200 reviews! This is my first story to reach the 200 mark, and I'd like to thank you guys for everything. Hopefully I make your views worth it.
Alright, time for the beginning of the(hopefully) much awaited Fouquet arc:) I'm going to say this now: You're probably going to hate me for the crappy fight scenes (if you could call them that) in this arc. Sorry, but I really do suck when it comes to fight scenes:p Hopefully some of you find it in your heart to forgive me.
Oh, and was I the only one bugged by the resolution of the Count Mott arc? The old bastard tries to rape Siesta, rubs it into Saito's face, and was about to take the girl's first time before Saito busted in and stopped him. After all this, what's his resolution? He gets off scot-free and even gets the stupid porn book he wanted. Were we supposed to laugh at the stupidity and outright ignore the fact that Mott's free to do this kind of shite again the minute he finishes reading that book? He's a glaring "Karma Houdini".
And I'd like to thank DaggerDoom, RickRolled, and ArmorOfGeddon for giving me advice and talking with me about the story. Thanks for everything and I should have said it sooner.
Lastly, everybody read the Dark Souls fanfic "Darkish Souls"! Seriously, the writing is superb and the CU presented there is awesome: A mute, kleptomaniac murderer who kills and steals for shits and giggles. It's disturbingly accurate of the average player who cared little other than killing monsters, getting the best loot, and even killing NPC's before a new game plus just because they know they can get away with it.
Anyway, I don't have much to say, so lets get this started.
It felt cold.
Raziel opened his eyes slowly, his yellow irises flickering to life as consciousness came to him again. Blinking a few more times to try and remove the bright spots from his vision, he found himself observing the room around him; a habit he had picked up ever since he stopped dying due to the lack of giant monsters trying to nibble off his arm (not that it would work).
It took him a moment to remember where he was; Kirche's bedroom. Specifically, he was on her bed, which seemed to be in the process of smothering him with the amount of blankets on his body and the pillows at the back of his head. Despite the blankets on top of him, he could feel nothing but a cold chill sweep through him with every (unnecessary) breath he took.
Oh, and there was the issue of Kirche sleeping beside him and keeping his right arm pinned between her chest, but that was a minor thing.
Using his remaining hand, he carefully nudged the thick blanket off him and flinched. He was naked, at least from the waist up. Giving the room a quick once over again, he found his armor - though he still hesitated to call it that - stacked neatly atop a nearby chair along with Derflinger. The sword hadn't spoken a single word ever since he was dragged here by the Salamander.
Speaking of the overgrown lizard, he couldn't find him anywhere, "Where is he?" He mumbled to himself. His master told him that Familiar's normally stayed with their masters at night, though he was an exception to the rule, both in order to protect them in case of trouble and for convenience's sake. Technically he was supposed to stay with his master tonight as well, her reason being that he needed sleep for the upcoming trial, but he ignored that. He would risk her yelling if it stopped him from getting a split head.
Shaking his head slowly, he took a deep breath and tried to piece together why he was sitting on this monst- bed with his upper body bare. He had obviously fainted, that much was obvious, but that wasn't usually a cause for alarm. Given that there were no injuries on his body, it should've been obvious to anyone that there was nothing to worry about and that he would wake up soon.
Internal injuries did happen from time to time, but they were extraordinarily rare and only happened in cases of strong poisoning or against crystals. His body could imitate the physical appearance of a healthy human being, but he was no longer alive. He had no blood, no beating organs, and his bones were probably rotted that simply touching them would cause permanent damage.
But like all the others of his kind, the magic of the Darksign kept him alive. Through either magic or some other unknown abomination, his body kept going no matter the destruction wrought upon it. His bones crushed, his flesh torn from his body, his eyes burned by overhwlming heat; none of it mattered. His wounds would heal, his mental faculties restored before he got up and continued on. Some would call it a blessing, many called it monstrous, he called it convenient.
It was the only way one could tell an Undead from a living being. When normal humans got wounded, their body would react to it: Wounds festered and became infected, bones would snap, flesh would burn, blood would pour from the injury. But to an Undead, none of these things came. Their true bodies, the ones they hid behind their illusion of life, was already destroyed. Devoid of all life. There was nothing that could destroy them other than their minds breaking from the strain of an eternal life being hunted for what they were.
They chose to cope with this in their own different ways. Some tried to put forth a goal, like reaching the sun or trying to appease their religion. Others tried to ignore their problems, looking for adventure and excitement despite the grim reality of their situation. A rare case or two continued on simply to help others or do their assigned duties, knowing full well they would never get rewarded for their actions. He couldn't remember how his past self dealt with it. He wasn't sure he wanted to remember anymore. He didn't care.
His free hand unconsciously went to the lower left of his neck. The darksign branded people in different places, but in the end they were always there. The small circle could've appeared anywhere; on top of the heart, the stomach, the spine, or even the forehead. His was placed on the neck, for whatever reason. The bandages kept it constantly hidden, but he could feel it burning into his skin. A sure sign of anger.
The vivid recollection was still fresh in his mind, and he still felt the anger from the memories. He wanted to kill Lautrec again. He wanted to rip the helmet from his head and beat his smug face in till there was nothing recognizable about him left. The death he received was too quick.
He was brought out of his reverie by the smell of fire. His left hand was burning again, the flames flicking around chaotically before settling down onto his palm again, "Damn," He cursed quietly before muttering the counter sign, breathing a sigh of relief as the flames abated once again.
"Need to calm down," Raziel gripped the sheets with his hands and tried to keep happy thoughts: Spending time with his friends (however short they may have been), the joy when he managed to kill a large monster, the talks he had with Siesta about Tristain, splattering Kaathe and Frampt against the wall with a hammer and watching their guts slowly slide down the wall as their voices croaked due to the pain.
Okay, the last one didn't happen, but it made him happy just imagining it.
There were many catalysts for summoning the fire. Determination and willpower were often used, but there other other available reasons. Fanaticism, the desire to learn, the desire to atone, the want for power, and many others. And yet among those many reasons, there was the one base need: Anger. The hate, the sorrow, the desire for destruction that came from the primal emotion. It could accurately be described as the weakest reason, yet the strongest. A person lost control when angry and became impulsive and reckless. But with anger came power, power that could feed the flame and make it stronger.
His anger needed to be kept in check. Anger caused him to lose control of the flames and, if he didn't stop it in time, it would consume him as it did his enemies. Not that death wasn't common for him, but he would've preferred not being blamed for burning down the room he was currently staying along with the inhabitants inside of it.
With that in mind, Raziel began the slow process of removing his arm from her tight hug. He tried going slowly at first, mostly to not disturb her from her sleep, but the vice grip she had on his right arm didn't waver "Let go..." He muttered, annoyance seeping into his voice. Using his free hand, he began prying at the arms in an effort to separate himself from her. He could've probably separated her arms from his if he didn't hold back, but that would probably end with her arm being broken. Strength had its disadvantages.
"Why?"
Raziel blinked in confusion. What in the void was that? Turning to the side, his non-beating heart nearly went up his throat: Kirche was awake. Surprising, given that he didn't realize she had awakened. He was getting rusty.
"I need to go," Raziel tried to shake her off again, but her grip remained iron-clad, "Master instructed me to not leave the room...for too long," He lied a little at the end, but it was harmless. He still didn't understand why he felt wary around her. There was something different about her compared to Siesta or his perpetually angry master. It wasn't as if she was threatening him - far from it actually - but he still couldn't get the feeling out of his gut that associating with her was a bad idea.
"Aww, why the hurry?" Kirche tightened her grip on his arm and scooted closer to him, exposing more of her bare skin to him. Raziel raised an eyebrow at the gesture and chose to ignore it. She wasn't burning his face off, that was enough, "You had me worried when you fainted a few hours ago. I had to...make sure you weren't too hot, wearing all that armor and all."
Gods damn it, those fainting spells of his were getting troublesome. Nevermind the fact that it looked moronic; anybody could go up to him and slit his throat and there would be nothing he would be able to do to defend himself. At least she was kind enough to watch over him - even if she did do it in a way that went against his personal space.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he shook his arm again, stronger than last time, and pulled his arm from her grasp. Now that she was awake, he didn't have to be careful for fear of waking her up.
Kirche gave a slight jolt at the abrupt action and pouted, "Going back to your master, then?" She called out teasingly. He turned back to her for just a second and nodded, "Fine, fine~ Wouldn't want her to get too mad, would we?" Another nod, "There is one thing that I'm curious about. I hope you'll indulge me."
"What is it?" He didn't bother facing her, still busy trying to put on the damnable 'armor' his master bought him. Kirche would have found herself staring a lot more if the bandages didn't cover most of his exposed chest.
"You fainted earlier right after saying something about 'pyromancy'" The way she said it indicated she found the word nonsensical, "I want to know why. And you kept mentioning something about an Anastacia and Laurentius. Friends of yours?"
So she didn't know he was a user? He wondered briefly how she ignored the smell of fire that came from his palm earlier before he remembered: The entire room was covered in candles and she slept with a Salamander nearby. The smell of smoke and ash was probably commonplace for her.
Raziel tightened the last buckle on the armor before stopping. How much could he tell her? She did indeed use pyromancy earlier, but she was still a sorcerer and prejudices against the chaotic magic ran deep. Telling her of his friendship with a Firekeeper and a Pyromancer - both of whom Sorcerer's actively discriminated against - might end up making things worse for him.
"Pyromancy is...something I have experience in," He started off vaguely. Having experience in something didn't automatically mean he used it, so he had plausible deniability if she showed signs of prejudice, "Laurentius and Anastacia are dear friends of mine. One of the very few." A slight twinge of sadness reached into his voice before he pushed it down. It didn't matter where they were; they were gone and he was here.
"Yes, I can see where your 'experience' with fire comes from," She pointed the the bandages covering his neck and face, "Zero must have botched her summoning spell or something and injured you...wherever you come from," She scoffed, "But enough about that. I'm more interested in this Anastacia girl. The way your voice sounded when you called her name. There was something there, am I right?"
"There?" He turned back to her, a confused look on his face.
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Truthfully, he really didn't, "The way your voice cried out for her before you fainted. How her name was the last thing to pass from your lips before you lost consciousness. She was obviously special too you, so tell me. An ex-lover? A maiden you fell in love with who never returned your affections? Perhaps the daughter of a noble?"
"What do you mean?" Raziel asked again, still confused on what exactly she was blabbering about.
"Oh for- Did you love her?" The fiery redhead stated bluntly, "I have an eye when it comes to these things," She tapped the side of her head proudly, "I can tell there was something more than friendship with her."
"Love...?" He let the world roll off his tongue slowly. He knew what love was, but he didn't know what it looked like or what it felt like. Love was for the few lucky enough to escape the curse of Undeath that plagued the entire land. And if the curse of Undeath didn't end you, the disease, the inquisitions from the church of Thorolund, the poverty, and the monsters would certainly try. Many were naturally war of romantic relations given the general state of Lordran and the lands around it.
But wasn't love spending time with the person above all else? Or maybe it was spending your entire life together with that person? He honestly didn't know. The only time he'd ever read about love were times he managed to find an intact book talking about the God's. Gwyn's love for his wife and children was described as pure and his devotion to her was eternal.
Then again, that certainly didn't stop Gwyn from erasing his son from history and treating his snake-legged brat like a woman due to some warped standards, so love probably wasn't strong enough to stop your own desires. In the end, love didn't stop ones own selfish desires.
"...No," He picked up Derflinger's sheath and slung him across his back, "I don't love her."
Kirche was about to ask more before he briskly walked to the door and left, closing the door behind him with a dull thud. She sighed, half in boredom that she had nothing else to do and half in annoyance that she had effectively been blown off. He was hiding something, and she hated it when people kept secrets. She would find out what he was keeping hidden from her.
Raziel sighed, leaning against the wall of the courtyard wall. Despite mentioning that hours had passed, the twin moons still shined brightly against the nighttime sky, a sight he still found enjoyable despite how many times he saw it. There was something in the serene beauty of it all that entranced him more than anything he'd seen in Lordran. The view from Londo was tainted with the knowledge that it was an illusion.
He had to wake his master soon, but for now he was free to do whatever he wished. Now that he had familiarized himself with the school, there was litte to do now other than stand around waiting for the day to come. It was mind-numbingly dull.
The courtyard was serene, almost haunting in a way. During the day there were often students milling about followed by their Familiars, along with serving staff who tended to their every beck and call. Now there was nothing there save for the chirp of insects interrupting the moonlit garden. Peace like this was impossible in Lordran. Safety was an illusion, as was the idea of a paradise.
"Hey, partner," Derflinger yawned and piped up from his sheath, "I didn't want to say anything earlier, but are you all right? You've been acting odd ever since you woke up from that girl's room. Something on your mind?"
"Nothing," He sighed and stared up. He technically didn't lie; he didn't love Anastacia. Did the 'him' from his past did? He didn't know, but either way it didn't apply to him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't combine the present him to the one from his memories. It was as if he was watching the life of someone else. How was 1he supposed to react? Should he accept it despite the disconnect he felt?
"I may be an old sword, partner, but I'm not that dull yet," Derf commented, slightly offended, "There's something bothering you. Is it the memory you remembered? If it is, then don't let it bug you," He clicked, "The past is the past. I mean, I barely remember a thing about everything that's happened the past thousand years, but I don't let it bug me. Just keep looking forward."
"Perhaps..." Raziel sat down with his back to the wall, placing Derflinger beside him, "Deflinger, do you know why you exist?" He suddenly asked.
"Why? Partner, I'm a sword. I was made for a warrior to use. Whether that warrior chooses to defend or to destroy, the sword doesn't choose. There's no grand purpose or prophecy about me. I go where I go. Its not always place I want to go to, but what else is there? There's nothing else I can do but kill. Don't you agree?"
Were Raziel more idealistic, he would've disagreed with Derflinger, "We can try to choose, but in the end we are dragged along like pawns in a game. I did not choose to be here now, but I do not question it. People like me...have no choice but to accept." He tried to fight fate, to look for other options, but fate's machinations eventually dragged him into its weave.
"Hah, people like you?" Derf parroted, "I dunno know about that, partner. I get the feeling that there's something special about you. You're a user and that girl summoned you, so that must mean something. Its been too long since I've been used by someone with the runes on their hands. I've been passed along and left by so many sellswords and pathetic nobles that I lost track: Not that I remember many of them. Bunch of pathetic gloryhounds who thought having a talking sword blessed them or something."
"Life was hard for you," Raziel commented wryly.
"Eh, no more than the usual," If Derf could have shrugged, then he would have done so right about now, "A lot of people think being immortal is all fun and games. But how fun is it, really? I can't go more than a few years without some battle breaking out and then I think to myself 'This is never gonna end'. You humans are lucky. No matter how much war and death you see, it'll all end at some point. To me? Its just another day that lasts forever."
Raziel could understand how he felt. The Undead died before it really mattered, but it didn't change the fact that they were immortal and ageless. But every Undead considered it a curse, even him. What he wanted was "Life": To hear his heart beat, to feel pain when he was injured that verified that he was living, to age and die. They could pretend and sacrifice as much humanity as they wanted, but in the end it was only an illusion. A perverse reflection of what they could never have.
"Aaaaagh!" Derf grunted, "What the hell are we doing, talking about depressing stuff like this? We're better than this!" A large amount of clicks followed his statement, "Lets talk about something more interesting!
Clouds were beginning to form overhead, slowly blocking out the moons bright light. Raziel gave an annoyed twitch and turned back to Derflinger, "Such as?"
"That girl from earlier. What was her name?" Raziel spoke up to tell him before he was cut off, "Oh yeah, Birch! Is it Birch? Eh, close enough!" Okay, Derf was acting weird..."I went to sleep since I didn't want to interrupt you two, given that I'm such a great guy, but I'm curious. Are you sure doing it with another girl is a good idea while you're contracted to that girl?"
"It?" What was with people and speaking in weird code?
"You know; IT!" Derf chuckled, "Now don't get me wrong, partner; I'm an expert when it comes to these things, but that doesn't mean I like it or anything. A lot of the stupid nobles who owned me tried to use me to woo a girl or two. A talking sword is really rare, after all."
"Uh-huh..." Raziel had no idea what he was talking about. If he was asking if he loved her, then why did he call it "It"?
"I'm just looking out for your safety is all. That girl you're bonded to doesn't seem like the type who likes sharing her things. Considering how much those two fight, I don't think she'd share a piece of paper, let alone her Familiar. You just be careful now," Raziel nodded, "Anyway, how did you end up being contracted to her anyway?"
"I do not know," He answered truthfully. She seemed to remember, but she never said anything. He didn't ask.
"Well, you like her?"
Now there was an odd question. Did he like his master? Personally he found her unpleasant and too quick to lose her temper. But did he hate her? Considering she somehow saved him from his eternal torment, not really, "...I do not hate her." He finally conceded. He found that it was much easier to speak half-truths to people rather than saying his mind.
"That's not what I asked", He clicked, "I asked you if you like her or not. You don't seem to care much for her far as I can tell."
"Perhaps..." Raziel dodged the question again. He owed her a debt of gratitude, but that didn't mean he had to like her. He owed Lautrec a debt of gratitude and yet that didn't change the fact that his death came from his hands, "She saved me. That is all that matters to me right now. For the time being, my life is hers till she chooses to release me."
"And what if she doesn't let you go?" Derf challenged.
Raziel looked down at the ground silently before turning back to the talking sword, "She will not have a choice," Derf gave a click of the hilt, urging him to continue, "I do not know how much time I have, but it cannot be long. I will die soon enough."
"Huh, pretty grim talk there, partner. You know, I've seen people talk about their deaths and act like it's no big deal, but I could tell they were making it up to look better. But you? I don't see that. hell, you sound almost relieved, like you want it to come for you. You aren't scared of dying?"
For the first time that night, Raziel smiled; a mixture of irony and amusement, "I do not fear what I have already experienced. Death never holds me, no matter how much I wish it to. It is something I've grown accustomed to."
"See, there's that weird talk again," Derf complained, "You act like you're above human needs. Far as I know, partner, being a user doesn't make you something else other than human. You're human, just like pinky or that maid girl you were spending time with."
Derflinger was wrong; he was less than that.
He was about to reply before a splash of water hit his face. Blinking in surprise, he looked up and flinched as another drop of water started to cascade down his face, "Ah shit, its raining!" Derf yelled, retreating back into his scabbard, "Partner, go back inside! Water's a real pain in the ass when it comes to metal, and I'm rusty enough as it is!"
Raziel wasn't listening, however, too fascinated by what just occurred. Droplets of rain started to pour down his face, but he continued to look up at the sky, "What is this?" He reached up and wiped the already moist bandages. Water coming from the sky? Impossible, and yet it was happening right now. Better yet, water that wasn't poisonous or extremely thick? It was as if the land was blessed with good fortune. He had never seen anything like this happen in Lordran before.
He could feel the cold water on his face, dropping down from his eyes, to his cheeks, and finally his mouth and chin. It was relieving in a way, like he was being cleansed by Humanity. He knew he was being idiotic, but there was something inherently fascinating with the natural occurrence that held him in.
He blinked as some of the drops made their way to his eyes. It felt irritating, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry about it. Was this what crying felt like? It certainly seemed close to how some of his friends described it. He could still remember how...
"Quelaag? Please, sister, do not cry. I'm happy, truly. I have you, don't I?"
"Aggh!" Raziel turned to the wall and smashed his fist into it, leaving a noticeable dent on the stone wall. His head started to hurt again, but that wasn't problem. He could feel anger and guilt rising within him. But he didn't even know why! There was no reason for him to feel guilty!
"I'll be fine. I have you, dear sister. But promise me… that you will take care of yourself."
He shouldn't feel guilty! It wasn't his fault! Quelaag attacked him! She gave him no other choice but to kill her in self-defense. How was he to know what her intentions were?
But in the end, would it have mattered? Would he let her kill him simply because he felt pity for her sister? The answer was no, he never could. Quelaag fought to protect her sister, but she felt no pity and did not hesitate to use the citizens of blighttown as egg carriers and food. Her sister deserved his pity, not her. She would do it all again and kill him if he didn't kill her. He could almost say she deserved to get killed after all the lives she destroyed.
So why did it still hurt? Why did it feel like he had done something wrong?
He honestly didn't know.
He needed to stop thinking about this. Maybe losing himself to his memories wasn't such a bad idea right now...
"Stupid Familiar!" Louise gritted her teeth and scowled, whispering some choice words to herself, "I told him to stay in the room and get some sleep. Of course he doesn't listen to me."
The reason for her annoyance wasn't solely based on the fact that her Familiar disobeyed her, but because she was now forced to run around the cold campus in nothing but her nightclothes and a thick cloak covering her.
She could've let it go and stayed in her room, but something in her gut was telling her that if she didn't find him dand rag him by the ear back to her room he would screw something up and make an embarrassment of himself come the Familiar's day. Personally she wouldn't have cared, but his embarrassment would lead to her embarrassment, meaning she needed to make sure he didn't screw this up. Knowing him, he was already doing something stupid right now.
And as she turned the next corner, she quickly realized she was right.
He was standing there in the field, the rain drenching his entire body. The stupid sword was calling out to him, urging him to go back inside, but he ignored it and continued to look up at the cloudy sky.
"What in the void...?" She stared blankly at him, silently hoping that he would catch on to her presence and come back into the shade on his own volition. He continued to stand there, not making a single sound even as the rain continued to pour down on him from up above. When it became clear to her that this wasn't going to happen, she knew what she had to do.
"I'm going to regret this," Giving an irritated sigh, she tightened her grip on the cloak and ran forward.
On his end, Derflinger was beginning to get irritated. His partner apparently decided to go insane and smash against the wall, his master was coming and was about to yell at both of them, and the rain was starting to drip into the scabbard and make him itch. Oh yes, he was very irritated, and he was going to spend the next few days returning the favor to his irresponsible partner.
"Familiar!" Louise stopped just short of bumping into him and hugged the hood of the cloak to her head. Already she could feel the rain hitting against her bare arms and legs, drawing a cold chill.
"The others were grotesque..." Raziel mumbled, "Why do you stay in this terrible place...?"
"Familiar, look at me!" She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look at her. He turned to face her, but again he said nothing, just staring blankly at her and continuing to mumble more unintelligible words to himself. He was out of it. Louise did the one thing she knew would always work.
She kicked him right in the stomach.
Raziel made a small sound at the impact before he blinked, "...Master?" He blinked again before his eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What...what is the matter? Is there something you need?" He asked blankly.
"You have the gall to say that even as you're standing in this rain?" She kicked him in the stomach again, and again he ignored the impact, "I told you not to wander around starting tonight because you need to be in good health. And what do you do? You stand in the middle of the rain!"
"I do not-"
"And before you say you don't get sick, don't!" She interrupted him hotly, "I don't want to hear any excuses from you, am I understood!" He hesitated slightly before nodding, "Now grab your stupid sword and come with me. You need to get out of this rain."
A few minutes had passed since they both arrived at the room, and Louise was still seething. Not only had he disobeyed her orders to not leave the room, he practically spit in her face by doing everything he could to ensure he would become sick by the time of the Familiar's Day. She didn't want to get embarrassed in this; it was her chance to prove that her Familiar wasn't a fake.
The fact that he was dripping water onto her floor wasn't helping.
"Familiar, could you tell what exactly you were thinking?" She started, trying and failing to keep her voice calm. Right now she sounded like she was debating whether to blow him up or chuck him out of the window. She was more partial to the latter.
"I was curious," He answered back slowly.
"Curious about what, the rain?" She sniped back sarcastically. She nearly yelled in irritation when she saw him nod at the suggestion, "Oh for Brimir's sake- What are you, a child!?" She stomped up to him and glared, "I gave you one order: To stay in this room starting from now until the beginning of the Familiar's demonstration. But what do you do? You leave and stand in the middle of the rain!"
"..." He looked away.
"And now, there's a really high chance of you getting sick!" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I just don't understand it. You were strong enough to beat Guiche with your bare hands and a serving tray, but you act like a fool without any hesitation. How did I get a Familiar like you?" She lamented. Of course, she still remembered how exactly she got him, and it still disturbed her.
"It is unknown to me as well," Raziel replied blankly, "However, I apologize for my actions, regardless of intent. I owe you more than you will ever know, and I intend to pay you back as well."
Louise looked back at him and took a deep, calming breath. She needed to calm down. Yelling at her Familiar served no purpose and they both needed to have a clear head for the Fair. Either one of them choosing not to cooperate would be disastrous, so she was willing to let this slide. For now.
"Haaa, come on, you should dry off before you really do get sick," She grabbed an extra blanket from the laundry basket and threw it over him, "Wipe yourself off first and then we'll talk."
The next couple of minutes were silent, almost unbearably so. Raziel refused to make a single sound, as if worried that his master would yell at him again if he tried; Louise was still trying to calm herself and squash the urge to yell at him; and Derflinger was too irritated by the rainwater that drenched his entire body to even make a joke at either one of their expense.
"There, that's enough," Louise grabbed the blanket from his hands and tossed it back to the laundry basket before turning back to him, "What about your bandages? Your burns might get infected if you leave wet bandages on them. You should probably remove them."
Raziel touched the soggy bandages quickly before nodding, immediately beginning the process of removing the thick strips of cloth. Louise turned around and took a deep breath, trying to steel herself to what she would see. She'd already seen him burnt when she summoned him, but that didn't mean she had to like it anymore than she liked seeing burnt skin in general.
"Master, I am finished."
Taking a last breath, she turned around and came face to face with the grotesque form of-
...
Actually, he didn't look too bad.
His face had lost the bandages, but there wasn't a single trace of the burns that permeated his pale skin when she first saw him. Granted the last time she had actually seen the burns was just after his fight with Guiche, but she had assumed they would take a few more weeks if not months to heal completely. Right now there wasn't a single trace of burnt flesh or any indication that he was burned to begin with.
Louise blinked and rubbed her eyes, as if unsure whether or not she was seeing things. After repeating the process a few more times, she came to the conclusion that it wasn't a mirage or an illusion. He really was healed.
If she were anyone else, she might have called him attractive or even handsome. But the memories of his summoning were still fresh in her mind and she still couldn't help but see the emaciated corpse, walking towards her as the flames continued to lap at its bacl.
"Has it healed already...?" Raziel whispered to himself. Ever since he tried to summon the flames and failed, the wounds had slowly but steadily began healing. Flame's bite from earlier also felt slightly abnormal, but he chose to let it go. Still, he didn't expect the illusion of life around him would recover the damage so quickly.
"Hmm, guess you don't need those bandages anymore," Louise commented wryly, "In any case, your training with Guiche starts tomorrow. You need to put on a performance for the crowd coming, so I expect you to take this seriously. Do I make myself clear?" He nodded, "Good. And my previous instructions still apply: No leaving this room starting today."
With those last words, Louise breathed a weary sigh and trudged back to her bed and tried to get some much needed rest. Raziel looked at his master's sleeping form and shook his head, choosing to sit against the wall on the opposite side of the doors. He wouldn't sleep, so he might as well guard her and make sure nothing came through that door to stab her in her sleep.
Her calm breathing was the only sound that accompanied him.
Things returned to the norm for the most part after that. The Familiar's day was coming in a few days and classes for the second years were cancelled in favor of more practices and preparation for the day itself. Servants were busier than ever, preparing both decorations and food for the upcoming visitors. Meanwhile, the students who were presenting continued to practice, trying to outdo both their peers and their performance the past few days.
The news had reached them: It was confirmed that both Princess Henrietta and Cardinal Mazarin would attend the Familiar's showing, along with a few minor nobles and General's. The confirmation that the soon to be Queen of Tristain, though she was likely going to be wed to a foreign leader, was coming bolstered the morale of students both male and female.
The males hoped to impress her, others (*coughGuichecough*) even hoping to use her visit as a chance to woo her or get a date out of it. The rumors about the princesses beauty and kindness spread far and wide, and many a noble teen was infatuated with the soon to be crown monarch.
The same went for the females, though many chose to do it out of a sense of duty and pride more than anything else. Many students saw the woman holding the crown as an ideal they hoped to surpass, so their noblesse pride demanded that they do better.
But this wasn't the case for everyone.
Raziel rolled to the left, barely avoiding the Valkyrie's spear as it imbedded into the ground, striking up the dirt and grass in the process. With an annoyed grunt, he grabbed the Valkyrie by the shoulder before pushing it to the ground roughly, loosening its grip on the spear it held. Using the chance, Raziel grabbed the spear and-
"Wait, wait! You're doing it wrong!" Louise reprimanded, "When the Valkyrie strikes, you're supposed to wait for it to get the spear back and fight with it in fair duel."
Raziel rolled his eyes and turned to Guiche, who gave a shrug in response. The three of them were currently in one of the more abandoned courtyards, so it was only the three of them plus Guiche's mole, Verdandi, that occupied the area. Guiche found that he could do little with training Verdandi and hoped that watching Louise train her own Familiar with his Valkyrie's would give him some ideas.
So far it wasn't.
"Master, why must we do this?" Raziel asked for probably the fourth time that day.
"I already told you: We need to put on a show for the judges and a quick fight isn't enough. We need to get their attention, and a long drawn out duel is the best way to do that." She explained patiently again.
And that was where he was lost. Who the abyss wanted a fight to last longer than it needed to? Why waste valuable time taunting an opponent or bowing as 'respect' when you could use that time to win the fight quickly and efficiently? He just didn't understand it.
"Now do it again! The fair is tomorrow and I don't want either of us getting embarrassed."
With a wave of his rose wand, Guiche let a petal fall onto the ground gently before it transformed into another Golem; this time wielding a halberd. With a sigh, Raziel unsheathed Derflinger and prepared for another 'duel'.
Raziel was restless that night. Louise was sleeping like a baby, no doubt making sure she was well rested for tomorrow. But Raziel was couldn't sleep - wouldn't sleep. When he walked around the campus he at least had something to distract himself when the weariness came. But now that he was forced to sit here every night with nothing to do, he quickly found himself hating his predicament.
His master had attended some kind of welcoming march to greet some upcoming new visitor earlier, but he was still training with the Golem and he couldn't attend. All he knew was that she was much more cheerful when she came to get him later.
Derflinger wouldn't talk to him, still annoyed by the fact that he had been ignored in favor of rain and brooding on misplaced guilt. So he had to spend every night staring at the door in the vain hope that something would distract him from this mindnumbing trial of patience. He took a little solace in the fact that his impromptu imprisonment would end the next day, but it was of little comfort right now.
Sighing, he stood up from his place on the floor and stretched - Just before he heard footsteps coming from outside. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, relying entirely on his hearing.
He could hear soft taps on the floor outside, getting closer and closer with every second that passed. Warily, he glanced at his master's sleeping form; she wasn't expecting anyone, which could only mean the person that hoped to see her was coming here without her consent.
He nearly grabbed for Derflinger before he stopped himself. After the fight with Guiche, his master explicitly told him to avoid killing someone unless he was absolutely sure that they were an unrepentant threat. He pointed out how impractical this was to her and that it would be pragmatic to kill anyone who attacked them first, but she told him to shut up and deal with it.
Nodding to himself, he quietly walked over to the right side of the door and placed himself against the wall. Whoever opened that door wouldn't see him once the door blocked him and he would be able to drag them out quickly.
The door opened slowly and a figure walked in. Raziel looked closely; the cloak made it hard to tell what their gender and even build was, so he would have to risk himself slightly if he wanted to capture them without waking up either Derflinger or his master. If capturing them wasn't an option then he could always snap their neck and dump the body outside the window.
The figure walked quietly, not a single footstep making a sound as they walked ever closer to his master's bed. From the cloak, a dainty hand covered in white cloth reached out and gently nudged the coverings on the bed. The figure looked at Louise and reached out a hand before stopping and pulling back, as if recoiling at the idea of contact.
That was his chance. Bounding over to the figure quickly, it took him no time at all to slam his hand against their mouth and another against their neck.
"Who are you?" He whispered. Rather than respond, the figure - who he could now identify as female - struggled against him and tried to give out a muffled scream, "Stop your struggling or I will snap your neck and throw your body over that window." He nudged his head to the left, indicating the wide window.
Immediately her struggles ceased. Raziel could feel her shivering; fear most likely. Many would have called him cold or remorseless for throwing such threats lightly, but in the end it made sense. Death was never a permanent thing, not in his land. Even if the woman was a true mortal, Undead would take her soon enough and she would find herself resurrecting at the nearest bonfire. Threats of death were the norm, not the exception.
"We will walk out of the room quietly and you are going to answer my questions. Do you understand me?" He asked. She nodded once. Her breathing had gotten more intense and her heartbeat increased, but she was cooperating.
He wasn't used to this: The sneaking and interrogating. But there times in his distorted memory that he could see that he did indeed use this, if only to threaten or scare someone into answering questions without killing them. He remembered doing it one to Patches in order to get information, but that was the most clear remembrance he had of using it. He was guessing on patchwork information.
Ever so slowly they walked to back to the entrance, their legs colliding multiple times and nearly tripping each other in the process. Eventually however Raziel managed to drag her back to the empty hallway and close the door behind him.
As soon as he did, he removed his hand from the figure's mouth and pushed her against the wall. She shivered again, but marginally less so than before. She was keeping her fear contained, Raziel noted, though she was doing a bad job at it.
She spoke first, "Who...Who are you?" The voice was young, possibly as young as his master. Now that he could see her, he realized that she wasn't even a woman; still a girl barely past her teens like Reah was. A twinge of regret enveloped him before he pushed it down. Just because she was young didn't mean she wasn't dangerous.
"A monster," He replied flatly.
"Please don't take me for a fool. Even if you did threaten to kill me, you are a man not a monster," She replied back, "Please understand that I would naturally be curious as to what a male would be doing at this time of night at my friend's abode."
"Friend?" Now that got his attention. What kind of friend would sneak into his master's room without telling her? "You...do not lie..." He finally said after a moment of silence. He could tell liars and those who spread falsehood. After his past dealings with Patches, Kaathe and Frampt he learned some of the signs one needed to look for if they wanted to find a liar. She had none of the signs.
"No, please believe me that I would never wish harm on Louise," Again, no signs of falsehood. She was telling the truth, "It has simply been so long since I've seen her and I was hoping to talk to her before the start of the Familiar's day tomorrow."
Raziel looked her up and down again before releasing his grip on her. She wasn't lying. That meant that she really was he friend, "I apologize for mistreating you in any way. Master will be furious with me."
The figure took a few seconds to catch her breath before she pulled the hood of the cloak of her face. What met Raziel's gaze was a girl, barely a woman. Chestnut brown hair that ended just above her shoulders, complemented by a fair and what some would call pretty face. Her eyes were a weird shade of blue; an odd color he rarely saw before. But given his master's own reddish eyes, it was probably the norm here.
But there was something familiar about her...
"Oh no, it was my fault for sneaking into her room without permission," She shook her head and flashed a dry smile, "Perhaps now would be the time for introductions? It is never too late to be civil after all."
"As you wish," Raziel nodded, "I am currently under my Master's command. You can call me Raziel, or Familiar as is the case with my master."
"Familiar? Now that is an odd thing to call someone," She mused aloud, "Oh, and I should introduce myself as well: My name is Henrietta de Tristain, but please call me Henrietta for now. Formalities are hard to avoid and I'd rather not deal with it any more than needed."
Tristain? That was an odd surname. Normally surnames came from the place of birth: Solaire of Astora, Siegmeyer of Catarina, Lautrec or Carim. Even his master and Siesta followed this naming convention: Louise de la Valliere and Siesta of Tarbes. But why would her name encompass the entire country they stood on? Odd.
"Do you still wish to see my master? If you are a friend then she would be happy to see you." He asked, trying to distract himself from the topic.
"Yes, I would be glad to if it was possible," Henrietta gave a radiant smile, "It has been a long time since I've seen my friend, Louise."
Raziel led her to the room, this time without being against her will. As soon as the door closed behind them, Raziel made his way to his master's side and gently shook her shoulders, "Master, there is someone here to see you."
Louise's face scrunched in annoyance before she turned away from him, mumbling something incoherent under her breath. Henrietta giggled at the reaction while Raziel sighed. His master often did this after she stayed up too late studying or if she was generally feeling lazy. Usually she would yell at him afterwards like it was his fault she chose not to wake up.
"Master, there is someone here to see you," Raziel repeated, shaking her shoulder harder.
"Mmmm...who is it?" She answered, stuffing her face into the pillow, "Unless its the Princess of Tristain then they're not important enough."
For some reason, Henrietta giggled even louder at that. Raziel turned back to her briefly before rolling his eyes and shaking her shoulder again, "A friend of yours came to visit. She said her name was Henrietta."
No sooner had the words left his mouth did he find himself topping onto the floor. His master had stood up abruptly, knocking him over to the floor with surprise. Shaking his head slightly to get rid of the motion sickness, he looked up and saw something he never thought he would see: His master was bowing and apologizing.
"Y-Y-Your highness, I am so sorry for not preparing more for your visit!" Another bow, "If I had know that you would come visit then I would have prepared more and-"
"It's alright, Louise. Please calm yourself," Henrietta held up a hand to silence her panicking friend, "I came to visit you abruptly in the dead of night, so you could hardly fault yourself for being caught off-guard. I am the one who should be apologizing for intruding on you."
"Please don't say that!' Louise protested, "I am your humble servant and it is shameful of me to not prepare more for your arrival. I only wish that-"
It was at this point that Raziel decided to tune out the conversation in favor of staring out the window. He could still hear them, but it was like they were going on a loop: His master apologizing and then his master's friend saying it was okay and that it was her fault and not his masters.
But the new girls appearance still bothered him. He could've sworn he saw her before, he just couldn't recall where...
"Please, Louise, calm yourself. I wished to see my old friend and I did not come here to hear her place blame on herself for not preparing for an unexpected visit."
"You...you honor me, Your Highness," Louise took a calming breath and bowed again, "I am honored that you would remember someone such as me and coming to a humble place such as this, no less!"
"Please, Louise, don't talk like that. Do you not remember the says when we played together on the garden? We used to climb the trees and chase the butterflies all over the field. We even fell into the river once as I recall." Henrietta giggled.
"Yes, the maids and butlers got so mad at us," Louise reminisced, "Father and Mother yelled at us afterwards, saying that it wasn't proper for ladies to run around in the mud and chase insects."
Henrietta shook her head in amusement, "Afterwards we even fought on who started it. We pulled on each others hair and got into even more trouble when the chamberlains found use knee deep in dirt and mud."
Raziel heard the conversation and raised an eyebrow curiously. So despite his master's posturing, she wasn't above doing things like getting herself dirty or picking fights with others.
"Your Highness, as glad as I am to see you, what are you doing visiting this humble abode?" Louise cut off before she got too caught up in reminiscing, "
"Why? I just wanted to see a friend," Henrietta replied, looking down sadly, "The Cardinal and other Aristocrats are staying around me now that there are rumors of me taking the crown in my mother's place. All of them wearing friendly faces and smiling at me, but I know they're lying. I needed someone to talk to, someone to open up with. It was selfish of me."
"No! I understand your predicament, Your Highness. It is just that I am...surprised that you would even remember me," Louise remarked, twiddling her thumbs nervously, "The last time we met was over 3 years ago. I had assumed you would have forgotten about me by now."
Another thing Raziel learned tonight was that the nobility had a flair for the dramatic. He had already seen Guiche and his flamboyance, but he had simply assumed that he was a special case or that he was an extreme version. Now that he had seen these two, however, he came to the conclusion that it must've been ingrained into their system somehow. Perhaps the weird magic they used had something to do with it.
"Forget about you? Never!" Henrietta replied, indignant, "The days we spent together were some of the happiest in my life. I would never forget about them, especially now in these trying times."
"Your Highness..." Louise looked at Henrietta sadly. Rumors of her engagement to Germania's king were already spreading amongst the nobility and Louise could hardly imagine it. Being forced to marry a man over twice her age ruling over a country that stood against Brimir and his teachings on magic and nobility. The rumors of Albrecht the III and his ascension to the throne were unpleasant, and it was widely understood that they were even toned down.
"Ah, but perhaps it is because you were in the middle of something else?" She shook her head and forced herself to smile, "Were you perhaps spending time with your lover? If so, I could go."
It took a few moments for Henrietta words to register in Louise's mind. But once they did, her reaction was instant. "Lovers!? With him!? Never!" She pointed at the stoic Undead and shook her head rapidly, "He is my Familiar; nothing more and nothing less!" She internally gagged. The idea of being his lover was absurd. It would be like Kirche dating her salamander...though she wouldn't exactly put it past her for the Germanian drop-out to try and do that at some point.
"Your Familiar? He said that you called him that earlier but I simply assumed it was a nickname. He is truly your Familiar?" She asked.
"Yes. Though he has the appearance of a human, there is no doubt that he is my Familiar. The runes on his hand are proof of the connection we share as master and servant," She explained, turning towards him, "Familiar, come here and pay your proper respect to her highness."
Raziel nodded and walked over to his master, standing next to his bowing master, "We have already met earlier." He clarified.
"You did?" Louise could feel dread rising up from the pit of her stomach, "Your Highness, I apologize for anything my Familiar may have done!" She turned to Henrietta and bowed abruptly, "If he offended you or hurt you in any way, I take full responsibility for-"
"No, it's alright, Louise," Henrietta raised both hands in a gesture of peace, "Nothing happened between us. We simply introduced ourselves to one another and he allowed me to visit you. Isn't that right, Mr. Familiar?" She smiled.
She was lying, Raziel could tell that much. But why would she? "Yes, it is exactly as she said," Raziel agreed. If she was going to lie to his master then it was none of his business to confront her about it.
"Oh, that's a relief," Louise sighed, "Familiar, make sure you show proper respect and bow to the princess. If you haven't done so yet then make sure to do it now. Its only proper etiquette."
Raziel nodded again before the words reached his ears. Princess. She said princess, didn't she? She did. And she said it with such respect and veneration.
He could already feel anger taking him again. His blood boiled, his mind going into tangents of rage. Princess, the damnable word that he hated the most next to "God". Princess Gwynevere, both the illusion and the reality, he hated them both. The illusion was trick by Gwyndolin used in order to trick people with the false hope that they had a great destiny. The real one abandoned Anor Londo once it became clear that her power was consolidated. She might as well have been the one to pull Lordran into darkness and despair.
And now he was told to bow to a human princess?
His brows furrowed and he pressed his lips together. It wasn't much, but his displeasure was shown well enough, "...No." He stood up to his full height and stepped back, "I refuse to bow."
Louise stared at him, completely at a loss for words. That was the first time her Familiar had actually defied her to her face. He had broken orders a few nights ago, but he at least had the decency to be ashamed and apologize about it. But now he was blatantly defying her in front of her childhood friend.
"This isn't a request, Familiar. I order you to bow to her!" Louise ordered again.
Raziel glared at Louise; a gaze full of hatred that the young pinkette could've sworn her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his yellow irises. Without saying another word, he turned around abruptly and left the room, slamming the door behind him loudly. Both princess and student stood there in awkward silence before Louise realized exactly what happened.
She wasn't happy.
"That-That Familiar dares to disobey again!? I will-"
"Louise, please, calm yourself," Henrietta grabbed her shorter friend by the shoulders and held her in place, "He must have his reasons for his actions; all of do. But please, I didn't come here to force obedience. I came to talk to you. Can you please indulge me in my selfish request?"
Louise took a deep breath to calm herself. The princess was here and she wasn't acting properly. If her mother could see her now, she would have gotten scolded for allowing others to see her temper, "Yes, I apologize, your highness. Is there something you wish to talk about then? I would be happy to assist."
"This isn't a mission, Louise. I simply wish to talk about the past, to forget the trials we face today..." A look of sadness passed through her face again, "I will come again in a few days to ask for your help, but for now, could we put formality behind us and talk like old friends once again? It is something I need more than anything right now."
Louise gave one last glance at the door before nodding at the princesses' request. Her friend was troubled and she would be there for her.
"Void and damnation!" Raziel cursed to himself, taking deep and unnecessary breaths to calm himself. He did not expect to see a princess again, especially not here. When he observed the nobility, he assumed that they were the highest in their caste and that there were no more above them. But evidently he was wrong.
He wandered around the school again, no destination in mind. He just wanted to get away, to forget that he was ordered to bow to someone who held power on life in her fingertips. Power corrupted; there was no way around it. No matter how much she tried to pretend to be nice to his master, she wouldn't hesitate to put her life ahead of everyone else. Those who held power had a high opinion of themselves.
He would never bow to someone like that, not again. He would never allow his naivete to override everything he knew.
"Mr. Familiar?"
"Huh?" Raziel turned to the source of the voice and found Siesta standing there, looking at him with an unsure gaze, "Siesta, is something the matter?" He chose not to question how she managed to sneak up on him without his notice. Most likely it was because he lost focus due to his anger.
"Oh, it is you," She smiled, "I'm sorry, I had a bit of a hard time recognizing you without the bandages in your face," She shook her head and giggled, "Kind of crazy, I know. I haven't seen you the past few days."
Right. Since the servants had been told to prepare for the upcoming Familiar's fair, she'd been busy along with everyone else in setting up for the event. Raziel himself was too busy training and spent most of his time he had trailing behind his master or stalking his prey - he meant trying to see if he could talk to the blue dragon again. He had just the thing to get over his phobia.
"What are you doing here?" Raziel asked.
"I think that she should be my question," She crossed her arms and faked a stern look, "What are you doing so close to the dining hall? Are you planning to do something Ms. Valliere wouldn't approve of? Please don't. We just finished putting the final touches on the decorations."
He was near the dining hall? He was wandering around so much he didn't even realize, "Ah, sorry...I was thinking."
"It's alright, I'm just kidding," She smiled again, "Why are you wandering around? I thought you already knew your way around here? Oh, you must be nervous about the Familiar's day, aren't you?"
"...Something like that," He lied. He certainly didn't want to tell her he was out here because he refused to follow his master's orders.
"Well, don't worry so much!" She patted him on the back lightly, "After everything that's happened the past two weeks, putting on a small demonstration should be easy for you. Truth be told, I'm kind of excited for tomorrow."
"Why?"
"This is my first time seeing something like this," Siesta replied, "When I came here a few months ago, the Familiar's fair was already over. So I'm excited; its something new that I've never seen before. My family would be happy to see it, too."
Raziel nodded. He could understand excitement at seeing the unknown. When he first saw New Londo, with its grand architecture and bright sunlight, it swelled the feeling of hope within him. He felt elation and joy that there was still beauty in the world and that the despair hadn't taken everything. The fact that she thought of her family made him smile as well.
It made it all the more painful when he found out about the deception of the remaining God.
"Mr. Familiar, I don't want to keep you, so I should-"
Siesta turned to leave before a tug stopped her. Raziel was holding onto her sleeve gently and tugging at it, urging her not to go yet, "Could you...tell me more about your family?"
She blinked a few times as she processed the request before nodding with a smile. She didn't want to go to sleep yet anyway.
The Familiar's Fair was grander than Louise expected. Usually it was a simple demonstration to the teachers followed by a bow. But now there was an entire audience of both commoners and nobles alike, likely brought on by the news that both Cardinal Mazarin and Princess Henrietta would both be attending. Last years event was rather lackluster since only a few minor nobles and the imperial messenger showed up. Now with the presence of the next Monarch in line, everyone was in high spirits.
"Clear skies," Raziel mumbled. Louise turned to her Familiar before quickly looking away. She wasn't going to talk to him unless she was giving orders, not after that stunt he pulled with the princess.
Louise smiled. Their talk had lasted until the early morning and yet neither of them talked about anything more about the past and the time they spent together as children. Henrietta also promised to visit her a few days later again in order to ask for her help.
"Remember your training from yesterday," Louise reminded. Raziel scoffed at the way she used the word 'train. It would be more accurate to call it nonsense, "And make sure not to end the fight too quickly. We need to give the audience a show."
With that last word of 'advice', both master and servant waited till their time came. Louise was trying to calm herself, taking deep breaths and mumbling comforts to herself as she tried not to think on what could go wrong. Raziel was content to watch proceedings.
He had to admit: It was amazing. A chubby bow called his owl and ordered it to go through some hoops suspended in the air; a boy with glasses had a wolf who weaved through the crowd, earning him both cheers and laughter; the blue haired girl called Tabitha was the most impressive, however, riding her dragon through the air and performing flips and spins that Seath wished he could do.
And before he knew it, it was their turn.
"And now for Ms. Valliere and her...interesting Familiar!"
Louise took a last deep breath before walking towards the stage, Raziel trailing behind her. As soon as she Louise stepped up onto the stage, she could feel her confidence plummet: The crowd was looking at her expectantly, some already pointing fingers at Raziel. She couldn't blame them; having a human as a Familiar was unheard of.
In the judges table she could see Henrietta smiling at her and urging her to go on. With a small nod, she swallowed her nervousness and began to address the crowd, "My Familiar may appear to be an ordinary human, but he is much more than meets the eye, " She began, "He is a master swordsman and possesses more strength than the average man!"
The crowd didn't buy it. Many of them had skeptical looks on their faces and others even laughed.
"He shall prove it now in a duel against a Golem made from the earth itself." Louise continued, trying to ignore the snickers from the crowd.
From behind the stage, Guiche's Valkyrie bounded up the steps and took its place opposite Raziel. The crowd's murmurs stopped, observing the Golem's design and make. It wasn't a fake or an illusion; he was actually going to fight a Golem.
"If you believe that it is a fake, then you can step onto the stage and verify for yourself," She waited a few moments but not a single one raised a complaint. They could tell it was solid enough, "Well then, could both of them bow and prepare for the duel to start."
Raziel gave an annoyed grunt and unsheathed Derflinger, throwing a bow in the process before standing up straight and placing Derflinger at his side. The construction did the same thing, mimicking his stance and posture. His master insisted that he stand up straight and not to bend his back, but fighting like this was impractical at best. His lack of shield also worried him and she had forbidden him from stealing any more trays.
"Let the duel begin!"
Raziel ran forward and struck at the Golem with deliberate slowness. It raised up its own sword and blocked his, pushing him back somewhat with its strength. Gritting his teeth, Raziel dodged back from the clash and held Derf with both hands. Just like he practiced.
The crowd began to pay attention, others making bets on who would win. Though humans were smarter, a Golems hardiness and willingness to keep going despite injuries meant the average warrior would always lose. None of them were warriors so none of them could tell the entire thing was scripted.
They ran towards each other again. The Golem gripped the sword and made a rising cut; a hit that would destroy his armor if it it. Raziel quickly rolled to the side, barely dodging the strike and making the Golem miss.
It was practiced. First they would clash, then the golem would try to hit him, and then he would try to hit the Golem. This continued on for a while, and at times one of them would hit the other and the crowd would get excited that one of them would win. Raziel hated it, but it was his master's orders and he would obey her.
But they made a mistake. The last part of the deception was simple: The Valkyrie would put the sword against his neck and he would be forced into a standstill. And just when the crowd thought he would lose, he would push the Golem away and impale him with Derflinger, therefore ensuring his 'victory'. There was just one problem.
He had dropped Derflinger.
The Valkyrie had made a mistake in its trajectory and smashed his hand with the blade painfully; if he weren't undead, he would have been bleeding profusely. Unfortunately, it continued its orders and now he was held up against the stage wall, the blade nearly digging into his neck while Derflinger was tossed off to the side somewhere.
The crowd was ecstatic. To them they were watching a show. None of them realized that they'd made a mistake and now they had no way out of it.
He could see his master sweating, mumbling something under her breath and making vague hand-signs for him to do something.
There was only one thing that came to mind. Chastising himself internally that he was going to regret this later, he grabbed the Valkyrie's sword in his left palm and started dragging it away from his neck. Both the crowd and his masters eyes widened; evidently none of them had been expecting him to hold the sword's blade in his bare palm.
"Enough," With another blast of effort, he pulled the blade harder and smiled as a satisfying snap met his ears: The blade had been snapped, split cleanly in half. The Valkyrie stared at the remains of its blade long enough for Raziel to smash the piece he held in his hands to its midsection and kicking it to the floor. It made a vain effort to stand up again, but Raziel grabbed the blade it held and smashed it against its faceplate. It lied still.
There was a moment of silence before the crowd cheered. Regardless of what they thought, there was simply no way they could fake breaking a sword; especially given the fact that it was durable and solid just a few moments before.
Louise bowed, a radiant smile on her face. She had prayed not to get embarrassed. She didn't expect cheers from the crowd; cheers for her and her Familiar. Henrietta flashed her another smile, mumbling a congratulations at her. She had felt proud to call herself a Valliere.
And then it was gone in instant.
A loud explosion resounded all around them. Cheers turned to screams as another explosion rang out, destroying a section of the wall and the the people closest to it. Louise watched in horror as the rocks crushed the people that survived the explosion under its overbearing weight. Red blood flowed from underneath them; the only thing that remained of the people.
The crowd panicked, pushing against one another to try and get to the courtyard's exit. The teachers and knights tried in vain to calm the crowd but in the end it was futile. Panic had overtaken then and they were lashing out.
"Master-" Raziel tried to call out before another explosion shot out: Behind them this time. The Undead lost his balance and fell to the stage floor. The smell of fire and smoke was beginning to overtake his senses. But through it all he could hear laughter. Someone was enjoying this.
"Burn the trees; make sure the fire spreads!" The voice was male, "Make sure the crowd panics: She wanted a distraction, she's going to get one!"
Raziel coughed and tried to focus. He couldn't see much through the smoke: The fire was spreading too quickly for it to be normal. Whoever was spreading the fire was accelerating the process and making sure the smoke covered the area. He could see figures garbed in black weaving through the smoke, setting fire to the trees and even stabbing anyone unlucky enough to see them.
"Master!" Raziel called out. He pushed his way through the smoke to where he last saw her and called out again, "Master, where are you?"
She was gone.
Hey guys, I just heard the news of the death of Zero no Tsukaima's author, and I quite honestly feel bummed. Zero no Tsukaima wasn't the best novel I ever read, and there were quite a few times I wanted to smack Louise, but the author put a lot of his heart into the novel and even worked on it as the cancer was eating away at him. Now we're never going to get a conclusion.
May he rest in peace.
I'll also have to make changes to the story. I originally had two plans: Follow canon with my own changes or start deviating once we get to Romalia. With the death of the author, I have to go with the latter or just abandon the fic outright.
Anyway, to answer some questions and then ask one of my own.
Xayom - Sorry, I guess I made a mistake. What I meant to say was that the CU isn't as strong as everyone makes him out to be. The point of the game is that, even if you're strong, its your tenacity that makes you the best player. A lot of people seem to expect the CU to be as strong as the typical game character who slaughters tens of men by sneezing at them. Given that you can get gangbanged by the weak Hollows in the church since they can stunlock you to oblivion, I'm guessing he wasn't meant to evoke that image.
I do agree that he's strong, just not "I can take on the entire cast with one hand tied behind my back" strong.
Writing in Reverse - Because it doesn't bug him that much. Louise never asked him where he was born or what he did prior to being summoned, so he doesn't make a stink about it. And since he's not critically injured while fighting, he doesn't think wasting an estus is worth it. He regenerates slowly when by himself, like all undead do.
Moleman171 - What makes you say that? :D
Alright, time for my own question: Should I give Henrietta a Familiar? And before you ask: No, she's not a void mage, so not a human Familiar. I planned to give her a dove at first, given that its the symbol of purity and being caged and whatnot, but then I remembered she's a water mage. So now I'm stuck. Should I give her a Familiar? If so, do you guys have any suggestions on what it should be? I'm open to suggestions.
Lastly, I know some of you might be wondering why romance is in one of the tags: It's not for Raziel, but for Julio. Raziel may or may not get into a romance, but Julio has one with either Josette or Louise depending on how the story develops.
That's it for now. Tune in next time for a crappy fight scene!