Summoner school, p.17
Summoner School, page 17
“What’s so dangerous?” Atlesia whispered as she popped up next to us.
Her head barely managed to peek over the books, and she hugged them closer so that they wouldn’t topple over. The flower-nymph had to stand on her tiptoes, and the action made her round butt pop out. I looked back to appreciate the view and grinned at the beautiful woman.
“A hunt,” I said as I met her dark brown eyes. “I have an idea for the next creature that I want to summon, but I need help.”
“Is that a jackalope?” Sarya sneered as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “Those are hard to find.”
“What are you even doing here?” my girlfriend huffed. “If you’re not going to be helpful, then there’s no reason for you to hang around. I, on the other hand, will be joining in on this hunt.”
“I wouldn’t miss this,” the haughty woman countered. “I want to see Andrew actually pull this off. Or die. Either way is amusing.”
The two women glared at each other for so long that I was sure it would come to blows, but then the elf rolled her silver eyes and shrugged like she’d given in. My girlfriend bounced around the side of the table and plopped into my lap with her eyes still on Sarya. It was an uneasy sort of truce, but it was better than a fight in the library, and the librarian was kind of terrifying.
“Right,” I said and slipped my hand between Atlesia’s thighs, looked at the painting, and then at Mike. “Are you in?”
“Of course, I am,” my roommate sighed. “This is going to be dangerous. You’ll need all the help that you can get. And Sarya, if you’re planning on betraying us, then I will help Atlesia to kill you and make a beautiful garden out of your corpse.”
“Big words coming from a tree-man,” Sarya said, and literal flames flickered in her eyes. “You assume that I won’t burn you alive.”
“We’re not going to murder each other,” I said and shook my head. “Sarya, if you want to come, then that’s fine, but you’ll be expected to help us and not just offer sarcastic commentary. Your fire powers will be helpful, and I know that you have amazing control so that you can help corral it.”
“Naturally,” the red-haired woman said and flipped her ponytail.
Sarya’s attention shifted toward a group of elves as they walked in. A look of irritation crossed her face before the usual mask dropped back into place, and she slid out of the chair in one graceful gesture. The red-haired woman ran a hand over her dress and then waved to the newcomers.
“Guess you have to go back to pretending,” I said with a frown. “We’ll have a meeting later this week. Somewhere that you can actually join us for more than a few seconds.”
“Thank you,” she said in an appreciative tone.
It looked like she wanted to say something else, but the blonde elf called, and Sarya was back on duty as the youngest daughter of the Kaylen clan. I watched her hips sway back and forth, turned to Atlesia and Mike, and let out a heavy sigh. It was clear that the elven woman wanted to be friends with us, but that would mean that she’d have to go against her family, and she wasn’t quite ready for that.
“She’s a real pain,” Atlesia said and shook her head. “But I’ll admit that her fire powers will be helpful if we’re going to hunt a jackalope.”
“They will,” I said. “And I think she’s warming up to us. She seemed impressed after that fight with Ramis.”
“There’s that a Kaylen loves more than power,” Mike muttered and closed his books. “I’m not sure that I trust her. She’s only going to use us to further her own rank.”
“Maybe, but I think there is more to her than meets the eye,” I said as I took back the leather-bound textbook. “And that’s okay for the moment. I’m going to head back to the room. Tomorrow is going to be a long day of research. I want to make sure that we know everything we can before we go after the jackalope.”
“Sounds good,” the tree-man said and stood. “I’ll be gone all afternoon. My parents want to have dinner and get an update. We didn’t have much time together this weekend.”
“I thought you stayed with them,” I chuckled as Atlesia hopped out of my lap.
“I did,” my roommate said. “But my cousins were in town, and I had that meeting.”
“Right,” I said and helped him put the books back.
“I have my first day in the greenhouse tomorrow,” Atlesia said. “And some of the older flower-nymphs want to have a meeting with us to talk about a mentorship program.”
“That’s really cool,” I said with a smile. “I’m going to check out the battle magic program. It’ll be good practice.”
“Rarus is in the battle magic program,” my nymph girlfriend said.
“He is,” I nodded and shrugged. “But he can’t kill me with all the healers around. And Professor Edinbock said that it would raise my rank.”
“It is a good cover,” Mike agreed and followed me toward the dormitory. “Sign-ups start tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah,” I said as we walked outside. “It looks like we’re all having busy days tomorrow.”
“Atlesia!” Onet called from across the quad. “We’re going to see the night flowers. Are you coming?”
“Be right there,” the flower-nymph answered and turned back to me, pulled me in for a kiss, and then bounded across the soft grass toward her friends.
“How does she have so much energy?” I laughed and shook my head. “I’m ready to curl into bed and sleep.”
“It’s a flower-nymph thing,” my roommate said. “I swear they’re born with more energy than the pixies. It’s exhausting.”
“I like it,” I said with a shrug.
“I’ll bet,” my friend said and flashed me a smile.
“What about you?” I smirked. “I believe that I saw you looking a beautiful tree-woman earlier.”
“None of your business,” he said, and I swore his barklike skin turned pink with a blush.
The room smelled like soil as we walked in, and the air was so crisp that I shut my eyes to revel in it. It reminded me of walks through the woods before dawn, and my childhood washed over me in happy waves. I let myself stand in the middle of the room for a few seconds and then dropped my bag on the desk.
“How is the air so fresh?” I asked and looked around the room.
“That’s a secret,” Mike said and gladly took the change of subject. “But it’s safe to say that only my people can grow the right plants indoors. Usually, you’d have to be deep in the forest. I read that humans can be sensitive to trees and pollen, so let me know if it becomes a problem, but it should help clear your mind and improve your focus.”
“Will do,” I said and took another deep breath. “I’m going to have the best night’s sleep ever.”
I stripped down, crawled into bed, and then set an alarm for the first class. My paper for Professor Edinbock’s class was already finished, and there wasn’t any homework for my summoning course. I drifted off into sweet dreams of Atlesia and the study rooms in the library.
The next morning went by in the blink of an eye as Professor Edinbock talked about the treaty between the dimensions and how it ended years of war. After that, Professor Lovelace made us all solve the sigils of rats and bats to create various types, and then everyone filed out of the class to go to lunch and start on our newest round of homework.
“Mr. Hall,” the dragon-woman said in an amused tone. “You’re making a habit of staying after class to talk to me. Should I start scheduling lunch later?”
“I could bring something to class,” I offered with a smile. “I’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”
I handed her the two leather-bound books that she’d given me and shouldered my backpack. Her purple eyes widened, and a rare smile made an appearance before she hid it by pushing her thin glasses up her nose. I watched every move the sexy woman made like she was part succubus instead of dragon.
The black scales over her cheekbones made them look sharp, and every ebony hair was pulled back into a perfect bun. She’d traded her usual tight black dress for a deep purple that hugged her every curve underneath her hooded robes, and I licked my lips as my throat went dry.
“It’s fine, Mr. Hall,” she said and brought my attention to her lips. “But I need to return these to my office. Follow me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and glanced back to make sure my desk was clear.
“Did you read both of these already?” my teacher asked as she led me out through the back door.
Professor Lovelace walked fast like she might take flight at any point, but I already knew that she didn’t have wings. I watched for some movement of a tail, but the dragon hybrids in my textbooks didn’t always have one. She threw a look over her shoulder and smirked as if she knew where my thoughts were, turned, and started up the marble staircase to the teachers’ offices.
“I read most of it,” I said to distract myself from her body. “The part about jackalopes was pretty amazing, but it didn’t have enough to actually hunt it. I need to find something that will tell me about its physiology, where it lives and eats, and more about the lightning.”
“You’re very thorough,” she said and unlocked her door. “I may have something that has more detail. But only if you’re very serious about it. And I wouldn’t suggest you go alone. You have a lot of promise, but a jackalope is a dangerous creature. Perhaps Ramis. He’s quite proficient, even if his magic is primarily water based.”
“I’m going with some friends,” I said.
“Good,” she said with a nod of approval.
Her office was small enough to be a dorm room, though it included bookshelves that stretched up to the domed ceiling. An arched window looked out over the campus grounds, and a heavy desk faced the door. There were more books on every possible surface and golden globes like birdcages with symbols carved into them.
“I think you have more books than the library,” I whispered and ran my hand over one.
“A summoner stays alive by learning,” she said.
Professor Lovelace strolled over to her desk, put the books down, and then moved another one into a drawer. It was a subtle move, but I watched with interest and wondered what she didn’t want me to see. She cleared her throat and then came around to stand next to me.
“I guess studying will become my new favorite hobby,” I said and pointed to a book higher up on the shelf. “How do you even get those down?”
“Wind spirits,” the professor said and twitched her wrist.
The green leather book slid down and floated to Professor Lovelace’s waiting hand. Something rustled my hair, and I thought I heard a giggle before a breeze moved toward the window. I made a mental note to look into the different pets that could stick around for long periods of time, and then peeked at the textbook.
“How do you gather the materials for a spirit?” I asked.
“That is something you’ll have to learn later,” she said. “It’s far more complicated than you are ready for. And more dangerous. More summoners have died trying to claim a spirit than have faced dragons. The key is to never underestimate your opponent.”
“That’s good advice for everything,” I said and took the book. “This is all about jackalopes. And it’s handwritten.”
“By a close friend,” Professor Lovelace said and strolled to her desk. “You may borrow it for the time being, but I will ask you to take good care of it. The summoner was a human, and is likely no longer alive.”
“Right,” I said with a nod. “I’ll be careful with it. Thank you.”
“Is there anything else that you need?” the ebony-haired woman asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, thank you,” I said. “See you tomorrow.”
I waved goodbye and then strolled into the hall just in time to see Professor Edinbock disappear into his office. It was strange for a ghost to have one, especially since he didn’t seem able to hold things, although sometimes a few papers moved when he was passionate about something he was discussing. I watched for a few seconds, but when the ghost simply flitted around the room, I flipped open the textbook and turned my attention to the problem of the jackalope.
The railing on the stairs helped guide me as I tried to read and walk at the same time. At least the textbook was much more informative than the last one, and the handwriting was easily readable. There was something about it that sent warning bells in my head, but I couldn’t quite place it. I was sure it wasn’t my grandmother’s, but I couldn’t identify why else it would be familiar.
My mind raced as I turned through the pages and devoured all the new information. The jackalopes weren’t anything like a deer or a bunny, and the bones underneath it in the illustrations made more sense once I found out that they were actually predators. There were sightings of them in the woods a day’s ride from the school, but the book was written years ago, and there was no way to know if they were even still in the area.
But there had to be something like a magical Google that would let me know if anyone had seen one in the last few years, and the librarian was the perfect person to ask. I started toward the massive building with my nose still stuck in the textbook and only looked up at the sound of cheers coming from the stadium. The library would just have to wait until after I’d signed-up for the battle magic program.
Students from every grade wandered under the archway into the stadium. The headmaster sat in the same area that he’d been in for the demonstration with Zinlar in the seat next to him. They watched as a man in dark robes walked out and motioned for all of us to sit in the stone bleachers.
“The human thinks he can play with battle magic?” Eldar sneered as I sat down.
“I do,” I said.
The dark-haired elf was a freshman summoner like me with the attitude of a senior. The creatures that he’d managed to summon in Professor Lovelace’s class had been subpar at best, and I’d passed him by a mile. He rolled his eyes at me and then pointedly turned to talk to the elf next to him while he studiously ignored me.
“Quiet,” a soft voice whispered through the chattering students.
It was raspy and dry, like sandpaper against my ears, and I turned to see the hooded professor at the bottom of the bleachers. His black robes covered all of him, so I couldn’t tell what kind of creature he was. He was definitely not human, unless he was older than my grandmother, and his frame was too thin to be a dragon, ogre, or any other big species.
“Now that I have your attention,” the man said in that same terrifying voice. “My name is Professor Louis. I will be your battle magic instructor. For those of you who are freshmen, you’ll have classes with me in the future, if you manage to stay that long.”
“Professor Louis?” a pixie with green hair gasped. “No way. He’s like… seriously scary.”
“I’ve heard that he used to be human,” another pixie said.
“Used to be?” I asked.
“He’s a vampire,” the green-haired man said and flapped his gossamer wings. “They’re like… super rare. At least, ones that can use magic are. Usually the dead can’t connect. Except for necromancers. Obviously.”
“If you’re done discussing my lineage,” Professor Louis said, and his raspy words made a shiver run up my spine. “As you know, battling outside of sanctioned arenas is highly illegal. However, it is important to know how to protect yourselves. The world is a dangerous place. The battle magic program is the perfect place to learn the skills you’ll need to survive. Healers will be available even during training. However, you’ll likely experience quite a bit of pain. If you are unable to handle that, then you should leave now.”
“Scared yet, human?” Eldar asked.
“Of you?” I laughed. “No. I think that I’ll be just fine.”
“I do not like to be interrupted,” the vampire said and took a deep breath like it hurt to talk. “Now. Each of you who are new to the program will need to have a mentor. These will be students that have fought in the arena before and can give you pointers.”
The hooded man motioned to the bottom row, and a group of twenty students stood and lined up behind the professor. Their species varied from pixie all the way to a giant, and Rarus was smack dab in the middle of them. The minotaur’s eyes were trained on me, and a smile tugged on his lips like it was his birthday.
“These will be your mentors,” Professor Louis said. “There are more of you than there are of them, but rest assured, the ratio will never be more than five to one. Practice will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You will not battle each time that you gather here, and most of your fights will be between those closer to your rank. This is a great opportunity to raise yourself out of obscurity, but only if you work hard. Now, please come line up so that your mentor can pick you.”
“They pick us?” the green-haired pixie asked. “What if no one wants me?”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” I reassured him and flashed a smile. “At least you’re not human.”
I led the way down to the field and lined up with all of the others, faced the mentors, and wondered which one would pick me. The giant in the underground ring had been decent at magic, but Rarus had been better, and the minotaur had his eyes on me. I didn’t exactly want to spend time with the walking anger management advertisement, but he was good at what he did, and there could be worse mentors.
Everyone went down the line, and the mentors picked out who they wanted. Rarus chose the green-haired pixie and a minotaur that I didn’t recognize. It was finally my turn and a few of the other mentors said that they’d teach the human, and an argument broke out about my potential that made me feel much better.
“I’ll be thrilled to have the human as my mentee,” Rarus said and stepped forward.
The conversation died immediately as the minotaur glared at everyone, and Professor Louis nodded his head in approval. I forced a smile on my face and lifted my chin to look Rarus in the eyes. Everyone else might be scared of him, but I wouldn’t back down, even if he could snap me in half like a twig with his bare hands.
