Advent of the Soul – Chapter 2

The trip back to Mer’ndra’s home didn’t take long, little over 10 minutes. Not surprising given the speed in which she flew. While the trip wasn’t unpleasant Drake knew he had to move his legs to a different position when they started to cramp up. One wrong move and he’d touch the scale, sending them both into the water due to pleasure induced overload. What would follow would be him being literally screwed till unconscious, should he survive the impact with the water that is.

So with great care he inched each leg till he looked like he was straddling her upside down. It was good that she had such a good grip on him else it would have been much more difficult to move. Once that had been taken care of Drake tried to think what to do next. He knew what Mer’ndra planned to do once they made it to her home and he didn’t have clue what he would do really. While coupling with her sounded wondrous, he had his reservations. Nothing against the Ryu that held him, Drake had his own reasons.

One being that he still had no knowledge as to why he was here in the first place. Why was he dragged from his home and unceremoniously ‘dropped’ into the MGE world exactly? He wanted answers and come hell or high water, he would get them. Another reason was that he wished to explore the world, plain and simple.

Yeah, he knew of the dangers that existed in this world but that was the point: It was a whole-new-world! Unlike the stories he read or the theories of trans-dimensional travel he heard about, he actually did it. He had travelled to a different world than his own! It was all he could do to keep from squirming in excitement, but that didn’t stop the wide grin from plastering itself to his face.

Moving on he knew it would take time to find the answers he sought. Ergo, he’d be on one hell of an adventure along the way; kill two birds with one stone. He knew that so long as he kept his wits and the situation didn’t go FUBAR, Drake felt it wouldn’t be so bad. His train of thought circled back to the situation at hand, and he was right back where he started, mostly.

His other reasons were a bit more… personal in nature, and Drake knew that he might have to reveal them to Mer in order to keep his pants on, literally. He didn’t like it though; Mer’ndra seemed like a nice girl, despite being a Mamono. Then again, it was probably because she was a Mamono that he might have to take drastic steps in order to find a way home.

Before he could continue this line of thought, he realized that they were slowing down and was soon brought upright.

“Here we are dear; our home.” She held him close, a happy smile gracing her lips as she turned just enough for Drake to see. He didn’t miss how she spoke, the tone of affection near palpable in her voice. Turning to place in question he gave it a quick once over.

Rising near 10 feet above the water on stilts, the house looked like a modest single-floor abode. From his angle Drake couldn’t tell the exact shape, but thought it to have the basic rectangular form. The area was lit by oriental styled lamps which hung on each corner of the small home. What he found surprising was that the actual design of the home looked more western than anything else. Especially the pair of large, western style doors that remained wide open as they approached.

Even if he held no knowledge on different kinds of wood, he figured only quality wood would be used to fabricate Mer’ndra’s current dwelling. The lamps gave off a warm glow, covering all it touched with a soft orange hue.

With how the lamps were situated though Drake couldn’t really tell what the roof looked like, only that it stretched enough to cover the home’s only outside path. Which he discovered was wide enough for 2 people to walk side-by-side comfortably as Mer’ndra placed him down gently. The boards felt smooth and solid under his feet, and didn’t make a sound as he tested his weight. A simple guard-rail stood resolutely to his right, stretching from corner to corner.

Looking behind he found Mer’ndra pulling her tail over the railing, before closing the wooden gate they had flown through. With a soft click it locked into place. She then turned to face him, gracing him with a warm loving smile and expectant eyes. Drake gave another quick once-over as he gripped the railing, testing its strength.

“The outside looks pretty good. Simple, but strong; looks like it’ll last quite a while but I’m no expert. Won’t know how good it really is till I see the inside.”

She blushed softly at his kind, if rather blunt, assessment. “I’m glad you approve dear. Come, why don’t we go inside?”

Before Drake could open his mouth, the Ryu was already beside him ensnaring his left arm, pressing her bountiful flesh against his bare skin. She giggled at the rosy hue of his cheeks before resting her head on his shoulder. Absentmindedly scratching his head, he walked slowly towards the open doors, the girl latched to his side keeping up effortlessly. Casting a quick glance behind them Drake found her coils moving from side to side, like that of a snake. Behind her head he found the small golden globe simply floating in mid-air; he wondered where it had gone. Now he knew.

Before him stood the gaping entrance of Mer’ndra’s home. With startling clarity he realized the full scope of the situation at hand. As soon as he crossed over the precipice, he had no guarantee of the freedom he desired in order to satiate the questions that burned within his very soul. He didn’t have much choice though, not if the dragon at his side had any say.

He could feel the apprehension churning within. The man still didn’t have a decisive plan in mind, instead finding himself flying by the seat of pants so to speak. He slowly looked over the threshold, using curiosity to mask his true thoughts; exactly what was he going to do once they entered?

To Mer’ndra, everything was going the way she envisioned it. She had brought her husband back to his new home, they would enter and talk for a moment, and then…

Her face grew steadily redder till one would think steam would rise off her face at a moments’ notice. She willed the thoughts away as she felt her body react, there would be time for that later. The night was still young after all. She rubbed her cheek on Drake’s shoulder; she would admit that it was rather bony. Some good food and plenty of exercise would fix that right up, especially once she served him the special drink her mother gave her before she came here…

She glanced at him when they stopped before the open entrance. Watching as his eyes scanned over every inch of the doors and frame, she couldn’t wait until he scanned every inch of her body with that piecing gaze of his. She felt her core inflame at the thought, yet she held her lust at bay, settling to tease her husband by massaging his arm within the cleavage of her firm breasts. She smiled happily in success as she watched his face flush scarlet and felt his back stiffen ever slightly.

As the seconds passed and Drake’s face returned to its natural colour, her smile turned into a curious frown; he had yet to lead them into their new love-nest. Given his earlier confidence this hesitation seemed odd to the Ryu. She could feel it though, the tenseness in his arms, the rigidity in his shoulders.

Her mother had told her that this might happen; explaining that her father had acted the same way Drake was now before their first time together. Considering that her father had been a virgin at the time, her mother stated that it was natural to be nervous having never experienced the wonders of sex before. All he needed was a bit of assurance, and a little incentive to get moving.

So all she needed to do was get him to relax before he’ll lead them in. The Ryu grinned as a plan formed…

“Drake honey?” Said man heard the whisper in his ear and turned his head in her direction, though he still looked at the doors, lost in his thoughts. He was brought back to reality when a clawed digit turned his head to face her fully.

“Dear, it’s perfectly alright.” He could see understanding in her eyes. “I know you’re nervous, and that’s okay; this is my first time too. But we can’t let that discourage us, we’re husband and wife now. We’ll experience everything about each other, together, every step of the way.” Bewildered green peered into loving amber as she turned him to face her fully, before draping her arms around his neck.

Since Mer’ndra hadn’t levelled herself with Drake, he had to gaze downward in order to meet her eyes. As she pulled herself closer, he could both feel and watch as the mounds of her bosom slid, slowly up his chest. His eyes caught a small flash of pink as her tongue moistened her lips. His hands placed themselves on her hips without command.

His answer was the most intelligent response he could think of. “Huh?”

“It’s alright my husband.” She was level with him now. “I’ll do everything together with you.” Mere inches away. “Always…” Her eyes closed. “Together…” She whispered as she closed in. Drake watched, feeling as if moving at a snails’ pace. His mind tried to come up with something, anything as his body reacted on its own. He needed something to stop himself… before he-

*Grrrroooowwwwllllll!!!* They froze at the sound, eyes wide. Moving to an arms’ length they blinked at one another. They looked down, specifically at Drake’s stomach. Another sound rumbled into the air. Looking back up Drake scratched the back of his head.

“I guess… with all the excitement, I forgot that I haven’t eaten anything yet.” He laughed nervously, mentally thanking his luck for his rescue. ‘Saved by natural function!’

Mer’ndra nervously laughed with him, internally cursing and lamenting the ruined moment. She sighed as she shook her head before hugging him close once more. After a moment, feeling that her motive was more innocent this time, Drake returned the embrace. Feeling he had a small chance to relax, he noticed unlike before the smell of her hair. He couldn’t pinpoint what the scent was exactly, but it was light and tickled his nose pleasurably. She tightened the embrace before moving back, hands locked behind his neck.

“It can’t be helped can it? No matter, I’ll cook you a warm meal that’ll satiate your hunger.” ‘Where after, you’ll satiate mine…’ Turning to the doors, she led him over the precipice, Drake following along without resistance. Her tail was quickly pulled inside as the doors closed silently behind them, nary a whisper to their movement.

Fire-lit lamps flickered before illuminating the inner rooms, growing brighter until they settled on a warm luminescence. He could smell the light scent of spices that lingered in the air while his eyes adjusted to the light. Mer’ndra stood before him, loving smile ever present with her hands held in front of her, pronouncing her bountiful cleavage.

“Welcome home.” For a moment he just stared at her. The way she looked at him, so loving and- dare he say it -innocent, for a split second he actually thought that she wasn’t a lust driven Mamono. To be fair he knew lust wasn’t the only thing, but it was a major part or it, of this entire world even. He was just surprised by how natural it suited her. He blinked when he realized she was waiting on him.

“Uh… thank you, it’s good to be umm…home?” He scratched his cheek idly with a finger as he chuckled nervously. She seemed to accept his response, giggling before turning and moving to the right. She looked to him over her shoulder.

“If you could please sit at the table dear? It’ll only take a moment to heat the dinner I had earlier…” Her look gained some uncertainty. “I hope you’ll be satisfied with stew, it’s the quickest meal I can serve you, since all the other meals I know will take some time to prepare…” Her worry was for naught as Drake smiled.

“It’s quite alright. Stew sounds amazing right now.” He reassured her as he placed himself at the table to the left of the door. The doubt vanished from her visage with a brilliant smile. With a nod she turned to the pot that he reasoned held the stew, helping the dwindling embers regain their former strength.

Sitting cross-legged, he took a moment to get a better look at his surroundings. The interior appeared quite spacious for the most part. From the doorway the room looked to be about 25 square feet, or something around that size. Other than the closed off corner on the far right from the door, the home was pretty open-concept.

The home looked to be split into 4 even sections. The table which he sat was huddled in the lower left corner, with shelves covering the walls. Each one was little above waist-height, on Drake at least, and contained a mixture of scrolls and tomes. A variety of colours and sizes met his gaze as he scanned over them. He was surprised to find that despite being in a different dimension, he found English lettering on the shelved tomes.

Sure, he could understand if he couldn’t read them, even if the inhabitants spoke a rather close dialect compared to his own. But even if there were words that he didn’t know, he could still read them! It truly made him wonder about how crazy this whole situation was. Even stranger, he recognized some of the characters on the scrolls to be from Japanese Katakana. Trying to think how this was possible was beginning to make his head spin, so he put it from his mind and moved on.

Above the shelves were a pair of drawn curtains that covered the windows. They were an off-white colour and were somewhat plain in design aside from a little frill on the ends. The same could be found in the other open corners. Gazing to the floor he found it covered by multiple mats, the same kind he’d seen in multiple anime and other such shows from Japan. The only area he could see not covered was the kitchen area where Mer’ndra was currently warming him a quick dinner.

Humming a nameless tune she slowly stirred the contents of the pot, periodically making sure the fire was the right size and temperature. Surrounding her on three sides were an assortment of cupboards, drawers, a large pantry and counter tops. In the middle stood the large pot which held the stew she was currently trying to heat for him. Drake could smell the warm aroma that lazily drifted in the air, filling the home with its scent. He again tried to focus on something else but instead of doing it for his head, he was doing it for his stomach.

Turning to the last open corner he saw a large changing divider, decorated by the image of a lone fisherman among the waves of the ocean. It looked to be about his height as well, so with him seated as he was, he could only see what the divider didn’t cover. On the left of the divider he caught what looked to be a dresser under the window. It held a couple potted plants that he couldn’t recognize. Moving on he caught sight of a low-lying futon on the floor, seeing the corners pass either side of the divider. As he had guessed, it was the ‘bedroom’, and his last destination if he didn’t think of something.

Or rather, how to go about it. He had a rough idea, but continued to mull it over in his mind. He wanted to make sure he acted with tact, but he might not have any choice but to be completely upfront, if rather blunt. Sure, all she wanted was for them to live peacefully, with a copious amount of sex of course. He’d live a long life filled with pleasured happiness before and after she turned him into an incubus, and help her bare a number of healthy Ryu daughters.

Looking at it, the idea didn’t seem really all that bad. A beautiful and loyal wife, no shortage of sex and a life of happiness. Yet to accept that future he felt he would have to give up looking for the answers he sought, which wasn’t really an option for him. He had to find out what was going on, he had to travel and he couldn’t do that staying here. He sighed through his nose, stopping his circular thought pattern on his dilemma. Many people would think him crazy, but he had to make the right choice for himself.

Before Drake could continue, he caught sight of his, unofficial, new wife coming towards him with a steaming bowl in each hand. She set a bowl and wooden spoon in front of him before setting her own on the table. He watched curiously as she seemed to slide her tail under it, without jarring the table at all. He blinked owlishly as he looked at the table with its low height, before raising a brow. He shuffled forward, putting his legs under and began feeling rather stupid when he found a large space underneath.

Shifting focus he turned to the Ryu beside him and thanked her, to which he received a happy nod. The stew smelled wonderful, and he’d bet the taste was just as pleasing. It looked like your average stew mixed with beans, carrots, potato, even little chunks of beef all floating in a warm broth. He grabbed the spoon in hand, surprised that he wasn’t using chopsticks considering the land Mer’ndra’s home was based on. He wasn’t going to question that now though, he had a meal to try and his starving gullet demanded it!

Dipping into the meal, he gave it a slight stir before picking out a nice tender piece of meat. He waited for the excess broth to drip before engulfing it into his waiting mouth.

On her part, Mer’ndra waited patiently, yet was somewhat anxious. She hoped Drake would enjoy her cooking, this kind of meal was rather new to her compared to the stir-fries she usually made. She waited for his verdict as she watched him slowly chew away. He swallowed before looking at her with an unreadable expression. She began to doubt her skill before a wide grin appeared.

“This is good, really good.”

“You mean it?” He gave her a nod as he gleefully ate another spoonful, speaking once he had swallowed.

“Yeah, it has a rich taste but isn’t overpowering. The beef just brakes apart and is very succulent. The vegetables are soft, but not so soft to be considered mush, they’re just right. You’re a good cook Mer, don’t let anyone tell you differently.” He greedily scooped another spoonful, releasing a sound of content at the back of his throat as his taste buds tingled.

Drake knew that giving her such complements while truthful, were going to bite him in the ass later on. He couldn’t help it though, he was a glutton for good food, especially filling foods like stews and such. For the moment he was content to just let his taste buds dance and fill his yearning gullet.

“I’m glad you like it so much, though I haven’t had much practice with the recipe to be honest.” She blushed faintly, not use to the praise from someone who by all accounts, is still somewhat a stranger. She was happy though as stranger or not, this man was her husband and hearing his praise warmed her heart. She kept a tight leash on her desire for the moment though, wanting him to be comfortable and not rush anything.

“The taste of the food says otherwise, but eh. The food is delicious and it’ll end my current hunger, that’s all that really matters.” He gave her an encouraging smile as he continued to eat. She smiled back as she returned to her own food, hot blush on her cheeks. By all that is lustful, she wanted to wrap herself around him so much at his smile. She continued to hold back as she watched him, he looked so content as he ate and she didn’t want to disturb anything that made him happy. That didn’t stop her from using her tail to rub his leg teasingly. Drake however, noticed it all too well as he continued to eat.

‘Man, all this is doing is making her randy. She’s using her tail to rub my leg like a human would her foot. This really isn’t getting me anywhere; I need a game-changer. Something to get her mind off sex, if only for a little while… That’s it!’ He would have pumped a fist into the air, but that would have been too awkward to explain. Instead he hid his exuberance with a small grin. He just hoped it worked.

“By the way, I didn’t really get a chance to thank you yet.” He looked at her with appraisal as he took another bite of his stew. The woman to his left gazed at him, a puzzled look on her on her beautiful face.

“What do you mean? I don’t see a reason for you to be thanking me dear.” She blinked confusedly at him, taking another bite of stew absentmindedly.

“I mean for you finding me. Something else could have been in the forest that wouldn’t have shown me the same kindness and courtesy you did.” He scooped up the last bit of stew from his bowl, distracting himself from the blushing smile she gave him.

“You’re welcome, though in truth I didn’t really do all the much.” She replied with a humble tone.

“Still… regardless, what’s done has been done. Also, just out of curiosity, how did you find me?” To be honest, he was curious about that. Drake felt that the dragoness wouldn’t have the direct answers he wanted. Even so, she might provide some clues that could help confirm a slight suspicion he had running amok in his head.

“Well, I found you just lying on the shore line; I didn’t see how you arrived there. After all, I was sitting in bed when I caught a bright blue light outside the window.” He nodded, understanding her words before doubling back.

“Wait, a blue light?” He blinked, interest clear in his eyes.

“Yes, a pillar of blue light appeared right where I found you. It was the strangest thing; I don’t know what kind of spell that was, but whoever cast it was powerful. It felt like something my mother could do with the help of my father.” She watched as his look of amazement turned to one of contemplation. Crossing his arms, he turned to stare at the table to collect his thoughts.

Now this whole situation made just a little bit more sense to him. It wasn’t some freak accident of nature that brought him here, but rather a teleportation spell of sorts that was used. He couldn’t begin to guess who performed the spell, since he really didn’t know any other big players besides the Demon Lord and her husband, the Chief God of the Order, and the Fallen God of Pandemonium. Her admission about the amount of power, however, did refine the search criteria. Not many people could utilize the power a Ryu contained, and considering what age Mer’ndra’s mother probably was… Yeah, whoever brought him here, their power had to be monstrous.

Although, it could also have been a large group of people pooling together, it didn’t have to be just one person after all. As for the reasons why… he could only begin to speculate. Until he gained more information there wasn’t much that he could do.

He felt he should have been surprised, if not outright denying the existence of magic. Then again he was somewhat tired and for the moment, merely chalked it up to the shock of the entire situation not fully sinking in yet.

Even if he denied it, Drake had all the proof he needed right in front of him. Where he was and the woman sitting beside him, it was more than enough for him to believe that magic could exist. There was still some lingering doubt but as soon as he saw it he’d believe it.

A stray thought surfaced, why exactly was he not conscious during the trip? He could remember what was going on beforehand without issue. Sitting at home on his computer, surfing the net, listening to music, the usual for him. Then there was a blank in his memory before his awakening on the lake shore.

He reasoned that his mind couldn’t handle whatever turbulence the trip had, shutting down for his own safety. It would also explain the state of his clothes, what with how ragged they were. Given enough time he might remember it naturally, or something could trigger it for him. He didn’t know. All he could do for the moment was wait until he found the person or persons responsible and question them.

The next issue he focused on was whether to tell the Ryu beside him the truth or not. Either option had an upside and downside. If he lied to her it would allow him to keep his secrets, he could pretend the ever cliche notion of having amnesia and searching for answers was what he wished for. It wasn’t far from the real truth in fact. This way he could secretly gain crucial knowledge and make plans on what to do as he travelled. Besides, he needed a cover story. Should the knowledge of his origins reach the wrong circles it could bring no end of trouble.

But was it really wise to lie to Mer’ndra? So far she had done nothing to actually harm him in any way. Sure she dearly wanted to shag him morning, noon and night, but other than pressing her voluptuous body to his, she hadn’t done anything even close to malicious. No spell work or charms to muddle his mind then take advantage of him. No aphrodisiacs were present in the stew, he felt no different besides the warm feeling of being full after a warm meal. So far it seemed that she didn’t want to take a very easy route to get in his pants, for the moment. He took it as a sign that she wanted this to be fully consensual, which made his respect for the Mamono rise a couple of notches.

Also, when the truth finally did come out, as such things did, he’d bet the fallout wouldn’t be pretty. Another thing was that since he lacked crucial knowledge of the world he was in, any story he came up with would blow up in his face without fail.

Telling her the truth on the other hand would undoubtedly show the trust he was placing in her, should she believe him of course. Having her at least know the truth meant he wouldn’t have to stress about keeping secrets from one of the few people he might grow close to. Besides, it’s relieving when you can confide in someone. It also meant that she wouldn’t be as suspicious of him, if at all, when he reveals what knowledge he does have of the various Mamono that walk this world.

Of course he wouldn’t tell her everything right off the bat, there wasn’t any need to really. Much of the practical knowledge he had was ill suited for this world, which lacked the technology his world did. Some things he knew could be helpful, just not where at the moment. That and even trying to explain how he learned everything about the Mamono world would be… troublesome. Again, it didn’t really matter right now, he’d cross those bridges when he came to them…

The whole time his mind worked Mer’ndra simply watched. She looked at his face, nearly unreadable, barely a twitch as he remained deep in thought. His eyes moved randomly across the table, yet they weren’t focused on what was in front of them. She wondered what he was thinking about, beyond how he arrived here.

Mer’ndra wasn’t a dumb Mamono; she could tell when she conversed with him that he didn’t know what his part in that strange spell was and that it troubled him. He tried to hide it of course, it was to be expected; as a man he wanted to figure things out himself, it was practically in their blood. She was observant, however, especially towards him. How could she not, he was to be her husband; she needed to be in order to know exactly what he needed, and be able to serve him the way he desired. She would be the perfect wife, and regardless of what he wished she would help him in every way she could.

This was why she knew he wouldn’t want to stay here very long. It pained her a little as she realized this, since she like plenty of other Mamono in the world simply wished to be with their husbands and live with plenty of love, consummated as often as possible of course. She also knew that once he drank the potion her mother gave her, he’d be more than willing to consummate the love of their marriage as often as they’d want. She even planned to have him drink it once she got him comfortable.

Watching him now though, after meeting him, she began to rethink that choice. Talking to him, getting a feel for him, she was starting to understand who this man is. But something just felt… wrong, having him drink the potion, as if getting him to fall in desire was too easy…

No, that wasn’t it. She was missing something. It was there she knew it was, but like mist Mer couldn’t grasp it. As if she was missing some sort of connection to him, but couldn’t for the life of her figure it out. There was just, something about this man, something that made him different from all the other men she had met. Mind you, she wasn’t in the land of Zipangu at the moment so the men of these lands would feel different. But even then she felt that wasn’t quite right.

When she had arrived in these lands she had felt the people here, faintly, and she was right. The energy of the men here gave off a signature that was different then the men of Zipangu, and yet were very similar. It was hard to describe the difference. She would akin it to colour, such as different shades of green for example. Sure, at the bottom of it they’re all the same basic colour, but changed in such a way they have a profound difference.

Drake’s signature on the other hand, his energy, it was different in an odd way. It did have the distinction that proved he was a human male and yet, it was so different, so unique that it threw her mind for a spin. Going back to the colour example if the men of Zipangu and the men of the west were shades of green, Drake would be a shade of Royal Blue!

Of course the colours were merely for example and had no real significance. This was the best way she could explain it to herself, and even then she didn’t fully understand everything. Why did he feel so profoundly different compared to everyone else? What was it about him that gave her this feeling? This was another reason why she thought it might not be such a good idea to have him drink that potion. She didn’t know what might happen. It could work just as designed, it could prove harmful to him, and there was even a chance that it wouldn’t work at all.

If there was a chance that it could harm him, however, she wouldn’t risk it. What kind of wife would she be if she did that to him, all for the sake of enhanced sexual stamina, desire and endurance? A selfish one, that’s what. She would have no right to call herself his wife if she gave such disrespect to his free will. So she decided then, unless he chose to drink it of his own free will, she would never use it on him. If that meant she would have to go without being fully satisfied by him until the time came then so be it. It would be hard, but she would bare it, for him she would…

“Hmm, well that does explain some things…” Hearing the voice of her dearest brought the Ryu out of her thoughts.

“What do you mean?” She looked at him, catching that he had shifted his position while thinking. Still seated to her right, balancing the chin on the fist he braced himself on the table top. His other arm remained still in his lap. He turned to look at her.

“That spell, it was a teleportation spell, one that took me from my home then placed me on that lake shore.” His face had taken a serious turn.

“A teleportation spell? What makes you say that?” She asked curiously.

“A couple of things really; the state of my clothes for one. Sure they’ve been shredded, but they’re still intact for the most part. Heck, you’d think that my pants would have been shredded more, if not gone all together.” She gave a light giggle at that. He chuckled with her, but it sounded drier than anything. He shook his head.

“Anyway, the rips and tears don’t look like they were made by hands or claws. Another reason has to do with my memory.” Her eyes grew in slight alarm at this. Was he hurt? Did he hit his head before coming here?

“Are you all right dear? Is there anything you need?” She made to get up from the table but a hand from Drake stopped her.

“I’m alright, I’m not hurt or anything. What I meant was, there’s a blank in my memory between what happened from before the spell started till when I woke up on the lake shore.” She looked at him, a look of worry still in her features. After getting an encouraging smile, she relaxed some.

“If you’re sure. Your memory should come back naturally in time.” His smile grew a little at her words.

“Yeah that’s what I figured too, all I can really do is wait.” She giggled again; did he ever forget to mention how beautiful it sounded to him?

“Well, we are husband and wife so we are bound to think alike.” And with that, his cheer vanished. She became confused when his shoulders slumped, sighing almost dejectedly. Damn it all, he didn’t want to look like the bad guy here! He just knew this was going to hurt her.

“Is there something wrong dear? We’re husband and wife, you can tell me anything.” She caught his gaze for but a moment, before he looked away. Why did she see such regret in those eyes?

“That’s the thing Mer, I can’t…” He stopped mid-sentence, finding it difficult to speak.

“You can’t… what?” He was beginning to worry her. What couldn’t he do?

“I can’t…I can’t be your husband.”

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