Bertrand sat down into a meditative position. It took a minute for his eyes to turn white. Although this was considered slow for a veteran Summoner, it was an impressive speed for a disciple with so little experience.
“I summon the Griffin, a Wind Summon; mighty beast of the skies!”
As Bertrand screamed a translucent whirlwind appeared before him and from it spawned his freshly obtained Summon.
The Griffin made quite an entry, it spread its wings as if it wished to show off while letting out a harrowing screech from its beak. The Summon truly was a majestic being. The front of its body was that of an eagle, including sharp talons and its hind resembled that of a lion.
Elem was in awe. He had spent countless hours studying the Global Summoning Association’s Summon Compendium and he was pretty certain that his fellow disciple had just connected with a Legendary Class Summon.
Per the Association’s power classifications, Summons could generally be categorized in four classes: Common, Rare, Legendary and Divine.
The fact that Bertrand’s Essence was strong enough to attract a Legendary Class Summon was more than impressive. Most didn’t encounter such a powerful Summon as their first connection and Elem was certain many of their fellow disciples would be seething with envy once they’d find out about Betrand’s Griffin.
“That’s rad!” Aja exclaimed. “Can you fly it?”
Bertrand scratched his head.
“I think that I should be able to but that will take some training. Right now I can’t imagine trying to stay in a trance while soaring.”
“Fair,” Aja replied, raising her shoulders.
Her turn was next. She gave the others a solemn nod and stepped into the temple without displaying the slightest hesitation.
Aja’s time inside the temple flew by in what felt like less than an hour. Elem had spent his time cycling cultivation forms to boost his Essence as much he could but his nerves obstructed him from practicing effectively. When his friend emerged from the temple doors, he immediately dropped what he was doing.
“And?” He asked.
Aja replied with a smile. Her connection had been a success.
“Take a look at this.”
She clearly couldn’t wait and Elem didn’t blame her for it. Aja sat down and took a series of deep breaths until her eyes faded into a deep black.
“I summon the Bicorn, Void Summon; spawn of the night.”
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As she spoke, a swirl of dark matter gathered on the ground. As soon as the vortex materialized, the Bicorn leaped into the material world. The Summon reared and kicked like a wild stallion as it restlessly waited for Aja’s instructions.
So that was what a Bicorn looked like. Elem gasped at the sight, he had never seen one before. The Void Summon had the appearance of a large horse although its fur colored a deep unnatural purple. Its manes sparkled like a starlit sky and two elaborate horns emerged from its head like obsidian swords.
“I must say it fits your personality,” Elem noted.
As fast as it had appeared, the Bicorn disappeared into nothingness. Aja slumped down as her eyes returned to their natural brown. She looked tired and relieved, as if she had just let go of a heavy weight.
“Just a little peek for now,” she said. “Now you should get ready.”
Elem nodded. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be ready but there was no point in postponing his fate. His heart nearly popped out of his chest as he pressed against the temple’s heavy doors and stepped inside.
The temple’s interior felt cool and stuffy. It was dark inside save for a strange blue light emanating through the cracks of the wall before him and the embers of the excessive incense scattered across the room.
As Elem’s eyes adjusted to the shadows he got a better vision of the room. A collection of statues depicting powerful Summons gazed upon him, he recognized a few such as Chimeras, Wyverns and Phoenixes but many others he had never seen before.
In the temple’s center stood a simple stone altar backed by a massive statue of a Thunderbird. According to legend, the mighty being was the first Divine Class Summon that had been encountered on the temple grounds.
“You must be the last one,” rang a sudden voice.
Elem nearly jumped when he noticed three elderly women standing besides him. They must have been in the room the whole time.
“Priestesses,” he said with a bow. “My apologies, I didn't see you.”
One of the priestesses took a step closer and took a long squinted look at Elem. As the blue light reflected on her wrinkled face, she looked as ancient as the temple itself.
“This one’s the runt of the litter,” she determined. “Are you prepared, runt?”
“Yes,” Elem replied, even though he didn’t feel ready.
“We shall see. Now stand still so we can cleanse your Essence.”
The three priestesses each took a smoking bunch of herbs from a bowl waiting in the corner and began their cleansing ritual. Elem struggled not to cough.
“Today we shall test the potential of your Essence. Or better said: the Summons will. The sanctum behind this wall contains a Sacred Fountain, a gateway to another plane of existence. The spirit realm, dreamworld, netherworld, it goes by many names."
“If you possess Summoner Essence then you will attract an entity. Your encounter will entirely depend on your Essence. Who you are as a person is what will attract a specific Summon. Remember that if you are not satisfied with whatever you connect with. The Summon is always a reflection of its Summoner.”
After the priestesses were finished with their herbs, they took Elem to the altar below the Thunderbird statue and had him put down a series of items. A bag of dirt for earth, a filled cup for water, a lit candle for fire, windchime for wind and a talisman for void.
“Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void. The five elements that make up our reality.”
Then the eldest of the women stepped behind the Wind Summon statue and opened a concealed door. The blue light that had previously only crept through the seams of the wall’s masonry now filled the entire room.
The priestess smiled.
“Now you are prepared. Step inside please.”