"Are you certain?" Aurelia questioned. "I won't allow you to choose something else if you aren't happy with the result."
Zeke shook his head. His mind was made up. "I am certain, lady Thorsten. I pick Chance."
Aurelia smiled. "I had hoped you would do that if I'm being completely honest. Follow me."
Aurelia left the room, with Zeke right on her heels. After turning a few corners, he began to recognize their surroundings. This was still the town hall on the second layer. Soon, they were standing at the entrance to the same room the earlier event had taken place in. The moment they entered, Zeke had a premonition of danger.
In the very next moment, the source of that feeling revealed itself. Out of the corner of his eyes, Zeke saw a blur. He couldn't even react before it was upon him. However, just before it could make contact, his attacker was flung away.
Aurelia had raised a single finger, pointing outward. The Thunderclaw, which had been in the middle of its attack was nowhere to be seen anymore. A wet slapping sound alerted Zeke to the fact that the beast had just crashed into the far wall. He was just in time to see it drop to the floor lifelessly.
"Zappy!" a shrill voice exclaimed.
Celine ran over to the limp body of her companion. However, even before she could reach it, the figure started to dissolve into motes of light. Moments later, even those winked out. Celine collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
With tears in her eyes, she turned toward Aurelia. "W-Why? Why did you do that?" she said between labored breaths. The girl was clearly in pain. Zeke wondered if that was what happened every time a Summon was killed.
Aurelia approached and gently laid a hand on the girl's head. Immediately after, the pained expression on Celine's face soothed.
"You know why, girl," Aurelia chided softly. "Your Summon attacked without permission. I know that it is a difficult task to control such a willful beast at your age, but being too lenient is a fatal flaw many Summoners have come to regret."
"That was no attack, Aunty. He just wanted to play," Celine said.
Aurelia's face darkened. Her black eyes bore into the girl in that same way that Zeke had experienced a couple of times himself. He did not want to be in the girl's shoes right now. The Thorsten matriarch could be very frightening once she became quiet.
"I-it won't happen again, Aunty. I promise."
"It better not," Aurelia said, patting the girl's head one more time before helping her up.
Celine glanced over at Zeke. "What is he still doing here?"
Despite her dismissive words, Zeke was surprised by her attitude. The look in her eyes had significantly changed from earlier. It still wasn't friendly, not by a long shot, but none of the open hostility or disdain were present anymore. Maybe Aurelia had talked to her?
A mysterious smile appeared on Aurelia's face. "I brought him here," she said, glancing at Zeke, "to go through the ritual."
"WHAT!?" Zeke and Celine exclaimed at the same time.
"Aunty, you can't be serious! Why would you allow this outsider to go through OUR ritual?"
Aurelia shook her head. "What do you mean, 'our' ritual? It belongs to Invocatia and not to our family."
"But he is still an outsider!"
"So what?" Aurelia said. "Many of our citizens have chosen to renounce our country and find employment elsewhere. There are hundreds of 'outsiders' running around with 'our' Magic. One more or less won't make much of a difference."
"B-but… " Celine stammered. She couldn't seem to find the right words to give voice to her complaints. Instead, she started pouting.
"Don't worry, sweet girl. He will not be able to get anything comparable to your Thunderclaw," Aurelia said with a knowing smile.
"I-I wasn't even worried about that!" Celine exclaimed. However, the small smile that had emerged on her face told a different story.
"You want me to go through the summoning ritual?" Zeke asked. He was halfway between excited and worried. His knowledge of the particulars of the ritual was too lacking for him to know exactly what that entailed.
Aurelia nodded. "Yes, that is what I meant by taking a Chance. You can still refuse if you don't want to do it. But I won't give you anything else in that case."
"Will I lose access to one of my affinities?" Zeke asked.
Celine scoffed, her hands on her hips. "You don't know anything, do you?"
Zeke raised a single brow. "And whose fault do you think that is? Your people aren't exactly forthcoming with any knowledge about your ritual."
The girl turned away with a harrumph, leaving Aurelia to explain the particulars. "When going through the Spirit Summoning ritual, there are different types of offerings. Celine, for example, offered her core. This is the most extreme version of the contract and will prevent her from ever casting any Lightning spells herself. However, this level of offering will, in turn, attract the strongest of spirits."
Zeke nodded eagerly, absorbing all this new information. He had known from observing Albert's core that there had to be a different way to gain a Summon. But he had not yet been able to figure out any of the details.
"This method is no longer open to you, as you've already engraved your spells," Aurelia continued. "But there are different types of offerings Summons are interested in."
"Like what?"
"It could be almost anything," Aurelia explained. "The spirit could demand you keep them summoned a certain amount of hours each day, for example; or that you feed them strawberry pastries once a month. Maybe they just like the way you look. It's up to chance, really."
Zeke nodded. However, a frown slowly spread across his face. He didn't really like the thought of leaving this completely up to luck. "Is there nothing I can do to increase my odds of getting something decent?"
Aurelia shook her head. "There is very little you can do. But it is not going to be completely random either. Oftentimes, the spirits that are going to be attracted are the ones that harmonize well with your personality, life experience, or spell engraving. So, pick your affinity carefully."
"What do you mean?"
"Ohh, yes. I didn't explain that part yet," Aurelia said. "I can only open the portal to a single plane. You'll have to decide ahead of time if you want to go with Blood, Mind, or Space."
"Any suggestions?" Zeke asked hopefully.
"Space! Pick Space!" Celine yelled from the side. "I've seen a boy get a fish that was able to swim through walls. Isn't that awesome?"
Zeke's eyes narrowed. What would he do with such a useless Summon? But despite her reason for picking it, Space might actually be a good choice. He might get something that could take him wherever he wanted instantly. Still, he would wait for Aurelia to give her opinion, before making any decisions.
"You know my answer already," she said. "Life consists of more than combat, and power consists of more than strength. A Summon stays with you even when you are idle. It is not just a sword to be unsheathed for bloodshed alone."
Zeke remembered how many times she had expressed her desire for Mind magic since they met. Her preference was obvious. But was this really the best choice for him?
Life is more than combat and Power is more than strength.
Those words resonated deeply with something at the very core of his being. He was well aware that Leo was a better fighter than him and that Zeke would never be his equal in that regard, but he didn't have to. He loved to plan, he loved to tinker, and he loved to research. That had always been his strength.
He didn't need a Summon that would fight his battles for him; he would find a way to do that on his own. He didn't need a Summon that would take him across the world either, he would find a way to do that on his own as well.
What he needed — what he wanted, was a summon that would light his way, and assist him in paving it.
"Mind," Zeke said, his eyes brimming with conviction.
Aurelia nodded in satisfaction while Celine pouted. The matriarch waved him over toward the platform the ritual had been performed earlier.
"Suit yourself," Celine called after him, and Zeke thought this would be the end of it. However, she added one more thing. "And don't be too picky…"
What did she mean by that? Wasn't it better to be picky? When Zeke caught up with Aurelia, he couldn't help but ask her about it.
"That was solid advice," Aurelia explained. "For each Summon you reject, your chances of getting something equally strong again will be worse."
"What? Why?" Zeke asked in shock. He had planned to wait for something that would fit him perfectly.
"Each Summon you come in contact with leaves a mark on you. The more of them you reject, the less attractive you become in their eyes. I wouldn't worry too much though. This is not an exact science."
Zeke sighed. He had been lucky that Celine had mentioned this, otherwise, he would have been guaranteed to end up without a Summon. He eyed the woman in front of him with a hint of suspicion. "Anything else I need to know?"
Aurelia thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. "No, that's about it. Once I give you the signal, state your demands and wait for spirits to approach you. I'm sure you'll figure out the rest on your own."
Zeke nodded and entered the ring that had already started glowing. He sat down in the center, just as he had seen Celine do earlier. He closed his eyes and tried to think of the Summon he wanted. Something that could help him gather information? Something like Albert's Truthseeker maybe? It was hard to make any choice without knowing what was possible…
"Get ready," Aurelia called.
Zeke's eyes snapped open. How long had he been in thought? His jaw dropped as he observed the ceiling that had once again changed into a portal. The world he could see on the other side was very different from what he had seen earlier. Instead of a mass of roiling clouds, he looked out into a dark void. The only source of light was a network of glowing blue gateways that were all interlinked with each other. The sight was very familiar to Zeke, but he couldn't quite pinpoint from where he knew it.
"Do it now," Aurelia reminded him.
After a moment of thought, he made his proclamation. His only point of reference was what Celine had said during her ritual, so Zeke mirrored her approach. "I am Ezekiel von Hohenheim! And what I seek is knowledge, the knowledge to solve all the world's mysteries. If you believe yourself worthy, approach now."
Zeke remained standing, his arms outstretched. However, for the longest time, nothing happened. Was this normal? Or… Had he done something wrong? Was there something else he needed to say or do? A quick glance at Aurelia's calm expression reassured him somewhat. But why was nothing happening?
Just when he was about to speak up, a pressure descended upon him. Zeke looked up, and found a giant, floating shape hovering in place above him. For a moment, nothing else happened, but then he heard it. There was a distinctly inhumane-sounding voice in the back of his mind. It sounded like many people speaking at once.
"We greet you, Ezekiel von Hohenheim," the voice said. "My name is Xyloquzanthrex, the Mnemosyne Devourer. I would like to offer you a contract."
Of course, telepathy! Why hadn't he expected a Mind Summon to be able to use telepathy? Zeke used the same channel to respond. "I greet you as well, Xylo… quzan…. threx, the Mnemosyne Devourer," he grimaced at his failed attempt to pronounce the name, but continued as if nothing had happened. "What can you offer, and what do you want in return?"
"My species possesses a hunger for knowledge, the same as you, we believe," it explained. "It is our purpose to seek out the most profound minds, siphoning the wealth of their memories and experiences. We do not simply consume them, but rather, we assimilate and preserve their essence, adding to the universal consciousness. In doing so, we bear witness to the grand narratives of existence and become a living repository of all that has been and all that is yet to come. We offer you free access to any knowledge you help us collect."
Wasn't this… very similar to what he had done to the spy? From what the being had described, it was from a species that ate Souls in order to absorb their experiences. Zeke remembered that ordeal, it had been a wretched affair that made him feel like a monster. He had absolutely no interest in unleashing this thing upon the world.
"I refuse the contract," Zeke said right away. He didn't even need to listen to the Devourer's terms. This was not something he was interested in.
"Very well, Ezekiel von Hohenheim. We wish you good fortune." With those words, the being disappeared, leaving a restless Zeke behind.
What had he gotten himself into?