CATHARSIS is a non-canon OC fate/series site, loosely based off of fate/apocrypha. Knowledge of the fate/series canon is helpful, but knowledge of fate/apocrypha isn't needed!
Post by Octavian Yggdmillennia on Jul 20, 2014 21:29:55 GMT
It's ingenious, Octavian thinks to himself, to hide the Grail in quasi-plain sight. Quasi, he reminds himself, because some considered disguising the shrine that housed the Grail as a wall of protruding rocks was not so easy to find. And even if they did find it, they would find that they were unable to enter the shrine anyways. It was all a waste of time, if you asked him. On the other hand, it was enough of a waste of time for him to sense the magic being disturbed in the area. Octavian took any trespassers with "questionable" intent very seriously.
He preferred to use that term because it was broad.
"Ah, you can come out of hiding now," Octavian called. To the naked eye, it revealed nothing. One would have believed the Yggdmillennia head to be a madman, beckoning to the thin air. Perhaps the magic in the air had gotten to his head. This was a good place though, where the magic was powerful enough to sustain the illusions of the rocks, if "illusion" was even the proper term for it. Slamming into the wall behind the falls felt very much like slamming into a wall made of solid rock.
Benefits of using a lake and a waterfall to disguise the shrine included being able to immediately sense the disturbances and ripples it sent throughout the waters. Octavian reached out, allowing the water from the falls to brush against his fingertips, channeling a small amount of prana to dampen the sounds the water was making. "Just follow me. It's a quick one-way route to get to it, if you know what I mean. I figured it'd be worth showing you something to protect other than protecting me, even if protecting me will be one of your greatest honors in this century."
There was not a single incantation involved in the passage into the shrine. Incantations could be mimicked. Blood could be stolen. On the other hand, magic circuits were a little more difficult to steal or rip out of others' bodies. And so, Octavian passed easily through the wall, as easily as any other Yggdmillennia member would have done.
From the fine, dust-like powder of prana appeared in a dim flash of light the Heroic Spirit that had been beckoned in quite an afterthought statement. He dismissed it - or would have had anyway - had he not gotten a better reason to narrow his gaze at his Master's mane of red hair.
"'You'...?"
It was not the first time Zheng had been treated with such insolence, but from his continued silence, he saw no reason to make a commotion about it. If being disrespectful was the worst his Master could offer, Zheng would consider himself to be quite lucky. But that was rarely ever the case.
He waited for his Master to finish whatever sorcery he was doing. With this high concentration of magic in the area, Zheng already had a good idea what they had come here for and where this hidden site led to. But if Zheng had figured that out, then so would the Mage's Association in due time.
"Is anyone else aware?" Zheng asked, pretending that he had gone deaf and never heard his Master's last comment. He followed after his Master, entering a narrow corridor of stairs leading down, the metal click of his armour echoing sharply over the muffled gushing of waterfalls on the background.
Post by Octavian Yggdmillennia on Jul 26, 2014 23:44:49 GMT
"A few of us, yes," comes Octavian's reply as he leads Caster down the stairs. It's only for a few more steps before they pause at a lighted shrine. Rather, the chamber would have been pitch black, save for the pair of torches that were mounted upon the walls. Despite the flames, they would never go out, nor did they produce any smoke. Magic was the only explanation.
The chamber even smelled like magic, if it were to have a smell to begin with.
A stone altar stood at the center of the chamber, the surface smoothed flat. Crimson cloth decorated the top, threads that were gilded in simple gold. Even without the prize that rested on it, it was clear that this shrine was meant to house something special. And special it was, for a golden goblet engraved with fine filigree rested on it.
"Exactly what you think it is," Octavian said, the corner of his mouth quirking into a grin. "Ah, though perhaps, 'Your Majesty' would suit you better, Mister Caster?"
Voices obscured by the sound of falling water and shrouded by magic, this was a safe place for the Grail. "Well? Not as impressive in person as it is in the stories, no? Although, is his Excellency quite familiar with the Grail?"
The waterfalls continued to resound dully against the walls of the chamber after Octavian's voice as Zheng stared blankly at his Master, uncertain if the man was simply pleased to see the thievery he had accomplished to be sitting like a trophy on his safest vault, or if he was making further mockery of Zheng. He decided to leave it as it is for now. He wasn't going to take it as an apology; it certainly was not something usually given with a grin.
Zheng looked at the grail. He could feel a twinge pulsating on his left hand.
"I've never heard of such an object in my lifetime, but the grail itself had implanted the knowledge in my head." This was already something Octavian had to be aware of, but Zheng knew he asked for the sake of having a preamble for the true topic he wanted to talk about. "It is an omnipotent wishing device that can grant any of man's desire. It is meant only for two - a pair of a Master and a Servant, who must stand above the other six champions chosen to participate in the Grail War. I cannot confirm the validity of it, though it certainly is capable of creating 'miracles' such as my being here today."
Post by Octavian Yggdmillennia on Aug 3, 2014 19:39:59 GMT
Octavian Yggdmillennia was, in fact, very, pleased with the fact that he'd accomplished to secure the Grail, perhaps more pleased that it was for that very reason that there was about to be some major blood shed in the coming days. But all glory required sacrifice, and the fighting that was to come would be fitting for an item that had the capacity to change the flow of time.
"They say that Servants are birthed from the Grail," Octavian responds. "For the time being, it's as good as any other goblet that a person may find, suitable for drinking, not so much for wish-granting just yet. I imagine that there has already been enough bloodshed over the Grail to runneth the cup over at least a hundred times, which is why if you have the Grail, it's immediate command of respect over a great number of magus."
And that was it, at least, at the heart of it anyways. "I will be here for the majority of the time," he adds. "It would be unfortunate if a competition like this lacked a fitting prize at the end, would it not?"
Bloodshed...The word was foul to Zheng's ears and mouth. It was both honourable and filthy yet either would be fine as long as it was not meaningless. He maintained a neutral facade while he carefully picked through Octavian's words like a gardener managing through the weeds.
Zheng's eyes turned to their corner in thought. After a moment, he looked back at Octavian, still in the same impassive face.
"That would be unnecessary, Master," Zheng said. Though he stood with Octavian, he spoke with a smooth and strong modulation as if he sat on his throne for all his subjects to be heard. "Surely, you must be aware. Having been summoned in the class of Caster and brought here in this country, I am what can be said to be a being exceeding the ideal. You are quite fortunate, Octavian Yggdmillenia." Their gazes were evenly aligned but Zheng saw the man kneeling before him.
"There is no Servant in China stronger than I, her eternal king and forefather - Qin Shi Huang!"
