A Familiar Void

Chapter 2

Having a familiar was a weird experience for Louise.

After her little show, despite a few more jeers and laughs, everyone accepted that she was mage. She had a familiar, a familiar with the 'skull' of an insect a body of...

Well when she had suggested void, they all laughed at her even harder at her insinuation.

They called her a water mage considering the fluid nature of what had fired out from her wand.

She didn't really feel the need to argue with them, she accepted their remarks and instead held her familiar close to her.

It stared at her silently, still with those holes for eyes.

When it was time to go back to their rooms, Louise found herself holding her familiar's... 'hand' as they walked back to her room. It still felt like she wasn't holding anything, despite the tight grip that she had on it.

It was slightly spongy from how she was holding it, like jelly or slime.

She entered her room, her eyes went to the stack of hay that would've been the bed for a beast that she was expected to summon. She looked down at the child-like familiar and told her "Is that okay for you?"

It turned to look at her, still silent and without a word, and then turned to the stack of hay.

Louise's eyebrow twitched "Well, you can answer me right?" She asked irritated.

It didn't reply, instead it released the grip on her hand and took a seat on the stack of hay. And once more it just stared at her.

The mage sighed, ignoring the stare. Instead she shrugged off her cape, placing it on her bed, before she pulled out a chair and took a seat in front of the stack of hay.

Her familiar continued to stare at her the whole time. "You're attentive at least," she said to it. She took a deep breath and exhaled to calm her nerves, she shut her eyes "Okay, Louise this is your familiar, proof that you're a mage, a creature that is bound to your for your life." She opened them, once more staring into the empty sockets of the skull "Okay familiar, as you are bonded with me you will need a name."

Neither of them spoke, the silence stretched on as they stared at each other.

"Well?" She broke the silence with an irritated growl "I'm open to suggestions, familiar."

It titled it's skull, as if confused.

"Don't play dumb with me!" She snapped "I heard you talk when I summoned your body, so don't try to just keep silent!"

It continued to stare at her silently.

Her eyes narrowed, she reached forward and picked it up by it's cloak holding it to eye level. "Well?!" She asked "Don't just ignore me, speak!" She shook the small creature in her grasp.

The cloak that it work flailed about, as did it's small arms and legs. But it didn't react any more than that, the creature just continued to stare at her silently. She stopped shaking it, and it showed no reaction to have just been shaken.

"Fine," her eyes narrowed "If you don't want to talk, then you don't get to complain when I name you something you don't like." Her, rather harmless, threat was meet with silence as it had everything else.