Page 124 of Tharn's Hunt
Her cheeks darken further, her body going stiff as she looks anywhere but at me. "It’s, uh… humans don’t emerge from stones, okay?We, um… we make babies through…" She hesitates, her projections drop to a whisper. "Sex."
The word lands in the mindspace like a spine striker’s tail piercing the dust.
Kol’s gaze sharpens. Rok tilts his head, his expression one of quiet confusion. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken questions.
"Sex," I echo, the thought rough.
Jah-kee groans, pressing her hands to her face. "Oh my god, I want to die."
Her words alarm me.
Every muscle in my body locks. "Why?" My claws unsheathe instinctively. "What is this 'sex'? How does it steal life?" My panicked gaze darts to Rok, who immediately crowds Jus-teen, sniffing for traces of this mortal threat.
Jah-kee peeks through her fingers. "No! I don’t actually want to—It’s a human expression. For... embarrassment."
Kol steps forward with the measured grace of a leader seeking understanding. When he speaks, his projection resonates with calm.
"The Daughters shaped us. If this is how humans shape life…then this 'sex' is sacred too."
Jah-kee groans louder, her hands dragging down her face. "It’s not the same thing, okay? Different species. Different methods. Can we please just move on?"
I frown, my confusion deepening. "You enjoy it when I sheathe myself in you. Is it not the same?"
Jah-kee lets out a strangled noise, her hands flying back up to cover her face again. "Tharn!" She hisses out loud. "Not here! Not in front of everyone!"
"Why not?" Kol asks, his head tilting. "This is sacred knowledge. If this… sex is how humans shape life, we must understand it."
"It is more than knowledge," I project, my mind grappling with the implications. "It is a new law. A hunter knows his prey. I know the shadowmaw, the dust serpent, the sandfin. They do not join. They do not... make life within their bodies. They emerge. From the deep caves, from the hot sands, from the cracked earth. All life on this dust emerges. All except... you."
Rok jerks his chin as his arms circle Jus-teen. "If this knowledge helps us protect you, it is worth knowing."
Jus-teen makes another strangled sound, shooting Jah-kee a desperate look. "Help me," she whispers.
Jah-kee groans again, her shoulders slumping in defeat. And then, a thought—sharp and clear and not meant for me—slips through the mindspace.
“They won't stop until they understand. And if they don't understand, they can't protect us. Fine.”
The thought is not soft. It is not the thought of prey. It is the thought of a hunter choosing the best path through dangerous ground. My respect for my Jah-kee deepens.
"Okay, look," she starts. "Humans don’t reproduce like Drakav. We don’t… emerge from stones. We… join together. Physically. And sometimes that creates babies. But not always."
Kol’s brow furrows. "Physically? How?"
Jah-kee winces. "I’d really rather not?—"
"Show us," Kol interrupts, gesturing toward her frame.
Jah-kee chokes. "I am not showing you!"
Kol tilts his head further, clearly baffled by her reaction. "Why not? If this is how your species survives, it is vital knowledge."
"It’s private!" Jah-kee’s face is so red I fear she might overheat. "Okay. Okay. I guess we’re doing this right here, right now. Here’s how it works. When a man’s… um…" She hesitates, her hands flailing slightly. "When a man’s happy juice meets a woman’s egg, then a baby can be formed.That’s just how humans create new humans."
"Happy juice?" Kol echoes, his head tilting further.
Jah-kee groans, gaze darting to Jus-teen. "It’s called sperm."
Kol’s expression doesn’t change, though I sense his curiosity sharpening in the mindspace. "And this… sperm," he projects slowly, "is a fluid your males produce?"
