Envoy vs Messanger Louise the Zero vs Mott the Surge
It had been a hard day for Siesta. Taking all her belongings and moving them once again. Having to adjust to a new place... and the lecherous eyes of the male guards and the count. She felt uncomfortable in her new outfit. Her last outfit was sensible, reasonable. This... the skirt was too short, her arms and neck revealed, and her bust... to say it was accentuated was putting it mildly. And now she was reporting to the Count himself.
She answered politely as he circled her. Touching her. She knew what came next. A commoner like her called by someone like Count Mott. She wasn't stupid. She knew what came next.
*Mister Kamvex. I'm glad I got to meet you. I'll keep my courage... somehow.*
"- My Siesta..." the count said huskily. He wouldn't hide his intent, why should he? He was the great Count Mott. The man was tall, with fair skin, grey eyes, and black hair parted to his left, with a swirly moustache and curved sideburns on both of his sides. He wears a blue-and-red top with turned-back cuffs, where the middle of the shirt opens in the middle vertically, adorned with gold trimmings and linings; along with a pair of puffy black breeches and stockings over his shoes. Over this, he drapes a long red cloak clasped by a small black ribbon in the manubrium area, topped with a white ruff.
It was gaudy to Siesta. Everything about him screamed overcompensation. That being a Count was not good enough. He nuzzled against her as his hands crept to forbidden places when a knock saved her.
"Sir," a guard yelled. It had to be a guard as all the servants were women. "Lady Louise de la Vallière, third daughter of the Duke and Duchess de la Vallière has requested your immediate presence, sir!"
"Louise de la Vallière? What does Sandorion's youngest want with me?" The count wondered. He licked his lips, perhaps she had grown as beautifully as his wife and daughters now?
It also brought to mind his contacts in Albion. The mysterious 'W' had told him to keep an ear open to any news of the young Vallière girl since she had started. All he'd been able to report so far was that the girl had trouble with her magic, blowing up everything whist trying to cast even basic spells. Why this person wanted information of the supposed 'Zero' of the Academy's history was beyond him. But it did pay spectacularly. Perhaps he'd be able to report something more... fruitful... this time.
*Miss Vallière... Mr. Kamvex...* Siesta thought. It was the first time all day she felt so hopeful.
It was the first time being in a home this luxurious for Kamvex. Sure the Academy was just as nice, but it was a school founded by a multitude of nobles. This was a single home for what was apparently one man. *This whole place could nearly take up a district back home as it is. Then again that's why man invented the skyscraper.* Unable to activate the X-ray in his glasses coming in, Kamvex decided to bide his time.
As Louise sat drinking tea the servants had brought as he stood to the side, awaiting the count, he thought it a good time. One guard behind him?*Well, better now than never...* Acting as though pushing the glasses up, he activated them and began scanning his surroundings. Through the black and white he began to look about. He saw other guardsmen actively chatting at a post nearby. Some more maids getting a room ready, it seemed like a bedroom. Below he saw two maids huddled together, seemingly crying. He was about to switch to another vision type when the guard spoke up and he deactivated the glasses.
"Presenting Count Jules de Mott the Surge!"
*Surge, huh? They don't know much, if anything on electricity. So then a water mage?* He surmised. *If I remember my history correctly, a Count is a rank or two below Louise's father. Regardless of how he attained it, that makes him dangerous.*
A moment later, the prim black haired man stepped in. He had thought that the Vallière girl would have grown by now, rivaling her sister's beauty. But instead standing in his office was a flat... child. He gave a brief look of disgust before turning to the other occupant in the room, a lanky blonde servant. It must have been Vallière's personal servant or some such. He schooled himself to mask his annoyance and greeted them.
"Good evening, Lady Vallière. I trust your journey here this late was a smooth one?"
Louise curtseied while Kamvex bowed, able to sense the count's disdain for the two of them. Louise however was concentrating on being professional and getting through this. "Yes, my lord. I do apologize for coming so late, and unannounced at that."
"Nonsense girl. I have people that stop by at all hours. This is... no concern." It was. She could feel it through his last sentence they had barged in at the wrong time for him. Before she had the chance to speak, he took control of the conversation. "I see you have the uniform of the Magic Academy. I was just there the other day. How go your studies?"
"Actually, that is what I wished to discuss with you tonight." She said. "My servant here was recently brought on from my estate, and he has made somewhat of a friendship with the maid you acquired from the Academy recently."
"My Siesta?" He questioned as he steepled his fingers. "And what of it? Don't tell me you came all this way for your servant."
"My lord," Kamvex began, bowing deeply. "I apologize for my rudeness, but there are several..." he adjusted his glasses, "distasteful rumors surrounding you. I mearly wished to see that Miss Siesta was in good hands, and possibly ask for her return to the Academy."
The count watched him before getting up. "How absurd." He proceeded to pull a bit at his curled mustache as he spoke. "Siesta is an official servant of the Mott household. The master is free to do whatever he wishes to his servants."
"I understand that sir," the disguised man spoke. He kept his tone in check but the more he looked around the more it was pissing him off. Just out of his field of view, he saw something akin to a trap door. He'd need to be on the first floor to see it plainly though. *Time to go it seems.* he checked by the door to see Siesta listening in. *At least she's safe for the moment.*
"Please, whatever you might need done, I shall do it for you sir. But I would like you to send Siesta back to the Academy. "
"Hmph. A no name peasant serving a high ranking nobleman like me is the highest honor you could possibly have." He the turned to Louise. "I would think that working for a Vallière you would know this, but it seems you have been quite lax, Miss Vallière." He shook his head. "How disappointing."
*Showtime.* "Do not believe that just because I am a servant I will allow you to snub my mistress's name, you baboon." Kamvex called.
"Kamvex!"
"Insolent cur! You dare to insult a noble." Mott strode to his desk to get his wand while the guards surrounded the young man. It was then that Siesta came barging in.
"Stop it Mr...Kamvex. "she was confused. There stood Miss Vallière, but the young man held up was not Kamvex. At least until he turned to her and she saw his eyes. She wouldn't mistake that violet for anyone. He winked at her, and so she continued her defense. She stepped forward and kneeled before Mott. "My lord, please forgive this individual's rudeness, he doesn't mean it."
"Siesta, begone. If I allow his rudeness then it would sully the name of Jules de Mott. Now stand aside."
"I cannot do that sir. Please, I will take any form of punishment if you'll please let him go in peace with Miss Vallière!"
The count relented, not wanting to spoil new goods. He thought for a moment before he looked to Louise. An idea clicked in his head, so he addressed the boy. "Kamvex, is that right?" The boy nodded. "You said you would do anything?" Another. "Then I believe we may come to an accord, one that benefits me as well as your Lady." Mott then strolled to a bookcase. "My hobby is to collect printed matter. There is, in fact, a tome that I am interested in, but I cannot get ahold of it."
Kamvex raised his eyebrow. "What kind of book are we talking about here?"
"It was a book that a certain mage summoned during a magic experiment a long time ago. My studies show that it is the heirloom of Lady Vallière's Germainian rivals. I believe it is in their heiress' hands now."
"Ah, you mean that cow, Kirche." Louise provided.
"Yes, precisely. If you want Siesta back, then you will bring me the Zerbst family heirloom."
Kamvex thought for a moment. That should be easy enough one way or the other. But he was curious. "It will be done My Lord. If I may though, it would be easier if I saw another of your collection. This way I can more easily locate it."
"Hmph, fine." He pulled a thin book out that was very out of place once taken out. He handed it to the boy, whose eyes widened considerably.
Kamvex was shocked for two reasons. One was the writing. It was Pact World Common, it was from his home! The other was a more based reason, as there was a nearly nude woman on the front. A porn magazine. *Of course he'd be a collector of these kinds of things.* He handed the magazine back before the Count, his guards and Siesta began to escort the two out.
The familiar once again activated his glasses as they made they're way down. Doing so showed the space he saw earlier, it was a trap door. To what though, he'd have to focus and switch to infravision. The door didn't travel too deep, but what he saw and they made their way to the door, nearly made him stop. "Miss Louise."
She paused a moment as he took off the glasses, handing them to her. "What is it?"
He pointed down and to the left of the estate, and Mott became visibly worried. "Look there. It shows heat signatures. Then look for the servants."
She gulped and placed the lenses on her face, the world turning to many different colors. The room was dark and blue, and the people beamed in red and yellows. Focusing on the location he instructed, Louise gasped at what she saw. It wasn't perfect, but it looked like several women were in chains or strung up in some way. One cell she could see clearly had two occupants. The woman was kneeling and the other flung his arm back and forth, red blaring from where she was apparently struck. She turned to the other servants, bruising in the for of multiple handprints across their bodies and necks.
"H-how could you..."
"Miss Vallière? " Siesta called before Mott blocked her.
"GUARDS! Sieze them!"
"Louise..." Kamvex started, reaching for the ponytail he had. "Permission to take down Count Mott and bring him in for trial?"
Louise stood still, shaking. What she said next would determine her fate, her reputation, and possibly bring a litany of trouble. On one hand, Mott was correct. Peasants under a noble were technically their playthings. Each servant was, even in her own home, though not to THIS extent.
However, it was a noble's job to look after the people in their province. They were to be just, not ruthless. If she did something here, she could bring a lot of trouble down on herself and her family. But... these were people. She looked up, and past everyone else, she saw a gang of guardsmen making their way to the servants quarters, where two women waited in prayer. There were looks of... sadness, regret... acceptance.
She took the glasses off and looked to Siesta. The girl was bright for a commoner, and held an air of calmness that most nobles didn't possess. Louise imagined what she felt were the faces of the other women on her familiar's friend, folded the glasses and spoke. "The back of the estate, a group of guards are approaching a room with two women in it. Subdue them, then return. I shall handle the Count for now."
"FINALLY!" Derflinger said as Kamvex pulled the disguised blade out of nowhere, the illusion falling as Kamvex removed the 'Hat'. "I was getting board not seeing any action."
"Mr Kamvex! It is you!"
At the appearance of what seemed a mercenary, Mott was now worried and confused. "What is the meaning of this Vallière? You dare bring and armed thug into my manor!?"
Louise looked to her familiar, him nodding for her to take the lead. She had come this far. Best not to falter now. "It is as I said, Mott. He is my servant. My summoned servant and familiar. That you can't see through such a simple illusion speaks volumes of your inability as a mage." She threw her arm out with a flourish, bringing out her wand. "Go. Protect the innocent, my Envoy."
"Right away Miss." And in a flash, he was gone, two guards knocked out on the way.
Mott looked around in fury. His men were standing around incompetently as some vagabond ransacked his house. "Gaurds! Find and execute that mercenary! I will deal with this wench!" The men dispersed to find the cretin ransacking their lord's home as the man himself turned to the small girl. "This is the highest of insults, Vallière. Attacking my home when I showed you hospitality. But with this assault, I may just be able to usurp your family's title. And don't worry," he said as he licked his wand, "I'll have a very 'special' plan for you."
Louise visibly shuddered before she heard the crashing and clanging from other parts of the estate. Mott laughed at this. "It seems your peasant familiar is getting quite roughed up. Now how about I do the same to you?"
Cocky. Just like she knew and hated. "There is something to be said about quality, Mott. And I have the best of the best."
"Ha. Isn't that ironic." The count mocked. "Quality, is it? Coming from you? I believe your runic name was stated to be Louise the Zero? Do you know what that means?" He brought the large wand wand to face a large vase, pulling the water out flowing behind him. The water then formed itself into swirling blades. The count thrust his wand forward, sending the blades toward the young girl. "It means you are NOTHING!"
"Miss Vallière!" Siesta called, hoping the one noble she'd seen stand up for a commoner would be okay. The pinkette's eyes were shadowed by her hair as the blades came near. Her hand launched forward flicking her wand at the attack, causing an explosion a few feet in front of her.
The Count and Siesta coughed as smoke filled the area. As it cleared though, they saw the young girl's figure. "You know... maybe two week ago I'd have agreed with you at my lowest point, Mott. But I heard something rather interesting recently..." She raised her head, it didn't matter where they were, she needed to say this with pride.
"Zero does not mean nothing. Zero is a void, where possibilities are endless. It is a symbol of new beginnings. All that it means is that I have yet to start." She stated. The smoke began to clear, and the Count could now see clearly. And it scared him. There stood Louise, as proud as could be, but around her, unbeknownst to her, was a pink ethereal glow. "Be glad you pig, you shall be the beginning of my legend! I am Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière."
She took a stance and smiled. "I am Louise the Zero!"
**** Elsewhere ****
Kamvex ran about the estate, taking down guardsmen wherever he saw. He may have been a bit rough, but they should be glad he was using the flat of his blade. As he neared the area his master pointed him in, he saw quite a few number of guards, a strong smell of booze, and two shrieks of terror. With a righteous fury, he charged, knocking the ones outside away before looking into the room.
There were two young women, maybe within ten years of him, being played with by a few half naked guards. They had been crying, one still struggling while the other sat in acceptance, tears silently falling. Kamvex growled and shifted his grip. These men would live... but they'd have the scars to wish they'd died.
Out of all the creatures he'd read about, every madman and monster he'd faced so far, his least favorite were those that looked like someone you were to trust. Mott, he dressed himself like a pig and lorded over those without power. It irked him, but it was expected. These guards, people who's job it was to protect their people?
"Who the hell is this?" "What's going on here?"
"Please! Help us sir!"
Violet eyes locked onto the women. "Close your eyes, ladies. I'll clean this mess up momentarily." There was no humor, no boisterousness. Just anger. The girls shut their eyes tightly, hearing the guards charge their savior. The clang of blades, the screams of their captors, and finally, a hand placed on each one of them was all they needed. The girls opened their eyes to see the tall bronzed man in front of them, a pile of his enemies strewn about.
"They're not dead, but injured enough that they won't be getting up any time soon." He smiled kindly at them. "Your safe."
The two saw stars and rushed him, thanking him over and over. Then, the one who was resigned initially gasped, "the others! In the dungeons and tunnels below the manner! Count Mott he... he..."
"It's okay, calm down. We'll get them out as well."
The other woman looked confused, "'We', ser?"
He nodded. "My mistress is currently facing the Count. I need to go back her up as soon as possible. Once he's dealt with, we shall head down."
"Your mistress. Who is..?"
"Come see for yourself. Go get the other servants. They'll want to see."
Defend. Move. Explosion. Duck. Run. Explosion. Explosion!
"EXPLOSION!" Louise cried out as she made her opponent's attack blow up in her face. She tried calling out every other attack spell she knew. Every defensive spell. But nothing was right, she was getting nowhere. All she could do was barely deflect Mott's attacks. It was frustrating her to no end, and so she screamed what was happening instead. What always happened when she cast a spell. And this time...
It worked.
"Gah!" Mott was sent flying into the staircase with such force, it cracked and bowed by the force. This was unlike anything he had ever seen. He groaned as he pulled himself from the wreckage of the stairs. This made no sense. "How do you have this kind of power!?"
Louise glanced to her wand, to the ruined stairs, Mott, and then her hand. It was shaking. Her heart was beating faster. This was exhilarating. It seemed she had some things wrong about herself. She leveled a cocky glare of her own, unconsciously channeling her familiar's attitude. "You know, I've always had this power. I just never looked in the obvious direction of what the magic wanted ME to do." Normally a mage would shape the magic to their will, but it seemed Louise had a form she needed to take first before anything else. Maybe... just maybe... "It's a start." Explosion!
The staircase behind the Count exploded, sending the man flying in a shower of splinters and shrapnel, his wand falling to Louise's foot. She stepped on it and pointed her wand at him. "Surrender Jules de Mott. You are without your wand and without your magic now."
Mott growled as he looked around. His home was in shambles, his guards laid out before him. All due to a mercenary and this little child! He then looked off and saw the root cause of this misfortune.
"That was incredible, Miss Vallière!" Siesta called from the side. How could anyone call this girl a failure? Only sixteen and she's taken down a Triangle class mage with years of experience. Something the Count would not be silent about.
But here stood the one mocked by everyone. Ostracized by her peers and laughed at. She and her familiar... came for her. A single commoner they knew. This all happened so quickly, she didn't truly know the extent of things from Louise's part. She figured this initially was a campaign by Kamvex. But to see her defend others, even when she knew the rules of nobility? It was an honor... and a privilege. If she had the choice, she would serve Miss Vallière for the rest of her life.
"Yo, Louise!" Came a familiar voice round the corner. "Need any he...lp... here?" Kamvex looked around at the destruction and the downed noble. "Wow. Very well done, My Lady Vallière."
The girl smiled proudly at him. "Was there any doubt?"
"Eh, maybe a little." He said coming to pick up the wand before breaking it. "There. No more magic for you."
"That... was a symbol of my station!" Mott raged as he rose up. "I will not be usurped by a child and a Germainian mercenary!" He pulled a smaller wand out of his cloak and waved it, bringing dozens of water daggers around Siesta. "You. Have forced my hand!"
"Siesta! -"
"No no." Mott began. "One small move, and I will end her life, and yours as well. Disarm!"
The mage and familiar pair looked to each other before lowering their heads and dropping their wand and sword. Each should have realized. Kamvex from experience, Louise from common sense. Louise's head hurt from the frustration. If only she could talk to Kamvex. If only...
*Play it cool... I can take a shot...* she heard ring in her head. *Just gotta get the chance. Damnit, I'm so stupid. Letting this guy get the jump. Then there's the other thing... I've gotta finish this up..!*
*Kamvex?*
He looked to her, "Louise?" Then, searing pain. "Aaah!" He grimaced as he looked to his right arm, a water dagger lodged into it.
"That's quite enough from you, you ruffian." Two more blades into his calves took Kamvex to his knees. Louise and Siesta both called out for him before he started laughing. It was like Guiche all over again. "What have you to laugh at you cur? You do realize the position you are in?"
"Yeah yeah," he answered, hissing as the blades dissolved. "I was just thinking about that book you were looking for." The Count was intrigued. Why, after attacking him, would this plebeian wish to talk about this?
"You see, those things are common print where I'm from. Might not be exact, but it's from my kind of culture." Kamvex could see the Count was intrigued now. Kamvex's gaze moved to Louise.
*Looks like you've got more than explosions to you, Miss.*
Louise looked desperately to him. *Kamvex, what's going on...? My head...*
*Channel it,* he thought as Mott started speaking again. *At him. All that pain, it can give you strength. *
Louise fell to her knees hands clawing at her head. *I... I can't... it hurts too much... help me...*
*... You need a catalyst. Luckily, I'm stupid enough to act as one.*
*Kamvex...*
The familiar turned back to the Count. "You know who buys those magazines? The lonely. The pathetic! The LOSERS of society! AHHGGGHH!"
He was stabbed over and over by the watery daggers as Mott became more enraged by the second. Louise's eyes widened and her hearing was muffled as the pain in her head increased. All she could hear was the agony in his screams as he was stabbed time and time again. Soon all she could hear was white noise. So she spoke, softer than a whisper, but no one heard. Then a bit more forcefully, but the screams, the manic laugh, and the crying from the servants left her unheard. She spoke up then, just enough to be heard a bit.
"...op... t..p ...urt..g my... ..."
Siesta looked to her, being the only one to hear. "Miss Vallière..?"
Mott stopped what he has doing, turning to the petite girl. "Shut your mouth, you bitch. You will be broken soon, if you haven't already been. And I shall rise further in the ranks of nobility! You will fetch a high price girl, and I'll make good use of it. I shall even spin a tale of how you bravely fought off this brute, but were killed and torn to pieces when I found you. And of course I made this madman pay." For emphasis, he twisted one of the knives torturing the young man.
The gap of pain brought her eyes up to the scene, eyes wide in terror and pain. The Count then continued, "Now, to finish that story." He formed an icy lance he intended to pierce the boy with and be done with it. "Say goodbye to these soon to be whores, mongrel. You will serve as a reminder to never challenge a noble."
Louise, in desperation, prayed to the heavens, to the stars and space, to whatever gods may be looking on her that she'd have the strength to help. She reached out her hand and screamed, "Leave my familiar ALONE!"
A glyph appeared at her hand, a presence of magic she'd never felt exuding from her, and the headache she had dimmed. Three bolts of white/blue light flashed out of the glyph and rocketed toward Count Mott, striking him square in the chest and knocking him away. Concentration gone, his ice and water dropped to the ground.
Seeing the opportunity, Kamvex picked up Derflinger and ran the nobleman through. "Be a dear, and stay unconscious for a while." He retracted the blade and allowed the Count to fall. The teen gave him one more look before looking to, "Louise? "
She had no idea what just happened. All she could do was look at her hand and tremble. Her head had been going crazy, her familiar nearly killed, and herself in great danger. And she had used magic. And not any magic, but wandless magic! This was unheard of as far as she was concerned. Who else could... she heard her name and looked up to see the only other person to cast a spell without a wand. Her familiar, the man from across the stars.
With that thought, it seemed to be her turn to fall unconscious.
It wasn't until an hour later that she woke up in an unruined chair. Groggily she walked to the doors outside to see a cage of tied up guardsmen and Mott sitting as a wagon to a few horses. The female servants were comforting each other, having changed out of their uniforms into more conservative clothing. She looked forward to see her familiar talking to a few people, another wagon that looked empty waiting for those wanting to go. Destination in mind, she started to make her way to them.
"...cuments are proof of the Count's wrongdoings. Human trafficking, sex slavery and the trading of the kingdom's secrets should be more than enough to have him locked away for good." She caught the tail end of conversation with two of the guards from the Academy. They nodded before taking notice of her, causing her familiar to see as well. "Well, there's the heroine of the night," he greeted.
She just stood there, bangs covering her eyes. She stood for just a moment more before asking, "are the servants safe?"
He smiled, "they are. Most are taking that wagon to the capital to speak of what Mott has done."
She still stood there as the other guards left to try the wagons going. "The maid?"
"Siesta is coming with us. We have a few horses to get back with."
"... you?" Making sure the other guards weren't around, he pulled out a shriveled plastic bag. It was smaller, but the same type as the healing serum he had a week prior.
"Taken care of. Now, are you okay Miss Loui-" she stepped forward and embraced him. "Louise?"
"I want answers..." she began. "I want to hit you for being so disobedient. I'm using you as target practice tomorrow and... I just want to go home for now."
Kamvex looked down at her and smiled. He then noticed the approaching Siesta, "yeah. Let's go home."
The ride back to the Academy was uneventful and made in silence. The trio was tired in more ways than one, and stayed together as Louise stabled the horses. As they made their ways to their respective quarters, Kamvex decided he'd had enough quiet.
"Well, that was all very productive. Glad we were able to get you out of that creep's clutches, Siesta."
"Yes I... " Siesta stopped, putting her luggage down and stopping the others. "Miss Vallière, Mr Kamvex. I honestly cannot express my gratitude." She stepped between them blushing as she had to reach to give Kamvex a kiss on his cheek.
Louise's eyes about popped out of her head. "You... you lusty maid! What do you think you're-" she was stopped when a soft hand caressed her cheek and lips were kissing the other. Blushing more profusely, the maid rushed back to her suitcase, bowing to them before she hurried off. Mage and familiar touched the cheeks that had been kissed by the maiden they saved before they looked to each other.
"Well," Kamvex stared slowly, "that happened." Louise looked at him incredulously before sighing and moving forward. She needed far more sleep than she thought.
A/N: Well... that happened! I hope you guys liked this particular chapter, and please, let me know what you thought of what action there was. I'm not the most confident in it, but I'll leave you to be the judges. But let me just ask... Did anyone see Louise taking on the Count?
Se ya next time!