Page 101 of I Married A Syllen

“No, Director Lana Khoury,” Taelen said in a gentle voice. “It is we who thank you and your team. Your facility is very well designed, and your processes are respectful of the land. After our negative experience with the Settlers, we had low expectations. Thank you for proving us wrong.”

Lana and the rest of the staff of the waste management plant could hardly contain their pride and joy as we said our goodbyes. Did we record the entire tour? Absolutely. Did we share the fuck out of the best snippets through every media in the colony? You better believe it!

By the third location we visited, the tension weighing over the city had reduced by half. A lot of the citizens thought that this audit was just an excuse for the Syllens to exact vengeance over the previous trauma caused by the Settlers. But each successful visit further confirmed their real intention. This truly was merely to ensure no more children of Mazeria were being mistreated, that local resources weren’t being exploited for nefarious reasons, and that the colony’s lifestyle wouldn’t cause environmental damage to the planet.

By the end of the day, the Enforcers had reduced their presence in the street by two-thirds. Even the Syllens were more relaxed, their instinctive animosity towards off-worlders having cautiously dimmed.

Some industries proved a bit more problematic, especially the technological and pharmaceutical ones that could create biohazards. Taelen was especially worried about the data centers they placed underwater. However, they reassured us that the cold water naturally cooled it, and that it was cleanly powered by the crystals from the Zelconians, a semi-primitive bird-like species from Cibbos. Maeve further confirmed that the setup was safe and clean.

Although not fully convinced, the Syllens agreed to let the center operate. They would keep a close eye to see if it affected the temperature of the water over time, or if it emitted any kind of signal that might negatively impact the welfare of the local flora or fauna. So far, it looked good.

The second day went down in a similar fashion. By the third day, the audit had become mostly a formality of optimization since every industry and dwelling within the colony had been subjected to the same strict environmental rules. That every person had been thoroughly vetted before being allowed to settle on Mazeria further ensured they shared strong similar values. So aside from a handful of exceptions that required a sterner talking to with greater adjustments, the whole thing was pretty much smooth sailing.

With Professor Ludwig gone, the staff of the Botanical Garden and of the Parks and Recreations administration were more than happy to collaborate with the Syllens in order to reorganize the plants and gardens on display. They were all the more excited when Taelen’s father suggested new additions of plants the colony didn’t even know about.

In truth, Lily and I were just as excited to get involved in the revamp of the parks and gardens. While it was still in the brainstorming stage, we were thinking of having seasonally themed displays that featured the unique ways in which the flora of Mazeria evolved and shifted, including the music and cultural snippets of the Syllens.

On the fourth day, when we entered the Medina Patisserie, it pleased me tremendously that the patrons eating at the tables inside didn’t freak out. Obviously, they ogled us in a less-than-subtle fashion but pursued their meals peacefully. The owner, a lovely lady called Krista, concluded the tour by making us sample a paya cheesecake she made specifically for the occasion. She barely managed to repress her tears of joy when Taelen flowered after the first bite.

I had to admit that the damn thing was divine. Seeing Taelen greedily accept the to-go box that she gave him with the entire cake had me in stitches. He even suggested a few different fruits she might want to use to make that recipe. Based on how every patron inquired about that cake—which currently wasn’t on the menu—I suspected it would soon become insanely popular within the colony. Even if Krista wasn’t the one bragging about it—which I didn’t doubt she would—in my capacity as Ambassador of Syllen Affairs, I would make sure to have that footage in the media as well.

As we walked out of the building, a commotion to the left behind us instantly had my back stiffening.

“Sarah! NO!” a woman shouted, utterly panicked.

Moving at dizzying speed, Taelen pushed me behind him with his tail. He took a protective stance before me, his fist pointing forward, ready to fire one of his veris darts at the incoming threat.

“Don’t shoot!” the woman screeched.

But Taelen had already relaxed his stance upon seeing the tiny human barreling down towards him. She couldn’t be more than six years old. She collided with his leg with the force of a ram, wrapping her arms around his thigh as if her life depended on it. Taelen’s protective instincts immediately shifted to the little girl, who he partially shielded from the woman as he eyed her suspiciously.

“Please don’t hurt my baby,” the woman begged, her palms raised in an appeasing gesture.

“Why is she running away from you?” he asked, his voice stern. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing!” the woman said, stunned.

“I wanted to come see you,” the little girl said in a sheepish voice. “Mommy wouldn’t let me.”

Taelen jerked his head down to look at the little girl, still clinging to his leg. She peered at him with the most adorable pixie face, with huge, green, doll eyes, a little bud nose, and heart-shaped lips. A small gust of wind shoved a few curly strands of the thick fiery mane on her head. She roughly swiped it aside with an air of annoyance, then raised her arms.

“Up!” she demanded.

His jaw dropped while I gasped.

“Sarah!” her mother exclaimed in disbelief.

“Up! Up!” Sarah insisted.

Snorting, Taelen picked her up. As much as she deserved to be reprimanded, the look of pure joy and awe on her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck was adorable enough to melt metal.

“You’re so pretty!” the little girl said wistfully.

We both chuckled as her mother carefully approached.

“Thank you,” Taelen said. “You’re very pretty as well.”

She scrunched her face and shook her head making her long curls bounce.