The very rocks that towered above us seemed to snap and crack with the sound of the joy of seeing creation in order once more. A cavernous tunnel was suddenly before us across the river and so were the monsters.
I ran into the raging river and smacked it hard with my sword, “Whom do you serve? The destroyers of appointed order or we who walk in the Divinely appointed dominion of this world?”
With a throaty roar the river peeled back and mounted up into a wall across the length of the gorge until it overflowed overtop of us and formed a watery tunnel that glistened brightly with the refracted rays of the sun that had come out of hiding on this cloudy day.
I strode across the dry riverbed toward the line of monsters who spoke among themselves in their dark tongue. Anxiety was deeply etched upon their beastly features as they watched us come closer.
“Your existence is an abomination! Your actions worthy of the worst of Sheol! Your future is no more! We’ve come for that which was stolen in the night and by the might of El Elyon we claim victory as is ours by right! Cut them down now!”
Like the dumb beasts of twisted perversion that they were, they stood in stupefaction as they were unable to access their ability to flee through dimensional time and thus they were left to face our wrath, which was far greater than any mortal could manifest on its own. It was El Elyon moving through us that drove us to leap forward and hack down the monsters whose mere image had stopped the hearts of other men in fear.
In reality the unredeemable spirits they possessed were nothing short of cowards that had boasted themselves into loftiness, because of genetic leftover abilities gifted to them from their fallen fathers. They were no match for us and their anguished bullish roars sounded loud as we cut off their existence in the lands of the living.
I pressed on into the dark cavern that’s stench echoed loudly of the uncleanliness of its occupants. I called out while dragging my blade down the wall of rock, “Rocks, were you formed by the Master of all glory to house darkness? No! So why then the sheltering of darkness when the light of the Almighty pierces to the innermost depths of this world and sees all?”
As if on command the rocks overhead split apart, but not a rock fell as light pierced down from above and lit the way before us. The tunnel ended as it opened up into a great cavern, the top of which peeled away with a rumble of stone.
The entire one side of the cavern was formed into a stockade made out of the bones of past victims of monstrous appetites. At the sight of me at the opening of the cavern and of the piercing daylight overhead I watched those Gargons not yet slain by me and my companions head as one for the stockade and I knew that they intended to kill as many of the children as possible.
In the hierarchy of evil, if victory can’t be obtained then the order of the day is to attain as much destruction as possible. Seething rage overtook me and I reached out with the hand with which I had clung onto Urtholan and said, “Hold where you are in the name of El Elyon and proceed no further!”
As one the Gargons fell to their knees and grabbed at their bullish throats in response for the severe need of air. Wheezed roars of fright erupted from their clamped throats, as I felt the Spirit of Ruach, that was heavy upon me, clamp off the ability of these monsters to perform any more evil than they had already done.
The Gargons fell to their faces dead and the bones holding the children back dissolved into nothing. Susori ran past me, screaming out in her native tongue, and the children came to her as if she was a mother to them all.
She grabbed up the littlest of them as the older children helped to carry the other young children. They streamed out around me in the direction of freedom, each of them seeking to outdistance the other in their hurry to exodus the cave.
The last child ran past me and the cavern before me, filled with the fallen forms of strangled monsters, erupted in fire as the floor cracked up and vomited forth magma into the room. I made my way after the children and as I walked rocks fell and the tunnel was filled.
Reaching the mouth of the tunnel I proceeded into the water tunnel, surrounded by the men who had overcome themselves and become seasoned warriors of righteousness. Not one of them had fallen and not one of them would ever be the same again.
We all now knew, if we had not before, that there was a God in Shamayim, who yet cared for the predicaments of those who entrusted their lives into His safekeeping. No words were said as we cleared the other bank of the river. We turned and watched the river crash down on itself and engulf the riverbed once more with its turbulence.
I raised my sword, “To El Elyon be the glory!”
The others raised their swords and echoed the same. Now, as life is full of obstacles and challenges, I now turned to the task of dealing with several hundred children.
Susori stood surrounded by a solid mass of them. As I approached her a little girl stepped forward and lifted her arms to me and I picked her up. She pointed upwards into the air and said something I couldn’t make out.
I turned to Susori whose face was awash with tears. Susori spoke, “She wants to know if the God you serve would love her too?”
I turned back to the little girl and nodded emphatically and said, “The promise of the new covenant is to all.”
I knew she didn’t understand my words, but her face split wide in a grin, as she read the emotion of my answer and she hugged me with all the strength that she had, as seemingly all the days of her harsh captivity melted away as if they had never been.
As we came out of the gorge and back onto the plain I was greeted with an unseasonably warm wind. I started the journey to the south that would return these children home. I prayed this day would be the changing point for the nation of Crona, to stop their fallen ways and instead usher in an age of grace.
Whether they chose to change or not, I thanked El Elyon for the lives of these children and the new steps of the faith I had taken in my life. Susori, holding a child in one arm, took my freehand with hers and looking to her I saw a joy that made her only more beautiful than before.
“I understand now. I worship Him too.”
Feeling a tear course down my cheek I said, “I’m glad!” And together, hand in hand, we walked south with the innocence of an entire nation following behind.
Chapter Fifteen
Kings and Fools
Three weeks later
The rises of Philanthia’s towers were coming more and more into view. At my back was a full delegation of Crona’s highest officials. The news of what had happened in Crona had already traveled far and wide.
Our arrival at the city was expected and I hoped it would be a civil one. Crona had come to beg peace and the cessation of a war they had begun. They had not come empty-handed either. Crona had emptied their considerable treasuries of wealth in order to, in part, repay the damages caused and the lives lost.
I hoped it went well and that peace was restored. For myself, I was content in the moment.
I glanced to the side and caught Susori already watching me. She smiled infectiously and I couldn’t help but return her smile. She was such a joy.
She filled my life with a security of emotion the likes of which I had never experienced. It was as if I had gone through life up till now only half a man, only to find my completion in her. I was still in shock by it all.
Looking forward toward the city once more, I inwardly acknowledged all over again how my life was different. Different! I’d forgotten something in all this and an expression of expectant dread fell over my face.
“What is it my husband?” Susori asked, reaching out in concern to touch my arm.
I glanced at her and winced. I took in her exotic sensual appeal and my imagination ran wild with the confrontation that was likely already brewing ahead. I ran my hand through my hair in sudden anxiety.
“What is it Benaiah?” Susori asked softly, as her look of question began to turn to one of alarm.
“Um…… things could get heated soon. You see, over the past several
years I’ve become a very good friend of the King, and well………”
“Well what?” Susori asked uncertainly.
“The King has a daughter. There was much talk of me taking her for my wife. I never agreed to anything, but in the minds of some I fear they saw it as an already accomplished thing. I don’t think the King will mind too much, but his daughter has been the source of most of the talk. She’s not going to like what’s happened between you and me. There are those in the court who will feel our union is an insult to the Princess. It could cause trouble.”
“I do not understand why?” Susori said.
I shrugged, “Even so, I believe it will. Once this peace delegation is over I think my time in Philanthia will also be over.”
Susori didn’t say anything for a while, but I sensed there were questions she wanted to ask. Finally she gave voice to them, “You would leave your high position in the court, as friend of the King, for me?”
“Absolutely!” I said unequivocably.
She shook her head, “Surely that is not necessary. This whole situation is quite easily resolved.”
“How so?” I asked, in complete puzzlement as to what she saw that I didn’t.
“Simply take the hand of the Princess in marriage and we shall both serve you as wives.”
I about fell off my horse but recovering I said, “I would never do that!”
“Why not?” she asked in genuine puzzlement.
I stared at her askance, but then I quickly realized I was dealing with a war of cultures. In her culture such things were done. Her brother was living proof of it.
“Things aren’t like that in the seven kingdoms as they are among your people, but that aside I would never take another wife so long as you are alive.”
She glanced down and was quiet for a moment before asking, “I still don’t understand why? Isn’t this Princess pretty? Why would you not want two women of beauty to call you husband and share your bed?”
I sent off a quick prayer for help as to what to say and inspiration came instantly, “Yes, the Princess is very pretty. Yes, it is a temptation to consider having you both as my wives, but…….”
“But?” she prompted when I’d fallen silent.
“I am not a man ruled by my fleshly desires. I am a man that seeks El Elyon’s way for my life first and the way to do that is found in the Holy Scrolls written down and left for us by the prophets of old. Those scrolls are El Elyon’s words to us. Those words form the context by which I seek to govern my life and in the holy words there is a passage of Scripture that says it is good for a man to be the husband of one wife. It doesn’t forbid what you propose, but it gives me the knowledge of what El Elyon desires of me.”
“I see,” she said in a small voice.
My hand reached out to caress the soft line of her jaw and I raised her head back up to look at me, “My faith is not the only reason that I would deny the temptation of your proposal in order to have you solely to myself.”
She seemed to be hanging on every word that I spoke and I asked, “Tell me Susori, in your heart would it bring you pleasure to share me with another woman?”
She instantly shook her head.
Staring deeply into her eyes then I said, with all the feeling I felt for her, “Then how, as the caretaker of your heart, do you think I could agree to something that would cause you hurt? You are my wife. My only wife. Understand?”
Tears were wetting the skin of my hand still caressing her face and I watched something fiercely passionate give birth in the stormy depths of her eyes. Her hands rose to hold mine and she pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand.
She spoke, “You are not a man as other men are! Truly I am blessed of women to be your wife! Benaiah…….”
“Yes?” I softly prompted, as I stared at her in deep appreciation of her in every way.
“I love you and I’m so glad that I don’t have to share you with anyone!” she said passionately, as she leaned toward me and I leaned toward her to complete the path of our lips meeting in the connection of a kiss that went far deeper than just the physical.
*****
Artaxis, who was riding behind the kissing couple, looked to the side at his young son who had been restored to him. The boy looked from the kissing couple to his father, who looked pained at a sudden realized knowledge. They’d both been overhearing the couple’s conversation.
“Son…….” Artaxis said, gesturing to Benaiah, “he is a better man to emulate in life than I am. You would do well to follow his example even as I will try to do the same.”
The boy nodded and looked forward to the couple who were still kissing as their horses moved forward in synchronized unison. He grinned when his aunt’s husband deepened the kiss by pulling his aunt from her saddle to sit before him on his horse. They were completely oblivious to everything going on around them.
The boy had never seen his aunt so happy before or a man so in control of another’s joy. Perhaps his father was right, but would there be any woman such as his aunt around when he became of age to take a wife? He certainly hoped so.
*****
I cleared the last flight of steps that lead to my quarters. The peace between the two nations at war was firmly cemented and growing more so by the moment as the King’s pursers counted the newfound wealth that had entered their storehouses.
Peace was what I had wanted, but I had the taste of bitterness in my mouth at how it had come about. Any true King of merit should have forgiven another realm of trespasses based on the grounds of how the nation of Crona had been forced to go to war.
The King had not been the man I thought him to be and it was now true, as I had expected, that he had no love for me anymore, because of his daughter's crushed aspirations. It was no fault of mine for her built-up fantasies of make-believe to come to an end, but as I had expected I was the villain in it all.
I paused by a window to stare out at a city still loud with a joyous uproar at the news of peace. All I felt was anger.
People were rejoicing in the Kingdomer Nation of Philanthia, not for the victory over great evil that had been achieved or the fact that Crona was even now being made over into a nation that was hearkening in droves to the voice of El Elyon and redefining their lives by His statutes. No, they celebrated because peace meant the return of prosperity.
No doubt there were mothers supremely grateful of their sons not going off to war, I understood that. But even as they were justified I also felt that they were of the minority of those glad at the sound of peace ringing out in the streets.
I stared bitterly at the city that I had helped serve and keep safe for four years now. What was worth protecting in a city so filled with selfishness and the pursuit of riches?
Truly, I felt more at home in Crona than I now did in this kingdom. I’d had good times here, but the people and the King were not what I had built them up to be. I felt sure that if it had not been for the gratuitous gifting of all of Crona’s riches that there would have been no peace accord hammered out today in the king’s court.
For months the King had said how peace was all he wanted, but that had been a lie as, when faced with a generous peace proposal, he had gone on to demand a heavy tribute to be paid annually by Crona to Philanthia as well as a reduction of profits by Crona merchants on all products traded between the two countries.
I would have objected outright, but Artaxis had held me back and agreed to each item of what I felt to be egregious insults to any nation. How could peace last into the next generation when the current generation of Crona was going to live without what every nation needed in terms of respect?
It did not bode well for the future. I turned from the window and continued on to my room.
I slipped the bolts on the door shut as I closed it behind me. The room was dark and Susori was no doubt asleep. Leaning back against the door I felt peace for the first time today.
The world and its issues were outside. Inside this room was the warm comfort of m
y wife and all that the future had to offer us.
In my mind I was already imagining how peaceful it would be to crawl into the bed and nestle up to the warmth of my sleeping wife and be safe from the tantrums and crazed actions of the world outside, if for only a little while. I stopped my approach to the bed as a light flared and a candle was lit.
In relief I let go of my sword handle at the sight of Susori busy lighting more candles. She came to me then, the temptress that she was, and pressed her forehead against mine as she whispered, “It’s time to leave the affairs of the world behind my love and enjoy what we have instead.”
I reached for her, but she glided away toward the bed. Seeing her and the expectation of what was to follow easily stole all my former hard thoughts of the day away. She smiled and I knew she knew just how successful she had been.
“Come closer my lover and I will show you my love till the dawn’s early rays after all the candles have burned out.”
Her invitation was as erotica as she was and I wondered how I had been so blessed. I would gladly lose kingdoms for this woman and yet all she asked in return was the love I already felt for her.
*****
It was early. The dawn of a new day had just begun and yet I was no farther along in figuring out what to do with my life now. I stared out over the city before me that still lay asleep. Was it time to go to the Kingdom of Vella and confront the high priestess that Kuri had tasked me with doing? I didn’t think so.
I also felt, though, that my time here at the side of the King was over. I’d prayed repeatedly through the night, but still I was no farther in knowing what to do.
“Why is it that you worry about what to do?” asked the voice of Urtholan into the quietness of the room and some part of me relaxed.
I glanced over at him, “Foolish of me, isn’t it.”
Urtholan shrugged, “What has worrying ever accomplished a man? In regards to yourself, here you are alone, cold, and removed from the comfort of your mate.”
I nodded. He had a very good point.
I glanced back into the darkened interior of the room and sensed that Urtholan was already gone, his message delivered. In short, I needed to trust more and worry less. I turned away from the railing of the balcony, content to let the uncertainty of the future rest in El Elyon’s hands.