The sun rose and with it came Mark's trio of tormentors. He had never been a morning person but he was starting to loathe that big fiery ball in the sky. At least they left him alone at night. Mark was tempted to hide his head in the sand when Talin began cleaning the pen. The food Sasha brought him came as a welcome distraction. He was absolutely ravenous. So hungry in fact that he managed to ignore the novices, focusing only on filling his stomach. No matter how loudly his stomach growled Mark forced himself to keep building sandwichs before he ate the food. It was a way for him to preserve what little dignity he had left. He was so fixated on eating that he didn't even notice the arrival of Valda until the Journeyman tugged on his chain.

"It's good that Pet has such a strong appetite. We could be looking at one of the larger reptiles." Valda murmured, looking at Mark in approval as if he was proud of him. "If his appetite stays this strong we'll need to exercise him quite a bit." Once more he tugged on the leash. Despite the fact that the line had turned to metal it retained the flexibility of woven leather The chain bore an appearance similar to rope, with many strands twisted together into a greater whole. This gave the chain greater strength than simple metal links bound together.

Valda led Mark and the novices out into the courtyard. They joined a long line of transformed humans being led from the pens connected to the courtyard. They were all boys in various stages of turning into reptiles. Mark watched them out of the corner of his eyes, noting that a large number were turning into snakes of one type or another. Mark was led down the warren of roads between the courtyards, eventually reaching a large building reminiscent of the arena where he had been altered. The only difference, so far as he could tell, was the lack of audience stands and a roof over the building. It was one amongst many, built at the other end of the maze of pens where they were being held. Mark and the newly changed reptiles were led into a vast open space.

Mark found himself being led to one of many small circles throughout the room. The journeyman stopped at a table beside the ring picking up a coiled section of metal rope. It was identical to Mark's short lead. He brought the two pieces of metal near and they merged together giving Mark a longer line of perhaps ten meters. "Alright, today's training is going to be nice and easy," Valda explained to the novices. "Whoever holds the leash will stand in the center of the ring, and have Pet run laps around the outer perimeter. The transformation will use up any extra nutrients, so he won't get fat, but we want him to build up some muscle tone. Another reason for this type of simple exercise is that Pet needs to get used to moving on all fours now that he's no longer bipedal."

At that announcement, Valda moved to the center of the ring, allowing the line to play out behind him. Mark studied the journeyman suspiciously, wondering idly how they were going to force him to move. This seemed far too easy, there had to be a catch somewhere. When Valda reached the center of the ring he flicked the chain to Mark, the movement of the line caused a low dose of electricity to course down Mark's back. Mark gnashed his teeth and shook his head, a growl slipping from between his lips, backing away from the journeyman.

With each flick of the chain, Mark backed further away until he reached the edge of the ring. Looking down at the ground he found that the earth had been packed down tight by the passage of those who had been put through similar ordeals. Valda flicked out the chain causing a stronger burst of pain in Mark's lower body. He leaped forward instinctively in an attempt to escape the pain. Even though he was unwilling Mark still found himself crawling around the ring as fast as he could. Each time he tried to slow down or move closer to the journeyman, Valda would flick the chain again forcing Mark back into position.

At first, Mark counted each lap around the ring, but he stopped bothering after they reached lap thirty and showed no signs of stopping. When the first hour passed, Mark was allowed a small break as Valda left the center of the ring passing the line to Mina. "Now you've seen how I did it if he slows or tries to tighten the circle you can just flick the line, giving him a little bit of a shock." The black-haired girl waited obediently until the journeyman was outside the ring before she flicked the chain. Mark groaned as the pain cut through his exhaustion and he was off again. Every hour a similar scene would play out as Mina switched with Sasha, and then Sasha traded off with Talin. After four hours of 'exercise', Mark was exhausted. His skin was slick with sweat, sides heaving as he gasped for air. His arms and legs shook with the effort to stay upright and not just collapse there and then. The worst part of the entire experience was that Valda was right. It did feel more natural to move on all fours. 

The fatigue had pretty much sapped all the fight out of Mark. So when the extra length was removed from his leash and he was led back to his pen Mark was happy to leave. Valda posted a paper sheet on the back of Mark's tack room. He couldn't make out what it said, the print was too small for him to read from a distance. "This is the schedule for the first month. Every morning you will bring Pet his morning feed and while he eats one of you will clean his pen. Then you will bring him to Arena R-07 where I will join you. We'll exercise him for four hours, and then bring him back for grooming, you can finish off the morning by giving Pet his noon meal and head to your own lunch. Once your classes in the afternoon are finished you'll return here to give Pet his evening feed, as well as a second cursory cleaning of the pen. Once a week we'll take his weight and measurements again. At the end of the month, we'll reassess to see if anything needs to be changed. Do all of you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" The trio called out in unison.

"Good. For the most part, you can manage Pet's routine with little interference on my part. But I'll remind you that any changes in behaviour or appearance need to be reported to me. Generally, you can find me in the administration building for Section 42 if it's urgent. Otherwise, you can just give me a report during Pet's training period. Now, I believe you should follow the schedule?" Valda tapped the paper before walking out of the pen.

The novices gazed after the more experienced Journeyman. Taken aback at the rather abrupt dismissal. Mina shrugged, leading Mark towards the grooming facilities. "Come Pet," She whistled sharply to get the exhausted familiar's attention. "You can rest soon I promise."

Groaning, Mark trailed behind her, head hanging low. He wasn't even flustered at once again being washed like a dog. He was just so damn tired. When Mina was done with grooming him, she scratched him behind the ear again and led him back to his stall. "You're such a good boy Pet. Look, Sasha has already filled up your feeding bin." Mina crouched down and held the end of the leash close to the floor, allowing it to fuse with the central pillar again. She patted Mark on the head again and closed his stall door behind her. Humming lightly under her breath as she left the pen.

Mark just wanted to collapse in a heap on the sandy floor but his stomach rumbled, demanding food. He dragged himself over to the trough, scarfing the food as fast as possible while taking a breath in between bites. The changing boy found that Drew and Barry had told the truth. Despite the large portions, it was never more than just enough to satisfy his voracious appetite. After polishing off his lunch Mark took a deep drink of the red potion and flopped down on the ground, his eyes slowly closed in weariness as he dozed off. A single thought drifted through the back of his mind. "Every morning is going to be like this now!?"

***

Mina

Mina had tied her long hair back in a pony-tail today, keeping the wayward strands from getting in the way while she worked with Pet in the morning. She ate absentmindedly her attention largely concentrated on the open textbook in front of her. At the same table, Talin and Sasha chatted away with the other trio of novices from their pen.

"Working with Pet was awesome today." Talin declared eagerly.

"Totally. It was neat watching Plodder swimming in the shallow pool." Jasmine nodded repeatedly.

Talin stifled a laugh at the name. "You named your familiar Plodder?"

Harkon sniffed, before breaking out into a laugh himself. "He going to turn into a turtle of some sort. It seemed fairly apt. Besides the name Pet is every bit as bad. They're only nicknames anyway. I heard one group of novices named their cat familiar Fluffykins."

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"You're right that is bad." Talin agreed, the duo breaking down into hysterics.

"Why do we have to have a Journeyman supervising training? We just had Pet run in circles for hours. That's easy." Sasha wondered.

Mina closed her textbook and joined the conversation as they finished off their lunch. "It's a safety precaution, Sasha. Right now Pet is easy to manage. Most of the new familiars are. They're still in a bit of shock. But as their animal traits grow stronger they'll become harder to handle. Accidents can happen. Depending on the rank of the familiar the novices might not be able to command the beast. We can speak to all animals, but novices can only compel low-class familiars." She explained patiently.

The blonde girl tilted her head, wrinkling her button nose cutely. "Let me guess, apprentices command mid-tier familiars and journeymen can handle the high-tier." She finished.

"Exactly. Before a familiars tier has been determined they are treated like high-tier familiars. The teams are rearranged once the level of the magic beast becomes clear. That normally happens in the first or second year. Which makes me wonder how that Chimera was identified so quickly." Derrik crossed his arms, thinking deeply. The rest looked over at Mina. With the position of her mother and grandmother, she was the one with the most access to information about apex familiars."

The girl finished the last of her salad as she replied. "I heard that the things snake-tail is coming in already. That is, the head of the snake has emerged from her rear. They had to put a muzzle on the thing, even if its fangs and venom haven't developed yet. Chimera venom is nasty stuff." She stated.

The rest of the novices winced in sympathy. "I guess caring for an apex familiar isn't easy. There have to be risks associated with such a prestigious position." Jasmine murmured.

"True." Talin nodded. The group stood, clearing the table. They continued the conversation as they made their way towards history class. "They give the novices a chance to work with the apex familiars but if they screw up bad enough they'll be replaced in a flat second. The Master Beast Tamers are watching them like hawks just waiting to swoop in. The pressure must be even worse for Lux, Cerra, and Graydon. That's the first apex familiar Antica Retreat has had in nearly a decade. The apex facilities have basically been gathering dust for the last few years."

"Here's hoping they find a few more."

"Touch wood you fool. That's why the recruiters went to the out of the way Borderlands three years ago. The really obscure places nowhere near trade routes or valuable resources, no offence Sasha."

"None taken. You should have seen the look on my face when I saw my first city. I was a complete hick."

The two groups of novices sat next to each other. They continued to gossip as the class filled up. Soon enough the teacher entered the classroom. He was a short little man, slightly balding with a round belly as if he had swallowed a ball. He closed the door and strode to the front of the room, studying the faces of the novices. "Good afternoon students. I am Professor Brell and I will be teaching history. Before anyone asks I am also a Journeyman Beast Tamer specializing in aquatics. If anyone feels like making a remark about my appearance and walrus blubber I can assure you your predecessors regretted it, deeply." He sneered, Brell hated working with out of control first years. He could only hope that this class would behave better then his last one had.

"If you would take out your history books and turn to chapter one we will begin with the invention of the Awakening Potion and the founding of our order. The awakening potion was created by one of the greatest alchemists to ever live, Ventus Strauss. The invention is perhaps matched only by Adelle Estrall's Animus Potion invented some three centuries later. Sadly his greatest achievement could never be announced to the world at large. He started off small telling only his family and most trusted companions, some of the greatest mages of their time. They made their territory in the borderlands, purchasing their stock from destitute families with too many mouths to feed. Now can any of you tell me where he got his inspiration for the Awakening Potion from?"

One of the girls raised her hand. "Evolution?" She asked hesitantly.

"Are you asking me or telling me girl? Speak properly now. Oh never mind." Brell snapped. "You the boy with the ridiculously spiked hair, can you finish her thought?"

The boy in question gulped. "Alchemist Strauss took his inspiration from the evolution of magical beasts. Specifically, the final evolution that only the oldest and strongest of magical beasts go through."

Brell smiled. "You are correct. Grand Alchemist Strauss took his inspiration from the so-called 'last evolution' of magical beasts. As we know all magic beasts evolve, growing in strength as they age. Despite this they almost always remain within the tier they were born into. Rarely does a magical animal succeed in advancing to a new tier of power, rarer still are those creatures which change species entirely. During evolution an animal's magic will solidify into a sort of cocoon, within which the beast reenters a sort of embryonic state, reconstructing their bodies and repairing any permanent damage dealt to them over the course of their life up until that point."

"The 'last evolution' is even more magical, for the animals that go through it are granted a human form, as well as the ability to switch between the two forms. However, they were incapable of remaining in their human forms for any significant amount of time. The longest ever recorded was a week, and even that was considered an extreme anomaly. It was these 'finished' beasts who first attempted to negotiate with the races of men in an attempt to mitigate the overhunting of their kind. That only resulted in crusades to capture and subdue the powerful beasts, or kill them and harvest there bodies. For with their age and strength, their entire bodies were a treasure to mankind. Having failed to negotiate a peaceful coexistence, it is believed that these rare creatures then led a mass exodus from the continent and indeed all the lands occupied by the races of men. Where they went has been the cause of much speculation for generations."

"Regardless historical documents show that Strauss was able to witness one such last evolution. He had the incredible luck to stumble across a hidden embryo while exploring the wilds and studied it extensively throughout the course of its evolution. When the evolution was complete the creature spared his life, grateful that Strauss hadn't attempted to breach the embryo. An action which, according to the beast, would have resulted in both of their deaths. How much truth there is to that claim we don't know."

Brell continued with his lecture. "Afterwards, Strauss spent decades in his lab attempting to recreate the miracle he had born witness to, but in reverse. He wished to grant mages the abilities of magical beasts. Despite his best efforts, he was never capable of perfectly reproducing the effects of the last evolution. Rather than entering an embryo, the transformation took place over a course of ten to twenty years. The subjects also remained locked in animal form, they were never able to return to their original forms."

Seated at the front of the class Lux raised his hand. "Could our manufactured familiars gain the ability if they go through a last evolution?" He queried.

"Don't interrupt me Mr. Vadgar." Brell admonished. "The answer to your question is that we don't know. The youngest magical beast to go through last evolution was approaching two millennia in age. They are ancient creatures, and even the oldest surviving familiar that the Order created is just passed their first millennium. It is theoretically possible for them to go through the process but neither you nor I will live to have that particular question answered."

"During Strauss' time familiars were becoming rarer and rarer. Most of the remainder were bred from domesticated stock and those were growing weaker with the passage of each generation. The alchemist never obtained a familiar of his own despite his affinity for animals. A predicament that he shared with his friends and their families. Strauss saw a business opportunity in the dearth of familiars throughout the land. He had a potion that could create familiars at a time when supply was dwindling and demand was only increasing. Strauss, along with those he could trust, refined their affinity for animals. A magical gift that had been, up until that point in history, considered something of a parlour trick. They became the first Beast Tamers"

The group stuck to remote areas while training the first of the familiars. Selling one here and another there as they completed their transformations and training. The process was refined. The collars were invented by Master enchanters to make the animals easier to control and mould. They remained small, not drawing attention to themselves. Until they had produced a large enough stock of apex familiars, at which point the group announced their existence to the world. Anyone with even a small amount of power at the time fell over themselves to befriend the Order. In return for access to apex familiars, the various royal families ceded control of the then undeveloped Rahan mountains to the group. By that point, Ventus Strauss was an old man even by the standards of mages with our longer lifespans.

"It is within these mountains that we have made our homes ever since. Over the course of a thousand years, we have grown to the point where we can be considered a nation of our own. A powerful one." Brell gave the impressionable young novices a proud smile as he finished his lecture.