Basics

"What was I saying? Ah, yes. Unlike normal demons around the world, oracles cannot be tamed, but they have been part of us Tamers since birth. On the other hand, a Tamer can own an unlimited number of Demons, but summon only one at a time, benefiting from its skill", Enatsu explained, figuring from Yoichi's gaze that he was hearing those things for the first time.

"I think I understand... so every demon, including Oracles, has some special skill', right?"

"Correct."

"And this skill is passed on to the Tamer, but only while the demon is by his side, one demon at a time."

"I see you remember quickly, Yoichi! Even if you have a confused look, it just seems like you're re-settling in!" Enatsu commented, satisfied with his memory recovery work.

"Above all, I'd say I'm a quick learner, but… this is fine..." Yoichi thought as a smile appeared on his face. "And how is it possible to train other demons? I mean, in addition to our Oracles. Do you have any more?" he asked aloud.

"Yes, I do. But I told you, I'm a tamer, that's true, yet I dedicated my life to commerce and trade, following in my father's footsteps... I've never been interested in exploration and fighting."

"Fighting?"

"Ahahaha! Wait a little, Yoichi, one thing at a time!" Enatsu chuckled, clearing his voice and resumed his narration. "Next to every city, village or place settled by us humans, there is a Crimson Lotus plantation, a flower capable of driving out evil demons. Yes, not all demons are as good and friendly as these two!" he commented again, arousing further interest in Yoichi.

"Not only is the Crimson Lotus the only type of Lotus growing in bushes, surrounded by large thorns, but it also has another peculiarity; these thorns, called Demon Spines or 'Demon Teeth', if deprived of the nettle liquid they are soaked in, they have the ability to trap the soul and body of demons inside them, allowing the Tamers to tame them and impose their will on them" he continued.

"How is the thorn of a flower able to trap the soul of a demon? " Yoichi asked, unable to believe those words.

"No one knows how. That flower is somehow older than humanity itself. It must have been born before the first men when the Ancient Demons still ruled Lumya," Enatsu mumbled, crossing his arms and looking up at the ceiling. "In any case, the procedure of catching a demon is not very simple and consists of several stages. The fight, the killing, the center of gravity, and the 'demon's whisper'."

"Mmh... okay...?"

"In a nutshell, after fighting a demon and defeating it, you have to stick the thorn in its center of gravity and trap its soul inside it. Once you get the demon's body, you and only you, will be able to hear its voice in your mind. It is precisely this voice that will whisper its real name to you, and thanks to it, you will be able to re-write its fate."

"Its real name? So, I just need to trap a demon in a strange thorn and know its name to command its actions? Well, that sounds pretty easy to me!" Yoichi jocked, beginning to think that maybe his end hadn't come yet.

"The real name of a demon is the most precious thing it has. Also, it's the only way you can get it back inside its thorn," Enatsu promptly replied, as his interlocutor scratched his head, trying to imagine the young trader's words put into practice. "Okay, let's do this way... it's much better if I give you a demonstration of what I'm saying. All right?"

"Um... yes. I think so."

"Well then. Zestrith!" Enatsu yelled, standing up.

After those words, Sora, his Oracle, released its volatile cry, closed its wings around its body and disappeared into nowhere. In an instant, the bird transformed into a strange aura of colourful light that jumped toward Enatsu, entering his chest.

"Where... where did it go?" he asked, panicking, "Sora's disappeared. You... did you call it back using its real name?" Yoichi gasped, standing up and taking a step back, not believing that his interlocutor had just used some kind of magic spell.

"Yes, right! Oracles don't need a Demon Tooth that contains them! They use our own body!" Enatsu explained, pulling something out of a small leather bag hidden under his linen shirt.

"Grr... screek!" the Nekage growled, looking at the bag and warning its master that it could sense the danger.

"Don't worry, Yoichi! It's normal for it to do that. It sensed that a new demon is about to be summoned!" the trader explained enthusiastically, who before Yoichi could answer, raised the Demon Tooth he had just grabbed upwards and stuck it in the wooden floor.

Under the incredulous eyes of the young farmer, that purple thorn, similar to a small dagger, created many thin purple bundles that spread throughout the floor, quickly widening as if they were the roots of a large tree.

After a few seconds, those roots vibrated and expanded upwards, emitting a shiny purple aura that thickened to give life to a well-defined and luminous shape.

When the light disappeared, that strange shape came to life: two elongated arms, equipped with long claws, were resting on the ground, while the sly body ended in a large beaver tail. Its strange beak and two small black eyes helped to give that demon just over 50 centimeters tall a comical look.

"Wow, that's cool! What is it?" Yoichi asked, fascinated after his Nekage had calmed down, realizing that the funny demon would not hurt anyone.

"It's a Moruba! I captured it about a month ago at Moonlake Plan. It's beautiful, is it?" Enatsu said, satisfied with exhibiting his demon, which was a kind of hybrid between a mole and a beaver.

"See? It doesn't look bad to me, it seems nice!" Yoichi said, turning to his pet and then approaching the Moruba, extending a hand towards it.

"Moo!" the wacky aquatic demon exclaimed, banging its tail twice on the ground and greeting Yoichi.