“A NAME IS REQUIRED!” A voice like thunder demanded, but where it came from I couldn’t tell. Suddenly, the flames began to morph and take shape, into something else entirely. At first, it looked similar to my familiar, but it kept changing into something else, something more like a salamander or a drake. “A NAME IS REQUIRED!” It boomed again. I had no idea what was happening, and my classmates were now all cowering behind the nun and our teacher, as well as their familiars.
“A name?” I asked the voice, which I believe to have come from that figure of flame.
“A NAME IS REQUIRED!” He bellowed again. I thought for a moment, I hadn’t planned on using a naming bond, but if I had to give it a name…
“Ulok!” I shouted at the figure, and in doing so, gave the summon a name.
“Ahh!” Ulok cried out, sounding in pain. A magic circle had embedded itself onto his body. I knew that would happen, but I didn’t expect it to hurt him. With that, the figure made of flames vanished into smoke, and the room was left with nothing but a deafening silence.
“W-what was that?” A scared student hiding behind their familiar cried out shattering the quiet. The nun who had been watching us was in what I think was a prayer position, but I couldn’t tell if she was praying for protection or something else entirely. I could see some of the others whispering to themselves, probably wondering the same things I was. Eventually, our instructor snapped himself out of it.
“O-okay everyone, um… we are going to… to take a break for a moment. Everyone who has already completed the ritual may… may go home, and any who haven’t but do not wish to stay may also go home.” He announced and almost everyone left, save a few who seemed determined to bond to their summons no matter what. They waited with a guard, one of the few who hadn’t fled, until they would be allowed to continue their rituals. Then the teacher and the nun, who had pulled herself together as well, flew over to me.
“Child, what was that? What kind of pairing ritual did you use?” The nun questioned.
“I-I don’t know!” I said confused.
“You must have done something?” The teacher reasoned. “The magic circle was glowing multiple colors, that doesn’t just happen.”
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“What kind of impurity have you brought into this temple girl?” The nun accused.
“I didn’t.. I haven’t.. I- I don’t…” I tried to say, but got overwhelmed. Just then, that same sense of protection washed over me again, and before I knew what was happening, I was scooped up by Ulok and was being placed onto his shoulder by him. However, I hadn’t ordered him to do that.
“What are you doing child?” The nun asked. “This is a complete overreaction to being questioned.”
“I didn’t tell him to do this,” I explained. “He just did it on his own.”
“Well… tell him to stop.” The teacher suggested.
“Put me down,” I ordered. Ulok looked over at me, with what I think was worry, but did as he was told and sat me down gently. “Good.” I said.
“Well, at least you have control over him.” The nun remarked in a snide tone.
“I’m sorry madam, but I truly don’t know what that flaming creature was,” I told her. She seemed to relent and accepted that I was telling the truth. They asked me question after question, and I answered as many as I could, but that doesn’t mean I answered very many. Until finally my teacher saw the faces of the few students who had stayed behind to finish their rituals.
“Okay,” my teacher interrupted, “we can finish this later. Right now, these students need to take priority. 13, will you please go wait in the corner until they are finished; we can resume this in a while.” I did as I was told and flew to perch on Ulok’s body, then he walked us over to where I directed him. Riding on him was… odd. His movements are slow and lumbering at first glance, but after experiencing them firsthand I realized how fluidic they actually were. Even the gentle side-to-side swaying he has just when standing still is so slow and gentle that I didn’t even notice it at first. Turning my attention back to the rituals, I watched as the last of the students bonded with their summons, turning them into familiars. Each of the familiars was so different than mine, theirs seemed so… bestial, whereas Ulok seemed more refined.
“Okay boy,” the final student said upon completing the ritual, “let’s go home and show Mom.” It was then I realized.. I had no idea what gender my familiar was. I had just assumed Ulok was a boy because of how big he was, but I didn’t know for sure.
“Huh, why haven’t I-“ I stopped myself halfway through my thought. I knew why I couldn’t tell Ulok’s gender. It was because Ulok was wearing garments. “But why would you be wearing garments? Did you have another owner before I summoned you? Is it natural for your species to drape things over themselves?” I wondered aloud. I got a sense that Ulok was confused, that he perhaps didn’t understand. And why would he? Familiars typically only understand simple commands, not questions or sentences. “Yes, I suppose you wouldn’t understand. If you did, I could just ask you if you were male or female.” I wasn’t worried about talking to Ulok, people talk to their familiars all the time. It’s treated mostly like just thinking aloud, however most familiars don’t talk back.
“I’m a guy.”