Spirit: The Familiar
Chapter Fourteen
Carina followed the cat all through the winding streets of the city, through alleys and streets she didn't even know existed. They passed under a bridge, and she followed the cat through another darkened alleyway. There was soft light at the end of the alley, and when Carina made it through she gasped.
It was some sort of well-kept, somewhat secret garden in this small, closed-off area. Carina looked around. Vines grew up the sides of the buildings, but not in an unattractive way. Light came in from the top, but also through the couple of buildings that were only one story tall. In the center of the beautiful garden sat the Grand Elder on one of his green silk pillows. Carina had entered the place quietly, but he knew she was there.
"Carina," he greeted. He didn't open his eyes to see her. "Unexpected. But at the same time... expected."
"That doesn't make any sense," Carina said.
The cat with the beautiful eyes brushed up against the Grand Elder, and that time he did open his eyes. He looked down at the cat and petted it. The corners of his eyes wrinkled as he smiled.
"Ah," he said. "It's you."
Carina tilted her head to the side. Why was her familiar allowing the Grand Elder near? Was it actually his after all, and not Carina's? She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.
"You've chosen well," he said to the cat.
The Grand Elder brushed his hand over the cat's fur again, and the cat appeared to smile up at him with closed eyes before taking off. Carina made a move to follow the cat, and then paused. The cat had brought her there for a reason. And the Grand Elder seemed familiar with it.
"You- you know the cat?" she asked.
"Yes," the Grand Elder said. "You've probably learned today that it is possible to have multiple familiars, as they tend to have short lives. But did you know that special familiars exist, immortal beings, that will have multiple- choices? This cat used to be my familiar. I see they have chosen you now."
"Oh," Carina said.
She took a seat a few feet away from the Grand Elder, staring at him. He closed his eyes once more. Carina fidgeted, then shifted from sitting on her legs to crossing them. She placed her hands over her calves.
"I- I want to know more about this bad feeling I have," Carina said. "In the pit of my stomach. You won't tell me, because you don't think I'm ready. That means it's something big, right? Something bigger than all of this?"
"This world is relatively peaceful for a reason," the Grand Elder replied. He breathed in slowly, his chest rising, and then let the breath out even slower as his chest fell. "There are great powers at work, my child. You did not come into my care without a special reason, I hate to say it. You are more like me than you are like any of the others."
Carina tilted her head to the side in thought. More like the Grand Elder than her friends? Well, she did possess a different set of abilities than they did. But that meant nothing- there were plenty of other nature witches out there, just like her. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"What do you mean by that?" Carina asked.
The Grand Elder opened on eye, looking at her thoughtfully. Slowly he smiled at her, but Carina did not return it. She kept her eyebrows furrowed in thought. His smile fell.
"I am getting old," he said. "Too old. It will be time for me to retire soon."
"Wait- you're not suggesting that I'm going to be taking your place, are you?" Carina asked.
He stood, and she stood with him. He picked up his pillow and dusted it off.
"I'm not- I'm not old enough, I think," Carina said. "The position is called Grand Elder for a reason, right? So I can't possibly be your replacement."
"No, my child," he chuckled. "For something far greater."
He simply patted her on the head as he passed her. Carina stood there for a moment. What did that mean? She turned and ran a little ways, to catch up to him. He was in no hurry though.
"What do you mean? What's greater than that?" Carina asked. "You're in the highest position of our community. If it's not that, then what could it be?"
"In due time, my child," he said.
He turned a corner, and when Carina made a move to follow him, he had seemingly disappeared from sight. Carina stood there in her confusion a moment longer.
She was to be his replacement, but for a position far greater than the Grand Elder? She sighed, frowning deeply. There was no one else who could provide her answers, but he really didn't seem willing to talk about it just yet. Carina glanced down at her hands.
A bell tolled off in the distance. Carina's head shot up and her back straightened. Somehow enough time had passed that it was already time for her next class. She took off running as fast as she could to her dorm; she didn't want to be too late to the class, though she knew she would be by a little bit anyway. She hoped the professor teaching wouldn't punish her too horribly.
It was some sort of well-kept, somewhat secret garden in this small, closed-off area. Carina looked around. Vines grew up the sides of the buildings, but not in an unattractive way. Light came in from the top, but also through the couple of buildings that were only one story tall. In the center of the beautiful garden sat the Grand Elder on one of his green silk pillows. Carina had entered the place quietly, but he knew she was there.
"Carina," he greeted. He didn't open his eyes to see her. "Unexpected. But at the same time... expected."
"That doesn't make any sense," Carina said.
The cat with the beautiful eyes brushed up against the Grand Elder, and that time he did open his eyes. He looked down at the cat and petted it. The corners of his eyes wrinkled as he smiled.
"Ah," he said. "It's you."
Carina tilted her head to the side. Why was her familiar allowing the Grand Elder near? Was it actually his after all, and not Carina's? She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.
"You've chosen well," he said to the cat.
The Grand Elder brushed his hand over the cat's fur again, and the cat appeared to smile up at him with closed eyes before taking off. Carina made a move to follow the cat, and then paused. The cat had brought her there for a reason. And the Grand Elder seemed familiar with it.
"You- you know the cat?" she asked.
"Yes," the Grand Elder said. "You've probably learned today that it is possible to have multiple familiars, as they tend to have short lives. But did you know that special familiars exist, immortal beings, that will have multiple- choices? This cat used to be my familiar. I see they have chosen you now."
"Oh," Carina said.
She took a seat a few feet away from the Grand Elder, staring at him. He closed his eyes once more. Carina fidgeted, then shifted from sitting on her legs to crossing them. She placed her hands over her calves.
"I- I want to know more about this bad feeling I have," Carina said. "In the pit of my stomach. You won't tell me, because you don't think I'm ready. That means it's something big, right? Something bigger than all of this?"
"This world is relatively peaceful for a reason," the Grand Elder replied. He breathed in slowly, his chest rising, and then let the breath out even slower as his chest fell. "There are great powers at work, my child. You did not come into my care without a special reason, I hate to say it. You are more like me than you are like any of the others."
Carina tilted her head to the side in thought. More like the Grand Elder than her friends? Well, she did possess a different set of abilities than they did. But that meant nothing- there were plenty of other nature witches out there, just like her. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"What do you mean by that?" Carina asked.
The Grand Elder opened on eye, looking at her thoughtfully. Slowly he smiled at her, but Carina did not return it. She kept her eyebrows furrowed in thought. His smile fell.
"I am getting old," he said. "Too old. It will be time for me to retire soon."
"Wait- you're not suggesting that I'm going to be taking your place, are you?" Carina asked.
He stood, and she stood with him. He picked up his pillow and dusted it off.
"I'm not- I'm not old enough, I think," Carina said. "The position is called Grand Elder for a reason, right? So I can't possibly be your replacement."
"No, my child," he chuckled. "For something far greater."
He simply patted her on the head as he passed her. Carina stood there for a moment. What did that mean? She turned and ran a little ways, to catch up to him. He was in no hurry though.
"What do you mean? What's greater than that?" Carina asked. "You're in the highest position of our community. If it's not that, then what could it be?"
"In due time, my child," he said.
He turned a corner, and when Carina made a move to follow him, he had seemingly disappeared from sight. Carina stood there in her confusion a moment longer.
She was to be his replacement, but for a position far greater than the Grand Elder? She sighed, frowning deeply. There was no one else who could provide her answers, but he really didn't seem willing to talk about it just yet. Carina glanced down at her hands.
A bell tolled off in the distance. Carina's head shot up and her back straightened. Somehow enough time had passed that it was already time for her next class. She took off running as fast as she could to her dorm; she didn't want to be too late to the class, though she knew she would be by a little bit anyway. She hoped the professor teaching wouldn't punish her too horribly.