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Alaska. The site of the current Holy Grail War, a ritual comprising of seven Masters and seven summoned Servants, seven pairs fighting for the omnipotent wish granter. Copied off the ritual based in Fuyuki, t...
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A man kneeled in front of the freshly covered grave, wiping away tears as snow fell around him. A mournful howl from one of his dogs was joined by others until the air was filled with their sadness. He let himself cry, tears coming as if a dam had broken.
"Never again," he swore that day, hands aching after burying his beloved friend. "Never will I race again."
...
1 year later
"It's good to see you again, Graham," Joseph clasped the other man's shoulder as he set a mug down in front of him. The sounds of barking was muted now that the door was closed, which Graham smiled at.
"So," Graham turned to his friend, clasping the hot drink with both hands. "I take it you're still planning on entering the race?"
"Of course," Joseph smiled sadly. "I lost dogs too, remember? But they love racing and I don't have the heart to deny what that of them." He nodded to the door. "Jackson and Yelper are doing alright as you saw. They got at least one more race left in them."
"I know you've been taking good care of them," Graham sipped the coffee. "I just can't bring myself to race anymore. You know that. After Crisper..."
"He was a magnificent Husky, that's for sure," Joseph leaned back in his chair, lifting his boots onto the table. "He raced like no other." He shook his head sadly. "That cancer came out of nowhere, I tell you."
"Yeah," Graham stared into the darkness of his drink, remembering the races he and Yelper participated in. They had never won, but they had come close. If only...
"Thanks for having me over, Joseph," Graham finished off the rest of the coffee. "I'll be rooting for you."
His friend grinned and patted him on the back. "Thanks. I'll win, for Yelper."
...
Snow crunched beneath Graham's boots as he made his way through Seward. He lived in a cabin just outside of town, but he wasn't going back yet. He sighed as he entered the warm grocery market, rubbing his gloved hands together. A dog barked outside as the doors closed and he turned quickly, but didn't see dogs outside in the twilight.
"Hey, you going to enter the race soon?" Mary asked as Graham checked his items out.
"No," he shook his head, handing her his card to scan. "I can't after what happened last year."
Mary, a sweet woman in her late thirties, smiled sadly and handed him his receipt. "Don't go drinking all that beer tonight, you hear? And get him before it gets too dark."
"Alright, alright I will," Graham waved her goodbye as he headed towards the door. As they slid open for him, he stopped, staring out at the darkening sky. A strange feeling seemed to fall over him, making his right hand tingle. He covered it with his free hand as he saw something move in the snow.
