Calamacy Salaria
The morning class passes quickly and before I know it, the class is over and it is time to move onto the next class. I can’t seem to recall anything that the professor had just said, instead my mind had been completely preoccupied with the events beforehand. Most notably Riros’s refusal to fight.
Isn’t he my summon? I ask myself, as I clear off my desk. He’s supposed to fight for in me in situations like this.
I wave goodbye to Altia once we leave the classroom. She is headed to another classroom on the second floor for her next class, meanwhile I make my way to the other side of the Hall towards my own class. Even though the Hall becomes crowded again, I remain locked in my thoughts, still registering all of today’s events.
Normally it would be possible for a summoner to use the bond to force their summon to do things for them. But I’ve never heard of summoners actually facing resistance from their summons. And while I haven’t asked Riros to fight for me, or tried to use the bond to force him to, I doubt that I would be able to anyways.
At this point I open the door to my next class and move into the room. The layout for this classroom is similar to the one that I had just left, except smaller. The desks in the classroom are just big enough to put writing materials on and take notes. As I walk into the classroom, I am greeted by the sight of several other students summons. Including the professor’s own 20 foot long thunder python.
Right, I think to myself, shifting the gears in my head away from my previous class, time for the Apprentice level Summoners class.
I take a seat near the back of the class, with Riros finding a seat next to me. Even though there are only four other individuals in the classroom besides the Professor, I am one of the last to arrive. The amount of summoners at the Acadamy is very small probably no higher than fifty individuals in total, only 12 of which happen to be at the apprentice level. Most are above, with a few below.
However since there are so few of us here in the class, Riros’s presence does not go unnoticed. Looking around I notice that most everyone in the classroom, including several of the summons are looking at him. He however seems unfazed by their gazes. I watch as he shifts slightly in the chair, the chair itself groaning under his weight. He crosses his arms and shifts his head so that he can look at me. Only faint ripples are visible across the chaotic surface of his eyes.
A silence settles onto the room. One that manages to remain unbroken for several minutes.
With a slight cough the professor begins his lecture. The lecture happens to be fairly simple today, as the professor is talking about how different runes can change what type of summon you receive. Most of what he is saying was taught in lower level classes, and so I used this opportunity to try and satisfy some of the questions burning in my mind.
“Riros? Why did you suggest for me to accept the duel?” I ask.
He doesn’t shift at all. He remains facing forward listening on the class in front of him. Some time passes and I almost give up on him actually responding when I finally hear his voice echo in my head.
“As i mentioned several days ago Salaria, I plan to make you stronger.”
“How exactly will fighting him make me stronger?” I reply.
“That is not something I can tell you, that is something that you will have to find out for yourself.”
“You know that’s really frustrating and not helpful.”
At that he turned his head toward me slightly, his gaze scrutinizing me for but a moment. Shifting back forward his voice speaks softly into my mind.
“Imagine you were trying to learn the basic feel of magic, but you had never experienced it before. Instead you’re trying to search for this unknown based on the experiences and recommendations of others.”
Slightly confused at the change in topic, but kind of getting the drift of what he was going for I responded with, “Okay”
“Through all these various accounts of other people’s experiences you would be lulled into thinking that you understood what the feeling of magic is. That you would be able to feel the same feelings that all these other people had felt. However we know that this is not the case. The reason we have so many different accounts and experiences from people is because everyone comes to know magic differently.”
I sat there and mulled over what he had just said. Memories came to me about trying to help Altia find her her way to tap into her magic, and how almost nothing that I said about my own experiences seemed to really help her.
“So you’re saying that if I go into this fight I’ll discover some hidden talent or ability that I’ve never known about?” I ask.
“No,” he replied, “But it will help you understand yourself.”
“And understanding myself makes me stronger?”
I noticed a slight nod of his head, “It can.”
I turned back to the lecture just absentmindedly paying attention as various runes were explained and written out on the slate board.
“Salaria?” I hear Riros’s voice ask in my head.
I look at him and see him staring intently at the board.
“What does the rune that the professor keeps pairing with the other runes mean?”
I blink at him, and then switch back to staring at the board. Looking at the runes on the board it takes me several second to find which one he is talking about.
“Are you talking about the summoning rune?” I ask him.
“Summoning rune?” I hear him ask back.
“Yeah, that rune is the primary rune used to actually call out and establish the connection . That’s why it’s always paired with whatever you’re trying to summon. The larger rune specifies what type of summon can be connected, usually along elemental lines. But there are certain runes that have been found to target particular species. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve seen that rune be used before. Not to summon though, this is the first time I’ve heard it be used like this.”
Curious I asked, “Where did you see it used before?”
There was a moment of silence before he responded, “My brother uses that particular rune in several of his spells.”
“Which were?” I asked growing more curious at a different application of this seemingly familiar rune.
At this he actually looked at me. A cautious expression across his face. “Mainly teleportation spells.”
We maintained eye contact for several seconds, mostly because I was waiting for him to tell me that he was joking. But after those few seconds I realized that that was not the case.
“How is that possible? Using that rune? Is he a Void-Mage?” I started asking a litany of questions.
“I don’t know what a Void-Mage is by your definition, but it definitely is possible using that rune. It’s just a matter of placement, similar to how when you use that rune for summoning the rune is always connected onto the left side of the main rune.”
“Okay, so what is the placement then for that rune in order to use if for a teleportation?” I ask, excitement starting to build.
“Generally I see that rune placed below the main rune, however I have seen it used on the other side before.”
I take another look at the rune pairings which the professor has written on the slate. I start drumming my fingers against the table, as the implications of what he is telling me starts to become more and more apparent. Most of what I had learned in my previous classes had taught that only certain placements were guaranteed to week. If one were to move the placement then the possibility of the spell failing would rise exponentially. It also happened that the cardinal directions around the “main” rune are generally considered the only place to add runes, and the more runes added only added into how the runes would interact with another. Once a grouping of runes around the main rune exceeded four runes it became even more difficult to predict how the next layer of runes would interact with the original layer. As such a rune set with two layers spreading out in the cardinal directions from the main rune were very rare, and those that could put together said layers were considered experts. Our classes focused on the basics of rune sets and pairings. Only in the advanced classes did the professors start to delve more into the complexity behind creating a complete first layer and touch on the beginnings of the second layer. However the runes discussed generally only focused on the specific specialty of the field that was being taught.
For example the basis of the summoning spell is a main rune put in the middle of the set, the main rune specifying some type of affinity (i.e. fire, water, earth), while the summoning rune that we discussed earlier is paired on the west side of the main rune. For summoning, it is always paired there. Then generally on the east side of the main rune is a binding rune, which is used to bind the target to the summoner. From there, the south side is left open for the summoner to stand while the north side has a rune that can be interchanged depending on what the summoner is trying to target. All of this works because once the summoner releases mana into the rune formation, the flow of mana from the south to the north directs the rune set to do a binding summon on a certain affinity target. In this Advanced Summoning class, the professor is discussing how swapping out the main rune and the north side rune can change the range of summons that are available.
Taking into mind what Riros said about switching the placement I consider the effect that placing the summoning rune on the bottom would do to the rest of the rune set. If the south side had the summoning rune placed there, and the summoner were to stand there, wouldn’t that mean that the thing being summoned would be the summoner? But how would you target where you are going? Different runes would be required, like ones that were more describing something definite. Just thinking about all the possibilities gave me a glimmer of hope for the upcoming fight that was to come.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The rest of class was uneventful. I was lost in my own thoughts as I tried to explore the new possibilities. Riros on the other hand spent the time staring at the board intensely. Once class ended, I practically bolted out the door, leaving Riros to trail behind. The morning classes being done, I now had a free afternoon ahead of me, and i was determined not to waste it. I headed immediately to the Academy’s Scholarium.
Riros
I watched as the kernel of information I gave to Salaria took root in her mind. Where once on her face was a dazed expression, had morphed into one intense thought. I watched as she began to work through some of the implications of what it meant to move the runes around. The way she zoned out the rest of the world and focused on the problem in her mind brought a small smile across my lips.
Turning my attention back to the board in front of me I considered the rune formation before me. The system in which the runes were laid out differed greatly from what my brother and others had taught me. This system seemed to work along two main axis branching off a central rune. Another layer could be added to the main axis by placing more runes around the branching runes in a similar manner. The more I looked at it the more I was amazed at the simplicity of the system. With only a few runes it became possible to cast fairly complex spells. At least that was my understanding after following along with the professor of this class. What surprised me however was that there were many runes that were discussed that I had never seen before. And unlike some other civilizations that I had visited over the years, these runes all rang true. True in the sense that each stroke of the rune actually distorted the flows of mana ever so slightly.
Almost as soon as the class was over, Salaria was out of her chair and practically charging through the other students to get out of the classroom. Several of the students attempted to approach her, but her quick departure meant that they were all left clustered around the doorway. I myself was in no rush to follow her, as the strange bond that she had brought me here in the first place also seemed to inform me of her general location.
Gingerly picking myself up out of the chair, I made my way over to the slate that the professor was just beginning to erase. When I arrived in front of the slate the professor stopped what he was doing and stared at me. I noticed that he was nervously wringing his hands.
“Y-You are Calamacy vim’s summon, yes?” He asked with a slight stutter.
I nod in affirmation. Placing my finger on one of the central runes on the board I ask, “What does this rune do?”
A look of shock crosses his face. It takes him a few seconds to register the fact that I just talked to him telepathically. His clenches his hand together tighter. I notice that the long iron colored snake that had been resting next to the professor shifts uncomfortably. Two slit eyes stare at me as the rest of it shifts into what feels to me like a more offensive stance.
Dismissing it, I turn back to the rune that I had placed my finger on. When i had placed my finger on it, the slight distortion in the mana flow had disappeared, rendering the rune inert. Taking my finger off I watched as it gradually distorted the mana around it.
With an audible gulping sound I hear the man say, “That rune is a fire affinity rune.”
I nod my head again, and taking a piece of chalk write on the slate a rune of fire that my brother had taught me. Watching closely I see a similar distortion in the mana around the rune, the reaction of mana to my rune however is more pronounced. Placing the chalk down, I nod my head once more at the professor and leave the classroom, wandering off in the direction that the bond tells me Salaria has gone.
Professor
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized i had been holding when Calamacy Salaria’s summon left the room. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when the Headmaster had informed me that the Calamacy would be bringing her summon with her to class. But after witnessing the incident in the hallway, I found myself unable to maintain control. Something about its presence had triggered something deep down that made me very very afraid. It was all I could do to keep myself from fleeing the room with it as I was teaching the class. It didn’t help that it approached once class was over and spoke into my mind. I almost fainted on the spot! And then it writes the rune of ‘Call Fire’ on the board and leaves it there. I don’t know how or where it learned that rune, but it almost set the slate on fire! Even now, when I hover my hand over where the rune is written i can feel the heat emanating off of it. I think i may ask one of my senior apprentices to take over this class for me. There’s no way I wish to continue being around that powerful of a summon.
Riros
I found Salaria in a library. At least that’s the only word that immediately came to mind when i saw the stacks upon stacks of books and scrolls all seemingly organized on shelves that rise and descend several stories from the floor I’m standing on.
The building i had walked into didn’t seem that large to begin with, however a lesson I learned early on with my brother was that things are often not what they appear to be. In any case i walked into the library and after clearing the entrance found myself standing at a balcony. The stacks upon stacks of books did give me pause for a few moments as I admired the wealth of knowledge that had been gathered here.
Distracting myself no further I make my way to where I feel Salaria to be. I descend several staircases and watch as several tomes float past. They gently drift upward until one breaks off from the others and inserts itself back into the stacks.
Interesting, I think to myself. Turning my attention back to the floor I had descended to, I notice several sets of desks on the inner perimeter of the floor. All the desks were facing toward me, or more accurately the stacks behind me. Most of the desks were filled with various individuals, some of which ignored my presence, while others glared at me. It was fairly easy to spot Salaria working at one of the desks in the back. Her red hair standing out amidst the black, bronze, bronze and whites that were scattered about.
Fortunately the desks around her were open, so I chose the one to her left and sat down next to her. As I sat down I peered over her should to get a look at what she was working on. A large tome lay open before her, several sets and “pairs” of runes were diagramed on the pages, with what I assumed to be explanations underneath. She was scribbling furiously on several sheets of her own. She remained completely absorbed in the work that she was doing. Through the bond that we had, I could feel a growing excitement.
Smiling softly at her, I turned toward the desk in front of me. Just by placing my hands on it I could feel the thrum of magic. Several runes were glowing softly near the edge of the surface. I vaguely recognized one of the runes as a general call rune. I ran one of my fingers along the run feeling the surface, and noticed that it was inlaid into the desk itself. As I touched it, I felt the mana around it fade and as soon as my finger stopped there was a similar distortion as had happened back in the classroom.
Curious, I thought to myself. For whatever reason there was a more pronounced reaction to runes than back on my world. Is it the inlays? Or the materials themselves? Or something else?
“Excuse me, vos, is there something I can help you with?” A voice says, breaking my train of thought,
I look up and see an older woman in a green robe. Her skin is very pale with an almost bluish tint to it. Sharp black eyes stare back at me. A tightly controlled mane of black hair is draped over one shoulder. A sense an immense amount of power radiates from this woman. She is leaning slightly over the desk, one hand resting on its surface.
“Maybe,” I send to her, her eyes widen briefly before returning to the same sharp stare. “Can I perhaps peruse through some of the books?”
She shifts so that she is no longer leaning on the table, and crosses her arms “Do you have a particular topic in mind?”
I nod my head, “Do you have a compendium of runes perhaps?”
She crosses her arms and looks at me thoughtfully. “There are several, would you care for the advanced, intermediate, or beginners compendium?”
“The beginners please.” I send to her.
She unfolds her arm and places a finger on the call rune. It glows softly, and without looking away from me she says, “Basic Runes Explained.” Taking her finger off the rune she brings it to her lips with a pondering expression before saying, “You’re not what I thought you would be.” Before turning on her heel and walking away.
I watch her walk away and descend further down the stacks. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Salaria staring at me.
“Yes?” I send to her.
“Do you have any idea who that was?” she asks.
I don’t respond immediately, instead I keep staring out as a book floats down to this level and approaches my desk. It gently lands on the desk and I touch the surface briefly, feeling the worn leather of the cover and the faint distortions of magic that surround it. “Dangerous.” I finally respond.
Salaria bites her lower lip for a moment before nodding her head briefly, she takes one last look at where the woman had disappeared to and then returns back to the notes in front of her.
Calamacy Salaria
Before I knew it hours had passed. I stared at the page before me and take a second to study the rune set I had created. Everything was there, and if the brief insight that i got from Riros was right, then the likelihood of this rune set working went up exponentially. I was excited, if the rune set worked, then I felt like i had a chance during the upcoming fight.
Stretching in the seat I looked over at Riros as he sat next to me. His eyes seemed transfixed on the rune book in front of him. Occasionally he would flip the page and study the next set of runes that were being explained.
“What’s so fascinating about those runes?” I ask him.
Not looking away from the book, in front of him I hear his reply, “Many of these runes are unfamiliar to me.”
I blink at him, “And?”
He shifts back in the seat and spares me a look before turning back to the book, “My brother and I have spent the better part of our lives trying to learn and discover all the runes that were out there, we had reached a point where we thought we had believed we had done so. And then I come here and almost immediately am confronted with runes that I have never seen before. Its fascinating.”
I stare at him for another moment as he flips through the book before collecting my notes. I slide my book forward on the desk and watch for a moment as the magic takes over and takes it back into the stacks. From there I get up and pat Riros on the shoulder.
“We should go. I have another class this evening.”
Kassari Vandel
“I thought I told you to lay low?” I say at my unexpected dinner guest. I finish the cut on the steak i have before me and place the piece into my mouth. Placing the utensils down I raise my napkin to wipe my mouth and then turn my attention to the black haired void mage before me.
She sat on the other side of the table occupying the other side of the booth that until a moment ago, I had to myself. Her sharp black eyes staring at me while the rest of her remained expressionless.
“Have you met it?” She asked, continuing her stare as I took a sip of wine.
“By it I assume you are referring to the Calamacy’s summon?”
She nods. Her expression shifting slightly to one of concern.
Unexpected. I think to myself. It’s very rare that I’ve ever seen anything actually break through her usual blank facade. I motion for her to continue.
“Considering your usual preparation you take for your ‘plans’ I would assume you would have taken the opportunity to study the summon.”
I wave aside her concern, “I have the reports of those who interacted with this Riros. While the summons true strength appears to be unknown, outside of the Calamacy herself, it doesn’t seem to show much interest in our world.”
Her expression remained unchanged as she responded, “I think you’re wrong, I met the summon earlier and it most definitely is showing interest in our world.”
“Really,” I ask, slightly surprised, “And what spurred you to actually leave your comfy seclusion to meet this summon?”
“I wanted to verify its presence for myself.” She shrugs, before shifting forward, leaning toward me the intensity of her gaze increasing, “You seem to be rather dismissive of my attempt to warn you.”
“Is that what this is a warning?” I say cutting her off, this time I made no attempt to stop the contempt from my voice.
“Yes, as much as you don’t want to hear it, I already have a lot invested in your schemes. Mark my words, this summon is studying us, I don’t know what it's endgame is, but when it gets there, not even you with all of your little plans will be able to stop it.” Her brows narrowed dangerously at me, a look of frustration passed over her.
I wave another hand at her dismissively, “If that’s all, I’d prefer to eat the rest of my meal in peace.” I turn back to my steak and start to cut another piece. I hear a small ‘hmph’ from her, and nothing else. Finishing my cut, I bring another piece up to my mouth and take a bite. I glance briefly across the table and it is empty once again.