A demon for Halloween

Ask anyone who performs magic at any level and they'll tell you that water is a key component. Now in what manner depends on who you talk to. Some use it as a way to wipe away a spell, some use it to aid a spell, and others use it however they feel like in the moment. I'm a personal believer in using it in multiple ways which is why the evening before Halloween I'm using a lake to help my spell. What spell am I attempting you ask? Why I want to summon the nastiest thing I can find and use it in my haunted house!

So I've come to the local lake in my town at two in the morning to summon something. I arrived in my beat up station wagon and began to unload all my various spell tools. I've got your run of the mill salt, some crystals for attunement, and of course my book. This particular book has been passed down in my family for over six hundred years. However I'm nothing like my ancestors. They would summon things for the purpose of destruction whereas I'm more about my own amusement.

I walk down to the lake standing as close to the water as I can get and still put down a salt circle enclosing myself in it. I set my crystals around me in a six pointed formation with me in the middle. I close my eyes and begin to take slow deep breaths. Inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for six. With every breath I feel myself becoming more connected with the lake. The way the current moves through it, the wind moving across the top, and even the creatures within it swimming.

By two thirty I am fully connected to the lake. I now open my book going ahead and flipping into the back for the big demons. You see, every year at Halloween I try to have the best haunted house. Unfortunately my neighbors down the street are filthy rich and go all out. They've got projectors and animatronics that scared even me and I've been to Hell once. But this year I'm going to beat them at their own game. I'm going to summon the nastiest demon I can find and bind him for one night to scare everyone. So I'm going to use the lake as my conduit for the summoning and if things start to go wrong I can use it to wash it back to Hell.

I flip through the book till I get to the second to last page. Staring back at me is a picture of a six armed beast that stands around fifteen feet tall. Coarse silver hair running all the way down to its knees. It has four eyes, two where you would normally expect and then the other two are on antennas on top of its head that can swivel in any direction. It's skin is a muddied red covered with a thick layer of soot. I tap on the page thinking to myself before deciding. This is going to be the one. I'll have to make a blood pact with it but that's fine. Wouldn't be the first one and probably not the last.

I take a quick look at my watch. It's now two fifty so I've still got ten minutes before I start. I decided to spend my time making sure I'm as connected to the lake as I can be so I go back to my breathing exercises. Soon my watch beeps to let me know that three o'clock has come. I stand up with the book in hand reaching my other hand out to the lake, "I summon thee Malzaton to rise from your home within the plains of Hell to join me now on the Earthly plane." I call out this summoning twice more to invoke the rule of three. The rule of three being that demons are bound to respond to you as long as the same thing is said three times in a row.

The lake begins to boil turning a deep crimson red before suddenly the demon himself bursts from the water. He immediately attempts to strike at me but is stopped short by both the salt circle and the crystals which flash in brilliant hues. The demon howls loud enough to leave my ears ringing before it speaks, "Foolish mage! Why hast thou summoned me? Surely thou know the price for summoning me?"

I gulp putting on my biggest grin trying to hide the fact that inside I am terrified, "Why have I summoned you? Because it's Halloween! I want to put on the best haunted house ever this year and I figured why not summon the scariest demon I know. Which of course happens to be you. I know the price. A blood oath between us granting you one favor in return for doing what I want for one night. Said favor can be redeemed at any time including after I've died. If I attempt to renege on my oath my soul will be devoured by you. So what do you say Malzaton? Scare the crap out of humans for one night in return for a blank check favor from a twelfth generation mage?"

Malzaton laughed. Actually laughed at me. I've never once heard a demon laugh and now I can say I never want to again. Once he was done laughing he struck at me again, "You summon me for scaring people?! I've been summoned throughout history to wreak havoc on whole countries. I have roamed the plains of Hell crushing all those before me. I refuse your deal, puny mortal!"

I groaned having known this was going to happen. I cracked my knuckles sighing, "Alright big guy. I knew you were going to want to act like this. So I apologize in advance for what I'm about to do." I focus on my connection with the lake and envision raising the water above Malzaton and the water freezing around him. Slowly the water obeys my commands and despite the heat pouring off the demon the water still froze around him and begins to contract inward. "I'll show you what I'm capable of if I need to. You may view me as a puny mortal before you but I promise this mortal can and will crush you."

Malzaton pushes back against my enclosing sphere of ice. His hands melt the ice but then the steam escaping from it reforms back into ice around his hands and wrists. He struggles against his new bonds but finds himself stuck now. Soon he slumps his shoulders in defeat and any use of older language is now gone, "Fine mortal. You have bested me. Free me and I will agree to your deal. Though know now when I call upon you I will punish you for this insolence."

I sigh deeply letting the ice melt from around Malzaton, "That's fine. I already was prepared to pay whatever price I had to just to have the best haunted house ever. Just for one year." I reached around to my back pulling a large ornate knife from a sheath attached to the back of my pants. I cut my hand open holding it up. The demon runs one of his nails across his palm. Now for the dangerous part. I have to step out of the circle for us to touch. Malzaton could at that time choose to attack me. I'm really hoping I've made the right call here. I step outside of the circle and the demon slowly lowers his palm to my own letting our blood mingle.

Instantly I feel a connection running between the two of us. I sigh sitting down by the lake as the portal that had been open slowly closes and the lake returns to normal. Well half the water is gone now and unfortunately I killed way more fish than I wanted to but once my energy comes back I can fix it. I look up at Malzaton, "Alright big guy now let's start planning for tomorrow. Remember though no killing people only scaring."

I hope you enjoyed this somewhat silly story. If you did please subscribe, leave a like, and feel free to leave a tip. Till next time.