Using a scroll to summon a higher being was deemed heretic, a crime punishable by death and also they might kill everyone after they are released so yeah only death followed those who did something this stupid. If Hellan's sisters knew what she was doing this she would never hear the end of this. The rain had let up after a while and the sun was already showing. Dew was desperately holding on to the grass afraid of moving on. In the behemoth city built on hills, Hellan was sneaking out of the city through the northern gate. Traffic in and out of the city was slow especially at this hour so Hellan didn't have difficultly sneaking out. Her family was well known being the largest supplies of precious stones and jewellery so she was covered in a heavy hood and cloak that covered her nicely curves and face.
The guards were lazy and it was close to their change of shift so no one bothered with a lone figure leaving the city. The Nurr's were the rulers of these hills and they covered all they did in layers of thick pretence. The roads in the city were nicely built but once one stepped out, the roads became rocky and sometimes there were puddles of water and mud. Hellan followed the road as it sloped down the hill. She stopped a wagon and asked for a ride. The sun slothily woke up as the wagon rocked around. A few hours and the wagon finally descended the hill getting on a plain. Hellan got off and thanked the wagon driver who drove off without a word.
The plain was vast with rivers and lush meadows that grew around swaps it was one of this bogs that Hellan was currently heading to. A large grey area surrounded by dead marshes and bushes. Nothing was green here as a matter of fact nothing had more than one intact branch. Hellan covered her nose with a cloth trying to keep away the stench. She took a look at the scroll she had and then proceeded to the swamp area that had most water. The scroll didn't specify on anything. It didn't even have a spell all one had to do was find a large area of the nature master you wanted to summon and burn the scroll after a contract was decided between the two.
She waded in the water till the water was knee high. She cleared the weed floating on the water took a deep breath and lit up the scroll and dropped it in the water. Even though the scroll was on water, it did not go off. A few minutes passed and the scroll turned to ash and for a while nothing happened then, air bubbles started to rise from the swamp. The swamps temperature started to climb steeply and Hellan had to move. The swamp's water started to steam and rise and a quick pace. The wind blew sending the smell of rotten boiling water towards Hellan and she gaged. The water continued to rise adding onto temperature of the surrounding area. The wind started blowing in a circular manner trapping all the steam and rotten smell around the now hallow area that once housed the swamp.
The wind picked up speed and Hellan was right in the eye of the now brewing storm. In the storm, a figure started taking shape. The figure in the wind didn't have any distinct shape but it was there looking round. Its eyes were then trained at Hellan and stayed there for a while just staring at her. Hellan was getting afraid, her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her head was starting to throb, her legs were threatening to quit but she stood strong looking at the figure that was looking at her. She was starting to regret her rash decision.
'Maybe I should have thought this through for an another month' Hellan thought to herself as the mist started to clear and the man was seen clearly. He wasn't very tall, about a head taller than Hellan. He was currently naked. Hellan's eyes kept trailing down even though she tried keeping them up. His hair flew wildly with the wind and he floated in the air like a regal immortal floating down to the mortal realm.
'Where is this place?' His voice was raspy and broken as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. He kept looking around even though the thick steam clouded everything around.
'Wait! Is this!' He started shouting in a fit of happiness. 'The lower realms' Hellan wasn't sure what exactly was happening. She looked at the man with a blank expression. 'How did you bring me here?' Hellan was silent for a while still stupefied that the summoning actually worked. She was half-heartedly expecting to fail.
'Aaaah, I used a summon scroll' She answered in a small voice. The scroll said one should set a contract with the summoned being before the boundary collapsed and the being set free.
'A summoning huh?' The man rubbed his bearded chin. Now that Hellan was getting a good look at him, the man looked very unkempt his beard overgrown and rough. 'That explains half of it' Hellan was structuring her words in her mind so that she wouldn't falter when making the contract or the man would find a loophole and escape. 'I thought this was banned' He rubbed his chin and nodded. 'yes it was banned. So how did you get…' He laughed loudly.
'Sir! I have…'Hellan was cut off by the man who just couldn't stop laughing.
'You said summoning right?' He asked between his laughter. Hellan innocently nodded her head trying and failing to understand the man. 'All summon scrolls were burnt so how did you get one?' He didn't wait for an answer.
'Doesn't matter' He gave Hellan a wicked smile. 'I love your mortal woman' He smiled at Hellan and gave her a ninety-degree bow. And then his smile fled his face.
'Now release me' It was nothing short of an order. Hellan had done her due research. Summoning had a seventy chance of failure. Most of the time the summoned being was stronger than the one who summoned it and they decide on a contest of strength, mortals had no way of winning. Then depending on their current mood, they could decide to slaughter a whole city for the sheer fun of it or they could settle for only one life so The man words scared Hellan down to her core.
'Whatever you summoned me for, I don't care so you can kneel or die, I'll go with whatever you decide' He said it in a jovial carefree tone but Hellan knew he was ready to tear her apart. She swallowed and looked at the man with a frightened expression. She had failed, she knew that so she could only make sure she didn't lose her life or a city in the processes.
'I…' Hellan opened her mouth but nothing came out. She was about to nod her head when the man suddenly fell face first in the mud. There was an eerie silence after he fell. The wind momentarily stopped howling and the putrid smell lessened for a minute before they ignored the man and continued. The mist barrier started to falter so Hellan said whatever was in her head quickly and the mist fell like a curtain. The water resettled in the pit, the wind left for a better area. The bog was back to how it was before, all except a naked man down face first in a mud puddle. Hellan looked at the black bracelet on her wrist and smiled slightly. She looked at the naked man then took off her hooded cloak and covered the man. Even though she had spent a few minutes in the mist barrier, time on the outside world had already gone way past midday and the sun was already setting. After making sure the man was well covered, she tapped the man fearfully then took a quick step back afraid she might be attacked. The man didn't react at all. If not for his rising chest, she might mistake him for dead.
She turned and looked at the direction she had come from. She sighed, the sun was quickly setting and no one wanted to be this deep in the wilderness in the dark. She had to ferry the man back to the main road and hope for a ride from any passer-by. She gritted her teeth pulled the man up so that his head was on her shoulder and most of his upper body was on her body, only the legs were dragging behind drawing lines along the mud. Every step was torture, she faltered with every step, going lower with each corner. The man was heavier than she thought. A few metres from where she started, she fell on one knee and the man on her back fell face first in the mud again. She was panting heavily the man was just too damn heavy.
This time, she went a bit further than the first time before the man had to eat mud again. This continued for a while, she could carry the man a small distance throws him onto the mud rest for a minute the repeat the sequence. Sometimes she would use gravity and the slipperiness of mud to move the man a couple extra distance. The sun was quickly setting and the distance to the main road was not getting any shorter.
It was already dark when Hellan and her load finally made it to the road. She was rugged, dirty, sweaty and inhaled like a fish out of water. The man who lay next to her didn't even look human. He was caked in mud from head to toe no inch of him was clear. Hellan sat on the ground panting waiting for a passer-by with a carriage or a wagon to help her back to the city that was a few hours away. The first three that passed her were noble carriages so she didn't bother asking them for any help. The third, was a wagon carrying hay. Hellan stopped the wagon and spoke to the man who let her and the passed out man ride on his wagon. He was sceptical at first but he didn't want to get too implicated and besides, Hellan without the hooded cloak was a beauty not usually seen among common folk. Even though her face and hair were covered in mud, she had a lustful body especially since she had worn pants and a top that didn't quite cover her navel. The man just like every other man had helped her since she was a beauty with a thin waist and a nice bum.
Hellan, the naked man, the wagon driver and his mule drove quietly towards the city in the hills each minding their own business. The driver kept glancing back at Hellan and his "friend" but kept his thoughts to himself. Commoners had a way of avoiding trouble, that was to keep your mouth shut, accept your beautiful wife is no longer yours when a noble puts his eyes on her and don't ask beauties you found on the road why they are hauling a dead man.
The city was already in sight when Hellan started covering the man with the hay. She could easily get him into the city with a bribe here and there but it was always wise to avoid trouble when one could. Unfortunately for the man, Hellan needed her cloak to cover her body or she would draw the guard's attention, something she wanted to avoid. The guards didn't bother checking the man or the wagon or the beggar he was giving a lift to. One could even sneak an enemy army into this city and no one would know.
'I'll give you this necklace if you help me carry this man up the hill' Hellan took of the necklace she had on her neck and presented it to the man. Even though it was covered in mud, the man could see its value, so after putting his mule in a shed, He put the naked man on his shoulder.
He faltered on his first step and fell face first. The naked man had to eat his mud once again. Hellan together with the wagon driver snuck the naked man up the hill to a huge manor. The wagon driver had his doubts but never in a million years did he think he would lust after a noble lady or see a noble lady so caked in mud. Hellan offered the necklace he had promised the man but since he knew the lady was of noble blood, he was hesitant to accept any payment. Another rule common men made to stay alive, never accept payment from nobles. Hellan put the necklace in his pocket and smiled at him.
'Remember to keep your mouth shut about this' She dragged the naked man into the gate of the manor leaving the old man bowing in reverence.