-Hey! Early chapter, I guess. I've had a lot of inspiration to write while going through the history of FoZ, finally getting to know the characters better than just through other fanfictions. And watching the anime, too. Dear god, the slapstick comedy is ridiculous. Without further ado...-
CHAPTER TWO: OF DREAMS AND DEATHS
-Northeast of Vales, in a bloodstained battlefield, four hundred two years ago-
''THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS!''
The assembled force of giants had taken ranks for their King, ready for whatever speech he may give to them. While he was normally one for action rather than talk, the enemy they were headed out to face required a bit of... a morale boost, as she could remember.
''March with me if you believe there's any hope for us against this onslaught against one of our most hated enemies! March for those who cannot march with us: for those who have lost their lives in the initial attacks, for your elders and children who cannot fight! March for the memory of our legacy and our ancestors!" She'd never thought of Krug as such a charismatic figure, more along the lines of a brute who had seized power. While he had the previous king of the Giants murdered, the past would have to wait. The present was all that mattered. With an ear-shattering war cry, he led his people to battle against one of their most hated foes: the great white wyrm Languhiris.
Blood once again stained the snow of Vales, where the winter never ended and the cries of the wounded and dying were drowned out by the howling of the wind. Charging into battle alongside her comrades, she whirled around with her blade, Brionac, trying to hamstring the beast's rear legs as to cripple it. One strong slash was all it would take to punch through even the toughest hide and slice at the vulnerable flesh below, and one strong slash was all that was needed as a shrill shriek of pain filled the air. Slipping to the side, she was able to take a quick leap up and begin slicing at its wings.
Or at least, that was the intent. Seeing her goal, the wyrm rolled to its side, throwing her off and flattening several soldiers on its left flank with multiple resounding cracks and squelching sounds.
''More letters to write home...'', she thought to herself as she recovered from the landing, quickly moving to wound its other rear leg. However, it was not to be. Seeing her intent, the dragon took off to fight another day after licking its wounds, its swift launch causing the remaining soldiers to be blown back. With a sigh, she turned to examine what was left of their forces and do healing, if necessary.
''Come on, get up. We need to leave this mess and get somewhere far away from this.''
X-X-X
-Present time, Naminé's POV-
Far away indeed... though she had no idea how far away she really was. Dead, to move on to an afterlife far away from her people? Or alive by some miracle or fluke of fate? She could not tell, as she currently resided in her own mind, her body wracked with pain and knowing she was unable to do anything about it.
Are you sure?
Startled, she wrenched her head to the side, seeing shadows moving about the area, appearing as if they were treating the wounded or dead.
''She's incredibly lucky her spine was missed: she'd be dead or paralysed, not to mention all the blood loss.''
Who were these people talking? Were they referring to her? Was she actually dead?
''She looks like a corpse anyways, Professor. No amount of healing magic will save her.''
Something she already knew, until a very familiar voice stepped in.
''This is my familiar we're speaking of here! I will not be shamed by having you louts stand around speaking as if she were worth nothing! ESPECIALLY from you, Zerbst!'' As far as she could tell, the familiar voice was arguing with one much older than her. She figured she was right: swords through the neck were known to be fatal for a wide range of reasons: cutting of the windpipe, blood filling the lungs, severed major arteries, spinal cord injury or destruction... How she avoided several of these was unknown, apparently.
''Excuse me? You said you needed a healer?'' A distorted yet unmistakably female voice joined the fray, silencing the others. An almost audible silence followed, before the original voice sounded again, aggravated and worried.
''One healer. ONE HEALER THEY SENT? Tabitha's barely keeping her breathing as is, and she's a Triangle-class Ice mage! What could you do?''
''I am a Square-class water mage. Word was sent that I was needed, and I was the only one on hand. Allow me to work.''
She suddenly felt the hole in her neck closing, flesh stitching together and bone righting itself, though some things would not heal for a long time. She doubted she'd be able to speak, but she was somehow alive, despite all these terms being unfamiliar to her and her sheer bewilderment at her situation.
I'd be confused too.
Groaning, Naminé turned to the other side, expecting yet another shadow. However, this person had a solid shape, one that was also familiar.
I didn't expect to see you here, but fate has its ways of bringing people together. And I left you with a gift, remember? I want to see you live if for no other reason than curiosity as to what you do with it.
How? He had died, slain by one of the weapons she wielded, renowned specifically for being a slayer of gods! How was the shadow god still alive?
Technically I'm not. The spirit He infused in you left a part of the original in as well, and it seems only now have I awakened. I would advise doing the same: you have a lot ahead of you, child.
And that was what disturbed her: he could call her a child without flinching whatsoever. He had lived for eons, merely wanting to see his people through the way that she did, taking on his role after his destruction. No longer a guardian for humans, or even for elves and giants, but for the Fomorians as well. She was effectively the child of light and dark: Neamhain and Cichol, allowing her ascension to demigod.
And she wasn't done yet, so she had to wake up and face this new world.
X-X-X
-Louise POV-
Who had interrupted, she wasn't sure. All she knew is that the cloaked woman had healed her famili- summon, and had done so with ease nearly unprecedented. Such abilities even with an advanced focus would take years of practice, yet the woman could not have been more than a few years older than her!
''Maybe I really am just a failure, a Zero.'' And yet here she was, having summoned a human familiar, unprecedented in the history of Halkeginia! Not since the time of Brimir himself had there been a human summon, and Professor Colbert had already seemed enthralled by the idea. He had urged her to finish the binding, but she had refused on the grounds that further pain might have caused the woman further unnecessary pain for the moment. She groaned, thinking on the past situation and current situation. However, the groan seemed strange, almost as if a second, raspier voice accompanied it.
''Louise. Familiar waking up.''
That shocked her out of her trance, and true to the word of the Gallian, the woman in black was finally awakening. Three days after the arrival of the square-class water mage who had closed the gaping wound in her neck. For the moment, however, she had present matters to attend to, and the past did not matter.
''Can you fill a glass with water, Tabitha? She might need it.'' Midway through said sentence, Tabitha was already acting, channelling the vapor in the air to create fluid water for the woman, interrupted by a rasping cough.
''Here. Drink slowly. Throat damaged.''
The woman nodded weakly in thanks, taking the glass and slowly sipping before coughing once more.
''Rest.''
What was she to do with a bedridden familiar? She was awake, but she still had to rest up. The sound of scribbling on parchment once again interrupted her train of thought, causing Louise to almost angrily turn before she saw the language the woman was writing in with the ink and parchment on the side desk.
Germanian. The one language she never studied, and the delicate handwriting made it all the worse. She'd have to call Kirche in, unfortunately.
''Wait a minute, I'll get a translator. KIRCHE! Get your fat udders in here!'' Just because she needed her didn't mean she'd have to like it.
''Hang on, sweetie~! What do we have here?'' With a light smack, Louise got Kirche out of her love-teasing mode and into a slightly more serious mode. ''Looks like the dead woman walking isn't quite so dead after all! What do you need me for?''
''She's writing in Germanian, and I don't know it.''
The redhead's eyes lit up, and she looked over the paper, seeing what it read.
Where am I?
''Well that's a simple answer! You're in the Tristainian Magical Academy, finest in all of Halkeginia! Kirche von Anhalt-Zerbst at your service, my looovely lady~! Might I ask your name?''
The answer caused Kirche to almost laugh, before she took a good look at the raven-haired woman.
Naminé Engel von Theissen.
''Naminé Engel von Theissen? Don't make me laugh. She's a figure out of a story! C'mon, be honest here. What're you doing here? Did the Zero hire you?''
Excuse me?
The woman sat up, glaring daggers into Kirche with her eyes even as Louise sputtered in protest, resisting every urge to break something of Kirche's. However, the redhead endured it and simply laughed in Naminé's face.
''Really. You're gonna double down on it? Fine by me, but don't expect to be taken seriously.''
Can you show me a map?
''Sure, why the hell not. Louise, the Angel wants a map.'' The sudden moniker confused Louise, but she gestured for one of the servants to fetch a map. With a sigh, she sat down next to her summon, curious as to what she had gotten herself into. I ask for a familiar, ANY familiar, and all I get is a mute commoner? They're already accusing me of hiring her, faking the ritual... but that sort of presence was an oddity. How did she get wounded?''
These questions would have to wait, unfortunately. A decent map would take time to obtain, and until then she was unsure of what to do. With another long-winded sigh, she curled up on the chair next to the summon's bed and dozed off, the raven-haired woman watching over her with a curious stare.
X-X-X
-Naminé's POV, an hour later-
It was as she thought: this was not her world. Albion, an island to the west bordered Tristain, which was where she currently was. To the north and east was Germania, a country composed of ''barbarians and brutes'', though from her impression of Kirche they were more free-spirited and light hearted compared to their neighbors. To the south was Gallia, a country of equal size, yet the most populous, with fifteen million people living there. Even further south was Romania, the religious centre of the continent. She had yet to ask how the governments of each country worked, but seeing as there were nobles commanding servants she assumed that there was a monarchy of some sort. More importantly was figuring out WHY she was here. A question she wanted to ask, but for that...
She looked around, seeing only the peach-haired girl from earlier. While she could understand her language, she had not yet regained her ability to speak. With little other options, she tapped into her currently drained supply of mana, barely managing to establish a link.
''Wake up. You've been sleeping for awhile.''
Immediately the girl sat up in shock, looking around but not seeing anyone but Naminé. Turning her chair to her, the little girl piped up in a somewhat frightened voice.
''Was anyone else here?''
''No. I'm sorry for waking you like that, I have some questions to ask yo-''
''Ask me? How about I ask you HOW YOU'RE T-''
Sitting up, she leaned over to cover the girl's mouth with one of her hands, before gesturing for her to be quiet. She'd have to remember that the girl was somewhat excitable. ''Shh. I already introduced myself earlier,but I do not know who you are, nor my circumstances here.''
Nodding slowly, the girl kept her voice down a bit more this time. ''Louise-Francoise de Blanc de la Valliére, the one who summoned you to be my familiar. You arrived with...'', the girl paused for a moment, recalling the still vivid image of Naminé with a wound through her throat, ''...a terrible injury, and we've kept you here since then. Someone arrived and completely healed it, before taking off to Brimir knows where. Tabitha could only-''
''Hold on. Brimir? Brimir Tilaunis?'' Naminé seemed stunned, recalling the name of someone she thought had disappeared a long, long time go, but judging from their reactions had came here and ascended.
''Yes, the Holy Founder, Brimir Tilaunis, creator of magic and the sole Void mage in our history. How could you not know this? You're from Germania, aren't you?''
A shake of her head told Louise that she wasn't, in fact, and that she seemed lost in thought. ''Brimir was one of the first of us, and that was... What year is it now, Miss Louise?''
''6242,'' Louise intoned with an incredulous look. How could this woman not know what year it was? Unless...
''Are you from Halkeginia, familiar?''
''No, I am not. I would like to see the stars to confirm my suspicions, however.''
-Outside the infirmary, near the Vestri Courtyard-
-Louise's POV-
Louise watched the awed face of her familiar as she gazed at the stars for the first time and had to suppress a small smile, watching Naminé nearly tracing the constellations with her fingers, before gazing at the twin moons. She'd come to terms with the fact that she was somehow being spoken to without words, the soft and bell-like voice asking questions at an almost nonstop pace. She felt happy, being able to answer questions. She felt useful, like more than a Zero. Eventually, however, she had to come to terms with something.
''What does a familiar do?''
It seemed like a silly question, but Louise had felt unusually patient with Naminé and decided to humor her with an answer.
''A familiar is summoned through the Springtime Summoning Ritual, created by Brimir himself nearly six thousand years ago. A familiar is bound to serve the master in whatever endeavours and trials they endure, protecting them and being a companion for life. Normally an animal of some sort is conjured, but...'', she trailed off, showing how unusual the situation was.
''Normally a being without free will.'' Louise gave a mute nod, unsure of how to broach the subject. Thankfully, the raven-haired woman decided to speak up first.
''You saved my life, which is a debt that I would like to repay. By saving mine, I would protect yours. But there are a few things to be said first. I would like to approach our relationship as partners and not a master-servant relationship. Is this acceptable?''
Louise was stunned for two reasons. On one hand, Naminé was asking of something unheard of, defying the tenets she was brought up on and speaking up against a noble, which she could not stand for! On the other hand...
She spoke with such grace that she had rarely heard even from other nobles, and needed someone to be there. Even if she couldn't cast magic and live up to her own reputation as a noble, she would take up the original values of a noble: ones who protected and served the commoners, if Naminé could even be called one.
''...Okay. We'll need to finish the binding, then.'' A nod of understanding, and Naminé gave her consent for the ritual to be completed. Taking out her wand, she held it in one hand, before moving closer to the raven-haired woman.
''My name is Louise-Francoise de Blanc de la Valliére. Pentagon that rules the five powers, bless this individual and make her my familiar.'' And with that, she moved in to kiss Naminé, a move that caused her to freeze up for a moment before she watched her familiar's runes begin to scribe themselves onto her hand.
I'm sorry, she mouthed, having forgotten briefly the pain that it caused. A pained smile reassured her, however, and she watched the runes complete themselves, causing her new familiar to briefly glow.
I'm no longer a failure. I saved someone's life, and now have someone who will live for me. Thank you, Founder, wherever you are now, for blessing me during a time of need, and for saving this woman.
X-X-X
-And so curiosity and loyalty win out for our Milletian, bringing maybe a non-bratty Louise into the story! While her excessive pride will still make itself known at some points, I couldn't see any rational human being beginning to scream at someone who arrived nearly dead after they make it clear that they are unaware of their circumstances. Not to say that OTHER characters will have their personalities changed... I'm going to enjoy writing her interactions with some more of the main cast. I also gave Brimir a last name. The question is... how does our Milletian know him before Louise mentions him by name?
Oh, and everyone's favorite Shadow God, Cichol, is still breathing. Well, not breathing, but we'll see what he's doing later on in Naminé's head. Until later, then!
-M-
