Bargain of Flames

[Unknown POV]

'What happened?' I was slowly waking up from my sleep, and despite opening my eyes, I could only see darkness around me.

It was a chilling sight. 'I can feel that it's daytime, so where am I?'

I tried to stand up, to move, but I was pulled back by my restraints, both on my arms and legs.

'I'm trapped?' Slowly, I started to snap out of my confusion and remember what had happened before. 'I'd just stopped that fire started by that dem—'

Wait. I was filled with dread at what I remembered.

"NO, NO!"

"[Earth Bind]!"

'Yes!'

Somehow, my magic worked despite being unable to sense the forest. However, it was unable to free me from my shackles, as I could still only sit up and not stand.

"It's not rope?!"

Suddenly, my vision cleared, and I could see some light in the distance. After narrowing my eyes to the light source, I was horrified at what I saw.

[Kuzan POV]

'Hmmm... it seems to be working, for now at least.'

I had taken every precaution possible to securely trap this 'alien' lifeform. A beautiful elf girl in tune with nature might sound like a fantasy find to some, but this was real life, where there was no room for error.

'A single mistake can cost me my life.' Even attacking this creature so early on was an insurmountable risk.

'Still, I couldn't help myself when she showed me she knew magic.'

"[Earth Bind]!"

'Interesting...'

It seemed that her spell had somehow successfully been cast despite all my preparations.

Not only had I chained her to the floor using the boar hide I had previously collected, but I had also securely placed her in the middle of a completely stone hut that I had built with slabs on short notice.

From what I could assume from fiction, Dryads were often portrayed as guardians or protectors of their forest. Hopefully, by cutting off her connection to the Earth, I would be able to better hold her in place.

The only useful information I was certain of was her distaste toward fire. Thus, I had burned the nearby surroundings to a crisp and filled the entire hut to the brim with ashes and charcoal in an attempt to negate her powers.

Seeing the girl continue to struggle and worry on the floor, unable to escape, it looked like it was time for me to get this show on the road.

I grabbed a stick ignited with fire and used it to light the trails of boar oil I had extracted and placed onto the floor around her.

"AHHHHH!" The creature screeched, as if able to determine the horrid fate that awaited it, scared to death despite not being so much as burned.

It lit, starting a blazing wall of inferno within the small hut, slowly circling the girl like a snake wrapping around its prey, trapping her within its walls of fire. Of course, it was more for show than anything else since it was far from what would be needed to roast this monster.

Still, I had set aside a few pieces of dried lumber just in case I absolutely needed to kill it.

'It's gonna be fine, Kuzan. You still have the snake venom that you extracted, and worst-case scenario, you can always just throw some stones to knock her out and run away.'

"EARTH BIND! EARTH BIND! EARTH BIND!" the creature continued to spam her skills despite them being of no use, as I could see her becoming more exhausted by the second.

Still, the last thing I wanted to do was kill it. 'Not only would it be a waste of intel, who knows what consequences could come as a result...'

'Can a Dryad even be killed, or would it simply return to the forest or something? Would I get cursed by the forest itself as a result? Are there more of them? What kind of enemies would I make if it dies?'

These were some of the many questions I would rather not have answered through experience rather than through talk.

Although I had inspected the creature before it woke up, all I could determine was that it was made out of some type of plant material, without any flesh or blood. Thus, I could trust neither its weak frame nor its supposed lack of strength.

'Who knows what she can manipulate, whether it be the deadly properties of pollen to poison me or my very body itself as it is considered to be a part of nature.'

For all I knew, 'it' could be the 'boss' of this forest, and all this pretending to be scared and crying like a little girl was just an act to get me to drop my guard.

[Unknown POV]

"Sniff, sniff," I dried my tears with my sleeve to prevent myself from looking any weaker in front of this beast, despite still not being able to see it as it was hidden behind a lone stone slab within this prison.

'It's gonna be fine, Isabel. Just remember what sis told you about dealing with demons...'

"De-demon," my attempt at harshness failing as I was barely able to mutter out its name, "release me!"

I got no response to my plea.

'You idiot,' I reprimanded myself, remembering what I was told, 'you can't beg; you have to reason with it...'

"Demon!" I shouted this time with every strand of my willpower left as I continued to feel more and more lightheaded due to the ring of flames.

"I've come to bargain."

[Kuzan POV]

"De-demon, release me!"

"Demon!"

'Hmm... does she think I'm a demon, or is it just a way for her to acknowledge my hospitality?'

Fortunately, her next words would answer my question...

"I've come to bargain."

A small grin started surfacing on my face...

'Perfect.'

The plan had gone even better than I had expected, as my instincts instructed me that the girl's plights were not an act. Plus, it was easy to see that the creature was slowly losing strength and becoming less and less of a threat the longer it stayed in my confines.

"Demon, you will hear my bargain!" the girl continued to shout and struggle as I planned my next move.

'Using her confusion to my advantage would certainly yield the quickest results...'

Thus, I played along, trying to gather as much information as I could...

"What is your bargain?" I growled out in a demonic but clear voice, ensuring the creature understood my question.

[Isabel POV]

'Thank the All-Mother, it answered!'

"Release me, and I'll lead you to monsters that can fulfill your hunger..."

I threw out my bait, doing my best to offer it as little as possible at the start, as I was told to do by Sis Ailana. His next words, however, only caused me more worry...

[Kuzan POV]

"Preposterous," I could tell that the girl was afraid of being rejected, so I decided to lean in further, playing a little hard to get. "Surely you know the consequences of bargaining with a demon..."

"Who are you, and what is your lineage?"

The worry on her face only continued to increase, surely growing more afraid by the second of the negotiations breaking down.

"I'm a forest spirit speaking on behalf of none but myself, a guardian of the forest. Release me, demon, for I can take you to my sisters as they can speak on behalf of the forest itself."

'As I expected,' I shook my head while thanking my preparations up to this point, 'there's more of them.'

The creature was obviously intelligent, however releasing it was the last thing on my docket.

"No," I declared, employing a classic interrogation tactic. I provided minimal information, letting silence fill the room. The uneasy stillness was meant to push the suspect into speaking, driven by the discomfort of waiting in the heavy quiet.

And it worked.

"Why, demon? It is not in your nature to force deals with people under duress you yourself have caused! You are bound by your covenant, speak!"

'Damn, it's what I was afraid of.' It seemed that my very actions of trapping it before beginning my trade were very un-demon-like of me. Still, I had to keep the conversation flowing for as long as possible...

"Vile creature, you have disturbed me during my hunt. It is only right that I seek recompense."

The girl started spazzing out more than ever before, as if giving it her entire being to try and escape from her binds.

"If you continue to weasel, I'll burn you to ash." It seemed that my words worked wonders as the girl stopped fighting, her eyes now dead at my threat.

"What do you want? Why have you not killed me?" The forest spirit finally started asking some reasonable questions for once, ones that I had already prepared for...

I answered with but one word...

"Knowledge."

I was growing less and less afraid of the spirit as the moments passed, especially after seeing that look in her eyes, a look that you're truly at your wits' end.

'It's something difficult to fake.'

The spirit seemed confused by my request, however I continued, finding a way to level the playing field...

[Isabel POV]

"It has been my first time awakening since time immemorial."

'All-Mother protect me, All-Mother protect me...' I was horrified at the revelation of the demon's identity. 'I should've never come here, I should have listened to my sisters.'

In my naivety to try and help, I had only unleashed an even bigger calamity upon the forest. 'I'd rather die than lead my sisters into his grasp as well...'

"I require the laws of this land and the Earth, of man and of beast, of Heaven and of Hell to partake in any deals."

'For him to be so old as to not remember the current covenants of the demons...' Who knew just how powerful this demon was? Perhaps even the All-Mother would be unable to protect me from its wrath.

"You shall give me your knowledge of the world with truth and in all, and in return, I shall forgive you for your past sins and release you without harm back to your home."

"Should you lie, or decive, it is you who shall burn."

"Should you hold back your tounge, it is your home that shall burn."

"Should you try to escape, seeking refuge among your sister, it is they who shall burn."

"Speak."

Thankfully, the All-Mother took note of my bravery, giving me a last chance to right my wrongs and save my soul from this impending inferno.

"DEAL!"