“You have no idea what I have done,” the Silver Dragon warned.
Scarlett hugged herself as she twirled excitedly. “What do you mean? You’ve broken free from his lies.”
“He’s the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”1 The dragon lay down comfortable as she chuckled at Scarlett’s giddiness.
Scarlett stopped twirling and placed her hands on her hips. “That is how he presented himself to you.”
“You don’t understand. You don’t know the wrath that’s coming. He’s stronger than you think. He only appears to be defeated. He’s biding his time. He’s known by many other names, and he has a backing greater than you can imagine. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.”2 Fire gives him power, the more his lies and deceit spread the stronger he becomes. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”3
Scarlett clenched her fists in a boxer stance and stomped her foot. “We know the truth and can guard ourselves against any lie.”
The dragon hung her head and shuddered sadly. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbeliever, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”4
Scarlett playfully punched the air before her. “The darkness is forced to flee from the light. You’ve seen this.”
The dragon slammed her tail on the ground, knocking Scarlett off balance. “He even disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise if those who follow him also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”5
Standing firmly, Scarlett shook her head in disgust. “What do you mean to disguise themselves?”
Tears began to ripple like wave down the dragon’s cheeks. Without moving her head, she looked up with both sadness and fear in her eyes. “He knows our fears, and he knows our past. He can convince others of their unworthiness and deceive them into following his plan. So, no matter how prepared you think you are, he was born to deceive, lie, and manipulate.”
Scarlett’s hands fell, her shoulder slumped, and she stared at her feet. “You mean like he manipulated me? If that is true, is anyone safe? How can one guard and prepare for something like that?”
The dragon stood and pounded her legs on the ground. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. He prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your children, friends, and family.”6
Looking up and folding her arms, Scarlett looked straight in the dragon’s eyes. “How can I trust anyone?”
The dragon pranced around Scarlet forming figure eights. “His deception wants to divide us. You must trust in the truth. Just as Nora and Jo spoke truth into you, they defeated his lies that held you in bondage so many years ago. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against his schemes.”
Scarlet reached out and climbed on the dragons back as it continued in its figure eight pattern.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”7
Scarlett rested her stomach on the dragon’s back. “I remember the battle for my mind and soul. I’m grateful for Nora and Jo, wherever they are. I sure could use their wisdom and truth now.”
The dragon stopped so abruptly that Scarlett slid up to its neck. “Don’t be deceived. It wasn’t their truth. They were mere messengers speaking the truth.”
Scarlett sat up and slid off the dragon’s back and ran to face the dragon again. “What do you suggest we do?”
The dragon pounded the ground again with her paws. “Prepare. Fill your mind and heart with truth. So, you can recognize a lie when it comes.”
Scarlett opened her eyes as the Silver Dragon’s eyes faded back into blue once more. “Guards,” Scarlett yelled. Four guards enter the throne room and bowed before Queen Scarlett.
“You called, my queen?” one guard replied.
“Summon my daughters. I need to convene with them,” Scarlett ordered.
“Yes, my queen.” One guard stood to get Katerina and Crystal. Scarlett looked at the other three guards kneeling before her.
“Rise,” Scarlett ordered. The three guards stood at ease. “I want you to double the guard tonight, especially around the prisoner. I have a feeling this’ll not be a quiet night.”
“Yes, my queen.” The guards nodded and turned to leave the throne room when Katerina and Crystal entered.
“You called Mother?” Katerina asked, bowing.
“Yes, I want you two to be strong. Guard your hearts and minds. Don’t be deceived.” Scarlett warned.
“What do you mean?” Crystal asked.
“You’re young, but I know you’re both strong. Just be ready.” Scarlett warned.
“Ready? Ready for what?” Katerina questioned.
“I can’t explain now. But in time you’ll understand. Fill your mind with truth, and the truth will set you free.” Scarlett paced between the girls in a figure-eight pattern. She paused in front of each girl and embraced them slightly, then held them at arm’s length and nodded. “Just guard your thoughts. Do not allow yourselves to fall to deceit.”
The two girls bowed their heads and turned to leave. “Yes, Mother.”
Scarlett turned to look out over the valley again. Her eyes turned silver as she closed them. “You’re only delaying the inevitable,” the Silver Dragon affirmed.
“No, he’s already defeated. Lucas will not win.” Scarlett declared.
“I warn you again, don’t underestimate him. We’ve been connected for centuries of time. We were in union before his fall. He fought for ultimate power, with me by his side. We would silence anything that threatened our end goal. You’ve shown me the power of the Saviour in a different light. I see now how undefeated He really is. Lucas has no choice but to strive for his ultimate rule. I no longer have that bond with him. My love for him no longer keeps him in bondage; I no longer hold him back. He’ll no longer be distracted by what he saw as his driving force. He now will see me as his downfall. He’ll harden his heart. Be prepared. You’ll experience his full wrath. Bittersweet as it may be. As prepared as you think you are, you aren’t,” the Silver Dragon said.
“You’ll see.” Scarlett pondered.
“No, you will see,” the Silver Dragon affirmed as she turned to look over the valley. “There’ll be blood spilled. Guard yourself. The time is coming.”
Tap, tap, tap. “Oh, will you stop that infernal tapping?” the guard said from outside Lucas’ cell.
Tap, tap, tap, “What’s the matter? I’ve nothing else to do.”
“Do you want me to give you something to do?” the guard growled under his breath.
The chains rattled as Lucas stood to his feet. He leaned toward the door. “I know your fears.”
“Enough already! You’ve already lost. Now silence.” the guard grumbled.
“Darkness is coming the wrath will feast, you can’t hide from it.” Lucas warned.
The guard turned to face Lucas when Crystal walked up to him. “Man your post,” Crystal ordered.
“Lady Crystal, what’re you doing up at this late hour?” the guard asked.
“I couldn’t sleep. Is the prisoner still secure?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Tap, tap, tap, clang, clang, clang.
The guard pulled out his sword and banged it vigorously again the cell door. “Oh, will you just stop?”
BOOM! The prison door exploded into splinters, knocking the guard and Crystal off their feet. Lucas emerged through the smoke and dropped the chains that had bound him for two years. He turned, smirked at the guard, and
picked up Crystal.
Katerina startled awake as the guard’s alarm and spotlights illuminated the courtyard. “Lucas!” she yelled as she jumped out of bed, then reached for her bow and a handful of arrows. As she stepped out into the hallway, a group of guards met her as they rushed down the hall. “What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure yet, my lady. I’m on my way to the prison to investigate.” one guard replied as he rushed forward. Katerina quickly fell into pursuit.
“I’m coming too.” Screams of injured guards reached her ears and the stench of sulfuric acid stung her nose as they crossed the courtyard and descended the stairs toward the prison cell. The alarm blared in her ears as smoke thickened with each step. When Katerina reached the first set of guards, she helped one to his feet. “What happened here?” she questioned. In confusion, the guard only pointed down the hallway. Katerina ran with more guards to discover what caused the explosion. As they rounded the last corner before the cell room, Katerina saw Lucas descending the hallway. The guards started firing, but Katerina ordered them to stop when she saw her sister in Lucas’ hands.
“Lucas, let her go. You’ve nowhere to run.” Katerina declared.
Lucas smiled at her. “You forget, child, as darkness can hide, blackness deceives, deception will rise, and fear conceive.” The hallway filled with smoke. Katerina ran into the black smoke without regard for her own safety in the direction she thought her sister and Lucas might be. After some smoke cleared, she found herself alone. But Lucas’s voice called from a distance. “I know your fears. Remember, I hid you and your sister away for years.”
Katerina armed her bow and turned in a circle. “Stop hiding in the shadows you coward! Face me head-on, and you will see who’s stronger.”
“Oh, I know you’re strong. I also know your fear of being alone. You can have Crystal back, but you need to do something for me first.”
“I’m listening.”
“It’s just a small journey. I want all threats diminished.”
“I’ll not hurt my family.”
“No, no, I can deal with your family. If you want Crystal back, eliminate Nora!”
“Nora? I haven’t seen or heard from her in two years. What does she have to do with anything?”
The guards ran up to Katerina as she shot her arrow forward. “Face me!” The rest of the smoke dissipated right as the guards joined her. In a flash, Lucas and Crystal vanished. “Inform my mother at once. Lucas has escaped.”
“What about Crystal?” A guard asked.
“Don’t mention her. I’ll get her back. She needs to focus on battle plans. Lucas won’t go down easily,” Katerina warned as she swung her bow over her shoulder.
The guards marched to the throne room to inform Queen Scarlett of Lucas’ escape.
Katerina, the twelve-year-old raven-haired beauty, stormed off. She looked down at her fist. As she slowly opened her hand, a small, red glow emitted from her palm. A flash of anger washed over her face; she quickly closed her fist tight, readjusted her bow, and headed for the front gate.
3
Graduation Day
Senora wiggled in her chair and bit her fingernails, as her mom put the finishing touches to her hair. “I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. My baby’s graduating,” her mom said as she wiped a tear from her eye, “It seemed like just yesterday Jo was graduating. You two need to stop growing up so fast.”
“Oh, Mom, I’ll come to visit as often as I can. You know that.” Senora smiled at her mom, stood, and turned to face her. “How do I look?”
“You look absolutely stunning,” her Dad replied as he leaned on the doorframe of her room.
“Awe, thanks, Dad.” Senora ran to wrap her arms around her dad in a big hug.
“My baby girl, all grown up. I’m not sure if I’m ready for all these changes,” her dad responded.
“Oh, don’t you start too. Change is just a new adventure.”
“Not sure where you learned that one. Definitely not from me. That’s for sure. Oh, Jo just called. He’s waiting for Sylvia to finish her exam, and they’ll be on their way. Said they may be a little late, so they’ll meet us at the ceremony.”
Senora frowned a little but quickly shook the sadness off. “This is an exciting day. I’ll not allow lateness to bring me down. Bobbie and his mom will meet us there too. Is it all right if they sit with you?”
“Of course. Sarah’s my friend too. I’ll be happy to see her again. She seems to be either busy at home or at the prison visiting Tony. I feel I never get to see her anymore. I’m so proud of you for thinking of inviting them,” her mom replied.
“Thanks, Mom. Bobbie has been looking out for me these past few years. He has really grown up.”
“Everyone has matured so much over the years.” Her dad looked at his watch. “You know, if you don’t want to be late yourself, we should get a move on.”
“Yes, Dad. I’m ready. Let me just put my grad cap on.”
“You can go bring the car up, and we’ll be out soon.” Her mom nodded at her husband. He nodded back and headed down the stairs and out the front door.
As the three parked the car in front of Montgomery High School, Senora jumped out of the car and ran to meet Alex, her shy and quiet grad partner. “I was beginning to think you were going to skip your own grad, and I would have to walk down to the stage by myself,” Alex whispered as Senora joined him in the line. “Cutting it kinda close, aren’t you?”
“At least I made it before we started walking. Right?” Senora winked.
“Barely,” Alex responded as the group started moving toward the stage. They each walked up the stage stairs, found their placement seat, and turned to face the crowd.
“Welcome, everyone to Montgomery High 2022 Ceremonies,” the principal declared as the grad class hooted and cheered. As everyone sat down Senora’s mind began to wander. Her thoughts drifted over the many different memories that made her who she was.
She shifted her feet and smoothed out her grad gown. While the principal continued his address to the crowd, Senora panned the sea of faces, some beaming with pride and others full of tears. Her eyes fell on her parents. Her mom was resting her head on her dad’s shoulder. Dad’s arm was around her, gently stroking her right shoulder. Her eyes moved over to see Josiah with his arm around Sylvia, his fiancée, a smiling blonde-haired beauty. Robert and his mom sat next to Josiah.
He has changed so much over these past two years, Senora thought. Then again, I have changed a lot too. She remembered her adventures with her friend Sam in Treasure Kingdom. She and Jo learned so much about themselves and each other. In her mind, she saw flashes of Robert crumpled in a heap on his basement floor, the gray revolver dangling from his fingertips. The wave of pain, sorrow, angry, grief, and hopelessness danced in his dark eyes. He was ready to kill himself. The weight of Trevor’s death weighed heavily upon him. Thank you, God, for making him realize his value in you and how to receive your forgiveness.
I miss Trevor so much; I wish he could have been here to cheer me on. I’m glad Bobbie was able to attend. Today would feel a lot darker without both of them. Bobbie and Trevor were always a good team. With Jo in tow, you never knew what Trevor would come up with next. She recalled a lighter time when the paperboy had made fun of her, mocking her clumsiness. This was her first year at school when everything was new. Grade one was hard enough without the paperboy teasing her on a daily basis. This made her more self-conscious and clumsier.
Two days in particular brought a smile to her face. Stumbling off the bus and landing with a thud, she cringed as she heard one of the bus windows open. “Way to go! Little Klutzy strikes again,” Bancroft, the paperboy, announced to his friends. As the bus rolled away his laughter trailed off with it. Trevor turned to help her up and glared at the bus, turning out of sight.
“Hey, what was that all about?” Trevor asked. Senora brushed off her pants and shyly smiled.
Oh, just Banni being Bancroft.” Senora sig
hed. “I have homework to do. Talk to you later.” Little Senora ran up the porch steps and disappeared into the house.
Robert clenched his fists, and his jaw tightened. “He had no right to laugh at your sister, Trevor.”
“Hey there, Bobbie. Calm down. I’ve an idea to deter him. You two in?” Trevor asked mischievously.
Josiah and Robert smirked and nodded. Two eight-year-olds and a ten-year-old leaned close to come up with a plan.
The next day, Senora arrived home from another long day at school, and as usual she quickly went inside to do homework. Trevor met Robert and Josiah on the porch late that afternoon.
“Now, I know the paperboy delivers his paper to us today,” Trevor declared. “Let’s shake him up a bit.” Trevor handed Josiah and Robert a rifle air gun. “It only shoots air, but boy it can make a loud bang.” Trevor’s eyes twinkled.
“Oh, Trevor, you always come up with the best plans,” Josiah said through laughter. The three boys waited in anticipation of Bancroft’s arrival.
Soon, the paperboy came riding his bike up to their house.
“Bobbie? Trevor? Jo? What’sup with y’all?” Bancroft asked with panic in his eyes.
Trevor stood holding the air rifle. “I hear you’ve been givin’ Nora a hard time, Banni.” He clicked the rifle. Bancroft swallowed hard. Robert and Josiah stood and clicked their rifles. Trevor pointed his rifle toward Bancroft. “Choose your next words wisely.”
“What do you want me to say?” Bancroft questioned.
“Are you goin to leave Nora alone?” Robert asked as he aimed his rifle.
“My sister deserves respect,” Josiah proclaimed as he raised his rifle.
“It was all in fun. She knows that.” Bancroft whispered under his breath.
BANG! Robert fired a round. Bancroft flinched, turned on his bike, and started to ride away as fast as his little nine-year-old legs could carry him.
Unbroken Kingdom Page 3
