Naci was stunned. Rhen chatted amicably with him the entire visit. He laughed and joked and awarded the soldiers prizes in the various competitions they had won.
As Naci stood on the stairs and waved goodbye, while the Genisters returned Rhen and the Zorthans to their planets, he felt he might be in the time after. It had been a lovely afternoon and he now realized, for the first time, that Themrock wouldn’t abandon the elves. They had nothing to worry about from the Convention members.
Reman laughed. “I’ve never seen him so happy. He’s completely changed.”
Naci nodded. “I believe he finally grew up.”
***
Noctav sat down beside Ceceta’s bed. They’d just been discussing the tiger soldiers that he’d assigned to her children when Ceceta had told him she was going to take a nap before Rhen returned from his tour of the new barracks. Noctav studied Ceceta. She was everything he had hoped for in a wife for his God. It was refreshing to deal with her. Ceceta was his ally–which meant he shouldn’t fear the topic he wanted to raise. Still, his time with Layla had left him skittish. Ceceta opened one eye. “You’re staring. Was there something else?”
Noctav shifted his paws, reminding himself that he could trust her. “Will Rhen fetch his powers back or do you plan on having more children?”.
Ceceta’s eyes flew open. She sat up and scanned the room.
There was no one else around. Noctav had made sure of it.
Leaning closer, Ceceta whispered, “You know that he doesn’t have any powers?”
Noctav was relieved. The truth. No lies, no threats: the truth. He shouldn’t have worried. Ceceta was nothing like Layla. “Since Genisters can’t have children and the only difference between mortals and Genisters are their powers, I assumed Rhen must have found a way to remove his powers so you could get pregnant. If this was your last child, he will want to get his powers back. Right?”
“Yes. I don’t know how he did it, but he found a way to remove his powers while keeping his… err… soul still in his shell.”
“Does he know he’s Themrock? Did he take his memories out as well as his powers?”
Ceceta’s lips pursed. “I really have no idea and I’m afraid to broach the subject.”
Noctav huffed. That seemed fair. For the last five years, there’d been no sign of Themrock. Rhen had proceeded with his life as if nothing had changed. He was always finding ways to get around using his powers, whether it was by asking the Genisters or his guard elves to lend a hand or by deciding they didn’t need powers for something, he hadn’t used any powers in years. Noctav wondered why the others hadn’t noticed.
“And children?” Noctav asked.
“We’re finished. We’re very happy with five. Rhen hopes to get his powers back soon. He’s been worried that something will happen to him and he won’t be around to raise our children.”
“He needn’t worry,” Noctav assured her. “Why do you think we showed up? We’re here to protect him, you and your babies.”
“Thank you.” Ceceta lay down. “And the Genisters?”
The Genisters had been living in their palace ever since the birth of their first child. Noctav laughed. “They may be here to protect you, too, but they usually mess things up.”
Ceceta chuckled. She couldn’t agree more.
***
Rhen’s tiger guards stood up and sniffed the air. They’d seen Rhen enter his bedroom and had heard him getting into bed with his wife, but now his scent was missing. Padding softly into the room they looked around. Rhen was gone, and if their noses were right, he’d been gone since right after Surpen’s second moon had risen. They called Noctav, who immediately woke Ceceta. “Where’s Rhen?”
She yawned and rolled away from him. “You know. He went to look for his powers.”
“What do you mean?” Bosternd asked from the doorway. Obviously, the tigers and Ceceta were in on something that had to do with Rhen.
Ceceta jerked upright and pulled the bed sheets up to cover herself. “Bosternd? What’re you doing here?”
Noctav huffed. “I thought his powers were here.”
“What?” Bosternd snapped. “You can be naked in front of them, but not me? You’ve known me much longer than you’ve known them.” He was angry at being kept out of the loop and was taking it out on Ceceta.
“Save your jealousies, Bosternd,” Noctav growled. “We have a bigger problem. What did you mean, Ceceta, when you said he went to look for his powers? I thought his powers were here in the palace.”
Ceceta felt the need to justify herself to Bosternd. “Bosternd, they’re tigers. They don’t look at me if I’m naked, because to them I’m nothing. But to you, you’re a man so…” she blushed. “It’s just different.”
Bosternd was being unprofessional and he knew it. “I’m sorry, Ceceta. I admit I’ve been feeling jealous that my position as yours and Rhen’s protector has been usurped by them.” He nodded towards the tigers. “It won’t happen again.”
“Bosternd, no one could ever take your place in our lives. You know that. Rhen and I would be lost without you.”
He knew she was lying, but he appreciated the gesture. “Thanks, Ceceta.”
Suddenly, Noctav roared making Bosternd and Ceceta duck down and cover their ears. They’d never heard a Neptian tiger roar before. It was louder than a Thestran tiger’s roar. “Where’s Themrock?!”
Ceceta winced. Now she’d upset Noctav. “He left his powers on Thestran. When he went back to get them, he discovered that someone else was also searching for them. He doesn’t know who it is, but he did see multiple tracks. He told me he’s been spying on the area. He wants to know who is looking for his powers.”
Bosternd approached Ceceta’s bed. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Rhen doesn’t have powers?” Surely, he’d heard her wrong. Wouldn’t he have noticed if Rhen didn’t have powers?
“No.” Ceceta held up a hand. “I’ll explain it to you in a minute.” She turned back to Noctav. “Is there anything else you need to know? He’s safe, right?”
Noctav’s lips curled upward. Themrock was in danger. “No, he’s not safe. This is bad. This is really bad. Themrock’s alone, without any powers, and he’s trying to find out who his enemies are? Do you think he’ll just spy on them and move on? No, he’ll attack them and once he does, they’ll kill him.” Noctav snorted. He was furious. His job was to protect Themrock and he was helpless to do so. “Where is he on Thestran?”
Ceceta felt horrible. “I don’t know. He thought I’d be safer if I was ignorant as to where his powers were hidden.”
Of course. Themrock made sure his wife was safe, but not himself. Typical. “How does he get around my men?”
“He meets a Universal Dragon in the bathroom on set nights that they pick out in advance. The dragon takes him to Thestran.” Noctav’s tail swished violently. He was clearly upset. “Can you find him?” Ceceta asked.
“No. We can’t track Universal Dragons and since Rhen doesn’t have his powers, we can’t track him either.”
“What about the other Genisters?” Bosternd asked. Ceceta and Noctav gave him an incredulous look and he realized they probably didn’t even know that Rhen was powerless.
“Bosternd,” Noctav said, “I want you to alert the Thestrans that you trust. Tell them that Rhen is alone on their planet. Make it sound like the two of you are playing some sort of game and you want the upper hand. Do not inform them that he’s powerless. I don’t want that information to get out.”
“Right away,” he turned to go. Bosternd didn’t need an explanation from Ceceta. He’d figured it out on his own. Rhen had somehow gotten rid of his powers to have children. He was surprised he hadn’t thought of it before. He’d been wondering how Themrock had pulled it off.
Noctav settled down on the floor beside Ceceta’s bed to wait for Rhen.
As Surpen’s first moon dipped below the horizon, he heard movement in the bathroom. Rhen had returned. He watched as Rhen tiptoed acros
s the stone floor, pulled off his tunic then settled down onto the bed beside Ceceta. He fell asleep quickly, obviously tired from his journey. Noctav padded over towards Rhen and sniffed. Thestran dirt. Rhen had it on his clothes and in his hair. There was also the unmistakable scent of Giy flowers. It overpowered everything else. Noctav growled. If it wasn’t for the Giy flower scent, he probably would have been able to figure out where Rhen was going on Thestran.
***
The next evening, Ceceta asked Rhen to take the tigers with him when he searched for his powers. She was worried for his safety. Unfortunately, Rhen refused. Knowing his mind was made up, she told Noctav and Bosternd everything she could. They watched him leave at night, then searched Thestran when he was gone, hoping to find him. The Thestrans searched too, but none of them had any success.
“Tonight’s the night,” Ceceta whispered to Noctav outside her bedroom as Rhen bathed. “He doesn’t want to wait any longer to find out who’s trying to get his powers. He plans on picking them up tonight.”
Noctav bared his teeth. He couldn’t let Rhen leave Surpen. His enemies were probably waiting for him to make the first move. “I wish we’d had more time to figure out where he was going. Damn the Giy flowers for covering up the scent of dirt.”
“Giy flowers?” Ceceta asked. Noctav flicked his ear at her question, confirming it. “That’s the Wood Elf forest. They bloom all over the place when he’s around. The Fire Elf castle has them too, but not in such abundance.” Noctav huffed. Why hadn’t he asked Ceceta before? “And you mentioned dirt?” Ceceta added. “I bet Rhen’s powers are in the cave where he was attacked years ago. It was full of dirt. If he’s hiding outside in the woods, watching the cave’s entrance, he’d smell like Giy flowers and dirt. Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Rhen didn’t want to ride his jetbike after he was attacked. He probably knew he’d be seriously injured since he no longer had the ability to heal.”
Noctav closed his eyes, smiling. Of course. Ceceta had to be right. “I wish you worked for me.” Ceceta laughed then rushed back into her bedroom, because she could hear Rhen getting out of his bath.
Noctav took his tigers to the Wood Elf forest. Bosternd insisted on joining them with his soldiers. They searched the forest in front of the cave’s entrance and found Giy flowers blooming everywhere. There was no question that this was where Rhen had been hiding.
Noctav padded towards the cave’s entrance and sniffed. There were multiple footprints in and out of the cave both old and new. Rhen was right. Someone was visiting the cave daily, searching for his powers.
Turning, Noctav saw Reed walking up the path towards them. He glanced at Bosternd and growled. “Sorry,” Bosternd said. “I felt we had to notify him. We are on his land. I don’t want there to be any incidents, you know?” Noctav shook his head. He hated mortal politics.
Reed asked a lot of questions about their “game” as they hid outside the cave. “Quiet,” Noctav snapped. He didn’t want anyone to hear them.
Reed gave him a look then turned back to watch the cave’s entrance. The tigers were taking this “game” way too seriously. Reed was beginning to wonder if there was something else going on.
Noctav’s eyes narrowed when a group of men in cloaks arrived just after moon rise. He sniffed the air. Elves. The men, who were searching for Rhen’s powers, were elves. Why? Noctav felt Bosternd nudge his shoulder. He turned to find Bosternd pointing up towards the sky. A Universal Dragon was heading for them. Its black body camouflaged against the night sky; only its glowing white eye could be seen as it flew.
“Looks like a falling star,” Reed whispered, when Bosternd showed him the dragon.
They watched as the dragon landed lightly on the ground in front of the cave. Rhen hopped off and patted its shoulder, telling it to go. Once it had left, Rhen walked towards the cave’s entrance, but he stopped a few feet away. Lowering his head, he said, “I know you’re there. Would you like to fight me outside or inside?”
Reed frowned. This was definitely more than just a game. He flexed his fingers to warm them in case he needed to use his powers to help Rhen.
Rhen laughed. “Idiots. You think I can’t hear you? There are four of you hiding on the right. Come on out.”
A group of elves stepped out from where they’d been hiding inside the cave. Noctav told his tigers to wait. They’d seen more men than that entering the cave. He wasn’t sure if the other elves were searching for Rhen’s powers or if they were waiting in ambush. Bosternd glanced at Noctav. He wanted to go to Rhen, but Noctav was calling the shots.
“You will die tonight to be free from the ties that bind you,” one of the men said.
Rhen laughed. “Yeah, that’s usually what happens when you die, but in this case, I think you’re talking about yourselves.”
“You think you can beat us?” a second man said. He threw back his cloak, revealing his Fire Elf jacket. “You have nothing to fight with. There’s no way we can lose. It’s time we help you reach your higher state. As it should be.”
Reed glanced at Bosternd. What the hell was going on?
Rhen pulled out his swords. “I have nothing to fight with? You’re not serious, are you? You call twenty years of experience in battle nothing? What do you have? Five years of practice with your new skills?” He laughed. “I’m so scared.”
Rhen’s attackers hesitated, considering his words. They hadn’t expected him to challenge them. The Supreme had said that Themrock wanted to be released.
Rhen took advantage of their indecision and darted past them into the cave. He figured if he could make it through the cave’s opening, he’d be able to lose them within the cave’s many tunnels.
“Get him,” one of the men yelled, while another said, “The Supreme wouldn’t lie. He has asked for release.”
The Fire Elf threw up his hands, but before he could blast Rhen in the back, he was lifted into the air and tossed aside by Noctav. Reed blasted another elf with his powers while Bosternd and his men finished off the others.
Rhen heard the blasts behind him and ran faster. He’d been lucky to escape.
“What’s going on?” Reed demanded.
“You heard them,” Bosternd hissed. “Your stupid elfin priest has convinced them that Themrock doesn’t want to be mortal anymore.” He watched Noctav and his tigers run into the cave. “There are more of them inside,” he told Reed before running off after the tigers with his men.
“Hell,” Reed swore as he ran into the cave after Bosternd.
The sounds of battle echoed throughout the tunnels. Noctav growled as he sniffed the air, trying to the find the path that Rhen had taken. “I smell blood,” one of the tigers said. Rhen had been hurt.
Bosternd and the others caught up to the tigers as they dashed down a tunnel on the left. They entered a cavern and found several elves lying dead on the floor. Rhen must have surprised them when he’d run into the chamber. Unfortunately, it appeared he’d been wounded in the process.
Noctav’s tigers raced off down a tunnel with Bosternd and his men following. Eventually, they found themselves in the same chamber where Rhen had been the last time he’d been attacked. Rhen was in the back of the cavern, deflecting the remaining elves’ power blasts with his sword. He was tired and each new blast forced him backwards towards a hole in the ground.
Noctav and his men lunged forward just as Rhen stumbled and fell onto the edge of the hole, losing his sword into darkness below. Rhen grabbed desperately for a piece of rock that was jutting out from the wall to stop himself from falling into the abyss as well.
As his tigers ripped the remaining elves to shreds, Noctav bit down on Rhen’s tunic and dragged him to safety. Rhen laughed with relief and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. “That was too close. Thanks.” He rolled over and peered down into the hole, looking for his sword. “I didn't hear it hit the bottom.”
“There's no end,” Noctav said. “It’s a bottomless pit. One of Themrock’s little mistakes.”<
br />
Rhen was surprised. “Themrock made mistakes? I thought he was perfect.” Noctav huffed.
“Reed, would you please heal Rhen?” Bosternd asked. When Reed hesitated, he added, “Don’t ask. Just do it.”
“Thanks,” Rhen said, after Reed had finished healing him. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders to relax them.
“Why did you want me to heal you?” Reed asked.
“Yeah, Rhen,” Bosternd asked pithily. “Why did Reed need to heal you?”
The glare on Bosternd’s face said it all. Rhen realized he knew his secret. Sighing, he said, “Because I am not the same man that I was before.”
“Oh, that’s descriptive,” Bosternd said sarcastically while Reed asked, “What do you mean?”
Rhen peered up at Bosternd. “How did you find out?”
Bosternd put his hands on his hips. “The tigers noticed you were missing and Ceceta filled us in.”
“What’s going on?” Reed demanded. If Themrock was in trouble, he needed to know.
Rhen stood up and brushed off his tunic. There was no reason not to tell Reed. “I’m not the same man because when I was poisoned five years ago, an opportunity became available to me and I decided to take it. I relieved myself of my powers and tucked them away in this cave with the intention of getting them back at a later date.” Reed seemed confused. “I don’t have any powers.”
“What?” Reed said with a half laugh. He couldn’t believe it.
Rhen explained, “The poison the elves used in their attack had a gremlin spell in it that consolidated my powers within me. As I chased my attacker through the cave, I could feel my powers sliding down into my stomach. It suddenly occurred to me that maybe the reason why Ceceta and I couldn’t have any children was because Layla was living inside me. After I knocked out my attacker, I pulled Layla out of my body and asked her to stay in the cave. I promised I would come back later to pick her up or if I saw Themrock.”
The Surpen King - Part 2 - Rise of the Elves Page 46