Thanks!! I appreciate the answer. One last thing, how does bonding work and what are the pros and cons?
Ohhh, thank you, this is a great question! It’s a very important concept in the story! I've bolded the important points to make this easier to read.
In The Wishing Hunt, bonding is a way in which fae take servants, where the human submits their will to the fae. It differs from an ordinary enchantment where a human is simply under a spell that might be temporary or may be broken if the human is lucky. Bonding typically lasts until the human or fae dies.
1. A bonded human can never betray their fae master.
2. Bonding may break a human will.
A weak-willed human may become a mindless servant, like many of those that Killua’s parents kept. However, a human with a strong mind that withstands the force of the fae magic may become an independent servant that can still think for themselves.
Examples would be the more powerful of Killua’s family servants, and the fae servants Killua and Gon are chasing. No human can know for certain whether they’ll keep their mind until they are bonded.
3. The bond creates a mutual connection.
Through the bond, the fae will always have a sense of where their servants are (if they choose to pay attention), and whether the servant is strong or weak, or still alive. Servants will always know if their fae is still alive or if they suffer.
There are some big potential pros for a human in being bonded.
A human may gain magical power. The fae servants Killua and Gon are chasing are good examples. The bond is a link between them and the fae they serve, giving them access to the fae’s magic. The kind of power they gain will depend upon the will of their fae master, and the kind of magic of which that fae is capable. Fae gain magical power as they age, so their servants may too, if they survive.
A human gains longer life through the bond, if no danger intervenes to kill them, to match their master’s longer life.
If a human and a fae fall in love, they may risk bonding because of the permanent connection and the sense of each other it gives, as well as the potential for magic and a longer life for the human.
So why would a human bond with a fae?
Bonding involves great trust on the part of the human. They must believe in their fae completely to want to do so. That means they might share a worldview with that fae and believe in the same goals. They may not care that the fae might abuse them, or consider it a worthwhile risk. Or, they may trust that their fae will never abuse their power over them, although bonding lasts a lifetime, and people can change, for good or ill.
Importantly, in exchange for a favour, a human might promise another human to a fae. Fairy tales have a long tradition of mothers giving up their first child, or of girls being claimed by fae due to bargains made by their parents or royalty.
There may be ways to break bonds, but they won’t be ordinary. It’s possible some humans may choose to bond themselves in exchange for some extraordinary favour from the fae. (Fae always carry through on their promised favours, though people must take care what they ask.)
All of this is relevant to the Wishing Hunt, though I’m writing it on the fly and things may develop and twist further! I go wherever my subconscious takes us, and try to maintain consistency as the lore develops.
Thanks again for the ask - I hope this is a decent answer!
