Disowned

Chapter 1: Dud

The students had all gathered in the courtyard. For today was the day of summoning, the day for students to prove their finesse by summoning an eternal servant, a familiar. A large majority of the students had already performed the ceremony, but one black swan had remained withdrawn, not wanting to test the luck of the draw. Her name was Louise, Louise de La Vallière.

"Miss Vallière, please come forth and summon your familiar!" shouted Professor Colbert.

"But…yes sir." Said Louise nervously.

There was good reason for Louise to be nervous. Her skill at magic had left a trail of rubble and bruises in her wake. The weight of the world was on her shoulders; if she failed here the students' jeering would be the least of her worries. Her school curriculum depended on this one ceremony. Her Professor stood before her, his arm cradling a clipboard, a pen in his hand poised over the grade slip.

"Professor Colbert do you really think that something will happen?" laughed Kirche.

"Silence Ms. Zerbst, let her concentrate!"

As Colbert said this, Louise began chanting the spell while silently praying to Brimir.

"Dear founder, please allow me to summon a familiar, I don't care what it is as long as I summon something. All I have ever wanted in my life is to be a great mage like my mother and sisters, and to loyally serve you. So please, don't rob me of my last chance to do so!" Louise silently prayed.

Louise finalized her summoning with at forward flick of her wand, causing many student to scramble out of her way. But there was no world shattering explosion, no summoning portal, not even a remote hint of magic. Louise began to feel a tugging urge in her stomach. This wasn't disappointment, this was panic. In a moment of desperation she tried flicking her wand again, again, and again. She wasn't even trying to summon a familiar anymore, she was praying for an explosion.

The students roared with laughter as Louise fell to her knees in shock.

"Try not to summon something too scary Louise!" shouted Guiche.

"I guess she summoned a perfect familiar, nothing, just like her!" shouted Kirche.

Louise snapped, she stood up, too furious to scream. Clenching her fists, she belted it for her room. Staircase after staircase she sprinted up, hallways acting like mazes, delaying the inevitable. She reached her room and shoved the door open, her face burned as her lip quivered. Unable to hold it in, she began sobbing. Slamming the door behind her, she flung herself onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow and let out a scream that would wake the dead. Shortly thereafter, she began to feel drowsy and promptly rolled over and fell asleep.

Several Hours later

Louise was awakened by the sound of thunder, she looked outside to see the rolling tempest of clouds that crawled across the sky. The atmosphere outside gave off an immense feeling of melancholy. However this bleakness was nothing in comparison to the abyss she felt in her heart.

She sat up and walked to the window. An earsplitting headache throbbed in her head. "Why me? What the hell did I do?!" She screamed at the storm, unable to think clearly.

Her rage was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. When she opened it she was confused to see the warm face of Colbert in her doorway.

"Good evening Louise, may I come in?" asked Colbert.

Louise didn't answer, she just opened the door and stood aside.

Colbert entered the room and took a seat on Louise's bed as he cleared his throat, "Now Louise, I'm not here to state the obvious to you, I'm sure you are very well aware of what the consequences of you failing the summoning ritual are."

"I do."

"Well, I just wanted to say that I don't think you are a failure."

"Thank you." She muttered in a tiny whisper.

"Now Louise, sometimes in life we just have to come to accept that we can't always have the things we want in life, and we just need to be grateful for the things we do have."

"What are you trying to say professor?"

Colbert stood up from her bed. "It pains me to do this, really it does. But Louise, we've given you enough chances. It's time for you to go."

Louise's chest tightened, "W-what do you mean?"

"I guess there's no soft way to put it." He said making his way toward the door. "Louise, I spoke to Headmaster Osmond and we must regretfully tell you that you've been expelled. I suggest that you pack immediately; we sent a message to your family, your older sister will be here by morning tomorrow." He said before handing the grade slip to Louise and walking out the door.

She stood there for a second. Louise felt a chill in the back of her spine thinking about tomorrow. One by one questions began to speed through her mind, but one questions shook her to her very core. "Eleanor…" She whispered as her knees shook and her eyes drew tears.