Author's Notes: First of all, I would like to thank anyone whom read the first chapter and I hope you thoroughly enjoyed my first attempt at writing a story. I apologize for this chapter being so long, but I just couldn't stop writing!
I also hope you enjoy the second chapter just as much!
This one gets a little mushy, but I was hoping to develop strong bonds of friendship early on. Anyway, I felt it necessary to include the battle with Guiche.
So I hope you enjoy that, and I hope you enjoy the character development as well!
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 2
-What Place Hath Thee Here In Mine Home, Demon?-
"Canst thee not measure the worth of thine soul?"-Unknown
It hurts. Inside, it hurts. I feel them. Judging me, mocking me, harassing me, hating me. Thousands of tiny, incorporeal hands reaching for my throat as if to silence me. The burning within my heart... It hurts.
"I'm sorry...", I call out to those who seek to harm me. "I'm so sorry". But they don't care. They do not want to hear my pathetic words of fear and regret. They simple hate. Their words. They torture. And the fire. There's so much that I can't take it. I cannot die here, but God I feel it. I'm burning alive while they laugh at my pain. I try to run but I cannot escape their laughter.
"Just let us in your heart and the pain will stop", they whisper in a million different voices. "We don't want to hurt you, but don't you think you owe us freedom? We won't hurt you. We will protect you. Don't you want to forget about it all? That poor Maiden? All those you had to step over to defeat the Demons? That arrogant Monumental? Don't you want it all to just... disappear? All of those people who never cared? All you have to do is accept us into your heart. And we can make it all disappear".
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!", I scream with agony as I rise from this tiny straw bed, gasping for air and reaching towards the sky.
"What? What is it?", the young lady with the strawberry-blonde hair exclaims as she jumps from her bed in a panic. "There's nothing here, what are you screaming at familiar? Don't tell me you had a bad dream, because I don't really care". She says in a flustered manner as she looks away from me.
"Oh... I see. It was a dream. And I'm here. I had forgotten", I half-heartedly say to myself as I gather myself to stand. "Master, I trust you slept well? It appears to be dawn, I have awakened you as requested", I say to her with a large grin on my face. "I have your uniform prepared over here, I have cleaned and folded them to the best of my abilities and I trust it is satisfactory?".
"Eh...? Yes, you did your job well", she says still flustered from her awakening. "Though I'd prefer it if you could wake me in a more gentle fashion, familiar. And quit smiling at me like that, someone might think you're weird". I can't help but smile wider. See? My Master can be cute after all.
"Is there nothing else you require, Master? If that be the case then I would like enjoy some fresh air", I inquire my Master.
"No, you shall dress me and accompany me to breakfast", she says in her usual matter-of-fact tone. Wait, what? After staring at my Master for a moment contemplating how I should go about this situation, I speak.
"I apologize, Master, but I cannot comply with the first order", I state to the young master of my contract. "You are becoming a young lady and dressing yourself should be well within your capabilities. I must reinforce the fact that, while I have no qualms against assisting you with minor details, I am not your servant, nor will I obey such a foolish order. While we are on the subject, I would like to speak in detail regarding why I am here at some point and our contract, if you would indulge me", I chastise my Master. I can't let this keep going on, if I don't set her straight soon she will just get worse. This girl has clearly had little love in her life. "I will be waiting for you in the yard by the building, Master. When your are finished I am prepared to accompany you", I state clearly to her. "Well then, I will take my leave", I say with an honorable bow and make my way out the door. I believe my Master was too taken aback to respond to me as I made my way out.
"Heh", I laugh silently to myself. "I have a feeling that I'm going to feel a hell of a recoil from that one". I make my way down to the courtyard. After that disturbing dream I need to give my heart a chance to strengthen. If there's one thing that I've noticed about this place it's that the scenery and architecture is absolutely beautiful and i find myself at peace while looking at it. As I approach the courtyard, it seems I am not the only one whom enjoys the scenery. There are quite a few of others here, all wearing similar uniforms to my Master. Speaking of, I wonder what this place is? The event from before seemed to be a group summoning ritual. Based on the age of the ones wearing the uniform, I think I can make the conjecture that this is a school that teaches magic. Nonsense, such a thing is ridiculous. Magic should be learned in private study with an instructor to guide you. One can listen all day to a person blabber on about how to cast this and how to cast that, but one needs to understand the magic to truly become powerful. Magic is not a toy, it is something that flows through us all and something that we need to cherish for it is a part of us. I may draw much power from the souls of the dead, but the power only flows through me as it does because it allows itself to. I cherish this connection and view it as sacred and it acknowledges this. I learned my magic through extensive study and experience. The best they could learn in a place such as this is parlor tricks, for they do not cherish their ally at all. It is something they see as an item, no doubt.
Whatever, I'm in no place to judge them. I'm a murdering Demon, after all. I wonder though, am I really a Demon now? I don't really feel any different. But the Maiden had her sanity because she could control the souls, so maybe her power is what keeps my mind sane? Bah, I'm thinking too hard. I'm still here and still alive. And after I consumed the Maiden's soul, I no longer have that lingering thirst for souls. As long as I don't have too many of those dreams, I think I can feel at peace despite my sins. Just maybe... In any case, Demon or not I still retain my sanity. I suppose it could just be a matter of perspective. As I thunder through my inner monologue, it seems two of the "students" that were relaxing have approached me. And it seems that I recognize them.
"You're Louise's familiar, right?", the redhead asks. This is the same girl that was mocking my Master when I was summoned. That would mean she was mocking me, wouldn't it? Then I could probably assume that this will not be a visit in order to establish a friendship. Besides, I don't like her kind. You have another button on your shirt, use it damnit! You can't fool me! The other girl though, the tiny one as small as my Master with short blue hair, sans one yawning dragon. I shoot the red head a glance, then defiantly turn my eyes to the tiny one reading a book.
"Hello again", I state with a warm smile. "It is good to see you again, did you sleep well?". The girl looks up to me and nods, then quickly makes her way back to her book. There's no way these two can be friends. It's just too opposite. But I guess they do say that opposites attract, and if they've been friends from a very young age then it wouldn't have mattered. These two might even be at the point that they can understand each other without words. Well, the red head might have to.
"Hey, commoner, I'm talking to you!", the red head states as she rambunctiously flails her arms. "I have a question!", I turn my eyes to her, returning my face to its previous expressionlessness. "How much is she paying you?", I slightly tilt my head at the girl to signify that i have no clue what she's talking about. "It was just a trick, right? Louise the Zero couldn't summon a familiar, so she did one of her usual explosions and paid a commoner to hop in when it was all dusty to pretend she summoned you, right? Come on, you can tell me. I'll even pay you double what she's paying you! It'll be worth it just for the laugh!".
"..."
"..."
I just stare at her. To be honest, I don't know what the hell she's talking about so I might as well just sit here and look intimidating. Despite what I said this morning, I have a painful urge to protect my Master for some reason. Maybe it's the contract? I'm not sure, but I'd prefer not to embarrass her further. I must admit though, I'm starting to find it hard not to laugh. Just staring at someone is hard work! Her face slowly contorted into an irritated expression as I had to fight back my laugh. To be honest though, disregarding her inappropriate dress, this girl is beautiful. She no doubt has many of these young boys wrapped around her finger. I'd go so far as to say she probably has a harder time handling when she is disobeyed than my Master does. However, she seems much more collected than my young Master.
"Come one, Tabitha. This lost its fun rather quickly", the red one speaks to the tiny blue-haired girl, apparently named Tabitha, without moving her eyes from mine. I'm not sure if she actually was bored or my super intimidation techniques were a success. Tabitha nodded to me and the re head grabbed her hand and drug her off. I just watched as their figures diminished. Tabitha never quit reading.
"Whoosh", the sound of a quickly moving body goes by me. "Familiar! Where are you?", my young Master seems to be angry.
"I am right here, Master", I say with a calmness to my voice. "Am I to accompany you to breakfast? Or did you have some other plans?", I say pushing the obvious implication that she is angry. If this contract gives her authority over my life, then I may be just asking for my death. I can't let this continue, at any rate. She is not a bad girl, this I know. So I will not kill her just yet, this contract has given me a lot of power. It could be of great assistance in atoning for my sins. Beside, like I said, I simply want what's best for this young girl.
"No breakfast!", she screams to my face, obviously incredibly angry. "No breakfast for a month! No dinner either! Just eat the grass like a dog! And don't say a word! If you back-talk me I'll add 20 lashes with my whip onto your punishment!". I felt my eyebrow twitch. It seems my Master will not understand quickly with such indirect methods. At least not while she is so angry. I feel as though it would be best to comply for the time being and accept her orders. Besides, I doubt she's even serious about whipping me. She's probably just angry that her authority has been questioned by her "familiar". I'm still not entirely sure what exactly she was trying to summon, but I'm what she got. And I am no mere familiar.
"It shall be as you command, my Master", I say with the usual bow and air of honor. "I shall be waiting here should you require my presence. Please, do not hesitate to call upon me should you desire my protection. It would be bad for me if any harm came to you", I speak honestly.
"Eh... yeah...", that last comment seems to have struck a nerve. "I will call for you if I need you, familiar. I am going to the dining hall now, please do not follow me". It almost sounds as if she wants me to follow her. Man, I just do not get this girl. I simply nod in response and then watch her figure fade into the building.
*scene*
"Gryuuuuuuuuuuuuu", my stomach makes its battle-cry. Okay, I'm hungry. Maybe I shouldn't have argued so much, I don't know how long my resolve can last at this rate! I need my nutrition to maintain my beauty! I can't lose to that red head.
"Good morning", a sweet voice startles the hell out of me while I was mustering my resolve, outstretched clenched fist and all. "May I ask what it is you're doing?", the voice speaks once again.
"Oh, Siesta. Good morning to you too. I apologize for not noticing you, my Master denied my breakfast as punishment and it seems to be taking its toll on my mind", I state to the kind young maid.
"What? That's awful!", the maid exclaims as she grabs my fist that I still had held out and looks up to me. "This just won't do! I cannot allow such a wonderful guest starve to death! Come with me!", she says as she takes the hand she grabbed and begins to haul me off somewhere.
"Oh... no... you're not going to have me killed are you?", I jokingly say. "My Master is mad at me, but I don't believe she wants me dead!". The maid stops and lets go of my hand and turns to face me with eyes like she just saw the Old One herself.
"N-n-no! That's not it! Please don't say such things! I would never!", the young girl excitedly exclaims. "I was going to offer you food! Please don't say such things...", she says as she hangs her head. Wow. I feel horrible. This is why I prefer to just sit there and look intimidating. Back to expressionless mode.
"Please calm down, I understand that my humor is not the greatest but I was only joking", I try to say as soothingly as possible. "I know you would never do such a thing, Siesta. Even if my Master did order it". I reach out to her shoulder as I speak, hoping to augment the effectiveness of my explanation.
"I know. I was just joking too!", she says as she hops away while spinning causing her skirt to flutter and flashing a devilish smile. It seems I have yet to face my greatest foe in this place. Hold on.
"Wait, does that mean you are going to kill me?", I say with a mild cautiousness and slightly joking tone. She shrugs. "Who knows?", she says as she continues to sport that frightening smile and commences to grab my hand once again. If there is a benevolent God in this land, I am sorry. Please keep me safe! Several minutes later, I was greeted with a healthy bowl of delicious looking stew. Disregarding the possibility of it being poisoned, I made very quick work of it. This is truly the work of a master of his art. I seldom at food this good at my own home. Then again, I haven't eaten for well over 40 hours and have had quite an exhausting experience. That could very well have implications here. The chef is a burly man, with a very forth-coming attitude. He seemed very spiteful of the nobility here given the way he scorned at the way I had been treated by my Master. Though that may be the case, he was very kind to me. He showed me great respect and seemed to like the way that I stood up to them.
In any case, I finished my meal, thanked them, and made my way back to the courtyard. I didn't want to anger my Master any farther by not being there should she come for me. I need to be very careful about how I handle her, I need to slowly make my way past her arrogant shell to expose the girl inside that tiny monster. I think I'll just take a walk around the courtyard and get a look at the familiars.
*scene*
"What the hell are you?", I ask rudely to the flying eyeball. "In all my time and all the strange creatures I've seen, you are by far the strangest. Wah!", I jumped as the thing blinked. Trust me, when you get an eyelid bigger than your head coming down, you could easily mistake it for an attack. "Seriously, you...", I puff in anger at the eyeball. I think he did that on purpose. Whatever, I think I will just relax here and enjoy the scenery until my Master comes. Maybe I can make up for some of the sleep my mind denied me last night.
*scene*
"Familiar. Familiar!", I hear a voice ring. "Wake up you worthless familiar! People are staring!". Oh, my Master seems to be addressing me. I suppose I should respond.
"Good morning, Master", I greet my Master with a stretch. "Oh, what am I going to do with you? Listen, I'm sorry for getting angry before but you are my familiar. All I want is for you to know your place". That last bit was still rather rude, but I'll let it slide for now. She seems to genuinely believe me to be no more than a simple floating eyeball as it stands. Perhaps if she gets to know me a little bit better then this will be easier. I guess it'll require time.
"I understand, Master", I say it rather emotionlessly. "Do you require something of me? Shall I accompany you now?". To be honest, I'm in a rather bitter mood at the moment. Not particularly because of her, but because I had my belly full and was catching up on some well deserved rest.
"There are no classes today", she says in her usual tone and begins to walk. I follow. Classes? So it's like I assumed, a school of some sort. Probably magic. "Today, instead, is supposed to be devoted to one becoming closer with their familiar".
"Very well. This is good, it gives us the chance to talk", I state to my Master. "There are many things that I do not understand, and many things that you do not understand", I say it as clearly as I can. I suppose now is as good a time as any.
"What did you say? I thought I told you to learn your place, familiar!", she seems to be getting angry once again. This will not do. My Master needs to be made aware of exactly what the implications involved in summoning a human to her service are. I have had enough, this ends here.
"I am no familiar, girl", I state to her with a fire in my eyes that I have yet to show. There is no trace of my respectfulness, kindness or honor in those words. I am now speaking down to her in every respect. And it seems to have worked as she made a face as if she had just seen a ghost. "I am a knight. I am the daughter of the Duke of Roland. I have faced Demons, Kings and Gods", I state with a good amount of emotion, I am likely releasing a slight amount of mana in my eyes. "I have faced denizens of evil. Just who the hell do you think I am, girl? I will not accept your arrogance any longer. My name is Abigail, daughter of Roland. You would do well to use it, lest I end this contract and seek a new Master". And with that, I think she understands.
"Eh... What? But I summoned you, that makes you my familiar!", she says with a small amount of desperation and a large amount of confusion. By all that is holy and all that is evil, is she serious? I can't tell if what I just said completely missed her or she's incredibly brave! "I won't be talked back to, either! I warned you before, but you earned it! Tonight you shall receive 20 lashes! I hope you're prepared". I do not know how long my sanity will hold at this rate. Seriously, I'm going to lose it.
"What do we have here?", a slightly familiar voice speaks out. It is the red head from before. She looks surprised though, as she is only met by what is probably horrible looks from my Master and I.
"Oh ho ho ho", the girl lets out a disgusting laugh. "What a wonderfully obedient familiar you have here, Zero. You must be so proud!", her mocking knows no bounds, it seems. "The commoner demanding more money, I don't blame her for having to put up with you! At least she doesn't pretend to be a magician! Not like sooooome "nobles" around here", she says with her hand covering her mouth to hide her smile and quiet giggle.
"Huh?", the anger in my Masters voice now completely gone and it is only filled with curiosity. What power this red head must hold to snap her back from anger so quickly. "What are you talking about? Money?".
"Master, if I may", I interject. "This young lady seems to be under the assumption that you paid me to make a spectacle before your peers and pretend to be summoned by you", I state the situation without emotion.
"What? Kirche, that's absurd and you know it! Even I wouldn't go to such lengths!", my Master exclaims. "That would just give you even more reason to make fun of me then if I just failed the ritual!".
"Master", I interject once again, calling out to my Master. "Huh? What is it, Abigail?". Wow, she actually used my name. Did out argument never happen? "What is that?", pointing to the flaming lizard behind the red haired girl (apparently named Kirche), I ask my Master a simple question.
"Oh, this is Flame", Kirche says. "He's my familiar. And as a testament to my skill and his quality, he is completely obedient! Oh ho ho ho!", she says while letting out that annoying laugh again. I'm half tempted to Soul Suck her here and now.
"Master", I say while suppressing my rage. "Do I have permission to kill her?".
"W-w-w-w-whaaaat! You're joking, right?", she asks me a question to which I only answer with my silence.
"Oh ho ho ho. It seems your disobedient familiar is scared stiff! She can't even talk! I do suppose it's time for us to go, though. Come Tabitha", she says mockingly as the two leave. She laughs all along the way.
"What a frustrating girl", I naturally say.
"Yeah... what were we talking about though?", she asked as if I would actually remind her. "Oh, I remember. That's right. You are my familiar. I summoned you and you're mine. You will obey me!", the statement lacked her previous energy.
"Master", I state firmly looking her directly in her eyes. "I am no familiar and I have no obligation to obey you", I state as clearly as I can. I reinforce my point by turning my back to her as I walk away. Perhaps I should never come back?
*scene*
Wandering the courtyard, though pretty, is rather boring. My Master may be a bit over-the-top but at least she is entertaining. I'm not really sure what to do with my time. I guess I could try to catch up on my sleep again. Lying on my back watching clouds go by is something I have not done for a very long time. The nostalgia is almost enough to break my heart. Or it would be, if my heart were not already broken. Lying here in the quiet, terrible thoughts begin to consume me. Thoughts I do not want racing around in my head. Thoughts of guilt, failure, betrayal. I still can't believe what I had done with my own hands. The thing that troubles me most of all is not what I did, but why I did it. Because I wanted to. I wanted to kill her. I wanted to see her blood. The thought was more alluring than sexual arousal. It was pure ecstasy. I wanted my blade to taste the blood of the Maiden. I wanted to taste her soul. This is the most painful thing of all. I wanted to keep telling myself that something had simply taken control of me, but that's not what happened. The simple fact is that I gave into what I wanted. My undeniable lust for power.
"Abigail?", I hear a familiar voice. "Hehe, what are you doing there? Someone will step on you!". It seems that in my contemplation I had been rolling around. The thought of me rolling around on the ground with a grimace is rather humorous, to be honest. I can see why she giggled.
"My apologies. It seems I was not paying attention", I respond kindly to her greeting. "What brings you out here, Siesta?".
"I am delivering this cake, would you like to join me?", she asks me with a smile.
"I don't see why not, lead the way", I respond. As we approach the table, a sinister thought reaches my mind. I'm going to let off some steam! "Siesta", I call to her. "Please, will you allow me to deliver the cake?", I humbly ask.
"Well, I don't mind, but why?", she asks a reasonable question.
"This boy happens to be a friend of mine, I'd like to surprise him if I can", I speak a most dastardly lie!
"Uh, okay. If you insist, go ahead!", she says with a smile. Oh, Siesta. Let no man abuse your kind heart lest he feel my wrath. It's time to earn my vengeance! Even if this guy hasn't exactly done anything wrong but who cares! My tired heart needs entertainment. This should be good.
"Here you go, darling", I whisper into his ear seductively as I set down the cake while leaning against his back. "I do hope it is to your liking, Master. My only desire is to please you", I try to speak in the most succulent tone as possible. I want this to go well, my heart oh so aches for entertainment! "Darling, why don't you come sit with me. I want you for myself, these other girls aren't as important to you as I am, right?", bait and lure, attached.
"Guiche", the sweet young girl sitting across from him addresses him in a firm tone. "Who is this woman and what does she mean be 'girls'?", she asks with clear anger in her voice. None of which is directed towards me, I might add. It seems like my suspicions may be correct, if so, this should be good! Oh, by the way, the bait worked!
"W-w-w-what? She's no one to me! I don't even know her name!", Guiche says with fear in his voice. It seems I need to continue playing this disgusting role to get my entertainment!
"Guiche! How could you?", I say in a voice that sounds about to cry. "Even after... after everything you did... You're saying something like that? You said you loved me, Guiche, and that I was the only one that mattered!", I'm milking this for all it's worth.
"Monmon, she lies! I barely know this girl! I only met her in passing last night!", Guiche desperately tries to explain.
"Yes... that's true. You were with Katie last night, right?", I have to pull out the heavy stuff, now. "She seemed to really be into you... but I didn't think you thought so little of me. Thinking back, you really seemed into her as well".
"Guiche", the girl calls out, beginning to turn red with her fists clamped tight. Just a little more, and look. How lucky, it seems I'll have additional support as well! How fun! "You aren't lying to me, are you Guiche?", she seems desperate to believe this boy. Poor girl.
"Monmon, I can-"
"Cannot tell lies to your eyes? Is that what you're going to say! I can't believe you, Guiche! Do you say the same lies to us all?", I interject with the set up for the final blow. "Let's find out, here's the girl from last night, Katie!", I point to the girl whom I had seen coming this way with what seemed like the same package she had last night. It seems I was right to assume it was for Guiche as when I called her name she looked this way and happily started jogging to us.
"What! Oh dear", the blonde-haired boy says with a defeated tone. I believe this is enough for my involvement, I wonder if this cake is good? I think I'll enjoy it with some tea as I watch how this unfolds. Several seconds later, the two girls marched away in anger and the crowd which had gathered was roaring with laughter. Mission complete. I am amused. I do feel bad for the kid, but to be honest he did have it coming. You can only sweet talk so many girls before it backfires on you.
"YOU!", Guiche screams covered in tea that had been split on his head along with the two red marks on either side of his face. "How dare you cause me such humiliation! I demand satisfaction! While it is not in good taste to fight a lady, I demand a duel!".
"Ahahahahahahaha", I cannot help but resist laughter as I grip my stomach with one hand and point with the other. This scene is just too much. A crowd standing around laughing at a 16 year old boy covered in tea challenging me to a duel. Oh man, this is just too great. "Hahahaha. Very well, Guiche. I accept". It couldn't hurt to stretch this out as long as possible, besides it might give me some insight as to what unique magics are at play here in this world. "Where shall we do this, then?"
"In front of the vestry, do not leave me waiting", he states holding back his anger.
"I would never leave you waiting, darling", I mock him one final time before he stomps off. Oh Biorr, how proud would you be? Your little Abigail has learned well. Still trying to drive off my laughter, something pulls me off balance.
"Master? What's the matter?", I call to the small girl grasping my arm. "Where are you taking me?".
"Guiche", she says. "If we hurry and beg him then he will probably be satisfied". I pull away. "Abigail?", she calls my name, slightly stunned.
"Is that an order, Master?", I honestly ask.
"Yes", she instantly replies.
"Then this would be a good chance to take down many birds with one stone. One, I refuse and you can do nothing to make me obey. That is how that is. Two, I can demonstrate just what exactly you've gotten yourself into. And three, that skirt-chasing fool needs a good knock on the head!", I state the facts as they were. "But above all else, I'm bored. And quite frankly, all of you nobles need a bit of a wake-up call".
"Listen, Abigail", my Master speaks, attempting to persuade me. "I know you have that sword and shield and you're probably not bad with them, but that won't matter! Guiche is a magician! He'll just hurt you!", she desperately pleads. I wonder if she's genuinely worried for my safety or still worried about embarrassment?
"You're probably right. I won't use it then!", I state bluntly. She stops. She clearly doesn't know what to say to respond. Either do to my crassness or to what I said, Something prevents her from responding and she just silently walks beside me.
*scene*
"Wow. I must commend you for your bravery, commoner", the pompous young blond boy says with an unbelievable amount of arrogance. Oh Guiche, every soul in my body screams for me to kill you. I'll have to be careful.
"I would do no such thing, darling", I say with a small smile in a horrible mocking tone. "I would never leave you waiting".
"Oh, if only you weren't mocking me. Fairest Abigail", he says with a genuine tone.
"I'm bored, let's begin already. I'm curious to see what the students of this facility are capable of", I say removing my mask and exposing my true intentions. To be honest, this whole thing was beginning to wear a little thin and I was just ready to move on.
"Hmph. Very well. As per tradition, please allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Guiche the Bronze, and earth mage. I shall not be your opponent directly, but my golem, the Bronze Valkyrie shall face you!", he speaks with pride.
"How honorable, I'm shocked to be honest", I speak from my heart. "I am Abigail of Roland. You need not know more", I say with a whim of arrogance. To be honest, I'd like to laugh him into defeat with him still assuming me a 'commoner'.
"As a man, I feel I must warn you that no matter how skilled you are with that beautiful rapier that hangs ad your side, it will not affect the duel. I will still allow you to back out and I will cease the duel at any time should you yield. I would oh so hate to harm you beauty", he says with a disgusting smile. It seems he's already forgiven me for making look like a fool. To be honest, he's probably amazed that I am not backing down. He had probably hoped that I would. Perhaps I misjudged the little parasite, he may not be so bad.
"Oh? Is that so? I'll believe you if you say so", I call out with a commanding voice. I take the rapier in its sheathe and toss it to the side. The wave of gasps almost made me laugh then and there. But I had to keep my straight face. I need to rub this in my Master's face after this is finished!
"What? Are you mad! I refuse to fight an unarmed woman!", he responds with vigor.
"Do you yield then? Please, enough games. Either begin or yield", I challenge him.
"Tsk, very well", he responds in an angry tone.
His golem leaps forward with impressive speed. But his obvious lack of experience and his underestimation of myself has created quite the simple attack to dodge. The golem lifts its weapon high in the air way before it gets to me, honestly I can't help but hold that laugh in again. I simply take one step to the side to dodge that obvious vertical attack. Another wave of gasps. This really is too much. Guiche yells a command and the golem reacts. Lifting its weapon from the ground it quickly turns for a horizontal sweep, as expected. With a simple hop backwards it is easily avoidable. Another gasp. I can't help but smile with that one. I suppose it's time for a counter attack of some kind, lest he get a lucky blow. Inexperienced or not, this thing is made of metal and would easily be able to cripple me.
This is for you, Master. I reach into my pouch for my beloved Talisman of Beasts. This is the catalyst of my power. Strange, the moment I take it into my hand the runes inscribed from the contract begin to glow. I can't believe it, this wave of power is unreal. It's unlike anything I've ever felt! I feel like I could do anything! Let's see what it can do. "Ignite", I speak in an uninterested voice as all the souls in my body congregate. Ignite is the simplest of all my spells. It is nothing more than gathering the energy in my body and forcing as much as I can at one time into my catalyst. The result is an overwhelming, wild and untamed explosion that destroys nearly anything it touches. It is a devastating power reserved for enemies to get too close. I place the Talisman at the side of the golem. Light. A bright flash of light and fire and the golem is gone. Another gasp. I look to my opponent who is stunned. I can't help but curl my lips. I can't lie, the satisfaction at the unease he must be feeling right now is pretty undeniable. I am content.
"Call it off, Guiche", I call out to him. "This doesn't need to go any farther".
"Eh... heh... Ahem. Do you think a simple trick or two will be enough to best me? Guiche the Bronze?", he calls out in an almost desperate tone. I can't believe this guy. No wonder the girls fall for him, he just doesn't know when to quit. Well hopefully he'll show me some other trick, I'd like to learn as much as possible.
"If that is your desire!", I shout as I leap towards him. As I do this, he shouts something and summons several more golems, but it's no use. Whatever that contract was, the power it's given me is far beyond my expectations. I'm able to move with strength and speed far beyond that of a normal human. I think I will end this quickly, I would prefer not to show too many of my own abilities for a simple game.
"Warding!", I cast this familiar spell that has saved me many times. By focusing on my skin, armor and bones and pumping power into it, I can strengthen them by many times increasing the damage my body can resist exponentially. As I approach he frantically casts some sort of alchemy and pulls a sword from the ground. I must admit, I am actually quite impressed with that. The golems are one thing, but this weapon is exquisite. I must compliment him later. After I finish embarrassing him. He pulls his sword up from the ground and over his head, he is about to perform a vertical attack. He seems to favor that, a rookie mistake. A maneuver I've done many times, a combo known by many as a parry followed by a riposte. It is a deadly defensive counterstrike that can quickly decide a match. Lucky for him I'm just using my fist. It is to be noted, however, that the second I placed the Talisman back into my pouch that power I received from the contract faded. Not that it matters in this duel, but I should be aware that I need at least my Talisman to use this power.
He pulls down his sword with a battle-cry like a true man, or boy. Ching. The sound of metal hitting metal, my buckler smacking away his finely crafted sword. Thump. The sound of my fist violently churning his stomach. And finally, poof. The sound of his body hitting the ground and the dirt around him billowing. It may have been too much to use Warding. That's the equivalent of hitting him with a hammer, I guess.
"Do you yield?", I ask the lump of unresponsive flesh. "It seems the victory is mine. Do you feel like a man of honor now, boy? It's a shame I was able to fight back", I express the subtle disgust I've felt from him. I'm not sure what it is, but I felt this horribly dark feeling after he refused to call it off when I offered. All the previous fun I was having completely vanished. Perhaps I was simply angry at myself and not him? "Master, it seems I am done here. I feel rather unsatisfied with the result. Regardless, what are your orders, Master?", I speak honestly. I'm not sure what it was but the second the duel was over I felt slightly depressed. She doesn't seem to know what to say. Good, maybe she's beginning to understand.
*scene*
"Abigail", my Master asks. "Just who are you?".
"I am the one you summoned. I have been summoned many times and aided many warriors in their travels. I am here to fight for you and only for you as you are my link in this world. You've given me light where there was only darkness so I own you everything. My name is Abigail of Roland, daughter of the Duke of Roland and a knight. Knighted women are very rare where I come from, but due to my lineage and power it was almost as if I were entitled to it. I am a Demon Slayer, a powerful mage and a Devourer of of Souls. Normally my mana would be quite limited and difficult to replenish however. But I seem to get a near-infinite supply from my Master, that on top of the augmentation from the contract, my power is even that much greater", I try to tell her everything as it is.
"That's amazing! You hunt demons?", Siesta calls from behind my Master. She seems intent on joining us in this conversation.
"Wait, one thing at a time", my Master says. "So you've been summoned before?".
"Yes", I reply. "Many times, although this time seems to be quite different than the others. Whenever I was summoned before, I had to be in soul form. Right now I clearly have my body. The summoning ritual was done by me using my Blue Eye Stone to create the connection to me, which a warrior somewhere else would answer by using his Blue Eye Stone to complete the connection. Thus binding us together until the task which he called me for was completed. But what what I gather here no such item was used. The only thing I can surmise from this is that something else created the link. And what power indeed, to summon me through the the Void in my complete body to an entirely different world to a girl who has the power to sustain my existence and supply me with supple power all in the process. I am quite amazed". I decide to leave out the tidbit about my Black Eye Stone, for the time being at least.
"You said something about a link?", she adds.
"Yes, to summon anything one needs a link to the being. Be it a familiar like Flame or a higher being such as myself. For example, Flame and Kirche are kindred souls. This is very easy to tell just by looking. They themselves are the link, and Kirche supplies the mana to maintain this link. Every body requires mana to live, and unlike natural creatures, summoned creatures are not of this world. They are an anomaly and thus cannot create their own mana as the world rejects them and would shortly fade away without a supply. For beings like Flame, a powerful mage's mana will be plenty to keep it in this world, but for a human that is a whole different story. In my experience, we've gotten around this by using the Blue Eye Stone. To summon something you need a direct link to it, so we linked our selves to these stones and linked the stones together. Thus, temporarily binding the stones together when the ritual was performed. However, even with this method it was an absolute impossibility to summon a corporeal human. Instead, the one being summoned would be in what we called 'Soul Form'. To explain it as simply as possible, a dead person. A spirit bound to what we called the Nexus. A hub if incredible power and home to these spirits and, with its power, supplied them with a spirit body. The stones channeled power from the Nexus and we used that power to maintain the link established by the stone. It's a very round-about way but it was the only way we could succeed", I do my best to explain.
"I think I understand, but at the same time, that makes no sense since we used no such thing", she earnestly points out.
"Master", I look her in the eyes. "It is in all likelihood that you and I are directly linked and that is how you summoned me. The link itself is not particularly difficult, especially if something naturally binds you. For example; separated lovers or people destined to meet or people who are naturally compatible something like that. What limits it is the sheer amount of power it requires to summon and sustain a living human. Most of the time, forced attempts lead to horribly disfiguring ends. Master, the only explanation is that your own power was sufficient to summon me and sustain me, hence the summoning was successful. And since this contract has been established, mana flows easily between us as if we were one. Surely you've felt that as well".
"But that doesn't make any sense", she claims. "I can't even use magic, that's why they call me Louise the Zero. Every spell I've ever attempted has failed", she looks down as she says something assured.
"Master, forgive me but I can't believe that. I know without a doubt that you are easily the most powerful one in this school, and probably that I've ever even met. Besides, my presence alone disproves everything you just said. No one incapable of magic could pull off as much power as you did without a ridiculous amount of mana", I state pointing out the obvious contradictions in her statement. For some reason, she makes a face that reminds me of the times that I seldom got to see father in response to this. The excited look in a child's eyes at seeing something precious.
"Well, moving on from that. It doesn't really matter right now. More importantly, you said you're a Demon Slayer? What, exactly, entails a Demon?", she asks a painful question with a genuine curiosity.
"For example, Master, me", I bluntly state, deciding that it's best to get this out there now.
"What?", both Siesta and my Master exclaim. Bah, I knew this was going to be painful. I shouldn't expect anything but disgust. I'm used to it. The countless warriors I've fought beside in my life, every single one refused to turn their back on me. Saying things akin to "I called you to aid me, Demon, that doesn't mean we're allies" and "disgusting, a vile creature such as you claiming to fight for us" or "perhaps I shall strike you down too, Demon".
I brace my heart.
"I was born with a natural affinity for souls.I am known as a Devourer of Souls, the most powerful Demon of all in many respects. The magic I wield is known as the Soul Arts. It is done by manipulating the Souls of the dead who could not leave this world or I did not allow to leave. During my travels, I have consumed innumerable souls including that of 17 powerful Demons and several lesser Demons. As such, their power became mine and we became one. This is nature of a Devourer of Souls". -Prepare for it.- "I am the essence of what many would call evil". -I don't need her.- "I have slain thousands, good or evil". -I'll be fine alone-. "I have taken every single soul, every single existence and fed off of its power". -I can't look at their faces.- "Their hearts, their wills still exist within me. I am superior though, as I consumed the Manipulator of Souls as well. A Demon said to be ancient and one of the most powerful. This allowed me to keep my sanity which was slowly fading by consuming these souls. I feel many people would see me evil for this. I only used my power to save my homeland, but the fact remains". I kneel before my Master. "You are the sole purpose in a life that had nothing, Master. I humbly place myself at you judgment and your mercy".
I let out a portion of my heart that I had blocked. Tears were flowing uncontrollably, though my face still showed no emotion. I simply looked at the ground before me while I awaited my judgment from this young strawberry-blonde haired girl.
Silence ensues.
After several moments of uncontrollable tears, I felt a warm finger on my face.
"Demons don't cry", my young Master says with the kindest smile I've ever seen in my life as she wipes the tears from my face. "You're my familiar, Abigail. Nothing else matters anymore, okay? Your past was only preparing you for me. Now that you're here,you can forget all about anything before you fell from the sky. And I can't have you being sad now, not when you showed us all just how cool you were back there with Guiche! Yeah, there's no doubt, Louise the Zero has the coolest familiar around", she says it like it's so simple. I really don't know how to respond, I am literally dumbstruck. Did she really just accept me that easily? After everything I just told her? Does she just not understand?
"Master, I'm not sure you understood exactly what I said... I consume so-", and she cut me off right there.
"From now on you are only defined by your actions from this point forward! You are my familiar. You should be honored. Besides, I'm jealous. You need to teach how to properly blow things up instead of just doing it on accident!", she's serious. "And quit calling me 'Master', my name is Louise!". She says with that usual arrogant look while Siesta simply smiles warmly at us. Hell, it's even harder to stop crying now.
And that was truer than I had though, because I cried until sleep carried my consciousness away.
With a smile I have never known. Have I finally found my place?
