On A Knife Edge

Chapter 2: Deal With a Demon

A chilling voice slithered into Lucian's ear, sending a tremor down his spine. "So, the little thief has escaped the Infernal Vaults."

Lucian scrambled to his feet, hand instinctively flying to the short sword concealed under his cloak. A tall, gaunt figure materialized from the shadows, shrouded in darkness. Its eyes, burning embers in the gloom, held him captive. As the demon walked forward Lucian could see the demon's pale gray skin on a large frame just skin and bones. He was wearing a leather tunic and a long kilt.

"Who are you?" Lucian shouted at the demon. "Why are you here? Did you teleport me?" Lucian stopped mid tirade and looked down at his hands "Did I teleport me?"

The demon growing tired of the onslaught of questions raised his hand in front of himself "Stop! First, we will start with my name. I am Vornath. An arch demon of Baator that is all you need to know. As far as the little issue of teleportation. Well..." a wry smile creeps across Vornath's face, "That was 100% you."

"Okay why are you here then," Lucian spat. " And how did you know where I was? Were you watching me?"

Vornath stands more upright in a very imposing manner. "No, little thief I couldn't care less about you; Or I thought that until you made off with a gem I've been looking for." The demon points at Lucian's cloak pocket. "I want that." The demon spat as he pointed towards the pocket "It's the Devil's Opal; it, as you have learned, contains the power of teleportation." The imposing demon snaps his fingers as if to imitate the sound he made when teleporting in.

Lucian bristled. "And if I say no?" He summoned a flicker of arcane energy in his hand, a small blue flame dancing between his fingers. "I may not be a full-blooded demon, but I'm not helpless either."

Vornath chuckled, a sound like stones grinding together. "Arcane magic, a child's spark compared to the inferno that burns within me. But potential... you have that." The demon took another step closer.

Lucian's breath caught as the demon moved ever closer. "Look I'm a thief I don't do anything for free. How much is this opal worth to you?"

Vornath peered through Lucian eyes like laser beams, "I could just leave nothing but a scorch mark where you stand and take the opal. But..." The demon backed down now looking much more relaxed. "I do like to make deals. How about this? You give me the gem."

Lucian moved to speak up, but Vornath raised a hand.

"There's more impetuous one." The demon chided. "I'll give you a little more juice." The demon finished clearly pleased with himself.

The small blue flame in Lucian's hand roared a bright red inferno.

Lucian, awestruck by the new and more intense flame in his palm, looked up at Vornath. "You will give me all of this new power for the Opal?"

The demon leaned forward as if making a secret deal, "Well not just the Opal. I want you to help me find more of those little beauties." The demon smiles. "I want you to be my thrall."

Lucian's gut clenched. Service to a demon rarely ended well.

Lucian clenched his jaw, the warmth of the opal pulsing in his pocket. He craved true power, the kind that could rival even a demon. But the cost... servitude to a creature of Hell. He envisioned his own arcane magic twisted and corrupted, a constant reminder of his pact.

Vornath seemed to sense his hesitation. "The choice is yours, Lucian," it purred again. "Embrace the inferno, or fade into obscurity."

A wave of desperation washed over Lucian. He was a fugitive, a stranger in this strange land. Power, even tainted power, could be his only hope for survival. "Very well," he rasped out, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice. I accept your offer."

Vornath walked forward approaching Lucian and held out his bony claw. "The Opal then?"

Lucian reached into his cloak pocket grasping the smooth unnaturally warm Opal. "Fine, here you go." Lucian put the Opal into the demon's claw.

Like a flash Vornath reached out with his other claw and grasped Lucian's shoulder, digging his claws in. Leaving three slashes on his shoulder blade and whispering "Sig Nal Hum."

As soon as the phrase was uttered Lucian felt a surge of what felt like lava through his veins.

"Goodbye little demon," Vornath slyly stated. "I'll be seeing you around when I get a little more information on that second gem. You might want to make some friends up here. You're going to need them."

As fast as the demon showed up a crack shattered the silence, and the demon was gone. A wave of dizziness washed over Lucian as a searing heat pulsed from the new black marks on his face resembling new tattoos. Power surged through him, raw and untamed, unlike anything he'd ever felt. But along with it came a chilling certainty. He had become a pawn in a demon's game, forever marked by the infernal bargain he had struck.