Chains stretched along the walls, solid steel holding the wayward souls in place.
The sturdy metal is a sharp contrast to the waste of soot and ashes that surround the cold
stones of the place. Although its structure is strong, with every bash, gnarled yank and
attempts to escape, new cracks painted the walls. Gathered within the halls seven
amethyst robed figures stood next to each other. The dim light of flames made the room
feel even bigger than it already was, although to the demon stuck in the center it probably
felt more claustrophobic than ever.
The figures extended their hand, as though reaching towards the entity; in unison
they chanted its name. The creature bucked, its back arched trying to break free, a pained
howl echoing into the night. The scent of burnt buildings compelled the seven to continue
their course. Nine times calling the demon's name, nine times the being trashed around.
"Timult… Timult… Timult!" The massive creature reared its head,its gigantic fangs
bared, still trying to break free. The echo crescendos of the rounded walls of the
mausoleum. It didn't matter how much it fought, the Summoners wouldn't stop. They had
something to protect, this world and place that they vowed to keep safe from monsters
like this.
As the being continued struggling it threatened to snap the chains as though they
were paper thin, its desperation only growing as the chanting continued. Higher the
flames rose so did his screams, the sound trying to escape the sealed prison walls to no
avail. "I will rend your flesh for this sacrilege! Your hubris will be your undoing
humans!" It cackled, but deep down it knew: the final moments were upon them.
Summoners held true to the cause, pushing forward. This was their charge. This was the
creation of the rule of seven.
Like rose petals, its flesh began to fall apart, floating upward as its frame began to
evaporate. Soon, disappearing into the night sky. "Timult the treacherous, tonight you are
banished!" Rang the voice of the head summoner. With careful steps he walked forward,
footsteps heavy. A blast of arcane bloomed through the circle, their cloaks swaying to
reveal the figure. His grizzled, scarred face revealed by the light of the fire. Dark skin that
carried the trials he faced, his rugged physique holding the creature down, planted upon
its chest.
In his final moments, Timult's soulless eyes glared, the red shining like the flames.
Crimson and brown locked, fixated. Unshaken, Hophyrate denied Timult this last threat
and pushed his hand farther. As he did the ashes of Timult rained upon his flesh, a final
curse upon the tribunal of summoners. The mark of the bond.
The legend of the summoner sect, those brave enough to capture the demon king
himself and lock him within the fiery pits of hell. Forever condemned to a fate worse than
death. Isolated for eternity. So was yesterday, soon will be today; time will capture us all
within its vicious grasp.
The breeze swept through the trees as we closed the door behind us, locking our
home up. Tatebu took the key and slid it into her satchel. 'Huh? It looks empty today.' I
noted. Tatebu always had something up her sleeve, well, in this instance next to her waist.
'Maybe she ran out of books to read?'A solid guess considering her mood.
"I'm not going to forgive you for this, you know." She stated plainly. As she did, I
could feel the temperature drop eighty degrees, even in the summer heat. I reached out
my hand to comfort her, but it was smacked away. Deciding to not push it further, I kept
my head low and shoved my hands in my pockets, playing with the lint as we made our
way through the town.
Shirehelm city, the bustling crowd scurrying through the stone streets. Large steel
signs worked as a guide among the many paths, north to the third and fourth rings, south
to the first ring. Our home; held within the second, was one of four rings of the city.
Houses loom higher and higher as we walk down the path. Tatebu stuck to my side as we
continued our way.
"Are you going to be quiet the whole way, or…?" I started trailing off. Tatebu shot
me an icy glance that might as well have been a spell. "We're off schedule because of
you. If I get a demerit because you were too lazy to wake up to an alarm clock, I'll tan
your hide. I swear this is the last time, Yukura!" Her eyes matched mine, almost as if she
was leaping directly into my skull. I could tell she was livid, but with a sigh she turned
away from me and towards the streets once more. Large structures for the teachers, and
summoners, even bigger for the magic merchants. 'Aha!' I thought. 'Maybe if I grab her
a new tome...'
The bustling crowd engulfed us as we walked. We had to round the market square
bend in order to route to the City's heart, where the citadels were held. Merchants
thrusting bread into the air! Coins flying left and right. "Fortunes for sale!" Shouted one
merchant-stall vendor. "Ale for the long night aye?" Shouted another portly man. A
populated stall caught my attention. Fresh fish hung, seared and simmered with an aroma
succulent enough to almost lift me off my feet. Almost. I don't fancy sleeping with the
fishes.
We dusted elbows with as few people as we could, our purple cloaks gave us just
enough clearance to push through to the final road. City hall, Summoner Academia, and
the Tribunal spire awaiting at the end, landmarks among the stones. Long pillars
extending in spirals of marble kissing the roofs they held securely, even against the
harshest of breezes. 'Even Tatebu couldn't shake these down.' Somehow, the thought was
satisfying.
I always admired how proudly they stood. Three stories tall, and still a marvel, carved
stone exteriors protected by steel gates criss-crossing in-between one another like vine
lockets. Small fences pressed against bushes making a pathway that led directly to the
grand fountain, carefully constructed and shooting streams of water into the air. As we
neared, the spray caught us within the wind. Not even that shook Tatebu from her near
sprint while I struggled to keep up.
"You gonna have that stupid look on your face the whole time?" She turned back
to me finally. Surprisingly, we made it early: the clock-tower hadn't chimed yet. "This is
my normal face!" I stammered. "You've got drool written all over you. It's like you
forgot. You don't care." I blinked, turned to her, and blinked again. "Run that by me
again?" Tatebu rolled her eyes. "If you don't care to remember, then it doesn't matter to
you. Now look sharp, here they are." I averted my gaze quickly enough to see them. Our
classmates.
Just past the outstretched steel gate they stood. Hiro's grin was unmistakable, if
you could see his face through that massive dyed blue mane of his, that is. Always the
center of attention. I could tell by the way Imari was glowing as he told another one of
his signature jokes. She looks like she would fall over if the wind gusted up just a little
stronger, with how small she was. I know better though, never let her small stature fool
me.Seto busied himself with a novel, turned away from the rest. His sharp eyes peering
behind those glasses made it look like he was figuring out the secret of the world. Who
knows, maybe he was.
Next to him Suvia laid back on the grass, lounging under the rays of the sun. Her
beret blocked out just enough light for it to be bearable. Nothing to ruin her complexion,
that's for sure. Our cloaks swayed as we made our way towards them, proof that we were
all members of class Delta. "An'I An'I told'em. Look before you leap!" Hiro threw
himself back, his ribs almost bursting through his shirt, Imari following suit as she wiped
tears from her eyes. "Can't you find the volume? Slide it to mute." Suvia groaned, sitting
up, strands of blonde hair fell off her shoulder. "It is way too hot for this, where is the
breeze when we need one?"
"You can't control the wind." Remarked Seto. "Yeah, well if I wouldn't be
complaining, would I?." Suvia bit back. I turned back to Tatebu, she leaned forward,
fingers dancing up and down as she took roll. I finally found myself relaxing with Hiro
and Imari. "Settle down, settle down." That voice harrumphed behind us. I could feel my
spine snap in place like a thin tree. "You all know what day it is. So, let's not dally.
Hahaha!" His hands stamped upon his hips, as he bolstered that laugh. Vance OtenBurg.
The strong man in the flesh. His chiseled frame towered before us, blonde hair glinting
slicked back, unshaken by anything.
His dark eyes stared down at us over that thick mustache. "We've got the trials to
face today. Best not keep the old heads waiting for too long." Each of us filed into a line
before him, hands down at our sides, chins up high. "Now I wanna make this crystal
clear. This is the day you show them Vance's kids aren't a thing to be counting out. It's
been a long year, but today is the day we link you to your demons."
His eyes soften just for a split second, if I wasn't looking so intensely at him I
probably would have missed. "Before you today will be a test not only of courage, but of
strength!" Flexing before us, his arms folded across his chest. "So many before you
thought they had what it takes to make the cut here. But you know what they lack? Heart!
That's not something my troupe is missing out on. Not in the slightest! That's why I
volunteered you all to go first!" His confidence was overwhelming, almost enough to
knock me out here and now. 'I think I might just...' I said as I slunk down. "Yukura,
now's not the time for a nap. It is easy to lay down and give up, stand up and get it! Come
on kid, I believe in you." His hand extended. Shakily I reached out on my own then and
there.
The massive grip locked with mine, and in that moment, I knew it: tomorrow had
come knocking. 'Yesterday's tomorrow is always today. Today is tomorrow, and my
tomorrow is set!', reassurance welled within me. Today was the day I was going to meet
my mark and seal my fate
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