Humans Don't Make Good Familiars- Part 55

Suma’s POV

“Do you accept the name Vindicta? Or, do you prefer another name? Feel free to answer honestly. I will give you a name, but if you would prefer another I could think of one. You’re the one who has to use it after all, so you should like it.” Jake offered.

“Are you serious?” 6 asked.

“Yes.” Jake said. While this was happening, Von-Pac was fuming in quiet rage. He seemed to almost be overflowing with anger. He even began to lose control of his mana for a moment and began the first stages of “displaying”.

“I… I accept.” The now newly christened Vindicta answered.

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Jake’s POV

I couldn’t help but smile as our group marched along. Von-Pac was fuming quietly on the back of his hound, and Vindicta was beaming atop her feline steed. “At least he is silent.” Suma said to me over our mental connection. I nodded my head to her in agreement. We continued on our journey for as long as the path would take us, until finally it came to an abrupt end. In front of us was the sheer cliff-face of the mountain.

“I could fly up and look for another path?” Vindicta offered.

“No, we should treat this like a real-world scenario and stay low when possible.” I said looking up the cliff and placing a hand on the rocks. “We could climb, but that might be dangerous.” I thought aloud.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Von-Pac snapped, “Paxus isn’t suited for climbing. He can’t go up like that.” His voice was full of irritation, whether due to my naming Vindicta or by not being able to go up on his familiar, I couldn’t tell, but I could guess.

“I could climb up it, but it would take a while.” I said, then I had a thought. “Hey Vindicta, what about your familiar? She is a cat, and they are pretty good at climbing.”

“Argosa might be able to,” She said hesitantly, “but I don’t know. It is a steep climb after all, and she is no jadoo.”

“Hmm, it’s probably safer to just go around.” I concluded. “So, left or right?”

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The POV of Lauric Isbala, son of Count Thecoma Isbala

“Wait up Lauric!” One of the two nameless Neame on my team called out to me. I slowed my familiar’s pace, so as not to leave them behind and to give them a chance to catch up. My familiar was a Black Serpent named Loyalty. “Ah, thank you sir.” The Neame said upon catching up with me.

“You don’t need to call me sir, just call me Lauric.” I told him. I glanced down to his familiar, it was some kind of four-legged mammal, with horns on its head and fangs hanging from its mouth. It seemed tired, huffing and puffing heavily, so we all decided to come to a stop and rest for a while. “Your familiar doesn’t seem to have much stamina.” I noted.

“No, I’m afraid not,” The Neame said, “but he can hit quite hard with his horns, and his fangs make great weapons as well.”

“Our familiars aren’t as wondrous as yours Lauric.” My other teammate, also nameless, said. He wasn’t wrong, my familiar was of exceptionally high quality, but that shouldn’t matter.

“No, they are not, but no matter how strong a familiar, it is useless without a competent master. It wouldn’t matter how strong Loyalty is if I were a fool.” I told them. “Tell me, are you two fools?” The seemed taken aback by the question, perhaps even offended, but answered nonetheless.

“No, I don’t believe so.”

“Hopefully not.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” I said. “Your familiars are yours, nobody else’s. Treat them well and they will die for you, with or without the Rite of Dominance. That’s why I named mine loyalty.” After a little while longer we started our travels up the mountain once more. Eventually, we came to a large cliffside, but for our familiars it was of no consequence. My Black Serpent was able to slither between the cracks in the rocks and slowly make its way up with me perched on the saddle on its head. The others were fairing better actually. One’s familiar was able to scale the cliff by walking up it and keeping its body close to the rocks; it almost seemed impossible. The other’s familiar had large claws and tremendous legs, which it used to leap repeatedly from one protruding rock to the next. I was the last one to make it up the cliff, almost two minutes after the others. As soon as we were all up, we were on our way.

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The POV of Vindicta

We, that being my team and I, walked along the cliffside looking for a path to take up the mountain. I sat on my familiar, Argosa, thinking about my new name… “Vindicta”. I was so excited I almost couldn’t focus on our task. It was unbelievable! Me, a named Neame! I was absolutely giddy thinking about what my little sister would say when I told her. “Oh, wow Sada, you’re so cool!” Sada was the nickname she gave me since I didn’t have a name before. My nickname fore her was bobo; because of how often she hurt herself growing up. She is the only family I have left, and because of that we are very close. Our parents became sick and died two years ago, and I have been raising her ever since then. She is staying with a friend of mine while I am doing my tour in the army.

I have to repay this kindness to Sentinel, or uh, Jake. I thought to myself.

“Up there,” Von-Pac announced and drew attention to a small portion of the cliffside that was broken and the opening fell below the tree line. “We can fly up there then resummon our familiars and continue our trek.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said looking up at the hole in the mountain.

“I know it is, and I don’t need a nameless Neame like you to tell me so.” He exclaimed.

“I have a name now, or weren’t you paying attention?” I declared proudly.

“A familiar can’t give names, whether or not the Grand Duke says so. I refuse to recognize it.” He stated and flew up to the crack in the mountain. I admit, what he said hurt. Not because I care about his opinion but because I knew that most nobles would share it. I would likely face trouble back home because of my new name, I could face trouble back at camp even.

“I like your name,” Suma said leaving her perch on Jake’s saddle and landing beside me on Argosa’s saddle. “Come on, let’s get up there.” She said.

“I’ll see you in a sec.” Jake said, and we flew up the side of the cliff. Suma and I landed at the top of the cliff and saw Von-Pac already beginning to summon his familiar.

“I summon you, Paxus!” He shouted. I summoned Argosa and Suma summoned Jake. Once he arrived, he looked at the path up ahead and got a grim look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Suma asked noticing his expression.

“Nothing… I just don’t like caves is all.” He said gesturing to the entrance of the trail.