Woodcutter 6

Turns out it isn't that hard to make a deal with the devil, or at least a demon. You need some hard to find tools and instructions sure, but the actual process isn't actually complicated.

I used the cave in the back of my home for the summoning, using a magical stone from my ever useful pile of loot I shaped a section of cavern floor into a solid circle ten feet in diameter, the size actually matters as you don't get to pick what answers your summons, and the first rule of demon summoning is never summon anything too big, in this case I felt that human size or slightly larger was probably doable, but I didn't want to get some useless imp so it had to be big enough to be tempting.

The circle was big enough it turned out, and also possibly irrelevant. The instructions found in the book worked, and the magic in the ring got the creature's attention, it appeared, more felt than seen, a rapid movement on the edge of vision, or the lingering half forgotten shreds of a nightmare just after you wake. It was like that all the time, I was uncomfortable to look at.

We negotiated.

Even a magical layman like me knew demons made deals, they barter power for whatever they want at the time, souls, life, one hundred pounds of worms, they make dreams or nightmares come true and usually don't try to rip you off, I don't know if the concept of cheating on a deal even occurs to them, or perhaps they always think they are cheating us? Regardless it worked, but no one ever mentioned how hard they are to talk to.

We didn't use language, I don't even know if it could hear like we can, words in common certainly got no result, it broadcast images and impression directly into my mind, and I quickly learned to reciprocate, just to stop the bombardment of alien thoughts for a few seconds at least. I got the impression that it was just as uncomfortable with my own ordered and logical ideas, existing in our world hurts apparently when you are a being made of pure, whatever the hell it is made of.

I needed power, and the knowledge to use that power, and the time to gather them both. I had no idea what it wanted, the teachings went on about demons demanding souls or live sacrifice usually, the more recent books I've looked over mentioned more esoteric items, I had a selection in the stuff I purchased in Port Jasper, and if worst came to worst, I also had the thief who's hand I had cut off. He had been kept tied up since we left town, his wounds had healed but I think he suffered some head trauma, he spoke rarely, and didn't show any interest in his surroundings. I felt almost lucky. If I had to sacrifice someone at least it wouldn't be anyone who would be missed or who had a full life ahead of them.

Turns out a life was what it wanted, but not in the way I thought.