FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 58: Bated Breath

1:35pm, Filopappou Hill, on the Outskirts of the Acropolis

Heping began her stretches. With the broad success of yesterday, and the ever-present threat of the war, it came as common sense for both Master and Servant to take another day to train and shore-up her abilities. Things were calm for now, yes, but one could only guess how long this false peace would last. With the threat of the War looming, her mind kept wandering, as did her eyes, and especially to the sky over the Acropolis, forever anticipating something, someone, to appear there.

Pigsy manifested on his favorite rock, three to-go boxes filled with food in his lap, licking his pork-chops in anticipation. Summoning his rake, he spun the head on the shaft, and when the head clicked back into place, it was generating a consistent fire, and he began to reheat his food with the flaming divine weapon.

One would've assumed that he wasn't paying attention, but, although he wasn't quite in his 'military mode', he was still attentive to his student and Master, and so, as he continued to roast his food,

"So... what's on yer mind? -oink-."

There was plenty on her mind, so she took the first thought off the pile, "Do you really think that she did not know who we were?"

He shrugged, watching the flaming rake intently, "Could be. Could also be that it wasn't Saber's Master."

Her mind became so preoccupied that her stretches stopped, her body not able to maintain its autopilot, "Really?"

"Hmh. Remember when he said that he was trying to coordinate with other Masters? Maybe they were negotiating. Could be that no one there was his Master, or maybe it was that Eastern lady. -oink-. Although... I can tell ya that there was another Servant there."

Her focus shifted entirely to her Servant, "How's that?"

"Hehe," He tapped the side of his snout with his free hand, "Never underestimate a pig's nose. See, Servants don't have the same kinda scent as people do. It's subtle, and a lot harder to trace too, but it lacks a certain quality to it -oink-."

"Is that so? Then who was it?"

"Who else? That chick in the wheelchair. I couldn't tell ya more than that, though."

'Why would a Servant be in a wheelchair?

'If she's a Servant, then why did she look exactly like the other girl?'

Various questions weaved through her mind, but she was more curious about her own Servant than someone else's, "Is your nose really that powerful?"

"It is. Powerful enough to know when his drunk chicken is completely baked. Reeheehee," He lifted the whole chicken patty on a fork and took a massive bite, "Ai kohld eephan trahk dow daht ladee iph yoo liehk. (I could even track down that lady if you like)."

He went to oink, but the throat muscles contracted around his half-swallowed food, and he had to bash on his esophagus to push it down.

"Hmm." She thought back on the people they've met, "Then... could you track down the Master of Rider?"

He took a breath, having freed his esophagus, and shook his head, "I can't, which is why I can tell ya that he's still alive. If he were dead, I would smell his corpse, but I can't find him, -oink- so he must be alive... somewhere."

Her mind and eyes wandered back to the Acropolis that sat on the horizon.

"I know, I know, and yer right. We ain't gonna win without that alliance. -oink- '' He pointed at Heping with his plastic fork, "We'll go the moment we know they're back. Until then, there ain't nothin' to do except make sure that we're at our best when that happens. -oink-"