Chapter 12
I am unsure if I have ever mentioned Arthur's age but if I haven't I'm going to keep it that way!
Enjoy!
...Review please?
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Arthur lay in bed, anticipating sleep for the first time in his life but this time, he knew he wouldn't be plagued with nightmares. He wanted to see his familiar again... He wondered if this was what it was like for Alana when she met Alys.
Yes, he supposed everything started with Alys:
The Emerald Magician.
Arthur knew that title haunted his sister, the story of the Princess from the Kirkland Clan who turned from a meek little mouse to a deadly witch.
All because of a cat familiar.
Alys is legendary; she brought out all of Alana's latent power. The Kirkland's power is the opposite to their personality. Alana is cool, calm and reserved but a torrent when angered.
Alana was shy when she was young, if you believe the stories and Arthur was inclined to. It was five hundred years ago and Alana's change was sparked by the competition. In truth, the competition determined the power of the houses and the most powerful of the new generation of witches. It was an important right of passage.
Alana was terrified when she was asked to participate. She hated being in large crowds and was bullied at magic school. She kept herself to herself, minus one Herakles Karpusi and she wouldn't have had a single friend.
Then everything changed the day she met Alys.
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That century, the competition was a battle royale, winner takes all, the most powerful child from the newest generation of each house was told to knock all the others unconscious to win power and glory. An awful place for a girl like her. She shouldn't have come out on top in such a wretched situation but as Alana stood there alone, terrified in the middle of a battlefield, a voice called out to her:
"Do you want the power to never be meek and mild, ever again? You are strong Alana, take my hand and accept me. I will show you your true worth."
When Alana agreed, she released a green inferno and within the first ten minutes of the battle Alana was the last one standing.
When Arthur thought about that story, it conjured a powerful image. Alana, the eye of the hurricane of chaos around her with Alys at her side. To him, it was beautiful and breath taking. Arthur wished he had that resolve to change.
He wanted to be just like her. He hero worshipped his sister, placing her on a pedestal where he hoped to one day join her as a powerful witch.
"And so you shall." replied a very familiar voice...
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Arthur smiled, he must have fallen asleep.
"Mhm. I missed you, did you miss me?"
"Maybe" shrugged Arthur. He did, more than he would admit.
"Awww, you're so sweet. You DO like me, don't you?" cooed the voice.
That accent... It was so tantalizingly familiar but he just couldn't place it.
"So what if I do? ...You can read my mind then."
"Yes but...Why?" he asked shyly but curiously.
"Why what?" asked Arthur with a frown.
"Why do you like me?" he asked insistently.
"I could ask the same of you!" retorted Arthur.
"..." The Familiar went silent, knowing Arthur would respond.
Arthur yielded at the silence, his resolve wavering then collapsing completely.
"Fine! You are the first Familiar to approach me and declare your intentions. The bond, however momentary it was, felt... Right."
"Oh errm well..." the Familiar mumble shyly.
"It's the truth" said Arthur firmly.
"In that case...I can show you more, just imagine that bond being permanent. The warmth and comfort we will offer you..."
"We?"
"Well it isn't just me, silly. I have a other half, we are twin spirits" giggled the familiar, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist and pressing his nose into the crook of his neck, inhaling the scents of lavender and tea.
Arthur is so warm... He's like the sun.
"I...see. So the bond with be with both of you then?"
"Yup! Even though I would prefer to have you to myself."
Arthur wanted to turn around and see his Familiar, he was sure he was pouting but the rule was unspoken;
Don't look at me.
"It's just that I don't want you recognising me. I would really love nothing more than to be with you forever... But first you have to want ME for ME. My brother and I will take turns visiting you. I- no we, want you to tell us your story. Your story of loss and grief and pain."
"Why would you want to hear such a thing" asked Arthur in a broken voice.
Broken. Arthur was broken.
"...You think of yourself as broken but to us, you are the most beautiful thing in the universe and we will make you see that. If you are broken, then I will fix you"
"... *mumble muble*"
"What was that?" he asked teasingly.
"I said thank you" said Arthur, blushing furiously.
"Awww!"
"Don't get used to it!"
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Arthur and the Familiar talked for hours, Arthur hadn't slept so well in years. Certainly not since before the kidnapping incident. No, maybe even before that.
...Maybe he had found his perfect Familiar after all.
Alana was right, Familiars change your life. Hopefully, his would change Arthur's for the better.
"...You think of yourself as broken but to us, you are the most beautiful thing in the universe and we will make you see that. If you are broken, then I will fix you"
Arthur turned crimson at the memory. No one had ever called him beautiful before... Sheesh, he sounded like a teenage girl!
"Get a grip Arthur!" he scolded to himself, smacking his cheeks.
Besides, he had more important things to worry about...
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