A Summoner Awakens [A Card-Based GameLit Progression Fantasy]

Chapter 8 [Detour]

Aurora groaned as they trudged through the thick mire of the northern forest. She knew it was her fault they were taking this route, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. As she lamented suggesting this to the group, a wave of cool, clean air washed over her.

Glancing forward, she saw a fading white aura covering Nathaniel and Rowan. The built-up sweat and grime vanished, and she sighed in relief. Though she'd been annoyed with Rowan's constant use of Cleanse at first, Aurora had come to appreciate his consistency with it. Not only did it keep them clean, but due to it purifying the interior of the body as well as the exterior, they never had to waste time relieving themselves. She hadn't known of that effect until recently.

It had been a long couple of days for her. After Rowan's encounter with that insufferable drunk scoundrel, they'd immediately climbed to the Third Floor. Within the space between Floors, she'd received a crystal worth 3,500 Essence from the Tower as her reward for ascending. It was generous, being they'd hardly managed any achievements, and the majority of the prize came from clearing the Floor within such a short time.

That was something they hadn't mentioned in the Academy, which Rowan had told her was because the instructors taught caution and wanted their students to take their time on each Floor, preparing and growing stronger for the next. She focused on the young man again, squinting curiously.

Aurora found the man odd. He constantly acted like her instructor... and even Nathaniel's at times. Nathaniel! A scion of one of the Great Families, being treated as inferior by someone of their age. Yet, not once had the impossibly powerful youth taken offense to Rowan's advice, even adjusting his stances and fighting styles according to the cane-wielding youth's suggestions.

Rowan knew so much about, well, everything, and she hadn't missed him saying that her killer was Zachary Gray. She shivered, recalling the moment her memories had come flooding back to her. The constant itch and pains of her Precognition had plagued her for days. Then, out of nowhere, they were gone, and the next morning Rowan said he'd taken care of the problem.

That was the moment she decided to humor him, and the surprises hadn't stopped there. During their train ride to the capital of the Origin Floor, he'd constantly fed them vague information about how they should clear the Floors, mentioning details that she knew for a fact hadn't been available within the Academy's library. They hashed out the terms of their Party Contract during the ride, and his terms were more than fair. Generous, even, since he planned on providing the means for them to acquire wealth and ascend.

It was Nathaniel's presence and acceptance of the arrangement that had driven her to steel her resolve. The man always had a stern look about him, but no one in the Academy ever questioned his morals. He was a force of nature, had always intervened when someone was being harassed, and never once had she heard of him abusing his family name to get ahead, unlike many other scions. His unwavering gaze when he signed the contract and Rowan's assurance that they would help find information about her father had erased most of her doubts.

Besides, she felt that the young Syward knew about Rowan's little secret. She'd questioned him about it, but the man never answered. His stony expression had cracked, and one side of his lips quirked up in a hardly discernable smile before shifting back to normal, but that was as much as she'd gotten.

She had her suspicions about their de facto leader but decided to keep them to herself. Though they had signed a contract, they weren't exactly close, and Aurora felt it would be rude to push. For now, she would trust the two men, and hopefully, they would return that sentiment in the future. Rowan had already revealed a tremendous secret in showing them his Origin Card...

His Origin Card...

Aurora's head still ached whenever she thought of the glowing, translucent copy. It stood to reason that if the group could properly make use of it, their Party could amass wealth equal to that of a small Guild. After seeing that, she had no doubts that his promise to fund the alteration of her build was genuine. She was excited by the prospect, and though she hadn't talked it over with the others, she'd decided what direction she wanted to take after asking Rowan a few questions.

She shook her head. The man was like a walking Tower Encyclopedia and Card Compendium rolled into one. Whether the man had a Card that could tell the future or pull information out of thin air, she wasn't sure, but whatever it was, he'd easily answered almost all of her questions about synergies between certain Cards.

"Aurora!"

Aurora looked up to find Rowan waving that strange cane in front of her face and gasped. She'd been looking at her feet and hadn't heard or seen him approach, not that she was surprised. Whatever his build was, she could hardly follow his movements in this shady place and had to trust that Nathaniel hadn't lost him as she followed the broad-shouldered man.

"Y-yes?" she asked. "I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts."

Rowan smiled warmly at her, and an image of her grandfather crossed her mind, staring down at her with a toothy grin when she'd been caught taking a biscuit from her dad's secret stash before he'd vanished. She looked away quickly out of reflex, and the boy chuckled.

"You be careful with mind of yours." Though she could tell his words were strict, his smile didn't drop. "Your Intelligence is too high for your Wisdom, which is why your thoughts stray so often. It'll be more manageable once your mental Foundations are leveled, but you should focus those rapid thoughts on alternating between your five senses. Honing your Perception is essential. The better you can control each of those senses at lower Levels, the more potent it will be once you level it."

Aurora sighed. Not because of Rowan's lecture, in which he was strangely competent, but because she already knew that information and had let her mind get away from her again. The Academy had been strict on training its student's bodies and minds in the early years before their spirits had become dense enough to handle more Essence. But, even knowing that fact, she'd been struggling with her focus ever since her Intelligence had out-leveled her Wisdom, and her low Will made her thoughts even harder to tame.

"Ahh, sorry about the speech. Old habits died hard," Rowan scratched the back of his head, and Aurora rolled her eyes. There he went again with those odd expressions. If they hadn't spent years together on the First Floor, where she'd witnessed his growth, she'd feel like she was talking to some geezer who'd descended from the upper Floors.

"Anyway," he continued. "Are we still heading in the right direction? Has your Precognition acted out in any way?"

Aurora shook her head, "No. I still feel... warmth coming from my connection with it. Trust me. If we started veering off the course it wanted to take, I wouldn't have been able to get lost in my thoughts the way I did."

Rowan frowned slightly and patted her shoulder, "I know how it is to push yourself when you're not ready. How's your soul? Is it still weakened from shoving so much Essence into Precognition after you received it?"

"There are still a few cracks in the walls around my spirit, but it has mostly mended. And it feels... stronger than before," Aurora replied, scrunching her nose at Rowan's use of the word 'soul.' Only zealots used that term, and they purposely avoided teaching it that way in the Academy. She found it odd that Rowan, who had openly spoken against the two Churches in their travels, used it the way he did. The term 'soul' suggested the existence of something greater, while 'spirit' was used to describe the physical manifestation of the Essence one absorbed through their Deck.

"It should," Rowan nodded. "What you did was thickheaded. Your soul in this situation is no different from calloused hands, shredded muscles, or a mended bone. On the other hand, you didn't bust it up enough to cause any permanent damage, so all's well that ends well, eh? Just... don't go doing anything so reckless in the future."

"You don't have to worry about that," Aurora clenched her fists. She still hadn't forgiven herself for her own carelessness. After reaching Level 3 with Precognition, her spirit had already felt strained, yet the Card kept eating at her, driving her to pour the last of her Essence atop it. It hadn't caused her pain at that time, only mild discomfort that wouldn't cease.

She'd been both naive and hopeful, believing that perhaps the irritation would stop if it were at a higher Level. It wasn't a baseless thought, but she'd been wrong. Her spirit had splintered after forcing so much Essence into it at once, and the discomfort turned to pain, like the Card's prodding was leaking through the cracks so that it could force her to act.

However, that was the moment she had her first vision. That was what had taken her to Grandhardt. And ultimately, it was that mistake that led her to Nathaniel wandering aimlessly in the back alleys while being pursued. She still didn't understand how the man had gotten lost, but it had all worked out in the end.

And now, Precognition was once again forcing her hand, though the pangs it caused were much weaker now that her spirit was mostly healed. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of her damaged spirit and her weak Foundations, she still couldn't ignore the Card or will it to act as she wished. It had been a relief when Rowan humored her request, so instead of heading directly east toward where he said the stairs would be, they took a long detour, blazing new paths through the thick brush toward the north.

"Alright. Let's keep going," Rowan returned to the group's center, standing behind Nathaniel, who took point. "I hear running water not too far ahead."

"Another few hundred yards, if I'm right," Nathaniel swung his glaive, clearing another small thicket. His muscles rippled beneath his form-fitting suit, and Aurora averted her eyes before she was caught staring. "Could be closer. All this foliage is blocking the sound. Makes it hard to be accurate."

Aurora strained her ears but heard nothing. She sighed and followed along, hoping that, one day, she could be of more use to the Party.

***

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Aurora tilt her head, trying to hear the water we were heading toward. I also didn't miss the downcast expression that followed and hoped she wouldn't be too hard on herself.

It's not healthy for her to compare herself to us, I sighed inwardly. Well, she should feel more valuable after this venture. Precognition shouldn't be dragging her all this way for nothing.

Nathaniel had access to unique training methods before he left for the Academy. So even if he stopped using their resources for training after deciding to be his own man, it wasn't like he'd forgotten what he knew. His soul had to be exceptional.

By my estimations, his Foundations are all Level 4, and he likely has at least two at Level 5. Although impressive, I'm certain he's near his soul's limit with just the Essence he's invested in his Foundations. Even with the finest methods available to the Network, condensing one's soul takes time, and he hasn't had enough. Even if his Deck is full of Holy Cards, a remarkable feat in itself, most probably aren't higher than Level 2. We'll have a talk once we reach the Fifth Floor.

I rubbed my thumb against the haft of my cane, feeling the minute etchings within. The cool of the handle against my palm was soothing, and the sensation of the ferrule at the end tapping lightly against the moss and dirt reminded me of my younger days.

If only I'd discovered your secrets before losing you. I gripped the weapon tighter. It was one of the few tokens I had of my father, and thinking of the appraiser that had deceived me... No matter. That swindler likely did me a favor. With my former condition, knowing about Grandpa Charles and the Order would have gotten me killed.

The Order...

I still had questions but didn't regret what I'd asked Kel. I'd never met Grandpa Charles, at least not that I could remember, and I wanted to know if my father's stories about him were true. If he didn't have the same qualities pops had described, I wasn't sure I'd want to take part in whatever he was into. But Kel had some of the same views on the man, and I felt knowing more about this Order would help me understand the Tower.

Well, not like I can back out now. Kel made it clear that I'd accepted becoming a member by hearing him out, and there's no telling what consequences I'll have to face if I neglect his instructions.

"I can hear it!" The sudden proclamation caused Nathaniel to stop, and we both turned to see Aurora blushing with her hand over her mouth. "Ahh... sorry."

I chuckled and motioned for Nathaniel to continue, and it wasn't long before the sound of rushing water drowned out the noises of the forest. We pushed through a group of trees grown so closely together that they formed a wall and stepped out into the glaring afternoon sun.

Nathaniel held his weapon out to keep us from walking forward, and I heard Aurora gasp as soon as she cleared the trees. She wasn't the only one who found themselves astonished. I stood with my mouth agape, staring down into a deep hollow. There was nothing in my memories about this, and I couldn't recall a marking on any map.

"What... what is this?" Aurora asked, looking toward me expectantly.

I shook my head, "I don't have an answer."

Water poured into the gaping maw from a large rivulet that likely stemmed from the river that ran from the mountains to our northeast. The ravine wasn't large, its width so narrow that I could leap across without using Dash, and its length wasn't much different. But it was deep.

I peered cautiously over the pit's edge, where it opened into a large grotto. Within the dimly lit cavern, I could see where the stream fell into a sizeable lake... and a pile of items directly below the opening.

Aurora knelt near the edge and gulped, "I... think this is where I'm supposed to be."

"Is that so..?" I mused, then glanced at the trees behind us. "Nathaniel, do you have any cord in your pack?"

"What I have will only get us halfway," he stated calmly.

I put down my bag, undid the clasp, and gestured toward one of the lower hanging branches on a nearby tree, "Then we have enough. Toss me one end and fasten the other around that limb. It's getting late, and this looks as good a place as any to set up for the night. We'll be able to set a fire without being seen, and I'm sure we could all do with a warm meal, eh?"

The others nodded, and we worked together to secure the ropes before tossing them over the edge of the hole furthest from the small waterfall. The end just barely caught the water's edge, and I studied the water for a few minutes, eyes narrowed. We'd be dismounting on the shore, but my intuition told me we should be careful. I recalled the description of the Card Aurora had shown Nathaniel and me a couple of weeks ago.

'At times, both peril and fortune walk hand in hand.'

"Alright, I'll go first and set an anchor. Aurora, you go next. I'll pull you in once you get close to the bottom. Nathaniel, bring up the rear," I shouldered my pack and tied the straps around my waist, glad I didn't skimp on the necessities. The rope was crafted from the fur of the same Plagued Beast I'd farmed several times on the Tenth Floor.

"Don't fall in the water," I cautioned the other two before leaping back into the crater.