After sharing a heartwarming hug for a minute, a throat-clearing voice interrupted them. Orion and Saria exchanged mischievous smiles, aware that they had taken enough time for themselves. They reluctantly broke the hug, withdrawing their arms from each other.
Orion turned to the Princess of the Garden. "Could you excuse us for a moment so we can speak privately?" he requested.
The Princess of the Garden nodded in understanding. "Of course, take all the time you need to talk. Just remember to find me when you're finished," she said.
"I will," Orion replied, observing as the Princess of the Garden nodded in understanding.
He then turned to Madam Seraphina, who also indicated her understanding. "I'll be waiting at the garden's entrance for you, so you can come to meet me there once you're finished. We can leave together," she said, anticipating his intention.
Orion acknowledged her with a nod before they both departed. He then refocused on Saria.
"When did you wake up?" he asked.
Saria sighed wearily. "A few hours ago," she answered, "but I'll need some time to fully recover. As you can see, I'm still rooted to this tree until then."
Orion nodded in understanding as he gazed at the lower half of Saria's body still ensconced in the tree. Being a tree nymph, it made sense that she required a tree to fully heal.
He had been aware of this, as he wouldn't have used a tree to save her when she was unconscious without this knowledge.
"How long do you think it will take for you to fully recover?" Orion asked. While he had planned to have a conversation with the Queen to resolve the doubts he harboured and get answers to his questions, he first needed to ascertain the duration required for her complete recovery.
Listening to Orion's question, Saria immediately frowned and then shook her head in defeat. "I don't know. Normally, I should be able to estimate how long it would take for me to recover. However, the strange energy in this place is so unusual that I can't predict the duration until I'm fully healed," Saria responded, her words accompanied by a tired sigh.
Orion nodded once more but couldn't help but furrow his brows at her words. "What do you mean by 'unusual'?" he asked, genuinely curious about what made the strange energy in this place so unusual.
Saria shook her head and replied, "I don't know, but..." She suddenly bit her lips, as if she was hesitant or troubled about sharing her next words.
"What is it?" Orion pressed on, clearly sensing that Saria was trying to conceal something from him.
"It... It..." Saria attempted to explain, but then she shook her head and gave up.
"Don't worry about it; I'm sure it's nothing," she replied, reluctant to burden Orion with additional concerns, especially considering their current situation, as they were particularly far from the village.
Her primary focus was on a full recovery so they could return home safely.
Orion's expression darkened. He couldn't simply disregard a matter that clearly made Saria so nervous that she couldn't even discuss it shortly after awakening.
He said, "Saria, tell me what's bothering you about this strange energy here. If you don't, I won't leave." His decision was evident in his unwavering gaze.
Observing his expression, Saria couldn't help but sigh deeply.
The last time she had seen this expression was when he had been tasked with creating those flying contraptions to safely transport babies back to their families.
After witnessing his determination and success with what had seemed like an impossible task, she knew he wouldn't leave until she properly explained her concerns.
To prevent him from facing more difficulties, especially considering he couldn't stay in the Garden for long, Saria took a deep breath and began to clarify.
"Although I can't quite explain it, there's something strange beneath this garden," Saria explained in a hushed tone. "You see, back at the farm, the ancestral essence keeps the forest, especially the farm, alive, allowing it to bear fruit continuously despite the constant Vylkr vine attacks. But here, while I can sense that the garden's life is sustained by the large lake, when I tried to absorb more of its energy to heal faster, it led me towards the source of another energy beneath the garden."
She furrowed her brows and continued, "The energy feels even more untamed and bizarre. I might have mistaken it for Vylkr energy if it weren't for the fact that I could see it was intertwined with the large lake's essence, which, in turn, sustains life in the garden. It's strange, really strange, and I can't quite put my finger on it or understand what's beneath this garden."
Orion's frown deepened as he contemplated Saria's words. His gaze naturally shifted from Saria to the ground beneath his feet.
'There is something beneath this garden,' he thought, delving deeply into Saria's revelation.
"But don't dwell on it too much. I'm sure it's nothing, and my senses might be off because I haven't fully recovered yet," Saria quickly reassured him as she observed Orion's pensive expression.
She didn't want him to take any hasty actions due to his concern.
Abruptly, Orion withdrew his gaze from the ground and refocused it on Saria. He examined the bright pink gem at the centre of her forehead, furrowing his brows.
Then he nodded in understanding and said, "Alright, if you say so," as though he had entirely dismissed the conversation they'd just had.
"I can't remain like this for long; I need to rest in the tree to speed up the healing process and make a full recovery," Saria said, sighing in relief.
"Alright, I'll come see you tomorrow, and we can talk some more," Orion replied.
Saria smiled and said, "Thank you," before she slowly turned semi-transparent and translucent, returning to the tree.
After a few hours of conversation with the Princess of the Garden and Orion just after waking up, she felt immensely tired and began to rest, allowing the strange energy to flow into her.
