16. Oarus

16

OARUS

Ihave risen from my slumber extra early this morning. Yvonne still sleeps as I quietly prepare a light breakfast for us, consisting of sliced fruit, leftover casein from last night’s evening meal, and fresh water straight from the spring.

It’s captivating to me how peaceful she looks when she rests, like the evening sun hovering over the horizon. She’s a sight I could sit and gaze at for hours on end.

Luckily for me, she’s not a far-away object. I still anticipate getting closer to her, to finally achieve my goal of laying intimately together and pleasuring one another. I am a patient being, though. One has to be when they’ve lived decades upon decades.

As I slice the fruit, I think of her story from yesterday. It seemed as though it was particularly hard for her to recount. I wonder if I hit an old wound.

Nevertheless, her tale only reaffirms my newfound purpose – to get her to see her true worth. If I can convey to her how much she truly means to me, then she may finally grasp how much the world needs a beautiful creature like her.

“I’ll show you, Yvonne. Just wait.”

The girl shifts underneath the bed covers as I lay down the plate of casein. I pour her a mug of water and bring it over just as she rises groggily from her sleep. She turns to me, rubbing her eyes as a tired smile stretches adorably across her face.

“Good morning, Yvonne. Come take a seat at the table. I’ve prepared a meal for us.”

After a few minutes spent coming to her senses, she joins me.

She talks of the previous day’s excursion into the water, but as she chats, I notice her eyes narrowing in on various corners of my lair. I recognize that look on her face, an expression of curiosity.

“You appear particularly interested in my lair this morning,” I remark, leaning forward in my chair.

“I’m just thinking,” she says, her brows crossed in deep thought.

“About?”

“What would I do with this place if it were mine.”

I chuckle and lean back, crossing my arms. “So, you’re saying my home is in need of human intervention. What would you do?”

She mimics me, smirking as she copies my gesture. “Is that an invitation to redecorate your lair?”

“Yvonne, I would not insist you live here without having a say in how our dwelling should look. Now tell me, what do you have in mind? I have plenty of human goods and decorations lying around.”

“You certainly do,” she says. “Your collection is honestly quite impressive, but the problem here is that most of it is stored away in boxes.”

“Well then, I propose we do some rearranging after our meal. What do you say?”

Our meal concludes, after which Yvonne and I spend some time redecorating my lair. Though I possess many human products, I can see now that what this place really needed was the human touch.

Soon, the lair appears more open and inviting. The furnishings are arranged in such a way that I now have more space to move around freely and fill up with other goods. I’m tidying up when another idea springs to mind.

“Yvonne, the caverns and the shoreline are bound to have more items we could use for decorating. How about we head out and scavenge? We can take another dive into the sea, too, while we’re out.”

She claps her hands together excitedly. “That’d be splendid!”

We maneuver through the caverns, throwing fresh fruit into our baskets and scraping jewels off the walls. I plan on making some into a necklace for Yvonne.

As we walk and talk, I notice she appears more upbeat than yesterday. I realize then that this decorating idea is a brilliant way to get her to feel more comfortable in the lair.

If she can settle in better as a result of today’s work, it may just aid in helping her feel useful and that she’s doing something to help out of her own free will. Not just because I commanded her to.

We arrive at the water, and after a brief search, I hand her the special blend of grass. She takes my offered hand as we tread into the clear blue water.

“It looks even prettier than it did yesterday,” she remarks.

“So do you.”

“Always the charmer, aren’t you, Oarus?”

Smiling, I sweep her up into my arms. She screams and laughs as I dive in. “Stick close to me,” I tell her. “Now let’s go have some fun.”

We pass over the reefs from the day prior, venturing further to a canyon just below shallow depths. This area is littered with more creatures and plant life, all of which causes Yvonne to stop and admire.

“Because we’re deeper here, the grass won’t last as long,” I tell her. “Enjoy the sights, of course, but let’s not overstay our welcome.”

I peer around for any threats in our immediate vicinity, ensuring the zone is clear before beginning my search. Scavenging through the plant life, I locate a generous few handfuls of pearls. I know she’ll love them.

“Oarus!” she calls out excitedly after a few minutes pass. I turn to see her beckoning me over.

“Have you found something?” I ask, wading over.

“Look at these seashells,” she says, holding out a bunch in the cup of her hands. “They come in so many colors down here.”

“Yes, they’re stunning. They’re like that because some predators can’t see them, so they remain safe. That’s why some of the casein we’re seeing differ so much in color compared to those near the shore.”

We stow them away in our packs, and after another while, we each have more than we can carry.

“Come on then, let’s bring these back to the baskets on the beach.”

I emerge from the water, walking onto the sand as my tail morphs into feet. The baskets are overflowing with pearls, seashells, and other ornaments we’ve scavenged.

My heart sparks with happiness when I see the joy written on Yvonne’s face.

I look up to the skies, satisfied to see there is not a single cloud threatening to spill rain. Good, I want perfect weather for our evening excursion into town.

“We’d best – ” I stop when I see a blur of movement in the water behind Yvonne and spot a massive black shape. “Yvonne, run!”

I sprint for her as the shape breaches the surface. Yvonne is too slow to respond, and I have no choice but to push her out of the way.

The monster lunges for me, but I catch it by its neck just in time and slam it down hard onto the hot, blistering sand. It squeals and squirms free of my grip, pouncing back onto all fours.

Its tail curls behind it as the monster bares its teeth, and its body tenses as I square off with the creature. I hiss and roar at it. For a moment, it hesitates.

“What the hell is that?” yells Yvonne, catching the monster’s attention.

“Don’t talk!”

The creature turns for her, causing me to scream at it again. It reels back and gives a growl, shaking the ground beneath us. Then it reluctantly retreats and dives back into the water.

The adrenaline flooding my body dissipates, leaving me sluggish and moody. Yvonne approaches me from behind.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I landed roughly, but I’m fine,” she says, her voice quivering. “Gods… I know you talked about other monsters having their place here, but I wish they were gone forever.”

“This place is as dangerous as it is breathtaking,” I tell her. “Many living beings here are mindless and primal in their way. They can’t think rationally like me.”

“I was so close to dying…”

“You are safe now, Yvonne. I promise you that you will always be safe with me, but promise me one thing in return. You are never to venture out alone. You must remain by my side at all times.”

“Yeah, I can agree to that. Can we leave now? I want to get out of here.”

As we travel back to the lair, I can’t help but wonder if she’s still willing to live in these circumstances. I ask her to be sure.

It doesn’t surprise me when she states she’s fully accepting of it all. Is she being genuine, or is she using this as a mask for her previous sadness?

Each of us rests and recuperates for a few hours when we arrive home. We both wash and continue decorating the home, slowly recovering from the monster’s assault.

I am glad when she says she still wishes to head out for a stroll in the town. I don a disguise to conceal my scaly skin, while she wears a robe that hides most of her face beneath a thick hood.

“Tyrus has many associates who know who I am,” she says. “I can’t risk being seen by them.”

“Very well,” I reply, looking at the sky. “Look, there is a full moon out tonight. It glows like your skin.”

She smiles. “Are you ready?”

“Just about, I need to grab one more thing.” I reach for the money on the bookshelf and stow it into my pack while Yvonne’s back is turned. Should she express her desire to purchase any goods in the market, I plan on surprising her with the funds I’ve accumulated and found on the beach over the years.

A short while later, we’re strolling into one of the many entrances leading into the town. The space is alive and buzzing with drunks, market vendors, and townspeople. I draw a deep breath and head in with Yvonne holding my arm.

It feels… almost human.