Lady Red (call)

...and when you are ready you can use this to call a familiar.

Red looked up from the tomb and sat back in deep thought. A familiar. That would be proof of her arcane skills. With the short holly day coming up most of the other student would be visiting their families but Red would be alone. Yes she must get a familiar, but what kind? She rose and walked over to the bookshelves and started looking for a good volume on animals, while pondering the different familiars she had seen. A toad. She couldn't understand why anyone would want a toad. A cat. Sure, it could be cute, cuddly and cats are both agile and stealthy. Probably a good choice. But it didn't feel right. Her eyes wandered from the tombs over to a small window, high up on the wall. Through it she could see a small patch of blue sky. She left the library and went up the stairs. Stepping out on a small stone balcony she looked up on the clear sky. The wind pulled at her clothes and long hair. I want a familiar that can soar the skies. I want to know how it feels flying up there looking down. Her look fell down to the town below, but the illusion was lost. She wasn't high enough to be able to look down at the streets. She just barely saw over the roofs of the adjacent buildings. But now she knew.

She was tired. She had been preparing and chanting for hours now. The ritual was nearing it's end. When she had decided on what type of familiar to call she found it to be

She looked up. High up in the sky there was a lonely bird. It slowly descended, circling her.

Looking deep into the falcons eye she said "I'm Lady Red. I have called you to be my companion as I walk my arcane path. Will you follow me?" The bird beat it's wings and flew to her shoulder. "I take that as a yes." She looked out to the sky and declared, "I shall call you Revelator Occulthus Agnitio." There was a gust of wind and the falcon dug it's sharp claws through the fabric and into Reds skin. With a groan of pain she sat down and the falcon moved back to the railing. "Please don't do that again."

"So, you have succeeded in getting yourself a familiar I see." she asked Red. "Yes. I thought it time to make it known that I am knowledgeable in magic." "I will tell you when it's time, my young Meravanchi." When she said that, Revelator let out a shriek. "So, You haven told him your true name?" Red looked down, embarrassed. "I was about to." "You do know he will want a pseudonym too. A pity with the name you gave him." Red thought for a moment and suggested "Perhaps I could call him Rara Avis?"

She entered the lecture hall with the falcon sitting on her sturdy leather glove and several heavy books under her other arm. The students looked at her and a murmur started. She had a seat in the front row and let the falcon walk over to the rail separation the students from the ???. A quite handsome half-elf sat down next to her. He looked like he had had too little sleep and half-elves need very little sleep. "So, you're into falconeering?" he started queringly. "No. This is my familiar, Rev... I mean Rara Avis." "You're not sure of his name?" "I just called him this week." "Then you're quite good at this. Myself, I have trouble with this whole shaping of arcane energy thing. And I though I was a natural." "Maybe you are. I'm Lady Red" "Aiken Isendale at your service." They were cut of by the teacher hushing the class.