Page 36 of I Married A Syllen

“Of course, it is! I wouldn’t have fed it to you otherwise,” he said proudly. “But enjoy it while I go fetch our meal. Do not be shy to drink the others as well if you need.”

“Okay,” I replied with a smile.

I didn’t really know what I expected him to do, but certainly not to get back on top of his mount. A sliver of worry coursed through me when he flew towards the large body of water. How far was he going to get the food? While I didn’t doubt that he only left me because he believed the area was completely safe, it still unnerved me.

To my surprise, maybe two or three hundred meters away, he hopped off his mount and dove into the river. The Nordjarimm circled around for a few seconds before coming back to land on the beach a short distance away from me. It started walking around, pecking at the ground, likely to feed from some bugs.

As I continued sipping on my drink, I glanced at my surroundings only to realize we had company. A number of creatures were poking their heads out, peering at me from between the branches of trees, hiding beneath some bushes, or from the side of some rock. They weren’t threatening, nor did they look frightened. They simply seemed curious about this strange newcomer on their territory. If only I had some food to toss towards a little furball that vaguely resembled a bunny but with an otter’s head.

Less than ten minutes later, Taelen emerged from the water like a sea god, holding two large shells the size of a bread plate. Their shape reminded me of the blade of an ax rather than the Earth fan shell of a scallop. He thoroughly washed off any dirt that might still cling to them before walking up to me. He also held what I assumed to be two gourd-shaped vegetables.

As he made his way towards me, I couldn’t help feasting my eyes on his perfection. The sunrays on his wet skin gave it a glistening edge that made me want to lick every inch of his body. Fuck that male look good!

And he’s mine…

I doubted a thousand years would suffice for me to fully grasp that he truly was my soulmate.

Taelan placed the food on the table and settled on the root bench across from me.

“That was fast!” I said, impressed.

“I’m usually faster,” he replied sheepishly. “But I’m glad you didn’t find me too slow.”

“Definitely not too slow!”

He grinned, picked up one of the shells and raised it for me to see.

“Just like with the paya fruit, you only have to knock the top edges of the dasay shell to make it easier to open. But for this one, you want to tap both ends,” he explained before demonstrating. “Then you use your nails, or a knife, to finish prying it open.”

Sure enough, as soon as he knocked both ends against the hard surface of the root, the shell cracked open at the seam. He inserted both claws of his thumbs in the narrow slit before opening it like a book. A delicious smoky aroma wafted to me as I glanced at the reddish-orange meat inside. It didn’t have the glistening appearance of an oyster, although it had its shape.

As with the drink, I ran a scan over it.

“Is it safe?” Taelen asked.

“Overall, yes. There are some bacteria, but nothing of concern. The same bacteria are present in other foods on Mazeria that we have all been vaccinated against. So this is safe for me, just like these gourds,” I replied in a reassuring tone.

“These ‘gourds’ are called kemi. They grow underwater near the shores. They make great side dishes with pretty much anything,” Taelen said enthusiastically.

He placed the open shell in front of me, then proceeded to cut the smaller upper half of the kemi, which appeared to have a gooey center. He cast it aside, bottoms up so its contents wouldn’t spill out. After splitting the solid, bigger bottom half into ten slices, he placed them on the empty left side of the shell, using it as a plate. He repeated it with the other shell and kemi for himself.

“You can eat the meat of the shell and of the kemi, but do not eat the skin. It won’t harm you, but it’s bitter and can be difficult to digest,” he cautioned.

“Understood,” I said.

He picked up the shell meat with two fingers and started eating it like one would a chicken finger. I imitated him and brought the meat to my lips. The shocked and delightful moan that escaped me made him burst out laughing. This damn thing had both the taste and texture of tandoori chicken!

“Slow down!” he exclaimed between two chuckles when I wolfed it down. “You need to eat it with the kemi.”

I eyed the vegetable. With its green skin and white interior, you could be fooled into thinking they were green apple slices. I begrudgingly paused stuffing my face with the shell meat to try one of the slices.

Cue another moan…

It tasted almost like garlic potatoes, except a bit crunchier. Considering I was a huge sucker for potatoes, this was another big win. I found myself unsure which of the two dishes I wanted to indulge in the most. As much as I had loved the paya juice, the wretched thing had been surprisingly filling.

Pleased by my reaction, Taelen further puffed out his chest before digging into his own food. He cracked open a paya fruit for himself and took a few sips before resuming eating.

“So tell me about yourself, Shevraya,” Taelen said.