Summoners Circle

On a faraway world, Lord Juras stood in his enormous study, over a sand table with crude stone blocks shaped like soldiers and instruments of war. His demonic host of captains encircled the table, paying rapt attention to his battle plans.

"Here through the portal we shall invade the Highlands, and topple the fortress, there. Take the children captive and slay every man and woman who raises arms against us. There will be no quarter. Captain Di-"

He stopped. Captain Diomedes was staring into space. Whether he was doing calculations, or simply daydreaming, his attention was not fixed enough. With a dramatic whip motion, Lord Juras overturned the sand table with his axe and lifted Diomedes off the ground by his neck!

"INSOLENCE! YOUR EYES SHALL BE UPON ME! I AM YOUR COMMANDER! YOU SHALL NEVER CLOSE THEM AGAIN!"

Diomedes stared in surprised horror as Juras raised his axe with one hand, and then blinked as he fell unharmed to the ground.

In a flash of burning light, Juras had vanished.

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In a flash of burning light, a smoking Lord Juras emerged from the flames in the center of the summoning circle as his wild axe blow missed his target by dimensions and lightyears. He buried the blade of his weapon in the ground with an enormous shout, and then looked around bewildered. Finally his eye drifted to the small young woman beholding him with surprise.

Juras pulled his axe free of the ground, throwing dirt and grass into a cloud. Amidst the smoking embers and dust, he stood to his full height, shaking off his disorientation as best he could. He traded his weapon to his left hand and pointed at the girl. The displacement rune on his body glowed in menacing green.

"You. Where is this place? Who summons Lord Juras of the Blazing Battalion? The battle awaits!"

"Summoner Alessa! You have displaced me! And I shall return to my world victorious! NOW YOU WILL LEARN THE MEANING OF SUMMONING! Behold my legion!"

Juras raised his axe, and in a fel tongue began to call out to the warp. As his spell began, lava spurted from small cracks in the ground, and two great stone pincers slowly grew forth into an archway. He was manifesting the portal that would bring him back to his conquest, and bring fire and shadow to this world.

"Come forth, sisters! Your master calls! Come unto the MRGMRLGMRLGMRLGMRLMG!!"

Juras paused, nonplussed, then opened his mouth to continue his enraged incantation.

"BLEEBALBALBLMAMAMALABA!! HAHA!! URGH!"

The stones froze, slightly extruded from the ground, and the trickles of lava stopped as the smoke dissipated. The portal was spoiled.

Juras had been hindered. His magic was no good here. His escape was about to become much more complicated.

He would have to fight his way out.

He focused his yellow-green eyes on Alessa, and holding his axe high above both heads, let out a primal scream. He could not make sentences, but his message was very clear.

For a moment, Juras fumbled with the axe, but made no exclamation, as he knew it would just come out in pointless grunts. With a great heft, he swung with his axe, barely missing Alessa, and again crushing the wedge of it into the ground. Now he'd really done it. With great strain he pulled to get the axe free, taking his eyes off Alessa for a split second...