Scraped from here.
Summoning the Sun
Index
Chapter 01
Chapter 02-A
Chapter 02-B
Chapter 02-C...
Summoning the Sun
Index
Chapter 01
Chapter 02-A
Chapter 02-B
Chapter 02-C...
Summoning the Sun II
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Scraped from here.
Chapter 01
Chapter 02-A
Chapter 02-B
Chapter 02-C
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06-A
Chapter 06-B
Omakes
Contrast
Familiar Routine
She watched, feelings of vengeance baying within her, demanding that she place the final judgment upon the defeated mortal who had wronged them so. To end a life and end the threat that she posed forever.
Her fangs were bared, her displeasure known to all who could see and hear.
She watched, and did nothing.
This... this was not hers to act upon. The emotions that touched upon her mind were a ghostly echo of the chosen form, yet they rang against her being, stronger than any time before. She resisted their call, it was not hers to answer. She was the guardian, the light and mother. She had safeguarded the child from the one who would bring her harm, ended the battle as was necessary. This was her duty, her right. To do more would be to transgress against the laws of old and she would not break them.
A snarl escaped her throat as the spirit user rose to look upon her captors, the sound coming unbidden despite her will.
"Don't move!" the child upon her back commanded, taking her unbidden snarl as a wordless warning. Defeated, the weaver watches the implement of magic in the child's hands and obeys the sign of strength.
For her, it is a reminder, a ward against the emotions that suffuse her being. The snarl ends, her anger subdued as she simply stretches her awareness to the child. It is the child's time now, her and those the other children who would soon arrive to decide the fate of the assailant. And as her ire ebbs, There is a moment of pride, a familiar joy she feels for the child who had called out to her.
'She has grown well.'
An ear flicks as she recognizes the accomplishment. It is but a single step, the first choice to persevere against the trials that will certainly lie upon their joined paths. But it is no less important for the seeds she has sown, the courage she has mustered. In time, she mused, the child could grow to the purity of purpose she desires, one to cleanse the doubts and fears that plague her.
But she is weary as well, the cost of battle heavy upon her untested shoulders. It will not be long before it's toll can no longer be ignored. There is weariness in the weaver's scent, bitter defeat and resignation as she accepts her situation. Yet if the child should succumb and fall now, there was little doubt in her mind that the one who had harmed them so would seek to escape.
It is a concern that does not hold her for long, familiar scents and sounds reminding her that they are not alone.
She flicks her tail archly, a private chastisement as she recognizes those who now only begin their approach. It is a shared sentiment with the child who weighs her own frustrations with whispered words.
"Why couldn't they have shown up earlier?"
"Well, that's all the fragments out, the rest will need a healer," she announced, stepping back as her friend sealed the wound with a patch of ice. The dragon growled in pain, though it didn't thrash. "It'll have to do for now. Luckily it's not as bad as it looks."
The dragon in question affixed Kirche with a displeased look and warbled something that might have meant "speak for yourself". The Germanian grinned, putting on her most motherly expression as she said, "Aw, don't be such a big baby Sylphid, it's just a scratch."
She might have continued teasing the dragon, but a sudden outburst from Louise caught her attention. But before she could catch more than an angry word or two, one of the teachers walked in front of her, demanding to know what was going on because the Valliere child must be having a joke on them, accusing Miss Longueville of being-
Ah.
Sorting out that particular confusion lasted a few amusing minutes. With the both of them backing up Louise's claim however, it was quickly resolved, though they would have to explain things to the headmaster.
Giving time at last for her to think about what she'd seen earlier, and every impossible thing in it. Oh, she knew that her favorite tease had proven instrumental in taking down Foquet, she wasn't going to deny that. But the hows were a little more hard to swallow.
Only a few hours ago, Kirche would have joked that Louise's affinity was with the lost element of failure, her familiar notwithstanding. But that had been before the battle with Foquet and the copious amounts of wind magic that had gotten thrown around. It had been tempting to make the obvious conclusions from what she had seen, even if her past experience spoke against it. Very tempting. She'd nearly dropped her wand out of shock at the sight of the first lightning bolt.
But as the battle drew down and the teachers showed up, giving her time to think about it, she realized those conclusions were wrong. Louise as a triangle, maybe even square class wind mage? It boggled the mind. Besides, from the snatches of the aria she had heard, the pinkette had been trying to cast fireballs, not lightning. And failing spectacularly as she usually did, if a bit more effectively than was customary.
That meant someone or something else had been responsible for throwing the lightning. With Louise already out of the consideration, there were precious few explanations for those spells, and most of them simply didn't fit with what she knew. One of the teachers or students? An outsider mage? Too obvious, and there really hadn't been anywhere to hide out in the plains once Foquet had broken out. Some hidden magical artifact Louise had managed to pick up somewhere? A tiny avaricious smile ran up her lips before she dropped the idea as a little too far fetched. Give her that much magic, and the poor dear would probably have turned half the Academy grounds to rubble from sheer enthusiasm before the day was out.
Besides, there was a much more plausible explanation for everything she had seen. Normal wolves certainly didn't run up walls, make hundred span leaps, suddenly change direction mid-air like hummingbirds, nor did they absorb wall crushing blows with nary an injury to show for it. Throwing the ability to cast spells on top of that was merely icing. And a spell it had to be. Oh there were certainly creatures with powerful elemental breath weapons, but that required the element usually being breathed out through the creature's mouth or nostrils.
As opposed to raining down from the skies like the fist of an angry spirit.
A magical familiar was one thing. Bugbears, some types of dragons, even her magnificent Flame were magical creatures after all. But a magical creature who could cast spells, much less match a square class mage at that, why the closest thing would have been the rhyme dragons and those were extinct. Which meant Shiranui was something never encountered before. Something different she realized, little pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place, suggesting possibilities she'd never considered before.
And that sword... oooh.
She had been planning on waiting until after things had settled down a little, the tiny tempest had earned a bit of a respite after all, but she couldn't put it off anymore. With a backwards glance to make sure Tabitha and her dragon were being attended to by a healer, she strode off towards Louise. The battle with Foquet had proven to be an adequate distraction for the night, but she had come to find answers to a mystery and here she was, presented with yet another tantalizing mystery.
With any luck, she might even get answers to both of them.
Louise heard their words, but they were just meaningless sound to her. None of them were talking to her anyway. She had done her part, Foquet was now in custody, and the teachers could handle the aftermath. It wasn't over yet of course. She still had to answer questions and speak to the headmaster before too long. But for now, she just watched it all go by without much care. Somewhere along the way, after the initial demand for answers from disbelieving teachers, she had somehow slid off her wolf. Now instead of sitting atop her familiar, she was sitting on the ground, resting against the wolf's flank with its surprisingly fluffy tail curled around her.
Founder, she was tired. And she ached. Her thighs felt like they were afire, the world spun if she moved too quickly and if she thought too much about it, her stomach cramped up.
But... she was happy too, in a way.
Shiranui huffed softly as Louise leaned back, letting the moments pass with her eyes closed with only her thoughts for company.
A tired giggle escaped her lips.
No one could call her a Zero anymore. Not after tonight. So what if her spells had exploded instead of becoming fireballs like she had intended? They had worked far better than anything a fire mage like Kirche had been able to throw. Tonight, it had been her rival who was the failure, not her. Hah, let the Germanian chew on that for a while. And then there was her familiar...
She saw the tide of roaring ring of rolling earth, despair and fear gripping her heart in equal measure. It was too fast, its reach too wide. Even with the incredible speeds her familiar was capable of running at, they couldn't outrun it, couldn't even avoid it. They were doomed. Her, Shiranui, Kirche and Tabitha, all of them. Despite giving her all, despite coming further than she had dreamed possible, she had still failed in the end. The realization slackened her grip, weakened her spine. But her familiar was snarling, hackles raised as the white wolf faced the coming tide.
And then it was there.
There was no warning, no grand display of magic. It simply was.
Crackling arcs of lightning bathed its form, announced it's presence as barely contained energies sparking all along its edges. It bore the shape of a sword, but it transcended such concepts, a shining golden weapon that radiated terrible power and commanding majesty unlike anything she had ever dreamed possible. It was lightning given form, a storm made of otherworldly steel radiating a power beyond mortal grasp and comprehension. Arcs of power lashed out, striking the ground, the air, everywhere. Her hair stood on end, bathed in its deadly radiance, she wanted to scream.
The storm intensified, enveloping them. Consuming them. She felt her body floating away, born aloft by power she could barely comprehend. The lightning took them, but did not destroy them. Instead they flew ahead, a singular purpose in their aim. They blazed a path across the skies. They were the tip of the spear.
They were the lightning.
She opened her eyes, turning her head so that she could meet the golden gaze of her familiar.
Shiranui. Her beautiful, magical familiar. Everything that she had ever dared hope for on that day of the summoning and more. So much more that it was almost too much, and a little frightening.
"What are you Shiranui?" She whispered, her fingers stroking the wolf's tail. "What kind of wolf can throw magic like that?"
The wolf merely flicked an ear at her question, as if the question bore no weight at all. She hadn't thought much of it at first, not in the heat and confusion of battle. The lightning strikes had been to her benefit, and that was all that mattered then. But now, in the aftermath when she had the luxury of thinking about it, she knew there couldn't be anyone else. Not even Tabitha, the only human wind mage on the field at the time.
To think that she had stopped delving any deeper after that one ride her familiar had given her, assuming that it was some variation of a natural levitation magic and the extent of the wolf's abilities. What a fool she had been. Lightning was a triangle class spell, at least. But for it to be so concentrated, and powerful enough that it blasted and melted stone, that had to be the work of square class magic. And then there were the other things, things that existed on the border of perception so vague she couldn't even begin to recognize it as anything but a strange kind of magic. Magic her familiar had wielded with little effort and no less effectiveness.
A part of her crowed in triumph at the conclusion. Not even Tabitha's wind dragon or Kirche's fire salamander could compare to something like her Shiranui. But the other, much quieter part, worried. Power like that wouldn't, couldn't be found in something as simple as a mere animal. No mere animal would have the capacity for magic she had witnessed. Only the extinct rhyme dragons of legend were said to be as capable magically, and they were renowned for their intelligence, the equal to any human at least, if not greater. And none of their mythical number had ever been summoned, much less bound as a familiar, the common wisdom being that they were too intelligent, too powerful to submit.
If Shiranui was anything like that... what being of that power would deign to submit itself before a human mage, much less a mere failure like her?
As if sensing her disquiet, the wolf huffed loudly, tail brushing against her face and tickling her nose. For a moment, they locked gazes, neither one wavering as wolf and mistress traded understanding. And then Louise wrinkled her nose, ending the moment and pushing the tail away. But the troubled thoughts she had been having were fading as she allowed herself to relax once more.
Well... it wasn't as if Shiranui actually obeyed her all that much, she thought with wry humor. The wolf was far too free spirited to be a proper familiar, going wherever she pleased and always vanishing from her mistress's side on her own volition. Not to mention her lack of proper obedience when it came to not jumping off tall buildings against direct orders. It was strange how the realization didn't raise her ire the way it should have. If it had been anyone but Shiranui, she was sure she would have been livid at such disobedience. But then again, Shiranui had always been there for her when she needed it, and with the powers she commanded for her benefit, Louise could forgive a bit of free spirited independence.
Still...
"I suppose," she wondered aloud after a few more moments of contemplation, "that makes me a wind mage, doesn't it?"
If her wolf had a response to that, it was lost as she sharply shifted her gaze away, the focus of her attention striding awkwardly across the broken ground and bearing an all too familiar grin.
"Well Louise I suppose congratulations are in order," Kirche cheerfully announced, "you've managed to achieve quite the feat tonight," she paused for a moment, "alas, it seems your familiar had a much more impressive performance."
Louise sighed. "What do you want Kirche?"
"A never ending chocolate fountain, a hundred million ecu, and a paragon of a man amongst men to keep me company throughout the night," she replied instantly before arching an eyebrow. "But I'll settle for a few choice morsels tonight. Like your fine white wolf. She's certainly proven interesting enough to satisfy me."
"What do you-," Louise's eyes went wide as saucers as the words sank in and she remembered just who exactly she was talking to, "but- but Shiranui's a- you pervert!" Protectively spreading her arms wide, she shot her rival a defiant glare. "I'm not handing Shiranui over to your deviant fantasies!"
Silence fell. Even the babble of teachers went quiet. More than one questioning look was sent her way. Shiranui flicked an ear, tail curling into a questioning arch against Louise's chest. She flushed beet red.
Kirche simply smirked. "Oh my Louise, I merely wanted to ask some questions about your wolf. But for you to think something like that," she chuckled, "you were saying something about deviancy?"
"Shut up Kirche." She turned her nose away in obvious dismissal, the act spoiled only by the fact that her cheeks were so flushed that they had to be on the verge of bursting into flames. The only consolation was that none of the other teachers were paying heed anymore. "I'm not listening to anything you have to say, so go away."
The redhead simply tossed her hair back, "Oh, but I don't think your familiar would mind a few questions." Ignoring her sound of protest, Kirche crouched by Shiranui, hands rubbing across the wolf's forehead. "would you my fine white wolf?"
"Hmph! I'm not listening, and neither should you Shiranui." Louise cautioned, though she kept her face away from the Germanian, "she's just trying to corrupt you. Why, she's not even properly thankful that we saved her."
"Oh, but I am, I really am grateful. After all, were it not for your bravery at the last moment, we would not be here to talk about it. And for that, I am most grateful to you... my fine white wolf. And I suppose to you as well Louise," she added with a grin at the sudden glare. "But I'm also quite curious about how you did it Shiranui. It's not everyday one meets a magical wolf of your considerable prowess. Surely you wouldn't begrudge curious little me some honest questions?" She laughed as the wolf whined inquisitively at her, much to Louise's dismay, "that's a good girl."
Kirche tapped a finger against her lips and hummed, "You know Shiranui, I was going to ask about your little displays earlier first, but then you'd only give me a woof of an answer wouldn't you?"
The familiar chuffed.
Chuckling, Kirche scratched at the wolf's ear, "I thought you might say something like that, so I suppose it would be best to start at the beginning. Especially with the curious tales I've been hearing these last few days. Did you hear them to?"
At this, the wolf huffed, perking her ears in interest though Louise continued her refusal to acknowledge her rival.
"They were such interesting stories. A pair of worn servant's shoes mysteriously mended at night, wilting flowers to be replaced blooming out of season instead. Why, there was even a withered tree that blossomed with life again in the few minutes it was left unattended." Kirche clicked her tongue in amusement, "I hear one or two of the teachers are still puzzling out how that particular incident came about. They can't quite decide if it was water magic at work. But that's hardly the end of it, oh my no. Louise's little mishap with transmutation magic a few days ago undone in an instant, windows repaired just the way they were before a... proper mage could come along and do something about it."
"Not the students, not the teachers, and certainly not even an outsider mage could have done it without someone noticing, and yet, it happened exactly that way. In fact, it was as if there was never an explosion at all. Magic, perhaps even unheard of magic, is at play. But no one takes the credit for it and no one knows who to thank. A mystery is afoot, with a mysterious being, quiet and unseen as she goes about helping those who catch her eye. Why it's like something out of a fable. Does that sound familiar Shiranui?"
Despite her earlier denial, Louise found herself inexplicably listening to the Germanian's words, especially when her wolf's tail had stiffened beneath her fingers upon mention of the tree. Though she was tired and battered, her mind was still sharp enough to realize that whatever Kirche was saying, her wolf seemed to recognize it.
"And just as we were waiting for our mysterious mage to show herself through that cloud spell," Kirche continued with every sign of relish, "there you were with Foquet and Louise for company."
Louise huffed in barely concealed disbelief at Kirche's suggestive tone. A part of her demanded that she put an end to this nonsense and just leave before whatever insanity the Germanian had caught proved to be infectious. But the other part of her was thinking very hard on what she had said, what she was implying and what it might have meant if there was even a scrap of truth to it.
Could she have done it? Shiranui had proven to be an elusive familiar when she wanted to be, easily slipping out of notice when she chose to do so. And if there was even more magic to her than tonight had demonstrated... well, that wouldn't be terribly surprising. But if she was responsible, then why did she do it? What possible reason would her wolf go about doing any of those things? And why hide it? Looking at her familiar's eyes, Louise found no answer except patient watchfulness, even more questions and a gnawing worry beginning to form in her chest.
Even if she had no idea why Shiranui would be doing any of that, the simply fact remained that if it was true, then the wolf possessed even more magic than she had imagined. A wolf powerful in the wind element was one thing, but Kirche's description spoke of water and earth elements at work, and not insignificant amounts of it either. She hadn't heard of such a spell before, but making flowers and withered trees bloom again, that had to be square class work at the least didn't it? If the wild theory Kirche was hinting at held the truth, then almost too much power became far too much.
A human mage could possess that kind of proficiency in a single element if they were of the square rank, but several elements at that level? Only the blasphemous elves had that kind of power. Them and to a lesser extent, the rhyme dragons...
It was that stray thought that cut through both her fatigue and irritation at Kirche. Rhyme dragons were extinct because they had been hunted to the last precisely for their magical properties. Everything about them, even their scales, were so heavily infused with magic that they were used as reagents for spells far beyond what could normally be achieved. With her command of the wind element, Shiranui was already a unique existence, a wolf magical enough to be surely considered on par with the rhyme dragons, if not greater. And if there was even more to her familiar, if there was...
"Enough Kirche," Louise declared with a sharp shake of her head as her thoughts crystallized from idle speculation to certainty. There were so many implications, so many things hinted at that became possible instead of ridiculous once she considered them. "Just stop it."
The redhead pouted, "Aw, don't be a spoilsport Louise. Your familiar certainly seems interested in hearing more." But then a knowing grin started to spread across her face. She didn't say anything then. She didn't need to, because Louise had no trouble at all deciphering the kind of look Kirche was sending her. 'I know that you know', it all but gloated, 'and you know that I know you know'.
"No, we don't," she countered as she rose to her feet, biting down the sudden temptation to respond to that smug look with a poke to the eyes. Beside her, Shiranui chuffed, flicking her tail against Louise's leg. "It's late, we're both dirty, and in case it escaped your notice, we just fought Foquet. I for one, am much too tired to listen to your wild fantasies constructed out of servant gossip and coincidence."
And with that, she began walking away.
"Oh my no Louise, certainly not fantasy," the statuesque Germanian called out with a smile, "it's certainly no more fantasy than your fine white wolf and her performance tonight." She theatrically swept a hand around to encompass the ruined grounds where they had fought Foquet. "But if you doubt me, I could always ask the teachers what they think of my suspicions."
No more than six steps after her attempt at leaving, Louise came to a stop.
Not for the first time since she had known Kirche, Louise wished she could just magic away her rivals memories of the last five minutes, or at least cast a working spell of silence. Instead, she just glowered at the redhead for a long second, struggling mightily not to lose her temper and yell at the infuriating woman. But... she sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright Kirche, fine. You've made your point," she crossed her arms, glaring at the redhead, "what do you hope to get out of me?"
"Oh you can deny it, but- what?" Kirche faltered, the knowing smirk falling off her face for a moment to be replaced by uncertainty. "You're giving up, just like that?"
Louise didn't say anything, though if glares were words, there... might have been a little shouting in it. Just a little.
Kirche's lips twitched, as if she was trying to smile but couldn't decide to go through with it. "You're no fun like this you know that? No fun at all." She said at last with a shake of her head.
Alright, there would have been some shout-
"But I'm afraid it would have to wait for a little while," the Germanian gestured with a nod towards the Academy, where a familiar bearded figure was making his way towards them, "unless you want to share certain things with our esteemed headmaster of course."
A lot of shouting.
Long used to the peculiarities of his superior, Professor Colbert sighed and consulted the notes he had taken from the various interviews he had run with both the students and staff. Idly, he wondered if Osmond's talent for understatement had somehow contributed to the office he now held. The elder mage certainly showed no signs of worry at the events that had transpired, nonchalantly feeding his familiar some kind of biscuit as if the Academy vault hadn't been breached this very night. "I could do without a repeat of these incidents headmaster. Foquet caught us badly off guard."
That he had been caught in the thief's trap as well only served to make the embarrassment worse. He should have realized the moment he heard the commotion outside, far too calamitous to have been anything but a full scale battle between mages, that there would have been a contingency in place to pacify any response from the Academy. Instead he had reacted like a novice, responding to the obvious threat and missing the subtle one. He'd gotten soft.
The next thing he remembered after that was waking to bone rattling crack of thunder and by then everything was over.
"Aside from your office, faculty quarters and main access to the student dorms were similarly affected, though it doesn't look like she bothered with the servants quarters. Probably not worth the effort on her part. I had them double check, just in case, but it looks like everyone is accounted for, with nothing worse than a few scrapes or bruises to show for it."
"We were lucky that almost everyone was in bed at the time, it could have been much worse if she had struck earlier when there were more people moving around." He shook his head, concealing the yawn that was building up. Aside from the brief spell where Foquet's trap had gotten him, he and the rest of the staff had been up the whole night, going over everything to make check on the students well-being and ensure nothing else was stolen. "Luckier still that she only intended to keep us out of the way temporarily instead of something more permanent."
The thought was a chilling one, if not truly plausible. He'd heard of the notoriety surrounding the legendary thief as well, but none of the stories, not even the wilder ones, painted her to be a mass murderer. But old habits died hard, and the fact that it had been done, and could have been easily far more deadly, stuck with him, his mind methodically sorting through the ways such a vulnerability could have been exploited. With both students and faculty incapacitated, only the servants and a mere handful of mundane guardsmen were all the protection the Academy had against an outside threat.
"Mmm, yes, very fortunate indeed, just the right amount of sleeping draught in the magelights. Not enough to be obvious, but enough certainly do us in. Quite clever of her. It must have taken many nights to prepare such a plan, and successfully too. We shall have to see about inspecting the rest, in case there are other surprises." Osmond vigorously shook his head, beard wagging like an overly long tail, "This should not have happened Professor Colbert, but at the least I am quite pleased at the spirit of our students displayed at apprehending her."
"To be honest headmaster, I'm surprised they survived the encounter with so few injuries to show for it. They could have been killed just as easily, Foquet did not go down without a fight," he had to shake his head at the unintentional understatement. Nevermind the student testimonies of what had transpired or his experience reading the aftermath of battle, the devastation to the Academy walls and beyond would have been obvious to even a common layman. From the damage, the woman was a square class mage worthy of her reputation, and had certainly gone all out soon after the non-lethal binding spells had failed to work. How the students had prevailed...
He sighed, mentally reviewing his notes and hoping that they would explain matters better- but no, the words were still the same. Foquet had been defeated in combat, true, the evidence was undeniable. But it was difficult to imagine three students being responsible for it, even if two of them were line ranked mages. Miss Tabitha was a Chevalier certainly, and no stranger to spell battle, but neither Von Zerbst nor Miss Valliere could make the same claim. Against an experienced square mage like Foquet, the odds were... not good. And it would have been, except...
"It was most fortuitous that Miss Valliere was able to overcome her troubling difficulties with magic during this crisis," the headmaster voiced Colbert's concerns aloud. "Though I suspect you are more concerned about the timing, are you not Jean?"
Colbert rubbed at his brow in consternation, but he nodded all the same. Questioning both Miss Tabitha and Miss Zerbst had produced similar accounts of how Louise and her magic had been pivotal in defeating Foquet, which had proven to be quite a surprise. Despite all the troubles she had with practical magic from the moment she had enrolled until today, the young Valliere had acquitted herself far beyond his wildest hopes. Perhaps a little too far. "I have to admit it's somewhat unusual Osmond. Miss Valliere has always had difficulties with the ah, practical side of spellcasting, so it's unexpected that she would have been able to master the lightning spell so suddenly."
Unspoken was the cooling lumps of molten stone at the site of Foquet's defeat, or how the air had crackled with unspent energy. Colbert had spent enough of his youth amongst far too many wind mages to know what lightning spells were like. Triangle ranked spells, they were powerful magics that could stop a man's heart and leave behind a steaming corpse. That wasn't what he had seen out there amidst the smouldering wreckage of Foquet's golem. It had all the signs of liberal use of the lightning spell, but it was orders of magnitude more powerful than anything a triangle class mage should have been capable of producing.
And Louise had done all that in the heat of the moment?
On one hand, it pained him to doubt the girl. She had struggled with failure for so long that denying her accomplishments now would feel like a betrayal. But on the other hand, he could find no discernible reason as to how she had suddenly overcome her troubles, and in such a spectacular manner at that. It was odd, and there was no way around it.
"It is true that it isn't the norm," The headmaster made a thoughtful sound, stroking his beard, "but the norm is not what one should expect of the Heavy Wind's progeny, is it not?" He waggled his eyebrows, "Is it that surprising that I would know of Karin's station or your previous association with her professor? I may be an old man, but I am still the headmaster of this Academy, and unusual happenings draw my attention. First an unusual familiar with runes that are decidedly not normal, and now this. Tell me professor, were you able to decipher those runes?"
Colbert felt his brow furrowing as he shook his head. "No. None of the manuscripts we have were able to identify the runes with certainty. Do you suspect they or the familiar might have something to do with this?"
"It could be, it could be not, but I do believe there is a story to tell there if we were to learn its meaning," Eyebrows waggled as the older man gave a noncommittal shrug. "But to wit, your concerns are of Miss Valliere's sudden magical proficiency and not of her accomplishments is it not?"
It took a few seconds of thought before he responded, but Colbert shook his head. "No, I don't doubt that Louise played an important role in capturing Foquet."
"Then that is what the records will say, and these letters of commendation won't go to waste" the headmaster indicated the small stack of papers on his desk with a nod. "It is only proper that our students be suitably rewarded for service to both the Academy and Crown."
"Speaking of which, what will we do with Miss Long- I mean Foquet? I have Leblanc and the others watching over her, but..."
"Hmm? Is that old habits speaking Colbert? I had thought you left such things behind when you joined up with us, did you not?"
He grimaced. Leave it to the crafty old man to bring up his past. But Osmond had a point. "I did, but why just the Staff of Destruction? If Foquet managed to break into the vault, why not any of the other artifacts? If stealing for money was all she cared about, she could have walked off with far more than what she had taken. Foquet came in with a specific goal in mind."
Unspoken was conclusion that if Foquet had already come with the staff as her goal, then she must have either had a use for it, or a buyer who not only knew they had it, but of its value as well.
The headmaster nodded, though it was not one of assent. "And you wish to find the reason for that goal don't you? Your diligence is commendable Colbert, but that is a matter for the Crown and her knights to determine not ours. Even had I wished to pursue the matter, the message is already sent and will be out of our hands soon enough. Let the Questers worry about the hows and whys. We only need concern ourselves about the security of our Academy at this point. That, and the lamentably new impression on the southern wall and the gardens. Oh, and professor?"
"Headmaster?"
"I understand that you certainly have a great many duties to do, but do keep an out eye out for the young Miss Valliere and her familiar if you would?"
Colbert blinked. "That's no trouble at all Headmaster Osmond, but may I ask why?"
"I believe we may on the cusp of hrmm... an interesting era. An unusually early day, an unusual familiar and a certainly unusual result tonight." He stroked his beard contemplatively. "It would not be unreasonable to think the future may have many more surprises in store for us."
"Especially from her familiar."
**********
"Kyuyuu- unff!"
Shiranui chuffed, holding her paw out for a little longer where it rested on the dragon's snout. Watery azure eyes focused on her as the larger creature mewled piteously, the serpentine child making a few half hearted attempts at moving past the white wolf. But her spirit remained unyielding, unwilling to permit the dragon's impulsive desire to continue unchecked.
"You should not disturb the wound so Irukukwu," She chided the dragon softly with a brief huff, letting her ears flick with faint admonishment, "let it heal on its own."
"It doesn't hurt anymore..." she trilled, making one last effort before surrendering to Shiranui's will. Withdrawing her serpentine form, the youngling slumped onto her belly, her wings flapping listlessly as she curled her neck so she was face to face with Shiranui. "Kyuuu, but it itches!" She thumped her tail on the ground for added emphasis.
Shiranui huffed lightly at the plaintive cry that carried no heat, a gentle smile that her form could not show as she touched her nose to the dragon's snout.
"It itches because it is healing, Irukukwu." She murmured, "the healers have performed their arts, but it will take time for the wound to close fully. Let it be until you are well again." A moment's pause before she added with a touch of amusement, "So you can put your leg down."
The dragon child started, hindleg raised from where it had been about to scratch at the bandaged flank, looking at her guiltily before warbling her acknowledgement "Oh-kay Big Sister."
The white wolf chuffed at the childish agreement, settling down in the courtyard with the dragon as they awaited the return of their bond bearers. Her tone had been light, the bubbling energy of the dragon buoying her spirits. Yet despite the gentle light of Tsukuyomi's doppelganger, troubled thoughts flickered through her, punctuated by the concerned calls of mortal instructors in the distance.
She had known anger before. Anger at the trickery of the nine tailed fox, the machinations of the dark being that had spawned the demons of Nippon. But always tempered by her duty, her affection for the lands and all that walked beneath her light that brought her will to its fullest. Such had touched her in the battle with the wielder of chi, holding her heart in ways it had not before. It had called her then, her choices forced by circumstance and emotions stronger than she had remembered. So close, she had skirted the edges of the precipice, to fall into the emotions that she should not and commit the forbidden, forever darkening both her soul and that of Raijin's instrument.
She did not regret her decision. There had been little else she could do. She could not permit the battle to proceed as the spirit user desired. And though the forbidden laws had not been transgressed, there had been a cost she had not wished to bear yet.
The choices she had made before, the paths she had hoped to lay, they would be in disarray now. Always before, her hand had been hidden, acted upon with the ignorance of those who would receive her boon. But the child who held her bond, as had all who had partaken of the battle, they had borne witness to the very truths that she had not wished to show. Not so soon, when they could not yet begin to understand. The villagers of Kamiki, they had not understood at first when she had approached. And what they did not know, they feared.
But the child had not feared, not truly. She had glimpsed it in the child's eyes as she left to speak with the instructors of what had transpired with the assailant, and then again as she left to rest. The child did not understand, yet the wonder and wariness she had carried was an open sign of her intentions. She would question and seek the truth. In that she differed from those of Kamiki blood, a difference that warmed Shiranui's spirit.
And yet it was too soon. She was not yet strong enough for the turmoil that could come should the truth be fully known. The mortals possessed a will that could be as implacable as the mountains, like that of the warrior Susano. But they were fickle in their faith, quick to folly and anger when they did not understand.
Would that she could change what had happened.
She huffed, chastising herself for such impulsive thoughts. To change what had been written was not a choice to be taken lightly, and would that she make that choice, she had yet to sense a spirit gate within this world since her reawakening. Her path, and that of the child, were set now. She could only weather them as she always did and take surety that it would be enough...
"Kyuu... why is Big Sister sad?" Irukukwu warbled, her words eliciting a questioning sound from the wolf.
The dragon sniffed curiously, her eyes locked on Shiranui's before she spoke, "Big Sister smelled a little funny just now, kyuuu, like being hungry, only not-hungry. Big Big Sister said it meant someone was sad. Was it the Mean-mean-woman who hit Big Sister? Did she hurt Big Sister?" She flapped her wings, her head bobbing with every word, "Irukukwu could bite her, then you would feel better, kyu!"
Shiranui chuffed, raising her paw once more to place it on the dragon's snout, "No biting Irukukwu," she admonished gently, withdrawing her paw once the child had calmed. "She did not harm me."
No sooner than the words were spoken that the dragon's eyes grew wide. "Kyuuyui? But the Mean-mean-woman made the big stony man hit Big Sister and then Big Sister went flying! And then... and then..." the words trailed off, her thoughts written upon her visage as she searched for her voice, "Kyuuuu... it didn't hurt? Then Big Sister is really strong, like Big Sis, only stronger. But... Irukukwu still doesn't understand why Big Sister was sad just now."
So close. Irukukwu's intent was so very close to hers at that one moment when she had nearly forgotten that which she was. And yet... she had listened to the other humans as they spoke, learned that the lords they obeyed would do with the spirit user what she had come so close to doing. The doings of such amongst the mortals were of little surprise to her, but she could not deny the role she had played in making it possible.
She huffed to herself in self admonishment, gazing back into the young dragon's confused face. So innocent this one, many seasons older than most humans, yet so unmarked by her time amongst mortals. Such a precious thing. She could not lie, but she would not be the one to trouble the young one's naivety were she able. "It is nothing to be concerned with Irukukwu. I..." she paused, tasting the words in her heart before speaking them.
"Big sister is just thinking of the future."
The adopted sibling warbled her curiosity, but paused as Shiranui's ears flicked, her eyes raised towards Tsukuyomi's doppelganger in contemplation. Moments passed in long silence before she huffed, rising to her feet, the child following suit as she padded away from the open gardens.
"Big Sister?" her sister cooed, her following presence hovering behind Shiranui "What future?"
Though she did not slow, her tail swished in concern as the question bore upon her thoughts. The paths she had sought were varied now, different from what should have been. "A future, Irukukwu, though of what kind I cannot say with certainty."
The dragon child lapsed into contemplative silence, following the path she walked without words. It did not take long before they had arrived close to her destination, a lit entry high above, curtains drifting in the breeze that whispered by.
"Kyuuuu..... will there be yummies in the future?"
She huffed softly, her amusement unchecked as she favoured her sister with a brief look before turning her attention skywards once more. "Perhaps Irukukwu. But not this night. It is rest you need now. We shall see what the morning brings."
Understanding her intent, the dragon trilled a farewell as she quickened her approach. Her will echoed upon the world, unyielding stone welcoming her grasp as she ascended the walls. Only moments, and she was perched near the door that led within.
Where the child was waiting for her.
The hour had long since passed the point where it could be considered late, yet the lone occupant within the dorm room did not rest. Though she is well accustomed to late nights, shadows rim her blue eyes and her head droops occasionally beneath the heavy weight of fatigue. Yet she remained awake, holding on for another minute as she turned yet another page.
The past few days had produced many questions, some perplexing, others troubling in what answers they might have held. Compared to an answer to at least some of those questions, sleep was less important.
Mercifully, she was not kept waiting long, the steady of beating of wings and the rattling of her balcony door announcing a presence from the outside.
She put her book down, reaching for the wand by her bedside. With a tiny flick of the instrument and an equally small burst of magic, the lock unlatched and the doors swung open, permitting her visitor to peer within.
"Kyuuuu!" heedless of the relative smallness of the opening, the young dragon poked her head through the window, sinuous neck just long enough to nuzzle against her masters chest like an enthusiastic puppy.
Keeping her balance despite the draconic head pressing against her chest, Tabitha motioned the dragon to silence with a tap of her finger, raising the wand once more. A soft buzz filled the air as she cast her magic again, the sound fading away to nothingness as the spell of whistling winds encompassed the room.
Satisfied with her handiwork, she broke the silence with a single word, "Irukukwu." The quiet returned as she inspected the bindings on her partner's flank, only the flicker of a frown telling her displeasure. Despite the healer's ministrations and the general shallowness of the wound, she regretted the necessity of straining her dragon so soon with flight. "No longer hurts?"
The dragon trilled, rubbing its head against her.
"It doesn't hurt anymore Big Sis, but it itches lots!" A tremble ran throughout the dragon, and the suggestion of movement in its hindquarters brought Tabitha's hand up warningly. But the dragon chirped "Kyuu, Irukukwu knows. Big Sister says Irukukwu isn't supposed to scratch at it even if it itches because itching means it's getting all better even if Irukukwu really really wants to scratch at it," at her before she could do more than raise that appendage.
She raised an eyebrow just by a fraction at the dragon's words. It was a small discrepancy, hardly worth noticing to most people amidst the flood of words. But Tabitha was not most people, her experiences sharpening her ear to anything out of the ordinary. "Big Sister?"
Irukukwu paused, cooing as she drew back to look at her mistress with uncertain eyes. But then she brightened instantly in the way only a dragon could. "Kyui! Irukukwu wanted to tell you the other day because Big Sister was really nice to Irukukwu and she smelled like the day. But then Big Sister gave Irukukwu magic food later which was all kinds of yummy and Irukukwu kindofforgottotellyoubecausethefoodwasreallyreallyyummy," She trailed off with an apologetic warble, lowering her head as she does so, "Irukukwu is sorry."
A twitch of alarm ran through Tabitha's fingers, but she schooled it to stillness. "Magic food?" She whispered," What kind of magic?"
"Irukukwu doesn't know," the dragon trilled, "Big Sister brought some yummies when the sun came up too early and then said there was more, but Irukukwu didn't see it so Irukukwu thought it had to be magic food."
She paused, draconic blue eyes blinking in thought before continuing. "Kyuu, Big Sister didn't say it was magic food, but suddenly there was lots of yummies when there wasn't anything just now so it must have been Big Sister's magic food. Irukukwu knows it wasn't there because she couldn't smell it on Big Sister. Irukukwu just saw grass and then the grass was yummies. And there was meat and everything, so many yummies Irukukwu couldn't finish it, and all the other familiars got to eat lots too. Kyui, Irukukwu likes Big Sister, she's nice to everyone."
"Big Sister," Tabitha cuts her dragon's recounting short with a gesture, "who?"
"Kyuui, Big Sister is Big Sister," Irukukwu crooned, as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world, "not like Big Big Sister, because Big Sister isn't a rhyme dragon like Irukukwu and Big Big Sister but she talks like Big Big Sister sometimes when she's thinking about things like tomorrow. Irukukwu doesn't get all the things Big Sister talks about, but she said there might be yummies tomorrow too."
The slight girl frowned at her dragon, noting the small trail of drool dripping down her dragon's maw. "Irukukwu, focus. Who is Big Sister?"
"Big Sister is Amaterimi... Amatamu... Amamama... kyuu... Irukukwu doesn't really remember. Big Sister's name was really hard to say, so Irukukwu calls her Ammy because it's easier and Big Sister didn't mind at all."
With a dragon's head pressed to her chest, Tabitha didn't have an easy view of the rest of her familiar, but the excited twitching of her tail was too energetic to miss, "Maybe Big Sis can have Ammy as a Big Sister too! Big Sister is lots of nice, and probably won't mind. And- and if Big sis has Big Sister then maybe Big Sis wouldn't smell so sad anymore, kyui!"
Tabitha's frown deepened, and an edge crept into her voice. "You spoke to her?"
The dragon jerked her head back as if struck, eyes wide in sudden panic. "Eek, Irukukwu is sorry, kyuyuyuu, Irukukwu didn't mean to break Big Sis's rule!" She babbled apologetically, flapping her wings in consternation before she suddenly halted, "But-but-but Irukukwu thought it was alright to speak because Irukukwu went kyuui, and not human words and because Big Sister was a puppy and not a human so that should have been okay."
"Puppy..." she paused, and then made an informed guess, "Louise's familiar? Shiranui?"
"Kyu! But her name is Ammy, not Shiranui" The scaled head bobbed so vigorously it nearly smashed into the ceiling, "Irukukwu thought Big Sister was a puppy and Irukukwu wanted to play, but then Big Sister could talk without talking, kyui! Irukukwu was so surprised."
"But then Irukukwu smelled Big Sister and she didn't smell like a puppy at all! Irukukwu didn't get it at first, because puppies should be puppies even when they don't smell like one. But then Big Sister wasn't a puppy because puppies can't talk without talking, and was really polite and everything even when Irukukwu got too close and kind of knocked her down though Irukukwu didn't mean to. Big Sister was really nice about it and said she wasn't mad at all."
"Kyuu," the dragon chirped, not noticing the troubled expression on her master's face, "and Big Sister is really strong. The mean-mean lady hit Big Sister with the big stone man and made Big Sister fly, but it didn't even hurt her. And then when the she poked at Irukukwu with the stone sticks and made everyone fall down, Big Sister got really mad and called the lightning and made the Rhyme sing with her better than Big Big Sister can."
"Big Sister can be really really scary when she's mad kyuuyuuyu, but Irukukwu wasn't scared at all because Big Sister likes everyone and just wanted to stop the mean-mean lady from poking at everyone, kyui!"
Silence reigned as the dragon trailed off, looking at her master with shining eyes. Tabitha remained stock still, her demeanor still wary to the dragon's nose, yet more lax than it had been a little while ago. "Not a wolf?" She said after a while, receiving an empathic kyui in reply. "Then?"
The dragon trilled. "Irukukwu wasn't sure at first because Big Sister smelled all kinds of funny, it was all kinds of mixed up. But then Irukukwu remembered what Big Sis and Big Big Sister said before about spirits, and Big Sister was kind of like that even if she wasn't mad all the time like the stories said she'd be."
Tabitha opened her mouth to speak, just a fraction, but nothing came out and she closed a moment later. As the silence stretched, she fixed the dragon with a look that elicited a nervous eep from her 'little sister'.
"Teasing me."
And just like that, the dragon lost her nervousness and drew back with a drawn out snort. "Kyuuuuu, Irukukwu isn't teasing Big Sis, it's the truth! Big Sister is a spirit!" She flapped her wings in annoyance, "Really really!"
"I believe you." Tabitha reached out with her fingers in a custom the dragon is quickly learning to recognize and despite herself, Irukukwu lowered her head with an annoyed huff, "What type of spirit?"
"Irukukwu doesn't know." She trilled, turning her head in pleasure as Tabitha's fingers found a particular spot on her scales and scratches it just so. "Big Sis said spirits were like the air or water, but Big Sister doesn't smell anything at all like that. But Irukukwu thought her smell was really special, not like anything normal at all, that's how Irukukwu knew Big Sister wasn't a puppy but a spirit."
"Special?"
"Kyui! Big Sister Ammy smells like the morning sky."
Already on her bed with blankets already drawn up around her chin, Louise blinked sleepily at the shadow standing outside her balcony door. A long moment passed as she blinked a few times more, the silhouette coming into focus as a familiar figure. There was a low sound, a flick of an ear in response, and she raised her hand in a beckoning gesture. The wolf responded instantly, padding over into her room and onto her bed with a soundless leap.
"I finally get to bed and you only show up now?" She grumbled wearily, though her words didn't carry any real heat. Stroking the wolf's head as Shiranui settled down beside her, Louise regarded her familiar with faint exasperation. "It's going to be a habit with you, isn't it? Always coming and going as you please?"
In response, the wolf turned to look at her and huffed as if to say, 'of course I would, wouldn't you?'
A long moment passed as Louise looked her familiar in the eye... and then she gave up, sinking back onto her pillow with a sigh, her thoughts still a jumble. It wasn't like she had told the wolf to come with her when she had gone to give Osmond her testimony anyway, leaving the wolf in the company of Tabitha's dragon. And she had been much too tired to spend more than a token effort looking for her familiar afterwards before giving it up.
"The headmaster is going to commend me to the title of Chevalier, can you believe that?" She murmured to the wolf, the familiar responding with a short questioning whine. "Little Louise, awarded an honored title for her courage and prowess in helping to capture Foquet." She laughed softly, "and to think this all happened because you went out for a walk at night."
A few seconds passed in companionable silence before she spoke again. "But if you hadn't disappeared, and I hadn't followed, then none of this would have happened. I would still be a zero, and I would... I still know almost nothing about you," she amended.
The arching of the white tail was like a raised eyebrow.
"You're not an ordinary wolf Shiranui, I knew that from the beginning. But I never thought... never imagined you would be so extraordinary like this." She admitted with a yawn, her eyelids drooping heavily against her weariness "Even if what Kirche said about you was just all nonsense, there's so much about you that's just too strange."
There was no answer from the wolf, only the flick of an ear to indicate that she was still listening.
"That lightning magic of yours, that was square ranked at least. Most nobles wouldn't be capable of half that, not so often. I'm not sure even mother could. You have so much power it's almost a little frightening what you can do. And that day in the courtyard with the other familiars, it's like they look up to you, Tabitha's dragon especially. They wouldn't do that for just any wolf if she was just a little magical."
"There's just so much about you that I don't know that I just can't ignore it anymore... even if Kirche didn't want to pry," she added with bit of bitterness before yawning again, this time her eyes drifting shut. "But don't worry, she won't reveal your secrets."
Even in her exhaustion, the memory of Kirche stopping her outside Osmond's office and claiming that she had been in it only for fun instead of maliciousness or greed brought a moment of irritation to her. Not that the Germanian would give up her hopes to learn more about Shiranui. But for all their rivalry, Louise believed Kirche's claim. Infuriating as her overstuffed rival was, she had been far too friendly with Shiranui to want her harmed. And grabby too, hmph. At least the hussy had the decency to wait until she had a nights rest before pestering her.
"So strange, so powerful. And yet I summoned you. Do you think," she murmured as sleep finally rose up to claim her, "that maybe one day, I'll be as strong as you are? That if the summoning brought you to me, I'll become a worthy wind mage like mother too?"
There was a chuff, a low sound that barely registered to her fading mind.
It sounded... encouraging.
Golden eyes watched in silence, and then in one motion, their noses touched. Words that made no sound passed by, the Valliere scion murmuring meaningless noises at the contact though she did not stir.
"Patience child," the voice that was not spoke, "for this night is but the first step of your journey."
A tiny orb of pale white light flickered into being, radiating from within the bosom of the sleeping young woman. It glowed, its illumination undulating slowly to reveal a sliver of essence within its core that shone even brighter than the moons above. Slowly, the wolf drew back, and the light faded away to darkness once more.
"One day you will grow to the strength that is yours."
A huff, the silence broken for the last time as the wolf settled down beside her bond bearer to rest.
"And I will be proud of you."
Big Sis
Big Sis is the one that called me here with her magic, mm! Mother said I shouldn't go, but Irukukwu smelled her through the funny green portal thing and she smelled sad sad, so Irukukwu decided to cheer her up, Kyuu! Big Sis is a human, but she's really really small for one, like the not-small monkeys in the forests which are really tasty. But Big Sis isn't tasty like them because Irukukwu licked Big Sis before and she's really salty and not at all yummy. But that's ok because Irukukwu doesn't really want to eat Big Sis.
Irukukwu likes Big Sis lots, cause Big Sis knows how to scratch that place with her hand kyuuu and likes to read for Irukukwu. But Big Sis can sometimes be mean to Irukukwu and makes Irukukwu work really really hard. Like the time Big Sis made Irukukwu get chased by the stinky fire dragon and didn't even give Irukukwu any meat for a reward. Irukukwu got bread instead that was supposed to taste like meat, but that's cheating, kyuumph! It wasn't like meat at all!
Kyuyuu~, but Irukukwu didn't bite Big Sis, because Big Sis is Big Sis and Irukukwu is a good dragon and good dragons don't bite their Big Sis.
Big Sister
Big sister is older than Irukukwu, kyuu, older than Big Big Sister too, but nicer. She talks more than Big Sis, but doesn't get to talk as much to Irukukwu because we don't see each other a lot. Irukukwu would like to talk to Big Sister more, she's nice and she can make magic food too! Big Sisters magic food is always tasty, and she gives lots of it to Irukukwu. Big sis sometimes forgets that Irukukwu can get hungry, kyuuuyuui, but never Big Sister, so Irukukwu doesn't get hungry anymore.
Big sister looks like a puppy sometimes, and sometimes like a person, but only when Irukukwu isn't looking properly and then she doesn't smell like either one. She always smells different, like the Ryhme, especially when she brings out her magic food. Big Sister is really really smart too! She knows lots of things, like the time-
Kyuyuyuuu, Big Sis says I shouldn't tell you about it or she'll get lots of mad, and Big Sis can be scary-scary-scary even though she's smaller than Irukukwu and probably won't fill Irukukwu's tummy anyway.
But Big Sister is really really nice. She gives me lots of food and always makes things feel better. Don't tell Big Sis, but Big Sister is best Sis.
Big Big Sister
Big Big Sister is Irukukwu's sister, but not like Big Sis and Big Sister, because Big Big Sister is a rhyme dragon like Irukukwu. Big Big Sister is really lots of smart and always teaches Irukukwu about all the things like the Rhyme and the birds and and... and the tasty things! Kyu! But Big Big Sister knows about spirits too and taught Irukukwu lots about them, that's why Irukukwu knows Big Sister was a spirit.
Big Big Sister didn't really like the the funny green portal thing and told Irukukwu that if she ever saw one, Irukukwu shouldn't go in, because there were mean mean humans on the other side who would bite Irukukwu and make her into yummies. But then Big Big Sister was wrong because even when there were people, there was Big Sis, and Big Sis didn't try to make Irukukwu into yummies. Though Big Sis can sometimes hit Irukukwu with her big stick when Irukukwu sees a yummy thing and wants to eat it.
Irukukwu sometimes wonders where Big Big Sister is now. Big Big Sister always liked to sing with the Rhyme and make the funny colours in the sky, but Irukukwu can't hear her anymore or see the lights and Irukukwu can't sing with the Rhyme yet. Kyuuu, Big Big Sister must be really really far away. Irukukwu misses Big Big Sister sometimes, but if Irukukwu didn't go in, then she'd never have met Big Sis and a Big Sister.
But that's alright, because Irukukwu is going to see Big Big Sister one day. Maybe Big Sister will come along too, kyu!
Not quite as much action in this chapter, but I felt the drawdown and aftermath was sufficient for it. And a question for all. Who would like to see more of Irukukwu's Kyuudex?
Summoning the Sun
IndexChapter 01
Chapter 02-A
Chapter 02-B
Chapter 02-C
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06-A
Chapter 06-B
Omakes
Contrast
Familiar Routine
Chapter 05
"And as the Founder's gift of magic was blessed upon the anointed, so too did the creatures of the land sup of his bounty, becoming lesser imitations of his true inheritors." - Bishop Lestrande, Treatises on Magic, Page 13 chapter III**********
Shiranui watched the assailant, the one who had dared to try and harm her child, who had harmed her adoptive sister, and knew anger.She watched, feelings of vengeance baying within her, demanding that she place the final judgment upon the defeated mortal who had wronged them so. To end a life and end the threat that she posed forever.
Her fangs were bared, her displeasure known to all who could see and hear.
She watched, and did nothing.
This... this was not hers to act upon. The emotions that touched upon her mind were a ghostly echo of the chosen form, yet they rang against her being, stronger than any time before. She resisted their call, it was not hers to answer. She was the guardian, the light and mother. She had safeguarded the child from the one who would bring her harm, ended the battle as was necessary. This was her duty, her right. To do more would be to transgress against the laws of old and she would not break them.
A snarl escaped her throat as the spirit user rose to look upon her captors, the sound coming unbidden despite her will.
"Don't move!" the child upon her back commanded, taking her unbidden snarl as a wordless warning. Defeated, the weaver watches the implement of magic in the child's hands and obeys the sign of strength.
For her, it is a reminder, a ward against the emotions that suffuse her being. The snarl ends, her anger subdued as she simply stretches her awareness to the child. It is the child's time now, her and those the other children who would soon arrive to decide the fate of the assailant. And as her ire ebbs, There is a moment of pride, a familiar joy she feels for the child who had called out to her.
'She has grown well.'
An ear flicks as she recognizes the accomplishment. It is but a single step, the first choice to persevere against the trials that will certainly lie upon their joined paths. But it is no less important for the seeds she has sown, the courage she has mustered. In time, she mused, the child could grow to the purity of purpose she desires, one to cleanse the doubts and fears that plague her.
But she is weary as well, the cost of battle heavy upon her untested shoulders. It will not be long before it's toll can no longer be ignored. There is weariness in the weaver's scent, bitter defeat and resignation as she accepts her situation. Yet if the child should succumb and fall now, there was little doubt in her mind that the one who had harmed them so would seek to escape.
It is a concern that does not hold her for long, familiar scents and sounds reminding her that they are not alone.
She flicks her tail archly, a private chastisement as she recognizes those who now only begin their approach. It is a shared sentiment with the child who weighs her own frustrations with whispered words.
"Why couldn't they have shown up earlier?"
**********
Not all that far away, Kirche would not have been surprised to know that her rival's sentiments were the same as hers, if she'd been paying attention. Between her scrapes and the far more serious injuries inflicted on her best friend's familiar, she'd scarcely paid her rival any heed once the battle was over and the thief thoroughly subdued. Foquet's parting shot had only grazed the dragon, but it had torn up a lot of scales and drawn a fair amount of blood in the process. It had left an ugly gash running down the dragon's flank almost as wide as her arm, though thankfully shallow enough that it hadn't pierced anything vital."Well, that's all the fragments out, the rest will need a healer," she announced, stepping back as her friend sealed the wound with a patch of ice. The dragon growled in pain, though it didn't thrash. "It'll have to do for now. Luckily it's not as bad as it looks."
The dragon in question affixed Kirche with a displeased look and warbled something that might have meant "speak for yourself". The Germanian grinned, putting on her most motherly expression as she said, "Aw, don't be such a big baby Sylphid, it's just a scratch."
She might have continued teasing the dragon, but a sudden outburst from Louise caught her attention. But before she could catch more than an angry word or two, one of the teachers walked in front of her, demanding to know what was going on because the Valliere child must be having a joke on them, accusing Miss Longueville of being-
Ah.
Sorting out that particular confusion lasted a few amusing minutes. With the both of them backing up Louise's claim however, it was quickly resolved, though they would have to explain things to the headmaster.
Giving time at last for her to think about what she'd seen earlier, and every impossible thing in it. Oh, she knew that her favorite tease had proven instrumental in taking down Foquet, she wasn't going to deny that. But the hows were a little more hard to swallow.
Only a few hours ago, Kirche would have joked that Louise's affinity was with the lost element of failure, her familiar notwithstanding. But that had been before the battle with Foquet and the copious amounts of wind magic that had gotten thrown around. It had been tempting to make the obvious conclusions from what she had seen, even if her past experience spoke against it. Very tempting. She'd nearly dropped her wand out of shock at the sight of the first lightning bolt.
But as the battle drew down and the teachers showed up, giving her time to think about it, she realized those conclusions were wrong. Louise as a triangle, maybe even square class wind mage? It boggled the mind. Besides, from the snatches of the aria she had heard, the pinkette had been trying to cast fireballs, not lightning. And failing spectacularly as she usually did, if a bit more effectively than was customary.
That meant someone or something else had been responsible for throwing the lightning. With Louise already out of the consideration, there were precious few explanations for those spells, and most of them simply didn't fit with what she knew. One of the teachers or students? An outsider mage? Too obvious, and there really hadn't been anywhere to hide out in the plains once Foquet had broken out. Some hidden magical artifact Louise had managed to pick up somewhere? A tiny avaricious smile ran up her lips before she dropped the idea as a little too far fetched. Give her that much magic, and the poor dear would probably have turned half the Academy grounds to rubble from sheer enthusiasm before the day was out.
Besides, there was a much more plausible explanation for everything she had seen. Normal wolves certainly didn't run up walls, make hundred span leaps, suddenly change direction mid-air like hummingbirds, nor did they absorb wall crushing blows with nary an injury to show for it. Throwing the ability to cast spells on top of that was merely icing. And a spell it had to be. Oh there were certainly creatures with powerful elemental breath weapons, but that required the element usually being breathed out through the creature's mouth or nostrils.
As opposed to raining down from the skies like the fist of an angry spirit.
A magical familiar was one thing. Bugbears, some types of dragons, even her magnificent Flame were magical creatures after all. But a magical creature who could cast spells, much less match a square class mage at that, why the closest thing would have been the rhyme dragons and those were extinct. Which meant Shiranui was something never encountered before. Something different she realized, little pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place, suggesting possibilities she'd never considered before.
And that sword... oooh.
She had been planning on waiting until after things had settled down a little, the tiny tempest had earned a bit of a respite after all, but she couldn't put it off anymore. With a backwards glance to make sure Tabitha and her dragon were being attended to by a healer, she strode off towards Louise. The battle with Foquet had proven to be an adequate distraction for the night, but she had come to find answers to a mystery and here she was, presented with yet another tantalizing mystery.
With any luck, she might even get answers to both of them.
**********
There were teachers talking, some muttering to themselves, others were giving instructions. More than a few were in a state of near panic as they took in the devastated grounds. Most just wandered about aimlessly, poking things at random and making pithy comments.Louise heard their words, but they were just meaningless sound to her. None of them were talking to her anyway. She had done her part, Foquet was now in custody, and the teachers could handle the aftermath. It wasn't over yet of course. She still had to answer questions and speak to the headmaster before too long. But for now, she just watched it all go by without much care. Somewhere along the way, after the initial demand for answers from disbelieving teachers, she had somehow slid off her wolf. Now instead of sitting atop her familiar, she was sitting on the ground, resting against the wolf's flank with its surprisingly fluffy tail curled around her.
Founder, she was tired. And she ached. Her thighs felt like they were afire, the world spun if she moved too quickly and if she thought too much about it, her stomach cramped up.
But... she was happy too, in a way.
Shiranui huffed softly as Louise leaned back, letting the moments pass with her eyes closed with only her thoughts for company.
A tired giggle escaped her lips.
No one could call her a Zero anymore. Not after tonight. So what if her spells had exploded instead of becoming fireballs like she had intended? They had worked far better than anything a fire mage like Kirche had been able to throw. Tonight, it had been her rival who was the failure, not her. Hah, let the Germanian chew on that for a while. And then there was her familiar...
She saw the tide of roaring ring of rolling earth, despair and fear gripping her heart in equal measure. It was too fast, its reach too wide. Even with the incredible speeds her familiar was capable of running at, they couldn't outrun it, couldn't even avoid it. They were doomed. Her, Shiranui, Kirche and Tabitha, all of them. Despite giving her all, despite coming further than she had dreamed possible, she had still failed in the end. The realization slackened her grip, weakened her spine. But her familiar was snarling, hackles raised as the white wolf faced the coming tide.
And then it was there.
There was no warning, no grand display of magic. It simply was.
Crackling arcs of lightning bathed its form, announced it's presence as barely contained energies sparking all along its edges. It bore the shape of a sword, but it transcended such concepts, a shining golden weapon that radiated terrible power and commanding majesty unlike anything she had ever dreamed possible. It was lightning given form, a storm made of otherworldly steel radiating a power beyond mortal grasp and comprehension. Arcs of power lashed out, striking the ground, the air, everywhere. Her hair stood on end, bathed in its deadly radiance, she wanted to scream.
The storm intensified, enveloping them. Consuming them. She felt her body floating away, born aloft by power she could barely comprehend. The lightning took them, but did not destroy them. Instead they flew ahead, a singular purpose in their aim. They blazed a path across the skies. They were the tip of the spear.
They were the lightning.
She opened her eyes, turning her head so that she could meet the golden gaze of her familiar.
Shiranui. Her beautiful, magical familiar. Everything that she had ever dared hope for on that day of the summoning and more. So much more that it was almost too much, and a little frightening.
"What are you Shiranui?" She whispered, her fingers stroking the wolf's tail. "What kind of wolf can throw magic like that?"
The wolf merely flicked an ear at her question, as if the question bore no weight at all. She hadn't thought much of it at first, not in the heat and confusion of battle. The lightning strikes had been to her benefit, and that was all that mattered then. But now, in the aftermath when she had the luxury of thinking about it, she knew there couldn't be anyone else. Not even Tabitha, the only human wind mage on the field at the time.
To think that she had stopped delving any deeper after that one ride her familiar had given her, assuming that it was some variation of a natural levitation magic and the extent of the wolf's abilities. What a fool she had been. Lightning was a triangle class spell, at least. But for it to be so concentrated, and powerful enough that it blasted and melted stone, that had to be the work of square class magic. And then there were the other things, things that existed on the border of perception so vague she couldn't even begin to recognize it as anything but a strange kind of magic. Magic her familiar had wielded with little effort and no less effectiveness.
A part of her crowed in triumph at the conclusion. Not even Tabitha's wind dragon or Kirche's fire salamander could compare to something like her Shiranui. But the other, much quieter part, worried. Power like that wouldn't, couldn't be found in something as simple as a mere animal. No mere animal would have the capacity for magic she had witnessed. Only the extinct rhyme dragons of legend were said to be as capable magically, and they were renowned for their intelligence, the equal to any human at least, if not greater. And none of their mythical number had ever been summoned, much less bound as a familiar, the common wisdom being that they were too intelligent, too powerful to submit.
If Shiranui was anything like that... what being of that power would deign to submit itself before a human mage, much less a mere failure like her?
As if sensing her disquiet, the wolf huffed loudly, tail brushing against her face and tickling her nose. For a moment, they locked gazes, neither one wavering as wolf and mistress traded understanding. And then Louise wrinkled her nose, ending the moment and pushing the tail away. But the troubled thoughts she had been having were fading as she allowed herself to relax once more.
Well... it wasn't as if Shiranui actually obeyed her all that much, she thought with wry humor. The wolf was far too free spirited to be a proper familiar, going wherever she pleased and always vanishing from her mistress's side on her own volition. Not to mention her lack of proper obedience when it came to not jumping off tall buildings against direct orders. It was strange how the realization didn't raise her ire the way it should have. If it had been anyone but Shiranui, she was sure she would have been livid at such disobedience. But then again, Shiranui had always been there for her when she needed it, and with the powers she commanded for her benefit, Louise could forgive a bit of free spirited independence.
Still...
"I suppose," she wondered aloud after a few more moments of contemplation, "that makes me a wind mage, doesn't it?"
If her wolf had a response to that, it was lost as she sharply shifted her gaze away, the focus of her attention striding awkwardly across the broken ground and bearing an all too familiar grin.
"Well Louise I suppose congratulations are in order," Kirche cheerfully announced, "you've managed to achieve quite the feat tonight," she paused for a moment, "alas, it seems your familiar had a much more impressive performance."
Louise sighed. "What do you want Kirche?"
"A never ending chocolate fountain, a hundred million ecu, and a paragon of a man amongst men to keep me company throughout the night," she replied instantly before arching an eyebrow. "But I'll settle for a few choice morsels tonight. Like your fine white wolf. She's certainly proven interesting enough to satisfy me."
"What do you-," Louise's eyes went wide as saucers as the words sank in and she remembered just who exactly she was talking to, "but- but Shiranui's a- you pervert!" Protectively spreading her arms wide, she shot her rival a defiant glare. "I'm not handing Shiranui over to your deviant fantasies!"
Silence fell. Even the babble of teachers went quiet. More than one questioning look was sent her way. Shiranui flicked an ear, tail curling into a questioning arch against Louise's chest. She flushed beet red.
Kirche simply smirked. "Oh my Louise, I merely wanted to ask some questions about your wolf. But for you to think something like that," she chuckled, "you were saying something about deviancy?"
"Shut up Kirche." She turned her nose away in obvious dismissal, the act spoiled only by the fact that her cheeks were so flushed that they had to be on the verge of bursting into flames. The only consolation was that none of the other teachers were paying heed anymore. "I'm not listening to anything you have to say, so go away."
The redhead simply tossed her hair back, "Oh, but I don't think your familiar would mind a few questions." Ignoring her sound of protest, Kirche crouched by Shiranui, hands rubbing across the wolf's forehead. "would you my fine white wolf?"
"Hmph! I'm not listening, and neither should you Shiranui." Louise cautioned, though she kept her face away from the Germanian, "she's just trying to corrupt you. Why, she's not even properly thankful that we saved her."
"Oh, but I am, I really am grateful. After all, were it not for your bravery at the last moment, we would not be here to talk about it. And for that, I am most grateful to you... my fine white wolf. And I suppose to you as well Louise," she added with a grin at the sudden glare. "But I'm also quite curious about how you did it Shiranui. It's not everyday one meets a magical wolf of your considerable prowess. Surely you wouldn't begrudge curious little me some honest questions?" She laughed as the wolf whined inquisitively at her, much to Louise's dismay, "that's a good girl."
Kirche tapped a finger against her lips and hummed, "You know Shiranui, I was going to ask about your little displays earlier first, but then you'd only give me a woof of an answer wouldn't you?"
The familiar chuffed.
Chuckling, Kirche scratched at the wolf's ear, "I thought you might say something like that, so I suppose it would be best to start at the beginning. Especially with the curious tales I've been hearing these last few days. Did you hear them to?"
At this, the wolf huffed, perking her ears in interest though Louise continued her refusal to acknowledge her rival.
"They were such interesting stories. A pair of worn servant's shoes mysteriously mended at night, wilting flowers to be replaced blooming out of season instead. Why, there was even a withered tree that blossomed with life again in the few minutes it was left unattended." Kirche clicked her tongue in amusement, "I hear one or two of the teachers are still puzzling out how that particular incident came about. They can't quite decide if it was water magic at work. But that's hardly the end of it, oh my no. Louise's little mishap with transmutation magic a few days ago undone in an instant, windows repaired just the way they were before a... proper mage could come along and do something about it."
"Not the students, not the teachers, and certainly not even an outsider mage could have done it without someone noticing, and yet, it happened exactly that way. In fact, it was as if there was never an explosion at all. Magic, perhaps even unheard of magic, is at play. But no one takes the credit for it and no one knows who to thank. A mystery is afoot, with a mysterious being, quiet and unseen as she goes about helping those who catch her eye. Why it's like something out of a fable. Does that sound familiar Shiranui?"
Despite her earlier denial, Louise found herself inexplicably listening to the Germanian's words, especially when her wolf's tail had stiffened beneath her fingers upon mention of the tree. Though she was tired and battered, her mind was still sharp enough to realize that whatever Kirche was saying, her wolf seemed to recognize it.
"And just as we were waiting for our mysterious mage to show herself through that cloud spell," Kirche continued with every sign of relish, "there you were with Foquet and Louise for company."
Louise huffed in barely concealed disbelief at Kirche's suggestive tone. A part of her demanded that she put an end to this nonsense and just leave before whatever insanity the Germanian had caught proved to be infectious. But the other part of her was thinking very hard on what she had said, what she was implying and what it might have meant if there was even a scrap of truth to it.
Could she have done it? Shiranui had proven to be an elusive familiar when she wanted to be, easily slipping out of notice when she chose to do so. And if there was even more magic to her than tonight had demonstrated... well, that wouldn't be terribly surprising. But if she was responsible, then why did she do it? What possible reason would her wolf go about doing any of those things? And why hide it? Looking at her familiar's eyes, Louise found no answer except patient watchfulness, even more questions and a gnawing worry beginning to form in her chest.
Even if she had no idea why Shiranui would be doing any of that, the simply fact remained that if it was true, then the wolf possessed even more magic than she had imagined. A wolf powerful in the wind element was one thing, but Kirche's description spoke of water and earth elements at work, and not insignificant amounts of it either. She hadn't heard of such a spell before, but making flowers and withered trees bloom again, that had to be square class work at the least didn't it? If the wild theory Kirche was hinting at held the truth, then almost too much power became far too much.
A human mage could possess that kind of proficiency in a single element if they were of the square rank, but several elements at that level? Only the blasphemous elves had that kind of power. Them and to a lesser extent, the rhyme dragons...
It was that stray thought that cut through both her fatigue and irritation at Kirche. Rhyme dragons were extinct because they had been hunted to the last precisely for their magical properties. Everything about them, even their scales, were so heavily infused with magic that they were used as reagents for spells far beyond what could normally be achieved. With her command of the wind element, Shiranui was already a unique existence, a wolf magical enough to be surely considered on par with the rhyme dragons, if not greater. And if there was even more to her familiar, if there was...
"Enough Kirche," Louise declared with a sharp shake of her head as her thoughts crystallized from idle speculation to certainty. There were so many implications, so many things hinted at that became possible instead of ridiculous once she considered them. "Just stop it."
The redhead pouted, "Aw, don't be a spoilsport Louise. Your familiar certainly seems interested in hearing more." But then a knowing grin started to spread across her face. She didn't say anything then. She didn't need to, because Louise had no trouble at all deciphering the kind of look Kirche was sending her. 'I know that you know', it all but gloated, 'and you know that I know you know'.
"No, we don't," she countered as she rose to her feet, biting down the sudden temptation to respond to that smug look with a poke to the eyes. Beside her, Shiranui chuffed, flicking her tail against Louise's leg. "It's late, we're both dirty, and in case it escaped your notice, we just fought Foquet. I for one, am much too tired to listen to your wild fantasies constructed out of servant gossip and coincidence."
And with that, she began walking away.
"Oh my no Louise, certainly not fantasy," the statuesque Germanian called out with a smile, "it's certainly no more fantasy than your fine white wolf and her performance tonight." She theatrically swept a hand around to encompass the ruined grounds where they had fought Foquet. "But if you doubt me, I could always ask the teachers what they think of my suspicions."
No more than six steps after her attempt at leaving, Louise came to a stop.
Not for the first time since she had known Kirche, Louise wished she could just magic away her rivals memories of the last five minutes, or at least cast a working spell of silence. Instead, she just glowered at the redhead for a long second, struggling mightily not to lose her temper and yell at the infuriating woman. But... she sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright Kirche, fine. You've made your point," she crossed her arms, glaring at the redhead, "what do you hope to get out of me?"
"Oh you can deny it, but- what?" Kirche faltered, the knowing smirk falling off her face for a moment to be replaced by uncertainty. "You're giving up, just like that?"
Louise didn't say anything, though if glares were words, there... might have been a little shouting in it. Just a little.
Kirche's lips twitched, as if she was trying to smile but couldn't decide to go through with it. "You're no fun like this you know that? No fun at all." She said at last with a shake of her head.
Alright, there would have been some shout-
"But I'm afraid it would have to wait for a little while," the Germanian gestured with a nod towards the Academy, where a familiar bearded figure was making his way towards them, "unless you want to share certain things with our esteemed headmaster of course."
A lot of shouting.
**********
"Well professor, it has certainly been an exciting night has it not?"Long used to the peculiarities of his superior, Professor Colbert sighed and consulted the notes he had taken from the various interviews he had run with both the students and staff. Idly, he wondered if Osmond's talent for understatement had somehow contributed to the office he now held. The elder mage certainly showed no signs of worry at the events that had transpired, nonchalantly feeding his familiar some kind of biscuit as if the Academy vault hadn't been breached this very night. "I could do without a repeat of these incidents headmaster. Foquet caught us badly off guard."
That he had been caught in the thief's trap as well only served to make the embarrassment worse. He should have realized the moment he heard the commotion outside, far too calamitous to have been anything but a full scale battle between mages, that there would have been a contingency in place to pacify any response from the Academy. Instead he had reacted like a novice, responding to the obvious threat and missing the subtle one. He'd gotten soft.
The next thing he remembered after that was waking to bone rattling crack of thunder and by then everything was over.
"Aside from your office, faculty quarters and main access to the student dorms were similarly affected, though it doesn't look like she bothered with the servants quarters. Probably not worth the effort on her part. I had them double check, just in case, but it looks like everyone is accounted for, with nothing worse than a few scrapes or bruises to show for it."
"We were lucky that almost everyone was in bed at the time, it could have been much worse if she had struck earlier when there were more people moving around." He shook his head, concealing the yawn that was building up. Aside from the brief spell where Foquet's trap had gotten him, he and the rest of the staff had been up the whole night, going over everything to make check on the students well-being and ensure nothing else was stolen. "Luckier still that she only intended to keep us out of the way temporarily instead of something more permanent."
The thought was a chilling one, if not truly plausible. He'd heard of the notoriety surrounding the legendary thief as well, but none of the stories, not even the wilder ones, painted her to be a mass murderer. But old habits died hard, and the fact that it had been done, and could have been easily far more deadly, stuck with him, his mind methodically sorting through the ways such a vulnerability could have been exploited. With both students and faculty incapacitated, only the servants and a mere handful of mundane guardsmen were all the protection the Academy had against an outside threat.
"Mmm, yes, very fortunate indeed, just the right amount of sleeping draught in the magelights. Not enough to be obvious, but enough certainly do us in. Quite clever of her. It must have taken many nights to prepare such a plan, and successfully too. We shall have to see about inspecting the rest, in case there are other surprises." Osmond vigorously shook his head, beard wagging like an overly long tail, "This should not have happened Professor Colbert, but at the least I am quite pleased at the spirit of our students displayed at apprehending her."
"To be honest headmaster, I'm surprised they survived the encounter with so few injuries to show for it. They could have been killed just as easily, Foquet did not go down without a fight," he had to shake his head at the unintentional understatement. Nevermind the student testimonies of what had transpired or his experience reading the aftermath of battle, the devastation to the Academy walls and beyond would have been obvious to even a common layman. From the damage, the woman was a square class mage worthy of her reputation, and had certainly gone all out soon after the non-lethal binding spells had failed to work. How the students had prevailed...
He sighed, mentally reviewing his notes and hoping that they would explain matters better- but no, the words were still the same. Foquet had been defeated in combat, true, the evidence was undeniable. But it was difficult to imagine three students being responsible for it, even if two of them were line ranked mages. Miss Tabitha was a Chevalier certainly, and no stranger to spell battle, but neither Von Zerbst nor Miss Valliere could make the same claim. Against an experienced square mage like Foquet, the odds were... not good. And it would have been, except...
"It was most fortuitous that Miss Valliere was able to overcome her troubling difficulties with magic during this crisis," the headmaster voiced Colbert's concerns aloud. "Though I suspect you are more concerned about the timing, are you not Jean?"
Colbert rubbed at his brow in consternation, but he nodded all the same. Questioning both Miss Tabitha and Miss Zerbst had produced similar accounts of how Louise and her magic had been pivotal in defeating Foquet, which had proven to be quite a surprise. Despite all the troubles she had with practical magic from the moment she had enrolled until today, the young Valliere had acquitted herself far beyond his wildest hopes. Perhaps a little too far. "I have to admit it's somewhat unusual Osmond. Miss Valliere has always had difficulties with the ah, practical side of spellcasting, so it's unexpected that she would have been able to master the lightning spell so suddenly."
Unspoken was the cooling lumps of molten stone at the site of Foquet's defeat, or how the air had crackled with unspent energy. Colbert had spent enough of his youth amongst far too many wind mages to know what lightning spells were like. Triangle ranked spells, they were powerful magics that could stop a man's heart and leave behind a steaming corpse. That wasn't what he had seen out there amidst the smouldering wreckage of Foquet's golem. It had all the signs of liberal use of the lightning spell, but it was orders of magnitude more powerful than anything a triangle class mage should have been capable of producing.
And Louise had done all that in the heat of the moment?
On one hand, it pained him to doubt the girl. She had struggled with failure for so long that denying her accomplishments now would feel like a betrayal. But on the other hand, he could find no discernible reason as to how she had suddenly overcome her troubles, and in such a spectacular manner at that. It was odd, and there was no way around it.
"It is true that it isn't the norm," The headmaster made a thoughtful sound, stroking his beard, "but the norm is not what one should expect of the Heavy Wind's progeny, is it not?" He waggled his eyebrows, "Is it that surprising that I would know of Karin's station or your previous association with her professor? I may be an old man, but I am still the headmaster of this Academy, and unusual happenings draw my attention. First an unusual familiar with runes that are decidedly not normal, and now this. Tell me professor, were you able to decipher those runes?"
Colbert felt his brow furrowing as he shook his head. "No. None of the manuscripts we have were able to identify the runes with certainty. Do you suspect they or the familiar might have something to do with this?"
"It could be, it could be not, but I do believe there is a story to tell there if we were to learn its meaning," Eyebrows waggled as the older man gave a noncommittal shrug. "But to wit, your concerns are of Miss Valliere's sudden magical proficiency and not of her accomplishments is it not?"
It took a few seconds of thought before he responded, but Colbert shook his head. "No, I don't doubt that Louise played an important role in capturing Foquet."
"Then that is what the records will say, and these letters of commendation won't go to waste" the headmaster indicated the small stack of papers on his desk with a nod. "It is only proper that our students be suitably rewarded for service to both the Academy and Crown."
"Speaking of which, what will we do with Miss Long- I mean Foquet? I have Leblanc and the others watching over her, but..."
"Hmm? Is that old habits speaking Colbert? I had thought you left such things behind when you joined up with us, did you not?"
He grimaced. Leave it to the crafty old man to bring up his past. But Osmond had a point. "I did, but why just the Staff of Destruction? If Foquet managed to break into the vault, why not any of the other artifacts? If stealing for money was all she cared about, she could have walked off with far more than what she had taken. Foquet came in with a specific goal in mind."
Unspoken was conclusion that if Foquet had already come with the staff as her goal, then she must have either had a use for it, or a buyer who not only knew they had it, but of its value as well.
The headmaster nodded, though it was not one of assent. "And you wish to find the reason for that goal don't you? Your diligence is commendable Colbert, but that is a matter for the Crown and her knights to determine not ours. Even had I wished to pursue the matter, the message is already sent and will be out of our hands soon enough. Let the Questers worry about the hows and whys. We only need concern ourselves about the security of our Academy at this point. That, and the lamentably new impression on the southern wall and the gardens. Oh, and professor?"
"Headmaster?"
"I understand that you certainly have a great many duties to do, but do keep an out eye out for the young Miss Valliere and her familiar if you would?"
Colbert blinked. "That's no trouble at all Headmaster Osmond, but may I ask why?"
"I believe we may on the cusp of hrmm... an interesting era. An unusually early day, an unusual familiar and a certainly unusual result tonight." He stroked his beard contemplatively. "It would not be unreasonable to think the future may have many more surprises in store for us."
"Especially from her familiar."
**********
"Kyuyuu- unff!"
Shiranui chuffed, holding her paw out for a little longer where it rested on the dragon's snout. Watery azure eyes focused on her as the larger creature mewled piteously, the serpentine child making a few half hearted attempts at moving past the white wolf. But her spirit remained unyielding, unwilling to permit the dragon's impulsive desire to continue unchecked.
"You should not disturb the wound so Irukukwu," She chided the dragon softly with a brief huff, letting her ears flick with faint admonishment, "let it heal on its own."
"It doesn't hurt anymore..." she trilled, making one last effort before surrendering to Shiranui's will. Withdrawing her serpentine form, the youngling slumped onto her belly, her wings flapping listlessly as she curled her neck so she was face to face with Shiranui. "Kyuuu, but it itches!" She thumped her tail on the ground for added emphasis.
Shiranui huffed lightly at the plaintive cry that carried no heat, a gentle smile that her form could not show as she touched her nose to the dragon's snout.
"It itches because it is healing, Irukukwu." She murmured, "the healers have performed their arts, but it will take time for the wound to close fully. Let it be until you are well again." A moment's pause before she added with a touch of amusement, "So you can put your leg down."
The dragon child started, hindleg raised from where it had been about to scratch at the bandaged flank, looking at her guiltily before warbling her acknowledgement "Oh-kay Big Sister."
The white wolf chuffed at the childish agreement, settling down in the courtyard with the dragon as they awaited the return of their bond bearers. Her tone had been light, the bubbling energy of the dragon buoying her spirits. Yet despite the gentle light of Tsukuyomi's doppelganger, troubled thoughts flickered through her, punctuated by the concerned calls of mortal instructors in the distance.
She had known anger before. Anger at the trickery of the nine tailed fox, the machinations of the dark being that had spawned the demons of Nippon. But always tempered by her duty, her affection for the lands and all that walked beneath her light that brought her will to its fullest. Such had touched her in the battle with the wielder of chi, holding her heart in ways it had not before. It had called her then, her choices forced by circumstance and emotions stronger than she had remembered. So close, she had skirted the edges of the precipice, to fall into the emotions that she should not and commit the forbidden, forever darkening both her soul and that of Raijin's instrument.
She did not regret her decision. There had been little else she could do. She could not permit the battle to proceed as the spirit user desired. And though the forbidden laws had not been transgressed, there had been a cost she had not wished to bear yet.
The choices she had made before, the paths she had hoped to lay, they would be in disarray now. Always before, her hand had been hidden, acted upon with the ignorance of those who would receive her boon. But the child who held her bond, as had all who had partaken of the battle, they had borne witness to the very truths that she had not wished to show. Not so soon, when they could not yet begin to understand. The villagers of Kamiki, they had not understood at first when she had approached. And what they did not know, they feared.
But the child had not feared, not truly. She had glimpsed it in the child's eyes as she left to speak with the instructors of what had transpired with the assailant, and then again as she left to rest. The child did not understand, yet the wonder and wariness she had carried was an open sign of her intentions. She would question and seek the truth. In that she differed from those of Kamiki blood, a difference that warmed Shiranui's spirit.
And yet it was too soon. She was not yet strong enough for the turmoil that could come should the truth be fully known. The mortals possessed a will that could be as implacable as the mountains, like that of the warrior Susano. But they were fickle in their faith, quick to folly and anger when they did not understand.
Would that she could change what had happened.
She huffed, chastising herself for such impulsive thoughts. To change what had been written was not a choice to be taken lightly, and would that she make that choice, she had yet to sense a spirit gate within this world since her reawakening. Her path, and that of the child, were set now. She could only weather them as she always did and take surety that it would be enough...
"Kyuu... why is Big Sister sad?" Irukukwu warbled, her words eliciting a questioning sound from the wolf.
The dragon sniffed curiously, her eyes locked on Shiranui's before she spoke, "Big Sister smelled a little funny just now, kyuuu, like being hungry, only not-hungry. Big Big Sister said it meant someone was sad. Was it the Mean-mean-woman who hit Big Sister? Did she hurt Big Sister?" She flapped her wings, her head bobbing with every word, "Irukukwu could bite her, then you would feel better, kyu!"
Shiranui chuffed, raising her paw once more to place it on the dragon's snout, "No biting Irukukwu," she admonished gently, withdrawing her paw once the child had calmed. "She did not harm me."
No sooner than the words were spoken that the dragon's eyes grew wide. "Kyuuyui? But the Mean-mean-woman made the big stony man hit Big Sister and then Big Sister went flying! And then... and then..." the words trailed off, her thoughts written upon her visage as she searched for her voice, "Kyuuuu... it didn't hurt? Then Big Sister is really strong, like Big Sis, only stronger. But... Irukukwu still doesn't understand why Big Sister was sad just now."
So close. Irukukwu's intent was so very close to hers at that one moment when she had nearly forgotten that which she was. And yet... she had listened to the other humans as they spoke, learned that the lords they obeyed would do with the spirit user what she had come so close to doing. The doings of such amongst the mortals were of little surprise to her, but she could not deny the role she had played in making it possible.
She huffed to herself in self admonishment, gazing back into the young dragon's confused face. So innocent this one, many seasons older than most humans, yet so unmarked by her time amongst mortals. Such a precious thing. She could not lie, but she would not be the one to trouble the young one's naivety were she able. "It is nothing to be concerned with Irukukwu. I..." she paused, tasting the words in her heart before speaking them.
"Big sister is just thinking of the future."
The adopted sibling warbled her curiosity, but paused as Shiranui's ears flicked, her eyes raised towards Tsukuyomi's doppelganger in contemplation. Moments passed in long silence before she huffed, rising to her feet, the child following suit as she padded away from the open gardens.
"Big Sister?" her sister cooed, her following presence hovering behind Shiranui "What future?"
Though she did not slow, her tail swished in concern as the question bore upon her thoughts. The paths she had sought were varied now, different from what should have been. "A future, Irukukwu, though of what kind I cannot say with certainty."
The dragon child lapsed into contemplative silence, following the path she walked without words. It did not take long before they had arrived close to her destination, a lit entry high above, curtains drifting in the breeze that whispered by.
"Kyuuuu..... will there be yummies in the future?"
She huffed softly, her amusement unchecked as she favoured her sister with a brief look before turning her attention skywards once more. "Perhaps Irukukwu. But not this night. It is rest you need now. We shall see what the morning brings."
Understanding her intent, the dragon trilled a farewell as she quickened her approach. Her will echoed upon the world, unyielding stone welcoming her grasp as she ascended the walls. Only moments, and she was perched near the door that led within.
Where the child was waiting for her.
**********
The whispering crackle of well aged paper broke the silence as Tabitha turned yet another page of a well worn book to the warm light of a nearby oil lantern, one of the few decorative luxuries she had permitted herself. Beside her subdued passion for literature, her room has remained mostly unchanged from since the day she first arrived. One of the rare few personal items of hers sat ticking quietly away on the mantelpiece, the aged clock telling the time that should have been.The hour had long since passed the point where it could be considered late, yet the lone occupant within the dorm room did not rest. Though she is well accustomed to late nights, shadows rim her blue eyes and her head droops occasionally beneath the heavy weight of fatigue. Yet she remained awake, holding on for another minute as she turned yet another page.
The past few days had produced many questions, some perplexing, others troubling in what answers they might have held. Compared to an answer to at least some of those questions, sleep was less important.
Mercifully, she was not kept waiting long, the steady of beating of wings and the rattling of her balcony door announcing a presence from the outside.
She put her book down, reaching for the wand by her bedside. With a tiny flick of the instrument and an equally small burst of magic, the lock unlatched and the doors swung open, permitting her visitor to peer within.
"Kyuuuu!" heedless of the relative smallness of the opening, the young dragon poked her head through the window, sinuous neck just long enough to nuzzle against her masters chest like an enthusiastic puppy.
Keeping her balance despite the draconic head pressing against her chest, Tabitha motioned the dragon to silence with a tap of her finger, raising the wand once more. A soft buzz filled the air as she cast her magic again, the sound fading away to nothingness as the spell of whistling winds encompassed the room.
Satisfied with her handiwork, she broke the silence with a single word, "Irukukwu." The quiet returned as she inspected the bindings on her partner's flank, only the flicker of a frown telling her displeasure. Despite the healer's ministrations and the general shallowness of the wound, she regretted the necessity of straining her dragon so soon with flight. "No longer hurts?"
The dragon trilled, rubbing its head against her.
"It doesn't hurt anymore Big Sis, but it itches lots!" A tremble ran throughout the dragon, and the suggestion of movement in its hindquarters brought Tabitha's hand up warningly. But the dragon chirped "Kyuu, Irukukwu knows. Big Sister says Irukukwu isn't supposed to scratch at it even if it itches because itching means it's getting all better even if Irukukwu really really wants to scratch at it," at her before she could do more than raise that appendage.
She raised an eyebrow just by a fraction at the dragon's words. It was a small discrepancy, hardly worth noticing to most people amidst the flood of words. But Tabitha was not most people, her experiences sharpening her ear to anything out of the ordinary. "Big Sister?"
Irukukwu paused, cooing as she drew back to look at her mistress with uncertain eyes. But then she brightened instantly in the way only a dragon could. "Kyui! Irukukwu wanted to tell you the other day because Big Sister was really nice to Irukukwu and she smelled like the day. But then Big Sister gave Irukukwu magic food later which was all kinds of yummy and Irukukwu kindofforgottotellyoubecausethefoodwasreallyreallyyummy," She trailed off with an apologetic warble, lowering her head as she does so, "Irukukwu is sorry."
A twitch of alarm ran through Tabitha's fingers, but she schooled it to stillness. "Magic food?" She whispered," What kind of magic?"
"Irukukwu doesn't know," the dragon trilled, "Big Sister brought some yummies when the sun came up too early and then said there was more, but Irukukwu didn't see it so Irukukwu thought it had to be magic food."
She paused, draconic blue eyes blinking in thought before continuing. "Kyuu, Big Sister didn't say it was magic food, but suddenly there was lots of yummies when there wasn't anything just now so it must have been Big Sister's magic food. Irukukwu knows it wasn't there because she couldn't smell it on Big Sister. Irukukwu just saw grass and then the grass was yummies. And there was meat and everything, so many yummies Irukukwu couldn't finish it, and all the other familiars got to eat lots too. Kyui, Irukukwu likes Big Sister, she's nice to everyone."
"Big Sister," Tabitha cuts her dragon's recounting short with a gesture, "who?"
"Kyuui, Big Sister is Big Sister," Irukukwu crooned, as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world, "not like Big Big Sister, because Big Sister isn't a rhyme dragon like Irukukwu and Big Big Sister but she talks like Big Big Sister sometimes when she's thinking about things like tomorrow. Irukukwu doesn't get all the things Big Sister talks about, but she said there might be yummies tomorrow too."
The slight girl frowned at her dragon, noting the small trail of drool dripping down her dragon's maw. "Irukukwu, focus. Who is Big Sister?"
"Big Sister is Amaterimi... Amatamu... Amamama... kyuu... Irukukwu doesn't really remember. Big Sister's name was really hard to say, so Irukukwu calls her Ammy because it's easier and Big Sister didn't mind at all."
With a dragon's head pressed to her chest, Tabitha didn't have an easy view of the rest of her familiar, but the excited twitching of her tail was too energetic to miss, "Maybe Big Sis can have Ammy as a Big Sister too! Big Sister is lots of nice, and probably won't mind. And- and if Big sis has Big Sister then maybe Big Sis wouldn't smell so sad anymore, kyui!"
Tabitha's frown deepened, and an edge crept into her voice. "You spoke to her?"
The dragon jerked her head back as if struck, eyes wide in sudden panic. "Eek, Irukukwu is sorry, kyuyuyuu, Irukukwu didn't mean to break Big Sis's rule!" She babbled apologetically, flapping her wings in consternation before she suddenly halted, "But-but-but Irukukwu thought it was alright to speak because Irukukwu went kyuui, and not human words and because Big Sister was a puppy and not a human so that should have been okay."
"Puppy..." she paused, and then made an informed guess, "Louise's familiar? Shiranui?"
"Kyu! But her name is Ammy, not Shiranui" The scaled head bobbed so vigorously it nearly smashed into the ceiling, "Irukukwu thought Big Sister was a puppy and Irukukwu wanted to play, but then Big Sister could talk without talking, kyui! Irukukwu was so surprised."
"But then Irukukwu smelled Big Sister and she didn't smell like a puppy at all! Irukukwu didn't get it at first, because puppies should be puppies even when they don't smell like one. But then Big Sister wasn't a puppy because puppies can't talk without talking, and was really polite and everything even when Irukukwu got too close and kind of knocked her down though Irukukwu didn't mean to. Big Sister was really nice about it and said she wasn't mad at all."
"Kyuu," the dragon chirped, not noticing the troubled expression on her master's face, "and Big Sister is really strong. The mean-mean lady hit Big Sister with the big stone man and made Big Sister fly, but it didn't even hurt her. And then when the she poked at Irukukwu with the stone sticks and made everyone fall down, Big Sister got really mad and called the lightning and made the Rhyme sing with her better than Big Big Sister can."
"Big Sister can be really really scary when she's mad kyuuyuuyu, but Irukukwu wasn't scared at all because Big Sister likes everyone and just wanted to stop the mean-mean lady from poking at everyone, kyui!"
Silence reigned as the dragon trailed off, looking at her master with shining eyes. Tabitha remained stock still, her demeanor still wary to the dragon's nose, yet more lax than it had been a little while ago. "Not a wolf?" She said after a while, receiving an empathic kyui in reply. "Then?"
The dragon trilled. "Irukukwu wasn't sure at first because Big Sister smelled all kinds of funny, it was all kinds of mixed up. But then Irukukwu remembered what Big Sis and Big Big Sister said before about spirits, and Big Sister was kind of like that even if she wasn't mad all the time like the stories said she'd be."
Tabitha opened her mouth to speak, just a fraction, but nothing came out and she closed a moment later. As the silence stretched, she fixed the dragon with a look that elicited a nervous eep from her 'little sister'.
"Teasing me."
And just like that, the dragon lost her nervousness and drew back with a drawn out snort. "Kyuuuuu, Irukukwu isn't teasing Big Sis, it's the truth! Big Sister is a spirit!" She flapped her wings in annoyance, "Really really!"
"I believe you." Tabitha reached out with her fingers in a custom the dragon is quickly learning to recognize and despite herself, Irukukwu lowered her head with an annoyed huff, "What type of spirit?"
"Irukukwu doesn't know." She trilled, turning her head in pleasure as Tabitha's fingers found a particular spot on her scales and scratches it just so. "Big Sis said spirits were like the air or water, but Big Sister doesn't smell anything at all like that. But Irukukwu thought her smell was really special, not like anything normal at all, that's how Irukukwu knew Big Sister wasn't a puppy but a spirit."
"Special?"
"Kyui! Big Sister Ammy smells like the morning sky."
**********
"Shiranui?"Already on her bed with blankets already drawn up around her chin, Louise blinked sleepily at the shadow standing outside her balcony door. A long moment passed as she blinked a few times more, the silhouette coming into focus as a familiar figure. There was a low sound, a flick of an ear in response, and she raised her hand in a beckoning gesture. The wolf responded instantly, padding over into her room and onto her bed with a soundless leap.
"I finally get to bed and you only show up now?" She grumbled wearily, though her words didn't carry any real heat. Stroking the wolf's head as Shiranui settled down beside her, Louise regarded her familiar with faint exasperation. "It's going to be a habit with you, isn't it? Always coming and going as you please?"
In response, the wolf turned to look at her and huffed as if to say, 'of course I would, wouldn't you?'
A long moment passed as Louise looked her familiar in the eye... and then she gave up, sinking back onto her pillow with a sigh, her thoughts still a jumble. It wasn't like she had told the wolf to come with her when she had gone to give Osmond her testimony anyway, leaving the wolf in the company of Tabitha's dragon. And she had been much too tired to spend more than a token effort looking for her familiar afterwards before giving it up.
"The headmaster is going to commend me to the title of Chevalier, can you believe that?" She murmured to the wolf, the familiar responding with a short questioning whine. "Little Louise, awarded an honored title for her courage and prowess in helping to capture Foquet." She laughed softly, "and to think this all happened because you went out for a walk at night."
A few seconds passed in companionable silence before she spoke again. "But if you hadn't disappeared, and I hadn't followed, then none of this would have happened. I would still be a zero, and I would... I still know almost nothing about you," she amended.
The arching of the white tail was like a raised eyebrow.
"You're not an ordinary wolf Shiranui, I knew that from the beginning. But I never thought... never imagined you would be so extraordinary like this." She admitted with a yawn, her eyelids drooping heavily against her weariness "Even if what Kirche said about you was just all nonsense, there's so much about you that's just too strange."
There was no answer from the wolf, only the flick of an ear to indicate that she was still listening.
"That lightning magic of yours, that was square ranked at least. Most nobles wouldn't be capable of half that, not so often. I'm not sure even mother could. You have so much power it's almost a little frightening what you can do. And that day in the courtyard with the other familiars, it's like they look up to you, Tabitha's dragon especially. They wouldn't do that for just any wolf if she was just a little magical."
"There's just so much about you that I don't know that I just can't ignore it anymore... even if Kirche didn't want to pry," she added with bit of bitterness before yawning again, this time her eyes drifting shut. "But don't worry, she won't reveal your secrets."
Even in her exhaustion, the memory of Kirche stopping her outside Osmond's office and claiming that she had been in it only for fun instead of maliciousness or greed brought a moment of irritation to her. Not that the Germanian would give up her hopes to learn more about Shiranui. But for all their rivalry, Louise believed Kirche's claim. Infuriating as her overstuffed rival was, she had been far too friendly with Shiranui to want her harmed. And grabby too, hmph. At least the hussy had the decency to wait until she had a nights rest before pestering her.
"So strange, so powerful. And yet I summoned you. Do you think," she murmured as sleep finally rose up to claim her, "that maybe one day, I'll be as strong as you are? That if the summoning brought you to me, I'll become a worthy wind mage like mother too?"
There was a chuff, a low sound that barely registered to her fading mind.
It sounded... encouraging.
**********
As the moons drifted across the sky, Louise slumbered restfully, exhaustion plunging her into deep, dreamless sleep. In the darkness, a pale lupine form stirred beside her, rising only slightly from the bed.Golden eyes watched in silence, and then in one motion, their noses touched. Words that made no sound passed by, the Valliere scion murmuring meaningless noises at the contact though she did not stir.
"Patience child," the voice that was not spoke, "for this night is but the first step of your journey."
A tiny orb of pale white light flickered into being, radiating from within the bosom of the sleeping young woman. It glowed, its illumination undulating slowly to reveal a sliver of essence within its core that shone even brighter than the moons above. Slowly, the wolf drew back, and the light faded away to darkness once more.
"One day you will grow to the strength that is yours."
A huff, the silence broken for the last time as the wolf settled down beside her bond bearer to rest.
"And I will be proud of you."
**********
Irukukwu's Kyuudex
Irukukwu gets to write? Really? Yay! Irukukwu gets to talk about all sorts of things, which is good. Irukukwu doesn't get to talk a lot otherwise, because Big Sis says I'm not supposed to let people know that I can talk except for her. But she says I can talk to you all now even though we're not high in the sky because Irukukwu is good and gets to explain things and that people shouldn't be confused, Kyui!Big Sis
Big Sis is the one that called me here with her magic, mm! Mother said I shouldn't go, but Irukukwu smelled her through the funny green portal thing and she smelled sad sad, so Irukukwu decided to cheer her up, Kyuu! Big Sis is a human, but she's really really small for one, like the not-small monkeys in the forests which are really tasty. But Big Sis isn't tasty like them because Irukukwu licked Big Sis before and she's really salty and not at all yummy. But that's ok because Irukukwu doesn't really want to eat Big Sis.
Irukukwu likes Big Sis lots, cause Big Sis knows how to scratch that place with her hand kyuuu and likes to read for Irukukwu. But Big Sis can sometimes be mean to Irukukwu and makes Irukukwu work really really hard. Like the time Big Sis made Irukukwu get chased by the stinky fire dragon and didn't even give Irukukwu any meat for a reward. Irukukwu got bread instead that was supposed to taste like meat, but that's cheating, kyuumph! It wasn't like meat at all!
Kyuyuu~, but Irukukwu didn't bite Big Sis, because Big Sis is Big Sis and Irukukwu is a good dragon and good dragons don't bite their Big Sis.
Big Sister
Big sister is older than Irukukwu, kyuu, older than Big Big Sister too, but nicer. She talks more than Big Sis, but doesn't get to talk as much to Irukukwu because we don't see each other a lot. Irukukwu would like to talk to Big Sister more, she's nice and she can make magic food too! Big Sisters magic food is always tasty, and she gives lots of it to Irukukwu. Big sis sometimes forgets that Irukukwu can get hungry, kyuuuyuui, but never Big Sister, so Irukukwu doesn't get hungry anymore.
Big sister looks like a puppy sometimes, and sometimes like a person, but only when Irukukwu isn't looking properly and then she doesn't smell like either one. She always smells different, like the Ryhme, especially when she brings out her magic food. Big Sister is really really smart too! She knows lots of things, like the time-
Kyuyuyuuu, Big Sis says I shouldn't tell you about it or she'll get lots of mad, and Big Sis can be scary-scary-scary even though she's smaller than Irukukwu and probably won't fill Irukukwu's tummy anyway.
But Big Sister is really really nice. She gives me lots of food and always makes things feel better. Don't tell Big Sis, but Big Sister is best Sis.
Big Big Sister
Big Big Sister is Irukukwu's sister, but not like Big Sis and Big Sister, because Big Big Sister is a rhyme dragon like Irukukwu. Big Big Sister is really lots of smart and always teaches Irukukwu about all the things like the Rhyme and the birds and and... and the tasty things! Kyu! But Big Big Sister knows about spirits too and taught Irukukwu lots about them, that's why Irukukwu knows Big Sister was a spirit.
Big Big Sister didn't really like the the funny green portal thing and told Irukukwu that if she ever saw one, Irukukwu shouldn't go in, because there were mean mean humans on the other side who would bite Irukukwu and make her into yummies. But then Big Big Sister was wrong because even when there were people, there was Big Sis, and Big Sis didn't try to make Irukukwu into yummies. Though Big Sis can sometimes hit Irukukwu with her big stick when Irukukwu sees a yummy thing and wants to eat it.
Irukukwu sometimes wonders where Big Big Sister is now. Big Big Sister always liked to sing with the Rhyme and make the funny colours in the sky, but Irukukwu can't hear her anymore or see the lights and Irukukwu can't sing with the Rhyme yet. Kyuuu, Big Big Sister must be really really far away. Irukukwu misses Big Big Sister sometimes, but if Irukukwu didn't go in, then she'd never have met Big Sis and a Big Sister.
But that's alright, because Irukukwu is going to see Big Big Sister one day. Maybe Big Sister will come along too, kyu!
**********
Not quite as much action in this chapter, but I felt the drawdown and aftermath was sufficient for it. And a question for all. Who would like to see more of Irukukwu's Kyuudex?
It's alive!
TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
Good transition piece, establishing that canon's gone off the rails. Everyone's focused on Ammy now, instead of Louise.
@Khaos and Darth Artemis: Thanks for the corrections.
And yes Sylphid's syntax is somewhat different from what we're used to. I suppose proper speech is just something Ammy will have to teach her, though how well that will take is anyone's guess.
And yes Sylphid's syntax is somewhat different from what we're used to. I suppose proper speech is just something Ammy will have to teach her, though how well that will take is anyone's guess.
She smells like the morning sky.
Where did you learn to write so well??????
Where did you learn to write so well??????
Khaos
Baguette, wine and cheese
Omnivore please, Irukukwu eats bread and cake just fine, especially cake, and this is not a lie.Larekko12 said:
And I even learned two new words today, bay (as a verb) and chuff.
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
IT.IS.ALIVE
also.... never give a dragon a secret... *face palm*
Though now I wonder how people are going to react to the fact that Louise (most likely) still can't do magic. Also... what was with that energy orb thing summoned out of Louise?
also.... never give a dragon a secret... *face palm*
Though now I wonder how people are going to react to the fact that Louise (most likely) still can't do magic. Also... what was with that energy orb thing summoned out of Louise?
Robo Jesus
Your Mechanical Messiah
Irukukwu's Kyuudex is BEST Kyuudex!Mashadarof402 said:
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Its Alive! Its Alive!
Good to see this come back. Since I'm not very familiar with ZnT, what exactly is coming up next, assuming the stations of canon haven't been completely destroyed?
Good to see this come back. Since I'm not very familiar with ZnT, what exactly is coming up next, assuming the stations of canon haven't been completely destroyed?
Winchester
Buzzzzzkill
- Location
- Creeping towards your ear
I really should re-play that game... but my last attempt almost stalled out drawing flowers on the big Sakura tree, and *did* stall out trying to stop the log from going over the waterfall. In twenty or thirty attempts, I managed to get at most four vines out of six. Hateful, hateful game...
Anyway, nice to see this back as well. Apropos the Albion arc, does Ammy get any healing spells in the game? That might also screw things up royally for the Reconquista...
Anyway, nice to see this back as well. Apropos the Albion arc, does Ammy get any healing spells in the game? That might also screw things up royally for the Reconquista...
Siesta's reaction couldn't be fit into this chapter. Like every other sensible mortal, she'd have made for the hills (or the relative safety of the servant quarters), when the fight broke out in all seriousness, limiting what she actually saw and knows.LGear said:Not "Kyuundex"?
There was a distinct lack of Siesta reaction this chapter, but otherwise the return of Ammy was much delightful
And for Louise to think of Kirche's intentions as bestiality so fast.... I wonder where she got that idea from.
... Cattleya?
>_>
As for what Louise thinks of Kirche's intentions... well, Kirche has always been grabby with anything she likes, whether she intends to sleep with it or not.
As for the Kyuudex, well, Kyuundex would require Irukukwu to go 'kyuun' rather than 'kyuui'. And Kyuudex is much closer phonetically to codex anyway =p
Well, in canon, she never actually got around to doing any real (read: functioning) magic until the end of the Reconquisita invasion. Things were largely Saito the doofus-centric up until then.DB_Explorer said:
Thing are likely to be... slightly different around this time.
An entirely natural and intrinsic part of the collective elements that make up Louise... which may or may not have a little something extra bolted onto it.DB_Explorer said:
Ammy knows which is which.
Heh.
"Ammy smells like the morning sky..."
You know, I wonder what would happen if someone name-dropped "Amaterasu" to Siesta? Aside from "drops tray and stares in shock."
"Ammy smells like the morning sky..."
You know, I wonder what would happen if someone name-dropped "Amaterasu" to Siesta? Aside from "drops tray and stares in shock."
Heh, yeah. That would be... interesting.
I'm still waiting for the Water Spirit to kneel to her. That will be an amusing scene.
I'm still waiting for the Water Spirit to kneel to her. That will be an amusing scene.
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
That would be hilarious.linkhyrule5 said: