Try to get her to let you into the Mage academy.

You might have a boatload more levels, a new and vastly improved form, and some kills finally under your belt, but you still have a little dour cloud of pessimism in your head, talking down your sense of accomplishment. So what if you got lucky enough to dish out what effectively was a TPK on a bunch of newbie mages, you're still stuck in a kiddie pool next to a magic school that'll just send a higher level and better equipped group to fry you when they find out about your existence.

Wait a minute... magic school... better equipment... Of course! You could go up and raid the academy itself! It's such a brilliant plan; as the measly water balloon you started out as, you were confined to the area around a specific bend of the river, but now as an Undine you sense you can move freely along the river's course, and even walk a good distance into the surrounding land.

The quarry, and by extension this section of the river, cuts through the campus grounds, and at least one of the school buildings is situated right up close to it. With luck you could get inside at least a few classrooms, sneak-kill some unsuspecting students, maybe even steal some Water Magic artifacts to give yourself more of a boost.

Gasp! You might even be able to destroy some of the Lightning Magic class resources. Oh, the possibilities! And this delectable little woman could probably help guarantee an entrance without worrying about being stealthy. You just have to play this next bit cool.

You pad over to the slowly awakening Apprentice. After a second of thought, you shrug and simply shake her awake.

"Ah, time to get up, beautiful."

Oh good, physical speech comes naturally to you, everything is just coming up roses today. It better keep up, you have big plans now, and the world still owes you big time.

The woman groans and finally comes to, squinting blearily up at you.

"What's going on... Ugh, my head..." she moans, rolling on her side and cradling her skull.

"It's alright, you just fell and took a bump, you're out of danger now," you speak, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

"What happened, where are my classmates, who are you?" She certainly is getting her head back to full-steam quickly.

"I told you; you're fine. You and your friends slipped and fell in the river while practicing, and I decided to pull you into this cave, to recuperate better."

"Oh, well thanks I guess. Gods but we must have been carrying ourselves like fools to end up like that," she sits up and takes a wincing look around, "Wait, where is everyone?"

"You were the only one still salvageable when I reached you, hopefully your friends are already respawning at the school"

"Damnation, this will be fun to report to the instructors, not to mention our classmates." She pulls herself to her feet, where she sways dangerously before leaning against the wall of the cave.

"Oh dear, you're still so hurt," you gasped in only half faked concern, you still needed her, "let help you up to the academy."

"No, no it's okay I can-Oh!" she cuts herself off when she feels your damp hand on her side, "You an Undine or something?"

"Yes, actually."

"Perfect, would you please use some healing water on me to fix this bump?"

"Ah! Well, you see... the thing is... I only just became an Undine, and I don't have any powers beyond lifting and throwing water." It's a bit of a blow to your ego to have to admit that, and serves as a reminder of how much growing is still ahead of you before you become anyone of real significance.

"Oh well, not the worst bad luck I've had today. Yeah, just help me up the path."

Giddy with how smoothly your plan is proceeding, you graciously let the wind mage lean against you as you guide her across the quarry, a spike of pride swelling your head when you use your newly strengthened command over your element to still the river's current as you and your "charge" walk across.

As you walk up the path cut into the wall of the quarry, the mage woman, who had quickly turned away the last few times she glanced you over, speaks up again.

"You intend to cover up or something?"

"Hmm?" You sound out in confusion. She does realize how impractical clothes would be for you, right? Besides, you're not flesh and blood, there's hardly anything objectionable about... your... form...

A quick glance down confirms it: you'd given yourself a bit of generally unnecessary detail in regards to anatomical correctness as a side effect of your instinctual pursuit of that first orgasm. Tight little nipples centered in small, round areolas point out of the petite, firm orbs of your breasts, and a dainty set of pussy lips complete with clitoris stand out on your smooth little pubic mound.

"Oh, great Primordial Sea," you breath out, feeling mortified. After a bit of mental fumbling, you gain a better handle on your ability to consciously mold your form. You make your crotch and breasts smooth and featureless, which thankfully succeeds at making you look reasonably modest, but you still feel your cheeks darken and simmer in a liquid blush.

"Forgive me, I had no idea! It's just, I recently changed, and the process... the sensation of it..."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Sorry I made a big deal of it, just thought it should be addressed before we got in front of any other people."

She got that right at least.

Finally, you reach the top of the path and stand on the Mage Academy grounds proper. The mage woman is evidently feeling a bit steadier, as she shrugs you off and walks a few steps forward to get some arm space and stretch. You hang back and take the chance to surreptitiously reform your nipples and genitalia, just to make sure you have the hang of it.

You give a quick, delicious stroke to your bathing suit zones, then after a second's consideration, try forming an anus. It works, and you trace a slim finger around the sensitive, tiny rosebud. You shudder and swallow a moan as you place your hands back at your sides and put your Barbie Doll Anatomy back in place. Yeah, you are definitely doing more of this any chance you get.

"Well I guess this is where we part, thanks for your help."

"W-Wait! I should at least make sure you reach a healer without issue, and I'd always thought about what the inside of a place like this must be like."

"You asking to become a familiar?"

"What?" You ask, not understanding what you assume to be some magic jargon.

"A familiar. You know, a Mage makes a contract with a magic creature, where the mage get to access some of the creatures unique abilities, and in exchange the creature levels up alongside the mage, usually faster than it could on its own."

Huh, interesting, if slightly insulting. I mean really, you leveled up like what, seven times from one encounter? Let's see a Mage manage better than that! (Nevermind how long your losing streak was prior to this morning's windfall.)

"I didn't actually have a familiar contract in mind before, but maybe if I go in and see some more I could be tempted?" You edge out, trying to keep it casual.

The mage laughs, "Sorry, but we're of incompatible element affiliations if that's what you were going for, and you're a good bit stronger than the average contractee besides. But tell you what, I got tutored by a Water Mage girl who's graduating this year. She's unattached and kinda overqualified, maybe you and her could manage it."

She turns back around and makes for the closest building, "Come in if you really want, see what the Mage life has to offer."

"I will, thanks."

The inside of the building is all polished wood and brass busts. You'd find it all fairly impressive, but you're preoccupied with a sudden onset of paranoia. Your tether to the river is stretched close to its limits, and being actually inside of the enemy's stronghold has birthed all sorts of misgivings. What were you thinking!? You can't pull this off, you probably only got this far because Fate is a cruel bitch and wanted to set you up to run into the Dean of Thunderbolts or whatever so that he could take one look at you and blast everything you achieved today into smithereens.

"Seems that no one is working in this wing right now," the mage woman's voice breaks off your panic attack, "Well come on, I'll just swipe a healing potion from the Potions Lab and give you that tour, okay?"

"S-Sure," you plod after her, unable to resist the occasional wary survey glance of your surroundings. That too proves to be a fortuitous move on your part, as you spot a little something that promises... potential.

With a quick look to make sure that the wind mage isn't paying attention, you slink off down a side hall towards a display of magic items. Your assumption of what they are proves correct when you see the plaque:

"These items are Nature Wielder Vessels: Powerful products of Conjuration Magic created for the purpose of making or reinforcing familiar contracts with Elementals. These tools allow the Mage to use an abbreviated contract ritual that nonetheless forms a more complete Magic bond between them and the Elemental, meaning they gain access to more of their power, and said Elemental is granted a number of extra abilities through the use of this item as well, which by extension empowers their contracter.

Among the bonuses granted to an Elemental given a Vessel are; an immediate Free-Roaming status, allowing them to travel freely outside their old territories without needing to wait for their mana to merge fully with their mage's, the ability to store large quantities of their element within the magic zero-space inside the Vessel, the ability to hide themselves within the magic zero-space inside the Vessel as an escape from aggressors (though that would leave the Vessel itself **** to tampering with while they are inside), early access to certain abilities if lower level, and enhanced ability effects and stats at higher levels. The Vessels can also be carved with additional runes besides those used for the initial contract for even more bonuses.

WARNING: As you can see the Vessels on the display are real, and have no runes, as they must be carved during a contracting. It is possible for an unsigned Elemental to claim an unsealed Vessel, which gives them all the bonuses of the Vessel without being a Mage's familiar. Such freedom and power would be disastrous in the claim of even the lowliest elemental.

KEEP THESE OUT OF WILD ELEMENTAL CLUTCHES!"

It's everything you could hope for and more.

You look over the items with joy. Four beautiful keys to freedom: each coded to a specific Prime Element. There's a lantern, a flowerpot, a bellows, and there, at the end, the item that first called you over.

A ceramic pitcher.

The key to you getting out of this dump and taking the world by storm is right there in front of you, its magic practically tugging you towards it. All you have to do is pour yourself into it, and then freedom and power is yours.

"Hey, Undine? Where'd you go?"

Crud, the wind mage noticed you slipped away.

You glance back the way you came, and of course you left watery footprints, you couldn't have everything work out to your advantage, now could you?

Her footsteps are getting closer, you don't think you can enter the Vessel and leave again fast enough to keep from being caught. If you stop now and wait to take it later, you'll probably be able to play the scene off as just a harmless window-shopper reading up on the displays, but you might not get another chance alone with this thing. You could try to cover your tracks and hide in the Vessel, but she might pass by anyway and become suspicious of your intentions or alert a professor. You could grab the pitcher and run, maybe fight your way past her, but she might have healed already, and the noise would likely attract investigators.

Your nerves are snapping from the suspense as the steps become louder, it's time to pick a course of action and commit!