The sleeper dreamed. He dreamed of his last battle where he had died second time. Inside the ships which had carried him for ages was where he had faced for the second time a man whom he had killed millenia ago. Steel against steel they had raged against each other. The battle had ended in them killing each other he was sure. But then again he was dreaming of this battle so maybe those bastard brothers of his had denied him the peace of death once more. When they next time managed to awake him there would be several words said and none of them pleasing.
In another place known as Tristain Academy of Magic second year students were summoning their familiars. All except one certain Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière or "Louise the Zero" like they mocked her for her perceived failures in casting spells. But today she would chance all that she had decided. No more people would call her "zero".
Professor Colbert who was responsible in overseeing the summoning walked around the summoning field and inspected familiars which caught his interest. Like a salamander summoned by Kirche Zerbst.
"You sure summoned a in the end miss Zerbst." He spoke to the germanian redhead.
"It's a result that matches my nickname, the Ardent." She answered haughtily.
Professor Colbert turned around. "Have we gone through everyone?" he asked the crowd.
Kirche answered slyly, "No, miss Valliere is left."
Louise frowned at her rival and strolled to the summoning circle at professor Colbert's command.
Her classmates mocked her. "It's the Zero Louise."
"What is she goingt to summon?"
"I'm sure she can't. It'll be another explosion and that'll be it."
She closed her ears to these leers and tried to concentrate on the task at hand and began the summoning chant. With the last words spoken an huge explosion was created and wall of smoke covered everything. Within a moment smoke cleared and whatever Louise had summoned was seen.
It was...for the lack of a better word, a golem. Midnight blue in color, highlighted with bronze it stood at least eight meters tall and five wide. It body was shaped like a box on a stubby legs, head like a human skull with rubies as eyes hunched between the shoulder blades. It had arms which were curious looking, twin cylinders of its right arm pointed at them and left arm shaped like a great claws of a dragon. What was most curious was the painting on the golems right side, an armored knight clad in same midnight blue looking skywards, holding two helmets on his arms and a third helmet beneath his right boot, driving it into the ground. It was a beautiful painting, but still...Louise felt crestfallen. This was her "beautiful and powerful" familiar? A weird looking golem?
"Continue with the ritual." Professor Colbert encouraged her.
Louise steeled herself and turned at the golem, noticing her next problem. The golems head was out of her reach by several feet. She considered option to climb upwards but she would not suffer the indignity of it and the taunts that would follow.
So she turned at the professor. "Can you levitate me up to its head?" She asked quietly.
Colbert looked baffled at her request. "Wha- oh right. Very well."
And then she turned again at the golem and felt the professors levitating spell take hold of her as the gravity stopped holding her to the ground. She was now level with the golems head.
"Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make it my familiar." She chanted and touched the helmet with her wand and then gave a kiss to the mouth part. The golems eyes suddenly flashed red and Louise gave a surprised scream which led professor Colbert to bring her back to ground beside him in an instant.
Golem gave a soft hum which increased to almost unbearable levels on human hearing and slowly became to lower until almost nothing was heard. Its claw flexed and gave loud clank. It took few thundering steps forward and all students backed off even more. The golem swiveled from side to side looking at the students and stopped in front of professors Colbert and Louise. And then to everyones surprise it spoke with booming voice.
"If this is my brothers idea of funny joke then I am not laughing."