Week 15 story: The Summoning of ?

A simple medieval man.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

I walk into the summoning room for what is to be my last summoning. I hope this goes well and I don’t get yet another oddball. When my instructor notices me, he says, “Welcome. Are you excited to meet the last servant you will summon?”

I reply sarcastically with, “Can’t wait to see what lunatic I get stuck with this time. Hopefully it’s someone that’s low maintenance. I’ve already got my hands full with all the other servants running amok.”

My instructor replies with, “I’m sure it’s not all bad. Well, let’s get this started.”

I stand before the summoning circle for the last time. After taking a deep breath, I perform the summoning ritual for the final time. What appears is-

“Hello, master. I’m of the saber class, though I have no name to go by. I hope I will be of help to you.” So says the rather plain looking man before me who is wearing plain, medieval, clothes and holding a plain sword and shield.

I reply with, “What do you mean you have ‘no name?’ You have to have a name to be a Heroic Spirit, right?”

The nameless man smiles at me and says, “I truly have no name. I am merely a peasant who has accomplished a heroic feet. Nothing more.”

What does that mean? I look towards my instructor and ask, “Could you please explain what’s going on? Is this a glitch in the system?”

My instructor takes a moment to think and then says, “I don’t believe so. I think the man before is the embodiment of the ‘peasant hero.’ A nameless individual that has accomplished some great feat, but name was never recorded in history.”

So that’s it huh? My final servant is the biggest oddball of them all! I didn’t have high expectations for my final summoning, but to get a servant that has no name is a letdown. I sigh and say, “Nothing came be done now. Welcome aboard whoever you are. Try not to get demolished by my other servants.”

The nameless man replies with, “As you wish, master.”

And so ends my final summoning.


Author’ Notes:
Here is my last story. I wanted to go with a rather ambiguous hero. So, after reading the Russian Folktale unit which has many peasants doing heroic things, I settled on the concept of a peasant hero. That is why I made this Heroic Spirit not be a specific person but the embodiment of the “peasant hero.” For the class, I made him a Saber for no particular reason. He could have been summoned as any Class.

Bibliography. "Russian Folktales" from Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston. Web Source.

Week 14 story: The Summoning of Dante

Dante and Virgil confronted by demons.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Once I walk into the summoning room I immediate walk towards my instructor and say, “Please let me give ownership of Alice to someone else. I’m going to go mad at this rate!”

My instructor looks taken back at this plead and responds, “That’s an unusual request. Is there a more specific reason why?”

I respond with, “I’m tired of her antics! She constantly runs off and causes trouble for others! I’ve had enough of walking out of a room to immediately be greet by a strange world with weird creatures running around! Is there anything I can do to stop this crazy little girl!”

At my continued plea, my instructor simply says, “Use a command spell to force her to be obedient.”

At this, I freeze in shock and exclaim, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” to which my instructor replies with “Glad I could help. Now please start the summoning ritual.”

I did as instructed and performed the summoning. What appears from the circle is a man in a long white robe and carrying a rather large scythe.

“I am servant class Berserker, Dante. I hope I can be of service.” So exclaimed the man before me.

I reply with, “Nice to meet you. Dante, was it? I can’t quite remember ever reading about a hero with a scythe named Dante? The only Dante I recall was from the Divine Comedy but he wasn’t a warrior.”

To this, Dante replies with, “That is me. I am the Dante who travelled into hell while still alive and traversed the nine circles with the aid of my guide, Virgil.”

I’m left momentarily speechless at his words. How is this possible? The Dante from the Divine Comedy was in no way a warrior. He was a poet who traveled through hell, purgatory, and then made it to paradise. How is he standing before me as a Heroic Spirit?!

I say to Dante, “I’m a bit confused. Can you explain to me how you are considered a Heroic Spirit and why you have such a large scythe?”

He replies with, “Certainly. As my poem stated, I travelled through the nine circles of hell until I reached Lucifer. At this point, reality splits from the poem. When I was preparing to return to the world of the living, the grim reaper appeared and said I had to stay in hell. I refused profusely and a struggle insured. During the struggle I managed take the grim reaper’s scythe and used it to cut him down.” He raises the scythe he’s carrying to emphasis this point. “I then had to traverse back through the nine circles with Virgil, madly fighting all the way, to once again reach the world of the living. I presume the mad fighting bit is why I was summoned as a Berserker.”

At the conclusion of his tale, I’m left speechless again. I regain myself and ask him, “Why didn’t you include this very important part of your story in your poem?”

He replies with, “It wouldn’t have been much of a comedy if I included all that fighting in it, now would it?”

This guy is crazy! He was more interested in telling a comedy then telling how he had to literally defeat the grim reaper and climb his way out of hell! The Berserker class may be a good fit for him! I say to Dante, “Well, whatever. Welcome aboard Dante. I’m sure you’ll get along great with the other servants.”

He replies with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”


Author’s Notes:
Here is my second to last story. This one is a bit different since I made Dante, someone who doesn’t have any common traits of a hero, and made him a hero. I thought it would be fun if Dante had to fight his way back out of hell. Hell isn’t exactly a nice place, so I wanted to emphasis this by hell trying to keep Dante there. I knew Dante would need some kind of weapon if he was fighting his way out, so I thought it would be funny if he stole the grim reaper’s scythe and used that. Class wise, I could only think of making him a Berserker. Dante’s not a warrior, so I imagined him as madly swinging the scythe around as he tried to escape hell. Hence, he fits as a Berserker.

Bibliography. "Dante's Inferno" from Dante's Divine Comedy translated by Tony Kline. Web Source.

Week 13 story: The Summoning of Alice

Alice attending the tea party.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

As soon as I stumble into the summoning room, my instructor addressed me and says, “What happened to you? You look dead on your feet.”

I reply to his very astute assessment with, “Beowulf thinks I need more muscle mass. So, I’ve been stuck training with him after classes …… I’m never going to complain about going to the gym again.” I finish with a sigh.

My instructor replies with, “I see. Well, shall we get started?”

I respond with, “Yeah, let’s get this over with so I can go take a nap.” I stand in front of the summoning circle and perform the summoning ritual. What appears this time is-

“Teehee”

-A little girl with long blond hair and wearing a blue dress. That’s an unusual look for a Heroic Spirit? Regardless, I smile and say, “Hello there. May I know your name?”

The little girl twirls and responds with, “I’m Alice. I wonder were the white rabbit got off too? I hope he’s not lost again?” Alice then starts skipping around the room.

Alice? That’s not enough information to figure out which Heroic Spirit she is. I speak my thoughts out loud, “Alice, is it? Instructor, do you know any Heroic Spirits named Alice?”

My instructor replies with, “I can’t be certain. I don’t think she represents a person who was once living. Perhaps she is the manifestation of a fictional hero or maybe a fairy tale?”

I respond with, “Huh, is that so? Alice, could you tell me mo-“ As I turn to face Alice, the room shifts before my eyes. What I see before me is a lush forest with giant fungus and random doors all over the place. I exclaim my confusion, “What’s going on!? What happened to the summoning room and where is this?”

At my panic voice my instructor responds with, “What are you talking about? The room is the same as it always is. Are you not feeling well?”

What? My instructor can’t see this? Am I just tired and hallucinating or is this some kind of power of Alice? I look at Alice and ask her, “Alice, do you know what’s going on?”

She continues to skip around and seems to ignore my question. Eventual she starts talking to herself, “Wonderland is so much fun! I wonder if the tea party is still going on? Maybe the Queen has decided who to behead next? There is so much to do!”

Wonderland? Wait, does that mean she’s the Alice from Alice in Wonderland? That’s a famous storybook about how a little girl explores a mystical land full of all kinds of strange things. Why can she be summoned as a Heroic Spirit?

My instructor comes to the same conclusion and says, “So that’s it. The popularity of Alice in Wonderland has created a fictional Heroic Spirit in the Throne of Heroes. You said the room appeared different to you, right? I’m guessing Alice has the ability to cause others to hallucinate and show them Wonderland. That would also mean she is of the Caster class.”

So that’s what’s going on. Now it makes sense. As I come to an understanding about what’s going on, the room shifts back to its normal look and I see Alice skip towards the door, exclaiming “This isn’t good. I need to find the white rabbit or he’ll be late.”

As she leaves the room, I quickly start after her and say, “Not good. If I don’t get her under control soon the entire campus could end up in an uproar.”

As I leave the room, I hear my instructor say, ”Good grief. That boy has the worst luck.”

Author’s Notes:

With this story, I wanted to make someone you wouldn’t really consider a hero into a Heroic Spirit. After reading Alice in Wonderland, I thought she would be a perfect fit. I again didn’t change anything about the original story because I wanted to focus on Alice as a character. I thought it would be interesting to show how she is somewhat arrogant and haughty in the way she acts by having her ignore her master. I also thought it would be fun to show that she has started to go mad by having her talk to herself and think she is in wonderland. Finally, I made her a Caster because she fits the class and it allows the use of Wonderland in amusing ways.

Bibliography. "Alice in Wonderland" from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.

Week 12 story: The Summoning of Beowulf

Beowulf facing the dragon.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

I walk into the summoning room yet again. I guess I need to summon more Heroic Spirits. When my instructor sees me, he says, “Are you alright?”

I respond in a sarcastic manner with, “Yeah, totally. You know how it is, having seven Heroic Spirits running around in my room is a blast!”

My instructor frowns and says, “That bad huh?” To this I respond with, “Yeah, it’s that bad: Pygmalion is constantly trying to sculpt more statues, Odysseus and Yamato are sparring all the time, Sindbad won’t shut up about his stories, Psyche and Cupid are constantly flirting with each other, and finally, Sun Wu Kung and Raja Rasula keep disappearing to who knows where.”

After hearing this, my instructor replies with, “Well, hang in there just a bit more. You only need to summon four more servants until we have collected enough data to make the final adjustments to the summoning system.”

I reply with, “Four more huh? Alright, then let’s get this over with.”

I perform the summoning ritual that has become second nature to me. What appears is-

“I am Beowulf, mighty warrior of the Geatsland, and have been summoned to the servant class Saber. May I great strength bring you victory, master.”

So says the tall, muscular, man standing before me. He’s wearing what looks like Viking armor, has his long brown hair tied back, and is wielding an impressive looking sword.

Beowulf, is it? He is a hero from ancient Geatsland that is said to have had the strength of thirty men. His legends say he used his great strength to fell a man-eating giant, Grendel, and the giant’s monster-mother. The legends go on to say that he bravely faced a fierce dragon and won but ended up losing his life in the process. Beowulf will make an excellent servant!

I say to Beowulf, “It’s nice to meet you Beowulf. Your strength will definitely be valuable. I can’t wait to work will such a strong hero!”

At my words, Beowulf frowns and timidly says, “I feel I must inform you, master, that I’m not the actually Beowulf but the personification of him. In other words, I am a false Heroic Spirit that has taken on the appearance of a real hero.”

Wait, What? I reply with, “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say? You’re not Beowulf but you have been summoned as Beowulf?”

Beowulf replies with, “Yes, that is correct. My real name is Wiglaf. In life I was a good friend of Beowulf but in death, I am summoned as him. Even I am not sure why this is”

Hearing this, my instructor speaks up, “These kinds of occurrences are possible. If the actually Heroic spirit cannot be summoned, a substitute will be summoned in its place. These substitutes are typically considered to be very similar to the actually Heroic Spirit. That is why Wiglaf is here.”

I see so that’s the case. Well, whatever. I’ve got enough oddities in my servants. What’s one more? I say to Beowulf, “So that’s why. Well, it doesn’t matter to me. Welcome Aboard, Beowulf.”

Beowulf responds with, “Thank you, master.”


Author’s Notes:
Here is my latest story. I didn’t write any stories in the Native American section because I couldn’t figure out a good way to write one with the way those stories were presented. So, I decided to wait until the next section. I went with Beowulf because he is pretty much a classic definition of what a hero is. That made his story pretty easy to write. However, I wanted some kind of twist in the story and that’s when I decided to have Wiglaf appear as Beowulf. I that it would be an amusing twist. Other than that, I didn’t alter anything of the original tale.

Bibliography. "Beowulf" from The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs. Web Source.

Week 9 story: The Summoning of the Monkey King

Painting of Sun Wu Kung and the Jade Rabbit.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

As I walk into the room, I hear my instructor say, "Good morning. Here to summon another servant?"

I reply with, "Seems like it. I don't know why the head teacher keeps having me summon more servants. You'd think summing six different servants would be enough."

My instructor replies with, "She never told you? It’s because you have a high affinity with Heroic Spirits. This allows you to summon multiple servants where normally a person can have only one. In short, this makes you a great candidate to test the summoning system.”

After hearing this, I respond with, “So I’m a guinea pig?”

He replies with, “Essentially.”

I sigh, “Great. Let’s just get this over with.”

I perform the summoning procedure as usual and what appears is-

“A MONKEY!”

– I see a monkey about the size of a small man, wearing gold colored traditional Japanese clothing, and carrying a long pole.

As I’m exasperated at the sight before me, the monkey jumps into the air and does a somersault and then vanishes. I look around the room trying to see where he went until I hear a voice behind me, “I’m not just any monkey. I am Sun Wu Kung, The venerable sun, the Monkey King and the Great Saint who is Heaven’s Equal.”

As I hear this, I turn around only to find that he has vanished again. So, my new servant is Sun Wu Kung. Legends say he was an extraordinary monkey who learned magic and the secrets of immortality from a saint. The legends go on to say that he led the monkeys to great prosperity, defeated many strong foes, and gained the mystical pole Ruyi Jingu Bang. Though, the legends also say he caused a lot of trouble from many people and also ran amok in the heavens. This led to Sun Wu Kung being sealed away by the Buddha until a time where he could redeem himself. This occurred during the legend of Xuanzang and his Journey to the West.

As I’m pondering Sun Wu Kung’s legends, I hear his voice to my right, “By the way, I’m of the Lancer class.” As I turn to look at him, I’m greeted by the end of his pole which has been extended from where he stands.

I reply with, “I kind of figured that out. Anyways, it’s nice to meet you Sun Wu Kung.”

He retracts his pole and says, “How disrespectful! You dare call someone as great as I by my name?! You may refer to me only by the title Great Saint!” He puffs out his chest with great pride.

Why this little monkey! Fine, I’ll play be his rules, “As you wish, Great Saint.”

Upon hearing my reply, He replies with” Excellent! Now, let’s go! There is much I wish to do while I have this body. Firstly, we must reestablish my great monkey tribe.”

Sun Wu Kung walks swiftly out of the room before I can reply.

I sigh and say, “I’ve got a bad feeling about my future.”

Author's Notes:

I started the story by explaining why the main character for my stories are all the same. I figured I might want to do this because my weekly stories kind of play of each other. In regards to Sun Wu Kung's tale, I didn't alter any details of his original story. Instead, I wanted to focus on his characterization. This led me to writing him as having a haughty personality since that's the impression I got from the original tale. He was always causing trouble for others without so much as thinking about the consequences. Finally, I wanted to emphasize his abilities some how. This ended up taking the form of teleportation since I though that would be a close comparison to his cloud somersaults.

Bibliography. "Monkey King" from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm. Web Source.

Week 7 story: The Summoning of Yamato Takeru

Statue of Yamato Takeru.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Another day, another summoning. Seriously, why are they having me do all these summoning’s? There are plenty of other students who can perform the ritual, so why me? I guess I can’t complain too much since I get to meet so many legendary figures. Well, whatever. Let’s get this summoning started.

I perform the summoning ritual as I always do and what appears before is-

“私はサーベルクラスのヤマトテケルです. 私の神聖な剣の草薙はあなたに勝利をもたらすでしょう.”

A Japanese samurai! I’ve always wanted to meet an actual samurai but why can’t I understand him? This has never been an issue with my previous servants? So, I ask my instructor, “Why is he speaking Japanese? All of my previous servants spoke English regardless of their country of origin.”

My instructor replies with, “An error seems to have occurred during the summoning. Normally, servants automatically speak the same dialect as their summoner as to reduce the chance of miscommunications. Anyways, he says his name is Yamato Takeru and he is of the Saber Class.”

I see, that makes sense…… wait!? “Instructor you speak Japanese!?”

To this my instructor replies with, “Yes, to some extent. It’s been awhile since I’ve spoken it though.”

I wasn’t expecting to learn that about my instructor. Anyways, so he is Yamato Takeru. A mythological hero that is said to be a descendant of Amaterasu. He accomplished many great feats in his legend such as defeating a demon boar and a dragon. Though, he wasn’t perfect since he fell prey to the enticement of Benten, a lovely goddess, which eventually resulted in the death of his loyal wife. Regardless, I finally get to meet a samurai!

I look towards Yamato and say, “It’s nice to meet you Yamato. I look forward to working with you.”

To this he replies, “同様に、マスター. 我々は多くの大きな勝利を達成することができます.”

My instructor interprets and says, “He said he’s also looking forwards to working with you.”

I get the feeling that this partnership is going to be rather unique, if not troublesome.


Author Notes:
So, I went with Yamato this week. I thought that he would make a perfect servant since he meets all the necessary marks: accomplish great feet’s, has a legendary weapon, and fits a class nicely. So, I didn’t change any of Yamato’s legend but I did make it so that he can only speak Japanese. I thought it would be interesting to touch on why the mythological heroes that are summoned are able to clearly communicate with the summoner. Finally, don’t take the Japanese I used in the story seriously since it’s from Google Translate and probably isn’t correct.

Bibliography. "Japanese Mythology" from Romance of Old Japan by E. W. Champney and F. Champney. Web Source.

Week 6 story: The Summoning of Raja Rasula

Archer using a bow.

Source: Pixabay

Time to recruit another Heroic Spirit. Hopefully this one will be an actual hero, not a pretender like Sindbad. Honestly, that guy just sits around telling ridiculously elaborate stories. So, I’m hoping this time will be better.

I perform the summoning ritual I’ve become accustom to and what appears is-

“I am Archer class Raja Rasalum, son of Salbahan, ruler of Sialkot. May my mighty bow break you victory in battle.”

Raja Rasalu, if I recall correctly, is the great hero of the Punjab. He is a hero who accomplished many astonishing feats using his amazing strength and quick wit. Some of these include: how he slayed man-eating giants, how he deceived a beautiful queen by pretending to be a holy man, how he overcame the deceitfulness of a gambling king, and how a great hunter fell because he could not follow Rasalu’s words. Truly, Raja Rasalu is great example of what a hero should be.

There’s just one problem……

“…….?”

The great hero standing before me is a prepubescent boy! He can’t be more than 12 years, wearing shimmering armor and carrying a magnificent bow. Is this really Raja Rasalu?

I ask:

“Are you really the great hero Raja Rasalu?”

The boy responds with:

“Yes, I am he.”

He states proudly. So, I ask him:

“Then why are you just a boy? I thought for sure Raja Rasalu lived far beyond adolescents? So, shouldn’t you be much older?”

Unexpectedly, it’s my instructor who answers my question with:

“The appearance of Heroic Spirits is not limited to the appearance they had at the end of their lives. In general, they take the appearance they had at the prime of their heroic stature.”

I see, so Raja Rasalu looks like a boy because this is when he was at his peak condition.

Raja Rasalu confirms this by say:

“That is correct. When I’m summoned as an Archer, I take this form. However, if you summoned me as a Rider, I would have had my adult form and my great mare Bhaunr' Iraqi at my side. Nevertheless, do not let my size dissuade you for all my memories and experience remain from my adult live.”

So, Raja Rasalu could have also been a Rider. Interesting. Well, I guess there’s no pointing in complaining about this unusual summoning. As a matter of fact, I should be used to it by now……sadly.

Author notes:

I didn't like the part B reading of Raja Rasalu's tale as much as part A. So, I decided to focus more on that. As I was thinking, I found that the younger version of him was more interesting then his older version. So, I made him be summoned as his younger self. Furthermore, the stories mention that he has a couple of weapons he carries, but his bow was the most prominent. So I made him be summoned as an Archer. 

Bibliography. "Raja Rasalu" from  Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel and  Adventures of the Punjab Hero Raja Rasalu by Charles Swynnerton. Web Source.

Week 5 story: The Summoning of Sindbad

Sindbad against the man eating giant.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Okay. I've summoned three Heroic Spirits so far and it's time for the fourth. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this whole summoning business.

As normal, my instructor is standing a short distance away observing my progress. He’s mainly here to make sure nothing goes wrong with the summoning, and to step in if the worst-case scenario occurs. But enough about that, let’s get started! I perform the summoning as I have done previously and what appears from the circle is-

“……..?”

A man who is wearing a turban and appears to be Indian. But, unlike my previous encounters with Heroic Spirits, this one looks really confused. So, I ask my instructor:

“Instructor, did something go wrong with the summoning? This servant looks really confused.”

My instructor replies with:

“No, nothing went wrong. The summoning was as successful as your previous attemtps.”

Well, that’s a good thing I suppose. But my new servant is still wandering around examining everything and acting as if he doesn’t know what’s going on. Guess I better find out what Heroic spirit he is, so I ask him:

“Hello there. May I ask your name?”

Upon hearing my question, the servant finally realizes there are other people in the room and responds with:

“I am called Sindbad.”

After briefly saying this, Sindbad looks at a far corner of the room as if lost in thought. I’m not entirely sure why he looks so puzzled. He’s a servant so he should be clearly aware of what’s going on.

Anyways, he said he was called Sindbad. If I recall correctly, the legend Sindbad the Sailor come from the book The Arabian Nights. In his tale, Sindbad is a merchant who embarks on seven voyages and each time he ends up in some perilous situation. But, he always overcomes them and gains more treasure than he left with. His stories about his voyages were quite fascinating.

Anyways, since he was known for his voyages, he must be a Rider. Better make sure. So, I ask Sindbad:

“So, you’re Sindbad the Sailor. That must mean you’re of the Rider class, right?”

He responds with:

“No. I’m a Caster.”

Caster? That doesn’t make sense. Sindbad never did anything that would qualify him as a Caster. Better ask for more details:

“You’re a Caster? But you’re most know for your seven voyages. So, you should be a Rider, right?”

Upon hearing this, Sindbad looks at me with a confused look on his face and says:

“Voyages? What voyages. I never went out to sea at any point in my life.”

Wait……What? Now I’m the one who is confused. Sindbad the Sailor isn’t a sailor!

As I’m trying to figure things out, Sindbad looks as if he realized something and says:

“Ah, you must have been referring to the stories I made up. I must say I was quite the storyteller in life. But enough about that, why am I here? I shouldn’t be able to be summoned as servant. After all, I was just a normal person in life.”

That’s what I want to know! Sindbad was nothing but a middle-aged man who told exaggerated stories about adventures he never had!

I look at my instructor and ask what’s going on and he replies with:

“Nothing unheard of has occurred. Heroic Spirits are known by the legends that they come from. Sindbad’s legend only has him telling the tales of his voyages, so the fact that they are made up should not surprise you. In any case, we’ve spent enough time here. It’s time for classes.”

My instructor quickly makes for the exit after finish speaking. I shout out to him, but to no avail:

“Wait! That doesn’t solve anything! What am I supposed to do with a Heroic Spirit whose great feats in life were made up!”


Authors Notes:
Sindbad was known for his exciting voyages. In these seven voyages, he always wound up in strange situation but always came out on top. So, I thought it would be fun to have those voyages be nothing more than his made-up tales and the he was nothing more than a regular guy. That’s about the only thing I changed from the original tale. Also, I thought I would try to portray Sindbad’s curiosity since that seemed to be prevalent in his tales. That’s why he seems so confused after being summoned and wanders around examining everything.

Bibliography. "The Voyages of Sindbad" from The Arabian Nights. Web Source.

Week 4 Story: The Summoning of Psyche

Cupid and Psyche.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

It’s time to summon yet another Heroic Spirit. So, let’s get started!

I perform the summoning procedure like usually and what appears before me is-

“Greetings, Master.”

“Hey there boy.”

Two Heroic spirits!? That can’t be. Only one can appear during a summoning, so why are there two! One is a stunningly beautiful woman and the other is young boy with wings.

As I’m standing there in confusion, I hear my instructor mutter, “I never expected something like this would happen.”

Well, standing around isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s see if my new servants? can shed some light on this situation, “Um, hello. May I know your names?”

At this the girl says, “Ah, my apologies. I am assassin class, Psyche, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Master,” And the young boy adds, “I’m Cupid, god of desire and affection.”

I recognize those names from legend. It is said that Psyche was a woman whose beauty rivaled the goddess Venus. Venus was unhappy about this and sent her son, Cupid, to ruin the girl’s life, but instead, they fall in love with each other. The legend goes on to say that after passing many trials, Psyche gained the approval of the gods, granted immortality, and was allowed to formally marry Cupid.

Well that answers that question. But it doesn’t tell me why they were both summoned, and in addition, why Psyche is an assassin?

“That clears up some things, but why are you an assassin Psyche? That doesn’t seem to fit you.” I ask.

Psyche responds with:

“Well, that’s really the only class I fit in. In life, I was nothing more than a human and I had no special abilities or grand heroic achievements. But, I did try to take the life of my husband in his sleep and I also deceived my sisters and led them to their death, which can be considered a form of assassination.”

Ah. That makes sense. Now for the big question, why is Cupid here as well.

So, I ask my instructor, “Instructor how is it possible for Cupid to be summoned. Only one servant should appear. Not to mention that I was taught that gods cannot be summoned because of their divinity.”

Hearing that, my instructor replies with, “You’re correct on both accounts. Gods are classified as divine spirits and cannot be normally summoned do to their immense power. They can only appear under specific circumstances, which are usually self-imposed, or through loopholes. Isn’t that right Cupid?”

Cupid response with, “You are correct. I’m not my own servant but am treated as being the same servant as my darling Psyche. I essentially hijacked the summoning of my darling wife and tagged along. This means I do not possess most of my powers and abilities as a god.”

After hearing this, I reply with, “Now I understand. But why did you want to come along with Psyche? You must have known that you would be severally weakened.”

Cupid smiles and says, “I could not let my sweet wife be summoned by herself. She has no aptitude for battle, so I shall be her bow and arrow,” he said.

Then, with a glare towards me, he adds, “I also must make sure that no lowly human tries to seduce my beautiful wife.”

Upon hearing this, I raise my hands in a surrendering gesture and say, “You can relax on that front. I have no intentions of trying anything with your wife. With that said, let’s all try to get along,” I said with a smile.

Authors notes:

The story setting is the same as my previous stories. I have a brief overview of the original story in the retelling, so I'm not going to go over that. In addition, I didn't make any alterations to the actually original story and instead decided to focus more on the characters. With that said, I wanted to express the connection between Psyche and Cupid, so I had them be summoned together. Furthermore, I wanted to draw attention to the fact that in the original story Psyche was the one responsible for her sisters death. That's why I made her class assassin.

Bibliography. "Cupid and Psyche" by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Web Source.

Week 3 story: The Summoning of Odysseus

Odysseus and Circe by Matthijs Naiveu

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Here we are again. It’s time to summon another servant. My first summoning was unexpected to say the least. I’m still not use to Pygmalion, but that’s a story for another time. Anyways, I can see my instructor is losing patients so I better get the summoning started.

I perform the summoning ritual the same as last time, hoping that this servant will be more on the normal side. Just like last time, after completing the last verse the circle shines brightly and there appears my new servant. I see a rugged man in a toga with a bronze sword at his side and a fierce look in his eyes. He then says:

“I am rider class servant Odysseus, scion of Zeus, son of Laertes. Are you my master?”

At his question, I reply:

“Yes, I’m the one who summoned you. It’s nice to meet you Odysseus.”

He replies with a nod and says:

“Likewise, master. May great Zeus smile upon is in our future battles together.”

Yes, He’s a normal servant! I’m overjoyed at summoning a heroic spirit that seems normal, especially when compared to Pygmalion. Anyways, I have to say I’m quite fortunate to summon such a great hero. If I recall correctly, Odysseus is most well-known for his voyage after the battle with Troy. He faced many trials during that voyage such as: A man eating cyclops, an encounter with a dangerous goddess (or was it a witch?), a journey to meet with the ghosts of the departed, and even an encounter with sirens and the Scylla.

As I’m lost in thought, my servant says to me:

“For what reason do you smile so broadly? Has the great father Zeus granted you a great boon? If so, we must celebrate with the finest wine and meat!”

At his words, I respond with:

“No no, nothing like that. Say Odysseus, what kind of abilities do you have?”

In response, he says:

“My noble phantasm is my fleet of great black ships and my loyal crew. In addition, I have the standard skill of riding that comes with the rider class and my charisma skill is quite high.”

Excellent, Odysseus with be a great ally. I then say:

“That’s good to hear. I have another question. During your voyage you encountered a goddess, Circe, but was she really a goddess? Because she sounded like a witch to me.”

Odysseus responds with:

“Ah fair Circe was most definitely a goddess. Mischievous as she was, not once did she bring harm upon my crew or I. Fair Circe also bestowed upon my crew and I fine wine and meat, and also greatly aided my voyage with her grand knowledge. No witch would have done so.”

At hearing his words, I became even more intrigued and say:

“Really, that’s quite interesting. Could you tell me more of your voyage? I would love to hear how you-“

Before I could finish my sentence, my instructor interrupted and said:

“All right that’s quite enough. If I let you continue we’ll be here all day. There’ll plenty of time for storytelling later.”

Reluctantly, I agreed with my instructor and so ended my second summoning.


Authors Notes:
So the setting of my story is the same as my previous story. I'm most likely going to make this a pattern with my stories. In regards to the actually story, I tried to keep Odysseus's personality close to what it was in the original work. However, it isn't always easy to get a sense of a characters personality in Homer's works. So it might be off. Next, I tried to imagine what kind of abilities Odysseus would have. I thought his noble phantasm would have to be related to his voyage and so I made it his fleet of ships. To elaborate a bit, a noble phantasm is the symbol that is most recognizable about that hero. For instance, King Arthur's is Excalibur and Hercules's is his nine labors. Anyways, I also thought it would be fun to touch on the subject of Circe because she doesn't come off as a goddess in the original tale. I thought I'd have Odysseus give a more clear answer on this.


Bibliography. "Odyssey" by Homer and translated by Tony Kline. Web Source.

Week 2 story: The Summoning of Pygmalion.

Pygmalion and his statue by Ernest Normand.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

“Please begin the summoning procedure when ready, young Magus.” Said the instructor.

This is my first time summoning a Heroic Spirit, so I’m excited to see which one will become my servant. After taking a few moments to calm down, I begin the summoning procedure. After saying the final verse of the summoning, a sudden bright light flashed from the summing circle. This momentarily blinded me. Once my eye recovered, I could see my servant standing there. A beautiful young woman who had features as fine and delicate as that of a statue. I was so stunned at the sight that I forgot to speak. Seeing this, my servant smiled and spoke:

“Greetings master. I am caster class servant Pygmalion, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Wait ………. Pygmalion? I thought Pygmalion was a guy!

I recall that the legend of Pygmalion was about how an artist named Pygmalion carved a statue of his ideal woman and then fell in love with it. The legend went on to state that the Goddess Venus decided to grant Pygmalion’s wish for a bride that resembled his lovely statue, and turned the statue into a human. But the Pygmalion standing before me is a woman!

As I’m racking my brain trying to understand what’s going on, I hear my instructor speak to my servant:

“This is quite interesting. I have heard of Heroic Spirits being summoned in a form that reflects their ideal. Am I to presume this is the case?”

In response, my servant said:

“Yes, that is correct. I have taken the form of my most beloved.”

Okay, I guess that makes sense. Having final calmed down, I say to my servant:

“So, you are the Heroic Spirit of Pygmalion who has taken on the form of you wife correct?”

Pygmalion Looks to me and says:

“That is only partial correct. I am Pygmalion and have taken the form of my beloved, but I was never married.”

A bit confused by this statement, I ask my servant:

“Did you not marry the statue you created after she became human?”

Pygmalion frowns upon hearing my question and answers with:

“My beloved never became human so I never wedded her. However, I did spend the rest of my days gently caring for her as if she were.”

I respond by saying:

“Then how did you have your child, Paphos, whom the city on the island of Cyprus is named after?”

My servant then says:

“I never had a child. Perhaps the people of Cyprus needed a reason for calling the city Paphos and decided to alter my legend.”

I’m not quite sure how to respond to this revelation. Regardless, Pygmalion is now my servant and I’m his/her? Master. I can only guess at what kind of strange events await me in the future. I finish this conversation by smiling and saying:

“Is that so? Well it doesn’t really matter. I look forward to working with you, Pygmalion.”

Pygmalion also smiles and says:

“Likewise. I won’t let you down, Master.

Authors Notes:

I provided a brief description of the original story in my story, so I don't really have anything to add to that. In regards to my changes, I set the story up as if Pygmalion was summoned as a heroic spirit in the same fashion as the Fate/Stay Night franchise. This is probably the approach I'm going to take for my weekly storytelling's since I have a lot of fun thinking in terms of what these legendary figures would be like as servants. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to have Pygmalion appear as his statue since that's not something you would be expecting. In addition, I thought it would be interesting if the statue never became human. I wanted this to give the impression that Pygmalion may not have been sound in mind and only believed the statue was alive. 

Bibliography. "Pygmalion" from The Metamorphoses by Ovid and translated by Tony Kline. Web Source.