The Summoner's Companion Chapter 6

Tavros woke several hours later cold, aching, and confused. He was lying on the floor, but not the floor he'd collapsed on. The bare floorboards of the tower room had been replaced by damp, chilly basement stone. His injured ribs hurt almost more than he could bear. Whatever had happened, the nurse clearly hadn't been around with pain relieving medical magic. With some difficulty, he endeavored to sit up, and heard the clinking of chain when he moved his arm. With some dismay, he raised his right hand to find it shackled, locked to the stone wall behind him. The chain was long enough to allow him to lie on the floor and have his arm held above him at least. But the metal was even colder than the floor and the ache in his wrist was only tolerable in comparison to the screaming throb of his ribs. He sniffled, confusion and fear growing. What was happening?

"You collapsed," a low voice spoke from the opposite corner of the cell and Tavros jumped in surprise, turning to see who had spoken.

At the sight of cold blue eyes, glowing in the dimness of the room, Tavros yelped and struggled to put further distance between them, hampered by his listless legs and the chain on his arm.

"You are wondering what happened, correct?" The thing in the corner spoke again, looming closer out of the darkness, "I am attempting to enlighten you."

It looked, in shape at least, mostly human. From a distance you might even say it was a boy of Tavros's age. Such comparisons became meaningless however once the dark gray blue skin was taken into account, to say nothing of the glowing blue eyes, the horns, which stabbed upwards from his skull into prongs like arrow heads. This was not a human creature, whatever it might have chosen to look like at the moment. Tavros knew those eyes. This was the thing he had summoned. The named demon.

"W-why, why are you, here?" Tavros asked, head spinning as he cowered as far from the demon as the chain would let him, "What's, happening?"

"As I was saying," The beast spoke, its voice low and calm, bringing to mind the hushed darkness of caves unexplored by man, "You collapsed. Others came, alerted by the grandeur of my arrival. They were upset. They brought you here and I, having no choice, followed. This upset them further. I do not believe they expected to see me."

"B-but, why, didn't they banish you?" Tavros asked, baffled, "How, are you here, at all? The summoning, failed!"

"Incorrect," The demon replied, "It was successful. You called. I came. You made your desires very clear."

Tavros laid down again, shaking in fearful confusion and pain from his aching ribs. He closed his eyes, deciding this was some strange dream and soon he would wake up and forget it.

"They did attempt to banish me," The demon continued, "But their attempts failed. I do not believe they have encountered an arrangement like ours before. Regardless, they seemed most concerned that I planned wanton destruction. Much as I would enjoy reducing this place to rubble, our contract prevents me from doing so. When they acknowledged I was destroying nothing and would not be separated from you, they ceased trying to discorporate me and brought us both here."

"C-contract?" Tavros moaned, not looking up from where he was huddled, fetal, in the corner, his arm outstretched at the length of its chain.

"Yes," Said the demon, "Your sacrifice was of unusual strength, but your requests are not difficult. I believe they are in my power to achieve. I am eager to begin, if you are prepared to leave."

"Leave?" Tavros repeated, groaning miserably. Nothing made sense and everything hurt and he just wanted to go home.

"I can remove us from this place at any time," The demon declared, "You need only command me to do so. I can feel your desire to go."

Tavros just groaned again and curled up tighter, miserable and overwhelmed.

"I will need a command in order to take any direct action," The demon continued, sounding slightly impatient, "I can only take the simplest defensive measures without your orders."

Tavros still said nothing, silent but for sobbing.

"Command me, human," The demon insisted, growing aggravated.

When Tavros still did not respond it cracked it long tail hard against the wall, making Tavros jump.

"Do not ignore me," It said threateningly, "We have a deal. You cannot ignore me."

"I don't know, what kind of deal we have!" Tavros wailed through his tears, "I didn't mean, to do anything like that! I just, wanted to show, that I could summon something strong, so they'd let me stay!"

For a long moment the only sound in the cell was Tavros's noisy crying.

"...I see." Said the demon after a pregnant pause, and retreated into the shadows without another word.

It left Tavros to his crying, until eventually Tavros heard footsteps approaching.

"...can't possibly let that thing anywhere near her!" Someone was saying, "It's far too dangerous!"

"If you want to tell her no, be my guest," A familiar voice replied, drawing nearer, "I'm going to do as I'm told and assume our immortal empress knows what she's doing."

A moment later Admiral Dualscar crossed in front of the bars of Tavros's cell, accompanied by a handful of imperial guards and a tall, thin man with a pinched, unpleasant face.

"Good, he's awake," Dualscar said, spotting Tavros in the corner, "Go and get the chair."

He shooed one of the guards off, eyeing the opposite corner of the cell, where the demon still sat, still and silent, watching its summoner.

Tavros did his best to sit up, scrubbing his face, suddenly hopeful. If anyone could help him now it was the Admiral.

"I'll give you this, Nitram," Dualscar said dryly, "You have a talent for finding new and spectacular ways to cause trouble. I'll be honest, I have no idea how you managed this one. Even the royal summoner is stumped."

The thin man sniffed derisively.

"It's a trick of some kind," He said, "Such a shame that even an apprenticeship to you couldn't prevent him from giving in to the criminal inclinations of his peer group. Of course it's only natural that they all turn out this way, given the socio economic pressures of our flawed system. If it were up to me I'd have euthanized them both already. It's the kinder option, really."

"How lucky for all of us then that it's not up to you," Dualscar said, giving the other man an unimpressed look, "If it were so easy I'd have done it myself as soon as I found them. That's no class one phantasm that will just dissipate if you destroy its link. That's a fully materialized demon. It's not dependent on anything to hold its form. Kill the summoner and all you've done is remove the only thing holding it back."

The royal summoner looked flustered and insulted, but seemed to have no rebuttal, at least not before the guard Dualscar had sent away returned with a wheelchair and a sack that clanked ominously.

"Boy," The Admiral called to Tavros, "Come here, to the bars."

The demon made a small noise as though to warn Tavros away, but Tavros obeyed, sniffling as he dragged himself up to the bars in front of the Admiral. The shackle around his wrist was just long enough for him to reach.

"Good, now hold still," the Admiral said, kneeling in front of Tavros. He was pulling something from the bag that the guard had brought along with the chair. Tavros recoiled at first when he saw it was a muzzle, but Dualscar's hand shot through the bars to grab him by the hair and hold him in place as he fastened the muzzle over Tavros's mouth. Tavros was smart enough to realize it was a safety measure, to keep him from issuing orders to his summons, but that didn't stop the panicked fear flailing in his chest that insisted he couldn't breathe, as though breathing weren't already difficult enough when even inhale made his ribs scream with pain.

"Hands next," Dualscar said, brusque and business like, and Tavros offered his shackled wrist awkwardly for the older man to unlock it. Rather than letting it go once the chain fell away, Dualscar pulled Tavros closer, pulling both his hands through the bars to cuff them together. Tavros's fear grew. But they had said they weren't going to kill him. This could still be okay.

"All right, you men ready?" The Admiral asked, looking back at the guards he'd brought with him, who had pulled long metal rods from the bag and were fixing them to strange, silver half circles. When they nodded, Dualscar stood and opened the door of the cell. The guards with their rods stepped forward past Tavros, holding them out towards the demon threateningly. Tavros realized belatedly that they were sections of a summoning circle.

Dualscar bent to pick Tavros up and drop him into the wheelchair unceremoniously. Tavros twisted, despite the pain in his ribs, to look over the back of the chair at the demon still in the cell. As the Admiral pushed Tavros's chair forward, widening the distance between Tavros and the demon, the demon was compelled to move forward. It couldn't leave Tavros's sight until it had received an order to do so apparently. As it moved into the light Tavros saw a sharp toothed snarl of unhappiness on its face and a sheen of sweat on its blue gray skin. As soon as it was far enough away from the wall, the guards cautiously moved to surround it, closing their moveable summoning ring around the demon and infusing it with power. The demon shuddered, but didn't fight back, or ever remove its eyes from Tavros. Tavros noticed for the first time a line of silver laid into the ground around his cell.

The Admiral began pushing Tavros's chair again and Tavros focused ahead of them. Two of the guards not occupied with corralling the demon lifted Tavros's chair to carry him up a set of stairs. As they emerged Tavros realized they were still at Dualscar's estate, merely a part of it he'd never seen. The little dungeon he'd been kept in was part of an outbuilding a good distance from the house. As they proceeded towards the main building Tavros's eyes were drawn to the fourth floor tower and he paled to see it was no longer there. Not a single wall of the tower was still standing. It was like an open wound, a gash in the side of the house. He'd destroyed it entirely. Tavros swallowed hard in fear.

The Admiral wheeled Tavros's chair inside, the demon following placidly behind them, and turned towards the dining hall, the doors of which were under heavy guard. They stepped aside however as Dualscar approached, all of them eyeing the demon behind Tavros warily. The doors opened and Tavros rolled in, heart racing against his aching ribs. He was going to pass out again soon, he thought, if he didn't get some anesthetic medicine.

The dining hall was dark, lit only by a few heavily shuttered lanterns. Tavros had heard rumors that the empress couldn't bear bright light. The tables had been removed, leaving only the Admiral's throne like chair on the dais at the head of the room. There was someone sitting in it, someone enormous and wreathed in shadow. She must have been twice the Admiral's height, though Tavros could see little in the darkness. All he knew was she felt vast and terrifying and incomprehensible. He wished suddenly that he was back in his cell.

"Bring it closer," Came a rich, throaty voice from the huge shape in the shadows. When Dualscar started to signal the guards sheparding the demon forward she hissed in annoyance.

"Not that one, dumbass," She said, "The interesting one."

After a moment of confused hesitation, Dualscar pushed Tavros's chair closer to the empress. She leaned forward in her throne to see him better, her jewelry clinking and glittering in the faint light of the lanterns, but Tavros still couldn't see anything of her but a dark silhouette.

"Look at this lil scrap," She said with a short, sharp laugh, "No way in shell he did this by himself. Who you coverin for, lil fish?"

Tavros, still muzzled, could say nothing.

"Fascinating," The empress said anyway, as though Tavros's silence had been a clever retort.

She spoke with the casual, abrasive dialect that Tavros had heard most of the people on the island speak with growing up. He'd only heard a handful of people use it once he came here however, and they had all been servants and street urchins. It might have been comforting to hear something he so associated with home, were it coming from anyone else. But it felt strange and disingenuous from her mouth. He felt a creeping sense of distrust.

"I and the rest of the royal contingent of summoners are already working on a solution, your imperial majesty," The thin man said, stepping forward, "I guarantee I will have the both of them humanely disposed of within the week."

"I didn't ask you to speak," The empress said, and though her voice was quiet it carried more menace than any six words Tavros had ever heard. The royal summoner paled and stepped quickly back again.

"Besides," The empress said more lightly, sitting back in her throne, "Why would I want to get rid of him? He's the most clam interesting thing I've seen in a whale's age. Could be shella useful too. He's got that thing well in hand, don't he? Look at it sitting pretty over there, quiet as a guppy fart. Ain't you well behaved?"

She addressed the demon for the first time, but it said nothing, only stared back at her silently.

"What's the terms, demon?" The Empress insisted, "What deal you use to hook this boy?"

The demon said nothing at first, then turned his head towards Tavros. Tavros could only shrug, his eyes wide and worried.

"He gave himself to me entirely," The demon answered at last, "In return I am to help him become a great summoner. I own him."

The empress cackled, abrupt and sharp. The shadow of her as she sat in her throne barely moved as she loosed her staccato bark of amusement.

"You got duped, friend," She said to the demon, "He don't own himself to give to you. He belongs to Dualscar. And Dualscar belongs to me. That means you're working for me now, handsome."

The demon said nothing, but Tavros had a feeling demonic contracts didn't work that way.

"You was gonna take him to the front, right?" The empress said after a moment, not taking her gaze from the demon though she was addressing the admiral, "That's what I was luggin the whole entourage out here for, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dualscar agreed, "He was intended to accompany myself and the other chosen apprentices to the front, before his accident. It was assumed after he fell that would no longer be possible."

"So you did all this cause you wanted to go on the class trip, kid?" The empress asked Tavros with another stiff laugh, "What a funny little minnow. Take him with you."

"Ma'am?" Dualscar squawked, voice breaking in surprise.

"Well you sure as the tides can't leave him here with a demon like that," The empress said sharply, "And I don't want him destroyed just yet. I wanna see what he can do. Lil fish might just turn out to be useful."

Tavros could tell Dualscar wanted to argue, but he wasn't that stupid. After a moment he bowed, respectfully, his mouth a thin, pressed line of aggravation.

"Yes, your imperial majesty," He agreed, "I will do my best to find a use for him."

"You betta," The empress purred, "I'll be keeping a close eye on this one. Oh, and, if the worst should happen?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Try to point him at the enemy."

They wheeled Tavros out of the dining room, and Tavros breathed freely for the first time since they'd entered the room. He imagined he could still feel her eyes on him, like something slimy sliding over his skin. How could someone so terrifying be related to Princess Feferi?

Of course, as soon as he started breathing again, his ribs started hurting again. He wheezed behind the muzzle, slumping in his chair to try and shift his weight away from the aching bone.

"Take him back to the cell," Dualscar instructed the guards, "He can wait there until we leave. I'm still not convinced he's got that thing under control and I don't intend to take chances. And get a doctor in there. The empress will have all our heads if he dies."

The Admiral hurried away, but the royal summoner lingered with the guards a little longer as they began wheeling Tavros away. Once they were around the corner, the thin man caught the arm of the chair, jerking it to a stop so that he could lean in, close to Tavros's face.

"I sincerely advise you to toe the line," He hissed, "In as much as you are physically able, given your condition and your natural inclinations as a person of such ignoble stock. The empress's interest in you is only natural, given her innate magnanimity and wisdom and your own comparatively pathetic existence. But it won't last. Should you survive the front lines which, and I apologize if this upsets you but I must be honest, is not very likely; Her interest will fade. And then I will put you down, both for the safety of others and for the sake of your own pitifully low quality of life. Look forward to it."

With that he turned and swept away, leaving Tavros and the guards surrounding him stunned for a moment.

"Cranky Kankri," One of the guards said after a moment, shaking his head. One of the others laughed, and the conversation turned to idle chatter about the insufferable summoner as they pushed Tavros back to his cell.

A few hours later, having been seen by a doctor and no longer in so much pain, Tavros lay on the floor of his cell, trying to process everything that had just happened.

He'd got his wish, for one thing. He was going to the front with Eridan and Kurloz and Aradia. He was still a summoner. He'd even been able to meet the Empress. It seemed like he'd traded his chance at a long or peaceful life in order to get though. He glanced at the demon in the corner, who hadn't spoken since they'd the meeting with the Empress.

"I guess, this means we're going to be together, a while," Tavros said quietly, wondering if it would answer.

"For a life time," It said at once, "However long that will be."

It was a grim statement and Tavros fell silent again for a while. But he was eight, and scared, and lonely, and so wouldn't ignore his only companion for long.

"Your name is, Equius, right?" He asked.

"That is a butchered but easily pronounced section of my name, yes," The demon replied, "I would not expect a human to be able to remember all of my title. You may call me Equius."

"I'm Tavros," Tavros said.

"I know," Said Equius.

"Equius?" Tavros said, staring up at the stony ceiling of the cell, "Are you, scared?"

"No," Said Equius, "In fact, I am the happiest I have ever been."

Tavros glanced over at the demon's severe expression, frown as immovable as the stone that surrounded them. Maybe his face was just like that.

"You do not need to be afraid either," Equius continued, "I will not allow them to kill us. Your death would prevent me from completing my half of the contract. I do not require your direct orders to defend us from immediate harm."

"I, thought you would want me, to die," Tavros said quietly, "Wouldn't that, set you free?"

"No," Equius replied, and did not elaborate even as the silence stretched on.

"We can still leave this place," Equius said after a moment, "At any time you wish. You only have to command me."

"I wouldn't, know where to go," Tavros answered, "And, I still want to be a summoner, in spite of all of this. If, we left, I don't think that would, ever be able to happen."

"I believe the chances are slim as it stands," Equius replied, "More so than I expected when our bargain was struck. It has been a long time since one of my kind was in your world for more than a moment. Things are... different."

"Different, how?" Tavros asked, curious and glad for the distraction.

"All humans are naturally inferior to demons," Equius replied casually, "But it seems you are regarded as inferior even among other humans. This is most unusual. In the past, anyone who summoned one of my ilk would have to be among humanity's best. That I have been bound to one obviously so low is... distressing."

"I'm not, low," Tavros argued, bothered that even a demon would think he was less just because he was common and dark skinned, "I'm, the same as any of them, really, where it counts. Didn't I prove, I can be just as good as any of them, by summoning you?"

The demon hummed noncommittally, unconvinced. Tavros rolled over to face the wall, frustrated and hurt.

"I'm going to be a summoner," He said, clinging to his determination like a life raft, "I'll prove it to you, and everyone else. I'll put my name in the registry right under my dad's and they'll never be able to say people like me can't do it again."

"It will change nothing," Equius replied, "They will dismiss your family as a lone exception and carry on as they always have."

"Shut up," Tavros grumbled, curling up tighter.

It wasn't much of an argument, but Equius obeyed and remained silent as Tavros listened to the growling of his stomach and tried to sleep.

It had been early morning when he was brought before the empress. It was late afternoon before the rushed preparations for the Admiral's departure were completed. The trip having been delayed so many times, nothing and no one was ready when it was actually time to leave. Especially not with the added complication of the Empress's retinue deciding it would travel with them. Princess Feferi would be going with them only part of the way before departing for the seaside palace. But the Empress hadn't visited the front recently and declared she wished to look out on all she had conquered. She would be traveling with them all the way to the eastern continent.

They took Tavros from his cell when everything was almost done, thankfully not binding or muzzling him this time, although the chair they put him in had both attached in case he should get out of line. He did his best to seem unthreatening. Equius walked beside him, surrounded by the moving binding ring. Tavros wasn't sure it was doing anything to contain him, but he also knew Equius wasn't going to start any trouble unless Tavros asked him to. Hopefully, the guards would realize that eventually as well and stop with the unnecessary precautions.

"Tavros!"

Tavros looked up in confusion at the sound of his own name. They'd been wheeling him towards the caravan out front of the main house where everything was being loaded up to leave. Including, it seemed, the other apprentices. It was Eridan who'd shouted at him. Kurloz was standing beside him and, a little distance apart, Vriska was standing as well, looking at him with something akin to mingled horror and surprise. Eridan, on the other hand, looked jubilant. He rushed towards Tavros, only stopping when the guards stepped between them.

"Get out of the way," He said imperiously, "That's my friend!"

"I'm afraid we can't let you come any closer sir," The guard said apologetically, "Empress's orders. He's dangerous."

Eridan scoffed.

"About as dangerous as a church mouse," He said, "Move."

He shoved past the man with all the determination of an eight year old possessed. The guard might have stopped him, but while they were distracted Kurloz had already slipped past them and was standing by Tavros's chair.

"I thought you were dead!" Eridan said, bending down to hug Tavros despite Tavros's pained wheezing at the pressure on his ribs, "We all heard the tower explode, but no one would tell us what happened! What the heck did you do?"

"Uh, well, I," Tavros said, unsure how to explain. Kurloz was already staring past him at the demon, but Eridan didn't seem to have noticed him yet. Tavros glanced over at Equius and Eridan's eyes eventually followed. He blinked twice in confusion, then his eyes widened.

"That isn't-" He said, "You didn't- Is that what I think it is?"

"His name, is Equius," Tavros said bashfully.

"He's named?!" Eridan asked, voice cracking, "How?! How is he not tearing us all into as many pieces as he did that tower right now!?"

"I, uh, I bound him," Tavros said with a little shrug, "He's, uh, well, I don't really understand all of it myself right now, but, he's kind of, a part of me, now. We have, a deal."

"Well, so long as you have a deal," Eridan said sarcastically, "I guess that's all right then."

Kurloz patted Tavros's shoulder in apparent sincere congratulations, and gave Equius a thumbs up. Tavros had never seen the older boy look so proud. Eridan glared at him in disapproval.

"Tavros this is ridiculous," Eridan said, "Can't you just... get rid of it?"

Tavros shook his head meekly.

"They, tried," He said, "Even, the royal summoner, couldn't banish him. We're, stuck with each other. But, there is good news."

Eridan and Kurloz's eyes both widened expectantly.

"Well, uh, first of all," Tavros said, "They can't kill me, which is good, because, they wanted to. But, they're worried, it'll release Equius, to run rampant, so, I'm kind of safe? And, uh, second, they're letting me, go to the front, with you guys. They, think I'll be, useful."

He smiled a little, almost proud of that thought. He'd never really been useful before.

"That's fantastic!" Eridan said as Kurloz ruffled Tavros's hair, "Especially the not dying thing! But that you get to go with us is amazing too! I mean, it's not the greatest circumstances, but at least you'll be there! I can't wait to tell Aradia, she's going to be so excited you're alive. She wasn't going to come with us after you got hurt, she wanted to stay here with you- oh, messiahs, we're about to leave! She's gonna get left!"

Kurloz was already vaulting across the lawn before the words were all the way out of Eridan's mouth, long legs carrying him in absurd bounds across the grass as he sprinted towards the kitchens.

"Well, come on," Eridan said, "Let's get you and your... weird demon thing... settled in the carriage."

"Excuse me, sir," One of the guards finally interrupted, "The prisoner and his demon are to ride in the back, under guard, for the safety of the rest of the passengers."

"I think you'll find, actually, that he's not," Eridan said, giving the guard a look of disdain that would have rivaled even one of his father's best scowls, "Or would you like me to go and get the princess to tell you herself how very wrong you are?"

Tavros grinned, feeling like his chest was full of helium. He still couldn't get over how lucky he was to have friends like Eridan and Kurloz and Aradia. He didn't deserve one of them, let alone all three.

Eridan took the handles of Tavros's chair and pushed him on and, unsure who they answered to in this situation, the guards followed helplessly as he took Tavros to the grand carriage the apprentices were sharing. Vriska was not in it, to Tavros's relief, though he couldn't help wondering where she'd vanished to. Eridan had the guards load Tavros into the carriage and stow his chair somewhere else. Then the complicated issue of what to do with Equius was reached. The guards were still standing by him, keeping him surrounded by the moving summoning circle, and despite Eridan's insistence, would neither hand over their duties to Eridan nor release the demon. And they certainly wouldn't fit in the carriage with Tavros, Eridan, Kurloz, and Equius on top of everything else.

"Equius," Tavros asked at last, just to end the argument, "Those, uh, the circle thing. Is it, doing anything to you? I mean, is it holding you back, at all?"

"Command me to demonstrate their effectiveness," Equius ordered bluntly, "Order me."

Tavros shifted a bit uncomfortably, but agreed.

"Okay, uh, I order you to, uh, give a, small, very small, demonstration, of the effectiveness, uh, of the moving summoning circle thing, without, hurting anyone, please."

Without hesitation, Equius reached out and bent both half circles ninety degrees with barely a touch. The guards dropped them immediately with a comical yelp.

"That was, uh, a good demonstration," Tavros said, in case Equius tried to keep going, "Thank you, Equius. So, um, as you can see, those are really, not necessary. I think, we'll be fine, actually? So long as I don't, um, order him to do anything, stupid."

The guards, at their limit, gave up and fled to go ask Dualscar how to proceed. In the meantime, Equius climbed into the carriage and took the seat next to Tavros in silence.

Eridan, a little warily, climbed in after.

"You promise you really have control of that thing, right?" Eridan asked, eyeing Equius mistrustfully.

"I am not a thing," Equius replied before Tavros could, "I am a being superior to you in every conceivable way. And he does not control me. We have a deal. Which involves me following his orders. Your safety in particular was an explicit part of the contract. You have nothing to fear from me."

"Well," Eridan said, scooting a little further away from Equius, "That does answer that."

A few minutes later, Kurloz returned and climbed into the carriage. Aradia followed him in a flurry of dark hair in order to throw herself at Tavros, hugging him tightly.

"I can't believe you're alive!" She said, nearly sobbing with relief, "And you're coming with us! Kurloz was signing so fast I didn't understand half of it. Something about a demon? Is that it? I don't even care I'm just so glad you're okay! And think about the things we're going to see together!"

Tavros, slightly embarrassed, explained everything to her as she settled into the carriage. Tavros, Equius, and Kurloz took one side while Eridan and Aradia sat on the other. There was an empty seat that should have been Vriska's, but as the carriage started moving she had yet to reappear. Tavros assumed she must have found a seat somewhere else on the caravan. He couldn't imagine she would have cared for the company in this one. As Tavros talked to Aradia, Equius maintained his usual silence. It was strangely easy to forget he was there, for all that he was a blue, horned demon. He melted into the shadows and out of conscious thought with incredible ease. Tavros imagined it must be part of the 'secrecy and obfuscation' part of Equius's description in the book of named summons. If you weren't thinking actively about him, he ceased to exist, in a way. But Tavros kept an eye on him, not thinking it would be wise to forget there was a demon in the carriage, or kind to ignore someone who was so connected to him now. Most every time he glanced up at the demon from his conversation with the other apprentices, he found Equius staring at Aradia with a strange expression on his face. Tavros was tempted to ask what the demon was thinking, but he had a feeling it might be better to ask that in private.

Eridan was appalled at how Tavros had been treated since the summoning. Aradia was outraged that Tavros hadn't asked for their help. Kurloz just kept beaming proudly, like Tavros was his baby brother who'd just summoned his first class one. He and Aradia had apparently been working out a series of hand signals to help him communicate more easily, but according to Aradia he still avoided using them when he could. He seemed to think it was defeating the purpose of his vow of silence. Tavros supposed he could understand that, but it was good to know they could communicate with him at least a little now. Though, at the same time, Tavros suspected he would never be entirely certain of Kurloz's motivations for anything.

"So what do you think this means," Eridan asked eventually, gesturing vaguely in Equius's direction, "For the future, I mean. Can you go on being an apprentice with something like that chained to you? Can you still summon?"

"I, think I can," Tavros said with a frown, "I haven't, tried yet, but, I've, had him summoned for, uh, more than a day now, and I don't feel tired, or drained. I don't think, he needs my energy, to maintain himself, the way most summons do. Or, at least, what he needs is so little I haven't noticed. I think, I could still summon other things."

"Once we're on the ship, maybe we could try something small," Eridan suggested, "Just to see."

"I'm sure you'll still be able to," Aradia said with a grin, "I've never heard of anyone being able to hold a named summon like this. Even the masters only ever hold them in their circles for a few minutes. That you've materialized him fully and he's not rampaging through the country side has got to make you the greatest summoner who ever lived!"

Tavros turned abruptly scarlet.

"N-no, no way," He said, shaking his head, "I just, stumbled into this. It was, mostly accidental. I got, lucky, is all. I barely, know anything..."

"Greatest summoner who ever lived," Aradia repeated, "I'm calling it now. You're going to change the world, Tavros."

"At the very least you're going to change the course of the war," Eridan agreed, "I can't even imagine what that thing will be able to do when you set it loose in battle."

Tavros felt Equius shift uncomfortably beside him, echoing his own unsettled feelings at Eridan's words.

"I'm, not sure I should," He said, "I mean, uh, give him an order, like that. Aren't, most demons, all about finding the loophole, in your orders, so they can run around, destroying stuff? Maybe, I should avoid giving him, uh, violent orders?"

"That's a good point," Aradia agreed, "It could be too dangerous to give him any orders."

"What? So you just want him to go to waste?" Eridan asked, offended, "That thing is an incredible resource. If you don't use him what's the point?"

"The point is not giving him a chance to turn on us," Aradia said bluntly, "You're so reckless, you never think about the consequences!"

Tavros tuned them out as they started arguing, looking up at Equius instead, finding he was strangely worried about how the demon was taking this frank discussion of his usefulness and potential for treachery. Equius's expression was carefully blank and Tavros could read nothing from it. But perhaps he was wrong to even be worried. Demons weren't the same as humans after all. They didn't feel things the same way. It was possible this didn't bother him at all.

Summons, the constructs filled with energy that most summoners created, only ever had a single desire. Usually it was something simple, like the stage one constructs he and his brother had made as children, which only wanted to fly towards the light. The stronger the construct, the more complex the desire. But there was only ever the one aspect to its identity, and that desire was something the summoner either fostered (if for example they were creating a combat summon and the summon's natural desire was to destroy things) or overwrote with a desire of their own. Demons were a part of the demonic plane that gathered together, all of it wanting the same thing hard enough to become, temporarily, solid and separate from the rest of the plane. Then the ancient sorcerers had trapped them like that. So that must mean Equius, and all demons, had a driving desire the same as any construct. Probably a very complex one, considering how powerful they were. But it was still just a single desire, a single trait in an otherwise stagnant shell. They weren't like humans who could want many things and change those desires any time. Or at least, Tavros didn't think they were. Equius probably wasn't capable of being hurt by Aradia and Eridan's words. He'd mentioned being happy earlier, but that might have just been a figure of speech. Or maybe moving towards whatever his driving desire was really did make him happy. Tavros found himself hoping he could be alone with Equius again soon and really talk to him about these things, now that he wasn't so scared. He wanted to learn everything he could.

The caravan of carriages took them away from Dualscar's country home and back towards the capitol city. Tavros, looking at the tall buildings and spires approaching, found himself thinking of his brother. Had Rufioh ever received his message? Was he looking for Tavros in the capitol now? What would he do when he found out Tavros was going to the eastern continent? He wondered if his father, far away on the island, had heard about Tavros's accident yet. He wondered if anyone would tell him about what Tavros had done.

"Um, Eridan?" He asked suddenly, "Can I, uh, do you have, any stationary?"

"Yes of course," Eridan said, "Any proper socialite should always be ready for letter writing. Or so says my father. Why?"

"I, uh, I was hoping, I could write a quick letter to my dad," Tavros said, a little embarrassed, "I haven't, written to him since the accident. I want him, to know what happened."

"We'll be at the docks soon," Eridan warned, already digging in his bag to hand Tavros a beautiful glossy sheet of illuminated stationary and a pencil, "You'll have to write fast if you want to send it before we depart."

"Thank you," Tavros said gratefully, and fumbled for a moment before Kurloz handed him the little slate Tavros had been using to do his small summons on a few days before. Tavros blinked at in surprise, wondering where Kurloz had found it, then smiled at the other boy warmly.

"I'll, try to be quick," He said, "I just, don't want to leave him, in the dark."

He wrote carefully in spite of the need to hurry, the jostling carriage making it difficult to keep his letters legible. But they were already in the city. It would take maybe a half an hour to get everything loaded before they needed to leave. That would be just enough time for Tavros to find someone to send his letter, so he had to finish writing it before they stopped. So he kept things simple.

"Dad," The letter read, "You may hear about it before this gets to you. Some things happened. I'm okay. I got hurt but I'll be all right. I'm still going to be a summoner. I summoned something big. You may hear about that too. I'm going to the battle front on the eastern continent with the Admiral and his best apprentices. I'm one of those, best apprentices, I mean. I'm going to do good and I hope you'll be proud, in spite of what's happened. I'm not going to give up. Love, Tavros."

When the carriage stopped, it was early evening, the sun nearly set. Eridan took the letter to go find someone to send it, promising he'd pay for it and telling Tavros to stop being so silly when he objected.

Meanwhile, Kurloz and Aradia helped Tavros out of the carriage and found his chair again. Equius, as usual, drifted quietly behind, for the most part unnoticed. The ship they were boarding was huge, even bigger than the one the Admiral had brought to pick up Tavros from the island. It was a warship, heavy and intimidating and heavily armed. There would be armada summoners on board as well as regular soldiers and sailors. The Admiral met them near the gangplank, carefully not looking at Tavros.

"Where is my idiot son?" He asked, "Did his incredible foolishness in allowing a treacherous prisoner and an unrestrained demon to ride in the carriage with him get him eaten on the way here?"

"No, sir," Tavros answered, "He just, uh, had to mail a letter. He'll be back, soon."

"Pity," Dualscar growled, and Tavros almost thought he meant it, "I hope you enjoyed the ride, because it's the last time you'll be wandering unrestrained while under my command. You and that thing are a danger, and you will be treated like it. You'll be spending the voyage in the brig under constant guard, muzzled except during meals. You will-"

"Admiral!" Came a cheerful voice, and Dualscar swiveled quickly to bow in respect as Princess Feferi all but skipped towards them, Eridan a step behind her. He winked at Tavros conspiratorially.

"Oh, good, are you telling everyone where they'll be staying?" The princess asked, as bubbly and bright as champagne, "I do hope mister Nitram's room isn't too far from mine and mothers. She's most excited about him you know. Wants him treated well."

She gave Dualscar a hard look behind her sweet smile. Tavros had a feeling it was more the princess behind this than her mother, but the Admiral couldn't say so without challenging the princess and endangering his own position. He huffed angrily through his nose.

"The princess does of course realize the danger he and his uncontrolled summon pose," Dualscar said diplomatically, "She wouldn't make the mistake of allowing such a severe physical threat to herself and her imperial mother to wander freely unless she truly understood the risks?"

"The 'uncontrolled' summon is standing right there," Feferi said with a smile, "And from what I've been told it's barely done anything since mister Nitram bound it, let alone anything that would make it seem a threat. Mister Nitram seems to have it entirely in hand. And if I'm very honest, Admiral, threatening the summoner that demon has been charged to protect seems like the far more risky move to me."

Tavros almost thought he could see a flush on Dualscar's cheeks. He didn't think the man had ever had his authority challenged so many times in one day. He cast Tavros an icy glare and Tavros's heart sank as he realized the man had officially decided Tavros was a personal threat to him again. That would not make this trip easier.

"Very well, your highness," The Admiral said, his words crisp with tension, "I will ensure you and all the apprentices, mister nitram included, are housed near one another. You and your mother's rooms are in the stern. Please allow me to show you both there myself."

"You may show me there," Feferi said with a warm smiled, unbothered by the older man's frostiness, "My mother will board the ship in her own time, as she always does."

"Of course," The Admiral replied, unsurprised but annoyed, "Please follow me."

The apprentices fell in behind the princess, followed by a host of servants, mostly the princess's, carrying her luggage. Aradia was grudgingly carrying Eridan's lightest bag as part of her cover. She was now officially employed as Eridan's personal maid. She was not thrilled with this, but it had at least allowed her to come with them, and neither Tavros nor Kurloz would let him get away with harassing her too much. It seemed to Tavros, though tension remained between them, they'd grown closer while he was injured and developed a kind of reluctant respect for one another. They may have only tolerated each other for Tavros's sake, but it seemed they were no longer so at odds that Tavros would need to worry about keeping them off each other's throats.

The Admiral led them on to the deck of the ship and Tavros touched Kurloz's hand to stop the older boy pushing his chair, so that he could pause and stare in thrill of wonder at the bustle of activity that was the upper deck. Crewmen rushed in the final preparations for the launch and the deck was strung with bright lanterns like gems on a necklace to illuminate their work. The ocean was a glittering plane of shattered black glass shifting and reflecting the silver blue light of the moon above them. It was frigidly cold, Tavros's breath a ghost before him, but he barely noticed. Kurloz, significantly thinner than Tavros and having apparently forgotten to wear a winter coat, was feeling the wind far more acutely, and tapped Tavros's shoulder to hurry him on. Tavros nodded, embarrassed, and they proceeded, hurrying to catch up with the others. Equius lingered a moment longer on deck, staring up at the moon. He breathed in the cold air deeply, seemingly unbothered by the chill though he wore as little as when Tavros had first summoned him. Had Tavros seen him there he might have wondered if Equius were about to take off, fly into the light of the moon like those butterflies so long ago. But after a moment Equius only turned away and followed his summoner down below the deck and in to whatever strange future awaited them both.