A Summoner's Calling

by Jacquelyn Evans

  “Kayla, to what do I not owe this bothersome visit to?” Rachel rolls her eyes.

  “There’s a matter that requires an audience with the Mayor,” Kayla says.

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah, so if you could help us not let Cloud City be destroyed, it would be much appreciated,” Skylar bows to Rachel.

  “Kayla, you should take some notes on how to behave royally. Hm, destructive behaviors? How concerning, but no, I won’t. Now, have a good day and get off my property,” Rachel slams the door in Kayla’s face.

  Kayla gives the group an ‘I told you so’ look.

  “So, what do we do now?” Katty asks as they walk back to the road.

  Jet looks around and spots something down the street.

  “There isn’t much we can do,” Thomas says.

  “So, what? That’s it? We’re just giving up?” Skylar asks.

  “Hey, Kayla, what is that?” Jet points to a figure of which she can only see the tip of.

  “That’s a giant statue of the vilest leader in all of Arthro, why?” Kayla sighs, placing her hand on her hip.

  “You got to be kidding me,” Jet’s eyes narrow. The group straggle behind her as she starts walking down the road. At the center of the main intersection is a golden statue of Vladimir standing seventy feet tall. Are you kidding me! Oh, this can’t stand, Jet thinks as she looks over, seeing the gate opened to the harbor.

  “Skylar, go get me some sticky powder,” Jet asks him.

  “Are you serious? That’s supposed to be for Captain Ace when he gets back. It’s experimental at best,” Skylar says.

  “Sky, does it look like I’m kidding?” Jet glares as he shrugs and heads to the harbor. She studies the shops until she finds one that sells general wares. They follow her over, discussing what she might be planning. Jet picks up a coil of rope and asks Thomas to get a ladder. At the counter, she asks him to pay.

  “Holy crap, they’re expensive,” Thomas complains.

  “You do remember where you are, right?” Kayla sasses.

  “Kayla, Katty—go get the people away from the statue,” Jet says.

  “What do you want us to say?” Katty asks.

  “I don’t know. Say we’re polishing the statue or something,” Jet shrugs, and they head off to escort the people away as Skylar returns with a duffle bag. She dons the mask and goggles at the back of the store out of sight, pulling the hood over the head.

  Once at the statue, Skylar pulls out two sticky blocks and Jet places them on the sculpture’s weak points.

  Jet climbs the maximum of the ten-foot ladder with a rope coiled on her shoulder and clambers onto the statues raised leg. She reaches the knee but slips with no edges to grab, but tightening her legs around it. Inching her way up, she sit on the raised leg and lassos the rope around the neck of the statue. After pulling taunt, Jet repels down the statue. Kayla and Katty move to cover as Thomas lights the charges and runs for cover. The explosion causes a commotion with the classy people booing. The workers from the harbor district, attracted by the noise, mill at the gate through which they are not invited. Still, they try to get a better look.

  The statue is cracked at the knees but continues to stand. Erryn grips the rope and pulls, calling to the others to join her. Skylar, Katty, Thomas, and finally Kayla latch onto the rope putting their weight to the effort. Still, the statue won’t budge. There is a cheer from the gate, and the sound of thudding footfall as a group of workers charge through. Twenty burly harbor men begin to haul on the rope. Their muscles bulge, and sweat runs off their faces as they chant, ‘pull, pull.’ There is a resounding crack and the statue topples.

  The classy civilians call for them to be arrested while those from the harbor district cheer in their victory. Guards swarm from the mayor’s mansion that is built on top of the guard headquarters and surrounds them.

  “Looks like we got his attention now,” Skylar says as Jet looks up at a circular window toward the mayor’s silhouette.

  “You are under containment. You will be condemned for your vandalism,” a city guard recites, escorting them into the depths of the headquarters. They are given a hero’s welcome by the assembled workers.

  At least we’ll be getting an audience with the mayor now, Jet thinks.

  Pinya’s Gate : Vladimir & Kosmos

  34

  The temple guards, unable to stop the relentless destruction of the wall from Vladimir’s forces, shifts their focus more to the mountainside to where the wall connects, confronting the climbing soldiers. Few archers continue shooting arrows, felling those ramming the gate as it nears crumbling. Vladimir looks around pondering, I wonder how things are on the other side?

  “Relax. She’ll be presented to you soon enough,” says Kosmos’s continuing residence inside Vladimir. While Vladimir walks among the woods watching his mages conjuring boulders for the launchers, he can’t ignore the looming idea of her escaping his grasps again.

  A soldier approaches him from the launchers and bows to him. “Yes, corporal, can I help you?”

  The soldier looks back at his platoon who are shaking their heads, no. “Well, you see, Sire, a thought, or rather a concern, has befallen us. Since we are currently aiming blind, how can anyone be certain Erryn won’t be crushed by the boulders while being escorted to you?” Vladimir looks at the squad. They stand rigidly, their eyes looking ahead.

  “What a brave lad,” Kosmos comments of the young soldier, and Vladimir agrees.

  He places his arm across his shoulders. “Come, come. I’m thankful that you have brought this concern to my attention. Regardless, the general is with her, doing as I ordered.” They walk back to the launchers and the group to whom the soldier belonged.

  “You’re not disturbed in my asking, sir? What a relief, sire. I’m sure that’s all the squad will need to hear so that you’re aware of this thought,” He smiles as the squad refuses to look at him.

  “Is your blade keen enough for hand-to-hand combat?” Vladimir asks.

  “Yes, sir,” he says as Vladimir motions for him to show him. The soldier unsheathes it and hands Vladimir the blade to inspect it.

  “Hm, seems you missed some blood on your blade,” Vladimir fraudulently accuses him.

  “My greatest apologies, My Lord: Where?” His eyes search for the offending marks on his shiny blade.

  “Here, I’ll show you.” Vladimir pierces the soldier’s chest and he collapses to his knees. “Anyone else have any thoughts or concerns with which you’d like to enlighten me? Anyone? Good. You are soldiers, not thinkers,” he says. Turning to the bleeding soldier, he removes his helmet and looks in his eyes, “Remember that.”

  He then drags him across the ground, leaving a blood trail. He throws him to the two remaining TEDDs which devour him, armor and all. A portal opens and the third TEDD returns, its mouth salivating. A soldier brings over a body as the TEDD lunges for its meal, taking the soldier’s arm with it.

  The launchers are refilled and send more boulders over. Vladimir watches with satisfaction as they pass over the walls.

  “Oh, how I wish I could see,” Vladimir dreams of the chaos.

  “Then do so,” Kosmos says and manipulates gravity effecting Vladimir’s body.

  This is magnificent. I didn’t know you can fly, Vladimir thinks in delight.

  “There are many things about me, that you mortals don’t and probably will never know,” Kosmos replies in a lofty tone.

  He hears the shouting of a young female’s voice. “Vladimir. I’m right here.”

  “Do my ears deceive me?” Vladimir salivates at the thought of capturing Erryn.

  “Get that gate down! Now!” Vladimir levitates to the top of the wall to peer over.

  Operating on his orders, soldiers tease a TEDD toward the gate, baiting it with the bleeding one arm soldier.

  Pinya : Erryn

  35

  Before gaining the king’s attention, Erryn’s continues to replay Valedent’s words, piercing
through the surrounding chaos with clarity. Erryn looks in the direction he ran prior to disappearing in the crowd and nods, coming to a heavy decision.

  Drotonic touches her shoulder, “Erryn, you okay?” Her attention snaps to him as she fights with battling emotions, placing a trembling hand on his.

  “Am I supposed to be? Is anybody really okay right now?” Erryn asks him as she looks around and replays Valedent’s words.

  “I suppose not. Come on, let’s go find the bishop and get you somewhere safe,” Drotonic holds out his hand as she grabs it to be helped up.

  Oracle, why couldn’t you help them right now? she wonders as her trust in him wavers.

  Drotonic starts toward the temple, but by his third step, she doesn’t budge.

  He turns to Erryn.

  Although her eyes spill tears, her expression is one of determination. “No more hiding.”

  “Hey, everything is alright? We just need to get you somewhere safe. You’re too important. Let them handle this,” Drotonic says. He pulls at her hand, but she snatches it from his grasp.

  “No. No more, Drotonic. Will you look around and pay attention? I may carry my own scars as proof to a past forced by ruin and corruption. But I refuse to inflict the same scars onto others.” Erryn stands firm against him.

  Drotonic sighs and wraps his arms around her. “You’re so stubborn, you know that? If you’re staying out here, so am I.”

  Erryn laughs, wiping her tears as she escapes from his hug, “Valedent said he was going to help downtown. I think you should go help the bishop.”

  “No way. I’m not leaving you out here all alone,” Drotonic says as Erryn dodges a fight between a guard and one of the soldiers.

  “Look, we don’t have time for a debate now, and you have the best knowledge out of both of us to help them. I’ll be okay,” Erryn promises.

  “I won’t argue the logic but swear to me you won’t surrender yourself to him, no matter what,” Drotonic says with a stern gaze.

  “You have my word.” She crosses her heart, giving him a light shove to get him moving. Erryn stands surrounded by chaos at the merchant district of Pinya, where the harbor and the gate connect their paths. All right, I guess it’s my job to take care the Merchant Center, she thinks.

  Erryn scours the area for a weapon for she knows her strength with magic wasn’t strong enough to last as the main source. To have the capabilities of using the fire ability without burning out so quickly would be nice at some point. She ducks down a side street to dodge a group of Vladimir’s soldiers. Jogging down the street, she keeps an eye out for possibilities. Many of the buildings have been sacked, so she must make her way around their contents, that are strewn over the road. About halfway down, Erryn spots a weaponsmith. Her spirits lift as she is hopeful of finding a sword, at least.

  A quiver is hanging at the back with a barrel filled with pre-made arrows close-by, but no bow in sight. Erryn scatters throughout the store to find parts that could make a functioning bow. She finds enough to make a simple wooden hunter’s bow. Bending the wood, she uses some of the smith’s tools and takes an applicable string to connect the ends. Erryn has just finished binding the bow when one of Vladimir’s men gets thrown through a window-like opening, crashing onto the floor while toppling over weapons in barrels.

  Erryn quietly removes the bow and tiptoes behind a pillar closer to the barrel of arrows. Another man steps to the window and peers in. Erryn hopes he’s checking to see if the soldier is down for the count. The man on the floor starts to shake his head back to focus. She pulls out an arrow, making as little noise as possible, but the acute sense of the soldier hears her. She stiffens.

  She realizes that the soldier has heard her because he scrambles to his feet and charges her. Erryn drops the bow, which she recognizes as useless. The soldier is too close and fumbles in the barrel for an arrow. Her hand slips as the soldier crashes into her, taking her to the ground and knocking over another barrel. His hands are around her neck, choking her. Erryn fights against his grip while her hand reaches for anything to use as a weapon. She feels the arrow at her fingertips just out of reach. She struggles for breath, as her focus wanes. Then her hands clasps the arrow. Within seconds, she rams the arrow into the soldier’s throat. Erryn shoves him off, watching him choke on his own blood. She hears a noise at the door and pivots, ready to face her next attacker.

  “My Lady, is that you? Why aren’t you in the temple where it’s safe?” a man asks.

  Erryn exhales. She fills the quiver with arrows and throws it over her shoulder, “Like I would allow a city to fall because of my demons chasing me,” she says as she picks up the bow. She grabs of arrows and walks outside.

  “My Lady,” he bows to her.

  “Hey, don’t do that. That’s just weird. Go inform the city that your summoner stands with you, and we aim to take this city. Go now,” Erryn waves him away as he scurries off. Then she notches and begins firing at Vladimir’s men.

  “That’s right. Now you’ve got someone else with to contend,” Erryn gathers their attention. She continues firing arrows after arrow, killing Vladimir’s men. She stabs those that dare come close, using arrows as daggers.

  Erryn notices more people of Pinya pushing back, overpowering Vladimir’s men. She sees a child cowering between the buildings with the same expression of fear as Erryn once had.

  “We standby you, summoner!” shouts a temple knight, and it fills her with battle courage.

  “Come on, let’s run these guys out of this city. Claim your home back. Let’s go!” Erryn cheers.

  The momentum begins to shift as more of the town’s folk join the battle. A roar in heard in Pinya. The fight looks to turn in their favor from efforts of not just the knights but also citizens.

  Minutes go by, but something seems off, as if they’re winning too easily. Then Erryn sees a card flying, and it explodes. She turns to see Valedent yelling, pointing to the sky. “Erryn, look out!”

  Erryn looks up as flaming boulders are flung over the walls.

  “Take cover,” Erryn yells as she makes for the nearest building from where she watches the boulders down on the city. Buildings crumble, people are crushed, and the flames take hold, demolishing the city into ruins.

  Erryn punches the wall fed up. “That’s it.” She moves toward the gate that’s now weak but still standing riddled with cracks.

  Erryn strides down the street, daring anyone to challenge her and refusing to be deterred from her course of action. As Erryn stands in of the front gate, flaming boulders fly right by. Another comes straight at her.

  Pinya : Drotonic

  36

  After Erryn promised she wouldn’t surrender, Drotonic couldn’t ignore his phobia. He weighted her words against truth or empty of sweet nothings, especially considering their lengthy pursuit while traveling to Nija and now Pinya. Would she surrender if it meant people wouldn’t be tormented, Drotonic wondered, trying to shake his growing feeling of disquiet. He draws out a sword from a fallen guard.

  While soldiers and guards fight, he helps guide those stuck in their homes to the temple. But then, his sight falls on a woman defending five small children. The attacker punches her as he goes for a child. She blocks him, accruing a cut on her arm.

  “You stupid whore,” the soldier yells, raising his sword.

  Drotonic dashes in and meets his blade with his own.

  “Go to the temple. You’ll be safe. Don’t stop till you get there,” Drotonic instructs them.

  “Woman, child, puny man—it makes no difference,” The soldier says, pushing him back.

  “It makes every difference. No one deserves judgment by corrupted hearts,” Drotonic clangs his sword against his. Drotonic is holding his own, slashing in a downward angle at his enemy. Though, the soldier quickly blocks and locks their weapons together. He shunts their weapons down into the ground, only to leave Drotonic’s blade pinned for moments. Long enough for the soldier to slide his blade upward, it quickl
y retracts and flips it around, using the pommel of the sword to hit Drotonic’s face.

  Drotonic staggers back, catching the blood rushing from his nose, reeling from the dirty trick, “How dare you.”

  “What? Did you expect for us to play nice?” He grins and comes in for another swing. Drotonic anticipates the maneuver, using the soldier’s momentum to spin the sword out of his grip as he stabs him in the neck. However, his blade slips, and he ends up severing the carotid artery. This causes blood to spew out splattering Drotonic.

  “That’s gross. Maybe if you stopped walking in Vladimir’s shadow, you would’ve had a light shine on you, revealing your own shadow of greatness,” Drotonic says, as the man chokes on his own blood.

  The road to the temple is crowded with defenseless people clambering to get inside. As he reaches the steps, he witnesses the bishop using his healing hands to seal a mortal wound on a young father.

  “Ah, Drotonic, you’ve made it! Where’s Lady Summoner?” the bishop asks as he ushers in those in need of shelter.

  “She’s helping in the merchant district. I’m here to help the temple out any way I can,” Drotonic says.

  “I know you didn’t want her involved, but this would’ve happened eventually. She’ll help save more lives now because she stands on the battlefield as the symbol of hope. This is the right thing, Divine Sage.” The bishop pats Drotonic on the back.

  “Then why do I feel so bad for leaving her? It feels like I’ve committed a sin. I’m riddled with guilt,” Drotonic admits.

  The bishop turns to the bookkeep who hands the bishop Drotonic’s book and staff.

  “It’s your kindness wishing to do more, and you can. If you choose, I would like to task you with evicting Gesthal’s men out of my temple.” The bishop hands over Drotonic’s belongings.

  Drotonic accepts the task, and the bishop orders ten elite guards to accompany him. The bishop halts a rush of people trying to ascend the stairs as Drotonic and temple guards march inside.