Chapter 3: Golems: Not Always the Answer

The stunned look upon the disbelieving face of the young Gramont slowly shifted into one of bafflement. "Miss Louise, what have I done to offend such a gentle maiden as you?" He rose and made to grab Louise's hand gently, so as to calm the girl.

His honeyed words had no effect upon the 'gentle maiden.' With as much force as she could muster, Louise slapped his hand away. "You offend me with your existence, you two timing dog!"

Guiche raised his eyebrows in surprise; he had never made a move on the Valliere. Was she simply mad at his actions with others? "Ah, I fear you are mistaken my dear." Guiche spoke sweetly, so as to calm one of the fairer sex. "I am no dog, I am a rose. A rose that blooms for the pleasure of all."

The Valliere's eyes only narrowed, Guiche's charm seemingly ineffective. "Ha! A rose that blooms for all? Yet you make sure only one views your petals at a time, lest they see the weed you truly are!"

However lenient Guiche was to the outbursts of the fairer sex, he could only bare so many insults without inquiry. Taking care to hide his deep, calming breath, Guiche tried yet again to calm his aggressor. "Surely there is a mistake Miss Louise, what have I done tha-"

"Montmorency saw you dallying about with this girl of the week, you dolt!"

Louise roughly gestured to the first year who was still frozen in her seat. The girl of the week seemed to put two and two together from Louise's words, and her stunned expression became stern. Guiche muttering "Montmorency..." under his breath only solidified her growing suspicions.

"Is that what I am!" The chestnut haired girl asked? "Some dalliance to you Guiche?" The girl rose, her accusing eyes searched Guiche, and found only guilt as he failed to come up with a suitable lie. In a huff, the young first year turned and strode away.

Guiche, apparently not willing to quit while he was behind, trotted after her and grabbed her hand. "Katie, it's not like that!" His uninjured cheek was quickly reddened to match its counterpart when the girl displayed just what she thought of Guiche. Slapped, for the second time in as many minutes, Guiche let the girl leave. Rounding on Louise, Guiche let a small bit of his anger out. "Why would you even do this? How are you involved at all Zero?"

Louise was taken aback at the mention of her hurtful nickname. Yet, it would not stop her. She had a reason she was doing this, puffing out her chest in pride, Louise declared, "Montmorency is my friend!" That stopped Guiche, anyone who had class with the two, knew they were anything but friends. "And since she is currently unable to defend her honor, I will. Now, duel me Guiche!"

Louise may have insulted him, struck him, and thoroughly embarrassed him, but Guiche was not about to be drawn into a duel with a maiden. "Listen, Louise. Even if there were not laws against nobles dueling, let alone students, I would not duel you. I would never strike a maiden such as you."

Guiche, having made his refined exit speech, turned to leave for class, only to stop when Louise drew her wand and pointed at him. "Guiche de Gramont, I am not giving you a choice in this matter."

Guiche's eyes narrowed for a moment. He could think of no way out of this situation. Louise was dead set on ignoring every opportunity he gave her to leave. "Very well Miss Valliere, but remember this was a result of your own stubbornness."

The crowd of students that had slowly appeared took several steps back, feeling the tension in the air. Servants desperately tied to carry off the tables so as to protect the expensive furniture. In moments, the world quieted as the ring of students closed, leaving only the Gramont and Valliere within. A rose, enchant by Guiche himself appeared in his hand. He quickly raised it before him in salute. "I am Guiche de Gramont, and I am present to defend my honor against slanderous accusations."

Louise returned the salute with her own wand. "I am Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere, and I am present to defend the honor of Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency."

With the salute, the duel had begun, yet neither opponent moved. Guiche eyed his surrounding suspiciously. "How do I know that familiar of yours isn't about?"

Louise smirked, and returned the slight with one of her own. "You needn't fear cheating from me Guiche, you are the only one with experience in that."

Guiche stiffed his annoyance with a strained smile and instead spoke one final warning. "I'll give you one last chance Valliere. My father is a general, he would not let his son be unfit to fight."

Louise would have none of it. Responding to his taunt with an incantation, Louise grabbed for the power within her. The ring of students took several steps back, clearly remembering Louise's past attempts at magic. Even Guiche looked slightly panicked when Louise cried out, "Fireball!" A powerful explosion dug a crater big enough to make a grave out of appeared nearly two hundred paces from the ring of students, far beyond Guiche.

The Gramont let out a sigh, realizing the danger had passed. Dangerous as her failures were, Louise still casted failures. Failures in result and aim. Flicking his rose wand, Guiche scattered several petals, raising four unarmed golems, each a bronze statue of a valkyrie.

Louise herself grimaced. If Guiche had summoned his golems without their usual spears, he no doubt intended for them to grapple her and end the fight. She couldn't be caught by them. Being pinned by constructs and forced to surrender would be the most humiliating way to lose. Maybe another fireball? No, her aim was atrocious, what if she hit a bystander instead?

A golem rushed forward, breaking Louise from her thoughts. Keeping her footing solid, Louise desperately tried to remember what her mother had taught her. Surprising even herself, Louise managed to dance away from both the first and second attempt to grapple her, darting around and behind the golem. Too late Louise realized she was now between four golems. She had to move, now! Louise jumped to the side, or at least tried. The grounds gave out beneath her and she slipped to grass. The mud that greeted her reminded Louise what Guiche was exactly: an earth mage.

Louise cursed transmutation magic with all her soul as she rolled over, attempting to get up before the golems reached her, only to see four shapes almost upon her. Damn transmutation!

Guiche watched as his trap worked perfectly. He had been surprised at how spry the small Valliere had been, but a transmutation left her toppled, easy prey for his magnificent golems. Now to hold her down and graciously accept her apology. Guiche expected to even swoon her fiery heart with his graciousness.

However, Guiche did not expect one of his golems to explode, sending the other three sprawling in shattered lumps. Muddied, singed and on her back, Louise had raised her wand in defense. Had she managed to correct her aim in one attempt? Slowly, Louise rose to her feet. "Thanks for the idea Guiche. Transmutation really is useful." Had the girl attempted to transmute his golems? Suddenly, Guiche remembered what happened every time Louise transmuted something: that something exploded.

When the girl started moving toward him, Guiche could only guess how she intended to correct her aim. Frantically, Guiche summoned more golems, sending them toward her, hoping to stop her. Louise kept a slow, steady stride, so as to not trip in any transmuted ground. Each golem met her, and each golem shattered in explosive failure. Smoke billowed across the ring, which was increasingly resembling a battlefield with bronze limbs being scattered with each destroyed golem.

It was moments before Louise was upon him, summoning the last of his willpower, Guiche created five golems at once, each in mid pounce upon the Valliere. The resounding explosions clouded the entire ring in smoke, Guiche could not even see beyond his nose. Fearfully, he stared through the black soot, hoping to find an exhausted opponent, only to find it clearing around the point of a wand, centimeters from his face. His legs gave out in fear of just what that wand was capable of. Was this the end?

"Guiche de Gramont, admit defeat."

The sound was accompanied by an unrecognizable Louise Valliere as the smoke finished dissipating. Her clothing was ragged. She was covered in mud, soot, and flecks of bronze. Her pink hair was frazzled beyond what any single comb could fix.

And her eyes held no room for anything but surrender.

"I- I forfeit." Guiche stuttered out from where he sat.

The resounding cheers from the students collected alerted the entire academy that something momentous had just happened. Louise returned her wand to her pocket and ignored the crowd. Looking down on Guiche like one looks at refuse. "Think long and hard about your actions Guiche. You may lie to everyone, but at least be truthful with yourself."

With that, Louise turned and walked way, stopping only when Guiche cried out, "That's it?"

"That's it." She replied simply, sparing him nothing more.

Louise was probably the most dirty she had been in her entire life, yet she was also the proudest. If her mother could see her now... That proper military woman would surely take pride in such a fight, then probably tell her to take a bath, or three. With that thought, Louise found herself retrieving some spare clothing from her room. Classes could be skipped, she needed that bath.

With a twist of her key, Louise closed the lock on her door and strode down the hallway. However, before she could get that bath, Louise had one stop to make. With a soft rap on the door, Louise called out, "Montmorency, you in there?" Louise s a little surprise that the door moved at her knock, unlatched apparently. The door swung inward revealing a mussed up, but no longer crying Montmorency, sitting on the bed with her frog, and Louise's Kyuubey much to her surprise.

Montmotency jumped at the intrusion, causing Louise to jump as well. "S-sorry, it was unlatched..." Louise quickly began closing the door.

"N-no. It's okay." Montmorency called out to her. "Your familiar was just comforting me." Louise doubted the naive Kyuubey was capable of comforting intentionally, but it was cute enough and a bit better to pet than a frog. Stepping inside, Louise closed the door behind her. "What happened to you?" Montmorency asked. Ah, Louise definitely looked to be the worse of the two.

"Er... I messed up in class again." Louise fibbed a little. "I was on my way to the baths, and I figured you would like to come along."

Montmorency brightened up at that. "That sounds like a good idea." The girl quickly made to collect some spare clothing. She avoided eye contact, obviously embarrassed of her make up streaming down her face. Hurrying over, Montmorency held out a small rag, stained completely with all kinds of multicolored liquid. "Here, this is yours."

Louise nearly giggled, realizing it was her handkerchief. "You keep it Mon." Opening the door, Louise stepped out, "Now let's go get that bath."

Maybe truancy was not such a bad thing. Louise thought to herself as she relaxed in the girls' bath. The entire area was empty save for Louise, Montmorency, and their familiars. So far they had chatted about little things, gossiped about Kirche's lasted conquest, and talked about how much of a dick Guiche was. The last one had left Montmorency drained, and she was half dozing as her frog swam around her.

Louise had turned her attention to her familiar, who was currently drying at the edge of the bath. "Where have you been all day." She sighed. "A familiar should stay close to their masters." With a flick to its forehead, Louise halfheartedly scolded her familiar.

The little Kyuubey shook its head, annoyed at her flick. "I was investigating this land." It explained.

Well, that made a little sense, it was apparently from very far away. Louise would let it slide for now. Besides, there were more pressing matters. The familiar talent show was coming up, and despite the magnificence of her familiar, its invisibility didn't lend itself to anything flashy. Having it pick anything up would reveal exactly how big it was to everyone, and lose some of its mystique. Besides, even flaunting its invisibility wouldn't win out over Tabitha's wind dragon. Maybe she would just not participate, it was technically required, but no one enforced the competition.

Ah, no use thinking about it. Louise sunk a little into the bath. If deciding whether or not to show off her familiar was her biggest problem, then things were really looking up.

*****Elsewhere******

Miss Longueville, the headmasters secretary, inspected the abandoned impromptu dueling grounds. By all accounts, the Valliere had destroyed the Gramont's golems by attempting to transmute them. The cogs in the secretary's head began turning. By all accounts, everything this girl touched exploded. Even triangle class enchanted clay that Madam Chevreuse created for her classes exploded. Now, could such magic destroy even square level enchantments? That idea brought a smile to Miss Longueville's face. Sometimes golems are not the best choice.