Chapter 2- The Death Threat
I don't own Shadow of Mordor or Familiar of Zero
Thorn was currently outside of Louise's dorm, "Well are you going to come in, or do I have to force you." Louise attempted to threaten. Thorn scoffed at this and entered the room. The said room looked pretty basic, a desk, a bed, and a small haypile. Louise pointed at the pile of hay, "This will be where your sleeping." Louise said while trying to look serious, which made her look kind of adorable.
Thorn shrugged, then he noticed a chest at the corner of the room, "Excuse me, but is it fine if I use this chest to store some of my treasures from my world?" Thorn asked while pointing at the chest. Louise stood there looking at the chest, then she looked at Thorn. Louise sighed, "If you want to." Louise said as she watched him open the chest and grabbed his broken sword, 'I don't know why he has that broken sword, might as well ask him after he's done putting his treasures in the chest.' Louise changed into her nightgown. Afterwards, she was about to force her familiar to do her laundry, until she looked at his attire, which in closer inspection, looked like it was not washed in days.
Louise sighed just when Thorn closed the chest. When Louise looked at him, she noticed that his broken sword is no longer on his back. "So, why did you have a hilt?" Louise asked, with hopes of getting to know her familiar better. Thorn looked at the closed chest, "I… I was using it as a dagger." Thorn answered her with a look of despair. Thorn went to the front of the hay pile, "You said I'm sleeping here, correct?" Thorn asked Louise, trying to change the subject. Louise nodded, "Okay, oh and I will be waking up early to familiarize myself with this school." Thorn finished as he took off his cloak and placed it over the hay pile. Then he put his longsword to the corner of the room, just in arms reach if he needs to grab it in a emergency, "Night Louise." Thorn said simply before he laid down on his pile of hay and went to sleep. Louise looked at him for a little bit before she got in her own bed, "Yeah, good night familiar." Louise said.
Thorn looked at his surroundings. "Where am I?" Thorn asked himself. He then looked at his attire, and saw that it was all mended, and that he still had his father's sword, and his own sword before it broke. He then saw his mother, but not with the gentle look Thorn was used to seeing, but with a look of anxiety. Sensing the presence of another person, Thorn turned to his left and saw his father, who had a look of terror. Then, thunder clashed, causing Thorn to remember where he was, at the top of The Black Gate. Thorn was still in front of his parents, who both went to their knees. "Mom?" He said as the sacrificial blade appeared and cut his mother's throat open. Thorn fell to his knees, and he could feel tears start to well up in his eyes as he started to remember what will happen next. He then looked at his father, "Father?" Thorn said as he watched his old man suffer the same fate his mother just faced. Thorn was now on his hands and knees, crying out, "Stop it, stop it!" Thunder clashed again, causing Thorn to slowly look up and saw a flaming eye in front of him. The pupil of the eye started to grow and change shape. Thorn's eyes widened, knowing that the flaming eye belonged to none other than the long dead Sauron. Thorn tried to move, but he could only tremble with fear as he watched the pupil change shape to that of a behemoth encased in one ton armor, and armed with a mace. Sauron was now in front of Thorn, with his mace held high, causing Thorn to only watch in terror as Sauron swiftly brought his mace down.
Thorn jolted straight up, taking quick breaths as he tried to calm down. After Thorn calmed down, he looked outside to see that the sun was just beginning to rise. "Might as well go and familiarize myself." Thorn said to himself. After he sheathed his sword and put on his cloak, he went out of the dorm.
Louise awoke, and the first thing she did was look at the hay pile her familiar was sleeping in, only to see that he was not there. Louise sighed, "He did say that he was going to familiarize himself with the school." Louise said to herself. Louise changed out of her nightgown into her uniform. After Louise changed, she went to the door, with hopes that she will find Thorn and get some breakfast. Until she heard someone humming, "Who's there?" Louise asked as she looked all around her room. Not finding anyone, Louise went back to her door. Until she heard the same person singing.
"On winds and waters may you cross,
See mountains white and blue
But on your road, let's not forget
The love I have for you
Dance on beaches in Anfalas
Sleep in moonlit fields of view
May you cross another golden age
With preciousness free-flowing
With Halfling, Elves, and Dwarves engage,
Their wisdom on you bestowing."
The voice started humming once again, this time loud enough for Louise to listen and see where it was coming from, and to her surprise it was coming from the chest Thorn was using to store his stuff, and the said chest was glowing a bright blue. Louise started walking towards the chest, with hopes of finding out what would cause the chest to sing. Louise was so close to it that she could touch it now. Louise was just about to open the chest when she felt a hand grab her shoulder, causing her to jump before turning around to see that the cause was Thorn. "Louise?" Thorn said with a look of confusion before he pointed at the chest, "Were you going to look in that?" Thorn asked, although he already knew the answer. Louise looked at him, than she slowly nodded, causing Thorn to sigh, "I know you are my master, but is it fine if you don't look in the chest until I give you permission?" Thorn asked. Louise was about to retaliate, but when she looked at his facial expression, she saw a look of pleading. Louise instead nodded, "Alright." She said. They both got out of the dorm soon afterwards and went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.
Thorn's brow twitch when he saw where he was eating, on the floor. "Usually, familiars aren't allowed to eat here, but I made a exception." Louise said as Thorn picked up the moldy bread. Thorn than grabbed the plate, put the moldy bread back on said plate, and put it right next Louise's plate, causing Louise to look confused. Thorn reached into one of his many sacks and pulled out a root that looked like a loaf of bread, before walking out, "I would rather keep my dignity than to eat moldy bread like a dog, I'll be eating outside if you need anything." Thorn said as he walked out. Louise then looked at the plate and saw that, to her disgust, the bread was indeed moldy.
Thorn was currently seated outside near a tree, eating a Earthroot that he prepared before he left Mordor. That is until he saw a man drop something from his pocket, then a maid went to the object and picked it up. Thorn, not liking the look of the formal, decided to get to a point where he was behind the man and listened.
"Excuse me sir." The maid said, causing the man to turn around. She then showed him the object, which looked like a bottle of perfume, "I think you dropped this." She said as the man looked at the bottle nervously, "You must be mistaken." The man said with a little bit of fear in his voice. Then a woman walked up to him, "Hey darling, I see that you had a maid find my perfume that you gave me." The female said as everyone looked and saw that there was another girl next to him, and they were not looking at the maid. "Love, why did this woman call you darling?" The girl next to him asked, causing him to start sweating. The two girls than looked at each other, than they both looked at the male, "Were you cheating on me?!" both girls asked/yelled at the same time. Before he could answer, both girls slapped him in the face, causing him to have two bright red hand prints on his face. The man then looked at the maid, "How dare you, you should've left me alone when I told you that it wasn't mine, you filthy commoner." He then rose his hand. But before he could slap her, he felt a hand grab his wrist. He turned and saw Thorn, "You know it wasn't her fault that you were caught cheating on them, it was yourself to blame, so why not be like a man and accept it." Thorn let go of his hand. There was then a voice, "Thorn!" Louise yelled as she walked up to him, "I swear I can't leave you alone for two minutes." Louise said under her breath. The man looked at Thorn, than he looked at Louise. He started to laugh, "So, this is the mercenary that you hired to pose as your familiar." He said as he started laughing at Louise, "Admit it, you cheated so that you won't be thrown out of the school!" He yelled accusingly. Louise was flabbergasted, "I didn't cheat, I did the spell perfectly." Louise yelled, causing the man to laugh harder, "Oh really, than tell me why he doesn't obey you, face it Louise, you cheated." Louise looked ready to cry, causing Thorn to look at the man, "I'm pretty sure she did everything right, you on the other hand should be laughed at, because not that long ago, you were caught cheating on two other girls." Thorn said, causing everyone around him to laugh at the poor man. He then looked at Thorn, "Oh you think your funny, huh?" He said as he pointed at Thorn, "Than I challenge you to a duel, and I swear, I will make you suffer." He said, causing Thorn to chuckle, "Is that a Death Threat?" Thorn asked enthusiastically. The man in front of him nodded, causing Thorn to chuckle, "Your an optimist." Thorn said under his breath. He then looked at "The Optimist", "Where and when?"
"Your an idiot!" Louise yelled for the twentieth time. "He's the idiot." Thorn said simply. Louise looked at him as they continued walking to the meeting place, she then sighed, "You know that he can summon Bronze Valkyries, and they are really strong, none of them knew defeat, what did you fight?" Louise asked as she pointed her finger at the ranger. Thorn looked at her, "I fought someone clad in one ton armor, and I managed to kill him." It was not a lie, but it was also not the whole truth. Thorn than looked forward, "Look, we're here." He said as he started walking up to The Optimist. "Don't worry. You'll still keep your dignity." He said before walking into the middle of the crowd.
"I impressed that you actually accepted." The Optimist said as he pulled out a rose, "Now is there anything you would like to say before I end you?" The Optimist asked. Thorn pulled out his sword before quoting something he heard from a orc, "I knew your a optimist. Know what that is, it's looking at something that's impossible before saying, "You know what, I'll give it a try." Don't worry though, I'm the same way." He said with a smirk as he pointed his sword towards The Optimist.
