Chapter 39: The Interview

The ink on the parchment shimmered, pulling light into itself, like it was swallowing the room.

Instead of the bright flames that came with Flicker, the parchment shimmered like starlight, a whole galaxy was unfolding in reverse.

I had both of my palms on the table, as I waited with anticipation, I thought I would be nervous to be summoning another demon, but I was just glad the wait was over.

From the center, a form began to rise, coalescing. I had Olive sit down so I could fully focus on this, it was definitely important enough.

It looked like ink dropped into water, rippling and spreading in a mesmerizing manner. Its liquid body folded in on itself, unshaping and reshaping, it was strangely elegant in its movements. As the darkness surfaced and dissolved, like it was testing forms.

Violet and deep red runes pulsed across its body in slow, rhythmic beats like a visual heartbeat, ancient and steady.

It didn’t have a face, but it turned to me with unmistakable awareness.

It regarded me, then Magnavex. Its presence somehow formal.

Then it spoke, the voice came in layers. Echoing. Harmonized.

Like multiple voices from multiple places, all agreeing to speak as one.

The creature’s form stilled for a heartbeat, its runes flaring brighter, it was judging me.

A slow ripple passed through its body.

A new contract sat on the table. Once again it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the letters.

Pact of Service

1. Will provide The Demon Lord, cultural, economic, and etiquette knowledge.
2. Will avoid violence except in defense of the Demon Lord.
3. Will be loyal to the Demon Lord.

Requirements

1. Must be allowed in the room where decisions are made.
2. Does not need to disclose species name.
3. Summoner cannot use concentric summoning to create lesser versions of this summon.

It required my signature at the bottom.

“These requirement are weird, right? I mean, not telling me the species name? is that normal?”

“no, it is not normal, she has no right to hide her species from you” Magnavex said looking at the demon reproachfully

I looked at the demon as it waited for me, its form was more human like now, or I guess Eclipseran. Its form had little dots on it, it kinda looked like the night sky turned person. Though how Magnavex knew it was a girl was beyond me.

“and the first bit? The room where decisions are made”

Magnavex seemed to prickle at the words. “it appears she believes herself worthy of being a part of the decision making process.”

The demon looked at her. And well, not quite smiled but its form shimmered with something akin to amusement.

I turned to the Imp “what do you think”

He seemed surprised that I was seeking his input but I mean, he is a demon. He should know a thing or two about contracts.

“If I may, sir?” he said, seeking more explicit permission to speak.

Magnavex opened her mouth, but I beat her to the punch. “Yes, you may,” I told him.

“But remember your station,” Magnavex hissed.

The Imp took a moment, seemingly to collect himself.

“It seems that it adds a potential for you to summon her outside of teaching. She might be implying she has more to offer... besides instruction.”

I tapped my foot, thinking.

“I can change the contract, right?”

“Yes,” Magnavex said her tone clearly implying that I should.

“but she can then refuse.” The Imp added earning him self a glare from Magnavex.

“She’d be foolish to refuse your generous offer,” Magnavex added even though I hadn’t even said how I’d changed it yet. How could she know it was generous?

I looked back at the demon waiting beside the table. It had not moved. Not really. Its body shifted constantly, but it stayed exactly where it was, patient as a shadow and twice as unsettling.

I moved to the table scraping the chair as I pulled it back.

The demon’s body rippled, violet dots stretching across its surface like stars reflected in moving water.

I straightened my back and folded my hands in front of me. “What should I call you?”

“You may call us Ezkyrath,” its voice spoke in unison echoing across the room.

It already had a name unlike Flicker unless, did Flicker have a name before me?

“Ezkyrath,” I repeated carefully.

The runes on its body pulsed once, slow and approving.

“could you explain to me what you mean by being in the room?” I asked.

Magnavex made a soft sound in her throat. Agreement, probably.

Ezkyrath turned toward her, then back to me.

“we wish to be able to be present for the conversations of import, this will allow us to gauge how best to educate you”

That sounded reasonable, but Magnavex doesn’t seem to agree.

‘we? Could this Ezkyrath also have multiple identities?’ I found myself interjecting my thoughts

Magnavex crossed her arms. “I don’t see why you would need to be present when I can simply tell you must teach him, it doesn’t make sense.”

‘I don’t like the sound of that, the whole point of summoning this demon is to separate ourselves from Magnavex’

‘but its also dangerous to fall into relying on a demon, I mean I can just summon it into meeting if I want why make it a requirement?’

‘we had already concluded that eclipseran are the biggest threat, Magnavex has multiple dangerous demons’

‘yes but would we be changing who has control over us, if we can’t send the demon away.’

‘we could get rid of the contract can’t we’

I leaned towards Magnavex “what happens if I want out of a contract?”

‘you see the issue right?’

‘that I need to ask Magnavex this question, yes yes I do.’

Magnavex seemed to think for a moment. “you can just remove the contract, there are no consequences”

Ezkyrath sort of wobbled at that it was clear she wanted to say something.

‘well?’

‘I’m sure its not the complete truth but if we can get rid of the contract then its certainly less dangerous to keep the demon in the room’

‘exactly, what we need right now is safety not given by anyone else.’

‘well, may Lumisiel light our path’ I finished knowing full well she already does.

“It does, make sense” I said, making myself smile like the answer was obvious. “It would be good to have another friendly voice in the room. Someone to assist us.”

“Well,” Magnavex said, “I would say additional support is not a bad thing, as long as she remembers her place.”

I looked at Ezkyrath again. “If I sign this, how is it determined that it’s a room where decisions will be made?” Am I giving up all my privacy?

Ezkyrath said. “It would be decided case by case.”

“But how?”

“We will need to learn to trust each other.” Her overlapping voice echoed around the room.

I waited.

Ezkyrath did not move closer, but its body shifted, the little star-like lights across its form stretching and settling as if even the answer needed time to take shape. Across from me, Magnavex’s fingers tightened against her sleeve.

“The pact says I must be allowed in the room where decisions are made,” Ezkyrath said. “It does not say all rooms.”

I looked back at the parchment. That was true. Annoyingly true. The words were smaller than the fear I had built around them.

Ezkyrath’s form shifted in a way that almost looked amused. A faint shimmer passed over it, warm purple against the dark.

“You are young,” it said. “Not foolish.”

I didn’t know what to do with that, so I moved on.

“Why won’t you disclose your species name?”

“A species name gives others permission to decide what we are before we act,” it said.

‘what you are? Isn’t that what a species is?’ I wondered before Olive gasped

‘this is something Dain has talked about, it has to do with demibeings’

‘… well?’

‘I don’t remember, obviously I don’t remember, why would I waste my time asking myself if I remember something.’

I’ll have to ask him next time I see him.

I pointed at the parchment. “Why can’t I use concentric summoning? That limits my combat ability and as you know I am the Demon Lord…” I felt my heart skip a beat at the declaration holding back a grimace I said “I have a war to win” though it might not be for the side you think.

The room went quiet even Sebastian went still. Ezkyrath’s body stopped shifting. Even Magnavex seemed to tense up. Did I say that last part out loud, why did everyone freeze?

“Because a lesser version would reveal… my race, which is irrelevant to the service we are offering.

I glanced at Magnavex.

She looked unimpressed.

She stepped closer. “My Lord, there are many other summons. Ones more obedient, less evasive.” She glared at Ezkyrath “who understand their place.”

I quickly raised a hand before they could start arguing again. “Stop. Both of you.”

They stopped. Which gave me a strange feeling, but one I liked.

I looked at Ezkyrath. “If I sign, will you obey me?”

“Yes.”

“Only me?”

“The pact says loyalty to the Demon Lord.” She said pointedly

‘why did she say it like that?’

‘could there maybe be more than one Demon Lord’

‘or perhaps she means old loyalty’

‘then I should change the name to Lucarion’

‘if I’m worried about their being more than one Demon Lord’

‘it’s even more likely that there are more than one Lucarion’

Oh! I’ve been so stupid I could go ask Dain right now about demibeings.

Olive got up to leave the room as I answered.

“Then that should be changed.”

Olive made it outside the church, she had to take a moment to collect herself as she felt the teensiest bit disorientated, it didn’t help that my name was being yelled.

“OLIVE” Mira yelled as she ran at me full force, so full force in fact that she didn’t bother stopping, launching herself into me and knocking us both into the ground.

I kept my eyes on Ezkyrath, even though it did not have eyes to meet.  As I tried to ignore the tangled mess of limbs my other body was experiencing “You shouldn’t be loyal to some old Demon Lord. Only to me.”

Magnavex went very still.

I almost looked at her, but something about the silence told me not to. I had said something important. I just didn’t know what.

Ezkyrath’s body folded inward, smaller for a moment, then unfolded into a more person-like shape. Almost shoulders. Almost arms. Almost a head bowed in thought.

“Yes, we can amend the contract to swear loyalty only to you.” Ezkyrath said at last. “That comes with truth for you and lies to the enemy. Anything else would be a failure on our part.”

“Olive, I was so worried when you disappear of into the forest” she was nearly in tears as she clutched to my shirt “then I heard that girl went missing too, and I—I” she couldn’t finish as she burst into tears.

Olive held her tight “there, there. I’m safe nothing happened” she patted her back softly

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve “why did you take that girl instead of me” she whined

I almost laughed, but the sound caught somewhere in my chest. It didn’t seem like I would reach Dain anytime soon.

“Sebastian.”

The Imp straightened so fast his knees clicked. “Yes, sir?”

“Get me the quill.”

He hurried to the side of the table, took up the quill in both gloved hands, and offered it to me with a bow.

I accepted it.

I wrote slowly, careful with every curling stroke. The words sank into the parchment.

Magnavex’s mouth tightened. “My Lord, I still advise against accepting this pact as written.”

“I know.”

I looked at Ezkyrath.

and signed my name at the bottom.

The contract burned in my hand, not painfully, but with a warm, low thrum. Like holding a hearth flame. The parchment disintegrated into glowing dust and sank into the table.

That’s when Flicker trotted over, his tail wagging, my contract book in jaws.

I took it from him giving him some pats, I opened it on the table.

Pact of Service

• Harmless.
• Loyal to me and only me.
• Below human-level intellect.

Requirements

• Can’t be summoned in dangerous situations.
• If a dangerous situation arises, the summon may flee.
• If ordered to fight in a dangerous situation, the summon may break contract to disobey the order.

Signed Lucarion Demonlord

Contract Owner: Lucarion

Contracted

Species: Barghest

Name: Flicker

I flipped the page.

Pact of Service

• Will provide The Demon Lord Lucarion, cultural, economic, and etiquette instruction.
• Will avoid violence except in defense of the Demon Lord Lucarion.
• Will be loyal to the Demon Lord Lucarion.

Requirements

• Must be allowed in the room where decisions are made.
• Does not need to disclose species name.
• Summoner cannot use concentric summoning to create lesser versions of this summon.

Signed Lucarion Demon Lord

Contract Owner: Lucarion

Contracted

Species: Unknown

Name: Ezkyrath