Author's note : So I got 9 reviews for the first chapter, quite good. In these 9 reviews I got :
- 4 wants to have Carmine forms a contract with Louise, 4 of you have no comments whether or not Carmine should do it, and 1 says hell no to the contract (my words, not his/her). As you know, majority wins so Carmine will have a contract.
- 3 of you want to have Carmine paired up with a 18+ character, 2 of you want to have someone like underage but definitely almost adult, 2 have no comments, 1 wants to have Sam Byrne, and 1 have neutral opinion with possible mention of a harem. Now this is a touchy subject since I do not know the exact age of Carmine, but I guess somewhere between 22-27, since was fresh out of training, meaning 18 or 19 of age. So I guess as an older brother Clayton shouldn't be too old to fit in the story. I will leave this here for now, but definitely I will have a 18+ character for him. Or maybe I will just wait and let the chracter develop. I mean Henrietta was like 17 or something ? One year over and she is legal enough.
- 6 of you want to have an M rating, 2 have no comments, again, and 1 says that if I have no overrated violence T rating will do fine. But I have to say I am going for M-rating, because since when does the GOW-series (Gears or God Of War, interpret it anyway you like) not include overrated violence ?
So with most of my issues settled, let's get this story started.
Slowly I open my eyes. The first thing I see was a wooden ceiling. My body is a bit numb, but other than that I feel fine. My memory is a bit hazy, but I vaguely remember a pink haired girl, a dragon, bacon, any my supposed death. Yeah, it all comes back to me now. I guess I am not dead after all. You don't feint after you died, and definitely you don't feint due to blood loss if you died.
Carefully I sit up. The room is a bland one, a bed, which I currently sit on, obviously, a wooden table and a pair of chair, an oil lamp on the table, a dresser and a closet. Mostly basic needs for someone to live in. Then I look down and realized I wasn't wearing my armor except my pants.
I almost panick for a moment before I see my stuffs put up in a pile in a corner of the room. I walk to it and start to wearing my armor back on again. Never feel safe without it. The Lancer and Boltok were still there, no sign of someone tampering with it, my back pack was there as well, anything still there.
During the packing of my outfit I notice blue letters scribble down my left arm. That's weird, I didn't ask Sam to make me that one did I ? Or maybe Sam and Baird team up together for once and play a prank on me when I was asleep ? God knows how deep I sleep. But I shrugged it off as no one would care to see it anyway. After finishing the last touch on the armor, I slung the back pack and the Lancer over my shoulder and open the door. Too bad I nearly crashed into a girl in a black dress with a white apron in front of the door. Poor girl nearly stumbles on her own feet if I didn't catch her in time.
"Hey, you okay ?" I ask.
"Yes, yes I am fine." She smiled. "Thank you Sir Carmine."
"You know me ?"
"Yes, you have the talk of the school lately." She says. "Ah where is my manner, my name is Siesta, I am a maid working here. Anyway, I am here to give you your medicines."
"Nah I'm fine. How long was I out though ?"
"One and a half day Sir."
Holy crap, one and a half day. No wonder I feel so hungry and refresh at the same time. Back then, when I was still, hm, alive I guess, sleep was something like a luxury. Everyday you got a few hours of rest, maybe more if there ain't any grubs or glowwies around. But right now, most I feel is hungry. True to my word, my stomach growls its hunger violently.
"My bad, I guess I haven't eaten anything for a while."
"That's okay Sir Carmine. Please follow me, lunch is served at the yard."
"Drop the sir. I am never one for the formalities anyway." I reply with a hand wave. She looks a bit shocked at first, but smiles again.
"Well, if it's in private I may, but in public I may get punished if I do not adress my better without formality."
"Do what you wish. Anyway, do you guys have any bacon ?"
"Well, not really, but if you want we can ask the kitchen staffs to prepare it for you."
"That would be fine. Thank you."
So I follow Siesta down the hallway, pass a couple of staircases until I run into that bald dude from earlier, his name was Colbert or something. He spoke to me, this time at least he didn't tap my shoulder.
"Sir Clayton Chevalier de Carmine, please wait for a moment."
"Yo, Siesta, wait here a moment." I say before turning back to Colbert. "What did you just call me ?"
"Sir Clayton Chevalier de Carmine ? Is there something wrond with it ?"
"Why is there a Chvalier de between my name ?"
"That's our way to adress those that have reach the rank of Knights."
"Oh okay, next time just call me Carmine. So what do you need me for ?"
"Yes, there are several things I need to tell you. I assumed you noticed the runes on your left arm by now."
"Oh you mean this one ?" I take off the glove for him to see.
"Yes that's the one. That means that you are now officially Miss Valliere's familiar."
Valliere, Valliere, where did I hear that before. Took me a moment before a pink haired little girl pops into my mind.
"I never remember agreeing performing a contract."
"Yes, that's what I want to talk with you about. Your wounds were very severe, and in order to save your life as well as spare Miss Valliere of a bitter humility, we took the opportunity to perform the contract without your consent. However, at that moment your state of being was in no condition to answer. I am quite amazed how you were able to walk under such conditions. No wonder you said you should be dead. No offense."
"None taken, but how did this Contract you speak of save my life ?"
"The contract, upon confirming properly, restore the physical as well as mental condition of the summoned familiar back to the prime, in case we summon old or dying familiar."
"Alright, anything else ?"
"Yes, your main job as the familiar is to protect her from any harm at all. The contract has a life time duration, or until one of you die."
"So basically I am her babysitter, for life ? Whatever, I can do it. But I want to lay down some ground rules with her."
"Of course, you should better talk with her, as I am not the best person to speak with about such things. That's all, I won't take any more of your precious time."
"Hm, good." I nod and left. Siesta and I walk down further until we reach the door to the yard. It was another beautiful day, clear sky, kids sitting and eating, sitting on chairs on the green grass. Reminds me of the days before E-Day, when mom and pop took us four to the park for a picnic. Those were good times.
So I noticed the little girl who I am supposed to protect sitting their alone on a table eating some cake. And so I walk there. Guess I was still not quite clear in my head yet as I bump into some kid, a blond boy with a frilly collar shirt.
"My bad." I say to the kid.
"Watch where you go commoner."
The hell if I know what commoner mean but I shrug it off. Not the worst thing I have been told. I nearly stepped on it when I noticed the small bottle at the near my feet. Guess the kid dropped it off when I bump to him. so I pick it up and give it to the boy.
"Hey kid, you drop this ?" I held the bottle in front of his face.
"No, it is not mine."
"Alright then." I said. "Hey anyone dropped this ?" I said loudly, enough for anyone on the yard to hear me when I held the bottle upward.
"I believe this is mine." A girl says. She is a blond girl in twin tails which look more like drills than hair. Still, I gave this bottle to her, and see her walks to the blond kid earlier.
"My dear Guiche, why have you forgotten the gift I gave you ?" She says.
So, this kid Guiche was lying to me. Okay, I'm not very offended, not that easy. It was quite funny to see how the boy squirms at the gaze of Drill Head. But it gets even more interesting when another girl enters the scene. It was a brown haired girl. The kids argue somewhat, most of the stuffs aren't interesting until Guiche got himself a bitch slap from both girl, one on each cheek. Apparently he was two timing, with both girl and they found him in the wrong place at the right time.
I was laughing my ass off when that Guiche walks up to me and goes all over my face.
"You have the nerve to laugh commoner. Because of you the heart of two girl have been broken. How will you take responsibility ?"
"Alright listen up dickhead, you two timed and got caught, so don't go and blame your shit on other. Grow a pair and take it like a man." Kid gotta learn his place.
"Fine, I will show you how much of a man I can be by challenging you to a duel."
"What is going on here ?" Great, the little pink came in the scene again.
"I am challenging this familiar of yours to a duel. Now step aside."
"Dueling between nobles is forbidden."
"He may be a Chevalier, but with no magic he is still a commoner. Therefore, it's allowed. So what do you say commoner, are you man enough to fight me ?" Guiche says, I can't recall I have heard so much arrogant dripping from someone's mouth that much before.
"Yeah, sure whatever. Let me finish my food first."
"As generous as I am, I will allow you your last meal. Come and find me when you are done at Vestri Court."
And with that, he walks away. Damn, even his kind of walk is gay.
"Yo Siesta !" I call out. "Bring me some food, will ya ?"
"Yes… yes, s-sure I will." She stammers. What the hell is her problem ? Most of the people look at me like they pity me or something.
"Are you even serious Chevalier Carmine ?" Valliere asks me. Didn't notice her standing next to me. The kid is really short, barely reaches my arm pit.
"I am serious. No one, and I mean absolutely no one questions my manhood. You do not mess with a Carmine."
"Even if you are a Chevalier, and you are strong obviously, I do not think a commoner can defeat a mage."
"Bitch please, I got plenty of kill counts on my list, most of them monsters you can even imagine that should exist. I am pretty sure I can take on some gay fag. Now Imma gotta find some bacon."
So I walk back to one of the empty table and sit down, the wooden chair holds out my weight just fine, despite its fragile look. After a while Siesta brings out some roasted pork and cutleries, with a can of juice. The pork wasn't the kind of stuff they served back the COG, but hell if it's bacon, I eat it. The juice looks yellowish red, and tastes like banana mixed with apple. Not so bad. The meal wasn't very filling, but enough for now, and still shit load more than the days we fought the Lambent.
"Hey Siesta, where is the Vestri Court ?" I ask her once I was done with the food.
"You are really going ? Please don't you will get hurt, or worse."
"There are a list of things that can kill me, Berserkers for example, can kill me. But that kid is not on the list."
"If you say so. Still, I have a bad feeling about this."
"Yeah, for him."
.
"Looks who finally shows up." Guiche says, a rose twirls between his fingers. "And I thought you have run back to your mommy in tears."
Okay, that's official, the kid is dead. No one, and seriously no one make fun of mama Carmine.
"Get it started, I don't like to waste my time."
"Very well. Now, I, Guiche the Bronze de Gramont, shall teach you a lesson in humility."
Seriously, who the hell drags a long ass name into the battle field ? If we are in Sera he won't even make it pass the training. He holds up the rose and a petal falls down to the ground. Suddenly the earth trembles a bit, not as much as when the E Hole opens but enough to make me pull out the Boltok in instinct. I checked the ammo before I got out the room, fully loaded with six round in the Boltok and 25 rounds in the Lancer. I got some clips in my pocket in case I need fast reload, and the rest is in the back pack.
Anyway, my instinct was right when a bronze statue pops up from the ground. I hate it when thing pops out of nowhere, mostly underground. Even more when that thing is armed and ready to kill you.
"This is my bronze Valkyrie. She will be your opponent."
"So, you show your true color. You ain't even man up and hide behind a tin can, instead of fight me like a real man should."
"I won't stoop up to your level. I am a mage, expect me to fight like one."
After that, the moving tin can launches itself on me. The spear it holds seems sharp, so I step aside and puched it in the face with my left hand. It left a dent on the armor, and the thing falls backward. I crush it under my boots like some dirty insect before it crumbles to dirt. I guess I won't be needing the Boltok after all, so I holster it back.
Anonter wave with the rose and 3 more petals fall down, 3 more tin cans appear. They attack me altogether. Fine with me, I can use some brawl to warm up my muscles. One moves to the left and the other flanks right, while one tries to sneak up on me. So I duck under am axe swing and uppercut the left one while spin kick the right one, and took out the Boltok to blow the head off the last one. The left one and the one behind me have their head off, and their bodies turn to dirt. The one on the right tries to get back on its feet, but I gave it a bullet to the knee before I walk up to it and bitch slap the fucking face off.
Kid looks like he was gonna pee himself. Okay, enough playing around. Before he raises the damn rose again I took a shot at it and fire. It's a clean hit. The stick snaps like a dry twig, which it is, and fell to the ground. I lift him off his feet with my left hand and slam him against the wall. He coughs up some spit and a bit of blood, but he will live.
"First, you blame your shit on me. Second, you question my manhood. And the third and most unforgivable, you brought up my mom."
I put the Boltok against his temple.
"Whatcha gonna say ?"
"I yield ! I surrender ! I am sorry !" Guiche says between tears and snot. Looking down, he seems to have lost control and peed himself. "Please just don't kill me."
"Repeat after me : "I, Guiche, hereby declare Clayton Carmine the manliest man alive and I am not even as one percent as manly as he is."
"I, Guiche, hereby declare Clayton Carmine the manliest man alive and I am not even as one percent as manly as he is."
"Good, now the next thing you are going to say is "I am a little fag, I love to dress up as a girl and play with doll."
"I am a little fag, I love to dress up as a girl and play with doll."
I threw him on the ground. Kid staggers to stand up.
"Someone get this piece of shit to a doctor or something. He probably needs it."
Damn that feels good. Now I am back to my old state. The state wherein I kick ass and take names. Valliere walks to me. Again I don't notice until I hear she speaks.
"I guess I underestimated you Chevalier Carmine. However I am also relieved to have such strong familiar protecting me."
"Yeah, about that, we are going to have a long talk about it. I need to lay down some ground rules for you."
"I believe we can go for something we can agree on. Now if you excuse me, I need to go to my lesson. You can wait outside the classroom if you want."
"Okay."
So I escort her back to the class room and sat down along the other weird animals outside the class. I figure that familiar ain't allowed in the class, even if it's me. They seem friendly enough, so I sat down. After a while I drift off and fall asleep.
Author's note : Alright, let's me hear you opinions people. Of course Kirch will go after Carmine, after she saw how he kicks Guiche's ass. Speaking of which, how do think of the fight ? Too short, too bland or maybe even too awesome. I lol'ed when I made the bullet to the knee. Anyone plays Skyrim get this. So, reviews if you like this chapter.