Episode 68: Affliction (Zero)

Zero left the garage to find Konrad. He spent the few dozen steps to his office and then to Konrad thinking through what he might say and what the next few days looked like. Camilla was missing, bred most likely, and he would have to go ask Magenta for help soon because the magic requirements would exceed his current supply of plants.

As he made a mental list of the various things he needed, he saw Konrad talking with another guard in the hall.

He walked up to Konrad and waited for a break in the conversation.

After a moment, Konrad dismissed the guard and turned toward him

“You’re needed urgently,” Zero stated. “Can someone take over your post?”

After a moment of silence, Konrad nodded. They walked side by side toward the conference rooms.

He didn’t want to talk about the spell in the halls; he wasn’t sure who could be listening and he wanted to make sure this information was kept secret, so he told Konrad that Niels’ familiar was an ostrich.

“What in the world is an ostrich?” Konrad asked.

Zero tried to imagine a way to describe a flightless round fluffy bird on thick legs with a wide flat beak while doing the image justice.

“You’ll see,” Zero said, his hand lightly touching Konrad’s shoulder to transport.

They walked in silence to the garage, Konrad’s hand on his sword the entire time. He opened the garage, where Niels was tossing aside the large metal door panel he had been unbolting.

“What’s this?” Konrad said, staring at the floor.

“The metal chunks are car components,” Zero told him. “We’re rebuilding an Emperion for Niels.”

Konrad studied the pieces for a moment, then looked up.

“The long necked bird is an ostrich,” Zero said.

“Alright. This was urgent?”

“Niels and I were talking and uncovered something related to the Lower Dell Issue, possibly. A spell was used to drive the king and queen apart.”

Konrad looked between them, and even Niels had set the tools aside to focus.

“You’re sure?” Konrad asked.

He was sure of the spell, but none of the details. the traceable components seemed to implicate a dividing spell, combined with their recent separation. “I’m confident.”

“Can it be undone?” Konrad asked, his hand relaxed off his sword but his eyes still scanned the cars.

Zero had never suspected Konrad would be into cars. It would help him with the shop.

The spellwork for Aadya and Mel may help him uncover magical style, which would be a way of looking for the wiccan responsible for hiding Camilla. every piece was a step closer.

“Yes,” he replied. “Do we want to undo it?”

Konrad stared at him. Zero couldn’t pinpoint if the cars were distracting Konrad, the situation with Aadya, or if he was just off. Regardless, his normally sharp mind seemed to have no response.

“I’ll prepare the spell to counter it. I’ll need some time,” Zero said.

“What do you think would be gained by not undoing it? You seemed to think it had merit.”

“My  two main concerns are how Aadya may react to the manipulation, given her history, and if the Lower Dell, whoever did it, will be better fought under the division, thinking they have the upper hand,” Zero replied.

Konrad continued to stare at him.

Niels spun the chair from side to side, waiting for Konrad to decide what to do with those two things.

“Is there a way to protect them from future manipulation?” Konrad asked.

Zero realized that Konrad was out of his element against wiccans. He was most likely feeling inadequate and inexperienced. It must have been a leading reason he wanted Spence to train under him; Spence could offer advice with the wiccan mindset combined with a lifetime of growing up with fairies.

Still, Konrad should have known that wicca was already used in many layers of defenses against the palace.

“ Yes,” Zero stated. “I believe the entire palace requires stronger wicca defenses.”

“Aadya is frequently not in the palace. Perhaps a pendant, ward her dragon, something…” Konrad drifted off, distracted by the car components on the floor.

When Niels wasn’t part of the conversation, Zero planned to take him aside and ask him how he was feeling.

Konrad leaned down to the door panel and picked up the small handle that was resting nearby.

“What does this do?” Konrad asked.

“That piece belongs on the door panel, to open the door. We’re taking everything apart before we decide which pieces to keep, replace, or upgrade. Niels wants to race in the car.”

Zero was torn between two questions – the first if he would like to help them, the second if he would like to talk later.

Niels was still in the room; Konrad wouldn’t respond well in that situation. Spence may have insight to, Zero thought, and he would need a complete picture before going into the situation. It could be anything from wicca to emotional struggles to a hidden desire to be doing something else.

“What does this piece do?” Konrad asked, holding up a long metal piece.

“It’s one of the components of the steering column,” Zero replied.

“Alright,” Konrad said. “Meldrick and Aadya have divorced.”

Niels looked up at Zero.

“So I shouldn’t do the spell?” Zero asked.

“I want them more protected, not just her. Giana.”

“Sure. I’ll include Spence in creating the spells,” Zero replied. “He needs practice.”

“We have a wing of the dungeon I’ve never used. Perhaps a wall could be removed and replaced with a door.”

Zero met Niels’ eyes then refocused on Konrad.

He had a missing princess – crown princess to a deposed throne.

He had a spell torn king and queen.

He had no interest in his job.

“We were discussing building trolleys for transit within the palace grounds,” Zero said. Niels played along.

If Konrad was of sound mind, he would never be willing to add something as exposing as transit throughout the palace grounds. People on feet were easier to track and chase and there were too many issues at the moment.

Instead of alarmed, Konrad asked, “What is a trolley?”

Zero pulled out his cell phone and searched for an image of a trolley.

“Like a cart,” Konrad said as he scanned through a dozen images, his eyes sparkling in excitement.

“Alright, how do we get one on the roads in the Dells?” Konrad asked.

Niels’ jaw dropped to the floor, and he hid it by spinning his chair in a circle, his knees pulled into his chest for the look.

Niels set them back down, his face returned so some sort of normalcy.

There was something wrong with Konrad; beyond stress. A mental break or a spell were the most reasonable explanations.

Zero would add that to his growing list of work; an exciting change of pace would come from the magic but he was concerned about what it implied. The more, the stronger, the wicca used the more likely a major altercation was coming. He was anxious to know if it was another group or if the Caelum had brought the war to the Dells.

Neither option was good, but the Dells were the center for retreat if things with the Caelum went awry. Their safe haven couldn’t have an impending war.

Zero would break the curse, but first he would make sure that Meldrick and Aadya knew what was going on and they made the best decision for themselves.

He didn’t need a kingdom torn because Meldrick didn’t know who he wanted to be with.

Zero turned his focus back to Kornad, to keeping him at ease. He told Konrad about the various components to the car they were working on and about how to make the Dells ready for vehicles, including bus stops and roadways and garages to house the trolleys.

After not more than five minutes, he announced, “I need to work on the spells.”

He looked over at Niels, “Are you helping me?”

Niels wiped his hands on his pants, streaks of oil and rust mixing with his black jeans, “Yeah, okay.”

Konrad was immersed in the pile of car parts. Zero would have to make sure Spence knew to come get Konrad soon, once the spell was prepared. The Dells were in better hands with Konrad off duty at the moment; Zero vowed to get to the bottom of whatever afflicted Konrad and to help him through it.

“So you’re keeping them apart?” Niels asked.

“We’re undoing the spell,” Zero replied. He opened the back door to his garden, “The rest is their decision.”

Niels looked out at the expansive garden – it encompassed two acres of hillside. Zero wove his way through the plants, some staples, some ordinary, and many – the focal point that all other plants revolved around – rare, difficult to breed, and potent. He fertilized his gardens with life energy from the hospital and warded them routinely.

They made their way through the garden, Zero telling Niels about each plant and how it’s structure and name made it significant. He explained the different spells he was going to do: wards for the palace, more tracking spells for Camilla and possible children of Camilla’s, spells to unravel the mysteries behind Konrad’s state as well as to clarify how to combat Aadya nd Meldrick’s, and a slew of general ingredients for basic spell removal.

Niels was the perfect student, much like Spaden. He was attentive, responsive, and he a quick learner. The rest of the morning slipped away and his tensions unfoiled themselves as he worked.

He would have to see Bentley. He turned to Niels, his hand outstretched, “Nivern for some luck?”

Niels took his hand and nodded, and in an instant they had left the gardens with their basket of plants and were standing in the grand entrance of the Nivern palace.

Zero let go of Niels’ hand and looked up the staircases that wrapped around the room and joined in the center, where Bentley was standing.

“Having a bad day?” Bentley asked, half his mouth turned up in a smile.

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