Off to Mexico!
Who: Saber, Jade Belmont, Sakura Matou
Where: Scion Gate, Zamora de Hidalgo
When: June 16th 2009
What: Sakura and Saber take a trip South of the Border to explore strange events reported, in relation to the Quetzalcoatl plot. Specifically, ghosts in a graveyard. And find something curious.
Watch For: The obvious point where Sakura OOC screams,
It's early afternoon in Zamora de Hidalgo, the sun beating down bright and warm even for this part of the day. Compared to other parts of the nation of Mexico, this city hasn't suffered as much from the illicit drug trade, which makes it even more surprising that residents have been complaining about vagrants roaming the town at night, especially around the graveyards. The fact that the police haven't so much been able even find a single footprint, or that the disturbance itself only begins in the dark hours of the night, makes the incidents even more mysterious.
Already the local rumor on everyone's lips, the story's even made it into major foreign papers. Some people have written it up as some elaborate prank or stunt, but still, no one's been owning up to it...
Here, too, beyond odd disturbances, are several points of interest for those interested in /other/ matters. There are several universities about the city, with extensive libraries. Also, as any citizen of the Zamora will be quick to point out, they have the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, which, when it is finally completed, will be (as they say) one of the greatest cathedrals on the continent.
Certainly, the traditionally gothic architecture, even incomplete, is quite a sight to behold...
Once upon a time in Mexico, two foreign women walk the streets in search of an answer. One of them a little shorter than the other, and starkly blonde - reflecting golden in the high sun. The other slightly taller, violet hair and eyes standing out and getting the occasional whisper or stare from children in the town. The rumors they've come to track down are indeed real, though what began those rumors...remains yet to be seen.
The univeristy libraries are interesting, though from Sakura's estimation there isn't a lot of information there. Unless there were some sort of paranormal-events club, but she's not sure such things exist here - at least, not in the way they do in Japanese schools. The church is curious, and Sakura can't help but wonder...
"Miss Saber...ah, do you think...perhaps something might be related to the church? It's supposed to be the biggest in North America..."
She can't help but wonder if there /is/ a connection. Though, why would someone steal the dead? Or...maybe drive them out of the underworld?
It's a thought. But for now, she finds herself at a bit of a loss. The graveyards would be the best place to go, Sakura thinks. Though, possibly the most dangerous...but as she's learned, there's many ways to confront danger - and it might just give them the answer they seek.
"Ah, also, did...you want to go to the graveyard now, perhaps?" She can't keep a slight trepidation out of her voice, the thought of being among the dead does scare her a little. But she has a Servant by her side, and even without a proper Contract...she trusts Saber. The Once and Future King already saved her once, at least...in her own memory.
In neither her natural life nor her spiritual one as a Servant, Saber had never seen anything quite like her current surroundings. She would almost regret standing out as much as she did in her customary attire: the three piece suit she wore when not in her battle dress. Still, it was rather uncomfortable; she had removed her jacket and carried it folded neatly over her arm.
The blond head turned, a green gaze focusing immediately on her companion.
"Hm, perhaps," Saber mused out loud.
Nothing seemed particularly dangerous, at least, not yet. And if the reports were true - and the King of Knights had no reason to think otherwise - now would be their best chance to do some digging.
If we are to perform our research thoroughly, we will have to explore that area. And now would be the best time to do so, before the sun sets."
Punctuating her words, she glanced up at thesky, mentally gauging how much time they had.
The closest of the inner-city graveyards is attached to a small church perhaps two blocks away. As with nearly any of the graveyards in the city, any locals, if asked, will affirm that there have been sightings around there, as well.
This is an older church. That much is clear, upon entering the grounds; many of the headstones are well-worn in the adjoining graveyard, and it doesn't seem as if anyone has personally visited any of the dead who sleep here in some time--although, that doesn't mean it's been neglected. Nature, at least, has been kept from reclaiming the markers, and the sparse sun-burnt grass has been neatly cut recently.
It's oddly peaceful, even within the noise of the inner city intruding. It hardly looks, at least not at first glance, like a place where you'd expect people to come to do god-knows-what at night.
Inspection of the headstones will recall names from the late 1800s generally. A few more recent names--from about the 1960s--will be found if any effort is made to seek them, but it would seem that's the reason for the silence here: this is an old graveyard, and quite possibly the dead here have no living relatives to remember them.
The small church itself--the Navas de Zamora--also recalls architecture of an earlier age. While no great cathedral, it manages to convey a quiet dignity on its own.
While the King of Knights may be dressed in her typical business suit - sans jacket, a concession to the heat in this low-latitude town - Sakura finds things a little less uncomfortable. For starters, southern Japan is more humid, and much warmer, than her companion's native land. More importantly than acclimation, Sakura's own outfit is rather mundane, despite its feminine design - a simple white flared-sleeve blouse and a long, cotton skirt that happens to match the odd color of her eyes and hair.
The intensity of Saber's gaze makes Sakura look away after a moment. There's a strength, an inner core to the diminutive woman that...is far, far stronger than she might look. And a little overwhelming, at times, especially to one as shy as Sakura is.
A nod, as Saber makes her observation. "Then...ah, perhaps that might be the best thing to do. Shall we go, then?" She follows the Servant discreetly, habits beaten into her - even if Saber is a woman, she's by far the superior person and well...admittedly, they /are/ approaching a graveyard.
As they approach, Sakura gets an idea - she knows that she's not able to use Midchildan magic; the systems are just too different. But prana, or mana, was the same thing - she could sense it, when Christoph or Fate used their abilities. And they could feel hers as well; clearly it worked both ways. Perhaps whatever's here might be detectable. If it isn't leaving footprints, then it might be leaving something else?
She extends her senses, that feeling that attunes her to the flows of prana. It's enough to feel spellcasting in the area, enough to know that someone is a Magus. Focusing not on any particular spell, but simply on feeling anything, she follows Saber around the graveyard itself, distantly noting the old age of many of the graves. Her slip-on shoes tread quietly on the grass behind the blonde, and Sakura can't help but seek in all directions with her ability.
The church itself brings back distant memory, of when she'd met Father Kotomine in Fuyuki. Or rather, had attended when Shinji met with the priest. It was almost as if she'd been having her face rubbed in the fact that he, not she, was Rider's Master and that she would be sitting aside the Grail War. This church is similar to his; a bit more ornate...but the same shape and design.
Idly, she can't help but hope that this particular church leader is a different person than the deceased priest. Though, if this place is related to the disappeared dead...perhaps Father Kotomine really /was/ hiding inside, waiting for them-
Stop thinking like that!
Saber felt some sympathy for the dead here; she and many of the people she cherished had been long-buried, their graves lost to time and the elements. But then, they were perhaps long beyond any such concerns. Putting aside that thought, she bent down and inspected a few of the stones; somewhat for research but mostly out of mere curiosity. It was rather strange to note that, though these were old by the current era's standards, their origin was her own distant future.
She glanced at Sakura as she concentrated to feel the flow of prana. To a Servant such as herself, it was difficult /not/ to notice it, as her own transient body was merely a vessel for it. Prana was the lifeblood of beings such as herself, and she was as aware of its currents as a bird was of the wind.
"Are you able to sense anything?" she asked, straightening back up. The violet-haired magus might very well be able to find something else, in which case Saber had best be on her guard. It was nevertheless possible that they could be attacked, even in broad daylight.
Throwing her sharp gaze back to the church, she studied it carefully. Even if it was still in use, it was certainly no sanctuary in a hidden war.
It's slow to filter in, through Sakura's senses, but she'll be able to, after a few moments, begin to feel the normal ebb and flow of power in this world. And with that, the tang of something decidedly 'other' almost threaded along through it. If she shuts out the world and focuses just long enough, she'll hone in on it: it's a song, or rather, like part of one. With its small fragment, it carries a sense of life, of hope, of renewal--which puts it at odds with the other thing she'll soon pick up, concealed almost delicately within that song.
Someone has used necromancy here, within roughly the past week.
Whoever did this was talented. The signs have been woven within that foreign element quite neatly, enough that searching specifically for necromantic magic wouldn't pick up a thing. But even knowing what category of magic was used doesn't tell her straight-off what the spell was used /for/. It could be anything from someone attempting a seance to raising an undead army.
Saber, meanwhile, as she kneels by a headstone, will notice something odd. There's what looks like, at first glance, to be some kind of stone. The only thing problematic with that, though, is its shape and color. The shape seems a little too organic for a rock. Furthermore, as a warrior, Saber would likely be well-acquainted, one way or another, with the color of bone.
Slowly, formidably slowly, her magecraft senses reach out among the grass and headstones. And there it is. A song? It's an odd sensation to her, but she realizes that, ever so slightly, she'd sensed such a thing before. A presence she'd not felt since...Triple's birthday, actually. And the idea of a song is something she finds not as strange as it might seem - she hadn't met Simon Parker, but had heard of him and his comments on the Song.
Though what concerns her is the other thing, and she finds herself kneeling - not quite, actually, simply squatted down with ankles bent, skirt flared out a bit around her. One hand finds its way to the fresh-cut grass, absentmindedly. She tries harder, opening her mind's eye that much more, and realizes it - there's another thread, almost...
...almost as if someone was softly playing a cello, in the background, when another person was playing the piano. The sensation of something dark, something dead, resonates in the Worms implanted in the young magus, and she realizes its origin. Her grandfather hadn't been a practicioner of necromancy, so much, but he /had/ used tools and spells related to it to create the False Crest she bears, one based on five centuries of the binding and sealing of spiritual creatures.
Someone...no, the dead can't simply be raised, can they? But...
With a horrified expression, her eyes blink open suddenly and she stands, glancing left - right - behind -
Nothing. Peaceful, simple tranquility. A bird in a tree, the soft rustle of a breeze through its leaves, flowers upon row after row of graves, the grass well-tended and freshly-cut.
...As if, she suddenly realizes, someone had just re-done the landscaping. And despite the heat, Sakura feels a chill that leaves her in a cold sweat.
"M-miss Saber, ah..." Noone else is present, but the magus drops her voice to a whisper anyway. The Servant can hear it; ears prana-enhanced that make a wolf seem deaf. "I...I think s-someone was...raising the dead, here. Th...there's what seems...seems like necromantic spells used. Within, I think, the last few d-days" Glancing furtively around - she can't help it, Shinji loved to terrify her with horror movies - she continues. "I think...we should talk...talk to the priest, to ask..."
One foot peeks out from under her long skirt, shoe gliding over the grass. Highlighting the fact it was so recently cut, as if it'd been...recently disturbed.
Necromancy, was it?
The knight was not surprised, given her own findings. Not to mention the place felt /wrong/, somehow. While her battle premonition told her nothing, the ambient prana had a foul scent.
Saber snorted softly in disgust. It was rather offencive to her senses, the hints of dark magics. While would-be Masters in the Holy Grail War summoned the dead spirits of humankind's past, they did not do so in such a vulgar manner.
The petite blonde remained in her place, but gestured to the bone jutting out from the ground. "That being the case, I think perhaps you had best take a look at this."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced back at the girl. "In a tomb, it is customary for bones to be buried properly, not exposed in this manner. "
The young magus seemed, at least to Saber's keen senses, to be visibly shaken. That too was unsurprising, given what had evidently transpired in this place. Perhaps it would be best not to tarry too long, if for no other reason than that.
"Hm. That is a good idea, I should think."
Turning her head to study the old church, she wondered if there were any members of the clergy on the grounds at all. Even if they had no such gifts, the disturbance itself might have alerted the caretakers to trespassers. She considered that it might be prudent to investigate that matter. "That would be a wise," she commented in her typical non-committal tone of voice.
The blonde recieves a nods at her observation. At the very least, the churchmembers might know of some...strangeness, perhaps chalked up to vandalism? That is, if Sakura's bizarre fears are actually grounded in reality, which can't be the case...can it?
But she leans closer, looking at the noted headstone after Saber's bizarre words. Buried properly...? She approaches the gravestone from the side, careful not to step over the (empty?) grave itself, crouching hesitantly alongside. One hand reaches out, delicately, to brush the grave marker. And as she touches it, she looks closer and sees something on the ground. A chip off of the gravestone, maybe? Her hand brushes it - and she knows that strange feeling. Grain, almost like wood, and in a particular elongated pattern; and the color of the moonlight on concrete-
She practically falls backwards, landing at Saber's feet. "B-" It's a word she can't get out, especially with her sudden fear of the dead no longer acting like it. She looks around, to the other graves, it's got to be the only...one...right next to her also has a small shard mixed in with the dirt. At the surface.
Standing slowly, the magus finds that same hand reaching for Saber's arm, gently clutching for support. Someone who's alive, someone here, and she doesn't immediately make the ironic realization that she's touching the solidified ghost of someone who's been dead for centuries. She points, slowly, at the second piece of bone, at the second graveyard.
For now, she's going to leave those particular pieces of (someone) something where they lie. Maybe it's just a cat's breakfast, or something...less otherworldly. "Then...er, let's...let's go." Steeling up her courage, she gingerly steps across the grass, making extremely sure not to step over the graves of those deceased so long ago. What Saber does with it, she does not see; if the Servant retrieves it for later Sakura admittedly doesn't /want/ to know.
The ground seems somewhat disturbed, but it's difficult to tell if it's a result of the recent landscaping, or something far more sinister.
The exception is around the piece of exposed bone; there's far more earth than grass there, and if the ground had suggested potential disturbance elsewhere, here it's clear that something /else/ has played its role. The soil here is loose, suggesting a hasty reburial--too hasty.
And speaking of the church... as if on cue, the door opens, and a young woman emerges, closing it quietly behind her. Clearly Mexican by birth, she's beautiful, but it's a very quiet and subdued beauty. Her long dark hair bound into a braid that hangs down her back, her blouse and skirt also add to the overall quiet air about her, having been chosen either for their neutral tones, or simply because--as the cleaning supplies peaking out of the bag slung over one of her arms suggests--she's been here to clean, and she's unlikely to mind much if they get dirtied.
She's a few steps past the church door when she notices the pair. Her dark eyes widen, and she raises her free hand to her face. "Oh!" Hurrying to the graveyard, the woman only stops to leave her bag of supplies by the gate before approaching them.
"I'm so sorry," the woman says, concern writ across her face and brow, "I didn't realize there were visitors!" Her English is good, which is fortunate. "I'm so sorry," she repeats again, "I wouldn't have left you to wait out here..." A sudden realization seems to cross her mind, and eyes widening again before she blushes faintly in shame, "How awful, I'm forgetting myself. My name is Teresa Flores. I... clean here, for the priest, the caretaker, Father Ramirez. Ah.. it's a shame, he's been so sick lately..." She chatters on, perhaps getting a little sidetracked by her own thoughts.
With no change of expression, Saber used the grasped hand to help Sakura up. While she had seen far worse things over the many years she had been alive --and in her brief time as a Servant-- she could hardly have expected for the girl to have seen all of what the King of Knights had. It was certainly true that magi lived lives that could be gruesomely snuffed out in the blink of an eye, and willingly placed themselves in that danger to pursue their arcane learning. But even the horrors of Heaven's Feel were a mere drop in the bucket compared to all that the heroic spirit of King Arthur had played witness to.
Saber left the desecrated remains where they lay; to the former Servant, it seemed even more undignified to collect them for study. It was already quite apparent what had transpired, and Sakura would most likely not begrudge her paying what little respect to them that she could. For that, Arturia was grateful.
With barely any sound at all, she followed the girl, senses alert to any out-of-the-ordinary disturbances. It was entirely possible their erstwhile necromancer might make a return visit.
She had just caught up to Sakura when the pair suddenly found themselves no longer alone. Though she had been at the beck and call of a Master only a short time ago, Saber had nonetheless been a king in life, and as such was accustomed to taking command. It was a simple matter for her, as a newly-liberated being, to fall back on old patterns.
"Ah, it is no trouble at all," she reassured the woman with a ghost of a smile, mentally noting her skill in English. Likewise, she wondered if the illness of the priest was related in any way to recent events.
"And I am terribly sorry to hear about the Father. When did he fall ill?"
The dead should lie where they are, and whoever the person was - if that is human remains at the surface - then it's best left where it is. Because Sakura, learning of the death of her true father and believing in the apparent death of her adoptive brother, has...come to accept such things. And being Japanese, bears a respect for the departed that'd surprise some.
Even if she is immensely disturbed by what she's felt here, and that note of necromancy, of dark magics at high work, she can't get rid of it, can't unlearn what she'd discovered.
Releasing Saber's arm, she takes her first few steps to the church, then sees the door open and freezes. For a moment, the black clothing, black hair, and arms held high to carry the bags of cleaning supplies had indeed reminded her of the former Manager of the Grail War. But there's too many dissimilarities, not the least of which is that the woman is...well, a woman. And notably shorter than the priest she'd feared. She waits, as the woman hurries to them - were they trespassing? Oh dear...
Sakura's Spanish isn't very good; to be honest it's atrocious. But thankfully the nun uses english; she is glad to have been noted as a foreigner. Much moreso than she'd expected, to be honest. But it's enough to be able to understand what the woman says. Echoing her companion's words, she "Ah, that's...that's quite alright, miss...Flores." She lets her voice drop away as Saber asks. The King is used to leading, and Sakura is very used to following.
And thinking. The Father was ill, recently? How so? What happened? It's only a small effort of conscious self-control to keep the concern and questions off of her face; instead she projects a quiet and reverent worry for the Father's health - and a small smile, hoping he will be alright. Well, she honestly does...
"Oh, since he's been sick? Ah..." Teresa starts, scrunching up her brow as she thinks back. "If today is the tenth, then..." Her lips move silently, as if counting back, "--Madre de Dios, has it already been a week?" Concern and alarm mix in her youthful features, her eyes widening. "Oh, I hope it's not serious! I should check in with him, shouldn't I..." Her expression downcast, the woman smiles at the pair nonetheless, and adds, "I will tell him, when I see him, that people are concerned for him."
Her gaze travels over them, fully taking stock of their appearance. "You are tourists, yes?" She smiles, but it's a slightly rueful one. "I'm afraid our... little old church is not very interesting. Most tourists come here to see the Cathedral for Our Lady of Guadalupe!" Teresa pauses here, before leaning in, venturing a surreptitious glance to her side, "...They say that someday, it will be finished. It's been worked on for over a hundred years, you know! I think it will be quite beautiful, when it's finished." She leans back, nodding in self-satisfaction. "The Lady of Guadalupe is very important to us, so she should have the best cathedral of all."
"We would be most grateful," Saber replied with a polite nod, making careful note of the length of time. While this may have been a simple coincidence, one could never be too cautious, certainly not now.
Well, this was hardly the first time she had to pose as a sightseer. It would be amusing to see how Irisviel would react in this situation, the tiny swordswoman idly reflected.
"Yes, we are," Saber answered. It was not, strictly speaking, a falsehood and therefore did not violate Saber's policy of honesty. Yet, even if it did, she refused to involve innocents in the dangers of occult matters.
"We have something of an interest in this country's architecture, and so we thought to take a better look," she explained smoothly. Also not a lie.
"Though, I trust that it nevertheless must receive the faithful, as the cathedral is yet unfinished." It went without saying that they should have a look inside, if for no other reason than to reassure themselves that this elusive necromancer was not taking refuge inside the church.
However, Our Lady of Guadalupe might also yield some clue. It could do no harm to investigate, certainly.
"But we shall have to see it for ourselves, then," she replied with a slight smile. "I do look forward to seeing it completed."
It would likewise do no harm to be cordial.
Sakura notes the figure down. It matches the probable time that the spell was put in, for sure. Sakura herself believes in luck, but not coincidence; she's not completely sure but it won't be hard to convince her completely. And the bone fragments...fresh, within the last several days, as well.
Sakura nods as Saber gives her explanation. And chimes in smoothly, as the King finishes her words. "And, er...in my hometown, there was a church, as well, rather...rather similar to this one." She indicates the small chapel that Sister Flores had just exited. "That is, it isn't as ornate, or pretty as this one...but it does remind me of the one at home, I admit, and...please pardon my nostalgia, but I did wish to see this one a little closer."
She tilts her head, as well. "Ah, could you...tell us why Lady Guadalupe is...so important?" It might simply be a cultural thing. But there might be something related, as well; after all - this is the town with the greatest disturbances, and a cathedral dedicated to a Saint being...
...desecrated, she realizes, in such a way to have its dead stolen...would be something cruel to inflict upon this particular place. Though, as much as she'd like to know, there's utterly no way she can ask the young woman before her if she's aware of the various rumors of spectral stalkers at night.
What they might have to do instead, is...wait, and try to spot one.
Teresa smiles, and nods. "Yes, if you're staying in the city, you should go and see it! Even most of the inside is finished. I think," she tilts her head to one side, "There are only small things left to be finished? It has been a while since I last visited."
Sakura's praise of the little church makes the young woman blush. "Ah... why, thank you. It's small, and people rarely even visit, but a place like this... means a lot to me, ever since I started working to take care of it." She seems genuinely grateful.
A hand's raised to her mouth. "Oh... you don't know, about the Lady of Guadalupe?" Teresa shakes her head slightly, as if surprised by their ignorance. "Ah, forgive me... she's just so dear to us that I forgot, I forgot that you might not know."
She pauses, straightening herself reverently before beginning, her voice taking on the hushed tone of a storyteller, "Once, there was a man Jaun Diego. This was not so very long after Mexico was conquered, you see, and many had not embraced yet the Church. He was climbing a hill, and there was a young girl before him, clothed in bright light." There's another pause, for dramatic effect. "She said to him, in his own tongue, 'Build me here a church", and he realized she could be none other than the Virgin Mary herself. So he rushed to the bishop, and the bishop bade him to bring him a sign that this was indeed the Virgin. Juan Diego set forth again, and although it was winter, there were roses, roses from Spain, growing atop that same hill."
"When he returned to the bishop, the roses carefully wrapped in his cloak, the image of the Lady herself appeared, imprinted on his cloak!" Teresa smiles faintly, winding up her tale. "We believe the Virgin, the Lady, watches over Mexico still."
Where: Scion Gate, Zamora de Hidalgo
When: June 16th 2009
What: Sakura and Saber take a trip South of the Border to explore strange events reported, in relation to the Quetzalcoatl plot. Specifically, ghosts in a graveyard. And find something curious.
Watch For: The obvious point where Sakura OOC screams,
It's early afternoon in Zamora de Hidalgo, the sun beating down bright and warm even for this part of the day. Compared to other parts of the nation of Mexico, this city hasn't suffered as much from the illicit drug trade, which makes it even more surprising that residents have been complaining about vagrants roaming the town at night, especially around the graveyards. The fact that the police haven't so much been able even find a single footprint, or that the disturbance itself only begins in the dark hours of the night, makes the incidents even more mysterious.
Already the local rumor on everyone's lips, the story's even made it into major foreign papers. Some people have written it up as some elaborate prank or stunt, but still, no one's been owning up to it...
Here, too, beyond odd disturbances, are several points of interest for those interested in /other/ matters. There are several universities about the city, with extensive libraries. Also, as any citizen of the Zamora will be quick to point out, they have the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, which, when it is finally completed, will be (as they say) one of the greatest cathedrals on the continent.
Certainly, the traditionally gothic architecture, even incomplete, is quite a sight to behold...
Once upon a time in Mexico, two foreign women walk the streets in search of an answer. One of them a little shorter than the other, and starkly blonde - reflecting golden in the high sun. The other slightly taller, violet hair and eyes standing out and getting the occasional whisper or stare from children in the town. The rumors they've come to track down are indeed real, though what began those rumors...remains yet to be seen.
The univeristy libraries are interesting, though from Sakura's estimation there isn't a lot of information there. Unless there were some sort of paranormal-events club, but she's not sure such things exist here - at least, not in the way they do in Japanese schools. The church is curious, and Sakura can't help but wonder...
"Miss Saber...ah, do you think...perhaps something might be related to the church? It's supposed to be the biggest in North America..."
She can't help but wonder if there /is/ a connection. Though, why would someone steal the dead? Or...maybe drive them out of the underworld?
It's a thought. But for now, she finds herself at a bit of a loss. The graveyards would be the best place to go, Sakura thinks. Though, possibly the most dangerous...but as she's learned, there's many ways to confront danger - and it might just give them the answer they seek.
"Ah, also, did...you want to go to the graveyard now, perhaps?" She can't keep a slight trepidation out of her voice, the thought of being among the dead does scare her a little. But she has a Servant by her side, and even without a proper Contract...she trusts Saber. The Once and Future King already saved her once, at least...in her own memory.
In neither her natural life nor her spiritual one as a Servant, Saber had never seen anything quite like her current surroundings. She would almost regret standing out as much as she did in her customary attire: the three piece suit she wore when not in her battle dress. Still, it was rather uncomfortable; she had removed her jacket and carried it folded neatly over her arm.
The blond head turned, a green gaze focusing immediately on her companion.
"Hm, perhaps," Saber mused out loud.
Nothing seemed particularly dangerous, at least, not yet. And if the reports were true - and the King of Knights had no reason to think otherwise - now would be their best chance to do some digging.
If we are to perform our research thoroughly, we will have to explore that area. And now would be the best time to do so, before the sun sets."
Punctuating her words, she glanced up at thesky, mentally gauging how much time they had.
The closest of the inner-city graveyards is attached to a small church perhaps two blocks away. As with nearly any of the graveyards in the city, any locals, if asked, will affirm that there have been sightings around there, as well.
This is an older church. That much is clear, upon entering the grounds; many of the headstones are well-worn in the adjoining graveyard, and it doesn't seem as if anyone has personally visited any of the dead who sleep here in some time--although, that doesn't mean it's been neglected. Nature, at least, has been kept from reclaiming the markers, and the sparse sun-burnt grass has been neatly cut recently.
It's oddly peaceful, even within the noise of the inner city intruding. It hardly looks, at least not at first glance, like a place where you'd expect people to come to do god-knows-what at night.
Inspection of the headstones will recall names from the late 1800s generally. A few more recent names--from about the 1960s--will be found if any effort is made to seek them, but it would seem that's the reason for the silence here: this is an old graveyard, and quite possibly the dead here have no living relatives to remember them.
The small church itself--the Navas de Zamora--also recalls architecture of an earlier age. While no great cathedral, it manages to convey a quiet dignity on its own.
While the King of Knights may be dressed in her typical business suit - sans jacket, a concession to the heat in this low-latitude town - Sakura finds things a little less uncomfortable. For starters, southern Japan is more humid, and much warmer, than her companion's native land. More importantly than acclimation, Sakura's own outfit is rather mundane, despite its feminine design - a simple white flared-sleeve blouse and a long, cotton skirt that happens to match the odd color of her eyes and hair.
The intensity of Saber's gaze makes Sakura look away after a moment. There's a strength, an inner core to the diminutive woman that...is far, far stronger than she might look. And a little overwhelming, at times, especially to one as shy as Sakura is.
A nod, as Saber makes her observation. "Then...ah, perhaps that might be the best thing to do. Shall we go, then?" She follows the Servant discreetly, habits beaten into her - even if Saber is a woman, she's by far the superior person and well...admittedly, they /are/ approaching a graveyard.
As they approach, Sakura gets an idea - she knows that she's not able to use Midchildan magic; the systems are just too different. But prana, or mana, was the same thing - she could sense it, when Christoph or Fate used their abilities. And they could feel hers as well; clearly it worked both ways. Perhaps whatever's here might be detectable. If it isn't leaving footprints, then it might be leaving something else?
She extends her senses, that feeling that attunes her to the flows of prana. It's enough to feel spellcasting in the area, enough to know that someone is a Magus. Focusing not on any particular spell, but simply on feeling anything, she follows Saber around the graveyard itself, distantly noting the old age of many of the graves. Her slip-on shoes tread quietly on the grass behind the blonde, and Sakura can't help but seek in all directions with her ability.
The church itself brings back distant memory, of when she'd met Father Kotomine in Fuyuki. Or rather, had attended when Shinji met with the priest. It was almost as if she'd been having her face rubbed in the fact that he, not she, was Rider's Master and that she would be sitting aside the Grail War. This church is similar to his; a bit more ornate...but the same shape and design.
Idly, she can't help but hope that this particular church leader is a different person than the deceased priest. Though, if this place is related to the disappeared dead...perhaps Father Kotomine really /was/ hiding inside, waiting for them-
Stop thinking like that!
Saber felt some sympathy for the dead here; she and many of the people she cherished had been long-buried, their graves lost to time and the elements. But then, they were perhaps long beyond any such concerns. Putting aside that thought, she bent down and inspected a few of the stones; somewhat for research but mostly out of mere curiosity. It was rather strange to note that, though these were old by the current era's standards, their origin was her own distant future.
She glanced at Sakura as she concentrated to feel the flow of prana. To a Servant such as herself, it was difficult /not/ to notice it, as her own transient body was merely a vessel for it. Prana was the lifeblood of beings such as herself, and she was as aware of its currents as a bird was of the wind.
"Are you able to sense anything?" she asked, straightening back up. The violet-haired magus might very well be able to find something else, in which case Saber had best be on her guard. It was nevertheless possible that they could be attacked, even in broad daylight.
Throwing her sharp gaze back to the church, she studied it carefully. Even if it was still in use, it was certainly no sanctuary in a hidden war.
It's slow to filter in, through Sakura's senses, but she'll be able to, after a few moments, begin to feel the normal ebb and flow of power in this world. And with that, the tang of something decidedly 'other' almost threaded along through it. If she shuts out the world and focuses just long enough, she'll hone in on it: it's a song, or rather, like part of one. With its small fragment, it carries a sense of life, of hope, of renewal--which puts it at odds with the other thing she'll soon pick up, concealed almost delicately within that song.
Someone has used necromancy here, within roughly the past week.
Whoever did this was talented. The signs have been woven within that foreign element quite neatly, enough that searching specifically for necromantic magic wouldn't pick up a thing. But even knowing what category of magic was used doesn't tell her straight-off what the spell was used /for/. It could be anything from someone attempting a seance to raising an undead army.
Saber, meanwhile, as she kneels by a headstone, will notice something odd. There's what looks like, at first glance, to be some kind of stone. The only thing problematic with that, though, is its shape and color. The shape seems a little too organic for a rock. Furthermore, as a warrior, Saber would likely be well-acquainted, one way or another, with the color of bone.
Slowly, formidably slowly, her magecraft senses reach out among the grass and headstones. And there it is. A song? It's an odd sensation to her, but she realizes that, ever so slightly, she'd sensed such a thing before. A presence she'd not felt since...Triple's birthday, actually. And the idea of a song is something she finds not as strange as it might seem - she hadn't met Simon Parker, but had heard of him and his comments on the Song.
Though what concerns her is the other thing, and she finds herself kneeling - not quite, actually, simply squatted down with ankles bent, skirt flared out a bit around her. One hand finds its way to the fresh-cut grass, absentmindedly. She tries harder, opening her mind's eye that much more, and realizes it - there's another thread, almost...
...almost as if someone was softly playing a cello, in the background, when another person was playing the piano. The sensation of something dark, something dead, resonates in the Worms implanted in the young magus, and she realizes its origin. Her grandfather hadn't been a practicioner of necromancy, so much, but he /had/ used tools and spells related to it to create the False Crest she bears, one based on five centuries of the binding and sealing of spiritual creatures.
Someone...no, the dead can't simply be raised, can they? But...
With a horrified expression, her eyes blink open suddenly and she stands, glancing left - right - behind -
Nothing. Peaceful, simple tranquility. A bird in a tree, the soft rustle of a breeze through its leaves, flowers upon row after row of graves, the grass well-tended and freshly-cut.
...As if, she suddenly realizes, someone had just re-done the landscaping. And despite the heat, Sakura feels a chill that leaves her in a cold sweat.
"M-miss Saber, ah..." Noone else is present, but the magus drops her voice to a whisper anyway. The Servant can hear it; ears prana-enhanced that make a wolf seem deaf. "I...I think s-someone was...raising the dead, here. Th...there's what seems...seems like necromantic spells used. Within, I think, the last few d-days" Glancing furtively around - she can't help it, Shinji loved to terrify her with horror movies - she continues. "I think...we should talk...talk to the priest, to ask..."
One foot peeks out from under her long skirt, shoe gliding over the grass. Highlighting the fact it was so recently cut, as if it'd been...recently disturbed.
Necromancy, was it?
The knight was not surprised, given her own findings. Not to mention the place felt /wrong/, somehow. While her battle premonition told her nothing, the ambient prana had a foul scent.
Saber snorted softly in disgust. It was rather offencive to her senses, the hints of dark magics. While would-be Masters in the Holy Grail War summoned the dead spirits of humankind's past, they did not do so in such a vulgar manner.
The petite blonde remained in her place, but gestured to the bone jutting out from the ground. "That being the case, I think perhaps you had best take a look at this."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced back at the girl. "In a tomb, it is customary for bones to be buried properly, not exposed in this manner. "
The young magus seemed, at least to Saber's keen senses, to be visibly shaken. That too was unsurprising, given what had evidently transpired in this place. Perhaps it would be best not to tarry too long, if for no other reason than that.
"Hm. That is a good idea, I should think."
Turning her head to study the old church, she wondered if there were any members of the clergy on the grounds at all. Even if they had no such gifts, the disturbance itself might have alerted the caretakers to trespassers. She considered that it might be prudent to investigate that matter. "That would be a wise," she commented in her typical non-committal tone of voice.
The blonde recieves a nods at her observation. At the very least, the churchmembers might know of some...strangeness, perhaps chalked up to vandalism? That is, if Sakura's bizarre fears are actually grounded in reality, which can't be the case...can it?
But she leans closer, looking at the noted headstone after Saber's bizarre words. Buried properly...? She approaches the gravestone from the side, careful not to step over the (empty?) grave itself, crouching hesitantly alongside. One hand reaches out, delicately, to brush the grave marker. And as she touches it, she looks closer and sees something on the ground. A chip off of the gravestone, maybe? Her hand brushes it - and she knows that strange feeling. Grain, almost like wood, and in a particular elongated pattern; and the color of the moonlight on concrete-
She practically falls backwards, landing at Saber's feet. "B-" It's a word she can't get out, especially with her sudden fear of the dead no longer acting like it. She looks around, to the other graves, it's got to be the only...one...right next to her also has a small shard mixed in with the dirt. At the surface.
Standing slowly, the magus finds that same hand reaching for Saber's arm, gently clutching for support. Someone who's alive, someone here, and she doesn't immediately make the ironic realization that she's touching the solidified ghost of someone who's been dead for centuries. She points, slowly, at the second piece of bone, at the second graveyard.
For now, she's going to leave those particular pieces of (someone) something where they lie. Maybe it's just a cat's breakfast, or something...less otherworldly. "Then...er, let's...let's go." Steeling up her courage, she gingerly steps across the grass, making extremely sure not to step over the graves of those deceased so long ago. What Saber does with it, she does not see; if the Servant retrieves it for later Sakura admittedly doesn't /want/ to know.
The ground seems somewhat disturbed, but it's difficult to tell if it's a result of the recent landscaping, or something far more sinister.
The exception is around the piece of exposed bone; there's far more earth than grass there, and if the ground had suggested potential disturbance elsewhere, here it's clear that something /else/ has played its role. The soil here is loose, suggesting a hasty reburial--too hasty.
And speaking of the church... as if on cue, the door opens, and a young woman emerges, closing it quietly behind her. Clearly Mexican by birth, she's beautiful, but it's a very quiet and subdued beauty. Her long dark hair bound into a braid that hangs down her back, her blouse and skirt also add to the overall quiet air about her, having been chosen either for their neutral tones, or simply because--as the cleaning supplies peaking out of the bag slung over one of her arms suggests--she's been here to clean, and she's unlikely to mind much if they get dirtied.
She's a few steps past the church door when she notices the pair. Her dark eyes widen, and she raises her free hand to her face. "Oh!" Hurrying to the graveyard, the woman only stops to leave her bag of supplies by the gate before approaching them.
"I'm so sorry," the woman says, concern writ across her face and brow, "I didn't realize there were visitors!" Her English is good, which is fortunate. "I'm so sorry," she repeats again, "I wouldn't have left you to wait out here..." A sudden realization seems to cross her mind, and eyes widening again before she blushes faintly in shame, "How awful, I'm forgetting myself. My name is Teresa Flores. I... clean here, for the priest, the caretaker, Father Ramirez. Ah.. it's a shame, he's been so sick lately..." She chatters on, perhaps getting a little sidetracked by her own thoughts.
With no change of expression, Saber used the grasped hand to help Sakura up. While she had seen far worse things over the many years she had been alive --and in her brief time as a Servant-- she could hardly have expected for the girl to have seen all of what the King of Knights had. It was certainly true that magi lived lives that could be gruesomely snuffed out in the blink of an eye, and willingly placed themselves in that danger to pursue their arcane learning. But even the horrors of Heaven's Feel were a mere drop in the bucket compared to all that the heroic spirit of King Arthur had played witness to.
Saber left the desecrated remains where they lay; to the former Servant, it seemed even more undignified to collect them for study. It was already quite apparent what had transpired, and Sakura would most likely not begrudge her paying what little respect to them that she could. For that, Arturia was grateful.
With barely any sound at all, she followed the girl, senses alert to any out-of-the-ordinary disturbances. It was entirely possible their erstwhile necromancer might make a return visit.
She had just caught up to Sakura when the pair suddenly found themselves no longer alone. Though she had been at the beck and call of a Master only a short time ago, Saber had nonetheless been a king in life, and as such was accustomed to taking command. It was a simple matter for her, as a newly-liberated being, to fall back on old patterns.
"Ah, it is no trouble at all," she reassured the woman with a ghost of a smile, mentally noting her skill in English. Likewise, she wondered if the illness of the priest was related in any way to recent events.
"And I am terribly sorry to hear about the Father. When did he fall ill?"
The dead should lie where they are, and whoever the person was - if that is human remains at the surface - then it's best left where it is. Because Sakura, learning of the death of her true father and believing in the apparent death of her adoptive brother, has...come to accept such things. And being Japanese, bears a respect for the departed that'd surprise some.
Even if she is immensely disturbed by what she's felt here, and that note of necromancy, of dark magics at high work, she can't get rid of it, can't unlearn what she'd discovered.
Releasing Saber's arm, she takes her first few steps to the church, then sees the door open and freezes. For a moment, the black clothing, black hair, and arms held high to carry the bags of cleaning supplies had indeed reminded her of the former Manager of the Grail War. But there's too many dissimilarities, not the least of which is that the woman is...well, a woman. And notably shorter than the priest she'd feared. She waits, as the woman hurries to them - were they trespassing? Oh dear...
Sakura's Spanish isn't very good; to be honest it's atrocious. But thankfully the nun uses english; she is glad to have been noted as a foreigner. Much moreso than she'd expected, to be honest. But it's enough to be able to understand what the woman says. Echoing her companion's words, she "Ah, that's...that's quite alright, miss...Flores." She lets her voice drop away as Saber asks. The King is used to leading, and Sakura is very used to following.
And thinking. The Father was ill, recently? How so? What happened? It's only a small effort of conscious self-control to keep the concern and questions off of her face; instead she projects a quiet and reverent worry for the Father's health - and a small smile, hoping he will be alright. Well, she honestly does...
"Oh, since he's been sick? Ah..." Teresa starts, scrunching up her brow as she thinks back. "If today is the tenth, then..." Her lips move silently, as if counting back, "--Madre de Dios, has it already been a week?" Concern and alarm mix in her youthful features, her eyes widening. "Oh, I hope it's not serious! I should check in with him, shouldn't I..." Her expression downcast, the woman smiles at the pair nonetheless, and adds, "I will tell him, when I see him, that people are concerned for him."
Her gaze travels over them, fully taking stock of their appearance. "You are tourists, yes?" She smiles, but it's a slightly rueful one. "I'm afraid our... little old church is not very interesting. Most tourists come here to see the Cathedral for Our Lady of Guadalupe!" Teresa pauses here, before leaning in, venturing a surreptitious glance to her side, "...They say that someday, it will be finished. It's been worked on for over a hundred years, you know! I think it will be quite beautiful, when it's finished." She leans back, nodding in self-satisfaction. "The Lady of Guadalupe is very important to us, so she should have the best cathedral of all."
"We would be most grateful," Saber replied with a polite nod, making careful note of the length of time. While this may have been a simple coincidence, one could never be too cautious, certainly not now.
Well, this was hardly the first time she had to pose as a sightseer. It would be amusing to see how Irisviel would react in this situation, the tiny swordswoman idly reflected.
"Yes, we are," Saber answered. It was not, strictly speaking, a falsehood and therefore did not violate Saber's policy of honesty. Yet, even if it did, she refused to involve innocents in the dangers of occult matters.
"We have something of an interest in this country's architecture, and so we thought to take a better look," she explained smoothly. Also not a lie.
"Though, I trust that it nevertheless must receive the faithful, as the cathedral is yet unfinished." It went without saying that they should have a look inside, if for no other reason than to reassure themselves that this elusive necromancer was not taking refuge inside the church.
However, Our Lady of Guadalupe might also yield some clue. It could do no harm to investigate, certainly.
"But we shall have to see it for ourselves, then," she replied with a slight smile. "I do look forward to seeing it completed."
It would likewise do no harm to be cordial.
Sakura notes the figure down. It matches the probable time that the spell was put in, for sure. Sakura herself believes in luck, but not coincidence; she's not completely sure but it won't be hard to convince her completely. And the bone fragments...fresh, within the last several days, as well.
Sakura nods as Saber gives her explanation. And chimes in smoothly, as the King finishes her words. "And, er...in my hometown, there was a church, as well, rather...rather similar to this one." She indicates the small chapel that Sister Flores had just exited. "That is, it isn't as ornate, or pretty as this one...but it does remind me of the one at home, I admit, and...please pardon my nostalgia, but I did wish to see this one a little closer."
She tilts her head, as well. "Ah, could you...tell us why Lady Guadalupe is...so important?" It might simply be a cultural thing. But there might be something related, as well; after all - this is the town with the greatest disturbances, and a cathedral dedicated to a Saint being...
...desecrated, she realizes, in such a way to have its dead stolen...would be something cruel to inflict upon this particular place. Though, as much as she'd like to know, there's utterly no way she can ask the young woman before her if she's aware of the various rumors of spectral stalkers at night.
What they might have to do instead, is...wait, and try to spot one.
Teresa smiles, and nods. "Yes, if you're staying in the city, you should go and see it! Even most of the inside is finished. I think," she tilts her head to one side, "There are only small things left to be finished? It has been a while since I last visited."
Sakura's praise of the little church makes the young woman blush. "Ah... why, thank you. It's small, and people rarely even visit, but a place like this... means a lot to me, ever since I started working to take care of it." She seems genuinely grateful.
A hand's raised to her mouth. "Oh... you don't know, about the Lady of Guadalupe?" Teresa shakes her head slightly, as if surprised by their ignorance. "Ah, forgive me... she's just so dear to us that I forgot, I forgot that you might not know."
She pauses, straightening herself reverently before beginning, her voice taking on the hushed tone of a storyteller, "Once, there was a man Jaun Diego. This was not so very long after Mexico was conquered, you see, and many had not embraced yet the Church. He was climbing a hill, and there was a young girl before him, clothed in bright light." There's another pause, for dramatic effect. "She said to him, in his own tongue, 'Build me here a church", and he realized she could be none other than the Virgin Mary herself. So he rushed to the bishop, and the bishop bade him to bring him a sign that this was indeed the Virgin. Juan Diego set forth again, and although it was winter, there were roses, roses from Spain, growing atop that same hill."
"When he returned to the bishop, the roses carefully wrapped in his cloak, the image of the Lady herself appeared, imprinted on his cloak!" Teresa smiles faintly, winding up her tale. "We believe the Virgin, the Lady, watches over Mexico still."