My first story, so still figuring out formatting/editing. Sorry if this chapter disappears and then reappears a few minutes later...

Nightingale was born a human two decades ago. He still looked human when he was in his original form. However, he wasn't human. He had given up his humanity a little over a year ago now, for more powerful, binding himself to one of the planes of existence. Today, he was reaping the cost of sacrificing his humanity all those months ago.

The day had started out pretty normally for him. He was just enjoying his time in Neverwinter with some at a tavern. The table had 5 other residents. A dwarf that was downing gallon after gallon of ale was in a heated discussion about cultural superiority and civilized behavior versus living one's life, with an elf that was carefully sipping some expensive wine.

There was a kobold at the table how was part taking in water to stay sober. The reason for his choice of sobriety lay behind him; lying on the ground behind the kobold were three humans, "dragon hunters" as they called themselves who had had perfectly circular holes nearly a foot across carved out of their chests. The kobold simply wanted to be alert in case more idiots thought that they could legally attack him.

The other two were humans, a couple that were drinking each other's saliva as much as they drank their cheap wine. Not that they could not afford any better – after all, everyone at this table was a powerful adventurer – rather habit taught them to not be wasteful with money, even if they had enough to put dragon hordes to shame.

The six of them were discussing some adventurers they had been on, and having a normal day getting to know each other when Nightingale suddenly felt a lot of magical energy behind him. And that was straight up weird, because he didn't have detect magic up. The two who did – the kobold sorcerer and the elf wizard – both looked straight at the portal, while the other three just looked at them confused.

"I beg of you..."

As Nightingale heard the voice, he also felt a strong force, starting to pull him in. This doesn't feel like begging

"What is this?"

He asked his friends, the two arcane masters only looking at him in confusion. Well, the kobold did. The elf, activated Arcane Sight.

"My Servant who lives somewhere in the universe!"

Well, that was an incredibly precise incantation. Can't possibly go wrong at all, or accidentally summon someone other than the intended target. Nightingale would have gone on with the sarcastic thought, except his chair was sliding towards the portal thingy. He stood up to try to brace himself, but there was nothing to brace himself against. He could feel himself being pulled in.

"It is a ritual that is mostly Conjuration, part Illusion, and part Enchantment!"

The elvish wizard kindly explained. Now I know why most of the bar isn't noticing it. Although there were a few there who had noticed the spell.

"Oh sacred, beautiful, and strong familiar!"

Sacred? Yes. Beautiful? Beyond the realm of mortals. Strong? Yes, even if not too powerful. Familiar? Hell no!

"Greater Dispel Magic!"

He managed to concentrate enough to get off the spell, but it wasn't enough. The portal didn't disappear, and now part of Nightingale's arm was through the portal. Suddenly, people in the bar realized what the commotion was about, when they noticed part of his arm was missing.

"I desire and please from the bottom of my heart!"

A dwarf was now attached to Nightingale's waist. And the two of them were still being pulled in. A few others came rushing to the help, though so far only one of the humans at the table maned to get there as well. Honestly, this was rather impressive. It wasn't easy to drag a dwarf when he felt like being stationary. The chant sounds like a customization of Planar Ally. The effects seem more in line with Planar Binding though. Which, having become an outsider, sadly enough Nightingale was a valid target for.

"Answer my guidance!"

And then, suddenly Nightingale was gone. He seemed to just slide through the two trying to hold him down, and was dragged through the portal. He was just glad that someone had passed him his bag of holding. It would have sucked to leave all that gold behind. And by "sucked", he meant that he would have slaughtered whatever fool was summoning him. After all, even if he served the forces of "good" as they called themselves, and had retired from adventuring, he was still an adventurer at heart.

As he was being sucked through, the voices of his "friends" telling him 'good luck', 'have fun', 'work hard', and other such phrases entered his ears. Apparently they weren't too worried over him being kidnapped.

Elsewhere in the universe, Louise was having the most important day of her life. Today was her last chance at success.

She came from a prestigious noble family, and since "nobility comes from magic", that meant she should have been a powerful magician. Emphasis on should. She has been learning to cast spells since before should could walk, and studying magical theory since before she could read. After tremendous amounts of hard work, she had never succeeded at a single spell in her entire life.

This fact granted her the nickname Louise the Zero. Because this failure was of such epic proportions, she deserved a title for it. She hated that nickname, that insult. However, this didn't mean she didn't have any magical ability. Each time she tried to use magic something happened. The only problem was, it was always an explosion. Any spell that she cast always exploded. Not that it stopped her peers from laughing at her. Because when all a girl can do is blow up whatever she points a stick at, pissing her off is an excellent idea.

Today would be different though. Today was the familiar summoning ritual, a tradition started by the founder Brimir himself. Each of the second years would get to perform the ritual, and summon a magical creature to serve as a magiliar.

The creature summoned would correspond to the mage's abilities, potential, element, needs, and destiny. If she managed to summon some powerful magical beast, it would prove to everyone that she was a powerful magician. Even if she summoned something trivial like a small frog, it would still prove that she was a magician.

However, her parents had told her that if she failed this ritual, she would be brought home from school, to prepare for her marriage to Wardes, as soon as possible. The thought of her fiance made Louise blush as she headed for the summoning grounds.

Shaking her head, she cleared the thought and marched ahead, keeping a careful stride while doing her best to radiate authority and confidence. While the other students joked around as they headed towards the summoning grounds, she walked with the dignity befitting of a noble. Today she would show them how much better she was...

Eventually Louise made it to the summoning grounds where Professor Colbert was taking attendance. Casually she got in line after he wrote down her name, waiting for her turn. She wasn't fidgeting at all. There was no way she was nervous. After all, there was no way someone of her breeding could fail such a simply spell...

Telling herself that, Louise waited for her turn, ignoring Kirche the Vulgar's insults. Louise and Kirche's families had been enemies for generations now, and for good reason. The Zerbests – Kirche's family – were a bunch of vulgar, barbaric, indecent Germanian thieves, who happened to be the neighbors of the upstanding, civilized, and sophisticated Valliere, a family that was the model of what nobility should be like. Kirche seemed to try her hardest to exemplify all of her family's vices.

She had spent her entire first year here doing her best to steal every girl's boyfriend, couldn't understand the most basics of civilized behavior, constantly did acts that should wait until marriage with hordes of men, and took every chance to show off her impressive body to anyone willing to look. She was essentially the school horse for the students.

And she had summoned a fire salamander... One of the rarest, and most powerful mystical creatures a mage could make into a familiar. Only Tabitha's dragon familiar was more impressive, and considering Tabitha was Kirche's friend, it only made Kirche look better.

I will show her! I will show her how superior the Valliere are to the Zerbests!

She would for the pride of her family, and the honor of her ancestors.

"Miss Valliere, please come forth!"

Professor Colbert called out over the voices of the students. Everyone quieted down, as Louise stepped forward. This was her second try today; she had failed once so far, and the line had continued. Of the precious few who didn't succeed the first time, her name was last in the Brimiric alphabet. Furthermore, everyone else had succeeded a second time. So she was truly the last person. It didn't matter though. She would succeed. And so, she raised her wand.

It was as if a spell had broken on the students around her, as the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat" ran through everyone's minds. The entire audience pulled themselves away, dragging their familiars with them. Within seconds, no living creature was left within 30 mail of Louise, other than the professor, a bald, middle aged man named Colbert.

This was Professor Colbert's first day with Louise. Given how on her first try nothing had happened, he was confused as to why people were setting up barricades so far back from the girl. Some were even up against the wall, earth mages working in union to create waist high metal shelters everyone could kneel behind. Colbert had seen military units set up barricades with less coordination and precision!

Come to think of it, this had happened the first time Louise had gone. At that time, people had also told him...

"Professor Colbert, you should stand back. That is no man's land!"

Yes, that. But why would it be so dangerous? Colbert wasn't sure. Louise ignored them, and concentrated on her spell. As bad as Louise was with magic, she excelled at the theory. As in, she was the school's best student in that aspect. And she had studied this specific ritual intensely for months now. She knew exactly how it should be done, and her wand moved with in a perfect motion as she cast the spell, allowing for no wasted movements.

"I beg of you..."

She began before allowing her voice to fill with pride. Nobles did not beg

"My servant who lives somewhere in the universe!"

Giggles came from the crowd. She ignored them.

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar!"

The spell required describing the familiar she wished for. Well, she wasn't picky. Any creature fulfilling those conditions was good enough for her.

"I desire and here I plead from my heart!"

Command started filling her voice as she spoke these lines. Her familiar, no matter how powerful, was still the servant and her the master.

"Answer my guidance!"

She demanded as she flicked her wand, and pointed it at the ground, releasing the spell.

The shock wave from the explosion was not enough to knock her down, but it covered her from head to toe in dirt. There was smoke over the area, and Louise peered into it, and noticed a figure standing there. I succeeded. I did... Her rejoicing died in her throat as the smoke started to clear, and the laughter started up.

Nightingale looked up at the massive cloud of smoke and dust that surrounded him. I'm pretty sure that is not supposed to happen when summoning me. After a moment, he proceeded to take a deep breath, realizing he had been holding his breath as he got sucked through the portal. He had enough magical protection on himself that something trivial like a dust cloud didn't affect his ability to enjoy fresh, clean air at all.

As he stood there, he cast prestidigitation from his ring, cleaning himself, and waiting for the dust to settle. As far as he could tell, there were only two others within 30 feet; one was either a 12 year old, or a half-ling, standing some 10 feet in front of him. The other was a tall man, standing to Nightingale's right. This man seemed to have a wall of fire up in front of himself, acting as a shield. The wall disappeared in the fraction of a second it was taking Nightingale to register his existence.

No other beings could be detected by his Blindsight. He could sort of make out figures now beyond the dust cloud though. It looked like a crowd, forming a perfect half-circle perimeter some 80 feet from the halfling.

The half-ling looked like a girl. Her hair was covered with dirt, but Nightingale was able to make out small amounts of pink beneath all of that. Now that the cloud was starting to clear, she stared up at him. He stared back, and realized that she wasn't a halfling, just a 12 year old.

The perimeter was laughing for some reason. Now that he could make them out, Nightingale noticed that they were standing behind barricades of some sort, and that he was standing in the middle of a crater. That was 80 feet wide. As if they had set up the barricades expecting an explosion of just this size, centered on Ms. Pink. Still, that didn't make sense.

"Louise, did you summon a commoner?"

"That is just like you, summoning a human!"

"Wow Louise! You really are a Zero!"

Amidst those shouts that made no sense to me, I turned to the only person who was close enough, that could have possibly summoned me; Mr. Fire. He seemed to be a bald man, wielding a staff. The only other one with a staff seemed to be a blue-haired, halfling-sized girl. Everyone else was carrying wands.

"I ask you. Were you the one who summoned me?"

I asked him in perfect... whatever language my Tongues supernatural ability was translating it into. The crowd roared at that in laughter for some reason, for about two seconds, before going dead silent. The staff-guy just gaped at me. Pinky was blushing, and her jaw dropped. For this was the moment that the dust cloud had fully cleared, revealing to the audience my Unearthly Beauty.

It was a few seconds before noise returned. There was a lot of girls going "kyaaaaa", while guys seemed to be discussing whether I was a girl or not. I couldn't blame them; the spell made me as beautiful as a nymph. I may have been male, but I was more beautiful than any woman they may have seen in their lives. In fact, I had to suppress the full extend of my beauty, less it kill them.

"Uh, hum. I'm sorry, but the one who summoned you was Ms. Valliere."

The staff guy said, pointing at the pink midget. Really? Her? She seemed a bit young. Even sorcerers didn't start this young on magic at all usually. And summoning me would be at least a level 8 spell.

"It is a ritual that is mostly Conjuration, part Illusion, and part Enchantment!"

As I recalled those words, I realized that I didn't know how all of that worked for rituals. Maybe I should have studied more than just in-combat spells?

As I was contemplating this, the crowd regained its voice, and started laughing at "Louise" once again. As far as I could tell, her other nickname was "Zero", and everyone hated her. Or maybe not hated, but this definitely went beyond the usual levels of friendly jabs. So a bully victim summoned me? Great. Hmmm, wonder if they carry a lot of loot on themselves.

"Mr. Colbert, can I try summoning again?"

Louise/Ms. Valliere asked.

"Absolutely not Ms. Valliere. This is a sacred ritual that decides an entire mage's life." Wait... WHAT? Sacred? Mage? So an institution of Theurgology? "Trying again is blasphemy against the ritual itself!"

The staff guy – apparently a Mr. Colbert – answered back. Given that he was the only adult here, and in charge, he might have been something like a professor.

"But professor, I have never heard of anyone summoning a commoner before!"

As Louise said this, laughter broke out. Along with taunts about how she shouldn't sneak commoners in just because she knew she was going to fail. That made Nightingale raise an eyebrow. He, a lord of the Positive Planes was summoned here by this girl. She had enough power to drag him here against his will. And yet no one here could cast detect magic?

"Nevertheless Ms. Valliere, please proceed with the ritual."

As he said this, Louise finally spoke directly to Nightingale.

"You commoner! You should be honored that a noble is making you their familiar." She said as she strolled up, puffing up her chest – her very flat chest – and raised her wand. ""Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers, bless this humble being, and make him my familiar!"

As she finished the chant, she leaned in for a kiss. She ended up kissing the finger that had been used to block her with. The crowd roared up in laughter again, while she glared at me in anger. I did not particularly care. I did not enter into any contracts without knowing what it was about.

"First, may name is not 'commoner' Ms. Louise Valliere. It is Nightingale. Second, what do you mean become your familiar. As I understand it a master-familiar relationship is a mutually agreed upon relationship between a mage and an animal, and NOT the result of a mage forcing themselves on someone."

"Here Zero, let me help you."

An ooze attempting to replicate the form of a human said, coming up close, before waving his wand. As Nightingale was lifted slightly off the air and rotated forward, the pink midget quickly took the opportunity to jump up and kiss him. He stared at her for a moment. And then the pain started.

As whatever telekinesis spell on him, he fell atop of the pink midget, essentially mounting her, their lips locked. There was a lot of "kyaaaaing", and laughing about how bold Zero was with a commoner in the background. He really didn't care. His hand was literally burning, a fire carving some rune into the skin. And he could feel the rune pushing on my Mind Blank, trying to get around his anti-enchantment defense. Attempted mind control tended to not make him a happy camper.

"Thank you for your help Mr. Grandple"

Professor Colbert said, as Nightingale got off his new 'master'. If he ever got around to feeling like calling her that. As far as he was aware, death of the master tended to end master-familiar relationships. Some of the ooze's friends were congratulating him on his "quick thinking", and calling him Malicorne. Malicorne Grandple.

A name I will have to remember. Honestly, Nightingale was bad with names. Usually he needed a reason to bother remembering someone's name. Usually, it wasn't a friendly reason. Malicorne had made a grave mistake by allowing Nightingale to remember his name. After all, Nightingale may have been "good", but he was an adventurer. And adventurers never forgot. They never forgave. And they always had revenge.

Professor Colbert took a look at Nightingale's notes, and seemed to copy them down, before speaking up, letting Louise get up by herself. For some reason, she was glaring at Nightingale.

"Well, with that I believe everyone has completed the ritual. Class dismissed. Go spend the rest of the day getting to know your familiars!"

And then he waved his staff, and flew away. The rest of the students followed suit, either carrying their familiars, or casting the spells on their familiars as well if those were too big to carry. As this happened, Nightingale took a good look of the familiars. One dragon, one beholder, a salamander, a giant spider, a giant snake, a griffon, and a whole bunch of regular familiars. Well, and his glorious self. A few of the girls seemed to be looking at him with a blush on their faces as they flew away...

Well, it wasn't exactly accurate to say that the rest of the students followed. Just most, because there was one exception.

"Come on familiar. Follow."

Louise commanded, as she set off to walk to her room.

Nightingale did not follow Louise. Instead, he grabbed her hand, and forced her to stop. She tried to keep going, but he had an iron grip, forcing her to turn and face him. She glared at him, wand raised.

"What do you want, familiar?"

She demanded.

"What I want, Louise, is answers. Answers to why I am here. To why you think I'm your servant. But currently, the answer to why we are the only ones that have to walk back."

"How dare you speak to a noble that way."

She shouted. Oh, she reminded him of so many nobles that thought their birth made them better than adventurers. How he hated those morons. Too prideful to understand efficiency.

"WHY are we not flying, Louise?"

Nightingale asked once more. The glare he gave her made her back down a moment.

"I can't cast that spell yet."

He sighed, and then pulled her in, throwing her under his arm. Louise became infuriated that a commoner, that her familiar dare treat her this way. However, her sharp, witty retort died in her throat as the familiar seemed to disappear. As she tried to look around to find him, she realized that he was still holding her, and that she herself was invisible. And then they rose off the ground.

"Guide me to your window."

The bodiless voice commanded as she carried her around the tower. She had no choice but to go with his demands, directing him to her room.

"Invisible Servant"

Her familiar muttered once they reached her window. They had flown fast, though given how casual the flight once, she got the feeling her familiar could fly faster.

However, right now she was staring as her window seemed to magically open before her. And then she was thrown into the room, landing on her bed with an 'eep'. As she did, she noticed that she was no longer invisible. Her familiar was stepping into the room behind her, seemingly out of thin air, a pair of wings growing out of his back. And then the wings seemed to morph, being drawn back into his body and disappearing. The window casually closed behind him.

"What are you!"

She demanded. The glare he gave her made her swallow, as she realized something. He could use magic, meaning he was a noble. She had forced a noble to become her familiar! This could become a complete diplomatic disaster, assuming he didn't just take his indignation out on her.