I fall to my knees as the world seems to reassert itself. It takes me a second to reorient myself, but when I do, I find myself inside the most beautiful house I’ve ever been in. Exotic paintings line the walls, while white fur carpets cover the floor. Vines twist artistically around archways as the last of the sun pours in through a clear window roof.

“Sarah, we have a guest.” Maximus Leverton says as hangs his coat on a hook next to the door behind us.

Wolf shakes his head roughly, his floppy ears making a noticeable sound.

A beautiful young woman appears beside me, startling me. Brown hair flowing down into a dress made of flowers are the first things I notice, followed by the inhumanly large blue eyes that are staring at me curiously. “That’s two guests Max. Don’t be rude.” The woman says..

Mr.Leverton pauses in unbuckling his sword belt. “Yes, of course. Keo, this is Sarah, the house spirit. Sarah, this is Keo and his dog… Wolf.”

“I’m not sure what it is either.” Sarah says.

“No, it’s a dog. Its name seems to be Wolf.” Mr.Leverton corrects as he bends down to untie his shoelaces.

“It sounds as if you named him, Max.”

Mr.Leverton ignores the comment. “If you don’t mind expending some energy to create a new room for the both of them, I have some business I must take care of.” Mr. Leverton turns to me, looking over both me and Wolf. “A bath and some new clothing would also be in order.” His eyes focus on me, “Keo, if you need anything, just ask Sarah, she’s happy to help. Come find me in my study once you’re settled in.”

I step forward, stopping him from leaving. Everything is happening so fast that it’s hard to focus, but I have to make sure. “What about her?”

Mr.Leverton smiles, pulling out the opaque orb from his pocket. “Don’t worry, she’s safe. I’ll make sure no harm comes to her until you’re ready to complete your bond.”

I frown, not trusting the man, even more so now that I know he’s so rich. But, I have no choice.

“Don’t worry, little one. Max keeps his word.” A gentle hand touches my shoulder, causing me to flinch involuntarily. The hand lifts, before slowly moving back to my shoulder in a soft, comforting manner.

For some reason, the kindness in the action stops me from moving away as I look up into the large eyes of Sarah.

She smiles, and for a moment, I’m lost in the compassion that she shares. “Let’s get you to your room, shall we?”

I nod, speechless. Wolf walks over nuzzling the other hand of the house spirit. She happily rubs him behind the ears. “Yes, you too, Wolf-dog.”

“Wolf?” I ask the dog, surprised by his friendliness, he never lets anyone touch him.

Sarah laughs, the sound surprisingly melodious. “He is a cute animal.” She says nicely.

I look at the mangy half-starved dog and back to Sarah.

Sarah laughs again before seeming to glide across the floor towards a staircase. “This is the main staircase to the second floor…” She starts, pointing out the many other rooms that line the way. She finishes at a big room with one of the largest white beds I’ve ever seen. On the floor next to the bed is a rug in the shape of a dog’s paw. “This will be your room of course, Sarah points to the rug. “Wolf should be happy sleeping here.”

I stare at the room, speechless. I turn to her, shaking my head. “This isn’t my room.” I say with certainty.

Sarah tilts her head curiously, “what do you mean by that?”

“Mr. Leverton must have meant for me to sleep in a different room.” I say, turning back to look at the hallway she had led us through.

Sarah shakes her head. “Mr.Leverton can mean whatever he wants. He told me to create you a room, and that’s what I did.”

The way she phrased that makes me pause. “Create?”

Sarah smiles, showing her perfectly straight teeth. “I am a house spirit. This whole house is my domain, and I decide what exists and does not exist here.” She waves her hand towards the room and I follow her motion with my eyes. A dark wooden dresser appears opposite to the bed in the room, while the bedsheets become a dark blue in color. The bedposts shape themselves into mirror images of Wolf’s likeness, his teeth bared. The rug turns black, matching the darker decor of the room.

I take a step backwards in surprise, then turn to Sarah.

“This will be your room, if you want anything changed, simply ask.” She puts her hand down, rubbing the ears of Wolf, who is still begging for her pets. “Now, follow me. We need to get the both of you washed up.”

She moves further down the hall and I hesitate for only a moment before following her. She opens the door to another room, revealing a large room, with two pools set into the floor.

“Clothes will be provided to you when you are done. When you are ready, Max will be in his office just two doors down.” With that said, Sarah shoves me into the room and closes the door behind me.

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Wolf immediately jumps ahead and into the water grabbing a wooden ball floating on the surface of one of the pools. “Wolf! Don’t touch their… ball.” I call out, worried that he was going to break the toy that had been left in the pool.

Wolf just growls, squeezing the ball in his mouth.

I sigh, realizing there’s nothing to be done. I take another glance around the room, recognizing soaps and cloth for drying with.

I hadn’t washed myself in an actual bath since I was a child. Carefully I take off my clothes, revealing my skinny and malnourished body.

I dip one foot into the pool, finding it to be a nice warm temperature. Since the temperature seems to be fine, I fully submerge myself in the water.

It feels nice. I close my eyes, just letting the dirt and grime wash off me. The last time I had a proper bath was when the city flooded a year ago. The water wasn’t this clean back then. I open my eyes, noticing the dirt seeping into the water from my body. I guess it isn’t that clean anymore.

Wolf jumps into the pool I’m in, splashing me and bringing me out of my thoughts.

Realizing that I am using the mage’s baths, I hurry to find soap and scrub myself down. The months of grime covering my body since the last rains are hard to scrub off, but I manage. Once the first layer of grime is scrubbed off, the scars along my arms start to become more visible along with the tattoo just above my heart, forever marking me. I step out of the bath, drying down with the cloth available.

Wolf follows me a moment later, shaking himself dry. Washed and clean, his fur starts to reveal hints of the sleek beauty it would have if he was healthy.

I find clothes that had been quietly placed near the door, my previous set having disappeared. I hadn’t seen anyone enter, but they must’ve come in while I was distracted.

I shake my hair like Wolf, revealing the slight curls in my black hair that are making themselves apparent after they are no longer weighed down by dirt.

The clothes are a simple black tunic and pants, but they are way nicer than anything I’ve ever owned, without any obvious holes or stains. I put them on carefully, half worried I’ll dirty them just by wearing them. Thankfully the sleeves on the shirt are long enough to cover my scars.

Finally I notice the most amazing things underneath the clothes.

Real boots made of leather and lined with fur.

I stare at them for a full minute, surprised at the generosity and extravagance the mage lives under.

Why would he give a street rat such nice shoes? As soon as I have the spirit back, he’ll be sending me away and have wasted a fine pair of boots.

I slowly reach out to the boots, putting them on my worn and scarred feet. I hold back tears, wiping them away as I marvel at the feeling of the boots.

Maybe he’ll accept me as a servant? I can learn to clean, and I know how to speak Laelic. Maybe I can convince him to keep me?

No, no one wants a street rat unless they have horrible plans for them. He’s a mage, who knows what dark experiments he wants to use me for?

But, maybe, it would be worth it.

And Sarah is nice.

Even if I die from whatever he wants to do with me, at least I’ll be wearing real boots when it happens.

I take a deep breath, readying myself for the meeting ahead of me. Wolf nuzzles my hand and I rub him behind his ears to calm myself. .

Feeling resolution in my chest, I open the door to find no one waiting.

I look down the hallway towards the door where Mr. Leverton is waiting for me in his office. It looks so much more imposing now.

I walk over to it, Wolf padding along softly behind me.

Then I just stand there, not sure what to do. What if he gets mad at me for interrupting him? What if-

A bark from beside me startles me from my worries.

“Ah, Keo! Please come in.” Mr. Leverton calls from the other side of the door.

I oblige, opening the door to reveal the mage. He turns to me and away from a large window that looks over a spectacular view.

Forests continue into the distance until they reach a large mountain surrounded by hills., A waterfall flows off the cliff of the nearest hill, disappearing into the forest.

I take my gaze away from the scenery to notice the tidy office the mage uses, a desk covered in strange instruments. A wooden chair covered in furs is situated behind it. The final piece of furniture is a bookshelf, filled to the brim with well-read books.

Mr. Leverton pauses as he takes me in. “You clean up nicely, Keo. I didn’t realize you were from a Laelic tribe, although I should’ve known from your eyes. That shade of green is rare.”

I rub my arm uncomfortably. Most don’t take kindly to the Laelic. I purposely hid most of my features to avoid the kind of trouble that can come from being a foreigner.

“Please, sit.” Mr. Leverton pulls out a chair that was hidden from view by the bookshelf.

I accept the invitation, shifting with discomfort as he sits in his own chair. Wolf lies down at my feet, closing his eyes in comfort.

“I suppose your magic makes more sense, knowing your ancestry.” He says. He taps his fingers against the wood of his desk in thought.

I clear my throat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have magic.”

Mr. Leverton raises an eyebrow. “You’ve used your magic at least once since coming into this room. I see you calling the shadows to hide you and your face from me. It is basic I admit, but still magic.”

I raise my hand to touch my cheek, almost as if I could feel the magic he was talking about.

“Not to mention that it was you who summoned the Death Spirit I have with me.” Mr. Leverton adds, tilting his hand towards the orb that he’d captured the woman with earlier.

My eyes stick to the orb for a moment before returning to him. “She was there before I came. Everyone knows the stories of her.”

“Oh!” He smiles, “I’m sure she existed before you came, but it was your power that gave her form almost certainly.” He pauses, “You may not have done it on purpose, but it was most certainly you that did it.”

I frown, finding it hard to believe that I am a mage.

Mr. Leverton seems to notice my disbelief, but decides to ignore it. “Now, for the main reason you’re here.” He motions towards the cloudy orb. “You have yet to properly bond your death spirit, which makes her dangerous and highly illegal. You’re lucky I’m not an inquisitor.”

“H-How do I bond her?”

“It is quite simple, to be honest. It is what comes after, that is the real trouble. I can’t just let you go into the outside world with a death spirit at your beck and call. It is a lot of power for someone as young- actually how old are you?”

“I’m thirteen.” I answer, scratching my arm through my shirt.

Mr. Leverton blinks slowly, peering at me closer. “Hmmm. I thought you were younger. You are a boy, right? I know some girls-”

“I’m a boy!” I say quickly, annoyed by the question.

“No need to get mad, the world is a harsh place.” A flicker of darkness covers the mage’s face before disappearing. “Thankfully that works better for me. I’m afraid there’s only one way I can allow you to bond with this spirit.”

I breathe deeply, straightening my back. “What do I have to do?”

“I’d like you to become my apprentice.”

My mouth opens wide in shock.