by Eden Redd
“Father doesn’t need two familiars,” Kira said with an evil glint in her eye.
Big strong furry hands took hold of Kira’s arm. The dragon woman turned to see Red Fang wrapping fingers around the black scaled arm and squeezing. Kira held fast as the red wolf man continued to squeeze with one hand and take hold of her fingers around Sylk’s throat. Kira grunted as her hand was forced open and Sylk fell to her knees. The black dragon woman turned her attention to Red Fang and spit out green fire. Red Fang’s wolfish head took the blast full on but did not let go. A moment passed and the wolf familiar’s eyes went wide as strength drained from his muscles. Kira smiled as Red Fang let go and fell to one knee, red fur singed and smoked.
“You thought I just spit fire. Mother thought of everything. I’m inked from a rare poison dragon. I burn with toxic fire. Put your hands on me again and I will make sure you never use them again.”
Kira looked to Nia who dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Red Fang’s thick shoulders, “Keep your beast in line.”
The dragon woman turned her attention to Sylk just as the siren was standing up, “Now, where was I?”
Trystan moved in front of Sylk with his arms out, “Enough!”
Kira looked to Trystan and bowed her head, “I’m sorry Father but she started it.”
“I don’t care. This stops now!” Trystan raised his voice.
“But Father….,” Kira whined.
“Stop! This is a lot for all of us to take in. You two will not fight, ever. Do you understand?”
Trystan could barely control his rage as it flared. The situation moved beyond bizarre but he had to put a stop to it. The mage had no idea if Kira would listen to him. The dragon woman kept her head bowed but shot Sylk a dirty look. The siren stuck out her tongue. Red Fang and Nia were already getting to their feet when the door burst open with several healers and a magistrate.
“What’s going on in here?” The magistrate commanded an answer.
Trystan turned to the magistrate and bowed his head, “I’m sorry. My new familiar is still getting used to being bonded to my skin.”
The magistrate turned his meaty neck and head to the cracked wall and then back to Trystan, “You will have to pay for the damages.”
Trystan nodded, “I understand. Who should I contact to pay for fixing the wall?”
A healer huffed, “Don’t bother. Parts of the hospital were damaged from the slimes. They are going to get it fixed anyway but you should leave if your familiar is being difficult.”
Trystan nodded to the healer, “I will. I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
The healers left the room but the magistrate stayed and eyed Trystan with a disapproving glare. The mage turned to Sylk and Kira. Without a word, the two familiars bowed their heads, turned to mist and returned to his skin. Red Fang stayed by his mistress’s side as Nia sat on the edge of bed.
Trystan walked over to her and took her hands into his, “I’m sorry this happened. You should rest. I will be by tomorrow.”
Nia looked up with one green eye and one white eye, “It’s okay. We should have known that Freya would try something like this. She is such an evil bitch.”
“I need to sort this out. I promise to be back every day until you can come home.”
Nia nodded, “I shouldn’t be here long. Call me when you get a chance.”
Trystan took a long soulful look at Nia. He could tell she was hurting in more ways than one. Knowing that she is permanently blind in one eye and seeing a familiar that looked like Freya except mixed with a dragon, only seemed to make everything that much darker. Nia let go of Trystan’s hands and turned from him, pulling the white sheet over her legs. Red Fang stayed by her side, a furry clawed hand stroking her long lustrous hair.
Trystan’s heart sagged in his chest as he turned away and walked out. The magistrate closed the door behind him and watched as the blue mage walked down the hall to the elevators. Shadowy thoughts plagued the mage’s mind as he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.
The mage pondered, wondering what he would do next. The city had taken a beating and everyone he knew would be helping in the reconstruction. The mage’s thoughts quickly turned to Gwen. The Ink Witch would know more since the black oval inked into his skin finally turned into Kira.
Trystan cursed Freya under his breath as the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, he walked toward the exit while contemplating how he was going to fix so many shattered lives, including his own.
Two
Trystan walked along a dilapidated street. The slimes caused swaths of destruction and Stukarr citizens worked to reclaim their home. The mage watched as people piled rubble into the streets from damaged homes and buildings. Student mages assisted with reconstruction by fusing stone back into cracked buildings while others firmed up structures from the base up. The sky was clear as the city breathed a relieved sigh, happy that the current threat was over.
The mage walked along. He would be in there too, helping and doing what he could but the Headmaster and Headmistress were clear that he had to rest. Diving into Bella and fusing with her mana pathways nearly burned out the mage. It would take weeks for him to recover fully. Trystan often became dizzy and had to sit down from time to time. They worried that if he exerted himself that he could cause some permanent harm to himself. So, on the mage walked, feeling helpless and nonproductive.
Stepping on broken glass, the mage looked up to see a tilted sign hanging by one chain. The ink shop stood, sandwiched between two cracked buildings. It didn’t look too worse for wear. The sign needed fixing and the main window was shattered to pieces. Inside, the mage could hear the sound of sweeping.
Trystan took a deep breath and took hold of the door handle. As soon as the door opened, the top hinge broke and the door nearly came down on the weakened mage. The bottom hinge held so the door merely tilted over the mage, threatening to flatten him. Gwen held a broom in her hands, sweeping up broken glass and debris from the floor when she heard the door. Looking up, the Ink Witch felt her eyes water as she stared at Trystan’s smiling face.
Gwen leaned the broom against the counter and nearly rushed him. Arms wide, she took hold and hugged him close. Trystan returned the hug, taking in her scent and warmth. Gwen felt her shoulder tremble slightly and broke the embrace. Looking away, she tried to wipe away the tears and retain her composure.
“How are you feeling?” Gwen asked as she strained to keep her voice from breaking.
“I’m getting better day by day. How are you?” Trystan eyed her with concern.
“You know, cleaning up and trying to piece everything back together. The shop has been open but no one is coming in for familiars yet. I think when the college reopens, business should pick up. Right now, I just keep coming across more broken glass and dust.”
Trystan looked around the shop. At first it looked fine to him but the longer he stared, the more he could see broken glass in corners and a layer of dust on book shelves. The counter looked fine until Trystan noticed the big crack. The leather plush chairs had tape covering parts that were sliced open. Gwen walked back to her broom and picked it up. The witch started to sweep again, almost oblivious to Trystan’s presence.
Trystan walked over to Gwen and took hold of the broom. He leaned it against the counter and looked into Gwen’s blue eyes. The Ink Witch stared back, eyes still wet as she seemed to fight some internal dialogue. When Trystan touched her hips, the witch threw her face into his neck, sobbing. The mage held her close, letting her let it out. Gwen trembled in his arms, holding the mage and never wanting to let go.
“I’m sorry I brought you into this mess,” Gwen sobbed, “If I left Bella at the ruins then none of this would have happened.”
“No one is blaming you, especially me. There was no way any of us could know this would happen,” Trystan said, trying to comfort her.
“I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this. I see the destruction and I think…..” Gwen trailed off
.
“The city will be fine. We will rebuild and move on,” Trystan smiled.
Gwen pulled slightly from the mage and looked into his eyes, “No….you don’t understand. It’s not about the city.” Gwen paused for a moment, “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
Trystan grew quiet, eyes on his friend.
Gwen continued, “After my husband left, I promised I would never love again. It hurt too much to go through something like that again.” Gwen pressed her hand to Trystan’s cheek, “Then you walked in and I knew something was there.” Gwen wiped away a tear, “You were drunk and babbling on. I worked on you, inking Sylk into your skin, trying to concentrate but you began talking about your dreams.”
Trystan listened. Thinking back to their first meeting, he knew very little of what actually happened. Gwen gave him something to calm his nerves but the night was a blur. He didn’t remember anything except walking into the shop and then waking up at home.
“Nia had fallen asleep in a chair and I continued to work. You talked about how you loved reading and searching for knowledge. How sad you were for living your life in Sapphire Cove. You wanted to see and experience the world. It was endearing to see such excitement in your eyes. I had to admit that it sparked something I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Gwen broke away from Trystan and walked over to one of the chairs. She sat down and stared at the floor, eyes lost to a memory, “Then you leaned in and kissed me.”
Trystan’s brow shot up in surprise, “I did?”
Gwen gave a small smile, “Yes. It was quick but the face you made when you sank back into the chair, it looked like something you had been hiding finally woke up. I went back to work, thinking that you were simply drunk and carefree. When I was done, I took one of my maps and wrote my request down. I placed it in your jacket and I woke Nia. She took you by the arm and pulled you to your feet. She was ready to pay but I told her it was on the house. Since you were travelling by horse to Stukarr, I felt you two may need all the coin you had.”
Gwen leaned back in the chair, “I tried to not think about you or how I felt when you kissed me. I thought I was being foolish for having such a strong reaction. But the more I thought about you, the deeper the feelings were. I tried to keep tabs on you using scry spells. When you were hurt in the forest, I came to you and healed you from your dreams. It was the only way I could send my mana to you.”
“Is that why you came to Stukarr?” Trystan asked.
Gwen looked to him, “I came for many reasons but one of them was about you. I had to know it was real. I couldn’t go on not knowing.”
Trystan stepped closer, “Now that you know?”
Gwen felt her heart skip a beat, “Now I cannot picture my life without you. I know you love Nia but I am happy to know what we have is special. Even if we simply remain friends, I’m happy knowing you Trystan.”
Trystan took her hands and pulled her to her feet. Gwen felt open and exposed as Trystan gazed into her eyes. A long second passed before Trystan pulled the witch close and kissed her. Gwen melted into Trystan’s embrace, tongues touching and playing. The heat between them rose and both could feel a feverish internal stir.
When they parted, Trystan smiled, “I feel it too. I cannot go on without you in my life. My relationship with Nia is still forming but she is not bothered by us spending time together.”
Gwen looked down and put her hand to the mage’s chest, “Maybe not now but sometime in the future you may have to choose. You are both young and exploring your boundaries. Nia may decide she wants you all to herself. If I was her, I would want that too.”
“Is that what you want?”
Gwen gave a faint smile, “I want you but I can share you. I want you to know that.”
Trystan let out a small sigh, “I want you and Nia. Is that selfish of me?”
“No, you have a big heart,” Gwen smiled.
“Big enough to love two women and a demanding familiar?”
Gwen nodded, “Has Sylk made her intentions clear?”
“She has. It seems like you already knew that.”
“In the beginning, Sylk and I would meet in dreams. I wanted to make sure she was going to a good master. Sylk knew the instant her ink touched your skin that she was in love. She spent much of our dream time together talking about you. She barely knew you and already she was in love.”
Trystan thought of his familiar. Mental images crossed over to Bella now that she was gone and he had to push it away. It saddened him that he could not spend any more time with the slime. He missed her deeply.
Gwen could see the sorrow crawling into Trystan’s brow, “Are you okay?”
Trystan woke up from his daydreaming, “I’m not sure. I came here to see you but I also have something to show you.”
Trystan’s fingers touched his slightly ripped robe and opened it up from around his neck. Pulling the fabric down, he exposed part of his chest with the tattoo of Kira. Gwen stepped close, eyes drinking in the image of the dragon woman over Trystan’s heart.
“Is that what I think it is?” Gwen said as she examined the intricate work.
“Her name is Kira. My evil ex had her inked into my skin to protect me. I’m sure she is using her to keep an eye on me,” Trystan frowned.
Gwen placed her hand over the tattoo of Kira and her hand began to glow. Gwen closed her eyes and let her mind search, exploring the hidden secrets of the tattoo. Trystan watched as the witch continued on until the glow faded. Opening her eyes and pulling her hand away, she continued to eye the tattoo.
“There are no connections except for you and Kira. As far as I can tell, the dragon woman is nothing more than a powerful familiar.”
Trystan closed his robe, “Kira knows about me and Nia. She even knew about Sylk and Red Fang. I have no idea how much information she may have or what she will do with it. Freya made sure that she looked just like her so she will always have a presence in my life.”
Gwen could see Trystan was agitated. The mage’s eyes opened a little wider and his entire body tensed up. The witch put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
“Yes, she did and right now it is working. It is very hard to spy on someone through their familiar unless they are very skilled. Even then it can only be done through dreams. The information would not be completely reliable. There are spells better equipped to do that. Using a familiar is more work than it needs to be.”
Trystan eyed Gwen, “You managed to do it.”
Gwen nodded, “Yes, but I kept it short. As the bond grows between familiar and master, anyone would be shut out. Even now I cannot connect with Sylk in that way because of the bond between you two. I doubt Freya would do this just for a few days of seeing your life.”
The edge of Trystan’s mouth grimaced, “Freya will do anything to torture me. She sees me as property and nothing else.”
“Ink witches and warlocks can inject a certain amount of pre-knowledge as far as someone can tell them. Freya knows you but will only be able to have the Ink Witch inject what she knows, whether it is true or not. I saw what you saw when we opened your mind. Freya and my ex-husband have plans for you and we have to find out what they are.”
Trystan’s head tilted in defeat, “I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m a danger to everyone around me. I feel like I need to leave so no one will get hurt because of me.”
Gwen held the mage close, comforting him, “If you leave then who will be there to help you? Myself, your friends and the college will not let anything happen to you. We know what you’re going through and we will do everything we can to stop them.”
“I have a familiar that I never asked for…..” Trystan trailed off.
“Trystan, I know with that big heart of yours, you will do the right thing. Kira as a familiar will do right by you because even she knows that she cannot live without you. She is bonded to you and you are her master.”
“She doesn’t even call me master. She calls
me Father. It’s like some sick joke for Freya to make it as uncomfortable as they can for me.”
“Would you like it if I called you Father or Daddy? It has been a fantasy of mine,” Gwen smiled brightly.
Trystan looked to Gwen’s smiling face and instantly felt like a fool. A moment later they both started laughing hysterically. When the laughing fit died down, the mage had his hand on Gwen’s hip and smiled like an idiot.
Gwen let out a cleansing sigh, “You see how silly it is to get hung up on that. Let her call you Father or Daddy all she wants. It will bother her more that it doesn’t get a reaction out of you. I believe as she gets to know you, it won’t be so much that she has an effect on you but more like you will have an effect on her.”
“Have you encountered such experiences?” Trystan was genuinely curious.
Gwen nodded, “It happens sometimes. At first a mage and their familiar may hate each other but the bond is always there. They eventually overcome it and become closer from the experience. With time, Kira will do anything for you just as you will for her.”
Trystan looked to the beautiful witch, his heart beating with new life, “I can’t thank you enough. You help me so much. Thank you for putting it in perspective.”
Gwen patted his butt, “If you really want to thank me, you can help me get this place in order.”
Trystan picked up the broom from the counter and stood at attention, “Point me to the evil dirt and I shall whisk it away, never for it to befoul your home again.”
Gwen could not contain her happy smile, “Thank you, kind mage. Let me get my other broom and we shall whisk it away together.”
