It was a dreary day. Thick, grey clouds hung over the tall towers of Firescale Academy. It had been pouring down for the last three days, the overall mood of the whole campus, however, seemed to dispute this fact.
Not because of an abnormal concentration of aquaphiliacs, but because today was the day of the Summoning Ceremony for fourth year students. The day that the prospective new wizards would summon their familiars, and bind them to their souls.
The ceremony was widely regarded as a sort of graduation from pure academic studies to more advanced and practical ones, the first three years having been mere preparation for the Summoning Ceremony.
All the fourth years were gathered in front the Summoning Hall waiting to be let in by the teachers overseeing the event, waiting for the shrouded line of observers go in first.
Anyone was welcome to spectate the ceremony, but they were required to stay behind a conjured wall that prevented them influencing the students in anyway. This was done so as not taint their image of strength with another’s. Of Course this was more to avoid spur of the moment decisions by the impressionable teens, as to prevent any outside influence would be near impossible. Especially for those of already established families.
As the hidden guest stands started to fill, the students were finally let in, forming three rows, nine abreast, in front of the pentagonal summoning altar. It was quite a large structure, measuring at thirty meters each side. This was to provide for those familiars that took on larger form than most, as familiars could be anything from a giant, or a dragon, to a horned bunny, or cat.
This would not prove a problem for the Summoning Hall, as it was a proud two hundred meters in width, some eight hundred in length, and another whopping hundred in height. It was a megastructure built with this sole purpose in mind and was a wonder to many, especially since the building that housed the room only reached six meters in height at its peak. This, combined with the doorway leading into the hall being flanked by others of its kind on both sides, not eight meters away, lead to the irrefutable conclusion of space manipulation.
The first student got called up. It was Askan, a young nobleman from the Kiros Kingdom. With a wave of his blonde hair he proceeded up the stairs to the altar, nose firmly planted upwards.
As Xeno looked at him he couldn’t help but sigh in frustration. That kind of attitude always bothered him. Despite the disregard for social status that the school had many nobles still believed themselves better, and superior to those of lower ranking. And a lot of them were right.
Magical capabilities were often tied to genetics and some families were just more likely to breed better magicians. Xeno knew this and it wasn’t what bothered him. No, what bothered him was the fact they acted like this even before they got their familiars.
The kind of familiar that you bound yourself with at the Summoning would determine your potential for the rest of your life, and even people from powerful magical families weren’t always guaranteed a strong familiar.
So behaving like a snob, even before you got your soulbond, seemed extremely foolish to Xeno. That said Xeno never did anything about because he knew that some of them would be right, and that the chances of him, a mere merchant’s son, getting an even stronger familiar were perishing.
Still this was the path that he’d set before himself. His parents had died in a freak monster attack on a business trip to a nearby kingdom. Monster usually never got anywhere near the big roads, but it still happened. And this time it had just happened to be a young wyvern in search of a snack. The only silver lining that Xeno could find in this tragedy was that he’d already turned ten at the time, and so he didn’t have to sit by and watch as one of his relatives squandered his parents hard earned money away.
Deciding that the merchant life, fruitful as it might be, didn’t appeal to him Xeno had sold his parents company, and whilst he was at it he’d sold the house, and furniture as well. He’d got a decent rate thanks to the help of some of his parents old friends taking pity on the young boy. Xeno had been sad to see some of it go, but he just couldn’t stand the thought of sitting at home, always expecting someone to walk in the front door to call “I’m home!”
Afterwards he’d invested about half of his fortune in some big companies, securing a steady, if somewhat lower than he could make on his own as a merchant, income and the rest he’d put in a bank, besides the fee he’d paid for tuition at Firescale.
This may have seemed somewhat much for a ten year old, but Xeno’s parents had taught him their trade since he was still in diapers. He still remembered sitting of his father's knee in their office, his dad humming a song to Xeno, whilst his mother did their bills at the desk next to them. The smell of ink, papyrus, and spice filling the air.
Waking up from this pleasant memory Xeno was startled to see that nearly everyone had gone through already, entering into the weil that hid them and the audience. It was just him and a red headed girl left. Her name was Rosana, if he remembered correctly.
Being called, Rosana walked forwards and up the stairs to the altar. Now he was alone, except for the teacher standing a few feet from him, next to the altar. He’d be the last one to get his familiar. What would he manage to summon? He didn’t have high hopes about what would come, since his aura was thick with impurities, and he had to massively strain himself to even attempt to draw in some mana.
For all he knew, Xeno might just get a low level monster, or a simple animal, but he could work with that. The only thing that he actually dreaded was the thought that he’d get some useless utilitary spirit or something. Sure those could become powerful in their own way, but they took a lot of mana to evolve, and could be insanely expensive to feed, not that he was worried about money, but he’d rather not spend it all, just to turn some bell spirit into a useful companion.
Taking in a breathe Xeno calmed himself. He was getting to worked up about this. Everything would be alright. The Ritual took your true image of yourself and superimposed that on top of your perception of strength, this, along with your summoning method, guaranteed a match between the summoned and the summoner. The likelihood of Xeno getting something that he desperately didn’t want were vanishing.
With another breathe Xeno stepped forward. Rosana had finished. It was time.
_____
Nodding to the teacher, that he understood the Summoning, Xeno laid his palm on the stone pedestal that stood next to the stairs, activating the shield which cut any contact between the inside, and the outside. Despite the audience, the Summoning Ritual was thought to be a very personal experience, especially the contract between the summoner and the summoned, so the barrier which surrounded the altar didn’t just block people from the inside seeing out, it blocked the outside from seeing in.
Taking one last final deep breathe, Xeno took out the knife he’d prepared beforehand, and cut his palm. The Summoning Ritual was different for each person, and everyone had to figure out their own from just three years of studies. The enchantment on the altar, guidance from the teachers, and the protective magics placed around it, made sure that not matter what one did inside, it would result in some form of summoning.
Xeno had thought long and hard on what to do. He’d studied logs pertaining to different summoning methods, painstakingly learned two ancient languages, and asked several teachers about the nature of mana. His conclusion was that his mana gathering just wasn’t up to snuff. If he just filled a circle with mana he might as well summon a hare. However, if Xeno used his own natural mana, like sorcerers did, he might just get something better than a glorified rabbit.
Squeezing his hand, Xeno traced around the edge of the Summoning circle, drinking a pinkish potion at one point to rapidly increase his blood production. Finally finishing the full circle, Xeno, looking rather pale now, took out another potion, a bowl, and some crushed manacrystals.
Drinking the potion Xeno squeezed harder, grimacing as he tried to ignore the pain. As the bowl reached the three quarters mark he stopped. Taking out a bandage he quickly wrapped it around his hand as a temporary measure, he had to hurry. The mana in his blood would only linger so long and he needed it as powerful as he could, in hopes of luring a more powerful creature. Taking the bowl Xeno poured in the mana crystal powder and mixed it with the knife he’d used earlier to cut himself. The resulting mixture turned purple, and looked a bit thicker than normal blood.
Carefully Xeno carried the bowl with him as he used the contents to draw various runes and symbols around the circle, some more symbolic than others, but as with all magic it was the intent that mattered.
Finishing up, Xeno stood up and walked outside of the circle. He smiled. The next part was the most critical, and yet it would also be the easiest. He’d practiced the words for hours in his room and head. Every word, syllable, and pronunciation planned out.
“Powers of the world, powers of the void, heed my call! I offer this sacrifice, my lifeblood, in exchange for a chance at greatness! I seek not power for hubris, nor greed, but rather as a way forward! The world is not kind, and so I do not seek your kindness, but your strength! I would offer you my very essence as proof that I have the will, and strength to overcome! So I ask you for but a chance! For a way forward!”
As Xeno finished his speech he ripped off his bandage and plunged the knife back in, spraying blood over the formation. As he watched, a portal opened in the middle of the formation, and from it rose a figure made of black smoke. Slowly solidifying the figure took on a shape of a man in his mid forties, his hair and beard were a light gray, he wore a black butler outfit, and despite his age he looked like he could punch through a door, but what struck Xeno about him were his eyes. They were black. As in a completely. The only hint of colour being his slit yellow irisis that formed after a few seconds.
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Looking around the man saw the blood on the floor and his eyes lit up. With a smile he reached out a hand and drew in the blood into a ball. Looking at it with nearly lustful eyes, the man gave it a lick, visibly shivering as he did so. Turning to Xeno he spoke.
“Is this yours?”
With a shivering nod Xeno watched as the man grinned, before another shadow rose up behind the man. The devil, and Xeno didn’t know what else the man could be, took no notice of this as he prepared himself to lunge at Xeno. His attack, however, was cut short as from the new shadow a girl emerged, shouting.
“It’s mine!”
The startled devil turned around, only to be swallowed by the gaping maw that the girls beautiful face had transformed into. With wild eyes she looked around, spotting the blood, that had fallen on the floor after the devils ‘termination’, she got on both knees and began licking it up, shivering as she did so. Xeno could do little but watch in fascination as this girl, that looked about the same age as him, licked up his blood of the floor, seemingly enjoying it.
As last of the blood disappeared between her filling lips, the girl looked up, wildly searching for more, seeing Xeno she narrowed her eyes, before throwing herself at him. Had it not been for the barrier, Xeno was sure she’d have ripped him apart limb from limb, lustfully licking up his blood as she went. As things were, however, she just crashed face first into an invisible shield, strengthened by hundreds of major wizards, enchanters, sorcerers, shamans, and warlocks.
Looking at her slumped form Xeno didn’t really know what to do. He’d been prepared for most things, from animals, and monsters, to spirits, and demons, but he’d never even dreamt that he’d get something intelligent. Intelligent summons were exceedingly rare, and even then they were usually more often along the lines of youngling vampires or hobgoblins, but a devil? Those were insanely rare.
That first one might have been explainable, since he clearly hadn’t reached far in the ranks, judging from his eyes, but the girl? Her eyes had white scleras, and purple irises. The sclera alone identified her as a higher tiered devil, with the irises, however, he could reasonably assume she was a noble.
Demon nobility was surprisingly similar to what the civilised races used, they arranged themselves by strength, and the stronger you were the more power you held.
Groaning the girl sat up and looked at Xeno annoyed.
She had wore a black frilly dress with white and red decorations, that left her neck and collarbone bare, and complemented her face, and figure beautifully. Her face was magnificent, with pert lips, glowingly purple eyes, a small button nose, and framed by Long blonde hair. Her Budding body, and developing assets made young Xeno blush a bit.
“What was that for?!”
“Um. What?”
“You blocked me!”
Looking strangely at the girl Xeno replied.
“And what would you have done if I hadn’t blocked you?”
“Eaten you of course!”
“So where, exactly, is my incentive to let you get at me?”
She looked flabbergasted at that, like she’d never even considered the possibility of him denying her a bite off him.
“But, but, you smell so good...”
Xeno was bewildered by what was happening, but there was no way he would let an opportunity like this pass by.
“Hmmm. What is it that smells so good about me?”
She twirled her foot.
“Uhhh, everything? I don’t know, your mana just smell like the most amazing thing I’ve ever ever known.”
So it was the mana, yes he could definitely work with this.
“Alright I’ll make you a deal.”
She perked up.
“Really?”
“Yes. If you agree to become my familiar then I’ll supply you with an endless stream of my mana”
She looked entranced by that, but still asked a question.
“What’s a familiar?”
“A familiar is a entity which binds their very being to another person, the bond links the two together so that if if the familiar ever dies, its soul will just return to their seal on the host, effectively rendering them immortal whilst their summoner lives.”
Her face showed a bit of concern at that.
“What if the summoner dies?”
“Then so does the familiar, but!”
He stopped her as he saw her eyes widen.
“When a demon, a devil, or others of similar physiology are involved both souls return to the realm of the familiar upon death.”
Now she seemed genuinely interested.
“Are there any benefits to the familiar besides, you know, immortality?”
“Yes. Not only would you able to grow more easily, thanks to the temporary nature of your body, but you’d also get direct access to my mana, straight from the source.”
She drooled at that. I had her.
“How do we make this deal?”
“Cut your palm.”
She elongated one of her nails, and did so.
“Now place it against the barrier, and accept when I finish the incantation”
“OK.”
She looked really excited. Straining my hand a bit I opened the now clotted wound and placed my palm against hers.
“Let this deal bind us. Let it strengthen us. Let it weave our fates so that they might intertwine. Let our bond be what guides us on our way through life. Let it forge us into more than what we are. Let it be our sword, and shield. Let it make us one! LET US BE ETERNAL!”
With a grin at Xeno’s theatrics she accepted, and as she did so the barrier fell and their palms met. The mixing of their essences creating a physical link between them, which then snaked its way up Xeno’s hand in the form of tattoos. The entire length of Xeno’s arm was soon covered in flamelike, spiky tattoos, which then continued to cover the rest of him. He looked like one of those nordic warriors that came down the western coasts to raid the Kal.
Xeno grinned at his hands. This was awesome! His next thought, however suddenly quietened his enthusiasm. How the hell was he going to explain this to the mob of snobs out there?
Sure new magical families popped up now and again, but someone that could summon a devil for a familiar? That was near unheard of. He’d get mobbed by nobles trying to marry him to their daughters, and Xeno wasn’t stupid enough to think that he’d be anything more than a stud horse to them. Even worse was that some rival of the noble family he married might try and ‘eliminate’ him before he could get busy making little nobles that would, theoretically, summon familiars of similar strength to his own.
Then there was the fact that he’d need to avoid some of the ‘holier than anybody’ churches. Some of them were very hardcore on the matter of devils being evil.
What the fuck had he just gotten himself into? With glazed eyes he looked over at his new familiar, and realised he didn’t even know her name.
“So, uh, hi. I’m Xeno. What’s your name?”
She looked somewhat taken aback for a moment, and then giggled, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.
“My names Alexandra Opes Venus Hona Bryn Hyld Vitreas von Malum, but you can call me Alexa, sweety.”
She winked at Xeno, who blushed up to his ears.
“So, uh, can you transform yourself into something else?”
Alexa looked surprised at his question, before her eyes got a playful glint to them.
“Why? Wanna experience something with a more ‘mature looking’ woman?”
Xeno panicked at that.
“What? I. No! You don’t!”
“It’s quite alright, you know this appearance of mine was only for the benefit of my station back home, I’m well over the arbitrary age of adulthood that you humans set before yourselfs.”
Her grin was akin to a sharks.
“No, no, no, no, no! NO! I just need you to hide yourself so that others won’t make trouble for us over the fact that I managed to summon a full fledged devil.”
Her face fell at his answer.
“Awww. And here I was looking forward to see if there was any taste difference between your blood and your other parts.”
Xeno blushed furiously at that, but couldn’t stand to see her saddened like that.
“Um, if you want we could maybe later...”
Xeno couldn’t bring himself to say anymore, but as soon as he finished Alexa looked up and with a playful grin lightly tapped his nose.
“No backsies!”
She giggled.
With a new kind of blush, one acquired from being played so easily, Xeno just mumbled for Alexa to take on some animal form or another. Still giggling, she agreed. Her body began to shrink, and her dress transformed into a flurry of black feathers that, when they dissipated, left her looking, for all the world to see, like demonic raven. Her eyes glowing red, her beak sawtoothed, as if it was filled with innumerous little fangs, and her feathers such a deep black that they seemed to suck the light around them away.
The tattoos covering Xeno’s body also began to shrink, until he felt a burning sensation on the middle of his forehead. Looking down at his, now bare, arms Xeno grabbed for his knife as a makeshift mirror, and turned it around in his hand to get a rough idea of what the seal looked like now. All the flames, spikes, and other evil looking symbols that had adorned Xenos body had been absorbed by the one on his forehead. It was a black mark shaped somewhat like a birds skull, and even if it lacked the other ‘features’ that the previous mark held it was still quite menacing.
“Wow. How did you do that?”
“Oh, you know. You don’t get to become a demon lord without knowing something about magic.”
“Demon lord?”
He said in a small voice.
“Yes.”
She said cheerfully
Xeno couldn’t believe this. A demon lord?! He had summoned a demon lord?! Xeno was now insanely happy he’d had her change, if this got out he’d either end up strapped down in a princesses bedroom, or at the end of a poisoned blade. Possibly both.Sweat dripping down his spine now Xeno turned towards Alexandra.
“Um. Then why? And how?”
“Why, and how what?”
“Why did you appear in my summoning circle, and how the fuck did you appear in my summoning circle?”
She tilted her head in thought.
“As for the why, it’s simply because the mana you used for the Summoning was insanely delicious, so much so that I simply couldn’t help myself coming to it. As to the how… I think that you were meant to summon one of my butlers, not that he deserved anything remotely as delicious as you. The mana you provided was just enough for him to get through, I had to use my own powers to strengthen the portal enough for me to enter. If I had been any farther away from where the portal opened I’d have never gotten in time to the portal.”
Xeno pondered on this. So he didn’t have the talent to summon a demon lord, that would have been insane. No, no, he just had the flavour to do it… What. The. Shit.