"Rayne, you need to take it easy with your training," Master Zak says standing over top of my kneeling body. His large seven foot body towering over mine. The two hundred pounds of muscle exhausted from the physical training we both went through for the past few hours.
"You don't have to constantly remind me of my failures!" I yell as I start to stand. At only five foot and a hundred and five pounds, Master Zak looks like a giant. I tied my long silver hair back into a bun with a red silk ribbon as I stare up at him.
"You developed your powers late in life Rayne. You are eighteen now, most summoners start training at eight years old. At their age, life hasn't stained their souls yet so their minds are clear and calm."
"And mine is a sea of storms," I say mockingly. "We have this conversation every day Master."
"And yet you get angrier with each lesson."
I pick up my wooden staff from the forest floor. The runes carved into the wood glow with magically energy. My last attempt at a summon failed as the magic dispersed, I tried a desperate attempt to gather it back but it exploded in a wave of wind energy knocking us both to our ass.
"I am just sick of trying to summon sprites. How can I protect our people if all I can summon are tiny balls of energy?"
Mast Zak scratches his bald head and looks down to me. "Summoning powerful creatures is very risky for those without proper concentration. Summoning opens a two way door Rayne. If you can't control the creature, it will control you. Death will be the best thing that happens to you if you lose control."
I take a few deep breaths trying to calm my energy. The runes glow fades completely as I shut down my magic. I speak calmly this time.
"I know Master and I am trying. It's tough being the oldest in my class but also the weakest. You say I have potential but my past keeps creeping into my mind when I concentrate."
"Life hasn't been easy for you," Master says putting a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go back to camp, it's getting late."
The two of us walk back to the small camp we set up deep into the woods. Master Zak thought it would be a good idea for the two of us to get away from the noise of the village so I can focus my thoughts. The sun has gone down hours ago so Master Zak uses some magical stones to light the path back. It takes us about thirty minutes to make the hike back. Once at camp, I cook us up some rabbit before we retire for the night.
A nightmare wakes me in the early hours of the next day. The sun is creeping it's light into the night. Twilight is a perfect time to practice my magic as the two energies mix. I gather my staff, fix my thin white robe and leave the tent. I walk softly past my master tent trying not to wake him. Once clear of the camp I take off running into the forest. After a little while I stop at a large lake. I can feel powerful energy radiating off the water. The magical current feels amazing against me. The tiny hairs in my body reaching out for more.
"Clear your head Rayne," I whisper to myself and I step into the water.
I slowly take my robe off once the water is knee deep. My pale skin reflects the light of the moon back down into the waters surface. I take a look at my reflection and notice the scars around my chest and legs from beatings I took as a child. With staff in hand, I dive below the water's surface to cover myself in the energy. When I resurface the lake covers up to my waist. I run the staff along the surface of the water creating a circle. The runes start to glow as I gather energy. I close my eyes and start chanting a spell. I am attempting my first atronach, a water spirit used for battles.
I gather my thoughts and envision the atronach. When I open my eyes I notice the water droplets that once covered my naked body start floating in the air and towards the center of the lake. I smile seeing my spell working. As the water starts to gather and take form, I can feel the tension of magic pushing back against me. I fight to keep my thoughts solid and not think about...My mother.
My eyes close tight as my body begins to feel the pain my mother caused me as a child. Her trying to force me to learn magic even though I didn't possess the skills. She would summon up creatures to attack me hoping I would defend myself. But instead I got beaten and scarred.
"No rayne," I say aloud. "Focus!"
As the final words form in my mind and I begin to speak them, I feel massive pain in my scars. This causes my words to stumble as I speak but I keep trying and hope I don't get them wrong. The last of the energy builds and I strike the water with my staff and break the circle. All the stored energy shoots towards the gathering of water and hits it hard causing the water to dissipate.
"Fuck," I say seeing the water of the lake calm. "It didn't work."
I start to turn and leave the water when I feel something below the surface. I look around trying to spot something. Could just be a large fish or turtle. I turn around and my eyes shoot open. I stumble back and land on my ass in the water.
"Hello Rayne," a male voice ripples through this thing in front of me. It seemed angry.
"Wha...what are you?" I asked terrified.
"You summoned me, so you should know."
The water starts to solidify and take form of a humanoid creature. It stands eight feet in the air and looks down at me. The form constantly flowing like the water it is made of. The spirit puts its tentacle like arms out to each side allowing me get a good look. It's glowing green eyes look me up and down as it starts towards me.
"Call me Saphod. I know I'm not what you wanted in the first place. You lost control and summoned me instead. And I am glad you did. I am going to have fun with you summoner."
"What do you mean? I summoned you so I control you!" I say panicked. I stand and take my staff in both hands in a defensive gesture.
"You lost control of your thoughts and emotions. You don't control shit!" Anger surfaces in its voice.
I yell some words and gather energy. I pull rocks from under the surface and fling them through the air at the creature. Saphod raises his arms and a wall of water appears to block the large rocks. When the wall falls back into the lake, the spirit points towards me. I notice the water rippling around me. I am lifted into the air by arms made of water. I am held upside down by my ankles. They felt solid around my skin as if it wasn't water at all but some kind of thick slimy rubber.
Saphod walks towards me with a huge lust filled smile. I can feel his eyes on my skin. Once within striking distance, I swing at him with my staff. I make contact but the wood just absorbs into his body. I feel the arms holding me by the ankles grow and slide down me as my legs are spread wide.
"It's amusing that you know nothing about the creature you summon." Saphod looks down at my naked body. "Trying to stick your staff inside my body is a waste of energy. I can't be beaten by something I bring life to. Water feeds the trees that your staff was created from. But you on the other hand..."
I watch as another water tentacle forms around the wood staff and is pulled from the creature body. A slimy liquid drips from the edge of the staff. My eyes watch as the staff is lifted into the air over my upside down body. Saphod watches as the staff is lower between my legs slowly.