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 holiday 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 shelves 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." she thought to herself. 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, reading and chanting for hours now. It took most of the previous day and half of her money just to get the components. The small amber stones, the feather, the incense, amongst the things needed. The ritual was nearing it's end. She looked up. High up in the sky there was a lonely bird. It circled, slowly descending, never beating its wings, finally landing on the rail of the balcony where she stood. They looked at each other, Lady Red at first with wonder that slowly grew into pride.

Looking deep into the falcons amber coloured eye she said what she had rehearsed over and over again "I'm Lady Red. I have called you to be my companion as I walk the path of arcana. Will you follow me?" The bird beat it's wings and flew to her shoulder. "I take that as a yes." She looked at the sky and declared "I shall call you by the name of Revelator Occulthus Agnitio." Suddenly a gust of wind caught them 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. "Don't do that again."

"So, you have called a familiar, I see." she said disparagingly. "Yes. I thought it was time." "I will tell you when it's time, my young Meravanchi. You are as arrogant as your brother." she snapped. Revelator let out a shriek. "So, You haven't told it your true name?" Red looked down, embarrassed. "I was about to." "You can't keep any secrets from your familiar. It'll be very much like you in all things. It'll know what you know. It'll share your path. It'll probably even want a pseudonym too." Red thought for a moment then 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 low murmur grew. She had a seat in the front row and let the falcon walk over to the rail in front of her separating the audience from the teacher in the auditorium. 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 asked with a twinkle in his eye. "No. This is my familiar, Rev... I mean Rara Avis." "You're not sure of his name?" "I just named him." "Then you know what this is all about. Myself, I'm having trouble with this whole studying arcane energy thing... and I though I was a natural." She nodded hesitantly. "Aiken Isendale at your service. May I have the privilege to know your name?" he said with exaggerated joviality. Red, who still didn't seem to get the jokes, answered dutifully "Lady Red" They were cut of by the teacher hushing the class.