"Nonsense." Azriel snorted, finding her joke unfunny.
"As if the world were that kind." Karma looked at him expectantly.
"Why do you think it's nonsense?" She asked.
"Are you perhaps afraid you won't be able to control me? Or maybe you think they'll kill you if you choose me?"
"I fear that our connection would be weak." Azriel said with narrowed eyes.
"You're only testing me. You know very well that our bond would be so weak it wouldn't matter whether I had it or not."
"Our mentalities are worlds apart. You are far older and far more powerful than I. Our compatibility is close to zero."
Azriel sighed then; resisting the priestess's temptations was only the first step.
A very tempting step, for if he chose her, he would be practically immortal.
The fact that she was so powerful yet still appeared so youthful was proof enough that his lifespan would be extended greatly.
But he would never be able to advance easily through the realms or share the affinities of each one, because their connection would be too weak.
Only vitality would be shared equally, everything else would fail to function as it should.
"And what would be the better choice?"
Karma asked, coming up behind him, resting both hands on his shoulders with a gentle smile.
"Tell me."
"An Adolescent, Peak Stage," Azriel replied without much thought.
"The mentality would be similar, and therefore the connection could be strong. But personalities would still need to be compatible."
"I imagine she is in that stage, so dismiss the rest." Karma laughed at his blunt words.
"You heard him. Only those at Adolescent, Peak Stage may remain." She waved her hand, and soon the others vanished.
Those who remained were visibly smaller, less "special," though still quite unique.
Azriel was surprised to see among them a fox with an aquatic appearance, with scales and gills.
There was also one who walked upon the sky, clouds beneath its feet and lightning dancing across its body.
"And now? How will you discover who she is?" Karma asked as Azriel listened calmly, considering how to proceed.
"Eliminate all of these." He said, pointing to several foxes with strong, imposing appearances.
"You said she was sick. Illness doesn't give you a vigorous look."
At last, only a few foxes remained.
"It's her." He needed only one glance to identify her.
A fox with pink fur on top and white underneath, with a five-leaf clover pattern sculpted in white on her forehead.
The fox was slightly larger than the others but lay very still, quiet.
"How can you be so sure?" Karma asked as he approached.
"She looks the same as the others, as far as I can see."
She chuckled, noting the sharp, slightly bored look in his eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" He said with furrowed brows.
"She has an illness that forces her to absorb excess energy."
"If there were any peculiarity in the energy of her surroundings, she would be deeply affected by it."
"Now look around, this whole forest is pink! What are the chances of an environmental peculiarity here?"
"And what are the chances she would mutate from the energy of the place she lives?"
"And then I see a fox, slightly larger, with pink fur, the same as the forest around her, yet with a lazy… no, a weak appearance."
"Being a ticking time bomb wouldn't give you strength; on the contrary, it would weigh you down."
"What are the odds it's her?" He finished his reasoning. Karma sighed at his words.
"You're no fun. How do you even have friends?"
Karma pouted, looking aside.
"Fine, right answer. There's your cure, now you can leave and forget about us. We don't like show-off guests."
Azriel sighed.
"I didn't bring a contract from the goddess. I need a contract from the fox god."
He looked at Karma with expectation, he wanted something different from the Solaris goddess's contracts.
"Of course, here it is."
Azriel frowned; she hadn't been holding anything a second ago.
"You really haven't met many cultivators, have you?" Karma laughed, leaving Azriel embarrassed.
"This kind of thing will become normal from now on. Just get used to it."
"With that out of the way…" Karma suddenly spoke, holding the contract firmly in her hands.
"What kind of contract will it be?"
"A… familiar contract?" Azriel asked, not understanding the question, drawing a genuine laugh from Karma.
He really did have a funny face.
"Yes, but what are the conditions?" Karma asked with good humor.
"You can make it so they submit fully or partially, place restrictions on the types of orders they're bound to obey."
"But she has to accept the proposal."
"What you just described is a servitude contract. A slave's bond," Azriel replied.
"That's how mages work, that's how the Pale Queen rules."
"I want a true familiar contract, one of total equality, with no restrictions or conditions."
Karma stared deeply at him, as if analyzing whether he was still sane.
"You do realize… well, I suppose you must… in that case, it will be at your own risk."
Karma then looked at the pink fox, who until then had only been watching their conversation.
"Come here, little one, take part too, it's your future we're talking about."
"Of course."
The fox quickly transformed, her humanoid form that of a girl the same age as Azriel, with rosy hair and pale skin, bearing her mother's almond-shaped eyes.
"So this will be my master? He looks imposing." She approached with a gentle smile.
"Oh, just look at that stoic face of his! He looks like he could face an army alone and not even flinch." She laughed playfully.
"Doesn't he?" Karma said beside her, wrapping an arm around her while turning her gaze back to Azriel.
"This is Lyna, your familiar from this moment onward. Once you sign the contract, both of your fates will be sealed."
"Do you both agree to this?" Azriel's gaze sharpened as he looked at the girl, preparing himself for what was to come.
"Of course, I've been preparing for this my whole life," He said with a hint of pride in his voice.
"I didn't come all this way to return empty-handed."
"Yes, I don't doubt it," Lyna replied with a kind smile. Azriel couldn't help but look at that smile and remember another person…
"I am certain that our great Azriel will prove to be a great master. I am grateful to have such an opportunity."
"Of course, I will be your great master," Azriel said naturally. Karma then handed him the contract.
The contract had no clauses, for it only served the purpose it was created for.
To connect two souls.
He signed his name and passed it to Lyna, who did the same.
And in that instant, his world seemed to turn upside down.