A Summoner's Calling Read online

  Drotonic looks left to a guard. “Make sure there are no people in this lobby when we take out the garbage.”

  The guard salutes, and Drotonic leads his men to the tavern. After opening an unlocked door to downstairs, he hears the clank of armored men filling the tavern.

  Drotonic enters the room as the guards fan out beside him, “Tavern is closed.”

  “And why should we care? It’s our tavern anyways,” says a guard. Kozic walks out with Gesthal right behind him.

  “Far from it,” Drotonic says.

  “Oh, we have an audience,” Gesthal says.

  Yes, that’s right, it’s me, Drotonic thinks in response to a look that dawns on Gesthal’s face.

  “No, we’re the directors, here to remove you,” Drotonic informs him.

  “Well, you don’t seem to have your nifty friend with you this time. Men, show me what eviction means to you,” Gesthal orders, but refrains Kozic from stepping forward.

  Yeah, you keep that forbidden magic by your side, Drotonic thinks, remembering the earlier encounter. He catches sight of the soldiers closing in.

  Gesthal’s nine remaining soldiers overturn the tables to get to the temple guards. The sound of steel on steel echoes in the enclosed space. Drotonic keeps an eye on Gesthal and Kozic, watching for Kozic’s magic. The fight is heated, but the temple guards are more skilled.

  Over the din of the fight, Kozic yells, “Where’s the girl?”

  “Out of your grasp and making things difficult for your leader,” Drotonic gloats, hating the fact that he’s stuck there, not knowing what she faces.

  The temple guard has six of the nine under control.

  Gesthal says, “Kozic, I grow tiresome. Clear my path of these weaklings.”

  Kozic steps forward and draws out his blade as Drotonic readies, focusing on the dark flaking effects of Kozic’s blade.

  “Hell’s Blade,” Kozic activates the magic as he swipes with an upward slash, causing a flaming slice tailed by darkness to shoot across the room towards Drotonic.

  A guard steps in front of Drotonic as the flaming essence generates. Then, a possibility jumps into Drotonic’s thoughts. Drotonic shoves the guard out of his way, and just as the slice is about to make impact, he throws his cape up to shield himself. The cape, bearing the mark of Zaravarn, nullifies the attack. Shock at the outcome registers on Kozic’s face.

  “Interesting,” Gesthal says.

  Drotonic notices that Gesthal is unphased by his actions. I’ll give you something to think about.

  “My turn. You can thank a certain snow beast, Plagued Blizzard,” Drotonic says. The book floats as the spell is written in elemental scripture and his emerald’s glow.

  “A snow beast?” Gesthal questions.

  Drotonic orders his men back as he thrusts his staff forward, sending green snow with small ice shards at Gesthal and his men. The ice and snow hails down on them, and on impact, it melts onto their bodies.

  “What is this?” shrieks a soldier as all their bodies grow stiff. All collapse into a state of paralysis. As the blizzard ends, Drotonic can feel the magic drain from producing the spell sapping his energy.

  Drotonic denies his fatigue. “We’ll be taking these. Let us show you your kind of hospitality,” he says, nodding to the guards to retrieve their weapons. Carrying them out of the tavern, they’re thrown headfirst out the front doors. Gesthal is flung onto the steps and slides to the bishop’s feet.

  “Thank you, Drotonic. Now the temple can truly be safe again. Next is all of Pinya,” the bishop says as a rush of people pushes the soldiers out of downtown.

  A young woman fights her way against the crowd toward the bishop, pulling something behind her. Drotonic goes on the defense.

  “Daddy,” shouts a little girl from behind the woman as the bishop picks her up.

  “Kiley! Kiley is your daughter?” Drotonic asks perplexed as to why he didn’t know.

  “Yep, and the light of my life. Liza, take her inside. It’s safe now,” the bishop says.

  “You’d better hope,” Liza says as an explosion from the gates catches Drotonic’s attention. More boulders come flying over from behind the wall and Gesthal laughs at the panic being added.

  “Get him out of here. Bring them to the mines.” The bishop orders as guards grab them up and begin escorting them.

  Then Drotonic hears a familiar female voice scream Vladimir’s name. It shakes Drotonic to his core. No, Erryn; you promised, Drotonic bolts to her, without even a word to the bishop. He dodges through the falling boulders and ducks out of the way of Vladimir’s soldiers, until he gets to her. He hugs her tightly, refusing to let her go. He begs her to reconsider, but she only insists on him to let her go in order to unleash a summoner’s justice upon Vladimir.

  As she pushes him to go back to the temple, he hears Vladimir’s army cheering to the roaring of a TEDD. His worry for Erryn escalates and his whole being shouts at him to stay; though, he knows he must respect Erryn’s wishes. It’s the last image he has of her standing defiantly before the gate. He’s caught between pride and terror.

  Just as he makes the temple steps, Drotonic notices an ice wind descending from the mountains heading into Pinya. I hope you know what you’re doing, Drotonic prays.

  Merchant Center : Erryn

  37

  She shuts her eyes for the boulder’s impact, but as she reopens them, there’s an aura of steam with rubble smoldering around her.

  “Steam?” Erryn wonders.

  “Would you like some assistance, young summoner?” a woman's voice asks, but as Erryn looks around, there is no one there.

  “Froztia, is that you?” she asks.

  “Yes, young one, it is I. Would you desire my help?” Froztia whispers.

  “It would be very helpful, and I believe your home would appreciate it as well,” Erryn replies.

  “Well, you know what to do,” Froztia reminds her.

  “Hold on. Someone deserves my attention first,” she says.

  “As you wish. I await your command,” she responds.

  Erryn plants her feet and thrusts her hand onto her hips. She takes a deep breath and screams, “Vladimir! I’m right here!”

  The hailing of the flaming boulder halts as silence falls her immediate area. Erryn waits for his response until she sees something appearing at the top of the gate.

  “Ah, dear, dearest Erryn. How nice of you to join us,” a man peeks over the wall.

  “Hello, Vladimir,” she says flatly.

  “Now, now. Don’t be like that. Enough play time. It’s time you came home,” Vladimir smiles.

  “Will you leave this city alone?” She negotiates as she hears scuttling occurring behind her, assuming it to be Drotonic.

  “Yes, I’ll leave this city alone,” Vladimir agrees as he descends behind the gate.

  “You realize he’s deceiving you, Summoner, don’t you?” Froztia questions.

  “Oh, I do, and I plan on it,” Erryn whispers, assuring her.

  “Oh?” Froztia says, as her surprise causes her voice to squeak.

  “Now, get ready,” Erryn says.

  “As you say, Summoner,” Froztia says.

  As Erryn waits accompanied by the awkward silence waiting for Vladimir, a sudden grip around her hips, weighing her down.

  “What’re you doing? You won’t see the light of day if you go with him. Everything we fought for up to now will be for nothing. Don’t do this,” Drotonic begs.

  “Drotonic,” Erryn gasps, “Everything will be okay.”

  “No, it won’t.” Drotonic says, giving Erryn a bereft look.

  “Hey, relax. You of all of people should know me better than that, trust me,” she says in a low voice, gazing into Drotonic’s eyes. Then a horrifying scream echoes behind the door, followed by a TEDD’s roar. The strength and rage behind it seems to shake all Pinya. The TEDD continues to bang and scratch at the entrance, causing Erryn’s heart to pound harder as her skin becomes covered with goo
sebumps.

  “Uh-oh,” Erryn says.

  “What’s wrong?” Drotonic asks.

  “You’ll see. You need to get back. Drotonic, this is where you must trust me. Let me be the summoner they need me to be. Trust me,” She grabs his shirt and shoves him back. Tears well in his eyes. Erryn can see the war he is waging himself, but before another roar, he runs back with the people of Pinya. Thank you, Drotonic. All right bring your worst, Vladimir, Erryn thinks.

  It roars again, breaking through the gate with a soldier bloody and limp in its mouth.

  The gate falls forward, coming right on top of her. But before it crushes her, she moves her hands in a circular motion. Her hips move like a low wave, making fists. She claps them together, pointing upwards as the gate crashes onto her. A sharp white and blue light shatters the gate around her like an explosion.

  “I thought you would leave this city alone,” Erryn challenges Vladimir. She sees him looking at the crystalized blue covering her hands. Let him wonder.

  “Oh, I will after it’s nothing but ruins,” Vladimir cackles, and a new army emerges as he pats the TEDD’s fur. It wonders off, eating its meal. They were dressed differently wearing armored robes instead of the normal soldier’s uniform equipped with lances.

  “I see you made your army of Ark Mages,” Erryn says.

  “I’m surprised you remember the project, but they’re called Mage Razors now,” Vladimir flatters himself.

  “Too bad they’ll be destroyed,” she says.

  “By whom, you? Not possible, since you’re out numbered, my dear,” Vladimir boasts.

  “No, you’re right; not just me but the Ice Goddess of purity and life, Froztia,” Erryn calls out. She throws her hands behind her as a wind gathers from the snowy mountains behind the city, coming howling down.

  “A simple wind will not halt my advances,” Vladimir assures her as all the citizens of Pinya step backward, including the knights. Then the wind picks up. The summer-like sunny day becomes cold and cloudy as snow falls.

  “You better run,” Erryn warns as he laughs and stands undeterred. The wind turns into a huge blizzard coming down on the temple from the wintery mountains.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She boasts, crossing her arms.

  “No, I’ll wait for mother nature to ruin the city first,” Vladimir laughs, looking behind her as she smiles.

  The blizzard spins forming a tornado, traveling over the temple, without damaging it or the rest of the city. Vladimir looks perplexed.

  “What’s the matter, Vlad?” She continues, smiling.

  “H-how? What is that? That’s not normal.” He takes a step back as it approaches and grows in size.

  It spins next to Erryn, increasing in speed. When it connects to the ground, the area becomes frozen with a beautiful crystal blue ice. A solid blue image becomes visible through the white snowy tornado-like wind.

  Once the tornado dissipates, what remains is a beautiful woman of a pale crystal blue skin which glistens in the light. A lock of her white snowy hair fall over her breasts. The rest was pulled back in multiple deep-sea blue braids. They shine like ice while pinned up by an icicle shard.

  She wears a white frosted one-piece corset overlaid by a lacey crystal loose skirt. It lies over her hips with a lace ribbon crisscrossing the front of her abdomen. The ribbon wraps and ties on her lower back into a frozen rose. The skirt behaves like falling snow that’s always moving with a gentle breeze, although there’s none. It’s full length, opening at the front so that her white bandage wrapped heeled boots can be seen.

  “All will be well, young one,” she assures Erryn, patting her on the head.

  When Froztia touches Erryn’s head, Erryn feels her comfort as an arctic winter chill traveling down her spine.

  “What a magnificent creature. What are you? Where did you come from?” Vladimir drools like a dog. While still facing Erryn, Erryn doesn’t move. Instead, a quick thrust of force carries a faint winter wind that covers the ground in a frost. All the buildings become covered in crystal-like ice, sealing over everything.

  Impressed by Froztia’s power, Erryn bows to her since she didn’t move an inch or speak a word to command her ice power.

  “Like I said, there is nothing to fear anymore, young one. Erryn, right?” Froztia says with a delightful smile, rubbing Erryn’s head.

  Froztia’s graceful demeanor while sustaining control with such ease instills adoration in Erryn.

  “Oops. I’m sorry; I sometimes forget.” Froztia chuckles and lifts her hand, leaving Erryn’s hair feeling stiff. Erryn shakes her head, and frosty snow falls off her hair into her hands, letting her hair return to a relaxed and loose state.

  “I’ve never bestowed my eyes on such exquisiteness,” Vladimir continues to awe.

  Oh, that’s right. He’s still here, she remembers and sighs, rolling her eyes.

  “You know how to spoil a good moment,” Erryn looks around Froztia at him.

  Hearing him changes Froztia’s tranquil presence. Her eyes glitter a deep blue, when narrowed with a focused sight could pierce through one’s soul.

  “Oh, you want me to spoil the moment, do you? Well, as you wish. Fire,” Vladimir commands.

  “No!” Erryn shouts, looking to Froztia as her face changes from agitation to displeasure. Then giant burning boulders come whistling in over the gate. The boulder’s collisions cause smoke to build, creating a disadvantage. You monster. Those people didn’t deserve to be crushed liked that, Erryn thinks.

  “Everything is fine. Just look for yourself,” Froztia says.

  Erryn strains her eyes to see through the smoke. Her heart warms as she seems that the ice protected everyone and everything within the city.

  “What’s wrong with you? These people did nothing to you. Your fight is with me, not them. Unless…unless I’m too much for you!” Erryn shouts, hoping to change his intentions back to herself.

  “Let me explain something to you. Yes, my fight is with you first and most importantly. However, those who refuse to return something that rightfully belongs to me and disregard my rulings while engaging in treasonous acts must be reminded of which land on which they live. So, thus I’m displaying the consequences to those who’ve crossed the King of Arthro,” Vladimir states.

  “What awful aspirations for a mortal to push onto others, especially one who’s supposed to be a king,” Froztia says.

  “They are words of truth, my beauty. My truth,” Vladimir says.

  “I knew such a man, if you could call him that, many centuries ago when us gods heard him speak of such fantasies,” Froztia informs him.

  “Oh, and out of curiosity, what happened to this fine sound man of brilliance? I would love to learn of him,” Vladimir questions.

  “Well, you would already know his name, if he still existed, now wouldn’t you? I guess I mistakenly credited you as having intellect. What a shame. Seems you’ll have a similar fate as he,” Froztia says, stepping toward him.

  “Oh, you want to play, do you? Well, let’s dance, my beauty,” Vladimir challenges her.

  “Yes, and this will be the only thing we will agree upon, for this is a dance you won’t outperform. However, you’re trying to make a murderous example of my people because they follow the goodness of their hearts. That’s no way to be righteous. Oh, and never forget. I am neither your beauty, nor do I desire to be. For I, the Ice Goddess, forbid you to destroy the lives and goodness of my people,” Froztia proclaims.

  She stomps the ground, commanding the arctic winds. She then thrusts her hands forward, driving the arctic force. It throws Vladimir backward into the woods from beyond the gates, slamming his back into a tree and breaking the bark with his head.

  “Your Highness,” a voice shouts from behind them as Erryn hears clanging metal hustling towards her. It was Gesthal and his men returning from the temple. Although she was standing right there, he runs past her to Vladimir’s side.

  “My Lord, are you all right?�
�� Gesthal asks, looking for wounds.

  “Ow, that Ice Witch,” Vladimir says, trying to massage his neck.

  “Your Highness, I shall do your bidding. Just give the order,” Gesthal bows as Vladimir glares at them.

  Erryn recognizes that glare. “Here we go.”

  “Let them come,” Froztia welcomes them.

  “Mages, destroy that Ice Witch.” Vladimir says and turns his gaze, grabbing at the collar of Gesthal’s breastplate enraged. “And you…get her into custody or so help me, I’ll feed you to the TEDDs myself.”

  Erryn watches as the Mages march into Pinya, their bodies radiating a daunting vibe. Their faces blank with eyes empty of any harboring soul, emotionless. Erryn looks behind her and Froztia. She sees fear written on the faces of the people who continue to move closer to the temple. The knights, overwhelmed with the Mage Razors numbers, hold their weapons with death grips.

  Erryn loses count after fifty enter the city. Twenty of them circle around Erryn and Froztia.

  Mass panic spreads within the population who run towards the temple. The knights, although shaken by intimidation, rush to confront the Mages. They line up in a three-row thick to protect everyone behind them.

  “Ice Witch confirmed. Commencing annihilation,” a mage speaks, his robotic voice sending chills down Erryn’s spine.

  “Oh, this’ll be fun,” Froztia says. She bends her knees with her right arm bent in front of her and her left arm off to her side. Cold-wind energy surges around her, and the mages’ eyes turn bright red while holding their hands out, creating small yellow heated balls in each hand. At once, the mages throw their energy balls at Froztia, creating a dust cloud with debris flying from the effected ground. Erryn can’t tell if she survived their attack.

  “Froztia, you there?” she asks, recovering from crouching to avoid the attack. She receives no reply. Erryn’s heart pounds.

  “Froztia? Why aren’t you answering? Come on, Froztia. You’ve got to be alright.”

  But still no reply. Maybe she’s hurt, Erryn thinks, going up to her as the area begins to clear. She touches her shoulder and is surprised to learn it’s a blue ice statue, frozen to the touch.