The Surpen King_Part 1_Return of the Gods

by Charity Kelly

  Chapter 9

  Thestran Royal Palace

  Thaster flew over the Thestran Royal Family’s stables in his invisible state. He’d liked the Rasack King’s suggestion of kidnapping a Thestran Royal, but which one should he take to Hell? He passed over King James’ wife as she rode her horse in the riding ring and paused to watch. The woman was an excellent rider. She maneuvered her chestnut-brown mare around the ring with ease, using her crop only once to get more speed from her mount as they came upon a difficult jump.

  Thaster wondered what James would offer to get her back. Knowing the mortal king, he’d probably ask to switch places with the woman, giving himself up to Thaster in her stead.

  That wouldn’t do. Thaster didn’t want another Royal. He wanted Rhen. He knew he couldn’t kidnap Rhen, because the other Genisters would claim he was breaking the rules in the Genister Code Book, so he needed to find a way to get Rhen to give himself up. There was no way Rhen would sacrifice himself for the Thestran King’s wife. He’d have to look for someone else.

  Flying out over the bay, Thaster spotted Princess Sage and her merman husband playing in the water. He hovered above them as the merman chased after the Thestran princess. Sage was using her water powers to propel herself forward, so her husband was having a tough time catching her. They laughed as they jumped through the cresting waves.

  Thaster wondered if Rhen felt connected to Sage. He knew Rhen had shown an interest in her merman husband. Surpen’s religion worshiped fish. They were such a rarity on the desert planet that they were considered sacred. Perhaps Rhen might trade himself for the merman?

  Someone clapped from the shore. Thaster turned to find Kate, Rhen’s birth mother, sitting on the upper deck of the dock watching Sage and her husband. He grunted, considering the possibility of taking Kate to Hell. Would Kate be a good victim? Did Rhen feel any loyalty to her?

  The person next to Kate dropped the coffee cup they were holding down from their mouth and Thaster started. For a moment, he’d thought Rhen was sitting next to Kate, but now he saw that it was an older man. It had to be Kate’s husband, Henry. He’d forgotten how much Rhen looked like his birth father. Henry and Rhen had the same round head, dark brown hair, straight nose and curving lips. If Henry had been younger and had had an elf’s sculpted ears and black eyes, instead of brown, Thaster wouldn’t have been able to tell him apart from Rhen.

  Dropping down several feet, Thaster hovered over the retired Royals, inspecting them as they watched Sage. Kate had a great deal of power. More than most mortals. Although Thaster wouldn’t have any trouble defeating her, he didn’t feel like fighting with his victims. Besides, he wasn’t sure how Rhen felt about his biological parents. It’d be best if he looked for someone else.

  Thaster flew off towards the Thestran palace. He weaved his way through the palace’s hidden corridors, where the servants rushed about, working to meet the Family’s needs.

  When Thaster spotted a servant carrying two mice in a cage, he decided to follow. The man ran up two flights of stairs and entered the corridor that led to the Royals’ bedrooms. He walked halfway down the hall, then knocked on a door to his right.

  William, one of Kate and Henry’s twins, opened the door. His hair was disheveled and he was wearing a white apron that had a yellowish substance smeared on it. Thaster could hear several animals crying out and rattling cages in the room behind William.

  “You’re late,” William snapped, taking the mice. “The snake was supposed to eat two minutes ago.”

  “I’m sorry, sir,” the servant replied, but William didn’t hear him because he’d already slammed his door in the man’s face. The servant gave William’s door the finger then returned to the stairwell that would take him back to the kitchens.

  Thaster flew towards the stairs. There was no point in abducting William, because he didn’t think Rhen liked the guy. In fact, he didn’t think anyone liked William.

  What about the other twin?

  Turning about, he flew down to the end of the hall, where Rachel had her laboratory. She and her assistants were busy working on some enzymes from a fish found deep in Thestran’s largest ocean. From what Thaster could tell, they thought it might be possible to regenerate tissue using the enzymes from this particular fish.

  Thaster watched Rachel and her assistants as they worked. He figured Rhen liked Rachel, but after observing her for a few minutes, he decided that Rhen probably didn’t know much about her. Rachel seemed obsessed with her work. He didn’t think anyone could get very close to her. She wouldn’t give them the time of day. “Unless they were a science experiment,” Thaster mumbled—then she wouldn’t leave them alone.

  He flew down to the Thestran’s dining room and found Jet and Lilly. Lilly was having a bowl of ice cream and potato chips, while Jet hovered over her chair. That’d be annoying, Thaster thought as he saw Jet replacing a chip on Lilly’s plate every time she ate one. He’d been married multiple times, but he’d never felt the need to dote on any of his wives the way Jet was hanging around Lilly. Perhaps it was a Surpen thing?

  “I’m good, honey,” Lilly told her husband. “Sit, join me.”

  “I want to help you,” Jet said, while reaching out to pour some water into her glass.

  “That’s so kind of you, thank you,” Lilly replied with a strained smile. “But, right now, I’d love it if you sat beside me, so we could talk. Please, sit down.” She indicated towards the chair on her right.

  Instead of sitting, Jet waved for one of the servants in the room to approach. “Please get my wife some Surpen wheatberries.”

  “Wheatberries?” Lilly asked, glancing up with a grimace. She’d tried the hard, little red berries once in her childhood and had hated them.

  “All Surpen women eat wheatberries when they’re pregnant,” Jet told her. He reached out to put more ice cream in her bowl. “It’s good for the baby.”

  Lilly gave Jet a weak smile and turned back to her plate.

  Thaster chuckled at the feeling of weariness he felt coming off of Lilly.

  “Who’s there?” Jet demanded, pulling the sword from his weapons belt.

  Thaster flew up into the air over the chandelier. Lilly would’ve made a good victim, but with that Surpen soldier watching over her, he might have trouble taking her. Perhaps he’d better look for someone else.

  As Thaster flew up through the roof of the Thestran Royal Palace, he noticed most of the family members were now making their way to the Council Chamber. It seemed a Council meeting was about to take place. Since he still wasn’t sure which one he wanted to kidnap, he flew off towards Universe 3. He’d stir things up in one of the other Universes while he considered which Royal to take.

  If he made enough trouble, the other Genisters would go crying to Rhen for some extra muscle and then he’d have some fun. Maybe Rhen would even come as the Black Angel!

  Chapter 10

  Thestran Council Chamber

  James rang the bell to end Thestran’s Council session for the day. "Looks like everyone’s relieved to hear that Rhen's staying on Thestran," Reed told him, as he straightened out the files on his desk. "They feel safer knowing we’re keeping an eye on our little brother."

  "Not everyone’s relieved," James whispered. He gave a slight nod towards the short Neptian man with large jowls and droopy eyes who was marching in their direction, followed by a younger Neptian man with similar features and darker blue skin. "Te," James said in greeting, when the man pushed up against his desk jostling the Council bell.

  "You’re making a mistake, James," Te began, his blue skin tight with rage. "I demand the Council take daily samples of the Surpen Emperor's blood, so we can be assured that the virus is completely out of his system."

  “Trust me,” James said, for what felt like the hundredth time. Te had been harping on this subject throughout the meeting and James was ready to be done with it. “He’s fine. The best scientists in the Universe say he’s back to normal.”

  “
I disagree, James,” Te bellowed. “You’re too close to him to judge the situation. Rhen is dangerous. In fact, I call for his removal as Emperor of Surpen. What if this virus is a common virus for Thestrans to catch on Surpen? What if he returns to Surpen and catches the virus again? We have no way of stopping him, if that should happen. It’s too risky for us not to force Rhen to abdicate his throne. I demand a vote.” Te’s voice carried and soon there were a group of Delegates standing around James’ desk, agreeing with his demand.

  "We know for a fact that Andres’ advisor, Loreth, invented the virus and gave it to Rhen," James told the room. Hoping to calm down the Delegates. "It’s not a virus that can be found naturally on Surpen. Rhen didn’t catch it."

  "We don’t know that for sure," Te said, his hands on his hips. “I demand a vote to remove Rhen as Emperor of Surpen.”

  A growing group of the Delegates called out in support of Te’s request.

  "Fine," James barked. It seemed he didn’t have a choice. At least the vote would silence Te’s protests. James reached out and rang the bell to recommence their Council session. With luck, a majority of the Delegates were still in attendance. "Te of Neptian has called for an immediate vote in favor of removing Rhen as the Emperor of Surpen on the chance that he might, once again, become the Surpen God of War. The boards will be prepared for voting."

  As the Council’s pages worked to prepare the voting boards, someone in the public balcony above them started to cough. The coughing person continued to hack as the voting boards lit up and the members prepared their ballots. When the voting began, and the Delegates’ votes were being listed on the boards above them, the coughing person became even louder. Frustrated by the noise, James yelled up towards the public balcony, “Please quiet down or leave.” The person, who was coughing, shook their head and leaned over the balcony railing. With their arms over the railing, they gestured to their right. When the Council Delegates glanced in that direction, they discovered that Rhen and Ceceta were sitting in the public balcony, watching the proceedings. The room became quiet. No one knew how Rhen was going to react to the motion that they were voting on. Suddenly, one Delegate ran for the door and then they were all running. Council Delegates were ducking under desks, running from the room, dodging behind pillars or hiding their faces behind papers. James banged the Council bell for order and yelled at everyone to stop.

  “If you leave now, you forfeit your seat,” James shouted, when two Delegates tried to escape through an open portal. “This is a serious matter. As I’ve tried to tell you, my brother is completely healed. I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate this than to have him participate in these hearings.” The Council Delegates murmured with disagreement, but James continued, “After all, he has the right to defend himself before we complete our vote on this motion.” Glancing up towards the balcony, James said, “Brother, would you please join us on the floor as Surpen’s Representative?”

  Rhen debated what to do. He’d been enjoying himself, laughing at the Thestrans’ idiocy, while they discussed what they wanted to do with him. To go down onto the Council floor might indicate to them that he valued their opinion but when James said, “Please,” and gestured to the seat next to Reed, Rhen heaved a sigh and stood up. He walked out of the public balcony, reappearing, a moment later, in the Council Chamber wearing his dress uniform. Rhen’s red and gold tunic ended just above his knees; his gold wrist and shin cuffs glowed under the Council room’s lights. His black military boots were polished and his red cape billowed out behind him as he approached James’ desk.

  “Was he wearing that before?” Lilly whispered to Sage. She had thought that Rhen was wearing a blue tunic in the public box.

  “No,” Sage whispered back.

  “He changed really fast,” Lilly said as Sage nodded.

  Rhen looked majestic. There was no other word for it. He strode across the room like a king among peasants. When he reached the seat next to Reed, he swept his cape to one side and sat down.

  “Themrock,” Reed breathed out as he took in his little brother’s attire. Even Rhen’s scabbard sparkled under the lights. Leaning over, Reed tapped Rhen on the arm in greeting. Rhen smiled in return. The two of them had become friends towards the end of Rhen’s University experience last year. Reed had introduced Rhen to jet bikes, for which they both had a passion.

  “Okay,” James began. He turned to face the Council, feeling as nervous as a schoolboy. For some reason, Rhen's demeanor had put him on edge, making him feel uncouth. “As… " James croaked. He stopped to clear his throat. "As everyone knows, we have a motion on the floor to remove Rhen as Emperor of Surpen. We will now hear from Rhen.” James gestured for Rhen to begin.

  Rhen frowned. He’d never been to a Council meeting before. On Surpen, he would simply decide the laws. No one ever disagreed with him. Rhen glanced at the anxious faces of the Delegates and wondered what they wanted from him. Perhaps he was supposed to vote? Rising to his feet, his hands on his hips, he spoke in Thestran saying, “I vote no.” The room was quiet. For a moment, Rhen was concerned that he’d done something wrong, but then he caught sight of the Genister, Thellis, in an empty section of the public balcony giving him the thumbs up sign. He smiled in return.

  Rhen’s smile for Thellis faded, though, when one of the Delegates snickered. A moment later, all of the Delegates were laughing. Scowling, Rhen glanced back up at Thellis. The green Genister shrugged then disappeared. Rhen shook his head. Typical behavior for a Genister, disappearing whenever anything went wrong. He turned to face Reed. “Why is everyone laughing?”

  “You weren’t supposed to vote,” Reed explained sympathetically. “You were only supposed to tell us your side of the story. You know, defend yourself.”

  “Oh,” Rhen said, feeling angry at himself for looking like a fool. His contempt for the Thestrans rose. He was a Surpen. How dare they question him? Turning back to the Chamber, Rhen raised one of his hands. When the room had quieted down, Rhen addressed the Council in Surpen. “You have no legal right to decide anything about my fate, but in deference to the Thestran Royal Family, who kindly cured me of my ailment, I will humor you by defending myself. Although I am not exactly sure what I did that needs defending. You wish to remove me because you consider me to be a threat. You feel this way because over the last year, I defeated many planets and solar systems in war. Well, I am a Surpen. During the time in question, my father, the King, ordered me to perform my job as Commander of Surpen’s military. I did my job to the best of my ability and I am proud of my record. I do not offer you any excuses for performing my job. If you fear me, it’s because you are afraid of your own inadequacies. Why don’t you solve your own problems first rather than bickering about things you have no control over?”

  Finished, Rhen sat down and crossed his arms over his chest.

  The members of the Thestran Royal Family turned white. Rhen’s words were a death sentence. No one would vote to keep him as Emperor now.

  “He should’ve pleaded with the Council, asking them for their forgiveness and promising them that he would never attack anyone ever again,” Lilly whispered to James, who was watching the Delegates’ faces as the translating devices in their ears finished Rhen’s speech.

  James had no idea what to say. He turned to Reed for advice when a man’s voice called out across the Council Chamber. “May I speak for Rhen on his behalf?”

  James glanced up to find an elderly man standing beside the Chief Council Delegate from Solar System 6. He had a familiar look, but James couldn’t quite place him. “Of course,” James told the man. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by letting the man speak, but nothing could hurt Rhen more than he’d just hurt himself.

  “You may not remember me,” the man began. “A lot has happened since the last time I was here. I am the King of Milow and this,” he said, pointing towards the man beside him, “is my chief military advisor. We wish to speak on behalf of Rhen. Our personal experience with Rhen and Andres, prove
d to us, beyond any doubt, that Rhen should not be held responsible for Surpen’s past actions. As many of you will remember, Andres, in this very chamber, called for our execution.”

  The Milowian King lifted his hands into the air. “I should be dead. The Surpen King demanded that Rhen kill me.” He shook his head incredulously as he lowered his hands. “But, I’m not dead, because Rhen fought against Andres’s orders. He knew his father was wrong, so he pretended to kill us, tricking his father and everyone else. Unfortunately, right before he sent us to the safety of Thestran, a soldier named Aul discovered his betrayal. Aul blackmailed Rhen. He promised not to tell Andres what Rhen had done if Rhen raised his rank and followed his orders. Rather than killing us to be free from Aul’s blackmail, Rhen agreed to Aul’s demands. Aul forced Rhen to drink a concoction, which we now know inhibited Rhen’s healing powers, allowing the virus that Andres had given him to take over his body. Rhen never would’ve turned into the Surpen God of War if he’d killed us. If you wish to dethrone anyone today, you’d better start with me. I am the reason why Rhen changed into that beast.”

  Te and his supporters began to protest, but the Milowian King continued, “Rhen is the rightful Emperor of Surpen. I understand that some of you are afraid of him.” He stared directly at Te. “But, if you ask me, the future will be brighter with Rhen as Emperor of Surpen. He is a brave, honorable man, who will lead his people away from the darkness that they have suffered under for so many years.” The public balcony erupted in applause as the Milowian King took his seat.

  Rhen looked up to find Ceceta waving at him. He nodded in return. The Genister known as Thamber appeared in the seat beside her. She leaned over and told Ceceta something that made her laugh. Rhen dropped his eyes to the table in front of him.

  He and Ceceta were the only ones in the Universe who knew that the Genisters were alive and living amongst them. At first, Rhen had felt special when they’d befriended him, but now he found them annoying. They were always telling him their opinion and passing judgment on what he was doing, and they never assisted him when he was in trouble. Well, almost never. He had to admit, Thellis saved the day when he dressed up as the Black Angel during Rhen’s fight on Thestran.