disclaimer: Weiss belongs to Koyasu Takehito, Project Weiss and others

beta'd by Sybil Rowan

**

Ran had been expecting something loathsome, subhuman. Or possibly carefully anonymous, like the big, bearded mage who'd arranged the summoning for him. For just a moment, he thought he was facing an angel of judgment.

The hunter's moon Ran had waited for so desperately had turned the empty storeroom to black and white. Even Ran's hair, and the offered blood trickling down his bare arm, were only a dark shadow of red. The demon burned with all fire's colours and beauty. Hair like flame, skin the red flushed white of a smithy fire, eyes blue as the hottest flame of all. He stood in the binding circle, and laughed at Ran's surprise and awe. His voice was harshly dry as desert. "You were expecting a toad?"

Ran must have said aloud, "I was expecting something less than human."

Because the demon answered. "I am less than human. But I am a great spirit. I have all the powers of fire, and a reasoning mind, and the magics of my kind of spirit." His smile became even fiercer. "I know why you have summoned me. Revenge for your dead parents, but before that, protection and healing for your sister. I can do that, but I don't work for free."

Ran said, "Aren't you the slave..?" He stopped. Little as he knew of demonkind, he thought only an idiot would treat this as a slave. "I gave all I had to summon you. The Church says I've already forfeited my soul. What could I possibly offer?"

"You only gave all the money you had."

"Then what do you want?"

"Everything."

"And what do I get?"

"Me."

Ran put down his bloody knife, and stepped across the circle into the demon's arms.