A Spirit Animal

-1st person-

A few days later,

I hadn't been preparing at all these past few days and I also don't know why it took so long but here we are.

I stretched before dashing out of the room and towards the library, since the book explained for you to go to the place you feel the most comfortable at and I obviously feel at home at the library.

That's pathetic An uninvited guest, Cosmos, said.

No, it's not, Ray has spent most of his time there. So it's obvious that he'd feel comfortable there! Void yelled indignantly.

Yeah! What Void said! Mana agreed.

Why don't we all calm down here? We should watch quietly for Ray's spirit animal. Qi said and it was almost a whisper yet everyone heard it.

I ignored them as I walked down the steps and into the library.

Eventually reaching a space large enough, I used my mana to draw a demon-summoning circle(?). Then, I carefully inscribed the phrase, [The Gate To The Spirits Will Open And My Chosen Shall Emerge]. Of course, I did it in the [Language Of The Gods].

Yes, that was the true phrase.

Then, I did as the book said and drew. Stars, hearts, rectangles, lines, squares, and so on. It did hurt to cut my finger off to do this though. I think I started crying too... Things hurt more when it's done intentionally rather than accidentally.

After finishing that, I infused my power into the circle. Around 79% of all the energies mixed went to the runes and 21% went to the drawings and the circle itself. Then, I placed my hand on my chest and pulled out 15% of my soul. There wasn't pain, but only emptiness.

Then I placed the hand holding my soul onto the middle of the star. The soul became a whitish flame that just sat there, waiting. At that point,I placed my palms together as if praying and spoke.

"Oh Gods of ignorance and vanity." It was a monotonous and emotionless tone as if he were a robot. It was strangely fear-inducing.

"Give me the assistance needed for my spirit animal."

"Guide my spirit through the treacherous labyrinth called the spirit world,"

"Guide the animals to their owners."

"Oh, the Gods who have abandoned me."

"Fix your mistakes,"

"Fix your ignorance."

"Help the lost lambs."

"Answer the call of a child,"

"Answer the call of this child."

The phrases echoed within the large, grand library. Creating an eerie rhapsody, repeating over and over again as it resounded in my ears.

Soon enough, as the voices died down, a light appeared along the lines of my blood and mana. The mana, which I thought was as bright as could be, glowed brighter. Soon, a figure appeared.

It was slender, silky, and long. It was a snake, the hissing sound echoed as it slithered towards me. I lowered my hand to allow it to climb and soon, it was curled around my body. It was a 1-metre snake that could completely coil around my body and suffocate me slowly as I failed to scream in agony. Luckily, it shortened to fit my shoulders and it sat there, snug.

So it's a snake? Aura asked in disbelief. This child is definitely not a snake, I will confirm it.

"Thanks for the compliment?" But being a snake could help in certain situations. "But, I'm probably one of those special cases. Snakes are my favorite animal."

Ohhh, so that's why. Mana exclaimed.

[Yes, that's why.] The snake spoke telepathically, like most spirit animals. [My Master is an ever-changing person and I simply wished to fit his preferences] 

Oh, how considerate! That was me this time.

"So you got a snake..." Eris said, I don't know when She got there but it seemed like She'd been sitting there for a long time.

[Yes, She has.] The snake said.

I nodded my head.

What should I name you? Or do you have a name?

[I have a name, it's Hestia and Melinoe. However, my Master can call me whatever he wants.] Hestia said.

"Hestia..." I murmured, completely forgetting Eris sitting there. But she simply watched , sparing a single glance at Hestia and then turning back to me.

"How was it?" She asked.

"Great, yet also scary," I replied bluntly.

She chuckled and spoke, "The chant was amazing, Ray." 

I speak, "Wasn't it? I thought that I had to make it sound cool and elegant so I thought long and hard for it and this is what I came up with!" I had to seem excited.

Yes, it was exactly as the Lord of the Void said. It was an impressive insult. Qi said it's probably a compliment. Right?

[I also think it's most likely to be a compliment] 

If you're going to compliment Ray, then don't make it that ambiguous. Mana argued.

Oh! Hestia, what kind of abilities do you have? I almost forgot to ask.

[Well, Master, I have the basic abilities of a snake amplified for life-size enemies and even larger. I specialise in illusion magic and I also share the abilities of Master] 

Huh, I see...

"How impressive is your spirit animal?" Eris asked.

Yeah, tell us! Mana yelled in my ear.

"Hestia says she specialises in [Illusions] and she also shares my abilities. She can also use the basic abilities of a snake, except they're amplified." It was amazing abilities for a spirit animal and I'm pretty sure that's not it.

That's... Quite good for a mere spirit animal. Cosmos said, which was a compliment compared to what he usually said.

"That's amazing! You should begin learning how to coordinate your attacks to increase the convenience." Eris began with some praise and ended with advice, as always.

"That's what I was planning to do, if Hestia and I could do this properly, we wouldn't even struggle with anything. And could easily defeat even the Gods!" That was an exaggeration, but there are times when the truth is unneeded. Like, deciding to tell a child with lost memories about their lonely and traumatic past or not. However, this wasn't to display conviction, it was rather to reveal excitement.

Hestia chuckled along with Eris this time, and soon I began laughing too. I felt like I needed to since Eris and Hestia had already begun laughing so then I also joined in. It would've been strange if I hadn't.

I'm speaking from experience, it's happened back then. Multiple times. 

I finally stop laughing and compose myself, taking deep breaths and then I turn to Hestia.

"Well, should we begin training?"

[Well, Master, that's a given.] 

We nod to each other and then I walk to the garden, which I now even call the training grounds. How interesting. Aren't gardens supposed to be where you relax, not train yourself to the verge of death?

Well, enough lamenting over my situation and back to my training.

Me and Hestia both trained on our coordination over the next few years (Funny, right?) and we chose what animal Hestia would appear as when I 'attempt' to call her in the future when I'm back on Earth.

It was fun but I also experienced a cold due to overexertion. Turned out that Both me and Hestia have our life forces connected. If she dies then I die. The only difference is that she's forced to go back into hibernation in the spirit world to wait for a new master whilst I actually die...