The Chimera Summoner – Ch 25 – Part 1 – Duels

Ch 25–

The simmering, obsidian desert stretched endlessly around us. Heat rippled in an unbroken mirage to the horizon.

“It's sharp!” Squealed a student, in alarm.

Students were already shedding winter gear with sweaty urgency, and someone had made the mistake of putting a bare hand on the glittering black sand. She was staring at a hand laced with tiny cuts in horror.

The revelation immediately led to another dozen students touching the sand, to similar results. Our Healers patched everyone up, along with the usual admonishments about taking unnecessary damage.

Valant...did not look particularly impressed as she waited for us to get it together.

I winced, eying the glittering sand under my feet with new trepidation. That would not feel good to fall in. I had some sturdy boots with decent enchantments for my Level...But walking around on this stuff would probably be horrendous for their longevity.

Not that it really mattered. I wasn't planning to keep any of our gear for very long, anyways. It would all need to be upgraded regularly, probably the whole time we were at school, but especially during our early Levels.

“Welcome to the midnight desert.” Valant said dryly, when she had our attention again.

She began rattling off pairings.

“Winners take five Loftys. Losers run laps.” she added at the end.

“Here or at the gym?” Asked Nyke, Hera’s towering tank.

“Here.” Valant barked.

She tossed a yellow runestone onto the dune. It rolled a bit and then there was a loud thud. The sand in a ten meter circle was smashed down into a smooth flat surface. She did the same with three more stones, creating some sparring circles.

“Win by yield, or last in the ring.” She said. “Go.”

Fuck. The idea of running laps was one thing. I’d been doing that a lot lately, with all the training I had been doing. But running in this sharp, loose sand, under this sweltering heat? That was nearly torture.

The first duels were getting underway, with the rest of us arrayed in-between the rings. I joined the crowd at the side of Jennie’s duel.

She was fighting Nyke.

The big, dark-haired girl had donned full plate armor that shone brightly in the glaring sunlight. I was jealous. Contrary to the deadly oven that mundane armor would've been, Wayfinder tank armor was heavily climate controlling. She had gone from ugly sweating, to shimmering like a sunscreen commercial.

Damn. Knight in shining armor, you can rescue me any…! I closed my mouth, with difficulty.

Jennie’s fingers slid her long daggers out of their sheaths at her ribs with the solemn deliberation of a musician preparing to play.

I grinned.

Darkness burst to life around Jennie’s blades, like flames that sucked light in rather than illuminate.

Nyke winced. “That’s new.”

Jennie gave her a smug little shrug.

“You found a Catalyst on your first dive.” Nyke accused.

“I guess we did.” Jennie said, spinning her daggers, and vanishing.

Nyke almost guessed where Jennie would reappear, which allowed the tank to take the worst of the attack on her armor.

She swung her spiked mace in a vicous circle, forcing Jennie to dance away before she could follow up. But the dark lines where Jennie’s daggers had scored her armor pulsed jaggedly.

Nyke gave the streaks a single, momentary glance, all she had time for in the heat of a spar.

“Damage over time?” She guessed.

“In a manner of speaking.” Jennie said, with satisfaction.

“Awesome.” Nyke said, flatly.

Come on, Jennie... Just be patient. She's letting you hit her, just don't get greedy...!!!!!!!!!

I let out my held breath as Jennie vaulted backwards to avoid getting brained by Nyke's massive shield. The towering girl could whip the thing around herself with shocking speed. It was super short range, but getting hit by that move would probably be about the same as getting hit by the school train.

Sheesh. I didn't even think the move was a Skill. Just pure martial prowess.

The rest of the duel was more a question of whether Jennie could fight in the sun long enough to wear down Nyke, rather than if Nyke could beat her.

But that was the role of a tank. Endure long enough for something else to do the damage. Usually this would be a teammate. Now it was the sun.

It was a close thing. Much closer than Jennie probably would have liked. But in the end, Jennie managed to lay enough of a lattice of shadowy wounds on Nyke to overwhelm her with one of her new finishing attacks that rendered her opponent unconscious.

She was quickly revived by one of the fourth-year Healers that Professor Valant had portaled in for just such an occasion, so that our own Healers wouldn't have to exhaust themselves before their own spars.

Nyke hauled herself to her feet, and offered Jennie a hand. She shook it, looking surprised.

“You don’t fight like a cheater.” Nyke said.

Jennie scowled. “Because we didn’t cheat.”

Nyke shrugged and strode away to watch her friends fight.

Jennie fumed next to me as we watched the next couple duels.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.” I said. “It’ll blow over the second there’s a new little rumor.”

Jennie grunted, stubbornly un-cheered.

“You seem more comfortable with the shadow enhancement on your daggers now?” I offered, encouragingly.

“Yeahhh. I am getting a better feel for how much damage the execute will deal, at any given moment. Helps with knowing when to activate it--” She lifted her eyes, and then seized my arm, examining my tattoos closely, interrupting herself. “Three! What's your new Familiar??”

“Eir!” Valant barked. “Malory!”

I gave Jennie what I hoped was a roguish wink. “You’ll see!”

I gave her a peck on the cheek and dashed into the ring, where Valant and my opponent were already waiting, leaving Jennie spluttering.

Pleased spluttering, I thought.

“Places.” Valant ordered.

Malory and I took positions in the ring. She stood near the center. She drew a long, silver broadsword from her back, and sneered condescendingly down its gleaming length at me.

“I was hoping to get a crack at one of the cheaters.” She whispered.

My blood boiled instantly. Hadn't I JUST told Jennie it didn't matter? But I was suddenly LIVID.

I made my calls.

My tattoos burned, I felt the tug, and three circles of swirling magic formed before me. One forest green, one glacial blue, and the newest one cherry blossom pink.

Lucy, Lorna, and Violette strode to my sides. For once, all of my familiars were on the same page as me, and they were fully clothed and raring for battle.

Lorna immediately set herself close at my back, like an icy shadow, washing me in cold air. The relief from the scalding sun instantly made me feel a million times lighter, and clearer headed.

Dang. I should’ve thought of her immediately.

“What the fuck is this?” my opponent asked, incredulously. “Professor, I thought these were DUELS?! The cheater is even trying to cheat in class?!”

Valant regarded Malory severely. “A Bayloft student, unable to identify a Summoner Class when it’s right in front of her. Bewildering.”

Malory flinched, but tried to stand her ground. “But four on one isn’t fair.”

Valant raised a brow. “You will both use your Classes during these spars. This is what Eir’s Class does. Begin.”

“But–” Malory started.

“You may surrender.” Valant offered, coldly.

Violette held out her hand, and a white branch grew in the air before her, twisting and folding itself into a huge bow, a full six inches taller than herself. She strung it in a single smooth motion.

“PREY.” she announced, eying our opponent contemptuously.

I’d made a shopping run to the school market, and picked her up some starting gear. She wore a tight sleeveless top, and long, loose black pants, of the kind often used to disguise footwork. Her dazzling white and pink hair flowed in the hot breeze. Her bare feet lit up with a pale internal fire. Evidently her movement Skill also rendered her immune to the perforating nature of the sand.

“We are sparring.” I said quickly, “Non-lethal attacks only. There’s healers on standby. But be careful.”

Violette tilted her head, her big pointy ears flopping to the side. “You want us to humiliate her.”

I frowned in confusion. I did indeed want that.

Violette had a very clear bond with me, already....

Lucy piped up, performing a few test jabs to warm herself up, making her big bouncy tits do that thing I liked. “Just be a good girl, and do as Eir says. She gives the best treats, when you do.”

Violette’s eyes dilated, and her nostrils flared. “Fine. Whatever. I don't need treats.”

She was close enough I could smell her instant arousal.

“Good girl.” I nodded to Lucy, sent a subtle pulse of gratitude down our bond.

She shot me a quick, freckly grin through her messy bangs that made my heart flutter.

“Let–” I started giving orders.

Malory stopped that plan by launching herself across the circle, sword painting a deadly arc in the sky. She covered the distance between us in a single lunge without apparent effort. The girl was FAST.

Her sword danced around us. Lucy dashed forward, closing the distance and fended off her attacks. Lorna raised her hands and started weaving an icy slowing hex.

Beside me, I heard a woody creak that took me back to the shifting floorboards in Wally’s old house. My old house, I corrected myself, grimly. I could still smell the dusty books on those shelves.

A deep thrum dragged me back to the present.

A thick, silver arrow with green fletching sprang across the circle and clanged off of Malory’s sword, deflecting a blow that might’ve hurt Lucy.

I felt my eyes widen, as the bow in Violette’s hands creaked again.

Her entire countenance had transformed.

She was a goddess of tranquility.

She drew her bow, a conjured silver arrow blossoming between string and rest. She was like a still pool of deep water. Not a ripple. Her bond felt utterly quiet.

Thrummmm thrummmmmm thrummmmmm!

Violette fired arrow after arrow, in a steady cadence. Her arrows streaked past Lucy’s rapidly shifting form, as she and Malory tangled around each other.

But it didn’t seem to matter how they moved, or how Malory tried to maneuver Lucy between herself and Violette’s serene stare. Arrows found Malory, and only Malory.

“Damn.” I whistled, watching the show.

I felt a sudden nudge from Lucy, and I rushed to send her a heal for the cuts she was accumulating.

My bunny girl was bobbing and weaving, trying to stay as close as possible to Malory to make the sword's length an impediment, rather than an advantage. And [Tempest Strike] let her clash directly with the sword mostly without hurting herself, when she hit it, with the skill active. But she couldn’t keep it going constantly.

And Malory was a Bayloft student. She wasn't panicking. She was finding openings. She was learning Lucy's tricks and adjusting.

Individually, she was stronger than any of my Familiars and one on one she pressed them each HARD. On the occasion that she got on top of me, we all had to scramble to re-stabilize the fight. [Spectral waltz] had to be burned to save my bacon from the deadly whistle of her broadsword.

But as the battle developed I realized that the gap between Malory and Lucy was not large. And there were four of us.

Lucy kept Malory busy. I kept Lucy strong and healthy. Violette slowly delivered damage.

I couldn’t tell exactly what effect the conjured arrows were having. They whistled into the enemy brawler without the usual effects of a big-ass arrow, mostly sticking into her armor, and a few cutting into or even piercing her body.

Each one that did strike Malory's flesh, directly or through thin spots in her armor, vanished into her, leaving a glowing mark.

I couldn’t imagine that was a good thing for her.

“Ugh!” Malory screamed, “What are these things, you little freak!!”

I squinted, edging closer, to get a better look. Several tiny flowers were starting to sprout from within Malory’s armor. They were tiny little pink and white things, with delicate, closed petals. As I watched, another sprouted. Just where another arrow had struck. They burned with a pale blue fire.

Malory dashed back, giving herself space from Lucy, and swirled her sword around herself, cutting many flowers away. But more grew in their places, and the distance let Violette land two more unerring shots.

“What do those flowers do?” I asked Violette, softly.

“Burn.” She answered, voice slow, breathing steady.

The duel shifted when Lorna finished weaving her hex. She faded, disappearing from view for a while, before emerging from the sand behind our enemy, like a spectre from hell. She placed a spectral finger against Malory’s forehead from her shadow.

The swordswoman screamed, and slashed viciously, but it passed through my ghost-girl harmlessly and Lorna faded, to return to my side.

Malory’s eyes slowly glassed over, becoming reflective, like they were carved out of ice. Ghostly mirrors formed around her, fading in and out of existence as she turned wildly.

“No!” She snarled. “Don’t come close to me, I hate spiders. Stop.”

Panic was growing on her face.

I turned, wide eyed, and Lorna gave me a shrug. Apparently this girl was extra susceptible to Lorna’s fear enchantment.

I watched Malory, now basically ignoring us, screeching her head off to swing wildly at whatever spiders she was seeing all around her.

Without her pruning the flowers growing on her leather armor, she was quickly becoming a walking garden of the delicate things.

“She lives?” Violette asked, stopping her steady barrage.

“For sure.” I said, sternly.

“And I get a treat?”

“You all get treats.” I promised.

“Let's let her toast, a little more.”

“VIOLETTE.”