The Chapter of the Eleventh Summoner

I walked into the sun light with my minions in tow. I don’t even have to distrust them, as they are all truly mine.

I sadly only have a dozen of them, but I gleaned enough from the other that I am confident in being able to recreate the summoning. If I had time for it, that is.

“The strongest of all of you come here” I told them when they were all gathered. A demon came forth that threatened any other which most likely made it the strongest as well.

“Master Geraos, what is it that you wish?” said the Lesser Demon in a respectful way.

“Call me that again and I will sever your tongue, slave. Call me master Gerren; don’t refer to me as that other one. The same goes for all of you” I berate my minions. Immediately the demon lost his previous manner and posture and took on one of simmering anger and slight rebellion.

“Anything else? Please do tell… Master” it said with a mocking grin at the end. I looked at it with cold, warring eyes.

“Peel of all the scales or skin on your back. Come back to me when you have finished” I commanded the Lesser Demon. While the demon forcefully obeyed my command, I ignored it hateful wails of pain and went to address a new demon.

“Go with five other minions of mine and go north until you find a wyverns carcass. Bring it here in pieces if need be but get it all and if not found in the north, go westward” With a glance to the other demon, he willingly did as I told him. It chose the only demon with wings and the ones with the most strength among the rest after that one.

As they fade into the distance, I looked upon the rest. Then he suddenly collapsed and his eyes began twitching while his limbs moved in random spasms. Then I stood up and looked around me.

Noticing a demon that was slowly removing his remaining scales and skin, I called out to him.

“Stop what you are doing, you foolish demon. Instead go back down and fetch me my sword”

The demon thankfully stood up with a wince and bowed. “Yes, of course master Geraos” After which he promptly left. The demons were once again noticeably a lot more subservient and compliant.

“Clear out the area and bring all living creatures here to me except for corrupted ones. You shall kill those or chase them away” I said with a mad smile. As all the demons went away to do as I ordered, I once again went on with preparing the runes for the summoning for my demons. I used my body’s blood for the runes until some of the beasts were brought in where after I used theirs.

I didn’t really know why I was out of the cave but I could feel more magic in the air here than down below there. Yet it was still to far away from the gateway for the Chaos Corruption to properly settle in, so he made a trip back to connect the corruption between ritual locations and now even if over half is lost in the process, its way better than could be achieved by making an artificial gateway.

I must have summoned a few dozen or so, one or two at a time, but it got hazy there. I can hardly remember it all as I find myself on the ground, surrounded by demons I must have summoned. Standing up, I called out to my slaves around me.

“Go and collect enough tree trunks to encompass this cave entrance and summoning circle with a palisade” The foremost demon spoke up in response to my order. “Of course master Geraos”

I looked at him and slowly spoke out my next command.

“Bite of your tongue and swallow it, slave. Then proceed to do so to any who calls me the same and protect me for the rest of your life” Surprised, the demon quickly bit of his tongue before he could struggle.

“If you can somehow still speak after this, defer to me as master Gerren”

It merely spat black sizzling blood at me before he fell to the ground, writhing all the way. I smiled before going back into the depths of the cave.

It will take them a month at most to gather all the trees and make a palisade. Then after I have some more minions, maybe they can start mining in the cave to build a better wall.

Mining. Why does that… Idea seem so familiar? He broke into a grin at this unexpected knowledge of which he had a… concept.

The chaosborn did however know it truly. It was after all what one of the pieces it existed out of knew. One would rather make himself great while the other merely destroy those that are.

They can hardly be the same person.

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Within the settlement of Jure, a scant hundred Carns lived.

Yet by the order of their god, they acted like there were many thousands. Among the buildings, some empty and unused while others were lived in by a small family or House, there was one that stood taller and stronger than the rest.

In this hall, several Houses were arguing on the main floor that was in turn surrounded by the patriarchs and their entourage of many local Houses and even a few of the Great ones that weren’t currently in the argument.

They could though, as they had equal rank to those that were.

“No, we shouldn’t stray from what our gods have taught us. We stick with their plans and that’s all!” Said the carn patriarch of House Vurium. He currently had the support of most of the temple Houses but his great House didn’t have any further position in the fledgling community.

“If they left us and made us lead then surely they had trust in us? Thus I say once again that we should try to subdue the local beasts” The current great House in charge of the non-existent military said.

“Foolishness, the gods have warned us of the fallen one. Venturing out now is begging for trouble. No, we must fortify and continue construction of Jure. When our population is high enough, maybe then we can do something” The previous carn called back.

One of the sitting men stood up and came forward with dignity and authority in his stride and power in his step.

“It would be counter intuitive to stop construction but the local beasts and monsters will attack us if we leave them alone for too long.” Was said by the current ruling House’s patriarch, Azuran stormblood of House Erghal.

“So we should of course do both. Construction takes priority while we try to increase our skill from what the gods taught us. The culling of the beasts will be done periodically in large groups to minimize casualties. The occasional monster hunt still takes place of course”

The patriarch of the House in charge of the city's army deemed this acceptable and resigned from the floor.

”Honourable Houses of faith, has the gods given you any more insights?” The lord regent asked. Berren came forward as a representative of the Houses that serve the temples.

“Ever since the fallen one, there have been no new revelations of wonders. My fellow priest of Eris’ her temple has been visited by the dead with grave news though.”

“What news?” With a glare as the lord regent interrupted him, Berren continued.

“New creatures have been sighted from the mountains. The dead come with warnings of something known as demons and the fallen one who summoned them. We don’t know where he is.”

The lord commander stood up as he finished.

“Lord regent, I will increase the current amount of shades patrolling the palisade. I hope the lord of construction can come with better plans in a decade or so.” The lord of construction just sat by silently. The House of Brachai was never really a talkative one.

Silence resounded through the largely empty hall.

“I propose another meeting next passing. After that one we can maybe look into doubling the time between meetings to one year.” Said the lord regent after some time passed.

For them it was merely as spacious a time as a second.

Everyone slowly stood up or leisurely left the floor except for Berren, representative of the temples, and Danai Vorruluis, lord sage.

“Congratulations on your House’s new position as a great one.” Danai let out a short laugh.

“It’s more like all the work just falls on me.” Berren gave an understanding look as nearly all Houses still existed out of just a few people.

Some already have had some Juris Carn children but like the others, he now had none too.

“True enough but I still wanted to talk with you about the invaders coming to this plane. The gods were quite clear that some would start the spreading of their filth quite nearby. Is there any way that your House had found out how to block their coming?”

“So that’s why you told me. However the answer is no, we can’t. At the most we could try to disrupt the portal but even though we have a lead on how we could achieve that, it would take some time to discover. It seems that just killing them as they appear would be the best option.” Berren stayed silent as he thought but glanced around the room every so often.

“Lord sage, I can understand if you can’t produce any result so soon but if you could try to create some way disrupt any portals nearby then that would be helpful. I am sure that the temples could even arrange some samples for your current research from the dead. Surely they wouldn’t mind.”

One could see the carn sway as his desires dispersed the promised difficulties of the task. In the end, all things return to the rewards.

“Of course. Yet remember, these are exiled gods we are dealing with, unfit to be in the realm of Jurak. Who knows what they can do and how they would react.”

They had nothing else to talk about as with so few people in the settlement they knew most of everyone else, except what they forgot of course, so they leisurely left the room.

Outside, all alone, sat a seemingly young boy. Sometimes he would look up from what he’s doing and often spoke to what looked like air. Even though it was seldom done, the boy was free to leave the temple of Eris and he did that often.

“Brother, where are you?” he called as the bones he played with fell.

“Here Ostortiem, in the tree. I was getting tired from playing with the pieces.” The boy looked up and faintly smiled.

“I was afraid you left me again. Don’t please, not so sudden.”

The branches of the tree rustled in the wind and leaves were scattered around the tree.

“Don’t be stupid, I am always here. I will die for you, you know that.” The boy let the bones fall back on the ground and closed his eyes as he rested against the tree.

“I remember. I just don’t want you to go. You must know that…” The boy mumbled as he fell asleep from exhaustion.

“I always come back when you are here.” The slightly older voice said before fading away.

High upon a moon, scattered pillars and stones could be found. Put together they would barely resemble a castle and keep.

Everything was silent and still, even the figures that were sitting on their thrones. A slow gust came upon the barely habitable moon. The gust expanded to a great wind as air came to the moon through a portal. Through that portal stepped a great dragon that announced its presence with a terrifying roar.

The man that sat upon the greatest throne opened one eye and grinned from ear to ear.

“Banneroth! Welcome my good friend, you’re among the very first to arrive.” The dragon gazed upon the imposing figure on the throne. Behind Banneroth, wyverns, drakes and other smaller dragons came out of the portal.

“Asen or should I say Jurak, it’s nice to see a familiar face. I hadn’t expected to see someone else on this moon.”

“Why not? It’s mine after all. Also can't blame my foresight of not starting upon the planet." I let out a small chuckle at that.

"It’s good to see you however. Now that you’re here, what would you say if you settled your people near mine? I assure you that it will be quite amusing.”

The dragon was silent for a moment before baring his teeth in a dragon grin.

“I am sure my Xeloths will love to play with whatever savages you have created.” I immediately shout out in indignity.

“Hey! They are Carn and they have barely any culture to speak of because they only exist a few thousand years or so, I think. My memory fails me sometimes.”

With a dismissive wave I motioned my friend Banneroth to sit somewhere.

“For now, just locate your Xecons”

“Xeloths” He interrupted.

“Same thing. Just place them along this river that runs between the two mountain clusters. Or whatever you name a group of mountains in the same range. Oh, if you ever see this guy could you then please kill or torture him in the most…”