I can’t believe this has happened… Allee, the most interesting woman I’ve ever met, the strongest human I know, despite all her traits, this girl has been turned into a figurine alongside (I assume) many other women who are part of Jaggi’s collection.

 

And even if I’m so weak, I feel so frustrated because my current situation is as bad as hers, my body is glued to the ground and there’s no way my former friend will let me free considering what he’s doing right now, the lights are off and all the things in the room are being lifted by the aura that is emanating from Jaggi who is currently chanting inscriptions from an ancient book in a language I don’t even know.

 

“Jaggi… If you’re trying to impress me with your aristocratic books, it’s not working!” I said trying to make him stop with this act that he’s surely putting just to intimidate me, or at least I was trying to believe that.

 

I’m sure that the words he’s speaking of aren’t even magical or even related to it, I’m sure this is just one of the many ancient books in his family’s library.

 

But surprisingly, he didn’t stop chanting, all the opposite actually, he increased the speed of his words and the moment he did this, from one window I could tell that something awful was happening outside, it was as if this place was about to get hit by a hurricane or something, the air was so strong and a lot of fireballs were falling from the sky like meteors, and this makes sense because Jaggi’s element is fire, this didn't look good.

 

He continued focusing on the spell he was trying to cast while the dodecagram that surrounded me started to glow.

 

“This is not good… He’s getting close!” I mumbled in a low tone that I’m sure no one heard, or that’s what I thought.

 

Soon… Sir Whiskers moved and decided to sit on my stomach, I couldn’t help but look at him with a worried expression while he was looking at me with an amused expression.

 

“Sir Whiskers… This is not fun… Tell him to let me go… Please man, for the good times!” I tried to convince this cat as he was clearly the one who dominated his owner.

 

“Good times? Did you think I forgot about the time you tried to turn me into a lion and that just made me lose my fur?” The cat told me and I couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

 

“Well yes... But that wasn’t my fault, the spell was wrong,” I tried to defend myself but this cat was having none of it.

 

“Then how about that time when you made me catch a big fish just for me to end up almost getting eaten by an electrical piranha and you eating the whole fish!?” I felt the sting once again.

 

“I needed energy to save you from that piranha!” I lied and he was having none of it once again.

 

It seemed like he was tired of my excuses and he got closer and closer to me, it didn’t take too long before he was almost at the same level as my face, he looked intimidating sitting close to my neck, I was a little worried about what he might do to me.

 

“Please Sir Whiskers not my face… It’s the only decent thing I have,” I tried to make him have mercy on me.

 

But surprisingly he didn’t do anything, it seems like he heard a word coming from Jaggi that made him stop whatever he was planning on doing.

 

“Such a shame… But it’s time to say goodbye already, I wanted to play with you more but I guess it’s time to say goodbye,” He said in a disappointed tone.

 

This couldn’t be happening, my end was near and now I knew that neither Jaggi nor Sir Whiskers were bluffing, I needed to do something to stop them, but then, it finally happened, the dodecagram started levitating in the air in its 2D form as if it was a cloud, the thing started to rotate towards the other side of the room liberating thunderbolts, which I assume is because of my element.

 

The thing seemed unstable, and my suspicions were proven right because the thing suddenly let out a huge thunderbolt that soon started to materialize in a humanoid form, I couldn’t help but stare at the figure with complete worry, this was getting worse and worse with each second that passed, I was having a hard time seeing the end of the tunnel in this situation.

 

“Jaggi… I swear to you man, if the figure in front of me is who I think it is, you’re going to regret this, so, you better free me!” I complained and the only thing my former friend did was laugh, not caring even a bit about what was I going through right now.

 

“Why would I do that? You’re weak and worthless, there’s nothing you can do, and don’t worry for your friend, she’s going to be properly taken care of as another figurine in my collection and your soul will serve for a purpose bigger than you, and even bigger than me…” Jaggi had a wicked smirk right now that I could barely recognize him.

 

The strange figure coming from the dodecagram on the other hand completely materialized and the dodecagram and the thunderbolts disappeared from the room they turned into particles, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

 

It’s a feminine form, a young frail, and pale woman with eyelids with a tired expression, she looked so thin that seemed to be unhealthy to look like that, but after seeing her black hood and her scythe I suddenly knew who was in front of me.

 

“Messenger of the holy death… Thank you for responding to my call,” Jaggi suddenly said and the figure took a look at the two of us before she smirked she had some missing teeth which would be cute if it wasn’t because she looked as if she would collapse at any second.

 

Her laugh started to invade the place, it was so awful that I started to feel pain hearing her laugh, and the worst thing of all is that her laugh wasn’t even that loud but it was painful, indeed.

 

“Foolish humans… Playing with death is a serious matter, now I will—” The strange entity was about to say but then, she smiled after seeing me in this position. “Oh, never mind, it seems like the ritual was correctly done, in that case… You are the one who wants to ask for a favor, right?” Asked the death incarnation, and my friend with his usual meek attitude was about to talk.

 

“No, it’s me!” I suddenly said with complete confidence.

 

My friend is a wimp, that’s a fact everyone knows and it’s easy to take advantage of him if you play your cards right.

 

“What? No, he is not, don’t listen to him—“ He started to get worried, this was good.

 

“Look messenger of the death, at the end of the day these two bastards…” I said as I looked at Jaggi and his cat. “They are playing with my soul, but what the two of them don’t know is that I have a soul other than my own to offer you,” I tried to negotiate.

 

After all, even if I’m so weak, there has to be some way in which I would’ve managed to survive to this day, and it has been negotiating, scamming, grifting, and cheating in a lot of situations in life just to get what I want.

 

The messenger of the death didn’t look that convinced, but still, she wasn’t listening to Jaggi’s complaints, it was so funny, he looked like a spoiled kid who didn’t get his favorite gift on his birthday.

 

“That doesn’t make any sense, he doesn’t have any soul other than his own and his soul is mine!” Jaggi lost control of his emotions, this was looking promising.

 

“Messenger of death… Please, you can listen to our wishes and then you can decide what’s more reasonable, and don’t worry… If you make my wish come true with the extra soul I have, I promise you I’ll even sell you Jaggi's one,” I said with complete confidence and I could see Jaggi starting to get worried even though the mere idea of defeating him for his soul sounded impossible.

 

There was no way to cancel the contract anymore, and Jaggi’s magic wouldn’t work against one of the messengers of the death, so, he had no other option than to leave this decision to the strange entity, he had no power now, it seems like my convincing powers were working once again, Jaggi and Hansso always wondered how I started to date Lunita, it was thanks to the power of persuasion and her daddy issues, but that's not relevant now.

 

“Interesting…” The messenger of the death suddenly said as she caressed her chin. “Okay… Let’s listen to your wishes… Tied sorcerer, you start,” I was overjoyed, I managed to convince her.

 

“What? You can't do this!” Jaggi was on the verge of collapse.

 

“I can do whatever I want… I’m one of my mother’s representatives, and playing with her or us is not something to take lightly,” Now the figure looked scary and the three of us could see for a glimpse of a second how her face turned into a skull. “I don’t know which one of the three of you is going to be the one chosen, yes, you too cat… Tonight I’m taking a soul with me one way… Or another,” The tone she used sent chills down my spine.

 

I couldn’t help but gulp, that’s why this kind of contract is forbidden for the rest of us commoner sorcerers and sorceresses.

 

“Sorcerer by the name Kazz… Name your demands,” said the messenger of death with a serious expression as she stomped her scythe on the floor and that part of the floor lost all its color. 

 

“I just want you to untie me… That’s it,” I said with complete confidence.

 

“That’s easy,” The messenger of death didn’t look impressed. “Sorcerer by the name Jaggi, it’s your turn to voice your demands,” Jaggi didn’t look as confident as me, he knew his wish was ridiculous, still, there might be a way for him to succeed though.

 

He suddenly said something in a very low tone that neither I nor the messenger of death could hear.

 

“Louder or I’ll take your soul instead!” She said with a tired tone, she was clearly annoyed, but this was all Jaggi’s fault, he tried to play with death, something you shouldn’t play with as this is an unknown force for most humans.

 

“P-Please… Turn Sir Whiskers into an immortal!” Jaggi knew he sounded ridiculous.

 

The figure suddenly started to laugh like crazy, and I was so confused by this because I didn’t know if it was because she was mocking him or because she was accepting his proposal.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sorcerer Kazz… I’ll make your wish come true,” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I felt so overjoyed.

 

“What!? That doesn’t make any sense, I’m the one who made the ritual you should be serving me!” There it was Jaggi once again with his rich spoiled kid attitude.

 

“The ritual you used only has the purpose of summoning me, that’s it, besides that, the price for immortality has increased from one sorcerer soul to ten souls, a few centuries ago it was just one soul, but it was getting too common that we just decided to increase the price,” The messenger of death looked bored. “That’s the only quick way to learn how to make someone immortal, talented sorcerers and sorceresses can do it on their own, but of course, you have no talent,” She looked annoyed.

 

“But… You can’t make Kazz's wish come true, I mean… He has no soul to give you unless he means his own of course, but that would instantly make him disappear!” He looked like crazy. “We can negotiate something with his soul—" I was getting tired of this idiot’s nonsense.

 

“Actually I have a soul… Is not that rich but I think it will serve for this simple wish,” I smirked at them.

 

And Jaggi’s eyes suddenly widened when he realized what was going to happen.

 

“Sir Whiskers—” He tried to warn his cat.

 

But it was too late, I caught the feline’s paw with my mouth and he had no way to escape now.

 

Curiosity #8: Jaggi loves to turn beautiful women into figures like those from the Eastern Lands’ comics, Allee was turned into a maid figurine.