This was it
Today's the day!
The day when she'd get her own Spirit Animal!
She was so excited she could barely stand it
She wished she could teleport so she could be there now
Sadly for her, she'd need to physically make her way there
Whatever, it didn't matter, she was going to get her Spirit Animal!
Hers!
Moving quickly around her room, she grabbed her clothes, fastening underwear, pulling on robes, and doing up belts
She was ready to go in a matter of minutes and, the moment she was, she all but ran out of her room, from the dorms, and towards the main hall
She passed by a few friends on the way there, but she didn't slow down much for them, preferring to give them a quick
Hey!
Before continuing on
Finally!
Gods above, this was taking forever
She knew that this was an important speech and all, but she already grasped the basic gist of it
When you summon your Spirit Animal, they will have been drawn out directly for you, a sort of reflection of the soul, in a way
They are bound to you, and you to them
The whole 'if one of you should die, so too would the other' thing
Yada yada yada
She got it already, start things up!
Alright, this made up for the speech
She wasn't too far from the front of the line and the ceremony was already proving to be quite the show
People stepped up to the Artifact, grasped it, and began channeling their magic into it, coaxing out their Spirit
Then, when they found each other, their Spirit was drawn into the world in a kind of spectacular light show
Thank goodness the protection spells were up
Otherwise, the random, empowered spells that flared out during the process might have done some damage to the hall!
Looking back, she noticed a couple of her friends deeper in the line, waiting, like her, to go up
They hadn't run to get a better spot before, so she'd hardly seen them today
Still, they could talk after this
With every person that stepped up, she got closer, eventually standing just beside the stage until, finally, it was her turn
Walking up the stairs, she felt herself tremble
This was it
This was actually it!
Finally, everything was going to be alright!
Her teacher's words swam in her head as she stared at him
She only barely made out the process of summoning her Spirit
Whatever, it didn't matter, most of it was the artifact and the Spirit in question's job anyways
She just provided a beacon
Turning to face it, she stepped up to the large crystal, prepared herself, and then grabbed hold
Squeezing it tightly, she pushed her magic, directing what she had into the Artifact
She didn't feel anything
Was that supposed to happen?
She was putting her magic out, but nothing was biting
Maybe the process felt longer for the person summoning their Spirit than it actually was
Though, from everything she'd read or heard, it was supposed to be pretty quick
Had she fucked up?
Had she somehow managed to be the only one here not able to call upon a Spirit?
Was it because of her-
Wait
There! She felt something!
It was odd, but something had definitely grabbed hold of her magic!
Focusing with all she had to not lose this chance, she drew her magic back in, pulling whatever it was that had grasped her, free
The artifact glowed yet again as she, and her Spirit, were bound together
While it shone brighter and brighter, she lost her connection, her magic forced entirely out as the magic of her Spirit flowed into the space around her
A light surged from the top of the crystal, and then a silhouetted figure began to float free
Whoa, it was big!
Had she gotten some sort of Lion or something?
Small enough to manage would have been preferred but she could make it work
It didn't matter what it was, after all!
As it rose higher, emerging from the light and the artifact, it spread it's limbs, arms looking long and thin-to-toned, sporting hands at the end
Maybe it was a kind of monkey?
It's legs rose up as well, similar to the arms, but thicker, obviously
She hadn't seen a tail yet, though, so just what was it?
It floated there for a moment or two more before the light faded, her Spirit drifting down onto their feet
Just two feet
Wait, what?
Well, it definitely didn't resemble a bird, so just what exactly-
She didn't get a chance to hypothesize any more as the light faded away entirely, letting her see her Spirit
...What is it?
Was he in heaven?
Anon wasn't sure how, but he knew one thing, he had died
While the details were a bit fuzzy, he knew it had sucked, too
Still, as he left this mortal coil, his vision going black, he'd seen what almost looked like a hand
It had been blurry and colorful, hard to make out, but he'd reached for it
Then, the world turned into a blaze of light that slowly disappeared, though he wasn't blinded by it, oddly
In fact, he felt pretty great!
That was when he saw the hundreds of...people(?) in front of him, sitting in what looked to be the audience section of a large theatre or some such thing
He wasn't really focused on the building so much as the fact that apparently he was at some sort of animal-based masquerade
That, or it's some kind of a knock-off Harry Potter convention.
He said aloud, looking about until his eyes settled on what looked like a large Puma
It
No, wait
She, most definitely a she, was staring at him, wide-eyed
She was also wearing the fancy robes and belts and what-not that the others were wearing
When he looked down to see if he was wearing the same, and saw he was, in fact, in a kind of 'suit' he realized just what was going on
Ohhh, I get it, I'm dreaming!
He guessed he'd been wrong about the whole 'dieing' thing
Man dreams were trippy
Looking out again to the now very confused-looking crowd, Anon shrugged, and moved a leg back slightly
Well, he'd always wanted to try this
Running forwards, he leaped, expecting to crowd surf, only to disappointingly see them move to the sides to avoid him
The one thing that was about to catch him now was the ground and, as he fell towards it, he had brief thought
How long did you have to fall before you woke-
WHAM
What?
What the hell had all that been?
None of the other Spirits so far had been like that!
As she peered over the edge of the stage to the strange, now-unconscious monkey Spirit, as well as did most everyone else who could see him, she felt a large hand on her shoulder
Looking back, she realized it was the school's Headmaster
"Come with me. I need to have a talk with you."
He said, before turning, walking towards the far end of the stage and, from there, an open door.
As she nervously followed along, she heard him speak, and her Spirit's body lifted up from the ground, floating after them
Stepping through the door, she wondered just what the Headmaster had in store for her.
This couldn't be good.
She took a seat in a chair in front of a large, gnarled oaken desk while the headmaster sat on the opposite side
He gently lowered her Spirit Animal down into what looked somewhat like a circular basket with a puffy blanket padding the inside
A few, circular crystals floated above it
With her mysterious Spirit resting safely, the headmaster raised a hand into the air, catching a small vial floating by
He spoke into it, sealed the vial with an equally small cork, and then released it
Her eyes followed it as it flew off, through a hole in the wall, and away
Then her focus returned to the headmaster, especially so since she realized that he was looking at her
S-So...what did you want to talk to me about?
He raised a brow
Sir!
"It's about what you summoned, Ms. Quille"
My...Spirit, sir? I know he's not exactly par for the course, but is he really strange enough that you had to talk to me personally?
"Ms. Quille, do you what a Human, is?"
No? Sir?
"Humans are very rare finds. They are not like the usual animals we summon and bond with, they are entirely...unique, we shall say. They are not typically beholden to the same rules as most Spirits are. The magic they bring tends to be...odd."
Odd, sir? I mean, so far, he just looks like a weird, no-hair, no-tail monkey.
"One who speaks."
Wait, you heard him?
"Yes, it seems to be another trait they posses. Unlike normal Spirits, where only those they bond with can hear them, or those that use specific spells to do so, and so on, Humans can talk freely. That is another aspect of him you'll need to watch, Ms. Quille."
Watch, sir?
A lot of this wasn't exactly making sense to her
Called away from the ceremony by the headmaster, talking about rules and ways of acting that she'd need to abide by
This wasn't nearly how she'd expected today to go
Still, one thing was certainly on her mind
She had a rare Spirit!
Not only that, but they apparently had unique and powerful magic!
That was so much better than she could have even expected!
She hoped he'd wake up soon, she wanted to talk to him and learn more about him and what he could do!
Wait, hold on, focus, Cassandra
You still have the headmaster talking to you
"-which is an unknown mystery where their magic became powerful, but as it did, so too did they become more and more reclusive, until they swore off their magic for good, 'for the world's sake' or so they said."
Sorry sir, I missed that first part.
He sighed, rubbing the top of his beak while his Spirit, a Parrot, fluttered down, landing on his shoulder
"I was saying, Ms. Quille, that Humans have very unpredictable, and potentially dangerous, magic. The normal rules do not apply when they get involved, and so we will have eyes on you to make sure you don't get up to anything strange with whatever magical qualities this one has."
Wait, really? How powerful is he?
"It's not about the power, Ms. Quille, it's about the unknown, and how we're unable to anticipate it in the case the worst should happen. Still, keep in mind, he IS yours. He is bound to you and must obey your commands."
He said, gesturing to the lightly-glowing collar around the Human's neck
It wasn't a surprise to see it, as Spirits that were summoned were bound both spiritually, and literally as well
Should he attempt to use his apparently-vast magic on her, or others, she could stop him
She couldn't lie
Well, at least not to herself
She was damned excited about this
First, he'd help her with her magic
Then afterwards?
Well, she could figure that out with him
"Oh, also, he'll need clothes."
What?
"Well, firstly he has no fur so he'll undoubtedly get cold, and two, he doesn't have a sheath or anything quite like that, so he'll be flopping about otherwise."
She couldn't help but blush a little as he mentioned that, scratching at the back of her head with her claws
O-Oh yeah? I hadn't really noticed so I guess if you say so then I could-
She was cut off as a small, green box floated into the room from a different hole in the wall
It drifted over to Cassandra, and she caught it when it dropped
Opening it up revealed a very basic long-sleeved shirt and some pants that could be tightened or loosened with a drawstring
Is that everything, sir?
She said, pulling the clothing out of the box, placing the latter on his desk
"Yes, for now, that will be enough. Enjoy getting to know your Spirit, Ms. Quille. The door will take you to your room."
He gestured to the door they had entered from, and she nodded
Thank you sir.
"You're welcome, Ms. Quille. I'll help him through the door, but I leave getting him dressed, and the rest, to you."
She nodded, and went up to the door, the design now matching that of the door to her room
Pulling out her key, she unlocked it and stepped inside
Once it was open, it was her Spirit's turn to come through
The Headmaster raised a talon-tipped hand while her slowly-stirring Spirit mumbled something, rubbing his head
Before he could get a good look at the room, though, he was sent floating through the door behind her
She placed the clothes down in front of her Spirit while he sat on her bed, rubbing his head
Hopefully he'd change soon
She heard him mumble something about how 'dreams aren't supposed to hurt' while she stepped away
She grabbed a few books she'd placed on the side, quickly flipping through indexes and glossaries to see if she could find anything before going back in
Unfortunately, nothing about Humans popped out at her
Thinking back on her conversation with the Headmaster, she wondered why she hadn't heard of Humans before now
If they were as unique and powerful as he had made them out to be, surely more people would be talking about them, right?
She spent the minute or two she waited doing that, before finally deciding to step back inside
Her Spirit was fully-dressed now, at least, the clothes fitting him quite perfectly
When he saw her, his eyes widened, and he backed up on the bed a ways
"Wait, am I still dreaming? I didn't think you could knock yourself out when you were already asleep."
You're not.
She replied, looking down at him
I summoned you, during the ceremony. Do you remember any of it? I put my hands on the crystal, let my magic flow, and you grabbed hold.
"I...wait, the hand?"
Hand?
"Yeah, I remember thinking I had died, and then I saw this kinda glowing hand reaching out to me, so I grabbed it."
That must have been how you saw me! Kind of...weirdly literal, but whatever! In any case, you accepted, and so now we're bound together, sharing our lives and our magic.
"...Okay, this is either a very elaborate dream, or clearly some kind of bizarre prank. Either way, I want to get off now."
He said,standing up and heading towards the door
What? Hey, come on, stop!
As soon as she said 'Stop', his collar glowed for a moment, and her Human froze up, stopping on the spot
"What?"
Turn around and come back here.
She said sternly, and just like she'd asked, the collar glowed and her Human turned on the spot and walked back over to where he had been sitting before
"What?!"
It's part of the summoning process. As my Spirit Animal, you're bound to me, and you have to obey me when I give you commands. Notice the collar?
He looked down, confused when he saw it on him
"Kinky, but that doesn't really explain what just happened."
She was a little frustrated he was being so obtuse about all this!
Oh for- I used my magic on you! Is that really so hard to get? Come on, I thought you were supposed to be powerful or something!
"Powerful?"
Yeah, magically gifted! The headmaster told me all about how Humans have all kinds of weird magic!
She was getting frustrated, but come on, he was beating around the bush so much! Did he really have to be this coy about things?
Alright, maybe if she was nice and understanding with him, or whatever it was he needed, he could help her after
That was fair, right?
"Uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Humans don't have any magic."
What?
What? Of course they do, everything has magic in it.
"Unless you count card tricks and sleight of hand as magic, no we don't."
There was no way this was true, right?
He had to be messing with her, right?
Wait! She could compel him to! It was...well, a bit of a dick move, but she could always say that he had insisted magic wasn't real and that she just 'had' to prove him wrong somehow
Alright, tell me the truth, Do Humans have magic, yes or no?
Ohhh, she had you now you little-
"No. Humans do not have magic."
No glow
No struggle
He was telling the truth
And it felt like she'd just been sucker-punched
Oh...
Was all she could really manage to muster
She slowly got up, and wobbled off into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her
That was it
The end
A useless witch with a useless Spirit
Well, she supposed one thing was right about all this
He certainly matched her
Anon watched the girl walk away, shutting herself in what appeared to be the bathroom
What the hell was going on here?
Alone, he took some time to look around the room, examining small vials of strange fluids, scrolls and tomes
The lights didn't appear to be light bulbs, but small glass orbs that floated in the air, light shining from them
Okay, maybe he'd get better answers from some pictures she had up
Whatever was going on, he had to at least try and figure it out
There was no way he was 'actually' in a world of animal-people, right?
Still, the more he looked at, the more confused he grew
He found what appeared to be a picture of the large Puma and some other Pumas, two of them, a male and a female, older
There were two more, of varying heights, but clearly younger
A family photo?
Just to make sure he wasn't missing any dream-based cliches, he pinched his arm
Well, that didn't bode well
Alright, time to revise what he knew
He remembered doing a stunt or...something
Some new, dangerous part of his act
Then...he'd go with darkness, instead of the other, more 'final', option
After a weird light show, he was here, with this Puma girl
Oh and apparently magic was real here
Apparently
Looking up, he gave one of the 'lights' a smack, watching it swivel away before fitting back into the original pattern once again
...
Apparently
Cassandra sat down on the edge of the large bathtub, looking at her paws
What a miserable day...
Nothing had gone quite right
The headmaster, her Spirit Animal, no magic
Frustrated and with nothing to turn to, Cassandra tried to create a small snowpuma in the room
It was good practice, even if she only ever got a single snowball
She cast the spell, the air turning colder, snow starting to fall around her head and into the bath tub
Like usual, she got a single snowball instead of the snowpuma she'd wanted
But then
Wait...w-what?
She was still forming the snowpuma!
But...I don't...how?
She didn't stop herself though
Soon, her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open, and a snowpuma, sitting there in her bathtub
But, and this was a big one
HOW had she formed it?
She'd never been able to do something like that before! Her magic had always been too weak!
Plus, it wasn't like her Human had any magic to share so-
Wait
He was compelled to tell the truth
But he couldn't tell things he didn't know!
That revelation hit her hard, Cassandra not moving, staring at the snowpuma
He DID have magic!
Did he just not know about it?
Unless...maybe he gained it by having been brought here?
Either way, it meant the ceremony HAD worked!
She leaned back on the edge of the tub
Holy fuck today had been a real Gryphon ride for her emotions
Still
She held out a paw, focused, and a small, steady flame ignited, hovering above her pads
It was totally worth it
Looking at the flame, her thoughts in mind, she had a second realization
She needed to share this with her Spirit!
Extinguishing the flame, she slowly opened the door, looking into the bedroom for him
When she didn't see him sitting there, she started to quietly look around
She'd been...pretty upset when they'd talked, so she was a bit worried that he might be scared or something
Despite his potential powers, she was a lot bigger than he was
Not to mention, for a guy, he looked quite soft and vulnerable
Though maybe that was just because the first time she'd seen him he'd been naked, and knocked himself out in under a minute
As she turned a corner, she paused, watching as he fiddled with what looked like her tarot cards
What was that about?
He wasn't trying to read his fortune or something, was he?
And...a spoon?
What was he planning?
Anon set his semi-pilfered items down on the table
Sure, they weren't a normal deck of cards, but cards were cards, and he could use them
Same with the spoon and the coin
He let out a sigh, picking the pack of what-looked-like tarot cards up
He slowly looked through them, examining the familiar, yet different, designs
Alright so, he couldn't do magic, but he could at least put what he new to use, right?
He hadn't spent all that time doing magic tricks for nothing, after all
Maybe he could fake it?
He picked up the spoon, wiggled it a few times, and then bent it like it was nothing
It was a pretty easy trick to do but it
His train of thought was then derailed and dropped down a ravine as a pair of warm, squishy paws grabbed him, dragging him back into a soft, and VERY bouncy hug
This was a pretty nice height difference
"You felt it too, didn't you!"
He heard her say
He considered wiggling out of her grip, and then whatever part of his mind that represented his dick slapped the rest of him
Did..s-so tight..did what?
"You used your magic!"
What?
She'd been watching as he picked up the spoon and examined it
She wasn't entirely sure what he was planning on doing with his wiggling of it, but then it happened
With a light push from his finger, her metal spoon bent like it was a blade of grass!
He'd discovered his magic!
Maybe it was because she'd just discovered how hers had been improved?
Either way, she was way to happy to contain this to just herself
And so she scooped him up, squeezing him tight against herself!
Of course, she soon got an answer than confused her, and she put him down, letting him turn to face her.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but that wasn't magic. Well, I mean, it was a magic trick, but it wasn't actual, you know, magic."
He said, and she frowned, putting her hands on her hips
Oh yeah? Then how did you manage to bend the spoon, huh? It's solid metal, after all!
It was nice to see her looking happy again
Partially because he had no idea what to do when it came to a mopey, seven or eight foot tall jungle cat person
He hoped this wouldn't disappoint her too much
I'm a magician, but before you start, no, it's not actually magic, mostly just sleight of hand and deception
"So...you were a magician without magic who can do things magically, but without actual magic?"
Okay, look, I know it seems far-fetched to you, but that's just the reality of the situation. If I could just imagine the spoon bending, wave my hand, and say 'Abracadabra' and get it to bend I-
He found himself once again being cut off, but this time it was because he heard the sound of metal shifting
He couldn't believe it
It wasn't possible
Nope
Noooooope
He wasn't going to look because he wouldn't be able to take it if it wasn't happening
The Puma's excited face wasn't helping
He wasn't going to look, though
He wasn't
He couldn't
He looked
The spoon had been bent back to it's original shape
But he hadn't touched it
No
No way
"Do it again."
The cat said
What?
He replied
Real original, brain
"Do it again!"
She insisted, though at least this time she wasn't forcing him with his collar
Raising his hand up, he imagined the spoon bending into the shape of a pretzel
He waved his hand above it
Abracadabra.
Oh fuck
Oh fuck.
A light glowed around the spoon, and then it started moving
He opened his hand up and held it out flat, letting the spoon twist above it
After just a few moments, the spoon was shaped neatly like a pretzel
I...
"You have magic!"
She said, and she hugged him again, mashing his face up against her chest
He hardly noticed it this time, though
I have magic.
This was the best day of his life
He had magic
Holy shit he had magic
Holy fucking shit, he had magic
Holy motherfucking, nut-busting, gear-grinding, balls-slapping shit
Alright, that last one was a bit excessive
Still
Still!
Anyone would afford him some unbelievable excitement, right?
He had the dream!
HIS dream!
He was a Magician with ACTUAL magic!
He spent the next hour or so just seeing what he could do with spoons, until eventually the Puma, who he'd learned was named, Cassandra Quille, stopped him
Apparently she didn't quite appreciate him bending all her spoons into various shapes
If Cassandra had had anything else on her schedule for the day, they tossed it out the window
The only realized they'd been seeing what they could do for about four or five hours when their stomachs growled and the sky was dark outside
Cassandra had made them a quick set of meals to eat, and, after a few more hours, they all but passed out together, cards and spoons and tomes and frost and singe marks scattered around them
They could start out with a clean slate tomorrow
The next day, Anon woke up, curled up on Cassandra's bed
He wasn't entirely certain how he'd gotten here, but he figured she'd brought him there
Getting up, he stretched and yawned, arms raising up above his head
He heard sounds of rushing water coming from the bathroom and he figured that that was Cassandra
Hey Cass, do you want to try some more stuff after breakfast? I figure there are some things I'd like to try with those cards of yours!
He was answered by Cassandra rushing out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her chest
Unfortunately for Anon, it seemed like people in this world made towels much like their robes
Long
Still, the way it fluttered around her thick thighs let Anon catch some teasing glimpses
He hadn't seen anything, but boy, when she was moving fast, it
Gack!
She grabbed him by his shirt, nearly dragging him to the door to her room.
"Out!"
He guessed she'd forgotten he was there
The wooden door slammed shut behind him, the edges glowing briefly before the light faded away
More magic, huh
Still, it felt good to see some
It reminded him that this hadn't been a dream
He was actually here
Considering he was already wearing what seemed to be his only set of clothes, he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast
Maybe bacon and eggs?
Wait, was that even a thing here?
Opening up what he figured was the fridge, due to the cold, he discovered that bacon and eggs did indeed exist, though they looked a little different than what he was used to
These eggs were huge, and oddly colored
The bacon wasn't too strange, though he was talking miyazaki-sized slices, here
Green eggs, and ham
What the hell was this world
He grabbed an egg each, and three slices of bacon
One for him and two for her
He may be a 'growing boy', but she was a GROWN woman
Or was girl more apt?
She was huge, but was that just a thing here?
He realized he actually had no idea what she did
Okay, new plan
He'd make breakfast and, while they ate, he'd ask her some questions
The stove seemed fairly straightforward, if old, compared to stuff from back home
Still, after a bit of fiddling about
and using a foot stool to make sure he could stand there at the counter properly
He got the stove working
From there it was just two pans, eggs, bacon, and boom, he was on his way!
The smell of cooking food started wafting into the air, sizzling bacon and frying eggs
About a minute or so in to the process, though, the door to Cassandra
And, he supposed, his
Room burst open, the Puma standing there, panting, robes still swaying by her feet
Well, paws
"Are you cooking?!"
Yeah, I thought I'd make us some breakfast before we did any more.
He said, smiling at the rather bewildered-looking cat
Soon, though, he was watching her storm through the room, lights floating out of the way of her ears as she grabbed tomes and cards, shoving them into a knapsack she had resting on her hip
Oddly enough, it didn't seem to get much bigger when she placed them inside
Magic, he supposed
Actually, why was she gathering all this stuff up any ways?
Hey, what are you doing?
"What am I- Class! I have, I have class! My first day! Come on!"
She said, rushing for the door, quickly beginning to unlock it
Class?
He really hoped this was college or something that she was talking about
But, what about the food? IT's going to take a few more minutes to cook at-
With an aggravated growl, she stomped over, held her hand out and, with a spoken word that he didn't know, a jet of flame burst from her palm, blasting the bacon and eggs
"Jar, dump 'em in, let's go!"
That one was more of a command, and he felt the desire to grab two jars, a task that he quickly fulfilled
With them in hand, he quickly dumped their food into two different jars, burnt eggs mixing in with slightly-charred, but mostly crisp, bacon
Well, at least the bacon seemed alright
Once they were jarred up, he quickly ran to catch up to her, jumping outside the room so she could shut the door, and lock it
"Jar?"
She heard him offer, and she looked down to the glass jar, a bit of bacon sticking up and out of it
It just HAD to smell good, didn't it?
Fine, but we're walking while we eat!
She insisted, grabbing the jar and then starting to walk, her long strides meaning that Anon had to follow along behind her, jogging to keep up
Tilting the jar back at her lips, she bit into the food as it slipped into her mouth, breaking it up into easy-to-swallow chunks
Didn't taste too bad either
She supposed she was partially to blame for the 'crispy' bits
She finished her jar off pretty fast, though, looking to her side, Anon was having some more trouble
He chugged slower than she did, though he also wasn't as on-edge as she was
Hardly fair he got to enjoy his while she had to think of getting to school
He finished off the last of the jar of food when they got to the edge of the school campus
They weren't late, but it was getting closer to the time with each step
Well, at least he'd get pretty fit if he had to jog after Cass like this every day
Looking around, despite there being fewer people about, he still got a good look a few other students
Off to the side he saw what looked like a shorter sheep girl, fluffy hair sticking out from her robe
Then again, it wasn't the only fluffy thing! Shifting around her neck was what looked like a snowy-white mink
Anon figured that was her 'Spirit', though it was hard to tell if it was wearing a collar like he was
Next he saw two dog girls walking along, one that was much shorter and looked a bit like a Corgi, and the other more like a dalmation
There was a boar walking alongside the Corgi, and a Turtle resting on the Dalmation's shoulder
Next, as he and Cass passed a corner, he saw what almost looked like...Hyenas?
He tried to get a better look at them, but Cass was all but dragging him behind her and in through the front doors of the school
Just before they stepped inside, Cass paused, and turned back to look down into his eyes
"Alright, are you ready for this? It might be a little overwhelming for you at first, given how new you are to proper magic and all."
I'm sure I'll be okay. Worst comes to worst, I can just practice in the corner.
"Well, that might be a bit difficult, considering we're going to be working together in a lot of these classes."
Wait, really? What are we going to be doing?
She grinned, opened the door, walking inside, her tail lightly bopping him on the head
"That's what we're going to find out~"
Holy hell this place was crazy
He looked around the inside of the building, animal people and their Spirits standing and talking with others, or running or walking
Some were casting spells on the side while others did more normal, physical things, like tossing a ball for their Spirit
Occasionally vials and books would float by above head, dropping into outstretched hands
Well, it beat drones
He hadn't realized it, but he was pressed up against Cassandra
Alright, this was a 'little' overwhelming
Wait, why were people staring at them?
...
Oh shit
Cassandra smirked and stepped to the side as Anon got swarmed
Sure, people were more focused on him, but it still felt good to have such a popular Spirit
She saw him squirm as three girls stood around him, A Hippo a Squirrel, and a Bear
The squirrel was about his height, but the Hippo and Bear?
They were BIG girls
They hand their hands on him, one squeezing his arm while another one stroked his head
He wiggled out of the grasp of the Squirrel and Hippo, only to be hugged by the bear, submerging Anon's head in her chest
She decided to break it up when she saw the Squirrel attempt to tug his pants down a bit to see if he had a tail or not
Alright come on, give him back.
She said, reaching an arm into the group, finding Anon's shirt
She took hold of it and dragged him free, Bear and Squirrel whining as they were separated
She pulled Anon a little further away before she let him go, trying not to laugh when he adjusted himself
Hey, are you blushing~?
"Wh-What?"
You totally are!
"It's not my fault! You try handling something like that without cracking!"
No no, it's fine, I just didn't know you'd feel that way, your being a Human and all~
Alright, messing with him was pretty fun, though the fact that he could get attracted to non-Humans was interesting
Though, was she forgetting something?
Oh crap
Class! Quick, run!
She said, before sprinting off
They weren't that far away, but still, the fawning had definitely slowed them down
Looking down to her side, she felt an odd, spiritual tug, and noticed a distinctive lack of Human running beside her
She looked back, and saw him running behind her but, well
She was definitely faster
She came to a stop, shoes skidding on the floor
Then, she doubled back and, before he could say anything, picked him up in her arms
Holy crap she was strong
He wrapped his arms around the back of her neck to hold on, fingers sinking into warm fur as he held himself close to the running puma
Being bridal-carried by a puma who'd summoned you as their Spirit Animal, and was now trying to get to magic class in magic school on time
He led an interesting life now, and it was only just the start of the second day here!
...
Wow he sounded like an upbeat sitcom character
He decided to brush past that thought by taking a seat beside Cass
Man, even sitting down, she was still taller than him
Alright, looking around the room, that was quickly becoming commonplace for Anon, but still!
It WAS strange to look at everyone who was gathered there, though
They were all animal people, like Cass
But their spirits were animals as well, only these were proper animals, walking on four legs, not-talking, and fairly normal-sized for the different types
He wasn't really sure of what to make of that, especially in regards to himself, but now didn't really seem like the time to ask Cass about it
Especially since the teacher was just starting to enter the classroom
The door opened up, and through it walked a tall woman
She was a bit of an odd sight to Anon, given what he'd figurd was the norm for this part of the world
Looking down, he watched as the frog woman, set her satchel down, and started pulling out a pair of books and a few jars, each of which was filled with odd-looking liquids
Once she had her things set up, she stepped forwards, looking around the room at the many people staring at her
She paused when her eyes passed by him, the frog seeming to focus in on him, before she moved on
Did she know what he was? Maybe he was one of those 'watching eyes' Cass had mentioned about them having
"Hi there everyone. My name's Genna. Before we get started, I would like to ask if anyone has any questions."
She said, looking around the room again
When he looked, he didn't see any hands being raised, but he still really didn't know enough as of yet, so
I have a question.
He said, raising his hand
Once again he was the center of attention, animal people and their spirits staring at him
When he looked down to the teacher, even she looked surprised, staring at him
"A Spirit who can talk on their own? How intriguing."
She said, before snapping out of her surprise, giving a small nod to him
"Yes? What would you like to know?"
Well, mostly it's why I'm here. Last thing I remember was that I died or something, and now I'm here and there's magic and...just...Why was I brought here?
She looked surprised again at his half statement, half question, but she maintained her professionalism
"I'll admit, I'm surprised you don't know much of this, due to the nature of Spirits, but I suppose you aren't quite the usual Spirit, are you? Well then, allow me to explain."
She picked up a smaller book, placed it down on the podium, and opened it up
When it did, a light shone up from it, images glowing in the air, shining up from the book
As she spoke, they changed, shifting from one to another like a very flashy powerpoint
"I think the best place to start would be why Spirits are summoned to this world. Magic is an inherent part of reality, a powerful force that exists in each creature and object, to varying degrees. Those who have more access to it have the potential to change the world, to make great differences for others. Of course, there is a limit to how much most people can access. That's when Spirits like you come in."
She said, the image above her changing to that of a large crystal, three white animal silhouettes flying out from it
"Spirits are beings full of magic. Through the Artifact, we are able to reach out for a Spirit and, when we find them, bond with them. When we do, we share our magic with one another, and it allows us to grow stronger still.
The image changed yet again to those three white animal silhouettes in various poses with different black animal people silhouettes
In one, they were hugging, in another, they were reading a book together, and in another, they were casting a spell together
"Where a normal Spellcaster might have a limit, with their Spirit, they can push past their limit and expand themselves further, growing alongside their Spirit, the two of them able to do more and more with time."
He grinned as he saw an image of an Spirit and Animal Person flexing
"What we do here is we train you to work with each other, and use your abilities to improve the world and keep it safe. Some of you might go out and fight monsters, while other might study and discover new cures for disease. Others might find scenes of destruction and repair them, and so on. The choice is somewhat up to you, and whoever you've bonded with."
The image changed once more to a group of animal people and their Spirits, a bit like a class photo
"Is that good?"
She asked, smiling up at him, a smile that he returned
One more? Sorry, this is just really helpful to know
"Of course, you're here to learn, after all. What else?"
This.
He said, gesturing to the collar around his neck
"Ah, yes, the bindings. Well you see, sometimes, Spirits that are drawn here can be confused or rowdy, the sudden addition of magical power being quite tempting to use and abuse, after all. The binding spells were added to make sure that, should there be a complication or problem during the summoning, the Spirit that is brought over can be controlled and kept out of trouble for at least a reasonable amount of time. Mostly, it isn't likely to be used, as you and...Cassandra, I believe, have found and bound each other, but yes, on the off-chance of problems occuring, the Binding spells are a way of maintaining the safety and security of others."
Thanks. Good to know this isn't just something she stuck on me for fun.
He said, grinning as he noticed Cass' cheek flush lightly
"Wha- Shut it!"
Said the cat in question, his collar glowing, his mouth shutting as she took charge
"And that's why I said that it isn't 'likely'."
Genna said, going back over to her book and shutting it, the images and light disappearing
"Now, lets get to exploring ourselves~"
Genna guided the class to the door, which had changed when Cass hadn't been looking, going from normal wood to an odd, rather perfectly shaped, light
She let them all step through before she did, the doorway remaining open behind them as they stepped into...
An empty white void?
What was this place?
And speaking of questions, where was the rest of the class?
Luckily for her and Anon, Genna soon appeared, stepping through the door
Hey Genna, where are we?
"Inside the two of yours' 'room', so to speak."
Pardon?
She couldn't help but feel a little confused.