RUDRA'S POV - Two Hours Ago
Shaking my head to let go of the depressing thoughts, I let bygones be bygones and turned to Baghraj once again, focusing on my current situation.
"I get it now. Completely," I said, a faint smile touching my lips.
"By the way, how do I measure my progress from now on? I mean, before, the meridians served as a kind of visual map, a measurement tied to my level of energy control." I asked, seeking a new metric, a way to quantify my growth in this newly unburdened state.
"There is no specefic method but if you want some metric rhen you can look at the sparks -as the lightning energy within you will continue to increase, boy, growing in intensity until it fully saturates your body," Baghraj explained patiently, his voice a steady, rhythmic rumble, as if reciting an ancient law. "the fewer the sparks you cause when using the full extent of your power, the better your control. Those stray sparks are simply uncontrolled lightning escaping, a sign of inefficiency."
"I thank you for your profound guidance," I said, putting my palms together and bowing my head deeply, a gesture of sincere respect that felt earned and genuine. The knowledge he had imparted was truly transformative, a gift beyond measure.
Baghraj, caught slightly off guard by my earnest display, gave me an intrigued look. His massive head tilted, and after a moment, as if making a sudden decision, he asked, "What is your name, boy?"
I thought about the elemental origins of my power, as mentioned by the Tiger, and decided this was the perfect moment to share my family name, a name that resonated deeply with the very forces he had spoken of. "Rudra," I told him, the name my Grandma had given me, the name of the storm.
"Oh? You bear the name of the storm, but where is your wind?" He asked, a note of genuine surprise in his deep voice. His massive head tilted further, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into me.
Then, he placed a huge, soft paw on my head for a fleeting moment. Before I could even react or say anything, he took it back. "I see, it is not time yet, very well," he then muttered, almost to himself, a low, contemplative rumble, as if he'd just realized some deeper, preordained truth about my destiny.
What is he on about now? I wondered, my internal voice a swirl of renewed curiosity, tinged with a familiar mix of slight annoyance and the bizarre realization that I was having a metaphysical conversation with a giant, talking tiger who apparently knew secrets about my power that even I didn't. His cryptic pronouncements were certainly frustrating, but also undeniably fascinating.
"Boy, if someday the natural color of your lightning changes to something other than white, come to see me," he said, his voice imbued with a newfound solemnity, a weight that settled in the cold mountain air. "I will guide you one more time out of respect for the blessed name you bear."
He then folded his massive arms across his chest and lay down gracefully on the snow, a regal, ancient being at rest, his immense presence still radiating power, yet now with an air of settled wisdom.
Whatever it was, it certainly sounds like it's good for me, I thought, a glimmer of satisfaction warming me despite the lingering mystery of his words. A future consultation with a mythical Tiger Lord about my lightning's color change sounded like an exceptionally good deal.
"Then I thank you in advance," I replied, a subtle, almost playful confidence in my tone, accepting his cryptic offer with unexpected ease.
"Hoh, confident, are we?" Lord Tiger rumbled, a deep, playful challenge echoing in his voice, a hint of amusement softening his features.
"Of course," I answered, a genuine smirk now spreading across my face.
"But how will I find you?" I asked, practicality cutting through the mystical air once more. The vastness of the Himalayas made such a reunion seem impossible without a clear method.
"Go to any of my company and ask the General Manager to call the Biggest Boss," Lord Tiger instructed, his answer delivered with a surprising, almost jarring air of mundane corporate business. "And if they cannot reach me, then come here; I will sense you and find you."
"Wait, if you could sense me," I said, a sudden, incredulous realization hitting me as the implications of his earlier statement truly sank in, "then why didn't you stop me when I was passing by here before? You let me walk for hours in this blizzard!"
"My fur, boy, is a matter of ancient pride, and the mountain winds are dreadfully uncooperative. I was in a state of deep, restorative slumber, and the disruption of my repose for a mere human's distress seemed… aesthetically unappealing at the time."
"Yeah, whatever," I mumbled, the words laced with a disbelief so potent it almost tasted metallic on my tongue. I shook my head, a slow, disbelieving movement, as I waved a hand in the air, a dismissive gesture to the ridiculousness of it all.
'What could one even say to a creature of myth more concerned with its coat than a life in peril?'
'What about being a mythical beast!? What about a powerful lineage? In the end Tigers are just big cats!' I thought in annoyance.
"Then it is time for you to go, as someone is waiting for you to answer their questions." He said, closing his eyes and gesturing with a slight tilt of his head towards my back, his deep rumble now a gentle dismissal.
I turned around, a slight tremor of anticipation mixed with dread, and saw Danny's mother, Heather Rand, looking at both of us from a distance, her expression a potent mix of bewilderment, concern, and a rapidly growing curiosity. She had undoubtedly witnessed the entire surreal exchange.