On that cheerful note, the wagon jerked into motion. It rumbled down the cobbled paths of Hilltop Vale, taking Damien away from everything he'd known for the past seventeen years of his life.
Two of his companions hated him, one of them was more interested in his sword than anything else, and the last hadn't spoken a single word. On top of that, his companion was still fast asleep. The trip certainly wasn't going anywhere near how Damien had hoped it would.
What followed was an incredibly uncomfortable six-hour trip. Damien did his best to avoid looking at Reena and Nolan. He was embarrassed, even though he knew there was no reason to be.
Their disgusted gazes boring into him whenever he wasn't watching them. He slowly scooted along the bench until he found himself only a few feet from the silent girl.
Damien tried not to pay her much attention either. There was no point making another enemy. That being said, he sneaked a glance when he didn't think she was watching.
Her long black hair tied back into a bun. The clothes she wore were dark as well, and she had two daggers in a sheath at her side. Her skin was tanned from the sun, and her eyes were closed, although something told him she wasn't asleep. Damien quickly looked away before she opened them. Adding 'creep' to his list of titles wasn't something he was eager to do.
The wagon remained silent for the rest of the trip.
Damien was vividly aware of each rough bump and pothole they ran over. His backside was just starting to get sore when the road suddenly evened out. The wheels clattered at a steady rhythm.
"We're in Waypoint City," Nolan announced. "What a relief. I don't know if I could have handled more of this."
Damien ignored the insult. He mentally reached out to Henry. His companion didn't respond. He sighed and shook his head. There had been countless times where he'd thought about trying to shake the creature out of its sleep, but he was more tempted to do it now than ever.
The only thing that had stopped him was the fear that Henry would find a loophole in their hastily crafted deal.
Damien swallowed. That wasn't an option he could afford to spend time worrying about. If he did, he'd have a mental breakdown before the week was up.
Their trip continued on for several more minutes before the wagon rumbled to a stop. There were several moments of silence before Mage Red pulled the back tarp of the wagon open. He gestured for them to get out.
"We're here. Remain with your wagon group. It makes it easier for us to ensure nobody has gotten lost. Watch your step on the way out. We won't be making any side trips to an apothecary."
Nolan and Reena pushed past Mark, practically jumping out of the wagon. Mark shot Damien an apologetic glance before following after them. Damien rolled his eyes and got to his feet.
He strode to the end of the wagon and hopped to the ground beside Mark. The unnamed girl followed after him silently. Damien looked around the large town square they'd arrived in.
Hundreds of other students mulled about in small groups. Dots of red moving through the crowd marked the mages as they worked to get everyone organized. There were several dozen other wagons, many of which were already pulling out of the square.
The square was large enough that, even with all the people in it, it still almost felt empty. Large stone archways lined the edges of the square, sparkling blue disks of energy shining inside each of them. Large runes covered the stones, both on the ground and on the arches.
There was so much energy in the air that Damien's hair stood on end. His movements seemed slightly slower than normal. Even breathing felt a little more difficult.
A tall gangly mage strode toward them. He carried a large leatherbound book in one hand and a quill in the other. His face was plain and clean-shaven. The mage stopped before the group, scanning them with bored eyes.
"I'll be leading you through the summoning and testing process today," he said. "You may call me Mage Dross.
Have any of you already summoned your companion?"
All five hands rose into the air. Reena sneered at Damien, and Nolan let out a laugh.
"This is your only chance to summon a companion, you idiot. Drop the lies, you pathetic fool. They aren't getting you anything but contempt," Nolan said.
"What's that, now?" Dross asked, looking from Nolan to Damien.
"He's lying about having a companion," Reena said, turning her nose up. "He claimed to have one from the Plane of Darkness, but he couldn't even summon it."
"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Dross asked.
"It's hibernating right now," Damien said, feeling the flush creep into his cheeks as he said it. Nobody had ever heard of a hibernating companion.
Dross's lip curled upward, but it was hard to tell if the man smirked or laughed. The mage just shrugged and opened his book, scratching something in it before snapping it shut.
"I don't care what you think. Nor do I care what he thinks. If he has a companion, he will draw upon its powers for the test. If he refuses, he will not attend any of the mage academies. If he does not have one, he will summon one. Nothing else matters."
Reena looked like she wanted to say more, but a cold glare from Dross cut her off before she could start.
"Wise choice, Gray," Dross said. "I don't appreciate backtalk. Your noble title will get you nothing during the testing process. Unlike the colleges, we are entirely impartial. I have absolutely no problem removing anyone who does not comply with my instructions. Is that understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good," Dross said. "Come along."
He spun on his heel and strode toward one of the flickering portals lining the square. His long legs forced the five students to break into a light jog to keep up with him.
The mage reached the portal and only paused for an instant to check if the students were behind him before stepping into it. There was a crackle as his body disappeared into the blue light and he vanished, leaving only the faint smell of ozone.
Mark and the Grays followed without an ounce of hesitation. The girl was right behind them. Damien, who had been slightly distracted by the huge runes, scurried after them.
Damien wasn't sure what he'd expected to feel after stepping into the portal, but he wasn't expecting to instantly appear in a large courtyard. It was as if he'd just stepped into it normally—the portal could have been an illusion.
Then his stomach twisted into a knot. The pancakes he'd had that morning decided it was their time to reemerge into the world. Damien staggered and put a hand over his mouth. Luckily, the feeling passed as quickly as it had come.
The other students didn't find the teleportation much easier than Damien did. Reena dry heaved, and Nolan looked like he'd just been punched in the gut. The nameless girl's lips were pressed together, and her face was pale.
The only one who hadn't been affected was Dross.
Aside from a single orange brazier upon a pillar in the center of the room, the courtyard was completely empty.
The brazier was almost as tall as Damien and made of a strange black and gold stone he'd never seen before.
Cracks spiderwebbed through the floor, originating at the brazier. Some of them were as wide as a foot, but the majority were almost invisible.
"You've all claimed to have a companion, so we won't be attending any summoning rituals. However, I need to know who the mage that officiated your summon was for school records. Do we have any volunteers to go first?"
"I'll go," Mark offered with a shrug. Dorian noted the boy's hand still rested on the pommel of his sword, which he had sheathed at his side. "I was helped by Magister Dredd."
"Interesting," Dross said, his eyebrow twitching upward.
"I was unaware he assisted in summoning companions for students."
"He made an exception for me," Mark said unapologetically. "What do I have to do?"
"Straight to the point. Good. Go to the brazier and place your hands upon the bowl. Then channel energy into it as if you were powering a rune. I don't care if you already know magic from your companion. You will not use it. The brazier can detect the powers of your companion. If you fail to follow my instructions, you will be removed."
Mark shrugged. He strode up to the brazier and placed his hands on the sides of the bowl. He closed his eyes, and his grip tightened on the bowl. A moment later, a wisp of smoke rose from the brazier.
It was followed by a brown-hued flame. Mark flinched back but didn't let go of the bowl as the fire grew, quickly expanding past his height and continuing into the air until there was a pillar nearly twice his height.
The flames remained within the edges of the brazier, not reaching out for an instant. They were nearly a perfect pillar. It flickered and hissed but didn't move farther.
"That is sufficient," Dross said. "Release the brazier."
Mark let go and strode back to the group.
"How did I do?"
"You did," Dross said. "Who's next?"
It was about at that point Damien realized a little panic was probably appropriate. Nolan volunteered to go next, casting a smug glance in Damien's direction before striding over to the brazier.
Damien paid him no attention. Time was up, and he had no plans of failing the tests before he even got to a mage college.
He crushed the fear and worry building up in his heart.
Then he closed his eyes and sent out the tendril of his thoughts. He felt Henry's presence.
It was impossible to miss the creature. Damien could barely use his mental energy without running into the intrusive presence of his companion. Henry was like a huge bear in the middle of his mental space. For lack of a better term, Damien had crept around the monster, trying to make as little magical noise as possible to avoid waking it up.
This time was different. He sent a tiny push of energy in Henry's direction, the equivalent of flicking his companion on the forehead. There was no response. Damien was vaguely aware of the pillar of gray flames that erupted from the brazier in front of Nolan. It was significantly taller than Marks'.
Damien ignored it, squeezing his eyes shut and steadying his breathing. He prodded Henry again, harder this time. Then he slapped his companion with a blast of energy. Henry's mental eye snapped open.
A wave of energy tore through Damien's body. He drew in a choking gasp and staggered. Something steadied him before he could fall, but the young man didn't have time to wonder what it had been.
"You dare awaken me? I told you to let me sleep!" Henry thundered. The eldritch creature's thousand voices carried no magic, but they felt like glistening blades.
"You can't sleep anymore!" Damien hissed as quietly as he could. "It's been four years! I'm about to take the test to get into a mage college. I'll fail it if my summon isn't there!"
The voice echoing throughout his head vanished, and the pain went with it.
"Ah," Henry said. "I suppose that would be problematic.
You need to get into that school to get stronger so we can destroy the world, after all."
Damien didn't bother gracing that with a response.
"Stop worrying," Henry said. "I can hear your thoughts now, you know. It was part of the deal when we swapped souls. And Eight Planes, boy. How can you think like this?
Your mind is a disgusting mess of worthless information and fear."
Damien didn't respond again. The less he spoke to himself, the less likely it would be that someone thought he'd gone insane. Besides, if Henry could hear his thoughts… "More like I have a general estimate of what you're thinking," Henry corrected. "Not super exact. Just…relax, would you? I've spent the last four years improving my form so it will be less likely to make all your little mortal friends shred their souls to bits when they see me."
This is an incredibly important event for me, and you're being flippant about it. Do you understand how vital it is that we do well?
"We'll be fine. I promise," Henry said. "Do you really think something like this is going to be difficult? I could shatter that little bowl with a glance if I wanted to.
However, I suggest you release the girl that stopped you from falling over. I think she's starting to get uncomfortable."
Damien snapped back to the real world. He was leaning on the dark-haired girl's shoulder and breathing heavily.
Damien yanked his hand back as his cheeks flushed bright red.
"I'm so sorry," he stammered.
"It's okay," she replied with an inkling of a bemused grin. "I thought you'd fainted from the stress of watching the Gray boy do so well on the test."
The pillar of gray fire was nearly three times Nolan's height. Damien grunted and turned away from him.
"He's a dick, but I don't care how well he does. I don't know what his problem is."
"Nolan is part of a powerful noble house," the girl said.
"He isn't dangerous…yet, but you shouldn't have made an enemy of him."
"He did all the enemy making," Damien replied, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault they thought I was lying."
Henry shifted within Damien's mind and let out a laugh.
"You were."
Damien ignored his companion. The gray fire in the brazier reached its peak, flickering steadily at a short bit over three times Nolan's height. The boy stepped back, releasing the bowl, and sending a smug grin at Dross. The fire receded, vanishing into the depths of the brazier.
Reena clapped her hands.
"Good job, Nolan!" she cheered.
"It sounds like you'd like to go next," Dross said dryly, gesturing for Reena to step forward. He jotted something else in his notebook and snapped it shut.
Reena followed his instructions, giving Nolan another smile before reaching the brazier. Damien mentally reached out to Henry, well-aware he was still being observed by the nameless girl standing beside him.
She already thought he was weird. There was no point wasting precious time he could spend making sure the test went according to plan.
Henry, is there anything we need to do to prepare for the test?
"Boy, I could burn a hole through the roof if I wanted to," Henry replied, scoffing. "There are two problems with that, though. First, you don't have the ability to handle that amount of my power. You'd probably explode. While that would be incredibly amusing, I'd find myself back at square one. Second, even if you could handle that much of my energy, would it really be wise for you to display such power? We don't need to go looking for attention."
Loathe as he was to admit it, Damien had to agree with Henry's words. His companion was making a lot of sense, and that worried him. When you start agreeing with the extraplanar eldritch horror you summoned when you were a power-hungry thirteen-year-old, it might be a sign something's wrong.
As Damien conversed with Henry, Reena managed to get the pillar of fire to just a little under where Mark's had been. Her flames were the same gray color as Nolan's, but they flickered and hissed more aggressively despite not reaching as high.
The blonde's teeth gritted as she strained, trying to force the flames even an inch higher. They flickered, reaching up for an instant, then collapsed back into the brazier. Dross wrote in his notebook once again. Then he waved at Reena with it.
"Next," he ordered.
"Can't I try again? I was nervous —" "No."
"Right, sorry," Reena said, sighing. She sat beside Nolan, who patted her on the shoulder. He still beamed from his apparent success but did his best to repress it for the sake of his sister.
"Don't fret too much, Reena," Nolan said. "There's nothing wrong with your score. The average person can't even get the flames to rise their own height, and this is only a measurement of latent power. Such things can be defeated through skill, or even politics."
"Next!" Dross yelled, staring at Damien and the unnamed girl. "I do not like to be kept waiting. If you don't choose, I'll do it for you."
"I'll go," the girl said. "I was helped by a field operative.
He said he would send word and has requested to remain anonymous."
Dross's eyebrow twitched, but he said nothing. He gave her a small nod.
The girl calmly walked over to the brazier and laid her hands on it. She didn't hesitate for a moment, and the flames matched her. The moment her hands were on the stone, a pillar of inky black flame launched upward, stopping nearly exactly at her height.
Calling them flames might have been a mistake. It was more like a single flame, a pillar of dark fire that didn't show a single flicker or fluctuation. Dross's eyebrow twitched slightly. Before he could say anything, the girl released the stone and strode back to the group.
"Interesting," Dross said, jotting something into his notebook. "Impressive control, Sylph."
The other four students goggled at his words. Compared to the other students, Sylph's performance had been pitiful.
Yet, of all of them, Dross had complimented her. Damien didn't have long to consider it. The annoyed gaze of the mage fell on him.
He strode toward the brazier, wiping the cold sweat on his palms away on his pants. He stumbled over a crack and had to jog a few steps to regain his balance. Damien heard Nolan and Reena chuckle behind him.
"We're going to have to work on that pitiful persona," Henry growled. "It's honestly sickening. Get some self-confidence, boy. You've got a goddamn Void creature as your companion, but you walk around like a whipped dog."
"Shut up," Damien replied as they reached the bowl.
"Better," Henry replied. "Now, let's get you some bragging rights. I'll not have my partner look pathetic next to these worthless mortals. This world needs to be destroyed with style, and you're out of season."
Damien did his best to ignore the ominous warning behind his partner's joyous words. It was disconcerting to hear a being a millennium older than him talking about fashion, but now wasn't the time to deal with it.
"I summoned on my own. I didn't receive help," Damien said.
He drew a slow breath and grabbed the stone bowl before Dross could say anything. It was cold and rough like stone generally was. Damien was almost disappointed. His hands tingled, and lines of heat traveled up through the veins in his arms. They reached his chest and expanded outward.
It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it was certainly strange. His body felt warm and vibrant, like he'd just woken up after a good night's rest with the sun beating gently down upon him.
A gout of sickly black fire erupted from the brazier. It roared past Damien's face, threatening to spill over the edges of the bowl. The flames were raw and untamed, crackling and popping as they struggled to escape the confines of the brazier.
The pillar of fire rocketed until it was just barely taller than Nolan's pillar had been. Then it inched downward by a foot, remaining steadily at that level.
"That's all you're getting," Henry said. "I could have pushed the fire higher with no problem, but you might have gotten a big head. And don't make the mistake of thinking my power translates to yours. Any one of these four could wipe the floor with your face."
Thanks for that.
"No problem," Henry replied cheerily. "And, before you ask, yes. I intentionally made the pillar of fire taller than Nolan's before dropping it back down. And to the second question you haven't asked yet: also yes. I am that petty."
Damien didn't have much of a response for that. A grin flickered across his face before abruptly fading. The way Henry acted—like he was an old friend his own age rather than a timeless entity seeking the destruction of the world —unsettled him. He knew Henry was simply a way to communicate with his companion, and the familiar tone the monster took on was simply a manipulative tactic. The concerning thing was that it was working.