Fate/Elysion

Chapter 1 - Lancer

"I'm the Lancer-class Servant, are you the Master who summoned me?"

When that androgynous creature asked me that fateful question, I didn't know what to answer. Their eyes were the same color as the sky and their long, wild green hair was illuminated by the rays of the sun, which was peering through the branches of a dense forest. That creature who claimed to be a Servant wore a clean, white tunic that could hide both the body of a male and a female.

What struck me was the look of that creature, I felt penetrated by those eyes so bright. The sensation I felt was one of pleasure, at first, but then the discomfort took over and I decided to get up from the ground to get away from that being.

"Something wrong?" they asked me.

"Why are you here? Where do you come from?"

"A strange question... really."

And I still hadn't let them know that I had no idea where I was or how I got there in a forest. I didn't mind being surrounded by fir and chestnut trees, on the contrary, a part of me felt at home; yet that place remained anonymous in my eyes. It was just a forest like so many others. But why was I there? How did I get there?

While I was trying to answer those questions, that creature kept staring at me with confused eyes. I felt a slight embarrassment that I tried to hide with a joke:

"I hope I don't meet Little Red Riding Hood."

A stupid joke.

I only understood this when I listened to those words in my head. The embarrassment increased considerably and I felt my face warm up.

But that creature didn't say anything, didn't even move a muscle in their face. Their indifferent reaction made me feel like an idiot. I let out an anxious sigh and walked away.

That creature followed me.

I stopped, turned and looked at them as if to say 'you don't need to follow me'. I continued on my way.

The creature followed me.

I stopped again and it was then that I realized that this creature was wearing no footwear of any kind. They walked on the wild earth with bare feet as if it were the floor of their house and I, concerned for their well-being, asked:

"Doesn't it hurt you to walk around barefoot?"

"It's nothing, Master. Doesn't it hurt to wear shoes?"

"Well... but it's worse to walk without shoes than with them, don't you think too?"

"A matter of opinion."

"But who are you? Some kind of monk? No, first of all, what are you? A man or woman? I don't understand."

"Both and neither."

Not the answer I would've expected. "And are you a monk?"

"I'm a Servant."

"A Servant? And... whose servant are you?"

"I'm your Servant, of course."

"Wait—what? So you... serve me?"

"Up to a certain point. Consider me your weapon... or your object. Use me to defeat your enemies and to protect those closest to you. I'm in your hands, Master."

I didn't like it. I didn't like what they said. I didn't like what they said and the way they said it. That kind of submission made me uncomfortable and I wanted so badly to scold them, but I didn't even know who exactly that creature was. They were not human, they claimed to be a Servant and claimed to serve me. I immediately thought of two things: either I was dreaming or, if it was real, it was alarming that I had amnesia. Maybe they were the one who caused it to me?