The Chimera Summoner – ch 48 (Part 1/2)-Sensible group activities for a loving polycule who have had a challenging week; or, *yoink! Smooching ensue

Ch 48 –

“We apologize.”

Principal Maule was addressing the assembled students. About five hundred of us were seated in the great hall, which had once been a throne room, hundreds of years ago, but had long been converted into an auditorium style space for graduations, guest lectures, and the summer and winter galas.

The parallels to the harsh glory of the crawling castle’s throne room put my teeth on edge.

“ –students in danger. And for that, we are deeply ashamed.” Maule went on. “Measures have already been taken to enhance your security, some of which you will be aware of and others you will not.”

She and the rest of the faculty were lined up shoulder to shoulder. Only Valant was missing.

The school’s weapons master was still in intensive care. Rumors said that a specialist had been portaled in from the other side of the world. The expense of such intervention would have been staggering. But the faculty were clearly done fucking around.

“–have never been breached.” Maule was saying. “That that record should fall under our watch is a stain that we will carry forever. You each have an important choice before you – whether you will continue to entrust your education with Bayloft.”

There was an outburst of muttering.

“Conditions will be changing. The school will be relinquishing its ancestral place in the Eirie Pass.”

Even more muttering. It felt like sitting in rising water.

Jennie shot me a glance, but I shook my head and pointed down.

I was not leaving.

Her shoulders relaxed a fraction.

“ – itinerary to be determined. And which shall be kept secret, as another layer of our increased security efforts.” Maule said. “This travel will offer us many new opportunities, but will come at many obvious costs as well. Those of you accustomed to visiting your loved ones on a regular basis will find this change quite–”

“So we’re what, just going to float all over the world, taking the fortress, the mountain, the Dungeon entrance… everything with us?!” Jennie whispered, seemingly unable to keep from joining the growing conversations.

“I guess so!” I muttered. “Chance to see the world??”

Jennie’s eyebrows were rapidly climbing higher than I had ever seen. “But… we can't… the southern Lords will lose their minds?! If nothing else… we’re basically leaving their front door open and telling them to fend for themselves! We’re… STEALING three MOUNTAINS?!”

I shrugged. “Some of them were on the summit that called the faculty away in the first place. They are just as responsible for leaving Bayloft exposed as Carmine, in my book.”

Jennie frowned. “I don't think that's quite fair…?”

Well… I guess we couldn't know who or how many of them had actually been complicit in the plan.

I scowled, but nodded.

It smelled very funky to me. The Gott empire and the assorted city states of the southern plateau had not agreed on nearly anything since the last invasion.

For them to suddenly come together to make the teachers leave, on the guise of needing to decide what to do with the Netherim?? Even though they were already sheltered at the faculty’s expense??

But Jennie was right. Jumping to conclusions, just because it would simplify the situation in my mind, was not a smart move.

“I think a big move like this will make some true colors show.” I said hesitantly. “'Turn off the lights and see who tries to stab you,’ as Brawly likes to say.”

“'Don't borrow danger, when safety is free,’ as Valant likes to say.” Jennie countered. “We’re asking for trouble.”

“'Run, and see what people chase you with.'" Lorna quoted someone known only to herself. “'The ones with swords are enemies. The ones with roses are smart enemies.'”

We stared at the serene ghost.

“That's BLEAK, princess!” I said in awe.

“Who said that?!” Jennie asked. “The most suspicious, jaded, DOUR, saddest, most–”

“Me.” Lorna quirked her lips in suppressed amusement.

“ – smartest, prettiest person ever?” Jennie changed course with dexterity that only a finesse fighter could. “Oh you? Huh. Gotcha.”

“What should I chase you with, then?” I asked.

Lorna turned a fond eye on me. “Don't chase me, love. Trust me to come home.”

I couldn't help but smile gigantically as a huge burst of warmth filled my chest.

“That… is so fucking romantic." Jennie muttered, turning grumpily back to Maule.  "That's my panties soaked for the afternoon. Way to go, nerds. Dumb nerds. Who just says shit like that??”

I turned as well, but not before brushing my fingers over the back of Lorna’s cold hand. She leaned her shoulder ever so slightly into my arm. The pressure of a wafting curtain. But constant and steady.

She’d been very touchy, in her way, since she'd gained the ability to turn her corporeality on and off at will.

And I loved it.

Sooooooo so much.

I could feel that hole of loneliness in her heart, that had closed for an evening when she'd possessed Jennie, starting to mend for good.

Well. I could feel it through her bearing, and her behavior. The contentment on her face when she held Lucy's hand, or when Violette pulled her arm around her shoulders.

Ever since we’d been separated, our bond had been muted. I could still feel her and our connection. But it was profoundly wounded. Like a broken bone that had healed badly, damaging the nerve.

I could only hope that it was temporary. But it was heavier on my mind, the longer it went on.

“ – will put our lives on the line to keep you safe and give you the tools to forge your own destinies in the times that are to come. In spite of our failures, we beg and hope that you will continue to entrust us with your education and your safety. Thank you for your time.” Maule bowed, and the rest of the faculty joined her.

It was bizarre to see these people that I had on extremely tall pedestals… deliberately point out their own mistakes and failures. And apologize.

In my mind, they were as much victims of a traitorous plot as we were.

But they seemed to be taking the invasion of the school extremely personally. And they sounded like they would be taking our safety even more seriously in the future.

Maule gave us the day off.

“One day”, she assured us.

Tomorrow, classes would be resuming as usual, and we would be expected to train even harder than before, given the escalating political situation we were in, both in harboring the Netherim and for unleashing the haunted castle in the middle of the Gott empire.

Conversations were roaring around the hall as people got up and found their friends to discuss things.

Students were making speeches to sway people one way or another. Expressing their opinions on the Netherim, the cultists, and Carmine.

I wondered what the student body would look like in a month.

But it was hard to be stressed when we were serenely floating through the clouds on a flying mountain fortress in the sky.

We caught up with Hera, Nyke, and Ravale and headed to grab some lunch.

View after breathtaking view drifted by outside the window of the dining hall.

Team slumber-party lounged at a coveted long table against one of the big windows. When we’d been wandering around looking for somewhere to sit, some upperclassmen had vacated this table for us and fended off others who had wanted to pounce. They'd been unwilling to take no for an answer, so we'd taken the table, rather bemusedly.

I was waiting for a prank.

As we debated what to make of the strange behavior, Margarite and several members of the student council stopped at our table.

“I swear, we aren’t doing anything crazy.” I said immediately. “Look, everyone’s fully clothed… uuuhhhhhhhh!”

Margarite bowed deeply. “I apologize for how I treated you before. I heard the part that you played in saving the Netherim and our own students from those people who took you. As upperclassmen, and as a member of the student council especially, we should have been the ones to protect you from intruders. We are deeply sorry for failing everyone, and you and Hera especially.”

“Hey ummm, you don’t have to– It’s not your– Please stand up.” I begged, standing and then sitting back down, and then standing again since it felt weird to sit when someone was talking to you from their feet even if they weren’t bowing. “You didn’t fail, dude, Carmine is an Ascendant Wayfinder, and that’s before she got her fucked up little Class from Eternity. So it’s like six different kinds of not your fault.”

“I saw you and a LOT of upperclassmen stand up to the Cultists.” Hera added. “I’m proud of how every member of the school behaved.”

“I appreciate your words.” Margarite said, straightening. “We don’t wish to disturb you. We are grateful for your safe return.” She eyed me oddly. “And look forward to seeing your progress.”

The council left us.

“Sooooo, that was weird.” I said in the silence that followed.

Jennie looked thoughtful. “This whole invasion situation is going to light a fire under a lot of people’s asses. We’ll have to work extra hard if we want to stay ahead of the curve.”

“Hehe. Curve.” Hera chuckled.

I snorted soup up my nose and nearly died.

I liked Hera more and more. She was a simple girl, in a lot of ways. But she had a lot of intelligence behind what she did, too.

“Like tiddies.” She continued, to Nyke, like she hadn’t gotten it.

Aaaand sometimes she was a big doofus.

Nyke just rested her arm over the back of Hera’s chair and sighed.

“So, new Familiar today?” Jennie asked me. “Pretty big deal! Are you all excited?”

I nodded. “I want to get into the Dungeon too, since we have the day off.”

“Rest day.” Lorna murmured in my ear.

“Not…?” I asked.

“Not today.” she said firmly. “Just the summoning.”

The rest of my Familiars nodded agreement.

“Ok.” I said, accepting the decision. “Nice. Should we play a board game later or something?”

“We return to our quest tomorrow!” Serenity declared. “To ascend heights hitherto undreamt of!”

“No board games tonight.” Lucy added.

Nyke made a disappointed noise.

“But another night soon!” Lucy promised her with a warm smile, that actually got returned, if only in the form of a more friendly than usual grunt.

“What’s tonight?” I asked, curious.

There was obviously some plan that I wasn’t aware of.

“We’re going to have some much needed alone time after lunch.” Lucy informed me, leaning into my side with some heat entering her voice.

“Ohhh… OHHH!!” I said. My heart started beating a little faster. I had woken up horny and hadn’t been able to do anything about it with everyone else around. I’d been on a hair trigger all day.

“You’re having alone time this afternoon, so we can’t play Blockade tonight?” Nyke asked, grumpily.

“We’re having alone time STARTING this afternoon.” Lucy corrected.

“It’s going to be a real marathon.” Violette said with satisfaction.

“I thought you were taking the day to rest…?” Ravale asked. “You’re going running?”

“Nope.” Violette said.

“But…?” Ravale frowned.

I stood. “Good seeing you all, sleepover was super fun we should do it again. See you at class. Jennie, see you at the apartment later. Or probably not. Maybe. Uhhhhhh?”

I glanced around, unsure who was in charge of our evening.

Lucy nodded. “For part two.”

“Nice. See you at the apartment later.” I confirmed.

“OH?!” Jennie looked like she might pass out. Hera looked envious. Nyke seemed to be thinking about Blockade, her preferred strategy board game, and Ravale had a look of dawning embarrassment which was super, super adorable.

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Jennie and Serenity are caught in a perfect tie, so I am setting them aside and jumping to the other side of the bracket! <3 Getting pretty close to the long awaited final Familiar! teehee! <3 thanks for reading, as always! /