The Summoner's Rulebook: Episode 2 (raw)

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The Summoner's Rulebook: Episode 2 (raw)
Source: collected/035-the-summoner-s-rulebook-episode-2-raw.mp3
SHA-256: 851d6c5f08d3eb212b3dc7f65ffaf2cff3e989a17215efebfeb454ce981abab6
Model: scribe_v2 | Transcribed: 2026-10-10T18:17:59.364137+00:00
Machine transcript — uncorrected. Speaker labels are local to this recording and do not identify people.

[00:00:00.100] Speaker 1: Two:

[00:00:35.460] Speaker 1: Always close the circle. Written in the margins: But then we'll be out of a job, ha. Written below that in another color: Not funny. Eight months later, Kelter sat at the bar, his bar, drinking a glass of something. No one remotely connected with work knew he came here, which was why he liked it so much, except for the barkeeper, Dreus, but she was all right. She knew when to talk, and she knew when not to. There had been a lot of the latter lately.

[00:01:11.620] Speaker 1: He emptied his glass, then tapped the side. Walking or driving? He squinted one eye, testing his vision. He shook his head a little. Eh, maybe not then. Kelter was drunk right now, but not a drunk. People needed him. Well, one person anyway. He stared hard at the bottom of his empty glass. The door swung open and the first licks of autumn air swirled into the bar. It brought the sound of an approaching truck engine with it. A big truck by the sound of it. Kelter

[00:01:46.400] Speaker 1: ignored it. Maybe just one more. He could always walk home. Someone sat down at the other end of the bar, but didn't order anything right away. The door swung open again. The truck engine idled outside. He looked up, covertly sliding one hand to press against the thick part of the wooden bar. Old habits never died. A woman stared at him from four seats over. Behind her, two men in black suits stood casually by the door. Kelter glanced over at Dreus. Her hands were out of sight too, somewhere

[00:02:21.340] Speaker 1: beneath the cash register. Can I help you? Kelter tuned out their conversation and watched the men by the door. One of them was a little shorter, fatter than the other. Then he dismissed them. They were only the third and fourth most dangerous thing in the room. The most dangerous thing in the room smiled warmly. Her teeth were uncommonly white. Yes, you can help me actually. I'm going to rent out your bar for an event tonight. I don't do that. Kelter

[00:02:56.340] Speaker 1: winced. The wooden bar was a good conduit, but there wasn't much material to work with. One of the men opened the front door and slipped outside. Kelter cleared his throat. Dreus, the rate is, uh, what, four hundred an hour, right? He hoped she would take the cue. Dreus shot him a confused look. It was an enormous sum of money. Four-hour minimum, of course, if I recall correctly. The man in the suit came back inside and casually handed the other man a rivet gun,

[00:03:31.500] Speaker 1: keeping another for himself. The rubber hoses snaked back out the door, preventing it from closing completely. The two men leaned back, smug, holding the weapons in plain sight. They were still only the third and fourth most dangerous things in the room. The bar's other customers tentatively rose from their tables, uncertain if it was wise to walk past the men or risk sticking around for a confrontation instead. When the first steel worker made it out the front door without incident, the rest of the place quickly emptied. It's six hundred an hour, actually.

[00:04:07.040] Speaker 1: Plus what those customers you scared off owe me. She looked the armed men up and down, then took off her apron and shot a glance at Kelter. He tried to grin apologetically. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. Then she left through the back door behind the bar. Kelter let out the breath he'd been holding. At least the people in the bar wouldn't have to die tonight. The woman got off her barstool and walked over to him. Her heels clicked against the tile. She sat down again, still leaving one seat between

[00:04:42.040] Speaker 1: them. Smart. Getting in close with a summoner was always a crapshoot. They could transmute you as well as anything else. Nasty way to kill someone. He'd gotten lucky with the kid in the sewers. It didn't work if the other person put up a mental defense first. But if you did it fast... Hi, James. He didn't know who she was. She was part of the family, he knew that much. Which one was anyone's damn guess. Didn't matter. She wanted something, and he'd have to listen.

[00:05:17.680] Speaker 1: Don't call me that. I'm Kelter. She nodded as if she were expecting he'd say that, then leaned over the bar top to grab at a bottle of something on the other side. She lingered there, showing quite a bit of skin beneath her outfit. By hook or crook, she was going to snare him. Damn family. One of the suits must have noticed his hand on the bar because they started getting twitchy. The rivet guns rose halfway to point in his direction. Hands where I can see them, sir. Kelter gritted his teeth and took

[00:05:52.700] Speaker 1: his hand off the bar. The woman slid back onto her barstool and pulled the cork out of a bottle, filling two glasses with dark red liquid. James, my name is Sasha de Coutier, and I have a job for you. She spoke without preamble, swallowing the first glass of wine in one go. She grimaced and then pushed the bottle and second glass right off the counter. They shattered behind the bar. Expensive way to send me a message. You know I got a mailbox, right? [laughs] Oh, I won't be paying her.

[00:06:27.892] Speaker 1: These people are beneath us, James. Sasha waved one hand through the air as if wafting her promise away. It was that simple. Kelter narrowed his eyes. He might be able to melt her skin off. You could do something with air. Not much, but something. Most people didn't know that. Of course, it would be the last thing he ever did. The suits would plug him full of holes, and that would be it. Still, it wouldn't put her skin back on. I'm retired. Find another closer. Sasha

[00:07:02.832] Speaker 1: ran a finger along the rim of her glass. She seemed disappointed it was empty. Kelter looked her over. She was pretty, but not gorgeous. Pampered. That felt right. No. That was all she said, tossing her short dark hair and leveling a humorless gaze at him. I want you, but I don't need you, Kelter. I have better closers. The pay is eighty thousand dollars, and you'll get to kill a child. The hell? Who did she think he

[00:07:37.612] Speaker 1: was? I said no. He got up from his stool. It was an unbelievable amount of money, but it was also just words. Good deals don't start at the end of a rivet gun. The suits lifted their weapons, and Kelter heard the chambers pressurize. If he could just sever the connections to the idling truck outside somehow... Yeah, then he could deal with Sasha. She was family though, no summons. He'd have to close quickly, end it with brute force, and hope he could take the

[00:08:12.552] Speaker 1: suits after. Then... Stop. Sasha raised her hands but didn't step between him and the suits, he noticed. He wasn't worth all that. The suits lowered their guns just enough to be obedient. Kelter lowered his sweating palms. You want this job, James. You just don't know it yet. She moved closer to him, heedless of the risk, however minor. Sasha fixed her dark green eyes on him, and his body betrayed him a little. She was prettier than he'd given

[00:08:47.492] Speaker 1: credit for. I can pay extra if that's what it takes. She moved one hand along his forearm. Kelter let her do it. He'd hate himself for that later. No. I have a wife. And for the first time, Sasha looked uncertain. She pulled her hand back, letting it hang in the air just in case she needed it after all. Then she looked back at the suits. The not fat one shrugged. I didn't

[00:09:22.352] Speaker 1: know that. She turned back to Kelter. Her words held an air of danger, but not for him. He was still standing there. Why was he still standing there? He should have walked away the moment they walked in the bar. He was still standing there because it had been eight months. Eight long months. Sasha de Coutier moved a little bit closer. Why'd you quit? Something

[00:09:57.252] Speaker 1: got to you, James, and I think I know what it was. She put one high-heeled foot on top of his, then pressed down. How'd you walk out of that sewer with a broken ankle, James? It took a long time. It hurt. It still hurts. I retired. Hmm. She flicked her eyes up to his and moved closer still, reading his

[00:10:32.032] Speaker 1: stoic posture as invitation to press against him. I closed the circle. Hmm. I closed the circle. Sasha suddenly stepped back, her face placid, with only the curl of a smile hinting at satisfaction. Kelter turned his head, trying to hide his shame. He wanted this woman. I believe you, James. I do. But that's not what I mean. You need to hear this.

[00:11:07.012] Speaker 1: The summoner, the child, she's killed seventeen people. You don't have to kill her yourself if that's not your thing. I'll send a team. Kelter couldn't look up from the floor. Why me? He heard her walking away. Because the last living person she spoke to said her monster came to her in a dream. What does that mean to you, James? The door closed, and he was alone.

[00:11:42.552] Speaker 1: It would mean something impossible. It would mean the circle wasn't closed, couldn't be closed, because the rules had changed. Damn. It would mean he wasn't retired anymore. Kelter opened the door to his apartment. It was dark inside. He'd forgotten to leave the lights on again He glanced at the bedroom door, slightly ajar, then walked into the kitchen instead. A drink. He needed a drink first.

[00:12:18.452] Speaker 1: Kelter had to squint to make the room stop spinning, had to steady himself with the wall just so he didn't pour his drink all over the counter. He looked back at the bedroom, trying to think of some reason why he didn't need to go in there yet. There was no reason, of course. There was no reason to do anything. He was retired. That was kinda the whole point. Well, he'd been retired until about an hour ago anyway. Kelter took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the crypt.

[00:12:49.472] Speaker 1: [sighs] The air was a stagnant pâté of mashed vegetables, dirty laundry, and human waste. It didn't matter how many times he opened the window, the smell had sunk into everything. His wife was sitting up in bed, looking at the wall next to him. "Hey, Lin. Sorry about the lights." Kelter walked over to the wall she was looking at. A painting of a flowery meadow hung there. He took it

[00:13:24.532] Speaker 1: off the nails, set it gently on the floor, and thumbed through the stack of paintings leaning against the wall in the closet. He selected a painting with huge puffy clouds over a calm sea. The sun was setting in the background. "What do you think of this one?" Kelter hung the painting and sat down on the bed next to her. It had been a wonderful eight years with Lindsay, and it had been a very long six years after. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and lay down next to her, closing his eyes and pretending they were sharing a special

[00:13:59.492] Speaker 1: quiet moment, when in reality all they had now were quiet moments. [sighs] "Come on, let's get you in the bath." It took him almost fifteen minutes to get Lindsay undressed and in the bathtub. He washed her with the sponge. Long years of practice guiding his hands. Even as drunk as he was, the movements came easy. "I did something stupid today, Lin. Broke a rule. One of the big ones. It's a job.

[00:14:35.272] Speaker 1: It's a job. Pays well, too. We could use the money. Maybe if..." He stopped. The sponge fell from his hand. He looked down at Lindsay. She was so frail now. Her body was covered in bleeding sores. It didn't matter how much he moved her. It must hurt so bad. "I miss you so much." He bowed his head. "I miss you so damn much." Not

[00:15:10.132] Speaker 1: this living corpse, the real person. The person that had died six years ago. She'd just left her body behind. If he could just... If he could just talk to her again, dance with her again. Hell, he was dying to have sex. There were a thousand tiny moments he missed, a thousand tiny things that made a relationship. Whatever was left, it wasn't a relationship. Just more chains, binding him to a life he no longer wanted.

[00:15:45.032] Speaker 1: Lindsay just lay there in the bathtub, her head lolling to the side, glassy eyes looking up at the ceiling. Kelter wasn't sure if it was the booze or the depression, but he reached out with both hands and pressed them against her. He willed life into her, as if that could actually work. Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened. But a thought entered his mind, a thought so depraved it made him sick. And yet, Kelter closed his eyes and pushed

[00:16:19.932] Speaker 1: on Lindsay, not with his hands, but with his mind, pushing like he was trying to will break a summon. He was shocked by how easy it was. There was no resistance at all. He could... He could... Lindsay's body thrashed once in the bathtub and he stumbled backwards, slamming into the wall. Kelter buckled over, covered his mouth, and tried not to puke. He had... He had will broken her, like a... like a damn monster. It shouldn't have been possible. Kelter stood up, a storm of emotions raged

[00:16:54.832] Speaker 1: within him. This was wrong. It was worse than wrong. It was sick. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." But then he put his minds on her shoulders again and tapped her mind with his will. He had to know. Tears poured down his face. There was no resistance at all. Nothing at all to push back against his own thoughts. She was completely empty. And for the first time in six years, he finally admitted the truth. Lindsay

[00:17:29.872] Speaker 1: was gone. Three, mind the family. Written in the margins, in dark ink. What, no jokes? In red ink. Not here. In dark ink. Good, you're learning. The morning sun raked across Kelter's brain. He'd forgotten to close the drapes. [groans] He rolled off the couch onto the floor with a thud, and every part of

[00:18:04.732] Speaker 1: his body moaned with him. Part of him hoped he'd black out last night and forget everything, but the memories clung to him like toilet paper on his boots. His wife was dead. But unlike most people, she hadn't been courteous enough to start rotting. He pulled himself off the floor and walked into their bedroom. Only her bedroom now. Lindsay was laying in bed, eyes closed. He wouldn't kill her. Couldn't. Even a muddy reflection of Lindsay was something to remember her by,

[00:18:40.232] Speaker 1: but he didn't hope anymore. His hope had finally died somewhere between the fourth and fifth drinks last night. He left the room, no longer his wife, just another burden now. Kelter walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Huge mistake. It looked like he'd done a partial summoning in there. He closed it before too much of the smell could escape. There was a light knock on the apartment's front door, followed by the sound of running feet. Kelter shambled over to find an envelope wedged under the

[00:19:14.972] Speaker 1: door. He opened the door, but whoever had dropped it was already gone. So he opened the heavy envelope and found both good news and bad. Enough money for two years' rent and a potential death sentence. The death sentence was written on monogrammed stationery. Two letters at the bottom read S.D. The note itself read, Your advance, fifty-two Pillar Avenue, ten AM. Don't be late. Now that money was in his hands, he was

[00:19:50.032] Speaker 1: truly committed. He could try to return it, but then he'd have to wade into hell itself. Fortunately, hell was only a few minutes away. That gave him enough time to run some errands. Kelter parked his car in the parking lot near Drea's place. The bar had no name. The metal sign above the door simply read, Bar. For the kind of people who came here, that was all they needed to know. It was early. Too early for the employed drunks to be off work. Too early for the unemployed drunks to wake up. There was no one inside when

[00:20:24.932] Speaker 1: he pushed open the door. But when he closed it, a woman in her forty-somethings popped up from behind the bar. Drea looked like she worked for a living. The burn scars on her arms and neck told a story Kelter had never asked about. You got those kinds of scars doing steel work. But you didn't do steel work if you could summon. Still alive? Good. I thought that might be the last time I saw you. Kelter smiled and set an envelope on the counter. I play

[00:20:59.812] Speaker 1: by the rules. Besides, I didn't want to ruin your place. Well, by the look of things, she didn't like the house wine. She pointed at the floor. Shame she didn't drink it. I piss in that one. Kelter thought it best not to follow up on that. So he nudged the envelope instead and took a seat. What's this? Drea pulled the envelope toward her and looked inside. She dropped her mop and brought a hand to her mouth. I'll be damned. She was

[00:21:34.672] Speaker 1: good for the money after all. Kelter put his hands in his pockets. Guess so. Drea stared at the money a little while longer, as if making sure it was real. Her smile slowly fell. I thought I told you not to do anything stupid, Kelter. I didn't. Not yet, anyway. She threw the envelope of money at him. He fumbled but caught it. Give it back. Whatever they want, tell them no. Kelter spread his hands. It doesn't work like

[00:22:09.452] Speaker 1: that. Yes, it does. I asked around. She's a nobody. A third-rate member. Not even. She married in. She's family. And I'm trash by comparison. We all are. He pushed the envelope back toward her. Drea hesitated but snatched it up and put it in the register. She slammed the drawer to make it go away. Then she looked at the register for a moment longer, just in case it tried to get out. I don't think she knew you could summon. Drea

[00:22:44.332] Speaker 1: turned her attention back to him. Yeah, well, I don't make that known. She set down a glass and poured him something he hoped wasn't the house wine. How long's it been since you summoned? Fifteen years, maybe. I got drunk as hell with these guys I knew. I was into one of them, Ian. Hated his friends, though. So we're drinking, and, you know, one of them tells me to summon something. I don't know how they found out.

[00:23:19.692] Speaker 1: Ian probably told them. Anyway, he's cute. I'm drunk. So I take the dare. We go downstairs, out behind the apartment, and I summon a Vexis. You know, one of those spindly things. You can kind of make it talk. I know what a Vexis is. They were useful. Not only were they a fast summon, needing little material, but they didn't just kind of talk. They could talk if you were good. Excellent as diversion or lures for something meaner. You could use them to call a

[00:23:54.312] Speaker 1: person's name from around a corner, and then Stupidest thing I've ever done. Never did it again. And then what happened? Huh. Nice try, closer. Like I'd tell you. Drea took a drink straight from the bottle. Seriously. What happened? I made it sing a drinking song. One of Ian's friends tried to touch it. I panicked, and then I closed the circle. Good answer.

[00:24:31.564] Speaker 1: Yeah, well, we never hooked up, so I guess it wasn't the thrill he was looking for. The conversation fell silent after that. Drea seemed troubled by her memory, so Kelter finished his drink and left her to it. Will you be back? Yeah, soon. Drea nodded unconvincingly. Don't bring your friends next time. Kelter walked back to his car and steeled himself. Now it was time to enter the Torax den. He put his hands on the steering

[00:25:06.504] Speaker 1: wheel and let out a long, slow breath before putting the car into reverse. He had to roll down the window and keep one arm on the door. Ever since the handle broke, it didn't stay closed on its own. He really needed to get that fixed at some point. He looked in the rearview mirror and was glad he did. A man in a gray suit stood right behind his car. He was fumbling with papers in his hands, making his way around the car. Excuse me. Sorry, excuse me. The man walked over to the driver's side window and the papers he was holding spilled out of his hands onto the

[00:25:41.324] Speaker 1: ground. Are you James Kelter? Yeah. The man in the gray suit reached into his coat and pulled out something shiny and black. A gun. Kelter slammed the car door into the man just as the gun went off. Then he leaned out the window to grab him, but the man stumbled backward out of reach, so Kelter ducked back into the car below the window. Boom, boom, boom. The man in the suit fired his gun into the car as Kelter scrambled into the back seat. His heart raced. He had no idea if he was hit. He crawled onto the floorboards and pressed one hand to the rear car doors

[00:26:16.344] Speaker 1: and formed a connection. Something fast. He needed something fast and small. He closed his eyes and found the frequency of the correct plane, imagined the body of the creature he wanted. The bond fell into place and he moved away from the door quickly. Half of the door fell away with a chitinous plop. There was the sound of a scuttling insect on concrete. Kelter didn't stop to watch, but by the time he heard the screeches, he was already out of the car, on the other side to use it as cover. He commanded the blood weevil to attack. The man in the gray suit fired

[00:26:51.264] Speaker 1: three rounds into the thing. It screamed horribly, gnashing its spiked mouth at him. It left a trail of bright red blood as it chased the man. It was far too slow to actually catch him. But he hadn't summoned it because it was fast. He'd summoned it because it was loud and frightening. The man stepped up to the broken creature and executed it with a final shot to the head. A mess of bright red blood and insect parts splattered the pavement. Its horrible wailing finally stopped. Just in time for Kelter to grab the man's neck.

[00:27:26.764] Speaker 1: He formed a summoning connection with the man's own flesh. The man in the gray suit had just enough time to turn his head and look surprised. Kelter broke the connection and his neck exploded in a fountain of gore. The man's head flopped to the side, unsupported, and his body collapsed to the ground. Kelter breathed heavily, standing in a spreading pool of human and summoning remains. He was covered in blood. A family of four turned the corner and walked by the parking lot. Morning.

[00:28:01.764] Speaker 1: He waved at them with a gore-soaked hand, still catching his breath. They didn't seem eager to stick around for a chat, though. Kelter checked to make sure the blood weevil was actually dead. Even though he couldn't feel a bond, it was always wise to check. Not all of his contracts had been rogue summoners. Some of them were just regular people who'd made careless mistakes, or were too squeamish to check the corpses to make sure they were actually corpses. It was dead, so he got back in his car and tried to close the door. It didn't latch, though, and bounced right back open.

[00:28:36.584] Speaker 1: That broken door had actually saved his life. Maybe he wouldn't fix it after all. He backed up the car, ignoring the bumps as he rolled over something. This is why he didn't take these jobs. It was just another day working for the family.