimate."

"Because of our current situation, I'm going to leave my questions to a minimum. As long as you do nothing to disregard honor, I'll cooperate with you."

"Good. That works with me. Now, we should prepare to travel. We have to catch a plane to Germany. The Ruler servant that was summoned by the Grail wants us there as soon as possible."

"The Grail taught me what a plane is. Needless to say, I'm fascinated but not thrilled to be in that metal bird." Haruka groaned.

"You'll get used to it...probably." Sado commented, trying to hold in a chuckle as to not embarrass her.

Haruka stood from her seat and walked over to one of the large windows. She was in a very tall building in the center of an enormous and luminescent city. She took in the sight and processed the visual, "Are we really in Edo? This looks nothing like it was all those centuries ago."

Sado stood, walking next to her, looking outside at Tokyo, his home. To him, this was the reality he had always known, but he had not considered that she came from a time when the city was not a sprawling metropolis. All of this must have been overwhelming to process.

"Yes, this is what was once called Edo. We now know it as Tokyo. It is the capital of Japan now." Sado replied, trying to explain the issue to her as plainly as possible.

"What happened to Kyoto? What happened to the emperor?" Haruka asked, appearing worried.

"Kyoto still stands as the imperial capital. However, that's more of a traditional thing than anything else. The emperor still sits on the throne, but his position is more ceremonial than actually political. The emperor no longer holds power and there is no shogunate in power either. We work off of a system called democracy, where our leader is voted in by the masses and is named the prime minister."

"I see...I guess time really does change the world. I would also guess that the samurai are no longer a thing either?"

"No. At least, not in the way you remember. We yakuza like to think of ourselves as the continuation of the samurai, but...well, I think you already know."

"Yes."

Sado walked back to the desk, reaching over to a set of cups and a traditional pitcher, and poured sake into two cups, figuring that she would want it to calm her racing mind. He took one cup and walked back to Haruka, offering her the cup.

Haruka looked at the cup and asked, "Sake?"

"Yes. Best brand there is. Might help you relax."

Haruka took the cup, continuing to look at it for a moment. She took a deep breath and drank the contents in a single gulp. She then recoiled for a moment and coughed at the burning sensation.

Sado noticed this and asked, "Have you never had a drink of alcohol before?"

"No. Lady Tomoe never let me. Needless to say, I didn't like the burn."

"Then you should probably not drink this again...unless you want to gain a tolerance."

"I would rather not. As a servant, it would be bad to be impared in battle. I'll just count this as my one time taking a drink."

Sado nodded and drank his own drink with little issue. He placed the cup down and said, "We should probably start leaving. The plane is being prepared and I would rather get to Germany as soon as possible."

"I get that this place is far, but is it necessary to fly in that metal bird?"

"It's the fastest way there."

Haruka groaned for a moment and then relented, "Alright, I guess it'll be a new experience."

"You're a servant, you'll be fine." He said as he began to walk away.

Haruka followed, saying, "Just because I'm a servant doesn't mean that I can't be uncomfortable."

[England]

The streets of London were filled with a variable multitude of people going about their daily lives. Cars and trucks drove up and down the road and the populace setting out to complete their errands of the day. Among them, Saya and Te'ran walked among the crowd. Te'ran, now donning a red dress shirt and black dress pants, as opposed to his traditional armor, looked around at the sea of people and appeared both amazed and concerned.

Saya noticed this and said, "You're very quiet, Saber. Something on your mind?"

"Please, just call me Te'ran. To answer your question, I've never seen so many people and contraptions in one place. What is this place?"

"This is London, the capital city of the kingdom of England and the United Kingdom. I've been many times. I used to study at the Clock Tower of the Mages' Association. Long years of study, but necessary. I graduated two years ago."

"If you don't mind me asking, just how old are you? I hope it's not too rude in your society."

Saya shook her head, "It's fine. Usually some people see it as offensive, but I could care less. I am twenty years old. I've been back in Japan for two years now and I spent ten years of my life here in England. So don't worry too much about me being able to communicate here. I am fluent in English."

"Languages are imparted to me by the Grail. However, I supposedly had an affinity for the languages of the lands here."

"Because it's written in your soul. Your home was a sister island to the British Isles before they became what they are today. So you naturally have a mystical affinity to them. So I'm sure the Grail took that into account."

"Perhaps." He looked up and mentioned, "Does the sun ever come out here?"

Saya burst into laughter, surprising Te'ran. She composed herself quickly and said, "Occasionally it does. Don't pay it too much mind. At least you saw the sun on the plane."

"I have one more question. You see, the Grail imparts us with knowledge, but only relevant knowledge. So I know nothing of this land. Tell me, what was this land's ancient name? Perhaps I have some memory of it."

Saya thought for a moment, going through all the information she had learned at the Tower, "Well,...this land is ancient. It was known as a land of magic and fae at some point. I believe this island was known as Albion in its ancient tongue."

Te'ran was shocked and replied, "This is Albion! I gotta say, I preferred it as a forest."

"So you've been here?"

"I've travelled here from time to time. Mostly for military reasons. My people once fought a war against Albion, but since that war they had a form of camaraderie with one another. When I was born the war was just a series of stories and legends. I only came here to meet with leaders of here and battle some battles against ancient evils. Back then, fae still ruled this land. I even received the honor of visiting Tír na nÓg."

Saya smiled at his reminiscing, but had to tell him, "Look, I know you have a lot of stories and I want to hear about all of it, but we have to rush to hurry to the Clock Tower. That's where we're going to be picked up and taken to our destination. So…" She waved her hand out into the street, confusing Tehran, but then he noticed a car approach and stop next to them. Saya smiled at his confusion and said, "This is a cab or taxi. It's a vehicle that we wave down and the driver takes us to our destination...for a fee. Get in. We're burning daylight."

Te'ran obeyed and crawled into the cab, sitting down and looking around at the interior. Saya sat down next to him and said, "Can you take us to the Tower of London, please?"

The driver nodded an affirmation and drove off.

[The Clock Tower]

A young lady in a black dress sat across a desk from an elderly man with long white hair. The man was smoking a cigarette and appeared to be in deep thought. He soon blew out the smoke from his lungs and addressed the woman, "Elizabeth, let us be clear on something. Whatever you do, try to stay out of danger. I know this is a Holy Grail War, but I'd hate to lose a valued disciple."

Elizabeth smiled and replied, "It's alright. You trained me well for this war, Lord El-Melloi. By the way, you're ancient. Maybe quit smoking."

"I don't intend to live forever."

"You're pushing a hundred. I'm starting to think you are trying to live forever."

Lord El-Melloi couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. He put out the cigarette on an ashtray and said, "Ever the wiley one." He soon grew serious, "I must advise you one more thing. That servant of yours, keep her in check. You summoned a powerful being, but also a being of jumping alignments. She's dangerous, if her legends are to be believed."

"You're speaking of Caster, correct?"

"None other."

A female's laugh could be heard as a black mass materialized on the chair next to Elizabeth. The being took the form of a beautiful woman with long, wild brown hair tinted with some white. She wore a patchy grey dress and donned a constant smirk on her face. She looked at Lord El-Melloi and said, "Aww! Someone thinks I'm dangerous."

Lord El-Melloi made sure to look her in the eyes and said, "As much says your legends, Baby Yaga. I hope you'll forgive me for asking you this, I mean no disrespect; however, your legends state you to be horrifically unpleasant to the eyes."

Baba Yaga let out a giggle and asked, "What? Do you find me ravishing?"

"I will not feed your ego. The point stands that you must remember to whom your loyalties lay."

Baba Yaga pulled Elizabeth into an embrace, nearly pulling her off her seat and almost suffocating her into her bosom, "To my dear little master, of course. Don't worry; I'm not going to eat her. Or do you believe in my legends?"

"I don't know what to believe about you. I just know that your aura is suffocatingly oppressive."

Baba Yaga sighed and let go of Elizabeth, "That's just my mana. I can't help that I'm intimidating. Just ask every man I've ever dated. I know you have reservations about letting your disciple be a master during this Holy Grail War, but you have my word that I will protect her to the best of my abilities."

"I'm not so worried about her. She's a capable mage that's been well trained for this moment. Besides, she has those command seals on her hand that can bring you to heel if need be."

"I am well aware. I'm promising to behave. Please stop with antagonism. I've gotten enough of that over the centuries. My goal is to help my master and her allies win this Holy Grail War. Now, will you allow me to ask my own questions?"

Lord El-Melloi considered her question and then nodded, "Very well. I will answer to the best of my abilities if it were to help you."

"Thank you. Firstly, what rules do we have to follow in the "war", so to speak?"

"The rules of the Holy Grail War are pretty simple and the Grail should have told you of your purpose. To be safe, let me explain. Firstly, you will be fighting in two teams. You, your master, and six other servants and masters have been designated as Team Silver and you will be facing another team of seven servants and masters designated as Team Gold. You need to fight and kill all seven servants to win. However, this is not necessary, but killing the masters is also a way to win this war. I would discourage you from doing so, but if the need arises for you to do so, do not hesitate. If you do need to kill a master, I would appreciate it if you didn't use guns, deception, or a heavy amount of collateral damage. Blowing up populated buildings is a good example."

"Why?"

Lord El-Melloi was silent for a moment, as if reliving a memory, and then said, "Reasons. Very...Emiya...reasons."

Baba Yaga looked at Elizabeth, as if silently asking what he meant, but let it go, "I see. Well, another question. When we win, how do we know who gets the wish? There's seven pairs of us."

"Believe me; by the end of it, most of you servants will be dead and maybe some masters. If more of you are alive, then either you will all get a wish or one will be chosen."

"What were the results of the previous Holy Grail War?"

"One master and one servant survived the entire thing."

Baba Yaga hissed in shock and let out an audible exhale through her teeth, "Yikes! It's that intense?"

"Extremely."

Baba Yaga again flashed a toothy grin and pulled Elizabeth into another suffocating embrace, stroking her long blonde hair, "Then I should do all I can to protect my master. Mostly to win, but also because she is just adorable. I could just eat her up." She looked down at the girl, hearing her screaming into her chest as she tried to pry herself free from her bosom, "I won't actually eat her...but my breast might kill her if I'm not careful."

She let Elizabeth go, who released an audible gasp for air, "You...need to...hug me a different...way."

"But it's my way of showing affection."

Lord El-Melloi asked, "Are you out of questions?"

"Yes. That's all I've wanted to know. I'll figure out the rest later." She quickly perked up and looked behind her. Again, her smile draped over her face and she giggled, "I think a friend of ours is arriving. A Saber servant, to be exact."

Elizabeth quickly stood and said, "That has to be Saya and her servant. She told me that she summoned a Saber servant. Let's go see them." Baba Yaga quickly caught her arm, confusing Elizabeth, "What's wrong?"

"How about I go welcome them to England? I want to test out that Saber."

"Yaga, that is not a good idea."

"Don't care! Doing it anyways!"

Baba Yaga quickly morphed into the form of a murder of ravens and flew out of the window, materializing on a nearby ceiling. She walked over to the edge and looked down at the courtyard of the Tower, wondering where her new targets were located. She closed her eyes and opened them, to reveal them glowing purple. The new scene before her showed the world in a purple haze and two magical signatures among the large number of people that were walking around. "Found you, my lovelies."

[Saya and Te'ran]

Tehran was looking around, admiring the structure that was the Clock Tower. He looked at the architecture and the great deal of people around.

Saya explained, "This is where I studied. This part of the Clock Tower is the tourist area, while there's a secret area that we students had to take to avoid the normal people and study in peace. During the war, we are to avoid population centers and minimize collateral damage. Usually, we would have you servants hiding your presence so that others can't see you, but why make it boring for you? You're not in armor and you're not wielding your sword, so you shouldn't draw too much attention."

He quickly grabbed Saya and pulled her close, "Wait…"

Saya blushed for a moment and asked, "Any particular reason you're holding me so close?"

"I smell a servant."

Saya sighed and said, "No need to be worried. If they're an enemy, they would not attack us with so many people around. If they are a friend, then they are most likely my friend's servant. She summoned a Caster class servant."

"Is there any way to actually fight among crowds?"

"Not unless you or the servant know how to create a temporal distortion. If you can temporarily create a mini pocket reality to fight in, you won't be able to. The Magus Association forbids fighting around normal people unless you can do that."

There was suddenly a shimmer in the air around Saya and Te'ran and they noticed everyone in the area around them stop in time, while a magical aura covered everything in sight.

Te'ran asked, while materializing his armor and sword, "Like this?"

Saya groaned, "Yeah, like that."

They heard Baba Yaga's voice say sultrily, "Hello, my darlings!" The two looked and saw a murder of ravens come together and form into Baba Yaga, "We knew you were coming and I'm here as the welcome wagon."

"As a friend or foe?" Saya asked, reaching for something on the back of her dress.

"As a friend, of course! However, there's nothing that says I can't have some fun with your servant."

"In what way?"

Baba Yaga took a moment to think, placing a finger over her lips in thought, "I'm not sure now that I have options. He is quite handsome. I wouldn't mind bedding him."

Te'ran groaned, "No offense. You're pretty, but I'm not interested."

"I figured. Still, I'm here to fight."

"And if I say "no"?"

"Do I look like I care?"

Baba Yaga quickly summoned a staff composed of a large spine and skull and fired off a bolt of black lightning. Te'ran quickly picked up Saya and jumped out of the way, placing her on a roof. "Stay here!" He commanded.

Te'ran turned and shot back down, swinging his blade at Baba Yaga. With a raise of her staff, a barrier materialized that blocked the blow and knocked Te'ran back. Te'ran landed on his feet and rushed over to Baba Yaga, once again swinging his sword at her. Baba Yaga laughed in amusement and used her staff to block the attack.

She looked at his sword and counted all ten runes that decorated the blade. "I see. You possess a run blade. Now, as an ally, would you mind telling me how it works?"

Te'ran, while trying to overpower the surprisingly strong Caster servant, replied, "Friend? You attacked us, you she-devil!"

"Now that's not nice!" Baba Yaga replied, giggling, "I'm just having fun. It's been a while since I had a good fight!"

"Wait until we face the other team!"

"Why? You're here."

Te'ran groaned and jumped back. He raised his sword and one of the ten runes began to glow green. Baba Yaga noticed this and tested him by firing another bolt of shadow. Te'ran vanished in a dash, escaping her sight and avoiding the attack. Baba Yaga looked around, trying to sense his presence. She turned around and looked up, seeing him coming down towards her. She raised her staff and blocked the attack, noticing the difference in power from where he was before to now. Te'ran quickly landed on the ground, spun around, and kicked her back.

Baba Yaga skid on the ground, stopping soon after. She patted herself down and said, "I think I figured it out. Stupidly easily, mind you. Each rune increases your power by a percentile. Since you have ten, I would guess each one represents a tenth of your full power. Now I want to know what you're like at full power. That kick didn't even hurt me."

Te'ran growled at her with frustration, "Okay, I'll admit that maybe that was too simple. Although, there is far more to me and this sword than just a power bank. As for you…" He stopped, wondering what information he had gathered in the short clashes, "...Actually, I know nothing about you."

Baba Yaga feinted an insulted huff, "Well I never! You don't know me? The most powerful and famous witch to ever exist in this rock you call Earth? A fiend whose name strikes fear in the hearts of men, women, and children alike?"

"Lady, I've been dead for millenia. Whatever world you lived in, I certainly have never been privy to."

"Well, I guess I should teach you who I am...through pain!"

She once again fired a bolt of shadow and vanished, reappearing in the air quickly firing multiple orbs of shadow towards him from above. Te'ran jumped to the side to avoid the bolt and began to slash at the orbs. He slashed through the last one and ran, using the moment to jump into the air. His blade began to become covered in a thick layer of pulsating air, which he launched with a slash, sending a blade of wind towards Baba Yaga.

Lifting her staff, Baba Yaga again created a barrier to attempt to block the blade of air. The blade hit the barrier and it quickly shattered, but also dissipated. Baba Yaga smirked again and leaned back to avoid a sudden stab from Te'ran. She bashed the sword to the side and floated back to the ground. Te'ran did the same and landed on the ground, waiting to see what she would do next.

Baba Yaga began to laugh loudly and clapped her hands, "Impressive! You DO have more tricks up your sleeves. Yes, I can see you being useful in this war. I'm very curious to see what you can do the more to activate those runes."

Te'ran relaxed a little and said, "I hope I never have to activate all of them. Especially to fight you or any of our allies."

"You would do well to be wary of me. I'm known for being devious...but fair."

Te'ran nodded and noticed a figure appearing behind Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga turned her head and was suddenly punched in the face by Saya, wearing an odd pair of gloves with iron knuckles. Baba Yaga stumbled forward and checked to see if she was bleeding.

She looked back at Saya and saw her body covered in glowing markings. "You reinforced your body to be able to hit me?"

Saya yelled at her, "THIS ISN'T THE PLACE TO BE FIGHTING, YOU IDIOTS!?"

A hand pat Saya on the shoulder, causing her to turn to see Elizabeth, "My thoughts exactly. Caster, get rid of the temporal distortion. You and I need to have a serious talk."

Baba Yaga asked, "How can you move in the distortion?"

"I'm your master. If you can move in a distortion, I can move as well. Now get rid of it!"

Baba Yaga sighed with disappointment, "It was finally getting good. Fine!" She tapped her staff onto the ground and the world around them returned to normal, with no one else being any wiser to what had just occurred.

Te'ran quickly shifted into his casual wear and looked around, trying to find Baba Yaga. He looked at Elizabeth and saw a raven sitting on her shoulder, sticking its tongue out at him. He growled, realizing that it was her and that she was still taunting him.

Elizabeth rubbed her temple and sighed. She turned and said to Saya, "I'm so sorry about that. Caster is a bit impulsive when she gets bored."

Saya removed her gloves and dispelled the reinforcement on her body, "It's okay." She then suddenly lunged forward and hugged Elizabeth, "Lizzie! It's been so long! It's so good to see you again!"

Elizabeth hugged her back, "Likewise, old friend." The two separated and Elizabeth looked at Te'ran, "This is your Saber servant?"

"Yeah. Are we hiding our servant identities or are we being open with one another?"

"If we're working together, I want us to have trust with each other. Besides, I have no reason to be wary of you. My servant is…"

"Baba Yaga." Saya interrupted.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, surprised.

"I figured it out when she was talking about herself. Baba Yaga, the most infamous witch in European history. Still, the legends state that she was ugly."

Baba Yaga, in raven form, flew over to Saya's head and began to peck her head. Saya swiped at the raven until Baba Yaga flew back to Elizabeth's shoulder.

Elizabeth apologized again, "I am so sorry again! She hates being reminded of how people have twisted her legend to antagonize her."

Baba Yaga spoke through the raven, "I am no hideous monster! I'm not the wife of the devil, I'm not a cannibal, I'm not in league with hell, and I do not kidnap children! Why have humans decided to make me out to be so horrible?"

"It does worry me. Usually, servants can be affected by their legends when they are summoned. So I'm worried that some of those qualities might have attached themselves to you."

"I'll try to make sure that I do not fall under such influences."

Te'ran asked, "There wouldn't be any legends of me going around, would there?"

Saya replied, "Your civilization has been lost for millenia and nothing about you or your people remains. There are no legends to twist about you."

"I can't help but feel both relieved and saddened by that."

"I'll try to look up some information to confirm or to see if something still exists."

Elizabeth cleared her throat, "I don't mean to interrupt, but we should probably go apologize to Lord El-Melloi before he gets more angry than I know he is at this current moment."

"He's still alive!?" Saya asked, completely surprised as she had figured the old man would have been dead a long time ago.

"Alive, well, and healthy."

"And he's still calling himself Lord El-Melloi? Wasn't he doing that as a favor to the El-Melloi family?"

"Well, it's stuck to him now. Now let's go."

An old man's voice called out, "Don't bother."

The two girls and their servants turned to see Lord El-Melloi walking towards him, appearing not too happy with them.

Saya tried to keep things jovial and greeted him, "Lord El-Melloi! It's great to see you! I see that you're doing well."

Lord El-Melloi walked up to her and chopped her head with his hand, causing an audible yelp to escape her lips at the pain and the shock of the act. He then walked over to Elizabeth and did the same to her, "Imbeciles, the both of you!"

Elizabeth and Saya held in whimpers as Elizabeth replied, "Lord El-Melloi, people are staring."

"Good! Let this be a lesson to both of you. A little bit of humiliation will do you two some good." He lowered his voice and said quietly, "Keep your servants under control. There are to be no battles in public areas that are this crowded. I don't care if either of you possess temporal distortions." He looked at Saya and said, "I see little Miss Gem Assassin has returned home."

Saya groaned, "Don't call me that. I'm just a gem magus."

"Your entire family scares me. Anyways, it's good to see two of my students return to the Clock Tower. However, you should go to your base of operations before nightfall."

"Because one of your allies is extremely dangerous at night. Your team's Berserker class servant."

"And who might that be?"

"Ask your allies when you get there. I'm not at liberty to give you that information." He looked at Te'ran and said, "This must be your Saber class servant."

Te'ran replied, "Indeed I am. Since you're not involved in this war, I guess I can tell you. I am…" He looked over at the raven on Elizabeth's shoulder and said, "Too many ears here. I guess I'll save that information for another time."

Baba Yaga squawked and then said angrily, "Imbecile! I'm one of your allies. It's okay for me to know who you are."

"I don't trust you, witch."

"You already know who I am! Return the courtesy!"

Saya groaned in frustration, "Both of you, shut up! His name is Te'ran. As to who the hell that is, no one knows. His history is a mystery and he has yet to tell me too much about himself. I'm sure we'll all get to know each other better as time goes on, but please let's just stay objective. The sooner we start working together, the better and faster this war will go."

Lord El-Melloi agreed with her and said, "Precisely. Though I would love to catch up with you all, I would recommend you get to your base. Your base of operations will be the Balmoral Castle in Scotland."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "I was aware. It's one of my family's properties. I just hope it doesn't get destroyed."

Saya asked in confusion, "Isn't that place owned by the Queen of England?"

"That's the cover story, yes. It belongs to my family at the moment."

"Alright, so how are we going to get there? Car? Helicopter? Plane?"

Baba Yaga giggled and said, "Leave our transportation to me."

Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle, "Caster is a fan of unconventional modes of transportation."

"What do you mean?"

[Hours Later]

The fields of Scotland passed underneath at great speeds, with their color growing dimmer and dimmer as the sun set in the horizon. Saya didn't care so much about the view, as she was too preoccupied with what she was riding in. She was expecting something less ludicrous than what she was currently in, but she should have expected it considering Baba Yaga's odd tastes and legend. However, nothing prepared her for the experience of flying through the air on a giant mortar, being steered by Baba Yaga with an equally large pestle.

Baba Yaga asked, "How are you fairing, little master of Saber?"

"I'm still at a loss that I'm flying in a mortar. Other than that, I'm fine."

"And how IS Saber?"

Saya looked at him and saw him slouching over the edge of the mortar groaning, "I don't think he likes it."

Baba Yaga looked back and saw Te'ran, "What's wrong, Saber? Are you air sick?"

"This is not as comfortable as flying in a plane." Te'ran replied with a groan. "Too much sensory overload."

"You're just not used to it. Trust me when I say, there's no means of flying that's more fun for me."

"Aren't witches supposed to fly on broomsticks?"

"Normal witches lack imagination. I am a savant! A true pathfinder."

"You're weird."

"Aren't we all? Are any of us ever truly normal? If you hate this, you'll hate my house."

"Why?" Te'ran asked suspiciously.

"Have you ever seen a walking house before?"

"No. I don't want to know."

"You're no fun."

Te'ran righted himself from his slouched position and sat in the mortar, "I can feel a lot of familiar energy. This place has a lot of remnant magic."

Elizabeth explained, "The British Isles have a lot of ley lines that run through it. This is a magical part of the world. From what Saya has told me, you're from a land that was near the isles. So your homeland must have used the same magical sources. That might be why it's so familiar to you."

"Perhaps. I'm still coming to terms that this is truly Albion. I can't sense the fae of the land." He sighed and said, "How times change."

Elizabeth thought for a moment and asked, "This might be a stretch, but are you familiar with the Isle of Skye."

"Yes, that existed in my time. From time to time I would go there to meet with an old friend of mine in a castle known as Dún Scáith."

Saya looked at Elizabeth with surprise on her face and then back at her servant, "You know, I'm happy that you're a bit more comfortable with sharing a bit about yourself."

"I've told you absolutely nothing about me other than the fact that I traveled a lot between these isles in ancient days. Don't twist my openness to converse with me being comfortable enough to talk about myself to any great degree."

Saya laughed nervously and said, "I'd still like to know about you. You're my servant and a servant and master should have a bond. Also, you can trust Elizabeth. She's my best friend and one of the most loyal people I know."

"You can trust her, but I'll keep her at an arm's length."

"Still, let me ask you something. You said that you had a friend in the ancient castle of Dún Scáith, correct?"

"Yeah. Are you familiar with the castle?"

Elizabeth replied instead of Saya, "Let me preface this by saying that it still exists on the Isle of Skye, but it's a ruin now."

Saya continued, "It's not the place that surprises us, but it's who lived in it. Lizzie and I were addicted to learning about mythologies and the mythologies of the British Isles were some of our favorites. So let me ask you this; was this friend named Scathach or Cu Chulainn, by any chance?"

"I never heard of a Cu Chulainn, but my friend was Scathach. I first met Queen Scathach when my people sent a delegation to meet with her and offer her a gift. One of our sacred treasures."

Elizabeth's face took on a look of shock as she asked, "Was it named the Gae Bolg?"

Te'ran looked at her with surprise, "Yes. It was one of seven treasures of my homeland, which we disbursed to our allies throughout Albion. The Gae Bolg was the name of the spear in the tongue of those that lived here. I can no longer remember its old name. The Grail only gave me the names that they were dubbed with by their wielders. Seven treasures in total. Two remained in my homeland, five were given to mighty warriors and their clans."

"Can you recall the other weapons?"

"In the tongue of this land I can recall four of the five. The spear Gae Bolg, the greatsword Caladbolg, the spear Rhongomyniad, and the sword Caledfwlch. My sword is one of these sacred weapons. This one I can recall its original name in my tongue. It is called Eil Gaurl, the Blade of the Wild in modern translation."

Elizabeth considered what he was saying, but found it hard to believe, "I could find no connection of such things in all my years of research on those weapons."

Saya asked, "You researched the weapons?"

"At least the weapons that were used in previous Holy Grail Wars or from servants summoned at any point."

"Which ones were used?"

"All of them! Gae Bolg is a Celtic weapon wielded by Scathach and Cu Chulainn. Caladbolg is a greatsword wielded by Fergus mac Róich, Cu Chulainn's adopted father. The last two belonged to the same person. Rhongomyniad belonged to King Arthur and Caledfwlch is just another name for Excalibur. That's where I find it hard to grasp. In all my years of research, you would think I would have found a connection between all these weapons. It's hard for me to believe that they come from the same place. The mythologies are different. Two belong to the Ulster Cycle and the other two belong to the Arthurian Legends. They're not connected."

Saya replied, "But they all exist in the isles. I personally do not find it too hard to accept, since we do not know the origins of these weapons." She looked back at Te'ran, "How were they made? If you don't mind me asking."

Te'ran thought for a moment and said, "Even I don't know. They were just made using holy magic. That's all I know. Five of the seven were given away and two remained with us. I was given this sword to protect my home in the wilds that formed its borders. For this, I was called the King of the Wilds, but I am no king. Being given this sword was a sign of high honor."

"The other two weapons. Do you remember them?"

"Their names escape me. There was a war scythe that stayed in my homeland, but it vanished with it when it was destroyed. The last was a spear that was said to have been destroyed long before I was born. How or by what it was destroyed by, I do not know. We just call it the Lost Treasure."

"I see. Well, I'm happy that we're having this talk. It gives me a frame of reference to help uncover more about your home and your past. Thank you for at least speaking to us about it."

Te'ran nodded and stayed quiet. He stood and turned back to the edge of the mortar. Something was clearly on his mind and he appeared worried.

Elizabeth inched over to Saya and whispered to her, "Your servant is an enigma, but one that has a lot of information about the past of this land. I don't know how much of what he said was just a story to entertain us or if he was telling the truth."

Saya replied, "There has to be something written about that time."

"No, there's not. The Celts didn't write things down. They made rune drawings about things. The only reason we know about them is because they made these drawings and because of oral tradition."

"Then there's either information out there about Te'ran's homeland or the Celts didn't bother mentioning it in their runes and stories. It doesn't mean that he's lying. I think he's telling the truth."

Baba Yaga called out, "Heads up! We're here!"

The group quickly went to see and saw the castle in the distance, which was to serve as their home for as long as the Holy Grail would continue. Baba Yaga quickly descended towards the castle and landed on its enormous lawn. The group jumped off the mortar and stretched from the long flight in the cramped space.

Elizabeth stretched and groaned, "Finally! I can get to bed and rest."

Baba Yaga giggled and said, "Rest can wait, my dear. We need to meet with our allies first. I can sense multiple presences in the area and many eyes watching us. There's also one getting closer to us."

Te'ran quickly drew his sword and moved in front of Saya, "Get back!" He looked up and saw a figure diving down from the sky, being illuminated by the large crescent moon that hung overhead. He lifted his sword and blocked an attack from the figure and knocked it away. "What the hell!?"

The figure got to its feet and stood up. The human had the shape of an enormous human male, but it was covered in pitch black fur and was extremely muscular. Te'ran noticed that it appeared to be a mix of a man and a wolf, as its legs, claws, and head were that of a wolf's. Its glowing red eyes glared at the group and it bore a visible snarl, presenting its large canines.

Saya looked at the beast and asked, "A werewolf!?"

Te'ran released a seal on one rune and said, "I have no idea what that is, but I know it's not friendly."

The werewolf let out a loud howl and charged towards the group. Te'ran readied his blade as the beast approached, but it was suddenly blasted back by a bolt from Baba Yaga.

She said to him, "Let's take this thing out before it hurts our masters. From what I know, werewolves are incredibly powerful, especially during full moons like tonight. We have to be careful."

Te'ran looked at her and apprehensively said, "Thank you."

She quickly darted to him and asked teasingly, "What was that? Can you say it louder?"

"And now you've lost whatever appreciation I gave you."

"You're no fun."

The werewolf quickly recovered and lunged at them, with Te'ran blocking the attack. He pushed the beast back and fired an air blade at it. The beast saw the blade and slashed it with its claws, surprising Te'ran as it destroyed it with ease. It jumped into the air and came down in a dive speedy dive towards them. The two servants grabbed their masters and jumped out of the way, avoiding a large slam that created a shockwave.

Te'ran jumped to his feet first and ran at the beast, swinging his sword at him, but the beast caught the blade with its claws. It quickly punched Te'ran in his stomach and tossed him to the side violently. It looked over at Baba Yaga and was blasted by a wave of shadow, that caused it to roll on the ground. It rolled to its feet and roared at her before charging on all fours. Baba Yaga braced herself and slammed her staff onto the ground, creating an energy shield that blocked the beast's attack.

The beast roared as it hit the barrier and then stabbed its claws into the barrier easily and pulled it apart, shattering it. It then spoke in a low, growly voice, "Meat."

Baba Yaga was left astonished by the physical power of the beast and the fact that it was speaking. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by seeing the beast lift a clawed arm to strike at her. She quickly vanished into a flock of ravens and reformed away from the beast, forcing it to miss.

The beast roared in frustration and glared at her. It then stopped when it saw a blue gem fly by its face. It focused on it and then saw it glow and explode into a flash of bright light, stunning it. It recoiled in surprise and staggered back. It blinked for a few moments and looked at Saya, seeing her with gems in her hands. She smirked and pointed to the left. It turned its head and was met with Te'ran slashing it across the chest.

The beast stammered back and clutched its chest. Te'ran and Baba Yaga regrouped to face the beast and appeared relieved to have inflicted a blow onto it. That relief was quickly stolen from them as the best stood tall and howled into the night, revealing its wound to be closing.

Te'ran gasped at the sight, "It can regenerate!?"

Baba Yaga sighed and shook her head, "This thing is powerful. I guess we'll have to go for the tried and true method of decapitating it. Get ready!"

The beast again jumped into the sky, causing the two servants to brace themselves to jump again. However, they saw a large, stocky man suddenly jump into the sky and tackle the beast to the ground. The man laughed as it placed the beast into a rear naked choke and said, "That's quite the rude welcome, my boy! Relax! These lot are not our enemies. They're friends. So relax, Berserker!"

Te'ran and Baba Yaga appeared surprised and said together, "Berserker?"

Berserker relaxed under the hold of the man and the man let him go. His beastial form began to shed and a tall man with short black hair appeared in the place of the beast, "Forgive me. I am Peter Stumpp. You can call me Berserker. I thought you were enemies, so I did what I was tasked to do and protected the headquarters."

Te'ran asked, "You're a Berserker? You seem sane to me."

The man that was previously holding him down sat up and chuckled, saying, "Usually he does, but he loses control during full moons. On most nights he can think well enough for himself, but he gains a bloodlust during full moons. To compound this, his condition kinda makes him a cannibal."

Berserker replied to this, "Let's not reveal all my secrets. Yes, my Berserker madness is that beastial nature and the bloodlust. Sadly, I can't control it. You would do well to avoid me during full moon nights." He turned to the man on the ground and said, "You should introduce yourself as well."

The man stood up and patted himself down and adjusted the glasses that balanced themselves on the bridge of his nose. Te'ran took a moment to look at the man and saw that he was very muscular, but it was hidden by what appeared to be an old style military uniform, with a sabre and pistols on his belt. He was also sporting a thick mustache and an ever present smile.

The man cleared his throat and said, "I am the Rider class servant of our team. In my life I was called Theodore Roosevelt. President of the United States and the greatest of the Rough Riders! Nice to make your acquaintance, my lad and lady!"

Te'ran and Baba Yaga relaxed and put their weapons away. Baba Yaga replied first, "Hello, I am the Caster of our team. You may call me Caster or Baba Yaga."

Te'ran then replied, "I am our team's Saber class servant. Call me Saber."

Rider looked at him and asked, "No first or last name to call you by, my boy?"

"No. Just Saber. We'll see how things pan out during this Holy Grail War and maybe I'll tell you my name."

"Fair enough! Now, let's not dally any longer here on the lawn. Sure, the night is beautiful, but I'm sure you're all tired from your travels. Let's enter the castle and meet with the others. I'm sure they'll be glad to finally have everyone here. Also, you could all use a good rest. Sleep makes you strong, but never as strong as I am." He said with a loud and hearty laugh. He saw everyone smile at the joke, except for Te'ran. "It's a joke, lad."

Te'ran nodded, "That much I gathered."

The group began to walk to the castle, finally happy to no longer be travelling. Rider quickly used the opportunity and walked up to Te'ran draping a large arm around his shoulders and said, "Cheer up, boy! We're all friends here. Learn to rely on us and we'll learn to rely on you. That's how this works."

Te'ran let out a sigh and said, "I've always been a solitary fighter."

"Not with me, you're not! When you're with me, you're going to socialize. You'll see, we're be fast friends, you and I." He said, patting him on the back with another laugh. "We'll go camping, wrestle, and fight bears."

"Fight bears?" Te'ran asked quizzically.

"I love a good challenge, boy."

Saya laughed at the conversation and commented, "Looks like you'll fit right in with Mr. Roosevelt."

Rider laughed and replied, "All my allies are my friends. You cannot work together with your enemies. You'll see. We'll be inseparable by the end of this."

At that Te'ran let out a chuckle, "We'll see, old man."

I actually had a whole lot of fun writing this chapter. While the battles were short and a lot of information is thrown at you in this chapter, it'll all be relevant later and it'll save me a lot of time to add onto the story. Also, expect the battles to get a lot longer and more methodical than attack and defend. Remember to give me your feedback and I'll see you guys on the next chapter. Bye!