Chapter 310. Linked.
Your summoning parameters are as follows:
1. You are being summoned by the mage Abbasa.
2. Summoning tier, 2.
3. Summoning rank, 7.
4. Rewards level, moderate.
5. This summons is combat related. Prepare accordingly.
6. Forced compliance is active.
7. Your armory loadout has been equipped.
I appeared in a familiar place once again. It was the kitchen where I had been summoned twice before to work as a taste tester. I had almost forgotten that there was a summoner link between me and the head chef guy. I sort of figured that the link would be eliminated now that he had reached his goal of ruling the kingdom.
“You’re back, excellent. I need your assistance,” Abbasa said.
He appeared stressed and kept looking toward the door leading out of kitchen and into the dining hall. Only a few of the kitchen staff were working, though it looked like they were cleaning up and not preparing another massive feast. A trio of armored guards holding longswords and shields formed a protective barrier between Abbasa, and anyone who might approach.
Abbasa himself looked different, and it took me a moment to realize what had changed. His hair was now completely grey, and more than a few wrinkles were making their presence known. He had aged since we’d last met, and I knew from my last visit with Sharnlynn that time could pass differently between summonings.
“What can I help you with?” I asked.
“The ungrateful wretches!” Abbasa growled, again looking at the kitchen exit. “They have decided to try and take the empire from me. How dare they, after all I have done for them,” Abbasa raged.
“Again, Abbasa, what can I do to help,” I asked, trying to keep him on task. Gone was the cool, dignified, and competent master of the kitchen, in his place was this man with the demeanor of a frightened animal.
“I need your protection, as I find that most of my supposedly loyal guards are anything but. Gather your minions and escort me from the palace. There are enemies hunting me here even as we speak, so work quickly,” Abbasa ordered.
That was all I needed to hear, and I started to summon my minions. I had given it some thought after adding Digbaz, and had come up with a new summoning order. Previously, I would just summon the minion with the highest tier and rank first, then move my way down the list.
Now, I didn’t want to summon the relatively squishy Digbaz first when there were potential threats around. Instead, I started with the drone, then the goblin trio, and only after I had some muscle on the field, did I summon Digbaz. After Digbaz I’d follow with Elida, Khurr, and finally, Blieek.
“That is everyone,” I told Abbasa.
“So much time has passed. I thought you would have added many more to your menagerie,” Abbasa said, looking a bit deflated.
“Time passes differently between our worlds. Sometimes we’re in sync, other times, like now, there is a big discrepancy. Sorry, it’s something odd I’ve experienced with other summoner links,” I replied, hoping that by explaining what was going on, the system would think I was being especially helpful and boost my ranking at the end of the summoning.
“Very well, this will have to do,” Abbasa said, turning toward the remaining kitchen staff before continuing. “My loyal friends and subjects. Our empire is in dire need of your services. Join and protect your emperor, resist the forces that would tear our great empire apart.”
Abbasa’s request fell on deaf ears for the most part. Only two young women who were working on cleaning dishes responded, both grabbed butcher’s knives and joined our entourage. One of the guards led us through the back of the kitchens, past larders stacked with food of all types.
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Enchantments must have been at work as I could feel cold air wafting off some shelves, while others were merely room temperature. This would probably become a necessity on our world if the electricity ceased to function after integration. After passing thought the third larder, we stopped as the guards pulled aside a crate of cabbages left seemingly forgotten on the floor.
An iron grate waited beneath the cabbages and the guards opened the grate to reveal a ladder leading into a drainage tunnel. At least it wasn’t a sewer and while we had to slog through ankle-deep water, there was no accompanying stench to make the trip especially miserable.
We walked cautiously down the tunnel, my goblins out in front, and the drone bringing up the rear. The trio of guards still maintained their vigil around Abbasa, while the two members of the kitchen staff, likely regretting their choice, followed miserably behind the kitchen manager turned emperor.
Our journey was interrupted once by a dire rat that tried to grab Blieek and drag him off into a dark side passage. Glurk hit the creature with an arrow, and before it could recover, Blieek had run it through with his spear. Another pair of rats emerged from the darkness to attack, but the goblins handled them with only Glurk suffering a bite to his arm.
Elida fixed up our wounded goblin, and the rats ceased their attacks. From the horrible sounds coming from the dark side passage, the rats too busy dragging off their fallen comrades to feast upon and chose not to test their luck against our weapons again. I was tempted to have Digbaz throw a few Blades of Air into the passageway to make sure the threat had been dealt with but decided to not tempt fate by needlessly riling up the rats.
“Your minions performed expertly. I didn’t think goblins could fight with skill and coordination like your warriors have,” Abbasa said.
“Thank you, my team are all well trained and equipped,” I replied. From Abbasa’s comment, this world must either not have goblins, or they were all the primitive types, not the corporate masterminds I’d seen in other worlds. My minions all seemed to have been drawn from more warlike, and primitive, goblin tribes, but I couldn’t forget the goblin train I’d helped to defend, and the odd technology they’d invented.
It was a good half hour of traveling the winding drainage tunnel before I spotted light in the distance. One of the guards warned of traps before going forward to disarm them. A thick, iron gate secured the exit to the drainage tunnel, and after several minutes, the guard finally motioned that it was safe to proceed.
Emerging back into the light, we were blinded for a few seconds before I could take in our surroundings. The tunnel had emerged from a cliffside onto a wide, sandy beach. Small waves splashed against the shore and the warm sunlight felt great after the cramped, damp confines of the drainage tunnel.
“Make way for the emperor!” one of the guards shouted. We weren’t alone on that beach. A line of guards, probably the turncoats, waited on the sand. Behind the armored guards was a large crowd of other people that looked like normal villagers, not hardened warriors. Despite their normal appearance, the people were all armed, though the civilians were carrying mostly simple farming implements or crude knives.
“Abbasa is no emperor, he is a petty tyrant that must be stopped,” an older man said, stepping through the line of armed guards to stand in front of our band.
“Ghillraine, I would have never guessed that you would be behind this rebellion. I only ask why? I gave you everything, my oldest friend, everything. You had wealth, a title, lands, all you could want,” Abbasa said, obviously hurt at his friend’s betrayal.
“You forgot who you were, where you came from. More importantly, you became the very corruption you stamped out at the Final Feast. I’m sorry, friend, but you have lost your way, and I must stop the destruction you’re causing,” Ghillraine said.
“Very well, my oldest friend is but another traitor. No matter, you will die with the others, and I’ll raise a new, and loyal, lord to rule over your lands. Minions, kill every one of…” Abbasa’s command stopped as his voice turned to a hideous gurgle.
I had been focused on the forces in front of me, and by the time I turned around, I could see that the two kitchen staff that had joined Abbasa were stabbing into his throat and body over and over again with their butcher’s knives.
Before I could order Elida forward to heal him, and cast a Health Bloom over the area, my summoning ended.
Your summoner has been slain and this summoning session is complete.
Your summoner link with the mage Abbasa is terminated.
Your ranking for this summoning is Average.
Your rewards will reflect your current Tier and Rank, as well as your summoning rating of Average.
You have earned 22 experience points.
You have earned 31 summoning points.
Congratulations, you have reached Tier 2, Rank 8.
You have gained 1 point in Mind.
You will now be returned to your personal space.