Fate/Labyrinth

...

The small group, led by Wakata, trudged on through the forest. They could have gone faster, if his sister wasn't injured. But of course, Wakata did not blame her. It wasn't Chiho's fault that she couldn't beat a Primordial, after all. 

However, that did not change the fact that she made it difficult.

"...ughh... Master, do you insist on being carried by your brother, despite it slowing us down? ...I could carry you with no effort at all."

Clearly, Lancer had become tired of the group's slow pace.

"Calm yourself, Lancer. Our masters share a bond we have yet to establish, it is only natural for yours to prefer the touch of one she knows rather than a stranger."

With those words from Saber, Lancer seemed to calm down slightly. He still looked annoyed, yet he stayed quiet all the same. 

The group wandered for a while more, not quite lost, but not familiar with the surroundings. Finally, a voice rang out. It was a gentle voice, almost fatherly, yet fraught with wisdom. 

"Not all those who wander are lost... but, it seems you all are. May I offer some assistance?"

Everyone, excluding Lancer, jumped slightly from the sudden sound. The group whirled around to face the speaker, seeing where the voice came from, a middle aged man with a non threatening aura about him, and a relaxed smile. He was tall and thin, with short hair combed back in a side part. 

"Who- Who are you? ...you're not a human, or mortal, I can tell that much..."

Wakata's voice was steady, for the most part. Though, there was a slight hint of shakiness in his voice, coming from being on guard for so long. 

The man would smile again, a look of embarrassment on his face as he realized he forgot to introduce himself.

"Ah, of course! My humblest of apologies. I am Caster, a spirit without a master. And, before you ask, I can sustain myself with the mana from this forest. I'm not sure what it is about it, but there's quite a dense concentration of mana around the edges of it, but not inside... ahh, I'm sorry. It appears I've rambled, once again. Come, follow me. I have a cabin where you can stay for a while."

The members of the group all glanced at each other, debating silently whether to trust him. Everyone was in agreement to trust him, save Lancer. Wakata would speak up, his tone hesitant yet hopeful, as he realized Chiho needs a place to rest, as does he.

"Well... alright, sure. Lead the way. But, if you try to hurt any of us..."

Strangely, the old man would simply chuckle at Wakata's threat. Perhaps because he did not believe any of them could hurt him, yes, but considering all they could tell, it was more likely he really did not intend to hurt them. 

"Now, now, child. I am quite anti-violence, I simply must ask you to trust in me, at this time."

Caster's words of assurance would ease the group's worries somewhat, as they all began to walk, led by the older man.

...

 After what seemed like hours of walking, the group arrived at a small clearing. It was... oddly cheerful, and welcoming, the sunlight hitting the small cottage with a warm golden glow. There was a garden in front of the house, gated in by a marble-white fence, and a small pond inside of it. While the cottage was small, it was made to seem even smaller, as a part of it was strangely sunk into the ground, and it had a somewhat circular shape to it. 

Caster turned to face the rest of the group, with a welcoming smile.

"Welcome, my friends! ...now, this isn't quite 'my' house, but it is a house I'm quite familiar with... I created it, after all! Hahaha! Come in, come in! I'll make some tea!"

After Caster finished speaking, he led the group inside the small hut. As soon as they did, Caster scurried off into another room, presumably the kitchen to make tea. As he does, he motions Wakata to take a seat at the dining room table, which he does, Chiho sitting across from him, Lancer next to her, and Saber next to Wakata across from Lancer. 

There was an uncomfortable silence, punctured only by Caster's cheerful humming from the other room. 

"...hey, ahh... Saber --hey, is that really what you want me to call you? oh, whatever... Saber, what is going on? Or, really, I guess I'm asking, what do we do here?"

Saber perked up immediately as Wakata spoke, his cheerful smile returning. 

"Mm, so you are an inexperienced maître? No matter, I shall explain! So you see, I am a spirit of the past, as is Lancer, and any other adversaries we may come across. --What you would call 'Heroes', I believe. Normally, only seven would be summoned, to seven people... but, this one... I do not know how many exactly, but there are far more of us here. It is of no matter, though, I assure you! ...anyway, you, maître, command me, as your soeur does for Lancer.

Your objective, in this matter, is to eliminate all other maître. Or rather, every other Servant. If you do, you gain access to the Holy Grail, the ultimate wish-granting device. And, the best part, of course, I remain here for the remainder of your lifespan! Very good, hm-?"

Wakata nodded, a bit overwhelmed by all this information, but still following along. Plus, it didn't help that he did not want to offend Saber by not listening. 

...Yes, the boy was quite kind. Perhaps overly kind, in fact, especially considering his being a late teenager, it was... strange, but not unwelcome.

"Oh, uhm... okay, yeah, I get it. So... I don't have to 'really' kill anyone, do I?"

Saber laughed at the boy's question, but not in an unkind way, nor mocking. Rather, it was a laugh of amusement. 

"No, no, no, of course not. If you do not wish to kill, I shan't force you to.--Ah. I nearly forgot one detail... True Names."

Saber's expression would become serious when he remembered, as if this was of utmost importance, perhaps because it was.

"...True Names are the essence of Us, they are... an advantage, yet a weakness as well... this grail is different, it seems, and so the details are slightly different as well... but, you needn't worry. I shall explain... True Names are what us Servants were known as, when we were alive. It is vital that our masters know it, and yet... this grail has restricted me from telling anyone my name, nor any names associated with me. it is... irksome. You must discover it on your own, and then, and only then, may I release my True Noble Phantasm... technically, this sword is one as well, but a True Noble Phantasm is--"

Wakata is left confused for a moment as Saber cuts himself off, until he notices Caster had reentered the room with a tray of tea and biscuits, with that same welcoming smile. 

"My apologies, dear friends. My kettle was empty, and so I had to retrieve water from the well... ah well. Here, take a glass."

There was some slight hesitation in the group, but eventually hunger won out over caution, as everyone took a cup of tea and some biscuits. --Everyone, that is, except Lancer. The armored man simply stared out the window, an annoyed frown on his face. 

"So tell me, dear friends... how did you end up in this war, if you are clueless to the ways of the Holy Grail?"

The question was innocent, as far as Caster knew, so there was no real suspicion in the group. Wakata was the one to speak up, making sure he swallowed the last bite of his biscuit beforehand. 

"That's, eh... that's a long story... I'm not sure you would..."

Caster laughed softly, an amused smile on his face. 

"No, no need to worry about me. If there is anyone who is versed in long stories, it is me... hehe..."

A short bit of silence and a glance at Saber later, Wakata finally spoke again, sounding slightly more relaxed, as he began his story.

...