Amara listened to the haughty tones of the barn owl’s explanation with narrowed eyes as it flew up onto the table, looking down at her with what appeared to be no small amount of condescension and disdain. She could feel her strength returning to at last, though far too slowly, and Amara pushed herself to her feet. Her vision was momentarily spotted with black, causing her to stumble, but she supported herself with one hand against a bookshelf, waiting for the nausea to pass.

There was a terrible sinking feeling within her as she listened to the barn owl. It said she had called upon it, and Amara’s worst suspicions were realized with haunting clarity. She slowly grabbed the necklace that now hung from around her neck, the truth of the situation hitting her fully. She could still feel the traces of dark magic pulsing slowly from the necklace, tying her to the creature. It felt heavy, and eerily final.

“I am no summoner of [i]demons[/i],” she protested scornfully, glaring weakly at the owl… Eirikur... from where it perched. 

The little remaining color in Amara’s complexion drained completely as the creature informed her that she would end up in a hell world unless she gave over another mage… [i]Demons lie,[/i] she told herself. [i]They twist their words to get you to do their bidding. All mages know this.[/i] And if the owl’s words were true? She would be thrown into a hell dimension, the worst fate imaginable for all practitioners of the arcane arts.

...But to give the demon another mage like her? She doubted the demon would do anything other than harm the poor soul she betrayed, and yet… No, how could she even think of doing such a thing merely to save herself. [i]And even if I did consider it[/i], she added mentally, [i]there aren’t any other mages for miles, and certainly no others in the Stone Archive. [/i]

Her train of thought was disrupted when she saw the owl move from the corner of her eye. It was looking towards the door, and for a moment she believed it meant to flee, until she heard the footsteps it must have reacted too as well. Amara’s eyes widened. Someone was coming, but how could that be true? Amara was supposed to be the only person there, and if anyone saw her now… She’d be ruined. To summon a demon was to break the most basic laws of the Guild of Arenthus. Yes, it had been an accident, but regardless, if she was found out she would face the most severe of punishments. 

Demonic summonings were not common, and Amara had only witnessed the consequences of one such event years ago, when she was but a simple apprentice. The mage in question had been sentenced without a trial, stripped of his magic and left in the resulting excruciating pain to rot, confined to a dungeon deep underground where no light could ever reach it. It was a kind of hell all on its own. Trapped between two unbearable fates, Amara could feel herself making the decision just as the footsteps neared the entrance. She had to conceal this act. She wiped the emotions from her face, stepping in front of the owl to hide it from view. She had schooled her features into a calm mask by the time the figure finally entered the room.

[i]Tobias Alcorn[/i], she realized with distaste. Amara had already resigned herself to condemning whichever poor soul was unlucky enough to wander in at such an inopportune moment, but if the soul in question was Tobias Alcorn’s… Well, she could think of few among her peers she would rather offer to the demon anyway.

“Tobias? I had no idea the Guild was sending more people down here.” She hesitated ever so slightly before continuing. “I would love a trip to the taverns, actually.” It was difficult not to roll her eyes at the self-assured leer on his face, trying to hold onto the polite, emotionless expression she had learned from years of dealing with other mages at the Guild. “First, however, I hope you might help me move a few boxes around? There are some books I was asked to get from this wing, but they’re just a bit heavy for me. I’m certain they would be no problem for you though,” she said, playing to his easy sense of superiority.

Tobias did not disappoint, giving her a toothy grin she expected was meant to be charming. “Of [i]course[/i] I’d be willing to help a little dove like you.” 

She smiled in turn, heading towards the door. “Great, the boxes are just down this way.” She discreetly motioned for the demon to follow. Tobias had not even noticed the owl behind her; his eyes had been much too busy directing untoward looks at Amara. If Eirikur needed a private place within the wards, she could deliver it. 

Amara led Tobias through the labyrinth like passageways she had come to memorize within the Glass Wing during her time there, until they came into a small, mostly bare room of stone, occupied by broken statues and shelves of books that were old and yellowed. The room was all but forgotten in the Stone Archive, and though Amara did not know how many others Tobias had arrived with, there was no chance of discovery here. Amara’s ice-like eyes hardened. She realized with a sense of finality that there would be no turning back from this path she now found herself on.