Passage Past and Future

I should be jealous. Tygra leaned against the window in the council chamber, and continued to observe the figures in the courtyard of Cats' Lair. Talitha's white fur shone brightly in the sunlight, her brown stripes and accents making a sharp contrast to its purity. The waning days of summer had yielded cooling winds. Despite the weather, his mate wore only a blue o'ba'ti. The loose drape from waist to ankles complemented her form. His eyes wandered from her pleasantly rounded breasts to delicate belly to delicious hips. The mystic's slow choreographed movements only contributed to his rising desire. That Dah'ri imitated her every move should have pushed him into a frenzy, but he remained calm, although deep in the need for pleasure.

The blonde man exercised with the white tigress to rebuild his strength. His tan skin stayed curiously free of sweat. Dah'ri's white o'ba'ti accentuated his thinness. The scars on the stranger's back were silver streaks that attested to his suffering at unknown hands. While Talitha danced life, he moved to an inner tune of sorrow and loss. And maybe that is why I am not jealous, Tygra decided. Were it Tir'shan.... He left the thought unfinished. The giant mystic would always be between him and Talitha, for although he had never joined with her, he had arrived first in her life.

Tygra rubbed his amber eyes. His work weighed heavily upon him. At least it is finished he thought. Now we wait for the serpent. He sank down on a chair by the window. He had gone without adequate rest in order to finish the plans for Lion-o's city. He wondered what the young king had thought of his design. He had left the plans with him earlier that morning. His experience of Lir's City, and what the asira'savi had provided there, had guided his drafts.

The Lair would no longer be a place of residence, but of storage and maintenance. Technology, not people, would dwell in it, a stronghold for those machines crucial for survival. If the asira'savi sculpted the land according to his plans, clean water from the river chasm would rise from wells scattered throughout the city. Wastes would be discarded in collection receptacles that would funnel the material through the Lair's central processing unit. The material could then be reintroduced into the outflow of the underground streams that snaked beneath the terrain. He wondered whether the spaceship that Berbil magic had transformed into a dwelling would be up to recycling the needs of 30,000 people.

He knew the weaponry housed within could defend a small group, but a wall with guard towers was essential for the protection of a larger population. Tygra traced the wood grain of the armrest. It made intricate curves. Just like the streets. No straight lines to ease an enemy's passage, he mused. Interlocking labyrinthine spirals if observed from above.

Within the walls of the city, the River's tributary would flow entirely underground. The great gash that separated the Lair from land would be filled with earth so that no cub, or foolish adult, could fall into the dangerous waters. Beyond the city, a low wall would follow its course to the mountains, and provide another barrier against invasion.

If he closed his eyes he could see the finished city in its entirety, and its one satellite: the Temple of Mrísena that would lay to the east between the Lair and the great River. Custom dictated that the mystics have a dwelling that any in need could reach. An annex in the new city simply was not sufficient for the healers. Although he feared for their safety, he had no choice but to bow to tradition, for if he did not provide a dwelling, the stubborn mystics would build their own.

The vision of what was to come disappeared with the gentle sliding of the door.

"You should have danced with us," Talitha chided. "It would have carried your mind away from your worries."

Her form and scent filled his senses. "I have another idea," he purred. He grabbed her wrist, and pulled her onto his lap.

Talitha's dark blue eyes widened. "Surely not here!" she exclaimed.

His hands had already started to play with her o'ba'ti.

"The door is not locked."

"I do not care." The words sounded from a resigned voice. He was tired of being responsible. He cupped his hands under her breasts. Talitha nipples hardened. The forbidden aspect of this liaison clearly excited her too.

"Join with me," he begged softly.

He had to admit to himself with amusement that he was slower in freeing Talitha from her o'ba'ti than she was in loosening his trousers. The architect slid smoothly into his lover, his hands now wrapped around her buttocks for support. Her little gasps reached deep into his soul, and all the barriers that kept him alone dropped away.

One entity. That is what they became with each act of love, their passion combined and enhanced in their union. He filled completely with Talitha, his other, in an altered state of body and mind that made their surroundings disappear. He prayed the surge born of love would never end. When it burst, his roars shook the walls, and drowned those of his mate. He pulled her close to his chest never wanting to free her.

The room returned, but something appeared different. Tygra struggled to focus his eyes. His body flushed with warmth. "Oh, great Jaga and all the saints of Thundera," he exclaimed weakly.

Talitha pulled back from his chest. She absently stroked his mane, and said, "I could say the same, architect."

His raised his left arm, and pointed to the council table and the object on it. Talitha turned, then looked back at him. "So?"

"The plans for the city," he gulped. "They were not there before. I had given them to Lion-o."

Talitha freed herself from his body. She scooped up her discarded clothing. She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Not even Panthro could ruin the moment, dear one."

Tygra suddenly wanted her again, but she sprinted, naked, from the room before he could catch her.

*****

The architect steeled himself. Newly bathed and clothed, he knocked on the door to the control center. The young king answered swiftly. Had Panthro revealed his tryst in the council chamber to the youth? The lion, if he knew, did not speak of it. The architect inquired, "Shall we gather everyone to comment on the plans?"

Sadness crossed Lion-o's golden eyes, and he lowered them. "The manner in which we have made decisions in the past will soon change irrevocably. This matter is between you and me, and I have approved."

Tygra bowed deeply. "Your will be done, my lord."

"Tomorrow you and Panthro will go to the sea, and tell the asira'savi we are ready."

But are we prepared, Tygra wondered as he departed from the king's presence.

*****

Tygra watched Panthro and the stranger from a distance. In the repair bay of Cats' Lair, the older Thunderan taught the blonde man the mysteries of the Thundertank engine. "These wires usually give us some trouble," the panther commented.

The middle-aged man leaned forward and studied the mass of connections. The amulet he wore glowed red as he spoke in his own language. The translation of his words came crisply. "Perhaps the board could be restructured." He pointed to some connections. "Here, and maybe there."

Grinning broadly, Panthro slapped the man's back. "You have a good eye, Dah'ri. We will make a mechanic of you."

Taking the blow with unexpected ease, Dah'ri smirked and nodded, the first sign of jesting Tygra had observed in the serious man. "And Talitha would have me create gardens in the new city."

"Is either such a bad task?" Tygra asked as he approached.

The man had slipped back into his serious nature. "I meant no offense, sir."

"None was taken," Tygra remarked.

"You two are too much alike," Panthro quipped, reaching into the guts of the tank to yank a frayed wire.

Color had crept into the man's face, but he did not rebuke the panther. He shifted his attention to two baskets, and knelt by them. He lightly touched the faces of the two cubs barely visible beneath their blankets. "Your sons rest soundly," he said.

Tygra cast a quizzical glance at Panthro, who shrugged and said, "Someone had to mind them. Lynx-o and Chand'ra left this morning for Tabbia with Xerxes. Lion-o feels it is time for us to get horses, so they have gone to buy Ar'a'bians. That is what the starborn calls them, and he is a good judge of horses. Nayda will guard his unicorns until his return.

"Snarf has gone into the Berbil village with Cheetara and the kittens to trade for supplies. Pum'y'ra and Bengal'i are bound to their craft now. They have finally rooted at their new homes in the Wolo and Balkin villages. We won't see them unless Lion-o summons them. Your Talitha...." His words trailed off interrupted by his smile. "Maybe she rests."

Because of his fur, Tygra's face did not betray his embarrassment. The architect changed the topic. "Tomorrow you and I will go to the sea," he said too firmly.

Panthro whistled. "The time has come." He folded his grey arms. "I worry about Mumm-Ra. That creature has been too quiet. This would be just the opportunity for him to strike."

"The asira'savi will offer protection." The confident words had come from Dah'ri.

"Of that there is no guarantee!" Tygra exclaimed.

The man inclined his head slightly. He had bound his long blonde hair with a leather thong. The style accentuated the fact that he possessed ears as pointed as their own. Had their language not translated accurately through the magical stone, or had he and Panthro become jaded in dealing with beings more powerful than themselves?

The words came softly from Dah'ri. "Perhaps I should come along to make sure of its intent."

Tygra sputtered, "That would have to be determined by the King!" He was surprised at the suddenness of his own remark. The architect felt Panthro's gaze upon him, but he could not read his emotion. Did he sense danger too?

Panthro snorted. "Thing do change, don't they, Tygra. I suppose we should get used to the new order that will come. We have lived without the hierarchy for too long." The grey warrior said to Dah'ri, "Tygra is correct in this. Let Lion-o decide. I have no problem with you accompanying us, and I am sure neither does Tygra."

Dah'ri nodded. "Then if you will excuse me...." He departed the repair bay before Tygra could object again.

*****

The sun lifted over the eastern horizon. Dah'ri adjusted the lacings on his boots, while Panthro made a last check of the tank. Tygra spoke in hushed tones to Talitha.

The mystic handed him a basket. She indicated Dah'ri. "Leave him the fruits. Our friend does not digest dried meat well at all."

Tygra brushed her cheek. "We won't be gone that long."

"Maybe not at all!" Dah'ri exclaimed.

The courtyard glowed with silvery light. The asira'savi, in its bipedal form, appeared.

Panthro shrugged. "Guess that saves us a trip."

Uneasiness grew in Tygra's heart. "It wants something else," he hissed.

The creature chose to use its voice, and not telepathy. Its glittering scales flickered with its crystalline tones. "You must tend to the man before the city can be built." It pointed to the northwest. "Let the mystic take you to the mountain shrine. She has known the day would come." Eri'mintálí vanished.

Panthro growled in disgust. "Just as I suspected. Can't be trusted."

Dah'ri sighed. "I am sorry for all the trouble." He slapped the side of the tank, which elicited another snarl from Panthro.

"Guess I am on this little expedition too, no matter my wishes," Talitha conceded.

The architect could not return her smile. Amazingly, despite their bond, she had kept a secret from him. There was danger, and it gnawed at his soul. That man will suffer more, he decided. The knowledge, and its truth, burned, for there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

*****

The drive in the Thundertank, followed by the long climb up the mountain trail, had worn Dah'ri down. The man had easily seen past illusory rock to the path, which suggested that he belonged on this particular road. He knelt by the pool guarded by the stone images of four goddesses. Talitha took a small silver cup from her leather pouch and filled it. "Drink, Dah'ri," she commanded. "You are still not at your full strength. The Goddesses offer this gift of water to all who labor."

Tygra sat on the rim of the pool. He ran his left hand through the cool, clear water, then wet his brow. His last trip to this sacred spot had not been a pleasant one, and he feared what lay ahead in the waning hours of the afternoon. Panthro leaned against one rock wall, and rubbed his hands. A cooling front always triggered the arthritis that had worsened in his aging joints. All we need is rain, Tygra decided glumly. Then we will continue with soggy tunics and trousers, for this area offers little shelter.

"How long do we wait?" The question had come from the panther, who now casually dipped his hands into the pool. Surprise crossed his broad features. As he withdrew, he flexed his fingers, and a fleeting smile indicated his relief from pain.

"Another path will be shown," Dah'ri answered, "but not until nightfall."

"How do you know this?" Talitha asked, sitting on the ground beside him.

"Dreams," Dah'ri replied somberly.

*****

The black sky hosted a carpet of stars. "Now," Dah'ri said. Tygra shook Panthro and Talitha awake from their resting place by the cool stones of the pool. A door outlined in silver with archaic Thunderan writing stood under the feet of Ni'tara, the Goddess of Fate, who decorated the northern wall. The man approached the portal. He moved his hands in arcs over several runes. The door faded. More glowing script illuminated the steep staircase.

"Pretty impressive," Panthro muttered.

"Where does it go?" Talitha asked.

"There is a house," Dah'ri replied. "I have seen it in my dreams, and higher up, an observatory."

"Amazing," Tygra whispered.

"Quite beautiful," Dah'ri agreed, as he indicated the way.

*****

The top of the staircase opened onto the southern point of a circular patch of stone much like the one that protected the sacred pool. A dwelling that grew out of the rising wall of rock stood at the western point of the circle. At the eastern point there was a glowing door. Tygra surmised that a another staircase rose through the stone to the observatory that Dah'ri had mentioned.

The man pointed skyward. "The top is smooth and circular. The surface reflects the sky. One can walk across the heavens."

"Sounds dangerous," Panthro muttered.

"It is," Dah'ri agreed. "Even a mild breeze might hurtle someone to his death, for there are no barriers to obstruct the view."

"Who among our people could have built such a marvel?" Talitha asked.

"He must have been insane," Tygra replied.

"She might have been a genius," Talitha retorted, "for how could stone reflect sky?"

"It is time to discover the truth," Dah'ri remarked, as he walked toward the door.

Tygra blocked his path. "Panthro is right. It is too dangerous."

"I must see it," Dah'ri protested. Anger rippled through his words and the downward turn of his mouth.

"Then prepare to fight Tygra and me to get to that door," Panthro growled, sidling up to the architect. "Think you can," he added, strengthening the insult.

The man's hands tightened into fists. He crossed them at the wrists. Talitha moved to his side, then lightly touched his arm. "Don't hurt them," she whispered. "They are ignorant."

"Talitha!" Tygra shouted, stung by her words.

"Dah'ri's place is above. That is why he has come. We can allow him to go alone, or we can follow in his adventure, but we must not prevent that which the Gods have ordained."

"Which God?" the grey warrior protested. "There are no deities, guardians or asira'savi here."

"Perhaps the Universe itself calls," Dah'ri remarked, his anger dimming. "I cannot ignore its pull."

"Let's check the house first. There may be precautions we can take," the tigress suggested.

Dah'ri opened up his palm in a conciliatory gesture. "That would be reasonable, Talitha, but not feasible. I can tell you that the house belongs to the one who can claim the observatory. Its doors won't open until that question is decided, because there are tomes inside only for the chosen one to read."

"That couldn't be you," Panthro hissed. "You are not of our people."

Even in the darkness, the starlight reflected the new flash of rage in Dah'ri's blue eyes. "The dreams came to me," he said in firm tones to mark his right. "Stop me if you choose, but suffer the consequences." The man marched toward the door.

Tygra griped Panthro's arm before the warrior could prevent the man's departure. "Let him go. Talitha is right."

"That fool will get himself blown off the peaks!"

"Not if we are there to help him," Talitha added.

And risk our own lives in a finely constructed trap, Tygra decided glumly.

*****

The architect anticipated danger, not beauty. The polished stone mirrored the stars, so that one could walk among them. With careful steps, he traced shimmering constellations. A person could forget that the world of daylight existed at all, and stay eternally bound to the night. "Maybe you do belong here, Dah'ri," Tygra admitted. "This is a remarkable observatory."

"It is beautiful, but...cold," the man replied, his voice quavering with uncertainty.

"What of your dreams? "Talitha asked, trying to understand his hesitation.

Dah'ri shrugged. "When the dreams began, I desired a sign, a light of hope that showed the way home. Yet, they always ended here with no answers," he said, contemplating the night. "It seems that the universe remains neutral: unending, heartless darkness only broken by a scattering of light that nurtures life."

"Philosophy explains nothing. Why did something call you on a mad chase that includes us?" Panthro grumbled, as he approached the man.

Dah'ri had no time to speak. Amorphous shapes devoured the pattern of space. Two figures materialized before them. They were silken black and starry. Their general conformation suggested that one was a male and one a female. "Choose!" The wind-born words made the stars flicker with their power. Dah'ri dropped to his knees as if struck.

"No. My place is not here. I know that now," Dah'ri declared. "The sight of you has caused me to remember my true master. The way crept into my dreams, but you have no connection to the one that I had joyously served."

They'll kill him! Tygra thought with horror. Before the architect could move, icy gusts emanated from the faceless pair. The blasts struck the man and Panthro, and hurtled them off the peak. Their screams reverberated off the jagged cliffs below. During the echoes of their final terror, Tygra leapt toward his mate. The pair clung to each other. A river of love, deep and eternal, washed away fear as they waited together for the end of their lives at the will of the universe and its mysteries.

The mountain rumbled. The star creatures began to rise, not in triumph, but escape. Their bodies shook. The night reverberated with the sound of shattered spheres as they dissolved in one final celestial cry of agony that satisfied Tygra.

A column of blackness rose from the depths below the observatory. It touched their minds and souls as it soared upward, commanding, *Fear not.* The power of its presence compelled them to listen. Frozen with awe, they watched as it twisted, then spiraled into itself, getting brighter, until it became a huge sphere of rainbow light that hovered just above the flat stone. The spectral colors separated, and surrounded a colossal winged figure, who held their alive, but clearly shocked, companions.

Talitha spoke a name, and her airy voice flew skyward with joy. "Irri'in!" The god nodded, pleased with her instant recognition.

Tygra remained speechless, his brain hopelessly trying to absorb the fact that the giant could be his twin.

Irri'in knelt, his great orange-black wings brushing the stone like a whisper, his golden robes pooling about his knees. Panthro and Dah'ri, free of his hold stumbled back from the magnificent being. Talitha ran to the grey warrior, whose eyes blinked continuously with amazement. Dah'ri collapsed before Tygra.

The god returned a sad smile. The architect's voice issued from the deity's lips. "You are no longer of the sky," he replied. "That time has passed, yet sacrifice remains." He clapped his hands once.

As the rumble of the thunderous noise faded, the group found themselves on the level below the observatory. Panthro fell into Talitha's arms, weak and shaking. Dah'ri still lay upon the ground. Irri'in had become no taller than Tygra. He was a glittering reflection beside the bemused architect.

The god approached the northern face of the rock. He traced the air with his hands. Lightning crackled. His silvery image now adored the stone, a divine joke at Tygra's expense. The God of Knowledge faced the Thunderans. "This observatory has my protection now. Forgive the impulsiveness of my kin. They meddle where they should not."

The edge of Irri'in's wing brushed Panthro, and his fear and confusion evaporated. The god touched Dah'ri, and the man revived. He raised the stranger to his feet. Dah'ri bowed. What message might have passed between them, Tygra could not discern.

"The people will prosper," Irri'in declared before everything disappeared into rainbow brilliance.

*****

Home. The beacon of Cats' Lair never looked so welcoming. Everyone in the Thundertank slept soundly but him. Someone has to drive, Tygra tried to think with amusement. The events that had occurred still made his hands tremble on the vehicle's controls. At least Irri'in had spared them another trek down the mountain trail. With the god's departure they had experienced his final favor. Materializing before the Thundertank, Tygra had sworn that he had heard an otherworldly chuckle before the godly light that had transported them dissipated. Talitha had immediately shepherded Dah'ri and Panthro into the sheltering bay of the tank. She was best suited to comfort them. To drive had fallen to him. That they had acted without words no longer appeared unusual to him. "One day we will forget where one begins and the other ends," he sighed to himself. "Blessing and curse."

The architect felt remorse. What he and Talitha had endured, they had experienced together. What awaited Dah'ri he did not know, but he surmised that it would not be pleasant, and could not be shared. He wondered whether the man would be there to see the turning of the year.