Author's Note: I do not own any of the characters/locations mentioned; that honor goes to Level 5, Studio Ghibli and Bandai. Just putting that out there in case anybody is hunting the site for copyright infringements...
This sketch was inspired by the fact that Swaine's right hand familiar is not considered compatible with him. He is the only member of Oliver's team that has this problem, more than likely because the familiar was not taken with a form familiar spell. I forget which fanfic I read that explored this relationship with Gunther, but I have accepted as headcanon that a Hurly just smelled chocolate from a bag Swaine stole and started stealing from the thief! (If that was your story, please tell me and I will cite my source properly!) This may be the one time where I go against canon and make up my own rule for a spell; I can't find any evidence that form familiar can be used on other people. However, for the sake of the story, I'm saying it can, and that's that.
FYI I put a lot of thought and consideration into what his "warrior from the heart" would be. Besides making it match his compatibility, I wanted it to really represent him. Even though an automata would be the obvious choice, when reading the descriptions of different familiars, this is what stuck with me. Now, enjoy something lighter, as promised, because I've been putting poor Swaine through so much grief!
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Sketch 4: The Beast Within
The ship's repairs were nearly completed by the time Oliver and crew had finished helping the Fairy Godmother and celebrated the birthday of the littlies. To kill time, Oliver suggested that the three of them (Drippy was cavorting with his old pals) should train a bit more before heading out to sea. The last time they had gotten on the boat, Shadar had appeared, swatted them around like flies, then conjured a storm to destroy them all. They hadn't stood a chance, and the image of his foe weighed heavily on his mind. He had to get better, or he would never be able to stop Shadar's crimes. Esther was quick to agree; she had seen some interesting creatures on the island that she wished to tame. Even Swaine, who as far as the pair could tell didn't like doing unnecessary work, agreed without comment.
The first creature they fought was a sprog-cog. Esther got her wish, and after fighting against it, it was so impressed by them that it allowed itself to be serenaded and tamed. As Esther's fingers danced across the strings of her harp, Oliver took a moment to study Swaine. He was panting, and his eyes showed an unusual amount of focus and determination. Come to think of it, in the battle, he had really pushed himself, calling on his familiar Gunther to fight and getting into the fray immediately. What was going through his mind? Could it be that he was equally perturbed by their quick and pathetic defeat at the hands of Shadar? He had cursed their weakness in the battle once they landed on the island…
Oliver's thoughts were interrupted by Esther's cheerful voice. "All right, what should we name it, Oliver? I was thinking that it looks like a 'Cogsworth' to me…"
"Sounds fine, you're the expert, Esther," Oliver scratched his head.
"All right then, Cogsworth you will be. Now, who would be the best person for you to fight for?" Esther mused. "I know automata are not my type… Oliver, have you ever used an automata before?"
Oliver had a slight idea what she was talking about; he had read about genus in the Wizard's Companion. There was something about each creature belonging to a certain family that shared several important traits. The rest of what she said was a mystery though. "No, I don't think so. Say, what do you mean by 'not your type'?"
Esther smiled, glad that someone was interested in her expertise. "Each person gets along best with certain types of familiars. I work well with Aves like my Drongo, Gogo, for example. I can tell by watching how you fight with Mitey that you are compatible with Milites. When you fight with a familiar that is compatible with you, you are more effective in battle."
"Oh, I had no idea! I guess it was pretty lucky that Mitey ended up being a good match for me!"
"Not so much luck, Oliver. You summoned him using the 'Form Familiar' spell. He came from your heart, so he should be a good match for you."
"Jeepers, that makes sense. So what happens when you are fighting with a familiar that is not a match for you?"
Esther closed her eyes smugly. "You end up looking like Swaine."
Upon hearing his name, the man snapped to attention, having previously tuned out her rambling. "What about me, now?"
"Yeah, what about him, Esther?"
"Swaine's Gunther, a Hurly, is not compatible with him. I've noticed it as we've been battling. His command is rougher, there's more delay. He simply can't bring out the best in Gunther."
Swaine scowled, looking seriously offended. "How dare you say that about Gunther! All this rubbish about being compatible is absurd!"
Esther didn't bat an eye. "I didn't say anything offensive, I'm telling the truth. I know about taming and caring familiars far more than you do. It's not that Gunther does a poor job, he just isn't reaching his full potential with you."
Swaine recalled Gunther, as if to keep him from hearing any more of this hurtful conversation. "That's it, I'm done. You and Oliver can train by yourselves, Gunther and I will go train somewhere else!"
"Wait, Swaine, Esther didn't probably put it in the best way possible, but it's not an insult, honest!" Oliver pleaded.
"If that's not an insult, what is?" he challenged, frowning darkly.
"Well, if you don't believe me, why don't we find you a familiar that is compatible with you and you can feel the difference!" Esther retorted.
"But how can we do that? Just give him a bunch of different familiars until he finds one that seems easier to handle?" Oliver wondered.
"We could, but that would take a while. I think we should use the form familiar spell on him to save time."
"The what?" Swaine exclaimed, looking nervous and crossing his arms as if to protect himself.
"You can use the form familiar spell on other people?" Oliver asked incredulously.
"Yeah, sure. My father used that spell on me when I was younger in order to find a good partner for me. That is how I met Gogo."
"So, I just draw the runes like normal but point the spell at Swaine?"
"I don't like where this is going…" he muttered.
"Yeah, that's basically it, from what I remember." She stopped and gave a wicked grin. "But before we do, we should take bets on what kind of familiar emerges from his heart. My vote is on Purrloin, or maybe a Turbandit…"
Oliver looked thoughtful. "I don't know, Swaine is really good with gadgets. Maybe his would be something mechanical like the Sprog-Cog?"
"Really, Oliver? Are you seriously going along with this?" the flustered ex-thief demanded.
"Well, it sounds kind of fun, and now I'm curious…"
"You and I both know that Gunther is the only familiar I need!" he insisted stubbornly.
Oliver nodded. "I know. You two make a great pair, even if what Esther says is true. Still, there's no harm in finding out what a good familiar would be for you. The more you have fighting at your side, the better!"
It was hard to argue with logic like that. "But…are you sure the spell is going to work properly? Not that I don't trust you, but…"
"Don't be such a baby, Swaine! Come on, Oliver, cast the spell!"
"Okay, let me just get out my Wizard's Companion so I make sure to draw the right rune. It's been a while…" Well, THAT was reassuring! While he dug around in his bottomless bag, Swaine's eyes darted around. If he hurried, he could probably disappear into the undergrowth…
It was too late. Oliver had his wand in hand and drew the signs with it as he read the page. With a flick of his wrist, he cast the spell towards his friend. A ball of light formed over Swaine's heart, and it shot forth a beam of similarly-colored light. "What the hell?" His jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out at the bizarre sensation, and Oliver had to wonder if he had looked the same way when he had cast the spell on himself. The beam of light began to form an orb, and inside a creature stirred. Suddenly, the light from his heart faded, and the orb seemingly popped, sending the beast tumbling out. It was…
"A Scruffian?!" Esther exclaimed, bending down to examine the canine-like creature more closely.
"Is that some kind of form of the Ruff?" Oliver inquired, also bending down to get a better look.
Swaine massaged the area around his heart, still a bit freaked out by the experience. "So, this is supposed to be a familiar that's 'compatible', huh?" He looked grumpy, and sounded even more so.
"Not only that, Swaine, but this is a sort of representation of your true self. That's why I don't get it…" Esther muttered, reaching down to scratch the Scruffian behind the ears. The familiar was not amused, and it quickly ran away from Esther and stood beside its master. Both looked at her and growled, hair bristling.
Oliver just laughed. "Really, Esther? It makes total sense. I mean, just look at them!"
"I guess they both yap a lot…" she grumbled, miffed by the Gruffian's actions. "Or maybe they both have fleas…"
"Or maybe we're both just AWESOME," he said sarcastically, looking cross.
"Either way, I guess Swaine is good with Beastiae, huh?" the young wizard commented. "So, what will you name him?"
"I'll have to think about that. Now, be a good boy and go meet Gunther. I know you'll get along well." He recalled the familiar to his creature cage.
"So, does this mean you will start using your Scruffian more often? I mean, he is a beast form of YOU," Esther asked pointedly.
Swaine shook his head. "I don't care what you say, and I don't care what kind of logic you have. Gunther is my number one, and that's never going to change. He's been with me from the beginning! To be fair, I'll use my Scruffian only slightly less; I'm sure we'll make a good team, and it's not his fault he was summoned because of some silly bet."
While his words made Esther even more vexed and started a huge argument between the two, they made Oliver stop and ponder. Swaine would stay loyal to Gunther no matter what people said about them making a bad team. The Scruffian looked like a dog, and he knew from his world that dogs were considered fiercely loyal creatures. The rogue did not like to talk, especially not about his past, and so Oliver did not know much about him. Still, Oliver couldn't help but feel like in some hidden part of the man, there HAD to be someone or something he was fiercely loyal to, it just hadn't revealed itself yet.
Following up on his instincts, he flipped open his Wizard's Companion to the page on Scruffians. Though small in stature, these creatures move very rapidly and attack with great ferocity, the guide informed him. He smiled. Maybe that had something to do with the look in Swaine's eyes while they trained. There was some secret reason for him to attack with great ferocity despite how he appeared. Only time would tell…
