Rise of the Weakest Summoner

As Zoe stood next to the defeated beast with a slight hint of blush from his earlier praise, Asterios started approaching the downed gorilla. He noticed she was still giving him somewhat expectant glances as he neared their position. For a moment, he wondered if there was anything else he could compliment the skilled wolfgirl on without exaggerating too much and realized he knew of a decent solution.

Reaching her spot, he gently swatted a rogue leaf off Zoe’s hair and gave the fierce canine a few ear scratches the similar way Miria liked them caressed. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, her tail wagging much faster. He had to hold back a chuckle at the sight of her right leg getting slight jitters whenever he finished a full rub.

“Great job,” Asterios said kindly. “You are getting used to the slight boost from our contract, aren’t you?”

“Bit by bit, yes.” Zoe nodded faintly so as not to ruin his efforts. “I know I won’t be able to catch up to Miria with what I have, especially without being a Werewolf, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to grow stronger.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He took his hand back and turned to the corpse. “Now, is this what we’ve been told about? I don’t see anything too suspicious at the first glance but I’m not extremely familiar with the fauna of this realm.”

She followed his gaze, regathering her professional attitude in a flash, and shook her head. “Oh, no, this Mossback doesn’t seem to share the same symptoms as the other beasts and monsters headed for the village. It’s kind is generally very territorial and aggressive.”

“So, this won’t be of much help to us, huh?” Asterios strolled around the bulky body of her kill and used whatever draconic means he had to investigate it just in case.

“Unfortunately, no, it most likely won’t.” Zoe offered him a sad smile. “We might need to continue looking around. Maybe the others had better luck than us.”

“It’s alright. Don’t take it as a personal failure. We aren’t exactly tracking a specific target so it’s only natural we might wander around a bit. I’m sure that without your help, I would have stumbled on many more unnecessary encounters. Miria gets rather excited at every opportunity to show off a little.” He snickered.

A small smirk snuck onto the wolfgirl’s lips. “Don’t I know it? She’s already trouble with me, I can’t imagine what you have to deal with as her mate. But, she’s one of the best hunters I know and can get serious at the right moments. Not many can compete with her anymore, thanks to you.”

“Hopefully that doesn’t create too significant problems for you and the others.” Asterios raised a brow at her.

“Nothing I can’t deal with.” Zoe dismissed his concerns with a wave. “And I appreciate the additional opportunities to spar or compete with those who consider me an easier opponent. The knowledge that I serve you isn’t exactly public, only that I seem to favor your side as Miria’s mate.”

“As long as everyone is happy.” He shrugged lightly. “So, what’s next? Should we deal with the body?”

“No need. It will become one with the earth in less than a day. It’s a bit tough so scavengers usually don’t bother. No one likes the taste of grass and mud in their meat.” She glanced around attentively. “I think I have an idea where to head next. Please, follow me.”

Not seeing any reason to question the expert’s opinion, Asterios fell into Zoe’s steps and they continued with their search. She led them confidently, and as they made their way through the trees, she occasionally explained what she was doing to him, which he greatly appreciated. That way, Asterios had more points of reference to keep an eye on while following the real hunter here. He could step in if she missed something or his partially superior senses picked up on something.

But, even with their more than decent cooperation, it didn’t seem that they were destined to find anything meaningful. A few spots where the nearby greenery had been somewhat devastated were all they could spot. Those did count as hints according to Zoe as the damage aligned with a certain direction, meaning that it could have been caused by some of the beasts previously aiming for the village.

The most logical decision would be to try and trace them back, and that was what they decided on together. No one else had reported anything of substance either, but the mother and daughter duo was yet to respond, possibly focusing on something they had noticed. Zoe was starting to feel disappointed, but Asterios did whatever he could to keep his current partner’s mood positive.

They were hoping to learn something about this weird situation, not expecting to solve it right away. Their many previous quests and expeditions had taught them that things could go awry at any moment. Or they could suddenly become much more complicated in the span of an hour or a few.

However, it wasn’t like Asterios didn’t understand Zoe’s worry. She was supposed to aid them alongside Oria and Miria as one of the experts from the region. That could make one want to prove themselves even more than usual. Especially since she considered herself his subordinate. Being given a task, she felt the need to produce some results.

Less than ten minutes later, they heard the sounds of a scuffle. Zoe stopped and waited for Asterios to appear by her side. The pained noises arriving from ahead seemed to be coming from multiple beasts engaged in some kind of a battle. There were more than a few, for sure. All the information they had on hand revolved around occasional hoofprints she had spotted before, which could belong to grown deer or other animals with similar characteristics.

As Asterios attempted to learn more about the situation with his spiritual senses, he smiled to himself and glanced at his wolf-eared companion. “Looks like we aren’t the only ones following this path. A certain Pantherkin party has beat us to it.”

“Are they alright?” Zoe asked, preparing herself to draw out her weapon.

“They seem to be wrapping up. Let’s see if they need any assistance,” he replied and received a nod in response.

Careful but not overtly stealthy, they approached the source of the occasional noises and peered past the thick tree trunks to see a small clearing. As Asterios had noted, Miria and Oria were engaged in a bout with what looked like a group of stags. They were in the process of dealing with one while two more pranced about and two others lay dead on the forest bedding.

Normally, a family of stags, no matter how big, wouldn’t pose a threat to the experienced pair, but these weren’t the common animals Asterios could find back home. It looked like the size difference was one of the major things that stood out between their realms as the beasts in front of them were once more taller and generally bulkier.

Additionally, their skin was ashen and their beady eyes were black and bloody. Crimson antlers poked out of their heads, but rather than structured into impressive arrangements of curled and curved bone, they resembled chaotic branches with unbelievably sharp tips directed everywhere. A typical stag could cause quite an injury with its kind of blunt crown, but these were on another level.

Zoe most likely would gladly give him their name, but she was engrossed in watching her best friend and the girl’s mother dance with their opponents with deadly style, and honestly, so was he.

With the two creatures making a turn after a failed charge, the duo wordlessly jumped at the separated entity without the need to coordinate their actions vocally. And they certainly hadn’t been doing so mentally either as Oria was still out of the loop in regards to that. No, the two Pantherkin women worked together with just their close familiarity and shared experience, which was showing.

Coming at the stag from both front and back, they entered an almost perfectly mirrored spin and slashed their respective shortswords at the beast’s ankles, one front right and one back left. The weird combination caused their target to stumble immediately, and Miria, just arriving behind it, gave it a calculated shove with her hip, making the monster jerk forward right onto Oria’s thrusting blade, which struck its heart from the front.

They separated even before the beast’s body hit the ground, evading the double rush coming from its friends. The antlers missed the ladies completely but still showed what they could do against the dying buck’s sides, carving deep trenches in its body and splattering steaming blood everywhere, which then proceeded to trail down their dangerous headpieces.

Each Pantherkin picked a different target and the duo was back in the fight. Up to that point, the similarities between the two females were easy to spot, which wasn’t surprising considering the fact that Oria had tutored Miria about most of what the younger girl currently knew. But, when they split up, Ast’s sharp eyes had no issues noting the clear differences in their personal approaches, making it clear to him that the older woman hadn’t shared all of her techniques and experience with her daughter.

While Miria hopped and weaved around her stag with her usual energetic bounce, striking her prey’s weak spots to further inconvenience it or disable some of its maneuverability before going for a safe kill, letting her hunter side show up subconsciously, Oria couldn’t be any more different when it came to the minute details.

The long-haired woman used the same movement patterns to dodge and evade, but her demeanor contrasted with Miria completely. She put herself in bold places to provoke her victim’s confident attacks before barely avoiding them and slipping into greatly advantageous positions. She didn’t bother nicking at the creature’s defenses, she created one perfect opportunity to mercilessly and decisively pierce its vital organ with a single blow, with no hint of hesitation or doubt in her cold eyes as she stared her kill down in its final moments.

To some, it might simply appear as a superior way of hunting, avoiding damaging the prey while making slightly riskier decisions, but Asterios could tell that it was something else. Otherwise, this part of Oria’s style would have still made an appearance here and there in Miria’s own way of fighting. Especially with Miria inheriting wereblood from her father, thus almost making it guaranteed that she could become much stronger than her mother, utilizing these kinds of techniques with much less risk involved.

And then there was the icy, indifferent stare during the hunt.

Miria was determined and motivated during it, growing proud and satisfied after.

Oria seemed resolute and ruthless during, becoming rather apathetic and firm after. 

Then, shooting her daughter a glance, she shrugged that mood off and smiled back at the other Pantherkin’s sunny expression, her vibes returning to the fierce but still teasing and motherly.

As the two ladies walked towards each other, with Oria still watchfully observing their surroundings as if expecting an additional ambush now that things seemed to be finished, Asterios tapped Zoe on the shoulder and started his approach. As he had guessed, Oria’s ear was first to flick much sooner than her daughter’s, but she concealed any other signs of spotting them perfectly well, letting Miria turn to them and greet the duo with an infectious grin after recognizing the newcomers.

“Master! Zoe! You are late to the party!” Miria giggled cheekily. “Mom already got all the fun out of it before you got here!”

After witnessing both of them fighting side by side, he could now tell that it was true as his eyes roamed over the deceased animals. The much more decisive blows were discernible on three or even possibly four of the five stags lying there motionlessly. Two bore no other signs of battle, killed within the first strike.

“We saw.” Zoe was the first one to comment, answering Miria with an enthusiastic smile of her own. “Mom always told me that Mrs. Blackclaw was strong, but now I can finally be sure. Not that I didn’t believe it after seeing how skilled with those blades you are.”

As the younger panthergirl twirled her tail shyly, the older one soaked up the praise with mature confidence and appreciation.

“How is your search going? Are these stags related? They do look rather vicious.” Asterios stepped closer to Miria and boosted her confidence with a peck on the forehead alongside loving brushes over her soft cheeks.

“As evil as they may look, their presence here isn’t that shocking.” Oria sighed softly as she regarded the battlefield coolly. “Their grazing spot is just to the east and they have quite a taste for fresh blood, meaning anything new they hadn’t tasted in a while. They are like pests to other forest creatures with their invasive tendencies. But, that doesn’t mean much under our circumstances. We simply moved too close to their current dwelling.”

A loud smack echoed behind Ast’s back and the three of them turned to look at Zoe, whose palm was firmly planted against her forehead.

“I’m such an idiot…” the wolfgirl whined quietly.

Oria was in front of her right away, pulling her hand down with a charming smile. “Now, now. Let’s not be hurting that pretty face of yours when in front of a fine and well-mannered male, shall we? What is this about, hm?”

Zoe flushed at the attention, shooting Asterios a quick side peek, and grimaced a little. “We met a Mossback on our way here. It wasn’t showing any signs of being affected by whatever has been happening to the other creatures, but as I mentioned to Asterios earlier, they are very territorial compared to the Spike Ashorns. Meaning, something had to drive it out of its turf or else it would have died fighting. They almost always travel in packs, save for the time when most of the tribe is sent away to look for a new place to move in, or there’s no more tribe.”

“And you realized that this something could be related to our case,” Asterios noted, making her ears lower a tiny bit. “Well, we all miss things sometimes. What’s important is the fact that you made the connection right now. It’s our only lead as far as I’m aware.”

Sensing his questioning gaze on her, Oria nodded in confirmation. “It seems to be. We have nothing interesting to share yet. Miria, you are much more knowledgeable about this than me, what do you think?”

“I agree with Zoe’s observation.” Her daughter poked her head over Ast’s shoulder, still a tad rosy from his caresses. “I would have most likely assumed that their borders have simply expanded and it was on a scouting trip to check if no one was violating their territory. Amazing thinking, Zoe. She is so smart, isn’t she, Master?”

He smirked and shook his head at her suggestive gaze. “Both of you are. Your parents must be proud.”

“Oh, I assure you they are.” Oria grinned at the girls. “They are ecstatic about the direction their daughters are heading in.”

Aware that he had given the feline mother too much room to fill with her mischievous tendencies, Asterios attempted to save the ladies the embarrassment. “So, what should we do now? Regroup to discuss our findings?”

Finding his gaze on her, Zoe squirmed away from the other woman’s clutches and moved closer to him and Miria with a thankful wag of her lush tail. “That, or we could agree to meet there and investigate together if no one else has any other ideas. They can follow us through their bonds, right?”

“Of course!” Miria puffed out her chest. “We would find each other from the opposite ends of this realm!”

“Then let’s do that.” He nodded. “And these?”

“It would be a waste to dispose of them,” Oria commented. “We don’t get this kind of delicious meat often as there simply is no need for our hunters to risk injuries for food meant to appear on any common day.”

Miria bounced hastily towards each animal and shoved their carcasses into her spatial storage, grinning at them afterward. “Shall we go?”

Asterios just chuckled under his nose and gestured at her to lead while he explained things to the rest of the team. Surprisingly, Miria apologized to him honestly and put Zoe up to that task, explaining that she knew these regions better than her. From what he could tell, it wasn’t another attempt to present her best friend in a better picture but an actual act of respect, which he appreciated.

A minute later, Zoe finally accepted the responsibility, unable to fight back the verbal assault of two Pantherkin ladies who barraged her with compliments and reassurance. The Mossback territory wasn’t far but it still required about an hour of walking since they kept their pace quite regular for the others to easily catch up without causing too much commotion in the forest.

They could, of course, come via the gates, but everyone agreed it was wiser to keep an eye out for the remainder of their expedition.

About the time the estimated period came to a close, the group reformed in front of a charming ravine with a calm brook cutting through the middle, and Asterios exchanged a few kisses with all of his reunited mates. Selene, Silvia, and Tina knew that showing appreciation for their efforts was not much more than an excuse to become affectionate with them, but they loved that thoughtful way he often employed to make sure they all felt valued.

“I don’t think we deserve this as there is nothing we have brought to this investigation, but thank you nonetheless.” Tina winked at him alluringly. “This is where our trail ends?”

“This is more or less the center of the Mossback territory. There should be at least ten of them around. The traces we passed don’t appear to be fresh enough to consider them going out on a group hunt or such,” Zoe pointed out.

“I don’t feel anything special about this place,” Selene commented as she regarded the faint valley with glowing white eyes, scanning it with her spiritual senses. “If it was related to a dungeon or something like that, I would have expected to find any kind of energy in the area up to this point.”

~We are in agreement on that,~ Umbra chimed in, announcing that he was still hanging around and lending them his own wits.

“This gorge seems normal and quiet to me.” Silvia knelt down to dip her fingers in the clear stream. “Could it be in the water, like with the poisons back then?”

~The water is clean. I checked through you,~ Tia also joined in with a thoughtful tone. ~But there is something eerie about this place. Something disrupting the… natural order of this sanctuary. The energies are in disarray.~

“We must be talking about different energies, then,” the fox lady commented. “Can you tell us anything more?”

Before their Dryad friend could try to elaborate, Miria’s slightly confused voice reached their ears. “Mom?”

They glanced at the older Pantherkin and found Oria staring into the distance with a stony expression, her ears and tail frozen in place. Without responding, she slowly walked forward alongside the shallow river, her steps creating barely any noise with how delicate and careful they became. Not sure what to do, the others followed after her, trying to be quiet too.

When Oria reached the trough’s nearby bend after about five minutes, she peered past the edge, which had grown to be as tall as they were, starting from that point. Her tail flinched for the first time in a while and straightened down towards the ground.

~That’s not good,~ Miria whispered worriedly in Ast’s mind. ~Her tail only does that when she is extremely uncomfortable and nervous. I haven’t seen it act like that since over ten years ago when I seemed to have asked a very unpleasant question for some reason.~

Taking her advice seriously, he stepped up to the woman’s side and looked over too, his brow rising in surprise.

Slightly ahead, the riverbanks were littered with animal corpses. They were scattered chaotically in an area next to some hollow on the left. From the distance, he could tell that the carcasses bore marks of ferocious fighting, quite characteristic for wild beasts rather than methodical hunters and other people.

~That over there gives me really bad vibes,~ Tia said tensely.

Asterios placed a hand on Oria’s shoulder as the girls fell in line behind them. She gave him a slight nod without drawing her eyes off the scene in the front. Ready for battle at any moment, they approached the carnage zone and arrived near the sizable cavity.

From up close, it became clear that the bodies lying around varied in their time of death. They also ranged in general type, extending from weak prey animals to stronger and more dangerous predatory beasts and monsters. From their random arrangement, it didn’t seem that poisoning the stream was the goal there.

But, the worst came from inside the grove carved in the side of the trough.

“What is that?” Miria hissed through her teeth as she peered past her mother’s side.

Inside the hollow stood some kind of a wooden formation constructed out of sticks and branches tied together with ropes made of grass and other durable greenery. Its skeleton formed the shape of a medium-sized pyre with the ground inside the construction dug out to make a deep earthen bowl. The hole was filled with various pieces of raw meat coming from different animals, floating in a shallow pool of blood.

The crimson liquid was dripping onto it from above, where in the middle of the contraption, a piece of cloth was spread thinly on some hooks attached to the sticks at the sides, forming a slight funnel. A tiny stream of red and black liquids poured into it from even higher, coming from concealed glass jars inserted into the ceiling of the man-made cavern.

“Is this some kind of a sick ritual?” Tina asked with a deep frown, covering her nose with her sleeve.

“I still don’t detect any spiritual traces from it,” Selene noted.

“That’s because there’s no magic at work here, only a nefarious harassment craft,” Oria clarified with disgust and turned around, readying her blades. “Which we will have to discuss after dealing with the unfortunate disruption.”

Growls, snarls, and hisses reached them from above and around. Multiple creatures with feral, crazed eyes began showing up over the ridgeline. Slightly pinkish spittle dripped from their snouts, mouths, and maws. There was something wrong with them, and the fact that different species and types didn’t seem to be bothered by each other was the least of it.

It looked like the locals had returned to feed.