"Wow." he remarked.  "You clean up nicely.  I'll just tell everyone I've gotten a girlfriend and no one will suspect a thing."  The truth was he'd broken up with his actual girlfriend a month before.  Her name was Tess and she'd been a science major.  He'd had to distance himself from her when she started asking too many questions about what he was majoring in.<br/><br/>They walked across the grounds of the academy towards his apartment.  It looked much like most modern colleges- a mix of old stone coupled with modern architecture.   This particular academic institution didn't readily advertise advanced degrees in the arcane arts.  But if you had the right connections it was like earning any mundane degree.  His father had been an alumnus, and his father before him.  The key was to simply not attract attention- much like what Cassandra did to disguise her true nature.<br/><br/>"Well I do really like hearing you call me master" he chuckled.  "But my name is Azric.  Hey- I thought you said you could read my mind?  And as to why I wanted a familiar...I want one because I'm not supposed to have one.  Yet."<br/><br/>That sort of thing was quite above his grade level.  Some mages never found familiars at all.  And here he'd summoned Cassandra.  Potentially a lot more fun and useful than some stupid old owl or toad.  Much nicer to look at as well.  And also significantly more life threatening.  In the back of his mind this aspect worried him, though so far she seemed relatively harmless.  He supposed he was still having a hard time believing it himself.<br/><br/>"The sad part is, Cassandra, that I can't tell anyone about you.  Not even the other apprentices.  I'm pretty sure the punishment for summoning a demonic entity is expulsion.  And that wouldn't go over very well at home."