It had been a month since her final visit to a noble court. After a day of searching for supplies, the mage spent three weeks hiking the highest of mountains to find what she was looking for. Seven days afterwards were spent sneaking into the dragon's abode to prepare for the battle, sketches of small alchemic circles dotting the walls.
Today, she had walked in and challenged it.
Signs of a combat dotted the area, the dragon having struggled to maintain it's divine nature in a hard fought battle. Over sized foot-prints dotted the ground where the mighty beast had stomped, claw marks ran across the wall, and chunks of rock covered the floor of the cave after having been blasted from the ceiling by the mighty beast.
With the assistance of her preparations however, the mage had managed to succeed in the first half of the ceremony: forcing the soon-to-be familiar into mortal form. The second half was far easier, only requiring the press of a hand against the beast's forehead. Smoke still filled the area, providing a temporary pause in the fight.
The flame haired teenager smiled, savoring the victory. From the outside, she would appear calm and collected. In her heart though, she was nervous and excited about what came next, feelings of anticipation running through her veins like ice.
According to her teacher, this was the easy part of forcing a beast into submission so long as you managed to maintain appearances and establish authority from the get go. In a few seconds, her prize would be revealed.
The last wisps of smoke were swept away with time, and the mage suddenly felt disappointment as she looked upon the treasure she believed would save mankind.
The mortal form of a beast usually resembled what they were in their society, and looking at the naked purple haired girl above that was currently bellowing at her ... was she even twenty? There was no way the dragon had been anything more than an adolescent herself.
The black robed mage simply rolled her eyes in response to the dragon's roars, and with a flick of her hand brought a small item out of her bag. An inscribed strip of metal studded in rubies shot towards the dragon's throat faster than the eye could move, attaching itself tightly around the naked girl's neck as a collar.
"Vi Manilla." Using the mana stored within those stones, the mage muttered a pair of words underneath her breath and used the strip of metal as an anchor to force the previously flying creature down to it's knees before it's future master.
Canatrix took a step forward, and after a moment of nervous hesitation lightly pressed the palm of her hand against the dragon's head. Light appeared from where the two touched, the mage's eyes seeming to be filled with power as she did so. A euphoric feeling would fill the pair of them like the feeling of spring sun against skin that had been untouched by it for an entire winter.
No words needed to be spoken however, the world seeming to understand her intent without further instruction. The shared light and feeling stopped after a second, leaving the standing mage and kneeling familiar in the cave leaving no physical sign of their new contract. It was done.
The red haired girl sighed in relief before remembering the words of her teacher. The mage willed herself to regain composure, hand moving itself from the dragon's forehead to beneath the girl's chin and forcing the girl's head up to gaze at her new mistress.
Appearances were important. These few moments would set the tone of their relationship. Dominating words that sounded more assertive than she felt parted from her lips. "As the laws of the universe dictate, I have forced you into submission, beast. My name is Canatrix, although you will respectfully address me as 'Master', 'Mistress', or 'Miss Del Vires'. You WILL obey my orders, you WILL not question them, and you WILL not speak without first asking permission."
The mage finally decided to breathe, trying to keep her breathing under control, the available hand wiping sweat from her own forehead. This was stressful, and the interaction had far too many variables to be able to prepare for it.