"Master? What's with that greeting?"

Rudy smiles and says "Well you did summon me so now you are my master right? Besides I wanted to see the look on your face, master."

At least she can't see me blush thanks to the fur. Why is it that all women can make me react so easily?

"Okay you can drop the master thing, just call me Ash."

Ruby laughs and says "As you command, master!"

"At any rate we have plenty of time to talk now, I should be able to keep you around for a couple of days at least."

Ruby says "Yes, I can sense you have gotten stronger, do you mind if I ask how you were able to get so much stronger in such a short period of time?"

"Mostly by absorbing beast cores."

Ruby's mouth opens but nothing comes out, she looks completely stunned. Uh oh did I say something weird?

Ruby says "Did you really just say you have been absorbing beast cores?"

"Yes, why? Is that weird?"

Ruby says "Weird? It should be impossible!"

"Oh, well, um, I didn't know?"

Ruby says "How exactly do you absorb it? Are you eating it or something?"

"No, I just hold it in my hand and get the option to absorb it."

Ruby says "Option? You aren't using a spell or something?"

I explain to Ruby how my skill and stat system seems to work, and how after observe gives me a core's information it gives the option to absorb it.

Ruby says "That is absolutely incredible, I have never heard of such a thing. Then again beast cores were a new thing back then so maybe it is just something we hadn't discovered yet."

"Oh, that brings me to one of my many questions, can you tell me about the rankings of beast cores? And elementals?"

Ruby says "Of course, they are the same anyway. From lowest to highest the rankings are, lesser, minor, inferior, average, superior, greater, and supreme."

"So, you used to be the second highest and now you are the lowest?"

Ruby says "Yes, unfortunately, with elementals power fades slowly if we are not active. So being trapped in those chains for however many hundreds of years allowed all my power to slowly bleed away, and now I have to start from scratch. At least I kept my humanoid form."

"Lesser elementals aren't humanoid?"

Ruby says "No, elementals start as blobs of fire with eyes, it's normally around superior stage that we gain a humanoid form and the ability of speech."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't lose your form or the ability to speak. By the way, are you fully recovered? I didn't summon you too soon did I?"

Ruby says "No you didn't. My mana is fully recovered. Thank you for worrying, Ash."

"Yeah, um, it's kind of hard to track the days down here."

Ruby says "Oh yeah, I know exactly what you mean."

"So now that you are free how do you go about regaining your previous power? Do you level up?"

Ruby says "No elementals don't have levels, we just have our power grades. In the plane of fire we become stronger by absorbing the power of the plane, hunting creatures native to the plane, or fighting and absorbing other elementals."

"What about while you are summoned? Is there a way for you to get more powerful while you are here?"

Ruby says "I'm not sure, after all the only time I have spent on this plane before now was trapped in those chains. I would probably get stronger from fighting things here but I don't know for sure."

I stare intently at Ruby and activate Observe.

Name: Ruby

Race: Lesser Fire Elemental

Title: None

HP: 150/150

MP 350/350

Would you like to make Ruby your familiar? Y/N

'Familiar? Like a mage's familiar? How does that work?'

Ruby says "Not that I mind but is there a reason you are staring at me so intently??"

"Oh um, sorry!" I say as I blush.

Ruby smiles and says "Did you know that fire elementals don't see the same way you do? Instead we see heat patterns and changes. My point is when you blush I can see the heat rush to your cheeks even through your fur."

This just makes me blush even harder and stare at my feet.

Ruby says "Oh master, you are so cute!"

"Ahem! No, I was staring at you to use one of my skills, observe. It lets me view your status, and when I did I got an option. It asked if I wanted to make you my familiar."

Ruby says "Oh, so you were checking out my status? Familiar? What is that?"

"Well, in my old world it was a term in games that meant a magical servant or companion."

Ruby says "Well, we are already bonded so I don't see the harm in another bond. Do you know what effect it will have?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't a clue what will happen."

Ruby says "Well, I'm always open for new things so unless you mind lets go ahead and try it."

"No, I don't mind if you don't. I just didn't want to do anything that would affect you without your permission."

Ruby says "Oh, such a polite master! Yes, go ahead and make me your familiar."

"Yes, make Ruby my familiar?"

*DING*

Confirm: Make Elemental Ruby into a familiar? Y/N

Warning: Choice once made is irrevocable!

"Huh that's never happened before!"

Ruby says "What is it? Nothing happened?"

"Well, when I selected to make you my familiar it asked me to confirm it and then warned that it was irrevocable."

Ruby says "Oh, it sounds just like the bond, once done it is for life. I'm still fine with it, we are already bonded after all."

"Okay! Confirm! Make Ruby my familiar!"

MP: 10/365

Confirmed! Elemental Ruby will now become Ash's Familiar!

As the mana drained out of me it swirled in around Ruby in all the colors of fire. After a few seconds Ruby is completely obscured and it continues to hide her form for several minutes. When the swirling energies fade away and Ruby is revealed I can't help but stare with my mouth hanging open.

Ruby now appears to be a human woman in her twenties and she is wearing an oriental style red silk dress with flame patterns on it. Her skin is dusky and she has long red hair with orange and yellow highlights so that when it moves it gives the impression of dancing flames. The only thing that hasn't changed are her eyes, which are still a solid deep red like a ruby.

Ruby says "Master? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Evolution has occurred!

Skill Summoning has evolved into Summon Elemental!

Summon Elemental

Level 1

MP Cost 100 +5/Hour

You can summon a lesser elemental of the desired element.

"Um err, Well....How to explain this?"

"How do you feel, Ruby? Do you feel different?"

Ruby says "No, I feel just fine? Why? What's wrong?"

"Well, it would seem you have changed to something different? You don't look the same anymore."

Ruby looks down at herself and lets out a gasp of shock. She stares at her hands and then feels her face, then she rushes over to the river to look at her reflection. Suddenly she rushes back and grabs Ash's face with her hands.

Ruby says "Does that burn you??"

"No, your hands are pleasantly warm. Nothing more."

Ruby suddenly smiles and says "You mean my touch won't hurt you anymore? I won't destroy everything I touch?"

Ruby suddenly sits down and starts crying fiery tears, but from the smile on her face I can tell they are happy tears.

"I'm not sure what happened but I think it's safe to say you will only destroy what you want to from now on."

Ruby launches herself at me and hugs me as she cries into my fur.

Ruby says "Thank you, Master! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"