*Breath in, and breath out *. I looked at the temple before me.

“Son, what is it?”

“Nothing mom, nothing.”

With heavy toughts, he went inside.

Today was the day, the day my destiny was going to change. Today, his mom and him, had finaly colleced enough money to let him be tested as a summoner. After he was tested, the people from the kingdom would try to rope me into service. They would try to bait me with saying that they would train me right, they would give me the best materials bla bla bla.

I heared some things about the kingdom armies here and there, and they aren’t as great as they display themself. Corruption made itself known, and the real rulers of the country were the people with the deep pockets, or at least they had much to say. But what I wanted was different.

I wanted to join the adventures guild.

The guild accepts everyone who is able to pass they test, and the guild is recognized everywhere in the known kingdoms. But for that, I need the talent to be a summoner, or even just a mage.

I didn’t get much information how we would get our demons, the kingdom is picky about that, and when you don’t have the money, you get know nothing. I just knew that the more aether, the better. So I had trained my aether as good as I could, circulating in and trying to use it. I was able to lift a few things with it as I was a teen, but as I hadn’t a master or someone to teach me, the results were mediocre.

We are living in an outback village, where the only sign of other civilisation was the tax-collector from the kingdom.

It isn’t like we had someone in our village who could control aether. How I can control it? I think it is because of my father, but everytime I want to talk about it with my mother, she got in a depressive state. I learned to avoide the topic.

I sighted when I tought about my mom. She always tries to give me a good life. She makes all the work in the village nobody wanted, and when she came home at night, she would be like dead. When I discovered I could use aether, I swore in my heart that everything would now go to the better. I worked hard to increase my aether, and I helped my mom with the money by working as a lumberjack, bringing down trees the moment I was able to.

We went into the temple, and I am in awe how big this place was. I heared that the summoner faction was the wealthiest of all, but the prunk was a little bit much for me, espashealy when you know that this is just an outpost in a backwater village.

We just walked in, there was already standing a huge man, easy 2 meters(ca.6.6 feet) clothed in simple-looking, blue, sleevles robe. He was an middle-aged man with an neatly trimed brown beard. He looked at me and mother with kindness.

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“Welcome in the Halls of Summon. What can I do for you people?” he asked with a deep bass. My mother bowed before him. I mimicked her in the movement.

„Greetings Summoner, we are here to see if my son has the talent to be a summoner.“ He acknolleged what she said with a nod, but he just looked at me with a intense gaze. I didn’t broke the stare-off and folded my arms and holded his gaze. I hadn’t worked with my motrher my ass up so I would be let intimidated, even when it was a hulking summoner who could by the look of him, break me in the middle like a twig. I held the gaze for a full minute till the summoner gave an approval „hmpf“.

„Mabey you have it in you to be a summoner, follow me.“ He turned around and walked lazily down the halway. My mom and looked each other in the eyes and followed him.

When I was honest with me, I had a little bit of fear of me that I would disrespect the man, but I made a decision that when I would go into this building, I would change my life, and I wouldn’t let myself be push around anymore. To my luck, it was apearently the right choice.

We came to a big double-door, made of iron-wood, one of the hardest wood-types. It was adored with carvings of mighty beasts, dragons, griffins, dryads, and manny more. The summoner, from which I didn’ had a name, turned around to us.

„From here on just the youngling. The method to conjure the Portal to the monster realm is just to know to fellow Summoners.“

He opened his palm expectangly, and my mother opened her purse to get a single golden coin out of it.

When I think about how much time and effort we both invested into this single cold coin. Ordinary people could live a year with good food with one gold coin. I often told my mother that she should buy something to lessen her burden, but one thing we had in common was our stubornes.

She knew how much I wanted to be a summoner so I could provide for her.

The summoner took the coin out of my mothers hands. I didn’t saw it at first, but my mother trembled. The man took her hands in his „Good women, worry not, you made it for your son is in good hands now. “

My mother cried silent tears and I got her in a hug. It felt like an farewell, even when it wasn’t one. My mother broke the hug, took my face into her ands and looked at me with teary eyes. „My son, no matter what happens behind these doors, you must promise me something.“ I putted one hand on hers, “Everthing mother.“ She smiled at me, a genual happy smile. „Be youself, and let nobody tell you otherwise, because that is not how I raise you, do you understand brat?“ At the end she was my good old mom, goodhearted but she always speaks her mind. With a smile I responded “Of course, mother.“ She smiled at me a last time and then looked at the summoner who watched all of it silently by the side.

„Watch after my boy a little would you please?“ With a smirk he nodded to her. „Of course.“

She looked at me one last time and said „I’m gonna wait outside honey. Make me proud!“ and with that, she turned around and walked out of the temple.

I watched after, until a loud „hmpf“ was heared from behind him. He turned around and saw the summoner, he really need to ask about his name, smirking down at him.

„So, you want to become a summoner.“ It wasn’t a question.

„Yes sir!“

„Mmm, well well, follow me.“

He turned around and walked trough the world, which had opened themself without me noticing. How in the bloody realm can siomething so big be so quite? I couldn’t ask me more questions then the summoner didn’t looked like he would wait for me, so I walked hastily after him. Time to get my Summon!

We walked further down the hall. The walkway wasn’t much diffirent than before, execpt for the 4 paintings.There were 2 women and 2 men, all were at the same age. Beneath them were something akin to a sign or a flag. The summoner, godamit I really need to ask for his name, saw my look and began explaining, without stopping his walk

„What you can see here young one, are the founder of the summoner. These men and women were the first to be blessed with the power of the god and godess Kar and Sinir.“

I looked at the pictures with awe and reference. This were the first people to bind themself with their monster-companions. My gaze hefted itself onto the last paint. Well, not the panting but the symbol under it. It was a blood-red eye with a black iris, as if a darkness tried to devour me. Behind me the summoner started talking again. „Aah, this is the leader of them, Arthus Schargon, most powerful Summoner till today.“

I looked at him with big eyes „Do you want to tell me that he is still alive?“ „Who knows? His death and the death of the 3 others founders were never confirmt. But that is not of your concern now, come on or do you not want to be a summoner?“ He turned away to resume walking but I stoped him. „Wait, what is your name?“ He turned to me, again with his smirk. „Joran. Joran Hamond“