-Six months later-


"Wake up, sleepyhead." a familiar voice says as you awaken.  "We have a long day ahead of us."

"Just five more minutes.  Pleeeeeease." you say as you turn over in bed.

"You said that five minutes ago.  We have to get to class." a different voice says.  "Don't make me break out a furry cannonball."

Not wanting a quarter ton of cat to hit you, you jump out of bed.

"Gets him every time." Vasheer says, shaking the summoning stone on his collar as he lets out a half laugh, half growl.

"Ok, buddy, I'm up, I'm up.  Just let me get dressed and we'll be off." you say, scrambling to get some clothes together.  You pick up the nearest clothes you can find and give them a sniff test.  Then you hand them to Vasheer and he gives them a purr of approval.

"How's my favorite Summoner doing today?"  Xanthera says as she leans in and gives you a kiss.  "We have a special guest in Summoning 201 today.  Malcolm's brother will be there, we don't want to be late."

"Ok, ok."  you say as you grab your book bag and head out the door.  "Let's go buddy."  Vasheer jumps up and follows you both out.

You think to yourself it's hard to believe just six months ago he was just a cub.  He's growing so fast.  His all white fur as a cub has turned into a magnificent orange with black stripes that turns into white as it goes under his belly.  And it's all thanks to that troublemaker, Shanagrin.  If he hadn't cursed the summoning stone when you weren't looking, Vasheer would have disappeared after you passed out.  The curse somehow didn't mesh up properly and blocked the dismissal part of the spell, so Vasheer is permanently summoned, with no drain on your energy.  It's also hard to believe that such a beautiful woman would ever take such an interest in you.  After the accident, Xanthera started spending more intimate time with you.  You think it's because of the big cat that goes everywhere with you, but she says otherwise.  But hey, you're not complaining.  With all this time you're spending with her sister, though, Thylonia started spending time with Malcolm.  You've thought on many occasions that it was Lazarius' intention the entire time to get you all to marry each other eventually.  He claims it's just a side effect of the matching system.

"I still think they should let me skip Summoning 201.  All they teach is how to permanently summon a creature.  I already got that, right Vasheer?"  you say on your way to class.

"That's a little different.  You didn't actually have much to do with that.  Besides, you are going to have to learn to summon other things for very extended periods of time and this class will help you manage your magic for that."  Xanthera says.  She seems to always be right.  Though she could tell you that you just grew a third arm and you would agree without thinking.

You make your way to Summoning 201, a class that has you again under the tutelage of Professor Durthman.  At Rathmore you have the same Professor for all of your classes in a series.  That way you won't have to adjust for each teacher's styles.  Along with Summoning, you and Vasheer (The school decided that if a tiger can talk, it can learn) are also taking several other classes including, Potion Making, Staff Handling, History of Magic, and Basic Computer Operations.  You also are required to take several math, science, and other such classes to round out your education.  They want you to be not only a Summoner, but also a scholar.  The school is very thorough in preparing you for anything and everything you might encounter in the real world.  

One story you hear often during class is that of W.J. Frailton.  He was a Necromancy student that set out on a journey to find a book one day several decades ago.  This book was hidden in a temple deep in a bog about 50 some odd miles north of the school.  Being in the school of Necromancy, he thought he could handle a few Bog Wraiths.  Indeed he could.  What he couldn't handle was the complicated puzzle that he found at the temple.  It involved something about two trains leaving Blyson City traveling at 60 miles per hour and if one gets attacked by Orcish Raiders at 3:00 pm, what kind of soup will you be drinking.  Or something.  To make a long story longer, he wasn't prepared for a question of that caliber.  He answered with an extended middle finger followed by several expletives.  Needless to say, that was not the answer the temple puzzle was looking for.  The resulting fireball burnt all the hair from his body and he was in the hospital for a year and a half.  For future reference, the answer is none, who drinks soup at 3:00 pm anyway?  Soup isn't a very good mid-afternoon snack.

You make your way to class and take your seat in the usual spot, a seat that has been exclusively yours for six months now.  Vasheer sits in his usual spot right next to you.  You can see the spots that have been worn away by use around the edges of your desk.  There are also a few places you carved your name and that of Xanthera's.  And like every class before this, you take out your book and wait for the Professor to come into class.  Malcolm seems to be doing his usual fidgeting in his chair, trying to get comfortable.  This time though, he seems nervous, too.  

"You ok, Malcolm?" you ask.

"I just haven't seen my brother in a while.  I hope he recognizes me.  I hope I still recognize him."  Malcolm says, still fidgeting.

"It's only been six months since you started here, you and him couldn't have changed THAT much."

"Sure, I've been here six months.  But he's been a graduate and Summoner for two years before that.  We haven't seen each other in nearly three years."

"Oh.  Well, you are brothers and you never forget your brothers.  Just relax and everything will be ok."

The door to the class opens and in walks Professor Durthman.  "I would like everyone to give a warm welcome to our guest speaker for today."  She says, clapping.  She is replaced at the podium with a young man a few years older than yourself, dressed in a Purple robe held by a sash with a dragon on it.  He introduces himself as William Rathmore, High Summoner.

"Hello.  I am William Rathmore, High Summoner to the Duchess of Trient.  Hi little brother."  William says, throwing Malcolm a double finger gun point, a staple among guys for communication.  "I will be showing you today how to summon two beasts with one spell.  Handy if you find yourself outnumbered and need the support fast."

"I told you he would recognize you." you say as you poke Malcolm in the kidneys.

The lecture goes on for the remainder of the class, another hour and a half.  William goes over such topics as which summons to use while in the frozen tundra of Port Driad, why Bog Wraiths are so stupid, and what countries won't allow carry on luggage that's bigger than the person carrying it.  You can definitely tell this is Malcolm's brother.  With every passing minute he seems to go more and more off topic, delving further into his own mind and at times mumbling to himself.  There is only one saving grace of the entire lecture, William is a master of his craft and shows it.  Accompanying every story is a visual aid summoned by William himself on the fly.  The incantations you normally would have to say to summon are nowhere to be found around William.  He simply wills things to be and then there they are.

"Looks like I have run out of time." William says, looking at his watch.

"Could everyone give High Summoner Rathmore a round of applause?"  Professor Durthman asks, clapping.  The rest of the class soon follows.

"Please...Thank you." William tries to say over the noise.

After class the two brothers take off together for the nearest restaurant in the castle to catch up with old times.  They invite you along so William can meet his brother's friends.  You and Vasheer still have a few classes left so you say you will join them later.  You end up almost falling asleep in one of your classes later in the day and decide to turn in.  Lucky you.  You find out the next day that they got wasted at a tavern and got into a fight with some Necromancy students.  The resulting carnage was a catch 22.  The brothers would summon a beast, and when it died the Necromancers used it as a minion.  A sober Cleric every once in a while would resurrect one of the Necromancers minions, just to keep the teams even.  This went on for an hour before they ran out of room to fight and passed out.  The entire tavern stunk for three days afterwards. If it weren't for William being part of the royal protectorate, they both would have been in jail. That morning you find them both in Malcolm's bed, with leviathan sized hangovers.

"You both are lucky you didn't get killed." Thylonia says while she mixes an anti-hangover potion.  "Lucky I paid attention in class.  This potion was the first one the Professor showed us how to make.  Said it would 'Come in handy more often than you can imagine'."

Both the brothers let out a moan and turn over in the bed, putting a pillow on the others head.

"I'll never drink again." they both exclaimed, in unison.  Then, in unison again, they do the moan, turn, pillow combo from earlier.

"Too bad you guys went crazy last night.  We were all going to go down to see the new theater they built in town.  It will be the first building in the new entertainment district."  Thylonia says, sounding giddier by the second.  "Up until now, all we had were books at the library and each others company to entertain us on our days without classes."

"You trying to say you don't enjoy my company, sugar?" Malcolm quips, jokingly.

"Of course I do.  But wouldn't you much rather enjoy each others company in a dark theater.  Where no one can see you?" Thylonia says as she hands the drinks to the Rathmore brothers, and kisses Malcolm on the forehead.

"You know, I'm feeling much, MUCH better now that you mention it." Malcolm says, springing to life as if compelled by the lord himself. "You don't mind, do you Will?"

"No, no, no, noooo, nah..." William says, obviously still drunk, right before passing out again.  Seems to be a trend forming.

"You coming, Vasheer?  The more the merrier."  Xanthera asks.

"No thanks.  I'll stay here and take a catnap, keep William company." Vasheer says as he curls up in a giant 500-pound ball of fur next to William. "You have fun."