Lost Change

Chapter 32

Arlia disappeared into the kitchen as the other Kymari showed the Elder to the couch.  The Elder looked around the room with a vague air of disapproval - one that only intensified when she glanced at the unhappy looking plant in the corner -  before she sank down on the cushions.  She looked immensely relieved to no longer be standing, and the other Kymari ducked into the kitchen to join Arlia.

The Elder watched me intently the entire time she was alone.  Her gaze was an almost physical pressure, as if she could reach through my scaly body and pry whatever answers she wanted from my mind just by looking at me hard enough.

Even more unnerving was the strange feeling of respect in the Elder's expression.  She was very interested in me, for some reason, and seemed to almost admire me.

I stared back at her for a few seconds... then adjusted myself so my leg and wings would be more comfortable.  I definitely did not hide.  It was just a coincidence that the nicer position put more of the blanket between me and the Elder's view.

The two Kymari returned a few minutes later with a tray of snacks and a trio of cups.  They arranged them on the table and sat down on the couch.  I got to see an awkward moment where the two of them tried to work out where to sit - both were clearly nervous about sitting next to the Elder, and both were clearly just as nervous about making the other sit next to the Elder, but there was only one couch in the room.  One of them was going to have to sit between the other two.

Arlia finally took a seat in the middle, which caused the Elder to narrow her eyes as if in thought.  Both of the younger Kymari seemed to flinch at that, but I caught a hint of amusement in the Elder's eyes.  I suspected that had been a 'no win' situation that the Elder would have frowned at no matter where Arlia had sat down at, and that the Elder knew it too.  She had let that expression slip on purpose to unnerve the younger Kymari, and had enjoyed doing it.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries - 'thank you for visiting, you have a nice home, thank you for the sandwiches' - then the Elder leaned back against the couch and her voice grew serious.

"Can you tell me the legends of the Kymallata?"

I frowned from behind the blanket.  That had been an alien word, but...  all of the words I heard were alien words.  Any time I heard one of the Kymari speak I heard their words in a language I had clearly never heard before in my life, and could clearly never reply back to in the same language... but I also just as clearly understood what each and every word meant.

The only exceptions were names, but those were obvious from the context clues.  But this had clearly been a word, a label of some kind that did have meaning... but the encyclopedia - which I assumed was responsible for helping me understand all the other alien words - had provided nothing for that word.  The word also seemed vaguely familiar, as if I had heard it at some point in the past, but I couldn't place it.

I probed at the encyclopedia, repeating the word to it, and then I understood.

It wasn't that 'Kymallata' had no meaning in the encyclopedia.  It was that the word simply had too much meaning.  It meant 'cherished companion', 'faithful friend', 'ever-watchful sentry', 'unyielding shield', 'devoted follower'.  It was a term speaking of a protector that would gladly risk their life to save yours, and yet also of something so fragile and cherished that anyone would unquestioningly protect it with their life.  It conveyed a sense of loyalty beyond all reason, and of an attachment so complete that even death itself could not diminish it.

It was a word that simply had no equivalent in my own language.

I turned my attention back to the Kymari.