"So how's this going to work?" I asked as I glanced at my friend.
I wasn't exactly nervous, but I definitely had some excited jitters going on, and talking seemed to help. Or at least, I hoped it would help.
After another couple seconds I added, "You said something earlier about contracts and terms, so I was kind of picturing a big scroll or stack of paper with a bunch of fine print. And I'd have to sign it in blood or something..."
Nia stayed focused on what she was doing as she smiled and shook her head, "Sorry Kiki, there won't be any onerous legal paperwork. There will be a little blood though."
That left me wondering what she meant exactly, like how blood would be involved if I wasn't using it to sign her pact. She also didn't say who's blood, which was another thing I was left pondering while I watched my friend and her mother do their thing.
We were back in Mrs. Brennan's magical workshop barn, and so far all they were doing was cleaning. The witch fae was carefully putting away all the stuff she had spread out over the counter, while her daughter swept the magical circles carved in the stone floor. I'd offered to help as well since they didn't appear to be doing anything magical yet, but Nia said I could just watch and wait.
"So if there's no paperwork how does the contract stuff work then?" I asked after another half minute or so. "Like I'm sure there must be details, terms and conditions. You told me about the duration thing, so that has to happen somehow right?"
Mrs. Brennan replied, "Those are handled verbally, there's a somewhat formal back-and-forth that you and Nia will perform as part of the ritual."
"And don't worry Kiki," she added before I could ask the obvious follow-up question, "As soon as I've finished putting this away I'll give you some coaching on what you'll be expected to say. And how to say it."
Honestly I'd have been more comfortable having Nia handle any coaching on that sort of thing. I figured she was probably going to be busy doing her own preparations though, so I just nodded slowly. "Thank you ma'am."
Sure enough it was only another minute or two before the older woman moved to stand next to me in the middle of the workshop. I was waiting near that big pseudo-fire, since I was still just wearing a thin nightshirt and the not-fire was really warm and cosy.
Mrs. Brennan was kind of imposing when she stood right in front of me, but I looked up at her and tried to pay close attention as she started instructing me on my part of the ritual.
"As the witch it will be up to Nia to do most of the work," she explained. "Your role is primarily a passive one, by which I mean don't resist her. The ritual will fail if you fight her, that's essentially a safety mechanism to ensure no-one can be made a familiar against their will. Apart from that, your only active participation will come in the form of a series of challenges and responses. Nia will ask you questions or give you direct statements, and you'll be expected to reply accordingly."
"I don't want to scare you into thinking you must get your wording absolutely perfectly," she continued, "But do try and be precise, that part of the ritual is where the various 'terms and conditions' are woven into the spell. If things go too awry then Nia will cancel the ritual and you'll have to try again tomorrow."
"Alright ma'am," I nodded. "I'll do my best."
She smiled, "Good. There's only a handful of steps for you to remember..."
That took us about ten or twelve minutes, and I did my best to memorize everything. Although she said I didn't have to be word-for-word perfect, which was good. And I'd have Nia prompting me, which would help a lot too.
My beautiful fae friend was finished doing her stuff by that point, after cleaning the carved circle and runes she sprinkled different powders and other ingredients into certain runes all the way around.
"It looks like everything's ready now," Mrs. Brennan commented as she glanced around the workshop. "Would you like me to remain as an observer? Incase you need any assistance?"
Nia shook her head, "No thank you mother. I've got this."
There was enough confidence in her voice it sent a little chill down my spine. It was nice seeing my best friend looking and sounding so strong and sure of herself. Knowing that confidence was about practicing magic made it even cooler. And the fact that I was to be the subject of that magic only made it more exciting.
"Very well then," the older fae nodded. As she headed for the door she added with a smile, "I won't wish you luck as I know you don't need it. So instead I'll say, have fun."
With that she slipped outside then closed the door behind her. That left my best friend and I alone in the large workshop. I already knew Sara wasn't about, Nia made sure of that before-hand.
"So um, what happens now?" I asked as my nervous excitement returned again.
Nia smiled as she gestured towards the magical chandelier thing over our heads, "This."
"And this," she added as she flicked her other hand out towards some of those carved runes she'd filled with magical dust.
In response to her words and gestures the magical lighting overhead suddenly faded until it was all but extinguished, then those runes seemed to ignite as the powder inside burned with an eerie translucent purple flame. All that left me blinking for a moment as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. The circle of magical fire didn't actually do much, so the majority of the light was that dull orangey-red glow from the 'fire' crystals glowing in the centre of the circle.
I gulped reflexively at my best friend's demonstration of magic, then watched wide-eyed as she moved to stand before me.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
I recognized that as the opening phrase of our little 'performance' so I nodded, "Yes ma'am. My name is Kiki, and I am here of my own volition. I am ready to become your familiar."
My friend recited her next lines, "I am the witch Nia Brennan, and I'm here to bind you. You will become my familiar, my companion, and my pet, in addition to being my best and closest friend."
That wasn't exactly the same oath Mrs. Brennan taught me, but I understood why Nia modified it. She'd added the companion and friend parts, and I certainly wasn't going to complain about either of those things. On the other hand I wasn't confident enough to try and ad-lib too much. I figured it was safest to just go with what I was told, although I did reciprocate on that last point.
"I accept you as my witch, my guide, my mistress, and my best and closest friend," I responded.
Nia smiled briefly then continued with the rite, "You will be mine, from this moment until one year and one day hence."
I noted she changed that line too. There should have been a 'body mind and soul' bit in there, but she omitted it entirely. I wasn't going to complain about that either though, so I agreed. "I'm yours, from now and for the duration of one year and one day."
Next she recited some legalese-sounding stuff about how in the last week of this contract we could extend it for another year and a day automatically, if we were both in agreement. That was the most technical part of the whole process, but I did my best to repeat it properly.
Finally Nia got to the responsibilities part, "As your witch I swear to look after you, protect you, and keep you safe. I will tend to your needs, and will never knowingly endanger you or put you at risk of harm or cause you distress. I will train you in the proper use of your magic, to the best of my abilities."
"As your familiar I swear to assist you in all your magical workings," I recited, "I swear I will never knowingly work or conspire against you, or seek to cause you harm. I will follow your direction, and where appropriate I will obey your commands, provided they do not break the letter or spirit of our bond."
Nia nodded once, "So mote it be."
That was the end of my 'active participation' as Mrs. Brennan put it. From then on it was all Nia, although I still had a small role to play. Mostly it was letting her get me into the appropriate position, which meant on my knees before her. We were still next to the 'fire' so even the stone floor was warm, but it was still hard and a little uncomfortable. Fortunately I didn't expect to be there for too long.
I was facing her, with my knees pressed together and my hands placed palms-down on my thighs. My feet were positioned flat against the floor, so the tops of my feet and toes rested on the stone. And finally she had me straighten my back and keep my chin up.
Then as I watched, Nia produced a small knife from somewhere. Or maybe she conjured it out of nowhere, I wasn't sure. Wherever it came from, she used it to make a small cut on the palm of her left hand. Then using her right forefinger she gathered some of her blood, and leaned down to touch my face just above my eyebrows.
I reflexively closed my eyes, while I felt her fingertip moving around on my forehead. It only took a moment to realize she was drawing out some kind of magical symbol on my skin, in her own blood.
When she finished that she stepped around behind me, then I felt her start marking out a second rune on the sole of my left foot. That tickled a little but I did my best not to squirm. From there she came around in front again, then added a third rune on the back of my right hand. A fourth was added to the back of my left hand, then she moved behind me once more to add a fifth on the sole of my right foot. And finally she left one more little mark on my forehead.
At that point Nia gave me an apologetic look as she tugged the neck of my nightshirt downwards, then reached in and made a final mark on my chest, directly over my heart.
With that complete she brandished the knife again, "Sorry cutie but I need some of your blood. I'll try and make it painless, and it'll be magically healed afterwards."
I gulped but tried to be brave, "Ok Nia."
Rather than have me move either of my hands she made a small incision on my left forearm. There was a little sting at first, but nothing too bad. Then she gathered some of my blood on the tip of her right middle finger.
I watched as she closed her own eyes then marked out an intricate magical symbol on her own forehead. She didn't do her hands and feet though. When that was done she collected another few drops of blood from me then pulled down her nightshirt to draw the next rune on her chest over her own heart.
"This is it," Nia commented softly as she straightened up and stood before me. "Last chance to back out Kiki. Otherwise you're bound to me until this time next October."
I shook my head, "I'm not changing my mind."
"Alright," she nodded.
I watched as she took a deep breath, then she gently placed her right hand on the top of my head in between my big mouse ears. She had to crouch again in order to rest her left hand on my chest above that rune she'd made over my heart. Then Nia closed her eyes, and began to whisper words I couldn't quite make out.
She was obviously reciting a spell, or maybe it was more like chanting since it went on for a while. Except nothing seemed to be happening, at least at first. And I didn't really know what to expect, since neither she or her mother had gone into those sorts of details with me. I didn't want to risk spoiling it though, so I just kept quiet and waited.
Another minute or so dragged past, long enough for me to start feeling fidgety and start thinking about moving my legs or getting up off the floor. Then I felt it, and suddenly all those other thoughts were forgotten.
Like a new sense I'd never noticed before, I slowly became aware of what I could only describe as an echo of my best friend as it began to slip inside of me. Like some sort of insubstantial tendrils, I felt one part of her gently winding its way into my head, while a second filament cautiously slipped into my chest next to my heart.
Nothing about the sensations felt foreign or invasive though. There was warmth, tenderness, even love. Then beyond that followed curiosity, inquisitiveness, and excitement.
As it continued I started to get a better feel for my friend's essence and what it was doing. The aspect encircling my heart was almost entirely driven by love. It wasn't some invader seeking to control my heart or emotions or anything like that, it was more like her own heart giving mine a hug.
Nia continued her quiet spell-chanting, while my eyes drifted shut and I focused on those new sensations. I didn't fight her at all, instead I welcomed her. I invited her to come in deeper, to cement that bond or connection or whatever was forming between us.
The gentle probe tickling the edges of my mind was a little more complicated, but there still wasn't any trace of malice or danger there. I took it to be more like a psychic link of some kind, like the two of us aligning our goals together. And maybe it felt so comfortable because we were already closely matched. We'd been friends for over a decade, we were studying the same thing at college, we had very similar values. And where we didn't align we complemented each other.
With my eyes closed I quickly lost any sense of time, while I focused on those growing bonds between my and Nia's hearts and minds. Then after what may have been a minute or ten I suddenly noticed something new yet simultaneously familiar. I felt it deep within my core, a sort of warm, throbbing roiling bundle of energy.
Magic.
It was pure raw magic, and it was mine. I knew that had to be what Mrs. Brennan saw last night when she said I had potential. Nia must have felt it too. And now I could as well, thanks to the growing bond I shared with with my friend, witch, and mistress.
At that moment the ritual suddenly reached its peak. The bonds between us seemed to solidify and lock into place, and with that came another burst of new sensations. My eyes snapped open and I looked up at Nia in wonder as I gasped, "Holy -"
"- shit!" She completed the sentiment as she stared back down at me.
Our eyes met and it was as though we were seeing each other, and ourselves, for the first time.
Nia suddenly knew how I'd idolized her for most of my life, how I always looked up to her. She was aware of all the years I spent in confusion trying to figure out if I wanted to date her or if I wanted to be her. She felt how she was my anchor, an oasis of calm in the storm of instability and fear that came from living with my violent alcoholic father. And she knew she was now my saviour, the beautiful amazing hero who'd saved me from that life as a depressed frightened dysphoric egg.
At the same time I became aware of just how much Nia loved me, all those countless times she wished she could whisk me away from my mundane life so she could protect me. Her gratitude for my support and acceptance of the scruffy tomboy style she preferred, and for reaching out and giving her my friendship when she was a lonely frightened fae kid in a world full of scary human strangers.
That exchange of thoughts and feelings quickly shifted from the past to the present, and I felt my cheeks going red as things got even more intimate.
She could tell how excited I felt as the reality of our situation sank in. She was still my friend, but she was also my witch, my mistress, and my owner. She knew how happy and grateful that made me, knowing my mistress would take care of me and keep me safe. I was just as excited that my tall sexy beautiful fae friend had magic, she knew how to use it, and sooner or later she'd use it on me. She was strong and smart and confident. Daughter of a powerful witch, and a witch in her own right. I didn't have to obey her every command, but I wanted to try. I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity, excited and curious for her to put our new shared status to the test.
Meanwhile I could sense Nia's thoughts and feelings as she looked down at me. I was her friend, her first familiar, her pet mousegirl. I was small and soft, cute and sexy. My physical and emotional vulnerability made her want to protect and look after me, but it also turned her on. The fact that I'd willingly given myself to her, that I was eagerly waiting for her to put her new pet to the test only made her even more excited.
The worries she'd had about taking advantage were already melting away as it dawned on her that that literally couldn't happen. She couldn't take advantage when I was already giving her all there was to give. And she couldn't push me in directions I wasn't prepared to go because she couldn't bring herself to cause me distress.
I sensed Nia finally allowing herself to indulge in those kinky thoughts. She loved short sexy subby girls, and now she finally had the opportunity to make all her fantasies come true. At the same time she could feel how happy my mousegirl body made me, and she knew that submitting myself to her actually helped me feel more relaxed and confident. Like I didn't have to worry about saying or doing anything wrong anymore, I could just do what she said and we'd both be happy.
Those last thoughts were followed by a surge of shared lust. We were both aware of our own reactions as well as each other's. My thick sensitive nipples tightened and pressed outwards, tenting the thin fabric of my nightshirt. Nia's thighs squeezed together as a wave of warmth left her almost dripping. Her heart was pounding in her chest, while my breathing became deep and ragged.
"Get up pet," my new mistress ordered in a low sultry voice. "We're going to my bedroom. Now."
I was on my feet and by her side before she'd even finished saying the words.