Summoner's Call (The Summoner Trilogy Book 1)

by Sarah Anne Piddock

  ‘A flyer is coming for your brother,’ the demon assured her he as pulled to a stop at the edge of the cliff. At least from the looks of the demons milling down below none of the other Masters had been stupid enough to use wilds, she couldn’t see any signs of a rampage. Behind them the huge demon was still struggling to extract itself from the rubble of the cave system, thankfully it wasn’t strong enough to wade through solid rock. Seiya swore she could make out a person in one of the fists; how ironic that Youally was in the claws of a wild, somewhere not even she would dare risk putting herself.

  ‘Youally,’ from Amaran’s cold statement Seiya assumed he had also spotted the figure. ‘And we’re all powerless? No-one can stop him?’ Once again Seiya was surprised when he turned to address the demon directly.

  ‘The only thing that could hope to hold against it is one of the Bwyhuli.’

  ‘If we leave now,’ Seiya refused to look at Amaran as he spoke, already knowing what he was going to say, ‘then Youally will simply come after us, now he knows how to use the orb he’ll be unstoppable.’

  ‘Or he’ll be so powerful he could just ignore us.’ Seiya kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, awash with relief as she finally saw the promised flying demon come into view.

  ‘If you had just helped me in the first place,’ Amaran’s voice trembled with barely controlled anger, ‘then this would never have happened! We could have neutralised Youally-’

  ‘You-’

  ‘Enough!’ the demon silenced both of them with rough shake. ‘You need to summon Aleos again, even if the Bwyhuli refused before they may change their minds now that there is something strong enough to bind them.’

  ‘Alright,’ Seiya agreed reluctantly, suppressing a shudder at the thought of the demons conversing through her again. Taking only a few seconds to give Amaran a terse explanation Seiya opened the gateway, the thought-flow leaving her reeling.

  ‘They need more time,’ there was no ignoring the concern in the demon’s voice. As the dizziness subsided Seiya became aware of the pressure on her arms, Amaran was holding her upright.

  ‘Thanks,’ she muttered awkwardly as she pulled away, still not willing to forgive his words before. She watched the flying demon delicately retrieving Jarin from the elemental’s claws, at least she knew whatever happened here her family was far away. Even if the monstrous wild ended up free the chances of it ever reaching them were slim, and even if it did they could hide in the cellar. No matter how she longed to join them she didn’t need Amaran to tell her she was being foolishly naive if she thought Youally would leave her alone. An enormous roar from behind warned her their time was up; Youally’s demon was free.

  ‘GO!’ she screamed at the flying demon, ducking down as the body whipped round so fast she thought it would lash the elemental.

  ‘It’s coming!’ Amaran shouted in her ear, still looking the other way Seiya watched the other demons flee towards the trees.

  ‘You can bring across wild demons without the incantations!’ Seiya tried to pull away as Amaran grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. ‘When you went power running-’

  ‘No!’ Seiya wrenched away, horrified he would even think such a thing. They’d nearly been killed by his unbound and Jamen probably had been, now he wanted her to deliberately bring one over? Never.

  But he had given her an idea, though she didn’t know how it would work on a demon already bound by another. Trusting the elemental to keep them out of harms way Seiya focused on the power flowing between her hands, letting the energy build in the psuedo-bindings until she was struggling to hold them, the threads seemed to have a mind of their own as they tried to rip away.

  Now. Seiya’s gaze flicked up, her eyes locking onto the demon. Youally’s bindings were wrapped around every limb, the ebb and flow of the orb’s power matching the steps of the demon charging towards them. Her mind felt strangely detached from her body as the movement slowed, nothing else existed, Amaran fading into the background. The bindings whipped from her hands, thrumming as they lashed through the air and wrapped round the demon’s limbs. Power poured from her into the shining ropes as she felt them straining, trying to hold the demon still. Yet Youally’s just flared brighter, ripping through and forcing the demon onwards.

  ‘No!’ Seiya screamed as she fell backwards, her mind abruptly thrown back into her own body as the bindings snapped. With nowhere to go the power suddenly rebounded, threatening to overwhelm her completely as her head seemed to explode.

  ‘Seiya!’ blinking through the tears of pain she was barely aware of Amaran holding her upright, the demon a black blur, so close the ground shook from each thundering step.

  ‘Someone is coming to get you!’ Seiya swayed as the demon’s voice echoed in her head, still disorientated from the shock of her failed bindings. Suddenly the claws were closing tightly around them and Seiya felt the horribly familiar sensation of falling as they went over the cliff.

  ‘Hold on!’ Seiya couldn’t bring herself to watch as the demon hurtled down his dynamic steps, each time looking as if they would simply plunge straight to the bottom. It was far worse than climbing up, she had no choice but to cling to Amaran as they were violently jolted with each leap, the elemental power surging behind them. Trying to look up she could just see Youally’s demon catching up to them, the towering nightmare paused at the cliff edge, batting away the huge chunks of rock hurtling through the air whilst not even noticing the ground shifting and locking around its legs.

  It was never going to be enough, even her high level request elemental hadn’t been able to buy them more than a few minutes, and that had been against a wild a fraction of this one’s power. Seiya could feel the earth elemental was rapidly weakening but there was nothing she could do, without the summoning link she had no way to offer her own power. Even worse what to them was a hair-raising descent would be little more than a big step down for the monster following.

  ‘They’re nearly here,’ Seiya was so shocked by the weariness in the demon’s voice she was caught unawares as they finally landed on the ground, tumbling sideways against the demon’s claws.

  ‘Look out!’ Amaran hauled her back to the centre as the claws started to open, running towards them was another of the demons Seiya assumed had come through the portal.

  ‘He’s tiny!’ Seiya stared at the approaching figure, aghast. The demon would still be a good two stories high, but by the standards of the elemental carrying them and the one behind?

  ‘He’s fast,’ the elemental explained tiredly, ‘that thing is so big dodging it may be your only hope.’

  ‘I guess,’ Seiya still wasn’t convinced as the demon approached but she had no other choice. Her head snapped round at the huge crash as the wild landed, the elemental nearly falling in the violent shaking as he passed them to the other demon.

  ‘Go!’ Seiya didn’t have time to reply as she felt herself being scooped up by demon claws, there was none of the usual care and gentleness and she tried not to yelp as the sharp edges dug into her sides.

  ‘Sorry,’ the newcomer apologised brusquely, ‘but you need to dismiss him, NOW!’

  ‘He’s not-’ her correction that the elemental wasn’t a summoning died as she saw him collapse, the wild’s huge claws sweeping down… She span out the ritual dismissal gateway without thinking, then panicked as she felt no power behind it. But she’d created bindings! The moment she thought it she felt her own energy rushing in to fill the void left by the orb, flowing just as if it were a request summoning. The gateway flared just in time, the demon vanishing before he was ripped to shreds.

  ‘What should I call you?’ With a sense of shame Seiya belatedly realised she hadn’t even known the name of the earth elemental that had nearly died trying to save them.

  ‘Nworl,’ the demon replied as Seiya wrapped her arms more securely round the claws encircling her, gone were the comfortable platforms and cups, this demon was carrying her like a person gripped a candle. Glancing across she could see Amaran fi
rmly gripped in the demon’s other hand. Any thought of asking him to change instantly evaporated as Nworl swerved to the side, weaving in and out of the trees as he pulled away from the larger demon.

  ‘Amaran,’ Seiya had to shout to be heard, raising one hand to shield her face from the branches whipping past. ‘I need you to request summon a demon called Aleos,’ she spoke the name carefully as Amaran nodded, at least he had the common sense not to argue, no matter how unhappy he may be at the idea.

  ‘It’s just a normal summoning with no incantation,’ Seiya hastily explained. ‘Keep repeating Aleos’s name in your mind, tell him the Bwyhuli need to help us now or there won’t be anyone left to bring them over,’ from Amaran’s grim expression he agreed with her assessment of the situation. ‘I’ll try and bind that thing to give you time. Nworl, can you find us somewhere to stop?’ her eyes remained glued on Amaran as she called to the demon, he would need at least a moment’s pause to form the gateway.

  ‘Hang on,’ there was a sudden lurch as Nworl increased speed again, sprinting ahead to pull out a lead over the larger demon.

  ‘I’ll need to be able to see it!’ Seiya shouted up, the trees may be giving them cover but to use her bindings she needed line of sight. Nworl’s only reply was to swing to the side, cutting at right angles from the original path.

  ‘There is a large rock pile ahead,’ Nworl explained, ‘that will bring you above the trees.’

  ‘I’ll take your word for it,’ staring ahead Seiya could still see only forest, the trees weren’t overly dense, light filtered through but the charging demon was totally hidden, the crashing behind them the only clue they were still being chased.

  ‘He will see us too,’ Nworl warned, Seiya reflexively grabbed onto the claw encircling her as the demon leapt upwards, scaling the stones with ease. ‘You won’t have long.’

  ‘I’ll hold him as long as I can,’ Seiya looked back in Amaran’s direction, ‘but you’ll have to be fast.’ Wriggling in the demon’s hold she swivelled her body round until she was facing backwards. ‘Once you’re done tell Nworl and he can set off again.’

  ‘And you intend to use the bindings as we run?’ Amaran regarded her sceptically, ‘you won’t see through the trees.’

  ‘We’ll be in open meadow soon,’ Seiya had used their vantage point to take the briefest of looks ahead before turning. The trees were almost gone, without cover their only hope would be combining Nworl’s quick reflexes with whatever means she could use to slow the demon’s advance.

  ‘Form the gateway!’ Seiya yelled as Nworl pulled to a stop, balanced precariously near the top there were still a few stones providing cover. There was no time to make sure Amaran was doing what she asked, thick living ropes leapt from her hands whipping around the approaching demon’s upper torso, the legs still hidden amongst the trees. Before the bindings could close she forced the ropes to split into fine threads, weaving the filaments into a mesh so dense it looked like a single glowing blanket as it wrapped around the demon. Exhilaration flooded through her, the web of light glowing so brightly the incandescent illumination engulfed even their rocky view point. Fire flowed through her veins, the lines blurring and merging into one seamless whole until it was the enveloping binding she recognised, everything working in perfect harmony.

  The demon thrashed as she clamped down, pouring in everything she had until finally it stopped. Seiya stared in disbelief as the demon paused, suspended in time it remained motionless, a horrifying statue towering above the trees.

  ‘No!’

  Seiya screamed in frustration as yet again an opposing surge of power crashed against her bindings, in the distance she could see the warning fluctuations in the light engulfing the demon. She wouldn’t let them fail again. More, she had to give more…

  ‘Stop!’ Nworl’s voice cut into her mind, instantly shattering her concentration. Seiya was dimly aware they were moving again, soon the demon would be out of view but that was alright. Shutting her eyes she let her summoner senses tell her what was happening, immersing herself in the flow of power, merging with the bindings. She could feel the orb’s power swelling as it tried to compel the demon against her restraints, one by one the tiny filaments began to snap, the binding unweaving….

  No! Seiya’s mind shrieked in anger at being denied, power buzzed along every nerve. Nothing else mattered as Seiya poured out everything she had left, distantly she could feel her body slumping in the demon’s claws, her mind blurring as her lungs gasped for air.

  ‘Let go!’ Nworl’s thoughts lanced into her mind, piercing agony erupted as she felt his consciousness overwhelming hers. ‘You must let go!’

  ‘No!’ Seiya clung desperately to the weaving, fighting the demon’s attempts to break away.

  ‘We need you to summon the Bwyhuli!’ Ruthlessly Nworl pulled her mind back, stretching the lines of power to breaking point. ‘When the bindings snap the rebound will destroy you.’

  ‘No!’ Seiya snarled at the demon. ‘I have to hold it!’

  ‘FOOL!’ This time Nworl wasted no more effort, his mental touch vanishing as his claws tightened around her chest until she couldn’t breathe.

  ‘No,’ this time it was little more than a whimper; survival instinct kicked in and Seiya felt her consciousness flee from the bindings.

  ‘What are you doing!’

  Amaran was yelling. Groggily Seiya looked over, for some reason her chest was heaving, her body desperate for air.

  ‘Ah!’ Seiya winced as drawing in another deep breath made her sides hurt, her whole body felt as if it had been crushed.

  ‘You need to summon the Bwyhuli,’ a demon voice was in her mind, Seiya stared down in confusion at the claws holding her tightly.

  ‘What’s happening?’ she asked Amaran dazedly, resting one arm on top of the claw as the other supported her aching head.

  ‘Don’t you remember?’ Amaran frowned as he stared at her. ‘You were holding back that demon while I summoned Aleos. Then he,’ Amaran pointed accusingly towards the demon’s head, ‘tried to kill you.’

  ‘You got absorbed into your own binding,’ the demon’s voice was curt, ‘I had to make you come back, otherwise your mind would have been obliterated when it snapped.’ The demonic head glanced down briefly, eyeing her assessingly, ‘I assumed that if you were near death your mind would automatically return.’ Seiya frowned as the demon spoke, still trying to piece together her fractured thoughts.

  ‘Nworl?’ the name popped into her mind from nowhere but the demon nodded.

  ‘Yes. They have convinced one of the Bwyhuli to help but you must be the one to open the gateway.’ This time the head bobbed towards Amaran, ‘they won’t trust anyone else.’ Seiya felt Nworl’s pace increase as they passed the last tree, sprinting out into the open Seiya was painfully aware that now nothing would stand between them and Youally’s demon.

  ‘So the Bwyhuli will be able to defeat it?’ Seiya found it hard to believe the demon behind them even existed, but to think there were others who were stronger…

  ‘They won’t kill it,’ Amaran interrupted, ‘they’ll help restrain it until you can dismiss it.’

  ‘But that’s impossible!’ Seiya stretched her senses back to the demon’s aura, even if it were free of Youally’s bonds there was no way she’d be able to create a gateway strong enough to remain stable as the demon crossed.

  ‘You’ll have to use the orb,’ Nworl told her impatiently, ‘if it was strong enough to bring it here-’

  ‘I get it,’ Seiya snapped irritably, her head was already pounding and now they wanted her to use her power again? Not just once but twice? ‘Why can’t Amaran do it?’ she demanded impatiently. ‘He’s just as strong-’

  ‘We do not trust him,’ Nworl abruptly cut her off, ‘if anyone but you goes for the orb then the Bwyhuli will stop them.’ Seiya wasn’t prepared for the harsh tone of the demon’s voice; she had always been surprised at the demon’s accepting attitude towards the summoners but perhaps she had
just been lucky in who she met.

  ‘And what happens to the orb afterwards?’ Seiya carefully avoided looking at Amaran, from his angry expression she assumed he had already been told the conditions.

  ‘It will be destroyed,’ Seiya could sense Nworl’s anticipation, even though he was running for his life the demon’s voice positively glowed.

  ‘That’s why the Bwyhuli are coming.’ Seiya closed her eyes briefly as she tried to steady her thoughts.

  ‘Yes,’ she swore Nworl’s voice sounded smug as she started to form the gateway, ‘finally they have something to be worried about.’ Holding the Bwyhuli name clear in her mind she waited for the demon to reach out to her.

  Impossible!

  Seiya immediately recoiled from the immense aura, she couldn’t even begin to comprehend the power she would need to bring the demon across. I can’t do this, she started to let her energy flow out of the summoning, what they were asking-

  ‘Ahhh!’ Seiya didn't know if the scream came from her lips or was only in her mind, the demon’s aura wrapping itself around the lines binding her to the summoning, forcibly drawing the power it needed. It felt like she was falling into an open void, a black hole ravenously consuming her with no end in sight.

  ‘Stop!’ the desperate plea went unheeded. Panicking she flailed against the summoning, struggling to pull free as the inexorable drain continued. But the demon’s hold was too tight, she was trapped, completely at the mercy of the demon’s power.

  ‘No!’ throwing all her force against the demon Seiya finally felt the pull relent, taking advantage of the brief reprieve she dragged her consciousness from the summoning.

  ‘Amaran,’ opening her eyes Seiya found she barely had the strength to gasp the name.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Amaran nearly crashed into her as Nworl brought his hands together. Fighting against the Bwyhuli’s demands she reached over and grabbed his arm, struggling to anchor herself.

  ‘Ah!’ Seiya gasped as the summoning tried to drag her in, gritting her teeth she stubbornly held mind apart. Once she fell back they were lost, even if she went power running and poured every last part of herself into the gateway it wouldn’t be enough.