The Inquisitor and the Zero
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I own neither the worlds of Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero, I would be rich otherwise and not working a dead end job.
A beautiful Spring morning at the Tristain Academy of Magic. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and a cool breeze wafted across the school grounds. A large gathering of students in one of the many courts, signified the traditional summoning of the Second Year students' familiars.
A tall, balding man stood at the head of the group. Clothed in robes and a staff held tightly in his right hand. The glasses adorning his face were a testament to the long hours of research and grading papers late into the night.
Professor Jean Colbert sighed, it looked as though all the students had summoned their familiars and had already begun bonding with the various creatures assembled. He cast his gaze about the assembled group, looking in hopes that this trying ordeal could be over. "Has everyone summoned a familiar now?" He called out. He had expected a round of young students nodding in affirmation, instead one student sounded out above the murmurs.
"Louise hasn't yet professor!" A loud, flirtatious voice called out. He knew immediately that it came from the Germania born member of Zerbst family. Turning again, this time attempting to locate the Vallière student known for being a hard case in learning practical magic. When he finally locked eyes with the young woman, he gave her a knowing look and gave her a gesture to begin her summoning.
The girl shifted uncomfortably, but relented. As she neared the circle, Colbert could hear the taunting a and teasing of the other students. He shook his head at this. No matter the year, there is always a few that were teased or tormented by the majority of the student body. A sad reality and try as he might, he couldn't put an end to it on his own. "What's wrong Louise? Weren't you going to summon an amazing familiar that would put my Flame to shame?"
This seemed to have the desired effect of goading the petite girl on. She whirled around to face the Germanian with a fire in her eyes, "Just you wait and see Zerbst! My familiar will be far more beautiful and amazing than you're salamander!"
Professor Colbert nearly forgot the level of rivalry that the two families had. This type of animosity was only ever present between feuding nobility that were always trying to outdo the other. He had to shake his head in dismay, political rivalries never interested him as much as researching things that could benefit the whole of the country or world.
With a flourish of the young Vallière's wand, she began her incantation. 'My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe!"
Colbert nearly balked at the way she began her summoning, the incantation was no missed by the student body present for this. It was unorthodox to say the least. The implications of such an invocation could be too great to imagine at this time. "My divine, beautiful and powerful spirit! I wish for you with all my heart! Answer my call and appear!"
A flash of light and a concussive blast followed, far different from the way the other students but the end result was all that mattered. A large cloud of dust hung in the air. Professor Colbert was about to raise his staff to dispel the dust when the teasing started.
"As expected from the Zero."
"She summoned an explosion!"
"Even is she summoned something it's probably dead after that!"
"She's little better than a commoner with her Zero success rate!"
It nearly broke his heart to hear all this jeering, he even could see the girl in question begin to doubt herself as well. A noise could be hear, it was faint at first but a groan and shuffling of what sounded like metal armor. Without thinking he raised his staff and created a small gust of wind to blow away the dirt and dust. When the dust settled, there in the center of a small crater was man clad in golden armor and an ivory colored hood over his head. He was kneeling as though he had been dealt a heavy blow.
Slowly he rose to his feet, standing only slightly taller than the one that summoned him. Professor Colbert couldn't get a good look at the man's face due to the hood, but Jean could tell he was young. Perhaps a little older than young miss Vallière, but still young enough to be considered a young man. Several strands of dark hair could be seen drifting down over the young man's face. Looking closer, Colbert could see the intricate engraved and sculpted armor set was not something one would see on a lowly foot soldier. This warrior, carried not a sword but a long, bladed stave. It looked as though it was a war axe at first with the broad bladed head and the pointed pommel; upon further inspection one could see it was definitely meant to be a staff. It's intimidation factor didn't do much to calm his nerves at this fact either.
Using staff as an assist to help himself stand, he shakily stood. The students began to murmur, mostly things about the poor girl hiring him to be her familiar. Shaking himself from his stupor, Colbert moved to stand between his student and the stranger. "Miss Vallière," he started, "I'm going to see if he is violent. Make no sudden movement until I call for you." He waited for her to acknowledge him, when she did he moved to confront the younger man.
"En'an'sal'en shem'len," the stranger spoke.
Colbert was unsure of the nature of the stranger's language but thought enough to speak in the Tristain tongue to get his attention. "I'm sorry sir, I don't understand that language." Oddly enough the Stranger tilted his head to the side, either confused or in understanding.
The stranger straightened his posture and spoke back, "It is quite all right. I did not realize I was in a place that speaks the Orlesian language." From this close up, the professor could see that the younger man had tattoos on his face, or what little of his face that could be seen.
"Do you know where you are? Why you are here?" The professor asked.
The stranger thought for a moment, "I don't know. This is saying a lot as I am well traveled throughout Orlais and Ferelden. Yet in my life I've never laid eyes on a place such as this. Where is this place?"
"You are in the country of Tristain on the continent of Halkeginia." The good teacher was truly intrigued. The stranger had mentioned two nations he had never heard of. He had wanted to learn more but a slight shuffling behind him brought him back to reality. Turning to his student, professor Colbert beckoned to his student to his side. "I am professor Jean Colbert. I am a teacher here at the Tristain Academy of Magic. This is the student that apparently summoned you."
The young girl approached the two men and gave the taller man in armor a scowl that could kill a druffalo. "I am Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière," she declared with a haughty tone in her voice. From her position, Louise could see more of the man's face. He did in fact have tattoos all over his face, intricate and in many lines and patterns showing leaves and tree branches. If she had to admit to herself, they were almost beautiful. She turned to professor Colbert with an eyebrow raised, "Professor, a human, much less a commoner has never been summoned before. What am I going to do?"
"It's simple Louise," he said with a confident air. "You summoned him. Complete the ritual and contract him as your familiar."
The two in question, Louise and the stranger looked at Colbert as though he had grown a second head. "What!" They both exclaimed with obvious incredulousness.
Louise looked from the stranger to her teacher, obviously not sure what to do. The armored man looked hard at the man who had made the statement, "Have I no say in this? I was in to middle of looking for someone, I cannot take time to babysit a child."
"It is either you become her familiar, or miss Vallière is expelled from this school." There was a hint of finality in that statement as Louise weighed her options. The "Rule of Steel" her very own mother made her live by told her to press forward, despite this obvious set back. If she didn't do this, she would have to leave in disgrace. She would be little better than a commoner. There was only a moment's hesitation as she began the final ritual.
"Pentagon of the five elements," she quoted. Gaining the attention from the two men. "Bless this creature and make him my familiar." She reached up with both hands and gripped the man's head. "Be greatful," she stated with a grumble. "A commoner would never get something like this from a noble." With that, she kissed him. To say the man was startled at first was an understatement. It wasn't a deep and passionate kiss, in fact barely a little peck on the lips but it was enough to grab his attention.
He blinked, this girl just kissed him on a whim. He had just gotten his footing back when the skin under his right gauntlet began to itch. It was annoying at first, but slowly built itself up from that to a burning pain. He gripped his hand, trying to scream in pain before his consciousness was lost to darkness.
Author's Note:
And with that, I leave you all with this cliffhanger. A big thanks to AzrielIlluminare, Dungeon Wyrm, amituhuran and RazedragonOAO for following and/or favoriting this story. Please read, review or tell me how bad I've gotten over the course of... Wow, 12 years. Boy I feel rusty.
Image used for the staff description: https/heroesofda/hero-art/