Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Aozaki and Tohsaka – The Book of the Four Faces

Chapter 6

One by one, they filed into the room, the chosen offerings to the gods of the sky, of the four ancestral aspects of every living being to ever look up at the stars, whose names had been forgotten to the sands of times, and yet continued to echo unheard in the hearts of men. Twelve they were, comely young virgins untouched by unclear hands, clad in sheer silks of white, their long hair arranged into luxurious piles under crowns of gold.

In the guttering light of the candles, they entered the Chamber of Sacrifice, and taking their places, sat and then lay down on a sacrificial tablet each. The high priest raised his staff, made from lightning-struck elder wood, and then slammed it down once against the ground. The dull note echoed across the chamber, and then the choirs of acolytes began to chant.

Syllable after syllable echoed gutturally in the chamber, up the shaft leading above through the ceiling, and thence into the corridors and passageways of the temple. Slowly but surely, the echoes filled the whole of the temple, until at last, it seemed as though an infinitely-vast choir sang an infinitely-enduring hymn of praise and longing.

The high priest raised his staff once more, and then brought it down. At the dull note, other priests rhythmically raised and struck their own staffs, made from carved ash, their dull notes forming a powerful yet subtle undertone to the chanting of the acolytes.

The chanting and the beating continued, until after a full hour, when the high priest raised his staff and struck the ground a third time. The priests and acolytes fell silent. The echoes continued for a long while yet, but then they too began to fade, vanishing into the silence of memory.

Then the high priest raised his staff, and struck the ground a fourth time. As the dull note echoed across the chamber, iron lanced up from tablets, and piercing through the backs of the offered sacrifices, tore their hearts out of their bodies. The priests and acolytes offered solemn witness to the sacrifice, even as they gasped their last, impaled hearts hanging on iron lances in the air above their bodies.

Then the high priest raised his staff, and struck the ground a fifth time. The lances withdraw back into the tablets, barbs holding the hearts in place and dragging them into the depths of the temple. Blood poured down from the sacrifices' bodies, over the tablets onto the ground, where spiraling funnels caught them and channeled them to another shift in the middle of the room, around which the tablets had been arranged.

Drop by drop, the blood fell into the shaft, sinking down into the darkness. Then the air shifted, the writhing friezes on the walls seeming to come to life ever so briefly and assuming new positions, even as black fluid bubbled up and out of the shaft. Impossibly defying the laws of physics, the bubbles flowed into a stream that wound up into the air, shimmering with reflected light even as it swallowed said light into itself.

Sloshing to and fro through the air, the fluid coalesced into a gleaming disk, reflected light turning into recognizable forms. A young man, spectacled and dressed in a sleeveless vest over a long-sleeved shirt and trousers.

A young woman, also wearing a sleeveless vest, this time over a short-sleeved shirt paired with a skirt and leggings, a ribbon tied around her neck.

An older woman, spectacled and wearing a long-sleeved shirt over fitted pants.

The high priest gestured, the disk rippling in anticipation of his touch…

…the candles went out. A cold breeze blew through the chamber, bringing with it an icy chill. Priests and acolytes looked in alarm from one direction to another, and then gasping, looked on in shock and terror as the smoke of the candles merged together, swirling and then coalescing into the form of a winged serpent.

It snarled soundlessly, before lunging at the disk. The disk exploded as the serpent struck it, winds lancing outward in twelve directions and reducing the sacrifices' bodies into mulch. Again, a cold blew through the chamber, but out this time and taking the chill with it.

Priests and acolytes murmured to each other, even as the high priest rose to his feet, having been bowled over his feet at the abrogation of his prayer.

"Calm yourselves." He said softly but firmly, waiting until the chamber had fallen silent to continue. "Do not fear, but be honored, for regardless of the outcome, we have all been blessed by the presence of the divine."

The high priest raised a hand, fog swirling around his fingertips, and then massing into a cloud, briefly formed the images of the two women newly-arrived in the nearby city of Omsk. "There can be no doubt." He said. "These honored ones are blessed by a dead god dreaming. And we have borne witness to his wrath…no, if they are to be our enemies, then we must face them as equals. The gods demand no less."

Pausing, the high priest turned to face his champion standing in the shadows to the side of the door. "A worthy opponent, perhaps," the high priest continued. "Even to you, Sila."

The man bowed low, every movement causing the petal-like folds of his skin above the waist to dance. At his side, a mace seemed to drink in the very light.

The high priest turned away. "But if we are to treat them as equals," he began. "A challenge or a warning must be sent. They have already sent the challenge, with their mere presence and the slaying of the Sentinel Kusma, the gods rest his soul. So a warning must be sent, and will be."

The priests and acolytes bowed in submission before the high priest's wisdom, and nodding once, the high priest turned away, and left the chamber.

The follow morning dawned cool if humid, with the dawn light seeming to percolate into a haze across the skies over Omsk. No doubt a result of industrial pollution from the city's manufacturing districts, and not really something unique to Omsk. New York could be worse at times, and that was before factoring in the open secret that there was plutonium in the water.

Count Migunov had left early, citing – through his household – the need to inspect a series of warehouses near the city's terminal along the Trans-Siberian Railway containing goods that needed shipping both east and west. In short, one of his sources of income demanded his personal attention, and as such, apologized for not being able to join them for breakfast.

His household served Touko and company breakfast, though, and provided them the promised Letters of Authorization from Count Migunov. For breakfast there was plenty of black bread, served with butter and sliced sausages. There was also scrambled eggs, and they were all offered porridge, either hot or cold. Touko and Sakura declined, but Caules took up the offer, taking the porridge cold with a serving of jam to sweeten it up.

There was tea and coffee available, the former the usual strong, black brew favored by Russians, along with cold water. No fruit juices were offered, and no one was rude enough to ask.

Touko set down her coffee mug, and picking up a sheaf of papers from the table, slid them into a folder before gesturing at a maid. The maid approached and then curtseyed. "How may be of assistance, Miss Aozaki?" she asked.

"Have these brought before Count Migunov on his arrival." Touko replied. "Inform him it may prove useful on his efforts against the Cult of the Four Faces."

"I'll be sure to present it to my lord personally, Miss Aozaki." The maid said, and receiving the folder with a bow.

"What was that, master?" Sakura asked.

"I'm going to guess it involves those puppets you sent out last night, with Count Migunov's permission." Caules said before Touko could reply.

"That is correct." Touko said with a nod. "Most of it's just movements of known elements of the Cult of the Four Faces, and which Count Migunov already knows based on what he's shared with us. Some of it, though, he probably doesn't, including what looks like several new safe houses and front operations."

"Front operations…" Sakura echoed. "If I remember correctly from last night, we already know that the cult operates a number of brothels and drug dens."

"Primarily to make money for them to use, and possible to make sleeper agents by planting conditional instructions in the heads of the customers or some other way of influencing them." Touko said before forking some egg and sausage into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed before continuing. "That said, a number of high-end clubs and establishments may also be front operations for the cult, though, or at least influenced by them. The police are definitely compromised, though, and to a greater degree than the count already knows. And he needs to know as soon as possible."

Touko paused to take another drink. "On another note," she said. "One of my puppets managed to listen in on a rather…interesting conversation."

Sakura and Caules looked curious at that, and Touko smiled. "It was a conversation between truckers, made over the glass in the pleasure district." She said. "It involved a shipment of supplies up to the monastery at Angel's Point a few days ago, with the truck driver saying he'd never come take another shipment up there ever again."

"And why not?" Caules asked while adjusting his glasses.

"Bad weather apparently all but wrecked his truck on the way to and from the monastery." Touko replied. "And on the way back, tribesmen from the steppe attacked him, using his truck as target practice for rifles and bows and arrows. That, and…eerie, lack of any person or animal across the steppes. Not even birds or dogs…and something else too…something that had the man frightened all but out of his wits, from what my puppet could see."

"And that is?" Sakura prompted.

"He didn't say." Touko replied. "Either out of fear or because the other truckers would make a fool out of him if he did. His fear was genuine, though, as was his desperation when he mentioned he'd be selling everything he owned to get out of town and take the train as far as it goes to the west."

Sakura and Caules shared a look. Touko shrugged and took a drink of her coffee. "It's rather circumstantial," she admitted. "But my gut tells me that looking in on that monastery over at Angel's Point might be a good place to start our hunt for the cult."

"You think the Church is crooked, master?" Sakura asked.

Touko snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Organized religion of any kind is always crooked," she said. "Don't you know that?"

"Sorry…"

Touko shrugged. "Religion and power should never mix." She said. "They feed into each other's worst, and cancel out each other's best. Read a history book and you will see. Religion is something that individual people should on their own, and never decided for them by silly old men with delusions of self-righteousness and divine purpose."

"Yes, master." Sakura said with a nod.

Hours later, and they were bouncing along a road into the Siberian steppes, away from the city of Omsk. Literally bouncing along: the asphalt of the road was cracked and pitted, with some potholes going deeper than the asphalt and into the concrete below.

"How you doing?" Touko asked between 10:30 and 11:00, all the while handing Sakura – who was driving – a sweet bun filled with jam.

"…I'm honestly surprised the suspension hasn't given out on us." Sakura grouched while accepting the offered sweet.

"Paradox of Soviet engineering, Sakura." Caules said while nodding gratefully at Touko, as she also handed him a sweet bun filled with jam. "The infrastructure might need more maintenance to last compared to in the West, but their vehicles are sturdy. Very sturdy…you could take this jeep off-road for months and so long as you don't drive over Czech hedgehogs or land mines, the suspension will last."

"In other words," Sakura grouched. "The roads are crap, but the autos can take the crap and up to three times at that."

"…close enough, I suppose." Caules admitted after a moment, before biting into his bun. "Oh, blueberry…what about you, Sakura? What have you got?"

Sakura bit down into her bun, and shrugged. "Blackberry…what about you, master?" she asked. "What's the filling in your bun?"

"Raspberry…" Touko replied after a bite. "…hang in there, kid. Besides, you're a magus, aren't you? An uncomfortable ride's nothing compared to being one."

"Well, if you put it that way…"

"That's the spirit!"

Relative silence fell as the party continued their trip across the steppes, the only sounds to be heard the rumbling of their engine, the soft grinding of their wheels against the road, the squeaking of the suspension as they jostled to and fro, and the shifting of their bodies against the worn leather of their seats.

"How far is this monastery from Omsk, again?" Sakura asked.

"About two days on a jeep like this." Caules replied.

Sakura quickly swept the horizon with her gaze, only the patchy, dark-colored thread of the road breaking the monotony of grass-covered plains stretching out as far as the eye could see. "Really scenic…" she sarcastically remarked. "…is it all like this?"

"This is Siberia." Caules said. "The heart of Russia…yeah, it's as big as it looks, and what you can't see is even bigger. Empty too, for the most part. The steppes aren't fertile enough to make farming worthwhile, and most of the local water supply just isn't enough."

"Omsk used to have a number of collective and state farms around it, though." Touko chimed in. "Synthetic fertilizers made up for poor soil, while water was redirected from the Om and Irtysh for irrigation. At least, that was the plan."

"As you know," Caules continued with a nod. "Collective farming wasn't very effective, between poor management, lack of incentive for farm laborers to put in real effort, substandard equipment and supplies both in terms of quantity and quality…"

Caules trailed off with a shrug. "The state farms were a bit more successful," Touko added. "Though not so much that they stayed competitive and worth supporting once the Soviet Union fell. The laborers moved back into the city for better opportunities, with many heading west to European Russia."

"Meaning the former farmlands here have been lying fallow for over a decade now." Caules said. "I hear the Russian government is trying to sell them off to either get agriculture back up and running, or develop them into suburban communities, but they're not very successful. Give or take a few years, and who knows?"

"…farms aren't that much of an improvement over the steppes." Sakura said after a moment. "Just wheat or rye or some other crops replacing all this grass. That, or herds of sheep or cows or whatnot out on pasture."

"But," Caules said with a smile, and glancing sideways at Sakura. "It'd still be an improvement, wouldn't it?"

Sakura glanced his way, and after a moment, smiled back. "Yeah," she admitted. "It would be."

They took their lunch to the side of the road, under an ash tree. They had black bread and butter, along with pork dumplings of some kind that the Migunov household had supplied them with as a gift for their trip. They also had bottled water and canned soft drinks, and cheesecake for dessert.

"…thank the gods for small mercies…" Sakura muttered as she sat back against the worn bark of the ash tree, looking up at the green of its canopy while drinking water from a bottle.

"What does that mean?" Caules curiously asked.

"A tree…this tree to be precise…" Sakura answered. "…it might only be one, but that one breaks the monotony nicely. That, and its shade is much bigger than the jeep's, so we don't have to eat under the Sun."

"Well, we could always eat in the jeep if it comes to that." Caules cheerfully remarked. "Though, I wouldn't mind eating in the Sun either. It might be spring already, but the air's still quite cold. Especially at night."

"You better get used to the monotony, kid." Touko said before biting into a slice of buttered bread. "Until we get to the monastery, the steppes are all there are to see around here."

"Not really…" Sakura said. "…we'll have to pass by one of the few towns branching off the main road tomorrow, or we'll be out of fuel before nightfall. And we'll have to refuel again on the way back, or we'll be walking to Omsk."

Touko snorted, and then laughed. "Then I guess it's not all that monotonous, is it?" she asked.

"No…it isn't…" Sakura admitted, before giving a smirk of her own. "…at least once we get to a town, that is."

"Fair enough, kid." Touko admitted.

They finished the rest of their lunch in silence after that, after which they rested for a bit before continued on their journey. Touko lay back on the ground, pillowing her head with her arms crossed behind it, while Sakura and Caules sat next to each other against the tree trunk.

"Hey?" Caules sleepily began, just as Sakura herself began dozing off.

"Yeah?" she asked back.

"Care for a history lesson?" Caules asked again.

"I'm listening." Sakura said.

"Some of my family died in Russia, you know." Caules said to Sakura's surprise. "Well…more great-granduncles, actually…they were in the Romanian Army, and fought as part of the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union back in WWII. They died in battle…or getting taken prisoner, vanished into the gulags, never to be seen again."

Caules paused, his expression regretful and even ashamed, no doubt thinking of the hell on Earth that was the Eastern Front of WWII. "Not exactly our finest hour." He finally said.

"Hey, don't sweat it." Sakura said, looping an arm around one of Caules' own. "I'm in the same boat, aren't I? Well, me and master, actually, seeing as we – or our ancestors and country at the time – were on the same side of the war as your ancestors and country were."

Caules snorted. "That's true." He said with a smile. "Day of Infamy and all that."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah…not exactly our finest hour either." She said.

"No, it wasn't." Caules agreed, and Sakura sighed.

"Well…" she began. "I…I don't really know my family so…I don't know. Maybe some Tohsakas fought and died in that war, whether in China or across the Pacific…or maybe they just stayed at home in a safe and comfortable position to the rear…sorry, Caules. I shouldn't have run my mouth off."

Caules hummed, and then pulling his arm free, pulled Sakura into a hug and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "It's fine." He said, Sakura hugging him back as they dozed away in the shade.

The skies blazed with orange and gold as the Sun descended towards the western horizon, and yet Touko's party continued to bounce along the battered road further into the depths of the Siberian steppes. "It's so quiet." Touko murmured, looking out her window towards the horizon.

"What was that you said earlier, master?" Sakura cheekily asked. "Get used to the monotony?"

"Don't get cheeky on me, kid."

"Sorry, master."

Touko hummed and continued looking out the horizon for several minutes. "Remember that tidbit my puppet picked up?" she asked. "Lack of people and animals out here on the steppes?"

"…the lack of people is kind of expected, though." Sakura pointed out. "It is the steppes, after all. Not much to do out in the open, so people would likely stay inside their small towns."

"Easy to get lost too, if you're not careful when going out into the steppes." Caules chimed in.

"Yeah, but where are all the animals?" Touko asked. "There should at least be some foxes running around, rodents and birds too. But I don't see or sense anything. What about your spirits, Sakura?"

Sakura was silent for a long moment, and then slowly looked at Caules. Caules looked back worriedly, and then Sakura used the rearview mirror to look at her master in the eyes. "They've got nothing either." She said. "I didn't think much of it until now, but now that you mention it…there's nothing. Nothing but cold earth and silent grasses in the winds of Siberia…"

"…something's not right here." Caules muttered.

"…we got careless." Touko hissed. "We thought all this…nothing, was nothing at all, when it's probably an indication of the threat we're facing."

"…so what's the plan, master?" Sakura asked.

"We're not turning back, that's for sure." Touko replied. "I still want the cult's holy text. But we'll have to be more careful from here on out, and ready to fight on a moment's notice. If we do, don't hold back. Kill anything that gets in our way."

"And if the monastery is compromised, then what?" Caules asked.

"I'm not particularly up for cleaning up the Church's dirty laundry, are you?" Touko asked back.

"No, ma'am." Caules said while adjusting his glasses. "But if it is, setting the whole place on fire should buy us some time to get a decent head start on getting out of there once we figure out what's going on, and get what we need. Whether it's the Book of the Four Faces, or where we can find it."

"Not a bad idea." Touko said approvingly.

"Burning down a monastery, even a compromised one, is going to cause trouble with the Church." Sakura pointed out. And then she shrugged. "Then again, it's not like we're unused to getting into trouble, are we, master?"

"Trouble's our middle name, as the Americans would say." Touko said with a smirk, and shared a laugh with her apprentice.

"On another note," Caules said with a cough. "The cult's not really going to be happy with us, whether or not we actually get our hands on the book in the monastery. I get the feeling we're making more progress into unravelling whatever schemes and secrets they're up to than the count has."

"Probably because we're an unknown quantity they haven't had to account for until we actually arrived." Sakura remarked.

"What does it matter if the cult is unhappy or not?" Touko snapped. "Just kill them and be done with it."

"True…" Sakura said with a nod.

"…it'd also be a good way to repay Count Migunov for his hospitality." Caules agreed. "Though, this cult does seem to be an international organization. We'll have to keep that in mind, in case survivors get the word out."

"Revenge?" Touko softly said, before smirking. "That's fine. Revenge and I are old friends. If these…freaks, want to go after me for revenge, let them. I'll give them a crash course on doing it right, before sending them straight to hell."

Caules glanced at Sakura, who shook her head. "Right…" Caules said while opening the glove compartment and pulling out a map. Unfurling it, he examined it and approximated their position for a few minutes, and then following the line of the road across the steppes, shook his head.

"No way we'll reach the next town before midnight." He said. "What'll it be? Should we camp out under the stars, or keep going until we reach the town?"

"What do you think, master?" Sakura asked.

Touko thought it over for several moments. "We'll take the former." She said. "It gives us more options in case things take a turn for the worst. Out here on the steppes, after all, we don't need to worry about collateral damage or witnesses. We can just let loose with our magic, and teach any idiot stupid enough to mess with us just what a mistake that is. A fatal mistake."

"Got it, master."

A/N

I'll give you two guesses for the "dead god dreaming" that's marked Touko and Sakura with its favor, but you're only going to need one.