The Xia Family Manor, deep within the Kingdom of Ro.
The shimmering muslin curtains filtered the incoming light beautifully, tinting the cascading rays of morning in a bounty of reds and golds. The colors of the Xia family bloomed against the noble girl's bedroom walls like a field of blazing flowers, deeply dying the ivory skin of the weary-eyed Xia Weiyang with a soft blush.
The peaceful scene was interrupted by the sudden eruption of the bedroom doors.
"Elder sister!" a cheerful voice echoed in the large bedroom, revealing the form of a young girl.
Although this girl was only some nine years of age, she carried herself with a powerful, magnanimous air. The golden bangles which hung from the bouncing curls of her hair glittered splendidly in the morning light, making not even an ounce of noise as she moved. She was attired in a sylvan green dress, with sheer ribbons lilting about her body as if blown on a gentle wind. Each of her steps seemed to carry her much further than her tiny legs would allow, and the tips of her toes appeared to be resting on the edge of a cloud as she bounded across the considerably large floor towards the room's owner.
As she approached, the apple-like contours of her face became clearer, her large moist eyes vibrant and filled with life. The ruddy colors of youth were still clearly visible on her little cheeks, and everything about her person carried a certain aspect of perfection. By contrast, Xia Weiyang seemed to have recently undergone a great ordeal. Her hair was disheveled, if only just, and her eyes were clouded over with the characteristic haze of many sleepless nights.
"You didn't sleep tonight either?" the young girl asked, her eyes keenly aware of the scrolls that were piled on her sister's desk.
Finally coming to her senses, Xia Weiyang turned to look at her younger sibling, her features softening greatly, "Little Yue... you've come to receive your sister this early?" her gentle voice called out, clearly somewhat detached.
A tiny, white-jade hand extended from the little girl's sleeve and grabbed onto the hem of the older girl's dress, her features taking on the countenance of a spoiled child.
"Sis Wei is always studying so diligently, she hasn't noticed that this morning is the day of the summoning ritual..."
Xia Weiyang turned her entire body sharply, scattering the contents of her desk. The heavy wooden scrolls hit the floor like a chorus of clapping thunder, and the girl's face paled with the very essence of shock and confusion. Her charming features twisted in concern and she immediately stood from her chair, her back ram-rod straight. Xia Weiyang's nightdress spilled past as she charged across the room, and her younger sister, Xia Yue, laughed cutely as a mischievous spark filled her eyes. She most enjoyed the panicked expression of her elder sister.
Xia Weiyang hastily pushed past the bedchamber door, the two figures which had stood at attention to either side immediately falling to their knees. These two women were as still as statues, their heads turned down in deference.
"Lady Xia, you said not to be disturbed - but the young lady-" the woman on the left began.
"Never mind that!" Xia Weiyang called pitifully, "quickly prepare me! I have no time to waste on idle talk!"
These two women were the personal servants of Xia Weiyang, and they were both in their mid-twenties. Although they could be considered beauties with great prospects, they had long pledge themselves to the Xia Family, and would not hesitate to offer even their own lives in service of their lady. Of course, the gentle mistress would never order such things from them, and for this they were eternally grateful. Their names were Iris and Lily, and while normally quite reserved, Iris was by far the more vocal and forward of the two. She was also the one who had originally spoken.
"Then this little one will see herself out," Xia Yue said cutely, bounding away as gracefully as she had appeared, but as if remembering something, called out, "Brother Che! If you don't want big sister to hate you forever, you had best leave as well!"
There was a flutter by the curtains as another figure started abruptly and then vanished. This "Brother Che" was a young boy the same height and size as Xia Yue, and was in fact her twin brother, Xia Che. Clearly, he was also worried about his elder sister and her absent-minded habits, but simply couldn't bring himself to disturb her.
"You two..." Xia Weiyang said helplessly, hanging her head.
The noble girl's servants quickly got to work cleaning and dressing their mistress, working at twice the usual speed, but nevertheless making not a single mistake. As proud servants of the Xia Family, they were naturally graceful and well trained.
"Lady Xia will no doubt perform beautifully at today's summoning ritual," the servant, Iris, said calmly.
Lily, following her senior-sister's lead added, "Most assuredly, she has worked tirelessly for this day."
Xia Weiyang frowned deeply, "I would not dare to carry such negligent thoughts," she said, "I only hope that I do not once again shame father and mother."
The two servants knew how much the Lord of the Xia Family had invested in his third daughter, having always had a favorable view of her despite her lackluster talent. After her mother, the Lady Ninerose, passed away, the Lord was especially protective of the young Xia Weiyang. That mysterious woman was also Iris and Lily's greatest benefactor, and the one who gave the pair their names, so the servants were naturally well-disposed to her daughter as well.
In a matter of minutes, Xia Weiyang made her way across the grounds to the Grand Hall, where a number of people had already gathered. Although there were over two-hundred bodies present, they were loosely scattered and hardly covered even a tenth of the Xia Manor's Grand Hall. The fact that the ceremony even took place here was a matter of formality, rather than necessity, and there were several such halls that were of a more appropriate size for this event.
The vast majority of these figures were the young talents that the Xia Clan had gathered and nurtured, and all of them were around 13 years of age. The Xia Clan was a coalition directly subordinate to the immediate Xia Family, and it was headed by the combined power of several influential Knight families. All of these families were originally descended from vassals of the Xia Family, and their loyalty was deemed to be unshakable. The Xia Family was very old, even by the standards of the ancient Diaz Empire, and it's roots ran considerably deep. When compared to the Xia Family, which was eternally backed by the formidable Xia Clan, other noble families of similar rank couldn't possibly compete.
Upon Xia Weiyang's arrival, all of the guests immediately stiffened and moved to give her ample standing room. Many of the youths looked upon the lady with starstruck eyes, especially the young men, whose gazes were filled a certain fiery passion. No doubt they were having delusions of becoming great warriors and tamers, and of one day capturing the heart of a beautiful, cultured woman like Xia Weiyang. The noble lady didn't seem to see these gazes, however, as her eyes were only concerned with a single man in the room. Her father, the Earl Xia Hongfeng, sat atop a large ornate balcony that overlooked the Grand Hall, his form hidden behind a wall of sheer curtains. Although they could not see him, the man's unmistakably powerful aura filled the room and bore down on all present.
There were no guards by the side of this man, and instead there stood at his back a massive black shadow, equally hidden from view. The hidden mountain of a creature rocked the heavy fabrics with every rise and fall of its immense chest, and Xia Weiyang knew that this was her father's Guardian, a Gold-Rank King Beast: Awakened-Eye Tiger King. A regular Tiger King would normally have the symbol for "King" imprinted on its forehead, but after living for countless years, that symbol would transform into a third eye which would allow it to see all that passed within its domain. Although her father's Guardian appeared to be sleeping, it was in fact the perfect bodyguard, completely incapable of being surprised. In less than the time it took to blink, that ferocious beast could tear apart any assailant, and it's keen senses could even pick out poisons and attacks that were oft-considered impossible to detect.
The Earl Xia was widely envied for his magnificent beast, but Xia Weiyang had always known the creature as the gentle and lovable Uncle San, named after his three eyes.
In front of the curtains, a ruddy-faced elder with long silver hair stood at attention. This was Xia Hongfeng's steward, Ming Duancai, who would be in charge of today's events. Although he was very generous and considerate towards the children of the Xia family, he was in fact quite strict with others and held a reputation as a brash and arrogant man. As such, many of the young Xia Clan members were quite wary of him.
Xia Weiyang sighed lightly, relieved that she had arrived with time to spare.
"Hmph!" Ming Duancai began, "is this everyone?" his stern voice called out to the hall.
Immediately, all of the youngsters turned to face the elderly man and bowed.
"Good," he said finally, "no doubt you all know why you were brought here. Today is the annual Guardian Summoning Ritual of the Xia Clan, though the few of you who are mere hopefuls from the Xia territory will have the chance to join the clan today as well, provided you are lucky..." his voice held an obvious contempt for these so-called "hopefuls."
Steward Ming was not a man who cared much for commoners, and this was evident in his speech.
"The Grand Mage will now open the Beast Pact Summoning Circle in the center of the hall, and each of you will be called by name to attempt the ritual. After the summoning is complete, those of you who are successful will proceed to the annual tournament to display your skill, while the rest shall return from whence they came!"
There was clearly no room nor tolerance for those who were unsatisfied with results of this ritual. Even as the daughter of the Earl, Xia Weiyang had no ground upon which to stand if she failed. This would, in fact, be her fourth attempt at the ritual, having failed three years in a row. This was a fact unknown to these youngsters, or else they might not look upon her with such reverence. Although opening the Beast Pact Summoning Circle was expensive, it was not something that couldn't be easily accomplished by the Earl. It was only for the sake of tradition that Xia Weiyang was only allowed one attempt each year.
"Perhaps if my heart were not so frozen with fear," Xia Weiyang whispered softly to herself, clenching tightly at her sleeves.
The Grand Mage, who had been hired from the kingdom's Mage's Academy, was a tall skinny fellow with a gaunt face and greasy-looking hair, wearing a sky-blue robe with silver embroidery. The color of the robe and the subsequent embroidery showed that he was a Mage with powers equal to a Silver-Rank Grand Beast, which proved that he was more than capable of opening the Beast Pact Summoning Circle for hours at a time. He had already finished drawing out the complex diagram, some three-meters in diameter, and complete with hundreds of intricate-looking runes and characters. With a resounding clap from the skinny Mage, the circle alighted with intense arcane power, and the man held that position with a dour and unmovable countenance.
Many of the youngsters oo'ed and ah'ed at this display, but Xia Weiyang was unmoved, having seen it many times before. If anything, the sight of the circle filled her with dread.
Names were called one after another, and the youths went forward to challenge the Beast Pact Summoning Circle. Each attempt lasted anywhere from three to fifteen minutes, but those who took longer were almost all failures. Although it looked as if they were simply meditating in the center of the glowing circle of runes, they were actually undergoing an arduous ordeal of the spirit. Those who triumphed were all awarded with a Guardian, which was usually a cute-looking Bronze-Rank Fair Beast, though there was the occasional Silver or Gold-rank Fair Beast, and one particularly valiant-looking boy actually managed to summon forth a Silver-Rank Wild Beast. It was a burly reptile with stout legs, sharply pointed scales, and a number of rocky protrusions on its face. If Xia Weiyang remember correctly, the Beast was called the Bearded Mountain Lizard, known for its strong defense and vitality.
In the Xia Clan, this kind of talent was absolutely considered not-bad.
Honestly, most of the less-talented youngsters were unsuccessful at completing the summoning ritual. Only about ten-percent at most passed. Xia Weiyang understood this fact well. It originally required immense concentration to align one's Will with the resonance of the summoning circle, and to maintain that state for any period of time was exceptionally strenuous. It was far beyond the level of what most young people were capable of. What's more, one had to earnestly seek out and call upon the spirit of their new Guardian, an act which required an open and honest heart. Although the Beast Pact could be performed by elders, it would be incredibly difficult to truly open a matured heart. This was why the ritual was almost exclusively performed at an age where, while young, the user could successfully maintain their concentration. One's chances of succeeding only decreased as they aged, after all.
Of course, if one had already successfully completed the ritual, it would be all but impossible to fail it again. Such was simply the nature of the Beast Pact. The younger one succeeded at the pact, the more talented they were said to be, and the more time they had to develop their Will. Xia Weiyang's two older sisters, Xia Lin and Xia Wu, had succeeded at the ages of 12 and 13 respectively, and her eldest brother Xia Daofeng had conquered this trial at the age of 10. Her twin younger siblings, Xia Che and Xia Yue, had successfully completed the ritual together at age 7. That was two years ago during Xia Weiyang's second attempt, and they were considered genius prodigies even within the entirety of the Diaz Empire.
Only Xia Weiyang was a disappointment...
"Xia Weiyang!" the steward Ming Duancai called, his voice obviously filled with a warmth that the others were denied.
The old steward had called this name three times previously, and he looked at the noble young lady with equal parts hope and pity. From the curtains on the balcony, there was a slight movement from the massive black shadow, but no sign of change from the Earl. Naturally, he had an image to maintain, and even for his own daughter, he could not show undue support.
All eyes were turned on Xia Weiyang as she glided across the floor, her yellow dress and charming features granting her the countenance of a ray of sunlight. Even some of the young girls present were awestruck by Xia Weiyang's elegance, and a particular pair of eyes glowed with delight from the shadows.
"Brother Che, it appears that Sis Wei has only grown more beautiful in this past year..." Xia Yue whispered with a devious air.
Her brother, who said nothing, only blushed brightly, and Xia Yue grinned cheerfully at his awkward reaction. Although she was normally quite cold to outsiders, this intelligent young girl loved to tease those she cared about.
"You can do it, Big Sis," Xia Che whispered, his high young voice quiet and hopeful as he watched Xia Weiyang.
Xia Yue merely nodded in agreement.
Xia Weiyang, meanwhile, had already entered the circle. Like all of those before her, she dropped to her knees and kowtowed respectfully towards the balcony where her father sat.
"This Xia Weiyang pays respects to the Earl," she said, her sweet sing-song voice filling the hall, much to the delight of the young men.
After paying her respects, the lady took a seat in the center of the great diagram and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, an invisible strand of Will flowed out of her body and aligned to the resonance of the summoning circle. The Will, though unseen, began to hum peacefully as a sign that she had succeeded in this step. All of the onlookers that were unfamiliar with the lady seemed floored at the speed with which Xia Weiyang had accomplished this. Although she had achieved this state faster than the other participants, this was an ability that Xia Weiyang had always possessed. Despite her cheerful appearance, she was quite serious when it came to her studies, and this heightened state of concentration was nothing much. Her family, of course, knew this. It was the next step that would prove to be her greatest hurdle.
Twenty-five minutes.
A full ten minutes longer than even the longest time of the others, her mental capabilities stretched to the absolute limits, Xia Weiyang continued to meditate in that circle. Although she had immense concentration, she simply could not open her heart. There were countless small sparks that appeared in her mind, each one symbolizing another Beast that sought to contract with her. These simple Beasts naturally sought to align themselves with powerful humans as support, as this was considered far preferable to constantly risking their lives in the wild. Only, Xia Weiyang couldn't accept them.
Some of the sparks were fierce and powerful, others gentle, and some were even mischievous. All kinds of Beasts existed in this world, but this girl had a wall around her heart that couldn't be broken through so simply. Each one of those sparks was forcefully repelled when it tried to approach that sturdy barrier, and as the minutes continued to drag on, a sheen of sweat began to form on Xia Weiyang's face. She wanted desperately to accept a Guardian, any one of them, but she was cornered again and again by the reality of the situation.
Fear and inadequacy had long since taken up root in her mind, and they only continued to grow, constantly feeding off her feelings of failure and shame. With every year that passed, it became more and more difficult to cut back the gnarled thorns that had dug into her heart. Somehow, she knew... this would be her last chance. If this summoning failed, Xia Weiyang would never again have the opportunity to break down that barrier. It would forever grow harder and more tangled, perhaps even weakening her Will and shortening her life.
The girl's body began to visibly shake under the strain, and small, twin trails of blood fell from her nostrils to pool on her upper lip. Xia Che moved almost immediately to stop his elder sister, but was held back forcefully by Xia Yue, who seemed equally concerned but still deeply resolved.
"Trust her," she said quietly.
Xia Che looked at his sister and frowned, but restrained himself with some effort.
"Please... anyone... please help me..." Xia Weiyang thought desperately.
Her Will resounded forcefully with the glowing diagram, burying the entire Grand Hall in a panicked thrum. The multitude of sparks that had once tried to approach all fled wildly from this resonance, causing the entire landscape of Xia Weiyang's mind to shake in turmoil. It was empty. There was no longer a single Beast in the whole world whom wished to align itself with such a sad song.
And then, there was a light...
Silence.
The Beast Pact Summoning Circle began to glow brightly, and all eyes in the room went wide. Even the figure of the Earl shifted nervously in his seat, moving forward to get a better look.
This was undoubtedly... a successful summoning!