“Have you finished petting the tiger?” Ceceta asked the room, sounding cross. Everyone stepped back. They weren’t finished, but it appeared Ceceta was ready to move on. “Okay, it’s time for some Themrock magic. Turn out the lights and close the shutters.”
Ceceta started to rub the tiger’s fur back and forth as fast as she could with her hands. At first nothing happened but then there was a white flash. It was followed by another white flash. Electricity was building within the tiger’s fur. As Ceceta continued to rub Rhen, the flashes of electricity grew until it was almost too bright to watch. When Rhen’s fur rose up, she yelled, “Now! Tgfhi, think of someone who has died that you want to talk to and rub the tiger’s fur backwards.”
“What?” Tgfhi asked, without moving. He couldn’t comprehend what she was asking him to do. Why was he supposed to think of someone who’d died while petting the tiger?
“Hurry! I built up the connection, follow through.”
It seemed important to Ceceta, so Tgfhi thought about his mom as he reached out and pushed backwards on Rhen’s fur.
“Too slow. Do it again quickly, before you lose them,” Ceceta told him. Tgfhi did it again, but he mustn’t have been going fast enough, because Ceceta grabbed his hand and rubbed it through the tiger’s fur for him. “Are you thinking about someone who’s dead?” she asked.
“Yes.” The white snaps of electricity that were flashing randomly about the tiger’s back moved together to form a ball of white energy. The ball quivered for a second before taking on the shape of a two-inch tall woman. The ghostly woman gasped and said in Tgarian, “My word.”
“Mom?” Tgfhi croaked, jerking his hand back.
The woman turned her head and spotted him. “Oh,” she cried out, the light in her face glowing brighter with love. “Tgfhi. My sweet boy, how are you? I’ve missed you so much. You look wonderful.” They saw her ghostly hands touch her face as she sighed. “Did I hear correctly? Are you getting married soon to that beautiful Ventarian girl? I’m so happy for you. You’ve done so well.”
“No way,” Jack said softly. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It seemed everyone in the room agreed. Could Tgfhi really be speaking with his dead mother? This connection that Ceceta had been building–was it really with the time after?
“Mom,” Tgfhi said brokenly. He started to laugh and cry at the same time while wiping at his eyes with his hand.
The tiger looked back at him and whined. Rhen didn’t want Tgfhi to cry.
“Lord Rhen, is that you? Are you forming this connection?” the woman asked, glancing towards the tiger’s face. “Dear me, are you a Neptian tiger? Well, isn’t that funny. You look very nice as a tiger, Lord Rhen.” Rhen blinked his eyes in response.
In Tgarian, Tgfhi said, “Mom, I miss you. I love you.”
“Okay,” Ceceta said to the others, “let’s see how many connections we can get. I once had five connections going at once.”
James cleared his throat. He was having trouble coming to grips with what he was seeing. “Ceceta, do you mean to tell me that the fur of a Neptian tiger allows the living to speak to the dead?”
“Yes! Isn’t it wonderful?! Themrock made two connections for us to use to speak to our dead. The first connection is in his castle, Tetong. Unfortunately, we can’t use that one until he opens it up; the second is through the fur of a Neptian tiger.”
James was stunned. Ceceta asked them again if anyone wanted to speak with a dead relative. When no one said anything, James said, “May I speak with Kendeth?” Kendeth had been his mother’s advisor as well as a surrogate grandfather to him.
“Of course.” Ceceta put James’ hand on Rhen’s back and showed him how to rub the fur to make a connection. Within a matter of seconds, Kendeth’s ghostly form appeared before them.
Rhen found himself growing bored. Ceceta had made seven connections on his back. The Thestrans had been talking to their loved ones for a while now. With a yawn, he shifted his body so that he was lying on his side then rested his head on Plos’ lap. Plos was doing a marvelous job of stroking his neck. “I’ve decided,” Plos whispered to Rhen, “that my favorite animal in the Universe is the Neptian tiger. I pledge to do whatever I can to help them.” Rhen blinked in response. He knew he’d liked Plos.
When Kendeth said, “Have you discovered the truth about Rhen yet? It’s really quite amazing, isn’t it? Who knew?” Ceceta and the others paled as they turned to look at Rhen’s head. His ears, which had been pointing forward, were now turned backwards as he listened to Kendeth. Rhen’s tail swished back and forth as he waited for Kendeth to continue.
“Yes,” Aaron said. “We discovered that he’s the Black Angel. It’s remarkable. We had no idea.”
Reed bent closer to Kendeth’s image and put his finger to his mouth to indicate that he should be quiet, then he pointed towards the right. Kendeth turned and spotted the tiger. “Don’t tell me I’m standing on Emperor Rhen? Thank you, my Lord, for allowing me to visit with my family.”
Rhen turned his head towards Kendeth and blinked its eyes in response, before flopping back down onto Plos’ lap. Plos reached over to scratch him under his chin, which caused his tail to jerk wildly about in response.
“What an honor to be communicating to you through Rhen,” Kendeth said.
“I think we should call it a night,” Ceceta told them quickly. She was worried that Kendeth might slip. They said their goodbyes and she smoothed the tiger’s fur until the images faded.
“That was amazing,” Sarah said as Aaron flicked the room’s lights back on and Jack opened the shutters.
Reed shook his head. “I had no idea you could do that.”
Naci snorted and sat down on one of the beds in the back of the room, where he’d left his breakfast. “If we’d known, we wouldn’t have killed them off.”
Plos was still scratching Rhen under his chin. Rhen’s tail was slamming back and forth against Tgfhi’s head in response. “Um, Plos?” Tgfhi said, trying to duck out of the way. Plos laughed and leaned back into the couch, scratching Rhen’s neck instead.
James approached Ceceta. “What Charlie asked before, is it possible? Could this tiger mate with the ones in the zoo? Perhaps Rhen could bring the tigers back from extinction?"
“No,” Ceceta snapped. She couldn’t believe he’d even think such a thing. Reaching over, she smacked Rhen on his side. His muscles quivered from the blow. “Change back.” A moment later, Rhen was sitting on the couch. His hair was pointing out in all directions. “Fix your hair,” she told him while walking over to sit down on the floor by her plate. Reed and James’ children ran into the room. Ever since Rhen had started to improve, they’d been stopping by for their meals.
Rhen ran his fingers through his hair to push it down then leaned over to rest his head on Plos’ shoulder. I like Plos. Can we adopt him? he signed.
Plos’ mouth fell open when he heard James transmit Rhen’s signs. Themrock liked him! His God liked him! He wanted to shout with joy.
“No,” Ceceta growled.
Rhen rubbed his cheek back and forth on Plos’ shoulder. You can pet me anytime, he signed. Now, would you please let my wife have her seat?
Ceceta translated his words and Plos stood up at once. “Is that how this whole thing got started?” he asked.
“Yes,” Ceceta said sitting down next to her husband. Rhen kissed her cheek and she felt her anger dissolve. “Tgfhi, when our professor was talking about the tigers, I considered having Rhen change into one to show everyone what they could do, but I decided not to. Now that you know what they’re capable of, do you think we should have Rhen change for the class?”
“Definitely. Once people learn what they can do, they’ll work to save the tigers. If that hiker was right and there is a wild tiger in the woods on Neptian, and if it is a male, then they can breed him with the females they have in captivity.”
“But if it’s not a male, there’s no point,” Naci said.
“Rhen,”
Ceceta asked, “is there a wild tiger on Neptian? Can you find out?”
What? Rhen signed. He hadn’t been paying attention. Instead, he’d been watching Reed’s son tie his military boots together.
“Is the tiger that was spotted on Neptian a male or a female?”
I don’t know. Do you want me to check? Ceceta nodded.
Rhen closed his eyes and sat back against the couch. A short while later, he leaned forward to check on his nephew’s progress with his boots before signing, There is a male Neptian tiger hiding in the woods near the Ldastar Falls.
“That’s fantastic,” Plos said, after Ceceta had told him what Rhen had signed. “It means we can bring back their species. Can you tell us where to find it?”
No, Rhen signed. He doesn’t want to be found. He doesn’t like people. He has no intention of becoming a part of this Universe.”
When Ceceta saw the confused expressions on their faces, after she’d translated his signs, she said, “Rhen, I think you need to explain that a little better.”
Rhen sighed. Themrock gave the Neptian tigers the ability to pass into different dimensions. The male tiger that I spotted isn’t the same one that that hiker saw. It’s a different one and he’s just passing through. He’ll be gone soon.
Ceceta relayed what he’d said, but now Plos was even more confused. “If that’s the case, then why don’t the tigers in the zoo leave?”
Rhen shrugged. Maybe they’re staying because they’ve been here too long? They don’t fit in with their own kind. Over the years, the other tigers’ coats have changed color.
Aaron’s eyebrows rose, when Ceceta had finished explaining. That was interesting. “What do they look like now?”
Like… Rhen paused to think. Like night.
“They’re all black now?” Reed asked, after Ceceta had finished speaking.
Rhen nodded. Reed’s son was finished with his boots, so he stood up. He pretended to take a step, waved his arms wildly about in the air and fell to the floor dramatically. The boy laughed hysterically before he and his cousins piled on top of Rhen as he lay on the floor.
James noticed Thellis floating beside him and whispered, “You were right. I tend to forget he’s Themrock. Seeing him like this makes me think of him as just my brother.”
“That’s the beauty of Themrock. He has amazing powers and yet you feel as if he’s the same as you.”
James nodded as he watched Rhen attempt to do pushups while his nieces and nephews hung onto his back. “Wait,” he said, as a thought occurred to him. He turned but Thellis had left. What had Thellis meant when he’d said, ‘you feel as if he’s the same as you?’ Wasn’t Themrock a Genister like Thellis? What made Themrock different from the other Genisters?
Chapter 13
Tgfhi and Crystam’s Apartment – Elfin University
Tgfhi held Crystam as she cried on his shoulder. She’d had a rough day. One of her professors had fainted when she’d asked him a question. Tgfhi could understand Crystam’s laughter causing someone to pass out. Her mother had the same power. But for a professor to faint from a mere question? That was bad. How much stronger were her powers going to get?
“Shh,” he said, trying to calm her. He reached up to stroke his hand through her blond hair. “It’ll be alright. Ceceta said she’d help. You have to have faith in her.”
“I know,” Crystam wailed. “But, it’s hard.”
“We’ll get through this.” Tgfhi reached for the tissues on his bedside table and gave some to Crystam. She blew her nose then snuggled against his chest. “When will they be back?”
“Soon,” Tgfhi said, interlacing their fingers. He kissed her gently on the head. “When I was there Rhen was talking and Ceceta told me she had roughly one day’s worth of shots left.” Crystam pressed her face harder into his chest.
Tgfhi was at a loss. “Has your mom been by?” He hoped she was on her way. She would be much better at comforting Crystam.
Crystam sniffed and nodded. “She was here while you were at the palace. She suggested we change the date of our wedding. She wants to make it sooner.”
Tgfhi’s brow furrowed. That was an odd request. “Why?”
“She said it would make me feel better.”
Tgfhi didn’t want to get married until they found a solution to Crystam’s situation, but he said, “That’s fine with me if it would make you feel better.” He felt Crystam’s hand stroke his cheek and suddenly he had to fight to remain conscious. If he were to faint, not only would she be a wreck but she’d cancel their engagement. She wouldn’t want to take a chance with his life.
“Let’s keep the date we picked. Hopefully, Themrock will be able to help us.”
Tgfhi felt so lightheaded that he didn’t think he’d be able to answer without her noticing, so he grunted, hoping she’d take it to mean that he agreed.
***
“You wanted to talk?” Thellis asked as he flew into Bosternd’s office, in Surpen’s underground military headquarters. He landed beside Bosternd’s desk and reached out with his translucent fingers to touch the cool dirt wall beside him. The bunker’s tunnels connected offices, conference rooms, training rooms, classrooms and more. They formed a maze that every new soldier had to learn when they joined Surpen’s military.
Bosternd closed his computer. “Thank you for coming. It would be helpful if you could tell me why Therol wants to hurt Themrock. Ceceta already explained Thaster’s motives, but she didn’t know Therol’s.” Thellis hesitated. When it looked like he might fly away, Bosternd added, “Please. It’s important.”
Thellis shook his head. “It’s not important.”
“I disagree.” Bosternd opened his mouth to explain why, but Thellis had lifted up into the air.
“Forget about it,” Thellis told him with a flick of his wrist.
Quickly, Bosternd changed topics. “Would you please send a Genister to the school as a student to protect Rhen from Therol?”
Thellis paused at the ceiling to laugh. “What?”
“I want Rhen protected. Is there a Genister who might pose as a student? One who would be able to help Rhen on a moment’s notice?”
Thellis liked the idea but couldn’t think of anyone besides Theter who might do it. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen Theter in ages. Not since Therol had locked Themrock into a Void Box. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?” Bosternd watched as Thellis floated back down to the floor, his translucent green boots landing on the mosaic tile in his office.
“It means that even if I had a Genister who would do it, they couldn’t protect Rhen from Therol.”
Bosternd’s eyebrows rose. “And why’s that?”
Thellis reached up to stroke his translucent goatee. It’d been ages since he’d explained it to a mortal. “Themrock has more power than the rest of us. When he and Therol were younger, they did everything together. They were inseparable. You saw me feed the dragons my powers?” Bosternd nodded. “Therol used to beg Themrock to do the same for him. He was always after Themrock to feed him more power.”
Bosternd cocked his head. Why would a Genister want to be fed additional power? “I don’t understand.”
Thellis sighed. He needed to start over. “Themrock has too much power. He produces it all the time. He can’t fit himself inside a mortal shell. He needs to constantly be shedding his powers. He’s left powerballs of extra energy randomly throughout his Universes.”
“He sheds his power?” Bosternd was intrigued. “How does he do that without letting Rhen know?”
“Your portals and landjets all run on Themrock’s powers. The more you use them, the happier he is. Anyway, before Therol and Themrock’s… incident, shall we say, Themrock had fed an enormous amount of power into Therol, more than anyone else. Therol’s mortal form was as powerful as Themrock’s and they looked identical.”
Bosternd felt chilled. “What?”
Thellis sighed. “Remember how the dragons’ scales would turn greenish
when I fed them? Well, when a Genister takes in the powers of another Genister, if they get enough, they look like that other Genister.”
“Gods.” Bosternd couldn’t think of anything worse. What would they do if Therol looked like Rhen? How would they protect him?
“Don’t worry. Themrock has been gone for so long, locked up in that Void Box, that Therol’s powers have weakened. He’s still stronger than the rest of us, but he’s nowhere near as powerful as he once was.”
“So, then, that’s why none of you can protect him.” Thellis grunted affirmatively. Bosternd reached up to scratch his chin as he considered what else it meant. “If what you’re saying is true, then that also means Themrock’s stronger, so there’s no question he will be able to defeat Therol, correct?”
“Well,” Thellis said, drawing it out, his face grimacing. “You see, here’s the thing. Themrock hates to fight. He avoids fighting at all cost. If we can convince him to kill Therol, he’ll be able to do it, but he won’t want to do it.”
Bosternd dropped his eyes to his desk. So, Themrock was a pacifist. He mulled it over and the more he thought about it, the more he could see that same trait in Rhen, too. “Will Themrock stop Therol from hurting his mortal body?”
“He will, if he notices what’s happening. The problem is that Therol’s tricky.” Thellis paused to take off his translucent cape. He flung it to his left and the cape disappeared. Bosternd wondered where he’d sent it and then questioned if it had ever even existed. Thellis continued. “None of us realized Therol would use a gremlin potion to capture Themrock in a Void Box. We had thought we were keeping Themrock safe, but Therol sneaked right past us.”
Bosternd grunted, taking his mind off of the dead Genister’s clothing and focusing it back on Rhen. “So all we have to do is make sure Therol doesn’t sneak by us.”
Thellis nodded. He knew it sounded easy, but it wasn’t.
“Out of curiosity,” Bosternd added. “Why are you and the others protecting Themrock? What do you get out of it? Why not simply lead your own lives and ignore him and Therol?”
The Surpen King - Part 2 - Rise of the Elves Page 12