We come to a stop outside the dining hall. If the sounds of light conversations, muffled through the doors hadn't tipped me off to the fact that dinner was well away, the smell of the food I had helped prepare not too long ago would have.
My master, Louise, hesitates to enter for some reason. She turns to me and licks her lips in a nervous gesture, before looking up to me with uncertain eyes.
"Familiars don't eat at the dinning hall." She says, simply.
"Of course not. I don't think many would appreciate sharing a table with a dragon." I shoot back, making her blink. She shakes her head and glares at me.
"That's not what I meant, you stupid familiar! I meant you aren't eating here!" Was she trying to be considerate of my feelings, or something? Surely not.
"Yes, I assumed that as well. Though I do hope that it isn't because you believe my table manners are worse than a dragon's." I offer back, not the least bit concerned.
She blinks once, twice, and then sighs before rubbing the bridge of her nose. Turning around and opting to ignore me, she opens the doors to the hall fuming silently.
I follow her a few steps after, the smallest of smirks on my face.
We settle down by a lone vacant table by the corner, away from most of those already present and dining. The sounds of conversation may have hushed for a moment as we entered, but I honestly didn't pay too much attention as I was busy looking around. No one seemed to be too hostile or suspicious, though with my appearance, any subtler interested parties would be harder to spot due to all the other looks we were getting.
I would have preferred being summoned in a more discreet fashion but I hadn't had any say in the matter, so it couldn't be helped. My presence was a known factor, so I would just have to lay low as much as possible and misdirect attention as much as possible.
I notice that the maids use the entrance by the side, away from the wide double doors through which we entered and my mental layout confirms that there is a narrow passage to the kitchens there.
"By your leave, master. I shall get your meal." I say, as Louise sits down while I eye the maid standing by the door. As she notices Louise sit down, she turns and leaves to presumably get another serving to be brought out.
"You aren't allowed to eat." She glares at me, reminding me with her eyes in case I had suddenly grown deaf. Earlier she seemed apologetic, as if there was nothing she could do about the matter and had felt guilty over that, but now she seems perfectly content with having me go hungry. Perhaps her earlier hesitation had been an act to redirect any hostility I might feel towards her; "It's the way it is, it's not my fault" while discretely punishing me.
Hah.
A punishment? I strangely felt like I was being treated like a child. Would she get me my own room and tell me I wasn't allowed to leave it if I continued to annoy her?
"That's alright. I'm not very hungry." I smile at her, confusing her a little more. "Besides, I don't think I'm allowed inside the kitchens anymore, either."
Leaving the confused girl seated, my long strides bring me to the side-entrance before the maid has returned with the two servings from the kitchen. Quickly confirming that she was bringing them to us and persuading her to let me carry it is easy enough, though she gives a scathing look to my master when I tell her I won't be eating as per her decision.
It seems she thinks I'm being punished, as well.
An understanding smile is enough to assuage her of any worries over my well-being and she returns to the kitchen with the other portion, leaving me with Louise's food alone for a moment as I bring it over.
Just as I'd planned.
"—trace on,"
I'm amused to note that Marteu put quite some effort to put his own finishing touches on the food to keep it from being completely my creation, and content at the fact that I can't detect any poisons or unknown magical ingredients that could be harmful. None of the ingredients differ from what I observed in the kitchens; with this I have a baseline for the future comparisons.
There didn't seem to be any strange ingredients or spices in the kitchens, mostly matching my previous knowledge of foodstuffs, so any mundane poisons should be easy enough to spot. On the more extraordinary side of things, I didn't find anything unusual about the meal. But my knowledge of local curses and spells, both common and unusual, was far too lacking for my comfort.
Something to remedy in the future.
Armed with the knowledge that the food has not been tampered with—smirking at Marteu's flailing efforts—I place it before Louise with a flourish and a smile. She gives me another strange look, which I pointedly ignore as I sit down opposite to her to observe her dining. She stares at me, the question apparent on her face clear as day.
"I thought you might enjoy the company. Even if I am not allowed to eat. As a servant I am to remain by your side, always at the ready, am I not?"
She frowns at me but begins eating regardless and soon her bad mood seems to disappear as she digs into her meal with unusual and voracious zeal that belies her petite figure. I'd have thought a girl would have eaten far less, given her svelte and short frame. Then again, Saber had been a surprisingly heavy eater as well, so maybe I shouldn't judge someone merely by their appearance.
She finishes her meal in record time, setting down her utensils and daintily wiping her mouth with a strange frown. She looks up to me and contemplates for a moment of not-quite hesitation.
"I..." She looks down at her plate, her brow furrowing even more. I know she liked it well enough, so her behavior is slightly strange. She nods to herself, with one hand on her stomach, looking at me as if daring me to judge her appetite. "Bring me another serving."
"Alright. I'll be right back." Who am I to judge her eating habits. Besides, a little more meat on her bones won't hurt.
Still, how peculiar. Judging by her hesitation she usually doesn't eat that much. Or then she just enjoyed it so much that she merely wants more, but I'm not too convinced of that. Could she be like Saber, then? Or even... No, I'd rather not think about that possibility for now.
I cast a sideways glance at Louise as I ask the maid for seconds and note the two students who have wandered over to Louise with a critical eye. A familiar redhead and the petite blunette, even smaller than my master in stature.
Walking back, I analyze the serving with rapt interest, double-checking it for harmful ingredients and comb through the food, searching for any peculiarities that might be the cause of my master's sudden increase in appetite. But, finding nothing out of the ordinary I reach the table now occupied by three young girls.
"Company, master?"
I set the plate down and reclaim my seat, next to the blunette who has not even acknowledged my arrival with her head buried in a book. The redhead on the other hand...
"Hello again..." Standing back up from where she had been half-sitting on the table near Louise, she saunters over to me with a wicked smile. Not even giving Louise a chance to open her mouth, Kirche deposits herself on my lap.
"Zeeeerbst..."
Oh my, I hadn't thought my master could growl like that. For a moment I had thought someone's familiar had broken in and snuck up behind her. A tiger or a lion of some sort, perhaps.
"Oh, lay off, Louise. Archer doesn't mind, so why do you?" She turns her attention away from the fuming girl, seeking to capture my eyes again as she purrs out my name. A quick glance confirms that Louise is in fact bristling and two seconds away from throwing her knife, fork, cup and plate at the redhead. Possibly the chair and table as well for good measure.
I raise my leg easily—despite the buxom girl's weight on top of it—and cross it over my other leg as I lean back, as if to relax. Kirche blinks as she balances on top of the moving limb, careful not to fall off.
"Oh, Kirche. How are you? I didn't notice you there." I greet her and raise a mock-curious eyebrow at the pair. "Mind what?" I ask, before overtly feigning surprise at her position on my leg, which elicits an exasperated eye-roll from the dark-skinned mage, I look at her companion. "And why haven't you introduced me to your friend?"
A pair of blue eyes appear from behind the thick cover of the tome, meeting mine and refusing to look away for several seconds. As neither Louise nor Kirche seems to have heard my question, too preoccupied with watching our staredown, the blunette finally relents to handle the introductions.
"Tabitha."
I hum at her name, raising an eyebrow. Strangely, there's a flicker of something in her eyes at my reaction, but I can't quite place it.
"Archer." I answer her, watching as her eyebrows furrows only the tiniest fraction of an inch as she ponders my introduction before filing it away silently.
I look away from her, breaking the lock between us as neither had yet to even so much as blink. She's not like these other mages, though I won't make any guesses as to why yet. She could simply be naturally like this, unlike her more volatile and passionate peers.
I notice Kirche waggling her eyebrows and showing three fingers to Tabitha, mouthing something with a grin, which causes the blunette to return to her book. I turn back just in time to see Kirche grin as she turns to look at Louise who is frowning at me. Ah, teens. I have no idea what goes on in their heads.
"Well, I have to say I'm pretty impressed with your familiar, Louise." Kirche begins, shifting on my leg as she reaches over to pinch some of Louise's food, only to pull back her hand and stop as Louise nearly skewers her delicate fingers with a silver fork and growls at the redhead.
"What do you want, Zerbst?"
The redhead blinks, and not without reason. I've heard shattering glass sounding more pleasant than the sound of my master's voice. She shakes away her hesitance and crosses her arms, giving me a sideways glance. Is she up to something? Probably. Most likely. No, no. Certainly.
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to say hello and compliment you on picking such a fine familiar, he must come from fine stock, his bearing is most noble indeed." She's saying something and implying something quite different, I really haven't the faintest as to what that may be. Unfortunately, or maybe not so unfortunately, neither does Louise who merely frowns at the redhead. The problem with pointing at the mulberry and cursing the locust tree is that you easily don't get any message across.
"Just go away, Zerbst." Louise finally shakes away whatever implications Kirche is trying to make as she turns to her food and digs in again, this time with barely acceptable etiquette. It seems angering the petite mage makes her lose whatever sense of decorum she usually clings to. I'll keep that in mind.
The buxom Germanian frowns slightly, looking back and forth between me and the eating mage who is doing her best to ignore everyone else, before noticing the maid coming over with a tray holding two servings. She hops off of my lap and sits down on the other side of the petite blunette who finally closes the book once the meal has been served before her.
I shake my head at the three strange young girls and absently look around, doing my best to ignore all the pointed looks all three are throwing at me or at each other for looking at me. I'm already struggling to understand one, I really don't need to add two more incomprehensible mages onto my list.
Luckily, Louise practically inhales her meal and stands up shortly. Turning on her heel and with nary a word of parting, leaves. I offer an amused shrug and nod to the two and follow after my master, easily catching up to her with long, unhurried strides.
Not a minute after we've left the dining hall, Louise lets out a rather impressive yawn. Blinking away and shaking her head a little, she frowns as she continues walking. Increased appetite, shortened temper, inexplicable exhaustion to the point of almost falling asleep on her feet despite napping not an hour earlier? Textbook signs.
Textbook and worrying signs, of magical exhaustion. Wasn't there a support system in place to keep the brunt off of the Masters? A generator of some kind? A perpetual motion soul engine like the grail? Tapping into ley-lines at the very least? Surely...
Surely Louise wasn't supporting my existence on her lonesome?
I frown as I continue to trail after her, absently rubbing the back of my left hand.
Hadn't she wanted to take a bath?
I stare at the fallen form of my would be Master with a raised eyebrow. The moment we'd arrived at her quarters she had tumbled over to her bed and then kipped over wordlessly. I walk over to her and shake her gently, only to receive a mumbled something that doesn't sound very friendly in response.
"Are you honestly going to bed, already?" I mutter, half-amazed, noting that it couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 in the evening yet. My question rouses her and she blearily gets up from her bed. Not wasting any time, she merely gets out of her clothes before slipping between the covers of her bed, leaving behind a pile of clothes on the floor.
Really?
With a silent disapproving shake of my head, I collect the discarded garments and place them folded onto her desk. By the time I'm done, I can already hear the light breathing of the already asleep girl.
With a sigh, I contend myself with walking over to the window and taking a look around at the darkening courtyard as I listen to her breathing. Perhaps I had overestimated her capabilities to support me? No, what kind of system would allow for the summoning of a Heroic Spirit without any kind of fail-safes for summoner draining...?
I close my eyes, trying to get a feel for my existence, but little to nothing points to any abnormalities in my physical or spiritual make up. Certainly nothing that should cause such a massive drain on her reserves as to trouble a grail. A soft face, framed by purple hair flashes by my eyes for a moments, but I dismiss those sour thoughts hastily.
"I'm being too complacent." I'm convincing myself, but it's true.
While I'm leery of leaving her alone, I really do need to continue with my exploration and preparations. And since I don't need a physical body for either, I shouldn't place undue strain on her any more than I have already.
Still, even if I can't place boundary fields or proper magical safeguards, I shouldn't leave her completely unguarded. I place my hand on the window and with a intake of breath reinforce the glass, frame and lock as well as project a small piece of metal inside the locking mechanism. That should stop a car and with the lock jammed, it won't open even if someone manages to shimmy it.
Turning around and leaving the room, leaving Louise to slumber in silence, I repeat the procedure at the door.
The small piece of metal falls into place inside the door lock, effectively locking the door even to those who possess the key. Unlike most magi who could place various bounded fields to ward off others, I had to make do with the little I had had over the years. Taking a cue from a prank I had once seen back in my school years, involving super glue and the school doors, I would make do with physically sealing the locks.
Of course, with a slight bit of mental focus kept on those projected pieces of metal, I could also tell if someone broke those small pieces by forcefully trying to enter through the door or window as despite it all they were still the weakest link and should theoretically break first on forced entry. A warning mechanism that was based solely on my ability to create objects was something very few magi would be able to predict, which had made it successful enough to work despite it's simple nature.
A decent magus could still make their own portal through the woefully weak walls through manipulation of matter or even walk through the solid wall by some form of phasing, but hopefully it would be enough to ward any intruders for the short while I would be away.
Giving one last look around for any spying eyes, I fade away from the physical world.
Hopping through the outer wall, phasing through stone and wood effortlessly, I land onto the neatly cut grass. Observing a few students sitting around, conversing in hushed tones or in secret trysts, I note that none seem to have noticed my presence.
I move over to observe a couple in the middle of a passionate make-out session—involving more than a little hand and tongue—standing next to them far closer than most would be comfortable with, trying to verify whether or not they are able to sense me. The blond and brunette couple, sitting away from prying eyes around a corner behind on a small bench, continue on unabashed.
After five minutes of observing their game of tongue jousting from mere inches away, I conclude that I probably don't have to worry about being spotted while in spirit form. I should have made eye contact more than once and I doubt that young as they are, that they would be able to keep a poker face at my sudden appearance in such a situation. That, or that couple shared a exhibitionism fetish, which I suppose was good for them.
As I finally raise my gaze from the busy pair, I finally notice something that makes me freeze on the spot. In the night sky, rising from the horizon, shone not one but two moons.
"...What?"
I feel a slight shiver pass through me before I calm down. I already knew this wasn't a place I'd ever heard of, much less been to before. So one or two strange heavenly bodies shouldn't have been anything unexpected.
Except that it was.
More so than I was willing to quite admit, the sight of the two different sized and colored moons, worried me. Besides the obvious worry of my location there was the fact that as far as I knew, vampires originated from the moon. Thus, the moon was in a very real sense a pillar of the existence I knew.
Also, the fact that Zelretch had been essential to the conception of the Holy Grail War, and that he was a vampire also left a strange gnawing sensation of worry in me over my strange summoning. Could someone devise a Holy Grail War without the assistance of Magician, capable of piercing through to the Throne of Heroes?
Shaking my head to free myself of useless thoughts and focusing on more pressing matters, I observe the surrounding structures for a vantage point. Spying a suitable tower not too far away, I leap casually. Had I had a physical body, the effort would have certainly left the immaculate grass gouged and messed up. But, with my ethereal body my movement doesn't so much as move a blade of grass as I almost casually sail through the air.
Landing weightlessly on the roof, I let my eyes take in the scenery for several seconds before extending my gaze to the horizon. At least the two moons, both either larger or closer than the one I'd been used to my whole life, offer a fair deal of illumination to the night allowing me to easily spot a town or settlement of some kind in the distance.
Turning my head around, I take careful note of the outer wall and the various towers. The pentagon shape of the complex seemed to be of some note, probably to do with their magic or religion, as nearly each section was in use despite the abundance of space to be had in the middle tower where the student quarters were.
Of the surrounding five towers, four were connected to the middle one, leaving one of the towers alone. Even from all the way on the other side of the pentagon, I could see that the door to the tower was old and nearly rusted shut. Also of note was that each tower had their own color scheme, with the unused tower being the sole structure to retain its natural off-white color.
Looking down at my feet, at the blue ceiling tiles of the tower I'm standing on, I extend my senses. Finding nothing to prevent me from simply entering the building below me, I simply let my spiritual body fall through.
Landing inside, my senses have already adjusted to the darkness. A storage room of some kind, I surmise not paying too much attention to the various piles of furniture and other junk. Walking through the walls and exploring the top most level revels nothing of real interest, so I merely sink another floor down again.
This time, I find myself in some sort of classroom or lecture hall. With a blackboard facing rows of ascending desks, I could easily imagine this room occupied by dozens of young mages following raptly to an elder explaining the intricacies of their craft.
Spotting a bookshelf filled with tomes, I peer over the titles, tilting my head this way and that in an effort to try and decipher the scribbled words. Sighing at the strange alphabet, I give up and turn to examine a set of glass goblets of various sizes on another shelf by the wall. Covered in dust, I am still able to confirm their quality as higher than the level of technology would suggest. Curious, but not important.
Nothing of any real note sticks out, so I quickly continue touring the tower before I'm back at the ground level. Everything in the tower seemed to be geared with the element of water in mind, which seems to be indicative of what to expect from the other towers.
Still, not to dally overlong, I pass through the wall and make way to the next tower. But first I'll drop by Louise's room just to be sure she's still alive.
(PoV Switch)
A hand is shaking me.
"-ke up."
"Munya..." I tell it to go away. I don't want to get up, it's warm and comfortable... Finally after the whole night of restless dreams I feel relaxed enough to properly slumber.
"Wake up." Another firm shake, along with the strong and unfamiliar voice that reverberates through my chest. Confusion claims my half-sleeping mind as I blearily open my eyes and stare at the figure.
"Aaahssshrr?"
"Yes. Now get up, it's morning." I want to tell him to go away, but the tone of his voice brokers no resistance. That, and he pulls off my blanket leaving me bare for the chill to seep into.
With a shiver and a growl, my arms reach out, seeking to reclaim my stolen cover. Finding nothing, I settle for huddling up and hugging my knees for warmth, while shooting half-lidded glares at the red and black blur standing above me.
He sighs, the sound reminding me of a steed or mother's manticore for a moment with the way I can feel his breath even all the way down here, causing me to wake a slight bit more. Luckily, waking up more has given me the ability to sense my surroundings once again, which lets me spot my bunched up blanket in his hands.
"Giefff..." He looks at me, unimpressed.
Damn it, he doesn't understand. Stupid familiar. Stretching out my hand, shivering a slight bit at the cool morning air, I repeat myself with more force.
"Giefff..!"
"Why do I always get the ones who can't seem to ever wake up peacefully..." He grumbles, denying me my blanket. But despite my annoyance at the chill, or perhaps because of it, I wake up a little more as I take note of his comment.
Rather than succumb to my righteous orders, the cur dares to turn his back to me and walk away, throwing the blanket on the dresser. The dresser that is across the room, separating me from the warmth and comfort I deserve with the vastness of the cold and harsh floor.
The door shuts, rather forcefully, as Archer leaves my room. Coward, deserter, traitor. How dare he leave me here like this. Shivering once again, rubbing myself to fight the chill despite knowing how hopeless a battle it is, I blearily eye the dresser. Can I make it? Bah, not worth it. I'm awake already.
Sighing at the cruel nature of mornings, I sit up and rub my eyes to chase the last of the sleepiness away. I sit there, staring at the adjacent wall for a moment, lost in thought and half-asleep, before the door opens again.
I half-realize that I am barely decent—only clothed in my underwear, having forgotten to put on my nightclothes the previous evening—but my mind moves sluggishly and I can only tilt my head to stare at the door. Archer comes in, carrying a small tray covered by a silver cover, closing the door behind him with his foot making the door loudly slam once again he sets the tray on my bed.
Even half-asleep, my nose notices the smell of breakfast. Even though I would like to punish him for his insolence, my mind forgets the matter instantly as he lifts the cover to reveal a light breakfast along with a steaming hot cup of tea. He made it to the kitchens and back so quickly?
Wordlessly, I begin nibbling on the light toast, and wrap my fingers around the cup to let the warmth soak into my fingers.
I look over to Archer, to see that he's taken my blanket once again, along with a set of clothes for the day that he sets over the chair. Before I can open my mouth to say anything to him over his appalling lack of manners this morning, he throws the cover next to me lazily. I barely have a moment to blink as his hands find my person, lifting me up with his rough hands holding my sides under the arms like some small babe.
In two short strides he crosses the room and plops me down onto the chair across the room, proceeding to ignore my flabbergasted expression as he brings over the tray with my breakfast next before finally turning his attention onto my bed. Still ignoring me, and the fact that he had manhandled me like some unruly child, he begins making the bed.
Rather than letting him know how insulted I am, I choose to simply continue with my breakfast, having to be content with merely glaring daggers at my familiars back while sipping the hot tea. The glorious hot tea.
Finally finished with setting my clothes and making the bed, he turns to me. I take a deep breath a prepare myself to lecture him like he's never been lectured at when takes a look at me. The words die in my throat as he raises a single white eyebrow and sniffs once.
"I assume you'll take that bath you forgot yesterday, right?" Not even bothering to wait for my reply, he takes the now empty tray and cup before turning to leave the room.
And he leaves me alone and unattended. Again.
...
And did he just imply that I smelled?
"That insolent little..."
Mustering my annoyance, I get up and get clothed, preparing both toiletries and bath supplies along with a clean set of clothing, grumbling and thinking of suitable punishments for my errant familiar the whole time. He thinks he can leave and make me do everything myself, does he? Opening the door, now clothed and carrying my supplies for the morning, I spot Archer lazily waiting for me by the wall. Here I have been, busily having to prepare myself while he merely lazes about?
"Fami-"
"Louise." His eyes meet mine and I once again freeze in place, the words of recrimination dying in my mouth as he acknowledges me. "You're up. Good."
Blinking at his gruff behavior, I merely close my mouth with a click.
"I've some questions." He continues before I have time to compose myself, not breaking eye contact as he pushes off the wall he had been leaning against. "We can walk as we talk."
Taking off, not even bothering to take my things off my hands, he ignores me completely. I contemplate questioning whether he even knows where we am going, but quickly notice he does seem to know the shortest route to the baths. I hadn't expected him to acclimate to quickly, but it is a pleasant enough surprise. Now if only he would cease acting out of turn and place constantly.
"Tell me about magic." Not even sparing me a glance, he slows down a slight bit to walk next to me.
I frown at his question and at his tone. As if simply because he's asking I have to answer. But I quickly quell that annoyance with the knowledge that he is an experienced warrior and as such does command some respect.
"There are the five elements-" I begin, quickly grasping at the chance to grab the reign of the conversation.
"Wind, Water, Earth, Fire and Ether. Yes, I figured." He cuts into my explanation, nodding to himself as if confirming mere basics.
"No, you ignorant plebeian mongrel." I snap at him with more vitriol than I had meant, but it works well enough, causing him to stop and turn to look at me with a blank expression. Shooting him an annoyed glare, I do my best to stare him down despite the difference in size and refusing to move or look away. "If you ask for me to teach you, you would at least do well to listen instead of cutting me off."
"I-" He begins, but is cut off as I shove my things at him, finally realizing how badly he had erred.
"Ether? I have no idea where you think you may have received your education, but you should at least know that the fifth element is the Void." Crossing my arms and tapping my foot while glaring at him.
Unfazed, he settles my clean clothing in his arms and frowns. "The Void? Right. The Fifth Imaginary Element, usually people call it Ether where I come from, but the Void isn't that uncommon a name for it."
I pause to digest his words. He speaks as if the Void is a common magic, or something. "Imaginary? No, the Void is certainly real. The Founder Brimir used it and lay the foundations for magic as we know it. Calling it 'ether' or 'imaginary' or whatever is an insult! Call it what it is, with the proper respect it deserves!"
"The Founder? It's not practiced today, anymore?" He blinks, and for the first time since I have been with him, I think he might be surprised. "But what about Spiritual Invocation and Evocation? And the familiars? How do you-"
He ceases his questioning with a frown and looks away, deep in thought.
Although curious, I ignore the niggling need to question everything he'd mentioned, I choose to continue onward with my morning rituals. I will question him in more depth after I have bathed and dressed properly for the day.
Properly bathed, dressed and in my room once again with another cup of hot tea, with an hour to spare before the classes for the day begin, I stare at my contemplative familiar who has remained silent for the better part of an hour now.
"Magic works by stacking elements. Every mage has an element they prefer, or rather they are able to use. Those able to use simple spells are called Dot Mages." I take another sip, deliberately not looking at Archer, enjoying his sharp gaze locked solely onto me at the moment as he raptly listens to my every word. As should be.
"From there, a mage may either attempt to master another element to round out their magic or to further master their existing one by stacking it. Those with two elements or able to use higher tiers of elemental magic are called Line Mages." Finally turning to face him, I pierce him with a pointed look to hammer in that I am the one who is learned and knows magic. A small part of me whispers that I am trying to prove it more to myself than him, but I quench it angrily.
"An experienced mage with the ability to combine three parts, is called a Triangle Mage, while those who have mastered their magic to able to reach the pinnacle of four simultaneous elements in a spell are called Square Mages." I adorn a satisfied , basking in the experience of teaching, of being the more knowledgeable one.
"What about runes?" His question quickly pulls me back, however. "And the familiars? How do those tie into it all? It's all very institutionalized from what you've said, but is it like that for everyone who practices magic?"
"Ah...? T-the runes?" I reel back, blinking. I had never thought about the runes, they simply were. "Well, The Founder Brimir laid the basis for all magic today, creating the Springtime Familiar summoning ritual... That is, second year students of magic summon a familiar and upon completing the spell the runes appear on the familiar."
Pulling back his sleeve, the white-haired man frowns as he looks on the back of his hand.
"But is that the only thing runes are used for? Are the other spells that use runes?" He glances at me, his grey eyes making me shiver for a moment.
"I-I don't know." I admit, realizing that I have never even thought about the matter.
"Alright, but what about other styles of magic? Are the mages who practice with spells using other elements?" The way he asks me that is peculiar, but I can not begin to think about it as he continues. "And how did this style of 'stacking' elements come about?"
"I don't know!" I finally snap. "There are the elves who use heathen magic, but they stay in their lands away from us. Romalia hunts those heretics who would experiment with dangerous magics from going too far, as far as I know. Brimir created the system and that is how magic is to be used. The end! Now if you really must learn all about magic then you are free to join me in my lessons and ask your inane questions there."
And the moment I say that, I regret it. I did not want to expose him quite yet to my failings. But it's too late to take back as he nods to himself and gets up.
"Well, then. Shall we go to class?" He asks with a satisfied smile as he crosses his arms. Or is that a smirk?
"Ah, how about Miss Vallière?"
The entire class cringes and a few in the front row stiffen up before hastily turning around to look at me. I notice that Archer has not reacted at all, but that does little to assuage me. I reign in the muttered curses under my breath and get up. As a noble, I will not let myself not perform when called upon. My personal pride does not matter before my pride as a noble, for whom answering the call of duty comes before all else.
Thus is the Rule of Steel.
Simple Earth magic. Transmutating a piece of dirt into metal. Simple Earth magic, I can do it. With every step I reassure myself that I won't fail, and with every step every other student tears down any belief I have of success with their panicked expressions.
"Ehh, maybe we shouldn't let-" I notice Kirche speaking up, noticeably stiffer than usually as she eyes the wand in my hand nervously. But the new teacher, Chevreuse of the Red Earth, silences any complaints with a swish of her wand and an imperious glare.
Maybe if I concentrate just a bit more, this time...
I raise the wand and begin the spell, my eyes momentarily rising up to see Archer still casually leaning against the wall by my seat. His relaxed posture and sharp eyes both ease my worries and ties another knot in my belly as I know how this will end.
With the final syllable of the spell, I pour my will into the spell and swish my wand at the piece of clay on the desk. The entire classroom takes cover, but surprisingly...
Surprisingly, the explosion is barely large enough to ruffle my clothes. Unchanged, the piece of clay laughs at me on the desk.
"A-ah. Well. That happens sometimes, even to the best of us. You may take your seat again, Miss Vallière."
Surrounded by the relieved whispers of the others, I trudge back to my desk. Strangely, the failure seemed to drain me of all tension as I feel more tired than I should be. I dismiss the strangeness and hold back the yawn as I sit down, relieved at least to not have to clean up another classroom mess at the least.
Beside me, I notice that Archer has yet to say anything aside from eying me strangely for a moment before looking away thoughtfully. The class goes by in a blur, my eyes barely remaining open for the duration. Before I know it, everyone is trudging out and I am only glad that for once I don't have to clean up after being asked to perform a spell.
Before I can leave, however, my familiar continues with his questioning from this morning. Perhaps it is only my strange lack of energy after the lesson, but I am really getting tired of being bothered by him all the time.
"What?" I bite out, with a quite a bit of hostility once again, not having quite caught his question.
"I asked, is this normal?"
I growl out. Of course, seeing the first signs of my ineptitude would unsettle him. I realize I should be trying to downplay my failure, but...
"Yes, so what?" Somewhere in the back of my mind, I note that I'm glad that we are alone in the classroom, as I am acting quite out of control.
"No, it isn't." He murmurs, looking away thoughtfully, turning to eye at the desks. I feel a strange sensation of surprise, but before I can snap at him again, he merely continues having shrugged off my hostility with ease. "They, the others, were expecting a more violent reaction. They were relieved when nothing happened. If that was par for the course for you, they wouldn't have batted an eye."
Turning towards me, I realize once again something I keep forgetting somehow. Despite how naturally he moves, how well he blends into the background and even is able to appear harmless, he is a very large and powerfully built man. I swallow nervously, my previous irritation all but gone as he eyes me closely with furrowed brows.
"How much more a violent reaction do you usually elicit, Louise?"
"I-I..."
Turning away, my shame making my face burn up, I am biting back tears for some reason.
"The whole room should have been affected?" I can only nod, still avoiding looking at him. "And these results are consistent?"
The strange question bothers me. Why is he digging into this, why is he asking all these things? Why?
"Because some things have changed with my arrival." He says. My head whips around to stare at him, my eyes wide open and jaw hanging.
"Huh?" Did I just ask that out aloud? Did he managed to divine my question from a word that slipped out?
"It's... It's nothing, not at least right now." He shakes his head, before offering a slight smile as a comforting gesture. "We should head out to lunch, no?"
But unlike yesterday, his smiles have felt strange today. Crooked. Like he's smirking but smoothing down the edges to make it a smile. No, I am seeing things due to being tired. His smiles aren't any different from yesterday, I am merely seeing things.
(PoV)
She really is forcing herself. She's not going to be able to be able to function properly for much longer if this continues as it is. She's going to run dry and her body will probably start consuming itself for sustenance. I know this.
Stop it, focus.
I bite back a curse and eye my short, petite, frail little Master.
I know she can't handle this for much longer, yet I hesitate. I shake my head and clear myself of useless thoughts. If I lack the necessary information to make a decision, then I need to gather more. I'd much rather stay under the radar, so to speak, but given my rather attention grabbing arrival and seemingly unique status, that's a choice long gone.
Merely observing others passively and feeling out the surroundings isn't working any more; I haven't spotted any other Masters or Servants, no suspicious surveillance and nothing to indicate that there is anything like a war going on.
I decide on my course of action there, following after my master quietly while watching her shamble on tiredly. All I now needed was an opportunity. It was time to see if I could startle a snake from the grass.
"Hmm...?"
"What is it?"
Oh, it seems I made an involuntary noise there, in my excitement. How sloppy of me.
"It's nothing, I'm merely looking at the tables. Seat yourself, master. I'll bring you some tea." I smile at her, warmly and guilelessly. I do my best to summon up that naive sense of trust and desire to help everyone and project it outwards.
The tiny pink haired mage looks at me, squinting her eyes suspiciously at me before shaking her head and walking off without a word to an empty table on the grass, by the outer edge further away from all the other students.
I turn away from her and look at my target.
The blond mage from yesterday. Only, this time, instead of a mousy brunette I spot a rather elegant blonde with Victorian ringlets and clear blue eyes. And judging by their body language, while not quite intimate, they are fairly close.
For some reason, the blond from yesterday, with his wavy hair and foppish manners reminds me of something unpleasant. But I shake that away, it's probably nothing important anyway. I walk over to the familiar maid I had spotted minutes earlier and upon greeting distance speak to get her attention.
"Hello, Siesta." The dark haired maid jumps a slight bit, the cups and plates on her tray clinking a little at the sudden movement, before she turns her head swiftly. "Would you mind terrible if I helped you?"
"Mister Archer!" She gapes for half a second before looking down at the serving cart, her tray and back to me before blinking and smiling brightly. "Yes! I mean, no! No, I mean! I wouldn't mind at all!
"The Noble students are all having tea and cake, so it's nothing difficult. Here, and thank you!" She hands me the tray and turns around to the serving cart before stopping, her shoulder tensing a slight bit. "Oh, no! I didn't expect you to- I mean it isn't a problem, but..."
"You only brought one tray?" I notice. Even better, I have to consciously relax my face to keep from smirking. "Oh, no matter. I'll just run along to the kitchens and ask one of them to give me another. You can start without me, I won't be long."
I set down the tray and begin walking away, leaving her behind before she can offer to do it herself. Rather than walk all the way to the corner, I merely leave the courtyard, turn a corner and extend my senses.
I'm alone. Good.
"Trace On."
A bronze shield, polished to a mirror sheen and much too small to be called anything more than a buckler, comes to mind. Athena, Perseus, Medusa. Names that are just as irrelevant here and now as the shape is inappropriate.
A rather poor defensive armament, despite being a Noble Phantasm, fitting for its measly Rank of E.
I feel a fire light in my chest as my fingers grip onto something that isn't there. But, the shape isn't appropriate. I need a serving tray, not a shield. No fitting mantra exists, so I will have to free-form it. It will be even more unstable, but as I won't be using it as a shield and only need it for a few hours at the very most, it hardly matters.
"I am the bone of my sword."
My fingers grip the cool metal, now silvery in appearance despite its actual composition. Only a few seconds have passed, but I check for anyone who could have seen my Tracing just to be sure. Noting that no one is around, I scan the brightly polished sheen of the tray in my hands.
I let myself smirk, satisfied to note the dozens of slight seeming imperfections in the light reflecting off of the surface. It was a fairly costly mystery to actualize and alter, but definitely worth it. There is a slight real imperfection though, as the lights dim here and there, every few seconds. Not enough to be a problem, but still a fault in the image. Oh well, can't expect a flawless projection on a first time.
I walk back to the clearing, back to the cart and load a set of fine cups filled with tea and plates with dainty slices of cake, before I join Siesta in serving the Noble students. I note that Louise has yet to be served and that Siesta has already given my target a serving. No reason for me to just walk up to him, then.
Oh well, no plan is perfect from the get go. It was important to be able to adjust and react.
Leaving one final serving on my tray, I walk over to my master and serve her after having quickly analyzed her portion. She squints at me, with suspicious eyes that can't seem to decide whether to bore through me or Siesta, but still refuses to speak.
As I walk away, I can hear her faintly muttering something about 'flirting with busty service' and 'unfaithful horn-dogs', but I haven't the time or inclination to dissuade her of her annoyance.
I take a slight detour, around a few tables instead of going straight back to the serving cart, but no one notices since they are all trained since birth to ignore the maids and waiters. And as I pass my mark, I get lucky.
"My dearest Montmorency, you have nothing to fear! You are the only one I admire and long for, the only of my heart! Before your eyes, I can tell no lies..."
He's laying it in quite thick, but he's got the main gist of 'wooing' down quite well. Still, a perfect chance calls for immediate action.
I snort. Quite loudly.
Years of training; years of being told you are superior and do not need to pay attention to the commoners only goes so far, especially when you think you are being mocked or laughed at. It's human nature, after all.
Two blond heads, the ones closest to me, swivel instantly to look at me with surprise and scorn. The fop shakes his head minutely, telling himself I'm not worth it when he is so close to hooking the ringlet girl.
Luckily, said ringlet girl can't or won't let it go so easily.
"What is so funny, you...?" She doesn't know how to address me, given my lack of uniform, which amuses me a little. I use the emotion to fuel the expression of mirth I'm wearing. She frowns at me when I only smirk and shake my head.
Oh, such scorn and disdain. So certain of her superiority and her place in life. For a second I was reminded of a blonde ringlet haired noble girl I probably once knew, but even as I remember her name I realize the ocean of differences between them.
For one, my old acquaintance would have supplexed me through a table already.
"You would do well to respect your betters, familiar, else I will have to teach you to do so." The blonde fop sneers at my indifference to being caught and to my irreverent attitude towards the girl. If I get lucky, I won't even have to say another wor- "But it would be such a waste to let my tea cool down when I could be enjoying the fine weather and even finer company."
He smiles at the blushing ringlet girl, who shyly avoids eye contact. Ah, damn. They've both dismissed me already. That simply won't do.
"Hahah, so sorry to interrupt. I just wondered if you've used that line earlier..." I shake my head, overplaying my lack of manners in a way I had observed the workers in the kitchen do with their hands and stance to appear as bumpkinny as possible. "I mean, I know you used that 'fine evening, finer company' yesterday with the brunette, but the 'before your eyes' sounds like a real knock out."
The ringlet girl freezes completely before her eyes dart to the fop who has stiffened up. "Ahaha, I have no idea what you are talking about, now run off befor-"
"You know, the girl whose teeth you were cleaning with your tongue in the courtyard under the moonlight." I wag my eyebrows at him, an action which feels wholly unnatural and takes a surprising amount of effort to accomplish. The ringlet girl is shaking in place, the fop licks his lips nervously as his eyes dart back and forth between me and the girl he had been wooing just now.
And then, my eyes spot something at the edge of my perception, just as I take another covert glance at my empty tray and all the imperfections of reflecting light. The brunette, with a different colored cloak, a lost and slightly troubled and searching yet dreamy gaze, desperately looking for something among the sitting students.
"Ah, there she is..." I say, just as I raise a hand to catch her attention. She looks at me and before she can look away I point at Guiche. Her expression brightens up like a light bulb turned on as she spots him.
And I'm not the only one to notice this.
"Guuuu-iiiii-che..."
I take a step back, avoiding the attention of the two blonds, content with merely observing the rest of the fallout. All the sitting and previously talking and eating students have now turned to observe the spectacle I have started. I notice Siesta is pale and wide-eyed, eying me with no little amount of worry.
I shove the thought of Louise back into the recess of my mind, ignoring how strangely urgent it feels, as I take another look at the tray in my hands before scanning the crowd again. Everyone is present and in plain view. With their attentions glued to the happening, I can't expect anyone to leave quite yet, but I should keep observing for anyone suspiciously leaving.
The sound a flesh hitting flesh slaps my attention back to the two blondes before me. I watch as the ringlet haired girl storms away, fuming and misty-eyed. The fop, Guiche I think, is reaching with one hand after the girl while holding his red and bruised cheek with his other.
A strange noise, suspiciously like a sob, brings my attention to the brunette now fleeing the scene. I note both young women leaving as I take another look at my tray, they're the only ones to leave so far.
I sigh, realizing this probably wasn't worth it as no 'spy' or surveillance had been revealed, ignoring the slight feeling of guilt at seeing two girls crying. I tell myself I've done much worse and this really wasn't anything serious, but as always I'm an idiot and don't really believe it.
I turn to leave, giving up this spectacle as a bust, only to spot Louise glaring at me with a before unseen intensity. Forcing myself to remain unperturbed and to keep from swallowing nervously I move to continue with helping Siesta.
"You craven cur!" I hear the sound of a fist smacking against a table and have to withhold a smirk. It seems, the spectacle isn't quite over yet. Though if it really doesn't uncover anything, I idly note, that Louise will be that much more angry at me.
Oh well, not like I'm bothered by hatred or anger.
"How dare you? To make two maidens cry, is there no limit to your crassness?!" I turn around to stare at him pointing a shaking finger at me, his face a mask of wrath. I nearly laugh out loud, recognizing a play to save face instantly. "Still, you laugh? It's settled, then! At the Vestri Court, we duel!"
He smacks his hand on the table one last time for emphasis and turns to walk away. "Pistols at dawn? Fine by me."
He stops, looks at me in confusion before snarling out, "No, you fool, 10 minutes, the Vestri Court!"
And with that he storms off. Quite dramatically, too, managing to save face quite well as most of the students are now looking at me like I'm some life-form lower than dirt for making two girls cry.
"Archer!"
"Mister Archer...!"
Two voices overlap, one vibrating with anger and the other raised out of concern and worry, as two girls rush up to me. Neither pays the other any attention, as they speak as one again before I can get a word in edgewise.
"You mustn't fight a Noble, Mister Archer...!"
"You idiot! What were you thinking! You can't go around doing..." Finally Louise notices the maid, who meeps at the growl the pinkette lets out. The raven haired maid swallows nervously, contemplating running away, but holds her ground with some strange un-ending well of bravery supplying her with the nerve to not balk at the glare of the fuming mage.
Louise ignores the maid once again, satisfied that she backed down, turning back to me with a glare even more heated than before. She stares at me for a quiet moment, before closing her eyes and sighing deeply.
The worst of the energy and tension fades from her and she looks up to me with a resigned, yet determined, expression.
"Come on, maybe if we apologize to Guiche, he'll call off the fight... or maybe he won't kill you..." She mutters, biting her fingernails in a nervous habit.
I'm... surprised.
Doesn't she even realize how it will look like to the other students if I apologize and grovel for my life after acting out so carelessly? It will all reflect back on her. Or she does realize, but values my life more than she does the opinions of the others.
While I'm not against grovelling on principle if its for a good reason, I really won't. In the past, I wouldn't have hesitated to apologize to avoid a conflict, especially since I am at fault for making the thing come off as explosively as it did. And knowing his type, he'll only call it off after he feels it would make him look bad for continuing with it.
"So sorry, master." I smirk at her, making her blink and gape. "I'm going to go now."
And I walk away leaving her behind, speechless.
I arrive at the courtyard easily enough, not due to knowing where this 'Vestri' courtyard is among the half a dozen courtyards of the Academy, but because I spot the densest concentration of students there on the mirror surface of my tray.
Students, familiars, a few birds and another few critters, probably some rats... All appear on the ancient 'radar' if the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare. Unlike Ares, Athena knew the worth of information and tactics, and had such wonderful items to work with to accomplish just that. Yet, nothing to indicate any sort of surveillance.
Perhaps some student among the throng, but that really won't help me at all.
I concentrate on my eyes, lowering the tray, analyzing the courtyard as I slowly approach the students. Spotting no decent lookout from where anyone could spy on the duel from a distance aside from the towers, I give the mirror one last look before entering the throng of people.
"I commend you on your bravery at showing up, at least. But..."
I ignore his rambling, eying the crowd, noting everyone watching. Noting their eyes, their body-language, their stances. Though I hadn't meant it as such, my lack of interest in Guiche is taken as an insult, I notice as he begins shouting at me redfaced and shaking.
"On your guard, Commoner!"
"Hmm?" I inquire. "Are we starting, already?"
He merely scowls as he whips out a rose, clearly his foci. With an incantation and another wave, a petal is turned into a humanoid golem. A bronze statue of a armored woman, bearing a spear. I have to raise an eyebrow, despite having expected as much by now.
One thing I had learned on my travels, was to not to try and squeeze different forms of magic into the framework of my own understanding. While magecraft as I had first learned it was very structured, sensible and rigid in its own way, a lot of the time it didn't account for some of the magic that I had come across.
Also, futilely trying enforce terminology isn't that wise, either. What was 'Spiritual Evocation' and 'Spiritual Invocation' among the European circles, could have been regarded as the spirits and gods of nature communing with humans through a chosen Avatar or Shaman among some more remote communities. In such a case, arguing that they weren't in fact a mouthpiece for the divine was a great way to get an entire village howling for your blood. I think that was the last time I went traveling with Association Magi.
Not that those rules weren't important, far from it. For every practitioner of executing mysteries, absolute faith in their ability was paramount. Magi needed the structured and rigid bound-lines to reach the heights they could in the Mage's Association. Belief enforced belief, thus building the structure higher and higher, engraving the groves deeper and deeper with every generation. As someone whose powers stemmed from an innate bounded field, some of those rules really meant very little to me and I enjoyed a rather liberal view of magecraft. Some would even go so far as to label me a heretic. Well, they would have labelled me a heretic from the moment I had first begun learning magecraft, but that's irrelevant.
I had come to realize that when it came to magic, there were more exceptions than rules and my own belief was often the only thing that mattered when it came to my own magecraft.
And as such, I didn't bother thinking too hard about the fact that this fop had with was at best a very drawn out Single Action or at the longest a short One Line spell created a semi-sapient golem. He could have had created it earlier, he could have merely summoned it, the local mages could all be using High Speed Divine Words etc...
Their magic was clearly a potent force, something that could most certainly pose a threat to me.
But it didn't matter at all to me. Because for the whole 30 seconds he had now been monologuing, I had merely stood in place and analyzed his automaton and thought about his capabilities. I had humored the thought that perhaps he was setting up some traps or powering up a spell and trying to distract me, but discarded that line of thought to concentrate on my bronze-shield-come-tray.
I had focused on accuracy and reliability of the detection, thus the cohesiveness had taken a definite hit. It was already fading and had ceased working for several seconds at a time. The reflecting lights were working one second and ceased another, almost like a television with poor reception.
Dropping the tray lazily, I took a step forward, making the fop stop talking. I had a rough idea of the automaton's abilities and his casting speed when it came to their creation, but-
"Attack, my Bronze Valkyrie!"
It would be good to confirm my analysis. I wouldn't get drawn in by an act, I tell myself.
I settled into a loose stance, eyes focusing on the charging opponent. Unarmed fighting had never been a focus in my training, but I had gotten half-decent at kicks while using a sword, so it wasn't like I was out of options without revealing my own magic.
With speed surpassing human ability, the bronze spear was thrust forward. With speed barely restrained by a being far surpassing human ability, the point was avoided just as an armored boot found its way into the path of a bronze foot of the charging caricature of a maiden warrior.
The sound was somewhere between a suit of armor and an anvil, as the bronze Valkyrie tripped over and fell. It wasn't a threat to me, barely on the operational level of someone like... Hmm, someone like Fuji-nee.
Clunky movements, telegraphed attacks, no thought for defense or follow ups. I spared a look to the crowd, once again cataloging their expressions, searching for that something. Most were surprised. Some were speechless. Louise was staring wide-eyed, at the edge of the crowd, wringing her hands desperately. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I know I didn't find it.
Only two pairs of eyes caught my interest at all. A redhead and a blunette, a study of opposites in many ways, eyed me with interest and a sort of 'I-knew-it!' expression. Interesting, but not what I needed. It wasn't an... anything.
They both had normal familiars, but while they could have been working for someone else, they didn't strike me as the type yesterday. Their interest seemed more honest, more personal. Not Masters, not spies. Just a pair of curious mages.
I was beginning to realize that this whole exercise was an idiotic gamble on my part. An idiotic and desperate ploy, just lashing out hoping that something would happen. Frustrated, I had hoped making a big splash would reveal anything trying to hide just beneath the surface justifying all my earlier caution, even though I already knew I wasn't on familiar shores any longer.
There wasn't a bloody grail war, was there?
Don't think it. Focus.
I didn't even realize I had chuckled out loud until I noticed the crowd had blanched and almost collectively stepped back away from me.
"Do you think this is funny, commoner? Don't think you're getting out of this with just grovelling anymore!"
Another five petals joined the first, sprouting more golems just as the one already in existence picked itself up. Still, I didn't feel I was in any danger, not in the slightest. I reigned in my laughter even as I noted that I had goaded and harassed some teenager into a fight, expecting him to be a trained killer with years of experience under his belt and planning the best way to incapacitate him while hiding my abilities from any other such killers. Looking over the wide-eyed youths, all glued to the fight, I couldn't help but to chide myself.
At some unheard signal the closest three bronze creations charged at me and I knew the one behind me had turned its spear into an overhead grip to throw it at me from behind. They'd pincer me in and attack me from all around, I should...
What was I doing? Didn't I just chide myself for overestimating my opposition? There's no need for such refined moves here.
Frustration welled up inside me, just as the first blade was swung at me. I seized the haft of the axe and body-checked the golem back, right into the path of another one charging. Flipping the axe in my hand, I spun around and loosed it right at the first formerly-spear-wielding golem. With my superior strength, my projectile found its mark before its spear reached me, shearing the chest of the bronze Valkyrie like tin foil with a shrill noise that made many wince.
Grabbing the spear out of midair effortlessly, I continued the spin and completed the full rotation, bringing the shaft up just in time to block a sword strike at my neck. A front kick was my first instinct, to create distance between me and the striking golem, so I could reassess our positions and distance. But the moment I had intercepted the blow, I had changed my mind. It was too light, a reminder that I wasn't fighting for my life here.
The spear had been angled in receiving the sword, to make the blade slide off and to keep the blow from transferring its blunt force through into my shoulders. Only, it hadn't even budged my arms with the force. My physical abilities were far beyond its', and I wasn't used to being so underwhelmed in close combat. The kick would have either thrown the golem back, or allowed me to kick back from a heavier opponent so that I would have a comfort zone to react with.
But I didn't need that. It was almost... disappointing.
So, turning that already in-motion front kick into a leaping knee to the jaw, I rammed my weight forward with enough force into the Valkyrie to indent the helmeted face like a balloon. With the majority of the force concentrated on the head, with me coming behind it, the golem flew only a scant few feet with me landing easily on top of it.
Already on my feet as it hit the ground, I spun the spear in my hands and brought the point to bear and shattered the chest-piece right where the heart would be as I drove the wide spearhead through its chest. I knew I had ruined the spear with the force I had exerted, but I didn't quite care. It was a shoddy reproduction of a parade partisan, made out of substandard metal only hastily molded and reinforced. As a faker, I managed to feel sort of insulted.
Once again unarmed, I looked around once again. Guiche's mouth was in the perfect 'O' shape, his eyes wide and unbelieving. Our eyes met, my utter indifference to his efforts plain in my expression. This got a reaction out of him, as with a snarl and an wild, angry swipe of his rose three more golems sprouted and the rest charged.
Stepping forward, underneath the one-handed sword stabbing at me, I applied what little martial arts I had learned through Tohsaka Rin. Lead hand grabbing the extended bronze limb, turning and stepping forward while pulling the caught limb, driving with the hips and smashing the opposite elbow into its guts.
A Bajiquan move she had loved using on me, great for driving the air out of someone's lungs, as I could personally attest. With my strength behind it and the weight of the bronze golem coming forward in the charge, my elbow didn't just dent the armor, but sheared a massive hole through the torso easily.
Stepping back and avoiding a blade closing in, I sweep with my rear foot the next golem off of its feet with a low kick, managing to wreck its leg in the process.
Swaying aside from an overhead mace strike, I backhand the helmet with enough force to cause the entire golem to vibrate like a church bell. Unperturbed by the impact and the sound, I snatch the mace with the same hand and repeat the backhanded strike tearing off its head with the mace before throwing it into the shield of an approaching golem with enough force to tear through the shield, shoulder and torso effortlessly.
Many golems still stood, yet none approached. The blond mage had frozen in place, his rose-wand arm hanging lifelessly as he simply stared at me. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, in fact...
Not a one mouth remained closed, a sea of wide-eyed and hanged jawed teenagers looked at me. Redhead, blunette and pink haired firecracker included. None of them knew about heroic spirits.
It really wasn't a war. This was all just some fluke.
It took me a few seconds to realize that the harsh, bitter and ugly sound, was in fact my own laughter. Murmurs and whispers began coming from the crowd even as not a single pair of eyes dared to leave me.
"What am I even doing here?"
I turned to leave the way I had come, only to spot something again. The mirror shield in the form of the tray, still barely hanging onto its existence. How was it still around? I had thought it would have faded by now, judging by how the radar effect was weakening. Except...
Maybe.
Maybe it wasn't the tray itself that was having trouble existing, but rather the way the mystery itself was struggling. I had thought the imperfect detection I had first spotted to be due to my hasty projection and alteration, but what if...
"Why bother with middlemen?" None of the students were watching me, because there was a bounded field already in place doing the exact same thing the mirror was for me. Someone could have been watching me with their own spell, and now the mirror shield and it were sharing the space, weakening each other as they battled for dominance.
Someone could be watching me through a scrying bounded field.
I took off, making my previous bursts of speed seem like nothing as I grabbed the mirror shield up, toward the main building. Opening my magic detection once again, I worked my way through the blinding overflow of magical energy, grasping at the currents of raw mysteries yet unwrought. This was so far above my abilities with magic in life it wasn't even funny, yet with my supernatural existence, that gap could be crossed momentarily simply through focusing.
There, I could see a flow that branched around the Vestri Courtyard, into the mirror shield. And the other way it split itself to flow...
I realized I was grinning, just as I found a solitary corner out of sight, turning into my spirit form and chasing after the strands with a desperation I hadn't realized I was feeling earlier. Passing through walls and floors, ceilings and doors, I quickly found myself in an office.
Before me were two men. A bearded man the very image of an elderly and esteemed wizard, the other the bald veteran teacher who had been present at my summoning. The strand lead to an opulent mirror, adorned with jewels and gold inlays, leaning against a wall on a pedestal next to a crystal ball, stored in a glass cabinet by the far side of the room away from the desk cluttered with books the two men were standing by.
"It must be!"
"But we have yet to confirm whether or not he bears the runes of the Gandalfr, we mustn't be hasty, Colbert."
"Ah, yes. I apologize for my outburst." The bald man sheepishly rubs the back of his neck while still holding onto a book on the desk and pointing at a passage he had to have been referring to earlier. "But you must admit that these are the only recorded human familiars ever."
That certainly catches my attention, and I make my way toward the duo, hoping my lack of a physical body will be enough to keep me hidden. Unfortunately for me, he lifts the book up and closes it before I can get a closer look, setting it onto a fairly sizable pile of similar looking ancient tomes. Trying to read through those for relevant information to my situation would take forever and I was never the academic type, able to piece together an understanding from written lore. The downside to being such a practically minded magus, I suppose.
Well, not that it would probably matter, the local system of writing is still quite unfamiliar to me.
"But... considering who did the summoning, the third daughter of the Vallière's... We must be very careful. If this is what you think it is, then she might very well be of the final pillar of the pentagon." The old man, seated in a luxurious and regal high backed chair, wears the mystique and authority of the office like a cloak as he speaks with his elbows resting on the desk.
"B-But that was lost ages ago!" Colbert exclaims.
"Indeed." The wizened man draws into himself, still deep in thought, content with merely agreeing.
"But if that familiar truly is the legendary Gandalfr, wouldn't he possess incredible prowess with arms? That should be easy enough to confirm and then we would know for certain."
Before either can continue with the discussion, a hasty knock on the door draws their attention.
"Come in!"
"Headmaster Osmond!" A woman bursts in, harried and panting bursts into the office. Both men perk up at her panicked behavior, the elder standing up from his seated position. "There has been a fight! The students are all out of control!"
Out of control? She's panicking, red-faced and looking over her shoulder in a twitchy fashion as if expecting someone to come running at her, so I hardly find her evaluation of the situation to be objective enough to be reliable.
"Calm yourself, Chevreuse dear. Now why don't you show me what has happened..." Osmond, the headmaster of this academy as it appears, gets up and walks up to the doorway before turning around to look at Colbert. "We'll continue this discussion later, come now Colbert."
The bald teacher, with brows furrowed out of worry, nods and follows hastily. The door is closed and locked behind them.
I turn to the desk and materialize, placing a hand on a book spread open filled with scribbled illegible handwriting. The book Colbert had been holding onto was on the pile, and much to my luck I notice a bookmark on what looks like the spread that he had been reading. On the open spread, is a string of runes shown clearly, and on the desk are several other similar accountings with the set of runes and similar brands displayed individually with pages upon pages of lore for each symbol.
These aren't command seals, I know.
With shaking hands, a fact that surprises me, I reach over and reveal the string of runes on my left hand, drawing back my sleeve and lifting my arm-guard. Marking for marking, symbol of symbol, line for line, it's a perfect match.
Gandalfr, not a Servant.
No grail system to support and maintain everything, just a single mage. A single mage has summoned and is now the only thing keeping me in existence.
"Hahahaha..." The absurdity of it all makes my voice crack.
My fingers leave cracks in the dark wood of the desk under my desperate grip as I proceed to go calmly mad, my laughter echoing in the empty office.
I realize now that I'm re-reading and checking some things that Osmond doesn't seem to have a crystal ball. Whoops. Oh well.
EDIT: Some reviewer mentioned a viewing mirror, which I realized would fit in better with the bronze shield for sharing the mystery.