"Hurry up Nico!" A red-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently as she waited for her lazy older brother to meet her in the foyer to the boy's dormitory of Astral Light Magic Academy. "There won't be any places left."

Nikoli raced down the spiral staircase with a book bag slung over his shoulder, his knee-length robe flapping behind him. His black hair stuck up haphazardly as he stumbled the last few steps down the stairs. He rolled his eyes as he caught sight of his sister. She was tall and lanky for a fourteen-year-old. Anya's long auburn hair was pulled back in a braid. She wore a deep green t-shirt and grey leggings beneath a charcoal grey knee-length robe. Just like Nico's a trio of fine gold stripes banded the sleeves of the robe, marking the pair as third years.

Rolling his eyes Nico strode towards the door of the hall. "Don't get your braid in a twist little sister there'll be room for us. It's not like missing the parade will affect the selection." He said in exasperation and quoted. "The magic chooses the familiar, not the mage."

Anya's green eyes narrowed onto the dark-haired fifteen-year-old. "Don't be a know it all big brother. You're only six months older than me anyway."

Despite their bickering, the four raced across the wide lawn of the academy and up the stairs onto the crowded walkway atop the school wall. They joined the throng of first to third years peering over the wall at the long caravan of wagons coming up the road. The Beast Tamers traditionally set up in the massive plaza from which the capital's three magic academies branched off. On the walls of the adjoining academies teenagers in the green robes of the Emerald Griffin, and the violet robes of the Imperial Academy crowded the walks.

The pair of siblings were soon joined by their best friends Blake and Dash. Soon enough the first wagon trundled into the square. Smaller animals were loaded into individual cages in the back while long leads trailed behind them. In just the first wagon alone Nico spotted a deer, some sheep, several cats and a single pot-bellied pig that some poor bastard was going to end up with, he just hoped that poor bastard wasn't him.

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Wagon after wagon entered the plaza to the cheers of the students on the wall as the sun rose higher in the sky. Nico was starting to wish he had grabbed some breakfast when a nearby student shouted over the noise. "Quick, count the center wagons!"

The cheering quieted as all the teenagers tried to get a closer look at the next transports. Unlike the previous wagons, these ones were completely covered, their contents concealed from prying eyes. Rather than having long lines of more familiars trailing behind they were circled by riders on horseback each clad in the jacket of a journeyman Beast Tamer.

The students watched these wagons with undisguised longing knowing that these covered wagons each contained but a single magical beast. A familiar of the highest order who's magic in one or more aspects was all but unmatched. The lucky mages bonded to these familiars would see their futures soar to the heavens.

Soon enough the count was made. Nine, there were nine apex familiars during this Beast Parade. It was a record high for the past century or more. A greedy light flashed through the eyes of all the students and the majority of their focus remained on the covered wagons, paying only cursory attention to the latter half of the cavalcade. The Headmasters of the three academies along with the teachers in charge of the first through the third year strode out the gates, converging on the Master Beast Tamers as the rest of the caravan began to set up for the familiar binding.

"I can't wait for this evening." Anya declared almost bouncing in place.

Blake pushed his glasses up his nose. "Indeed. It's a good thing today is a holiday. I doubt any of us could concentrate on our classes at this point." He observed studiously.

"Forget that." Dash rubbed his hands together. "They're taking bets on what species the apex familiars our school obtains are."

"Ooh. I hope one of them's a bird."

"No, a griffin would be the best. Can you imagine the look on the snooty Emerald Griffin students if one of us ended up with their iconic animal?"

"A fish of some kind."

"Or a Lunar Spirit Wolf, their gorgeous beasts."

"That's awfully specific."

The quartet continued their speculations as they made their way off the wall and headed towards the cafeteria.