Ch. 2.3

Once morning the Ruler was awaken from sleep by an excited sentinel:

"Erin, wake up, we have guests!"

"What guests? We are in the shelter, no one should know about us at all.

"Aliens! There is their ship!"

Erin peered out the narrow window of the shelter.

"Yes, it's ours! Star syrinxes! Finally arrived! I'll go and call Lary.

Erin knocked on his brother's door room.

"Lar, wake up, we have star guests, come out, there will be negotiations."

Kamily jumped up and began to question Lariel in a whisper:

"What the guests? Aliens?"

"The syrinxes are from another star."

"Wow!" - Kamily got excited.

"Don't come out, stay here."

The brothers and ten armed guys got out of hiding and headed for a large silver ship peacefully standing on a green hill.

"How did they find us?" - Lariel asked.

"They're clairvoyants," - Erin explained.

They came closer and stood twenty paces from the ship.

"Shall we wait until they come out or knock?" - one of the warriors chuckled.

The trapdoor suddenly opened and four syrinxes dressed in gray uniforms came out and lined up in one row. A cold look and short haircuts of them showed a military bearing and strict discipline. The weapons in their hands were of a different type.

"So clean white wings they have," - whispered Erin.

"Maybe we can be washed like that too," - his brother joked quietly.

A little later a tall syrinx dressed in a light long robe slowly emerged from the ship, big wings and long hair dazzled with their whiteness. It seemed he was a cloud floating on green grass. Despite his youthful handsome appearance he evoked awe and respect; everything said that this is a very important person. He signaled to brothers to come closer. His glowing turquoise eyes pierced right through them.

"I am Palien, the Commander of fleet empowered by the Xantari High Authority. I've come to check on the Zaria colony. Which one is in charge?"

He glared at brothers.

"Archon Darien is dead, no new one has been elected. I am Erin, he is Lariel - we are his sons."

The Commander thoughtfully examined first one then the other.

"How interesting, the Creator and the Destroyer are brothers, what an exciting drama! However you do not share power among yourselves. Right?"

His eyes flashed brightly. 

"What happened to our colony? How did you bring it to such a miserable state? Hiding underground ... - Palien looked around the forest behind the brothers. - And you have to soar in the sky."

"There was an unequal war with the ziruxes, the city of Azaren collapsed down from an unknown weapon. We hid in shelters waiting for help from you."

"So… - drawled Palien. — I have to stay here to restore everything. How many syrinxes are left?"

"A little over eight hundred."

"Why didn't you breed?" - Palien pierced them with his eyes.

"We multiplied as best we could," - Lariel justified.

"We don't have women," - Erin explained.

"That planet has humanoids for sure!"

"They hide from us."

"Are you kidding me?" - Commander got angry.

"No, sir. People protect their women, they can not be approached."

"And what do you need weapons and hypnosis for? Just come and took what you want! Are you scared of pathetic humans? What kind of idiots?"

Palien looked irately and continued to speak out in high tones:

"It seems to me that you don't even know what our colony is here for. Multiply! I should have seen millions of hybrids there. And what do I see? The colony is on the brink of extinction!"

He suddenly froze thinking and demanded:

"Bring her in!" 

"Whom?" - Lariel got excited.

"Your Queen Bee! I clearly sense her mana," - Palien slightly licked his lips.

"But she's my wife," - Erin protested.

"So what? Quickly deliver her to my ship!" - hard command tone sounded. - Follow the order immediately!"