FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 16: Wake-Up Call

 8am, The Alghul Villa

Aisha's alarm blared from the bedside table.

Grumbling, she reached over and tapped her phone to turn off her alarm, shuffling to the side of her bed. She checked her phone to see what updates there had been since she'd gone to bed at around 4am.

She was trying to call in some help from her organization, some specialists to assist with the unprecedented nature of the war. Naturally, as with any organization- especially one trying to keep a low profile- there were many, many -unnecessary- hiccups and -ridiculous- complications, but these had been dealt with as they came, and this team would be arriving in Athens in the late evening. They had been briefed on only the bare minimum; there was much to discuss when they arrived, and, since she hadn't expected such help to be necessary, there was no place for the team of five in the villa. Instead, they would be set up in a hotel downtown and communication would be handled magically and through email, but this was certainly for the best.

Surely they would be more reliable than Caster. It was nearly impossible for them to be less trustworthy than him.

Sending affirmative messages to her contacts, she stood up and began to stretch as she always did in the morning. Her silk, leopard print pajamas moved with her body as she touched her toes and leaned to both sides. In an hour-and-a-half she would do some proper yoga, but now, it was time for coffee.

Leaving the cozy master bedroom of the mountain villa, she went to the balcony overlooking the central living area. The wide window wall illuminated the space with the warm, crisp light of morning, the light shining off of the marble Acropolis to the point of being blinding. Looking down, she saw the sitting area, the two couches with the 3D model of Athens between them. Caster was there, stooped over the model, examining it closely while stroking his goatee.

"And what are you doing now, Caster?"

She called down with sarcastic disinterest, knowing full well whatever response he gave would be pure bull.

"Well, good morning to you too, Aisha. You are always such a joy in the mornings; you rise like the sun to my night."

He didn't even look at her, seemingly entranced by the model, only waving his hands as he always did to accentuate his sarcasm.

He had been messing with the model for several days, claiming to be using it for battle plans and trying to locate Berserker and his Master. Aisha didn't actually doubt this, this likely wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth. She knew he was casting magecraft through the model, and likely using it to enhance his clairvoyance, but she wasn't too concerned by this. Though he was doing his best to undermine her and her authority, at the end of the day they were a team, and whatever benefited him should benefit her by extension.

There was another fear too: if she came down too hard on him, he could simply rebel against her, killing her and finding a new Master with a weaker mind. This was a long game, making him think she was putty in his fingers before pulling the rug out from under him when he least expected it. That was part of why she was calling in her team, an extra five allies in her internal power struggle against Caster, an insurance policy. A little bit of leniency, just enough to make him think he was in control, and to let him work his magic- literally and figuratively- for her while she sat back and waited for the Grail to fall into the palm of her hand.

She had to hide her cruel smile as she began to move towards the staircase and down towards the kitchenette where she began to brew a cup of coffee, an expensive Cuban brand with pecan and citrus.

"So, have any more Servants been summoned? It should be about the time that the Grail intervenes to choose its champions... We're still waiting on three aren't we?"