The Summoner's Path

It was a beautiful day in Juaw S. S.

The birds were sing, the sky was clear and the line to the summoning test was kilometric.

"Summon the Dark Lord! This Sun is killing me!"

"Shut up Ray! This could be way worse!"

"How so?"

"Last year it was raining..."

The young boy, Ray, stared at the blue sky without a single cloud in sight and sighed.

"A bit of rain would be a blessing!"

"You are only saying this because it's not raining. If it were, you would be complaining about getting wet and cold."

"Maybe so, but this won't stop me from complaining right now. Anyway, why the hell is this line taking so long??"

"What did you expect? This is the only Summoning School in the whole Country. Teenagers from all over the Country are coming here to try their luck."

"Yeah, but I was expecting the line to move faster. I mean, how long does it take to test the aptitude of a single person? We have been waiting for three days and this line and still didn't move a single step!"

"That's what you get for arriving three days early."

"But if I didn't, we would be waiting at the end of the line instead of the middle!"

"Would that make any difference?"

"Of course it would!"

"Like what?"

"What if all vacancies were filled before our turn?"

"This has never happened before... or at least I never heard there was a limit."

"Me too but it's better to play safe, right?"

"Hmm... Hey! Look! They started moving!"

"Finally!"

The gates opened and people started to enter as they were guided by the school staff.

The Test for summoning aptitude was free, but even if it was paid, there would be no lack of people willing to bet their money on the future of their children.

The current Principal followed the tradition. He invited all summoner candidates to the sport field where he would give a brief explanation of the testing procedures and rules.

A gong was played to call everybody's attention, and as soon as everybody made silence the Principal started to speak.

"Hmm... It makes me happy to see there are even more people this year!

Good Morning! My name is Blake Bradshaw, 14th Principal of the Juaw Summoner School, and I will be explaining the aptitude test that you will participate today.

The test is quite simple and it's divided in 2 steps, first your elemental aptitude test, then your summoning aptitude test!

For the first step all you will have to do is touch each of the elemental stones located in front of you. The moment you touch them, they will automatically lit up if you have any aptitude in the following element.

It's possible, although a bit rare, for people to have aptitude to multiple elements, so make sure to test all elements before proceeding to the second step.

All those of you who pass the first step will be directed to the corresponding element's tent where you will be instructed on how to summon your first partner.

If you pass any of the elemental aptitude tests, you don't need to try the void element aptitude, as people with the void element aptitude all have zero aptitude in all other elements.

Once inside the tents, please pay extra attention to the instructions as you will only have three chances!

All those who succeed in their first summoning will be registered as new students and should prepare for the classes that will start in 20 days.

If you have any question, feel free to ask our staff members at any time.

That's all and Good luck!"

"Hey Ray! Wake up!"

"Ugh? What? Is it my turn yet?"

"Man, you need to fix this habit of falling asleep as soon as someone starts a long explanation!"

"It's not something I do consciously! It's my body natural reaction to boring speech!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's go before they leave us behind!"

Ray nods and follow his friend as both of them join the new queue.

"Great! Everything I wanted! Another waiting line..."

"Well, at least this time it's moving..."

"Yeah, but doesn't this make all my effort arriving three days earlier was completely irrelevant?"

"I told you it wouldn't matter, but you insisted in coming anyway..."

"You say this now but don't forget you also followed me!"

"Well, yeah. I thought it would be a nice experience..."

"And your conclusion?"

"It was absolutely not a nice experience! I'm never doing this again! Next time I will rent a nice warm room in some Inn instead of camping outside while subjecting me to insects, cold and rain..."

"It didn't even rain!"

"Maybe not this time, but there's no assurance that next time will be the same!"

"Right...So, if you could choose, what kind of summon would you want?"

"Me? Hmm... I don't know... Does it matter??"

"Of course it matters! Fire Summons is the one with the most destructive power. Water Summons is versatile and can be used in almost any situation. Life Summons can usually manipulate plants and cure wounds and diseases. Wind Summons can fly in the sky. Metal Summons are strong and can manipulate the earth to craft all kinds of equipment. Light Summons are tricky as they can create illusions and trick people's minds. Dimensional Summon can teleport, push and pull objects. As for Void Summons, try have no special magic but they can resist to all other elements."

"I know that, but.... Look! If I have any aptitude I will be happy no matter which I get! We are not in a position where we can choose!"

"Of course not. I'm just talking what if. What if you had the choice, which one would you like? And which would be your least favorite."

"Hmm....I think a Metal would be my preferred one, they are strong and dependable, they can be used to fight as well as to make money, honestly they seem like the most useful to me. As for my least favorite there is no doubt it would be Wind!"

"I can understand you liking Metal since your father is a blacksmith and all but why would you dislike Wind?"

"I don't want to say!"

"Oh! Come on! Please! I won't tell anybody!"

"..."

"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to beg??"

"Damn! All right! But if you ever tell anybody, I will never forgive you!"

"No problem, no problem, now spell it out!"

"...I'm afraid of heights...."

"Hahahahaha! True! Every time you climb a tree, you end up crying for being unable to get down!"

"Hey! That was only once, and it was ages ago!"

"Yeah, but since then you never climbed a tree again!"

"..."

"And when I tried to convince you into building a tree house with me, you used all kinds of excuses to refuse."

"..."

"And-"

"So, what about you? Which one do you prefer?"

"Me? Of course it would be void!"

"Void? Why void? Their description feels so bland. Immunity to other elements, what's so great about that?"

"That's not true! Have you ever seen the summons of a void summoner?"

"...No, but... what's so special about them?"

"Let me tell you what I heard from my father, he said that in the last 100 years only 4 void summoners were recruited by summoner schools, and each of them became a man of influence in their respective country."

"So? What? You want to be famous?"

"Let me finish before you say anything. The oldest of them is Declan Sheldon with 72 years. His summon is a 30 meters high Void Dragon. Not only the Void Dragon's defenses is nearly impenetrable, it's completely immune to all forms of magic attack, making it stronger than the whole country's army."

"Eh!?"

"It's said that when he was young, Declan once decimated a country who assassinated his parents as a threat to join them."

"Crazy!"

"Oliver Stanton, the second oldest with 65 years. He is the owner of a Void Golem Emperor. It's estimated that it's defenses are even stronger than the Void Dragon, it's also faster and like all other void summons its completely immune to magic attacks."

"How big is it?"

"..."

"Ray?"

"Sorry, I forgot..."

"Hahahaha! Okay, continue!"

"Luke Chester, 51 years old, summoner of the Olympus."

"Olympus??"

"Have you never heard of the floating city Olympus?"

"What!? That's a summon!? The city is alive!?"

"Well, not the city itself but the floating island below it. Actually that's not a floating island but a Void Turtle named Olympus. They named the city with the same name, so explaining is quite confusing.'

"I... see... No, actually I can't even imagine it! What the hell! That thing should be kilometers long!"

"Yeah, it is! And it can fly quite fast as well. I don't know if it has any special form of attack, but just it's weight should be more than enough to destroy army..."

"Sigh... I'm starting to see why you would like to be a void summoner..."

"Only starting? Hahahaha!"

"Okay, okay, tell me the last one already. I'm actually quite curious!"

"The last one..."

"Yeah!"

"is the youngest of them all and..."

"Yeah!"

"It's a secret, so my father didn't say anything."

"*********!!!!!!!!!! Baiting me like this just to leave me in the dust!"

"Hahahaha! Sorry, but I really don't know. There are all kinds of rumors about the fourth void summoner, but the only thing confirmed is that whoever it is, he or she destroyed the North Wind Country, leaving no live witnesses."

"Wait, what!? How is that possible!?"

"We don't know. The reports we have is that there were multiple holes that made the whole country cave in, leaving no one alive..."

"That makes no sense! How can a whole country cave in!?"

"No idea, but that's what the reports say."

"Isn't this just drunk talk? How do you know it's real?"

"If it was not real the price of iron wouldn't have raised to much starting from last month."

"What? You mean, that's why the price..."

"Yeah! It's because they used to import it cheap from the North Wind Country, but now that the country is destroyed, they need to rely on more expensive options like the Orange Sand Country or the Frozen Coast."

"Father always say to not underestimate merchants, but damn, you guys truly know everything!"

"Hahahaha! Information is the life of a merchant! Without it, we are as good as dead!"

"I though that your life was money..."

"No, sir, that's our blood! Hahahaha!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Next!"

As the two friends continued to converse the line kept moving and by the time they noticed, it was already their turn.

"Hey Sun!"

"What?"

"Take this! It will give you good luck!"

As he said it, he gave Sun a small pendant in the shape of a Mountain.

"...Since when did you start being superstitious?"

"Shut up and take it! At most it won't do anything, right? So why not?"

"Whatever... Thanks, and good luck to you as well!"

"Next!"

"Okay, my turn, good luck me!"