[center][h2]Kazamyr Silvestrov[/h2][/center]
Smiling to himself, Kazamyr closed [i]The Art of War[/i] and tucked it under one arm, before setting about the bookshelves in search of other titles. His gaze swept over hundreds of titles with laser-like focus, picking out a relevant few to be pulled from their places and added to the swiftly-growing stack he now carried. [i]Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs.[/i] [i]Samurai Women of Japan.[/i] [i]Salem-Village Witchcraft: A Documentary Record of Local Conflict in Colonial New England.[/i] There was a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips now, so much that he doubted he'd have time to read them all. Best to skim, to pick out the parts most likely relevant and compare them to what he'd researched online.

Leaving the shelves full of history and mythology behind, he swung through other sections, picking up two detailed maps of Redrock and its environs (one recent, the other decades out of date), and a slim volume on the town's past, written by a local. With all these in his arms, he finally made his way to the reading room, setting the whole pile down on a sturdy wooden desk.

[i]"There. Time to see what we can find."[/i] Rider was still in spirit form, but that didn't mean Kazamyr wouldn't be making use of his Servant. [i]"Pick a tome, and I'll turn the pages for you. We can cover ground faster with the two of us, and one might catch what the other would miss...[/i]

Without further ado, he lifted the first volumes off the pile, and dove in.

[i]Caster.[/i] Sarah Good, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, Keziah Mason... there were just too many figures involved, and he had only the fleeting memory of a glimpse to compare with them. He idly wrote down some names, but stopped there, knowing he wouldn't make much headway. To figure out who Caster was, he'd need to see her in person, or at least have some idea of her specific abilities.

[i]Saber.[/i] The warrior they'd first encountered had been strong, and Kazamyr had the sneaking suspicion she'd been holding back. Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko, Hōjō Masako? He couldn't rule any of them out, but at the same time something didn't seem to fit. An Onna-bugeisha would normally wield a naginata, qualifying better for the class of Lancer than Saber. And, having witnessed Lancer's summoning through his familiar at around the same time he'd spotted Saber, he [i]knew[/i] that Saber had been summoned first. So why that class? [i]There's something fishy going on here...[/i]

[i]"Rider, when you were fighting with that woman, what impression did you get from her blade-work? Did it seem like she was new to her weapon?"[/i] Tomoe Gozen was often portrayed with a katana, but then she was more famed for her archery. Had Kazamyr been too narrow-minded in his search thus far? The pieces seemed to be pointing in a new direction, a strange and fascinating one.

Finally, [i]Lancer.[/i] It was here that he finally thought he'd found something. As numerous as the Valkyries were, Kazamyr soon found that many of them were mere footnotes, mentioned only in a few stray stanzas of ancient poems. Hardly notable enough to be a Heroic Spirit as powerful as the one he'd witnessed. That narrowed it down to those few shieldmaidens with their own unique legends, and among those one story stood out, blazing like a torch.

[i]"Brynhildr!"[/i] Kazamyr grinned as he set his finger on the name. [i]"I'm sure of it!"[/i] Even if he could not determine it with absolute certainty, a part of him [i]knew[/i] that he was facing the most renowned of all the Valkyries, even [i]wanted[/i] it to be her.

[i]"Magnificent! Outstanding! To be facing such an opponent, is it not the most wonderful feeling?"[/i]

[@King Cosmos]


[center][h1]Berserker[/h1][/center]
"Master..."

Daylight shone through the curtains of a luxurious bedroom, painting the sleeping girl in a gentle, golden glow.

"Ah, Master..."

So small, so sweet and delicate, her tanned skin smooth and unmarked, her pale hair gently tousled from a short night's rest. A young heart full of innocence, a young mind full of wonder and precocious daring. She was precious, more precious than anything in the world. 

And she would be cherished, and protected, with all the strength and fervor that she deserved.

"Mas-ter, it's time to wake up. We have a busy day ahead of us, don't we?"

The girl's mother smiled as she softly spoke these words.

[center]***[/center]

[i]"Berserker," she began, "Are you ready to destroy them all?"[/i]

Estelle Varianbec had wasted no time in getting to the point. What else would she have summoned a Berserker for, if not to destroy? Her question was likely a rhetorical one, meant to be answered with grim obedience, enthusiastic agreement, or even a roar of untamed rage (though the latter seemed unlikely, coming from the elegant and voluptuous woman who had answered her summons).

But instead, the Berserker had burst into tears.

"Ahh! To send one so young to the battlefield, how cruel!" She shook her head vigorously, her expression one of agonized resolve. "Master, I won't allow it! A child of your age should be at home, not at war!"

And so it went. Estelle's Berserker, the one supposed to be a mighty sword who would smite down her enemies, had cried and fussed and worried, had demanded to speak with her Master's parents, had refused to even let Estelle out of her sight lest some enemy Servant suddenly appear. By the time the young homunculus had managed to assert herself and calm her Servant down, it was too late: the other Masters and Servants had already made their opening moves and retired, leaving Estelle with nobody left to ambush. She'd have no choice but to try again on the second night, assuming she could even form a working relationship with her Servant by then.

For the heir of Varianbec, it seemed that the Grail War would be far more difficult than envisioned...

[center]***[/center]

Berserker knelt down at Estelle's bedside, quietly waiting.

"Are you still tired, Master? Oh, that's all right. You can rest a little longer." She stood up, briefly adjusting her hair behind her, eyes never leaving her child. "But not too long, okay? It's not healthy to sleep in all day."

Stepping so softly it was barely audible, she made her way to the door. "For now, I'll get breakfast ready..." she hummed happily to herself as she went, pausing briefly to glance one last time at her Master. Magi, Servants, the Grail; none of them even felt like they mattered to her right now.

Berserker was happy right where she was.

[@VitaVitaAR]