Chapter 11
Many a Star
"Disarm them." Joseph said, from his throne. Paul started at the approaching soldier for what it feel like an eternity, thinking about drawing Derflinger and ending things here, thinking about just saying 'fuck this!' and blow the whole place sky-high. He could do that. He was the Gandálfr, the left hand of god, and Louise was absurdly powerful herself. But Louise was only mage, she didn´t have the benefit of the runes to keep her body up. So he didn´t do it. A soldier grabbed him by the shoulders, turned him around and he still didn´t even have second thoughts. A second later, he heard the snap of handcuffs, and even the possibility of that was buried. For the corner of his eye, he saw a soldier pocked Louise wand while another one handcuffed her. Then, they were roughly forced to their feet. "Place them new to each other."
He felt the soldier pushing him forward, and for a moment he entertained the idea of not moving, of forcing that bastard to drag him every step of the way, but he didn´t do it. It would amount to anything, anyway. Best to keep quiet until he saw a chance to escape. So when the soldier pushed him again, Paul left him push him out of the room. In the other side of the hallway, there was a big window that had a view to a garden, and far beyond the garden, a city. He thought about trying to fight the guards bare handed and then jump out of the window, like some B-movie hero, but it didn´t seem likely.
"Please." Louise said, and he stiffened. "Look at him. Just look at him. He is crazy. I… I understand loyalty, but this is pushing it. You have to help us. Or just take off these handcuffs."
"Why we should do that?" One of the soldiers sneered.
"You can´t just let him do as he pleases. He is your king, all right, but…"
"Joseph is just a child in the body of an adult." Another one said. This one sounded younger. "He is unfit to take care of himself as much as he is unfit to take care of his kingdom, but that doesn´t matter. He is nothing but the man standing on the throne, little girl."
"So why do you follow his orders? Do you think this is right?"
"Right?" The soldier said, bemused. "This has nothing to do with that."
"Then why do you serve him?"
"Money, power, fame, whores." He stretched the last word, suggestively. Paul didn't like the sound of that. "The same reasons everybody does it."
"Do you even know the meaning of honor?" Louise almost screamed at him. For one moment, the man looked taken a back. Then, him and the rest of his companions burst into laughter.
"Everybody knows the meaning of honor, girl." The same one said, between laughs. "Is just that everybody has a different meaning."
"Nothing you are doing here is honorable." She said. Paul prayed that she could just shut up already. Louise was just going to get them in trouble. "You are just bowing down, like dogs."
All of them stopped, abruptly.
"What did you say?"
"All I heard there is 'bark, bark'" Louise said, and smiled. "Just like a dog."
One of the soldiers, the younger one, took a step forward and punched her right in the mouth. He saw her lip burst, like in slow motion and then she fell against the ground, hands up to protect her head. For a moment, he thought that she was crying, that she had finally got over her head. Then, with a start, he realized she was stifling down laughter.
"What did you do, idiot?" One soldier screamed, and the one who had punched Louise took a step back, as in fear. Or maybe shame. It was not possible to know such a thing, with those helmets over their heads. "She is Joseph prisoner, and he doesn´t want her harmed. Do you have a death wish? Do you want your own mother to see you executed in the main plaza?"
"I am sorry, Gerald." Then, he went to pick Louise up. The other one helped him. They resumed their walk, in silence, if not for her Louise stifled laughter. But soon, even that stopped. In the descent to the dungeons, there were only the sounds of their footsteps and the sounds of the city, far, far away.
They stopped in front of two cells, marked B-12 and B-13. For the corner of his eye, he saw one of the soldiers that was with Louise step forward and open one of the cells. Then, they shoved Louise inside, and closed the door. A few seconds later, he saw her head poke out between the bars of the door. He was barely aware that his door was opened, and then they pushed him inside. He hit the ground on his back, and for a moment he saw grey, and thought he was going to past out, but he didn´t. Paul struggled for breath, and sat up on his cell. He heard the door close, and then the room felt into darkness. The only light was what fell through the window of the cell, and even that little window was closed a moment later. He breathed out, and waited, in darkness.
Paul must have fell sleep, because the next thing he remembered was a crack, and the door opening. Joseph stepped through, alone, and stared at him over his shoulder, smiling. He stared back.
"So, Gandálfr." Joseph said. The way he had said it made him repress a shiver. "Tell me: how does it fell to nearly kill a whole army? How does it fell to end so many lives? Is a wonderful feeling, do you regret it or you don´t even care? Tell me. Tell me, Gandálfr."
"I am not in the mood for games, Joseph. Tell me why you came here. Why you really came here."
Joseph frowned.
"You are not fun, you know? Ah, well." His smile grew wider. Paul didn´t like that. "I tell you, anyway. There is something very, very important that is unfortunately still not in my hands. I want you bring it to me."
"What is it?"
"The Founder´s Prayer Book, of course." Paul stiffened. "What else it could be, Gandalfr?"
"Where is it?" He said, thinking about storming the palace, how many innocent people he could be forced to kill.
"In that girl´s room, at the Tristanian Academy of Magic. It will be an easy job. For a Gandalfr, anyway."
"And if I said no?"
"I kill her." Joseph said, and smiled.
"You are just buffling; you said so yourself. You want her power. Our power. You couldn´t kill her."
"Maybe. Maybe not. I have no problem in putting down tolls, when they get to bothersome. But maybe I won´t kill her. Is too early to do something like that. Doesn´t mean I can´t hurt her, in other ways. For example, I could give some of my guards the key of her cell, turn a blind eye and let them… take turns."
Paul felt sick. He knew this world was a barbaric place, the middle ages with magic, but he just couldn´t believe that man was standing there so calmly, even smiling, while talking about arranging a gag rape for a girl who wasn´t even eighteen. It almost made him puke.
"Fine." He said. "Fine. But don´t let them touch her."
"But of course. So long as you play your part, Gandalfr." Joseph said, then took a key for the pocked of his pants and unhooked his handcuffs. Paul took them off, and throwed them to ground. Then, he stood up.
"I want Derflinger back."
"Derflinger?"
"My sword."
"Oh, well, okay. I was going to do that, anyway." They passed Louise cell, B-12. Paul stared at it as they went through the hallway.
"Can I see her before I go?" Joseph stopped. "Please."
"Okay. But only five minutes." He took another key for his pocket, stepped forward and opened the door. Louise was in the middle, her head resting on her knees. She lifted her gaze when the door creaked open, and the cell was lighted. Paul stepped through. "Remember, five minutes. Enjoy yourself, Gandalfr."
Then, he closed the door. The room darkened considerably, but there was still some light, enough to clearly see Louise´s face and her shape in the darkness, so Joseph must have opened the little window of the cell, too. She stood up, approached him and hugged him around the waist.
"I missed you, familiar." She said, thought her voice was muffled somewhat. "And… I am sorry, for calling you again."
"I missed you, too, but shush, we are going to get through this just fine." He said, and returned the hug. It was not entirely unpleasant. Sometime later, they separated. "I am going, master."
"To where?"
"To Tristain. Joseph has sent me on a mission."
"What mission?" Paul fidgeted, and then stood straight. There was no sense it lying, or trying to get out of this.
"To recover the Founder´s Prayer Book."
"That´s…" Louise said, with her eyes wide.
"There is nothing we can do about that. You have to worry less about them and more for our own safety."
"I worry for you, and for me, of course. But still… still…" Louise sighed. "That he gets the book… it can´t be any good."
"I know, but, like I said, there is nothing we can do." She looked down, her hair covering her eyes.
"Paul…" She mumbled. "Try… Try not to do… anything drastic. And stay alive."
"I will, mast…" There were several loud knocks at the door.
"Five minutes, Gandalfr." Joseph said, and he knocked several times again. "If you are fucking her like a bitch in heat, calm down and get out. You have more important things to do."
He saw Louise face redden with fury, and her hands clenched into fists, but she didn´t do anything.
"Go." She said, after she calmed down a bit. "Go. I will be fine."
"Yes, master." He nodded, and opened the door. Joseph was there, smiling at them.
"Well, let´s go, Gandalfr." And they went. The soldiers looked at them as they went out of the dungeons, but they all gave them a wide berth. Joseph leaded him into a room littered with boxes. Derflinger was there, sheathed, on the table in the middle of the room. Paul picked him up, and the runes blazed to life.
"Interesting." Joseph muttered. "Seeing a legend in the flesh is more interesting that I had imagined. Are you satisfied now, Gandalfr? Or you have any more requests?"
Paul pretend he didn´t hear him, and gracefully swung the sword on his sheath. He felt alive, at home.
"No." He said, smiling. "He is all I need."
"Excellent." Joseph said, and turned to the door. "Let´s go."
Paul followed him through more hallways, to the outside of the palace. Soldiers were standing guard, all around. He saw a bird resting on the top of some flowers, but it swiftly took flight and disappeared into the sky.
"A ship will be leaving the docks soon, towards Tristain." Joseph said. "You will go there, and the ship will take you back here when the mission is over. Don´t cause a scene, or try to escape. If you do, I will kill Louise regardless. Understood?"
"Understood." He said, and nodded.
Paul went through the city, following the smell of fishes, sailors, bad bread and alcohol; the smell of the docks. Here and there he had to ask for directions, but in less than a quarter of an hour-or so his thought- he reached the docks. The ships were arranged in several neat rows. He saw a sailor engaged in a shouting match with somebody, and saw how he threw an empty beer bottle and the man and missed him only by itches. It broke against the ground, he saw that, but the sound of his breaking was lost in the idle chatter between the persons of the docks, the salesman reciting their sale pitches, waving things around, baggage behind shuffled between hands and into the ship. He started walking down the line of ships, looking for the one that was about to part and halfway a sailor waved at him and called him by name. Paul stepped into the ship. The sailor looked at him for a moment, up and down, then took of a key for his pocket and gave it to him. There was a twenty four engraved into the key, with big and bold letters. The man said it was to be his room, but he had already figured up that much.
Paul descended into the lower parts of the ship, and went looking for his room. He found him on the first hallway, and opened it. It was small, but no very small. There was a closet on the left, and bed on the right and tiny little window just about it. He locked the door behind him, put Derflinger on the nightstand and sat on the bed. Looking at the ceiling, he thought that it was not so bad, after all. It was noisy, because of the paper thin walks and it smelled…not revolting, but it was definitively unpleasant. But he felt free. Sure, it was not true, he still had his responsibilities and, most of all, the mission, but he felt like that all the same. So it was not so bad.
He shook his head, effusively, like trying to shake those thoughts away. This was not time to dream awake. Paul reached for Derflinger, and unsheathed him.
"Derf, what happened when the soldiers took you? And what can you tell about the palace?"
"I was brought into that room, and Joseph talked to me." Derf said. "He asked me how it felt to live, for so long, with so many deaths. We had a talk about my past wielders, and what I saw of this world. Listen, partner. He is crazy. And I don´t mean crazy the same way Fouquet-or Matilda or whatever, I don´t really care right now- was crazy. Joseph is empty, truly empty. Like… some puppet. Jesus, partner, I told him everything, everything, but he didn´t even blink. That kind of people is always the most dangerous. And he is another Void Mage, like being a freaking insane king was not enough."
"Does he have a familiar?"
"I don´t know, can´t be sure, but Joseph knows what he is, so I think he does have a familiar somewhere. Probably in the palace. Anyway, as for the palace… If you are hoping that I figured out an escape route for you and Louise already, then you are out of luck. But I did see where they have the keys of the cells. Is protected by a magical barrier, but I sure that I can adsorb that magic and let you open it like any normal box."
"Don´t worry. That´s more than I expected, Derf."
"You didn´t expect awesome things from the awesome Lord Derflinger? Shame on you."
"Yeah." Paul laughed. "Shame on me. Sorry."
"You are forgiven, partner. This time." Paul laughed again, deep inside incredulous at himself. He had to do another dangerous mission, given by a mad king that was also a void mage and had taken them captive, and here he was, laughing. But it felt good. Really good. He leaned down on the bed, staring through the window. He stared and thought about idle things.
Paul waked up, with a start, when the ship stopped. He stood up, put Derflinger on his back and went upside. They were not on the port of La Rochelle; the differences were obvious, even if he had only been there once. The houses were bigger, more luxurious and there was a lot less vegetation. He went to ask the captain how far the academy was, and the captain said that it was pretty close by, just a few meter, so he walked instead of buying a horse. In about a quarter of a hour, he found himself in front of the massive gates of the academy. They were closed.
"Hey!" He screamed. "Open up, please! My name is Paul Davis! I am the familiar of Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere."
Silence. Paul waited, and when he was beginning to think that they didn´t heard him or they just didn´t want him here, there was a big crack and the gate opened, squeaking all the while. Osmond, a staff on his hand. Paul approached him. The headmaster looked at him, up and down, then started waving the staff around. He flinched, and took a step back.
"I am not going to hurt you." Osmond said. "This is just a simply spell, to check if you really are who you say you are. Don´t worry. If its true, then you have nothing to fear."
Paul just nodded. The headmaster finished his chant, and blue light washed over him, but nothing else happened. He didn´t even fell pain.
"Ah, thanks goodness. Is true. Tell me, young man, how are you alive? We thought that you had died figthing the Albion Army. Louise, too."
"A person found me and healed me... Wait, so Louise is not here? I thougth..." He bit his lip, and looked away, a bit afraid he was overacting and would fuck everything up.
"I am afraid so. Nobody has see her since that day; not even her corpse."
"Don´t say that! Look." He held out his hand, showing them the runes. "I don´t know where she is, but she is not death. The runes are still here."
"Yes, yes." Osmond said, and nodded. Paul could have sworn he stood straighter after that. "Thats good. That´s really good. Well, come inside."
The headmaster turned, and he followed him. He heard the gates close behind them, still squeaking hard.
"Louise´s room has not be taken by another student, so you can sleep there. Is only appropiate, after all."
"Thank you, headmaster."
"Don´t thank me. You shouldn´t have come here. You don´t have... a good reputation. And I am not referring to what happened with Guiche. I mean... what Louise did. What she said you were, to all the nation. Lets just say that it be better for you to not leave the room, if you still what to stay here."
"Where else I can go?"
"Good point."
Paul followed Osmond up to Louise´s room. The headmaster took a key from his pocket and opened the door for him. When he couldn´t not longer heard his footsteps, he locked the door. Then, he searched for the Founder´s Prayer Book. He looked on Louise´s desk, and checked each drawer twice. Nothing. He went down on the floor, and looked under the bed. Nothing again. He opened the closet, and checked the pockes of her clothes. There was a spare wand in one of them, but he didn´t find the book. Then, he saw it, for the corner of his eye. It was behind the desk, against the wall. Paul picked it up, and opened it. The first two pages were blank. He suffled through the book, but every single page was blank, too. This was it, then. It was certainly no a school book.
He went out of the room, the book on his arm and closed the door behind him. When he turned around, he nearly jumped. The headmaster was there, wielding his staff.
"What are you doing?" Paul´s hand itched for Derflinger´s handle, but he keep its cool. There was no need to worsen things.
"I am just leaving. You were right; I can´t stay here."
"And the book?"
"Is a novel, sir. Can I go now?" He moved aside, and took a step forward but then he was flying. The floor turned over twice right before his eyes, and then he hit the ground. Paul gasped for breath, his mouth filling with blood. He was only dimly aware that the book had went tumbling for his grip. He looked up, and saw the headmaster approaching him, his footsteps as loud as gunshots.
"I don´t know what happened to you, and what do you want with that book, but nothing good will come out of it. Please, surrender and we can talk about this. Let me help you."
"I..." Paul tried to say, then coughed blood while Osmond looked down at him, his calm expression never breaking. "I-I have to do it. Is the only way for me. And for her."
"So you are doing this for Louise?"
"Yes. That bastard from Gallia, Joshep... he has taken her hostage. And if I don´t give the book to him, he is going to kill her." He said, and thougtt he saw hesitation on the old man´s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
"I can´t let you do that." Osmond said. Paul grasped the book, and tried to stand up. The blast of wind magic didn´t hit only because he stagarred away for it. He hear the wall behind him break, and unsheated Derflinger. The runes blazed. The headmaster sent another blast of magic at him, but Derflinger adsorbed it, and it only threw him back a few steps. Paul cursed beneath his break, and ran towards the stairs. He ducked his head, and the blast tore a painting for the wall instead of stopping him short. It broke against the ground, sending broken glass all over the floor. He got to the stairs, jumped all the way down and crounched upon hitting the ground, his teeth chattering hard. Paul nearly lost his balance rigth there, but he stedied himself and jumped througth the nearest window. It shattered, the glass that was sent flying making deep gashes on his skin, but he barely felt it. He hit the ground, rolled, go back to his feet and ran for the gates.
Paul heard that crack again, even that many meters away. Shit. The gates were closing. He forced himself to up his pace. Just when he reached it, the gates closed with a bang as loud as a gunshot. He looked behind him. The teachers were there, staffs or wands in their hands, looking directly at him. He looked around. Even thougth he could see the watch towers on either side of the gates, there was no ladder. Only one choice then. Paul breathed deeply, once, took several steeps back and jumped.
He raised througth the air, the wind flapping his clothes, and for a moment he fell wonderful, free like a bird. Then he looked at the top of the gates and thougth that it hadn´t be enougth, that he was going to hit that, fall and break his neck, and all his joy turned into terror. He didn´t, but just barely. Paul hit the ground so hard his kness buckled, and he fell down on his hands and kness, head spinning. He wobbly got to his feet, and somehow found the strength to run, towards the woods.
