Pieces Coming Together

Irene fired a blast of Hollow energy at the retreating Fox Spirit, who avoided as she had the last half dozen, with her unnatural, jerky movement.

"What IS that?"  The puppet Kunihiro had sent, made to look just like him without the tails, demanded.

"I don't know, your family is the one that made the contract with her."  Irene said back.

"Maybe, but normally she only appears before us when a new generation is born.  The only exceptions have been when my grandmother helped to found this particular Grail War, and now."

"Well, clearly she has some interest in the Grail."

"Yes, that's why my family makes sure to keep in touch with the other founding families, despite the distance between us."

The two continued to chase the Fox across the rooftops of the city.  Suddenly, the Fox was forced to a stop as a man in clerical vestments with a red robe over them appeared before and threw several black keys her way.  She jerkily avoided them and threw a piece of paper at him in turn, which he avoided.

Kunihiro approached from behind.  Irene was scribbling several Runes on the corners of the Rooftop.

"Isn't that the type of thing you should do beforehand?"  The Fox Spirit said a bit condescendingly.

"I imagine they would had if my intervention was planned.  However, the only reason I cut you off is because I saw them chasing you when I was retracing my steps to find the trail of my original prey."

"I'll be sure to repay you for your aid, maybe my familiars can locate whatever it is you were trying to hunt down."  Kunihiro's puppet offered.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept help from someone as involved in the war as you are.  It would cause the other participants to lose faith in my neutrality."

"And letting an active participant stay in the church doesn't?"

"Sister Eva lived in the church long before she became involved in the war, denying it to her would be like denying you your home."

"Except people can attack my home and not have the overseer out for their head."

"And I'm sure it would go very well for them, attacking a Magus in their own home.  Your house has it's defenses, and Eva's has it's.  They are different in nature, but both serve to dissuade people from assaulting you while you sleep."

"Pardon me, not to interrupt this riveting conversation, but we do have a prisoner."  Irene interjected.

"Oh no, go on, I'll wait."  The Fox Spirit said.

The three turned to the Spirit.  The Puppet Kunihiro stepped forward.  "What are you doing here?  You never show youself so openly except when a new member of my family is born."

"Well puppet, I'm here to keep an eye on my investment.  Your daughter is coming along nicely."

"Stay away from her!" Kunihiro shouted through his puppet, which had to be restrained by Irene.

"No.  I've been waiting for this moment since before I grew my last tail.  For everything to fall into place."

"Even if she doesn't win, she still has her whole life to find another way to the Root  You can't take her.."

"Not as things are, no.  But Grail Wars are a time when things change.  She is the one who holds your families Magic Crest.  Meaning she is the one who has the authority to renegotiate any aspect of the contract with me."  As she continued to talk, the Fox Spirit's voice picked up a strange intensity, like that of a fanatic, or a cult leader.  "And when the time comes, your daughter will agree to whatever I ask.  Because she'll feel she has no other choice."

The Fox Spirit slammed a paper talisman onto Irene, who had wandered to close, then threw one at Kunihiro's puppets.  Both were paralyzed, Irene by burning heat, the puppet by freezing cold.  Damien thought for just a moment whether he should pursue the Fox or help those on the rooftop, before the choice was made for him by the Fox jumping off the rooftop, and out of the runic barrier that kept her from teleportation, and then vanished.

Damien removed the talismans from Irene and Kunihiro's puppet.

"Come by the church sometime soon, both of you.  I think we have a lot to talk about."