Disclaimer: I do not own Familiar of Zero, only the D&D character that causes mayhem and discord.

A/N: Writer's block. I've been locked in a battle of attrition with writer's block.

Now that that's out of the way, let me just say that I'll be making a few drastic changes from the original. People who are meant to go on a run, will join Lyall's side; infamy will be developed sooner. While I was unable to do any writing, I have been doing some brainstorming.

Some plot points have been cemented and others kicked out. Also, I'm taking liberties with certain things from the DnD-verse; nothing too drastic, just stuff to help with description and narration.

Anyway, as I've said before, read/review/enjoy.

The Alpha of Zero

Chapter Five

A Learning Experience

-Lyall-

I raced forward, leaping over a swipe of a fist. Weaving along the side, I moved too quickly for Fouquet to confidently aim for me; yet at the same time, I made myself enough of a nuisance to keep the pressure off of Louise. I'm not guessing at that, I know for a fact that this person was focusing solely on me. In combat, I'm the smoke screen; it's what I was trained to do. Striking the blind spots of an opponent to draw their attention from the real heavy hitters.

As inexperienced as she was, Louise does have the potential to cause the brunt of the damage against this monstrosity. That 'fireball' she did shook me to the core. I've never felt such dread against a spell or trap as I did against that spell. It didn't 'burn' anything, it flat out disintegrated everything in its radius! That's a spell that's definitely going to keep me on my toes.

Crouching, I pushed as much strength into my lower body as I could. Jumping up quickly, I launched myself into the air and land on the golem's hand.

"Fireball!"

Upon hearing Louise's cry, I raced forward and watched as a giant crater made its home in the golem's chest. Feeling a smirk grow on my face, I raced up the arm and tried to introduce Fouquet to one of my swords.

He or she leapt back, waving his or her wand. Two more, person sized golems appeared and charged towards me. As the two of them charged me, I couldn't help but notice the larger golem cease its movements at the same I heard a ragged gasp come from Fouquet.

"Looks like someone is running out of juice." I said mockingly, just loud enough for the thief to hear.

The smaller golems charged towards me, swinging wide with their solid fists. I slid my foot forward and leaned back and to the side, dodging the strike with practiced ease. Another strike followed, aiming low. I stepped up and onto the fist, climbing up the six foot monstrosity and flipped behind it. Twisting my body, I flicked my wrist, gouging my adamantine blade into one of the golems' backs. The blade, backed by my enhanced strength, tore from side to side with a sound resembling an avalanche. Slashing all the way through, I spun and separated it's top from it's bottom with a finishing slash from Derf. The top of the golem fell backwards and towards me. I jumped up and spun with a flourish, slamming my foot into the falling upper body. With a grunt, I sent it careening off the edge and onto the earth below.

The second golem turned to meet me the moment I finished with the first.

Planting my feet firmly, I let out a small laugh and lifted a hand, beckoning it with a curve of two fingers. The golem charged forward and swiped at me. I simply ducked to the side, evading it by the skin of my teeth. Smirking to myself, I watched it pulled back and throw another punch. Slowly but surely, it began to build up momentum and throw more and more punches, moving just a little faster each time. I yawned as I effortlessly evaded every strike, as though I was moving in perfect sync with the rock golem.

With one final dodge, I dropped to my knees and stabbed my adamantine sword into the larger golem. Using it as a fulcrum, I pushed myself violently to the side, spin around in a circle. Slashing as I spun, I removed the golem's legs. On the return trip around, I slammed my heels into the larger golem, cracking it heavily, and tore my sword free from the earth. Slashing with all of my might, I shattered the golem with the sheer force.

The power of the runes were flooding my body with a surprising amount of strength, augmenting my already impressive agility and adding onto my already above average strength. The sheer rush it was giving me was enough to make me a little giddy. Though I had to hold back the giggles, I was actually maneuvering much better than I could ever hope to do on my own, even on my best day. Even with all of the activity I was doing, my breathing was still perfectly even. With this power, I'm sure I could go even longer at this pace.

Sadly, the same could not be said for Louise, who's voice gave out at the end of her spell.

"Fireba- ...ball!" I felt the golem take a step back as another section of its chest was obliterated.

Looking to Fouquet, I lifted my sword and pointed it to her. "I'll give you one chance, Fouquet. Surrender and I'll speak on your behalf when it comes time to dispense your punishment."

The would-be thief stiffened, actually caught off guard by my statement. He or she remained standing silence, slowly shifting to the side. It wasn't only after a few moments of silence that Fouquet actually spoke. "What makes you think they'll listen to you?"

A woman's voice. I see; and now that I'm actually close enough to see the shape of her body more clearly, I noticed the soft curves of a woman's physique. Clearly, Fouquet took care of herself.

I like a woman who takes of herself.

"Tell me, would you disregard the words of a mage hunter with an unknown power in land populated with mages as nobility? I don't think so, else you're an idiot." I chuckled lightly and shook my head. "Will you consider my option?"

Fouquet regarded me for a moment, then chuckled lightly. "Another would not give me that consideration. Why?"

I shrugged, "For one, I'm not a noble, so it's not personal. You're not stealing from me, so I couldn't care less. However," I gestured to Louise, "She clearly cares, so I'm fighting to defend what's in that vault."

I caught her shadowed smirk, "So you know why I'm here."

"Yeah, I kind of do." I said with a shrug. "You're a thief; then again, so am I. Once a thief, always a thief; that type of thing. Also, considering you went out of your way to have a ward set up around this area proves to me that you don't want to kill anyone."

"How do you figure?"

"If you wanted to kill, you would have rampaged through the audience during the exhibition. Everyone's distracted by rich kids' new pets, so it's an opportune time to attack." I paused and released a small laugh, "You're a mage, yet you're not a noble, I'm guessing. Which means you should've lost your title." Once again, I paused. Wincing, I said, "Sorry if I opened an old wound."

She shook her head, "Don't be. You're exactly right."

I cleared my throat, "You're without your title, so you've lost the money to sustain yourself. You're stealing from other nobles. Though, from the infamy you've gained, Fouquet, I can adequately guess that you've been stealing for much long than you may have needed. Which means you're not stealing for yourself, but to help another." I paused and shrugged, "Unless you live a rather expensive lifestyle and need the extra funds to survive."

Fouquet let out a small laugh, "You sure know what you're talking about. I find it hard to believe you got all of that from just this little skirmish."

"You'd be surprised what ten years of investigative duty does for your deductive skills. There are others better than me, but I'm confident in my ability to read people." I narrowed my eyes and smiled lightly. "You're stalling, getting me to talk so much."

"So are you." Fouquet replied with a smile of her own. "Either that, or love to hear yourself speak."

"That is a definite possibility." I said with a wide grin. I took a small step forward, which caused her to lift her wand in retaliation. "I take it I've been wasting my breath, trying to convince you?"

"I wouldn't go that far. You're rather charming, for a Familiar." Fouquet remarked, holding her wand ready.

I held my swords ready, smirking under my mask. "I try. Though that 'Familiar' part was unwarranted."

She glanced to the side, then back to me. "Your master doesn't look so good, right now. I think you better go to her."

I narrowed my eyes and quickly glanced to Louise. The girl looked to be on her last legs, swaying ever so lightly. As a trained soldier, I could tell in an instant: the traits of fatigue were setting in. The shivering limbs; the deep gasping breaths; the far off look in the eyes; the swaying posture.

"I think it's best you reach her before my golem does."

I took a quick step back out of reflex and watched as the giant golems fist pulled back threw forward. I threw a look to Fouquet and said, "We'll meet again, I can guarantee it." Throwing myself to the side, I allowed my body to drop alongside the front of the golem.

"Partner! What are you doing?" Derf asked me, finally chiming in after his silence.

"Something insane." I replied with a grin. Quickly spinning my swords in my grasp, I stabbed them both into the golem to stop my descent. Quickly orienting my body so that it was aiming for Louise, I bent my legs and pushed against the golem's body. Sucking a breath, I watched out the corner of my eye as the fist flew closer to her. Twisting the swords ever so slightly, I kicked forward, ripping them free. The sudden force my legs created, now released by my swords being pulled from the golem, shot me towards Louise. My body rocketed ahead of the flying fist and released one of my swords, allowing it to land in the ground, blade first. Throwing out my arm, I grabbed Louise mid-flight and stabbed my other sword into the ground, twisting mid-air and slammed my feet back onto solid ground.

Stabbing Derflinger into the earth, I slowed my acceleration along the ground. Within a few seconds, we came to a sudden stop, the sudden shift of inertia shaking Louise in my firm grasp. Gently placing Louise on the ground, I helped her into a sitting posture and stood. "Wait here. I'll finish up. Don't do anything more." Planting my foot, I leaned forward and kicked off my leading foot. Moving as fast as I possibly could, I blurred across the field and threw out my hand. Snatching my sword out of the ground, I raced towards the golem and leapt up and onto a striking fist. Allowing my arms to hang slack, yet still hold onto the hilts of my swords firmly, I felt them tear into the golem's arm. Ascending the limb, I reached the shoulder and pivoted violently to the side. Letting out a cry, I pushed both swords into the golem's shoulder and slashed outwards with as much force as I could muster, both physically and enchanted.

There was a massive crash as the arm fell free of the golem's body, colliding with the ground. I jumped back onto its shoulder and was about to race forward, when something in my periphery caught my attention. Quickly turning my head, I saw Louise standing on her two feet, wand arm outstretched and pointing the focus of her magic at the golem once more. Her body continued to sway, but her gaze was sharp and focused. Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but feel a little proud of her for continuing to fight in spite of her exhaustion, but it was quickly overshadowed by my frustration at her for doing exactly the opposite of what I said.

"Fireball!"

Her voice echoed outward and I heard a shattering sound all around us, followed by the sounds of cheers and the flapping of wings.

"It seems the barrier keeping this area silent just gave out." I muttered as I raced for Fouquet.

However, my thoughts were quickly pulled away from my charge as I felt my instinct scream for me to get the hell away. I looked down to Louise and saw her fall to the side. I had hoped her spell would go off and hit the golem as it had before, but it seems her sudden movement changed the target of the spell from the golem...

...To the damn tower housing the vault.

An Orcish curse left my lips as I raced forward in spite of my instincts. My foot slammed into the golem as I leapt forward. Seeing my approach, Fouquet lifted her wand and didn't point it at me, but the place I was about to land. The spell left her mouth as my foot landed on the golem, but instead of hitting solid earth, it was pulled into something akin to quicksand. My right leg was pulled in all the way to the knee and locked in place, keeping me still. Looking up to her, everything suddenly started to go in slow motion as I saw the shadowed smirk under her hood and the explosion hit the wall of the vault. Closing my eyes, I reopened them with my Aura vision in place. I watched as the wards around the tower give way to the force of Louise's spell.

Wait? It destroyed the wards like it destroyed pieces of the golem. The magic that Louise was using wasn't fire, nor was it wind. Earth is completely out of the equation and this definitely doesn't happen with water, at least not instantly. What was the fifth element of this world again?

Void.

Seeing it through my Aura Vision, I was completely pulled into the sheer emptiness of the spell. It was as if reality itself was touched by it's complete opposite and nothing was left. Louise's 'Fireball' was turning matter into absolutely nothing, erasing it from the very fabric of reality.

I was no longer uncertain. Louise does have a magical affinity and it's the lost element.

That was what went through my head as I watched Fouquet leap into the now open vault and jump out, carrying a pair of rectangular boxes. She spoke another spell and another golem climbed out of the larger golem. Taking a seat on its shoulder, she waved lightly, "It's been fun, Familiar, but I have to go."

I grunted, feeling a little pissed at my capture, but said, "I have a name, you know."

She smirked, "I know." The golem raced forward and leapt off of the larger golem, getting over the wall in a single bound.

I lifted a fist and slammed it into the golem in frustration. "Dammit." I turned and looked over my shoulder, watching as Fouquet and her golem vanished over the wall. Releasing a breath, I placed both of my fists on the golem below me and pushed. I was still holding my swords, so the strength granted to me by the runes allowed my to forcibly pull my leg free. Getting to my feet, I brushed my leg off and sheathed both of my swords. Turning, I walked off of the golem and jumped over the edge. Pulling out a dagger it, I stabbed it into the now crumbling golem and felt the small blade tear through the rock. My descent was slow and gradual, but I could take my time now.

Upon reaching the ground, I put my dagger away and felt the enchantment wear off. I didn't crumble as I expected, considering I pushed my body a bit hard in that fight. Honestly, I was expecting my body to pay for the sudden exertions I took in that battle against Fouquet and her giant golem, but for it to not to have any averse side effects struck me as too good to be true. There has to be something more to this power than just increased physical capability.

Looking to Louise, I moved quickly over to her. She was lying on the ground, not moving. I helped her up and held my hand in front of her mouth. "Still breathing. Good."

It was at that moment that people started appearing.

I scooped up the petite Louise in my arms and watched as the armed guard meant to protect Henrietta lead the charge. The princess, who lead the group, saw the two of us and gasped, "Louise!" She raced ahead, causing one of her guard to cry out her name.

Man, these guys are bad at their job.

As Henrietta reached us, I said, "She's fine, princess. Louise just overexerted herself, is all."

That seemed to calm her down.

I looked around the group to see the Headmaster pushing his way through the group, followed by Colbert. "What happened here?" The old man questioned pretty much everyone here.

"Fouquet happened." I said bluntly and gestured to the gaping hole in the vault at the top of the tower. "Punched a damn hole in it with that golem before I could destroy it." The lie flowed out easily; I couldn't have people learning of Louise's affinity too early.

That elicited a pause from practically everyone there. They were all focused on me after I spoke, clearly bewildered at my nonchalance.

"You fought that golem on your own and...destroyed it?" Colbert spoke slowly, as though I had completely destroyed his sense of reality.

I nodded quickly, trying to hurry everything along. "Yeah, I did. Pain in my behind too. Dodging attacks that could crush you on a graze is not a fun experience. I'd rather avoid a repeat performance if at all possible."

One of the guards pointed at the golem, "You cut off the golem's arm? With a sword?"

I gave him a frustrated look and groaned lightly, "No, I kicked it in the shin so hard it crumbled. Of course, I cut it off with my sword." I rolled my eyes and looked to the princess and continued, "You really need to look into getting better guards. Maybe a few that have some brains too."

"Hey!" The guard took a step towards me, but was stopped by one of his comrades.

"To have beaten a giant rock golem single-handedly... You truly are a formidable commoner, Lyall." The headmaster said softly, giving me a measured look.

I shook my head, then shrugged my shoulders, "I wouldn't say I did all the work. Shorty here helped out a bit." I moved my arms a bit, to emphasizing the tiny person who was currently unconscious.

"Wait, Zero helped fight the golem?" One of the students in the mob spoke out loud.

"You're damn right she did!" I said with a grin. "You see those craters in its chest and the one on its shoulder? Little Miss Explosion did that while I was distracting Fouquet." I then clicked my tongue in frustration, glaring off to the side. "Then she had to trap my leg and get away."

At that instant, Louise groaned lightly, finally rejoining me in the land of conscious. "Lyall, did we beat her?" Her eyes slowly opened as she looked up to me.

Before I could answer, Henrietta quickly spoke, "Louise Francoise, are you well?"

Louise jerked lightly in surprise. "Princess!? What are you doing here? Fouquet is still nearby!"

"No, she isn't; she got away." I explained to her, my voice deadpanned.

Louise gasped then looked down. "I'm sorry, Lyall..."

I grinned, though my mask was still on, and replied, "Don't be; you fought against a more experienced opponent and lived to tell the tale. That's a success in my book."

"Yet, you still let Fouquet escape." The same guard from earlier remarked.

I threw him a glare. "Says the guy who allows the princess to get away from him." His eyes widened as he tried to walk up to me, but was once again stopped by one of his comrades. "Before you talk to me about my job, how about you makes sure you do yours. Then you can say your piece."

Old Osmond cleared his throat, "Enough squabbling, there's something I need to know. Do you have any clue what was stolen?"

I opened my mouth to take a guess, but the sudden arrival of Miss Longueville cut me off. She appeared from around the corner nearing the inner part of the academy and pushed her way through the mob of students and teachers. "The Staff of Destruction and Blade of Ruin are gone!"

I sighed lightly and gestured towards her, "She took the words right out of my mouth."

"So, you won after all, Tabitha." I said to the blue-haired who walked alongside Louise and I. It's been about a day since Fouquet's thievery and rumors had appeared all around the academy that I had single-handedly destroyed the rock golem, grinding it into dust under heel while cackling like a madman.

While I enjoyed the embellishment, it also caused Louise to be a bit ornery when it came to that specific rumor, considering it pushed her out of the fight entirely. Her overreaction when we first heard it was rather entertaining, considering she very nearly used one of her explosive 'fireballs'. It's good thing she didn't, either, since she was still recovering from her extreme exertion that came with repeatedly casting her spells.

As of this very moment, Louise and I, along with Tabitha and Kirche, were walking up to Old Osmond's office due to a summons Louise had.

The quiet girl only nodded her head, simply reading her book.

"Oh, Darling, I wish I was there to witness your exciting display of dominance!" Kirche proclaimed from her spot on the opposite side of Tabitha. I had purposefully place the small girl between the two of us.

I released a small breath, "For the last time, I did not fight the giant rock golem for dominance! I fought it because it was not supposed to be here!" In spite of those words, I couldn't help but know that Kirche would continually say that I did.

The four of us reached the headmaster's office and were let inside by Colbert. The three girls walked in first and approached the front desk. I entered after them and looked around the office. The various teachers of the academy were all inside and speaking amongst themselves, clearly shaken by the sudden appearance Fouquet had made yesterday. When I walked inside the room, a sudden silence overtook everyone as they noticed my arrival. Stopping at the entrance, I looked to everyone slowly, taking the wary gazes and glares. A small smile appeared on my face as I proceeded my slow pace up to Louise and the rest. Taking my place behind my petite Master, I crossed my arms and waited.

"I'm sure all of you are wondering why I called you here, yes?" Old Osmond gently questioned the three girls before him, clearly leaving me out of the loop. Understandable, I am the Familiar after all. It seems the Familiar's deeds are the Master's. Great, looks like I'll have to fight even harder to be recognized. If I want to be recognized; a little anonymity could help with moving about...

"Actually, Headmaster, I'm confident that it has to do with my involvement in the actions taken against Fouquet. Though..." Louise began, looking over to Tabitha and Kirche. "...I don't know why they are here."

Kirche simply smiled and said, "I was curious why the Headmaster called Zero. So I decided to tag along."

Louise looked to Tabitha. The girl continued to read her book.

Colbert cleared his throat, "In actuality, he called them as well. You see, Miss Zerbst is a rather powerful Flame Mage from Germania, a country known for its military strength." Kirche puffed out her chest and smiled haughtily at the murmuring around the room. He continued, "Also, we have Tabitha, who is a Chevalier from Gallia."

There were even more murmurs at this; it also caught my attention. I may not know much about Halkegenia, there's one thing that's universal. Titles pertaining to knighthood and battle prowess are earned, not bought or inherited. Whatever Tabitha has done to earn that title, she's definitely not someone I can scoff at, unlike all of the other kids at this academy.

When Colbert got to Louise, however, he hesitated. "Finally, here we have Louise Francoise... She's..." Said person smiled widely and waited for her praise. Unfortunately, it came in a rather disappointing form. "She...she...comes a distinguished family! The Vallière family has helped the crown several times in the past." There was also murmur with that, but it was the 'honorable mention' of murmurs.

What the hell is up with these teachers? Are they a bunch of schoolchildren? What is up with all the murmuring!? It's really starting to get on my nerves!

After a moment, Colbert looked to me and cleared his throat. "In addition, Miss Vallière is the only known noble to have summoned a commoner as a Familiar, the legendary Gand-!" He was quickly interrupted by the Headmaster.

"The ultimate reason we called all of you here is that there is a need to form a group to locate and capture Fouquet. We must bring back the Staff of Destruction and Blade of Ruin."

My eyebrow arched at that. I opened my mouth to say something, but paused. I wasn't acknowledged at all by the Headmaster, so I'm going to assume my presence is like that of a dog or a housecat. Damn snooty nobles...

In addition, whatever Colbert was about to say caught my attention the most. Could the runes on my hand have something to do with that 'Gand' thing?

Suppressing a sigh, I leaned down and whispered something into Louise's ear.

The girl jumped at my sudden movement, but nodded. She cleared her throat and asked, "Headmaster, how do we know that Fouquet hasn't already disappeared?"

At that, Miss Longueville stepped up. "We've heard rumors that the thief has been sighted in the forest several miles to the north."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling a little wary of this new development. Rumors? Already? A whole twenty four hours haven't already passed and rumors are already being sent around?

"Yes. In order to alleviate some of the chaos brought on by Fouquet's sudden thievery, we're going to organize a small group of individuals to retake the artifacts and capture Fouquet." Old Osmond said with finality.

A literal witch hunt, eh? I could get down with that.

But still, this was too simple. Any competent thief disappears as soon as possible, moving as subtly and as quietly as possible. This is was too good to be true. Regardless of that, I needed to be in that group. If there's anyone with a ghost of a chance to catch a thief with a day's head start, that would be me.

"Do we have any volunteers?"

There was silence amongst everyone as they waited for the first volunteer. They looked to each other slowly, waiting. There were hesitant fidgets, but no one came close to even rolling a shoulder, let alone lifting an arm. I blinked once in shock, then felt my jaw drop in surprise. No one. None of the teachers of the academy were volunteering to hunt down the person who put their students in danger. Wow; back in the Shieldlands, they would've had to start a lottery to lessen the amount of participants.

Rolling my eyes, I leaned down to Louise and whispered in her ear.

She blinked in surprise and looked over to me.

I motioned forward and smirked.

Louise was silent for a few moments before nodding. Turning away from me, she pulled out her wand and lifted her arm into the air. "I volunteer."

I crossed my arms and smirked at the surprised look on Colbert's face.

"Are you sure, Miss Vallière? Fouquet is rumored to be a Triangle level mage." Her teacher warned her.

Louise was silent for a moment before shaking her head. "It makes no difference, Mr. Colbert. I have a duty to do as a student of this academy." She paused and smiled lightly, "Besides, I think I'll be safe enough."

I felt my smirk grow into a grin as I resisted the urge to pat her head.

Colbert blinked in confusion, then quickly looked up to me, realization dawning on him. "Of course, Miss Vallière. I'm sorry for doubting you." He smiled softly.

"I also volunteer. I can't let Zero have all the fun, after all." Kirche lifted her wand in the same manner.

Then, in a silent affirmation, Tabitha lifted her hooked staff, while still reading her book.

"Tabitha?" Kirche questioned.

"Worried." She responded succinctly.

Old Osmond smiled lightly, "Well, it's good to know our students embody the values we find important. Hopefully others can do the same." He said, clearly a little peeved at his teachers for not stepping up.

"Headmaster, I can accompany them as well." Miss Longueville said to the old man.

"Okay, we have our group. You're to leave as soon as possible. I wish all of you luck."

I sat back in the small carriage, propping up my feet on the opposite side and hands held behind my head. My hood was pulled up and over my eyes, protecting them from the sunlight as we moved along a dirt road in the direction Fouquet was seen fleeing.

"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, keeping watch?" Louise asked me.

"I am. It just doesn't look like it." I said while fooling with a toothpick I had swiped from the kitchens. Moving it around with my mouth, I shifted my arms a little to the side, trying to gain more comfort in this moving carriage.

"Let me guess: this is something you learned from years of experience?" Louise asked me, her voice dry.

I beamed and pulled my hood up, eyeing her lightly. "Bingo, Shorty. Looks like you are learning."

Louise scowled at me, clearly still not enjoying my new nickname for her.

"Oh, calm down, Zero. Darling has been through quite a bit. He deserves to rest." Kirche spoke, her voice containing a sultry a tone to it. She was sitting opposite from Louise and at my feet. She started the ride off a little peeved since she wanted to sit next to me; however, Louise shut her down real quick.

Tabitha, on the other hand, was next to Kirche and engrossed in her book.

"While what you say is correct, Kirche, it'll take much more than a fight with a golem to tire me out." I said nonchalantly, going back to relaxing.

Kirche hummed lightly, "I see, what you're saying is that you have a lot of stamina, huh?"

Arching an eyebrow under my hood, I simply released a breath. "Yes, that is what I'm saying; though you are clearly twisting my meaning." I replied tiredly.

"You're rather strange for a Familiar, Mr. Lyall." Miss Longueville stepped into the conversation deftly, preventing Kirche's further attempt at seducing me. "I mean, you're a commoner who can fight a golem as tall as the academy's highest tower without much trouble. What kind of world do you come from to make you be so...skilled?"

I peeked out from under my hood at the secretary. "I come from a world at war, Miss Longueville. Over ninety percent of my home country is overrun by the minions of a dark demi-god. Some skill in defending yourself is kind of a prerequisite to survive." I tried not sound too dark, but I think speaking in a very happy, upbeat tone while saying that would cause someone to question my sanity.

"Wow, I...I had no idea..." She said softly.

I shrugged lightly, "It's no big deal. At first, it does get you down; but we took every victory we could and escaped alive if we failed. We fought as hard as we could as often as we could." I explained it as succinctly as I could, while still sounding as humble as I could. "As for the golem, that attacked the academy it was the biggest I've seen, but at the same time, the weakest."

That got a reaction from Miss Longueville, a subtle, easily missed one, but I caught it nonetheless. "Really? How so?"

"Yeah, I wondered that too." Louise said. "I remember your confidence fighting it. How could you have known you would be able to beat it without me?" That last part sounded a little prideful, but I let it slip. Her one accomplishment was being pushed aside within the school's rumors.

"It's the weakest because I was able to cut through it so easily. It was nothing but a collection of rock held together by magic. Not to insult Fouquet, I can recognize that it is a feat to control something so large, but compared to the golems from my world, it was rather lackluster." I cleared my throat, about to start a lecture in magical comparison and theory. Oh, God, if only would Auren would see me now... "Before anyone jump down my throat for being vague, I'll explain. The golem from yesterday was just rock, nothing more, nothing less. However, the golems from my world are held together though a variety of regents and spells; to which can cause a collection of different golems to be formed. The strongest one I've faced would be an iron golem. They're just as I've called them, a golem made entirely of iron. However, they're enchanted to take a hell of a lot of punishment before they fall." I had to hold back a shudder, remembering past skirmishes with one or two.

"That's informative and uninformative at the exact same time." Louise said in a frustrated tone of voice.

I snorted, "If you wanted to a full blown lecture on the nuances and subtleties of magic, then you're asking the wrong guy. My knowledge is the application of magic and how it affects the battlefield."

"So, they teach commoners how magic works in your world?" Miss Longueville asked me from the driver's seat.

I regarded her silently for a moment, then nodded, "Yes and no. Yes, in that anyone can become a mage if they have the patience and intelligence to sit and research. And no, because some people just lack the ability to learn it. I'm part of the latter. I don't have the patience to learn and I don't have the bloodline to know it."

"Then how is it you came to know how your world's magic works?" She asked again.

Hah, I know your game, lady. You just alerted the wrong guy.

"I have to know what I know because I'm a hunter. As archaic and crass as it sounds, hunting mages is a lot like hunting a wild animal. You have to know what your quarry is capable of, inside and out. If you don't, then the hunter becomes the hunted. It's as simple as that." I explained gently, a small smile gracing my lips.

"What drove you becoming a mage hunter, then?" The secretary asked me.

"I was tired of mages holding their power over me. Sure, I could hold my own in a one on one fight, but there's something about watching a guy throw around fireballs and lightning bolts that makes you hesitant." I paused and pushed my hood off of my head, though my hair still covered my foreheads and ears. "I won't lie, it frightened me. It shook me to the core. You'd have to be a suicidal idiot not to feel fear in the presence of that. Regardless, I pushed on, confident that I could handle myself." I shook my head, a rueful smile on my face. "I was arrogant. It took a disastrous failure at the hands of one of the enemy's most powerful spellcasters to open my eyes to one disillusioning fact."

Louise regarded me with wide eyes. "What?"

"I needed specialized training; something more rigorous and dangerous in order to better prepare me for a second encounter." I lifted hand and tapped the hilt of my black blade. "That was when I decided to train to be an Occult Slayer, a mage hunter." I felt a grin appear on my face. "I took to it like a fish to water."

Derf poked his head out of the sheathe, "If that's the case, then you're a lot like the commoners in this world."

My smile remained, though it shrunk. "Yeah, I am. Which is why I'm going to make it my business to show every stick-up-their-ass noble that anyone can be strong, regardless of birth. I'll show them that a commoner can beat a noble." I crossed my arms and smirked.

"Oh... Darling, that's so righteous!" Kirche leapt from her end of the carriage and jumped on top of me, pulling my head into her cleavage.

Louise cried out as the carriage was jostled violently by the sudden shift in weight.

"Zerbst! Get your chest off of Lyall's face!"

Moments before Kirche jumped me, I couldn't help but notice one striking thing. Miss Longueville had a look in her eyes. It was one I could recognize in an instant. Resolve. She was going to do something.

The question was this: what?

We came upon a small cabin in a large clearing surrounded by trees. I regarded with narrowed eyes, looking it over with a practiced scan. Old habits die hard and this was no different; the cabin was rather conspicuous in that it sat in the middle of basically nowhere. To use it would be both obscenely stupid and ingenious. Genius because it's in the middle of nowhere and stupid because it's obvious that someone would use it to hide themselves or something important.

"This was the last known place that Fouquet was seen. It would be safe to assume that this is where the thief could be hiding the artifacts." Miss Longueville explained to the four of us.

I remained silent, allowing my senses to widen. Looking around the ground surrounding us, I checked for traps of various types, the kinds that could be easily be hidden in the brush.

"Lyall, what do you think? Have you ever done something like this before?" Louise asked me, whispering softly. She was behind me and to the right, looking around my arm and at the cabin.

"Countless times." I replied absent-mindedly. I took a slow step forward, lightly dragging the toe of my greave across the dirt. "It's basically a simple sting operation. We know where the target could be hiding..." Placing a hand onto a tree, I continued to look around. "However, we're at a disadvantage..."

"Why?" Louise asked me.

"Enemy territory." Tabitha replied succinctly, striding passed me and towards the cabin.

I smirked and followed after her. "Exactly. We're in an unknown area that our target has been in before. The chance of her laying traps in order to thin us out is high. There's also the fact that she may have a few earth golems hiding in wait." I walked into the clearing and headed towards the cabin.

There was a silence that trailed my explanation as Tabitha and I approached the cabin. When the two of us reached it, I looked to her and gestured to the windows. She nodded slightly and walked around the side. I went up to the door and gently placed a hand onto it. Closing my eyes, I slowly and softly dragged my hand down the hardwood. Softly prodding it at intervals, I felt no resistance from a possible trap. Opening my eyes, I grabbed the knob and turned slowly.

"Darling, what makes you think Fouquet is a woman? You said 'she'?" Kirche asked me as I looked around for traps.

I shrugged a single shoulder, "I knew the moment I got within arm's reach. The sound of her voice; the shape of her body; the way she moved. I've met and been with enough women to know how to read the most subtle cues. While Fouquet was wearing a heavy cloak, she couldn't fully conceal her gender." After a quick cursory glance of the building, I found no traps.

Turning, I faced Tabitha, Louise and Kirche. Furrowing my brow, I asked, "Where's Miss Longueville?"

"She said she was going to scout around, to try and keep an eye out for Fouquet." Louise explained to me.

I released a small breath. Pointing inside, I said, "Someone grab the artifacts, we need to leave. Now." I strode into the center of the clearing. "Tabitha, I'm gonna need you to call Sylphid."

The little mage nodded her head and lifted her wand.

"What's wrong, partner?" Derf stuck out of his sheath slightly.

I felt a grin appear on my face. "We're about to have a rematch with Fouquet and I'm not going to get caught in her damn trap this time."

"Lyall, what's wrong?" Louise asked as she and Kirche walked out of the cabin, each carrying a rectangular box.

I lifted my hand and pulled up my mask. Drawing both of my swords, I allowed my arms to hang slack. "Fouquet is about to pay us a visit..." I lowered my head and closed my eyes, listening for where the attack may be coming.

"What do you mean? We have the artifacts; shouldn't we leave now?" Louise asked me, her voice sounding perplexed.

"Our job here was two-fold: reclaiming the artifacts and capturing Fouquet. The way I see it, there were two groups working on this: you, Tabitha and Kirche, then Miss Longueville and I." I paused, still listening for an incoming golem. "The three of you would get the artifacts and bring them back. While Miss Longueville and I would deal with Fouquet." I grinned under my mask. "She's simply pushing her way towards me."

I heard Louise suck in a breath to say something, but my instincts screamed at me. Turning quickly in her direction, I cried out, "Get down!" Throwing my right arm forward, I released the black sword from my grasp and watched it fly.

Swords are not meant to be thrown. They're just not meant to be used that way. The way weight is distributed throughout the weapon make it cumbersome, too prone to failure, for the tactic to actually be sound. You can't add the constant presence of your strength to the attacks with a thrown weapon as you can with a melee weapon; all it does is leave you weaponless.

However, people don't normally have the enchanted strength I've been given through the runes. In addition, a thrown dagger wouldn't have the weight needed to do the damage I needed to be done. I wouldn't throw Derf, since he specifically requested to never be thrown again. So, I had to throw my mage-bane adamantine blade.

The black sword sang a whistling note that rang of death as it soared tip over hilt towards my intended target.

Louise and Kirche ducked to the side as the sword flew by them and ripped through an earthen golem that rose out of the ground. The sword gored it in the chest, but didn't slow down at all. The golem was also thrown back and crashed into the cabin, bringing it crashing down.

I turned and faced the forest, seeing the trees being forcefully parted to allow the passage of a familiar sized golem. However, this one had no one standing on its shoulder. I looked up to the earthen monstrosity and clicked my tongue in consternation. I had thrown away the one sword that could turn this thing into dust. Looking back on it, I could tell that it was a stupid mistake, but I'm not perfect. Taking a few steps back, I called out, "Whoever has that Blade of Ruin, toss it to me!"

"What?! You want to use a priceless artifact to fight?!" Louise said in shocked disgust.

"It's a frickin' sword, for god's sake! It's meant to be used in combat! Give it to me!"

"No! I'll get you the sword you threw!"

My eyes widened as I watched her rush towards the cabin. "No! Don't touch my sword, Louise!"

She stopped and gave me a shocked look. She was about to say one thing, but stopped and pointed to the golem. "Look out!"

I turned towards the golem just in time to see its giant fist soaring towards me. I narrowed my eyes and leapt up and away from it, evading the attack by a large margin. Although I was sure I could defeat it with just Derf, I wasn't going to risk fighting the golem without using two swords. I'd prefer to be safe, rather than risk fighting at half of my efficiency. "Kirche! Open your case and tell me what's inside!" I jumped away, evading another attack.

The redhead opened hers and smiled widely, "It's a sword, Darling! A rather beautiful one at that!"

I grinned widely, "Awesome! Toss it over!"

"Anything for you, Darling!" She lifted her wand and waved it lightly, causing the sword to levitate out of the box.

The moment I saw the sword, I nearly froze in place. The hilt and guard were a deceptively simple decoration. A white cloth was wrapped around the hilt and looked freshly done, as it flowed into the pommel, a white gem that twinkled lightly. The guard of the sword curved lightly towards the inside of the hilt. The sheath was of simple make, but had a worn image near hilt. The image was of a shield and pair of crossed swords.

It can't be... Is that my...

"Darling! Here!" She pointed her wand forward, causing the sword to rocket towards me.

Throwing my hand outwards, I caught the sword by hilt and crashed back onto the ground in a crouch. Leaping away from the golem, I stabbed Derf into the earth and used my now free hand to take the new sword's sheath. As I did, though, I felt a small pulse of magic echo outwards, then disperse slowly.

"Partner, what are you doing?!"

"Trying to figure something out." I explained softly as I unsheathed the sword with a hiss of steel. Holding the sword at arms-length in front of me, I looked through the semi-translucent blade at the golem in front of me. The blade was flickered in the sunlight as I slashed to the side, fully removing it from the sheath. "This...is my sword. What the hell is it doing here?"

The weight of the sword was almost nonexistent, as the metal it was made from, mithral, was famous for weighing next to nothing. My hand perfectly fit the subtle shape of the hilt, which was thinner than the norm but a few inches longer. I flipped the sword in my grasp, feeling as though I was only holding a feather. A very sharp, and very lethal feather. Grabbing Derf by the hilt, I pulled it from the earth and pointed my mithral blade at the golem.

"Wherever you are, Fouquet, let me warn you. If you thought your golem fell apart easily before, then prepare to be shocked." I spoke loud enough for her to hear.

As if in response, the golem stepped forward a step and threw another punch.

I smirked, "Don't blink." Almost as soon as the thought came to mind, I was standing on top of the golem's shoulder. The arm that threw the punch, began to crumble as each second passed. Several slash marks decorated the earthen limb, which soon began to cause the arm to fall free, separating into countless pieces.

"Partner! How did you move that fast? I don't remember the last Gandalfr moving that fast?" Derf exclaimed in shock.

Gandalfr?

"This sword is enchanted with magic that increases the speed of its wielder." I lifted it and looked at it with inquisitive eyes. "However, I've never moved that fast before..." Shaking my head, I turned and looked down at the golem I stood on top of. "I'll think about that later. Now, I've got a golem to annihilate." Crouching, I leapt into the air. Drawing my swords back, I allowed gravity to take hold of my body and force it back down towards the golem.

As I fell, I began to tear into the golem with both of my swords, moving as fast as my enchanted body allowed. The mound of rock that stood between me and the earth was eaten away by the rapid, continuous slashes with frightening ease. The golem tried to lift its remaining limb to defend against my onslaught, but I quickly cut it free from its body.

When I finally reached the earth, I landed in a crouch. Standing, I turned and casually walked away from the remains of the golem: a mist of rock and dust.

"Fouquet! Come on out! I know you're there."

Silence greeted my words as I looked around my surroundings. I looked to the cabin to see the three girls watching me with wide eyes. Louise was pointing towards me, her mouth hanging open in shock. Kirche was watching me with a single hand on her thigh. Tabitha simply had her book lowered and regarded me with an empty stare.

"I thought I told the three of you to leave." I said softly.

Louise dropped the box she was holding, which caused it pop open and the contents to roll out.

I felt my eyes widen as I saw the item that used to reside in a simple black box. A long wooden staff, shod in iron and inscribed with various runes and sigils, rolled harmlessly along the ground. Though I had only seen one or two in my entire life, I knew without a doubt how dangerous these things really were.

That was a fucking Staff of the Magi.

When did protecting a young girl turn into such a dangerous task?