Anything

" I still want you to teach me. But I'm not leaving anyone behind to do it." The brat said. For a moment, Isadora was stunned into silence by the kid's boldness.

' Is he strong-arming me?' She thought. In fact, she was more perplexed than shocked. It was as if he'd thrown away all logic he had used to fight her with before and simply trying to force his way. Or was some plan of his? 

" That isn't on the table." She said flatly. Isadora was still determined to take him fully. 

" Please Mistress, I'll give you everything I can. So please, please, just leave me my family.. I'll pay any price!" He bowed his head. 

' So he's given up negotiating and now he's just begging.' 

Isadora scoffed disdainfully.' I should reject him this very instant. But I'll need a different approach from here on out….' 

" This is unfair to me." Isadora said.

 The moment the words left her mouth, Isadora shocked even herself.' What the hell am I saying? Reject him! Reject him now!'

As Isadora looked at the brat who stood before her, standing as he bowed his head after a pitiful attempt at trying to negotiate with her, she felt a slight pang of Déjà vu. Somewhere, or sometime ago, she had experienced the very same scene. His resistance was doomed from the start, but she admired his effort for trying. Where…where had she seen this before? 

The recollection never came, as she'd expected, but for an instant, the brat's white hair and thin shoulders vanished. And in his place, Isadora thought she saw another person. 

Ghostly, flowing golden long hair like an unending river. He was tall. And he was bowing just like the brat was now.

Then she blinked, and the image disappeared. And along with it, something inside her changed. 

' Was it really so bad to let the brat keep his with his family?' She thought.

' What the freak are you saying??' A voice screamed inside her. ' Stop dragging this out! Hurry up and-' 

' Shut up. Let's say…let's just say…I let the brat keep his family. Could I ask for something in return? Wait…' An idea slowly formed in Isadora's mind, and as it brewed, she became more and more interested. It was such a perfect way to get this done! Why, was she cruel for plotting this? No! NO! HE SAID HE'D DO ANYTHING DIDNT HE?

" Very well." She said as she switched gears to don a scowl. The conditions had laid themselves out perfectly. From here on out, her new plan was already in motion.

" But I have conditions." She said.

The brat's head immediately raised, his eyes filled with hope. " Yes Mistress! I'll do anything you ask!"

And as he said the words, Isadora couldn't help but scream in laughter inside. It was PERFECT!! Hell, this idiot doesn't understand what he's gotten himself into!!! 

" Repeat my exact words. You won't hear anything, but when you see this-" She raised her hand and held three fingers up, lowering them from three down to one in a sort of countdown. " -once my fingers reach one, I want you to say:" I agree." " 

" What happens after will be your price for my compromise." 

The brat looked hesitant, understandably so. Even Isadora herself hated situations where she was completely in the dark.

" What will you do to me?" He asked, and Isadora replied dismissively: Only what you've agreed to. You've said that you're willing to accept any price. You were willing to sacrifice everything else other than your family, right? Show me that resolve now. I'd expect at least that from my apprentice." 

The brat stood up a little taller upon hearing her words, no doubt convinced that she was testing him. " Alright. I'll do it." 

" The lets begin right away. Prepare yourself." 

Isadora turned on her heel and began walked away. Her heart was pounding with levels of excitement that she hadn't felt in the past hundred years, she was positively ecstatic.

' This is awesome!! I knew I was a genius but this!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!'

She turned back a dozen metres away and raised her hands. Even at this distance, she woudln't allow herself to smile. She would be extra careful. Under the usual circumstances, a simple silencing spell would have sufficed, but in this instance, the prey was too valuable to take any chances.

She wouldn't just snare him. She would tie him to the very fabric of reality where he wouldn't be able to deviate from her script. This opportunity will absolutely, under no circumstances be allowed to escape.

A dozen spells assembled themselves in her mind in a matter of milliseconds. BINDING. SILENCING. HYPNOTIZE. WEAKENING… The cast itself took only half the time. And when Isadora opened her eyes again, she no longer saw the world, but a mirror of it. Tiny specks of light dotted the surrounding air, congealing and fusing in bright bursts. The sky and earth were as dark as night.

Isadora focused just a little harder and the white spots disappeared, and from the homogeneous sea of star-like spots emerged a single concentrated mass of white dots encased in a small human frame. 

The surrounding hundred metres around the brat was enclosed in a purple, glowing magic circle. Complex runes and shapes took the sides and outer rings. The inner rings were composed of circles and ovals, weaved from hundreds of thousands of microscopic runes that stretched out from the centre where the brat stood. 

Isadora moved her hands, moulding the Mana World with her spells. The mana circle glowed more fiercely by the second as Isadora began to chant. Of the dozen spells assembled, she only needed to chant one.

" Oh Lord, Oh lord, witness my pact. Forged on stone, hardened on fire and bound by blood. Oh lord, Oh lord, be my witness for I am now a shepherd, I am now a king.." 

Isadora raised her left hand and held up three fingers. She dropped one of them. Then let the next fall. Then finally the last one. 

" I agree." The brat said. She heard his voice easily. It was muted and filled with small elements of panic and anxiety, but she ignored it. It wouldn't matter after this.

" ..strike the unloyal and erase their promised fealty. Stand as my witness on this day and to the oath made to me.." 

She raised her hand again and began to count down. Dutifully, the brat responded as he was told. The purple magic circle was glowing even more brightly now. Two of three parts were done. 

She raised her hand for the third time and the countdown ticked to one. The brat responded loudly and at the same time, the third part of the spell became complete. 

" ..I shall let no show of loyalty go unrewarded, nor any sacrifice be in vain." 

Then, she completed the spell." ENSLAVE." 

The magic circle exploded with purplish light. And in the instant the world returned to normal, Isadora saw the fruit of her labour. Now, she let herself loose. A ghostly purple tether was wrapped around her wrist and on the other side, it connected to a purple collar that was fastened around the brat's neck. A slave collar.

Isadora burst out laughing maniacally. 

In that moment, they both became aware of the same thing as the world told their very souls about the pact that had been signed. 

The brat was now her slave.