Chloe growled quietly to herself. Ash’s clear fondness for violence was one thing, with the state politics in Telkirin were in and the location of her march violence was something she could provide, but to have a familiar that enjoyed messing with her, that would make things, interesting.

As she was thinking this she felt an odd sensation at the back of her mind.

“Ash?”

“Ah, that was me shielding our mental link, it should now be impossible for anyone to overhear us when we talk mind to mind or to figure out what powers I have given you.”

“That’s fine, but as far as concealing our powers goes we may have a problem, the next week of classes is fully dedicated to connecting with your familiar and learning to use their powers.”

“In that case, I would recommend only displaying the physical changes that you have received and not your new affinity, that way”

But Chloe had already stopped listening and started focusing entirely on her magic. She started by feeling for the mass of magical energy at her core, then slowly started to draw back from it. Before there had always been two spheres right beside it. One, big and gusting, was her affinity for air magic, the other one, smaller, glittering and ever-changing, was her lesser affinity for illusions. Now, however, there was a third one, and it was at least as big as the one that represented her air affinity.

She focused on this new sphere and tried to figure out what kind of an affinity it was. Like her illusion affinity its outline was constantly changing, as was its color, but unlike that affinity, this one had none of the glittering sparkles surrounding it.

“What is it?” she asked, fascinated

Ash smiled “I thought that was how you were going to react, this is going to be an interesting one.”

“What do you mean.”

“My past summoners have always had one of two reactions when I mentioned the new powers they had access to. Some, remembering how much power it took to summon me, politely let me finish what I was saying before asking me to explain about the new power. Then there are those like you who immediately start looking at the new power and trying to figure out what it is. Of the two I much prefer the latter, while the former, on average, live longer, the latter will either reach the absolute peak of their chosen profession or burn out spectacularly. Usually literally.”

Chloe tried not to grit her teeth “While that insight into my personality may well be something I should spend some time thinking about, would you mind telling me what this new affinity is?”

“Yes yes, your new affinity is for transformation, or more precisely personal shapeshifting. Now along with that you also now have perfect balance, rapid healing, an immunity to most poisons, and the ability to experience what I am experiencing when you want to. Now if I were you I would not tell people about the poison immunity or the shapeshifting, while I will act as a protective familiar.”

“As a protective familiar, as a goat?”

“Have you ever been kicked or headbutted by a goat? Then Ash laughed “And believe me, having your teeth at groin level in a fight is one hell of an advantage.”

Chloe winced “Ok, but as I will be unable to sign up for any classes on shapeshifting if I do this so is it safe to assume you will help me with that?”

“Certainly, but in return I want you to think about something for a bit. What is it you truly want, what is your goal in life and what will bring you happiness?”

Chloe thought for a moment. She had wanted power for all the reasons she already told Ash but beyond those what did she truly want?

“Let’s head back.” Ashe’s words pulled Chloe back to reality “I imagine you're hungry and tired after all the power you used summoning me and I have done what we came out here to do. So, if you don’t mind turning around?”

A thought occurred to Chloe as she turned her back on Ash. “Ash, what is your true form?”

“A black goat is one of the forms that comes most naturally to me and is the closest thing to my true form you will see, after all” and at this Ash laughed a laugh far less pleasant than the earlier ones. “A familiar won’t harm its master.”

When she turned back around Ash was back in the shape of a horse sized goat. Chloe climbed on Ashes back and they rode in silence until they were almost back. When Ash stopped Chloe dismounted and Ash returned to a more normal goat size. With Chloe’s hand once again on ashes head they walked the rest of the way back to the academy.

Almost no one was left in the courtyard when they passed back through the gates and they immediately went to the dining hall. Many students had animals in laps, on shoulders, or sitting by their feet. The food line was short, and they were quickly able to secure an empty table.

“Do you need anything to eat?” Chloe sent the question through their link

“Not now, I do enjoy eating and if I use to much power to quickly I can get hungry but for now I am fine.”

The response came back through the link as Ash was curling up under the table. Once Ash was comfortable Chloe very deliberately lifted her feet and rested them on Ashes back. The only response was an amused snort through the mental link.

The only disruption in the meal was when, about halfway through, a boy Chloe recognized as a second year who lived a few doors down from the hall from her walked by. As the boy passed Ashe’s Back stiffened and she raised her head to look at him, but since Ash quickly settled back down and didn’t say anything about it Chloe decided her fish was more immediately interesting.

With the meal over the two returned to their room. Wards covered the walls and there were some fairly nasty offensive air spells, which she could activate at will, inscribed on the wall directly across from the door and surrounding her bed. The only thing of note in her room, besides the bed and several bookshelves, was a large desk. The desk had carving and engraving tools, wood, partially enchanted wands, silver gold and gems scattered across it.

Chloe cursed quietly as she saw that it also had her wide-brimmed pointy mages hat sitting on it, she had promised her father that she would not leave the academy’s walls without having it on and breaking a promise made to a member of her family irritated her. She quickly changed into a nightgown and stopped just when she was about to get into the bed.

“Would you like to share the bed?” She asked Ash

“Not tonight”

Ash curled up, still in her goat form, directly in front of the door. Seeing that Chloe settled down into the bed.

“Ash I've been thinking about what you asked.” She sent through the link “And I think I have an answer, or at least most of one. I told you I wanted to protect the people who follow me. And having thought about it, I also want there to be a lot of those people. The more people following one banner, the more secure they all are, and the greater the things they can do. I told you I wanted the power to protect those I care about. Having thought more about that too I know what I want is a number of people close to me, people who I can truly trust and care about, and who will care about me in turn and give me the best advice and assistance they can.” A hardness entered her mental voice then “And I refuse to be a piece on someone else’s board, I wouldn’t be moved or sacrificed at their whims and neither will anyone close to me or who follows me. In this game of life, I will be one of the players.”

“Glad to hear it,” came the mental reply “And I will gladly help. I can’t promise you wouldn’t be eliminated early on, not having a lord to call on for assistance is dangerous after all, but I promise to aid and advise you to the best of my ability. And there’s one more thing I can promise you, there was a saying in one of the worlds I was summoned to, “In the end, everybody dies, but not everybody lives” I can promise you this, on the road you are on, you will live.”

Chloe Smiled to herself as she stretched out under her blankets and closed her eyes. Just as she was falling asleep she thought she heard a slithering, slipping right by her door, but with no response from her wards or from Ash, it was not enough to pull her from sleeps grasp.