"No bigger than a moose" was the rule on familiars.

And unfortunately, moose could get quite large. Juuuuust large enough that with the right breed, your parents could get you unfairly impressive things.

Which meant that it was the first day and the rich kids were already showing off and lording their wealth over everyone else in the center of the small island's courtyard as the welcome ceremonies were under way. Griffons, hippogriffs, no less than two unicorns, and there was even a small dragon.

"I guarantee you they're gonna pull the whole 'oh no thanks, don't need to take the ferry to the main island' thing and fly off." Zyn frowned and folded his arms. "Well you know what? They're gonna be so jealous when they don't have a familiar who can fit through a door. Or one with so few limbs, ain't that right Ozzy?"

The drow with short silver hair reached a hand up to give scritches to his cave octopus splayed across his shoulders like a shawl. His eyes went wide as he realized what he was saying and quickly tried to console Isak.

"Uh, or ya know...too many limbs! They're gonna be just so jealous of a familiar with no li-"

"It's fine. Really." The human waved him off, sighing heavily and stealing another glance at the rock in his hand and wincing when he confirmed that the rock was still in fact a rock.

Zyn pat him on the shoulder. "Is it though?"

"Well see-" Isak tried thinking of something inspirational to say, holding a smile for a moment as he vaguely gestured with his hands before coming up short and slumping his shoulders. "Okay no."

Isak's newfound friend patting him on the shoulder was reassuring, said new friend's cave octopus also patting his shoulder with several tentacles made it worse.

“I’m good, man.” Isak lied.

Zyn simply gave a thumbs up and smiled, supporting his friend’s lies.

The pair hung back, waiting for as many students as possible to arrive through the portals and check in at registration. It meant having last choice on the ferry, but it also meant not nearly as many other students would be around as you filled out your registration and confirmed that yes, your familiar was a “pet” rock.

Being human was one thing, being the poor human from a no-name family? Isak didn’t want that broadcasted to everyone. So he kept stalling for time, starting up new rambling lines of conversation with Zyn whom he had met several portal hubs back and struck up a fast friendship with. The aimless stalling wasn’t the worst thing, at least he had a friend going into the nightmare that was being at the bottom of the social ladder in magic school.

Soon though, he could delay no longer and he finally stepped up to check in.

“Ah, here we are Mister Moreno and if you’ll just sign here you’ll be allll se- oh dear, oh goodness sorry dear it looks like we made a little mistake.” Miss Rhetia the water nymph squinted harder at the form, even her sea hawk familiar leaned in from his perch on her shoulder. “Yes sorry, must be an error. What was your actual familiar, dear?”

Her bright smile was warm, genuine even. It still hurt.

Isak tensed up, gritting his teeth and quickly looking around. Only a few other students, but the goblin riding up to the table on the back of a basilisk had Isak’s heart sinking.

“Dear?” The sea-foam green skinned nymph caught Isak’s attention again as he muttered something under his breath. “Sorry, what was that? Just need to put down what your familiar is.”

“Rock.” Isak said in the smallest voice.

“Er, sorry I didn’t catch that?”

“Itsarock.” He choked out.

Miss Rhetia stared in disbelief. “Um, sorry I think I mishea-”

“IT’S A ROCK!” Isak blurted out, loud enough for the entire table of students doing final check in to hear and turn their heads. He held out the rock for all to see. “IT’S A ROCK, I GOT A ROCK OKAY? CAN I GO?”

The nymph quickly looked over the form, stamped it, and handed Isak his welcome package.

He stuffed it under his arm and lugged his trunk of belongings over to where Zyn was waiting for him near the docks. Isak sulked, boarding the boat with his friend to find a spot near the back before the drow finally broke the silence with a cough.

“Soooo.” His honest yet awkward attempts to drive the conversation somewhere less excruciating were interrupted by a nasaly cackle.

The goblin from earlier stood atop his basilisk mount to meet Isak at eye level with his sneering green face.

“Sorry, sorry. There I was arriving fashionably late and you know how that is, well guess you don’t but anyway, there I was and I hear that humans are sending their kids out with...oh what was it again?”

Zyn took a step forward as Isak fumed. “Hey at least he didn’t have to buy his way in here, Jearx!”

“Wasn’t talking to you, cave rat!” The goblin roared back as best the small goblin teen was able to. “And my clan did not buy me in. They made a very generous donation to the school when I was applying!”

Isak licked at his teeth as he stared off into space, shaking his head as he decided to take a chance. He quietly whispered a simple illusion spell to conjure up a large rat to appear before the basilisk, invisible to anyone else. The lizard immediately dropped low, catching Jearx off guard as he yelped and grabbed at the beast’s saddle. A flick of Isak’s finger and the phantom rat was racing off on the deck with the basilisk chasing after it, knocking over several other students as it went, Jearx yelling at it the whole time trying to get it to stop.

As it raced past a smiling Isak and Zyn with his jaw on the floor, Isak gave a wave as the basilisk chased the illusory rat right over the railing and into the sea.

A crowd quickly rushed to the edge of the steamboat as one of the professors fished the goblin out of the water, chastising him for trying to show off.

Zyn broke down laughing, Isak soon following suit.

“That was you?!” Zyn whispered between laughing and crying.

After great effort, Isak stopped laughing just enough to confirm it.

“Really?” The light voice chimed in, sounding genuinely curious.

The pair immediately froze up, looking over and up to the source of the voice. They saw it belonged to a jungle troll girl, towering tall over even Isak and clad in an elegant dress and feather boa. Long hair a vibrant violet in contrast to her teal skin.

“.....yes?” Isak said, logic leaving him as nerves took over.

The troll gave a light laugh. “Good, Jearx needs to be taken down a notch or several.”

Isak still had no idea what was going on, but forced a laugh anyway. “Heh, yeah.”

“My name is Xoco Balam, pleasure to meet you.” She said holding out a hand.

Isak shook the girl’s hand. “Y-yeah, I’m pleasure too. I mean...Isak. I’m Isak. Moreno. Isak Elijah Moreno. My name’s Isak. Isak is what I go b-”

“And best friend Zyn!” The drow quickly interrupted his babbling friend. “See my boy Isak here had enough of being a small town hero for driving off an entire pack of mome beasts, thought he’d come get even better at magic and also take down some snooty rich kids.”

“You mean rich like me?” Xoco said with a playful smile as Zyn quietly died.

Isak finally recovered from his daze. “Well he said snooty, as opposed to cool.”

“Oh, well thank you Isak.” She smiled with all her razor sharp teeth, chuckling to herself as Zyn withered and died still.

“Cough cough I should uhhh, go change into the uniform. Try not to have too much fun without me.” Zyn said before quickly slinking off.

Isak made a valiant effort to carry the conversation, doing halfway decent in the process.

“So wait, that’s…” Isak pointed to her boa, eyes going wide as the fashion accessory moved to reveal a snake’s head at the end of the feathery rainbow form. It looked at him and flicked its tongue out before going back to hiding its head away.

“A gift from my grandfather, yes. Her name is Nelli.” Xoco cooed as she gently pet the feathered serpent. “And...I hope I’m not intruding but I overheard your familiar was...a rock?”

Isak winced, running a hand through his short black hair and looking off. Avoiding those inquiring pink eyes as long as he could before reaching into his pocket to pull out the rock. “I uh...family didn’t have much money so...see we got it at a bargain. Some old crazy mage. It actually came with instructions!”

Xoco looked over the rock carefully with narrowed eyes before looking up into Isak’s dark eyes still trying to avoid all contact.

“See-” He quickly reached into another pocket, rummaging around until he produced a crumpled up piece of paper. “-really just a bunch of nonsense. Says it’s fully customizable on the fly!”

Xoco raised an eyebrow. “It can fly?”

“I wish.” Isak grumbled. “This thing is only flying if I throw it hard enough. Maybe use a bit of storm magic, make it like a meteor. Ha!”

He punctuated the exaggerating with a small spark arcing from his fingertips to the rock. The stone began to glow as both students looked on with wide eyes. Isak felt it growing heavier as it arced with electricity, and quickly dropped it. It never hit the floor as the rock started to grow and expand, eventually even multiplying into further rocks all bristling with electricity. The rocks took the vague shape of a large man standing a head taller than even Xoco on the deck of the ship. Lightning arcing between the gray stones lit up and revealed runes across the surface. The rock entity tilted its head down to a stunned Isak.

“New user acknowledged. Please register name.” It said in a booming voice, gaining the attention of several onlookers.

Isak had to pick his jaw off the floor but finally remembered how to speak. He gave a hoarse whisper “Isak.”

“User Isak acknowledged.” The voice boomed as a new set of runes appeared on the large stone that formed its chest.

Isak was unable to stop smiling, and finally broke into a nervous laughter.