Young Daria is at Camp Grizzly. One day she is walking along a trail and a sound makes her looks up to discover a huge rockslide is heading towards her. Just before the rocks reach her, they stop in mid-air.

--

Daria stared up at the rocks, which seem to have stopped completely. A state almost like shock settles on her. Daria is startled when a voice she does not recognize speaks from behind her.

"Well this is a shock. I take a meditation break and decide to investigate an open contract pulse. And what do I discover, but a young lady who's just used the contract phase to delay her own death."

The voice sounds like it belongs to a middle aged woman, but when Daria tries to turn to see, she discovers that for some reason she cannot move at all. At the same time, a tiny little voice speaks up from deep within Daria's mind. Falsehood.

"Oh dear. You are new at this. You've accelerated your own time-reference dear so you can choose a contract with a Beast. You can talk and think faster than the rocks can fall, but you can't move your body at all. You may call me Abbot dear, and I can tell you what's happening."

Falsehood. The voice quietly whispers in Daria's mind. It was like trying to talk through molasses, but Daria managed to grind out, "Go on."

"What's happening dear is called a Contract Phase. It's when Contractors like ourselves open the door for a Beast Contract for the first time. Time speeds up for you so you can choose a Beast without pressure; well as much pressure."

Truth."Beasts?"

"Good question. Beasts are powerful supernatural sprits, fragments of some forgotten spirits from the ancient past. Contractors can use the contracts to pull those Beasts partly into this world to do things for use. The contracts were negotiated ages ago to allow Contractors to call on the Beasts without having to argue a new payment each time."

Truth. The voice whispered again. "Contract?"

The female voice becomes even more lecturing. "A long time ago, ancient Shamans summoned powerful Beasts to perform tasks for them. They involved everything from grand miracles to mundane tasks. Every time they called forth a Beast, however, the price the Beast wanted for its effort changed. The price went up rather sharply when the Shaman really needed something done; sometimes it was more than they could pay.

"The greatest of the Shamans got together and came up with a new idea, a series of universal contracts that would average out the costs of summoning the Beasts. The Beasts agreed and that's how the Contractors came to be."

Truth as she knows it. Daria struggled hard through the slowness and managed to get out, "Help me?"

"Yes dear, I can introduce you to the Beasts you seem to have attracted and tell you their price and abilities faster then they can. Showing new Contractors the ropes is part of what a Contractor does. Every successful Contractor out there reduces the price for all the rest of us. I'll show you the Beasts you have attracted."

A series of images float into the space in front of Daria's eyes. They were fantastical creatures but they seemed almost…kiddy… to Daria's eyes.

Falsehood. The voice whispered, and something else appeared at the edges of Daria's vision. This Beast was also fantastic, but was very different. Instead of looking cutesy and kiddy it had the appearance of a featureless woman wearing a long dress. Wherever the figure would have a joint there was empty space instead. The figure's stick-like arms floated free of its body as if they were additions rather than original parts.

"You were mediating?" Daria asked, focusing on the additional figure and trying to tune out the kiddy beasts floating in front of her vision.

"Oh yes, I find it beneficial to take a couple of hours out of every day to meditate. It was pure coincidence I was close enough to come help you."

Daria didn't need the Beast's whispered, Falsehood, to know that she was being lied to.

"How do I call one?"

"You've already chosen?" The woman sounded surprised, "I've only shown you about half of them, are you sure? Your first calling doesn't lock you into anything, but your first Beast is always special. Well you seem certain. Focus on the image of the Beast you want to call and concentrate on it, the Contract trigger should come to you and you say it out loud."

Daria would have nodded if she could have and began to concentrate on the Beast she saw in the distance. As she did words flowed through her mind and out of her mouth.

Beast of Wisdom and Magic

Seer of the Future and the Truth

Power that exist out of sight and mind

"*** that's a real Contract!"

I give my body over to you that we may walk together in this world

"You're supposed to summon one the minors you little bitch!"

I give you my mind so that you can know my desires

"Damn you, you're supposed to be easy prey!"

Give me your form so that I have the tools I require

Give me your power so that my desires can be fulfilled

"****, that's not the normal contract. What are you doing you ****** ****?!"

Come to me

I'm right here

Be one with me

Fidchell

A terrible and glorious sound fills Daria's ears, then a soundless explosion, before everything goes dark.

--

What happened? Abbot represents some of the worst of Contractors; she has allied with a single Beast and boosts its powers by 'eating' the energy of other Beasts. Normally Beasts can't interact with each other, but while operating under a contract, they are vulnerable to each other. She sets up potential Contractors in life-and-death circumstances forces the new Contractor into picking a minor Beast, then attacks and eats it, killing the Contractor in the process. Daria upsets when the Beast that comes to her first turns out to be a Greater Beast, one of the most powerful Beasts known to man. The resulting fight is entirely one sided, but not in the way Abbot wanted it to be.

There are two versions of a contract, the simple version is like a summon. The called Beast enters the world physically and does what you assigned it to. The other style, much rarer, is one where the physical body of the Contractor disappears and is replaced by the Beast. The Contractor directly controls the Beast, but the Beast's 'instincts' are still in play. Daria can do both.

Now the Beasts are constantly flocking to her, particularly the powerful ones like Fidchell. She's entered a 'world' of supernatural powers and brutal rivalries with powerful monsters at her command.

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