=>> No way can this go wrong...
You watch as the lights in the student dormitories go out. One by one, most of the inhabitants go to sleep, except for a few shining candles and hearths.
Kirche is still up. Of course. You don't want to know the details of what that loose-moraled Germanian....
Ugh.
.... The moons have risen.
...
Yeah. There's no way that you can just pick up some random animal and pretend that everything went fine. They'll know, somehow you know that at least the Headmaster and probably a few of the teachers will know, and the other students... well, they might not know, but they'll definitely suspect, or more accurately, imply that you cheated to pull through. The only way you could stave that off would have been to successfully summon in front of the whole class, and probably not even then.
Ugh.
Probably doesn't matter anyway. If the one spell didn't work, you have no reason to believe that the other would. And if you just picked up a well known stray, or someone's pet, it would be recognized. Entirely leaving aside the deliberate heresy.
You might as well just claim that the summon had failed because its target was already here, and tried to bind one of the other students' familiars. Or one of the other students, come to that, though that's also murky waters.
Or yourself.
.... Well, why not. It's not like trying out a slightly different brand of failure for today can make things that much worse.
You incant the ritual words, then hesitate for a few moments before just brushing your lips against the back of your hand.
Well, nothing happens. Just as you'd conl-Brimir's Bride, your hand is glowing.
You have just enough time to register this before the pain hits, a rending and soul-searing agony that feels as though it will tear your very soul asunder.
You don't have the time to scream before you black out.
----
.... What the?
You're surrounded by black emptiness, an empty void which you can't peer out of. Tendrils are connected, into you, through you, taking out and in the same breath, putting back in...
Something.
You aren't sure. It seems.... symbolic?
It doesn't hurt. It hurts, but it doesn't hurt, and it doesn't mean to hurt you, but this is just what it's doing, what it's meant to do, what it has been designed by its creator to do, fulfilling its purpose, and while it doesn't mean you harm, it doesn't care if you are harmed...
Out.
Brimir's mercy, out, you have to get out.
But there's nowhere to run to. And nothing to run with? From, is everything, is you, it is as much you as you are it, it has been with you and a part of you for so long, both taking and giving as it was designed to do and-
No. Nonononono, out, let me out, I never wanted this, I never asked for-!
You feel lips. Your own. Manacles settle around your wrists, as you draw, are drawn...
Light. Beautiful and glorious light, and you....
You can't quite...
No, let go, let me go, you have to, you're so close, you can't-!
Not free of its grip. Its grip is deep.
But your own chains bind you to the very sky, and you've almost gotten away, you can't quite get out, but it can't pull hard enough to draw you back in, it is only one part of a whole, and-
You don't understand anything at all.
---
You wake up, gasping, and covered by the dew. Your hand throbs. In spite of this, you feel better than you ever have in your entire life, like something heavy and cold and uncaring had draped itself across your shoulders, and now.... not drawn off entirely, but for the first time, you are noticing that it was there at all, as it is drawn partially away, held by a fire and dried out like a sodden cape.
The dim light of the dawn is enough to make out the branded marks of a familiar's runes, though you don't recognize them.
---
[ ] It worked! It... it worked. Uh. ... Shit. What now...?