The Familiars: Animal Wizardry

“Who can tell me what this sap is used for?” asked Kalstaff. “Jack, do you want to make a guess?”

Jack nervously hummed and hawed, unsure of the answer.

Skylar leaned over to Aldywn and Gilbert and whispered, “When mixed with lava spice, it creates a serum that, even if you swallow only a single drop, can cause you to grow up to double your size.”

Kalstaff looked to his other students. “Marianne, Dalton?”

They too were stumped.

“Well, then you’ll have to look it up,” said Kalstaff. “I’ll give you a hint: it has to do with enlargement.”

“You are such a show-off,” said Gilbert to Skylar, annoyed and impressed in equal measure.

“Dalton, collect a sample for further study,” instructed Kalstaff. The young wizard pulled a vial from his bag and began filling it with the colossus sap.

Gilbert poked his green elbow into Aldwyn’s fur: “Hey, Aldwyn, what am I thinking about now?” he asked.

“Um, another fly?”

“That is insane! Get out of my head.”

Kalstaff declared it was time for a short break and Jack wandered off to explore the clearing, with Aldwyn tagging along behind him. Between two rocks, glistening in the sun, Aldwyn spotted an elaborate web and in it a nimble creature with pearly white skin and wings that appeared too delicate to touch. “What’s this?” Aldwyn whispered to Jack, afraid to disturb the creature. “It’s a spider nymph,” Jack whispered back excitedly. “They’re incredibly rare.” The two stood gazing at the winged arachnid, which proceeded to weave hypnotic patterns into its silk net. Soon the colourful web was drawing Jack and Aldwyn into some kind of trance.

“Don’t stare too long,” Marianne shouted from across the clearing. “Otherwise you won’t be able to snap out of it.”

Jack quickly blinked and turned away, but Aldwyn remained transfixed, the dizzying rainbow patterns reflecting in his eyes. The spider nymph began to move towards him, having successfully dazed its prey. Then, suddenly, the seemingly innocuous arachnid revealed a mouthful of venom-dripping fangs. Before the eight-legged predator could strike, Jack gave a tug on Aldwyn’s fur and pulled him away. Disappointed, the spider returned to its web.