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It seemed the other Masters had not tarried in summoning their Servants. How else to explain that the first one through the door was a musclebound goliath in a flowing cape, his booming voice practically shaking the air as he barged into her house? Even with Rin focused on maintaining appearances, she couldn’t help but step back in alarm at the sight of him, some small part of her quailing at the sheer presence of the Rider before her.

[i]So this is a Heroic Spirit.[/i] One of the greats of mankind, torn through the ages and incarnated in a monstrously powerful corporeal form. [i]They really are on another level…[/i] Yet though this huge man was- or claimed to be -Alexander the Great himself, she was Rin Tohsaka. Under no circumstances would she let herself be pushed around or thrown off balance by some dusty old monarch.

[color=ed1c24]“Yes,”[/color] she said with a brief nod, [color=ed1c24]“I am Rin Tohsaka- representative of the Tohsaka family in this Grail War.”[/color] She gestured towards the living room. [color=ed1c24]“We have wine aplenty, so please help yourself.”[/color] Indeed, there was a wine cabinet prepared, stocked with fine vintages- though Tokiomi had taken care to keep the most valuable hidden away in the depths of his cellar.

[color=ed1c24]“…water as well, though I’m afraid we don’t have… sparkling?”[/color] [i]Geez, this one has weird tastes.[/i] Three women had entered along with Iskandar, one of them obviously a Servant. Rin politely ushered them inside, and quickly poured a glass for the parched magus before another knock sounded from outside.

Bristling a little at having to rush back and forth (why couldn’t they just all arrive at once?) she opened the door and found herself face to face with a nun and a small child.

[i]What.[/i]

She blinked twice. [i]Pull yourself together, Rin![/i] This pairing was hardly the strangest thing she’d seen- she knew her family had connections with the Church and had been expecting them to send an ally, and as for the child... well, perhaps it was some Heroic spirit born of a fable or tale for children. Hiding all traces of her initial confusion, she quickly welcomed them as she had the others. [i]Assuming this is a pair, that makes… three Masters and three Servants.[/i] She had an audience, and the time was right.

After giving everyone a moment to get settled in, she cleared her throat to draw their attention. [color=ed1c24]“Other than the Einzberns, it seems most of us have gathered here successfully.”[/color] She eyed them each in turn. [color=ed1c24]“I thank you all for coming to join our cause. To complete this gathering, and begin our discussion of strategy, allow me to fill in the missing piece- our Lancer servant.”[/color] She swept her arm back, perhaps a touch melodramatically, revealing the summoning circle she’d prepared.

Time for the show of strength. The allies would witness her summoning a powerful Servant, which in turn would guarantee their respect, possibly even subservience, in the coming war. The choice to perform the ritual before the Einzberns arrived was deliberate- it wouldn’t be as impressive with a strong servant already present. [i]Though when I planned this I didn’t count on some freelancer summoning Iskandar…[/i]

Her teeth grit with nervousness, her hands clenched into fists. If something went wrong here… but no, she’d prepared for this. The knowledge, the resources, the catalyst that would allow her to summon one of the most powerful spear users known to mankind: Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster.

(Later, she would wonder in frustration why she hadn’t performed the ritual just a few short minutes earlier, before that [i]damned Shirou[/i] inadvertently ruined all her carefully laid plans.)

Reaching into a pocket and retrieving a small pile of gleaming gemstones, she took a deep breath, and began her incantation.

[color=ed1c24][i]“For the elements, silver and iron. For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg. 
“The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates of the cardinal directions, come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom.
“Fill… fill… fill… fill… fill.”[/i][/color]

Glowing fluid dripped from her hands, and the circle before her came alight in iridescent green, shining brighter with each word, each falling drop.

[color=ed1c24][i]“Repeat five times, but when each is filled, shatter it. Set! Heed my words: my will creates thy body, and thine sword forges my destiny. If you heed the Grail’s call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!”[/i][/color]

Green shifted to red, crimson light filling the room, and an unnatural wind began to blow, whispering as if in anticipation for what was to come.

[color=ed1c24][i]“Here is my oath: I am the one who becomes all good of the world of the dead, I am the one who shall defeat all evil of the world of the dead. Ye seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding-"[/i][/color]

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[color=ed1c24][i]“O keeper of the balance!”[/i][/color]

With a crackle of lightning, the light flared outwards in a sudden burst of power before fading away just as suddenly. Still, she felt it: a tickling on the back of her hand, the Command Seals manifesting as the Servant was brought into the world. Slowly, she raised it up, gazing in wonder at the red markings now painted across her skin. [i]I’ve done it![/i]

So proud was she of her success, that only a moment later did she actually look up to look upon the warrior she had summoned…

[@Avalon]