A Bargain Struck

Sebastian wanted Arthur to stay to help provide support until a temporary framework of leadership for the organization could be implemented, but the smaller man was stubbornly intent on undertaking the ritual in the book. Sebastian decided to allow Arthur the opportunity to attempt, under the condition he be escorted by a protector.

Arthur argued against any such necessity but realized Sebastian would not yield, so he capitulated. The man selected as escort was Oleg Grigori, a Dedicant of lesser standing within the organization. A former Spetnaz operative with front line combat experience in Chechnya, he was highly trained and capable in his role as escort/bodyguard.

Arthur’s location was a confluence of ley lines in a remote and unpopulated area in Colorado west of Denver. There were utility roads off I70 that would allow them to get close to the location.

Arriving near the GPS location, Arthur instructed Oleg to help carry the materials for the ritual, nearly a quarter mile from the road to an area suitable to complete the task. The Russian did as bade and being younger, bigger, and stronger was able to get the materials to the site in a single trip.

“Return to the car and wait for me, I’m am uncertain how long this may take,” ordered Arthur.

Oleg nodded compliance and left.

The location was ideal. Secluded and sheltered from prying eyes, Arthur would be able to complete the ritual without fear of witnesses. The directions provided by Vivienne required him to construct two circles each encompassing another smaller circle. The first circle was to be eight feet in diameter, the other thirty five feet in diameter. Each to be laid out using a granular mixture of specific ingredients mixed in a very particular order. In the space between each of the circles, he was required to construct several sigils. He meticulously followed out the instruction laid out by Vivienne. Evaluating his handiwork as compared to the illustrations, he smiled, he was ready to begin the ritual.

Walking into the smaller circle and closing it behind him by connecting the broken edges with the mixtures of powder and sand, he opened the book and began to intone the spell. Almost immediately, the line work of the larger circle began to glow, a pale incandescence in the dusk night air. He watched in fascinated awe as the ground around the clearing began to alter, like another place was superimposed over top of this reality, two places juxtaposed and co-existing simultaneously. A figure began to manifest inside the larger circle, as if taking form from some amorphous cloud. As more and more of the figure began to take shape, he realized it was a female of utterly gigantic proportions. She appeared very humanoid, except for her dimension. She had long dark hair, held back from her oval face with multiple braids. Her eyes glowed a golden yellow and appeared featureless without iris or pupil as she seemed to be looking down on him. She possessed a small button nose over a plump set of cherry stained lips. Her body was exceptionally shapely, large perfect breasts with small erect ruby nipples prominent on her chest. Her narrow waist flaring out curvaceously into her hips and long shapely legs.

Interlocking her fingers, she raised her arms over her head and stretched languidly. He was bereft of words, gazing up at this stunning woman. Unclasping her hands she brought them down and crossed her arms in front of herself. He noticed the nails on her hands, each at least the size of the spade on a common shovel, appeared to be lacquered a glossy black. He wasn’t certain what type of entity he had imagined would have responded to the summons, but he definitely was not expecting anything like her.

She examined the markings of the circle bordering the perimeter of the circle she was within, then she looked at the circle he was standing in, finally her golden eyes fell on him, lips parting into a smile that revealed perfect white teeth except for two small slightly elongated canine teeth. He felt as a mouse might in the presence of a lioness, he was grateful for the power of the protective circle.

Crouching down low, she spoke. “Who is it that would summon me?” she asked in a voice seductive and alluring, something out of an adolescent male’s fantasy.

“I have summoned you. I am Arthur Thelwell, you may call me Master. Hereto and forthwith you are bound by this intonation to do my bidding, lest I cast you back from whence you came,” he commanded, voice measured but calm.

Hearing the words, she nodded, smile still on her beautiful but large face.

“You will supplicate yourself before me,” he ordered authoritatively.

“Go on,” she encouraged, reaching toward him and placing her left index finger, slightly longer than he was tall, on one of the symbols in the circle protecting him and wiped it and the edge of his circle away.

He frowned. “Give me your name,” he demanded.

She smiled anew. “My formal name is Za’harina Adzera, but you can call me Zara,” she answered, then rubbed out another mark in his circle.

“Stop that,” he directed.

She leaned back slightly and put a mock serious expression on her face, “Stop that,” she parroted.

“I command you to swear an oath of fealty to me, pledging your will to mine,” he instructed, following the directive laid out in his translation.

“No,” she replied, turning her right hand over to examine the ebony color of her nails.

“But I, as your master, command it!” he barked.

“So,” she replied nonchalantly, lowering her hand and looking back to him.

“You must submit to me!” he yelled, growing increasingly frustrated.

Leaning forward, she swiped away the front edge of his protection circle, clearing both outer and inner lines and the protective devices between. “I’m sorry, you were saying?”

“That shouldn’t be,” he commented, almost absently. Thumbing back through Vivienne’s pages, he re-read the instructions. “I did the spells exactly as the book directs,” he said, looking up at her.

She stood upright again, twisting and stretching.

Arthur remained frozen, looking up the length of her svelte body. To his estimation, she must have been at least 130’ tall. Stretch finished, she looked back down on Arthur, still inside the remnants of his protective circle. Stepping almost directly over him, she knelt down and set her bottom on her heels, a knee to either side of his tiny circle. Putting her hands on her knees, she fixed him with her gaze.