Summoner 15, p.26
Summoner 15, page 26
She may have caught me off guard, but I had her right where I wanted her.
The shapeshifter goddess had just given me exactly what I needed.
And now she would suffer the consequences.
Chapter Fourteen
I scanned my dreamscape for the mysterious Archon, but the hazy blue-white clouds covered the area around me. The glow was blindingly bright, and it hurt my eyes to look at it for long, so I squinted to lessen the sting as I searched for Veopa.
I could sense her presence in my consciousness, but she didn’t move to attack, and a moment later, I grew impatient.
“Why are you hiding, Veopa?” I asked the swirling haze of blue-white clouds. “You came all this way, and you’re not even going to say hi?”
As I listened to the silence, I contemplated summoning my Archons to my side. I could sense them through our bonds, but I maintained a mental wall between us. Ever since the goddesses began to request I impregnate them, I’d established firmer boundaries inside my mind, but I was tempted to have them rouse Veopa from her hiding place.
Suddenly, I sensed movement behind me, and I swiveled just in time to see the hooded figure dart toward me through the mist. I slid to the side, but I stuck out my foot to trip the cloaked Archon.
Veopa leapt over my limb and tumbled in a blur of quilted animal pelts, then she landed nimbly on her feet and spun to face me.
I inhaled sharply when I saw beneath her hood. Veopa didn’t have a face. Instead of eyes, nose, and mouth there was only a formless swirling blue-white mask. As I watched with fascination, her face shifted, and the swirls intensified until they took on a skin tone then settled into an image I recognized well.
It was Arwyn.
“Hello, lover,” she said in a seductive voice, and her amber eyes were full of delight.
“Arwyn?” I froze as I stared into the familiar face of my teacher. “Is this a dream?”
Then the copy of my red-haired lover growled and leapt toward me with sharp nails extended, and her luscious red lips curled up to reveal rows of sharp fangs.
I dodged the attack and spun, then reached out to grasp onto the flapping animal-pelt cloak. The fabric shifted in my grasp, and a section that looked like snake skin grew until the entire cloak was made of the scaly material. Then it moved beneath my hand with reptilian smoothness. I dropped the fabric and stepped back as the snake-skin cloak morphed, and my mouth fell open when I realized Veopa had turned herself into a giant black cobra.
The snake lunged toward me at a breathtaking speed with long fangs extended, and I had to throw myself to the side to avoid being impaled by the foot-long poisonous tips. I landed on my shoulder with a thud, but before I could even catch my breath, the snake-shaped Archon twisted around my body like a constrictor.
“You’re… Mixing… Up… Snake… Types,” I gasped as the snake body squeezed around my torso. I gathered up my will power for as long as I could withstand the pressure against my ribs, and then I let out an enraged roar as my mana exploded out from me in a blast.
I fell in a crumpled heap as the body of the snake was blown to shreds, but as I pushed myself to my feet, I saw the cobra head slither away and start to shift. Before my eyes, Veopa climbed onto the thick muscular legs of a moose as ten-foot-wide antlers extended from her hooded head.
I’d fought against enough members of the Moose Clan to know their fighting tactics, and I prepared for the shapeshifter goddess to stampede toward me.
Sure enough, the herbivore-shaped Archon swiveled and pawed at the ground. I needed Veopa to get close to me in order to do damage, though, so I pretended not to notice her wind up. As the moose legs began to move, I braced myself and subtly gathered up a spear of my will.
The sound of thundering hooves filled my consciousness as the goddess barreled toward me, but I waited until the last possible moment before I crouched down, and just as her front legs came down on my head, I released my spear of magic straight into her chest.
Veopa flew backward from the force of my attack, and the stench of burning fur filled my consciousness. As I stood to inspect the damage, I saw the still smoking hole blown into her ribcage, and a blue-white glow was visible where the skin had once been.
Before I could enjoy my small victory, though, Veopa began to shift again, but this time she returned to her formless cloaked appearance. I could hear her breath coming in gasps, and she didn’t move for a long moment.
“Getting tired?” I smirked. “Not as powerful as you’d like me to think, huh?”
The blue-white swirls beneath her hood shifted once more, but this time Veopa’s faceless form transformed into the petite chin, rosy cheeks, and piercing blue eyes of Nia.
“You hurt me,” my ashen-haired lover’s doppelgänger whimpered. “Gryff, how could you? Don’t you love me? Don’t you want me to bear you children?”
“I know it’s you, Veopa.” I glared at the shapeshifter goddess. “I just watched you shift, dumbass.”
Veopa’s Nia mask crumpled into an angry, hostile expression I’d never seen on the beautiful mage’s face, and the effect was unsettling. I sent a silent plea to the Maker that I would never see such rage on the elementalist outside of my nightmares.
“Fine.” The Archon’s face shuddered and returned to the formless blue-white swirls. “You’re no fun.”
Then she spun around on her heels with a wave of her quilted animal-pelt cloak and disappeared into the glowing aura.
I sensed her presence grow fainter, so I slammed down my mental walls in the hopes she would be trapped inside my consciousness.
A soft laugh filtered into my ears, but it was impossible to pinpoint the direction since it seemed to be coming from all around me. Then silence fell, and I knew I’d been too late.
Veopa was getting away.
I cursed under my breath and chased after her. The blue-white mist swirled around me, and even though it got harder to track with every breath I took, I could still sense Veopa’s presence, so I sent out an arrow of my will toward her energy signature.
“Get back here!” I shouted, but I knew it was pointless, and I wasn’t surprised when she didn’t stop.
I couldn’t let her get away from me, not when she’d walked straight up to me like she was on a silver platter.
The shapeshifter goddess didn’t seem like the impulsive type, although she was obviously territorial, so I didn’t understand her random attack, but I planned on using it to my advantage.
So, I increased my pace as I followed Veopa’s presence, and I gathered my will into another arrow, but I enhanced the spell to attach a thread of my mana. Then I aimed carefully, took a deep breath, and released my magic projectile.
The navy-blue colored point shot out from my hands, and the attached thread slid through my fingers like a fish swimming through water. I kept my grip loose enough for the string to move, but tight enough for it to not escape my grasp.
With any luck, I would be able to follow Veopa back to her hiding place.
I sensed more than heard the arrow connect, and I grinned as I looked down at the thread remaining in my hand. Then I held on tight and let go of my hold on my consciousness.
I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t going to work, but I trusted my instincts, and I was hopeful.
Suddenly, the thread of power in my hands jerked forward, and I was carried along with it. I flew through the blue-white aura at a stomach lurching speed, and the force of the wind on my face burned my eyes, but I held on for all I was worthwhile my heartbeat thudded in my ears.
When I blinked, the blue-white aura was gone, and I was in the Shadowscape. The typical overpowering odor wasn’t present, but I would recognize the always twilight purple sky anywhere. I scanned the skies then followed the navy thread of magic I’d created to its anchored point, and I saw the quilted animal pelt cloak of the shapeshifter goddess fluttering through the air ahead of me. The barbed point had buried into the fabric of her garment, and after inspecting it, I was confident it wouldn’t fall out, so I turned my gaze to the ground.
Below me, the land was covered in scraggly trees clinging to the slopes, but then I flew over some ancient ruins in the crevice between three mountain peaks. At the center of the crumbled remains was a building I recognized.
The library of the Guardians.
It seemed like weeks had passed since our battle for the books, but the signs of a recent struggle in the landscape below me reminded me that only a day had gone by.
A moment later, the remains of the library were out of sight, and nothing but twisted trees dotted the frozen wasteland. We were moving faster than I could fly with my vingehund wings, and it was hard to catch details as we passed over the landscape, but I tried to memorize as much as I could.
I noticed monsters scattered about the landscape, and several were in the midst of struggles over food, but most of them were covered in the poisonous mutations. As I watched, a small furry beast latched onto its opponent, and then the toxic pus erupted from the victim’s back and sprayed over both creatures. Then pained bellows filled my ears as the monsters writhed on the ground in an attempt to remove the deadly liquid.
I grimaced and looked away from their tortured deaths, but I couldn’t escape their screams.
The Shadowscape side of Vay was wild, chaotic, and violent, but I supposed that was how the monster realm was in Mistral, too. Still, it wasn’t pleasant to get a bird’s eye view of all the horrors.
I swallowed down my disgust and refocused on the path Veopa traveled through the sky.
We were headed in a northeastern direction toward a towering snowcapped peak. As we neared the top, I noticed a monolithic structure with stone pillars several stories tall and a giant iron door, but once I got closer, I saw the columns were carved into stacks of animal shapes. It resembled the temple outside Vysion, as well as the one in Vyguard where we’d investigated the crypts.
Veopa slowed as she approached the building, and I inhaled sharply as I realized our journey was at an end.
I’d found her hiding spot at last.
I needed to get back to my body. I needed to wake up, but I wasn’t sure how. I wasn’t sure what would happen if I let go of the strand of magic connecting me to the shapeshifter goddess, but I didn’t want to be a disembodied consciousness stuck in the Shadowscape.
Still, I had to do something or I would land at Veopa’s temple right in front of her face.
So, I took a deep breath, and I pictured my tent where my naked shapeshifting wife laid by my sleeping body, blissfully unaware of the journey her husband was on. Then I opened my fists and let the navy strand of magic fall out from my hands.
Suddenly, a sucking sensation pulled me backward, and I receded across the landscape like water swirling down a drain. My stomach lurched, and the blood left my face as I hurtled across the Shadowscape in a blur of motion. Then the pressure built until I thought my insides would liquify, and the ruins of the Shadowscape version of Vyguard flashed past my eyes.
A moment later, a loud cracking sound filled my ears, and an intense pressure pushed against me like I was being pressed through something solid. The sensation increased, and pain shot through my skull. For an instant, I thought I was going to die, but then the feeling stopped.
I laid in total darkness, and the silence was unnerving, but I was grateful the squeezing pressure had ended.
Was I dead? Or only asleep?
“Gryff?” Freya’s soft voice was full of worry. “Gryff, are you okay?”
I gasped and sat upright. The texture of the bedroll beneath me seemed unfamiliar, and I blinked around at the tent like I’d never seen it before. The sun was still shining on the edge of the wester horizon, and the shelter was filled with a warm orange glow.
I smelled the air with a smile as I turned to face my wife, and Freya stared at me with a confused look in her gold-flecked eyes as she tilted her head to one side.
“Are you okay?” she asked again with a pointed expression. “You were shaking and mumbling in your sleep.”
“Veopa attacked me in my dreamscape,” I informed my wife with a grin.
“What!” The warrior princess’ eyes went wide, and her mouth hung open. “You were attacked? How is that possible? You were right beside me the whole time.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said in a reassuring voice as I reached for my wife’s hands. “I’m fine, I’m right here.”
“Gryff, I’m so sorry,” Freya said as she twined her fingers between mine, and the pain in her voice cut me deep. “I failed to protect you.”
“Stop,” I said in a firm tone, but then I softened my expression and gave the warrior princess a sympathetic smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is good news! It means I know where to find Veopa!”
She blinked at me for a long silent moment, but then she regained her composure, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I’m glad you’re happy, my love.”
“Me, too.” My grin grew wider. “Once I capture Veopa, we can go back to Mistral. I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone. Maelor is going to love you.”
“Maelor is the one who raised you?” Freya asked.
“Yep,” I replied, but my smile slowly fell as I remembered how my father figure still thought I was dead.
“What is it?” The warrior princess missed nothing.
“Maelor thinks I’m dead,” I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. “I can’t even get a letter to him or anything. I feel so bad for him… ”
“We will see him soon,” my wife assured me. “Think of his surprise when you come back from the dead.”
“Yeah, exactly,” I chuckled. “I don’t want to give him a heart attack!”
“Stay focused on getting us there, then.” My wife slipped into the demeanor of a warrior princess accustomed to being listened to, and I had a feeling I’d be seeing more of this version of her once our children were born.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied with a wry smirk. “Now, I need to go find Arwyn and tell her about my encounter with Veopa. We’ll probably be leaving soon, so be ready.”
“Of course.” Freya inclined her head slightly, but her gold-flecked eyes were amused.
So, I searched around the tent in the fading light of sunset for my clothes, and after I was dressed, I slipped out into the cold evening air in search of the squad leader.
I found Arwyn sitting with Cyra and Nia near the fire, and the three women passed a bag between them and shared whatever was inside. They giggled and whispered to themselves, and their heads were bent together, so my approach went unnoticed.
I cleared my throat when I stood a few feet away from them, and all three beautiful faces turned to me as one. Then I swallowed down the lump in my chest as I looked into their eyes.
Maker, it was good to see them in the flesh. My real lovers, not a mirage.
Veopa’s use of their images had affected me more than I thought.
“What is it, Gryff?” Arwyn asked, and her amber eyes filled with concern.
“I… She… ” I stammered, then I cleared my throat again and shook off my daze. “I know where Veopa is.”
“How?” Cyra gasped.
“Where?” Nia demanded.
“Ladies,” Arwyn admonished, “let him speak.”
“Thank you.” I smirked. “So, she attacked me in a dream, and I followed her back to her temple in the Shadowscape. I know the way, we can go straight to her.”
Cyra and Nia both opened their mouths to comment, but the red-haired professor lifted her hand to silence them.
“While I am really interested in hearing all about this dreamscape encounter,” Arwyn remarked in the tone of a squad leader, “I think we should table the rest of the discussion until we are on the airship. No time to waste, pack your things. We leave in an hour.”
Then she pushed herself up from the ground and smoothed down her blouse with a swift sweep of her hands before she marched toward the soldiers’ tents.
“You heard the woman,” I told my two lovers who remained on the ground. “Let’s get this camp taken down.”
“Oh, of course, Captain Gryff,” Cyra said in a sarcastic voice.
“Right away, sir.” Nia rolled her beautiful blue eyes, but she pushed herself to her feet and then reached down to give the summoner a hand.
Cyra winked at me as she and the elementalist strode away toward our circle of tents, and I couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling out of my mouth as I watched them walk away.
Maker, I loved them.
An hour later, we were all boarded on the large flying vessel, and I sat between Arwyn and Nia, with Cyra and Freya in the seats in front of me. Braden, Mati, and Varleth sat behind us, and Mur laid with his legs curled beneath him in the aisle. I’d noticed the moose kid was talking less and less, but he seemed content to just be a part of the group.
Lieutenant Danny had rounded up his men and prepared for departure with military efficiency, and even though the shadows of twilight lengthened, he didn’t hesitate to get the vessel up into the air. The young officer had earned my respect during our voyage across Vay, and I was looking forward to getting to know him more when we weren’t in a hostile land with a rabid Archon bent on destroying humanity.
I’d given him basic directions from Vyguard, and I knew the mountain peak would stand out in comparison to the surrounding landscape, so I hoped the trip to the northeast went quickly.
Once the shuddering and vibrating motions of the airship taking off subsided, Arwyn gave me a pointed look.
“Gryff, tell us about your dream,” the healer said with a smile of encouragement.
“And please, for the love of the Maker,” Varleth added in a dry voice, “leave out the sex parts.”
“Hey!” Mati shot Varleth an annoyed look. “You don’t speak for everyone. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long flight, a little entertainment would be nice.”
“Ew, gross, babe,” Braden murmured with a disgusted face. “It’s bad enough I’ve had to live with him, don’t make me hear the details.”
