Chapter 35 - Kalinda Appears
“What the hell?!” Topanga exclaimed.
I asked, “How is this even possible? Cats can’t glow.”
“It’s obviously some kind of magic,” Rolla said, “But I don’t know what.”
Snow suddenly raised into the air similar to what I had just done less than a half hour ago. Her shape shifted. Snow isn’t a cat at all… she’s a Tigma. A girl our age appeared in Snow’s place and she stopped glowing and lowered back to the ground. Snow was under a spell the whole time. Nobody in the room needed a clue to figure that out.
“Who are you?” Rolla asked.
The girl smiled, “I am Kalinda. It is a pleasure to formally meet you after two hundred years.”
“What the hell is going on?” Topanga asked.
“I know this is confusing,” Kalinda said, “but I am a Tigma just like you. I am a Samoulte too.”
“Then where is your soul mate?” Pilote asked.
She lowered her head a little, “He’s dead. I’ve been living in a cat’s body for about 350 years.”
“I’m confused,” I said holding my head.
Carter put his arms around me “Let’s sit you down.”
He sat with me on the couch and everybody took a seat waiting for Kalinda to start explaining herself. Nothing here in Murera is ever what it seems to be.
“I put that spell on myself a long time ago,” she said.
“Why?” Rolla asked.
“My soul mate and I lived with the Tigmas for a while but we got lost when the humans tried to kill us four or five hundred years ago I’m not good with dates. We had to live in the human world but witches hunted us. They killed my soul mate and I knew I needed to do something to protect myself so I performed the spell to turn myself into a cat. To perform a spell that powerful I needed leverage, I needed to channel power for something more powerful than myself. So I used the Samoulte Circle. When you performed the Samoulte Circle it broke my curse and I returned to normal.”
“How did you know about the Samoulte Circle?” Rolla asked.
“When my husband and I were lost the first time and we started getting hunted we used our Samoulte abilities because we wanted to know when it would be safe for us. When we learned it was going to take hundreds and hundreds of years we panicked. We learned about the Samoulte Circle but with all the spells put on the hidden Murera we just couldn’t find it even with our abilities. After he died using the Samoulte Circle for channeling power seemed like the best idea. It would allow me to only return to my original form when the war was approaching and I would be safe.”
“That’s why you follow me home that day,” Rolla said.
She nodded, “I remembered your face from the prophecy. I recognized your jewelry and your face. You looked like a Carter, I could see the resemblance between the both of us so I followed you hoping you would lead me to the Tigmas and you did. I’ve stayed down here ever since waiting for this moment. I wandered around Murera watching and helping out when I could. I knew Lily was the black tiger before anybody else. Being in cat form and using my Samoulte abilities allowed me to have some pretty bizarre but helpful powers. That’s how I knew about the black tiger prophecy before the war even began. I tried to warn your parents but I didn’t get to them in time.”
“So you’ve been living as a cat for 350 years?” I asked.
“Yes so you can imagine how relieved I am that you finally performed the spell.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen to get you something to eat,” Rolla suggested, “We can talk more there.”
We followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table and talked to Kalinda about what her life was like before she turned herself into a cat. I cannot imagine losing my soul mate, but it also made me wonder why he died when we’re supposed to live forever. She was quick to explain when we asked though.
“All of our books tell us that we live forever, but there is a way for us to die,” She said, “I didn’t think it was possible either, but the witches found a way.”
“Do you know what it is exactly?” Rolla asked.
Kalinda nodded, “They used our one weakness to perform a spell making a weapon to specifically kill the Samoulte. The witches then hunted down Samoultes specifically and killed as many as they could. My husband told me to run away when he knew he was going to die so I got away just in time. Miranda’s spell made those weapons useless though.”
“How?” Topanga asked.
“It was one of the fine prints of the spell she performed. She made those weapons useless. The witches would have to perform the spell all over again channeling something different than they did before. Even then there would be no guarantee that it would work on us. That’s how so many Samoultes died. Sometimes the witches killed the Samoulte before they met their soul mate and before some of them even realized who they were.”
“How did you make it so many years all alone?” I asked her. “Isn’t it terrible without your soul mate?”
“It’s dreadful,” she answered, “and I hate it. It’s torture living without him but I do not have a choice. I know I have a greater calling to help us get our freedom back. The witches and the humans cannot win this battle against us. Not after everything they’ve done to destroy us. I got through it because I had to and because I know he wouldn’t want me to die. We were never meant to lose our soul mates Lily, the humans and the witches forced us to because of their jealousy.”
“We should find you a room to stay in,” Rolla interrupted, “There are plenty of rooms not being used in the palace. We can get you some clothes too. That spell probably exhausted you.”
“It did a little yes,” she admitted, “It’s weird being in my own body again. I think I need to rest before getting involved in anything else today.”
“I’ll take you to a room,” Rolla told her, “and Lily you should continue resting too. We won’t do any work today. Too much has happened and none of us would be able to concentrate.”
“Can you take me to my room this time?” I asked Carter.
“Wait!” Kalinda suddenly said, “There’s something I forgot!”
“It can wait for tomorrow,” Rolla tried to tell her but she did not listen.
“No it can’t! You have to know now before it’s too late!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Circle broke more than just my spell.”
“What do you mean?” Topanga asked suspiciously.
She replied, “It broke your force field spell and it broke your memory spell.”
“No,” Rolla shook her head, “It can’t.”
“Yes it can,” Kalinda said, “All those spells have loop holes in the fine print. The Tigmas remember what you erased and so do the humans.”
“No, no, oh no, no.”
“We have to perform it again,” Pilote said.
Kalinda quickly answered, “There’s no time. They’re coming.”
“Get in the quad, now!” Rolla yelled.
Carter tried to help me up but before he could react I felt my eyes changing. Anger rose up in me and I was out the door before anybody else. We heard something coming from the balcony. Rolla screamed for the Tigmas to get back into their houses and hide. Some listened, but some on the other side of town couldn’t hear her over the marching coming from the balcony. Our eyes were on the balcony. Rolla yelled at them again sounding all alarms in the city finally forcing most of them in their houses. Then we saw it. The humans; their army. They stormed into the city firing their guns.
“Use every ability in you,” Rolla told us, “Every single one of them. I’ll use my force field abilities to protect our people. Everybody else fight. Don’t let them kill us.”
Everybody except Rolla and I charged at the army. I couldn’t find it in me to move. My body started changing. Rolla became too concentrated on the force field to pay attention to what we happening to me. I looked down at my body and fur started growing. My black tiger powers, I know what they are now, I’m turning into one. I felt my face change last and I jumped into action. The sound of my transformation caused everybody else to turn and look at me in shock. I guess now I know why I’m referred to as the secret weapon. I couldn’t think straight. My brain kept repeating anger and enemy over and over again. I bit into every member of the army until I knew it was safe again. Nobody else needed to help me. They stood back watching me fight instead. The black tiger prophecy is about creating a fighting machine unlike any other. Every time I feel threatened or my people are in danger my black tiger side will come out and I will fight. I jumped off the balcony and transformed back into my Tigma body. I wiped my mouth and found my way back to Carter. He put his arm around me and hugged me.
“What just happened?” Rolla asked in horror.
I shook my head, “I couldn’t control it. I felt angry and then I felt in danger and I knew our people were in danger and I just changed. I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.”
“That’s why she’s the secret weapon,” Kalinda explained to us, “The black tiger is about creating a weapon that will win us the war. Whenever she gets angry or she feels threatened she will transform like that. She can destroy anybody who seems like a threat.”
“Wow,” Topanga said.
“The anger and the fight within her make her different. She provides the safety for our people that nobody else will ever be able to provide.”
“I am the weapon that protects the people.”