Summoner 20, p.5
Summoner 20, page 5
“Oh, thank the Maker.” Terrowin let out a sigh of relief. “I knew you weren’t, Professor Gryff, it was just something I needed to ask you anyways.”
“I appreciate you coming to me with this rumor,” I replied. “But know it’s nothing more than that. I’m no king, and I’m especially not a king of monsters or some kind of harbinger of an apocalypse. I’m a mage, just like everyone else.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but I needed to sway them in that direction anyways.
“Don’t worry, we’ve been telling everyone it’s a load of dragon dung,” Arty said as he crossed his arms against his chest. “You’re a dedicated summoner who’s led our side to victory on numerous occasions. How could you ever be king of the beasts we’ve fought so hard against?”
“We?” Darius snorted, and Arty playfully reached out and punched the dark-haired summoner in the shoulder.
“You know what I mean,” he laughed. “‘We’ as in all of Mistral.”
“I was just giving you shit.” Darius smirked, and the boy wrapped his arm around Arty’s shoulder. “I know we’re all in this fight together, Canterwell. Professor Gryff’s in it, too. If he were some kind of monster king, he wouldn’t have defended Varle against the herd attack, or any of the other times we’ve been attacked.”
“Besides, if you wanted to rule over everyone, you probably would’ve made your move already,” Syman assessed in a casual tone. “You have your Archons. You could have easily subjected all of us to your rule by now, but you’re still here at the Academy. A bloodthirsty, apocalypse-bringing person wouldn’t bother with classes or schoolwork. He’d be out there conquering lands and bending others to his will.”
Terrowin, Arty, and Darius chuckled at that, and I couldn’t help but give a laugh of my own.
“I appreciate you all standing up for me to your peers,” I said, and I offered each of the students a warm smile. “That really means a lot, and I’m sure it isn’t easy to do.”
“Of course,” Terrowin insisted, and her light-brown eyes were sympathetic. “We like you, Professor Gryff. We know you’d never betray us.”
The bell rang again, and my students all peered at each other with wide eyes.
“I’ll write you all late passes for your next lecture,” I announced to the class. “It’s my fault you were late to begin with, and I don’t want your other professors to get too angry with you.”
True to my word, I climbed over my desk, took a seat, and began to scribble down late passes for them, and once I signed them with my most formal signature, I passed them out to my students.
“I’ll see you all on Wednesday,” I said before they left. “Great work today, everyone.”
“Thanks, Professor Gryff!” my students said in unison, and they stumbled out of the classroom en masse.
I leaned back in my seat, and once the room was clear, I let out a sigh of relief. That had been far too close of a call for my comfort. I had no idea how anyone at the Academy would’ve come to the conclusion I was the Beastmaker, but I hoped the rumor would disappear just as quickly as it had arrived.
Master, when will you accept you are the Beastmaker? Sera spoke up from the recesses of my mind. Your fellow classmates might see it as being a terrible thing, but to us, it isn’t. Why not embrace your destiny?
“The destiny I have in mind, and the destiny you have in yours, are two completely different things,” I sighed. “And besides, you said it yourself not too long ago. You aren’t even one hundred percent certain I’m the Beastmaker to begin with.”
When I’d been in Carth’s palace in the Shadowscape, I’d asked Sera and the others point-blank if I was the Beastmaker, and at first, Sera had said yes, but moments later, the dark-winged Archon admitted she was only mostly certain I was the figure from the prophecy.
She said her hypothesis stemmed from a physical feeling she’d gotten when we’d fucked. According to the monster goddesses, the Beastmaker was destined to lead them to their salvation and become the father of half-monster, half-human children who would only further aid their quest for dominion, but I didn’t want any part of that. The Archons wanted me to take my place as conqueror of the human realm, but I wasn’t a monster, and I certainly wasn’t a conqueror. I was just a summoner bent on capturing the Archons so the human realm could achieve peace once more.
You wouldn’t be able to conquer us if it weren’t for your magic, Sera pointed out. You’re special, Gryff. Besides, it’s not only us who’ve referred to you as the Beastmaker. I’ve heard you use the title for yourself, so there has to be at least some part of you that knows--
“Sera, I don’t want to talk about this right now,” I sighed again, and with a wave of my will, I tightened the wards around the dark-winged Archon. When I’d first captured the monster goddesses in my consciousness, they ran their mouths incessantly, but now that my power was stronger, they rarely spoke up unless called upon. However, I noticed when I was stressed, Sera managed to break through the wards, and more often than not, she used those moments as an opportunity to convince me to go to the dark side.
I shook off Sera’s comments, took another breath, and gathered both my belongings and my emotions. At the end of the day, the rumors spread by students at the Academy weren’t something to concern myself with. They were just the words of kids who didn’t know anything about the situation, and I needed to move on from it all.
I knew in my heart I wasn’t a monster, and that’s all that mattered.
Now that my substitute teaching duties were finished for the day, I found myself with some time to kill, so I decided to take some time and go over to the Academy’s library. As much as I didn’t want to think about the comprehensive exam, I needed a distraction, and I figured I should at least be a little productive.
The winding corridors were bustling with students, but thanks to the rumors about me, everyone kept their distance, and I was able to meander through the hall with ease. Mages avoided eye contact with me, so I resigned myself to a quiet stroll. Part of me was irritated at how many people thought I was some kind of mythical villain, but the other part appreciated being left alone for once since there were always so many presences vying for my attention
The Academy’s library wasn’t nearly as full as I’d anticipated, and I let out a soft sigh of relief when I crossed into the quiet room. The library was an excellent refuge from the noise and the clusters of people, and I was genuinely looking forward to focusing on my work for a little while.
I started to make my way over to the section where the study rooms resided when I heard my name echo through the room. My heart thudded in my chest. Fuck, who could that be? I turned to find the source, and I let out a deep breath when I recognized a familiar face behind me.
“Gryff!” Mur waved at me, and a smile broke across my face when I noticed the shapeshifter’s grin.
Mur was a moose shapeshifter we’d brought back with us from the Southern Clans, and up until recently, he’d been under a spell created by Veopa that kept him trapped in the form of a moose. I’d managed to convince the succubus goddess to release him from the enchantment, and now he had the form of a man a few years younger than myself, with curly dark hair and eyes and a lanky frame. He would have blended in amongst our peers completely if it weren’t for the pair of moose antlers that rose from his dark-brown curls.
“Hey, Mur, how are you?” I asked him once he made his way over to me.
“I’m doing great!” Mur answered in the language of the Clans. The moose shifter was still mastering the common tongue of Mistral, so when it was just us, he preferred to speak in his native language. “Look, Gryff, the headmaster gave me robes of my very own to wear! Aren’t they neat?”
I was still so swept up in my own thoughts I hadn’t even noticed the emerald-green robes the shapeshifter was outfitted in. Every mage at the Academy wore different robes that denoted their class: blue for summoners, red-trimmed white for adept mages, and gold for elementalists. While Mur and Freya both possessed magic that allowed them to change into animal form, they didn’t exactly fit into one of the standard mage categories, so Headmaster Sleet had decided on green for their robes.
“That’s so cool, Mur,” I responded with a genuine smile. “And you look great in those robes. Has Headmaster Sleet given you a class schedule yet, or are you doing one-on-one tutoring at the moment?”
“Right now, I am taking private classes with Miss Hamner,” Mur answered. “But she is hoping that once I get a better understanding of the common tongue, I can take other classes. I am most looking forward to Combat and Survival so I may train to become a great warrior like you and Orenn.”
On our last mission, my friend, the metallogue Orenn Vascarti, had taken Mur under his wing, and the moose shapeshifter regarded the adept mage with awe.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” I said. “Arwyn’s an amazing teacher, and she’ll have you speaking fluently in no time. You’re going to love taking the other classes here, too. Combat is challenging, but it can only help you out down the road.”
“I hope so,” Mur replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve learned much already, but there’s still some difficulty. I’d like to make some friends, but it’s a little hard when your words sound like you have a mouthful of rocks.”
“You spoke with our friends pretty well in the Shadowscape,” I pointed out to him. “Sure, it was a bit rough, but you managed to speak the common tongue fairly well.”
“I meant friends… of the female persuasion,” Mur admitted to me quietly, and his cheeks reddened as his eyes fell to the floor.
“Ohhhh,” I realized. It was simple enough to understand. Mur wanted a girlfriend. He’d expressed desire for companionship at Braden’s wedding, but I didn’t realize he was pushing himself so hard to learn the common tongue so he could court women.
“It’s hard enough having a set of moose antlers,” Mur continued on as he self-consciously rubbed the wicked-looking ivory horns at the top of his head. “I’ve seen some pretty girls, but when I go to speak, I forget my words, and they just… sound like honks or growls. I don’t want to scare them off any more than I already do.”
“You’ll find someone, Mur,” I assured the shapeshifter, and I clasped his shoulder gently. “You’re an awesome guy, and now you’re officially a student at the Academy. This place is full of all varieties of mages, so I’m sure you’ll meet the right person eventually. I promise.”
“I hope you are correct, Gryff,” Mur said, and then he looked down at my book bag. “Oh, are you going to study? I’m sorry to keep you captive for so long with my talk of women troubles-- ”
“Yeah, I was going to go hit the books for a bit.” I nodded. “I have a tutoring session with Arwyn later, but I could use all of the extra reading I can get. I was going to go post up in a study room for a while, and you’re more than welcome to join me if you want.”
“I think I’m going to head back to my room for now,” the moose shapeshifter decided. “Perhaps we can study together another day?”
“Just name the time and place, and I’ll be there.” I smiled at my friend, and Mur’s dark-brown eyes lit up.
“Thanks, Gryff,” the moose shapeshifter said. “I’m glad I decided to stay here in Varle instead of returning to the Clans. I think this will be a good thing for me, even if it is difficult at first.”
“I’m glad you’re here, too,” I said as my friend and I shared a quick side-hug, and then we went our separate ways.
As I resumed my walk to the study rooms, I sent a quick prayer to the Maker that Mur’s transition to Academy student went well. He was a good kid with a big heart, and I wanted nothing more than for him to be successful at whatever he wanted to accomplish. His time in the Clans had been unfulfilling, and I wanted to make sure he had a much better life here in Varle than he did back in the Southern Continent.
I holed up in a study room for a while and went back and forth between reading and taking notes. There was a lot of information to remember, and I wanted to make sure I retained it as well as possible.
You worry so much about this exam, and for what reason? Sera purred in my mind.
“Because this is comprehensive,” I answered the Archon in an irritated tone. Apparently, I hadn’t tightened the wards around her as strongly as I thought I had. “It’s not just some test to me, Sera, this is important.”
I understand its importance, Sera sighed. I meant why fret over the answers when you have the tools that would allow you to pass with ease?
“What do you mean?” I asked, though I was sure I knew what the Archon was about to suggest.
We can assist you, master, the dark-winged goddess said. What good is it to have ancient and knowledgeable goddesses within you if we cannot help you with the answers to your test? Simply give us the subject material, and we’ll repeat the words in your mind later.
“That’s cheating,” I replied in a firm voice. “I’m not a cheater, Sera, and I don’t want to start heading down that slope any time soon.”
I’d like to think of it as utilizing your resources, Sera contradicted me. This exam tests your expertise in magic and history. Why not use your magic and ours to aid you? You wouldn’t need to stress any further...
“I don’t think Headmaster Sleet or Arwyn would see it that way,” I objected. “I chose to take this exam because I wanted to prove to them I could handle it and that I’d learned enough in the field to be able to resume my classes. Sleet offered to let me jump back into them without taking the test, but I wanted to do the right thing. Cheating counteracts that plan completely.”
If you say so, Sera groaned in an exasperated tone. The offer still stands should you become overwhelmed by all of this studying. You should be filling your days with more exciting ventures, like driving that wonderful cock of yours into my--
“Goodbye, Sera,” I sighed, and with another wave of my will, I made sure the black-feathered Archon wouldn’t be able to speak another word.
While she had a point, I didn’t want to cheat my way to victory. I wanted to earn it fair and square, so I turned my attention back to my textbooks. Boring as it was, I wanted to prove myself as a good student worthy enough to resume my third-year classes.
The rest of the week flew by in a blur. In between wedding planning, studying, and teaching, I was definitely busy, but in the best way possible.
On Wednesday, I resumed the lecture I’d put off in favor of battle on Monday, and while the students seemed a little disappointed they were reading from a book rather than sparring against each other, they answered every one of my questions in a way that proved they’d been paying attention to Braden. They were actively engaged in the lecture and asked thoughtful questions that demonstrated the maturity they’d acquired in the past year.
“No offense to Professor Flint, but can you come back and co-teach the class once he’s returned from his honeymoon?” Arty asked me in a half-serious, half-joking tone as he sat up straighter in his seat. “We’re really going to miss having you around, Professor Gryff.”
“I’m going to miss you guys, too,” I admitted to the redheaded boy. “It’s been really great to get to see you guys again and see just how much you’ve improved as summoners. That being said, I will try to come back and teach a few classes here and there once I’ve gotten past my own exams and a few other things in my personal life…”
“Professor Gryff, is it true you’re marrying that summoner with the pretty black hair and the little dragon?” Terrowin asked with a dreamy expression.
“Her name is Cyra,” I replied with a small smile. “And yes. We’re going to be getting married soon, which is definitely going to occupy a little bit of my time.”
“That’s so cute,” the square-jawed summoner sighed, and she rested her head in her hands.
“Don’t go getting any ideas, Terrowin,” Syman teased her from his seat one row down. “You and Silvermane are way too young to get hitched--”
“Oh, hush it, Syman!” Terrowin whipped around in her seat and interrupted the sandy-haired boy. “We aren’t getting married anytime soon--”
“Yeesh, calm down, I was only kidding--”
“Alright, everyone, settle down,” I interjected. While I had to recognize the maturity the students had acquired, I also needed to remind myself they were still young and had a lot of growing up to do. Lucky for me, the bell rang and spared me from having to discipline the summoners. “Everyone study the next chapter, we’re going to have a short quiz on Friday!”
The students gathered their things without another word and hustled on to their next classes, and I slumped down in my chair. I had to give Arwyn some credit. I had no idea how the beautiful professor managed to keep students in line all day.
I brought up this fact to my crimson-haired lover later that day, and she gave me a small laugh in return.
“I can’t take too many compliments there,” she insisted as she leaned against her desk. “I simply love the job. It’s fulfilling to teach my favorite subjects to young minds, especially when the students are as amazing as you.”
“Now who’s giving too many compliments,” I chuckled as I rose from my seat and crossed over to Arwyn’s desk. Then I placed my hands on the professor’s waist and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
“Oh, Gryff,” Arwyn moaned in my mouth.
Since the gorgeous redhead had found out she was pregnant, she’d gotten a million times hornier than before, which suited me just fine. This newfound horniness was super sexy, and I enjoyed every minute I got to spend drinking in her gorgeous frame.
We went on like this for a while, until Arwyn finally suggested we start our tutoring session.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” the crimson-haired healer murmured, and she gently tugged on my lower lip with her teeth.
I felt a stir in my lower half, and it was nearly impossible to pull myself away from my sexy lover, but Arwyn’s heavy-lidded stare convinced me she would indeed make it worth it.
