Tiger's Destiny

  Anamika nodded vigorously and left to retrieve the bag of weapons while Ren put a few men in charge of seeing that the remaining troops drank from the barrel that Anamika spiked with the mermaid’s elixir.

  Then the five of us—two tigers, a goddess, a dubious old monk, and a very confused and out of place girl from Oregon—headed off in search of our destiny.

  We walked west, away from Mount Kailash and the devastation that happened there. None of us spoke. The sounds of my feet moving seemed loud, especially because no nocturnal animals were rustling in the brush. It felt unnatural. Strange.

  Finally, Phet stopped at a trickling stream and scooped some water into his mouth. “My, that’s cold.”

  Anamika stepped forward. “Forgive me, teacher.” She took the Divine Scarf from the bag and held it in her open hands. “Scarf, create a warm cloak and protection for his feet and hands.”

  Wisps of thread flew into the air like silken cobwebs and streamed toward Phet as they wove their magic. In the space of a few seconds he was encased in a warm coat, thick gloves, and boots.

  “I am so sorry I didn’t think of your comfort sooner.” The goddess genuflected humbly.

  “Think nothing of it, my dear. The small irritations of the flesh are for but a passing moment. Still,” he pulled his coat closer, “it’s nice to feel warm too. Kahl-see, perhaps you could—”

  “Oh, of course,” I sputtered.

  Soon the air around us was warm and balmy as I radiated heat in a circle.

  “Ah, that’s better.” Phet found a smooth stone to sit on. Anamika immediately positioned herself at his feet like a young acolyte. Ren touched my arm and pointed to a place where we could rest. Kishan quickly positioned himself on my other side and took my hand while frowning at his brother.

  “I know you’re all wondering why I am here,” Phet began. “Anamika is correct that I was her teacher when she and her brother were young.”

  “And what did you teach?” I asked.

  Anamika glared at me. “It would be better to show a respectful attitude.”

  “Hey, he’s the one who lied to me. He’s going to have to earn back my respect.”

  “Kahl-see is quite right. I deserve her suspicion. I am not who I led her to believe. In fact, I am not who I led any of you to believe.”

  “What do you mean?” Ren asked.

  “Perhaps it would be best for you to think of me as the Spirit of India. I serve as a protector or guardian. By ensuring Durga’s place in history, I secure the future. In doing this I have assumed many roles, including that of teacher to a young girl who happened to have a brilliant mind for strategy.” He smiled at Anamika.

  “Thank you, wise one.”

  “Hold on a second,” I said. “This is all backward. You told me that you served the goddess.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “But—”

  “Be patient, Kahl-see. I will explain all.” He made himself a bit more comfortable and continued. “I was Anamika’s teacher. When she was a young lady I spent several hours a day with her so I could prepare her for what lay ahead. I taught her about war and peace, famine and plenty, wealth and poverty. I tutored her in many languages including English because I knew that one day she would meet the three of you.”

  “Was this before or after you met me?” I asked.

  “There is no before or after. There is only finished and unfinished.” He smiled at my puzzled expression and held out his hands. “Some of my work I have finished and some remains to be done. But when the work is completed, what was undone will cease to exist and all that will remain is what is.”

  My mouth dropped open, and I said, “Phet, you’re killing me.”

  With a twinkle in his eye, he confessed. “Sometimes I get confused myself.”

  “But why the ruse? Why make me believe you’re one thing when you are actually some kind of supreme all-knowing spirit?”

  “It was necessary for me to be the person you saw so that you could become the person I see.”

  While I puzzled that out, Kishan suggested, “You mentioned you were here to help us defeat Mahishasur. Perhaps if we could focus on the concrete, the complexities of eternity might seem less taxing.”

  “Spoken like a true warrior,” Phet said and rubbed his hands together. “I have always admired your ability to remain steadfastly focused. Very well. We will start with the weapons. May I?”

  Anamika offered him the bag, and he removed the gada.

  “Ah, a finely crafted instrument. Has this weapon been of benefit to you in your travels?”

  Ren answered, “I used the gada in Kishkindha against the needle trees. It wounded them so they left us alone.”

  “Hmm,” Phet grunted. “Anything else?”

  “I used it against the column in Durga’s temple,” I volunteered.

  “I . . . I have a temple?” the fledgling goddess asked.

  “Yep. Several of them.”

  “We also used it in battle as a weapon,” Kishan added.

  “Yes, but you,” Phet said looking at me, “have not wielded it as it was meant to be used.”

  He selected the golden bow and arrows next and asked the same questions. I told him about infusing the arrows with my fire and he seemed pleased by that, but indicated that the arrows had even more power that had yet to be tapped.

  One by one he showed us our other weapons—the chakram, the trident, the brooches, and the swords. Then he picked up Fanindra and she came alive. He stroked her golden head.

  “She is perhaps the most underutilized gift of all,” Phet accused gently.

  “But Fanindra only helps when she wants to,” I said.

  Phet peered at me, and Fanindra turned her green-eyed gaze on me. “Did you ask her for help?” he prompted kindly.

  “No,” I admitted, “I didn’t.”

  As he ran his fingers over her gleaming coils, he said, “Fanindra’s bite can heal. She has influence over other natural creatures, more so over reptiles with close ties to her, but she can even calm large predators. If they look into her eyes, they will be caught in her spell. Supernatural creatures such as those created by Lokesh naturally fear her. She lights the darkness, but she can also discern darkness in others. Were you at all aware of this?”

  All of us shook our heads, and I felt regret for not truly appreciating what an incredible gift Fanindra was.

  “All of these golden weapons will display their true powers when properly wielded by a goddess.”

  I raised my hand in the air like a student in a classroom. “About that—”

  “All will come to light soon, Kahl-see. First, I must teach you the proper way to use the Gifts of Durga.”

  He dug through the bag and found the Golden Fruit, the Rope of Fire, and my Pearl Necklace. Then he politely asked Anamika to hand him the Divine Scarf.

  “When used alone, these gifts have great power, but when they are combined they can become something more. For example . . .”

  He took the Necklace and the Scarf, one in each hand, and touched them together. When they connected, the Scarf wound quickly around the Necklace and shifted colors until it displayed a rainbow. The fabric soared into the air and the length of it encircled Phet and then it whipped around and between each of us. As it did, we were freshly cleansed and clothed in new garments. I touched my face and found it slightly damp, as if I were covered with morning dew.

  After the Scarf finished its work, it settled back into its original form, softly draping itself over Phet’s hand.

  Anamika marveled, “This power is truly amazing!”

  “We’ve seen this before,” I remarked. I glanced at Anamika. “Durga used this power on us in the temple before we met the dragons.”

  “Yes.” Phet smiled. “That is right.”

  Anamika’s gleeful expression changed to one of sobriety, and I felt sorry for her. What must it feel like to have your entire life mapped out by unseen forces? Actually, it seemed like all four of us suffered from
something similar; we were just lucky that for at least a while we felt like we were in control and making our own decisions. As it turned out, Phet or the cosmos had orchestrated everything.

  I looked at Ren and Kishan and wondered if destiny chose one of them to be with me—and for a moment I wondered if that was why I loved them. No. My heart is my own. But, what if that is why they love me, because destiny told them to? Certainly if destiny was in charge it wouldn’t have picked both of them, I argued with myself. There would be only one.

  Ren interrupted my thoughts when he asked Phet, “What happens when you combine the Rope with the Necklace? Will the fire and water cancel each other out?”

  “Let’s try them and see.” Phet picked up the Rope of Fire and said, “Kahl-see, if you would.”

  I stepped forward and gripped the Rope’s handle, infusing it with my flame. Phet wrapped the Necklace around the end and snapped the Rope into the air.

  It produced a large crack and a boom in the night sky, and soon I saw what I thought were fireflies falling all around us. I held out a hand and caught one. It sizzled, burning briefly and then extinguished in my palm.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Fire-rain,” Phet responded. With another snap, the fire shower ceased and the little fires that started in the grass disappeared. “When these two are put together, water will take on the properties of fire and vice versa. You can create a lake of fire or you can make fire flow like a river. You can also create a liquid that burns. The three of you would call this acid.”

  Ren nodded as if he understood all this.

  “The other thing to keep in mind is that when wielded by a goddess, the Rope burns blue. This is a cleansing flame. It seeks out the dark places in men’s hearts and scalds them, not physically, but it causes great inner turmoil for one who gives pain to others.

  “You also know that you have been able to travel to the past using the Rope of Fire. This is because the Rope has the ability to open a cosmic string. When you asked the Rope to take you to meet your destiny, it found a crack in the fabric of the universe and opened a doorway, allowing you to follow the string to this place.”

  “I do not understand such things,” Anamika said. She turned to us and asked, “Are the three of you not from this world then? Are you gods who travel on strings?”

  Kishan answered, “We are not gods, Anamika. We are from this world like you, but we were born many years in the future.”

  “Such power is beyond my comprehension.”

  Phet put his hand on her shoulder. “You must try to learn these things. I know this is overwhelming for you. Perhaps I can explain it another way.” He lifted the golden sword and held it toward her. “How do you know when a sword is made inadequately?”

  “The hilt is loose or poorly wrapped, it vibrates too much when used on a target, its balance is off, and if it was not fired properly, it will become brittle and fracture.”

  “That is correct.” Phet smiled warmly at his former student. “Think of the world as a sword. The steel is folded in on itself over and over again. Earth has many such folds or layers. This folding makes a blade stronger and more beautiful. When a sword is forged, the steel is heated to a very high temperature then is rapidly cooled. If it’s done properly you will have a strong, solid weapon. If not, microscopic fractures or cracks form where the crystalline structure is weak.

  “Our world is much like this. There are fissures and splits in space and time. The fabric of the universe is constantly moving and shifting as it expands and contracts like metal that is heated and then cooled over and over again, and as matter rips apart and reforms, it creates threads. Threads that lead to what once was, what is now, and what will be. Everything is connected. This is what I mean by cosmic strings. This is how these three have traveled to you.”

  Anamika nodded. “Then we will reforge the world and heal what is weak.”

  “That is your birthright, Anamika,” Phet affirmed.

  Phet proceeded to show us one amazing power after another. He used the gada and the Necklace to open a fissure in the earth, and a geyser shot up into the air higher than anything at Yellowstone. He dipped the tip of a golden arrow into the kamandal and shocked us all when he fired the arrow into Ren’s leg. The arrow disappeared quickly, and the cut on his scalp healed. When Ren examined his leg, it was as if nothing had hit him.

  “Are Ren and Kishan no longer able to self-heal?” I asked Phet.

  Phet rolled the kamandal between his hands and replied, “No. Sadly, they are not.”

  “Why? What did we do?”

  “You did nothing. It is simply time for them to fulfill their destiny. Their bodies were kept young and preserved so they could fight here.”

  “And what will become of us when the fight is over?” Ren asked.

  Phet set the kamandal down and said quietly, “It is perhaps better to think of the future after we have taken care of the present, hmm?”

  Phet wrapped the Rope of Fire around his waist, where it locked together like a belt. When he touched any weapon to it, the weapon lit on fire. He touched an arrow to the Necklace and sunk the projectile into a tree trunk. The entire tree turned into water, held the shape of what it once was for a few seconds, and then fell, flooding the undergrowth.

  It seemed that the possibilities were endless, and the only limit was our own creativity. All of us were eager to try out the weapons, and Kishan was the first on his feet. But Phet caught his arm as he reached for the chakram and shook his head. Kishan backed up a step.

  “I must caution you regarding two things. The first is that when you use the Rope of Fire, you must be very specific with your instructions. If you ask it to take you to a safe haven you may end up in another time and place. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of each of you in this battle. You must stay here. You can, however, use it to move quickly around the battlefield, but you must tell it exactly where you wish to go.”

  Kishan nodded and asked, “What is the other warning you must give?”

  Phet said nothing for a moment but looked at Anamika. “Is there a reason you didn’t fight as the goddess today or lead out in battle as you wished to, young one?”

  Her head dropped, and Kishan and I turned to look at her. Ren put his hand on her arm to offer her support.

  “I am ashamed to confess it but—” she glanced at Phet, who was patiently waiting for her to finish.

  She pulled a knife from her boot and stabbed the ground a few times. “I was under the thrall of the demon.”

  Phet pressed, “You felt this overtake you the nearer you were to the mountain. Am I correct?”

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  Ren added, “I had to pull her away when she got too close. I took the weapons from her because she turned them on her own troops. The further she was from the battle, the more control she had over herself.”

  “I suspected as much,” Phet said. He knelt in front of Anamika and lifted her chin so he could see her face. “This is not your fault. This has happened to Ren and Kishan as well.”

  “What?” Kishan took a step forward.

  “I was not under the thrall of Lokesh even when he tortured me,” Ren declared.

  Phet took hold of Kishan’s arm and explained, “You were under this same power before the tiger saved you.”

  Ren stood up. “You’re speaking of the talisman. Yes . . . it affected both Kishan and me because we have the same blood.”

  “He uses it now combined with the amulet to create his demon army, and Anamika’s twin brother is the head of it. Because he is under its influence, the sway Lokesh has over Sunil overpowers her control when she gets too close.”

  Durga gasped, and tears formed in her eyes. I reached out to hold her hands. “We’ll just have to destroy the talisman then.”

  “You must make this your priority.” Phet gave me a telling look, and I dipped my head slightly to acknowledge that I understood. “The four of you will ride into battle in the morning.
Now you must use these few remaining hours to rest. I will return to camp and prepare your troops to accompany you. Stay here until my return.”

  Clutching his newly made cloak, Phet wandered off into the darkness, leaving us and our weapons behind. Anamika still seemed to be overwhelmed by everything. I used the Scarf to make her a comfortable tent and guided her inside. When I was satisfied that the tent was warm enough and saw that she’d rolled onto her side, obviously not wanting to talk, I left her alone.

  I found Kishan waiting for me outside.

  Wrapping his arms around me, he asked, “Are you still angry with me?”

  “I was never angry with you. I was angry with Ren and Anamika, and I was confused.”

  Kishan sighed deeply. “I understand. It must have been hard for you to see them together. You still have feelings for him.”

  I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t share the knowledge that the Phoenix had burned into my soul. There was a part of me that loved Kishan and desperately wanted to return the love he deserved. But I was still in love with Ren, and that feeling couldn’t be pushed aside or denied.

  Kishan gently cupped my chin, and I looked into his warm golden eyes. Eyes full of patience, love, and acceptance.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist, buried my head against his shoulder, and wept. He stroked my back and said, “Don’t cry, bilauta. You can always tell me how you feel. You can talk to me about anything, even if you think it will hurt me. I love you, Kelsey Hayes. I want to marry you, have a dozen kids, and grow old with you. You’ve made me a whole man again, and you’ve given me more than I could wish for, more than I deserve by agreeing to be my wife. I know that Ren is a part of your life. He’s a part of my life too. We’ll worry about the future after we take care of the past. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” I said and blew my nose.

  I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him briefly, but he pressed me close and kissed me with a fervent passion that I couldn’t help responding to. My arms snuck around his neck and held onto him. He ran his hands down my back and gripped my waist, pulling me closer. When our lips parted, he smiled and dipped his head to kiss my cheek.

  I whispered, “I love you too, Kishan,” and his happiness at hearing my words warmed my heart.