This isn’t Endless Fantasia, summoning is a thing!?

Everything considered, she wasn’t sure why this surprised her so much.

“I’m a what now?!” Senna barked, her eyes glossing over.

“Senna, darling! This is huge!”

Her brain buffering, still trying to process having a conversation with an otherworldly stray cat, Senna turned with a blank expression towards her mom.

“A… summoner? As in, I summon creatures to fight for me?”

“Yes, exactly that. Well, not just fight for you, but harness some of their powers as well. Generally, summoners can also see spectral entities that would otherwise require specific spells or enchantments to be perceived."

Unable to stop herself, Senna asked the obvious question.

“Is that what that spell was? Something that lets you see… Aethos?”

“Yes, exactly. I can perceive when specters and Aethos are around, but to see their true form, I require that incantation. Without it, I merely see a distorted space, like the heat radiating off cobblestone on a hot day.”

“Are the Aethos… dangerous? You seemed very quick to bow to it.”

“I…” Celica paused, unsure for a moment how to continue. “They are usually benevolent towards mortals, but they are beings of immense power that should be respected. Some scholars theorize they inhabit the same realm as the gods themselves, and that they wield enough power that they could erase civilization overnight if they thought it was necessary.”

“So, what’s the catch? Seems like a god tier ability to summon Aethos.” Her voice was more flippant sounding than she intended.

“Well besides requiring an immense amount of mana, the most powerful Aethos will either drastically shorten the lifespan of the user… or kill them outright in exchange for brief mome.”

“I figured it had to be a steep price… You don’t get to be that overpowered without a cost.” Senna remarked thoughtfully.

“Regardless, that’s incredible news! Summoners have many paths to choose from, especially if they have a natural affinity for it! Many become scholars to help expand our knowledge about the relationship of mana with magical beings and the ject, others become the bodyguards of kings and emperors, and particularly powerful individuals are tasked with protecting entire cities from monumental threats.”

Letting out an awkward laugh, Senna scratched the back of her head.

“That’s… that’s a lot to process.”

“That being said, you aren’t obligated to pursue that or any other particular path. It gives you the options of pursuing particularly grand opportunities, but those may not be right for you.”

Sitting back in the grass, Senna digested the words for a few moments in silence. The warmth of sunlight filled her bones, the grass between her fingers and toes helped ground her as she mulled over her thoughts. It felt like each week on Messaris had some new revelation, continually changing the trajectory of the world around her.

“I want to make the most of this second chance in life, but that’s also a little overwhelming to think about. I also can’t say that sticking my nose in books all day sounds particularly thrilling, it’d probably just be the fantasy life version of my last job. I also can’t imagine myself rubbing elbows with royalty; that sounds exhausting.”

“Nobility is exhausting. I was asked to be part of an extended security entourage with your father for a crown prince and I cannot imagine living a life that far removed from the common person. Maybe someday we can shift our society towards a system that truly represents commoners rather than some vague claim to divinity.”

Senna merely gave a simple nod in response. Politics and societal level paradigm shifts weren’t something she felt confident opining about. One of the best lessons she learned as an adult was not sharing an opinion if it wasn’t informed or asked for. Besides, the sea change of events over the last month had created a serenity that she wasn’t ready to part with yet.

Though, a strange question entered Senna’s mind.

“It feels weird to ask, but when I was little, did you have any particular aspirations for me as I grew up?”

Celica gave a thoughtful sounding ‘hmm’ as she pondered the question.

“Well, truthfully, I think every parent probably does. Your father hoped both you and your sister would be adventurers like us. I used to hope you’d want to have a safer, quieter life; but we agreed to never push you one way or another. I think too many people see children as an accessory, or as a tool for passing on their trade, or even simply because their parents or community expect them to have one. They hope the child will be this clay doll that they can shape and color to their own liking and will do as they say without question. They can’t seem to grasp that each person is an individual with their own unique personality and their own life aspirations.”

An expression of shock flashed across Senna’s face in response, slightly taken aback at her forward thinking on the matter. Meanwhile, Celica cleared her throat and continued, wanting to finish her thoughts.

“Some of us didn’t get a choice. I certainly didn’t. Maybe that’s why I’m so insistent that you choose your own destiny.”

A southern breeze kissed their cheeks, as wayward flower petals meandered across the lawn. One of them landed on Senna’s nose, delicately tickling her skin. Brushing it away, she gave one final glance at endless cerulean skies above; an ocean for the birds that raced between the islands of fluffy clouds lazily sailing across the horizon.

“On that note,” Senna started to speak but was interrupted by a tremendous yawn that spread throughout her entire body, “I think I’m ready for a nap. I know I’m supposed to be studying, but do you have any books about summoning or Aethos?”

“I don’t, no, but I could go pick you up something while you nap!”

“Only if you’re going out!”

Learning to let herself be loved was an ongoing struggle for Senna, let alone the growing anxiety that she was a burden to Celica. She was beginning to finally believe there was no resentment growing in her mother’s heart, but acceptance that your existence is not a burden is not won overnight.

“I wanted to go check in with Reyna since the rest of your clothes are probably done by now. I remember there being a quaint little shop in that same row of shops!”

With that, the pair rose to their feet, brushing off dirt and petals from their clothing. Celica stepped away to retrieve the herbs she had pulled from the greenhouse, while Senna made her way up the porch and back into the kitchen. Once inside, they quickly washed off the herbs, before setting them out to dry.

In the living room, they exchanged parting words before Senna made her way slowly up the stairs and to her room. Setting down her crutches as she sat on the bed, she eyed her notebook and the children’s books she had been practicing reading. The sun having drained any kind of motivation or effort from her body, she scooped up the books and dropped them on the floor. Curling up with Mister Floppit in her arms, she free fell into the depths of dreams.

–

The sun hadn’t even fully risen before the screaming had begun.

As the red dawn broke, the smoke plumes quickly filled the sky as the eastern city of Vrissk began to burn. Soldiers of a marauding army marched through the streets, setting houses ablaze and cutting down the residents as they fled out the front door. Despite being a sizable town, most of the local garrison had been deployed to the front lines to the west, leaving virtually no defenses.

“Callak! Callak!!”

A girl no older than fifteen shook her little brother desperately as distant sounds of battle slowly grew louder. The boy slowly rubbed sleep from his eyes as his sister lifted him to his feet. She frantically spun to grab his boots and clothes in the darkness of their meager room.

“What’s wrong Yula?” He said groggily, finally coming to his senses.

“The Nether Dawn are attacking, they’re killing everyone. We have to run!”

Haphazardly dressed, Yula seized Callak by the wrist and yanked him out of the room and towards the back door of their house.

“What about my bear Theo? Where is mommy?” Tears now welling up in his eyes.

“Mom went to the market, but we can’t wait for her to get back. There’s no time, we’ll find her later!”

Seizing her daggers off a table and concealing them in her clothing, Yula took a deep breath in through her nose, exhaling out of her mouth. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as fear tried to worm its way into her lungs. Taking another deep breath, she steeled herself, seizing Callak by the wrist and marched out the back door.

Stepping into the yard, the siblings ducked behind a short, stone wall. Not seeing any soldiers making their way down the lane yet, they emerged from cover. Panicked neighbors running half dressed in the darkness, they slowly slipped over the stonework and raced down the street.

The siblings kept small as they clung close to walls and structures, pausing at one of the main roads exiting the town south. Hundreds of people were trying to crowd down the road to avoid the approaching soldiers from the north. Most of them were merely escaping with the clothes on their back and holding loved ones close with the occasional greedy merchant desperately trying to push a cart of goods.

Every aspect of it was chaos, and the noise was only going to attract soldiers.

“We can’t leave this way, Callak. There’s something wrong, I can feel it in my bones.”

“I see Tenma’s family, maybe mommy is with them!”

Although it would’ve been easy to blend in with the crowd, her instincts and training as a forest tracker told her that a predator was looming out of sight. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she crossed the street and weaved in and out of the crowd as her brother began to openly sob. Yula knew that she was hurting his wrist and that he was scared, but she was a child leading a child.

Stopping at an intersection, they heard screams of horror meet the rising sun.

Turning her head back, she covered her mouth in shock, her feet coming to a screeching halt. Several mecha riders atop mechanical drakes were hovering above the throngs of panicking people, slinging fireballs into the crowds below. Dozens of figures vanished in the wall of flames that was cutting off the road as the riders above silently watched, summoning their next wave of spells.

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Like a herd of terrified deer, many of the fleeing victims froze in place, unsure of what to do as they watched their loved ones burn. Some rushed through the flames hoping to put themselves out on the other side, while the rest of the crowd turned and ran in various directions. A select few fell to their knees and solemnly waited for the end.

Possessed by the sheer will to survive, Yula resumed her escape, pulling Callak’s arm even harder than before. Most of the streets on the shortest path were empty, most of the residents likely fleeing by this point. Passing several houses, Yula was caught off guard by an elderly couple holding hands on their front porch.

“You both need to run! The Nether Dawn is here and they just ambushed the south gate!”

The old man looked at his wife for a thoughtful moment, before addressing Yula.

“We know, child. We’re too old to flee, we’d just slow down healthy young folk who need to escape. We’ve had a long, good life here in Vrissk, at least we get to depart this life together.”

“Don’t waste your time worrying about us, deary. Get that little boy to safety, you hear?”

His wife’s eyes smiled, glittering in the morning light. The was no trace of t he virulent fear that was sweeping through the panicking city, only a calm shine of acceptance flashing in their eyes.

Leaving behind the elders, Yula continued down the last block before the eastern gate facing the Lasuga Forest. The path was a straight shot ahead; the gate was in plain sight and the coast was clear, as a handful of people rushed out of the city towards the wilderness. It was here that the girl had decided she would part ways with her brother.

Pausing at the threshold of the city, she kneeled down to meet her brother at eye level. Taking his hands in hers, she took a deep breath.

“Callak. I am only going to tell you this once. Follow those people that just fled. The people of Vrissk protect their own, they will take care of you. I know I shouldn’t leave your side, but I need to find our mother.”

A driving guilt rose in her throat as she pushed the words out, knowing in her heart of hearts that she was committing a grievous sin separating from her brother. Yula already knew their mother was likely dead, but she desperately wanted to at least have a body to bury before the monsters had a chance to burn her. She would bury her beside the empty grave for their father who had already died fighting the Nether Dawn on some distant battlefield.

Sobbing loudly, Callak shook his head aggressively.

“Please don’t leave me sister, please don’t make me go alone!”

“Shhh! We always have time later to cry, we only have right now to act. Run! We are running out of time!”

Yula pulled the boy against herself for a moment, hugging him with all her strength. She kissed the top of his head, a silent prayer begging the gods to protect the child, before pushing him away.

“RUN! I will be as quick as I can!”

Muttering a wind spell, Yula tapped her feet, granting herself a blessing of speed before turning away and bolting away.

I have done an extremely cruel thing. I know that I will die, but I still have to try to find our mother.

The lead weight of guilt grew heavier, her steps felt heavy despite the speed at which she moved. Bounding towards the market place, she slid into a ditch that acted as a drainage point for rainy days as she saw Nether Dawn soldiers swarming the market place. Several mounds of corpses were piled up in the center of the square, soldiers laughing and jeering as they went.

Slowly raising her head to scan the area for any sight of her mother’s body, she knew deep down it was hopeless. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, desperately wanting to reunite their little family fully. It defied the teachings of the rangers; do not act blindly, especially if guided by emotions and not a sound mind.

About to turn back, she spotted her.

A woman was trying to crawl away from a mound of corpses that hadn’t been burnt yet. Her hands covered in blood and dirt, she desperately tried to pull herself away from the soldiers gaze. Yula’s heart froze in her chest; that was her mother, Layla.

Silent tears slowly ran down Yula’s face. She wasn’t going to get an injured woman out of harms way, not under the noses of soldiers a dozen feet away. She knew that her little brother’s life depended on her return, that he would die in the wilds without her.

Biting her cheek and swallowing the grief, she slowly lowered herself back into the ditch.

Trying not to gag as the pungent burning smell of death hit her nose, she crawled away and snuck behind an empty shop. Retrieving the daggers from her clothing, she knew soldiers would be approaching the east gate by now and she needed to be ready for anything.

Retracing her steps back towards the gate, she kept one eye looking overhead to be sure mecha riders wouldn’t spot her on the street. It was already bad enough that soldiers were swarming the roads but knowing that cowards in the sky could throw explosive balls of fire on unarmed people was even worse. The entire affair enraged her the more she let her thoughts wander.

Their village hadn’t been touched yet by the war but hearing that The Nether Dawn and Eryx had finally begun to lose, the city had offered many of its fighting men to the effort. They had razed a nearby Nether Dawn outpost to secure a strategic crossing for allied kingdoms, which was likely the reason this detachment of soldiers was attacking them. It was one of many last-ditch attempts to bleed the world dry for not accepting the Kronomancer as a god-king.

Peering around a corner, Yula eyed a group of Nether Dawn soldiers trying to push the gate closed after realizing the turnstile had been sabotaged. They were probably trying to seal the exit, knowing it was too late to set up an ambush. It was her last chance to escape the city; soon they’d raze every building to the ground.

Thoughts reeling, trepidation filled her soul like sand in an hourglass. Whispering another wind spell, she only had one option left; she was going to run through the gates before they were able to seal them. Getting low to the ground to hide the light of the sigils, she felt her body lighten as the incantation took effect over her.

Taking a final breath to calm her nerves, Yula whispered to herself a final encouragement.

“Callak is waiting for you. Don’t leave him without a family.”

Daggers at the ready, Yula exploded from cover, a cloud of dust erupting from her feet as she shot like a bullet towards the gate. Feeling the wind at her sides, she grinned as the gate rapidly grew larger. None of the soldiers looked like they’d be within range to intercept her path in time, as one by one they noticed the blur of a girl rushing past them.

Swerving between a pair that had seen her coming, their weapons cut into the others flesh as they clumsily missed their target by a mile. Her daggers swung as she rounded the corner of the closing gate, causing a soldier on the other side to spin backwards as two crimson slashes appeared across his torso. Not caring to finish the job, she continued her bound towards freedom, crossing the bridge that ran over a short stream that hugged the wall.

Verdant green grass met her feet as freedom greeted her with open arms. Not daring to stop yet, she bolted down the small road that most local folk used to travel to the forest. There were a few thickets and downs along the way that would make for easy hiding spots; she hoped that one of their neighbors had snagged Callak and done the same.

Several minutes passed as she raced down the path, knowing the closest thicket was nearby. They were well known secrets amongst the locals as good hiding places during foul weather, against bandits, or even monsters. Some of them even had elaborate tents weaved through the shrubbery to create dens.

As Yula rounded a bend, she almost crashed as she slid to a halt.

Walking down the path towards her was a Nether Dawn officer of some kind: a woman with pale blonde hair and red lips that matched her bright red eyes. She was wearing an elaborate cloak with the hood drawn up, a muffler that had been lowered to reveal her mouth, and the crest of a half obscured gray sun on her chest.

An inhuman voice trickled down her lips as she bore a sinister smile at the girl.

“Hello there, little cottontail. Why have you run so far from your den?”

Maybe one hundred or so feet behind the woman was the hiding place that she had been looking for, but with an enemy in sight, she knew better than to try to approach it. Instead, she trained her eyes on the woman, not wanting her body language to betray the position of potential survivors.

Continuing her slow, prowling, predatory gait towards Yula, the woman spoke once more.

“What’s the matter, little rabbit? Coyote got your tongue?”

Smiling, she revealed a set of vampiric fangs and sharpened teeth. She was likely one of the homunculi that Eryx the Kronomancer had engineered to help lead his armies and act as his field commanders. Yula had heard about them from the forest trackers that had been training her, the consensus being that only well-trained soldiers could go toe to toe with them. There was no chance that a child could fight her or escape.

Swallowing down the growing tide of grief that filled her throat, Yula knew there was only one thing to do; keep her distracted or lead her away so that anyone watching them in the thicket could escape. The forest wasn’t far and if she made enough of a racket, she could hopefully get their attention to slink away in the confusion.

“Congratulations! You found a survivor! What’s the prize?!” Trying to keep the shaking in her tone to a minimum, she waved the daggers in her hands wildly to challenge the woman.

“No, I found prey. Those rank-and-file soldiers were merely ordered to send a message to any villages supporting the allied nations. I am here to hunt. I am here…” A sickly pallid tongue fell out of her mouth and licked her lips in such a grotesque manner that Yula’s skin crawled. “To consume defiant little rodents like you.”

A horrifying realization hit Yula. This isn’t just an ordinary homunculus; this was a ghoul. There had been rumors about them patrolling the northern borders, creatures that stalked the night and ate lost travelers, but to give one human intelligence and turn it loose on ordinary people…

What was worse, she realized that there was a benefit to this. If the rumors were true, drawing your own blood and acting as bait for these creatures was supposedly a sure-fire way to make sure any other travelers could get away. Yula was willing to bet her life that this woman would be no different, the last card in her already limited hand.

Having reached the end of the road, she sighed. She gave herself a shallow gash across the left arm with the blade in her right hand. Locking eyes with the beast, she called out once more.

“My blood is drawn, creature! FACE ME!”

It wasn’t courage that carried her voice, it was adrenaline. The current of wind still lingering around her was cloaking her fear, hiding the fact that she was shaking like a leaf.

“I was hoping to flush out the other rabbits, but I can’t deny the invitation you’ve just offered.” Her voice grew somewhat distorted as the feral instincts began taking control of the monster.

Except for Yula’s heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears, a blanket of silence was drawn over the world as the ghoul walked forwards. Not even her footfalls in the gravel and dirt made an impact. Stepping through shadows cast across the path by intertwining trees, for a mere moment the only thing visible on the ghoul was her glowing red eyes and the silhouette of her cloak.

Yula’s instincts had been correct, though. A family slunk out of the thicket, a teenage boy amongst them carrying her little brother in his arms. They ran up the trail, understanding her ploy immediately. The teenager covered Callak’s mouth, who was clearly trying to fight with them to save her.

Goodbye Callak.

Even her heartbeat fell quiet this time.

Kicking off the ground, she leapt forward as her daggers flashed wildly at the figure in the darkness. Their battle was short lived, relatively one sided as the ghoul parried a majority of the strikes cast her direction with a rather plain looking saber.

The pair danced as blades flashed between them; a dire waltz to accompany a short melody with a tragic ending. Yula knew this was delaying the inevitable, but it didn’t matter, she wasn’t going to give the creature the satisfaction of surrender.

Don’t forget me, little brother. I love-

Their duel lasted several minutes, much to the shock of both parties. Yet, horns in the distance called out, a party of raiders coming to the aid of the city. The vampire snarled in rage as she nonchalantly dodged one of Yula’s slashes that were growing steadily clumsier.

Tired of the game and knowing she had run out of time, the ghoul parried a slash and returned its fury with a swift riposte across the girls’ chest. The creature outclassed the girl ten times over and had years of experience hunting helpless victims. She was mildly amused at the resistance Yula had offered, but knew it was time to depart.

“As much as I’d love to devour you, my forces must retreat before we’re hunted down like dogs. You were an amusing doll to play with, but even I need to show restraint once a year.”

Seizing the muffler and obscuring all but her eyes, the ghoul dashed away down the path towards the city, leaving Yula behind. The girl remained on her feet for a few moments, before finally falling back into the dirt of the path.

Sweat beads gathered on her brow as the day continually grew warmer under the sun’s warm embrace. Birds and grassland creatures stirred and called out to one another. Even a butterfly with brilliant, ornate designs landed on a nearby flower.

The wound didn’t feel fatal, but adrenaline had finally run dry, and using up so much mana in such a short amount of time left her exhausted.

Does the sun even notice our pain? Does the world shed tears for our struggle? I guess… none of that really matters now that Callak’s safe.

Despite the sunlight bearing down on her eyes, an all-encompassing darkness spread across her world. The horizons grew dim, the faces of the family sitting beside her faded away.

—

Bolting awake in a panic, Orchid panted as he came back to reality from the depths of dreams in the dilapidated roadside shack that had once belonged to the bandits. His brow and clothes were damp with sweat, as the same familiar night terror had seized his dreams once more.

Grabbing a flask filled with water from his belongings, the man gulped down as much as he could stomach. Distant calls of birds told him that morning was on his doorstep, and it was nearly time to resume his journey toward Enzen.

“I dreamt about you again, sister… As much as I am dedicated to the dreams of Monsignor, I still wish I had been by your side in that moment. It’d be better to have suffered death of the flesh than the spiritual death I now carry in this husk of a body.”