A Summoner's Journey

Book II - Chapter 2: Broken Swan

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Fjorm shrieked as she jerked awake. Taking a second to look around herself, she realized it was a nightmare and that she was in a log cabin's bedroom. Between ragged breaths, she felt her body. It was still warm like she was surrounded by flames. The princess was coated head to toe in sweat, "Ungh… haaaa… w-where am I…?"

Fjorm's head swam, her body still aching from her fight with Surtr. Wait… Surtr? Surtr didn't kill her? Fjorm raised both her hands to her face, checking if they were still intact. Flexing a few fingers and her wrist, the princess was relieved to feel that both were fine. But the question was why didn't Surtr kill her? And who rescued her? And…

"My armor and Leiptr…" Fjorm scanned her room, identifying her Nifiese armor on a rack nearby. Scarily, Leiptr wasn't nearby. Either her rescuer took it or worse yet, Surtr. Either way, she'll have to find a replacement spear until she can get it back, "Ugh, I'm hungry. Let's see if there is something to eat"

Stepping down from her bed, Fjorm placed one foot onto the wooden floor before immediately collapsing, groaning both in pain and her weakness. Surtr couldn't have hurt her THAT badly, right? If he wanted to torture her, she wouldn't be here now. So why was it so damn hard to just get up and MOVE?!

"Stop trying. You're just going to reopen your injuries," A stern voice told her from the front of the room. Fjorm looked up to see two men in front of her. One had black hair and was dressed in a white and gold robe while the other had red hair and was dressed in all black. Black and red… that was the colour of Muspell. So she was captured by the enemy.

"If you're going to execute me, do it quick," Fjorm spat, "I have no intention of cooperating with you Muspell dogs"

"Relax. We're not apart of Muspell. We're actually from Zenith, a continent north of here," The black haired man replied gently as he scooped Fjorm and placed her back onto the bed. The princess didn't even have the strength to fight back, "Arvis here just happens to wear the colours of Muspell"

"If the princess of Nifl mistakes me for a Muspellian, you could just send me into their lines to stir up some chaos," The red haired mage crossed his arms, "Far more of an effective tactic than a head on war with them"

"We'll discuss it later. For now, we'll proceed with our original plan to meet up at Nifl castle," The other man assured before turning back to Fjorm, "Anyways, how are you feeling?"

"Sore, aching and I can barely walk," Fjorm bit her lip in discomfort, "And my body still feels clammy and hot. Too much so"

"I can fix that," Thrusting out his hand, the red haired mage made Fjorm glow with a faint orange light briefly before drawing it into himself. Beads of sweat fell down the mage's face as Fjorm felt herself instantly cool down. Within seconds, Fjorm felt back to normal. As normal as a person from Nifl would be, at any rate, which was fairly cool, "... Done. Never thought I'd use heat manipulation for this, but here we are now"

"Thank you. I owe you my life," Fjorm nodded in gratitude before turning to the black haired man, "Are you the ones who rescued me? What happened?"

"Yes, we were. But let me introduce us first," The man cleared his throat before placing a hand on his chest, "I am Lucian, summoner of the Order of Heroes in Askr on the continent of Zenith. This is Duke Arvis of House Velthomer. He comes from the World of Judgral"

Order of Heroes? House Velthomer? Judgral? Fjorm has never heard any of those terms before and as it mixed into her head, it swam even more. She felt like she was opening a door to a brand new world outside of Dragsalia. She was going to throw up.

"Whoa! Easy, easy!" Lucian cried, hoisting a metal basin quickly up to Fjorm's mouth. The princess took a second before letting it all out, coughing all the while. Is this what she's been reduced to? She's never experienced injuries like this before, but Fjorm's never felt so low in her life. It felt mortifying lying in bed and throwing up after Surtr trampled her and her troops, marching onto Nifl castle. Wait… these men said they were going to…

"Y-you can't go to Nifl castle…!" Fjorm moaned, wheezing as Lucian lowered the basin, "Surtr and his men are moving there. You'll all be destroyed…!"

"Surtr? The King of Muspell Surtr?" Lucian's eyes widened and Fjorm nodded, "Oh no… dozens of our forces are moving towards there. If we don't alert them, they'll-"

"I can handle it. Don't fret Lucian," Arvis shook his head, "My plan needs open air, so I'll leave the food here. See you in the morning"

Fjorm watched Arvis place a metal tray of food by the desk in the corner before leaving through the door. Only now did the princess realize that it was nighttime, indicated by the only light source going in her room was a fireplace. Upon noticing it, Fjorm instantly shirked away.

"What is it?" Lucian asked worriedly.

"Fire… I can't look at it. It stirs up awful memories and then that nightmare…" Fjorm turned away, focusing her attention on the quiet snow village outside her window. Snowflakes falling out of the nighttime sky. Just like how it should be in Nifl. Not a speck of fire to be seen.

"Understandable. Although… there aren't exactly many light sources besides that. So unless you want to eat in the dark…" Lucian picked up the food tray Arvis left behind, bringing it to Fjorm's bedside, "Might as well finish this now. Then I can douse the flames"

"Thank you," Gingerly, Fjorm picked up a piece of Niflese blue cheese. Resisting the temptation to snarf if down, the princess took little nibbles, careful to not strain her body too much. With how frail she was now, Fjorm was afraid to do anything with too much force, "So… what are you and your Order of Heroes doing here?"

"Muspell's army was marching towards Zenith on a magical bridge, so a handful of us are infiltrating Muspell while it's unguarded. The bulk of our own army is keeping the Muspellians busy," Lucian explained, "Along with taking out Muspell, we're aiming to liberate Nifl too"

"You're doing none of that while Surtr marchs towards Nifl castle," Fjorm replied bitterly while taking a larger bite of her cheese, slowly reaching for a pear, "Until he dies, this war will never end"

"Then we'll just snipe him from a distance with magic or arrows. Easy"

"It's not that simple. Even the legendary lance of Nifl, Leiptr, barely put a dent in him. It was like he was shielded by a coat of his own flames," Fjorm, realizing her rudeness, tenderly put down the cheese, "Sorry, I don't believe I have introduced myself. I am Fjorm, princess of Nifl. The kingdom of ice"

"Pleasure to meet you. Now to continue on with my story…" Lucian cleared his throat, "Our force successfully landed in Muspell and we split into teams of five. My group found you unconscious by the border"

"That's right… I tried to take on Surtr myself to stop him from getting into Nifl. And I failed…" Fjorm buried her head in her hands, "My troops fled and I didn't even slow down Surtr a minute. Leiptr-"

Suddenly Fjorm jerked up, "Wait, where's Leiptr?! I had it with me before Surtr knocked me out"

Lucian winced, "We didn't find a spear on you when we found you. Surtr must of took it"

"Oh, of all the-" Fjorm groaned before sighing, resigning herself to her fate, "Do you happen to have a replacement spear for me? Anything would be fine. Iron, steel, slaying, anything"

"I can buy one for you in the village armory but…" Lucian bit his lip before his eyes widened, "Wait, you aren't intending to go out there and fight again, right?"

"Why would I not? It's my duty as a princess to defend my home country. I have to find Leiptr and exact my revenge on Surtr at once!"

Out of nowhere, Lucian pressed his finger against Fjorm's ribs, pushing with a little bit of force. The Niflian yelped, both out of pain and surprise.

"In this condition, you'll be dead before you even step out of this cabin," The summoner scolded, "For the time being, rest and recover. No fighting"

"But-"

"No buts. If you want to take revenge on Surtr, you'll have to do it at full strength. You wouldn't want him to walk over you a second time, right?" Lucian asked gently and Fjorm nodded, solemn. He was right. Fjorm was liable to be trampled a second time if she headed out now and she couldn't bear the humiliation. Best to bide her time and well… wait. Fjorm hated waiting.

"I'll leave this here. Seems like you need some time alone," Lucian put the food tray onto a nightstand beside Fjorm's bed and headed to the door, "I'll get you a new lance by morning. We'll be bunkered down here for the time being"

"... Thank you"

Once the summoner left her room, Fjorm reached for her half-eaten cheese, but stopped. Somehow, she was already full. By all means, she should be starving, but she wasn't. Fjorm frowned, unfamiliar with this kind of sick feeling. All she ate was the cheese. Not even the pear.

"I suppose it's just a simple side-effect," Fjorm murmured, sinking into her sheets and pillows. In the haze of her drowsiness, she didn't even remember to douse the fireplace, "Soon I'll wake up… fit to fight like… before… Zzz…"

…

"What are you doing, Arvis?" I asked the fire mage once I exited Fjorm's room. The redhead was in the town square, with a wind tome in his hand.

"I'm projecting the Niflian princess's message across the wind. With luck, they'll reach allied ears and they'll turn back from Nifl Castle," Arvis answered, "Speaking of which, what are your orders for them? Shall we set up a meeting place to reconvene?"

"... Hold off the message for now. With Nifl Castle out of the picture, I don't know where to go yet. Tell the others to stand down and rest for the night," I decided, "I'll come up with an answer in the morning. Maybe we should strike Muspell Castle while Surtr is away"

"Very well. I'll retire for the night then," Arvis took one last look at the snowfall around him before heading back to the inn, "Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Arvis" I nodded and the fire mage walked off. I located the armory and luckily, they were still open. I hoped they accepted Askran currency.

"Welcome. What are ya looking for?" The burly blacksmith asked once I walked into the store, "Hm, you don't look Niflian. What are you doing here during wartime?"

"Let's just say I'm a traveler around these parts," I answered easily, although I'm sure my summoner robes gave away my true identity, "Show me your lances and bows. Magic tomes too, if you have them"

"Magic I don't have beyond a couple scraps of Blizzard and Fimbulvetr magic," The blacksmith shook his head, "But lances and bows are on the left side here. Browse whatever you see fit"

"Thank you," I went to the left wall, where rows of lances and bows laid, along with a couple miscellaneous stuff like sheaths, leather grips, arrowheads and a few others. I scanned the selection, noticing the standard iron, steel and silver lances. There were even weapons cast in bronze, but they were dirt cheap. Probably won't even cut open a log, "Hm…"

"I don't have much of the exotic variety, if that's what you're looking for," The blacksmith called from the counter, "And if I did have them, they'll cost a fortune"

Noting the blacksmith's words, my eyes went down to a pair of lances hanging together. One was called the Vanguard and the other the Barrier Lance. Both cost 8000 gold.

"Holy moly, Anna would have a stroke over this," I muttered before checking the next spear, which was even more fancy than the last two. The shaft was golden with a fin-like head bearing an intricate pattern. Etched into the weapon was it's name: Ocean Lord. It cost 15000 gold.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The blacksmith called from the counter, "A travelling merchant sold it to me, although I could never sell it. Some folks questioned the usability of a weapon so fancily designed"

"And like hell am I going to pay that price," I grumbled silently before inspecting the basic lances again, "I'll take a Silver Lance and a Brave Bow"

"Right then. That'll be 7500 gold in total," The blacksmith replied and I furrowed my brow, glancing at the Brave Bow's price tag again.

"Both weapons cost 2500 gold. What's the extra price for? Tax?" I asked and the blacksmith shook his head, pointing to the silver quiver next to the exotic bow, "What's so special about that?"

"See that gem in the center? It's a magical catalyst that supplies a salvo of a hundred magical arrows. Far more than you can carry in a normal quiver," The smith answered, "Here, I'll even give you a demonstration"

Picking up a basic iron bow and strapping the magical quiver to his waist, the blacksmith drew back the weapon with no arrow nocked in. Suddenly, the quiver glowed briefly and a spectral arrow appeared in his hand, similar to Takumi's Fujin Yumi. Letting the arrow loose, it flew with a beautiful whistling noise, hitting a target on the wall dead center.

"The energy arrows function the same as normal ones. Now does the price make a bit more sense?"

"Yes. Thank you for showing me," I nodded and pooled my money. It was no surprise that having a force as big as the Order of Heroes would make a man quite rich, "Do you accept Askran currency?"

"Honestly friend, with Muspell trampling all over us, I don't know what to take anymore," The blacksmith took the coins without hesitation, "I might just pop over to Zenith and find a place there"

"Ah. Well… best of luck to you. And thank you," I nodded and took my weapons, heading back to the inn. Opening the door to Fjorm's room, I found that she was already in a deep sleep, with the food tray still on her nightstand.

"Hm. I should be getting to bed too. It's getting late…" I murmured to myself as I propped the Silver Lance next to Fjorm's armor, "Sleep well princess"

"Urgh… haaa…."

"Huh?" I turned to the direction of the noise and saw Fjorm tossing and turning in her bed, her expression contorted and fearful, "Fjorm…?"

"S-Surtr… stop it…" Fjorm murmured in her sleep, "Get out of my head… I can't… take it…!"

"Fjorm, wake up. You're having a nightmare!" I shook the princess awake and her expression only worsened, "Fjorm!"

"Surtr… what are you doing…? Surtr..?" Fjorm twisted around again, "AAAAHHHH! NOOOO!"

Out of nowhere, Fjorm's hand went flying and struck me right in the face. I tore myself away from her bedside, clutching my cheek in pain. The girl had a strong punch.

"H-huh? Lucian…?" Fjorm's voice was low as she turned her face to me, gradual concern marking it, "What happened-"

"You were having a nightmare and you punched me in the face," I grumbled, pulling away my hand to reveal a rather nasty bruise, "Don't go worrying about it. Arvis can heal me up"

"O-oh. Okay"

"What were you dreaming of anyways?"

"The same one as before. Surtr burning the world in flames while I stood alone in the calamity, watching my mother burn to ash," Fjorm was shaking and I held her shoulders, comforting her, "Lucian… I'm afraid to sleep now. I don't want that nightmare to… to come again"

"Then… I'll help you sleep tonight," I bit my lip, feeling the incoming embarrassment from my words. Fjorm caught onto it too and blushed, "Not in the same bed, of course. I'll just stay by your side while you try to sleep. I can always snooze in that chair by the corner"

"Will that help?"

"You can at least take solace in that I'm here for you," I smiled at Fjorm, "Remember that it's just a nightmare. We're here to stop something like that from happening"

"Right… I can't let the dream dominate me. I have to stop it from happening…" Fjorm glanced at the fireplace, "Do you…"

"Oh right. I forgot about that," I smirked and picked up a water bucket that was laid next to the brick fireplace. Tossing the water onto the flames, it doused in a small haze of smoke, "Fjorm, this'll be you when you recover enough to take on Muspell. Their flames will be gone in an instant"

"That's… a cheesy way to put it," Fjorm giggled, "But thank you. For that and the new Silver Lance"

"Once you're up and going, you can wield it and put your fury against Muspell," I assured, "But for now, sleep. I'll be here if you need me"

"... Thank you Lucian. For a stranger like me, you're showing a lot of kindness. I respect that," Fjorm smiled, "Goodnight"

"Goodnight. Pleasant dreams"

…

"Lucian? Lucian?" A voice called out to me in my dream, "Can you hear me?"

"Mm hmm... " I replied listlessly before my eyes snapped open. All around me was an empty void of space, with nothing around me for miles but tracks of grey-ish matter. The voice seemed to have come from the sky, "Who are you?"

"Ah wonderful. You do hear me," The voice said with joy, "I am Gunnthra, the eldest princess of Nifl. Thank you so much for rescuing my dear sister"

"You're welcome. What do you need me for, princess?" I asked. Gunnthra wouldn't have sent me a message in a dream just to thank me, right? Surely she had a purpose in mind.

"Fjorm likely already told you this, but besieging Nifl castle and taking on Surtr is a poor idea. Not only is he and his highest elites occupying the castle, Surtr himself is protected by Muspellflame," Gunnthra explained, "As such, you cannot damage him by conventional means. Fjorm already experienced this"

"What can we do to beat him then?"

"Seek me out in Nifl's sanctuary: Snjarhof in the west. There, I shall provide you the means to dispel Muspellflame," Gunnthra answered, "Fjorm knows the way"

"Oh… okay. But why are you telling me this? Why not Fjorm?" I asked and Gunnthra snickered lightly.

"Because you will be the force that tilts the tides of this war. That much I can say," The princess replied vaguely, "Now then, our time is up. I'll see you in Snjarhof"

"Gunnthra, wai-" But my dream was already broken. I woke up in a start, sweat beading down my face. Fjorm was still snoozing contently nearby while the morning sun beamed through the window outside. What did Gunnthra mean by me turning the tides of this war? Was it just because I'm the summoner? I can't just pull forces out of nowhere. The only troops I have are the ones who accompanied me here.

"Woman, if you're going to drop something like that, explain why at least," I grumbled under my breath, "Now you're just making me self-conscious…"

"Mmgh… good morning… Lucian," Fjorm's crystal blue eyes blinked open as she yawned, taking in the morning light, "How long have you been up?"

"Woke up around the same time as you," I shook my head, "How was your sleep? Had any nightmares?"

"Thankfully, no. I think you being here with me put me at ease. I don't feel as alone," Fjorm smiled warmly, "... What's the matter? You look troubled"

"Hm? Oh, I had a dream myself last night," I told the princess, "Not exactly a dream-dream, mind you, but a message. They introduced themselves as Gunnthra"

"Gunnthra?! That's my sister!"

"Yes, they described themselves as much. They said you were their little sister"

"Then it is her! What did she say? Is she okay?!" Fjorm asked both hastily and worriedly. I put my hands up to calm her down.

"She's fine. She's apparently holed up in a place called Sn-yar-holf or however you pronounce that," I replied, "She told me to go there in order to learn how to dispel Surtr's Muspellflame"

"Snjarhof! Of course Gunnthra would hide out in her magical haven!" Fjorm's face was lit bright with hope, "We must depart right away. The sooner we learn how to beat Surtr, the sooner this war ends!"

"Wait just a moment! You're still injured," I pushed Fjorm down, who was trying to rise out of bed, "You can't just leave in your condition right no- Oh"

Drawing my hands away from Fjorm's shoulders, the princess pulled down her tunic slightly to reveal that nearly all of her injuries healed. Aside from the burn scar on her cheek, she looked as good as new. That was impossible.

"How in the world…?"

"I've heard of this phenomenon before. They say people with the Ice Dragon's blood in their veins can heal faster in their own environment," Fjorm said excitingly, "I must've-"

"I did it"

Both of us turned to the door, where Arvis stood. His arms were crossed while his Recover Ring gleamed in the sunlight.

"Arvis?"

"Oh Lucian, you overlook me too much. In your midst stands a healer who can heal himself with no drawback and yet you don't use him to restore our injured ice princess," Arvis clucked his tongue, "So I took the task myself. Now she's fit to fight like before"

"Thank you Arvis. Truly," Fjorm got out of bed, bowing to the red-headed emperor, "Now let me suit up and we'll head west to Snjarhof. Do you two mind?"

"O-oh right. Excuse us," A mild blush went over my face as the two of us left Fjorm alone. Once we were in the main lobby of the inn, I turned to Arvis.

"Can you send another message on the wind for me? Tell the others to head west to the sanctuary of Snjarhof. Ask the locals for directions if they get lost," I instructed, "If things pan out right, we should all reunite there"

Arvis responded with a simple nod before heading outside, pulling a Wind tome out of his outfit. I looked around the inn lobby, noticing the lack of my other companions.

"Time to round up the others…"

…

A few hours later, we were on the Niflian road, all stocked up on supplies and provisions from the village. Fjorm was in the battle gear we found her in, which was thankfully repaired by the blacksmith. She thrust and jabbed with her new Silver Lance quietly, testing it out. Every once in a while, I caught her mutter Leiptr's name, as if she missed the weapon in her hands.

"So Fjorm, what's the way to Snjarhof? We have allies scattered all over here now and it would be good to be able to reunite," I told the princess as we walked through a relatively plain snow-laden valley. There were only a few trees here and there, but otherwise, nothing but snow, snow and snow. Boring, boring snow.

"Snjarhof is Gunnthra's magical haven and sanctuary. As such, it's not easily found," Fjorm replied carefully, "It's a double edged sword for us. Surtr won't be able to find it, but neither can your allies"

"That complicates things. Arvis can only send messages one way on the wind unless Soren throws one back. Our communication with our allies is skewed," I bit my lip. I knew I should have thought of this possibility when I agreed to this plan. I stared up at the sky. Nothing but grey clouds with snowflakes falling like usual. I wonder…

"Hey Catria, can you soar up and try to see anyone around? Now that we have an objective, it would be smart to group up," I told the pegasus knight and she nodded, taking to the skies. Beside me, Fjorm was fidgeting like she was troubled.

"Something wrong?"

"I'm just wondering if I can still pull off my techniques without Leiptr. The weapon is quite special, you know," Fjorm replied wistfully, "Born on the highest peak of Nifl, I can imagine it has more qualities than just being a lethal weapon. I need just one fight to see if my skills remain"

"Well, you won't find one here. This place is deserted no matter where you turn," Turning behind me, even the village was rapidly fading from view, "I doubt any Muspellian patrols are around this region"

"Alert! Someone has been spotted!" Catria's voice cried from slightly above me, "Wait a moment…"

"What is it, Catria?!" I called back.

"It's not someone! They're enemies!" Catria realized before yelling down to us, "Prepare for battle! Muspell's soldiers are on their way!"

"Muspell is here?!" I grit my teeth. Seems like they left more behind than I thought. But why here?

"Good. This is just what I needed," Fjorm gripped her Silver Lance, getting into a battle stance as a squadron of black armored men approached us. Raising her spear in a rallying cry before pointing it at the enemy, she shouted:

"Come, friends! LET'S TAKE BACK NIFL!"

Our team:

- Black Knight, Sinister General. Level 40

Alondite, Swap, Black Luna, Steady Stance 3, Warp Powder, Ward Armor 3 and Distant Defense 3 seal

- Amelia, Rose of the War. Level 40

Slaying Axe, Swap, Ignis, Fury 3, Renewal 3 and Armor March 3 and Attack 3 seal

- Catria, Middle Whitewing. Level 40

Slaying Lance, Reposition, Luna, Fury 3, Desperation 3, Goad Fliers 3 and Speed 3 seal

- Arvis, Emperor of Flame. Level 40

Valflame, Ardent Sacrifice, Iceberg, Fury 3, Recover Ring, Defense Ploy 3 and Fortress Resistance 3 seal

- Fjorm, Princess of Ice. Level 40

Silver Lance, Ice Mirror, Atk/Def Bond 3, Shield Pulse 3 and Drive Atk 3