Tycen followed Dameion to the library. He landed in front of his team, who were all drinking a warm beverage. They smiled at him as he landed. Levi handed him a cup of warm tea.

“How was your date?” he asked.

“It was quite nice, thanks for the tea,” Tycen said, taking a sip.

“Figured you’d want some, come on,” Levi said. They all started walking toward the ferry docks.

“We’re taking the ferry home?” Tycen asked.

“Yes,” Anna said. “We have learned a lot, and there is much to discuss.”

“I take it you found something interesting?” Tycen asked.

“Oh yes,” Anna said.

“That’s not important right now though,” Levi said. Anna looked at him questioningly. “Tell us more about your date, bro.” Tycen smiled and retold the entire date. He described how he felt, how he walked her home and met her dad, and how he invited her to breakfast tomorrow morning. “Sounds like a great first date. Happy for you Tycen,” Levi said with a genuine smile.

“Thanks, it was awkward at first but it definitely got better.”

“How do you feel about someone else wanting to be a summoner?” Piper asked.

“I think its sick. The more the merrier, she seems genuine too, that’s a bonus in my eyes,” Levi said. “I’d gladly help her.”

“Have you thought about being a professor?” Piper asked. “You’d be really good at it.”

“I haven’t, mainly cause fate of the world and all,” Levi said with a chuckle.

“Right, that small thing, sorry,” she said softly.

“Nah it’s all good,” Levi said. “It is something to think about, what the hell am I going to do when its all over?”

“Assuming we win,” Tycen said.

“Yeah that is a big assumption,” Levi nodded.

“I was joking,” Tycen said with a half chuckle. “But your response makes me think you learned something really bad… what happened when I left?”

“Remember that book the dungeon crafter gave me?”

“The history of Order magic or whatever?”

“Yep, well I read it and met a goddess.”

“You met a goddess?” Tycen asked in disbelief. They paused as they found the last sailor who had taken them to Capital City. He was excited to see them, and they set sail right away. There were no other people on the ship, which meant that they could be anywhere and talk.

“Yes I met a goddess,” Levi said; they were all sitting in one of the seating areas within the ferry. “Her name was Tranquility and she brought Order magic to this world, somehow. Honestly wasn’t clear on that part. She told me that her souls are scattered across many realms but they are still strong enough to be summoned. Which made me think that the guy, Axel or whatever his face is named, will likely be attempting to summon her or at least her spirit.”

“Whoa,” Tycen said.

“That’s not all,” Piper said. “Anna and I found something, too, while Levi was talking to a goddess.”

“And what was that?”

“We found a section of the library that was related to chaos magic solely. There is a lot of history surrounding it. Both good and bad,” Anna explained. “I told Levi I would wait to tell you the main thing that I discovered until the four of us were reunited. Chaos magic has never been quote-unquote good. It has always had some negative action that has followed any beings of chaos. In the early years of civilization, there was a creature called an Agrava. It was a woodland creature that had eaten a berry that was full of chaotic mana. Once it was consumed, the woodland creature was transformed. It became a nightmare. The creature grew to be 5 meters long and 2 meters wide. It had rows of lamprey teeth in one jaw and the other jaw had flat teeth like human teeth, meant for crushing.”

“It had two jaws?” Levi asked.

“Two heads,” Anna corrected.

“That’s fun,” Levi said.

“It was not. The creature went on a rampage, killing everything in the jungle. The Agrava ended up reaching 5-star rank and then disappeared. Poof, out of existence leaving carnage behind. The books said that there was a group of summoners who were trying to bring back the Agrava, to attempt to control it and take over their enemies kingdom.”

“They wanted to use this beast of pure chaos for war?” Tycen asked.

“Exactly. As you can imagine, it did not go well. The collective of summoners, I believe the text said there were seven, were all 3-star and worked together to creature a ritual circle complex enough to summon the beast, bringing back the world’s first apocalypse beast. As one who has read any fairytales could expect, the beast rampaged and killed all seven summoners the moment it was summoned. What the Agrava was not aware of was that it needed at least one of the summoners alive. Because the final link to the circle was killed, it was taken back to the realm it was brought from.”

“So why is this important?” Tycen asked.

“It’s history why kingdoms stopped going to summoner’s guilds,” Piper said. “If there were many people who were killed by their summons, that would definitely prevent families, especially royals, from sending their young talents to be a summoner. The risk of death would be much higher. It also tells us why Uncle Leandro is not a fan of Levi.”

“Because of other people,” Levi said. “That is not surprising. I mean, none of that story is surprising; it is odd that I have such a high affinity for chaos. I’m not gonna pretend like it is normal. What I am curious about is the Agrava itself.” Anna and Piper shared a look. “What?”

“Piper guessed that you would say that,” Anna said with a chuckle. “The beast cannot be controlled.”

“Of course, it can’t,” Levi responded after winking at Piper. “Anna, what was the first thing I told you when I gave you the chaos spell guide?”

“Umm,” she said, furrowing her brows.

“Chaos is not an element that is controllable. It is an element that is partnered. You work with chaos and chaos will work with you. You try to control chaos and it will control you. That’s where the summoners went wrong, and I bet that one of them practiced order magic.” Piper started laughing. “Who guessed I would say that?” Piper raised her hand. “Of course you did, love.”

Serenity, who had been sitting on Levi’s shoulders, opened her eyes and said, “The Agrava was not a completely destructive being. Yes, it is an apocalypse beast, and yes, it would rampage. However, as it grew in ranking so did its intelligence.”

“I have heard whispers of the beast as well,” Vapor spoke. She manifested next to the table that the team was sitting at. “The story that I heard about the summoners that Lady Anna just told us about is facts. The missing piece of the story was the final summoner. Levi’s intuition was accurate, and the final summoner was a practitioner of Order magic and a disciple of the goddess. Agrava felt the power of the order magic trying to take over its being. Agrava was not a fan of being taken over and it wasn’t sure which of the summoners attacked. So it killed them all.”

“That is… understandable,” Anna said. “So why is history written like this?”

“Because Agrava is gone and the summoners, ‘won’. History smiles on those who claim victory and paints a skewed picture of the claimed losers. This world or mine,” Levi said.

“That is most interesting,” Anna said.

“If you were thinking about summoning Agrava, Levi, do not,” Serenity said. The rest of the group looked shocked. “I do not trust the beast to be one to be reliable when needed.”

“I concur,” Vapor said.

“By the time you reach 4-star you will have at least two more slots for two more familiars. We have been talking about what you should go after next.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“We?” Piper and Levi asked.

“Us familiars,” Serenity said. “The first one we think you should seek is a Djinn.”

“Aren’t those very bad beings?” Tycen asked.

“Not exclusively,” Serenity responded. “Djinn are interesting creatures. They are neither fully physical nor are they fully spiritual. They operate in the middle of the two walks of life.”

“Why do you want me to get one as a familiar?” Levi asked.

“Djinn are known for a specific form of magic that allows them to transform their body into various different things. They are also good fighters when it comes to spiritual battles,” Serenity said.

“Their state of being gives them an advantage as they can thread the line between spiritual and physical quite easily, easier than most,” Vapor added.

Levi nodded slowly as each of his familiars explained their reasoning. Then, a text box appeared in his vision.

Djinn are also ancient…

They would be able to provide a good account of history… should we find a Djinn that wants to joining our family…

Crystal and Willow, the crystal wisps manifested from Levi’s eyes to join the conversation. They communicated by writing text boxes. Levi wasn’t sure who could see them, but he guessed that it was just him.

“They said that the age of the djinn could prove useful,” Levi said.

“That is a good point,” Anna said. “Just like how you two,” she gestured to Vapor and Serenity. “Are able to tell us a bit about the world that we are unaware of. The djinn’s knowledge could be a very beneficial portion.”

“I agree,” Tycen said. “Even if the abilities weren’t helpful, which I will assume that they are, the knowledge a djinn could have is more than beneficial. I vote yes to the djinn.”

“Same,” Piper said. “I think it would just be cool to have another familiar, I don’t really care what it is as long as it is happy with our team.”

“I believe that is a wise choice as well,” Anna said.

Levi looked at his familiars. " You didn’t have to explain yourself. I know, I asked. I was going to say yes anyway. I trust you all and your judgment fully. I am not sure how to summon one, but I’m sure we can figure it out.”

***

“Are you aware that they had an unfortunate run-in with two of the Calder young men?” Tiberius asked.

“No, I was not,” Izzy responded. The two of them were sitting in one of the family living rooms. There was a fire going on in the fireplace. They both had cookies and tea as refreshments. Izzy was sitting in an oversized, comfortable, plush loveseat. At the same time, her father sat in a standard but comfortable dining chair.

“I see, apparently they had faced a monster on the journey over from the island. The youngest one…”

“Simon,” Izzy said.

“Yes, thank you. Apparently, Simon, was on that ferry. He said that they were hogging the kill for the gains themselves.”

“Well Simon is a known liar so of course he said that,” Izzy retorted.

“I agree,” Tiberius said, nodding. “That's why I was curious if it was brought up; I would love to hear their perspective. Finely is not happy… at all.”

“Well Lord Finely is a known grouch so of course he isn’t happy.”

Tiberius chuckled, “that he is. The next story that I have heard is about the Calder restaurant.”

“Ahh yes mother told me about this briefly,” Izzy said. “Something about Bradley getting angry over them going to the restaurant?”

“Yes,” Tiberius nodded. “No one would know that the Calders frequent that restaurant especially if they are outsiders, it seemed like an odd reaction from Bradley. Which makes me wonder why? Have you interacted with Tycen’s team at all?”

“I have,” Izzy nodded. “Twice actually. The first time they met grandma and well she really likes them.”

“She doesn’t like anyone,” Tiberius said, raising his eyebrows. “Wow, that’s high praise.”

“I know, I thought the same thing. They had let her tell the history of the fountain and asked her good questions, typical grandma things. Then they came to the library the next day. I had gotten a proper look at their personalities that day, which was today, I guess.” Her father looked at her to continue speaking. “Levi, who I think is the leader hard to tell, had a mimic familiar walking beside him, along with a dragon slung around his shoulders. I didn’t see them the first day but perhaps they were subsumed. He is a genuinely kind person, if not a little strange. His mannerism and language is unlike any that I have heard or seen here.”

“Intersting,” Tiberius mused.

“What else is interesting is that I couldn’t get a read on any of their auras. The scanner wasn’t working for some reason,” Izzy said. “Anyways, Levi is dating Piper, the Vendular girl. She is loyal and smart but I bet a lot of her prowess comes in combat or scouting. She walked like an assassin, it was awesome. Thirdly is Silvy, who has been confirmed to be Princess Anna Onyx, and I guess technically Piper is a princess, but not really.”

“How was it confirmed?”

“Piper was said to be teamed up with a summoner and Princess Anna. Levi is the summoner, obviously. There were no other girls present and she wasn’t showing up on any scannings or readings, meaning she had some disguise.” Tiberius nodded along. “Then lastly, Tycen. He’s an avian from a small tribe, loyal, strong, and smart. Anna and Tycen are the brains of the team.”

“I see,” Tiberius said. “That’s why you like him?”

“I didn’t say anything about liking him? I went on one date, Dad,” Izzy said, throwing her hands up. Tiberius softly chuckled. He had a particular joy when it came to embarrassing his daughters, especially when it came to their romantic life.

“I assume you want to join their team,” Tiberius said after a few seconds. Izzy looked up with wide eyes.

“Why do you say that?”

“There is a summoner on that team. An actual summoner, it’s no secret that you want to be a summoner, Iz. I’m your father, I notice these things.”

“I don’t know,” Izzy said. “I think this would be the best opportunity for me but is it too risky?”

“Of course, its risky, darling,” Tiberius said, getting up to sit next to her. “Anything you do is going to be risky. The question is are you willing to face the risks? That’s what you should be asking yourself.”

“If that’s the question then yes,” Izzy said. “I would miss home.”

“Sure, but you’ve always been the one who has had her eyes set on the horizon. Capital City was never going to contain you. You have been and always will be my adventurous daughter. Bekka is a home body, she will be here for her life, probably marry some yes man. Jenny, well she’ll go wherever her future spouse takes her. Wherever that place is, she will be staying. Neither of them are fighters, they are researchers. You are a fighter disguised as a researcher. This is your adventure, not ours.”

“What if something happens to you all,” Izzy said.

“Something will happen to us,” Tiberius said. “That’s the nature of life. Things happen unexpectedly or things happen expectedly, who knows. It’s okay to miss us, we will miss you. I’d rather you miss me than hate me because I forced you to stay.”

“I’ll maybe talk to them tomorrow about it,” Izzy said. “Tycen invited me to join their team for breakfast. As a way to talk to Levi about summoning.”

“Tha’s a good plan.”

“Are you not concerned about his familiar?” Izzy said as the thought just popped into her head.

“I am not,” Tiberius said. “We have been monitoring them since they have arrived. They noticed us immediately and did nothing. At least, Levi did nothing. That showed me a lot about his character.”

“It did?”

“Yes, a man who notices that he is being spied on and chooses to not react is one who understands consequences. He is in a foreign land, with foreign rules, and foreign patterns, attacking or confronting would have been futile. This showed me that he is someone who is reliable and considerate. If that is how he is, his familiar must be the same. Are they terrifying? Absolutely but I have seen enough to know that they are no threat to us as long as we let them do what they please.”

“I see. I am not trying to change your mind, I believe he has an affinity to chaos.”

“Yes he does,” Tiberius nodded. “But again, the chaos is not controlling him. Which is atypical for those who have chaos affinity. There is something deep and powerful about Levi, which leads me to trust that he will be a great summoner and an even better person for this world.”

“Oh,” Izzy said. In all her years of life, she had never heard her father talk about another man with such high praise. It was complement after complement that Izzy thought was antithetical to her father’s lifestyle. Apparently, she was wrong. Her father laughed at her confusion.

“I approve of Tycen as well,” he said. Izzy nearly fainted at the words. Tiberius rolled his eyes. “Is it that suprirsing?”

“Yes,” Izzy said. “I bet, Jenna and Bekka both faint when they hear you say that.”

“He’s good for you,” Tiberius said. “He has pushed you already out of your comfort zone, he’s smart, handsome, and strong. I would love to meet him and Levi.”

“You’re not concerned with the fact that he is an avian?”

“I am not,” Tiberius said. “I hate the only human rule, however I can only say that outloud. If he is a good being and treats you right, then I am happy. Tomorrow hand them this,” Tiberius went to his desk and sealed an envelope.

“An invitation to our annual gala?” Izzy said.

“Exactly,” Tiberius said. “It would be a great way to get to know them and see how they fair politically.”

“I imagine quite well,” Izzy said.

“I imagine so as well,” Tiberius said. "Nevertheless, please extend my personal invitation to them. As for you, get some rest; you’ve had a long day.” Izzy sighed, yawned, and then stretched her body. Getting out of her seat, she walked to give her dad a hug—a longer hug than usual. She walked off and got ready for bed.

Tiberius sat back down in the chair and drank some tea.

“I told you being the nice and supportive dad was the way to get her to open up,” Teresa said. She walked in from the other door.

“You were right as always dear,” Tiberius said. “Although, I did mean everything I said.”

“I know you did, dear,” Teresa responded. “I just wanted you to have a calm mind as you interacted with her. I know you have a lot of weight on your shoulders, your daughters just want your support.” She walked over and kissed his neck while giving him a message. “They love you, show that you love them too.”

Tiberius nodded, “thank you. I will do better, I feel like I made a good step forward with Isabella tonight.”

“It was a huge step and she loves you more for it, I could feel it on her aura.”

“Me too,” Tiberius said. "Tell the scouts to return. We’ll have them present during the gala, keeping an eye on them. I want to continue my assessment of them.”

“I will inform them, then you and I are off to bed.”

“Yes ma’am,” Tiberius said before downing his tea and heading to his bedroom.