Zef saw the state of his wife and child and couldn't help but lament at destiny's cruel joke. Many years ago he was not as helpless as he was now, no...he was one the son of a noble knight family. He was the second brother of five kids , talented, keen and very studious in both the martial arts and the literary ones. He was considered and expected to be a great figure of his time , but he fell in love. If it had been a noble woman or even a woman of far noble descent he would have been praised and congratulated, but the one he fell in love with was a servant, Lara.

She was such a cheerful and kind soul, beautiful and elegant even in theost mundane tasks-it was love at first sight. Of course his parents and relatives denied such a union, but who was he to listen to their drivel? He was young man, a young man in love and he couldn’t be convinced- so seeing no way to resolve this they cane to a conclusion. So as to not raise the ire and become the laughing stock of all the other noble families, he was exiled, his name burned from all the records of the family and he was part of them no more.

Zef was happy, he had gotten what he had wished for, but it only became more hard from then on. Without the backing of his noble family he was now but a commoner, and for the first time he had to work, but it was not all that bad. With the skills he had honed as the scion of a knight family he was very good at hunting, and his martial prowess weren't to shabby either. So, by hunting wild beast and sometimes stray monsters in the forest nearby, and also training the fifteen men strong militia of the village he managed to lead a very good life. It was only when his wife blessed him with a boy, he was fulfilled.....but happiness was not ment to be.

One fateful day his son, his only son was injured as he was splitting some firewood, and a splinter had entered his hand. At first it was no big of a deal as it had happened many times before, but soon he became sick. He lost his appetite, his temperature was high, and the hand where the splinter had entered started swelling like a balloon. This alarmed Zef as he sent him to the apocathery of the village where he received some oils and balms, but they didn't work as his son became more sick and weak. It was then that he sent him to the barber\doctor and learned that an amputation was needed, and needed fast.

He argued, pleaded, and begged for a different solution from the barber, but only received condolences from him. It was then that it all came crashing down at him....he who was once a revered knight had stooped so low as to beg for his sons life.

'Alas...I can not change the past. Fate is indeed a cruel mistress and love is a sweet poison. Now I know why so many of those poets lamented over these things over and over....alas...' Zef cast his gaze upon his son and he couldn’t stop a

tears welling up in his eyes, but none fell on the ground. He had seen enough of his son suffering, he couldn't see his small figure wither away in front of his eyes anymore. He would do anything, anything for his son...even if that ment making a deal with a devil.

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He steeled his resolve , took his cloak and immediately headed outside leaving his wife still weeping. He took a deep breath of the autumn air and immediately headed towards one of houses in the village. His step wasn't fast nor slow, but it sure was careful.

............

In less than five minutes he was before a one storied house much like his own, but it was more debilitated. The door had some cracks on it, the paint of the house was almost nonexistent , and the roof looked a mess.

He cautiously knocked on door , and not one minute later someone opened it halfway. A plump woman in her thirties showed herself at the door and looked at Zef with caution.

"What do you want?" said the woman as she looked at Zef from top to bottom.

"You know what I want, woman. If it wasn't for my situation I wouldn't even be seen commig here." said Zef with disgust as he looked at the woman, but the later didn't really mind his callous words.

"S'that so, mister knight? And I thought that you had a change of heart, but still...

"Stop with the useless words, I've come her not for pleasure." said Zef as he opened his cloak and revealed the sword he had hanging on his belt. The woman narrowed her eyes as she saw it and stopped talking.

"Fine...just give me a couple of minutes and I'll be ready. You better not go back on your word."

"Just don't make me wait...

*bam*

The door closed and Zef fell into thought once again. The woman he had just spoken to was one of the widows of this village, but also occasionally the village whore. Her name was Ariane and she until two months ago she hadn't even spoken more than one minute to Zef. She unexpectedly had found a book on the forest, but as she didn't know how to read had come to Zef. He at first didn't want to do it, but as he saw the fine leather bound book he changed his mind. He was intrigued and rightfully so as the book didn't have even a name, but as he read through it he understood why.

The book she had found was not a normal book, but a blasphemous one which entailed the summoning of a devil, an evil creature from the depths of hell to do one's bidding. As soon as he found out he wanted to destroy it, to burn it to ashes, but Ariane refused, so the book was spared.

.............

Under the cover of dusk Zef and Ariane left the village and entered a cave he often used to rest in during his hunts. It wasn't a big cave but it would suffice for the ritual. They did as the instructions on the book showed and killed five kids of creatures in five directions , a chicken, a lizard , a cat , a spider, and a bird. They then mixed their blood together before adding a drop of their blood also, and finally drawing a pentagram from that blood. It took them about an hour to do it, but it was finally finished.

"Zef...hurry, read the chant! We must let the hour to pas....

"I know...." said Zef with a stoic face as he opened the book and began to read." I , Zef, call upon the cursed, the blood, the soul....I call upon 'you' to head my humble call and accept these offerings in your name. I call upon the five....upon the flesh, the spirit, the blood, life and death for you to appear before me to grant me my wish....

As Zef sung loudly the chant, Ariane also did the same" I , Ariane, call upon the cursed, the blood, the soul....I call upon 'you' to head my humble call and accept these offerings in your name. I call upon the five....upon the flesh, the spirit, the blood, life and death for you to appear before me to grant me my wish....

As they did so the blood pentagram on the stone floor begun to evaporate a hazy humanoid figure of red mist materialized. Seeing this they immediately bowed in fear and awe and they continued their chant, but didn't remove their eyes from the figure. At first it was calm, but as it saw them it became agitated and started to hit the edge of the summoning circle prompting Zef and Ariane to chant faster until the pentagram shined a deep crimson entailing the successful end of the summoning ritual.