The markets were packed with people and stalls. It was almost suffocating. Merchants looking to sell their wares and customers looking to buy. It was even more hectic than normal. with words of a plague coming, people are near rioting to get any goods they can.

I move through the crowd, trying not to bump into them. “Excuse me,” I say, passing through a line. “Pardon me,” I say as a circle around a man holding bags.

I hold my purchase close to my chest. I was lucky I came so early to get these herbs. The apothecary was overrun by the time I made my purchase. I’m glad I knew what I was getting beforehand.

“Come and join us,” a loud voice shouted. The speaker stood on a large box. His robes a grey ash color with the ends a coal black. The speaker was surrounded by others in the same robes, forming a wall between the speaker and the crowd. “Come and join us,” he shouted again, “join the ranks of the believers and be saved. Swear loyalty to our lord Ogros and be saved.”

I clicked my tongue. More of that cult that's been going around. Certainly a time to be in one right now. I elbow my way through the crowd, “excuse me. pardon me.”

The speaker continued, “join us or be forsaken. Only those who serve faithfully shall be granted his protection and be welcomed into his kingdom when he comes.” I continued to pass through the crowd into a narrow alley.

The streets I enter are empty. Noises of the market can still be heard from where I stood.

As I walk home, I go over what that speaker said. I wonder how much he actually believed in what he was saying? How true was the speaker's loyalty to the cult of Ogros? Was he just going through what I have been through?

I think back to my memories of the church. I joined because I believed they would give me direction in my life, but they offer nothing like it. They gave me no goal for me to meet. No direction for me to follow. The church only gave me doubt about all it stood for and made me confused.

And you think this is going to be different? The little voice in my head said. You think what you are doing now will give you meaning?

I didn’t answer. No. it was more like I couldn't answer. What I am doing is not so different really.

I returned to my house. The inside of the building was dark. The only light inside was the sunlight coming through the windows. I grabbed a small bowl from the kitchen and hurried into the other room.

The room was empty except for a thick rug that covered the floor and a bookshelf filled with books my parents collected over the years. I put the herbs to the side and rolled up the rug, revealing a glyph used for summoning demons.

I propped the rug along the wall and gathered the herbs I bought and put them into the bowl. I placed the bowl in the center of the glyph.

I walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out the tome. I opened it to my desired page. On it were instructions on how to summon a demon.

“Well here goes something, i guess.” I lit a match and dropped it into the bowl. The smell of burning herbs hit my nose.

I started to chant in the forgen language. The glyph started to glow faintly.

I continued to chat. The glyph glowed increased.

I kept going. The herb was now on fire.

I didn’t stop chanting. The ground started to shake.

I continued. The glow was almost blinding.

As i finished the chant, light shot out, forming a pillar.

I turned away, shielding my eyes from the light.

Silence.

Then a voice spoke, “are you the one who summoned me?” The voice was powerful and commanded respect. I open my eyes and see a being, a mix of fish and man standing before me. Its scales were the color of the sky, a light blue. “I asked you a question, mortal.”

“Oh forgive me,” I bow before him, “yes I am the one who summoned you.”

“Your name?”

“Alodar, my Lord.”

The demon scoffs, “My Lord. bah. did you summon me to patronize me?”

“No no I didn't. If I displeased you already please forgive me.”

The demon groaned. “You have picked a bad time that is all. I wish to be done with this business and be on my way. Tell me, why did you summon me?”

I raised my head and looked him in the eyes. “I summoned you to be my master.”

The demon gave a shocked look, “come again?”

I felt my face go red with embarrassment, “I am sorry if I displeased you with my reason, but I wanted you to be my master. I have been told that if you give your soul to a demon, the demon gives you command that needs to be filled.”

“You summoned a demon so you can be a servant?”

I nodded my head.

The demon laughed. “You would do that just to be commanded?” the demon's smile turned into a scowl, “do you think me a fool mortal!”

“But it is true,” I replied. “Please, I want a master. I want to serve someone.”

“Then become a servant to a human lord or whatever. I don’t need to,” the demon stopped and tilted his head. “What is that noise?”

“Huh?” I strained to hear anything, “I don’t-”

“Shush,” the demon walked to the window and put his head to the glass. After a few seconds he got angry, “that Bastard!” he spun around and punched the wall.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s Ogros! I can hear people chanting that Basterds name.”

“It might be the cultist you are hearing then. There are a lot around here that worships him. Is that a problem?”

“A problem? I am at war with the guy! Do you think that sounds like a problem to you?” the demon rammed his head into the wall.

“Is there anything I can do my lord?”

The demon doesn't even glance at me, “if you can take care of his cult, that would be great.”

My heart skipped a beat, “is that a command?”

“Yeah sure whatever.” he said dismissively.

“So we have a contract then?”

“Huh?”

 I approached the demon, “You said if I take care of the cultists, you would be my master then. So we have a deal, you are my master now?”

He looked unsure, “um yeah sure.”

“Yay,” I literally jumped for joy at the news. “I am here to serve, Master.”

“Okay then. Give me your hand.” I give him my hand. On the back of it a brand appeared, “this is my seal showing you that you are mine. When you wish to call me, redraw that glyph exactly and I'll answer.”

I look at the brand, “great. Oh do you have any-” i turn to see my master has disappeared. “Aw I want to see if he had any tips for me.”

Wait, no, I don't have time to be depressed. Master gave me a mission and I must see it through. I gather my things. Today ends my days of just surviving. Now i am going to live for the glory of my new master…

“Now that i think about it he never gave me his name.”