Drifting Embers
patreon
[MGM]: 28 - Second Summon
🕑 Added 2025-01-26 15:15:01 +0000 UTCSummoner was a rare Origin in the continent. I didn't have what one may consider extensive knowledge regarding the Hunters and their varied Origins. Though the concept of top 200 hunter rankings was broadly known across the Kingdom, the information made public barely covered anything beyond their names and affiliation.
Thanks to Amara, though amnesic as she was, I was markedly superior to common rabble with regard to awareness of general knowledge. Though many would differ with her, myself included, on what may be considered as general knowledge.
Regardless of my beliefs, neither Amara nor I were in any position to judge my origin—Celestial Archive—as a mere Summoner variety. Summoning a powerful monster aside, bringing to existence a powerful and cognizant entity had far-reaching implications. Especially when the said monsters were powerful enough to top the rankings that Kingdom proudly bragged about.
To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. While no set precedent cemented my beliefs over the kind of summoning my Origin seemed capable of, something told me my fears were most likely warranted. As if that wasn't proof enough, seeing Amara, the epitome of aloofness, trying to avoid fussing over birthed feelings of nervousness within my heart.
"Huff." I breathed out, closing my eyes to regulate my thought process. When I opened them, I saw Amara lying atop the fleece sheets and looking every bit as disinterested as a person after an intense week of work.
I could inquire about her feelings, but that would just be me avoiding the task. I wasn't afraid, but I was concerned as to the nature of my origin. Since it came from a dragon that died before I could put forth my inquiries, needless to say, I felt like trying to grasp at the truth as a blind man walking the edge of an abyss.
Let's just get on with it; how bad can it be?
I encouraged myself and started the summon. The process went much the same it had for Amara, who watched the proceedings from her comfortable position with a look of vague interest.
As a raging storm of mana threatened to spew into the world, a dome of shadows manifested to avoid rousing commotion. I sent a grateful look her way and was met by the smallest of smiles.
From within the abyss, a fiery heat like the core of a burning star took shape. It sped toward the exit, and when it passed through, the inferno was reduced to spiraling embers.
The summoning finished, the darkness receded, but it left a mark of its existence.
A short and stout woman with burgundy hair and hazel brown eyes stood before me. She wore a worn-out heavy armor and a red cape with ornamental clasps. Broad spaulders and a short battle skirt completed the rest of her outfit. My gaze drifted to her footwear—thigh-high leather boots that accentuated her shapely legs—and at last settled back on her face. A bronze forehead band added a roguish charm to her already perfect features.
She seemed to be checking me out as well, her eyes blinking rapidly. Then she took in the room and at last set her sight upon Amara, who looked on with renewed curiosity.
"Um." She hesitated, looking between Amara and me. "Where am I?"
Her response was far more subdued than Amara's, who had resorted to violence first before asking questions. Despite that, neither of us chose to humor the dwarf woman before us.
Because yes, she was a dwarf.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
You have summoned Titania, the Mystic Forger (A-Rank).
You have permanently bonded with your summon.
To raise your summons attributes, please increase your Spirit.
I swiped the notification and sought out the summoner section.
Summons (2/2)
[Amara - SSS]
Favorability: 49% (Trusted Companion)
Power Sync: -87.78%
[Titania - A]
Favorability: 0% (Stranger)
Power Sync: -87.78%
An A-rank summon. Although admittedly far below Amara's own ranking, I wasn't going to discount the fact that she was the second strongest person I had seen in my life, barring Amara. And of course I wasn't taking into account the dragon.
I focused even deeper.
Name: Titania
Race: Dwarf [Awakened]
Age: 78
Origin: Mystic Forger [Transcendent]
Rank: ???
Attributes
Strength: 380
Agility: 126
Vitality: 297
Intelligence: 270
Perception: 69
Talents
[Forge Of Eternity - S]
[Flame Of Creation - A]
[Runic Imprint - A]
[Hammer Heart - B]
[Runic Empowerment - B]
Dwarves were unlike Vampires or Elves, the former of which maintained a diplomatic relationship with the Empire, while the latter was a hostile group of rogues terrorizing the Kingdom.
Dwarves were socially inept, reclusive creatures who spent their whole lives secluded within their mountains. They were masters of their craft, but their expertise was only matched by their rustic cultural values and short temper.
"I don't remember anything..." Titania frowned, confusion marring her features. "Did you kidnap me?"
Summoning Titania had all but verified my suspicion, and exchanging a glance with Amara let me know she had arrived at a similar conclusion.
I cleared my throat, drawing the shorter woman's attention. "Hello, my name's Markus." I said, putting on my most impressionable of the smiles. "To answer your question, we didn't kidnap you. I just summoned you."
"Eh...?"
After a lengthy talk between the three of us, which ended up with Amara, Titania, and me sitting on the bed, the Dwarven woman seemed to have finally adapted to her reality. During that time I found out that our new friend was also amnesic. One time could be a coincidence, but twice, hardly so.
It did make me wonder why that ought to be the case. Amara put forth her theory, postulating that they might know something about my power or its origin and that whatever was responsible for its existence had taken away their memory also. Unfortunately, the only link to that chain of evidence had been broken with the Dragon's death.
After the talk had finished, Titania's Favorability had gone up to 15%. When I checked her Soul Record this time, though, it was with deeper analysis.
The first thing that jumped out to me was her race, alongside the Awakened designation. That meant despite being in possession of an S-Rank talent and having a Transcendent Origin, she was still an A-Rank. Her attributes were even inferior to mine, but it was something I had already been expecting to face.
I only gave her talents a cursory glance but otherwise decided to hold off on copying anything.
"So you summoned her first?" She asked, pointing at Amara. I noted the apprehension with which she addressed the silver-haired vampire and wondered if there was a story there. Though considering how she didn't remember much of anything from her past life, it had to either be ingrained trauma or that she was just intimidated by Amara.
I smiled. "Yes. In fact, I summoned her right after I awakened my new Origin."
"What would happen to me now?" Titania posed, drawing awkward looks from Amara and me.
"What does that mean?" Amara asked before I could open my mouth.
"I mean, you said I'm your summon; what would that entail for me?" She wilted slightly at the vampire's intense gaze but managed to utter her query.
I shared a look with Amara and sighed. "Alright, I think I understand your worries. Since you're effectively stuck with me, I want us to have a normal and friendly relationship. Is that ok with you?"
"Are you two friends?" She frowned, eyeing me solely.
"Uh..." I drawled out, inclining my head. Admittedly, I was not exactly sure how to answer that question. Amara and I had a... not so simple relationship. We could be called friends, but after the earlier occurrence, I wasn't sure whether we could simply be called friends.
"We kissed." Once more, Amara proclaimed without giving me a chance to answer.
Titania's eyes opened a smidgen wider as she regarded us in a different light. Then thinking of something, she asked, "Do you want me to kiss you too?"
"What?"
I was left confused at her words, though Amara seemed amused for some reason. "Why would I want you to kiss me?"
My question, however, only drew a deliberate frown from the dwarf lady. "You don't want me to kiss you?"
"What?! No, I mean yes—I mean no, ugh, this is so confusing!" I grumbled and put up a hand before Titania could speak further. "Listen, nobody is asking to kiss anybody, is that clear?"
She nodded stiffly and leaned back.
"So, you don't want to kiss me?" The voice made me growl in annoyance, and I turned to shoot a look of irritation Amara's way. The vampire though, unfazed by my attempt at intimidation, batted her eyes at me in innocence.
"Please don't confuse her, Amara."
It occurred to me why Titania would phrase such a strange question so suddenly. Amara had posed her sentence as if my requirement from my summons was for them to kiss me. The Dwarven female, timid as she was, seemed too ready to give in to my demands.
Only minutes after the second summoning, I was experiencing the beginnings of a headache.
