1 Starting from the Ground Up

On the dark streets of Vinholme, Istrana, a Ozin was shoved out of a house. Various people looked outside their windows before closing their curtains.

"And stay out blasphemer!" The man shouted as he slammed the door closed.

Ozin tried to open the door back open to no avail before realizing the man was set in his decision.

'Two days without the tithe payment and he kicked me out. We paid for that house and the tithe for the last eighteen years and this is what we got, an empty coin pouch and nothing to show for it.' Ozin sighed as he dusted off his clothes.

Ozin's parents, Ori and Zereth, were mages according to them although they were novices, they earned a decent living in their village through alchemy magic and metallurgy magic. The starting costs of a mage dissuaded most people from becoming one. Ozin's parents had to save for fifteen years as laborers and barely spending before Zereth could become one followed by Ori after five years of work and joining him during the Mana Scar War leaving Ozin to clean the house.

Zereth would often tell tales of his heroics in the Mana Scar War and how his scrying would allow for the bombardment of Istrana's enemies. Zereth would also tell how the outside world was dangerous and how Ozin should stay inside as long as possible. When his parents would head off to the current war, they made sure to stock the house full of food and water leaving Ozin to his own devices such as their various books on magic theory.

During the Magic Territory War, Ozin's parents changed becoming erratic and raving about their saviors and how their benevolent grace would save this world. Last week during the peak of their ravings, they left Vinholme without a trace leaving Ozin to foot the bill for the house's tithe.

'It sure would have been nice if they at least left some reagents or a wand for me, but there is no use complaining about that. I could find a job as a laborer but I would likely die on the streets after a while. People already envied my parents for becoming mages by happening to know the right people with the supplies.'

As Ozin walked down the street, Ozin could not but help take in its dingy appearance. The moonlit road was lined with dead fauna and weeds. People closed their curtains and blew out their candles while some had a look of disdain. The ire from the townsfolk was palpable.

'I guess after the Mana Territory War they really didn't even try to hide their faith from the Istranan Church and their people. Perhaps they were already hated but, I wouldn't know I barely went outside because of my studies.'

Amidst his thoughts, Ozin was too busy to notice he was now face down in the street. A dull pain slowly grew more intense from the back of his head before it surged once again.

Thwack.

Everything went black for a moment before Ozin's conscience returned and he opened his eyes. The bare room was made of stone and the lingering air was humid with the scent of iron. Across from him was a solid metal door, As he Attempted to move his arms to stretch but it was stopped by chains binding him to the wall.

'Well, looks like I am to be punished for what my parents have probably done. Just my luck.'

Chained to the wall there was not much for Ozin to do except wait for his captors to explain the situation.

"Hello? Would the person who kidnapped me politely explain themselves?" Ozin shouted at the door only to be met by silence.

"If you let me go I would be willing to be more cooperative!"

Ozin couldn't help but sigh, it seemed no one was going to answer him.

'Why are they doing this? Do they think I am useful for ransom? No, of course not I am a mage's apprentice at best and a slightly knowledgeable laborer at worst.'

What seemed like hours past, as Ozin stood and waited for any sign of a person to release him while occasionally shouting for someone to help him out. A subtle gnawing began to grow in his stomach and his throat parched. During the past few days the rations of what his parents left had grown short.

'Do they not even care for their prisoner? What is even the point of this? Perhaps to enjoy my suffering?' Ozin's mind continued to stir as his wrists began to become sore from the tight chains disturbing his train of thought.

Slowly exhausting his mind, Ozin attempted to fall asleep to avoid the coming pain of hunger and thirst. Through a state of fading unconsciousness and sudden wakefulness a day would pass and Ozin would have trouble continuing to call for help. His throat felt ragged and dry as a desert while his arms were sore from being held above his head for about a day.

'I would do anything to get out of this situation! Why did I listen to Zereth and Ori to stay in the house? I should have left to do something better than read about magic without the means to perform it. I curse them from the bottom of my heart for treating me as a servant. I mean like, what caused the changes in their personality from the last war and why didn't I consider doing anything until now.'

'Those changes are most likely what have led to this situation. As much as I hate to admit it I just wanted to remain in the house doing nothing because anything else took too much effort. For all I know and judging on the streets of Vinholme they just did what they thought was best but still.'

A dull red glow began to emit from the floor as it slowly stirred into a vortex. Out of the vortex a dark red hand reached out with sharp black nails that came to a point and pulled at the ground getting itself out of the vortex. It had dark red skin along with humanoid build and long sharp horns coming out from the top of its head. The creature had no hair and looked like it was drenched with blood that oozed from its pores.

"Finally! I have done it! Sweet cold and dampness how I have missed you." The creature proclaimed as it brushed of the blood on itself.

"What are you? How? What-." Ozin's befuddlement was cut short by the creature as it put its fingers to its thumb on Ozin's lips and piercing it shut. Blood flowed from Ozin's mouth as much as he tried to yell he couldn't due to his damaged throat from the day before.

"Shhhhhhhhhhh. You are ruining the moment a human could not possibly understand how getting out of Hell feels for a demon." The demon reveled in Ozin's pain and contempt as it indulged in its seeming euphoria.

"Alright, Alright, I am going to keep this short because I would rather not waste my time in this cell." Out of the vortex, the demon pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. Lifting one finger out of Ozin's punctured mouth, the demon dipped his quill in the hole before plugging it again. The demon flicked the quill upwards and the parchment unrolled itself and floated upwards as the demon began to write out the start of a contract.

"To put it shortly, I am a devil, a contract demon and probably one of the best demons to make a deal with. Sign here on this line and we can both be on our way and we can both leave this cell." The devil released Ozin's lips and shoved the quill into his mouth.

Ozin promptly spat the quill in the devils face along with a mouth full of blood. "And why should I believe you? You are obviously some sort of magical creature with something to gain from my loss. I cannot even read what that contract says."

"Sometimes I wish I were a different demon so I would not have to deal with mortals like this. Look brat, I could find anyone else willing to sign this you are just lucky I am in a good mood. So sign it or rot in this cell." The devil gestured for the quill to return to his hand and the devil proceeded to reinsert the quill in Ozin's mouth

'The magical theory books my parent's had brought home had no mention of demons let alone devils. I have no time to decide and no one to rely on.' Ozin roughly wrote his name on the line with his mouth, it being barely legible due to the amount of wobbling.

With a bright flash of light the contract disappeared, along with the chains binding Ozin. The devil grinned with his smile reaching his ears.

"Pleasure doing business with you I hope you enjoy your time down there." With a laugh the devil disappeared vanishing completely.

The vortex on the floor began to spin rapidly drawing Ozin into it as he fell into it vanishing from the cell along with the vortex.