Summon Night (C) Banpresto and Atlus CO.
Story idea by Lex-Arthur
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It was dark. It was damp. Cleru was cold. But he held onto his sword tightly with one hand while his other hand rested subconsciously on his forging hammer. It had always brought him comfort. But it seemed to be lacking a bit in the depth of the labyrinth.
He had been down in the dungeon-like labyrinth for more then three days now. He hadn't seen the light of day for that long, and he hadn't seen another living being. Except for his Guardian Beast Rasho, a demon of fire with a single horn on his head. Rasho's long brownish red hair seemed to go to his feet, his red and black armor covering his entire body.
"This is boring." Rasho said suddenly, which made Cleru jump nearly five feet straight up, his weapons bag clanging loudly behind his back. Rasho has been floating next to Cleru, his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking quite bored. "I want to fight some monsters, beat some bad guys up or something. Why can't you find some summoned creatures so we can destroy them?" he asked with a mocking tone. He still didn't think the son of his former master was up to the test.
Cleru turned around and looked crossly at Rasho. His blue and white uniform was covered with soot and dust, his blacksmith's apron tied tightly around his chest. His bright blue eyes looked straight at Rasho. "Would you keep quiet? It's rumored that a very, VERY big summon creature was turned loose here… I don't exactly want to fight it right now…" He looked around with a sense of worry about his face. "If we can get to the next level of the labyrinth, we'll be okay. I just want to find a teleporting stone and forge some new weapons."
"Nooo, you just want to run away because you're scared of that summon creature." Replied Rasho, looking down at Cleru. Cleru looked back at him indignantly. "I am not afraid…"
"Yes you are."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am NOT!" screamed Cleru. This time, Rasho had gone a bit too far. He stormed off in a random direction, his right hand still holding the short sword tightly. His weapons bag shifted from side to side with each step, the axe and spear in it clanging loudly.
Rasho smiled a very sly smile, then started to follow Cleru. He knew that without his goading, Cleru would have never been able to fight that summon creature that he knew guarded the next level of the labyrinth.
Cleru, on his part, ignored the fire demon's presence. He lowered his special spectacles over his eyes and pushed a few buttons. It was an ancient artifact passed down by his father, of technologies long forgotten. The spectacles, called Sight Goggles, could see heat and different minerals and materials that he might need for his latest weapons. When his goggles beeped, he pushed a button on it, making it close in on a specific item.
"Core Parts and Steel Plates… just what I needed for that new axe Master Bron wants me to forge." He headed off in the right direction, still ignoring Rasho.
Rasho, on the other hand, knew where Cleru was going. He hurried to his side and whispered two words: "Get ready."
Cleru tweaked his head to the side then pulled his goggles down, gripping his sword tighter. Rasho always warned him when summon creatures were close. He stood attentively, the short sword in hand, listening and watching attentively. His goggles were of no use in battle.
The cavern-like labyrinth started to shake and quiver a bit then a huge light erupted ahead of them. A huge drill pierced the floor before them, throwing dirt and rocks in all directions.
"Rasho! Astral Guard Shield!" cried Cleru, jumping back. Rasho nodded and zoomed in front of Cleru, chanting a shielding spell to protect them both from the stray rocks. They both landed dirty but otherwise unharmed.
"What is that, Rasho?" asked Cleru, examining the mechanoid creature. It was a shade of yellow that could only be called sunflower yellow; it's main body large and squared. It had tank treads for wheels and two enormous drills instead of arms. It seemed to have eyes in the middle of it, but Cleru couldn't make it out.
"It's a Tunneler Droid, Cleru. Be careful. It's rather fast for a mechanical summon, and those drills are deadly, so take your time and analyze its attack pattern first. Also, it's a mechanoid so lighting won't be useful against it." Cleru nodded in agreement, then put his sword again, taking out a pair of knuckles.
"Rasho, Flame upgrade my knuckles and give me a boost of speed, will you?" He tightened the knuckles onto his hands then jumped from side to side as a boxer would before a match. Rasho nodded and chanted two spells, the first giving the knuckle weapons a burning touch, then giving Cleru's untold agility. "I'll be right behind you, Cleru, son of the Craftlord of Iron!"
Cleru smiled up at Rasho, nodded, then was off like a whirlwind. He dashed up between the two drills just as they were coming down in front of him, pulled back one fist, then rammed it fast and hard into the middle of the mechanoid's body, his other fist coming in just as fast, hitting it with a fast pace and wicked accuracy.
The Tunneler Droid retaliated by charging forward with all speed, hoping to ram Cleru into a wall. Cleru, in the meantime, climbed over the droid and jumped behind him, grabbing his huge double-edged axe. He ran up behind the droid and swung down hard, cutting a huge gap into it's back, sending sparks and motor oil everywhere. He jumped back, readying himself for another attack.
Rasho floated beside him with a huge frown on his face. "What happened to reading his moves?" he asked heatedly.
"I couldn't wait." Replied Cleru honestly. "But now it's your turn."
"I've been waiting for you to say that in a long time…" replied Rasho, delighted to see that his flame attacks were going to be used.
Cleru put his axe away into his weapons bag on his back, the put his hands together, chanting the same lines that Rasho was suddenly chanting.
"Parista, Spirit of Fire and of Destruction,
Lead this Demon into a raging inferno,
To defeat our enemy,
Flare Volcano."
Rasho's eyes suddenly flashed a very bright red, as the air about them seemed to nearly bubble in the heat. Rasho floated upwards, taking his time, even as the Tunneler Droid was charging at both of them, then he came rushing downwards, inches in front of the droid. The ground around him erupted as fire and molten magma flew upwards towards the mechanoid. It seemed to hiss as it was hurtled back against a wall then it slowly started to melt, the fire and magma finally taking its toll.
Rasho floated back beside Cleru, smiling triumphantly. "See, I told you we could do it."
Cleru looked up at Rasho, smiling back. "You're silly, Rasho." He started to walk to the entrance of the next level, undoing his knuckles to put them away. Rasho followed him, whistling a tune that he had heard Cleru's father whistle one day. Maybe the boy did have potential. He'll have to wait and see…