Knowledge is Power

Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on November 8th, 2013, 7:10 pm

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41st Day of Fall, 513 AV

Continued from Blood, Flesh and Ink.

The sun was blazing as it sank below the horizon, bathing the endless stretch of the Prairie in a prismatic glow. Celeste sighed as they again, skidded to a stop. It’d been a day of mostly running – there weren’t many failbeasts to kill, perhaps due to the turn of the weather. Sometimes, they spent whole days just tearing through one abomination after the next and others where there wasn’t a single one to be found. Earlier, she’d interrogated Riyanna about the Wardens and got a comprehensive history in reply. But this time, she wanted something else, something more.

Unashamed, the two of them shuddered back into their original forms. Riyanna had settled on a shock of red and orange hair, sitting just above the small of her back in a vibrant waterfall. Celeste felt a stab of irrational jealousy at the fact she couldn’t change her hair and worse still, that she wouldn’t openly admit it. Still, her eyes traced the lines of silver tears that streaked her Master’s face. She was so beautiful, always.

”So, I know I didn’t win…” She began playfully. Riyanna just tossed her a cloak. They were set to head back to the Citadel for the night. ”I knew you were going to bring that up again.” she replied, shaking her head in faux exasperation. ”You certainly are always wondering, dreaming. You like to live up here,” she said, poking the young woman in the forehead. Celeste giggled and pretended to bite at the irritating finger.

”So ask. What is familiary? How do you learn it?” Riyanna swept the cloak around the expanse of shoulders. ”I can see you’ve been dying to know from the moment you came here.” Was that so? Had it ever even come up, before? Celeste strained to remember. Maybe that once, when they were running from the Hel’atian. That had to be it. She’d given herself away.

”Well, what is it?” She couldn’t really pretend the woman was wrong. ”I’ve always thought it seemed so interesting.” The Warden laughed heartily. ”Celeste, the truth is, I don’t really know. You seem to think adults have all the answers, all the time.” Now that stung, a bit. She just figured that anyone who had been with the Citadel for that long would know all there was to know when it came to magic. But it suddenly occurred to her that Riyanna never had a reason to learn about it, or further, even care.

”I know it is related to summoning. All familiars come from a specific world... I’ve learned that much from Kierra.” Well, that was at least something to go on. But it didn’t help her in her no-so-secret mission to obtain one. ”Well, is there anything else you know about it?” Prodding normally didn’t help, but Riyanna squinted over at her and finally, gave a beleaguered sigh. ”You are the pushiest, most inquisitive, most adorable apprentice I’ve ever had. I give up,” she said, throwing her hands into the air.

”There is a summoning lab in the Gug Adjak. 9-A, I do believe. The Nuit there I’ve heard isn’t terrible. Sort of an eccentric, actually. He has plenty of apprentices you might bribe, since I suspect that’s what you like to do.” She locked the initiate in a steady gaze. Celeste felt suddenly exposed. How did she know?

”Just be careful,” she said softly, her expression heartbreaking. Eyes downcast, Celeste kicked at the ground. How could she have worried Riyanna? That was the last thing she wanted to do. ”I’m sorry,” she said. The little girl had never had a Mother. Never had an adult actually care enough to cause any concern, really. ”Don’t say sorry,” the Warden replied. ”I just don’t want you getting hurt. Making the mistakes I made.”

She looked so fragile, in that moment. Celeste didn’t know what to do. So they just walked in silence, back to the Citadel, where Riyanna swept her up in a huge hug and then went about her business, leaving the child with the evening to consider what to do. As much as she wanted to run straight to the lab she’d been told about, it was poor form to rush into something headlong without first thinking. She could interrupt an experiment or get caught in a negotiation where she had nothing to offer.

Would Elsene know something? Likely. But she was tired of always relying on the Nuit to solve her problems. Plus, nothing ever came free with that woman. She was constantly forced to prune leaves, take notes, scrub down equipment, you name it. Of course, this was what she’d signed up for, but still. For each question she asked, it seemed like the woman piled on another bell of work.

Then, she couldn’t read Nader-canoch. And she didn’t have very many friends. Things got better and better, it seemed. Her only recourse would be to stroll up to the lab utterly blind, with just her wits about her. She couldn’t even possibly think of what a summoner would want, even if she did try to bribe him. Celeste was utterly, for the very first time, at a loss.

This was not good.

Later that night, she sighed, still plagued by the problem at hand. Maybe if she disguised herself with illusionism… No, that wouldn’t work. Dishonesty would quickly be detected. But maybe if she morphed to look like Riyanna… No, that was literally the same basic idea. Plus, how could she effectively copy Riyanna when she couldn’t study her, first? The Warden would pick up on that almost immediately.

She said he was an eccentric. How about a riddle contest, then?

Celeste considered it. Of course, it seemed more ridiculous than all her other half-baked plans put together. Plus, if she lost, there was sure to be some completely awful consequence that she’d suffer, something she likely couldn’t afford. There was an element to it though, was beautifully simplistic. If he had any sense of humor, he would be up for it. If he accepted, then he would be sure to lose. She would just make up her own riddles, so she didn’t have to ask it of anyone else.

So excited by the idea, she was rendered totally unable to sleep. Celeste sat straight up and began to put it all together.

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Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on November 8th, 2013, 8:17 pm

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It was truly odd, walking down to the ninth floor. The composition of the Gug Adjak had at first, left her disoriented. Celeste had always thought of floor one going up to higher numbers and down to lower ones. Which was partially true, only floor one was the lowest level and twenty was the ground. The little girl was an artist, not a mathematician. The whole thing made her head hurt.

The riddles she came up with the night before rattled around in her brain, as did the ambient sound of her robe brushing the floor. It was always a good idea to wear the most expensive piece of her clothing, so that she might look respectable enough to be left alone. Her nerves jangled with each step. What if she failed? What if she looked foolish in front of this undead man? What then? It could ruin her chances at getting a Familiar altogether. And she wanted it so desperately, though she knew virtually nothing of what she was getting herself into.

Before long, she found herself staring at the huge steel doors to Lab 9-A. This was it, she thought with a groan. Celeste pushed the doors inward and they moved laboriously, the din careening from wall to wall. She certainly had a way of announcing her presence, all right. The girl winced. But they finally came open enough for her to move in. What happened next however, she was completely unprepared for.

”Ah!”

The man turned with a sunny smile on his face, eyes gleaming in the dim light of the brazier. ”We have a guest. Eris, would you mind speaking with this young apprentice, while I wrap this up?” The man was standing atop an intricately drawn circle. It was ablaze with energy and in the middle, stood a hulking monstrosity. She’d never seen anything like it before. Celeste was utterly taken aback.

”Of course,” a low, female voice replied. It had a strangely metallic undertone that sounded distinctly inhuman. Celeste yelped in surprise as what at first appeared to be a piece of rock abruptly morphed into a tiny statuette and began to move toward her from across the room. Was that his Familiar? She could only even begin to guess.

Stranger still, the man hummed cheerfully as he observed the beast he had tethered to the circle. It looked rather irritated, all told. ”I had no intention of holding you here,” the Nuit said reassuringly. ”I just wanted to get a closer look, was all.” The thing roared fiercely, sending flecks of spit flying across the Wizard’s face. It had rows upon rows of needle-like teeth. The Nuit however, nonchalantly wiped it with his sleeve. ”Temper, temper.” He wagged a finger at the abomination.

This was one of the men that dumped failures in the Testing Grounds? He looked altogether too cheerful to even be considered remotely sane. Celeste was in awe. Meanwhile, the statue stood imperiously before her, hands on her hips. She was a pretty statue, hair the color of jade with skin that looked like ivory. Her blank, stone eyes seemed almost peeved.

”Can I help you?” She asked arrogantly. ”This is a closed facility. If you don’t leave, I can have one of the automatons escort you.” It almost seemed like the little thing relished the idea of having Celeste picked up and dragged out by force. The apprentice shuddered ever so slightly.

”I think we’ve spoken for long enough,” the man said in the background. The creature was suddenly yanked back as if by an invisible force and with a surge of raw energy, it began to sink into the heart of the glyphic circle. Celeste gaped at what was happening for a moment before turning her attention back to the familiar.

”I have business with your Master,” she said feebly, tearing her eyes away from the frothing monstrosity. ”Is that so?” The thing shifted to one side, putting hands upon its hips. ”What sort of business? Are you delivering something?” That changed its tune, a bit. There was something alien about the way he behaved. Celeste was utterly fascinated.

The energy seemed to dissipate. Celeste turned again, unable to stop herself. The statue was quickly become very, very agitated. It opened its mouth to speak, but the Nuit turned and walked over, grinning from ear to ear. ”I think we got the wrong world there, Eris.” He ran another hand through his hair. ”He didn’t seem very sentient to me.” The little thing simply sighed. ”Is that so? Maybe if you spoke a little slower, next time…” It sounded almost… Satirical. The man merely laughed.

”Ha! Now then. Who is this beauty? Oh and you’re alive!” He seemed impressed and amused, all at once. ”Celeste Arumen,” she replied automatically, stunned. ”Apprentice to Riyanna Sterder.” The man clicked his tongue. ”I see! I had a feeling you were an Initiate.” But she’d just said she was an apprentice. He was certainly turning out to be a strange man. The statue looked exasperated. ”I’m Sevrin, Summoner of the Gug Adjak.” He smiled, flashing teeth that wore only slight signs of decay. He was either young, or this was a new body. It had to be.

”So Celeste, what can I do for you?” He clapped his hands together merrily. This was not at all what she’d expected. Perhaps calling him an eccentric was putting things mildly. ”Well,” she turned to the statue. This would have to be done very, very carefully. The thing bristled at the mere sight of her. She quickly turned away. ”I wanted to play a game,” she began. The man seemed heartened by the idea. ”You came all the way here, just to play a game with me?” He was almost… Touched.

”What sort of game?” The little statue seemed interested, too. That was good. ”A game of riddles,” she said. Both Master and Familiar were now actively engaged. ”I’m rubbish at riddles,” he said dejectedly, while the statue began jumping up and down in excitement. ”Riddles! I can do that. I can beat you so quickly, you’ll be in the Palsa Hydrasa faster than you can spit.” Now that was truly terrifying. It was thrilled at the notion.

”Fine. But if I win, then you’ll help me get a familiar of my own and explain everything, each step of the way. Every question I ask, you’ll have to answer honestly.” Her palms were beginning to sweat. ”We’ll do the best out of two.” The little statue nodded vigorously. ”Alright!" It said. "I get to start, then.”

Celeste swallowed hard. They were going to hurt her very badly if she lost. Maybe use her as bait from the next creature they yoked up out of that portal. ”So!” The thing sighed in that grating voice. "I have an eye but cannot see. I have no arms but I can spin, no legs but I move faster than any man in the world. What am I?” It seemed very proud of itself. She considered it for a moment. What spun and moved fast, had an eye but no limbs?

”Oh! A tornado!” She’d seen it while watching the Inverted. The little beast cursed in a language she could not understand. Celeste beamed. ”Your turn, you little brat.” It was suddenly very hostile. She cringed. ”Okay.” She strained to remember the first one. It seemed very stupid, all of the sudden.

”I am like a philterer’s brew, I make people do what they don't want to, at the sound of my voice, you have no choice, but to do what's requested of you. What am I?” The rhyming was a nice touch, she thought but the answer was too obvious. She was going to get eaten by something! Last night, it’d seemed so brilliant. What happened? The statue froze and for a moment, it looked like an actual statue.

”….Uhm… A command!” It cried.

Celeste couldn’t believe it. It guessed wrong. ”No, the word please.” Was the thing so imperious that it’d never learned to be polite? The statue was enraged now. It looked like it was about to reach out and strangle her. She took a step back. ”Now, now.” Sevrin placed a hand on the creature’s shoulder to restrain it. ”Calm down, Eris. You still could win.” He seemed so very blasé. Did he want to kill her, too?

”You’re right,” the thing said, shaking off the hand. ”You’re right. I’m going to win.” It calmed, attempting to focus. It was only then that she realized she was holding her breath. ”Let’s try this, then!” It squinted angrily. ” I'm a five-letter word that has no end. Commit a sin? One through three can amend. One, four and five are something alive. Two and three occur near to thee.” It looked very satisfied with itself. ”What am I?”

It was a linguistic came. Celeste had not even the slightest clue where to even start. It was a five-letter word that had no end? That didn’t make any sense. It was obviously meant to confuse her. The word void only had four letters. She tried to think deeply. For all her background in language, she’d never played a riddle game with it before. The statue got more and more impatient as more time passed.

”Do you give up?” It asked cheerfully. She shook her head, brow furrowed in concentration. Was it chasm? That had five letters, but the rest didn’t make any sense.

”Time’s up!” Sevrin apparently, was the referee. ”Two chimes passed! That’s plenty of time, right Eris?” Eris smiled and the looked was somewhat haunting. ”Yes Sevrin, I quite agree. This tiny-brained little girl will make an excellent slave, don’t you think? After all, she doesn’t seem to at all!” Sevrin smiled wordlessly.

Oh dear Ionu, she was petched.

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Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on November 8th, 2013, 9:32 pm

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”The word was abyss!” Eris chirped. ”You’re going to lose, human!”

This was it, then. She only had one more try before they were going to enslave her. And technically, they had every right to. She’d agreed to the game. They never had expressly stated what would happen when she lost, leaving it up to interpretation. But she knew it would happen. Between the two of them, they didn’t have a single scrap of morality.

”Not yet.” She gulped. This one was tricky and she knew it. Perhaps the familiar wouldn’t be able to understand. Then again, if it did that would put Eris at two, making her petched. ” First I am one, then I seem none, but in death I birth new life. What's raised exceeds me, for on bent knee, I add to a world that's rife.” She grinned, impressed that she remembered it all. ”What am I?”

Eris froze again. Celeste watched her intently, hoping that her face would betray something, anything as an indication. But no, the statue was stock still, totally immobile. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn it to be the real thing. Sevrin watched with interest, smiling, eyebrows raised in expectation. He seemed genuinely amused by the whole thing.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the little thing slammed its foot to the ground. ”What is it?!” Celeste took another step back. ”What is it? Is a martyr?” She gasped and froze, before an evil smile crept onto its face. ”That’s it, isn’t it? A martyr!” How was that possible? How could that familiar possibly get the answer wrong? Her cheeks suddenly felt very hot. She’d won!

”No,” she said softly, ready to break and run if need be. Both the opposing parties looked at her in shock. ”What?!” Eris looked murderous. ”What is it then?!” Celeste couldn’t contain a smile. ”It’s a seed.”

The little familiar paused again, before going into a full-scale rampage. ”That isn’t fair!! It was a martyr! You changed the answer so I couldn’t win!” Uh oh. That was precisely what she’d expected. What a little manipulator! Sevrin on the other hand, seemed delighted. He clapped his hands together in mirth. ”Yes, I see it now! A seed!” The statue froze to glare at him. ”Don’t you get it, Eri? You plant a seed and the seed is no more – it becomes a plant!”

Eris was dumbfounded by Sevrin and honestly, so was Celeste. ”You’re a delight!” He beamed. ”Eris, you know how it works and you have to make good on your promise. Help this girl find a familiar!” He swiftly moved across the room. ”But Sevrin –“ it began. ”No buts, Eris! You made a deal! Now you have to fulfill it. Word is law here in Sahova. You wouldn’t want anyone to come and step on you, hmm?” Eris set itself into an abrupt pose of passive aggressive submission. ”Of course,” it replied sweetly.

Hoo boy, it was mad. Celeste wondered if it would find her in the quarters and try to kill her while she slept.

Sevrin emerged with some glypher’s paint and a sponge. Together, he and Eris scourged the floor of the previous circle, leaving nothing but a metal ring in its wake. They then scurried about, drawing lines here and there, none of which she understood. ”So how does it work?” She asked with intense curiosity. ”I heard all familiars come from the same world.” That was literally, the only piece of knowledge she had to offer.

”Yep,” Sevrin replied cheerfully, continuing to draw. ”The world is called Fyrden, otherwise known as a ‘low world,’ which means the conditions they live in make it easy to strike up a bargain.” Eris audibly groaned in assent. That was unfortunate. No wonder so many Wizards had familiars. ”Can’t they come from other worlds?” She asked. ”Well, maybe.” Sevrin frowned, considering this. ”All the conditions they come from fit with the physics of our world so perfectly, though. I can’t imagine trying to sign a contract a creature from any other place. You never know how it’ll turn out.”

”Contract?” She croaked. Eris seemed pleased at her reaction. ”Ever heard of a Grand Oath?” She nodded, mute. ”It’s like that, only signed in blood. I’ll help prepare it, you both will have to agree and then it’s done!” Now, that made her feel slightly sick. ”So you’ll be like the ambassador, then?” Eris smiled and she didn’t know how to react.

”So, are they all like you? Familiars, I mean.” Eris hopped along, making the floor shake ever so slightly. ”No.” Good thing she’d set the terms so well. The little creature seemed like the type to lie, just to spite her. ”There are different kinds. I’ll help you choose by summoning the different ones. You’ll get to interview them and let me know when you’ve decided.”

Okay. But how to decide? Before she could even ask, Sevrin chimed in. ”There are two sides to the world – the darkface and the lightface. Take Eris here, for example. She’s a Kirt, from the darkface of Fyrden.” Eris was called a Kirt. Celeste filed that away for further reference: ’Don’t get a Kirt,’ she thought blandly.

”So what about the lightface? What kinds of creatures hail from there?” Eris spat in disgust. Strangely, the spittle took the form of an actual rock. ”Bah. Sarawanki and Avavali. You’d be much better off with say, a Kirt or a Pascid.” That sounded very skewed. Eris had already proven to be less than fair, one might say. ”Well, I think I’d have to meet them.”

”Good! We’re pretty much ready, then.” Sevrin took a step back. Celeste started to panic. Things were going entirely too fast. ”Wait,” she began, but it was too late; Eris had already begun the process. ”But,” she cried as the Kirt bit it’s own finger and touched the wound to the ground. As she did the whole thing lit up like it had before when she’d first entered the room.

”So,” Eris cried. ”I think I’ll pick your first canidate!”

From the watery-looking surface of the portal emerged a being that looked like a silver cube. It radiated powerfully, much like the beast from before had. Celeste watched in amazement as the being finally came to a halt, resting on the base of the portal. Perhaps it couldn’t float, then? She wanted something that could perhaps, hover alongside her.

”Hello,” she said nervously, only to be ignored.

”Why have I been summoned?” The cube demanded imperiously. Oh, that wasn’t good. ”We’re looking to bind you to a Wizard,” Eris replied happily. ”Ah, Eris. How has your mediocre life amongst the humans been?” The little statue seemed unphased. ”Charming, as always. The humans are dead, so they don’t talk so very much.” It seemed more like a social call and less like an interview, already.

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Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on November 12th, 2013, 9:38 pm

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Celeste wasn’t keen on the idea of being bound to a personal friend of Eris’. Her distaste was only compounded by the fact that this being seemed demanding, almost rude even. ”So,” she asserted loudly, earning a dirty look from the nearby Kirt. ”I’m here to interview you as a possible companion. What sort of skills would you offer me in exchange for asylum here on Mizahar?” That sounded pretty good. Celeste was silently impressed with herself for seizing control of the situation. The cube paused – froze, really.

”Excuse me?” However they were intended, her words translated to an affront. ”What would you offer me, Bala, greatest of Fyrden? Coming to your breakable, human world would present little in the way of challenge. You are a small, fragile thing, too. I can hardly believe you possess even the most basic of skills.” Despite the lack of face, she could almost see the scowl on Bala.

”That is all,” she said, cheeks flushing. What an arrogant creature! It was no surprise, either, that Eris chose such a thing. ”Please send it back, Eris.” The creature was in total agreement. ”Yes, dear Eris, it seems you’ve yet again, wasted my time with another mortal. Please consider the audience before you summon me next.” It was promptly finished speaking. With a wave of her hand and a little huff, Eris pulled the creature slowly beneath the surface of the portal, the liquid edge moving silkily to fill the void Bala had left.

”Well,” Celeste said, clearly annoyed. ”That didn’t work out too well.” Sevrin nodded in the agreement from the background. He reclined against the shelf full of scrolls with a thoughtful look on his face. ”Pascid tend to think highly of themselves,” he said. Eris spat again, raining tiny pebbles across the ground. ”Bala is simply too superior to be bothered with anyone,” she added. This was clearly, not the first time she’d tried to arrange a contract.

”I think Celeste might do well with a lightfacer,” Sevrin asserted in a neutral tone of voice. Eris shot a dangerous look in his direction. ”She is a little girl and little girls like to talk. Perhaps a Sarawanki?” Now that sounded more like it. Celeste quietly thanked the Gods this man was only unbalanced some of the time. Eris didn’t seem quite sold, however. ”I don’t think I’m smart enough for anything else,” she added, deprecatingly, which almost heartened the little beast.

”You’re right,” Eris said brightly. ”You’ve got a head full of fluff, just like an Avavali.” She’d mentioned the name before. ”What’s an Avavali?” She replied, trying to assert polite curiosity without sounded too eager. The familiar hopped about the circle, moving to examine some of the glyphed lines.

”It’s a being made of smoke, almost, though at times it can be closer to steam,” Sevrin interjected. ”They’re tractable as far as familiars go, loyal companions, as opposed to say the Pascid, who always think they know best.” Sevrin smiled. ”And as opposed to Kirt who actually do always know best.” He smiled sincerely at the statue, who beamed in reply. ”That’s right, dear Sevrin.”

He certainly knew how to work things in his favor. No wonder they got on so well. She couldn’t detect a single trace of guile, though she was almost positive he was lying. The man was a researcher and a Nuit. Then again, he was also a raving lunatic.

”Okay, I’d like to meet an Avavali,” she said to Eris. Still glowing, the creature nodded. ”Of course. An airhead for an airhead!” Celeste cringed, a bit. Did the thing have to be so cheerful when it insulted her? The statue again bit her finger, letting a stone substance drop to the ground. The little girl watched in amazement as the surface engaged, solid turning smooth as what seemed to curling tendrils of vapor erupted slowly into the air. They were delicate and richly purple, like the whorls of pipe smoke she’d seen at the Bizarre. Could this really be a familiar?

After what seemed five whole chimes, the last of the smoke rose from the bottom of the portal and collected itself midair. ”Goodness!” A girlish soprano exclaimed, seemingly from nowhere. ”I’ve never been to such a place before. The atmosphere is so different, I thought I was being smashed!” It seemed to shudder imperceptibly. ”Have I been summoned?”

”Yes,” Celeste replied smoothly. ”I’m looking for companions and I’d like to know what sort of skills you have to offer.” The being was almost instantly excited. It began to whirl around vigorously. ”Companions here? With you?” The voice began to rise through the octaves. ”Oh sure! I can change my shape and I can sing really well. And I can tell jokes; Ooh, did you hear the one about the Gordios and the Sarawanki?” It hesitated for a moment. ”It.. I… I mean, it… How did it go again?”

The young Initiate was very tempted to smack her forehead. ”Oh, shucks, I can’t remember! But I’m a great listener and a good friend. I’ll never leave your side and I’ll look out for danger!” It gestured grandly, in an amorphous sort of way. Celeste couldn’t help but crack a smile. For being so absent-minded, it was still quite adorable.

”What’s your name?” It asked. Celeste was taken aback – wasn’t she supposed to be asking the questions? ”Celeste,” she replied. ”What’s yours?” But the being was already off in its own little world. It shifted from side to side with each statement. ”What a pretty name! It sounds so lovely, like, like… Like a sky filled with light.” It sighed. ”But, I don’t think I’ll ever fill the sky again. Not if I’m with you.”

That statement confused her. And didn’t it hear? She’d asked what it liked to be called. Puzzled, Celeste asked again. ”What’s your name?”

”Hmm?” It floated to one side, leaning in.

”I asked you what your name was.” This was already an uphill climb. ”Oh! Sorry.” The being took a moment. ’Dear Ionu,’ she thought silently, ’please tell me it remembers its own name.’ After a chime, it responded softly. ”My name is Illia.” The name suited her. Celeste smiled, feeling pleased. Illia was a good name. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

”Illia,” she began. This part would be tricky. ”Would you like to sign a contract with me, then? You have to promise to look out for me, so long as I look out for you. Whatever I say, you have to listen, alright?” Illia shuddered with delight. ”Of course!” It sang. ”I promise I will listen to every word. I’ll take care of you!” It was utterly, completely sincere. Celeste let out a gust of breath.

”Alright,” she said softly. ”I think I’ve decided.”

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Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on November 12th, 2013, 11:04 pm

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”Of course you have,” Eris replied, tone dripping with sarcasm. Celeste nodded, immue to the creature’s scorn. Illia might be absent-minded, but Eris was downright evil. The sooner they were done, the better. Rubbing her hands together, she turned to the little beast. ”So, how do we go about this contract?” Sevrin was already on his way over with a parchment and quill. ”Well, I write the contract. It’ll say that you’re both bound to one another. Then, you both sign it in blood and you’re all done.” Well, that seemed simple enough.

”Should I keep the contract?” Meanwhile, Illia was singing cheerfully in the background, openly pleased they were to become friends. It was incredibly endearing to Celeste, though Eris was quite visibly annoyed. ”You’ll see,” she seethed, snatching the paper from Sevrin’s hand. He on the other hand, smiled at the joyful cloud of smoke. ”What a happy thing you are.” It whirled around in reply, dancing. How strange. It almost seemed that Sevrin could have easily chosen an Avavali as a friend. But again, he was quite mad. Who knew what sort of person he really was.

Eris wrote furiously, as quickly as she could. Sevrin looked over as if he was to chide her, but wisely, he said nothing. Celeste observed him with eyebrows raised. He could definitely give lessons in restraint, that was certain. Ink splashed hither and yon as Eris scribed the last of the lettering. ”Both parties hereby swear allegiance to one another for so long as they draw breath, expecting the case of the Avavali, Illia, who does not draw breath and as such, cannot cease to do so. Both Illia and Celeste are therefore sworn as both Wizard and Familiar until the end of their days.” She shoved the parchment into Celeste’s grasp. ”Here. Sign it.”

She was supposed to sign it in blood. With a sigh, she reached inward, trailing through the mass of her djed, sorting through piles and piles of radiant particles of life. After a moment or so, her internal eyes caught the whippet-like carbon of her nails, a thin line accenting the dynamic threads of her thumbs and fingers. She reached forth and pulled the line taut, lengthening it while sharpening the edges. With an almost inaudible groaning, her nails grew longer in reply. Celeste smiled, admiring their pointed tips. How ghastly.

”Interesting!” Sevrin exclaimed at the sight. Biting her lip, she used her index finger to draw blood on the other side and with a sweep she signed the paper at the bottom, for good or ill. It’d hurt a bit, but she at least tried to do as little harm as she could. Now, what interested her was the Avavali. How was Illia supposed to bleed, exactly?

Eris held the paper up to her and the cloud condensed around it, leaving a tiny purple stain in her wake. It looked more like condensation than blood. Then again, it probably was just that. Celeste couldn’t fathom the conditions these strange beings hailed from. What kind of place generated so many different creatures with such polar dispositions? Then again, Mizahar had its own idiosyncrasies. For all she knew, Illia thought the same thing of her.

The minute the paper was signed, it imploded. There was no other word for it. The thing simply shriveled up and disappeared. Illia was no longer held by the portal, either. With a triumphant little noise she floated over to Celeste and began to hover around her shoulders, as if seeing her for the very first time. The sensation tickled as she brushed her skin. ”Oi, stop that!” She giggled.

”Get out.” Eris said darkly. Both parties stopped to look at her. Even Sevrin whistled low in appreciation. The creature was genuinely furious. ”Get out, get out, GET OUT!” The Kirt howled. Both Illia and Celeste turned and ran for the door, hearing the other’s thoughts with no time to really express them. As the steel doors clanged shut behind, the Avavali just barely cleared the crack between them before the void sucked her back in.

”What a relief,” Celeste sighed. ”I was afraid I’d have to go back in there.” Illia gathered in front of her. ”I know! That Kirt looked like she wanted to kill you.” She didn’t sound terribly concerned, for some reason. Perhaps this was going to be a challenge, after all. The young apprentice could feel the cheerful indifference simply radiating from the thing.

”So, you can hear my thoughts now.” It wasn’t a question. The little girl picked herself up and began to move toward the stairwell. The thick fog trailed after her, shimmying this way and that, dancing all the while. ”Yes! I can change shape too, to better suit you. I can pack myself re-aaaally tight! Just think of say, your favorite animal and I’ll show you what I mean!”

Celeste immediately thought of a cat. She’d seen an illusion in Alvadas once, of a cat, with long, midnight black fur and piercing grey eyes. It sometimes would sit on a high wall just off from the Bizarre. As soon as the image touched her mind, the smoke whirled together and with a slight puff, it was that very same cat, only entirely Illia’s shade of rich, tyrian purple.

”Wow,” she breathed, genuinely impressed. Illia immediately sensed her pleasure and replied in kind. The cat purred and rubbed against her legs, much like Celeste expected it to. Their connection was seamless. But the feeling was entirely foreign. She’d never had another person in her head. For a moment, she almost regretted relinquishing the privacy, but with a stab of regret she realized this unfiltered thought had bled over to the familiar.

”Oh, I don’t hear everything,” she said telepathically, her voice lilting and bright. ”Just whatever you want me to. You just aren’t good at keeping me out, yet. It takes practice! But it’s okay.” The cat trotted along as they ascended the stairs. ”We have allll the time in the world!”

Celeste felt slightly nauseous. At least she could count on Illia to announce when Eris was back to kill her.

THE END

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