《Familiar In Chains》


 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 1- Parade of Beasts

    "Hurry up Nico!" A red-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently as she waited for her lazy older brother to meet her in the foyer to the boy''s dormitory of Astral Light Magic Academy. "There won''t be any places left."


    Nikoli raced down the spiral staircase with a book bag slung over his shoulder, his knee-length robe flapping behind him. His black hair stuck up haphazardly as he stumbled the last few steps down the stairs. He rolled his eyes as he caught sight of his sister. She was tall and lanky for a fourteen-year-old. Anya''s long auburn hair was pulled back in a braid. She wore a deep green t-shirt and grey leggings beneath a charcoal grey knee-length robe. Just like Nico''s a trio of fine gold stripes banded the sleeves of the robe, marking the pair as third years.


    Rolling his eyes Nico strode towards the door of the hall. "Don''t get your braid in a twist little sister there''ll be room for us. It''s not like missing the parade will affect the selection." He said in exasperation and quoted. "The magic chooses the familiar, not the mage."


    Anya''s green eyes narrowed onto the dark-haired fifteen-year-old. "Don''t be a know it all big brother. You''re only six months older than me anyway."


    Despite their bickering, the four raced across the wide lawn of the academy and up the stairs onto the crowded walkway atop the school wall. They joined the throng of first to third years peering over the wall at the long caravan of wagons coming up the road. The Beast Tamers traditionally set up in the massive plaza from which the capital''s three magic academies branched off. On the walls of the adjoining academies teenagers in the green robes of the Emerald Griffin, and the violet robes of the Imperial Academy crowded the walks.


    The pair of siblings were soon joined by their best friends Blake and Dash. Soon enough the first wagon trundled into the square. Smaller animals were loaded into individual cages in the back while long leads trailed behind them. In just the first wagon alone Nico spotted a deer, some sheep, several cats and a single pot-bellied pig that some poor bastard was going to end up with, he just hoped that poor bastard wasn''t him.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Wagon after wagon entered the plaza to the cheers of the students on the wall as the sun rose higher in the sky. Nico was starting to wish he had grabbed some breakfast when a nearby student shouted over the noise. "Quick, count the center wagons!"


    The cheering quieted as all the teenagers tried to get a closer look at the next transports. Unlike the previous wagons, these ones were completely covered, their contents concealed from prying eyes. Rather than having long lines of more familiars trailing behind they were circled by riders on horseback each clad in the jacket of a journeyman Beast Tamer.


    The students watched these wagons with undisguised longing knowing that these covered wagons each contained but a single magical beast. A familiar of the highest order who''s magic in one or more aspects was all but unmatched. The lucky mages bonded to these familiars would see their futures soar to the heavens.


    Soon enough the count was made. Nine, there were nine apex familiars during this Beast Parade. It was a record high for the past century or more. A greedy light flashed through the eyes of all the students and the majority of their focus remained on the covered wagons, paying only cursory attention to the latter half of the cavalcade. The Headmasters of the three academies along with the teachers in charge of the first through the third year strode out the gates, converging on the Master Beast Tamers as the rest of the caravan began to set up for the familiar binding.


    "I can''t wait for this evening." Anya declared almost bouncing in place.


    Blake pushed his glasses up his nose. "Indeed. It''s a good thing today is a holiday. I doubt any of us could concentrate on our classes at this point." He observed studiously.


    "Forget that." Dash rubbed his hands together. "They''re taking bets on what species the apex familiars our school obtains are."


    "Ooh. I hope one of them''s a bird."


    "No, a griffin would be the best. Can you imagine the look on the snooty Emerald Griffin students if one of us ended up with their iconic animal?"


    "A fish of some kind."


    "Or a Lunar Spirit Wolf, their gorgeous beasts."


    "That''s awfully specific."


    The quartet continued their speculations as they made their way off the wall and headed towards the cafeteria.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 2- The Harsh Reality

    The sun beat down on Mark''s head from a cloudless blue sky. It was one of those perfect autumn days that was neither too hot or too cold. From his vantage point in the dirt-packed arena, Marcus could see the trees on the mountains in a vibrant display of orange, red, and yellow. With a breeze blowing through the leaves it looked for all the world as though the slopes had been set ablaze. Around him, the stands were packed with the residents of the Retreat. Men and women were clad in different coloured clothes. Each hue represented a different degree of mastery, from the white hues of a novice to the blues and greens of apprentice and journeymen. Scattered among the rest was a smattering of crimson robes that represented Master Beast Tamers.


    In the special seating sat a trio of black-robed Grandmasters, these were the elders overseeing the initiation ceremony. Mark was just one among the dozens standing on the packed earth of the arena grounds. In total there were two hundred of them waiting nervously for the ceremony to begin, with an even split of boys to girls. Just like the others, Mark had grown up in a small town in the borderlands, the no-mans-land that existed as a buffering zone between the borders of the various superpowers. He was the third son of the family butcher and wasn''t expected to inherit anything. When the Order of Beast Tamers rode through the town on one of their recruitment drives Mark had signed up never expecting to make it through the selection process. The recruiters had paid his family a lump sum of fifty gold in exchange for the loss of a worker. It was enough money to see his family safely through the next decade if they were frugal.


    Mark had left his hometown with the recruiters travelling through more than a dozen towns and villages where similar scenes played out. Eventually, the caravan made its way up the winding passes of the Rahan mountain range, land that had been ceded to the Beast Tamer''s Order long ago in return for a steady supply of familiars. Unlike the rest of the continent, the mountains had been left largely undeveloped, save for the Retreats nestled in the mountain valleys and the extensive network of roads and tunnels.


    The last three years had been spent learning about the many different varieties of magical beasts. Their likes and dislikes, what was safe for them to eat, what magic they were most known for. Besides all the book learning they had exercised regularly, strengthening their physique so that when their magic awakened it would place less of a burden on their bodies. Among the hundreds in their year group, a couple of dozen had manifested early and been taken for more advanced training. The remaining two hundred now stood in the arena clad in sturdy grey pants and shirts, their feet bare. Some of them paced, some looked around anxiously while others studied the ground intensely. Without exception, they all waited nervously for the initiation to begin.


    As the sun rose higher in the sky one of the black-robed elders stood from his seat and cleared his throat. At the signal, the arena fell into a hushed silence. "We the Order of the Beast Tamers are gathered here today to witness the rise of a new generation. Having graduated from their initial education these two hundred trainees will now experience the miracle of their awakening magic." He gestured to the side and a group of apprentices entered the arena carrying boxes crammed with bottles. The clink-clink-clink of glass as the bottles knocked up against each other seemed overly loud in the silence of the stadium.


    The green-robed apprentices started handing a bottle to each of the grey garbed trainees as the Elder continued his speech. "Each of these bottles contains a dose of concentrated awakening potion which has been created to stimulate your magical gifts. A single dose, however, is far from enough for those of you who have failed to awaken your magic naturally. You must continue taking the awakening potion for a prolonged period of time and for your own safety the process cannot be halted midway. Once you take this potion you will be on the path of no return. Be aware that the initial awakening can sometimes be quite painful and it is easy to go into shock."


    Mark cocked his head only listening with half an ear as he studied the glass bottle in his hands. It was filled with a murky purple liquid and seemed almost oily in its consistency. It certainly didn''t look appetizing. He popped the cork and took a whiff of the mixture fully prepared to recoil from the stench. Instead, the appetizing smell of ripe summer berries drifted into his nose.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" One of the remaining elders prompted the group. "Bottoms up."


    With a shrug, Mark threw back his head and chugged the potion as quickly as possible. At first, drinking the potion was quite pleasant. Much like its smell, it tasted like sweet berry juice with just a hint of tartness to offset the taste. The pain only began as the liquid travelled down his esophagus and into his stomach. It felt as though he had swallowed liquid fire and the flame was burning merrily inside him with no signs of extinguishing. Mark doubled over clutching his stomach in agony. The sound of the bottle shattering joined a chorus as those around moaned and cried out in misery.


    The pain spread out from his torso and travelled down his arms and legs. Mark sucked in a sharp breath and bit back a whimper. Suddenly the pain seamed to concentrate at his shoulders, hips, and throat. As his hand moved toward his throat a quartet of sharp popping sounds rang out as Marcus'' scream tore through the air. He dropped to the ground and curled up in a fetal ball his eyes closed as he tried to ride out the pain. All around him similar scenes were happening to the other initiates.


    As the anguish subsided panicked cries took to the air. "What''s going on? What happened to me!? This isn''t magic!" The cries echoed wildly around Mark. The boy opened his eyes and pushed himself upward, attempting to stand. As he did so more pain shot through his legs and he dropped back down to his hands and knees.


    Mark swore, his voice coming out deeper and raspier, absolutely nothing like his smooth tenor. "Fuck." Unable to stand he sat back on his heels and looked around him his eyes widening as he took in the drastically altered appearance of his former year mates. Without exception, each of them had taken on some form of animalistic trait, some more obvious than others. One young girl''s nose had lengthened by approximately a foot and drooped down into a small trunk, her ears had also enlarged significantly. Others sported fur or the beginnings of horns and antlers. One of the plumper boys had sprouted a curly pigtail and his voice rose into a squeal as he clutched at his bottom. Nearby another girl was crouching on the ground, not because there was anything wrong with her legs but because of a hunched back.


    As panic set in among the initiates the apprentices that had passed out the potions stepped forward unfurling whips that had been wrapped around their waists. The lashed out at the initiates with practiced ease, the tips of the whips wrapping around their necks in a chokehold. As the leather encircled their necks it shimmered and turned to metal, the cold kiss of steel wrapped around their throats in a collar set off a new series of screams. Mark reached up tugging desperately at the collar, suddenly his body spasmed as he dropped to the ground pain coursing through him like lightning. Around him, the apprentices started cajoling and swearing at the initiates, jostling them to line up.


    His head jerked to the side as the apprentice jerked the leather leash that had once been a whip. "Come on you stupid beast, we need to get lined up with the others."


    "I''m not an animal." Mark rasped, rage coursing through him. His eyes widened as a growl slipped out of his mouth.


    The apprentice laughed, his expression filled with disdain. "You sure sound like one to me, now get moving."


    "I can''t stand" Mark protested.


    "Then crawl. Or be dragged. It''s all the same to me, although if you refuse to cooperate you''re going to be electrocuted the entire way. Now come on, and be sure to keep up."


    The apprentice spun and walked towards the lines forming near the rear gates of the arena. The ones leading to the back mountains where Mark and those like him were banned from entering. At first, Mark refused to move but as the leash went taut the pain shot through him again and he shuffled forward, an animal like whimper bubbling up from his throat. His cheeks burned with shame as he crawled on his hands and knees like a dog on a leash. The gates creaked open and the initiates were led down a long stone corridor, behind them the arena stands emptied rapidly as the Beast Tamers rushed to their assignments.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Soon enough they were brought to an expansive hall that was totally white. At regular intervals around the room were long bars running the length of the hall. The apprentice led Mark to one of the bars and brought the end of the leash up to the bar. Much like the collar around Mark''s neck, it melded seamlessly into the bar.


    The apprentice turned to Mark with a bored look on his face. "Place your hands and feet inside the corresponding circles." He ordered pointing at the floor.


    Marcus shook his head frantically, backing away from the man. Again as the leash went taught electricity sizzled through him and he dropped twitching to the ground. The apprentice rolled his eyes mumbling, "Stupid beast." in exasperation. He crouched down and grabbed one of Mark''s hands placing it in the circle embedded in the floor. The circle lit up green and the apprentice let go. Mark tried to jerk his hand away but it wouldn''t budge it was locked in place as though welded to the floor. One by one the apprentice did the same thing with his other limbs, locking them into place as well.


    "This has to be a dream. This can''t be happening." Marcus whispered to himself as he looked around at his year mates. Like him they were being attached to one of the bars, those who could still stand like a human were being forced to their hands and knees and locked into place. A second gate to the hall opened and a second parade of half-animals was led into the room and put through the same procedure as Mark''s group, quickly followed by a third. The hall was filled with six hundred half beasts each with a green-robed apprentice standing stiffly at attention beside them. Shortly afterward, a door opened and a half dozen master beast tamers strode into the room, their red robes flapping behind them. They were followed by a gaggle of journeymen beast tamers, whose arms were full of books.


    The master''s strode to the ends of the long lines, each of them trailed by three or four journeymen. "All right ladies and gentlemen, you know the drill." One of them drawled, his voice echoing over the cries and pleas for mercy coming from the half-beasts. "We''re here to register our new pets, determine what classification of animal they are and then decide on which pen to put them in." With that declaration, they began to work their way down the rows examining the half beasts with the impersonal touch of looking at livestock. As the inspection began the apprentices moved again, each removed a pair of scissors from a pouch and began to cut the clothes off of their charges.


    Mark shook like a leaf as the scissors glided along his flesh tearing great gaping holes in first his shirt then his pants. "What are you doing?" He tried to demand but his new deeper voice wavered.


    The apprentice scoffed. "Isn''t it obvious you stupid beast, people wear clothes, animals don''t."


    "Why are you bothering to explain to it Colvard? It''s an animal, it doesn''t need to understand anything."


    Apprentice Colvard smirked. "No reason, I just like teasing the stupid beasts."


    "Well stop. Not only is it unprofessional it is distracting to those around you. Those sadistic impulses are why you''ve haven''t made it to journeyman yet. Despite the fact that you''re nearly the oldest apprentice at the Retreat."


    Colvard finished cutting off Mark''s underclothes leaving him as naked as the day he was born. The apprentice turned to argue with his neighbour. "Look here Krost, I''m still an apprentice because I''m aiming to be a Training Specialist. Mind your own business and look after your own stupid beast." He jabbed a figure at the blonde girl on her hands and knees, tears dripping down her face. Mark recognized the girl from his class, her twin sister Sasha had come into her powers naturally about six months ago. Natalia''s chest was oddly flat and a pudge had developed around her middle. As her clothes were removed a lump of flesh dropped down to swing in the air and Mark''s eyes widened as he realized it was an udder.


    While the two apprentices argued the Master had been moving further down the row, drawing closer towards Mark. A few feet down from Mark a boy hissed wildly at those around him, snapping his teeth at anyone who came close to him. Despite his behaviour, the boy still looked completely human. The apprentice beside him sported several bite marks on her hands and arms. The Master studied the naked boy apathetically. He dictated to the journeymen behind him. "91158 displays no physical changes and appears to lack the ability to think rationally and cognitively. A blood sample will be taken to confirm a failing vector and that the potion served only to awaken its animal mind."


    The apprentice standing beside the wild boy removed a knife and a small vial from her pouch. Staying well away from the wild boy''s snapping jaws she nicked the leg and quickly filled the vial with blood before offering it to one of the journeymen. A second vial, filled with green liquid was poured into the first and corked before shaking vigorously. The mixture rapidly turned a chalky white. the Master glanced at the white substance before dispassionately declaring. "91158, tested positive for a failing vector, and will be culled." The red garbed man turned and walked up to the next half-animal and continued his inspection.


    Mark was no longer paying attention, instead, he watched wide-eyed as the apprentice beside the wild boy, James, placed her knife at the boy''s throat and slit it, scarlet blood spraying out of the gaping wound and staining the apprentice''s clean green robes. Mark watched as James dropped to the ground, lying in a spreading pool of his own blood, his eyes empty and staring. Around the room, similar scenes were occurring. In contrast, those who passed the inspection were released from their restraints and led out the wide gates to a wooden walkway.


    When the Master Beast Tamer stopped behind Mark and began speaking the boy flinched instinctively. "91161, displays no outward physical changes but remains docile. It is possible that any changes it experienced are internal. A physical exam will be required."


    At those words, one of the journeymen stepped forward and began running his hands along Mark. Every time Marcus flinched at the touch a low-level electric current would run through his body. Quickly Mark learned that as long as he cooperated there wouldn''t be any pain. The journeymen ran his hands up and down Mark''s arms and legs flashed a light in his eyes, and ears, and opened his mouth to inspect his teeth. Mark flushed red with shame as even his private parts were examined impersonally.


    When the journeyman was finished he stepped back and answered the waiting Master. "Reporting to the Master, the shoulder and hip joints of 91161 have shifted in such a way that it is now natural for it to walk on all fours. I would expect most of the early changes in the transformation process to be focused on the outer extremities. 91161, also displays a slight elongation of the spinal cord near the rectum which is an indication of the development of a tail of some sort. 91161 displays no further changes and I am unable to determine what genus of magic beast it will become."


    "Its voice is changing too." Apprentice Colvard piped up, eager to impress the Master. "It''s deep and raspy, and it''s growled and whined a time or two."


    "Good information apprentice." The Master acknowledged before turning to the journey scribbling in his notebook. "Add the change in its vocal cords to 91161''s profile. Now let''s get a blood sample and test it to at least get an idea of what magical beast we are dealing with here."


    Apprentice Colvard took out a knife and vial and just like had happened to James, Mark was cut and his blood was collected and mixed with the same green liquid. When the vial was shaken, the contents had become a brightly glowing green. The Master looked at the results. "Add a note in 91161''s file that the blood test confirmed that it is a reptile of some sort." He looked back at Colvard. "Stable it in 42B13, Section 42, Paddock B, Pen 1, Stall 3."


    Colvard saluted the Master who had already turned to examine Natalia, the girl was no longer crying silently and instead her body was wracked with great heaving sobs. She was crouched down in an effort to hide her udder from staring eyes. Mark opened his mouth, trying to think of something encouraging to say but nothing came out. Before he could think of anything Colvard had released the restraints on his arms and legs and unhooked the leash, leading Mark to out of the hall and towards his new accommodations. The sun, which had felt so warm and inviting earlier in the day now felt cold as it shone down upon his naked back.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 3- Cages and Chains

    The left of the wooden walkway was lined with tall stone fences that came up to chest high on a grown man. For Mark, crawling as he was, the other side may as well have been a different world.  The right side followed the arena walls and gave way to large fenced in pastures. Mark''s eyes bulged as he spotted beings in various states of transformation from human to animal. In just a cursory glance he spotted a boy clad in a thick brown coat of fur, a pair of antlers sprouting from his head. Nearby was what looked like an armless centaur with the four legs and body of a horse. The girl''s breasts swung freely as she lowered her upper torso and began to crop at the grass.


    The walkway had been worn smooth by the passage of the countless beings that had been led down this path in the years before. Apprentice Colvard moved with surety as he walked past first one intersection followed by another. When the leash went taut he glanced back at the animal he was walking. The beast had frozen in place staring at the herbivore paddocks, its face frozen in a rictus of horrified fascination.


    "What''s the matter 91161, do those grass eaters look tasty to you already?" He taunted sarcastically. "I know you''re probably going to turn into a carnivore but the other stock really is not for eating."


    Mark''s attention snapped back to the apprentice. "We''re people you bastard! How dare you do this to us!? You are stripping us of our humanity!" The words came out in an animalistic snarl.


    Colvard snickered as he turned down a lane marked by the number forty-two, and led Mark away from herbivores. "Don''t forget 91161, you were given a choice to drink the awakening potion. You chose this."


    "It was supposed to awaken our ability to communicate with animals." He protested.


    "We never said it would give you the abilities of a Beast Tamer. We said it would awaken your magic. And it will. Once you''ve completed the transition into a magical beast, you will naturally possess magical abilities. You failed to awaken your magic naturally in the three years we were teaching you. Did you really think you could obtain something for nothing? All power comes with a price. As I said, you chose this. The Order gave you plenty of chances to back out over the last three years." Colvard ranted as he stopped outside a pair of gates carved with a variety of snakes in the shape of the letter B.


    Mark growled. "If I had backed out my family would have had to return the fifty gold, plus interest. I know the Order''s policies when it comes to recruits."


    The apprentice snickered again as he opened the gates and a blast of cold air wafted out. "And that didn''t make you suspicious? You were purchased like livestock. The Order is the only one who pays the families of the trainees when they take them in. For everyone else, it''s the other way around."


    Mark was led into a large courtyard with aisles branching off from it. The aisles were lined with transparent enclosures, the walls were made of some sort of magically strengthened glass. Only half the cages were occupied. When Colvard opened the door to an empty cage Mark dug in his heels and tried to stand as he turned to run. His legs gave out beneath him and his body spasmed uncontrollably as a strong burst of electricity coursed through him.


    "Stupid beast." Colvard tossed a contemptuous glare at 91161 and entered the stall, dragging the newly changed animal behind him. When he reached the center of the stall he crouched down and pushed his end of the leash into the stone. The leather shimmered again and turned into metal, which spread to the stone and raced up the length of the leash, transforming into a sort of chain.


    As the pain subsided Mark tried to stand again, but each time he made the attempt a bolt of electricity would drop him to the ground. He flushed with humiliation, as he remained on his hands and knees. There was no other position he could take without lying on the ground. The enchanted collar wouldn''t allow anything else. To make matters worse Colvard crouched down in front of him and pushed back his light brown hair, scratching a spot behind his ear as though he were a common pet.


    "There''s a good boy, you''ll get used to your new home quickly enough. It won''t be so bad once you learn your place, I promise. You are our beast, nothing more." He crooned to Mark.


    ***


    By sunset, the new crop of magical beasts had been profiled and put through a preliminary sorting. The six master beast tamers sat in their places at a long table, at the head of which sat the black-robed elders who had overseen the three awakening ceremonies. Grandmaster Hadrix leaned forward resting his chin on his clasped hands. "Alright, people lets get started. You''ve had time to compile your results. What exactly are we dealing with in this latest crop of magical beasts?"


    Master Beast Tamer Erika cleared her throat and stood from her seat. She was the youngest person in the room as well as the most senior of the master beast tamers. A prodigy and the daughter of the Retreat''s Head. "Reporting to the Grandmasters a grand-total of six hundred initiates went through the awakening ceremony. Of those six hundred, a total of forty-two of them exhibited the traits of a failing vector. That is, the mind of their inner beast was awakened while their bodies failed to show any changes. Blood tests were taken to confirm the diagnosis and once they tested positive they were put down. This gave us a failure rate of seven percent, well within the 5-10% range we have come to expect."


    Erika took a sip from the glass of water in front of her and continued her report. "This left us with a grand total of five-hundred-fifty-eight. Of those, the majority showed evidence of feline or canine characteristics. We know that most of these will end up becoming low-class magical beasts whose form is similar to that of a domesticated cat or dog. A smaller percentage exhibited the traits of herbivores, such as horses, cattle, or deer."


    Bird types were the fourth rarest in this crop, hopefully, we will see a larger number of the higher class magical beast from this group. The gods know we don''t need another parakeet." She scoffed, briefly remembering the low class magic beast she had cared for as an apprentice years ago. It was one of the weakest and most useless magical beasts in existence.


    "Continuing on with my report, the fifth and sixth rarest were the reptiles and aquatic species. Some of which proved to be slightly problematic, having developed gills during the initial transformation. Luckily their lungs are still functioning properly so none of them suffocated before we could submerge them in the aquatic tanks. The remainder was made up of a smattering of other species such as ursine, primate, rodents, and insectoids." Erika bowed as she completed her report and took her seat again.


    During her speech, Hadrix and the other grandmasters had been flipping through the notebooks containing the basic profiles of the beasts. "Good work Master Erika." He commended. "The next week is going to be quite busy for everyone as the animals get acclimated to their new stables. We also need to flesh out these profiles more, get the weights and measurements of the animals and continue to document any further changes as they move further into their transition. The challenge of taking a crop of magical animals through the transition into their bestial forms is daunting but I have faith that the six of you will rise to the challenge and I have no doubt that in a few years you will all be wearing the black robes of a grandmaster."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "It is important to remember in these early stages to instill obedience in the animals but it is equally important to both encourage their animalistic qualities while simultaneously discouraging attempts to cling to their previous humanity. This is the reason we strip them of human accoutrements, such as their clothes and names. With that final word of advice, I will bid you all goodnight." Hadrix stood along with the rest of the grandmasters and they left the red-robed masters to plan the next steps in their final test.


    ***


    Mark had spent the afternoon tugging at the chain and the collar around his neck. He paced in circles in a panic, as much as one could pace on their hands and knees. His manic attempts to escape eventually subsided as dusk set in. His heartbeat slowed as he breathed in deeply, forcing himself to survey his cage with a rational mind. The first thing he noticed was that he was kneeling in a sandpit that took up most of the stall. There was a narrow deck of stone on the back of the cage with a short metal bar protruding from the only wall that wasn''t transparent. When Mark shuffled over he saw four circles set into a square pattern in front of the bar. The arrangement was identical to the white room, and Mark could only surmise that the equipment served the same purpose of restricting his movement and holding him in place.


    Through the leftmost wall, Mark could see a room filled with chests and boxes, some of which were open, displaying a variety of supplies. No matter how he thought Mark couldn''t discern the purpose of the tools. A portion of the leftmost wall bulged out in a hollow column that was filled with some sort of red liquid that reminded Mark of fruit juice. A tube protruded from the base of the column into Mark''s cage. Next to it was a long empty stone box. The more Mark studied the contraption the more it seemed familiar. His eyes widened as realization struck. The box was a feeding trough, like the one that could be found in stables. As for the column, it reminded him of the water bottle that attached to the cage of the class hamster.


    "Finally calmed down have you boy?" The sudden question made Mark jump and he whirled around to stare at the cell on his right as he realized it was occupied. A bald teenager regarded Mark through vertically slit pupils from where he sat in the darkened corner of his own stall.


    "Who are you?" Mark demanded, a growl slipping out involuntarily.


    The man moved forward in an oddly graceful movement, entering the light and Mark''s jaws dropped at the sight of the snake tail that had replaced the lower half of his body. He was covered in a fine patina of scales rather than skin. Around his neck was a steel collar much like the one Mark was wearing. He slithered up to the stall studying the new arrival without blinking. "I am 88427, some times known as Slithers. My human name was Drew Hanson. With how new you are they must have held the awakening ceremony today. That makes it three years to the day since I began my own transition."


    Mark shivered at the confirmation that this had been going on for years without the outside world realizing it. With the setting of the sun, he realized that he was much colder then just a simple lack of clothes would indicate. "Drew right? I''m Mark. Can you tell me what''s going on? And why is it so cold in here?" His teeth chattered.


    "The answer to the first question is quite complex but the second is much easier. With the exception of the aquatic areas, paddocks are all kept at a temperature just below freezing. In mammals, it encourages the growth of fur and feathers as protection from the elements, since we have been stripped of our clothes. Since reptiles like us are cold-blooded the low temperature keeps us nice and docile."


    "But we''ll freeze to death." Mark protested.


    "That will not happen, Mark. You see the other reason the temperature is so low is to encourage us to take in plenty of fluids." Drew indicated the liquid-filled column in Mark''s stall, and the one on the opposite side of his own stall. "That is the only form of liquid they give us. It''s a mixture of several potions, primarily it speeds up the transformation process from human to animal."


    "Then why drink it!?" Mark cried out.


    "For one thing it''s laced with a warmth potion so that we won''t, as you say, freeze to death. There are also a number of pain killers mixed into it that can at least dull some of the pain of transformation. Without it, we would likely go completely mad from the pain alone. Besides the transformations continue regardless, the potion just speeds up the process, on the order of years rather than decades."


    "Bessidesss." A second voice came from the stall across from Mark and he turned to see a man crawl up to the wall he was bald and covered in deep green scales but otherwise still looked human. When he spoke though a forked tongue slipped out from between his lips. "If you refusse to eat or drink, they''ll leave you in the limb sshacklesss and forssse feed you." He hissed and then introduced himself belatedly. "My number isss 9027, I wasss onsse called Barry."


    In the cell beside Barry, which was the stall diagonally across from Mark, was a boy with dark brown hair. He was curled up into a ball his back towards the others, an odd slightly raised pattern spotted his bare-back and he kept moaning in a barely audible voice. "Not me, not me, this can''t be happening to me. Not me man, not me."


    Barry rolled his eyes dismissing his panicked neighbour. "I ssuggessst that you get ssome of that potion in you now Mark. It getsss colder at night."


    Mark turned to look at the water tank and studied the tube, he grabbed it and tried tugging at it to see if he could get some of the potion out of the tank. Drew sighed behind him. "You have to suck at it with your mouth Mark. It''s one of the ways that they encourage you to act like an animal. Animals don''t eat or drink with their hands after all." Mark looked over and watched as Drew glided over to his own tank. He had to lie down completely as he bit down on the plastic tubing and sucked at it like a babe at its mother''s teat.


    Blushing with shame Mark wondered if he could afford not to drink. A chilly evening breeze blowing over the open top of his stall changed his mind. That and the reminder of Barry''s warning about being further chained and force-fed encouraged Mark to place the tube in his mouth and suck at it like a straw. As the red liquid travelled into his mouth his body noticeably warmed up, as if he was sitting beside a warm fire. It made Mark wonder if he was already becoming cold-blooded, losing his ability to produce his own body heat. The potion tasted similar to the one that had caused his initial transformation but didn''t cause pain. Instead, a soothing sensation spread throughout his body relieving him of the dull ache as well as the sharper pain at his shoulder and hip joints as well as his throat.


    As the moon rose lights came on in the hallways as well as a single small light on the back wall of each stall. They weren''t very bright, more like night lights than anything else. Mark continued to talk with Barry and Drew eventually the fourth boy, who he learned was named Jake, calmed down and joined the conversation. Questioning the older victims about what they could expect in the coming days.


    "Right now, just get as much sleep as you can." Drew ended the conversation, having done most of the talking so that Barry could rest his changing vocal cords.


    "All right. One last question then." Jake sulked. "Where''s the toilet?"


    At that question, Mark looked around his stall and noticed that one item was conspicuously absent from the cage. There wasn''t even a pot for them to use. Although, Mark realized that even if there was a chamber pot he would be unable to use it since he couldn''t stand or sit properly without being electrocuted.


    "Toilets are for people, not animals." Drew''s voice took on a snooty accent as he imitated one of the Beast Tamers who cared for him. "You''ll just have to make do with the sandpit in your room. Pick a corner and use it as a bathroom. Just make sure to bury any mess that you make. The smell can get really bad as your sense of smell gets stronger."


    Mark stared at Drew''s shadowy form with wide eyes. "I am not going to live in what is basically a giant litter box." He snapped, growling.


    "I had the same thought once upon a time." The half-snake sighed in defeat. "But you can''t hold it in forever. Eventually, everyone has to go."


    Shivering, Mark took another drink from the water tank to warm himself up. He laid down on the sand, piling some of it up into a makeshift pillow, and tried to forget that last piece of advice from Drew. He clung desperately to the fading pieces of his humanity as he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 4 Pet

    Despite the poor conditions Mark slept deeply once he drifted off. The sound of chattering voices woke him at dawn. "What a nightmare." Mark thought, his eyes still closed. His brow wrinkled as he heard a voice listing off names and barking orders. He shifted in place and felt the soft give of sand beneath his body. Mark''s eyes snapped open in horror at the realization that the events of yesterday weren''t a dream. He had shifted position in his sleep. No longer were his arms and legs splayed out around him. Instead, Mark discovered that they were tucked under his body and he was curled up much like a dog.


    At the end of the corridor, the gate leading to the courtyard creaked open and a group of young Beast Tamers strode into the room. Most of them were dressed in the white clothes of a Novice. The oldest ones were around Mark''s own age of fifteen, about half of them were even a year or two younger. Alongside them were two apprentices and a pair of older journeymen. The older novices split away from the group and headed towards Barry and Drew''s cages. The apprentices grabbed the chains and detached it from the floor with practiced ease and lead the older pair of half beasts out into the hall.


    "Come Slithers." The apprentice leading Drew away, clicked his tongue. "Time for some exercise." As the pair were lead down the corridor and out into the courtyard, the novices they left behind got to work. Mark stared at the one in Drew''s stalls as she grabbed a long rake and began combing through the sandpit. Every time she found a lump she would scoop it up and toss it into the bucket beside her. The action was familiar to Mark, and he realized she was cleaning the sandpit in much the same way one would clean their cat''s litterbox.


    On the far side of Drew''s stall, was a stall filled with supplies just like the one next to Mark. He noticed that the stalls were laid out in rows of four on either side of the corridor. With supply stalls or tack rooms, on either end and a pair of cells in the middle. A second novice was in Drew''s tack room. First, he touched a hand to the wall, opening a gap near the bottom of the force field, before reaching down and tugging the feeding trough into the tack room and filling it with some sort of steaming mix of meat and vegetables. Once the trough was full he pushed it back through the force field and touched the shield, causing the transparent wall to solidify once again. After that, he tapped a finger to the water tank causing a hole to open and the red liquid to pour out and down a drain. The novice filled and emptied the tank with water three times, rinsing it out thoroughly. A second tap on the tank closed the hole and he filled it with water one last time and tossed in a series of large tablets. The tablets fizzed and dissolved into the water, causing it to take on its original crimson hue.


    The stone walls on either end of the corridor boxed in their field of vision. If Mark looked to his right he could see the courtyard that was filling up with blue and green garbed Beast Tamer''s leading half beasts away from their stalls. To his left, the corridor ended at what looked like a stone building. Mark wondered idly what its purpose was. His attention was drawn back to the remaining Beast Tamers. The younger novices had all grouped up around the journeymen, listening to their speech.


    "Alright, you six will be split into teams of three and will be charged with caring for the new animals. Derrik, Harkon, and Jasmine you''ll be looking after 91364. Make sure you note any further changes in their physiology. Any behavioural issues should be reported to Journeyman Riley." The journeyman that was speaking jabbed a finger at the black-haired woman beside him. "She''ll decide if it is a desired trait and what measures need to be taken to discourage or reinforce such behaviour. Sasha, Mina, and Talin you three will be caring for 91161. Again, note any changes in physiology and inform me of behavioural issues. I am Journeyman Valda."


    Journeyman Riley continued Valda''s speech. "Each team of novices will be in charge of three aspects of care for your animals. That would be feeding and watering, cleaning the stall, and grooming. You will be expected to rotate duties so that no one spends too much time on shit duty. For now, training and exercise will be handled by the two of us. When we determine what class of magical beast we are dealing with, that may change. Low-class beasts can be handled by novices like you, in which case a fourth member will be added to your teams. If it''s a middle-class beast then an apprentice will take over for us. If we are so lucky as to be caring for a high-class animal then we will continue handling their training. Any questions?"


    One of the boys raised his hand. "What are the odds of ending up with a low-class beast?"


    "It''s about a twenty-five percent chance Derrik," Valda answered the boy. "We''re lucky to be working with the reptiles, the feline and canine sections have a sixty percent chance to produce a low-class beast."


    "Where are all the girls?" A novice with bouncy blonde curls asked curiously.


    "The females are kept in a different paddock Novice Sasha," Riley stressed the word female. "In the stables, we separate the magical beast first by their type and then by their gender. Males are stabled in Paddocks B, D, F, etc... Females are stabled in Paddocks A, C, E, and so on."


    A second girl, with long silky black hair, raised her hand. "I know the collars are enchanted to discourage humanistic behaviour and disobedience. But won''t the electricity damage their bodies?"


    Valda smiled. "A very good question Miss Mina. The answer is no, it won''t harm them. The collars are designed to interface with the nervous system and the mind. When they sense what we consider bad behaviour they activate the body''s pain receptors. It''s a sort of phantom pain. So you see they aren''t actually being electrocuted it just feels like they are. Of course, there are degrees of punishment. Any attempt at self-harm, for example, will result in enough pain to knock them unconscious on the spot. Before we developed the collars a certain number of animals would commit suicide every year. That is no longer a problem."


    Riley clapped her hands together. "Now that we''re done with questions lets get to know our new pets shall we?" The woman herded her trio of novices into Jake''s stall. The poor boy had backed up into the corner as far as his chain would allow him.


    Valda had brought his own trio, two girls and a boy towards Mark''s stall. The Journeyman looked down at a clipboard he was holding. "Before we enter the stall lets see what the profile says about this beast. Number: 91161, Designation: None, Gender: Male, Genus: Reptilia, Species: Unknown. Physical Changes Stage 1: Hip and shoulder joints have shifted position to better accommodate the gate of a quadruped. So we know it''s probably not going to be a snake of any sort. The spinal cord has begun to lengthen, and there is evidence of a tail beginning to grow. Lastly, the vocal cords have begun to change causing its voice to be deeper, raspier, and more animalistic. Now, what does that tell us?" The Journeyman asked his novices.


    The sole boy in the trio, a redhead, raised his hand. "It means that it won''t be able to speak soon?"


    "Correct Talin. Once the vocal cords begin to transform the animal in question has a harder time managing human speech and will shortly lose the ability altogether. Generally, this occurs within a year of the vocal cords beginning to change. Although the more they use their voice, the quicker the change occurs." Valda smiled at the boy in approval.


    Within the stall, Mark heard every word that was said. His jaws snapped shut and he clutched at his throat in dread as the words sank in. He was already growling and snarling like a beast, and soon enough that would be all he could do. As Valda finished speaking, he entered the stall and unclipped the chain from the floor. "Let''s get some hands-on experience." He declared tugging at Mark''s chain. He led the boy out of the stall and turned in the opposite direction from the courtyard leading them into the stone building at the end. The novices trailed behind them like ducklings after their mother.


    The interior of the building was white with one long bar running down the center. It looked like a miniature version of the hall where their clothes had been cut off of them. Jake''s chain had already been clipped to the bar and his limbs secured. On the other side of the bar, two more boys had been secured, Mark noticed a second door on that side and realized they must have been brought in from another pen. Those boys both sported flaking skin, revealing a layer of hide that was growing beneath the skin. The boy on the right had grey spots showing where his skin had peeled off, while the boy on Mark''s left sported green patches.


    As Mark was clipped to the bar and his limbs shackled to the floor once again Valda continued to lecture his novices. "Today we are going to get to know our new charge and fill out more of its profile. We need to get the current weight and measurements of 91161 so we have a starting point. Once a week you will check to see if it has gained or lost weight, shrunk or grown, and note any changes in its profile. Getting its weight is quite easy, there are sensors embedded in the limb shackles so we just need to call up the enchantment." Valda tapped the bar and a screen of light appeared showing a series of numbers. The journeyman looked down at his clipboard and wrote down the results. "Weight 56 kilograms. Now, you two girls take this measuring cord. Talin could you take the clipboard?This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The boy took the clipboard and looked down at the chart. "Height, floor to shoulders." He called out. Sasha and Mina began measuring Mark, calling out numbers for Talin to note down. In response, Talin would call out the next measurement.


    "Length, nose to tail... Journeyman Valda, he doesn''t have a tail." Talin said.


    "But it is growing one. This measurement is for total length so you don''t need to worry about it." Valda reassured the boy. The girls moved, calling out the results and they continued on with their task.


    "Shoulder width."


    "Waist girth."


    "Left foreleg length."


    "Right foreleg length."


    At first, Mark leaned away from the impersonal touch of the girls. However, every time he did the collar would set off another round of pain. Eventually, he just remained still with his head hung low, numbed to the injustice of the situation. Mark looked up as they began to measure his head. His eyes widened in recognition as he got his first good look at the novice with the blonde curls. He had thought she just had the same name but it really was Sasha. The same Sasha from their year whose magic had manifested six months ago.


    "Sasha?" He cried. "What are you doing here? Can''t you see what sort of monsters these people are? They did this to your sister too you know!?"


    For the first time, Sasha really looked at 91161. "You''re, Mark right?" She tilted her head to the side.


    The second the words slipped out her mouth Valda snapped at her. "That is enough Novice Sasha. 91161 hasn''t been given a designation yet. The name it used when it was human no longer applies. I know you were taken from the trainees when your magic manifested. Talin and Mina are at least third-generation Beast Tamers. They know the rules. I take it you knew 91161 as a trainee?"


    "Yes, sir. We were in the same class until I manifested my magic six months ago. I apologize for forgetting myself." Sasha bowed her head.


    Valda studied the fourteen-year-old and nodded in satisfaction. "So long as this does not happen again. If it does you will have to be transferred to a different team. One you weren''t acquainted with in your training. Now, what was that about your sister?"


    "I have a twin sister, Journeyman Valda. We were both recruited from the borderlands. My magic manifested, Natalia''s didn''t." She answered briefly, her eyes downcast.


    "I see. I suppose it would be more accurate to say that you had a twin sister. Everyone who failed to manifest from your year was put through the awakening ceremony yesterday. No one backed out. Don''t let your grief get in the way of advancing your profession."


    "Yes, sir. It won''t happen again." Sasha nodded resolutely.


    Shocked, Mark stared at her. Sasha was still the bubbly, sweet-natured, slightly vain girl he used to know. But over the course of six months, her empathy had been utterly subsumed. Grief, Valda had called it and Sasha agreed. Treating her sister as though she had already died. After the brief interlude, the novices finished taking Mark''s measurements and Talin returned the clipboard to Valda.


    "Alright, you three. Now that we''ve taken 91161''s measurements. Let''s give it it''s first grooming, and don''t forget to shave it. As a reptile, it''s going to lose all of its hair when its hide comes in anyway, best to get it over with now. " Valda declared.


    What followed was the most humiliating experience Mark had ever had. Sure they had treated him like an animal for the past day but this was somehow worse. They were bathing him like a dog. Buckets of soapy water sluiced off of Mark''s back. His ears were washed, fingernails cleaned, and they even had the gall to wash his privates. Mark crouched down on the floor, his face flushed bright red. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Somehow not having to watch what they were doing to him made the situation more bearable. When all the dirt and sand were washed off of him they soaked cloths in some sort of dark brown potion and rubbed it all over, allowing the potion to seep into his skin. One of the Novices shortened the chain, forcing Mark to stretch out his neck and keep it perfectly still. His eyes snapped open as the buzz of a razor echoed in the room. They began running it over his head, shaving him. Mark watched in despair as locks of light brown hair drifted to the ground.


    ***


    Similar scenes were playing out all throughout the warren of stables that housed the animals, all in various stages of transformation. Those familiars that had completed the transition from human to animal were housed in another complex. One accessible to the trainees so that they could get some hands-on training. Unaware that their own fate was to become exactly like the very beasts they tended. In the avian section, a girl, her dark hair changed into feathers, was laying on a swaying platform suspended from chains. The floor of her cage was covered in foot deep water. The cages next to her had a similar setup but the older more animalistic beasts had smaller platforms. One of them had the water drained from the floor and a wooden pillar was placed in the room fake branches jutting out at intervals for the brightly plumed harpy to perch on.


    The aquatic area had larger cages, separated into sections. A dry area, a shallow channel to swim through, and a massive aquarium. A splash was heard as a boy was pushed back into the aquarium. He pushed up from the bottom, trying to surface but bars stopped him a foot from the surface. He was bald, his head newly shaven, on his neck slits for gills opened and closed taking in oxygen from the water. His hands and feet were webbed and his skin had taken on a slightly bluish tint.


    The herbivore section was filled with the lowing of beasts. A boy sat on the corner of his straw-covered floor staring at his curled up hands. He tried to spread his fingers but his fists refused to cooperate. His fingers were fusing together and into his palms. The skin had slightly hardened, taking on a dark coloration. His feet were doing something similar, curling in on themselves. The boy faced the fact that he was growing hooves.


    ***


    Valda chained Mark back up in his stall. The boy noticed that Drew and Barry had returned to their stalls. The pair both looked like they were sleeping, curled up on large dark stones in their stalls. Something Mark''s own cage lacked. The Journeyman turned to Sasha, Mina, and Talin. "Now that we''ve gotten to know 91161 does anyone have a name for it? Remember the name can be changed easily since at this point we have no idea what sort of animal we''ve been put in charge of. At this point in their development, you should think of a designation that can be used as a term of endearment. A permanent name will be given once they have completed the transition to their animal form."


    Mina''s hand shot into the air. "Ooh! I know a good one. Let''s call him Pet. It''s easy to remember and we won''t have to change it like we would if we, say called him Blackie and then he goes and develops a white coloration when his skin comes in. That happened to my sister with her first beast, except it was a dog, so fur."


    "Any objections?" Valda queried the other two.


    Sasha shrugged indifferently while Talin chuckled. "It''s a bit of a pun, isn''t it? The pet name for the pet is Pet. I like it."


    "Alright. Pet it is." Valda noted the name down in 91161''s profile. "You won''t need to change his potion or clean out the pen until tomorrow morning so we''ll feed him now and then the three of you can head off to lunch. I suggest you check your new schedules and work out who does what and when, while still leaving time for your classes." Valda moved into the tack room and showed them how to pull the feeding trough through the force field. He stepped up to one of the chests and opened it causing steam to waft into the air. "These lockboxes are spelled to keep their contents fresh. In the case of cooked food, it''s like it came right out of the oven. Now, since Pet''s digestive tract has yet to change he still needs to eat the same food as a human. So portion out some meat, bread, and a variety of veggies. Make sure you give him plenty, it won''t go to waste."


    The feeding trough was pushed back through the wall and Valda walked out of the pen. "Bye Pet." Mina stepped into the stall and scratched him behind his ear. "Make sure you eat lots. I''ll come to check on you right after dinner." She closed the stall door behind her and raced to catch up with Talin and Sasha, humming cheerfully to herself. Today was such a great day. She got her very first real assignment. She was just sure he was going to turn into an absolutely magnificent Magical Animal.


    When the courtyard gate closed behind them the only sound that could be heard was Jake''s weeping from his stall. Not only had he been put through the same experience as Mark the skin on his back had begun to flake off exposing a hardened surface. The boy was also developing a hunch. Mark looked over and realized that some sort of shell was beginning to grow from Jake''s back.


    Barry looked over at the other boy. "Turtle." He declared, uttering only a single word. He was trying to slow down the transformation of his vocal cords and speak as little as possible. Mark immediately decided to follow suit.


    "Or tortoise." Drew concurred. "Although, if Jake ends up becoming a turtle they''ll probably change the sandpit for a swimming pool. He won''t develop gills so they won''t move him to the aquatic section." He looked over at Mark. "So two snakes in our pen, one turtle, and one... something. We still don''t know what you''re going to turn into."


    "Does it really matter." Mark sighed. There was a sort of resigned fury in his voice. "Either way I won''t be human anymore." He looked up at the transparent walls around him. In the light of day, he glimpsed his own distorted reflection. A silent mockery of what he was turning into.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 5 The Beast Tamer

    The gate closed, blocking off Mark''s view of the courtyard. His world was once again limited to the stalls and tack rooms in their pen. The only indication of a world outside these walls was the blue sky high above, distant and unreachable, alongside the call of animals mixed with the occasional cry for help. Jake joined in with the noise, screaming to be heard.


    Mark clapped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the cacophony. Barry was much less understanding. "Would you ssstop that pointlesss noisse!?" He hissed.


    The boy flinched away from Barry''s monstrous appearance. "But... but..."


    Drew sighed. "Barry is correct Jake. No one is going to come and save us from this. Even if they did, nothing can stop the transition once it has begun. The Rahan mountains were ceded to the Order of the Beast Tamers centuries ago. These mountains have long since become their own independent nation. The numbers they gave all of us are proof that no one is coming to save us."


    Mark looked up from his inspection of the feeding trough. To his eyes, it looked like far too much food even for a growing teenage boy. "Our numbers?" He asked.


    "I told you before. My number is 88427, it means that I am the four-hundred-twenty-seventh member of the eighty-eighth batch of animals created at this retreat. the two of you are from the ninety-first batch. Barry is from the year ahead of you, batch ninety."


    "Batch ninety-one," Mark said to himself. "Antica Retreat is just over a hundred years old." He remembered that last year they had held a huge feast in celebration of the hundredth year since the retreats founding.


    "When they build a new retreat, the first decade is spent setting up infrastructure. Buildings and pens need to be built, enchantments laid, a self-sustaining food supply established. You get the idea."


    Mark''s stomach rumbled, interrupting the conversation. For the first time, he noticed how famished he was having not eaten anything since breakfast yesterday. His stomach cramped, demanding food. In his own cage, Jake snatched up a piece of bread and gnawed at it. "Why am I so hungry all of a sudden?" He demanded between bites.


    Despite his cramps, Mark paused to stuff the bread with meat and vegetables, making a sort of sandwich. He tore off large bites of it and waited for Drew or Barry to answer the question.


    "Our bodies need food to fuel the transformation, a lot of it. They don''t bother to feed you on the first day, because the awakening potion has enough nutrients to get you through the first twenty-four hours. After that, they give you just enough food to get to your next meal."


    "Just enough?" Mark asked, looking at the food as he made a second sandwich, having scarfed down the first. "There''s at least twice as much here as I could eat."


    "Jussst enough," Barry assured him.


    Drew nodded, his long tail curled into a spiral and he rested his upper body on it like a makeshift bed. "If you show signs of turning into a large beast the meals will get even bigger. At least it''s still normal food. Things get really awkward once you''re digestive system changes. That''s when they start feeding you the same stuff as what an animal would eat. It''s another way that they take away our identities as people. No plates, bowls, cups or utensils. Eventually, we won''t be able to eat with our hands either."


    "What!?" Jake squawked, half choking on his food.


    "What would you exsspect Flipper Boy?" Barry taunted Jake. "Turtlesss don''t have hands, much lesss fingers or opposssable thumbs."


    "You''re still better off than the two of us. Snakes don''t even have arms." Drew examined his own scale clad limbs. His legs had merged into a tail last year, and his arms would be gone soon enough as well.


    Jake blushed and looked down. "You don''t have to be mean about it." He muttered.


    "Apologies, but Barry is having a hard time getting a handle on his new, more aggressive tendencies. He''s not the best company right now." Drew explained his eyes closed as he languished in the noon sun, trying to take in as much warmth as possible.


    Mark cocked his head to the side, thinking of something. "How old are you anyways Jake?"


    "..."I just turned eleven." Jake admitted.


    "That means you would have been eight, three years ago. The Beast Tamers only take ten to thirteen-year-olds." Mark noted.


    The turtle-boy sighed. "I lied about my age. I''ve always looked older than I really am, and our family really needed the money. So I thought, why not? Biggest mistake of my life."


    ***


    Mina


    "So we''re in agreement?" Mina asked as she stowed away her dirty dishes and left the cafeteria, Sasha and Talin beside her. "I''ll take grooming for the first week, Sasha can feed Pet, and Talin will clean the stall."


    The red-haired boy crossed his arms, pouting. "Why do I have to be the first one on poop duty?" He mumbled.


    Sasha laughed, fluffing her blonde curls. "You wouldn''t let two pretty girls such as ourselves take it first, would you Talin?" She flirted.


    Talin''s cheeks turned as red as his hair. "Fine. But how are we going to rotate duties?" He asked.


    "Our hero." Mina''s lip curled upwards. "We''ll switch every week. I''ll clean out the stalls during the second week, Talin will be in charge of nutrition, and Sasha will take grooming. Week three we all take the one duty we haven''t tried yet. And then the cycle starts again."


    Talin mulled over the black-haired girl''s proposal and shrugged. "Works for me."


    The trio entered their classroom and found their seats as their fellow novices drifted in. Instead of individualized desks, they sat at long tables with just enough chairs for a single team of three to sit at. Mina took out her textbook and glanced at her schedule. This afternoon was General Familiar Studies, followed by Reptile Care, then dinner. They only had two classes but they were both two hours long. At least the subjects were relevant. Mina grimaced and looked at tomorrow''s schedule, History, Algebra, Elemental Magic, and Alchemy. Her thoughts were interrupted as someone slammed their book bag down on their table. The loud noise causing Mina to jump as she looked up at the table in front of theirs.


    The trio of boys could have been brothers they looked so alike. They were all tall, tanned, and beefy with brown hair. The one in the middle instantly zeroed in on Sasha. "Well look what we have here boys. If it isn''t the local bubble brain. Hey bubble brain, guess what we saw in our pen this morning. Your sister is turning into a cow, she''s already got an udder and everything. Maybe we should start calling you four teats instead." He brayed, and his teammates laughed as if they had heard the funniest thing ever.


    Sasha sunk back in her seat. While Talin glared at the older and larger bullies, his hands clenched into fists. Mina eyed the trio of bullies coldly. She wasn''t sure why the boys had it out for Sasha, especially the middle one. Like Sasha he was recruited from the outside, they were even from the same class even though he had come into his magic almost two years ago. "Why don''t you leave Sasha alone Finn Tarker? If I were you I would be more worried about my failing grades. If you can''t pass GFS they''ll reassign your beast to another team."


    Finn leaned over the desk. Shoving his face close to Mina. "What do my grades have to do with you, Teacher''s Pet?" He taunted, he didn''t know Mina well but he did know she had some of the best grades in their year. "It''s none of your business."


    "If you''re going to keep bullying my teammate then I''ll make it my business." Mina shot back frostily. Her anger was a cold sharp thing. No one bullied her friends and got away with it.


    The older boy smirked. "Maybe I should be bullying you instead?" Finn drawled.


    As soon as the words left his mouth his own teammates tugged him away from Mina. "Back off Finn. Messing with that girl is a good way to kill your future. That''s MinaEstrall." The boy on the right emphasized Mina''s surname as if it explained everything.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Finn gazed blankly at the pair, waiting for an explanation. "The daughter of Master Beast Tamer Erika, the woman in charge of this year''s crop of Magical Beasts? The Grand-daughter of Retreat Head Hylie? The youngest daughter of the lord of Aman city. That, Mina Estrall?"


    Mina''s green eyes narrowed on the older trio. Normally she didn''t like throwing around her family name. But she was willing to make an exception if it got this neanderthal off of Sasha''s back. The argument might have escalated if the teacher hadn''t chosen to walk into the room that very instant. The teacher clapped her hands. "All right, class take your seats. Let''s get started."


    Under the shuffling sounds of teenagers getting seated and taking out their textbooks, Sasha tugged lightly on Mina''s sleeve, "Thank you." She whispered gratefully, looking at Mina with big brown eyes.


    "It''s nothing," Mina assured her, her cheeks turning slightly red. "We''re a team, aren''t we? If they keep bullying you, your grades will drop."


    Talin sighed. "All I could think to do was punch the moron. That would have just made things worse."


    "Alright, no more chit chat." The teacher declared, hands on her hips. "I am Madam Toreux and I will be your professor for General Familiar Studies, or GFS as we like to call it. I also teach Avian Care to first and second-year novices, so those of you with an affinity for winged beasts will be seeing plenty more of me over the course of the next two years. I have a few announcements to make before we dive into the thick of things. First is that an apex familiar has already been discovered among this crop of magical beasts. Please give a hand to Novice Cerra who will be a member of the team in charge of its care."


    The class clapped obediently when a short-haired girl stood up from where she was sitting alone at the front of the classroom. It was brilliant news that an apex familiar had already been found but normally they would be congratulating a team, not just a single novice. When the applause died down Madam Toreux continued her announcement. "The familiar in question is a Chimera and thus falls under multiple genera. A chimera as we know it is a magical beast with the head of a lion, the lower body and horns of a goat, and the tail of a snake. She was originally stabled with the felines but has since been moved to the Apex paddocks. A new team will need to be formed to handle her care. Novice Cerra will remain with the team, so we need two new members, one with an affinity for reptiles, and another with an affinity for herbivores. If you hear your name being called please stand up and join Novice Cerra."


    Madam Toreux looked at her class list studying it briefly. "Lux Vadgar." She called, in response a boy at the back of the class gathered his books and strutted up the aisle, nose lifted in the air. "Mina Estrall."


    Despite the fact that Mina heard her name she remained seated, and crossed her arms. "With all due respect Madam Toreux, I would prefer to stay with my own team." Mina turned down the change in assignments firmly.


    "Are you quite sure of yourself Miss. Estrall? Most Beast Tamers would kill for the chance to work with an Apex familiar."


    "I would rather not receive special treatment because of my family connections ma''am," Mina answered cooly, glancing at Lux and Cerra, both the grandchildren of high ranking Elders. "I''ll prove myself on my own."


    The teacher lifted an eyebrow and smiled in approval. She hadn''t wanted to give the chance to well connected first years but the year head had insisted. Since Mina had turned down the chance on her own she could now choose someone else. "Very well then. Graydon Carver." The last choice set off some chatter among the students. Much like Sasha, Graydon Carver was a first-generation Beast Tamer, recruited from outside the Rahan mountains. Working with an Apex familiar would be a huge chance for the boy.


    With the announcement and new team assignment out of the way, she could now focus on teaching. "Alright class, let''s start off by answering some quick questions."


    The novices groaned at the thought of a quiz on the very first day of class. Madam Toreux shook her head. "Now, now, I promise these questions are all easy, basic knowledge. First question, what is a Beast Tamer?"


    Cerra stuck her hand in the air. "A Beast Tamer is a magic user with the ability to speak with and compel animals of all sorts and sizes. Weak, inexperienced beast tamers can only command simple animals while stronger, trained ones can compel even the greatest of magical beasts."


    Madam Toreux nodded. "Correct, Novice Cerra. Second question, if a Beast Tamer can command all kinds of animals. Why do we sort our selves into different types of Beast Tamers, depending on our affinity?"


    "Because it is impossible for any single Beast Tamer to know everything there is to know about every single kind of Magical Beasts. That''s why we specialize." A boy at the back of the class called out, not bothering to raise his hand.


    "You''re half right Novice Jordan. Yes, I can see you back there. Now, what did he leave out?"


    Sighing, Mina raised her own hand. "We define affinities by how difficult it is to compel a particular type of magical animal. A Beast Tamer will almost always specialize in the genus which they have the easiest time interacting with. It is possible to specialize in other affinities but it''s a lot more difficult to progress with them. My best affinity is for reptiles, but I also have strong affinities with aquatic and avian species. So I could specialize in them. I couldn''t, however, choose to specialize in canines or insects because my affinity is too poor."


    "Exactly correct Novice Mina. We are all born with an affinity for animals, some more so than others. A Beast Tamer specializes according to their affinity. Not the other way around. Affinities are also often hereditary, although outliers have been known to happen. Last question now. What do affinities mean to the rest of the world? What do they mean to the nations outside the Rahan Mountains?"


    The class was silent, stumped at the question. Madam Toreux smiled, that question almost always tripped up a new class. "Their affinities determine what type of familiar a magic user is most suited towards. In the case of the stock, we bring in from the outside disguised as trainees, it also determines the general type of animal they will become."


    Graydon put up his hand. "Why does the Order of Beast Tamers keep transforming humans? Why don''t we use the stock we have to breed our own magical beasts?" At his question, the other first gens in the room slouched down in their seats trying not to draw attention to themselves. If their own magic hadn''t awakened they would have been part of the stock after all, and the boy''s question could be taken as a form of defence for the animals.


    "There are two reasons we continue to get our stock from transforming humans Novice Graydon." Madam Toreux answered, cheerfully ignoring the awkward atmosphere. "The first reason is that magical beasts that started off as humans are more intelligent than their naturally born counterparts. Natural magical beasts gain intelligence as they age, only the very old and powerful ones develop intellect that matches or in some cases exceeds that of a human being. And, I''m sad to say, many of the weaker magical beasts never get the chance to develop that intelligence, having lifespans that are only marginally longer than their magicless brethren. So you see a magical beast that was produced from the transformation of a human is of higher quality than those naturally born beasts."


    She paused to allow the class to take in the new information before continuing. "The second reason is more political in nature I''m afraid. Control. Ever since wild Magical Beasts died out the Order of the Beast Tamers has become the sole supplier of magical beasts to the continent. Whether its selling familiars to magic academies, or reagents to alchemists, or low-class beasts to the armies of the nations. You name it, we supply it. We set the prices, and if someone doesn''t want to meet our prices then they are cut off. It''s how the Order was granted an entire mountain range as our sovereign territory, outside the rule of any Lord or King. Having a monopoly is very nice and none of us want to lose it. So nearly all familiars are spayed or neutered before leaving the Rahan mountain range."


    The first generations winced at the thought of being fixed and once again realized how close a call they had had. "There are exceptions to the rule, however." The teacher said. "Such exceptions include those magical beasts that, for one reason or another will never be sold outside the Rahans. Apex familiars too will never be fixed. Instead they will be spelled to be infertile, and in fact even the urge to procreate will be suppressed. Apex familiars are never sold outright, they are only rented and must be returned to the Rahan''s upon the death of their master. Apex magical animals are incredibly long-lived and thus breed very slowly. So slowly in fact, that even after near on a thousand years since our Order was established only a small handful have reached an age where they can be used as familiars."


    Finn raised his hand. The bully wasn''t stupid, he just wasn''t the most studious student. "Why do we keep feeding them potions? Why don''t we feed them water? It''s cheaper and it''s not like the change is reversible."


    Toreux smirked at the elementary mistake. Normally she liked first-generation tamers, she was one herself after all. But Finn Tarker was something of a problem child. He just refused to apply himself. If he kept this up he was going to be handling the farm animals instead of training familiars. At least he was participating in this class, unlike his previous ones. "As is common knowledge, the animus potion speeds up the changes from human to animal. What isn''t common knowledge is that it can also slow things down. It ensures that the transformations come at a pace and in an order that the subjects changing bodies can bear. Before the animus potion was created by Grandmaster Adelle Estrall," She nodded at Mina as she mentioned her famous ancestor. "We would often see deaths from transformations coming out of order. It was once commonplace for the stock to develop abilities they weren''t ready for. Reptiles, for example, would develop venom glands before they would become resistant to their own venom. Larger magical beasts would literally outgrow their own bodies as their skeletal structure grew and their skin and musculature failed to keep up."


    "Most of all the animus potion stops their magic from emerging until they have completed the transition into their animal forms. Before we started feeding them the potion, accidents of all sorts would occur and there would be a much higher failure rate among the stock. One famous example among Avian specialists is when a young developing phoenix burst into flames before their body developed an immunity to fire. A phoenix, a near-immortal apex familiar, killed by its own flames. So you see why we place so much emphasis on making sure your charges are consuming enough of the potion. Watch the water levels in their tanks like a hawk. If you don''t see it going down then you need to tell the journeymen in charge of your pen immediately."

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 6 Restless Sleep

    "I''m home," Mina called out as she let herself into her grandmother''s villa. The expansive residence was perched on a cliff overlooking the refuge. The first floor of the building was elegantly decorated and used largely to receive visitors, such as high ranking Beast Tamers, members of affluent families and visiting dignitaries from other retreats. Her grandmother used the upper floor as her living quarters. After the excitement of meeting Pet and her first day of classes as an official novice, Mina was exhausted. She made her way up the stairs and entered the first door on her left.


    As she entered the living room the teenager found herself swept up in an exuberant embrace. "Welcome home Little Sis. Was your first day as a novice all you were hoping it would be?" Her older sister asked, still refusing to let Mina go, despite the younger girl''s attempts to escape.


    "You might want to let her breathe first Val." A boy scoffed sarcastically from the other end of the room.


    At his words, the seventeen-year-old looked down and realized Mina''s face was turning red from where it was pressed against her chest. She quickly let go, allowing Mina to lean back and get a decent breath in. Mina rubbed her chest eyeing her sister in exasperation. The oldest of the siblings was brilliant but also somewhat of a scatterbrain. To those who didn''t know her well, Valeria Estrall came off as a bimbo. Physically, Val was every inch the young beauty. She had the same silky black hair and bright green eyes as her little sister and in her late teens, she had curves in all the right places.


    Mina peered around her sister, catching sight of her older brother who was sitting in front of the fireplace. There were text-books and papers spread out on the coffee table in front of him. Unlike his sisters, who looked like miniature versions of their mother, Kane took after their father. He had short platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes hidden by a pair of silver-rimmed spectacles. The glasses gave the fifteen-year-old a distinguished look. Mina had one more brother, a nine-year-old named Zander. The youngest of the siblings was staying with their father in Aman city.


    Aman was one of only four cities owned by the Order of the Beast Tamers that was open to the public. The city and its counterparts were the public face of the Order, travel through the Rahan''s was restricted unless you were a member of the Order. Aman was where people would come to purchase familiars and as a result of its unique circumstances, only fully trained familiars could be found with the city. As a result, the children born and raised in the public cities had to live in one of the inner retreats for their formal education. Mina was luckier than her older siblings. While Valeria and Kane had spent the last several years away from both of their parents, Erika had travelled with Mina to the place of her birth for her Grandmaster Trial.


    Kane gazed calmly at his baby sister, quirking a brow in expectation. "Well Mina, are you going to answer Val''s question?" He queried.


    Mina fidgeted in place. Losing the cool and steady demeanour she projected towards others. "What are you working on Kane?" She questioned her studious brother, attempting to change the subject.


    "I''m working on a paper about aids to help some of the bear type familiars overcome their natural instincts to hibernate throughout the colder months of the year. And you''re not going to distract us that easily. How was your first day?" Kane replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.


    "Yeah, tell us all about it. What''s your first animal like? Is it a boy or a girl? Do they know what it''s going to become yet? It''s a reptile so I bet it will be some kind of snake. What about your teammates? What are they like?" Val babbled happily as she threw herself back down in her own chair by the fire. Mina''s reptilian affinity had come as something of a shock to her family. Kane had taken after their grandmother with his affinity for bears. Val was like their Dad in that her strongest affinity was with canines, while Zander, although still too young to begin formal training, took after their mom with his avian affinity. Mina''s affinity for reptiles had come out of the left field.


    Mina rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. Her teammate Sasha was just as bubbly and optimistic as her older sister, perhaps that was why Mina was so eager to befriend the girl so much. "Today was great. I was assigned to 91161, and we named him Pet. Obviously, he''s male, and no it doesn''t look like he''s a snake of any sort. His limbs are changing to adapt his body for a four-legged gait. My teammates are Talin and Sasha. Sasha is a first-generation Beast Tamer, she just came into her magic a few months ago so she''s had a lot of catching up to do education-wise. Talin is from Jialan Retreat. He and his family just moved to Antica last year." Once she began talking the words just spilled out of her in a rush.


    "Well, I''m glad to see you''re eager to get going, Mina." Her mother spoke as she came into the room with their Grandmother. "But I heard that you turned down the chance to be one of the Chimera''s handlers." Erika''s tone was carefully neutral, neither approving nor disapproving of her daughter''s choice.


    A blush crept over Mina''s cheeks but she stood her ground. "The teams that handle the Apex familiars are never set in stone. If they don''t stay at the top of their class they''ll be replaced quickly. If I''m going to work with an apex familiar then I''ll earn my place, not have it handed to me in a blatant display of nepotism."


    Erika raised an eyebrow as she shrugged out of her knee-length scarlet coat. "It''s still risky. You can''t really prove much of anything if you have the bad luck to be assigned a low-rank familiar. Or worse a trash familiar, like a gecko." She referred to those familiars whose magic was so minor as to be negligible.


    Gran scoffed, rolling her eyes at her daughter. "Ignore your mother sweetheart. She''s still traumatized by the parakeet incident. She had to retake the training aspect of her novice exams because the thing was so useless and timid. Really, Erika, you''re thirty-eight years old now. There''s no reason to go scaring your daughter on her very first day working with a familiar in mid-transition. The odds of getting a trash familiar are the same as the chance of getting an apex familiar, slim to none."


    "Speaking of that, what will you do if your Pet ends up being an Apex familiar squirt? People will just say you got lucky then." Kane drawled from where he sat, flipping through a book on ursine anatomy.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Mina stomped her foot in a display of childish pique. "Then I''ll prove myself by staying on the team. No one will be able to say anything if I take an apex familiar all the way from initial transformation to full training and sale."


    "Kane do not get your sister''s hopes up. Every year there are only two or three familiars in a single crop. If we''re unlucky even less. The last few years have been bad for Antica, this Chimera is the first apex familiar found in almost a decade." Their mother admonished her son.


    Kane huffed out a laugh, contradicting his mother. "You never know. It could happen, so long as the chance isn''t zero anything is possible.


    ***


    Mark


    It had been an entire day since life as he knew it ended. Mark was starting to understand why Drew and Barry slept so much. Part of it was the whole reptile thing, sleeping more and moving slower in the cold, staying still to absorb as much heat from the sun as possible. The other aspect was the sheer boredom of it all. There was nothing to do, except eat, drink, shit, and sleep. Well, they could talk to each other but with two out of four of them trying to avoid using their vocal cords that wasn''t much of an option. Mark spent the afternoon digging in his sandpit, pausing only long enough to keep hydrated. The chain was merged with a metal pillar embedded in the center of the pit, its sides were seamless.


    Digging any kind of deep hole was a thankless task. No matter how much sand he scooped out the loose grains would just pour back into the hole. After a few hours, Mark was covered in dust and sand and still only managed to get down a couple of feet. Around dusk, he finally gave up and crawled out of the pit, dusting himself off as best as he could. He groaned and flopped down on the ground, muscles aching in exhaustion.


    Drew shook his head. "I could have told you that wasn''t going to work. You''re hardly the first to have thought of digging out the pillar the chain is attached to. Most everyone in the reptile area has thought of it at least once or twice."


    Mark panted for air, his heart beginning to slow now that he wasn''t constantly on the move. "Did anyone ever succeed." He gasped out.


    "Nope. The pillar is embedded into the very bedrock. What''s more, the sandpit is really deep. There isn''t enough slack in the chain to dig all the way to the bottom. The best we''ve ever managed is maybe a third of the distance, and even that''s a guess."


    "Great," Mark said sarcastically. Every new revelation hammered in the point that Mark was seriously screwed. The ringing of a distant bell drove him out of the morose daze he had fallen into. Within minutes of the bell, the gate opened and the novices paraded into the room and split off to feed their charges. While Sasha moved into the tack room to fill up the trough Talin and Mina opened the door into Mark''s stall and stepped inside.


    Talin studied the holes that had been dug around the pillar and sighed, he quickly grabbed a shovel from the tack room and returned to fill the holes back up. "Were you playing in the sandpit? You''re such a silly boy. I bet you were bored while we were gone. Did you miss us?" Mina reached out and rubbed the top of his head.


    Mark backed away from the dark-haired girl. Part of him wanted to think she was crazy, acting as though this whole fucked up situation was normal. He remembered that Valda had said she and the boy were third-generation Beast Tamers or more. To them, this was perfectly normal. Sasha''s reaction was more disturbing in that respect. She had only been exposed to this sort of culture for half a year. Part of Mark wanted to argue with the novices, to shout and scream and rail at the predicament he was in. But he had already learned that those pleas would fall on deaf ears. Unlike Colvard, these novices would simply pretend as if he hadn''t spoken at all. Still, he couldn''t stop the growl rising up from deep within his chest as he snarled at the girl. He turned around, showing his back to the trio.


    "He seems pretty hostile to me," Sasha observed as she stepped into the stall.


    "That''s a typical reaction," Talin told her as he walked by to stow away the shovel. "It will lessen once we have his tags, and if we decide to imprint him it will be almost non-existent."


    "Im-printing?" Sasha asked, her head tilting to the side. "What''s that?" While Mark remained with his back turned he listened to the novices talk, desperate for any scrap of information he could use to his advantage.


    "It''s covered in the chapter we''re supposed to read for homework," Mina said. "While imprinting does make an animal in mid-transition more tractable most Beast Tamers don''t go through with it. A Beast Tamer can only imprint one magical beast, so they have to choose carefully. At the very least we''ll have to wait until we know what Pet is. Besides, we couldn''t imprint right now even if we wanted to. His DNA is still mostly human. It will take time for Pet''s animal genetics to assert themselves and replace his original DNA. You can''t imprint until they''re at least halfway through the transition.


    The trio continued there conversation as they closed the stall door and left the pen. The second they left he turned to Drew and Barry. "What''s imprinting?" He demanded.


    Barry and Drew looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously. "Honestly we don''t know. Neither of us has been imprinted. We''ve only heard bits and pieces about it. I don''t even know what genetics and DNA are, although they sound pretty important."


    "You aren''t hiding anything from us are you?" Jake asked suspiciously. He didn''t get along with Barry and seemed to have lumped Drew in by association. "If you haven''t been imprinted your awfully cooperative with these bastards.


    Barry let Drew answer that accusation, rolling his eyes in exasperation at Jake''s paranoia. "No, we aren''t hiding things from you. The things we know we picked up from our handlers talking amongst themselves. They aren''t going to explain themselves to animals. As far as cooperation goes we''ve basically given up. Most do once their appearance is drastically altered. Also, we aren''t just becoming animals in the body, but in the mind as well. The animal in you wants to cooperate, and it''s growing stronger all the time. I''ve heard stories..." Drew frowned, trailing off.


    He wasn''t sure if he should continue but Barry spoke up, finishing his train of thought. "They sssay, that onsse you passss a ssertain point in the transssition the animal becomesss the one who isss dominant."


    Mark''s brow furrowed in thought. "A split personality?" He speculated.


    "No. As the part of us that is animal grows stronger, the part of us that makes us ourselves grows weaker. Eventually, I will be Slithers, and what was once Drew will be nothing more than a lump of knowledge and fading memories of what once was." Drew thumped his chest.


    "You''re just trying to scare us, that''s just a rumour. It won''t actually happen, right?" Jake started off confident but his voice was quivering by the end.


    "It''s hardly been a day since your transformation began. What happens when your halfway through it? What about when the transition is complete? What happens in ten years, or twenty years? What about in thirty years or more, when you''ve been an animal for most of your life. At that point wouldn''t that part of you just seem like an odd dream you had once upon a time?" In the deepening twilight, Drew''s speculations painted a far darker picture then Mark had been imagining for himself. With Drew''s speech lingering in his mind, it was bound to be a long and restless night.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 7 Training

    The sun rose and with it came Mark''s trio of tormentors. He had never been a morning person but he was starting to loathe that big fiery ball in the sky. At least they left him alone at night. Mark was tempted to hide his head in the sand when Talin began cleaning the pen. The food Sasha brought him came as a welcome distraction. He was absolutely ravenous. So hungry in fact that he managed to ignore the novices, focusing only on filling his stomach. No matter how loudly his stomach growled Mark forced himself to keep building sandwichs before he ate the food. It was a way for him to preserve what little dignity he had left. He was so fixated on eating that he didn''t even notice the arrival of Valda until the Journeyman tugged on his chain.


    "It''s good that Pet has such a strong appetite. We could be looking at one of the larger reptiles." Valda murmured, looking at Mark in approval as if he was proud of him. "If his appetite stays this strong we''ll need to exercise him quite a bit." Once more he tugged on the leash. Despite the fact that the line had turned to metal it retained the flexibility of woven leather The chain bore an appearance similar to rope, with many strands twisted together into a greater whole. This gave the chain greater strength than simple metal links bound together.


    Valda led Mark and the novices out into the courtyard. They joined a long line of transformed humans being led from the pens connected to the courtyard. They were all boys in various stages of turning into reptiles. Mark watched them out of the corner of his eyes, noting that a large number were turning into snakes of one type or another. Mark was led down the warren of roads between the courtyards, eventually reaching a large building reminiscent of the arena where he had been altered. The only difference, so far as he could tell, was the lack of audience stands and a roof over the building. It was one amongst many, built at the other end of the maze of pens where they were being held. Mark and the newly changed reptiles were led into a vast open space.


    Mark found himself being led to one of many small circles throughout the room. The journeyman stopped at a table beside the ring picking up a coiled section of metal rope. It was identical to Mark''s short lead. He brought the two pieces of metal near and they merged together giving Mark a longer line of perhaps ten meters. "Alright, today''s training is going to be nice and easy," Valda explained to the novices. "Whoever holds the leash will stand in the center of the ring, and have Pet run laps around the outer perimeter. The transformation will use up any extra nutrients, so he won''t get fat, but we want him to build up some muscle tone. Another reason for this type of simple exercise is that Pet needs to get used to moving on all fours now that he''s no longer bipedal."


    At that announcement, Valda moved to the center of the ring, allowing the line to play out behind him. Mark studied the journeyman suspiciously, wondering idly how they were going to force him to move. This seemed far too easy, there had to be a catch somewhere. When Valda reached the center of the ring he flicked the chain to Mark, the movement of the line caused a low dose of electricity to course down Mark''s back. Mark gnashed his teeth and shook his head, a growl slipping from between his lips, backing away from the journeyman.


    With each flick of the chain, Mark backed further away until he reached the edge of the ring. Looking down at the ground he found that the earth had been packed down tight by the passage of those who had been put through similar ordeals. Valda flicked out the chain causing a stronger burst of pain in Mark''s lower body. He leaped forward instinctively in an attempt to escape the pain. Even though he was unwilling Mark still found himself crawling around the ring as fast as he could. Each time he tried to slow down or move closer to the journeyman, Valda would flick the chain again forcing Mark back into position.


    At first, Mark counted each lap around the ring, but he stopped bothering after they reached lap thirty and showed no signs of stopping. When the first hour passed, Mark was allowed a small break as Valda left the center of the ring passing the line to Mina. "Now you''ve seen how I did it if he slows or tries to tighten the circle you can just flick the line, giving him a little bit of a shock." The black-haired girl waited obediently until the journeyman was outside the ring before she flicked the chain. Mark groaned as the pain cut through his exhaustion and he was off again. Every hour a similar scene would play out as Mina switched with Sasha, and then Sasha traded off with Talin. After four hours of ''exercise'', Mark was exhausted. His skin was slick with sweat, sides heaving as he gasped for air. His arms and legs shook with the effort to stay upright and not just collapse there and then. The worst part of the entire experience was that Valda was right. It did feel more natural to move on all fours.


    The fatigue had pretty much sapped all the fight out of Mark. So when the extra length was removed from his leash and he was led back to his pen Mark was happy to leave. Valda posted a paper sheet on the back of Mark''s tack room. He couldn''t make out what it said, the print was too small for him to read from a distance. "This is the schedule for the first month. Every morning you will bring Pet his morning feed and while he eats one of you will clean his pen. Then you will bring him to Arena R-07 where I will join you. We''ll exercise him for four hours, and then bring him back for grooming, you can finish off the morning by giving Pet his noon meal and head to your own lunch. Once your classes in the afternoon are finished you''ll return here to give Pet his evening feed, as well as a second cursory cleaning of the pen. Once a week we''ll take his weight and measurements again. At the end of the month, we''ll reassess to see if anything needs to be changed. Do all of you understand?"


    "Yes, sir!" The trio called out in unison.


    "Good. For the most part, you can manage Pet''s routine with little interference on my part. But I''ll remind you that any changes in behaviour or appearance need to be reported to me. Generally, you can find me in the administration building for Section 42 if it''s urgent. Otherwise, you can just give me a report during Pet''s training period. Now, I believe you should follow the schedule?" Valda tapped the paper before walking out of the pen.


    The novices gazed after the more experienced Journeyman. Taken aback at the rather abrupt dismissal. Mina shrugged, leading Mark towards the grooming facilities. "Come Pet," She whistled sharply to get the exhausted familiar''s attention. "You can rest soon I promise."


    Groaning, Mark trailed behind her, head hanging low. He wasn''t even flustered at once again being washed like a dog. He was just so damn tired. When Mina was done with grooming him, she scratched him behind the ear again and led him back to his stall. "You''re such a good boy Pet. Look, Sasha has already filled up your feeding bin." Mina crouched down and held the end of the leash close to the floor, allowing it to fuse with the central pillar again. She patted Mark on the head again and closed his stall door behind her. Humming lightly under her breath as she left the pen.


    Mark just wanted to collapse in a heap on the sandy floor but his stomach rumbled, demanding food. He dragged himself over to the trough, scarfing the food as fast as possible while taking a breath in between bites. The changing boy found that Drew and Barry had told the truth. Despite the large portions, it was never more than just enough to satisfy his voracious appetite. After polishing off his lunch Mark took a deep drink of the red potion and flopped down on the ground, his eyes slowly closed in weariness as he dozed off. A single thought drifted through the back of his mind."Every morning is going to be like this now!?"


    ***


    Mina


    Mina had tied her long hair back in a pony-tail today, keeping the wayward strands from getting in the way while she worked with Pet in the morning. She ate absentmindedly her attention largely concentrated on the open textbook in front of her. At the same table, Talin and Sasha chatted away with the other trio of novices from their pen.


    "Working with Pet was awesome today." Talin declared eagerly.


    "Totally. It was neat watching Plodder swimming in the shallow pool." Jasmine nodded repeatedly.


    Talin stifled a laugh at the name. "You named your familiar Plodder?"


    Harkon sniffed, before breaking out into a laugh himself. "He going to turn into a turtle of some sort. It seemed fairly apt. Besides the name Pet is every bit as bad. They''re only nicknames anyway. I heard one group of novices named their cat familiar Fluffykins."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You''re right that is bad." Talin agreed, the duo breaking down into hysterics.


    "Why do we have to have a Journeyman supervising training? We just had Pet run in circles for hours. That''s easy." Sasha wondered.


    Mina closed her textbook and joined the conversation as they finished off their lunch. "It''s a safety precaution, Sasha. Right now Pet is easy to manage. Most of the new familiars are. They''re still in a bit of shock. But as their animal traits grow stronger they''ll become harder to handle. Accidents can happen. Depending on the rank of the familiar the novices might not be able to command the beast. We can speak to all animals, but novices can only compel low-class familiars." She explained patiently.


    The blonde girl tilted her head, wrinkling her button nose cutely. "Let me guess, apprentices command mid-tier familiars and journeymen can handle the high-tier." She finished.


    "Exactly. Before a familiars tier has been determined they are treated like high-tier familiars. The teams are rearranged once the level of the magic beast becomes clear. That normally happens in the first or second year. Which makes me wonder how that Chimera was identified so quickly." Derrik crossed his arms, thinking deeply. The rest looked over at Mina. With the position of her mother and grandmother, she was the one with the most access to information about apex familiars."


    The girl finished the last of her salad as she replied. "I heard that the things snake-tail is coming in already. That is, the head of the snake has emerged from her rear. They had to put a muzzle on the thing, even if its fangs and venom haven''t developed yet. Chimera venom is nasty stuff." She stated.


    The rest of the novices winced in sympathy. "I guess caring for an apex familiar isn''t easy. There have to be risks associated with such a prestigious position." Jasmine murmured.


    "True." Talin nodded. The group stood, clearing the table. They continued the conversation as they made their way towards history class. "They give the novices a chance to work with the apex familiars but if they screw up bad enough they''ll be replaced in a flat second. The Master Beast Tamers are watching them like hawks just waiting to swoop in. The pressure must be even worse for Lux, Cerra, and Graydon. That''s the first apex familiar Antica Retreat has had in nearly a decade. The apex facilities have basically been gathering dust for the last few years."


    "Here''s hoping they find a few more."


    "Touch wood you fool. That''s why the recruiters went to the out of the way Borderlands three years ago. The really obscure places nowhere near trade routes or valuable resources, no offence Sasha."


    "None taken. You should have seen the look on my face when I saw my first city. I was a complete hick."


    The two groups of novices sat next to each other. They continued to gossip as the class filled up. Soon enough the teacher entered the classroom. He was a short little man, slightly balding with a round belly as if he had swallowed a ball. He closed the door and strode to the front of the room, studying the faces of the novices. "Good afternoon students. I am Professor Brell and I will be teaching history. Before anyone asks I am also a Journeyman Beast Tamer specializing in aquatics. If anyone feels like making a remark about my appearance and walrus blubber I can assure you your predecessors regretted it, deeply." He sneered, Brell hated working with out of control first years. He could only hope that this class would behave better then his last one had.


    "If you would take out your history books and turn to chapter one we will begin with the invention of the Awakening Potion and the founding of our order. The awakening potion was created by one of the greatest alchemists to ever live, Ventus Strauss. The invention is perhaps matched only by Adelle Estrall''s Animus Potion invented some three centuries later. Sadly his greatest achievement could never be announced to the world at large. He started off small telling only his family and most trusted companions, some of the greatest mages of their time. They made their territory in the borderlands, purchasing their stock from destitute families with too many mouths to feed. Now can any of you tell me where he got his inspiration for the Awakening Potion from?"


    One of the girls raised her hand. "Evolution?" She asked hesitantly.


    "Are you asking me or telling me girl? Speak properly now. Oh never mind." Brell snapped. "You the boy with the ridiculously spiked hair, can you finish her thought?"


    The boy in question gulped. "Alchemist Strauss took his inspiration from the evolution of magical beasts. Specifically, the final evolution that only the oldest and strongest of magical beasts go through."


    Brell smiled. "You are correct.Grand Alchemist Strauss took his inspiration from the so-called ''last evolution'' of magical beasts. As we know all magic beasts evolve, growing in strength as they age. Despite this they almost always remain within the tier they were born into. Rarely does a magical animal succeed in advancing to a new tier of power, rarer still are those creatures which change species entirely. During evolution an animal''s magic will solidify into a sort of cocoon, within which the beast reenters a sort of embryonic state, reconstructing their bodies and repairing any permanent damage dealt to them over the course of their life up until that point."


    "The ''last evolution'' is even more magical, for the animals that go through it are granted a human form, as well as the ability to switch between the two forms. However, they were incapable of remaining in their human forms for any significant amount of time. The longest ever recorded was a week, and even that was considered an extreme anomaly. It was these ''finished'' beasts who first attempted to negotiate with the races of men in an attempt to mitigate the overhunting of their kind. That only resulted in crusades to capture and subdue the powerful beasts, or kill them and harvest there bodies. For with their age and strength, their entire bodies were a treasure to mankind. Having failed to negotiate a peaceful coexistence, it is believed that these rare creatures then led a mass exodus from the continent and indeed all the lands occupied by the races of men. Where they went has been the cause of much speculation for generations."


    "Regardless historical documents show that Strauss was able to witness one such last evolution. He had the incredible luck to stumble across a hidden embryo while exploring the wilds and studied it extensively throughout the course of its evolution. When the evolution was complete the creature spared his life, grateful that Strauss hadn''t attempted to breach the embryo. An action which, according to the beast, would have resulted in both of their deaths. How much truth there is to that claim we don''t know."


    Brell continued with his lecture. "Afterwards, Strauss spent decades in his lab attempting to recreate the miracle he had born witness to, but in reverse. He wished to grant mages the abilities of magical beasts. Despite his best efforts, he was never capable of perfectly reproducing the effects of the last evolution. Rather than entering an embryo, the transformation took place over a course of ten to twenty years. The subjects also remained locked in animal form, they were never able to return to their original forms."


    Seated at the front of the class Lux raised his hand. "Could our manufactured familiars gain the ability if they go through a last evolution?" He queried.


    "Don''t interrupt me Mr. Vadgar." Brell admonished. "The answer to your question is that we don''t know. The youngest magical beast to go through last evolution was approaching two millennia in age. They are ancient creatures, and even the oldest surviving familiar that the Order created is just passed their first millennium. It is theoretically possible for them to go through the process but neither you nor I will live to have that particular question answered."


    "During Strauss'' time familiars were becoming rarer and rarer. Most of the remainder were bred from domesticated stock and those were growing weaker with the passage of each generation. The alchemist never obtained a familiar of his own despite his affinity for animals. A predicament that he shared with his friends and their families. Strauss saw a business opportunity in the dearth of familiars throughout the land. He had a potion that could create familiars at a time when supply was dwindling and demand was only increasing. Strauss, along with those he could trust, refined their affinity for animals. A magical gift that had been, up until that point in history, considered something of a parlour trick. They became the first Beast Tamers"


    The group stuck to remote areas while training the first of the familiars. Selling one here and another there as they completed their transformations and training. The process was refined. The collars were invented by Master enchanters to make the animals easier to control and mould. They remained small, not drawing attention to themselves. Until they had produced a large enough stock of apex familiars, at which point the group announced their existence to the world. Anyone with even a small amount of power at the time fell over themselves to befriend the Order. In return for access to apex familiars, the various royal families ceded control of the then undeveloped Rahan mountains to the group. By that point, Ventus Strauss was an old man even by the standards of mages with our longer lifespans.


    "It is within these mountains that we have made our homes ever since. Over the course of a thousand years, we have grown to the point where we can be considered a nation of our own. A powerful one." Brell gave the impressionable young novices a proud smile as he finished his lecture.

 Book I: My Name Is Chapter 8 Carrot and Stick

    The next few weeks flew by as Mina dove into her official training as a novice beast tamer. Her classes were manageable for the most part, and she only had trouble with algebra and alchemy. Working with Pet in the mornings was definitely the highlight of her days. The poor thing became more intractable once the shock of his situation wore off, and Journeyman Valda was the type to liberally apply negative reinforcement. Mina wasn''t too happy with that approach but it was the only option during the first weeks of initial transformation. Today was going to break with the routine though. It marked the end of the first month of training. All of the new familiars would be examined in depth to see how their training and transformations were coming along.


    Mina woke with the rising of the sun, she threw open the large windows in her room gazing down at the bustling valley spread out beneath her. A light fog obscured her view of the transition pens in the far back of the Retreat. She inhaled, taking in a breath of crisp morning air. Mina shivered, sensing the drop-in temperature. When she looked up to study the forested slopes of the mountains she noticed that most of the trees had dropped their leaves in preparation for the long sleep of winter. Her brow furrowed in worry, reptiles didn''t do well in the cold. Luckily the pens were enchanted to remain at a steady, albeit low, temperature. Now that winter was setting in they would have to remember to put up the roof in Pet''s stall. Allowing him to get snowed on would be a very bad idea.


    After she closed the windows Mina hurried to throw on the clean Novice uniform she had laid out the night before. She flew down the hallway into the dining room, pausing there only long enough to snatch up some fruit and a piece of toast. When she turned to leave the room she ended up running nose-first into her older brother.


    "Woah there." Kane reached out, catching Mina by the shoulders before she could fall. "Where are you off to in such a rush?" He asked with a teasing smile.


    Mina pouted. "Big brother today is our first inspection. I have to get to Pet early, everything needs to be perfect." She stomped her foot petulantly. Mina only ever showed her childish side to her family and close friends.


    "Right. They do monthly inspections for the first year. Gods am I glad third years are only inspected once every three months. First-year inspections are the worst because you only have a very vague idea of what you are working with." Kane grimaced in remembrance. His trio hadn''t been able to start on specialized training until their familiar''s fur came in during the eighth month. After that, they knew she was some sort of polar bear. But those first few months had felt like being stuck in limbo.


    The fifteen-year-old stepped away from the door. "Alright Mina, I won''t get in your way. Better hurry if you want to finish your last-minute preparations." He chuckled.


    The girl stuck out her tongue in a fit of childish peak, racing out the door and down the stairs. She ate as she walked, first the toast and then a pair of sweet juicy pears. She skirted around the residential district and took the most direct route to Pet''s pen. Talin and Sasha had agreed to meet there rather than meeting up at the dormitory housing those novices without family at the Retreat. The walkways were crowded with novices hurrying to their familiar''s pens early in the morning. Mina paused at an intersection, turning to look at the section at the center of the transition pen. The area was fenced in by thirty-foot stone walls, inlaid with metal runes that glistened in the morning light. The gates were made of thick black oak clad in iron, above which the words Apex were carved into the stone.


    Part of Mina wondered wistfully what went on in there, almost regretting that she had turned down the chance to work with the Chimera. Still, she would earn her own place within those walls. Nodding determinedly Mina strode towards Section 42. When she entered the pen she found Pet dozing sunlight. With a sharp whistle, she grabbed his lead and brought him into the bathing room for an early grooming. Pet groaned as she clipped the chain to the bar, placing his legs in the limb shackles.


    ***


    Mark


    Mark studied Mina warily as she got to work washing him. The past days had seen him falling into a routine with an ease that surprised and sickened him. His ability to adapt to even the worst of circumstances disgusted him. One day just bled into the next, Mark''s only way to tell the passage of time was by the rising and setting of the sun. He hadn''t seen a clock since the day he drank that awful potion. The very sameness of his schedule had caused him to lose complete track of time. Still, Mark had learned quickly that any kind of disruption in that routine was normally a precursor to some new form of hell. Last week, Jake had made an attempt to quit drinking the strange red potion. The young boy''s quiet attempt at rebellion had been discovered by the third day and he had been left in shackles for the rest of the week. They had done something to his food. Put something in it that made him vomit horribly if he tried to eat without some of the ruby liquid in his system.


    Mark himself hadn''t had much luck on that front. Valda''s speculation about Mark becoming a larger reptile seemed to be frighteningly accurate. No matter how much he tried to stop himself from eating or drinking that stuff he found himself unable to stop. His appetite seemed to only be growing stronger with the passage of time. The weekly measurements Mark was put through seemed to support the theory. His arms, in particular, were growing noticeably longer and thicker, their proportions beginning to match his legs. Mark''s arms were becoming forelegs. With that rapid growth, it was actually beginning to feel natural to move around on all fours.


    His skin was hot and itchy, so itchy that Mark found himself unable to resist the urge to scratch. His skin was cracking and peeling away, falling to the ground in small white flakes, and exposing a lizard-like hide that had grown beneath it. The brown potion the novices rubbed on him every time they groomed him began to show its use as it gave the hide a supple glossy sheen. The new hide was raw and tender, almost delicate, like that of a newborn. The skin on and around Mark''s ears was especially irritated. No matter how hard he rubbed and scratched at them nothing seemed to bring him relief.


    Mark''s voice had continued to drop in register, deepening even further. The rasp was becoming more prominent as well, giving the boy an odd accent of sorts. He was finding it harder to keep the animal-like growls and snarls out of his speech. His tail had begun to emerge, although it was still only six inches long, and that on its own was horrifically painful. It felt as if his spine had caught fire as it continued to lengthen.


    The pain in his back and limbs was so severe that Mark found himself drinking more and more of the odd red potion. Desperate for any relief from the agony. Mark found himself moving more gingerly. Each careful movement calculated as to what would cause the least pain.


    "I know it hurts Pet. A new body takes getting used to. You''ll feel better once you''re fully grown." Mina soothed as she finished grooming him, scratching him behind the ear. She did something similar every time she visited Mark. The boy recognized it as a way of emphasizing her dominance. The worst part was that the scratching felt good against his sensitive ears. Most likely Mina knew that. Not only did it assert her authority over him, but it also reminded him of his descent into animalism. The most disgraceful thing was that Mark couldn''t even conceal that enjoyment, his tail flicking happily at the relief. Each time it happened Mark would lower his head in shame, aware that he was wagging his tail like a dog. Mark couldn''t help it, having little to no control over his new appendage. The betrayal of his own body simply added to his degradation.


    Unclipping the chain Mina led him out of the grooming room and back to his stall. Instead of going back into his stall Mina kept hold of Mark''s leash as she waited in the hall for her partners. Talin and Sasha had arrived while she was bathing him. Something was definitely different today. It wasn''t just Mina who was breaking from their routines. Talin was going over the sandpit, repeatedly raking up the sands as he went through them with a fine-tooth comb. Sasha too was much more meticulous today, carefully measuring out portions of Mark''s food.


    Once Talin finished cleaning the stall he properly stowed away the tools rather than just throwing them into the tack room. He then moved over near Sasha pressing his palm against the transparent wall separating the tack room from Mark''s stall. Lines of blue light extended from the redhead''s hand like veins. They expanded until they encompassed all four walls of Mark''s stall, even crawling onto the back stone wall. A series of runes appeared by Talin''s hand and he tapped one, causing a slanted plane of light to appear above the walls. It was Mark realized forming a roof. As Talin removed his hand the light faded away leaving only a slight distortion in the light filtering through the now transparent roof into Mark''s stall.


    He and Sasha then moved to stand rigidly at attention on either side of Mina and Mark. A similar scene was playing out in Jake''s stall, the boy had been released from the shackles in his stall. His eyes looked haunted as he huddled to the ground. The slightly raised pattern on his back was becoming more prominent as his shell grew in becoming slightly rounded. It was no longer possible for Jake to stand up straight.


    When Mark looked over at Barry in silent inquiry the other boy shook his head in response. Eventually, a voice called out from the central courtyard. "Paddock B. First Year Familiar Inspection."


    At those words, the gates swung open and a red-robed Master Beast Tamer was led into the room by Journeymen Valda and Riley. Mark noticed immediately that the Master Beast Tamer bore a striking resemblance to Mina. The woman''s black hair was pulled back in a long hip-length braid. Her bright green eyes swept over the pen studying everything around her with keen interest. "Pen 1 has two familiars from the latest crop. I''ll begin with the one in Stall 2. She spoke crisply striding into Jake''s stall, inspecting it with a practiced eye.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "A one in six chance that we would be inspected by my mother and it actually happened." Mina murmured quietly under her breath.


    "That''s good, right?" Talin whispered back. "Master Erika will go easy on us since you''re her daughter."


    "Fat chance. She''ll be even stricter. Don''t forget my mother''s chance to become a Grandmaster is riding on the results of this crop of familiars." Mina shot back.


    "Great. Bad luck strikes again." Talin sighed.


    "We''ll be fine," Sasha whispered in an attempt to reassure herself as much as her partners. "None of us forgot anything. Pet has made so much progress since his initial transformation too."


    "Here''s hoping." Mina shut her mouth as her mother stepped out of Jake''s stall. "The familiars stall passes inspections. The sandpit is perfectly clean, I can''t find a single lump. Not a single grain outside of the pit either. You haven''t put up the stall roof but that''s a minor issue. Still, I would have it up before the snow starts to fly. Very few of the reptiles do well in winter conditions. Of those that do, they are only able to cope once they have come into their magic." She spoke to Journeyman Riley, but her words were clearly meant for the Novices.


    Erika glanced down at a booklet in her hands. "I can see you''ve had a few behavioural issues with 91364. He was refusing to take the animus potion." She stated.


    "We dealt with that by adding tri-arch herbs to his feed. Master Erika." Riley explained. "The extreme reaction is mitigated by the antidotal herbs inherent in the animus potion."


    "That can be a dangerous course to take as more of their animal traits assert themselves. The reaction is dangerously severe in most animals. But since 91364 is a reptile the effects of the herb will lessen instead. What will you do once he obtains a resistance to the herb?"


    "If the habit persists we''ll have to force him to drink the potion. I don''t want to add clementis flowers to the animus potion unless I absolutely have to. The addictive properties of the herb make it near impossible to wean them from the stuff once the transition is complete." Sweat dripped down Riley''s face as she defended her decision, unsure if Master Erika would back her up.


    "Fair enough. Take your familiar into the yard for his physical inspection. We''ll check to see how his transformation is progressing." The woman nodded at Journeyman Riley and turned to pace down the corridor stopping in front of her daughter. She studied Mark with a measured gaze, judging him in a similar fashion to a horse she might purchase. Erika crouched down offering her hand to Mark who snarled at the woman. The Master Beast Tamer laughed in amusement at the display of aggression and stood back up. She opened the second booklet in her hand reading aloud from it. "Stall 3, 91161. Species, undetermined. Care assigned to Journeyman Valda and Novices Estrall, Blade, and Primus. She walked into the stall, studying it with a critical eye.


    The longer the woman took with her inspection the more nervous Mark''s handlers grew. Something which he took a fierce pleasure in. When the woman stepped out she nodded to Valda in approval. "You''ve kept his pen clean enough, the roof has been put up as well. Nothing wrong there." Erika consulted her booklet. "I see you haven''t had any problems with his potion intake, but I can see a note about increasing the amount of food per meal."


    "Thus far all indications are that 91161 is going to be a large beast of some type. We''ve begun gradually increasing the amount of food we give him and thus far his appetite appears to be keeping up. We will, of course, cut it back if he starts overeating."


    "It''s good that you are keeping an eye on it. Deviating from the established protocol has its risks. Still, if he''s already begun growing he''ll need the nutrients to fuel the transformation. It happens on occasion." Erika gave Valda a thin smile, causing the tall Journeyman to gulp audibly. "Let''s see if we can''t puzzle out exactly what kind of beast we''re dealing with." She swept out her arm towards the courtyard, urging the group forward.


    Mina tugged on Mark''s leash, clucking at him in encouragement. Part of Mark wanted to dig in his heels as usual but he caught a glimpse of Valda glaring at him and decided discretion was the better part of valour today. Clearly, this so-called "inspection" was important and if Mark screwed it up the consequences would be severe. Mark emerged into the courtyard to find the other newly transitioned familiars being led towards a series of elevated platforms. The platforms were made of some sort of lightweight silvery metal. Each of them was equipped with a similar setup to the limb shackles in the grooming room.


    Mark watched as Jake was physically hoisted up onto the platform and shackled in place. The developing shell made it difficult to get onto the platform and his handlers were clearly not willing to wait patiently. When Mark reached his own platform he clambered up on his own, preserving as much of his little remaining dignity as he could.


    Mark twisted his head, watching as one boy after another was led out into the courtyard and guided onto the platforms. There were only about twelve other boys from the same year as Mark in this paddock. When they were all secured on the platforms Master Erika stepped forward, flanked by five other master beast tamers. Mark blushed in shame at being put on display, what little human skin that remained on him turned bright pink. He crouched down, his tail tucked tight against his body, trying to make himself seem as small as possible.


    Mark was fourth in line so he got to watch as the Master Beast Tamers inspected the boys before him. They cast a series of spells that produced a variety of results, often discussing things among themselves before speaking in a low voice to the Journeyman in charge of the boy they were observing. Afterwards, they would hand a small wooden case to each Journeyman. When they reached Jake they spent some time in a lengthy discussion. Arguing, so far as Mark could tell, over the pattern on Jake''s back. Finally, they seemed to reach an agreement of some sort. "At the very least the pattern on the emerging shell indicates that 91364 is going to be a sea turtle of some sort. His stall will need to be refitted for a semi-aquatic rather than a land-based reptile eventually." When of the men clothed in red declared.


    "For now we won''t switch the sandpit until he''s progressed further with his transition. Until he finishes developing his shell and flippers swimming would be too awkward for him. We don''t want him drowning himself. Neither by accident nor on purpose. Any swimming needs to be strictly supervised for the foreseeable future." A second finished the explanation.


    With Jake''s inspection finished it was Mark''s turn to be placed under scrutiny.


    "Unusual coloration." One of them said, running a finger along a patch of the hide. The tender new skin was largely black but shot through with a mesmerizing pattern of gold veins.


    A second consulted her copy of Mark''s profile. "He''s been growing quite a bit. I see that his initial changes were all internal."


    "Yes. If you look at his first weight and measurements you''ll see he''s grown quite a bit, particularly in the forelegs. Other then the shedding of his skin the changes seem to be focused in the skeletal and muscular structures." Erika agreed with the woman.


    A fourth pinched his chin, eyebrows raised in interest. "I propose a deep seeing." He suggested. "Let''s get a look at what is going on beneath the surface."


    The others nodded in agreement at his suggestion. A pair worked in tandem one chanting, while the other wove an intricate pattern with their long fingers. A flash of light went off to Mark''s left and he shied away, startled at the sudden change. When he opened his eyes he found himself staring at himself, a kind of reflection had been projected into mid-air. Before he could get a close look at his changed appearance the surface faded away revealing his insides.


    "Fascinating. Look, he isn''t just growing a tail, his torso is growing longer and his neck is lengthening as well to a lesser degree. His spine is developing more vertebrae." One of them pointed at the image.


    "Almost all of his bones are showing a significant increase in density as well as size. Muscles are also showing an increase in density as well."


    "Yes, and did you notice." Erika reached out, pinching the tips of Mark''s ear between her fingers. "Rather than the ears receding, as is normal in a reptile, they''re becoming pointed and begun to shift along the length of his skull."


    "Oh yes, the common reptiles don''t have ears. I''m just so used to working with cats."


    "They''ve turned white and begun to harden as well," Erika noted clinically. "I suspect they are quite irritated." She dug her long nails in scratching hard. Mark fought the urge to lean into the sudden relief, and choked back a curse as his tail betrayed him again flicking cheerfully from side to side.


    "Of course. They''re turning into horns."


    "Can you notice any other changes in the projection?"


    "Not really. His organs have begun to shift position, and they''re larger than would be normal for a human. Despite that, they still have the appearance of human organs. Except for his vocal cords, those appear to be changing drastically but we already knew that." With a slash of her hand, Erika dismissed the projection of Mark.


    One of them turned to Valda and reached into his pocket for another wooden case. "He seems to be in good condition. After a month we''ve finally finished forging their tags, all you need to do is key it to all of you and fasten it to his collar."


    Valda bowed respectfully to the Masters as they moved on. The group quickly unhitched Mark from his restraints and led him back to his stall. The Journeyman removed a pair of round metal plates and a sharp needle from the case. He quickly pricked his finger with the needle and pressed his bloody finger onto each of the metal plates. Valda then passed the objects to Talin who repeated the process, followed by Mina and Sasha. Once they completed the odd little ritual he brought the plates close to Mark''s collar. Once again the strange metal merged together. Mark shook his head in surprise causing a slight jingling sound. Startled, he reached up grasping at the tags. He peered down, trying to catch a glimpse of them, but the tight fit of the collar prevented him from seeing them. He realized that the odd metal plates were dog tags, exactly like the ones his family had once given the family cat.


    The Journeyman clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Today''s progress inspection went well. Now that we''ve gotten Pet''s tags we''ll be able to do more in-depth training with him."


    "I''ve heard about them before but how do the tags work?" Sasha asked curiously.


    "Basically Sasha they allow us to customize and expand on the collars functions. Right now the collar is set to what the enchanters refer to as default settings. Now that we''ve keyed ourselves to the tags we''ll be able to alter those settings. Mina your father is a strong enchanter, would you care to demonstrate."


    "Yes, sir," Mina answered eagerly. She stretched out her right hand, her fingers spread wide. Between her fingers ribbons of pink light, the colour of her magic flowed merrily. "First you need to decide on what behaviour you want to reinforce or discourage. Then you need to decide how you want to do that. To finish you send the information through the chain which acts as a conduit." She took a firm hold of Mark''s chain and a current of hot pink light flowed down to the collar, causing the tags to light up, shining like a small star. The light faded slowly and Mark shook his head in agitation setting off another jingling sound.


    "So what did you program into the collar?" Talin quizzed.


    Mina gave a wicked smirk. "That''s easy. Mark come here." Startled at hearing his name from the novice Mark swung his head around to look at her. The instant he responded to his name a bolt of pain shot through him and he yelped.


    "I''m sorry for being mean Pet." Mina cooed at him scratching behind the familiars developing horns. "Can you wag your tail for me Pet?" She asked just before the involuntary action started up once more.


    As he obeyed a wave of pleasure washed over him and his tail wagged even faster. Mina continued to scratch his ear as she explained to the others. "Pet isn''t as obviously rebellious as Plodder but he''s still resistant. I noticed that while he seems to cooperate with his training he refuses to respond to his name. Now every time he speaks or responds to his old name he''ll feel pain, and every time he responds to his new name he''ll feel pleasure."

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 9 The Importance of Age

    Three Months After Transformation?


    The nights after that first inspection was a special kind of hell to Mark. Each time his neighbours spoke his name he would be hit by a new shaft of pain. As much as he tried to grit his teeth and bear with it no one enjoyed pain. The worst part of the situation was the contrast it made with the pleasure he felt when his handlers called him Pet. Every time they spoke his name or ordered him to do something Mark found himself balancing on a knife''s edge between heaven and hell. The problem was that with the passage of time it was becoming harder for Mark to distinguish one from the other. The lines blurred together. On the one hand, if he fought them he would retain his sense of self but he would be in a constant state of pain. On the other hand, if Mark cooperated he wouldn''t be hurt instead, he would actually feel good.


    The familiars only had the simplest of ways to tell time, the passage of day and night and the turn of the seasons. Winter had well and truly set into the mountains now. Mark understood now what Drew had been talking about when he mentioned the cold made reptiles more tractable and docile. He had never been so cold in his life, and yet Mark found that he wasn''t getting frostbite or anything like that. He was just drowsy, moving slowly about his cage. Mark had actually caught himself looking forward to training or being groomed. If for no other reason then those buildings were heated. He had finished shedding his human skin, leaving his tender new hide exposed to the biting cold of the mountainous winter.


    Over the passage of time, Mark and Jake had both seen changes made to their routines. Jake was being fed mostly seafood rather than red meat. In Mark''s case, they had switched out his water tank. The new tank was basically the same as the old one, only the position of the drip was changed coming out from the bottom of the tank, much like a baby bottle. The problem was that the tank had been raised so that it was only just within reach. It forced Mark to stretch as tall as possible without actually standing. Each week they would raise it just a little bit higher.


    Part of Mark recognized the logic behind some of their actions. They didn''t restrict human speech because the more he used his voice the quicker it would change. Similar logic could be applied to their other actions. His arms changed into forelegs the more he used them, so he wasn''t permitted to walk like a human. The change with his water tank was probably so that he would stretch his lengthening spine. His tail hadn''t grown by much, but his torso was quite a bit longer. Truthfully Mark had grown all over and was now eating roughly three times as much as a typical boy his age would.


    The monotony of his routine and the passage of time was a weapon in and of itself that served to grind down Mark''s will to fight.


    ***


    Mina


    Mina yawned widely as she slumped drowsily into her usual seat between Sasha and Talin. With the preparations for the Winter Solstice underway, she hadn''t been getting nearly enough sleep. As the grand-daughter of Retreat Head Elaine, she was expected to attend the endless round of parties that the high ranking members of the retreat hosted. Alongside homework, her classes, and caring for Pet her days were jampacked from morning to night.


    The classroom filled up rapidly as people hurried to get to their seats. In the front row, a second table had been added beside the Novices in charge of the Chimera. A second apex familiar had been identified a few weeks ago. This one had appeared among the rodents. It looked as though the Retreat''s streak of bad luck had been well and truly broken. At precisely one-o-clock Madam Toreux entered the classroom, her high heels click-clacking on the hardwood floor. Her appearance silenced the chatter in the classroom. Mina stifled another yawn and sat up straight in her chair.


    Madam Toreux observed the classroom with a critical eye. This late into the year the students were being pulled in a dozen different directions. Thankfully they were pretty much all passing her class, even the trouble makers had somehow managed to pull their grades up to acceptable levels. "Alright, this is your last class before your winter exams. I hope that you have all been studying hard. Today we will be discussing the selection process that we use to purchase our stock. Our first generations should know the process intimately, having gone through it themselves. Can any of you tell me the requirements we have for our stock? How about you Novice Finn?"


    "Age?" Finn answered, startled at being called on by the teacher. Madam Toreux usually ignored those in the class with lower grades. "The Order only purchases children between the ages of ten to thirteen. I was thirteen when I was recruited."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Toreux gave Finn a proud smile that caused goosebumps to run up the older boys'' arms. "That would be correct Mr. Tarker. But do any of you know the reason we only purchase stock at that age? Why not younger, before they have properly formed their sense of self?"


    "It''s because of the failure rate." Cerra snorted in derision from her seat in the front row.


    "Exactly correct. We see a much higher failure rate among children below the age of ten if they consume the awakening potion. What we want is for familiars to form a balance between their pre-existing mind and their new animalistic instincts. Children below the age of ten, however, show an overwhelming propensity to have their pre-existing mind swallowed by the beast within. After which they display tendencies akin to a rabid animal and have to be put down. Then why not older, why don''t we transform adults?"


    A boy in the third row said. "It''s awkward. Adults already have careers, spouses, and children of their own. They aren''t going to just leave all that behind on the off chance they can pass through training that will easily take a decade or more."


    "You''re half right." Toreux waved her index finger in admonishment. "The ruse used for children wouldn''t work on adults, that much is true. But there is a more important reason we don''t transform adults. That reason is time. If an adult takes the awakening potion it will take them much longer to complete the transition into a magical beast. Even with the animus potion hastening the process we''re talking about a length of twenty years or more. It''s because they are too old, their bodies have long since stopped growing. This is why we work with adolescents, young, their bodies still maturing, they take more easily to the transformation. In effect, their bodies treat it as a different form of puberty. It''s just that the end result has been switched with that of an animal."


    "A greater reason we place such importance on the age of our stock is due to the end result of the transformation into a magical creature. Their physical age when they were human is reflected in their age once they complete the transition. For example, if a six-year-old boy were to transform into a magical beast, say a canine, he would become a puppy. An adult would become a mature specimen and while this might be desirable they would be middle-aged by the time the transition ended. Thus wasting a good two-thirds of their new life span. A pre-teen or teenager would become a magical animal just passed what we refer to as the cub stage. What other requirements do we look for among our stock?"


    "Intelligence. At the very least they can''t be stupid." A girl called out from the back of the room. "A dumb familiar is of poor quality. Naturally, they are worth less than an intelligent familiar."


    Sasha raised her hand, waving it eagerly. "Magical ability. The awakening potion cannot create something from nothing. All familiars have latent magical abilities. A decent portion of those recruited manifests their magic throughout the three year grace period given to the stock. At which point they are brought into the fold and taught like any other novice."


    The teacher nodded, happy to see the first gens participating in the discussion. "That was a very good explanation Sasha, and it brings up yet another question. Why do we have that three year grace period? Why teach them at all? Why not transform them on the very first day of their arrival?"


    "It''s like Sasha said. It''s to weed out those who have the potential to become mages from those whose magic is latent." Graydon spoke up.


    Mina lifted her hand. "It''s also to educate them. The vast majority of stock is purchased from impoverished families in the borderlands. Most of them have wildly varying degrees of knowledge. The three year grace period is used to standardize their education levels. We look for intelligence in our stock, and that intelligence needs to be encouraged not stifled."


    Lux turned around and glared competitively at Mina. "Those three years are also used to engrain the hierarchy of the Order into their subconscious. Grandmasters are in charge of everyone, masters order around the journeymen, and so on until you reach the stock who are taught to obey anyone in uniform regardless of rank. Even after the stock''s rose-coloured glasses are ripped away that instinct to obey has already been instilled into their sub-conscious."


    "Good answers all of you." Toreux clapped her hands, smiling. "But we don''t get all of our stock from among the recruits. We do breed the apex familiars but none of their offspring are old enough for sale. What other ways do we obtain familiar stock?"


    The class fell silent most of them fidgeting in their seats. They all knew the answer but it was an uncomfortable truth, to say the least. Madam Toreux waited patiently, unsurprised that no one wanted to answer the question, she still gave them the chance. "The answer is punishment. If a member of the Order commits a severe crime, say murder, rather then being imprisoned or exiled or even executed, they are force-fed the awakening potion instead. It is the fate of a criminal to become a beast of burden, in that way they can continue to contribute to our society." She finished the lecture, leaving those ominous words hanging in the air for the children to contemplate.

 Book I: My Name Is... Chapter 10 Unhappy Holidays

    "Well, that was only mildly disturbing." Talin blew out a breath as the trio joined the stream of teenagers leaving the classroom.


    Mina grimaced in agreement. "It''s never fun when they bring up the Order''s version of capital punishment. It is effective though. As hypocritical as it may seem the thought of losing your own humanity does wonders to keep the crime rate down.


    Beside them, Sasha shivered. "I already had a close enough call. Just thinking that it could still happen is enough to scare me straight." The Order had a policy of taking the hard approach with first-generation Beast Tamers. When she had first come into her magic the teacher had taken her out of class and put her in with the other first gens. Orientation had been accompanied by a warning that noncompliance would result in an immediate transformation. The Order kept its secrets.


    "You don''t have to worry Sasha," Talin assured her. "Extreme measures like that are only used on the very worst criminals. You would need to seriously fuck up to be judged guilty enough for it to be administered."


    The blonde mage shook her head sending her blonde curls cascading around her heart-shaped face. "On to more pleasant topics. We only had one class today. Exams are the only thing left and then we''re free and clear for the rest of the month. Though, it''s going to feel strange not having my sister there for the holidays."


    "Why don''t you spend the Solstice at my place, Sasha?" Mina offered.


    "Are you serious!?"


    "Yes, I''m serious." She rolled her green eyes. "As long as you don''t mind the parties my Gran needs to host. Staying with a friend has got to be better than spending the holidays with Finn." All the first-gens were housed in the same dorm. Even though the bully had backed off when Mina and Talin were around, he had a bad habit of cornering Sasha when she was alone.


    Talin reached out grasping both girls by their elbows and steering them down a deserted hallway. The trio stopped beside a large window at the end of the hall. This late in winter the sun had almost set and new snow was falling from the overcast sky. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one followed them. "Are you sure you don''t want to check up on your sister Sasha? We can make it happen if you do."


    Sasha gave her friends a sad smile. "Thanks for the offer Talin but I don''t think it would be a good idea. Natalia would never forgive me for being part of the organization that''s harmed her. I wouldn''t if our positions were switched. I could have fought when I found out how familiars were made. I could have tried to get Natalia sent home. But I didn''t. I was so sure she would come into her magic. We''re twins after all. I kept hoping and praying, right up until the very last second. I made that choice, and now I have to live with it."


    In a rare display of public affection, Mina threw her arms around the bubbly blonde. "I''m sorry Sasha. We can''t replace your twin. But we''ll still be your partners and your friends, and it sounds like you''re going to need some over the holidays." Outside the snow continued to fall, blanketing the world in pure silence.


    ***


    "... So that''s why Sasha will be staying with us for the foreseeable future." Mina finished, her small pointed chin thrust forward stubbornly.


    Her brother heaved a put upon sigh. "What a pain."


    "I think it''s a great idea. Why don''t you show Sasha to the guest room." Val grinned widely.


    Mina blinked, slightly surprised at how little resistance her siblings were putting up. She nodded, grabbing Sasha''s hand and heading to the guest rooms to the right of the sweeping staircase. The second the pair left the room Valeria smacked her little brother over the top of the head.


    "Oww. What was that for?" Kane complained, straightening his glasses that had been knocked askew.


    "You will keep any complaints about this situation to yourself Kane Aidan Estrall. This is the first time Mina has ever brought a friend home. A real friend. Not one of those pompous bootlickers who trail after all of us just so they can get in Dad''s good books. You will be happy. You will be welcoming, and you will be a gracious host. Or so help me I will make your life so miserable you''ll want to move in with your familiar. Do I make myself clear?" The normally bubbly seventeen-year-old glared angrily at Kane.


    Kane''s mouth parted in shock. Valeria almost never got angry. The fifteen-year-old would be the first to admit he wasn''t the most self-aware person when it came to emotions. His big sister''s unusually serious attitude was enough to clue him in that this was important. If only for his sense of self-preservation. "Crystal."


    ***


    Cerra glared into the leonine eyes of the young chimera they had been charged with training. The past ten minutes had been spent locked in a staring match with the apex familiar. A thin coat of downy golden fur covered her upper body. The fur on her lower body had a different texture, though it retained its tawny coloration. The young chimera''s nose was merging with her face as her jaw thrust forward slightly. A pair of fuzzy round lion ears poked out from her scruffy hair, alongside a pair of bony nubs that were the beginnings of the young beast''s horns.


    Behind the chimera, Graydon ran soothing fingers along the pale greenish gold scales of their charges tail. The tail, which took the form of a serpent was around two feet long and as thick around as a pair of fingers. The first-gen had removed the band holding shut the snake''s mouth. He wore a pair of thin gloves enchanted to turn aside bite marks. Even with precautions what he was doing held some risk. Carefully he pried the jaws apart examining the snakehead''s developing fangs. "No signs of venom glands yet Sir." He reported to Master Gideon.


    The Master Beast Tamer nodded from where he leaned against the wall, observing the trios handling of their charge. At no point were the novices to be left alone with the apex familiar. For their own safety as well as if they screwed up somehow. Beside him, Lux added a notation into Tria''s profile. "Alright, I suppose that''s enough for today. Since her fangs have begun to develop we''ll leave the band off. Better for us if she can work those jaws. As one of her primary weapons the sooner she becomes accustomed to using them the better. All three of you should stop by the enchanters and have your novice whites spelled to deflect bites." As Master Gideon spoke he walked up behind Tria and clapped his hands loudly just behind her ears.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The young chimera flinched instinctively. Her ears lay flat against her head as she broke eye contact with Cerra. She growled unhappily. With the lineage of three different kinds of animals warring in her mind she was basically a bundle of instincts right now. It would take time for her human intellect to reassert itself. Gideon continued speaking to Cerra. "That is a good use of such a harmless ability Cerra. Lions do not like being looked in the eye. They see it as a dominance challenge. Your ability to go minutes without blinking is proving very useful. It can be a double-edged sword though. Be careful never to lose a staring contest, I don''t want to imagine what would happen if you do."


    The quartet left the young chimera''s stall and made their way towards the exit from the Apex quarters. The tower walls left them in full shadow as the sun was just a gleam of light on the horizon. From the opposite side of the courtyard, a loud string of expletives erupted into the quiet winter air.


    ***


    "Lying fucking Beast Tamers! I hope you enjoy spending the afterlife in the Devil''s shithole!" Eli shouted as loudly as he possibly could, despite the fact that no one was around to hear him. He was alone with the sound of his own voice. The act of rebellion soothed the bubbling rage within him. Giving vent to his anger helped him ignore the sick dread growing in his gut.


    After the third time they had paraded him out for examination, the Master Beast Tamer''s had erupted into excited chatter and declared him to be an Apex Familiar. He had been moved to this pen surrounded by thirty foot stone walls. A prison within a prison. Eli didn''t even have any fellow inmates to offer him comfort now. The sixteen-year-old had been huge and hulking for his age during the awakening ceremony. Today he had lost a good three inches in height and plenty of muscle. He was still fit, but it was slimming down and becoming more streamlined. His once blonde hair had darkened in hue to a rich chocolate brown according to his handlers. Eli had to take their word for it. He hadn''t seen a mirror ever since he drank that cursed potion. Other than his shrinking size the only change so far as he could see was the set of whiskers growing on his face. Even those Eli could only see clearly when he crossed his eyes.


    Eli might seem like a muscle brained fool but he paid attention when his captors were talking. According to them, his eyes had changed becoming the beady black of a rodents. The change in his eyes was what had set off all the excitement about him. Apparently, while his eyes were normally black they would change to all colours of the rainbow glowing with an almost otherworldly light. The only difference Eli had noticed was near perfect night vision. The Master Beast Tamers had called him a ''Treasure Seeking Rodent'', which was supposedly a rare familiar with peerless senses. So not only was Eli turning into an animal but one that sucked at combat. Only his strong magic would help him in a fight. It certainly wouldn''t help him escape. From what he had overheard he was going to come into that last of all.


    ***


    Luke paced around his stall scraping his hooves against the wooden floor. After the passing of autumn, his hands were all but non-existent. His feet too had transformed into hind hooves. The last few weeks had been spent in agony as his nose receded into his skull, his jaw pushed forward as his skull stretched into a different shape. The most disorienting change had come as his eyes migrated to the side of his muzzle. Luke was no longer a predator and now possessed the wider range of vision of a herbivore. He glanced over at the trough of food one of his handlers had filled with ''treats''. Wishing him a happy Solstice. How could he be happy when he was turning into a beast of burden.


    The ''treats'' served only to underscore his miserable situation. Without hands, he couldn''t even pick up the food to gnaw on it and was forced to eat from the trough by lowering his head and snatching at the food with his mouth. His handlers seemed to take a twisted sense of pleasure in rubbing the entire situation and his lack of control in his face. Luke found it harder to maintain a form of resistance than his neighbours, two of whom were newly changed like him. From the lectures, the Journeyman gave to his Novice handlers it was due to the fact that the structure of his brain was changing along with his skull.


    "Alright Lucky. Your stalls all clean." One of the novices, Finn declared. Having just finished spreading a fresh layer of straw over the floor. The boy closed the stall door moved to the tack room, turning on the sink and scrubbing his hands vigorously after cleaning out the stall. His partners Din and Danner sprawled on a pair of stools as they watched him. The duo were cousins and third-generation beast tamers. Their parents weren''t particularly powerful, neither magically or politically. Collectively the trio was probably the least compelling set of Novices in their year. Still, none of them wanted to be sent to care for the farm animals. They were just animals, not familiars, not magically inclined. Even the Order found the thought of eating a being that was once human to be distasteful. Finn counted himself lucky that he was showing a gift for alchemy. If the worst happened and Finn flunked out as a proper Beast Tamer, he just might be able to swing an apprenticeship with Master Grace.


    Even with a backup plan, Finn would rather not take his chances. Finals were just around the corner. With some luck and a prayer to the gods, the three of them should be able to pass.


    ***


    The rider guided his steed to the small way station tucked beneath a lonely stand of pines a week''s ride from Antica Retreat. His face was hidden in the cowl of his cloak. His breath frosted in the air as he dismounted taking his mare by the reins and guiding her into the shed that passed for a small stable. Two other horses were already put up inside but the rider spared them not one glance. He rubbed the mare down briskly, grateful that the horse was fire aligned. Her body was toasty warm even in the chilly depths of winter.


    He poured a measure of oats into the trough, making sure that his ride had food and water. With a final pat, he left the stable, the door closing behind him with a squeal of long untended hinges. The snow crunched underfoot as the rider forged a path through the freshly fallen snow to the way station. A beam of light pierced through the hole in the thick curtains covering the windows. Away from the heat of his steed, the rider shivered in the cold as he stopped in front of the door. He knocked promptly three times, paused, and rapped twice more. Soon after he heard the sound of locks disengaging and the door creaked open.


    "About time you got here." The distinct, cultured voice came from the man standing with his back to the door. "I hope there were no, complications."


    "None, just the weather." The rider assured his compatriot. "There''s a reason most people stay close to the Retreats at this time of year. The remote trails like this one are especially treacherous in the winter."


    "Fair enough." The man allowed, his hands held close to the fire crackling merrily away. "It''s the same reason we agreed to meet here. But it can be... annoying. So what has prompted you to ask for a face to face meeting brother?"


    The rider laughed heartily. "It would appear that our patience has paid off at last. It''s been a bare three months since the Awakening Ceremony and Antica Retreat has already found two of them."


    "Finally. You''ve been there for what, five years now?"


    "Closer to six. But I shant make my move any time soon. It''s early days yet. If the Seer''s predictions prove true the Retreat should find several more in the next two years."


    The man tilted his head, still not turning to face the rider. "And then. Once they are identified will you move? Our eldest brother''s patience is wearing thin."


    "Not until the time is right. I''m more eager to be done with this farce than any of you, but I will not allow recklessness to be my undoing. Besides, it''s not as though we suffer a detriment from waiting. Let the Anticans handle their early training. When we are ready we can swoop in and reap the benefits." The rider drawled smoothly a dark smile curling his lips.