The Summoning of Gods

Chapter 1: The Summoning

I saw a beckoning light flashing in front of me as I tried to grasp a relic from the horizon, sweat started to drip from my forehead, and a voice came to my ear.

'Why do you seek the grail; why do you want to obtain such a powerful relic? What do you desire?'.

Then the voice suddenly disappeared, and I slowly opened my eyes as I was gasping for air.

'What an eerie dream that could be.'
I stepped out from my cabin and started making elixirs and potions; this was always my daily thing.

"Look, the prodigy oaf who can't practice mage craft is making some boring potions again!" shouted some young mages on me.
I immediately shrugged and paid no attention to those foul words.

Not until I remember...
When I was a child, I was known to be an ascending prodigy of our tribe. I had learned every elemental enchantment and spell that my parents had taught me not until I found a mysterious grimoire settling from an abandoned treehouse.
At first, it was pretty weird seeing nothing from the pages of the book. But when I accidentally pricked my finger, and tiny drops of blood flowed unto the book, I felt an intense sensation which at first I thought was normal and that I had learned an ancient spell. Still, suddenly I felt dizzy, and some mysterious words started drifting in front of me, and the only thing I had remembered was that I suddenly passed out.

I woke up in our cabin surrounded by my parents with a bit of dismay on their faces.

"What happened, mom?" I asked my mother, but the only thing she replied was tears.

"Listen, my child, from now on; you won't be able to use any form of spells nor enchantments," the elder of our tribe said.

Upon hearing those words, I couldn't compose any words inside my mind, but the only word that came out of my mouth was...

"How?!".

"You see, my child, even us don't know what particular reason had made your magic crest vanished," said our elder with a calm voice.

That's why I stopped learning magic and started making some potions and elixirs.

"What's with that snobbish emotion on your face?" my friend Axel said to me after quickly appearing in front of me.

"Snobbish? Well, there is no reason why I should be sad, and why would I be sad," I said while changing my mood.

"Oh, is that so? Do you have any potions for me?"

"Well, I have a lot of it, but first pay the elixir you had bought in my shop last week" I grinned at him.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot, ha-ha, maybe I'll pay it after you gave me more potion?" Axel said with a pleading voice.

I urged and was forced to get some newly brewed potions on my cabinet.
"You should be grateful that I am your friend."

"Well, I am indeed grateful," Axel started with an enthusiastic tone.
"Have you heard about the summoning of the Gods?"

"Never heard of it; why? what was that all about?" I asked.

"Well, the summoning of the Gods is a ritual which involves relics to summon a god, and in each tribe, there would be five mages who would be chosen, but only one shall obtain the relic," Axel explained in a transparent manner while I was lending the potions to him.

"So it is just too determined who would have a God as a companion then?" I asked.

"Well, that is indeed true, but there are more things you should know about; you see, the one who obtains the relic shall participate in the main event, and it is the Battle of the Holy Grail."
"Holy Grail?" I mumbled after hearing the familiar word.
"I have to go. I need to fetch some dryad leaves from the nearby lake; thanks for the potion."

Axel placed his potions in his adventurer's backpack, he waved goodbye, and I waved back.
Meanwhile, an old beggar came approaching me, asking for a glass of water.

"My child, may I have a glass of water?" the poor beggar said in a pleading voice.

"Well, of course, Madame, have a seat, and I would get you something to drink and eat."

I hurriedly went inside and looked for something, and luckily I found a piece of bread and bottled water nearby,
"Here you go, Madame'" I said while lending her the piece of bread and the bottled water.

"Thank goodness, my son, I would like to repay you, but there is nothing I have right now," the beggar said with teary eyes.

"There is no need to repay it, Madame; it would be alright; if you want more, I can give you more; there are plenty of bread in my cabin," I replied.

"Oh, this would be enough, dear," the beggar smiled.

"I forgot I do have something here, and it's so very special to me, but as a memento for your kindness, I would gladly give it to you," the beggar stated, and she lends me a compass.

"I can't accept this, Madame. If this compass is very precious to you, why would you give it to me" I replied while denying her offer?

"Go on, take it besides, I won't use it anymore," she smiled at me while insisting on the compass.

"Well, if you insist, Madame, then I would gladly accept it," I replied.
She lent me the compass, and I gladly accepted it.

"I will also be glad if I can give you something to aid you on your long journey," I uttered.

I returned to my cabin and fetched some bread nearby, but she suddenly disappeared without a trace when I returned.
The sun had already set down, and the moon currently shines in the deep night; I was supposed to sleep already when a blinding light showed in front of me, and suddenly I was transported to a vast temple, along with me are four more teenagers.

"Why am I here?" I confusingly asked myself.

An old man's voice echoed with a cheerful voice in the air.

"Good evening, my dear mages, each and one of you had been chosen to participate in the choosing of the relic; I am Bulalakaw, the messenger, I have picked the five of you due to your supreme determination, kindness, strength, and power, this blissful night shall be the witness of who among you shall pass the trial and obtains a relic to be able to join the prestigious Battle for the Holy Grail."