Jax stopped just out of reach of my long neck. I had to give him credit for that one. He'd correctly stopped just out of my reach.
"In case you haven't figured it out yet," I tilted my head, "You bonded to me. Not the other way around."
"That's impossible," Jax started to argue.
"No it's not," I growled, "When I tossed you out of my inner world you took some of it with you." I let that sink in, "That's how we ended up in our current situation."
Jax had a look of realization on his face as he processed the information I'd given him. Seemed like he understood how he fucked up now.
"Now," I continued now that Jax understood how this happened, "I can sever the bond, and lose a chance at getting another bonded, or we can make this work somehow."
"Lose a chance at another bonded?" Savannah who had been staring at Gaia this whole time suddenly started paying attention, "What do you mean?"
"My bonds to people are one person bonds," I stated, "If I sever a connection with someone that chance at bonding to another person goes away until I grow enough to sustain another bond. It's not like a video game where I can just throw someone else into that slot. Once a slot has been taken that's it. The slot is gone forever."
Savannah suddenly grew angry with Jax. Now that she understood how badly he'd fucked up it wasn't difficult to imagine why.
"Now before we get too far ahead of ourselves," I refocused on Jax, "First I'll explain the benefits of the bond you now have." I paused thinking for a moment, "It might be easier to show you the first benefit."
I inhaled deeply choosing the element I had that was the weakest. Fire was my newest one so it should be the weakest. My lungs changed the mana in them to fire elemental energy. I released it in a blast of fire right at Jax. Fear flew through Jax in bulk as my fiery blast hit him.
The fear was followed by confusion. Then I ran out of air in my lungs, and it ended. Jax stood there completely unscathed by my flames. My body relaxed as I let the fact that my flames hadn't hurt him sink in.
"First," I startled him when I spoke, "My magic cannot hurt you. Second, as a bonded that has a lesser rider bond you can borrow one of my strengths."
"Borrow one of your strengths?" Jax had barely absorbed the face that my magic couldn't hurt him, "What do you mean?"
"Think of it like stats on a video game," I snorted, "Speed, strength, damage resistance, instinct, and mana. You can borrow one of my stats."
"That's insane," Jax rubbed the back of his head as he tried to take it all in.
"You should already know about the emotional connection from experiencing it firsthand," I might be able to make this work, "Keep in mind that I have equal part in that emotional transfer. If you do anything that gives me a reason not to trust you then I will sever this connection, and cut my losses."
Jax flinched at the aggression in my tone. I could handle the strain of cutting my connection to Jax. I'd handled worse multiple times by now. Now it was time to take a nap. My mana reserve was almost completely empty from my new familiar contract, and I wasn't in the greatest shape to begin with.
I laid down on the smooth warm floor. My muscles went completely lax as I let myself fall completely asleep. I didn't have to worry hear. Not with my bonded, and Gaia watching over me. I don't remember dreaming, but it felt like it had been a good long sleep when I woke up.
"What is it Gaia?" Now that she had a face it was much easier to read her emotions.
"I cannot keep you here for much longer," Gaia tried to sweep her upset feelings aside, "The spatial portals I use to bring food down here for all of you are a very mana expensive spell. Mana I need to keep supporting earth."
"So we need to go somewhere else," I nodded, "I didn't think we'd be able to stay in this sanctuary forever." I lifted my head slowly, "Is there somewhere safe you can send us?"
"I have an idea," she nodded slowly, "But I'm not sure that they are still allies of dragons after all this time."
"We'll have to risk it," I stretched slowly, "We don't have much of a choice. How long?"
"The sooner the better," Gaia frowned slightly, "It is sad though. I had wished I would be able to spend more time with my new master, but one rarely gets what one wants."
I nodded somewhat sad I wouldn't get to speak to Gaia much longer. As the mother of all spirits she had to be older than anything else I'd ever met on this planet. It would be interesting to hold a conversation with her. Maybe she would have an idea of why the dragon queen chose to die instead of bringing back dragons herself. She probably knew more of human history than humans themselves.
"We'll go when the others wake," I raised my head for the wait ahead of me.
I only had to wait ten minutes or so before Ethan came out to see me. He sat down on my arm, and laid back up against my chest. I debated on shooing him off, but it didn't hurt so I didn't really care enough to force him to move.
"You should really stop trying to get yourself killed," Ethan complained.
"You should stop complaining," I half growled.
"I wouldn't complain if you would stop almost dying," Ethan ignored my half growl.
"I can't argue with that," I dropped it, and let him have this victory.