Chapter 1: Summoned Away

I can fight no longer. I learned from my master than once the mind surrenders itself to the inevitable darkness that is death the body will soon follow. I do not wish to die just yet but this battle if finished for me. My major regret is that I won't see the end of it, but maybe it is for the best.

I can't believe my luck. I can't believe find that find my coming end laying here in on ground soiled by blood, shrouded with desperation and rage, and so many dead and for what? This battle, this war was caused by me and yet I fall and it's nowhere close to finished. I failed them both. I failed to reach him and to kill him. I failed to destroy his terrible monarchy from his terrible rise to power. I fought against him to make right the sins I've committed only to be felled not by the enemy but betrayal.

I can hear the sea. The hithershore is calling for me. I see the light or a portal of sorts opening in front of me but to what. There're no portals to the beyond. There're no passageways that are opened upon your death. What manner of magic caused this portal materialize before me? There aren't any magicians on the field other than Chloe capable of such a feat and she went off ahead of me whilst I covered the flank. This must be nothing but an illusion created by my blood poisoned mind.

My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière.

A voice… I was hearing some sort of voice now. I must be more far gone than I first suspected if I'm hearing voices now. I would count it as a voice from memory but I do not know a Louise. I looked up to the portal and around me to the battle that progressed. I can see men slaying each other. I see the few woman and children that hid way now grasping and mourning over the bodies of the people they knew or loved. No one seemed to notice the portal other than me. What could this mean?

Pentagon of the five elemental power.

That voice again… What does it mean by "the five elemental power?" What is this pertaining too? Does it have anything to do with my role? My role as Death's Hand. I know I have a fate, a destiny, that I must fulfil but I assumed I have. I have spied on many, killed many, and survived so many long nights of the hunt. I have participated in this battle only to be betrayed by those I called brother and sister. I lay on the ground now with my blood on the blades of my comrades turned enemies. I lay with my body aching from the wounds I sustained from the many battles I have fought in previous to this. A life of living in the shadows swimming in the blood of my enemies is one short lived. I have survived worse wounds than this but I can't fight the burning sensation in my blood right now. If I am right this feeling is from poison.

Heed my summoning.

The portal before me was created for a summoning? Am I being called to somewhere? I can see the magic within the portal. Yes, this might be my salvation. If I can just reach the light, reach the summoning circle, I can escape. I might have a chance to possibly survive. All I need is just a chance. I will not die here. Not until I kill them. I don't want to fall like this. If I could just reach that swirl of magic I can heal up enough to fight another day.

I need to complete my role.

The blood must be satisfied.

With the last amount of vigor I have I forced my spirit to awaken my body. Slowly, I rolled myself to stomach and grit my teeth as the pain doubled.

And bring forth…

I looked around to my blade Hate on the ground but found nothing. I saw instead a normal shortsword dropped in the heat of battle and reached for it. The voice was getting louder and louder as I drew near. Quickly I took the sword in hand and crawled my way to the portal using it like a grip. I have no idea where it will take me but anywhere is better that here.

My familiar!

My hand pressed into the portal to a warm sensation that spread out into my body as a force pulled me in. It felt something take my hand and dragged me into the light. I didn't fight the pull because I couldn't fight the pull. Not at the moment.

In The Void

This poison is one of the most potent poisons that has ever been forced into me. It is taking all of my will not to break and let this poison take me. These physical wounds are bad sure but this poison is what might end me. It is numbing my body so I can just barely move. I lost so much of my source leaving me close to empty. I've lost my twin swords Love and Hate. I've lost my balance. I'm alone… I haven't been alone for so long. But maybe I won't be for long. I've been summoned and so have been saved.

I wonder just who this Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière is and why they summoned me to become their familiar. That's what the voice said right before I entered this light. A familiar… That is a new title I have yet to acquire or plan to. I will though give my dues to she who saved me from death. Under my code my services belong to her until my debt is paid in full.

I closed my eyes and focused one healing my wounds. The mana that I'm siphoning from this vortex is filling my circuits to the brim. I can use it to quicken my blood regeneration and stop my bleeding but I can't heal my cursed wounds sadly. Then there's the poison circulating through my veins that burns with every beat of my heart. You can't stop a poison without another poison to contradict it. I will have to face it head on without fear and hope that my body builds an immunity to it.

Since I can't fight the drift of this portal I laid down somehow and let it carry me. All I see is a vortex and light around me so I wonder just how is it that I can lay down. The magic at work here has to be of a top tier with an equally proficient mage as the caster. I must admit that a spell that all creates a portal such as this is something that I have never seen, done, or attempted to do in my entire life. To do so might be particularly difficult of a feat for any "living" caster to complete. It is not impossible because I have seen inanimate objects transported from one place to the other, but this is on a different scale. The transportation of objects never created a portal like this. To transport an object isn't demanding because it has no conscious mind or a soul to act as excess baggage.

Why would whoever is doing summon me? They are at least an elder mage with a dragon as a familiar. I can't wait to meet this great mage and to stand in their aura. I am dying literally from anticipation.

Tristian Academy

I exited the portal into smoke and the scent of bomb ash. I landed in a crater on top of this that appears to have been made by a cannon ball. Heavy shot of the exploding shell variation. That magic I can since around me that cause this crater is miniscule. Amazing. To create such destruction with maybe the flick of a wrist. I'm more than eager to meet his magician now.

With my eyes closed I could feel the many life signs around me. These aura signifiers do not have mana circuits like that of the elves. They don't have a cross between circuits or a pool for physical energy like myself and most other Hunters. These signifiers have… mana pools? That's only condition that amateur magi in training have. While I'm not an expert in magic, I'm actually abysmal and highly incompetent, but at least I have circuits to filter and manage Od without wasting it. The best way for me to explain a mana pool is like cupping water in your hands and drinking from it. You will get some of the water but the drops that slipped through the cracks of your fingers are wasted and gone.

These beings have a mana pool and yet disconnected from the farplane. This couple of… mages are all human then and probably children. The magician that summoned me must be here somewhere but I can't find her. I can see the coloration of water, fire, earth, and one of abyss but not much else. None of the magic users have the capabilities to summon a human like myself and yet I was by someone.

I was on my back still with the sun hitting my eyes with its glares. I wish my hood was over my head right now. It's killing me with how bright it is or maybe it is because my eyes are dilated right now. I grunted back the pain in my stomach and pressed down the wounds I could cover. I am lucky they stabbed me with that halberd only got a couple inches into my stomach and that there is not an exit wound. A shot from Swift-runner stopped him half way. Have I even reloaded another bolt at all? I think I did. I curled up a bit to access the damages to my body. The time in the portal was a much needed break and the magic within filled me. It was like bathing in pure mana. It was amazing but the fact that I'm like a turtle on his shell right now isn't. I struggled to pull my arm up to my face mask and rise it up over my nose. With a shaky arm and even more shaky hand I pinched the fabric of my hood up to cover my face entirely. I could just barely make any sort move at all with the freezing feeling spreading into my limbs and joints. I'm not even sure how much longer I can stop the bleeding. I need a healer.

"Good job Zero you messed up the familiar spell too!"

That language is French but at the same time it wasn't. Like it was three different dialects mixed into one.

I switched over to my chest and groaned loudly. "Damn!" I cursed as the cold spread to my fingers. Encase of serious cases of poisoning I always had a special weed in my cheek during missions that I would liquidate with my own saliva. When wet enough I would suck on the juices and ingest it a little at a time. The weed itself was poisonous to the human body but this poison will slowly eat away at the one in my system currently. Or at least weaken it at least giving me a shot to survive.

"What is that anyway?" I heard around me. "Is that a commoner?"

A commoner? That is a term for someone that isn't born of noble blood. The only reason to use such a term is if you happened to be a noble. Does that mean the mages around me are?

I could feel enough of the numbness going away enabling me to move to "normal human" standard. My ancestors, if they could see me now. It might take a while for my body to fully create an immunity to this poison but for now it's waned a bit.

"Did you hear that?" That sounded like a young man.

"Was that Germanic?" That was from a young girl with a light British accent.

Germanic? I'm speaking a variation of German right now sure but not that language itself. Maybe I'm just as confused about how they are talking. Those voices are speaking a dialect of French I am not familiar with. I can just translate what they are saying together with my stolen knowledge but I doubt the same can be said about them.

Ever so slowly the smoke faded away into the air around me. The signatures of life I saw now started to gain more a physical figure. What I expected to be a group of proud and noble magic users were instead a group of kids, teenagers at that, in weird wizard cloaks and Western academy like uniforms like they have in France. But as I look around this place it's very strange. I am no stranger to France and have frequent the country in all its destructive glory many times over and never have I heard an academy of mages. Mages that are all kids with wands, staffs, peculiar looking animals near them, and an odd mixture of ethnicities that if normally put in the same room only a few would leave it.

None of these children here have the magical ability or potential to summon someone like me; even in my weakened state. Maybe it was a prodigy mage. This Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière who called me to this place must be the best amongst the children. Or maybe the handler that trains these children. Neither do I feel a matrix or magical circuits nor the power of the Nocturnal Legion whom of which are capable of such feats of magic. If the great magicians of this land are children the Dark Queen might appreciate this information.

"What is that?"

I drew my eye towards a boy with… I don't even know what that is. It looks sort of like a mole but oversized with small black eyes. It's a bit disturbing look at and I've seen some horrid of sight.

"What in the seven underworlds?" I coughed. The metallic taste of blood fill my senses making the kids around me jump.

"Wow Louise you really are a zero."

"You summoned a commoner of all things and look at him." I heard a girl giggle.

Louise… that name again. I looked up to the girl currently standing in front of me as she looked down at me. "No, this can't be right. What is this?" I could ask her the same. This… this thing can't be Louise. This thing cannot be the magician who summoned me. A little girl, a child of maybe 13 at the most, with pink haired girl stood in front of me with an obvious expression of frustration upon her face. The girl turned her head towards a man standing behind her and said, "Professor, can I try again?" I growled faintly to myself. I am desired by over a dozen of kingdoms for my services whether it be to kill or protect and this little girl dares to think so less of me. I feel more disrespected than pain struck now and it helped me bite my teeth and embrace the Od around me.

"No Ms. Vallière you can't try again," the bald glasses wearing mage behind her said. The little girl blatantly showed her disappointment at this reply from her professor.

A professor? Does that make this place a school of magic?

"But, but professor I don't even know what 'that'," she pointed to me rudely, "is. I must have done the spell wrong."

"No surprise there Louise."

"SHUT UP!" The little pink haired hair roared with lungs that I didn't think she had. She has such a small frame so she can't contain too much air in her lungs to produce such volume. Seeing that she can it's quite notable.

"The answer is still no Ms. Vallière. As you know the summoning of the familiar is an ancient tradition that has been invoked for over a millennia. To try again is not only against tradition but against the laws in which we stand for. So no, you cannot try again."

The girl scoffed and glared disgustedly at me once more. "I can't summon a commoner it… it's not right," she grumbled and tightened her fists.

This is it? This is the powerful Elder mage with a dragon familiar I was expecting? This little child is the one who summoned me for the midst of war torn zone with a tear through the veil making spell casting nearly impossible? This is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière? A little girl of what 10 or 11? What I'm the world is going on and where am I? How can I be thought so low of in the midst of magic users and nobles? My title and my order's appearance in France is well know enough to instill some fear and yet I'm disrespected in such a way. Impudent little stain.

I grunted from the strain as I climbed up to my hands and knees. I felt a spike in my Od awareness and found a large supply of Od all around me to pull on. All I had to do was concentrate on the surround area and find a spirit to assist me or use the natural healing rays of the sun. I focused and the matrix on my left arm responded with new energy. I couldn't help but smile inwardly at this new discovery of this magic enriched land. Magic is saturating the air and so accessible. It's not as much as that portal but it will do. The pain in my broken left leg numbed and the hole in my stomach sealed up. The burning of the acids of my stomach soaking my insides faded away soon after. To the boys and girls around me I was stationary on my hands and knees but little do they know that I'm taking the Od from their surroundings for my injuries. The burning in my blood persisted but in due time I know the poison will fade. Still the problem with my leg needs to be rectified.

I made my way to my rear and placed my leg out in front of me. I took the sword I snagged before entering the portal and The Black Blade from my back.

"Never the less you summoned this man and now you must finish the ritual."

The girl glanced at me and stomped on the ground. I guess my actions aren't noteworthy enough to pay attention to. I will say that the little girl is anything but happy. I can feel the same right now. A Ritual, from my experience, are for transferring power, cursing another, blessing an object or person, or breaking through the veil at the cost of a soul or life. That is the reason I am stuck at the age I am at as of now. "Fine," the girl huffed and turned back towards me. Then the girl started to approach me. I ignored her and stabbed my sword and the sheath of The Black Blade into the soil in-between my leg. Instantly the girl came to a stop at my noteworthy action.

"What is it doing?" I heard one kid say. "Probably something simple and barbaric."

"Watch and learn child," I whispered under my heavy breaths as I brought Swift-runner out from my back wedged him above my leg and pushed down between my sword guard and my foot to keep it set. I grit my teeth and with a swift pull and turn my leg while snapped set back in place but not before a loud crack that made the kids around me wince. "AHhh!" A grunt left my lips but it didn't hurt too much. Being stabbed seven times is much more powerful. I kicked the crossbow up and caught it in my left hand then tested my leg by pulling it in then out. Satisfied enough with the results I let Od spread through my leg to help keep it set.

"Oh, founder I think his leg was broken!" "

He's injured."

"Is that blood?"

"I truly dislike children," I groaned. And I find myself surrounded by them. The only thing that's missing is a woman with an attitude since I'm surrounded by disturbing animals already. I mean a woman as well and not a little girl. Little children can help but act like brats. It's just what they do.

With a yank I pulled the short sword loose and stabbed it to the side out of the way. I pulled Shift-runner's bow handle back to retract them then replaced it back into its holster above my waist. The poison is making my eyesight hazy and it pains me to move a muscle but that is something I just have to work through.

With one last look around I found that the only adult here was the older man with a bald head on top, glasses, and a staff. Only two in this field around me have staffs meaning these two are a level above the ones without. One thing I found curious about that man was the fact he has the eyes of a killer. It's not that apparent now but I know those sorts of eyes when I see them repressing the beast. It's a thrilling sentiment to see darkness in the light.

I noticed that the girl, this Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, was getting a little too close to me and I reached for my sword. I pulled a bolt from my quiver and loaded my crossbow and aimed at her. When Swift-runner is infused with Od the dragon bone within the stalk and bow and sigil awaken turning him into Isabela. I limited the flow so stopped the transformation and keep him as is. With Od his bolts will carry effects and they won't like to suffer them.

"Stay back." I said in a growl that made the girl flinch and take a hesitant step back.

"It speaks." I heard one boy say.

"But what is it?"

The only man here saw just how much of a threat I was to the girl and reached out to her. "Miss. Louise stop!" The man stepped in front of the girl in the way of my bolt and began to condense Od around him in preparation for a spell. I grit my teeth on my way to my feet fighting the dizzy spell that plagued my mind forcing me back down to my knee. I found the strength to hold such a heavy cross bow to be beyond me right now. The smell burning sulfter and the killer's intent I felt from the man was enough to numb my pain enough to take a kneeling sword propped position aiming directly at him. I reached into my knapsack and felt around for one of my potions that was made for me by my mistress not too long ago. The man stared at me for a moment giving me the time I need to pop the cork and drink my red and black swirling liquid. I felt my finger gain some bearing on the trigger and the three men in front of me become one. I felt… good. My body felt better, the pain was gone, the bleeding stopped, and almost eight days of war torn pain faded. This potion gave me the assistance I needed to climb up to my feet but my grip didn't change. I knew I wasn't healing and I knew I wasn't healthy. I'm still severely injured and if I don't find help soon I am going to join the rest of my fellows in the void but right now that thought is becoming minuscule. My pride will not accept being forced under the service of this child.

The professor pushed the little girl back away from me giving me some distance only making things worse for him because a shot from my bow is more powerful the farther you are from the exit of the shaft. "Okay," the man said with is arms outward in a yielding fashion. He does not wish for a battle. I can understand but right now I don't care for such things. "Please calm down," he spoke to me in the language that I'm using instead of French. No, the dialect is still different but it's close enough for me to piece together what I need to know.

"I am calm mage so back off and take your brat with you." The man did just that but the girl seemed like she was eager to get to me for something.

The girl broke from her professor's grip and stomped to me with rage filled eyes. It was quite amazing to see such hate and such anger in such a small package. "You damned Commoner!" The girl rose her wand and waved it at me. The smell of fire and sulfur surrounded me and suddenly I was blasted away right off of my feet in a large explosion.

"You DAMNED. STUPID. COMMONER! You Dare Aim Your Bow At Your MASTER!" The chain of blasts came one after the other pushing me back with each passing word. Anger, desperation, disgust, and my favorite one… Hate fueled these blasts. The blasts sent me back into the ground mainly from the force of the impact and not the magic itself. My garbs absorbed the magic around the same time the poison reached my limbs making it more difficult to move my arms or legs. This attack though awoke the Hunter within me. I also felt the Blood Rage; A cold resentment for this girl just from that little act of force. It hurt and if I feel that my life is on the line I hurt someone back.

I landed gracefully on my side into a majestic series of barrel rolls until I stopped on my back. That really woke up the blood and made my eye sight turn a bit red. I growled and climbed up to my crouched position with my breaths growing heavy. I was awake and ready to kill again. My killer's instinct instantly filtered the pain out of mind and forced my perceptions into hyper focus. I aimed at my target with swift-runner in my hand. He will be enough I hope. I aimed down and then pulled the trigger and watched as a fire wall formed in front of the girl blocking the bolt from hitting her. My sure fire kill shot was blocked by a wall of fire. That would have hit her shoulder if that hap connected and yet it didn't connect.

That doesn't usually happen.

I climbed up to my feet with my sword drawn in my right hand but my crossbow back at my waist. The girl who blasted me back into near submission waltzed up toward me with her wand explosion thing in her hand at the ready with the fiercest scowl I have seen up to date on her face. "At least you know how to kneel," she said with a smug sneer.

"Impudent child," I growled as I pushed forward loading another bolt into bow and held it up again aimed at the target to my left. I rolled out of the way of an explosion that still blasted me back in a burst of rock and liquid hot shrapnel into my sides. I landed ignoring the pain in my side for now. If I can feel it with my Killer Instinct affecting me that means I'm an inch from death itself. I can't think of this right now. My life is nothing and I'm a sword meant to be used against all and everything that stand before my edge. If I die then I welcome the coming void.

I propped my legs and charged out of the smoke in a whirlwind sprint. The fire target rose his staff at the same time I rose my bow and fired. Isabela has always been stronger with the most pushback than shift-runner but the force of this hate filled bastard is enough to push any normal man back. Magi are normal men and can die like normal men and this will never change. The bolt came into contact with the top of his shaft at the top forcing the top back smacking him straight into the bald spot of his head. That was all the time I needed to close the distance.

With my vision turning red I could see the spell still coming and evaded it accordingly. I stepped to his left flank out of the way of a skin smoldering stream of fire. I reloaded my crossbow and held it aimed straight at his forehead. The man saw the bolt just centimeters from his skull and the trigger half way from releasing the bolt into it. The man staggered from the shock but I did not. Neither did I pull the trigger. I kicked out his knee and brought mine up into his stomach forcing him to keel over onto his knees. Traditional mages are weak against physical damage. They can't take a hit knights or warriors can and it showed with how easily I ripped the staff from his hands disarming that magic user of this tool. I remained cautious though because he may be as skilled as an elf and some masters. To them the use of such things like staffs and staves are more of a hindrance then a benefit. With his wrist in my open hand I twisted it and held strong. Occasionally his arm jerked from the arm lock but remained secured to his back immobilizing him. ducked behind his kneeled over body with my crossbow on his shoulder aimed at the girl using him as meat shield against the girls beautifully savage attacks with her wand aimed at me and my sword held at his throat.

Cut the head of the snake and the body will follow.

I whipped my head back to reveal my red eyes enough to show just how "heated" my glare really is right now. It's more for show than anything for my body could no longer hold itself up. My legs gave at the same moment he fell thankfully. I can barely breathe and it feels like the only action I believe I can still do is the simple pulling of the trigger on my crossbow. Anything other than that in my position is restricted. Staying up right and holding this man down is draining me fast. I'm running out of Od to keep my body functioning and my potion is wearing off. I don't think I can make it out of this but I'll be sure to take a couple of them to the void with me before I go.

The strange color haired girl paused but held her wand steady as if trying to pinpoint just how to hit me but stayed her spell. That still that didn't quench the inferno I saw in her eyes. One cyan hair colored bespectacled little girl with a staff held her weapon of choice at the ready but refrained as well in worry for my prisoner. I positioned my sights on the children and shook my head when I saw the cyan girl step up. She planned to gain an angle on me and take me from the flank but I have over 15 hostages in my sights. The moment she makes a move I will with indifference for anything or anyone I hit. If I can take some blood from this man I can use the life energy within to give me some energy to run so I started to actively search for a way out but as of now there was too many of them for me in my condition.

I noticed one student move and yanked back on the bald man's arm until it creaked. His scream and gasp excited a loud series of "Professor Colbert!" from many of the students in front of me. I pulled the man back by his arm and his shoulder just to get my point across that I can hurt him and kill them if need be. Most of the children shook and stuttered. This must be a situation they are neither trained for nor experienced with dealing with except for maybe two of them. The cyan haired girl looked ready and calculating right now on how to hit me. She knows I have my eyes on her and watching her carefully. She's dangerous and mistakenly showed this to me. Last is a red head with light brown skin. Though she's quite easy on the eyes I can see that she's collaborating with the cyan girl with subtle finger signals and hand signals. 'Try it' is the signal I have to the two almost begging them to make the first and last move. I felt something and know that an animal of some sort is behind me. I'm ready to distribute my energy to other parts of my body to count its ambush.

"Do…not…move," I spoke softly in the man's ear. He struggled to look back until I lifted back on his arm again.

"Savage bastard using a man as a shield," one boy in the back cursed.

"How dare that commoner!"

"Let him go!"

"Release our professor!"

"How about I kill you all instead!" I let out in a bloody curl which quiet most of the chatter and annoying bickering.

What od I could absorb from the blasts was enough to fire one spirit arrow from Isabela but to manifest her would cost me a lot of power but I might have to take them all down in one shot anyway. The concussive nature of the blast will give me time to bite into this man's neck and drain him of a little of his blood that way I can have some energy run, but then what? I'm not familiar of this place. This man is a teacher of some sort and these his students. By the looks of it they all come from all walks of life meaning there or much more than where they came from. I can't just run around draining people of their blood or their Od. The shock could very well kill me without having the energy to filter it out first so my body can accept it.

Whatever I decide I need to do it now and quick. I can feel my exhaustion beginning to set in again. The potion that is supposed to allow me to fight until my body can no longer move and death really does take me can only take a mortal so far. I using what I can so not to bleed out but that will give out eventually. I need somewhere to go to heal but this place is still unfamiliar. I could absorb the answers from the man but I am in no shape to win a mental battle to get what I need. I tightened the grip on swift-runner at the lack of options I have.

"Founder Zero the thing you do summon is trying to kill us. Why am I not…"

I looked at the girl that began talking and fired at her. The bolt hit the spot between her legs but that part the scared the brats the most was the small crater the bolt made on impact pushing the girl off her feet to the ground. I let a bit of the od keep the blood from flooding my lungs go and coughed out. I redirected that energy to my limbs instead. I released the man's arms and reached around to his neck and squeezed. Out of reflex he did the same to stop me from choking him, but that's not my aim though. I reached for my charging handle and pulled back to speed reload another bolt and aimed back down the line. I grabbed his wrist again and brought it back around with ease. Mages are never that good up close and personal unless fighting a battle mage. They are nothing but trouble.

I focused od from my arms back to my lungs once more and turned my head to the side. I spat out the blood that came up my throat to the side and turned back to the children. I swallowed what blood was left before preparing to speak. "I talk," I instructed as clearly and slowly as they could follow. "You listen." The children got the idea and most placed their respected weapons down except a few. I need to stall if I can. With the right words and questions it will buy me time to gather energy. Focus on moving and then on recovery afterwards. "Where am I?" I didn't receive an answer sadly and waited only for no one to step but. They must not be able to understand me. My hostage stayed as calm as the situation would allow but still that girl with her explosion thing was still getting to me. "Tell her to put the wand down now." The man nodded in understanding and told the little girl to lower her arms. He can understand me so maybe I can assume the rest can't. This may be problematic.

The little girl may have put her wand down but I did not. I do not trust magic users; especially brats.

"Hello." One girl with red hair, tanned skin, well-endowed for her age, and with a fire lizard stepped forward toward me steadily but still with an eased attentiveness that I am surprised anything other than the man I have as a hostage could hold. Her bearing was a surprise but even more that she spoke my language. I might be a bit rushed in my declaration about the children here being brats, but then again looks are always deceiving. I will admit that I like her lizard for the heat from it was quite appealing. I aimed my bow down at the cyan haired girl just encase she tried anything. This didn't deter the red head though and still she approached.

"Hey," she said with a smile, though fake it's impressive even in this situation she can still pull a smile out. "Can you release my professor please? We Germanic have much better tact than underhanded tactics like this right?" She spoke in common with a strong sort of Libian accent for some reason. I can tell that her first language is this one just by the way it rolled off the tongue for her.

I honestly frowned at the request because it sounded almost too ridiculous of a question to be asked in this sort of situation. Who asks the man holding the hostage to nicely release said hostage that's preventing him from getting killed? If I wasn't dying from poison right now or tired to death I might have told her "no" just as politely as she asked. In the end I pushed the man away from me. I no longer have the energy to hold him. I remained on my knee and resigned myself for this girl instead. By the looks of it she wishes to talk to me instead of attack me. My instincts would have picked up any lethal intent from her but none came to mind. I can't really defend myself either. She's smells nice as well. She smells much better than the male meaning her blood is purer than his. That means if I drink her blood I will gain much more power back. Now I just need to get my hands on her and with her getting closer like this it won't be difficult.

The man I released made no attempt to take it up his staff and just stood up and wiped his robe down of the grass on his knees and torso. The girl smiled in approval but still glanced occasionally to my weapons still brandished in hand. I thought of placing them away but the dizzy spell eliminated that thought instantly. "Are you Germanian?" I rose an eyebrow at this. Germanian eh, I suppose I could say yes for I was brought up with the same language that she uses. In the end I shook my head. "Really, you speak our language? Is sounds sort of broken but still the same."

"We speak the same language but that goes for these little kids as well?" I asked pointing at them with my crossbow. "Can they understand us?"

The girl shook her head. "One I know for sure can but the rest I doubt it." A language barrier this far stretched can be useful for later I suppose and seeing that so few can understand me only makes the conversion process easier on me for later. The girl knelt down next me but I kept my bow up pointed at her. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said playfully with her hands up. They then came back down upon my crossbow and lowered it. Sadly I didn't have the energy to stop her from doing just that. She might have takin it positively with a smile that was proof of it. I sighed and let go of my crossbow. If I couldn't take her pushing it lightly down what's the point of having it up?

I braced as she slowly reached to pat my leg. I winced at the sudden shock of pain unable to feel nothing but that and the girl took her hand back like she placed it on a hot iron. "Sorry." I narrowed my eyes at the girl and she chuckled sheepishly.

"Blood." The girl blinked at me. "I want some of your blood." She blinked again. "To drink." Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a rosy red.

"Oh my," she gasped. "You're one of those huh?" I have no idea what she was talking about but I just shrugged. "I don't know if I can do that. I really don't like cutting myself that much." Whatever "one of those" really are it must stem from drinking blood. "We just met as well and you assaulted my teacher too." Still in my state of confusion I decided to have a look around. It seem that I allowed myself to be surrounded by a couple new additions. I noticed a fat woman with a funny hat and wand in hand and a few others. The bald man waved them off though. It seems he means no harm for now.

I turned my attention to the young woman and the veins I saw pulsating out her skin. I gulp and felt my mouth dry. I'm usually not a blood drinker but when your desperate your desperate. Mana can be siphoned from another person through their bodily fluids. Blood is the best source of Od and life energy. In fact the legend of the vampire was caused by people like me because of our ability to turn blood into Od within our body.

"Maybe I can give you a drop if I prick my finger but…"

I couldn't anymore. I took her by the shoulders and yanked her towards me. The young woman yelped as I wrapped my arms around her and rested my lips near her neck. I don't need that much. I just need a bit. I felt my canines grow and opened my mouth to clamp down on her neck.

"Stop!" I heard but not sure who it was directed to. Regardless I continued and slowly bit down on her neck but not like a savage. I made sure not to harm the girl or scar her in anyway. The girl let out a soft gasp as I broke skin to her main blood path. I felt hot and sweet honey bless my tongue. I felt my mind go blank but fought off the urge to just let go and take all that I could get from. The energy that followed after the blood his my stomach made my spine shiver. Delicious. I wanted more. I want to drain her dry but I know if I do she'd die, I'd be killed for killing her, or I'd be sick of blood for a long time after.

Reluctantly, I released her and fell back on my knee. I stayed upward as energy filled my body and my muscles. I could breathe easier now instead of struggling to keep my body alive like before. "Thank you," I rose my hands up and wiped down her wound of its remaining blood. Her wound closed thanks to my saliva leaving only two small puncture scars on the side of her neck. Those too faded away leaving clean unblemished skin.

"W-wow." I noticed that her gaze was a little glossy now. Did she find pleasure out of that? That's highly amusing to be honest. "You do realize you will have to take responsibility for this?" I don't see the need to but I suppose if it wasn't for me she wouldn't have that scar on her next. I nodded slowly. "Good. Like a good Germanian I would expect no less for a proposal that extreme." She still going on about that. I thought I told her I wasn't from this place she originates from but who am I to correct one of noble birth. It's not too difficult to see that I was surround by a bunch of them. They dress, stand, talk, and react like I would expect from a noble brat.

What did she mean by proposal?

"Miss Zerbst get away from him!"

The young woman now named Zerbst, strange name but not a bad one, rose her hands up. "It's okay, I'm okay." She put on that same smile as before. "Is your leg okay? You did have a broken leg but you pushed through it like that. Are you sure you're not Germanian? Most of the Tristian's couldn't hold such burning will?" she asked putting her hand back onto my leg and applied some much welcomed pressure.

"I am... Sure." I let my face mask fall revealing my lower jaw and just how winded I was. I was panting like I just ran a mile in a second which is very much impossible thankfully. The girl took out a magic wand and pointed it to my leg. I tensed when I faintly heard her murmur some sort of words and the tip of her wand glowed. I watched as the pain in the root of my leg started to burn away if that makes any sense but from what I could see she wasn't healing me. Instead she was killing the pain but even that was very much welcomed.

"You're covered in blood," she remarked with a serious gaze.

"I was pulled from a battle before I came to be here. Where am I?" The girl lifted her wand to my stomach at my lungs and murmured some more words and like before the pain in my lungs faded away. "Thank you. You are a wonderful woman." The girls smirked with a light blush. If this girl has an ego I just made it bigger.

"I didn't heal you. I only made the pain stop, but thank you. Nice for you to see my greatness." I almost wanted to snort because I could tell that she was joking but by who much I was not sure. "You are in Tristian Academy of Magic and the man you had as hostage is one of my professors." The young woman pointed to the bald man that nodded in admission.

The man cleared his throat to talk but I quickly aimed my crossbow at him making his four eyes widen. "I wish for you to not talk right now." The man stepped down without a challenge and I place shiftunner back to my side. "What is going on?"

The red head put her finger on her chin and looked up deep in thought. "Ah, the familiar summoning I suppose. You see every and all mages must summon a familiar and the girl that blew you up is the one that summoned you. If she summoned you that is," the red head said more to herself than me but I was still confused on how a little girl like that could summon me.

"Hey harlot!" The red frowned and turned around as the Louise, zero, failure, and other names I heard stomped toward us glaring at the red hair fiercely. "Get away from 'my' familiar!"

"Oh," the red haired big chest leaned down to the smaller girl's level. "You're familiar huh? I wouldn't be surprised if he left seeing that you attacked him like you did. If not for the professor you wouldn't be here to cast your play along with him."

"W-what did you say? The only best cast you ever made is in the dorm rooms!" Louise growled spiting more venom than a cobra.

"Speaking of cast at least I can cast anything. After all you never cast right before so why would now be any different?"

I watched this match of comebacks for at least a minute and found out that the Louise girl is a failure and not a prodigy like I first assumed. She summoned me by accident like she thought before. The Zerbst young woman apparently has a habit of being a slatten if what I am hearing is correct but looking at her now I have to say I am not surprised. Usually the ones that show the less modesty in the open shows the most skin behind closed doors. I somehow, by the luck of the draw, found myself in an Academy. A school for the magic arts and any that wish to learn I assume. That is a strange thing to see but even I can see the opportunity that this world might hold. They don't know anything about me or what I do.

I pointed to the bald one but without my crossbow. "Can you tell me just why I am here in an academy of magic users?"

"Uhhmm." The man with the eyes cleared his throat. "As Miss Zerbst said you are in Tristian Academy of Magic and as for why you are here, she easily explained." The older man said in Germanic, I assume, much like Miss Zerbst.

"Who are you?"

"Ah where are my manners," the man fixed his robe and his posture afterwards. "I am Professor Jean Colbert, a professor here in Tristian Academy and double as an historian then triple as a researcher and inventor." I almost heard pride in his voice.

"I heard this call from a Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière that beckoned me forward then pulled me away." 'Almost literally too.'

The man moved to show me the student behind him and their creatures. "That is actually a ritual of sorts." I just hope for my sake it is not the rituals I am thinking of. Most of the time when I hear things about rituals it pertains a human and a knife then said knife being plunged into said human. "A ritual to summon a familiar."

In my world with one bloody moon the ones that summoned familiars the most are witches. A witch would find an animal or some sort of spirt to use as a means to further their studies in magic. The familiar would be protect and serve them and if they can remain as their protector and guide for the rest of familiar's days. I might be the same here or it might be different so I could ask but why would I want to tie myself to a girl like this?

I let my hand relax and fall from my hilt back to the grass and spoke once more, "And what would be, a familiar that is?"

"A familiar is a mages eternal protector and partner meant to serve their masters until the end."

That confirmed some so my suspicions sadly. I'm thankful the girl summoned me and all but that doesn't mean that I will allow myself to become a slave or servant to the one that summoned me.

"And I am the one that summoned you," the pink haired girl from before said with a stiff glared focused on me and almost right away I could see the words spoiled little princess written on her face. Then again I could say the same about most of the brats here like the blonde with the mole looking creature and a rose in hand. A princeling and spoiled brat that holds a typical sort of pride in his standing. Pride is the downfall of man and even more children. "You are the one that appeared when I performed the ritual and sadly you are to be my familiar. You should be thankful for what I am about to do for most commoners never get the chance."

"I refuse."

"What!?"

I winced at the loud yell really wishing I covered my ears.

Before the girl could rant at the Jean took charge. "Well you see about that I..." he began but the girl quickly interrupted. "What do you mean you refuse?" I winced again at the pair of lungs this little girl is packing right now. "You can't just refuse. I summoned you and you came!" The girl yelled but I could feel the desperation emitting off of her.

"Yes can you please explain Mr…" "It is as it sounds Jean so I will not repeat." And I won't give you a name either.

The man blinked a couple times and took a breath. "I can tell that you are in need of first aid so why don't we treat you first." I could use some healing magic right now.

"What if I refuse to be this little girl's familiar Professor what then?" I repeated pressing for an honest answer from him.

"You can't refuse you stupid commoner!" The girl brought her wand back up but Jean jumped between us.

"Miss Vallière please," the man put a hand on the girls shoulder. "Well… Then it is your choice I suppose after all you are the first human I have ever seen brought here through way of summoning."

"I am free to leave?"

Louise was about to let out another outburst but Professor Colbert put pressure on her shoulder as a warning to stay quiet. "Yes but are you sure you do not wish to have first aid before making a decision?"

"Do you have a doctor here?"

The man blinked at the sudden question. "Yes we do but…"

"Good, I really need healing magic if you don't mind."

"Of course." Jean tapped his staff a couple times and I laid my head back onto the soft grass. Well more like collapsed with my arms and legs finally giving out. I coughed and felt a warm liquid spill from my mouth.

"Oh goddess!" I think I heard or maybe that was Bethany yelling at me for getting hurt and almost dying before healing me again. Even with all this magic at my disposal I still have to place the real healing in the hands of professionals of said magic. I am mediocre at best when it comes to magic and I like to hide it most of the time from the eyes of the ignorant. I don't think it will be much of a problem here so maybe I can show the markings on my arms for now once without any backlash.

"What's with all these weapons?" I heard suddenly. I opened my eyes and found the brown sky above moving with five humans surrounding me. That sky turned out to be the ceiling and I'm being carried somewhere. I don't feel anything on my back so maybe levitation is being used to move me.

"He's like a walking arsenal." I heard another man remark upon.

"Shut up and focus damn it!" A woman yelled at everything around us.

"Y-yes ma'am."

I felt my body land on something soft that might be a bed of sorts. I felt hands on my body but I can't figure out what they are doing.

"Place everything over there in the bin now and call a damn maid while you're at it for the clothing." I felt the magic in the air become progressively bleak. I couldn't keep my spell going much longer.

"I am surprise he isn't bleeding more with all these wounds." My arm stopped glowing the moment my coat was fully removed and that's when my spell came to an end. I coughed up blood again and felt more pain than I thought possible rack my body.

"Damn it you had to say something! Hurry put pressure…." I couldn't hear much else. The void smothered me in her welcoming cold embrace and the light around me dimmed to non-existence. I think I'm dying. That's a shame but I can't do anything but leave my life in the hands of others. If I live then I'll be relieved but if I die… May the void take me and all within me.

A/N: Okay here's one for Familiar of Zero. Might turn this story to the dark side or might make this one light hearted. That's not really my style but who knows. If you read this please review and tell me your opinion. Every comment helps me grow.