The next few days were basically the same. Ashara pushed me to do more during the morning exercises, and I spent the rest of the day meditating, with time off for meals and an afternoon archery training session.
“I’ve been meditating so much that I think I’m going to turn into an ascetic,” I said to Ashara.
[No chance. You love food too much.]
“That’s true.”
I was sitting down on the cold stone tiles of my favorite meditation spot, taking deep breaths in preparation for the big push. The System Mastery XP Bar was now full, but to progress to the next skill, Power Breathing, I needed to forge a deeper connection with Ashara.
The sun was setting in the air was still. I was at the center of a circle of white candles, and in front of me was a small bowl of water, the traditional no-frills tool used by spirit mediums.
“Shall we?”
[This won’t hurt.]
“You know that saying that just makes me worry more.”
I bent over the bowl and visualized a small door opening on the water’s surface. A wave of calm washed over me and the Aurelian System message appeared in front of me in the form of a transparent blue box.
[Lynette Aurelian: Level 1 Summoner]
[Int: 1/99]
[Str: 1/99]
[Dex: 1/99]
[Cha: 1/99]
[Con: 1/99]
[HP: 10/999]
[MP: 10/99]
[Skills: Mana Breathing]
[In progress: Spirit Summoning]
The breath in my lungs heated up and my body tingled as though a mild current of electricity was passing from the top of my head to the soles of my feet and back again.
[This is the real thing now. Continue Mana Breathing.]
All of the weeks that I had spent training was to prepare for this moment. Since the time that I had made a contract with Ashara, she had been tethered to my spirit but unable to manifest herself because of my lack of sufficient mana.
The water in the bowl became cloudy and the door that I was visualizing started to open slowly.
“I welcome you, Great Spirit.” I chanted that sentence again and again as I breathed in mana and offered it to Ashara. It didn’t hurt but it felt extremely peculiar when the mana drained out of me as fast as I breathed it in.
After ten minutes of chanting, tiny specks of light appeared in the water, and the door swung open completely. My mouth fell open and I forgot to focus my thoughts when I saw the water rising up from the glass and forming into a tiny, childlike humanoid form.
Ashara’s spirit form was small and delicate, with a cute little face and golden eyes. She had a small body made entirely of light, which shimmered in the darkness. She floated and flitted around playfully, never staying in one place for long.
Incredible! My hand trembled as I reached out to touch her. She was warm to the touch and felt like soft metal, solid but slippery. As I stroked her head, she closed her eyes and made a soft humming sound.
How cute! I wanted to take her in both of my hands, lift her up, and spin her around as though she was a baby.
[Well done.]
Ashara flew closer and kissed me on the center of my forehead. Warmth spread out from the spot she had touched.
[You have learned a new skill: Power Breathing]
I blinked and when I opened my eyes, Ashara was no longer there and my MP had been drained.
[Power Breathing: A meditative practice that involves breathing in mana through the skin and circulating it throughout the body.]
“That’s it? I was expecting fireworks or something.”
[You’ve only unlocked the skill. You still need to master it.]
“I know.”
My MP had increased by two points, which wasn’t a lot, but at least I had made some progress.
[Lynette Aurelian: Level 1 Summoner]
[Int: 1/99]
[Str: 1/99]
[Dex: 1/99]
[Cha: 1/99]
[Con: 1/99]
[HP: 10/999]
[MP: 12/99]
[Skills: Mana Breathing]
[In progress: Spirit Summoning]
The bowl of water looked normal now. I emptied it on the ground, blew out the candles, and put everything in a small canvas bag that I slung on my shoulder. Then I walked back to my dorm, exhausted and hungry enough to eat a horse.
“You know, you looked really cute. How come you didn’t look the same as you did in the spirit world?”
[That is what I look like when I manifest in the mortal plane. My previous summoner liked that form. He was fond of children.]
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
How infantilizing! I didn’t say that out loud, of course. Everyone knew not to speak ill of a previous summoner to their spirit. I decided to change the subject. “Do you have enough power to show yourself to other people now?”
[Yes, but only for a second or two. I suggest you refrain from showing off until you have at least 20 MP.]
“I guess it would be a waste of mana.”
[We’ll start Power Breathing tomorrow. That will refill your mana.]
“No, did you forget? Tomorrow is the full moon. I’m going to need all my energy at midnight. I want to rest the whole day tomorrow.”
[No. If anything bad happens, I won’t be able to heal you unless you restore your MP, so you have to meditate.]
“Good point. I’ll wake up early and meditate in the morning.”
***
In Chaos Blood Summoner, Duke Marius had a destined encounter at midnight in the Dragon’s Den which eventually led to his ruin. My goal tonight was to cut off that particular thread of fate. The plan I had come up with hinged on the fact that the Duke’s mother, a famous seer, had given him a prophecy.
At midnight I had to be at the Dragon’s Den which was inside Merlin's Enclosure, a walled flower garden famous for its Rose Clock that had twelve different-colored flowers that magically bloomed every two hours. The Dragon’s Den was a hidden spot that could only be accessed if one knew the secret of the clock.
I remembered exactly what to do, but the problem was that all students had a curfew that was rigorously enforced by the proctors. Marius would be there at midnight, which was two hours after lights out at the dorm. Therefore, I had to enlist Elaine’s help to sneak out of my room.
“This is a very bad idea,” she said.
“Relax, all you have to do is pull up the ladder and go back to your room without making a commotion,” I said. “The guards won’t care if you’re in the hallway.”
“I know that. I’ll just tell them I had to go use the facilities,” said Elaine. “I’m talking about you. What if one of the proctors sees you climbing out or climbing back in later?”
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Expulsion! Scandal.”
“Pfft. I’ll be fine.”
I used the hooks to secure the rope ladder to the bottom of my window and climbed out. “See you later. Don’t fall asleep until I return. I’m counting on you.”
“If you get caught, keep my name out of it.”
“Of course.”
I climbed down as quickly as I could. Fortunately, I was only on the third floor and the rooms directly below me were unoccupied. The moment my feet touched the ground, Elaine pulled up the ladder, and I sprinted to the edge of the garden where there were some trees to provide cover. I was wearing soft-soled shoes, a black coat with the hood pulled up, and black gloves.
“This is exciting,” I muttered under my breath to Ashara.
[Look around you a little more.]
“I don’t think anyone’s around.”
The Academy campus was deserted at this time of the night. Everyone, except for the proctors and guards who were on light duty, was in bed since there were no parties or events tonight. The only sound was the soft rustle of the leaves in the trees.
The full moon above us lit my way as I walked to Merlin's Enclosure, avoiding the few streetlamps that had been placed along the busiest intersections.
[Why don’t you try Mana Breathing while you’re walking?]
“Right now? I’m too nervous, sorry.”
[It will calm you down.]
“Maybe…”
[Stop walking and practice Mana Breathing first.]
I started focusing on my breathing, taking slow, deep lungfuls of the cold night air. After a few seconds, the System started popping out +2 blue boxes, confirming that I was doing it properly.
[Now start walking. Keep focusing on your breathing.]
I did as she instructed and started walking at a slow, steady pace, focusing on my breathing as I put one foot in front of the other. The fact that I had mastered the skill didn’t mean that I was already perfect at using it. I could breathe in mana when I was sitting or standing still while concentrating on it, but walking and looking around for guards was harder to do. The +2s now came less frequently, around twice every three breaths, which was pretty good considering my nervousness.
The Rose Garden in Merlin’s Enclosure was full of colorful flowers and lush greenery, designed in the formal style, with symmetrical paths lined by neat rows of bushes radiating from a large statue of Merlin set in the center. The trees here were hazel and holly, Merlin’s favorites. During the daytime, it was a cheerful place full of students and staff sitting on the many benches or picnicking under the trees, but tonight it was deserted and eerie, with the silver moonlight leaching the colors from the flowers.
“Here it is.” I stopped Mana Breathing as soon as I caught sight of the Rose Clock. According to the books, the key should be under the seventh stone around the rim clockwise from the number twelve. The gloves made my fingers clumsy, so I took them off to pry out the stone and retrieve the small leather pouch that contained the key to the Dragon’s Den. This close to the clock, the scent of roses was overpowering, and I could feel a strange energy coming from the clock. No one knew what magic Merlin and his host of familiars had cast on it to make flowers bloom at different hours of the day, but many have speculated that it was tied to larger constructs elsewhere in the enclosure. They were right.
I took a small steel key from the pouch and walked directly north on the clock until I reached a wall which I searched and I found one stone block was slightly smaller than the others.
“A few more minutes left,” I said.
When the Rose Clock struck midnight, I pressed on the block, which made a section of the wall swing open. Behind it was a small wrought iron gate. I used the key on the lock and entered the Dragon’s Den.
The moonlight cascaded down upon the garden, bathing it in an ethereal glow. The roses were in full bloom and seemed to dance in the soft light, their petals fluttering in the gentle breeze. The trees stood tall and proud, and the grass was like a carpet of velvet underneath my feet. The air was thick with the scent of the blossoms.
The dragon statue loomed large in the center of the garden, its stone body towering over the bushes and flowers that surrounded it. The dragon's wings were spread wide, as if it were ready to take flight, and its mouth was open in a ferocious snarl. Its eyes were made of bright red rubies, and they seemed to stare down at the man standing below it wearing an elegant three-piece suit.
Even during the day, Duke Marius’ usual coloring made him look formidable. The Dusk Mark on his forehead stood in stark relief against his pale skin and in the moonlight, his deep, crimson red eyes and white hair almost seemed to glow. His face was expressionless as I walked towards him.
“You’re waiting for me,” I said. It was not a question.
“You?” He raised one eyebrow.
“Are you seriously going to pretend that you and I accidentally met here, in the secret Dragon’s Den, at midnight?”
“I know why I’m here, but I don’t have a clue why you are.” Duke Marius folded his arms across his chest.
[Just say it so we can leave. You need to return to the dorm quickly.]
I shrugged. “I’m here to ask you to marry me.”
He frowned.
“What? You’re not going to say anything?” I said. He was starting to get on my nerves.
[You didn’t make it a question. Ask him.]
“Will you marry me?” I asked the Duke.
[https://i.imgur.com/A390tPd.png]