Naming the Familiars and Immortal Lotus

Darcie understood it now.

It hadn't been long since Madam Villanelle had taught her all about the Tutelary Deities. It seemed her mentor had been preparing her for this day for the entire month of December.

"A Tutelary deity is a protector of a particular person, and Familiars are their sub-group," Madam Villanelle said, repeating her lesson. "Do you remember what I said about their identities?"

Darcie forgot almost nothing. She did look pensive, though, trying to recapture the thoughts behind her mentor's words. "Familiars are supernatural entities that are clearly defined and three-dimensional, have forms, vivid with colors and animated with movement and sound, unlike the ghosts with their smoky, undefined forms."

As she worded out, Darcie looked at the black cloak and the young Nundu.

"You seem to have understood," Madam Villanelle nodded. "The definition itself is ambiguous, making one confused regarding the Familiars and the Magical Creatures. It's better to say that Familiars are supernatural entities that assume the defined characteristics, in contrast to the Magical Creatures, which are the characteristics themselves. And from the olden antiquities, the process of a Familiar choosing a witch and wizard had always remained the same. A spontaneous encounter.

"Some call this spontaneous encounter a calling of fate, too. The essence remains the same. Your encounter with… Lethifold… was even more spontaneous than with the cub, Darcie. Not to mention… you are still alive, and that means something in itself. You must not forget, a Familiar is also called a Familiar Spirit and a Spirit Companion. It is the alter ego of an individual. A Lethifold representing your alter ego troubles me. However, it doesn't change the fact that even though Familiars may have an independent life of their own, they remain closely linked to the individual."

"You mean to say…" Darcie looked shaken.

Madam Villanelle drew a frigid breath. "If something were to happen to you, then these Familiars would eventually die, too," she told Darcie, saddened. "Even if they were to remain far from you for a long time, their life force would gradually dissipate. Lethifold is no doubt your Familiar, now. The matter of Nundu remains in question, but we can't take chances. We will keep it in captivity, letting you interact with it now and then, and will see what happens. But you must name them first."

Darcie's grip over her black cloak tightened, and she stroked the spine of the young Nundu, the bump on its head sticking out in her eyes. "Why must I name them, mentor?" she asked curiously.

Madam Villanelle looked troubled as if not knowing whether to answer or not. "Sigh!" she let out a breath at last. "The magical laws outside don't support the growth of Familiars, Darcie. That's why there are little to no Spirit Companions in our world. Only Avalon is special enough to let them flourish. But to take them out, one must bond with a Familiar, and naming the Spirit Companion is the oldest way of bonding with it."

Darcie looked at the black-green Familiar, the young Nundu, and recalled her near-death experience with it. Her spontaneous encounter with the cub was full of tragedies, to the extent that they both almost ended each other. A smile surfaced on her lips, then.

She had already thought of what its name would be. "Leander." [1]

Suddenly, the young Nundu's entire body trembled, and it yelped, almost sounding like a little kitten.

Madam Villanelle's eyes shone as she looked at that. "Quite a contrast," she remarked, recalling the tale Darcie had told about her encounter with the cub.

Then Darcie looked at the black cloak, and the only thing that came to her mind was affection. An affection that was only second to the one she had for her family and friends. She turned around and gazed at the vast sky, full of stars. Then her gaze deepened as if she could see a darker sky, rumbling endlessly, where Lethifold had found her; in the times of her deepest solitude.

"May I know what the third part of Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue says about Lethifold, mentor?" she instead asked.

Madam Villanelle answered outright. "It says only one word," she told her. "Avoid."

'Avoid… Avoid…' Darcie repeated the word and then shook her head. "I think Lethifolds are vastly misunderstood creatures," she mumbled, more to herself and less to the world. "There are tales of them being the vilest beings on the earth and that they are more beastly than the mindless beasts. But has someone given substance to these claims? No. I don't think so. I… I don't feel so."

Madam Villanelle looked utterly flabbergasted, not believing that she was hearing these words from this little girl. What had happened to her in the last few hours for her to act so mature, bringing such changes in her personality, for Darcie never talked this much? This question must have been bubbling in the older witch's mind now.

"If the world thinks of it as an evil spirit, a demon, then so be it," Darcie said, the green of her eyes becoming greener. "If it has the blackest heart and intentions, then so be it. If all think of it as a creature of the night, then let the night represent it as well…"

What Darcie didn't say, however, was that she felt oddly aware of the time when she had met Lethifold. Losing sounds, the uncanny cold, and the calm; this night meant more to her and Lethifold than words could surmise. This was the day where it all began, she thought, recalling her meeting with the Six figures. And this was the night when she encountered such singular creatures.

This Night… was Lethifold; starless and darker than dark, but not evil. Not to her.

"… I will name it," Darcie declared, "Lilith!" [2]

Suddenly, the entire black cloak flapped rigorously without wind as if a monstrous storm had arrived unannounced. The most unnerving thing was that this flapping of the cloak didn't make any noise as expected of a cloth.

Then, Lethifold slipped off Darcie's figure and came to hover behind her like a massive veil.

Madam Villanelle couldn't help but take a few steps back, her eyes shuddering as she saw the scratches on Darcie's naked body.

Darcie had already closed her eyes. She felt a calling, coming out from her heart. The word Lilith kept arising there like a bubble hovering in the void.

For the first time in her life, Darcie felt like she had transcended some uncrossable boundaries. This feeling was truly indescribable.

Lethifold fluttered behind her, coiling and flapping, and then fell over Darcie as if they were in the vacuum.

The black cloak became a hooded robe, covering Darcie's entire figure from head to toe, and wrapped around her in a tight grip. To Darcie, the tightening of this silk-like creature felt more like an affectionate hug.

Darcie took a deep breath. Lethifold breathed along with her.

Under the hood, Darcie looked whiter in the darkness, and when her eyes snapped open, they shone green.

Madam Villanelle composed herself, her expression still stunned. "This is good, too," she nodded in understanding. "No one can tell if it's a Lethifold or just another robe. If I didn't have the Daemonologie's third part, then I couldn't have found it in the first place, either."

With the matter of naming and bonding finished, the witches carried on toward the end of the cobbled path, their surroundings full of nocturnal creatures' cries and buzzes.

"What about that Kneazle, mentor?" Darcie suddenly asked, her long cloak breathing in and out.

Madam Villanelle's heart trembled even now as she noticed that, but she ignored it. "It's OK," she answered. "By tomorrow, it will return to its home. Darcie, now we both know our secrets. So, I hope to have a deeper interaction with you in the coming years."

There was a smile on Madam Villanelle's face, Darcie noticed. She also knew what these secrets were. One was her use of Wandless Magic, and the other was her mentor's grimoire on magical creatures, demons, and devils.

"How much can you control your Wandless Magic?" Madam Villanelle asked, now almost nearing the legendary sword.

"Not much," Darcie answered honestly, shaking her head.

"Can you cast spells non-verbally or do magic without the need for spells?"

"No, mentor," she lied.

Madam Villanelle nodded in understanding. A non-verbal Wandless Magic, and that too without the proper background of spells, was just too heaven-defying, no matter the times, biblical or modern.

"Don't tell the minister anything about what happened today?" Madam Villanelle reminded her. "Not that Milli would ask of you. She's understanding in that regard, unlike her predecessors. The Unspeakables have always remained out of the ministry's control because they are supported by our Order. Few wizards know the reason, and they like this even less. It would be best if things would not come out in the open now. I will take care of the matter with Nundu for you. Don't worry."

Darcie nodded. However, one could see the faintest hint of curiosity and doubt on her face, now that the hood had come down.

"If there's something, then ask," Madam Villanelle said, smiling.

"It's just…" Darcie didn't know how to put it into words. "Why is the Order named after the Immortal Lotus? What is Immortal Lotus?"

The smile on Madam Villanelle's face vanished. She took Darcie's hand in her hand, and sighed, stepping into the pool of clear water and touching the Portkey.

Only then words escaped her mouth; the lightest whisper. This whisper echoed even after their disappearance, ending their adventure to this mythical island for good.

Those words were -

"Immortal Lotus blooms seven times with seven colors."

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[1] - Leander

-Pronounced: lee-AN-dər (Greek Origin - meaning Brave Man or Lion Man). This name is related to the name Oleander. In Greek, the name Oleander means "an evergreen tree."

-The origin of the name was said to have come from a young man whose ardour to his Lady Love ended in a tragedy. The young man was named Leander, and his precious lady longing for his love shouting with such forlorn "O Leander!", "O Leander!" in the banks, until finally he was found. And clasped in his hands were sweet flowers, who have become a symbol of everlasting love, known as oleanders. This tale directly contrast Darcie's fatal encounter with the young Nundu, while still keeping a touch of its original nature.

-The credit for this name goes to - Patron Greekfirefly

[2] - Lilith

-Pronounced: LIL-ith (meaning "of the night"). This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him

-Lethifold sounds male, but got a feminine name. It matches its ambiguous sex in reality.

AN: Names mean a lot to the Familiars, as its a part of initial Bonding, a process getting carried out since ancient times. That's why the naming of Famliars was given so much weight.