The Last Summoning---Andrew and the Quest of Orion's Belt (Book Four) (18 page)

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, trying 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!”

“Oh!” Andrew gasped. He could see the black
shadows swirling around them, like twirling pools of oil on the
water. He lowered his head, trying to peer through the water to get
a better look. One of the shadows burst from the water just inches
away from Andrew’s face. Ivory screamed, and yanked Andrew back
just as it disappeared back into the water.

The creature had milky eyes, sharp, jagged
fins, and a bony face. Then several others peered up through the
water, swirling around Ivory and Andrew, and click clacking their
jaws together, snapping their jagged teeth, letting out echoing,
hee, hee, ha, ha, hiyip, hehip, yips, that were answered throughout
the water.

“They’re everywhere!” Andrew said, quickly
unsheathing his sword, while treading water. It was difficult to
stay afloat, but he did his best.

“Over there, Andrew!” Ivory said, pointing to
the swirling water, where one of the fish was moving through the
water uncomfortably close to them. “Get it!”

Andrew could see its inky shadow swirling
through the water after them, faster and faster. The dark shadow
sprang up from the water diving for his arm.

“Move, Andrew!” Ivory screeched, pulling
Andrew back just as the fish burst through the water. The creature
cackled loudly, yip, yiiip, yah, ha, ha---yaiiip, jabbing its
horned head upwards, scraping a gash across Ivory’s arm.

“Ivory!” Andrew gasped, cradling Ivory to
him. “Why did you do that? Are you okay?”

Ivory pushed away from Andrew, and scowled.
“Yes. Of course I’m just fine. It’s just a scratch. You’re so slow,
I’ll bet that fish would have eaten your whole head off before you
even noticed.”

“But…” Andrew protested, looking in horror at
new set of inky shadows that followed the long trail of blood from
Ivory’s arm.“Your arm’s bleeding.”

“Yeah. It is. So?”

Andrew ignored the irritation in Ivory’s
voice. “So, we’ve got to get out of here before more fish smell
your blood.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ivory agreed. “Let’s
make it a contest. First one to the shore doesn’t get eaten. Ready,
set, go!” They both began swimming as fast as they could, with the
trail of hyena fish following them---their dark barbs protruded
from the water like spines of a cactus, sticking out every which
way.

“I can’t swim as fast as you!” Andrew
protested, feeling vulnerable, and alone with Ivory swimming well
in front. It was as if a shadow passed over the ocean. In that
moment, Andrew felt as though the very ocean had turned black, and
each droplet of water pulled and tugged on him, trying to drag him
down. A heavy fog obscured his view of Ivory. Behind him he could
hear the echoing calls of the cackling fish as they rose to the
surface of the water taking in air.

“Ivory!” Andrew called, seeing only mist and
water. The restless ocean waves began to heave, and roar, tossing
him back and forth, dunking him under. Time and time again, he
resurfaced, only to be tugged back under. It was as if the water
had become a black spirit that had no other desire except to
consume Andrew, and drag him into its dark chambers. Water filled
Andrew nose, burning his throat. He gasped for air struggling to
keep afloat. The water had become so choppy that he could not swim
against it.

“I’ve got you!” Ivory called out through the
mist, grabbing Andrew, and pulling him up. “We’ll be okay. I think
it’s a freak storm. It’ll pass. I’ll keep us afloat until it is
over.” She held onto Andrew, treading water, without tiring.

“Thank you,” he shivered, suddenly realizing
how hard he was clutching Ivory. “You’re right you know. I do need
you a lot more than I let on. You’ve kept me afloat more times than
I can count.”

“Not all,” Ivory interjected. “You’re lungs
help a bit too.”

Thunder clapped, then lightning lit up the
ocean in fractured webs of blue light, showing off the outline of a
small boat teetered against the waves. A single lantern swayed back
and forth from the boat’s bow. Steering the boat was a tall,
bare-chested man, with skin the color of soft chocolate. He wore a
necklace of odd-shaped pearls and silver earrings with long,
dangling spines.

“Hurry up. Gid, een! The man cried thrusting
out his hand for Andrew to take. “Ged eeen! Yurry, before dem spine
fishes chewies, you and spitttes your bones out. Gid in before the
waves devour ya both.”

The man leaned over the water and helped
Andrew and Ivory into his boat. He tossed them a blanket, then
began maneuvering the boat over the angry waves. The man gazed back
at them with shrewd eyes. He held a long spear with an end made
from the pointed end of a hyena fish horn. The man was completely
naked except for a brown loincloth around his waist, and a girdle
holding a curved knife.

“I am Soundwave,” the man said, in a deep
voice. He smiled showing of a set of silver teeth. “Tis good thing
I found ya here. Before dem waves, and bad fishes gobbled ya both
up. Very good luck for ya, it was indeed. It pleases me dat I have
found ya. I have been searching for ya.” He heaved against the
waves, digging the oars against the waves as he rowed towards the
shore.

“Searching for me?” Andrew questioned. “But
why?”

The man laughed a booming laugh that rippled
over the ocean in powerful rivulets. “Ha, ha, ha! Who isn’t? I like
ya boy.” He laughed again, sending out deep guttural notes into the
misty sea, rippling the water with the sound.