The Phoenix Contract

"...You want to form a contract with me?" the bird echoed quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah...what do I have to do in order to make you accept my offer?"

The bird then laughed like a little human girl, and even covered her beak with one of her wings. "What makes you think you have any right to even propose forming a contract with me, a phoenix? I rule over all other beasts within this realm, you know. I can help you form a contract with someone else, but I myself have no intention of becoming a mere human's slave."

"Slave? That's a quite...demeaning way of putting it," I replied awkwardly. "You see, this is the first time I'm forming a contract with a beast. I don't really know how other Summoning Magic users do things, but I can guarantee I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."

The bird raised an eyebrow. "It's your first time? Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah...something wrong?"