The return gauge above my reward chest had barely moved, another downside to using the Notice of Cessation. I’d take the downsides to the certificate any day if it meant I could skip out of the worst types of summonings. I peeked into the training center, noting it was only at 39% mana. The last summoning seemed to take a while, as I’d treaded water long enough for most of the cat students to get bored and leave. Time seemed to flow differently when I was summoned, and so far, I hadn’t figured out a pattern to it.
I was getting a bit bored in my personal space, and I was just about to try and teach Melvin how to play fetch when the next portal opened.
You are Summoned!
“I’m off to work, Melvin. Maybe we can figure out something to do during our down time when I get back. Do gelatinous cubes play games?” I asked. Melvin sent me a curious feeling through our link. He was intrigued over what a game was, but I didn’t have time to explain. Stepping through the portal, I prepared for my next adventure.
Your summoning parameters are as follows:
1. You are being summoned by the Shaman Thezzen Dustmaw.
2. Summoning tier, 1.
3. Summoning rank, 3.
4. Rewards level, modest.
5. This summons is combat related. The chance of combat during this summoning session is considered very high.
6. Full compliance is active.
7. Your current armory loadout has been activated.
“You want my warriors to fight these puny things? That’s not how our pack trains for battle. Hunting strong prey makes for strong hunters,” A gruff voice complained as I exited the portal into bright sunlight that my eyes needed time to adjust to.
“Packmaster Gnikx, we know you are mighty and capable of handling any foe, but many of your troops are green, and still need to be blooded in battle. What better way to do that than by having them fight summoned creatures. If you want, we can even order them to refrain from killing our warriors, preventing any unnecessary losses,” another voice said as my eyes finally began to adjust to the bright sun.
“Bah, only the strong have a place in my army. Send the green troops against these summoned weak things and let them practice. But if they’re going to fight, they’re going to have to maybe die, no ordering the summoned creatures to go easy on them,” an enormous figure that I assumed to be Packmaster Gnikx grumbled before stomping off.
It was a humanoid creature I was only vaguely familiar with, having seen but a handful in Somhagen. At around seven feet tall, the Packmaster was a rather large example of a gnoll, a hyena-like humanoid. The creature was muscular, but it was the lean muscle of a runner, not the bulky, bodybuilder type like an orc.
“All of you head into the ruins. Find a place to hide and prepare to fight the pack that I will send in to hunt you,” my summoner, an older looking gnoll shaman named Thezzen Dustmaw, ordered. Surrounding Thezzen were a half dozen other, smaller gnolls that, from the look of their gear, must have been apprentice shamans. Given the number of summoned beings standing around me, there had to have been more than one summoner operating.
As one, Thezzen and the apprentices pointed off to somewhere behind me. When I turned, I could see the ruins of a desert village a few hundred yards ahead. Around me were more than a score of various other summoned beings, and we all charged toward the ruins, looking for a place to defend.
A troop of young gnoll warriors were formed up in a rectangular formation near the shaman. They looked upon us with a savage gleam in their eyes and more than a few had tendrils of drool running from their snouts. I estimated about fifty of the gnolls were in the pack that was going to hunt us down. Used to quickly sizing up my foes, I took a close look at their gear before I was forced to turn around and watch where I was going.
Each of the gnolls wore chainmail armor that seemed new and unblemished by combat. For weapons, each gnoll had a thick chopping axe in one hand, and in the other was a long javelin. They also seemed to enjoy having trophies of their past kills tied to their armor. Most sported the skulls of wolves and the like, but few had already claimed humanoid victims and those that had, proudly displayed the skulls for everyone to see.
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I lost sight of the gnolls that would be hunting us as I reached the ruins. It must have been a large village once, as there were dozens of partially collapsed walls and piles of rubble. Whatever had led to this village’s ruined state had happened long ago. Once out of line of sight of the gnolls, I looked for a place to defend. It seemed like it was every man or humanoid for themselves as most of the others scattered into the ruins.
“Stick together, and we have a better chance,” a halfling woman said, trying to wave people over. A few had stopped near her, and I joined their group. The gnolls were organized and well-armed, we stood a better chance at scoring well on this summoning if we put up a strong, unified defense.
She led us deeper into the ruins, and I could see other summoned beings staking out various structures to make their stand. A few more joined our group and we grew to seven in total. Most were armored and geared like I was, except for the halfling woman who wore the robes of a mage. Two of our group were a pair of stout-looking dwarves, each wearing heavier armor than the rest of us and wielding high quality axes and shields. They looked almost like twins, and I wondered if summoned beings were ever picked as a group.
Before I could ask, a loud hunting horn sounded from the direction of the gnolls, and I could hear their guttural yips that served as a war cry for the gnolls as they began their hunt. The halfling pulled us into a partially ruined building that still had three good walls. Its opening faced the wall of another ruined building, which would force the gnolls to get in close if they wanted to dig us out.
The pair of dwarves, a human, and an elf with a long spear formed up in front of the opening while another human in dark leather armor seemed to disappear after warning us that he’d strike when the enemy least expected it. I explained that I was a summoner and began to summon my minions.
Out first was the ghoul, who I hit with Empower Minion as soon as he appeared. An extra rank would help toughen him up against the powerful force we found ourselves up against. Lillia Farwind was next and with her spear and shield, I placed with the main line of defenders.
I called Rupert out as the sounds of combat began to reach us, the gnolls were hunting down the others that had chosen to go it alone. This time, I’d brought a weapon for Rupert to use, and handed him my old mace. He was ordered to stay near me and the halfling who was a mage of some sort. Each minion received a cast of Empower Minion, and while we waited for the gnolls to appear, my mana regenerated enough for me to cast Duplicate on the ghoul.
The two ghouls were positioned behind the main line of defenders. When the gnolls attacked, they would move to flank the enemy. My mana was almost gone, so I opted to use one of my mana potions to regenerate enough for a few Psionic Jolts on our foes. Other than magic, I held my warhammer in a tight grip in one hand and my wand of magic missiles in the other.
It looked like the gnolls weren’t having things all their way, and I heard more than one of their odd yelps of pain blend in with the cries of the summoned beings they ran down. Once, we even spotted a burst of flames from a few buildings over as a fireball was dropped on our foes. Before long, we could hear the gnolls shouting encouragement to each other as a group of them neared our position.
A few trotted by, shocked at seeing us grouped up and ready to fight. Just before the gnolls could raise the alarm, the halfling mage unleashed a bolt of lightning that slammed into one and then split off and crackled against the armor of the other two gnolls. One of the gnolls shook off the lightning strike and raised his javelin to throw. I fired off a magic missile that proved to be a lucky strike, blowing off the gnolls hand. My victim didn’t seem to mind losing his hand and just yelled and charged forward with his axe.
Our line of defenders stopped the wounded gnoll, but another appeared and immediately hurled his javelin. The javelin punched a hole in the chest of the elf, taking him out of the fight. From behind the gnolls, the stealthed human appeared, shortsword slamming home into the javelin throwers back. The gnoll collapsed just as more began to arrive, flinging javelins and swinging axes.
My ghouls jumped into the fight, their claws paralyzing at least one foe before they were targeted with a barrage of javelins. I began to cast Psionic Jolt or fired a magic missile at any gnoll that seemed to prefer fighting at range. The mage next to me seemed to be doing the same, firing bursts of flame or hurling small balls of lighting at the gnoll javelin throwers. We silenced the enemy’s ranged firepower one after the other.
It was too little too late, and over a dozen gnolls flooded the area, overrunning our small defensive line. I barely got to swing my hammer as one closed in, smashing the enchanted weapon into the shoulder of a gnoll before I felt my head tug to the side as the world grew dark around me.
Your brain has been impaled by a gnoll javelin. This summoning session is now complete.
Your performance rating is calculated as Above Average.
Your rewards will reflect the summoning tier of 1, rank 3, and your performance rating of Above Average.
You have earned 5 experience points.
You have earned 4 summoning points.
Prepare to return to your personal space.