Pilo started to take the steps down two at a time in his impatiens. When he almost tripped and fell, he righted himself, then began to walk down the stairs like a normal, more dignified mage should.

He passed three landing before getting to his destination. It was a small landing with a simple brown door. Above the door was etched into the stone, “Summoning rooms”.

Pilo depressed the small tongue atop the ornate handle releasing the door catch and entered a large round room. He paused taking in the simple space, that held six other doors leading out. There was an older man sitting behind a plain but sturdy looking desk who looked up at Pilo’s wondering look, nodding in understanding.

“Spatial magic is a wonder.” The man calmly stated.

Pilo coughed, getting his thoughts back on track.

“I remember the first time I saw the Grand Entry when I was a young lad.” The man continued. “Five times larger and almost as tall as the tower’s mundane exterior. This whole place is a wonder.”

“It is senior.” Pilo agreed walking forward to greet the man.

Reaching into his robe, Pilo took out a small, thin, oval tag. It had a hole in one end for running a thread or small chain through, but otherwise very plain silvery metal.

“Junior mage Pilo here to work a summoning sir.” Pilo stated handing the man behind the desk his identification tag.

The man placed the tag on a small slot atop the desk, causing a see-through window to pop up and hover in the air above the desk. Pilo was able to read the text beside a small picture of himself. The text was short and to the point, listing his training, his personal information, and his skills. There was also a permissions box, which listed his permission to use a summon room this morning.

The man behind the desk swiped at the permissions box erasing Pilo’s summoning permission, then removed and handed back his tag.

“This way young Pilo.” The mage said rising from his chair, leading Pilo to the room marked with a three etched atop the door.

This door unlike the entry door was not a simple door. It was solid steel with reinforced hinges. There were no handles or knobs to work to open the door. However, the senior mage simply touched it with his index finger and the door popped ajar. He then opened the door motioning Pilo to enter.

“Good luck.” The man simply said closing the door behind Pilo.

Pilo took in the room for a minute before getting to work.

Not every mage could use summoning magic. Or even use all elements. It was a soul-based thing. Your affinities were imprinted upon your soul at birth by which God watched over your birth. Some, but very few mages were chosen by the One, earning them all affinities. These mages/warriors were designated as heroes, to watch over and protect humanity from all manner of darkness and evil that plagued mankind.

Pilo began by pulling out his scroll tube and removing the spell scroll from it. He spread it flat upon the floor, placing small weights at the corners.

Next Pilo took out a small ritual dagger. Its blade wasn’t very long. After all this knife was for drawing small amounts of blood, not for killing. It was however enchanted to allow blood to flow for an extended amount of time and block pain from the cut.

Pilo let the blood run down his palm onto his index finger, creating a makeshift pen. He then began to scrawl out the summoning circle depicted on the top of the scroll. This part had to be precise, otherwise, well the door was reinforced for a reason.

After almost an hour Pilo finally finished his circle. He had to reopen the cut on his palm two times. The amount of lost blood was not life threatening, but he did feel slightly sick to the stomach and a bit woozy.

Next Pilo drank the potion that contained the collected ingredients. He winced a bit as he remembered one ingredient in particular. Lizard droppings. Then when his stomach settled a bit, and he felt the potion work its magic, melding into his body. Permeating his blood. Finally, he knelt before the scroll, gathered his will and began his chant. With each word he spoke he added a bit of his spirit to power adding power to the words spoken which then glowed on the paper. By the time Pilo finished the last word, the scroll was glowing fiercely with the power it contained.

Last word spoken he stood and watched as golden wisps started to rise from the scroll. The golden wisps became finger width ropes that rose and intertwined, creating a glowing floating three-dimensional sigil of power.

With a soft pop a flat plane, white in color, appeared in the air before the circle. After a few seconds a… thing was pushed out into the circle.

The thing was a scrawny, heavy bellied, grey skinned creature with three-foot wings slowly flapping. It had a humanoid form, two arms two legs, bald head and small pointed ears. A small tail, located at what should be the end of its spine, with a triangular end swished once. It looked pathetic, weak and staved.

Pilo went slack jawed. His brain stopped working. Then only thing registering was a horrible rank smell the now permeated the whole room making his already upset stomach flip flop.

The creature turned toward Pilo and spoke.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” It said in a mid-toned whiney voice that grated on Pilo’s nerves.

“Yes.” Pilo barley groaned out before leaning to one side and throwing up his breakfast. Between the smell coming off the creature and Pilo’s own current weakened state he could not hold his composure and started dry heaving even after nothing else came up.

Gathering his will as best he could Pilo summoned a small clean bubble of air that surrounded his head. It was a simple air cantrip that would let him breath fresh air for half an hour.

Gasping Pilo managed to get control back over his body.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He was now covered in a flop sweat and trembled uncontrollably.

“How?” Pilo asked softly with barely any strength.

“How what?” the thing before him said withdrawing its finger from it’s nose, dragging a slimy string with it, which it popped into it’s mouth and then licked clean.

Pilo gagged at the sight but thankfully didn’t dry heave again.

He then noticed something. He had felt it almost from the start. Power was slowly entering his body from his connection with the creature before him. A small trickle at first, but growing by the second.

By now, Pilo couldn’t help but feel the strange power entering his spirit. It was strong and raw. Like drinking water with shards of glass floating in it.

His body was recovering a lot faster than he thought he should be. The cut on his hand had healed into a scab by now. He could feel his strength returning and then some.

Pilo stood up straight, his trembling coming to an end, eyeing the creature before him.

For the creature’s part it simply floated in the circle, wings slowly flapping. It looked around with a look that could only be described as simple mindedness upon its demonic face. Pilo could feel magic at work on the thing’s wings. Likely a spell to keep it afloat.

“How could I summon you. An imp of all things.”

“Eh? Imp? I’m a spmi buddy.” The imp retorted now looking at Pilo up and down.

“Spmi. Uhh, isn’t that Imps spells backward.”

“Look human or nam, whatever your race is called. I’m an Spmi. And that’s that.”

Pilo tilted his head running that statement through his mind.

“First, I think someone was having fun with you. You are an imp, and I am a human. OR man. Not nam. HuMAN.” Pilo said with as straight a face as he could. “Seems when you were hatched or whatever happens when you come to being, someone was having some fun with you and twisting words around.”

Merd floated there with a blank look. After almost two minutes it started to all fall together. He had wondered why so many of his type were named Imp, when he and a few others around him had better, individual names. What else didn’t he know.

“Damning hells.” Merd spat out in simple anger. Then a lightbulb lit up into the back of his small brain. “What’s a four-legged creature that has pinkish skin, walks on four legs and likes to wallow and shit in mud called?”

Pilo thought for a few seconds then replied. “Pig”

At that word Merd dropped to the ground in a boneless slump. His whole life they had been screwing with him. His whole life! Well screw them! Now that he was in the mortal world, it was his chance to become an all-powerful Daemon. Once his reached his goal he would go back and make them all pay. Slowly. Painfully. Merd could feel his body heating up as his anger grew. ‘I’ll show them!’ Merd screamed internally. His simple mind unable to contain his emotions.

Pilo watched as the imp flopped to the floor, then started to turn reddish grey. As the imp began to wriggle then writhe on the floor in apparent anger Pilo’s mind raced. What could it had been. Where did it go wrong. He went over everything detail by detail mentally. And… Came up with nothing. Everything he gathered was reptile based. Not a spec of Daemon could he recall gathering. Unless that blood was… No, Daemons bled ashen colored blood.

“Nothing, I’ve got nothing.” Pilo mumbled.

“I’ll show them.” Merd ground out in a rough growly voice. “Hey! Human! Let’s get this show on the road. I have power to collect and Daemons to torture!”

Pilo took in the imp’s reddish hue and new tone. ‘Guess he gets red when pissed off’ Pilo thought.

Pilo straightened up. Then straightened his clothing, brushing out his fine robe.

“I’m not sure how you got caught up in my summons. Everything I collected was perfect. All reptile parts. How are you even here.” Pilo was more speaking out loud to himself rather than the imp. “Couldn’t be the droppings, they were even a smear between the tracks of a massive crokodllian.”

“Hey. Human let me out and let’s get to the good stuff!” Merd said with fire in his voice.

“Nothing. Everything was perfect.” Pilo slumped a little. He had made a grave error.

“Are you ignoring me?” Merd called out loudly. “Hey human, I’m right here! Don’t ignore me!”

Pilo sighed and engaged the imp. “My name is Pilo,” Causing the imp to burst out laughing. But Pilo continued ignoring it’s outburst. Out-world beings were unpredictable after all. “Or master to you.” His eyes narrowed slightly at the imp as he said that last bit.

Merd immediately stiffened. “Fuck” he whispered, then looked up at Pilo.

“There is a bit problem here Imp.”

“Merd.”

“Huh?” Pilo started “Oh your name I guess.” Merd nodded as Pilo continued. “You should not be here. I was not authorized to summon a being from the Daemon realm. It would be the same as summoning a devil for ashes sake.” Pilo took on a thoughtful look. “Though I guess Daemons are a lesser evil. More in control of their urges and desires. Still…”

“What?” Merd prompted after Pilo went silent.

“Oh, well you see I need to go get the senior outside and have you rejected from our realm.”

“What! No.” Merd almost whined. “No, you summoned me, you’re my,” Merd almost choked. “Master.” He gagged out. “You should be taking care of me. Come on.” Merd whined pitifully. “If I get sent back now, I’ll be a laughing stock. No. I need to get strong. I got butts to kick!”

Pilo barely took in what Merd was saying. He took hold of the one word of power the imp acquiesced to and started to push with his power.

“Ow. Hey! What’s going on!” Merd cried out while his body began to tremble.

“The pact has been forged; you have agreed to my being your master. You’re mine.” Pilo said with more glee and purpose than he felt he should have. Still, he couldn’t give up the power he felt. There were allowances for things like this. He would have to go through a wringer, but it would be worth it and then some! Now that the imp, Merd, had given consent for Pilo to be master, the imp was bound completely. It could not disobey, or do anything he, Pilo, thought was overly bad. At best Merd could maybe pull a small prank.

As Pilo worked his magic the circle of his blood on the floor constricted and burned an exact copy of itself into Merd’s chest. Pilo looked at the symbol and nodded. It was perfect. He had done it perfectly. He could feel his dominance solidify like a mountain atop and crushing a pin.

“Yes!” Pilo said with glee. “Yes!” He danced in a circle and pumped his fists like an idiot. Restricted summons or not. The imp was his! And all the power that would come from his tether with it.

Meanwhile Merd was laid out on the floor, a small patch of his chest giving off wisps of smoke for a few seconds.