by Ivory Autumn
Andrew reached to take the jar back. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What?” Ivory retorted, yanking the jar back. The bottle slipped from Andrew’s hands, and fell onto the edge of a jagged rock, CRACK! The glass broke into a million pieces, in a burst of sound. The sounds were faint at first, but grew louder as the liquid oozed over the sand.
Shocked and surprised, Andrew fell to his knees and picked through broken glass.
“I’m sorry, Andrew,” Ivory said, placing a gentle hand on his. “I didn’t mean to.”
Andrew cringed, and closed his eyes. “OW, my ears are ringing.” He put his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the sound.
“Mine too,” Ivory cried.
The ringing sound cut through the air, growing louder and louder, laced with the sound of horses whinnying. The sounds echoed around them in sparkling, pulsing rivulets of air. The sounds grew louder and louder until they formed solid shapes in the air, like ghosts prancing in front of them. The pulsing air swirled with color, like brown ink, eager, and friendly. Then in a wave of sound, a blast exploded through the air, blowing them over.
WHOOSH!
Andrew and Ivory slowly sat up, watching in amazement. In the wake of the soundwave, the swirls of color and sound solidified into two horses, Starfire and Oragino. Andrew’s horse neighed and snorted loudly, jerking forward onto the beach, pulling a small cart in which a few bricks still were scattered. Starfire’s eyes were red. He reared up, crying out loudly, startled by Ivory and Andrew.
“Calm yourselves!” Andrew cried. “Oragino! Starfire! It’s us. You’re safe.”
Both horses instantly silenced. They stood still, swishing their tails back and forth, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Then realizing that it really was Andrew and Ivory, they crowded in around them, nuzzling them affectionately.
“Oh!” Andrew cried. “It’s good to see you. You don’t know how much I’ve missed both of you.”
“And us you,” Oragino answered. “It has been a long time. As you can see, my occupation has changed since we last met. From one of bearer of elves, to carting bricks. Believe me, I would rather have you on my back any day of the week, than be carting loads of backbreaking bricks all day long.”
“How long were you in that bottle?” Ivory asked.
“Too long,” Oragino replied, nuzzling Andrew with his nose. “I’m just glad to be back.”
“I’m glad you’re back too,” Andrew agreed, stroking Oragino’s mane affectionately. “Let’s go wake Freddie. I’m sure he’ll be glad see both of you.”
Chapter Seventeen
The Last Flicker
The sun was rising over the beach, tucked comfortably amid the company of puffy pink clouds. The gentle lapping of the water pushed gently onto shore. The angry ocean of the night before had become humble and submissive. It was almost as if it was making penance for the wrongs it had done. The earth was cold and full of rising fog. All was moist, dewy, and heavy with moisture.
Andrew walked along the shore with Ivory, while Talic, Freddie and Croffin rode on Starfire. He and Ivory did not want to add to the weight Oragino carried. Andrew’s horse walked beside him pulling the cart filled with the heavy chest of words.
Shawee, Shawee, Shawee. The wagon wheels groaned in complaining creaks against the sand. From the sound of the complaining cart, Andrew wondered how long it would hold up under the weight of the chest of unsaid words. As in answer to Andrew’s question, Oragino jerked to a halt, struggling to pull the heavy cart over a rock that protruded from the sand.
“You can do it,” Andrew urged his horse. “I know you can.”
The horse grunted and heaved pulling the heavy cart up and over the rock.
“Good!” Andrew exclaimed, patting his horse. “You did it.”
“Phew,” the horse panted. “This is hard work.”
“Stop whenever you need to,” Andrew said.
“I’ve just started. The sun’s just rising. I’ve got plenty of fire in me yet.”
Andrew smiled, looking at his horse with grateful eyes. “Okay. I know how heavy that chest is, so when you are tired, stop. And I’ll understand. More than you’ll know.”
“I’m a horse,” Oragino shot back. “This is what I do. Just try to keep up with me okay?”
Andrew laughed, then grew somber, thinking. The air was much cooler than it had been for many days. The Drought was indeed a thing of a past, but its effects would last long. In the weeks it had been allowed to roam free, all the earth had bowed to its power.
Andrew wondered how many had given up their weapons in exchanged for sustenance. He wondered how many people were now in complete bondage to The Fallen, and how he could reverse what was now coming. How could he summon the people when they had no weapons? How could he even consider going through with all that he had been commissioned to do? The thought of it made him feel sick.
“Where are we going now?” Talic asked, in a shrill voice that sounded more like Gogindy’s. He was riding double on Freddie’s horse, with Croffin, chewing what looked to be a large grasshopper. His long whiskers stuck out from his cheeks, bobbing up and down.
“Don’t talk while you’re chewing,” Freddie complained, jabbing his friend in the back. “Especially when you’re chewing so close to my ear.”
Talic glowered at his friend. “You’re just jealous that you aren’t enjoying yourself eating such delicacies as I am.”
“No, I’m not jealous. Grasshoppers aren’t delicacies, they’re disgusting. I wonder where your brain has gone. Please, if you find another bug, be a good fellow and stomp on---don’t eat it.”
“Yes,” Croffin agreed. “It’s most disturbing.”
Talic picked a long grasshopper leg from between his teeth and studied it. “And why would I stomp on it? How could I do something like that when they taste so good? It would be like stomping on a chocolate. Freddie, you really must try one. They are ever so tasty.” He dangled the grasshopper leg in front of Freddie’s face.
“Get that out of my face!” Freddie snapped. “Or I’ll throw you off this horse and leave you there!”
Talic folded his arms, and stuffed the grasshopper leg into his mouth and chewed, crunching loudly. “Gosh, I was just trying to share. Next time I’ll just keep all the goodies to myself.”
Freddie’s face filled with irritation. “Good, you do that.”
“I will!”
Andrew quickly looked away from Talic, feeling his stomach lurch, as Talic caught a large black beetle that was flying through the air, and popped it into his mouth. He could hear his teeth crunch into its hard shell. Crunch, crunch.
“Oh Talic,” Andrew said. “You really need to see a doctor or something.”
“Me, see a doctor?” Talic grinned from ear to ear, which was saying a lot because his ears were quite large now. “I’m perfectly fine. I feel better than I ever have in my entire life. I feel carefree, and happy. Almost kiddy. You should try it sometime. It would do you good. Here, would you like a beetle? I can’t believe I never realized how yummy they are.”
“Oh, no,” Andrew grimaced. “I’ll pass.”
“Ah, you don’t know what you’re missing. I feel so free, soo…”
“Too carefree,” Ivory said. “You’re eating bugs, Talic, doesn’t that disturb you?”
Talic shook his head. “No. In fact, I like the way I am. Whoever I was before doesn’t matter. I’m happy with who I am.”
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Andrew asked. “You don’t look like you. I’m afraid of what you will do to Gogindy when you come out of this, and realize that you’ve been acting like a fool, and eating stinkbugs.”
Talic stared up at the cloudy sky, not caring that the clouds were beginning to be dreary, like it was about to storm again. To look at his face, you would think it was the best day of his life, full of sunshine and roses. “I don’t care what I look like. And no, I won’t do anything to Gogindy. When I see him nex
t, I’ll give him a great big hug and thank him for letting me experience a little of what life must be like through his eyes.”
“I’ll remember you said that,” Freddie said. “Because I doubt the real you would say that.”
“You don’t get it. I am the REAL me!”
“Oh dear,” Freddie moaned. “This is going to be a long ride.”
“Ah, I love long rides,” Talic sighed. “They bounce me, and joggle my whiskers. Makes me feel like a flower in springtime. I feel so giddy I feel a song coming on. A very good song. And I shall sing it for you all.” He cleared his voice and began singing. “Lovely grasses, lovely greens, I love the beautiful springs. Raining weather, wet and soggy, makes my soul feel bright and bonny. I love the bugs, I love beetles, love them like I love eating lumpy leeches…”
“Stop!” Croffin cut him off. “That’s quite a song you’ve got there Talic.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, a real dandy. You should write it down. I do believe Ivory has a pen and paper. Here, you write it down so you can sing it later.”
Talic’s face lit up. “Oh Croffin, you’re brilliant. Thank you. What a good idea! Paper, I need some paper, and something to write with. Hurry! Quick, before I forget it.”
“Here,” Ivory handed Talic a pencil, and some paper.
Soon, Talic was scribbling away, muttering off-key syllables, but quiet, just the same.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Croffin,” Andrew said, casting Croffin a wide grin. “You are brilliant.”
Croffin nodded, and straightened his eye patch. “Why thank you. You really think so?”
Freddie glared at Croffin. “Don’t let it go to your head. I can see it swelling. Any more compliments, and it might explode completely.”
“Humph,” Croffin growled. “You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it in the first place. Perhaps you’d rather him still be eating bugs slobbering all over you?”
“Oh, be quiet.”
“You be quiet.”
“I will not. Besides, I want to know where are we going?”
“We are following the shore,” Andrew answered. Drust’s map hinted at a seaside village not far from here, where there is a city called Flicker.”
“Flicker?” Croffin asked. “What sort of name is that?”
“I don’t know. But we shall soon see.”
“How do you spell, insect?” Talic blurted out, picking at his beetle-leg infested teeth. “Is it with an en or a an?”
“Neither,” Ivory interjected. “In, Talic.”
“Oh, yes, in, as in…”
“Interrupt,” Croffin snapped. “Because that’s all you’ve been doing ever since we’ve found you.”
“Uh?” Talic wondered looking up from his paper. “What rhymes with edible?”
“Stupid!” Croffin shot back. “If you say it just right, it sounds perfect.”
“Hmmm…” Talic looked up at the sky, deep in thought. “I don’t think it really rhymes. Honestly, I had thought you were better at poetry.”
Croffin’s eyes lit up with wrath. “Poetry? You want poetry. Fine! I’ll give you some poetry that’ll knock your socks off!” He quickly peered down into his little book of weeds, searching for the right words it was sure to give him. Before he could say the wonderful string of words he found in his book, Andrew stopped him. “That’s enough, Croffin. Talic is far above your clever insults. If you think you can perturb him, you’re wasting your time.”
Croffin folded his arms. “Yes. I guess you’re right. He’s beyond anyone’s help now.”
Andrew chuckled to himself, and stared into Talic’s big, innocent eyes. “Talic will find his way back. For now he can’t help the way he is.”
“True,” Croffin agreed. “Besides, I kind of like him better this way. I can feed him all my fleas, and never have to feel guilty about it.”
Andrew looked back at Croffin, sitting sheepishly behind Freddie on his horse. “Really, Croffin? You have fleas? Gosh, Freddie, looks like you’re in good company.”
Freddie turned his head, and cast Croffin a hard stare. “What? You have fleas?”
Croffin stopped in mid-scratch. “I never said I had fleas. I just said, IF. IF. That’s very different.”
“Hey,” Freddie interjected. “I didn’t hear any if? Did you, Andrew?”
Andrew shook his head, and laughed. “Nope.”
“You all have wax in your ears!” Croffin spat.
“We may have wax in our ears,” Freddie said. “But you have it in your brain.”
“What?” Croffin cried, sitting up in the saddle. “Did you hear that, Andrew?”
“Yes,” Andrew grinned, walking alongside the horse. “I heard.”
“Does it not prove my point?”
“No. Because if I heard you, we are not as deaf as you think.”
Croffin let out a loud sigh. “Oh, this is a pointless conversation. I don’t even know how we got on this subject.”
“You’re the expert,” Freddie said. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“Ah!” Croffin howled. “I give up. I’m traveling with a bunch of nincompoops. Help. I want off.”
“Good,” Ivory agreed. “Because, I’m tired. My feet are starting to hurt, and I'd like to ride now. And I'll bet Andrew would too.”
“Already?” Croffin moaned.
“Yes,” Ivory said. “Already.”
“Oh, alright.”
They quickly changed places, taking turns when those on foot got tired. On they went, at a moderate speed, while Oragino pulled the cart holding the chest of unsaid words.
Sweak, eek, eek eek, the wheels of the wagon throbbed on relentlessly as they journeyed along the beach, only stopping for short breaks. Just as the sun set, they gradually moved off shore a short distance into a grove of trees, down a grassy slope, and onto a road where they stopped just outside the village of Flicker.
Though it was dusk, the town was dark. No lights shone. No burning candles gleamed.
“Huh?” Freddie mused. “If that is the town of Flicker, perhaps it was pun. Because I see nothing flickering.”
They slowly took their horses through the town, stunned by what they saw. The sandy streets were forsaken and utterly deserted. A feeling of emptiness crept over them as they stared at the vast city lined with vacant houses. It looked like it had once been a great, bustling fishing city, full of thrift and industry. There were great houses, tall towers, and vast castles, built all the way to the edge of the sea. Boats, docks, and great properties with great houses dotted the countryside, looking regal, but empty and unlived in. The streets were covered in masses of white, brown, black and gray feathers. The carnage of feathers filled the streets like drifts of snow. There were so many feathers, Andrew surmised that someone had ripped open every pillow and mattress in the village and dumped them into the streets. On each side, were tall houses that looked like they were made for men who were at least eight to nine feet tall---but all vacant. The streets reeked of silent bygone days filled with plenty and prosperity that had vanished in a night.
“Where have all the people gone?” Andrew wondered. “I had hoped this was the place I could release the locked up words. But all I find is emptiness.” He paused to gaze at a house whose door creaked back and forth in the breeze.
“Stay here, all of you,” Andrew commanded. He got off his horse, and slowly drew his sword. He paused before the house with the swinging door. Something on the door’s threshold glimmered and caught his eye. He bent down and picked up a long, blue feather that had lodged itself in the mud. He wiped the mud off, and held it up to the darkening sky. It glittered faintly like strands of silver had once flowed through its quill.
He glanced up, feeling eyes on him. The door creaked loudly. Somewhere within, he thought he saw a faint, flickering light.
“Hello?” He peered carefully through the door. Inside was dark, uninviting.
“Andrew,” Ivory cautioned. “Be careful.”
He cast her a faint smile, then stepped through the door, cautiously glancing all around him. The flickering light had gone out. On the floor were masses of white feathers, like someone had ripped open a huge feather mattress. Everywhere broken furniture was strewn. It looked like a terrible struggle had taken place here.
A board creaked, and a distant rustle sounded. He quickly looked up, seeing a faint, flickering light in the corner of the room.
“Hello?”
There was no answer, only the eerie sound of fluttering wings, the flickering of light, and a loud thwack, as the door closed behind him.
Andrew jumped, a chill of fear running up his spine. “Who’s there?” His hand instinctively went to his sword. He took a step towards the darkest corner of the room where a flickering light gleamed uncertainly in the dark room as if it also was afraid. He stared at the uncertain light, and took a step towards it, suddenly realizing what the light was. Two orb-like glowing, flickering eyes stared back at him, flickering on and off as the creature blinked at him.
Andrew took another step towards the creature with the flickering eyes.
“St-aaa--y b-aaa-ck,” the creature warned, in a voice that sounded more like a seagull’s cry than anything.
Andrew stood perfectly still. “Okay. I’m staying back.”
“G-oooo-d,” the bird-like voice howled. “D—ooo—n’t c-ome, c---ooo---m a---ny c-c---loser! Y---ooo---u h---a---ve st---olen some---thing fr---om m---e! A---nd I w---aaaa---nt it b-aaaaaack.”
“Stole? What have I stolen?” Andrew tried to think what he had taken, to deserve such an accusation.
“Yes, y---ooooou h---aaaaave!” the voice cooed like an angry pigeon, “ST---OOOOLEN!”
The creature stepped into the light of Andrew’s sword, holding out its hand. Andrew stared at the creature, his eyes widening. It’s features were bird-like and feathery, humanish, yet animal. Its body was huge, and covered in brown and white feathers, with long, blackish-blue, wispy feathers all along its arms and hands, and framing its neck. It had the face and legs and feet of a human, yet its toes were like that of a bird covered in feathers. Its eyes were yellow, and hawk-like, flickering like a candle with each movement of its head. Its actions were abrupt, like a fluttering bird. He had long, black, feathery hair. His yellow beak was pointed and sharp, but lip-like and flexible. He wore a black and brown feather necklace around his neck. A dark look, full of fear and anger was on his face. “My feather,” it said, speaking slowly so Andrew would be sure to understand. He extended its hand wing. “Give it baaaack.”
