When Litra woke up, Bob was done with the circle and ready to bind her, although I was still worried that she would back out on her word. Instead, she just hung her head and looked like she was about to cry. Not what I’d been expecting considering how she’d acted earlier. Then again, Uliena had said she thought the dragon was suppressing a lot.

Litra glanced up at me, sitting with her knees up to her chin. “Will you keep me in a cage?”

I blinked. “Huh? Why would I keep you in a cage?”

She tilted her head. “Your thing said you would bind me. With chains? Will, you force me back into that… form?”

I shook my head. “No, this binding is mainly for my protection so when my guard is down, you don't just kill me.” Is that what she thought? That I would cage her as she had been? “Litra apart from some ground rules, I won’t be caging you, or anything bad. You can pretty much just relax in here as long as you don't mess up the place and help us once in a while.”

“More than once in a while!” Bob shouted from across the workshop. I nodded. “That’s all. It’s the same thing Uliena there is under, and she’s comfortable.” Uliena nodded, walking over. I’ve had my fair share of masters and served under many men and women, but comparing this to that is like comparing water to fire. I’m basically a guest here. I help them when they need and that's the end of it. She leaned in. Though I do also spend considerable time with this one over here. One of her many hands trailed down my right shoulder. He’s quite the animal in bed.

I coughed and blushed. “Thanks for that Uliena. You see Litra, this arrangement is for mutual benefit. You’ll be safe here as long as you follow the rules and don’t try to kill or harm me.” The bond would make it near impossible, but I’d rather she never tried so getting this relationship off to a good start was key. Litra wasn’t like Uliena. Uliena was smart and knew how things were and how to act. Litra didn’t. In fact, I was almost certain she didn't fully understand what I was saying.

As long as she gets the basic gist.

“So, no chains or cage?”

“No.”

Unless you're into that, Uliena added.

I shook my head and held a hand out to the dragon. She felt surprisingly light, though I could feel the strength. She could crush my hand easily, and her tail moved about like a snake. One lash to my head, and I’d be down. I glanced at the ring on my right hand. Better safe than sorry that I recharge it.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The bond isn’t in place yet. Let’s just hope Uliena has my back.

Bob was floating near the circle when we arrived, and I directed Litra to stand in its center. She looked nervous, but not hostile, which was my main worry. It may cause her pain, but if she were pushed enough, would she shift? It would cause us no small amount of problems. There was no chant with this ritual. Bob formed the necessary patterns, and then the circle began to glow. I felt that familiar tugging and rising heat. This time it was a lot hotter which I guessed was because of how much larger the increase would be. Finally, there was that feeling of something settling within me, and the heat slowly faded.

I focused on my mana pool and could feel its new depth. “How do these bonds work, Bob? Am I taking some of their mana capacity, or what?”

“It's complex,” Bob said. “There are all different kinds. The ones we’ve done are pretty deep, though the only benefit you receive save from the usual restrictions and such, is an increased mana capacity. That heat you feel. Imagine your mana pool as a cave instead. You essentially just burned it bigger. It’s simplifying things, but it’s all you need to know for now. If we were to break the bond, the increase would not fade, though your mana pool might become unstable if time wasn’t allowed for it to settle.”

“Settle?”

“Yes, we won't be trying anything big for at least a day or two. This increase was a lot larger, and we don’t need to be pushing at the edges. It’ll make the basic practices a lot easier.”

And I don't need to use mana potions constantly.

Han made a damn fine potion, but they tasted like crap and after a few, I started to get stomach aches, and chest pains. That didn't help when I was trying to form magic patterns, especially actual spell patterns which done incorrectly could cause me backlash. I had only experienced spell backlash a few times during my magic training, and each time it had been awful. Ranging from what felt like a strike to the gut to tingling pain across my body.

Litra was examining herself, looking all over her body. I smiled. “See, no chains.”

None she can see at least. I… I feel a bit bad, but I also don’t want to die. And it's not like I'm going to order her about or anything.

This bond was mainly for my safety, and because I didn't want to release her into Portland. Sure she might make it out, but it was unlikely. Litra didn't seem to know a whole lot, at least not about the modern world. Bob said she was most likely from a different plane, one where there were a lot fewer humans.

After we were done, Uliena wanted to head back inside for some fun, but I still had things I wanted to ask Bob. I told Uliena I’d meet her inside while LItra went off to wander the pocket.

When they were both gone, I pulled the rod from my pocket. Bob floated over. “Oh, I forgot about that.”

“You know what it is?” I asked.

“I do, and we’re in luck. It’s soulsteel.”