Transformation

by Michael Ocheskey

  “Oh, fess up!” Orion had a keen eye and read the brief flash of Thomas’ grin for what it really was. Like a magic mirror, Orion could reflect what was concealed inside Thomas’ heart which just proved how deep their friendship had become. “You can’t figure out how to use your magic, can you?”

  Thomas blushed fiercely, embarrassed to be caught in his carefully constructed story which didn't sound like a lie because on the surface it was a true statement.

  “Well, no, not really. I have no idea how I used magic the last time. My emotions were at a peak and I was so caught up in the moment, I didn’t bother to think about how I did it. I just did it. I’ve tried to perform magic a couple of times since then, but I haven’t been able to. No matter what I try, it won’t work. I’ve tried saying poetic incantations, making up silly spell names, doing strange and foolish movements with my hands, but nothing works. I don’t know what I’m doing wro....”

  “LOOK OUT!” One of the workers behind Thomas interrupted.

  Thomas turned to watch one of the enormous marble blocks being lifted by a rope and pulley come untied and plummet toward the ground. Without thinking about what he was doing, Thomas turned around, pointed his hand at the block, and a tree sprang up from the ground, cradling the stone. Thomas was struck numb.

  Was that the secret? It wasn't about stupid incantations or spell names. It was all about the imagery, focus, and will. Thomas focused on the image he desired and the strength of his will brought it into being. Thomas had been thinking too hard about how to use the magic and his mind was getting in the way. What he needed to do was to clear his mind and not get bogged down with thoughts. His will would do what he wanted as long as he didn't lose focus through excessive thoughts.

  Thomas walked underneath the tree and stood directly within the stone’s projected path. As quickly as it appeared, the tree retreated back into the soil and the stone continued its descent. While everyone screamed for Thomas to move, he held out his hands like a cradle to catch the stone. The stone stood stationary, a few inches above Thomas’ head. Thomas walked over to the palace and lifted his hands up. The stone floated higher into the air until it was a few feet above the palace.

  “Where do you guys want this?” Thomas looked over at the construction team, who were all standing open-mouthed with their eyes bulging.

  One of them finally recovered from his shock and pointed. “It goes in that area two yards to your left.” As soon as he said this, the boulder settled in its proper place.

  Orion ran up to Thomas.

  “How did you do that?”

  “I didn’t think,” Thomas told him, smiling.

  “You mean you still don’t know how to use magic?”

  “No, I told you how I use magic. I don’t think. See, I’ve been thinking that I had to recite spells or incantations to use it, but I’ve been completely wrong. All I do is visualize something in my mind and concentrate. I don’t need words, just an imagination and focus. If I can see it happening in my mind, then it happens in real life.”

  “Okay, but I thought you said you could only use the eight elemental magics? I didn’t hear any wind when you were causing that stone to float.”

  Orion switched his gaze from Thomas to the stone he had just moved. He was utterly stumped.

  “You just answered your own question. It’s a stone. One of the eight elements is earth, right? That means everything about earth and stone blocks are pieces of earth that have been ripped from the ground.” Thomas suddenly gasped and punched his fist into his open hand as an idea came to him, “I know how to fix this entire palace in only a few minutes! Hey guys! Gather all of the stones you need to fix the palace and show me the blueprints of what it’s supposed to look like.”

  After being shown the plans for the new palace’s design Thomas geared up for his Mister Fix-it opportunity. All of the blocks arrived and as soon as they were placed around Thomas, he lifted them into the air and they soared to their designated areas. The entire palace was fixed in less than an hour. Although the construction was finished, Thomas’ arms were killing him.

  The next three weeks passed in a daze. Thomas couldn’t remember ever having so much attention in his life. All of the merfolk who looked down on him were now treating him like a king. Thomas didn’t like being pampered and kept telling people not to, but deep down he couldn’t help feeling a little happy about it. He may not like pampering, but it was far better than the cold shoulder he had been getting. Now if only the people could find a happy medium and treat him like they did everyone else.

  The following day was the day that Thomas would see the Sapphire again. He wanted answers and the Sapphire had them. That he was sure of. He also wanted to get outside the city and feel the ocean currents crash against him. Exploring the ocean with Alana was to be one of his greatest experiences since coming to Atlantis. He felt ecstatic at the very thought of it. He also had a promise with Tiger that he had to keep and was looking forward to that nearly as much.

  “Well, Thomas,” Orion began.

  Orion and Thomas were entering the palace gates after a long night on the town. Orion wanted Thomas to have one last night out before taking the plunge, as Orion called it.

  “I know you’re excited. Just don’t forget to ask it all of the questions you have. You’ve got quite a list.”

  “I don’t think I’ll get to ask all of my questions because I won’t have enough time.” Thomas and Orion were now walking through the main doors. “I just want to get the really important stuff. Did you hear something?”

  Thomas froze just outside the palace doors. His insides began to burn hot with anger, yet he couldn’t explain why. He was sure he had heard a noise, the sound of a struggle. Orion stood silent beside Thomas, both with their ears pricked, waiting for a sound they hoped would not come. To their horror, the next thing they heard came from the direction of Alana’s room.

  “Get your hands off of me!”

  From a distance, they could hear muffled screams. Alana was fighting desperately.

  “My husband will kill you when he finds out!”

  “Alana!” Thomas raced as fast as he could toward Alana’s room, Orion hot on his heels.

  When they approached her door everything was quiet. The silence was unnerving. Thomas tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. In a blind rage, Thomas pointed his hand at the door and it blew off its hinges, flying across the room and crashing into the wall on the far side of the room. The sight that met his eyes was Alana, stripped naked on the bed, with a large, muscular man on top of her. The man had the same strong body that Thomas had grown to associate with the palace guards and he had one hand lifting Alana’s leg into the air, the other gripping her chest.

  “GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF...her?” Thomas was rushing at the guard, preparing to strike, when he noticed something strange. The guard was frozen in place, literally. The look on his face was not a hungry or angry face, but a gaze of sheer terror and agonizing pain. When Thomas tried to remove the hand from Alana’s chest the guard’s arm snapped off.

  “Orion, this guard has been frozen from the inside out.” Thomas looked suspiciously at the guard and the frozen arm in his hand. “It’s like he’s just an ice sculpture meant to look like a man.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Do you mind?” Alana was glaring from Thomas to Orion, unable to move as the guard’s statue of a corpse pressed her onto the bed. Orion turned around abruptly while Thomas grabbed a blanket and laid it over Alana.

  “Okay, Orion. She’s covered. Now help me get this pervert’s corpse off her.”

  They broke off the guard’s other arm to free Alana and picked the corpse up, carrying him across the room. Also having been drawn by the screams, King Aquarius burst into the room scaring both Orion and Thomas, who dropped the guard. His corpse shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces and spread out across the floor.

  “Now that’s a little gross. Can you clean this up, Thomas?” Orion asked, coveri
ng his mouth and turning pale green. Thomas waved his arm in a half-hazard manner and every piece of the guard incinerated.

  “What happened here?” King Aquarius demanded as he hurried to his daughter.

  “That’s what we want to know.” Thomas’ voice was hard from his still-fuming rage at the intruder.

  Thomas walked over and sat next to Alana, who burst into a river of pearls and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tight to her. Thomas had to pull up the covers which had slipped off Alana’s upper body when she'd hugged him.

  “Alana, Honey, it’s alright. He can’t harm you any longer. Can you tell us what happened?”

  Alana looked up into Thomas’ eyes and nodded. “I-I-I...h-h-he...he knocked on my door and I-I thought it w-was either Father or y-you. I started to open the door and he forced his way in. I thought that something must have happened, why else would a royal guard burst into my room? H-he slammed the door behind him and l-locked it. Th-then he grabbed me and...and threw me on the b-bed. H-he tore my clothes off and w-was trying to...to...I told him you’d kill him and then I heard you running toward my room. I-I...H-he tried to spread my legs with one h-hand and grabbed m-my breast with the other...but then, he just stopped.”

  “He stopped,” King Aquarius looked puzzled, “but why would a rapist stop so suddenly? Did he hear the two of you running toward the room?”

  “He didn’t stop of his own free will. He was forced to stop.” Thomas thought back to the look of fear and pain on the rapist’s face. “He was frozen from the inside out. All of his organs, his entire body had turned into ice.” Thomas continued to hold Alana while she cried. “I’ll finish the story from here. You just relax.

  “When I came in, he was frozen and Orion and I had to pry his body off of Alana. When you came in and scared us, we dropped his body and it shattered. You know what happened from that point on.”

  “Did you freeze him?” King Aquarius asked. “Did you protect me daughter by freezing him?”

  “No, it wasn’t me.” Thomas glanced down at Alana, who now had her head in Thomas’ lap and was continuing to cry uncontrollably, “The only thing I used magic on tonight was the door. To tell you the truth, I think it was Alana who froze him.”

  “Alana? But how?” King Aquarius kept looking from Alana to Thomas.

  “It’s possible that Alana is like me. Has Alana ever touched the Sapphire?”

  “No, but she can’t be like you. I’ve touched the Sapphire and I...”

  “You aren’t her only parent. Did her mother ever touch the Sapphire before she died?”

  “No. Why?”

  “It is possible that Alana’s mother was a descendant of the sorcerer race and Alana inherited it from her. She could have used magic accidentally, just like I did when Orion hit me. The only way to find out for sure is to let me take her with me. Let both of us touch the Sapphire tomorrow. If she disappears with me, then she is also a sorcerer, or to be more accurate, a sorceress.”

  “Alright. Tomorrow she can touch the Sapphire with you. We need to know for sure. Now, I think it’s time we all went to bed. After tonight’s fiasco, we all need some rest.”

  “There is one more thing, Sire.” Orion stepped in front of Aqua, stopping him from leaving. “I don’t think the person that attempted to rape Alana was a royal guard. I haven’t ever seen his face before. Not only that. I don’t think he was even an Atlantian. He may have been a Rogue.”

  “What? A Rogue in Atlantis? Call the entire royal guard to formation right now. Check to see if everyone is present. If none of the guards are gone, then begin a thorough search of Atlantis immediately. I want to know if any male citizens have disappeared tonight. That man could be our assailant. If everyone is accounted for, you will search every possible hiding spot in and around Atlantis to make sure there are no further trespassers.” King Aquarius seemed furious at the idea of a Rogue in the city, whatever that was.

  Orion rushed out of the room to begin his duties. Thomas, on the other hand, had not understood and needed clarification, “Excuse me, Aqua. What is a Rogue?”

  “Rogues are criminals who were banished from the Seven Cities for their crimes and deserters who have willingly chosen to abandon the Seven Cities for unknown reasons. They live in the oceans as hermits. We never know where they will show up, who they are, or anything about them. That is the reason why we have our law about killing outsiders on sight. The only outsiders we allow in our city are those we have been informed of ahead of time by messenger.”

  “But wouldn’t the messengers be considered outsiders?”

  “The messengers aren’t merfolk. They are sea creatures who ally with us like Tiger. Now, we should leave Alana to rest. She’s had a troublesome day.”

  Thomas stood up to go, but Alana gripped his arm and held on tight.

  “Please, don’t leave me. Not tonight. I don’t want to be alone. I’m scared. Please.”

  Her frightened eyes pleaded desperately with Thomas. Taken in by her delicate nature, Thomas agreed. King Aquarius stood aghast, firmly against it at first, but after some thought, nodded in approval. Before leaving, he gave a fierce look to Thomas that clearly said, “Don’t take advantage of her or else.”

  It wasn't as if King Aquarius needed to worry. Thomas was not the kind to take advantage of any girl, especially someone who had just been through what Alana had. Thomas got into bed with Alana. Thomas wrapped one arm protectively around Alana, who was facing the same direction as him, and pulled her close to him. With Thomas holding her, Alana fell swiftly into a deep sleep.

  “Rest now, my love,” Thomas whispered in her ear as he kissed her cheek. “This nightmare is over. As long as I live, you’ll never have to go through something like this again. I swear it to you.”

  It was then that Thomas remembered Alana was naked with her nightgown lying in pieces on the floor. He groaned in agony as he realized this was going to be one long night.

  With that final thought, Thomas fell into a restless sleep.

  AN ASSIGNED QUEST

  The following morning arrived just as Thomas had expected, with little sleep on his part. Thomas was woken in the middle of an unmentionable dream involving Alana by lips touching his forehead. He looked up to see Alana, fully dressed, waiting for him.

  “We’d better get going soon. You should get ready as quickly as possible.” Alana smiled mischievously. “Oh, did you know you talk in your sleep? I thought you were an innocent gentleman, but you’re a real beast.”

  Thomas’ eyes bulged as he sat upright. “What did I say? Please don’t tell me I said something I shouldn’t have.”

  Alana giggled coyly. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

  Thomas looked on in distress and taking pity on him, Alana divulged her withheld information.

  “You didn’t say anything except my name. No, it wasn’t what you said, it was the sounds that accompanied my name which I found amusing. Along with the occasional groping.”

  “I didn’t!” All life and color left Thomas’ face. It would have been impossible to distinguish him from a ghost. “Please tell me I didn’t. King Aquarius is going to kill me if he finds out.”

  “I’m only joking, at least about the groping. But by the sound of it, I’ve got plenty to look forward to on our honeymoon.” She fidgeted slightly and blushed. After that, she sent Thomas to his room while he moaned and covered his face to hide his shame and embarrassment.

  The Sapphire shone as brightly as ever when King Aquarius, Alana, and Thomas entered the room. It filled the room with the gentle and subtle light with reached every corner of the chamber. Thomas wasted no time in his hurry to speak to the Sapphire again. Turning to King Aquarius, he gave a swift bow of acknowledgment. Then, taking Alana by the hand, they trotted up to the Sapphire.

  “Don’t worry,” Thomas noticed Alana’s frightened expression and hoped to calm her nerves. He wrapped his hand inside hers and gripped gently. “Everything will be fine. Just hold on to my hand and we c
an touch it together, okay?”

  Alana nodded her acknowledgment and the two of them reached up with their intertwined fingers and placed their hands, clenched firmly together, on the Sapphire’s warm surface. Thomas felt the same overwhelming feeling of warmth and suction as last time, yet he could no longer feel Alana’s hand in his. Fear gripped him as a thought struck his mind. What if she hadn’t been able to come with him? Thomas began to question his theory when he found himself bathed once more in blue light and Alana was standing next to him, still firmly gripping his hand. Unable to move his body, he could not see her expression. Although her breathing told him that she had also suspected something had gone wrong for an instant. Her breaths were as rapid and shallow as his.

  “Welcome, Alana and Thomas. I knew you would bring her here, Thomas, and I'm glad you did. I wanted to meet her as well.” The voice reverberated within the surroundings, sounding as if it were inside each of them and yet apart from them. The Sapphire still retained the fatherly tone it had adopted after the terrifying first attempt at speech it gave Thomas last time.

  Hello, Sapphire. I have been anxiously waiting to speak to you again. Is there any news? Just as last time, Thomas didn’t speak. The words resonated telepathically around the room, this time not only heard by the Sapphire, but by Alana as well.

  “Yes, there is plenty of news, but first I must begin at the beginning. I must inform Alana of all that I told you the last time I saw you. She has the right to know and also a responsibility to fulfill, just as you do.”

  Thomas stood in the light, listening carefully, as the Sapphire explained the past of the sorcerer race as well as the connection between the merfolk and surface dwellers. When Alana found out they were both part of the same race, she seemed to be in a mild shock. Thomas attempted to put his arms around her, but his body refused to move. Yet as the thought occurred to him, a warm sensation spread from his body and wrapped around Alana as his arms had intended to do. Upon feeling his warmth, Alana quickly came back to her senses.