A/N Pretty much just bringing out my ideas to the light, but "Wraith Of Zero" is still my main priority, so no worries in that department, for those who liked it.
I don't own anything.
Speech: "Damn it Zero!"
Thoughts: 'I'll show them'
Monster outward voice or spells/chants : "Grrrgh!"
Griffin mental speech: ("I shall serve Master")
=The Wings Of Storm=
=The Thunderbird=
-The Duchy of Gransys, The Bluemoon Tower-
Besides the dragons, he was the lord of skies and the bringer of storms of this realm. He was the mightiest of beasts, The Griffin. Though he hates to admit it, he was only rivaled by those annoying drakes with anger problems in terms of strength, that always seem to appear out of nowhere and try to claim HIS territories as their own... Those arrogant bricks, especially the red and black ones!
The reds always acts on their VERY short temper, hell! they start attacking you even if you just try to say "hello!" for God's sake!
The ones with black scales on the other hand are just lazy bastards, who just always ignore whatever you say and sleep when- and wherever they bloody feel like it! Also just like with the red ones, if you try to get them move away, they just respond aggressively and try to kill you, not wanting to do what others try tell them... To even think that they actually share the same element of lightning... Ugh... Just the thought of it gives him the bad name...
...At least the drakes with icy blue scales can be civil about anything. Hell, he even had a proper conversation with one before! Definitely 'cool' guys in his books.
But despite all of his glory and might, he was now in a pinch... The one who they call The Arisen along with some of his lackeys, had hunted him down all the way from the Moonshower cliffs to his lair in the Bluemoon Tower... One persistent bastard!
What the hell did he even do to deserve this?! He was just hungry and those oxes always just stood there in that field, asking to be eaten if you ask him!
While he did kill all the castle' knights that came along, the problem was the Arisen's and 3 lackeys. Whenever he brought them down, they ALWAYS stood back up by the Arisen's weird powers!
And now here he was... Down on the ground, breath heaving heavily, totally exhausted and badly wounded... Those bastards even tried to burn him alive! By putting his majestic feathers aflame! 'Curse you, Arisen!'
He couldn't put up a fight any longer, he saw the Arisen slowly walking up to him, he didn't want to accept his accursed faith, so with a growl he put up a fierce defiant glare at the Arisen.
He didn't want to die!
"My servant..." '!?' Who was that? He heard a feminine voice and warily looked around his fallen form for the speaker.
"...That existed somewhere in this vast universe..." D-did someone answer his prayers?
"...My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call..." Well I certainly do fall into those categories.
"...I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance..." 'If you help me out from this mess I'll follow you to the depths of Hell if I have to!' He swore.
Griffins are known of... No, this wasn't known by any of the humans within the realm of Gransys, they just hunt them for sport or just fear them.
But Griffins in reality just attack people when threatened or their caddles when hungry. But to those they actually approve of, they will be extremely loyal. For a case such as this when the Griffin was being rescued from certain death, the debt will be eternal.
He and the remaining humans saw a small green orb appearing behind the Griffin. "What's that!?" one of the lackeys yelled out in surprise.
Griffin bend his neck a bit and looked behind him 'C-could this be my ticket out of here?' He thought in awe.
"...and appear!" without any hesitation, he gathered all the remaining strength he had left, spinned around and jump through the portal.
"It's getting away!" He heard their screams coming from behind him, then they all went silent with portal closed up right behind him...
-Halkeginia, Tristain' Academy of Magic-
(A/N I feel lazy to write the start from Louise's side every time so it is a copy from my other Fanfic "Wraith of Zero", If you have already read it, you may skip it down till the other AN appears down below.)
It was another beautiful morning at the Tristain Academy and all it's students were excited for the today's special event, that is soon taking it's place. It was the day of the traditional sacred ritual of summoning a Familiar for all nobles. This ritual is said to determine your skill and the potential as a mage, the greater summon, the greater mage. It also shows your main affinity for magic, for example salamanders for fire mages and griffins for wind mages and the list goes on. If one were to fail this sacred pact between mage and their summon, it would be considered a great disgrace for the mage and even his/her family as a Noble.
While it was a great and exciting day for every student in the academy, there was a exception in one. Her full name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière or Louise De La Valliere in shorter term. She's a noble from the famous and powerful La Valliere house and a daughter of Dean de La Valliere (1) the duke of Tristain and Karin de La Valliere the duchess. Dean is more powerful than line-class mage, but not quite triangle-class mage either. Karin on the other hand is a square-class wind mage and the most powerful wind user of Tristain with the moniker 'The Heavy Wind' Karin, she also was the former commander of the Manticore Knights.
Back to Louise, She has small delicate build, height of 4'9" ft with fla- (*cue the Louise' Death Glare towards Author*) err.. *cough* Slightly smaller than average chest... Anyway she has Long pink wavy hair down to her lower back, pink eyes and sligthly paler skin complexion. She's wearing now the usual Academy's school uniform the long sleeved white button up blouse, black skirt, black cape reaching to her feet pinned by a circular, gold or brass pin attached to a ribbon, a pair of black shoes and black stocking socks that reaches her middle-thighs.
She was quite famous, no scratch that, infamous would be the correct term for her unique reputation at school. You see she can't use magic, other than blowing the living hell out of everything she waves her wand at. Because of this she's always ridiculed and made fun at. Hell she even gained the moniker of her own, which she is NOT happy with 'Louise The Zero'.
That nickname has pretty much haunted her the very moment when she started the school here. "*sigh*" she sighed. She was now standing next to her fellow classmates at the yard, where the summon ritual is soon taking it's place. This Familiar summon was going to be her final change to prove herself, if she fails, she would be expelled and sent back home disgracing her family in the process. What would her family think? Would they still love her or... She didn't even want to think about the possible worse case scenarios.
She had to succeed, she just had to! It's a 'Do or Die!' situation with no way out. There is just no room for any more failures. Not for this sacred ritual that proves yourself as a great mage, in fact the most of the royal knights gets their rank as Chefaliers through their familiars as the griffin, dragon or manticore rider. While it's possible to tame them from wilderness with charm magic, but such bond is far weaker and fragile, that even a single dispell or stronger charm spell could easily break the fake bond. Only way for the bond to last is by either through the Familiar contract, raise the said beasts from birth or if the adult beasts approves you.
"Allright everyone gather around, today is the day of your summoning!" The voice brought Louise out from her thoughts and payed attention to their teacher, Mr. Colbert.
Professor Jean Colbert, he's a tall man around 6 feet in his middle-forties, with bolding dark grayish-brown hair and blue eyes behind the round glasses. wearing blue robes with white lines and a brown backpack strapped from his left shoulder to the right hip. He alson held a long magic staff on his right hand with red lines on top.
"This is the first Exam of your second year, as well as the sacred day of your first encounter of your Familiar spirit who you will spend the rest of your life with as a part of an aristocratic family." While their teacher was giving his speech to his students, another voice came from behind her, the usual annoying sultry voice that irked her to no end.
"Well~, Well~ Zero Louise~, I'm re~ally looking forward to see how Great of a familiar you're going to summon." She emphasized the word 'Great' with heavy sarcasm. This girl was a Germanian, Kirche Von Zerbst (2), Louise's supposed rival and a MAJOR pain in her rear from the day one. She has a long red straight hair that fell down to her hips with some bangs covering one of her amber eyes from sight. (the right eye) Her height was 5'7" ft and she had a voluptous body with big chest and shapely hips, and dark skin, that almost all men seem to drool over for. Kirche is well known by school populace for her habit of playing around with multiple guys during her freetime.
She wore the same uniform with few changes, her blouse was opened on the top giving a good view of her bust, slightly shorter skirt, wore a golden ring as a choker on her neck and thigh length tan boots.
She re~~ally wanted to use her wand to wipe off that irritating smirk on her face, knowing that it would blow her all the way to sunday, Literally.
"Hmph! Just leave me alone you walking red light district, why don't you go flirt around like you always do?" She barked back.
"My~ I'd love to, but we're still in the middle of the important ceremony that even I~ don't really want to skip. So I'll have to wait till class is over, for now~!" Kirche responded in cheery tone. Not in the least bothered by Louise's obvious insult.
Louise sweat dropped by Kirche's response. 'So she's not really denying the red light part...'
While Louise always acted strong on outside, she couldn't help but feel worried inside of the outcome and going through all possible 'what if' scenarios. The bluff from before could surely bite her in the ass, when she just decided to blurt out total nonsense with straight face on the heat of the moment to Kirche and Montmorency on the stairs yesterday.
(FLASHBACK)
(Louise POV 1st person)
After the class where I attempted alchemy, only for it to horribly fail and explode on my and even the new teacher's face completely knocking her out.
I was on my way back from the principle Osmond's office and went down the stairs, then I came to stop when I spotted my three classmates, Kirche, Montmorency and Tabitha below me.
The girls next to Kirche were Montmorency who was slightly taller than me by few inches with average build, she had a blonde hair styled into long, Victorian ringlets down to her middle-back, with a red hair bow in back, dark green eyes and has freckles on her face.
The other girl, Tabitha was even smaller than me in height 4'8" and chest wise. Short blue hair, light blue eyes behind the glasses with red rim, she wore the same uniform except she had white stockings that covered all of her legs. She held a large curved staff with her always and as usual her other hand was occupied by yet a another book that she seems to be reading whenever she goes.
"So how was it?" Came the sultry and playful voice of Kirche.
"At the reflection room again or are you finally getting kicked out, maybe?" She joked. The two girls started giggling, and as usual Tabitha stayed silent reading her book.
I ignored them and started walking past them, once past I said "No punishment." "EH?!" The red head and the blond simultaneously yelled out.
"Why?" Kirche asked.
"They said that the teacher carries part of the responsibility, since she let me use magic even though the rest of the class warned her." While I was walking away I heard the two laughing again behind me, I felt my eyebrow twitch then I came to stop again.
"I just had a bad day that's all.." I mumbled out loud in irritation with my cheeks reddening a bit.
"Oh, so you're always basically having a bad day, right? As expected from Louise The Zero~~" Kirche teased. I felt my eyebrows twitching heavily now with tick mark forming on my forehead, and my face reddening.
"Ju-just shut up!" I growled back.
"*giggle* I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I wonder what kind of Familiar you're going to summon~." She playfully mused out loud.
I whipped my head towards them to face them then said in my most confident voice "I have the complete confidence when it comes to my summon servant spell!" I proclaimed. "Eh?!" they gasped, seems they took my bluff rather easily.
I point my finger at them "just you wait! I'll summon a divine, beautiful and strong familiar spirit that will be unmatched, even with everyone's familiars combined!"
I turned back and walked away and the three watched me leaving in silence, Kirche asked something from Tabitha but I couldn't hear their talk anymore.
(FLASHBACK END)
"*Sigh*" She sighed again, 'why do I always act without thinking on my noble's pride...?'. No crying over spilled milk now, it's now or never! She CAN'T FAIL her very future depends on this ceremony! 'Please... Founder Brimir help me!'. She prayed.
-Timeskip-
Louise watched from the sidelines as student after student, one-by-one, summons their Familiars, Bugbears very weird looking things (3), Owls, Frogs, Moles, wow... Kirche even managed to summon a salamander! Rare big red lizards that spits fire, that lives around only certain volcanoes. Then there's... wait is... is that a Dragon!? Tabitha managed to summon a big blue colored Wind dragon!
And before she knew it, only she was left to do the summoning... She started to feel very nervous even scared.
"So was that all of you now?" She heard Mr. Colbert's voice in the distance among the students.
"No, Miss Valliere is still left" That was Kirche, as she pointed at Louise behind the other students.
When she heard her name her breath hitched, heartbeat hastened and her body started to tremble slightly. She saw that she now had the attention of the rest of the class and were now looking at her in expectation or the lack of it more likely.
*Gulp!* she swallowed hard and steeled her resolve, forcing her trembling to stop. Then she pulled out her wand and started walking in the middle of the yard's clearing getting ready to summon her familiar.
She could heard the other classmates whispering to each other. "Hey look it's The Zero Louise, man." "I wonder what she's going to summon." "I don't know dude, last time I checked explosives or ashes didn't really count as familiars." Some started chuckling to the boy's joke.
Louise took a deep breath, then she started the summoning...
"My servant..." The wind started to pick up.
"...That existed somewhere in this vast universe..." By each word the magic around Louise gets stronger and air grows heavier.
Even the spectators felt this, they actually started to feel interested on Zero Louise's summon, 'could she actually do it afterall?' Was their thought.
"...My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call..." A Large glowing pentagram started forming below Louise, the energy just keeps gathering towards her by incredible amounts and the winds are starting to get really heavy now. It feels like a storm outside the pentagram.
"N-No way!" "Holy crap! is she actually doing it!?" "Kya! What's with this wind!?" The students shouted, while some had to held on their skirts due the heavy winds.
"...I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance..." The power of the chant could be felt by anyone nearby, ground started shaking a bit and the gathered energy has reached it's breaking point.
The class were now paying heavy attention on Louise's summon spell. What could she possibly be summoning that requires all that energy, that could be felt by many yards away?!
"...and appear!" Everyone hitched in their breath and watched intently, but... *Silence~~* you could even hear pin needle dropping and the crickets on the background.
The whole class sighed in disappointment then one of the boys decided to comment on it "*Si~gh* Damn it Zero don't get us so overly worked up for no-" he couldn't finish his sentence. "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" "I KNEW IIIIIT~~!" The whole class bellowed, the ever all infamous Zero Explosives made their presence known... Though this one was far bigger than the usual ones. After the explosion cooled off, people started yelling.
"*COUGH!* DAMMIT ZERO *COUGH!* *COUGH!* ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US ALL!?"
"MAYBE *COUGH!* SHE WAS TRYING TO *COUGH!* GET RID OFF THE WITNESSES IN THE FIRST PLACE!?"
"Ah!, Grandma I missed you... I just feel so... tired..."
"NO! WAKE UP MAN! DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT, IT'LL ALL BE OVER IF YOU GO THERE!"
"*GASP* *COUGH* *COUGH* I- *COUGH* I Think I just saw my grandma for a second there!"
*Cue Large sweatdrop* It... It was a pure chaos to say at least...
Lets just ignore the livid and panicked students, and get back to our infamous pink haired teen.
(A~~nd stop! From here on it will be new text.)
Louise narrowed her eyes towards the thick smoke in front of her, she couldn't see a thing! "Ghhh... Ghhh... Ghhh..." But she heard something, it sounded like a weak breathing. She felt a slight feeling of dread hit her, then she called out for her teacher. "Mr. Colbert I hear something! Could you clear the smoke?"
The said teacher nodded then cast a small wind spell and cleared the smoke away and finally giving them clear view on the creature there lying on the ground... It was a Griffin and it was BIG! Far bigger than any ordinary Griffins seen in Halkeginia up till now! They would've looked over it's unique features more, but they noticed something very serious... The creature was heavily wounded! Basically all of it's feathers were covered in blood and burn marks!
"*Gasp!*" Louise gasped in shock, while putting a hand over her mouth in horror, when she saw the condition her summon was in.. "N-no... d-did... I... do... this...?" She stuttered in a very small voice. Then she quickly rushed over to the side of her soon to be Familiar's fallen form with tears in her eyes. "No, no! Sorry, I'm so sorry!" With trembling hands she gently put her hand over the Griffin's head, "Grn~~h..." it made a weak moan, she could feel her Familiar's life slowly slipping away right in her hands. "Mr. Colbert! Please... Please Someone! It needs help, it's dying!" She screamed in despair.
Colbert rushed right next to her seeing the seriousness of the situation.
"Wow... As expected from Zero... Right off the bat, killing her Fami-... Eek!" One of the students said or was about to until a very harsh glare, surprisingly from Kirche and even Tabitha, which quickly shut him up.
"Finish that sentence and I will scorch that, what makes you a man, 'Right off the bat'..." Kirche said darkly to the boy, making him pale and cringe, while holding his precious family jewels away from angry woman.
While she has always made fun of the pinkette she by no means is heartless. So she and also Tabitha decided to go and check on the Griffin's condition.
When the teacher and the two other girls gathered near the dying Griffin they too gasped when they saw the wounds. Louise was still crying over her Familiar while silently blaming herself.
Kirche felt bad for the poor girl, but she did notice something, that could calm the girl down a bit. She brought a hand on the Pinkette's shoulder and said softly. "Louise... Please calm down... it wasn't your fault..." "*sob* W-what are you saying!? I'm not blind! My explosion clearly caused this! Look at all the burns!" Louise cried and lashed out at the red head.
"Sword wounds..." The stoic bluenette pointed out.
"Eh...?" Louise asked
Mr. Colbert also added his opinion. "They're speaking the truth Miss. Valliere, whatever happened to this Griffin, he was clearly being hunted down by someone. Besides I believe you just saved him from such fate by summoning him here."
"Thank Brimir..." She was honestly relieved to know that, she couldn't have lived on with the fact, she just killed her own Familiar during the summoning.
"Grrnnh..." The weak groan brought her out from her prayers, it wasn't a time to sigh in relief just yet, her Familiar was still seriously wounded!
"But at this rate he won't make it." Mr. Colbert said with a grim face.
"*Gasp* No... I-isn't there anything we can do to help him!?" Louise cried.
Teacher did nod at that. "Only one... By the Familiar contract... It is said that when mages binds their Familiar spirit to them, their Familiars goes back to their primes, if the said summon was already too old. It's not certain, but it could also work with the wounds to heal him back to the way he was before." He explained.
Louise then nodded and quickly brought her wand not wasting any time.
"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers, grant your blessings upon this creature and bind it as my familiar."
Then she kissed the Griffin's peak.
Griffin's eyes then snapped open, and it's form started to glow "GAAAAAWK!" It then screamed.
Everyone had to bring their hand up to cover their eyes. When the glow finally stopped, there now stood the real form of the majestic Griffin.
Now that it stood on it's own legs they could see that it was far larger and different than a average Griffin seen in Halkeginia. It's torso and hind legs had a golden fur, while the chest, upper back and it's wings' backside were covered with brown feathers. It's long neck was covered in snow white feathers, along with the wings' inner region and the white feathers trailed over the Griffin's spine to the end of it's lion-like tail, but instead of the usual tuft it was covered in white feathers.
It had a really muscular form, it's lion's hind legs were filled with muscles, it's front talons were far thicker and larger, it's wing-span was much bigger than the average had.
Besides the clear differences in color and it's body's mass/build changes, but what stood out the most was it's head.
It had a rather feral look, The peak was longer and it had a sharp serrated edge to it making it look like a row of teeth. Then it had ears that looked like a pair of small wings and finally it's eyes had black sclera and silver irises, giving it a really scary look. (3)
At first the Griffin seemed startled, seeing all of his wounds healed and completely gone, along with his burned off feathers he was very proud of.
It then calmed himself down, then looked over the humans beneath it, with critical eye.
They all flinched at the intense gaze of the beast. "Gaaaaaawk!" Then it roared (what do you call it when the large bird screams? Chirp?) scaring them even further, when it actually tried to speak to them. ("Who has summoned me?") All of the students just trembled.
"Grnnnh" It sounded like a growl but it actually sighed. Like usual the humans can't understand him...
Then he heard a squeaky voice right below him. "A-ano did you just talk...?" He twisted his neck to the side so he could see below him better. (4)
"Gaawk?" ("You understand me?") He asked. "Y-yes..." she stuttered, his voice was deep and booming.
Others looked like she has finally gone crazy, from all the pressure.
("So, was it you then, who has summoned me here?") He asked the question again. The girl gathered her courage and said. "Yes I summoned you to become as my Familiar spirit." Griffin narrowed his eyes a bit as if to look inside of her soul.
("I see a Familiar, huh... So was that just now the sign of the contract? When you pecked my peak?") He questioned further. "Yes... you were all wounded and dying, when I saw you. The contract seemed to be the only way to save you in time."
("I see... I am forever in your debt... not only did you save me from my demise, but also healed me back to my full strength.") The beast bowed his head before her. Louise felt a small blush forming over her cheeks from being thanked and bowed at.
(Tell me, what is your name, little one?") a slight tick mark formed when being called a little, but she let it slide... for now. "My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, and your new master!" She proudly declared.
("Hahaha! You got the spunk, for someone so puny to actually call herself my master! Haha!") She felt her tick mark growing and her eyes twitching from the the remark, she couldn't tell whether he was insulting or praising her...
("Haha! ...But I don't dislike such people...") he told her and made something akin to a grin with his peak. ("I also am in a deep debt to you, and my pride won't allow me to let it slide... Very well, I shall become your servant!") He declared with a grin. Louise also felt a happy smile to form on her face. ("But...") He paused and his eyes hardened, the pinkette lost her smile and looked at him confusedly.
Seeing he got his 'Master's' attention ("...If you violate this contract in any way, and try to use me as your tool to do your bidding. Debt or not... I. Will. End. You...") Louise gulped, but also hardened her gaze and declared. "I promise not to ever violate the sacred contract, not even in my dying breath!"
Griffin nodded in approvement ("Then the contract has been sealed! My master!") He once again bowed before her.
Louise again blushed at the unexpected show of loyalty, such affection did feel good... she was not so used to it, only such feelings she ever had, came from her elder sister Cattleya. "A-ano... Please raise your head..." But then she remembered. "What do I call you? Do you have a name?"
Her Familiar raised his head and loudly declared with a grin ("They call me... Stormwing")
TBC?
A/N And here's the idea for Dragon's Dogma Crossover.
(1) Made up name, couldn't find Duke's name anywhere in the wiki and Duke/Duc, Duke of Tristain would sound plain stupid.
(2) Full name 'Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst' like hell I'm going to put ZNT's side character' full names at every occasion so I only mention them IF necessary.
(3) Don't know? Google it. Dragon's Dogma Griffin
(4) Like lizards or some birds
