Starry Savana Night

Chapter 2: Friend, Foe, or Familiar?

The sun was barely peeking up over the horizon when Yuu jogged down the steps in full Dorm attire. Yuu dug the comfort fit pants, loose T-shirt and leather vest. She'd chosen to pair this ensemble with some sturdy hiking boots, black leather fingerless gloves, and a belt she thought went well with the vest.

The ensemble also came with a large scarf-like wrap with the Dorm's symbol and colors on it which she tied around her waist like a decorative sarape. Along with her clothing she included some tribal jewelry which she chose with a minimalist's eye. Around her neck was a tooth and pearl-like stone choker, on her wrists some wrist cuffs and colorful beaded bracelets. Suited up, she was ready to take on anyone and anything that stood in her way today.

"Mmm today's gonna be great. I can feel it!" She pumped her fists, and jogged the rest of the way out the dorm and through the mirror.

Yuu wanted to take her time getting a feel for the grounds. It was her first time being allowed to wander on her own, and she wanted to soak that in. She studied each of the mirrors leading to the other dorms, her tail waving about curiously. She knew it was rude to wander into someone else's territory without invitation, so decided to go elsewhere for the time being.

She must have been the only early riser as the rest of the school was silent as a tomb. She looked down each and every hall, poking her head into doors, admiring, touching, and sniffing at all the new sights and scents she could find. As her adventure took her into the courtyard she spotted a big apple tree and licked her lips. She hadn't eaten, and while she would have preferred some meat, she wasn't about to be picky.

She attempted to jump for one, but missed by a yard. With a huff, she puffed out her cheeks and checked the sturdiness of the lower branches before starting her climb upward. She let out a sound of victory when she made it to a sturdy middle branch and shimmied down it to grab at a bushel of apples. She opened her mouth wide and sank her fangs into the firm but juicy fruit.

"Mmmm it's not bacon, but it's good." She licked her lips and took another bite. She fashioned her wrap into a pouch and started shoving more apples to take with her later. So… she thought with a bright smile. This is what she'd been missing on. WHat exactly had her father been so worried about? Despite the problems she'd had with that stupid fox, she managed to hunt her own food and take care of herself. "That old man was worried for nothing." She lounged back and took another bite humming. "School life is gonna be a breeze."

"YOU THERE!"

"NYAH!" Startled, Yuu jolted, and juggled the fruit in her hand so she didn't drop it. She tilted, and squeezed the branch between her legs to keep herself from falling all the way. She hung upside down now, the pouch with her apples dropping to the ground, and the half eaten one still in her hands. Her slitted eyes blinked and she tilted her head, eying the boy with green hair curiously. "Can I help you?"

Sebek scowled at the tiny lioness, and placed his hands on his hips.

"You should get down from there. Those trees are not meant for climbing, and it is showing great disrespect for school property."

"Sorry, I didn't see a sign that said we couldn't." She put the apple back in her mouth, swung her body up, grabbing the branch before jumping down. She nearly missed the landing, and she plopped into a crouch to avoid looking foolish. Her tail waved around and she grinned around the apple in her mouth.

"You're not in the wild anymore, child of Savanaclaw. This entire property is owned by someone else and you should refrain from doing anything that may damage said property."

"That's rude to say of the trees… Trees belong to themselves as they're living beings just like you and me. They're nice enough to give us shade and sustenance without complaint so YOU should show them some respect." She pulled a second apple from her pouch and shoved it in his hand. "Here, you seem a little hangry. Ciao!" She waved a hand and walked off with a huff.

Sebek eyed the fruit a bit bewildered, and then up at the tree. He approached the plant and placed a palm on it, looking remorseful.

"The small one is right… forgive me, and thank you for the fruit." He bit into it, and immediately smiled. "Mmm delicious! Perhaps Lord Malleus might like to partake in one." He reached up and snagged a few more, bowing graciously to the tree. "Thank you again!"

While Sebek loaded up on apples, Yuu finished hers off down to the core and tossed it into a nearby trash can. She licked her lips and brushed off her vest wondering which direction she should go next. The campus was huge, she realized, taking over nearly half of the island they resided on. She picked a random path, and followed it through a thicket of trees leading out to a huge conservatory. She sniffed at the flowers just outside, smiling at their pleasant scent before moving on.

The hike became a little more terrain as the ground got steep. She let out a whooshing breath when she nearly stumbled on a rock pile, and gripped a nearby brick wall fence to catch herself. She could outrun the wind if she wanted to, but she lacked any real agility and endurance to truly call herself athletic. She had a lot of ground to cover in order to catch up to the men in her dorm. She was the only female in a dorm full of males, and she was bound to catch more flack like the jerk fox.

"Something tells me I'm gonna have a hard time finding any real friends in my dorm. I feel like I'm bunking with rivals instead of teammates." She perched up on the brick wall and tok in the fresh morning breeze. "Still, I wouldn't even know how to begin making friends here. The only other people I've talked to were that flirt at the entrance ceremony, and that busy body in the courtyard. It'd be nice if I could find someone I could relate to… someone small, limited, and with something to prove."

"I'll show you for scaring me, you bullies!" A sudden shout made her jolt, and Yuu's head whipped around looking up at the abandoned looking building behind her. She caught a whiff of smoke in the air, and her face went pale.

"Fire? If that building catches fire it'll bring the entire structure down and anyone who's inside it!" She leapt over the otherside, leaping over the bushes and hurrying inside. The door practically fell off its hinges as she burst through. She coughed as dust kicked up and she scrambled looking around for the source of the voice. "Hello!?"

"I said get away!" a bolt of blue fire rush past her face making her squeak in surprise. She darted to the left but then a young ball of fur and flames rushed at her knocking her into her butt.

"OW!"

"Did… did I get 'em?" The tiny ball of fire and fluff, his entire body sizzling from overusing his magic, spoke in a high pitched and wavering voice. His eyes were dazed and dizzy, and he looked ready to cry at any moment.

"Poor thing… are you okay?" She sat upright cupping Grim in her arms like a baby. He blinked three times before looking up at her.

"Eh? AHHH! WHO ARE YOU?! ARE YOU A GHOST TOO?!" He leapt from her arms and poised to strike.

"Me? No, I'm flesh and blood." She held her hands up defensively.

Mmmmmmngaaaah…" he circled her once, losing her with his front paw before relaxing. "Okay, you pass." He slumped down again. "Ugh, I'm exhausted."

"Did I hear you say you were running from ghosts? I didn't realize the ghosts here were unfriendly."

"Depends on what you call friendly…" Grim pouted. "I came in here to get out of the rain and find a cozy spot to sleep. Next thing I know they're popping up randomly, scaring me all night long. Fnghaaa…" he whimpered. "This is hopeless. Not only was I not able to sneak into the ceremony, but I've barely slept, I'm damp from the leaky roof…" his stomach growled on cue. " AND I'M HUNGRY!"

"Do you like apples?" She pulled one from the pouch and offered him one with a smile. "I don't mind sharing."

"Really?" His eyes went wide and then teary with gratitude. "You don't mind sharing with me even after I threw a fireball at you?"

"Of course not, I didn't get hurt after all and you were just trying to defend yourself." She held the shiny red apple out to him and he took it gratefully.

"Thank you! Time to eat! MUNCH!" He bit into it. "MMMMM DELICIOUS!" He exclaimed before devouring it core and all.

"Wow you really were hungry." She handed him another one which he eagerly accepted. "What's your name? Mine's Yuuki, but you can call me Yuu."

"Grim…" he told her, his mouth and cheeks filled with fruit. "Nom, nom, nom."

"How come you were trying to sneak into the ceremony?"

"I want to be a student here. I've been waiting and waiting for one of those big carriages to come pick me up, but…" his eyes got teary. "They never came. It's not fair. I have way powerful magic, but no one will give me the time of day to show them how great I am."

"I see… that's too bad." She hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth a bit as she contemplated on how to help him. "You know, if you want, you can come stay with me at Savanaclaw. I can give you a nice, warm, and ghost free place to sleep, and cook up a way better meal from the kitchens there."

"You mean it?!" He leapt into her arms And she caught him with a laugh.

"Sure, students are allowed to bring familiars to school. I'm sure I can convince Crowley to let you bunk with me. From what I hear, he's a real pushover."

"He didn't seem like such a push over last night when he cracked that whip at me." Grim whined. "He scares me."

"Just leave it to me, I'll take care of you." Yuu beamed down at him. "After all you're the first friend I've made here."

"Friend?" Grim blinked and he looked ready to cry.

"Yeah… in fact, here." She set him back down and pulled off her wrap and wand. She tapped the stone to the fabric and it sparkled and circled Grim.

"Huh? What are you doing?!" He shut his eyes as a bright light expended from the cloth. When he opened them he looked at himself checking for any changes… and noticed the yellow gemstone hanging from a new bow made from the material of her wrap. "Oh!"

"The stone is plastic so it's not gonna do much in helping you control your blot… but I thought it was a nice added touch." She held her hand out to him, her canines flashing as she smiled. "Welcome to Savanaclaw."

"Yuu…" Grim got teary eyed, but then beamed. "I think this is gonna be the start of a beautiful partnership!"

~Savanaclaw: Yuu's Room~

Grim ran around Yuu's feet excitedly as he checked out everything in the big rustic dorm room. Since Yuu was the only female currently in Savanaclaw, she had the place to herself and had been feeling a little isolated and left out. Now that Grim was here, she felt a little more welcomed.

"Wow look at that view!" Grim poked his head out the window. "I bet you can see a ton of stars at night."

"Oh yeah, it's beautiful. It reminds me a lot of home." She leaned on the windowsill with him, her ears twitching as they took in the sounds of mid-morning. The late sleepers were finally stirring, and the dorm was finally alive with voices and footsteps. Birds were chirping in a nearby tree, and the wild game that spread across the wide savana lands echoed their calls. "I didn't have much of a view from my old window, but most nights I would sneak out my bedroom window and climb onto the roof." She cupped her chin in her hands smiling. "Nothing beats stargazing on a balmy night… it's calm, and soothing, and you can almost hear the voices calling from the worlds above."

"Oh, that sounds nice." Grim's tail waved around happily.

"Where are you from, Grim?" She turned her head to him now.

"Me?" He blinked and held his chin. "Huh, no one's asked me that before. I don't even really remember."

"So you don't have a home, or a family?" Her ears lowered sadly.

"No… you're the first person who's ever really treated me nicely. Everyone else is afraid of me, humans especially."

"That must be lonely."

"Eh it was fine… but I'm so bored being by myself all the time." Grim sighed. "I want to do more exciting things, like learn more magic, and travel the world, and stuff. Which is why I came here."

"Well… you're technically not a student here but-" She turned a little more towards him. "Once you've officially become my familiar, you'll be able to come with me to classes and learn. We can train together, and go to the library to study up on spells and potion making, and all kinds of other interesting stuff."

"Really? That's awesome… but what exactly does a familiar do?"

"You'll be my partner. We'll do everything together. Eat, sleep, train, take classes, practice magic… and you'll even be able to participate in events with me."

"Events?"

"Yeah… I'm not sure what all of them are, but I've heard about all kind of yearly events. There's Beanfest, the culture festival, training camps, and most importantly the Spelldrive tournaments!"

"Spelldrive?"

"Yeah, it's a really fun sport where you use magic to toss a disc around a field and try to score…" her ears perked up and she peeked her head out the window to see some students gathering towards the practice field. "Actually, I think they're about to start a practice match downstairs. Wanna go check it out?"

"Sure!"

~Savanaclaw: Practice Field~

"Alright losers!" The two upperclassmen called out to the group of sophomore and freshman potentials. "Anyone who wants a spot on the Spelldrive team this year had better show some hustle! Dormhead Leona is watching, so don't make fools of yourselves!"

"Yeah!" The group shouted practically in sync.

"Huh… they're holding try-outs for Spelldrive already?" Yuu blinked in surprise as she and Grim finally made it to the field.

"Hmmm? Oh!" Ruggie held up a hand and jogged over to her. "Hey Yuu, good morning. Did you sleep in late?"

"Good morning, Ruggie-senpai. No, I've been up since before dawn. I was taking a look around campus." She eyed the players as they began the practice match. " How come you guys are holding try-outs already? Classes haven't even started, and there's still several months before the first tournament."

"Oh, this isn't for tryouts. This is just morning practice. Savanaclaw is expected to always do well at the spelldrive tournaments, so it's kind of like an unwritten rule for all of us to practice daily in order to keep us in top shape."

"I didn't know that. How come no one told me?" She crouched and stretched her legs. "What position should I play?"

"Hmmm… good question." Ruggie held his chin. "It's kind of hard to figure that out without knowing what you're good at."

"Well…" Yuu crossed her arms and her eyes focused on the players in the match. She took notice immediately of the burly silver-haired wolf. He had amazing form and speed, and seemed to be everywhere at once. The guy didn't even break a sweat. "I'd have to say my strengths are my eyesight, and speed… I'm pretty clumsy though, and haven't had much practice with magic. My endurance is also lacking, though I'm already making moves to improve that."

"Huh… in that case, you'd probably be better off sticking to the sidelines. At least until you bulk up some. Everyone here is fast and has keen eyesight, and they all tend to play a little rough."

"Aww…" Yuu pouted and crossed her arms. "... but I really wanna play. It looks like fun."

"You bet it does! I could play any position!" Grim announced excitedly from between them and had Ruggie glancing down in surprise.

"I thought I smelled something weird. Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry Senpai. This is my new familiar, Grim." She smiled as she made introductions. "Grim, this is my upperclassmen, Ruggie."

"Nice to meetcha!" Grim waved his arms in greeting.

"Likewise… a familiar huh? They're allowed on campus, but not many students actually have one. The only person I've ever seen with a familiar is Professor Trein."

"HEY!" A sudden shout from the practice field had their conversation halting. Yuu's attention divided back to the game, and her eyes glowed as they caught sight of the same wolf as before dodging magic attacks.

"Hey! That's a foul!" She called out. "Penalty! Penalty!"

"Who the hell said that!?" The game halted as eyes cast in their direction. "Leona's the referee, not you, frosh! Butt out!"

Yuu glanced over at Leona who was practically asleep on the spectator's bench. She snarled and stepped onto the field.

"I don't care! That's still a penalty!" She pointed an accusing finger at the fox. Why was it always him? The guy just loved making a nuisance of himself. "You're not supposed to aim your magic attacks at another player, it's illegal!"

"She's right!" The silver wolf placed a hand on the fox's shoulder and he shrugged it off. "I saw everything, you guys were aiming your attacks at me, not the disc. You've also been bumping into me purposely, and trying to trip me. You're skirting the rules, hard."

"That's right! Just what kind of player are you, if you've got to resort to underhanded tactics like that?"

"Hoo boy…" Ruggie shrugged and shook his head. "Here we go. The first brawl of the semester."

"Lay off, Jack!" The fox shrugged off his hand. "Both of you freshmen had better back off and show me some respect. I'm your superior here, and I say the plays are within the frame of the rules!"

"Superior?" Yuu looked up at him up and down and sneered. "Tch, I knew you were too big and arrogant to be a first year student." She bared her fangs. "Does that mean you purposely stalked me last night just to mess up my hunt? What the hell is your problem?!"

"My problem, yah shrimp, is you!" He stepped to her, cracking his knuckles. Jack positioned himself between them, snarling.

"Hey, don't you dare take your anger out on her. We both know your real fight is with me!"

"I'll deal with you later, Wolfboy." He shoved a finger hard in his chest. "This chick has been bugging me since we got here."

"Why? What the hell did she ever do to you, besides call you out?" Grim demanded and the Fox glanced down at the hissing feline monster.

"You're pathetic," the fox told Yuu with a sneer. "I've seen rats with bigger muscles than you. The only reason you're in Savanaclaw is because you're a lion… but it's clear to me and everyone else that you're nothing but a scrawny bitch with no bite."

"You watch your mouth!" Jack snarled but held his arm.

"I don't need you to defend me, or you're just gonna prove his point" She told Jack and maneuvered herself around him. "What's your name, tough guy!?"

"Humph, Inola." The Fox informed crossing his arms.

"Well, INOLA, I may be smaller than the rest of you are now, but one day that's gonna change." She crossed her arms and smirked at him confidently. "Lionesses are the true hunters. Where I come from we're born to be hunters and fighters, because it's in our blood. So just keep at it, you jerk, just keep pushing my buttons, and one day I may just rip out your vocal cords and snack on them!"

"Ooh! Nice one, Yuu!" Grim praised and backed her up by standing tall and proud. "You heard my partner! You better apologize to us, and to that wolf guy right now or you'll be sorry!"

"Like hell I'd apologize to this pint-sized little twerp." He grabbed her by the vest and hoisted her up on her toes.

"Hey let go of her!" Jack leapt forward, but the other upperclassmen slid in and shove him back. They formed a protective circle around Inola and Yuu,

"Put her down!" Grim started to set loose his fire so he could wriggle through, but was kicked away by another upperclassmen.

"Grim!" Yuu gasped when she saw her friend go skidding across the dirt. She wriggled and looked up at Inola with fierce eyes. "You'll pay for that!"

"When? Someday?" He laughed at her. "You'll be dead long before that, twerp!" He raised his claw up. Yuu's tough exterior started to fade and she shut her eyes waiting for the hit.

"Oi!" The hit never came… because Inola's wrist was gripped tightly by Leona's firm grasp. Yuu's eyes slowly opened and she stared up at the Dorm Head with wide eyes. She hadn't noticed before during the ceremony… but this guy just radiated power from every pore. His voice, his stance, and even his scent intimidated his peers… including her.

"That's enough, you idiot. Put her down." Leona warned with a low growl. "Or I'll make you."

Inola clicked his tongue then tossed Yuu a good two feet. Grim, who'd recovered, ran to her.

"Yuu!" He nudged her with his head and paws when she didn't move immediately. "Speak to me. Yuu!"

"Hey, are you alright?" Jack too went to her, and pulled her body upright.

"Y-yeah," she wheezed out holding her stomach. "Just knocked the wind outta me, but I'm okay."

"What the hell, Leona?" Inola complained. "These freshmen were trying to boss us around, I was giving them what they deserve."

"I would have been fine with you shoving Howl around a bit since he had it coming and can take it… but instead you chose to beat up on a girl half your size and strength just because she points out exactly what you're doing wrong. You're a coward as well as an idiot." Leona crossed his arms and looked at Jack and Yuu. "Howl, take the girl to the infirmary and make sure she doesn't have any serious injuries."

"Yes sir!" Jack hoisted Yuu up, princess style.

"No, hey wait you don't need to do that, I'm fine." Yuu blushed at being carried. "Please put me down."

"Sorry, can't do that. Dorm Head's orders." He told her and carried her off the field, with Grim at his heels. Leona watched the two of them leave before turning his head back to Inola and the others.

"The lot of you are a disgrace. I don't care if you skirt the rules during a spelldrive match, but getting all huffy because you're being shown up by a couple of frosh is humiliating. Especially with that girl."

"Oh come on, Leona. You feel the same way, don't you? That chick doesn't belong at this school. She's weak, frail, and causes nothing but trouble." Inola defended.

"From what I've seen, you're the one causing trouble." Leona crossed her arms. "She minds her own business when it comes to everyone else, but since you've chosen to target her, her female instincts are screaming at her to fight back. Until she can learn to defend herself, she's my responsibility, and it'll be a pain if I have to come rescue the damsel every time the two of you have a tiff. So do us both a favor and leave the girl alone… or you'll be the one in distress."

"Yes sir…" Inola backed down, sensing Leona's growing impatience and anger.

"Good… now get back to practice. You idiots better not disturb my sleep again." He walked away, holding his throbbing temple. He glanced over at Ruggie who laughed a little sheepishly.

"Nice work, Leona-san. Brutal as always."

"I thought I told you to keep an eye on her. Just what the hell were you doing letting her get involved in something like that?"

"To be honest… I kinda wanted to see what she would do. I always heard lionesses were really fierce. She's got the roar, that's for sure."

"... but not the bite. Until she gets stronger I want you to make sure to prevent any further outbursts. If that idiot Inola even so much as breathes her name you remind him that I'll put him in his place if he lashes out at her again."

"If I didn't know any better, Leona-san, I'd say you were quite protective of the little lioness." Ruggie bounced his eyebrows. "Could it be love?"

"Oh please…" Leona crossed his arms and huffed. "I found out from the headmaster that her father's an overprotective helicopter parent. If she gets seriously injured on my watch it'll be a massive headache, especially since she's from my hometown."

"Ah, that makes more sense." Ruggie laughed.

"Just do your job… and keep the girl out of trouble. Or you can forget anymore free meals."

"Geh… right. I'm on it." Ruggie saluted and ran off to catch up with Jack and Yuu. Leona let out a long sigh and yawned.

"What a pain…" he laid down and curled back up to nap. While he disliked having to come to the rescue… he had to admit he'd been half rooting for the pint-sized lioness. The look in her eyes when she'd told Inola off had been something else.

"You might just be worth keeping after all." he murmured and drifted off to sleep.