For some strange reason, passing out was becoming a hobby amongst Izaneus and his peers.
Louise stood above the Familiar's unconscious body, a mixture of confusion, fear, curiosity and admiration fluttered across her eyes, her expression stagnant. Gentle evening daylight poured through the curtains on the windows, a slight refreshing breeze wisping its way into the room. Yet the wind gently caressed her summon, as though by intention. Thus the conscious mage in the room had thought it to be the work of her familiar's…. Familiar? She'd no clue what to call it, save for an elemental being with a will of its own.
The small creaking of the wooden door signaled Siesta's return, holding a small bucket of warm water, with a white cloth sitting idly on its edge. Her face displayed a proud smile. After all, her master had defeated an infamous thief! Displaying the power she could achieve for all to see!
Well… not everyone.. More like… three people including the thief in question. But that's besides the point!
According to Louise's recount of the situation. Izaneus had displayed power she'd never heard of! To think that if she continued this path. She too could attain this level of magical prowess, was beyond imagination. For so long she had thought magic to be given to a select few. That seeing a power she too could now use. Was… Surreal, to say the least
Placing the small pale at his bedside, she carefully dunked the cloth, and wrung it out, so it wasn't uncomfortable, and gently placed it on his forehead hopefully easing the fatigue he was enduring. "You did amazingly, That's what Louise tells me, in any case." The maid says, looking up to see her fellow apprentice in Iza's strange magic ways rather flustered, " I merely recounted your actions, it's not as though Tabitha and I weren't there." She refuted, crossing her arms in a frustrated manner.
A small giggle escaped Siesta, who knew in her heart that Louise held much the same admiration for her familiar, though it may have also been confusing, as she was also, seemingly, Jealous. Not that the wizard could hear what was going on. He was out like a light.
Whatever the case, reading one's actions and interpreting their feelings from said actions was one thing. Actively pressing into someone's Psyche for the feelings swirling within was another.
Izaneus stirred slightly, mumbling incoherent ramblings. He seemed.. Tense, and in distress. Gentle twitches and gentle murmurs mimicking his experiences in his dreams.
"He's really talented isn't he?" The maid wondered aloud, running her hands through his golden hair, and humming a sweet tune to calm him down. " He taught himself everything he knew, based on what he's told us, and he's soaring in understanding I still can't grasp." She sighed sweetly. "It's kinda frustrating watching someone be so good at something when you yourself are hardly mediocre." The maid sighed sweetly.
Louise listened in silence, in her eyes a glimmer of recognition as Siesta spoke.
"Even if they mean a lot to you.. You just can't help but wish to be as good as them.." Brushing her raven black hair behind her ear, she continued. Pulling on the magic she'd been taught to feel to heat the water just a tad more.
Louise felt much the same. In a way, she could find herself within this maid. If only in feeling alone, she felt kinship.
A knock at the door interrupted the two of their thoughts, which Louise quickly answered. "Enter!"
In walked Tabitha, her staff in hand. Slowly, her eyes surveyed the room, Before drifting to the yet sleeping Izaneus. She raised an eyebrow as she entered. " Still asleep?" She asked quietly, Shutting the door behind her. " Indeed, I'm not entirely sure how long he intends to stay as such" Louise began her reply, as though he had any decision over his unconsciousness. " But he seems as though he's lost deep in his sleep" The pinkette finished turning toward the subject of interest.
"Curious" Was all Tabitha replied with, walking closer, and seeing his belongings carefully strewn about the bed of Hay he usually slept upon. Her eyes came upon the scorched book that marked the beginning of Louise and Iza's relationship. As well as several other objects of interest. Glass phials, a few leather pouches filled with tools of some variety. And a brown leather satchel, that hung loosely open.
Turning her gaze back to Izaneus, she pointed. " Magic?" she inquired, which was to be interpreted that she was curious of how he performed magic without a wand, seeing that he had near effortlessly taken Fouquet down, who'd since been revealed as Ms. Longuevuille, the headmaster's secretary, who now lay docile in a cell, awaiting judgment.
But the fact that after his second wind, of sorts, he could manipulate others' magic on such a fundamental level, was beyond astounding. Tabitha knew this, and knew to question it. So she did.
Louise sighed, she knew rumors were floating about, but she'd no clue what to do here. Tabitha had directly seen Izaneus cast without a foci, without a wand, and without an incantation. There were too many things to directly cover, and Louise herself had never been all that great at lying. Yet… how was she to just say that she and Siesta had been practicing an entirely different variant of magic this man had brought with him? Wasn't that too far-fetched?
Pointing her staff this time to him, Tabitha spoke again. " Elf?" Her voice grew cautious. After all, everything pointed to this being the case. Including his most recent display of power, and rage.
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed much more tense.
How was Louise to answer? She had genuinely no clue if Iza was an Elf, yet, she had harbored suspicion for a while, she couldn't help but be curious, and thus, even if it invoked a wrath none of them could control, she moved toward his sleeping form, and brushed his hair back further.
Revealing pointed ears.
The room went still, for but a moment.
Tabitha acted, thrusting her staff in a wide arc, preparing violent winds to send at the heathen
Louise reacted, reaching out with her magic, grasping Tabitha's staff, and throwing it to the floor, causing the spell to go awry, which then cut a deep gash into the stone floor. Siesta covered her head, and ducked behind the bed, placing a shield in front of the bed where Izaneus lay, none the wiser.
"Dangerous" Tabitha stated coldly, her eyes cautious, as though judging whether Louise was a friend or foe. To which Iza's defender replied. " You don't know that. He defended us, and was the first to act when Ms. Longuevuille struck" She stated, her voice shaky, yet her face steeled as she'd always been pressured to do.
"Elf" Tabitha reiterated, narrowing her eyes, inching closer to her staff, which Louise retaliated by calling the foci to her, with its handle landing neatly in her rather small hands. " Yes, I believe that's been established." She began, before taking a deep breath to calm herself. " He is an elf, yes. But if he was planning to hurt us, it's my belief he'd have taken the chance long before now. Or when Longuevuille stole that artifact from us… just, think for a moment. He's had all these chances, and all he's done with them is… well, attempt to help."
Tabitha's expression softened a tad, something Louise noticed, thus she continued. " I say we give him a chance, if he does anything noteworthy, or suspicious, we confront him… But until then.. Innocent until proven guilty?" She requested, a near pleading look in her eye, which confused her, she'd had no time to react, that she instinctively defended Izaneus, and was now arguing in his favor. Since when, she wondered, had she grown so attached to his rather idiotic form?
A small Sigh escaped Tabitha's mouth. Before walking forward, grabbing her staff, and walking to the door. Stopping as her hand hovered over the knob.
"One Chance" Was her only choice words as she exited the bedchamber. Leaving Louise to exhale a heave of relief, walking tiredly over to the side of Izaneus's bed, with Siesta having brought the shield down as Tabitha left.
Louise kneeled and rested her head against the bed's soft fabric, closing her eyes for a moment, before turning her head to face the unconscious visage of her familiar.
"I swear… You'd better be worth all this trouble…" She muttered, before joining him in sleep. It had been a long couple days, and she needed the rest just as much.
Siesta stood shakily, dusting her uniform off, before grabbing Izaneus's coat and covering Louise with it. It was her job after all. Even if she was still reeling from that terrifying experience. As she turned to leave, she took one last look at their figures. Before night fell, they would no doubt awaken, and she would be fast asleep.
She had such a chaotic life now, not that she particularly minded. She was grateful. But it could be tiring, oh, how she wished she could join them in that misty realm of dreams. Yet, her duty called, and powerfully call it did, she needed this job, even if she could cast magic now. It was still a great part of her.
Not only that, but she needed to pick up the pace of her arcane studies… the time drew near when that horrendous count would come for her purchase, she'd had her own plan to forego such a distasteful ending to her story. She would not lose this life she held so dear. Not even if it meant she had to deceive the nobility she'd served for so long.
If that needed to be the case, then so be it.
After what seemed like an eternity, Iznaneus found himself within the swirling form of a dream. Strange figures whom he recognized and didn't at the same time stood at the forefront of his vision, and for some other reason, he felt absolutely horrid. About the same as he had at his home. Though there was a moment of reprieve every now and then, he felt so much pressure on his soul, as though the very weight of the world was bearing on him. Forcing him to his knees.
One of the figures walked toward him, and he turned to look up towards them. He immediately regretted this decision.
As his eyes met theirs, the worst fear he'd felt to date rose within his chest, quickening his breathing, which shortly caught itself within his throat.
He woke up with a start, sitting up forcefully, and doused in a cold sweat. Which…. Felt simply disgusting. Taking a moment to regain his bearings, he quickly discovered those shaded figures were nowhere to be seen. He sighed in relief. Laying back down in the bed, and, with a flick of the wrist. Cleaned himself up just a tad.
This was when he noticed Louise, kneeling at the bedside, her head resting tiredly against the flat of the furniture. Izaneus watched this sight for a moment, unconsciously deciding it was a moment to commit to memory. A gentle smile crawled across his face, as he gently grabbed her shoulder, and slowly shook her.
She awoke, groggily looking up to Izaneus, not computing that he was awake, merely that he was waking her up. " Iza…?" She asked quietly, wondering what the wizard was doing as he slowly climbed out of the bed, and helped the pinkette into it. " Thank you for your worry, I'll be fine. You get some rest now." He gently chided as he helped Louise sleep, lulling her with a song his mother used to sing, using an illusion to make the moment seem all the more alluring. As though the song itself came to life, in a gentle cacophony of appreciation.
He was surprised, but all the more glad that Louise saw him as someone to worry about, enough to stay at their bedside during their self-inflicted coma. This caused his perception of her to change, ever so slightly.
Louise too, went out like a light. She'd been exhausted, and it was a wonder she'd managed this long. Izaneus smiled, and quietly did his best to leave the room, ending the illusion, and closing the door behind himself as lightly as he could.
He'd slept for long enough, and Louise could use some rest without his disturbance. Izaneus then went for a small jaunt, pondering the meaning of the dream that came to him, before shrugging. After all, it couldn't be anything more than a strange dream of his right?
In any case, he found himself aimlessly wandering the halls of the academy, eventually realizing he'd spent next to no effort in looking around, or familiarizing himself with the place; he wondered what happened to Fouquet, if she was incarcerated or… well, the less fortunate sentence. Izaneus had hoped to talk to her about where she learned of that staff's existence, and where it was being held. Afterall, Izaneus could *see* magic, he watched its wispy form grace his eyes day by day, and nothing around him indicated such a staff was in the academy's possession. It led one to wonder how she discovered an artifact at all was within its halls.
As he walked, he failed to notice Tabitha, and some other female student with red hair passed him by on his way to the cafeteria for some food, he was rather famished.
He also missed the death glare kindly offered by the former, and the unrelenting gaze of the latter. But for vastly different reasons.
As he arrived at the cafeteria, he realized as the servants were cleaning up. Likely from dinner, which… seems to have been concluded. He looked toward his stomach, which growled loudly in response, as though directing him to find food, and *consume*.
Not usually one to ignore his bodily functions, unless of course, he was absorbed in research, in which case he absolutely was one to ignore his body's call for food.
He walked forward, tapping one of the servants on the shoulder, to which they shuddered, and tensed, expectantly. However, when they realized nothing of that sort was to come, they turned around, meeting face to face with Izaneus's face, who stared blankly into the brown eyes of the servant. " Pardon, but would it be possible for me to get some food? I'm rather starved…" The wizard explained his situation plainly. His eyes downcast as his stomach quietly growled once more. Demanding sustenance.
Recognition flashed across the servants face as they stuttered their words out.
"Y-you're the o-one w-who took down F-f-fouquet!" They stammered, taking a step back, and bowing respectfully, " I'll see what I can do sir! Please wait a moment!" The servant exclaimed, before dashing off into the Kitchen.
Izaneus blinked in response, what was that about? Surely he was aware Louise and Tabitha both took part in the assault.
This DID Cause the wizard to realize something he was *Obviously* forgetting, The runes! They glowed! He couldn't explain how, but in that moment, he sensed he could do so much more than he was previously able. He took a look at his hand with the engraved runic symbols, no glow. No fantastic surge of power and skill like when he was fighting that witch of the earth.
It was…so strange, what WAS that power? It certainly was not his, he would know if he was somehow just *Able* To manipulate… spells like that.
A burning curiosity started to spread within him, as he looked, and observed his hand. Was there some requisite to it activating? Was it a one time use? That would be a shame, he had SO many plans to experiment with that power. A playful smirk began to form on his face, as he stared at his hand, thinking of the things he could do that he previously couldn't.
Well, IF he could somehow get it working again, which he sorely hoped he could, there would of course need to be a series of experiments to determine the amount of power he's then able to channel, and the increase to his overall abilities.
Izaneus was so engrossed in this new topic he didn't notice the servant coming out of the kitchen with a bowlful of soup, a piece of bread slathered with butter, and a bit of veggies on the side. A quaint dinner, and one that would suffice the wizard's appetite for sure.
The servant in question waited patiently as Izaneus's inane mumbling and subsequent hypothesis were listed off for only he and the staff to hear.
Only noticing the poor man sitting with his hands outstretched with a pallet of food moments after he arrived, Izaneus quickly apologized, and grabbed the smallish tray. Before sitting idly at the nearby tables, where he gorged on his meager feast.
He finished his food quickly, that he might conduct his experiments just as quickly. Despite the dinner being delightfully delectable. His excitement forbade him from enjoying the meal, as he had a plethora of other things to focus on.
LIke a child given a toy, Izaneus rushed outside passing the blonde visage of Guiche sweet talking to some other whom he didn't recognise. As he neared the hills of the grassy plains that surrounded the academy, Izaneus questioned how to activate the power he once held.
Throwing his hands out to the moons in the sky, he shouted " Activate!"
Waiting several moments of silence.
And then several more.
"Well," He thought to himself. "I'm not entirely sure why I thought that would work" He mentally chided himself, staring at his hand in confusion. He sat on the grass, now slightly wet from the morning dew which was beginning to accumulate, and pondered on how to activate this rather new power of his. If it was his. He'd heard tales back home of otherworldly beings similarly gifting strange powers to their mortals of interest. Perhaps this was that?
…
No It definitely wasn't that. He wasn't really sure what made him so confident in such a claim, other than it simply… Well, didn't feel like it. As weird as that sounded.
Hm… Well, he would only discover its uses through experimentation, determination, and resilience. Onward! To understanding!
Louise awoke the next morning to one of the most pained screams she'd heard.
Dashing out of bed, she carefully opened her window. No sight, what was it?
…There it was again! It almost sounded like a cry of frustration.
Then there was an explosion. If the screams hadn't thrown her into overdrive with the past few days being what they were. That explosion MOST definitely did.
Getting dressed as quickly as she could, haphazardly throwing her uniform and black cloak on, she grabbed her wand out of habit and exited the dormitory. Hastily making her way to the source of the noise. She stopped behind a hill, and crouched. Waiting a moment before jumping over the hill and throwing her wand in front of her in an offensive manner.
Izaneus could be seen not far away. Sullen, and defeated. He turned to his protege. " Oh, Louise, good. You're here." He started standing as he dusted his clothes off.
Looking around, Louise spotted a plethora of small craters lining the ground, with as varied surrounding areas as scorch marks surrounding one, frost lining another, and a glowing mist of some sort gently filling a third. It smelled horrid out here.
" Louise, over here" Izaneus asked, snapping his fingers in her direction to gain her attention. " How do you activate the runes?" He asked tiredly, pointing to the familiar runes carved into the back of his hands the moment he was bound to her service.
The pinkette, needless to say, was confused. " What?" She rightly asked, torn between asking why he'd been out here, why he was littering the ground with holes, and WHY he was shouting to the high heavens.
"The runes! Don't tell me you don't know!" He asked exasperated, the glint of hope he found within her slowly fading to the harsh truth that the power these runes offered would not be easily found.
" Oh bother, nevermind." He pouted, sitting down once more.
" Izaneus, how long have you been out here?" She asked, concerned. Fixing her hair a tad more using magic. Seeing as she hadn't been able to do so when she woke up. " Oh… Well I got a tray of food… we're famous by the way, the poor servant looked rather startled when I walked up to him.' Oh! But after that I got to thinking, only when the runes glowed brightly did that strange power come to me. During the battle with Fouquet, you remember!" He stated, continuing his rant as she nodded.
" It felt as though the world granted me all the knowledge of magic I could want, and, as disappointing as it was that I couldn't discover it for myself, there's a plethora of things you simply need to see again from it. So I went about trying to reactivate the runes!" He exclaimed excitedly, his eyes showing wonder and mystique in magic that he'd never shown before. Even when he was teaching.
Until it faded into frustration.
" To no avail, as you can see." He sighed painfully, gesturing to the…. What Louise assumed a battlefield would look like, at least. Partially, in any case.
She took a moment to collect herself, before remembering, Ozmond wanted to see them! She was instructed to bring Izaneus as soon as he awoke! Brimir forbid she forgot!
" Izaneus! OH Brimir, I was supposed to take you to the headmaster?"
She stated, grabbing him by the arm, despite his protests. He followed along, not by choice mind you, but he wasn't offered one.
Hey everyone~ THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, I'm so very glad you all are enjoying this as much as I am, and I'm beyond glad you all are being so respectful, and helpful to me! Seeing comments listing criticisms reminds me I can do better, and thus I will! You're all being amazing readers for both being so helpful, and patient as I grow as an Author. Everyday, You make my day, and It delights me that I'm able to do the same to you.
In any case! It's midnight for me, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Goodnight everybody! Until next time!