RHEN

by Charity Kelly

  “I’m sorry my Lord, but he wasn’t in the Chamber.”

  Andres made an impatient sound and snapped his fingers. “Give me the necklace.”

  Jet stepped forward with Ceceta’s life necklace. Andres held it up in the air, examining it. “Perfect.” He pocketed the necklace and walked back to the portal. As he was stepping through it, he said, “You know what to do.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jet said, watching the Surpen King depart.

  The Thestrans waited a few minutes after the portal had closed before standing up. “So,” James asked as he walked down to the center of the room. “What are you supposed to do now?” His soldiers had returned to remove the Surpens’ bodies.

  “I’m supposed to kill myself,” Jet told James. He walked over to stand beside Lilly and carefully took her hand in his. “But,” he said, staring into his fiancée’s blue eyes, “I’ve had a change of heart.” Lilly laughed and squeezed his hand.

  After Jet had explained the situation on Surpen to the Thestrans, Reed said, “So, you’re saying that Surpen has an active Opposition Force. That it’s been in place for years, but it’s only now gaining true momentum?”

  “Yes,” Jet said. “As I mentioned, most Surpens believe Rhen is our true King. He is stronger than his father and he controls the military, so in keeping with Surpen tradition, he should have been crowned King years ago. There is a great deal of anger among my people at Andres’ policies. We believe Rhen will change Surpen’s path, when he becomes King.”

  “Will the Opposition Force be able to protect Rhen?” James asked.

  Jet shook his head. “No, Andres is still too powerful, but they’ll do their best to weaken Andres and make him vulnerable.”

  That night, after the Delegates had left, Reed, Sage, Ryan and Kate were walking down the second-floor hallway in the private section of the castle on their way to their bedrooms, when they heard people arguing in Ceceta’s room. Feeling concerned for her safety, they stopped to listen.

  “I’m furious with you,” Ceceta snapped. “After everything I’ve done for you, how could you let this happen? What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “They caught us off guard,” a man explained.

  “We’re sorry Ceceta,” a woman said. “Really, we are.”

  “We knew he was there plotting with the King,” another man said. “But we couldn’t figure out what he was doing.”

  “That’s no excuse,” Ceceta yelled. “Think of what’s at stake here. Your behavior is inexcusable. I can’t believe you’re leaving it up to us to clean up your mess.”

  “We’re helping you,” a woman told her defensively.

  “Zorthan’s crap,” Ceceta shouted at the woman. “You’re doing nothing. Use your powers, if you want to help us. Take control of the situation. Make yourselves known and save Rhen for Themrock’s sake.”

  “We can’t, he’s too powerful for us,” one of the men said.

  “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Ceceta hissed.

  Suddenly, Ceceta’s door swung open and she stepped into the doorframe, blocking the view of her room with her body. The Thestrans were a little surprised by how put together she appeared, considering she had just been screaming her head off. “Is there something wrong,” Ceceta asked them. “Why are you standing outside my door?”

  “Oh,” Kate started. “Um, we thought we heard voices coming from inside your bedroom.”

  “You did,” she told them. “I was watching a movie. Would you like to come in and watch it with me?”

  Reed peered, above Ceceta’s head, into her room. There wasn’t anyone in sight. Could all of the people they had just heard, be hiding in her bedroom? Was it even possible for them to have gotten in there before she had opened her door? “No, Ceceta, thanks,” Reed told her. “Perhaps another time.”

  “Okay,” Ceceta said.

  The Thestrans nodded good night and walked off towards their bedrooms; Ceceta waited in her doorway watching them until they disappeared. In her heart, she begged them to return. She was tired of dealing with the Genisters by herself, and she wanted help in resolving the problems they were having with Rhen. Why didn’t the Thestrans have more backbone? Why hadn’t they forced themselves into her room? Thellis was standing right behind her door. They would have caught him, and then they would be the ones forced to deal with all of this instead of her. Themrock did she need help with this one. Feeling depressed, Ceceta leaned against the door frame. She wanted Rhen. She needed him to tell her that everything would be alright.

  Thellis pushed on the door, so Ceceta stepped back into the room of waiting Genisters.

  Chapter 28

  Thestran Council Chamber

  After weeks of silence, Thestran’s Council received a report that Surpen had declared war on Solar System 27. Before the Council could mobilize to help System 27, word arrived that Surpen had conquered it.

  “They now control eight systems,” James murmured to himself, shaking his head with disbelief.

  As expected, as soon as System 27 was defeated communications between Surpen and the rest of the Universe were once again severed.

  “Shouldn’t Andres be gloating?” a Delegate asked James.

  “You’d think,” James said. “That is his personality.” He rubbed his forehead with his hand then glanced up at his Delegates. “Alright, let’s get down to business. This complicates trade routes again.”

  “System 27 was one of our major hubs,” someone said.

  “I know,” James said, reaching out to ring the bell to begin their official session. “We have our work cut out for us.”

  Two weeks later, it happened again. Surpen declared war on Solar System 26. As soon as the Thestrans had received word of the war, they received another communication, declaring that Surpen was victorious, and their borders had been sealed. “How can they possibly conquer an entire System in minutes,” a Delegate demanded, in the quiet after the announcement.

  James glanced over at Reed, who mouthed ‘Rhen’. Rhen was the only way Surpen could accomplish such amazing feats.

  As the months passed, the same thing happened four more times with Solar Systems 29, 24, 23 and 40. Surpen now controlled thirteen systems.

  “Surpen is unbeatable,” a Delegate moaned, during a morning Council session.

  “The speed with which they can conquer other solar systems is mindboggling,” another Delegate said.

  “Even the other Convention members are afraid of them now,” a Delegate declared, walking to his desk.

  “What makes you say that?” James asked.

  “Before I left my home to attend today’s session, I received a message from the Zorthans, asking if they could join us for one of our meetings.”

  “Seriously?” Reed asked. The man nodded and sent the papers on his desk to the Royal Family for review. After a quick perusal, Reed and James glanced at each other. “Should we allow them to join us?” Reed asked.

  “Could it hurt?” Kate said.

  “I guess not,” James said. By the end of the day, the Zorthans, Rasacks and Vivists had joined Thestran and her allies in an uneasy truce, as they worked to find a way to stop Surpen.

  Two weeks later, Surpen’s military forces once again followed Rhen’s large, green, reptilian body as he carved his way through the soldiers protecting Solar System 28. Rhen no longer resembled a man. He looked more like an animal, something between a Surpen Beast of War and a dragon. His long tail swished back and forth, hitting unsuspecting enemy soldiers and killing them while he blasted jets of fire out of his mouth, incinerating everything in his path. When Rhen wasn’t reducing his enemy to ash, he was slashing through them with razor sharp teeth. By now, Surpen’s soldiers knew the drill. They followed Rhen’s path, stepping over the dead bodies of their foes as they made their way to the enemy command post. If Rhen got tired of walking, he would jump into the air and fly ahead of them, burning an alleyway through the opposing forces for his men to follow.

  “This
is so easy,” a soldier called out to Bosternd, following Rhen towards the King’s castle on System 28.

  “Too, easy,” another soldier yelled back. “We never get to fight anymore. Why are we even here?”

  Bosternd frowned and stared up at the looming castle. He noticed System 28’s King and Prince watching them from their balcony. “Rhen,” he called out, pointing towards their audience. With a snort, Rhen spread his wings and jumped into the air. He flew towards the balcony as Andres, riding a Surpen Beast of War, came up behind him, following him as he made his way towards the King.

  Rhen landed in front of the King of Solar System 28 with a thud. “Get to Thestran! You’ll be safe,” the man yelled at his son. The boy bolted through the closest door.

  “There isn’t anywhere in this Universe where one can be ‘safe’,” Andres remarked with a laugh. He watched as the terrified King pulled his sword.

  The young Prince ran through his castle until he reached the portal room. He hesitated, waiting for his father. He didn’t want to leave him behind. After a while, the Prince realized his father wasn’t going to be joining him. As he turned towards the portal to go to Thestran, Andres marched into the room, his sword was wet with the blood of the boy’s father. “Going somewhere?” Andres taunted the Prince.

  The boy jumped forward towards the portal, but Rhen, who had come up behind him, smashed it to pieces with a flick of his tail before the Prince could escape.

  Andres smiled, when he noticed the boy was shaking with fear. “He should join his father. Kill him Rhen.”

  The shivering boy turned to gaze up into Rhen’s red, glowing eyes. At that moment, Bosternd entered the room to announce that Surpen was victorious. Andres turned away from Rhen. He was ready to move on. “Aul,” Andres called out. “Close the borders to Solar System 28 and ordered Narseth to pillage the castle.”

  Bosternd was about to leave, when he noticed that Rhen was still staring at the Prince. He hadn’t carried out Andres’ order. Bosternd watched Rhen cock his reptilian head and ask the boy in Thestran, “Stanley?”

  Andres rounded on Rhen at once. “What!” he bellowed in Surpen. Loreth had given Rhen a collar that would force Rhen to obey, but Andres hadn’t used it very much; most of the time Rhen did as he was told. It was when they were alone that Rhen tended to disregard Andres’ orders. Andres had been attacking minor planets and solar systems to test Rhen’s loyalty. His main prize, Thestran, would be taken as soon as he knew he had complete control over his son.

  “He looks like someone I know,” Rhen told his Dad in Surpen. “Someone from school.”

  Bosternd watched Andres’ face turn red. “Kill him now!” the King screamed.

  Rhen stepped forward towards the boy, but hesitated. He looked so much like Charlie’s friend Stanley that it was hard for Rhen to believe it wasn’t him. Rhen wondered if the boy had attended the Elfin University with him. For all he knew, he might have had Astronomy with the kid. “No,” Rhen told his father. He turned to walk away. “He’s too young to kill.”

  Bosternd held their breath as he watched Rhen turn his back on Andres. It was the first time, since Rhen had turned into a beast, that he had seen him disobey the King. Was the old Rhen back? Would Rhen turn on his father? Would the Opposition Force finally be able to destroy Andres?

  “You will kill him now!” Andres shrieked at Rhen.

  Rhen ignored his father as he walked towards the exit. Andres grabbed the silver controlling device for Rhen’s collar, from where it hung on his weapons belt. He pointed the four-inch, rectangular box at Rhen’s back and pushed a button on it. A loud, zapping sound filled the room. Rhen howled in pain and fell to the ground. He lashed about, trying to rip the blue collar off his neck. Rhen’s front claws dug deep marks into his flesh as he struggled against the collar and the painful electric shock it was emitting. When Andres released the button, the sound stopped and Rhen lay still on the ground, gasping for breath. His entire body ached from the shock.

  “Kill him,” Andres told Rhen.

  Rhen didn’t move, so Andres lifted his controlling device and pushed the button again. Howling in pain, Rhen blew flames from his mouth against the far wall, causing it to ignite. He flipped and twisted about on the floor, digging at his neck to remove the collar, a pool of blood formed underneath him.

  This time, when Andres released the button, Rhen rose to his feet and charged the young Prince, roaring like an angry animal. The boy ducked down into a small ball as Rhen lunged himself onto the Prince, ripping the child to pieces. “Good,” Andres said, watching Rhen eat the boy. He turned to Aul and Narseth to give them their orders.

  When Rhen was finished, he stood up and walked out of the room. Bosternd ran a hand over his face. He had thought that the old Rhen might be returning, but it looked as if Andres had won yet again. Ceceta’s death had crushed the man he had once called friend.

  After Bosternd had received his orders from Andres, he headed outside towards his makeshift command tent. He was surprised to find Rhen waiting for him on the grass in front of the entrance to his tent. Rhen’s body was blocking the tent flap, so Bosternd couldn’t enter. “Rhen,” Bosternd said, with a tired sigh, pausing beside him. “Would you please move? We need to break camp and return to Surpen.”

  Rhen rolled his reptilian head over towards Bosternd and looked up at him with red, glowing eyes. “Why are you so sad?” he asked.

  “It’s complicated and this isn’t the right place to talk about it,” Bosternd told him.

  Sitting up on his back haunches like a dog, Rhen glanced about. Bosternd was the only one in the area. Rhen swung his neck back towards Bosternd and lowered his head to look him in the eye. “I did something… bad,” he confessed.

  “What?” Bosternd snapped. He checked himself and asked, in a softer tone of voice, “What are you talking about? You followed orders. That’s what we do. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Well,” Rhen said, swinging his head back and forth. “I didn’t really follow orders.” He lowered his head to look Bosternd in the eyes.

  “What?” Bosternd repeated. “Rhen, you followed all of Andres’ orders on the battlefield today. Let’s talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you later. I have a lot of work to do before we can return home.”

  “Um,” Rhen said, but he nodded and stepped aside so Bosternd could enter his tent.

  Bosternd stepped through the canvas door flap into his tent and came to a halt. Solar System 28’s Prince, the same Prince he had just seen Rhen devour in front of the Surpen King not more than twenty minutes ago, was sitting on a chair beside his mother, along with most of the nobles and their families from System 28. A smile crept across Bosternd’s face. Rhen was coming back. Bosternd stepped backwards, out of his tent, and turned to Rhen. The Surpen Prince was lying on the ground, his head rested on a large tuft of grass. Rhen’s red eyes gazed up at Bosternd in a questioning manner. Bosternd stepped over towards Rhen and crouched down by his head. “So,” he said quietly. “It looks like you have a bit of a problem.”

  Rhen sighed, blowing out a blast of hot air. He blinked his scaly, green eyelids. “Are you going to tell on me?”

  “No,” Bosternd told him, motioning for Nk and Ngi to come over. “But I hope you know what you’re doing.” He patted Rhen on his reptilian snout and stood up. The three men dressed the nobles and royal family members up as commoners and took them out of the city into the countryside, where they would be safe.

  “Do you think he’s back?” Nk asked Bosternd as they worked.

  “I hope so,” Bosternd told him.

  “I miss Rhen,” Ngi said wistfully.

  “I hope he disobeys Andres again,” Bosternd said as NK and Ngi nodded.

  When Bosternd informed the Opposition Force about Rhen’s actions, they were thrilled, but their leader insisted they remain focused. Rhen needed to give them additional proof that he could be counted on before they could approach him.

  Four weeks later
, Rachel and her assistants identified the virus in Rhen’s blood. This breakthrough offered the Thestrans hope. By now, Surpen controlled fourteen solar systems. It was only a matter of time before Thestran would be attacked.

  Ceceta attended her classes at the Elfin University as if she were in a trance. Her body performed the functions it needed to to get through the day, but her mind was elsewhere. “It’s so sad,” Crystam said to Latsoh after Astronomy class.

  “It’s tragic and not just for Ceceta,” Latsoh said. “Everyone’s feeling desperate. The Surpens are knocking on their door and they’ve lost the Black Angel as well.”

  Crystam nodded. “During their time of greatest need, he disappears.”

  “It’s too bad Rhen couldn’t have kept it up.”

  “Yeah,” Crystam said. “At least Tgfhi’s weekly Black Angel prayer sessions are giving some of them hope.”

  On Surpen, the Leader of the Opposition Force was feeling depressed. Over the last few weeks, Andres had conquered many smaller planets. During each invasion, Rhen had followed his father’s orders without question. It was beginning to look like his behavior on Solar System 28 had been a fluke. Rhen was lost to them.

  --

  A week after Surpen’s victory over Solar System 32, Bosternd was ordered to bring the prisoners from Cell Block B to Andres. By now, Surpen had conquered so many planets that their jails were overflowing. Bosternd and Nk walked the prisoners up to Andres’ throne room. They ordered them to wait on the far side of the room, behind the pool of fish, then approached Andres’ throne. “The prisoners from Block B, your Highness,” Bosternd announced, bowing.

  Andres was busy signing papers that Aul was holding for him. With a few last flourishes of his pen, Andres waved Aul away. He stared at the prisoners, on the far side of the room, and frowned. He was tired of dealing with them. As he debated what to do with the men from System 32, the sound of claws scraping against stone permeated the room’s silence. Rhen was coming.

  Andres turned towards his right and waited. The sound got louder as Rhen grew closer. When the scraping sound was almost unbearable, Rhen emerged from a darkened hallway into the Throne Room. The prisoners gasped at the sight of him and huddled together in a tight pack. Rhen wandered across the room towards his father’s throne as Andres said, “How many times have I told you you make too much noise when you walk? Place your feet down gently on the stones. Stop scrapping them or I’ll have Loreth rip off your talons.”