Summoner: Origins - Book 0

Chapter 9

Arcturus stumbled into the summoning room, slamming the door behind him. He leaned against it with his eyes closed, taking a deep breath. Sacharissa nuzzled him and he buried his face in her fur, waiting until his heartbeat returned back to normal. After a few moments, he lifted his head to find a bemused looking Elizabeth watching him. 

"You know, when I said stand up for yourself, I didn't mean to the teachers!" She chuckled, walking toward him. "Lady Faversham is the king's cousin, not to mention her husband is the king's best friend ... well, second best, after Provost Forsyth. Then again, it's not like she was particularly fond of you to begin with, what with you taking her son's demon."

"I had to show everyone I have a backbone. Who better to make an example of than Lady Faversham?" Arcturus said, more to himself than to Elizabeth.

"Let's just hope she doesn't make an example out of you," Elizabeth whispered softly, lifting him to his feet.

The summoning room had a high ceiling, with heavy oak floorboards covered in a spiral of pentacles, varying in size and shape, from the size of a man's hand to twice the length of a horse. There were lockers lining the walls on either side, and Arcturus could see leather gloves and aprons on hangars inside. The only source of light came from flickering torches in embrasures above the lockers, giving the room a smoky scent.

"Elaine tells me her brothers got most of the attention when her father taught summoning and you're completely new to all this, so I think it only right I give you both a crash course in summoning," Elizabeth said, sending a wyrdlight into the air and allowing it to float aimlessly around the room. Elaine was sitting cross-legged on the floor, stroking Valens's carapace.

"Elaine, please explain to Arcturus how to create a wyrdlight," Elizabeth asked, crouching in front of the young girl.

Elaine groaned and sent Valens fluttering into the air, then scrambled to her feet.

"Every demon has a source of mana within them. Mana is the power source for all spells and every demon has a different amount, depending on their species and how experienced they are." She spoke in a bored voice, as if reciting from a textbook. Arcturus stared in rapt attention, trying to memorize as much as he could. If King Alfric considered him a threat he might need to escape from Vocans and go on the run.

"A wyrdlight is just a ball of raw mana. The summoner must transfer mana from the demon to their own body via a mental link, then push the mana through their finger, like so," Elaine continued, brandishing a finger in the air. For a moment, nothing happened, and Arcturus wondered whether she knew what she was doing. Then, in the blink of an eye, there was a blast of light that illuminated the ceiling above her, beaming from her finger.

"The summoner must then control the mana and make it into a ball. By concentrating, they will be able to manage the size, shape and movement of their spell, in this case, a wyrdlight. If they do not, the spell will come out in a blast, wasting a whole lot of mana, as I just showed you."

"Very good, Elaine!" Elizabeth said, smiling at the girl and holding her hand up for a high five. Elaine rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Valens, who has settled on her shoulder.

"Well ... er ... let's move on to more advanced spellcraft," Elizabeth said, dropping her hand with disappointment. "As Elaine said, a wyrdlight is just a ball of raw mana, which can be controlled with a bit of practice. It's only real use is a light source, a flash to blind your opponent and occasionally, target practice. It disappears as soon as you touch it,"

Elizabeth snuffed out her wyrdlight with a snap of her fingers, which also served to return Elaine's attention back to her once again.

"The real power we summoners wield comes from etching. Please watch closely. I send the mana to my finger, rather than through it." Elizabeth held up her hand. Her fingertip glowed a dull blue, growing steadily brighter until it burned almost white and Arcturus had to shield his eyes.