The Summoners (Peregrine x Reina)

[Peregrine]

The freshmen of the Great College of Summoners had gathered in small groups in the seating area of a building that looked like a mixture of a coliseum and an amphitheater. The building was clean and off-white, made of a material that looked like a mixture of metal and stone. Students of the College of Alchemy might be able to recognize it as a highly processed version of magic alabaster. This building alone likely cost more than the entire liquid wealth of most elite families. However, the students weren't focused on the material that the building was made of. Instead, their attention was focused on the massive ritual circle that had been inscribed at the bottom of the amphitheater. At the edges of the circle, further scribework spread outward, climbing up the gathered seats before spreading up the walls of the entire building.

It was two weeks into their first semester, and the students were buzzing with enthusiasm. Despite the fact that the building was still devoid of teachers, almost the entire freshman class had already gathered ahead of time. After all, today was the most important day in their education, a day that many of them had been waiting and preparing for since the moment they learned they had the aptitude to join a summoner's school.

It was the day they'd finally get to perform their first spirit summoning.

Idarin Assuncao was not like his classmates. He was seated calmly in the bleachers, expression cold and practical as though this was just another day for him. As though reacting to his icy demeanor, all his classmates had given him a wide berth, creating an empty bubble of space around him.

If anyone had dared to ask him, Idarin would likely have told them that there was no point in being excited. Excitement would not alter the results of their summoning. In fact, it might get in the way, if the excitement stopped them from perfectly channeling their essence into the summoning circle, and caused a fluctuation in the creation of a spirit connection. If they wanted to improve the results of the summoning, they should have done it years ago, by making the decision to invest a bit more time into performing the simple exercises that would help a person strengthen their essence, or invested in buying some of the rare, alchemical potions that would allow a person to temporarily interact with the spirit world. Then again, if anyone ever really asked Idarin what they should do to increase their chances of contracting with a higher level spirit, Idarin would probably have cold-heartedly told them one thing; be born with better talent.

After all, there was a limit to how much a person's essence could grow in a period of time. And someone who was able to strengthen their essence twice as much in the same period of time would easily be able to outgrow someone who could only gather half as much. The world was just that kind of unfeeling, heartless place. It didn't care what you wanted. All that mattered is what was.

And yet, for all his cold attitude, here Idarin sat, just as over-early for the summoning as his classmates, waiting for it to begin.

The moment a chime sounded from the clock tower in the distance, signaling the start of the class, the teachers appeared from the back of the building. Led by a tall man missing his left arm, the teachers spread out around the summoning circle at the bottom of the auditorium, facing the gathered students.

"Alright, quiet down!" the man shouted, and the building fell into silence a second later. "I'm sure you all know how this process is going to go, but I'm going to explain it anyways. You'll be called down one at a time to stand in the circle and perform the summoning ritual. We'll go in reverse order, based on the scores earned from your entrance examination and these last two weeks of class. Anyone who interrupts someone else's ritual, intentionally or accidentally, will be expelled at best, and criminally charged at worst. I hope everyone has prepared themselves!"

There was a murmur of agreement from the students, and the one-armed man nodded. "Good. First up, Brooke Toles."

A brown haired girl stood up from somewhere in the auditorium, accompanied by encouraging words from the people around her. Even from this distance, Idarin could see her shoulders shaking. Under countless gazes, she walked down to the summoning circle that was surrounded by teachers. One of them, a woman with long flaxen blonde hair, offered her a soft smile. "Begin when you are ready."

Brooke took a few deep breaths, calming herself, before her hands met in front of her chest, fingertip to fingertip, forming a dome. Although essence could be found throughout the body, it was congregated the most close to the heart. All young children were taught various hand sigils which could be used to help control the flow of essence. This particular one was designed to help move essence out of the body.

Around Brooke's feet, the summoning circle began to light up, the illumination quickly spreading away from her. At first colorless, the light gradually began to change into a dark brown as it continued to spread outwards. Sweat began to drip down Brooke's face, her hands trembling slightly, but the light continued to spread to the base of the seating area. Summoning rituals required summoners to use their essence to form a connection with a spirit. The more essence the summoner was able to pour into the ritual, the more powerful a spirit could be summoned. That was why summoners always exhausted their full potential during the ritual.

Abruptly, the light in the circle began to flash, before it flew into the air, gathering together into a dark brown blob in front of Brooke. A second later and the light shattered, revealing the figure of a brown, blob-like shape somewhere between a small bear and a large dog.

Idarin studied the spirit carefully, before shaking his head slightly. A middle mud spirit. In the normal world, contracting with a middle spirit of any sort would be considered quite exceptional, but for students at the Great College it was an absolute minimum requirement. Anyone who didn't have enough essence to contract a middle spirit would never make it past the entrance examination. As for its usability in combat, it might be valuable on the back lines. However, in terms of front-like combat, there was only so much it would be able to provide. All in all, a lackluster result worthy of the last place in the class.

At the very least, Idarin gave the girl credit for taking it well. She smiled warmly at her spirit, before reaching a hand out to it. The spirit extended a protuberance—nose, paw, it was hard to tell—and touched her hand back, before once more turning into dark brown light and flowing into Brooke's body. Satisfied with the result or not, those two were now partners.

Glancing around at the gathered students, some showing excitement, some showing disdain, Idarin simply sunk further into his seat. As the first ranked student in the class, it would be some time before he was able to perform his summoning.

 

[Reina]

Jade Palmer sat beside her faithful group of friends, palms against the cold bleachers, black army boots up on the one in front of her as her head tossed back in laughter. One could always find Jade surrounded by some group or another. Her energy was infectious and she drew attention wherever she went, especially because she was a Palmer by birth. Ever since the war began, the Palmer family had been instrumental in the battle. Each descendant participated in the battle against the monsters and due to that, the Palmer name was recognized and carried a certain prestige with it. And everyone wanted to be near a Palmer. Add the fact that Jade was also charismatic and friendly, she easily attracted a crowd.

The group sat near the front of the amphitheater, chatting and laughing with one another without a care in the world. Their excitement emanated from them as they discussed what spirits could possibly be summoned in the ritual circle. Everyone was especially excited to see what spirit Jade might summon. Palmers tended to summon higher level spirits so everyone expected Jade to do the same, even Jade.

The group quieted once the chime was heard and the teacher made an appearance. Jade straightened as her attention was drawn towards the circle pulling her boots off the bleachers and firmly planting them on the ground. She smoothed her long black locks to the side of her face, making a quick braid as she listened to the instructions and watched the first summoning performed with intense eyes and curiosity. Jade smiled once Brooke had summoned her spirit. Middle mud spirit, she thought to herself. Nothing to write home about.

She watched intently at each summoning. As number two in the class, it took some time before her name was to be called. She had lost the number one spot to Idarin Assuncao, some loner that Jade paid little mind to, by a mere point. She peered up at him now from the corner of her eye, noticing him towards the back and sitting alone. One point. She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze back to the happenings before her. She watched her classmates call plant spirits, gemstone spirits, rocks, and clay. Nothing too powerful. The summoning was long but worth it. The number four and three in her class, Laura Maravel and James Lawrence, Jade's friends, called the spirit of wind and earth respectively. Both higher level spirits that were essential in a battle. Jade clapped loudly for her friends. The group of three was expected to summon higher level spirits. All that was left now was to find out about Jade.

"Jade Palmer," bellowed the teacher's voice. A few 'woots' echoed through the amphitheater drawing a scowl from the teacher that quickly quieted the voices as Jade took the steps to the ritual circle. She held her head high, the gold rim of her glasses shining against the theater lighting. She could feel the shift in the room as everyone's attention was drawn to her. What spirit would a Palmer summon? "Ms. Palmer, proceed," the teacher instructed as he gestured for Jade to begin.

Jade took in a deep breath and drew her hands together, steepling her fingers and bowing her head to meet them. She shut her eyes and began the summoning. The circle immediately illuminated and the colors that surrounded Jade grew brighter and brighter. The hues went from a deep orange to a brighter red. Jade kept calm but she could quickly feel her energy draining as she poured every bit of her essence into the summoning as her family had spent years teaching her. The light from the circle began to draw closer and closer to Jade until she could feel a sudden warmth that elevated her temperature. Her eyes shot open as the bright lights gathered together in front of her and began to take shape. Jade watched as the lights took form and a large bird-like figure engulfed in flames began to spread its wings before her. Jade's eyes widened briefly as she took in the scene before her.

A fire spirit.

Jade unsteepled her hands and raised her head as she stared at the phoenix looking back at her. The large creature looked to Jade for a moment before it nodded and acknowledged her. Jade nodded as well and extended her hands outward to the side of her to join with it. The phoenix flapped its wings and enveloped Jade. She took in a deep breath as the flames engulfed her and seeped into her skin. Her long black hair began to seer away at the bottom, drawing her hair from below her waist up to her shoulders. Once the phoenix had completely merged with Jade, her hair had changed color. Her signature Palmer long black locks were no more. Jade now wore shoulder-length deep red hair mixed with orange. She let out a deep breath and looked to the teacher who looked almost stunned but gestured to her to return to her seat.

The crowd in the theater practically roared with excitement at Jade summoning such a high-level spirit. The fire spirit was rare and deeply coveted. Leave it to a Palmer to summon such a being. Jade walked confidently back to her seat to the cheers of her friends who hugged her tightly. She was a tough act to follow. Again Jade peered over to Idarin who was now the final student to enter the summoning circle. There was no way he could do better than that.

 

[Peregrine]

Idarin paid close attention to the series of summonings that happened, one person after the next. Although he didn't cheer anyone on, like lots of the other watching people did, that didn't mean he disregarded the situation either. A few of the students were showing occasional traces of boredom, especially those who had already successfully made their contract and were now deeply exhausted due to the use, or even over-use in some instances, of their essence. Idarin couldn't blame them, almost everyone here had seen countless spirit summonings, as all school children were given the opportunity to watch as the working adults made their simple contracts. However, that didn't mean Idarin agreed with them. As far as he was concerned, there was always something to learn from watching another summoning, and with what he was planning to attempt, he was going to need all the extra assistance he could get.

Perhaps that was the reason Idarin felt a sudden ripple in the air as Jade's summoning began. As if the ever-expanding ring of light wasn't enough of an indication, nor the brilliant red light that was filling the whole auditorium, Idarin would have liked to believe he would be able to identify a powerful spirit was about to arrive.

And when the burst of light and flame finally faded to reveal the magnificent plumage of a phoenix, even Idarin let out a soft sigh of appreciation for its beauty.

It was basically common knowledge at this point, but the more powerful a spirit was, the more distinct its form. Minor spirits, little more than infants by the context of the spirit world, were often nothing more than colored balls of light. Lesser spirits might be able to start taking some of their own shapes, but they were often more abstract patterns than an actual form. It wasn't until the middle spirits that they started to be able to take a recognized shape, like the weird bear-dog hybrid that came out for Brooke's mud spirit, or one of the middle leaf spirits that someone had summoned, which had four giant leaves on its back that made it resemble a dragonfly.

It wasn't until the greater spirits that they started to take distinct forms, like the two that were third and fourth in the class. The wind spirit took the clear shape of a feathered serpent, it's delicate feathers a flow of swirling clouds. But perhaps the most obvious example of that was the greater fire spirit that now burned in front of Jade. Every single one of its feathers was perfectly shaped out of a tongue of flame, distinct even from where Idarin was sitting. It was an undeniably powerful summon. There were few professional soldiers who were out fighting on the front lines that would have any better. That was even more so the case since, the more powerful a spirit was, the fewer of them there were.

In fact, Idarin doubted she could have done any better unless she summoned a true royal spirit, and as far as he was aware, the only royal fire spirit remaining was already contracted to one of the army's current generals.

As far as spirits went, the royals were the peak of the peak when it came to an elemental spirit. Each element only ever had a maximum of two royal spirits, and a spirit would only have a chance to rank up once the position was vacated. In addition to that, their requirements for their summoners were specific to an extreme. Such powerful beings not only required a summoner with a suitable amount of essence, but also necessitated them to have a deep affinity for that particular spirit. Of course, not only were royal spirits by far the most powerful, but they were also the most intelligent spirits, and the only ones that were capable of taking on something that resembled human form. It meant they were far more capable of acting independently than any other spirit, which was a truly great advantage to their partner.

Once upon a time, the notion of summoning a royal spirit had been all but a myth. Then, few spirits had any reason to partner with a person. However, all of that had changed since the war began. Now, spirits had just as much of a reason to fight as humans did, and even the royals would step forward as soon as they found a compatible person. Of course, that didn't make their presence any less of an honor. There was nothing better for a human than to get to fight side-by-side with a powerful spirit, and the royals were said to be the most powerful spirits in existence.

"Idarin Assuncao," the name-reading professor called, and Idarin pushed his way to his feet. Everyone was looking at him, and unlike the cheers and woots that had filled the auditorium before Jade's summoning, no one in particular was cheering for him. In fact, faint whispers broke out as he walked down the stairs.

It was only to be expected. He wasn't one of the well-respected people. Everyone knew that, despite his family name, he was nothing but the child of a distant relative that had been adopted by the main family. He was a loner, and he certainly paid no consideration to the dignity of any great family. He wouldn't be surprised if there were many people in the gathered audience that were just waiting for him to fail.

He ignored all their eyes, including Jade's. He was certain she wanted to see him fail, too. That was all she'd ever done, after all, watching from the side while the others students played their messed up games designed to humiliate him. And wouldn't it be the ultimate humiliation for the top-scorer in the theoretical tests to fail to summon a worthy spirit? It would prove once and for all that the lineages of the great families where the great families for a reason.

He'd prove them all wrong.

Without being prompted, Idarin stood in the center of the summoning circle, his hands steepled in front of his chest. But, instead of immediately beginning the summoning, he instead gently reached out with his mind.

I'm here. Are you ready to begin?

And something answered back.

I am. But I've told you before that this won't be easy. Are you sure about this?

It was said that spirits couldn't communicate with humans before they made a contract. Few of them were even visible to humans. But for Idarin, that had not been the case for a while. Not since the night that had simultaneously been the best and worst night of his life.

You've already said that I'm the only one you've ever met that may be suitable to contract with you. I have to try.

Very well. Do your best. I hope you succeed.

I will.

"Mr. Assuncao! You may proceed." There was something in the professor's voice that gave the impression that wasn't the first time he'd said that sentence. The whispering among the students had only grown louder. But a second later and everyone quieted as the circle at Idarin's feet lit up with sudden brightness.

For a second, the light was a plain, simple white, before it suddenly began to flash through a riotous collection of colors. Red to purple to green to orange to blue to majenta, it didn't still for a second as Idarin continue to focus on channeling his essence. Inside his mind's eye, nothing remained but a blank white field.

He was no longer able to see what was going on around him, so he had no way of knowing that the brilliant colors had already extended to the edges of the seating, and showed no signs of fading. However, as they continued to rise, the colors began to smooth together, transitioning in to a pearlescent iridescence. But the student seats didn't stop the spread of the circle either. It quickly began to climb up the walls, and it seemed like the entire air began to fill with a shimmering mist.

The beautiful scene was completely lost on Idarin. He had no way to appreciate its beauty. Instead, it felt more like he was descending into hell. Idarin had always been the type to push himself, and he was not unfamiliar with exhaustion. However, rather than him pushing the essence outside of his body, it felt like something outside had grabbed onto his heart and was trying to rip it out of his chest. He gasped unconsciously, sweat streaming down his brow, even as his legs trembled.

He knew that the summoning circle was supporting him. Hell, the college itself was practically supporting him. Yet it was still so painful. He didn't even want to imagine what it would have felt like if he had tried to do this on his own, like he had once intended. It probably would have killed him.

And as if that wasn't already sufficient burden, a faintly sorrowful voice reached his ears.

It's not enough. Idarin, you've done your best. The royal darkness spirit still wishes to contract with you. She hasn't met anyone suitable in years. I'll allow her to...

"No!"

Idarin didn't know whether he spoke aloud or not, didn't know if his message had even reached the other voice. His thoughts were no longer that coherent. He knew his essence was about to completely bottom out, and that the safe, prudent thing to do was to accept the royal darkness spirit. But this was war. War took everything from people. Safety and prudence were not considerations in total war. Only victory was.

Continue.

If I take any more, I'll be tapping into your very life essence.

If you won't do it, I will.

Instantly, Idarin's hands twisted. What had once been a simple finger dome suddenly warped into a cage, each hand twisting sideways, fingertips resting at the base of his palms. To one side, a teacher let out a sudden shout of fright. Had one of the students screamed?

Idarin couldn't tell. If before it had felt like someone was trying to rip out his heart, now he felt like he was about to be drawn and quartered. The light around him was growing brighter and brighter, even as Idarin felt his own head swimming. He no longer knew where his legs were, where his fingers were. Perhaps he'd even broken the hand sign. It didn't matter. He'd already tied his very life into this circle. Either he got the result he wanted, or he died. As far as Idarin was concerned, that was the right mentality to have.

Where are you?

He couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel anything. It felt like air was rushing around his ears, and his body was weightless. And then, abruptly, he felt himself enfolded in a pair of warm arms. A rich, warm, intimately familiar voice reached his ears.

"Hurry, he needs medical attention."

The arms around him wrapped a bit tighter. "You did it, Idarin. It's okay. Rest."

He relaxed, and felt himself instantly slip unconscious.

 

[Reina]

Jade practically fell back into the bleachers after watching what Idarin was able to summon. Her ivory skin was still warm from her own summoning, the phoenix still settling somewhere inside of her. Her cheeks were now rose-colored and her skin held a hint of a fever that would dissipate once her human form finally grew accustomed to the presence of the spirit. But her eyes bulged wide as she stared at the summoning circle. She looked at the spirit formed before her and was speechless. The spirit had clearly taken a human form and if the spirit was human-looking then it could only mean one thing...Idarin had summoned a spirit king.

The summoning of a spirit king was so rare that Jade would have bet anything she would not see one during her lifetime and she would have never expected Idarin to be the one to summon one. To Jade, Idarin was no one special. He was adopted and didn't come from a strong lineage as she did yet...there he was. He was being held up by the spirit he summoned after having been knocked unconscious from the sheer will it took to summon one so powerful.

Jade couldn't help herself. She rose to her feet and began to make her way to the circle. Her two friends tried to stop her but Jade's skin grew warmer under their touch and they were forced to release her or risk burns. Her eyes fixated on the image before her as each step brought her closer to the summoning circle. It was as if everything grew silent around her. Nothing existed at that moment but her and those within the circle. She didn't know what would happen when she stepped into the circle but she had to get closer. She was inexplicably being drawn in and there wasn't anyone who would attempt to stop her. She held one very powerful spirit inside her who seemed rather familiar with the king still holding Idarin in the circle.

Jade cautiously stepped inside the circle and looked to the Spirit whose eyes met hers. They didn't speak to one another as Jade's vision slowly moved down to Idarin's unconscious form. "You bloody bastard," she said lowly. "One point and you bring forth a king." Her whole body was flushed now as though it was reacting to the spirit king or perhaps to Idarin himself. She wasn't entirely sure. Still, she stepped closer and brought a warm hand to Idarin's face. "Idarin, wake up," she started to say. When he didn't immediately waken she tried again, tapping the side of his face. "Idarin. Wake up." He still did not respond. Her hand was growing warmer and warmer until it was beginning to get burning hot as the tapping grew stronger. "Idarin. WAKE. UP!"

 

[Peregrine]

Perhaps the teachers facilitating the summoning were still in shock, because none of them got in Jade's way as she raced towards the center of the summoning circle. No one in the area would have blamed them for their oversight. After all, the arrival of a royal in summoning was far too rare of an occurrence. Normally, the matter would instantly need to be reported up to the college president, who would then send the information to the military general.

However, Idarin had made this matter even more dramatic than it normally should have been, and that was by using a forbidden technique.

Essence was the essential element in the skills of not only the summoners, but also for melders, alchemists, and engineers. Of course, it was only natural that, in the heat of the battlefield when the ability to cast some sort of spell was the difference between life and death, that people would find ways to draw out essence, even when their natural reserves were empty.

These techniques were called the forbidden techniques, and while there were different versions and different varieties, all of them had one thing in common; they involved betting your life for a sudden burst of power. No one was trained in them. Instead, they were spread in secret, by word of mouth through the dark parts of society. Once upon a time, they'd been forbidden by the government, anyone found trading in them could be sentenced to life in jail. However, when the war against the monsters had begun, many of the regulations that the government had put in place had been quietly pushed to the back. Now, it wasn't even uncommon for techniques like that to spread through the military camps. However, publicly, such techniques were still forbidden, and Idarin had just given a very public display of their capability.

Under normal circumstances, at best it would see him punished by the school. At worst it might have seen him expelled. However, he'd used that burst of power to summon a king, and already the teachers were conflicted, wondering if they should just let the matter slide. If no one reported it, it wouldn't become an issue.

Lost in thought, none of them stopped Jade from approaching Idarin, kneeling down beside him, and beginning to tap at his face. However, the 'man' who had been standing behind Idarin noticed her approach. At first only concerned with Idarin's unconscious form, he suddenly began to frown as the faint signs of fire began to show, flickering around her fingers. Idarin, clearly still unconscious, frowned in pain, causing the scar across his face to twist and distort under the motion.

As she continued to tap at him more and more aggressively, the man's long, white hair, which would have cascaded down to the middle of his thigh were he standing straight, suddenly began to move through the air as though tugged about by a strong wind. His eyes, the same blank color as a white rose, finally lifted to focus on Jade. Suddenly, a trace of red began to climb through his hair, while his eyes transformed into a burning golden orange.

"Back off," he warned, but something in his tone made it unclear whether or not he was talking to Jade. However, the effect of his words was immediate. The heat vanished from Jade's hands almost instantly, and even the flush faded slightly from her cheeks.

---

---

---

In the darkness, Idarin suddenly felt a burst of pain, like lightning flashing through the night. Abruptly, thoughts began to race through his mind, uncertain and unclear. For a moment, he thought he was back at that night, when he'd hidden under the ruins of his house, while the metallic tang of blood flooded the air around him. But he was warm, unlike that night, when the cold air had bit into his skin like the fangs of the beasts that flooded around him. He was warm, and felt a pair of hands on his back, drawing gentle, soothing circles.

The pain flashed again, bringing with it more memories.

A white building. Youthful faces in front of him. A deep, rich voice.

That was right. He'd been performing the summoning. And he'd performed a forbidden art to finish it. And he'd succeeded. He'd heard the voice that told him he succeeded.

That thought finally gave him enough courage to open his eyes, and the first thing that greeted him was a fine boned, pale skinned face. Familiar, but far more solid and real than he could ever remember seeing it before. That face, however, was currently turned away, glaring at something that only registered as a flash of red out of the corner of his eye.

"Jian," Idarin said, voice faint, soft, and tender.

The spirit king immediately looked down once more, and the frown vanished, softening his rather austere features. The orange glow faded back to a color that was the same soft white as an empty scroll of parchment paper, ready to be colored, while his hair returned to the shade of white that almost perfectly matched Idarin's own unnaturally pale locks.

"I'm here, you foolish boy. Just rest."

Idarin frowned again, one hand reaching up unconsciously to touch at the tender spots that were stinging on his face. The pain he'd felt only moments before suddenly flashed through his mind, and his head turned towards the red glow at his side.

Finally, as his pale blue eyes began to focus, a figure came into view. Her face was familiar, even though her once-black hair had now turned a shade of fiery red.

"Palmer," Idarin said, his voice miles apart from the gentleness with which he'd said Jian's name only moments before. Instead, it was hard and cold, distant and aloof. "You had your turn. What are you doing down here?"

 

[Reina]

It was a relief actually, a relief from the fever that was growing inside her. She had summoned a fire spirit and its settling inside her was making her feverish to the point that her mind was hazy and unable to form a focused thought. When the Spirit king called to the one inside of her, the relief was instantaneous and Jade was able to function properly again. She blinked a few times behind the gold rims of her glasses finally realizing where she was. The spirit king looked at her, not at all content with her presence so close to Idarin. She vaguely remembered what she had done as she looked from Idarin to the king and back. Why had the fire spirit responded the way that it did? Was it because of the king? Or was it playing on Jade's own emotions and acting them out when she normally would not have?

That Jade was envious of Idarin was absolutely true. A part of her instantly disliked Idarin just because of the spirit he had summoned. How could one bloody point have summoned one so powerful? How could some adopted kid with no proper family lineage be granted such a privilege? Why hadn't she been able to summon royalty? She was a Palmer! It was perhaps those emotions the fire spirit had played off of and exaggerated, especially as Jade's body had not yet gotten accustomed to its presence nor had she learned to control it. They connected in the circle but they had not actually connected both mentally and emotionally.

Jade looked up to the Spirit king and mouthed 'Sorry' before returning her attention back to Idarin who had now awakened from his own haze of consciousness.

"You had your turn. What are you doing down here?"

She was embarrassed, having created a display around herself that she would have rather avoided. Her cheeks flushed again though not from the spirit. The teachers were also beginning to come to their senses and she was sure trouble awaited her shortly. Still, she played it off as if it was nothing as if she was meant to be in the circle despite it not being her turn anymore. "Not letting you have all the glory, Assuncao. What else? Plus, someone had to wake your ass up." She rose to her feet and placed her hands on both hips as she looked to Idarin. "One bloody point." She shook her head, the fiery red hair moving along with her. "Summoning is one thing. Controlling is another. I hope you don't get too cocky or you're going to get us all killed on the battlefield. Then don't come asking a Palmer for help when you've lost all control."

The teacher from the circle had finally come to himself and had stepped closer to Jade. "Miss. Palmer." He said firmly. Jade rose her hands up in surrender. "Yes, yes. I know. Your office?" She said as she began to make her way out of the circle. The teacher grabbed her by the elbow and began to lead her away. It could vaguely be heard as Jade was saying, "...I hope I don't have to remind you who my father is...."

 

[Peregrine]

His eyes still somewhat blurred from the pain that was throbbing through every part of his body, muffling the faint stinging that was left on his face, and his recent return to consciousness, Idarin missed the momentary flash of embarrassment that crossed Jade's face at his sharp question. However, that didn't stop her words from reaching him loud and clear. The frown on Idarin's face grew more distinct.

Glory. He would have scoffed if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't seem to muster up the energy at the moment. It didn't surprise him that Jian's summoning had taken so much out of him. He knew the cost of what he'd done, and he sure as hell hadn't done it for glory. Glory was a foolish dream built up on childhood stories of heroics that would all be shattered to pieces the moment it was confronted with the real world. No, Idarin hadn't done this for glory, he'd done it for necessity.

He was about to rebut Jade's statements, not fearing the least that Jian would suddenly run wild. Unlike any other spirits, royals were highly intelligent. They knew what was happening to the world, and they wanted to help the fight. Why would they rampage outside their summoner's control and cause damage to their own side, when they were the ones who had sought so assiduously to be summoned? However, the words were suddenly replaced by a coughing fit the moment they began to pass through his throat. Idarin couldn't help but gasp for air even as it felt like his entire chest was hit with a blow every time he coughed.

Jian's warm hands closed tighter around Idarin's shaky shoulders, and the young man did his best to smile back as his coughing finally subsided. Unknown to him, a faint trickle of bloody saliva had leaked out of the corner of his mouth. Even as his body ached in pain from the repercussions of his actions, he felt his heart warm with joy and satisfaction.

After all, Jade and the teachers had yet to fully understand what he'd done. He hadn't just summoned a king, he'd summoned the king. The King of Spirits was finally going to be able to march the battlefields.

As the teachers suddenly moved forward, a duo of man and woman approached Idarin even as the leading professor escorted Jade away. The last of them turned to the students, quickly dismissing the class. All of them would need time to rest and relax, in order to recover from the massive outpouring of essence they'd just done.

The two professors who had approached Idarin received him from Jian's arms, their gaze complicated. They helped Idarin stand carefully, before beginning to walk him towards the main campus, supporting him from the elbows on both sides.

"You..." the woman began, before she caught sight of Jian's figure trailing along behind them. Unlike the other spirits, he didn't meld with Idarin's body upon being summoned, instead remaining stubbornly in the real world. However, there was no trace of disobedience in his behavior as he followed, instead he only seemed casual, strolling along while surrounded by a scholarly air, his incredibly long white hair dancing along behind him as he walked.

The teacher fell silent, seeming to swallow her words, and Idarin smiled slightly to himself. The teachers could guess at the value of what he'd just accomplished, even if they didn't yet have a true inclination of what he'd done. Either way, he knew he wouldn't end up punished for his actions. In fact, he was confident that the school would pay the required price to find him the potions he'd need to restore himself to peak condition. They wouldn't dare let such a valuable asset enter the battlefield with sequelae left from his summoning.

From Idarin's perspective, it was a long, slow slog from the summoning circle to the infirmary. When the teachers finally helped him into the white room, lined with small cots and reeking of antiseptic, he collapsed onto a bed gratefully, his heart pounding. Jian sat himself on the foot of Idarin's bed a moment later, his movements as silent and ghostly as it had been when he'd followed them to the room.

The teacher's gazes flicked back and forth between the two, who somehow looked remarkably similar. Long, white hair, pale skin, light colored eyes. They truly looked like a match.

Only after making sure that Idarin was properly settled did the teachers finally turn away, seeming somewhat reluctant. As the door to the infirmary closed behind them, Idarin caught the faint sound of the woman's voice echoing in the hallway. "Is that... the King of Light? I thought he died. Could there be a new one?"

Her questions were only met with faint rebuke from her coworker, before the door to the infirmary finally clicked shut.

 

[Reina]

Mr. Fadrian's office, the teacher from the summoning circle, held the feel of an old museum. It was dimly lit by a single lamp on the desk. There were various relics and books along the wall, lined in perfect order on the old wooden shelving. Jade's eyes moved over them quickly, recognizing some as weapons, others as potions, and other instruments that could be used for what? She wasn't entirely sure. The books and papers that spread across the office looked old and tattered but she was sure wisdom was to be held in each one. A finger paused over the lining of one such book, about to touch the binding when the voice of Mr. Fadrian rumbled across the room.

"Take a seat, Miss Palmer," the man said sternly as he gestured to a rather lumpy looking old green chair that had seen better days. Jade straightened her clothes and took a seat at the edge of the chair, ready to leap off it once she was done here. She could scare stay in her seat, so desperate to be free of the stifling smell of old papers and humidity. Jade moved to speak but Mr. Fadrian stopped her, putting up his only good hand in a gesture to silence her. "I am well aware of your father. Joe Palmer is a good friend and I intend not to offend him but he will learn of your presence in the summoning circle. As a Palmer, I know you are well aware that such action is intolerable. One never enters the summoning circle when another is summoning. You could've ruined the process for Mr. Assuncao."

Jade raised a brow at the mention of Idarin's name. She still wasn't over that one bloody point.

"There will be repercussions for your actions. Luckily for you, you did not actually interrupt the summoning itself but you could've hurt Mr. Assuncao...." His voice trailed off as Jade's mind drifted away. She began to recall the summoning and being drawn to the circle. She still didn't understand why. She would never have entered the circle of her own accord. She was literally drawn to it. She didn't even like Idarin but it wasn't enough of a dislike to get her to enter his circle during the summoning. No, something else was happening there. It had to be the king he summoned. And it wasn't her that reacted. It was the fire spirit. But why...

Jade's cheeks began to flush again as she felt the fever once more begin to rise. Her brow began to sweat, large droplets forming over her forehead. Her eyes became hooded, she could scarcely see as a sudden migraine began to grip at her head.

"...And furthermore, I believe an appropriate punishment should be...Miss Palmer? Are you alright?" Mr. Fadrian asked with a concern filled his voice.

Jade didn't answer. The room was beginning to fall slowly away. His voice was somewhere in the distance. She was seconds from passing out.

"Jade!" She heard her name called before darkness filled her eyes and she saw nothing else.
-------
The doors to the infirmary burst open suddenly as Mr. Fadrian entered inside, Jade draped over his shoulder. He placed her as carefully as he could on the cot across from Idarin as two nurses tended to her immediately. Bags of ice were placed across her skin, steam rising almost immediately as they attempted to bring her temperature down. "Is the spirit not settling well?" One of the nurses asked as she brought ice bags from the freezer to cool down Jade's skin.

Mr. Fadrian shook his head. "Some spirits take longer to settle than others. A fire spirit can be temperamental."

"Much like its host..." The other nurse mumbled under her breath.

Mr. Fadrian glared at her but turned his attentions back to Jade. "Miss Palmer?" he asked gently as he placed his only hand upon Jade's forehead to assess her temperature. It was starting to lower and he could see Jade's eyes beginning to flutter open. He gave her a weak smile and patted the top of her head. "You'll be fine soon," he said lowly before giving further instructions to the nurses to monitor Jade and ensure her temperature didn't rise again. The spirit should finish settling very soon. When he was sure Jade's fever was finally coming down and she would be alright, Mr. Fadrian took his leave, nodding once at Idarin and the Spirit King. He still couldn't believe the boy had done it.

Jade's eyes moved slowly around the room, taking in the scene of the infirmary before her until they finally settled on Idarin and the king. Her weak eyes focused on them for a moment before finally uttering "Can you make it calm down again?... Like last time?..."

 

[Peregrine]

In the silence of the infirmary, Idarin allowed his eyes to flutter closed, trying to breathe carefully so as not to provoke another fit of coughing. His entire body was still aching, and he couldn't help but imagine this must be how clothes felt if they were wrung dry—twisted, crumpled, and entirely squeezed out. All the same, the feeling of the bed sinking down near his feet, under the influence of Jian's weight, made every piece of suffering he'd endured somehow feel more worth it.

Forcing his eyes open, he smiled slightly, his hand stretching outwards. "I'm glad you're here," he said, voice as coarse as sandpaper. "Really, actually here."

Jian reached out, coiling his long, thin fingers among Idarin's. "Rest," he scolded, voice filled with almost loving rebuke. "What would I have done if you killed yourself, hm?"

Letting out a chuckle that sounded more like a wheeze, Idarin was about to respond when the door to the infirmary suddenly blasted open, admitting a man with a limp figure over his shoulders. Idarin recoiled instantly, his hand withdrawing from Jian's as though he'd been caught doing something shameful. However, at that moment, no one in the room had eyes from him.

At the sudden ruckus, the two nurses who were on duty quickly emerged from the back and sprung into action. He frowned slightly at the sight of their behavior, how quick they were to help her, when they did all but nothing for him, but settled his heart a moment later. The nurses had to be more than familiar with the dangerous forms of spirit resonance. As for dealing with the after-effects of a forbidden technique? In a protected college, that was a very different matter. No doubt the school would have to call a specialized doctor to help him.

All three of the adults moved with familiar efficiency, doing their best to settle and soothe Jade. Idarin couldn't help but stare at her through the gaps between the moving people. Her face was flushed red, covered in sweat. Her glasses were perched lop-sidedly on her nose, looking as though one wrong move would send them falling off.

A second later, and he turned his head away. He didn't want to be watching her. Other than the fact that they had the misfortune of being born in the same year and had therefore shared classes with each other for years, they were the kinds of people who would never have anything to do with each other. That wouldn't change now.

Closing his eyes again, he thought about what he was going to have to do now that he'd managed to summon Jian. In a way, despite the effort he'd put forward until this point, he was really only on the starting line now. To allow Jian to reach his full potential, idarin was going to have to do a lot more work.

Eyes closed and wrapped up in his thoughts, Idarin didn't notice as the nurses moved away from Jade, or Mr. Fadrian left the room, offering a nod. Instead, it was Jian who returned the gesture, his behavior as perfunctory as the President greeting some janitor out of good manners.

Instead, it was the sound of Jade's voice that roused him out of his thoughts about the future. His first thought was that she sounded as shit as he felt. Fortunately, Jian was actually paying sufficient attention to offer her an adequate response.

"I can," the Spirit King agreed, as mild and polite as ever. "But what are you going to do the next time it acts up? Or the time after that? Do you wish me to help subdue it forever?"

Idarin let out another hoarse chuckle at that, the noise almost instantly changing into another cough. All the same, he couldn't help but leer at Jade through the gap in his fingers, the scar on his face twisting grotesquely. "Who's… who's the one who's lost all control now?" he choked out, before falling silent again at Jian's rebuking gaze. All the same, he felt better, having earned back the insult she'd paid him earlier.

 

[Reina]

The Spirit King was right. Jade had to learn to control the spirit herself. She could not continue to depend upon him to help her control her own spirit. Plus the king wasn't her spirit to even help her. She had to find a way to get the fire elemental inside her to finally subside and learn to work with her and not against her. She was about to ask the spirit king how she could do such a thing. She wanted to ask for some advice but stopped when she heard Idarin's chuckle and his words.

Jade was infuriated immediately. Her blood boiled hot but it wasn't from the spirit this time though she'd have to be careful that it didn't tap into her emotions again and make her go up in flames or something.

"What did you say to me?!" Her eyes burned into his, eyebrows furrowed as she glared at him from across the room. She did her best to sit up, pulling herself from her position to give her a better stance. "Who do you think you're talking to?!" she said to him as she maneuvered herself upwards. She was still running a fever and was sweating from the extra movement but how dare he even think to speak to her that way?!

She grabbed tightly to the sheets and used them to propel herself into a sitting position. "You think--" she paused for a moment to clear her gaze. The room spun slightly and her gaze was heavy but dammit if she wasn't going to have it out with Idarin right here and right now. "You think cause you summoned a king you're suddenly better than me?" Her hair was wet at the temples from sweating. Neither her nor Idarin looked well at all but it didn't seem that either cared at the moment, at least Jade didn't.

"Don't forget your place in the world, Idarin. Because I definitely haven't forgotten mine."

 

[Peregrine]

Under the blankets, Idarin could feel his fingers curling into fists, muscles all across his body tensing. It caused his entire body to cry out in protest, begging for no further abuse wreaked upon it, but Idarin's growing temper kept him from responding to his body's plea.

He'd always hated the way people had looked down on him. As though he was somehow less because his family had lived and died on the front lines, rather than having some fancy mansion in the capital. Jade, all of her circle of friends, even the Assuncaos, who were supposed to call him family. All of them had looked at him as though he was some hideous, half-dead creature the cat had dragged in from outside.

He'd always stayed quiet in the past, enduring their mocking words, dirty looks, and cruel pranks. He'd been preparing himself for the moment when he could finally stand proudly on his own, without having to take things like lineage or influence into mind.

That moment had finally come.

"Oh, I know my place in the world, Palmer," he replied, his voice only marginally calmer than he felt. It wouldn't do to start yelling, but at his first true retaliation, he couldn't keep himself fully calm. "It's out on the front lines, fighting with my spirit for the sake of humanity. Or have you perhaps forgotten that's why we're here?"

All of the Four Great Colleges were the best training grounds in the world. Every resource humanity had was pooled here, for one purpose and one purpose only, training the next generation of soldiers. Everyone who attended this school had unwaveringly committed themselves to war. Or at least that was the way it was supposed to be.

"The lineage you are so proud of means nothing if you can't uphold it at war. Such a proud little daddy's girl, but your precious father won't be there to protect you from getting disemboweled by some monster on the front lines."

He could see sparks of flame starting to erupt from Jade, singeing small holes into the blankets on the infirmary bed. Her spirit, responding to her emotions, was going out of control. By all means, Idarin should have stopped his verbal sparring, giving her time to calm down and get herself back under control. However, the sight of her losing control only caused excitement to flare up in his heart. How great would it be if the glorious and talented Jade Palmer burned down the infirmary because she couldn't even control her spirit? What a mark that would be on her high and mighty reputation.

Seated at the foot of the bed, Jian raised one hand to cover his mouth, but it was impossible to guess what kind of expression he was making behind his palm. However, he did nothing to stop Idarin's tirade of words.

"All those things you're so proud of? Wealth? Lineage? Influence? They're worthless in the place it matters most, and you're so caught up on yourself that you haven't figured it out. Maybe if you spent more time on things that mattered, and wasted less time relying on your daddy for everything, you wouldn't be about to completely lose control of your spirit."

Unconsciously, Idarin's words were mounting in both volume and intensity. He'd long since lost his cool, unable to restrain himself as the words he'd longed to say for so many years poured out of him like a tidal wave.

"As for me? I didn't waste my time. I summoned the King. So, yes, I am better than you. But even if I hadn't, I would always be better than some stuck-up bully who…"

Idarin's words were abruptly interrupted when the door to the infirmary slammed open.

---

After Jade was led away and Idarin moved to the infirmary, the entire spirit summoning ceremony ended in no small measure of confusion. Laura watched her friend's retreating back, familiar despite its sudden addition of flaming orange hair, with a mix of exasperation and concern.

Of course, Jade would be fine. Jade was always fine. But interrupting a summoning was a serious matter.

The disrupted, chattering students gradually settled back down as the only remaining teacher clapped his hands from the circle, drawing everyone's attention. If Laura had to speculate, she would say that the man didn't look much more comfortable with the situation than they were. The speech he delivered also felt slightly forced and scattered. Most likely, Mr. Fadrian was the one who was supposed to give the speech, and they could all only make do now that he'd carted Jade off to who knew where.

Fortunately, Laura was hardly paying attention to the speech, so it didn't matter to her how well or poorly it was delivered. She was far too enamored with the feeling of wind that moved gently around her. She could feel the way the air flowed in and out of her mouth and nose with every breath, the faint trace of air that brushed against the skin of her arms from James' movements next to her… It was enough to be wildly overwhelming, if it wasn't for the fact that Laura simply loved it so much.

She'd been raised to be an excellent alchemist, in a family filled to the brim with talented alchemists, until the moment her compatibility scores had come back in high school. Then her life had changed completely. She was going to become a summoner. This feeling was coming from herself, not from some potion. It was miraculous.

"Laura?"

James' voice was the thing that finally drew her wandering mind back to earth. Laura blinked, and the near-transparent feathers that had begun to appear among her hair vanished abruptly. She smiled at James, acting as though she hadn't been spacing out.

"What are you standing there for? We have to go find Jade!"

Without giving the other man any chance to respond, Laura grabbed him by the hand and tugged him away, racing off towards the main school.

Coincidentally, they happened to cross paths with Mr. Fadrian not long after they'd entered the main campus building, and began to search for his office. Only a couple questions were enough for them to learn that Jade had somehow managed to land herself in the infirmary.

"Spirit shock," the professor said, shaking his head slightly. "She'll be fine, but I'm sure she'd appreciate your company. Help make sure she stays calm and happy."

"Yessir!" Laura agreed promptly, before once more hauling James off down the hallway.

After a couple twists and turns, they arrived at the closed door to the infirmary, and Laura didn't hesitate to push her way in through the door. "We're here, Jade! Did you miss me?" she proclaimed to the room, only to come to an abrupt halt at the sight of her half-burnt bed.

"Oh my god, they didn't say it was this bad!" she cried, before hurrying over towards Jade. Faintly, a wind picked up around her, lightly lifting the pale blonde hair that hung over her shoulders. However, too concerned about her friend, she didn't even notice the faint traces of spirit shock that she was displaying as well. As for Idarin, she paid him less mind than a moth on the wall.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything? What can I do?"

 

[Reina]

James and Laura stared at Jade for a moment. The white sheets of the infirmary bed had been singed, dark spots were in the place where her hands had gripped the sheets. Her newly red hair stuck to her forehead from the sweat but it was her eyes that James focused on. The entire time Jade would not take her gaze from Idarin across from her. In fact, she was glaring at him with such hatred in her eyes he was sure if fire could come from them, then Idarin would be on fire right now. Best they didn't find out if Jade could even do such a thing.

"Hey Jade, look at me," James said to her softly. Jade remained focused on Idarin. James tried again. "Hey, Jade. Those new gold frames your dad bought you are about to start melting off your face if you don't look at me."

Finally Jade moved her gaze to James. She was infuriated, with heat behind her eyes, unlike anything he had ever seen before. James took a seat on one side of Jade as Laura took a seat on the other. They had been best friends for years since they were kids. They depended on one another and he wasn't about to let Jade burn down the whole school. He wasn't sure what was happening between her and Idarin but he knew the first thing he needed to do was get Jade to calm down.

"Want to see something cool?" he said. He didn't wait for Jade to answer and instead pulled a small pebble from the front pocket of his jeans. He held it out in front of him and placed it on the palm of one of his hands. As Jade's gaze moved towards the small stone, James used his abilities to begin to transform the small rock. In his hand, the small pebble reformed and became a tiny stone shaped flower. "It's not much but I've been playing around with this same pebble since I connected with the Earth spirit. Took me a while but I finally made it turn into something. Can't do much bigger than a tiny pebble but hey, it's something, right?"

James smiled at Jade who returned his smile and grabbed the small stone from his palm. "It is really cool," Jade answered. "I can't wait to see what we can do together once we can control our abilities better."

"I keep feeling like my whole body is constantly shaking. Like...I have an earthquake inside me," James said. "Guess we're all just getting used to our spirits, huh?"

Jade finally released her grip on the sheets and she wasn't actively sweating anymore. She moved the stone around in her fingers and James could see she was much calmer now that she wasn't concentrating on Idarin. James peered over at Laura then turned his gaze to Idarin. What the hell happened? What would have happened if they hadn't stopped Jade on time?

 

[Peregrine]

Only a couple of seconds after she'd questioned Jade, Laura's excited expression crumbled somewhat. It wasn't that she was no longer willing or excited to help her friend, or even that Jade had asked for something unreasonable. Either of those would have been preferable to the reality she was now confronted with.

Jade wasn't responding.

They'd learned all about spirit shock in high school. It was an unconscious reaction, borne as both spirit and summoner had to learn to deal with the fact that the summoner's body had become a channel for a spirit's power to enter the world.

Unless you were one of the rare, few people who managed to summon a king, every person who summoned a spirit would go through some measure of spirit shock. Worse yet, the more powerful the spirit, the more intense and dangerous spirit shock could become.

Laura had imagined herself going through spirit shock countless times, bound to countless different spirits. She'd imagined herself burning the world around her, or drowning in water as she cried. She'd imagined herself buried in a mound of earth, or carried into the sky on a whirlwind she couldn't control. She'd imagined ways she'd calm herself down, soothe the spirit inside her, until their connection became stable enough that the spirit's power would no longer leak through her.

She'd imagined all the possible ways she and her spirit could become one, and all the possible ways she could counter that unconscious spillover. But never once, in all her imaginings, had she ever pictured Jade going through spirit shock.

Jade was always… stable. Confident. Purposeful. In control. It was more than possible for Laura to fail to control her spirit. After all, she came from a family of alchemists, and while she always strove to do her best, she knew she was imperfect. Oftentimes, James had been going through spirit shock with her, and they'd help each other. But Jade? Impossible.

It should have been impossible.

Frozen in place, Laura could only watch dumbly as sparks arced out from Jade's hair, singeing the bed around her. A gust of wind flared up from an unknown source, lifting one of the sparks and sending it flying over to the next infirmary bed. Laura couldn't breathe.

Why couldn't she breathe?

Somewhere in the ringing in her ears, Laura heard a voice. Deep. Calm. Soothing. Her eyes unconsciously drifted to James' palm, and she watched, blinking slightly too often, as the pebble in his hands began to slowly change shape.

It was so beautiful. Could she do something like that?

James had always been the most stable of them. Calm and resolute, compared to Jade's confident passion and Laura's flighty playfulness. Now that she thought about it, perhaps the spirits they had received had always been destined. There was no spirit more suitable for James than the strong, stable earth.

Concentrating on her fingers, Laura imagined wind twining through her fingers like a snake. Gradually, she felt it respond. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel it there, pressing up against her skin like ghostly fingers. As she closed her hand into a loose fist, her hand unconsciously bobbed up and down.

It's nice to meet you. We're going to be partners from now on. Let's get along, okay?

Laura finally released the breath of air that had been trapped in her lungs. The feeling between her fingers vanished as silently as it had come. She blinked, staring at Jade, and then at James. Her eyes turned, to look at another bed.

It was only at this point that Laura noticed Idarin. The white-haired young man was leaning against the back of his infirmary bed, his eyes closed as though the scene in front of him had nothing to do with him at all. The only sign that he was awake was the way his hands seemed to unconsciously play with the fingers of the elegant man sitting on his bed. A spirit king.

A frown almost immediately crossed her face. Why were James and Jade staring at him? Had he… done something?

Laura gulped, her hands suddenly clenching into fists as she barely prevented herself from going storming up to him. This weird, selfish little misfit, what had he done?

A second later, and her focus shifted. Mr. Fadrin had said it himself. Right now, her job was to keep Jade happy and calm. But, later, when Jade was stable, she'd make sure to dig into this matter, and if he'd done something, she'd make him pay for it.

Laura smiled at Jade, moving over to the opposite side of the bed, so she was sitting across from James. "We've all got our spirits now. Isn't it just wonderful? I'm really glad I got a wind spirit. I'm thinking I'll apply for Wide Target training. I know you're going for the Combat Leader training, aren't you, Jade? I know wind summoners are usually asked to go into scouting, but we promised we're all going to fight together. I'm sure they won't force me."

Through her ceaseless stream of chatter, her gaze never left Jade's face. This time, she'd be ready to react if Jade showed any more signs of spirit shock.