A Call Beyond
Chapter Five: Giant Foe waits ahead, you're in the know, right?
Louise awoke feeling exhausted. She had a slight headache and felt like her mind had been working on overdrive for days on end and now needed rest. Well, the last part was true, only she did not know how long it had been in the real world. Rising from the bed and looking out the window, Louise saw that it was evening. Which meant that the dream could have lasted only a minute or that she could have slept the entire next day away. She was willing to believe either possibility at this point. It didn't really matter, she supposed. She would find out which day it was, come morning. Louise walked back towards the bed and laid down once more. She was tired, but she did not want to sleep, at least not for the moment.
Louise's mind turned to her recent discovery. A being beyond compare, a Great One, existed within her dreams. Or perhaps Louise had been granted access to the domain of a Great One via her dreams. Louise thought the latter to be more accurate, which meant that she was connected to the sea in a more literal way than she had thought previously. Louise drew the symbol of the sea in the air. Everything had begun from this sign. Would it be possible then, to share this with others? To lead them to the sea? Then again, Louise considered, if her first vision of the sea was anything to go by, maybe others were not ready to receiver this gift. She counted herself lucky that no harm was done to her mind during the first encounter. And besides, a petty part of her mind told her, did she want to share her gift with anyone else? The thught caused her to snort. My gift, really? I have seen an infinite sea, a place where all that is, can be, in unison and now I wish to monopolize it for myself? When I cannot even comprehend it in full? Louise gave a weak chuckle. How very human, she thought.
She was broken out of her thought by a knocking on the door. Louise got confused and looked around her room in a disoriented fashion before she realized that, it was actually a knock on the door, more specifically the door to her room. It was also rather loud which did not help her headache. Who could it be? Had she been mistaken about the time and it was actually early morning, with the maid on her way to tear her from sleep? But why would she knock? Still confused, but now also curious, Louise strode towards the door and opened it. Curiosity turned to suspicion as she spotted a cloaked figure standing behind the door.
"Good evening." She hoped it was evening, at least. "Can I help you?"
"You may." came the response from the cloaked figure. A woman, going by the voice. "Would this be the room of Louise Francoise de La Vallière?"
Louise thought she recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it. Based on the dialect though, she was certainly speaking to a noble. "It would, and I am Louise. May I ask whom I am addressing?" People rarely used more than just her first or last name.
"Can I come in first? A hallway is no place for conversation, after all. Lest rumors start spreading."
The rumors probably can't get much worse Louise thought, but nodded regardless. "Very well, come in, then." Louise gave a quick glance of her room. She was in no way equipped to entertain noble guests, without as much as a tea set in the room. But then again, if guests wanted to be accommodated they shouldn't show up unannounced in the middle of the night.
The cloaked woman didn't seem to mind as she entered the room. "Agnès, please stay behind." She addressed a tall blond woman who had been standing behind her the whole time.
The woman in question, most likely a bodyguard of some sort, did not like this particular request and apparently decided to take it out on Louise as she fixed her with a stern glare. Louise did not appreciate the unearned hostility and gestured at the cloaked figure. Take it up with her, not me. This was apparently not the correct response and the bodyguard's, glare only intensified. Louise would be scared, had she not already witnessed far more terrifying things, and instead directed a meaningful look at the cloaked figure.
"Agnès, be nice."
"Understood" came the response. Agnès's look softened into a nicer glare. Well, as nice as a glare could get. The cloaked woman nodded appreciatively, before finally entering the room and closing the door behind her.
"Now then, I ask again, whom am I addressing?" Louise asked with a slight edge in her voice.
The cloaked woman giggled in response. "Oh, Louise Francoise, there is no need to be so formal. It is me, your old friend!" With a flourish, she threw off her cloak revealing a young woman with purple hair in a finely tailored blue dress. With a lean, but decidedly feminine figure, she was quite beautiful. And Louise would recognize her anywhere.
"Princess Henrietta?" Louise had gone so far beyond confusion that things started making sense again. Of course the Princess of Tristain would who visit her room in the middle of the night. "Welcome to my room, err, your Highness". Louise quickly assumed a respectful position.
The princess let out a small sigh. "Must you be so formal? I came here not as a Princess, but to visit a friend. And are we not friends?"
Louise considered that statement. Due the La Vallière house's close relation to the crown and since Louise and the princess were of similar ages, Louise had been selected to be a playmate to the princess when they were children. The two had ended up getting along very well together and a close friendship had formed. But that was when they were children and it was now years ago since Louise had last spoken to the princess. Louise had thought that the princess would have forgotten about her or considered their friendship to be purely in the past. That she had not, and was even now still considering Louise to be a friend was quite touching, actually. Louise certainly knew how she felt about it.
"Always." She answered with a smile. A smile that was returned. "But it has been so long…"
"Then we better start catching up immediately!" Came the swift response. "And since we are friends, you will stop being so formal and call me Henrietta".
It went against Louise's upbringing but it was a request from the princess, no, from her friend.
"Very well then, Henrietta." It still sounded a little wrong in her own ears but Henrietta seemed immensely pleased. "Then in turn, will you call me just Louise? No one really calls me by my second name aside from in formal circumstances".
Henrietta gave a tiny frown. "Oh, but you liked it so when you were little! You said being called by a long name made you feel important." Henrietta's frown had turned to a smile as she finished the recollection.
Louise could only give a laugh at the actions of her younger self. Always posturing, depending on status to carry her.
"Oh but Louise? Before we get too far into old memories, there are some things I must ask you."
Henrietta's tone suddenly turned concerned, prompting Louise to give her a determined look.
"What is the matter? How can I be of assistance to you?" Had she come during the night to discuss secret matters?
Henrietta gently shook head. "You can help me by explaining! I've been so worried about you!"
"About me? But why?"
"Really, have you not heard the rumors? They've even reached the palace". Henrietta was getting worked for some reason. "They say you lost your magic and fell asleep forever, they say a water spirit has taken over your body and some even say that you are dead!"
"Have my body taken over by a water spirit? That one's new." Louise couldn't help but laugh.
"So you did know about the rumors! You should have sent a letter stating that you was all right, you have no idea how worried I've been!" Henrietta sank down into the bed as she gradually calmed down. "Seeing and hearing that you was still, well you, was such a relief."
"Ah, so that's why you asked me if this was my room. Did you really think I was possessed by a water spirit? Or did you not recognize your 'old friend'?"
"Of course I knew it was you immediately. I'd recognize that pink hair anywhere. And besides, you haven't grown that much." Henrietta finished playfully.
"I'll hit a growth spurt any one of these days, just you wait." Louise answered back with good humor. Alluding to her small size seemed to be Kirche's favorite rebuttal to just about anything, so Louise had gotten used to it. At least ever since the sea had stared preventing her from launching into a fury at the slightest provocation.
"But Louise." Henrietta said, her tone turning serious once more. "What gave rise to these outlandish rumors in the first place? Did something happen?"
How to explain this Louise thought, biting back a grimace. She didn't want to lie to the princess, especially when she was also her friend, but there were some details she was not yet ready to share.
"Well, all these rumors originally stem from what happened during the Familiar Summoning Ritual. You see, I failed to summon a familiar." She gestured to an empty bed of hay still in her room she had prepared prior to the ritual. Henrietta seemed about to say something but Louise held up a hand to stop her and continued.
"After that, there was an…accident". She didn't mean to envision the sea so it really was an accident. "An accident, which caused me to fall asleep for a while. When I awoke, the rumors had already began."
"An accident, you say. But you are fine now?" Henrietta asked, concern heavy in her voice once more.
"Yes, I'm fine." Louise said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I've never been better". She spoke the last words with an honest conviction in her voice, a conviction which even seemed to reassure the princess.
"But then, what about your familiar? If you decide to leave the school, you can always drop by the palace, you know."
That was…a tempting offer, actually. But Louise shook her head. "After I awoke, I had a talk with the Headmaster, Old Osmond, and it was decided that in light of the circumstances, I would be granted a leniency period to properly recuperate before attempting the ritual again."
"So you're continuing your studies here, then?" Henrietta asked to confirm. Louise nodded in response. "I'm happy for you. But I just want to let you know: There's more to magic than familiars so don't beat yourself up over it. Why, I have no familiar myself."
Louise could not agree more with the sentiment, but it was the last sentence that really got her attention. "You don't have a familiar? Surely they teach you magic at the palace." Louise knew that Henrietta had been quite talented at water magic since she was small, so she thought it odd that the princess had not summoned a familiar: The proof of a mage.
"Oh, yes I have many tutors," Henrietta confirmed. "And they offered to teach me the Summoning Ritual too, but I declined. I don't really see the need for a familiar. I already have enough servants at my beck and call and, well, one loyal bodyguard is trouble enough already."
Louise thought of the stern looking blond woman, Agnès. Louise had no doubt that she was still standing at attention just behind the door.
"I never introduced you to Agnès properly, did I? I must remember to do that the next time we meet. Until then, please do not think ill of her. I know she can look a bit scary but she's a good person. Just a tad protective of me"
"A useful quality in a bodyguard, to be sure." Louise stated neutrally. Agnès hadn't made a great first impression on her, but then again she supposed that wasn't her intention. One is less likely to be hostile towards the person with the mean bodyguard, after all.
"Yes, quite. Speaking of which it is probably time for me to leave. If I stay here for much longer, Agnès might get worried and break down the door." Henrietta said so with a smile, but Louise could tell she was being serious. Really now, Agnès?
"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen. Even though I loathe to see you go." Louise really meant that. Finding out she still had a friend in the princess had been an uplifting experience. As was just talking amiably with someone for once. Louise gave the princess a parting wave.
"As do I, Louise." Henrietta replied, a sincere smile on her face. "You do not know how seldom I can have an informal talk with someone, let alone a friend". Henrietta ignored the wave in favor of pulling Louise into a hug. "But you speak as if we will immediately be separated once again. The Familiar fair provided a good excuse for me to come visit you, so I will still be here tomorrow. We can talk again after the fair."
"I would like that." Louise said. "But, uh, just to be sure, when you say 'tomorrow' do you mean this next morning or the one following?"
Henrietta looked confused for a moment. "Why, I mean this next morning. Confused about the days, Louise?"
"Yes, well, something like that." Louise admitted lamely. "See you tomorrow, then!" Best to end it on a happy note.
"Yes, see you then."
Henrietta opened the door, allowing Agnès to briefly pop her head in and glare some more at Louise though her glare lessened considerably once she saw how obviously happy the princess was. Louise decided to wave at her, too, before shutting the door.
Louise was still feeling giddy as she sat on the bed reflecting on what had just happened. The talk with the princess, with Henrietta, had served to relax her in a different way than thinking of the sea did. It had also served as a wonderful distraction for her mind, and allowed it to recover from its previous exertion. And now, Louise had a whole night to spend. She had thought about going back to sleep, but she didn't feel ready yet, for lack of a better term. No, she would stay in the real world for now. Although that did not mean she had to be idle.
Retrieving parchment and pen from her desk, Louise wrote down two symbols with great care. One was the representation of the sea, which she was by now wholly familiar with, and the other was the name of the Great One which she had recently learned. Each carried with it a meaning much more intricate and profound than the simple structure of the symbol itself would indicate. Louise would spend the remaining hours of night staring intently at the piece of parchment, hoping to gleam any additional wisdom from the powerful symbols.
(***)
Siesta the maid rose with the dawn. As a maid in a prestigious academy with only noble students, she was used to rising early and making rounds ensuring that the hallways and especially the dining room were spotless. But she was not yet used to rising this early. It was all due to a new responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders. One of the noble ladies, a Miss Vallière, had recently asked Siesta to wake her in the mornings. This was not an unusual practice and so Siesta hadn't thought much of it. However, it turned out that she had severely underestimated the difficulty of this task.
Miss Vallière slept like the dead. Only, Siesta was uncertain that the dead could ever look nearly as peaceful as the sleeping girl did. Such was her apparent bliss, that Siesta had felt bad for being supposed to wake her and had just stood still, fidgeting slightly. Eventually, Siesta had gathered her courage and had gently prodded the sleeping girl while calling for her to wake. This had garnered no effect and left Siesta no choice but to repeat the attempt with a little more force.
It had taken Siesta nearly half an hour to wake the girl. She had progressed to nearly shouting and prodding the girl with force just barely below punching but still she did not wake. As a last, desperate attempt, Siesta had pushed the girl right out of the bed and unto the cold floor. This had finally been enough. Miss Vallière had then seemingly spontaneously awoken and rose from the floor with a grace usually not afforded to those who had just been pushed out of their bed.
"Oh, is it morning already? How peculiar." She had taken a brief glance around the room. If she was surprised by the fact that her pillows and blankets laid in a mess on the floor or that there was a maid standing beside the bed looking short of breath and on the verge of tears, she had not shown it. "Maid? Thank you for waking me. Now, bring me a glass of water, please."
Siesta could only bow and flee. As she almost ran out of the room, she was unsure whether to shed happy tears that she had not been punished for going overboard, or just cry since she was supposed to this every morning from then on.
And so it was, with great trepidation and a glass of water in hand, that Siesta approached the room of Miss Vallière this morning. Cautiously, she knocked on the door. She did not expect an answer but she had heard of nobles who had called for servants at specific times before forgetting all about it and beginning to engage in private activities. So she made sure to always knock as a precaution, but predictably, there was no answer. Siesta opened the door to the room. The doors to the student's room were typically left unlocked so that maids could enter and clean in the inhabitant's absence.
Yet, Siesta did not find Miss Vallière sleeping soundly as she had expected. Instead she noticed the noble girl was sitting at her desk, hunched over a piece of parchment and muttering to herself.
"M-Miss Vallière?" Siesta's unsure voice rang out. There was no reaction indicating that the girl had heard her. She sighed to herself. "Please don't tell me she's sleepwalking."
Siesta was not was not certain if it would even be possible to wake a sleep walking Miss Vallière who could fight off attempts to wake her in real time, and she desperately did not wish to find it out the hard way. She approached the girl who was still sitting in an unnatural position and muttering softly to herself. Siesta placed her hand gently on the girl's shoulder.
"Miss Vallière? Are you awake?"
This got the girl's attention but Siesta now wished that it hadn't. Wide, bloodshot eyes fixed hers in an annoyed glare. Siesta gave a small yelp and jumped back, an apology already on her lips. Yet, Miss Vallière held her hand up to stall her before sighing and briefly closing her eyes. When she opened them again, they looked much more normal and she addressed Siesta in her usual, calm tone of voice.
"Good morning. Apologies if I frightened you, I had just gotten a bit caught up in my work, you see." She gestured to the piece of parchment, filled with illegible scrawling. "But it is probably a good idea to stop for now, so your interruption is a welcome one." she concluded.
Siesta was not sure how to respond to that or if she was even supposed to, so she just curtseyed instead. "Would you like a glass of water, Miss?" She handed the glass she had brought with her to Miss Vallière who nodded appreciatively. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Siesta inquired.
"No, not for the moment. You are dismissed." came the response.
Siesta curtseyed one final time before she left the room. Miss Vallière seemed kind enough, all things considered, but these mornings were still hard on her nerves.
(***)
Louise watched the maid leave, while she took another sip of water, before signing again. During the night, she had learnt nothing. She had studied the symbols with an unrivaled intensity and yet she had not been able to gain a further understanding of them. She looked down on her notes. She had attempted to write down a proper description of the symbols, hoping that it might give her an idea or let her notice something she had missed previously. However, she had stopped once she caught herself using the word 'indescribably' for the third time. Clearly, she lacked the imagination for such a task. Quickly thereafter, her notes descended into random scribbles as she unconsciously continued to draw on the parchment. Finding no pattern, Louise considered scrapping the parchment entirely but decided to keep it in the end. After all, they were the first notes, hopefully of many to come, of her self-imposed project to understand the symbols. A Great One resided in her dreams. The least she could do was try to decipher its name properly.
Louise stood up and made a few stretches. She had decided she would need to pour every ounce of attention she could muster into her studies of the symbols, and so Louise had used the sea to drown out feelings of discomfort and even the sensations of hunger and thirst. She was paying for it know, though. Her body was sore all over and she was feeling both hungry and thirsty. Well, not that thirsty anymore, actually. Still, the sentiment stood: The ability to shut out the outside world almost entirely was a very useful one, but should not be used recklessly. Oh, she could just continue to shut out the world, but that would only exacerbate the problems. One does not heal from a wound by ignoring the pain, after all. Besides, she was beginning to get a headache again. Both her body and mind were in need of rest and care. And so, Louise put on her student uniform and headed to the dining hall to enjoy a hearty breakfast.
(***)
It was a little past noon and Louise felt in prime condition once again. This was only aided by the fact that she would have the chance to talk with Princess Henrietta again this afternoon after the fair. Speaking of the fair, it was not yet time for the familiar showcase to begin, but a festive mood had already fallen over the academy. A couple of noble families had come to watch their sons' and daughters' familiars. They had then been introduced to their children's friends and their families and from there it had turned into something of an impromptu social event with nobles chatting among each other and maids scurrying back and forth carrying refreshments. When it was discovered that the Princess herself actually was in attendance many nobles had been quick to quarrel for her attention. Especially the lesser nobles and those with lands away from the capital, who would rarely get a chance to speak to her. Louise had no doubt that Henrietta was currently doing her best to deal with these social obligations. Luckily, Louise's parents had not decided to attend. She didn't quite know how to face them, yet.
Louise herself had retreated from the bustling fair grounds and secluded herself in the library. Well, almost secluded herself. Tabitha was there as well, apparently not needing to do any last minute training. Louise could only admire her quiet confidence, but then again, the girl had a dragon. She had every right to be confident. However, Louise had not come to the library solely to get away from the noise, or she would have returned to her room. She had figured that studying magical runes as used in various rituals would help her in her own research. It had been slow going, with information scattered far and in between several tomes, most simply referencing something the Founder Brimir said or did several thousand years prior. Louise hadn't realized how seemingly interlocked with Halkeginian history this subject was. She decided to ask Professor Colbert about it sometime, if she remembered correctly the man had quite the fascination with history.
(***)
Eventually, it was time for the main event to begin. The spectators were seated in rows behind a grand wooden stage, complete with a red curtain separating them from the participants. Louise had no idea how they had managed to build such a stage so quickly but had no doubts that magic was involved. She had gotten a front row seat on Kirche's insistence and was now sitting quietly drinking a glass of water. It was decidedly subpar. She would have to raise the issue of acquiring higher quality water for the academy kitchens at some time.
Louise watched the first few displays with disinterest before just retreating into daydreams entirely, not at all entranced by what seemed to mostly be a glorified pet show. Her sister Cattleya had much more interesting and well trained pets. Louise only called her attention back to the present as she saw Kirche take the stage. She had promised, after all.
"Good afternoon noble ladies and gentlemen. My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst, here today to showcase my salamander, Flame". Kirche then decided to forego the traditional curtsey in favor of a deep bow which caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd. Louise, though, was sure that it had little to do with deliberately not conforming to expected ladylike behavior and more that Kirche thought a bow would better show off her cleavage. "Now…" Kirche had resumed her position and looked to the side of her where her familiar had been moments prior. It was no longer there. "Wait, Flame, where you going?"
The salamander had decided to waltz right off the stage and towards the rows of spectators, heading straight for Louise. The people sitting beside her were quick to move away but Louise saw no reason to. She took another sip of the glass as the salamander stopped in front of her.
"Yes?" Louise didn't know what it wanted from her.
It soon became clear as the salamander was quick to use its long tail to break the glass Louise was holding. Apparently it had been offended by the presence of water.
"Excuse me?" Louise said, a hint of steel in her voice. What did that stupid salamander think it was doing?
The familiar in question responded by breathing a great flame. Before her eyes, the fires contorted and twisted until finally assuming a definite shape. It was unmistakably a rude hand gesture.
"Now listen here, you overgrown lizard." Louise was not about to take this lying down.
Flame gave a snort before spewing fire again. This time, the flames were molded into a crude, but still recognizable, depiction of a washboard.
"What did you just say about me?!" Louise would give this lizard a piece of her mind.
(***)
"…and you mother was an olm!"
The heated debate had lasted for about ten minutes now and Louise could not help but be impressed with the salamander's repertoire of insults. It had insulted her size, her ancestry, her hair color, even her clothes (the academy standard uniform!). It had also somehow alluded to her having poor performance in bed. Louise had actually blushed at that one. But her last comment seemed to be the over the line.
The salamander gave a final dismissive huff, unable to tolerate her rudeness any further. It instead sauntered back towards the stage and then away. Clearly, it had better things to do.
"Flame, wait! What about our show?" Kirche hurried after her familiar.
All eyes now on her, Louise did a small curtsy before sitting back down. She couldn't help but laugh. Well played, Kirche. Well played. She doubted that insulting the respected La Vallière line, with Kirche being a Germanian exchange student and all, would garner her much popularity, but Louise thought it had been the most entertaining display so far, for sure. The La Vallière and Zerbst families had been feuding for generations anyway. What was more fuel to the fire?
(***)
The next display that caught her attention, namely Tabitha's, had turned out to be more conventionally impressive. The blue haired girl hadn't spoken a word, not even an introduction. She had instead simply pointed at the sky, from where her dragon Sylphid swept down. Tabitha had then fully shown that she also possessed the affinity for wind as she and Sylphid engaged in a stunning display of aerial acrobatics. She had landed to roaring applause. Louise felt bad for the remaining contestants. There was no way to top that.
Louise decided that she didn't even want to see them try, and made her away from the fairgrounds once more. With her studies into runes at a halt for the moment, Louise didn't return to the library, instead just opting for wandering around the school aimlessly.
It was there, a good bit away from the school and into the surrounding woodlands, that Louise picked up an unfamiliar sound. Like that of something heavy being dropped on the ground, but subdued, somehow. What on earth is going on at the fair? Louise didn't remember any familiars who seemed fit for lifting heavy things. Upon further examination, Louise discovered that the sound did not originate from the direction she thought led back to the fairgrounds. In fact, it came from the opposite direction. If Louise hadn't come all the way out here, she doubted she would have heard it. Intrigued, she decided to investigate and began walking towards the source. The path took her back towards the academy, only she approached it from a different side relative to where the fair was held.
As Louise entered the academy grounds proper, she witnessed the source of the sound: An enormous earth golem was attempting to batter down the academy walls with its massive fists. On its shoulder sat a cloaked mage, continually chanting something. They were under attack!
(***)
Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, otherwise known as Miss Loungeville, though neither were her real name, was getting excited seeing success almost at hand. She had been hired by some rather suspicious people to break into the treasury of the Tristain Academy of Magic to retrieve an artifact by the ominous name of the 'Staff of Destruction'. How her temporary employers had even found her, was still a mystery but she supposed that she had built up quite the reputation as a master thief, so some parties interested in getting something stolen might well spend the necessary resources to track her down. They had offered her more than enough money to take the job. If she pulled this off, she could support her sister for years to come. Unfortunately, her preferred method of breaking in by using her earth magic to go through the walls proved impossible against the heavily warded academy treasury. A different method had been necessary.
Infiltrating the academy and posing as Osmond's secretary had not been difficult though she had needed to be careful around the old man. He played the senile fool well, but she was certain that he was more perceptive than he let on. Luckily for her, an opportunity had come up as he had been distracted lately by a matter over some student. This had allowed her to discreetly study the wards aided by the trusting fool, Colbert. She found out that the treasury's only real vulnerability was to pure, brute force. And so, she had summoned the largest earth golem she could muster in order to just punch through the treasury walls. It was not exactly subtle, but then again, five meter tall constructs were not known for their subtlety. The best she could do, was cast a silencing spell each time the golem hit the wall in order to at least partly muffle the noise. And it seemed to have been sufficient as no one had disturbed her and she could feel the wards weakening with every strike. Success were but moments away. Fouquet allowed herself a grin. It was at this moment that she heard a shout emanating from behind her.
(***)
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
Louise shouted with all her might. She had no idea why the mage and his golem were here or what plot required the breaking down the academy walls but she didn't care. The Princess was possibly in danger and she was not about to take chances. She hoped dearly that her shout had been heard by some alert guards and that reinforcements were on their way. In the meantime, she would hold off the mage…somehow.
"You should not have done that, little girl." The cloaked mage addressed her in a deep, angry tone of voice.
Fouquet was not certain that the shout had been heard, but she didn't want to risk another one. The little girl needed to be shut up, and quickly. With a movement of her wand, she directed the golem to stop its assault on the walls and instead face the small, pink haired girl in front of her. The golem began to wind up a downwards strike, as if to swat a bug.
Louise was not about to back down. She had ejected fear from her mind, having needed every ounce of brain power to come up with a plan. She would attack the knee joint of the golem with a water spell. With a little luck, and enough water, the dirt would turn to mud and the golem would collapse from its own weight.
As she prepared her spell, she saw the golem move to face her. She saw its arm wind up an attack. She saw its arm descend upon her. Yet, she did not move. She could not move. Her spell was not yet done and her body had frozen up. But she had no fear. To protect the Princess was her solemn duty as a noble of Tristain. And so, Louise bravely held her ground, as she was crushed by the golem's massive fist.
(***)
Fouquet heard the sickening crunch of bones snapping and winced. She had done it now – she had killed a noble. After this, she would need to flee the country and lay low for a while. Shaking her head, she turned back to the matter at hand. The job was not yet complete. She had silenced the disturbance but she was almost certain that others were on their way. She would need to be quick about this. She swiftly commanded the golem to resume battering the wall to the treasury. She was so close.
(***)
Henrietta watched the proceedings with a polite and attentive mask that perfectly hid how bored she felt. Hours of having to meet with all the nobles that showed up to talk with her and trying to remember their names and stations had been exhausting. So it was with some relief she had welcomed the academy headmaster announcing the beginning of the familiar showcase and urging all spectators to find their seats. The first displays had been fairly mundane but novel enough to keep her attention. One in particular had been rather, well, 'interesting' was the best word she could come up with. The blue haired girl with her dragon on the other hand, had been downright impressive and Henrietta had joined in the applause after that performance. Afterwards, came more displays similar to ones she had already seen, and Henrietta found her attention waning. She was broken out of this state by a shout.
Agnès, standing beside her, had apparently also heard the shout and was looking around attentively trying to locate its source. Some of the musketeers she had brought along with her as guards had also heard it.
"Hey, didn't that sound like 'enemy attack'?"
"Are we under attack? Protect the Princess!"
They quickly formed a circle around her, eyes watching in all directions, wary of an unseen enemy. They even glared as the academy headmaster Osmond hurriedly approached her, but with a dismissive wave of her hand, they let him through.
"Your Highness," he began. "We have concluded that the warning came from the other side of the academy, where the treasury is located. We will move out immediately to investigate. Please remain here, with your guards."
But Henrietta had stopped listening halfway through. Without a second thought, she leapt off her carriage and began running towards the other side of the academy. Her guards tried in vain to stop her and were instead forced to run with her while maintaining the defensive formation. Osmond too, had set after her but the old man was having trouble keeping up and had already begun wheezing.
"Your Highness! Please wait up, it is not safe!" He called after her.
Henrietta paid him no mind as she continued her frantic run. She had recognized the voice. It had unmistakably belonged to Louise.
As the princess and her guards arrived at the opposite side of the academy, they came upon a towering monstrosity which had seemingly just broken down the walls. Atop its shoulder sat a mage. Yet, that was not what caught Henrietta's attention. Her eyes were instead drawn to the ground in front of her. With limbs twisted into unnatural positions, with bones jutting out from the skin and lying in a pool of her own blood, was the battered and broken corpse of her best friend.
"Louise!"
(***)
Louise was not actually dead but she felt that it would not be long now. Pain was all that she could feel. She whimpered quietly as she tried in vain to move her body. She wanted nothing but for the pain to go away. She tried to think of the sea but she could not gather her focus. Had it abandoned her, now that she needed it the most? Please, let it not be so. Louise wanted that feeling back. The feeling of safety, of comfort. A place where nothing could hurt her. She wanted to return to the sea. Yet now, in her final moments, it eluded her. With no options left, Louse could only pray.
Ahh Kos... or some say Kosm. Do you hear our prayers?
(***)
Fouquet cursed under her breath. Just as she had finally managed to break down the treasury wall, no less than a whole squad of guards had arrived. None of them looked like mages but the all carried firearms. And if that wasn't enough, she could see Osmond himself making his way over to her. She would be hard pressed to escape if she fled immediately but she hadn't even gotten the Staff of Destruction yet. And she had no idea where it was located in the large treasury. She cursed again, loudly this time. Had her luck finally ran out?
She was momentarily distracted by an unpleasant sound. Quiet at first, but now growing in volume. It was raspy and bloodcurdling, but she still recognized it. It was the sound of laughter.
Henrietta, too, heard it. But she was more focused on the origin of the sound. From where Louise had lain, she was now slowly getting up. She was not dead! A feeling of relief unlike anything she had ever felt before filled her. But, with those injuries…there was no way she should be able to move.
The haunting laughter continued.
(***)
Louise could only laugh. As she stood up, her right leg collapsed under her, the femur broken and unable to support her weight. She didn't care. The blood flowing from the hole in her chest had turned a dark red, but it was inconsequential. Her laughter was cut short as a rib pierced her lung, but it didn't matter. For Louise could see the ocean.
She saw it, placed beyond the sky. Its endless expanses covered all, like a blanket enveloping the world. It swirled and churned, movements born from unfathomable causes. Its presence previously obscured but now revealed in full. A private revelation, just for her.
Louise reached out her hand to the sky.
And the Flood came crashing down.
(***)
A torrent of water fell from the sky, with all the force of a raging sea. The golem, standing tallest, had been the first to fall, the sheer pressure of water crushing it. Fouquet tried in vain to protect herself from the onslaught but was knocked to the ground and left to drown. The academy had not been spared either, the weakened walls no match for the flood of water, as they finally collapsed entirely. Yet the destruction did not end there.
Henrietta and her guards were saved in the last minute as Osmond had conjured a multihued, luminescent shield to protect them. The powerful shield held back the tide, but only barely. Even now, cracks were beginning to show. Such was the devastation, that even parts of the surrounding woodland had suffered, entire trees being torn down and the soft ground turning swamp-like.
Only Louise, standing right in the middle of it all, was spared. The waters seemed to carefully avoid her or only gently brush past her as she stood, hand still grasping at something beyond the sky. Eventually she lowered her hand. As suddenly as the waters had come gushing forth, they now began to fade. They simply oozed into the air, once more returning to a place not of this world.
And yet, a small amount remained. Droplets from all around, gently flowed back towards the center, towards Louise. A truly meager amount, barely more than a puddle all put together. The puddle then expanded, turning into a small bed of water. Louise finally allowed herself to fall down, her consciousness departing for a better place.
.
.
.
(***)
With this, we conclude the first "arc" in the story. This chapter turned out to be really difficult to write, but I hope you liked it. I've been experimenting with a few different techniques of paragraphing since this site enjoys messing with my formatting. So far, I quite like using "(***)" to signify a change in perspective or a lapse in time, and I will probably go back and change the previous chapters to reflect this, but let me know what you think. On that note, is there someone with more experience on using this site out there, that can tell me how to fix the title? I would like both "A Call Beyond" and the chapter title to be centered with one right underneath the other. You'd think it would be easy, but apparently not.
On a story note, from here on out we shall diverge from the light novels as the story begins in earnest.
I would also like to say thanks to all those that have read, followed, favorited and so on. This story garnered more interest than I thought it would, so thanks to all of you. Reading the reviews, especially, has been very motivating.
On that note, there is a particular review that I would like to respond to. generally, I would do so via private message but the person chose to leave it as a guest. And some others might be interested in the answer to the question, anyway. So, to SadOnion, thank you for leaving your concerns about the possible direction the story could go! Second opinions will no doubt help me write a better story.
Now, as for the question, which can be summed up as "Why Kos? And how?". Allow me to answer the latter first. The following will be my interpretation of some bloodborne lore and won't play a part in the story. If anything, it could be considered that "background" to what happened in chapter one. Here goes:
Great ones are hard to kill. They are not invincible, but they don't just die, either. Specifically they can only be hurt in the nightmare in which their "true form" resides. Consider the amygdalas you find thought Yharnam who are invulnerable, but you can fight and kill the one in nightmare frontier. Now, amygdala is not a Great One, but the point stands: Every time you fight a Great One in the game, it is in the deepest part of a nightmare. In the Waking World, Kos "died" and her corpse washed in the fishing hamlet but she did not stop existing. Think of Mergo, the deceased child of Queen Yharnam. With sufficient insight, the player can hear his cries all the way from the beginning of the game well before the school of Mensis ever get up to anything. This proves that while he is "dead" in the Waking World, he still "exists" in some nebulous sense. What the Mensis ritual did, was facilitate the creation of a nightmare in which Mergo could exist in a more tangible manner, so that they could talk to him. This is exactly what Louise did for Kos, albeit not deliberately.
As for "why" Kos, it was just sort of how the idea of the story developed in my head. I wanted to give Louise Great Deep Sea right at the beginning, since she would otherwise spiral into madness very rapidly (think of when she hears a murmur from Kos in chapter one and collapses screaming, while she is able to partially understand it in chapter two). And Great Deep Sea just goes naturally with Kos, so there you go. I also happen to find the idea of a bottomless ocean interesting on many levels.
Well, that went on a bit longer than expected, but there you have it, Kos: How and why. See you guys next chapter.