Advent of the Soul – Chapter 1

It was the sound of water that awoke him. Rousing from the darkness of slumber he slowly turned onto his back as awareness crept upon him. As the man opened his eyes all that met him was the black expanse of a moonless sky. It was little brighter than his closed eyes despite the stars that greeted him. As the man fully rose to consciousness he noticed the dampness of his clothes and of what little remained of his clothes and the dampness of them.

Rousing fully he could feel his shoe-less feet were submerged in water. He could tell the ends of his pants were in tatters, the slips of material slid up and down his shins as the water ebbed.

Damp soil slid between his fingers as he slowly braced himself upright. Looking out at the dark waters he could see the vague silhouettes of aquatic flora. Standing to his feet with no small amount of alarm he tried get his bearings but stumbled. He was quick to regain his balance and, once assured he wouldn’t fall tried to see through the darkness to find out where he was.

This proved to be fruitless as he recognized nothing, the darkness of the night doing nothing to help. From what little the man could tell he was on the edge of river or lake. It was only thanks to the light from the stars that the vague shapes of aquatic plants could be seen. He thought they looked to be a mixture of aquatic ferns and lily pads but couldn’t tell for sure without more light. Looking up, the stars twinkled kindly at him as they disappeared behind the clouds that travelled across the sky only to reappear moments later.

The man closed his eyes and explosively sighed as he tried to calm down. He knew nothing would get done in panic so he tried to get the feel for the area; might give him a clue as to where the hell he was. The water his feet laid in prior had been surprisingly lukewarm. He merely reasoned that being in the water for however long made him accustomed to it. With the soft lull of the water moving to and fro from the bank he surmised he was near a large body of water rather than a river.

A light breeze flew across the water passing over the stranger on the bank. He gave a light shiver as the winds passed through his shirt and touched his face like a soft caress. The trees behind him rustled in the wind, sounding like the whispered sweet nothings of a lover. However confused he may have been he could still tell that this area was quite tranquil.

He turned his attention to his state of dress. Feeling about he found that his shirt had multiple holes and tears, with his left sleeve gone and the right mere tatters like the hem of his shirt. Surprisingly only a pair of holes was present at his back, though he imagined it was stained brown from the dirt he had laid in. It was also a surprise to find that his belt and jeans remained relatively intact. The ends on both legs were reduced to slips of material but only past the knees.

He found it remarkable that aside from tarnished clothes he was mostly unharmed. At least until he felt the ache on his right, the side he laid on in the mud. It wasn’t as bad as he thought, however; just some bruises, and nothing broken. He moved cautiously towards the water where he washed off what mud he could get.

He thought as he worked, mind burning with questions that needed answers. Such as why he couldn’t remember how he got here. He could remember where he was before of course, but not how he arrived… where ever this place was. He resigned himself for the moment, knowing that until morning there really wasn’t much he could do. Once done he dried his hands on his jeans and stood back up, gazing at his surroundings once more.

There was something special about this place, he could feel it. Something calming, magical even. He didn’t know what made this place so special and at the moment he didn’t really care. All he wanted was to rest for the night then he would start in the morning anew.

Moving away from the water he found himself a dry spot of soft grass. Lying back on the soft ground it seemed to cushion and cradle his weary body. Resting with hands over his stomach he closed his eyes, wondering not for the first time where he was and how he would get home. He closed his mind from such thoughts and instead tried to sleep.

He just began to dose when a light splash wrenched him from slumber’s embrace. Slowly rising another splash whipped him to his feet, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. As the stars appeared again he caught movement to the right. Turning only his head, he caught the sight of… something flowing into the water. It was like…like a…

‘A tail…A fish tail…’ That got the gears in his head turning. Something was here, in the water, and he was glad he had the foresight to move away from the edge. He scanned the water slowly, trying to move as little as possible.

‘Every aquatic animal is sensitive to vibration. My waking up is probably what awoke whatever is in the water. It probably noticed when I arrived, but since I wasn’t moving, it may have thought I was a stay piece of wood, and not something edible…

Whatever it is, it’s got to be big. The tail I saw was short and thin, but the ripples don’t seem to match it. They were too large; it’s gotta be long then, judging by the shape of the tail.’ He tried to keep as calm as possible, somehow finding the strength to keep his imagination in check if only just. He took a quick glance behind him, finally noticing the wall of trees that stretched into the darkness on either side. He made a mental note that the trees could help cover his escape if need be.

He caught movement again, to his left this time and caught an arch making large ripples in the water. He counted the seconds as he watched the arch move. As soon as he hit 5 the same tail from earlier flicked in the air before quickly submerging once more. His eyes were wide at this development.

‘I was right… damn that is long. That could have been what…nearly 15 feet, and almost a foot thick. The only fish I know that could come close to that are eels, but eels don’t live in such shallow waters last I checked. So that leaves…a snake!’ With that thought, he immediately took a few steps further from the waters’ edge.

Heart racing, he no longer heard the soft rustle of the trees, pulsing blood drowning it out completely. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, preparing to fight or take flight. What little light his eyes took from the stars helped clear the darkness if only just. What used to be simply dark shapes on the water turned into large ferns and lily pads just as he thought earlier. As the man took in all he could see, a fern that rustled a little more than the others in the wind when unnoticed. Soft amber eyes took in his form as he turned, ever alert, bouncing lightly from foot to foot on the balls of his feet.

His breaths were deep yet quick as his lungs took in the needed air. His mind raced as he tried to keep himself from panic.

‘Shit, it just had to be a large snake. Alright, get yourself together and settle down, panicking won’t help anything. What do I know? It’s an aquatic snake, so it IS venomous, but they suck at moving on land.’ He calmed slightly as he noticed the distance between himself and the water.

‘Usually such snakes have specialized diets, although…with how big the damn thing is, it either feeds on the larger local fish or… ‘ He gulped. ‘Ambushes anything that gets too close to the water’s edge. Either way, I’d be safer… in…’ His thoughts halted as his gaze met that of a pair of glowing yellow orbs. The soft glow entranced him as if placed under a spell, grabbing his full attention.

Like a pair of perfectly sun ripe lemons, the contrast in colour was too difficult to ignore, the orbs watching his every movement. As he gazed into these hauntingly beautiful eyes, for they could be nothing else, he found wariness, curiosity, and most startling of all… intelligence.

He blinked as the eyes slowly dipped into the water, the light dimming which allowed him to make out the humanoid head the eyes belonged to. As the world was plunged back into near darkness once more he released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

‘Well, that’s… damn. I knew something was odd about this place. If the moon was out I would have just chalked the glow to reflecting moonlight. But only the night of a New Moon could bring a night like this. Then…’

He sucked in his gasp as the realization hit. ‘Then that means the glow came from those eyes! Which would mean that… that tail belongs to… whatever this thing is.’ His body began to tense as other factors became clear. He watched the water intently whilst straining his hearing for…anything really.

‘Everything still seems…calm? This is weird, there’s just the wind rustling the trees, and the ripples in the water, nothing that screams danger. Does this mean that thing in the water could be…peaceful? It didn’t try to attack me earlier, it just watched me, probably wanting to know what I am or what I’m doing here no doubt.’ Everything in his logic told him he’d be safer in the woods, away from the water. Sure, whatever was in the water hadn’t acted hostile in any way. Yet his logic also found that in order to keep living from what could be a threat, running now was in the best interests of survival.

Despite this his body was relaxing, and he had no clue as to why. He wasn’t soldier, trained in ways to keep the body primed and the mind sharp regardless of the situation. He was a civie, a regular Joe that stayed at home mostly and kept himself glued to his computer. Looking back on this he would assume that this was due to a mixture of things, like the weariness of his body and the calm atmosphere where he stood.

But it was something else. Something that he barely listened to except on rare occasions that he later chalked up to luck. It was his instinct, that small voice that told his mind what his body could feel, more than his eyes could see. Because he was tired, that small voice was just a little louder, his subconscious taking heed while the conscious remained blissfully unaware. Oblivious to the fact that his body was telling him that he was safe, as strange as it may be.

There was another part of the man that was unknowingly helping his instinct. It was his curiosity, the part of him that wanted to know what was out there, for better or for worse. As his body relaxed, his mind shifted from thinking of how to run to instead, thinking of what he could discover and learn.

A plan began to form in his mind, a risky and possibly stupid plan, but the only thing he knew he could do besides run. He could feel the nervousness grow, natural to not knowing what might happen. Without pause he pushed it down, it wouldn’t help any. All he could do was move forward and never look back. He took a deep breath, slowly breathing out to further calm his nerves. Slowly moving forward he stopped at the waters’ edge, peering into the darkness beyond.

His footsteps covered what little the being made as its head rose out of the water once more, hidden within the darkness. The stranger took one last look around, secretly hoping the being was watching. Not finding anything to prove or deny his hopes, he cleared his throat. The being perked at this; this man was trying to communicate!

“Well, here goes… Hello. I know you’re out there, somewhere, and you know I’m here. So far you have yet to bring harm to me, and for that I am grateful. In return, to my knowledge, I have brought no harm to either you or your home, nor do I wish to cause any harm. I was hoping that you could come out so we could speak civilly to each other.” As he looked into the darkness around him, the last echoes of his voice faded into the background until there was silence once more.

Sure speaking aloud like this made him feel silly, and he sure as hell wished he could have thought up something better. I know you’re out there somewhere. Geez, that didn’t sound creepy at all. He didn’t know if it was listening really, but what was done was done, all that was left to do was wait.

A small bead of sweat rolled down his chin before plunging into the calm water below with a soft splash. He quelled the growing nervousness that grew in the pit of his gut. The waiting game always stimulates the nerves. Just as much as he was nervous though he was excited. Whatever this being was it wasn’t human, and the prospect of meeting let alone speaking with what could be another sentient being was actually quite thrilling, just as long as this didn’t prove harmful to his health. Before his mind could drift at the possibilities a soft white glow appeared in the tranquil water.

Shaped as round as the moon, and as large as he was tall, the light intensified as ripples broke the stillness of the water. As the light grew to a blinding concentration, water surged into the sky far above his head. The man held an arm to shield his face and braced himself, not knowing the reason for the water surge.

As the waters calmed and the light faded to a bearable luminescence, he lowered his arm and opened his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat as his eye widened, afraid to close should the figure before him disappear.

Surrounded by a faint white aura, the being floated mere inches above the water’s surface. Looking at the figure he could tell instantly that it was female as his face flushed a light crimson. How could he not, with the soft features of her serene face? The pale complexion of her skin? Or that fact that she bared so much cleavage yet covered enough to be considered decent? Sexy and sensual yet refined as the quality of her clothing proved to him. The style was definitely oriental in style as her billowing sleeves and tassels of the obi tied around her thin waist fluttered in the breeze.

The colours were of blues mostly, such as the sky blue for her sleeves and the near teal colour for the main part of her customized kimono. He couldn’t remember what the name of the outer coat was called, but it was a dark pine green with no obvious accents in the material itself. Red was definitely the accent of the entire outfit as he could see hints at the end of her sleeves and on the edges of her outer coat. The sash that wrapped around her waist was nothing but red.

He almost jumped when he realized, again that she wasn’t entirely human. Below her waist stretched out a serpentine tail, green as shining emeralds with a line of long red hair trailing her spine. He knew now with certainty that the tail from earlier belonged to the glowing eyes, her glowing eyes. Moving his eyes up once more and resisting the urge to simply stare at the bountiful flesh practically bare before him, he looked at her face.

Her eyes were closed, with a serene smile on her lips. A cute nose was nestled between her high cheek bones which looked perfectly smooth. A pair of green marks on either side of her face were resting just beneath her eyes. Remembering her tail he deduced that they must be scales. Atop her head sat a length of hair long enough to trail past her hips. It was possibly the most beautiful shade of light lavender that he could not help but acknowledge was natural. It moved easily in the wind and he felt if he ever had the privilege to stroke it, her hair would feel as soft if not softer then silk.

Bangs covered her forehead, and yet not a single hair passed over her eyes. A large lock framed each side of her face as it passed before her ‘ears’ and looped back behind her head. The rest of the hair was evenly split the sides, held by a pair of golden pins shaped like the Japanese magatama. Now that he thought of it another one sat on her chest, nestled between the nape of her collar and the top of her cleavage. Also the symbol was used to emblazon the one side of her kimono, this time in red.

Aside from the marks on her face, her ears weren’t human at all but reptilian instead. Where human ears would have been now sat a pair of green fins that twitched as the breeze flowed. Above them rested a pair of short, pronged antlers. This of course when he looked at them, made him realize a very startling fact.

‘I’m looking at… at a… honest to God Dragoness!’ His eyes widened a little more as they trailed to her arms. Her bare shoulders were human-like, but the arms coming out of her sleeves were fully draconian. Covered with overlapping emerald scales they looked tougher than any full plate armour. Her large hands had only 3 fingers with an opposable thumb, yet each digit ended with a sharp looking talon. Between them she held what looked like a ball, about the size of an orange and coloured the purest of gold, matching her pins. Fluttering lightly in the wind at her sides were a pair of long antennae, seemingly connected to the ends of the locks that framed her face. This completed the look of a Chinese dragon in humanoid form.

What might have felt like an age was, in reality, only a few seconds as he studied this figure of raw draconian beauty given form. Her eyes opened then, revealing a pair of stunning orange amber irises. Not the yellow he expected but he couldn’t care less. He didn’t care if she wasn’t human; this woman was the most beautiful creature he could have ever laid eyes upon. She suddenly giggled, the sound making his skin tingle hearing it for the first time. He realized he must have spoken his last thought aloud as she smiled demurely, an appreciative gleam in her soft amber eyes.

He gave her a wide grin in return, and took a step forward back into the water. Her presence was just so calming, not to mention inviting. He walked closer, until he was knee-deep in the shallows. Walking in water at night always had a slight risk, however. In the dark you can’t see what lies beneath the surface. Thankfully he didn’t step on anything sharp. But he did step on something slick.

She watched on as, with one leg in the air and arms spinning wildly beside him, he slowly stepped back, trying to keep his balance. His face was contorted from surprise and nervousness. Unfortunately, after his fourth step it was no use.

“UWAHH!!!” With a great splash he fell into the water. She floated closer as he sat up in the shallows, coughing up what little water may have gone down the wrong way. Wiping away the spit on his arm, he slicked back his hair as he looked at her as she floated there. She blinked at him, and he blinked back to her. As one their lips slowly curved up, shoulders shaking as they burst out laughing. The air rang with their joined voices, hers soft and distinctively feminine with her higher octave; his loud and characteristically male in a mid-range, yet they could hear each other over their own laughter.

As their laughter dimmed to chuckling and giggling she looked him over. She immediately noted his piecing green eyes, rich as pure jade yet a different shade altogether, with a small ring of yellow in the centre of the iris. His face was angular and defined with a strong jaw and high cheek bones. He was young, but didn’t have any baby fat at all, possibly in his early 20’s by her guess.

His hair was a pleasing shade of brown, which seemed to shift shades in the light as the breeze tussled his short locks. It was medium length, equal all around and it looked as if when dry it would be just shy of his shoulders. She also took note of the short stubble on the lower half of his face. It looked evenly spaced to her, with little spots here and there where the hairs had yet to properly darken.

His nose fit perfectly to her, being a good medium size. With dark eyebrows and well-rounded ears, she saw a very handsome face before her. It was not without blemish of course, a small round mark here and there, and a small scar under his bottom lip. All in all however, it did nothing to mar his looks. She continued her silent assessment as he stood in the water and took off what remained of his once-white shirt and rung out what water remained.

Her cheeks gained a rosy hue as she drank in his form. He was an impressive 6 feet in height and well proportioned, with wide shoulders and long arms. He was a little thin, though she guessed he was simply built as such. Although she did question whether he was eating well for the past while, noting the barest hint of his ribs as he moved. She liked the way his muscles tensed as he rung out his tattered shirt.

‘He might be of noble birth, given his stature and looks. Though I wonder, how long has he been here for his stubble to have grown as such? Also his clothes are in tatters and what remains look quite different from the styles I’ve seen before.’ She pondered as her eyes travelled from the now mostly dry shirt he slipped back on, down his chest and abdomen to the leather belt that held his oddly styled pants. She smiled lightly at the slight bulge between his legs, knowing that he liked her figure as much as she liked his. Trailing back up she met his gaze once more, giving him a kind smile.

“I do hope you’re not hurt from the fall.” She came ever closer, nearly within arms’ length now. A small shiver raced up his spine, the rich yet soft timber of her voice was like honey to his ears. Nothing seemed wrong to him, besides how could a being with such a beautiful laugh be harmful in any way to him? Something was nagging at him though. He just couldn’t remember what it was. He’d think about it later, it didn’t seem that important anyway.

“Thank you. I’m alright though. It takes a bit more than a light slip to keep me down.” He smiled at her. With a hand at his hip, he rapped his chest lightly, as if proving his durability. She giggled at the action, finding it slightly odd yet endearing from the man before her.

She locked eyes with him once more. “I’m glad; it wouldn’t do for my newest visitor to be hurt while under my care.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. So, like I mentioned before, I don’t mean to cause any trouble. I didn’t actually mean to barge into your home like this.” ‘Though I have no flippin clue as to how I came here in the first place…’

“It’s quite alright. While I don’t get many visitors, you are perfectly welcome into my home.” She gave small gasp. “Oh, where are my manners? My name is Mer’ndra; it is a pleasure to meet you.” She bowed deeply before him. A stray thought passed through his mind wondering how she doesn’t fall out of her clothes at such an angle. He shook his head as she came back up.

“The pleasure is all mine Merendra; I hope I said it right, my name is Drake. It’s an honour to meet you.” He gave her a deep bow of his own as his mind whirled.

‘Ok, either her name shows a facet of her kinds language, or that of the people here. Either way, my real name would make me stand out too much. I can’t be in the spotlight if I want to find a way home. I just hope this’ll pass on well enough for the time being.’ He arose from his thoughts as the dragoness halved the distance between them. Holding the orb to her chest she gave another small, sweet smile.

“I too and most honoured to meet you Drake, and don’t worry, you were very close with my name. It’s Mare-nin-dra. I’m what is known as a Ryu.” With her eyes closed, she didn’t catch the slight look of alarm on Drake’s face. That’s what had been nagging him; he recognized what she was but couldn’t think of it thanks to her natural charms keeping his focus.

‘Hoh boy, I don’t know whether to call this good fortune or misfortune. I somehow end up in the Monster Girl world or a version of, and was found first by a Ryu of all things.’ He would have continued further, had the Ryu before him looked at him expectantly.

He scratched his cheek in confusion for a moment before nodding, copying her as a parrot would. It seemed like that was what the Ryu wanted, as his success earned a beaming smile. She seemed easily pleased by such a relatively small accomplishment but he wasn’t going to voice that aloud. Besides, the innocent smile and sweetness she exuded was disarmingly beautiful. She continued on.

“You’re the first man I’ve properly spoken to. The others either ran or collapsed once they saw me. I don’t know why they did. I hope I did nothing wrong…” She looked at him, eyes uncertain with a small measure of hurt. This shocked Drake, truly it did. The sight of Mer’ndra’s face, with her eyes watering, made his heart ache. Damn him for his kind nature and like of helping others!

The emotions running through those eyes couldn’t be faked, and something told him, screamed to him that she was telling the truth. Looking with compassionate eyes he tried to ease her troubles.

“Hey now, I don’t think you did anything wrong. I think they acted like that because they got scared. Not of you of course!” He added hastily, so she wouldn’t get the wrong idea. “It would have to do with how they knew nothing about you, nothing about this area. They didn’t understand any of it; they feared the unknown.” Drake was pleased to see the look of hurt replaced by understanding. She gave a small sniff while taking a sleeve to her eyes, even if there were no tears to catch.

“Yet you stayed.” She stated simply, as if speaking a small revelation. He nodded, giving her a confident smile while standing tall. He didn’t notice the small glint in her eyes as she looked at him.

“Yeah, I stayed. Not because I lacked fear, but because I pushed past it, because I wanted to understand. And thanks to that choice, I got to meet you; I can honestly say that I find nothing to regret about it.” Drake kind yet confident grin widened ever little at the rosy hue that crossed her cheeks. It was a heartfelt smile that she returned without hesitation.

As well as a hug. “I knew it!”

“Eh?” He blinked in utter confusion as she pressed herself fully against him.

“I knew it; I knew this day would come! The day when I would find you my dearest husband!” She cried out as she cradled his head to her neck, pressing as much of herself to him as she physically could. She was just so overjoyed!

“Wha-find-wai-Husband?!” His mind tried to work desperately, despite the mixed signals being sent to his brain. She held him quite firmly and yet knew to hold back enough not to crush him. Part of him marvelled at the hidden strength he could feel within her. Another focused on the warmth of her body and the sheer joy that her voice exuded. It also didn’t help that her mounds were pressed wonderfully against his partly bare chest. She wriggled as she held him, exhilarated with elation.

Finally after all this time, she found him, just like her mother told her! If she waited here long enough a man would come to her. Oh she knew her husband-to-be wouldn’t just fall into her lap, she had to see his character first.

Once she began to talk with him though her heart began to beat harder. After he looked at her with those compassionate green eyes and eased her worries about the others, a chord struck her very being. She knew then without a doubt that he was the one. Her heart raced with joy as she held him close. It was as if the Demon Lord herself had blessed her for her patience. She promised herself then and there she would do everything in her power to care for this man, to repay the Demon Lord for such a gift.

Drake on the other hand didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. Well, in a way he did but the shock of his current situation made him slow on the uptake. She gave his mind a small reprieve as she moved back to look him in the eye, though she still held him firmly. He could still feel her strong heart beat within her chest as his confused eyes met her loving ones.

He soon got a grip on himself. “W-wait, hold on. What do you mean, husband?” He didn’t mean to stutter, but hell who could blame him? He remembered what she was supposed to be like from her ‘profile’, but realized that the profile was a more general look at all Ryu as a whole rather than individuals. She grabbed his focus once more as she stroked his cheek.

“It’s just like I said. I’ve been here this whole time, waiting for the one man that would become my husband. It seems my diligent waiting has finally paid off!” She giggled as she pressed herself to him once more. Knowing he’d have to speak now or forever hold his piece, he struggled to grip her shoulders. Thinking he wanted to embrace her his own way, she loosened her hold just enough for his arms reach out. She blinked in confusion as he pushed her to just within an arms’ length.

“Now hold on. How can you just choose me as your husband? We don’t know anything about each other!” His eyes begged her to understand his reasoning. She smiled as she gave her answer.

“I chose you because I’ve already learned a great deal about you. You’re a man with a kind soul, Drake.” At his bewildered face she couldn’t help but giggle again.

“You’re a man that keeps himself from panic, as you calmed yourself on the bank. You have a sharp mind as you surveyed you surroundings with what little light was provided after you gained consciousness. You’re quick to react when you feel something is wrong…” His jaw continued to drop as she described all his good points from just watching him for the first time. He knew her eyes held intelligence but man. Although, maybe she was reading a little too much into this?

“…overall you have all the things I could ask for in a husband. You have courage in spite of fear and doubt, you’re confident in the choices you make, and you have a kind heart. How could I not choose you? I find it fortuitous that you’re so handsome at the same time.” She laughed at his flabbergasted face. Drake shook his head to regain what composure he could get. Even so he couldn’t help the red tinge that covered his cheeks at her praise. Still, he pushed forward trying to make her understand.

“But we’ve only just met! There’s no way that was enough time to make such a big choice.” Despite the fact that he made a good point she just continued to smile lovingly at him.

“I know. Yet my intuition told me, screamed at me that you were the correct choice. Besides, we have the rest of our lives to learn everything about each other, don’t we dear?” She countered him with as good a point as he made. She drew in close, smiling as she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He just blinked silently at her, his mind reaching for something, anything to counter her argument and make her see that she couldn’t make this choice so easily. His mouth moved as he tried to form words, but nothing came just as his mind drew nothing.

He closed his mouth with an audible clack as he tried to ‘measure’ the situation. On the one hand, he was far from home and needed some way to get back, he was alone with nothing to his name but the tattered clothes on his back. He still had to find a job to pay for school back home and he couldn’t do that while stuck here. What of his family and friends? He knew they’d be worried about what had happened to him.

On the other hand he was being held by a Goddess made sexually draconian flesh. One who had just announced that she just became his wife after just being himself. She was a beautiful woman, with a charming voice, stunning eyes and such a luscious body that would make any woman envious. She was warm too; his chest felt perfectly warm as it was nuzzled by her bosom, while his feet were chilled as the wind blew between his toes. Also she-Wait…

“Huh?” He blinked a couple times as he used his feet to feel out anything below him. Oh he felt her strong and powerful tail as it twisted almost lazily below her body. He felt it twitch as his feet brushed her sides, her giggle telling him she was slightly ticklish there. He moved his feet to the sides, trying to feel the ground. Yet, he felt nothing but air. How was this possible? He looked at her. She giggled back. He looked down.

“YIPE!” Only to find that they were floating almost 30 feet in the air. He grabbed hold of the only thing available in his shock, which was Mer’ndra. His legs locked around her waist as his arms locked around her neck while her strong arms continued to hold him to her firmly, made easier by Drake’s actions. He looked at her as his shock faded and his heart rate slowed. She just giggled at him all the while.

Looking back at his reaction, Drake would think Lady Luck herself were with him since his legs somehow missed the reverse scale on her back. If he had, he’d be screwed both metaphorically and literally.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He questioned with a deadpanned look.

“My, whatever do you mean?” She shot back as she look into his eyes, where he found a mischievous glint in her amber orbs. He sighed explosively. Yup, definitely a mischievous one.

“Never mind.” he muttered quietly to himself. He thought for a quick moment before coming to a decision.

“Alright, since we’re already in the air, might as well continue this conversation back at your home.” Her gasp in excitement surprised him, even though he felt it shouldn’t have. She turned around fully as she rose only a little higher.

“Of course now, hold on tight dear.” It was all the warning Drake got before she rocketed across the water. As the wind rushed past them Drake looked to her as they flew. She smiled happily at him before focusing on the path ahead. Looking up as the clouds and stars passed by, only one thought passed through his mind.

’What in the world have I gotten myself into?’

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