The Devil's Pact - A Short Story

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Alaric wiped sweat off his forehead, he turned around and grabbed a small bottle filled with a black muddy liquid. He then scanned the pages of the book and start to pour the bottle onto the floor, he looked back and forth to make sure the shape of the sigil made by the liquid was the same as the one in the book. After finishing the sigil, Alaric put the empty bottle on the floor, he raised his hands and closed his eyes, and began to chant an incantation "invoco te, invoco te, invoco te..."

"Invoco te, Dominus Umbrarum"

As if on cue, the sigil of the black liquid began to glow an eerie purple, the liquid began to move and aggressively burbles and ripples. Alaric opens his eyes and gasps as the sigil glows even more brighter, he steps back as numerous symbols began to manifest above the sigil, fading in and out of reality as they danced floating in the glow of the sigil. The mossy stone brick floor around the sigil begins to crack, producing a faint glow adjacent to the sigil, before Alaric could react, a large black mass erupted from the sigil, knocking back Alaric. When Alaric looked at the sigil again, it wasn't glowing anymore. The floating symbols were gone and the cracks on the floor were no longer glowing, all that is left is a dark figure standing on the sigil.

Alaric looked at the figure and noticed it was made of a dark muddy liquid similar to the one he used to draw the sigil. The figure contorted, making a sound similar to bubbling water as it reshaped itself into a humanoid, the figure grew pointy ears on it’s head and sharp claws on it’s hands, it’s head then split open and formed a mouth with a violet glow. The figure morphed, taking a more humanoid shape albeit it’s lower body is grounded to the floor, it then changed colors and morphed it’s own texture, standing in front of Alaric was now a charcoal grey humanoid with violet eyes and wispy hair-like appendages on it’s head, it wore a tidy purple suit and tie, where it’s legs should be is replaced with a ghostly tail-like shadow. The entity looked at Alaric with it’s illuminating eyes and grinned at him, showing it’s sharp silver teeth. It then spoke to him.

"Hello"

Alaric stood up but hesitated to move any further, "Umm… hi?" Alaric responded, he slowly moved back and tried to make sure it did not notice his fear. "Now why are you trying to flee?", the entity asked as it raised it’s eyebrows, "Was it not you who summoned me?". Alaric froze and looked at the entity, it’s gleaming eyes staring intensely at Alaric’s soul. "U-uh yeah, I did" Alaric chuckled nervously, as soon as he spoke, the entity floated closer with it’s tail shadow, "Well why did you summon me exactly? Craving a bit of power, hmm? Or some other **desire**…" The entity chuckled, however it then looked at Alaric and it saw that Alaric did not want such things. He wanted… something different.

"W-what is your name? If you don’t mind me asking", Alaric asked the entity whilst trying not to sound fearful to it, "I’ve been called many names but you may call me… Horus." Horus then extended his hand to Alaric, in which he then shook his hand. "O-okay, Horus, my name is Alaric and the reason why I summ-" "You want to exact revenge on the ones who took her life", Horus stated, in a rather sympathetic voice. "Wait wha- How did you-", Alaric stammered, how did this Horus know? "That pain… Waking up everyday, the past constantly haunting you, you can remember that fire and the chaos they brought, she didn’t have to die", Horus continued speaking.

"Stop".

Alaric could remember that day, how could he not? He went to go to the docks, he told her to stay put inside the house, said he’ll be back in half a hour, but as Alaric walked up the hill towards the village, he heard screams and a large boom. As soon as he arrived, he saw a group of barbaric raiders burning down the village and destroying the houses, their armored steeds trampling over the rubble, the sound of explosions and arrows piercing the air. He tried so hard to fight back, but he was overpowered and thrown into the fire, as soon as the raiders left, Alaric weakly crawled across the ruined village, scorched and on the edge of death but death couldn’t stop him, it will never.

After arriving at his destroyed home, he saw her, his daughter. Lying lifeless on the ashy wood with dried blood on the floor, Alaric wished death took him instead when he saw a bloodied slash mark on his own daughter’s chest.

Returning to the present, Alaric tried to summon various mystical beings and spirits to get revenge on those barbarians who took her daughter’s life, but all of them denied Alaric’s summoning, all except Horus.

"You are unique, Alaric. The few who have called for my blessings were driven by greed, power, control, ambitions, and other desires. But you… You are a father who lost his own daughter from a horrific tragedy, and you would do anything to bring the ones who took her life to justice, I respect that." Horus then levitated closer to Alaric, "M-maybe this was a mistake" Alaric said and turning his back but gets cut off by Horus "I have a proposition for you".

"What is it?" Alaric looked up at Horus, the latter simply smiled. "I can give you what you’ve always wanted", Horus stated, "the power to eradicate those murderers… and the power to bring your daughter back". Alaric’s eyes widened at that, he thought that was bluff, "Those are lies, aren’t they? I don’t have time for lies". "Oh, no! Of course not, why would I lie?" Horus chuckled slightly as he encircled Alaric, "I can teach you how to bring your daughter’s soul back from the grave, I can bestow you magic beyond the comprehension of humans, all you have to do… is shake my hand." He then extends his hand, waiting for Alaric to shake it. Alaric shook his head and said, "What if you’re just trying to take advantage of me?"

Horus shrugged and smiled, "You just have to trust me…". Alaric sighed and gave in, "Fine… But can you please summarize the deal?" "Gladly, once the deal is sealed, I shall grant you untold magic for you to take justice into your own hands, then I will teach you on how to revive your daughter."

"Okay… Do I have to sell my soul to you or something?" Alaric asked, "Oh no no! No no, all I ask from you is, for when a time comes where I require your assistance, you shall arrive to my aid, **eagerly**." Horus couldn’t help but chuckle, after that he faces Alaric and extends his hand once again, "So, do we have a deal?"

"When do we start?"