Spirit: The Familiar
Chapter Twenty
Carina shrieked and jumped back, nearly tripping as she did so. She pointed at the man before her, who stared up at her with mischievous eyes.
They were the same eyes as the cat's; one blue, one green. And of course there was the pink collar around his neck. Carina blinked several times and rubbed her eyes while the man stared up at her. He sat cross legged before her, hands in his lap though he wasn't even bothering to cover himself. He simply looked disconcerted.
His lips parted slightly and he lifted a finger, placing it gently over the collar around his neck. His eyes narrowed.
"You," he said. His voice was far deeper than anticipated, almost mesmerizing. Carina shook herself and blinked a few times in surprise. "You thought I was a girl. Didn't you?" His eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Well, I mean," Carina said, but she trailed off. How could she explain how she thought he was female? She really had no explanation for it, it was just a feeling she had held. An incorrect feeling, but still one she had held. She smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged her shoulders.
"Of course," he sighed and looked away from her. He ran the hand he had raised through his black hair, that was at a length that stuck up in whatever direction it chose to. "Whatever. You humans and your stupid intuitions, no doubt. No! Girls specifically. Why did I choose a freaking girl? You WOULD make a mistake like that."
"Hey!" Carina cut in. "What are you even saying? That's a rude assumption to make about an entire gender! I bet you don't even have any actual experience with girls!" She balled her hands into fists at her sides.
"Of course I do!" he yelled, standing up. "I'm an immortal being after all! You're just another stupid girl! Sure, you're going to be the next Protector, but that doesn't change anything!"
Carina shrieked, covering her eyes. The man looked between himself and her a few times before realizing that he was in the nude and this fact was making her uncomfortable.
"Oh, right," he sighed. He snapped his fingers, and when Carina looked at him again he was clothed in a simple long-sleeved T-shirt and dark jeans. "Better now?"
"Whoa, you have magic?" Carina said. She loomed closer to him, and it was his turn to act uncomfortable.
"Of course," he said. He raised an eyebrow in agitation. "I am a magical being. Familiars aren't just animal guides. We are beings with our own abilities as well. It's how we're able to change between forms, after all."
"I see," Carina nodded as if coming to understand him. She seemed to be in a better mood now that he was no longer naked. He was several inches taller than her, now that they were both standing. Carina stared up at him for a long while. "Wow, you're really my familiar. What shall I name you?"
"I already have a name," he shot her down quickly. There was a sharpness to his voice that made Carina flinch. "I'm Gabriel. I've been following you for a time; in both of my forms."
"Both?" Carina thought out loud. She studied his face hard, trying to discern whether or not she had seen him before. A smirk grew over Gabriel's face.
"I haven't shown myself to you until recently," he said. "You haven't truly needed me until now."
"That's right," Carina nodded. "That uneasy feeling... Wait, what was it you said about me being the next Protector?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes and grabbed Carina's wrist. Carina tried to yank it back, but his grip was solid.
"Come, it's better if we go and talk to the Grand Elder," he said.
They were the same eyes as the cat's; one blue, one green. And of course there was the pink collar around his neck. Carina blinked several times and rubbed her eyes while the man stared up at her. He sat cross legged before her, hands in his lap though he wasn't even bothering to cover himself. He simply looked disconcerted.
His lips parted slightly and he lifted a finger, placing it gently over the collar around his neck. His eyes narrowed.
"You," he said. His voice was far deeper than anticipated, almost mesmerizing. Carina shook herself and blinked a few times in surprise. "You thought I was a girl. Didn't you?" His eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Well, I mean," Carina said, but she trailed off. How could she explain how she thought he was female? She really had no explanation for it, it was just a feeling she had held. An incorrect feeling, but still one she had held. She smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged her shoulders.
"Of course," he sighed and looked away from her. He ran the hand he had raised through his black hair, that was at a length that stuck up in whatever direction it chose to. "Whatever. You humans and your stupid intuitions, no doubt. No! Girls specifically. Why did I choose a freaking girl? You WOULD make a mistake like that."
"Hey!" Carina cut in. "What are you even saying? That's a rude assumption to make about an entire gender! I bet you don't even have any actual experience with girls!" She balled her hands into fists at her sides.
"Of course I do!" he yelled, standing up. "I'm an immortal being after all! You're just another stupid girl! Sure, you're going to be the next Protector, but that doesn't change anything!"
Carina shrieked, covering her eyes. The man looked between himself and her a few times before realizing that he was in the nude and this fact was making her uncomfortable.
"Oh, right," he sighed. He snapped his fingers, and when Carina looked at him again he was clothed in a simple long-sleeved T-shirt and dark jeans. "Better now?"
"Whoa, you have magic?" Carina said. She loomed closer to him, and it was his turn to act uncomfortable.
"Of course," he said. He raised an eyebrow in agitation. "I am a magical being. Familiars aren't just animal guides. We are beings with our own abilities as well. It's how we're able to change between forms, after all."
"I see," Carina nodded as if coming to understand him. She seemed to be in a better mood now that he was no longer naked. He was several inches taller than her, now that they were both standing. Carina stared up at him for a long while. "Wow, you're really my familiar. What shall I name you?"
"I already have a name," he shot her down quickly. There was a sharpness to his voice that made Carina flinch. "I'm Gabriel. I've been following you for a time; in both of my forms."
"Both?" Carina thought out loud. She studied his face hard, trying to discern whether or not she had seen him before. A smirk grew over Gabriel's face.
"I haven't shown myself to you until recently," he said. "You haven't truly needed me until now."
"That's right," Carina nodded. "That uneasy feeling... Wait, what was it you said about me being the next Protector?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes and grabbed Carina's wrist. Carina tried to yank it back, but his grip was solid.
"Come, it's better if we go and talk to the Grand Elder," he said.