Thronebound Summoner

Within the span of a week, Fay had grown accustomed to his role in the village. He had also learned how to communicate with the catfolk, mimicking their sounds well enough to express the simplest meanings.

It was just enough to get by. His sister, Mira, however, was quickly picking up all the sounds and meanings. She had a remarkable intelligence for such things and was even trying her hand at summoning.

The guide had warned Fay not to let her start until she was able to feed her own creatures, so he told her not to attempt it yet.

Naturally, she was upset, but for now, she had stopped trying to summon anything.

Today, Fay would once again follow the hunters. This time, though, the task was more serious. They weren't hunting ordinary creatures—they needed to fight.

One of the largest predators, something resembling a giant hyena, had been spotted. Such beasts were dangerous to have near the village. If even one was seen, it likely meant a whole pack wasn't far behind.

They needed to find them and either fight until they were wiped out or find a way to scare them off the catfolk's territory.

And while they hated needless killing, these creatures had no such restraint. They would continue hunting the catfolk until none remained—either the hyenas or the catfolk would be wiped out.

Strangely, it was the daughter of the tribe leader who had first spotted the beast. By now, Fay understood what kind of creature she could summon, and why she was tasked with scouting.

She had a large buzzard as her beast. It seemed she had summoned it as a young girl, using it to protect herself from those who had killed her mother.

The creature, however, was too large for her to summon freely without a proper meal, though being a scavenger, it was never picky about what it ate.

Fay's only real challenge now was speaking to this girl. Only Mira could manage it, and even then, it was likely because she was too innocent to realize that the saber's daughter didn't actually want to talk to her.

That was probably why the tribe leader had assigned the two of them to work together today.

Fay was still young and inexperienced in battle. He could hunt well enough, but he wasn't a warrior—not yet. His creature was still small and needed constant feeding as it continued to grow.

"So… did you find anything yet?" Fay asked. Both of the youngsters were crouching, watching the plains spread out before them.

The girl growled at his question, making Fay fall silent again.

He was supposed to keep her safe, in a way—his job was to watch over her while she focused on scouting for the hyena.

The only thing Fay had managed to learn during all this time was that, when translated into his language, her name was Horin.

He fell silent for a few minutes. He was patient—he had to be. A hunter waited: for prey to draw near, for the perfect moment to strike.

Trying to ignore the girl, he quietly climbed a nearby tree. His new cloak was a welcome change from his old coat. Unlike before, he could move freely—its color blended perfectly into the surroundings, and it somehow prevented grass from clinging to it. Even the sound of his movements was muted.

He was glad he'd made the trade.

Fay took his job seriously and shook off any lingering daydreams. He scanned the area in all directions, then glanced at Horin. She was staring at the sky while her feathered summon soared above, circling.

The buzzard was searching for easy prey, but every so often, it would dip into a slow spiral—a signal that something nearby was close to death.

So far, it hadn't dived or broken its flight path.

Fay had learned to interpret the creature's behavior, just like the more experienced hunters.

He glanced down again, checking if Horin had noticed anything he might've missed. Her ears twitched, but her expression didn't change.

Everything appeared calm.

That was—until the massive bird suddenly dove, faster than any eagle Fay had ever seen. Its descent blurred in a rush of dark energy, its elemental nature twisted in ways he still couldn't explain.

There weren't many chances to observe how others used summoned beasts. Among the Ravari, such power was both feared and revered.

"What do you think was killed?" Fay asked. He knew the girl could somehow see what her beast sent back through the guide.

[Long-necked lizard. Six hyenas. More coming to help... Bird is waiting for feast to be over.]

The girl looked mildly disgusted, as if what the bird was witnessing wasn't something pleasant to behold.

"Do you think we can fight them?" Fay asked, hoping to shift her focus to something else—something more grounded.

[Father can kill them all. But he won't. He will want to test the tribe... and you. Don't fail him.]

She didn't look at him or even glance his way, and this time, Fay was starting to grow tired and annoyed.

He jumped down from the tree and stood in front of her. She looked like she was in a daze, her mind wandering somewhere far away.

Fay remained still until her eyes finally refocused on the world around her—and landed on his face.

She glared at him and even tried to push him back, but Fay stood his ground.

"I want to know… why do you hate me? What did I do?" he asked, genuinely curious and finally ready to settle things between them.

Horin shoved him again, but this time Fay stepped aside. The sudden movement made her lose her balance—she was about to tumble forward until Fay reached out and steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

He quickly pulled back when he saw her claw flash through the air, nearly swiping his hand off.

"I hate humans. All humans. Except my mother."

There was a flicker of pain in Horin's expression and a voice that carried pain within it, but Fay couldn't just let the words go—even if she looked hurt.

"I'm not a human of this world… I'm just Fay. And like my sister, I only want to find a good life here," he said softly, then took a step back.

He knew he wasn't going to get through to her right now. And he couldn't distract her too much—she still had a job to do.