Bab 169: Playing with fire in a non-arsonist way

"What is this?" 

The Salamander answered while licking its lips with a flaming forked tongue. "We make a contract."

I blinked and paused for a few seconds while Natha rubbed the flame stigma on my wrist. "...what?!" I belatedly reacted, standing up so fast Jade was wobbling and jolted off my shoulder. "What contract?"

"You don't know about a contracted beast?" the Salamander looked at me in surprise.

"No," I replied dryly. 

The one who responded to me was Natha, who uttered it with an annoyed sigh. "It's like an annoying pet."

"Hey!" the Salamander protested again. This time it didn't stomp the ground, but whipped the air with its flaming tail. 

"But can you just do it like that?" my brows furrowed and I looked disapprovingly at my apparently new contracted beast. "Contract should be two-sided, you know! You didn't even ask for my opinion before hand! Even Natha asked me first--even if I was drunk at that time!"