12. Oarus

12

OARUS

Irise with dawn before Yvonne starts to stir. The expression on her face on the night prior when I made the bigrul soup is burned into my mind. She had been impressed, and her body language had begun to turn serene. I need to keep that up by engaging in what she informed me was this supposed ‘dating’ activity.

Light scatters at my feet as I travel beyond the cave, retrieving sustenance from the shoreline. Bigrul isn’t the only available food around the cave. There are also sea snails, water fortisia, molusket, and crell. Every now and then, a wagon fills up along the nearby road and drops provisions meant for the townsfolk, like bread and more sugary and salty treats.

I carry the meal in my arms back into the cave, beaming from the haul I managed. Yvonne is still lost in sleep, so I place the items down on the smooth stone I use to slice casein and begin constructing a fire.

I have never felt this kind of glee before. Yvonne’s explanation of courtship sparked a memory inside me that I am eager to share with her. Perhaps it will help me comprehend her meaning more thoroughly.

I build the fire with the dried wood retrieved over days and days of upkeep. It is tucked in a corner of the cavern to avoid exposure to the elements. I can see through the darkness with keen detail, so the presence of the fire is more done for my visitor’s sake and as a cooking tool. I reach for the cachet and begin to chop quietly, slimming down the logs to a reasonable size.

The sun is racing into the cave along with the soft cresting of waves against the rocky verve. The gentleness of it lifts my spirits, inspired to begin the day. I notice Yvonne stir in the bed just as I strike a match against the stone walls.

Light spills over the cave. She faces me with her eyes still closed, an effortless beauty. I feel a twinge of something at the core of the armored plate of my chest – my heartbeat, definitely anticipating engagement with this magnificent human.

I crouch down and hold the flame to the kindling, my expertise layout having been solidified over decades of dedicated practice. The teepee construction serves best for culinary ventures. The dry twigs at the base of the edifice start to smolder a ghostly blue, and soon enough, licks of saffron curl along the edges and race skyward.

Soft flames crackle as Yvonne’s eyes flutter open. Her look of sheer bewilderment is rather strange to me.

“Good morning,” I say, smiling at her.

She remains beneath several layers of blankets, pulled up to her chin as she heaves a long and satisfying sigh. Her tiny body stretches, and her tiny groans of delight summon an arousal in me.

“Is this all for me?” she whispers, still somewhat confused.

I recover the boiling pot from the previous night’s meal and present to her the feast for that morning.

“I have more than simply bigruls for you, dear Yvonne,” I say, swaying my hand over the varying options. “Water fortisia, crell, and much to your pleasure, I have treats obtained through my own methods."

I lay out the water fortisia in slabs upon the stone and lay it over the pinnacle of the teepee formation. I then fist the crell meat, which I have already deshelled, and toss it into the pot. Yvonne remains unmoving, blinking at me steadily.

“Treats?” she repeats.

My grin is broad. I rise and move to a secret corner near the dried logs and twigs, where the special snacks are wrapped in cloth. I carry the cloth back to the fire, fall to my knees, and unwrap the package.

Yvonne stares down at it, and a smile begins to bow her plump lips.

“Bread? You saved bread for me?”

I nod, deeply satisfied.

“It may be somewhat stale, but it will soften with the heat of the fire. I hope that this will suffice for initiating our courtship.”

Yvonne finally sits up in the bed, eyes sleepy from her unperturbed rest. She casts the blankets from her body and slides onto the ground, where I have placed an extra pillow to cushion her bottom.

“This is wonderful Oarus,” she says, gazing over the cuisine. “This is really… nice.”

I cook for her fervently, but I make an effort not to hurry. Her attention is stuck on my movements, giving me looks of admiration and marvel rather than those of fear and revulsion. I sprinkle seaweed into the mixture of crell and water fortisia while splitting the bread into three quarters.

I carefully scoop the meal out onto a flat stone. She holds it in her hands as if it were buried treasure.

“Eat now, dear Yvonne,” I encourage her. “You are going to need the vitality for our… date."

Her amber eyes glow, and she slurps up her share with avid exhilaration. It isn’t as chaotic as the first time, but there remains a touch of desperation. As if she, the human woman, fears any meal could be her last.

I long to vanquish that horror from her post-haste.

“I have recalled a memory,” I began, stirring the fortisia around with my fingers. “One related to your understanding of courtship. One that, perhaps, will aid me in my efforts."

Yvonne is listening, having left the wedge of bread for last. She is savoring it while the fire spits and cracks, filling up the hollows of her emaciated cheeks.

“I have observed this kind of behavior before. In humans and my kind. Our kind becomes mated, you see. We do not regard these courtship rituals as you do. But then I recalled a fellow creature who took a human as a mate.”

She pauses, gnawing on the last bit of sustenance. She speaks with her mouth full, but it is endearing.

“A sea creature like you? They had a human mate?”

I nod and continue my story.

“It has been some time since I considered them. It isn’t frowned upon in our society, but it is also incredibly rare. He shared one of the caverns nearby with her, and I recall him engaging in behavior we once thought was rather peculiar. But now I can understand.”

Yvonne stuffs the remains of the bread wedge into her mouth and chews languidly. She then shifts her stare into the fire, ruminating.

“And his courtship allowed him to possess his mate? Is this what you are saying?”

I frown, perplexed by the verbiage. I swish the stone plate from my lap and move around the fire to sit near her, and she watches me closely.

“Yvonne, I shall not possess you. I must lavishly court you, to connect, as you stated the day previously. Is that consented to?”

The pale look of dismay disappears, and I feel I can breathe again. She nods with vigor, then hands me the stone plate.

“Yes, I see what you are saying to me."

I take the plates along with the boiling pot and wash them. When I turn back, Yvonne is sitting back on the bed, the clothing draped over her like the billowing sails of a ship.

That is when I make my plea.

“Yvonne, I invite you today to join me in an activity that is woven into my very nature. Would you like to explore the sea with me? The winds are calm and the waters are gentle."

“Umm, I’m not a very good swimmer,” she says. "I like that you want me to learn more about your world, but I fear that I won’t keep up.”

I move toward the bed and fall before her, nestling myself between her open legs. She is jarred, but she isn’t afraid. I lay my hands on her thighs and caress her tenderly as I expel the many wonders of open waters.

“Oh, Yvonne, you will not be alone. The sea is bursting with a splendor that land walkers have yet to comprehend. The hues of the coral reefs, the kaleidoscope of pulsing magnificence, the array of splendid creatures, the sparkling cities, the soaring. Oh, the soaring…"

Yvonne senses my excitement, and it is contagious. Her beaming curiosity overrides her hesitation, blooming enthusiasm. I start to feel a connection forging, like a lotus bending toward the sun.

She touches my face. She gazes down at me, enthused. There is trust there. I can feel it, burning.

“Okay, Oarus. Take me out there then. You lead the way."

I rise and take her by the hand. We amble through the tunnels, following the trail of sunlight as our guide until we reach the water’s edge.

It is a bright and burgeoning day. The sky is clear and crisp, a vacant glistening dome of blue. The sea twinkles like millions of scattered jewels. It calls me in a sultry murmur.

I look down at Yvonne. “Are you ready?” I inquire with a grin.

Yvonne is hesitant, but she nods.

“You go first. I will watch.”

I let go of her hand and do not think twice. I take a sleek dive, leaping forward over the jagged rocks, the cold water’s embrace triggering the transformation of my legs into a long, elegant tail. My agility and grace are second nature, and as I return to the surface, I spot Yvonne stepping tentatively closer to the rocky edge.

I am eager to share my world with her. I float along the waves as she moves closer. I implore her with every cell in my seaward soul.