Spirit: The Familiar
Chapter Nineteen
The cat seemed to just be sitting there waiting for her at first, as Carina ran over toward it. But just as she was standing a couple feet away from the cat, the cat took off. Carina steeled herself and pushed to run faster.
Today was the day she was going to capture her familiar, she determined. No matter what it took. As the cat led her down several allies, always staying within her sight though she knew it could outrun her and be gone within the blink of an eye, a thought occurred to her.
She had never thought about using magic to secure the capture before. It was probably something to be advised against, as the familiar would allow you to capture them on their terms, but Carina was growing impatient. No one was telling her anything of use, and the longer she sat with the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, the sicker she grew.
They reached a dead end alley, one similar to the one Carina had met the Grand Elder in a few weeks back. The cat sat cozily in the center of the alley as Carina stared it down, her breath coming in short gasps. Carina took a step toward it and the cat stuck a paw out as if preparing to turn and run.
"You," she panted, thrusting a finger out toward the cat. "Stay right there. I need you. Let me just... put this collar on you!"
She dove toward the cat, and it took off running toward the wall of the alley. Just as the cat was about to scramble up and over the wall, Carina raised her hand. A section of the earth rose with her hand- coming up and blocking off the cat's path. It scrambled back down the wall and turned to look at her with its back arched and tail up, fur puffed out to make the cat appear larger. Carina stepped closer to it, hand still raised and holding the earth up in the way.
The cat looked at her as if to say, "Well, you've got me right where you want me. What now?"
Carina slowly dropped the hand, allowing the earth to fall back where it belonged. She remained wary; she wasn't about to let the cat escape. The cat watched her with unblinking eyes as she bent toward it with the collar.
"Stay still," she whispered to it, though it made no further movement without her prompting.
Surprisingly the cat remained still, watching her, as she placed the collar around its neck and snapped the clasp into place. She took a step back and straightened up, placing her hands on her hips and admiring her handiwork. The cat stared at her as a blue glow built up around the collar, growing in size and brightness for a minute before snapping back down into the collar and then spreading over the cat.
The blue glow engulfed the cat, becoming so bright that Carina had to bring her arm up to shield her eyes. When she brought her arm back away, after the glow had died down, she nearly screamed at what she saw before her.
The cat had turned into a naked person. And this person was most definitely NOT female.
Today was the day she was going to capture her familiar, she determined. No matter what it took. As the cat led her down several allies, always staying within her sight though she knew it could outrun her and be gone within the blink of an eye, a thought occurred to her.
She had never thought about using magic to secure the capture before. It was probably something to be advised against, as the familiar would allow you to capture them on their terms, but Carina was growing impatient. No one was telling her anything of use, and the longer she sat with the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, the sicker she grew.
They reached a dead end alley, one similar to the one Carina had met the Grand Elder in a few weeks back. The cat sat cozily in the center of the alley as Carina stared it down, her breath coming in short gasps. Carina took a step toward it and the cat stuck a paw out as if preparing to turn and run.
"You," she panted, thrusting a finger out toward the cat. "Stay right there. I need you. Let me just... put this collar on you!"
She dove toward the cat, and it took off running toward the wall of the alley. Just as the cat was about to scramble up and over the wall, Carina raised her hand. A section of the earth rose with her hand- coming up and blocking off the cat's path. It scrambled back down the wall and turned to look at her with its back arched and tail up, fur puffed out to make the cat appear larger. Carina stepped closer to it, hand still raised and holding the earth up in the way.
The cat looked at her as if to say, "Well, you've got me right where you want me. What now?"
Carina slowly dropped the hand, allowing the earth to fall back where it belonged. She remained wary; she wasn't about to let the cat escape. The cat watched her with unblinking eyes as she bent toward it with the collar.
"Stay still," she whispered to it, though it made no further movement without her prompting.
Surprisingly the cat remained still, watching her, as she placed the collar around its neck and snapped the clasp into place. She took a step back and straightened up, placing her hands on her hips and admiring her handiwork. The cat stared at her as a blue glow built up around the collar, growing in size and brightness for a minute before snapping back down into the collar and then spreading over the cat.
The blue glow engulfed the cat, becoming so bright that Carina had to bring her arm up to shield her eyes. When she brought her arm back away, after the glow had died down, she nearly screamed at what she saw before her.
The cat had turned into a naked person. And this person was most definitely NOT female.