A Deal In Chocolate
[WP] There have been many sacrifices made to summon you, as well as a plethora of motives – from the extreme, to the simplistic, to the downright absurd. But one particular sacrifice catches your eye: a young child simply offering you a bar of chocolate, claiming that you, a deity, must be “hungry”.
The demigod sits atop his throne, bored as his cheek props against his knuckles while the other hand continues to swipe left on videos that cycle in front of him.
“I dedicate this…” Swipe.
“Please lend me…” Swipe.
“I’m killing them all for…” Swipe.
The demigod doesn’t respond and continues to swipe at regular intervals, until he doesn’t. There’s a small child that seems to set something on an alter. She looks upwards and the demigod feels as though she’s staring right at him. He waits to hear her plea as the single snot bubble continues to expand and contract from her left nostril. She finally turns and begins to walk away, causing him to lift his head. As she continues to walk away, he quickly stands and a portal opens in front of him. He looks over to his alter to see a single candy bar resting on the marble surface.
“Little girl,” he calls out. The girl freezes, drawing her shoulders up as she tenses. She slowly turns back to see the demigod standing with the still open portal behind him. “Come here child,” he says, beckoning her. She slowly makes her way back with her head bowed, stopping just before him. The top of her head barely reaches his knee so he lowers it, planting it on the lush grass that blankets the meadow around them. He’s still several times her height but he attempts to appear smaller for her. “Tell me child, why didn’t you ask anything of me?”
The girl is still looking down, as she pinches and prods at her shirt. “Momma says…”
“You must look at me child. It’s alright. You’re not in trouble. I promise.” After a moment, the girl finally looks up but continues to pull at her shirt, while the snot bubble flares more rapidly. “That’s much better. Come now. Tell me, why you didn’t ask anything of me?”
“I told momma that I wanted to ask you but she says no. I hoped you could help since you was momma’s favorite but she says you already work too much an that other people always ask for stuff an that you won’t have enough time for helping momma get better.”
The bemused demigod turns to look back at the alter, then points. “Why the chocolate bar though?”
“Whenever Aubrey gets done putting away her toys, momma always gives me some chocolate, since I worked hard. Momma says you work hard too so I brought you some chocolate since momma couldn’t.”
“This momma sounds like a bright woman. Tell me, why would such a woman have an interest in the Lord of Shadows?”
Aubrey shrugs then begins to rock from side to side. “Momma says you’re the best and that you’re her favorite, after Aubrey.”
The Lord of Shadow chuckles. “Is that a fact? Well Aubrey, summoning me is no light matter.” He looks over his shoulder and the portal closes behind him. “I accept your offer and I’ll help your momma but know that after that’s done, I will be bound to you for the rest of your natural life.”
The girl panics. “But momma says I can’t ask you for help.”
The Lord of Shadows raises his hand, calling for silence. “It’s alright. I won’t tell momma. This will be our little secret, okay?” The girl nods reluctantly. “Now that we have that settled, I believe the problem lies with a certain insurance adjuster refusing to pay some bills. How about we go pay him a visit?”