Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 37

[ The King ]

"He's sleeping." The green haired lad crossed his arms and stared me down. Love had made him very fierce.

"Zach…"

"No." He stamped his foot.

"Zach." My look was stern and my words were firm. "Get him. Now."

"Fine!" Zach practically shouted before disappearing into the wall.

"You're going to let him speak to you like that?" Asperonin exclaimed, clearly shocked by the exchange.

"Like what? An upset child being asked by a complex authority figure to go wake up an exhausted and overworked child that is also a person he is deeply in love with?" I raised one bushy eyebrow at the Healer as I sat back in my chair. "I strive, as King, to avoid being petulant, petty, prideful or indulgent in the privilege of my position."

Asperonin bit his tongue. A moment later Dr. Heathson arrived, along with his chair, the book he was reading and a plate with only half a sandwich as the other half was almost at his open mouth.

"My King… it appears I have been summoned?" He looked both confused and amused but his voice was plain as always.

“Yes, my apologies for the suddenness. I seem to have upset Zach.”

“Well at least he isn’t upset with me.” Dr. Heathson took a big bite of his sandwich and closed his book after checking the page number. Zach said nothing. Instead he moved the yellow armchair over to face my desk, using his magic to drag it with ease through the floor and up. Chair in place Zach slipped back into the floor.

With the utmost care and tenderness Zach rose out of the side of the armchair with a sleeping Poflorin, wrapped in a blanket, in his arms. He settled him gently. Even in sleep the young Healer looked tired. From the ink on his face I was guessing he fell asleep at his own desk, again.

“You wake.” Zach hissed quietly, glaring daggers straight at me. I didn’t blame him. Asperonin eyed the situation with interest, seemingly still confused why I wasn’t bringing Kingly wrath on the young lad. Dr. Heathson continued eating his sandwich; ignoring the drama.

“Is that an order Zach?” I teased, standing up. His chrysoprase eyes widened a little, a wisp of fear and self doubt, before becoming angry again. Taking my time, first I placed a service card in the dumb waiter and sent it down to the kitchens, then I walked over to the sleeping Poflorin. Zach was perched on the arm of the chair and the young Healer was gravitating towards him even in his sleep. Their connection seemed so pure and deep, I couldn’t help but wonder about a particular legend told by the Fae. A future of fated mates.

People had claimed to have such connections over the centuries but there was no hard evidence, nothing conclusive to say it matched the fabled mate bond as described by the departed Fae.

Things were changing. The Remnant here and the one in Heldren were seeing to that. Several unlikely matches had popped up all over the castle. I wasn't going to mention that though. Poflorin and Zach had been in love before the Remnant ever came to the castle but regardless of that Asperonin would jump at an opportunity to renounce their love.

"Healer Poflorin, wake up." My voice was firm as I took one shoulder in my hand and gave it a solid shake. Hopefully the worst thing I would have to do for a while was wake him up. The choices to be made by a King were often much harder.

"Blocked Ajna ." He announced loudly on waking. "Sorry… did I, ere, fall asleep in a meeting?" He rubbed his left eye while looking around the room.

"The apologies are all mine, Healer Poflorin. I asked Zach to fetch you but he was disinclined to wake you." The dumb waiter dinged as I spoke. Zach moved to get it but I motioned him to continue sitting with Poflorin. "I'm ‘titled’ not entitled, I can serve tea." I smiled, and smiled broader still when the Head Healers eyes budged in his head.

Once everyone had a steaming cup of tea in hand and the tray of cakes and sandwiches were within the reach of all present I settled in my chair and began.

“We have all been attempting to reach the same goal but some of you have been trying to do so while missing some sizable chunks of information.” I met the eyes of each person one by one. “It is time that we were all on the same page, as it were.”

I took my time. Made sure to be precise. Took questions. There were only a few. Dr. Heathson seemed content, simply taking everything I said in his stride and Asperonin was mostly reduced to a stunned or more likely offended silence.

“Ok,” The young Healer yawned, “so we’re all in the know, what do we do now?? Any ideas, ‘cos I’m all out.” Zach rubbed his arm sympathetically but it didn’t do much to ease Poflorin’s dispare. The lad was deeply invested and I felt guilty. The burden of his first charge was a heavier weight than I had anticipated, unintentionally I had put the world on his shoulders.

“Humm, the facts lie as such - she hasn’t relaxed her shift in over three months, there are no signs of burnout. The Remnant, which to our knowledge, is a vessel of unquantifiable magical power is within her body. Perhaps the affliction is to do with her body being overwhelmed with magic as opposed to experiencing a drain.” Dr. Heathson droned in ponderous monotone.

“A ‘burn up’?” Asperonin voiced sarcastically. “No such thing, magic unused will forcibly express itself. It doesn’t ‘store’ beyond the well.” He dismissed the Dr’s statement with a haughty huff.

“With the utmost respect, Head Healer, the Remnant is uncharted territory. I see no limits to the possibilities.” Dr. Heathson was unphased.

“What if the magic is being blocked from expressing?” Poflorin chimed in thoughtfully.

“What if she is simply shifting when we aren’t looking?” Asperonin rolled his golden eyes. I noted that Zach’s hands balled into fists at those words.

“Healer Asperonin… I thought we had established that Lady Esther is, with doubts but, certain of her identity as such.” My frustration was starting to show.

"Demonstrate." The demand was from Zach. He wanted me to show my magic.

"My dear Zach, perhaps you are right. Very disappointing that it has to come to this."

"Can we please stop babying and entertaining my Father and just get on with it." Poflorin practically shouted. "She is Lady Esther, the fact is established, end of story. Now as I was saying; a blockage. I have been looking into the Hilom Fluxus and chakras. The old Fae texts have been difficult to locate and translate but I have found a few. Initially I was looking at it in relation to memory loss and Lady Esther’s other symptoms but what if it is stopping her shifting magic and the Remnant magic from being released? We assumed that she couldn’t remember how to use it or was intentionally avoiding using the magic. It could very well be that it is blocked; creating a 'burn up'. Some of her symptoms are the exact opposite of burn out." He reasoned.

"The shade association for the Anja chakra that you mentioned earlier is Indigo, treading the line between blue and purple. Its elementary manifestation is light." Asperonin chimed, trying to add to the conversation in a useful way. Probably trying to avoid getting kicked out.

"It is also known as the third-eye, pertaining to seeing beyond the physical like Benton. 'is blind to how she hides.' - perhaps there is additional meaning there." Dr. Heathson added while looking at the scrap of paper with Benton’s scrawl on it. Healer Asperonin looked at the Dr. as though he were seeing him for the first time.

"Black - blind. Black - no glow. Black - solution?" Zach pondered in his usual broken way of speaking. "Amerise? Humm" He tapped the floor with an unclad foot. “Out…”

"A solid theory but with the state of the girl if it is wrong she is dead. Good chance she is dead if we are right." Asperonin shrugged.

"Another question is do we cut the magic off further using nullifying or ease it by syphoning?" Dr. Heathson spoke in a slow bored sounding tone but his eyes were bright, thinking through the puzzle.

"And if the blockage is in a chakra, do we need to unblock the chakra? Would that need to be done before or after syphoning or nullifying?" Poflorin threw his hands up. “Too many questions, not enough answers and nowhere near enough time.”

“Or sleep.” Zach added, still salty about Poflorin being woken.

“The Remnant is, by all accounts so far, dangerous. It has inspired murder. It appears to have made King Fendryn unreasonable. The Eternal Forest calls to it in a manner that I find disconcerting.” My tone almost brooding. “It is my opinion that, if possible, the chakra should stay closed for now. To unleash the power of the Remnant may be a disaster of epic proportions.” A chorus of quiet agreement sounded.

“But…” Zach piped up, “but, she will be broken, still.” There was pain in his words. My heart was breaking for him. He was so kind.

“Mon moitié, one step at a time. If we don’t ease the burden of the magic then she cannot recover her health. Without her health such a sudden force of magic would be an even greater danger to her." Poflorin.

"Like pouring boiling oil into a teacup." Asperonin added, demonstrating an explosion with his hands. "Warm the cup, cool the oil, nothing should break."

"The question of how still remains." Dr. Heathson cut in. "Amerise does appear to meet the requirements but it means bringing another person into this fold."

"One, two?" Zach pointed at the top of his head and between his eyes while questioning Poflorin.

"No, 7, 6." Poflorin corrected him, yawning as he did.

"Lock, lock, lock. Black, black, black. Look." Zach pointed to the Anja chakra again followed by his throat and chest before grabbing some papers and the teapot. Eyes burning with that chrysoprase green and tongue poking from the corner of his mouth in concentration Zach gave us all an incredible demonstration of his magic in order to express his thinking.

First he solidified a column of air, creating three ledges to lay the papers on, then he began pouring the tea from above. The stream of tea became smaller with each paper it passed through, leaving a small pool on each sheet. The tea falling from the bottom sheet simply fell through the floor then from the ceiling and back into the teapot.

"That is an ingenious suggestion. By closing another two chakras the force of the energy flow will be spread across three points rather than one. Perhaps spiralling the seals to create a series of valves." Asperonin praised as Zach collapsed his demonstration neatly, the papers landing in one hand and the tea back into the pot. Poflorin’s head snapped to one side as he looked at his Father with an expression of shock.

"I have limited experience with chakras but it is a sound medical theory - reducing pressure." Dr. Heathson mused, focusing on the issue at hand rather than the drama between the two Healers or Zach’s unusual expression of his magic.

"So we all agree? Until Amerise can be located we will work on closing two more chakras?" Poflorin asked.

“Umm…” Zach disappeared.

“More tea?” I asked the room. I’m sure the remaining tea was perfectly fine to drink but the idea of a fresh pot, one with a beverage a little less well travelled, was more appealing.

“Indeed My King, I never say no to more tea.” Dr. Heathson replied. Asperonin and Poflorin nodded but were clearly occupied thinking about something else. I had sent the tea order to the kitchen, received the order and poured the tea before Zach returned.

Zach made quite the entrance, returning with Poflorin’s desk, an entire book case, a note from Benton and note from his sister. Even the young Healer was a little surprised. I was not; I knew Zach could move much more without breaking a sweat.

“Tea, Zach?” I asked, taking the notes.

“Yup.” He picked up a tea cup and dipped it through the pot to fill it. I chuckled, such a show off at times.

The note from Zach’s sister was a short overview of the day, she always sent me one. The note from Benton seemed almost a comment on the young woman's note, which was very strange. It was also similar to the way he has written about Lady Esther. Very perplexing but there was no time to consider it now.

Zach handed me a book and I sat at my desk to look for the answers we sought.