Ken chose to focus on his table's shadow. Shutting his eyes, he muttered the spell on the old book, before making a gesture with his hand, as though he was writing in the air. Then, he stilled, and cracked open an eye, delighted to see the dark shadow disconnect itself from the table, and began to take on a new form, rising from the ground and becoming the shape of a large snake. Excited, like a kid on his first roller coaster ride, he extended a hand to the dark reptile, who seemed to lean forward as though smelling the hand, before crawling up it. Ken stared at it with awe, forgetting his barrier spell.
