Fantasy Nexus Academy of Magic | In-Character

[Mirgris]

Taking out a needle he pricked the tip of his finger to draw a small amount of blood. He smeared it across one of the summoning circles and spoke the worlds "Bel mid fahdon (Summon loyal friend)" casting the spell. In a puff of smoke standing before the class was Soma's familiar, a hawk.

"Just as simple a that," he said. "Now you let's see how well you can do."

I was nervous, it was one thing to accept that others could do magic. It was another to believe that I could. I was also worried for consequences of failure, if magic is a secret what do they do to me if a mistake was made and I am not magic, after all I seem to have a few years on all of these other students.

Still I place the paper on the desk and draw a bit of blood the pocket knife being a pain to get out from under my robes but doable. The blood almost seems to glow on the paper, but that may be confirmation bias after all. I take a deep breath and speak the words with all the confidence and clarity I can muster.

The world explodes in front of my eyes. I am thrown back from the desk even as I feel and hear it shatter my face is stuffed in black fur and as I back up I see my familiar standing upon the shattered remains of my desk.

​

Its head points clearly at my upper chest as it looks at me. It must be slightly over four feet tall and several hundred pounds. I raise an eyebrow as we make eye contact. A large dog, not quite a wolf if my biology is correct and it always is but a huge black dog.

Then something I read, something vital to who I was and am, hit me like a sack of bricks

Spoiler

We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin’s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.
“Then there are the wolves,” the old war veteran said, “and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.” Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

“Then there are sheepdogs,” he went on, “and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.” Or, as a sign in one California law enforcement agency put it, “We intimidate those who intimidate others.”

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath--a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

killology | Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

If what I remember of magical lore is correct the familiar is part of yourself, a representation of your soul. At the end of the day when a beast was called to match me it was a giant sheep dog. Because I am still a sheep dog.

I had been lost, but suddenly I was not. My career as a warrior, as protector, it wasn't over because of an injury. It was just getting started, it was going to be magic. I was magic, my partner was magic. We were going to protect this new world.
The teardrop that starts to fall is of joy and looking into those intelligent eyes I know he understands that.

Then I am tackled by a several hundred pound of muscle, with a thin coat of fur on top. Its several moments of fur stroking, getting licked, and a bit of me getting yipped and nipped at before we calm down and the large dog lays beside the ruins of my desk and I simply give an awkward shrug to my class.

Already the song amazing grace is stuck in my head.

Spoiler

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
T'was blind but now I see
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T'was grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home,
And grace will lead us home
Amazing grace, Howe Sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
T'was blind but now I see
Was blind, but now I see.
.

 

[M Joc Casl]

All this amazed Marcus, true, the cute mice and a bat with a couple students he had interacted with only slightly, the giant scorpion that was with Xavier however, scared him. He instinctively grabbed the three little weasel like things, he believed were called stoats, and craddled them against his chest and turned his body away.
Matr1x2er0

Suddenly a puff of smoke larger than any other so far goes off at another students desk near him. A large black dog appeared on a desk, and while it was wicked cool, his fear only grew. He had always believed in magic, but now, seeing it and the things it creates reminded him of his mortality. Like when people say they wanna fly but lose it when they're actually high up.

The dog seemed friendly enough and hopefully when they reloacted to a non-destroyed desk, it would be a little further away from his snack size companions.

 

[Archemis]

Iris waited to see almost everyone perform the spell they were given. Marcus kept on his energised state, startling everyone in the room with how loud he decided to perform his incantation. She just shacked her head slightly, trying not to grin too much. The results most of them got surprised her, between a shepherd dog, scorpion and a bat, she had a hard time figuring out what was the most curious one. In her case, she was pretty sure what the result would be, but it was probably best not to jump to conclusions so soon. Being careful to copy the circle perfectly, she pinched her index finger and observed as the drop of blood fell into it. "Bel mid fahdon" her voice was clear and calm. There was a certain amount of rightness in this whole process. Like they were meant to do it. Which she guess was true.

The drawing glowed for just a moment before a puff of white smoke surrounded her. Closing her eyes and coughing, she felt a familiar presence around her before she even saw it. Around her was a pure white wolf, body angled to almost completely surround the seat she was using. He was bigger than she remembered, taller than she was at the moment sitting down. The top of his head would probably reach her shoulders when she was standing. Muzzling his big head in her lap, closing his big black eyes, he rested there. Almost as an instinct, wands moving to pet him and play with his fur "There you are, old friend". Yes, the result didn't come as a surprise at all. She had known him all her life, from when she was so small she could barely reach the counter, to when she was old enough to realize that dreams don't always come true and hers was forever out of reach. Sure he would change color from time to time and last time Iris remembered seen him she was probably 8, but there was no doubt in her mind that this was him and somehow he was always around, behind a curtain, just scarcely out of reach. And seeing him materialize around her was enough to vaporize all doubt surrounding the events of the last couple of hours.

 

[Quinlan63]

Hector unlike most he had waited to see how the others would perform the spell. So far it looked that everyone did it without fail and little effort put into it. He was very interested in how a familiar would be chosen since it all just seed a little random. Although he couldn't be entirely sure because he didn't really know the others. As time passes it seemed that it was his luck that would be the last of them to cast the spell. As he pricked finger with a needle he thought back to the paper telling him that he had an affinity for summoning and what that meant. With a spell that seemed this simple he had to just try and see what would happen.

"Bel mid fahdon"

As he spoke the words unlike the others who had familiar come from a puff of smoke a glowing circle appeared on the ground before him. And from this circle came a shining light and as it faded left in its place was a wolf. Although this one look different to to other that Iris summoned. It had a glow to it and had an almost transparent look to it, but still maintained a physical form.

Spoiler: Spirit Wolf

[Youngblood] "Perfect all of you," he said. "Now that you have finally summoned your familiars we can continues the lesson. As you can see that each familiar is different to each other in either small or large ways. This is because when you summon them they choose you based on the kind of person you are. Although this matter little since most familiars serve the same purpose. That being that thy help you with the casting of spells and serve you and any other way you need them. They can also be used to form contracts with other summons to make them serve you. Also not to worry your familiars are magically linked to you so they would never harm you. As it concerns to the rules familiars are treated like any other spell and as such are only allowed in places that have been approved. Years ago we had students trying to kill each other with their familiars so the academy has had to be more strict about the matter. "

"Now your familiars are a special kind of summon that grows in strength with you overtime. As time goes on you will naturally be able to summon your familiar by thought alone and they will capable of casting almost spell you know. At this point they might have a trick or two but that depends on what you got." Looking them over he was surprised by what every summoned. Marcus kind of seemed like someone who would have a small familiar but it was great that he had three weasels. Adelaide must have gone through something of great terror to have a bat. Xavier already had an affinity for the dark arts so a large scorpion seemed to fit. Now David hadn't said much of anything so his was pretty interesting since he got a blink dog (which is rare) as a familiar. Then Iris and Hector, well... She seemed like a bit headstrong but almost like someone who has something to prove (which he has no idea what) like a wolf who had been hurt once. As for Hector he had the affinity for summoning so it was cool to see a spirit wolf. It wasn't something that made someone more powerful or anything but they only choose people with creative view. In a way it more is like a badge of honor to be chosen.

"The last thing you need to know is how to send them away, which I assure you will want to know. If a familiar is hurt then so will the master suffer the same fate. Now if they are killed don't worry as they are just sent back to their realm. Although in the past an enemy would capture someone's familiar and torture it making sure not to kill it to make the master deal with large amount of pain and suffering. Granted that doesn't happen much anymore unless you made someone angry enough to do that to you. Now to send your familiar away all you must say is, daal hofkiin fahdon (Return Home Friend)." Just like his familiar appearing is disappeared just the same in a puff of smoke.

"Remember this spell well as it is one of the more universal spells used to send your other summons away. Those who have the talent for it can also banish the summons of others away as well."

The Darkling Matr1x2er0 M Joc Casl Archemis Limerick.Grimoire Mirgris

 

[Matr1x2er0]

Xavier listened to the teacher as he looked at down at the scorpion "so you won't harm me ....ok then...um.....could you get off maybe , for a blue transparent scorpion , you can be quite heavy if you rest on my chest like that " Xavier said as the scorpion obliged and crawled off of his chest and onto the table as , turning back to him , Xavier continued to listen to the lesson , taking quick glances at the others though personally he felt quite sorry that he might have ....or at least his scorpion might have frightened Marcus a bit . After the lesson he opened his book to find the Familiar Spell there , full short description and everything . After Professor Youngblood told them the spell he looked over at his scorpion " well....after a little fright , you don't seem that bad.....to bad i can't constantly keep you around but.....i guess we will meet again pretty soon if allowed " he said as he looked at the scorpion before exhaling a deep breath and speaking the spell " Daal Hofkiin Fahdon " , he said in his calm voice as the scorpion disappeared into blue smoke and the spell appearing in the book with it's short description. He slowly turned to Marcus with a slight smile .

Quinlan63

"Hey , you ok there ....i didn't mean to scare you like that....but in my defense , how was i suppose to know it was going to be a giant , transparent blue scorpion , you have to give me a break there at least " he said as he leaned down in his chair , looking back at the teacher , awaiting further instructions .

M Joc Casl

 

[M Joc Casl]

His stotes ran around his arms and hands, getting to know his scent and feel. They were so adorable now that he got a closer look. "Send them away?" he thought sadly, animals were the best, and magic animals were probably even better than that. "Alright guys, I'll be seeing you real soon. Daal Hofkiin Fahdon." They looked at him right before the dissolved into thin air.

Xavier checked up on Marcus which made him smile. "Sorry I reacted like that, your scorpion was pretty cool, I just wasn't expecting it to be, uh, so big. Kinda a reflex to protect my friends." He rubbed the back of his head as he let out a little chuckle. Then it dawned on him, "aren't familiars supposed to protect?" At least that's how they acted in the books.
Matr1x2er0

 

[Archemis]

Iris kept petting her wolf without looking around anymore, staying with his eyes closed she could feel the trust that bounded them. Bringing her face to the top of his head she whispered into his fur "We'll see each other soon. Daal hofkiin fahdon" and the wolf simply disappeared this time, no smoke to mark his departure. Turning to Xavier and Marcus she engaged in a conversation again "Well I, for one, think your scorpion looks amazing, can I touch him next time? Can you touch a blue... transparent... thing? And Marcus how come you get to have 3 familiars in one go??" She kept glancing around to the rest of the class and to the teacher, this time being quite interested in what he had to say and teach, so disturbing the class was not something she aimed to do.

Matr1x2er0 M Joc Casl

 

[Matr1x2er0]

"Marcus , it seems that beyond your over excited mind and happiness that seems to be unbreakable , you also seem to have a good , loyal and protective heart , i honestly can't remember the last time i met someone with those qualities that aren't my sister " he said with a slight smile before i faded a bit as he just reminded himself of his late sister but shook it off as his attention turned to Iris "umm....well the teacher did say they follow our order so i guess it would be ok .....and i guess it can be touched , if it can touch you , you can most likely touch it " he said as he smiled at her "you know that was quite a beautiful wolf , i may like black wolves but a white wolf is just as beautiful and i might have to ask you if i could also pet your familiar if we are ever in a place again where we are allowed to use magic again " he said , keeping his slight smile as he turned to the teacher before noticing an eagle flying in , landing behind the desk and emerging as a person that might just as well be another teacher

M Joc Casl Archemis

Professor Crestscribe made his entry as he landed behind the desk and took his normal form again " Um Professor Youngblood , Miss Elffire forgot to tell you this but the headmaster wants a report on the students once you are done with them . He wants to know what you think about them and what potential they hold and personally i would say he seems quite excited about these new student for some reason , far more excited then with other groups of students " he said as he gave a nod and turned into an eagle again and flew out of the classroom

Quinlan63

 

[Archemis]

Iris smirked, she had to agree with Xavier, Marcus was nothing if not excited, with a raw and innocent aura to all of it. Being so used to be surrounded by people repressing their emotions and opinions, having someone around that did neither of those was a breeze of fresh air. When Xavier mentioned his sister, Iris turned all her attention to him. She wasn't sure what made her do it in the first place, maybe the mention or the cadence he used that just sounded so heartbroken. She kept searching his face, eyes curious, looking for some signs that could explain the change in behaviour. The way his smile faded caught her breath. She understood that raw pain, she had seen it before, saw the consequences, the lies it brought. And she knew she had no right to mention it, nor would she ever try. When he turned to talk to her she reciprocated the smile "Yeah, he's... special. And it sounds like a deal." her smile grew a bit and without thinking she reached to him, touching his forearm lightly before pulling back, in time to see an eagle landing on the desk and turning into another human. She shouldn't be surprised by now but this took a while to absorb. "Does this mean you're done?" she asked no one in particular.

Matr1x2er0 M Joc Casl

 

[M Joc Casl]

Iris didn't react like the rest of the students, there was no shock or happy delight shown when her wolf appeared, there was however, a bond, the kind you see when a love one comes back from a long trip. Maybe he was just imagining things, people weren't his area of expertise.
Marcus contemplated as to how three little weasels would protect anyone and then he pondered over Iris' question. "Maybe because they were so tiny it balanced out?" he said with an upswing, he was well versed in fictional magic but he was becoming more and more aware of how out of their depth they all were.

Marcus felt his face flush and begin to heat up at Xavier's words. "Wow! Unbreakable happiness!?!" he thought to himself. What the other's didn't know was the pain he carried with him, his father died some time ago, but the image of a grown man swinging... a man that raised you, taught you to smile, to play, to love genuinely... swinging like any other lifeless object, put up out of the way. There were many times Marcus wanted to be put out of everyone's way but he could keep that day at bay by living in his books. But now! it was all real, a life worth the struggle was real, how could he be anything but happy.

Xavier couldn't recall ever getting such a heartfelt sentiment directed at him. Not to say he had never received a compliment but its hard to remember 1 little bit of star light amongst a sea of black night that was his scholastic experience. It was decided! Xavier was definitely the best friend character and that wound make Iris his love interest... or arch enemy... His face stiffened with assurance at his resolve to always be the person these new friends saw him as. Marcus was too dense to notice the pain coming off of Xavier but the way Iris said he was special made him think he missed something. One of those things that people more experienced with human interaction find easy to pick up on. WAIT! why did she say special that way?

"I'm just so excited to be living this life, and knowing that I'll be sharing it" the enthusiasm in his voice dipped, covered by a little bit of embarrassment "with people like you. We should see if we can't have a familiar play date later! I can't wait to meet your familiars up close, and to get to know mine better!"
Matr1x2er0 Archemis