It's not Dark Magic | Closed

The night was whispering to her as the wind shifted through the trees and the creatures in the forest rustled in the night. Eva felt alone which wasn't uncommon. The moon and the sun were often her only companions as the waxed and waned; as if saying hello and saying goodbye each day. Although, tonight the moon was gone. It was washed in darkness at the start of new cycle. Eva sat in her cabin, afraid to take a step out of its threshold. She protected and charmed it for it be hidden, but she was only one witch; any spell can be broken. She looked up again at the moon. If she was going to do it, it had to be tonight. A new moon, a new life.

She only had to go a few feet away, to grab a bundle of flowers that were growing by the river. It would be just a moment, but it would be a bright spot of magic for those that are tracking her. She grabbed onto the moon stone resting on her chest. It was the very last piece she had of her coven. Everyone else was killed by the very coven that sought her out now. Her coven learned how to harness the moon and its cycles and as they grew more powerful, they were challenged by other covens. Then, they were hunted. She was now the last Moon Witch that she knew of at least. She had to split her magic; she was holding every piece of magic her coven made within her body. She often felt like she was going to explode.

A owl hooted in the distance and it seemed like a reminder that night was still alive. For a moment, it felt frozen. She looked up again at the new moon. "Okay," she said to herself. She jumped up, sprinted across the grass and grabbed the flowers. She was back on her steps before she herself even knew it. All that worry for no reason. Aside from the spell she was about to attempt. It was difficult magic.

The fire crackled in the corner and the light reflected off her the salt circle on her floor. She needed a protector. She had to do this. She melted black wax into a bowl and spit into it. After it cooled a bit, she pressed the flowers (tiger-lilies that she been growing for some time now). She stepped across the circle and placed the wax mix into the middle. She stepped outside of the circle and took a deep breath.

"Tuo sanguine meo sanguine: nota animarum," she whispered, almost desperately. She closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what would happen. She wasn't sure if there would be a bright light or a loud noise or smoke. She wasn't sure, but she kept her eyes closed. "Tuo sanguine meo sanguine: nota animarum," she whispered once more. She whispered the words until she heard a soft menancing growl.

She opened her eyes. "Brilliant," she said. There, within her circle, was a large tiger. The tiger had dark eyes that seemed to mirror that of the new moon. She wanted to step forward, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to break the circle in case the spell was corrupted. That would be exactly what she needed: to kill herself with her own magic. She would not be so arrogant to assume she was immortal. She would not confirm the legends of her coven. She would survive. She tilted her head, soaking in her feelings of pride. "Hello there."

It had been a cold darkness, empty and hollow. Felix had barely existed, a speck of life in an empty void waiting to be called. In a flash foreign memories flooded his semi-consciousness; pain, despair, fear, loneliness. His consciousness was ripped from that empty void and thrust into a writhing mass of cells.

In the firelit cabin, that mass of cells, now mixed with the shared consciousness of Felix and Eva slowly formed together. In an instant it took a form, a large majestic tiger, dusty orange fur with lines of black, Razor sharp claws and menacing fangs.

Felix let out of growl stalking around inside the salt circle. He sniffed at the air, smelling the scent of the forest outside, his eyes locking onto the sitting form of Eva measuring her. As she spoke he let out a louder roar, and slowly padded towards her, cocking his head to the side. The form in front of him seemed familiar somehow, and smelled vaguely of himself.

He sat down on his hind legs in front of her, "Hello there, where am I?" he said to her in his head, unaware that as he meant to communicate with her, the statement echoed through her mind silently as well. He had an odd feeling that he couldn't leave the circle of salt, not until she broke it.

@ oldbook;

The wind still rustled outside, mirroring the anxiety that was in the room. Both Eva and the tiger were radiating anxiety; pacing and nervous breathing (or growling). She twiddled her fingers together as if that would calm her nerves. In truth, she felt like the new moon: empty, dark, and tired. She glanced back up at the pacing tiger and caught its brilliant eyes. All the anxiety melted out of her like a piece of on a hot day. She was surprised. She did not expect for the magic to work like this. She knew they would build a connection, but she did not expect it to feel so familiar.

She was a novice witch, even if she was powerful. She was only powerful because she was able to channel all the powers of deceased ancestors. In fact, if she went back and performed the honoring ceremony for them all, she'd be extremely powerful. This ceremony could only be performed during the full moon and that was when the other covens always hunted her harshly: full and new moons. She was surprised they weren't knocking on her door. She just couldn't risk such powerful magic right now; she was already being hunted. This spell was risky enough. Her eyes floated towards the door as if waiting for it to burst open.

She was distracted instantly by the words that caressed her mind. Bewildered, she looked back at the tiger. "Oh," she said, almost breathlessly. (She really should have read more about this spell before she did it. Except, she only had 4 books out of the whole library that was locked away. She did not know where it was or how to get to it). She was starting to feel better now, feeling like the spell was successful. In fact, her anxiety turned to glee. Enough glee she considered breaking the salt ring just to finally hug another being, but she did not. Her mother's voice echoed in her mind: 'Be mindful, Evanora. You are always in a hurry, like the speed of light.'

"Um, I think we're somewhere in Louisiana. I called you here. My name is Eva, or maybe you know that. I'm sorry. I don't know how this works. I can imagine you're as nervous as I am. Um," she bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to explain it all. It seemed wrong to be so upfront, but it was all she had. "You're a familiar. We're suppose to be connected. Does that make sense?"

Felix kept his golden eyes locked on her, staring her down. He had no idea where Louisiana was, he still hadn't clocked the fact that he was on a different plane, just moments ago he was nothing but a speck of life in the void. Now he had physical form, a strong and fericous body to carry out his will.

The cool air full of the fresh smells of the forest, billowing in through the cracks in the floor. The tension in the room was high, nerves and uncertainty radiated from the two forms. In the silence the cabin creaked as the wood strained against the wind, and the floor struggled to hold the hefty tiger suddenly resting quietly in the middle of the room.

Felix sniffed the air again, he could smell something foriegn in the distance. When the other form in the room mentioned her name, images flashed through his mind once again, of her past. He could sense something about her, it was like her heartbeat in time with his own.

"My name is Felix, I can feel your heartbeat," Felix silently communicated to her. He made his way to his feet, moving away from her looking around the cabin. "Would you kindly let me out?" he said facing the front door.

@ oldbook;

@ A Drop On the Window
Eva, whose nerves and anxiety overcame any other senses she may have, heard nothing but the rustling of the leaves outside. Every sound made her feel like there was someone just about the bust down her door. She knew that she was a beacon of magic, but at least Felix was suppose to divert some magic away from her. It was no surprise, then, that he could hear her heart. He was so intricately connected to her life force that he was a part of her. She involuntarily placed a hand over her heart.

Eva only saw one other familiar in her life: her mother's. Her mother's had been a panther at one point, but eventually became a small black cat. Although, her mother's familiar, Rosa, also took the form of a woman. She had long dark hair and she always knew how to comfort Eva and her mother. Rosa existed long before Eva was even born, so she never saw the spell be completed. She cocked her head to the side. When would Felix take his human form?

Eva hesitated. "We can't leave the cabin. It isn't protected outside of the cabin. I have us shielded here, but Louisiana isn't known for tigers," she said, laughing a little. She was nervous again, and gauged the golden eyes that stared back at her. Noting no angry emotions or growls, she flicked her hand and the salt circle broke. She felt the magic pour back into her and she took a sharp breath. "Only the porch," she commented, flicking her fingers again and the door opened. She wondered if Felix would listen to her or if it was only their life forces connected, not their minds.

Felix purred softly as the circle of magic holding him in place fell. He took a deep breath as the door opened, the foriegn smell stronger. He padded his way forward towards Eva. He rubbed up against her lightly. He breathed on her lightly. "Thank you," he thought quietly.

Felix's ears pricked up and he moved out onto the porch. The moonlight continued to stream through the canopy of the forest. The wind blowing slowly through the small clearing. The night was still and quiet, eerily so, like all life in the clearing had been removed. Felix's felinine eyes penetrated the darkness searching for anything out of the ordinary.

Felix growled softly he could sense she was expecting something to else happen, but he wasn't sure what. He turned to face her "are you in trouble? is that why you have the shield?" he thought softly. He could feel magic pulsing through his body, but didn't know how to conrol it.

Felix wouldn't be able to change form until he felt safe enough to take the time to change. In addition he wouldn't be able to tap in to the magic required until Eva instructed him to do so.

@ oldbook;

Eva watched Felix as he moved with her feet still tucked beneath her. She turned slightly, unfolded herself like a blanket and stood. She walked forward with him drawing the curtains near the door before stepping onto the porch. The energy of night new moon was almost overwhelming her, both with magic and with grief. She stared off into the darkness of the sky and it too unfolded like a blanket. A night like this would have been special night if her coven was still alive, especially if she had been chosen to a Familiar spell. Everyone would be proud of her, it would be like an awakening. If she closed her eyes, the whispers of wind sounded like cheers.

"Yes," she breathed, in response. "I am the last of my coven. That's why you're here. You can use my magic to sense for danger and to protect me, among other things. That's why you have the form you have. You were conjured during times of danger," she sighed.

She thought back to the covens that are hunting her. Other elemental covens seemed to pity her, but never enough to let her seek refuge among them. The covens with darker magic (blood magic, eldritch magic, and others) were the ones looking for her. The moon was important to their magic too, but just not in the same way. Blood witches were the scariest ones. They had ornate patterns that they carved into their skin during rituals that left them scarred. The darker the red patterns on their skin, the darker the magic. They were the best at hunting her, so she never stayed anywhere too long.

"I'm hoping if we split my magic then I won't be as traceable and I can settle somewhere. Not here, they'll be here soon enough. We'll have to leave in a few days. When the moon is waxing and it isn't generating so much power. I'm sorry. I brought you into something terrible," she said, her voice quivering like the tears that rimmed her eyes.

Guilt weighed heavily on her. She felt guilty that she survived when everyone else died. She felt guilty to bring Felix into the world when there was so much pain and fear. She would have liked to have done the Familiar spell under better circumstances, like the celebration it was suppose to be. It just wasn't so anymore. She did not even know where to go yet and she hoped that a Familiar would provide her with a little guidance; she needed it. She had many goals, but for now safety was the first. She wanted to settle for a few months or weeks and study. Then, she would travel again by choice.

After she approached he sat beside her, staring out into the night. He felt like he was an extension of her, that he needed to protect her. As she explained her situation and why he had taken such a fearsome form things became clearer.

Felix raised his paw, touching her hand with it gently. "Can you assist me to switch form?" he asked silently. He could sense, in his being and from residual knowledge of the magic long lost to her, that the first several times he needed to switch forms it would be time consuming and he'd require her aid.

His golden eyes looked up at her, he could feel the huge amount of power coursing through them both. He knew despite her shielding, the two of them together must be a shining beacon of power, if she helped shift forms some of the excess magic around them would be used up.

Felix also could sense that as his heart was beating as hers, if she died he would as well. He could feel all of her pain, and grief, it was only logical he'd experience her physical trauma as well.

@ oldbook;

@ A Drop On the Window
She wondered, if anyone could see past her disillusionment, what her and Felix must look like. They must look peaceful, staring off into the moonlight, and not speaking. She wished that was true, but alas, it was not. Peace was the furthest thing from her mind. She was too vulnerable and too at risk. She knew there must be someone on their way now, unbeknownst to her and she shivered. It could be the cold nighttime air or something more sinister.

She turned to Felix. “I’d have to look at the books,” she said. She felt her cheeks heat up. It was embarrassing to not know the very magic that she needed, but she knew it was not her fault. Grief swelled within her, but she pushed it back down. It did not have a place right now, much like feeling peaceful. She turned around, walked back inside and grabbed the book that she studied for the last month. She never looked past the page on how to conjure a Familiar. In truth, she never thought she’d get this far.

She flipped the page and scanned it quickly. “Seems to be a fairly simple incantation. Just have to focus,” she commented, though her eyes were still scanning the page. There was not a lot of information on how to do this, but just an old oil picture of a raven turning into a raven-haired girl. She huffed and shut the book.

“Permuto,” she said. “That’s the incantation.” She pulled her legs near to her chest. “Seems simple,” she said, her heart fluttering like a nervous hummingbird.

Felix watched her momentarily as she made her way back over to the book reading up on the spell, before turning his eyes back to outside. He began pacing back and forth, his light paws silent against the old wooden floor of the cabin.

When she spoke again having found what she was looking for he made his way over slowly and lay beside her. He watched her as she flicked through the book. After she spoke the incantation, he could feel magic energy build up inside him.

There was no flash of light or burst of shadow, but as Felix lay beside her his form began morphing. He let out a light growl as the process hurt slightly as his bones twisted and moved. His orange fur shifted moving towards his head, leaving behind pale skin. The process continued for a good three minutes until, finally laying beside the sitting witch was a ginger haired young man.

Felix looked up at her, lying naked on the floor. He coughed softly clearing his throat, "thank you," he said, his voice deep and strong.

@ oldbook;

@ A Drop On the Window
Eva was endlessly impressed with magic. She cocked her head to side as she watched Felix change in front of her. She knew she had barely begun to scratch the surface of the powers that the moon gives her and she knew that was why she was hunted so. She was amazed with how the words felt in her mouth. She wanted to follow the energy of magic that flowed under her skin like a river to its riverbank. She wanted to swim and immerse herself in magic for it amazed her so.

She noted he was naked and smirked. “You’re welcome,” she said. She reached for the blanket that was near her and threw towards him. “Humans usually cover up,” she said, laughing a bit. She did not think about the fact that Felix may not understand what humans usually do. She always envisioned a Familiar as a mystical and all-powerful being. The fact that he had to learn surprised her.

“We should stop for the night,” she said. “We’ve done too much magic. Tomorrow we should head out and find a new city to lay low.” The anxiety had creeped back inside her as if the warm summer river of magic had suddenly turned cold. She twirled her hair nervously and glanced back up at Felix. She had been alone for so long now, it was like she forgot how to be normal. Her anxiety was more than just fear of persecution, that's for sure.

Felix sat up covering himself quickly, "Yes we should stop for the night," he agreed. He left his upper body uncovered having wrapped the small blanket around his waist. He was listening intently to the noises outside and trying to figure out if it was safe for them to stay here.

He noticed she was twirling her hair in her fingers, and that she was nervous. He moved closer and placed his left hand lightly on her leg, "what's wrong?" he asked softly. He was still aware that he could communicate with her silently, but he felt for some reason that she needed someone to actually speak with.

Felix was worried about her, an knew that they'd have to find a new place to hide out, he was just unsure whether a city was the right idea just yet.

@ oldbook;