The discussion on what terms to agree to lasted for half an hour. Most of that was arguing between the generals, who cared more about suppressing the monster threat and would worry about the cost later. And the bureaucrats, who wanted to ensure that humanity gained the most from the situation while giving up the least possible. Damian just kept quiet and wrote down the few things both sides agreed on.
He doubted the Norse pantheon would ask for much, after all they were getting what they loved most, a good fight and booze. After all it would be cheaper to just ask for the Einherjar to join the fight instead of the actual gods that the officials seemed to believe he was going to recruit. Once the discussion wound down General Krueger seemed to remember something and spoke up.
“I almost forgot we have two experts in Nordic mythology and traditions professors being flown out to meet with you to help you make the offerings as authentic and genuine as possible. They should reach the New York base tonight and then make their way over land to you which should take them two more days. We would also appreciate it if you could record the ritual process so we can have others replicate it should the need arise.”
“Of course, General. If that’s all?” at her nod Damian continued, “Then I will take my leave, and start making preparations so we can begin quickly when the two professors arrive.”
With a nod from the General the call was ended. Damian rose to leave alongside Big Lu. They nodded to Colonel Johnson as they left. They made their way through the halls trying their best to stay out of the way of the harried workers. Once they exited the building, Damian smiled at Big Lu.
“A bunch of freaky fishmen huh?”
Big Lu shuddered at the memory as he nodded his head, “Yeah the smell was so bad and….” Damian chuckled as Big Lu ranted for the entirety of their twenty-minute walk home, “…… the worst part was they were covered in some kind of slime that would not come off no matter how hard I scraped them!”
“It’s fine, man, the big bad fishies can’t get you here.” Damian laughed.
“It’s not funny Damian, even after the system removed everything at the end of the trial I don’t think I’ll feel clean for weeks! But we can discuss that later, we’re at the house now what’s bothering you? And before you ask you were making that face again.”
“I do not make a face!” Damian instinctively snapped back as he unlocked the door to the house, he and Big Lu were squatting in.
It used to be a rental cabin for tourists before the integration, but was repurposed by the military into civilian housing when the first wave of refugees hit. He and Big Lu were in town to do a bar crawl before Lu had to go back home to China to see his family, they rented the cabin out to drop their stuff in. When the first monster waves started to form and everyone was moved into the hastily made refugee camps, they didn’t see the point to moving out and have lived there since.
“You got the group invite, right?” Damian asked after the door shut.
“Yeah. Why haven’t we heard about this before? It sounds very important.” Big Lu’s face creased in concern.
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about. They said there was an info packet so hopefully it contains the answers we want.” Damian replied with a frown, “Can you check it out and let me know what you think is important? I need to prepare for the Norse ritual and preform another one to settle a debt.”
Big Lu gave him a deadpan stare, “Uh huh, pull the other one. What’s your real reason?”
Damian spluttered “What?! I’m serious it…. but……. okay fine! I also bought the rune skill tree and wanted to play around with it. There are you happy.”
Big Lu just laughed and waved Damian off as he started to access the group chat. Damian muttered under his breath as he got up and started to clear space in the living room for the ritual to summon Maladus. Once the chair and couch were moved, he went to check the parchment for what to do next before he froze in horror. He frantically started patting down his pockets and cursing.
“Shit, shit, fuck, shit! Where the hell is it!” Damian panicked as he realized he hadn’t seen either of the ritual parchments, or his knife, after leaving the trial. His sudden shouting startled Lu, who sprinted out of the kitchen.
“What?! What’s going on?! Are we under attack?! Did a monster make it through the barricades?!” Big Lu shouted his head swiveling around wildly looking for whatever threat had Damian freaking out.
“The ritual parchments!” Damian shouted, “I can’t find them! I don’t think they came out of the trial with me!”
Big Lu stared at him for a second before tsking at him. “Just that? It’s in your inventory man just open it up and grab them.”
“What?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Big Lu just palmed his face and sighed in exasperation. “Your inventory. You didn’t ask what was going to happen to your items after the trial did you?”
“…. No, I had more pressing things to think about at the time. Don’t act like I should have assumed there was an inventory, this isn’t a game system! Why would I think there would be an inventory?” Damian defended himself.
“Don’t be mad ‘cause I’m right as well as handsome.” Big Lu ran a hand through his hair and struck a pose.
“Ass.” Damian chuckled. Now how to open the inventory? A window opened in front of him.
There were seven icons inside the window, his knife, two pieces of parchment, the werewolf claws and teeth, and two satchels. He focused on the pieces of parchment and made a grabbing motion. The ritual parchments appeared in his hand, and he began to read through them after dismissing the inventory window.
The ritual to summon Maladus was rather simple it just needed a circle made of chalk or salt, ringed by symbols that, according to his Occult skill tree, worked as specifiers so that he didn’t just reach out to any demon named Maladus, but the specific one he wanted. After the symbols were drawn, he would need to make another circle to encapsulate it, and candles for the cardinal directions. Finally, he would have a short chant to get Maladus’ attention, and the demon would do the rest.
Damian nodded to himself, opened up his inventory again and pulled out the ritual kit he gained when he purchased the second tier of his Occult skill tree. He pulled out a stick of chalk, a packet of salt and four green candles. It took him ten minutes to draw the ritual circle to his satisfaction. He used salt for the second circle as salt has many symbolic meanings that would be appropriate for summoning a merchant. Plus, its purifying properties were a safeguard just in case. While Maladus left him with a good impression, there was no such thing as being too careful when dealing with beings that make bargains. Damian placed the candles in each cardinal direction and then lit them. He was ready to begin.
“I call the Merchant of the Crossroads, Demon of the Nine Hells Trading Company and beloved of Hecate, Mistress of the Crossroads. Thrice have I named you, demon, and call you forth, answer the call and let’s do business.” Damian intoned.
The interior of the circle lit up a bright red. A wind blew across the room, causing the candles to flicker. Once the light died down and Damian could look at the circle without blinding his eyes he saw Maladus standing there with a wide grin on his face.
“My friend! It is good to see you again so soon. I presume you are here to make good on our deal?”
“Yes, one second and I’ll get your payment,if you’re agreeable I’d like to make another small deal.” Damian answered.
“Excellent! I’m always happy to make a few more sales.” Maladus chuckled happily.
Damian went to his bedroom and grabbed his grandfather’s old DVD player, and favorite movie trilogy. The live action teenage mutant ninja turtle movies from the 90’s. His grandfather grew up watching those movies, and when he believed Damian was old enough, eight years old, to actually, in his words, “appreciate the trilogy in its full cheesy 90’s glory!” Where his grandfather found a working DVD player and a copy of the movie trilogy in 2085 remained a mystery until he passed away a few years later. Smiling at the memory, Damian walked back to the living room, where he found Big Lu peaking nervously around the corner of the kitchen to stare at Maladus. Much to the demon’s amusement.
“What are you doing?” Damian asked startling the big man into leaping up in fright. Given his new physical prowess, which caused him to smack his skull against the ceiling, and crack it? Which wouldn’t be weird, if he hadn’t seen Big Lu jump before, the big man had zero vertical lift. Damian couldn’t hold back his laugh, and neither could Maladus as the demon pulled out a ledger and marked something off.
Big Lu rubbed his head, pouted, and whispered, “There is a demon in the living room!”
“Yes?” Damian tilted his head in confusion.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to summon a demon in our living room!” Big Lu whisper shouted, his voice going up several octaves.
Damian gave a halfhearted shrug, trying to hide his smirk, “You never asked.”
Big Lu spluttered before huffing and going back to the kitchen. Damian caught him leaning back out to stare at the demon as he entered the living room, and shook his head. He passed the DVD player and movies to Maladus taking care not to break the circle.
“Thank you, my friend! This will do nicely.” Maladus exclaimed as he deposited the items into his pack. “Now you mentioned another deal?”
“Yes. How much to purchase books on runes you would actually trust to be useful?” Damian asked.
“Hmm. I do have a few in my personal collection I could lend you, but knowledge never comes cheap I’m afraid. Let’s see.” Maladus began to flip through his ledger while muttering under his breath. After a few minutes he snapped it shut. “Each book will run you one hundred essence and that is because I like you friend. Understand that normally each book would cost two hundred and fifty and even that price is considered cheap because they are beginner books. The cost will only rise exponentially as you progress.”
Damian’s shoulder slumped, “I only have twenty-five essence left. Can I make up the difference with anything else?”
“Only other books that contain useful knowledge of equal value I’m afraid.” Maladus shook his head.
“Damn. Guess I’ll have to try agai-“
“I can spot you the remaining seventy-five, Damian.” Big Lu cut in. Damian gave his friend a grateful grin as Maladus clapped his hands together.
“Wonderful, my friends! I just need your verbal consent, and I can initiate the trade.”
Once both men gave their consent, Maladus reached into his pack and rummaged around for a few seconds before pulling out a large, dusty old tome. He passed it to Damian and, as he reached out to take it, felt a cold sensation creep down his spine. From the look on his face Big Lu felt it too.
“Now if there is nothing else?” Maladus asked
“Just one thing, about one of your titles?” Damian began only for Maladus to interrupt.
“Hecate is my many times great-grandmother, and she was always fond of my mother. As you can imagine that closeness carried over to the child that would always cling to the hem of her skirt. Regaling her with endless tales of his imaginary adventures as the greatest merchant to ever live.”
Maladus had a warm smile of reminiscence on his face as he stared off into the distance lost in old memories. After a moment he shook himself and said, “Become one of my favorite customers and you might just get to meet her my friends. Farewell!”
In another flash of light, the circle was empty, the only proof that the demon was ever there was the book still in Damian's hand.
