Not long after her initial thought to amend things had the door handle rattled around a couple times, signaling someone's evident return. With this, and her previous feelings in mind. She sighed as she stood, and strode toward the door, unlocking it, opening it, and finding Izaneus, the person she was just thinking of.
He began to speak, raising his hand to his chest with his face showing an apologetic expression. Tonight was a lot. For both of them.
However, she wanted to say her piece first.
Grabbing the now publicly known wizard, she pulled him in and slammed the door behind her, causing Izaneus to yelp at the sudden motion and volume of the situation.
"Before you speak, know this." She began, looking the blonde in the eyes. Finding that same Azure glow she saw in them when he was first summoned.
"I apologize, I didn't intend to destroy your book, nor did I intend to summon you here from… Wherever you come from."
Which was another topic of discussion, his previous whereabouts. Where he was before this all had transpired. But it was a separate topic for a separate time. Tonight was already chock full of things that exhausted them both, she knew.
So she would save asking that question for sometime else.
"I understand that-" her words were cut off by Iza speaking after her, interrupting her sentence midway.
"I.. Believe now is the time for me to say my piece. Earlier I heard your name is Louise, correct?" He asked politely, placing a hand on his hip out of habit.
To which Louise responded with a curt nod, mildly irritated she was cut off. But it wasn't the worst frustration she'd endured in her life.
"I… my reaction was childish, if justified. The book you destroyed was given to me by my father the last time I saw him, which is why I reacted so violently…" He began, taking a deep breath to quell the anxieties growing within himself. Entirely missing Louise's distraught face at this mention, Before she quickly righted herself.
"However, that doesn't change the fact that a book is a book. No matter the origins, I acted like a child, and I… I'm sorry. Tonight is a conglomeration of things you and I don't completely understand… and I wish it had turned out different."
Their feelings and thoughts aired, and explained, they nodded to each other, some form of understanding between them.
Then Izaneus yawned. "On an entirely separate note, I'm tired, it appears I haven't had enough sleep quite yet… so. What say we put this day behind us?" He stated, stretching as he did so.
His yawn was quite infectious, as our pink haired protagonist found, yawning along with him. Before nodding herself. It was far beyond time the day had ended. They would be able to talk more and explore these things later.
However, the topic of sleep brought about an important revelation. Izaneus did not have a bed, only a small straw pile she assumed would be far more than enough for a commoner to serve her with.
However tonight's recent debacle showed he was anything but a commoner. His use of magic played along this quite well
"You need a bed… I apologize again. I'll have a room prepared for you as soon as possible…" and thus she brought herself to say something she truly normally wouldn't to another noble.
"Would… you be okay with that for the time being?"
The other "option" was that he sleep in her bed.
Calling it an option would exaggerate the possibility of it occurring. Plainly speaking. It wasn't going to.
Izaneus nodded, and laid on the small straw bed. Grabbing his small-ish satchel to use as a pillow. He crept onto it, and stated something a little shocking for the higher class.
"It's quite alright.. I've slept in far worse…"
With that last little tidbit, he fell asleep. Leaving Louise to sigh, enter her bed, and do the same.
She was so ready for today to end.
The next day began without warning, and Izaneus found himself slowly waking. First finding the morning sunlight pouring through Louise's window.
With a groan he flicked his hand, willing the blinds to close themselves. Which they promptly did. Allowing him a moment of respite from the day's future troubles and travails.
"Ugh… well. Onward…" He grumped, forcing himself to stand, and grabbing the satchel he previously used for comfort.
Ready to begin the day. He turned toward Louise.
He.. Was unsure if he should wake her. On the one hand, it seemed as though this was some sort of arcane college, to learn magic.
Based on what he'd seen at the very least, from the uniforms, to the cloaks, and study materials strewn about the room he currently inhabited.
He decided he may as well. Best to be awake then miss something.
And if it was a university, then surely she'd be more upset he didn't wake her.
Thus, reaching out. He gave her shoulder a gentle shake, and called out in a soft voice.
"Hey, Louise. It's morning. You should probably get up by now." He offered politely. To which she groaned about as much as he did earlier. But her eyes did open.
" Familia-" she stopped herself. He *was* her familiar, but he was also a mage, as per manners and courtly expectations, she needed to address him with the proper amount of manners and decorum.
"S-sir…" She muttered embarrassingly. Reminding herself she… hadn't yet asked his name.
"Thank you… i do appreciate the assistance." She stated, sighing as she got up.
She never liked following her manners before her head. She would have *much* preferred just addressing him as familiar.
"Izaneus, is my name." He stated, smiling. The morning glow of the day, although annoying when glaring directly into your eyes. Did wonders for one's mood. As Iza found when he smiled, he hadn't even thought of it. But something stretched the expression across his face nonetheless.
Louise smiled back, finding his entrancing, and wanting to repay the favor.
Certainly not the worst way she's woken up.
On the other hand. Iza felt hunger rise in his stomach. The need to eat growing by the moment. Evident by the ensuing growl… produced by Louise.
"Guess we could both use a bit of food hm?" Izaneus joked, before standing straight, and walking towards the room's exit.
"I'll wait outside while you get prepared. Though… I might explore on my… hm.. nevermind."
He was going to suggest exploring on his own.
However this place was rather… big. He would get more than lost without a guide, and understanding this, he swept the thought from his brain.
A few moments later, the two found themselves in the cafeteria, where Louise quickly found them a fairly open portion of a table with an adornment of food.
Glorious spectacles of culinary delights that would make the most seasoned, grizzled, battle hardened mercenaries mouth's water in anticipation of partaking in such divine sustenence.
Such beauties included stale bread, soup water, and the cream of the crop
A portion of an uncooked potato.
Wonderous.
Understandably peeved, Izaneus sighed, and simply grabbed a portion of pheasant. It was then the whispers started. Those around him began quietly exhanging rumors.
"You hear he's actually a noble?"
"Guiche said he casted wandless magic… is he an elf..?"
Finding his appetite deterred, the only reason he kept eating his food was so he wouldn't become light-headed and pass out while he was studying later.
Louise however was finding herself rather embarrassed. It hasn't even been a night and people were already talking about her familiar, and given they were comparing him to elves… it wasn't in a very good light by their standards.
Patting Iza's shoulder as she stood to gain his attention, she decided they'd had enough breakfast.
"If we're going somewhere, can you take me to the library? If you all have one that-"
"Course. It's just down here." Of course, she appreciated how courteous and understanding he'd been, but that doesn't change the fact that she was currently acting as a chaperone to another noble.
She didn't find it fun… but it wasn't exactly terrible either, at least with how he was treating it.
His previous question however, sparked an interesting dilemma she'd chosen to ignore until… Well, rather just a moment ago.
"You… Casted magic last night…?" She tentatively asked, moving at a slower pace than her previous brisk jaunt.
"I did, and you're question is here?" Izaneus curiously responded, they casted magic, what was so different from his method so as to require an inquiry about it?
"Wandlessly?" Louise continued, making her question clear, in her eyes. Through the lens of Iza, who was a newcomer to the ways of this world and it's matters of magic far removed from his own, showed confusion.
"Uh, Yes? I didn't exactly have a focus on me at the time, and had I, I likely wouldn't have missed… Which seeing the outcome of this course of events, I'm.. Glad. It would've complicated a lot more I think" he explained. Had his spell hit and stunned Guiche, Iza would have run once more. Content with searching on his lonesome for a return trip… home.
"How did you do that? Are…" Hesitance dripped from her voice as she spoke, as though worried she was about to poke a tiger in its den.
"Am I?" he replied, subtly implying she should continue with her current line of thought.
"Are you an E-Elf…?" She asked. Truly, faithfully praying to Brimir, and his infinite powers over the lost element of void that this was not the case.
Having a mage, noble familiar who could cast lightning at his age, was far far more than enough to deal with. She couldn't handle having an Elf.
Izaneus was having a bit of a problem. On the one hand, he was an Elf, but he sensed the hesitancy and reluctance to even spit the word out in her voice. She didn't need that.
Thinking back on… Shiki's false pretense of elven heritage, he figured it wouldn't be hard to convince them he was anything but human.
"I'm not, I've just a… Well, would you like to see my method of casting? In return, I heartily suggest you show me yours. Deal?" He started with a small regal smile, holding his hand up. Waiting patiently for her to shake it and consolidate that arrangement
Forgoing his small library excursion to learn more in this world's magic he felt would greatly help in his studies. After all, if there was a spell to bring him here from so far away, surely there would exist a counter opposite to send him back.
If not…. He hoped at least it could point him in the right direction.
Louise looked at his hand, contemplating. A separate method of casting? How- when, Had this ever become a… thing for lack of a better term.
Her doubts, holding strong. A small, small portion of her, believed. pushed her hand forward, hoping. Nearly praying for this to be her saving grace.
If nothing else… if it was even a joke… then she had no one else to blame for herself for believing she could do more.
Their hands clenched firmly around each other. They both sought a place not too far away from the academy to practice their magic safely.
Hello people new and "old" alike! I say "old" with quotation marks as this is still very much the beginning of the story.
But seeing the number favorites and follows rise, seeing you all enjoy my little piece here. Brings me no small amount of joy, as I've stated happily in the past.
I've been looking at different narrative works looking how to improve my own. From the likes of Avatar the last airbender, to the Witcher, to other works I've forgotten about!
I never plan to stagnate in terms of my growth as a writer or artist in general. I will continue to grow as a creator of these works. I'm glad you're all happy with these, and commenting your criticisms, and following along this fun little journey.
let's make this something amazing.Peace everybody, Merry Christmas, I'll post again as soon as I can!