The Search for the Dragon Slayer

Gilles' expression darkened as Phillipus said her name. "Jeanne... Whoever that witch is, she is not Jeanne. The Jeanne d'Arc I knew would never commit such atrocities, no matter what befell her."

He sighed. "I saw a small amount of your battle with those two strange-looking women. You are remarkably capable fighters, and I would gladly accept your assistance."

Having had his temper calmed by Aaron's bracelet, Darius returned, still wearing a satisfied smile.
"We'd love to help you," Avalon agreed, "You've probably been going at this situation longer than we have. Do you have any ideas for a plan?"

Mordred rode on Darius's shoulder, equally content, if a little worse for wear.

[[fucking cute holy shit]]

Gilles sighed in frustration. "Most of the time has been sent running around in a panic, but we have been able to do a fair amount of scouting. After that massive dragon was seen being slain near Lyon, many of the dragons have returned to Orleans to take up defensive positions. With luck, this victory has also forced the dragon witch to become more defensive."

"It will be much easier to lay siege to Orleans without fearing about the dragons attacking from all sides. The best angle of attack will be from the south. Our plan is to destroy as many dragons as possible from a distance with siege equipment, then move in to engage her and her lackeys directly."

"I like it. We need a bit of rest before we head out though...when were you planning on heading out?"

Darius set Mordred down, carefully wiping a bit of blood from their face with a cloth.

"Two, possibly three days. We only just arrived in the area, and still need to organize our equipment. You should have plenty of time to recuperate."

[[B)]]

Phillipus rolled out the map he'd been making as they traveled, copying formations out of their reach from the Chaldean map. He spilled a drop of ink onto the parchment and put his finger over it, swiping it to the south, the ink following.

"She's right. We've been through a lot already, although I don't blame you if you feel pressed for time. Ideally even one night would leave us in a better position than charging ahead now." He paused to listen, then nodded in agreement. "We'll use those days to the best of our advantage."

Mordred grinned, unrepentant, enjoying getting fussed over by both Darius and Phillipus, who wiped his thumb over the scratch across their nose, the wound sealing behind it.

Avalon smiled and offered a hand for shaking to seal the deal, "Great! We aren't the most competent with military ways, but if you need something simple done just point us in a direction and we'll gladly help with anything along the way." Darius waved his hand at Phillipus, "They will heal on their own. A warrior doesn't need healing for every small cut and bruise." Darius did not want his friend's honor insulted.

Gilles nodded. "There's a high chance that the witch will send out those strong soldiers of hers to deal with us when we attack. We will leave them to you, and you can leave the swarm of drakes to us."

"We will let you know when we're prepared to move out. Until then, get all the rest you can."

He rejoined his platoon of soldiers, directing them to ready siege equipment.

Artoria, still somewhat tired after two successive battles. "We've dealt with that huge dragon, Rider, Berserker, and Assassin. Her team has been just about cut in half. I'm confident we can take her out."

Mordred smiled. "It's okay, he's just looking out for me. It's his way of being a friend, like yours is launching me into a cloud of wyverns." Phillipus's eyebrows seemed to take residence in his hairline.

"Threw you? Into a cloud??" Mordred paused, mischief in their eyes.

"Maybe more like a swarm? Yeah, that's a better word." They giggled as Phillipus raised their hands with his, checking for anything out of place. "I had my armor on!"

"Honestly, you're like Astolfo with slightly more impulse control." He smirked faintly. "And a little less height." Mordred gasped sharply, feigning outrage, then beat their fists lightly on Phillipus's arm, the two laughing together.

*PRECIOUS. BABIES.*

Avalon smiled at the two and wandered off into the camp, asking the soldiers if there was anything she could help with before collapsing onto the ground for the night. Aaron did the same, but in the opposite order and took some time to get to know the new master and servant they had met.

Edouard talked with Aaron for some time as he relaxed, telling him a little about his family, and then some things about the War. Since he lived in southern France, it didn't effect him as much, but it still had been going on for his entire life. When he got to the Siege of Orleans, he went silent for a while.

"That girl... She was just a farm girl, but she saved us. If it weren't for her, we would be under British rule by now. She gave everything for us, and how was she rewarded? She was branded a witch and burned alive."

He sighed and leaned back against a tree. "If she was sent by God, why didn't God protect her? It's senseless. Cruel, and utterly senseless."

Mordred glanced at Artoria at "British rule," shifting awkwardly.

Phillipus nodded sympathetically. "The Lord is said to work in mysterious ways, is he not? Perhaps there was a purpose in her martyrdom, but who can really know the whims of a god? It's a tragedy, either way, but we still must rectify the situation at hand."

"That happens to people quite a bit. It will get a little better with time, if that helps you feel better." Aaron patted the new master on the shoulder.

Artoria gave a small shrug and said quietly, "Britain was the one being invaded in our time."

Edouard scoffed lightly at Phillipus. "It's a fancy of way of dancing around the idea that God isn't as great as everyone thinks. If he doesn't intervene to save his most devoted servants, what good is he?" He stopped and looked awkward. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so rude. I know terrible things happen to great people. It just makes me think. It's hard to blame her for wanting revenge."

"Well I don't believe in God at all, but I definitely agree that she's within her rights to be upset, and take a little vengence even, just not like this..."

Edouard nodded. "Of course, you're right. All those men, women, and children. They don't deserve this. We'll put a stop to this for sure."

As the sun started to set, Edouard asked the party about where they had come from and a little bit about their lives.

"I agree completely. There's something bigger behind this-" Phillipus paused, looking between Edouard and Saber "- which, given the circumstances, you should be aware of. It's likely that Jeanne's feelings are being perverted by an artifact, planted here to exploit powerful Spirits. 'Why' would be a lot to explain, and 'how' we don't even know ourselves."

"We come from an organization of magi to help secure the future of the world. What is happening to Orleans shouldn't be happening at all, so it's imperative that we find this artifact, secure it, and destroy it to keep reality itself from imploding."

"Ah, yes, Saber told me a little about the Holy Grail," Edouard said. "Some wish-granting device or something. That explains a lot of what's going on here. Do you know where it came from?"

"I've no idea - at least, not in this instance. It's true they can be fabricated, but by whom and from where, your bet's as good as mine. The one I'd pin the finger on seemed to be serving someone else."

"Well, hopefully we can find out once we get it."

They spent the rest of the evening chatting and relaxing, and just before bed time, they got a call on their communicators.

"Hi everyone~!" Da Vinci said happily. "Is everyone doing well?"

Phillipus swallowed a bite of bread he'd conjured along with a pot of stew large enough for everyone. "Leo! Good evening! How are you?"

The sound of a rolling chair's wheels clattering across the floor came through to the party. "Hi everyone!! Did you see my great great great great great great great-" Phillipus cleared his throat - "Um, grandkids yet? Mashuu, is Fou okay? Fou!! Hi Fou! Fou fou fou!" Astolfo was riding on the chair with his knees on the seat, wiggling his butt in the air.

Fou jumped up on Mashu's shoulder. "Fou! Fou!"

"Glad to see everyone's alright! I have something to share with you all, so I'll get right into it."

"I've been studying Jeanne's spiritual structure since you all encountered her and I discovered something somewhat interesting. The alternate Mordred that you encountered in Fuyuki had a spiritual structure consistent with corruption from the mud of the Grail. However, it seems like this is not the case with Jeanne."

"By all accounts, it seems like this is exactly the way she was summoned. Now, I know that there can be multiple facets to a Heroic Spirit's personality, but Jeanne is a special case. In order to qualify for the 'Ruler' class, a Heroic Spirit should absolutely have the qualities of a 'saint.' In other words, an incorruptible Heroic Spirit."

"Long story short, an evil Jeanne d'Arc should be categorically impossible. There's simply no evil aspect of her on the Throne of Heroes, even if the Grail tried to summon one."

Avalon frowned, "Well...is it possible that whatever negative feelings she may have felt were amplified somehow after she was summoned?"

"I don't think so. It seems like the negativity is a part of her spiritual structure. That's somewhat evident in the nature of her Noble Phantasm, and her ability to summon dragons." She paused. "That's another odd point. I don't believe Jeanne d'Arc has any connection to dragons. Why would she have that as an ability if there is no connection to dragons in her legend?"