Rise of the Weakest Summoner

“I really hope this is not going to become a thing.” Asterios continued to clean his face while looking at the clear imprint of his body in the mud before him.

A crimson gate rose from the ground by his side and the ladies slowly poured out of it. Miria jumped forth first and let out a faint gasp as she almost slipped on the slick surface, catching herself on her beloved master for support. Thankfully, she didn’t bring them both down and smiled at him shyly, aware of the accident they had somehow avoided. 

She then proceeded to help with his problem by employing the assistance of a moist cloth she had in her furry hands. Tina appeared by her side a moment later, carrying her serpent-like aquatic familiar Firo on her shoulder, who produced some fresh water for the girls so they could wash Ast’s face properly while the small beast sprayed his clothes with a focused jet. Asterios let them go at it with a slightly amused smile.

When the others entered his vision, he noticed that they had no trouble moving over the difficult terrain and saw the faint glimmer of bluish energy covering the mud with a protective layer. Selene’s work, undoubtedly. He too stepped on top of it, bringing Miria and Tina with him so that his vulpine mate could close the gap he had been standing in.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you have a thing for being on the bottom, but fortunately, I have enough experience to see past your recent need to stay close to the ground.” Grea snickered at him with a cheeky grin.

Asterios thanked the kind duo with a quick peck on the cheek each and turned around, briefly meeting Selene’s eyes on the way to his demon lover.

“Funny thing coming from someone who would rather enjoy a quick roll in the mud given the chance, don’t you think?” He smirked back at her.

When the barrier under Grea’s feet dematerialized, she had just enough time to yelp in panic and grab his clothes while hanging off the closest edge by the tips of her shoes as her form tilted dangerously backward.

“You wouldn’t do it.” She looked up at his face as one of his brows rose in challenge. “It would ruin my clothes?”

“What clothes?” Ast’s smirk grew as he brought up his hand to show her the spatial band coiling around his finger.

He made it clear that he could make them disappear in a blink and she had no way of stopping him.

“I admit that the idea does sound intriguing, but let’s not get too hasty, okay? We have a guest among us, right? What would she think of us after seeing that, huh?” Her own grin had already turned wry and partially desperate.

“Since when has the presence of another been an issue for you?” Asterios chuckled, leaning forward a bit more.

Grea pulled herself closer to his chest, feeling her feet gradually slip off the spiritual ledge. But, before she could fall into the swampy earth, an arm wrapped itself around her waist and fixed her up to a more manageable position, allowing her to let out a deep sigh of relief. The darker shade of red decorating her cheeks and the timid glance she directed up at Asterios made it obvious that she’d lost this round of teasing. To make it up to his impish mate, he compensated for her loss with a light kiss before putting Grea down by his side.

“Let’s maybe step off this swamp before someone else falls into it by accident,” Selene said with a sly tone and everyone moved to the solid, grassy ground.

Including Rusi, who was the mentioned guest.

Asterios glanced their new friend’s way and received a casual smile in response. He hadn’t exactly been expecting any specific reaction from Rusilthea, but it looked like Tina or the girls had already made their rather intimate and teasing interactions not be something to be surprised about.

“So, we aren’t in Eabiarhia this time either, Master?” Bryn asked as she surveyed the lush forest surrounding them.

“Unless I have missed the part about talking frogs being a common thing?” Asterios turned to his beastkin ladies.

“I can’t say for sure, Master, but I’ve never heard of anything like that.” Miria shook her head.

“And neither have I,” Selene added. “Plus, the moon does kind of give it away.”

At her words, they all looked up through the gap in the branches and realized she was right. The moon in this realm was massive and had a mystical, chromatic glimmer to it, shimmering with a rainbow of colors.

“Well, they say that the third time’s a charm.” Silvia shrugged softly. “You might want to work on your landing a little bit, though.”

“That much is obvious.” He snorted. “Looks like I’m barely figuring this thing out.”

“You have managed to figure out the most crucial part of it, though.” A familiar voice joined in from behind, and this time, it was only Rusi who got scared by the unexpected appearance of another person, jumping a step away and taking a tense pose.

Grea cackled at the mocha-skinned woman. “I had a feeling you would show up, bitch! You are getting predictable! Might as well stop trying to startle us just for fun at this point! You got lucky we have a newbie with us this time!”

“Why do you think I’m doing this for fun?” Abyss replied with her iconic lack of emotions, though Asterios could sense the faint note of amusement from the mysterious entity. “I’m simply making myself known to you by speaking up properly.”

The looks that Ast’s group shared told a different story. But, no one felt the need to play word games with the cryptic lady. They knew they would inevitably lose to someone with her wisdom and experience.

“Nevertheless, you are doing extremely well for someone new to interdimensional travel using these quite… barbaric means,” she continued, facing Asterios. “Just remember what I taught you about the whimsicality of the space between the realms and you will succeed in no time.”

“Do you know what he is doing wrong?” Althea queried, stroking her tail which she had brought up front. “As an expert and the one who shared her knowledge with him, you should most likely be able to pinpoint the area Asterios is lacking in.”

“I’m afraid that is something he will need to figure out on his own.” Abyss spread her arms dismissively. “This is a very personal matter and it varies from person to person. But, worry not. I’ve seen plenty of beings attempt to master various means of interdimensional travel and none of them did this well during their initial attempts. Your deep expertise in Summoning Magic and your innate talent are of great help.”

“Not much you can do but keep trying, it looks like,” Tina said. “As for right now, what are we going to do here?”

“If you don’t have any immediate plans, perhaps I could request a moment of your time, laddie.” Another familiar voice reached their ears, though only Asterios had the pleasure to hear it directly only a few minutes ago.

They turned towards its source and watched the nearby bushes flutter a bit before a frog jumped out of them. It might have been any frog, but Asterios felt sure that it was the same one that had witnessed his arrival. Inflating its throat, it stared up at them from the very ground.

“Say what you want, but a talking frog sounds freaky. Especially with such a deep voice.” Grea shivered.

“What do you mean by that?” Asterios asked with a bit more tact, ignoring his crass mate for now.

“I am lost,” the frog answered and croaked again.

“How so?” Miria tilted her head. “Isn’t this swamp where you live?”

“Yah, but it is not my home.” The green guy hopped closer to them. “I can’t find the way back to my pond in this darkness.”

“Wherever you go, my Lord, you seem to stumble on troubled natives.” Selene let out a quiet chuckle. “Are you going to save every being in peril that we encounter? That’s certainly going to rack up the number of your supporters across the realms rather fast.”

“Just a coincidence.” Asterios rubbed his eyes. “And we don’t really have much to do besides either going back or taking a look around here. We can help our little friend in the meantime. If you don’t mind.”

The girls responded with a plethora of gentle, knowing smiles, making him shake his head with a faint smirk.

“How do you usually find your way back?” he asked the requester.

“Oftenmost, before sundown,” the frog replied. “It looks like I spaced out for a moment during my afternoon walk and missed the evening. Everything looks unfamiliar at this hour and the shadows do not help.”

Asterios could think of a shadow or two that could help, but maybe suggesting someone to let a stranger read their memories was too much for the first meeting.

“I see. Do you know the general direction at least?” He looked around ponderingly.

“If I catch a good sight of the moon in the night sky, I might be able to pinpoint it,” his conversation partner answered.

“And how far is it?” Asterios returned his focus to the amphibian.

“I don’t know.” The frog croaked. “My far might not match with yours.”

“He is spitting facts.” Grea snickered. “Your species is quite more advantageous when it comes to traveling.”

“Don’t forget that the dog still lost the race, Professor.” Tina squinted softly at the crimson-skinned woman.

Everyone not from Ast’s realm glanced at him and the Summoner duo with some curiosity and confusion.

“A popular allegory not to underestimate your opponent and get complacent. I’ll tell you the story later,” he explained. “In any way, how big is that pond? Any characteristic landmarks around or on the way to it?”

“It’s located near a natural alcove that protects the southern part of the pond,” their emerald friend replied, paying no mind to their banter.

“Okay. That’s something.” Asterios scratched his head. “I’m sure Umbra wouldn’t mind taking a quick look around since it can’t be far. We could also split up and try to find it on our own, taking a stroll through this forest in pairs or threes. Or… How well do you think you would recognize your home from above?”

“I should be able to spot it amongst the crowns of leaves without much of a problem,” the frog answered in the same, calm manner. 

Turning to the girls, Asterios put his hands on his hips. “Do you mind if I give our new acquaintance a short lift? Since he is kind of small, I thought about flying with just my wings out so that I could hold him in my hands. I would rather not use my claws for this and it might be a bit hard to look down from my back.”

“That’s a good idea. We will catch up after you make your way to the pond,” Althea replied, representing them all as the other ladies nodded. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll take a look around and see if we can’t find more of such fascinating fauna in this world. Isn’t that right, ladies?”

“Just go. I’ll make sure Professor behaves herself while you are gone.” Tina shot him a playful wink.

“I’m not a kid, shortie.” Grea huffed, crossing her arms to emphasize the bust hidden underneath her robes. “Or have you already forgotten who was your elder at the academy?”

“Maybe, but here, in Ast’s family, I’m the senior.” The blue-haired girl grinned at the taller woman. “It’s my responsibility to keep an eye on my junior sister-mates, isn’t it?”

Leaving the duo to their little dispute before they dragged him in, Asterios knelt before the peculiar frog and offered it a hand, knowing that they were just messing around as usual. The palm-sized guy hopped onto it and made himself comfortable in his hold as he cupped his passenger from below like a big rock. Sharing one last nod with the girls who weren’t currently in the middle of an argument, he materialized his draconic wings and carefully lifted off the ground.

Shortly after entering the open air, his amphibian buddy did as he’d said and estimated the direction according to the position of the moon in the night sky. From a first glance, there was no visible pond or an alcove anywhere near so Asterios started flying while holding the slick creature below him in both hands. 

Glancing down, he could barely hold back a chuckle. From his perspective, it already looked funny, and he could imagine how comedic it had to be for someone from the ground or the side. A frog getting an air ride from a humanoid entity with wings and horns couldn’t be on the list of normal things to witness by the residents of this realm.

The trip took a while, definitely longer than Asterios had expected it to take. In his eyes, a small thing such as his tiny ally couldn’t have journeyed too far over the span of one afternoon. But, his eyes were opened after half an hour of flying at a decently fast pace, which he had raised after a few initial minutes of nothing. He had even wondered if his passenger wasn’t mistaken but the frog looked unperturbed and confidently peered down onto the trees below them.

Finally, after another quarter of an hour, he heard a croak. “We can see it. A bit to our left.”

Following the directions with his gaze, Asterios spotted a visible clearing in the deep forest. A bit of a rocky formation did poke out of the crowns, giving out the supposed natural alcove too. Sending a mental notification to the ladies, he lowered his flight so as not to drop into the area from an unexpected angle.

He touched the ground shortly before the clearing and hid his draconic features. The frog didn’t display any hints of desiring an immediate release so he kept his little friend in his palms, starting to walk through the bushes. Pushing through the last hurdle, what greeted him was a beautiful, shimmering pond full of flat stones, big pebbles, lily pads, and of course, frogs. Their uneven croaking created an orchestra of noise, joined by an occasional splash or noise of disturbed water.

As Asterios unhurriedly made his way to the edge of the grassy beach, his slick acquaintance leaped out of his palms and dove into the pond. He watched it swim to a formation of multiple smaller rock islands surrounding a big one, all located at the mouth of the short, open alcove. It then hopped onto one of those and croaked calmly, suddenly silencing the entire place. 

“Chief, I have returned,” it said into the silence.

Two glowing golden spots appeared before it and Asterios realized that the top of the grandest rock wasn’t just a weirdly shaped stone but another frog instead, with a blemished, gray skin covering its sleek body. Which, surprisingly, was also much more wrinkly, almost making it look like a bulky toad, but the sheer intelligence and wisdom shining in its eyes told him that it had to be a sign of old age.

“Good job,” the one called the Chief replied with the voice of a homely grandpa. “And you, stranger, have my deepest gratitude for bringing back one of my precious family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The pond filled with a wave of croaking which faded away as quickly as it had begun. All the frogs, including the leader, seemed to be lowering their heads towards Asterios a tiny bit. It looked like this pond was a tightly-knit community that expressed their appreciation openly.

“I’m glad we were able to find this place and to see you reunited with your friend,” Asterios said with a polite nod. “This is a gorgeous spot to call home. I wouldn’t want to overstep my boundaries, but would you mind if I invited my mates here to experience this lovely sight before we leave?”

“It will be our pleasure,” the Chief responded. “You are free to bathe in our pond if you wish. The water welcomes and nourishes all beings, no matter their size, strength, or position on the food chain.”

“Thank you.” He smiled kindly.

“No, thank you, stranger,” the grandpa frog insisted.

Three gates opened at the edge of the water and all eight women were soon gazing upon the mesmerizing view of the charming pond shimmering in the chromatic moonlight, with Abyss somehow showing up out of nowhere as if she had been there with Asterios this entire time. The water looked so magical and mystical that the big stone seemed to attract all that iridescence to the old amphibian’s personal island.

“I’ve never seen anything like this…” Rusilthea whispered in awe.

Althea smiled at her new disciple warmly. “It doesn’t surprise me. This is your first time moving this far away from the place of your birth. The universe hides many wonders in its midst.”

“Not to mention talking frogs.” Grea snickered as she crouched to dip her fingers in the shiny water.

A sudden emergence of a young frog startled her a bit and she fell onto her back. The perpetrator of that heinous act landed on her belly and croaked nonchalantly while gazing at her face vacantly. The girls laughed at the scene and even she let out a mirthful chuckle, petting the cheeky amphibian with her fingertip.

“Apologies. The young ones can be a tad thoughtless.” The Chief let out a croak resembling an affectionate laugh.

“That just makes them even cuter!” Miria giggled, finding her own frog to tickle.

“We still aren’t taking any home.” Selene’s lips curled up in a ladylike smile as she poked fun at her sister-mate, kneeling by the panthergirl's side to mirror her actions.

The cheerful feline pouted adorably in mock offense before grinning at Asterios and going back to their fun.

“Now, proper courtesy mandates that debts, no matter how big or small, shouldn’t be left unpaid,” the old frog said, capturing their attention.

“It’s alright. I didn’t do this expecting a reward.” Asterios politely waved his hand. “Allowing us to stay here for a while is enough to convey your gratitude, Chief.”

“We can’t have that.” The Chief’s croak echoed throughout the alcove. “You helped one of us find the way, and we will in return help you find yours.”

“The way. The way. The way.” The whole pond chanted in unison.

“I’m not lost, though?” Asterios frowned softly in confusion.

“The way takes many forms and shapes. It varies from one being to another. It’s an inherent part of life to be a little lost in it from time to time and should not be considered shameful,” the wise frog explained. “I can see your way, stranger. You know where it begins, and you are aware of where it leads, but what you lack is the appreciation of what’s between. Do not focus your heart on the goal. Let it wander freely and it shall find the way on its own.”

“The way. The way. The way.” The chanting repeated once more.

As the echoing words faded away, a gust of wind blew into everyone’s faces. When they glanced at the central rock again, the Chief was gone, and the frogs started quietly hopping back into the water, even those that had been in the middle of being petted by the girls. Soon, the entire place was eerily calm and silent with no living creature in sight.

“Totally not creepy. Not in the slightest.” Grea scoffed under her nose, taking a step closer to Asterios to tug at his clothes.

“And here I thought riddles were your kind of thing.” Selene smirked lightly at their mocha-skinned friend.

“What was this about?” Rusilthea pondered, looking at Asterios.

She and the others found him deep in thought, staring absently at the now-empty rock.

“Let me give something a try,” he said with a serious expression.

No one said anything else as Asterios turned his right arm draconic and took a position most of them had seen him assume plenty of times, including the recent two occurrences. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and circulated the draconic energies through his whole body, condensing them around the core of his being. Releasing a prolonged sigh, he stabbed his black claw into an invisible surface and carefully dragged it down, unveiling the tear in the fabric of their current realm.

Finished creating a big enough breach, he opened his glimmering eyes and gazed into the ominous swirl of crimson. With a faint nod, he stepped into it and disappeared from the girls’ sight.

This time, nothing was tugging at him from all possible sides. The journey was smooth and quick. But, it was still long enough for Asterios to realize that it hadn’t been some weird phenomenon or interdimensional forces and entities trying to yank him aside. It had been his own heart trying to break free from the constraints he had put on the tunnel linking the two locations, subconsciously treating it like a summoning corridor.

A moment later, he stepped into another place. The sun was high up in the sky and the local animals filled the forest with their charming songs and sounds of life. The silhouette of a cozy village made mainly of wooden logs made it clear that this time, he had hit the mark.

Miria’s hometown was right in front of his face.