Familiar's Calling - The Bond

A good twenty minutes later the younger three emerged blinking into the sunlight from the dimly lit manor to a waiting Sylas.

Looking around, Chase asked, “No Geoffrey today?”

Sylas shook his head. “I insisted that we would be fine.”

Chase nodded, thumbs tucked into the pockets of a fresh pair of blue jeans; his usual crisp, white, button-down dress shirt tucked neatly into the waistband. Given it was such a nice day, he had opted out of wearing his trench coat, but had chosen to wear a simple, black trilby hat tilted back from his face.

Still having not found new clothes to wear, Jinx looked roughly the same as usual - with one caveat being his hair seemed to stick up even more than usual. Krista, however, had chosen to try and make a good impression and so had on a black pleated skirt with pinstripes, as opposed to her usual - more casual - cargo material ones. She had paired it with a simple t-shirt with the graphic “Princess” on the front; although the way she shivered in the crisp morning air made her wish she had remembered a jacket.

Sylas nodded at the three of them, surveying their wardrobe choices. They made quite the eclectic group. “Alright, let’s get going,” he continued, spinning on his heel and striding up the garden path towards the front gate. Chase, Krista and Jinx hurried to catch up and as they exited the gate, re-latching it. They fell into step with Sylas as they moved up the street.*

For a while, the small group walked in silence. Krista and Chase side by side and Jinx walking up with Sylas. Occasionally the two witches would glance up in reverence at the elder familiar trying to pick up silent tips and cues from him. It was as they passed a young boy with headphones in that Chase chuckled and spoke up, eyeing the piece of technology.

“You know through the years technology sure has changed a lot,” he reflected, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the departing boy and his discman.

Krista glanced over her shoulder briefly before eyeing her older brother in surprise. “What? Discmans?” she asked, “I have one. What’s so amazing about them?”

Chase chuckled. “Just how far the technology has come really.” He paused to lick his drying lips for a moment and continued, “I mean, first there were record players, static tape decks, then humanity decides it wants to have portable music, so it comes up with a “walkman” that plays those cassette tapes. Then that isn’t durable enough, nor does it hold enough songs, so they come up with these laserdisc things.” He shook his head disbelievingly, actually using air quotes as he said ‘walkman’. “It’s… mad. Simply mad.” He lowered his voice as they passed a group of men crossing the street, the emblem of the witch hunters emblazoned on a patch on their jackets.

Krista giggled. “It isn’t that amazing,” she replied in a whisper. When he gave her an ‘are you serious?’ look she giggled again before continuing, “I mean, sure technology has changed a lot throughout the years, but it’s not as amazing as stuff like the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Chase was taken aback. “You know about the fall of the Berlin wall?”

Krista chuckled. “Well, not intricately. I just remember it from some of my history textbooks,” she explained. “It seemed more amazing to me than technological advancements anyways,” she concluded.

Chase chuckled. “Well to you, perhaps. Personally, I find the ability to hold and listen to music in the palm of your hand revolutionary.”

Krista giggled at her older brother. “You’re silly, Chase,” she replied, amused by his buoyant personality.

*

Jinx shook his head listening to this conversation; his broad smile hidden by the fact that he was facing forwards.

Chase glared at the back of his head as if he’d sensed it. “What, Jinx? What?” he snapped.

“Oh, nothing. You two just amuse me, is all,” he chuckled, half glancing back to see the disgruntled look on Chase’s face and the amused one on Krista’s.

Chase seemed to have changed the subject from him, and so smirking, he turned it around on Jinx.

“So, Jinx! How was life in the flats?” he asked, doing just that.

The familiars’ flats were where all familiars lived prior to being matched.

Jinx looked over his shoulder and shrugged. “It was… a life,” he replied shortly.

Krista piped up. “I bet it would be interesting to live on your own like that though,” she commented.

Jinx slowed down to walk next to Krista and replied, “It’s not that great in the flats, really. Everything in each block is identical. It’s so impersonal, and… bland.”

Chase looked as if he was stifling his laughter as Krista replied, “Oh?” eyeing her brother’s strained expression.

“Let’s just say that I quite enjoy the embellishments you have in your bedroom back home. It’s a nice change from those cold, grey, concrete walls and floor,” he admitted.

Krista made a face. “Ugh, I don’t blame you, Jinx.”

Jinx chuckled at her. “Well, it wasn’t that bad, I suppose. Just impersonal.”

*

They soon arrived at the liminal space entrance to the Hall of Records; a place the four of them were getting used to seeing. Sylas, who had been very silent the entire trip as he lead the way, placed his palm in the proper spot, and after a glance around at the empty alleyway, unlocked the entrance for them before disappearing inside the shimmering wall. After a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching them, they each slipped through the portal one at a time.

Once on the other side Jinx, and apparently Krista as well by the look on her face, were immediately stunned by the sudden crowd of people that had formed around the four of them. Krista moved closer to Chase as he seemed to unconsciously assume a protective older brother role, glancing around for any threat.

A younger woman pushed through to the front of the crowd. “Chase, Sylas! You’ve come back!” she exclaimed, a note of panic in her voice. “Does this mean things are as bad as the days of old?”

“Yeah! The witch trials and hunts are as bad as ever! I thought you two dealt with this ages ago!” came an accusatory male voice near the back of the crowd of people.

“What are you two tecyus doing with such legends?” a voice demanded of Krista and Jinx. They turned to find an elderly woman glaring at them from a few feet away.

“Wait!” a young boy exclaimed, eyeing Krista and Jinx. “Are you training people now?” he asked Chase and Sylas in earnest, a look of excitement upon his young face.

“You still look so young, Chase! How old are you now? One-twenty?” a young flirtatious woman said to Chase. Then using her hip to knock Krista to the floor, she sidled up to him and continued in a whisper Jinx could just barely hear, “Dump the brat come with me,” followed by a rather seductive wink.

Chase sneered, gently but firmly moving the woman aside, and stooping to help Krista to her feet before she was trampled. Sylas stood over the pair of siblings, glaring around at everyone within five feet of them, and Jinx imitated him, his hands balled into fists.

“Awe, look at the little bitty baby, all mad,” someone near the middle of the crowd mocked Jinx.

Chase meanwhile, still knelt down on the pretext of helping Krista to her feet, muttered just loud enough for Jinx to hear in Krista’s ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll smooth this over,” before pulling her back to her feet and placing a protective arm around her shoulders. Then resting one hand on Jinx’s tense shoulder causing him to relax, he nodded at Sylas and stepped forward, Krista pinned to his side for safety; which made Jinx feel slightly awkward, That was his job!

Chase raised one hand calling for silence and order. Slowly, the flood of questions started to die away as people in the crowd, witches and familiars alike, turned their attention to Chase.

When he had their full attention, he cleared his throat and spoke plainly, “I would just like to officially put to rest any rumours that Sylas and I are training anyone.”

“But what about her?” a boy shouted accusingly, pointing at Krista, who was trying desperately to become invisible even though she was pinned to her brother’s side.

Chase gave Krista’s shoulder a squeeze to reassure her before replying to the boy.

“The circumstances surrounding Krista and her familiar, Jinx, are of a special sort.” He looked around at the crowd, seriously. “We would appreciate it if you left us in peace as we have an appointment to keep with the Dozhan today. Destiny, as you all know, has its own reasons for what it does, and all will be revealed when it is meant to be - not before,” he finished sagely, mirroring Sylas’ own words to him with apparent disdain.

*

These words seemed to appease the crowd; however just as the crowd started to shrug their shoulders and disperse - moving about their business - destiny decided to throw the foursome a curveball. The Malaonus Nor on each of them began to glow softly. First, it was a mere haze under Chase and Krista’s shirts and around Jinx and Sylas’ heads. Then the light intensified, and with it the burning pain behind it. The silvery glow began to slowly expand from each individual and some of the closest people saw it. They gasped and turned back to stare at them.

Chase took a step forwards clearly intending on trying to slip them inside the Dozhan’s office. Again however, destiny had other plans. As he stepped forwards, the Malaonus Nor glowed brighter and burned fiercer, causing him to step back to Sylas, Jinx and Krista’s side, his shoulder twisting in the same agony Jinx felt through Krista. Chase and Krista were gritting their teeth against the pain, and even Jinx had his eyes screwed up as he felt the reflection of pain through the link he shared with Krista - this was unlike anything they had felt in the past few days.

Soon the glow had intensified so much that not only were the four of them enveloped by the silvery glow, everyone was staring in awe at them, and the shape of the Crescent Moon was clearly visible through Chase and Krista’s shirts. Krista and Chase’s knees soon buckled from trying to withstand the pain, and they each sunk to their knees; Jinx sinking down next to Krista to comfort her. All four of them looked down at their hands to find them glowing too. Confused, they were all looking around at the astonished crowd. Some of the crowd had their hands to their faces in awe. Others looked just as confused as they were; and still others looked almost frightened.

After the glow peaked, the four magickal beings within it hardly visible, it slowly began to fade, retreating within the four of them as if it was an extension of their very souls. Once the glow had completely faded, Krista was forced to lean against Chase for support as the intensity of the event overwhelmed her. Still on one knee, Chase lightly wrapped an arm around her, shaking himself.

As the group was once again surrounded by the crowd, Chase helped Krista to her feet. The inquisitive and restive crowd was quickly parted on one side as the Dozhan made his way through. Every witch and familiar bowed their head in reverence to the record keeper, and allowed him to approach the strained group at its centre without incident. He began by clasping his hands together as if celebrating, then began to speak to the crowd at large, spreading his arms wide before Chase, Sylas, Krista and Jinx.

“At, last! At last!” he declared, beaming at the two witches and their familiars. “At last, our suffering and torment will come to an end!”

He stepped forwards, placing one hand on Chase’s shoulder and one hand on Krista’s shoulder, and spoke directly to them, but loud enough for those at the front of the crowd to hear. “The magickal people have waited centuries for this moment,” he began, a note of how serious the situation was creeping into his voice. “Centuries for you to be united, to bring about the end of the horrific atrocities that plague us.”

With that, he walked around behind them and guided them out of the circle, Sylas and Jinx following closely behind, and into his private office - closing the door with a snap.