Road to the Sea

Bright sun dappled the broad plain. A hint of salt perfumed the warm air. "Not much longer," Tygra said to the tall, quiet mystic who sat beside him in the Thundertank.

Tir'shan nodded absently toward his red tiger companion, who was as simply dressed as he in a brown tunic and trousers. After suns of delay, he should have been glad to reach the spaceship that Eri'mintálí, his atdira'savi friend, had left by the sea. However, too many uncertainties clouded his thoughts.

No sooner had he recovered from his bout of River Plague when an outbreak of the disease had struck the Wolo and Balkin villages. There had been enough illness to contend with to keep three mystics busy for many suns. He glanced at the architect, who also had the gift of healing. Talitha has taught you well, Tir'shan thought with pride. That you will grow in power is apparent, and when our fellow mystics arrive, you will gain control over your other special gift.

The white tiger smiled at Tygra, amused that the Felinari'i took no note, but instead concentrated on his driving and the expanse of land ahead. A cold notion suddenly skittered in his mind. Gods help me if you or Talitha become priests, and I must take your energy in Circle. Would I abuse my position on the mystic council to prevent it?

The troubled healer placed his hand against his cheek as he rested his elbow on the door frame of the tank. His long, braided mane tapped his shoulder playfully. His love for Talitha had not cooled. Although the white tigress desired Tygra over him, it had become obvious in subtle words and gestures that she had residual feelings for him that she had not resolved.

During a quiet moment after his illness, he had finally made known to the couple the survival of Te'sara. The white tigress was not only a leader among mystics, but Tygra's maternal aunt. That had gained him some favor with his brooding rival. Despite that maneuver, and their adventure on the mountain, Tygra had only lessened and sealed his hostility toward him, and had not relinquished it. It flared when Talitha let her emotions show. For this reason he had not spoken of Tygra's aunt Kalyn'ri, who now lived behind mystic walls. She was the former mate of his paternal uncle Trel, a dangerous tiger, who had also survived Thundera's destruction.

Tir'shan scratched his chin absently, and wondered how the couple had dealt with the conflict. How hot has your bed become, Tygra, he mused, or how cold.

The tank struck a rock, making the vehicle bounce. "Sorry," Tygra muttered.

Some cushions for these metal seats would help, Tir'shan decided, his buttocks having absorbed some of the disturbance. But such pains were minor. In 14 suns he would be there to make sure Cheetara delivered her sons safely. After several examinations, he had determined that she would not need the knife, but the natural delivery was sure to be a trial for him and her. Tygra or Talitha would have the duty of pulling her cubs from her body; he would take some of her pain. Only when all was well would he and Panthro try to solve the problem of how to fly the alien spacecraft they now sought. "From fire to fire," Tir'shan murmured.

"A problem," Tygra asked.

"No," Tir'shan lied politely. "Just noting the heat."

*****

So changeable, the mystic decided as he observed the sky. Dark billowing clouds rose above the sea. A cool breeze skimmed the rise upon which he and Tygra stood.

"Come," said the Thundercat tersely. "I don't enjoy getting wet."

Tir'shan studied the bleak strip of land where they had parked the tank. There was no spaceship to be seen, although the line of the rocks looked familiar to him. He silently followed Tygra, whom he knew to have the knowledge necessary to find the alien craft.

They walked for a short time before the architect suddenly halted. He crossed his arms, took a deep breath, and then sang several notes in a rich baritone voice that pushed back the rising wind.

Another sound disturbed the air. It started low, then built to a loud, sharp crescendo. Tygra remained in his striking pose; the mystic had to shield his pointed ears against the painful sound. Spirals of light danced up from the earth. In a span of minutes, a rounded spacecraft stood where none had been before. A circle of crystals surrounded it, and pulsed an electrifying blue.

Tygra turned to Tir'shan and smiled broadly. "Praise Mrísena's name!" he said happily.

"I just wish the knowledge of how to fly it had also been granted to you," Tir'shan answered dryly.

"That will be Panthro's task," the tiger replied. "I am sure Mrísena, if not Irri'in himself, will enlighten him."

"Well said," Tir'shan replied. Sometimes strong faith in the gods was the only shield one had against the obstacles that life offered.

A wave crashed against the shore with great force, startling the pair. The Thunderans spun around, and looked toward the sea. An enormous serpent with a single dorsal fin breached the waves. From the large triangular head, feathery gills fluttered. Its dark eyes regarded them enigmatically.

"What monster is this!" Tygra exclaimed.

"No monster!" Tir'shan shouted without further explanation. His heart raced as he ran recklessly down the steep terrain. The cries of his companion disappeared into the wind and the roar of the surf. His mind cried out joyously in recognition, *Eri!*

*That you doubted amazes me,* came the amused reply.

The mystic halted at the shore. He quickly removed his garments, and unbound his mane. The architect rapidly approached, but Tir'shan dove into the surf before he could catch him. He swam toward the asira'savi, and left the bewildered Tygra staring at the sea.

Powerful coils wrapped around the mystic, and pulled him under the water. The shimmering light that surrounded him permitted him to breathe normally. He had never had the courage to test its magic with speech, for his was always afraid of the possibility of swallowing water. He surrendered completely to the embrace. The asira'savi entwined its feathery gills in his mane. The contact filled him with pleasure, which his discovery of his friend's survival only enhanced.

A gentle intrusion on his contentment whispered, *Healer, your companion is in distress. I must free you. Talk to him. I will wait below for both of you.*

He wanted to shriek his denial, but obediently replied, *Yes, Eri.* With the loosening of the serpent's coils, the intense pleasure fled. Tir'shan surfaced with a gasp. He swam toward shore where Tygra paced, as if an invisible barrier kept him from the sea.

"Are you insane!" the architect cried, his hands bunched into fists. "If anything happens to you--"

"Peace," Tir'shan interrupted softly. "The being in the water is my friend Eri'mintálí. He has survived. Only his formed has changed."

"Merciful Mrísena," Tygra murmured.

"He wishes to meet with you."

"Impossible." The response he had hurled was visceral and layered with fear.

"He will not hurt you," Tir'shan added gently.

Tygra shook his head violently in denial.

Eri'mintálí's thoughts informed the mystic. *He does not fear me, but the water.*

*Why?* Tir'shan asked.

*Ash'i'ri,* the alien answered.

The response had placed everything in context. The pleasant time in the garden now seemed a lifetime removed. He recalled what Kalyn'ri had told him of Tygra's troubled family. What she had left out, or perhaps did not know, now stood revealed. "I see," Tir'shan said absently to himself.

"No, you do not!" Tygra snarled.

The mystic gestured toward the sea. "Let go of your fear. You will not drown. Eri will not let the water harm you, as it did your cousin Ash'i'ri."

The architect's amber eyes narrowed with rage and questions.

"Come with me into the sea, and I give you the answers you seek later," the mystic said, his patience thinning, which increased the bite in his voice. "It is necessary for you to disrobe," he added, trying to lighten his deep voice in the hope that Tygra's fury might alter to anything else, even embarrassment. Observing no change in his companion, he remarked firmly, "It may be our only way to the knowledge of how to pilot the ship, for Eri can no longer do so." He offered his hand. "Please, Tygra. There is no danger here."

With several quick motions, the architect disrobed. He grasped Tir'shan's right hand with his left. "Let us end this matter swiftly!" he growled.

Tir'shan explained what Tygra could expect once in the embrace of an asira'savi. The architect frowned, but nodded in understanding. "Are you ready?" Tir'shan asked when he had finished.

"Yes," came the clipped reply.

The red tiger and the white entered the sea. The great serpent entwined them, and pulled them beneath the waves.

From behind his veil of silver light, Tir'shan watched Tygra. What passed between the architect and the alien was not shared with him. He could only guess what the asira'savi communicated from the contortions of the tiger's features. Some of it is not good, he thought in sympathy.

*Are you prepared*

The sudden intrusion into his mind by the alien jarred his reflection.

*For what, Eri?* he queried.

*This,* the creature responded cryptically.

The mystic was unsure of what to make of the pressure that threatened to explode his brain. His jaw clenched as the knowledge of how to operate the alien spacecraft and the crystals poured into his mind. When the flood of data ended, he mentally gasped, *Was there no other way!*

*No.*

*Tir'shan!*

The entry of a another voice into his mind was disturbing. That Tygra appeared angry, however, hindered the return of his equilibrium. *I believe it is time to go,* Tir'shan telegraphed, trying to retain a calm tone. He assumed that the alien's superior mind gifts would allow him to monitor both Felinari'i's thoughts at once. When the serpent's coils began to loosen, he reached for Tygra, but the Thundercat pushed him away.

*Another time,* Eri'mintálí said in farewell.

The Felinari'i resurfaced. Tygra made the transition from sea to shore awkwardly, and without Tir'shan's help.

"Tygra, what troubles you," the mystic asked bluntly as he approached the architect.

The Thundercat made a sharp gesture with his hand to indicate that he wanted silence. Despite his wet fur, Tygra donned his ak'ti, then retrieved the remainder of his clothes. He headed for the Thundertank without glancing back at his companion to see if he followed.

The cool water lapped Tir'shan's long toes. Droplets of rain began to fall. *Ten thousand demons! What have you told him, Eri, to have put him in such a state,* he demanded of the alien who was no longer visible above the waters.

The asira'savi answered, *That a price must be paid for the construction of the city he is to design, and that I will speak to King Lion-o alone on this matter.*

Tir'shan sighed. The hospitality that the Felinari had enjoyed on Eri's world had also come at a price.

*And he knows of all his relatives,* Eri added almost as an afterthought.

"Mrísena be merciful," Tir'shan said softly.

Sunlight unexpectedly broke through the clouds. The brief storm ended. Tir'shan bent down, and gathered his damp clothing. No sense wearing anything now. These can dry in the skycraft with me, he mused, straightening. Won't Tygra be astonished to learn that I am taking a different and faster route home than he.

To his added delight, a rainbow unexpectedly decorated the sky. His eyes tracked the band of color down from the clouds to the point where it had disappeared behind the distant rocks.

"Goddess," Tir'shan shouted, startled by the unusual figure that suddenly stood not far from him. The being's solidity was an illusion, for the mystic could see through him, yet he appeared real. White linen draped the tall tigrine form. The tip of a swishing orange tail peaked from beneath the hem. The rugged face had the cleft lip of the offspring of the Firstborn.

On my journey to Cats' Lair, I first saw you in my dreams, ancient one, thought Tir'shan. "What is it that you want of me, Sinda'am'ral'im!" the mystic cried out.

The ghost tiger turned in his direction. *My debt to you remains.*

That the figure answered in his mind shocked the mystic speechless. The being faded with the rainbow. "Wait!" Tir'shan shouted, rushing toward where the sinda'am'ral'im had stood.

The mystic cast his thoughts into the sea. *Eri'mintálí, tell me what this means!* He waited for a reply, but none came from the asira'savi. Tir'shan shook his head in fatigue. First, my mother's spirit, now this one. I am disturbing their rest within the Silence, and they have disturbed my peace. The mystic traced the sunburst symbol of Mrísena in the sand. "Guide me, Holy One, for these secrets burden me, and I need the comfort of another," he murmured.

"Tir'shan!" The growled command echoed off the rocks. The architect looked down upon him with growing annoyance. "I will depart without you, if you do not hasten!"

The mystic raised his arm to signal that he was ready to leave. At least I have one surprise to inflict upon you, architect, he thought gleefully, but his mood quickly turned sour. A darkened room; a cup of ale; the warmth of a fire; to sleep upon living earth instead of a hard bed; these are pleasures I have earned this day, he decided. His careless footstep obliterated the symbol of the Goddess. "And these I will not have," Tir'shan whispered.