Summoner's Call (The Summoner Trilogy Book 1)

by Sarah Anne Piddock

  ‘Go through the door then wait for further instructions,’ Gorbacov stood to one side and waved for them to continue. Seiya watched his eyes do the familiar sweep, resting on each student’s face. He held her gaze only for a second before looking away, then he was off walking back towards the school.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Seiya shouted after him, all thoughts of silence forgotten. ‘What about the exam?’

  ‘Members from the Council will be testing you,’ he was far enough away Seiya couldn’t see his expression, nor decipher the tone of his voice. ‘Don’t keep them waiting,’ he added sternly.

  As the other students obediently walked towards the entrance Seiya swallowed hard against the knot of anxiety in her stomach, only Lyam gave her a questioning look as she held back. Every instinct was screaming something was wrong. Usually Gorbacov’s eyes held encouragement before an exam, each student gifted a small reassuring nod to give them confidence. Not this time. Closing her eyes with a deep breath Seiya forced herself to follow the others; Gorbacov had been afraid.

  ‘All of you will be assigned to a Master who will administer the exam.’

  By the time Seiya entered the Master on the wall-top opposite the door had already begun talking. Distracted by the enormous demon who appeared to shut the giant stone doors behind them it took a second for Seiya to recognise Youally as the one addressing them. The others were standing roughly in the centre of the huge circular arena with eight Masters spaced evenly around the edge, including Youally himself. At Youally’s prompting her classmates began drifting towards the Masters above them.

  ‘Each Master will summon a rank seven wild demon, you must summon a rank eight wild demon to fight it. The Master will dismiss his demon once he feels you have won and you will be lifted out the arena to join us on the wall.’ At least he didn’t say we had to kill the demons, Seiya noted absently, the others had already walked over to their assigned Masters, leaving only her and Youally. She wasn’t even listening as Youally gave the standard warning at each exam; no student could interfere with another’s exam or cheat in any way else they would get instantly expelled.

  ‘Why aren’t there any extra Masters,’ Seiya raised her voice so it carried to the wall-top, remaining firmly planted in the centre. She gestured to the people gathered along the stone parapet, ‘who will restrain and dismiss any loose demons?’

  ‘It is up to you to defend yourselves,’ Seiya gaped in astonishment at Youally’s dismissive tone, ‘besides the demon will only target its own summoner.’ Unlikely, looking round Seiya greatly doubted that was the case, with so many students packed in a confined space the demons could attack any one of them, the Master’s own lower rank demons would be helpless to restrain the rank eights.

  ‘That’s ridiculous!’ Seiya could feel panic rising as she anxiously searched the arena, why were the others all standing and waiting for the exam to begin? They were too far from the school, no-one would hear them if something went wrong. Nobody would even know what was happening. Her eyes immediately sought Kirinya and Freiden, for them to attempt summoning a rank eight without someone to restrain it was a certain death sentence, with no telling how many others might get hurt along the way. Sure they would have their own rank eights for defence but a loose demon fighting unhindered always had an advantage over its bound counterpart; the wild demons wasted vast amounts of energy resisting their summoner.

  ‘You can’t make them do this!’ Fear made her voice sharp and Seiya winced at the shrillness.

  ‘Nobody is making anyone do anything,’ Youally had his hands on the edge of the protective edging running along the walkway as he leant down towards her.

  ‘Any student can refuse to take the exam and they will be instantly expelled.’ His voice carried across the arena and Seiya saw some of her classmates turn around, a couple exclaiming in surprise. Up until now a person had the option of resitting any level twice before being expelled, though Seiya hadn’t heard of anyone who had dropped through two classes. Most just gave up, the shame of failing the exam enough. Seiya knew the change in rules left Kirinya and Freiden no choice, both their families were putting pressure on them to succeed. Nonetheless she had to try.

  ‘Kirinya! Freiden!’ she knew they could hear her but neither would look in her direction. ‘Don’t do it,’ Seiya began walking towards Kirinya, ‘please,’ the fact she was begging seemed unimportant, ‘please, don’t do it.’

  ‘No interfering!’ Seiya whipped round to face Youally as he yelled, but the pause was all he needed.

  ‘Start the exam!’

  ‘No!’ Seiya’s cry was ignored as eight gateways flashed around the perimeter of the arena, wild demons standing bound at their centres. Youally’s wasn’t standing though; distracted as she was Seiya’s mind still registered the demon lunging out from the gateway towards her.

  I don’t have time for this!

  Some of the others were already preparing their summonings, but for the moment they seemed to be the capable ones. Shifting her focus to the onrushing demon the gateway blazed instantly, spitting the incantation out in a single breath her rank eight leapt to meet Youally’s the moment it appeared. More concerned with keeping an eye on the others progress Seiya mercilessly clamped her will around the demon and commanded it to defeat its fellow, but without causing any severe damage. She could feel the demon howling in frustration through the speech bindings as it rebelled against her. The rank seven never stood a chance, the larger and stronger demon simply grabbed it by the shoulders and smashed it into the floor.

  ‘Congratulations,’ if Youally was surprised at her defeating the demon in a single motion his voice didn’t betray it as the rank seven disappeared. ‘We’ll pull you up now.’

  Seiya didn’t bother wasting her breath on a reply as a knotted rope was dropped over the wall, she was busy sprinting head-long across the arena as the silvery threads of a gateway began to form on the ground in front of Kirinya.

  ‘Don’t summon!’ Seiya called across in desperation, as she neared she could hear the fear in Kirinya’s voice as the girl recited the incantation haltingly.

  ‘Damn!’ Seiya skidded to a stop as the demon appeared, towering over two stories high she could feel the bindings restraining it. However awkward they may have felt the bindings were holding, the blades on the demon’s arms were the length of a small person but still they were held rigidly under Kirinya’s control.

  Seiya took the opportunity to catch her breath; perhaps Kirinya had a chance. Her eyes searched for Freiden as her summoner senses warned of the ripples spreading out through Kirinya’s bindings. Freiden momentarily forgotten Seiya’s gaze latched onto Kirinya’s face and her hopes fell, the girl was trembling with fear, from all the training yesterday she knew there was only one outcome once the bindings started fluctuating.

  ‘You can still hold it!’ Seiya yelled at the top of her lungs but it was too late. Kirinya was frozen to the spot, unable to scream her mouth gaped soundlessly as the demon’s talons scythed through the air towards her.

  No!

  The wild demon’s will slammed into Seiya’s bindings as an outraged howl erupted from Kirinya’s loosed demon. Her own summoning held the demon’s outstretched limb in a vice-like grip, using all of its weight to slow the forward the lunge. Claws dug deep into the scaly hide as the demon’s momentum continued to carry it onwards as Seiya watched helplessly.

  It wasn’t enough, this time Kirinya’s scream ripped through the arena above the sounds of battle.

  Finally the weight of Seiya’s demon had the desired effect and Kirinya’s unbound summoning was thrown backwards. The demon’s talons were ominously red tipped as Kirinya stared blankly at the tears in the right sleeve of her uniform. Blood dripped from the fingers of her right hand as her left tentatively touched the torn fabric.

  ‘Kirinya,’ standing beside the girl Seiya could see she was trembling, the ashen face regarded her without any change of expression. There isn’t time for this, the pressure
was building in her mind as the demon resisted her command to fight the loose rank eight. Gently Seiya lifted the wounded arm, the crimson rivulets tracing across Kirinya’s hand came from three furrows running shoulder to elbow. Carefully wiping away the blood Seiya breathed a sigh of relief, the wounds were shallow. Kirinya had suffered no real harm, at least physically.

  ‘KIRINYA!’ she bellowed into the girls face, her eyes seeking some reaction. The battle raging behind her was too equal, Kirinya’s demon had to be dismissed.

  ‘Stop interfering at once!’ Seiya was amazed Youally was able to project his voice over the demons clashing. She spared a glance to the wall where Kirinya’s assigned Master was already leaning over, he had probably been shouting at her the whole time.

  ‘You will leave the arena at once or be expelled!’

  ‘Fine by me,’ Seiya yelled back as she wrapped a supportive arm around Kirinya’s shoulders, ‘send me home anytime you want!’ No reply came from the wall, hopefully Youally had been rendered speechless. Why he thought she would care about expulsion after being lured to the school and then effectively trapped against her will was beyond her.

  ‘Dismiss her demon!’ Seiya demanded, thankful both Freiden and Cynthia were too busy watching Kirinya to complete their own wild summonings.

  ‘Leave her alone or the rank sevens will attack,’ Youally threatened menacingly. Kirinya whimpered in response and clutched at Seiya, her hands grabbing handfuls of uniform. Sensing that the girl was once more aware of what was going on around her Seiya glanced down to see the eyes had lost their glassiness but she certainly wasn’t back to normal.

  ‘She refuses to take the test,’ Seiya called back desperately, she didn’t give a damn if it went against Kirinya’s wishes. ‘She accepts being expelled.’

  ‘That is no longer an option,’ to Seiya’s horror the rank seven Kirinya had been supposed to fight started advancing towards them. A low moan escaped Kirinya’s throat, her eyes fixed on the oncoming demon.

  ‘This is murder!’ Seiya screamed up at them, aware that her own summoning was still struggling to restrain Kirinya’s. She had nothing to fight the rank seven with. Still no reply from the Masters, no reaction at all to her accusation, why didn’t they care?

  ‘Why didn’t my father warn me?’ Kirinya’s voice was so soft Seiya barely heard it, pre-occupied with slowly backing them away from the demon.

  ‘Obviously he didn’t mind you getting killed,’ Seiya replied brutally. The emerald eyes stared up at her full of fear and desperation, Seiya could hear the denial before it even left Kirinya’s lips.

  ‘I’m going to get you out of here,’ she grabbed Kirinya roughly by the shoulders and forced her to make eye contact. ‘When you get on top of the wall you have to run down the steps and go find Gorbacov, tell him I need him to dismiss the loose rank eight demons.’ Kirinya looked puzzled but any questions were drowned out by Youally’s shouting.

  ‘Stop watching and summon your demons.’

  Seiya looked up to see him pointing at Cynthia and Freiden, both still focused on Kirinya. Seiya was grateful neither had tried to come over and help, the further away they were the better.

  ‘The Master’s rank sevens will attack in thirty seconds regardless.’ Seiya didn’t need to see the two students to know they would be thrown into a panic by the ultimatum. She had her own problems though, now the demon was only a few strides away.

  ‘Promise me you’ll run,’ she shook Kirinya until the girl nodded, but Seiya’s gaze was already going past her to the gateway forming on the floor. Holding the rank seven demon and high arena walls in her mind Seiya sent out a request summoning. She deliberately kept the gateway power near the rank eight mark, her only hope was that with all the demons around the Masters wouldn’t be able to sense her summoning was unbound. A demon’s presence answered her call instantly, so strong the gateway was struggling to let it pass. Abandoning all chance of subtlety Seiya poured her power into the gateway. She heard the collective bellows of outrage from Youally and some of the other Masters as the demon appeared before her; flinging the rank seven so hard into the arena wall it slumped to the ground stunned. Seiya allowed herself a small triumphant smile, standing nearly three stories high the demon’s arms would easily reach the wall-top.

  ‘Run!’ she reminded Kirinya one last time, untangling herself from the scared girl and pushing her into the demon’s clawed hand. Shrieking in terror as she was swept away Kirinya collapsed as the demon placed her on the wall, the Masters staring at her in surprise.

  ‘Go!’ Seiya yelled, the Masters were already coming to their senses and heading straight for her, if Kirinya was caught then nobody would get word to Gorbacov.

  ’Don’t let them get to her,’ Seiya reached out to her demonic rescuer.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ confident in the demon’s ability Seiya turned her attention back to her summoned wild. The loose demon was slowly wearing it down; blood dripping from a multitude of cuts. She couldn’t afford to feel pity towards it, not today. She knew the effort of binding the wild was draining her far more rapidly after her gateway opening but the time it would take her to to dismiss the wild and perform another request summoning was too long. Seiya was fully aware the loose demon was focusing its attention on her, the moment it was free she would be its target; the wild demons certainly weren’t stupid or mindless, just bloodthirsty. She couldn’t afford to start getting tired now.

  A commotion on the wall made her look back up, the demon had reached over and pinned all the nearby Masters to the floor with a single hand, the other was shoving Kirinya none too gently to where Seiya assumed the start of the stairs would be. She couldn’t help grinning when she realised that this was probably the first time the Masters had been within physical touching distance of a demon. Hopefully it would give them a little more respect for the creatures they so casually enslaved. Moving to the other side of the arena to put distance between her and the loose wild Seiya turned her attention to the remaining students. Calvin was nowhere to be seen on the arena floor, she assumed he was the one already standing on the wall. Martin and Tresney were still fighting but seemed comfortably in control, the bindings firmly in place. Lyam was standing at the base of the wall, a rope hanging next to his shoulder.

  ‘Get out of here!’ Seiya called across, motioning upwards with her arms.

  ‘Will you be alright?’ Lyam shouted back. Seiya was touched by his concern and wondered how long he had been standing there.

  ‘I’m fine, don’t get yourself in trouble for no reason,’ she didn’t like the idea of her actions getting Lyam expelled unfairly but more importantly he wouldn’t have the safety net of a request summoning to protect him from any loose wild demons.

  ‘You waiting for a lift like Kirinya?’ she teased, seeing he was still hesitating. She couldn’t see his expression but he instantly grabbed hold of the rope, giving her a small wave as he was pulled up.

  Only two more she considered to be in danger. As Seiya jogged towards Cynthia, she was both grateful and frustrated at the size of the arena. It had been a blessing preventing the others getting involved in the battle still going on between the two rank eights but now it took her valuable time to make her way across. It seemed like ages since Kirinya’s departure, though common sense told her it had been only a few minutes every second seemed to stretch for an eternity. Gorbacov would come to help, Seiya clung to the belief and firmly pushing away the alarming voices that reminded her he was the one that had left them here with no warning. Closing her eyes she forced her breathing to come back under control. There was still a long way to go to make sure everybody survived.

  ‘Good girl,’ Seiya murmured to herself as she watched Cynthia; considering the panic she must have felt after Youally’s brutal ultimatum the girl’s summoning was well-formed. Her demon was standing rigidly still and Seiya was relieved to see the Master testing Cynthia also held his rank seven stationary as the girl stared up towards the wall where Kirinya had disappea
red. It was impressive that even given her lack of focus the physical bindings held the rank eight. Perhaps, Seiya mused, her bindings were strong because she wasn’t thinking about them. She suspected that Cynthia had always been more powerful than she appeared, the girl had a habit of sabotaging herself. Sensing Cynthia was in no immediate danger Seiya turned towards Freiden instead, he was still trying to complete his summoning-

  ‘Get down!’ The request demon’s foot caught Seiya a glancing blow to her side as he charged past. As her head whipped round to follow Seiya clutched at her sore ribs, why was she always getting kicked by her own demons? All that was instantly forgotten when she saw Cynthia’s demon was lunging jerkily towards her, the power in the bindings fluctuating as Cynthia desperately tried to regain control.

  ‘It’s alright,’ running over Seiya placed her free hand on Cynthia’s arm and squeezed reassuringly, trying not to openly gasp for breath though she was still winded from her collision with the demon. Wide-eyed and panicking Seiya could see the summoning was slipping from Cynthia’s grasp.

  ‘I won’t let anything happen to you,’ she shouted into the other girl’s ear, hoping to drown out the noise of the confrontation as her request demon restrained Cynthia’s wild. She suspected Cynthia had been watching Kirinya the whole time even while summoning and held the bindings subconsciously. Now the girl was aware of what she was doing it was all falling apart.

  ‘What about Kirinya?’ Cynthia’s gaze settled on Seiya, the fear showing in her eyes.

  ‘She’s fine, the demon only ripped her shirt,’ Seiya smiled reassuringly as she lied, after all Kirinya hadn’t suffered any major damage. Protecting Cynthia was her priority now and she needed the girl to calm down.