Shard took back his deck, and the three people at the table each drew their first card:
"The boy said: I am willing to seal you for my entire life, just like my grandfather did."
He saw his first card was Star 12, and smiled slightly:
"And this time, the story begins when the boy takes away the demon."
"The demon agreed to the boy's wish, signed a soul contract, moved into the boy's soul, and went far away with him."
Mr. Asmon's deep yet slightly slick voice began the demon's tale once more. Playing Roder Card and listening to such stories under the dim kerosene lamp in a countryside tavern created quite the atmosphere.
"The demon did not harm the boy, but it whispered incessantly in the boy's ear, trying to corrupt his soul. The boy, however, remembered the sacrifices of his loved ones, and merely endured it silently."
"If someone were to chatter in my ear all day, even if it were the pretty cat from the circus, I couldn't stand it either."
