(TW// body horror, demon stuff)
I hadn’t expected a silvery cat to CRAWL out of the symbol I’d absentmindedly copied on the piece of paper, I hadn’t expected anything to happen when I drew it. It had simply been a symbol from the book I'd gotten from the used book store, one that I had thought went along the lines of Dragonology or Monstrology, books of mythical prospects that were made as mock educational books.
Apparently, that author hadn't exactly branched out to Demonology. Unless they'd somehow figured out how to fake summoning shit. Either way, it had scared me enough to fall to the ground.
I continued to stare at the feline, struggling to sort through what I had just seen. As the time dragged on, I wondered if it had all been my imagination, if I'd just suddenly seen the cat in my room and made up that it came from the symbol. But, then it spoke again.
"Are you just going to stare the entire time, or are you going to hurry up and state your want," the cat asked, standing up from where it sat. It started to walk towards me and I instinctively scooted back, making it stop. The blue eyes narrowed a bit, the cat looking about as disdainful as it could. "Either you didn't mean to summon me, or you didn't realize what you were getting into. Which, pray tell, is it?"
It looked at me expectantly, but I was still too shocked to respond immediately, a few seconds going by before I could even stammer out, "I-I-I… I h-hadn't meant to…. Uh, s-sorry?"
I wasn't really sure what to say or how to feel, mostly still shocked but also wary. After all, the cat manifested out of nowhere, who knows what it could do if I made it mad?!
"Hmmm," the cat's hum had an underlying purr, or perhaps it was a growl. It looked around the room before it's eyes settled back on me, standing up again. It walked towards me, and I had to try really hard to not flinch away. "My name is Algahdrin. Unfortunately, I can't leave until a deal has been struck. So, like it or not, I'm here until you make a decision.
"Surely, there's something you desire," the cat said, eyes never leaving me as it got closer, eventually brushing against my arm. Having been around cats, it felt similar. But something about the contact felt WRONG despite the warm fur. Everything felt almost fuzzy as it began to purr, rubbing against my arm again as it crooned, "Money, fame. Success, perhaps? Lovers, freedom, relationships, it's all yours, if you want. If you suddenly want to ditch your life for something better, I can make it happen. Trade places with someone else, I'll work my magic~."
Fantasies ran through my mind's eye as the cat spoke, able to perfectly imagine each scenario it presented. Each one was alluring, the feeling of the fantasies intoxicating as part of me was ecstatic at the opportunity.
But, it was fake, remembering that I lived in an apartment with responsibility that couldn't disappear easily. I quickly yanked my arm away from the feline and shook off the warm feeling that muddled my mind, trying to remind myself that anything that sounded too good was definitely a scam. Angrily, I asked, "And what, you get my soul in return?"
A brief look of fury flashed over the cats face, but in a blink it was gone, the cat calmly replying, "That doesn't have to be the wager. Humans have documented the soul bargain enough that only the most desperate take it nowadays, but other things can be offered. The classics would be first born child, a loved one, that sort of thing. Of course, it can simply be a service."
"A service?" I narrowed my eyes warily at the cat. "What kind of service?"
"Depends on what you want. So, tell me," the cat stretched before laying on the floor, tail flicking. "What is it you want? It can be something small. Once a pact has been made, we'll be bonded and I can be summoned at any point necessary or wanted until the day you die. Or, until we come to a termination agreement. I'd suggest a purification, but I'm not certain any human alive knows the proper ritual anymore, and why would I tell you?"
I wracked my brain for what to possibly ask for. It had said it couldn't just leave until a deal was made, but if it was something little then we could make the deal and never interact again. A thought came to mind, inquiring, "Can you… hurt people?"
"Obviously. If you want someone gone, I can easily do it."
"WOAH, woah, woah, not like that," I exclaimed, quickly backtracking and appalled by how casually the cat had agreed to it. "I meant.. like, can you hurt people on your own? Of your own volition?"
The cat blinked slowly, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a sign of trust, a moment of pause before it replied, "Yes. If I'm in the human plane, I can attack and harm humans. Negotiations are a peace time unless I feel my existence is threatened, and so far I've found you harmless."
"R-Right…" I tried to think of the demon book I'd summoned him from, wondering if I'd read anything that would help in the situation, but I'd barely given it a glance. "Give me a second to think."
It's name was Algahdrin, I knew that much from it's introduction and the cursory glance over the pages. I had to close my eyes in concentration, trying to remember anything. It was commonly summoned by… noblemen that wanted to accrue more wealth, which… was often followed by sudden maulings in the surrounding towns and cities it was summoned in. I wasn't sure whether these maulings were caused by the demon, but if I was going to make a random pact, I may as well try to make it benefit everyone.
"I think… I think I'm ready to make a deal," I eventually stated, catching the feline's interest. Again, it stared at me while waiting for me to elaborate.
"My deal is that you can't just go on killing sprees," the cat's eyes narrowed, but I didn't stop, "You can only kill someone if they're… I don't know, trying to mug someone by force or murder someone, not if you just feel like it. You can't hurt or attack anyone at all under those same guidelines, either."
There were several seconds of silence, making me shift a little uncomfortably under the cat's curious gaze before it asked, "Oh, is that all? No eager ambitions or anything?"
"Uh, not that I can think of right now," I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. “You said that you could be summoned later on, so if I feel… the urge to be ambitious, I can just summon you for it, right?”
“Hmmmm, that is correct,” the cat purred. It stood up and walked closer, making me tense in case it rubbed against me and made my mind fuzzy somehow, but it just sat in front of me and reached out a paw. “If that’s all, shall we seal the deal?”
I frowned, narrowing my eyes in suspicion and refused to take the offered paw. Wary, I demanded, “And what’s my part of the deal supposed to be?”
The cat huffed as though it was the most tedious thing in the world to tell me what my end of the bargain was going to be, even though I kind of wanted to know if I was selling my soul or child off. It lowered it’s paw as it replied, “I felt like it was a small enough trade-off that it wasn’t necessary to elaborate, but I suppose it’s fair to do so. The only thing I ask from you is to allow me to eat human food whenever the want strikes me.”
“That’s it?” I raised an eyebrow incredulously. “You… Just want to eat human food occasionally?...”
“Yes, simple as that. A rather mild exchange, no?”
“I guess,” I was still unsure of whether or not to trust the cat’s words, but as it lifted it’s paw again, I reluctantly gave it a small shake.
“It’s a delight doing business.”
Before I could question the cat or let go of it’s paw, I felt it shift beneath my hand. A jolt of energy zipped up my arm, painfully, and I cried out in surprise. But, it was over quickly. I was pretty sure I had pulled back to instinctively distance myself from the pain, yet when I glanced back, my hand was still over it’s paw.
But, terrifyingly, I’m not even sure it could be classified as a paw anymore. Ink-black clawed fingers grasped my hand firmly, extended and formed from the claws of the feline. I tried to pull my hand away, but the cat held it in place with far more ease than would be expected, and I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wh-what the fuck?!”
“That was simply the bonding. It will hurt for the day, but will fade,” the cat said, shifting it’s shoulders and back. Not only did I hear the pop of bone, but the cat’s fur was changing color. My apartment was fading away to black... “I am feeling a bit peckish though.”
The cat released it’s claw, but snatched my wrist before I was able to leap to my feet. I didn’t notice it before, but the cat was quickly growing in size.
“Ah, ah, ah, we struck a deal,” it purred, the sound deeper and more rumbly along with its voice. Its fur wasn’t changing color, it was falling off, revealing ink-black skin the same color as it’s claw. The skin of the cat’s face slowly MELTED off to reveal bone beneath, ears sliding down from where they had been before and neck lengthening. Spines began to grow from the demon's back and two more pairs of arms extended from it’s ribs, reaching towards me.
First, my other wrist was grabbed by the demon to hold me in place, though my terrified shock was doing a good job of that anyways. Then, as the demon grew to the size of a leopard, the rear-most claws each grabbed an ankle and pulled me closer.
It was enough to jolt me from my shock, but it was far too late for me to do anything.That didn’t stop me from trying to struggle, shouting, “L-Let me go! Our deal was about human food!”
The demon continued to grow in size as I tried to writhe out of it’s hold, the flesh on its face completely falling off until it was only a skull with oversized canines. I was easily shifted in it’s growing claws, the front two claws shifting my wrists to the middle-claws before I found my face cupped between the massive front claws that I couldn’t help but fearfully imagine crushing my skull. It didn’t seem like it was going to continue growing at least, but with it’s skull longer than my torso, it wasn’t much of a comfort.
“My dear summoner, you are correct,” it’s purr was more of a growl now, empty sockets somehow conveying a smug emotion. “Human food. Food that IS human, not FOR humans. As a human, you are currently my food, per our contract.”
“I-I, b-but,” I stammered, my heart racing in my chest as I tried to think about the whole contract. “Y-You also can’t kill or hurt anyone either!”
“Oh, I’m not going to hurt you. But, I wanted to add something fun to balance out your restrictions. Well, fun for me, at least.” It lowered its face towards mine and I felt warm… breaths? I wasn’t even sure if it could breathe. Cooing mockingly, the demon added, “If it makes you feel any better, summoner, since you seem oh, so concerned about your fellows: I won’t eat any other humans.”
As it opened it’s fleshless jaws, both bringing its head down and lifting me with it’s six claws, I definitely DIDN’T feel any better. I squirmed and wriggled in its hold, protesting against the deal as fear gripped me inside and out, but it’s firm hold barely gave me any leeway. Inky liquid dripped from it’s maw, a void-black tongue almost suddenly appearing from the floor of its mouth, covering the small sharp teeth of its lower jaw.
I was shoved into the jaws, yelping as the demon pressed me to the back of its tongue before the appendage licked at me. My face, my clothes, everything was being covered in the inky liquid as the creature tasted me, able to feel it’s pleased purr rumble around me. But it wasn’t long before I was shoved further back into its mouth until I felt myself touch the back of its throat. I don’t know if the demon had swallowed humans before or how long it had been, but I could feel it being impatient.
Once it gulped, dragging me a decent way down it’s gullet, it began to swallow greedily and quickly pulled the rest of me inside.
There was no heartbeat, no actual breathing or gurgling that one would normally be associated with the inside of any sort of being. It was just an unnerving, constant, squishing noise, and the walls pressed in suffocatingly on all sides as I travelled further into the demon to who-knows-where.
Eventually, the movement stopped after I slipped into a space that felt barely any less constrictive than before, unable to see anything in the pitch dark space that was as pitch-black as the demon on the outside. I quickly tried to kick or hit anything, but the space shifted from squishy like a waterbed to a stiffer, less malleable lining to hold me in place. It pressed in on me, making me gasp and freeze.
“I wouldn’t recommend that, summoner. I can’t hurt you, but try to cause damage and I’ll make you pass out,” the demon warned. “You can’t even harm me, but I’d like to enjoy my side of the deal in peace. It’s been so long since I’ve been summoned, let alone eaten a human.”
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