Inside the crystal

He sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. A crystal in front of him. 

After saying the words the crystal started frying at eye height. He said a name and the crystal started to change shape into a person. 

Merely a container but for a second he could channel them into it. He called them to ask for advice and they would answer in a metallic far away voice. 

That would bounce and echo inside the crystal shape. 

One night he called, but something in his drawings or the words he said must have been wrong. 

The shape instead of being a deep blue glowing was red and there was a dark cloud inside the crystal. 

The voice, low and almost a growl spoke about the future. Angry almost but containing it because it knew it was going to need his help to leave the crystal. 

He was terrified but couldn't show it as they fed off of fear. He started asking for advice, three questions and then the spell would be done. 

He could hear in the answers another motive behind them, a wrong turn made north. 

But they still sounded clear and good, he asked the second question. The confusion grew and even though there was no face he could feel the creature smiling. 

Before the third question, the creature went on a long monologue about nonsense. It was making time. 

He saw the arms move. But that was not supposed to happen. The hands broke into individual fingers. He couldn't have the fear anymore and it started to show on his face.  

The creature started moving its arm up to reach for him, crackling and crunching as the crystal broke and regenerated. 

He couldn't move, he had to finish the ritual but he could talk. He could feel the eyes of the creature behind the crystal. 

With a shaky voice, all he could muster was the strength to say stop, very quietly. 

There was a crackling noise and the hand stopped right in front of his face. The anger inside the crystal shook the room and a picture that was hanging on it fell to the ground. 

Before he could think he took a rune drawing beside him and he put it on the creature's forehead. 

The paper lit on fire but the rune stayed carved on the crystal. The inside of the creature started to glow blue right where the rune was. 

The eyes now felt different, the anger turned to despair, and the trapped creature with one more outburst of anger made the walls rattle and then it changed to a plea. 

Without words, he understood and looked at the hand that just a minute ago was about to take his life. 

He took his time with the last question letting the rune turn the anger inside. It looked painful almost even though inside the crystal it was only a  glow and smoke. 

The last question was a right answer with no wrong turns or deviations. 

The room rattled one last time as the crystal turned back into a stone but he felt the last look of the creature it was going to be back again and this time it would be free.