“Who are you?” Mike repeated.
“Azerus,” the new fellow repeated, looking around at his surroundings with interest. “Why, who were you expecting?”
“I... it... it wasn't actually...” Mike faltered. This wasn't part of the plan.
“Oh!” Azerus, as he'd styled himself raised his eyebrows. “You were expecting someone... hotter? Yes? More curves? Blonde?”
“Well...” Mike looked down.
“Did you use goat's blood?” Azerus asked.
“Well...” repeated Mike.
“Ahh.” His new friend smiled. “A rookie mistake. Don't worry, it happens all the time. I would hardly be summoned at all otherwise. I mean, blood's blood right?”
“So, who... what are you?” Mike ventured.
“Me?” The being smiled and raised an eyebrow, in an innocent looking expression. “Oh, you know, just your average demon. Nothing to be concerned about, generally speaking.” He spread both hands out, palms up.
“Oh...”
“Unless you've summoned me for no purpose of course.” He cocked his head. “You do have a reason for summoning me, don't you?” he asked.
“Oh... of course,” Mike said.
“And you're willing to pay the price?”
In for a penny... Mike thought. “Who, where is she?” he asked. “How can I make her mine?”
Azerus smiled again. A calm, relaxed smile, like a fisherman who, after a hard battle, finally realises that the fish is hooked, and it's just a matter of reeling it in.
“She,” he said, stepping slowly and deliberately out of the pentagram, “is one of a kind. She's not quite a succubus, not quite a demon, not quite a... well, she's just her.”
“And?”
“I don't really have a good answer for you, to be honest,” Azerus said, shrugging.
“This is not what I wanted!” Mike lost his temper. He stamped his foot. “My life has been destroyed! I've done... things! Tell me what I want to know, or it will go badly for you!”
Azerus smiled at him, an infuriatingly white, toothpaste advertisement smile. “Well, maybe you have some spirit after all,” he said.
Mike pulled out a piece of carefully shaped wood. It had runes etched into both sides and it had, by far, been the hardest thing to make in the whole list he'd been given.
Striding forward, he pushed it against a surprised Azerus's face. The summoned being screamed and writhed in agony as Mike stepped forward.
“You will do what I command,” he snarled, pulling aggression he didn't know he had to the fore.
“Y... Yes master!” Azerus wailed, falling to his knees. “You are in charge! I swear!”
Mike held the wood where it was a moment longer, before taking a deep breath and stepping back. “Very well,” he said. “Remember that.”
“Yes master,” Azerus repeated, gasping and standing back up.
“Good.” Mike looked around. “So, slave. Where do we begin?”
The demon looked about, as if seeing his surroundings for the first time. “Well,” he said eventually. “Do you wish to take her in her current form or summon her afresh?” he asked.
“I...” Mike hesitated. “What's the difference?”
“Well, if you want to get her current body, then all you need to do is rescue her,” Azerus took a seat on a wooden pew, which began to smoke. “But if you wish to summon her, there are certain... rituals that will need to be performed.” He smiled again, and Mike scowled.
“You're a demon,” he said, “If I order you to break in and rescue her, can't you do that?”
“Oh, I have power of course, “Azerus said, waving a hand in royal fashion. “But it's never that easy is it? There are Rules you know. You do know where she is don't you?”
“Er, yes.” Mike made a face as he considered the medieval dungeon he'd visited in the so called school.
“I can't just teleport there you know,” the demon said. “We'd have to fight our way in. There would be...” he licked his lips. “Casualties. I believe there would be young girls involved.” To Mike's horror, the demon suddenly appeared to be sporting a large erection.
“I... I...” he said, in manly fashion. “Wait, we could summon her!”
“Of course. I assume you have access to a virgin?”
“A...” Mike slumped back. “This isn't going to be easy is it?”
Azerus gave him a wide grin. “Nothing is,” he said.
The pew he was sitting on burst into flames.
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