Familiar

When Blaze opened her eyes next, she felt that her whole body was sore. Her bed was super comfortable and she was warm but the ache in her body was ever present. She groaned as she tried to leave the bed.

"Good Morning, Ma'am." She just looked up to see the red cat from the night previous. She groaned at them, raising a hand in greeting. "I suspect that you would be sore. Though the best thing would be to slowly go about your daily activities."

She knew that the previous night had not been a dream despite the strange occurrence. She couldn't really deny the existence of something that was staring at her.

"Master Iruma has already gone to school today." The cat continued despite her lack of response. "When you feel up to it, we will summon your first familiar."

"In hopes of not sounding stupid, what is a familiar?" She asked. Her arms felt like jello as she pushed herself out of the bed.

"A familiar is a servant of the contractor. They abide and obey the every command of those whom they are bound to." Opera informed the woman helping her up. "The tub in the bathroom is filled with warm water. It should help the tenderness."

"Yeah." She groaned. Allowing them to show her the way to the bathroom. "How was Iruma's first day of school?"

"Young master Iruma did wonderfully on his first day. He gave the student greeting and received a standing ovation from the students and summoned his familiar. As well as making his first friend and second friend in a small amount of time."

"I see. Was I asleep for longer than a day?" Opera's words seemed off so she asked just in case.

"You have been asleep for four days, Ma'am."

"Four days?!" She spluttered. She had missed four days? And still she was no closer to learning about this world? She was falling behind Iruma instead of helping him.

"Yes, your body needed more time than expected to accept the large mana core you have."

"Still, four days." She groaned, and stiffened as she moved. Her muscles were sore and she was ready to lounge in the hot water.

"After your bath, lunch will be served. After which I will assist you in summoning your familiar." They told her as they let her by. "You may find me in the dining hall when you are done."

Opera leaves the lady of the house to relax in the warm bathtub. Their thoughts turned towards that night. Though they had never seen the kinship ritual performed, they knew that it shouldn't have gone the way it did.

Lord Sullivan's mana should have been used to form an immature mana core for her to slowly grow her own mana. But that isn't what happened. He had seen it on the elder demon's face when his mana exploded from his hand and was absorbed into her body. Not only making a fully matured mana core but growing it exponentially faster than it should have occurred.

Neither wanted to know what would have happened if Sullivan had not cut off the mana flow. Her body had readily accepted the mana as if it were starved.

They worried what that might mean as they finished up the lunch for that evening. Moreover if the woman should even know of the incident. Sullivan had not seen fit to tell Opera if she was to be in the know or not. So they decided that if she asked they would tell her, if she didn't she would remain in the dark.

It would not be a breach in trust of either party if they left it up to her own curiosity.

Blaze gingerly padded down the stairs. While the bath had taken most of the pain from her muscles she was still incredibly sore. Like a very hard leg day at the gym. And arm day, and core day. All the days.

She didn't have a big appetite but tried her best to eat. She nibbled on things here and there but overall she didn't eat a lot. "Opera," She hummed, pushing around the food on her plate. She should have an appetite after not eating for 4 days but she found that the thought of food was nauseating. "Can you explain this familiar thing a bit more?"

"Of course, Ma'am, what would you like to know?" They flicked their ears, waiting patiently as the new mistress of the house chewed on a small bite of food thoughtfully.

"So you told me what a familiar is? I still don't know where they come from and what they look like." She posed the question like a child would ask an adult why the sky is blue.

"They are summons so they come from our mana. And they are a reflection of our innermost heart, who we truly are." Opera's explanation was concise and simple. She appreciated that he didn't try to bombard her with technical terms or something of that nature.

"That sounds like you could tell alot about a person from their familiar." It was weird to think that someone would know something about you from looking at the creature you summoned.

"Demons summon demonic creatures, and humans summon demons. I wonder which you will summon." The casual question made the woman pause. Would this tell her if she were closer to a demon or a human? Suddenly she was nervous. Did she want to know how much she had changed in such a little time?

Alas time didn't stop for anyone and she found herself in a dimly lit room. A strange circle was etched into the floor similar to the ritual she had done and in the center was a stand that had a single candle on it. Its flame flickered as the door shut behind them and was the only light in the room.

"Here, Ma'am." Opera handed her a small square sheet of paper that had another spell circle on it. "You need only draw a circle with your blood and burn it in the fire."

"I don't have anything to prick my fingers." She muttered, nerves beginning to take their toll. A lot had happened in a short time and the woman hadn't really had the time to sit down and work out what she went through. She knew that she would have to soon unless she wanted to explode from stress. She literally had sold her soul and became something between a human and demon with very little thought to the consequences. She had only been concentrated on making sure the boy in her care was near and safe.

A sharp pain in her index finger drew her from her wandering mind. The cat demon's claw had punctured a little hole in her finger. "Ow." She glared at the demon who's tail flicked playfully behind them. "I will remember that." The words weren't threatening nor playful. They were just a statement but the look in her eyes told the cat that she wasn't mad.

She dragged the bleeding appendage in a slow circle around the edge of the drawn shape. The process seemed very simple in terms of actions. As she extended her hand towards the fire a deep echoing voice whispered in her ear.

Finally, I've found you, Master.

If Blaze had grown up in the netherworld, or had learned the basics, she might have reconsidered her actions as the flame licked the paper. Even in the demon realm, hearing voices never boded well for the individual.

As the sheet caught fire, the smoke didn't rise. It turned an inky black and fell like water to the floor. Her breath hitched as frightened eyes looked back to a concerned looking demon. It pooled around her feet expanding into an almost perfect circle. "Opera?" She whispered not wanting to freak out. "I don't think I feel sa-" She was unable to finish her words as a clawed hand reached from the abyss at her feet and pulled her under. The last thing she saw was Opera reaching out their hand for her but it was too late.

Opera knew something had taken a turn for the strange when the first wisp of smoke billowed from the paper. It should have floated up and not down. The aura in the room thickened with danger as the puddle of smoke grew wider causing the little hairs on the back of their neck to rise.

They weren't sure what the right move was. Would the situation turn worse if they moved their mistress from the newly formed ring?

"Opera." Red eyes met fearful blue. She was standing still aside from the light tremble in her form. Though they could see she was scared, her voice was strong as she spoke. "I don't think I feel sa-" A elongated black clawed hand reached from the floor and wrapped around her ankle dragging her into the void.

Opera reached out, but was nowhere near fast enough to reach her even though she was mere feet away. Their mistress had been swiped from under their nose. A failure they were not used to. However, it would be rectified momentarily. As they moved forward to follow her down into the void a hand landed on their shoulder.

Startled they looked back, Opera saw Sullivan was the one who stopped them. "Calm. She is meeting her familiar for the first time. It won't harm her, the same can't be said about you." Sullivan's cheery voice was lost in the serious tone.

"We just wait?" The security demon was shocked by these words. The demon had done a kinship ritual with her making her his flesh and blood daughter. For him to abandon her to her fate…no Opera knew the older demon much better than that. He had something up his sleeve. Red eyes drifted to the still pool of black. Had Sullivan known this was going to happen?

They could only put their faith in the elder demon that he knew what he was doing and wait for his mistress's return.

Blaze had worried so hard about whether she would summon a creature or demon; thereby proving if she was more of a demon or a human. She should have worried what the manifestation of her heart would look like. Opera had said the familiar took on who you were basically. Never in a million years did she think her heart would look like this.

She looked into red glowing orbs situated in a very much predator skull. And when she said skull she meant just the sheer white bone of a rather sharp toothed creature. Long canines extended past the jawline of the skull and a deep red liquid oozed from the teeth. And dripped down in a thick but slow rhythm. She tried very hard not to think about what the substance was.

Giant antlers extended from the back of the skull and it connected to a very malnourished looking body that was covered in what she could only describe as moss or briars. Long spikes jutted from its spine and its overly long arms hung ganguly at its side. Its long clawed fingers wrapped around her ankle and its legs were shaped like a dog but naked except from the mossy like substance.

Was this who she was on the inside? A beast? Somehow she couldn't even argue with it. She wasn't some pure kid like Iruma. She was not kind to those who were not 'hers' nor did she reach out to extend that group often. She knew that she had some very undesirable traits yet it was still jarring to see that who she was in her truest form was this.

My master, I have waited for an eternity to meet you. My destiny.

"What?" She was confused. Opera told her that familiars were created by her mana. If that was true, this creature couldn't have waited for her at all right? It would just be.

I am Ethereon, you are my master whom I have seen through the ages. You have made me wait for far too long.

"Is this what you look like?" She wondered aloud.

I am what you are.

"Why did you wait for me? Why would you even want to be my familiar?" She questioned, a bitterness at the thought of someone willingly wanting to be a slave to another. She had fought to be free of her parents and those who chained her.

It is my destiny. I shall be your closest of allies and an instructor for you, young witch of thorns.

"Witch of Thorns?" She questioned not understanding.

You will know when it is time. The creature's voice hummed in her mind. The bond is made. What shall you have me do first?

She needed to think and she needed to relax. It was becoming too much. She just hoped that Iruma was adjusting better than she was.

This is a place you may rest your body and sort through your mind. You are safe from the outside world. The creature released her ankle. I am your faithful servant and a refuge from your inner demons. A chuckle echoed in her head. She sunk into the darkness. A little time was all she needed. Just time.

The security demon had not left the room despite the fact that their lady had not returned in the last hour. Their red eyes fixed unmovingly on the puddle. They would be here the exact moment when she came back. As was their duty.

Sullivan had returned to school to do his duty but Opera did not follow. Until they had determined that their lady of the house was no longer in danger, they would remain vigilant over her. There was a pressure that built in the chest of the demon every second longer that the witch was missing.

A bubble rippled across the pool of inky blackness as the second hour approached. One, then another and soon a form ascended. The blackness stretched and formed a fetal looking sack before it melted showing his lady asleep once more. The blackness drained from the surrounding area until it disappeared beneath her.

Opera was swift to spring into action checking to see if her vitals were stable. They were no medi-devil but still they were fairly certain that she was only sleeping. With a great sigh of relief they picked up the woman from the floor to carry her to her room.

"Opera?" The voice was very sleepy and her eyes creaked open to blearily look at him. "He said you stayed, thank you." Her head lulled against the security demon's shoulder as she sleepily fell back asleep. Having just recovered from her magic ritual, the stress of this must have made her sleep again. They knew she had very little to eat and no more energy to deal with it.

Perhaps when she woke again, a nice soup would do her good. They appreciate that she had thanked them, as they were always a sucker for praise. Like most demons. The next day or so would be dedicated to her rest before the chair demon would be able to set her up with something that would make her happy to do.

Any job at Babyls would be within her grasp if she wanted it. Opera was sure that would get under the guard dog's skin. Though Kalego was the security demon's mate, they made no attempt to make his life easier when it came to it. After all it wasn't in demon nature to back from a challenge.

The young mistress's arrival would be a welcomed challenge for more than just them.