Chapter 99 - Summoning Ceremony Part 2

Ms. Haley looked around and spotted Ariana. "As first years you will summon your familiar who will be with you until you graduate school. That is the term of the contract made between you and your familiar. You will be borrowing the school's power to stabilize the familiar and it will be up to you to strengthen that bond so that you can make a more permanent contract. If you're lucky you can build enough magical energy to sustain your familiar and they will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you can't but you still build a bond then you may get blessed. If you do nothing then that familiar will be more then happy to leave your side."

Edlyn looked at Ariana while Ariana stared down Ms. Hadley. It looked like she was trying to communicate telepathically with the teacher but she had no idea if they were able to. "Your familiar will be your support, your companion, your tool, your asset and your lifeline. This Ceremony can not be taken lightly, you must be completely focused and willing to give yourself to the contract. Do you understand?" Ms. Hadley shouted. Most of the students murmured their response. "Excuse me?!" She scolded and in unison the students shouted their understanding. "Good. Shortly we will make our way back to the auditorium for the Summoning. The process is pretty simple but it can easily backfire if you take the Ceremony too lightly or try to play a prank. Trust me it has happened in the past and the results are far from pleasant."

Everyone was starting to get anxious, they acted like they were sitting on pins and needles as they shifted their weight and strained their ears. "Right so to do the Summoning Ceremony, blood will be needed." Ariana and Edlyn paled, they looked at each other and Ariana mouthed the words. "I can't." Ms. Hadley continued. "You will hold your hand over blessed water and recite an incantation as your blood drips into the water. If done successfully your familiar will manifest itself before you. Don't worry, you do not have to memorize the incantation you will be reading it from a scroll so no mistakes will happen. Even if a mistake was to occur the board of directors, the school nurse and Student Council will be there to handle almost anything. Any questions?"

Edlyn quickly stood up. "Can you use some-thing else? Like hair?" The students afraid of cutting themselves started to murmur, hoping that there were other options. "No. Blood packs are the only way. You are using the blessed water and school grounds as a medium for the summoning. To establish the bond you must provide your blood. If nothing is summoned then we must ask you to make a bigger offering of blood. The nurse will be on standby for the faint of heart or anyone who used too much blood."

Ariana could feel her heart thundering against her chest, she broke out into a cold sweat and her eyes became wide. 'Master....' She heard Vasu say. She instantly stood up. "Ms. Hadley can I be exempted from the Ceremony!" The first years turned to see who shouted and Ariana felt another wave of anxiety hit her. "Exempted? Why would you need to be exempted?" She said coolly. Ariana instantly became dumbstruck. "Everyone has already seen my familiar Vasu. I don't need a new familiar." She said awkwardly. "Really now? Do you honestly believe a familiar that what you've inherited through your family will be better then one the school will help you summon? I doubt that, you couldn't even properly control the familiar. No, the bond that you create here will be stronger. So you must participate."

Ariana deflated and sat back down. Her classmates started to whisper joyously, envy left some people as they laughed over the new information Ms. Hadley announced, Vasu was not really her familiar. Ariana didn't want to fight Ms. Hadley, she realized that no matter what she had to do the ceremony. She had already gone against her initial plan of keeping her Lumas secret. "Alright if that is all let us proceed to the auditorium. Your third year escorts are also waiting outside, so move." She said as she walked towards the door. Everyone was getting up and silently following Ms. Hadley. "You're looking pretty pale." Halina said as she got up. "You okay?" Ariana looked up at Halina and sighed. "Just very, very tired."

"Alright we better move then." Talisha said in a deep voice, her face darkened slightly as a sinister smile spread across her face. "Sorry?" Edlyn asked as she grabbed Ariana's hand. "Oh I said we should be moving along with the others." Talisha said cheerfully as her face returned to her normal, docile self. Edlyn stared into her face for a bit then bowed as she let Talisha go by first. "Please, af-ter you." She said. Talisha and Halina hesitated and watched as everyone else was clearing out. "I don't think I can do this." Halina said as she brought her hands to her face and massaged her cheeks. "What the hell are you doing?!" Talisha shouted then brought her fist to her mouth and coughed. "I mean... cough... a lady must not squish her face. It is very unsightly."

Edlyn, Ariana and Halina looked at Talisha with an eyebrow raised. "It helps me calm down. My brothers would do it to my face when ever I needed a time out." Halina replied then brought her face close to Talisha. She was so much shorter then her, she hand to bend down a lot to match Talisha's eye level. "Are you..." She started to say as her magenta eyes seamlessly peered into Talisha's soul. "Ariana! Your group is the last one, come on!" Someone shouted from the entrance of the room.

Ariana looked down and gave a small wave. "Coming Vera." She shouted back. Halina backed off and started walking down the stairs. Talisha quickly followed while Ariana and Edlyn followed a little further back. "What will you do?" Edlyn whispered. "I didn't know." Ariana said as she started to slip into her thoughts. "Don't worry, the Ceremony is harmless and even if you screw up the incantation the only thing that would happen is a fire would start." Ariana heard some mentors tell the first years as the escorted them to the auditorium. "Well there was the one time someone dismembered their entire body becomes her replaced words I the incantation with different words." Someone said. "Right! Thank the heavens that Mrs. Hadley was there or else he would have died!" Someone replied. Everyone turned pale. "Don't listen that was a tall tale someone made up to scare first years!" Vera shouted but the damage was done. The the were all scared.