By the taut panes of Talem's shoulders alone, you knew when you entered his study, he'd be in one of his moods.

As his familiar, you saw through him better than any other soul even when the Sorcerer often refused to show his cards. Most were afraid of him, that scalding temper of his and the gemstone magic he could wield.

But quarrels and yelling only went so far when you knew the root cause behind all that fire. Talem...cared. More than he'd like to admit about most things. Whether it was you or his kingdom or even his damn ruler that rarely thought to show gratitude toward her High Mage, he had a passion for magic and an even greater urge to find your cure.

Because you weren't his familiar by choice. No, he'd taken you in curse and all to try and strip that darling magic bound to your very bones because if Talem couldn't cure one simple case, what good was he as a Sorcerer?