The Church on the Hill

Kirei looked between them in deep thought, while behind him, Risei frowned irritably at the prospect.

"I apologize. I wasn't lying when I said that Assassin was a weak Servant." The surrounding Assassins shot him irritated glares, but Kirei continued without missing a beat. "One of my Assassins made an attempt on Rider's Master's life, but was intercepted. By the time the next nearest Assassin arrived, the battle was already over. I wish they could have been of more use. As it stands, though, you did very well. We have a great deal of information of our enemies."

"As for Rider," he went on. "Though I'm sure he has his uses, I don't believe I can sustain the mana of three active Servants. More importantly, I only have two remaining Command Spells. Having more Servants than Command Spells would be unwise at best."

"Then, my lord, might I stay for a while to recuperate? I shan't take up more of your time than necessary." Rider bowed slightly, polite.

"A tournament?" Kirei echoed incredulously.  "What kind of--"

He paused.  A tournament between Servants?  At first thought, it seemed a ridiculous idea.  But, what would he have to lose?  Assassin, of course, were honorable Servants, eager to prove their worth.  And Rider had no choice to accept, or be left to die without a mana source.  And whichever Servants won, he benefited.

"I have seen you hold your own against three enemy Servants, so I have no doubt as to your ability.  So, I propose an alternative.  Rider against Assassin.  If Rider is truly worthy of a Servant, he should be able to face all of Assassin's might."

Rider paused a moment, then steeled himself, breathing deeply. "I must. I will!" He nodded, concise and determined, eyes bright. "I accept."

He nodded. "Of course. Let me know when you are ready. I will make arrangements."

Risei grumbled irritably as Archer and Rider left. "Are you sure this is a good idea? The Church is already bending the rules enough as it is."

Kirei stared back dispassionately at his father. "The only ones who make the rules are the Church and the Grail. I do not think the Grail will care much about how the Servants kill each other. And with two Servants on our side, I don't expect we'll weather very many complaints from the other Masters."

He left before waiting for his father's response, returning to his own room.

Archer climbed into the strange bed. It was softer than Fuyumi's, but hers had smelled like lavender fields and vanilla.

"No, I... I think I will be fine, thank you. But, um... would you mind staying here? With me?"

"Of course I will. Feel free to wake me if you need anything during the night." Atalanta climbed into bed with the young looking servant and pulled the covers snugly over them both. "Sweet dreams."

"Thank you, Miss Atalanta." Rider curled in to himself, eyes drifting closed. Tears pricked like pins at the corners, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he allowed himself to cry.

Atalanta said nothing, but wrapped her arms around him to comfort him. She remembered when she was a child, how she had cried, and how her mother bear had wrapped around her, letting her pull at her fur and sob into her warmth. When that bear had died, she had wished more than anything that someone had been there to hold her. She fathomed that the death of this servant's master must have been similar, so she provided as much comfort as she could in the ways she knew how.

Rider slipped into sleep after all his emotion had been spent, comforted and quiet. He was fully recovered, at least physically, deep into the night.

After the sun had been down for several hours, Kirei returned to Archer's room. He knocked lightly.

"I've made preparations, whenever you are ready."

Rider rolled over and gently shook Atalanta's shoulder. "They're expecting us, it's time to go."

Archer awoke calmly, with no trouble. She gently slipped out of bed and helped Rider out as well, as he had been sandwiched between her and the wall. She gave him a smile "I know you can defeat him. I look forward to working with you."

Rider nodded with a determined grin, fiercely confident. "There's no room for doubt! I'll do whatever it takes!"

Archer led the other servant to where Kirei and Risei waited with Assassin.

Kirei and Risei, accompanied by a single Assassin, led the pair of them down the road away from the church.

"It took some time to gather every Assassin in one place, but they are all eager to prove their worth. However, we would not wish for any enemy Servants to take advantage of this contest and get the drop on us."

At the end of the road, at the very edge of the city, a long black limousine awaited. He opened the rear doors for Archer and Rider while Risei sat in the driver's seat.

"I've picked out an area about 10 miles outside the city for our competition. Assassin will make sure we are not followed."

He nodded to Assassin, who responded with a short bow before vanishing into the shadows.

Rider's eyes widened. "How many Assassins will there be?" He slid into the limousine, prodding at the smooth upholstery.

Archer followed Rider into the limousine. She was slightly anxious, but would not show it. She was also excited to witness this contest.

Kirei stepped into the passenger seat and turned back toward Rider. "If you really wish to know, I can tell you how many there are. Or, it can be part of the challenge. Your choice."

Archer smirked. "You do not need to know.You can defeat however many there are." Atalanta declared confidently.