"Hey! Hey wake up!" You hear a distant voice in the darkness.
Your eyes flutter open to reveal your best friend's worried face and her hand waving in front of them, trying to get you to wake up. You groan but roll over, pulling yourself into a sitting position.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" she asks quietly, a slight concerned smile on her lips. "Jim, I didn't think the magic contract would erupt into such a shock! but you seem alright." She says with a bit of shock in her voice.
"What...? M… contract... Sabrina what are you talking about?" You ask a bit dizzy.
"The one you just signed?" She said a little bewildered. “J you were in need for a gig, since you were pretty broke, and I offered you this contract for a position in my line of work."
Recollection came back to you "Oh right sweet! So what kinda job am I in for?"
"Oh yeah I guess I didn't tell you, you're going to be my familiar." The words registered and immediately the fog in your head gave way to lucidity, only to give way to shock and confusion once more.
"A WHAT!!" You shout as you stand incredulous. "As in, a witch's?" You sit back down on the floor in front of her, legs crossed in your pajamas.
"Yeah…" You look at her, mouth hanging slightly agape as she makes her wand (which she apparently had???) float beside her and land a bit clumsily in her hand. “Guess sometimes if you dream hard enough, magic does exist.” She started waving the wand playfully, childlike sparkles coming from its tip. “I was just as surprised when I found out… a month ago or so? Practice’s been having me count in moons so I’m not entirely sure hehe.” She stops the display, the sparkles resisting a bit after finally ceasing to sparkle its glee. As in tow, her face dims to an apologetic expression.
"You signed so there's no turning back, you will become a being made of my magic and will. … Sorry…"
This whole revelation, it’s insane, yet demonstrably true, no childish play-pretend, real Magic. "You are kidding me right? This isn't some prank or something, is it!?" She shakes her head no, and seeing the guilty look another realization strikes you. “You… tricked me, why, you took advantage of my financial situation for your little magic game.” You looked away hurt, ‘advantage of me’ you thought to yourself feeling a slight anger rise in your throat as you try to find a way out of this mess. “Well then, you better have a way to fix this.”
She froze a bit at your words then continued a bit shakily " ...I'm afraid not J, I'm sorry but you have already signed the contract. It’s permanent now…" she replied, your hads balling into fists. “Please just hear me out. Please…” you tried to relax but without undoing your stern expression. "Look I know you're confused and scared. Yes, I tricked you into this but... I saw you weren't happy with your lot and well…” her voice trailed off “Ok god yes I admit it! I really just did put my interests above your whole future.” You could see her eyes watering a bit. “b-but there was no way I could be a witch without having a familiar, these amazing powers?” She moved her wand again, this time her frantic movements made it shine with dainty embers trailing behind it. “This fantasy dream I had since we were kids, I literally would have to watch it disappear from my eyes, knowing it was real! knowing I could have had it!” The embers fizzle out even as her movements fasten, the stick now does nothing but sway. “You are the only one who could ever understand…”
“Goddamit Ina! This is no game, you just sold my soul away without even doing so much as asking.” You felt it harder and harder to berate her, almost as if her sadness was seeping into you. You both stayd silent, ruminating on that last outburst. After a minute in silence, you gave in "Fine! it's not as if I got any choice and…” You sighed. “staying mad at you will only make you whine harder, as always…” You catch yourself on that playful last remark and can’t help but let out a little smile at which she loosens back down a little.. “Ok, not that you gave me any choice in the matter, but I accept.”
Sabrina looks relieved and hugs you tightly "Thank you so much! This means so much to me I promise I make sure we both have the most magical adventure we’ve ever had." She then lets go and pulls out some sort of spellbook. Opening it to a page titled Familiar. It was full of pictures, symbols, and rules. A few pages later she pulls one out with your name and signature. Looking at it makes your heart skip a beat but you tighten your resolve. The paper was blank except for your name. Sabrina hands it to you and you read it aloud while signing it:
"I swear, until death, I shall keep my word to you, Sabrina, daughter of Nightwished Star and for this, renounce to my humanity, name and will to become your one and true familiar."
You finish and turn to look at Sabrina Redwoods who has a determined but unsure look to her. You quickly hold out your hand to her, as per the instructions. She takes it and shakes on it, uttering:
"I accept your vow, James Mikalo, as my new familiar. As I trust you to personify everything magical about me and give form to my truest dream."
After your vows are done, you both chuckle a bit at the formal tone of it all. You hadn't seen her get immersed into something so dorky this much since those times in primary when she would rope you into playing pretend heroes with her, always giving you the embarrassing roles and whatnot. It was a nice sentiment, in a sense, you were doing just that, just on a bigger scale. She really hadn’t changed that much. You only hope that doesn’t spell something much more serious this time around, well even more so than this.
As you both finish laughing, Sabrina interjects.
"Ok that's step 1, now for step 2" Her joy drops into ambivalence once more "Well you won't like this probably but, I need to choose your familiar form" Her eyes focus on yours, as she continues "I'm afraid as much as I'd like to make it easy for you and give you something mildly pedestrian, that would only make you a weaker familiar, I need to envision a dream familiar, my dream familiar." Seeing you get a bit sour at the remark, Sabrina tries to put on a reassuring smile, It calms you a little. "I know this may sound a bit selfish on my part… again, but this is going to be what you will be for probably the rest of your life, being weak might not seem like as big a deal as what you might turn into now, but a novice witch and a weak familiar is... a pair that tends to have it rough as per the book puts it on the uh... tips section. Besides, won't the downs of this become worse if there isn't some interesting change to adapt to?" Her reassuring tone turns to an almost pleading one.
And here comes the embarrassing role, yup! you think to yourself, knowing her… oh dear better not continue the line of thought, you’ve been one of many masks in the playground long ago, easy enough task even if little Ina always knows how to make it the more embarrassing. However this will be your final form, you in the flesh… Then again, she has a point, you aren’t that attached to your current life and she definitely has the means to 'shake things up'. You sigh “Fine just, surprise me, I guess.”
She does a bit of a double take at that. “You wouldn’t like to know what the form is first J?”
I guess you are doing this now James. “Knowing you, this is against my better judgment, but…” You sigh wistfully. “Guess I just like the surprise you usually bring to it, so yeah just… don’t go overboard.”
She nods and gives you a determined look, grace back into her wand builds more and more energy and, with a hearty swish, directs it straight at you, as it collides you swear you could see those childlike sparkles on her eyes instead of her wand.
Better get ready for anything…
