Walking down the mostly ruined streets was surreal. Just two months back, I’d been walking the streets of Sunhome with my parents on one final trip before my System Day and now I was moving through what amounted to a war zone.
As I wandered toward the lord’s keep, I pulled up the System panel for [Elemental Pactlord] and tabbed through the assorted groups I had control over at the moment before settling on the [Gargoyles]. Figuring it wasn’t a good idea to summon a huge [Darkstone Gargoyle] onto an already destroyed street, I parkoured my way up to one of the remaining roofs and settled in. I didn’t have to wait long for Edifice to flap over from the Tower.
He bowed low. “Pactlord, your servant Edifice has returned. What would you have me do now? Should I clear out the remaining rabble in town? They are quite noisy, with all their crying and moaning.”
Yeah, Dominus was right, Edifice is a piece of shit.
It took more willpower than I thought I had left for the day to not grind my teeth as I stared at the huge elemental. “No, and I never want to hear you speak disparagingly of the civilians of this place again.”
The sycophant stared at me blankly for a moment before nodding. “Of course, Pactlord. Was that all you called me for?” He made to move away, but I stopped him with a glare.
“Not even close.” I walked around and checked the back of his neck, confirming the presence of the crystal on his neck before stopping in front of him. “You are to take all of the remaining [Gargoyles] in town, along with any [Darkstone Gargoyles] who may have evolved in the fighting, and fly two miles beyond Chalcedony’s walls.” Edifice’s eyes widened. “Once there, you are to destroy the crystals on each others’ necks until none remain. Once that’s completed, return to your former posts.”
“Pactlord, that’s unreasonable–” He began to whine before I cut him off.
“No, it isn’t.” I poked a finger into his granite-like chest. “Those crystals are part of the reason you and your fellows allowed the Tower to get like this. Some of you might not make it back when removing the crystals and that is a small price to pay to get the Tower’s rightful protectors back. Take your fellows and leave now.”
The [Darkstone Gargoyle]’s enormous fist shook with rage, but before he could strike at me he checked himself. “If that is what the Pactlord wishes, so it shall be.” Based on how every other elemental treated me, he likely saved his own life in doing so.
“If you’re not gone by the time I return from meeting with the Governess, I’ll be forced to banish you and your whole flock of [Gargoyles] from Genovia.” A small smile snuck its way onto my face. “Don’t tempt me with a good time, you hear? And make sure to let me know whatever it is you suddenly remember tomorrow.”
The massive winged figure threw himself into the air and saluted me. “Fare thee well, Pactlord. I shall gather my host and depart immediately.” He dipped a wing as he flew away at a breakneck pace.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer asshole. I just hope the rest of his flock do alright with removing the crystals. Dominus said they were repressing memories, so hopefully he’ll let me know what it is he remembers after he gets whatever is blocked back.
Flicking through the System panel once more, I decided to work my way from easiest to most complicated. With a gesture, I summoned Nimbus the [Cloudpup] with a wet pop.
He bowed deeply with a paw extended. “Master, it is a pleasure to speak with you again.”
“Likewise, Nimbus.” My hand itched to pet his cloudy noggin, but I refrained out of respect. “How did you and your pack do on fire-fighting duty? I’m sorry to see you had a few casualties. Is there anything I can do to assist you or them?”
“You humble me, master.” If anything, he bowed lower at that point. “I am sorry to say we were unable to quench the flames in this area, they were far too large and without the help of even a [Stratohound] we lacked the ability to produce large quantities of water at one time.” He whimpered. “I’ve been told I’m near evolving, but I need a proper catalyst to trigger the process.”
Unable to restrain myself, I patted his surprisingly dense cloud head. “It’s OK, I swear.” He looked up at me with big eyes. “I didn’t expect this street to survive, but from what I saw the rest of the city looks pretty good and the people have you and your pack to thank for that.”
“That is nice to hear.” He bumped his head against my palm happily. “I am glad to have been able to help you, master.”
“What kind of catalyst would it take to help you evolve?” I scratched the side of my head with my free hand. “I may have just come into a significant amount of coinage and I’d be happy to help you out if I can. As long as it’s not out of my means, I should be able to assist.”
The [Cloudpup] stumbled back and sat on his haunches. “Master, I couldn’t ask you…” he tapered to a stop when I frowned before continuing, “to provide a sapphire of sufficient size. Nearly all elementals typically do favors for the Earth Monarch in exchange for the ability to evolve. It is our way.”
Easy come, easy go, I guess. I summoned the two inch ball of sapphire into my hand. Plus, I’d rather engender a good relationship with my allies than have even this gorgeous gewgaw. After a moment of hesitation I tossed the sapphire toward Nimbus before he could stop me.
What followed made me very glad I decided to do so. The [Cloudpup] representative wasn’t expecting me to just toss a precious stone to him, so he didn’t react in time. The gem hit him squarely in the forehead before sinking in and leaving no trace.
He threw his head back and howled far louder than I would have guessed he’d be able to. Before my very eyes his whitish-grey cloudstuff body changed to take on a slightly blue tint in addition to growing nearly a foot in all directions. In the end, he was nearly half Raiju’s biggest size and on his forehead was a tiny chip of the sapphire I’d tossed to him.
He bowed low to me and wailed. “Master, you are too good to me! I never even dared dream of becoming an [Azure Hound] and you gave me such a kingly gift.” He howled happily once more, making me check over my shoulder to make sure Raiju didn’t come running.
She didn’t, but through our connection I could feel her stirring. Nope, don’t need that. She needs to rest.
“Nimbus, please.” I knelt next to his head. “My lupine companion is exhausted, but if you keep howling she’ll wake up and I’d really rather she didn’t. It’s OK. I’m glad I was able to help you.”
For a second, it looked like he was going to howl again, but he stopped at the last second. “Of course, master.” He nuzzled his much larger head against the side of mine. “Thank you, for your far too generous gift.”
With a scoff, I dismissed that. “What are you talking about? Think of it as payment for services rendered.”
He leaned back and stared at me. “Do you truly not know?”
I cocked my head to the side curiously. “Know what?”
“The reason us elementals allow themselves to be summoned to Genovia.” He laid down against the burnt roof when I shook my head. “Most summoning spells last at most an hour, so even young elementals, barely a century old, can take those calls. In exchange for their services, they get some Mana and experience fighting.”
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“Why does Mana matter so much?” It didn’t make much sense to me. “Don’t you have Mana where you come from?”
The hound shook his head. “Not the way Genovia does. In the elemental realms, only the Elemental Monarchs regenerate Mana naturally and it’s been that way for eons. For elementals to get back expended Mana they have two choices, work for the Elemental Monarchs or respond to summon requests. The Elemental Monarchs don’t like it when we answer someone else’s summons over their own, with only a few exceptions. Yours for example.”
“Why is that?” I was genuinely curious, because based on the description of [Elemental Pactlord] I’d been granted access to it by the Elemental Monarchs, so it was curious to hear that they didn’t like their subjects going out on calls. “What makes my calls different?”
The big blue-grey dog used a claw to draw a circle with a ‘G’ in the center. “This is Genovia.” He drew a bigger circle around the middle one and separated it into four parts with ‘E, F, W, and A’ in the segments. “These are the elemental planes. When most people call us, the walls between our realms are ripped asunder, costing the Elemental Monarchs a lot of Mana to repair the boundaries. Your calls, on the other hand, are gentle. They don’t rip massive holes, instead they open long dormant gates in the boundaries to let us pass through without issue.”
I sat back in shock. “You’re telling me that there are doors no one else is using that my Skill lets me tap into?”
“Precisely. They haven’t been used since the last [Elemental Pactlord] died eons ago.” Nimbus nodded. “Also, once we’re through the gates, we get seventy percent of the Mana you would have regenerated during the time we’re summoned instead of the usual ten percent, with the Elemental Monarchs taking the remaining thirty percent which is still far more than they’d have retained after fixing the dimensional boundary for a normal summon. Your summons are better for literally everyone in the cycle, you included.”
“Nimbus, you’ve given me a lot to think about, but I think it’s time I let you and your pack return home.” With a bit of effort, I kipped-up to my feet. “Is there anything else I should know about my Skill that you can tell me?”
He cocked his head to the side before shaking his newly shaggy looking noggin. “Nothing comes to mind.”
“Then go in peace.” I waved as he faded away after selecting the option in the System panel. “That’s a good dog. I think I might summon him again, just to hang out.”
“I think he would like that.” A vaguely familiar feminine voice came from behind me. I whirled around to find Electra, the blue frilled leader of the [Thunderhawks] I’d summoned. She alighted upon the edge of the roof and preened a bit. “I recognized the smell of an [Azure Hound] and thought you might be involved. It seems I was right.”
Something tells me Electra’s a bit more than your average [Thunderhawk], isn’t she.
“Guilty as charged.” I leaned back on my hands. “Thank you again for the information about the [Gargoyles]. Without them, a lot more people would have died. Not that you weren’t up to the task of dealing with the [Inferno Drones], but I don’t particularly like putting people I like against flying bombs.”
Her laughter sounded like a localized thunderstorm. “Hah, you’re right there! I likely would have had to deal with most of them myself to save my kettle the trouble.”
“I’m guessing there’s more to your blue frill than you let on,” I raised an eyebrow, “right?”
She hid behind a wing for a moment before giggling. “Can’t a girl keep some of her secrets?”
With a thought, I summoned the large emerald and passed it from hand to hand. “I mean, if you don’t think I need to know who you are, I guess I’ll just have to default to some generic benefit for your assistance.” Her eyes didn’t leave the gem until I sent it away again. “Maybe some monster meat?”
“Mother was right, you are interesting.”
Electra hopped forward and shifted from her former huge hawk shape to take the form of a halfling with spiky blue hair. Her sun dress was decorated with stylized birds of prey, but the most detailed decoration was a pin that was a dead ringer for her bird form.
“Hello again.” She curtsied. “I guess proper introductions are in order. I am Electra, third daughter of the Air Monarch and her current mouthpiece on Genovia.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Electra.” I did the proper bow to match her curtsy. “I am Arthur Bajbub Neilson, current [Elemental Pactlord].”
She gave me a huge grin. “That’s not all you are, is it?”
She’s going to be trouble, isn’t she?
“That’s all I can say here, that’s for sure. Anything else would be impertinent to bring up in this place.”
Her lower lip quivered. “Oh come on, just once?”
Dominus, she actually thinks that’ll work on me?
As if summoned by the thought, [Dominus’ Insight] kicked in at that moment.
[Electra is her mother’s favorite child by a wide margin, despite her relatively young age at nearly a millennium. She’s used to people folding over themselves to do as she wants, but in reality, craves someone who won’t do so for her. She’s a fantastic ally to have, but you won’t be able to count on her to be able to assist all the time due to her mother’s requirements on her time.]
Taking Dominus’ advice, I shook my head, earning a gasp from the Elemental Princess. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to do as you ask. I made a promise to my own mother to come home safe and doing as you ask is likely to hurt my chance of doing so. You know how Moms can be.” I flashed her a cocky grin. “Amazing and frustrating in equal parts.”
“You know it.” She snorted before covering her face, absolutely mortified at what she’d just done. “I can’t believe I just snorted in front of you. What kind of princess snorts in public?”
“One who enjoys a good joke.” I closed the distance between us and was pleased to find I was at least a little bit taller than even her spiky hair. “So, Elektra, what would you like for your assistance earlier?” Her eyes flashed to my storage ring and I knew what she wanted, but I made her ask for it.
Girls like her were all the same, used to everything being given to them so they had trouble asking for anything they really wanted. My cousins on both sides were the same, if I’m totally honest, though Mom’s side were technically not cousins, they were treated like they were when we visited and it was nearly painful to deal with how stuck up they were.
“Oh, I think you know what I want.” She tried to sound coy, but I knew her kind well enough to deal with her. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
Before I could rebut her statement, another pair of familiar forms swept over the lip of the roof to reveal Volta and Voltaire, my [Arcweaver] friends.
They bowed to Electra and I in turn, though they bowed much deeper to her than to me. Volta smiled at us. “Princess, Pactlord. It is wonderful to see the charade from earlier today has been dismissed.”
“I, for one, enjoyed said charade.” The Air Elemental Princess stomped her foot indignantly, which created enough wind to blow all the soot off the ruined roof in a single puff. “We were just discussing payment for services rendered. Wait over there until we’re done.” She pointed to a building across the street away from the Tower. “I’ll call you over when I’m done with him.”
“As you will.” The pair of [Arcweavers] said in unison before flying to where Electra had pointed.
She turned and poked a finger into my chest. “You called them to wreck my fun, didn’t you!?” I could feel the beginning of a tantrum starting, so I cut it off at the pass.
“Nope, I didn’t call you either, to be honest.” I pointed out at the retreating form of Edifice in the distance, “I called him and Nimbus, but you showed up post conversation to surprise me. How is Volta and Voltaire showing up now any different?”
Her eyes went wide. “I…I…I’m–”
“A princess,” I shrugged. “I know. Now tell me what you want to be paid so I can speak with those two.” I hooked a thumb toward where my lightning elemental friends waited patiently.
For the better part of ten seconds, she gaped at me before snapping her jaw shut. “Give me the emerald you were playing with. It’ll serve to evolve my maid back in Mother’s palace so she can leave the domain with me.”
“Done.” I produced the gem and tossed it to her.
She caught it after bobbling it a few times. “Rude!”
“Wrong again. Expedient.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “I treat everyone the same based on how much of my respect they’ve gained. You’re doing great on that scale, don’t wreck it by going full princess-mode on me. OK?”
For half a second, I thought she was going to scream at me until she started laughing. “You’re too much!” She slapped her side. “I can’t wait to see what you get up to next, I just know it’s going to be entertaining!”
“I am who I am,” I shrugged.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, Artie!” She threw me a saucy salute before fading out of existence before my eyes.
“Volta, Voltaire,” I waved them over. “Would the pair of you care to join me to meet the governess of this city? It’s always good to show up looking strong and you two fit the bill.”
“It would be our pleasure.” Voitaire grinned. “It will be interesting to see how such a person acts toward our Pactlord.”
Somehow, I’m not sure if this was the best idea now, but I guess I’m committed to it.
“Follow me.” I let myself off the roof and [Air Stepped] the rest of the way to the Lord’s Tower with a pair of [Arcweavers] in tow.