"She's not even 300." Zeph mumbled and half glared at a wall. Zella knew him well enough to know what was going on his mind. Muin should have been at least 400 before pursuing any kind of partnership with a male, let alone marriage. "She's way too young."
"Xiam is only a few years older." Zella stood up for her sister.
"Yeah but that's different. He's male, he can't be bagged." Zeph disagreed. "How old is this guy who has no respect for the age tradition?"
Zella sighed. "Muin's not the same little girl you used to know Zeph, she grew up just like I did."
"Oh, I hope not," Zeph winced.
"Not with so much boy trouble," Zella chuckled. At a young age Zella had a strong pheromone scent which attracted trouble from her whole block. Her sister had been fortunate to be blessed with weaker attractants. "She did grow up though and Zaria's a real nice guy. You'll probably like him if you give him a chance."
"Yeah," Zeph muttered. Zella didn't believe him. "She still shouldn't have married anyone so young, and how old is he again?"
Zella rolled her eyes, oh she almost got away with it. "A little older."
"Fine, I'll meet him but first, let's head over to Xiam's!" Zeph grinned. "Last time he wrote he was interested in a female, did he get her?"
Not that word again, damn it. Zella bit her lip gently, then smoothed her tongue over it. The word 'female' was used by Guards and sometimes by true gentlemen. It was more polite than even the word lady or madam, however, Zella never had good experiences with that word. "Yes Xiam did, but please don't call me female. I hate the word female." She crossed her arms. "Just call us women or ladies, please?"
Zeph nodded, his expression filled with confusion, most would be. "Is there a reason?"
Zella watched Zeph's questioning look, but she refused to answer. She moved slightly, realizing she had brought herself into an uncomfortable territory. "I'd rather not talk about it." Zella insisted. "Just...can we please go?"
Knowing Zeph wanted to pry, she didn't know if he would back down. Watching him place his hands in his pockets, she knew he didn't care enough to make a big deal. "Okay, let's go."
Zella and Zeph walked out of the house. Zella glanced over at Muin's house for a moment. Her sister's plumgrass was dying and there was only one dead tree standing in her green home's yard. Muin was never one for gardening and it seemed Zaria never would be either. She continued to walk along the winding sidewalk toward her brother's midnight blue home. His plumgrass stood gorgeously, but needed a trim. Iri had a talent for gardening and his house was always beautiful. Her own house had nothing but plumblu grass that was still brown in spots and two small bushes. Oh, to have half of her sister-in-law's talent. She knocked on Xiam's golden front door and waited until it was answered.
"Hello Iri." Zella gestured to Zeph. "I brought our old friend over." Zella caught Zeph's forehead pimpled in sweat and watched as he rubbed his arm across.
Had his vest made him too warm?
Iridescent smiled at Zeph. "You know, you look kind of familiar. I don't know, I can't place my finger on it." She shrugged her shoulders. "It'll come to me though. Xiam, your friend has arrived!"
---
Zeph smiled and listened to Xiam, doing his best not to let his feelings show through his expression. He had been so careful when he came, he dyed his hair the common silver so he wouldn't be easily detected, and even changed his voice tone with a special lozenge called a mucus pill. He thought he'd be in the clear, but maybe he wasn't.
"…so after that started to really take off, someone recommended coming out here instead. It was a big risk, but our restaurant couldn't grow and get more customers without it." Xiam smiled at Zeph. "It's called Vallencio's."
"Vallencio's," Zeph nervously chuckled. "Good name." You idiot, you picked Zella up in Xiam's own restaurant.
"Yeah, you can come see it soon." Xiam smiled encouragingly. "Iri waitresses there to help out when we run short and she's really good at it. She always has a knack for remembering even the smallest details about our customers and she's never got an order wrong."
"Thanks." Iri smiled at Xiam and gave him a kiss.
Xiam smiled as he watched her walk away. "Small compliments gets you loads when you're married."
"No need to paint a picture," Zeph said with certainty, as he tried to concentrate on his friend's words, and not on the fact that he broke his Guard's vow right outside his restaurant. "Really."
"So, did you reach the highest caliber class like you wanted? Are you an A?" Xiam asked him as Zella and Iridescent went out for some fresh air. "I mean are you really appointed to Zella just like that? Usually all the paperwork takes a year."
"Yes I am, yes I did and I helped file it myself," Zeph said with vigor.
"Well good, anyone else and Zella would just tell them to take a hike again." Xiam smiled. "You know, it's kind of weird talking face to face after all these years. Just think, I was only a kid back then!"
Zeph chuckled. "Yeah, you were all still kids."
"So we're you," Xiam reminded him.
Zeph shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, this day and age it's hard to say when being a kid ends and adult begins anymore." Yeah, look at Muin. Married at 300!
"I know." Xiam fiddled his thumbs. "You're close to King Sheward, right? Well with all this fuss they cause with Zella, I've been thinking. Do you think the waryes are going to pull another attack one day? I mean, a really big one?" He looked away for a moment. "There's nothing to stop them."
Zeph stared over at a nearby pot. In truth, he expected more than a small attack, but waryes' were not a topic they needed to talk about right now. Instead, he kept staring at a pot. What is that? It wasn't a plant, looked more like a statue made up to look like a plant. It was a lighter shade of neon green, bright but not blinding. In the sunshine where it was placed it sparkled like glitter. Detailed carvings of leaves were imprinted upon it, so it must have been a stone or a mineral carved into a plant. He would have not paid so much attention, if it had not given him creepy vibes. "Xiam, what is that thing over there?"
Xiam turned to look at the pot. "It's inhibitor, only carved into a plant. Inhibitors are really all the rage right now, didn't you know?"
"Get rid of it." Zeph turned to Xiam with a serious expression. "Those belong in the ground, they aren't decoration. They shouldn't be mined, they should be left alone and revered from afar." He noted the concern on Xiam's face but wouldn't address the matter further.
Inhibitor was a mineral that grew in vast amounts on top of mountains and was specific to their planet Pagnia only. It had been scientifically proven to have a relaxing effect on their kind, and even history experts speculated that before inhibitors warno's did exist, but purely in an animalistic form with little knowledge. What that so-called scientific community refused to address though, was why waryes' civilizations had been built upon those structures. "Don't mess with what you don't know. Promise me you'll get rid of that thing?"
"I'll ask Iri about it," Xiam answered. "She spent money on it, not me."
"Xiam! We've got news!" A jumpy voice broke in.
Zeph turned around and saw Muin standing in the doorway, bouncing up and down. She was far from the cute little girl playing with blocks he remembered. Her outfit was outrageous, pink and neon orange flowers on a silver background, with ridiculous green neon shoes. She wore a jacket of metallic blue, and nothing about her matched except that every color clashed. About everything always clashed with her bright sunshine hair.
"Ah, ah! Less bouncy Muin." A warno next to her demanded. His appearance was boring standing right beside Muin. A plain pair of brown pants, a plain beige shirt and a dumb blue jacket. He couldn't be more bland if he tried.
"Less bouncy?" Zeph stood up and held a solid stance next to the boring warno. This must have been the predator who took advantage of Muin. "Why are you commanding Muin around, is that what you do in your home?"
Muin's mouth grew wide. "Only one guy talks like that. Zeph?"
Zeph nodded. "Good to see you Muiny, how-?"
Muin bolted right for him and gave him a hug. "Oh, I missed you! And you stopped writing-why'd you stop writing like that-you're a jerk!"
"Ah, ah." The boring warno quickly tried to pull her off. "Muin honey, please don't do that right now."
"What? Don't hug me?" Zeph was trying to keep the peaceful laws of marriage in his head. "You must be…Zaria."
"Guilty."
He was tall, almost as tall as him and his blue eyes screamed of distrust. He tried to look hip by wearing a jacket but didn't pull it off successfully. No
way, this guy was no one that should have been with Muin, they were polar opposites. "I bet you are guilty." Zeph practically snarled as he looked at the guy.
"Whoah, easy." Zella butted in . "No hurting anyone in the house."
"Well I can take it outside." Zeph smiled at her a bit too cheerful. "I wouldn't dream of ruining Xiam's floor."
Zella wouldn't go for it. "Hey Muin, how are you?"
"I'm- I'm!" Muin tapped her foot, apparently wanting to jump up and down. "I'm gonna be a mommy!"