Triad watches on as his mother and the soul in charge of his body continue to battle. His mother attacks over and over again, only taking the occasional break to feed a little more blood to Triad’s blade when his healing falters. The fight for him in the beginning was painless, but as time limped forward, his senses have started to return. With each attack he could feel more and more pain, and worst of all his mother seemed to be enjoying it. For hours he watched as she sunk her knife into his body over and over again, making squeals of joy and mocking him when landing a heavy blow. For hours he watched as his mother with wide, crazy eyes and the biggest smile he’d ever seen on her.
“S… Stop.” Triad croaks out as he collapses to his knees after a particually heavy blow.
“Triad? Is that you this time?” Zuthi asks, the smile falling away from her face, her hand still on the knife imbedded in his side. Triad manages to give a weak nod, his eye’s drooping as he struggles to stay awake. “Triad stay with me.” Zuthi pleads lifting the boys head up so their eyes could meet. “Triad, Malac is going to try and make a deal with you ok. He’ll say anything to get you to take it but you can’t. No matter what he says, you can’t take the deal. He has to be you’re slave, not your friend, not servent, your slave. Got it? Malac, slave.” Triad gives his mother a weak smile and another nod, his head rubbing more of his blood on his face. Zuthi smiles back as tears leave streaks down her face. “Good boy, now sleep and remember he can’t hurt you...”
Zuthi’s words become little more than a mumble as Triad’s body falls limp and he collapses. The world around him fading into darkness.
“God damn that woman, I wouldn’t been this weak if she had fed me every so often!” Comes a voice out of the darkness. “That bitch used me as a paper weight for 10 years and now she wants me to serve her fallen welp.” Out of the darkness slithers a large black snake, it’s body so large that it could eat Triad’s family home without having to open it’s mouth very wide at all. Triad wilts under the beasts gaze as the monster locks eyes on him. “There you are.” It says raising its neck high above Triad.
“C.C. Contract.” Triad Stammers out, his body frozen under the weight of the creatures gaze.
“A contract is it? Very well I will lend you my power if you serve me as your mother did.” Malac hisses, as he begins to coil himself around Triad’s body.
“N. No, you’ll b.. be my slave.” Triad squeaks out, swallowing hard.
“Do you know what it means to be my master boy? My curse would be passed along to you, my hunger, my need for blood. You wish to never know the feeling of a full belly again? To never be able to have your fill? To be cursed with and endless hunger that will one day drive you to madness?” Triad shakes his head and a sinister smile creeps along Malac’s face. “What if we met in the middle then, a 50/50 partnership…
“No. If you won’t be my slave then negotiations are over.” Triad yells, interrupting Malac’s monologue and getting to his feet.
“Wait, what? Where did all this confidence come from?” Malac asks moving his head closer to Triad.
“My Dad sells potions for a living and he’s too nice a guy for bartering. I’ve been helping him since I was 5 and I know when someone is trying to swindle me. Either you become my slave or we both walk away. Triad yells pointing is sword towards Malac’s head.
“Listen here you little shit, if we walk away then you’re mother will attack us again tomorrow. The only way we can get here is by almost dying. Is that what you want? Another day like we had today?” Malac yells his head twitching from side to side as he looks at triad with each of his eyes.
“Yep, mum and I never get that much quality time together. Spending another day, just the 2 of us, that sounds great.” Triad says, giving the enormous creature a smile.
Malac lets out a deep grumble as he raises his head high into the air. “Then, I’ll eat you and make a deal with your remains.” Malac yells letting out a long hiss as his mouth comes crashing down on Triad’s body.
“Huh, so you really can’t hurt me.” Triad says walking through Malac’s head as if it was little more than an illusion.
“But, but how?” Malac asks backing his head away from Triad, his eyes widening as he does.
Triad gives a shrug and starts to walk away from Malac’s head. “No idea, so same time tomorrow then?” He asks looking at the void around him. “Now then, how do I get out of here?”
“Fine, I’ll serve you.” Malac shouts, his body shrinking down to the size of a regular snake.
“No, you’ll be my slave. That’s the deal take it or leave it.” Triad says folding his arms and looking over his shoulder.
“Fine, I Malcom..”
“Malac.” Triad corrects.
“I Malac will serve you.”
“Be my slave.” Triad corrects again.
“Be your slave, until…”
“No until, you’ll be my slave and I’ll be your master.
“Fine! I Malac will be your slave forever. Happy now!” Malac yells before pulling himself into a tight coil.
“Sounds great to me.” Triad says, his eyes flickering open as the words leave his lips.
“Triad?” Zuthi says as she pulls her sons head in for a tight hug.
“Oh, hey mum. Why are we still outside?”