“You have requested my assistance?” A womanly voice from behind is heard.
“Yes, you will be assisting and protecting my subject here in touring the outside.”
“Subject?!” Maito blares.
“You are my subject for knowledge, handed to me by the people for investigating your origin.” Garpiloff stands.
“Whatever…”
“Let’s move.” The woman calls toward Maito.
Maito analyzes the woman. She’s shorter than Garpiloff, but taller than the lady from earlier. She’s dressed in mostly black and gray with gauntlets on each hand that have engraved gemlike stones and large bands of dark metal jutting out toward the elbow. She’s fairly tanned, has black hair and eyes of red on the left and a light green right. Attached to her waist is a strange black cone.
“Alright.” Maito walks to the woman’s side.
“Raise your chin!” The woman commands.
Maito complies and raises his chin. The woman then presses both her hands against his neck and releases. Maito feels his neck and notices a strange band that wraps around it.
“What’s this?” Maito asks.
“It’s something that tells others you’re a summon and owned by Garpiloff.”
“A dog collar?”
“Dog?”
“A creature we tamed from my world.”
The woman opens the large doors and Maito follows, leaving Garpiloff to the large glass room. After walking a short while Maito and the woman enter a large room that is fabulously decorated leading to an even greater set of doors.
“So, your name?” Maito asks the woman.
“Vei.”
“Maito’s me.” Maito stumbles his words.
It becomes apparent he’s fairly nervous and has an internal monologue on how dumb he thinks he was.
“You speak strangely.” Vei opens the doors and the outside is revealed.
It seems the large building Garpiloff resides in is situated on its own island in a lake. At the front is a barred gate and a large statue of Garpiloff himself, strange texts present themselves under the statue. Maito is able to speak this language but cannot read it.
“Why does Garpiloff have a large statue of himself at the front of his home?” Maito asks.
“This place is not only the residence of Garpiloff but also an academy and laboratory.”
The two walk past the statue and to the gate. The gate doesn’t have a visible way of opening. Rather than push and pull like Maito is used to, Vei brings out a chained rock and taps it at the gate like a television remote. The gate then opens itself outward. Past the gate is a bridge arching over to what looks to be a town but the architecture isn’t very familiar.
“Everything seems in line with how it is back in my world.” Maito squints.
“So it should be easy to orient yourself.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, trees are trees, grass is grass, water is water. Maybe the air is a little fresher.”
“There’s such a thing as bad air outside of caves?”
“The world I’m from, my people are partially to blame for ruining nature and things.”
“So your people killed your world?”
“No but we were in the process of doing so, little by little that is.”
“Interesting…”
“I should be telling Garpiloff these things.”
“Oh no worries, I carry a listening stone by his request.” Vei flashes the stone for a second around her neck.
“About the miner… Will I be doing something about that?” Maito scratches his head.
“You’ll be meeting their family for a brief moment to express condolences.”
“Got it.”
“But before that we will walk about Lantra.”
“So the town’s name is Lantra. Why’s that?”
“The lake is named Lantra after the name of the third ruler Zeid’s daughter who drowned during a flooding incident here. The town doesn’t really have a name so people call it Lantra Town or just Lantra.”
“Surprised you know this kind of information.”
“I was born and grew up here. I attended Garpiloff’s academy.
“How long?”
“About 3 Geis.”
“What’s a Gei?”
“204 cycles of light and dark.”
“So how long is a cycle?”
“The 3 Yudds pass over the sky each within an interval of-”
“Woah-woah, I think I should probably learn the way time goes by another... time… I'm in an information overload!”
“You asked.”
“That’s one thing that’s way different from my world. Maybe Garpiloff can give me one of those tablets again.”
“Those tablets are very special and hard to recreate. He wouldn’t waste such things on a summon. Although you are fairly special.”
“Special how?”
“You’re the first summon Garpiloff has ever taken in and labeled as his!”
“What do you mean?”
“That summon band with Garpiloff’s name on it is gonna cause commotion in Lantra. No doubt you’ll get a lot of attention.”
“I know Garpiloff seems like a fairly prominent person, but why the fame?”
“He’s a very kind and excellent person. He’s saved countless lives, taught many successful people, and even discovered life changing markings and minerals.”
“That’s nice.”
Maito and Vei enter Lantra. A lot of the homes are built fairly high up with stairs. Shops don’t seem to exist, rather people just exchange things at the front of their houses. The townsfolk seem to mostly keep to themselves and converse irregularly. There are no benches or resting areas rather people just sit or lean on walls in the paths throughout the town. There are no vehicles or carriages, things seem to be held by hand or floating with the use of the marked rocks. Maito noticed another summon creature with red scaly skin and black eyes wearing a cloak and pants. Maito has completely accepted that he is in another world and isn’t entirely surprised by what strange things he will encounter.
“So that’s a summon over there?”
“Yes, summons are generally kept at homes to tend to chores, it seems that one is purchasing food for their owner.”
“So are summons servants?”
“No, they’re usually treated like family in a majority of households. Their most prominent jobs include babysitting.”
“People trust their children with otherworldly creatures?”
“When summons like you come to this world, they are the only one of their kind. With rarely any means to reproduce. So maybe taking care of a child is the closest most will get.”
“Have there been times where summons have… well…”
“Yes, there have been many cases of half summons being born. It’s advised against due to many defects resulting. Not every summon has the same sexual organs as well so it’s either impossible or a test of luck.”
“I should probably move on from this topic.”
“Why’s that?”
“Isn’t it a little embarrassing?”
“How so? It’s a way of life.”
“Where I’m from it’s a little awkward to talk about reproduction openly, especially when you and I are…”
“The people you’re from find their own creation embarrassing?”
“In a way…” Maito twiddles his thumbs and looks to the ground. Vei looks at him as if he’s acting strange. Maito clears his throat.
“So… You seem to talk to me very easily Vei.”
“Is that not natural either?”
“Well I guess I don’t know what is normal in this world.”
“Also, you say I openly talk to you when you’re the one who’s been asking the questions.”
“Well, I’m used to it being short answers or just ignored.”
“People are very rude where you’re from.”
“I think I’m guilty of that too.”
“You don’t seem so.”
“I guess to some people I might have been.”
“Are you really a summon?” A voice from behind is heard.
For a brief moment Maito believes it was a conversation directed towards someone else.
“Hello?” The voice calls, prompting Maito to turn around.
“You speaking to me?” Maito asks.
“Yea, are you sure you should be wearing one of those?” A short man dressed in green robes with dark brown hair says, pointing toward Maito.
“This summon band? Yes I am a summon.” Maito replies. The man comes in closer out of disbelief.
“You are very interesting. A summon that is entirely similar to us. You must be bluffing.”
“I’m special according to Vei.”
“How could I be so rude to not notice one of Garpiloff’s personal security!” The man kneels before Vei.
“Garpiloff isn’t here Aeip, there’s no need to be so humble.” Says Vei.
“So then you’re here to introduce your summon?” Aeip stands and brushes off his knees.”
“No, he is not my summon.”
Aeip takes a closer look at Maito. He reads the text on the band and is visibly shocked. He then kneels again.
“A summon of Garpiloff himself! This is great news!” Aeip shouts and people begin to crowd around.
“Garpiloff has a summon?” A random voice says from the crowd.”
“This must be a joke?” Says another.
“Vei is with him…”
“He doesn’t look like a summon.”
“You sure that isn’t Vei’s summon?”
Voices become a jumbled mess and Maito has a rush of anxiety with all the attention.
“Quiet down!” Vei commands.
The talking lowers to a halt.
“This is a summon who is owned by Garpiloff. He was the result of the mining incident a week ago.” Vei explains.
The crowd is shocked.
“If the family of Ghein is here, Garpiloff’s summon would like to express his condolences.”
“May I?” Says a voice within the crowd.
People shuffle out of their way. Revealing a summon who is very small and has large fox-like ears and arms as long as it’s body.
“I am the summon of Ghein, his family is out of town for now.” Says the small summon.
“I’m sorry for what happened to Ghein.” Maito tells the summon. The summon turns around.
“Thank you...” The summon walks away. The crowd also slowly dispersed.
“I don’t know what more I can do.” Maito tells Vei.
“It’s a shame… Summons have a great attachment to their owners, I’m sure it was like losing their father.”
“Is it okay for me to be here?” Maito asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve caused death the moment I came to this world.”
“You couldn’t control it. It was an accide-.” Maito walks away causing Vei to cut her sentence short and catch up.
“Where are you going?” Vei asks.
“I wanna get out of the town.”
“Well you’re headed the wrong direction and we need to be back at Garpiloff’s before it gets dark.”
“What’s up with him?” A lady with a smooth voice says as she gets closer to Maito.
She’s dressed in very revealing white clothes and has long blonde hair.
“Excuse me?” Maito steps away.
The lady giggles.
“The way you speak is funny.” She comes in closer.
“Aren’t you acting funny?” Maito asks out of discomfort.
The lady caresses Maito’s cheek and presses her chest against him.
“You’re pretty tall and handsome for a summon…” She whispers.
Vei groans and pulls Maito away from the woman.
“You’re right we should get out of town!” Vei drags Maito by the arm through Lantra.
“What was that about?” Maito asks.
“When people prepare for sleep girls sometimes come out in search for partners.”
“So like searching for a mate?”
“Yes, but it’s only some women who have the urge to do so.”
“Is that really allowed?!”
“Of course, it’s how we sometimes find our partners.”
“That sounds dangerous!”
“It isn’t from what I’ve heard.”
“This is gonna take some getting used to.” Maito releases his arm from Vei’s grasp and they reach a wooded area.
“So, do you get this urge?” Maito asks.
“I haven’t had this urge before, they say it’s when you’re ready.”
“Oh jeez.” Maito now realizes the conversation he’s having with Vei.
“Oh jeez?”
“Nothing!” Maito looks away.
The path becomes narrower; there are only fields and patches of trees with the occasional housing in the distance.
“We’ll be out of town for now.” Vei pulls the black cone from her waist and uses a strap around it to attach to her face like a mask. She then taps the tip of it.
“What is that ridiculous thing?”
“It’s a tool Garpiloff gave me to see in a special way.” Says Vei muffled behind the mask.
“What do you mean?”
Vei taps the tip of the mask and detaches it from her face and hands it to Maito. Maito puts it on and sees nothing but black.
“Now tap the end of it.”
Maito reaches forward and taps the tip of the mask. Immediately he is flashed with a bright light, but when his eyes adjust he can see things differently. It’s all in thermal vision.
“Wow! I didn’t know you could do this!” Maito looks around at all the signatures of creatures in the distance and Vei.
“Enough foolery.” Vei taps the end of the cone and pulls the mask off Maito’s head.
“I need to get one of those!”
“The mineral used for this is very rare.” Vei puts the mask back on.
“Do you use it a lot?”
“Only when I’m outside of town.”
“Is there something dangerous out here?”
“Famhirs are known to stalk at night, the chances of them attacking are low though.”
“Are they some kind of animal?”
“Yes, they’re large, brown, and hunt alone.”
“You ever had to fight one off?”
“A few times.”
“How do you do it?”
“These here.” Vei holds up her arms to show the jeweled black gauntlets she wears.
“I always thought you looked impressive with those.”
“They’re not fashion, is that something your world was into?”
“No, I meant you look strong.”
Vei smiles and then lowers her arms.
“We’d better head back now.” Vei turns around and begins walking back toward Lantra.
“Before we go can you show me what those do?”
“No.”
“Come on!”
“No need to.”
“Please!” Maito says not knowing what please is in the other language.
“Please?”
“Just one time!”
Silence from Vei.
“Fine but not here.” Vei grabs Maito’s arm and pulls him off the path to an open field.
“You’re not using it on me are you?!”
“Of course not!” Vei releases Maito and they stand in the open.
“You ready?” Vei asks.
“Yes!”
Vei spreads her arms then bumps her fists together in front of herself. When the fists collide the engraved stones on her knuckles illuminate and then she cocks one hand back for a punch. She then throws her fist forward causing an eruption of sound and force like a volcano at a smaller scale. Maito clasps his ears from the sound and flinches. When Maito looked ahead of Vei in the direction she punched, the grass had been torn out of the ground in a long streak.
“That hurt my chest!” Maito yells in excitement.
“Anything in its path would’ve been evaporated.” Vei briefly flaps her steaming hand.
“How are you not affected by that?”
“The energy is pushed in the direction my fist is pointed. I’ve been told not to punch something with direct contact.”
“Why’s that?
“A majority of the energy transferred into the target will likely go through but it can blow back if too close causing serious injury.”
“So you’re punching without contacting the target?”
“Yes.”
Maito is visibly excited by what he had witnessed.
“Now, let’s head back to Garpiloff’s.” Vei starts walking off.
“Wait up!” Maito follows.
After walking a short distance Vei looks off to her right.
“I see someone…” She whispers.
“Stay low!” Vei gets low and so does Maito.
Vei sees a signature in the distance, it's not easy to make out but it appears to be looking their way, like if it’s been watching Maito and Vei for some time. Vei stands and pushes Maito away, she holds up both her gauntlets in a blocking stance and a bubble forms around her. A sudden burst of energy blasts the bubble, throwing Vei backwards and the shockwave knocks Maito unconscious with a deafening ringing noise.
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