by Ivory Autumn
He knew The Drought’s weakness.
He set his jaw, still staring into The Drought’s eyes. Then mustering up all the dry spit that was left in his mouth, he spat into the creature’s eyes.
As Andrew’s spit hit The Drought eyes, the creature let out an earth-shattering cry. The earth shook, the ocean roared. Sand, wind, and heat surged around him. The Drought cried out and let go of Andrew.
“No!”
The Drought stumbled back, clawing at his eyes and crying out. He wailed, and bent over, staring into Andrew’s eyes. A terrified gleam rippled through The Drought’s watery eyes. A popping crack, like shattering glass, echoed through the ground as The Drought’s eyes cracked and splintered, like a stone thrown into a glass window. He roared and scratched at his skin, over and over, causing layers and layers of dust, and skin, to fall around him in a dirty cloud. He cried out once more, then fell to his knees. The earth shook as he hit the ground. His fractured eyes began to split, and great pools of water began to flow down his cracked skin in rivers, pooling at his feet and then flowing back into the ocean. His skin grew muddy and wet. His eyes suddenly burst from his face in two shooting sprays of water, causing his now muddy frame to explode in a splatter of mud and water. He cried out once more as his body melted away into sand and mud.
Andrew shielded his face from the blast of muddy water, then, when all had calmed, he peered at the place where The Drought had been, and saw crawling out of what was left of the creature’s muddy shell, a very small, flat, withered fish, flopping on the ground. It looked dead already, even though it was gasping for air. It reeked of rot and death. The towering Drought was no more. All that was left was a thirsty fish. Perhaps that was all it had been in the first place. A fish out of water, yet never satisfied. Disgusted, Andrew kicked it into the ocean. Instantly, the ocean absorbed the body of the fish and the earth shook.
The sky changed color, and clouds began to form above them. There was a rumble of thunder, and rain began to poor down in torrents. Andrew opened his dry mouth and let the water fall onto his lips and tongue. The water tasted sweet, pure, wonderful! Such wonderful water he had never tasted in all his life. As it fell on his skin, his dry, withered skin filled out. His cracked lips healed, his burned skin burned no more. His dry eyes were soothed, and all was washed and renewed.
“The Drought is broken!” Freddie cried, hugging Andrew. “You did it. The Drought is dead!”
“No.” Andrew cried, bending down, and helping Ivory and Talic to stand. “We did it!”
They lifted their heads and held out their hands, embracing the rain. Drust had been right after all.
Andrew hadn’t known what to do until it had been time.
It had been his job to act.
The rain came just as the answers came---only when it was time, only when the earth was ready.
Chapter Sixteen
Soundwave
The night was quiet, almost somber, but filled with hope for the future. It had been raining steadily ever since The Drought had been broken, as if nature was trying to balance out all the moisture that had been lost.
Though the night was quiet, Andrew heard plenty---Sounds kept him awake. Many sounds combined into one, throbbing against the chest of unsaid words, struggling, begging, pounding for their release. Even when sleeping far away from the chest of unsaid words, the sounds of the words seeped into his head, invaded his mind, haunted his sleep, and caused him to wake up in a panicked sweat.
Such a constant throb made him feel on edge and anxious. Even with the breaking of The Drought, he felt little peace. He wondered what this new action would bring, what new disturbance had he set in motion from breaking The Drought? What new foe awaited him in the darkness?
He peered over the chest of unsaid words into the darkness, hearing the words inside it buzz as his hand neared it. The light from the words shone through the cracks in the wood, like beams of light grasping to get free. Ivory, Talic, and Freddie lay next to the chest, sleeping soundly as if the were undisturbed by the throbbing sounds. Couldn’t they hear the sounds? Why didn’t the pounding chest wake them?
He turned away from the chest, and slowly walked to the edge of the ocean. Its angry roar drowned out the pleading throb of the chest, helped him to relax, to feel somewhat peaceful.
The ocean smelled fresh and salty. Its waves crashed against the shore, sending a spray of water into his face. He shivered, feeling goosebumps appear on his arms.
The water had grown cold overnight; the air felt almost freezing. The moon glimmered over the waves, casting light through its restless surface as if enjoying the ride over its tossing waves.
Andrew took off his shoes and dipped his toes into the cool water. Since the death of The Drought, the air had grown cold, and chilly. The world that had been clothed in continual sun and heat, was now cold and wet, as if overeager to welcome in the Autumn that The Drought had done his best to block out. With the breaking of The Drought, a miraculous change was felt throughout the world. Yet, food was still hard to come by, and much of the damage The Drought had caused could not easily be undone.
In the time that The Drought had been allowed to reign, nearly all peoples had willingly given up their weapons and were now surviving off the goodwill of The Fallen.
But not all of what The Drought had touched had died. Where brown lingered, green grasses were slowly showing. Where trees had died, strong roots still lingered---renewed life began to pop up from the ground. All was not as lost as it had first looked. After all, The Drought had brought his friends back. Well, most of them.
He sighed and glanced back at Ivory and the others. He was so glad to have his friends back. How he hoped he could keep them safe. How he wished that they could be finished with their struggles. But their journey was far from over. Ivory had told Andrew of what had happened while they had been parted---of Gogindy, how Talic had ended up not quite his normal self. She had also told him of the Bell of Conroy, and a whole number of things that caused him to worry and wonder. Andrew wondered about the Bell of Conroy, and Gogindy’s ability to ring it. He also wondered if the creature would be able to reach it, and ring it in time. Ivory had said that Gogindy had one month to ring the bell, before all was lost.
One month. How was he supposed to wake the world in that time? He surmised that he would just have to do as Drust had told him.
To act, to step. The answers were out there for him to find, or for them to find him.
“What are you thinking about?” Ivory’s voice murmured behind him.
Andrew turned, and smiled. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
Ivory returned the smile, staring at him with mysterious eyes. “I was, but…”
“Did the chest of words wake you?”
Ivory looked confused. “The chest? No…does it make noise?”
Andrew nodded. “Yes. All the time. That’s why I can’t sleep. I haven’t slept soundly since I got that chest. It’s constantly throbbing, making it so I can’t sleep.”
“Really?” Ivory asked. “I didn’t hear anything. I guess the words know that you hold the key to their freedom, not me.”
“I suppose…but for being unsaid, they sure make a lot of noise. I can’t wait until I can finally set them free. Every day they sound more desperate, more haunting. It’ll be good to be rid of them. Carrying that chest has been horrible. It grows heavier every day.”
“It does?”
“Yes. It does.”
“How are we going to carry it?”
Andrew smirked, and turned away from Ivory, staring at the ocean, feeling his thoughts roar and crash just as the waves did. “The way we have been. Very slowly, painfully.”
“When are you going to open the chest?”
Andrew breathed out slowly, and offered her a meager smile. “I don’t know. Soon, I hope.”
The cool ocean wind blew Ivory’s red hair away from her face, making her look like a pure spirit sent from the ocean itself. She had chang
ed since Andrew had last seen her. Her hair was longer, her eyes more serious, her face more serene.
Ivory walked on past him through the sand. She picked up a smooth rock and inspected it very carefully. “You and that chest of unsaid words seem to have a lot in common. You carry so much weight on your shoulders. Why not let us help carry the load. You seem to keep so much locked up inside you. Perhaps you’re adding to the weight of the chest, by not saying everything that’s on your mind, by not opening up more.”
“What do you mean?” Andrew said, bending down and picking up a flat stone, and chucking it at the water. The stone skipped out over the water, then disappeared. “I open up to you all the time.”
Ivory raised her brows, and shook her head. “No. Andrew. You keep a lot of what you think inside here.” She tapped his chest.
“You don’t have to carry everything alone. Freddie told me how you refused to let him help carry that chest until you were almost dead with exhaustion. Don’t you realize that it’s not your job to do everything by yourself? That’s why you have us. To help.”
Andrew nodded, a stab of guilt pricking him. “You’re right. Too right. It’s just...I don’t want any of you to have to carry something that belongs to me. Something I’m responsible for. I was the one who accepted that chest, not you, not Croffin, not Freddie.”
Ivory made a sour face, and laughed. “Andrew, those words inside that chest aren’t just yours. They’re everyone’s. You don’t know how many things I ought to say but don’t. You see, Andrew, it’s not just your responsibility to carry the chest, but everyone who should have spoken, but didn’t, is responsible, as well. And the darkness that’s here, you didn’t invite it, the world did. And unless you are willing to let others help bear the burden, you won’t get very far. That’s what your sword is all about, Andrew. You may bear the sword, but the light inside it, the power it can hold, belongs to every one of us. So don’t ever say you, alone, must bear anything. We are all responsible for the darkness that we invite into our hearts, and into the world. And it’s up to every one of us to cast it out!” She said the last words with great force, chucking a flat stone over the water for emphasis. She watched in triumph as the rock skipped twelve times before it sunk beneath the surface. “HA!” She looked triumphantly at Andrew.
“You’re right again. I guess I already knew that. It’s just I don’t want to lose you again, I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”
“Andrew,” Ivory said. “That’s stupid. I’m here, with you right now. That’s what’s important. Tomorrow, well that’s another matter. You can’t control fate. You can’t control anyone. Only yourself. Only what you do right now, worry about that, and stop worrying about tomorrow. I promise, you will be a lot happier.”
Andrew raised his brows, and smiled. “You seem to know a lot about everything, lately.”
Ivory cocked her head and nodded. “Yes. I do. Now are you, or aren’t you?”
“Are or aren’t I what?”
“Going to try and skip a rock. See if you can top my last record?”
“Uh…” he felt confused. “How had she changed the subject so fast? First they were talking about the weight of the world, and now she was talking about rocks. He shrugged, and scanned the ground for the perfect rock. After short deliberation, he found a smooth, flat stone that felt just right. He held it in his hands for one moment, then flung the stone over the water. Instead of skipping over the water like it was supposed to do, it made a great splash and sunk into the water, and disappeared.
Ivory looked at Andrew, her eyes glimmering with mirth. “Wow, Andrew, that was impressive.”
Andrew scowled. Then not wanting to be beat, he picked up a small black stone that was no bigger than a small coin, and held it tightly in his hands, until it became hot. Then in a burst of energy he threw the stone. The stone flew from his palm and skipped out over the surface of the water, like a water bird skimming the surface of the water for a fish, until it splashed into the water with such force that it caused huge waves to spray him and Ivory.
Andrew fell back onto the sand, sputtering water.
“That wasn’t fair!” Ivory exclaimed, picking herself up and shaking her drenched hair. “You weren’t supposed to use your powers. That’s cheating.”
“Sorry,” Andrew wiped a lock of wet hair out of his face and slowly helped Ivory stand up.
“Thank you,” Ivory chattered, taking his hand and staring deeply into his eyes. “Brrr…it’s cold.”
“Yeah,” Andrew agreed, shivering. “It is.”
Ivory stared ahead, her eyes watching the place where Andrew’s stone had sunk. The water around the spot was starting to glow and bubble.
“Andrew,” she breathed. “Look!”
They stood speechlessly watching as the water bubbled and broiled and burbled, growing higher and higher until a column of water spiraled into a spout. It twisted and churned, branching out above the ocean, spreading its branches over them like a lacy glass tree, dripping over them, spreading out bigger and bigger.
“It’s beautiful,” Ivory said, running her hand through a current of swirling water. It flowed over her hand, warm, and colorful. “A water tree. Andrew, how did you do that?”
“I have no idea.” Andrew smiled at Ivory, feeling his cheeks go red.
“You know,” Ivory said, looking thoughtful. “Here I’ve been lecturing you about being open, and here I am hiding something I should have told you a long time ago.”
“What do you mean?” Andrew took a step closer to her.
Ivory leaned away from Andrew, her eyes filling with fear. “Andrew, I’m…not who you think I am. I’m an elf, like you. I should have told you before, but I was afraid.”
Andrew smiled in understanding. “No. Ivory. Don’t. I already know. At least I had my suspicions. I’ve known for some time now.”
“But how did you know?”
“Ivory, I’m not that stupid. That time you swam through the water like a fish and breathed life into my lungs? I kind of figured something was up. And the time the Barnacle was after you? It just all makes sense. Besides, Ivory, you're not like other girls. You really are special.”
“Special?” Ivory rolled her eyes. “Yeah, special. But being born with special gifts doesn’t make you really special. It’s like the color of your eyes, or your hair. I did nothing to earn them.”
Andrew nodded. “True. Neither did I.”
“But that’s different,” Ivory reasoned. “It’s who you are, Andrew, its how you use what you’ve been given that makes you special.”
“Exactly!” Andrew said, gazing into her eyes tenderly. “You are special, Ivory.” He stopped, trying to think of the right words to say. He wanted her to know just how much she meant to him. How much he had missed her. But it sounded silly when he spoke. It sounded foolish. Somehow the unsaid words he wanted to say, but couldn’t, were just adding up. “You see,” he finally managed to say, “You…I don’t know how to say it, but you’re brave, really brave.” The words sounded stupid to him. He wanted to say more---say something that really meant something. He wanted to say everything that he had thought about when she had been gone. Andrew stared into Ivory’s eyes, feeling his heart melt within him. Yes, he did love Ivory. To tell her that would sound silly, boy-like. Not at all something he could put into words. He opened his mouth to say it, but no words came out.
Ivory’s eyes grew big. A small grin tickled her lips, growing wider and wider until she started giggling. “Thanks, Andrew, you’re brave too. But not brave enough to say what you’re really thinking.” She frowned, and pushed Andrew away from her, tipping him back into the water.
Andrew sputtered, and flailed, coughing water. “What was that for? It’s freezing in here!”
Ivory shrugged and laughed. “I don’t know, I just felt like shoving you. You deserved it for being so…You-like.”
“Well thanks, I’m sorry that I’m me. Would you like me to be someone else?” Andrew asked, tr
ying to pick himself back up. The waves crashed over him again, pulling him back. He came up sputtering and gasping for air. He shivered, fighting against the strong current. The waves surged, and splashed over him, pulling him further and further out as if they were angry, and wanted to take him far out into the ocean. “Ivory,” he called, his voice tinted with just a hint of worry. “The current’s too strong. I can’t swim like you can. Help me out, will you?”
“Here,” Ivory said, swimming out to him. “I’ll help you. You’re always needing to be rescued, Andrew. You really should do something about that. Having a girl always help you doesn’t look good.”
“You rescuing me?” Andrew scoffed. “I do recall you needing my help just yesterday.”
“Oh, that,” Ivory laughed, swimming over to him and pulling him close. “I could have saved myself, easy. I was just resting a bit. Gosh you’re heavy, Andrew. Seems you’ve gained weight since I last saw you.”
“Honestly, Ivory, my sword is what’s heavy.”
“Men, always blaming something else.”
“Hey, that’s not fair.”
Ivory’s eyes became alarmed. She pointed to the water where a dark shadow lurked beneath the ocean, circling around them.
“What is it?” Andrew asked, peering over the choppy surface of the water. “I don’t see anything.”
“Are you blind?” Ivory asked, pointing to the water. “Look over there!”
