I clung to Seth's shoulders as he walked to his disciplinary meeting with the red-scarved professor.

After combat class we'd gone to a class on drawing sigils. It was like drawing calligraphy in the air. I don't have fingers. My paws couldn't do the fine work. Of course. And my control over the tip of my tail is inadequate. Like using your knees to type is inadequate.

I'll figure something out. I'm going to be able to cast this shit, dammit.

Seth had asked the professor his box of questions about powers and got a blank look and some platitudes. Seth has high hopes for the tower classes. The first one is tomorrow. I'm skeptical. He really believes someone is just going to tell him the answer he's looking for. Ah, to be a child.

And then we had an hour-long search for Professor Marjorie. No luck. I don't know why Seth couldn't wait for class this week, but whatever. I think we have that class on Wednesday.

Yup. Seven day week here. I don't know what the days are really called, but since I hear English, I hear day names. Magic nonsense.

"Hey," Owen called to Seth. He hopped off one of the magic pillars that were all over the place. "I thought I'd go with you."

"Thanks, Owen." Seth tried to play it cool, but I could feel his relief. The kid was so anxious, having a buddy really did help.

"Of course. Whatever it is, I'll do it with you too, if they let me."

Seth shook his head. So Owen was feeling guilty? Don't blame yourself Owen. Blame Arnold. And that sneaky snake.

The Fire Tower was where Professor Rebecca was. Seth stopped a moment to appreciate the tower before heading in. Well, I sure appreciated it. The thing was gorgeous. And it wasn't on fire or covered in water.

It was made of volcanic glass. Obsidian. And all the types of obsidian were used and probably a bunch more specific to magic land. I recognized snowflake, mahogany, and rainbow obsidian. There was also a variety that looked like lapis lazuli swirled inside the black glass. All these were inlaid in a magic wizard tower made of black glass.

I wondered how expensive obsidian was as a gemstone in this world, and how difficult it would be to remove a few select pieces. Oh yeah. I wouldn't want to trigger the thing bursting into flames. Death magic zones and murder wards were a thing here too. Ugh, I've got a lot to learn. I'll put the thought of gemstones on the back burner for now, and just focus on attending classes.

The exterior doors were open, and the foyer was empty. Seth opened the second set of doors into the tower. Inside was a common area. The couches and chairs were arranged in conversation groups for a handful of students at a time. Most were overstuffed and comfy looking. The room was lit with tall braziers, and was also cooking hot. I don't know how the furniture wasn't smoldering.

All right, now where? There was no reception desk. I didn't see a floor map either. Were we supposed to go to an office or some kind of meeting room? There were some students scattered around, most of them upperclassmen.

Wait a second, that one's Arnold. He was reclined on one of the chairs with his feet crossed on the table. And he was glaring at us. Aw, did we ruin your day?

Seth spotted him too. Then as they stared at each other I noticed that Arnold's expression shifted. He tried to hide it, but something surprised him and I saw recognition. He either remembered or recognized something about Seth. Then he went straight back to glaring.

Professor Rebecca strode out of a side room and spotted Seth. "Good. This way." She strode right back into the room. Seth and Owen followed with Arnold trailing behind.

The room was a small conference room with space for a half dozen people. A granite table was in the center of the room with benches on either side. Professor Laur was standing beside a fireplace. He nodded at the students as they entered. Professor Rebecca sat on the opposite side. As soon as she saw Owen she waved him out.

"Nope, you can wait outside."

"I just-"

"Nope. Out."

"But-"

"Nope. Out. I say it once more and you'll be in here for yourself." She watched Owen glance at Seth in apology and then leave. "You two keep your hands on your beasts. No incidents."

"Yes, ma'am," Seth said. He picked me up off his shoulder. I cooperated.

"Of course, Professor. Asclepios is very well behaved," Arnold said.

I know a lie when I hear it. No way that sneaky snake was well behaved. Fucking thing scared the shit out of me on purpose!

I had been minding my own business while checking out the magic in the dining hall table, and that freakish monster snuck right up and hissed like it was going to bite me.

When you're not real good with snakes in the first place, that kind of thing takes years off your life.

The fact that it was only a couple feet long and pencil thin doesn't make it less terrifying.

Oh shit, I'm not paying attention to the meeting.

"So instead of that, I've decided you both will be attending the Familiar Training Course offered at the Menagerie. It starts in three weeks and will run for six weeks. The course is an hour and a half twice a week. You both will spend an additional hour there each day cleaning every pen and cage they ask you to."

She tapped her fingers in front of me and the snake. Why did I feel like this was directed at us two? "This period will also be your probationary period. If you can complete the training course without further incidents, your probation will be considered resolved."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"But Professor, Asclepios doesn't need further training," Arnold protested and that damn snake smirked at me.

"That's convenient. The training is more for your benefit than your beast's. It is to train you in managing your beast," Professor Rebecca said.

"Six weeks," Seth said.

"It is longer than a typical detention," Professor Rebecca sounded slightly apologetic, "but Professor Laur and I felt it was appropriate in this instance. It is better to train these issues out the moment they start."

"I think it's fair," Seth said.

"I don't. I have prior commitments, Professor," Arnold said.

Professor nodded. "And now you have additional ones. Make it work. If you don't complete the training, you'll take it again. Probation will last until the training is completed."

"What exactly does probation mean Professor?" Seth asked.

"It means any infraction that assigns demerits will also trigger a review just like this one. This school has no intention of training mages who are indiscriminate in their carelessness or violence."

I can understand the idea behind that. Let's not train people to cast fireballs if they're the type to cast it in a crowded restaurant. And it looks like you need more than one professor, or maybe even one of the Tower Wizards in on the review. I'm not real clear on the causes for demerits though. I bet that's all in that handbook they keep talking about. I can also see many ways this system is ripe for abuse.

"Is there a way for me to defend myself in one of these reviews?" Seth asked.

Professor Rebecca's eyebrows rose. I looked over at Laur, and he was smiling.

"Bring a professor to the meeting as your advocate," Professor Rebecca said. "They will speak on your behalf."

There was a pause and then Professor Rebecca stood. "Dismissed."

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After dinner Seth trudged back to his room carrying his exhausted familiar. She'd stolen all the meat from his plate and half of Duvessa's. He hoped she didn't grow too big too fast. He had no idea how long it'd take her to get to her mother's size. For now, she was as small as a housecat.

Owen walked next to him. "So, what is this Mange thing you have to do?"

"The Menagerie. It's basically a mix between a home for unbound familiars and a zoo for magic beasts. It's near the Palace. I had visited it quite a few times when I was younger."

Owen puzzled over that as they headed to the stairs in their dorm building. "How would they be familiars if they're not bound? They wouldn't be familiars then, would they?"

"It's rare, but sometimes someone can't keep their familiar so they have it unbound. They still have the enhancements from being bound, so they aren't normal magic beasts. The most common reason I know of is that the familiar is an aggressive or hostile species. I remember seeing a young manticore in the Menagerie when I was little. And someone talked about trying to capture one of the wyverns for it."

"We don't need wyverns inside the city. They're bad enough outside it." Owen paused on the stair landing on his floor. "If you want, I could go with you to the Menagerie? It sounds different."

Seth's instinctive reaction was to refuse. He didn't want to put pressure on a new friendship. On the other hand, maybe Owen was genuinely interested. "It's not for a few weeks, we'll see how it goes and if you even can come with me."

They said their goodbyes and Seth headed to his own room.

He paused in front of his door. He really didn't want to deal with greeting whatever barbarian gardener was his roommate. The best he could hope for was that his own bed stayed clear.

He also had homework to do for the Structured Magic class. He was worried about the single desk in the room and hoped his roommate was either already done or not there.

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Isaac was seated at the desk with papers and diagrams strewn about. He turned around when the door opened.

"Hey, Seth! I didn't know you were my roommate." He stood up. "Sorry about the room before, I didn't think I had a roommate since you hadn't come by. I got a little comfortable."

Seth looked around the room and saw it had been cleaned up. There was still a sword and shield in the corner but none of the strange things like buckets or rope were in evidence. Seth wondered where they'd gone.

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to spend my brother's last few days in the city with him, so I waited until the last day. I'm glad I'm not rooming with a stranger, even if we only met today." And that he didn't have to deal with a garden shed as a room. Seth eyed the small desk. "This room is really small though, how are we going to work out study times?"

"Spending time with family is important. Your brother is heading home then?"

"He's leaving for work. We've been traveling a lot."

Isaac nodded and surveyed his work spread out on the desk. "I figure we'll take turns with the desk. I'll let you have first go if you like. I'm a bit stuck anyway and could do with a walk."

Seth laid his exhausted familiar on his bed. "Thanks, I'd like to let her sleep. She's had a long day." The cat curled up and rolled on her back simultaneously, as only a cat could.

"She's an interesting familiar. Do you have to keep her with you all the time? Is there a problem if you're not together?" Isaac asked as he closed his books and stacked them.

"I don't think it's a problem really. She's wandered off before and has been gone for hours. I do feel better when she's nearby though."

"Bird familiars are the most common I think because of the better eyesight they give you. What kind of power does she grant?"

"Nothing yet. She is still both very young and very new. I'm told it could be months before I know what she can give."

Isaac nodded. "She's a snow leopard, right? Probably something physical, like balance or reflexes." Isaac looked Seth up and down. "That doesn't seem to me to be something you'd be looking for."

"I didn't buy her or seek her out, actually. It was circumstantial that she ended up in my care. The rest of her family had been killed."

"You found a family of dead snow leopards?" Isaac paused in cleaning up the desk. "Where did this happen?"

Seth remembered Saben telling him not to talk about the entrance to Below, the big cat, or her horns. Thinking about her made him feel sad that she had died. She had saved both him and Mau.

"There was an accident and I fell. I found Mau there." He'd probably said too much already. But this felt harmless.

"That must have been quite the fall. How old was she when you found her? Did she still need milk?" Isaac's hand hovered near Mau like he wanted to pet her but didn't want to wake her.

"It's only been about a week. And she was fully weaned already. She's just smaller than her siblings."

"That's too bad none of the others survived. She's beautiful. She's still lucky you found her since she's still a cub. You'll have to tell me about the power when you get it. I've never thought familiars were worth the trouble but maybe you'll change my mind."

"She's not trouble," Seth argued, but they'd both seen her at the dinner table. "I like her."

Isaac just smirked at him. "She'll be fine in here, right? No accidents?"

"She hasn't had one yet." Seth was relieved Mau was asleep. She'd be really annoyed at him for this conversation. That's when he noticed one of her eyes was slit open and staring at him.

Isaac finished putting papers in a satchel and said he'd be back in an hour or two. Seth settled down to do his work. The first thing he wanted to do was start a letter to Saben. He could add to it every day and then mail it on the weekend.

His first day of school was bumpy but he had new friends and a decent roommate. It finally looked like things were starting to get better.

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A student used the knocker on the wooden door of the tower, and the door opened on its own a moment later. He stepped inside.

"So?"

"It was him."