A Tale of Pity

Meeting Alice

The gargantuan Hell-Spawn lumbered out of the undergrowth into the backyard, the light of the full moon glinting off of his ram-like horns and the curved spines lining his back. His skin reflected ash gray, stretched thin over his skull-like visage but thicker elsewhere on his densely muscled body. His eyes were black pits, yet he still retained sight, as well as retaining an olfactory sense despite having no protruding nose like a human. He examined his hands, larger than a human male's with long fingers, tipped by razor-sharp claws. His powerful legs resembled those of most animals, having a knee and hook joint, and ending in wide, draconic feet. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, shifting his exposed teeth and tusks. He knew not where he was, but he did desire to return home. Hell was much warmer than the mortal world.

His lengthy pointed ears perked at the sound of glass breaking inside of a house. He stepped back, about to retreat into the woods once more. Suddenly, a young girl with long blonde hair charged out the back door soon after, crying profusely. The demon watched as she ran straight at him, noticing she was not paying attention to where she was going.

"Should I do something? We are not supposed to intervene in the affairs of mortals directly..." he pondered, glancing up at the moon momentarily.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when the little girl slammed head-first into his legs. She couldn't have been older than seven or eight, and he sensed she possessed more sorrow than was common for one of her age. She had been knocked back onto her butt from the force of the impact. She stopped sniffling and wiped her nose.

She looked up at him, her eyes widening. "Are you... are you the friend I prayed for, mister?" she asked innocently, not seeming to be phased by his otherwise imposing and perhaps fear-inducing appearance.

"I, uh... Yes, I am. What is wrong, my tiny friend?" he asked gently, bending slightly and extending a hand to her.

She took it, pulling herself up. "I-I'm afraid of my daddy. He screams at my mommy every night and beats her hard. Tonight he hit me for the first time too. I just want it to stop. Can you help me mister?" she pleaded, moving her tangled hair to show him the bruise on her cheek.

He studied it, a spark of flame appearing in his black pit eyes. "I can. Here, I'll teach you how to draw a symbol that will summon me whenever you need. Take this stick-" he began, picking up a branch from the ground and placing it into her hand, "and draw a sun with a five-pointed upside down star in the middle. Like so!"

He picked up his own stick, drawing a circle, then a five-pointed upside down star within it such that the points connected to the circle. Lastly, he added eight short lines around the outside of the circle, much like the four main and four minor directions on a compass. When it was complete, the lines shimmered red and hummed with power.

"Now, you try!" he urged, kneeling and placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. She glanced at him with her hazel eyes, smiling a little, then looked back to the dirt. Her drawing was crude, but it would suffice for a summoning ritual. Its lines began to hum with power as well, though not as strongly. He quickly scuffed both, fearing he would attract too much attention from the King of Hell himself if the glyphs remained active for too long.

"Very good. Just try to make it as neat as mine next time, okay?" he said seriously, patting her back.

"Yes sir, thanks bunches! Oh wait - I didn't even ask your name! What's your name mister scary man?" she asked.

"Ah... something you could not pronounce without years of practice I'm afraid. Just call me Zankou And what's your name?"

"San-ko... You have a funny name! My name is Alice, thank you again." she replied, hugging him.

Zankou was mildly taken aback, but he hugged the child back. "I'll remember your name, Alice. Don't forget mine. Say it after you draw the sun and star, okay? I'll always be around when you need me." he said, squeezing her gently.

"Sure thing, San!" she giggled, letting go of him. "It's getting late, I gotta go sleep now, my stuffed animals are waiting for me. See you soon!" she said, waving as she made her way back to her home.

He waved back, smiling. Little did he know, he was in for one of the strangest experiences in his entire existence.