by Ivory Autumn
“Hang him, hang him!” the crowd thundered.
Andrew's heart hammered against his chest as the crowd hushed, and a low drumbeat sounded. This was it.
He stared at Ivory, trying to shut out everything else, hoping his death would be swift, and that all the pain he felt in his heart would speedily melt away as soon as he died.
~~~~
Chapter Seven
Lizicks
The drum roll grew louder and louder. The second it stopped, the stool Andrew stood on, was yanked out from underneath his feet.
He gasped, feeling the weight from his body pull the rope taut, around his throat, strangling him, and threatening to break his neck.
Just as the world around him started to darken, the branch holding the rope cracked and broke, sending him into a crumpled heap on the ground, gulping for air.
The crowd let out a frightened gasp and jumped back. “He’s still alive,” a woman wailed.
“Don’t worry,” a grungy, bearded man cried, holding aloft a pitchfork. “I’ll get him!”
“Wait!” a hooded man with a hunched back stepped from the crowd, standing between Andrew and the man holding the pitchfork. “I have a better idea.”
“What could be better than this?” the man held up the pitchfork, and grunted, garnering a loud voice of approval from the crowd.
“Please just listen to me!” The hooded man, looked worried, and cast a subtle glance at the Sontar captain, as if he had made some previous deal with the serpent. “Good people of Nookpot,” the man’s voice was loud, and clear. “If you kill the boy here, it will cause a terrible curse of famine throughout all your lands, such a one that has not been seen in all of history. I know of the boy’s strength and power. His body will pollute your lands, and it will become a wasteland, for all of eternity. Why not leave him tied to a post in the desert of Drysin, in the Sweat Lands? His death would be long and cruel and his body would not be left in Nookpot to poison its soil. In Drysin there is no vegetation that his body can harm.”
The cloaked man stood silently, waiting for the crowd's response, his face hidden under a black cloak and his words dripping with a dark hate that made Andrew's heart quicken in fear. A long, slow death did not have much of an appeal to him, especially when a short quick one would be much less painful.
The mob quieted for a minute. Then agreeing amongst themselves, they all cried, “Yes, yes, take him to Drysin. Let the Lizicks of the desert pick his bones, and let thirst consume his tongue! We do not want his body polluting our soil! Take him away!”
The hooded man smiled, and nodded to the Sontar captain, watching as the Sontars carried Andrew far out of town.
After hours of marching in the hot sun, Andrew was taken to the desert of Drysin, and tied to a post, just as the sun was setting.
“Let’ssss get out of here,” one of the Sontars hissed, tightening the last knot on Andrew’s wrist. “The Lizicksss will soon be out.” The Sontar licked a dark scar on the left side of his face that was oozing green blood, caused from some battle wound he had received not long ago.
The other Sontar shook his head, glancing around him warily. He drew his sword, standing protectively in front of Andrew. “You know we can’t go. We have our orders. Captain doesn’t want the boy harmed.”
The scarred Sontar flicked his tongue inches from Andrew’s face and laughed. “He doessssn’t want the boy harmed? Well he could have fooled me.”
The two Sontars stood there, guarding Andrew, watching as the sun disappeared behind a far off mountain, lighting up the sky in orange and red, for one glorious moment, casting long shadows and then fading completely.
Andrew pulled on his ropes, and yawned, trying to get comfortable. So, this was the plan? He wasn’t going to be killed after all. Fate had been much kinder to him than he first supposed. A gust of wind suddenly came up, sending a spray of sand into his face. He ran his tongue over his cracked lips, feeling the gritty sand on his teeth. It was a very dry place, indeed. His hands hurt terribly, and the diamond marks in them glowed a cool blue in the growing darkness. What was he? he wondered. Was there anyone out there in the vast world like him? How could he ever go back to Hollyhock Hollow, or what was left of it. He wondered where his friends were. Where was Ivory ? Would he ever see the people he cared about again? Would they even want to see him?
A loud, “darararararapppprrrp” echoed through the still valley, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up and stared out into the desert. The giant sand dunes loomed above him like giant pyramids casting long shadows that obscured his view. The sound repeated itself, “dararararappppprrrrrd.” This time it was louder and more drawn out.
“What wassss that? The Sontar with a scar asked. Before he could get an answer, a long, sticky, blue tongue snapped out of the darkness, dragging the Sontar out of view. A terrified hiss, and a sickly crunch was heard, and then a loud burp.
The remaining Sontar hissed in dismay and turned to run, but he too, was snapped up in a long rope-like tongue and eaten in the same manner.
Andrew gazed around him frantically. All was black, and filled with an eerie silence. He was sure he was next on these unseen creature’s menu. He struggled to free his hands from the ropes, but the knots were tied too tightly. He cried out in frustration, and pulled with all his might, trying to yank up the post he was tied to. But the post was embedded securely into the ground, like it had been there for centuries.
“Drarararrarpppprrrrrddddrrr,” the sound echoed loudly through the dunes, like an unearthly sound of a savage’s drumbeat. The Lizicks were still hungry, even after eating two Sontars.
The dark night suddenly lit up with glowing eyes, of the approaching creatures. The Lizicks glided towards him, through the sand, like snakes. Their glowing orange-blue scales became steadily brighter and brighter. They paused, filling their orange throats with air, only to let out deafening clicking purrs.
The Lizicks eyed Andrew hungrily. One flicked out its thick, long blue tongue, wrapping it around Andrew’s leg, trying to slurp the boy into its alligator-like jaws. Andrew felt like his legs were almost jerked out of their sockets as the Lizicks long tongue snapped back into its mouth like a whip, unable to consume Andrew because he was still tied to the post. The surprise made the neighboring Lizicks scatter like ants and the Lizick who had been bereaved of its meal, glared at Andrew with its orange eyes, more hungry than ever. It let out a horrible, “ddrararararapppppprrrrd,” and the other Lizicks answered its call.
The deafening drumbeat made Andrew’s ears rattle and his head feel numb. As if on cue, the Lizicks unexpectedly stopped purring and darted towards him, pushing forward through the sand with their pointed bird-like feet. Their long tongues slapped out at him, ripping Andrew’s shirt off his body.
Andrew’s forehead dripped with sweat, his hands steamed with heat, and everything appeared foggy before his eyes. A strange sort of instinct seemed to take over. Without knowing what he was doing, he grasped the edge of his rope. The rope started to smoke and crackle like it was on fire. His hands, aching like never before, felt so hot he could scramble eggs on them.
A Lizick's tongue wrapped around Andrew’s waist, like a slimy, blue rubber band, and pulled inward. The sudden tug caused the hot rope to snap in two. Andrew was instantly dragged over the ground, towards the Lizick's mouth.
“No!” Andrew cried, grabbing the Lizick's blue tongue, tightly. A sizzling, popping sound was heard, and smelly blue steam came up from the Lizick's burnt tongue, causing the Lizick to relax its hold on him, dropping him to the ground.
The other Lizicks lashed their thick blue tongues out at Andrew, like spiders throwing out their webs, tangling their tongues in each others, covering him in blue slime.
He ducked, and grasped as many tongues as he could, but there were too many. He felt very faint and tired. He fell on his face as the sticky tongue of a Lizick wrapped around his ankle and dragged him along the ground, over rocks and sticks, towards its gaping mouth.
Andrew rolled to his side and groaned. His whole body felt bruised and sticky. He glanced up at the sky and shaded his eyes with his hands. A huge falling star was headed to earth. It lit up the whole sky like a torch in a dark cave. It looked as if the star had a body of a horse, with a glittery tail of fire. It raced to earth, leaving a river of colorful sparks strewn across the sky.
The night became as bright as day as the star fell through the earth's atmosphere, faster and faster.
Andrew slowly stood, and watched with awe as the star hit the earth with a thunderous tremor, lighting up the earth in a blinding flash, sending him flying backwards.
~~~~
Chapter Eight
Orion
A cool breeze stirred across Andrew's face. He awoke with a start, looking around him in confusion.
“Andrewwww,” a low, loud, windy voice murmured, blowing his curly brown hair as it spoke.
Andrew groaned, and rolled over, feeling stiff and sore.
“Andrewwww,” the voice murmured again.
Andrew looked around in alarm. The glowing coals of the fallen star burned with such sweltering heat, that it consumed the earth around it, smelting it into a dark liquid.
“Hello?” Andrew ventured.
“Ha, ha, ha!” a deep voice laughed, so loudly that a series of tremors shook the earth, causing the fallen star's glowing coals to light up the night more brightly, like it had been fanned with a huge gust of wind.
“Stop!” Andrew pleaded, covering his ears.
“What?” the voice went on. “You don't like to laugh?”
“Please!” Andrew cried. “Just stop!”
The rumbling abruptly ceased, and Andrew turned around and ran, only to fall down as a series of tremors again shook the ground. “What do you want with me?” Andrew asked, getting to his feet, and throwing his hands up.
“I want,” the voice boomed, “you to come closer to me---so I can see you better.”
Andrew looked around him in confusion. “How can I come closer to you, if I don't know where you are?”
“Very good observation,” the voice said. “Come, come into the fallen star.”
Andrew shook his head. The star was still burning and crackling hot. The coals from it would surely burn him to death. “I can’t. It's too hot.”
“Come anyway!” the voice thundered, blowing a great gust of wind over Andrew that almost knocked him down. “Come, or I'll push you in myself!”
“Fine!” Andrew cried, his eyes shining in anger. “If that is what you wish---to kill me!” He walked closer to the star, stomping furiously as he went. Sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped off his shirtless back. The heat was overwhelming. The burning coals glowed strangely, and gave off different colored flames.
“I'm getting impatient!” the windy voice bellowed. “Hurry up.”
Andrew’s eyes glistened in fear, reflecting the flames of the fallen star. “There has to be another way.”
“There is no other way, but through the flames. Your refining begins here, small star of Tanzinite.” the voice resounded. “Come! Follow my voice and no harm will come to you.”
“Fine,” Andrew murmured, slowly making his way into the vast impression of earth, feeling like he was making his way into a volcano with molten lava flowing from its core. “Please,” Andrew coughed, holding his hand over his face. “I have no shoes, it's burning my feet.”
“Walk on the blue stepping stones,” the voice rumbled.
Andrew squinted through the heat and mist, seeing the blue stones for the first time. Then stepping carefully over to the stones, he paused, feeling a cooling sensation tingle his feet as he stepped onto them. He followed the blue stones until a thick fog of smoke drifted into his face. It made his eyes water and caused him to cough uncontrollably.
“Come!” the voice rumbled. “Come!”
Andrew trudged onward, wondering why he was even doing this. Waves of heat rose up from the coals. A terrible black smoke filled his lungs and made his eyes water. His head reeled and he swayed back, almost falling onto the hot coals, but a cool wind swiftly rushed about him, tipped him back upright, and cleared the stifling smoke.
In front of him he saw an amazing sight. Rising up from the burning coals and smoke were shining glass steps leading up to a great throne. On either side of him, he saw fields of sparkling diamonds, rubies, and precious stones. There was a mist of heat rising off them, like fog. The gems shimmered in the firelight, giving off a most aromatic smell. The fields of jewels were not just ordinary diamonds, rubies, and emeralds that you see in jewelry shops and stores. These stones had green stems, with leaves on either side of them that protruded out of the ground, as any normal flower would have. Some were shaped like sparkling, glittering flowers. Others were shaped like flower buds, as if they were about to blossom. The glowing coals behind him made the glittering, vast garden of gems sparkle and shine opulently. It was if the very stars of heaven had settled into the ground.
“Welcome,” a grand voice sang out. “WELCOME!”
Andrew looked up and saw a man at the top of the glittering stairs, sitting on a grand ruby throne, smiling as if he'd swallowed the moon. The man looked strong, happy, and ageless. His hair was ebony black, and he had a look of pure contentment and self-confidence on his face. He was wearing a crown with three pointed star-shaped jewels on its golden spires. He wore a glittering cape around his shoulders that looked as transparent as liquid glass, sparkling as if he wore the entire galaxy of the Milky Way on his shoulders.
Andrew stood in fear and awe of the man. The man looked so bright and grand, it made his eyes ache. Andrew shaded his eyes, feeling very dirty and naked before this grand person.
“Who are you?” Andrew wondered.
“I am the great Orion. I rode a great distance from my home in the heavens, on my faithful steed-star, Nebula, to see you.”
“Nebula?”
“Yes,” Orion laughed. “That's the name of my horse. She's a new star, just like you, Andrew.”
“A new star, just like me? How do you know my name?”
Orion stood up and smiled, shaking out his lengthy cape, so that it unfolded and draped behind him like a sheet of endless galaxies. “Everybody knows your name, Andrew. At least, where I come from they do.”
“They do?”
Orion looked at Andrew’s trembling frame in disgust. “Why are you shaking? It looks silly.”
“Sorry. I can’t help it.”
Orion shook his head and frowned. “This trembling means only one thing to me---that you are a quaking aspen of a boy, when you should be a strong cedar of a man! On my timetable you should be at least twenty-five.” Orion squinted, analyzing the form of the downcast boy, critically. “Well, aren't you?”
“What?”
“Twenty-five!”
“No. I’m sixteen.”
Orion's bright countenance lit up with surprise. “Sixteen? Sixteen? Are you sure?”
“Yes. Very.”
“This can't be!” Orion exclaimed, so loudly that it caused the ground to rumble, and Andrew to fall to his knees. “Hmmm.” Orion muttered, pulling Andrew to his feet. His grip felt strong, and powerful. “I must have gotten my star calendar mixed up.
How could this be? All this time I'd been planning on bestowing this responsibility on someone with a little bit more...experience and now...” his voice trailed off as he inspected Andrew with serious eyes. “But...now…I guess you’ll just have to do.”
“Do for what, sir?”
Orion raised his brows and pointed his staff towards Andrew. “Don't you even know who you are? Didn't the people you liv
ed with tell you of your lineage?”
Andrew looked down at his singed feet, and shrugged. “Told me who I am? What do you mean?”
Orion looked irritated and sad, at the same time. “I can't believe that no one told you. He is completely ignorant.”
“Ignorant about what?”
Orion laughed. “That’s just the point. You really don’t know, do you? You see, Andrew, you and I are related, even if it is generations and galaxies apart. You, Andrew, are the only remaining heir linking the earth and the heavens together.”
Andrew laughed. “Really? You’re kidding, right?”
Orion let out a loud earth-shaking roar. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
“I’m sorry,” Andrew cried, falling to his knees, and holding his hands over his ears. “I can see you are telling the truth.”
“You see, do you? But do you really? To see and really perceive is a very rare gift.” Orion motioned to the fields of gem flowers that surrounded them. “Tell me what do you see, Andrew.”
Andrew slowly stood, and looked around him. “I see beautiful fields of gems and sparkling flowers---something more beautiful than I have ever seen in my life.”
Orion put a strong hand on the boy's shoulder, and gently pushed him closer toward the gems. “Breathe deeply, Andrew, and behold the glory of the heavens displayed on earth, for you will not see anything like this for a very, very long time.”