Summoner of all Trades

Chapter 3: Aaridian

The castle walls soared into the sky, an impenetrable force that would dishearten me if I was an enemy. But then again, I was brought here because of a force that threatened the people within the walls. I couldn't be too laid back because I was some hotshot summoner all of a sudden, considering I still had no clue how I even summoned the animal walking to my right.

Estelle was to my left, but she didn't look very comfortable considering she had seen what the hellhound could do and so had I. I felt queasy at first, staring at what the hellhound had done to those two men, but they would have put an arrow through my skull, and that isn't the last thing I would have wanted to see.

Then again, I'm sure they didn't want to see the jaws of a hellhound last either... but they were on the wrong side of the battle. In all honesty, I wasn't prepared for war. I didn't want to have to deal with watching people die, but it was something that just had to happen... War leads to peace, for however long that lasts. It's a strange cycle.

It wasn't long before we stood at the walls. A giant door rose into the sky and a man peered over the ledge at the top of the tower. "Ah! Lady Estelle and Sir Arnold! You've returned safely! I imagine the boy standing next to you is the Summoner, no?" The man asked, his deep voice booming down to us.

"You would be correct!" Estelle yelled back up at him.

"Did you also summon his mutt in the process?" The man asked, the door in front of us slowly swinging open. Since the ground around the doors was already smoothed out, there wasn't much shaking in the ground or noise.

"That... he summoned himself." Arnold chuckled.

"The boy already knows how to summon? But why a mutt?" The soldier was now looking at me for an answer. Arnold had originally told me that the hellhound may be reacting to my thoughts, so I looked down at the animal and it looked up at me.

Flames sparked along its back and the hair on its body turned black except around certain portions of its head which turned white instead. The white around its head made it look like the creature was just bone, as it took the shape of a skull. The hellhound warmed the air around us and the soldier's eyes widened.

"Holy goddess above! The boy summoned a demon?!" The soldier's mouth dropped.

"Technically, its a hellhound." I crossed my arms. "Don't worry, I have it under control." I say, lowering my hand to its head. The hellhound extinguished its flames and its hair returned to its normal maroon color, which made it more difficult to see within the dark.

The soldier held his hand to his forehead, trying to make sense of the teenager traveling with Estelle and Arnold. "Come on in... I'm sure King Leon would love to have a word with you, Summoner." The soldier addressed me. The doors were fully open and I could finally see the inside of Aaridian.

It was a beautiful city, its streets made of a smooth stone that lead to the entrance of the castle. There were shops selling all assortments of things, which included weapons, strange foods, clothing, and some kind of drinks. Potions, maybe? One of them was glowing, so I wasn't exactly sure. Maybe it was poison...

"If we follow this path, it should take us right to King Leon." Arnold pointed at the path in front of us lit with colored crystals.

"Right to him, huh? Well, I always wondered what the inside of a castle looks like. There isn't much where I come from, so this will definitely be an interesting experience." I sighed, looking over at Estelle. "The soldier called you Lady Estelle. And you, he called you Sir Arnold. Is there any reason behind that?"

"Just to be polite, I imagine." Arnold answered. "Come on then, we've got a ways to go. Yer legs better not be tired, lad." Arnold chuckled, walking ahead of Estelle and I. He was a bundle of energy for how old he looked.