Summoner 20, page 4
“I think a month would give us more than enough time to get everything figured out,” Cyra agreed with me.
“It gives us time to figure out all of the details, but still be able to keep up with the kids and schoolwork,” Nia said in a thoughtful tone, and she daintily dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
“Speaking of schoolwork…” Arwyn began, and I let out a sigh before she could finish.
“I’ll have you know I studied today,” I pointed out, but the crimson-haired professor raised a single eyebrow that made me burst into laughter. “Okay, so I took a nap instead. But I fully intended to study. I’ve got this exam in the bag.”
“I know you do.” Arwyn smiled at me. “I just wanted to make sure you had it on your brain.”
“I do,” I said. “But let’s not worry about that now. I want to spend the rest of my remaining weekend hours spending time with all of you and celebrating all of our good fortune. That being said, I propose a toast.”
“What are we toasting?” Cyra wondered with a tilt of her head.
“Us,” I answered as I raised my glass in the air. “Us, and Arwyn’s baby, and Ashla’s baby, and the rest of our general awesomeness.”
“Cheers to that,” Layla giggled as she raised her glass.
The rest of my women followed, and soon we all held our cups aloft.
“To us,” I toasted.
“To us!” my lovers cried in unison, and as we drank our drinks, a warm feeling spread through me. With how much insanity I’d endured, it was nice to have so much to celebrate, and I looked forward to many more events in our future.
Come Monday, I was tasked with another responsibility: substitute teaching. Braden and Mati were off on their honeymoon, and with Headmaster Sleet’s permission to take the week to themselves, the pair decided to spend their time in a small village just outside of Varle.
With Braden gone, the Summoning class was left without a professor, so just days before the wedding, Sleet had called me into his office and asked how I would feel about stepping in to cover for my former roommate.
“If the task is too much on top of your other responsibilities, I don’t mind cancelling lessons for the week,” Sleet had insisted. “I know you have the exam to study for, children to handle--”
“I was planning on guest lecturing at some point, so I have no problem substituting while Braden’s gone,” I’d assured the headmaster. “It would give me an opportunity to check back in with my old students and see how much they’ve improved since the last time I saw them.”
“Thank you, Mister Gryff.” Sleet had smiled at me. “I appreciate your enthusiasm. Mister Flint assured me he’d leave you a lesson plan just in case, but I have no doubt you’ll find some way to keep the class entertained.”
“You know me well,” I laughed. “I’m looking forward to seeing the students again.”
And sure enough, as I dressed for the day, my excitement grew. Braden had taken over the Summoning class while I’d been Carth’s prisoner in the Shadowscape, and according to Sleet, the ox-like summoner had taken a real shine to teaching. Braden was calm, patient, and attentive, so I had no doubt he was an amazing professor.
I only hoped my students would still like me after I’d unintentionally abandoned them.
Once I’d gathered up all of my belongings, I gave my appearance one last glance-over, and then I headed out the front door and up the hill to the Academy.
I spent the entirety of my morning walk rehearsing what I would say to my former students. I couldn’t get too intimate with the details of all I’d been through, but I owed them a bit of an explanation for why I hadn’t returned for the second semester of their first year.
Just after their exams, Carth had shown up outside of Varle with her army of mega-sized monsters, and it’d been all hands on deck to keep the creatures away from the Enclave.
After some deliberation, I decided I would keep it vague and only tell them I’d been called away on a secret mission just after the battle of Varle and got caught up helping my family out once I returned. None of that was too far from the truth anyways.
I meandered through the grounds to the back building of the Academy where the Summoning class was held. It’d been a while since I’d stepped foot in the classroom, and the familiarity of it was nice. I’d been so caught up in everything else that it felt good to return to some kind of normalcy, even if it was just academic.
As I set my satchel down on the long wooden desk at the front of the room, I let out a sigh. I wasn’t sure how I would be received by my former students, but I hoped it would be fondly.
The bell rang out, and my heart thudded in my chest.
Here we go.
“Professor Gryff?” Terrowin Kemble gasped as she, Darius Silvermane, Arty Canterwell, and Syman entered the classroom. “Is that really you? What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Terrowin,” I greeted the young summoner. “Long time no see.”
“That’s no kidding,” Darius remarked from his place at Terrowin’s side. “It’s been almost an entire year since we saw you last!”
Even though it’d only been about a year since I’d seen the summoners last, I was surprised to see just how much they’d grown up. Terrowin had transformed from a lanky, reluctant first-year student to a confident-looking young woman who held herself with poise. Her pretty light-brown eyes glittered as she smiled at me with pearl-white teeth, and her thick dark hair was plaited intricately so it hung down her back.
Even more surprising to see were the boys. Just as Terrowin had blossomed into a pretty young lady, the male students had filled out, and in Darius’ case, slimmed down.
When I’d last seen Darius Silvermane, he’d been surly and overweight, but in the year that had passed, it looked like the baby fat had melted away, and now he was fit and trim. Even his trademark frown had vanished and been replaced with a genuine smile.
The dark-haired summoner rubbed Terrowin’s shoulder as he took a seat at his desk, and my raised eyebrow was met with a shy smile from the boy. I never would’ve anticipated the pair of mages as a couple, but clearly, there’d been some character development between them. They’d gotten along well enough at the end of their first semester, but Darius still held onto the pride and pressure of his family name. Clearly, that pride had vanished.
“It’s been… busy to say the least,” I laughed lightly. “Did Professor Flint tell you he was going to be gone?”
“He mentioned he had a surprise for us, but didn’t mention what it would be specifically.” Arty grinned, and I couldn’t help but smile back at him. The redheaded summoner was one of my favorite students, and it was nice to see his respect for me hadn’t waned.
“We tried to weasel it out of him, but he wouldn’t budge,” Syman joked, and it was a welcome surprise to see the formerly mouse-like young man was no longer puny and mouse-like. When I’d first started teaching Summoning, he’d been meek and antisocial, so it was strange to hear a mirthful tone to his voice.
“Well, I apologize if this wasn’t as good of a surprise as you were expecting--”
“Oh, no, this is plenty good!” Terrowin interrupted me. “Oh, we have so much to show you, Professor Gryff.”
“I have no doubt about that,” I replied as I leaned against my desk. “The headmaster informed me you’ve all made great strides since the last time I was here, and that you’ve become quite the talented group of mages. I’d love to see a demonstration of your skills, if that’s okay with you.”
Syman frowned as he set his book bag down on the ground. “Wait, so we aren’t continuing on with chapter seven?”
“Would you prefer reading from your textbooks?” I raised my eyebrows. “I could always give a lecture if that sounds like more fun… ”
“Fuck that,” Darius interjected.
“Darius--” Terrowin playfully slapped the dark-haired summoner’s arm, but I waved her concerns away.
“It’s okay,” I laughed. “That’s what I thought as well. We can resume the chapter on Wednesday, but for now, I think today would be a great day for a little one-on-one combat. Does that sound good for everyone?”
My students’ sounds of excitement answered my question, and without further ado, they dropped their bags, and we walked over to the arena section of the classroom.
It’d been a long time since I’d stepped into the xanyarstone room, and I’d almost forgotten just how cool it was. The space was split into different sections, and each resembled a different type of terrain. The arena was meant to mimic the varying parts of Mistral and beyond, and while I would’ve preferred a more practical battleground, this one was more than acceptable.
“Who’s first?” Arty asked in an excited tone. His hand hovered over his thick brown bandolier, and it filled me with pride to see he’d fashioned it to look just like mine.
“I think I’ll have you and Syman go first, if that’s alright,” I proposed. “Then Terrowin and Darius after that.”
“Ooooo!” Arty and Syman drawled in unison, and Terrowin’s cheeks turned bright red.
“Hey, some of my best matches have been against my wife,” I pointed out to the students, and that seemed to quell some of the embarrassment. Nia Kenefick was just as renowned as I was amongst our peers, and I knew mentioning her name would help put Terrowin at ease. “We’ve never held back against each other, and it helped me gain a better appreciation for her magic, and taught me not to underestimate her.”
“I could use a little appreciation.” Terrowin grinned at Darius, and this time, he blushed.
Syman and Arty stepped forward and collectively stretched their limbs as they assessed each other. The pair of mages had been roommates when they were in my class, maybe still were, and I had no doubt this match would be entertaining to watch.
“Go ahead,” I instructed them. “I want to see how you’ve improved since last time. Make sure you implement whatever Professor Flint has taught you.”
“Oh, we will,” Syman chuckled.
The young summoners retrieved their monsters and the match began. I watched them with a scrutinizing gaze, but kept my comments to myself. I wanted to see how the pair would battle without instruction to get a feel for their natural skills.
The match was closer than I’d expected it to be, but ended when Syman utilized a combination of speed slug, daggerdillo, and fire imp that sent Arty’s wallerdon running. I was impressed with the way the formerly meek summoner commanded his summons and by the way Arty handled his defeat.
“Great job, Syman,” I congratulated the sandy-haired summoner as he recalled his monsters and fought to catch his breath. “That was some quick thinking you did. Really impressive. And Arty, you weren’t far behind with your wallerdon-daggerdillo combo. I see Professor Flint taught you well.”
“I recently obtained a Grade-C summons, but it’s taking me a bit of time to master it,” Arty admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Professor Flint thinks I’m close to taming it, but I didn’t want to risk losing control over it and hurting someone.”
“And to me, this speaks volumes about your character,” I said to the young summoner as I clasped his shoulder. “I appreciate you sticking with the monsters you know rather than trying to show off to me. It shows you care about your peers and friends more than you care about looking like a badass, and this quality is only going to help you later. Summoning and magic is all well and good, but knowing how to be a good teammate is the most important thing.”
“Thanks, Professor Gryff.” Arty blushed. “That means a lot to hear.”
I patted the boy’s shoulder and ushered him back over to his friends.
“Thanks, Professor Gryff.” Syman smiled at me gratefully as he stashed his crystals away and then crossed the room to stand with the rest of us.
Arty followed close behind, and the summoner’s emerald-green eyes were bright. It pleased me to see neither of the mages were sore losers in this situation, and they both managed to show each other respect. That was something even older mages struggled with, so it was nice to see my younger students taking initiative.
“Alright, up next is Darius and Terrowin,” I announced, and I ushered the pair of mages forward with a wave of my hand.
Terrowin and Darius offered each other loving smiles before they parted ways across the battlefield, and excitement crept through me.
This fight was certainly going to be interesting.
Terrowin removed the blue robe that indicated her status as a summoner, and as it fell to the floor, I was surprised to see she was outfitted with an impressive crystal belt that slightly resembled the one my aunt Crystyn wore. The creation was a black leather harness that looped over her shoulders and across her abdomen, and even though it wasn’t nearly as full of essence crystals as that of the Guardian’s, it was still impressive nonetheless.
My jaw dropped as Terrowin’s first summons appeared. She’d taken a different approach to Arty and had summoned an impressive monster known as a bandersnatch. The creature was unusual, with wiry blue fur and long legs that ended in sharp, curling claws. The monster had an abnormally large mouth with a long purple tongue and short yellow fangs, and it let out a soft hiss as it peered around.
“Wow, Terrowin, is that--”
“The beast that attacked me at Hartmire?” Terrowin finished with a coy smile. “Yes, it is. I’ve finally managed to get it under my control.”
Darius’ primary summons was a monster I’d only seen a handful of times, a goat-like creature called a yunna. While its dark-orange fur and adorable face were unassuming, it had a mouthful of sharp fangs and a pair of horns that made it deadly.
This was going to be interesting.
The bandersnatch lunged at the yunna, but the goat-like monster simply hopped out of the creature’s way with a single jump. It would have been almost precious if it weren’t for the fanged grin it shot at Terrowin’s summons.
Darius had equipped the monster with a speed slug, and the pair of creatures chased each other around the arena for quite some time before Terrowin equipped her monster with a speed slug and a daggerdillo. The combination made her summons wickedly fast and covered in sharp spikes, and the yunna was no match.
Terrowin won the match, and her and Darius exchanged pleasant handshakes once they recalled their monsters.
“Good fight,” Terrowin said, and then she winked at her boyfriend.
“You, too.” Darius blushed. “That bandersnatch is awesome. You’ve tamed it well.”
“Tone it down over there,” Arty called out to the pair in a joking voice. “There are others in the room!”
“Hush it, Canterwell,” Darius quipped back. When he rejoined the group, he playfully punched Arty in the shoulder, and the pair began rough housing. They reminded me of Gawain and Varleth for a moment, and I caught myself laughing as they messed around.
“Good work today, guys,” I congratulated my students once we settled down. “You all have done amazing work, and I’m proud of every one of you.”
“Thanks, Professor Gryff,” Syman said, and the others let out similar words of agreement.
Then the bell rang out, and my students headed into the classroom, but I noticed a change in their manner as they collected their belongings. The four younger summoners hovered near their desks as if the floor were made of molasses, and after a minute or two, I sensed something more was on their minds.
“Is everything okay?” I asked my students.
Darius and Arty exchanged sheepish glances with each other while Syman looked at the floor, but Terrowin stepped forward.
“Actually, Professor Gryff, can we talk to you about something?” the dark-haired girl asked as she tugged on a stray tendril.
“Of course,” I said, and I took a seat on the edge of my desk. “What’s going on?”
Terrowin offered me a sympathetic thin-lipped smile before she continued. “Well, we weren’t going to tell you at first, since you weren’t our professor anymore, and we didn’t have time to come to you, but now that you’re here… there’s something you need to know.”
“Oh?” I asked.
This all sounded quite serious, and I felt my heart beat a little faster in anticipation.
“Some of the other students at the Academy have been spreading rumors,” Terrowin explained. “Unfounded ones, but rumors nonetheless.”
“That sounds like a normal day at the Academy.” I smirked, but the others didn’t seem amused by the remark. “So, what’s the rumor about?”
“You,” Arty spoke up. “Professor Gryff, they’re about you.”
I nodded my head as the information sank in. I was no stranger to the Academy rumor mill, especially after returning from my missions with the Monster Response Squad. Most of the students at the Academy weren’t privy to what happened on the missions, but they’d heard tidbits from family members and recounts from other citizens of Mistral of the monsters and Archons we fought, the towns we saved or destroyed.
“What do they happen to be saying this time?” I asked.
Darius, Arty, Syman, and Terrowin all exchanged another quick glance with each other, and I half expected Terrowin to step forward, but the young mage didn’t seem like she wanted to be the one to answer. I kept my breath even as I waited for someone to speak up, and it took nearly all of my being to keep my face expressionless.
Finally, Terrowin took a deep breath and looked me deep in the eyes. “Everyone’s been saying you’re some kind of king of the monsters, someone who is destined to bring about the apocalypse and the end of the human realm as we know it. Is that true?”
Oh. Shit.
Chapter Three
I could feel sweat begin to build up on my forehead as heat spread through me. Fuck, this was not good. I needed to cover my tracks as quickly as possibly and dispel any suspicion, so I collected my composure before the students could realize anything was amiss.
“I can assure you with absolute certainty that I’m not the king of monsters,” I insisted, and I stifled a laugh at my words. It wasn’t a phrase I thought I’d ever have to utter, but by the looks on my students’ faces, it was clear their minds were eased.
