Zafira stepped out in front of the group of twenty Alseid, amongst them Lefaljac and the two remaining Elders. She came alone out of fear further Erythrai might lead to a confrontation she did not seek.

Lefaljac held herself with pride, and despite her great age, she was still gifted with an immense strength that could only be shadowed by her wisdom. They might not have seen eye to eye on many matters but Lefaljac still held great respect in her opinion. Which was why she released the human into their midst into the first place.

“I come to you with open arms and seek the guidance of Alseid. Judge me as you will, but let me learn from Mother herself of my ill ways.”

The Alseid broke out into a frenzy of chatter as they repeated her words and weighed their worth. It fell to the Elders to decide her fate for now.

“You wish to answer the summons and present yourself to the Elder Council for judgment?”

“There is no strife between us,” Zafira said, taking another step forward and holding out her empty hands. “It was Kirilamei that convinced me to give myself up and seek your words.”

Lefaljac opened her arms and embraced Zafira with a warmth she hadn’t felt in years. For a brief moment her thoughts cleared, and she felt reminded of the young seedling in need of rescue. “We welcome you for who you are and will repeat the teachings of Alseid to all that listen.”

“Thank you, Eldest.” Zafira breathed in her sweet fragrance and stepped back. “I apologize for my behavior the last time we met. My people are well now and I wish to speak with you about what I have learned in my visit to Gaia.”

“Very well, come with us.”

* * *

The Grove changed in the years since Zafira last visited. In some ways it was grander than the garden on Gaia. They strolled through the garden and admired the high growing flowers for their beauty. Flowers came in various shapes, sizes and colors meant to attract different insects. Zafira’s favorite was a red rose, a beauty that knew to defend herself with thorns from unwanted advances. Renili and Sharina left them alone until the session could continue.

“Say, how is the human faring in your midst?” Zafira stroked the shaft and sent a trickle of energy over to strengthen the rose. “I’m sure he will be pleased to return home when the cove is reopened tonight.”

“Johann is doing well, considering what he’s been through,” Lefaljac said. “We’ve given him water’s voice to help him understand us. He will be much wiser when he returns to Gaia than he was before. With time, I hope many humans will take on the teachings and better themselves.”

Zafira nodded and continued to stroll around the Grove. Vibrant energy rippled through the air, spewed out from the Mother Tree herself. “We can’t be too careful around the humans. They wear many masks and are driven by greed and power. We’ve seen this and Johann is proof. He is a warrior for a tribe known as Germans. They fight against many other tribes and each destroys the land the other lives on until nothing is left.”

“That is horrible,” Lefaljac said with a frown. She indicated for Zafira to sit by Mother. “Mother will know what’s best. A man able to speak our language is hardly a threat.”

“That’s true. Nonetheless, I request a reclassification of the human species,” Zafira said.

“There’s no such thing,” Lefaljac snapped. “Their evolutional pattern does not warrant it.”

“They aren’t mammals, Elder. I’ve studied them for some time now and have ample evidence to conclude that their behavior mirror that of a virus. What we saw twelve thousand years ago was a survival instinct by mimicking the local simians. The humans must be annihilated before they can spread to other worlds.”

Lefaljac stepped down and laid a hand on her shoulder. Warm bio-ethereal energy seeped in over her skin. “I’m sorry for what happened to you in the garden but we must continue to search for alternatives. We’ll get through this. All of us.”

“Gaia is my world, my home, and every day a little more of it is being destroyed.” Zafira balled her hands into fists. “I can’t sit back any longer and hope the power of good will bring these people to change their basic personality.”

The Eldest gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as she looked from Mother to her again. Even with those words, she could still feel a sense of sympathy emanating from her. “We are guides, not murderers. I thought I taught you as much.”

“That’s enough, Lefaljac,” Mother said. It gave Zafira a sense of pleasure to hear her be silenced. “A mistake can not be undone but Zafira can learn from it and find her way back to our midst. A unified Alseid would be stronger and more able to aid the distressed planets of our system. Child, lay yourself at my roots and let me see all that has happened.”

Zafira moved in closer until she was less than an arms-reach away and went down to her knees. Compassion brushed against her skin, inviting her closer. Soothing her nerves. She needed to separate herself from the past. As Mother said, it’s the only way. Her hand fell to her waist, fingers crept inside the hem of her skirt where she pulled out a long wildcat tooth. With a flash, she leapt forward and thrust the tooth into the heart of the tree.

The Mother Tree groaned and snapped the vines to attention. Lefaljac jumped to her feet but both were too late. Zafira pulled back on the tooth and clawed open the heart. Brown sap gushed out of the wound, over her hands and onto her feet. The vines, about to wrap themselves around her dangled lifelessly in the air.

Lefaljac tackled her to the ground and used her weight to pin her down. “What’ve you done?” she screamed.

Zafira’s facade cracked and she broke out laughing. “What needed to be done. I was forced to watch my Mother be burned to a cinder by Heracles. Your rules held me back from saving her and now I’ve been given a chance to repay you for your efforts.”

“You’re not making any sense,” Lefaljac said. The grass grew faster, sprouting up around them before she controlled them to restrain Zafira “It’s for your own good until you’ve come back to your senses.”

Zafira gritted her teeth as she fought back against Lefaljac’s control over herself and the environment. The grass closed in, caressing her skin as it wound around her arms and legs. She cried out as the binding tightened and cut off her blood supply. Nature in these parts were loyal to Alseid, making her less influential in overriding Lefaljac’s grip. She arced her back and flung her head up, butting Lefaljac in the forehead and sending her falling back. The grasp loosened and Zafira scrambled to get back on her feet. She picked up the sharpened tooth and flung it.

Lefaljac recovered from the stun but didn’t recognize the weapon coming at her until it buried itself into her throat. Her eyes widened, hands moving up to pull out the tooth. She turned and swayed as she stumbled away. The Elder managed only a few steps until she fell face first back to the ground with a pool of blood forming around her body.

Zafira let out a deep breath, releasing not only the air she held in her lungs but the resentment she held back for so many years. It flowed out of her with ease but instead of peace she found a deep void left within her. Her mentor and savior died.

She retrieved her dagger and went over to the Mother Tree that still bled sap. Zafira climbed up to remove an Amber Heart. It already ripened to a fruit and in a matter of days a dryad would burst out from the case. But if she planted the seed, she’d create a whole new Mother Tree. One she could raise to be more favorable to her and not the Alseid.