Familiar's Calling - The Bond

As Krista and Jinx slept, seemingly soundly and peacefully, strange things were happening within their connected minds. As they slept, physically regaining energy depleted during the ceremony, the mental connection began the process of getting Jinx and Krista to know one another, their lives, abilities, emotions and personalities. Their bond growing stronger as their physical bodies regained strength.

It is important to note that when a witch and familiar sleep, and their minds remain connected, they exist in an almost parallel-liminal world within their minds. They can see each other and speak in thought-speak just as they would when they are awake, meaning that if they shake their head or are hiding something or looking guilty, the other side of the bond, be it witch or familiar, can actually see this mentally as an image of sorts within their mind.

*

So, what happened to your last charge, Jinx? Krista asked, a look of straight curiosity on her young face. Jinx shifted guiltily, mumbling something about an accident and stupid, won’t happen again.

Krista furrowed her brow, both mentally and in the physical world. You can tell me, Jinx. I trust you, now you trust me.

Jinx looked up at her, his green eyes locking onto hers. I... I made an error during his last trial that ended with him - Jessie - getting hurt badly. He swallowed nervously, his eyes full of worry that she would reject him, reject their bond as only she could do.

Krista surprised him, however, by smiling. Well, if you hadn’t made such an error, then you and I would not have found one another until much later. She paused, collecting her thoughts. It’s just like Pa always says, “Everything happens for a reason, Krista”, she giggled, imitating Julius’ voice.

Jinx looked at her, twitched his nose and replied, Sounds wise, your Pa.

Krista nodded. I never realized how much until now really, but he really is; yeah, Krista replied thoughtfully.

Jinx looked up suddenly, changing the subject. So, what was your power again?

Krista tilted her head endearingly. Telekinesis, why? she asked him curiously.

Jinx swallowed apprehensively. That’s the power Jessie had as well. Have you practiced using it? he asked her, his tone of voice suddenly very firm and serious.

Krista shrugged. I mean, a little bit. But Mum and Pa are afraid some witch hunter will catch me using magick, and drag me off and execute me.

Jinx exhaled, twitched his nose, and continued, A legitimate fear, yes. However, that should not stop you from finding some way to practice and hone your abilities. Especially now that we have found one another, it is of the utmost importance that we begin any training you have not started and continue any that you have. You need to be sharp and ready for anything, Jinx explained in earnest.

Krista nodded slowly. But how can I without being caught? Where? Why? A puzzled expression had formed on her face.

Jinx scratched at the back of his ear with his hind leg, something he did physically in his sleep as well. Because now that we have been united, whatever our destiny is will only draw nearer, show itself in signs. As to where, we will either practice here - in your bedroom, the basement, or garage - or we will find somewhere else that is secluded. What matters is that the practice happens - that you master your power, as well as our combined powers. Jinx explained all of this very carefully and slowly, making sure that Krista was nodding, or otherwise acting like she understood.

What kind of combined powers could we possibly have? Krista asked him.

He thought for a moment, trying to recall what sorts of powers true matched pairs had, but he could not think of any. His tail twitched in annoyance.

What’s the matter, Jinx? Krista asked him, as he flicked his tail.

He looked at her, I don’t know what kind of powers we will have together. I think it’s something we discover as we learn. If that makes sense, he explained. Perhaps we can do some research into potential combo powers.

You are partially right, Jinx, an unknown male voice interrupted, causing both Jinx and Krista to look around in alarm. The voice chuckled, Oh, I am not there at present. That would expend far too much energy, but I required to speak with you two.

Jinx, still looking around for the voice, asking, Who are you? Where are you? On Krista’s bed he seemed to subconsciously curl his body closer to her, since Krista in the “dream-world” looked fearful.

The voice chuckled again. Ah, yes, introductions! Pardon my negligence. My name is Chase Langsworth, and I am you, Krista. Well, more accurately, I am what you are destined to become.

Krista looked utterly puzzled, and Jinx could only shrug in response. What do you mean? No one knows their own destiny. Only the Dozhan knows people’s destinies.

Chase chortled, and they could sense a smirk behind it. My dear, normal true matches never know the full extent of their destinies it is true. However, you and I, and Jinx and my familiar Sylas, are far from normal.

Krista looked at Jinx thoroughly confused, and so Jinx spoke up, skeptically, I know who you are, Chase. If that is really who you are. What do you mean, far from normal?

Chase chortled again. I will explain all in due time, my young friend. Today I am simply here to welcome you to the fold, per se, and to invite you and Krista to meet with Sylas and I. Somewhere where we will not expend so much energy just to have a simple conversation. He paused for a moment before questioning them, Will you meet us? You can trust me, I assure you.

Jinx looked at Krista as she looked at him. They didn’t know how, but for some reason they knew they could trust Chase. Trust this voice in their minds that this was something they were meant to do. With a nod from Krista, Jinx replied, Yes, we will meet you. Where?

Chase was silent for a moment, as if communicating with someone else. The woods behind Krista’s house, where you used to play. Do you remember, Krista?

Krista’s eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded as she replied, Yes, I remember.

Chase seemed to be nodding too as he replied, Good, good. Then be there in three days time, at two in the afternoon.

The two of them looked at one another once again and replied in unison, We’ll be there.

This made Chase chuckle again; however he added cryptically as his voice faded, Oh, and you may want to see what you both share… physically. Then he was gone.

Still looking at one another, they both nodded before slowly fading away and waking up. Jinx immediately shapeshifted into his human-form, his messy jet black hair looking even more tousled than usual.

“Well, that was interesting,” he said, as soon as he had finished transforming.

Slightly startled by his sudden transformation, eyes popping for a moment, Krista recovered quickly before replying. “Very. Have you never had that happen before?” she asked, shifting to sit cross-legged on the bed.

He shook his head, causing his hair to toss itself about. “Nope, and I’ve not known any other true match pair who has.” He furrowed his brow. “Perhaps that really was Chase and, I assume Sylas, lurking.”

Krista looked puzzled, “Why do you say that?” she asked him.

Jinx laughed. “Because Chase and Sylas were - are - legend. They had powers no familiar and witch have ever had.”

Krista’s face changed to one that suggested she was thinking, “Do you think, that they think, that we are like them?”

Jinx scratched at the back of his right ear again, thinking. “Maybe. You don’t have any... funky like... birthmarks or anything, do you?” he asked her curiously, remembering Chase’s last remark.

She shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I have this crescent moon on my right shoulder blade.”

She shrugged off her jacket before tossing it at the chair in front of her cluttered desk and turned to show him a slightly darker than pale pink mark in the perfect shape of a crescent moon. Jinx’s eyes went wide, almost bulging out of his pale face. Once she had turned back around he turned and folded his own right ear over and showed her his own, identical mark on the back of his ear.

”It’s on the inside of my ear when I’m in my normal form,” he explained, “but as a human, it’s here.” He let go of his ear.

“They weren’t kidding when they all said we had a greater destiny than anyone else,” Krista said flatly.Jinx nodded, and his stomach rumbled. He looked down at it and then back up at Krista. “I’m starving; want to go see if supper is ready?” At this he stood up, seeming oddly tall compared to his natural form.

Krista eyed him. “Don’t you have to shift back around my parents?”

He shook his head. “Nah, you’re my true match. You and your family are allowed to see my human form.”

Krista nodded in assumed understanding. “Alright, then let’s go see if dinner is ready yet,” she replied. With that, she jumped up off the bed, and after hanging her jacket properly off of the chair, lead the way out of the bedroom.

Jinx jogged after her, and as he did he got a look at his new home. It was a modest little place, but homey. There were simple, cream-coloured walls with framed photos carefully hung down the hallway showing Krista at various stages of her life. These photographs made a smile cross Jinx’s lips as he recollected what he was doing at each stage of her life. They had been unmatched for so long, and yet, finally finding one another today after all this time it felt like they had known each other for years already.

Was Chase right? Jinx thought privately. Was there something special about them?

He was just running over this thought in his head when he and Krista walked around a corner into the modest sized kitchen and he heard a voice ask, “Is that you, Jinx?”

Shaking his head to clear it, Jinx looked up and noted it was her father, Julius, who had asked. He replied in his somewhat scratchy voice, “Yes, it is,” with a polite nod.

The man nodded his head and straightened out the paper he was reading. “I’d have thought you two would sleep longer after today,” he asked over the top of the paper.

Jinx cleared his throat and said with a bit less of a scratchy sound to his voice, “We both woke up feeling hungry, sir.” Privately, to Krista, he added, Do not tell them about Chase and Sylas - not yet, anyway. She caught his gaze and something in her equally green eyes told him she had understood.

Her mother, Ilise, smiled at the pair, thinking how alike they looked, and bustled over with two plates of sandwiches. “I do hope cucumber is all right, Jinx. I know it is Krista’s favourite,” she smiled at him before adding, “Your hair really is rather interesting in this form, dear.”

Jinx tried to flatten it out as he pulled out a chair next to Krista and sat down. “It will be fine Ma’am,” he replied and picked up a sandwich half.

Ilise blushed. “Please, Jinx, do call me Ilise.”

“And, yes, do call me Julius, there is no need for such formalities,” Julius added, laying the paper down. “Say! Why don’t we take these sandwiches into the living room and pop in a movie?”

“Hey! That’s a good idea, Pa. We can watch that new Disney movie!” Krista replied excitedly.

Julius laughed, “Sure, Squirt. Why don’t you go set it up?”

In a flash Krista was gone, disappeared through an alternate entrance to the kitchen. Helping to carry the plates of sandwiches, Jinx followed Julius through the doorway, across the small enclosed dining room, and into the living room where krista had already popped a movie into the player and was settling back on the couch.

After setting the plate of sandwiches down on the coffee table, Jinx sat on the plush couch holding his own sandwich and a small side plate Ilise had brought out.

As Krista grabbed her own sandwich and settled back into her seat the previews began to play.

Jinx took a bite of his sandwich, his eyes growing wide at the flavour. He hurriedly chewed and swallowed before exclaiming in an excited whisper to Ilise, “This is simply amazing, Ma’am... I mean, Ilise. I can see why it is Krista’s favourite!”

Krista giggled into her own sandwich as she took small bites. “Never had a cucumber sandwich before, Jinx?” she asked, through the giggle.Jinx looked over at her, a bit of mayonnaise stuck to his cheek. “Familiars don’t exactly get to choose what they eat before their matching ceremony. Come to think of it, many don’t, even after.” He looked guiltily at the half-eaten sandwich, wiping his cheek off.

Ilise smiled at him. “Well you are more than Krista’s familiar to us, Jinx. You are family.”

Jinx’s pale face flushed as he blushed deeply. He attempted to flatten out his hair again as he turned his attention to the screen where the movie was beginning.

Jinx found the entire movie hilarious. It was all about two dogs: one that ironically was named Chance instead of Bruno, and a cat who get lost trying to find their way home.

He hadn’t laughed so hard in years - in fact he didn’t think he had ever really laughed before.

As the credits began to roll, Jinx looked sideways at Krista who was smiling, “That was amazing!”

Krista laughed, “Haven’t you ever seen a movie?”

Jin scrunched up his nose, “No. They don’t exactly have those sorts of things where I used to live.” He replied thinking of those cold, grey concrete buildings and shuddering.

Julius smiled as he pushed the glasses on his nose up slightly, “Well, I’m glad that we could provide you with that experience, Jinx.”

“Yes! Thank you so very much!” Jinx replied in earnest, the biggest smile plastered on his face.

“So you two are well rested, I trust?” he asked, even as Krista yawned widely and he tucked his wire rimmed glasses away in his breast pocket.

Jinx nodded in response as Krista said, “Yes, Pa” with a laugh.

He nodded back, thoughtfully. “Excellent, excellent,” he replied, picking up the rest of his sandwich and popping it into his mouth.

“So,” he continued as soon as he had swallowed, “Can I assume you and Krista will be going into training soon?” He posed this question to Jinx, turning his whole body to face him, arm over the back of the couch.

Jinx looked at Krista for a microsecond out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat. “Yes, that is likely. There is a certain level we must get Krista to,” he explained.

Julius nodded understandingly. “Yes, unfortunately she is likely a bit behind. We were afraid she would be caught by the hunters, you see,” he explained.

Jinx nodded. “Well, I can assure you that we will not be caught, and she will hone her powers. I already have the perfect place to do so,” he said, leading into an excuse to be in the woods to meet with Chase and Sylas later in the week.

Julius looked intrigued ”Oh? Where, if I might ask? My daughter’s safety is rather important.” Jinx replied, “Of course. Of course, sir. Krista was telling me about a place in the woods where she used to play. In fact, she showed it to me in her memories, and it seemed quite secluded. The perfect location.”

Julius nodded. “All right, but... Do be careful. If the stories are true, we cannot have anything happen to either of you, and the witch hunters have been out in force of late.”Jinx nodded again. “Yes, I have noticed. They have been lurking near liminal space entry points, curiously.” He paused for a moment thinking. “Nothing will happen to Krista under my watch, sir. You have my solemn vow,” he reassured Julius, holding his hand up in the air.

Julius smiled. “Yes, I trust you, Jinx. I will admit, it is strange seeing you as a boy and not a cat. However, I trust you.”

Jinx simply ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment, he hated how his hair stuck up all over in his form - the worst bit was that no matter how much he fussed he couldn’t get it to lay flat.

Julius smiled and shook his head as he stood up to collect the plates. “I look forward to whatever great destiny you two have that everyone has been talking about since this little squirt,” here he playfully tousled her hair, “showed her powers.” He finished speaking as he straightened up; Krista looked mutinous as she attempted to fix her mussed up hair, glaring at her father who simply grinned in fake innocence.

Still glaring at her father, Krista stood up and stretched, “So, Jinx, what should we do for the rest of the day?” She asked with a sigh of boredom.

Jinx tilted his head thinking for a moment. “I think you should show me what you can do as of now,” he replied, sitting backwards in his seat, his arms crossed above his head against the backrest.

“What? Here? Now? In the living room?” Krista asked, flabbergasted.

Jinx nodded. “It should be perfectly safe,” he paused to nod at the curtains over the windows, causing them to blow slightly with a touch of a breeze to block the outside view better. “There. Perfectly safe.”

Krista shifted awkwardly for a moment before moving to stand between the T.V. and the coffee table as Ilise and Julius left the room. She looked around, biting her lower lip. Then, staring at the remote sitting on the table, she squinted her eyes and slowly, shakily, raised it off the table. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face before she gasped and the remote fell to the table with a clatter.

Jinx, watching her, nodded slowly. “It’s definitely a start. There’s a ways to go, but it’s a start,” he replied, before realizing she looked dizzy. “Sit down before you fall down, Krista,” he added.

She slumped back down onto the couch, breathing hard. “Is it always going to be this hard?” she asked.

Jinx shook his head. “It will get easier with practice, and soon you will be able to do that little feat - and more.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “And that’s not counting what we will learn to do together.” He also added in thought-speak, Or what Chase and Sylas can teach us.

Krista nodded again, and Jinx said, “Tell you what, let’s try something easy.”

He grabbed the remote and held onto it tightly. “I want you to pull this from my hand. Don’t just concentrate on the idea; let the idea of the remote occupying your hand instead of mine fill your mind and your being. You absolutely want this remote to move,” he explained. “Ready?”

She nodded her head, already staring at the remote, her brow furrowed, clearly concentrating on the task set for her. As she attempted to pull the remote from his hand, Jinx squeezed as tightly as he could, his knuckles were turning white around the remote. After a couple of minutes, where Jinx could feel the remote wiggling in his hand, it suddenly flew out of it and into Krista’s hand.

“Excellent!” he replied, sitting up. “It’s that easy?” Seeing her tired face he chuckled, “And yes, it will get easier the more you do it. You should also be meditating before bed each night. I’ll help you.” Krista nodded “This power is so… intense,” she said, struggling to find the right word to describe the feeling she felt. Jinx nodded. “It is a very powerful ability.” He added again, privately, Chase was also telekinetic, according to the legends.

As they had sat talking, and practicing, Krista’s parents had left them and gone into the sitting room. The sky had slowly darkened behind the curtains and blinds without their realizing it. Soon Ilise was calling through the house as she walked back towards the living room. “Krista! Suppertime!”

The suddenness of this call made the both of them jump in alarm before they realized what she was saying.“Alright, mum!” Krista called, as Jinx stood up.

“Those cucumber sandwiches really hit the spot, but man, am I ever glad it’s suppertime.”

Krista laughed, “I know! Right?”

*

Jinx stretched as he set his cutlery down on his plate, “That was amazing. Thanks, Ilise!”

“Not a problem, sweetie.” Ilise replied with a smile, as she began collecting the supper dishes.

That was when Krista suddenly yawned widely, “Jeepers.” Followed by a sympathetic yawn from Jinx.

“I think it’s time for a certain young lady to head off to bed, “ Julius said with a smile as he helped his wife to load the dishwasher.

Jinx yawned again and said, Come on, let’s go to bed. It will help you regain your strength, and I can start teaching you to meditate. Out loud he smiled and looked over at Julius, “I agree.”

Krista nodded, exhausted, and stood up yawning and stretching before wandering over to give her parents hugs. Then she started wandering towards her bedroom with Jinx following close behind.

“Ok, now what?” Krista asked, looking expectantly at him when Jinx hopped up onto her bed in cat-form and sprawled across the foot of her bed.

He rolled back onto his stomach and looked deep into her eyes. Get comfortable if you aren’t already. She shifted slightly in her seat, but otherwise did not move. Now, close your eyes and start breathing in and out slowly. Focus on the sound of your breaths. He watched her as she did so for a few minutes. Now, while you breathe, focus on finding the source of your power, deep within you, right at your center. When you find it, just focus on it. Allow it to permeate your mind and body, filling you up. When that power has permeated every fibre of your being, open your eyes.

A good ten minutes later, Krista slowly opened her eyes.

“Wow,” was all she had to say.

Jinx chuckled, Yeah, it is the best way to relax, but now let us sleep because... He yawned widely, showing all of his teeth. I am exhausted!

Krista slid down under her covers and was out as soon as her head hit the pillow; lying on her side. Jinx, meanwhile, walked up the bed to curl up just in front of her, sleep coming to him almost as fast.