Fate/Frozen Prayer (HIATUS)

Chapter 10

"So it seems Lancer and Archer have engaged in battle," Serilla said as she stared at the projected screen provided by one of her familiars. She frowned. "And there seems to be-" A flash of green light came from the screen before a cutting out.

"What was that?" Caster tilted her head slightly.

"Some others are heading towards the battle," Serilla informed her. "One of them must have seen my familiar. A Servant I would imagine."

"Will we seek them out?" Caster asked.

Serilla shook her head. "As a Caster, you don't have the fighting capabilities most of these servants will possess. The key is reconnaissance and preparation. Study the servants as best we can and figure out a sure way to defeat them."

She walked over to a table where several jeweled birds lay. Picking one up, she activated her magical circuits, bringing it to life. She brought it over to an open window and let it loose. "We should gather as much data as we can." She then turned and walked out of the room. Caster followed. 

"Where are we going?" She asked. "It's not quite time for lunch."

"You will stay here," Serilla ordered, stopping for a brief moment. "I will be heading to my workshop." She left without further discussion, closing a door behind her. She made her way through the castle, the interior of different design than the German ones she was used to. Her footsteps echoed throughout the barren halls, several more joining hers from the nearby stairwell. Two homunculi dressed as maids walked past as they entered the hall, moving past Serilla without a word. 

Serilla stopped, looking back at the pair of them, a strange feeling rising from within herself. Clenching a fist, she banished the emotion and continued onwards down the stairs. Deeper she went, a single torch at the end, lighting up the darkness that threatened to swallow Serilla whole. She unlatched the door next to it and entered her workshop, bathing in the all too familiar green glow. This time she managed not to glance at the tanks, but instead made it all the way to the end of the room, where a single obelisk rose from the floor to chest height. She held out right hand, placing it on one flat end of the object. The obelisk began to glow as green circuits spread along it, connecting to Serilla's hand. It reacted with her own magical circuits as her body was lit alight with a blue hue. Her long silver flowed behind her as the magical energy amplified, her red eyes glowing. 

A hand reached out for her, as pale as her own, cupping her cheek gently. A familiar presence seemed to surround her. "Oh sister, my dear sister. Why do you cry?"

With a small gasp, she let go, the green circuits upon the obelisk fading before her blue circuits faded from her body. Serilla's hand shot to her left eye, feeling a tear there. She blinked, staring down at her finger, now glistening. 

Cheerful laughter echoed faintly, as if in the distance. A single voice was clear, however, as it rang out. "Come on, Sera!"

Serilla slammed her fist down on the obelisk, gritting her teeth as several emotions washed over her, threatening to drown her. A sudden cold breeze drove the emotions away and Serilla turned to see Caster standing in the open doorway, her doll Viy clutched in her arms. She slowly began to walk down the room towards her Master, glancing at each tank in turn, before coming to a stop in front of Serilla.

"I thought I told you to stay up there," Serilla said, monotone. 

Caster gave a sad smile. "This is my castle, Master. I can go wherever I please in it." She turned around, her royal robes swishing along the ground. "Such a grotesque thing you're doing here, don't you think?"

Serilla didn't reply, face hidden by shadows.

Caster went on as she drifted over to the closest tank, settling her hand upon the glass as she stared at the figure floating within. "Remarkable how similar you all are to one another. To think, any one of the homunculi created by the one you call Jubstacheit von Einzbern could have ended up as my Master."

"Are you trying to say one of them might perform better than I?"

Caster didn't turn around, merely watched the bubble rise in the liquid. "Do you know why I chose to open up to you, Serilla?"

Serilla's eyes widened, caught off guard by the question. 

Caster waited for a minute for Serilla to speak, then decided to continue anyway. "I made a choice that day, a choice to accept you and no one else as my Master. A choice to open up, instead of dwelling away in the dark desires I had when I died." She turned to face Serilla. "A choice that was decided because of you, my Master."

Serilla shook her head. "I made no choice for you."

Caster smiled. "I saw you then, you know. Before we left on that thing called a 'plane'."

Serilla froze, heart stopping. She first felt surprised, then angered. "You had no right to spy on me!"

"I was only doing my duty as a Servant to stay by your side," Caster smirked. "Even if that required me to stay hidden behind a door." Her smirk faded. "But I digress. Your emotions then, those true, raw feelings for one so dear to you, it allowed me to see who you really are." She turned once more, resting her hand again on the tank. "You however are choosing to keep those feelings bottled away, hoping to forget them as you defile your kin in this workshop of yours. Dear Master, why do you tarnish her memory like that?"

"Caster, I am ordering you to hold your tongue."

Serilla walked off, leaving Caster in the room. 

"How dare she assume my feelings," Serilla thought angrily as she headed up the stairs. "She is just a servant, my familiar!"

"Why are you so angry?"

Serilla stopped, leaning against the wall for support. She gripped her fists tightly, forcing the tears to stop. The past was the past and it should stay where it is. Serilla relaxed her grip, walking slowly up the stairs now. These emotions will only get in the way. Those memories best left forgotten, less the pain overwhelm her. 

...

Two figures stood in the icy cave, the dissolved figure of a man laying on the floor. The woman knelt, pursing her lips. "It seems he fell victim to his own servant upon her summoning. Pity, he would have been a useful ally. But now that his servant has gone rogue, we must deal with her quickly." She straightened, turning her head to look back at her servant. "We must hunt Assassin down before she violates the rules of the Holy Grail War. Ready the ship. I will join you shortly."

She knelt next to the man, placing her hand upon the ground. The air was still tinted with huge amounts of magical energy traces. 

"What did you do, you fool?" She whispered. "To what end did you decide to create a monstrosity that ended up in your own death?"

I know this is a much shorter chapter than what I've been making, but I wanted to get something out since it's been weeks. I'll be updating RoC next and possibly TMR2. Till then. Toodles