The days always seemed to drag on forever whenever Alvena was stuck in one place, unable to travel and find new things to entertain herself. It could be so dreadfully boring. It was true that this was her dominion, so it was expected that she would oversee things, but the menial day to day tasks were usually delegated to her advisor and second in command, Lelia. This was a special circumstance, though, so she had been called back to oversee things.<br/><br/>Over the past few decades, unrest had been building across the continent, both between the kingdoms and monsters and even among some of the Demon Lords. Many kingdoms and Demon Lords across the continent had also begun summoning otherworlders more frequently, as if preparing for something. This had forced Alvena to return to her kingdom more often, as well as leading to her also summoning some otherworlders at various times.<br/><br/>Most of those she had summoned were still around, serving her or her dominion in some capacity or another. She didn’t generally allow herself to become attached to them, though, so she didn’t tend to seek them out or call on them when she was bored and in need of entertainment or company. Instead, she decided that since she would be stuck here for a while, she would summon someone new to entertain her, which was precisely what she planned to do tonight.<br/><br/>“The preparations are complete, Milady,” the soft but serious voice of Lelia called to her from beyond the door after her firm knock had announced her presence. Vena, who had been lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling suddenly bounded off the bed and headed for the doors. The large doors to her bedroom swung open and she came skipping out with an excited smile on her face. “What are we waiting for?”<br/><br/>It took several minutes to walk through the halls of the castle and to the room where the summoning ritual was set up. Vena was, as usual, in the form of a young teenage girl with long red twin tails tied up with ribbons. She skipped along next to Lelia, a taller woman with dark hair tied in a ponytail and glasses adorning her face.<br/><br/>Soon enough they reached the large room with the windows shuttered and a summoning circle setup in the center of the room. Lelia closed the large ornate doors behind them as Vena approached the circle, eyeing it thoughtfully for a moment before closing her eyes and holding out her hands as she concentrated her magic on the summoning ritual.<br/><br/>Summoning an otherworlder was not an easy task to complete. The ritual required a significant amount of magical energy coupled with focus and control. It took dozens of human mages days to perform the ritual that would summon a hero to their lands. Vena, however, was not a human, and she made the task seem relatively easy in comparison.<br/><br/>The circle began to glow a brilliant gold almost immediately, and within only a few minutes the magic intensified, the light filling the room and shooting up through the marble ceiling. Next thing she knew, a rush of water came pouring in, followed by a young boy who landed face down in the middle of the circle. The light quickly faded, and the water dispersed across the floor.<br/><br/>Alvena tilted her head a bit. Her red eyes taking in the figure before her. He was one of the youngest otherworlders she had summoned thus far. He was old enough that his body should have been able to contain his power, but just by looking at him, she could tell that his body was barely handling it. Not only that, but it appeared that he had been close to death before he had been summoned, as he had immediately begun to cough up water.<br/><br/>“He’s only a child,” Liela observed, moving from where she had been standing near the door to stand near Vena. She observed the boy, relieved that he was at least breathing. He was old enough that he might ultimately be able to control his power, but he seemed to have a higher level of power than any of the others Vena had summoned in the past, so she wondered if he would really be okay.<br/><br/>Vena was wondering the same thing that Liela did. She wondered how long his body would last at this rate. Pursing her lips slightly, she contemplated her options. Before deciding on a course of action, she took a few steps forward, until she stood just outside the summoning circle, only two or three feet from him. She crouched in front of him, tilting her head a bit to look at his face. “Hey there,” she greeted him in a light and chipper voice and a cheerful smile that seemed ill suited for the situation.<br/><br/>She observed him for a moment longer, giving him a chance to speak, if he wished, before standing to her feet. Her eyes took a cursory glance around him, noting that the water that had been on the floor before has slowly begun to rise around him, as if to protect him. She could also feel his power lashing out from his body like slices of wind. Whether this power was trying to protect him or break free of his little body, though, was anyone’s guess.<br/><br/>“Looks like you have some affinity for water and wind magic,” she mused thoughtfully, apparently unbothered by the display. Her face was still graced by a light smile and apparent amusement, while her posture was as relaxed as if she were standing next to the ocean with an old friend rather than facing an otherworlder with out of control magic. “Isolde,” she called out in an almost sing-song voice and moments later a spirit appeared, floating above her.<br/><br/>The spirit was a beautiful woman with icy blue eyes, pale blonde hair, fair skin, and adorned with a regal blue dress. Her icy gaze fell on the young boy, but she made no move to act until she was told. “You may possess his body,” Alvena commanded her in a casual manner that made it seem as if it were the most natural thing in the world. At her command, the spirit quickly moved forward and descended upon him, soon disappearing as she inhabited his body.<br/><br/>The moment the spirit entered his body, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, the cold radiating from his body momentarily as the wind died down and his magic came under control. The water that had risen suddenly splashed to the ground before freezing beneath his feet. The cold slowly dissipated once the wind died down, but the room remained chilled, given the lack of warmth coming from outside the castle’s walls. It was winter in her Dominion, and the world outside was blanketed in a thick layer of snow.<br/><br/>“This should be interesting,” Vena said with a grin, evidently happy about this new development. “I’m Alvena,” she introduced herself to the young man, “You are in Venaria, my dominion here on the continent of Isaura,” she explained in that same casual, chipper voice. “What’s your name, little boy?” she asked with a curious tilt of her head as she glanced him over again, noting that he had several cuts on his body that were slowly dripping blood. It was probably a result of his own power, either a backlash from the wind or the result of his power spilling over.<br/><br/>“Here,” she produced a healing potion and splashed it over him. His wounds instantly healed as she glanced back at Lelia to find that the other woman had already stepped outside of the room and was giving orders to some of the servants to bring him a fresh pair of clothing and a blanket. This was one of the many reasons she loved having Lelia around; no matter what, the woman always seemed to know what was needed, even before the command was given.<br/><br/>Vena smiled lightly as she turned her attention back to the boy. Under different circumstances, she might have produced a flame to keep him warm until new clothes arrived, given that he was soaked, and the room was cold. She knew, though, that being possessed by Isolde would offer him immunity to cold, so such measures were unnecessary. Instead, she simply stood there, watching his reactions as they awaited the servants who would deliver his fresh clothing shortly.