Summoning the Sun
Chapter 02
"It is undeniable that the spirits possess a magic greater than that given to us by the Founder, but it is just as undeniable that the spirits have no interest in the affairs of humans" - Bishop Lestrade, Treatises on Magic, page 67, chapter XI
Tsukuyomi's doppelganger and its sibling had ebbed behind the lands, but her own domain still remained deep behind the distant lands. It was the time of twilight, when both cold light of Tsukuyomi and the warmth of her domain were denied to her. But even then, she could feel her link to it within her being. It was a tenuous thing, an echo of what she had once been, but it was still a familiar connection to her realm as inviolate as the heavens itself. It was a foolish thing to fear the loss of, for her very domain was also the center of her being, sustaining her existence as she sustained it. But this land was beyond her memory, beyond her knowledge gathered from her endless flight across the heavens in times long since past. It was a strange land, new, with many unfamiliar beings she had not glimpsed before.
Strange and unfamiliar, but also one that intrigued her. She brought her thoughts to the maidservant from Nippon, pondering on what tale there would be of her forefathers journey to this place. Was he a traveller who had simply left his ancestral home, or was it a tale of stranger fates? Would the maidservant know the truth? It would be a simple matter to ask, were she able to converse in the human tongue. She flicked an ear in mild amusement at the thought, the language of humans were base and simple compared to those of spirit, yet her current form prevented such communication. To speak as a human, she required human form, and such... she huffed.
It was far too soon, and she was still far too weak to consider such measures. Even with the wellspring of faith the young dragon had placed within her, it would be the work of many days before she could regain a fraction of what she had truly been...
Her tail swished, trailing with it the echoes of her will upon creation. To her surprise, her domain resisted the beckoning, its acknowledgement of her birthright a tenuous thing that was slow to answer. Such should not be, she thought in consternation; how long had she been beyond her domain that it should become so distant to her? A shiver ran through her body as she called upon her limited reserves, creation bending to her wishes as she willed her birthright to manifest itself. Only a fraction of a fraction did she pour into her will, yet far more than such a simple call should have needed. A moment passed in silent concern, and then she felt her call answered, the bonds between her spirit and domain solidifying to what it once should have been.
It did not come immediately, such things were never her way. But with quickening speed, faster than it would be on its own accord, she felt her domain rise from beyond the horizon, banishing the darkness of night with its ascent. She stretched in pleasure, feeling the warmth of light upon her body. It was a needless act, one that served no great purpose save that it solidified the connection to her domain, lifting her spirits as her body warmed to its light.
But as her domain rose, so too did voices begin to sift through the air. Human voices, too indistinct for even her ears to interpret their words, but not enough for their tone to be missed.
A brief, mischievous streak filled her as she heard the confused and annoyed tones amongst more than one faint voice, directed doubtlessly at the unexpected early day. But she quelled the thought to send her domain back beneath the skies. It would be improper to confuse the humans so with such a blatant misuse of her powers. Despite the similarities of her current form to certain other spirits, she was not a trickster.
Padding noiselessly across the stone roof of the castle, she made her way to her young summoner's room, easily leaping from balcony to balcony until she arrived at the correct one. Even without entering the room, her ears easily caught the rhythmic breathing of her spirit user through the open window, a simple sign that the child still slumbered despite the beginnings of the day.
She chuffed in amusement at the sight. A guardian and companion this one had sought out, reaching to forbidden places and risking its guardians to entreat her service. And yet for the strength of her need, of her deepest desire, it was now clear to Shiranui that the little one did not find joy as the white wolf did in the early ascent of her domain.
Perhaps, she thought with the awakenings of mischievous amusement, she could correct that.
Louise was not a morning person. She was studious, punctual and hardworking (her academic grades were all well earned) but she was not the sort of person who greeted the sun by springing out of bed full of energy. Instead, she would meet the early morning light by turning over and covering her head with her blankets. It wasn't that she was lazy, most certainly not, but the blankets and her bed were warm against the chill spring air. A few more minutes spent snuggled inside her comfortable bedding could certainly be justified.
So it was with a small amount of irritation that she felt something small and cold prodding her on the nose. The diminutive Valliere grumbled and mewed in annoyance, turning over in her bed as she did so. But the cold presence was back, this time on her neck. She burrowed deeper into her blankets, trying to leave behind the annoyance. She sighed in contentment as the cold thing vanished, and then suddenly stiffened as it was replaced by a wet rasping sensation down her neck!
"Fugwaah!"
She bolted upright with an undignified shriek, throwing off her covers with one swift motion, the other hand rapidly flailing about at the unseen assailant. Unsurprisingly, she struck nothing in her sleep-hazed swings. After a few more futile swipes, the Valliere scion eventually stopped and blinked her bleary eyes, just as an indistinct white blob swam into view and blinked back at her.
"Waagh!" Louise jerked back with a frightened screech more befitting a startled bird than a member of nobility before the blob resolved into a more familiar shape.
"Familiar!" She cried out with a mixture of relief and annoyance as the white wolf whined inquisitively at her. "You, you-" suddenly the source of that wet rasping became apparent to her and any further words simply died unspoken. "You dog!" She snatched for her bedside handkerchief, wiping away at her wet and now chilly neck. Rationally, she knew that her familiar was an animal and would behave according to its instincts, albeit with the obedience any familiar would have. Being licked was hardly anything to get in a huff over; why, Cattleya's menagerie of animals often behaved similarly, and she had no shortage of that experience.
But rationality took a poor second place in the face of having her neck covered in drool the first thing in the morning as she glared down at her familiar. "Don't do-" she paused, a small voice in the back of her head telling her that something wasn't quite right. "Don't-" she tried again, only for that voice to come back, a little more insistent.
That was when she realized just how bright the light coming in through her balcony door was. It certainly wasn't the pale light of dawn, more like that of mid-morning. Her mouth opened in a wide 'O' of dismay. Goodness, was it that late already? A bolt of panic ran through her, she was going to miss her classes- wait. This was the day after the summoning ceremony; there weren't supposed to be any classes, to give the students time to become properly acquainted themselves with their familiars.
But still it was late, a quick glance at her mantelpiece clock showed it to be seven; she had already missed-
Wait.
The clock was at seven. The minute hand advanced by a fraction, as if to mock her first assumption that it had wound down.
Louise blinked, turning her head back towards the balcony, where bright sunlight was streaming through. She sighed in annoyance. Confounded blacksmith, lying to her about the clock's 'accurate' timekeeping.
She looked back at the wolf, who was gazing at her with an expectant look. It barked once, pointing a nose first at the clock, then at the balcony as if to emphasize the time. Louise frowned, lifted a scolding finger for ill mannered impertinence, took a deep breathe, and then let it out with a grumbling sigh. "Couldn't you have a more elegant way of waking me up?" She complained plaintively.
She knew it was a ridiculous request; even with its otherworldly appearance, her familiar was after all still just a wolf. Yet somehow the bark she got in response seemed far too mischievous for her liking.
Something was wrong. Louise could feel the growing sense of unease within her chest, but she wasn't able to pinpoint what it was as she walked down the corridors of sleepy-faced students. It was as if something was missing.
"Good morning, Louise~!"
Oh, perfect. Louise suppressed a sigh as the unease in her chest was replaced with simpler and far more understandable annoyance. It made perfect sense to her that the wary feelings she'd been getting the whole morning were caused entirely by that person.
"Good morning, Kirche," came the stiff reply as she turned to face her nemesis, trying not to react to the too-cheerful tone in the Zerbst's words. Kirche-senses tingling or not, she wasn't going to make it easy for the shameless Germanian to provoke her.
The Zerbst sashayed down the hallway with her flame-tailed familiar in tow, but rather than acknowledge the reply and walk past Louise, the taller redhead came to a stop in front of her with a speculative smile on her face.
"What do you want, Kirche?"
Kirche pressed a hand against her chest and puffed it out, deliberately Louise bet, as she put on a faux-hurt expression. "Why, only to exchange pleasantries of course, I'm no barbarian," she grinned, "but I am surprised to see you up so early."
"Only you would think it's 'early'." She replied haughtily, glowering at the tanned redhead. Despite the fact that it was already mid-morning and she had washed up, she still felt as if she could do with another hour or more in bed. Having Kirche, of all people, rub it in only annoyed her further.
The redhead tsked, placing a palm on her cheek as she did so. "Poor, poor Louise. Zero magic, and also zero observational skills."
"What are you blathering about this time?" Louise growled, her left eyebrow twitching at the familiar insult,
"Look out the window Valliere," she replied simply, "The sun is a little higher than it should be for this hour, don't you think?"
Louise gaped. Out of all the possible replies she had imagined, this one hadn't been among them. "What nonsense are you talking about? The sun is the sun, it doesn't just move about at a whim! Have all your brains go into that shameless chest of yours?"
The wolf beside her dipped its head and whined inquisitively, but Louise ignored it, focusing on her rival instead.
"Honestly Louise, you make so many remarks on these," she folded her arms under her breasts, puffing them out for emphasis, "that one could easily think you're quite jealous of my assets."
Louise felt her cheeks go incandescent. "W-w-w-what!" She practically shrieked, "I am NOT jealous of your ridiculously huge breasts! They're so large, I bet they sag!"
"Oh, but Johann didn't think so," Kirche tittered, setting her breasts to jiggling with a well-timed flounce, "And neither did Pierre, Keith, Phillipe, or-"
"Enough! I won't hear anymore of your shameless corruption of Tristain's nobility!" Louise stabbed an accusing finger at her rival. "You Zerbsts are all the same, stealing from your betters."
"Tch Louise, I'm no thief," She pouted, but the wide grin came back a second later. "They were all quite willing to come to me on their own. Maybe if you Tristanians were not quite so prudish, Zero, your ancestor's fiance might not have run away..."
Louise closed her mouth with an audible click. She was not going to succumb to this hussy's goading. She was not going to give her the pleasure. She was not grinding her teeth. No, no no. That was just some workmen grinding mortar. Clearly. "W-well!" You can't say that I'm a zero now! I summoned a familiar after all, so that means I'm a proper mage. So there."
"Well~," Kirche sing songed, "I'll give that you summoned a familiar alright."
Louise folded her arms and smirked triumphantly.
Kirche's grin widened as she continued. "But even a Zero can get lucky once in her life. I'll bet you ten new gold that your next spell will be a complete and utter failure," she mocked, turning Louise's smirk upside down, "and didn't you say you'd get something better than a dragon? Oh, your wolf is a pretty thing, I'll admit, but not quite so impressive as a fire salamander. Isn't that right, Flame..." The redhead mirrored Louise's now missing smirk as she turned towards her familiar for affirmation, only for the expression to be replaced by one of surprise.
Somehow, without either magi noticing before it happened, the fire salamander had rolled onto its back, flaming tail curled upwards so it didn't set the carpeting on fire. And beside it, the white wolf that was Louise's familiar had placed a paw on its belly.
"Flame..." her voice was flecked with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "what exactly are you doing?"
The question was echoed by Louise, though directed at her familiar instead.
The salamander didn't respond; the creature remained still and unresponsive save for the occasional twitch of its burning tail. But the wolf did, turning its head towards Louise and barking once in response.
Somehow, it sounded triumphant.
Louise eyed the cake in front of her. It was one of her favourites, strawberry and cream, one that she didn't get quite often enough in her opinion. Across the table, her familiar eyed the cake with equal intensity. Louise stared at it. Technically, her familiar shouldn't even be here. The Alvis dining hall was reserved for the students, noble guests of the academy, and the teaching staff of course. Familiars were not permitted by custom, and ate outside in the academy grounds. She had used her position as a Valliere to argue for the exception, and not just because she wanted to show all her detractors that she had succeeded where they had expected her to fail, but also because Kirche. The Germanian had kept giving the wolf disbelieving looks after what had transpired earlier, and she wanted to keep things that way for as long as possible.
Looking at her cake and feeling as if her intentions were being contested, she wondered perhaps if that had been a rash action on her part. Tall enough that even on its haunches its face rose above the table, the wolf stared at the confection. It didn't react when she reached out with a fork to cut off a slice of the cake, but there was something in the look it gave her that prevented her from spearing the confectionery. Patient, watchful, and expectant.
She stared at it for a few seconds longer, before coming to a firm decision. No, it was her cake. The wolf was her familiar, but she was the master. Mages and their familiars shared many things, but masters were the ones who held the rights of what to give their familiars. She was appreciative of what the wolf had done to silence that Germanian hussy, even if she still wasn't clear entirely on what had transpired between the wolf and the fire salamander, which meant a reward of some sort was in order. But not the cake, that was hers.
The wolf stared back.
"I hope you appreciate this." Louise muttered at the wolf as she picked up half of her strawberry and cream cake and pushed it across the table. On the other side, her familiar wolfed down the confection, wagging its tail as it did so. The pinkette huffed, and focused on her own cake. Her familiar had better not get too used to this, she thought between bites. It would give the wrong idea if all it took to erode her will was a staring contest with a wolf.
A few minutes later, when the cake was nothing more than a fond memory, Louise was facing her familiar once more, the wolf having rounded the table to sit at attention before her.
"You're going to need a name, you know." She began without much preamble, the wolf straightening a little more at her words. It cocked its head to the side, letting out an inquisitive whine. "It will have to be certainly something suitably elegant, much more imaginative than that Germanian's pick." She harrumphed, cupping her chin with her fingers, "Flame indeed, hmph, that just goes to show how little thought she puts into things. No, you'll have something better than that. Since you're a..." she frowned, "you know, I never did check whether you were a boy or girl."
The wolf cocked its head, rapidly flicking its ears in what she thought was annoyance.
"A girl maybe?" She hazarded, getting an happy bark as a reply. Louise smiled, pleased with her guess. "A girl then. As for your name, maybe... Josephine would be suitable. Or perhaps Liselle- what's wrong with you?"
Somewhere in between her musings, her familiar had gone from sitting upright to prone on the floor, with her forelegs covering her ears and face. It whined at her.
"You don't like those names?"
She got two barks in rapid succession.
Louise stared, then frowned as she planted her fists on her hips. Her familiar was clearly cleverer than she had first taken it for, if it could understand her intentions and meanings on that level. Most familiars tended only to share an empathic bond with their masters, understanding intent easily enough, but frequently not the nuances like whether a name was objectionable or not. The wolf was clever, but clearly also more willful than she had expected.
She spared a thought or two to chastise her wolf for this minor rebellion, but no. She'd just had cake after all, there was no reason to spoil her good mood. "Well, I can't just keep calling you 'familiar'; you need a name."
Her familiar whined, uncovering her face to paw at the ground with her forelegs.
"I can't understand what you're trying to get at with that. If you can't explain what it is you're trying to say, you'll just have to make do with the names I can come up with."
It was a patently ridiculous challenge of course. The bonds made familiars more able to understand their masters, not the other way around, and she certainly didn't speak wolf.
Rather than acquiesce however, her familiar perked up at the words, looking around for a few seconds before shooting off like an arrow.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!" She cried, half starting from her chair.
But her alarm was short lived as the white wolf only headed for a nearby serving maid, chuffing once to gain the servant's attention. A few barks, a meaningful look and a short tug on the uniform later, Louise found the confused looking maid herded into her presence by the wolf.
"Uhm, is there something you would like me to get for you?" The black haired maid guessed.
"No, my familiar brought you here on her own," she dismissed the maid out of hand, turning her attention to the wolf who was seated between the two of them with a look that was almost pleading. It took a few seconds for her to puzzle out her familiar's intention, but a scowl settled on her face once she did. "I don't know what's gotten into, you silly dog. You're my familiar, and I'm not going to have a commoner name you."
The wolf cocked its head at Louise and huffed, turning to face the maid again and whining inquisitively at her.
"I... I don't know if that is a good idea, she's your master, after all." The maid stammered at the wolf, the response getting more than just a raised eyebrow from Louise. What was the commoner playing at? Could she understand the animal? It was a ridiculous. A rhyme dragon was certainly intelligent enough to converse with humans, but they were all but extinct, and she'd never heard of a rhyme wolf. The other idea, that the maid, a commoner at that, could talk and understand animals was just too far-fetched to believe.
"Just ignore her and get back to your duties or whatever," Louise muttered irritably at the maid before turning on her familiar, "as for you! What in the Founder's name were you thinking by bringing a maid here?"
The wolf huffed at her, flicking its ears and turning back to the maid. It whined, pawing at the ground as the black-haired woman fidgeted.
"You'd better not be saying you want her to name you." Louise grumped, her good mood from that morning starting to dissolve.
"Oh, but that would be just precious to know, now wouldn't it?" A new, but familiar, voice cut in, completing the disintegration of Louise's mood.
"Go away, Kirche," Louise glared at her rival. Oh why couldn't an angry glare shoot lightning bolts? "This is none of your concern."
"Oh pooh Valliere, it looks interesting, so that's enough reason for me." The striking redhead tittered as she sauntered over to the white wolf. "If your familiar doesn't want you naming her, you must have come up with some truly horrible names. And what do you have to say about this then, my fine white wolf? Do you want the maid to name you rather than your master?" She chortled, placing a hand on her chest. "Or perhaps you'd prefer it if I were the one?"
"Zerbst! Y-y-y-you-" Louise sputtered, her face starting to take on the shade of her hair. "How dare you!"
"Very easily, Louise." She replied breezily, turning her attentions to the maid. "What about you, hmm? Do you have a suggestion?"
The maid meeped, nearly jumping back a foot as she shook her head so rapidly it threatened to fly away. "N-no! I would never dare. It's just that..." she clamped her mouth shut.
"That?" Kirche prompted, the question echoed a moment later by Louise, though with more than a tinge of annoyance.
"She resembles a legend from my village." The maid blurted out.
"Oh ho ho!" Kirche chortled, "I am starting to see why your fine wolf here does not want any name you can come up with, Valliere."
Louise stared daggers at her rival. "Hmph! I can certainly think up a better name for my familiar than take it from some no-account village legend. Like Thalia the Brave, or Queen Artu-"
"Oh, but those are human legends," the redhead rebutted with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I bet our maid here has a wolf legend. After all, there may be some truth to it if she can impress Flame so much like she did earlier." She laughed at the happy bark she got in reply.
"So why don't you tell us about this village legend of yours, then, hmm?"
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Louise divided her glare at her rival and familiar, eventually settling on the maid as she debated what to do. On one hand, she wanted to blast the infuriating redhead with a spell or two; only the rules against duelling and her etiquette lessons keeping her from doing so. On the other, she had to wonder what sort of wolf would be impressive enough to get a legend made after it. She sniffed disdainfully; it was probably a tale of some mangy forest wolf attacking bandits or something.
Speaking in a rush, the maid began to tell her tale.
A scant minute or two later, Louise felt her eyebrows trace a skeptical arch all the way up to her forehead. The legend was like nothing she had heard before. An eight headed hydra? The maid had mistakenly called it a dragon, but as an educated mage she knew better of course. Hydras were rare creatures, intelligent as rhyme dragons, and became more powerful and cunning as they grew older and gained more heads. But that was just a minor detail. The maid claimed her legends told of the hydra terrorising the village, demanding live sacrifices to avert its wrath. She also claimed that the legends spoke of a pure white wolf descending from the sun to stop the ritual sacrifice, defeating the hydra with ancient magic spells of fire, wind and lightning, as well as wielding unearthly weapons of great power.
The more she heard, the harder it was for Louise to not just throw up her hands in disgust. What a ridiculous tale! Even for superstitious commoners with no real education to speak of, this was just impossible. Hydras didn't demand sacrifices, once they were old enough, they just rampaged as they pleased. And as for defeating one, why, it took an experienced mage to fight an elder hydra and win. The idea that a single wolf could... wolves couldn't defeat young dragons, much less a hydra, and everyone knew they didn't have magic. Why, even among magical beasts that inhabited Helkaginia, only the now extinct rhyme dragons were able to call upon true magical spells, rather than rely on their innate natures. Never mind the tall tales of defeating hydras, the idea of her wolf being able to use magic, no matter how tempting it was to believe it... that was just impossible. Magic was the gift of Brimir to the nobility, not beasts, and she said as much.
Kirche just chortled in Louise's face, crouching low to face her familiar.
"Well, well, that's certainly quite a legend to live up to, now isn't it? A grand magical creature, with powers great as any mage at its command. And Shiranui as well, what an unusual name. Certainly not Tristanian, but a name from a far away and exotic land perhaps?" The redhead teased, tittering as the wolf wagged its tail and gave a bark of agreement. She wagged a finger. "Well, you'll have a long way to go before you start throwing spells around. Vanquishing villains and saving people is a big undertaking, you know? We may be lacking in hydras around the academy, and the since only dragon around belongs to Tabitha, maybe you should start small at first."
She pursed her lips, eyeing Louise with a speculative gleam.
"Zero-sized."
Louise felt something snap in her head.
I am Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, she told herself. I am the daughter of Karin the Heavy Wind. I have been taught the Rule of Steel. I have endured an entire year of all the indignities the student body has thrown my way. So I will not show weakness now where all can see and dignify such petty insults. I will not leap up and throttle that brazen harpy's neck with my bare hands for trying to turn my familiar against me. I will not break the rules of the academy by throwing my magic at her and bring disgrace to my family.
These were the words she told herself.
But her hands had other ideas, the wand snapping out in their grip as if by magic.
"Zerbst!" She hissed, the first syllables of a spell already forming on her lips. Or a promise of horrible vengeance. She wasn't sure at that point.
But a low growl, full of menace, cut through the air like a sword, disrupting her concentration and raising the hair on her neck. Her chant stopped in mid-word she looked to the wolf and blinked in surprise. Though it still sat on its haunches, her familiar was staring at Kirche, mouth opened enough to reveal a long row of very sharp fangs, the warning unmistakable.
Belatedly, she realized that the saucy smirk had fallen off her nemesis's face, replaced by a quirked eyebrow and thinned lips as she regarded the snarling wolf with a neutral expression. The Germanian hadn't taken more than a single step back, her posture neutral, but the tip of her wand poked out from beneath her sleeve for quick access. "Threats, Valliere?"
She nearly opened her mouth to deny the charge, but bit her tongue at the last moment, her own intent too fresh in her mind to ignore.
'A familiar reflects its master,' the words of those dusty tomes on summonings she had studied came back to her, 'what the familiar senses, the master does as well. What the master feels, the familiar knows. A familiar may act of its own accord in some limited manner, but always it is the master that whom the ultimate responsibility lies. In magic and in law, there is no lesser truth than this.'
"Stop that!" she hissed quietly at her familiar even as she fumbled the wand back into its hiding place in her sleeve. She was still infuriated at the Germanian, ooh, she still wanted to throw a fireball into that smug face. She'd almost been about to when her wolf, clearly reading her intent, had interrupted by joining in, stupid familiar!
But Kirche was a mage, and a wolf was still a wolf, familiar or not. If she had cast the spell, her familiar would have surely have joined in, getting hurt or maybe killed in the process. And Louise would be in trouble for breaking the school rules on top of that. No, she couldn't let that happen. With a wrench of will, she grit her teeth and firmly stamped down on her anger.
The wolf stopped growling, huffing as turned to look at her with an tilted expression that seemed to say "What now?"
Louise brought her arms against her chest as she ignored the look, directing her attentions to the resumed smirk of her nemesis. "I've no need to threaten you" She replied acidly, "But I'll not stand for you trying to turn my familiar with your poisonous ways."
Kirche splayed her fingertips on her cleavage as she put on an expression of wide eyed innocence. "Moi, Valliere?" She tutted. "I would not dream of trying to turn another person's animal companion, but who's the one having problems finding a name their familiar would like, hmm?"
She couldn't say anything to tha- no! There was something she could say to that hussy. Louise crossed her arms, sniffing her nose imperiously as she did so. "I find your claims hard to believe, Zerbst. After all, which familiar was Flame grovelling to?" A grin spread across her face as Kirche's own smile faltered. At last she had the advantage! After so many months of enduring that hateful taunting, she had the upper hand now. She'd show that shameless strumpet a thing or two. "That's right, mine! Your flame salamander clearly knows its place in the presence of a superior being. If my wolf would rather be named after a legend, then maybe I will grant it that name!"
As she said that, she gave herself a mental nod. Maybe yes, yes she would name her familiar Shiranui after all. Her wolf was no ordinary one to be sure, with its unusual origins and its otherworldly coat. And then there was a mystery to her wolf familiar, she was sure of it, that let it make Kirche's fire salamander quiescent and obedient as she had seen. Now that she thought of it, so what if the name came from just a peasant tale of some likely overblown event many generations ago? It was still a story of a mighty wolf protector, was it not?
Louise turned towards her familiar, prepared to grant the name she had desired.
Except... the wolf wasn't there, or anywhere she could see. Her eyebrow twitched.
"Familiiiaaaaar!"
Kirche sauntered back to her dining seat, chuckling all the way as the Valliere girl stormed out of the dining hall, clearly intent on collaring her missing familiar.
It was so easy to rile up the pink haired tempest, stoking that sullen and cold shell into a bright roaring flame of indignation. So utterly adorable to watch how she burst with fire in the face of a taunt, real or imagined. And just for her. From another, the same insult would have made Louise withdraw into her little shell, which Kirche just couldn't stand. It was a favour to the pinkette, really. Better to burn bright with the flame of life, be it delightful fury or tantalizing passion, than bottle it all in. And who better to stoke that fire than the Ardent Flame?
She giggled.
Of course, with the wolf clearly having a mind of its own and the will to act on it, Kirche now had a rival for Louise's fiery attentions. Mmm... how deliciously scandalous that sounded, when worded right. The seductive Ardent Flame of Germania and the noble White Wolf of Helkaginia, competing for the hot blooded attentions of Tristains infamous Zero. She giggled again. Louise would surely burst into flames if ever heard its insinuation, literally, and all without the aid of magic too.
Not that she was so foolish as to really believe the wolf was trying to attract the pinkette's wrath. Doubtless the wolf had become tired of the rants of the girl and wandered off, seeking whatever it was that had caught its interest. And a skillful wandering it was too; Kirche hadn't even noticed the wolf departing, even though she had been facing the right direction to catch it in the act of slinking off.
She chuckled, returning to her breakfast. Such a skill at making one's self scarce would surely come in handy when dealing with the Valliere's temper.
Her amusement abruptly cut off though, when she realized that her plate was rather empty of the morning pastries she had placed there before Louise's outburst had drawn her attention. And there, on the table cloth besides the empty plate, was the faint dirty smudge of a paw print. It didn't take an honour student to put two and two together.
"Bravo, my fine white wolf. Enjoy your spoils while they last." She smirked, picking up the untouched wine glass. "I salute your first victory."
"But the next will be mine."
"Kyuuuiii!"
The child's cry of excitement was one of unmitigated bliss, broken only by the excited flapping of her wings and the noisy enjoyment of the treats laid out before her. She savaged at the food with the eagerness of one being presented an unexpected and precious gift, pausing only to trill her gratitude to the white wolf before her.
"Thank you, Big Sis!" The serpentine being gushed, pausing in mid bite only to nuzzle affectionately at the white wolf beside her. The act very nearly knocked the wolf down.
Shiranui flicked an ear in bemusement, watching as the dragon child returned to the bounty she had been given. Of all the white wolf's experiences with the great serpents of Nippon, Irukukwu is one who stands unique amongst them. Even the youngest of the naga have conformed to the highest expectations of decorum, majestic in poise and bearing. But not this young dragon child, no. She is youthful exuberance in almost all things she does, as only a human child could be.
It makes her subtle chastisement of the red-maned child all the more poignant.
A petty thing, an act small and normally unworthy of one such as her, even as recompense for the slights that had been directed to the one she was guardian over. But there is no harm done, the abundance she has seen in this place all but gives surety that the red maned child will not be lacking, and her message would be understood.
"Kyuuu!"
And there was the other reason she had done so. Were she in another form, she would have smiled at the dragon's pleased trill as the last of the pastry was devoured. It was only with that warning that she was prepared for when the dragon darted for her. She placed a paw on the child's rapidly approaching snout, avoiding another exuberant nuzzle that would have surely bowled her over this time. A simple wolf would never have been able to halt the act. The child was strong, as only dragon kind could be. But she was no simple wolf. Even in her weakened state, her spirit was stronger than mortals should possess. She did not desire to be knocked down, and so Irukukwu's head came to a slow halt.
"Did you enjoy it, Irukukwu?" She asked, lightly touching her nose to the dragon's in a sisterly gesture.
"Kyu! It's tasty!" The dragon bobbed her head in agreement before she paused, blinking. "Big Sis Ammy is strong!"
She gave a soft bark of rueful agreement. Oh child, she pondered, what would you think if you had seen when I once walked the heights? But she swept those morose thoughts away. In time, if the fates were willing, she would travel them again.
"Would you like some more?" She asked, choosing not to dwell on the past.
"Kyuyuyui? More?" Irukukwu's eyes blinked again in confusion, her serpentine neck swaying left and right as she looked all around Shiranui. "Where? Irukukwu doesn't see any more, unless kyuu... Big Sis has magic food?"
She barked aloud, her amused laughter clear in the air as she took in the dragon's wide eyed expression. "In a way, Irukukwu."
"KYUI!" The dragon trilled to the skies above, literally dancing about as she circled the white wolf. "Magic food! Kyuuuyuui! Irukukwu never had magic food before." She paused in her celebration at the last word, looking sheepishly at Shiranui. "What does magic food taste like?"
"You will see." She replied with a faintly amused tone. It is not truly magic food, for it is not conjured from nothingness. But to the dragon child, she does not believe that Irukukwu would realize the difference. Closing her eyes, she reached into herself, beyond the ties of flesh and the physical to the realm that was intrinsically her own. There, in the realm of the astral, past the ancient relics that she stored was the place where her most recent treasures resided. Some were old, hundreds of years had passed since she had placed them there, while others were fresh, only acquired that morning. Yet they remained as pristine as they were on day they were made, the touch of mortal time forbidden within her astral realm. She called upon all of them now, exerting her will upon reality as the astral became physical once more.
"Kyuuuuuu..." Irukukwu breathed, her eyes opened all the way as all manner of food, still shimmering with the heat of cook fires, began manifesting on the ground before her.
A rasping croak of surprise told Shiranui that more than just the dragon child had witnessed the act.
"Flame," she chuffed, flicking her ears in greeting as the astral pouch was depleted. The fiery salamander regarded her with a curious look, leaving streamers of fire in the air as his burning tail swayed in the air.
"You have many surprises, great wolf spirit." The salamander rasped enviously, dipping his head in respect. "Your home must be a truly wondrous place indeed."
"Once, perhaps." She breathed out wistfully at Flame's words, recalling her varied experiences in the lands of Nippon and the lives of those she had touched. But such an era was now beyond her reach, and to dwell for long in the past was folly. She would content herself with the present, and the company of those she found herself in.
There were others as well, creatures who were similarly bonded to the spirit users who dwelled here. And yet, she could not sense the duality of being, of the awareness of their masters hidden behind animal senses. None of the humans were watching, with only the gathered creatures bearing witness to the sight. They all clustered about her, directing their gazes between her and the banquet she had lain. Puzzlement and longing lingered within their scents, their desires clear for her to see. With a slight dip of her head, she addressed them all.
"Would you like to join us?"
A/N: And so the next chapter of Summoning the Sun is done. I hope this answers all your questions about whether Ammy would get to use her brush powers or not. It would have been such a shame not to include the full suite of her abilities after all. As to her having a human form, as Arashigan 16 asked, well, that's a secret~.