Children of the Water (Yandere M. x F. Reader)

Rough Ascension

"Only having one child is possible between a kelremm and a human. Regardless of the human's gender, the process of the child taking the human's life energy makes the human partner infertile."

"And, what if more than one child is born at once?"

He didn't answer immediately, and a disturbed expression crossed his countenance. "There have been no reports of that ever happening. It's theorized that the children somehow know that after their birth only one of them can be supported by their human parent. So, it's been suggested that one of them consumes the other or others in the womb."

Her feet stopping, she stared straight ahead. It didn't bother her too much that she wouldn't be able to have more than one child, but the other part made her a little bit sick. The imagery that formed in her mind wasn't pleasant, and she hoped that such a thing wouldn't happen. If this extra life energy source existed and if she had more than one child in her womb, perhaps, it wouldn't come to that. Maybe, with the extra life energy source, she would also be able to have more than one child. Still, what if Tarhuinn had a sibling, but he had to eat them to survive?

The thought caused her to feel a little dizzy, and the exhaustion from all of the climbing wasn't helping either. Unfortunately, her legs began to wobble, and she leaned over to her left. Tarhuinn quickly caught her. His hands pressed against her upper arms to keep her standing. Before he could ask anything, she inquired, "Do you think that you had a sibling?"

"I'm not sure. If I did have one, I apparently did what I had to do to survive. If I hadn't acted, they would be in my place. Again, this is assuming that those theories are correct, (f/n). I know that it isn't pleasant to think about or picture. So, for right now, let's focus on getting to the next complex."

Giving a weak nod, she pushed against him and managed to get her legs back to normal. They still had a long climb ahead of them, and her negative thoughts were only slowing them down. She decided to discuss a different topic to get her mind more away from the previous conversation. "Tarhuinn, do you know what's beyond the third complex? Or rather, what glimpse of it did you see?"

"I recall viewing a large pool of water but nothing else. I'm not quite sure where Tergii and Bimaa would go off to, but there might be a passageway underneath the water's surface. If so, we'll have to figure out a way to keep our supplies dry unless we come across them there. Some of the residents are bound to know of them, though, or at least have seen them. "

"If we have to travel underwater, what if the passage is too long for me even with your quick swimming?"

"If I feel like it will be too dangerous for you, we'll head back. There might be another way. I don't know, but I won't let you drown. Should we meet them there, and they grow hostile, I'll make sure that no harm comes to you."

"Wouldn't it be better if you taught me how to fight? That way, I could defend myself and be more useful in combat. Right now, I really only know that the sharp end will stab them."

"I'd rather you depend on me for protection."

"I doubt that's the only reason. You're worried that I may injure myself with it on accident or that I might try to fight against you if you pull me back from this journey. In simple terms, you don't trust me with a blade, but what if we were surrounded? Could you realistically defend me and take on a group of people? Even with your skill, one of them would be bound to get to me before you could fully stop all of them."

"There will only be two of them if they attack. I can handle that."

"What if some of the other residents in the area attack because they see you as a threat? Or, what if they're more than what they seem? Who knows what they're truly capable of. You keep saying that you'll protect me, but who's going to protect you? You're not invincible. And if you die, then I'll probably fall soon after if I can't defend myself. Your work will have been for nothing, and you would fail in what you keep telling me. If you really wish to protect me, teach me how to use a blade."

His hand tightened around hers some more, but she didn't shrink away from her view. Either he was going to reject the idea, or he was frustrated at seeing her point on the matter. "Before the third complex, there's a small cave room. We can train there, but I'm only teaching you the basics. If you want to learn anything else, it will have to be self taught."

Their hands disconnected for a short bit to avoid walking through one of the waterfalls. During this, she practically threw her hands up into the air but reminded herself not to jump. She would most likely slip if she did so. Tumbling down the steps would probably mean death for her. When they reconnected hands, she exclaimed, "Thank you! I'll be careful when using it." In the process of her jubilation, she ended up hugging him with her free arm.

Surprised by this, Tarhuinn glanced down to her and wrapped his free arm around her waist. A small smile graced his lips, though; he was concerned about the consequences of this decision. If there were a point where they had to turn back, his training may come back to bite him. He knew that she wouldn't kill him, but it would be harder to restrain her. For now, he would enjoy her embrace, and the current peace on their journey.