The Dragon and the Spider

The cold air of Oxford billowed Assassin's cloak, forcing her to pull it closer. God, how she hated the cold. It bit at her exposed skin with a familiar, unwelcome chill. She found herself dozens of feet above the ground, standing atop the chimney of a decrepit cotton mill. Thankfully, operations had ceased by nightfall - no foul smoke poured from the chimney's lip, allowing Assassin a clear view. In the distance, she could see the most prominent structure of the entire city - the university itself. It had even been her first planned point of surveillance - the tallest point in the city was the spire that adorned a church in the center of the university campus. While it surely would have provided a better view, Assassin had decided against it, electing for the various chimneys and hostel roofs around the industrial sector.

Despite the absurdity, she wished to visit a mosque before she set foot near a church. Likely impossible, in this country of infidels, but she would adhere to that as much as possible until her Master contested it.

Looking down from her perch, she noticed that most of the lights of the city had been blown out - over half of the streetlights remained dark, a consequence of the lamplighters who had been slaughtered by the monsters that roamed the streets. A few scant rooms across the city were illuminated by candlelight, the dancing of flames and shadows behind their curtains providing little information other than the occupancy of the room.

Assassin closed her eyes, followed by her hands rising to cover her ears. It was an unnecessary step for what was to come, but for some reason, blocking her senses like that helped her focus. A psychological aid, simple as that. As soon as the sounds of the city below became distant, they roared back to life, countless images and noises flooding her mind as she tapped into the spiders that littered every corner of the city. When she first learned to tap into their senses, it had left her crippled for days - now she could parse through the stream of information as easily as one might turn the page of a book.

A dark room. Damp, musty. The smell of blood, and the corpses of pigs and chickens hung from hooks. Assassin, several kilometers away, tensed slightly at the gruesome sight. The web her ankabut rested on was jostled from the frantic movements of a fly - it had just collided with the trap after feeding upon the carcasses. She allowed the spider to finish the creature and feed. A sense of fulfillment, before she turned her attention elsewhere.

Far brighter, though the vision of the spider made seeing difficult. Some kind of library? The spider was located high in the air, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of dusty books. Below, blurred shapes scrambled all around, whispering to one another frantically in careful, measured tones. The spider lowered itself on a strand of thread until it could hear more clearly - voices of students studying over complex textbooks, complaining of the exam their mathematics professor was planning to assign them the next day. Nothing of note.

Lit by gentle candle light, a small teahouse that held only a few inhabitants - a waitress, the tea maker, and four patrons who were participating in some kind of game involving ceramic tiles with unfamiliar characters on them. Likely of eastern origin, considering everything else in the shop. She could read them if she moved the spider closer, a result of the knowledge that the grail granted all summoned Servants, but Assassin's attention was diverted by something nearby.

A Servant was close to this spider. A dozen or two meters at most. She could sense their overwhelming prana, roughly equivalent to her own, and even detect a hint of the Master-Servant connection - though identifying the 'Master' half of that relationship would be far, far more difficult. Assassin focused - this spider was only 2 and a half kilometer away, in a section of the city that seemed to have a far higher concentration of Chinese inhabitants than elsewhere.

Without opening her eyes, Assassin leaned forwards, allowing gravity to pull her over the edge.

She sailed through the air, and only at the last second did she stop, seemingly flung back into the air like a batter smashing a ball out of the stadium. Assassin opened her eyes as she soared, the darkened city greeting her with silence. Her mind drifted back to the spider that had found the Servant, and as she ordered it to leave the safety of the teahouse and meet with her, Assassin couldn't help but allow a creeping satisfaction to leak through the connection to her familiar.

'Prideful. Thank you for your service, my little Zilal.'

Assassin found herself about half a kilometer away from the dimly lit teahouse, standing atop a hostel overlooking this district of the city. It was hard to make out at this range, but the countless familiars she had ordered to congregate near the teahouse gave her a better view of the structure than if she was right next to it. It was larger than she had expected, given the few occupants, a two story structure that was wider than the surrounding buildings. Neighboring the teahouse was what appeared to be a small medicinal center, odd remedies and herbs lining the window display, as well as a butcher shop with several ducks hanging by the neck. Judging by how she sensed the Servant from a higher position, it was likely that the teashop was renting out the room above, and the enemy Master was using it as a base of operations...

Not the most inconspicuous thing in the world, but Assassin couldn't really criticize them. Although her own Master had been wise enough to select a base that wasn't even in the city the war took place in, he chose an abandoned building with more windows broken than not.

Assassin sighed beneath her mask. Dozens of spiders crawled underneath her robes, feeding on small strips of meat from a chicken that she had properly butchered a few days prior. Their digestive enzymes liquefied the meat in seconds, allowing them to greedily suckle upon it and consume the flesh. Zilal had the place of honor on Assassin's shoulder.

Approaching directly was not an option. Assassins, as a general rule, were not a class designed for direct confrontation - attempting to close the distance and slaughter the enemy without any kind of plan was a strategy for a Berserker, not a Servant who was likely to be overpowered by any other class in the war barring a Caster. In addition, Assassin herself was predisposed to long-ranged assaults - and with her Master providing effectively limitless magical energy, there was no reason to be conservative.

Spiders approached the teahouse from all angles, utilizing the cover of darkness and keeping space between each other to prevent suspicion. If this was a Master's workshop, they were most likely a proper Mage that had experience with Magecraft. They certainly had defenses in place, and while the Assassin class was structured around bypassing defenses and killing a target, the same could not be said for her familiars... Though few mages are paranoid enough to set defenses against a few meager spiders.

The windows were sealed shut, but the space under the door frame was wide enough to allow most of her familiars entry. Five crawled into the cramped apartment, staggering their entry to avoid triggering potential traps. Zilal led the charge. The apartment itself was simple in construction, and lacked any notable comforts that Assassin had seen in other parts of the city - even the train car she had shared with her Master possessed greater luxuries. Books and scattered notes on loose sheets of paper covered most of the free space in the apartment, with the dinner table having been rendered useless for its original purpose due to the large quantity of books and formulae that were stacked upon it - and nearly inaccessible, due to two sides being blocked off by large chalkboards. As one of the spider's gazed at a sheet that had fallen to the floor, Assassin couldn't help but notice similarities between it and the notes of the students in the university library. Of course, that connection was superficial at best, as these were of far greater complexity - completely incomprehensible to Assassin herself.

Assassin grew impatient as her familiars inspected each room. Kitchen, Bathroom, Living area - each barren. If not for the countless notebooks, undoubtedly containing research of the mage that lived here, she would have assumed it was abandoned. Perhaps her spiders had tripped some invisible alarm, giving them time to escape? Impossible, the Servant was right here-

As the thought crossed her mind, Zilal crossed under the threshold to the sole bedroom of the apartment. Within were two figures - the prone form of a man sleeping in the bed, and a robed figure mediating in the corner of the room. The sleeping man was almost certainly the Master, as well as the mage behind the notes - he was of eastern origin, the likely reason behind his choice of residence, though he was dressed in a suit of western design. It was vaguely reminiscent of the one she crafted for her own Master, though this was of far inferior quality and of a mundane make. The sleeping man clutched an unadorned, leather bound book in his arms, holding it tightly as he dreamed. A Mystic Code, or simple sentimental item? Considering most magi and their paranoia, it was safer to assume the former. Her own Master slept with his odd weapon within arm's reach as well.

If their was any doubt to his status, the two geometric lines forming a pattern on his left hand all but confirmed it. This man was an enemy Master.

The meditating figure, meanwhile, was dressed in robes that were far different from Assassin's own, being from the far east and more formal than her practical and ragged article. By his side was a blade, simple and unadorned. It reminded Assassin of a scimitar, though the curve was far less notable than what she was accustomed to. The Servant appeared deep in thought - perhaps asleep? Was this mage incapable of supporting his Servant, forcing them to rely on sleep to limit their expenditure? It would make things far simpler if they were.

Assassin could feel herself brimming with excitement, and while she displayed none of it on her face, her spiders buzzed with activity from their connection to her. Even though William had only requested she gather information on the enemy pairs, she had managed to find a Master in a most compromising position. She could score a kill, and remove one piece from the board. Zilal crawled closer to the bed, approaching the sleeping man's neck. A single bite would result in swelling and intense numbing around the affected area, and as the venom spread, it would quickly affect the limbs, nervous tissue, and eventually the respiratory and circulatory system. Death would follow very shortly, even if there was a Magic Crest to serve as auxiliary life support. In life, Assassin was an exceptionally skilled mage killer, preventing her targets from uttering a single incantation before their throats closed up. Limbs would numb shortly after, making casting for all but the most talented magi impossible.

This would, likely, be the same.

As Zilal attempted to crawl the leg of the bed, she suddenly froze in place, bristling, as if she was pressing against a wall of solid air. Assassin paused for several seconds, before pushing Zilal to approach once more. The spider pushed harder, moving a fraction of an inch closer each second.

"I'd stop now, if I were you. Any more, and your Familiar will begin to disintegrate. Then I'll be forced to slaughter them. And you, if Heaven allows it." A warning, calm and serene. A declaration of power.

Assassin froze - the meditating man's eyes were now open, staring at the spider hidden behind the leg of the bed, as if he could sense it with ease. While it didn't have the full breadth of her Presence Concealment, the familiars connection to her and their miniscule size should have meant that they were almost imperceptible without appropriate skills. Did this Servant have Clairvoyance? Territory Creation? And why did he allow them to approach if he knew they were here?

Only half a second passed before Assassin gave order for the Spiders to retreat - the four in the other sections of the apartment raced towards the front door, though as Zilal moved to follow, the Servant was at the entrance to the bedroom within the blink of an eye, looking down at the now exposed spider.

The man in the bed stirred to consciousness from the movement, and noticing the commotion, quickly scrambled to grab a pen from the bedside table, flipping open his notebook to a new page and staring at his Servant.

"W-what happened!? Where is the enemy, Ruler?" A panicked shout, in a foreign language. Assassin could only understand it due to the knowledge that the Grail had given her and all the other Servants in this war. The mage was clearly surprised that his defenses had been bypassed with such ease. Luckily for him, his final barrier held true.

Ruler? Assassin didn't know that was a possible class, and the Grail didn't supply her any information about their class skills or focus. Did this mage interfere with the ritual somehow, force an extra class to be summoned?

"Fear not, Jūn Zhǔ. The interloper poses no threat." A calming reassurance, smooth and gentle.

Within an instant, he snatched Zilal in his fingers, holding the spider by the torso. The familiar instinctively bit at his finger, thick droplets of venom pooling against his skin as the fangs failed to penetrate. Assassin pushes, ordering it to stop. The spider does not bite again.

"No threat? They bypassed the Magical Vector Field Time-Differentiated System without setting it off! And the One-Way Gate Topology of a Fly Trap didn't stop them from escaping either! If not for the final bounded field, I could have di-"

"Unlikely, Jūn Zhǔ." The Servant cut off his Master, who was silenced and allowed the man to continue. "You possess the protection of both the Heavens, as well as myself. If they proved capable of bypassing your final defense, I would have slaughtered their minions like the insects they are before they approached you so carelessly."

Assassin had sensed the Bounded Fields that the mage spoke of, though had little idea of what they did or how they functioned. Assassins were naturally proficient at bypassing defenses, but their lack of Magic Resistance and poor Endurance made it a dangerous gamble. She chose to rely on her spiders and Zabaniya to do most of the work for her, instead.

"Disgruntled. Arachnids." A whisper escaped the spider held by the robed figure. Assassin found herself communicating with them - a less than optimal situation. The death of a single spider was, all things considered, quite minor. In her short time since being summoned, she had managed to gather far, FAR more. However, if there was an opportunity to save one of her precious ankabuts from a pointless death, Assassin would gladly take it.

She had to keep her family safe, after all.

The enemy Master seemed unamused, though the Servant remained serene as he held the Spider closer to his face.

"Interesting - so you can speak through them as well? Peculiar. I assume you are a Caster or Assassin, then..."

"Demanding. Release this familiar at once. Otherwise, your Master will never leave his bed again."

True, in a roundabout way. Assassin could very easily stake out this position indefinitely - or assign spiders to keep watch and attack the second the Master left the safety of that Bounded Field, if her attention was needed elsewhere. Even if this 'Ruler' was able to find her spiders, Assassin doubted that he could find her actual body, so far away and focused on hiding.

Luckily, she wouldn't need to find out. The Servant dropped the Spider on the bedside table, causing his Master to flinch away - despite the bounded field that protected him, he was likely worried about some kind of unknown attack that the spider may possess. A wise concern, considering the nature of Servants. And the threat that Assassin had made seconds prior.

"I shall spare you this time - never deny the mercy of Heaven. I seek not the power of the grail. You may keep peace in mind knowing this, and avoid us as a courtesy. Should you refuse..."

Reaching for his robe, the Servant turned and gently removed it, allowing the top portion to fall down the small of his back. Beneath it were over a dozen interlocking and jagged lines, all forming into the shape of an intricate dragon tattoo. For a brief moment, Assassin mistook it for scar tissue. It took several seconds before she realized the horrifying truth.

Each of those lines was a Command Seal. A Servant with Command Seals - and not just a few. He held far more than even a Master should have any reason to possess - perhaps even as many as the overseer of the war themselves...

"...Well, it would be quite unfortunate for you, to say the least."

The Master looked stunned, before a look of exasperation crossed over his face.

"What are you doing!? Showing them your Command Seals? You're sacrificing the element of surprise... Fine. It could be worse, I suppose. Servant! Take your familiar away now, or we'll use it to trace your position! And don't return!"

Assassin assumed the Mage was bluffing about being able to track her, but an excuse to retrieve her spider was more than welcome. The familiar bolted for the wall, squeezing into a small hole made years ago by mice. The Servant was swift enough to catch it, if he desired - yet he allowed the creature to escape, untouched.

As the spiders retreated back to her position, Assassin couldn't help but stare at the teahouse. The proprietors had finally turned off the lights and closed the shop, as the four patrons who earlier were playing the queer game went their separate ways in the streets below. All unaware of the tense standoff that happened only a minute or two ago.

As Zilal approached, Assassin knelt down, allowing her to crawl into the girl's hands. A small prayer escaped the girls lips, followed by a soft blue light. The spider's fangs, chipped in her attempt to bite the Servant, were mended instantly, and she gently pressed herself against the girl's fingers in gratitude.

Assassin knew why the enemies had allowed her spider to escape. The Servant had said so himself. By showing mercy now, they could curry favor - perhaps prevent Assassin from slaughtering the Master when they leave the protections of that third mysterious bounded field.

Her threat was taken quite seriously. Surprising, considering it was given through a spider the size of a fingernail.

Assassin also knew why he revealed those Command Seals. If mercy and favors failed to convince her, than those Command Seals were a promised threat of retaliation. If she killed his Master, he could use one of his Command Seals before he vanished, and order Assassin to kill herself. If they functioned like normal Command Seals, distance wouldn't matter. He might not even need to know her identity.

Mutually Assured Destruction.

"Nostalgic."

She had dealt with something similar in the past - a Vizier by the name of Zahid al-Qalb, who placated the Hashashin with gifts and supplies. And if those failed, he had stationed a small army around the base of Alamut Castle - disguised as 'guards', the soldiers were instructed to rush in and slaughter the Order if they stood against the Vizier and his blasphemous Caliph. He had managed to stay the Cursed Arm's hand until Assassin had taken over the order, and promptly dispatched the man in his sleep via venom.

His army followed shortly after, each one having their head separated from their neck via sharpened loops of hair. Over 200 men dying simultaneously - a feat that was met with celebration by the order.

One of the few times she was regarded highly as a Hassan.

The spiders skittered at the fond memory, then raced for the gloves, seeming to crawl into the black silk. For now, leaving these two alone would be the smartest option. Assassin lacked the will or the resistances to oppose a Command Seal - not without her Master using one of his own to negate it. And she had the feeling that this 'Ruler' would be more than capable of stomping her down in a straight fight.

Zilal gazed up at Assassin from the girl's hands. She was brown, with a dull red mark in the shape of an oval adorning her abdomen.

A False Widow.

Assassin rubbed the creature's torso before it followed its peers, melding with the glove.

The retreat to London took less than 5 minutes. Assassin landed soundlessly on the rooftop of the textile factory, the countless spiders within hard at work cleaning and maintaining the various defenses that had been established throughout. Traps, mostly - the majority being of her design, though she incorporated certain elements at her Master's suggestion. She could feel them, as her hair moved throughout the building and neighboring structures while she was reestablishing her Territory. A wire tied to a door knob, leading to a rifle trigger - turning it would result in a quick shot to the torso, lethal to most magi, but pointless against a Servant. Several large looms and other machinery hung precariously from the ceiling, rusted from disuse and shielded in the dark rafters above - a simple command from her, or a few bites from her spiders, and the threads snap, sending the machinery careening down to any intruders below. Countless tripwires, some razor-edged some not, multiple spider nests in concealed and innocuous positions ready to leap at any movement. She had even been stockpiling venom at her Master's request.

She continued moving, gliding down the stairway with a grace that was almost ethereal. For many of the Hassan, it was disturbing. It was no different for Spider's Web.

Assassin found William in the main room, poring over a series of maps and notes by candlelight, the flickering light accentuating the scars on his head. Several locations had been circled or marked, with particular focus on the University campus and a map of what appeared to be the cities sewage system. He looked up at her approach, his eyes squinting in the dim light.

"Cautious. I've uncovered the base of operations to one of the enemy pairs, Master..."

William rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his movements sluggish. He had been working late into the night, staring at the scattered illustrations and notes, muttering under his breath. He was still dressed in the suit she had prepared for him, spotless despite their less than sterile living conditions. "Already? Quicker than I expected, even for you. What did you find, then?"

Several of the spiders that had been left in the factory swarmed to Assassin, crawling up her legs and becoming lost in the folds of her robes and hair. She seemed to barely notice, but the sight still made her Master shudder. Creepy as shit, that... She tilted her head slightly, regarding her Master from the corner of her eyes. "Expository. The room was protected by multiple layers of Bounded Fields, though they posed little challenge to my ankabuts. I assume this will change in the future, but for now it's relatively bare. More than enough to stop the Dead or those monsters, but the stronger Servants will likely be inconvenienced at worst. Perhaps they've recently moved in? Dismissive. The residence is on the second floor of a small teahouse, in one of the districts to the southeast of the city. A medicinal center and butcher's are the closest neighboring structures."

William let out a small yawn, moving to a nearby wooden crate that he used as a seat. He reached for a bottle of water, taking a sip before looking back up to his Servant. "The Servant? I assume you got a look at em. What're they like?"

"Anxious. The Servant, designated 'Ruler', is quite the threat. He was able to perceive my familiars relatively easily, and even from the limited exposure I had to him, I have little doubt he could defeat me in direct combat. And, more pressingly... He is in possession of no less than 10 Command Seals."

A pause. William seemed to stumble for a second before resuming the conversation. "He... He knew you were there?" The Command Seals were surprising, but he knew little of them in the first place - only that he could use them to force Assassin to do things, and shouldn't use all of his own. Considering his Servant was already quite compliant, they seemed of little value. To him, the far more shocking information was that Assassin was spotted. It seemed like an alien concept, considering how easily she could conceal herself from him.

"Clarifying. He knew my ankabuts were there, my Master. Keen senses certainly, likely assisted by a skill of some kind, but I doubt he could bypass my Presence Concealment. Incessant. I think you miss the more important aspect, Master - A Servant in possession of Command Seals stands against everything this War represents. Should he change his mind and desire to pursue the Grail, he has the capacity to instantly kill any Servant whose Master cannot counter the command quickly enough."

William sighed. Again, his Servant was admonishing him for something he didn't know because he wasn't a fucking wizard. It was starting to get old. She had a point though - if he used a Command Seal to kill Assassin while she was operating away from him, it would be an instant loss. Assassin, satisfied that he recognized the significance of this discovery, continued her report.

"Pleased. Have no fear, Master - all of my precious ankabuts have returned unharmed! The Servant called it a mercy, but I believe it was more strategic. They claimed to not be seeking the grail, and perhaps they're under the impression that doing a kindness for us now will protect their Master from assassination when outside his workshop." Assassin's tone was flat, but her hair floated gently in the air, as if caught in a nonexistent breeze. "Chiding. Concepts of honor and quid-pro-quo are not applicable when fighting to the death."

William clicked his tongue, his hand going to his chin. He ignored Assassin's insults towards the enemy, instead focusing on the more pressing topic. They didn't want the grail? Hard to believe, considering it could grant fucking wishes. Close as you can get to a genie's lamp. Then again, William didn't have a particular wish in mind - he got what he wanted already after all. Wasn't too far fetched that there were others in this war who felt the same. And if they weren't going to cause a problem, they could be... not ignored, but avoided.

"What about his Master? Describe him."

"Annoyed. He is a more traditional mage, as far as I can tell. At least, compared to you or myself. He is of eastern origin, like his Servant. I was unable to recognize his style of Magecraft or his Foundation, but the bounded fields within his workshop are intricate and difficult to ignore - at least, for one that lacks Magic Resistance, such as I. He clung to a spell book even as he slept. A possible weakpoint, should we choose to target them."

"A 'spellbook', huh? Typical wizards..." William tapped his fingers against his leg. The thought of questioning what Assassin meant by 'Foundation' crossed his mind, but learning about the enemy was more important than a lesson he could ask for later. "Anything else? I feel like there's something you aren't saying."

Assassin paused for a moment, her eyes locking on her Master. She had noticed his slightly off-kilter expression, noticing how his eyes would flicker around the abandoned factory as he spoke. It was as if his mind was somewhere else.

He was sometimes... difficult. Assassin at least had the dignity to wear her mask on the outside.

"Doubtful. I do not know if the enemy is truthful in their claim to not desire the grail. It... shouldn't be the case. Almost all Masters have some desire - that's why they're chosen to be Masters in the first place. Even if the Servant is uncaring for the cup, his Master should want... something. And if that's the case, they are not merely idle observers of this conflict. They're active participants."

Assassin shrugs. Or, rather, she raises her shoulders and drops them, a staggered, almost mechanical motion. Was she trying to show more body language for William's benefit? If so, he'd probably need to tell her not to bother - it was easier to tell her attitude from her hair, which was now lazily snaking across the floor to various points of interest in his workshop.

"Irrelevant. The enemy pair are not a threat, for now. If that changes, perhaps we can maneuver others to distract the Servant and burn through his Seals. I will inform you of anything new, should I and my ankabuts uncover it."

William nodded, turning back to the documents in front of him and circling an area of the map in front of him. Assassin noticed it was the rough area the teashop should be located. "Good work, Assassin. You go rest, let me think about this for a bit. I need to come up with some sort of plan before we go sticking our noses in there again." He took a drink of his water, his face shifting into a familiar look of contemplation.

Assassin gave a small nod before disappearing into the shadows, leaving William to his thoughts, and a fresh collection of notes. Half an hour later, he'd recognize the smell of cooked meat and vegetables. A small plate of kebabs, sitting next to the cooking implements that William used in the construction of his ammunition. They were steaming lightly, as if they were fresh off the fire. He got up from his seat and ate, quick and quiet. He hadn't the whole day - again. Distracted.

Despite her odd eccentricities, occasional nagging, and constant ego, Assassin was a useful spirit to keep around. The food she made, while unfamiliar to his palette, was much higher quality than anything he could produce on his own. William paused, leaving the last kebab untouched.

The girl never ate the meals she served him, but maybe she took his advice from the train and used haram- er, halal meat. Wouldn't hurt to offer.

"Thank you, Hassan."

He spoke into empty air. By the time he sat back in his seat in front of his maps and design plans, the plate was gone from sight.