When Ojero woke up, he was back on the arena floor. Most of the other students had started to wake up, rubbing whichever part of them hit the ground first.
Relief was the first thing Ojero felt, but it was quickly overshadowed by confusion. 'Did whatever was in the dark listen?'
"Of course, master"
A dark and hoarse voice sounded throughout Ojero's head, as he jumped to his feet, spinning around. Erica noticed this, and was walking towards him, wondering what was wrong.
"Who said that?" Ojero yelled out across the arena. This attracted weird looks from everyone around him as Ojero continued to glance around as if he was paranoid.
"It is me, master"
Again the voice spoke out, and although it sounded eerily familiar, Ojero was more focused on finding the source.
"Who said that again? Who was it? Who are you, and why do you keep calling me master?"
By now Erica was only a few feet away from Ojero, and had an idea of what it was.
"Calm down, I think I know what it is. Only you can hear a voice in your mind, correct?" Erica called out to him.
Focusing on her voice, Ojero calmed himself down a little, and stopped spinning around.
"Yes, and he keeps calling me master"
A small crowd had gathered, and were fascinated with what was going on.
"Well, I did not expect for this to happen. Powerful familiars have the ability to speak, and can do so within a mages mind. It is a very rare ability, so consider yourself lucky. It allows for quick communication in battle, and can be invaluable."
The crowd started talking in whispers, many talking about how lucky Ojero was and how they wished they had his familiar.
Hearing her words, Ojero felt a little better, but was still wary. Having a creature know his thoughts felt risky to him.
"Do not worry, master, if you order it I am not allowed to share your thoughts."
'Then I order you not to share my thoughts, now tell me what you are doing in my head?'
"I am your familiar, master. I listen to your thoughts and desires, to help you act upon them. We have met briefly in the Domain of Death. It was there that you and I became connected, master."
Now that Ojero was calm, he started to think of the benefits. 'That creature did look strong, and I could use him to my benefit. He seems to follow my commands for now, so I may as well use him for whatever I need.'
"Yes, master. I shall follow your commands."
Ojero recoiled a little at his words, remembering how every thought he had, he would share with his new familiar.
'What are you exactly?' Ojero said this while pulling out the Book of the Known Undead
"You would not find me in that text, master. My kind died out millennia before the first Necromancer."
Ojero felt a sense of anger and hatred coming from the creature as he spoke, and wondered how exactly his kind died.
"The Undead King had me saved, master, and since then I have belonged in his service. Not long before you arrived in the Domain of Death, he sent me there, and gave me one last order to become your eternal familiar."
'Everyone has a story, but what are your kind called?'
"We are called the Night Demons, master, for our specialization in shadow magic, making us perfect assassins in the undead realms."
Unknown to Ojero, the crowd was still watching him react to every word the Night Demon spoke, and a few started laughing seeing him attempt to have a mental conversation with something they couldn't see.
Erica, however, was more curious than amused. She did not know many mages who had familiars strong enough to speak. She wanted to be able to see what kind of familiar had this power that would willingly bond with a child.
Back in Ojero's head, he was ecstatic. The idea of having a shadow assassin at his beck and call seemed very useful, especially if he wanted to grow his own strength.
'How do I summon you?'
"You call and I answer, master. However, be wary, I am not able to use my full strength. The familiar bond allows you to summon me, but my power is drawn through your body. If I draw too much, you will not be able to handle it and die."
The drawback seemed to be pretty severe, which prompted Ojero to rethink how frugal he could be with the Night Demons usage. However, if he could grow in strength he could use it more.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when Erica started to speak to him.
"Can you show me your familiar mark? I may be able to learn more about your familiar from it."
Ojero was confused for a moment, but then he remembered the pain in his shoulder. 'That must be my mark! But do I want her to see it? The Night Demon isn't exactly a friendly looking familiar.'
"Master, if I may, I recommend to allow her. She will not learn much."
Listening to the Night Demon, Ojero was still unsure whether to trust it or not, but decided that nothing too bad could happen.
He lifted his shirts off, prompting a series of chuckles from the girls in the crowd when they saw his almost skeletal frame. Ojero noticed this, but did not see a certain blonde girl getting angry at these remarks.
However, when they saw his shoulder, everyone fell silent. From his right shoulder down to the middle of his back was a giant black tattoo.
It was made of thick inky lines. In the center was a skull with black eyes, half of its face covered with a demonic mask. Surrounding the skull were 4 long arms, each having multiple claws protruding out. These claws arced around in a circle around the entire tattoo.
Above the skull was a cracked crown, encased in what appeared to be a cloak. The entire tattoo had a strange feel, not exactly evil, but threatening, as if the tattoo itself would kill any who offended it.
However, what everyone was focusing on, was the black mist coming off of the entire tattoo. It coiled around Ojero's entire chest, and kept moving, making sure all who saw it knew that it was watching.
It was alive.