Chapter 9: Eldoris

"My Lord, we may have a problem."

Kenneth enters my office with a worried and troubled expression; my guess is something happened that he couldn't handle along with the others. Either way, we are on a tight schedule and tonight, no matter what, will be Eiden's awakening and everything needs to be ready for it.

Without looking at the anxious butler, I continue to sort documents and spell-books; "I am busy, Kenneth. What could possibly require my attention at this time?"

"Well, the situation is that Lady Armina is here and..."

I immediately interrupted him; "Stop. How did she even get access to enter without my knowledge beforehand? On second thought, tell me where she is and explain how this unacceptable and unwelcome visit happened on the way." Knowing Armina, she never comes in a peaceful manner; always the impulsive one, never thinking about consequences or whom she affects in the process.

I finish sorting a phew more documents and grimoires before standing and striding out of the office. "How did she waltz inside without informing me firsthand?"

As Kenneth tried to match my pace he explained the situation; "She apparently made a copy of the access card from yesterday and the head guard didn't check authentication nor date of it until he saw Lady Armina take a different hallway instead of the one that leads to your office."

"Let me guess; she went to Eiden's study."

"I am afraid so, My Lord. Also… she placed a powerful multi-layered barrier at the beginning of the hall towards the young master's study."

It isn't surprising she would resort to that, which means she is on to something; I thought. "I assume that is the reason why none of you could get to her and made the decision to approach me."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Do I need to get creative and stricter with my staff's training regimen?"

"I apologize, My Lord. We will be more careful from now on."

"Make sure there isn't a next time and find another replacement for the head guard. Pick up the pace Kenneth, we better hurry, you know perfectly well she doesn't keep her temper in check."

As Eldoris neared the corridor that led to Eiden's hallway; Kenneth in tow; he felt the strong energy that came from the barrier that was placed there. Knowing in an instant that all his household members couldn't break that barrier with sheer force. It was made with the wicked intention of keeping anyone and anything from reaching its creator.

Once within arms-length of the barrier, Eldoris' pupils changed shape to a vertical line as his hand hovered near the wall of energy in front of him, emanating strong but controlled spiritual force from his palm to analyze the structure of the barrier, but cautiously, as to not cause a disruption that would make it strike at him with whichever repelling spell it had on its first layer. In no time at all, he knew how the barrier worked and with it, the ideal spell to break it. Without hesitating, he collected more spiritual force in his hand and began chanting a very old and complex spell. As he pushed his hand against the barrier, small but strong sparks of lightning began to crack underneath his touch, though that much was to be expected. Its side spells began to fight back; desperately trying to heal the cracks and dispel the cause of its disruption. Eldoris took a deep breath and gathered a greater surge of energy sending it to his hand and into the barrier, shattering it as if it was a wall-sized mirror.

Effortlessly, he composed himself and continued down the hall and towards Eiden's study as fast as he could. Even from the beginning of the hall, he could sense the menacing and powerful aura of an enraged Armina.

When I finally reached the study, there were documents, books and machinery parts scattered all over the floor; a few burned corners on the items scattered about. The desk's surface had been burnt underneath a pair of pale-white, clenched fists. Just as I had sensed, Armina was on one side of the desk staring down infuriated at my son, who was, of course, defiantly staring her back and arms crossed in front of his chest from the other side without any fear nor hesitation.

Neither of them broke their gazes off each other when I had walked in; nor when I started speaking. Directing my first words towards Armina, who was, clearly, the one disrespecting my home and threatening everything I had worked for all these years. "What is the meaning of this, Armina?"

"We are just talking. No need to overreact."

"Is that your sense of humor talking? By the looks of the things on the floor and mood, it doesn't seem to be "just talking" from this point of view."

Eiden scoffed and spoke as if he wasn't even acknowledging her presence anymore; "I don't believe she is even capable of a decent conversation. After all, she is a tyrant. Restraint nor respect is even in her dictionary; it is nonexistent."

I couldn't believe the audacity of my own son to keep provoking Armina, which clearly succeeded in infuriating her more than I thought was possible.

Armina straightens herself, her fists were in ablaze of fire; all intentions of attacking clear on her stance. "A tyrant? How dare you!"

Before she did anything else and ruined everything; I quickly stepped beside her and neutralized her energy with my own as to intervene with whichever her intentions were. "Kenneth, help Eiden clean this mess. Armina, come with me, we have to talk."

"Not now. Eiden still owes me an answer and maybe I'll teach him how to respect his superiors."

"Yes, NOW and you will do no such thing."

Without waiting for her response nor directing a single word towards his son, Eldoris dragged Armina out of Eiden's study and towards his office ignoring her complaints and curses all the way there.

"What do you think you are doing, Armina? Are you trying to ruin everything or just trying to get under my skin?"

"I DO NOT CARE what you want. He knows where she is, and I need answers!"

"We talked about this already. How are you so sure and gives you the right to waltz in here like that?"

"Because of this." She took out of her coat pocket a small crystal bottle half-filled with swirling blue with a hint of white-green spiritual energy. "This is part of the remnant energy that my team found in Alida's room, and it was a seventy-two percent match with Eiden's energy sample I took from him yesterday."

I stared at the swirling energy in the bottle; of course, I recognize my own son's unique energy flow. I was always collecting it and doing tests on it myself; but somehow, another familiar remnant was mixed in with his.

Turning my back towards Armina, I walked towards the small bar in my office and served myself the strongest whiskey I had. After gulping down two glasses, the third one served in my hand, I faced Armina who was impatiently but quietly waiting for my response, my next move.

I let a phew more moments pass to let the tension eat at her mind; mental torture was more effective than physical. I swirled the whiskey in the glass before speaking again to settle on the first phew things I wanted to clear up; "what about the other twenty-eight percent?"

Armina rolled her hazel eyes and crossed her arms all too knowing; she had always been sharp to catch on to every little detail. "Is that really what's important to you? I just told you… Wait...unless you suspect someone else is helping your son. No; you know perfectly well to whom it belongs to."

"I've had my suspicions for some time but didn't give it too much thought. Figured it wouldn't hurt much."

"Clearly you misjudged the situation and the capabilities of your own son."

"I may have miscalculated a few details, but I did certainly not underestimate my son."

Armina grew quiet, clearly thinking of ways to persuade me so she could run off and torture Alida's whereabouts from Eiden. I drank the whiskey and placed the glass back on the counter of the bar.

After a moment of hesitating, I decided to let her in on tonight's plans. Considering it could not hurt to have extra insurance. "Instead of going behind each other's backs, how about we make a deal that I am sure it will be beneficial for both of us."

Armina had a puzzled expression but nonetheless, she bit on the lure and gracefully strode towards the nearest armchair crossing her legs on top of the other once seated, arms resting on top of them in a regal manner; "you have my full attention, Eldoris."