Familiar Pact

8. Little Witch

Days pass.

I know a bobcat was left on the side of the road on our second day; Ringmaster had allowed me to watch from the door of the trailer. My senses are pitiful in this human form, and I couldn't confirm if it was Arduino or not. I guess even if it isn't at least some poor sod is free of this nightmare. Seeing someone I think of as family just left like roadkill hurts. It feels wrong, tugging at my heart to go back and guard him whilst he heals. Ringmaster's knowing smirk as he watches me fight the pack instincts I've tried to avoid for so long jerks me back to my reality. My hand rises to touch the ungiving leather around my neck. I regulate my breathing. For now, this is my life.

Each day, in late afternoon the voice in my head tries to talk to me. Truth be told, I'm not sure if my sanity has finally been torn to shreds or whether it actually is a young girl reaching out to me. For all I know it's a trap. Yet I can't help looking forward to the conversations each day...

Hi, I'm starting to think of you as my imaginary friend! You know it would be easier if you tried to reply... anything, anything at all? Ah well, tomorrow maybe. I'm debating over what creature you are, maybe a mouse since you're so quiet.

I snort at that, trying to send it back to her.

Ooh that almost counted as a reply. The utter disdain of mice... you must be a cat, or maybe a ferret?

I don't reply to that one.

No reply there, big guy. I think that means I'm getting closer!

Even with the little interaction we've had, the girl is starting to get to know me. She's also so damn chirpy all the time, she's like a sunshine sprite, shitting rainbows and sarcasm. Even if I am just delusional, I look forward to our conversations, well... her monologues, everyday. She's a ray of light in the darkness of my life here.

Okay, so today I'm still revelling in boredom, and trying to keep away from Gran. She's in a foul mood, something about rabbits getting into her vegetable patch again. Hmm, maybe if you decided that being my familiar wouldn't be so bad you could chase them off. Gran could certainly do with some lightening up these days. Or at least with less of the frowning.

I send a questioning feeling back... familiar? I've heard her mention it before, repeatedly to be honest, but I don't trust her. What little I've heard about familiars makes it seem like just another type of slavery.

Ooh, does this mean you're considering it? Alright, well I'm a spirit witch, or shaman, depending on where you're located. Anyway, we're pretty rare, but most of our magic has to  be anchored by a bonded creature or familiar. Familiars are both our tether to reality and a conduit for more commonplace magics. My Gran has two ravens as her familiars.

I send her another reply. Bonds? This one is sent with an image of my chain and collar. I haven't really worked out how just to send words back, so I'm pretty sure she probably got a whole lot of loathing and disgust and fear.

Oh big guy. I feel a burst of anger towards the image, and then a feeling of compassion, a sort-of mental 'I'm staying with you', like when you are crying and a loved one just holds you, not asking for anything, just being there.

A familiar is a strong bond, it's true, and the witch does hold a lot of the power, and from what I've been told the familiar feels a strong compunction to follow orders, though Gran's ravens ignore her daily, so I'm not completely sure how it works. However, the bond also fosters a strong desire to protect on both sides, so hurting a familiar also hurts the witch. Depending on the depth of the bond, effects like this mindspeech can deepen into permanent empathy. The familiars lifespan will lengthen, and the familiar can develop magical capabilities, both of which can last after the contract is over. Bonds tend to run for anything from a month to decades, though the minimum for a summoned bond is a year. You also can't change the bond after it has been contracted. So if you ever want to make me really, really happy, I'm afraid it would be a year bond? Is that okay?

So it's slavery without potential of freedom for a year minimum, with health benefits, possible magic to be won, but also a bit of mind control. If I wasn't already chained up my answer would be 'hell no!' Her laying it all out like that does make me trust her a little more, though not enough to leap into magical enslavement. You see, if the circus has taught me anything, it's that being magically encouraged to follow orders has sequela. I could sign up for a year, and be brainwashed into never leaving. It would all depend on who this little spirit witch is. Then again, I have a countdown til I get raped. Two days until the next campsite...
Tick
Tock

Think on it, please big guy. I'll make sure you always get fed, have a comfortable den or wherever you like to sleep. And I won't chain you again. Ever! Though you.. uh... will have to have some sort of identification on you. If you object to a collar I'm sure we can work something out.

To be honest at this point I'm almost certain she expects me to be 100% animal. From our conversations she's in school, so 16 at most. I certainly can't think of any activities a 16 year old would do that would mean she think collared humans are the norm. And she already mentioned her Grans familiars were ravens.

At the very least this is a back-up plan. Not that I have a front-up plan. So I guess the question is how bad does it have to be here for 1 years magical enslavement to be the better option...