FSE

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Chapter three: That familiar feeling!

Shiro started walking towards the castle. The little wisp floating along at shoulder level. "So. what exactly are you anyway?"

"I'm the help daemon. It's my job to answer any and all questions pertaining to Veil Academy and its local environs."

"Well that's certainly convenient." Shiro stopped in his tracks. The little wisp of light had turned itself into a beautiful elven woman wearing a blue dress. She was still the size of his hand though. "Wait a minute. You were just a ball of light a second ago. What just happened to you?"

She floated in front of his face. "It takes a moment for me to adjust my physical form to match your subconscious desires. If you want me to be something else, simply focus your mind on it."

My subconscious desire is an elf? No way. He suddenly had a thought. "So. What you're essentially saying is, if I were to. . ." There was suddenly a naked elf floating in front of his face.

"Put them back right now!" She screamed at him.

Better but still. . . She was suddenly wearing a pair of thigh high leather boots. Perfect.

She glared at him, her fists trembling at her sides. Her blue eyes were filled witha quiet rage. "You're going to regret having done that."

"Funny, I think you look good this way. So what's there to regret?"

"Warning!" Said a mysterious voice. "Attempting to modify the help daemon with sexual or deviant thoughts is considered to be a violation of the contract. Cease and desist or the censor squad will be summoned to punish you."

Shiro didn't particularly care for the way the voice had said that last part. It had sounded; ominous. "Punish . . . me?" He said meekly.

"Oh yeah." She said seductively. "If you keep being a bad kitty."

He stared at her in shock. "Don't say something like that!"

She kicked her feet into the air. Tracing her thigh length boots with delicate fingers, leading from the toe upwards. She spread her legs. "You're going to have to be punished." Shiro was turning bright red. She leaned in close. In her hands she was holding a collar with a leash long enough to whip him with. "Now tell me you're a bad kitty."

Shiro bit his lip, trying to distract himself with the pain, anything to get his mind off of her. . .

The voice was back. "The contract has been breached." And it sounded pissed.

"PREPARE TO BE PUNISHED."

"Oh come on." Shiro said, the desperation in his voice was palpable. He was backing up slowly. "That wasn't even one of my fantasies."

There were six of them in total. All of them dressed in similar black trench coats with identical black sunglasses. Each one was the size of the help daemon. Some of them even had weapons.

"So." Said the leader of the group, tapping his hand with a lead pipe. "You've been thinking dirty thoughts."

Shiro stared at the pipe. Is that . . .blood?

The leader of the group leveled it at Shiro and said. "Punish the punk!"

One of them hit Shiro in the head with a folded metal fan. He started to rub the spot where he had been hit. "That actually hurt." His eyes widened in surprise. "That actually hurt! What the hell kind of magic is this!" He swayed to the side, letting the leader fly past him. This is insane! I'm dodging attacks from a bunch a of . . . karasu tengu. He ducked a swing from a miniature katana. It seemed like the censor squad was starting to get serious. "Alright alright." He held up his hands to try and ward them off. "I promise I won't think anymore dirty thoughts. So make them stop already!"

She crossed her arms underneath her breasts. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that for me in the form of a question?"

Bitch coated bitch with a creamy bitch filling.

He growled low in his throat. "Alright! How do I make them stop."

"The answer to that is simple." She was casually examining her nails, drawing out the time it took to answer. "Just put my clothes back on."

Swaying out of reach Shiro suddenly tripped. The censor squad was on him in seconds. Bringing his hands up to shield his face he imagined her with clothes on. No. Not just any clothes . . . black robes embossed with gold dragons . . . just like my master's. For a moment Shiro could almost see his smiling face.

She held up a hand. "You guys can stop now. I think he's learned his lesson."

Shiro opened his eyes. Their weapons were mere inches away from his face. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

The censor squad began to slowly disappear. "Remember punk. Think clean thoughts about the mistress, or we'll be back."

Shiro lay on the ground admiring the view. The sky, its never been quite so . . . blue.

The help daemon was busy admiring her new clothes. "You know, these are actually kind of nice. Now." She floated over top of him and pulled a piko-piko hammer from out of the air behind her back. "Think anymore dirty thoughts." She gave it a few test swings. "And it's divine punishment for you!"

"What?" Shiro wasn't impressed. "With that tiny little hammer?"

"Trust me." Her tone was all business. "It won't be your skull I'll be aiming for."

Shiro blushed. Think clean thoughts. Think clean thoughts. "So um, nice weather we're having? Isn't it?"

She smiled at him. "That's much better."

* * *

Stepping into the school proper an immense foyer spread out before him. Shiro marveled at the size of it all. Massive columns with spiral staircases encircling them lead to multiple floors.

The sight of it made him feel small and insignificant.

"So many doors." He whispered, afraid even his voice would become lost amidst the veritable labyrinth spreading out before him.

There were hundreds of them. Plain ones, ornate ones, some were made of precious metals, others crystal or glass. He reached out to touch one. It was freezing cold. Another seemed to whisper softly to him as he passed by.

"This is called the hall of beginnings." The Help daemon said conversationally. "From here, all of Veil Academy can be accessed just by opening one of these doors. Most of Avalon Island as well."

He opened one of the doors experimentally. "How does that work?" The only thing he found behind it was a wall.

"Its called sympathetic magic. Every single one of these doors is a type of gate that connects to its twin somewhere else on the island. By creating a dimensional nexus at the heart of the island, the founders eliminated the need to create independent gates every time they needed to obtain supplies." She watched as Shiro struggled to open a door. When he gave up she said. "The more dangerous the area, the harder the door is to open." He stopped trying to open that particular door and moved to another. "The ones on the lower levels only lead to areas safe for student's anyway."

Something about what she had just said nagged at him in the back of his mind. "Koji said the only way to reach Avalon Island is to know where it's going to appear."

"Correct."

"So doesn't that mean you could simply gate here?"

She was shaking her head. "No."

"But why not?"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you curiosity killed the cat?"

Shiro smiled at her, his face splitting into a cheshire grin. "Cats have nine lives anyway."

When he didn't disappear she said. "Opening a gate requires a spiritual connection to the intended destination. Something that anchor's the magic to a specific location in the mind. Like a landmark or a rey point. Because Avalon Island travels around so much its ley lines are completely impossible to fix in the mind."

Shiro had stopped listening halfway through. The help daemon's explanation was only starting to make his head hurt anyway. "So you can only gate from Avalon Island. Not to it."

He was suddenly fascinated by what he had found behind the door. Every time he closed the door and opened it again, there was something different behind it! "Hey! Listen!" She smacked him upside the head to emphasize her point.

Shiro was amazed by the sheer amount of force she had managed to generate with such a small body. The blow had left him reeling. "You know that really hurt."

"Well it's annoying if you ask questions and don't listen to the answers." She shook her fist. "So if you don't want me to use the hammer next time."

"Sorry." He brought his hands up in apology. "It's just. You need a name."

"What!" The outrage in her voice was almost palpable.

"Well, I need to call you something. The help daemon doesn't exactly roll off the tongue so. . ." Shiro thought for a moment. She's helping me navigate. "I know. I'll call you Navi." She just floated there; looking pissed. "No good?"

She stuck her head inside his ear and yelled. "You idiot! You moron!" She threw her arms up disgust. "Of all the stupid, idiotic, imbecilic things I have ever had the misfortune to witness."

Shiro just kept nodding until she stopped ranting. "It was just a name. What's so bad about that?"

The look in her eyes was strong enough to melt steel. "Just a name." The air around her began to shimmer as she summoned the piko-piko hammer. "Just a name?" She summoned a lot of piko-piko hammers. "Just a name!" The air filled with piko-piko hammers.

Shiro started to back away from her very slowly. No sudden movements. He told himself. It'll only make her angry.

She shouted the words. "Divine punishment!"

The hammers suddenly disappeared.

Shiro blinked in surprise. "You're not going to punish me?" It was to much to hope for.

"No." She didn't sound angry. Just resigned.

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you don't want me to punish you then listen up and listen good." Shiro snapped to attention. "You can't just go around giving out names. It's dangerous. Names have a power can't even begin to comprehend. True names especially." She crossed her arms under her chest. "Why do you think mages take runic names in the first place?"

"Because they sound cool?"

She throttled the air in front of him. "What rock did they find you under! You're either horribly naive or just plain ignorant and I'm not sure which it is yet."

"I'm both." Navi stared at him in disbelief. "I've been so busy feeling sorry for myself. I've let my own bias against magic get in the way of understanding it."

She gaped at him in shock. Navi, who had seen thousands of students before, had never once encountered anyone quite like Shiro. "That's. That's." She closed her mouth. That's actually mature.

"So, why do mages take runic names anyway?" He was genuinely interested in the answer.

"A runic name protects a mage from those who would use their true name to lay hold to a piece of their soul. Besides that their necessary for invoking almost any contract." She sat on his shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry I yelled at you. No one's ever given me a name before so." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

For once. Shiro didn't blush. "You're welcome."

She tugged on his hair. "But don't think for a moment that means I still won't punish you!"

Shiro smiled at her. "So which of these doors can take me to a library?" His words belied the seriousness hidden in his voice. "It's time I put an end to my own ignorance."

* * *

Shiro stood in opened mouth wonder. It was, quite possibly, the largest library ever conceived. Books were everywhere. Wrapped around pillars, hidden behind false walls and on secret shelves. There were books on every subject imaginable. Even some that weren't. It was a bibliophile's dream come true. The air positively reeked of secrets just waiting to be discovered. There was only one thing missing.

"Where is everybody?" Said Shiro. His voice seemed to echo between the lonely aisles and empty stacks.

"Most of the student's are either in their rooms settling in, or exploring the town before their classes start." Said Navi. "Which is what you should be doing too. Don't think for a moment Veil looks kindly upon those who cut classes."

"I'll only be a little while longer." It was something he had already said over an hour ago. "Besides, almost everyone here knows about magic already. I just want to brush up on the basics." Shiro placed a finger against the stack, reading off a few of the titles as he passed by. "Standard book of spells, Basic magic for beginners, Invocations for idiots? This reads like a list of instruction manuals."

"That's because they are." Said Navi sarcastically.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." Pulling them from the shelf he added them to the basket he was carrying. "So where do I find books on advanced magic?"

"Read the ones you've got first. Then I'll tell you were the others are."

Shiro shrugged his shoulders. "That won't take me too long. I got separated from my master once. I wandered into a library and by the time he found me, I had already read my own weight in books. Memorized them all too."

Navi just stared at him.

"What?"

"It's just. That is quite possibly the most boring story I have ever heard. You didn't have many friends growing up did you?"

"No." Shiro was quick to mask the pain in his voice. "At least, none who wanted to remain my friend once they realized what I am." He remembered if, even only for a moment, the taunts and the jeers, the looks of raw unadulterated hatred people used to give him. The whispers were the worst. Monster! Stay away from my children you freak. You know what he is don't you? I heard they kill their own parent's. Can you believe the monks have decided to take someone like him in. They'll be cursed for sure. Shiro wrapped apathy around himself like a shield, sealing away the pain in his heart. "It's the reason I started hiding my ears and my tails. So people wouldn't hate me the moment they saw me."

Navi nodded knowingly. "Nekomata, sometimes known as Bakeneko, the demon cat. Its twin tails are said to be a representation of destruction and catastrophe. Considered to be a harbinger of misfortune."

"Yeah. That's me." Said Shiro sadly. "A demon in human form who devours women and brings corpses back to life." He laughed. The sound of it was harsh and bitter. "I've always hated that story."

"But Shiro, some arbitrary story can't define you." He looked at her, his eyes were wet with unshed tears. "You're more than what some myth says you are."

"Maybe." He sniffed. "But it doesn't stop people from thinking: He's going to turn into a monster! Run for your lives! I've seen it happen more times than you'd think."

"Screw them then."

"Those words." Screw them Shiro. Most people are idiots anyway. Someday, you'll find friends who'll stand by you no matter what happens. And when you do. Become someone who'll stand by them as well. "For a moment. You sounded just like my master."

"He must have been a smart man."

Shiro sniggered at the thought. Slowly turning bright red as he struggled not to laugh. It became too much for him and he finally burst out laughing.

Navi had to poke him until he finally stopped. "What was so funny?"

When he could breath again he said. "Its just. Master has his own." Shiro searched for the right words. "His own way of doing things. He used to tell me. Shiro. I'm a man who made his own path through life and to hell with what anyone thinks of me." He smiled at the memory. "Whenever he said that. I'd usually have to help carry him home. He'd be so drunk, he wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line." Shiro traced a zigzag pattern through the air. "He really would make his own path." His finger came to rest against the spine of a book. A subtle warmth flowing up his arm snapped him out of his reverie. Its that feeling again. Pulling the book from the shelf he wiped years of dust from the cover. Coughing he read the title. "The Arcanum Arcanorum?" Bound with plain brown leather its only distinguishing feature was a lock on the cover keeping it closed.

Someone behind him said. "Ah, the Arcanum Arcanorum. The sealed grimoire." Shiro nearly dropped the book. "I haven't seen that in years." The librarian was suddenly standing next to him. A slender young woman she wore thick horn rimmed glasses and her soft brown hair was cut short. She was busy putting books back on the shelf. Shiro had been so absorbed by the Arcanum Arcanorum he hadn't even noticed her standing there. "Now that one brings back memories. I've spent years just trying to remember were I put it. That book has a nasty habit of appearing wherever it wants to be. Most mages consider books that move on their own to be something of a novelty. Annoying as all hell if you're a librarian though."

Shiro hugged it to his chest. His voice was hopeful. "Is it alright if I borrow it?" Maybe this one has the answers I'm looking for.

She smiled kindly, giving him a gentle scratch behind an ear. "A cute little kid like you? Knock yourself out." She started putting books back on the shelves. "Good luck getting it to open though. The key's been lost for centuries."

* * *

Finding the way to his room had turned out to be less of a trial than Shiro had thought it would be. Walk through a few doors, down a hallway or two. Only, the closer they got to his room, the more Navi began to disappear.

He looked at her floating along next to him. "Navi. You're fading away."

"You finally noticed that huh."

He stopped, not wanting to get any closer to his room. "But why?"

"Since my original purpose has been fulfilled, I'm no longer needed here. The contract has started pulling me back."

"Back?" He asked. "Back where?"

"Back to wherever it is that I go. I can only exist when someone invokes the contract. The rest of the time. I just don't."

"But. But that isn't fair!"

She smiled at him. Shiro, thank you, thank you for making even a demon like me feel wanted. Wiping a way a tear she said. "Life isn't fair but we still live it anyway." She admired her clothes one last time. "It was nice to exist. It was nice . . . to be important to someone. To be needed. Even if it was only for a short time." Even her words seemed to be fading, vanishing into the depths of that soft night. "Remember me the way I am. That way, I won't ever really disappear. I'll just be waiting." Waiting until I can meet you again. "Goodbye Shiro. Invoke the contract again sometime. Even if it's only to say hi." And just like that, she was gone.

* * *

Shiro stood in front of his room. With a quick prayer to whatever god's may be listening, He opened the door. Thankfully, blessedly, the room was empty.

Shiro took a moment to explore. There was a bathroom, kitchen, it was practically a house in miniature. There was even a door marked Atelier. He wasn't to sure he wanted to open that one just yet.

There's not even a speck of dust anywhere. Someone must have cleaned the room not to long ago.

Shiro put the books he was carrying down on the desk and hopped up onto the bed. It feels nice to have such a large room all to myself. Come to think of it. This room was larger inside than it looked outside. There must be some kind of magic at work.

"What are you doing?" A woman's voice said accusingly.

"Um, settling in? My names Shiro and."

The woman standing in front of the door marked Atelier was wearing a pale gray maid's uniform. She had a feather duster in one had. "Frieda. Mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"Well, I was about to tell you that before you interrupted." Was what he had wanted to say. Shiro sighed. Easier to say the wrong thing than the right thing. Running off at the mouth had gotten him into trouble before. "Nav. . . um, the help demon said this was my room." Shiro fished around in his pocket. "It says so on this letter." He held it out to her.

She glared at him and Shiro wondered what he had done wrong this time. "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?"

"Is what a joke?"

"Only someone with magic can read those letters." The way she said it made it sound as if it should have been obvious. "To everyone else, they look just like a blank piece of paper."

"Oh. Well I didn't know that." He started to put the letter back in his pocket. "Wait. You mean you're a mundane?" Shiro regretted it the instant he said it. Crap! Koji warned me not to say that.

"Yes. I'm a mundane. So are most of the cleaning staff." Her voice was getting angrier as she spoke, gaining in volume. "Most of the cooks are mundanes." She was practically screaming. "Most of the people who run the day to day functions of the academy do it without the aid of your precious magic." She looked ready to chew nails and spit steel. "This Academy wouldn't exist without the blood sweat and toil put into it by those without magic!" She looked ready to bite his head off. "So what do you think about that?"

"Just that, you must be having a really bad day." Shiro counted at least seven different shades of purple cross her face. Each more intense than the last.

He suddenly found himself doing his best to disappear from existence entirely.

This woman is scaring meeee.

Frieda stood next to the open door and said it so softly, so rationally. That Shiro knew he would be looking over his shoulder for a good long while. "Just try and remember, we know where you sleep at night." She slammed the door.

"I didn't mean it like that." He said to the empty room. "Sorry?"

* * *

Making himself comfortable Shiro settled in and started reading Basic magic for beginners. Halfway through the book he found something interesting.

_Visualization is of paramount importance in magic. You must be able to understand the way magic will affect the world with out being able to see it.

To begin. Hold the image of an apple in your mind. Feel its substance, the weight of it, its color, taste and texture. Once you can accomplish this simple task you can begin to understand how the rules of magic operate._

Deciding to test out a theory Shiro picked up the Arcanum Arcanorum and placed two fingers against the keyhole. "Visualize." He closed his eyes and focused his mind. Thinking key he twisted his fingers. Just like a key turning in a lock.

There was a subtle 'click' as the grimoire fell open.

He opened his eyes. "It worked!" He was ecstatic. "It actually worked!" Shiro flipped through a few pages. "It's blank." His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "All of it. Every single page is. Blank." He closed the cover. "Well that's . . . useless." Shiro was mildly disappointed. "No wonder she said I could borrow it." Shiro sighed as he pulled the letter from his pocket and read over the list of supplies he was going to need. "I guess the only thing left for me to do now is to, explore the town."

* * *

Shiro walked alone down a busy street. Humans and elves everywhere were mingling freely with the other races. And no one seemed to bat an eye when a werewolf or some other therianthrope passed by.

People everywhere were busy going on about their daily lives. Chatting about the latest gossip. Discussing some arcane rule of magic. Or just talking about the weather.

From bits and snatches of conversation he learned that everyone who lived on the island was desperate for news of what occurred in the rest of the empire. Apparently living on a floating island kept them fairly isolated from the rest of the world and news was slow to circulate its way here.

Shiro even passed by an open air café selling gelato. Deciding he wanted to try some the clerk had just stared at him when he had asked if they had anything fish flavored.

So he sat in the warm sun enjoying his catnip gelato instead. It was actually pretty good. Either that or the catnip was starting to kick in. He didn't particularly care which.

Everything here was so; different. In Seirei you almost never saw an airship, here they drifted lazily through the sky. Magic was only used for the essential things, like purifying water or growing food. Here people employed it everywhere, for almost everything. Travel, entertainment, communication, the list went on. Shiro had to wonder if they weren't depending on magic just a little too much.

His fellow students were easy enough to recognize. Most of them were already wearing their uniforms. Apparently anyone learning to be a mage needed to be identifiable at a glance. So grades were separated by badges of rank. The higher the grade the more elaborate the badge. For an apprentice it was just a simple circle. Journeyman like him had a tree in the center. Masters had a sword placed amongst the tree's roots. And finally adepts had wings attached to the outside of the circle.

Veil Academy didn't carry standardized uniforms for all the various races so the letter had indicated that he would have to visit a tailor to have one made special for him.

* * *

A bell above the door rang out as Shiro entered the tailor's shop. There were wooden mannequins in the shop dressed in what he could only assume was the latest style. Everything looked so tight and uncomfortable. Completely different from the loose flowing robes he was used to. How anyone managed to move in them escaped him.

"I'll be with you in a second." Came a woman's voice from the back. "I just have to finish what I'm working on."

Shiro wandered around the shop. Admiring different bolts of fabric. The textures were all different from the soft sleek silks he was used to. A pair of hands suddenly grabbed him from behind and he was disrobed before he knew it. A strange woman was holding his hakama. The top half of his robes.

"This cloth. It's Seirei silk." She started mumbling to herself. "Texture, weave, good color. Never seen it in white before." Finally. "Were did you get this much fabric. The monks who make this almost never let it out of their sight. Its priceless."

Shiro shivered, his medallion was cold against his bare skin. "Can I have my hakama back now?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry." She handed it back, albeit reluctantly. "Its just that I really love clothing and yours are simply fantastic. Where did you get them anyway?"

"My master helped me make them." He said softly. "We make everything ourselves. Clothes, medicine, art." He himself had carved the medallion he wore. Just thinking about it made him long for home. For the mountains were dragons roamed, amongst gentle azure skies.

"Amazing." She walked around him in a circle. Shiro noted the look of concentration in her hazel eyes. "There's no traces of magic in the fabric at all. No dye spells, nothing to repel stains. How do they stay so clean?"

"I'm not exactly allowed to say. It's against the rules of our order to share our secrets with outsiders."

"Oh. Well that's no fun." She waved it away as if it were of no consequence. "Anyway, you're here for a uniform right?"

Shiro was glad for the change in topic. "Yes."

"Well." She patted a pedestal with her hand. "Just step up here and I'll start taking your measurements."

Three mirrors had been set up around the pedestal so anyone standing on it could admire the clothes they were wearing from any angle. It was a little unnerving for Shiro. To have three sets of pale blue eyes staring back at him.

"My name is Mab by the way." She had a tape measure in hand and was cinching it around his waist. "I like to talk while I work so if you don't. You're stuck listening." She laughed at her own joke. Her hands were a flurry of motion as she measured the length of his arms, his legs, his waist. "Alright. Your almost done. I just need to measure your tail now."

"What?" Shiro tried to ward her off. "Oh no, that's okay. Really."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Isn't it uncomfortable not having a tail hole in the back of your robes?"

Its uncomfortable as hell! He wanted to shout. But compared to the alternative. . . "You get used to it. Really."

The look on her face said she didn't believe him. "Yeah. Well just wait till you've tried it with a pair of pants. Sitting on or against your tail gets old. Fast. Ask any of my other therianthrope customers. They'll tell you the same thing I will. Its damnably inconvenient and painful too."

"I just wrap mine around my waist."

She raised one eyebrow. "Really?" It was the wrong thing to say because with an ease born of long practice she had him undressed in seconds. "Two tails. Well that makes things more interesting. Not a tail hole then. Maybe a button hook."

Shiro was astonished. Either she didn't know what he was. Or she did and just didn't care. "It, it doesn't bother you?"

"Not a bit, having more than one tail doesn't make you a monster." One quick motion with her tape measure and she was done. "See. That wasn't so bad was it." She marked his measurements down on a note pad. "Besides. My son has three."

"Three tails. But you're human."

She mussed his hair. "Noticed that did you. I married a Kitsune. Now fox spirits. They've got it rough. Nine tails they've got. Just imagine trying to walk down a crowded street without someone stepping on one of them."

Shiro couldn't help but laugh. "So it. It doesn't bother you that your son isn't pure human?"

"Not for a second." She held up her ring, it was engraved with a little fox laughing at the moon. "Ours was a love at first sight. He was a handsome fox spirit. I was just starting out as a tailor. He courted me everyday with sweet words and gifts. The way he tells the story is much better. According to him, he would have given me the moon itself if he could. He gave me this ring instead. I was so. Happy." Shiro could feel the passion in her voice, the subtle nuances of one who had felt true loves tender embrace. "Falling in love, being held by the one you love. The sweet moments you share when you hold each other so close; that even for a moment it seems as if the two of you share a single heartbeat. Having a child together is a fulfillment of that love, a joining." She began measuring out lengths of fabric. Holding them against him. Discarding some while keeping others. "And never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I won't."

They shared a secret smile. "Now it bothers my sister though." She said without a hint of regret. "She still won't talk to me. Which is a shame. It's only her own prejudice that's making her unhappy not me. Now my husband's family. They couldn't be happier to have me. Kitsunes love a good tailor. Almost as much as they love a good cook. And they are very good cooks."

When she was done she let him step off the pedestal.

"Um, how much do I owe you?" Shiro reached into his wallet.

"Don't worry about it. I have a contract with the school. They'll pay me once your uniform is finished."

"Thank you."

"Now, if you really want to thank me." She rubbed the folds of his robe between two fingers. "You could tell me what it is thats woven into your robe."

"I guess that isn't against any of the rules." He looked around to see if anyone else was listening. "Powdered dragon scales mixed in with my uriiiImean the dye. Yep. Bleaching clothes without magic. White dye works best."

She seemed to be satisfied by his answer. "So thats why its so expensive. Who in their right mind is crazy enough to steal scales from a dragon anyway."

If only people knew. Thought Shiro. Dragons tended to throw their scales out anyway.

* * *

Shiro mentally checked his list as he stepped out onto the street. Books he had, his uniform was on its way, the only thing left now was. A familiar.

* * *

"I'm sorry miss but the laws are very clear on this. You are only allowed to have one familiar at a time."

"I don't care what the law says." The girl speaking had all the confidence and assurance of someone who was used to getting whatever they wanted, when they wanted it. "I am Rosalyn Ayane, descendant of house Calandra. The oldest and most powerful family in the entire Arcadian Empire."

The girl arguing with the proprietor had her blonde hair done up in two long braids that fell past her waist. Her dress was cut conservatively yet it was of such a high quality fabric that it practically screamed old money to everyone who saw it. To make matters worse; she was wearing a masters badge.

Shiro was just grateful she wouldn't be in any of his classes.

He was only half-listening to their conversation anyway. His attention was focused on some of the more exotic creatures being kept in glass cages. The cockatrice especially.

"This is outrageous!" Her voice was becoming more shrill by the minute. "When my father hears about this."

"He'll tell you the same thing I am. A mage can only bond with one familiar at a time. Its impossible to have two."

Shiro moved on. Better not to buy anything he might be tempted to eat. Or better yet. That might eat him. Instead, He picked up an interesting looking bottle of some bright blue liquid. The label said. Warning: Not to be ingested. Side effects may include human to animal transformations, bizarre cravings and uncontrollable itchiness. Use only as directed.

Shiro put it back on the shelf and backed away from it slowly.

Rosalyn's familiar stood next to her. A massive lion its arms crossed in front of his chest, He wore a simple leather hauberk engraved with the Ayane family crest and carried a broadsword slung across one shoulder. To make matters worse He had the calm contained aura of one who knew how to use it.

Shiro could feel his pale gold eyes watching him as he moved around the store. It was more than a little disconcerting to be on the receiving end of such a powerful stare.

Now I know what a mouse feels like. Right before someone eats them. He was lost in thought when it happened.

Rosalyn's familiar bumped into him.

"Apologize!" She demanded of him.

Shiro looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head. "What? But he bumped into me."

"Don't you know who I am?"

Shiro rolled his eyes. "I don't think I want to." It was, quite possibly the worst thing he could have said.

"How dare you! I am Rosalyn Ayane! Daughter of house Calandra. My father is." Shiro was busy counting the steps it would take to get to the door. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am. It's absolutely fascinating." It was to far to make a run for. "Can I go now?"

The look in her eyes could turn a basilisk to stone. She snapped her fingers. "Leon, teach this insolent whelp some manners."

Leon's massive hand shot out, grabbed Shiro by the throat and lifted him into the air. All in one smooth motion.

Shiro's eyes widened as he felt his feet leave the ground. He touched a finger to

Leon's arm and pulled his hand back in fear. He's really serious, he's actually going to snap my neck. "Look," Shiro managed to choke out. "If its to save face or to salve your honor or whatever, I apologize already. Okay?"

Rosalyn seemed to be satisfied by that. "Its alright Leon." She placed a delicate hand on his arm. "You can let him go." Her voice held an edge of suppressed threat. "For now."

Leon unceremoniously dropped him and followed his mistress out the door.

Shiro wasn't sad to see them go.

"Congratulations." Said the proprietor. "I never seen someone manage to make an enemy of one of the families so quickly."

"Yeah," Shiro tried to rub some feeling back into his bruised throat. "Making enemies seems to be a specialty of mine."

The proprietor, a portly man with an oily smile waved it away as if he had seen it everyday. "So, what can I help you find?"

"I'm looking for a familiar."

"You look a little young to be taking care of a familiar."

Shiro wondered what age had to do with anything. "I'm not really sure how old I have to be I've got this letter and."

The man's face lit up at the prospect of a sale. "And the first place you came to was my humble little shop."

Humble my ass. Thought Shiro. This guy even smells like snake oil.

"Now what kind of familiar did you have in mind. Remember, humanoid familiars cost extra and require special licenses."

That grabbed his attention. "Humanoid?"

"That girl who just left. Her familiar started out life as a regular lion. Polymorph magic. Unpredictable stuff but when used effectively." His was a sigh of longing. "The rich certainly know how to live."

"I'm not sure about something like that."

The Proprietor was getting impatient. "Look kid, our familiars are specialized creatures. After magical enhancements, training and not to mention the cost of food. The minimum most of our familiars go for is somewhere in the range of five thousand gold. How much money do you have anyway?"

"Um," Shiro looked inside his wallet. "Five.

Shiro suddenly found himself tossed him out onto the street.

"Quit wasting my time and go, I don't know. Check out a pet store or something." With that said he slammed the door.

Shiro heard the sound of a deadbolt sliding into place. "Jeez, what a jerk." He picked himself up and wiped dust from his robes. "How was I supposed to know how much a familiar cost anyway."

Thunder cut across the sky as it suddenly began pouring rain.

Running for cover Shiro took shelter beneath an awning. Staring up at the hazy overcast sky he thought to himself. You'd think living in a magical city and all. They could at least at least warn people when the weather was going to change. He shivered from more than just the cold. I hate the rain.

A carriage pulled by four iron horses passed by. The heraldic crest emblazoned on its side was a lion holding a rose. Rosalyn and Shiro's eyes met for a moment. She turned her nose up and said something to the driver. The carriage increased its speed, splashing him with water as it passed through a puddle.

Shiro looked and felt like a drowned cat. Bitch. He thought with feeling. Shaking himself dry drops of water flew everywhere. But at least my robes are water proof.

Leaning against the brick wall behind him he settled in for the long haul.

A large black cat began threading its way between his legs. She looked up at him with hungry gold eyes. "Mrowr!"

His own stomach rumbled in response. "No luck catching any rats huh."

The cat nodded as if she had understod his words. "Mrow."

Shiro knew how she felt. With anti-vermin spells keeping most areas free of mice, voles, and other rodents that would otherwise infest the city, hunting would become an all but impossible prospect. Even for the most skilled of cats.

He sat down, letting her get used to his smell before he stroked her fur. "Looks like we're both hungry." He scratched the base of her tail in exactly the way he liked to be scratched. It had the desired effect. She began to purr.

Shiro found himself unconsciously purring along with her. "What a pair we must make."

She started kneading his chest. "Mrow."

"Sure." He tweaked her tail playfully. "Feel free to just make yourself comfortable." She had already curled up in his lap, content in the safety of his arms.

You still need a familiar. Said a little voice in his mind. Why not ask her?

It wouldn't hurt to ask. Would it? "Um. . ." The words came out in a rush. "Would you like to be my familiar? I'll feed you and." She began to rub herself against his face possessively. He was dumbfounded. "I guess that's a yes."

Her gold eyes were shining strangely. "Mrowr!"

"Now what to do about something to eat?" As if by magic. The wonderful smell of roasting fish seemed to fill the air. He sniffed, a dreamy expression on his face. "I'm not just imagining that am I?"

"Mrow."

"No, huh. Well if you can smell it too than it must be real."

The heavenly aroma was starting to make his mouth water. He looked around. Just down the street a vendor was setting up shop for the night. Lifting her off his chest he said. "Stay here. I'll be back in just a moment." She licked his nose in response. Shiro was blushing as he set her down.

The cat's eyes shined with a hidden spark as she watched him wander down the street.

"Don't keep me waiting too long." She said. "Shiro Tora."

* * *

When Shiro returned he was carrying a basket filled with fish and chips. "It's not very much, but at least it's warm and filling." Her tail was swaying happily. Breaking off a small piece he held it out to her. "Careful. It's still hot." She ate the small piece greedily. Shiro broke off another. The cat's appetite surprised him. "You must be hungrier than I am."

She spoke around a mouthful of fish. "Mrow!"

He chewed his own piece thoughtfully. "Two strays like us meeting in a magical city beneath a full moon." The thought made him smile. "It almost seems like fate somehow." He started eating some of the chips. They were sharp with the taste of salt and vinegar. "You need a name." She's covered in black fur so. "What do you think of Nelo?"

"Mrowr!"

He laughed. "Well Nelo, I guess you're my new familiar."

* * *

_Things have finally started to settle down here at Veil Academy. No one seems to care how many tails I have either. Which is a nice change of pace. Its either that, or the ability to throw fireballs at someone is a good way to say 'go fuck yourself asshole' people tend to walk a little wide around anyone with a cast first ask questions later policy.

Classes are interesting enough. If a bit, esoteric. The cleaning crew haven't been around in weeks. Which is fine by me. I'm used to taking care of things on my own. I even went inside the Atelier. Turns out it's just a simple workshop. Who knew?_