[h1]Rider[/h1]
[h2]Franz Burine Plaza[/h2]


Rider surveyed the carnage from atop brilliant, her face hardening into a judgemental grimace. 

“Disgusting.” She spat the word out, her eyes narrowing as Brilliant came to a stop. It was a bloody mess, a massacre, an unsightly thing… she would not tolerate such flagrant brutality in what was to be her Empire. The bright glow of gold flashed in Catherine’s eyes and a musket materialized in her gloved hand in a shower of sparks. The polished stock gleamed in the city light, and a bayonet of cold steel bared its point like a singular fang.

“Indeed. I will see to the mad warrior. It shouldn’t be too much of a concern, especially with assistance.” Sophie motioned toward the archers raining down fire on the Berserker. “It seems we’re all on the same page for the moment. In the meantime…” Rider looked back with a smile. “Why don’t you find his Master and say hello?”

After waiting a moment for Naoko to dismount, Rider kicked at Brilliant’s sides. “Forward!” The horse kicked off of the ground, cracking concrete under the force of his hooves. Rider gripped the musket tightly in her right hand as the horse raced around toward the base of the building where the blue-haired Servant and his ally had taken position. An upward nod was the only acknowledgement she could manage amidst her maneuvering, but she hoped it conveyed her cooperation. She would loop around and join in the multi-directional assault the archers had begun. As she neared the base of the building, the silver arrows began to lance down upon the Viking, though to what degree of success she was uncertain. Rider pulled the reins with her free hand, winding Brilliant around to circle the mad warrior. Taking a deep breath, she released the reins as Brilliant drew near, shouldering the musket and leveling it toward Berserker.

“How like a heathen to revel in bloodlust!”

Rider frowned, her eyes glinting with gold flame as she zeroed in on her target. Centering the weapon on the warrior’s chest, she squeezed the trigger. For a moment, magical energy surged into the weapon. In the next moment the crack of the rifle ripped through the evening air. A bolt of searing red flashed from the muzzle and toward the madman. As she passed, her gilded eye fell on the bandaged Servant that had tossed themself through a nearby window. She grinned, and in the next second was gone as Brilliant dug his hooves into the concrete to circle around the plaza once more.