by Ivory Autumn
“Brrrr,” Talic shivered, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s go back outside before my toes get frostbitten.”
“Yeah,” Freddie agreed. “It's too cold in here.”
“Why is it so cold?” Ivory wondered. “This place seems so sad---so empty. So frozen.”
“This is Lightlim,” their guide murmured, his rust-colored eyes filled with sadness. “Lightlim was a place built for kings. Now, it's nothing but a place of iced-over dreams. We must be quick here, if we are to save your friend, Andrew.”
Freddie shook his head. “Who are you, anyway? I don’t understand. If you wished to save my friend, why did you condemn him to Drysin? It was you who told the people that his body would pollute the soil.”
The man stood tall. His gray beard and hair was illuminated by the blue flame behind him, and his clear eyes mirrored a faint feeling of pride. “Yes. I did do that. It was a horrible thing to do, wasn’t it?”
“But why?”
The man’s face grew terrible, and fierce. “I am Rhapsody Rumble, grand elf of Levwood forest. I never do things without a reason. I meant no harm to your friend Andrew. It was the only way to save him. I made a deal with the Sontar captain. I knew that he did not want Andrew to die. So I proposed that Andrew be taken into the desert, where he would be safe until other arrangements could be made. But what Sontar did not plan on, was me getting to Andrew first. We are now on the borders of Drysin. If we hurry, we'll be able to save him.”
“If you are intent on saving Andrew, why did you bring us to this place?” Freddie inquired.
“I brought you here,” Rhapsody said, looking sadly at the blue flame in the fireplace, “because I needed to get something here that’s been in storage for a long time that will help me save your friend from the Sontars that will still be guarding him, if they haven’t already been eaten by the Lizicks.”
Freddie still looked unconvinced. “Why do you care so much about my friend?”
Rhapsody tapped his fingers on the glass walls of the room and a slight chime was heard. “Why? Because I believe that he is the key to everything I have been searching for. If I save this boy Andrew, he may help me find a boy I’ve been searching for all my life.Well, I suppose he is a man by now, if he is still alive. His name is Lancedon. You might know of him. He has been missing from Danspire for seven long years. Back then, when Danspire was still great, I used to live there as counselor to the king. When Lancedon came up missing, I was summoned by the King of Danspire to search for him. The boy’s uncle, Morack, was sure that his young nephew had been killed by a band of marauders. But the king wanted me to search, anyway.”
“So, you’re still searching for him, after all these years?” Talic asked, butting into the conversation. He inspected his reflection in the glass walls, trying to smooth out his perpetual messy hair. “Don’t you think he’s probably dead by now?”
Rhapsody frowned. “Yes, I’m still searching for him, and yes, I still think he’s alive.”
Ivory cocked her head and stared in amazement at Rhapsody. All her life, people had been so cruel and careless. It seemed foreign to have someone care that much. There had to be a reason. “Why do you think he’s still alive?”
“Because I loved him like a son. Because of an old prophecy. Because I feel that he is still alive. My elfish inclinations are not often wrong.”
Talic laughed, growing more amused. “You must be crazy. I mean you’ve been searching for this lost guy, for, what, seven years? Because of a prophecy?”
“Yes,” Rhapsody retorted. “And if you knew any better, you’d know that true prophecies never lie.”
Ivory stared at Rhapsody with glistening eyes. “Tell us of the prophecy.”
“It is this,” Rhapsody said, closing his eyes, his voice growing soft: “Lost son of Danspire, watch your back. An evil darkness follows your track. Seven stars will light your way, even though darkness clouds the light of day. Take heart and learn that by night, soon will come your great flight, on into the dusty night. Upward, onward, you will gather great might. You will bring a power to the seven stars lighting up the darkest hours.”
When Rhapsody finished, he opened his eyes and smiled. His eyes were filled with a hidden fire---a determination that spanned much farther than the seven years he had been searching for the lost prince.
Talic laughed. “And from hearing that prophecy, you got that Lancedon is still alive? How?”
“Foolish, foolish, boy!” Rhapsody snapped. “It is of no consequence to you. You probably couldn't understand a nursery rhyme if it was sung to you by your mother.”
Talic folded his arms and frowned. “I would too.”
“Hush!” Rhapsody thundered, his voice echoing a thousand times through the cold room. He knelt by the low burning flames and blew on them, watching intently as the flames suddenly brightened, and then dimmed. “Once, long ago,” Rhapsody murmured, speaking to himself, “this flame was warm. But now it grows cold. As long as good was on the earth and rulers of men were just, its flame would light the halls of Lightlim with warmth. Now its flame has grown cold, and Lightlim's halls are filled with frost and frozen memories. If all good is lost on the earth, the flame will grow black and this place will be a tomb of the past. I was told, long ago, by a very wise old sage, that if I did anything of worth in this world, it would be to keep this flame alive. I come her every year to see if it lives. If I do not find Lancedon, and the hand of the diamond spoken of in the prophecies, very soon, the flame will grow dark, and my life will be void. Now I fear that this darkness is coming to pass. Too many shadows now live in this castle of cold ice.”
“But,” Freddie ventured, “there is still a small bit of warmth in its flame.”
Rhapsody nodded. “Yes. You're right. That small bit of warmth is why I’m still searching---still looking. But now we must be quick. Time is not our friend in these dark days” The old man whirled around, strode up to a low-hanging tapestry and yanked it from the wall, revealing a dark doorway to a room filled with treasure, swords, and items of great worth. Rhapsody rummaged through the shelves, tiptoeing on his pointed green shoes, searching. “Ah ha, I found it,” he laughed, holding up a beautiful staff. The staff was very curious. It was long and smooth, with another piece of wood twisting round it like a vine, with stairs carved up it. The top of the staff was curved into an arch, meeting back to the other side, similar to a basket handle. Hanging from the arch was a little crystal star, glowing like a warm light in a window.
“Feels good in my hands,” Rhapsody said, running his fingers over the smooth wood. “I wonder if I'll be out of practice? It seems like it was only yesterday when I put it away. I thought I'd never use it again. But I thought I'd never do lots of things that I'm doing now.” Rhapsody picked up a silver belt and sword, and buckled them around his waist, discarding his old one. “Children,” he said, “come, and choose your weapons. You will need them in the dark days ahead.”
They shyly stepped into the room and gazed around at the mountains of treasure, with open mouths. It looked like a museum filled with everything of worth from down through the ages.
Freddie chose a sword with a silver handle and a ruby belt. Talic chose a sword with gold lettering across its handle and a belt studded with purple jewels. Ivory chose a dwarf’s sword, and a bow fitted with a quiver of arrows.
“Children,” Rhapsody said, vapor rising into the room as he spoke. “The night is upon us. I have two horses waiting. As soon as we get outside, silence will be our best ally, for the night has many ears. So keep your thoughts to yourself.”
They quietly followed Rhapsody down the long cold hallway, out a different door than the door they had entered Lightlim. Once the door closed behind them, sand from the dune above flooded over the door, burying it completely. It looked as if they were centered in the middle of the desert, surrounded by hundreds of sand dunes outlined by the moon, their giant forms illuminated like prostrate bodies of potbellied giants. Outside, it was much
warmer than in the cold halls of Lightlim, but a darkness was present that caused them to feel much colder than before.
Talic stepped blindly ahead, stumbling into a small cactus. “Ouch!”
“What's wrong?” Ivory asked, placing a hand kindly on Talic’s shoulder.
“He got butchered by a cactus, that's what,” Freddie replied, muffling a laugh.
Rhapsody gave them a fierce look. “Quiet!”
“Bet you'd be noisy too, if you got cactus prickles in you,” Talic moaned, picking the spines out of his foot.
Rhapsody sighed, and walked on ahead, abruptly turning down a sheltered path, disappearing behind a dune.
“Where'd he go?” Freddie asked, looking up in alarm. “I can’t see him. He’s vanished!”
“He just ditched us, that’s what,” Talic said, tossing a cactus sliver away in disgust. “Cuz he’s a creepy wizard, that’s why. Wizards do things like that all the time.”
“He also said he doesn’t do things without a reason,” Ivory murmured.
The sound of a low purring, “Drarrararara,” filled the air, echoing off the dunes, causing the sand to shift with the vibrations.
“What was that?” Freddie drew his sword and looked around in apprehension.
“Told you that old man would ditch us,” Talic whispered, hiding behind Ivory. “He’s probably an evil elf who brought us here for the soul purpose of watching us all die horrible deaths.”
Ivory didn’t look amused. “Talic, quit hiding behind me. Besides, there aren’t any evil elves!”
“How would you know?”
“Because, there aren’t that’s why.”
“She’s right, and she’s wrong,” Rhapsody said, coming up behind them with two beautiful horses by his side. “Elves can’t be evil, if they choose to be evil, they are not elves any more, but something far more darker. And if I was such a one, I would do something a little bit more cunning than leave you in this desert to be eaten by Lizicks.”
“W-what are Lizicks?” Talic wondered, peering around him in fear.
Rhapsody smiled. “Oh, just things that could grasp you with their long tongues and gobble you up. And that’s not the worst part. After they’ve eaten you, it would take a week for you to digest. So all that time you would be sitting in their stomach in the dark.”
Talic did not look amused. “Ewe, that’s disgusting.”
“Yes, it is.”
Rhapsody motioned to one of the horses. “This is my horse, Zephyr. Freddie will ride on her with me.”
“Wow,” Freddie murmured, patting Zephyr’s nose. “She’s beautiful.” The horse had a long white tail and mane, and a gray body, with a white star on her nose. It was a strong horse, with great rippling muscles. It was a horse that looked like it could go many miles without getting tired.
“And this,” Rhapsody said, patting the other horse, “is Flags. Ivory and Talic will ride on him.” Flags looked like a tough warhorse. It had a brown body, with peppery black legs, and long, pointed white ears.
They mounted their horses and started forward through the dark night. Even though the going was rough, the horses trotted down the sandy slopes with ease. Rhapsody's horse seemed to know where it was going, and Flags followed behind her with trusting feet.
The air smelled salty and dry. A cool breeze stirred through the sand, tossing it up at random. They went on quietly, for some time, listening to the steady clip clop of the horses’ feet and a strange, “trrrrrarararrrraarararaddddprrrrrrrrrrrrd” noise that steadily grew louder.
Freddie brought his horse to a stop, and looked around anxiously. “Andrew,” he called. “ANDREWWW!”
“Hush!” Rhapsody cried. “Your friend is very near, I can feel it.”
“Then tell me where he is!”
Rhapsody’s eyes lit up with an inner fire, and pointed to a mass of orange glowing shapes, beneath a towering sand dune. The gathering of orange creatures twisted and moved in a congested circle around a lone figure. Loud drumbeats filled the air. The creatures’ orange eyes glowed like small lamps in the dark. Their blue tongues slurped out at the figure, like blue fly tape trying to snag their pray.
Freddie’s face filled with anger. “I’m coming, Andrew!” He spurred his horse forward, not waiting to see if the others were coming. Just as he neared the Lizicks, his horse reared up, sending him through the sand, rolling towards their lashing tongues.
~~~~
Chapter Ten
The Man-Made Forest
Just as the long sticky tongue of a Lizick snagged Freddie, Andrew slammed his magnificent sword down on the creature’s tongue slicing it. Energy surged through Andrew’s whole body, making him feel invincible.
He whirled around as another Lizick tried to take him from behind. He sliced its wriggling tongue in two before it touched his skin.
He held the sword in front of him, panting heavily, ready to do the same to any Lizick who dared to eat him or his friend. A tongue suddenly came at him from the side and wrapped itself around the sword, jerking it out of his hands.
Andrew dashed to retrieve the sword, but he was not fast enough. A sticky tongue wrapped around his ankle, and pulled, dragging him towards it. Before Andrew reached the Lizick’s mouth, another Lizick wrapped its tongue around his other foot. Two more Lizick’s tongues latched onto the tongues that
were attached to his ankles. The Lizicks all tried to slurp their tongues inward simultaneously, causing Andrew to let out a bloodcurdling scream. It felt like they were pulling all the sinews in his legs and ankles apart. As the horrible pulling on his ankles increased, Andrew gritted his teeth in pain. His whole body trembled as he grabbed the sticky wad of tongues, clenching his fists as hard as he could around them. A gradual tingling sensation ran down his arms and flowed out through his hands, into the Lizicks tongues. There was a flash of light, and the Lizick’s tongues instantly went as limp as shoelaces. Andrew fell to the ground, nearly toppling into Freddie.
Andrew watched in wonder as the energy that had passed through his hands and into the Lizick's tongues, rippled through the Lizick's bodies, slowly petrifying them into a forest of frightening trees. The Lizicks unexpectedly sprouted orange leaves and twigs, then roots that settled the horrible Lizicks into the ground. Their blue tongues were now long tree branches that descended into the hollow hole of their mouths.
Andrew slowly stood, and helped Freddie to his feet while still gazing at the forest of Lizick trees. Andrew felt a wave of nausea engulf him. He took a step towards his fallen sword, but his knees buckled. He fell unconscious, face first into the sand. “Andrew!” Freddie shouted, slapping Andrew’s face. “Wake up.”
Rhapsody appeared from behind, panting hard, with Talic and Ivory by his side. “Is he alive?” Rhapsody wondered.
“I’m not sure,” Freddie murmured. “I can’t hear his heart beat.”
Rhapsody pushed past Freddie, and put an ear to Andrew's bare chest. “He’s fine. When an elf uses his gifts to such a great extant as Andrew just did, his heart slows and nearly stops.” Rhapsody gently picked Andrew up and set him by the belly of the wooden Lizick, to shelter him from the cool night air. “He's just incredibly exhausted. I think his small body wasn’t quite ready for the shock of turning all these creatures into a forest of trees. It appears as if this place won’t be a desert any longer.”
“Look,” Talic said, pointing to Andrew’s hands. “They look burned.”
Rhapsody narrowed his eyes, and traced his fingers over the silvery marks in the boy’s hands. They were blistered, and red, but the diamond marks in them glowed a silvery blue, through the forest of Lizick trees. “How strange, how very strange.” Rhapsody’s face clouded over with worry. “It cannot be. Never had I supposed that he was the…”
“What is it?” Freddie asked, wringing his hands in frustration. “Is something wrong?”
Rhapsody looked up, a fierceness written in his eyes. “He is the One!”
“The One?”
“Yes! The One I’ve been looking for.”
Freddie looked amused.” The lost prince?”
“No, the other one. The boy who is destined to save the world from being devoured by darkness.”
~~~~
Chapter Eleven
Timing
Andrew opened his eyes slowly. He was confused by what he saw. The morning sun filtered down through the forest of Lizick trees he had created. They looked frightening, and more gargoyle-like than anything. Their orange leaves glowed against the cloudy sky, their woody trunks gave off a blue sheen that was not altogether friendly.
He sat up and groaned. His arms and hands felt extremly sore. “Where am I?” he murmured. The forest looked like it went on for miles. It was terribly dark, and eerie. The trees roots were sunk into concourses of sand dunes, as if trying to hold the sand in place. But when the wind came up, it tossed the sand from beneath their roots, making them look bony and even more unfriendly.
Ivory peered at Andrew from behind a tree, and pushed back a lock of curly red hair behind her ears. She smiled. “You’re awake.”
