A Demon's Contract

by Delmire Hart

  Maybe he just had to call for the demon? Barkley didn’t have any magic of his own, so he probably had to do things a little differently. Still, the demon could have told him before he sent Barkley on his way. What was the point of forging a contract with a demon if you couldn’t summon them when you needed them?

  “Zaxor?” Barkley called tentatively. Once again there was no response.

  With a sigh, the young man turned to pursue his bookcase. Surprisingly, there were books there waiting for him, but the titles suggested they would be dry reading. As curious as Barkley was about magic, demons, and what he had gotten himself into, this wasn’t the time. No, after all that he’d been through in the past few weeks of travelling and the adventure into the demon realm, he needed some quiet time with one of his favourite stories. Grabbing his worn travel pack, Barkley quickly found his precious treasures and pulled out his favourite book of all. The Adventures of Belvadair the Brave.

  It was a fanciful retelling of all of Belvadair’s adventures. The many tales of his exploits were told to children at the fireside, and while Barkley was certain they were wildly exaggerated, the stories still captured his imagination. He could get lost for hours among the worn pages, transported right to the scene being described in fading ink. This book was the reason he had taught himself how to read, and by now he could probably recite it word for word without even looking at the writing.

  Settling at the wooden desk, Barkley prepared to lose himself in the comfort of the familiar words. Dinner, exploring the academy, meeting the other mages, learning about demons; all that could wait for now. Unfortunately, the light was poor, and as he looked around the desk for something to light the candle with, the wick burst into flame. Spinning around in his chair to search for the source, Barkley halted at the sight of a familiar demon lounging on his bed.

  “You called?” Zaxor drawled, looking bored.

  A small flame danced over his fingertips as though he was playing with it, moving it from finger to finger idly. The demon was just as handsome as Barkley recalled and wearing the same dark finery as before. Until then, it had felt almost like a dream, but here he was, the demon who had promised to help him save his family. For a price.

  “I uh,” Barkley shook himself, trying to gather his thoughts. “I didn’t know how to call you. I don’t have any magic and I wasn’t sure how it’s done. Do I just call your name?”

  “What does the academy teach their mages now?” Zaxor sneered. The flame disappeared from his hand in the blink of an eye as he sat up. “Do you even know how to read?”

  “I do!” Barkley exclaimed indignantly. He didn’t like the attitude this demon had. Of course he would forge a contract with a prick. “I taught myself. And anyway, I’m not an academy mage. They wouldn’t let me join unless I contracted a demon because I don’t have any of my own magic.”

  Zaxor threw back his head and laughed. It was loud and deep, full of genuine mirth. It was a nice sound, except that Barkley had no idea what was so funny.

  “You can’t be serious!” Zaxor gasped out once the worst of his laughter had faded. “They only recruit those with magic?”

  Barkley nodded, unsure what he was getting at. It had been like that for years, probably even longer than he had been alive from what he remembered of the visit their village got from the travelling mages. It made sense to him, although not allowing ordinary people to try to contract demons didn’t.

  “Are you aware that humans don’t inherently have any magic whatsoever?”

  “I’ve heard that, but there are people with the magic spark inside them.”

  “And how do you think that happened?” Zaxor questioned, staring intently at the young man. Barkley didn’t have an answer, and the intensity of the gaze was beginning to unsettle him. He shrugged and Zaxor continued, “They are part demon.”

  “What?!” Barkley exclaimed, eyes flying wide in shock. “But how?”

  “Humans forge a contract with a demon to produce offspring. Usually with an incubus, but I know of the odd succubus who has agreed to carry a child as well.”

  “An incubus?” Barkley questioned. What kind of demon did a human forge a contract with to bear children? Such a possibility would never have occurred to him.

  “A male sex demon,” Zaxor replied, looking amused as Barkley flushed at the implications.

  “Then a succubus…?”

  “A female sex demon. It’s more complicated than that,” Zaxor said as he waved his hand dismissively, his tail thumping lightly on the bed behind him. “They feed off pleasure, passion, lust, and all that. But the important thing to know is that they can produce offspring with humans. I believe you have met one of each as well.”

  An image of the purple female demon with her exposed breasts flashed in his mind, followed by the male demon who had come to vie for his attentions. Suddenly the comment ‘I can give you family’ made a lot more sense, as did their lack of dress and their single-minded interest in Barkley. With the jealous way the academy guarded their portal, they mustn’t get many humans interested in a contract with them. The mages were all after power for themselves, not part demon offspring.

  “So now you can understand my amusement that the Great Human Academies of Magical Learning,” he gestured grandly with his arms, tone mocking, “only accept part humans in their midst. I’m beginning to understand why it has been so long since I’ve seen a human venture so far into the demon plane. The number of humans with the magical spark will diminish with every generation unmated to demons, and few are so reckless or desperate to wander so deeply into our realm.”

  “But this isn’t the only rift between our worlds, do you not get many humans through the others?”

  “Oh, there are plenty of rifts. Most have been stabilised into permanent portals, then built over by the oh-so-knowledgeable mages of this world and jealously guarded. The number of humans that venture beyond the immediate vicinity of the portals grows smaller and smaller as time passes. The few that do are fringe peoples; remnants of civilizations past that keep the old traditions. They forge contracts with the minotaur or lizardfolk mainly, as they are good healers and hunters. Those humans have no need of pure power. It’s become rather dull of late.”

  Zaxor flopped dramatically back onto Barkley’s bed, his long form unable to fit fully on the small mattress. He rolled to face the young man, leaning up on his elbow while his tail drew idle patterns on the wall. Barkley was beginning to suspect that the demon’s tail had a mind of its own.

  “So you agreed to help me because you were bored?” Barkley asked, incredulous. What kind of reason was that?

  “That, and I get another soul for my collection.” Zaxor grinned at him, his white teeth looking a little too sharp to pass as human. Just another thing to remind him that the creature in front of him was far from what he was used to.

  “You collect human souls?”

  “Not only humans,” Zaxor replied, but he didn’t elaborate. “Enough of this. Did you only call me here to chat, or is there a useful reason why I’m here right now?”

  “I really meant it when I said I wasn’t sure how to call you. I really don’t know how this contract thing works at all.” Barkley ruffled a hand through his hair in frustration as he tried to find the words he was looking for. “So you are going to help me stop the war and save my family. How? What can you do?”

  “What do you want me to do?” Zaxor countered lazily, his attention diverting back to his hand where a new flame appeared to dance across his fingers again. “I have a great deal of power at my disposal. What’s your plan, human?”

  “It’s Barkley,” he muttered, then sighed as the demon shrugged nonchalantly. “The only plan I have right now is to become a mage and use that title to join the army. Hopefully once I’m in the army, I can help end the war then. I want nothing more than to run back to my village and defend my family directly, but I can’t end a war without knowing how. If I go back now, I’d only be delaying the inevitable.”
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  Zaxor lay silently for a long moment, his eyes peering at Barkley intently. His face was impassive, but the way his tail swished idly across the bedsheets seemed almost thoughtful.

  “And what if your family dies while you idle away your time here? What if they are already dead?”

  Those were questions that Barkley had been purposefully ignoring during his travel to Loria. The possibility was very real; people were dying every day. Who said his family members were still alive? All he could do was hold out hope and keep moving forward. This was all he could do. The very thought that it might all be in vain, that he might already be too late, threatened to drag him down into despair, but like he had done so many times before, Barkley squared his shoulders determinedly.

  “Then I end the war and save whoever’s left.”

  “Well,” Zaxor drawled after a moment. “That’s a plan. Barely, but it’s something. Then, I will leave you to your studies. But remember, I don’t perform party tricks, and just because we have a contract doesn’t mean you can command me.”

  With that, Zaxor blinked out of existence. Barkley stared at the spot where the demon had reposed for a long time, thoughts spinning around in circles.

  Was becoming a mage the right thing to do? Was joining the army a good idea? Was Zaxor’s help even going to be enough? Was his family still alive? Was Barkley making the right choice by not returning to his village?

  They spun around, no answers forthcoming, until a knock on the door brought him from his reverie. Curious, Barkley made his way to the closed door and swung it open to reveal a young woman. She wore plain robes and her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Her frown suggested she’d rather be anywhere else but her tone was polite enough.

  “I’m Maria, I’m to show you around the academy.” She wrinkled her nose as her gaze swept over his attire and Barkley realised that he had fallen asleep in his travelling gear, too tired to care about the dirt that stained it. “Come on, dinner is soon.”

  He nodded before turning to blow out the candle on his desk, not willing to risk a spark catching one of his treasures while he was away. For a brief moment he considered getting changed, but he didn’t have a full change in the clothing he had brought with him. No point dirtying what fresh clothing he did have, anyway. Hopefully he could find somewhere to clean up after eating. He had been so tired when he returned he hadn’t even thought to ask Maxwell if he could clean up.

  With one final fortifying breath, Barkley stepped out after the girl and resolved to learn his way round as quickly as he could.

  Chapter Six

  The evening proved to be uneventful. Zaxor didn’t appear and Barkley didn’t call for him, instead choosing to spend his dinner and bathing time in peace. The dinner hall in the academy was huge, and the small number of people in attendance meant that he could easily sit undisturbed in a corner to take in his surroundings. All the mages and students seemed weary of him, and none approached to introduce themselves. In fact, a few of them even had loud whispered conversations in front of him about him. It felt petty that, in such a desperate time of war, they were all so self-focused that his lack of magic spark caused such backlash.

  Zaxor’s words about them all being part demon stayed high in his thoughts as he kept to himself. He had nothing against making friends while he was here, but he would not lose sight of why he was in the academy. The one upside to staying here was that magic was used to heat the large baths, and Barkley revelled in the chance to be clean after so long travelling. Barkley couldn’t be sure, but he got the feeling magic was mainly used to make the everyday lives of the mages here easy and not for any grand purpose. On one hand, he understood wanting to make your life that little bit easier, but on the other he felt disappointed.

  People were out there dying as war ravaged their countryside, and yet he had overheard a heated debate about the best ways to use magic for clothes washing at dinner.

  But it was a new day and Barkley was now a student at the Loria Academy of Magic. He had no idea what to expect, other than people being wary of him. He wasn’t sure what to do about Zaxor either. By their contract the demon had to help him end the war, but did that extend to becoming a mage? He was only becoming a mage so he could join the army, so technically that counted as part of their contract, right? Zaxor hadn’t said he wouldn’t help, only that he wouldn’t perform silly tricks for the amusement of others. Perhaps he should summon the demon to ask directly, but the thought of dealing with his flippant attitude this early was not a pleasant one.

  Getting out of bed, Barkley stretched and cast about for his new clothes. He had been given one basic grey robe and a baggy shirt and pants to sleep in. They weren’t the best quality, but they were serviceable and in far better condition than what he had been travelling in. He wasn’t sure why the mages preferred these odd robes, but he was pleased to find they had pockets, so he wasn’t going to complain.

  He grabbed the pitcher of water he had brought with him the night before, intent on pouring a cup to soothe his parched throat, when he paused. In the dull shine of the metal he could make out his reflection. The picture was distorted, but it was just enough to see something dark at his neck. He had forgotten about the mark; it was supposed to signify his contract with Zaxor. More than one person last night had been casting looks at his neck, but he’d still been tired and hadn’t thought much about it.

  Now though, he wanted to see what was so unusual about it. Moving the water pitcher around to find the best angle, all he could make out was a black line around his neck. Suddenly the picture cleared and he was staring back at himself in sharp relief. It was a perfect reflection, and Barkley had never seen himself in such clear detail before. Mirrors and glass were expensive and they had little need of such things in their farming village. The clearest reflection he had ever seen of himself was in the perfectly still lake back home one winter morning before it had frozen over.

  His brown hair was long and messy, although clean now, brushing at his jaw. His face had lost all trace of baby fat and his cheeks were more on the side of gaunt than healthy. Where once his brown eyes had stared back at him full of life and wonder, they now held only a sombre feeling of determination. Barkley tilted his head up to see his neck more clearly and gasped in surprise. No wonder people had stared.

  A golden lock sat in the middle, the keyhole distinctive enough to tell what it was. Leading out from each side like a collar was a pattern of intricate black lace. No, not lace. Looking closer, he could see that it was made up of interlocking runes, similar to those he had seen outside the demon portal and during the magic Zaxor cast to bind their contract. Turning to follow it around, it surprised him to find that the black markings disappeared under his shirt as though the pattern continued along his back.

  Barkley shucked off his shirt and the magical reflection moved to show his entire back without him turning. The picture was stunning and more lifelike than any painting he had ever seen. The distinctive four horns told him he was looking at Zaxor, but nothing else matched how the demon looked to him. Large leathery wings fanned out across Barkley’s shoulder blades to curl around his ribs and up onto his shoulders. Between them stood an imposing figure that seemed to be made of shadow, with glowing red eyes and a thick long tail with spiky natural armour plating covering the length. The long arms ended with pointed fingers that were more reminiscent of claws, and the figure’s legs bent back sharply after the knees. What would be the foot on a human was elongated strangely, and the demon appeared to be standing on its toes.

  The picture was as breathtaking as it was alarming and honestly, Barkley wouldn’t be surprised if the figure came to life. The mist across his lower back seemed to swirl around the demon’s legs as he moved, and the red eyes truly looked as though they were glowing.

  Barkley placed the water pitcher down before turning to find Zaxor reclining on his bed. The magical reflection vanished at the lazy wave of his arm. Zaxor looked like he did yesterday: tall, arrogant
, handsome, and entirely more human looking than the picture across his back.

  “Is that what you really look like?” Barkley asked, still trying to process the picture he had just seen.

  “That is a form I can choose, much as I can choose this one. I merely prefer this one.”

  Walking forward, Barkley sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed one of the demon’s hands. Other than when Zaxor had pressed a finger to his throat to form their contract, he had not touched the creature. His skin was smooth to the touch and his fingers touched what they saw.

  “Is this just how you look or are you actually this?” Barkley paused for a moment, trying to put into words what he wanted to ask. He knew the question didn’t make sense but he couldn’t find the words.

  “It’s not an illusion, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  The demon seemed amused as Barkley moved his focus away from his hand to take in the rest of his appearance. He was aware that Zaxor hadn’t answered his question about his true form, but Barkley was sure he had purposefully decided this was how he wanted to look. Leaning forward, he peered into the demon’s eyes. Zaxor reeled back in surprise before he seemed to catch himself and stayed still.

  His eyes were a light grey, not red. An unusual colour for a human but not impossible, although Barkley had never seen such a bright colour before. They were pretty, he decided, before moving his gaze up to the horns. They had small ridges and he reached out to feel the bumps under his fingertips, tracing first around the stubby front horns and then the curved rear horns.

  “You’ve put a lot of attention into this form, haven’t you?” he asked, less a question, more a statement. “The eyes, the way your hair sits perfectly around the horns, even the sun-kissed colour of your skin.”

  Surprise flickered across the demon’s face before a smug grin crept over his features. Barkley couldn’t be sure what he was thinking as a knock on his door interrupted his chance to ask. He suddenly realised just how closely they were sitting and jumped to his feet nervously. Maria stood with another girl when he swung the door open, and she stared first at Barkley and then past him. Turning, he realised that Zaxor was still reclining on the bed looking for all the world like a king on his throne. An impressive feat considering the bed was so small that his feet dangled off the end.