The light of Bjorn’s third day as uh, whatever he was, started with a squeal of excitement as Freja watched his eyes slowly flutter open. She was watching him from her desk at the far end of the room. Bjorn knew the girl was completely enamored with him by how much attention she gave him. His body was still in extremely early stages of development so he spent more time asleep than awake the past few days.

Julie was dressed but in a casual orange summer dress and a big floppy straw hat instead of the school uniform. She was saying something to Freja but he still couldn’t understand the language. Failsafe had underestimated how long it would take him to be able to translate. Unfortunately, the girls were either gone most of the day or Bjorn was asleep so he didn’t have much time to learn it. The magic construct claimed throughout the night he would make a new magic spellform that would allow him to understand it in real time. Reading, on the other hand, was something he would have to learn the old fashion way.

Julie left the room with a wave leaving Bjorn and Freja alone. He stood up and proceeded to stretch when he noticed Freja had walked over to him. She was wearing the same thing she normally did; a black vest over a white dress shirt, black and white striped tie, and a skirt. She walked to the door and poked her head out suspiciously. She returned with a smile and picked him up, and he noticed the barrier that kept him from leaving the platform dissipated. He could taste the magic in the air, and given enough time he was confident he could identify what exactly was being used to make the barrier. He expected Freja to put him back down, but instead she tiptoed back to the door as if Julie would catch her if she made too much noise.

The hallway was mainly empty aside from a few girls entering their dorm room. It was Bjorn’s first time being able to leave the room and he was excited to learn more about his surroundings. He coughed as the spicy scent of cinnamon incense assaulted his greatly enhanced senses. The dorm had an oddly sterile look; no pictures or plants, no colors beside the natural hues of the wooden floors and brick walls. The only break from the bland look came from the intermittent doors to other dorm rooms.

She froze in place when she noticed that there was an older woman waiting for them right as the hall opened up into the second floor mezzanine of a grand lobby. Freja quickly turned around to avoid being caught but jumped when the woman called her name, and after a brief exchange Freja turned back around revealing Bjorn. The woman's eyes flew open, a mix of surprise and worry flooded her gaze.

She was a halfling, a full head shorter than Freja, with a motherly demeanor. She called Freja over and waited as the girl reluctantly marched over like a child caught with her hands in the cookie jar. The two talked for a few minutes; the woman pointed at Bjorn a few times, especially at his mouth and back. Bjorn wished he knew what they were saying, but could only shrug off the talks.

“Hey, Failsafe, you got that translation thing done yet?” Bjorn asked mentally.

“Almost. I just need a bit longer. I’m trying to optimize it as much as possible given your low magic ability,” Failsafe responded promptly.

Bjorn sighed. “Well, can you tell me what they’re talking about?”

“Sure thing,” Failsafe said. “The halfling woman’s name is Dimii. She’s trying to figure out what you are. She thought you might be a dragon, but no wings, so that was out. She is also upset Freja took you out of the containment field. I am assuming that’s the platform in Freja’s room. Apparently you’re supposed to stay in it for a few days to ensure you don’t reject the bond and attack her. She is reminding her that you are venomous and carrying you is dangerous.”

It suddenly made a lot more sense why Julie and Mat didn’t want to come into the room while he was free. A bonded familiar could reject the bond, and then be no different from any other wild animal. The fact no one seemed to know what he was meant Freja was taking a big risk to her life. While he had no intention of harming her, if he was a wild animal one bite and his venom could kill her.

“So, I could reject it?” Bjorn asked.

“Yes, you could cut the connection if you focused on it hard enough,” Failsafe stated. “Oh, now the woman has told Freja that her father is on the way to see her, and she should stay at the dorm today.”

As Failsafe spoke Bjorn could taste fear in the air. He looked up at Freja; she seemed neutral but her body was giving off a strong sense of dread. He felt her arms tense up around him but she quickly stopped herself once she realized she was squeezing him. Something wasn’t right, why would she be afraid that her father was coming to see her? Family troubles seemed likely.

After the two talked for a few more minutes, several girls around Freja’s age slowly made their way up the stairs to the second level. They were wearing the same uniform as Freja, and none of them were human. He saw an elf, a fey and a cynocephali, along with another of Freja’s race. They all had bookbags on their backs, and a staff in hand or a wand at their side.

When they saw Freja with Bjorn, he noticed they seemed to take a longer path around to avoid them. At the same time Freja noticeably avoided eye contact and shrunk in her demeanor. Bjorn could taste fear, embarrassment, and anxiety as the girl shrank. The halfling woman noticed, and said something that of course Bjorn could not understand, but it seemed to help Freja somewhat.

“It is weird not having any context to what is going on.” Bjorn said.

“I don’t have any either but with all of these people talking it is helping me put things together much faster.” Failsafe said.

***

Everyone was inside of Ms. Dimii’s office on the ground floor which turned out to be rather cozy. Stone walls were covered in paintings of various scenes; the front gate of the academy, flowers and other serene images. Had Bjorn been paying attention he would have seen Freja’s eyes focus on the portrait of a man. His skin as dark as the night sky and antlers that grew in wide branches covered in gold. Shelves made up nearly all other space on the wall and were filled with ancient tomes, potion vials, and curious trinkets collected over the years.

Bjorn could taste the magic before he saw the protective runes that shimmered softly like a flickering candle. He hadn’t noticed it before but the effects of this rune permeated the entire dormitory. A large wooden desk made up the majority of the space, its surface a messy clutter at first glance but there was a visible pattern to the chaos that even Bjorn picked up on after a second glance.

Freja was made to sit in one of the finely carved wooden chairs that was cushioned with plush velvet. She held Bjorn in her lap and stroked his back gently. All the while the two women had been talking while Ms. Dimii was looking for something in the drawers of a cabinet. Failsafe again had to approximate what they were saying.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“So, Ms. Dimii thinks that your bond with Freja is strong enough for you to be out of containment.” Failsafe said in Bjorn’s head.

“That’s good right?” Bjorn said.

“Yeah but she is still worried you are going to bite other people even if it is just exploratory biting.” Failsafe said.

“Exploratory biting? Like a child putting things in their mouth to see what is or is not food?” Bjorn questioned.

“Yep, but exploratory biting would be deadly if you did it.” Failsafe said.

Ms. Dimii found what she was looking for, which turned out to be a muzzle. She handed it to Freja who secured it onto his face. Bjorn didn’t resist it. The last thing he wanted was to be seen as dangerous while he was still so weak, especially when going along with them may lead to answers he couldn’t find on his own as, whatever he is. In fact as far as lives go, while he would have preferred to be a human, being a familiar in a school was a better option to than being a wild animal.

After speaking to Dimii, Freja was permitted to take Bjorn out of the dorm. Bjorn felt his animal instincts fully come to life the moment he could feel the unimpeded sun rays against his scales. A myriad of new tastes, and sensation flooded him as Freja set him on the ground in the courtyard. There was a garden in the wide space between buildings which Freja let Bjorn freely explore.

The feeling of earth beneath his feet for the first time was a grounding experience. Everything had felt surreal up until that point. Some small part of Bjorn, or rather whoever he was before he became Bjorn, hadn’t accepted that he was alive or that he was no longer human. That part of him had to accept it, with the sun on his face and the dirt beneath his feet, he could not deny what he was. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that; he wasn’t sad, but there was something pitted in his stomach that he couldn’t identify.

“I really am not human anymore, am I?” Bjorn said morosely.

“No, you aren’t.” Failsafe responded.

***

Bjorn’s exploration ended when Freja called his name and she led him across the campus. The academy was almost overwhelming to his sensitive magic perception. His tongue flicks tasted the vast weaves of magic that impregnated the air like an invisible mist. Brick buildings hummed with ancient magics, people carried auras infused with magic aspects as they walked. Even the bricks that made the walkways were subtly enchanted.

Students of all shapes and sizes bustled about, their casual wear caused a riot of colors, fabrics and cultural style, save for the occasional sleek black school uniform like what Freja wore. He noticed that there was a flavor to different races auras.

Elves' aura was light and ethereal, while the goblins were earthy and humble. The fay had an intoxicating mix of wild nature, the halflings exuded a homey comfort, and the dog-headed cynocephali had a sharp musk. Human’s scent and magic was oddly proud and self centered. Even so, the most distressing was the scent of Freja’s race, the antlered people’s aura tasted domineering and predatory. It was as if everything and everyone was theirs to control and consume.

The adventure came to an end at a large building not much different than any other they had seen. Freja picked Bjorn up when they went in and it didn’t take long for him to see why. Inside was full of other people and their familiars. Most of the people with familiars were Freja’s race but there was a small smattering of humans and elves.

Freja checked them in and after a few minutes they were called to what Bjorn best described as a physical check-up. They drew blood, and milked him for his venom to test. Failsafe was happy to announce when they discovered from his blood that he was in fact officially a male. Unfortunately, even the mage that officiated all of the tests didn’t know what his species was according to Failsafe’s translations. They guessed a poison drake hybrid or something from outside of Yuhia.

***

When they arrived back at Freja’s dorm room she took off Bjorn’s muzzle. Since Julie was already gone she allowed him to freely walk around the space. As with the day before he found the space to be rather barren; there were two desks, wardrobes and beds but not much else. Freja sat at her desk while Bjorn jumped up onto her bed to see what she was doing.

Freja was working with an alchemy set and some dried ingredients. She had a notebook and several textbooks open while, with some difficulty, she used her magic to ignite a flare jewel that served as the ignition for a Bunsen burner. She worked diligently on something, occasionally looking over at him, especially as he jumped on and off the bed to get used to his new body and find the best way to jump.

Once she finished whatever she was working on, she put out the flare jewel, though it took her a few attempts. She picked Bjorn up and placed him back on the containment platform, then grabbed her book and sat down next to him, where she spent the next two hours reading aloud to him. Bjorn just listened, despite not understanding a word. He had nothing better to do anyway; Failsafe was working on the new framework, and he didn’t want to distract him with questions and updates. He didn’t really understand what Failsafe even was. Judging by the description Failsafe wrote about himself in the Skills Analysis, he was some type of sentient spell. Bjorn felt like he should know what that meant, like it was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite put it together.

“... He is accredited as the ‘Wandweaver Extraordinaire’, and it is thanks to his lifelong pursuit of magical knowledge and his refinement of magical wandmaking techniques that mages today can craft spells with the use of a wand,” Freja read, which caused Bjorn to jump up in surprise. Which in turn caused her to stop. “Are you okay Bjorn? I didn’t startle you, did I, baby?” She pet his head.

Failsafe celebrated. “Heck yeah, guess who just solved one-way interspecies communication magic? Come on guess-guess.”

“Uh, you?” Bjorn said mentally.

“That’s right,” Failsafe said proudly. “Not only that, but it uses ambient magic, meaning you won’t even have to worry about it draining you.”

Bjorn immediately tried to talk out loud but all that came out were the usual squawks.

“You hungry, baby?” Freja asked as she stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

“I thought you figured this out?” Bjorn thought frustratedly. “Why am I still squeaking?”

“It is one-way,” Failsafe stated matter of factly. “The translation is happening in your head. You can’t speak, that would be sound magic or something.”

As Freja reached for the door, it suddenly swung open with a foreboding creak. The taste of air which was stale with the natural ambient mana of the building immediately thickened. There was an acrid taste of anger, disappointment and disgust which caused Bjorn to immediately snap his head around in alarm. He could also taste Freja’s sharp terror, which cut his nerves like a knife.

On the other side of the door was a man who stood as a monolith of power. Bjorn nearly gagged when he tasted the man’s aura, a confusing mixture of pure light and inexorable death. Bjorn always tasted the dominating nature of Freja’s race’s aura but with him it was as if he were domination given form. His antlers, adorned with rings and jewels, seemed to gleam with the tide of his magic. His skin was as dark as a starless midnight, only broken up by the blood-red suit and long shoulder cape emblazoned with the crest of a dragon.

Authority and mana flowed from the man like a relentless typhoon, which pressed down only on Freja with a palpable weight. This was a display of dominance not a physical nor a magical attack. The man masterfully manipulated the mana in the air. If one could not defend against it, then it would make the person feel vulnerable and under pressure as if they were standing before a superior. It was considered rude and even an insult, but the man at the door seemed utterly indifferent to social decorum.

“Fath…” Freja began, her voice trembling before she quickly bowed her head. “I mean Lord Salstar. It is an honor that you have come to see me.”

Lord Salstar’s voice was deep and impassive, resonating with an unsettling calm. “Where is it, girl?”

Freja noticeably paled, her voice barely above a whisper. “Right this way, Lord.”