Summoner 18, p.13
Summoner 18, page 13
“Don’t be a baby,” I chuckled at my familiar, but when I went to pet the cat, Dio jumped up and bolted under the bed.
How a normally twenty-foot beast could be so scared of another creature was beyond me, but I decided to stop harassing the cat over it.
I turned my attention back to Veopa. “So, I know I look like them, obviously, but what else is possible beyond that? Do I have their abilities, too? Can I phase through walls? Float? Whatever other creepy things they can do?”
They cannot phase through walls, Veopa replied. Though they look like it, they aren’t quite like your human ghosts. They must obey the rules of this dimension. However, they can float, and you may utilize that gift to your advantage.
If this form had a mouth, I would’ve grinned. This was too wild. There were so many undiscovered things I could accomplish with Veopa’s ability, and I vowed that once I returned to Mistral, I would start experimenting with the goddess’ magic.
It is yours to utilize as you wish, master, the Archon purred.
After one last look at myself in the mirror, I utilized my extended stride and left the chamber. It was now or never, and I didn’t know how long I’d be able to maintain this strange new magic.
I floated down the corridor and relished in the odd feeling of it as I coasted. This body was lighter than my human one, and as the air rushed past me, I felt almost non-existent. This form was nearly enjoyable.
Aside from being creepy as fuck, of course.
My stomach plummeted as I spied a pair of Shadal out of the corner of my vision, and I did my best to calm myself. I couldn’t lose it now, or they would know I was an imposter.
So, I held my head forward and attempted to exude the calm energy of the Shadal. My efforts proved successful when the monsters moved right along, and I was grateful I didn’t have a mouth to make sound with.
I ascended the staircase and floated all the way to the third floor landing. The library. This was my final chance to gain an advantage over the Archons. Was I placing a ton of pressure on my shoulders for an object that may or may not mean anything? Of course. But the pressure I put on myself only motivated me further, and so with one deep inhale, I approached the hallway.
To no surprise, there were a few other Shadal based at the entrance of the room, but their guarded stances were still far more relaxed than they’d been the other day. Perhaps they were less tense because they’d yet to see my human form.
I wanted to laugh. If only the monsters knew I was right in front of them.
While there weren’t as many shadow creatures as before, the number was still far more than I preferred, and I had to think of a way to walk into the room without weirdness. Suspicions needed to stay to a minimum in order to stroll in without questioning, so I hovered midair and let my hands fall slack at my sides. I wasn’t sure of the correct posture to emulate, and I prayed to the Maker that my defenseless stance was innocent enough to convince them I was harmless.
I took a deep breath and then decided to face the door head-on. Could I just walk in, or was there some form of shadow creature protocol? Did Shadal need clearance, or did they just operate of their own accord?
Thankfully, not one of the creatures looked at me or attempted to stop me, and I managed to open the door without fault.
Yes, it had actually worked. I was in the library, and I hadn’t been caught. I wanted to cheer and rejoice in my victory, but my problems were far from over. There was still the matter of finding the shelves in the labyrinth of the room, and then reading through the volumes without being spotted by one of the real shadow creatures.
This wasn’t going to be simple.
The candlelight from the chandelier was dimmer than before, and I noticed only half of the candles were lit. The darkness made it more difficult to see, and in a mysterious room like this, there was no way it was coincidental.
Carth just had to make things as damn near impossible as she possibly could.
I remembered the display was tucked away at the back, though, so that’s where I moved. I began the journey through the shelves, and I nearly slammed right into a Shadal as I turned the first corner.
Damn. So, that’s where they’d all meandered to. Carth had really stepped up security since the last time Dio and I had been in here.
I resumed my non-threatening stance, and it seemed enough to satisfy the shadow creature. The translucent monster brushed past me silently, as if nothing had occurred, and floated toward the front of the room.
My heart thudded. That was a close one.
I continued on, and as I floated, I simultaneously cursed and praised the intricacy of the room’s layout. While it was irritating to swerve in and out of the wall-length shelves in the dim light, Carth had made an impressive effort to keep her secrets concealed, and I had to admire the amount of work she’d put in.
The black-bound volumes taunted me with their identical presence. The sheer amount of books was maddening, and I wondered how Carth had found so many.
Time moved at a snail’s pace, and I grew weary as I continued on. The room hadn’t seemed very large when I’d entered, but the twists and turns made the space feel as if it never ended. At several points, I wondered if I’d moved in circles, but with the same black volumes on every shelf, it was hard to establish a place marker. This labyrinth was intended to drive a person insane before they could locate what was hidden.
Finally, I froze in front of a shelf and gave up. This was too difficult to do without further magical interference, and I was tired of passing through the same areas over and over again.
Before I resolved to make my way to the front of the room, though, a strange sensation wavered through me as if I was being guided. I turned to the right and headed down a path I’d passed through a million times, but in the corner of my vision, I spotted a flash of red.
Praise the Maker.
I’d found the shelf.
I all but ran the rest of the way, and I finally spied what I’d come here for: the strange book bound in a stretched-out beige material.
I selected it from amongst the other leather-bound volumes, and as I plucked it away from the others, I experienced an overwhelming sensation, like I’d just unlocked a key to something. I glanced behind me in case Carth or any Shadal were watching me, but to my relief, no one else was around.
With nervous anticipation, I opened the book and was greeted by pages full of shiny black text. The characters were some kind of hieroglyphs, and the intricately drawn language made no sense to me, yet appeared familiar at the same time.
I brought the book closer to my face to study it further, and for a brief moment, I felt as if I could read what was written. This was all so strange…
Master, I suggest we get moving, Veopa interrupted my thoughts. You may have evaded suspicion for now, but your luck may not last.
The succubus Archon was right. The last thing I needed was for a Shadal to turn a corner and see me with the book Carth had worked so hard to bury, so I reached into my consciousness and summoned Sera.
“Sera, I need you,” I demanded.
As you wish.
Within seconds, my back began to quiver as Sera’s wing tattoos slipped off my skin, and then in a rush of black smoke, the dark-winged Archon appeared before me.
Sera was gorgeous in an otherworldly way. The Archon’s thick black hair was dense, and it waved down her bare back and contrasted with her extremely pale skin. Her eyes were large and tilted up at the corners, and her irises were a cat-like bright yellow. Her black-feathered angelic wings stretched outward, and the goddess let out a satisfied sigh.
“I’ve been needing to do that for so long,” she purred, and then the goddess gave me her full attention. “You wouldn’t believe how cramped it gets in there with all of these… additional bodies. But now that that’s handled, how can I help you, master?”
“I need you to take this book to Mistral,” I instructed her.
“Mistral,” Sera repeated back to me, and the Archon furrowed her eyebrows. “Where and why?”
“I can answer the ‘why’ pretty easily,” I began. “Sneaking this book out of the Shadowscape without Carth catching me is going to be next to impossible. It’s not as if I can stash it away in a coat pocket or something, so the next best thing is to have you take it into the human realm.”
“Master, I’m not sure I have the strength to make the journey there and back again,” Sera said quietly. “It exerted much of my energy the last time.”
“Are you fucking with me?” I growled.
“No!” she hissed. “The farther I travel from you… the harder it is. I was in incredible pain when I went to tell your women.”
“Oh,” I whispered as my anger cooled. “Sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Would it have mattered?” she asked as she shrugged her beautiful shoulders. “I do what you ask with hopes that you will compliment me, or pat me on the head, or give me any sign of affection. You don’t care about my pain.”
“That’s not true,” I replied.
“Isn’t it, though?” She raised an eyebrow. “If you want me to take the book all the way to your women, it will be agonizing, but I’ll do it for you. I’ll do anything for you, Gryff.”
“Fuck,” I murmured, and I brought one of my shadowy hands to the top of my head. “I suppose I could be way nicer to all of you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Sera sighed. “We just… I don’t think you understand how strong our desire is for you. It is another form of agony we all endure. But enough of that talk, what would you have me do?”
“Well…” I paused as I concocted a backup plan. “If you can’t teleport to Mistral without exerting yourself, maybe you could hide it away somewhere in the Shadowscape, and once I’m back, we can dispatch a team to retrieve it.”
“What if someone finds it first?” Sera wondered.
“Well, then you should make sure it’s hidden away somewhere safe,” I replied matter of factly. “Somewhere Carth won’t be able to track it, but easy enough for us to find later.”
“I suppose that isn’t the worst plan,” Sera said reluctantly, and the dark-winged Archon tilted her head to the side as she considered it. “Fine, I’ll stash it away. But maybe you’ll reward me?”
“Maybe,” I sighed as I handed the thick book off to the Archon. “Keep this safe. Hide it well. I don’t know what it says, but I have this feeling that it’s important.”
“Yes, master.” Sera nodded.
“I mean it, Sera.” I stared at her intensely, and though my eyes were nonexistent in this gaunt face, I tried to convey a commanding expression. It was effective, and with a lingering look at my lips, the winged Archon disappeared into thin air.
The researchers would be interested in the book, and with Arwyn’s superior intellect, I knew she would rise to the occasion and help me decipher the glyphs.
Though I was excited by the discovery, I couldn’t remain in the library any longer, so I began the journey out of the labyrinth. Thankfully, I managed to find my way quicker than I had earlier, and soon, I reached the library’s entrance. Surprisingly, no Shadal hovered at their posts, so my exit was easier than anticipated. I closed the door softly behind me and glanced around the corridor. I was completely alone, and I took the opportunity to fly down the stairs and back to my chamber.
Once I was in the safety of my room, I released the magic I’d borrowed from Veopa and let out a sigh as the strain of my mana released.
I outstretched my arms and felt a wave of happiness as my hands resumed their normal appearance. My spindly fingers shortened, my muscles grew back, and the color and solid appearance of my skin returned to me. My body returned to its normal height, and I twisted my back to release the tension that had built up.
Once I was certain the process was finally over, I flopped backward onto the bed. I was relieved to have my own appearance back and glad I hadn’t been discovered. I wouldn’t feel completely comfortable until Sera returned, but for now, things were well enough.
Did you find it, boss?
I nodded, and then I brought Dio up to speed on the mission. The saber-toothed cat’s eyes expanded as the story went on, and once it concluded, his fanged maw hung open.
That’s intense, he noted.
“Definitely,” I agreed as I stared up at the ceiling. After all of that excitement, I was ready to fall asleep for a thousand years.
Dio jumped up beside me, content with the idea of napping for a while, but our relaxation didn’t last.
A knock at the door rang out, and my blood chilled. Had I been caught so quickly? Carth made it abundantly clear that nothing happened in the castle without her knowledge, so perhaps I was a fool to think the magic had actually worked.
Hey, Veopa sniffed. Don’t blame the magic. It served its purpose and did it well. If you were discovered, it was not of my doing.
Settle down, Veopa, Phi snapped at the succubus Archon. No one’s accusing you of anything.
Let our master contemplate, Utuni chimed in.
Sweat beaded across my forehead. If I had been caught after all, I would have no other choice than to take Sera up on her idea to open up a direct portal. I wanted to outwardly keep the peace with Carth, but if the Archon had discovered the theft of the book, I could kiss that illusion goodbye.
I took a moment to compose myself. This would be one of the most difficult acting performances of my life. Then I walked to the door and opened it to find Carth waiting for me.
The Archon wasn’t in her usual leather bodysuit, and instead she wore a simple black shift dress that hugged her muscular frame just as well as the leather did. Her chestnut brown waves were smoothed back off her neck into a braided updo, and her ivory horns were particularly shiny, as if they were polished just for the occasion. The goddess’ russet eyes regarded me with soft fire, and I held back a nervous gulp. She looked every inch the warrior queen I knew she was, but I couldn’t allow her to think anything was amiss.
“Hello, Gryff,” the ivory-horned Archon purred. “May I come in?”
“Of course,” I replied, and I held the door open so she could enter. “This is your home after all. I can’t tell you where you can and can’t go.”
“It’s called respect, Beastmaker.” Carth snorted as she came inside. She made a direct route to the bed, and once there, she perched elegantly at the edge of the mattress and crossed her legs. “Sure, I could come and go and I wish, but I wanted you to feel as if you are in private quarters, not a public jail.”
The skirt of her dress rose high enough to give me an excellent view of her toned thighs, but I forced myself to focus on the goddess’ face.
“Well, thanks for that,” I muttered, and I peered at the Archon. “So, what can I do for you? Is this a social or a physical visit?”
“It can be whatever you want it to be,” the green-skinned goddess purred. “But I have something else I need to speak with you about.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. Shit. She knew.
“And what’s that exactly?” I prompted in an even voice.
The goddess came closer to me and kissed me gently on the cheek, and when she drew away, she raised a single eyebrow.
“Congratulations, Beastmaker.” Carth smiled widely. “You’ve survived the week.”
Chapter Seven
“But there’s still two days left.” I frowned at the goddess as I recounted the week in my mind.
Something didn’t quite add up here.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Carth said with a single, raspy laugh. “It’s been a full seven days since you arrived.”
“No way.” I shook my head. “It’s definitely only been five.”
Hadn’t it?
“Our lovemaking alone lasted a day, as did your depressive retreat to your chambers,” Carth argued with me, and her dark red lips curled up amusedly.
“I wasn’t depressed,” I muttered under my breath, but my mind was spinning.
How had I made love to her for an entire day?
“You locked yourself away after our little talk, and this is the first time I’ve seen you since,” the horned Archon contradicted me. “I didn’t realize the information I gave you would have hurt you so deeply, Beastmaker.”
“It was a lot to handle,” I agreed with the Archon. “But I’m coping much better now.”
“Either way, your time here is through,” Carth pouted, and I noticed her full dark red lips were coated in a glossy lipstick, as if the goddess had primped before visiting me in my chamber. “It’s unfortunate for me, of course, since your seed has evaded its rightful place in my womb, but you’ve fulfilled your end of our deal, so I must respect that and send you home to your human realm.”
Home. I was going home. My head was flooded with the images of all that I’d missed this week: sunshine, my wives, my girlfriends… Mistral. I was finally going to be reunited with them all.
Then my excitement was quelled as I thought about the situation. Was Carth really going to set me free, or was this all some kind of trap?
“Forgive me if I don’t entirely trust your word,” I said slowly as I assessed the Archon’s gorgeous face.
Carth’s fanged smile was dazzling, enough that I couldn’t trust her. Why was she so happy to see me go?
“Regardless of your faith in me, it is time for you to depart.” The green-skinned Archon shrugged, and then she stretched her arms behind her and leaned back on them. “I hate to see you leave, but I must honor our agreement. And besides, my sisters would not forgive me if I extended your visit.”
“That’s a shame,” I snorted. “And I thought they liked me.”
“They do.” Carth winked. “That’s precisely the issue. They all wish to have you, except for Quilla perhaps. She has managed to keep to herself through the duration of your stay.”
Huh. I hadn’t realized until Carth had pointed it out, but the skeleton Archon hadn’t made her presence known to me in the way Hunnah had, nor in the helpful way that Xanrith had. Maybe Quilla wanted nothing to do with me, a human. I didn’t take the goddess to be a snob, but at the same time, when it came down to it, I was her enemy, so I couldn’t blame her for remaining scarce. That worked well enough for me, anyways. Hunnah and Carth were horny enough for the four of them.
