The Summoning XII

General POV

"Are you okay?!" Shirou ran from the shed and out to confront Saber, his eyes set on the shoulder cut before the torn up cloth reattached itself. "What are you?" Not who, Shirou used what to address the unidentified savior of his, still not sure of what to make out of her. "As you can see, I'm your Saber class servant, you may call me, Saber," Saber, still proud of her minor victory against lancer, smiled and said to Shirou.

"Ehm... I am Emiya Shirou," Seeing the smile, Shirou blushed and returned his name, prompting a frown to appear on Saber's temple, "Emiya?" Shriou scratched his head an thought out loud, "This house is err... That's not what I wanted to ask?" Shirou questions himself, his head still hurts, and it's not getting any better.

"I see, you are not a proper master but alas, you're still my master," hearing the word master repeated twice in a sentence and clearly directed to him, Shirou blushed once more. "Wait just a second. Master? Isn't it you know... weird to just call me master all of a sudden? I mean, I don't even know you?"

"I'll just call you Shirou then... Yes, that sounds better to my ears," Saber nodded and walked down the courtyard, inspecting the shattered window. "Whoa, what's this?" Shirou found himself asking even more questions when he raised his left arm and spotted a red tattoo that somehow appeared on the back of his hand. A sharp tip above and below as well as the center connector section, quite odd and aimless for a tattoo.

"That's a command seal or a command spell, try not to use them carelessly," Saber turned and spoke to Shirou, advising him as she thought herself, 'Small curse on a superfisial cut, won't be enough to affect battle conditions.' Saber place a hand on her shoulder, feeling no pain just a sliver of mana disturbance.

"Hmm... I sense a master and servant approaching nearby. I shall get rid of them, master," Saber bowed her head as she leapt to the roof of the compound, facing a direction. "I did not spare much effort for the last battle, one more won't be at all a hassle," Saber said in the night sky, and Shirou ever confused asked again, "What do you mean?! What master and servant?!"

But of course, Saber had to disappear before even replying, making Shirou sigh worriedly and head out for his compound's exit, trying to view the situation. And indeed he viewed. One foot out and a battle had already ensued. "Saber stop!" Emiya reached out gesturing the universal stopping sign with his right hand, not his left.

"I can defeat them right here, Shirou. One less master and servant for the war!" Saber pushed backwards and slightly rotated her head to face Shirou while still focusing on her peripheral vision so as to watch the enemy servant. "What war... Never mind, if you said I'm your master, then you should've at least listened to me and fill me in on what in the hell is going on!" Shirou shouted.

"A master, Emiya Shirou. You're quite the novice. Anyhow, good evening, Emiya," a voice appeared from the female standing next to the enemy servant, bobbing her head to the side. "Tohsaka-san. Why don't you... come in?" Shirou stopping the fight, invited the 'enemy' master into his residency. "Shirou, you can't be serious?" Saber is beginning to question her master's decisions albeit remembering that her master isn't exactly filled in on all of this and finally relented.

"Fine," Saber vanished her invisible sword, an oxymoron, and Archer his. The two servants then individually went away, keeping guard by the side while their masters discuss. "Follow me?" It's more a plead than demand as the two masters make their way into the Emiya compound and first corridor.

"Why is it so cold and why haven't you repaired the glass?" The 'enemy' master, Tohsaka Rin folded her arms, trembling lightly. "It's not completely my fault, I was attacked by the Lancer guy," Shirou folded his own arm, pouting at the mention of his shattered house glass. "You fought against Lancer alone before summoning Saber?"

"Fought? It was a beat down, I was constantly on the receiving end," Shirou doesn't exactly have a happy expression on his face, and his hands aren't exactly relaxed either, it was clenched, especially remembering how he couldn't even fight back. "Not trying to brag, are you? You are exactly how the rumors placed you," Rin said as she knelt down on the remains of glass.

"Minuten vor Schweißen," she chanted as blue enveloped the shards, time looks like it has been reversed with how each individual piece of glass reconstructed itself perfectly to it's original unshattered appearance. "You really are a mage, huh Tohsaka?" Couldn't believe his eyes, Shirou touched and rubbed along the surface of the newly repaired glass.

"You're one too aren't you?" Rin stated as she looked at Shirou. "Not exactly, I can't do things like this. I was never thought further than the lowest basics of basics," Shirou said in slight embarrassment as Rin pulled her hair and swerved around in annoyance, "How could Saber be summoned by a magus like this? One who couldn't even repair glass."

"Now, might you invite me in?"

***

"Well, you've been chosen as a master Emiya, that is putting it simplest. You should've notice the stigmata on your hand," Rin said as she sipped on the offered tea, her mood slowly getting better as she tasted the well brewed tea. "You mean this?" Shirou raised his left hand, showing Rin the red tattoo.

"Yup, that is it. It's proof that you're a master and it also symbolizes three inviolable commands that could be given to a servant and must be followed by the servant. That is, as long as you have them," Rin sipped more tea, already planning to have Emiya brew more for her in the future. "What do you mean, as long as I have them?"

"You have three inviolable commands. These commands can bend a servant's will to your will, lose all three and you're no longer a master and even more likely to get killed in that case. So be carefully in using them," Rin finished her first cup of tea as she poured another cup in. "Killed?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, the Holy Grail War is based upon master on master confrontation. There 7 masters, beat the other 6 and the final surviving master wins the war and the prize, any wish the champion master oh so desires. "Wait! The Holy Grail? Isn't that the cup containing Jesus' blood? The one known for being able to grant eternal life and youth?"

"It's not that Holy Grail."