Joy...fear...and shock!

As the light faded you find yourself blinking repeatedly, the remains of the magic still dancing in your eyes, your blood loud in your ears as that incredible power faded. Unbidden your thoughts go back to the stories from your Family, how they had received their callings or were bestowed blessings.

It took you a few moments more to compose yourself before closing your eyes to delved into that place that your teachers had told you about, the little spot in your mind and heart that your familiar would occupy from there on out, the place that would let you know they were with you forever.

It was faint at first, just a tickle in the back of your mind. Taking a deep breath you let your magic flow into that place, trying to encurage the feeling.

You wanted to feel out your familiar, before seeing it and judging it like so many did.

For you, it's appearance or what it could bring you mattered little, you were here to find answered about the darkness in the world...this was likely the best example you would ever have.

The connection to something not of this world.

As the connection cemented itself felt a smile spread across your lips.

It was warm...so very warm...

You felt an odd, almost overwhelming devotion there, a desire to make you happy that was a bit off from what you were told to expect, but it wasn't unappreciated. Sending your own emotions through the link seemed to make it grow...almost like a it was quivering and spasming at the feeling.

Finally you open your eyes and release a breath you didn't know you were holding. You look down to the Wizened Wizard to see him staring intently at the ground at your feet.

Confused, you follow his gaze to see a little dark spot by the hem of your robes. Tilting your head a bit you take a step back only to have it follow you, looking to roll...undulate after you.

You step again, and once more it follows.

Finally it dawns on you, this is your familiar...

You kneel down closer to the odd little creature, still looming over it and casting it in shadow.

Really, it was unremarkable, other than it looked like a little blob of gel that was darker than midnight.

Then, much to your surprise, the surface split open to reveal a little yellow orb. An eye?

You fight the urge to jerk back in surprise and just stare into it for a long moment before reaching a out to it with a large, gloved, hand. As your finger grazes it's semi-solid surface it seems to shudder, that place in the back of your mind flaring with joy before it latches onto you, enveloping your hand with a soft 'shlorp!'

Rising back to your full height you smile at the mass currently clinging to your hand, the goo more than happy to linger there it seems before you turn to the Wizened Wizard, about to thank him for his efforts.

Only for the words to die in your throat as you see him levling his staff at you!

You jerk back in shock, now aware of the voices of the crowd, the group equally as shocked to see one of the most powerful men in the world currently threatening you.

"M-My Lord?"

The man's once kind eyes are hard as they flick from you to the mass on your hand, something that is now frozen just as you are, the place in your mind cold with fear that you are feeling as well.

"Son...I'm going to have to ask you to let go of that creature."

Confusion...fear...and not a small amount of anger welled up in you. No one else had their familiars taken from them! What was going on! Why was he being singled out when so many others had claimed incredibly dangerous familiars! He saw one man come away with a VAMPIRE of all things. Yet this little slime had him on edge?

"But...I....Why? Why take it from me!?"

His thick eyebrows furrowed as he glared at the slime. "That...is no normal creature you have there Mr. Suleria...that is a Shoggoth...a servant of the Demons of Chaos..it cannot be allowed to live!"

(For those wanting a bit of a cheat...and not jumping RIGHT to something Lovecraftian, here you go. http://monstergirlencyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Shoggoth )