Summoner's Gamble

I paced back and forth. The tip-tap of my steps on the wooden boards comforted my cluttered mind.

"I am going to do it. I'm really going to summon a demon."

Just saying those words out loud hardened my resolve. I looked at the circle I had drawn on the floor. A white pentacle surrounded by a circle. A faint light from a gas lamp illuminated my study and lab. Dust swayed in the after the light of the poorly aired room.

The instructions on creating the circle came from the diary my master left me before going on an expedition. I caressed the spine of the leatherbound volume. I had read the book from beginning to end and finally concluded that summoning was within my capabilities.

While I would have wanted to wait for my master to return before attempting my first summoning, he had been gone for months now. With no news, I feared that he met with unforeseen circumstances and might need my help.

Besides, the chances of a demon strong enough to break out were nil to none. The summoned demon would depend on offers that, just like fish bait, would attract different netherworld creatures.

In this case, the bait would be a glass of water. It's not that I was cheap or anything... Just that I wanted to minimize the chances of anything going wrong. Which demon overlord would come forward just for a drink? Hahaha.

I'm jinxing myself now, aren't I?

Pull yourself together, Raimi.

"Let's do this before I lose my resolve." I approached the circle, staying a cm away from the protective ring, and I extended my right arm above its center, letting a drop of blood land on it.

Red light originated from where the blood mixed with the chalk and quickly spread to the rest of the formation. I couldn't believe the radiance of it. In a manner of moments, the resonance had overwhelmed the room's darkness, and if not because of the heavy tarps I placed on the windows, even passersby would notice it.

With bated breaths, I fought the urge to close my eyes. I felt like staring at the sun, a growingly anthropomorphic sun that blinded me with its red majesty.

In the end, I gave up and blinked; reopening my eyes, I expected to see the demon I would use to raise through every ranking and make the world mine.

Instead...

"What the fuck is this?" I couldn't hide my surprise and frustration.

Instead of a grandstanding red giant with big black horns, a homeless-looking dude covered in sand lay weakly on the floor. He was completely naked, covered in sand, and so emaciated that forget bones, I could even faintly see his heart beating!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. My master's diary recorded many such cases where new demons were so weak he didn't even classify them as such, coining the word sinner for them.

Thankfully, sinners could grow fast under a steady guide and some sacrifices. Thinking about it, maybe it's better like this. Someone as pathetic as him will be easy to bound and benefit me immensely.

Reassured, I stepped forth, letting the gas lamp only reveal my face, appearing more mysterious, and spoke.

"Demon! I am the mighty sorcerer, FireGodHeavenFist! Heed my words. In exchange for absolute obedience and a promise to never cause me harm, I'll offer you this glass of water and to reward you for your future accomplishments... In the way, I see more fit." I kept my nose up and my tone steady. I was sure that the demon would soon kneel to me and beg to serve.

Ten seconds passed. Then 30... A minute, and still no reaction. He lay on the floor like a dead fish, mouthing soundless words with his cracked, dry lips.

"Didn't you hear me? Just say deal, and this water is yours. I'll even bring you out to dinner!" I coaxed the starving lad, but still no result.

"C'mon. Deal. Say it with me! D-E-A-L." The bastard was being very uncooperative.

"Fine! you can have the water first." Seeing how weak he was, I was afraid of him dying before even becoming mine, so I decided to wake him up a little first.

I grabbed the water glass and halted right outside the protective ring. It was common knowledge that demons and other summoned creatures could never cross the circle nor harm anyone or anything outside of it.

If anything, attracting an unsuspecting summoner inside or coaxing one to cross the line was pretty much the modus operandi of sneaky demons, and it always ended in a summoner's grim end.

Well, not that this case was like the others. I can't believe this dredge that looks like he was left and forgotten under the sun for weeks could ever hurt, let alone kill me.

But just in case, I'll take my wand with me. I created many spells following the knowledge of the book and could easily take out a trained soldier.

I considered casting a shielding spell, just in case but decided against it. Mana was rare, and after months of looking for it, I had only gathered enough for one spell. But once subjugated, the demon would become my generator and battery! Noone will then call me a maidenless nerd!

Glass lifted; I placed it against his lips and slowly fed him water. He hungrily gulped it, reaching forward with his head like a drowning man gasping for air.

This felt like having a pet. Next, I could name him- As I got distracted, I noticed too late his hand on my wrist. His body went into motion the next moment, and I was thrown forward into the circle.

Fuck! Quick, the spell! "Re-ARGHHHHH!" He dropped on me and bit my neck. I tried pushing him away, but my forces quickly left me. I couldn't resist, just feel his teeth sinking into me and ravaging my flesh.

It hurts. I don't want to die.

---------------------------

"Burp. That was a nice meal." Oh, time to introduce myself. Hello everyone, I'm the protagonist, not that loser nerd.

"Who are you talking to?" said voice number one, or Francis, from inside my head.

"The spectators, can't you see them?" I asked, pointing to the spectators watching the movie that is my life.

"What spectators? We are in a comic book! they are readers!" Replied another voice, Richard.

"NO! We are clearly in a book format!" Said voice number three, Theodore.

"Gosh, I can't believe Robert's mental illnesses passed on to you two." Said, Francis.

"How about this, let's put it to the vote. Who is watching us?" I asked, voting for spectators.

"No one, Dorian, you are either feeling disassociation or/and having a psychotic episode. Especially if you see anyone that isn't here." Replied Francis. Boy, do I hate that know-it-all buzzkill.

"Then why Richard and Theodore can see them too? Checkmate, you non-beliver." I smiled brightly at my fool-proof reasoning.

"Nah, bruh, we were just messing with you." "Yeah, man, don't you know you shouldn't listen to the voices in your head." They replied in synch.

God, do I hate all of them. Only Luther is half-decent. He even explained how to do the judo over-the-shoulder throw.

Anyway, I stopped sucking drinking blood from this weak-ass phony magician and got up. His metallic blood went down easily. I approached the circle, and, to no surprise to anyone, an invisible wall barred my passage.

A shiver went down my spine as a fleeting memory of my first night in hell surfaced for a moment. Darkness, endless sand, freezing wind, and- No, enough, gotta focus.

I grabbed the bleeding to death idiot and spun him from the legs in a circle, washing the chalk circle with his blood. "Wheee! Higher, pony!" I whirled faster and faster, and as my blood-slicked hands lost grip, he flew against the wall, head first, and broke his neck.

"Whoops." I grimaced for a moment. That was the coup de grace. As he died, a black mist left his body and flew into my chest, filling me with vigor and swelling my body. I also felt something wriggle on top of my head, but maybe it was my imagination.

"Nope, wasn't me," replied Theodore, followed by the other five voices.

Huh.

On top of my head, I felt two hard bulges under the skin, like bone covered in stiff leather. A mystery for later, now I got to...

I hesitantly took a step forward, and lo and behold. "Freedom!" tears pooled around my eyes. It had been almost three days since I could step outside one of these darned circles.

I jumped up and down in joy, then approached the tarp covering the window and tearing it off. Sunlight bathed my naked body. The warm feeling tinkled my body and made me feel reborn.

I looked outside and saw a busy street. Victorian-styled buildings, steam-powdered cars, streets made of pebbles? I could swear this was London in the 1800s, but a decisive detail changed my perception.

Everyone around was black. "Am I in Atlanta?"