Once upon a time, there was a tower that spanned deep underground.
A single boy was brought to that tower, and locked inside.
Twenty years later, an army of monsters marched upon the realm. The army was vast and vicious, and a war broke out across the land. The boy, now a man, was called to the surface to fight.
The man encountered the army and, with magic unparalleled, annihilated it. Sure the man would turn on them, the realm's survivors prepared themselves for a last stand. In their eyes, they had exchanged one dark fate for another. But to their surprise, their savior—the last Magister—merely smiled, shook his head, and disappeared. A lasting peace settled over the land, and after several centuries the Magister was forgotten—
—until he returned to the tower.
CHAPTER ONE
Louise took a deep breath.
"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar."
Silence, save the wind. All eyes were on her and the circle in the grass.
After a minute, Louise took another breath and repeated: "I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar."
She heard a snicker. A boy she recognized as Walter was desperately reigning in his laughter, his green snake familiar hanging from his shoulder. Louise's eyes searched the onlookers, finding smirks and mean smiles on nearly all of their faces. She bit her lip and forced her tears down even as her eyes watered. A quick glance at Professor Colbert, who stood a step behind her, did little for reassurance.
"One more try, Miss Vallière," was all he said.
She masked a sniffle with a loud breath. She was a noble of the proud House of Vallière. She needed to maintain her dignity. She squeezed her eyes shut, wet trails ran down her cheeks. Wand raised once more, she recited, pouring out all the emotions she had in her breaking heart.
"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar!"
The wind carried her scream across the school courtyard.
How she wanted this. How she needed this.
Yet the circle remained inert. Snickers turned to murmurs, then to jeers and outright laughter. Louise couldn't open her eyes lest her tears fall faster.
A familiar. One to prove her value to them, to everyone—especially herself.
Was this the Founder's way to telling her such a thing did not exist?
"I—!"
"Miss Vallière, you have used—"
As Professor Colbert pulled her away, Louise could hear her world fall apart with the sound of shattering glass. "Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers—!"
Look at Louise the Zero!
No familiar as expected. She'll always be a Zero.
"Following my fate—!"
"Quiet everyone! Please, Miss Vallière. You are causing a commotion."
"Summon a familiar!"
And the unspeakable happened. A great gust blew across the courtyard, bowling over many of the students. There were shouts and screams. Louise opened her eyes and a shadow passed across the sun. Numerous eyes went to the sky, where not a cloud drifted. There was, however, the shape of a great beast flying overhead. In the distance, all one could tell was that it was dark—and very large.
More murmuring swept over the crowd. Unrest. Curiosity. A bit of fear. Professor Colbert's eyes never left the shape in the sky, and neither did Louise's.
The beast tucked in its wings and dived.
An ear-piercing scream cut into everyone's ears as the monster approached. It was truly massive. Its very shadow covered the entirety of the school, and even so high up the students could make out the white of its teeth. Students scrambled, and Professor Colbert shouted above the din.
When the beast landed, the ground shook, sending panicking students toppling over one another. Louise, already on the grass, kept her eyes locked on what must have been a dragon.
It stood like a human, on two hind legs, its arms crossed over a broad, scaled chest. Its horns curled into a great crest over its head. There was a bulky quality to the dragon that made it seem mighty and proud. From its armor-like scales to its sword-like wings to its powerful claws, this dragon existed for battle.
It was magnificent.
The dragon returned her stare with its glowing red eyes. Slowly, Louise rose to her feet, ignorant of the bits of grass caught on her skirt. Her first step was hesitant, but her second was sure. Before she knew it she was running as fast as her legs would carry her towards the dragon. The dragon, in response, lowered itself onto its front legs and crawled over the low walls, brushing past the Fire Tower with a grace unfitting of its size. The force of its breath washed over her, warm and moist, drowning the noise behind her.
Louise never heard Professor Colbert scream her name, nor the shouts of her classmates.
She stepped forward as the dragon leaned in, its snout within arms reach. There. She gingerly placed a hand on its upper lip. It did not resist. Her heart leapt to the bottom of her throat.
She knew what to do.
"My name," she said, mirth filling her voice, "is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière."
A low, guttural noise escaped the dragon, but it did not move.
"Pentagon of the five elemental powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar." She leaned in and kissed the dragon, now very conscious how large it was. Even with its jaw pressing against the grass, she only barely reached the top of its snout. "My familiar."
The dragon withdrew its head, growled something low. And then, before her eyes, the dragon shrank, its form compressing in a way only magic could do. It alarmed her greatly as she felt the magic of the Familiar Summoning Ritual take hold, binding her to the beast. Because it didn't feel right. Because not only did she feel its spiritual being pull towards her; she felt that bond linking them tug back.
A searing pain found itself on the back of her hand, and Louise cried out.
A pair of hands, unfamiliar but so very right caught her before she fell. She saw the face of a stranger. A man of thirty or so years, with an exotic-look thanks to his rich brown skin. Short, dark red hair showed worried hazel eyes. The stranger lowered her softly onto the grass.
Through the fading haze of pain, she noticed his clothes. Pieces of armor donned over a colorful robe. A warrior? A mage? She saw a sword at his belt and thought the former. She saw the staff on his back and thought the latter. She saw the strange necklace he wore, the tightening of muscle beneath the skin of his arms, the pulsing of his heartbeat beside his throat. Too close for comfort, she wanted to protest. The rest of her shoved that feeling down with mysterious, remarkable efficiency.
"Hey! You there! Stop!" The calls of Professor Colbert reached her ears as well as the stranger's.
Louise tried to stand and found herself weak and lightheaded. The ritual had drained her more than she thought it would. She opted to stay in her familiar's arms.
"Miss Vallière, are you alright?"
"I am well, Professor. Just tired," she answered.
"Young lady," Professor Colbert began, "you have violated the sacred traditions of the Summoning Ritual. You have only three tries to summon a familiar, and yet you used four."
His admonishment was half-hearted at best. The professor's curious study of the stranger holding Louise explained it all; Jean Colbert was a scholar at heart. Dragons with human forms were a rare thing, and that was more than enough to rouse the professor's interest.
However, that did not excuse Louise's rule-breaking, and she knew that.
"I deeply apologize, Professor."
"This matter will be handled by the Headmaster."
"So I hear, Miss Vallière, that you broke the rules of the Summoning?"
Headmaster Osmond of the Tristain Academy of Magic was an ancient man. White hair cascaded from his face like water down a cliff. He stroked his beard with wrinkled hands, scrutinizing the pink-haired girl sitting across his desk. The girl fidgeted beneath the attention, her stare glued to the table. His question went unanswered, though by fairness his question was rhetorical.
"And what possessed you to do such a thing?" Osmond asked.
"I wanted a familiar," Louise answered quietly.
"You were given your chance, Miss Vallière. What you did today was inexcusable. Imagine the chaos if all the students were allowed more chances to partake in the ritual as you did." Osmond glanced at the man standing behind Louise's chair, taking note of the strange robe he wore. Red with golden triangles embroidered on the sleeves. There was a coat-of-arms on the armor, one the Headmaster did not recognize. The familiar studied the office with some curiosity, and otherwise remained silent. "I must say that your familiar is quite... unique. But I am afraid that does not pardon you from your deed."
"Yessir."
"As punishment, you will not be expelled." Louise brightened noticeably, her eyes filled with hope turning to the direction of her familiar. That was what made his next words more difficult to say. "Your familiar, on the other hand, will be taken from your care."
"What?" Louise whispered. Osmond noted how the girl's familiar eyed him suddenly.
"Do you have an opinion, Mister Familiar?"
The familiar raised a brow. Both Osmond and Louise felt a charge tingle their skin. The familiar spoke. "I suppose you can understand me now?"
A translation spell? Osmond hitched a brow. "Yes."
"Wonderful. My name is Zander."
"Greetings Zander. Welcome to the Tristain Academy of Magic."
"Thank you, sir. Is there something you wished to speak to me about?"
"Yes there is." Osmond gestured to Louise. "Your summoner here violated the accords of the Summoning Ritual used to bring you here. All participants are granted three tries. Miss Vallière used four. As such, you are officially illegally obtained and we must remove you from her care. What is your opinion on this?"
Zander blinked. "Three times? I see. I found a portal in my chambers before I came here. It remained for a minute or so before disappearing."
"That is likely connected to the ritual."
Zander nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "When it appeared the third time, I stepped inside."
Osmond looked faintly curious. "Why did you wait until the third time?"
"I have bad experiences with portals. They are, ah, quite the pain back at home. And it is common sense where I am from to be suspicious of them, especially when they appear unannounced."
"If I may ask, where are you from? Your clothing is certainly strange."
Zander smiled. "I think so too. This is the royal warmage regula of Red Haven. My, ah, colleagues believed I needed to set an example for future magisters. My finery seemed to be on that list. Somehow they had gotten into my personal wardrobe and changed all of it."
Louise, who had been quiet, choked. Royalty.
Osmond took it in stride. "Red Haven? I'm afraid I never heard of such a place."
"Portals do tend to cross realms. Are you familiar with Othland?" Osmond shook his head. "Then it is possible I am not from your time. Or, perhaps, even your universe."
"I see. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"It's fine. I was getting bored."
The headmaster's smile grew. "Very well. If you claim to have been summoned on Miss Vallière's third attempt, then I have no reason to take you away from her." Louise brightened again, a look that warmed Osmond's heart. "However, I cannot excuse Miss Vallière's behavior entirely. The summoning ritual is a sacred rite that has existed since Brimir, and has been passed down through time since then. Miss Vallière's actions earlier today is blatantly disrespectful of those traditions. Miss Vallière, I will be writing to your family regarding this matter. You will also serve two months of detention."
Louise faltered, though not as much as she did earlier. This punishment she could bear.
"You will also be responsible for your familiar's well being."
"Yessir!"
Osmond nodded. "Very good. Off you go."
"Did I really summon you on my third try?" Louise asked as she led them down to the courtyard.
Zander shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that when the portal came the third time, I stepped through. I found myself falling from the sky, so I shapeshifted into a dragon."
"You are a mage, then? Of course you are a mage. You are royalty." She stiffened, turned to him with flushed cheeks, and bowed apologetically. "I apologize deeply for the intrusion your Majesty. I did not know the ritual would take you so far from your home. I swear, I will—"
"It's fine, Miss Vallière," Zander answered. "I wasn't lying when I said I was getting bored."
"B-but your Majesty, surely your people—!"
"Will be fine. My colleagues will protect them, as will my army. This won't be the first time I disappeared. And please, call me Zander."
Louise stuttered incoherently, unsure how to continue addressing him. His insistence showed discomfort towards formality, but at the same time Louise couldn't bring herself to call royalty by name. It would embarrass her, and disgrace her whole family were word to spread. And then she realized her family would be learning everything about what had happened—her disregard of the summoning ritual, her familiar being a king from a distant land, and her punishment for breaking the rules!
"Are you alright, Miss Vallière?" A part of Louise was grateful that Zander seemed genuinely concerned for her. A friendly face in all the trouble she was at the center of, even if he was a part of the problem.
"I am fine. I just need to lie down."
Zander nodded. He carried her in his arms, ignoring her startled Eep!, and leapt out the window overseeing a section of the courtyard. Louise nearly screamed until she realized the both of them were gliding gently down to the grass of the lawn.
Zander sat in the shade beneath a tree. A long, white cushion materialized in front of him and set it on his lap. He pulled his summoner to him and rested her head against the cushion.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Louise hissed, her face flushed bright. "This is inappropriate."
"What are you talking about?" he answered with a carefree smile. "My friends and I do this all the time: relax in the shade in each other's company. It's a good way to unwind."
"B-b-but I'm, we're, we don't—and!"
Zander hushed her, pressing a finger against her forehead. She calmed instantly as a warm, buzzing feeling settled over her. The tension in her body disappeared, and the troubles of the day no longer mattered. It was as if she had fallen into an ocean of soft, feathered sheets. That the cushion she was laying on was very comfortable also helped.
A man's voice echoed in her ears. "Rest, Miss Vallière. We'll talk later."
The girl had fallen asleep.
Zander sighed and rubbed his eyes. This had turned into a situation. He could sense it. If he stayed any longer, he would get tied up in a big mess. It had happened once already.
With a gesture, a circle of light unfurled before him. A brief moment later and the image of a woman in her twenties, with sharp features and piercing eyes, formed inside the circle. The woman regarded Zander from beneath short bangs of auburn hair.
"Where are you?" the woman asked sternly.
"Another realm. I don't know the name," he answered. He yawned. "A portal popped up back home. Got into a contract. Consider this my vacation. You guys can hold the fort, right?"
"Of course." The look he was getting softened. "Be careful wherever you are."
"I love you too, Reah. I left a beacon in case you want to join."
"We'll consider it. Call soon."
The circle dimmed and vanished. Zander yawned again. From the position of the sun, he guessed the time to be nearly noon. How many days had it been since he last slept? Three? Four? Time blurred in the Tower in a way impossible to describe. He watched the Academy's students interact with their new familiars, some playing togethers, some talking, others simply enjoying the company. Zander lay back against the tree, traced unidentifiable patterns in the air with a finger, and shut his eyes.
Might as well catch some sleep.
It was lunchtime when Louise stirred. She had slept deeply under the warmth of the sun and the caress of the spring breeze. It was a welcome rest to a sleepless week thanks to her stress regarding the ritual. She found herself lying on the grass, her head resting on a rather comfortable cushion on a stranger's lap.
No, not stranger, she remembered. Zander. The man who was her familiar.
Louise rose carefully. Zander's eyes were shut. He was asleep. She took the moment to study her familiar then, his face, hair, skin, and hands. Her heart raced when she remembered—he was royalty. Royalty. She had to treat him well, not only because he was her familiar but also because any mistake could spell disaster. Not to mention his being a mage—doubtless one of remarkable strength considering his transformation as a dragon. She had never heard of such magic except in children's stories.
"And what do we have here? Zero and her lover?" a coy voice spoke from behind her.
Louise whirled, startled and resigned, to find her worst enemy watching her. Tall, buxom, seductive—Kirche was everything Louise was not. Louise hissed. "Zerbst."
"He doesn't look half bad. A bit older than what I expected from you."
"Watch your tongue!" Louise whispered harshly. "He is royalty!"
"Royalty sleeping outdoors? My, what a scandal." The teasing smile on Kirche's face fell when Louise's expression did not change. "Seriously? You summoned a prince?" Brown eyes locked on Zander. "Well, why don't you let me have a moment with him?"
"I will not let you touch my familiar!"
"Don't you realize it, Zero? This is my chance!"
Movement caught Louise's attention. The small figure standing behind Kirche, a quiet girl Louise remembered to be Tabitha, shut her book. "Dragon," Tabitha said softly, gesturing towards Zander.
Kirche looked thoughtful. "Yes, I remember. That great dragon that landed near the school."
A thin, vicious smile took hold of Louise. "Jealous, Zerbst?"
"Hardly. Flame here is quite enough for me." She gestured to a red lizard at her feet. The lizard was easily the size of a large dog. "Flame is a rare breed. A perfect match for me."
Zander stirred.
"Good afternoon there!" Kirche greeted with a smile.
"Afternoon," Tabitha chimed.
Zander blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Oh. Hi. Good afternoon." He glanced at Louise, then back at Kirche. "I suppose you are Miss Vallière's friends?"
Before Louise could protest, Kirche answered with a beatific smile. "Of course. The three of us are the best of friends." With manners that surprised Louise, Kirche curtsied, though the effect was diminished thanks to Kirche's half-buttoned blouse. "My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst. That quiet girl is Tabitha. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Zander. Likewise."
"I hear from dear Louise that you are," Kirche leaned in to whisper, "a prince."
Zander chuckled as he rose, brushing off the grass bits from the seat of his robes. "A prince? Perhaps. I don't have an official title like that since I'm not affiliated with any one specific Haven. But my colleagues all insist that I have a formal position in each of their Havens." He frowned. "I guess I'm more of a king consort than a prince. Even if we're not married."
Louise tried to interrupt, but Kirche pressed on. "And your colleagues are?"
"The priestesses? They're more or less like queens."
"Queens?"
"Zander!" Louise finally said. "I suppose you are hungry now."
"A little."
"Wonderful. I will show you to our dining hall."
"And we will join you," Kirche quickly added. She had intended to tease Louise at first, but now her curiosity was piqued. "Tabitha, come."
Louise gritted her teeth before taking Zander by his arm and pulling him towards the dining hall.
"Your Majesty," Kirche continued, "if I may be so bold—"
"Zander is fine."
Kirche smiled coyly. "Then, Zander. If I may be so bold, how many queens do you have?"
"If you're asking what I think you're asking, then none. We're not in that kind of relationship."
"Then how does one find himself the king consort of several queens?"
"From where I'm from, few men can perform magic." Zander was quiet for a moment. "Well, nowadays I'm the only man who can. Men who can perform magic are called magisters, you see. There are few magisters have existed, but all of them, every single one, is known to have done great things."
"Such as?"
"Magister Adom was a hero who singlehandedly drove the demon armies back into the north. Magister Berth constructed the Great Barrier that spans the entirety of the north, keeping the demons from ever returning. Magister Calin built the Havens."
Her curiosity growing too much, Kirche couldn't help but to ask: "And what did you do?"
Zander smiled bitterly, recalling old memories through glazed eyes. "I suppose I united the Havens after a civil war. And restored the honor of the Magistrum after the magisters were exiled about nine hundred years ago. And defeated the demon armies from the south." He sighed. "And founded immortality."
Louise walked right into the large, wooden doors of the campus's main tower. Kirche tripped on her own feet. Tabitha, who had been reading, dropped her book.
"Im-immortality?" Louise repeated.
"I've been busy," Zander said, offering a hand to Kirche. "And I'm not eager to meet the Gods."
Kirche took his hand and stood. "But immortality?"
"I'm seven hundred and fifty-six years old."
"Old," Tabitha muttered as she retrieved her book.
"There were circumstances," Zander explained. "After we dealt with all our problems, my colleagues and I realized that us dying could potentially risk all our efforts, if not undo them entirely. So I founded immortality. We're now Othland's immortal rulers." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's also why the Gods are displeased with me. Turning the priestesses into immortals ruined the Gods' traditional ceremonies. The priestesses are supposed to be sacrifices, you see."
"Sacrificing the queens?" Kirche repeated to herself. She was beginning to doubt her plans to get close to the proclaimed king.
"It's a religious thing. Sacrificing the priestess lets her become an avatar of her God after death. Pretty stupid if you ask me. I don't regret stopping it one bit." With a wave of his hand, the large doors to the main tower swung open, earning him a few surprised looks. Any doubt of his magical background then were dispersed. Zander marched inside, not noticing the surprise of his company. "It was an outdated practice; by the time I stopped it everyone was just going through the motions."
"How romantic," Kirche said with a sigh, "facing Gods to spend eternity with your beloved."
"I look after my friends." He smelled the air. "Oh. That smells good."
When Zander wandered in the dining hall humming a strange tune, a small hand held Louise's shoulder. It was Tabitha. "Dangerous," the small girl said, expressing all her thoughts in a single word. Another word summarized their thoughts: "Careful."
Kirche smiled bitterly. "She is right. If his story is true, then he is to be treated carefully."
"I do not need you to tell me how to treat my familiar," Louise muttered, though her own thoughts were similar to theirs. This is my problem.
Kirche nodded understandingly. "Good luck, Louise."
a/n: Had this sitting in my writing folder for a long time. This story is more a playground for me than anything.