Page 14 of I Married A Syllen

“And you think we did it?” I asked in a dangerously soft voice.

“Some people do,” Mares replied in a non-committal fashion.

“What of you, Brother Mares? Do you believe we did it?” I insisted.

To see him firmly shake his head with undeniable conviction affected me in a way I had not expected. The simmering anger burning within me dimmed a little. In that instant, I realized that distrust from him would have deeply wounded me. As much as I believed that the off-worlders were responsible for whatever was happening with our lands, I genuinely trusted these two males and couldn’t bear the thought they might be in on it.

“No. Even though the timing leads many to suspect your possible involvement, I don’t. We don’t. Had we wronged the Syllens severely enough for you to launch that type of attack, we trust that you would have warned us first, if only so that we could explain or make amends.”

“That’s correct,” I conceded, my tone softening.

“Which is why we’re coming to you in the hopes you can help us understand what’s going on,” Kayog said. “A woman in the Botanical Garden was able to save eight of her nine companions who were visiting at the same time she was.”

“She saved them how?” I asked, curious.

“She asked the children of the Great Mothers for mercy,” Mares replied.

My brow shot up.

“Really?”

Both males nodded.

“And she did so while speaking in your tongue,” Kayog added.

I recoiled.

“A Syllen female rescued them?!”

To my shock, they both shook their heads.

“No, it was a human female named Mirella Fiore,” Mares said.

“How did she learn our language?” I asked, baffled.

“She thoroughly studied the Syllen culture based on all the documents and recordings that were accessible,” Kayog explained. “She spent years working with linguists to decipher your language. Mirella is a very special woman, and she’s fascinated by your world. You will absolutely want to meet her.”

I huffed dismissively. I had no time for humans, let alone interest in getting to know them.

“How do you know that her words worked?” I challenged. “What sign or response did the Great Mothers or the plants provide?”

“One of the statues in the Kandra trees opened its eyes and pointed them towards the safe path,” Mares said. “And then, the Laurellis bushes reabsorbed their fungi.”

I took a step back, his words striking me like a physical blow.

“So you did take our Kalrins! Did you take our queens?!” I exclaimed, outrage and anger audible in my voice.

“Peace, Brother!” Mares said in a soothing voice, his palms raised in an appeasing gesture. “I do not know what you mean by queens. Before last night, I had never even heard the word Kalrin, until Mirella mentioned it. We didn’t know they were dormant creatures. We thought they were merely highly realistic decorative carvings like the giant Syllen sculptures throughout your lands.”

I silenced my urge to correct him about the sculptures not being decorative projects.

“The land is dying,” I replied instead. “Kalrins are essential to maintain the balance and keep our soil thriving. They thoroughly prepared the land before the Long Sleep. But its reserves have drained much too fast. The queens would have felt it and awakened first before stirring the Kalrins. We saw that some of the trees were moved. But many are missing, including all the queens. Only the off-worlders could have done it.”

Both males frowned, their troubled expression seeming to express sincere shock and distress at this revelation. It further reassured me that whatever was happening, they had not deliberately plotted against us. At least, not them personally…

“Our people did move some of the trees before realizing that it was harming the land. So we stopped and returned most of the trees,” Mares explained. “We did keep a few, but they were all planted here on Mazeria in areas where they continued to thrive. We simply wanted our people to be able to admire some of your achievements without them traipsing around your restricted lands. We genuinely thought they were merely carvings.”

“Take me to the awakened Kalrin,” I ordered. “We must find the queens before it is too late.”