The Last Summoning---Andrew and the Quest of Orion's Belt (Book Four) (71 page)

“We did it,” Freddie said, kneeling by
Andrew, his eyes glistening with emotion. “We did it. All of us,
together.”

The moment he said those words the earth
rumbled. A gust of wind rolled over the land as a tremor rocked the
ground, and a flare of light exploded above them in the sky.

Freddie lifted his eyes, in wonder, as a
fiery chariot shot across the sky, drawn by a magnificent horse
whose body looked as if it was made out of the dust of stars and
remnants of lost galaxies that could break out into speeds unknown
to human comprehension. This flaming chariot wound its way through
the sky and veered down to earth, coming to a fiery stop in front
of Andrew’s body.

From this chariot, a man stepped, whose
brilliance and light emanated from him like the sun, creating a
warm blanket of comfort to fall over all who stood near him. He
gazed at Freddie, then to Ivory, and lastly Talic. His eyes were
affectionate and inviting. His face looked like it was carved out
of pure beautiful light that shone and gave and expanded. His whole
being was golden orange and red. His clothes shimmered and gleamed
in shooting shafts of light. Around his waist was the gleaming belt
of Orion, returned to him at last. Each of the three stars in the
belt gleamed warmer, and warmer their light growing brighter with
each moment. He stepped from the chariot, his flowing robes
spilling behind him in rich, golden clouds. He paused and glanced
behind him, motioning for something within the chariot to come
nearer.

“Oh, heavens! You’re all alive. I can’t
believe it!” Gogindy called, bounding from the chariot, his whole
frame quivering and shaking with joy. All his whiskers had grown
back under this new light, doubled in volume, glistening a
beautiful glossy white. He stood on his hind legs, tall, fluffy,
and every inch the noble Twisker he was. He had never looked so
well-groomed and sparkly. His whiskers were fluffed and powdered
with light. He bounded excitedly over to his friends, crying, and
laughing.

“Oh,” Gogindy whimpered, his gaze falling on
Andrew’s remains. “I had hoped...”

“Be still,” Orion murmured, standing
reverently over Andrew’s remains.

Everyone was silent and apprehensive.

Orion’s face was warm, and full of
conviction. “There is no real death to those who bear light inside
their soul. To those who give their life freely, take their life up
again, forever, to grow and expand. There is no real end. Light
endures forever.” Orion bent down, kneeling before Andrew’s used up
body. Orion’s face was grave. He stared down at the boy, then up at
Andrew’s friends, his eyes passing over them, and settling on
Freddie. “All of you have given the best that was in you, and none
withheld the light you were given. You all have earned your place
in the sphere of eternal light. Yet, your time is not yet. But
Andrew’s is just beginning. As with all things, the seasons and the
cycles of life, we change and become new, growing from one glory to
another. You see how the new sun rises in the west. It, too, has
changed, as have you all. The Fallen, though filled with lies and
deception, spoke the truth when he said that all beings have a
spark of light inside them. But what he did not know was that only
by giving it do we make it brighter. That was what Andrew gave.
Without his sacrifice, the glory of this new day would not have
been. Andrew was given an extra portion of light. And with all
beginning nebula, he has passed through fire, wind, water, ice,
intense heat and pressure, faced the darkness of The Fallen
himself, yet he stood, unyielding. He stood alone. He stood
brightly. He gave everything, every ounce he had, even to go so far
as to let the power of the sword he held pass to another. He did
not keep it to himself. He did not yield. He gave his life freely.
And just as The Fallen has passed away, a new star has been born.
It is true that Andrew was born a half star. But he is no longer
half, but whole. His old self has melted away and is renewed,
changed into the self he was born to be. No, don’t be sad. For this
parting is but a brief one. For you will see each other in the
sphere of eternal light when you have all been changed, and you
have outgrown this mortal realm. But remember this, it is up to you
to decide how much light you will give or take. Just remember, that
not all stars gleam with the same radiance, and that light, once
created, can ever really cease. As with you, it will live on and
can never die. Only when it is kept isolated, unused, and ungiven,
does it diminish.”

Orion leaned over Andrew’s broken body, and
grasped the boy’s still, outstretched hand. “Now is the Last
Summoning! For I summon you, Andrew, to the heavens where you
rightfully belong. Your light will shine forever. It will be fixed
where The Fallen’s own light left the sky empty, where he pulled
down others with his fall, trying to hoist himself up in the ashes
of stardust. Oh that darkened void, how he has tormented the world.
But no more. HE HAS FALLEN at long LAST!” His voice was full of
fury and judgment. “Yet…” he went on. “Yet, in the darkness, a
light was being forged. Through The Fallen’s pressure and the heat
of his fury, a new star far was formed, a galaxy brighter than ever
The Fallen was, or ever could be. The darkness has birthed a light,
one which will never go out. Awake, and I will take you with me,
Andromeda, for that is your new name.” Orion pulled on Andrew’s
hand, lifting him upwards, while blowing a warm breath over his
body. At the touch of Orion’s breath Andrew’s old skin cracked,
like a thin shell, and fell away in a mist of dust and ashes. As
the ashes fell from Andrew’s body, a yellow, golden light shone
through, revealing a glowing, beaming, transfigured spirit---a body
made out of light, clothed with robes of purple galaxies. His face
shone and burned with the light of his soul. His body was whole,
healed, and filled with the light of happiness.

He stared at his shining fingers in
amazement. Then he stared at his friends, then up at the brilliant
sun, then at Orion, all the while smiling. The light radiated from
his being was powerful and stirring. It was the kind of light that
reflected heat and warmth, and showered those within his gaze to
feel with peace. Ivory reached out her hand and touched Andrew’s
glowing face. It was smooth as glass, like silver snow that was
warm when it touched her skin.

“Andrew,” she breathed, pointing to the
illuminated world filled with light. “Look.”

Andrew looked all around him, his face alight
with wonder. He reached out and caught her hand, and pressed it to
his lips. Her hand felt so cold in his, he wanted to warm it.

Orion’s face gleamed like a proud parent. “It
is time Andrew. You cannot linger here any longer. You are summoned
into the sky.”

“Now?” Andrew asked, his eyes saddening. He
wanted to see and rejoice with his friends. He had no desire to
leave. Not yet. “Must I go?”

“You have completed your quest. You have
passed through the flame, ice, wind, fire, shadow, darkness, all
which have molded you for the heavens.”

Andrew looked to his friends. His heart
swelled. He wanted to stay with them. Was he to be forever alone?
There was so much he wanted to say, but he could not find the
words.

Orion placed his hands on Andrew’s shoulder,
then pointed to the sky. “The dawn awakens a world lost in years of
shadows. Oh, and how it awakens. Look, do you not see how
brilliantly it shines? Like it, you were born to give light. You
have outgrown this world, for a better one. Where I take you, your
light will continue to grace the earth. You need not worry about
being alone. Light is never alone. You have proven that you can
shine in the darkness.”

Andrew smiled looking around him at a world
that welcomed the sun with open arms. The sun danced in Andrew’s
shining hair, and caressed his skin, making him glow even brighter.
He looked out over the hills at Lancedon’s army that came together
under the rising sun. Their swords and armor glimmered in the light
of dawn. A thunderous shout of joy rang throughout the ranks of the
army as Lancedon spotted them from atop the tower. The black sea of
ice had melted away. In its place was solid, grassy ground, covered
in thousand of glittering starflowers.

“We must go,” Orion said, urging Andrew
towards the shining chariot.

Andrew looked around him at his friends. An
overwhelming feeling of sadness fell over him. “Can’t I stay just a
while longer?”

Orion’s face grew stern, then softened. Then
he smiled, and nodded. “Alright. You have until tonight. No longer.
Then you must come with me.

A New Star

Peace hovered over the land, wrapping the people
left on the earth with comfort and a bright hope for the future.
The sun shone freely down upon the earth, not too hot and not too
cold, but gentle and giving, warm and balmy.

All who were left alive to witness that new
day, called it the most perfect day in history. For there was
nothing amiss. The lost and dead, on the battlefield, whose souls
were full of light, revived as soon as the sun hit their faces,
giving them new life. No darkness lingered anywhere, in man, beast,
nature, above the earth or beneath. It was cast out, banished from
the hearts of men.

The age of The Fallen had passed away like a
vapor of smoke, a dark ink spot on the pages of history that was
now wiped clean.

Winter was no more, for it, too, had passed a
way in a single night. Light floated and hovered, lingered, and
caressed the land, flooding every space that had been desecrated by
blood, fire, and darkness, with newness. The air smelled crisp,
clean, beautiful, like flowers, grass, and fertile earth. The great
fiery pits of The Fallen had filled up with clear, green water,
reflecting the light of the sun. The castle of The Fallen had
melted under the new light. In its place was a massive, pure,
crystal glass structure that gleamed far brighter than the previous
castle ever had.

All old things that had been, had passed in
the night. The cities and countries of the world had been emptied
of entire populations of darkness. Those remaining were those who
had let their hearts be changed by the light. No dark thing
remained. The sun rose purer and brighter than any day in recorded
history. No days that followed that day could, or would ever
compare to that perfect day.

The rein of The Fallen had ended, his life
cycle discharged, and destroyed. Freedom was free at last, all
could now live and breathe, and do, and be, and allowed others the
same if they chose.

It was as if the earth itself had burst into
song, a song that was felt more than heard. The song was warm and
vivid, and wonderful. Its heartbeat was the throb of renewed life,
the singing birds that flitted through living trees, the laughter
of children, the hum of bees, the stillness of peace. In this new
light, all was transformed, vivid, colorful, striking. The sun was
a rich yellow, doubled in size, tripled in brightness and glory.
Because of the change that had overtaken the people of the earth,
they welcomed this new light. The sky was a vibrant blue. The grass
an intense green.

That day was a day filled with rejoicing, and
renewed friendships. Croffin, too, had been restored to life,
expelled from the darkened lung of The Fallen, changed from his old
self, to a bright and brilliant, coon, at long last. He now had two
perfect eyes and a coon tail to match his coonliness---dignified,
uncomplaining, and very humbled. Lancedon, Sterling, Andrew, Ivory,
Talic, Freddie, Croffin, Gogindy, Coral, Page, and many others
lingered together, telling of their struggles, of their adventures,
and their hope for the future.

All had been changed in some way.

All were not the same people or creatures
they had once been.

They had grown strong through the
darkness.

Talic and Gogindy sat together, no longer
rivals, but true friends that had much more in common than they had
before. Though the old Talic was back, he too had changed. He no
longer regarded Gogindy with irritation, even though he had every
right in the world to dislike him for what he had done to him.
Instead, there was a common bond. For all had been brought together
and refined by adversity.

Then, ever so slowly, ever so humbly, the sun
slowly set in the east, leaving behind it a brilliant display of
golden clouds braided together in webs of colorful fire. In its
departure, the night stole over the land---a night unlike any night
that had ever been or would be. The stars lay strewn across the
sky, their light burning holes in the dark spaces that separated
them, making them look even brighter. Their light extended far, in
long shafts, as if reaching out to those left on earth, ready to
grasp them and pull them into their arms. Where the day had given
way to the cycle of night, the night, too, was renewed, and
brilliant in its own silvery sphere. For in this night, there was
no real darkness, no real fear, no real despair. The darkness that
existed in this night was pliable and obedient, giving way to the
light of the gleaming stars, doing its only job, making them stand
out. The quiet throb of peace and contentment saturated the air,
where one could sleep and be fully at rest.

All was stillness, quietude. A distant hum of
music rose from the multitudes of people rejoicing together around
lusty campfires that were all too eager to do what they were made
for, doing what fire did best---giving light unreservedly as if it
was the first fire ever created. It might well have been, for these
fires were the first real fires since The Fallen had fallen.

For once in thousands of years, all was right
where it should be. All was in perfect harmony. The world was at
peace.

Andrew, and his friends sat and ate, and
drank, and laughed together. Though they were miles and miles away
from their homes---they were home. Andrew finally felt at peace. He
felt happy, he felt at home. As the night waned, and his friends
grew tired, and in need of rest, Andrew began to feel more and more
changed, and less of the person he had once been. Where he could
blend in with the light of day, here he stood out. Here in the
night, he was looked upon with curiosity. Many who had sought his
companionship during the day, hesitated before him in the darkness.
His skin burned brighter and brighter with each second, so bright
and so intensely that those who wished to save their eyesight were
provoked to look elsewhere.