The Voice and the Word

Sepith and the Exam

Annabel sighed in frustration, she had been summoning demons all day and they hadn't really helped her at all. Now she was older, with the knowledge she had gained from her studies she could easily summon and bind a demon, trapping it within the circle opposite but they refused to cooperate. Most attacked their bonds until they were left exhausted, or in one case, dead. They knew the spells were unbreakable but didn't seem to care, refusing to talk to her. Grumpily she drew a line through another name before catching the name Sepith. Annabel sighed and began the summoning incantation again, unlike Baybay's summoning there was no smoke, instead a soft violet light shone out from the circle as the demon settled on a form to take in this world. Annabel ignored it and focussed on her summoning and binding spell, only when she was done did she allow her attention to wonder. The demon opposite was tall, he resembled a man in shape but with no eyes or mouth, the rest of his naked body as featureless as his face. His grey skin was scaled and dull, fingers and toes ending in talons and twisting horns stretching back in the place of hair, his eyes were plain white orbs as she sat cross legged, reptilian tail swishing back and forth within the circle. Slowly, almost curiously he raised a finger and tapped the shields around his circle before turning to look at Annabel.

"Hello." It said in the magical of language of Myiffe-Klaran, swallowing with a dry mouth Annabel replied in the same.

"Sepith?" She asked cautiously, another lazy swish from the tail.

"Thats correct." He said, Annabel hesitated, unlike other demons he wasn't flailing around attempting to break his bonds, in fact he seemed quite content to simply sit there and talk to her.

"You're a demon?" Annabel asked him and he nodded.

"Correct sorceress but I must admit it's been a long time since one of your kind saw fit to call me into service." He replied, barely moving, looking unnatural as much through his stillness as his appearance.

"Service? What do you mean? Demons are summoned as a test of power and nothing more, they rebel against humans and refuse to cooperate." Annabel said cautiously, she saw Sepith hesitate as he regarded her.

"Most do yes, but there are some of us who work in conduct with your kind. You do not know this?" He asked, seemingly unsure of himself. Both demon and human stared at each, confusion the only thing they shared.

"Demons working with humans?" Annabel asked at last, Sepith crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side.

"Yes. We create a binding contract, you are able to summon us to any location using a spell that compels us to assist you and render us unable to harm you. You can dismiss us at will or we return ourselves when we feel our duties have been served. In turn we get to spend longer in this world of light and life, making us stronger in our own. Is none of this familiar?" The demon seemed slightly annoyed at Annabel's ignorance. They stared at each other for some time again, Annabel thinking fast.

"Um, I'm not sure how to tell you this Sepith, I only know of two schools of magic, my own and Janeba. Janeba doesn't use demons in any shape or form and we here at Tayend know nothing of working with demons. If we ever did it's a lost art." The demon slumped and to Annabel's surprise looked sad and lost.

"I feared it, during the longest nights I considered I might never get summoned. But I never truly believed. I just figured nobody summoned me. So many of us have died to others, where they might have lived had they been summoned a few times in the last centuries." This sad confession was so out of character for a demon that Annabel felt her mouth fall open in shock. Was she seriously looking at a demon who was concerned for other demons? Everything she knew about demons told her they were extremely dangerous creatures that hated humans and were often mad with rage. Now she was looking at something from a horror story talk about how sad it was it couldn't help its friends.