"Fresh apples! Fresh apples for sale here!"

"Pots and pans, available only in this section of the city!"

"Bread, pastries, pies, we have it all!"

Darren looked back and forth as he toured the city with Jones and Aenwyn. After he woke up, Darren found himself wandering the castle again with Cooper and Declan until he bumped into Jones. This time, he took the young knight's offer to explore the capital and the two of them were joined by Aenwyn moments later. A few minutes passed and the group of three plus two zerglings were in the middle section of Vasilikos. So far they had visited a few shops, seen some notable landmarks, and just generally hung out.

He was glad that they weren't around the upper section. Darren still thought there was something off about the people there and seeing Duke Caedman didn't help matters.

For now though, he would try to ignore all that. Now there were more important things to think about, like how he was going to pay for an apple pie.

Out of the corner of his eye, Darren spotted Cooper and Declan taking an interest in one of the nearby stands. Normally Darren would pay for it, but he gave all his gold to the orphanage in Chrimata. Just as he was about to pull the two zerglings away, Jones spoke up.

"I got it," the young knight said as he handed over a few coins.

Taking the apple pie and giving it to the zerglings, Darren said to Jones, "I'll pay you back later."

"It's fine," Jones waved off. "I just got paid recently so I've got some money to spend. Anyway, what do you think of the place so far?"

"It's nice to see so many people in one place, but I don't think it's for me. I grew up somewhere like Counter, so Vasilikos is a bit big for my tastes."

"This is an interesting place," Aenwyn said. "The buildings remind me of the Dwarves, but it is much more open here."

Just as Darren was going to ask about the Dwarves, they were approached by a messenger.

"Apologies for the interruption, but you three have been requested by Queen Catherine. She is waiting at the castle."

Thanking the messenger, the group soon made their way to the castle. While they pushed through the streets of the city, they didn't see the cloaked figure watching them from a nearby alley.


Once the group arrived at the castle, they saw a crowd starting to form at the gates. Darren was curious as to what was happening, but he and the others were soon directed by a guard to the queen. They found her standing with Indulf and Abraham in a courtyard that oversaw the growing crowd of people.

Catherine spotted them coming and waved them over with Ida standing nearby giving a nod to the group. Catherine spoke as they got close "You've arrived just in time."

"In time for what?" Darren asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Catherine replied with a smirk.

Indulf eventually stepped forward to the stone fence of the courtyard. The crowd of people that were there soon quieted their murmuring and looked up to the king.

"My people," Indluf started, "as you are no doubt aware, it has been declared that the Knight Captain Abraham was slain in the line of duty."

An air of sadness overswept the crowd. Darren saw many of the people turn sorrowful at the reminder, some even muttering angrily at the unfairness of Abraham's death. It seemed that the people cared for the Knight Captain a great deal. It honestly surprised him that so many people could care for a man. Indulf raised a hand then continued once the crowd was silent.

"However, now is not the time for mourning as new and wondrous news has arisen in recent days. I have been told that Knight Captain Abraham is alive."

The crowd exploded with whispers. Some of the most prominent whispers among them that Darren heard was disbelief at the news. They said that Abraham was gone for too long if he really was alive. A few of them even dismissed the news from the king, claiming it to be the words of a delusional man. Then the knight stepped forward.

As quickly as the whispers had surfaced, they suddenly fell silent. For a few moments, no words were spoken as the shock of seeing the knight sank in, then someone clapped. As if that was the signal needed, the rest of the crowd started to follow suit until the cheers started. They looked ecstatic at the news and Darren had a small smile at how happy people looked.

"Rejoice, my people," Indulf declared. "Rejoice! Our Knight Captain and a good friend of mine live despite." The king clasped an arm with the Knight Captain which turned into a quick hug. At that action, the crowd somehow cheered even louder than before.

The others around Darren were showing their own excitement as well, Ida looking positively ecstatic at the event before her. He clapped along with everyone else but was pulled away after a moment by Catherine.

"Usually I wouldn't stop anyone's merrymaking before it begins," Catherine started, "but this seemed as good a time as any. Would you be ready to begin your summoning now?"

Darren blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Sure, I was ready for a while."

"Ah, that's good. I had to ask because the others that I mentioned yesterday have arrived earlier than I expected."

As Darren went to ask just who she was talking about, Catherine pointed behind him. Darren turned around to see three people dressed in robes walking towards them, two men and a woman.

The first of the men looked to be in his mid-twenties with short blond hair and striking features along with a pair of glasses resting on his nose. He was tall and skinny, his frame suggesting that he didn't do much hard labor. The robes he wore were colored a regal blue and decorated with shiny baubles which gave off an aristocratic air about him. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back and his nose held high giving off the impression that he had better things to do with his time than to be outside and mingle.

The second man was much older than the first, looking at around sixty to seventy years old. While he was aged with a noticeable hunch to his back, it was clear from the way he held himself that he didn't let his physical limitations hold him down. There was a noticeable presence about the man, something that just stuck out to Darren. Or it could have been the walking stick and long white beard combination that the man had going for him, the purple robes certainly added to that as well. Whatever it was, unlike King Indulf, this man's presence had subtle power that was hard not to acknowledge.

The last of the approaching group, the woman who seemed to be around the same age as the first man, had long platinum blonde hair made into a braid with pretty features. She was nearly as tall as the first man, just about an inch or two shorter, and wore green robes. In her hands was a well-worn book, obviously very loved if the protective grip of it said anything about it. There was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but Darren thought she seemed motherly. It was a description that he never thought he would give but one that seemed perfect for the woman.

In backward order, starting with the woman, they all had various expressions on their faces as they came over. The green-robed woman seemed the calmest of the three with a small smile on her lips. The old man looked excited at something, just barely keeping a steady pace as he pretty much vibrated with energy. The younger man looked with respect at Catherine, but the moment he saw Darren his look of respect turned to derision, something that confused the Zerg leader greatly.

Did I do something to him…? Darren thought to himself.

"Magi Liam, Magi Bennett, Magi Sara, it's so wonderful to see you three again," Catherine greeted. She nodded to the two men and hugged the last woman. She pulled away after a moment and gestured towards Darren. "Thank you all for coming, this here is Darren, the one I told you about."

Unsure of what to do the Zerg leader bowed slightly. He was soon pulled up by the older man with his hand being shaken vigorously.

"Wonderful to meet you, my boy, wonderful!" The old man released Darren's hand and introduced himself. "I am Magi Bennett, Head of the School of Summoning Magic. It's wonderful to meet a potential Summoning Magi, and at so young an age too! I look forward to your accomplishments."

Darren nodded his thanks before the woman spoke to him.

"I'm Magi Sara, Head of the School of Restoration Magic," she introduced with a smile. "While you may not be a student of mine, I wish you all the best for your future endeavors."

Before Darren could say anything, the last man stepped up to Darren. He quickly examined the Zerg leader before letting out a small scoff and curtly saying, "Magi Liam, Head of the School of Conjuration Magic." He leaned forward until his face was inches before Darren's. "Just because we know your name, it doesn't mean anything. Until you do something worth our time you're just another speck of dust on the road."

Liam's hostility shocked Darren with its suddenness. It was bad enough that he almost missed Sara pull Liam by the arm and whisper admonishingly to him. The man just turned his head away at times before Sara pulled him back.

"Please ignore him, Darren," Bennett spoke up next to the man with a sigh.

"Yes, it's best you do so," Catherine continued. "Liam is known to be very… abrasive to those he doesn't acknowledge. This type of behavior is quite normal for him"

"But anyway," Bennett said with a clap, "there was a reason we are all invited here, yes?"


Darren kneeled on the flat ground, digging his hands into the salty dirt. Standing behind him some distance away was everyone else who came to watch.

It had taken some time to arrive at this place and after a quick look, Darren could see why someone might have tried to live here. Ignoring the lack of large trees or any other sort of plant life, someone could have made a good farm out of the land with how much of it there was. As it was though, he was the only one who could make something of this place now.

"Is he going to do something or what?" he heard Liam say none too quietly. "I could be doing research with this time or training some of my students."

"Hush, Liam," Sara chided. "We're here to analyze, not criticize."

"Besides, how can this be anything but exciting?" Bennett spoke up. "There are few Summoning Magi as it is, so the opportunity to see a live summoning should be taken every time." He grinned a moment later. "Besides, I still remember a certain Magi who had… performance problems himself once upon a time."

Liam didn't take too kindly at that and started to argue in a blustering manner, but it didn't do much. Everyone else was paying little attention to him as they laughed at what Bennett was insinuating. Darren though was a little annoyed and offended, though that died down quickly. In the eyes of the Magi Heads, he was a novice at the craft, it made sense. Still…

With a deep breath, Darren tried to remember the feeling he had when he made his first Hatchery all those weeks ago. Calling the energy within him was easier now, whether it be from doing it before or due to his practice with Conjuration. He willed the energy to ball up inside himself, then Darren pushed it out of his hands and into the ground.

As Darren pulled away, a noticeable pulsing mass of flesh soon grew from the ground. He stumbled but kept himself upright. Then he heard a familiar tune come from the growing Hatchery. It calmed him immediately and he felt his spirits lift. He never knew he missed it so much.

"My word." Darren looked to the side to see Bennett staring at the mass in wonder. "So that's what your summoning looks like," the purple-robed Magi continued. "I didn't see any sign of a summoning beyond this… what do you call it?" Bennett asked Darren.

"A... cocoon?" he replied unsurely.

The older Magi turned back towards the mass. "Fascinating."

Darren stepped back, letting the Head Summoning Magi make his observations as the other two Head Magi walked forward to take a peek, all three discussing their observations in whispers. Everyone else came up to take a look for themselves as well while Darren took a breather.

"Is it always like this?" Darren turned around to see Aenwyn staring curiously at the cocoon. Her eyes went to him before going back to the growing Hatchery. "A summoning, is it always this draining for you?" she restated.

"Nope, the first time I did it it was worse. I'm pretty sure I passed out from it actually."

Aenwyn looked contemplative. "You found summoning your zerglings draining for you at the time?"

Darren blinked, looking at Aenwyn in confusion. "Wait, what? No, I mean-"

"By the gods!"

Darren and Aenwyn's heads whipped to the side towards the shout to see everyone backing away from the now expanding cocoon. The mass of flesh began to swell in size quickly, soon becoming full of liquid. It began to pulsate like a beating heart. Inside of the cocoon, they saw an organism swimming in the liquid, unbothered by those watching it.

As the others continued to stare at the creature curiously, Bennett ran up to Darren. The elder Head Magi started to speak a barrage of questions that Darren barely managed to hear. "What was that? Why did it grow suddenly? Will it get bigger? Is this supposed to be a zergling? If not, then what is it? Also-"

"Stop!" Liam yelled. He had made his way towards the two along with the rest of the group once they had gotten over their shock. "Asking so many questions that quickly will get nothing out of him."

"Than-"

"Besides, I have more important questions he must answer."

Darren just sighed.

"How about we just let him explain at his own pace?" Sara suggested.

Seeing the nods around him, Darren got to it and explained what he knew about the Hatchery. After the explanation, Ida spoke up.

"Earlier, when you said you were going to make a new home for your zerglings, you meant you would literally do it through your Summoning magic?" she asked in disbelief.

Darren nodded. "That's right." He paused as a thought ran through his head before speaking again. "Is that not normal?"

Liam grabbed Darren by the shoulders, just shy of shaking him senseless. "Not normal-! I may be the Head Magi of Conjuration, but even I know that changing the landscape through Summoning magic should be impossible! There have been no recordings of anything like this close to happening. So tell me," Liam slowly inched towards Darren's face, "what did you do?"

"Uh…" Darren grasped for an answer. "Look, as far as I know, this is how it's always worked. I don't know how exactly, but this is what I've been able to do since I discovered it." It was technically the truth. Darren really had no idea why he had these powers, but he didn't think saying that he might be an alien would be an acceptable answer either.

Liam rolled his eyes. "Of course," he scoffed. "What was I expecting from some snot-nosed rookie, actual understanding of magic?"

"Liam, restrain yourself!" Sara said reproachfully.

"But-"

"Are you a Head Magi, or some rowdy thug?"

Liam grumbled at that but ultimately didn't say anything else before going back towards the cocoon. Darren frowned as the man left.

"Please, allow me to apologize for his behavior." Darren turned towards Sara as she spoke. "Liam is a good Magi, a wonderful one. It's just that his demeanor leaves… a bit to be desired." At Darren's raised eyebrow, she amended her statement. "Okay, much more to be desired. If you'll allow me to explain, it is simply how he chooses to teach. He means well, but his words usually do more harm than good."

"Someone should probably tell him that," Darren said with a huff.

Sara sighed. "Believe me, I have. He was much worse when he was inaugurated as Head Magi of the School of Conjuration Magic. Back then, he might have insulted your family line before personally taking the chance to humiliate you in front of an audience." She rubbed her brow in annoyance looking rueful at past memories. "Then, once everyone else had left, he would explain what you could have done better and where to improve upon in his own scornful way. Needless to say, it didn't always work. For the times it did though…" Sara trailed off with a wistful smile. "For the times it did, there was a vast improvement in the student. And Liam was there to witness it proudly. But I'm rambling now. My point is, please give Liam a chance and I promise that you will see him in a better light."

Darren scratched the back of his head. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

Sara nodded in understanding. "Thank you. That's more than enough."

For the next hour or two after talking with Sara, Darren answered whatever questions anyone had for him as they watched the Hatchery grow, most of these questions coming from Bennett. Darren tried his best to answer everything, but he had to deflect at some points such as how he came up with the names for his creatures. Soon enough, the main event had arrived.

As the mass of fluid and flesh swelled, it started to beat faster and faster. Darren knew that meant it would burst soon and he wanted everyone to step back. He couldn't have done it sooner as the moment everyone was a safe distance away the pustule burst, drawing gasps from everyone except for Darren. The Hatchery seemed to wiggle for a moment once it touched the air, the fluids surrounding it earlier evaporating in an instant. Creep was being made immediately as well to cover the land surrounded by the structure.

But what Darren focused on was the music. While everyone else was transfixed by the Hatchery or the Creep, Darren paid attention to the tune in his head coming from the structure. Now that it wasn't in its infancy it was much louder, but not deafening. Like his first Hatchery, it made a calming tune that he could hear and when Darren smiled, the Hatchery seemed to respond happily.

Time to get on with the rest of the show, Darren thought. He started to call over everyone to his position and waited for them to gather. Once they had Darren said, "I'm going to show you how I do the rest of my summoning."

He saw Bennett raise a hand.

"Also, that stuff growing near the Hatchery is Creep. It helps the Hatchery and the land around it grow."

The hand went down with a muttered "fascinating".

Darren shook his head in exasperation before stepping up to the Hatchery. With a thought, he ordered it to make a drone, an overlord, and a pair of zerglings. As the units were being made, Darren started to explain what was happening. "The things dropping from the Hatchery are called larvas. I can summon them from the Hatchery and they turn into units that I can control once they finish."

"Does this drain you in any way?" Bennett asked cautiously. "You were unsteady after summoning your Hatchery earlier. Should we be worried?"

"No, I'll be fine," Darren waved off the worry. "There is a drain on my energy for summoning my units, but it's pretty negligible. Right now, I have three units being made. The drone, an overlord, and some zerglings," Darren said while pointing to each new egg. "It will take some time for them to be made, but it'll be shorter than the Hatchery. In the meantime, if there are more questions then I would be happy to answer them."

He saw Bennett begin to step forward with a glint in his eye and prepared for another round of questions before Indulf raised his voice.

"If you wouldn't mind, how about a friendly spar?" He looked over to Bennett, "Yes, I understand that you have more questions about his magic. The time I have is limited though, and you will have him free to yourself later to ask whatever you wish. Besides, are you not the least bit curious about his abilities?"

At that Bennett seemed to weigh out the pros and cons of seeing Darren in action. He nodded and reluctantly agreed with Indulf. His questions could for now.

"Wonderful. Now then," Indulf clapped, "how shall we do this? I have my sword on me at the moment, but I don't see any weapons on you."

Darren wordlessly flicked a hand and caught the spine that came out, doing the same for his off-hand. Indulf's brow rose at the action but he only pulled out his sword in response. They both settled into a fighting stance while the rest of the group put some distance between themselves and the two.

"Would you let me fight with my zerglings?" Darren asked out of the blue. At Indulf's curious look he continued, "So far I've really only fought with them, so I'm wondering if you want to fight me individually or against a group." It was a passing thought, but he just realized that he never truly fought alone.

After some deliberation, Indulf nodded. "Whatever you choose. I was the one who challenged you so the decision is yours."

Darren looked over at Cooper and Declan who had been near the Hatchery since it was incubating. He grinned in amusement before turning back to Indulf. "Maybe not this time. I wouldn't want to interrupt their fun."

With a confused look, Indulf turned to see the zergling pair playing on the Creep. At some point, he saw one of them eat it as well. "Will they be alright?" he asked uneasily. "Eating the Creep, I mean."

"They'll be fine," Darren replied with a shrug. "It's healthy for them actually."

"If you say so."

They fell silent, settling back into readiness. Then they moved.

Darren brought up his makeshift knives and slashed at Indulf, but the king dodged out of the way before thrusting out with his sword. Darren dodged and began to circle Indulf, watching him respond in kind. Indulf began with a slash and Darren went to block it with his armor.

-!

He ducked under the sword's path as fast as he could, the edge just scraping off him. His instincts screamed at him to stay away from the weapon. It confused him as just a moment ago there was nothing wrong. "What the hell?" Darren muttered under his breath. "Is that thing made of eudium by any chance?" he called out.

"So you noticed that?" Indulf said calmly. "Well yes, my sword is made with eudium. It's to help deal with any Magi, Rogue or not, in any fight I find myself in. I was curious if you could sense it as not many Magi do until they get close enough. So good on you for discovering a little secret of mine. But enough of that, let's get back to fighting."

Damnit, Darren thought, this just got so much harder. A grin started to spread across his face. This might be the first real challenge he had in a while and he couldn't help but feel just a bit excited for it. Who knows, this might turn out to be fun.

Without another word, he lunged towards Indulf.

A/N: Made it in time for Christmas. I was hoping to get more ready by this time, but this seems good. Also, if things seem a bit slow it's because I'm trying to make a foundation right now.

Anyway, Merry Christmas of 2020 and Happy New Year. Hopefully, the next isn't as bad as this one was.