On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Twenty-Three

“Good-good. You have finally connected to the heart Chakra. If you are to master the wind element, then the heart-heart is the Chakra you will need to strengthen.”

Feeling a bit of a warm glow at her praise I slumped to the ground. The heart Chakra had taken quite a while to link up. I had less trouble with my aether going down the wrong routes, but since I hadn’t really used the heart before it required some significant effort to use the channel. Still, now four pulsing centres of aether were beating in time within me, and I felt full of heat, like I was sitting in the warm light of the summer sun.

“You can-can have twenty minutes. After that you will-will connect the lunar Chakra.” Shaeula offered me a brief rest, for which I was very grateful, but what was the lunar Chakra? Was this the eighth one she mentioned earlier?

“I’m not sure what this lunar Chakra is. On the research I’ve done the next Chakra after the heart is the throat.” I interjected, only to be shot down by her loud snort and a sharp whip of wind across my already badly-bruised shoulders.

“Silence! Just who-who is it who has helped you connect your Chakras properly? The throat-throat comes after the lunar. Every Fae knows that-that.”

“Well, perhaps-perhaps it is because he is not a Fae?” The Kamaitachi spoke for the first time since he had joined us. “Humans might be different?”

“Nonsense, that makes no-no sense. Without the lunar Chakra his power would be pitifully weak-weak. Besides, why-why should a mortal be different?” Shaeula didn’t seem inclined to listen to her kin.

“Well-well, do you know any other humans? Perhaps it might be wiser-wiser to ask one of your siblings?” the Kamaitachi countered. “You would surely be allowed to contact them for this, if you send a subtle messenger…”

“I am not-not doing that-that! I know-know what I am doing, I will not-not have my siblings think I do not-not know basic facts-facts!” Her speech quirk was coming through stronger than ever, she was clearly embarrassed. “Besides…” she continued in a tone I could barely hear. “I do not-not want them to know I was defeated and am now-now a servant of a mortal. Not after I was already…” At those words that crept out involuntarily, she jerked her head around to me, eyes glowing fiercely. Her face twisted into a scowl and she spoke harshly. “Up you get. You do not-not have time to lie around.”

I stifled a groan and hauled myself to my feet. That was definitely not twenty minutes. I caught the gaze of the Kamaitachi who shrugged his shoulders at me, with what I was sure was a wry expression on his face.

The fingers of wind stroked me again, this time tracing a winding route along my body to where Shaeula thought the lunar Chakra should be located, and I began to cycle my aether. Despite my exhausted and bruised body I was far more proficient in handling it after my experiences of linking the other Chakras, so it gathered quickly. I then tried to follow the route, only to meet great resistance. Aether was spilling out in all directions, going down smaller, branching channels.

“No-no, wrong again!” Shaeula snapped, wind striking. “It needs to move through your main circuit. Although…” she did sound puzzled, her glowing eyes looking me up and down. “It is very-very poorly developed. Still, there is-is a route for the aether to take, so use that-that!”

I spent the next agonisingly long stretch of time forcing my aether through the pathways Shaeula indicated. Several times she was forced to change the route of my main circuit, and after each time she looked more and more confused. Even so, as I was coming up to breaking point I managed to reach the spot where she believed the lunar Chakra should be. All I needed to do was pool the energy there to activate it.

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As I directed my aether I felt a great resistance, stronger even than during the early days of my self-experimentation. Still, under the barked orders from Shaeula I persevered, ignoring the strange sensation of pain that was spreading from my back until it gripped my heart. I opened my eyes and glanced at Shaeula, who was chewing on one of her paws pensively, her gaze troubled. As I opened my mouth to speak she lashed out with a rap of wind to my side, drawing a grunt of pain from me.

“Keep-keep pushing. It must surely start to fill soon. I can see the aether circling it, soon-soon it will resonate.”

With a sigh I closed my eyes, and gathering all of my remaining willpower, which I had to admit was not much, I pushed as hard as I could. For a moment there was fierce resistance, and then there was a painful tearing feeling, and suddenly aether flooded in as though a dam had burst.

“Good-good, the lunar Chakra has been linked. I told-told you it was the next…” Her words trailed off as I vomited blood, a great mouthful of red, silver mist rising from it. As I fell over, unable to maintain my balance, agony surged through me in waves. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the frantic Shaeula rushing over, getting on top of me…?

********

I groaned as my consciousness returned, my aching body protesting. Opening my eyes I did not see my apartment as I expected, but I was still in the Boundary. Shaeula was standing above me, a look of concern on her face, her fur covered in fresh blood.

“You woke-woke up.” She said, relief on her face. “Your lunar Chakra suddenly exploded with aether, causing great-great damage to your whole network. It would have been most-most dangerous for you to return to your Material body, so I linked my own-own lunar Chakra to yours and sustained you.”

I guess that was why she was lying on top of me and how she got so bloody. It was hard for me to think, my head was throbbing.

“I guess I don’t have a lunar Chakra.” I managed to croak, sitting up and ignoring the dizziness that fogged my head. “All the research I did says we only have seven Chakra nodes.”

“Nonsense, I can see-see your lunar Chakra with my Mystic Eyes.” she countered. “It is very-very unstable, but you have an energy vortex in about the right place.”

“Well, maybe we made one by forcing it like that?” I asked, spitting out dried blood onto the floor.

Behind Shaeula the Kamaitachi spoke. “I think-think he is correct. Humans are different to Fae or Yōkai, after all-all, our prime bodies are Astral, where they are Material. I do not think-think he has a lunar Chakra, as do you, princess. You should-should have asked one of your siblings, maybe your older brother Shaer…”

Before he could finish Shaeula cut him off. “Nonsense-nonsense. I know just as much about mortals as my siblings do! He clearly has-has a lunar Chakra, I can see a vortex with my eyes. We just need-need to stabilise it. Besides, my brother is a...” She glared at him, cutting off her words that seemed to slip out of her, before ordered him to leave pridefully. “Akio draws aether from his Territory, so make-make yourself useful and go-go and gather it. Capture a dwelling or something!”

The Kamaitachi nodded and departed, leaving us alone. I was having trouble sitting upright, but I could feel the presence of a fifth vortex. It didn’t feel like the other Chakra nodes, but it had some similarities. Before I could say anything else Shaeula shocked me with her next words.

“Well, you have rested enough-enough. It is time-time to work on connecting your throat Chakra.”

My eyes widened in shock. “I think I’m done for now. I’m exhausted, I can’t think, and I ache all over. Not to mention my insides feel as if they’ve been filled with shards of broken glass. I need to rest.”

“Did you not-not listen to me?” Shaeula said sternly, folding her arms across her chest, heedless of the way it got further blood on her fur. “It is very-very dangerous to leave you in this state, your lunar Chakra has upset the balance of your body and Chakra network, so we need-need to finish connecting the other Chakras. So we now-now need to link up the throat Chakra.” With a sweep of her paw wind traced out the route along my body, stinging my many bruises.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you if I did suffer harm or even die?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying some bitter words. My head wasn’t clear and I spoke before I thought. “After all, then you’d be free again?”

At her long, hissed exhalation of breath that answered my question, I knew I had made a mistake, even in my befuddled state. Her eyes somehow blazed ever fiercer, and I swallowed nervously.

“You gravely insult me.” she proclaimed coldly. “We swore-swore three Oaths and you promised three Boons. To the Fae such things are inviolable. I am-am your servant, and will remain so as long as the Boons are paid, or until both of us choose-choose to annul it, though this is not-not something one of the Seelie, less one of royal-royal blood, would ever choose to do lightly.”

She seemed somehow proud, angry and sad all at once. I bowed my head deeply in apology.

“I’m sorry, my head… I don’t feel so good. I would never want to insult your noble pride.” I was a little touched as her resolve.

“See that you do not-not. I am only thinking of your wellbeing. Now, the sooner you link up your Chakras, the sooner you can rest-rest.”

I had no answer to that. Gritting my teeth and gathering what little strength I had, I started moving my aether along the route Shaeula had indicated. Almost immediately I met fierce resistance, pain knifing through my whole body. This is going to be a long, torturous process, what a delight…

********

Spitting more blood I finally managed to connect up my third-eye Chakra. I had been at it for what seemed like weeks, but was likely only forty-eight hours or so. Still, being awake for that long and in such pain, even with aether flowing through me, was taking a heavy toll. Even pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines for coding work was nothing compared to this. Although to be fair, if I hadn’t had such experience with that I would never have managed this…

“Excellent, that makes-makes seven. Now only the crown Chakra remains. One final-final push and you can rest.” Shaeula tried to encourage me. She had stopped with her blows of wind, knowing I was trying as hard as I could. Besides, if she hit me again I’d probably pass out…

Connecting what Shaeula called the lunar Chakra to the throat Chakra was torture, feeling as if I was tearing a route through my body. It had taken hours. Connecting the throat to the third eye had been quicker, as I had experience and Shaeula was guiding me, but it was still a long process. Now the final stage awaited me… Finally, this torture can end.

I listened to her instructions in a trance-like state, just concentrating on pushing the aether the right way, and before I knew it I felt a wave of energy pass through my skull, and then starting from my crown a tide of heat like magma pulsed through me.

“Good, well done. You have-have succeeded!” Shaeula crowed. “Your Chakra network has all linked up properly.” She rushed over to me as I slumped down and helped me up. I was too tired and sore to even care that I was being pressed against her. Besides, she may be a girl, but she isn’t human. Though some people with strange fetishes would no doubt love this. I knew I was thinking nonsense, but I couldn’t help it, I was that exhausted, sleep-deprived and in pain, my thoughts scattered and incoherent.

“I suggest you return to the Material realm-realm and rest.” she said, her tone now kind. “Be sure-sure to circulate your aether to stabilise the circuit in your Material body but go-go gently. Though it seems-seems to be working properly the lunar Chakra in particular is pitifully weak-weak. Do not-not push yourself and I will check you when you return.”

“I’ll be careful. Thanks for everything Shaeula, I really appreciate it.” I did appreciate it, even if she was a drill-sergeant of a teacher. The results were worth it, even if the mishap with the lunar Chakra nearly had terrible consequences.

“It was nothing-nothing. Just what I should do by Oath.” she said, turning her gaze away from me. Yep, now she is showing her dere side.

“Well, I still appreciate it. I’ll see you when I next accumulate enough aether to return.” And with that I let my consciousness go, finally able to rest…