"Would you like some water?" Wardes asked.

"No," said Louise for the seventh time. Like the previous six times, the double only nodded and closed its mouth, staying unnaturally still, yet shivering as if it was the middle of winter. Its unstable form was the only indication that it was not the true Wardes, along with the blurring of its finer facial features. In every other respect, it looked identical to Louise's fiancé.

It was a shame Wardes hadn't given it intelligence to match his good looks.

Louise stood. She had tried to stay calm, but eventually her restless energy won out. There was no way she could do nothing while her familiar was in danger, even if said familiar could use danger more often than not.

She looked at the perfectly still double again. "Can you make another double?"

She saw it hesitate for a moment before replying, but chalked it up to the decreased intelligence. "No," it said. "One only. No more. This spell is draining, and particularly difficult. Your beloved could only do this much."

Wardes hadn't looked very winded when casting the spell, but Louise didn't know enough about his magic abilities to cast any doubt upon the double's words. In fact, she hardly knew anything about the man at all.

Seeing nothing better to do, Louise settled for pacing and trying to call up the few memories of the Viscount that she could muster up. The last time she'd seen him was more than ten years ago, when he'd left his estate to make a name for himself in the capital. She'd been barely a child, waving goodbye while clinging to her older sister's dress, and he, barely an adult, had been brimming with purpose and energy that only the young could have.

In those ten years… just how much had her fiancé changed? Gone was the barely restrained smile, and the tense way he'd carried himself, full of insecurity and determination at the same time. He had been a slight boy, but as an older man he was all muscle. His smiles came easily, but they lacked the weight that they'd once had, and Louise couldn't see past them.

Louise shuddered as a breeze flowed past her. No matter how much she wished to recall them, her fond memories of sleeping on a boat in the middle of the lake in her backyard wouldn't come. Perhaps it was the ever present matter of her familiar, or maybe there was too much of a difference between the Wardes of ten years earlier and the Wardes of the present. It didn't matter; Louise couldn't calm down a bit. The clouds covering the sun weren't helping, either.

Louise looked up on a whim she asked, "could you clear away those clouds?"

"Perhaps my original could," the double replied. "But I cannot. Would you like a drink of water?"

"Just be quiet," Louise sighed. All of her good cheer was already gone. She'd been driven by the knowledge that she was doing something important, something for her friend and ruler. But that kind of determination never lasted long without being sustained, and all of Louise's energy was gone. She wanted to sleep, or perhaps to yell at Shinji again. That always made her feel better…

But the world wasn't so kind as to grant her the rest she needed. "There is an intruder. Be on your guard." Wardes' double stood upon sensing an unfamiliar smell. It frowned and spun in place, looking at the woods nearby. There were at least a hundred meters between their camp site and the tree line, so anything emerging would have to travel without cover. As far as defenses went it was subpar, but for a mage the clear line of sight was perfect.

Louise blinked and looked to where the double was glaring.

Without any kind of warning a small figure dashed out from the shadows between trees. Clad in a dark cloak and running almost as fast as a horse in full gallop, it bounded over the short grass between it and Louise without hesitation.

A second passed and it was a quarter of the way across. The Wardes double pulled out its wand.

The stranger was more identifiable the closer it got. Whoever it was, they were too tall to be a student. Louise squinted even as she drew her own wand from a pocket.

At the halfway mark between the forest and the camp site, the Wardes double swung its wand with a flourish.

The approaching figure stopped. A concealed hand reached into a hidden pocket even as the air in front of it suddenly became a deadly blade.

The ripping air struck the figure, and even from a distance Louise could hear the scream of steel protesting. For a second the intruder was halted, but eventually it swung through the wind spell, scattering currents of air and revealing the glint of a blade clutched in one hand.

In that second, the double launched a half dozen similar blades without hesitation.

This time the figure didn't bother blocking the attacks. It started up its run again, taking a diving roll to dodge a slash that wouldn't cleaved it in half, and knocking a vertical strike out of the way before bull dozing a path straight through two crossed blades of wind, shoving through them with nothing but its own strength.

At twenty five meters, Wardes' double started to move. Seeing that a ranged attack wouldn't work it ran forward, wrapping itself in wind to increase its speed and counter the intruder's approach. Louise thought she caught another order to run, but chose to discard it. Instead, she focused on preparing a spell to support Wardes. Even if it turned into an explosion half way through, there was a possibility she could help.

But the double didn't need help. Even divided, the combat power of a Griffin Knight was nothing to sneeze at. The two combatants met, the unstable double matching up against the masked intruder, who wielded what Louise now recognized as a sword in one hand, leaving the other completely empty.

Both swung at the same time. The intruder's sword smashed against Wardes' magically reinforced wand, and a shockwave created ripples in the grass around them. The intruder, sensing it had the advantage, swung the blade with speed that Louise had only ever seen from Shinji in their duel, but the double blocked every blow with perfectly positioned strikes, wincing slightly as its hands shook from the impact. To combat the sheer strength of the stranger's reckless attack, Wardes used all the skill and knowledge he'd gained as a Griffin Knight. And he was winning.

As the intruder drew back its sword for a one handed smash, the double suddenly dashed forward, pushing back its opponent with a well timed shoulder to the chest. The intruder was forced to leap back, covering almost ten meters with a single bound, bringing its free hand up to clutch its aching chest, panting lightly.

"Surrender," the double said. "Or I will be forced to use lethal force."

The intruder paused, and then slowly shook its head. "You will use lethal force even if I do surrender," a firm male voice proclaimed.

"Of course," the double replied.

It raised its wand, gathering wind around it like the eye of a hurricane. For a moment, the double showed genuine emotion: anger. The wind condensed around the wand until it was all but invisible, transforming it from a tool to cast spells into a tearing blade of wind. "If you are lucky," the double said. "Only your blade will be destroyed. Beware. Like this, I can rend even steel."

The man's response was to grip his sword with both hands.

They charged. The winds propelled Wardes' double forward with inhuman speed, and the stranger countered by kicking off the ground, meeting the charge with insane speed of his own, though not powered by any visible spell.

For a moment all seemed still to Louise. She blinked, and nothing happened. She drank in every detail of the scene. The double, its blade of wind frozen mid flight. The stranger, his unusual sword about to descend. The air, twisting and turning amidst the chaos. The void, empty of all emotion…

The clash would lead to the double winning. Of course it would. No sword could stand against a spell made to destroy weapons, so the outcome was obvious. But at the same time, Louise couldn't deny the chill that went down her spine.

When their swords met, the wind ended.

No, it had not ended. A glow came from the stranger's blade, not protecting it from Wardes' wind but rather absorbing the very spell meant to destroy the weapon. The men pushed, locked in a stalemate, but with every passing second it became clearer just how the battle would end.

After a few seconds, Wardes' spell was gone, as if the stranger's blade had drunk it all up. Without the wind strengthening him, the double rapidly wilted under the stranger's strength, and all efforts to summon up a spell for aid were met with failure as the stranger's weapon drank up the magical energy before it could form anything. Said stranger grunted, pushed upwards, and was rewarded by the sight of Wardes' wand spinning through the air after being knocked out of its owner's hands.

The double's eyes widened as it saw beneath the man's cloak, but couldn't get a word out before it was sliced in two with a single stroke. Any experienced fighter would have called the strike amateur, but the sheer speed of the stranger's swing was enough to cast away all doubts about his physical ability. The image of Louise's betrothed hovered in the air for a moment, slack jawed and surprised, before fading away into air currents.

The stranger turned to Louise, sheathing his sword as he moved until he stood, unarmed, before a girl with her wand pointed straight at him.

"G-go away," Louise said, forcing strength she didn't have into her shaking voice. "You won't be able to block my spell. Just leave now."

"Relax, milady," the man said. He lowered his hood, revealing a pair of red eyes, long white hair even paler than Wardes', and an awkward smile that look out of place on his face. He couldn't have been much older than Shinji. "The nefarious rogue who was holding you hostage has been eliminated. If the real one returns, I shall slay him for daring to kidnap a Noble lady."

Louise blinked, but didn't lower her wand. Then she frowned.

"Are you messing with me?" she asked, lifting her wand a bit more. The tip had begun to glow slightly with restrained magic. If she held her spell in any longer it would be her wand exploding instead of the attacker.

"Absolutely not," the man said confidently, although she noticed the smile on his face flicker for a moment. "Please, be at ease. I am powerful enough to slay most opponents. Should your kidnapper return, I will finish him off immediately."

"That kidnapper is my fiancé," Louise said. Still, she lowered her wand slightly. There was a familiar feeling welling up in the pit of her stomach. Something was missing. Some important thing she didn't know. "I don't know who you are, but evidently you have no idea who the person you just fought was, let alone who I am."

The man recoiled and his eyes widened in surprise. The expression didn't suit his face. It was like a wax statue had suddenly become sentient. All the movements were technically correct, but there was something inhuman there all the same. "My apologies, lady," he said, sinking to one knee in a bow. "The mistake was completely mine, then. Indeed, I had no idea you were bringing your beloved with you on this perilous mission, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière."

Louise's frown deepened. "How do you know my name?"

"I make sure to know of all those who are important to the future Queen of Tristain," he replied, somehow managing to sound proud of something that would make most crazed stalkers blush. "Given my position, such a thing is well within my responsibilities."

Slightly more than creeped out, Louise still had enough sense not to lower her wand even as the man came closer. He stopped about two meters away, nodded, and sat down on the log Wardes' double had taken earlier. Louise took the hint and sat opposite him on her own log, not once dropping her wand. At that range, she was easily capable of blasting him without retaliation, and they both knew it.

"Your position," Louise began, testing out the phrase. "I'm afraid I have no idea what said position is, Mr. Hero, or who you are. Not particularly polite of you, is it? Or are you going to keep your identity secret 'for my protection'?"

"Ah!" Again, there was that shocked face. It looked more plastic than ever, like a mask that had suddenly replaced the man's previously expressionless expression. "I must apologize once more then, milady. Forgetting to introduce myself is a grave lapse of judgement. My name is Gerecht von Einzbern, if you will deign to remember it."

She did. Louise wished she didn't know the history behind the name 'Einzbern'. It would have made everything easier. She could have accepted his name without thinking about it, and then worked to either knock him out while he wasn't looking, run away, or stall until Wardes and Shinji returned. Sadly, her knowledge rendered such things impossible, forcing her to put up with a much too apologetic attacker who couldn't seem to make a proper facial expression.

"You're supposed to be in Germania," she blurted out.

Gerecht blinked again, bringing out the identical expression of shock for a third time. It was beginning to wear thin.

"Not at all," he said. "You are well informed, milady, but I have business here as a representative of His Majesty the King of Germania. Worry not. I am here on official business."

"Are you here on official business? I ask, because all I've seen so far is you attacking us out of the blue and pretending it was so you could save me from the captain of the Griffin Knights by slicing him in half. Not a very good message you're sending, is it?"

Gerecht covered up the slightest blush on his pale skin by reaching into the folds of his cloak and withdrawing a letter. Louise recognized Henrietta's seal and snatched it out of his hand. She tore open the paper and pored over the lines within.

After a minute she looked back up at Gerecht, who appeared to be waiting patiently. When their eyes met he tried a friendly smile, but it ended up looking just as weak as his other attempts, and Louise brought her eyes back down to the paper almost immediately. A minute later, she folded up the letter and put it in her cloak.

She looked at Gerecht again. At length, she sighed. "Are you sure you're an Einzbern?"

The young man nodded. "Positive. Would you like some tea?"

Louise glared at him, and he wisely shut up.

Minutes later Wardes arrived with a slightly dirtier Shinji, sans horse. Their reactions to Gerecht's appearance were much more graphic than Louise's had been.

Shinji, upon hearing the name Einzbern, looked up at Gerecht, groaned, and then let his head drop back down. "Just kill me now," he moaned.

Wardes was more sedated. A slight narrowing of the eyes and an almost casual grip on his sheathed wand was all that resulted from the sight. "It is… surprising to see you. I did not expect to see you here, sir," he said, his lips tight and words tighter. "Were you not saying earlier that you wished to keep your presence here a secret?"

"There was a change of plans," Gerecht said. Despite having just destroyed a copy of Wardes a few minutes earlier, he was perfectly calm. "It was decided that a mission as important as this could use some security, so I decided to accompany this lady for the duration of her trip. It's certainly more interesting than standing around gawking at students for three days."

Wardes frowned. "Did no one think to count the head of the Griffin Knights as enough security to secure the safety of a single girl?"

"The matter was considered," Gerecht replied. "And after consideration, the judgement was that you and… whoever that boy is, are not enough to protect Miss Valliere."

"And whose judgement would that be, Einzbern?"

Gerecht smiled, and this time there was no stiffness. "My own," he said. "Is there a problem, Wardes? Princess Henrietta could voice no objections before me, so there shouldn't be."

Wardes didn't overlook the wording of the sentence, and neither did Louise. Only Shinji, trying desperately to pretend there wasn't an Einzbern in front of him, missed the implication. Wardes' lips tightened, but after staring into Gerecht's red eyes for a few more seconds, the knight nodded. "… I cannot oppose your wishes," he said bitterly. "Diplomatic immunity and all the rights associated with it are yours, Einzbern. However, you hold no authority here despite your status in Germania. If you wish to join our group, I will have to insist on placing you temporarily under my command for the sake of our survival."

"You will do no such thing," Gerecht said. Wardes stiffened, but the Einzbern was already moving on. "However… I will treat your words as suggestions, and you may find me inclined to follow them more often than not. Since you are a knight, this is the mercy I will grant you."

Wardes bit his lip. He was about to protest when-

"That's fine," Louise said, shooting Wardes a desperate glance. "Right, m-my… dear?"

Wardes relaxed. "Of course," he said bitterly. "There are no protests."

"There are totally protests," Shinji said from behind the griffin, which was steadily becoming more and more annoyed at the boy desperately hugging its flank.

Gerecht looked at Shinji, or rather his blue hair, which was the only thing visible of the mage's body. "Ah, the familiar? So you're what the academy was buzzing about. You can go ahead and show yourself."

"I'd rather not," Shinji mumbled.

Gerecht frowned. "Fine. I order you to come out. I cannot travel with someone whose face I've never seen."

Shinji's reaction was a second late in arriving, which allowed Louise to interject. "Actually," she said quickly. "It's, uh, traditional! In Tristain we try to have our familiars seen as little as possible most of the time. Shinji's especially shy, and he doesn't like strangers."

"Really? But isn't he a human familiar? I was told that such things were rare here. Normal rules shouldn't apply to him."

"We're a very traditional family," Louise said, looking everywhere but at Gerecht and hoping he'd buy the lie. "It's part of the rules that a familiar must remain out of the way until I am of age. Really, um, complex stuff. Wouldn't want to bore you with it."

For a moment it seemed like he wouldn't buy it, but eventually the Einzbern nodded. "Of course," he said. "Forgive my rudeness. The culture of a new country takes some getting used to. I will attempt to keep your familiar out of my sight for as long as possible."

"Excellent." Wardes took the chance to steer the conversation in a better direction. There was no getting rid of Gerecht the normal way, so he would simply have to plan around the guest's appearance. "Now then, do you have a horse? We're almost halfway to La Rochelle, and travelling on foot is going to take much too long."

"I do. I left it tied up in the forest. Just give me a moment to retrieve it." With those words Gerecht turned and ran towards the forest at his ridiculous pace. Within seconds he was within the trees and invisible to the group.

Shinji raised his head, peeking over the irritated griffin's side. "Are you sure this guy's an Einzbern?"

"I…" Louise paused. "Not really. But his letter was signed by the Princess, so we can't refuse him without reason."

"I have a reason. He's a fucking psychopath waiting to kill us all."

Wardes frowned. "Get up. And do not insult him like that again. Even if he's a foreigner, this is the Princess'-." The knight stopped abruptly. He took a look around the camp sight, and upon seeing no one other than Louise and Shinji, he looked back to them. "What I'm about to tell you is to be kept secret, understand?"

They both nodded.

"Gerecht von Einzbern is to be wed to Princess Henrietta. He is the Germanian King's representative here, and the marriage will be for the purpose of bringing Tristain and Germania together as allies."

Shinji nodded as he stretched out his sore muscles, wincing occasionally when he hit a painful spot. This wasn't anything new to him. Louise, on the other hand, was more visibly shocked. "But… that's…"

"Politics dictates marriage more often than love. Tristain wished not to offend its larger neighbor, so this is the concession it had to make," Wardes continued. "It's shameful for nobles to stoop to such blatant political manoeuvrings, but that's the kind of world we live in at the moment."

"Princess…" Only Louise was shocked by the news. She looked down at her hands and the wand held within them. "She's giving up her love for her country's future. And to one of them…"

"That is how our countries operate, my dear." Wardes gently patted Louise on the head. "Don't worry. Perhaps she will find happiness in marriage like us."

If he noticed Louise stiffening under his touch, he chose to ignore it.

"Not bloody likely," Shinji muttered. He rotated his neck, issuing a series of cracks and pops that caused Louise to wince "I've met precisely one Einzbern in my life, and she tried to kill me while laughing about it."

"Keep calm, then," Wardes suggested. "I've spoken with Gerecht a few times when I accompanied her Highness in Germania. He may outwardly appear to be a buffoon, but it's nothing more than an act he puts up for his own amusement. However, he is not without reason. If you don't anger or otherwise irritate him, he probably won't try to harm you."

"Probably?"

Wardes shrugged. "He's an Einzbern," he said.

"You say that like it explains anything."

Wardes and Louise looked at each other before turning back to Shinji.

"I don't know much," Louise admitted. "But the Einzberns are apparently one of the newer and more secretive families in Germania. They appeared a few decades ago and quickly rose in both fame and status."

"They are not the type to try and draw attention, but their appearance is distinctive," Wardes took over. "As a whole they tend to keep to themselves, but they've garnered a somewhat infamous reputation in Germania for being odd."

"Odd?"

"It's the kindest possible word. Other than that, they've managed to somehow get in the King's good graces. That he'd send one as his representative is… worrying."

"But he's just a guest, right?" Louise asked. "Even if they're engaged, the actual wedding should be announced at least a week in advance for all the royal guests to arrive."

"Just a guest? Are you daft?" Shinji had finally shaken off the fear of the word Einzbern enough to speak normally. "If I understand the situation properly, your princess went to Germania and came back engaged to someone from a family that's only been around for a few years. If it's a political marriage like you described, then it's all kinds of wrong."

"For one so unused to Halkeginia, you do show some remarkable insight," Wardes said, patting Louise's head as she fixed her glare on Shinji. "But yes, this tells us much. For a ruler of a country, not just any groom will do. If the Princess is Tristain's sacrificial piece to create an alliance, then Germania should volunteer something of similar value. That is not the case here."

It took Louise only a moment to realize. "He's not of Royal blood!" she exclaimed. "For the exchange to be equal, Her Highness' sacrifice has to be matched. The King himself should have offered his hand, but instead he's having her wed someone from a very recently established family of decidedly not Royal mages. Either it's an insult… or he sees the Einzbern as just that valuable."

"Of course they'd be," Shinji grumbled some more. "Couldn't have them be fucking penniless, no, that would just be too damn convenient."

Louise looked at him again, taking in her familiar's lack of energy and morose expression. "Familiar, do you know something we don't about the Einzbern?"

Shinji said nothing.

"If you do, I-."

"I don't know anything, so don't order me to tell you," said Shinji. "Just don't. Know why I really agreed to follow you on this trip? It's not because I think there's a way for me to free myself in Albion. It was just so I could get away from that bastard. So don't ask. You'll regret it."

"Regret what?"

Gerecht's sudden appearance caught the entire group off guard. Even Wardes, who had been constantly looking out for the man's return, had not noticed him walking right up to the party, leading a regal stallion with his off hand and a tired looking mare with his other.

"Nothing!" Shinji said quickly. "Is that my horse?" He changed the subject.

"Is it?" Gerecht shrugged. "I found it running around with no rider, so I assumed it belonged to some noble. Do you give your familiars other animals to ride in Tristain, Valliere?"

"Human ones, yes. Unless you'd rather have him walk," Wardes interjected. "In any case, let us go. If we are to reach La Rochelle by sunset we should hurry. My dear and I will ride on the griffin, as usual, and you can follow her familiar on the ground."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Louise piped up.

"Hm? Whatever do you mean?"

"Just a moment. I want to speak to my familiar about something… darling." Louise tacked on the affectionate word onto the end, and it seemed to do the trick, as Wardes smiled and nodded.

Without a word, Louise grabbed onto Shinji's sleeve and dragged him away from the group. For once the boy didn't protest. When they were in the forest and far enough away to hide their voices, Shinji shook off the small girl's hand.

"Okay, what's this about?" he said.

Louise glared at him. She said, "just how much trouble are you in with the Einzberns? Tell me honestly."

"I don't see any reason to," the boy said. "You already know I was almost killed by one of them. Isn't it enough to know that bad blood exists between us?"

"No, it's not," insisted Louise. They glared at each other for a few more moments before she relented. Louise sighed, and leaned back against a tree trunk, crossing her arms. When she spoke again, her voice was softer somehow.

"Look, you're my familiar. Yeah, I think you're a horrible person, and yes, I know how much you hate me. But for now we're stuck together. In the past few days I've learned a few things about you."

"Like?" Shinji snorted. "Gimme a break, you don't know jack."

"You're a coward," she said, and Shinji stiffened. "You yell in your sleep a lot. Stuff about Servants, and Heroes, and Magi. I don't even understand the half of it, but anyone with a brain would've notice how afraid you sounded."

"And?" Shinji was angry now, his fists clenched and lips tight. "What I'm afraid of is none of your goddamn business."

"It is!" Suddenly, his Master was there, pushing him against a tree trunk. The girls' frail hands had almost no force behind them, but the boy couldn't bring himself to push her away. "That's what I've been saying this entire time! If I can't not hate you, then I'll at least put up with you, so meet me halfway here! You're a Noble, aren't you!? If you are, then stop being so… so irritating! Don't make me force you!"

For a few moments, all that could be heard was Louise's hard breaths as she recovered from her outburst. Shinji was the first to break the silence.

"Can you cast one of those silencing spells?"

"…no. But Wardes is there. He'd warn us if something was happening."

Shinji nodded, and began to speak. "They're from my world, the Einzberns. You've probably already figured it out, and yeah, you're right. Congrats, simple logic isn't beyond you."

"Familiar…"

"I was getting to it." Shinji frowned. "In my world, they're pretty much the same as they are here, from what I've heard. Kinda reclusive, a bit weird, that kinda stuff. Point is, my family and theirs have been disagreeing for a few hundred years, kinda like you and that hot redhead. And while I'd love to go up to that idiot back there and punch him in the face, I don't exactly have a multidimensional family of freaks backing me up like he does. So for now, the last thing I want is to make enemies of those guys. I'd much rather they stay in the dark about my existence. Is that enough of an explanation for you? Are you happy you finally got some leverage?"

"Yes," Louise said. "Now be quiet and let me speak."

They walked back to the camp, Shinji sullen and Louise oddly determined. Wardes and Gerecht hadn't moved, the former staring at the latter without blinking.

"I would like to ride," Louise said.

Wardes blinked. "What?"

"I'm taking the horse. I'd like you to let my familiar ride with you to La Rochelle."

The older man frowned. "My dear, that's most… unusual. Where did this sudden urge of yours come from?"

"I like riding horses, and enjoyed it greatly in the past," Louise said, her voice not so much as quavering under the lie. "My frail nature is troubled by the idea of this great mission, and I'd like the opportunity to relax by indulging in one of my favoured past times."

Wardes didn't look like he'd bought it, but Gerecht was already nodding. "It is understandable, milady," he said with an overdramatic flourish. "Why, just this morning a wonderful blonde fellow studying at your academy was telling me about how even the hardiest of roses cannot endure a headwind for days on end. I admire your foresight and ability to handle such a matter."

"Er… yes, exactly," Louise tried not to burst out laughing. She looked at Wardes again and summoned up her best pleading face. It was rusty from a severe lack of use, but it seemed to get the job done.

"Very well. I suppose I can understand your wish, my dear," Wardes shrugged. "And since Mister Einzbern is with you, I can rest easy. Come, familiar. We're heading off now."

Shinji nodded, uncharacteristically silent, and moved to follow Louise's fiancé as the man approached his griffin. As he passed by Louise, she whispered to him, "You're welcome."

Within moments, her familiar and fiancé had boarded the griffin and sailed off into the sky. Louise and Gerecht easily mounted their own horses with none of the swearing that had accompanied Shinji's attempt, and set off along the trail. They traveled silently for a few minutes before Gerecht spoke up.

"So…" he began. "You mentioned being stressed, and I think some nice tea while on the road might be just what you need to relax. How about it, milady?"

Louise suppressed a groan.


"I really don't understand that girl," Wardes said. They flew through the air at speeds normally requiring some form of protection, but only the gentlest of breezes got through the older mage's shield. Other than the rhythmic rise and fall of the griffin's body, it was a most relaxing flight. For Shinji, though, it was even worse than the saddle of the damned horse. "She dotes on you far too much, yet your attitude is horrible."

"Of course," Shinji replied, unwilling to hide the bitterness in his voice. "It's because she knows how horrible that is. I don't need her charity, so she offers it and makes me take it just to spite me."

"A bold move, tactically. If that's true, she's already becoming a fine Noble," Wardes said. The man looked forward, but the breeze carried his voice perfectly, and Shinji's response was equally audible. "As for you… shouldn't you be more reserved about voicing your displeasure in front of your Mistress' fiancé?"

Shinji barked out a short laugh. "I would be if you cared. But you don't really love her, so why should it matter?"

Wardes took a minute to formulate his reply. When he spoke, his voice was colder than ice.

"You know… it's a long way down, boy. If you were to fall, there would be nothing that could save you other than my intervention."

Suddenly, despite the muted roar of the wind, all seemed silent.

Wardes continued, "and no one would blame me if you just so happened to go crazy, forcing me to throw you off to save my own life. It would be a tragedy, but you are only a familiar claiming to be a Noble, so none would mourn your death."

Shinji said nothing. Four beats of the griffin's wings passed before Wardes started talking again.

"I'll admit that your insight is somewhat correct. Just like the marriage of Princess Henrietta and that Einzbern whelp, there is more behind our betrothal. It's expected. We were engaged more than a decade ago, and such a thing was decided upon by our families. But do not take that to mean that I feel nothing for Louise."

"Do you?" Shinji asked. "I've seen you two. You're overdoing the cutesy couple act. She might realize it if you keep putting the pressure on her. Even a well made lie will start to fall apart if it's stressed too often."

"Are you lecturing me, boy? I, who has years more experience than you?"

"Not lecturing. Just making an observation. Unlike some people, I know when to quit."

Wardes' smile went unseen. "Not how to quit it with that talk of yours, apparently. Do you always insult those who hold your life in their hands?"

Shinji decided that silence would be the best option.

"It's a shame, really. From what I can see you have potential. Were it not for your pettiness and illogical choices, you would remind me of myself when I was at your age."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"It isn't praise." Wardes said. "I was a fool, then. Young, rash, full of vague ambitions with no actual goals in sight. Ten years ago, when I strode into the capital with nothing to my name but my sword, my family's reputation, and a letter of recommendation, what do you think happened to me?"

No reply. Wardes continued without missing a beat.

"I was almost destroyed. No, I almost destroyed myself. At every turn, I brushed with death. Not honourable death, such as that a knight would earn while dying for a king. No, I almost went the way of the commoner. Stabbed to death by a nobody seeking to rob me. Betrayed by a petty weakness. Quietly stabbed in the night and wiped off the face of the earth for offending some obese official's pride. All because I insisted on challenging every barrier standing in my way without sparing a single thought for the consequences."

"Thrown off of a griffin for trying to blackmail the rider in the middle of a flight. I can think of few ways to die more embarrassing than that. Tell me, Shinji Matou. Why should you live?"

The griffin flew higher, responding to an unseen signal. They rose, past several layers of clouds that left Shinji soaked from head to toe and Wardes without a single ruffled feather in his hat. The boy dared a glance down and saw only clouds. His ears and head ached, and he knew without a doubt that it was only Wardes' magic keeping him from feeling the altitude.

His first attempt at responding was a croak, barely audible. He cleared his throat and the second was clearer.

"You can use me!"

Wardes' smile went unseen. "What was that?" he asked.

Shinji gritted his teeth, swallowed his pride, and spoke again. "You can use me, you bastard! I'll work for you! You may be her fiancé, but I'm her familiar! You saw how she pushed me to fly with you. That stupid girl's got a soft spot for me, for whatever reason. I can learn things you can't. You want to control that failure, don't you? I'll be your eyes and ears! Your weapon!"

"A weapon?" Wardes laughed, and a hint of insanity crept into his voice. "You're nothing more than a tool, familiar. You were summoned to be a tool, and now you're fulfilling your purpose, nothing more, nothing less. The only difference is where your true loyalties lie."

"Y-yeah! Whatever you say!" Shinji's teeth started chattering from the sub-zero temperatures creeping into his bones. "Just get me down!"

"Good," the older man's reply was soft, almost inaudible. "We have arrived, my tool. Welcome to La Rochelle. Don't expect to stay longer than a night."

Beneath them, a rather plain city came into view. It would be where they spent the night before departing the next morning for Albion. Shinji knew nothing of the town, their destination, or the unusual ships that seemed to be anchored at the waterless port. If he did, perhaps he would have been looking, and noticed it. But Shinji didn't see. He stared at La Rochelle, but only a small part of his mind acknowledged that they would be landing. The rest of him sat fuming silently, unable to do a damn thing about what could be counted as possible the worst day of his life.

Above La Rochelle, far in the distance, far enough to be a speck of dust or trick of the light, another city made itself visible. But it was more than just a city. A land mass, a flying continent, floating through the skies on an invisible current, the airborne country of Albion edged closer.


"Ah!"

With a sickening sound, metal withdrew from flesh. Delicate hands immediately clamped down on the wood, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood. In seconds the scent permeated the air, settling on the fallen woman's clothes, yet repelled from those of the man who had stabbed her.

He raised his blood stained wand, idly examined it, and removed a handkerchief from his pocket.

The woman groaned, but the pain only momentarily halted her. With shaking hands she dug into the soft ground, pulling out clumps of dirt and packing them into the hole in her side. Within moments the red earth had covered her wound. She placed a hand over it and choked out a wordless spell.

The man with his face covered by a white mask watched impassively while wiping the blood from his wand with the once pure cloth in his hand. "The wound isn't fatal," he said. "I missed your organs on purpose. You might die from disease if you do that, though."

"I won't," the woman coughed. She lifted her hands, revealing packed clay where flesh had once been. "Sterilizing the materials is something even a Line mage learns."

"At what level do you learn basic transmutation?" he asked. "The walls of Tristain Academy aren't enchanted so strongly as to be able to repel a mage of your calibre, Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt."

"That's not my name," Fouquet growled as she pushed her body up. The now clean wand was immediately at her throat, threatening a quick death. She met the eyes of the man in the mask again and nodded. Instead of trying to stand, she settled for leaning against a tree. "And you know nothing. Certain parts are enchanted more strongly. Mainly the treasure vaults."

The man nodded. "Should I call you Matilda of Saxe-Gotha instead?"

Her already pale face still had enough life left in it to show surprise. "How?"

"I have my ways," the masked man replied. "Just as you have your ways. Tell me, why did you attack that girl's familiar? According to my sources you've been marking the Academy for weeks. Leaving it suddenly for another target does not fit your history."

"Too much risk," she muttered, looking away. "If I couldn't break in normally, there was no way I'd be doing it while having to deal with Royal Guards. Not even the Princess is worth that much trouble. Much easier to go for isolated targets."

"So you didn't expect said target to be accompanied by an equally powerful protector. Short-sighted as always. As expected of a common thief. You can't even look past your next meal."

"Kill me, please," Matilda grunted. "If it means having to listen to you insult me, I'd rather you just end it instead of prolonging the inevitable."

"Whether I kill you or not depends on your answer."

"…answer?"

The masked man nodded. "I care little for your petty ambitions, but our organization is always looking for new recruits. You are an ex-Noble capable of using magic, specializing in breaking into armed fortresses. That is not a useless set of talents."

Fouquet frowned and brushed a hand through her forest green hair. It was no longer shaking. "Who do you work for? I'm willing to join forces with you, but you'll have to give me an explanation first."

"No," the man said. "You cannot be trusted at the moment. Instead, I'll give you a promise. Finish one request for me, and I'll help you acquire whatever it is you need from the Academy's vaults. On top of that, I'll explain the purpose of the organization I work for and extend to you another invitation to join, along with a monetary reward."

"And if I refuse said invitation, or decide to take my chances and run away?"

The man's voice was flat. "I'll find you, and I'll kill you. On the off chance you manage to put up a decent fight the second time, you'll have my organization after you in addition to the law. There will be nowhere for you to run."

Matilda chuckled, and it was the laugh of a woman who knew only false choices. "Fine." She slowly and painfully stood, leaning against the tree, and this time the man let her. "But at least give me the name of this organization of yours. Oh, and I'm warning you now, there are some things even I won't do."

"It won't be a problem," the man said. "I merely need you to rid the very people you attempted to rob of an annoying pest. He should give you little trouble as long as you don't try to attack him in person. Here, for the trouble." He tossed her a sack of coins and she caught it with a wince.

The man turned away, his cloak fluttering in wind that hadn't been there a moment earlier. "As for a name… we call ourselves Reconquista."

A burst of wind forced Fouquet to blink, and when she opened her eyes the man was gone. The money in her hand, though, was still solid. She looked at the bag and back to the spot the man had vanished from, and shook her head. "Men," she sighed. "Always trying to make a dramatic exit."