Week 4: Tino/Søren

It had taken much care and preparation, but at last, Tino was set. He added the finishing touches to the pentacle carefully chalked in the middle of the floor, making sure not a single line or symbol was smudged or distorted. The slightest mistake could mean the end for him.

He stood and admired his work, the candles and (sometimes nefariously acquired) materials for the ritual. The remaining ingredient required to make this work was a splash of his own blood, and his squeamishness made him reluctant to cut his own palm for the purposes of the ritual. He stood staring nervously at the dagger in his hand, laying the edge to his skin before pulling it away again. With a sigh, he squeezed his eyes shut and swiftly ran the blade across his hand, yelping as it sliced into him.

Watching his blood drip into the pentacle's center, he began reciting the words he had memorised from an ancient book of spells and rituals, asking a creature from the beyond to come forth.

It felt like being woken from deep slumber, and in a way, Søren was. He hadn't been summoned for a long while, as his stronger and more famous (or infamous) fellow demons were far more popular. Not that he was weak, no, he had destroyed a few villages and haunted many men when magicians and summoners still remembered him. So frankly, this summoning was a surprise for him, though he couldn't tell if it was pleasant or unpleasant yet.

Søren gave in to the pull dragging him across the border, wondering who had summoned him, and for what purposes. Probably not destroying villages anymore.

With an earsplitting crack similar to a thunderclap, Søren emerged into the middle of the pentacle. The form he had chosen was very humanlike, but far from human. His teeth were huge yellow fangs, his face more canine than human. Twisted horns protruded from the top of his head and sharp black spikes from his spine formed a neat line along his back. The rest of his body was covered with smooth, hard scales the size of fingernails. It was difficult to define what colour they were. Huge, deadly-looking claws had replaced finger- and toe-nails. The only human looking features were his ruffled blonde hair and blue eyes.

He eyed his summoner curiously. He was a blonde, pale-looking boy. He looked pretty young, maybe a little too young to be summoning by himself.

"Søren the demon, at your service. So what do you need me for? Some nefarious plans perhaps? How old are you anyway?"

Søren inquired, grinning at the boy.

Tino was not all that sure of what to expect, seeing as this was his first time summoning anything. The gust of icy wind through the room, the boom of thunder that shook the floorboards, the odd smell that came with the summoned, all served to startle him, but he maintained outward composure. When he saw the actual demon in the pentacle, however, his heart skipped a beat. He could feel the blood draining from his face as he looked it up and down, and for the first time, he had serious doubts about his plan.

He wasn't quite sure what to do now. He hadn't known what the demon would be like, if it would be a sentient, intelligent creature or more akin to a wild beast. He had expected it to throw itself at the wards of the pentacle with all its ferocity, and half-expected that the magic would fail and he would end up dead. But now he had this monstrous creature before him, and it spoke. His mind scrambled to formulate a coherent answer.

"I-I'm nineteen," he managed to stutter out, then gave a full-body twitch and tried to continue. "I'm... You have a name?" he asked stupidly, and felt like kicking himself. Of course it had a name.

Søren eyed the stuttering boy. Nineteen? He was very young, barely old enough to summon at all, let alone a full-grown demon. Then again, the kid had some nerve. Søren had seen men much older crumple in fear before him, men much older had made mistakes and gotten eaten by him. Ah yes, the pentacle! In silence Søren started pacing the borders, scanning the lines and markings for any mistakes or smudges, glancing at the boy every now and then, with a malicious grin on his thin lips. After a thorough check, he spoke.

"You're young. Far younger than anyone who ever summoned me. I guess I ought to congratulate you, you have made no mistakes. A shame really, you look rather tasty. As to names, of course I have one. Is this your first summoning or what? Who's your teacher? You should know we all have names. We aint some brainless beasts. We are all unique in power and skill, just like you people. So what's your name, boy?"

"I-I've never done this before. I wasn't even sure it would work... I don't have a teacher, I tried this all on my own. I was afraid you would eat me because I screwed up and you escaped. Um, it's nice to meet you... I'm... I'm Tino. A-and I'm not that young. I'm old enough to work this summoning by myself. I'm strong enough." The success in the summoning was making him bold, and though he wondered if he shouldn't have revealed his name to the demon, he was willing to risk it.

"Is this w-what you always look like? It's...a little disturbing, in all honesty." Understatement of the century. The beast was terrifying, and he could hardly look at it for more than a few moments at a time. Its - his - eyes were strange, though, an attractive blue and unusually human in appearance, strikingly different from the rest of his monstrous form. "Aren't you demons at least partly incorporeal? Can't you make yourself look a little less..." The boy gestured vaguely. "Demonic?"

"So you have never summoned anything before? It's a wonder this worked! And no teacher! My, the world has changed in a thousand years. But at least you know something. You are very lucky, because if there had been even a slightest mistake, I would indeed have broken out and eaten you, cherising every piece of your tender, young human flesh, Tino. Tino," Søren spoke the name, as if experimenting with it's taste and feel in his mouth, "I take it is your real name?"

Søren suspected that Tino had no idea what he could do with his real name, and had willingly and without thought given the demon his real name. Poor kid, that boldness caused by his succes would soon be wiped off by his carelessness, if this was the case. He was soon nudged out of his thoughts by another question from Tino.

"For your knowledge, I have no true form. The place in which I 'live' in, accross the border, has no form. But that is far too complicated for humans to even try and understand. But this form you call disturbing, is the form I usually use here. I may transform into what I wish, but it consumes power."

Hazy, foglike smoke filled the room, covering Søren and most of his surroundings. A faint sound, like a snake slithering on a wet surface, could be heard, and the fog started to fade, revealing a rather different Søren. His face and body were of a tall young man, and he was wearing a long black coat with the sleeves pulled up, black jeans and black boots with laces. He hadn't given up his fangs, and his arms were still covered in scales. He looked at Tino with the same blue eyes as before, and ruffled his shock of blonde hair.

"This undemonic enough for you? Why have you summoned me anyway?"

The demon's description of what could have happened made Tino swallow uncomfortably. He clenched and unclenched his hands, feeling his palms slick with sweat and blood. The pan in his left hand helped him focus.

"Yes, Tino is my real name. I think it's only fair, since you told me yours. And I would prefer to keep us on an even footing, just in case. " Tino fidgeted and glanced down at the floor. Giving his name, out of common politeness, to a demon was certainly not the wisest move he'd made, and he prayed it wasn't his last. All he wanted was to keep on the creature's "good" side until they worked something out.

The smoke that billowed through the room as Søren shifted his form made the boy cough. His eyes watered, and he swiped the tears away to clear his vision once the haze dissipated. As soon as he could see Søren again, he gave him a once-over. This form was a great improvement over the last. For starters, he could stand to look at the demon for longer than a few seconds at once, and it was much easier on the eyes. He was even, Tino admitted, rather attractive. The boy forced himself to remember that no matter how attractive he made himself appear, Søren was evil, and had expressed a desire to eat him, body and soul. The scales on his arms and his fangs were proof that he was something inhuman.

"Yes, that's much better... As for the reason I called you here, I have something I need to do, and I want you to help me do it. I am willing to...to make a deal, if that is what you require."

"Fair?" Søren laughed, and it was nowhere near a pleasant laugh, "Fair?! You think you can play fair with a demon? You're naive! I wouldn't believe you were nineteen if you hadn't told me! Even footing indeed! A demon and a human will never have even footing! You can't use my real name for your advantage, but I can use your true name in a few very useful ways. Your real name is a shield for me against you. I am completely out of your control, unless restricted inside this pentacle. Once you let me out, I may do as I please, except eat you. The only reason for me to spare you is because once let out, you are the only one who can get me back into this pentacle. With your name, Tino, I can force a bond to form between us. No matter what you attempt to summon, I will always appear. Soon you will only want to summon me. I will become your only demon. With your name, I could haunt you, refuse to leave this world. Or I could become your ally, live here with you until you die."

Søren grinned. The boy sure wouldn't feel too comfortable now, and just to emphasize his words, the demon walked right to the edge of the pentacle, in front of Tino, and ran his tongue over his lips, fixing his eyes on the boy. He wasn't sure if he'd actually form a bond with this kid, he would have to find out more first, and getting a human addicted to a demon wasn't exactly a piece of cake.

"Humans enjoy seeing their kind. I've seen enough of you people to know that. Anything out of ordinary disgusts you, terrifies you." Søren ran his left hand along his right arm, smoothing down his scales, and grinned, giving a good show of his fangs, "A deal you say? In this situation, a deal is inevitable. If I help you, as you request, what will you give to me in return? What are you willing to give away?"

Tino listened to the demon's words, becoming increasingly displeased by the moment. A small frown fixed itself on his face and he waited patiently for the creature to finish before speaking up, dropping all pretense of politeness and courtesy.

"You honestly think I would do this without some form of failsafe to be sure you couldn't manipulate me into your slave?" he asked calmly. "You think I'm that naïve? I may not have tried this before, and I may not have a teacher, but I've read about your kind extensively in preparation for this. I even learned a few of your languages. I could speak a single curse and have you burning in hellfire. You creatures come up with some of the most charming ways to destroy one another. You can't kill me because you want to go home eventually. This world will drain you to nothing otherwise. And forcing a bond won't benefit you in any way unless you can control me long enough to make it work."

Tino straightened his shirt absently. It wasn't an ideal situation, but he could make this work. His name had been a gesture of good faith, and if the thing felt like abusing it, he would have to resort to more drastic measures. Hellfire, binding, and other painful, power-sapping curses, created by demons for use on demons when in the physical world, were his only method of retribution and control. Unless he could provide a deal appealing enough to the demon that it simply accepted the terms of its current bondage and worked with him.

The boy's eyes abruptly went cold, becoming violet ice in a matter of moments. "There are people I want taken care of. Powerful people. Without you, I won't be able to find them, or destroy them. If you help me accomplish my tasks, I'll give you my soul. As for the souls of those I hunt, feel free to take them, as shriveled and black as they are. If you refuse... I will deal with you as I see fit."

What the boy said shocked Søren. He had never even thought of the possibility, that this kid wasn't as stupid as he seemed. For the fist time in thousands of years, he was afraid, thoug he made sure not to show it to Tino. Grinning outwardly, cowering inwardly, he weighed his chances. He had fought many other demons, and knew far too well what the curses did, and did not wish to experience the pain again, if possible. He cursed himself for underestimating the brat.

"Looks can be deceiving, it seems. You sure have proved it, brat. You have done your homework well, too well for my liking. Rest assured, I will not be eager to work for you too often. My, those crude demonic words will seem very out of place falling from those pretty lips of yours."

Søren knew flattery and charming words wouldn't work, as Tino would see through them in an instant, but it never hurt to try. He was in no position to throw insults, as he had lost the upper hand in a matter of seconds, or more accurately, never had truly had it to begin with. He listened to the boy and his offer. To be honest, he felt happy to get to destroy humans again, and Tino's soul for the work was not bad at all. He laughed harshly.

"Why would I refuse the chance of tasting human flesh once again, and your soul, offered to me as payment for my work? A fool would turn down such an offer, though I take the task has its dangers?"

Tino smiled at the demon's acquiescence, a bright, sweet smile that better fit his presumed naivete that the cleverer hand he'd just revealed.

"I like being prepared. You never know what kind of trouble you may get in when you stumble into something blindly. And I'm glad you find my lips so pretty, because you're going to be taking orders from them for some time."

Idly, the boy wondered just what the demon was thinking behind that wicked grin. It probably wanted to peel the flesh from his bones. Either that, or it was just waiting for him to blow it to hell. It was nice to have the upper hand, for the first time in so long.

"Yes. It does have its dangers. The people I hunt are more powerful than I, with infinitely more skill. Odds are, they will have their own monsters on their payrolls. So I decided not to take any of them on without finding something strong enough to hit back. I did some research before I came upon a book with an entry about 'The Scourge of the North, the Twisted, the Destroyer of Souls'... Or whatever such title people gave you instead of a name back in the day. You came recommended as one of the best-kept secrets of the Viking Age. I'm surprised you don't show up more often in the modern era. They wrote some fascinating tales about you."

The smile Tino had on his face now seemed twisted and dark to Søren, though it looked like the most innocent curve of lips ever. Sadly, he knew better now. He wasn't sure which situation was better, but seeing all the cards now saved him from nasty surprises during the task. He hoped Tino had no more up his sleeve.

"How does your mother stand you? Prepared, you say? Good that at least someone is. You know, I always stumble in the dark. I never know who's summoning me, thus I can never be prepared. But I doubt you would give us monsters much thought. And orders, I will be happy to take them from you, as long as the deal holds."

Søren wondered what the boy was like to other humans. He was certain this one liked to keep others believing he was what he looked, nice, innocent and naive. He opened his mouth, but stopped himself just in time. Tino mightn't take questions concerning his sexuality too well.

"Other demons? None aquaintances of mine, I hope. But I am willing to fight any who attempt to stop us." Søren hissed in displeasure, he suspected he was going to get hurt, "I wondered why you chose me. I've rested for hundreds of years, and now a pesky nineteen year-old disturbs my sleep. They gave me many names, some very descripteve, if you ask me, though I'll refrain from reciting any now. I was very popular back then, I was used by and against the vikings, and I developed quite a taste for human flesh. It resulted all you've read of. I do not know if you understand, but I am very proud of my reputation. Nowadays, I guess I'm not very fashionable. People want tasks completed with more brains and less blood, and the gruesome demise of their enemies is not a pleasant sight anymore." Søren sighed. The world had changed too much for his liking.

Tino sighed, wrapping his hand in a strip of cloth from his pocket. This had gone considerably better than he'd expected. Now, he just needed to seal the deal with the demon and start hunting. Revenge had been a dark, nebulous thing in the back of his mind for so long, but it was finally taking a proper form, and that form was standing in the pentacle in front of him. And looking damn attractive the more Tino observed him. Even with the fangs and scales.

He smiled and stared down at his sliced palm, wrapped in black fabric. "My mother hasn't had to stand me in over five years. As for preparation, I can give you minimal information about the people I'm after, but other than the little pieces I know, we're in the dark."

Tino was used to putting on a bit of a mask for other people, but the demon didn't care what mask he wore, so he didn't feel the need to pretend. While he could be a genuinely sweet person, his innocence and naivete had been killed along with everyone he loved.

"I'll try to keep us out of too much trouble. It wouldn't do me any good to get you maimed or killed," Tino explained matter-of-factly. "Then I would have to go through all the trouble of finding a new demon and start this whole process over from scratch." He studied the demon calmly. "I apologise for disturbing you, but you seemed perfect for the services I require. With all the terrible things you were responsible for, you've become adept at performing mass executions in some of the most unpleasant ways... I really don't mind that you're such a bloody, vicious killer."

"When we deal with these people, the more blood, the better."

"Sometimes the little pieces are enough." Søren hoped they were relevant, but Tino didn't seem to be one to gather useless information. The demon also decided it was best not to talk of the boy's mother, neither of the rest of his family. He wondered what had happened? Did it have something to do with the task ahead? That brought his thoughts back to destroying again.

Søren laughed. This kid sure was sharp, and his coldness didn't seem as bad now. After all, that would provide him some dinner. "You'll have trouble finding someone as good as me, though I'm afraid we'll, or I'll run into trouble, whatever you do. Powerful people have powerful demons. I am not very popular among them because of my reputation. Might turn into a fight."

"You don't mind my violent ways? Waking up seems to have been worth it after all. Anyway, sleep too long and you may never wake up. Better to get reduced to powder here than just fade away. Your words please me. I promise to spill as much blood as I can, in the most horrid ways I can come up with. But I'd rather do that in my more demonic form, if you wouldn't mind. You can always close those eyes of yours. Shall we seal this deal?"

"I doubt I'll need to close my eyes," Tino whispered to nothing.

"We shall," he answered the demon, stepping forward and breaking a symbol to release the creature from his pentacle. "In blood, I presume."

The boy fidgeted with the cloth on his wounded palm, ready to do whatever was required to make their agreement binding, until such time as both parties received their end.

Søren caught the whisper, but didn't feel like bugging the boy about it. Tino would most probably want witness the demise of his enemies.

Delighted, the demon stepped out of the pentacle. "In blood, yes. You need to give me a little of your blood, from your free will of course. The blood is our connection, if either breaks this deal, the other can punish him through it."

Søren stepped closer to Tino, grinning eagerly. He held out his right hand to the boy. "I take you already have an open wound? Shall I lick the blood off you or do you wish to drip a few drops onto my hand?"

"All right." Tino unwrapped his still-bleeding hand, holding it out to the demon. "Does this work for you?"

"It works fine." Søren sniffed the scent of blood in the air for a few seconds, and grabbed Tino's arm into his hands. He bent his head to the wound on the boy's palm, and slowly licked the blood off. After he had had enough, the demon let Tino's arm go.

"The deal is now sealed with your delicious blood." Søren licked his lips, "Who shall I devour first?"

Tino stared as the demon lapped blood from his would like a cat. It felt...odd, sick but pleasant at the same time, and despite how painful the wound had been, Søren's tongue was soothing against it. When the demon pulled away and released him, Tino let out a soft sigh.

"Come with me." Tino turned and strode out the door of the attic and down the narrow stairway. He stepped out into a warm, well-furnished room, headed down a hall, and entered a study. The shelves were packed with books, and more were scattered open on the massive wooden writing desk, books detailing rituals and the creatures or happenings they summoned. Tino brushed these aside and pulled out a piece of paper that had obviously suffered much abuse, folding and unfolding, the inside of many a pocket, and a stain of tea. He handed the paper to Søren.

"These are three of the ones I am after."

Søren followed the boy out into the staircase, and stopped for a few seconds. The room they had entered took the demon by surprise. He hadn't expected Tino to live in a place so... homely, and yet he somehow imagined it to be so. Quickly he followed the boy through a hallway into a study. This time he saw what he expected, books. He guessed the contents of the books on the desk before he saw them. Turning his attention back to Tino, hee took the paper he was offered. Reading it, his grin spread wide.

"Very good. Shall I start tracking immediately?"

"This is my home, and this is where you'll be staying until our deal has been settled. As soon as the last of them is dead, you'll get your end. I wasn't planning on lasting long after they were gone, anyway..." Tino murmured, running his hand across the pages of an open book. "I would appreciate it if you took a slightly more...socially acceptable form. Something a little less...stand-outish? As lovely as you look, people are going to notice the fangs and scales eventually."

"Feel free to begin the hunt. The one at the top will be the easiest to find. He lives in the middle of the city, actually."

(Should I make up names?)

"Pleasant, I guess, judging by human opinion. As a demon, I really don't care what the place is like. And you know, I don't necessarily have to kill you to get your soul... But if you so wish, I can leave you dead. Is it enough, if I remove my scales and fangs?" and without waiting for an answer, the demon transformed. He didn't bother with the smoke. His scales and fangs seemed to melt, scales to skin, fangs to human teeth. He turned his eyes back to Tino. "Better"

"Yes, the name has a strong scent..." Søren hissed, and started sniffing the air like a dog.

(if you want, please)

"Thank you, I think. If you want, you can have any room in the house." Tino slammed a book shut on the desk. "I'm perfectly aware that you don't need to kill me, but I really don't foresee a need to be alive, once I get what I want. As a matter of fact...you wouldn't even need to do anything." He smiled faintly at the demon's transformation and touched one toned forearm on impulse. "Much better. At least I can take you out in public without causing a scandal or an emergency."

"Olivier Touissant... I'm not surprised. He's a rotten, filthy liar, a traitor and even I can smell him from a mile off. He wears far too much cologne, because he rarely bathes. French, you know."

Once again, Søren found himself surprised. A human who wanted to die after having things his way? Not that the boy hadn't provided any surprises, but this was almost shocking. Maybe it was some human thing demons didn't really have, like consiense. "Well that's your business. Weird, though. Never run into anything like you. But you've proved to be the biggest exception."
The demon chuckled at the thought of causing a scandal, but realized going incognito would be the best option in his current situation. "Pleased to hear that. I do miss my fangs already..."

"He sounds as unpleasant as he smells. Frenchmen have never been my favourite type. Shall I go outside to search?"

Tino fidgeted a bit awkwardly under the demon's gaze. He hadn't imagined his decision to be to surprising, since once this was accomplished, he had absolutely nothing to live for. "Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

"You'll get your fangs back when it's time to do your job. Not to worry." His hand slipped from the creature's arm. "You'll probably need them."

"Yes, feel free to start." Tino took out a pocketwatch, checking the time. "When you find something, report back to me."