Mana Based System - FoZ/Gamer

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 28 »»»​

It was over. Louise inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, then exhaled, tipping her head back. She shifted on her feet, not feeling what was surely a sprained ankle. Above, a blue and a red bar hovered. Her Willpower was nearly depleted. Her life hadn't gotten nearly that empty. Louise had not let it. Still, more than a half was gone and, as she looked, she thought she saw it replenishing just a tiny little bit. So little it was hard to say if it had been her imagination or not.

Louise did not have time to muse on that, or even to read the four or so other figments that surrounded her before Montmorecy de Montmorency was on her with all the furious worry of a healer whose warnings and instructions had been purposefully ignored. Which, to be fair, they had been. The blonde had been shouting, pleading for them to stop from the moment Sébastien had stomped on Louise's downed form. If she had tried to step in, she'd most likely than not get hit herself, and if she'd tried to use magic, she might have hit Louise.

"You! You reckless idiot of a fool!" She snarled, wand drawn and already tracing the movements for diagnostic and healing spells. Louise reached out and grabbed her wrist, begging her to stop. Montmorency's eyes nearly sparked in fury. "What do you think you're doing?"

She tried to free her wrist, but the shorter girl's grip was too strong. "Just five minutes." She signaled the waiting Sébatien with her head. The man was watching the exchange with a mirthful smile. "Let us just conclude our business first." Also, she would rather the figment of her life recovered more before the water mage found her injuries… or worse, didn't find them.

"You're hurt." Montmorency poked her in the middle of the chest, where Louise had been stomped on.

"Less than what you think." Louise smiled, not giving any sign the touch had bothered her. Which it hadn't. "This is good armor."

A bit at a loss, but unwilling to back down, Montmorency stepped back to position herself right next to Louise's elbow. "Fine, hurry it up."

"You done flirting, Lass?" Teased Sébastien, who chuckled as Montmorency's face colored and she took a step away from Louise.

The pink-haired girl just groaned exasperatedly. "I'm not flirting, Founder…. Anyway!" She cleared her throat and tilted her chin up to meet the inn owner's eyes. "How was that? Do I have 'what it takes'?"

The former mercenary hummed. His fingers beat a staccato rhythm on his wandsword's hilt. "It wasn't bad," he finally said, a grin growing beneath his beard, "for a rookie."

"For a rookie, hm?" Louise huffed, but her shoulders relaxed. A smile danced in the air between the two swordsmen.

Sébastien continued, expounding on what he'd noticed during the fight. "Technically, you are very good. You also have the strength and the physical resilience to back up your skills. Your magic wasn't the strongest for a Line mage, but it was fast and clean. And more importantly than all that, you kept calm and focused regardless of the situation your found yourself in. That was good, Lass. Very good." Louise beamed. "However." Louise's smile dimmed. "Your magic may be fast, but you yourself are slow. Dreadfully slow. I wasn't even trying to be very fast there at the end and you still couldn't keep up. Everything else is useless if you aren't fast enough to apply it."

Louise winced in remembrance at how pressed she had been. "So what I lack is speed?"

"No, more than just speed. You lack… nimbleness. You are stiff and clumsy. To keep your balance you sink down because you are unable of shifting your weight. Frankly, you move more like an earth mage than a wind mage." He paused, fingers tapping as he thought. "Those kind of tactics are terrible. Honestly, if you weren't capable of wielding that sword as you are, I'd tell you to get something lighter, but it looks like brute force is just your way to go." Montmorency nodded to herself, thinking about Louise's explosions. Despite her earlier complaints she was listening attentively. Louise herself couldn't help but picture the pure destruction her mother brought to the field with raw willpower alone. She mused on the power that could be brought to bear once such raw brute strength was controlled and directed. Sébastien continued. "And you also lack something else. Experience."

Louise couldn't help an ironic smile. "I am well aware. Perhaps we could have another spar later?" This bout had not only given her experience for completing the quest, but also a considerably large amount of experience by itself.

"What!?" Yelled Montmorency.

Sébastien laughed deep from his belly. That brat! He hadn't been so entertained by wannabe in years. "As enjoyable as that would be, I do have a business to run, Lass. Maybe next time you come around these parts I might take you up on that offer. It's not everyday that you get somebody's permission to beat the crap out of them." He chuckled at the cute scowl on her face, removing his gloves and sheathing his swordwand. "But now you should probably deal with your girl friend. Come inside when you're finished."

And he reentered the inn, abandoning Louise to Montmorency, who was quickly reaching her boiling point.

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 29 »»»​

Louise did not dare breathe for a couple of seconds, then addressed her companion cautiously. "I'm sure-"

A vicious slap cut her off, twisting her head to the side.

"Ouch." Chuckled Derflinger.

"Are you completely out of your damn mind, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière?" Seethed Montmorency. "Did you go bloody mad?"

Louie opened her mouth.

"No!" Montmorency exclaimed before she could utter a word. "Don't even think about it. You are going to shut up right now and let me heal you, or I swear I'll make you wish that brute had mauled you instead!"

Louise closed her mouth.

The water mage started her incantations and Louise glanced upwards. The red bar had recovered a nice chunk, so it would probably be safe. The familiar chill of diagnostic magic swept over her torso and arms only to stop soon after. Montmorency paled and whimpered, staggering back. Alarmed, Louise grasped her arms to prevent her from falling over. Or maybe it wouldn't be safe anyway.

"Montmorency." She called, trying to rouse her classmate from her stupor to no success. "Montmorency, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" The blonde turned haunted at the girl holding her up. She traced Louise's face with her eyes, then down to the leather of her buff coat and the arms securing her. "How… how are you even standing? Your ribs are fractured in several places and your ankle is dislocated… and there are more bruises than I can count." She placed careful fingers on the hands gripping her biceps with surety. Her own hands were trembling where Louise's weren't. She looked back into Louise's wide eyes. "You were fighting like this. How?"

Oh dear Founder, that was a lot worse than what Louise had imagined. How was she going to explain this? Should she tell the truth? No. Of course not. But she couldn't just use the heat of battle to justify it. Louise knew how... unnatural this was. Not bad, she thought, but certainly not normal. What should she do? What should she say?

What could she say?

And as Louise's thoughts continued whirlwinding around in her head, the silence stretched. Montmorency, still pale, had a thought. A very dangerous thought. She looked into Louise's red eyes, narrowed, stilled, and wondered: who was the person standing in front of her?

With a gasp, the blonde took a step back. But she was still held by Louise's firm hands, whose grasp remained solid even as she tried to escape.

"Montmorency?" She asked cautiously, seeing something like fear start to appear on her classmate's face.

"Who are you?" Whispered Montmorency despite herself.

Louise's eyes widened then her brow furrowed, her fingers tightening around Montmorency's arms. She still hadn't forgotten the conversation she'd been called to have in the Headmaster's office. She remembered the accusations, the fear that had taken a hold of her heart, the fury she had felt at the sheer hatred that was being directed at her. If anything had spurred her onwards, it had been those feelings. If anything had slowly consumed her the past days, like embers of rancor ever-burning, waiting for the moment where they would ignite in retribution… it had been that. That… utter betrayal of all of her hopes.

Only one thing held her tongue now. There was nothing fake about the panic that was slowly but surely encroaching on Montmorency's features.

She sighed, then spoke strongly, cutting through the haze starting to cloud her colleague's mind. "Do you remember what happened to me during the Springtime Summoning Ceremony?"

"Yes." Answered Montmorency tersely. How could she have forgotten? Not to mention that moment had been ever present in her thoughts for a few days now.

"I was injured." Continued Louise, her voice bitter. "I spent quite some time unconscious. Do you know why?"

Montmorency opened her mouth, the answer already on her tongue despite only having basic medical training. And she stopped before the words left her, the point Louise was trying to reach dawning to her. "… a concussion." She murmured.

Louise nodded, a sarcastic smile still in place. "Indeed. Monsieur de Smet said my recovery went well and that no permanent damage seemed to have occurred. That… is not quite true."

Montmorency was listening now, enraptured, a strange feeling rising in her throat, another sinking down into her gut. "You changed." She had heard of things like this. This was why head wounds were so complicated, so dangerous.

Louise shook her head. "It's more complicated than that." So much more. "I'm still me. Nothing has really changed about me. I still feel the same as before, my thoughts are not different, my memories unaffected. What changed is the way I… perceive it. There's..." she searched for a word, one word to encompass all the things the figments represented. "Distance."

"Distance?" Montmorency asked faintly.

"Yes. I still feel the same. But it's easier to detach myself and think through my feelings." Louise chuckled humorlessly. "Really, that's about it. It's easier to take a step back from everything and be rational. I still feel it all," she assured Montmorency, "but I can put it aside when I need to. It's the same with pain. I still feel the pain, but after the initial sting" or gut-wrenching agony "I can just... put it aside. Ignore it. That's how I can fight while injured." Louise added one last thing to alleviate the mood. "It's rather useful."

She was completely unprepared for the tears that started rolling down Montmorency's cheeks.

The sight of the other girl's tears sent a fresh wave of panic and self-recrimination running through Louise. How had she messed that up? She thought she'd done it right, no? Telling that half-truth to calm her down and crush her not-so-unfounded fears. And it had worked. She thought so, at least. Right? Yeah? So: why was Montmorency crying!? She hated seeing people crying! How did she fix this now!?

Blinking, the blonde herself suddenly realized she was crying. She brought a hand up to hide her face, but her breathing was strangled, stuck in her throat. Louise's hands on her arms were now a light touch, unsure but present, ready to catch her if necessary. Montmorency tried to clear her throat. She had one last question to pose. Despite her efforts, her voice still came out scratchy. "When did you meet the… your teacher, Sébastian? Ask him to te- train you?"

Louise blinked at the non-sequitur. "Last Voidsday?"

"Did you... already know that you… you would overcome your problems with practical magic?"

"Wha- W-well, yes, of course!" Eventually. Probably. "I've always known I'd succeed one- soon." She rebutted, the old, familiar words tumbling from her lips.

Montmorency blinked. Then she flung herself at Louise, arms tightening around her, trying to make themselves felt through the buff, holding on to her desperately.

"Mo-Montmorency?" Yelped Louise. "What-!?"

"Just… Please just let me." Choked out Montmorency.

Louise was strangely reminded of some of Cattleya's hugs, and the ones her mother had oh so rarely given her. She wasn't sure if… if they were holding on to her, or being held by her.

So Louise let her, a hand rubbing her back in silence.

 

[Swordomatic]

warning Alright, is everything on topic now? None of this theory-of-fanfiction stuff? Good.

Keep it that way.

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 30 »»»​

Sébastien eyed with bemusement the two girls standing almost at parade rest in front of him. Something had definitely happened outside. The blonde's eyes, a Montmorency interestingly enough, were red. She had probably used magic to make the puffiness usually associated with crying disappear though, and she stood tall, face set into a determined expression. The pink-haired surprise, however, seemed almost disquieted. It looked like whatever had occurred had been enough to at least gotten a little bit through her exceptionally thick skull.

Now that he was old enough, teenage drama was amusing rather than tiresome.

"Okay, Lad." He chuckled to himself. "You have managed to impress me. Well, more like surprise, but still. Congratulations." He passed her a pitcher with beer, inviting her to sit down at the counter.

Louise raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Sébastien raised his own eyebrow, daring her not to take it. Wisely, Louise gracefully accepted the drink and sat down. It was awful, with far too much alcohol and little to no… palatable flavor. But adventurers and mercenaries drank quite a lot, and she would be insulting them all if she didn't take this one pitcher. That was why she'd asked for wine her first time at the bar, even though she much preferred something like milk.

Sébastien continued. "Now, our trade, so to say, doesn't have a guild proper. It isn't a stable business. Too many people dying, quitting, the sorts. This is the closest thing you're going to find. Warm food, strong ale and actual bedding band the most disparate sell-swords together. Plus, while the guard posts some bounties and some nobles advertise widely when they need our services, most of the jobs run around through word of mouth. A village's inn is the best place to know the news, and most of their owners will be willing to gossip, provided you spend some coin on food and ale. They'll tell you who needs help and who's willing to pay for it." He paused, eying the noble daughter. "Let this be your first lesson in the trade. In between jobs, some gentry, the occasional farmer too, might be willing to pay for an extra hand on tougher jobs. Chopping wood, transmuting stones on a field…. That's how you get enough coin to pay for your food most of the times."

Louise nodded politely. It was something useful to know, certainly, but she didn't really see how it related to her. Money was not one of her many problems.

Sébastien continued. "So, what I run here is the same informal information business that most inns have, whether they realize it or not. With my contacts and my reputation, I've become the middlemen between sorry souls like you and people unwilling or unable to risk their own men."

"Like an information broker." Said Montmorency, eying the bartender with renewed respect.

"Something like that." He gave her a warning glance. "I'm no spymaster and I make a point of not dealing with outlaws. What I do is make sure the right 'quests' go to the right 'adventurers'. Less people die, things get done better and faster. Everybody is happier all around."

"And more people spend some coin on food and ale here." Concluded Montmorency, finding herself impressed with the man's business sense.

Louise spoke up then. "So, that test was to discover what level I was at?"

"I told you, I'm not going to send a child to her death if I can avoid it." For a moment, the sentence hung in the air between the three of them. Montmorency once again paled a little bit. Then the owner smiled slightly. "It also gave me a feel for what you're capable of, true. I do sponsor those few people I feel can go far."

Louise's eyes widened. Was Sébastien? A triumphant sound heralded the arrival of a new rectangle to join those still hovering around her.

Congratulations! You have been acknowledged by the closest thing the world of 'doing arbitrarily dangerous things for money' has to an authority.

Earned new title!
<Rookie Mercenary>​

"Thank you." Was all she could say.

Sébastien looked her in the eyes. "Just don't disappoint me." And die out there.

Louise nodded, seeing the message clear in his eyes. "I have no intention of ever doing so."

Seemingly satisfied with what he could see in her eyes, Sébastien leaned back and reached for a pitcher for himself. Excluded from the silent communication, the blonde mage that was shadowing Louise hesitated to ask for an explanation. She was fully aware she was an outsider in this setting. From the looks she was garnering from the other patrons to the way Louise rudely ignored her presence, she couldn't help but feel she was intruding into something. But she wouldn't leave now. She couldn't. It would only make things worse, and she didn't think she could deal with that.

Sébastion resumed the conversation with his own beer in hand. "Moving on, I'm sure you are eager to start on some quest. I actually do have something that might be good for you." Louise perked up noticeably and he snorted. "Might! You Lads are all the same. Jumping into things without looking first."

"What is it about then?" Asked Louise, leaning over the table while fighting a grin. Her first, true quest. What would it be? Recovering artifacts, hunting down an outlaw

"There's a petty noble from north of La Rochelle that needs some help recovering some tomes from where he stashed them in a cave. A few goblins have moved there in the meanwhile, so he's paying for whoever gets him back his books." Explained Sébastien.

"That sounds simple enough." Said Louise.

The owner shook his head. "Here's the catch Lad, he wants the books delivered at least one day before next Voidsday."

"Next Voidsday, the Founder's Day?" The day the scriptures marked down as Brimir's birthday was a holiday widely celebrated in Halkeginia, both in cities and villages. There was food, music, dancing and singing in joy for the day when the Founder had been brought to the world. She wasn't seeing what was the big problem about that. Even if the place was at the edge of Tristain, she would have the rest of the week to discover and fight through the goblin nest. Seven days should be enough, if tight depending on how many days on horseback it took to get there. La Rochelle was three days away, so if she departed tomorrow, on Yulday... "Oh." She suppressed the urge to palm her face.

Sébastien and Montmorency gave her almost identical looks of pity. The man shook his head. "You're a student at the Academy and not planning to quit any time soon, right? From the get-go, you were always restricted by how much time you had free." Which was to say, Voidsday, maybe anotherp day here and there, holidays and vacations.

Louise grimaced. "I could miss a day say, every week, but even then I would be pushing it. Going off for a whole week?" That was skirting dangerously close to breaking the rules. And her mother would surely be informed. She shuddered. "Impossible." She rubbed her temples, feeling frustration grow. Her venture was going off to a beautiful start… but how hadn't she predicted this!?

"I think I might have a solution to that."

Louise started, looking up at Sébastien again, then processed that it had been Montmorency who had spoken up. She turned to the blonde. "You do?"

For the first time since she'd crashed into Louise, the blonde smiled. "It's just an idea for now, but I think it'll address all of our problems."

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 31 »»»​

Of course, Montmorency had refused to explain exactly what her idea was, saying only she would have to check some things first before being sure it would work. Still, she appeared to be dead set on helping her, so Louise couldn't really complain. The only way she could see completing the quest on time was to borrow Sylphid and she very much doubted Tabitha, whom she was determined to not get on the bad side of, would like that.

They'd talked some more after that, concerning other details and payment. Montmorency had stayed behind for a few minutes 'because of Guiche' and then had insisted on having Louise accompany her around Tristania. Blackmailed her even, threatening to not help Louise with the troublesome quest.

It… hadn't been too bad keeping the blonde company. Montmorency had business with the potion sellers and Louise stood back, watching her haggle in moderate fascination, but she never took too long for it to get boring. The unsteady conversation she tried to keep between the both of them, however, turned awkward too many times until they both realized that walking in silence was comfortable enough.

After a light snack, they met outside the city's gates and started trotting back to the Academy. The sun was already setting and Louise wondered how Montmorency wasn't getting cold in her skirt. Much less how she could even stand to ride in a skirt in the first place. It was something that had never made any sense to Louise.

As the lit windows from the five towers of the academy became distinct, Montmorency broke the silence that had settled nicely between the two riders. "Hey, Vallière…. Have you… already told your family about your magic?"

Louise glanced at her, but Montmorency only looked slightly melancholic. She pondered if the question had anything to do with her own family situation. The Montmorency had been declining in power and status for some time, and Louise had the vague impression that Montmorency was an only child because the Lady of Montmorency had passed away not too long after she had been born. She sighed. "I did. I sent a letter to my sister the day after the happening. Today, I sent a formal letter to my father, who has been away from home." It was easier to use the capital's postal services for such long distance communication.

Montmorency nodded, then asked, "Have you told them you've made Line already?"

Louise frowned. "No. Not yet." Nobody would believe her after all. "Speaking of which, Montmorency… Keep that between the two of us. I would consider it… a personal favor of great importance." There was no need for more rumors to start flying. Hopefully, the blonde would agree. She had been annoying but… well-intentioned? And Montmorency wasn't given to gossip. The favor would also tide her over, considering how mercenary she was at times.

To Louise mild surprise, the blonde just shook her head with a small smile. "Sure. But you'll owe me that favor, okay?"

"I appreciate it." Louise twisted the reins between her fingers. "Thank you."

They could almost see the gates now. It was just about dinner time. And Louise remembered something she had completely neglected.

"Damn!" She pulled on her horse's reins, bringing it to a sudden halt. "Damn it."

He neighed and two steps ahead, Montmorency stopped herself, twisting in her saddle to see what was wrong. "Louise? What is it?"

The pink-haired girl clenched the reins in her gloved hands. The thing was quite simple, really. She was still wearing her armor. It was quite comfortable and she hadn't thought of changing out of it, but returning to the Academy dressed like a thug? She slumped forward and the weight of Derflinger shifting against her back reminded her she was also carrying around a very conspicuous sword. She wasn't really a person that cared too much about what people said about her, really. But she'd rather avoid the extra, negative, attention. She didn't need even more rumors flying around about her and she really didn't need word reaching her family about her new… extracurricular activities.

She gestured at her attire for Montmorency's sake. "I forgot to change back." And she couldn't change now, in the middle of the road, with the wind freezing as it was.

"Oh." Montmorency eyed her up and down, mind returning to when she had confused Louise for a man. "It's… very different. Yes. Actually, I don't think most people would recognize you."

Louise took a hand to her chin, pondering passing herself as somebody else, but then shook her head. It would probably only make it worse. "I'd rather not be held up and questioned by a professor. Or a guard."

Montmorency nodded, her thoughts not quite running through the same path as Louise's, but reaching the same conclusion. Indeed, a man being caught sneaking into the female dormitories, even if it wasn't a man at all….

The two girls stood still on their horses for a few more minutes, thinking. Finally, they both slumped their heads. Everything they could think of could get them into far too much trouble for the effort it took. Going over the wall, distracting the guards at the entrance,…

Louise pulled at her jacket with a rueful smile. Montmorency winced. "… want to borrow my mantle?" She offered weakly. Truthfully, the wind was already uncomfortable for her, as she only had light clothing on.

Louise shook her head. "No. I'll be fine."

She should really start planning ahead more often.

Your Wisdom has increased.
+1 WIS​

Bastards.

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 32 »»»​

Louise was still shivering slightly when they reached the door to her room. The guards at the Academy of Magic's entrance had certainly looked at her oddly when they'd passed through their gates. Understandable, really, when one considered that without her buff and modified mantle, she had been down to her riding shirt.

It had been cold.

Under her arm she carried Derflinger, bundled in her buff jacket, along with her original riding boots, her mantle, belts and vambraces. The sword had vehemently protested the arrangement, but the leather actually muffled it enough that he'd given up after a while. A step behind Louise, Montmorency had her saddlebags.

She unlocked her door and turned to the blonde, who passed her the bags wordlessly.

Louise should thank her. Actually, she had the weird feeling she should do more than that. The day had been… nice, with Montmorency by her side. She hadn't spent a day with one of her peers that felt like that in, well, ever. From the moment she'd failed her first spell at the Academy, on her very first day, she'd spent little time outside her classes with her year mates. What time she did spend with them was generally unpleasant and not of her own volition. Of course, she'd still had problems with her magic before. Perhaps this was the start of something new, now that her magic was finally working right. It seemed very strange to her, but Louise was aware that this was closer to normal and her previous experiences were the strange ones.

It still felt weird.

Wary and unsure on various levels but grateful nonetheless, Louise bowed her head to her… compeer. "Thank you for today. I owe you, more than once." Pursing her lips slightly, she added. "If there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to call on me."

Montmorency smiled but her eyes crinkled at the corners and avoided Louise's face. "I'll keep it in mind. I just…." She paused. "Well, you're not bad at all to hang out with. Maybe we could repeat this."

Oh.

That… that sounded good to Louise. Maybe next Voidsday? No, there was the Founder's Day...

"If you're looking for places to take Monmon out to, I know of a few cozy ones in the capital. And a few more quiet ones, here and there."

Both girls jumped in place, startled by the sudden interruption. As one they wiped their heads, faces set into matching frowns, towards the door across the hall. Kirche leaned against her door frame, arms crossed under her generous chest. She'd heard them from her room and snaked out to eavesdrop on Louise and Montmorency better without either being aware of her presence.

"Zerbst." Louise nearly spat.

"Vallière."Kirche grinned back. She took in Louise's attire in a glance, appreciating as always the way the girl couldn't care less for decorum when going out riding. She was surprisingly all for practicality, and scoffed into the faces of whom would decry her for being masculine. It was something Kirche hadn't been expecting from the girl that obviously took her lack of… general chest area quite personally. But she liked it. The fiercely independent streak, rebellious even, hidden inside the normally straight-laced Tristainian was a marvel to behold, and particularly to bring to the fore. She narrowed her eyes like a cat with a new plaything. "What do you have there?" She pointed at the bundle the girl carried under her arm.

Louise only squared her shoulders, not in the mood to deal with her now. "My business." Not yours.

Kirche pouted, but her keen eyes noticed how Montmorency's posture shifted. The blonde stood right next to Louise, her stance confrontational as well. It was clear as day that she was taking the pink-haired girl's side, almost protectively. "Come on, Blow-Hard. Don't you want a few tips for your next date?"

Louise frowned, suddenly confused at the wording Kirche was using. But Montmorency nearly jumped out of her skin, face paling then flushing as she understood what she was driving at. To Kirche's delight, however, for the redhead was a very curious person, nosy even, she stood her ground.

Seeing the grin on her rival's face widen, Louise's mind latched onto a half-remembered conversation and a somewhat dangerous idea came to her. "Hey, Zerbst... is that offer from the other day still open?"

It was Kirche's turn to pause as she processed what Louise meant. She raised an eyebrow, her smile turning slightly malicious as she took in the confidence in Louise's chin, the assessing, almost cold look in her eyes. "Oh, it's always open, Louise the Blowhard. But are you sure you can handle me?" She wouldn't hesitate to wipe the floor with Tiny, Little Louise. It was fitting, no? Before she started having illusions of grandeur.

The pink-haired girl smiled, genuinely excited. "I'm sure I'll manage somehow. How about tomorrow before dinner, on the Vestri Court?"

"Louise?" Montmorency asked, a warning in her tone.

The Germanian chuckled, shaking her head. "Sounds perfect. I'll see you then, Blowhard." She opened the door to her room, sending a gesture that might have been a wave over her shoulder. The mix of disappointment and anticipation on her features made for a scary combination.

Louise and Montmorency watched her back as the door closed behind it.

Montmorency cleared her throat. "I just have a pair of questions." She didn't look at Louise. "First, Louise the Blowhard?"

Louise grit her teeth. "Zerbst's funny little idea."

"Ah." Montmorency kept to herself the thought that it wasn't an entirely inappropriate runic name, considering Louise's normal behavior. Her previous behavior. "And second… what offer?"

Louise was quiet for a few moments, staring straight ahead and biting the inside of her cheek. Montmorency turned her head to regard her. The silence stretched on.

"An invitation for a sparring match?"

It took everything Montmorency had not to hit her right then and there.

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 33 »»»​

She emptied her saddlebags, taking out her coin purse, purchases and books. The pieces of her armor were stretched over her bed, then carefully folded and stacked in her chest along with her riding apparel. Derflinger, for a lack of space, got a space on her desk. It now doubled as a paperweight. Louise ran her fingertips over the plain leather and wood scabbard protecting its blade. Only a couple of lines decorated the piece.

Finally out of her new boots and into soft woolen socks, she stretched her legs and rolled back her shoulders. It had been a long day.

And she was getting sick of the rectangles hovering around her.

She surveyed the agglomerate again, running over their contents in her head. There were several things of note. Her vitality and wisdom had increased, just once each, and of her skills, Observe had leveled up once and Lecküchner's Technique had done so thrice! Plus, there were those two rectangles:

Through special actions, you have learned a new Skill.

Learned <Sword Mastery>!​

Which was a skill similar to Lecküchner's.

<Sword Mastery (Passive) Lv1 (84.75%)>​

Proficiency at using swords for various but usually deadly purposes. Stay sharp.
> +10% swords damage
> +5% swords attack speed

And one Louise was particularly excited about.

By being quick on your feet, your Agility has increased.
+1 AGI​

This was exactly what Louise had to improve. It had appeared, from what she could tell, during her match with Sébastien. It made sense, seeing as being quick on her feet, as the figments called it, was the only thing between her his blade. In a real fight, she frowned, the enemy wouldn't be as merciful as Sébastian. Their blades wouldn't be blunted. Good thing she had already arranged for a sparring match, then. She needed to improve her agility and dodging fireballs might just do the trick.

She nodded to herself and started transcribing the rectangles, dismissing them one by one.

"Hey, girl..." The sword on her desk called out to her.

"Yes?" Louise dipped her quill once again and lifted her eyes to the weapon.

"Mind telling me what exactly are those things?"

Louise nearly dropped her quill in the inkwell. Eyes wide, she searched the blade for any signs of… anything. But Derflinger wasn't a person, it was a sword, and Louise couldn't read a face that didn't exist. So why had its voice rung longer, like he had hesitated? She put down her quill, focusing all of her attention on the sword. "What… things?"

"The messages around you and the names on top of people." Said Derflinger, sharp and to the point.

The chair clattered back as the pink-haired girl got to her feet. Her wand was already in motion before she realized that the only silencing spell she knew applied to an area, and thus would prevent her from talking with the sword. Something to correct. She leaned over the desk and whispered instead. "You can see them. The figments."

The sword hummed, a high sound like one's finger on the rim of a glass. "Is that what you call them? Yeah. From the moment you picked me up, today, but not before, I could see those things." He rumbled, sounding almost amazed. "I've never seen anything like it, and I'm six-thousand years old."

Today but not the first time she had held it? No, it made a certain amount of sense. Before, the figments had said Louise hadn't been able to equip Derflinger. Because she had equipped him, somehow, now he too could see... Then the rest of Derfligner's sentences reached her mind and Louise frowned. "Wait, six thousand? You can't be six thousand years old. Steel didn't even exist six thousand years ago!"

"Tch!" The sword scoffed. "Do you think I always looked like this? This ain't my first shell and it certainly won't be the last, girl. I was put into a piece of good old iron when I was created and I've been through every kind of weapon you can imagine in the meanwhile!"

Louise stared at the sword. Was it a sword, really? "What even are you?" She questioned with trepidation, ironically echoing Montmorency's sentiments from earlier in the day.

"I'm a spirit sword, girl." He said like it was obvious.

Oh, fuck.

Louise gulped and her voice dropped so low it could barely be heard. "You're… a spirit." Oh, she was so doomed.

"Kind of. It's not the same as the spirits you're thinking of. Those are spirits of nature," he explained, lowering his own 'voice' for her sake. "Those are natural, elemental parts of the world. Spirit swords are get born from really, really old swords, which is very rare. Or they get made, like me."

"Who made you?" Asked Louise, a fervent prayer in her heart that it wouldn't be something too heretic.

Derflinger went quiet. "I can't really remember her name. She was a good wielder, but I was very young back then. I couldn't speak yet, or do most of the things I can do now. My memory of that time is… questionable."

"Oh." The girl stopped, staring at the sword. It had sounded melancholic, almost sad. In a way, they were talking about its… mother. Louise understood a bit. It was humbling, thinking that Derflinger had been around for thousands of years. Since Brimir's time, really. Her eyes went to the letters floating over Derflinger and its hidden information. She sighed. "At least you were made by an elf or anything like that."

The sword paused. "Erh, I understand that you humans and the elves have gotten into an eternal war since I got made and I hate to burst your bubble, girl… But she was an elf."

Louise froze. Her eyes darted from one side to another, like she was waiting for the Inquisition to break down her door at any moment. Nothing happened. For now. She picked up the sword and hissed furiously at the blade. "Why couldn't you have just been a normal, enchanted sword!?"

"Enchantments can't make things as awesome as me. And you should be thankful I wasn't created by a human! When humans mess with spirit magic, the results are awful! I met a pair of spears who were completely crazy because humans had been the ones to make them!" The sword returned. "You don't need to worry about that though. I know better than advertise what I am with your church being what it is."

Louise scowled. "How can I trust you?" It was elf-made.

"I didn't blab about your figments while that blonde was around, didn't I?" It pointed out. The sword sighed, the sound of metal on leather. "Relax girl. Just because my maker was an elf, six-thousand years ago, doesn't mean I'm anti-human or anything like that. For one, elves are awful wielders. I don't like the way their magic tries to mess with my spirit. Why do you think I've spent the last thousands among you guys? And if you don't believe that, remember your church would try to destroy me if they ever found out about my maker."

Louise bit her lip. Derflinger's words made sense. She couldn't deny them, but... but! "Gods damn it!" She half-threw, half-deposited Derflinger onto her desk and slumped into the chair. Why did she have to deal with this? Weren't the figments enough? Did she attract spirits? What was wrong with her? Was she really… abandoned in the eyes of Brimir? No, no it couldn't be. She just had… bad luck, that was it. Derflinger had nothing to do with the blessing Brimir had granted onto her.

It was a blessing, right?

The sword let her regain her calm in silence.

Finally, she wet her lips and posed a question that had been haunting her for days. "The words. The rectangles and the figments… What are they?" Were they spirits?

"I've never seen or felt anything like that." Answered Derflinger. "But that's not a spirit. I can tell you that."

Louise almost collapsed at that, tension that had been hounding her for days being released in one breath. "They're not spirits. Oh Brimir. Thank you, Lord. Oh Founder..." She murmured a prayer, hands clasped in front of her.

"When did those appear?" Asked Derflinger after she had time to recompose herself. He was curious himself. There were few things in Halkeginia that Derflinger didn't know about.

Louise took a couple of deep breaths before answering. "Just after the Springtime Summoning Ceremony. I was knocked unconscious and when I woke up… there they were. I thought… it might be my head playing tricks on me, but it can't. You can see them too. So I guess… they might be my familiar." Head bowed, a small smile played on her lips.

The sword hummed. "Maybe. Maybe not." His tone made Louise look up and he explained. "They feel like you. Like your magic. Not quite sure what that means."

 

[minuseven]

««« LOAD 34 »»»​

Yulday, instead of heading to the Alvíss Hall to eat dinner, Louise went straight to her room. She shed her uniform and grabbed instead a shirt and a pair of breeches that had seen better days. After a few seconds of reflection, she also got her vambraces from her chest and fastened around her forearms. The big question she had to ask herself, however, was if she should take Derflinger with her or not.

It was just a spar. She wasn't going to be wearing her full armor anyway. She had no desire to call that much attention to herself while she still was within the bounds of the Academy. Taking Derflinger would raise a few eyebrows and would involve showing it to Kirche. On the one hand, she would relish the gobsmacked look on her face. On the other and knowing Kirche, the Germanian could just turn it around on her. Plus, Derflinger was far more suited to close quarters and Kirche was exclusively a mid to long range mage, like most fire mages. She wouldn't get any opportunities to train her swordsmanship, but Louise wasn't particularly good at distance spells. She wasn't bad… but the way she'd been practicing, her strengths definitely were up and close to the enemy.

And maybe a little part of her really wanted to show Kirche her sword.

Yes. It was decided, she'd use Derflinger. She had to practice how to close distance between herself and a long range opponent, so this would be a good time for it.

When she opened her door, the happy sword in its scabbard and across her back, Montmorency was standing there, waiting for her. Louise blinked.

Montmorency sighed. "You didn't think I'd just let you go off and get yourself hurt, did you?"

Now her eyes narrowed. "You can't stop me." Although Louise could easily imagine at least three ways for the water mage to stop her, most of them involving the faculty.

"I'm not stopping you. Founder knows you're far too headstrong for that." The girl shook her head. "You should have been an earth mage. Your… teacher was right about that. I'll be watching and the moment I think you're getting too hurt, I'll stop you both."

Louise highly doubted that she could stop both herself and Kirche, a triangle, but acquiesced nonetheless. It would be worth it if Montmorency also healed her after the fight, much like she had done yesterday. Her wounds might recover by themselves, but it was always better for a healer to take a look at them. It would also be less suspicious.

They took the long way around, down by the gardens, avoiding the main building where dinner was being served. She made a note to ask a servant to bring her dinner to her room when she returned. Then, a noise caught her attention and she stiffened, freezing in place. Footsteps.

Montmorency stopped two steps ahead, looking over her shoulder to see why she had stopped. "What's wrong?"

Louise's brows were pursed into a sour line. "Someone's coming."

Montmorency blinked, then glanced at the sword on Louise's back. She sighed. "Wait here. I'll check if the way is clear."

Before Louise could say anything, the blonde had turned on her heel and was striding ahead of her, mantle sweeping behind her.

"Hm, nice of her." Commented Derfling next to her ear. "You know this reminds me of that time I was with this guy and he would sneak into the bed of his Lord's wife. Can you believe he actually got rid of me because he was afraid I'd give him away? Tch."

As a matter of fact, she could very well envision it, but Louise's mind was more preoccupied with other matters. Her frown just got more pronounced as she examined her colleague's actions. Well, her compeer, wasn't it? She took a step back into the shadow cast by the Tower of Fire. A couple of tense instants later, Montmorency returned, signaling to her the way was clear. Louise hurried behind her.

Two more times they were forced to stop and wait for servants to pass by before they could proceed. Louise started firmly thinking of possible ways to hide Derflinger, a challenging task considering its size. Fortunately, the Vestri Court was empty at a glance.

The silence between the two girls became heavier as they approached the area of bare dirt tucked into a corner of the court. It was a popular area for students to spar and, occasionally, spar aggressively as a way of settling disputes. Kirche was not present, so they were the first to arrive. Louise wasn't quite sure if she should be surprised or not. On the one hand, she imagined Kirche would gladly bull-rush into any opportunity to flaunt her skills, more so when Louise herself was the opponent. On the other hand, being late was clearly disrespectful. Kirche von Zerbst in a nutshell.

She glanced slightly up, but the figments representing her health and Willpower were not present. Still, she did not wish to waste her limited Willpower so, after a moment of hesitation, she asked of her companion. "Montmorency… Could you light the torches, please?"

Montmorency looked at her, puzzlement written in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say, ask something, then closed it. "… Sure." With a whisk of her wand, the three torches that surrounded the field blazed to life, flames quickly dying down to embers, sufficient for the light and warmth required.

"Thank you."

Instead of accepting the grateful words and returning to expectant silence, however, Montmorency spoke up. "Louise. May I ask you something?"

The pink-haired girl peeked at her through the corner of her eyes, but the blonde was looking ahead resolutely, staring at the darkness beyond the torches' light. Truth be told, Louise… was curious. She was aware Montmorency was hiding something. Her behavior had been strange. What was going on in Montmorency's head? What did she want to know, and why? She'd been wondering for some time now. Was it worth it answering her question? Louise disliked lying as a principle, hated the way it made her insides churn with guilt and anxiety, yet she'd been forced into doing it so many times.

"If you answer a question of mine first." The blonde looked back at her, meeting red eyes with her blue ones, and Louise posed a question that had been at the forefront of every interaction she'd had with her for the past two days. "Truthfully, why are you doing this? All of it."

Montmorency opened her mouth to answer, but stopped. Only after a minute of reflection did she managed to put all of the reasons she had into a single sentence. "Because I worry about you."

The words echoed what Sylphid had told Louise of Tabitha's motives. She bit the inside of her cheek, stopping herself from blurting out: why? Why them, why her, why now?

Red peered into blue, looking, searching for something. She wasn't quite sure of what she found there, in her companion's eyes, but she knew what she did not find. Deceit. She was being honest with her. "Okay." She nodded, making Montmorency take a deep breath of relief.

"So, truthfully Louise. Why are you doing this?" The blonde elaborated at the furrow of Louise's brow. "Not the reason, the intent, you told me that already. It's valid that you'd want I want… I would like to know why are you being so… exigent, hasty. Why train so hard and practice so much. Why all of these spars and… and quests?" Why rush, why throw yourself like this into it all? Why hurt yourself? What was worth that?

Louise broke the stare between the two of them, directing her eyes towards the deep dark created by the torches' glare. Truth begot truth. She searched for the right words. Montmorency wouldn't get it. Not at first.

"Because. Because now it means something. I know it does." She paused, but perhaps sensing she was not done yet, Montmorency kept her silence. When she resume speaking, Louise's voice was barely more than a whisper, her gaze beyond the darkened gardens of the Vestri Court. "Before, all of my efforts were… futile. Maybe…. I'm sure they meant something, but no matter how much I studied, how many times I tried, how many different ways I approached my… problem, the result was always the same. I failed. Was I progressing? Was I a sailor bailing water out of my boat, all the while unknowing of the hole in the hull? Was I the serpent biting my own tail? Was I chasing fairies? I could never tell. All I could do was have faith and keep at it. Even if I felt like a gold miner. When would the hole I'd dug become too unstable and collapse on me? What if I finally reached the deepest, hardest of rocks that no man can even scratch… and discovered there had never been any gold at all?" She spoke so bitterly that Montmorency felt her mouth go dry. Then Louise turned back to her and her eyes danced with fire, an almost savage smile on her lips. "But now I can. Every time I cast a spell, I understand it better. With every rune I speak, I am improving. Every blow I exchanged with Sébastien was a lesson learned, a step in the right direction. I can feel it! My efforts have value, they're worth every second I spend on them! I can finally…!"

She stopped herself abruptly, head snapping back towards the Academy's main building. Two figures could slowly be distinguished, not too far out from where they were waiting. The light from the embers reflected itself on the bronze red of the taller's hair. The smaller one walked with a staff, and the cool tones of her features weren't yet completely visible. Still, both girls knew who they were.

"Kirche..." Whispered Montmorency, needing to say something. Anything. "And Tabitha."

Louise nodded, back straightening, shoulders pulled back. One last whisper left her lips, only for Montmorency to hear. "Finally see why it matters at all…."

 

[Swordomatic]

Actually, it is still on-rails.
Barely so, but it hasn't left quite yet.

Click to shrink...

warning I quite disagree. Get back on topic or it's a break for you.

 

[Swordomatic]

No, no. Don't stop them. I'm curious to see just how far down this rabbit hole will go.

Click to shrink...

warning No, please do. Stop them.

Or I will.