The Summoning: Book 6 (Duty)

Transcript

The Price for Peace

Rose clenched her fists. "Lowe..."

"Rose, don't give in," Lowe said, eyes determined. "You can't let him have the artifact."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "But I can't let him kill you, either!"

"I'll make it easier," the boy said, and then bit down on Ulf's hand!

The old man yelped. "You insolent brat!" he yelled, and summoned a great ball of flame, engulfing them both.

"No!" Rose screamed, sending her Frosty Friend pummeling into the flames.

Ulf and Lowe were separated, each of them knocked in a different direction.

Rose ran up to Lowe, kneeling next to him, putting her able hand on his cheek. The boy grabbed her other hand and held it in a tender grasp.

"Lowe, you fool," she said.

Ulf groaned, got up, and scrambled towards the exit.

"He's getting away," Lowe said. "With that crazy artifact of his!"

"I can't leave you here, Lowe," Rose cried. "I... I'm..."

He smiled. "You're a Collector. The best I ever saw! And a Collector protects the innocent. A Collector defeats the bad guys."

Lowe swallowed.

"And sometimes," he said. "...a Collector gives his life for what he believes in. I'm done for, Rose. Go. Stop Ulf. Be the Collector I never could be!"

Rose clenched her teeth. She kissed his hand, and got up.

"I'll do my best to be even half the Collector you are, Lowe."

He nodded with a grin. "That will have to do. Goodbye, Rose."

The old man must've recovered more quickly than she thought possible, for when she got out he was already far, far away!

Knowing she couldn't let him get away, she gathered all her power, dissipating her Cloud and Frosty Friend and summoning the longest plant vine ever seen.

Like a whip the length of Evergrind City, the vine swung through the air with a howl, circling around Ulf's ankle and dragging him yelping across the hot sand to where Rose was standing.

"Please, Rose!" he cried. "Don't kill me!"

"Don't plead to me," she said. "Save it for Grand Master Lily."

Rose returned to Evergrind City and the Collector HQ, her Frosty Friend carrying the disgraced Quest Master Ulf, who was tied up by Rose's plants.

"How horrible," Grand Master Lily said after listening to the story. "Guards, throw Ulf in the dungeon!"

After Ulf had been hauled away by several guards, the Grand Master grabbed Rose by the shoulders. "You're the pride of our organization, Rose," she said. "I can't think of a greater Collector than you!"

"I can," Rose said, smiling weakly. "His name was Lowe, and he was the greatest Collector I ever saw."

~THE END~

By Penn Wryte