Michael awoke without any wounds or scars. His injuries from the previous day had faded away and the only pain he felt was some leftover strain on his mana. That healing magic was clearly super good. If he could learn to use it in combat...no, now wasn't the time for daydreaming.
Next to his bed, a beast slept in a cage. This was, of course, the beast he had defeated the other day. Having exhausted its magic, Michael could finally see what it looked like. It's head was that of a lion with horns and a maw full of the sharp teeth- the same ones that had tried to bite him yesterday. The body was some mix of lion and goat; its fur and back hooves were that of a goat, but the body structure and front paws were those of a lion.
In place of a normal tail, the beast had a wicked serpent. The serpent's scales were green and its head was triangular. The fangs gleamed with a dark purple venom. All in all, it was a fearsome beast. If Michael was right, he had defeated a rare creature called a chimera. The skillbook had little to say about them. He knew it could cast magic, but the book said the affinities varied from beast to beast. On average, they'd be Rank 4.
The book had also mentioned that, though the cage and bait helped tame the beast, it would be up to the mage to form a bond with it. It was highly advised that mages seeking to tame a familiar do so with an expert around, so Michael planned to go find Master Robin. Just as he went to leave his room, a loud growl filled his ears. It wasn't his chimera; he'd forgotten about breakfast!
Michael opted to knock on the triplets' door. When it opened, he was able to identify James by the Red Flaming Owl on his shoulder. "Morning James! Do you and your brothers want to get breakfast? Also, where's breakfast" he asked shyly.
Instead of answering him, James nodded and beckoned for his brothers to follow. The four left their dorm and headed towards the main building. When they entered through the massive doors, Michael found himself in a decent-sized entrance hall that extended in four directions. Two large sets of curving marble stairs led up to the second floor, but the group went past them and into the hall directly in front of them.
As they went, the hall became increasingly busy. Some parents had stayed over or were still moving their kids in, so the cafeteria was bursting with energy. Michael walked in and turned to the left, grabbing a plate and joining the end of the line. Despite all the people in front of him, the line moved quickly. He was treated to perfectly-cooked sausage, fresh eggs and toast. He was also offered a glass of yellow juice, which he kindly refused.
Everything was delicious! If this was the quality of their daily meals, Michael could get used to it. As he ate, Jake and Adam talked enough for their entire table. Of course, they were eager to learn about Michael's adventures, but he delayed the subject, telling them he'd show them after breakfast.
Master Robin met them by the exit, following them back to the dorm. "Everyone, this is Master Robin. He's trained me in swordsmanship and magic for the last several years. He's the one that helped me capture my familiar yesterday," Michael introduced. The old man was quiet, but gave the boys a polite "Goodmorning".
They walked back to the dorm and Michael led them into his room. However, the beast had woken up and used magic to turn invisible again. Since none of them had an affinity for light magic, they could not tell what it looked like. They could however, hear it moving around inside of the cage. They were disappointed until Michael promised they could see it once he'd truly made it his familiar.
Now, without distractions, he was able to focus on the bond. Before he began, his master turned to him. "Michael, you are a talented boy. This creature would make a decent familiar for you. However, the traditional method for bonding with it has a much lower success rate with more powerful beasts. Instead, use this method."
Master Robin produced an old scroll, and handed it to Michael. "You have already established your physical strength. However, the beast must also witness your magical abilities. You will need to cast all of your magics into the core of its being at once. Even if it's just for a moment, it will be enough. Once it has felt your magic, the beast will submit to your will. Only then should you establish a familiar contract. You'll know once you have succeeded."
His Master went and sat in one of the chairs that furnished the room. He pulled a book out of thin out, this one titled A Gentleman's Sword Skills. Every thirty seconds or so, he would scoff or giggle to himself. Michael paid him little mind and set to the task he had been given.
So far, Michael had only sought to use water and air magic together. These were his strongest magics so far, and he quickly built them up together. Next, he tried to add fire magic. But when the fire magic met the water magic, it fizzled out. When it met the air magic, it grew and overwhelmed the water magic. This task was much more difficult than he thought!
He tried replacing the fire magic with each of the other elements, but the same problems kept occuring. Either the new element fizzled out or it grew and overpowered one of the ones he already had. Frustrated, Michael tried to force fire and earth into the mix at the same time. It worked!
A new ball, comprised of equal parts water, air, earth and fire magic filled his awareness. The solution clearly wasn't to add them individually, but to add them in pairs. Yet, the ball collapsed when he tried to add light and darkness magic at the same time. Why was magic so frustrating?
Still, he thought he'd figured out his mistake. He would keep failing so long as he tried to add them on one after the other. If he could bring equal parts of each magic together at the same time, he had a feeling he'd succeed.
It took quite a few tries and the sun rose and began to set before he'd finally succeeded. He quickly sent the ball of magics towards the chimera. He watched as it tried to twist his magic with light magic, but the darkness in the ball consumed it. It continued on, undeterred and entered the heart of the beast.
Michael then cut his finger, circling the base of the cage in blood. His magic flared up and the cage disappeared. He could feel a link connecting his mind to the beast in front of him. It dropped its invisibility and a deep, regal voice spoke to him.
"Greetings, master. I am Orthus, prince of Chimeras. May our union be a powerful and enduring one."