The Outcast (Summoner #4)(104)
“Well, let’s get this over with,” Arcturus muttered, continuing down the corridor.
As he walked, he tried not to think of what had happened here, not two weeks before. How he had killed a man, snapped his neck with the flick of a finger.
Sometimes he would return to that spot, alone in the night, and consider the consequences of what he had done. He would remember the power he held was not to be taken lightly, and that if he had known more, he might have not been forced to kill.
In the early hours, when he lay awake in bed, he would wonder if the world would be a different place had he not taken that man’s life. Could you regret something if you’d been given no other choice? Arcturus thought so.
The provost’s office door loomed, and Arcturus steeled himself and knocked on the door.
“Come!” called a voice.
Arcturus pushed the door open and entered.
It was strange, but the room looked exactly the same. The same desk strewn with papers, and the provost was even leaning over them in the same way Barcroft had been, staring at a long list of names.
But there was something different. There were three boys seated opposite the desk, all of them dirty-faced. They looked terrified, and Arcturus assumed they were new servants, there to replace the servants who had defected to the rebels. But they looked a little young, the smallest looking little older than Elaine.
“Ah, Arcturus, there you are,” Forsyth said, beckoning him closer. “Come here.”
Arcturus walked over, and the provost threw an arm around his shoulders.
“Would you believe it, but that new king of ours has been pestering me about you all damned week,” he said cheerfully, pulling Arcturus aside.
He lowered his voice, and gestured to the three servants behind him.
“Not much to look at, are they?” he said. “But I see some resemblance. Don’t you?”
“Resemblance, Provost, sir?” Arcturus asked, glancing back at the boys.
Obadiah gave Arcturus a strange smile.
“If I’m to tell you, I must rely on your upmost discretion, do you understand? If it were my choice, you would not know at all, but King Harold insisted, so here we are.”
Arcturus stared at the provost, his confusion deepening.
“They’re some of our new common students, of course,” Obadiah said.
“Oh,” Arcturus said, still confused.
“And they are your brothers. Well, half brothers.”
Arcturus’s heart stilled in his chest. Could it be?
“I’ve told them you all probably share the same father,” Obadiah hissed. “That’s it, understand? Nothing about being noble bastards.”
But Arcturus was barely listening. He lurched toward the three boys, and suddenly his vision was blurred, eyes tearing up at the sight of them.
The black hair, that pale skin. He rushed over, and felt their arms around him.
He knew what he had to do then. There were more like him out there, scattered across the empire. All he had to do was find them.
“You’re safe now,” Arcturus breathed, holding them close. He had never felt so happy.
Because after all the loss, all the suffering and bloodshed, he finally had what he’d always wanted. A family.
DEMONOLOGY
MITE - LEVEL 1
(Elaine Lovett)
Mites are the most common demon in Hominum’s part of the ether and are the food source of many demonic species. Though there are several species of smaller, insectlike Mites, Scarab Mites are the most powerful of the Mite genus. These demons appear as large flying beetles and vary from dull brown to brightly colored. When full grown, a Scarab develops a weapon to complement their powerful mandibles: a nasty stinger, which can temporarily paralyze their enemy. Many summoners use Mites as scouts to explore the ether before sending a more powerful demon in to hunt.
SHRIKE - LEVEL 4
These birdlike demons migrate annually across Hominum’s part of the ether, making entry extremely dangerous for one week of the year. Well known for their long black feathers, their wingspan is as wide as a man is tall, with each wing’s endmost feathers tipped with bleached white. A Shrike’s beak is hooked, with a bright-red wattle underneath its neck and a red ridge along the top of its head like that of a rooster.
STRIX - LEVEL 4
(Damien Rook)
Often mistaken for the Gryphowl, the Strix appears as an owlish bird with four limbs. Their feathers are tipped with red, giving them a fearsome appearance. They are common in orcish parts of the ether, and are valued by orcish shamans for their vicious nature. It is not unknown for a Strix to kill and eat its siblings when they reach maturity.
GRYPHOWL - LEVEL 4
(Edmund Raleigh)
This demon is a combination of cat and owl, and is closely related to the Griffin and Chamrosh, though it is far rarer. Their sharp, retractable claws and beak are their best weapons, but it is their keen intelligence and agility in the air that make them such a desirable demon. The Gryphowl is a loner by nature, but will often form a close bond with its summoner and fellow demons, if treated well.
ARACH - LEVEL 6
(Charles Faversham)
The Arach appears as an enormous spider, almost as large as a wild boar. Its eight dextrous legs are capable of skillful manipulation, allowing the demon to jump as high as ten feet and grasp its opponents by the face. The Arach has three powerful abilities. The first is the gossamer spell, shooting a luminescent web that puts one in the silk of a glowworm—an adhesive that fades out of existence after a few hours. The second is its vicious sting, the venom of which is capable of killing a grown man—if the impalement of the spike does not do the job first. Finally, rather like some breeds of tarantula, the Arach is capable of releasing the bristled hair from its back to float in the air, scourging its opponents’ skin and even blinding them. Only its summoners are immune to these bristles, as well as the Arach’s venom.