The mountain winds carried a soft chill that morning, and mist clung to the slopes like gauze. Leviathan walked a step ahead of me, her twin aqua-blue tails swaying with every step, brushing lightly against the mossy path as we ascended. She was quiet, clutching her cloak to her chest as though afraid it might float away.
"I used to come here alone," she said at last, glancing back at me. Her violet eyes shimmered, catching the sunlight as it broke through the trees. "Before I was summoned… before I had you."
I followed her closely, stepping around a knot of exposed roots. "Here? All the way out here?"
She nodded. "There's a spring. Deep in the mountain. It's warm and hidden. No one ever found it except me. I used to bathe there when the world felt too loud."
I blinked. "You had a place like that?"
Leviathan hesitated. "I didn't like crowds. Still don't, really. But with you, it's different."
Soon we reached a grove, and the path opened into a rocky basin surrounded by curved stone pillars and glistening moss. A natural hot spring sat at the center, steaming gently into the morning air. Water lilies floated atop the surface, and the edges glowed faintly with magical currents.
"It's beautiful," I said, breath caught in my throat.
Leviathan smiled softly. "I hoped you'd like it."
She took a step forward, unfastening her cloak. I turned around instinctively, but not before I caught a glimpse of her white bikini-style outfit, the soft blush already rising in her cheeks.
"You can look, Master," she whispered. "I want to share this with you. Just… don't tease me, please."
I turned. Her hair flowed down her back in twin shimmering tails, mist curling around her exposed skin. Her horns glistened with condensation, and her dragon tail swayed slowly behind her. She stepped into the spring, the water lapping at her thighs, and turned to me with a nervous smile.
I undressed quietly and joined her, slipping into the warm water beside her. It was deeper than it looked—up to our waists—and far warmer than expected, like being wrapped in steam and silk.
We sat for a while in silence, letting the warmth soak into our skin.
Leviathan finally broke the quiet. "Can I ask something?"
"Of course."
She looked down at the water. "Do you… really need me?"
The question caught me off guard. "What?"
"I mean…" She fidgeted with a lock of her hair. "Ziz is strong and bold. Behemoth is so dependable. Bahamut is wise and powerful. Even Chimera's unpredictable, but useful. But me? I just… I feel like I'm always trying to catch up."
I frowned. "Leviathan, I—"
She cut me off, voice trembling. "I know I can be clingy. I know I get nervous and mess up. But I've always wanted to be needed by someone. Not just wanted. Needed. I don't want to be just another familiar. I want to be… important. To you."
I stared at her, her bare shoulders barely visible through the rising mist. Her violet eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Without thinking, I reached over and took her hand in mine.
"You are important," I said. "I summoned you. You chose me. And you've already helped me more than you know."
She blinked, surprised. "I have?"
I nodded. "I wouldn't have gotten through some of my training without you. Your magic is amazing. And… I really like spending time with you."
Leviathan's cheeks went pink. She squeezed my hand tighter.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Then, just as the air settled again, the water near the far edge of the spring began to churn. A ripple broke across the surface, and a shape emerged—a small, translucent water elemental, no taller than my waist, its body swirling with blue magic.
Leviathan turned instantly, her eyes narrowing. "Stay behind me."
Before I could even react, she stepped forward, hands glowing with azure light. The elemental hissed, raising a tendril of liquid, but Leviathan countered with a spiraling torrent of her own. Water clashed against water, magic crackling between them.
The fight was short. Leviathan conjured a binding ring of frost around the elemental's base, then blasted it with a concentrated burst of pressure. The creature evaporated in a burst of steam.
She lowered her hands, breathing hard.
"That was amazing," I said.
She turned to me, flushed and damp. "I… I wasn't going to let anything hurt you."
She stepped close, chest rising and falling with her breath. The mist coiled around us, and she looked up at me, eyes wide and glistening.
"Master…"
I couldn't move. The way she looked at me—hopeful, scared, and desperate for closeness—froze me in place.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine.
It was soft and trembling, hesitant at first. But when I didn't pull away, she kissed me again—longer, fuller. Her hands clutched my shoulders as her body pressed lightly into mine, the water swirling between us.
When she finally pulled back, she was blushing furiously.
"I… I didn't mean to… I mean, I did, but I didn't expect to… I just…"
I touched her hand again. "It's okay. Really."
She hugged me tightly, wrapping her arms around my back, her body warm against mine.
"I think… I'm starting to fall for you," she whispered into my ear. "More than I ever thought I would."
I held her in silence, the mist curling around us both, the spring quiet once more.
And for a little while, we just stood there, in the warmth, wrapped in each other.