Heir Apparent - a Summoner FanFic

Into the Ether

A few days later, the first years had a class that Dorien was genuinely excited for, as were the rest of the adepts.

"We're actually going to enter the ether!" He heard Tilly squeak to Poppy on the other table, echoing the conversation being had between Lytar and Moira.

Dorien wasn't excited to enter the Ether himself, he had already done so as part of his training with Samil, and then with Harold just weeks before coming to Vocans when he first captured Lial. No, what he was excited about was seeing the others capture their own demons for the first time. What would they find and choose? Did they all have the strength to achieve it?

He didn't avoid the others as normal as the group made their way to Lovett's lesson in the summoning room but walked with them, listening to their chatter and letting their excitement further stir his up.

"Welcome everybody to what is likely to be the most challenging and the most potentially dangerous lesson you will face here at Vocans." Captain Lovett greeted then as the entered the summoning room. "To try and avoid some of the dangers involved with entering the ether I have decided to run these lessons as follows:

"Only two of you will send demons into the ether at any given time." She waited for the sounds of disappointment to fade before continuing. "I will teach these two individuals to open a portal themselves and hold it open." She continued. "However, before they do so, everyone else will donate mana to Inquisitor Rook's charging stone. This will minimise the chance of a portal collapse.

"This is the perfect opportunity for all of you to add new demons to your roster, and I believe that the capture of a new demon is a private affair. Therefore, those not entering the Ether will observe through scrying stones from the other side of the curtain." More sounds of disappointment, but most nodded, expressions serious.

"To make this fair," Lovett pulled out a velvet drawstring bag "I will draw names to decide who will enter during each session." She dipped her hand into the bag and, after a moment of rummaging, pulled out two pieces of paper. "Poppy and Moira, if you would summon your demons please and allow the others to use their scrying stones."

Poppy summoned the yellow-green Damsel Dorien had seen before. Moira's primary demon was a Hippogriff with the plumage of a raven and a dappled grey stallion's hindquarters. He stood pawing at the ground as the nobles took their turns touching his shoulder with their sheets of Corudum. The commoners did the same with Poppy's Damsel.

Dorien almost smirked as he did the radical. "Do you mind?" He asked Poppy politely, holding up his scrying stone. It had been specially made for him at Alfric's insistence. It was almost a foot wide and half that tall, making his stone the biggest in the room. Poppy stared at him for a moment, trying to judge how he was making fun of her.

"Sure, go ahead." She said after a moment, obviously deciding to risk it.

"Now if everybody could please add a small amount of mana to the charging stone." Lovett instructed. Nadia led the way, placing a hand on the charging stone. Three of the gems instantly lit up as she pumped mana into the pillar. "Not too much now!" Lovett snapped, concern on her face "There may be opportunity for you to send a demon in later in the day. You shouldn't exhaust your reserves." Nadia stepped back and Lytar took her place.

"Apologies, Captain." Nadia bowed her head "If my name comes up later today I will defer. At least this way there is less risk for someone else." Lovett smiled. When Dorien had his turn at the charging stone, he applied the same attitude as Nadia, filling up five gems. Lovett gave him a suspicious look, but she wasn't the one to ask the question.

"You already have a second demon, don't you?" Lytar accused. "You can't have drawn that much mana from a Lycan, especially one a young as yours! I should know." He had contributed two gems worth of mana himself.