An Archer's Promise

Chapter 40: And so it begins Part 1

Beta read by Shigiya, Fluffy Slayer, Fabled Life and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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--???-

She had this premonition that it was coming to an end.

Celestine had finally learned the young boy's name. Shirou Emiya... Fatally wounded in the inferno, he not only lost his family but his innocence as well. The only thing keeping him from death's door was the desire to live - that is until the man she knew as Kiritsugu Emiya intervened. Taking him under his wing, his savior became a shining beacon of hope in this unforgiving world. But that hope evaporated when it ended up being the catalyst dooming him to a lifetime of hell.

She was powerless to intervene as she watched this altruistic child fall prey to the promise of a dream that belonged to his father. Becoming a hollow shell twisted by the world, yet despite that, he found a way to push forward through the darkness.

Celestine also witnessed the unveiling of the Holy Grail War, an event she could only describe as horrifying and disgusting. Nevertheless the magic unveiled there shook her to her core. Legendary beings, some eclipsing even the gods were used as... Servants? It was a notion inconceivable to even the brightest mage in Eostia,so foreign yet so terrifying that she feared for what would become of those possessing malevolent intent.

The only piece of good fortune here is that Shirou was still alive, the hole in his chest having healed but he still remained in danger. For the many days she remained by his side in this dream sequence, the goddess was witness to scenes that marveled her to no end.

A beautiful King of Knights who yearned to change the fate of her doomed kingdom. Carrying herself with regal and charisma that surpassed even Claudia's, valiantly facing all danger with steady hands and an unbreaking will. She became the boy's sword and shield, keeping both his life and wish safe from the hands of death.

The spear wielder, a warrior from the far past who desired something similar to the one known as Saber. To continue living the life of the Hound of Ulster.

A powerful mage who could summon armies with the wave of her hand. Gifted with a barrage of spells capable of obliterating anything in its path. Yet she was demonized as a witch, for her supposed actions and betrayals. In a way, this reminded the goddess of Olga, who was betrayed and turned into a force of evil by the will of mankind.

Then came a mighty demigod, similar to the one she saw before. Impervious to death, but trapped in a vessel of boundless rage. So potent was he that his presence alone petrified her... For even if this was but a broken memory of the past, the being's apparition still held unfathomable weight. Yet in spite of this, Celestine saw a glimpse of purpose within this frightening Servant: the desire to protect.It didn't appear to originate from his role as a Servant, but from his past as not only a great hero, but that of a genuinely kind soul who lost far too much.

Every single one of them could easily change the history of Eostia, titans in human skin that wielded the power to reshape the land in any way they saw fit. It was a level of power that vastly surpasses her current state, making it futile to oppose them in any possible... unless she was in her original form, but that would mean recouping the powers she entrusted to the Shields, ultimately killing them. It was a measure of last resort she prayed would never come to pass.

To think that there existed a place in this world where god fearing beings were summoned from beyond the grave to wage war, all for the sake of a single wish.

"It's blurry... the memories are breaking apart."

This wasn't the first time this had happened; Oftentimes, the picturesque scenes in front of her became fragmented. People whose faces were masked by black smoke, their voices distorted to the point of incomprehension. The passing of the days started accelerating brusquely - the result of her visions catching up to the more preserved memories.