[h1][color=00aeef]Ernest LaCreux[/color][/h1]

[h2]Eastern Fuyuki, Near the Foreigner's Cemetery[/h2]

The two had departed the Church without being spotted, as far as Ernest could tell. That was good. After the chaos of the Grail War's first day he was in no condition for any more surprise altercations. The ride back had consisted chiefly of Ernest explaining the rather peculiar circumstances that had led to their current situation. He had explained, in the plainest terms he could, for he was still rather baffled by the particulars, that Chi-You was the second Servant he had summoned, and that his initial Servant had been destroyed by some bizarre enigma of a man. As a courtesy, he had also informed Chi-You that  another attack was certainly within the realm of possibility. The thought worried him, but perhaps not as much as it should have. Nimrod had simply been caught off guard, or at least that was what he told himself. If he and his Servant expected the attack, they would have the upper hand... or at least stand a fighting chance. Besides, Chi-You was, as far as he could tell, more powerful than Nimrod, at least as far as parameters were concerned. 

When they arrived back at the small house in Eastern Fuyuki, Ernest had inquired more about Chi-You. He had learned that she was of the Saber class, a detail that came as a welcome surprise. He had told the Servant about the Command Seal that had been required for her summoning as well. In the back of his mind, the thought brought a bit of concern. Command Seals were incredibly valuable, and the fact that he now had one less than the other Masters meant he was at a disadvantage. That was just the nature of things though. Besides, despite her royal demeanor, Ernest had high hopes for his partnership with Chi-You.

The conversation between Master and Servant had been cut short by the crushing exhaustion that was overwhelming Ernest. Anything else could wait until morning... a morning that was already nearly upon them. The magus had retired to his bedroom and collapsed into a black, dreamless sleep.


[h2]Day Two[/h2]

Ernest arose after only a few hours of sleep. Such a thing had been his habit for years, a constant restlessness preventing him from ever enjoying a full night's sleep. Still, the utter exhaustion from the night before had been at least partially abated by the brief rest. After waking up, the mage quickly set to work preparing himself for the day. The Grail War had already proved itself impossibly unpredictable, and he had no intention of being caught unawares again.

Ernest opened his door, entering the living room of the small house. He was dressed in his usual, highly formal attire, every detail of his black suit prim and proper. He looked considerably more prepared than the desperate man who had summoned Chi-You the night before. Mentally, he commanded one of the Thralls to begin preparing a quick and simple breakfast. Using the undead for something so trivial might have seemed somewhat humorous, but the LaCreux family had long ago abandoned the practice of hiring servant in favor of using the Thralls. It was convenient, if hilariously morbid.

As the familiar set to its work, Ernest greeted his Servant. [color=00aeef]“Good morning, Chi-You.” [/color]The smell of eggs began to drift through the room. [color=00aeef]“I know Servants don't require food, but you are welcome to breakfast, if it suits you.” [/color]A simple meal of eggs and toast seemed quite unfit for a hero, but it was in Ernest's nature to be polite about such things. [color=00aeef]“On to more important matters, though.”[/color] Ernest tapped his cane on the floor, evidently thinking. [color=00aeef]“I suppose we should formulate some kind of standing strategy. The Grail War has begun, and I believe many of the other Masters and Servants will begin moving now.”[/color] The magus began pacing around the room slowly. [color=00aeef]“On a basic level, we have two options upon which to build the rest of our strategy. We either remain here, and meet whatever threats happen upon us, or we go out and seek our enemies.”[/color] He stopped his pacing, turning toward Chi-You. [color=00aeef]“I am not necessarily opposed to either plan. However, our current location is the one in which I can provide you with the most support.”[/color] He motioned toward the door. [color=00aeef]“You may have noticed last night that there is a cemetery nearby. I am capable of making use of such a burial ground, if the need arises.”[/color] Ernest tapped his cane against the floor again. It seemed the motion was a habit of his. [color=00aeef]"We also should consider how to react if we are attacked by that... thing I spoke of last night. Judging by my previous encounter with it, I suspect that it is more likely to strike while we are in the field, but I can't be certain."[/color] A disgusted look crossed Ernest's face for a moment, but he shook it off. [color=00aeef]“Ultimately, though, I leave the decision up to you. Master or not, you will be the one fighting our battles, and I'd like to give you every advantage possible. I will support you in any way that I can.”[/color]

[@Holy Grail]