Sparrow Shadow and Dark Discovery

Medea was leaning against the doorframe to the temple, looking up as the wind played through the trees when the message came. She cracked open the wax wafer and read, then went to look for Daichi. She had a great many things to tell him.

Daichi was hunched over a table in his and Medea's workroom, peering through a lighted magnifying glass at some delicate work. He didn't look up as she entered. "Yes?"

"Firstly, a letter has arrived for us." She placed it next to him on the table, then sat across on the other side.

"Secondly, I've been meditating on the ley concentrations of the temple. I've noticed some... strangeness. The point beneath us is sort of a 'key' for the other lines, like the origin of many rivers. There's also something deeper, something drawing mana in and holding it. It's... immense."

"Ah, I've been expecting something like this." Daichi unfolds the letter, noting the contents. "Interesting. Couldn't hurt to see what they have to say." He takes a second glance at it, then blinks and holds it over the bright light coming from the magnifying lamp. "Did you notice this?" He points out the lemon juice inscription.

Medea gives an amused smile. "How quaint, I wonder what the effect could be? Likely something to sense hostility and keep out ruffians that would ruin the party, I suppose. An admirable foresight. It's a bit past time to RSVP, but at least we'll be fashionably late."

"Indeed." Daichi closes his eyes and rubs his temples. "Now, about that ley concentration... is there any way for us to get a closer look?"

She snorts lightly. "If there was a tunnel under the building, perhaps. I'm willing to bet that if there are no magi in the family, they've no idea what they're sitting on. I wonder if it's some sort of spiritual presence, a combination manifest of magic and religious belief."

"Do we have time before this... peace summit?" Daichi asks Medea. "I know an earth-moving charm. It won't be quick, though." Daichi fingers his pocketwatch, frowning. If only time weren't so hard to manipulate...

"We're better off seeing what they want first. Besides, as far as we're concerned no one needs to know about this except us. It's easier to omit facts about the unknown, no?" She smiles and brushes off Daichi's shoulders before shimmering away into spirit form.

Daichi frowns. "I'd rather know what kind of resource we're sitting on, but I suppose there's such a thing as being too cautious." He sighs as Medea disappears, and throws on his fancy duds.

When they get back and under the safety of their wards, Daichi asks Medea, "Do you suppose we could be sitting on the... what was it, Greater Grail?"

She grinned. "By the gods, I hope so. It would give us unbelievable advantage, should our peers' goodwill be a ruse. I believe now is the time to study as much as we like." Daichi got the feeling she'd call him a "nerd" if she knew the word existed, but only in the most appreciative way.

Daichi has to spend most of the night moving the earth, getting closer and closer to the source of the mana. After digging down almost two-hundred feet, the rock finally broke away into a large underground chamber. As soon as the opening appeared, they could feel mana pouring out of the chamber, thick and choking. It was dark down inside, but a faint red glow showed them the bottom of the chamber another 300 feet below.

As the two alighted down on the floor of the chamber, they could see just how huge it was. High and wide enough to easily hold every building of Ryuudou Temple.

Their attention was immediately drawn to a huge mound on one end of the chamber.



Atop the mound was some huge pillar-like object. A deep cloud of smoke atop the mound hid most of it from view. All they could see from this distance was a claw-like tip and a dark black orb floating above it.

Daichi peers through his glasses to try to see what kind of magic or bounded fields are around the pedestal. He tries looking around the room but his gaze is drawn back to the... claw... thing. "What the fuck is that?"

Medea's eyes are locked onto the claw. "Gods above..." She walks closer, jaw hovering open.

As she comes closer, the smoke clears, and the two finally get a good luck at the object towering above them.



She can quickly discern the nature of the object. It is a massive magical engine, pulling in mana from the leyline through the Magic Circuits. Mana used to distribute Command Spells and summon Heroic Spirits. Mana eventually used to open a gateway to the Root.

It was the Greater Grail.

Medea felt something pulling her closer, inviting her. She realizes quickly, though, that it is a deep, dark force, something hibernating inside the object. Something very, very hungry.

Daichi grabbed Medea's wrist. "I'd... I'd rather neither of us went closer," he said.

She stepped back towards Daichi, steadying herself on his shoulder. "I quite agree. This... This is not a force to be considered lightly. Who, if anyone, should we tell first?"

"Well, how fucked do you think we are if we don't cooperate with the Tohsakas? This... if I had a decade to myself and reams of better equipment, perhaps I'd tackle it. With your help, obviously. But in this time frame, with the war looming..." Daichi mused.

"On a scale between one and Zeus, we're fucked several times over. Besides, the sooner we get out of here the better. This is beyond disquieting."

"I agree." Daichi frowns and goes back up the way they came, sealing the top of the tunnel with a bit more moved earth.

Once they get back to their quarters, Daichi sits Medea down on a chair and starts making tea. "You seem shaken. Tell me what you saw."

"I saw... it feels like the eye of God. We saw the Greater Grail, and it was... ravenous. I've never felt a power like that before. It's corrupted, like the Einzbern girl said." She sighs and rubs her temples. "If it wasn't the size of a damned vestal temple and also keeping me on this plane, I'd say chuck the whole thing in a molten core and never think about it again." Getting up, she pours a glass of cold water from a pitcher on the nightstand.

"In any other circumstance it would make a fantastic bargaining gambit, but it's far too dangerous. We should ring up the Quinlans immediately."

Seeing that Medea has gotten her own drink, Daichi takes a sip from the cup he just poured and then sets it down on the table. He takes a square sheet of origami paper and writes neatly on it, first a message then some sort of circular sigil. He then folds it into a crane. Picking it up, he blows on the crane, which begins flapping its wings and flying out the window.

"With any luck, that will find them."

Medea smiles lightly with amusement. "What charming methods you have, Master."

Daichi and Medea felt the presence of a Servant approaching.

Kirei pulled the car up to base of Mount Ryuudou, just at the edge of town, and stepped out with his Servant. A long set of stairs let up to the temple gate. Well... he supposed they might as well go in the front door.

He went up the steps slowly and purposefully, making sure it didn't seem like they were mounting an attack. When he reached the top of the stairs, he looked around to see if anyone was there to greet them.