"The circle of flame snuffed out upon the last syllable, leaving an ember tint of such blinding glare his hands vanished in the white. From the ember smoke started to trail up, first as fine as a thread which swelled into plumes that rose upwards, twisting and writhing in a wind he did not feel and made his heart race whenever he imbibed it. Still the smoke built until it billowed up like smokestacks and the ash was so dense it was like a solid wall that corralled him.

He recognised that as moment he'd be most at risk. This is when they'd be at the zenith of their strength. Having brought them here he was now their prisoner and for a moment he came to doubt this recourse. The thought had of course struck him the danger might not be worth the outcome. Spirits from beyond would hardly make for the best commanders for his automatons but free souls were in exceedingly short supply to meet his research's high demand.

He steeled himself by his lack of options. His fate was now outlined, he could not back now even if he had wanted, having brought them in he now needed to master these creatures. For this purpose he held both hands over the grimoire, tracing sigils that were steady and resolute and held as he plucked them from the page and held as his weapons. Armed thus he waited for a sign they had fully manifested.

They let him know when he heard their cries. It was like the tearing and ripping of sheets of metal emerging from the wall of vapour that had risen high above him and in which cautious wisps leered and stalked the summoner. Should he try anything but the correct step, he was certain they'd try to rip him apart. The trick, he decided, was to not let them try.

He cast out the sigil of calcification. Under its influence the smoke retched and quaked, compressing like it was squeezed by an invisible hand into tight coils of smoke that bundled into two distinct serpentine shapes. From these chrysalis' the creature's physical manifestation burst out. Before him their bodies became solid and heavier and the creatures screamed the discomfort of being confined so. They responded by hissing and spitting while wrapping around him, brandishing and snapping the finger-long fangs in their maws.

The summoner was callous to this intimidation as he cast the second sigil that affixed to their hardened carapace and called the final line;

"I fixate you into servitude. Fettered by my will that is now your law. I have many plans for you."

---

comm by the great artist;  Kirena-Kaya, go watch her!

Zeb's research days focused primarily on harnessing the power of souls and spirits. The primary aim of which was to entrap and use them as means to power golem automatons to perform service tasks. However since this research was highly taboo in society he had to acquire souls using more questionable methods.

I like to imagine they come from a realm similar to the one that turned Naote into the one she became...but bluer! Tampering with forces from beyond the universe seems to be a trend in this universe....

Lore vetted beforehand by  LandingZone, the owner of the universe. Character and story is mine.