Fun fact: on Royal Road my total unique readers on that site -between all of my stories- hit 666 today. Given how Halloween is this month and this is a Demon Quest I just thought that was neat.

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Infernal Contract: Bugsby, The Dark Apprentice (IV)

--- Booker H. Freeman ---

“You need a purpose.” He told the boy.

“W-what?” Bugsby blinked through his ugly tears.

“You need a purpose, something to throw yourself into while you try and sort out all of these… messy emotions.” He attempted to explain. “Which is why I shall be tutoring you on anything and everything that may help you find that purpose you require!”

(Sloth: I just want to say, I’m against this plan.)

(Pride: Yes, well your opinion is noted and dismissed as unimportant.)

“Tutor me?” Bugsby repeated in confusion.

“Quite right!” He smiled, as he began leading the boy away from the basement filled with the dead. “As I said, with that contract you can summon me whenever you require but to help you divert these negative emotions into something constructive with free lessons!”

(Greed: Up-up!)

(That will increase your overall worth to us in the future.) He mentally added with a roll of his eyes.

(Greed: Better.)

“Something constructive?” Bugsby (hideously) frowned.

“Yes! Why, there are all sorts of things I could teach a strapping young lad such as yourself!” He assured the boy as they exited the stairwell into the building workshop. “Might, magic, technology, manipulation, and more!”

“And how is any of that supposed to help me?” Bugsby glared at him.

“Well, for one it’ll teach you how to actually intimidate someone.” He noted, unimpressed with the boy.

(Lust: Yeah, like how we just lean forward a bit and flash our eyes red as we look down on him. Nothing too aggressive, we just need some implication of violence.)

(Gluttony: A reminder of the fact that they’re just food to be eaten.)

(Wrath: Or about the pain they must suffer to balance the scales.)

(Envy: Bit of darkening shadows won’t hurt.)

Bugsby whimpered, and he blinked before patting the boy’s head with a large smile. “Oh, don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it eventually! And if that isn’t a skill you want to learn why you could still do all sorts of things with my teachings! You could become a powerful warlock, a genius inventor, the star of the show, a punisher of the wicked!”

“Punisher of the wicked?” The boy repeated, before shaking his head. “W-why would I want to do something like that?!”

He tilted his head in his own confusion. “Because there are monsters in this world who deserve to be eaten by bigger monsters?” (Isn’t that obvious.)

(Gluttony: The food chain is only natural.)

(Wrath: And all monsters shall burn in the end.)

(Envy: Karma is a thing.)

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(Sloth: And when it isn’t, well… The extra work is just another reason to hate them.)

(Pride: Now, now. The lad is young. Uneducated. We can’t blame him for being the very thing we’re trying to fix. That would be dreadfully unfair of us.)

(True.) If the boy failed to meet his standards after being educated that would be an entirely different thing. “Regardless, it’s just an option. Not one you need to take. After all, I will not be taking away your freedom of choice my boy, I’m merely offering you the power to realize whatever potential you desire.”

“And if I don’t want anything to do with you or… any of this?!” Bugsby practically growled as he gestured to the room around them. “Da- He convinced me that all of this was fun and games. That we were having fun and learning new things together not, not all that shit in the basement! How are you any different?!”

(Greed: He’s been burned on a deal like this. He doesn’t trust it. Doesn’t realize we can’t actually break our end of the deal without penalty.)

(Lust: Oh, oh! That’s our in.)

He gave the boy a soft smile. “I’m different because I cannot break the terms of our deal. Whatsmore, should I ever break my end of our little agreement then that mark on your hand will fade into nothingness.”

(Greed: We’ve a lot more wiggle room than that since we did free those souls. Honestly, that mark is going nowhere unless we specifically stake it in a future deal.)

(Ah, good to know!)

(Greed: You’re not stupid enough to let the kid know that right?)

(Of course not!) He was almost offended a part of him thought he was.

While he had these thoughts, Bugsby stared at the emblem on his hand and licked his lips, before shaking his head and turning back towards the exit. “I… I can’t deal with this right now…”

“That’s fine, I’ve all the time in the world my boy.” He smiled.

Rather than being reassured Bugsby merely gave him another glare before the boy’s eyes darted towards the basement. “There’s a handle near the roof, I can’t reach it… Pull it down so no one can find the basement…”

He narrowed his eyes at the order, before glancing up and finding the lever. At which point he also noticed something else.

(Envy: There’s magic coming from it.)

Letting his curiosity get the best of him, he gripped the handle and pulled the door down, ceiling the basement behind a wall painted to match the brickwork of the rest of the room.

In the dark one wouldn’t be able to see the difference, but in the light anyone could tell there was a difference between the two.

(Envy: Or they would if it wasn’t for the magic working as a perception filter. A lot like the one at the Smiling Man’s building. It’s not working on us, but it would be enough to keep anyone mundane from finding the basement without knowing it was there.)

(Sloth: Making sure no one will find where the bodies are buried.)

(Interesting, and handy!) He had to admit as he made a note to find such a useful spell for himself.

(Envy: We probably know our own version, we just can’t remember it.)

He heard the sound of the door opening and felt his eye twitch as his smile grew tense, before following the boy back into the night.

Once he caught site of his wayward contractor he reached out and grabbed Bugsby with his magic, the threads of power rapidly fraying as the boy struggled in place.

(Envy: We don’t have that much power without burning Sin… Not yet anyways.)

(Lust: We’ll have to be careful if we want to maintain our role as a powerful Demon.)

Keeping all of that in mind, he used his long legs to quickly walk in front of the boy while doing his best to make it look like he was moving at a languid pace. “Now, now, where are you going, my boy? We still have so much to discuss!”

“I told you I’m not-” Bugsby gave him a pained grimace. “I can’t deal with this… Not tonight…”

(Envy: He has been through a lot tonight…)

(Wrath: The first kill is the hardest.)

(Lust: Especially if the Necromancer was his friend… who was trying to kill his other friend.)

(Sloth: I told you the kid is overworked.)

The boy looked at the emblem on his head before meeting Booker’s eye. “If you’re serious about not taking away my… my freedom of choice with this thing then just… leave me alone… For tonight at least… Please…”

He considered the boy in front of him, one who had very well gone through hell this evening.

(Sloth: If you keep pushing him he’s going to snap.)

(Wrath: People in pain are the first to lash out.)

(Envy: And the ones to hold the longest grudges.)

Deciding that for the sake of his future contract, he should withdraw for the moment he began to pull on the power that had been tugging at his core since completing his initial contract.

“If that’s your wish then so be it.” He nodded as he bowed with a hand across his chest. “I’ll be waiting when you’re ready to talk.” He looked up to meet his contractor’s eyes. “Just don’t take too long, my boy.”

With that said he felt a wave of heat wash over him once more as he was dragged back to his own hell so different from the boy’s. Namely in the fact that while he boy’s left him pained and alone, his own returned him to his young companion with a smile on his face.