Where do the familiars for Earthly magicians come from and how do they learn to channel magic?
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An unassuming golden retriever named Dawn learns when she is drawn into another world. Only problem is she has no memory of her past, and has difficulty in adjusting to life on two feet as a familiar rather then the existence of a four legged pet!
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In this first part she meets with a mentor and has a falling out with the local wizardly council. Perhaps she will learn the reason behind this magical madness?
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This was inspired by a suggestion by Hept: a magical school story for Anthros. Its Ol'Squeaks attempt at a fantasy series which he'll take up if his watchers and friendly supporters enjoy the premise and are interested to hear more about Dawn, Templeton and Co.
As always suggestions and critique is encouraged!

Sanctum: School for Familiars
Part 1. The Stars Are Wrong

Dawn’s eyes crept open.
Of all the things she had expected to see on the kitchen floor at that time of the evening (namely, not much) a rat in a robe wasn’t among them. It was a long flowing midnight blue robe speckled with stars. Reminded her of master’s bath towel, but a much finer fabric. The creature raised its hood to get a better look at her with its glossy eyes. Even for a rat it was much larger then any she had ever seen before this, roughly half the size of her kennel according to her vantage point. It also walked on its hind legs.
Like the master.
“Well?” the rat squeaked.
It walked further into the moonlight streaming through the window and Dawn could see it had a curved staff clutched in its claws. She growled in response.
Then again, how might a golden retriever respond otherwise?
“I see.” The rat said, nodding sagely. “Too long in the second kingdom. Forgot how to speak have you, or just don’t feel like it at the moment?”
She barked.
“None of that!” the rat raised his staff. “I chose this particular time to visit because I wanted you alone. The master will keep. Right now we have things to discuss.”
Dawn opened her mouth to bark once again. No sound at all.
She looked worried, tried a second time. Not so much as a rasp.
“Sorry I had to do that.” The rat said. “I couldn’t risk your wizard spoiling everything. It’s taken this long just to find you. To be very frank its like you’ve gone out of your way to stay hidden.”
The rat aimed his staff at the barred kennel. Dawn could barely here him murmuring something under his breath.
Suddenly the latch undid itself and the door creaked open. Dawn scrambled backwards with a muted yelp her claws clicking on the metal base.
“Now, now.” The rat snickered. “Just a little magic is all. I would have supposed a familiar like you would be more attuned to it. Maybe we have farther to go then I thought.”
He turned, robes swishing across the tiles. Dawn stared wide-eyed at his retreating back.
“Come along now!”
Dawn didn’t move.
“Oh for goodness sakes.”
He placed two fingers in his mouth and let loose with a high-pitched whistle. Dawn recognized that sound. She trotted obediently to the rat’s side. He looked up at her with something like pity in his bulbous black eyes.
“You’ve been here far too long. Good thing I got here when I did, you might have forgotten all about where you really came from! Now tell me, where is your master’s portico?”
Dawn cocked her head, confused.
“His box of tricks?” the rat tried. “His magic trunk?”
She shook her head sadly.
Then her ears raised and she yipped inaudibly, comprehending, scampering away like a flash.
“Wait for me you dumb mutt!” the rat snarled, leaning on his staff. “Bloody four-footed monsters think they can rub it in our noses…”
She made her way to the pile of junk her master would root through before each job. There was his many-colored coat with pom-pom buttons, his flabby hat with the giant flower, his frizzy red wig, oversized shoes. She nosed through the pile as the rat approached, suspiciously tapping the tools of her master’s trade with the tip of his staff.
“Hmm…your master is a curious sort of magician.”
Dawn looked back, sensing the tone in the rat’s voice. She snarled inaudibly but her fierce expression communicated her feelings perfect.
“Don’t get me wrong!” The rat said quickly. “I’d be the first to respect any alternate lifestyle!”
The last of the clothing fell away to reveal a footlocker painted in prismatic colors. The faded image of clown wearing the same clothes was waving amiably from its side, and in circus lettering was written ‘The Amazing Mago’
“Oh dear god.” The rat groaned. “That’s your…master is it?”
Dawn nodded, smiling proudly.
“He uses your limitless potential for true magic channeling for…” the rat leaned in to read a flyer taped to the trunk “Children’s birthday parties, corporate socials and bar mitzvahs?”
Dawn nodded harder, smiling wider.
The rat gave her a fixed and sorrowful look.
“I can’t pick them all.” He sighed at last. “I wonder if this is even a portico. Maybe I have this all wrong.”
He pulled a pocket watch from his vestments and consulted it. When curiosity got the better of her Dawn leaned in and saw that instead of the usual two hand set up the watch face was entirely devoted to a revolving disk depicting the stages of the moon and the position of constellations.
“The stars are never wrong.” The rat said solemnly. “They say I’m in the right place.”
With more muttered words and graceful motions of his staff he unlatched first once side of the trunk then the other. Dawn squirmed uneasily, not certain what her master would think of their mussing with his personal things.
Light began to leak around the edges of the trunk as the lid rose of its own accord. This seemed to please to rat.
“A portico! I knew it, never doubted it! Now then miss…”
His eyes roved to her collar.
“Dawn. Nice name. You can expect a little disorientation on our way through.”
“Through to where?” Dawn asked.
Then her eyes got very wide, as did the rats.
“Did I give you permission to speak?” then he considered. “How…how did you do that?”
“Do what?”
Dawn raised a paw to her lips.
“I’m…” she looked terrified. “I’m SPEAKING!”
“That you are, and through a silencing spell as well.” The rat looked at his staff. “A powerful one if I do say so myself.”
“But how?” Dawn whimpered.
“I don’t know. A counter spell on that level is nigh impossible for a trained professional.”
“No, I mean I’m a dog! Dogs don’t speak!”
“Rats don’t either.” The rat chuckled. “I’m guessing it has something to do with your proximity to the portico, but I’ve never seen a neophyte like you channel magic so quickly or so well. Ever.”
“Is that a good thing?”
The rat consulted his pocket watch.
“We shall see. Are you prepared to leave your world behind?”
“No.” whined Dawn.
“Well too bloody bad!” the rat snapped. “Crawl in that trunk before I blast you to jelly!”
“That would be bad.” Dawn mused, having a vivid mental image.
“Oh it would be beautiful.” The rat sneered. “I’m very good at it, but it would be unpleasant for you. Now get!”
“Okay, okay!” Dawn barked, scuttling up to the trunk.
Then she got a good look inside.
“YI!”
She leapt back, did a complete turn then buried her head in her master’s clown clothes, shivering.
“You big baby!” the rat patted her behind with his staff. “Its just a magical vortex!”
“No!” Dawn’s muffled groans said. “Its scary in there!”
“Don’t make me do this.” The staff slowly elevated. “The disorientation of a travel after a long stint in the second world is bad enough…”
“NO!”
“Very well.”
As the staff reached its peak Dawn abruptly found her legs flailing several inches above the floor. She was so petrified the bark froze in her throat. Like a conductor the rat moved his staff, shifting the retriever through the air in tandem. He maneuvered her higher, positioned her over the trunk. Dawn could see all too clearly the whirling, roiling bottomless pit of light and color below.
“See you on the other side.” The rat said with a jaunty salute.
She really did howl when the invisible restraints were removed and she was tumbling into the trunk, then into the vortex, then down and down further through a rush of chaotic radiance. There was a roaring in her ears. All four paws kicked against nothing.
Two paws.
Two hands.
She screamed.
Then her eyes opened.
Blue skies flowed above her like an ocean. She could feel cool grass at her hind paws.
Instinctively she reached up, perhaps for a means to right herself, perhaps in some half conceived way to pluck the few clouds there were from the blue.
She saw a four-fingered hand extending up.
With a yelp she kicked until she was standing again on all fours, terrified of the newcomer lying beside her.
No one.
She took a shaky step forward…and fell over.
She tried again, pushed up with her hands.
And stood completely up.
“EEEK!”
Flapping her arms she toppled onto her back once again and lay there, panting.
After another while she mustered the courage to stand once more, first on all fours, then rising until she stood on two feet. It was curious. Standing like this felt more natural then crouching, although she could not for the life of her recall doing anything else for her entire life.
She was a dog, not a person! Dogs (respectable ones at any rate) didn’t go walking around on two legs or…or speaking!
Clearing her throat she tried to hum a little. The sound was alien but came easily enough to her lips. When she whirled around she saw for the first time the farmer who was glaring at her suspiciously. He appeared to be a calico cat, but likewise perched on only two feet, his hands wrapped around a hoe, a straw hat shading his piercing green eyes.
“Hi.” Dawn said, waving nervously.
The cat waved back with a little less then rousing enthusiasm. Dawn saw his jacket and placed a forepaw/hand self-consciously to her chest.
“You’re probably wondering why I suddenly appeared in your felid here naked.”
The cat farmer nodded very slowly.
“Well…” Dawn scratched her ear. “Truth is…I don’t know either. Funny huh?”
Again, that measured nod.
As she began to take cautious steps backwards (too aware she was treading on carefully tended tomato plants) there was a sound like a blast of thunder and a blinding light.
Dawn whirled to see the damage but saw none, no crater or fire from what she had been sure was a lightning bolt. Instead she was inexplicably standing just in front of a figure in a red robe. She was certain he hadn’t been there a moment before.
The figure removed its hood and the warty face of an enormous frog blinked accusingly at her. Dawn grinned sheepishly, took another step back.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
She turned and saw three more robed shapes lined behind her. Each robe was a different color: blue, yellow and green.
“I don’t want any trouble!” she said, raising her paws.
It didn’t seem to make any difference. With blinding flares staffs appeared in each of their outstretched hands, and the ends of these were aimed at her with grim purpose.
She turned to the farmer for help but he had fallen to one knee, bowing reverently.
“Oh great.” Dawn mumbled. “I’m gonna get blasted the jelly!”
“STOP!”
She knew that voice.
The blue robed figure stepped forward.
“She is the one I was sent to find! Lay off your restraining spells. And you, Saquaro! Enough with your intimidation charm. She’s already frightened half out of her wits.”
The frog croaked angrily, but lowered his staff, the red glow leaving it.
“Ratty!” Dawn said joyfully as the rat removed his hood. “I’m glad to see you again!”
The assemble robed figures began to shake and fume with barely contained laughter. The yellow figure couldn’t hold back entirely and outright chuckled.
The rat glared at Dawn but his expression swiftly softened.
“Its Templeton.” He said coolly. “Not Ratty.”
“Templeton.” Dawn brightened. “I like it.”
“Good for you.” He turned to the farmer and frowned. “Get up.”
“But, milord…” the cat began.
“We’re guardians, not monarchs.” Templeton grumbled. “We serve you, remember?”
“I’m grateful, milord.”
“Then gratefully stop acting like a sot!”
The cat farmer quickly got to his feet and stood at attention.
“Yes milord!”
“MY NAME IS TEMPLETON!” the rat shrieked, blue energy gathering unbidden on his staff. “Now get back to work or I’ll turn you into a sheep!”
Without another word the cat set to hoeing his row again, doing everything possible not to make eye contact with the robed assembly.
“So…” Dawn cast about her, looking for answers. “Where are we?”
“She doesn’t know?” the green robed figure inquired in a gruff voice.
“Portico lag!” Templeton scoffed. “Think nothing of it. Memories take a while to come back, don’t they?”
It was assumable the green figure’s grunt was an affirmation. Perhaps.
“Come along with my young lady.” The rat took Dawn’s hand. “We need to get you dressed up and back to Sanctum, don’t we?”
“Um…sure.”
“The clothing part isn’t really required around here of course.” Templeton laughed, dragging her further away. “It’s just common courtesy you understand.”
“Um…sure.”
Dawn felt like she was drowning in perplexity, almost like sliding back down that mad tunnel of light.
“What is her name?” Demanded the frog Saquaro.
“Dawn.” Said Dawn.
“Dawn.” Saquaro repeated. “Well, I can only hope your familiar name when assigned is better then that!”
“Me too!” Dawn replied cheerily, having no idea what she was talking about.
Templeton whistled again and Dawn’s attention refocused on the rat.
“We’ll see to this back at Sanctum.” The yellow robed figure said.
Then, in as many flashes of light and echoing cracks the figures were gone.
Templeton remained.
“Come along.”
He tugged and Dawn followed. They passed the farmer, continued down the hill by a paved path to his quaint but comfortable farmhouse of stone and thatch, along a cobble road winding away from the house into what Dawn could see now was an entire village.
Animals of all sorts were busying themselves at domestic chores, tending gardens and crops, walking baskets of supplies and food to and from a teeming market place. Everyone, cub and adult alike, looked very happy to be going about their business, play or work. She drew some inquisitive glances and Templeton received more then a few bows and salutes but by and large no one was hostile and more often then not they received waves and well wishes and smiles.
“Very pleasant country.” Dawn said, smiling herself. It was infectious.
“A magic country would almost have to be.” Templeton laughed.
There was harshness to the laugh Dawn couldn’t quite understand. In fact her companion seemed unduly on edge for the beatific surrounds, the vibrant summertime blossoms, the stark green of the meadows and storm-less blue of the skies.
“So what is Sanctum?”
Templeton grinned.
“You’re a sharp pooch, Miss Dawn. Sanctum is a place I had hoped you’d remember. All familiars should.”
“Fa…familiars?”
The rat stopped in his tracks.
“You aren’t making this up.” He appraised her coldly. “You really don’t know. I had my suspicions when you flailed so much you sent yourself off course in the portico. By rights you should be in Sanctum this very moment. Either something went very wrong with your mind in transit, you’re playing a very cruel joke on an old rat or…”
His eyes searched hers. She could nearly feel him prodding around inside her mind.
“You can’t remember.”
“Remember what?”
“This.” He took in the countryside with a wave of his staff. “Amergin. The land of magic. The world of familiars.”
Dawn shook her head sadly.
“Nope.”
Templeton gritted his flat teeth.
“Then I guess a little explanation is in order. Sanctum will fill you in the rest of the way. It is, after all, a school.”
“Like obedience training?”
“Please don’t make me blast you to jelly.”
“Shutting up.”
“Good dog.”
She tried her hardest but given all she had gone through it was a wonder she lasted as long as she did.
“WHERE AM I?” she barked. “How did I get here? Why am I speaking and walking on two legs? Who were those people in robes? What is sanctum? Why am I here? What am I doing? When will I get back home? Will it be in time for lunch and my walk?”
Now the people, males, females and cubs alike were looking their way and no mistake.
Templeton said nothing, just wearily took out his pocket watch and looked hard at the turning constellations.
“The stars are wrong.” He said under his breath. “Anyway, about your destiny…”