Summoner 2

by Eric Vall

  Chapter 1

  Nia Kenefick flung a fireball at my face, and while I dodged it easily, she swiveled on her heel and came at me with a savage roundhouse kick. As her blow smacked me painfully in the ribs, I grabbed onto her leg, shifted my weight, and flung her to the ground.

  “You’re still too slow to catch me with an attack like that, Kenefick,” I said as I watched her, ready for her signature counterattack from the ground.

  “I could have gone faster, I just didn’t want to hurt you.” She blew a lock of ashen hair out of her face and glowered at me.

  I smirked. “Says the girl who’s lost to me twice.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Once. The first time doesn’t count.” She offered me her hand, and I took it and hauled her to her feet. “And neither does this one.”

  “Uh, they both count,” I replied with a snort. “I had you beat before the rift opened up and interrupted my victory.” Which was true. I’d had her pinned, but then a rift, a portal to the Shadowscape, the demonic realm home to monsters, had opened up in the middle of the school. Obviously, we had to put our fight on hold, but either way, I’d been about to win.

  She laughed, her full lips revealed a brilliant smile that never ceased to take my breath away. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, summoner.”

  I put my fists on my hips and pumped out my bare chest. “It does help me sleep at night, actually.”

  Nia scoffed, but her smile didn’t leave her face as she swiped loose strands of her ashen hair from her eyes. Her cheeks were red from exertion, and she took a couple deep breaths in an effort to recover.

  Still, even as covered in dirt and sweat as she was, she was a vision of beauty in her usual training garb, a pair of skintight black breeches that hugged her thighs and accented her curvy hips and a snug fit sleeveless shirt that was tight against her chest.

  Her gaze trailed from my eyes down to my chest and then my stomach. Her brows furrowed, and she lightly bit her lip as she studied me.

  “You okay?” She lifted her hand like she was going to touch my side. “I didn’t hit you too hard, huh?”

  “No, I’m fine.” I swiped the sweat from my brow and sucked in a deep breath as she dropped her hand. “But we should probably stop with all the rib shots though. We’ve bruised and broken an entire set of ribs between the two of us.” I shrugged. “Between our sparring and practice fights, our fights with others during class, and our encounter in the Shadowscape, I think we’ve gotten into more fights than the rest of the first years combined.”

  “Mostly you, I think.” She grinned.

  “Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “And while I agree the ribs are a good spot to attack an opponent and take them out of the fight, I think Meriden is getting concerned with how often we’re going to the infirmary.”

  “True,” she agreed. “Anyway, I’m ready for a break. You?”

  “I could take a break,” I said with a smile.

  “Great,” she said with a roll of her eyes before she flopped down on the grass by her stuff and patted the space beside her. “Here seems good.”

  “Well, there is lots of shade,” I agreed as I sat down in the grass and leaned my back against one of the beech trees that surrounded the courtyard we trained in.

  It was still warm even though the sky was the deep purple of twilight. That was the summer at Varle Academy for you, warm nights and even hotter days, and since each night was filled with a cacophony of cicadas and crickets, I found myself missing the silent cold of winter more and more.

  Nia seemed content with the din and the heat though. She laid in the grass in front of me, her arms and legs splayed out around her. A peaceful breeze passed over us as she took in deep breaths and stared at the stars overhead. I couldn’t recall having ever seen her as relaxed as she was right now with the light of the rising moon casting a silver glow over her.

  When we’d first met a month or so earlier, she’d practically hated me, and well, everyone else too. That had all changed though. Now Nia Kenefick sat beside me, comfortable in a way that she was with no one else. I was a lucky man.

  She turned her attention to the bag at her feet. She sat up and rummaged through it until she produced a worn waterskin. Undoing the top, Nia chugged a few gulps of water before she stopped to catch her breath and wipe her lips on her arm.

  “You want some? I brought you one too,” she said as she pulled another skin from her bag. “I noticed you never remember to bring any for yourself.” She offered it to me, and I noticed her cheeks had a touch of pink that hadn’t been there before.

  “Sure, I’d love some. Thanks. Honestly, I don’t really think about it,” I said with a smile. Our fingers brushed briefly as I took the waterskin from Nia and paused to savor the soft touch of her slender fingers against mine. Then I gripped the waterskin and drank my fill while Nia laid back down. When I was done, I tossed the skin over to her. She caught it easily and shoved it back into her bag.

  “You know, moments like this make me really glad you beat Gawain in your duel,” Nia said, and her cheeks and neck flushed a deeper red as she spoke. “Otherwise, I’d have to find a new training partner.”

  Only three days ago, I’d entered the Academy arena and fought Gawain Maddox in Rashni Kae, the Dance of Wills. It was an ancient tradition, a duel between magic users. Most people hadn’t thought that a mere summoner who could conjure and control monsters could ever best an exceptionally gifted fire mage like Gawain. However, I’d not only beaten him, but I‘d absolutely conquered him and won our pre-duel wager. Now, I would take his place on the monster response squad and go out into the world to save people from rift attacks.

  Oh, and of course, I could still keep speaking and being friends with the one and only Nia Kenefick as per our wager. So, my victory had been threefold.

  “Speaking of Gawain, have you seen him recently?” I asked as I stared up at the sky. I’d almost forgotten about him since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him. Had it really been at the fight?

  Nia sat up on her elbows and looked at me. “No, he was absent from our elemental class, and I’m sure you saw he wasn’t at dinner.”

  “Yep.”

  “He’s hiding, too embarrassed to show himself.” Nia sighed and shook her head. “It’s isn’t as if he fought poorly. He didn’t. It’s just that you were better.”

  A compliment from Nia Kenefick? That was a shot of pleasure that I hadn’t expected. “Maybe he dropped out. That would certainly make me happy.”

  “I think most of the school would be happy with that,” she said with a smile, and then shook her head. “But not a chance. His family would never allow that. They have a reputation, an image, and he must uphold that, as all mages must. We are heroes to the common people. We must be more.”

  Nia wasn’t wrong about that.

  “That’ll be hard for him,” I said.

  “Perhaps,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him.”

  I leaned my head back against the tree. “Not nearly as much as you though. You’re a Kenefick, after all.”

  Nia scoffed. “Thanks for reminding me, farm boy.”

  I smirked. “You can handle all the pressure, though. You’ll be fine.” We’d had this conversation before. Nia didn’t need any more words of encouragement from me. She was doing more than fine.

  “You know, you’ll have a lot of those expectations and pressures thrust on you too,” she said with a sly grin on her lips. “Assuming that you become as strong as the Headmaster thinks you will, and you single-handedly change how the world views summoners. Now, that’s pressure.”

  She was right of course. I’d proven what I could do, though I was sure that there were probably plenty of people that still needed convincing. That wasn’t a problem though.
What I needed to do was show the world that all summoners, not only myself, could be great. And that meant bringing my fellow summoners up to my speed.

  That was my new goal. I’d need to whip them into shape, mentally, emotionally, and physically so that they could fight as well as I could.

  “I guess we’re both in deep,” I replied with a chuckle, and she smiled with her eyes still on the stars. We both had pressure on us, and I knew we could both handle it and exceed the expectations thrust upon us by those around us.

  “Yeah, it seems so.” She hopped to her feet in one fluid motion and walked up to me, her hand out. “Come on, let’s go again.”

  “With pleasure.”

  Nia tackled me around the waist without so much as a warning. Then we were at it again for another half hour, drilling and practicing until we were covered in sweat.

  We panted as we faced each other, our fists raised, and our shoulders tensed. Nia’s movements slowed, so I took my chance. I threw a punch and a jab. She deflected them with little effort as I knew she would, but as she blocked my jab, I twisted my body and swept her leg. She stumbled and fell, but as she hit the ground, she rolled through the movement and bounced back onto her feet.

  She grinned wickedly a moment before she charged me. I took a step back to brace myself for the attack when she threw a fireball at me. I raised my arms to block, and as the blast hit me, my breath caught in my throat, and the impact sent a jolt of pain through my bones. Before I could do anything, Nia jumped on top of me and knocked me to the ground, her knees around my ribs and her arms on mine.

  “Ha! I got you that time,” she said through labored breaths.

  “That’s what you think,” I cried, and before she could take full control of the situation, I erupted with all the strength I had as I flipped her over and pinned her beneath me. Then I smiled down at her.

  “Feels like déjà vu eh?” I said as I remembered our previous fight. This is exactly how it had gone down. Of course, this was a harmless sparring match, much less intense than a fight in the practice arena in front of Major and the rest of the class.

  Nia sneered at me. “Maybe, but I never put any stock in those situations. Case in point.” Then she did something I’d never seen before. She launched a fireball with her mouth. The blast caught me full in the face right before she brought her knees up, planted her feet on me and pushed, flipping me over her head. As I hit the ground, still dazed from her magical attack, she grabbed my wrist, driving me into the ground as she twisted my arm.

  She leaned in close. “I win this time.”

  I would have argued, but I couldn’t find the words. Nia was so close to me. The tip of her nose grazed my own, her bangs tickled my forehead, and our breaths mingled. Her bright blue eyes stared into mine, then trailed the length of my face. We kept our gazes locked as we each caught our breath. She licked her luscious lips. Her body was pressed against me, her breasts against my chest. They were soft, despite how tight her shirt was. I could feel her heartbeat against my skin, hammering out a frantic tune.

  She kissed me.

  It was a whisper of a kiss, her lips barely grazing my own, but I felt it, and it practically sent a jolt of electricity through both of us.

  Nia seemed to focus all of a sudden. Her cheeks flared red, and she pushed off me and onto her feet. She was practically shaking, and she scooped up her things before she stood over me.

  “I-I… uh, I think that is enough for tonight,” she stammered as she smoothed down her top and pulled her hair over one shoulder. “You need to start using your magic when we fight, or you’re never gonna beat me again.”

  I sat up on my elbows. “Y-yeah.” I’d never seen her so flustered.

  She offered me a slight smile. “Good night, Gryff.” Nia turned then and strode out of the courtyard in a flash. She was gone, and I still lay in the grass. I shook my head and chuckled to myself, my fingertips against my lips.

  “That was something.”

  Chapter 2

  “Gryff, you’re here!” Layla said as I walked into my class still sore from the previous night’s training with Nia. “I’ve been waiting forever for you to show up.” She gave me a sly smile that made me wonder if she was up to something.

  “Layla,” I said as I walked into class a little later than usual but still on time. “You’re looking damn near chipper.” I smiled at her. “That’s kind of shocking.” I smirked. “Almost as shocking as you actually being here.”

  “Well, what can I say, you’ve made an impression on me, and I’ve decided I’m going to be a good student like you.” She gave me a mock salute. “Also, you should know I’ve had a lot of caffeine,” she added as she came over and gave me a hug. “A lot.” She did a delightful little bounce. “Maybe too much.” She frowned. “I tried to talk to people, but everyone else is so boring.” She grinned at me again. “But you’re never boring, Gryff.”

  “I’m just glad you showed up,” I said as we walked to our seats. “And on time no less.”

  “You act like I never come. I do, but only when it suits me.” She stuck her tongue out at me, and I laughed.

  “Fair enough, Layla. Fair enough.” I gave her a serious look. “But know that if you keep this up, you are dangerously close to becoming a good student.”

  “Fat chance that will ever happen.” She smirked.

  Despite her words, I was happy she’d shown up. If I was going to make her better, she needed the drive, the want and the will to do so. Going to class consistently was a good start.

  And I was going to say something to that effect when our teacher, Miss Arwyn Hamner finally arrived, and she looked as stunning as ever. She wore her usual tight skirt that hugged her hips like a second skin and a white blouse that she left mostly unbuttoned so that her ample breasts could have more room to sway with her confident stride. Her high heel shoes make her long legs seem impossibly longer, and I could tell every man in the room held their breath when they turned toward her.

  They would all shit themselves if they knew that the beautiful flame-haired teacher and I were lovers.

  Arwyn smiled brightly as she entered, her large dimples obvious in the morning light. Her long wavy red hair was tied back in a messy bun, and her amber, almost golden eyes scanned the room.

  “Alright, let’s have a review today since you have one more test this week before you have your exams.” She gave us a warm smile. “And for those of you who know the material, try to help your fellow students.”

  So for the rest of the period, we reviewed everything we went over the last few weeks. It was a long and, if I’m being honest, monotonous class, since I kept up with my studies and was well prepared for all the tests and exams that were to come. But I didn’t complain, and I participated when called upon. Once the review was over, we were dismissed for lunch.

  After lunch, it was time for summoner class, and it was a perfect day. I walked with my chin out and a large smile on my face as the sun shone brilliantly in the mid-day sky and bathed me in its warmth. Clouds drifted lazily, their shadows casting long shapes over the large magic-resistant xanyarstone walls of the Academy. Beyond were the immense walls of Varle Enclave. It was one of the wealthiest free cities of humanity and boasted the largest xanyarstone walls on the planet. They’d have monsters beating down the doors every day otherwise.

  My friends walked on my sides, their strides almost as excited as mine. Our blue summoner robes flowed in the warm breeze. Braden was all bulk and muscle and towered over me. Layla was the opposite, petite and lithe.

  Layla smiled at me as she swiped a hand through her short auburn hair. “You’re awfully cheerful now, Gryff. Where was this at breakfast or lunch?”

  “I was tired this morning.” I shrugged.

  Braden snorted beside me. He didn’t turn his large square head to look at me. “That’s because you were up all night excitedly muttering to yourself like a madman.”

  Layla choked on a laugh. “You were what?” Her hazel eyes twinkl
ed with amusement, and her smile was bright. It never failed to make me smile as well.

  “Hey, I was excited, alright?” I replied.

  “Well, it’s not every day you beat an arrogant ass of a prodigy like Gawain Maddox in Rashni Kae,” Braden mused as he scratched at his brown chinstrap beard. “I guess I’d have been in the same boat, but it’s been three nights.”

  We laughed.

  “I wonder where Gawain was for three days,” Layla wondered, her golden skin bright in the morning light. “Missing breakfast is one thing but missing all those classes is another.”

  I shrugged. “He was probably still nursing that wounded pride of his. Must be an insult to his family that he got beat by a lowly summoner.”

  Braden laughed, his thick neck tensing with each loud cackle. “I bet it is.”

  We all chuckled. Personally, I didn’t give a damn what Gawain did after our duel. I’d proven my skill. He could drop out for all I cared. I’d live a happy and content life knowing I’d never see his sneering face again or smell that stench of perfume that he always wore like a thick suit of armor. But he was back at breakfast this morning, which was what I expected. As long as he left me alone going forward though, I’d be fine with him.

  The summoner training grounds rose before us, a large warehouse-like building that looked as if it was made from brick on the outside, but on the inside it was lined with more xanyarstone.

  Braden held the door open for Layla and me, and the three of us entered and took our seats at one of the many small desks lined in rows around the room. There were about twenty of them, but we were the only three summoners in the class. There were other summoner classes in the years above us, but I doubted any of them had anywhere near twenty people. So few people turned to summoning due to the bias against it, a bias that we were going to change.

  I didn’t mind the small class size though. I liked the intimate relationship between us students and the teacher.

  Surprisingly, our teacher Rori Brevens was already present. When I’d first met him, he’d been a sloppy drunk who didn’t care about taking care of himself, much less teaching his students. Years of being belittled and beaten down by his peers for being a summoner could do that to a person. But since I’d come and shown how different summoning could be, Rori had found a new font of enthusiasm within himself. He wore a light cologne now, kept his clothes and robes clean, and I’d even noticed that he’d lost a little weight. Not a lot, compared to his immense gut and the three chins he had, but it was progress. He was still a drunk, but some things would take time. I was simply glad he didn’t get hammered before coming to class anymore.