XIII. Dark & Lust.  

"You brought Elves this time?" Elfric snorted. The strap falling down his shoulder to hang aimlessly at his wrist. A second look at them made him question his own words, they looked every bit human but what just happened made him question that.

"Not exactly," Zeph confessed, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the two men behind him. One of them had a sword hanging on his back, dark hair that was similar to the color of his eyes. His face was stripped of any emotion that a human could give, while the other stood with his hands crossed over his chest. A cheesy smirk spread across his face as if the only thing that was stopping him from leaping forward was the redhead between Elfric and him.

"They are every bit human," said Zeph. "Just with a little touch here and there."

"What?" Elfric uttered.

"Come on for Fuck's sake," said the man with the creepy smirk while running a hand through his hawk dark gray hair. Elfric was more stunned with his fangs that were longer than any human he has ever seen.

"Ash…" Zeph mumbled under his breath loud enough for the man called Ash to hear him. "You only make a move when I say so, and I didn't give you permission to come out yet."

"Oh please," Ash scoffed. "I'm not your little hound that you leash and unleash as you please Zeph."

"Oh, I'm not but I am right under the one that can," Zeph hissed. Elfric could see the way that he was unpleased with the whole situation. Maybe even more than Elfric did. But right now, Elfric had no time to worry about all these men quarreling with each other, he had his own mess to deal with.

Elfric was lucky to get away from the last time but he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be that lucky this time. Not when he was up against…them. A feeling inside him was telling him that they were in another league compared to the men from before.

Elfric saw how Ash snorted as he stood down. Whatever Zeph meant by his words, it worked in making him stand down. Elfric was thankful for those extra minutes that it brought him. If he was going to summon Orathan anyway, then he might as well do it now.

'Orathan, if you are there then this would be a great time for you to show up,' Elfric called out inside him as he closed his eyes even though he might lose his head at any moment now.

And before he could beg anymore, he felt it happening…he saw it happen. Everything came to a stop, time stopped. Everything was on pause. Elfric watched as the 3 men in front of him came to a stop, looking like puppets on a string. Somehow he found himself calm through it all and waited for it, and it was before long that he saw that dark silhouette forming before him.

He still got the chills as he watched a shadow stand in 3-dimensional space, looking right at him as if he was a living thing…Elfric couldn't even decide if he was an entity or was he just something that took the form of whatever or whoever he posses.

"It didn't take you long to decide, Elfric Woods," Orathan said, the voice was coming from thin air echoing in Elfric's chest.

"I would really appreciate it if you stopped appearing…naked in front of me," said Elfric. "Don't you…have a form?"

Orathan chuckled, he saw the way his shoulder rocked from the intensity of it and it still gave him the creeps. He saw how the silhouette's head looked over its shoulder. "I think my form is the least of your worries right now," he stated. "But…" he stopped. Shifting forms as if he changed his clothes. Again Elfric was standing before himself – or that was what it looked like.

"If this makes it more comfortable for you then it's the least I can give you," said Orathan. "Now, did you make up your mind?"

Elfric took a deep breath with his eyes closed, waiting to see if he was going to step back now that he was really taking the step but no. All he could see behind those closed lids was pure determination to wipe them out.

He nodded once.

"I'll do it," Elfric answered. "I will take your power for my own greed, to fulfill my own goals."

"That's a nice step," said Orathan. "Very nice indeed. But now again, what is it that you want too bad that you would trade your soul with?" he took a couple of steps, closing the distance between the two duplicated bodies.

"I want power," said Elfric. "Power to overthrow those who abuse their power. I want to make this world a better place."

Orathan chuckled and it gradually turned into a loud laugh that echoed around the dimension that they were locked in. Clearly, he was mocking Elfric's words. "I don't see anything worth laughing off," he stated.

"Oh, please excuse me!" said Orathan. If his voice was one thing then it would be exciting. The pure satisfaction in his eyes was something that Elfric could only see in the hunter's eyes as he played with his prey knowing that it was going to end up in his cage sooner or later…but later was always the best. He could have his share of a laugh before having his ego satisfied.

"I have been asked to do a lot of things but…I was never asked to make the world a better place!" He exclaimed. "You amuse me, Elfric Woods! You caught my attention back then and you haven't proved me wrong since." His eyes were dark with lust. It was nothing less than terrifying. Watching lust being reflected back at you through your own eyes.

It made Elfric realize just what he was dealing with, which made him believe that what he wants was something not impossible – well not anymore.

"I never said that I want you to do it for me," Elfric stated destroying any hope for Orathan to think of him as easy prey. "I'm not very fond of the way you take all over me, leaving me in some locked vessel as you have had your share of fun."

"Do you have any other way where you reach your goal without that, Elfric Woods?" he crossed his arms over his chest, amusement was vibrant in the color of his eyes that were a duplicate to Elfric.

"You give me your power," Elfric said, locking gaze with his own eyes. "Don't overwhelm me with them. Teach me."

Orathan scoffed in disbelief.

"You can't do that?"

"Not that I can't," Orathan replied, hating that he was being underestimated. "It's a question of, can you handle it?"

"Then we are set," Elfric exclaimed, holding his hand out to seal the contract. To tie himself down to his own cause. The cause was residing inside him somewhere and it started floating the minute he felt that he had what it takes to do it.

Orathan looked at Elfric's held-out hand and then back at his face. He could help but laugh sadistically. "THAT LOOK!" he covered his mouth as he felt himself numb with the pleasure. "That look of determination! The will to fight that you humans have with your short lives and weak bodies! It surpasses even those of demons, making us wonder why God gave you such a thing when you are a race of weaklings."

As he ended his breakdown of pleasure, he leaped forward jumping right at Elfric leaving him no time to react, pinning him to the ground with a hand griping harshly over his face. The feeling of the human heart pulsing in Elfric veins reminded him of the fun that is awaiting him with this little unusual summoner. The summoner had no idea that it was him in the first place.

"You…" Orathan breathed out as he kept his firm grip over Elfric's face. "Me…we are now bond till you satisfy that greed of yours. You offered me a soul and I will gladly take it, Elfric Woods…"

"With this…our bond is made."

Light burst out of Elfric's shirt, a burning fire that was burning down into the skin on his chest. Engraving the seal of the devil onto his body, marking him to be forever in bond with the devil. He screamed in pain, he figured that that was the least of it. The pain was going to be with him forever, that was the bigger price of the contract.

His hands grabbed onto Orathan who was on top of him, pinning him down as he enjoyed watching the seal engrave itself on his skin.

"Your soul is now mine," Orathan whispered lustfully in Elfric's ears, his hot breath sending shivers down his spine as he tried to recover from the burning pain.

"G-Get off me," Elfric struggled to sit upright, shoving his duplicate off his body. "I never said I would give you *my* soul."

Orathan blinked in confusion. "Are you making sick jokes now that I'm tied to you, Elfric Woods?"

"Do I look like a humorous guy to you, Mr. Satan?" Elfric growled as he pulled himself to his feet.

"I can't understand you, humans, when you talk like that," Orathan frowned.

"You want a soul…it's none of your business whose soul I will be selling."