Qu Wren ran to the place that gave him the most comfort, the nearby lake. Somehow, the smell of water and feeling of the water lapping against his feet calmed his turbulent mind.
His hands went over to his tummy. 'so.... I am not pregnant....'
'Oh..' he plopped down on the sand. The wet cold sand cooled down his ass, but he did not acre at all. Because his mind was already preoccupied by the blunder he had done.
If Hachin was really pregnant, then he had put him to great risk just for his selfish needs. The poor guy was pregnant swam such a distance now...
'Now he is gone..... It's all my fault. I put him and his unborn child to risk.'
His heart ached too much to handle. Leaned down, he hugged his bent knees tightly, bringing a little of warmth to his cold body.
A small hand suddenly touched his trembling shoulders.
Moroko sat next to him silently.
"I was at fault, you know.... I was the one who insisted on coming up shore." he mumbled softly.
The little human kid glanced at him with a small smile. "Mister Wren, whatever you have done, it's not your fault. You did not know your friend was pregnant."
"No, I could have stopped him from taking that risk instead I took the comfort of his company for my selfish needs. I am such an awful friend..." Qu Wren sobbed silently.
The little human kid gently leaned against him, whispering that was it was okay.
But in his heart, he knew that everything is not okay. He had heard the doctor's report regarding the baby. Anyone who carries a baby with such a powerful blood line they are bound to be at high risk. The child might eat away the vitality of the mother before it is even born.
Hachin was lost, and currently he might be in grave danger. Might it be with the humans or the other beasts?
'I have to find him fast... but how.. I don't have any clues as of now. If I go searching the human towns, it will take a long time.'
Only other way was to investigate the day of Hachin's disappearance.
"Moroko, do you know what happened on that day the Mer Island was attacked?"
"I heard the villagers say that the great beast roc attacked them all of a sudden and disappeared. But my dad saw the bird flying back towards the shores that day. He got scared and ran back home,"
Qu Wren shot up. "Then..... I have to talk to him," he ran back to the hut urgently. Han Su and his wife, along with the Mer, waited for him by the door.
"Han Su!! I have something to talk to you about!!!" he nervously gripped his shoulders.
"a—anything sir,"
"Did you see the roc fly back to the shore that day?" he peered into his eyes unblinking, searching for answers.
"The roc did return after attacking the Mer island sir, but I was too scared to stay close. I rushed home, leaving my boat behind,"
"That's it!!! How could I not know this," Wren let go of him and hurriedly ran to the Mer. She moved back a vigilantly. "You said that he roc was searching for Hachin, right?"
"Yes... what of it?"
"Why? From when did he know about Hachin? Tell me," he urged her.
The Mer sat up and cleared her throat. "It happened almost three months ago after the heavenly rain. The roc suddenly came to us asking for a white-haired ruby eyed Mer."
"My mate informed him that there was no Mer that fit the description and that oyster clans have that feature. That exact day the roc tried to infiltrate your clans' territory, but we mortally wounded him."
"He later on came back and quenched his fury..." her hands tightly clenched.
Qu Wren slumped down. "It was all here. The answer was right in front of me. Hachin is not lost the roc kidnapped him!"
"chirp!!" the little bird chirped loudly, waving its meaty wings around.
"Yes, baby birdie. We are going to get him. We can save him," Qu Wren laughed in glee.
"But do you think that is a good thing," the Mer softly whispered to him.
Wren paused. "Why do you say that? That roc is rumoured to me the most ruthless beast of all times. Why would I let my friend live with him any longer?"
"Wren, I don't think you are understanding the problem here. Your friend is pregnant with his child, do you think the roc will let him go? The baby Hachin is carrying is very powerful. It has a consciousness of it own. If you separate it from its father, I'm pretty sure it will risk your friend's life."
"Do you really want that?"
Qu Wren froze. The clam doctor said the exact same thing. The child can only survive by feeding off of the other parent's spiritual energy. If he rescued Hachin now, that would put him at risk.
He closed his eyes and brooded over this problem.
"Fine, if I can't rescue him, it's okay, but it doesn't mean that I can't accompany him. I am going to find Hachin and stay with him and help him out with his pregnancy. That is what friends do for each other,"