Summoner 19, page 7
part #19 of Summoner Series
“Are you nervous?” she asked me. “About Carth and the rest of the alliance? I know you’re acting like this mission is no big deal, but I know it’s not as simple as you’re pretending it is.”
“You know me too well,” I sighed. “And since it’s just us talking… yeah, I’m a little nervous. This mission could mean the end of the war, but there’s also a voice in the back of my mind that wonders what will happen when I capture all of the Archons.”
“And that’s a completely valid concern,” Nia assured me, and after she kissed Nicolis on the forehead, she set the baby back into his crib. Once our son was secure in his bed, my wife walked over to me and took my hands in hers.
“I don’t want you to think I’m weak by saying any of this,” I continued on. “It’s just the mystery of it all that’s bothering me.”
“I could never think of you as weak.” The elementalist shook her head. “And I don’t want you to think of yourself that way, either. You’re the strongest, most capable man I know, Gryff. You do anything and everything you can to protect and provide for your family, and that speaks volumes of your character. I’m so extremely proud of the man you’ve become since the first day we met, and no matter what happens with the Archons, I’ll be by your side the entire time. We all will.”
“Oh, Nia…” I trailed off as tears threatened to spill over, and before they could drip down onto my cheeks, I swept my ashen-haired wife up into the tightest embrace I could muster.
Nia clung to me with all her strength, and we remained in each other’s arms for a few minutes.
“I love you, yokel,” Nia whispered into my ear.
“And I love you, Lady Kenefick,” I murmured back. “Everything I do, I do for you.”
We held each other for a little while longer, and finally, Nia pulled away.
“I should probably let you get going,” she admitted in a disappointed tone. “I’d love to keep you here to myself, but you’ve got an Archon to conquer and a world to save.”
“Let’s revisit the holding plan when I get back,” I proposed before I leaned forward and kissed Nia on her full pink lips, and the multi-elementalist kissed me back tenderly.
Finally, I forced myself to step away, and after one last round of goodbyes to my newborns, I left the nursery, retrieved my belongings from my room, and headed to the foyer. This ritual was beginning to feel too familiar for my tastes, and I vowed this time would be one of the last I left my family for an unknown amount of time.
When I started down the stairs, I heard footsteps above me and paused.
“Wait for me!” Mur declared from upstairs, and he scrambled down the stairs after me.
“Mur?” I frowned. “What’s up?”
“You aren’t leaving without me,” the shapeshifter replied in a determined tone, and his dark-brown eyes were fierce as they bored into mine. “I want to fight the goddess with you. I know I’ve only been out of my animal form for a little while now, but I want to be a strong warrior like you, Gryff. Please let me join you.”
“I was really hoping you’d say that.” I smiled once he concluded, and I waved the moose boy over to me. “C’mon, then. The rest of the team is going to meet us out on the lawn. Let’s not keep them waiting.”
“Yes!” Mur pumped his fist up into the air and then followed me down.
While this was definitely an intense situation to immediately throw the boy into, this mission was a good way to give Mur a taste of what life at the Academy would be like. Even though most students didn’t go after Archons, they did go on other dangerous missions involving rifts and terrifying monsters, and this mission with seasoned mages would give Mur an idea of what he was signing up for.
I also wanted the kid to feel like he could be a badass warrior, and I figured a little bro time with the strongest men I knew would only benefit him.
My women were waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, and I could tell they were all attempting to maintain brave faces as they subtly eyed my travel pack.
“Hey, no sad faces!” I declared. “I’ll be back to drive you all crazy soon enough.”
“Oh, hush it, farm boy.” Nia rolled her eyes playfully.
“Be safe, Gryff,” Cyra said.
“I will,” I promised the dark-skinned summoner.
“Come back to us soon, my husband,” Freya urged me with insistent eyes.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I swore to the warrior princess.
After a quick round of hugs and kisses, I said my final goodbyes, and Mur and I stepped out into the early morning air. The sky was a vibrant mix of blue and orange, and I admired the lovely hues and tried to memorize the colors. The Shadowscape was devoid of any light, so I wanted to make sure to soak in as much brightness as possible before we were plunged into the isolating darkness.
“Who’s ready to kick some monster goddess ass?”
Orenn suddenly appeared from the top of the hill, and I broke into a grin as the metallogue approached us with lengthy strides. Behind him a few paces was Varleth, and the gypsy seemed a lot less enthusiastic than his friend.
“Need some coffee for the road, Varleth?” I called out to the banisher, and my taunt was met with an exaggerated eye roll.
“You offering some?” he replied.
“Oh, cheer up, Varleth,” Orenn laughed. “It’s not even that early!”
“I don’t think Varleth knows what cheerful is,” I teased, and when the gypsy finally caught up to us, he punched my shoulder with a lot more force than I expected.
I was about to hit him back when I was interrupted by a loud tutting noise.
“Now, now, boys, let’s not start the maimings quite yet,” Almasy announced as he joined the group. “Wait, who’s the kid?”
“You don’t recognize him?” I asked. “This is Mur.”
“Holy shit,” Almasy muttered as his mouth fell open. “Moose boy?”
“Wait, that’s Mur?” Varleth asked, and his dark eyes almost looked as if they were going to pop out of his skull.
“It’s me,” Mur said in heavily accented Mistral. “Glad to join the team!”
“How--”
“It’s a long story,” I sighed at the banisher, and Varleth seemed to get the hint.
“Fair enough,” he replied.
“Where are Braden and Gawain?” Orenn wondered as he made a visor with his hand and scanned the surrounding area.
Varleth suddenly, and very enthusiastically, sniffed the air and grimaced.
“They’re almost here,” he deduced. “It’s hard to miss Maddox’s perfume.”
While the banisher was playing it up a little, the stench of Gawain’s rose-scented cologne was potent to say the least, and the moment the gypsy called attention to it, my nostrils flared as the cloying scent took hold.
Sure enough, Braden and Gawain appeared at the top of the hill moments later, and by the time they arrived, we all had our noses plugged.
“I think I’m gonna need that gas mask sooner than I thought,” Orenn joked, and Gawain shot daggers with his eyes.
“Ha, ha.” The fire mage scowled. “You won’t be making fun of me when we’re stuck in the Shadowscape sniffing monster piss.”
“I’d rather sniff monster piss than--” Varleth began, but I abruptly cut him off.
“So, now that everyone is here, I’m going to summon Sera and ask her to open up a portal directly to Carth’s,” I interjected.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” Braden declared with a broad grin, and the rest of the team shared in the summoner’s excitement.
I was happy to see my friends so pumped about fighting a herd of giant monsters, and I laughed to myself as I reached into my mind and called Sera forward.
Is it time already? the Archon purred. Brilliant.
My back began to tingle, and soon, Sera appeared before us.
Despite their brave faces, I noticed a few of the men stiffen up at the sight of the winged Archon.
“Ahh, the mortal look of both terror and arousal. It’s quite entertaining,” Sera laughed, and Mur looked like he was seconds away from soiling his trousers.
“That’s enough,” I sighed. “Sera, we’re ready for the portal into the Shadowscape. It’s time to take Carth down.”
The black-winged goddess waved her hand, and suddenly, the air around us began to ripple. It was as if the sky was being ripped open, and within seconds, a portal opened up before us.
“Let’s do this,” I declared, and as I prepared to step through the portal, I psyched myself up.
This was it.
I had a badass team surrounding me, and together, we were finally going to end this alliance for good. Carth had no idea what was coming, and I would take great pleasure in finally subduing the horned goddess.
I took a deep breath and was the first one to walk through the portal.
But when I made it to the other side of the rift, my eyes blinked rapidly as I took in my completely bare surroundings.
Wait… bare surroundings?
Where were we?
And where the fuck was the palace?
Chapter Four
I waited for the rest of my team to step through the portal, and as each of the mages entered the Shadowscape, they all reacted the same way I had: with furrowed eyebrows and odd expressions.
“Uh, Gryff?” Varleth prompted me. “Am I missing something here? Where’s the castle?”
“I… have no idea,” I admitted, and I slowly shook my head in confusion as I stared out at the entirely empty field in front of us. The ground beneath us was blackened, almost burnt-looking, and there was nothing decorating it, except for a couple of trees in the far-off distance. No castle to be seen anywhere in this barren area.
“Did we take a wrong turn?” Almasy asked, and the earth mage craned his neck around us and tried to get a look at the nearly empty landscape. “Maybe go in the wrong direction?”
“I don’t think so,” I said.
Something about this felt wrong, and when the portal closed and Sera appeared behind us, I immediately stepped over to interrogate her.
“Um, Sera, where are we?” I inquired, and the Archon seemed just as confused as we were.
“I-I have no idea,” the dark-winged goddess stammered as she looked around. “Something is wrong. You are correct.”
“Yeah, no shit, something is wrong,” I sighed, and I did my best to maintain my composure. “Where are we?”
“Gryff, I set the portal in the exact place it was meant to be,” Sera maintained in an urgent tone. “Whatever happened is not of my doing--”
“You were the one who opened it up,” I protested. “So, how could this possibly be anyone else’s fault?”
“Master, I’ve been to Carth’s castle twice now,” the Archon said slowly. “This is the location I’ve teleported to each time. For some reason I can’t explain, the castle is gone--”
“How the fuck do you lose an entire castle?” I demanded as I ran a hand through my hair. It took nearly all of my willpower to keep my voice calm, and I forced myself to breathe through my irritation.
Sera’s bright yellow eyes were enormous as they darted around the empty field. “I-I don’t understand. It was here! I know it was. What reason would I have to bring us elsewhere?”
“I don’t know, but this better not have been some kind of scheme--”
“Master, I swear to you, I did not deceive you,” Sera interjected, and she raised her hands up as if in surrender. “I would not lead you astray, especially when it comes to Carth’s whereabouts, I promise.”
The Archon’s full lower lip quivered, and the gesture of vulnerability from the goddess made my clenched fists relax.
“Okay, okay, I believe you,” I assured the dark-winged goddess, and then I reached my hand out and rested it on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sera.”
“I don’t believe her,” Gawain scoffed from behind me.
“Excuse me?” Sera glared at him with a cat-like gaze as she moved away from my touch. “What did you say to me, human?”
“I’m sorry, summoner, but it seems odd to me that your goddess would get mixed up on the location of her sister’s palace,” the fire mage clarified, and his emerald eyes flashed as they flew over to Sera. “How could a goddess with teleportation magic take us to the wrong location?”
“How dare you insult me, you pathetic mortal,” Sera growled, and she clenched her fists at her sides. “Don’t think I haven’t heard about what my sister did to you, and especially don’t think that I can’t and won’t do worse--”
“Sera, that’s enough,” I interjected in a hardened tone, and then I shot a glare at Gawain. “You, too. Look, I know this is weird, but I don’t think it’s Sera’s fault.”
“I don’t blame you for this, Gryff, but what are we supposed to believe?” Orenn asked me quietly.
“Yeah, something about this feels a little weird, Gryff,” Braden admitted as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “But perhaps you could summon the other one to help clear things up and point us in the right direction. What was her name, Xanrith?”
“Good idea.” I nodded.
Sera’s shoulders slumped a little at the mention of the flame-winged Archon’s name, and I could tell she was hurt by our distrust. I considered comforting the goddess, but we didn’t have the time to waste. We needed to correct the mistake that’d occurred and then move on from it, so I reached into my consciousness and summoned Xanrith.
An azure mist formed in the air as the tattoo on my rib cage tingled, and suddenly, the flame-winged Archon appeared right next to Sera.
“What’s going on, Gryff?” Xan asked with a slight tilt to her head. “Is everything okay?”
“Not really,” I admitted. “We seem to be a little lost.”
“We?” The umber-skinned goddess frowned, and then she took in the sight of my team. “Oh, hello there.”
“Hello, my lady,” Orenn greeted the Archon respectfully, and a faint pink blush flooded the metallogue’s cheeks as he met the beautiful goddess’ eyes.
“What do you mean by lost, my master?” Xan asked, but then she finally glanced around at the barren land surrounding us. “Wait a moment, where… where are we?”
“That’s precisely what we were trying to figure out,” I answered.
Sera’s arms were crossed against her ample chest, and her dark eyebrows were creased together as she sulked.
“Sera?” Xan prompted the Archon. “What’s going on?”
“Why is everyone so insistent on blaming me?” Sera huffed at her sister, and the goddess’ black-feathered wings flared out behind her. “I did not do anything different than what I usually do. I opened up a portal in the human realm that would return us to Carth’s palace, and yet when we stepped through, we did not end up there. I don’t understand why, either. It was right here, Xanrith.”
“Relax, sister,” Xan soothed the black-haired goddess. “I’m not blaming you. I am simply trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.
The flame-winged Archon’s amethyst eyes were troubled as she took in the burnt earth beneath us, and the way she bit her lower lip made me nervous.
“Something about this particular spot is familiar,” Xan mused. “It’s almost as if the castle was meant to be here, and yet, there’s nothing.”
“The Shadowscape sort of feels like a never-ending expanse of nothingness,” Braden murmured, and the ox-like summoner wrapped his arms around himself as his gray eyes stared off into the distance.
“You can say that again,” I agreed with him. “Look, I think it’s possible something went amiss. Perhaps I was wrong in blaming you, Sera. But if we aren’t in the right location, maybe we should start trying to locate the correct one? Carth’s palace has to be around here somewhere.”
“I agree with Gryff,” Mur blurted out in heavily-accented Mistral, but the boy immediately sunk into himself as the Archons turned their attention to him.
“Perhaps we should move on,” Xan agreed with a raised eyebrow. “We think we know this world, and yet the landscape is unpredictable. There could have easily been an interruption that brought everyone to the wrong place.”
“Let’s go, then,” I announced in an official tone.
With a wave of my will, I sent the Archons back into my mind in an attempt to preserve my mana. I would call upon them again to aid us against Carth’s herd, but for now, I could take their directions inside my mind. And besides, the Archons’ presences seemed to have Mur and the rest of the team completely on-edge, and I wanted the mages to be more comfortable.
Once the goddesses returned to my consciousness, I turned to the rest of the team.
“Everyone stick close together,” I instructed. “The last thing we need is for someone to fall behind. We need to keep an eye out for the castle. It has to be around here somewhere.”
“We’ll find it,” Braden declared.
“Fuck, yeah, we will,” I agreed with the other summoner. “And once we do, we’ll be ready to handle whatever Carth throws at us. We can’t let a little detour throw us off our game.
So, with that sentiment in mind, my team gathered themselves together, and we decided to walk across the field in search of the castle. The charred earth crunched stiffly beneath my boots, and I said a quick prayer to the Maker that we would find the castle as soon as possible.
I considered asking Sera if she could simply open up a portal back into Mistral and then attempt to take us in another direction, but the Archon warned me it wouldn’t go as I thought it would.
There’s the time element, combined with the fact I’m not even sure where we are, the dark-winged goddess noted. The castle must be around here somewhere.
With that idea shot down, I did my best to stave away the creeping sense of dread that threatened to crawl up my spine. The Shadowscape was easily one of the worst places imaginable, and the unnerving nature of the dimension could be overwhelming if you didn’t remain calm. Luckily, this time, I’d brought my gas mask with me, so the disgusting excrement and decaying smell of the air wasn’t bothering me as badly. The last time I’d been here, I’d discovered I had no need for the mask, as somehow I could breathe here just fine, but the mask kept me from having to breathe in the noxious odor, so I was perfectly okay with the face covering.
