Acht catches the tanuki as gently as he can by the scruff of the neck and then brings it to his chest, the better to keep it still while he breathes an incantation to soothe it.

He could use hair to bind the creature, but he is an Einzbern, and a binding by water will take less of him in the long run. Once the tanuki has stilled, he slices open his finger and describes a spell on the soft belly. I bind you to me, my eyes and my ears and my nimble feet, it says. The arcane letters shine for a moment before they fade into the fur.

Acht lowers his familiar to the floor, then, and sends it to scout the light and heat from the door while he remains in darkness.