“You know what to do Taren.”

The sixteen year old boy looked at his mentor. This would be his last summon. He looked at the makeshift shrine. “What will it be this time?”

She smiled down at him. “Son, you know we never know what form the summoned will take.”

“Yes I know.” he thought on his mother’s ice summon. He had even played with her when he was smaller. Yeri was a harmless summon except when those she knew were threatened. She had the perfect figure of a woman and frequently went naked, save when Learie’s three kids were around. Most Spirit element summons remained as they were for the rest of the summoner’s life, but a few, the most powerful, were summoned when they were small, and they often grew at the pace of a normal human and already had names. His mother’s summon, Yeri, was one such summon.

So far, he had one like that. Death was simply a cloaked figure with an insanely large scythe, and the Klitheral, Jynx, and Tyk he had gotten was a common types of summons. However his Dragon Half was by far the most powerful of simpleminded summons. Although it had no flesh on it’s skull whatsoever, and what flesh it did have was cover in gaping holes. It was a disgusting summon, but in all of his battles it had only been beaten by Yeri. His yeri-like summon called itself Kilarath, she was beautiful with a fish tail and phantom wings. She was originally his aunt’s summon, but she had promised to take care of him when she died, so when he tested for his second summon, she had appeared, already grown, and was more of a nurse to him than a being to be summoned. When he wanted to review his father’s fighting lessons, it was Kilarath he summoned.

With a quick glance at his mother, Taren ascended the steps. He cleared his mind as spoke the ritual words. “I am Taren, keeper of Death, Kilarath, Dragon Half, Tyk, Jynx, Klitheral. I come for the Final summon. May it come with your love, lady of the Unnamed. Lady of Spirit. I commend thee Spirit, come.”

Usually, a silence would be present for almost an hour, but this time, Taren could have sworn a voice in head whispered to him. I wish we could meet sooner my love, but it cannot be so. So I give you this young one, to help you wait for me.

He opened his eyes and looked back at Learie, still sitting, quietly waiting on her knees.

When he returned to watching the gigantic pedestal where the summon would appear, he noticed a small girl curled up, he almost told her to get off of there when he realized that this was his summon. “A human?” he murmured. Then he saw the tail creeping around her thin body. Or, he wondered, could it be one of the legendary Jagras? He stepped onto the stage like arena. He looked down at her, raven hair spreading around her naked body. Small, fuzzy ears jutted out of a nearly feline head. They twitched and her found himself staring into dazzling gold orbs.

Her nose wrinkled. “You look funny.”

He was miffed. He’d been told time after time by girls in the village that he looked handsome, cute, hot...but never had he been told he ‘looked funny’.

He pulled a strand of earth colored hair back behind his ear. Unsure what to say to that, he let his mouth talk on its own. “Well, you look funny too, so how ‘bout that!”

“Taren!” three voices from behind him made him jump. He turned to see Kilarath, Yeri, and his mother all standing ready to scold him again. He watched the little cat girl fall over with giggles. Yeri came forward, picking up the girl who was probably about ten in human standards. “Welcome to this plane young one. What is your name?”

“Raziel.” she chirped. It was then he noticed tattoo coming from her navel and spreading across her chest and running back across her shoulder blades. It was black as night and just as beautiful.