Chapter Seven: Summoning
They climbed up the mountain. Shane leading the way, Virginie closed behind. Several times, Virginie wanted to ask Shane where were the other witches. But she guessed Shane didn't want to talk about it. She was still wondering why Shane had killed his granny. She'd known his granny was the next to closest kin Shane had. It was all very puzzling. And while all the action was taking place, she had been unconscious! Curse her!
Finally, the reached the summit. By that time, even vampire strength deserted them. They collapsed on the floor and panted.
"This is…a very tall mountain…" Virginie whispered.
Shane nodded. He eyed his surrounding. All was quiet. Nothing was unnatural. He wondered how he could ever find the aeons.
"Virginie, do you know how to summon…?"
"Summon?" Her eyes widened.
Shane nodded. "Yes. Aeons…you know…you heard of them, didn't you?"
She nodded hastily. "Of course I know what aeons are!" She paused uncertainly. "Why are you asking this?"
"Just answer my question, Virginie."
She shook her head. "No one can summon aeons now, Shane. They had all perished, from what I'd guess. Only Raul could summon them…"
Shane continued to stare at her. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I mean, I'm sure no one else could summon them…but I'm not sure if they all perished. Or if they can even perish. They are kind of like…ah…a magical sort of guardian, you know?"
"A magical sort of guardian…" Shane repeated softly.
Virginie only stared at him blankly. What the hell is that lad thinking, she thought.
"I think I can summon the aeons." He said finally after much thinking.
Virginie gaped at him. "What?"
"I say, I think I can do it. After all, I did summon the aeons the last time."
Virginie rolled her eyes. "You were in his body then, remember? Those damned witches switch your body!"
"I still remember how to do it."
"It is not what magical words you chant. It is the inner skills required. You are a vampire, Shane. Not a necromancer. You are not him. You cannot summon the aeons." She paused. "Do not get yourself killed over this, Shane. We do not need the aeons to win against the humans."
"I am not thinking about the humans, Virginie."
She looked at him queerly. "You are weird." She said finally.
Shane shrugged. He suddenly noticed a jagged stone standing out very near the edge of the cliff. He started to stand up. Virginie quickly leaped up after him.
He moved quickly, almost as if he was being drawn by the stone. When he reached it, his eyes were fixated upon the stone. Virginie was behind him, thinking him a nutcase.
His hands were on the stone when suddenly, a loud roar above his head, took him completely by surprise. He raised his head to see the sky above them turned a crimson red. It reminded him of the time when he was back at the camp. When the sky had turned crimson red as well. What does this all mean?
He heard Virginie let out a shriek. And his eyes fall on her. He realized that a big red flying beast was charging towards the girl. He saw it and was too late. He knew it was Fayth, the fire dragon.
Raul's dragon.
Come to the peak. Come alone.
Yes, he had forgotten about Raul's words. He should not have led Virginie this far.
Fayth opened her mouth and fire came out. And soon, Virginie laid by the side of the cliff, a smothering remain. Shane would grieve later.
There were more sounds now. Not only the roar from Fayth but other sounds. He heard a loud shrieking kind of sound, nothing like the deep roar Fayth make. He raised his head to see a big red fire bird. A phoenix. He had saw it before. Back at the Inner Circle. It had flown over his head.
Now, it was here. Above his head once more, circling around him like a predator stalking its prey.
Then there were more. At least, more was coming. Shane saw the likes of a huge eagle with claws big enough to clutch five men. He also saw falcons, equally gigantic in size. He had not the least bit of doubts that this ancient creatures are the aeons his granny spoke of. The aeons that only Raul, a necromancer, could summon. And now, after Raul had become an aeon himself, Shane would fulfill that duty. He would summon the aeons and he would wipe out the Night World. He would finish what his brother had started.
Shane touched the jagged stone with his palm. It started to illuminate a pale blue glow. He stepped back instinctively. The blue glow grew bigger, stronger. Until Shane had to close his eyes.
Shane…
He opened his eyes again. He saw her. She was still in that white dress. She looked like an angel.
He walked towards her. He could see tears in her eyes. He wondered what has happen.
"Shane." She said again, more softly this time.
"I will summon you." He said quietly.
She looked depressed. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Kill granny."
Shane paused. Oh…that.
"I had no choice. I couldn't trust her. I couldn't trust the witches."
Rindy looked at him in the eye. "Why…?"
"They lied to me. They lied to you." He shook his head hastily. "They're just evil. I must get rid of them quickly."
"Shane…"
"No. Do not try to talk me out of it. My mind is made up." He looked at her and softened. "Do you know you're an aeon now?"
She looked at him again. This time, she looked slightly confused. "An…aeon?"
He nodded. "The witches binded you and Raul into a magic summoning stone. And turned both of you into aeons."
She looked confused. More so now. "Shane, what are you talking about?"
"Only by summoning you, will I be able to free you. At least, I think that's what it all meant. That is why Raul kept asking me to summon him. He wanted to be free."
"I'm…an aeon?" She asked again softly. He wanted to hug her. To reassure her.
"Yes. You're not real. You're just a specter now. But I will make you real again, Rindy. Trust me."
"Shane…" She started. But she didn't get to finish what she wanted to say. Because suddenly, another voice spoke. A male voice.
Shane turned around and faces his brother.
"What are you doing here?" Raul snarled. He looked angry. Especially with Rindy standing so close to Shane.
"You called me up here..." Shane started.
"I did not call you up here." Raul's eyes darkened. His gaze fall upon a burning heap of flash. He sniffed and frowned. "What happen to Virginie?"
Shane was impressed he could make out Virginie in that burning heap of ashes. "Fayth got to her."
"Fayth?" Raul might have spat out the name, Shane could not be sure.
"That is Virginie…" Rindy muttered softly. Her green eyes sad.
Raul turned to eye Shane dangerously. "You said Fayth killed her?"
Shane nodded hastily. He did not quite understand what he was doing here, wasting time with the specters. He should quickly do the summoning and released them. Or at least, see what the summoning will do to them.
"Rindy, Raul. Listen to me. You're both aeons now." Shane said slowly. He guessed Raul probably do not know that as well since Rindy had looked so shocked when he had told her at first. He also guessed they didn't know they were specters and weren't real.
"Aeons?" Raul spat again. This time, his dark eyes narrowed at Shane. He looked ready to kill his brother.
Shane quickly added. "Its all a big mess, I know. But the witches did a lot of things. It'll take me a whole day to finish the story. Just teach me how to summon the aeons and we'll get to the whole of the story later."
Raul shook his head slowly. "Oh no, brother. You listen to me and you listen well, I have a good mind to…"
Shane waited for him to continue but his brother apparently stopped. He seemed to be thinking. Shane turned to look at Rindy. She was staring at Raul in a strange way. She did not speak either. Then after a while, Raul turned to Shane again.
This time, his eyes were blank and emotionless. And he looked like a zombie to Shane. In fact, he recalled back at the forest clearing, Raul did look blank and kind of unfeeling too.
"Will you summon me?" Raul asked suddenly. His voice cold and hard.
Shane swallowed. He didn't know what to say.
His brother took one more step closer to him. "Will you summon me?"
Shane turned to Rindy. Now she was looking at him, not speaking. Her green eyes quiet and dim.
"Teach me how to summon you and I will!" Shane replied.
Rindy turned to Shane. "Witch blood had been spilled tonight." She looked pale. "Now, speak the enchantment."
Shane frowned slightly. What was going on?
"What…what enchantment?" He stammered.
"The words that will open the way to the aeons." Rindy said.
Shane could tell he was not getting anywhere with Raul and Rindy. Just a while ago, they had seem alright. And now, they were acting like some cold, unfeeling…things…aeons, perhaps.
Shane paused. It came to him. In a flash of the mind. Might the ones standing before him not specters of Raul and Rindy, but the aeons?
What was going on?
The words to the enchantment. He thought quickly, searching through his memory. He had spoken the words before. Not ordinary language but the language of necromancy. The tongue of the Necromancer. If only he could remember them. But damn! It was two years ago, how could he had remember?
Du bist Ein Easel…
Shane paused. What was that? He thought he heard the words spoken in his head. The native tongue of a Necromancer.
Could it be that?
He started to open his mouth. "Du…bist…Ein…ea.."
He didn't finished. Because someone had screamed behind him.
Shane turned around, mortified and angry at the intrusion. He saw Anna, in her white garb, running towards him. He quickly turned around. Rindy and Raul were gone.
She's here to stop me. She's here to stop me from summoning. She's evil. I have to kill her. These thoughts were running through Shane's head as he spunned around, ready for attack.
Anna must have saw his eyes turned gray, for she stopped in her tracks, not a few feet away from him. She looked like she'd been crying.
"Shane!"
"What do you want?" He was slightly amused that Anna didn't call him 'my lord' instead, as she'd usually done.
"No..please don't. Do not summon the aeons."
He looked at her darkly. Another one of those cunning witches. No matter, he will toyed with her later and make her suffer.
"Do not even think about stopping me, Anna. You are no match for my strength. I will call the aeons. And no one can stop me."
"Why would you want to do that?" She cried, fresh tears in her eyes. "You told me you wanted to save him!"
Shane paused. He stared at her. What game was she playing at now?
"I will save him and her as well!" He took one step closer to her. "I never like witches."
She fall back quickly. "Shane, you've been deceived! If you summon them now, they will be gone forever." She wept unbashfully. "He will be forever gone…"
He frowned. God, now what the heck is going on? But he know Anna cannot be trusted. She has, after all, witch blood in her.
"You're lying. You do not want me to summon them because you do not want me to free them! You and your elders! I will not be manipulated by you again!"
"You have to trust me, Shane! You have to!"
"What reason is there for me to do that?!" He yelled angrily. No, he should calm down. He shouldn't get angry like that. It was just Anna. He could just kill her, silence her. Then he can get back to his summoning.
"The elders want to kill them." She said finally, between sobs. "They want them to perish forever." She stood up and there were angry tears in her eyes. "How do you think the aurora spell would be lying infront of the elders' bed chambers when you found it? Did you think the elders were really so reckless?" She shook her head angrily. "No, Shane! I was the one! I did it! I let you find the aurora spell!"
He stared at her, thoroughly confused now. She was playing with his head, he knew it. He would have to kill her.
"Listen to me!" She shouted again. "I perform the aurora spell for you when Virginie and you threaten me, did you think I was fulfilling my duty as your loyal servant?" She shook her head again. "NO I wasn't! I was fulfilling my duty as the loyal servant of his lordship! I wanted to perform the spell so that I could undo the barrier surrounding Raul's spell!"
Shane did not speak. He was thinking.
She continued. "The elders never liked Raul. Because he sees the world differently than the rest of us. He never liked the Night World in fact. The elders knew he planned to destroy the Night World a long time ago."
"Destroy the Night World?" Shane paused. He remembered what Virginie had told him. "My brother almost destroyed the Night World once…because of Rindy, didn't he?"
Anna nodded. "Yes. He set the world aflame with what we had come to known as, the mist. It eats into the night people's souls and consumed them."
"Why did he do that?" Shane asked. "I mean, what happen to Rindy that would drive my brother to destroy his own home?"
Anna paused. She looked sad. "Because he found out that Rindy was a spell send by the elders. A spell they made the moment Raul was born. So that they would meet, be childhood friends and finally fall in love. This spell, Rindy, I mean, is so pure and beautiful that all men who gazes upon it, falls under its bewitching spell." She rubbed her eyes. "Rindy was never allowed to go anywhere out of the Night World, for she will create chaos wherever she go."
"But she did." Shane said softly. "She escaped to the human world."
Anna nodded. "Yes. Blinded by fear and perhaps, love for his lordship, Rindy fled the Night World, thinking that only by doing so, Raul will be free from her spell."
"She learnt of her true origin then." Shane said quietly.
"Yes. Your granny told her. She was granny to them both, I heard."
"But why would granny tell her? Of course granny should expect Rindy to be very upset when she learnt she was a curse for Raul." Shane muttered.
Anna nodded firmly. "I think granny meant for her to find out. And to run away. Perhaps, she also meant for Rindy to run into you."
At this, Shane stared at Anna. "What do you mean?"
"I'm saying, that everything was planned from the very beginning. The elders knew Raul hated them and hated the Night World. Do not ask me why. This, you can ask your brother when he awakes. They wanted Rindy to run into you. So that you may fall under her spell as well, and then, since you are the brother of his lordship, you are therefore, a rightful heir for the throne of the Night World if his lordship should fall." She paused, tears gleaming her eyes again. "And he did fall. Two years ago, you together with the elders, binded him and Rindy."
"We never meant to bind Rindy." Shane said. "She jumped after him into the binding spell."
"That, is most probably predicted by the elders as well. They knew she was in love with him and would do anything for him."
Shane was frustrated. "So what wasn't predicted? What wasn't planned by your damned elders?! And how can I trust every words that you've just spoken?"
"You can trust me, Shane." Anna said slowly. "Because I have done nothing but helped you come this far. I've performed the aurora spell for you. That spell only break the shell barrier of the binding spell that hold his lordship and Rindy."
Shane shrugged. "If what you said is all true and that Raul and Rindy are really still binded, what about the specters that had been appearing to me?"
"Specter?" Anna was thoughtful. "I guess his lordship's powers are even stronger than I'd imagined. It seems like they had managed to send out dreams, or specters as you call it, to you. They seek to communicate with you, Shane."
"Granny said they were specters. She called it the spirits of the dead that weren't resting in peace."
"She was lying." Anna said simply and Shane had to marvel at her courage. He'd always thought her a quiet and timid mouse that can be pushed around.
She continued. "The people that you have spoke to, I mean Raul and Rindy, they weren't specters. They were dreams. Or maybe, another consciousness if you would have it. His lordship send you an image of them. Rindy send out an image of herself to you that could speak. So that they could talk to you."
"But these dreams are very real. My brother even hit me and broke my back. And Rindy could healed Iker's legs…"
Again, Anna was stunned by this fact. She muttered. "I guess his lordship's powers are beyond all measure. He could send out a dream that could feel and touch." She added quickly. "Of course his powers are not unlimited. That is why I am sure you will find them disappearing again from time to time."
Shane nodded. Seems like Anna know a lot more than he did. He was uncomfortable with that fact. He also had not decided fully to trust her or not.
"Let's come to the point. Do you know why granny told me that if I were to free Raul and Rindy, I would risk my very own life?"
Anna nodded quickly. "Yes. She was lying." When Shane gave her an unconvinced look, she added. "Blood must be spilled after the aurora spell was performed. The blood spilled must be that of a witch's blood. Since the binding spell itself was made by the witches, it is only natural that a witch's blood will unmake the spell."
"Granny spoke of a sacrifice. She says Raul wanted a sacrifice so that he could be free."
Anna nodded. "She is not entirely lying there. Only she kept it from you. She did not tell you that the sacrifice must be a witch and no other species." Anna looked at him. "She was probably afraid of what you would do to her if you knew a witch's sacrifice must be made."
"I would not have hurt her. I might have hurt one of the elders though."
Anna smiled a little. "I suppose your granny cared a lot of the elders. You saw how she defended them time and again."
"And what about you?" Shane asked. This question had been on his mind. "Aren't you in cohorts with the elders? You are their little apprentice, aren't you?"
Anna nodded. "Yes I am their apprentice, if you would called it. But I am also the loyal servant of his lordship. I told you that earlier didn't I?" She paused and eyed Shane curiously. "Why did you kill granny and Virginie?"
"I killed granny because I knew she betrayed me. And she would continue to play with my head if I hadn't. So I am glad I did. And as for Virginie, I didn't kill her. Fayth did."
"Fayth?" She frowned.
Shane nodded gravely. "Yes. The red dragon you saw earlier. That was Fayth."
"But she belongs to his lordship!"
"You knew that?"
"I always knew that. Few things escape my eyes. Besides, you said so a couple of times yourself. You even told your granny."
Shane recalled that he indeed has. He chuckled. "I am losing my mind. Anna, what would have happen if I had summon the aeons?"
"Raul and Rindy are only binded in a magic stone. I had broken the shell of the magic barrier by performing the aurora spell. Then, when your granny was…erm… sacrificed, Raul and Rindy are essentially almost free from the binding spell."
"Wait. Rindy told me to speak the enchantment words. She said that witch's blood had been spilled and so, she told me to summon them."
"She did?" Anna was most confused.
Shane nodded. "Yes. Before you rudely interrupted me, she told me exactly that. Then, I heard some sort of voice in my head speaking a native language. It seems to be like necromancy."
"Some sort of voice in your head?" Anna asked slowly.
Shane nodded again. "Yes. Very clear."
"Male or female?"
Shane paused. He couldn't really remember. So he shook his head.
Anna frowned. "But that is impossible. Rindy's dream would never tell you that. Because the binding spell was made as such. If the one of the King's blood should utter the enchantment and summon the aeons, Rindy and Raul would become a true aeon. And they will be lost forever. They will simply be summoned and then vanished. Forever."
Shane shook his head. So many things still left unexplained. "Granny told me that when they sealed them up two years ago, they sealed them into a magic summoning stone. And that they were turned into summons. That they are already dead."
"Again, she lied to you." She paused and looked at him. "Can you try to forget everything your granny had told you so far. They're all lies."
"All of them?" He was shocked.
Anna nodded slowly. "Yes. All of them. Obviously she had a lot to lose if she had told you the truth. She could have lose her life if you'd known that a witch's blood is crucial to undo part of the spell. She could also lose the elders and her whole heritage. Incidentally, her main aim was not to let you succeed in releasing his lordship. As I told you earlier, his lordship planned to destroy the world."
"The world?" Shane was stunned.
Anna nodded simply. "Yes. If his lordship awakes, he would do that. He would not let this tragedy repeats itself."
"What tragedy?"
"The tragedy of the vicious cycle in the Night World. Every time a new and powerful king was crowned, the Night people first revered him as the lord of all heaven and earth, then jealousy grows within the hearts of the night people. His lordship says they are savages and he cannot prevent them from not feeling so. Then, some will plot, others will escape the world to the human world and make themselves known. Then.." she paused and said with great difficulty. "Little cunning groups like the witches would have grown bigger in number and power and attempts to overthrow the king and crowned a new one. Every time it was so. It would have been your turn too."
"But destroy the world? What about the dragoons? The humans? They are innocent to all this!"
Anna was amused. "Shane, when I said destroy the world, I meant the Night World. It's a short saying. Everyone in the Night World uses it…don't you?"
He remembered he was only recently crowned king. Only two years ago. Maybe he hadn't pick up all the lingos as he would have like.
Then it hit him. What a fool he'd been!
"The elders were always saying that if I release my brother, he would destroy the world. I'd thought they meant the whole world, you know, earth. So I was hesitant at first. And even then, two years ago, I had been foolish enough to think that my brother meant to destroy the whole world. And so I stupidly join forces with the witches."
Anna chuckled. "It wasn't entirely your fault. They should have been clearer in their meaning."
"But." Shane added. "The elders also told me that Raul intend to unite all the night people all over the world and destroy the human world..was that also a lie to prevent me from releasing him?"
Anna nodded. "Yes. I see you are really seeing the whole picture now."
He nodded. "I had no idea deceit ran so deep."
Anna sighed. "It is a sin, yes. And I guess the witches will forever pay for this sin they had committed."
"You were not at fault, Anna. I am glad you told me all this. At least there is still one sane witch left."
Anna smiled sadly. "But I myself is not enough. The elders probably know that I'd betrayed them. They would deal severely with me."
"I will protect you." Shane said.
She smiled. "Thank you, Shane. But I fear we may be too late. I told the elders that I would come up here and stop you. I did not think they buy it. Especially if they saw that you had not yet summon the aeons." She whispered suddenly. "For I think that the voice that spoke inside your head, giving you the enchantment, was the elders. They are powerful in their magic you see."
Shane nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. That does seem possible. But what about Raul? He told me to summon him."
"I fear that was the elders' doing as well. After all, his lordship appeared to you in a dream. He could easily had been controlled by the elders. You see, the dreams are often weaker than their true masters."
Shane nodded. "That means we have linger too long. If the elders really have intercepted the dreams and encourage me to summon them, they must be expecting Raul and Rindy to be destroyed. And if they see that they weren't destroyed, they would know that you betrayed them and that I know all the dirty truth."
Anna nodded grimly. "Yes. That also means they would seek to the last resort. They cannot let you or me, pass words of this to the night people. They would instead, seek to kill us."
Shane glanced around. Suddenly, the air around them seems thicker than usual.
"What is it?" Anna whispered.
"Strange, the other aeons are gone."
"What other aeons?"
"When I reach here earlier, there were a lot of aeons flying around this stone." He stood up and pointed at the jagged stone. It no longer illuminates the eerie blue glow.
"This stone…" Anna whispered in awe. "I can feel him. Yes. He must be trapped inside."
"Inside the stone?"
Anna nodded.
"Then how do we release him?"
The girl started to think. Shane let her. He was doing some thinking of his own. He also was digesting the hard facts that Anna had thrown at him. Somehow, it had all make sense to him.
But one thing he was confused at, was why Raul wanted to destroy the Night World. If it were true and he knew it was, then was it a right thing to do to unleash his brother again? Because even if Raul had hated the Night World to whatever personal reasons he had. The night people had been his friends, his ally. There were also his loyal council members. Shane could not imagine himself wiping them all out. He could, however, imagine the elders all dead.
It would have been a better Night World, if not for the witches, he thought.
But whatever his brother had in mind, Shane decided it was for him to tell it to him face to face. It was not right to speculate or judge by hearsay. If his brother truly hated the Night World, then Shane would listen to his reasons and then decide if it was reason enough. Because Shane thought it would be very unfair and cruel to destroy everyone in the Night World just because a few witches annoy his brother. Also, Shane finds it puzzling that Raul would want to destroy the whole of the Night World and not just a few of the night people that he hated. After all, wasn't the Night World his very own home? The place he had grown up. Together with Rindy? How could he have the heart to do it? Even Shane, having lived in the Night World for only two years, had become protective of this place he calls home. No, he would not think and make his head hurts any longer. He would just release his brother and hear him out.
He was sure Raul's story would be a very interesting tale indeed.
