Summoner: Origins The Prequel by Taran Matharu

Scarab Mite, like yours, is not though. I feed her well, but Kali does like a taste of her old diet,’ Scipio joked, though Elaine’s expression remained grim and defiant.
    â€˜Stay away from Valens,’ she hissed at the stone.
    Kali continued her climb, occasionally glancing around to make sure the coast was clear. It seemed strange to Arcturus that such a large, powerful creature was so wary of her surroundings, and he wondered what manner of creatures could be a threat to a Felid.
    He didn’t have to wait long. Kali broke through the canopy, the Oculus’s image flashing briefly as the Felid’s eyes adjusted to the new light.
    The treeline seemed to stretch endlessly ahead, broken only by jagged mountains and the occasional clearing, like reefs and trenches in a sea of green. Each mountain top smouldered, sending slow moving pillars of smoke reaching into the sky before dissipating into a pall of ash that filled the cloudless sky. Arcturus could see no sun, or moon to speak of, just an orange glow that reminded him of dusk on a summer’s day.
    As Kali’s eyes adjusted further, Arcturus could see swarms of creatures, too far away to make out, forming and reforming in the sky, while larger dots hovered above them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. A Scarab Mite, its carapace cerulean blue, flitted across Kali’s vision.
    In the distance, Arcturus saw a herd of creatures making their way through the trees. They had the same long necks and large bodies as giraffes but with thicker limbs and a head that reminded Arcturus of a horse’s or camel’s. Their short fur was grey, mottled with black patches.
    â€˜Looks like the Indrik herds are on the move,’ Scipio said, pointing at them on the stone. ‘Far too big to be practical as a summoner’s demon, but I always love to see them.’
    They watched for a moment longer, as the Indriks made short work of the tree line around them. Judging by the size of the trees, they must have been as tall as ten men, standing on each other’s shoulders.
    â€˜We cannot stay too long. Can anyone tell me why?’ Scipio asked.
    â€˜You can never stay too long in the ether,’ Edmund said confidently. ‘There are other demons out there that might eat your own. No matter how powerful it is, there is always something higher up on the food chain. Then there’s the fact that your mana levels are dropping every second you keep the portal open. If they run out or you lose concentration, the portal will close and you will lose your demon for ever.’
    Arcturus saw Zacharias roll his eyes, then whisper into Josephine Queensouth’s ear. She giggled and Edmund’s face reddened.
    â€˜Very good, Edmund. You’re absolutely right, but that is not what I am getting at. Anybody else?’ Scipio asked, looking around the table. There was silence, then Prince Harold put up his hand.
    â€˜Is it the Shrikes?’ he suggested, unsure of himself.
    â€˜Correct!’ Scipio beamed, flashing the prince a congratulatory grin. He turned to Arcturus and Elaine. ‘Shrikes travel in flocks, led by their matriarch, the dominant female. During the first few weeks of the academic year, they migrate across our hunting grounds. They are dangerous birds, twice as large as an eagle and many times as vicious. That’s them, flying over the Lesser Mite swarms in the distance. They hunt alone for smaller prey, but for Kali, they would attack in a group of ten or more. After they make their kill, they impale their victims on tree branches, to hold them in place while they feast. Luckily for us, we seem to have missed the worst of it.’
    Arcturus shuddered. He wouldn’t want to send Sacharissa into the ether, but he would dearly have loved to capture a Mite for himself. She had spent most of her life there . . . surely it couldn’t be that bad.
    â€˜Right, I think that’s enough for one day. The