Bab 66: 65. All Is Not How It Seems
(A/N: so I haven't really explored the concepts of origins in this novel yet. In this arc, we will heavily deal with Godrick's/Alter's origin, and the concepts of Alters and stuff like that. Just know that this is my take on everything, and is not canon.
Essentially from my understanding, an "origin" is someone's "purpose" that guides them through life. There's a lot more to it than just that, but we will be exploring that in this Arc. For that reason, in this novel, I'll introduce it to Godrick as a concept that he doesn't fully know or understand. I'm not sure if servants know their origins or not because I know that mages can find out their own origins.
So Godricks not an idiot for not knowing of his origin, it's just my failure as an author for not introducing it sooner.
Thank you! I appreciate each and every single one of you!)
===Godrick===
"What do you mean, Devour my Alter?" Godrick asked.
Igraine just looked up at him but she didn't answer him.
"I seem to have forgotten how exactly it works. I might need to take a few days while I recover." She said, raising her limp right arm.
Godrick's face twitched in displeasure as he looked down at the woman before him.
"How about I just rip it off instead. I have a right arm quota to meet, and yours would do just fine." He said gazing down at her broken arm.
Igraine just sat there for a moment before sighing and beginning to speak once more.
"From the information I was given, if two Alters fight each other, meaning two of the same being, just before death, there comes a point where you can devour your Alter. You consume their power. Their origin, and drain their life so you become one being in power only, not consciouness. I'm not sure what it looks like, or what will happen, but once it begins, it can't be stopped. And once it's over, you will have all their power." She said.
"Origin?" Godrick asked
"What else?"Godrick asked, tipping her head up farther with the blade of his halberd.
"That's all I know about devouring right now." She said, her voice straining as the sharp edge of the weapon started to cut into her throat.
"How much more do you know about this place?" Godrick said, motioning around him with his head.
"Everything." Igraine said with a sickening smile, revealing her bloodied teeth.
"So, this is what Jeanne meant when she said Alaya would try and kill us." The Juggernaut said, taking his blade away from the Warlord's throat, only to whip his weapon back around and smash the hammer's side into her face, sending her a dozen meters to his right.
Walking calmly after her, he stomped out with his foot, sending her through the tree she had landed against.
"Don't you dare think that I wouldn't kill you a second time just because you have some information about this timeline. I swear I will." He said, stomping down on her chest before stabbing down with the spike of his halberd, piercing her left arm. She gave a pained groan before she was forced to look up at her adoptive grandson.
"And if you ever, EVER, say ANYTHING about my Lady again!" He seethed, twisting his halberd.
"I will rip you limb from limb." He spat venomously.
Ripping his halberd from her arm he stood, and started to walk away from the Warlord's broken body.
Passing the old church he walked towards the group that had slowly started to follow him and Igraine.
"What happened? Is she still alive?" Mordred asked.
"Barely!" Godrick spat, looking towards the Warlord's crumpled body.
He walked over to his mother, and took Jeanne's body into his arms before kneeling down, brushing her hair out of her face with his left hand.
"Godrick?" She asked quietly, her eyes going in and out of focus.
"I'm here, my Lady." He said, gently squeezing her.
Her breathing seemed heavy, but evened out a bit as she placed her head against his chest.
Godrick was deep in thought as he watched his Lady, her eyes unfocused, sweat on her brow, and being so weak she couldn't move.
"How do you cure the poison?" Artoria asked, standing away from Mordred.
The Juggernaut shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on Jeanne.
"We can't. The poison is directly from that bitch Alaya. She's blocked me from curing it. She has also given all the information we need to Igraine, so we can't kill her outright." Godrick said, motioning with his head to the Warlord who was just now getting to her feet.
'Think…' He said to himself, wracking his brain on anything that might be used to cure Jeanne.
Suddenly his eyes widened as he thought of the perfect place. One he visited just before his death. A place that had not only healed him, but changed him.
He quickly stood up, and turned to his mother.
"Dozmary Pool. It will heal her." He said assuredly.
"But we don't know if it's the same pool here in this timeline. What if something happens to her?" His mother asked.
Godrick looked down at his Lady, and vigorously shook his head.
"It will work. I know it." He said, turning to the rest of the group.
"I know you must be confused right now as to why you are all here, but I promise, once we return, I shall explain everything." He said before looking up into the sky.
Lightning flickered in the distance, followed by the sound of thunder rumbling.
"Alaya said that six masters would be summoned with us. They must be around her somewhere. Stay here until we return." He commanded.
Finishing speaking, he cradled Jeanne in his left arm, while he summoned his halberd with his right before throwing it with all his might.
It soon disappeared into the clouds, but the group could still see it, as it attracted the lightning around it before it soon disappeared as it flew deeper into the dark gray clouds.
Godrick turned, and nodded at his mother once before disappearing from his spot.
"Well. What now?" Cu-Chulainn asked, drawing everyone's attention.
"Spread out. Look for our masters." Artoria said, awkwardly shifting away from Mordred to walk in another direction.
"I assume you don't want me going on my own?" Igraine asked, still hunched over as she slowly healed herself.
"We don't want you going anywhere, you bitch!" Mordred hissed.
The Warlord had a bemused expression on her face, as she had taken off her helmet.
"My, I could never imagine my own granddaughter speaking to me in such a manner. Someone should teach you your place." Igraine said, her smile falling from her face.
"My brother did that with you just a moment ago, and I don't feel like beating up an old lady." Mordred said hotly.
Igraine narrowed her eyes as she looked at her granddaughter before snorting and turning away.
"You would have never talked to me that way when you joined me on my crusade." She said disdainfully.
Mordred slowly turned her head to look at the Warlord before speaking in a dangerous voice.
"I was little more than a child back then. You prayed on the fears of a child, and turned me into a murderer." She said while putting her left hand on the pommel of her silver and red sword.
"I am not that same frightened child anymore."
"We shall see." Igraine said, walking away.
Mordred huffed before folding her arms, anger in her eyes. She watched Igraine walk away before turning and walking in a different direction than her mother, and began searching for her master.
===Artoria===
Watching Igraine and Mordred threaten each other, Artorias head was spinning from the realization of her mother being her hated foe the Warlord.
She had spent countless hours planning and fighting in her bitter war with Igraine, only for it to come to a head at Tyddewi, ending with the death of her son.
She had spent the next years focused on retrieving Mordred from the northern countries, and had ignored her sorrow. She pushed it all down and ignored it for as long as she could before finally, Mordred's betrayal broke her.
===Flashback===
Artoria was sitting on her Throne, alone in her vast lofty Throne room, having just returnedfrom her campaign in Rome.
She sat, her face covered in shadows, staring at Excalibur. The blade's tip was on the stone at her feet while her right hand deftly spun the sword around. Her left hand held her face as she looked at the sword that had taken her to new heights of power, but also new heights of grief.
Suddenly, the large doors at the end of the hall were pushed in, and two figures walked into the Throne room.
One was Tristan, his long red hair and white cloak fluttering behind him.
The other was Lancelot.
"My King." Lancelot said before kneeling. He was shaking slightly, and Artoria could see the tears falling from his eyes.
"Speak." She said.
Lancelot seemed to flinch at the word, and he fulfilled his King's order.
"Sir Mordred… Has rebelled." He said, his voice quivering slightly.
Artoria stopped spinning Excalibur before her eyes looked at Lancelot. She could see his grief at his betrayal of her, and he also knew he had played a part in ripping the round table apart with his betrayal.
"I see." Artoria said coldly.
"Leave me." She commanded.
"Your Grace, please allow me to fight by your side. I beg you!" Lancelot said, bowing so low that his head almost touched the ground.
"You dare?" Tristan said, looking down at Lancelot.
"You yourself have betrayed our king, and you now ask to fight for him once more!" The man said, almost bursting at the seams.
He was about to continue, but his King's cold voice stopped him, and sent a chill down his spine.
"I said leave me. NOW!" Artoria commanded.
Tristan practically picked Lancelot up and ran from before his king, all to the chagrin of Lancelot, who almost seemed to fight him before giving up, and letting himself be dragged from the Throne room.
The moment the pair were out of the room, Artoria gripped Excalibur and stood from her Throne.
"GAH!" She screamed before turning around and cutting the Throne in half with her blade.
All her resentment, grief, anger, and sorrow spilled from her at that moment as she continued to hack at her Throne, completely obliterating it before turning to the rest of the Throne room.
After what seemed like an hour of her unabated rage, she finally collapsed on the stairs leading up to the dais.
She dropped Excalibur on the stone beside her, and began to weep.
"Why?" She asked quietly to herself.
"Why did it turn out this way? What did I do wrong?"
After a few moments, she wiped her face and closed her eyes before opening them once more.
They were devoid of any emotion save for a cold determination.
She looked at her sword before picking it up, and went to war for the last time.
===Artoria===
As she thought about her past that seemed to be only years ago, but in reality were lifetimes ago, she finally came to the church Godrick had beaten the Warlord in.
She looked around her at the fields and trees surrounding the church.
"This would be a fine place to be laid to rest at." She said quietly to herself.
Suddenly a blinding white light made her close her eyes and turn away.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and saw six new people standing in front of her. She gazed at the six new people in disbelief before one word left her mouth.
"Shirou?"
At the sound of her voice, he turned towards her, his eyes going wide.
"Saber?" He asked incredulously.
"What's happening?" He asked, confused.
"Where are we? When are we?"
Artoria just shook her head in disbelief before looking over the other five people. She recognized Illya and Rin, as well as the purple haired girl from Shirous school. The one who he had talked to her about before. Sakura, she believed her name was.
But the other two, she didn't recognize at all.
"So, you're my master for this… mission." Artoria finished, thinking of the right word for what they were doing.
Shirou looked around him before his eyes settled on Sakura, his jaw almost hitting the floor.
"Wha- what are you doing here!?!" He asked, shocked.
Sakura didn't seem to react to his words and almost ignored him outright as she looked around.
The group all turned to her and there were a few awkward moments of silence before Sakura responded with a lacking answer.
"I- I need to go find my servant." She said in a hurry before wandering off.
"Sakura wait!" Shirou shouted, almost running after him before being grabbed by Rin and Illya.
"Something doesn't feel right with her Shirou." Rin said, causing Illya to nod in agreement.
The two women looked around nervously before Rin asked what was happening. Shirou just shook his head, his mind in shock from seeing Sakura once more.
"Saber, I don't understand what's going on?" Shirou said, turning back to Artoria after Sakura had left.
Artoria just sighed as she looked off into the distance, hoping her son and Jeanne were alright.
"It's a long story. For now, let's regroup with the others, and I'll explain from there." She said, turning to walk back towards the main area around the church.
There they met the rest of the servants, where they figured out who was with who.
Shirou was Artoria's master, while Rin was Lancers. Illya had a tearful reunion with Heracles, clinging to his leg while she began to tell him all that had happened since the end of the Holy Grail War.
Luvia was paired with Mordred, and the two of them seemed to be a good match for each other. The only one remaining was Emi, who stood back from the group, wringing her hands nervously as she looked around her.
Luvia brought her over to Mordred and introduced the girl to her servant. Mordred looked the girl over before her eyes settled on Emi's headband.
"Where did you get that?" Mordred asked.
"Oh, m- my headband?" Emi asked, tripping over her words as she reached up and touched the cloth. Her voice was trembling, and became slow and labored as she forgot what she had learned about speaking as her nervousness got the better of her.
Mordred just cocked her head to the right a bit as she watched the girl struggle.
"I'm sorry, this happens sometimes when she gets extremely nervous." Luvia said.
"Emi, let's just calm down, and breathe. You're alright. You're safe here." She comforted her friend.
Emi took some deep breaths and closed her eyes, and after a moment her breathing returned to normal.
"Thank you Luvi." She said while also signing.
Luvia smiled at the unconscious use of sign language, and she could tell the girl was still a bit nervous.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you where I got this," Emi said.
"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." She finished.
Mordred just hummed as she looked at the headband.
"It looks exactly like the cloth that my brother wears." She said, keeping her eye on the headband.
===Igraine===
Igraine did not search for her master, as she knew he/she would come to her.
After her altercation with Mordred, she had gone into the woods where she had found a large rock she could sit on. She planted her sword next to her, and waited.
After a while, a young woman with purple hair emerged into the small clearing where the Warlord sat.
"It took you long enough." Igraine said to the woman.
"Yes, yes, I know. It took me a moment to gain my bearings after being brought here." Sakura said.
"Does anyone suspect anything?" The Warlord asked.
"No. But I think the boy Shirou might in the future. I'll have to let Sakura interact with the others without my control for a bit to throw them off." Sakura said, something worm-like slithering under her skin, moving from her chest to her stomach.
"Just don't fuck this up for us Zouken. You know how much rides on the success of this mission." Igraine said to the girl.
"I know the Juggernaut needs to succeed. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun ourselves." Sakura said with the voice of an old man before a hideous smile malformed her face.
===
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