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Witches and Familiars had a symbiotic relationship. Familiars were creatures bursting with magic, more than their body could use, and witches were able to channel that magic for spells and potions, relieving the strain on the creature. Witches got a power boost, Familiars gained stability. Often the relationships between the two would flourish into deep friendships or, occasionally, familial roles. Some theorized about soulmates being a part of the bond, but no evidence had ever been found. After all, there were awful Witches who abused their Familiars, and there were awful Familiars who abused their witches, all despite the deep bond in their souls. So no, the good pairings weren't made from soul mates or destiny or star-fated strokes, just lucky individuals who found one another and clicked. And it was always the Witch who found the Familiar, never the other way around.
Philza had found Technoblade first. The dragon had been newly hatched, small enough to fit in the witches cupped palms. blind as a bat but more than ready to bite whatever came near him. He'd been saved by the local guards from an illegal exotic animal trader, and they weren't sure what to do with him, so they'd turned to the first witch that wandered by. Philza had agreed to look after the little lizard - he was heading towards the northern mountains anyway, where a large dragon colony resided. He was sure they'd take in the baby.
On the way there, they'd gotten… attached . Philza was the one who fed and held Techno, and was the first living thing the little dragon saw once he opened his eyes. The matriarch of the northern mountains colony took one look at the pair and said they couldn't take Techno in, since he'd imprinted on Philza. She'd taken pity on the shocked witch and had spent the next few weeks teaching him how to properly care for a dragon, and assisting him in fireproofing his belongings. Technoblade had stuck by his witch the entire time, hiding in the hood of his cloak or draped around his shoulders, refusing to be parted. A few years later when his magic came in, the dragon had pledged himself to Philza as his familiar, creating a bond between them that went deeper than the father-and-son they had already established.
Wilbur was - well, Wilbur was one of a kind. Sheep were not often seen as familiars, for good reason. Magical animals - that is, animals born with magic - could become familiars simply by pledging their magic to a willing witch. Non-magical animals could become blessed with magic, or absorb it from spending time in magical places, or even be cursed with it in some cases. Cats and dogs were both often changed from mundane to magical, as were horses and a large variety of birds. Sheep, however - Philza hadn't ever seen it happen.
So stumbling across a tiny lamb with sky-blue wool prancing about a very obvious fairy glen in the middle of the forest had made him pause. Technoblade had run into his heels (the little guy was going through a growth spurt, now about the size of a full-grown cat), then stopped and peeked out into the grassy field, huffing smoke to appear annoyed instead of embarrassed. The lamb immediately spotted them and froze for a moment, staring with big, gold eyes that were far too intelligent to belong to any farm animal, before it did an odd hop in the air and bleated with excitement.
The fairies that lived in the glen had emerged at the sound, greeting Philza in the traditional manner. He'd bowed in return, then rummaged in his bag and pulled out a bag of exotic tropical seeds he'd picked up the last time they'd been in a port town. Pouring a few into his palm, he grew them into a bursting bouquet with a flash of magic, and offered them as an apology for trespassing. The fairies had been ecstatic at the selection of birds of paradise, hibiscus, jasmine, and orchids, immediately squabbling over who got what nectar as they pulled the blossoms from his hand. As they fought, the witch entered the clearing proper to greet the little lamb.
Said lamb was ecstatic , and before Philza could lay a hand on his soft fur, the bond between them was buzzing, glowing strong in mind's eye. The name Wilbur was cast into his thoughts, and the witch snorted and offered his hand for the lamb to sniff. "Hullo, Wilbur," he greeted as the lamb eagerly nosed his fingers, before licking them. Techno, still huddled behind Phil and glaring at the lamb distrustfully, snorted another ring of smoke. The lamb baaaa -d and danced around his new witch, bending his front legs down so he could nose at Techno curiously. The dragon snapped his maw at the curious sheep, who responded with a squeak before booping their noses together. Techno grumbled but didn't snap any more, and Wilbur began frolicking around the flowers, jumping from the sheer joy of finding his witch and fellow familiar.
The fairies agreed that Philza was the witch meant for Wilbur, and took the rest of the seeds he offered as a 'thank you' for looking after the lamb. They told him the baby had been left alone when his mother was killed by a wolf, and had wandered into the glen on stick-thin legs, soaked in blood and crying. They'd taken pity and cleaned him up, cared for him, and given him magic to brighten his days. Living in such a small space packed to the brim with magic had quickly changed the lamb, giving his fur a sky-blue tint and growing his mind from that of simple instincts to sapient. He was still a baby, they assured Phil, but he would grow quickly, and would make a fine addition to the witch's menagerie.
So Wilbur joined him and Techno, and quickly outgrew the latter. The lamb soon became a sheep, with thick, curly wool that was soft to the touch and always cleans. Techno took great delight in riding on Wilbur's back, which Wilbur would bleat about but ultimately allow. The two familiars grew, eventually gaining human forms and the power of speech (leaving Philza mourning his days of peace and quiet). Wilbur declared them to be brothers - twins , since neither knew their birthday or true age - and Phil humored them. By the time Techno outgrew his wooly steed, the two were thick as thieves, and their witch had finally decided to settle down. With the profits made from selling yarn made of Wilbur's magic wool, they bought a large plot of land on the edge of an untamed forest and built themselves a farm.
A few centuries passed. They built a house and it quickly grew into a home, surrounded by fields of crops and flowers, a barn with horses, pigs, and goats, and a cavernous basement for the resident dragon. They made friends in both the nearby village and the forest, holding potlucks and parties that included humans and mythical creatures alike. Wilbur learned to knit his yarn into scarves, which easily soaked up spells of warmth and protection. Techno became an expert gardener and weapon smith, apprenticing with the local half-dragon blacksmith, Sam, to learn how to work with gold. Occasionally the three went off on an adventure, trusting the care of the house and farm to the local spirits in exchange for whatever crops and produce they could grow, and some shiny trinkets from far away lands.
By the time the twins had reached adulthood, and Philza was near his eight hundredth year, they were content with their lives. They meandered through the seasons, life peaceful and full of plenty, full of nothing more surprising than the boysenberry jam running low. Then Wilbur walked in with a baby raccoon on his back.
The little thing had bright blue eyes that had just barely opened, and his ears were only half-way uncurled. Unlike the other raccoons in the forest, his fur was a bright golden blonde, except for a darker mask around his eyes and the rings on his tail. Wilbur, still in his sheep form, had looked completely besotted, almost running head-first into a wall because he kept twisting around to nuzzle the little critter.
Phil had been in his study on the third floor, but had felt the magic in the house twist as Wilbur entered and had rushed downstairs to make sure everything was alright, Techno (in his human form) on his heels. They'd both frozen at the sight of the sheep settling down in front of the fire, nuzzling the little gold bundle on his back, overwhelmed by the warm magic radiating from the baby.
"Uh, Phil? It's glowing." Techno squinted at the raccoon, who had smushed his face in Wilbur's wool and was whining about something. Wilbur made a soft noise and nuzzled the baby, gently licking and nipping at the curled ears, comforting him.
The witch had a hand over his mouth, trying to keep himself upright. "Yeah mate, that - prime above, that's a Blessed Born ."
"A what?"
"A mundane animal born to be a Familiar. They're - they're beyond rare. I've only heard of a handful ever existing."
"...Phil, did Wilbur just walk in with a mythical creature and go to sleep on the floor?"
A glance showed that the sheep had, indeed, fallen asleep, twisted so his head was resting on his back. The raccoon had wrapped his arms and legs around the sheep's face, holding him tightly and chittering in his own sleep, tail waving lazily behind him as the two dreamt.
"Yes. Yes he did." Phil buried his face in his hands as he reached out with his own magic, cautiously brushing against the kits. The reaction was instantaneous - the warm, golden magic latched onto Phil's calm green, and a third connection formed in his soul, nestled between the ones he had with Techno and Wilbur. The dragon beside him jumped a bit at the sudden intrusion, but calmed when he realized what it was.
"I thought the witch had to find the Familiar." Techno crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. When his witch didn't answer, he glanced over and found Phil staring at the raccoon with the same sappy look Wilbur had been wearing, hands clenched in front of his chest. "Oh Prime above," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Phil, yer goin' broody."
"I am not!" The witch squawked, but he took one more look at the sleeping pair and was striding towards the door. "You stay here and guard them, I'm going to run to town and see if the library has any books on raccoons."
Before Techno could argue or offer to go, the witch was out the door, not even bothering to put on his favorite bucket hat (or shoes). The dragon groaned, running a hand down his face, then refocused on the sleeping pair. The fire seemed a bit low, and he didn't want Wilbur to wake up complaining about it. The raccoon was out cold, the magic he'd been radiating having softened after Phil had accepted the offer to bond. He probably shouldn't let the little bit of gold get cold either.
Huffing, as though this was a great task being put upon his shoulders, Techno shifted into his dragon form. If he were to fully shift, he'd be larger than an elephant, with a wingspan that rivaled those flying machines (plains, he believed they were called) they were making in some other realms. Luckily, maturity came with the ability to adjust his size. For now he made himself about twice as large as Wilbur and, after shoving the coffee table out of his way, settled down on the rug and wrapped himself around his twin. Wilbur made a happy noise, snuggling down in the familiar warmth. On his nose, the raccoon squirmed unhappily, blinking his bright-blue eyes open to give the dragon a grumpy glare.
Techno would swear until his dying day that he did not give the raccoon the same sappy glance Phil and Wilbur had. He would protest the mere idea of him nuzzling the little newborn with his nose, blowing warm air over the golden fur that had the raccoon purring in contentment. He would never admit to feeling his scaley heart melt when a little five-fingered paw pressed against the skin of his muzzle, and to absolutely falling in love when a tentative little 'hello-friend-family-warm-hello' brushed his mind.
Phil found them asleep like that, Techno curled around Wilbur, the raccoon in the middle, a paw on each of their snouts, tail wagging even in sleep. He put away the milk, baby food, and toys he'd bought, and sat on the couch nearest the trio, a book on raccoons in his lap. The baby's magic - soft, warm, inquisitive, questioning everything around him - curled around Phil's soul, and a satisfied huff came from the baby, echoed shortly after by the other two familiars. As a witchling, he'd never imagined having three familiars - three sons - at his side, especially one that was Blessed Born, but as he watched them slumber, already wrapped around each other, magics mingling as the soul bonds formed, he couldn't imagine anything that could be improved in his life.
Philza was a witch. He'd found his first two familiars. In a twist of fate that defied everything he knew, the third had found him, found them, and completed their family.