NOVEL FROG Chapter 11: Ritual
—----------------------------------------------------
Amaya
The next day Lucy agreed to the ritual. We decided to travel a bit further from the city and perform it in the evening. In my short time in this new world I came to a realisation. I was alone in this new world. I had no friends, no allies, only summons to watch my back. My old life was rather boring but it was safe. It was routine. I had the occasional beer with a colleague but no close friends. I never craved human contact that much. But this new world was full of excitement. Magic, monsters, other races,... there was so much to explore and experience! And I had nobody to share it with.
I was hoping Lucy would travel with me. The power I offered would make her a valuable companion. The contract would make her a safe option. She would not be able to betray me.
I was also looking forward to the magic itself. Creating a warlock as an elf would probably go down in history.
We engaged in some small talk as we travelled. She told me more about her childhood as a fox kin and the farm she grew up on. We reached the foot of the mountain in the evening. I started to prepare for the ritual while Lucy set up our camp.
A few elementals would act as guards to ensure we were not disturbed. I used a shape earth spell to create a flat surface. Then I carefully carved the runes needed into the ground. The contract itself would be written in my blood and signed with her blood. The parchment formed the centre together with a precious stone. The stone would be consumed in the ritual. I needed a gem of at least the size of my fist. Thankfully I had a lovely amethyst in my collection of precious stones. Video games love to throw gems at you.
Then I tried to use a knife to get some of my blood. I realised I could not pierce my skin. Ah, I did have a certain resistance to non magical dmg. I used a magic dagger next and it worked. It also healed immediately thanks to my health regeneration. Damn. Well, I just need a big enough cut.
I slashed at my wrist and was able to get enough blood before it healed. I was also surprised how little it hurt. The contract was a simple line: “Amaya Delphinium will grant you a gift of power and in return you will no longer be able to betray her.” That was embarrassingly short for a contract but it should do the trick. Now all I needed was her signature and we could start.
“Before you sign this I will give you a deeper explanation. To turn you into a warlock I will offer you a part of my soul. It will change your body but you will remain the same person, just stronger and with access to magic.
You will be bound by the contract and unable to betray me. Of course there is a certain room for interpretation there. The magic cares about what I would consider a betrayal.
You would not be required to follow my orders. You could still argue with me, contradict me or slap me. Betrayal would be something more significant, like selling my secrets or stabbing me in the back.
I am offering you the power to protect yourself. The choice is yours. All you need to do is sign the contract with your blood. Then place it in the centre of the circle and touch the amethyst.”
Lucy looked determined. She took the knife I offered and pricked her finger, then signed her name in blood. We were ready to start.
Activating the ritual worked perfectly. I fed it the 8 9th circle spell slots it required and the magic activated. I felt a small prick inside of me. The piece of my soul that would be gifted to Lucy. My eyes could see the magic around us flowing into her. Changing her body. It was beautiful. But there was so much magic. The amethyst we were touching dissolved into a purple light.
Power kept being drawn into the area. Lucy’s body absorbed it at an alarming rate. The spell was finished but she kept changing. I caught her body when she was about to fall over. A tattoo of a purple lightning bolt appeared on her forehead. Her body became hot. I could hear her bones changing, I could feel her skin hardening. Becoming a warlock changed your body. It gave you a certain amount of power immediately but you still needed to grow into all your gifts. In theory at least.
I could feel the magic of the surrounding area being sucked into Lucy. The elementals disappeared. There was not enough magic to sustain them anymore. I was growing concerned. What have I done? Was it the amethyst? Was it the origin of my power? At least it happened in the wilderness. Magic failing could be disastrous in a city. I was still trying to figure out what to do when I became drowsy. I could not stay awake any longer and darkness engulfed me.