Cooperation

Aqa'krghrift nearly wanted to rip the boy to shreds for his statement. His tone was very matter-of-fact and calm but she could see the teasing in his eyes and the slight smirk on his lips. The moment she had thoughts of doing anything to him out of anger the contract bound to her form lit up with a fiery red light that was visible even through her black dress. A look of pain marred her expression, not because she had low pain tolerance but because the burning was on her soul. The contract stating she was to serve and protect him had stated that she could not harm him. These clauses were binding and even such thoughts would include enforcing of the corresponding punishment.The punishment for breach of contract was as simple as it was brutal. The soul was what made a person who they were in terms of personality, it was the place where experiences gathered and allowed for growth. The mind may contain the memories, but the soul contained the feelings and attached to those memories. If either party fully broke the contract their soul would be dissolved and become nothing. This would protect both sides of the contract from foul play. Small infractions on clauses of the contract would be influenced by the severity of the infraction but would generally be doled out as pain on the soul itself. The pain would not actually cause damage, but pain of the soul would generally be felt in the purest sense so as to serve as a warning.Jien who saw the faint light beneath Aqa'krghrift's dress and the grimace of pain on her face knew that she must have crossed a line regarding one of the clauses he was not yet aware of. He didn't feel happy about this since he just meant to tease this woman a bit for attacking him. After the lights dimmed and her expression relaxed, he looked at her pale face that was covered in sweat and sighed yet again. Why did everything have to be so hard? Why couldn't he just summon someone that would be easy to work with?"Listen, I meant what I said. Your name is hard to pronounce in my native language and I would prefer to call you by something more usual to this land. All the others call their summons by ordinary names even though after hearing yours I am sure that they were not their original name." He stated this calmly and the adults in the room got some idea of what had happened from his comment. Despite understanding and wondering if they should try mediating, in the end they kept their mouths shut.It wasn't their place to get in the way of this negotiation. They couldn't even understand anything the woman said so who were they to try and talk in Jien's stead. Not to mention that the woman to their knowledge would be working with Jien for at least some time depending on the contract that was struck. They could only hope that the two of them would figure it out at least to a workable degree so that they could move on with things. They didn't wish to interrupt or leave the two alone, but they still needed to at least inform the guests that Jien was conscious.Aqa'krghrift snorted again before responding to Jien, not wanting to drag out being tied to this chair when she knew she wouldn't be getting out of this predicament. "The name of a demon is everything, those lowlifes that throw away their names are pathetic at best and often lesser than dirt." She said this with such conviction that even the adults that couldn't understand her felt the honesty in the statement.Jien at hearing this seemed to understand the cause for her anger after that statement. It appeared that the name to a demon held power and those that were willing to change it for the sake of their contract were not viewed highly. Thinking on this for a few long moments Jien responded in a much calmer manner, switching to a problem-solving mindset rather than a negotiating mindset. "We are going to be working together for a long time to come. As I stated, the pronunciation of your name is too difficult in my language. Is there something we can do to meet halfway? What is it about the name of a demon that gives it power?"Aqa'krghrift didn't have to think long to know that the boy in front of her was telling the truth. She could tell that the flowery language he spoke in, though translated through their bond would not be able to pronounce her name given the jarring nature of demontongue. "What gives a demon's name power is the meaning behind it. My name represents the concept of a vast reservoir of knowledge. If you can find a name in your mother tongue with such a meaning it may be enough to translate, though I can't make guarantees since I do not know or use your language."Jien was enlightened by this bit of information but after a moment his brows rose, and an odd expression formed on his face. The meaning of her name was unique and interested him greatly, but at the same time he found it very peculiar that he, who worships the god of tomes, in the subset of gods of knowledge, would summon a demon whose name related to knowledge. It made him wonder if such connections were part of how specific demons were summoned for particular summoners. He slotted that thought into the back of his mind for after he handled this discussion and the rest of the party that was waiting on him.For now, he would have to figure out a feasible name that would be able to withstand the translation of the power in her current name.-----------------------------------------------------------Hello everyone,Here is an opportunity for you to contribute if you read this before I start writing the next chapter tomorrow 04/23/2024.What should Aqa'krghrift's human name be? Provide your suggestions in the comments or at the discord: https://discord.gg/C3tDMd7M