I got undressed and crawled into bed, the sadness still upon me. Katira turned off the light, and crawled in behind me, wrapping her arms around me.

“Stu, I want you to understand that you are in no way obligated to actually be a Necromancer. You are free to live your life however you see fit. You can even tell me to never bother you again, and I’ll disappear. I won’t leave. I can’t, actually. I am bound to you for the rest of your life, and there is no magic that can tear that bond asunder. When you fed me your blood, the pact was sealed,” Katira said softly. She gave me a gentle squeeze and said, “No takesies-backsies.”

I laughed in spite of myself. I gently rolled over, facing her. I took in her soft, shimmering scales, shining like glittering gemstones in the moonlight; her vibrant, electric blue eyes that resembled pools of liquid sapphire; framed by soft locks of sandy blonde hair. Her red lips reminded me of a succulent apple, just begging to be bitten. She currently wore a slight smirk - and nothing else.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“What is it, Stu?” she asked quietly.

“You took the form of my fantasy woman, merged her with a rainbow dragon, and out came this beauty that I’m just now seeing in any sort of detail for the first time, Katira. You really went all out, didn’t you?” I murmured softly.

She giggled and blushed. “Well, not all of your fantasy woman. I left some things out. For now, anyway. She was what was in your head most prominently, and the rainbow dragon just seemed to fit her,” she said, resting a hand on my hip. So, did I do a good job, Master?” she asked in a soft, low voice.

I swallowed, trying to maintain my composure. “Yes, Katira. You did extremely well,” I said gently.

Her smile was bright and cheerful. “Good. I’m glad you’re pleased with me. Now, let us rest. I will watch over you. I don’t actually sleep, you know,” she said, pulling me close to her and wrapping her arms around me.

I laid my head on her chest, hearing her heartbeat. It was constant, strong and soothing.

I closed my eyes, and was asleep in moments.

**********

I awoke suddenly sometime in the night, with no idea as to why. I looked up, seeing Katira’s eyes closed, her breathing slow, regular and even. She certainly seemed asleep to me. Her arm was loosely draped around my waist, her legs entwined with mine. Even though we were so intimately snuggled up, I still didn’t feel too warm. I looked more closely at Katira. The scales covered most of her body. They left the area around her mouth and eyes as just normal skin, as well as the front of her body. Her heavy chest and tummy were scale-free, as was the inside of her thighs. All in all, she was exquisitely soft and seemingly built for comfort. Which made complete sense, actually. My ideal fantasy woman was built for comfort. And sex. Great amounts of both. While I’d not really considered Katira for sex, the idea was honestly intriguing. I still wouldn’t do it unless she made it clear it was on the table. She was already bound to me. I never wanted to do something that would be potentially against her wishes. Consent was still consent, after all.

I sat up and looked around my room in the moonlight, taking in the sights and smells. It still smelled of fresh paint and drywall dust, although the odd scent of petrichor permeated the room. It must be about to rain. The pale moonlight played across my floor as clouds drifted by and trees were blown by the wind. It was as I sat there contemplating my circumstances that I heard a knocking sound.

Curious, I slipped on a pair of thin linen trousers and crept out of my room to investigate. The knocking was soft, but persistent. I followed the sound to its source, and to my dismay, I discovered that it was coming from the hatch.

Not being one to tempt fate, I slunk back to my room, taking great care to keep quiet.

Until I brushed the screwdriver that was sitting on the counter.

As if in slow motion, I saw the blue-handled tool tumble towards the floor. The shine of a moonbeam reflecting my face in the blade. Even though I knew I’d never get to it fast enough, my instincts screamed at me to snatch it out of the air. I could feel the air rushing through the hair on my arm, my muscles screaming to comply as I closed my hand around nothing but air.

The sound the tool made when it hit the floor was deafening in the relative silence. The soft knocking from the hatch became an intense, floor-shaking banging noise as whatever was down there demanded to get out. I backed up, my eyes glued to the shuddering hatch, praying the latch would hold whatever was down there entrapped.

“Katira,” my voice came out as a strained whisper, not the brassy baritone I was so used to. I attempted to clear my throat and try again.

“Katira.” No good. It was a little louder, but still a whisper. The banging was getting more and more insistent, and I could swear I saw a corner bulge up.

“KATIRA!” My shout surprised even myself with its intensity. In an instant, she was by my side, both of us staring at the now-silent hatch.

“Stu! What are you doing here? How did you get here without me knowing? What’s going on?” she rapid-fired at me.

“I woke up suddenly. You were asleep. Don’t look at me like that. Your eyes were closed, and your breathing was regular and even. I got out of bed because I heard a faint knocking. I followed it to the source, and it was coming from the hatch. I crept away, but knocked my screwdriver to the floor, and the faint knocking became an earth-shattering banging,” I rapid-fired, beginning to hyperventilate. I continued with “I backed away, keeping my eyes on it, and I could swear I saw the corner start to bulge.” I looked at her then, the panic and fear obviously evident in my face. “I tried calling for you, but all I could do was whisper until I shouted. And then the banging stopped,” I said, wide-eyed. “What’s going on? What was that?”

In response, she wrapped her arms around me, holding me to her neck. “Shh. It’s okay. Let’s go back to bed for now,” she said soothingly.

I pushed myself away from her divinely comforting embrace. “No. I want to know what that was. I want to know what is going on in my house,” I demanded.

“Okay. But first, let’s get ourselves back to bed. Okay? I’ll tell you everything then,” came her gentle words.

I allowed myself to be led back to bed by the beautiful half-dragon woman. I stripped my trousers and we both lay down. I rolled over, facing her, my pillow beneath my head as she draped an arm languidly around my waist. I struggled to maintain my composure as I realized how close we were.

“Now, I still don’t know how you were asleep. Especially when you said that you don’t sleep. But you were. I distinctly remember seeing you breathing. Even your eyes were darting back and forth as if you were dreaming. What’s going on, Katira?” I asked softly.

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She closed her eyes and took a breath, then began to explain. “What you saw was impossible. One moment you were laying here with me, your face buried in my chest, the next, you were standing in the hall, shouting my name. Stu, I literally cannot sleep” -she lay a soft hand on my chest- “any more than you can sprout leaves and call yourself a tree. Somehow, you put pants on, followed a noise that only you could hear, and shouted loud enough to literally wake the dead in a microsecond.” I gazed into her crystal blue eyes, already feeling calmer than before.

Katira closed her eyes and shook her head. “Somehow, I think you were able to perceive the Ma’alkaun. None of my former masters could, and three actually perished to it. I do not know what it looks like, only that it is bound in that other dimension, beyond the workshop. It is the reason the workshop hasn’t been used as a home for millennia. My ninth master dug too far and went too deep in his search for power, and he became the first victim.” Her eyes glazed over as she peered into her past. “I do not know how it happened, only that it took his life in the middle of the night, somehow slipping into that space between thoughts, and devouring his life force” -she sniffled as a tear overflowed her eye, rolling across the bridge of her delicate nose, only to land with a soft plap sound on the mattress- “right before my eyes. One moment he and I were in the bed, and he was sleeping soundly, the next, I was holding a pile of wet ash.”

I wrapped my arms around the dragoness as she sobbed softly into my shoulder. “Was there anything, Katira? Anything that you could pinpoint as out of place or odd?” I asked softly.

She sniffled loudly. “No. All I remember is that it rained that night,” she said between sobs.

I held her close as she sobbed out her pain, gently stroking her back, feeling the fine pattern of the scales there. “Let it out, darlin’. Let it out. It’s okay, now. I’m here, and we can figure this out together,” I said softly.

She cried for a few more minutes, then took hold of herself once more. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with that. I’m here for you,” she said, shaking her head.

I held her tightly, gently caressing her hair. “Nonsense,” I said, “We’re here for each other. It’s a two-way street, right? I help you, you help me. If what you said about our bond is correct, then I am honor-bound to protect and care for you. It’s as simple as that.”

She looked up at me, a sad, surprised smile forming on her face before she wrapped her arms around me tightly, barely speaking through the tears, “Finally. One of you actually gets it.”

I stayed snuggled up to her for a while as the fresh tears subsided. I yawned and stretched my legs a bit. “So, you said it rained that night? Anything else you can remember? Any knocking or banging?” I asked gently.

“No. There was no sound. Just a breath, and then a wet pile of ash,” she said softly.

“Well, there is no rain in the forecast for a week or better, and-” I stopped, a terrible realization washing over me.

“Stu? What is it? You just went pale,” she said, her face betraying her concern.

“When I woke up, I could smell rain. I smelled the fresh paint, the drywall plaster and rain. Sure as shit. I know that smell all too well. I happen to love it, and thunderstorms. I’d know it anywhere. Maybe that’s it. Was it raining the other times?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.

Her face went pale as she remembered. “Holy gods. Yes. Every time it happened was during a rain shower. In the peak of summer. And it was always a man, and always one I took a humanoid form for,” she said horrified. She looked at me, her eyes filling with new tears. “I’m so, so sorry. I may have just condemned you to death.”

I gently took hold of her face. “No. Don’t start that, now. Surely it wasn’t every time you took on a humanoid form. You don’t know for certain what is in the future. None of us do. Whatever this thing is, it seems to follow certain rules. Rules that we can discover and use. We can discover them. Together. Besides, Katira. I chose to bond with you. Did I know all the risks? Of course not. Nobody ever does. I don’t regret my choice. How could I? I’m on the biggest adventure of my life, and I have an extremely knowledgeable and beautiful guide. What could be better?”

“Living through it,” she said sadly, her lower lip trembling.

I held her close, letting her cry. “Look, since you don’t sleep, and it seems that I can detect the Ma’alkaun, and we aren’t going to use the workshop for our home, I think we’ll be fairly safe. Now that I know what it is, I can be more cautious about the workshop. We’ll get through this. If nothing else, I just won’t do any Necromantic stuff, and we will be safe for the rest of our time together. Okay?” I asked softly.

In reply, she just nodded against my chest.

I rested my chin on the top of her head, and sleep crept in like a thief in the night.

**********

I awoke with Katira’s arms firmly wrapped around me, my face nuzzled against her neck. I stiffened momentarily, causing her to relax around me.

Blinking away my momentary confusion, I said, “Looks like I’m still here. I’m glad for that.” I hugged her tightly.

Katira wrapped her legs around me, resting her cheek on my head. “Me too,” she said softly.

We stayed wrapped up like that for a few minutes, simply enjoying the comfort that another person gives. The security of knowing that you’re safe is something that should never be taken for granted. I knew, without a doubt, that I was and always would be safe in Katira’s arms. She would never judge me, never hate me, and most importantly of all, she would never leave me. Not like so many in my life had before. That was one thing I knew I’d never have to worry about. Not with her. Not ever. Even if all she ever wound up being was an extremely close friend.

I sighed softly, knowing I’d have to get up. Bodily needs must be attended to, after all. Katira unwound herself from me, and I climbed out of bed, wandering off to take care of my necessities.

Katira got up and set about making tea for us both. I walked into the kitchen and she handed me a steaming mug.

“I hope we can get this house in order soon. Then, we can do some research in the workshop on the Ma’alkaun. If I’m going to be a Necromancer in any capacity, I need to know the dangers. I don’t like going into things blind,” I said, taking a sip of my tea.

Katira simply stared at me. “I thought you didn’t want to be a Necromancer. What changed?” She asked.

“While I’m hesitant to be one, I feel it would be irresponsible of me to ignore the opportunity. Anything I can learn, I’d like to. Especially if it could help save my life, or the life of my companion. I won’t give up without a fight,” I said, determined.

Katira beamed with joy, her skin taking on a scarlet hue. She set her mug down, walked over to me and hugged me, “Good. I don’t want to lose you, Stu. I know this might seem odd, but I hated it every single time my Masters would die. It hurts every single time, just as much as it did the first,” she said softly, her head on my chest.

“Well then, I’ll try to be your last one,” I murmured.

“What?” she asked, her crystal blue eyes searching mine.

“I said, I’ll try to be your final Master,” I repeated. “Surely there’s a way to keep me alive in my body at its prime? I don’t relish the idea of dying, and you don’t relish the idea of my death, either. So, why not try to find immortality? Not like I’m doing much else with my life, right? Just working to survive, right now. Everything I have; all my money and assets are tied up in this house. It isn’t terrible, just a little run-down. It needs repairs, and all I’m going to be doing from now on is working to survive,” I said with a shrug.

Katira looked at me, her eyes filling with tears. “Immortality, he says. Off-handed, like it was just a rock waiting to be found” -she shook her head slowly with a soft snort- “in the backyard.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a soft kiss. “Okay, Master. We will find immortality for you,” she said, and I could hear the binding promise in her words.