Pinfeathers

Chapter 11 - Sisters at Heart

The next twenty-four hours were some of the longest of Athira's life.

Zoe's quiet explanation of Athira's breakdown went over well. Though the Elites claimed Athira must have been one of the most volatile mergers they'd ever seen to produce a reaction that extreme, the combined excuse of a Colour matured years before its natural peak and the 'uneducated runes of a Blue thinking they were helping' seemed to be enough.

"Still, we're going to have to remove those runes," said the Blue Elite. Athira still didn't know his name, and he didn't seen inclined to give it. "It's either a quick rune to remove them, or we undergo extensive study of your runes that will require you to stay at HQ until we have concluded whether the runes are legitimate or not."

Though Athira didn't inform him of the third option; that she leave HQ right here and now, she accepted his words with a nod. Zoe in hand, he led Athira to a different room and sat them down.

"I'll perform a slow removal," he said, motioning for Athira's arms on the table. "That means that the runes won't disappear straight away, but it'll be softer for your Colour. The last thing we want to do is excite it further."

And so, for the next two hours, Athira sat, arms outstretched in front of her on the table, bored out of her mind. Every half an hour, the Elite would return and check the progress of the runes and to add another of his own. They were fading back into her skin as they always did, but they were slow. Usually they lasted no more than five minutes. Two hours probably wasn't a good thing.

As for her earlier concerns of the Elites being able to remove them--they didn't. The Elites runes dissolved within minutes of being placed on her skin, thanks to the Black coursing under her skin. The Elite seemed oblivious to this, especially once Sima confirmed that everything was progressing as they'd planned.

When the Elite entered the room for the sixth time, Athira had her head on the table. That much Colour had worn her out, both physically and mentally, and she was ready to sleep. Only a gentle nudge from Zoe lifted her gaze to the Blue's.

"Arms, please," he said. Athira stretched them out. He turned over her wrist, checking the skin. "It appears to have worked, and Sima claims she senses no other Colours in your system now."

"She said that last time too, y'no," muttered Athira.

The Elite remained stern faced as ever. "I can perform another session if you'd rather be absolutely sure."

"Only if I can go to sleep on the table."

When Athira was sure he was going to keep her here longer out of spite, he released her wrist. "I am satisfied we have accomplished our goals, and it's time for dinner. I won't hold you any longer." He turned to glance at the mirror behind him. "Sima, escort them back to the main area."

With that, the Blue Elite was gone, and Athira hoped she never saw him again.

Thankful it was Sima leading the way, Athira needed to shed the question hanging around her thoughts one way or another. "Why did you help me?"

Sima gave her a half smile. "I... can see the breaking point of an individual's Colour. Elites usually get me to see how deep a Colour runs, how strong they are. Each Colour has a shape to the well that holds it, Purples albeit warped a little, but yours didn't have a bottom. It wasn't that it was too deep. It just didn't exist."

"So the Black doesn't have a limit?"

"Black? Is that what you call it?" said Sima. "And no, it has a limit--I felt that. You have a breaking point, one that will turn the world black, though I don't know what that means. But you don't access it by hitting the bottom of your well and flooding it. I don't know how you access it."