Binding Pact

It tastes blood in its mouth, stuck as a thing of flesh and bone as it is, from the fresh gap between its teeth. The tooth was plucked out in an instant and as surprising as it was, the pain was nothing more than novel.

Someone called it to this realm, someone tricked it, and what an unremarkable someone that was. A crude thing, using pliers and no sense of tact. Keeping the tooth in a vial around his neck is a nice touch, however. 

“You move ever so quickly,” it says, words catching on its teeth, leaden heavy with blood, “Are you not offering anything in return?”

“I don’t think you’re in any place to try to bargain.”

It scowls, already bristling at how limiting it is to be made flesh, no longer light and shadow, a glimmering shade in the air. And now it is beholden to someone utterly brainless? 

“This is not about bargaining,” it snaps, snarling, “You are meddling with rites you cannot possibly understand! Do you even know what you are doing?”

“Yeah,” the foolish man rolls his eyes, “You’re bound to me.”

It clicks its tongue against its remaining teeth, needle sharp, “Well, I suppose you could describe it that way.”

It is no stranger to wordplay, to how terms can be twisted around, looked at through a kaleidoscope of meanings, but it is not used to being on the other end of it. It scowls, watching the man standing across the room, trying to scry something from his expression.

“You are improper, and crude,” it continues, “And you skipped almost every other step leading up to this. The only redeeming quality you have is your tenacity and that will only carry you so far, especially when you are as selfish as you seem to be.”

The binding is sealed with blood and the only way out of it is with blood in kind. Usually, there is far more preparation, countless nights of courtship, the careful song and dance leading up to this moment. This is not something done lightly, though it would be a lie to say that the aching, empty hole where its tooth previously lay did not intrigue it ever so slightly.

“I don’t need someone to insult me!” The man crosses his arms, scowling, “I need someone who can do the kind of things I need them to!”

“That’s a pathetic reason to marry someone.”

“Marry?” The man blinks, “Marry?!”

“Well,” it rolls its eyes, “What did you think this was?”

What a shame, to be bound to someone so stupid. But it knows that it’s simply a matter of time before it’s over. The human man will die soon enough and then it can eat him and the bond will be broken.

“I summoned you,” he says, “That’s what I ‘thought’ this was.”

“And then you took a token from me. Foolish little man, it is improper to not give me a token in return. This is a mutual ceremony.”

It reaches out, trying to pluck a hair, or perhaps a nail, or a scrap of skin from the man, but he steps back in an instant, just outside of the border it’s contained within. At least, it won’t be compelled to remain by this man’s side if he won’t allow it outside of the space it was called to. And as soon as he does allow it out, it will figure out some way to free itself.

“Not so fast! Did you really think you’d be able to surprise me?”

It crosses its arms, scowling with blood-stained lips. The gap in its teeth still feels raw and strange, an unfamiliar newness.

Although, as foolish as this man is, he must have some level of prowess given that he was able to outwit it. Especially so as it now finds itself bound to a human form, just barely able to contain it. And it will stay that way, until it retrieves the token from its newfound spouse.

“Now, are you going to be nice so I can let you out of there or will you keep trying to kill me?”

“I cannot harm you,” it scoffs, “Not while you have part of me.”

But, if it can get a token from the man, then it will have a certain power over him as well. Although, it is uncertain how that power works if he has no nascent abilities of his own. It only knows how marriage works between its own kind, such a complicated and intimate ritual.

“Noted,” the man looks it over with a scrutinous eye, “So how does this work? Do I just, y’know, tell you what to do?”

“I am not under your thrall,” it snarls, lip curled, “We are simply bound together. It is a partnership.“

This is the highest level of trust between one another, giving part of oneself to someone. It hasn’t afforded much thought to the idea of marriage before, being as young as it is, barely a century old. But, it has watched others, carefully weaving cords of hair and ligament to hold a token close to one’s heart.

There is no such ceremony here. Just a demanding, slow-witted human with a great deal of ambition and hubris.

“But you have to do what I say, right?”

It purses its lips, thin and waxen, “If it suits me, I shall do what you ask of me. But it must entertain me or I shan’t have any interest.”

The man extends a hand towards it, “Well, I guess I can be amenable to that.”

It eyes the hand carefully, uncertain if another trick awaits it still. It shouldn’t allow itself to underestimate this man, although the idea of being outwitted by a mere human bristles at its pride. 

However, this particular human could be amusing for the next several decades, depending on his plans. Although it doesn’t have much say in the terms of this marriage, given the missing tooth, plucked lovelessly from its maw with a pair of pliers and lightning-quick hands.

It accepts the man’s hand. He pulls it quickly from the boundary where it was summoned, leaving it on unsteady footing outside of the area it was contained within.

“I think we’re going to get along extremely well,” he laughs.

“Perhaps we shall.”

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