by Delmire Hart
After his excitement settled, Barkley realised he could not tell where the portal was situated amongst the black rocky hills behind him. He had walked forward without marking the distance for ensuring he knew the way back because he had nothing to lose. He was trusting that if he managed to contract a demon, they would know the way back or could find the portal for him. Would the academy mages take such a risk? Or would they hang back closer to the portal and prey upon only those who ventured near? The answer was obvious.
So how much of the lost magic that Maxwell mentioned was because mages had been playing it safe for the past few generations? He couldn’t fault anyone for not taking risks when that was what they were encouraged to do; that was what they were being taught. But it gave him hope that if he kept looking, he might find the demon he was looking for.
The beast demons loped across the plains, their long strides eating up the distance, and soon Barkley lost sight of them. But as he ventured further and further into the depths of the demon realm, he saw more and more. There were large lizards that stood upright and walked like humans, with scaly arms and long reptilian tails. They watched him cautiously from afar but none approached. A pack of great black wolves weaved through the trees on the edge of the dense forest, their howls echoing through the air as they called to each other. Barkley couldn’t be sure, but with how big they seemed even from this distance, the smallest demon wolf must be bigger than a full-grown horse.
A great giant made of rock thundered past him, walking the planes alone. The other demons gave the walking mountain a wide berth and Barkley wisely followed their lead. The creature’s heavy footsteps shook the earth beneath him and it was all the young man could do to keep his footing. Once the giant had passed into the distance, Barkley made to set off again but was stopped by a faint roar. Scanning his surroundings, he stopped dead at the sight of a large beast circling the mountaintops. It flew on great wings with a large body and serpentine neck and tail. It was too far to make out any more detail other than the dark colouring, but he was certain it had to be one of the dragons he had heard stories of. It matched the description he had read in books and heard tell in the bedtime stories as a child.
Even his two companion imps watched the dragon in respectful silence. Perhaps that was the kind of demon Barkley needed to approach, but how on earth would he ever get up the mountain? He pushed the thought away and instead began to walk again. That was a problem for him once he got to the foot of the mountain. The rolling planes gave way to a sparse forest, something he had not seen from his vantage point earlier, but the soft greens of the plants were reassuringly normal after the strange red sand. As long as he didn’t look too closely at the weird, twisting plant life around him, though.
A huge black bird leapt from the tree right in front of him and Barkley held back a curse as he fell backwards, losing his footing in his surprise. It screeched as it flew away and the imps cackled at his misfortune.
“Oh my, you are far from home, human.”
Barkley twisted around to peer through the thin trees, trying to locate the musical female voice only to be surprised as its owner materialised in front of him. She was mostly human in form but for large leathery wings and the scaly tail whipping around behind her. Purple scales covered her arms, hands, and shoulders. As she sauntered around him, circling him as though he were prey, he could see that the scales covered her back and part of her legs, although her plump breasts were startlingly human. Long black hair hung impossibly perfectly, framing a human face. She was beautiful, especially the bright purple eyes that seemed to glow, highlighting the cat-like black slits in the center.
“You are a cute one.” Her tail flicked back and forward quickly as she spoke before coming to a stop in front of him. “Are you looking for a contract, my little morsel? I could give you the world if you but asked.”
“I want to save my family,” he started, then stopped as she leant down into his space then dropped to the ground.
The demon crawled forward on hands and knees, breasts swaying with the movement, and Barkley scrambled back, feeling uncomfortable. The glowing purple eyes seemed to brighten and he struggled to look away.
“Family? Oh, I can give you family.”
The scantily clad demon leaned further into his space and Barkley struggled to get further away. She grinned down at him, the light catching on her perfectly white teeth, highlighting their jaggedness. Whatever she was, Barkley was certain this was not the type of demon he was looking for.
“I don’t think he’s interested,” a deep voice called, and Barkley looked beyond the demon on top of him to see another one approaching. “But I might be more to his taste.”
This demon was clearly male, judging by the flat planes of his chest and the appendage hanging proudly on display between his legs. The scales across his hands, arms, and feet were a deep green in colour while his wings were tinted blue. Small horns curled out from the black strands of his hair and as he leaned down to push the female out of the way, Barkley could see his eyes were a beautiful deep emerald in colour.
“Oh yes, he’s far more interested in me,” the male demon purred, his voice silky smooth. “You can see it in his eyes.”
The purple demon opened her mouth to retort, a snarl spreading across her features, before both demons turned to look behind them. They vanished into thin air and Barkley was left sprawled on the ground, propped up on his elbows. Looking around, he couldn’t see the two demons from before, and even the two imps that had followed him so far were not in sight. The forest itself seemed unsettlingly still and silent.
It was only then that Barkley noticed a new demon had joined him.
Chapter Four
This demon also appeared male, but he appeared far more human than any of the others he had seen so far. He stood over six feet tall, his frame well proportioned, and he was adorned in dark, fitted clothing that would not look out of place on a high born noble. Black hair framed a handsome face, a sly smile lurking about his features, and his skin was a sun-kissed olive. The only things that gave away his demon nature were the whipcord tail swishing behind him and the four horns on his head. Two of the horns sat low on either side of his forehead, just above his eyebrows. They were small, less than a hand span long, and curved up to a point. The horns sitting behind those rose out from his dark hair to curl forwards around his ears, much like rams' horns.
“You are far from home, little human.”
The demon’s voice was deep and rich, similar to the naked demon from earlier, but less sultry and with a hint of amusement. It held an air of authority that made Barkley wonder if he was the reason all the other demons had fled. Maybe this was his chance.
Barkley clambered to his feet to square up with the demon to show he was serious. It was then he realised the demon was closer to seven foot, not six. Barkley was not short by any means yet the demon towered over him. Still, he was not about to lose his chance now. Not after he had spent so many hours wandering through this strange realm.
“I’m looking to forge a contract,” he replied with more confidence than he felt. It was hard not to feel small under the weighing gaze of the demon as he stepped closer. “I want to save my family and let them live out their lives in peace by ending the war between the Quathian Empire and Rilia.”
“I see.” The demon stood right in front of him now, forcing him to crane his neck to keep eye contact. “And what do you have to offer in exchange?”
“Myself?” His voice faltered on the word, his insecurity forcing its way through.
Standing there before the towering figure made him wonder if that could ever be enough, but he truly had nothing to give other than his own life. Surely there was something the demon could do with his life that made a contract worth it? There was magic based on life force, wasn’t there? Or were those just tales to scare young children into behaving?
“I can give you the power to save your family, but in return, I want your soul.”
“My
soul?” he questioned, unsure if he understood what was being asked of him.
“Once the contract is complete, you will return here to remain under my control for an eternity. You will not die and your soul will not be given to Destiny to be reborn in the human realm. Those are my terms.”
The demon waited, his eyes drinking in every move Barkley made. He was close, only a step away, and the presence the demon exuded was overwhelming. He was far different from the imps that the academy mages forged contracts with, but that gave Barkley hope that the demon really could help like he said. But to give up his life, his soul, for an eternity? Trying to even comprehend such a time was impossible. Yet… if they stopped the war with the Quathian Empire, it would not only be his family they saved. Countless more Rilian families would live to see peace once again. What was one life compared to all those?
Taking a deep breath, Barkley closed his eyes for a moment to fortify himself. Upon opening them, he nodded.
“Done.”
The demon wasted no time. He stretched his arms wide and began to chant, his deep voice echoing around the forest. Under their feet, multi-coloured runes seemed to draw themselves. Bright greens, reds, purples, blues. Barkley could make no more sense of them than he could the strange words the demon uttered. The runes at their feet enlarged, spreading out in a circle around them both, and an abnormal wind whipped at Barkley’s short hair.
Still speaking in the demonic language, the demon reached out to press the tip of one slender finger against Barkley’s throat. He gasped, his breath catching in his throat as magic thrummed through him and seemed to settle in his very core. With one final booming word the incantation seemed complete as the wind died and the runes faded from view. The tall demon dropped his hand then stepped back to bow with a wide grin, one hand pressed to his chest while the other arm stretched out gracefully.
“Zaxor Vez’gollock at your service.”
“B-Barkley,” he replied, voice shaking as he tried to calm himself after the awesome display of magic. The demon raised a brow at him, and he rushed to explain. “Just Barkley. We’re farmers, we don’t have any fancy names or anything.”
“I see. Well Barkley, you have my power at your disposal. How do you plan to start this quest to end the war and save your family?”
Zaxor moved to sit cross-legged on a small rock at the edge of their clearing. He watched with amusement as Barkley floundered for an answer, his long tail lashing about behind him. It was long and thin, tipped with what almost looked like a pointed shovel head, and the movement seemed to convey the same amusement as the smile on his face.
“I didn’t really think that far,” Barkley confessed. He had been so hell bent on forging a contract with a demon and the difficulties of that that he had put no thought into what to do after. “Oh! Now I have a contract, I can go back to the academy. I guess I can start there.”
“Going to become one of the human pet mages? How boring,” Zaxor sighed as he stood, his good humour changing to disdain.
“I will not be anyone’s pet,” Barkley snapped back, earning himself a thoughtful look. “But if that gets me a ticket to join the army as more than just front line fodder, then I have to do what I have to do.”
“Very well. However, I am also not some pet to come when you call. I will not perform paltry tricks to please the old fools that call themselves mages nowadays. My contract is to help you save your family by ending the war, not to throw pretty lights around for the amusement of others.”
The irritation in Zaxor’s tone and posture was clear. He obviously did not think well of the mages of the academy, and Barkley wondered if that held true for all the academies scattered across the continent. The demon hadn’t asked Barkley where he was from, so it must hold true for all the human mages now.
“What makes you think you’ll be asked to do that?”
“Imps are loud creatures and their complaining quickly grows tedious.”
Zaxor sniffed disdainfully, and Barkley found himself mesmerised by the movement of his tail. It seemed to show his mood even more clearly than his expression and tone of voice. A familiar reddish imp popped into existence beside Zaxor, and while Barkley couldn’t be certain, it looked like Maxwell’s demon.
“So, you’re from Loria,” Zaxor said after glancing at the imp, confirming Barkley’s suspicions. “Then let us return.”
An idle wave of Zaxor’s hand was all the warning Barkley had before they were transported back into the dim cave outside the Lorian portal. The young man struggled to see, his eyes no longer used to such low light. He could make out that the orange runes turned white at another wave of the demon’s hand though. With that done, Zaxor vanished, leaving Barkley standing in the huge cave alone.
Not sure what to do, other than return to the human realm, Barkley strode through the purply green portal. Once again he was struck by the odd feeling of nothingness; no motion, no sound. Then he was stepping into the markedly more well-lit basement of the academy. Looking around, Barkley found himself still alone and honestly, he had no idea what to do.
Did he agree to become a mage and spend precious time playing by the academy rules just to get a pass into the army? Or did he strike out on his own and use Zaxor’s power as best as he could with no training? The demon didn’t seem to hold the academy mages in very high regard, so he wasn’t sure what he could hope to learn from them. Still, it had to be better than right now where he knew nothing. He didn’t even know how the hell he was supposed to summon the handsome demon back to his side!
Footsteps pounding on stone brought him back from his thoughts and Barkley was startled when Maxwell came hurtling through the door. The older man stopped, one hand braced against his knee, the other against the door as he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. He wheezed, then groaned, and Barkley approached, concerned that the mage was about to faint on him. He waved the young man away as he straightened, his imp blinking into existence beside him.
“Quizak told me you had forged a contract, so I came right away,” he said by way of explanation once he could speak. “I didn’t even know he was watching you until he came to tell me the news. I can see it’s true, although that’s an interesting mark you have.”
Maxwell’s eyes darted down to Barkley's neck, so he raised his hands to feel along the skin there. Smooth skin met his fingers; it felt the same as it always had.
“Usually contract marks are put on one’s hand or arms,” Maxwell explained as he raised his hand to show the back of his left hand. It had the strange, twisting red tattoo Barkley had noticed earlier on their way through the castle. “I’ve even seen one on someone’s face, but I’ve never seen one on the neck, nor one making such an obvious statement. Well, that’s not my business. It’s been three days so I had given up hope, but since you’re here, alive and well and with a demon contract to boot, I’ll take you to the headmaster.”
“Three days?!” Barkley gasped, casting his mind back to his walk through the demon realm.
Sure, it had felt like a long time, but he hadn’t felt hungry or tired at any point. He had expected to be gone for hours, not days.
“Time moves differently there. Sometimes faster than here, sometimes slower. But never mind that, let’s get you situated upstairs in the academy proper. You can ask all the questions to your heart's content then, and I’d quite like to see who you managed to contract. Quizak hasn’t been forthcoming about just what type of demon took an interest in a human with no inherent magic.”
Barkley stared at the imp hovering beside its human, its beady eyes watching him curiously. It didn’t have the same mood about it as it had earlier; no cackling laughter or mischievous grins in sight. If anything, it seemed strangely sombre.
Shaking his head to clear it, Barkley put the thought from his mind. What did he know of demons? Maxwell’s imp was no concern of his. What was his concern was the sudden overwhelming feeling of hunger and exhaustion. He swayed on the spot, Maxwell’s supporting hand the onl
y thing keeping him upright.
“All right, let’s get you upstairs.”
Chapter Five
Upon waking, it took Barkley a long time to remember where he was and why. When the memory of events did finally rush back to him, he sat bolt upright in bed looking around wildly. The room he was in was dark, only the faintest rays of light seeping in through the cracks in the curtains. Barkley pulled himself out of bed and got unsteadily to his feet. He felt weak and oddly unbalanced. Almost as though he had been sick for a long time and wasn’t used to being up yet.
He threw open the curtains to be struck with the sight of the setting sun. How long had he slept? It had been noon when he exited the portal, but he couldn’t be certain it was the same day. He had spent three days in the demon realm after all; it didn’t feel that unusual to sleep through an entire day after that. Glancing around his new room, he finally had the chance to catalogue it.
It was small and modestly furnished, but far more than anything he was used to. A small bed sat pushed up against one wall with a wooden desk, chair, and a bookcase against the other. A chest for his things could be found at the end of the bed and a large candlestick sat on the desk, although he couldn’t see anything to light it. All Barkley remembered from his conversation with Maxwell was that this was his room now and he was joining classes to become a certified mage.
He didn’t know what that meant, where he was supposed to go or when, but that hardly mattered now.
Barkley had a contracted demon! He was one step closer to saving what was left of his family.
His sudden excitement waned as quickly as it had arrived. Zaxor hadn’t told him how to call him. In fact, he hadn’t seen the demon since he had dropped Barkley off at the portal to return to the human realm. Maxwell had waved his hand to summon his demon, so did Barkley do the same? He waved his hand experimentally and waited for a time, but nothing happened. Repeating the process with the other hand yielded the same results.
