As requested by my readers I am going back and editing some of the issues I had with submission. It always irritated me that my scene breaks were not there when I uploaded it, so now I'm just putting a centered Scene Break in. Hope it sticks this time. As always, if you wish to message me, I check my PM each day. Feel free, I enjoy hearing new ideas and even stea….incorporate some of them!

Story Start

Louise was nervous. This was the last time Professor Colbert would allow her to attempt the Summon Familiar Ritual. The first time had been a complete failure. The rest of the class had jeered and laughed at her failure. And the success they were having only made her feel even worse. A mole, a bugbear, those were understandable. But a Salamander! And by her Rival! This was the most humiliating moment of her life. The little girl that was always quiet in class, Tabatha, had summoned a powerful dragon. There was nothing that would top that. Now she could only hope to summon something at all. Everything hinged on it, her status as a noble, and the image she had come to believe was herself.

She stood in the clearing that had been prepared for the ritual. This was it. In one moment she could prove to them all that she was a noble. That she had magic. But in that same moment it could be proven that she was a sham. All of her darkest fears come true. With more than a little trepidation she raised her wand and began the incantation.

My servant who exists somewhere in the universe!

Oh Divine, beautiful and powerful familiar spirit!

I wish and assert from the bottom of my heart!

Answer to my guidance!

An outline of a circle could be seen on the ground in the center of the clearing and for a moment Louise believed she had succeeded. That proof that she was a mage and a noble was there for all to see. Then as the circle was becoming more visible there was a huge explosion that kicked up a cloud of dust that covered the clearing. A deep silence descended upon everyone present. For a moment everyone sat in stunned silence. Then laughter could be heard from her class.

"Louise the Zero fails again" someone called.

"If she did summon a familiar she probably just killed it" someone else jeered.

Louise was horrified. Failure after failure and now the familiar that would have shown them all that she was indeed a noble had failed as well. She didn't think of a time in her life that she felt more alone and depressed than right now.

As Louise hung her head at the edge of the dust cloud Professor Colbert walked forward to give his usual words of encouragement. The words died on his lips when a shiny black clawed hand reached from the dust cloud and pulled Louise inside and out of view. Sounds of surprise arose from the class as they too saw Louise be pulled inside. Colbert grabbed his wand and summoned a mighty wind to blow the dust aside.

As wind kicked up and began to disperse the cloud flickers of movement could be seen inside. Sun would glint off a shiny black surface before it would retreat back into the cloud. A bladed tail would be seen before it was pulled back. Whatever was inside wanted to stay hidden. No sign of Louise had been seen yet. The mood settled over the class as they too readied their wands, preparing in their own ways to assist their professor.

As the cloud was finely settled the readiness that had been felt by Colbert and the class dissolved to barely held fear. Revealed now was a mass of many moving bodies writhing in the center of the clearing. Black chitin monsters slithering snakelike in a mound at the center of the clearing, all claw and bladed tail, smooth elongated heads, and their attention firmly on the group of students. The mass of creatures withdrew at its center point allowing them to see within. At the center was an enormous creature similar to the others but with four arms and being much much larger. As the creature moved its large crested head aside Louise could be seen cradled in its arms.

The Queen gently put Louise on her feet although one massive clawed hand hovered in front of her almost protectively. Louise steps around the massive claw and the Queen starts to growl. Louise looks up at her and pats her gently on her claw.

"I will be fine" she says.

At her words the Queen visibly relaxes and withdraws her claw to allow Louise to move forward. Louise walks through the mass of black chitin bodies towards her classmates and professor. As she reaches the edge two large bodies detach themselves from the mass, four digigrade legs holding a lithe body, that walk with her almost as an escort.

Fear is almost palpable around the students as they shrink back from the creatures. Professor Colbert looks calmer than when Louise was grabbed, but a sense of weariness seemed to have gripped him.

Louise walks up to Professor Colbert. Gone are her doubts. Her fears. She had just succeeded.

"Professor, the summoning was a success. " she said.

Colbert looked down at the two beside Louise and then at the mass of bodies surrounding the large monstrosity. It watched from within the mass of bodies around it.

"That is good to hear Louise, but which is your familiar." He asked her.

"All of them" she said with a knowing smile.

"WHAT!?" the group of students yelled.

At the sudden noise the two creatures reared up claws at the ready and bladed tails swishing back and forth. The mass of bodies behind Louise started to churn fitfully. The students once more retreated away from the monsters and Professor Colbert slid into a defensive stance with his wand at the ready. At a soothing sound from Louise the two guards relaxed back to their four legs and the agitated mass seemed to calm down.

Professor Colbert sheepishly tucked his wand away. "Very well Miss Louise. Now, if you could have one of your familiars show me their runes so that I may register them with the Headmaster, we can all retire for the evening."

With a nod Louise turned away from the professor and seemed to gaze into the tangle of bodies. After a moment, like water receding from a shore, the Queen became visible as the remains of the hive spread out around her. She stood in the sunlight with crest tilted and all of her arms resting at her sides. Slowly she strode forward with thunderous footsteps, each landing of her clawed feet cutting rivulets in the dirt.

The familiars of the children each attempted to move their masters away from this monstrosity. One girl with a horse familiar ended up being drug away. Kirche's salamander familiar tugged hoplessly at the hem of her skirt. Tabatha's dragon familiar merely lifted her up by the stole of her robes and took flight. Each familiar felt the predator that this beast was, felt the danger it presented, and each attempted to get their master out of harm's way.

The Queen came to a halt behind Louise.

"This is the Queen." She said to Professor Colbert. "she is the one who bares the runes."

"The queen?" he asked.

"Queen." Louise repeated, emphasizing on the difference.

"Very well." Professor Colbert said looking up at the Queen, "Would you allow me to see the runes your majesty?"

The Queen's clawed hand shot out so quickly that no one left had a chance to see it coming. Professor Colbert started to flinch away as the massive claw surrounded him. Thinking he had been attacked he struggled in the grip to reach his wand, only to notice shortly after that he was leaving the ground. Turning his attention away from his attempt at arming himself he noticed the Queen was lifting him towards her large crest. Once he was lifted over the edge he could see the familiar runes present there. However, these appeared to maintain the blue glow that usually only happens when they appear. Quickly memorizing them he calls out, "Ok, I see them. Let me down now please."

Back on the ground Professor Colbert quickly drew into his little pocketbook. Turning to the remains of his class he addressed them.

"Excellent class. The ceremony is complete. I would remind you all that tomorrow is a free day given to each student in honor of Founder's Day. Please use this time to get to know your familiars and learn about them. Dismissed."

Each of the remaining students raised their wands into the air, taking flight. Colbert did the same, all heading back to the academy. Louise turned to the Queen with a small smile on her face.

"Lets go" she said moving towards the forest with her hive.

Scene Break (patent pending)

Rushing up the stairs Professor Colbert once again wished he had kept in better shape since becoming a teacher. As he reached the top of the stairs the two guards outside the headmaster's office quickly came alert only to settle down when they recognized him.

Brushing past them and into the office reception area Colbert ran past the secretary Miss Longville, who was startled at such an entrance, and threw open the headmaster's door.

"Headmaster! We have a problem!" he exclaimed.

The headmaster froze with a glass to his lips staring at Professor Colbert.

"This is highly unseemly Colbert." The Headmaster said before finishing his drink.

"Headmaster, something has happened!" Colbert said before pulling out a stack of books.

Scene Break (patent pending)

Louise lead her hive to a clearing in the woods. The drones and runners spreading out around the clearing examining the rocks and trees before heading deeper into the woods.

Feeling through the link to the Queen she could sense them moving through the forest searching for a suitable place for a new hive.

The Queen moved behind Louise. In the Queen she felt a completeness she had not felt before. Pieces of her that she never knew were missing suddenly coming back to her. And the hive. Unbidden images come into her mind. The feelings and sensations flowing through her from each member was almost overwhelming.

Discovery! New! Exploration!

The hive was ecstatic with this new world. New world. Imagine summoning a familiar from beyond the stars. Kirche was so proud of her salamander but compaired to the Queen it was little more than a common garden lizard!

Looking out over the hive Louise could feel the Queens need for a suitable shelter. Something dark and secluded, safe.

The Queen looked down at the little thing. This new addition to the hive was puzzling. It wasn't one of them but it was at the same time. The will she asserted and the connection to them was undeniable. At the same time her appearance was strange. She lacked the hard shell to protect her and the sharp claws and tail to defend her. She must have taken different traits from this world and her host, that had to be it.

The Queen would wait and watch. Pushing her will out to the hive she directed two of her Praetorians closer to Louise. This new addition to the hive needed protecting for the time being.

Louise was radiant in her 'eyes'. The little thing completed them in a way that the Queen had never felt before. It was overpowering. It was like the little thing was a Queen too, only more. Something higher than a Queen, so much more precious to the hive.

Found! Dark! Safe!

The sendings of the hive came suddenly into Louise's thoughts. Not words so much as a combination of feelings and pictures. A cave complex, deep underground and the feeling of sanctuary and safety for the hive.

All around her Louise could feel the Runners veering off from their directions and heading twords the cave complex. She could feel the warriors regrouping around the Queen. It was like she was connected to each of them and they to her. She felt such comfort coming from each of them and they themselves taking such comfort and pleasure from her as well. It was a feeling like she would never have a worry again about being alone or lost. And it felt great.

With the two Praetorians as an escort Louise moved with her hive to the new cave home.