「The record describes the events that took place at the night of the long-planned ritual, hidden in secret」

It was very clear for the Nathalie that the long-awaited date has arrived as soon as the sun was descending on the blue sky. Even the days didn't need to be counted. The caretakers started to order everyone, every staff member, every priestess and every guests, any detail was here irrelevant. Everyone was supposed to go to their assigned room under the active threat. Naturally, Nathalie was forced as well. She has entered her bedroom and the door behind her were closed. She was left alone. From the outside, there were still the sounds of the people walking around and talking. Soon after someone has done something resembling nailing to the door. She couldn't tell from the inside, but, when it was done, she tried to move them to be sure that's what she thought it was. She was correct, the door couldn't be opened. From all around, it could be heard that those measures are installed at many different rooms. The 15th Day of the Second Summer was coming to it's end. The night when everything was about to happen was approaching quickly.

The mage waited patiently until the sounds extinguished with a silence. She used that time peacefully calming down her raven and slowly preparing her materials. She changed her outfit into her regular one, containing all the pockets and hiding her physical shape more extensively. She looked at the crystal needles that she has stored. I have used a bit more than I wanted during those waiting days... Should be enough for a week after this, the frequency of power harvesting have to be increased from now on. There will be no turning back after this night. She took out a stone table and begun the drawing. The two chalk signs were scribbled upon the cold, smooth surface. One was prepared for the dagger, the other - for the pair of shoes. For the purpose of the targets, the mage has chosen her trusty blade and, upon thinking for a moment, her travel sandals, as they were easier to run with than with the temple getas. She waited and waited until the enough time has passed.

A drop of blood has fallen unto the both drawings. The lines of chalk lightened with a red-coloured glow. She put on her sandals, stuffed her cloak with all of the materials and approached the door, holding the knife in her hand. She put the blade in between the door and the wall and moved the arm from the top to bottom. She has felt like she cut through the air, but she was aware that wasn't the case. Right now, the drawing made it so anything touching the edge of the dagger was being destroyed. Just in case she did the same from the other side. Immediately after, the sound of something falling onto the floor could be heard. Nathalie has hoped that really no caretaker was there. The rest of people should be locked down anyways. She grabbed the cage with the raven in one oh her hands and pushed the door delicately, opening it. Walking outside, she has noticed a wooden plank, the remains of the blockade locking her up just moments ago, under her feet. She didn't care much about leaving physical mess. No one should be patrolling here, and the drawing was given fuel for the time short enough. I really hope that the signs of temporary changed I've added won't cause any of the material artifacts. The rate of the beating rate of her heart has increased. She knew her drawings are working, but the affecting reality in that way was far from reliable. The one could never be completely sure they will be met with the expected result. Nathalie always wondered if the gods also have the same problem. They always were performing their miracles in such natural way. The mages never managed to replicate that... at least, not yet, she always thought.

The feet in her sandals were making steps in the near complete silence. Each movement, was accompanied only by the quiet sounds of the cage in her hand. She nimbly run in a darkness through the empty corridors, only slightly dipped in the silvery, dim light. Her predictions turned out to be correct - everyone was somewhere else. The only source of the major tension for her was challenging her own shortcomings. The previous days were spend on walking alone through the intended path multiple times. Simple excuses were usually enough to not draw much attention and the results were worth it. She had a proof  of that in this very moment. She discovered with the satisfaction, that the road she was taking now, covered in the veil of night, was aligning with her planned one. She could quickly find her way in the building on her own, even if only in the limited way.

Few minutes later, after leaving the quarters and reaching the outside, bathed in the light of silver, her feet have stopped in front of the another blocked door. The lock was no match with the few swipes of the knife, however. The mage took her step into the main temple building and continued getting closer to her goal, meeting not a single obstacle in her path. The final breaking was done and Nathalie has finally entered the hall of the great darkness, where the events were about to happen. The target was reached.

The mage has made a step right into the sacred place. She was alone in the dark, accompanied only by the deafening silence. The only source of light, dim yet seemingly vivid when compared to the blackness of the surroundings, were the oil lamps placed at the feet of a giant statue in the centre. Nathalie slowly approach its direction, taking steps on the wooden floor. Shen she arrived at the edge of it, she stopped suddenly.

An unexpected feeling has showed up. Walking further would be wrong. I am about to make worse desecration here, she has thought to herself, in an desperate attempt to find a reason in her actions, Why, under the presence of the Celestial Serpent 「"Why, on Earth" in the manner of speech of you, surveyor of the record」, would I hesitate with that? I will be making the step and putting my sandals right into the sacred stone. Any moment now....

Not a half of a minute passed and Nathalie was already washing her bare feet in the purifying waters, with the sandals put down on a wooden floor. Despite any logic, she has felt as if she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if the bare minimum of the custom wouldn't be followed. No one would hear her quiet footsteps in this place anyways. She grabbed the cage with her bird and entered the sacred ground. Just few steps further, her toes became wet again, in the central pool nearby the statue. She was now standing in the correct spot. In front of her there was laying the base of the giant stone figure of a goddess. Under the statue's feet a small, mostly wet, but flat platform was there. The perfect place for her plans.

She kneeled, making her closer to the flat surface. Bottom parts of her red coat, as well as most of the clothes worn on her legs were now submerged under the water of the pool, but at that moment, it was no matter of any importance. The cage was placed on the stone platform. The ritual could finally begin under the dim light of the oil lamps placed next to the stone feet of a goddess.

From the deeps of the red coat, the mage's tanned hand brought out all the necessary items. The power detector, spinning so fast that the needle inside looked like a solid disc.  The chalk for making drawings. The vial of her own blood. And finally, the codex, where she prepared all the detailed instructions. Nathalie didn't have a time to spare. The page was found nearby instantly. Mind focused only on the process of drawing the complex shape.

She recognized the functions of the signs, while working on them.

Target: raven, the heartbeat stopped over the first highly unusual part, Living Beings cannot be targets of a drawing - a rule to break.

Transfer of the drawing to the target location and merging if it is a Being. Made in such a way that after the first execution, the target will be containing this very drawing targeting itself. Command looping - risky practice.

Fuel: surroundings - supply is huge, but the demand will never end if looping occurs. Expectation of the heavy resource drain.

Special clauses were made to ignore the cage and target only the raven.

The next move needed to be done with incredible precision and speed. Even a second of wrong coordination would render the whole endeavour a failure. She practiced in her room these very actions, but she was well aware that it might not be even close to the real thing, but she knew it must be done. Even earlier, she had tested the basics on the other living being. This breaching the laws of nature should be a success.

One hand movement, stabbing inside the cage.

Second hand movement, dropping the crimson liquid from the vial.

In the less than the five seconds, the chalk sign erupted with the blazing, bright light of the red colour and then, it disappeared. Seemingly dead raven, put down by the first movement started glowing in a similar way from the wound. Nathalie's body started to treble slightly, while her eyes face their entire gaze on the bird's "corpse".

Looks good... Jotatsu-no-Koushaku... praise be for you if it will work...

She immediately scolded herself for having thought directed to a god in a moment like that. That was too great of a risk to even attempt it. What if he will notice?

She looked at the detector. The amount of power in the room was going down, while the glow inside of the raven's body was flickering. The looping was occurring. The "dead" Body was dead only for a split second, just like it was planned. The Form and Aspect didn't fully detach yet from the whole thing in this short period of a time. It was "dead" so it can be a target as if it wasn't living, but the power looping through the drawing inside it, was maintaining its current state as long as it was lit. Nathalie was keeping looking nervously on the needle inside of the detector, gradually slowing down.

Please, be enough to stabilize it... If only I could knew how many more loops were needed... 

The unpleasant feeling showed up in her mind. Once the power in this room will be nearly depleted, that would need to happen. She bared completely her left arm and strapped a piece of hard leather around the shoulder as the preparation. The final step was the most important, and the most demanding from the preparator at the same time. Her right hand grabbed the few charged needles.

After several minutes has passed, the raven's "corpse" was started showing the signs of life again, although only in terms of moving its head. Its insides were still glowing and the breathing wasn't present at all. The detector was showing the end of the resource was approaching. 

It seems stabilized as it should be... but it still would need something to maintain it.

As the power in the place dictated by the drawing was about to get depleted, the next natural source was to be a being that used the drop of blood for the lightening. Nathalie was just in need of finding a way to put the power inside of her organism.

With one quick movement, she pushed the needle inside of her shoulder, through the leather strap. For a few seconds her mind went blank from the shock of pain, detaching her from the senses. Her breathing become deeper, louder and way less controllable. When she regained her full consciousness, she looked and saw a small part of needle sticking out of the leather. Inside of her shoulder was in pain with every small movement, but it seemed manageable, even if she sometimes felt that she could scream due to the stimuli. Her goal was chieved, however. The power was placed inside of her body. 

...I think I should do this again, just in case... One could not be enough.

She pushed another needle in the same way. And then, another one. Each was creating pain pushing her to the limits, yet each consecutive shot felt less shocking to her body and mind. She hidden the needles under the loose sleeve. It was basically impossible to notice on its own.

Now, the only thing left is to test if the raven works just like I wanted..

She placed a small object, a ball made out of bronze, on a flat surface in a cage, next to the bird. With very quick movements, a new sign was drawn. The command was simple, let this thing glow of a dim, blue light. Drawing, however, did not really point to the source. Instead, a new set of instructions was prepared, or rather, a single, very simple one: the attachment directed to the raven's "corpse". 

Hmm... it seems to still needing of the initializing stimuli.

She put a drop of her blood on it. The sign blazed out with a red glow and disappeared nearly immediately. The bronze ball was emitting a light blue, very dim, light, as it was planned.

Just like thought, the drawing attached itself onto the another one. It should work as long as "corpse" will be supplied. Although, perhaps I should try turn it off as fast as possible. I don't want unnecessary increase of demand of power...

Another command was drawn out of chalk. This one focused solely on the raven, with a command even simpler: to detach what is attached. It's power also came from attachment, so after activation it should detach both previous one and itself, since both would lose access to any fuel, the sign should immediately extinguish.

A drop of blood fell over. The chalk light up, but not even a second later it disappeared and reappeared again together with the drawing of the command for the ball. their second presence lasted even shorter. When Nathalie blinked, there was no trace left of their existence, for even the dim light of a round piece of bronze has faded away.

I... I did it!

The mage screamed happily of excitement... in her head, naturally. 

Finally, I have made a Familiar! 

A circumnavigation of the common magical art problem has been reached by this one practitioner. She wasn’t the first one, but there wasn't many of them. Living bodies conduct Power and can store the magical drawings and overall reacting rather interestingly to it... Yet, it is technically impossible to do it in a convenient way as living bodies cannot be the targets upon which the art is performed. Unless, one would try to breach the border between the life and death for the cheap price of the multiple years’ worth of ritual in a one of the most important and, usually, the most guarded religious buildings. The result - a convenient tool of control. A way to activate and deactivate drawings exactly when they are needed, using more handy platform than a large piece of a flat stone.

The disrespect was conducted. 

Nathalie grabbed everything, took on her sandals and went back as fast as possible to her room. The quiet steps and the cutting ability of the knife were coming to their end.

When she was falling asleep, she wasn't sure why exactly her heart was beating so hard.

「The record will be resumed the next morning」