Rise of the Weakest Summoner

Everyone else stood up too and followed the lady of the tower to the edge of her personal chamber. They stopped next to her and gazed out of the wide gap, giving anyone in the room an incredible view of the boulders and islands around the tall residence. People walked and flew in either form, filling the perfect landscape with signs of life and modest prosperity. It didn’t look like this particular nest of Lesser Dragons cared much about wealth past the things that were necessary to comfortably live in their society.

Rhufija turned her calm face to glance at Asterios. “The enchantments of my tower won’t cover you after we step outside. I would kindly ask you to conceal yourself once more if it’s possible. We unfortunately won’t be able to let a True Dragon walk among us without some kind of introduction first, even with me by your side.”

“They could even assume you kidnapped the Nest Mother and are parading her around to show who is in charge now,” Phatru commented.

“It’s alright. We don’t want to cause mass panic. I can hide in Althea’s shadow for as long as necessary.” He smiled at his mentor. “It would be hard to traverse this settlement otherwise. One of you would need to carry me on your back since I don’t think bringing out my wings would be a good idea. I can hide my true nature, but there’s no hiding the obvious visual hints.”

“I’m still surprised you have white hair, as opposed to a mix of red and black,” the Nest Mother added.

“Ah, yes, that might have come from my mother. At least that’s what we are currently assuming based on gathered evidence.” Asterios nodded thoughtfully. “My eyes, scales, and other features properly display my mixed ancestries. And since that mix didn’t come into the play naturally, nothing says some of her bloodline hasn’t made it into it too, just simply heavily overshadowed by the draconic energies. But, we aren’t completely sure what else besides hair color might have been passed onto me since not much of what one of my mates, Selene, experiences with her bloodline seems relevant to me. She is a pure descendant of that lineage.”

“Under normal circumstances, something like this could only result in a highly diluted final version of all three ancestries, where none have a chance to become prominent. But, for some reason, yours are the purest they can be and continue to grow alongside you properly,” Althea shared her thoughts. “I’m wondering if that might be the result of being deprived of both of your Hearts at a very young age, letting the natural source mend things together.”

~It’s possible that by trying to hide you through the operations and seals, your father accidentally created a way for you to grow exponentially stronger,~ Tia said in their minds, but the scarlet-haired woman only tensed lightly, most likely sensing and repelling the faint mental brush directed her way. ~I don’t doubt that you would be powerful even by True Dragon standards if your two Hearts were half-compatible with each other, but now, it all turned into something rather unbelievable, with another well of power joining in and holding everything together.~

“Now, that’s a thought. What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.” He chuckled softly and repeated her words to their unconnected companion.

“Would it be possible for me to listen to the Dryad’s words too?” Rhufija inquired.

“Yes, but that would require you to let me create a mental connection with you, and from what I’ve just seen, it’s most likely not something you are comfortable doing yet,” Asterios explained. “But, maybe I’ll be able to do something about it.”

“Did you come up with a solution?” The emerald-scaled lady raised a curious brow at him.

“Just like Venuzathor and Esil can communicate through the spiritual energy in the air, and how I can do the same in my draconic form, I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to recreate it more consciously while remaining a humanoid.” He stared into the distance while deep in thought. “Then, I can still repeat Tia’s responses and such but stylize my spiritual voice to sound like hers, mirroring what I hear in my head.”

~Oh! That would be lovely! Do you think it will be hard to achieve? I personally didn’t ever think to use a different voice than my own. Or more like not putting any intention behind it and letting it sound natural.~ The Dryad in question giggled joyfully.

Asterios shrugged and again conveyed her response. “I don’t know but there are thaumaturgic spells of acoustic illusory arts that rely on mimicking sounds or voices, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to recreate.”

The ladies observed him intently, especially the Nest Mother, as he dove into his mind and disassembled the magic he knew into the smallest components, trying to find a way to make it work as they intended it to. Since the ideas were quite similar, it didn’t take him long and Tia was happy to follow his thought process and minimal struggles. Soon, Asterios came back from his pondering and refocused on the world of the living.

“Now, this should do the trick.” Tia’s voice trilled cheerfully from a spot next to him, which made the owner giggle happily.

“That does sound almost like the original,” Althea praised him. “And not having to move your lips while making the sound will definitely reduce how confusing and unusual it would be for one person to talk in multiple voices of completely different tones. Great job.”

“I’ll share the details with everyone later. It’s nothing hard. Well, I can see Miria having a tiny bit of trouble with it since she’s more of a physical fighter who enchants herself and her weapons almost instinctively, but anyone who consciously uses mana for their magic should be good to go,” he replied and turned to Rhufija. “I don’t mind letting you guys in on this too, though it’s something you’ll figure out in a flash after sitting on it for a moment. I don’t believe it’s unique enough that it hasn’t been done before.”

“We most likely won’t have much use for that ability, but I shall consider this gift.” She politely inclined her head. “Let us depart now, then.”

No one disagreed with her and Asterios plunged into the floor right after, slithering underneath Althea as a shadowy spot. The Nest Mother observed the event with some faint fascination and perhaps anxiety. It would be hard to pinpoint where he could be and what he could be doing if Asterios decided to separate from them at any point. But, at the same time, there wasn’t much she could do to stop him, besides turning her whole community against his group.

The women exchanged glances and took a step past the tower’s edge. Falling for a few seconds, they shifted into their long, serpentine forms and soared forward, slithering around the many floating rocks and stone formations. Of course, Rhufija led the party as the host and guide. Since neither Phatru nor Rusilthea showed any signs of concern, it didn’t seem like the woman was luring them into a trap somewhere else in the nest.

After a while, they descended to the ground and landed in a small plaza riddled with a number of people. From there, it seemed that the rest of the trip would be covered on foot. Whenever they passed someone, that person would respectfully address the scarlet lady walking at the front of the group. The duo of fellow residents were recognized from time to time too, but since they accompanied the Nest Mother, the passersby most likely concluded that they all were on some kind of business and it was better not to interrupt it too much.

As they strolled through the streets with lots of verticality and surprising paths, Asterios noticed that they didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Naturally, they didn’t need to, but their pace was still somewhat off. He could spot plenty of routes they could have taken that appeared much simpler and more straight in one direction while they often took slightly more winding ones.

Then, he understood why.

“Having second thoughts now?” he asked through the spiritual energy as he didn’t want to spook the Nest Mother with another mental brush.

She gave away the barest flinch at his accurate remark, realizing that he knew she was slightly stalling. “My apologies, I—”

“I’m not going to blame you,” Asterios interrupted her softly. “It’s rather understandable, really. As much as helping your subjects develop and grow might be an important duty of yours, so is ensuring their safety for as long as they live inside the nest you have created. At least that’s how I perceived it from everything I heard and experienced.”

“That is correct,” she agreed with his evaluation. “And those two approaches are currently warring in my mind. I think I can see what kind of person you seem to be, especially considering the many little actions, gestures, and even ways you word your sentences in such an unlikely-for-your-kin fashion, but as someone who has come in contact with True Dragons before, that event left a lasting impression on my person, warning me to keep being skeptical no matter what.”

“I don’t remember ever hearing about that,” Rusilthea said in surprise.

“It’s not something worthy of being boastful about. I barely escaped that situation alive with my mentor and it was just a mediocre True Dragon from a less prominent lineage, belonging to one of the brown-shaded clans,” the woman replied. “Still, that female enjoyed toying with us by keeping us in uncertainty. She seemed willing to talk, but in her mind, we must have already been classified as her new slaves. I vividly remember all her assurances. Her demeanor might be incomparable to yours, having been much more revealing, but the fact that you share blood with the blacks makes it worrisome anyway.”

“Basically, you want to believe in him but it’s hard to accept the instinctual fear and suspicion.” Althea hummed quietly. “I’ve been there myself. You can say that our circumstances are similar. Someone brought him to my doorstep without any prior notice too, but I was on the verge of death at that time. He chose to resolve that problem for me, and not only that, which made it harder to ignore his goodwill than the racial distrust. Perhaps there is something he could do for you to prove his character?”

“I’m afraid your case was much more serious, Althea. Even if I take care of some task, who says that I’m not simply playing along?” Asterios asked and the three other ladies shot him frowning looks, which meant glancing at his mentor, making him chuckle. “I know it’s not helping my situation but that’s the truth. The same goes for bringing in my mates to speak their minds. She could still remain skeptical. All I can think of is sharing some of my memories, but you wouldn’t really let me in your mind, right? And unfortunately, we can’t have you dive into mine.”

“Why not?” Rhufija questioned.

“Because you could die,” he stated simply. “Countermeasures against delving too deep. Parents put them up and we’ve been trying to tear them down since the day I awakened. They fried a few people who tried to mess with my head already. I don’t think your mates would believe that you killed yourself by accident while investigating my memories. That wouldn’t help our plans.”

“Then we are in a bind.” Phatru sighed. “While risky, the best way to prove your intentions would be to have someone unbiased verify them, therefore a disciple candidate fits the requirement perfectly. In the end, a person has to go, either young and weak or mature and strong, aware that they might be sacrificing themselves.”

“I’m already going, am I not?” Rusi spun around to face the group. “I know my history isn’t the most lustrous, but if Nest Mother can trust me, I can be that person. With Asterios’ permission, I’ll regularly share everything I see and hear.”

“One can argue that by being my mate’s familiar, you won’t be able to be completely uninfluenced,” Asterios replied. “If we would want to send someone completely unbiased, we would have to wait until I gain mastery over my realm-tearing ability. Give me something like—”

He mentally recreated the sensation of glancing at his mentor and Althea smiled proudly. “A week.”

“—a week and I’ll be able to transfer anyone you appoint as your representative, Lady Rhufija,” Asterios continued. “They can then verify the truth about my realm and everything else.”

“And in the meanwhile, I’ll keep visiting with Rusilthea to share my experiences and opinions,” she further offered. “I would like to hear how the world has changed during my self-imposed exile. Traveling mentors had to bring at least some news to your doorstep, Nest Mother.”

The nest’s leader kept her pace as she evaluated the new suggestions and proposals. They gave her all the time she needed and were inclined to give her even more if it was necessary. None of the four had believed it would have been so easy to steal a bunch of young Lesser Dragons from under the watchful gaze of their honorable guardian, even if the candidates were free to chase after any decision they took. Often that decision revolved around waiting for a capable mentor, but no one forbade them from following a True Dragon into hell, though many would frown and curse their stupidity.

“I’ll go.” She finally stopped, giving Asterios her full focus. “When your ability is ready, I’ll walk through the portal myself. I’m the strongest person here and my chances of making it out alive are the highest. My mates know how to handle the nest’s affairs during my absence as it wouldn’t be the first time I had to leave its premises.”

“They definitely won’t be happy,” Phatru pointed out.

“Too bad they won’t be able to have a say in it.” The woman showed another hint of a smirk.

Althea chuckled gently, also showing a knowing smile. “I was wondering what was the outlet for your lineage with how composed and careful you are as one of the scarlet descent.”

“I’m glad we came to an even better understanding, but what about the meeting you called?” Asterios asked.

“We proceed. It can still be salvaged. I’ll just have to improvise.” Rhufija gave him a delicate shrug. “Let’s make it into two parts. The first happens today. We will have your mentor introduce herself and explain your new approach. You might want to keep any information about your true nature out of it for now so that the candidates can first digest the initial disapproval of the idea. Then, if we positively finish our investigation, we’ll host another meeting where she introduces the details and I try to reassure those who came that it’s not a lie and I have confirmed it myself.”

“Sounds good,” he admitted. “Looks like we are going to have to repeat ourselves for the fifth time today.”

“Don’t worry, my dear disciple. We won’t be personally talking with another person needing direct convincing and proper justification of our motives this time. We are going to put up a presentation for the easily excitable and adventure-craving younglings.” Althea’s eyes found Phatru’s gaze. “And to make it even more attractive, I would require a like-minded assistant.”

“I was hoping you all have forgotten about this…” Her friend sighed heavily. “Thea, I don’t fit. You know I belong more to the other side of the lectern.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, but that belief of yours is also why I need you,” she responded with a small grin. “I can play the role of the wise and experienced scholarly figure while you introduce yourself as someone much more down to earth and easier to approach. I shall dispense profound knowledge while you then explain and expand on it in simpler terms, effectively letting us both simultaneously reach academic and more adventurous minds.”

Phatru didn’t look convinced so Althea crossed the distance between them and took the other lady’s hands into hers.

“You will make a great mentor. I know it. And Rusilthea is a living proof of that.” She hugged the silver-haired woman affectionately. “Besides, think about it. She will be splitting her attention between two worlds. If you come with me to teach, you will get to spend more time with her. I’m sure Rusi would love to listen to more of your lessons.”

The person in question moved to stand next to them and nodded hopefully. “I would be thrilled to. Your explanations and stories are always so easy to digest, Ma. I sometimes wish you had become my official mentor and that we left on our journey together long ago. Not exactly in the same way, but this could be it. At the very least, it doesn’t look like anyone else can handle me, right?”

A light snicker escaped Phatru’s lips at the final comment her daughter made. She then shook her head and looked between the two most important females in her life.

“I’ll give it a try, but don’t blame me for ruining your introduction, Thea.” Phatru smiled wryly.

“Yes!” Rusi pumped her fist while jumping away, making the older woman roll her eyes.

“You won’t,” Althea instantly countered. “It’s exactly you who I need. The you that hasn’t changed in all that time we haven’t seen each other. Trust me, you will know what to do without me even telling you. Just like the old times.”

The other lady snorted. “I don’t think Nest Mother would appreciate that.”

Asterios was getting really curious about the antics the seemingly mature duo had been up to in their youth. Any more teasing and he might need to use a leverage or two on his mentor to open up or it would continue to gnaw at him forever. Althea certainly wouldn’t want his mind to be distracted during training.

Taking a few more minutes to regather themselves, the group continued on their path to the meeting place. It turned out to be not that far from where they had stopped, proving that Rhufija truly had been having doubts and leading them slightly around. The crowds of people flowing to their destination only supported that observation.

What greeted them was a somewhat steep descent in the face of the sizable rock they were currently standing on. The whole stone formation was big enough to fit the Hall of Enlightenment and not much else, its edges leaving only enough space to stand or walk around it without falling over one side or stumbling down the sloping steps.

Though a hall it might have been at some point, now it was a fully open-air amphitheater in the form of half a circle. The seating rows created cascading surfaces one above another, getting closer to the center, where a similarly shaped stage was set up. At the top of the audience and behind that stage, a few ornamental columns adorned the very border, connected with flowery vines and colorful flowers.

About half of the spots were taken by similarly colorful males and females, making it at least a few good dozen in the audience. More were trickling in while some others skirted the edges with curiosity, perhaps not viable disciple candidates and only intrigued observers from an older group. The three men accompanying the Nest Mother stood in the middle of the stage, tidying it up for the entrance of the supervisor.

Asterios took a peek at Althea and Phatru, spotting the cunning glances the duo was directing at each other.

Their plans to recruit some people might have been delayed a tad, but they were definitely in for a show.