Rhen, Jet thought. He swung about to face the Wood Elves’ forest. There were dead Rasacks littering the hillside, including a pile of them near the top of the hill. “Where’s Rhen?” Jet demanded, taking a step towards the woods. “Has anyone seen him?” He was terrified that Rhen might have been killed during the battle.
“There!” a soldier cried out pointing to his left. “He’s under that Rasack over there.”
They ran up the hill towards the woods as Rhen pulled himself the rest of the way out from under a dead Rasack. Rhen’s body was caked in blood and his clothes were in tatters. The last of his wounds were just healing up when Jet and the others approached.
Rhen laughed. “The damn thing landed right on me when I killed it. I didn’t get a chance to jump out of the way.” He shook his head and laughed again. “Yuck. Rasack blood reeks.” He tried to wipe the blood from his face, but only ended up adding more blood to it.
Jet sniffed and immediately raised his hand to his nose. He hadn’t noticed it before. He’d been too involved in the fighting. The blood smelled gamey, like that of a wild animal.
Sighing, Rhen pushed himself into a kneeling position. He glanced over at Pento. “I think the Rasacks should be kicked out of the Convention, don’t you?”
“Definitely!” Pento said, while putting out his hand to help Rhen up.
“Have you been bitten?” Jet cried out, when he saw a bite mark on Rhen's thigh. Rhen shook his head. “Yes, you have,” Jet told him. He reached down and pulled up on what was left of Rhen’s tunic. On Rhen’s right thigh, they could see the fang marks of a Rasack right before Rhen’s skin healed, making them disappear.
“Oh, look at that,” Rhen remarked casually. “I guess I was bitten. The Rasack mustn’t have had enough time to poison me.” Rhen grabbed his tattered tunic and pulled it the rest of the way off, leaving him in nothing but his black military shorts.
“What do you mean?” Pento asked.
“You know,” Rhen told him. “It takes the Rasacks a second to inject their poison after they bite you. I must’ve killed that Rasack before he could poison me.”
“Are you sure?” Jet asked. "I've never heard that before."
“Yeah, I’m sure. If I’d been poisoned, I would have felt it by now. I’m fine.” He scanned the University’s lawn, which now resembled a battlefield more than a place of learning. The Surpen soldiers, who had chased the Rasacks over the hill towards their ships, were marching across the crest of the hill to join them. “I guess it’s time to clean up.”
“Shall I organize the men or will you do it?” Jet asked. Before Andres’s War, when the soldiers thought that Rhen only had healing powers, the men would straighten the grounds after a battle, while Rhen would heal the soldiers who’d been injured. After Rhen had become Emperor, they’d learned that he had multiple powers. Jet had seen Rhen in action several times, when he’d returned the royals, that his father had taken, to their homes. Most of the planets that Andres had conquered had been left in disrepair. Rhen had used his powers to return the planets to their original splendor. It’d been during those moments, when the Kings and Queens had stood beside Rhen, watching him fix their homes in the blink of an eye, that most of the planets the Surpens had taken by force had then turned and pledged themselves back to Surpen. An Emperor with that much power could protect them against any and all threats.
“Clean up?” Pento asked.
“I guess it’ll be faster if I do it,” Rhen mumbled.
“Definitely,” Jet agreed. He watched Rhen fall to his knees then flop down onto the ground in a seated position. When Pento stepped forward to help Rhen, Jet grabbed his arm and shook his head. “Just wait.”
Rhen placed his hands on the grass. He rubbed them back and forth, enjoying the tickling sensation of the grass on his palms then pushed his hands down into the soil. Closing his eyes, Rhen reached within himself and pushed his powers out through his hands into the soil. A white light surged out of Rhen’s body, spreading out underneath the ground, until it encompassed the entire lawn. Pento watched the light climb his legs, as if his body were a straw. He could feel the light healing him. Every cut he had disappeared and his sore muscles felt refreshed. Even his clothes had been cleaned and repaired. Glancing about, Pento saw the same thing happening to the other soldiers. His head lifted with surprise when he noticed that the dead had disappeared and the University’s grounds were once again pristine.
A moment later, the light faded and Rhen stood up. He gave his body a shake, making a blue tunic appear over his shorts. “Breakfast?” he asked his men. They cheered with anticipation as tables magically appeared before them on the Great Lawn. While the Surpen soldiers made their way down to the tables, Rhen bowed to Pento. “Thank you for helping us. Would you like to join us for breakfast?”
Pento laughed. He’d never seen such a display of power before. It was amazing. He couldn’t wait to tell his father about it. "We’d love to join you.” As Pento and his men sat down amongst the Surpen soldiers at the long wooden tables, they noticed that traditional Zorthan breakfast cakes had appeared before them along with the platters of meat meant for the Surpens. “Thanks, Rhen,” Pento said, pulling two cakes onto the plate that was now in front of him. He shook his head. Rhen was incredible.
The Surpen soldiers, who had waited in the University building to protect the students from ambush, joined them at the tables. "The Headmaster has sent the student body into the dining hall for breakfast," one of the soldiers told Rhen before spearing a slab of meat off the platter in front of him.
They were well into their breakfast when Bosternd and Nk ran out of the University building with two battalions of soldiers. At the sight of Rhen and the others eating, Bosternd sent the troops he’d brought back to Surpen and marched over with Nk to join them.
Nk sat down at the table and pulled out a Tgarian cigarette. Pento’s eyes widened. After their battle against the Rasacks, many of Rhen’s soldiers had started smoking Tgarian cigarettes. Pento had heard from his father that the Surpens had a passion for Tgarus weed, but he was shocked to see one of Rhen’s top military generals light up. He couldn’t believe that Rhen wasn’t reprimanding Nk. He was even more shocked when Rhen reached out his hand towards Nk and gestured that he wanted Nk’s cigarette. Without hesitation, Nk handed it over.
Bosternd noticed the Zorthan Prince’s attention was focused on Nk’s cigarette. He scowled at Nk before reaching over and snatching the cigarette out of Rhen’s hand. He didn’t want the Zorthans to think less of Rhen for using Tgarus weed.
“Really?” Rhen asked. He used his powers to make Nk’s cigarette fly into his mouth. “I need to relax, Bosternd,” he mumbled around the cigarette. “I haven’t spoken with my wife in almost two weeks, and I just fought a nasty battle that brought back a lot of bad memories.”
Bosternd leaned back in his chair. He’d talk to Rhen about smoking in public later.
Rhen gazed up at the hill beside the Teachers’ Residence Hall and caught sight of his father’s purple-eyed advisor. He jumped to his feet and threw his hand backwards, forming a powerball the size of Nk’s head. The rage he felt at the sight of Loreth was so strong that his body felt like it was on fire. Before Rhen could throw his powerball, he watched Loreth smirk in his direction and disappear. He scanned the hillside with his powers, hoping the man had simply become invisible, but no. Loreth had teleported away. Rhen considering chasing after Loreth but decided not to. He’d had enough excitement for one morning. He knew where to find Loreth when he was ready. His generals had told him that Loreth was still visiting Neptian. Shaking his hand, Rhen dissipated the power ball he was holding and took his seat.
“What happened?” Bosternd asked.
Rhen tipped his chair back, a new cigarette appearing in his hand. “I thought I saw someone.” When Bosternd continued to stare at him, Rhen added, “Someone who likes purple.”
Bosternd and Nk shot to their feet. They scanned the hilltop behind the Teach
er’s Residence Hall but couldn’t find Loreth. They had their own scores to settle with the man and hoped Rhen would take them with him when he decided to pursue his revenge.
“Who did you see?” Pento asked.
“I thought I saw an old enemy of mine,” Rhen said, as Bosternd and Nk took their seats. “But I was mistaken.” He didn’t want to talk about Loreth, nor did he want to think about him. Whenever he did, it made him angry. He was tired and felt like relaxing.
Rhen could see the curiosity on Pento’s face. The boy was gearing up to ask him more questions. It’d be best if he changed the subject. He overheard one of his soldiers complain that they were tired of eating meat. “Oh," he said, realizing that what he was about to offer would definitely change the subject. He glanced down the table at the man. “If you want, I’ll remove your bloodworms.” Rhen inhaled on his cigarette and then waved it around in the air, while saying, “Put your hands on the table if you want me to remove your bloodworms.” That did the trick. Pento was now watching Rhen’s soldiers with expectation.
Jet’s hands slammed down onto the table, causing the tableware to jump. The soldiers around him laughed. He shrugged in response. He couldn’t wait to try some of the foods that Ceceta had been raving about.
Rhen’s brow furrowed, when he noticed that all of his soldiers had placed their hands on the tables. Only Bosternd kept his hands in his lap. Bloodworms were a part of Surpen’s past. He was surprised that his men wanted to remove them. It was as if they were rejecting a part of their heritage. Oh, well, he thought. I offered. Turning to Bosternd, he asked, “Not you?”
“I’ll do it when you do it, your majesty.”
“Don’t be stubborn, Bosternd. If you want to get rid of your bloodworms, put your hands on the table.”
“No,” Bosternd said.
Rhen studied Bosternd’s face for a minute, trying to determine what his friend wanted. Bosternd stared back at him with a blank expression. He wasn’t going to get anywhere this way. “Whatever you want, Bosternd,” Rhen said, handing him his cigarette. “Take care of this for me for a second, will you?” Rhen put his hands on the table and closed his eyes. Once his eyes were closed, Bosternd flicked the cigarette behind him. “I saw that,” Rhen said, without opening his eyes. “I asked you to take care of it, not throw it away.”
“Sorry, boss,” Bosternd said with a smug smile, leaning back from the table.
Rhen opened one eye to glare at Bosternd then turned his head back to the table. A moment later, his hands began to glow white. The light from Rhen’s hands shot out across his table before jumping to the other tables on the lawn. It flowed up the men’s arms and into their throats, where it glowed for a second in their necks before disappearing. The soldiers made a strange sucking sound and then they all breathed clearly again.
“They’re gone!” Nk shouted, while stroking his neck with his beefy hands. He couldn’t believe it. “They’re gone!” he repeated with astonishment.
Rhen smiled at the obvious joy on their faces. He loved it when his men were happy. Using his powers, he filled the tables with an assortment of foods. Even though the soldiers were full from breakfast, they scooped up the foods in front of them and began to eat.
Turning back to Bosternd, Rhen lifted his hand into the air. A new Tgarian cigarette appeared between his fingers. “Ha, ha, ha,” he teased Bosternd, as he waved the cigarette around in front of his friend’s face. Bosternd reached out for it, but Rhen pulled it back towards him and put it into his mouth. He cupped the palm of his hand near his cigarette and a small ball of flames shot up to light it. After inhaling, Rhen leaned back in his chair to relax. Nk was shoving cake into his mouth. Rhen realized it wouldn’t be fair to Nk’s wife if she had to cook one food for Nk and another for the rest of her family. He should remove the bloodworms from the rest of Nk’s family. He watched his men as they laughed and ate. He should probably remove the bloodworms from their families too. Hell, he thought, I should offer to remove them from anyone who doesn’t want them. “Bosternd,” Rhen said. “Please inform the people that I can remove their bloodworms. Take down the names of those individuals who want their bloodworms removed and bring me the list. I’ll take care of them when I return home.”
“Yes, sir."
“Oh,” Rhen said, “and outlaw the feeding of bloodworms to children. I don’t want anyone under the age of 18 to eat bloodworms. I want people to be old enough to make a conscious decision when they decide to follow that path.”
“As you wish, Emperor,” Bosternd said with a nod. He approved of Rhen’s new law. “By the way, your mother’s been worried about you. She’s been stopping by my office daily to ask about you.”
“Please tell her I’ll come for a visit this weekend.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Also,” Rhen said, “find out who told everyone that Jet and I fought alongside the Norans and bring them to me.” Bosternd nodded as Rhen stood up.
Rhen dropped his cigarette onto the ground and crushed it under his foot. “Time for class, Jet.” Jet glanced up at him, his mouth full of shrimp. Rhen laughed at the sight. “I guess we should’ve called this lunch instead of breakfast.” He used his powers to transport the two of them outside their classroom door.
When they walked into their Elfin language class, the students applauded. Jet and Rhen bowed, then strode towards the back of the room to sit down. Rhen tried to catch Ceceta’s eye, but once again, she refused to look at him.
As Rhen lowered himself down onto his seat, Jet realized his Emperor was scowling, staring at the back of Ceceta’s head. It was obvious to Jet that if Ceceta kept this up much longer, Rhen might become angry with her.
Their teacher began class the same way he did every week, by lecturing everyone on the virtues of the elfin language.
“Did you know that all languages are thought to be derived from Genister?” Jet whispered to Rhen, with mock seriousness.
Rhen smiled. Jet was repeating the teacher’s litany. He leaned towards Jet and quietly said, “I heard the closest known language to Genister is Ancient Elfin. How sad it is that both the Genister language and Ancient Elfin are dead.”
“Really?” Jet asked with false interest.
“That’s right, no one knows how to speak or read Genister or Ancient Elfin,” Rhen replied, while flipping through his textbook.
Jet’s heart skipped a beat, when he noticed their teacher staring at Rhen. He’d just gotten his Emperor in trouble. But, instead of marching over to yell at Rhen, like he normally would have, their teacher turned back to the white board to continue his lecture. Jet felt himself relax. It seemed Rhen’s actions today might’ve changed their teacher’s attitude towards him, which was a good thing, since Rhen had begun to space out again. Jet hoped the same thing held true in their other classes.
Rhen berated himself while his teacher droned on. He’d put his men’s lives in danger today because he’d been too stubborn to bring back the Black Angel. If the Black Angel had been back in action, he would’ve saved Noran as the Angel, keeping his own role in the incident anonymous. He was the Emperor of Surpen. He couldn’t let people see him saving Thestrans. It was against the Convention’s rules.
Rhen sighed and looked out the window. Should he bring back the Black Angel? Everyone seemed to want the Angel to return, even the Genisters. Erfce had made him realize that there were some races that needed a little extra protection. The Black Angel was perfect for that. It made stronger countries think twice before attacking weaker ones. Today, he’d realized that he couldn’t help other people like he wanted to as Surpen’s Emperor. It was too dangerous, not only for himself, but also for his people. His responsibility was to keep Surpen safe, not put it in jeopardy.
Rhen reached up to scratch his cheek, his mind on the Black Angel. It seemed logical to bring the Black Angel back, but he just didn’t have the time to do it right now. He was simply too busy. The Angel would have to remain missing.
Someone poked his
side. Rhen turned to find Jet smiling at him. “Hey, class is over.”
Rhen glanced around the room. Most of the students had already left. “Whoops,” he said, feeling a tad guilty. He hadn’t meant to space out that much.
They walked out into the hallway to find Tgfhi waiting for them. He joined them as they headed to their next class. “Rhen,” Tgfhi said, when no one was near them. "You were right. I need to learn how to fight. Will you please teach me?"
Tgfhi had been terrified when Rhen had disappeared under the pile of Rasacks. For the first time in his life, he’d wished he could help Rhen with one of his battles. His father had been right. He needed to learn how to fight. He never wanted to stand by feeling helpless again.
"Sure, Tgfhi. I’d be happy to. But we’re going to change our approach. I want you to focus on using your water powers. You need to learn how to compartmentalize your liquid abilities during a battle."
"That’d be a dream come true,” Tgfhi said. “When can we start?”
“Meet me tonight in Jet's apartment before your study session with Ceceta."
“Thanks, Rhen,” Tgfhi said. “I really appreciate it. I’ll be there tonight.”
"Why are you meeting Rhen tonight?" Latsoh asked. She’d been leaning against the wall waiting for them and joined their group as they headed up the stairs to their next class.
"Rhen’s going to teach me how to fight using my powers," Tgfhi explained.
"That's great," Latsoh said. She hoped this meant that Tgfhi would stop turning into water whenever he got excited or scared. Reaching into her pocket, Latsoh pulled out an envelope and handed it to Rhen.
Rhen turned the cream-colored envelope over in his hands. “What’s this?”
“It’s an invitation to the Themrock Celebration at the Fire Elf Castle. I want you to join us this year."
“No, thanks,” Rhen told her, returning the invitation.
The Surpen King_Part 1_Return of the Gods Page 24