i joined them after many months since their first invitation, with much persuasion on their part. my purpose for joining remains hidden to them, and it is not at all due to their pushiness and refusal to take no, as they think and credit themselves with. this arrival is much later than most would expect, since i have been accused of having sold my soul to them for as long as memory allows. they were... much less stereotypical than was expected. not the burst of flame leading to the manifestation of a red-horned man. not the booming voice and offer of eternal greatness. they came in the form of a bird.

not exactly a bird, perhaps a snake. or perhaps there is no animal that can perfectly capture it. a long and slender body, but with feathers, and though this would not be my last encounter with the creature, i am forgetting exactly how many wings... but it was small and capable enough to creep through my window as i was composing, with a letter tied to its back. this letter had burst into flame and was destroyed once i finished reading it, but i have taken the liberty of summarizing its contents to the best of my ability here.

they wasted no time. the first sentence was my invitation into their organization. they then summarized what their purpose was, and what would happen, should i accept. they did not tell me what would happen if i denied their invite. the last paragraph was... maybe it was a threat. if it was, it was an insignificant one. naturally. the existence of the letter must remain known to no other, and consequences were to arise if any word about it was spoken.