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Aveceleba -
"all right, let's try something harder...let's summon a lesser fire spirit now." Dodek said into Kara's ear as she focused again, his clawed hand brushing a faint trail of dust that the wisp she had summoned left behind that had accumulated on the table from her last attempt. The vulpinan woman was progressing quickly in her studies, almost too quickly for the old summoner's tastes. In only a few short months she had become proficient in many of the basics of the craft, reaching a stage that most people took years of study and practice to master within a few short months. It was unsettling to the old summoner, to say the least.
However, Dodek did not let the progress of his best pupil deter him. Many of the other vulpinan's who had visited him to learn his magic had been turned away. Some lacked the temprament to properly bargin with the entities, other's the sheer magic power required, and more than one had been forcefully removed from attempting to take his belongings. While certainly not all of the vulpinan's were thieves, it seemed almost a running joke that an eight guild operated within the walls of the city, taking what it could from foreign visitors and merchants.
With reservations Dodek returned to the business at hand, watching as the vulpinan took two pieces of chalk in seperate handpaws and began scetching out symbols on the flat rock table that he had bought specifically for his craft. Even after nearly a year of interaction with the vulpinan woman, he still could not get over the dexterity of her people. Balancing on both of her right limbs, somehow she managed to lean over the low table and draw the protective symbols into it, the long lines of chalk going into the exact patterns of the barrier spell she had learned. It was a neccecity, at least when bargining with spirits of fire, to do so. When summoned the creatures were malevolent and violent, many of them would attempt to maim or kill their summoner, to either free themselves from their magic, or in an attempt to satisfy their violent natures. It was only with the barrier did any living creature have a chance at communing properly.
With a deep breath Karaman began to concentrate, her will pushing and pulling against reality. The actual act of summoning this spirit was not unlike that of summoning a whisp. Just the power was different, and the bait for the spirit had to be perfect.
Dodak felt a draw as she began the ritual, her voice muttering syllables of incantation as the magic swirled around her body tighter. Knotting up and rifting a bit of *this* against *that* as the fabric of reality began to shift slightly.
As the wind rushed past his face towards the rift, Dodek called out to Karaman "Good, now hold it steady and place your offering to the spirit. Just a small segment of your magic, enough to tempt it to listen to your bargin!"
Suddenly he felt a shift, a rumble almost of anger and digust that caused the floor of his house to shake. Kara's eyes flew open as the rift began to shudder and break apart, the palm of a flaming hand just visible through it. A great indecipherable voice boomed out, angry.
Suddenly the magic ceased, and Kara walked back from the table, shaken. "I'm sorry Dodek. I... don't know what happened."
The old summoner looked at her quizlically and shrugged as best as he could. "Perhaps... perhaps we were wrong to move ahead this quickly. Let's take a break shall we?"
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Kara furiously skipped a smooth rock over the surface of the river as she left the walls of the town, watching as a large fish under the surface quickly gulped the stone down before it could stop moving, causing the stone to disappear in a flash of scales. Unheeding, she racked her mind as to why she had failed to summon the spirit.
Five attempts, each of them meeting with failure. No matter what she did the creatures on the other end refused her. Laughing, shouting, jeering... Not that Dodek could see that. Only her senses had told her that her offer, one made exactly as the summoner suggested, was being ignored.
The chant, the protective spells, the preparation, the implementation, everything down to the very attire of an apprentice summoner. She had even taken to carrying a focusing stone like his, although she doubted it did anything good. So why... why, WHY, did it fail? Frustrated she leaned against a nearby tree. An ancient oak, untouched by her bretheren because of it's placement near the river. Removing it would have caused the topsoil to losen, potentially damaging the river. Letting herself slip halfway into a magical trance to cool her emotions, she thought once more to herself 'Why?'
'It's because you are not like them'
Kara catapulted from her resting position, nearly falling into the river before regaining her balance as a voice, gentle and calm touched her mind. Feverishly she looked around for the speaker, trying not to shiver as she thought about how something could talk in her mind.
'I am right here.' This time Kara was aware, actually understanding the voice and locating the thought. Her eyes widening in suprise, she reached forward to touch the old oak she had rested on. 'You... you can talk?'
With little emotion the tree replied, it's great voice melodic in her mind as she sank deeper into her trace. 'Yes, We trees always have listened and always have thought of your kind. Now that you have finally begun to tap into your magic my voice has been awakened to you.'
Kara shook her head, disbelivingly. This wasn't real, there was no way...'Dodek never told me anything like this. Am I dreaming? Did I fall asleep at your roots and am I now imagining your voice'
'All of reality is a dream. All of your dreams are a potential reality.'
Kara shook, pinching the skin of a backpaw. Pain, she wasn't dreaming...'Wait what was that?'
The tree almost seemed to chuckle, it's intractable voice sprinkled with faint mirth, 'Pay that no heed. The explaination to why Dodek did not know is simple. His people are those of fire, living across the vast desert. They do not belong in the forest, and never before has one of their summoners come to see us.'
'How... how would you know that?'
'We trees have long memories and loud voices, at least to each other. My people remember the wars waged between his people and men. How they both cut us down mercilessly in order to spill the sap that runs in their viens. If your master, this Dodek, were to come to me I would not speak with him.'
'All right... but that does not explain why I cannot summon a fire spirit.'
'His people are of fire and air, all emotion and heat. Like the scorching deserts they claim as their home they are quick to come to an opinion and even quicker to act upon it. While your people share with them that fluid freedom that is the sky, you lack the internal fire they contain to call upon the same spirits. You, Karaman Amanela, are of water. There is little more Dodek can teach you that you cannot learn yourself.'
'But... how can I start? How should I start? He was my guide, my teacher. I hardly know where to begin without some form of guidence'
'Trust in yourself Kara, and remember: trust in the whisps.'