• I Just Summoned the End of the World

    How long had it been since I had last been summoned?
    Ages-- no, millenniums. So try to imagine my utter shock, and yes, even minor horror, when I felt that all too familiar tug at my being, that irresistible urge that pulled me from my world into that distant, cursed place I had vowed to never step foot in again.

    Unfortunately for me, the Laws of Summoning don't seem to have any respect for vows, so when the final word of command was uttered and rang out loud and clear through the now wrenching, heaving heavens of my world, I had no choice but to obey.
    It was with reluctance that I went, nevertheless. I fought the cosmic pull that dragged me through the planes of existence with every fiber of my being, despite the extreme pain it caused me. My efforts were to no avail, unfortunately, for in the end, as always, the ancient magic that had birthed me still held power over my being. I succumbed to the force, and exploded into the material realm with enough force to blow apart the room I materialized in, and send my unsuspecting summoner flying through the air until they crashed into the wall behind them.
    I, however, had bigger problems to worry about.
    I stumbled in my pentacle, almost loosing balance but not quite. For the first few seconds I was disoriented, confused, and in terrible pain. I gasped, my mouth and lungs working frantically, trying to remember how to breath. My body spasmed once, twice, then calmed down. I figured out where my eyes were and opened them, squinting against the remnants of the bright flash of light that had filled the room moments before. I grit my teeth against the pain in my head, my arms, my chest, and looked down at my new body.
    It was interesting. A man's form, muscled, golden brown skin, and a white cotton wrap around my waist, in the old Egypt style.
    I had forgotten what it was like to have a body like this. Of course, I did have my own in my world, but it was... different than a human's body. In fact, our forms don't even exist on the same plane. Which meant that while in the human realm, I was forced to assume a physical shape.
    And it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. It felt a little like trying to stuff yourself in a full body suit that is several sizes too small. All of my extremities felt heavy, as if they were weighted down, and moving them felt like trying to run in water. I flexed my fingers, watching the knuckles turn white as I clenched my fist. The pain was beginning to subside now, and I could finally concentrate fully on my current situation.
    Only a few short seconds had passed, but my summoner, a girl as it happens, was already stirring. She was slouched against the far wall, and I could see a small trail of blood dripping from where she had evidently hit her head. I watched her in interest, but made no move to help her. I couldn't, even if I had wanted to. For now, I was trapped inside the pentacle, unable to leave unless I was commanded to do so by my master.

    ...Not that I did want to help her, mind. I wasn't particularly fussed if she was hurt. In fact, the worse the injury, the better. For me, anyways.
    If she died, I'd be freed, allowed to return back from whence I came, and hopefully never, EVER have to be summoned again.
    Ever.
    But unfortunately, she didn't seem all that hurt. She propped herself up on her elbows, her eyes opened wide as saucers, and stared directly at me. She shut her eyes tightly, waited for a few seconds, then opened them again, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
    Admittedly, I was puzzled at her behavior. She was acting as though she'd never seen a summons before, which was ridiculous since it isn't possible to just go around and "accidentally" draw a pentacle and recite cursed spells and bring a Spirit into the world without knowing what you're doing.

    ...But then again, I don't think anybody had been summoned in an awfully long time. Time isn't parallel in the human realm and my own, but I had the creeping feeling that it had been a very, very long time since the last war I had fought in.
    I would have pondered over this little predicament further, but I was broken out of my musings by a light cough from beside me. Startled, I turned, and found myself face to face with another man.
    Or demon, I should say, though it was in the form of a man at the moment. He stared back at me with wide, puzzled eyes.
    "What... what happened? Why have we been called?" He asked hoarsely in the Old Language.
    "I've no idea." I croaked back, a little shocked to feel my new vocal cords purring in my throat as I spoke the words. I didn't know this demon-- or perhaps I did. We didn't bother with that sort of nonsense back Home. We just existed, as individuals, and as a whole all at once. It wasn't until we were forced into the human world that trouble started. Alliances, betrayals, friends made, enemies too, revenge, plotting, and scheming. Things get messy. So I kept a wary eye on the Spirit as I turned back to my new master.

    It was strange though. Why had two demons been summoned into one circle?