Interlude: Meli's Plants (10)

“What would you like to see first?” Lorenzo asked. He had led them into a normal looking inner garden that housed mostly scrubs and a few trees common in the lands Greek. Meli looked around the garden but nothing seemed special to her eyes or her earth senses. “Maybe a sign of my little friends true nature might help.” he whispered. He walked forward as he whispered under his breath in a foreign tongue. Meli was about to comment when the central mass of bushes slowly crept away from a trap-door in the middle of the garden.

“I could not even sense that passage.” Meli stated annoyed. She could feel the plants that had recoiled giggle at her words. “How did you get the plants to lie?” she asked without moving forward. He had knelt at the edge of the door to open it.

“I asked them nicely because I grew them from sprouts for such a purpose.” he answered calmly. “Is not this the way of things for the Alton?” he returned to her. She moved quickly to reach him still staring at the creepers around her.

“Yes and no.” she hesitated. “You must have found a way to give them consciousness.” she added as realization darkened her face.

“No.” he answered with a chuckle. He pulled back the trap-door fully to reveal a ladder leading downward. “As I explained originally,” he began, “I grew them and asked them to do so and they have but nothing more that I know of.” The plants remained clear of Meli's path as she peered down the hole. Lorenzo had climbed halfway down the ladder. “They will not harm you or anyone that shows no violent intentions toward someone within my garden.” he added as he continued down the hole without looking back.

Meli scanned the creeper plants that did not move to block her path; neither down nor back to the house. She peered down once more before carefully stepping down onto the ladder. She slowly and cautiously followed Lorenzo glancing up every now and then to make sure the creepers had not closed the trap-door over them. Lorenzo had a oil lamp lit and ready when she finally reached the bottom. She looked down the passage to see a dim light, once back to the top of the hole which was still open, then at Lorenzo.

“My earth sense could not feel any of this while I was on the surface.” she stated to him accusingly. He smile benignly at her but said nothing as he motioned her to follow him. “It is easier to explain than to play a big secret like this.” she muttered at his back. They walked down the passage lit only at their end by the oil lamp. The light brightened as they neared the chamber. Meli stopped and stared in awed silence at the sight before them.

It was a massive underground cavern naturally formed with a small lake nourishing a elaborate irrigation system for a massive underground plant grouping containing flora from southern Egypt to the borders of the northern Carpathian mountain range of Greece. More abnormal looking vines crept out of their way as Lorenzo started moving toward the other plants. Meli could barely sense what she saw which made her a little nervous and edgy as she followed him slowly.

“This is the garden your friend spoke of.” he stated calmly to her. “Some are normal plants while others are hybrids I have created from splicing different plants together to make new hardier plants for the area.” he continued. He pointed out a few of the newer breeds to her. “And most have greater medicinal values than the original plants.” he concluded.

Meli stared as she touched each with her earth sense. They were very happy and talkative with her. They explain to her about the creepers that had mystic abilities that hide them from prying eyes so they remained safe. Too many would want to cause them harm by collecting incorrectly from them which would damage them and even kill them in some cases. She was astonished with all the information these plants could give her including, in some cases, the method used to create them.

Lorenzo smiled at her knowing she was speaking with them as Kestrel would do. He might not be able to hear them himself but he could feel that they spoke and, in most cases, he could receive the emotions that came from them. He envied her and Kestrel this great talent they had with plants but he accepted his weakness without much concern. He may not be able to hear them but he could feel their life and knew it was more than most other could do around plants.

“These are incredible.” Meli interjected. She was no longer cautious as she walked easily between the plants discovering as she moved about each of these new plants. “I have a few seeds from plants of my land but I do not know if I can get them to grow here.” she stated suddenly. Lorenzo was about to reply when he realized that she was saying this to the plants and not to him directly.

“I am sure I can arrange whatever you need for them so my plants can have new friends.” he whispered calmly. Meli turned and knew with one look that her words had been out loud like she did in Atlantis. She blushed having slipped into her Atlantian behaviour around flora instead of keeping it in her head. “I know it was to them you spoke but I had to add my helping hand to you as well as to my plants.” he smiled at her.

“I am sorry, it is just a habit to speak to them.” she uttered.

“I am usually speaking to them out loud myself so I understand completely.” he replied.

“If it is possible,” she started slowly, “I would like to collect seeds to bring back to Atlantis with me.” He nodded and motioned to the plants before showing her to an empty patches.

“I believe a seed exchange as acceptable.” he stated easily. “But I would ask that you explain to me any special properties your plants may have so I can add them to the listing for my garden.” he concluded. He collected a tray holding a few very simple gardening tools for them to use. They spoke for hours as they planted then collected seeds from the flora in this underground garden.