Chapter 62: Chapter 101 – The Flower That Wants to Blossom

We brought Isla back to the dormitory, hoping that she would recover after resting. Maybe we were too hopeful. Her condition got worse over the course of a day, and Professor Markel had to fly a netherfolk doctor in from another state. 

Val, Professor Markel, and I waited in an unoccupied bedroom that I originally intended for Isla, but now served as an infirmary to treat her. A fair-skinned elven man named Lesker, a magic-casting healer who once served in Tarcosa's court, emitted from his hands a glowing light and hovered over Isla like he was scanning her.

The poor girl occasionally tossed and turned, as though tormented by nightmares. I felt so helpless that there was nothing I could do except pray that whatever Lesker was doing worked. Every flower on Isla's hair had lost their petals and shriveled up, the once vibrant leaves turned brown and brittle, and limbs had all but unwound into dry roots.

The magic from Lesker's hands suddenly diminished. He stood up with a sigh, sad eyes still fixed on Isla.

"Well?" Val asked impatiently.

"Isla has grown weak," Lesker began, folding an arm across his chest and resting the other hand under his chin. "For what reasons, I am uncertain. Her body is fine, physically. There are injuries with which to heal. No sign that she was injected with anything during the kidnapping that may weaken her. It is a mystery. At this rate, she might—"

Without warning, Val grabbed Lesker by his coat and slammed him against the wall.

"Am I hearing you correctly? You're unable to help her?" Val clenched her jaws and stared him right in the eyes.

"Val!" I pulled her away to free the doctor. "I know you're stressed, but this isn't the way to go about it."

She slapped my hand away.

"Can't you see Isla's suffering? You're supposed to be our caretaker! Help her!"

Val's words plunged into my heart like poison-tipped arrows, filling me with shame. There was nothing I could do.

We exited the room, leaving Val to stay and comfort Isla alone. Everyone was outside the room, eager to see their new roommate well. Their smiles flipped when we were the only ones who came out. Remmy in particular, looked like she wanted to say something, but backed away from the crowds instead.

"Is Isla going to be okay?" Tamara asked, tugging on my shirt and searching my demeanor for answers.

I put on a brave face and said, "Yeah. She's going to be okay. We're looking into everything we can to help her, so don't you worry. Val wants some time alone with Isla. Give her a bit, and you guys can go inside later."

My eyes moved to the armed officers who were also here, at the top and bottom of the stairs, more outside, and several in the living room. Cresta and Irapesha weren't concerned, but everyone else couldn't stop throwing uneasy glances their way, in turn putting the officers on edge.

"Professor, can I have a word with you outside?" I asked.

He nodded. While the tenants dispersed to their rooms and other parts of the house, Professor Markel and I exited the dormitory from the front.

"I'll pay a visit to High-King Tarcosa and see if he—"

"Forget about that for a minute. What the hell is this? It looks like you want to raid my dormitory! How do you think that makes my tenants feel?" I gestured to the task force behind me.

"They are a precaution for everyone's safety. You saw what the alraune did to the kidnapper's van. She uses magic, too. For an undisciplined child, it is especially dangerous," Professor Markel said.

"Her name is Isla, and netherfolks are justified in using magic when their lives are in danger. That kidnapping was a clear-cut case. Now, get them out of my dorm before one of your men gets twitchy."

We stood there glaring at each other. Maybe that was immature of me, but I was thankful the professor was mature enough not to take this battle. He radioed the task force inside to stand down and vacate the premises.

As his officers returned to their vehicles, Professor Markel followed after them. He stopped half-way across the parking lot and turned to me.

"Sentiments regarding netherfolks are at an all-time high thanks to the success of your dorm and colorful tenants. Unfortunately, that also means bias against them has grown just as worse within a loud minority. The kidnapping is a consequence of that. I'm sorry we weren't able to act sooner." Professor Markel nodded apologetically, then entered the vehicle pulled up next to him with Dr. Lesker.

After everyone had gone to sleep, I climbed out of bed and left my room. Down the east wing of the dorm, Isla's room still had lights on. Val was probably in there, comforting the girl. When I got downstairs, a breeze tickled my feet. Someone left the backyard door open.

I thought to close it until I noticed Val outside, cradling the sleeping Isla at the threshold of upturned dirt from the other day's excavation. From here, a gentle melody reached my ears. It was a soft hum that produced more notes than an orchestra.

Part of me wanted to join them. Although dark, it was fairly cool so they didn't need a jacket. Light from the moon and stars gave a beautiful view.

The other part of me didn't want to interrupt their peace.

Instead, I went back to my room and turned on the computer to look through the notes again. There had to be a way to help Isla that we're overlooking. With an energy drink in hand and a succulent burger from Rocket Burger, I poured over all the documents that had been sent to me, including Dr. Lesker's diagnosis of Isla.

However, the longer I stared at the words on the screen, the more everything blurred together. I must have memorized everything at some point, but I still hadn't found a clue.

What was I missing? What?

I spun in my seat while rubbing my eyes, hoping it would jog my memory. When I took my hands away, I was facing Ange, who remained fast asleep. 

Her species was used as weapons of war.

Ange told me that.

"Oh, my god. The answer was right in front of me this entire time," I muttered.

Demons used Isilus Mandragons against kingdoms across Weyera like a weed. What did weeds do? They sucked life out of the ground.

I walked over to Ange and kissed her on the forehead. My succubus girlfriend stirred, but didn't awaken. She turned onto her side and curled up, her lips curling into a slight smile.

Rushing downstairs, I almost ran into Val who was on her way in from the backyard.

"Goodness, what man runs madly around the house past midnight?" Val asked.

"It's magic!" I exclaimed in a hushed tone so as to not wake up Isla.

"I'm afraid I don't follow." Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Isla needs magic in order to survive. Weyera has magic, but Earth doesn't. Have you noticed? Everytime Isla used magic, she grew weaker. After raising the garden, after using her roots to stop the van. Remember?"

Those slits snapped open.

"That must be it, but… How did Dr. Lesker… No, how did I not even realize it? How did you?" Val asked.

"Weyerans never had to think about it. Magic was a natural thing in your world. It's a given. My question is how were you and Ange able to use magic without feeling weak?"

"Our magic is recurring," she began. "The Isilus Mandragon, however…"

"Is parasitic," we said at the same time, our eyes turning to Isla, who was just now waking up.

"Oh, my sweet girl. You have been holding back from taking our magic? At the cost of your own health? Isla, you have to take my magic. Do you understand me? If you don't…" Val trailed off, tightening her grasp as tears rolled down her cheeks

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"Isla won't hurt… family. Isla… not a monster," Isla said weakly.

If Isla wouldn't take someone's magic, then what could we do? We found out how to help her, but it amounted to nothing if she didn't listen.

"Remmy says she can help."

Emerging from the dorm was Ivory, holding a blob-form Remmy in their arms.

"When I was experimented on, I remember being used to feed Isilus Mandragons… It was scary… Sometimes I thought they would drain me to death… Sometimes I wished they did," Remmy said, her gelatinous form shuddered as she recalled those painful memories.

"Not anymore. Isn't that right, pal?" Ivory grinned.

"I'm not sure if it works for alraunes, but I want to try because Isla is my family, too." The slime bounced eagerly in Ivory's arms.

"Remmy." I knelt down to pick up Remmy as Ivory passed her to me. "You're the bravest slime both our worlds have ever known."

Dr. Lesker returned to the dorm in the morning at my request, this time without Professor Markel and an army. We had Remmy and Isla sit next to each other on the living room couch. The others watched worriedly from the side.

"Do you think it's possible?" I asked the doctor.

"Hypothetically? Yes. In practice? We will just have to see. Slimes are rich in mana due in large part to their cores, much like the sun. However, take too much and it might cause lasting damage," Dr. Lesker said.

Then we would be putting Remmy at risk? I suddenly didn't feel too good about this.

"Remmy, are you sure you want to do this?" Cresta asked, hugging the slime girl from behind the couch. "Couldn't we take mana from someone else? Or maybe bring a potion from Weyera?"

"It would take days or weeks for something like that to be cleared through, and no one is made out of more magic than Remmy," I answered.

"Mrrr… Fine. If it hurts too much just tell us to stop, okay?" The catassassin squeezed her slime friend so hard, she deformed in shape but bounced right back after being let go.

"Alright. Beginning mana transfer…" Dr. Lesker's hands began to glow a different color, more blue and chaotic like electricity.

Immediately, Remmy tensed up and let out a pained cry. When the doctor retracted his hand, she extended a slime tentacle to pull it back.

"Keep going… For Isla's sake," Remmy urged.

With Lesker serving as the conduit, that bluish energy moved from one hand to the other, where Isla was resting under. 

"You can do it, Remmy! You're my twin from another mother! We're two peas in a pod! I know you got this!" Ivory shouted and transformed into a flag with the words '#1 Slime'.

The others joined in with words of encouragement to both Remmy and Isla.

I swallowed. Watching Remmy shaking and whimpering as magic was drained from her body made me want to cry. Something cracked, so quietly that only Cresta heard. Her ears twitched and eyes widened. I had only seen it because while everyone was looking at Isla, my gaze was on Remmy.

The slime core that floated listlessly within Remmy's gelatinous body had an ever so slight chip. 

"Hey, I think we should stop," I warned Dr. Lesker.

"No!" Remmy exclaimed. "Not until Isla… is awake!"

Looking up, I found Cresta returning my gaze with grave concern.

"Come on, Isla… Remmy is doing everything she can," I whispered.

As though to answer my prayers, Isla was beginning to come to. Flower buds replaced the wilted stems on her hair, and leaves became a vibrant green again.

Another crack. This one loud enough to make Cresta twitch. A tiny piece of the core had broken off and disintegrated.

"Alright, that's enough! Cut the mana transfer!" I yelled.

Dr. Lesker snapped the connection. Cresta checked on Remmy, while Val checked on Isla. The alraune girl's eyes opened slowly and adjusted to the light. Her roots wound into limbs to hug Val.

It worked. Thank god.

"How's Remmy?" I asked Cresta, who held the weary slimb blob.

"I want… to hide in my room… and play games all week… Is Isla okay?" Remmy mumbled.

"Thanks to you." I smiled.

Val let Isla down, so that the alraune girl could crawl over to Remmy and hug her in the same way. 

"Remmy!" Isla exclaimed as she rubbed their cheeks together.

"Nn… Isla… I-I'm still not used to being close to people yet…" Remmy said, troubled by Isla's affection.

"Caretaker." Val pulled me aside to the kitchen. "I owe you an apology for yesterday…"

"Don't worry about it. If you insist on making it up to me, I'll happily accept you calling me 'Lord Akira' for a day. Just let me get the camera," I teased.

Val balled up a fist, then let it down with a sigh. Unable to contain her smile, she settled with poking my chest.

"Don't get too full of yourself. I believe it was Remmy who deserves all the praise today," she said.

A commotion in the living room stole our attention. They were hoisting Remmy and Isla into the air like beach balls on their way out to play in the backyard. Dr. Lesker sunk into the couch to rest. I was about to go thank him until Isla waddled her back to us on her own two feet, without the help of Ivory or someone carrying her.

"Play?" Isla asked.

Val hip-bumped me to answer her.

I picked Isla up and pinched her cheek, causing the flower bulbs in her hair to blossom into pretty roses as she giggled.

"Okay, but not too much. You still need to rest, and not use magic anymore." I wagged a finger in her face, but she responded by coiling roots around it instead. 

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