Author's Note: I did said in my profile that I will have an Elder Scrolls and Familiar of Zero fanfic. Well here it is. I hope that you guys enjoy this fanfic. Reviews are more than welcome, they are encouraged.
DISCLAIMER: Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is owned by Bethesda Studios and Familiar of Zero is owned by...who ever owns it. One thing is for sure, I don't own either of them
First Contact
BOOM!
That was all Louise heard as her surroundings is suddenly covered by a thick layer of smoke. She was blown away from the summoning circle and the worst part for her was all she was hearing a ringing sound and her ears hurt like hell. She suddenly felt a cool sensation flowing through her as a hand touched her shoulder.
"Stay" that is what Tabitha said as she was healing Louise from the blast, especially her bleeding ears to restore her hearing.
"Honestly, Zero. That was the biggest explosion you have ever made. If you really were able to summon a familiar, it would probably be dead because of the explosion." Kirche said as Louise was now near them.
'So that was how far I was thrown' that is what Louise said to herself and then a realization came to Louise. "The familiar!" Louise shouted.
As if on cue, a wind has blown the smoke away and what the students of Tristain Academy of Magic shocked them even more. On the center of the explosion is a cloak man with his weapon drawn. He is wearing a grey winter cloak with a hood that covers most of his head, underneath it was a leather chest guard over a long-sleeved black tunic with his forearms covered by a leather vambrace with a piece of metal over it. His attire under the cloak was made visible because the man is now in a fighting stance with his axe raised while the rest of the cloak is still covering his other arm, obscuring would-be opponents to seeing what the other is holding or doing.
Louise noted that the man is quite tall and judging by the his beard that is starting to grey, she was guessing that he should be at least 40 years old. Speaking of his beard, Louse noted that there were traces of snow on them and to some other parts of the man's clothing. 'I guess that meant that he was from the north.' Louise said to herself as that is the only place that Louise can think possible to still be snowing even if it was still spring.
The man is observing the students and their familiars, still on guard and ready to strike. It looks as if he was surveying which among them is the biggest threat and who would be the hot-head that would want to have a first taste of the cold steel of his axe.
"Excuse me sir but would you please but the weapon down. Now!" Colbert said to the man while also taking a fighting position to indirectly tell the stranger 'If you don't put it down, I will roast you alive'.
The stranger notice this and suddenly threw his axe towards Colbert. With years of experience in the battlefield, Colbert effortlessly dodged the axe but then it suddenly dawn to him that the axe was just a distraction. The stranger has then raised his other arm, pointing at Colbert's position and fired something he can't dodge, a lightning bolt. The lightning struck Colbert's staff just in time as it was able to block the incoming lightning. The staff took the brunt of the attack but it cannot take it all as it exploded into splinters. However, Colbert was still struck by the same raging, weakened lightning, knocking him down and found himself barely able to move.
'Arghh! He was not aiming to kill me, he was just testing me' Colbert cursed himself and blaming how 'rusty' he has become. He then saw the man approaching him and he generated a fire ball and sent it straight to the man through the sheer use of his mind alone. The man dodged the fire ball and ran towards the paralyzed Colbert and grabbed him. The man lifted him of the ground, punched him in the gut and then begun speaking words none of them can understand.
Louise is now terrified. This stranger was able to defeat Professor Colbert with just two attacks. Professor Colbert who is a square-class mage for Brimir's sake! It seems they have grossly underestimated the man. None of them expected him to be a mage, a pretty strange one since lightning was not an element any one in Halkeginia can manipulate. Louise then saw a blur going towards the stranger. It was Tabitha!
The stranger noticed this and threw Colbert onto her path. Tabitha dodge, producing sharp ice icicles mid-air and sent them straight to the man. The man raised his arm and a semi-transparent barrier was generated that blocked Tabitha's attack. Before the man could counter Tabitha's attacks, Tabitha's dragon dove straight to the man. However, just before the dragon could reach the man, the man said a word that felt pure power. "WULD!" and the man shot straight faster than anything Louise has ever seen! The dragon crashed to the ground, completely surprised by what the man has just done. Tabitha then stop on her tracks, now trying to access her opponent to determine whatever surprises this man has.
"Dovah!" the man said and this got the attention of Tabitha's dragon. The man then proceeded in making a strange guttural speech that Louise cannot understand towards the dragon. The dragon then approached Tabitha and whispered something to her. 'Strange' that is what she thought and then the dragon spoke in the same guttural speech "Drem yol lok Dovahkiin! Him kos ko Halkeginia." and from there both of them seem to converse and seems to translate what is the man saying to Tabitha, who is still on guard. 'What the hell is going on?' that is the question in Louise head, along with the rest of the students.
Tabitha sighed and then spoke "The man is asking where is he and why did we abducted him." This surprised everyone at most since Tabitha just spoke in phrases not in a complete sentence. "What! Alright, tell him we mean no harm." Colbert said as he was now rising from the ground, recovering from the earlier attack. Tabitha whispered this message to the dragon and spoke once again to the man. That man did not just replied but rather also summoned a sort of a flame spirit. This made Tabitha resume her combat stance but the flame spirit seems to be just floating around. The dragon once again whispered to Tabitha and then she said "I told the man that I would cast a translation spell and he said that the flame spirit will attack if any harm comes to him." Tabitha then waved her staff and a faint glow radiated from the man.
"Is that it? Can you understand me." the man said very slowly.
"Clearly" Tabitha said
"Pruzah, A very useful spell. Now, the girl said that you would be able to answer my question so answer me, why have you abducted me?" the man said to Colbert.
"Abducted? You were summoned as a familiar." Colbert replied
"Familiar? The only way possible to summon a human familiar is if they are dead. I assure you that I am not dead. Are you people dabbling into necromancy!" the man replied back.
"Necromancy? No! We are just trying to summon familiars because it is tradition for second year students." Colbert said as he pointed towards the students and their familiars.
The stranger eyed them carefully and then said "I assume that it was the children that were summoning familiars?" Colbert nodded " Ruz, I demand to see who is the child that had the misfortune to summon me."
The students then parted and pointed at Louise. Louise then gulped, unsure of what to do. It dawn to her then that this is her last chance, she has to make this man her familiar. Acting more on desperation, she said "I am!"
The man looked at her and then removed his cloak, revealing the rest of his attire. A dark set of leather armour over a black tunic and a knapsack on his back. The man has a figure of a veteran warrior. The man has a full beard, a scar that ran across his right cheek and a long dark hair that is starting to grey which was tied on his back and with glowing gold eyes. "Girl, what is your purpose in summoning me as a familiar?" the man asked staring at her with his golden, glowing eyes that makes her want to say the truth.
"What? I never wanted to summon you in the first place! What I wanted was a dragon, a griffin or a manticore, not an old man" Louise replied truthfully but with signs of defiance.
"A dragon as a familiar? Ridiculous! Dragons bow down to no joor, the same as I. Nevertheless, you got your dragon for I am Dovahsebrom, dragon of the north. Now, that you summoned a dragon, what does a familiar in your lands suppose to do?" The man asked Louise.
"Eternal servitude to their masters, of course!" Louise replied back
"As I expected, then I decline to be your familiar. Now cancel the spell or open the portal so I can return to my lands. I would then go on my way and you can retry summoning your familiar. My advice on studying the School of Conjuration: start small; like a bird or a cat" the man replied
Desperation arose from Louise which made her say "You can't! This is my last chance!"
This got the man's attention "Last chance? Girl, what do you mean." the man inquired Louise
"What Ms. Valliere meant is that since she was not able to summon a familiar in this ceremony, she will not be able to be considered a mage especially since she was still not able to perform any spells we teach the students." Colbert admittedly said to the stranger
"Not able to perform a single spell? What kind of school is this? It's your purpose to teach all of your students! Now, you would banish her just because you failed as teachers! In my school, we would never do that to our students." The man exclaimed.
"We did not fail as teachers! We made her try everything! Water, wind, fire and earth. None seem to work." Colbert said feeling insulted.
"Just the elements? What about the schools of restoration, alteration, illusion or conjuration? You people just seemed to have just focused on the School of Destruction. Magic is much more broader than that! One of my teachers would be furious when she hears about your priorities." the stranger exclaimed and then he look at Louise.
"How bad is it that you want to be a mage, girl?" He asked
"Very!" Louise answered hoping that the man would finally agree to be her familiar.
"I sense power in you, a lot of it. To think that these so-called teachers would just cast you out because they can't seem to teach how to use it properly. Ruz, I shall teach you to become a kro." the man said to Louise.
Louise just looked at him dumbfounded and said "A what?"
"I said I shall teach you to become mage. With my guidance, you will never need a single familiar. I shall teach you how to summon legions of familiars at your disposal. What I ask in return girl is access to your tomes and knowledge to your land's magic, does this sound like a fair deal to you." the man said.
"A mage...wait. No! You can't! I need you to be my familiar or rather I need to summon a familiar right now to prove myself. Besides, how can I summon 'legions' of familiars if when we all can only summon once a year." Louise exclaimed.
"Once a year? You people are more primitive in the school of conjuration than I thought. You said you wanted to be a mage, I just offered you a way to be one. This may be your only chance and you will throw it away just to follow what? traditions? This is why you won't be a mage. When the traditions that you people venerate so much becomes your shackles that stops you from achieving your own greatness, you choose the former. If you think that way then there is really no hope for you. " the man said and stared at Louise then he said "Arvak!"
Blue flames arose from the ground and a black skeletal horse wreathed in the same blue flame galloped out of the flames. The man then grabbed his cloak and his axe was given to him by his other flame spirit that he summoned earlier before it disappeared. The man wore his cloak and rode the flaming horse without burning him.
"Is...that your familiar? I thought the other one is your familiar?" Louise asked the man.
"Arvak is one among the many, kiir" the man said.
A collective gasp is then heard from the rest of the students heard his statement. Even Louise was shocked, what he just said is not possible. He really is a skilled mage with knowledge in magic that are unknown to many. He may indeed allow Louise to use magic. Louise then made a conclusion and said "Wait! I accept but first may I know who you are?"
The man then smiled and said "Pruzah! I am Thorkall, son of Beowulf Storm-blade, from the free Kingdom of Skyrim, land of the Nords who are warriors at heart! I am Arch-mage of the College of Winterhold, one of the most premier schools of magic in Skyrim and beyond. I am the Harbinger of the Companions, the best group of warriors in all of Skyrim, but to many, I am known as Dovahkiin, dragonborn." Thorkall stated with a pride in his voice.
"I am Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Please accept me as your student, Arch-Mage Thorkall" Louise said to Thorkall bowing slightly, signifying a formal request.
Pruzah: means good in Dragon Language
Drem yol lok Dovahkiin! Him kos ko Halkeginia: "Greetings Dragonborn, you are in Haleginia"
Ruz: means then in Dragon Language
Kiir: means child in Dragon Language
kro: means sorcerer in Dragon Language