Summoner

by Eric Vall

“That’s bullshit,” was my response.

  Her brows furrowed and frowned. “Pardon me?”

  “You heard me,” I said defiantly, my hands on my hips.

  “What makes you think you have any right to speak on the subject?” she asked, her eyes glaring holes into me.

  “Stop being so stubborn,” I snapped. “You didn’t fail just because I beat you. Would it be a failure if the Headmaster beat you in a duel, or if the major took you down in the arena? No, because they have superior skills. Losing to someone better than you isn’t a failure. It gives you a goal to work toward.”

  “I know, I’m trying to do that right now,” she glared.

  “I’m not upset that you’re practicing, I’m concerned because you’re clearly hurt, and you haven’t eaten or taken a break. You have limits and you don’t need to push yourself so hard because of me.” I sighed. “I know you think you have all the pressures of the world on your shoulders, but don’t take it too far.”

  “Yeah but—”

  I put a finger on her lips to shush her. She was too surprised to even react to that. “You are your own person, Nia,” I said softly. “You have to block out the pressure, be the mage you know you can be for you, not for them. Saving the world, saving humanity will come with it. And failure isn’t a bad thing. Failures and mistakes are how we grow and get better.”

  My arm fell away. We stared at each other for a long time. Her anger faded, her fists unclenched. She cast her gaze to her feet as her lips trembled and formed into a sorrowful grimace.

  “It’s just so hard to shoulder this burden,” she said with a hitch in her voice. I’d never heard her sound so… vulnerable.

  I put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You don’t have to do this alone, Nia. Everyone at this school is your ally. You’re a symbol of hope, sure, but you won’t be fighting monsters alone. You’ll have friends by your side.”

  Nia smirked. “Allies, huh? I’ve never had friends before. It was always family and duty. Anyone who got too close to me was scared off.”

  I crossed my arms. “You’ll find that I don’t scare easily.”

  Her lips curled into a smile. “I’ve noticed.”

  “So be my friend, Nia Kenefick,” I said with a wide and cheeky grin as I put my hand out for her to shake.

  She looked at it for a long time. Then she rolled her eyes and shook it reluctantly. “Fine, but don’t expect me to suddenly act all buddy-buddy with you and always have a smile on my face like how you and your summoner friends are.”

  I chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of making you act like that.”

  “Good,” she replied firmly. She stepped back and then winced.

  “Did I hurt you in our fight?” I asked, the concern plain in my voice. “You should go to the infirmary.”

  She waved that off. “No. I’m fine.”

  I shook my head. “You are so needlessly stubborn.” I dug into my pockets and pulled out the vial of painkillers that Meriden had given me. I popped a couple of them into my palm and handed them to her. “Here. Meriden gave me these painkillers. Don’t you dare say no, Kenefick.”

  She snorted and took them. Without waiting to get water, she threw them in her mouth and swallowed them dry. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.” I returned the vial to my pockets. “Oh, and if you want me to give you some pointers on how I fight or just need someone to spar with in private, let me know and I’ll be there.”

  Nia smiled, a sweet little curl of her lips that made my heart flutter. She was gorgeous. “I’d like that.”

  “Excellent. I look forward to teaching you, my student.”

  She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Okay, idiot. Go on to your room now.”

  I smiled brightly and began to leave. I called over my shoulder. “You go to bed too, Nia. It’s midnight and you smell bad.”

  “If you say one more word ...” Her voice trailed as she called after me.

  “Yeah, yeah, you’ll kill me. I know, Kenefick. Good night.” I waved and smiled as I heard her snort behind me. Maybe she would kill me, but I would die knowing that I made the cold and stern Nia Kenefick my friend.

  Chapter 18

  It was evening the next day. I held a bow in hand, had a quiver full of arrows on my back, and the practice targets were set up across from me. The fields were bathed in shadow, as the sun had already sunk below the Enclave walls. The air was cooler now, so I didn’t sweat as much, but drops of it still crawled down my skin. Honestly, it felt soothing.

  Most of the students were at dinner, but I wasn’t hungry, and I wanted some alone time to practice away from prying eyes. I was getting better every practice session with the bow, so this time when I drew the string back taut, nocked an arrow, and let it loose, it hit the outer edge of the bullseye. I smiled wide. I was a fast learner. When the time came for me to ever have to use this skill in a combat situation, whether it be against monsters or people, I didn’t know how well I would do, but I was still very confident.

  Truthfully though, I just liked being out here to clear my head and have time to myself. I could do that in the library and in my dorm too, but my body was itching to do something physical.

  I stayed even after everyone let out of the dining hall. Most ignored me if they walked my way, giving me a cursory glance before moving on. Braden and Layla eventually found me there. Layla yawned, hands in her robe pockets as she walked up. Braden was at her side and rubbed his stomach. He had a content smile.

  “You missed a good dinner,” Braden said while he continued to pat his stomach for emphasis. “Smoked venison and baked potatoes. It was amazing.”

  I frowned. That actually did sound great, but that didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t hungry. I would have plenty more amazing meals at the Academy dining hall, so I wasn’t about to sweat it.

  “Too bad,” I said with a shrug then knocked another arrow. “Maybe next time.” I let it loose. It struck to the right of the bullseye. Close, but off the mark.

  Layla circled around me so that she stood in front of me and blocked my line of sight to the targets. “You okay? Why didn’t you come to dinner? Anything you need to get off your chest? You know how much I love gossip.”

  I smiled and maneuvered her out of the way so that she stood by Braden again. “I’m fine you two, really. I just wasn’t hungry, and my body was craving exercise. Trust me, I would let you know if something was wrong.”

  And if there was something wrong, I would tell them. They were my friends, and I trusted them with my life. I was touched that they were so concerned for me, that my one absence from dinner made them worry. I was lucky to have them, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t telling the truth. There really wasn’t anything wrong. Sometimes a man just needed to do work alone.

  Layla pouted, but didn’t pry any further. “If you say so,” she said. Then she turned on her heels and strode away. “See you tomorrow.”

  I just looked at Braden, who looked back at her and then to me. He shrugged. “You know how she is. Anyway, I’ll see you in a bit then.”

  “Yeah, see you.”

  Then he was off.

  I got back to shooting. I loosed arrow after arrow until more than a dozen of them were embedded into the hard straw target opposite me. Five of them were within the bullseye and most of the others were damn close to hitting it too. I was making progress faster than I thought. Now, if only I could manage with a sword…

  It was near time for me to leave. There was still light for me to see by, but the sky was turning the dark blue-purple of twilight, and soon I would be in darkness. So I crossed the grassy expanse to the targets to retrieve my arrows. I pulled them out strenuously, as they were stuck in pretty deep. Once I collected them all and returned them to my quiver, I turned back around to begin shooting again.

  But I found I was no longer alone.

  Petyr, the Headmaster’s attendant, stood paces away, hands clasped behind his back and that perpetual scowl splay
ed across his features. He eyed me as I sauntered over to him. I took my time to get to him, since the Headmaster informed me that Petyr didn’t like me because of my non-Enclave upbringing. Pricks like him who valued such things deserved to be inconvenienced whenever possible.

  “Can I help you?” I asked him. “What does the Headmaster want?”

  “The Headmaster didn’t send me,” he answered. “Miss Hamner asked me to find you. She’d like a word with you in her classroom.”

  “Oh, she’s back?” I smiled. I didn’t like to think about it, but with the number of missions that Arwyn had been going on, I was worried that, eventually, the monsters would get her. I guessed there was still that chance, but she was back now, so that was good. And she wanted to see me so late at night? I had an idea of what she may have wanted.

  “Obviously,” Petyr responded with an annoyed sigh.

  I rolled my eyes at his attitude and smirked at him. “Wait, I thought you were only the Headmaster’s attendant? What’re you doing running errands for a teacher?”

  He narrowed his eyes and sneered. “I am the Headmaster’s attendant, but I get along with Miss Hamner and she asked me to do her a favor.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Hurry up and come along,” he demanded.

  I crossed my arms. “I can make my way to her just fine, Petyr. Don’t worry, you can go about your business. Run along.”

  He snarled at me, his face contorted in disgust, but he swiveled dramatically, clicked his heels together, and marched off into the evening. I snorted at the ridiculous display. What a sad little man.

  I returned the bow, arrows, and quiver to the requisitions hall that was attached to the dueling arena. The weapon checkout station was a small metal desk encased in glass with a wide slot for transactions. There were a few cabinets for paperwork but not much else, but behind the booth was a large armory filled with weapons, both practice and real.

  The attendant on duty, Borris, was a short man with a bald head and large mouth. He had eyes so dark they seemed as black as a starless night. He regarded me with a nod, his lips set in a hard line.

  “You done with those?” he asked me, his voice low and raspy.

  I nodded. “Yessir, here you go.” I passed him my equipment through the open slot. He took them eagerly and placed them beneath the desk before placing his hands back in front of him.

  “Good. Will that be all?” He was very matter of fact. No nonsense.

  “That’ll be it, Borris.”

  He leaned back, put his hands behind his head, and yawned. “Great, get on out of here, Mr. Gryff. Have a good night.”

  I gave him a wave. “You too.”

  Once I left, I made my way to Arwyn’s class on the other side of the building from the arena. The halls were empty and quiet as I strode there, the only sound the pounding of my boots against the stone floor. The sound echoed against the walls. So when I turned down the long hall which had Arwyn’s classroom at its end, I was sure she could hear me approach.

  I slowed my steps when I neared the open doorway and peered inside. Arwyn was huddled over her desk, papers and books scattered about. There was an open bottle of bourbon next to her hand. She looked tired and a bit disheveled, with strands of her fierce red hair hanging over her eyes. Her white robes were stained with dirt and… dark splotches of blood. I suspected it wasn’t her own, but that didn’t make me less concerned.

  I knocked on the doorframe, and her head shot up. “Oh, Gryff. Good. Come in and close the door behind you.” I did as she asked and then took a seat at a desk right in front of her own.

  “You summoned me?” I asked with a cheeky smile and a wink.

  She rolled her eyes. “Very funny, but yes, I wanted to talk to you about what I’ve been doing while I’ve been away.”

  I frowned. I knew what she’d been doing. “You’ve been on missions. What about them?”

  “Precisely,” she said with a nod. She joined her hands in front of her, elbows on the desk and her shoulders straight. “Monster activity has been higher lately for some reason, but that’s not what this is about. Well... I guess it partially is, but I digress. What I wanted to tell you is that on my last mission, we...” Her voice cracked. “We lost three squad members. The only ones who made it back were my banisher and me.”

  My jaw went slack. “I’m so sorry.”

  She took in a shuddering breath and waved me off. “It’s okay, Gryff. Thank you though. I appreciate your condolences, but I did not call you here to help me get over my grief.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “So what did you want to talk about?”

  Arwyn took a swig of the bourbon first before she answered. “With nearly an entire squad going down, the Headmaster has put together another one. It will be led by me, and be comprised by my banisher Varleth, a metal adept named Orren, Nia Kenefick, and Gawain Maddox.”

  I ground my teeth at the mention of that snob. “They let first-year students on real squads?”

  She nodded, though she didn’t look pleased. “They do if they’ve demonstrated the appropriate skill for the job. Varleth and Orren are both fourth-year students that have gone on countless missions before. Nia is… well, I know you’ve seen her capabilities first hand. And as for Gawain, he is an ass, but one of the best fire elementals the Headmaster has ever seen.”

  “Of course he is,” I said with an exasperated sigh. Truthfully, I had yet to actually see Gawain perform any of his magic, but if the Headmaster vouched for his skill, who was I to question it? It would certainly account for how arrogant he was, among other things. Still, that didn’t mean I had to like his appointment to the squad.

  I shook off my anger as it was unproductive. “What does this have to do with me then?” I asked her bluntly. “It seems like you have a full squad.”

  Arwyn laced her fingers together and put her chin on top of them. “It’s simple. I want you on the squad.”

  “So put me on the squad,” I said, my gaze narrowed. “I think I’ve proven myself more than enough.”

  “You have indeed, but most students don’t know that. There would be serious questions as to why a summoner, a first-year at that, was being put on the squad.”

  I threw up my hands. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  She took another sip of the bourbon and offered it to me, but I declined. She put it down hard on the desk. “Find a way on the team, I don’t care how. The Headmaster agreed that if you could convince one of the others to step down, other than Varleth, he would allow it. And it should go without saying, but don’t do anything illegal to do it.”

  “So, I need to convince either Nia, Gawain, or this Orren fellow to switch with me?”

  Arwyn shrugged, her lips curled into a slight grin. “Well, maybe not in such simple terms, but yes. Again, I don’t care how you do it, as long as it’s legal.”

  “That’s helpful. Is there a penalty if I don’t find a way onto the squad?”

  She frowned. “No, you would remain a student and continue on as you are now. But if your goal is to change how the world sees and uses summoners, then it would be prudent of you to get on this squad.”

  “Fair point.”

  Her lips parted to reveal a bright smile. “I know you can do it, Gryff. I have faith in your abilities… and your charm as well.” She punctuated that last statement with a wink.

  I smirked back. “Thanks. Is there anything else you need?” I let my eyes wander her body, to the hollow of her neck, to her collarbone that stuck out of her robe and the beginning of cleavage that she prominently displayed. “Any more comfort?”

  She caught my meaning. With a smile, she stood from her desk, walked around it to stand in front of me, and took my face in her hands. She jerked my head up lightly as she lowered hers to mine. Then our lips joined together in a hard and hungry kiss. It was desperate, hot. We both moaned at the intensity of it, but she broke off much too soon, her teeth biting my lip tenderly before she finally pulled back completely.


  Her eyes twinkled in the lamplight as she gazed at me. “I’m afraid I’m exhausted from my travels, and I have a lot of work to catch up on, so I’m afraid this is all we can share today.” She got up and went back to her seat. “But don’t worry. You’ll see more of me soon.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  Arwyn chuckled. “As will I. Now get out of here, and think long on what I said.”

  I nodded and stared at her for a heavy moment before I finally turned and left. I closed the door shut behind me.

  ***

  My fork clanked against my plate as I clumsily stabbed at the fried eggs before me. It took me a moment to carve up a chunk of it and maneuver it into my mouth. My mind was still so distracted by my conversation with Arwyn the evening before, I could hardly concentrate on anything else.

  How would I get on the squad? My first problem was I had no idea who Orren was. Arwyn hadn’t even given me his surname or what he looked like. So that would be hard to do without drawing obvious attention to myself. Then there was Nia. I couldn’t bribe her, and I really didn’t have the stomach to blackmail her, if she even had anything worth being blackmailed over. I also doubted I could simply convince her to step down from the team either. Maybe a friendly wager in a sparring match? That could work perhaps, but really, I didn’t want to take her off the squad anyway. She deserved it more than anyone, and I knew how well we worked together.

  Of course, that left Gawain. I had nothing to bribe him with, though I doubted he was against bribes in the first place, that slimy shit. I would have loved to blackmail him, but I didn’t know where to begin, since I wasn’t the sort to resort to that. Maybe I could provoke him into doing something…

  “What’s with that look?” a familiar voice asked. I blinked up to see that Layla was across from me with a tray in hand as she slid onto the bench. I was so focused on my thoughts I hadn’t noticed her walk up to the table.

  “I’ll tell you about it when Braden gets here.”

  She furrowed her brow as she dug into her porridge. “You’re here pretty early, yeah? I mean this is the earliest I’ve been, and you seem to be almost done.”