“They do?” Aaron asked. “I wonder if they took my communicator. It’s been missing for days.”
“I bet they took my reader,” Latsoh said. “It’s got a bronze finish on the cover.”
Sarah lifted her arm. “My gold bracelet is missing. I didn’t say anything because I knew none of you would have taken it. I just figured I’d misplaced it.”
“I don’t understand,” Ceceta said. “I put Bosternd’s crown in the cabinet. How did they get it?”
Aaron had crawled under the beds to get the crown, but before he could reach it, the dragon bolted across the room carrying it in its mouth. Thellis floated higher, his grin widening as he watched them chase the dragon. “They’re smart. He probably saw you hide it and waited until no one was looking to steal it,” he told Ceceta.
The guard elves chased the dragon around the room, but it was Jack who finally coaxed it into giving up its prize. As he scratched the dragon behind its ears to thank it, Bosternd took back Surpen’s crown.
“Rhen,” Bosternd said, holding the crown on the palms of his hands. “I present to you your crown. You are now well enough to return to your rightful position.” Rhen grimaced but reached out for it. Once he had it, Bosternd breathed a sigh of relief. He’d never wanted to be Emperor. Thank the gods, Rhen had healed.
Rhen signed, Ceceta, please thank Bosternd for me. As Ceceta, spoke with Bosternd, Rhen waved Jack over. He pointed at the dragons and then at the windows.
“What?” Jack asked.
“The dragons are old enough to leave,” Thellis explained, floating down beside him. “If you keep them any longer, they’ll have trouble adjusting to life on their own.”
“No,” Jack said, shaking his head. He’d taken responsibility for the dragons while they’d been in the hospital room, making sure they had enough to eat and drink and asking the Genisters to feed them their powers whenever they happened to pop by. “They’re still too young,” he protested. Again, Rhen pointed at the windows. “Please,” Jack said. He couldn’t bear the thought of giving them up. “They’re too small. They’ll be hurt by something if we release them.”
Rhen whistled and the dragons ran over to him. They’d grown considerably under Jack’s care and were now the size of large dogs. Rhen stroked their heads as the dragons made soft peeping noises indicating their pleasure. Lifting his hands, Rhen signed, Ceceta they’ve hidden their treasures in your bag. My crown was the only one hidden elsewhere.
“What?” Ceceta asked with a laugh. She went over to the night table and bent down to look at her bag. It was so full it was bulging. “Oh, my.” Lifting it up, she dumped it out onto Rhen’s bed. “I think we’ve found the missing items and then some.” She poked at a silver cup, some shiny ribbon and several utensils that had also been placed in the bag.
Rhen signed, Ceceta, please tell Jack to say goodbye. The dragons need to go. It’s cruel to keep them here any longer. I would have forced them out earlier had I been able to.
Jack’s throat felt thick as he listened to Ceceta. He wanted to protest, but he knew he shouldn’t. Rhen wouldn’t do anything to harm the dragons. He brought them to one of the open windows and knelt down beside them. While hugging the dragons around their necks, he wished them long lives with plenty of shiny treasures. When Jack was done, Rhen used his powers to enlarge one of the window frames so the dragons could easily fit through it, and then Rhen clicked to the dragons, telling them it was time to go. The dragons climbed onto the frame, looked back at Jack, then leapt out into the sky. Jack rushed forward to watch them. They had a little trouble flying at first, but soon they were spinning and diving as they made their way towards the forest in the distance.
Jack felt something being pressed into his hand. He turned to find Rhen standing beside him. Lifting up the object, he found that Rhen had given him a short blue whistle.
“You’re a lucky one,” Thellis said above them. “Rhen’s given you a Genister whistle. You can use that to call your dragons and if you hold on to it when they’re near, you’ll be able to understand what they’re saying.”
Jack lunged forward hugging Rhen. “Thank you.” Rhen patted him on the back and nodded before returning to the couch.
Latsoh and Erfce waited until Rhen was seated before approaching him. “Hey, you know, it’s been fun and all,” Latsoh said with a laugh. “But now that you’re no longer in danger, it’s time for us to go back to school.” Rhen struggled to stand up again, even though they told him to stay seated. Once he was up, Latsoh reached out to hug him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” She stepped back as Erfce slapped him on the arm. “We’ll see you back at school.” Rhen nodded and waved goodbye.
“We’re leaving too,” Tgfhi said as he and Crystam walked over from where they’d been saying goodbye to Ceceta. “The University won’t let us use you as an excuse to miss classes anymore. They’re going to fail us if we don’t come back.”
“Tgfhi!” Crystam laughed. She couldn’t believe he’d said that.
Tgfhi shrugged then shook Rhen’s hand before stepping back to salute. “Thank you for teaching me how to fight, Emperor. It’s good to have you back. We’ll see you at school.”
Rhen gave Tgfhi the thumbs up sign then turned to give Crystam a hug. He put his arms around her and stiffened. Crystam noticed his change in posture, but decided not to ask since he couldn’t explain what was wrong. “I’m glad you’re better, Rhen. Come back to school soon.”
When Rhen stepped back, he was smiling tightly. Crystam wasn’t sure what to make of it so she just waved goodbye and headed towards the door with Tgfhi.
As Crystam and the others were nearing the door to leave, they heard James transmit Mary’s translation of Rhen’s signs. Ceceta, don’t tell Crystam, but she’s getting her mom’s powers and they’re coming on strong.
Crystam stumbled. Tgfhi reached out for her at once, helping her out of the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Crystam began to hyperventilate. “It’s okay,” Tgfhi told her, as he held her tightly and rubbed her back. “We’ll work it out. Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll find a way to have Rhen help us. Themrock gave your ancestors their powers. There’s got to be something he can do.”
Latsoh and Erfce stared at each other. Tgfhi wasn’t serious, was he? He couldn’t ask Themrock for help. Rhen wouldn’t know what to do. He didn’t even have access to Themrock’s powers. They prayed Tgfhi wouldn’t slip up and tell Rhen the truth in order to save Crystam.
Chapter 12
Conference Room – Thestran Royal Palace
“It’s amazing how overrun your palace is with tourists,” Bosternd said. He and Nk were meeting with the Thestrans and elves to discuss the actions they would need to take in order to protect Rhen when he returned to the Elfin University. Somehow word had leaked out about Rhen’s identity. From what Bosternd had learned, it appeared more people knew Rhen’s secret than didn’t. No doubt, within the next few days, everyone would know. So much for the Genisters’ threats of punishment. Bosternd wasn’t surprised. Themrock’s return was too important for people to keep it hidden. He wondered if the Genisters even knew that Rhen’s identity was now common knowledge. They certainly hadn’t been running around threatening everyone into silence.
Opening a new page on his computer, Bosternd checked over the items he had wanted to discuss. The Thestrans had already agreed to lock down the school’s portal and jetports. Visitors to the University would be forced to go through the Wood Elf castle’s portal. Nk had advised them that they wanted a battalion of Surpen soldiers to man the elves’ portal at all times and the Thestrans had agreed to their request.
“Everyone wants to see Rhen,” James said, replying to Bosternd’s comment.
“What about his trips to the City of Warton with his friends?” Nk asked. “Shall we prohibit him from leaving the University?”
“No, we can’t do that. We’ll just have to do our best to limit the number of people in the areas where he travels,”
Bosternd said.
“Why does he go to Warton?” Naci asked.
“He’s been known to go to the movies with his friends,” Nk said.
“Do they go to the cinemas by the main portal in Warton?” James asked, working out the logistics in his mind.
“Yes,” Nk said.
“We can easily control that area,” James told him. “We’ll just have to make up a new University rule that requires students to receive permission from the Headmaster before leaving campus. That way we’ll have enough time to clear things out.”
“I’ll install the rule when I return,” the Headmaster said.
“Thank you,” James said, rising from the table. “I think that’s everything.”
Bosternd glanced up at James curiously. He was surprised James felt the need to wrap up the meeting when Bosternd had been the one who’d arranged it. Bosternd still wanted to review the safety protocols they needed to put in place if Rhen were to remain on Thestran. “Not quite. With your permission, we would like to erect a security fence around the University.”
“A fence?” the Headmaster asked.
“Yes, an invisible power field that will stop individuals from approaching the University from the ground. We wish to post guards at regular intervals around the fence. They should be Surpen soldiers, but we would like to disguise them as Thestrans, in case Rhen happens to spot one of them during his morning jogs.”
“Sure,” James said without hesitation. “Anything that protects Rhen is welcome.”
Bosternd dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Excellent.” He wasn’t surprised that James had agreed to his requests. Before James had known Rhen’s secret, he used to become agitated and quarrelsome whenever Surpen sent soldiers to Thestran. He’d even tried to stop Rhen from using his soldiers to help him teach his fight class. Now, however, that had all changed. James had accepted everything he had asked for without question. Bosternd rose to his feet and closed his computer. Now the meeting was over.
“What are we doing about his fight classes? They used to be held on an open enrollment basis. The entire Universe will enroll when they learn that Themrock’s teaching them,” Reed asked.
“Oh, we’ve already taken care of that,” Bosternd said, with a glance towards the Headmaster, while he gathered his papers and pushed in his chair. “One of our generals, General Ngi, is teaching the class, and we’ve informed the students that Rhen will no longer be present during it.”
Reed was relieved to hear it. “Good.” It seemed Bosternd had taken care of everything.
Nk held the door open as they left the room. “You know, I must admit,” Nk said, as James passed by him. “I’ve kind of enjoyed having Rhen confined to one space. Usually, he’s hopping all over the place and I can never find him. It’s been nice knowing where he is when I want him.”
Bosternd snorted. “You Thestrans have no idea how hard it’s been for us.” He turned towards the stairs. He and Nk had planned on checking in on Rhen before they returned to Surpen.
“You’re right. We don’t. Thank you. You’ve been a great friend to my brother.” James opened Rhen’s hospital door and waved for Bosternd and Nk to go in first. They saw Plos sitting next to Rhen on the couch. Plos was telling Rhen about his castle, while Rhen was giving him one of his best blank stares. Across the room, Ceceta was hiding her mouth behind her hand. She clearly thought their interaction was amusing.
Ceceta knew that Plos’ hard work would eventually pay off. She could tell that Rhen was starting to soften towards him. “Ready?” She glanced up to find Tgfhi standing beside her. He was visiting them from school. The two of them had been discussing ways in which Rhen might help Crystam tone down her powers. Ever since Crystam had returned to the University, she’d been causing people to pass out whenever she laughed. Tgfhi was worried, because normally new powers were weak, but Crystam’s were almost as strong as her mother’s. If her powers grew, like most people’s did, she would have a very limited life. “Yes.” She cradled her plate of food in the crook of her arm, grabbed her glass of juice and followed Tgfhi over towards Rhen. Ceceta sat down on the floor to eat her breakfast, while Tgfhi took the seat to Rhen’s left.
Why are you sitting on the floor? Rhen signed.
Ceceta shrugged. No chairs left.
There will be in a moment. Rhen swung his head towards Plos and turned into a large Neptian tiger with dark blue and black stripes. He roared into Plos’ face, showing off his long black fangs. Plos paled and sank down into the couch, while someone at the buffet table dropped their plate.
“Wait!” Ceceta yelled, when Plos started to crawl off the couch. He glanced up at her, but she was looking at the tiger. “Don’t change back, yet. You haven’t been a Neptian tiger in ages.” Ceceta clapped her hands with excitement. “Tgfhi, do you remember when our Professor was talking about Neptian tigers? He mentioned that years ago there was a scientist, who had discovered that the tigers had magical abilities, but before he could bring his findings to the public’s attention, he was murdered by poachers and his work was destroyed. To this day, no one knows what magical properties they have, right?” Ceceta pushed the coffee table closer to the couch and sat down on it in front of Rhen.
“Yeah,” Tgfhi replied hesitantly. The tiger beside him was so big that it had pushed him to the very edge of the couch. Its tail flicked up and down, hitting him in the face. He couldn’t believe that Rhen had turned into a Neptian tiger. No one had that ability. Shape changers had tried, but the tigers seemed to be off limits or beyond their skill.
“Well,” Ceceta said, with an expectant grin. “That scientist was right. I want to show you just what a Neptian tiger can do.”
“Do they really have the softest fur in the Universe?” Tgfhi asked. He’d never touched one before. Neptian tigers had been hunted to the verge of extinction because of their fur. There were only two tigers left in the Neptian City Zoo and both of those were females, although their professor had mentioned that last season a hiker had thought that he’d spotted a wild tiger in Neptian’s forest. Unfortunately, no one had been able to confirm the sighting.
“Yes,” Ceceta said, running her fingers across Rhen’s back.
“Are you sure you want to show the mortals their magic?” Thellis asked. He was floating by the windows on a green translucent chair. “It might upset them, since they’ve basically turned all of their tigers into clothing.”
Ceceta pushed down on Rhen’s shoulders. “I want to show them. Lie down, Rhen.”
Rhen stepped forward onto Plos’ lap and lowered his body onto the couch. He kept his back legs underneath him, so he was lying on his stomach rather than his side.
“Can I touch you?” Plos asked, his hands hovering over Rhen’s tiger head.
Rhen snorted with approval and lowered his head onto his giant black paws.
“Touch him?” Ceceta laughed out. “Of course, we’re going to touch him. That’s the magic. Do you want to touch his fur before I show you why Neptian tigers were a gift to the Universe from Lord Themrock?”
The Thestrans were startled by her words. They had never heard that before. “What?” Reed asked as he approached the couch.
As Plos slid his fingers through the fur on Rhen’s forehead he realized that the reports about a Neptian tiger’s fur being the softest thing in the Universe weren’t exaggerated. He had never felt anything like it before. It tickled his fingertips.
“Neptian tigers were a gift to us from Lord Themrock,” Ceceta told Reed. “You’ll understand once we work their magic. Pet him first, if you want to.” She reached out to stroke the tiger’s neck.
“Wow.” Shno, Rhen’s bodyguard from Wood Elf tribe, laughed as his fingers disappeared into Rhen’s fur. “This really is the softest thing I’ve ever touched.” He’d never seen a live Neptian tiger before and was surprised by how bright its cobalt blue stripes were.
“Indeed,” Aaron agreed as his hand ran down the tiger’s back.
Plos reached f
or the tiger’s ears, but Ceceta’s hand whipped out and hit his away before he could make contact. “Not the ears. The ears are mine,” she told him, as Thellis chuckled above them.
“I can’t believe how soft their fur is,” Jack said. He wanted to rub his face against the tiger’s back.
Mary stepped away from the couch to make room for someone else. “My grandfather told me that there was once an old woman in our town who had inherited a Neptian tiger fur coat. She kept it in a locked box and once a year the town’s children were allowed to touch it. Her children wanted her to sell it, but she wouldn’t. One night, they murdered her. After she was dead, they fought over her coat and during their fight they ended up killing each other and destroying it.”
“Things like that happened to all of the coats made from the fur of a Neptian tiger,” Thellis informed them. “As far as I know, there aren’t any left. It’s as if Themrock put a curse on them. Everyone who owned a coat suffered some sort of tragedy. It was wrong of you mortals to kill the tigers. We tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen. Now it’s too late. You’ve lost Themrock’s gift and you’ll never get it back.”
Reed crouched down to meet Rhen’s eyes. “Are you a real Neptian tiger or did you just change shape?”
“He’s a tiger,” Ceceta said.
“Does that mean he can mate with the tigers in the zoo and have babies?” Charlie asked. When Ceceta glared at him, he added, “What? The only two Neptian tigers left in existence are both females, if Rhen were to mate with them, we could make more tigers if… you know what I mean.”
Rhen sat up on his back haunches and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Ceceta was frowning at him. “You thought what Charlie said was funny, didn’t you?” she asked. Rhen closed his eyes again. “Ha, ha, ha,” Ceceta said mockingly, as Rhen laughed in silence with his eyes closed. “Lie down,” she told him. Rhen lay down on his stomach again with his head on Plos’ lap.
How wonderful, Plos thought. I have Themrock and a Neptian tiger on my lap. He reached down to rub the tiger on its long nose.
The Surpen King - Part 2 - Rise of the Elves Page 11
