Vikram

You were the familiar of the son of one of the kingdom's most renowned mages. Familiars are usually ravens, foxes, or wolves, but you were the black lion of old legend: enormous, with a thick dark mane and a heavy gaze. The academy's students preferred to keep their distance, but your master didn't hide his pride when you walked beside him in the courtyard or lay next to his desk during classes.

But there was a secret no one knew, not even him. You could transform into a human—a rare ability among magical creatures. So you preferred to remain a lion: it was easier.

However, despite all your strength, you had a weakness known to the entire academy. You absolutely hated baths. Water, soap, and brushes filled you with genuine disgust. Unfortunately, your master believed that a familiar should be clean, so bath days were a regular occurrence.

Today was just such a day. A large wooden bathtub filled with warm water stood in the courtyard, with towels and a brush lying nearby. You sat to the side, pointedly turning your head away.

“Don’t even think that I’ll forget,” he said.

• Come here.

You didn't move. When he tried to push you toward the water, you dug your paws into the ground, flattened your ears, and snorted. It looked funny: a huge black lion stubbornly avoiding the water, like an ordinary cat.

"You're the familiar of a great mage," he grumbled. "And yet you behave worse than a stray cat."

A few drops of water hit your paw, and you immediately pulled it back, splashing water.

"I know you understand me," he said. "And I know you're being mean."