Chapter 3
If I Cried Out
Paul opened his eyes.
He saw a white, spotless ceiling and for a moment, his heart soared, thinking that everything at only be a nightmare after all. Then he sat up him the bed, looked around the room, and realized that this was not his room. Bottles of strange liquids, that burbled as if alive, were lined up in desks and closets. It didn´t make sense. He was alive, he was fine but… something had happened, right? He put a hand at his brow, as he fell the beginning of a headache.
Something. He had done something incredible stupid because of a maid who actually treated him like a human being, and he had gotten stabbed thought the chest, so why he was alive? He pulled down the covers and slowly lifted his shirt. At first, he couldn´t believe what he seeing, then he swallowed his bile. Its skin near the heart was a mess, nothing but scar tissue. It happened. But how was he alive? If I had happened, that also means that the thing which suddenly appeared in the field had been real. So, maybe he had been literary saved by magic.
But, wait. He had the sense he was forgetting something else. The fight didn´t just end like that, he had ki… the headache grew stronger, suddenly, and he put the other hand at its brow, forgetting the line of his thoughts. It receded slowly, and by the time the pain had disappeared, he was just glad. Then there was a crack, a bag, and he froze. He didn´t know why, but he did.
"Oh." Paul turned towards the voice. It was a nurse, standing by door. She turned her heard back. "He is already awake, Miss Valliere."
"Can I talk to him?"
"Yes, of course. Come in." She said, and a second later Louise walked past the nurse, and entered the room. "I have to go."
Then, she closed the door, leaving Paul watching helplessly as Louise walked to its bedside, and sat down at the chair. She opened her mouth, closed and just staring at him for more than a minute. Then, she said:
"Why did you do it?"
"W-what?"
"What you did to Guiche. H-he hurt you, I know that, but he was d-defenseless." It suddenly was like it appeared in front of his eyes, an image of him with a gaping wound of the chest stranding Guiche and stabbing him through the heart. He swallowed, heavily.
Itskillorbekilledkillorbekilleddon´tthinkabouit
"H-he already tried to kill me once, so it was k-killing or be killed, master."
"I s-suppose I can understand that." She said, clearly but not loud, looking away for him. She breathed heavily, at looked at him at the eye. "Anyways, you think you can walk?"
"Maybe, master. I am not in pai…" He cut himself out, realizing where this was going. "Why?"
"The headmaster asked me to lead you into his office, in you could walk, familiar." She frowned. "Are you worried?"
"O-f course, master. I mean, I was not w-wrong, h-he nearly killed me, but… they can´t just let me get off the hook, right?"
"I don't know what will happen." She signed. "But you w-will have the full support of the Valliere family, regardless."
"Ah. Thank you, master."
"Is just my responsibility, so don´t thank me." She brushed some of her air out of her eyes, and nodded. "Well, let's go, familiar."
Paul got up out the bed, and followed her out the room.
The door closed behind them with an ominous crack.
It was a small room, sparsely decorated, with a big desk nearly pressed against a glass window with a view of the courtyard. Sitting on a chair, there was an old man with a long grey beard and the same bald adult of the field, staring at them. No, more like staring at him. Paul fidgeted in place.
"Well." The one with the beard said, probably the headmaster. "Why so serious? Please, take a seat."
"Ah, okay, sir." Paul responded, followed Louise to the desk, and sat down. For the corner of his eyes, he saw Louise crossing her hand primly in her lap.
"My name is Osmond, and I am the headmaster. This here-" He nodded towards the bald adult. "-Is Professor Colbert. Now, we have already hear Miss Valiere´s side of the story when you were unconscious, so tell us, why?"
"W-what, sir?" He sent him at harsh look.
"Why is Guiche de Gramont´s body in the morgue?"
"I-it was not my fault. You saw it; he tried to kill me first. It was kill or be killed."
"Are you saying you regret it?"
"I…" He winced. "It was kill or be killed. There was nothing I could do."
Osmond looked at him in silence, for a long while, only tapping his desk with a finger. Paul caught Louise looking at him for the corner of his eye, once, but she said nothing.
"Fine, then. Why did this duel come to past, young man?"
"He was…hitting a maid, sir…"
"What?" Colbert said, making him wince.
"He was hitting a maid. I don´t why, exactly, but he was. I saw him. Everybody did. I am not lying." Paul breathed heavily. "He was… you know… so I stopped him, and pushed him back and I accidentally sent against the desk and the desk broke in half, so… So he got mad. D-do I have to continue?"
"Yes."
"S-something appeared, kind of a woman in armor, behind me while I was looking at Master, who had appeared then. I turned back, and it hit me and nearly killed me. Master try to make him stop, but he didn´t listen. He even threatened Master. I said… I said this is on you, not me and that thing stabbed me in the chest with the lance. I… grabbed the lace, tore it for my chest, got up, broke two more of t-these thing and I-I killed him." His stomach churned.
"How were you capable of defeating three bronze golems with such ease? Did you receive training?
"I don´t know. I-I never held a weapon in my life." Colbert and Osmond exchanged looks. "I-I know it sounds crazy, but I am not lying."
"Uh, headmaster." Louise spoke up, and both of them turned towards her. "Could this have something do with the powers of a familiar?"
Osmond stroked his bear.
"Why, yes. It was only a theory until now, but the engravings of his branding runes do suggest that they grant the familiar weapon expertise." So, magic. It hit him again that this was really happened, that the crazy people were not so crazy. That is home could be…
"But why? I-I mean, all the familiar have be animals, and animals can´t use weapons, so why could there be runes for that?"
"We don´t know, but the facts are proof enough. For example…" Then he moved, grabbed a bottle, set it down and the table and rolled it towards him. "Grab the bottle, young man."
Paul hesitantly picked up the bottle, and then noticed a flash of green out of the corner of his eye. He looked down. There was a green tattoo on his hand, and it was glowing. The bottle almost slipped out of his fingers.
"So it's true, the Gandálfr…" Colbert said, then stopped and coughed loudly. "It even actives with no weapons. Fascinating."
"This…This is all well and good, but…"
"Yes?" Osmond said.
"Was going to happen to me?"
"Well, you accepted the duel so it was official. Legally, the Gramont family can´t not do much, considering that. But…" Osmond shrugged. "There are too many factors in this, so I can really promise you anything. And considering you are not a noble, just a commoner, then maybe…"
"B-but a familiar is an extension of the mage." Louise interrupted. "That´s the law. That he is a commoner doesn´t matter."
"Oh, child." Osmond smiled weakly. "Those kinds of things always matter."
"E-even so, everybody knew Guiche try to kill him first. It was his fault. You can´t just take my familiar away for me."
"Is not about me or anything. I believe this young man was not totally in the wrong, but, like I said, there are too many factors. I can´t make promises."
"He an officially a familiar of the Valliere house, and he is capable. Mother will back me up. The Gramont´s won´t dare to do anything."
Paul fidgeted in his seat.
"Maybe, maybe not. We will see." Osmond said, stroking his bear. "Well. You are free to go."
Louise stood up, said her farewells, and went out of the room, Paul following her.
When they came into the room, it was like the earth had stood still. Every head in the room turned towards them, and there was silence. Some of the students even looked green faced.
"Professor Chevreuse, I am sorry for the delay, but we were with the headmaster."
"Ah, don´t worry, Miss Valliere. I was already informed." She smiled, shakily. "Please, take a seat."
"Yes, Professor." Louise said, and then there was a loud, banging sound.
"Wait!" Paul turned towards the voice. A blond girl with curled hair had stood up for, the same girl that had be there and the courtyard. "Why is that thing still here? He killed Guiche!"
It was like the levee had broken; murmurs rose for the rows of seated students, and more of them stood up.
"-It has no right to be here."
"-Is unforgivable."
"-How can the headmaster-"
"Go away."
"Just let it go?"
Out of nowhere, red clay appeared in the mouths of various student´s, silencing them and everyone else stopped, cowed. Paul looked back, just to be sure. Like he thought, Chevreuse was holding a stick made of wood, with a severe expression.
"Silence! That is not for you to decide; whatever happens, happens, but in this classroom you all will act like the nobles you are supposed to be, or I will talk to the headmaster."
"But, Professor…"
"No buts. Shut up." Chevreuse breathed, heavily. "Miss Valliere, please take a seat."
Louise nodded, started walking again, and Paul followed her. She sat down on an empty seat, and Paul sat on the ground near her.
"Now, let's continue the lesson." Chevreuse said. "Most of you seem to be really incapable even of basic Earth spells, so we will start for the most basic and simple on to build foundations, the transmutation spell. Only those with absolutely no affinity to Earth Magic should be capable of failing the transmutation; at least, if you get the visualization part right."
She opened her right hand, letting a few pebbles fall to her desk.
"I shall make a demonstration, first." She said, and then twirled her wand over the pebbles, murmuring something. The pebbles glowed for a bit, and when the light dimmed away, there were only lumps of metal. "See? Now, as for volunteers… Miss Valliere, if you please?"
Louise opened her mouth, closed it, and fidgeted on her seat.
"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"
"Professor…" Somebody said.
"Yes?"
"I think it could be better if you don´t let her. Is, well, dangerous…" What the hell was that guy saying?
"I know of her history, but that doesn´t matter. Is just transmutation. Besides, she deserves a chance." She turned towards Louise. "Now, Miss Vallière. Don't you worry, just try it."
"Yes, professor." She said, stood up and walked up to the front of the room. When she was in front of Chevreuse, she nodded and waved her wand around, muttering something. She stooped muttering, and pointing her wand and the pebbles.
The pebbles exploded.
Chevreuse just took a step back due to the force of the blast, but Louise dropped back to the ground, the black board was nearly torn for the wall and the ground seemed to shake. He had to grab the desk to not fall down.
"Well, that was…" Chevreuse said, in a weak voice, and coughed.
Louise stood up slowly.
"Sorry, Professor." She said, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe soot off her face. "I messed up."
"Yeah, right-"
"Your success rate is always zero!"
"-like you messing up is new!"
Chevreuse and the students left the classroom, and they were made to stay back to clean it up as punishment, without using any kind of magic. He had ended up doing all the work, while Louise leaned against a wall, arms crossed, seething in rage, so it had taken it hours, but at least he was finally finished. He signed, and went to Louise.
"Master?"
"What?" She sneered. "Have you come to complain why you are the familiar of such a worthless master? Have you come to mock the zero?"
"O-of course not, master." Paul winced. "Is just… I have finished cleaning, master."
"R-really?" She looked up at him, and he noticed she was nearly about to cry. "I-I mean, just forget what I said, familiar."
She walked past at him, and Paul grabbed her shoulder almost reflexively. Louise turned towards him, wordlessly. It seemed so hard to hate her, even after everything, when she had that kind of face .
"You are not worthless, master. T-that you make mistakes doesn´t mean anything. Everybody does. You just have to keep at it, and one day you will make it."
"Uh." She crossed her arms. "It´s not like I have to get cheered up by my familiar or anything, idiot. I am perfectly fine. Let´s go, familiar."
"Yes, master." He responded, and followed her out of the classroom.
The last two classes were uneventful. Louise was not volunteered again, so there had been nothing to clean up, and she answered all the questions for the professor correctly. There had not been another outburst for the students, either. When classes were finished for the day, Louise send it away and told him she was going to be in her room, so he took the time to go ask around the kitchens staff for that maid. It took him a bit to get to even get to the courtyard, and some more time to find the dining hall, but he was finally here. He knocked at the door of the kitchen, and waited.
"I am coming!" Someone said, and seconds later the door opened, by a man as thick as a tree trucks and a big smile. "What do you… go away."
"W-what? P-please, just listen to me. I want to know if..." Paul winced. He didn´t even know her name. "If the maid of yesterday is all right."
"Physically? Yes, of course. But she is not all right; she is never going to be. No, go away already, boy."
"Why?"
"Look." He breathed, heavily. "I appreciated what you did, really. If you had not showed up, Founder knows what that noble could have done to her, and finally some noble is put in their place. But you killed him. We can´t afford to associate with you. Commoner´s already have it hard as it is. So go away."
Paul clenched its fists.
"I am going." He said, nearly choking up. Damn it. "You don't have to tell me again."
He turned around, and walked away.
By the time he was out of the courtyard, he had gotten himself under control. He settled down on an empty beach, and looked and the scenery while waiting for Louise to call him. But still, every time he thought about what just happened made him feel sick. What that man said made sense; of course it did, but that didn´t matter. He had nearly gotten killed because he gave a fuck about the maid, and now that chef or whatever he was treated him like that, without even a thank you or something? Ah, that was what he deserved, really, for being such an idiot.
"Seat?" Paul looked up. There was a blue haired little girl, in front of him.
"What d-do you mean, miss?"
"Seat?" She repeated, and nodded towards the beach.
"Ah, uh, yes. Miss." She nodded, and sat down, looking at him in silence.
Paul fidgeted.
"Uh, so, why are you here, miss?"
"You. Threat?"
"W-what?"
"Threat?"
"I-I could never hurt…" Paul stopped. "I mean, I…"
While he was trying to find an answer that could not sound like bullshit, the girl nodded.
"Understood. Again?"
"What do you… no, no, no I could not do that again." She nodded, looked away and stood up. "Wait."
She turned towards him.
"What was this about?"
"Meaningless." She said, and shook her head. "You don´t have the eyes of a killer."
She walked away, and Paul watched her go.