The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima

by Antony W. F. Chow

  Altima pouted. "Are you still upset about the Religious Wars on Zaleron?" she asked. The elvish god was much older than her, and he firmly believed in following the God Rules. She, on the other hand, preferred to move freely and skirted those troublesome restraints.

  "It's over and done. Explain why you summoned me," Alectos persisted.

  "Oh, fine!" Altima huffed. "I need your help to protect my darling child."

  Alectos snorted. "Luka is fortunate to be alive after he invoked a dark ritual to summon a neutral god for assistance," he commented.

  "My Godson will recover shortly. But the problem of his safety remains," Altima replied curtly. She was livid at what happened to Luka; he shouldn't have tried to perform a divine summons at his tender age. But Altima appreciated his desire to protect his mother from assassins and couldn't blame Luka for invoking a dark ritual to achieve his goal. Thus, she planned to execute divine retribution at the perpetrators once Luka recovered from his coma.

  "Yes, the pope is quite desperate to use up his small stash of World Tree leaves to create elixirs for the boy to drink," the elvish god smirked at the irony. Alectos stared straight into Altima's eyes. "You're planning to punish the mastermind with divine retribution, but you're worried that her faction will kill Luka as revenge. So you need to stash him somewhere safe."

  "Exactly." Altima's smile bloomed like a lovely rose. She was glad that he read her intentions correctly.

  "What will you give me in exchange?" Alectos asked since he decided to humor her.

  "Nothing," she teased.

  "Oh?"

  With an exaggerated sigh, Altima shook her head. "Poor Alectos, you don't appreciate Luka's true value as a pawn! For instance, he could bridge the chasm between humans and elves. All you have to do is endorse him," she suggested playfully.

  The other god's eyes lit up. "You want Luka to become my official disciple," he stated coolly.

  "You think he's not qualified?"

  The God of Magic took a moment to evaluate Luka's soul and innate magical talent. "Well, Luka could become a sage if I taught him the higher spheres of magic," he admitted. Alectos felt intrigued because he rarely came across mortals with the potential to become a sage because of its stringent requirement to unlock all eight types of magic: the four lower elements of fire, water, air, and earth plus light, darkness, time, and space.

  Most mortals possessed the potential to master one magic, while the elves could achieve mastery in multiple elements. The human race had better potential in light and darkness. Luka was the one in a billion who could master all eight types.

  Altima giggled when she saw her colleague try to remain calm. "Stop being stubborn and agree to take my darling boy under your wing when Luka awakens. You still have to negotiate with his mother and convince her to let Luka become your apprentice."

  "That's an easy task," Alectos huffed dismissively. "But how long should I set Luka's magic apprenticeship?"

  "How about a decade? This amount of time should be enough for my darling to increase his magic power and gain additional divine summoning slots. As he grows older, Luka will naturally strengthen his mana pool. You could also guide the summoner on his choice of divine spirits to contract. Glacius appeared solely because of Juliette's affinity with ice magic. But the next selections are entirely up to you. I can't form a contract with Luka anyway until he masters light magic. Also, why don't you send Luka to play in the Varlus continent?" she suggested.

  Alectos' brows arched at that proposal. "I'm not sure my elvish followers would welcome a human to our sacred land," he warned.

  Altima shrugged. "Adversity builds character, no? Although my child is a reincarnated soul, he needs some hardship to temper that indifferent personality. Being an outcast in a foreign land should be an interesting experience for him."

  "As long as you promise not to invoke divine wrath on my people for abusing the child, I will bring Luka live to there for a brief period."

  "Deal."

  The two gods shook hands before Alectos teleported out of Altima's celestial garden.

  The goddess twirled her body around and laughed as she began to imagine the types of faces Luka would show during his upcoming apprenticeship under Alectos.

  Chapter 8

  Luka’s Awakening

  For the past month, the worshipper gathered at dawn in the public plaza. They prayed fervently to Altima for their princeling's full recovery from his coma.

  Pope Demetrius personally led a daily prayer service on the balcony inside the bell tower at noon because this was symbolically when her power was the strongest. He sang a song praising the Goddess of Light. The church leader prayed for her mercy and continued protection over Lumina and its residents.

  When the service finished, the pope entered the room and checked on Luka's condition. He watched while Juliette fed the elixir to her son.

  Suddenly, Luka started coughing and spat out the bitter fluid! The child opened his eyes and recognized the familiar face.

  Tears rolled down her face. She was worried that her son would sleep for years. The woman thanked Altima in her heart.

  "What's going on, mother? Where are we? What happened to the assassins?"

  "You are safe," she answered with a bright smile.

  "Ahem." Pope Demetrius quietly coughed. "May I examine you and check your condition, Luka?" he asked.

  Luka's eyes landed on him. "Yes, Your Holiness."

  The healer proceeded to check the boy's pulse and sensed his life aura. Demetrius smiled when he confirmed nothing wrong with Luka. "You made us worry, young man," he chided gently.

  "I'm sorry, Your Holiness," Luka apologized.

  The pope shook his head. "The two of you should talk privately. I'll ask the nurse to make soup for your lunch." The church leader quietly departed.

  "Do you know what you did wrong?" Juliette asked in a frosty tone of voice.

  Her son tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked in puzzlement.

  "When our carriage was ambushed on the road after dinner with the royal family, I asked you to escape while I distracted the attackers. Why did you disobey me and stay?" she clarified her question.

  "Oh!" Luka's brows rose as he recalled those past events. "I saw people in black wrappings blocking my escape route. There was no way for me to leave safely. When I saw you surrounded, I felt an intense, burning sensation within my heart. The next thing I knew, a cold man appeared, and then I blacked out," he explained calmly.

  "You accidentally performed a divine summons and called up Glacius, the ice god. Unfortunately, your innate mana was insufficient to use this power. You ended up invoking a dark ritual and spent your lifeforce to complete the summon. Here's the result." Juliette took out a small mirror. "Look at your face."

  Luka checked himself and was shocked to see that his dark brown hair had turned white. His skin was marred with wrinkles as if he aged several decades instantly.

  "Now swear on your father's grave that you will never perform another dark ritual no matter what happens in the future," Juliette demanded.

  The child saw that his mother was serious. Luka raised his right hand and solemnly said, "I swear on my father's grave not to use a dark ritual ever again."

  "Good!" she nodded. The woman took the bowl of elixir and handed it to him. "Drink up," she ordered.

  Luka made a face when the bitterness hit his nostril. But he obediently ingested the medicine anyway.

  Knock-knock. "I hope we're not intruding," Demetrius said as he entered the room with Sister Connelly, who placed a tray on the table. "Here's some rice porridge. Please try your best to finish the meal," the pope said with a smile. He turned toward Juliette and added, "I will notify the captain and ask her to excuse you for today."

  "Thank you, Your Holiness," Juliette bowed.

  Demetrius exited the room with the nun.

  When they left, Luka looked at his mother with a curious expression. He began to eat lunch.

  "I joined t
he valkyrie squad and received a pegasus named Abby. But to qualify as her official rider, I took an oath of celibacy and sealed my ice magic. Pegasuses use light magic to power their flight and require purity from their riders, or else they won't cooperate. Although I'm not a virgin anymore, I hadn't laid with a man since my husband died. So Abby was willing to accept me as her partner," Juliette explained with a poker face. The woman purposedly misled her son regarding her inability to use magic to protect him.

  Luka took her words at face value because he trusted his mother wholeheartedly. "Why did you join?" he asked.

  "Call it noble pride if you must," she smiled faintly. "The Divine Church of Light saved our lives, and they have been sheltering us in Lumina, their holy city above the clouds. As nobles, we must reciprocate the grace which we received."

  "I agreed, mother," Luka nodded.

  Suddenly, a man appeared in the room! The newcomer wore a red business suit over a white shirt, green tie, red vest, and dark brown leather shoes. But what drew Luka's attention was his sharp, pointed ears and intense emerald eyes. This man was an elf! Luka felt excited to meet one finally!

  "Who are you?" Juliette demanded to know while placing a hand on her sword hilt. Depending on the intruder's reply, her body was ready to spring into action.

  "I'm not your enemy," the visitor replied with a faint smile. His voice possessed a lyrical charm that lulled the listeners' senses. "My name is Alectos, and I'm the God of Magic. I came here at Altima's request to offer Luka a magic apprenticeship," he explained.

  Suddenly, templars burst into the apartment, and the knights surrounded Alectos with their blades drawn.

  Soon, Pope Demetrius appeared. When he saw the intruder's face, the elder's face turned pale. "All templars will withdraw immediately," the church leader ordered. Thankfully, the knights were highly disciplined, and they executed his command despite their intense curiosity over the newcomer's identity. Furthermore, the templars couldn't understand how the intruder overcame Lumina's multiple layers of defenses in the bell tower to break into the premises.

  "I apologize for my men's rudeness," the pope bowed deeply.

  "Do you recognize me?" the god teased.

  "Yes, you are Alectos, the Elven God of Magic and also an occasional lover of Altima," Demetrius answered politely.

  Luka's brows arched at the surprising bit of information because he didn't expect the girlish goddess to have an "adult" relationship with another god.

  "Past lover," Alectos corrected and wagged his finger. "I'm very impressed that your detection magic caught my presence and sent guards here within seconds. If I were an assassin, I would have a 50-50 chance of success in my mission to take Luka's life," he observed.

  "That's still too high," the pope frowned.

  "Putting Luka inside the bell tower is a double-edged sword. While it takes some time for an intruder to reach this apartment, the same applies to would-be rescuers, too," the god pointed out.

  Demetrius nodded. He cleared his throat. "May I ask why you came here?" he inquired politely.

  "Altima asked me to accept Luka as my official disciple. I'm here to seek his mother's permission for Luka to enter a magical apprenticeship under my supervision," Alectos answered.

  The pope was shocked because he planned to take advantage of Luka's stay in Lumina to pull the boy into the church. But Demetrius also realized that Alectos wouldn't lie about Altima's intervention on Luka's behalf. If their Goddess of Light made separate plans for Luka, then the pope couldn't obstruct her. "I will follow Altima's will," he replied and bowed.

  The two turned toward Juliette and awaited her answer. Although the logical response was to let Luka go, this required taking the child away from his mother during his precious childhood. Thus, they couldn't simply ignore the emotional impact of this decision.

  Juliette turned toward Alectos and asked two critical questions. "How long will Luka be away? And where will he serve his apprenticeship?"

  "I'm thinking of keeping the boy for ten years and returning him when Luka reaches adulthood. He will live outside the Latima continent for his safety," the God of Magic answered.

  The mother frowned because the teacher intended to keep her son for a decade! This program would harm Luka's preparation to become a duke and all the responsibilities required of this position. On the other hand, Juliette didn't expect Alectos to pull Luka out of Altima's domain with her blessing.

  Juliette noted that Alectos didn't specify where her son would stay, but she understood this meant that Luka's enemies couldn't reach him. In the end, Juliette believed that Alectos would guarantee her son's safety for a decade during his apprenticeship, and this was the deciding factor in accepting the god's offer.

  "Yes, I permit Luka to study under you," she answered.

  "Excellent! I will take him now. Exchange your parting words and encouragement," Alectos prodded.

  "Luka, I know life has not been fair to you, but this is your destiny. When I see you again, you will be a grown man and make us all proud." Juliette kissed his forehead and then pushed Luka toward Alectos.

  "May Altima's Light guide your life," Demetrius gave his blessing.

  Bel quickly hopped into his master's arms. [Don't leave without me!]

  Alectos smiled faintly. He snapped his fingers and took the two away.

  When Luka once disappeared from the apartment, Juliette strolled across the room and looked out the window. "Did I make the right decision?" she asked softly as the sunlight caressed her body.

  "I strongly believe you did," Demetrius replied. "Altima herself requested Alectos' aid; the God of Magic wouldn't offer Luka an apprenticeship otherwise. And our goddess wants the boy to leave our continent to keep Luka out of harm's way. I feel her intense anger over the assassination attempt, and I predict that Altima will issue her divine retribution shortly. Even Lumina may get caught in the crossfire," he speculated openly.

  The woman's eyes burned with fury. "I wouldn't mind being an instrument of Altima's vengeance as a valkyrie," Juliette remarked.

  "I serve as Altima's oracle, and she occasionally grants me visions to guide the church. I expect Altima to target the Shadow League because its continued existence would threaten her worshippers."

  "I should report to the valkyries station. Please excuse me, Your Holiness." Juliette bowed to the pope and departed with her mind settled on a new goal.

  Chapter 9

  Magic Training

  The next moment, Luka appeared in the middle of nowhere. The ground was smoky but rock-solid, and the sky regularly changed color randomly. And strangely enough, he could sense all the elements in his surroundings!

  Bel hopped on the ground and looked around. The familiar's whiskers twitched as he sniffed at the unfamiliar air. [Where did that snooty god bring us?]

  Abruptly, an invisible force grabbed the animal, and Bel began to float. [Put me down!] The rabbit thought with resentment. Air Tentacles wrapped his body, and the victim tried to bite them off with his teeth. However, the magical limbs were impervious to his assault.

  Luka noticed that Bel was in trouble, and he immediately pounced on his familiar! Unfortunately, the boy's added weight changed nothing; he, too, steadily rose higher in the air along with Bel.

  Finally, Alectos appeared and hovered some twenty feet above the ground. With a bemused expression, the god watched the two squirm like fishes out of water.

  Snap! The tentacles dissipated without warning; Bel landed on top of Luka.

  The master touched the ground with a light tap and stood near the two. "Get up," the god ordered in a frosty tone of voice.

  The two mortals were stunned momentarily by their crash, but Bel recovered first. Without warning, the angry rabbit charged!

  Alectos flicked a finger and formed a Wall of Force to intercept the deranged animal.

  Splat! Bel smacked, head first, into the wall and rebounded backward.

  "Are you okay?" Luka asked with mild concern. He saw Be
l foolishly attack the god and couldn't react quick enough to stop the familiar. Thankfully, the boy managed to follow the rabbit and cushion Bel's fall.

  Luka became upset at Alectos's behavior and made a rash decision. He looked at the god and said, "I've changed my mind. Please take me home."

  Alectos stared at Luka with amusement. "Your loyalty to your familiar is admirable. However, I went through some hassle to become your magic instructor. Thus, you cannot leave until you earned the title of 'Disciple of Alectos.' Otherwise, your sudden return home would harm my reputation."

  Luka couldn't believe the god's selfishness! Alectos acted no better than a petty nobleman! The boy took some time to contain his anger. "Can you stop bullying my familiar?" he asked.

  "Tell that demon to behave," the god replied coolly. "If he weren't your familiar, I would eradicate him already."

  Luka and Bel felt an enormous, killing intent emanating from Alectos. They realized that he wasn't joking.

  The god used Air Tentacles to pull the boy and animal to their feet. "We wasted enough time already. There is a lot for you to learn, child. Now, I'm going to ask you an essential question. Think it over before you answer. What is your goal in life?"

  Luka's brows knitted in surprise. He didn't expect the teacher to ask this vague question. The boy held the rabbit in his arms and thought for a long time. Luka's mind flashed back to his short five years in this world and his previous eighteen years of living on Earth.

  The boy regretted that his life was no different than a raft drifting aimlessly in the ocean. Luka felt powerless to change his destiny as a future sacrifice for Zaleron, and this recognition made him angry. The boy finally realized what he wanted in life.

  Luka looked at Alectos and answered firmly. "I want to control my destiny."

  The God of Magic smiled and nodded his approval. "Excellent. To control your fate, you need power. As my disciple, you will learn the meaning of magic and gain the ability to change your destiny. Your bloodline as a Divine Summoner is only a small portion of your true potential. With my guidance, you will discover the rest."