Many times during our journey, whenever my thoughts drifted to the possibility that our Feralium beasts were predestined by the story, I found myself wondering if there was any way to stop Elowen from going through with the summoning.

  In the end, I reached the same conclusion every time.

  No matter what I did, Elowen would receive a beast, one way or another.

  The Arch-bishop was no poor man, and more importantly, it had been Valen’s own insistence when forcing this marriage that Elowen be gifted a Feralium summoning as part of the alliance. If that condition had not existed, she would already have been bonded long before ever setting foot in my territory.

  Which meant that if I refused now, or if Valen failed to provide the materials, I would have only succeeded in giving her exactly what she needed.

  A reason.

  A reason to act. To label me as dangerous and untrustworthy.

  I couldn’t afford that.

  If fate truly was set in stone regarding the beasts, then trying to delay it would only hasten disaster. I would rather risk getting on her good side slowly than cut off all my chances from the very beginning with such a gamble.

  Besides… despite her current anger, despite everything, I genuinely believed we were moving in the right direction.

  So, with my thoughts settled and my resolve firm, we left the guards behind and ascended the wide stone steps of the Temple, cutting through the staring crowds gathered below.

  We stopped when an elderly man in pristine white robes approached us and bowed deeply right before the Temple’s entrance.

  “Lord Valen. Lady Elowen,” he said, voice calm and reverent. “We are honored to receive you.”

  “Beast Shaman,” Elowen replied, offering a light bow and a charming smile. “It has been far too long.”

  “Indeed it has, my Lady. Since last I-”

  A loud birdcall cut him off.

  It came from overhead, sharp and piercing, echoing across the Temple grounds. I glanced up just in time to see a gorgeous crimson bird, nearly half my size in length, circling once before snapping its wings shut.

  It plummeted like an arrow.

  At the last possible moment, it spread its wings again, gliding smoothly before landing a few feet from us. The instant its talons struck stone, it broke into an awkward run, claws slapping loudly as it rushed toward the old man.

  “What are you doing outside, Rio?” the Shaman chuckled quietly, despite the absurdity of such a name for such a magnificent creature.

  The bird cawed in response, continuing its clumsy sprint until it reached him, where it began tugging insistently at the hem of his robes.

  “A lesser Feralium?” Elowen asked, curiosity edging into her voice.

  “That’s her,” the old man smiled, leaning down to scratch the bird gently behind the head.

  “A lesser Fire Feralium. A lesser Phoenix.”

  Before Elowen could ask more or distract him with pleasantries, the Shaman offered his forearm. The bird hopped onto it without hesitation, wings fluttering briefly for balance, before the man straightened.

  “Now then,” he said calmly, eyes shifting to the chest in my hands. “Let us not waste time. What materials have you brought?”

  “Inside,” I replied, tilting my chin toward the Temple.

  I had no intention of displaying the sheer amount of wealth and rare materials I carried before the entire crowd behind us.

  They feared me, but fear paled in comparison to greed. And greedy men were far more dangerous.

  “As you wish, my Lord,” the Shaman nodded, clearly understanding my meaning.

  He turned on his heel and walked into the Temple, the phoenix perched proudly on his arm.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  We followed close behind.

  The Shaman was visibly shocked by what lay inside the chest. Perhaps just as shocked as Elowen was.

  She tried to ask how I had acquired such rarities, but I ignored her outright. Petty, maybe, but fair payback for her earlier behavior.

  For what it was worth, it worked wonders. I caught a fleeting glimpse of guilt flicker across her face before the Shaman ushered us out of the private room where the viewing had taken place.

  “Who will go first?” he asked as we proceeded down a quiet hallway toward our destination.

  Elowen opened her mouth to answer, but I was faster.

  “Allow my fiancée to go first,” I said, my voice coming out deeper than I intended. Firmer.

  For some reason, it sounded less like a suggestion and more like an order.

  “Very well,” the Shaman replied without comment. “As Lady Elowen’s fiancé, you are permitted to observe, should you wish.”

  I nodded, deliberately avoiding Elowen’s stare.

  Fortunately, it didn’t linger. After only a few more steps, we came to a pair of semi-oval doors carved entirely from stone.

  It was startling enough to see the old man push them open with such effortless strength.

  What was far more shocking, however, was the sight that awaited us beyond them.

  There were seven Beast Temples scattered across the kingdom.

  Each stood atop a mountain peak, isolated from the world below, and all shared the same basic design.

  Beyond the main hall, twelve balconies surrounded three of the four cardinal directions, each accessible through its own narrow hallway.

  We chose the northern side.

  It was widely believed, if never truly proven, that the northern balconies offered the strongest beasts. More superstition than fact, perhaps, but according to records mentioned in the novel, the probability was higher.

  A probability both Elowen and I were willing to claim and pay for.

  As for the balconies themselves... they were magnificent.

  They were sealed off from the outside world, built to provide the privacy and focus required for a bond between summoner and beast to form. While at the center of the chamber stood an empty pool carved from pristine white marble. This was where the summoner and the materials would be placed, positioned carefully before the ritual began.

  And before them lay the view they would be looking at for the next few hours.

  Breathtaking didn’t quite do it justice.

  One side of the balcony was entirely open, supported only by a handful of towering pillars that anchored the structure to the mountainside. From there, the summoner looked out upon the vast world below, standing at the very edge of the mountain's peak.

  They called it the Gate of the World.

  The summoner gazed out at the world, and the world, in turn, gazed back through the Gate, offering the summoner the beast they deserved.

  Quite poetic, really.

  “Then, Lady Elowen, if you would be so kind,” the Shaman smiled, inviting her inside the pool.

  Elowen turned toward me for a moment, studying my face as if waiting for me to change my mind. But I didn’t. It was best to get this over with. So I only offered her a sharp nod, reassuring her I was serious.

  Perhaps baffled, she waited a moment, her expression conflicted, but then she walked toward the middle of the pool, sitting down cross-legged, as if meditating.

  “My Lord,” the Shaman spoke, drawing my attention again. “The materials you prepared for her are next.”

  I nodded, setting the chest carefully at the back of the pool, crouching to reveal its contents.

  Five items were required for the summoning: food for the beast, payment for the world, magical ores, elemental-heavy ores, and a binding contract. All were crucial, and the rarer the materials, the better the result… usually.

  Valen, of course, hadn’t skimped on anything.

  I took the first item and stepped into the pool, placing the food in front of Elowen: a dragon’s heart. Said to be one of the finest things any beast could eat. Even vegetarian Feralium were rumored to have gone berserk at the sight of it. Everything summoned would crave this, improving her chances of forming a strong bond and better terms during the negotiation.

  Next, I set a pouch of rare flower seeds in the left corner of the pool, for her to offer at the conclusion of the ritual as payment to the world.

  Then came the magical ore. I picked up one of the most potent on the market, placing it on the right corner. Sulfur. The purer the ore, the stronger the resulting magic, and the stronger the beast it attracted.

  Afterward, I laid the Elemental Stone to her left. A Sunstone, as requested by her father, the Archbishop. It was believed that the summoned beast would align with the element of the stone presented.

  Finally, on her right, I placed the binding contract: a Soulster fruit. Once used, it would bind the beast to the summoner, and the summoner to the beast, according to the terms agreed upon during the bonding and negotiation period.

  That was it.

  It will soon begin. The materials were placed. All that was needed was for the magic to gather and for Elowen to properly focus.

  “I’ll leave you to it then,” the Shaman bowed to both of us before taking its leave, leaving us all alone on the balcony.

  But for five minutes afterward, nothing happened.

  The pool should have been filled with magic by now, yet the summoning had not started.

  Something was wrong.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, walking to the side of the pool, not entering it, “What is on your mind that does not allow you to focus?”

  “You.”

  “Fine,” I sighed, turning and walking toward the same exit the Shaman took.

  “Don’t,” she replied, stopping me in my tracks, “Stay.”

  “Focus then,” I walked just so she could see me with the corner of her eyes as she looked through the Gate.

  “Answer me this,” she spoke, her voice somewhat off, “Are you angry with me?”

  “What is this about?” I groaned, tightening my jaw, “Yes, you have angered me before, and will perhaps continue to anger me again in the future, as I will you, so why does it matter now? If we are supposed to live a life together, we ought to learn how to be angry with each other, no?”

  She stood silent, unable to take her eyes off the gate, but her mouth was moving silently, too far for me to hear it.

  But as my splintering headache rushed forward again, with this bastard’s body angry with my somewhat nice words, I felt a rush of power coming from and rushing toward the gate at the same time.

  The Corridor was formed.

  The Summoning had begun.