Your average, everyday green slime.

You pull your hand back in surprise and, as you do, you could swear the shape in the smoke changes. You would question that, but the smoke is already clearing and, as it does, what you have summoned is revealed to you. Well, actually, what is revealed to you first is your own hand and you find it moist and gooey with a thin coating of greenish goo on your palm. Why that is is revealed as you see your familiar sitting in front of you, out in the open for everybody to see.

It looks, very much, like a scoop of greenish gelatin sitting before you, but you know that to be false as the mound moves gently as though it is breathing. It only comes up to your waist, which is odd as you could have sworn it was taller before, and is as big around as a barrel would be. It's green "flesh" is semi-transparent as you can see through it to the other side, though everything is tinged in green and slightly distorted. It has no limbs nor mouth nor eyes to speak of, but, somehow, you can tell that it is looking at you as you look at it.

It is a slime that sits before you. A common green slime that many adventurers encounter in caves or dungeons created by dark mages that hoard power and treasure within. They are, by all accounts, weak and pathetic things that nobody truly fears. They have no powers to speak of nor any strength that would make them truly coveted as a familiar. They are little more than semi-sentient blobs that serve as little more as training fodder for lesser warriors and mages to practice their craft upon.

As such, it is no surprise that, within a few seconds of the smoke clearing, you hear laughter roar out from your classmates and even from some sorcerer students who don't go to your school. "Look, look! It's a slime! Little Toby's summoned a slime!", you hear a call and the laughter grows more boisterous.

"Who had slime? Anybody put money down on a slime?"

"Who would have bet on that!? Nobody thought he was that pathetic!"

"Well done, Little Toby! That's the perfect familiar for a failure like you!"

The laughter resounds around you and you can't deny you feel some disappointment at what you have summoned. A slime, after all, isn't going to be much help on the forge nor in creating magical tools. A slime...well, a slime doesn't seem like it will be good for much of anything. But, then, that's what most people say about you, isn't it?

That thought shakes away the small beginnings of doubt and disappointment you felt and you, ever the optimist, shrug off the laughter around you and kneel down in front of the slime, giving it a smile as you reach a hand out to it. "Hello there. My name is Tobias, but everybody calls me Toby. I'm your summoner. It's a pleasure to meet you."

People laugh all the more at that, but you ignore it as the slime sits in front of you, apparently non-responsive to your words...until a small tendril of slime stretches out from its "body" to touch against the palm of your hand. As it does, you feel...warmth. Your hand tingles and you feel warmth of emotion, something akin to gratitude and happiness, filling you. It is an odd feeling as you realize it is not your emotions, but the slime's that you are feeling. It seems as though it is communicating with you in its way, letting you feel that it is grateful for your words and your regard. You also feel a bit of trepidation in it as you realize it has understood the words being yelled and laughed, but you smile at it again and shake your head.

"Don't worry about them, all right? You're my familiar and I'm happy to have you. Okay?", you tell the slime and you feel, in response to your words, another wave of warm happiness as it approves of your words.

The Wizened Wizard, at this point, comes up to you and touches you gently on the shoulder, still smiling that beatific smile. "Well done, young one. I believe you and your familiar will go far together.", he says and glances to the slime, his smile becoming perhaps a bit knowing, "Perhaps further than you even realize."

You wonder about that, but you don't have a chance to question it as your turn has ended and you and your familiar are ushered off the dais, the slime undulating in an odd slithering motion to move itself after you and leaving behind a small trail of shimmering ooze as it does.