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Post by anton on Oct 23, 2015 0:16:57 GMT
Two Days Earlier Anton sat on a chair in his room that had been mostly re-purposed as a temporary workshop while he waited for the higher ups in Chaldea to actually allow him to get his own space. He had with him a newspaper, on the front page was a pretty interesting article. "Six Hundred Year Old Golden Buddha Stolen from Temple in Thailand."The Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon statue was stolen during the eve, Buddhist and Thai community outcries for the return of the holy relic.Anton frowned at the report and thought whoever was behind it, must be pretty mad stealing a national and religious heirloom. He frowned, mentally complained and moved to the next article, sipping his beer can. Present Day The sensation of being Ray Shifted was still not pleasant. The claustrophobic feeling of the sarcophagus, the humming of the machine powering up and then being transported to the past, to Fuyuki was hardly a pleasant experience. There was also something nagging the upstart Magi. It was the large golden suit that stood in front of him. He frowned looking at his golden reflection. Then it struck him. "They melted down a historical relic!" The realization was obvious on him. Anton wasn't religious and he had lived in enough countries that any notion of patriotism or cultural attachment was hard for him to get. But he was cultured enough that he knew a lot of people were upset about the theft. The knowledge that Chaldea had stolen a priceless object, melted it down into a mystic code was hard to swallow. Especially because he was part of this organization and more than anything he was gonna be the first pilot for it. "I guess I understand the reasoning and the need... shame though." He muttered scratching his head. Then he noticed Archer had already materialized. He realized, that Ashwatthama was a Hindu Heroic Spirit and though he didn't know that much of the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism but he thought they were close enough that he could get offended at what Chaldea did to a pretty important piece of history. "Ar-Archer." He stuttered, then placed his hands on his pocket. "Good to see you again." He said, cheekily trying to sound as casual as possible. Faintly and uselessly trying to cover up the large suit behind him. Five Minutes After Anton finished suiting up and he could hear as the suit pressurized. Systems both technological and magical coming up online. Anton tested his arms first, closing and opening his arms. It seemed to function properly, he took two heavy steps. "Let's see all systems green." He, proceeded to put one leg on the dark water. Nothing special happened, that was good. It meant that the curse resistance enchantment was effective. There was no sizzling or horrid thing happening to him that was good. "Archer, can you hear me?" Anton didn't really speak, but rather he used the suit advance telepathic system to communicate with Archer, if it was functioning properly this feature would allow them to talk even underwater.
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Post by Ashwatthama on Oct 24, 2015 6:07:16 GMT
"Hn."
The soft hum of his shift into the material world briefly unsettled Archer, but more so out of physical change than mental strain. He didn't think particularly much of the occurrence; It was what it was, and that was that to him. Eyes briefly flitted over their surroundings as he collected his position, taking in as much of their surroundings as possible from their vantage point. It was good to get a grasp of things before the mission itself started.
"And you, Anton. I hope you've been well."
While he meant to be genuine, Ashwatthama could not help but be monotone and static in his response. Thousands of years away from company had dulled his skill in pleasantries, and that was before he'd died and become a servant. Needless to say he was out of practice. Still, it was good to see the young master was well, he hadn't interacted with him terribly much on their previous mission aside from what was necessary. He hoped Anton didn't mind it that way, because he largely intended to do the same this mission; However what was "required" would be a bit closer anyway, due to the fact he was Anton's only protection in this mission.
While Ashwatthama could sense the aura of purification surrounding the suit of gold, he had little idea what it was made from. It would not be overly difficult for him to deduce it, but it was also not of his concern. What was holy to Buddhists was not holy to Hinduism due to their philosophical differences, and even if it were a Hindu relic that had been sacrificed for this purpose, Archer would hardly care. While sacred things should be held with reverence, to use them pragmatically must also be part of the God's designs.
"I can hear you, Master."
He sure hoped this thing went both ways. His manner of speech became more formal now that Anton had begun to make his way toward the beginning of the mission, and since the communication was not more telepathic than verbal. It was better that way, kept them more efficient. And hopefully put Anton more at ease; After all, Ashwatthama wasn't the one wading into a river of curses so foul they made what Sri Krishna did to him look like a blessing. He followed him as close as he could without stepping into the water himself, hovering a few feet away from Anton at the edge of the shore.
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Post by anton on Oct 24, 2015 20:14:54 GMT
"It's working that's good." Anton replied through the mental link the suit provided him and Archer. Inside the suit Anton took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He turned around "Heading to the first marker now." Anton wasn't sure if constantly reporting to Archer would bug him but it soothed his nerves.
The golden diving suit began it's slow walk and descent into the murky waters. Anton could walk slowly not because of the suit restricting him but he wanted to deliberately see how each function was doing. After all he was the lab rat that was field testing this suit for real. "Archer, the reports said that the waters are swarming with Spirits. Don't attack unless they seem openly hostile... Unless we get another surge and they begin to swarm." Anton was still not comfortable giving out orders to Servants who he knew were far more capable combatants and leaders than he'd ever be, so he always tried to be polite about it and make his orders be more like suggestions.
It took about a minute of walking for him to get water up to his shoulders. The suit seemed to be functioning properly and the displays on the wrist showed all systems green. He was good on oxygen and he would hopefully have enough power for the whole trip. Anton took one last deep breath before taking the last few steps before becoming completely submerged. Anton checked his wrist display and turned on the lights, the beam of light was strong enough that Anton could roughly make out three to four meters ahead of him. The rest was pitch black.
It didn't take more than thirty seconds for Anton to spot the first wraith. It didn't take even much more to spot a second, a third and a fourth. Anton began to take a detour around them, his steps were slow and mechanical, heavy. A little piece inside of Anton wished he could move faster. "Well the suit is working, I can already see several Spirits. How's visibility on your end?" As he spoke, Anton became unaware that a Wraith was already several feet behind him trailing him.
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Post by Ashwatthama on Oct 25, 2015 23:01:51 GMT
"I will wait until they pose a danger to you."
Well, he said that, but the Spirits were almost always a danger to Anton. While they weren't overly vicious creatures, even a single one could probably rip him apart if it got too close. Not to mention he was now submerging himself entirely in water so filled to the brim with curses, hatred and malice that Archer hardly even wanted to be near the damn stuff. But it wouldn't do any good to mention that stuff to the young Master; He probably already knew. And he wasn't trying to scare the poor boy any more than necessary.
That said, the Archer was still skeptical about the mission.
While his Clairvoyance managed to pierce the physical obstruction of the murky waters and let him get a fairly decent grasp of at least the lit area around Anton, it was still a far cry from his usual near-perfect vision of his surroundings. Had I only a Suryastra to illuminate this damned River... He shook such thoughts out of his head. His servant form had limited his arsenal, and wishing for that which he no longer had was a fool's endeavor. He could only work with what he had now.
Though Anton did not see it, Ashwatthama's vision was good enough to spot the lone spirit trailing behind the golden suit.
Once again, maybe it was best not to stress the young lad overtly. While Ashwatthama drew up his bow and took aim at the spirit, and Anton's general area, he made no mention of the trailing enemy. If it made any hostile gestures towards Anton, it would find itself robbed of it's ethereal excuse for a head before it could so much as touch the golden suit.
"It could be better, but I've dealt with far worse. So long as your lights remain active there should be no problem protecting you from incoming threads."
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Post by anton on Oct 26, 2015 19:45:18 GMT
"Right then, I'll make sure they don't go out." Anton telepathically replied back. He didn't want to become Wraith's food.
Slowly but steadily the Golden Suit made progress through the darkened muck. Anton had to struggle a couple of steps once in a while, since there were extremely muddy patches of ground that almost ate him. Anton ever the intellectual had to stop and examine them, they weren't normal mud, he leaned in and with one hand touched the muddy substance. "Looks like there's more than fell spirits down here..." Anton communicated back to Archer.
Upon closer examination they in texture were like extremely glue-y dark clay. They were evidently magical in nature and alive!
Shadowy tendrils emerged from the muck and clasped hard at Anton's arm, trying to pull him in. "Shit, let go of me!" Anton groaned, trying to pull himself free. Luckily the anti-curse nature of the suit and more importantly it's enhanced physical capabilities allowed him to break away from the mud tentacle. "Uuuh looks like there is more things to worry about than angry spirits." He said telepathically, still somewhat agitated by the attack. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the struggle, while the corrupted muck returned to being just a patch on the ground the Wraiths nearby began to approach Anton, two from the right, one from the front and three on his left. He couldn't make them all out due to his limited vision.
The one that stalked him still kept it's distance...
"So much for doing this quietly, Archer cover me." Hopefully the issuing fire wouldn't attract more attention.
Anton regardless was confident that Archer would take care of the Vagrant Spirits that became agitated. He would wait for Archer to give him a clear signal before continuing on trekking to the first marked area of the river. As he descended deeper into the waters, the feeling of claustrophobia began to creep in on Anton.
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Post by Ashwatthama on Oct 28, 2015 1:00:25 GMT
Archer almost blew up the entire damn river when the mud tentacle latched onto Anton's suit. Had it taken a single moment longer for him to break free, the mud would have been riddled with arrows in Archer's attempt to free Anton. It was only the earlier order to hold earlier that stayed Archer's hand, but it seems to have been for naught. Anton was free of the mud, but the Vagrant spirits were now closing in around him. Even in the murky water, he could make out their distorted shapes edging towards Anton cautiously.
Without a word of response, an arrow loosed and sailed precariously close to Anton's helmet, close enough he probably could hear the whistle of the arrow through the water if he hadn't been encased in gold. Dealing with the spirit directly in front of Anton first, the arrow would err slightly, managing to pierce the spirit and send it reeling backwards. An error, in part due the interference of the water, and in part because he had to make sure not to shoot THROUGH Anton. A second arrow quickly followed, finding it's mark and eliminating the spirit entirely, as Archer quickly adjusted to make up for the water.
The ones flanking his master were easier to deal with. Some paused to see what had begun attacking them, others began moving quicker in a panicked response. It didn't matter. A volley of arrows rained into the water, clearing out the area immediately around Anton as quietly as possible. Luckily the arrows didn't make a lot of noise themselves, though a spirit or two managed to let out soft wails or shudders as they vanished into nothingness. The only one spared this fate was the one trailing him a fair distance behind; It was a fair distance away and was not acting openly hostile, merely following Anton. Still, Archer had his eye on the spirit, very seriously debating just getting rid of it now anyway.
"All immediate threats have been dispatched."
A small pause, before he continued.
"Master, it might be more efficient for me to begin proactively dispatching the Wraiths. Even if they begin to attack me en masse, it will take them out of your way, and I am confident I could at least hold them off long enough for you to complete the mission and leave safely. It would however hamper my ability to help you should other dangers present themselves."
While part of his statement may have seemed overconfident, with his Noble Phantasms he was sure he could effectively deal with virtually any number of spirits. In fact waiting until they were in close proximity to Anton hampered his ability to use the Brahmastra effectively, should the need arise, as his master would be far too close to the spirits to not be effected in the blast. And while the Narayanastra could potentially clear out the entire river of any conceivable threats without harming Anton, it was very much a last resort that Ashwatthama would rather not use, as he would be extremely drained should any other threats emerge afterward.
"It is your decision, I will abide by whatever you choose."
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Post by anton on Oct 30, 2015 3:14:24 GMT
The brush with the mud, the sound of arrows whistling through the water nearly on him and the muffled muddled wails of the Wraiths near him did disturb Anton. It had been a close one he'd just been through and Archer pulled him out off. "I think that is the wiser precaution" He replied, telepathically at Archer's suggestion. If that was the most convenient approach for the one that was keeping him from a horrible demise then he was inclined to agree. "Take out any Wraith that get's within 8 meters, hopefully not every Spirit in the area gets agitated." He paused for a moment then decided to add. "Leave the puddles alone, they seem only react to prolonged contact. I'll manage around them somehow."
Anton resumed his slow trek. Now he was on edge, even more alert than had been. This was because now he could actually feel a more tangible danger on his surroundings. It really settled on him that it was not only the cursed water weighing on him, but the wraiths and even the ground was completely hostile toward him. Toward life.
There would also arrive the sound of water being pierced by Archer's arrows as they whistled outside his view. At least though that reassured him that he wouldn't run face to face into a Vagrant Spirit.
It took about two minutes of walking for Anton to reach the first marker, he had to give some areas wide berths due to the black mud covering considerable pieces of the riverbed. The marker was a morbid sight, it was tilted over car. The vehicle looked like it had been there for ages, but that was likely due to the corrosive properties that the water had gained. However, what made the sight morbid was a skeleton, a man or woman? freezed in a position as if trying to claw their way out of the wrecked and to the surfaces.
"Alright...Star....earch....area." That was what Archer would have received.
Unfortunately, though Anton was not exactly aware of it yet was that the range of the telepathic link was being strained. They had reached the limit of the coverage provided by the suit and until Archer spoke again Anton would remain unaware that his link to Archer was starting to break up.
Another problem would have presented itself then, but on the surfaces. A band of Ghouls had set their sights on Archer...
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Post by Ashwatthama on Nov 2, 2015 17:48:22 GMT
"...Master, your communication is becoming distorted."
He had no idea whether his master would even hear him, given the strain the link was under. Archer gathered that Anton had reached his objective and was beginning his search just from being able to see him, but he could barely make out any of the audio anymore. It seemed Ashwatthama would need to act on his own digression for now. Dispatching any Spirits that got closed to Anton, Ashwatthama became so focused on protecting his masters immediate area that he almost missed the large pack of ghouls roaming up behind him.
That is, until they began to encircle him.
Breaking his eyes away from Anton, he turned his head to survey his immediate area. There seemed to be at least a dozen of them forming a semi-circle around behind him. Such a hassle. Archer was confident he could deal with the ghouls, as they were rather insufficient enemies for a Servant, but they were a distraction that would take his eyes off of Anton, even if only for a few moments. Given how unreliable their mental connection had become, it was a risk that Archer did not wish to take for even a second if he could help it. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a choice unless he wanted the ghouls to hack away at him ceaselessly.
"I am under assault, my cover will be disrupted momentarily."
The ghouls seemed to hear him as they darted forward, moving to close the gap as quickly as possible. Spinning on his heel, a torrent of arrows quickly dispatched most of the offending ghouls, with only a few closing into melee range. Bounding backwards down the coast of the river, he kept a distance between them as more arrows hurtled from his bow into the offending corpses. It took only a few moments longer for each of the ghouls to lay motionless, a single arrow protruding from each. And still Archer was not exactly happy, because upon turning around he realized what he should have seen before.
There were alot more ghouls in the somewhat immediate area than there had been upon their arrival. Probably hundreds. He'd been so occupied thinking about having Anton avoid attention he'd somewhat forgotten he might draw attention himself. Not all of them seem specifically interested in him yet, and most seemed to simply be lurking around in the area cautiously. But still, they had been drawn by something, and Archer could only assume it was himself. There were just too many of them. He couldn't dispatch them all and keep an eye on Anton. So he did the next best thing.
He ran.
"Communications may become further strained for a moment as I relocate."
Hopefully he heard at least some of that. Bee-lining towards the bridge in down the coast, he shifted his attention back to Anton as he moved, drawing his bow to deal with any threats that may have presented themselves during his lapse. Archer would have to be careful not to stray so far he could not see Anton, but given the rather lax pace of ghouls he was confident he could outpace them while still keeping watch. After all, he wasn't here to kill ghouls, they were simply a nuisance interfering with the objective. If he could avoid them without taking the time to kill them, all the better.
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Post by anton on Nov 3, 2015 23:10:15 GMT
"...Ma---r --- c---nic--ion -s be---- d---orted."
"Say again Archer?" Anton paused his stride. He examined the suit systems. "Great I'm out of range... great." He muttered under his breath. He knew the telepahic link was fragile at best and it wouldn't cover much area. They must have strained the connection already.
Well as long as Archar maintained the covering fire, his situation wouldn't become dire.
"I -- u--er ----lt, my co-er --ll b- dis---ted mo---ta--ly."
"Can you repeat that? Archer?"
It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for him to figure out what was going on. There were problems on the surface and he was on his own for now. Anton began to work up a sweat, probably from the long walk, the stress and the new circumstances. He thought that if he survived this mission he was probably not get as nervous in anything ever again. The way he became aware of this, was that the "sound" of high speed projectiles stopped rippling near him and that a Vagrant Spirit got closer than any other before had.
Anton didn't panic, he was scared but he didn't panic. He quickly judged his possible actions, running away was virtually impossible. He couldn't use his Grimoire and the only thing he could do was conjure lumps of ether. Hardly a threat to anything, they were just conduits for magical energy.
That was it!
If Anton had learned anything is that Vagrant Spirits were both territorial and they were attracted to magical energy. It was a bet, if it came to shove he could try to attack the spirits, the suit was supposed to be able to interact with Spiritual beings...
"Leegte beurt echte."
On his golden fist a piece clay like substance appeared, at first there was no reaction as the Ether clump was inert. But then after adding some of his own magical energy, the cursed magical energy running through the water took old of it and the piece of clay began to glow with more energy. Normally it would be impossible to throw something a fair distance underwater, but thanks to the enhanced physical strength of the suit Anton was able to throw the reacting piece far enough.
"----------s m-y ----- ----er ----- --r a m---nt -- I re----te." The mental chatter became even more jumbled.
It seemed to work as the wraith shifted it's attention from him to the clump. It also drew the attention of others, but as they hacked at it. It gave him enough time to clear his way around them. Then arrows began to fire, this time from different locations. Anton breathed with relief, it seemed that Archer was switching locations since the direction of his shots began to change.
He could focus again on resuming the search. Anton raised one arm, hopefully Archer would be able to make out his movements somewhat. He made a semi circle motion with one hand and then he tried to make the most obvious looking around movement he could. Trying to signal Archer that he was going to begin the search for the first Noble Phantasm.
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Post by Ashwatthama on Nov 4, 2015 2:00:29 GMT
Using an ether clump as bait? What a clever little trick.
Archer quickly dispatched each of the wraiths hacking at the distraction, clearing the area around Anton again as he resumed his job. He had to stay on the move however; Even now the ghouls slowly clambered after him, desperate for some unknown goal that required hacking Archer into little bits or being destroyed in the attempt. Taking care to advance a small bit further every few moments, he took the time only to briefly acknowledge what seemed to be a message from Anton. From the motion of his arms he could only assume that Anton was about to begin searching? If he meant anything else, Archer couldn't guess what it was.
"Roger."
Hopefully even with their distorted audio, the purpose of his message as a simple "got it" would get through. Making his way up to the bridge, he quickly bounded atop the structure, hoping to make his way to the top of one of the pillars that once supported the now ruined and barren structure. Unfortunately that would be made slightly more complicated by the fact that a nest of ghouls had already made the bridge their home. Now with ghouls in front of him and the much larger group slowly advancing behind him, Ashwatthama let out a deep sigh.
Luck was just not with him today.
Dispatching the ghouls immediately in front of him, he cut a path towards the largest still-standing support of the bridge, climbing to the top of it in a few simple bounds. Making sure to keep an eye on Anton, he settled in on his new high-perch, well above the ghouls now herding at the base of the pillar below. They'd eventually begin to climb up the structure in order to get at Archer, but that would take time, hopefully enough time for them to finish the mission. If not he could always relocate again, but this at least bought him a veritable amount of time to cover his master.
Retaking aim at Anton's immediate area, he simply waited for threats to present themselves...
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