Marissa lowers you down by the scruff of your neck, and you don't even bother squirming anymore. Even if you could somehow get away, there's no point. Only Marissa can change you back. What are you supposed to do, run to the police?
"This is Landon," Marissa said, nodding towards the cage. "He's been with the family for a long time now, far longer than most mortals have been alive."
Your eyes don't focus well on objects that are too far away, which isn't very helpful when you're only a foot long and everything is far away. But once she holds you up to the cage, you can see the animal emerge from within. Landon is easily twice your size, though he's a similar shape, with a mask pattern around his eyes and dark patches on his paws. It's the scent that overwhelms you, or at least some deeply buried animal instincts.
You force them down, but by the time you realize what's happening, Marissa has opened the cage and settled you inside. Curiously, she doesn't shut it behind you. The animal scurries over to you, sniffing in a friendly way. "Is she yours?" he asks, obviously not to you. "Doesn't smell like a blank."
Marissa straightened, smiling amicably down into the cage. "She had enough raw talent to make into an apprentice. But as her appearance her suggests, she wasn't very cooperative with the idea. Put her through the usual. If she doesn't adjust her attitude, I guess she can be my next familiar."
Then she leaned down, and you retreat reflexively from the cage opening. Large as she is, this cage is a far friendlier environment on the inside. There's practically a whole apartment worth of furniture in here, all appropriately sized. That still makes it too big for you, but the difference is more manageable. More like being child sized, rather than being a tiny animal. "Don't get any ideas about trying to persuade her, no matter how cute she looks."
Landon looked away, making a nervous squeaking sound that wasn't quite any specific word. "Of course not. I'll just do my job, Marissa. You can count on me."
The witch relaxed, straightening again. "She's yours in the meantime, train her however you think she needs. Just remember, she might be my apprentice one day. Act accordingly." She left, clicking the door shut behind her.
"What's the point of cage doors if she never shuts them?" you ask. It's the first words you've spoken so far, and they come out paticularly timid.
"Sometimes witches have small familiars," he said absently, turning to face her. "Sometimes the other familiars are resentful. It's mostly to keep them from getting in. The other ones would be locked, but I don't need one. I wouldn't want to work anywhere else."
You rise up onto your hind legs as he approaches, ears alert and teeth bared. You're not sure where the display comes from, but it feels like the right thing to do.
"I usually start by changing into whatever you are," Landon continued. "But we're close enough that we can work together." He loomed over her, so big he could easily have put her whole head in his mouth and squeezed. He didn't, though.
The longer he stayed close without smelling or acting aggressive, the more you find yourself relaxing. Landon isn't going to hurt you. You're much too alike for that. His scent is friendly, not threatening. Maybe it will be a good thing to have a larger, stronger ally around.
"Not very talkative?" he asked, nudging you in the chest with a paw. You wobble and flop onto all fours. Balancing while standing up is hard! "You spoke before, so I know you don't have a silence enchantment. Go on, tell me your name."
"D-david," you squeak. "I don't belong here, Landon. I just wanted a part-time job. I thought this was a magic shop, not... what the hell have I got myself into?"
Suddenly, you feel those jaws close in on your neck. But it isn't very hard. Your body goes as limp as when Marissa did it, and Landon carries you onto a cushion by the wall. He settles you gently onto the pile of blankets there, looking sympathetic.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, David. But if you're in here, you're long past the point of no return. Mortal life is over for you, full stop. But that doesn't mean what comes after has to be that bad. You might find you like the change of pace. It's either accept it, or keep yourself miserable. Marissa will use you either way." He doesn't seem to react to the male name. But based on Marissa's willingness you make you a girl, you suppose this kind of transformation must be common for her.
You curl up in the blankets, your lithe body bending in ways that would've broken your spine a few minutes ago. But now it's comfortable to take up as little space as possible, never taking your eyes off Landon. "What are you gonna do to me?" you ask.
Landon rests one paw beside you on the blanket. "I'm going to train you to be a familiar. The basics, anyay. Every witch wants something different from their companion, so I can't teach you everything. But there are a few universals. Given Marissa would be taking you personally, I know what she'll want you to learn. We'll start with..."