Familiar's Calling - The Bond

Hey you! Ya, you right there! No, not up there, down here. Yes, the black cat at your feet. I want to talk to you. You must think you are going totally and completely crazy, a cat talking to you inside your head. Well, I assure you that you are not crazy, and that I am no mere cat. I am a familiar and you - yes, you - are a witch.

The cat looking at you rolls its eyes as if annoyed.

Don’t look so surprised. If you can hear me talking to you then you’ve shown other signs of what you are before now. However, that is besides the point, you are a new witch, clearly, and I am here to explain to you everything you could ever possibly want to know about yourself and familiars like me. For starters I am sure you’re asking yourself just what exactly is a familiar? The cat settles back on its haunches staring up at you until you take a seat.

A familiar is an animal. It can be any animal, be it a cat like me, a dog, a bird, a snake, you name it. Any type of animal can be a familiar, but not every animal is a familiar. Our purpose in this world is to guide witches as they learn and grow into their powers. But further than that, every familiar and every witch is linked spiritually, metaphysically and physically to one person, or in your case one familiar. This is called our one true match, or true match, as is the common phrasing. Now, while the familiar’s purpose in this world is to guide witches on their destiny, a true match pair of witch and familiar has their own destiny that they embark on, often unknowingly, together to achieve great things in this world. There have been many true matches throughout the ages that have turned the tide of war, magickal and not, simply by existing and coming together.

One of the most famous, and powerful true matches was that of the witch Chase Langsworth and his familiar, the great arctic wolf, Sylas. Chase and Sylas were matched together when Chase was but five years old. Before the match, Sylas was mismatched with many witches, the partnerships aways ending poorly. Similarly, Chase, being telekinetic, was unable to find his true match for several years after his powers manifested. Upon meeting, however, Chase and Sylas felt an instant connection. This is called “The Bond”.

The irreversible and inseverable link that exists between familiar and witch. The two were inseparable from that moment on, and their powers only grew as they did. This bond was one that no other familiar and witch had ever had; they were more one with the other than anyone thought possible. This power lead Chase and Sylas on a journey that ultimately ended the devastating witch hunts and trials of the seventeenth century.

Their journey, their destiny, was one of the most famous and revered in the history of familiars. It is one of the many destinies that is recorded in the Hall of Records by the Dozhan, the record keeper. The familiars’ and witches’ council of the time had no idea what would happen when they finally matched Chase and Sylas together. But as they watched the two grow, more specifically, as they watched their powers increase, they began to suspect. The only clue to this great destiny lay in the birthmark both Chase and Sylas bore, the ever-powerful crescent moon. Chase was born with the distinct mark on his left shoulder blade and Sylas in his left ear. They were two sides of the same coin, destined for greatness before they could even speak; before they were ever born. This is the power that comes from a true match; a destiny that transcends all. There hasn’t been another like Chase and Sylas since.

Here, you notice the cat’s right ear twitch. You see the hint of a birthmark there.

The cat shakes his head as if clearing it of thoughts. However, I digress, he continues. Let me introduce myself by name. My name is Jinx, and I am a familiar waiting for his true match to reveal him or herself. Yes, ‘witch’ is not a single gender term. ‘Witch’ is a gender-neutral term. One that refers to both males and females with magickal powers. I do not know who it will be, or even where my true match resides. The person I am destined to bond with has yet to be revealed to the witches’ or familiars’ councils. No one but the Dozhan, the keeper of all records in the magickal world, knows who this person is. I have had my own setbacks while I await this person, and sadly other young witches have gotten hurt. This is not something I am proud of.

Jinx hangs his head in shame for a moment before continuing with his story. The past is in the past though, and the familiar’s council, with pressure from the Dozhan, has decided that I shall not receive another pairing or “mismatch”. They have decided that I will wait until my true match reveals him or herself. You see, just like Chase and Sylas, I was born with a similar birthmark, though it is in my right ear instead - a crescent moon, to be exact.

I can see by the look on your face that I have lost you with all of this true match business. You must be asking yourself what is so special about being matched to one specific person or familiar? You see, while every familiar matched with any witch, much as between you and I right now, would have many of the same abilities, a true match has something more, something stronger. Every familiar is capable of speaking to a human, witch, or companion with their mind. This is called thought-speak. The difference is that with a true match the witch companion is able to speak with their mind back at their familiar as opposed to speaking with their mouths. That being said, all familiars have the ability to understand human speech, generally in the language of their companion, as well as emotions. We can also speak with other familiars, regardless of species. That is I, as a cat, can speak with a dog familiar, just as a bird could speak to me.

Another particularly interesting ability of familiars who have been matched with their true match is emotional control. There are rules about this ability however, such that it must only be used in dire circumstances, such as a familiar calming their witch companion in order to save their life. It is rumoured that for certain powerful pairings, such as Chase and Sylas, this ability is able to work in reverse. That is, the witch is able to control the emotions of their familiar. All familiars who have been assigned a charge, true or not, are able to feel what their charge feels. So, if their charge is injured, the familiar feels it too. This is an innate ability that gives accountability to the familiar to protect their charge with their life. Of course, when a pair is truly matched this power only grows and the familiar will feel more. It is rumoured that the stronger the true match, the more back and forth this feeling is. To use Chase and Sylas as an example yet again, it is rumoured that Chase often felt what Sylas felt, just as Sylas would feel what Chase did. It is something that, if used correctly, can be channeled into other innate abilities unique to the pair in question.

Jinx stands up, stretches and yawns, before staring off in the distance for a moment, thinking. He then shakes his head and turns back to you.

Sorry, I was just thinking what it will be like to finally meet my own true match. The feeling, I am told, is one of completeness. Of finally accessing one’s true and full potential. I hope one day soon to feel this, to know this. I… Jinx breaks off, looking down the street. He nods, and turns to leave before looking over his shoulder. That is all the time I have young witch, the council summons me.

With that, you watch as this strange black cat, this familiar, scampers off up the street and out of sight, leaving you standing dumbfounded in the middle of the sidewalk, wondering where your familiar is right now.