Rise of the Fallen

by Ivory Autumn

  “No, we haven’t,” Rhapsody retorted, squinting at the man, and frowning. “Who are you?” The man took a step nearer to Rhapsody, letting his hood fall to his shoulders. “If you ask me who I once was, and who I now am---there’s quite a difference.”

  “What kind of difference?”

  The man let out a sad sigh. “Seven years difference. I once was a prince, loved by all, but now I am a wanderer, a refugee, hated by all. I once lived in a great city, regarded by all as one who would never be forgotten, but now I’m no more than a faded memory, an escaped prisoner, and a lonely traveler.”

  Rhapsody analyzed the man's features, noting the sad look in the man's eyes, and the lost expression on his face. “Who are you?”

  The man shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t remember, perhaps a faded memory of a time that doesn’t exist anymore. Perhaps, if you, Sir, Rhapsody Rumble, could remember me, it would give me a reason to hope. Reason for me to renew my name and claim my birthright that so many have forgotten.”

  “How do you know my name?” Rhapsody wondered.

  “Ivory told me. But I knew you, long before she did.”

  “You speak in riddles,” Rhapsody retorted. “Tell me who you are, and what you want from us!”

  “I want nothing more than you to remember me!” the man said, grabbing Rhapsody by the shoulders and shaking him. The man's face was filled with pain, and his eyes glistened with tears. “Please, please remember.”

  Rhapsody shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I don't know who you are. Take your hands off me!”

  “Try,” the man said. “Please, try to remember.”

  “I cannot!”

  “Do I not look in the tiniest way, familiar to you?”

  Rhapsody glanced into the pleading eyes of the stranger. “No. Not in the slightest. I’m sorry.”

  The man let go of Rhapsody. His shoulders slumped, his hands quivered, and a misty sheen filled his eyes. He stepped away from Rhapsody, utterly broken. “Perhaps,” he said, “I mistook you for someone else. You are not the Rhapsody Rumble I remember.” He placed his hood back over his head, and turned to leave the room, giving Rhapsody one last sad look. A look of desperation mixed with deep sadness filled the stranger’s eyes as he pushed back Gogindy’s door to leave. “I’m sorry to have bothered you all.”

  The light from the room illuminated the stranger’s hidden face and the golden chain hanging round his neck in such a way that it caused Rhapsody to catch his breath.

  “Wait, WAIT!” Rhapsody suddenly called out after the man.

  The man stopped and turned back. “Yes?”

  Rhapsody ran up to the man and fingered the golden chain around the stranger’s neck. The chain had a golden eagle affixed to it that was so beautiful, and unique it was not easily forgotten. Rhapsody’s eyes glistened with tears. “It cannot be! It cannot be!” Rhapsody pulled the man’s hood back with trembling hands, inspecting his features more carefully. “You do…look like someone I once knew.”

  “Who?”

  Rhapsody opened his mouth to speak. But no words escaped his lips. The man was familiar to Rhapsody, familiar and yet unfamiliar. Like a dream that you have seen many times, but when it happens for real, you cannot explain the feeling.

  The man’s soft, brown hair was illuminated by the warm glow from the light of the room. His clear brown eyes mirrored the faint feeling of pride that had been hidden only moments before, by sorrow. He had a strong jaw, and a smooth marble face that looked kingly, and just, full of silent suffering, and great compassion.

  “Lancedon?” Rhapsody asked, his voice trembling. “Can it really be you?”

  A look of relief filled the man’s eyes. “You remember?”

  “Yes,” Rhapsody cried, hugging the man. “I never forgot you, Lancedon, lost son of King Mineheart! Never!”

  ~~~~

  Chapter Eighteen

  The Dangerous Aroma of Gifts

  “Lancedon has returned at last!” Rhapsody cried, banging his fists on the table so loudly it nearly broke the small table.

  “Careful!” Gogindy cried. “Don’t break my table, you ugly bearded man. With all those whiskers you have, you should show some sign of wisdom.”

  “If whiskers had anything to do with wisdom,” Rhapsody retorted, “then you would be the wisest of us all.”

  “Oh,” Gogindy sniffed. “But I am.’

  Rhapsody raised his brows, and laughed. “The first sign of wisdom is that it never points to itself.”

  “I’m afraid Rhapsody is right,” Lancedon agreed, ruffling up Gogindy’s whiskers.

  Andrew stared at the stranger, unsure of what to make of him. The man was strong, tall, and proud. His hazel eyes were filled with quiet pride, and his brown hair hung in locks about his face. He looked youthful, yet much wiser, and sadder than most men should look at his age.

  “So many people thought you were dead,” Andrew murmured. “I still can’t believe you are alive.”

  Lancedon smiled at Andrew. “Well, I would have been dead, if it hadn’t been for Gogindy. He was the one that found me, half drowned, in the Dandelion Den River.”

  “In the river?” Rhapsody wondered. “Someone tried to kill you?”

  Lancedon’s face grew somber. “Many have tried to kill me. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. I suppose that’s the price you take for being a prince.”

  “Tell us,” Rhapsody inquired, “how you came to be in this place?”

  Lancedon nodded, drew up a chair, and leaned forward. “It’s like this, after seven years of keeping me---my captors were ordered to kill me, so they put me in a sack and dumped me in the deep Dandelion Den River, where I was sure to drown. If it hadn’t been for Gogindy, I would have drowned.”

  All eyes were directed towards Gogindy. The small Twisker blushed, and shifted nervously in his seat.

  “Yes,” Lancedon continued. “Gogindy here, saved my life.”

  Gogindy sniffed, and folded his arms. “I wouldn’t have, if I’d known that a human was in the sack and not something interesting, and well…more edible. Plus, if I hadn’t been out for a swim, I wouldn't have gone to the bother of swimming way out into the deep to chew open a sack. Everything I did was quite on instinct.”

  “Instinct or not, you still saved my life,” Lancedon said. “And I am ever grateful to you.”

  Gogindy let out a high-pitched laugh. “Tush, tush, I should hope you are grateful, because of all the trouble you’ve put me through.”

  Everyone laughed, then Gogindy, feeling more self-conscious than usual, anxiously whisked about the table, filling plates with odd-looking food.

  “So, are you going to tell us the rest of your story?” Andrew asked Lancedon. “Why were you held hostage for seven years, only to be dumped into the river?”

  Lancedon shook his head. “My uncle, Morack wanted me out of the picture, that is why. Why he didn’t kill me right off is a mystery to me. My captors were outlaws, dark men who did ugly deeds if the price was right. It is my belief that they kept me alive against Morack’s knowledge. After seven years were up, a great many Sontars came to their camp, summoning them to the northern lands. That was when I was quickly disposed of. I do not think Morack would have been happy to know that they had kept me alive for so long.”

  “So much lost time,” Andrew murmured. “It must have been enough to drive you mad.”

  “It nearly did,” Lancedon agreed. “And it is still more wasted time thinking about what I’ve lost. But, after hearing of you and the sword, and our mission to raise the battle cry of freedom, I realized now why I was spared those seven years. I’m convinced that nothing short of death will stop me from completing this task!”

  There was a long pause, as the passion of Lancedon's words filled their hearts.

  “Eat, eat!” Gogindy commanded, pounding his small fists on the table. He was sitting on a little chair by Andrew, fidgeting uncomfortably. “If there is anything a Twisker hates, it is long blank moments
in which there is nothing said. Utterly detestable! The world’s silent enough, without people helping the quiet out. If silence got its way, it would take over the world, and all we would do is think. That’d be awful, just awful. I can’t even imagine.”

  “Can’t imagine thinking?” Rhapsody asked, looking at the Twisker with worried eyes. “The world would be a much better place if more people spoke less and listened more.”

  “Oh…you just don’t get it, do you?” Gogindy cried. “You’d have to be a Twisker to understand.” Gogindy twitched his long whiskers, causing two dishes on the table to collide and shatter.

  “Oh, the disaster!” Gogindy cussed, cleaning up the mess. “I go through several sets of dishes a week. If ever you get a Twisker a gift---dishes would be most appreciated.”

  “I’ll try to remember that,” Andrew said, smiling. Gogindy stuck out his hand in Andrew’s face. “I’d like you to shake on something.”

  “On what? Getting you dishes?”

  “JUST SHAKE!”

  Andrew shrugged, and shook Gogindy's small sticky hand and nodded. “Okay?”

  “Oh, what a relief!” Gogindy sighed. “I feel much, MUCH better after that.”

  “Why? What did I just shake on?”

  “Oh…nothing, it just means that now I have your word that---seeings how you’re an elf and all…that you’ll never hurt my organic green home---like you did to the dandelion earlier today.”

  Andrew frowned. “I thought you only shake hands after you know what you’re promising?”

  Gogindy shook his head. “Not me. The Twisker’s think it’s a much better practice to shake first, listen afterwards. Its saves on heated arguments.”

  “Seems like it would start them.”

  “No. It never does.”

  “Really?”

  “Boy, you sure do ask a lot of questions for an elf. If you’re not careful, when you’re asking an unsuspecting question the Questiongrabber will snatch your tongue and tie it into a big knot.”

  “Who?”

  “There it is again!”

  “What?”

  “You just said another!”

  “I did?”

  “That makes three? Please, stop! Stop!” Gogindy held a protective hand over Andrew’s mouth and gazed around the room in alarm. “Good,” he panted, “I think, you’re safe.”

  “From what? I thought you didn’t like the quiet.”

  “I don’t, but questions are worse. Much worse. No more. Please! Here, just wait quietly. I’ve got just the thing to end this onslaught of questions.” He scurried over to his little cabinet and came back with a plate of food, heaped to overflowing, and handed it to Andrew.

  “Hurry, eat, fill your mouth, fill your belly. Eat lots and lots, and lots. That way you can get your strength up, and then you can fix the dandelion that was hurt.”

  He looked at Andrew’s plate and shook his head, as if the small corner with an empty space on it offended him, and then dumped a pile of red berries over the spot, topping off the mountain of food with a huge, round, blue transparent fruit.

  “Eat lots of that blue fruit,” he said. “It’ll give you strength to fix the dead dandelion.”

  Rhapsody put his fork down and sighed. “Gogindy, I don’t think it is a good idea anymore. It’s much too big. Andrew needs his strength for more important things.”

  “But you said…”

  “I know what I said, but I was wrong. It’s a very bad idea.”

  Gogindy’s face filled with wrath. “You are a LIAR! YOU PROMISED ME THAT ANDREW WOULD FIX IT! What could be more important than fixing a dandelion? Besides if you don’t let him do it, you’ll never get your special stick back.”

  “I know.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  Andrew looked at Rhapsody, confused. “I don’t understand. It couldn’t hurt to let me try. Could it?”

  Rhapsody shook his head. “Andrew, I don’t know. I feel that you mustn’t use your gifts for at least a couple of days. Something in the air doesn’t feel right.”

  “But, don’t you need your staff?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, it’s already decided. I’ll do it in the morning.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “But, if you leave your staff, what then?”

  Rhapsody’s face drooped. “Okay, okay you can try, but only because it’s important.”

  “I knew you’d say that!” Gogindy cried, whooping for joy.

  After that, the party adjourned for the night, falling into a peaceful slumber in the comfortable hammocks Gogindy provided. However, as soon as the sun peered over the Dandelion Den, Gogindy awoke everyone, and dragged them from their beds over to his small table, forcing them to eat.

  Gogindy laughed noisily, and heaped Andrew’s plate with more of the clear blue fruits, until you could barely see Andrew’s face. “Eat away,” he said. “It’ll take the tired away, is what I always say. Once, because of this fruit, I was able to stay up for a couple of months without sleeping. But, afterwards I did happen to have a bit of a crash. Slept three months straight.”

  “A couple months without sleeping, eh?” Andrew asked, touching the squishy fruit with his forefinger. “Now that’s really something. How many of these did you eat?”

  “Five hundred.”

  Andrew raised his brows, and grinned. “That many? It doesn’t look like you could fit five in you, much less…”

  “No more questions. Just eat! They won't bite.” Gogindy paused, and then chuckled to himself. “But, then again, they might. They’re called Spoegrum fruit---one of the Twisker’s favorite things to eat. Spoegrum fruit gives lots of energy and tastes exceedingly yummy.”

  “Figures why you’re so fidgety.”

  Gogindy took a big bite out of one of the Spoegrum fruits. It instantly made his whole face light up, like he'd swallowed lightning. He let out a happy laugh as it slipped down his throat. “See, nothing to it! Come on, take a bite.”

  Andrew nodded and took a bite of the transparent fruit. The feeling he got when he bit into it was that of pain and delight. It tasted sweet, sour, salty, cold, hot, fruity, and meaty. When he swallowed, a strange feeling of electricity passed through him, and his face lit up.

  “Feels kind of neat doesn’t it?” Talic said, taking a bite for himself. “I’ve eaten four already. I feel so full of energy I could wrestle a lion.”

  “Wrestle a lion?” Andrew laughed. “I'd like to see that.”

  “Maybe you will,” Talic said, taking another bite of Spoegrum fruit.

  Andrew also took another bite. This time, the fruit tasted even better. It lit up his face again, and he laughed aloud.

  The others at the table did the same and soon all were laughing and giggling, their faces lighting up as they swallowed the fruit. Gradually, Andrew began to feel amazingly awake and energized.

  Gogindy had been watching Andrew eat, and now he spoke. “Good, good, I see the Spoegrum fruit has given you energy.” The furry creature paused and shivered. “I told you that it would make you strong.”

  Boom, boom, whack, boom, a loud pounding was heard on Gogindy's door. Then, a gruff sounding Twisker shouted, “Open in the name of King Dandywheel.”

  “Oh dear!” Gogindy cried. “They've come for me, and so soon too!” His whole body quivered in fright. He ran his fingers through his whiskers, as if bidding them farewell.

  “Don't worry, Gogindy,” Lancedon said, drawing his sword.“We won't let them harm you.”

  “Really?” Gogindy asked. “You won’t?”

  “I promise! Now open the door.”

  Gogindy nodded, and walked bravely to the door and poked his head outside. “What do you want?” he asked, cautiously eyeing the heavily armed Twiskers in front of him.

  “We have reason to suspect that you are housing escaped criminals and dangerous killers of Morack,” a gruff Twisker shouted, pushing through the doorway.

  “Wh
y would I do such a foolish thing?” Gogindy cried, trying to hold them back.

  “Because,” said the big Twisker, shoving Gogindy aside, “you are always doing foolish things. Now let us pass, or I'll tie you and your three tails to a post and use your whiskers as thread!”

  “Fine, come in, if you dare,” Gogindy said, reluctantly moving aside and letting the Twisker guards pass.

  “Drop your weapons you shivering Twiskers!” Lancedon commanded as the guards made their way in. “Or I won’t hesitate to use mine!”

  Rhapsody put a firm hand on Lancedon’s shoulder. “No, don’t threaten them. If I am ever to get back my staff, we must be on good terms.”

  Lancedon gave Rhapsody a hard stare, then lowered his sword. “Good terms, eh? I’ll do my best.” He turned back to the Twiskers. “So what do you Twisker’s want?”

  The Twisker guards took courage at Lancedon’s lowered sword, and held tightly to their own weapons. “We came to retrieve you creatures, and Gogindy. You are trespassing in our country, and that is punishable by death!”

  So it is, so it is,” Rhapsody retorted, laughing nervously. “But …”

  “Then comply with us, and meet your doom!” the Twisker shouted, growing bolder.

  “Oh, really,” Rhapsody sighed, “must you be so hostile, so dramatic? All we seek is an audience with king Dandywheel, and safe passage out of your Dandelion Den, as you call it. Is that so much to ask?”

  “It is!” the Twiskers shouted. “However, you will all see our king. But as for safe passage out of our land, I highly doubt you will be so lucky as to receive such a boon.”