Louise grimaced as Siesta sent the mote of light circling the room again. "I get that practice is important but do you need to throw it over my head every minute?"
"Sorry!" The maid winced and snuffed the spell.
Utsuho cawed and pecked at Louise's head. "Don't be jealous!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Louise flinched away from her familiar's rebuke. Marisa had helped fix her familiar bond so they could communicate telepathically, which was nice. But Louise was learning her familiar had strong opinions and wasn't afraid to share them.
Still in this case the raven was right. She waved at Siesta. "My apologies. I'm just frustrated because I'm not getting anywhere."
The maid smiled slightly at the apology. "Thank you. But, I thought you'd gotten the slow spell to work?"
"It's too brittle." Louise sighed. "It breaks if people struggle against it. I think the problem is it's not really a slow spell. I'm just making the air stagnant."
"That's true. Maybe you need to target all the elements," Utsuho thought at her with a rustling of wings.
Louise shook her head. It was all so complicated. "I just don't get the void."
"How about Dispel?" Siesta asked. "She thought you might be good at that."
"Still haven't cast it. I can make magic explode," Louise said. "But that's not a real void spell."
Utsuho preened. "I bet it would surprise whoever you used it on!"
Louise patted her familiar. The thought of blowing up some showoff's spell was soothing. But it didn't help her understand the void.
She sighed and turned to her schoolwork. The reports weren't going to complete themselves. And that wasn't even considering the nonsense Satori wanted her to read. For a political treatise it meandered all over a lot of useless information. There was a whole chapter on castles! And it was a pretty dumb one too.
Finally she gave up. "Siesta, that light spell doesn't take much willpower right?"
"I should be able to use it all day according to Ms Kirisame," the maid replied.
"Then let's take tea outside. I want to practice Dispel," she said.
Siesta looked worried. "Is it alright for me to be casting spells in public?"
The question hit Louise. That's right. Siesta was now a mage. A really weak mage, but a mage nonetheless. Even stranger the magic she used wasn't anything the founder had spoken of. It was all very confusing.
She'd ask a priest about it later she decided. "We'll claim Utsuho is casting it," Louise decided. "I just don't want to blow up our room practicing."
Utsuho hopped onto her shoulder. "I could cast it too, but it'd be harder to get rid of."
Siesta stood. "Very well then."
About an hour later Louise was sulking into her tea. "I just don't get it! It should be so easy. Why isn't it working?"
"It's not easy," Utsuho pointed out. "And you don't have a teacher."
"Didn't they say void mages were incredibly rare?" Siesta echoed her familiar. "It must be a very difficult element. Even if you are gifted."
Louise groaned. "I know, I know. But I'm so close! It seems like I should be able to grasp the spell. But then it all twists and blows up."
"It's a good explosion," Utsuho thought, nuzzling her. "We just need to make it bigger!"
"I want to do things other than blowing people up," Louise said. Not that she was opposed to blowing people up. Especially certain people...
"And what are you two doing here?"
Louise looked up at Kirche as the woman sashayed into the clearing they were using. There was one of the people who could use a good blowing up. "None of your business Zerbst."
Kirche smirked. "I see. Well since this is a public table I'm sure you have no problem with me sitting here Valliere." She grabbed one of the free chairs and dropped into it. Flame curled up at her feet, glaring at Utsuho.
Utsuho clacked her beak at the salamander then went back to pruning. Louise concentrated and mentally asked her familiar, "Why don't you like Flame anyway?"
"A miserable amphibian claiming dominion over fire? Insulting." The raven smoothed a feather. "And it's so arrogant about it. You can't notice because you're human. But it thinks it's the same level as me or Sylphid!"
That made sense. It was fitting Kirche would summon such an indolent familiar. Just look at her, lounging about with her blouse half undone for everyone to...
Louise suddenly realized she was staring at Kirche's cleavage. And that the Germanian woman was watching her do so with a smirk. She ground her teeth and forced herself to glare at Kirche's face. She wasn't going to be seduced by some Zerbst! "Just because I'm not sleeping with my maid doesn't mean I'm going to fall for you."
"How arrogant thinking I'm targeting you." Kirche turned her predatory gaze on Siesta. "Perhaps I'm interested in a raven haired beauty instead. One a little more mature than a certain Zero."
Rage pumped through Louise's heart. Sure she wasn't as big as Siesta. Or Kirche. Or her sisters. Or anyone other than maybe Tabitha. But that shouldn't matter. Right?!
Siesta blinked a few times, then shook her head. "I appreciate your attention, but I would prefer someone who was interested in me for myself, instead of as a way to attack Ms Valliere."
Louise beamed as Kirche rocked back in her chair. The woman blinked a few times before tapping her fingers to her chest like a fencer who'd taken a hit. "I apologize. That was unworthy of Kirche the Ardent. Should I try again I promise to do better."
"Or you could not bother my maid," Louise suggested. "Weren't you all up in arms about flirting with commoners anyway?"
"I'm was 'up in arms' about flirting with your own servant. Other people's servants are fine," Kirche said.
Of course. Louise wasn't sure why she was surprised. "Just when I thought my opinion of you couldn't sink any lower." She sipped her tea. "Well neither of us are falling for your sad attempts at seduction so why don't you go bother someone else?"
Kirche stretched. "Your eyes flicker a bit too often to my chest for me to believe that." Louise ground her teeth. She wasn't staring, she wasn't. "Besides it's the day of the void. What else are you doing? Practicing magic?"
"I was in fact doing that," Louise snapped. "So sneer while you can Zerbst. Soon you'll be the third best mage in addition to having the third best familiar."
"Nice shot." Utsuho croaked smugly at Flame.
The salamander puffed up in anger and reared back on his hind legs. Kirche stood in defense on her familiar. "Your bird might not be as hopeless as you Valliere, but she's no match for my Flame!"
"You're dreaming if you think a salamander compares to Utsuho," Louise retorted, standing as well.
There was a rush of air as Tabitha and Sylphid landed. The two looked between Kirche and Louise and started to turn around. But it was too late.
"Tabitha, you can help us judge which familiar is better," Kirche said.
"Yeah, you can watch us beat the snot out of Kirche and her amphibian," Louise replied.
Siesta sighed and picked up the tea set. "I guess break is over early."
"Are you sure this is how people in your world settle whose familiar is best?" Louise mentally asked Utsuho.
The raven nodded her beak. "Absolutely certain. Satori has all sorts of manuals on it. There's even games."
Sylphid had dug a large circle in the ground with a claw. Louise had claimed a section facing towards the castle tower, while Kirche had put her back to the wall. Inside the circle Utsuho and Flame were facing off, making their threat displays.
"So the rules are whichever familiar leaves the circle or faints is the loser," Kirche said.
"Yes," Louise replied. "And since the outcome is already obvious Utsuho promises not to fly higher than the second window of the tower."
The raven cawed a jeer at Flame, who hissed in annoyance. Sylphid let out a low whistle as she looked between the two combatants. To her side Tabitha seemed much less interested. Siesta on the other hand was fiddling with a teacup. Louise wasn't sure what the maid was worried about. There was no way Utsuho could lose.
Kirche looked over the battleground and nodded. "I accept then. Tabitha will be our witness?" Louise nodded in agreement and turned to the short blue haired woman.
Tabitha sighed and closed her book. She pulled out a wand and conjured up a coin of ice. "When it hits the ground." She threw it up in the air.
Everyone's eyes focused on the glittering shard as it rose, then fell.
As the ice fell into the grass, Louise pointed at Flame and called out the command as she'd been told by her familiar. "Utsuho use Fire Blast!"
The raven's gem glowed red and a crimson sigil made of fire flew out towards Flame. The salamander croaked in surprise, but dashed to the side. There was an explosion as the blast hit, but the fire lizard was barely staggered.
"It seems I underestimated you, but you're no match for us." Kirche laughed. "Flame show them what a real fire familiar can do! Incinerate that raven!"
Flame let loose a blazing inferno that scorched the grass. Louise winced as the heat hit her, but Utsuho just flew above it. Excellent. "Alright use Flamethrower now!"
"Catch that bird in a fire cyclone!"
Fouquette of the Crumbling Dirt watched those arrogant noble children dueling with their familiars. It wasn't surprising that the spoiled brats were sending the poor beasts to murder each other. But perhaps it might be to her advantage.
She'd confirmed that the Staff of Destruction was in the vault here, and she was well aware the guard was sleeping the day away. But there was one big problem that stood between her and her prize.
The walls of the vault were weak to physical attacks, but weak was a relative term. The hardening spells that were part of every castle meant she couldn't just smash through with her golem. At least not without getting caught long before she was through. Dispelling the enhancements had the same problem.
But if the tower was damaged accidently beforehand? That might give her the opening she needed. The question was how to get one of those terrifying fire blasts to hit the tower...
She slowly smiled. She had an idea.
Louise kept her eyes open through the heatwaves coming off the scorched field. Utsuho and Flame had been exchanging shots for two minutes, but she hadn't managed to knock out Kirche's familiar. "This isn't getting anywhere," she thought at the raven.
"It must be because he's fire type," Utsuho thought back. That made some sense. Using fire on fire didn't usually work. "Try calling out Brave Bird!"
She didn't know how 'Brave Bird' was an attack, but she decided to listen to her familiar. She stared out over the battlefield looking for a good opportunity to strike while the two familiars fired away at each other.
Siesta's scream tore her away from the fight. She looked around and saw a figure rising high high above the group. An earth golem! How did it get this close to them without making a sound?!
It moved between them and the tower. Its foot raised up, the shadow falling over Kirche.
Louise reacted immediately. "Utsuho, Obliterate!"
The raven turned towards the golem and spread her wings. Her gem flared red. Blue runes came to life around it.
And then the world turned white.
The spots slowly cleared from Louise's eyes as she picked herself off the ground. The ringing in her ears was subsiding too.
Finally her vision cleared enough to see the devastation Utsuho had unleashed. Everyone had been slammed to the ground, including the raven herself. The golem was just two smoldering feet now. And there was a big hole in the tower wall.
"Oops." Louise hoped none of the teachers had seen that.
She was about to check on the others when another golem rose out of the earth.
"That's not fair!" Louise protested. Who had enough willpower to just summon these golems like they were nothing? She readied her wand to face the beast. What could she do to stop it? Slow? Dispel? She hadn't mastered either, but...
To her surprise the golem just turned around and reached into the hole in the tower. With a quick motion it grabbed something then unleashed an alchemical bottle at the intact part of the wall. It exploded, burning 'I have the Staff of Destruction - Fouquette of the Crumbling Dirt,' into the stone.
Louise blinked at the golem as it rumbled off. Then rage bubbled up. This Fouquette was just leaving them behind! How dare she?
She summoned all her anger into her wand and began her chant. She let the magic twist within her as it began to bubble up. With a defiant cry she pointed her wand at the golem and cried out, "Dispel!"
The twist in her magic sharpened, and the golem's arm detached with a bang. Louise smirked at the effects of her spell. It wasn't a true void working, but it'd hurt the golem.
Her eyes widened as the golem grabbed the rubble with its other arm and threw it at her. Time seemed to slow as the boulders grew larger and larger in her sight. Dispel wouldn't work. Maybe Slow? She started trying to summon the magic again.
"Dodge you idiot!"
The voice echoed in her head seconds before someone hit her from the side sending her tumbling out of the path of the largest boulders. As she lay on the blasted ground waves of ice and fire blasted the remaining debris out of the sky.
Louise took a deep breath as the rumbling faded away. She'd survived, but the golem had already sunk back into the earth. "Thanks," she told her rescuer, helping push the red haired woman to her feet.
Wait. Red hair?
She found herself looking up at her nemesis Kirche. The woman was nursing a shrapnel cut along her arm and giving Louise a glare that was one part concern and two parts anger. "Why?" Louise spat out.
Kirche's reply was cut off by Utsuho's angry cries. Louise flinched back as the raven got right up in her face and pecked her forehead. "You idiot! What were you thinking? When there's an attack headed at you, dodge it! Or do you want to get smashed? You going to pick a fight with a bull next? Wrestle oni?"
"But a noble isn't supposed to run from-" Louise's reply was cut off by another pecking storm.
"It's not running, it's dodging! It's how you stay alive! Dodge and counter, dodge and counter!" Utsuho finally settled down on her shoulder. "Only an idiot blocks with their face."
"Fine fine, I'm sorry." Louise had to admit Utsuho had a good point. She wasn't an earth mage who set up barriers. Maybe she should ask her familiar for combat lessons too.
Kirche folded her arms. "Well I'm glad you've regained some of your senses. Your bird seems to be smarter than you. In addition to being a better mage."
A retort started to form on Louise's lips, but she swallowed it. "I'll let that pass since you got hurt helping me." She stood up. "And thank you as well Tabitha, Sylphid." The dragon looked proud, but Tabitha just nodded.
"Excuse me." Siesta moved forward holding a glowing bottle. "I have a healing potion I got from a mage. That might help with your cut Ms Zerbst."
Kirche blinked at the item, then hesitantly accepted it. "I owe you maid. Thank you." She drank the liquid.
Everyone watched as the shallow cut fused closed. The area was still bloody, but from the way Kirche was rubbing it, the injury seemed to be gone. Siesta smiled. "Oh good. It worked as expected."
Louise sucked in a deep breath. That was comparable to what a line water mage could do. And it must have been Siesta's potion. The fact that Siesta had magic had been weird, but she could wave off that tiny light spell as a parlor trick. This? This was something else.
Kirche and Tabitha on the other hand had no idea that Siesta was the source of the magic. "Nice healing," Tabitha said. "A student?"
"A friend of the family back home," Siesta lied.
"Give them my thanks as well," Kirche replied. She grimaced at the hole in the castle. "It looks like we're too late to stop this Fouquette though."
Louise grimaced. "Why'd she strike while we were here anyway?" she wondered. "It had to be easier to attack after we were done with our match."
"She used us." Tabitha's words drew everyone's attention. The blue haired woman pointed to the ruins of the first golem. "Hollow. A decoy."
Sure enough the smoldering feet were an empty shell, not the heavy earth of the second golem. That explained how Fouquette had summoned another one so fast. The first wasn't a real golem.
"Wait." Utsuho's voice echoed in her head. "That means she used me to blast through the wall."
Louise's eyes moved up towards the hole. "Oops." Kirche looked embarrassed as well. Obviously the thief had taken advantage of their familiar duel.
"As your servant I promise not to say anything," Siesta promised sweetly.
Louise looked over the maid's shoulder to see the teachers running towards them. "Well we'll have plenty to tell them even leaving that part out."
"Truth," Tabitha replied.
As Louise tried to figure out how to 'forget' details of the battle, Utsuho's voice echoed in her head. "I guess it was a good thing that weird magic drained some of my power then."
"Wait." Louise frowned. "Drained your power? That wasn't your most powerful attack?"
"Yeah." The raven's feathers ruffled uneasily. "When the blue runes flashed my power got pulled somewhere else. I'm asking Ms Satori about it."
Yet another mystery for the pile Louise thought to herself as the teachers arrived, all shouting questions at the same time.