Familiar Bonds Part 1
Bell stepped into the musty, incense-filled shop, the tinkling bell on the door breaking the thick silence like a whispered promise. Shadows danced in the dim, amber light cast by candles dripping wax onto iron sconces, while the air held the rich, earthy scent of sage and dried herbs, mingling with something sweeter and more mysterious—perhaps the essence of magic itself. Bell’s eyes took a moment to adjust as she scanned the shop. Shelves stood in chaotic rows, filled with jars of swirling potions and spell ingredients, rows of tiny bones, glistening crystals, and gleaming vials that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.
Everywhere Bell looked, cages, tanks, and enclosures held creatures of all kinds. Tiny fae-wisps darted around their glass jar, leaving trails of glittering dust that clung to the glass. A fox with three tails lay curled atop a stack of leather-bound books, one eye lazily watching Bell’s every movement with a curious glint. She passed a large tank where a miniature dragon slept, scales shimmering like wet ink, its tail wrapped protectively around itself as it breathed a gentle mist that clung to the glass.
Above her, crystals dangled from the ceiling, their facets catching the low light and casting shards of colour across the room, making it feel alive, like a forest canopy dappled in sunlight. Bell’s heart quickened with a mixture of awe and nerves. Elspeth had sent her here to learn about familiars, something she’d only ever read about, but never fully understood. Elspeth had called Mistress Niora “the best of the best” when it came to familiar lore, but the older woman’s expertise felt almost intimidating in the strange, powerful air of her shop.
“Ah, there you are!” A voice broke the stillness, and Bell turned to see a figure emerge from behind a crimson velvet curtain. The woman’s presence was magnetic, her silver-streaked hair flowing around her like a river of moonlight, her face marked with fine lines that spoke of both wisdom and mischief. Niora wore layers of dark, rich fabrics adorned with gleaming pendants and feathers, her hands dusted with the faint shimmer of spellwork residue. Her gaze was sharp, yet warm, like a mother wolf welcoming a new cub into the den.
“Bell, isn’t it?” she asked, her voice both gentle and commanding, rich with an accent Bell couldn’t place.
Bell nodded, swallowing her nerves as she glanced around the room, trying to take in the surreal sight of the magical menagerie around her. “Elspeth said you’d teach me about familiars.”
Niora smiled, beckoning Bell over to a large, worn table in the centre of the room. The tabletop was cluttered with trinkets and relics, some half-submerged in piles of dried herbs, others carefully placed beside books with gilded edges and strange, archaic markings. One particularly large tome lay open, its pages filled with elegant script that seemed to shift and breathe on its own.
“A familiar,” Niora began, her voice dropping to a hushed tone as though she were revealing a sacred secret, “is not just a pet. It’s a companion, a guide, sometimes a protector. The bond between a mage and their familiar is built on trust—and, yes,” she added with a mischievous wink, “the occasional bribe.” She gestured to a small jar filled with shimmering treats on the counter, each one pulsing with faint magical energy. “Some creatures require a little extra convincing now and then.”
Bell’s eyes roamed the shop, her curiosity now fully piqued. The creatures watched her, too, with eyes that ranged from watchful to dismissive, intelligent to mischievous. Her gaze fell on the raven, a large, regal-looking bird with inky black feathers and bright, beady eyes. It cocked its head, studying her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. She felt an odd pull toward it, as if it were daring her to come closer.
Niora noticed Bell’s gaze and followed it. “Ah, that’s Poe,” she said, her voice tinged with affection. “A cheeky thing, aren’t you, Poe?” she cooed, and the raven cawed in reply, as if to confirm. “He’s sharp as a knife, and just as opinionated. Poe’s been my familiar for longer than I care to admit.”
Bell felt a smile creep onto her face as she watched the raven. “He’s beautiful.”
Poe seemed to puff up in response, his feathers fluffing out in a display of vanity, and he tilted his head, as if sizing her up. Bell leaned in closer, feeling an almost magnetic pull toward him, when she was startled by a soft rustling beside her. The three-tailed fox had padded up, sniffing curiously at her shoes.
“Familiars are a part of us, Bell,” Niora said softly, watching as the fox sniffed Bell’s hand, then gave a satisfied snort before padding back to its perch. “They’re our allies and, in many ways, our mirrors.” She let the words hang in the air, their weight settling over Bell as she considered the mysterious creatures around her.
“Now,” Niora continued, “familiars require care and caution. Some of these are rather… mischievous.” She gestured around the room. “And they do not like to be let out all at once. But I’m sure you’ll do fine, even if I have to step out for a moment.”
“Step out?” Bell asked, glancing back at her with uncertainty.
“Oh, just a quick errand,” Niora said breezily, already pulling on a cloak and grabbing a large, dusty tome from the counter. “I’ll only be a moment. Just—don’t let them out of their enclosures.” She flashed Bell a smile, then swept out the door before Bell could object.
The doorbell tinkled, and Bell was left alone in the shop, surrounded by the soft rustling and murmuring of creatures who seemed very interested in her presence.
“Alright,” Bell murmured to herself, “just don’t let anyone out.” She glanced around nervously. It was then she noticed a small, mischievous grin in Poe’s eye, and before she could react, he’d tugged at his latch with his beak, popping it open. In a flutter of black feathers, the raven flew free, cawing loudly as he circled the room.
“Poe!” Bell yelped, scrambling to catch him, but the raven darted just out of her reach, knocking into other cages. The latch on one of the enclosures fell open, and a sleek, black fox leapt out, dashing across the counter and sending small trinkets clattering to the floor.
“Oh no, no, no!” Bell cried, chasing after the fox as it skidded under the table, Poe squawking and cawing above her in amusement. She lunged for the fox, but just as she got close, he dashed out from beneath her grasp.
As the sleek black fox darted under her arm, Bell lunged forward to catch him—just as he swiped at a jar of glittering powder on the counter. The jar wobbled, tilted, and then crashed to the floor, releasing a puff of shimmering dust that filled the air around her.
Bell coughed and tried to wave the cloud away, but a strange warmth spread through her chest, and suddenly, everything sounded... different. She blinked, feeling a tickling sensation in her ears, and then froze as a low, sharp voice echoed through her mind.
“Oh, brilliant job there, Poe!” The fox’s voice was unmistakably sarcastic, his three tails flicking as he eyed the raven perched smugly above them.
Poe, the raven, puffed up his feathers and replied with a snicker, “Oh, relax, Trickster. I just wanted to have a little fun.”
Bell’s jaw dropped, but before she could say anything, a cacophony of voices erupted around her. A tiny dragon unfurled its wings, blowing a soft stream of smoke from its nostrils as it muttered, “Well, I didn’t sign up to be knocked around like a teapot. Some of us were napping, you know!”
Bell’s gaze darted from creature to creature, her head spinning as she realised she could hear every single one of them.
“Oh no,” she whispered, clutching her head. “This can’t be happening.”
But the voices kept going, louder and more chaotic. A wispy fae-wisp zoomed by her shoulder, muttering in a high-pitched tone, “The humans have all the treats! I’ve been watching that jar for weeks!”
Then, to her surprise, the black fox gave her a long, appraising look. “And what do you make of all this, Bell? Didn’t Niora warn you about us?”
Bell stammered, her words tangled in surprise. “No! She just said not to... let anyone out.”
Poe cawed with laughter. “Seems she forgot to mention how sneaky we are!”
Bell groaned, now beginning to understand exactly why Niora had left her in charge. She was getting a firsthand lesson in what it meant to manage familiars—a lot of mischief, a little magic, and plenty of patience.
As Bell started to gather her wits, she noticed Trickster’s inquisitive gaze on her. “Can we make a deal?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with a cunning light. “You get us those treats, and we’ll stay put. Or at least…” He flicked his tails mischievously, “most of us will.”
The little dragon joined in, his eyes wide and pleading. “Yes! Treats, and we’ll stay. You have my word.”
Bell could hardly believe it. “Alright,” she said, grabbing the treat jar, trying not to laugh at how quickly the mischief-makers had turned into well-behaved companions. She held out the jar, and one by one, they each took a treat, finally calming down and retreating to their spots.
Just then, the bell over the door tinkled, and Niora stepped back inside. She took one look around the now-quiet shop, her eyes twinkling as she spotted Bell holding the jar.
“I see you learned a bit about handling familiars,” Niora said with a knowing smile. “They love a little bargain.”
Bell let out a deep breath, nodding with a newfound understanding. “You could have warned me, you know.”
“Oh, where’s the fun in that?” Niora winked, giving Poe a knowing look as he cawed, sounding suspiciously like a chuckle.
Bell swept up the last of the spilled powder, grateful for a bit of calm after the earlier chaos, when a familiar caw made her look up. Poe, the raven with eyes as sharp as his wit, was perched on the edge of the counter, watching her closely.
"So, Bell," he said with a tilt of his head. "What’s it like at your shop? All the trinkets, the magic... I've heard Elspeth collects quite the curiosities."
Bell smiled, surprised he’d even ask. “Oh, Elspeth’s shop is amazing. There are shelves lined with enchanted trinkets, rare herbs, shimmering vials, and even a few enchanted items she hasn’t completely figured out yet. It’s a bit dusty and chaotic, but there’s always something new to discover. She even has this crystal ball, though I think it only shows her places she’s been.”
Poe blinked, his sharp black eyes glinting with interest. “And I assume you get to play with them all?”
“Not exactly ‘play,’” Bell laughed, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at him. “But I do get to help her figure things out sometimes. She’s teaching me more, bit by bit. I think I learn more from her messes than anything else.” She shrugged with a smirk. “She’ll start on one project, get halfway through it, and then something else will catch her interest.”
Poe ruffled his feathers thoughtfully, hopping a bit closer. “It sounds… delightful,” he murmured, his tone almost wistful.
Bell’s smile softened, feeling a little glow of pride. “You’d like it there, I think,” she said, suddenly struck by how well Poe might fit in. “You could perch wherever you wanted, watch people, maybe help Elspeth keep me from breaking anything.”
Poe let out a satisfied caw. “Why, Bell, I think I’d be an excellent addition to your… team.” He paused, fixing her with an intense look. “Could I come with you?”
Bell blinked, taken aback. “You’d… want to come back with me? To Elspeth’s shop?”
Poe bobbed his head in an almost solemn nod. “Niora’s shop has been home, but—” He trailed off, considering his next words carefully. “I feel like there’s something waiting for me in this adventure of yours. A new place, new stories… new mysteries. And Elspeth sounds like the type of sorceress who wouldn’t mind a bit of a trickster in her midst.” His eyes gleamed. “And I’d be useful, you know.”
Bell couldn’t help but smile. “I’d love for you to come, but we’d have to ask Niora.”
At the sound of her name, Niora reappeared from the back room, a knowing smile already on her face. “Take him with you, Bell. The shop’s yours anytime you need a break from Elspeth’s chaos, but Poe here could use a fresh set of walls—and some new pockets to pick.”
Bell laughed, heart full, and held out her arm, which Poe eagerly fluttered onto, settling there with a decisive weight. She looked up at Niora, who gave her a wink.
“Well then, Poe,” Bell said as she headed for the door with her new friend on her arm. “Let’s go introduce you to the wild world of Elspeth’s shop.” And with that, the two of them set off, ready for a new chapter together.