Pride x Familiar

by Albert Ruckholdt

  However where I went, the pocket went.

  It was like dropping a collection of keys into a pocket, leaving only the key ring hanging outside. The bracelet around my right forearm was the ‘key ring’.

  When my Fragment manifested in the real world, that is, was retrieved from Pocket Space, there was a distinct cold that accompanied it. A real chill that frosted my breath in the air. It was like opening the door to an industrial refrigerator for a short amount of time. Depending on the outside temperature, it could take a while for that chill to dissipate.

  The chill was one thing, but the black mist that accompanied a manifestation was something else.

  Downright creepy is an understatement.

  It took me a while to grow accustomed to its appearance, but certainly not the cold.

  When fully manifested, the gauntlet over my right arm resembled a fantastical elliptical shield with a blade, much like a short sword, extending forward. Two other blades ran over the top of the shield and extended out the back by a few inches. These reminded me of the blades you find on ice-skates.

  For simplicity’s sake I’ll refer to the fully manifested blades and shield as the Gauntlet.

  My Gauntlet had a couple of useful features.

  One, when used as a shield it would generate a really strong effect-field. To put it simply, this field or barrier could handle everything from physical to energy based attacks. To test it out, the researchers once fired a small scale particle cannon at me – the kind of cannon found on a main battle tank.

  That was as close as I’ve ever come to pissing myself in outright fear.

  They also used a catapult to fling a small car at me. To my surprise, the shield reconfigured into a wide ellipse. I thought I was going to be crushed, but the barrier extended around me and not just in front of me. It took the impact, and the car broke in two right before my eyes, passing to either side of me before crashing to the ground.

  I haven’t mentioned the blades. Well, they were just as impressive as the shield feature.

  Those blades could cut through almost anything with a single swipe.

  In fact, I had to be really careful when practicing with the Gauntlet, lest I lose a limb or two.

  I found most of the early experiments and practical tests to be rather terrifying.

  But I did find the Fragment to be rather cool.

  It was like a magical weapon without being magical. An example of super advanced science at work.

  That was one of the reasons the researchers believed Fragments and Artifacts were not of human origin. They were simply too advanced.

  But considering how well some of these Fragments appeared to suit the fighting styles of us humans – dare I say Familiars – then perhaps whoever made the Artifacts really did intend for humans to use them.

  There was one other possibility to consider when contemplating the origins of the Artifacts and their Fragments – the possibility that these devices came from a time and place far, far into the future.

  I did mention these Artifacts only appeared after the Cataclysm.

  Well, some researchers believed that the Cataclysm was a form of space-time quake.

  They theorized that an event took place in the future, which translated into the past. The result was the massive shockwave in trans-space that propagated at super-luminal speed and ended billions of lives.

  If that was indeed the case, then wouldn’t the Cataclysm have an indelible effect on our future? After all, if the Aventis were not supposed to inhabit our galaxy for a long time to come, then their appearance in the past would most certainly alter the future yet to take place.

  I listened to the arguments and the theories.

  Before becoming a Familiar, and before being allocated a Fragment, those arguments and theories were just talk. They were intangible speculation that had little impact on a tiny cog in the wheel such as myself.

  But now I didn’t think so anymore.

  Now I was a part of those theories and speculations.

  So when the researchers talked about the Fragments, Artifacts, Aventis and Prides, I listened and I learned from them.

  There is one more thing I need to mention.

  While the things my Fragment could do amazed me most of the time, they also scared me a great deal.

  That old saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ was potently fitting.

  I had great power.

  But what the Hell did I know about great responsibility?

  I was a sixteen year old kid turning on seventeen, with an unhealthy passion for large breasts and women’s lingerie.

  Give me a break already.

  Chapter 3 – Briefing.

  (Caelum)

  I studied the School Council President when he walked in.

  Severin Kell Avenir.

  Tall, well-built, and handsome.

  Blonde hair neatly trimmed.

  He looked reliable, composed – a man for all seasons. Someone the student body could look to for guidance and support.

  He was the sort of man I had every reason to hate.

  So I decided to hate him and the Symbiote that probably had a hand in his good looks.

  Simone noticed the look on my face but I was in no hurry to wipe it off.

  Before Severin Kell had arrived at the Student Council President’s room, a knock to the door had announced the arrival of two other individuals.

  Two girls had stepped into the room.

  One I didn’t recognize. She was slender, with a long black hair tied into twin ponytails. She had pleasant features. In a word I would call her cute enough to make a guy’s heart skip when she smiled. She introduced herself as Rina Sayen, and I saw the badge that identified her as a Familiar.

  She was bonded to the Sora Pride.

  The other girl was Maya Khayman. Her introduction was brusque to say the least. Like Rina her badge identified her as affiliated with the Sora Pride.

  I noticed the cold look that passed between her and Simone Alucard.

  I noticed the way Simone glanced away with a hint of regret in her eyes.

  A half minute later, Severin Kell arrived at the room.

  The president greeted the two girls first, shaking their hands like a well-polished gentleman.

  Rina looked ready to burst into flames or faint when he shook her hand. I could have performed a song and dance all around her and she wouldn’t have noticed me.

  Her eyes were on Severin Kell, and only Severin Kell.

  My level of hatred for him reached a new low – or is that a new high?

  However, Maya Khayman gave him a dead fish handshake. I could see she wasn’t impressed with him at all.

  Was there history between these two?

  Then he stepped up to me. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries that I certainly didn’t mean.

  Then he asked us all to sit down.

  I chose to remain standing.

  Simone gave me a sour look, but I ignored her.

  Severin looked at us all, then turned to Simone. “Aren’t we missing one?”

  Simone tipped her head slightly. “Caprice has been appraised of the situation.”

  Severin stared at her for a long moment.

  Simone stared back.

  Eventually he shrugged and turned back to the girls and I.

  Clearing his throat, Severin said, “I’m glad you could all join us. This is the first time in years we’ve had so many Familiars attending our school. I consider this a bumper year.”

  He didn’t sound like he was deriding us. He actually sounded grateful.

  Aventis tended to look down on us Familiars probably more so than Regulars.

  Even the researchers and medical technicians I’d encountered tended to treat us with thinly veiled disdain. There were times I was tempted to take my Fragment and ram its blade up their asses.

  Thinking of my Fragment reminded me I had a training session this afternoon.

  I discretely glanced at
the clock hanging on one wall.

  Maya asked drily, “What do you mean a ‘bumper year’?”

  “Simply that it’s been a while since we’ve had so many Familiars attending Galatea. For the last five years we’ve rarely had more than two or three attending high-school.”

  Maya looked confused. “And now?”

  Severin smiled warmly. “To have more than a dozen in attendance this year, five of them as second year students, is fortuitous indeed.”

  “Is that all we are to you?” she groused. “Tools?”

  “Not at all,” he replied sincerely.

  Simone chimed in from her place on the desk. “Mr. President, we’re wasting time.”

  At the interruption, Maya gave the girl a thin, icy look.

  Severin waved a hand gently in the air. “Now, now. Let’s all get along, shall we?” He took a deep breath. “My apologies for asking, but have all of you been assigned a specific Fragment?”

  I narrowed my eyes, fully intending to remain silent.

  Neither Caprice nor Arisa had told me how to handle such a question.

  However, Maya faced the question head on. “What makes you think we’d tell you?” Her eyes widened then narrowed. “What am I saying—you already know we’re bonded to a Fragment.”

  Severin nodded apologetically. “Yes, I do indeed.”

  Maya shook her head slowly, and a murderous smile formed on her lips.

  Severin’s eyes widened and he quickly said, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to offend you. The truth is I called you all here because having a Fragment will be of tremendous help.”

  “How so?” she asked.

  “Well, the reason I called you all here is because a situation has developed within the Academy.”

  I glanced at Simone.

  The Vice-President of the Student Council was half lying on Severin’s desk like some chanteuse on a piano, with an unreadable look on her face.

  Severin continued. “I’ve spoken to your Guardians, and I have their consent for calling you here, and enlisting your assistance.”

  I held back a surprised frown.

  The Student Council President had spoken to Arisa? It appeared Caprice knew this, so why hadn’t she told me?

  Maya looked taken aback. “You—you spoke to my mother?”

  Severin nodded. “Yes. I discussed the situation with her over a most pleasant lunch. She agreed this would serve as good experience for you.”

  I got the feeling that was multifaceted response – an answer with many sides to it.

  For a heartbeat Maya looked hurt, and then she sat straighter in the chair, and folded her arms. “What do you want from me”—she flicked a glance my way—“I mean from ‘us’?”

  Severin smiled proudly at her. “Always to the point, Maya.”

  I frowned.

  Definitely some history between these two.

  Hey, why was she blushing just now?

  I realized I was staring at her. She gave me a hard glare, so I shrugged nonchalantly and turned away.

  Severin pulled out a pen remote from his blazer’s breast pocket. Waving it about like a wand, he activated an overhead holovid projection system. The lights dimmed and a holovid winked to life in the center of the room.

  An emblem floated there – an emblem I recognized.

  “Crimson Crescent,” I hissed, unable to restrain the antagonism I felt toward them.

  Severin nodded. “Yes. We have reason to believe, and reason to fear, that Crimson Crescent has taken an interest in Galatea Academy.”

  I heard collective gasps from everyone but Severin and Simone.

  Maya shot to her feet and glared at Severin. “Don’t make jokes like that!”

  “It’s no joke, Maya,” he replied calmly. “In truth, I wish it was.”

  I swallowed before asking, “How do you know this?”

  “While it’s true we are not absolutely certain, it’s fair to say they’re our number one suspects.”

  “Why?”

  He crossed his arms slowly. “Three months ago an incursion into our Academy’s network took place. The first of seven security layers was breached in under a minute. These incursions continued for a month, and a total of five layers were penetrated. I consulted with some trusted individuals who found the breaches were executed with phenomenal speed. In fact, they described it as downright frightening.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning that whoever is breaking into our information network has some serious hardware at their disposal.”

  I stared at him for a moment. “Pretend I’m ignorant.”

  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing it. “In simple terms, the hardware capable of breaking in so quickly is decades, possibly a century more advanced than anything currently available.”

  I saw the light. “A Fragment.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Even so, why suspect Crimson Crescent?”

  “Allow me to explain. Fragments are kept under lock and key at various installations maintained by the Prides. The only Fragments out in the open are those already allocated to a Familiar. However, those Fragments are undeniably weapons, almost always melee weapons of various types. The belief that these Fragments belong in a mystical, magical or fantasy realm is hard to dispute when you take into account the nature of their designs. In other words, almost all of these Fragments belong in a fantasy holovid. They are too much like magical weapons.”

  I wasn’t going to dispute his words. My Fragment fell squarely into the realm of fantasy.

  Caprice’s Fragment was different to mine, but no less ‘fantastical’.

  Severin continued. “However, Fragments that pose a risk to modern systems such as information networks, control systems, and so on, are considered too dangerous to field. They are not assigned to a Familiar. The likelihood these could be stolen from a Familiar is simply unacceptable to the Powers-that-be.”

  Stolen? Was he implying that Crimson Crescent might attack a Familiar in order to steal their Fragments?

  I pointed out, “But once assigned, a Fragment is bonded to its wielder. Even in death, the Fragment is locked down and can’t be used by another Familiar. If Crimson Crescent were to steal a Fragment, they would be unable to use it.”

  “That is correct. A bonded, or locked down Fragment can only be unlocked by the Prides. This is where something akin to a Master Key comes into play.”

  “A Master Key?”

  “Yes. This is my own personal speculation, but I believe that the Prides possess something akin to a Master Key that can unlock the Fragments. This allows them to be allocated to a different user.”

  I tipped my head to one side. “But that would imply that only the Prides could steal Fragments from each other.”

  He took a deep breath. “It does indeed, unless Crimson Crescent is also in possession of a Master Key.”

  His words rattled me and everyone else in the room, including Simone lying seductively on the desk.

  I swallowed past the fear in my throat. “In that case, there’s nothing to stop Crimson Crescent from coming after us. They could kill us, steal our Fragments and unlock them for their own use.”

  Severin nodded slowly in agreement. “That is true. However, the Prides have many Familiars out in the field. If they were concerned about losing those Familiars and their Fragments to Crimson Crescent, they would have recalled all the Fragments and hidden them away.”

  I frowned. “So you’re saying we’re safe then? You don’t believe Crimson Crescent has a Master Key.”

  He looked up for a moment, arms still crossed over his chest. “I’ve looked into this as much as my position within the Avenir Pride can afford. I think it’s safe to say, that Crescent doesn’t have a Master Key.”

  I took a breath. His words reassured me a little, but I was still uneasy.

  Severin noticed. I could see he was uneasy a well.

  I asked, “Where are you going with this expla
nation?”

  He gave me a tight nod. “Allow me to finish.”

  I shoved my hands into trouser pockets, and kept silent.

  Severin resumed after a pause. “We’ve established that only a Fragment is capable of breaking into our academy’s network with such ease. We’ve also established that Fragments of such ability are kept locked away by the Prides. And we agree that stealing a Fragment used in the field by a Familiar is pointless since you need to unlock them first. We also strongly believe, that Crescent doesn’t have the necessary Master Key.”

  Maya, Rina and I all nodded.

  Severin said, “So the question is, how did Crimson Crescent get their hands on such a dangerous Fragment?”

  Again, Maya, Rina and I nodded.

  “That’s because six years ago, Crimson Crescent stole a collection of Fragments being transported to Pharos.”

  “Six years ago?” I asked, feeling a dull chill run down my back.

  He nodded. “The super freighter that exploded was carrying unlocked Fragments recently discovered out in the Hurakan Nebula. That freighter belonged to the Sanreal Pride, and the Sanreals are the most heavily involved in deep nebula exploration. Crimson Crescent used the explosion to disguise the theft of that shipment of Fragments.”

  I clenched my jaw, but met his gaze.

  My parents died because someone decided to steal Fragments?

  Severin took a deep breath. “I had to rely on a lot of family connections to learn this. The truth is, if Crimson Crescent hadn’t begun breaching our network, I might never have investigated the freighter explosion.”

  Maya spoke softly. “So you believe the Fragment they are using was in that shipment they stole six years ago.”

  “Yes, I do. Although we cannot discount the possibility that Crimson Crescent may have stolen an unlocked and un-bonded Fragment from one of the Prides secret facilities.”

  I shook my head quickly. “It sounds like we’re going in circles with this. Without hard facts, we could speculate endlessly.”

  Severin nodded. “That is indeed true. So for now, we’re going to stick with the assumption proposed thus far. Five years ago, Crimson Crescent stole the network breaking Fragment from the super freighter. Agreed?”