‘Why was it attacking the people on the wall?’ It took a second for Seiya to realise she was referring to the request demon currently standing ready to protect them if Cynthia’s summoning unravelled completely.
‘It wasn’t attacking them,’ Seiya hastened to explain, ‘I put Kirinya on the wall so she could go get Gorbacov. The demon was simply preventing the other Masters stopping her from leaving.’
‘Gorbacov?’
‘I need his help to dismiss Kirinya’s loose demon,’ Seiya casually waved the problem aside. ‘Now trust me, you are strong enough to do this.’ Cynthia regarded her doubtfully. ‘See you’re still holding onto it,’ Seiya pointed to the demon’s faltering movements, the bindings still very much in force. ‘Now just strengthen them until it can’t move,’ she patted Cynthia’s arm encouragingly as the girl let more power flow into the summoning.
‘Your wild is about to be killed,’ from the request demon’s tone it didn’t seem particularly bothered by the other demon’s predicament.
‘It won’t stop fighting me,’ Seiya replied irritably, ‘no wonder it’s losing.’ She had almost forgotten the other demon, her mind clamping down on it like a tensed muscle that couldn’t relax, the pressure simply becoming a part of her.
‘Very good,’ Seiya congratulated Cynthia absent-mindedly as the bindings solidified, her attention slipping to Freiden. The boy’s attempt at a gateway had collapsed the moment he applied power to it, the lines so badly woven Seiya barely recognised the pattern.
‘Just hold it still,’ releasing Cynthia’s arm Seiya’s thoughts were already shifting to the next unfolding disaster.
Chapter Eleven
‘How do I dismiss another’s demon?’ Seiya demanded as she ran; the numbers simply weren’t working for her, there were three places she needed to be and only two demons. Or maybe only one; after having it pointed out to her she could feel the wild demon’s power dropping at an alarming rate. Even though it had tried to kill her Seiya didn’t take it personally, she would probably feel the same way at being dragged into another world and forced to fight, certainly she didn’t wish it dead.
‘Forget it,’ Seiya interrupted only a couple of seconds into the the request demon’s long-winded instructions, she was far too distracted to concentrate on the complexities required. There was no way she could hold the wild and even attempt a dismissal, tiredness was catching up to her fast. ‘Can you hold the loose wild?’
‘What about the one ahead?’ Seiya heard the demon’s scepticism and where Freiden was concerned she agreed whole-heartedly.
‘I’ll try and convince him stop,’ Seiya could feel her legs were already getting heavier, clearly staying at the school had taken a toll on her stamina, reading books and summoning did not make one physically fit.
‘Go,’ Seiya insisted as the demon still hesitated, ‘once it’s gone I can always do another request summoning.’ She sensed the demon’s doubts but was relieved he didn’t voice them, she didn’t need anyone else to point out she was so tired it would be a real struggle to do anymore summoning. Realising her pace had slowed Seiya drove herself onwards, gritting her teeth as her aching limbs protested.
‘Stop!’ Seiya shouted as loud as she could but Freiden didn’t react, refusing to even look-up as he started building the gateway again. Seiya decided to save her breath, short of throttling the idiot Freiden wasn’t going to pay her any attention.
‘Got it,’ the demon’s voice echoed in her mind slightly fainter than before, far across the other side of the arena it was the first time Seiya had experienced physical distance affecting thought-speech.
‘Right,’ Seiya stopped and squinted across, she could still feel the wild demon flailing against the will bindings, pausing only when she reinstated the physical ones to hold it statue still. Slowly relaxing the will binding she felt the pressure in her mind ease slightly, though it was rendered instantly meaningless as she began drawing on her power to create the dismissal gateway. Her pulse throbbed painfully in her temples and she pressed her fingers against them, trying to smooth the pounding away. Distance clearly affected gateways too, despite pushing as far as she could the lines still appeared barely halfway across the arena, ridiculously far from the wild demon she held. Cursing and out of patience Seiya forced the demon to dash across the arena, feeling no sympathy for its stumbling steps. The wounds are your own fault, she thought harshly, not that the demon could hear her, if you had focused on fighting the other demon instead of me then the match would have been even. Seiya’s senses twinged as Freiden’s attempt at a gateway collapsed once again, more powerful than the last it was a stark reminder she couldn’t afford to waste time. Groaning as she struggled to convince her legs to start moving again Seiya didn’t see the wild demon reach the gateway but she sighed in relief as it vanished and a huge weight lifted from her mind. Holding the demon had been far more tiring than she thought.
Taking full advantage of the new found energy Seiya somehow convinced her weary muscles to continue the desperate run but her heart plummeted as she felt Freiden attempting to summon yet again. Increased power seemed to be his only answer to failure, but no amount of energy would fix his mess of a weaving. A glance over her shoulder showed Cynthia still held her demon stationary and as she turned back a movement half way up the wall caught her eye as an exhausted looking Martin waved down at her. Swiftly scanning the arena edge she found the last unknown, Tresney was waiting at the base of the wall with no demon in sight. Even the relief that flooded through her knowing that three more were safe didn't cancel out the foreboding she felt as Freiden’s power net tightened. The lines strained in the warped pattern but this time they held; a demon was coming through. Taking a deep breath Seiya prepared to request summon once again, her existing ally still tied up restraining the loose wild. There was no doubt in her mind that Freiden’s bindings would snap the second the demon came through the gateway.
‘Seiya!’ instinct made her turn towards Cynthia when she heard a girl shouting her name, expecting to see the wild demon free. Yet nothing had changed, the demon remained unmoving but Cynthia was pointing towards the far end of the wall. Shading her eyes against the sun Seiya could make out two silhouettes atop the walkway. The mane of black hair was unmistakable, and even though she couldn’t make out more than a vague outline she had to assume the man with Kirinya was Gorbacov.
Freiden was still working his way through the incantation; the slowness that had driven her mad during practice was a blessing in disguise. She recognised Gorbacov’s power as the Masters on the wall rushed towards the new arrival. From so far away it was only the smallest hint, but her senses proved correct when Kirinya’s loose demon uttered a final howl of outrage before it was sent back.
From behind her came a triumphant exclamation and Seiya span round in dismay, in the couple of seconds she had been distracted Freiden had somehow managed to stumble through the last words of the incantation.
‘No!’ desperation fuelled her tired limbs as she charged towards Freiden, knocking the smaller boy flying. His wild demon erupted from the gateway snarling, bindings rupturing before it had even fully passed through.
Sprawled on the floor Seiya scrabbled to get her feet back underneath her, launching herself sideways as the demon’s foot slammed into the ground a fingers-breadth from her head, each talon easily the length of one of her arms, the wickedly sharp edge terrifyingly close.
‘Move!’ The request demon firmly grabbed the scything blade swinging towards her, easily pinning the wild demon to the ground as it roared angrily.
‘Weak for a rank eight,’ Seiya observed wearily, pushing herself into a sitting position.
‘What else could have come through that gateway?’ the demon commented with a contemptuous snort. Seiya smiled towards the creature towering over her, belatedly realising how big he actually was. Poor Kirinya must have been scared out of her mind when he had scooped her up.
‘How dare you interfere!’
Propping herself up on her elbows Seiya leant back and looked at Freiden standing angrily above her. His fists were clenched at his sides and Seiya wondered if he intended to hit her.
‘I’ll get expelled for this!’
‘Is Gorbacov here yet?’ Ignoring Freiden completely she sent her question to the demon.
‘The one who dismissed the wild?’ the demon replied, ‘he’s just starting the dismissal now.’
‘Don’t dismiss it!’ Freiden was yelling up at the wall and Seiya seriously contemplated if she had enough strength left to strangle the annoying brat.
‘Once the bindings are fully broken you can’t reinstate them,’ she explained brusquely. Freiden opened his mouth to argue but Seiya felt her patience finally snap.
‘Just get out of here!’ she roared at the boy, managing to shock him into silence. ‘Before I let the damn thing tear you apart.’ Unnerved by her response Freiden retreated a couple of steps, straight into the claws of her request demon.
‘And don’t you dare try to summon again!’ Seiya called over Freiden’s screams. The request demon gripped the boy in its right hand, restraining the squirming wild demon in its left arm as it dumped Freiden on top the wall.
‘Your friend is here,’ the demon’s voice only just pre-empted Gorbacov’s dismissal, the wild demon disappearing from its arm lock. Seiya assumed that the fact her demon remained meant Gorbacov knew she was the one controlling it. Freiden’s Master’s rank seven still stood by the wall, obviously he had no idea how to react to the events unfolding below.
‘Final one.’ Seiya pointed tiredly towards Cynthia, smiling gratefully when the demon gently picked her up to carry her back across the arena.
‘It’s all safe now,’ Seiya reassured the girl, ignoring the way Cynthia stared at her as the demon deposited her carefully on the ground. ‘Carry on with your summoning and if it starts going wrong then he’ll step in to help.’ She jerked a thumb at the request demon standing behind her. ‘But you won’t need it,’ she added confidently, smiling at the younger girl, ‘you’re easily strong enough.’ Cynthia’s cheeks flushed slightly and Seiya struggled not to laugh as she realised the girl was embarrassed.
‘Sorry, we can start now,’ Cynthia called up to the Master and Seiya grinned at her audacity. Not that she thought Cynthia realised what she was saying, the girl was still flustered from the compliment. Seiya wondered if anyone had ever shown faith in her abilities, even the Masters. No wonder she lacked confidence.
‘Thank you,’ Seiya kept her eyes on Cynthia’s exam as she spoke to the request demon, although the bindings wobbled slightly at the beginning the summoned wild was putting up a good fight against the rank seven. ‘What should I call you?’
‘Crishun,’ the demon supplied the alias after a moment’s consideration.
‘Well, thank you Crishun.’ The ordeal was nearly over and Seiya felt her limbs starting to tremble as the excess adrenalin dissipated. Everybody was safe.
‘Well done!’ she called out as Cynthia’s wild knocked the lower rank flying into the arena wall, hard enough to make the Master on top jump away.
‘Pin it while it’s stunned,’ Seiya advised loudly and Cynthia nodded, her demon slamming the staggering smaller wild to the floor in a move reminiscent of Seiya’s own fight.
‘You pass,’ the Master grudgingly shouted down from the wall after a long pause, his rank seven disappearing from underneath Cynthia’s rank eight. ‘Hold onto the rope to climb up.’ Dismissing her demon Cynthia threw her arms around Seiya’s neck, crying unashamedly.
‘Thank you,’ Cynthia wiped at her cheeks and smiled sheepishly.
‘No problem,’ Seiya shrugged and hoped Cynthia wouldn’t realise how tired she actually was. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she pointed towards Crishun. ‘Would you like a lift?’
Cynthia’s eyes widened as she stared between Seiya and the demon. ‘Go on then,’ a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as it was Seiya’s turn to be caught off guard. ‘Hanging onto the rope will hurt my arms,’ she added teasingly, her face glowing in a way Seiya had never seen before.
‘As you wish,’ recovering from her surprise Seiya watched as Cynthia walked over to the demon’s outstretched hands. Shaking her head as the girl climbed out onto the wall Seiya couldn’t believe Cynthia’s transformation.
A final scan around the arena showed only she remained, plus the rank sevens summoned for Kirinya and Freiden. Job done, she stretched with a satisfied sigh. For the first time since the exam started she noticed the warmth of the sun on her face; shutting her eyes she looked skywards, bathing in the light. Suddenly she was plunged into shade, Crishun standing over her protectively.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked the demon, puzzled by his actions until she noticed the two rank seven demons had moved to stand either side of her.
‘What are they planning?’ her eyes went to the top of the wall, some of the Masters were missing. Youally was gone. Thinking back she hadn’t seen him since interfering with Kirinya’s summoning, and he hadn’t spoken out when she was helping Cynthia and Freiden.
The grating of stone on stone warned her as the huge doors swung open once more. There was no surprise when she identified the person in the centre striding forwards flanked by two other Masters. Youally had come to confront her. Crishun hissed above her as the Masters approached.
’The Kurlin-Ra,’ the demon spat the name out as if it were poisonous and Seiya followed his gaze to see Youally was carrying something in his hands.
‘What is it?’ her nervousness increased as the Masters drew closer. In the midst of the exam fights they hadn’t noticed her high-level unbound demon, but they didn’t deserve the title Master if they couldn’t feel the request summoning when they stood right in front of her.
‘A neck collar,’ Crishun’s voice was flat and disapproving, ‘it blocks a summoners powers. It wasn’t needed when we were free to do as we wished.’ There was no attempt to hide the bitterness in his voice, ‘but now a powerful summoner can force a demon to kill as many people as they like. This was their way of controlling those who abused their powers by killing the wrong people.’ His emphasis on the word “wrong” sent shivers down Seiya’s spine, it was the closest she had heard a demon come to saying anything about the summoners in the past, Aleos steadfastly refused to talk about it.
‘I’ve got to dismiss you or they’ll sense there aren’t any bindings,’ Seiya explained reluctantly, really she wanted to keep the demon right by her side. Crishun inclined his head ever so slightly in agreement.
’Do not hesitate to call me again if you need to,’ he assured her grimly, ‘you must not let them put that collar on you.’ Thanking the demon once more Seiya hurriedly dismissed him, closing the gateway just as Youally got within range.
‘You are expelled!’ he bellowed at her. ‘You disobeyed direct orders and are a danger to the school and all the pupils here.’ He waved the heavy looking metal collar in the air, ‘you will wear this from now on as a lesson to others.’ Stopping only a few strides away he glared at Seiya, common sense told her she should be scared; Youally was a Master Summoner and he was furious.
‘I won’t listen to murdering cowards!’ Seiya blazed back, exhausted and fed-up common sense didn’t stand a chance. ‘You want me to leave, fine,’ she challenged, meeting his gaze squarely, ‘I never wanted to be here anyway!’ She saw Youally’s eyes widen, surely he hadn’t forgotten he was the one who had tricked her into coming? Or were all the summoners so blind they couldn’t believe anyone would be uninterested in their power? ‘I won’t wear that collar though.’ For what she swore was the last time today she poured her power into a gateway, pushing it far past the level required for rank eight she saw the beginnings of unease in the two Masters accompanying Youally.
‘You have no right to decide her fate.’
Seiya looked up towards the wall-top in surprise, she hadn’t expected Gorbacov to come to her defence. ‘It’s up to the Headmaster and the
Council as a whole,’ based on the ugly expression that twisted Youally’s face Seiya assumed Gorbacov would pay heavily for interfering.
‘If you do not let me go,’ Seiya spoke softly so only Youally could hear, ‘then I’ll summon the highest ranking wild I can and release it.’
’You wouldn’t dare,’ Youally hissed, staring at her in outraged disbelief, ‘it’ll kill you.’
‘Perhaps,’ Seiya shrugged, keeping her face carefully neutral, ‘but I think it would rather kill you lot first before returning home, wouldn’t you agree?’ Though her head was already protesting she poured the reserves of her power into the gateway, by now Youally’s two companions looked ready to bolt for the arena exit.
‘And why were you willing to let the demons kill the students?’ Seiya lifted her voice so it would reach the wall where she knew her classmates stood. It put a strain on her throat, already sore from all the shouting.
‘You aren’t leaving the school,’ Youally interrupted her angrily, showing no discomfort as he shifted the focus back onto her. ‘You will be confined in your room until the Council’s decision.’ Seiya nodded slowly in agreement as she considered the options available. The only way off the island was by boat or flying demon; the first would be well-guarded and she wouldn’t be able to get very far on the other side, the latter could equally well collect her from the bedroom window, she had no qualms about the demon carrying her as it flew rather than using the wicker basket.
‘Okay,’ dropping the gateway Seiya waited for Youally and the other summoners to move out of her way. They did so grudgingly, and even though they gave her a wide berth she could still feel the dagger-like stares on her back. The walk across the arena seemed incredibly far, it was difficult to believe she’d been racing across it not long ago. A part of her senses stayed focused on the Master’s summoned wilds following behind.
‘Seiya!’ Unprepared for Kirinya’s full body launch Seiya nearly went flying, rocking back on her heels she tried to regain her balance. ‘I’m so glad you’re alright,’ Kirinya squeezed tightly until Seiya gently disengaged her.
Summoner's Call (The Summoner Trilogy Book 1) Page 11