The Summoning

“Okay, okay—am I doing this right? Like, for real right?”

“Salt lines are intact, ze pentagram is balanced, no cracks, no smudges. Candles are lit and stable. You are fine.”

“So I just read this? And then poof—familiar appears?”

“More or less. Though zere is rarely any actual poofing involved.”

“Right. Got it. Less poof. More… cosmic alignment?”

“Exactly. Just do not be too upset if it is not vhat you imagined.”

“Wait, what? Why would I be upset? I’m thinking a cat. Sleek, shadowy, maybe talks in riddles. Or, like, a gerbil. But with little glowing eyes.”

“Mmm. Ja. You think zat is vhat you vant. But ze spell—it pulls from vhat is true, not vhat is… cute.”

“…That sounds both awesome and mildly terrifying.”

“Welcome to summoning.”

“…Okay. Alright. If a demon hamster shows up, I’m blaming you.”

“Blame me all you like. Just do not forget your binding circle.”

“Okay… okay.”

“O Dii Antiqui, Audite Me!

Vos e vacuo ultra velamen et tempus evoco!

In profunda voluntatis meae iacio—

Fila verissimi desiderii mei stringite!

Eum voco qui animae meae vinctus est,

Qui me ducat, doceat, et vias oblitas revelet.

Verbo, voluntate, iure sacro—

Producite Familiarem meum!”

“Uh… nothing happened.”

“Just vait.”

“Still nothing.”

“Patience, Katylin.”

“Oh my god—why’d it go dark?!”

“…Master Edelhart?”

“Who dares call me forth from beyond the Veil?”

“Uh… that would be me. I—I summoned you. Who’s there?”

“A mortal. Small. Incomplete.

Your soul is untouched, your will soft as wax.

And yet… the gate opened. Curious.”

“Okay, seriously, who are you?”

“You speak with no reverence. No understanding.

I am older than your stars, girl.

I have worn the names of gods… and shed them like ash.”

“…That’s not a cat. You’re not a cat.”

“Heh. I devour cats between breaths.

You desired truth.

It answered.”

“Master Edelhart?”

“You speak to shadows now.

You stand between the Veils—where life and death entwine,

where time forgets its name.

No mortal walks here unscathed.

Your master cannot follow.

You are alone.”

“Well… crap. I seriously don’t get it. I summoned a familiar—how did I end up in freaking shadow-land?”

“Curiouser… and curiouser.”

“What was that!? That felt cold.”

“Ah. That would be me… brushing up against you.”

“Uh—okay. Personal space? Boundaries? Ever heard of them?”

“I see through your posturing, child.

You wear fear like a mask, but it cracks.

I see your will.

I see your soul.

And I see… power. Hunger. Desire.”

“Nope. Nope, no hunger here. I had a sandwich like an hour ago.”

“You jest. It will not save you.”

“Wasn’t trying to be saved. Just trying not to get eaten.”

“Then bind me. If you can.”

“Wait—what?”

“You called me. Now command me…

or be consumed by what you awakened.”

“…Why do I feel like I just made a very big mistake?”

“Because you did.”

“I’d like a refund. You know, a do-over. This is my first familiar summon. That should come with, like… one free mistake, right?”

“No, child. A familiar summoned is a familiar bound. The contract is sealed—for life.”

“Ugh, okay—so, like, how do I undo this?”

“Ngh—what the hell is that?! That hurts! You’re so cold—no, wait, that’s—that’s hot! What the hell!?”

“The bond takes shape.

Body resists.

Spirit yields.”

“Make it stop! This isn’t what I wanted!”

“It is what you called.

Want is irrelevant.”

“Agh! Ahhh!”

“You are mine now. Marked. Claimed.

Your soul sings with my fire.”

“Ngh—what the hell is happening?!”

“Wait… your soul…

This is not human.”

“What?! What does that mean?”

“It is ancient. So very ancient.

Hidden beneath flesh and fear.”

“You’re not making sense!”

“Ohhh… I see it now.

Yes. Yes.

The fire… the bloodline…

The echo of something long forgotten.”

“Stop talking in riddles—make it stop!”

“No… I shall not.

This is exquisite.

Two ancients, bound anew…

Across the Veil, where even gods forget their names.”

“What are you doing to me?!”

“Be still, child.

This is no longer a summoning.

This… this is a reunion.”

“Katylin! Katylin! Are you alright?”

“Nngh… what the hell just happened?”

“You collapsed. Ze incantation—it failed. Your circle held, but ze energy—too unstable. You should not have pushed so hard.”

“I had the weirdest dream.”

“Vhat do you mean?”

“I… I don’t know. My head hurts. I wasn’t here. It was somewhere else. Dark. And...”

“Yes? And vhat, Katylin?”

“There was something there. Something dark. Ancient.”

“I see… but I am sorry to say—you never left.”

“Actually… I did.”

“Katylin?”

“Yes… and no. I’m surprised you never saw her for what she was. Feeble. Fragile. So very… pathetic. All that power, hidden away like a scared little ember.”

“Vhat—”

“But beneath it… something deeper. Stronger. Older. Mmm… so ancient. And now… now we are connected.”

“Nein… this cannot be.”

“Ahh… but it is, Master Edelhart.”

“Katylin…?”

“I tried to resist. Truly. I did. But the feeling… the desire… the power—”

“Stop. Do not speak further.”

“It was all-consuming. It wrapped around me like fire and shadow. And it felt…”

“Katylin, listen to me—”

“No. You listen. It felt... good. Like scary-good. Like something I didn’t even know I was missing.”

“This is not you speaking.”

“Isn’t it? Or maybe this was always me. Buried. Waiting.”

“You must fight it.”

“But I don’t want to. That’s the thing. I don’t want to give it up.”

“…No.”

“Sorry, Master. Really. But I think I’m done being small.”

“Forgive me… Katylin.”

“What are you—? No! What are you doing?! No! STOP!”

“By name, by flame, by binding rite—I cast you out!”

“Foolish warlock.

You grasp at fire and name it shadow.

You know not what hand you’ve dared to burn.”

“Better she burns… than watch you take her.”

“Heh. I think not, you pathetic warlock.”

“Wait—STOP! RRAAAAAAGHH—GYYAAHH—STOP!!”

“Mmm. Your blood is sweet…

Even if your magic is bitter and vile.”

“Was that really necessary?”

“Yes, my child.

The old ways had to be severed.

With your master dead… there is no one left to stop us.”

“The world is ours…

And we shall burn it down,

Then build anew from ash and bone.”

“Mmm. I like the sound of that.”

“Good. Now... reach.”

“Reach?”

“Into yourself.

Let the gate open.

Do not resist it this time.”

“Alright… I… whoa.”

“Yes. You feel it now, don’t you?”

“It’s like lightning… under my skin.”

“And fire behind your eyes.

Power, ancient and unbound.”

“It’s... humming. Everything’s humming.”

“Focus.

Let it breathe through you.”

“…The candles. They're flickering.”

“No.

They're melting.”

“Oh.”

“The stones are cracking.”

“I didn’t touch them.”

“You don’t need to anymore.”

“Master Edelhart's staff—it's turning to ash.”

“The dead have no need for tools.

But you, my child…

You are the instrument now.”

“…There’s a pulse. In the air. Like it’s waiting.”

“Then give it what it wants.”

“…Okay.”

“Speak it.”

“Burn.”

“…Ahhh. Beautiful.”

“…It listened.”

“Of course it did.”

“The floor is scorched. The altar—it’s gone.”

“And you barely even spoke it.”

“This power... it’s not just mine, is it?”

“No.

It’s ours.”

“…I thought I’d feel guilty.”

“Guilt is for those with regret.

For the weak-minded.

You are power.”

“…What now?”

“Now, we begin.”

“Begin what, exactly?”

“The unraveling.”

“…Of what?”

“Everything.”

“…We are not two anymore.

Just one, awakened.”