Disclaimer: I do not own Warhammer or FoZ. Also, I probable don't know as much as I should about FoZ lore so if I bugger it up at any point feel free to give me an earful. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
A Pact with Ancient Gods
Chapter 2: An audience with Devils
It was the time of the summoning. All of the students that would be taking part in this sacred event had arrived and were making their final preparations. All except one.
Louise was panicking. She had spent so long going through the tome and memorising the symbols it showed her, that she had completely lost track of time and now had to rush to the field where the summoning ritual was going to be taking place in no less than 10 minutes time.
{--}
After several minutes of continuous sprinting Louise finally made it to the ritual site. And the first thing that greeted her was someone she didn't the time nor the patience at the moment to deal with. She was tall, standing a whole head above Louise. She had tanned skin, with long red hair.
"So, you finally decided to show up zero, shame now we will need to pick the dirt out of our hair from your inevitable failure." Kirche mocked in that infuriating voice.
"What do you want Zerbst?" Growled Louise already wanting this conversation to end after only a few seconds.
"Oh my, I just desired to encourage you to step down from the ritual today. Everyone knows that you can't perform any magic, so why not just stop before it begins to save yourself the embarrassment and the rest of us real mages the time." Stated Kirche bluntly.
"I'll show all of you. Ill summon the greatest familiar out of everyone here you'll see!" With that said Louise stomped of towards the group of students preparing for the ritual.
In Louise's mind thoughts were raging. How dare that Germania cow claim she wasn't a mage. And then the doubt set in. What if she didn't summon the familiar she desired, or worse still nothing at all.
And then she remembered the book, stored safely in a bag at her side. It had promised her the ability to prove herself to all those that had previously doubted her. This had filled her with confidence, but after so many disasters and failures, the insecurity held on in the back of her mind.
"Alright student now that you have all arrived, we can begin the spring summoning rituals. So, everyone spread out, carve the runes into the ground and bring forth you familiars." Announced professor Colbert.
{--}
Half an hour had passed and the students had completed their rituals bringing forth a wide variant of creature ranging from cats and dogs to a dragon and a salamander summoned by Kirche.
"Is that everyone done with their rituals." Asked the professor as he observed the vast array of creatures.
"Not quite professor Louise has yet to go!" Cried out Kirche in response.
"Very well, Miss Valliere if you would please summon your familiar." Said the professor looking at the young pink haired girl as she stood before a summoning rune.
As Louise added the finishing touches to the base rune, all the remained was to add the four symbols the tome showed her. She began to add them to the rune in its four corners.
When Louise finished only then did she hear the hushed murmurs spreading through the observing crowd, about how this wasn't a normal summoning rune.
Louise steeled herself and raised her wand and after a few more seconds of calming her nerve, she began to speak her spell with the added words the tome told her to say.
"By the will of the five elements and the strength of my soul, I request an audience with the four ancient beings of the realm of magic. HEAR MY CALL AND AWNSER!" Louise shot her wand up into the sky and waited.
{--}
The immaterial plains
In a single moment, four great beings froze. Khorne stopped his slaughter, Tzeentch halted his scheming, Nurgle paused in his brewing and Slaanesh ceased their hunt for sensations. Something had called out to them. But unlike the average mortal raving about demands for power and glory, this one was pleading an audience with the Gods themselves, their voice filled with desperation. But what truly caught their interest was the power within the mortal's soul, the only thing they could compare it to was the hated Slann of the first generation, being's capable of reshaping continents and wiping out army's with but a thought. But instead of a Slann this soul belonged to a human child, a child that could be influenced and brought under a Gods will.
This single being could advance the place of the god that claimed it in the great game dramatically. With this goal in mind the four mighty Gods of chaos scramble to follow the magical trail back to its source determined to be the first to offer their gifts to this child.
{--}
Tristain academy
An almighty explosion engulfed the area around Louise. The force of the blast through all in the area to the ground, trees groaned as their roots fought to keep them in place.
As everyone began to rise, they began coughing out the soot and dirt kicked up by the blast, while yelling insult at Louise for another failed spell.
"Typical zero." "Another failure." "Why do you still bother." These were but some of the insults launched at Louise.
"SILENCE!!!" All shut their mouth at the deep, booming voice filled with rage originating from a stubborn smoke cloud that refused to dissipate. A gust of wind blew the cloud away, courtesy of the short, blue haired Galian wind mage named Tabitha. What the student and even professor saw unnerved them.
Four portals. Each in a different colour one was a blood red, another a deep-sea blue, the third was a dark green with the final being a purple. But what unnerved those present were the four beings within each portal. They all sat upon mighty thrones that reflected their occupant.
Within the red portal was an armoured giant sat upon a throne of skulls, with flaming great sword scaled for his size rest next to him. In the blue portal a large form sat upon a crystal throne surround by thousands if not millions of books and scrolls, the being itself constantly changed as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. In the green portal upon a throne the seemed to be formed from a rotting tree, sat a fat green creature with antlers and flesh hanging of its body, that caused some of the students to lose a battle with their stomachs. The final portal seemed hold a naked purple skinned woman that was both alluring and horrifying, sat upon a thrown of claws and skin.
After a few seconds of intense stare downs, the changing being spoke.
"Step forward caller."