Summons

Chapter 23: Ancient Brothers

        Crowe stood on one leg, balancing upon a single bamboo pole, as he closed his eyes and focused on the movement of the pole slowing and eventually making it stop. 

        "Excellent," Hayato said from the ground, "much improved."

        Crowe didn't reply. Two and a half weeks of Hayato's training taught him that speaking at the wrong or inopportune time would only lead to punishment from his mentor or his own loss of focus. Too many times had he taken the option to speak and thrown his own feet from under him or allowed an opening from Hayato to strike him. 

        In these weeks Crowe endured excruciating pain however his progress was astounding. His physique had improved even more, his lean muscles became well toned and his focus grew exponentially from his battle with Seris and Grey. Balancing on this bamboo pole was easy compared to what he had gone through previously. Hayato repeated the first exercise with him several times with extended and an increased number of sets, as well as trimming down the chute of bamboo that was used to punish his arms. Crowe lost quite a bit of blood in this training ground within two weeks. 

        This exercise involved Crowe standing upon a single rod of bamboo for an amount of time that Hayato was unwilling to reveal. Crowe had been taking some extra time at night after training to help better himself while he could so his balance was impeccable. The rod barely even shivered as Crowe kept his eyes closed with his hands pushed together in front of him, his left leg bent and supporting his right. 

        Hayato took another piece of bamboo and tapped the one that Crowe was standing on. Crowe adjusted accordingly and shifted his body weight to resteady the quivering pole. 

        "Excellent," Hayato said in his same calm voice.

        Once again Crowe didn't speak in order to keep focus.

        Sorzoran watched from his usual position from above the wall, Zarahie standing on the roof next to him, her now five tails drifting side to side lazily. Her fur had taken on a slightly more white hue with shades of blue shining through. The flames at the end of her tail still remained purple but a deeper color as they seemed to be turning blue as well. The tips of her ears now crackled with a small fire and her size had now grown to be the size of a great dane.

        To the side of the enclosure lay Demeter, her spots traded for stripes as she had taken on the appearance of a tiger and her size made her slightly bigger than her human world equivalent. Her stripes, like a river, flowed lazily with water and her tail swished lazily as she watched Crowe.

        I still can't believe she ranked up before me... Zarahie said to Sorzoran.

        You two do fight with each other quite a bit and perhaps she just had more experience than you, although the fact that you changed within the minute of her is amusing.

        I just want to be bigger for once! I'm ALWAYS the small one...

        At least she's not as big as me, the dragon hummed.

        That's not helpful to me! the fox looked at Sorzoran and had a look of scorn.

        "Switch!" Hayato yelled out and swung the bamboo chute making Crowe's tremble once again. Crowe leapt up slightly and switched feet, his right leg now bracing his left.

        "He's been doing really well," Raijin floated up next to the fox and dragon. "There's no way he could have done this if he were anybody else's summoner..."

        You give me too much credit... Most of this is because of his drive and determination. My power is simply... allowing him to learn and adjust so quick.