Chapter One
Bloodthirsty Worm.
Broken Doll.
Kindhearted Knight.
They dance on the stage of Fools.
Dreaming of different ends.
10th of August 2008
10:26 am
I blinked slowly. It was more than a little disturbing to go from sitting down in a lounge room in Lambeth London. To being outside at a small, rather tastefully decorated, cafe. Which also made me the recipient of a very polite kidnapping.
A pamphlet sat on the table before me. Proudly proclaiming 'Welcome to Annecy!' in bold letters. Seeing that my companion had no desire to speak, too busy people watching. I took the suspicious piece of reading material and skimmed it.
Annecy was the largest city of Haute-Savoie in southwestern France. Its total population was roughly, according to the pamphlet, one hundred and twenty-five thousand people. I looked up into the sky. It was free of cloud cover. The kind of limitless blue that it seemed like you could fall into.
The air fresh with a kind of crispness not found in large cities like London, Hamburg, or Paris. While the city itself did have some modern architecture the old city reminded me fondly of Hogsmead. Only cleaner and more populated. It was, in effect, a perfect small city to spend a summer vacation.
Which immediately made me suspicious.
I leveled my gaze at the man before me. Breathing deeply and struggling not to start yelling. Keep the screaming internal had practically become a job requirement at this point. My employer/teacher/owner was watching the mixed crowd of citizens and some tourists go by with a small, dubious, smile.
I breathed in again and closed my eyes bringing up a gloved hand to rub at my temple. I let my breath out in a hiss as it rolled past my teeth. Placing the pamphlet on the table I clenched and unclenched my fists rhythmically. Attempting to subdue my paranoia. Not that I'm sure it should be called that. It's only paranoia after all if no one is actually out to get you.
"Why are we here?" I tried slowly. I'd gotten pretty good at covering for a lot of bullshit over the last year and a half but I had my limits.
"Hmm?" He blinked and turned away from the crowd. Wine-red eyes came to rest on me with an amused glint I had learned to fear flickering in their depths. I didn't give him the satisfaction of flinching.
It was bad enough he introduced me as his Gofer or Butler depending on mood. I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of him seeing me unnerved. Though he probably knew. The thought did not make me feel any better.
"I'm sorry could you repeat that?" The question was asked in a deep tone like thunder in a distant sky.
"Why. Are. We. Here?" I chose to carefully enunciate each word because I really, really hated when he played dumb. It was probably not a good idea to snap at a creature I was reasonably certain could turn the world I was on into bubbling slag.
But anyone who had ever spoken to, or interacted with, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg found that hard to do. He didn't have a terrible personality but he was undeniably difficult to deal with. And by difficult I meant he drove me into fits of near-murderous rage for amusement or at least it felt that way.
"Vacation."
"Vacation?"
"Vacation."
I processed his words for a moment and licked my lips. I brought the tea before me to my lips and drank. It was lovely. Shame it was ruined by my dining companion. Vacation. On one hand, it was completely understandable that Zelretch of all people would randomly decide to have a vacation and drag me along with him. On the other, I was about ninety percent certain he was fucking with me and I could almost feel the other shoe getting ready to drop.
Working for, not with, that had been made very clear throughout our association. Zelretch you got a good feeling for situations like that. I cast my eyes around me. Buying time while I formulated a better response.
My first one being to leap the table and shake the real answer out of a vampire that had been alive for over three thousand years. I didn't for two reasons. Firstly it wouldn't work. Secondly, he'd probably think it was funny. I refused to give him that.
My eyes passed over people of all ages. Men, women, children. The girls at the table over from us were busy dividing up sweets while speaking French like only a native could. A language I didn't have more than a passing association with. Behind them a couple fed a child and spoke back and forth in rapid German. They were talking about an upcoming wedding. Congratulations I guess.
Behind them was another girl who looked to be starting on an éclair. Her eyes lit up behind her glasses as she took a bite. Wish my day was as good as yours lady. The next table over sat an older man who was reading something on a tablet and writing notes on a small pad next to him.
The frown lines on his face made for an interesting contrast with the boy of maybe eight who sat next to him happily chomping on a profiterole. I may not speak French but given the context clues, I was pretty sure I knew what pépère meant. The way the older man's face lit up when speaking to the boy all but confirmed it.
In a booth to the right of them, two women chatted in rapid-fire French. Laughing every few moments. The brunette was struggling to get a word out before breaking down again. While the blonde looked equal parts amused, scandalized, and intrigued.
A pair of empty plates sat before them while half-forgotten drinks were just off to the side. Everyone seemed to be having a lovely day. Everyone but me. Then again I figured none of them had to deal with an inter-dimensional threat to their sanity and safety at the moment so that seemed about right.
At least I hoped none of them were having to deal with that. For the love of all that was good one dimension-hopping lunatic should be enough for any world.
"Why though?" I gave up on my people watching instead choosing to ask the question in the calmest tone I could manage. It wasn't very calm. Zelretch seemed to consider that for a second. Stroking the well-kept beard on his face in contemplation. His white gloves were a contrast to my own black. While his casual dress looked more comfortable than my monkey suit.
The one adjustment I'd been able to make to it was leaving the jacket since it was summer but that still left me in dress pants, a full-length shirt, a vest, and a tie. Condition of my employment. I was his Butler after all. He even called me Jeeves on occasion.
I had attempted to come to work without it once. Between one moment and the next, I'd somehow been changed out of my nice comfortable clothes and into them by way of magic. I gave up avoiding it after that. Seemed like less hassle.
Also, he threatened to put me in an actual monkey suit. I wasn't about to tempt fate like that. I knew my chances.
"Well, you seem rather stressed," Zelretch said with a smile. It was a task to keep my face from displaying my emotions. Looking the source of ninety-nine percent of my stress straight in the face and made the 'get on with it' gesture with my left hand. "I'm not sure why. You have such a lovely employer, a restful job, and wonderful benefits."
I'm gonna kill him.
"But regardless all that pent-up emotion can't be good for you. So I thought you could take some time off. See the sights. Involve yourself with people a little more. I know how insular your community usually is so this is a good chance to see the world. I didn't even charge you airfare to get here."
"I see."
"Yes in any case this is a wonderful little city. Rather rural and not all that populated, if you ignore the tourists. So I thought it would be the perfect place for a little R&R get your batteries recharged enjoy nature and the scenery. Maybe even talk to a girl or two?" He wiggled his eyebrows as he made that last statement.
Talk to a girl or two? I wasn't sure I could hate a woman enough to drag her into the insanity that was my life thanks to this jackass. Some things were considered cruel and unusual for a reason.
"And those were your only reasons?"
"Well, there may be something interesting happening around town."
And there it was!
"What exactly?"
"Nothing concrete yet. But I have faith in your abilities to deal with it."
"Deal with what?" I swear I wasn't whining.
"Oh well look at the time! I have to be off Harry. I'll send you your hotel later, toodles." He disappeared between one second and another. There was no light, no sound, no special effect. Just one-second asshole vampire. Next second empty chair. I wasn't even surprised by the black bag on the table before me now or the newspaper next to it.
Seriously who still got the newspaper?
"Well fuck." I couldn't help but vocalize how much I thought whatever was about to happen would suck.
"Yeah, still a prick." A rough voice cut in.
"And where have you been!?" I demanded through our mental link. There was a moment of silence.
"I've been trying to talk to you this entire time. The old bastard must have done something to stop me." In comparison to Zelretch's voice, this one was higher and a bit rougher.
"Think you can find a way around it?"
"I doubt it. I'm not a coward mage like Merlin and I never learned how to do that kind of thing from Morgan." My partner Mordred Pendragon. The Knight of Rebellion. Groused I could feel them shaking their head through our bond.
The Saber Class Card that I obtained as a result of my agreement with Zelretch connected to the Throne of Heroes. A record that existed outside of time and space. Housing a record of every person who had ever caused world-shaking events.
By influencing the world enough on a macro-scale you changed the course of human history, or you just did something so ridiculously impressive people remembered it hundred, even thousands, of years later. The world itself would place a copy of your personality and body in a place outside of time. I had no idea what they were used for exactly. But I assumed it was important.
The Class Card was a way of drawing a copy of a hero from the throne. Being English, and a Wizard, I had hoped to draw Merlin. After all, he was THE Wizard. Failing that King Arthur had been my second choice. Followed by any Knight of the Round Table.
As it turns out my third choice had been the one to come to fruition. Mordred Pendragon the son of King Aruthr. Along with being responsible, at least in part, for the destruction of Camelot along with the death of the Once and Future King.
"That's...annoying," I admitted.
"Reckon you could do something from your end?"
"Maybe but nothing comes to mind."
"Ah hell that sucks!" Mordred aired their opinion and I could also see the shaking of their blond hair and narrowed green eyes in my mind's eye.
"Should probably start working out whatever the hell is going on."
"Wanna bet if it's dangerous?"
"I don't make sucker bets," I replied with a wan smile. For all that history and myth painted them as The Knight of Treachery. I found Mordred remarkably easy to get along with. I reached out and grabbed the bag first pulling it open.
It didn't have a lot inside. A spiral pad notebook and pen. The first page of which had an address and keycard of what I assumed was my hotel room. The rest was blank. A British passport that I knew I never applied for baring my likeness and already stamped by French customs officers. I had also apparently been to Germany, Poland, and Hungary. All in the last three years.
Wasn't I busy?
The fact Zelretch could do this should scare me but I was so numb to it at this point it barely registered. Plane tickets with arrival and departure dates. Apparently, I left on August 24th at eleven pm. Hopefully whatever this was wouldn't take that long.
Not that Annecy wasn't beautiful or anything. But I didn't trust anywhere that Zelretch dumped me.
Thankfully my phone was in the bottom of the bag next to a small closed tin and a battered-looking book. I turned it on. No missed calls. One text from Mum telling me to have fun in France. They'd come and see me sometime next week.
"That could be a problem."
"Yeah." I wasn't sure if knowing my family was coming made me happy or terrified. Because apparently, she knew about this before I did. I could try to call for a pickup but I got the feeling that wouldn't work and if it did I still need a decent excuse. Maybe I could workshop that later? Pocketing the device I grabbed the tin and rolled the numbers at the bottom of the lock into place, six, nine, six, nine. Truly a lock for the ages.
It was full of money.
Euro's specifically unless I was very much mistaken.
Which was nice. At least I wasn't going to have to dip into my own savings to live while I did, whatever the hell it was Zelretch wanted me to do. That probably would have required I went back to Paris found whatever equivalent of Diagon Ally they had and went to the French version of Gringotts. Which I could have done but it would have been a massive inconvenience.
The battered book turned out to be an English-to-French phrase book. So I could mangle the language of the people around me while I was here, yay. Contents of the bag now thoroughly investigated I turned to the paper. I got the feeling it was going to be less pleasant and not only because I was going to have to read everything. Since I had no idea what I was looking for.
The paper was apparently the La Dauphiné Libéré and the name alone let me know that it had probably been translated from French for my benefit. It was dated three days ago, Thursday. The headline didn't give me much. Other than Annecy FC lost 3-2 against another team.
The next three pages didn't give me much either. A couple of heart warmers about a premature child beating the odds. Another about a cancer survivor from the city being accepted into her dream university, Paris Sciences et Letters. Good for her.
Must have been a slow news day.
I drank from my tea again. It was cooling but still very nice. The absence of a dining companion made it all the better. The girl who started her éclair when I was attempting to avoid throttling Zelretch passed me on the way out. Calling out what I assumed to be goodbye in French over her shoulder.
The boy and his grandfather followed by page nine. While the German couple, at least I assumed they were German, ordered some more sweets. I was on page twenty and distracted by the two laughing women leaving when Mordred spoke up.
"Oi Harry, bottom of page twenty-two." Mordred shared my senses when they wished to. Sometimes that meant they saw things I missed. I looked where directed and felt my heart drop into my stomach. Right there in black and white was the other shoe that had just dropped onto my head.
No further leads in local disappearance cases.
The words looked out from me on that page like the sword of Damocles descending from on high. I breathed in deeply and placed the paper down folding it in half. Leaning back in my chair I took another sip of the tea barely tasting it as the words rolled around my mind's eye.
"This is going to suck."
Mordred didn't comment but frankly, that said enough about their feelings on the matter.
I left the bakery almost an hour later. I'd ordered another pot of tea and some sandwiches. Thanks to Zelretch I'd worked as a server before. And having someone who just wouldn't leave but stopped ordering sucked during high times. Also, I had been kidnapped before lunch so I was a bit peckish.
I'd probably eaten more than I should have while I read the article then checked the others to see if anything else could qualify as 'interesting.' By the standards of a dimension-hopping vampiric loony. I'd say no if I was any judge. I pulled out my phone to do a bit more research.
My attempt at saying au revoir made the server smile tightly gritting his teeth a little. So I definitely messed that up. I swear man if I knew I'd be here today I'd have at least made an attempt to learn how to say it properly before arrival.
We had at least seven confirmed missing people, maybe more. No dead bodies. Not yet at least. But given that the first one went missing two months ago I didn't hold out a lot of hope for that staying the case. The police probably felt about the same as me on that one.
I walked forward blending into the crowd wasn't a hard thing with all the tourists around. Mordred was a straight-up fighter most of the time. But their, I hesitated to use the word, mother Morgan had taught them some of the basics to avoid attention. Staying in people's blind spots. Moving with the flow rather than fighting it. Finding the rhythm of the world around me. I wasn't invisible by any extent of the word. But anyone who looked for me was going to have a hard time pinning me down.
Invisibility was all about movement and timing.
I played around with the backpack for a moment and held a tight wad of cash in my hand slipping it up my sleeve. I didn't have anywhere to be and I wasn't going to the hotel until tonight. If I was really going to be working this case to whatever end I needed more information.
It took quite a bit of time to find a store that had prepaid phones. Mostly due to my inability to speak French in the slightest. But eventually, I managed to get one. After setting the phone up and lying through my teeth about the address I was staying at, among a slew of other things. I left the store with my shiny, soon-to-be-thrown-away, sim card and a new phone.
It took me another two hours to get away from most of the tourists and locals. My guidebook helpfully informed me that the Promenade du Thiou got less populated the further out you went. So off I followed. Unfortunately despite how nice it was, I couldn't really enjoy the walk all that much because I had to get into character and make up a lot of bull. Along with a bit of research to help make the bull a bit more real.
"You know this place is actually kinda nice," Mordred commented as we stopped near an overhang of trees. Bordered on the right by a wooden walkway and river. I sucked up the majesty of nature for all of five seconds before pulling out the phone and dialing. It rang for the better part of thirty seconds before being answered and a wave of French came out from the other end.
"I apologise." I said in my best customer service voice. "My French is rather incomplete." That sounded better than shit. "Would it be possible to speak in English? I can do German as well but I'm a bit rusty." There was some noise on the other end for a moment then the voice came back.
"English will be fine sir." The words were a little off. But the policeman's English was a hell of a lot better than my French was probably ever going to be. I wasn't about to throw stones in that department. "Thank you for calling the Annecy police department. May I ask for the reason for your call?"
"Ah yes. My name is Jack Colville." I lied through my teeth. Which was something I had become depressingly good at over the years. "I represent The Local a news service that deals with translating French news to English speakers. I was asked to do a bit of research into the disappearance cases in Annecy. I was wondering if Detective," I consulted the notes I'd written down on my spiral pad. "Vasseur was available to speak?"
"I will check sir." The previous polite tone had changed. Still polite, still well within the bounds of acceptable propriety, but gone was the spark of warmth that made it genuine. Then again I had just introduced myself as a man looking to research and then possibly write a story about missing people making money off of someone else's misfortune.
I wouldn't have liked me very much at that moment either.
But it was also a hell of a lot more believable, and less likely to attract Obliviater attention than going. 'Hi, I work for an inter-dimensional vampiric asshole who likes to mess with me for his own entertainment and amusement. I have, very obliquely I might add. Been tasked with attempting to resolve your disappearance problem. Likely because magic is involved meaning it will also almost certainly be hazardous to my health. Now could you please tell me everything you're willing to share so I can go on about my day and question how my life ended up like this?'
I'd be lucky if all he did was call me insane and hang up
"Sir, are you still there?" The voice came back.
"Yes."
"Detective Vasseur has no comments at this time regarding an ongoing investigation. Though Sergeant Robards does urge you to look up the relevant facts that have been presented to the public thus far and thanks you for your interest." If that wasn't a perfect customer service answer I didn't know what was.
It was amazing how easily the police officer on the other end could make 'thank you for your interest' sound so much like 'go fuck yourself.' "Thank you for your time." He hung up immediately after. I didn't bother calling back. Instead popping the SIM card out and ripping it in half.
It would take all of half an hour, if that, to find out that Jack Colville while a real reporter and working for The Local. Was not in fact looking into this story. When that happened I wanted nothing to link me to this. Part of me wanted to throw the remains into the river. The rest of me reminded myself that such an action was bad for the environment and there would probably be a trash can on the way back into the city proper.
"Hey, Mordred?"
"Yeah?"
"You think we could break into the police station without getting caught?"
"Probably, you ever end up learning how to cast the Disillusionment Charm?"
"No." It had been on my to-do list for a long while. But like most things in life there just never seemed to be enough time.
"Going to want to wear a mask then. I'd include the Class Card as well. My abilities won't help much with stealth but the extra strength and speed would probably come in handy."
"Fair point, thanks."
"Anytime."
Include the basic form of Class Card use. It gave me minor physical improvements and access to some of Mordred's equipment. Clarent the ceremonial sword of the King and a gauntlet for my left arm. It was a lesser technique than Install which would allow me to embody the full power of the Saber Class Mordred Pendragon.
Include, while less powerful, could be kept activated almost indefinitely. Plus it didn't have the same drawbacks as Installing. Like only being usable for three minutes or only being possible for three times total in my life.
Hell, the only real downside to the Class Card was that my body was the base. So the worse condition I was in. The less likely I'd be able to handle the strength that came when I used it. The influx of energy could even kill me if I was hurt enough.
"Oh while we're talking about the Card. Sun's up. Good time to get some endurance training in." Despite the way, Mordred said it I knew it wasn't so much an offer as it was an order. My body formed the base after all. So the better the base the more I could pull off.
"Alright, what are we doing?" I had a pretty good idea already. Combat training wasn't really on the table right now. Nor was strength and conditioning. So there was really only one thing left, endurance training.
"We need to get a lay of the land anyway. Let's take a run." Mordred 'suggested' with a warm tone.
"Where too?"
"Don't know yet, start running back towards the city and I'll send you anywhere that catches my fancy."
"Fine, fine, I accept your orders, my King." My words were sarcastic but my tone was fond. Mordred and I had gotten over a lot of our problems a long time ago.
"And don't you forget it! So rude for a squire such as my own to forget my majesty!" We both chuckled and I fished the pair of headphones grabbed with the phone out of my pocket and put them in. I had no idea how long I'd be jogging. It wasn't going to be short I knew that much. I set off briskly looking down every now and then to adjust the song.
The city itself was nice. I made my way through the back alleys and main thoroughfares equally getting a good lay of the land. The most important part was to control my breathing as I moved throughout Annecy.
It had taken two hours of mixed research and walking to get out of the city to make a call to the police. Mordred had me jog around for the better part of six hours. I got a few rests, a couple of junk food stops, and even to sit down for a bit. But I was up and moving for most of it.
Something that would be unthinkable to most. But contracting with Mordred through the Class Card gave me a few benefits. One of those was that I wasn't quite a normal human anymore. I was a bit more and a bit less. An additional bonus had been a more durable body.
By the time I found the hotel and came to a stop my clothes were soaked. I was covered in sweat, clothes stuck to my body, and hair matted to my face. Drawing in large gulps of air my legs ached a little. Thankfully that would be gone by the morning maybe sooner.
The man at the front desk looked at me in surprise as I stumbled inside and asked if I needed medical attention. Thankfully in English. I really didn't have it in me to attempt any words out of my battered French phrasebook.
A showing of my keycard and room number had him helping me into the elevator. Before he agreed to let me go inside I was notified that he would place a call to my room in the morning. If I did not answer they would call the hospital.
For a customer service worker, he really was a nice guy.
Must be new.
Still considering the state he found me that seemed acceptable. At least from his point of view. Even if I was recovering rather quickly as we rode the elevator to the fifth floor. I walked unassisted to room 503 and let myself in thanking the man for his help. Once the door was closed I shuffled over to my bed and collapsed not even bothering to take off my shoes or clothes first.
"That was a good run," Mordred said and I could feel them nod through our bond. "Grab some sleep I'll wake you up in a couple of hours and we can hit that police station."
"Thanks, Mordred."
"No problem."
I didn't bother with a response. Instead allowing myself to pass out.
Chapter One- END.
So a few things before I leave you all.
Firstly this story is already complete. I don't mean I've written 1 chapter and that's it, it's a proof of concept. I mean I've written 23 chapters of this and it is complete. I'll be uploading one or two a week until the story is done.
Secondly authors notes will mostly be stuff I tore out of the actual chapters. Like characterization stuff that didn't make it in or facts about the world that while I find interesting aren't really necessary for the story.
Finally here's a lit of skills.
Have fun.
Harry's Skills if anyone was interested are below. I have deliberately omitted the physical stats and only concentrated on SKILLS. Because let's be honest here, Fate ignores physical stats most of the time anyway.
Admiration of Rebellion (EX)- A skill gained by admiring the conviction of Mordred The Knight of Rebellion. Raises Luck by a full rank when committing to actions that one both believes in and goes against societal norms.
Battle Continuation (D+)- The ability to ignore pain and injury to continue fighting. Not knowing when to give up he'll continue pushing forward even in the face of death.
Eye of the Mind, True (D+)- An ability born out of an overwhelming amount of combat experience. Due to Mordred's lack of formal teaching ability. Much of their time together was spent sparring and practicing skills in a live environment. Due to doing this in a dreamscape no lasting damage was caused to the body. However, the pain and lessons remain. Allowing for calm and analytical thinking even amid battle. Vastly increasing the chances of survival and victory against superior opponents.
Magecraft, Alchemy (D+)- A basic comprehension of Alchemical Magecraft. While unable to use higher mysteries. Harry can change the physical state and makeup of an object within reason.
Magecraft, Hybrid (C+)- The ability, and knowledge, to combine the basics of multiple magical systems together to achieve a result. Such as combining Alchemy with Runes to increase chances of success. Or enhancing a spell by making use of sympathetic magic from the environment along with magical circles and runes.
Magecraft, Rune (D+)- A basic comprehension of Runic Magecraft. While unable to carve runes in the air, and not holding a full understanding of each rune. Harry is still able to invoke most effects even if sub-optimally.
Magecraft, Modern (C+)- An almost complete baseline understanding of basic, and intermediate, magical theory.
Phantasmal Body (D+)- Due to the use of a Class Card imprinting itself upon the body its natural attributes are enhanced. Allowing one to break common laws that limit physical potential even without the use of magic. Proof that one is becoming closer to a Phantasmal Creature than a human.