The Outcast (Summoner #4)(20)
“All demons originate from the ether. Their world is shaped like a giant disk, with a desert known as the deadlands around the edges, and jungle and forests in the outer ring. The center is more mountainous and dangerous, filled with the most powerful demons, volcanoes, great expanses of water and who knows what else. Nobody has ever been more than a few miles from the area we hunt in, but if you were to fly high enough, that is what you would see.” Scipio was speaking for Arcturus’s benefit, for even Elaine seemed unsurprised by the moving images on the stone.
“Using my mind and what I see in the Oculus, or another scrying stone as the case may be, I am able to control Kali’s movements.”
Kali’s eyes twitched to the nearest tree trunk; then her claws flashed into view as they began to climb. A tiny Mite, almost as small as a normal beetle, crawled from beneath the bark. Elaine gasped as Kali impaled it with one long talon before spooning it into her mouth. The image juddered as the Felid chomped down.
“Yes, the ether is a brutal place. It’s eat or be eaten, and lesser Mites are at the bottom of the food chain. A Scarab Mite, like yours, is not though. I feed Kali well, but she does like a taste of her old diet,” Scipio joked, though Elaine’s expression remained grim and defiant.
“Stay away from Valens,” she hissed at the stone.
Kali continued her climb, occasionally glancing around to make sure the coast was clear. It seemed strange to Arcturus that such a large, powerful creature was so wary of her surroundings, and he wondered what manner of creatures could be a threat to a Felid.
He didn’t have to wait long. Kali broke through the canopy, the Oculus’s image flashing briefly as the Felid’s eyes adjusted to the new light.
The tree line seemed to stretch endlessly ahead, broken only by jagged mountains and the occasional clearing, like reefs and trenches in a sea of green. Each mountaintop smoldered, sending slow-moving pillars of smoke reaching into the sky before dissipating into a pall of ash that filled the cloudless sky. Arcturus could see no sun or moon to speak of, just an orange glow that reminded him of dusk on a summer’s day.
As Kali’s eyes adjusted further, Arcturus saw swarms of creatures, too far away to make out, forming and reforming in the sky, while larger dots hovered above them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. A Scarab Mite, its carapace cerulean blue, flitted across Kali’s vision.
In the distance, Arcturus saw a herd of creatures making their way through the trees. They had the same long necks and large bodies as giraffes but with thicker limbs and a head that reminded Arcturus of a horse’s or camel’s. Their short fur was gray and mottled with black patches.
“Looks like the Indrik herds are on the move,” Scipio said, pointing at them on the stone. “Far too big to be practical as a summoner’s demon, but I always love to see them.”
They watched for a moment longer, as the Indriks made short work of the tree line around them. Judging by the size of the trees, they must have been as tall as ten men, standing on one another’s shoulders.
“We cannot stay too long. Can anyone tell me why?” Scipio asked.
“You can never stay too long in the ether,” Edmund said confidently. “There are other demons out there that might eat your own. No matter how powerful it is, there is always something higher up on the food chain. Then there’s the fact that your mana levels are dropping every second you keep the portal open. If they run out or you lose concentration, the portal will close and you will lose your demon forever.”
Arcturus saw Zacharias roll his eyes, then whisper something to one of the twins—Josephine Queensouth. She giggled and Edmund’s face reddened.
“Very good, Edmund. You’re absolutely right, but that is not what I am getting at. Anybody else?” Scipio asked, looking around the table. There was silence, then Prince Harold put up his hand.
“Is it the Shrikes?” he suggested, unsure of himself.
“Correct!” Scipio beamed, flashing the prince a congratulatory grin. He turned to Arcturus and Elaine. “Shrikes travel in flocks, led by their matriarch, the dominant female. During the first few weeks of the academic year, they migrate across our hunting grounds. They are dangerous birds, twice as large as an eagle and many times as vicious. That’s them, flying over the lesser Mite swarms in the distance. They hunt alone for smaller prey, but for Kali, they would attack in a group of ten or more. After they make their kill, they impale their victims on tree branches, to hold them in place while they feast. Luckily for us, we seem to have missed the worst of it.”
Arcturus shuddered. He wouldn’t want to send Sacharissa into the ether, but he would dearly have loved to capture a Mite for himself. She had spent most of her life there … surely it couldn’t be that bad.
“Right, I think that’s enough for one day. The first and second years will practice demonic control and infusion for the remainder of the day. As for the rest of you, I suggest you practice opening and closing portals, making sure to keep your distance. As you know, the air in the ether is highly toxic to humans. No demons are to enter under any circumstan—”
Scipio froze, his eyes searching the stone, though all Arcturus could see was the tree trunks.
“Something’s coming. Kali can hear it. Smell it,” Scipio uttered. The pentacle behind him crackled as his concentration slipped, but he grunted and it returned to a steady glow once more. The acrid stench of burned wood permeated the room, and Arcturus could see the planks at the edges of the pentacle singeing black.