Summoner 19, page 2
part #19 of Summoner Series
“Let me help,” Xanrith sighed, and the Archon took my hands. “Look into my eyes, and concentrate on your breathing. Just as we did with the maripor.”
While I would’ve preferred to stick it out, I had a goddess with healing abilities at my disposal, so it was useless to pretend I wasn’t in pain.
Xan’s violet eyes were soothing as I stared into them, and as their hue grew more vivid, I felt the aches and pains from my body begin to fade away. Within a few moments, they were gone completely, and Xan broke her hypnotic gaze.
“Better?” she asked.
“Yes.” I nodded as I stretched out my arms. “Thank you.”
Now that the pain was gone, I shifted my focus to the crystal in my hands and was surprised to see the strange shape of it. Each essence crystal changed when a monster was captured inside of it, so I had a wide array of different gems, but this one was particularly pretty. The crystal was clear, but multi-faceted, and resembled the head shape of the quartzriel. It also glittered brilliantly in the light, as if it were a diamond.
“That’s so pretty,” Cyra breathed as she stepped over. “And though I want to kick your butt for doing something so risky, it’s fucking awesome you were able to capture that monster.”
“So, I’m forgiven?” I winked at the summoner as I stashed the crystal away into my bandolier.
“I suppose.” Cyra rolled her dark brown eyes, but her smile was playful. “You’re on thin ice, though.”
“I’ll tread carefully,” I joked.
Suddenly, her eyes flashed upward, and she pointed ahead. “Hey, we have company!”
“Gryff!” a deep voice called out, and I looked up to see a familiar face atop a winged monster. It belonged to my former roommate, Braden Flint, and the ox-like summoner’s dark gray eyes were round as he flew by on his king gryphon and took in the sight of the Archons surrounding me.
“Braden!” I replied with a grin. “Finally!”
He landed his king gryphon on the ground beside the vingehund. My friend’s summons was an impressive monster that was half-lion, half-eagle, and it was large enough to hold multiple passengers on its back.
Along with Braden sat two others I hadn’t originally spotted behind his massive frame. One was Headmaster Sleet, and the other was my father-in-law, Gallahar Kenefick, Nia’s dad and the Grand Mage of Mistral.
“Sera’s returned as well,” Veopa noted as her silver eyes stared off into the distance. “I’m actually somewhat surprised.”
The dark-winged Archon was right behind our friends, and her cat-like bright yellow eyes flashed arrogantly as she landed her snapdarner next to the king gryphon. Her dragonfly monster beat its iridescent wings softly and let out a coo as Sera dismounted. Sera stroked the creature affectionately, and then she walked over to assist Gallahar and Headmaster Sleet off Braden’s gryphon.
“I think we can manage,” Gallahar addressed the Archon curtly.
Gallahar and Sleet didn’t trust the Archons, so I wasn’t surprised they didn’t want to take her hand.
“Suit yourself.” Sera shrugged, and the goddess tossed her mane of black hair behind her shoulder.
Gallahar dismounted the king gryphon first, followed by Sleet, and once their feet were on the ground, they rushed over to Cyra and me, with Braden right behind them.
“We shall leave so your human friends will be more at ease,” Xanrith decided as they approached. “While they’ve met me before, all of us at once may be a bit overwhelming.”
“Thank you,” I said to the flame-winged Archon. “I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”
“Of course, master.” The dark-skinned goddess winked at me, and once the words left her lips, she dissolved into azure mist, and I felt my rib cage tingle as her tattoo returned to my body.
One by one, the rest of the Archons followed suit, and my entire body vibrated as their tattoos decorated my skin. Once they were all back in the corners of my consciousness, I turned to face my friends.
“Gryff, are you alright?” Gallahar Kenefick asked, and the Grand Mage’s piercing blue eyes were huge with concern as he addressed me. “Where did your Archons go?”
“I’m fine, sir,” I assured him, but the elementalist didn’t seem too convinced. “And I sent the Archons back into my mind.”
“Enough of this ‘sir’ business.” Gallahar scrunched up his nose. “We’re beyond that point, son.”
Without another word, my father-in-law approached me and swept me up into a hug. I hugged him back, and he ended the embrace with a light pat on my back.
“Fair enough.” I grinned at him.
“I’m glad to see you and Miss Cyra are alright,” the headmaster said. “When your Archon came to us, we feared the worst.”
“It didn’t help that she was rather vague about the affair,” Gallahar added with a huff. “She would only tell us you were in danger, and it had to do with Carth.”
“Yeah, sorry, I should have been clearer when I gave instructions to her,” I said, and I fought back a sigh.
“It’s good to see you, Gryff,” Braden said, and then the ox-like summoner broke out into a huge grin. “Despite the circumstances, that is. I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but it looks like you and Cyra had things under control.”
“We managed alright,” I laughed. “But I appreciate it, my friend. It’s good to see you as well.”
“So, what happened here, precisely?” Sleet wondered as he studied the field. “We heard quite a commotion in the Enclave, but by the time we realized it was one of Carth’s monsters, Sera showed up on her snapdarner.”
Braden looked out onto the field and shook his head as he took in the sight. “When we first breached the gates, we saw a huge dragon-looking creature. It was one of the biggest monsters I’ve ever seen.”
“The other Archons informed me it’s called a quartzriel,” I informed him, and Braden frowned as he searched his memory for it. “It’s apparently rare and was one of the last of its kind.”
“Well, we saw you catch it from all the way up in the sky,” Braden remarked. “So, where’s Carth? Is she still around?”
“It’s a long explanation,” I answered the ox-like summoner. “But to answer the first question… Carth isn’t here. She retreated into the Shadowscape.”
As I caught them up to speed on the battle against the horned Archon, Sleet, Braden, and Gallahar all studied me with expressions that hovered between concern and contemplation, and my stomach was in knots as I waited for one of the mages to say something.
Are they always so articulate? Phi snorted inside my mind, and I further braced her wards to keep her from saying anything else.
Finally, Headmaster Sleet cleared his throat.
“So, you wish to strike now,” he clarified in an even tone. “Am I following you correctly, Mister Gryff?”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded. “I’m worried that if we let too much time pass, her next attack against us will be more intense and spell more disaster.”
“Striking while she is weak isn’t a bad strategy,” Gallahar admitted, and the elementalist ran a hand through his silver-streaked dark hair. “I must express concerns over the plan, though.”
“Oh,” I said softly. I wasn’t expecting opposition from my superiors on this one. I figured they would be completely on board to go after Carth and her alliance.
“It’s not bad, Gryff,” the Grand Mage reassured me. “I just want to make sure we analyze the situation before we leap in.”
“Was Carth alone?” Sleet wondered. “Or were the other two with her as well?”
“She was alone.” I shook my head. “I’m not sure what kept Hunnah and Quilla away. The other Archons are wondering if their alliance remains or if it has splintered off.”
“That’s a perplexing question, indeed,” Sleet remarked, and he thoughtfully stroked his closely-trimmed beard.
“If they are aligned, I wonder why they didn’t all come,” Gallahar noted. “Unless this was just a mission to retrieve the book.”
“That’s what Carth claimed,” I said as I thought about this point. “She wanted Xanrith and I to join her and the others, as well as to hand over the book, but obviously, we refused both.”
“So, Crystyn was correct,” Sleet pointed out with a thoughtful expression on his serious face. “At least we know that part of her information was helpful.”
My heart raced as I thought of Crystyn. For a long time, I’d known the mysterious woman as Jace, and she’d randomly shown up at various points in a black hood. Then, when Ashla and I had gone on a mission to a village called Dassian’s Keep to retrieve Carth’s book that Sera had stolen from the Shadowscape, Jace had beaten us there and revealed her true identity as my father’s twin sister.
I’d yet to determine whether my aunt was a friend or a foe, and after our last conversation, I wasn’t quite ready to think about her yet. Crystyn was a problem I would have to face eventually, but for now, we needed to focus on Carth.
“Sir, I don’t mean to rush, but we’ve been here for a while, and I’m concerned Carth is getting further and further away,” I prompted the headmaster. I thought I’d made the urgency clear in my explanation, but the two elder elementalists seemed reluctant to answer.
Gallahar and Sleet exchanged glances with each other as they considered the best course of action, and as the pair of renowned mages thought about it, Braden stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“I’ll come with you,” the ox-like summoner volunteered, and he stuck his chest out slightly. “Into the Shadowscape. If you’re going after Carth, you’ll need backup, and in the time you were gone, my magic has only improved. I want to help you in any way I can, Gryff.”
“You’re a true friend, Braden.” I smiled at him. “And I have no doubt you’re an even more powerful summoner than you were before. If you want to join me, I won’t oppose. I’d love to have you at my side.”
“Ugh, you guys are cute,” Cyra snorted.
“Will you be coming, too, Cyra?” Braden asked the dark-skinned summoner, and Cyra eyed me warily.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I know I could handle it, but Milo--”
“If you don’t want to come, I won’t force you,” I assured my lover. “Our son takes priority. I’m sure Braden and I could handle ourselves just fine.”
“If you’re going to the Shadowscape to go after Carth, I’d prefer for you to take a larger team,” Sleet advised. “Something tells me the Archons are going to use their home as a battle advantage.”
“I agree with the headmaster,” Gallahar declared with a strong jaw. “I don’t want you two to go in alone and get yourselves hurt when there are plenty of other strong mages who can fortify your team. I’d suggest we leave here at once, get to the Academy, and round up some suitable members. Mister Prost and Mister Vascarti, perhaps?”
“As well as Mister Maddox,” Sleet added. “He has proven himself to be a strong mage, and it’d be good to have an elementalist on your side.”
“I would tell you to take my daughter as well, but seeing as she just had the twins…” Gallahar trailed off.
“I won’t ask her to leave them.” I shook my head. “If my women feel more comfortable with the children, I’d prefer them to stay.”
“Well, let’s get back to the Academy, then.” Sleet nodded at me. “Start making plans so we do not lose this opportunity.”
“I agree a larger team would be better, but unless the others are ready to go this second, I don’t know if we can afford the time,” I insisted.
Suddenly, I heard a loud screech above us, and I looked up to see a large golden-brown hawk as it flew right toward us. The bird landed elegantly, and once its razor-like talons touched the ground, the avian began to transform until it took on the form of my gorgeous wife, Freya. The hawk princess shook out her wild mane of wavy blonde hair, and her golden-flecked brown eyes pierced right through me.
“Freya, what are you doing here?” I wondered as the shapeshifter ran to me.
“My husband, we have an emergency,” Freya declared urgently in her native tongue, and my heart plummeted inside my chest. “You must return home at once.”
“What kind of emergency?” I asked, and it took all of my willpower to keep my brain from jumping to the worst possible scenario.
“It is Erin and Layla,” my wife replied, and she switched from Clan language to Mistral so everyone could understand. “A short time after you and Cyra left the house, they began to experience contractions--”
“Both of them?” I interrupted, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. “At the same time?”
My girlfriends were both heavily pregnant with my children, but I thought they would experience childbirth on separate occasions, not together.
“Yes.” Freya nodded. “It is quite unusual according to Meriden, but she also thought they would bear your children just days apart, so it isn’t entirely unrealistic.”
“Never a dull moment, is there?” Cyra shook her head. “Holy shit, we have to get back to them as fast as we can.”
“They’re asking for you, my husband,” Freya continued as she grabbed my arm. “The babies will be arriving at any moment. Arwyn, Ashla, and Meriden are with them now, but Erin and Layla made it clear they didn’t want you to miss the moment.”
My head spun as I considered everything.
On one hand, this was the perfect moment to go after the Archon alliance.
But on the other hand, I had two women who were counting on me.
“Mister Gryff, I believe you have a decision to make,” Sleet declared in a serious tone. “Either you return to the Shadowscape right now and hunt down Carth and the others, or you go home to witness the birth of your children. Either way, there isn’t much time to lose.”
Chapter Two
“There’s no decision here,” I answered the headmaster with no hesitation. “Layla and Erin need me. The Archons are going to have to wait.”
“I think that plan to be wise, Mister Gryff,” Sleet agreed with me. “We may fight Carth another day, but there will never be another chance to see the birth of your children.”
“Head on home, Gryff,” Gallahar urged me with a curt nod. “We can speak more on the Shadowscape mission later.”
“Grand Mage Kenefick, Mister Flint, and I will return to the Academy and make a more decisive plan in the meantime,” the headmaster added. “When things have settled down, we can meet in my office and have a full discussion about the next steps to take.”
“That sounds perfect, sir,” I said. “Thank you for your understanding.”
“Of course, my boy.” Sleet smiled at me. “There’s nothing to thank me for. Now, enough with the niceties. I’d suggest you get going as quickly as you can.”
“You’re right,” I agreed with him, and then I turned back to face Sera, who’d been at the back of the group with her snapdarner since the beginning of our discussion. “Sera, I’m going to need your monster to fly us home as fast as possible.”
“Of course, master,” Sera purred, and the dark goddess patted the body of her insectoid monster. “My snapdarner awaits your command.”
“I’ll be right behind you,” Cyra declared, and then she glanced over at my hawk wife. “Freya, are you good to fly? If you’re too tired, you can always join me--”
“I am fine,” Freya replied in a firm tone as she eyed the snapdarner with a look of disdain. “I do not like to ride on the backs of monsters, and besides, it feels nice to spread my wings after so long. I have missed the sky greatly since I gave birth to Lahrra.”
“Do you need another pair of hands, Gryff?” Braden asked, but I could tell from the nervousness in his eyes that the ox-like summoner wasn’t comfortable with the idea of childbirth.
“I think we have it handled,” I assured my friend. “Headmaster Sleet and the Grand Mage could use your input when it comes to the discussion of battle strategy. But thank you for the offer, Braden. That was very kind of you.”
“No problem.” Braden smiled. “If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I smiled back.
After the summoner and I shared a quick hug, I took a deep breath and addressed my women.
“Let’s get going,” I announced. “We don’t want to keep them waiting for us any longer.”
I’d missed out on the births of Milo and Lahrra while I’d been in the Shadowscape as Carth’s prisoner, and I wasn’t about to miss any more if I could help it.
“Good luck, Mister Gryff.” Headmaster Sleet smiled at me once more. “And pass along my congratulations to your family.”
“Thank you, sir.” I nodded. “I certainly will.”
“Just keep breathing, son,” Gallahar instructed. “After twins, this should feel like nothing.”
“You’re probably right, but it definitely doesn’t.” I grinned.
After Gallahar gave me a light pat on the back, I crossed over to Sera’s snapdarner, and the dragonfly monster blinked its huge, multi-faceted eyes at me and let out a soft buzz as it gently moved its iridescent wings.
“Need help, master?” Sera asked, but before the question could fully escape her smiling lips, I’d already climbed onto the snapdarner’s back.
“I’ve got it,” I insisted, and then I turned to Cyra and Freya. “I’ll see you both back at the house.”
My wife and girlfriend nodded, and once I had the confirmation, Sera climbed behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Shall we?” the dark-winged Archon purred into my ear.
“Let’s go,” I confirmed, and with that, the snapdarner fluttered its enormous wings and took off into the air, with Cyra, Kalon, and Freya in her hawk-form following close behind.
The field below us was an emerald blur as Sera’s monster raced back to the Enclave, and as we soared through the air, my head was caught up in a million thoughts.
“This certainly feels familiar, doesn’t it?” Sera asked as she leaned into me. “It feels as if it were just moments ago that we were racing back to your other woman before she delivered.”
