Review answering time!
Akshka: I have more planned, but I have no idea when I'll be getting around to it. Artifacts of Zero is my first priority. I'll likely move on with this after getting that story through season one.
Xbox432: Valerie is keeping a lot of secrets. She is hiding many things, especially around the kids. That may be part of the reason her speech is a bit off. And, honestly, I don't think they are going to get along that well. But they may end up surprising me.
Wasp463: Thank you. That's what I plan to do.
Guest: Maybe it's because I like female main leads? Or maybe because I'm trying to get better at writing one? Crossover's exist as a middle ground. One of my warcraft crossovers hardly involves warcraft itself. The whole point of fanfiction is to creative. Sometimes, cannon as to bent, if not changed. I will take your "requests" into consideration.
Guest 2: Hopefully the future does not disappoint for this story.
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My eye's opened to a world of fire and chaos. Fel energies flashed across the sky, as flames erupted from the scorched earth beneath my feet. This was my mind. My dreamscape. My burnt out eyes closed, focusing on the shadow around me. It obeyed my call, condensing itself on my back, forming a pair of bat like wings. I stretched the limbs, almost like they were part of my body. It had taken a few years to get used to additional pair of limbs. Especially ones that could turned on or off at will.
My eyes scanned the dream scape. Something was off. Wrong, even. Almost like something was missing. Yes, something was missing. The demon that I had devoured and bound to my soul was no longer present. Normally the demon would haunt my dreams each and every night, but this time, it was quite. To quite. I fully extended my wings, pushing myself upward into the air. Normally, my wings were not able to produce any type of long term flight. But this was my world, and it followed my rules. As I soared above the chaotic landscape, I noticed something else. A pool of energy, swirling with power.
The girl's power. It had to of been the link between "master" and "familiar". If it was in my own dreamscape, then that might have meant…
"I'm going to rip you in half, Qyrsyss!" I bellowed, fel fire twisting around my body in rage as I dived through the portal.
It didn't take long to arrive on the other side. Like other portal's I had gone through, trip was fast, but disorienting. This didn't matter to me. I've done enough portal hopping in the past to have a resistance to the effects. No time to be sick when you are jumping directing into a combat zone. My eyes adjusted to the area before me. The dreamscape was like mine, be even more primal. Years of dealing with the demon within taught me self control. This girl, Louise "the Zero" had none of that. Even in her sleep, anger, hate, and self-loathing rolled of her in waves. Emotions that needed to be brought to heel before she could even began to be trusted with the power she held. Now to simply find the demon, before it could do any harm.
My eyes narrowed in on a single pinpoint of fel energy amongst the shadow. I floated up, slowly, keeping myself hidden.
"Just a little longer," the demon whispered to itself during its chanting.
"Just a little longer till what?" I snarl, grabbing the demon's throat from behind. The spell died from the sudden failing of the demon's concentration. I lifted up the demon, ignoring the small leather wings as the brushed past my face.
"Speak, now, before a crush your throat again," I order, raising the pink skinned demon above my head. This demon was still extremely loyal to the Legion, even after being stuck within my body for so long. Even after being forced into submission.
"Master, I only wished to show her the, ack!" I applied more pressure, cutting the demon off. It's clawed fingernails cut into my skin, drawing blood. I didn't flinch.
"I know when you are lying to me, Qyrsyss. Tell me what you are really doing here," I growl, slowly releasing the pressure on it's throat to allow it to speak.
"I wanted to show her the power of the Burning Legion," Qyrsyss hissed. "She has power. So much power. If she were to join us, her power could rival the Two Hand's of the Dark Titan." I grit my teeth. All the more reason to keep her power in check. All the more reason to make sure she isn't used for the Legion. All the more reason to make sure her power is loyal to The Second Army of the Light.
I began to replay pressure on the demon's throat, crushing both bone and esophagus with my hand. The demon's body faded into nothing, flaking apart. I took another look around, before heading back to the portal. This was a place that I did not belong. It would be best to leave.
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Pure energy assaulted my eyes as I finally woke up. So bright! Even on Earth things weren't this bad! Outland had plenty of magic, but it was it dull. Mostly chaotic fel energies, only becoming brighter with arcane and elemental magic once one left Shadowmoon Valley. And outside of going on missions, I didn't make a habit of leaving the Valley. I typically stayed at the Black Temple. Legion worlds? They were like Outland, but far more overcharged with fel. It was sometimes sickening. Sometimes, a few Demon Hunters simply wouldn't be able to take it, but instinces were far and few between.
Something flicker within my vision. Oh, yes, the girl. The very dangerous girl. The one that claimed to be my "master". I followed no one, except for Lord Illidan. Yes, little Louise "the Zero". Her nickname likely referencing her "failures" at magic, her non existent control of her temper, or her not looking the age she actually was. Or it was a combination of the three. The child made it impossible to tell the three apart, given that mentioning the other two would trigger her anger.
I shifted my body slightly to the right, resulting in a loud crack as something snapped in half. Likely her riding crop. I was fairly certain I had thrown the improvised weapon out the window for both our sakes. It was pretty clear that hinting wasn't going to do the trick. It was time to be blunt. Something I was far better at.
"Are you done with your tantrum yet?" I glare, annoyed with her behavior. It was fitting of a child, not a person that was nearly an adult.
"I thought I told you to put out my clothes and dress me once I was up!" the girl shouted in anger, aura flaring to life. I was not assumed by this.
"You are sixteen years old. If you do not know, and are not capable of dressing yourself at this age, you can go around naked for all I care," I snapped back, the tattoo's on my skin increasing in heat.
"Beside's, I don't have eyes, so I can't see cloths," I pulled myself up from my sitting position. I had gone over this with the girl at least a dozen times, and yet she still wouldn't get it. My eyes could see magic, energy, and life-force. And last time I checked, her clothes were either alive, or enchanted.
"That explains a lot," the girl shot back. To be fair, my armor isn't exactly modest. The upper half only covered my breasts, leaving my toned and tattooed stomach exposed to the air. The lower half was nothing more than a battle dress. Of course, the reason behind the material was twofold. First were the defensive enchantments placed on the armor, which gave additional protection. Even in places I wasn't wearing armor. The second was the fact that the armor was made from a very rare type of leather. One that was resistant to fire.
"Don't give me that. Most of the male Demon Hunters went around without shirts," I teased. My lack of sight may have stopped me from appreciating the fact, but it was still fun to bring up in passing. The red in her aura brightened to a pink, which meant she was likely blushing. A good distraction, to say the least. I decided now was the time to make my exit through the open window.
Like in the dream, my wings began to unfold, forming out of pure shadow. I didn't even wait for Louise to protest, leaping from the window. My bat like wings caught the air, as I glided to a nearby window-ledge. I dashed forward, leaping from one tower to the one opposite, slowly making my way toward the center tower. My eyes scanned the rooms looking for where exactly I needed to go. There. Three windows up. I lept up, slowly making my way up the tower. I tapped lightly on the window, before cracking it open, and stepping inside.
"That is an interesting way to make an entrance. Though, it would have been better for you to make use of the door." the statement came from the professor. The aging fire mage clearly had a lot on his mind. And if his aura was any indication, a lot of blood on his hands. No matter. That was none of my business anyway.
"So this is the mysterious, Ms. Felstorm, is it?" A sagely voice came from a sitting position. The aura the man gave off was that of age and wisdom. He was by far the oldest person in the room, close to, if not passing, nearly a century. Not as old as most members of the Illidari, but still, quite up there in the years.
"I usually prefer my first name, but seeing how that may cause some problems," I said, making my way toward the center of the room. There was a reason I had asked for a meeting with the head of the school. Even if he wouldn't listen, it wouldn't stop me from giving a warning. The Legion would find this world. Let it be a day, a week, a month, a year, or even longer.
"I'm assuming there is a very good reason that you asked for this little meeting?" the third voice came from the corner. An earth mage. The old man's personal assistant. Quite young, if her aura was anything to go by. Something about her simply just rubbed me the wrong way.
"As you already know, I am a member of the Illidari, an elite group of Demon Hunter's. And I requested this meeting to give you a warning," I said, pausing for effect. "The demon's we fight are united as one. They are the Burning Legion. The scourge of worlds unending. They will find this place. And when they finally arrive, they will do everything in their power to burn this planet to ash."
The room went quiet. Aura's flickered with a range of emotions. Doubt, fear, anger.
"That is quite, interesting. But do you expect me such a wild claim without evidence?" the older mage asked. I had to grin at that.
"As large of a threat the Legion is, I would take you for a fool if you took my claim at face value," I stated truthfully, as shadowy energy shimmered behind my body. "However, I do have something a bit more, substantial."
With that, the shadows formed a screen. I didn't bother to look. What I was showing them had been ingrained, no, burned into my mind from the moment I saw it. The Legion in it's full glory. Unending. Encircling a world within the Twisting Nether. All watching something massive. Something terrifying. The mad Titan, Sargeras himself. The corrupted being was larger than the planet before him. He brought a massive blade, broken in half long ago, above his head, before swinging down.
The world was cleaved in half. The sound of it being shatter drowned out by the cheers of the demonic horde. And the screams of each soul dying with their world.
"What was that?" was the only thing that was said. It was the only thing that could.
"The Legion's master. Thankfully, he has been missing for a very long time," I said. That was a blessing, no matter how small it was. Nobody was certain why he went missing, and to be frank, not many cared. It made our job easier, if only slightly. We still had the Defiler and the Deceiver to deal with.
"You have given me a lot to consider, Ms. Felstorm," the headmaster said, rubbing his beard. "I suggest you spend some time with Ms. Valerie for the time being. After all, it is the day when a familiar gets acquainted with their summoner." For a second, I thought he would say master. That would not be good for him. That child had a long way to go before I would consider her that. An impossibly long way to go. That did explain why the courtyard was so full at the moment. However, the statement wasn't a sign to continue talking. It was a signal that the conversation had ended.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for your time," I bowed respectfully. I had my doubts. Even with that little show, he had no reason to trust me. Not that I blamed him. What I had shown him wasn't really evidence. But in a place like this, with so much magic, it shouldn't be that hard to collect some. I exited through the door. It was time to start doing my job.
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I stand corrected. It was going to be very hard to gather evidence. How was this possible? This place had so much magic! This place should at least have a handful of lesser demon's, like Imp's and Wyrmtongue's! A Felhound at the worst! And there was nothing! Nothing! That meant this world either had stupidly good luck, or something was keeping the Legion's gaze elsewhere. Then the question became what, and how? Was it some type of illusion trick? Or was something stronger acting as deterrent? Something that was stronger than the Legion? I shuttered at the thought. The Burning Shadow had been a plague on the universe for ages. If something could stop the Legion, why haven't they? And if they haven't, what would be this being's goal?
As I was thinking, I accidentally dumped into something. My sight revealed it to be a girl, with no hint of magic in her aura. Based on the clatter, she was carrying some type of plate, which was sent flying out of her hands. My ears picked up on the flying dishware with ease, my body propelling itself into a backflip. I caught the plate, slice of pie and all, before landing feet first in the grass. I felt everyone's eyes turn to me.
"You look like you've never seen someone do a backflip before!" I snapped, the runes on my body letting out a pulse of fel energy. Slowly I helped the girl onto her feet.
"My apologies. I should have payed more attention," I said, offering my hand to the girl, pulling her up. Based on her breathing, she was still a head and a half shorter than I was. I felt her eyes track to my left hand.
"Are you the familiar spirit of Miss Valliere?" she asked. The girl's aura flickered with curiosity, and possibly, a bit of joy.
"Word doesn't take long to spread, it seems," I said. Rumor didn't seem to wait that long. Then again, from my understanding, what happened was rare, if not a one time occurrence. It wouldn't surprise me if word had already gotten outside the school's walls. Or at least, wasn't getting there.
"It's already well-known that a commoner was summoned as a familiar," she said, her aura showing happiness. She was clearly a bright and energetic young adult. I saw a part of me in her, before my transformation into a Demon Hunter. I did frown slightly a commoner, though.
"I'm not exactly sure 'common' would be the best word used to describe me," I stated simply. Common. Normal. Not words used to describe any Demon Hunter, really. Most people would consider the price to high. To steep in its cost for any 'normal' person to pay.
"But you can't use magic, can you?" The question was simple, and straightforward. But it wasn't one that I could answer honestly. If this world truly knew nothing of fel magic, then it would be for the best that it was kept that way. But for many of my abilities, there was no other explanation besides magic.
"Yes, and no," I said. "The magic I use is not something that can be taught, nor is it something passed down from generation to generation. To obtain it, you have to be willing to pay the price." My tone was serious, meant to discourage her from even attempting to follow in my footsteps. It was people like her that were my cause for doing this. If me making the sacrifice was what to took to stop others from doing the same, then I'd gladly make it. That was something that some members of my family never did understand.
Before I could continue, a voice broke through our conversation. It was the Earth mage from yesterday. And he had his massive familiar in his lap, practically petting it like an oversized cat.
"Is my cake here yet?" even through the chatting, his voice was quite clear. It did have a bit of smugness to it. Right, that must mean she was some type of servant. A cook or a maid, prephase?
"I'm sorry I distracted you from your job. But can I get your name?" I asked, bowing slightly. She looked like a nice girl. A little soft, and hopefully, she would stay that way.
"My name is Siesta," the girl smiled happily, before rushing off. Her aura seemed to change though as he approached the mage. Distrust? Or at the least, some form of resentment. If my understanding was correct, nobles could wield magic, while everyone else couldn't. I was going to need to talk to her about it later. Because if these nobles were anything like those in the history books, then they likely tried to force things that they thought was 'their right' to take. Maybe I would meet one. It certainly would be a nice form of practice, putting them in their place would be quite fun.
At this point though, I had pretty much scoured the grounds. The lack of demons was frustrating. I wanted to hunt. I needed to test if my skills were still sharp. I had to get some type of challenge. Even if it was only a little one.
And once again, I nearly bumped into someone else. This is exactly why I want to test my skills. This was the second time today! I was losing my edge!
"Sir Guchie." The girl's head was moving back and forth, trying to locate someone. I paused, as an aura suddenly flared up in panic. Interesting. Sir Guchie didn't appear to be so noble after all.
"I do believe your Sir Guchie is over that way," I jabbed my finger behind me. Her aura lit up with joy like a rocket, and her body did as well, racing right around me. I wonder if she even saw my gesture. Part of me honestly felt bad about this, but oh well.
The resulting conflict was hysterical. Guchie was pretty much caught red handed. Watching him trying to bumble his way out of it was even better. What's the phrase? Hell hath no fury, or something like that? One way or another the sudden smack to the face was certainly worth it. Everyone else was laughing, except for Guchie. He slowly pulled himself up to his feet, clearly humiliated.
"You did this!" Guchie shouted pointing his finger at me. If I had eyes, I would have rolled them with amusement. This was sad. And maybe, if I played my cards right, the stress relief I needed.
"You did this to yourself, really. Thinking it was a good idea to date two girls at once was all on you," I smirked. "I have better things to worry about that a teenagers wounded pride." I turned around, acting like I was simply going to leave, and Guchie's aura grew brighter with anger. A crowd had grown around us, which made leaving somewhat difficult. I didn't want to use my wings for something so trivial.
"I challenge you to a duel!" Guchie proclaimed, pointing some type of magical device at me. I forced my grin down. So easy.
"What type of duel? The pistols at dawn type?" I turned around, glaring, faking anger. "Or the type where I shove my foot so far up your ass, you'll be puking up my toenails!" Multiple people in the crowd gasped, likely due to my harsh language. Even Guchie seemed to pause at the sudden outburst, though he recovered rather quickly.
"You are commoner, and only a familiar spirit. Yet you insult me, and above all, you made two ladies cry!" He shouted. The boy had a talent for showmanship, I could give him that much.
"I'm pretty sure they were more mad than anything else. I wonder what that says about you, Casanova," I taunted. No way he understood the meaning, but it was still a good jab nevertheless. Guchie's rage was overflowing his aura, making look like a small volcano. Most of the people that had encircled us chuckled.
"You'd better be ready for this! I'll wait for you at Vestry Field!" He stormed off as I chuckled. That was easy. All I needed to do was take my time and…
"What do you think you're doing!" Louise shouted in my ear. I had apparently been very distracted to not notice her arrival. She suddenly grabbed my hand, trying to pull me along. I stayed put. Surprisingly, the girl had some strength in her. Not enough to make me move, but certainly notable.
"First, there is no need to shout when you are standing right next to me. Second, no," I brought my right hand up. The girl couldn't have weight more than a hundred pounds. Lifting her off the ground was easy. Louise balked in shock, letting go of my arm.
"This is going to happen one of two ways, Louise. First, you do not come watch the most exciting thing that is going to happen today. Second, you do come watch the most exciting thing that is going to happen today," I glared down at her. "And unlike what you try to do with me, I'm going to give you a choice in the matter." With that, I simply turned around and made my way to Vestry Field, following Guchie's aura.
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"I compliment you for not running away," Guchie taunted. The same ring was back. In fact, it was larger than ever, with even a few servants watching a distance, including Siesta.
"Why would I run away from you? You're the one swinging out of your weight class," I taunted back, before looking around. No, the people were too close.
"Everyone step back!" I shouted. "I really don't want anyone caught in the crossfire!" At crossfire, the runes on my body started to glow, fel energy meeting adrenaline in my veins. The chaotic power flowed through my body, after long last.
"Valerie, I command you to stop!" Louise shouted. I was already annoyed with her attempted interference. The fel-energy pumping through my veins was making it far worse.
"If you had something to make me stop, you would have already used it, little girl," I ground out, trying to keep myself from snapping in a fit of rage.
"I am your,"...
"Master!" I bellowed, turning around, eyes burning with fel-fire. "You have no right to call yourself my master! The only person with that right Lord Illidan Stormrage! You are so pathetic, that despite you being the strongest person here, your nickname is Zero! Do you have that little control over your powers!" The fire within me kept getting brighter and brighter, as my anger reached an ever increasing blaze. Louise stared at me, completely and utterly silent, as did everyone else around me. I turned around.
"Pathetic. Let me show you what someone was the ability to actually control power looks like," I removed the two warglaives from my back, stepping forward. "As for you Guchie, show me what you got."
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Remember kids, don't do Fel. It turns you into rage monsters.
Seriously though, Valerie and Louise aren't going to get along. At all. Valerie is twelve years older than Louise, and ten of those twelve years were a mixture of active combat against the Legion, and training. As far as Valerie is concerned, Louise is a spoiled brat who has given nothing. To Louise, Valerie has a problem with authority, and has no respect for her betters.
I hope you all enjoy, and I'll see you next time.