Unbroken Kingdom

by Lorie Gurnett

  “No, he’ll fight, but he’ll need to fight in his world too. He’ll need you. Just think about Bobbie, and the gem will do the rest.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “Your quest will be to unite Bobbie. He must be whole to fight the battle both within and the battle that’ll invade his world. He’ll need Nora too. That’s why I’m hard on her. She needs to survive.”

  Sam nodded in agreement, still with some uncertainty of what Katerina had told her. “Let me at least train her. I know her strengths. It’s not with a sword. But she holds the words of the Saviour. Let me go.”

  “Find the strength to train, but you also need to rest recover so you can fight the real battle of the soul and mind.” Katerina walked out of Sam’s room again. Sam walked toward the window and looked back and forth between Robert and Senora. She saw Crystal approach Senora.

  Senora looked over her shoulder at Crystal, quickly wiping away tears. “I understand. Here, let me try. I sometimes have a softer touch than Kat does.”

  Senora nodded as she picked up her sword again.

  “Good. First, you need to adjust your grip. If you hold it that way, you leave yourself vulnerable to attack.” Crystal tapped Senora’s left side, and Robert shifted his stance and stared at the two out of the corner of his eye.

  Senora moved both hands side by side aligning the handle of the sword with more comfort and ease. “Good, first work on blocking. If I step this way, you mirror my actions.” Crystal stepped to the right and, swung her sword toward Senora’s arm as Senora stepped left and collided her sword with Crystals. “Now, the fight is more like a dance. Just observe and anticipate. Crystal jumped into action swinging her sword close to Senora’s chin, and Senora reacted by dodging and raising her sword upward, knocking Crystal off balance. Senora lowered her sword right away when Crystal kicked her side.

  Senora staggered and gasped to catch her breath. “You forgot to mirror. But you are getting the idea.”

  Robert chuckled despite himself. Ok maybe there is some hope for Nora.

  “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication form me, declares the Lord.”5 The Tall Bearded Man appeared beside Robert. Jumping, he staggered to his feet.

  “How can talking defeat anything?”

  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brother. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”6

  “Yes, but…” Robert looked over his shoulder at Senora and Crystal. “Nora has no battle experience. She doesn’t know anger like I do.”

  “The Lord will strengthen you and Nora. He will uphold you both with His righteous right hand. Trust in the Lord; let Him deliver you. Let Him rescue both of you, for He delights in you both.”

  “Trust is hard. But I know your ways are greater than my own. I will try to give her a chance.” Robert turned toward the Man, but he was gone.

  “The sword isn’t your strength,” Crystal declared. Senora slumped her shoulders, feeling defeated. The sword slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground. “Follow me. You see?” Crystal pointed at each different group of creature and men alike. “We all have different strengths. Look at the Grassland folk: their strength is stealth. That’s why they’ll be in charge of sneak attacks. Look at Donella and her group: they’re strong warriors. They attack head-on and with great force. That’s why they’re the first formation. I see your friend, Bobbie. He’s a sniper. He hit the bullseye every time. He’s accurate and concise. Me? I’m more of an archer like my sister Kat. We’re short-range, but also accurate and concise. Kat’s always training if not physically, then mentally. She’s stronger than most people think and always has a plan in motion before I can even say boo. And then, there’s Sir Gervon.”

  “Yeah, what’s with that guy? When he speaks, everyone jumps to attention. Who is he?” Senora asked.

  “He’s a mystery, that one. He’s like Sam.”

  “What do you mean like Sam? Is he also a transformed dragon?”

  “What, dragon? No, that’s silly. Sam’s the last of her kind. We haven’t seen others for quite some time. The other dragons are in hiding somewhere. No, Gervon’s the last of his kind.”

  “What kind is that?”

  “He is the last of the Giant Royal line.”

  “So, that’s why his words hold such authority. What’s the deal with Donella?”

  “Donella’s also a mystery. Gervon’s last of the royal line, yes, but there’re still giants. Donella’s both giant and elf. You see her father was a giant, Gervon’s brother, but her mother was an elf. She leads the warrior clan.”

  “Does she ever smile?”

  “Never.” Crystal chuckled. “She’s focused on her end goal, and I’m not always clear what that is.”

  “That’s good, but I can’t do any of that. Maybe Bobbie’s right. Why am I even here? I can’t do anything right.” Senora sighed.

  “That’s a lie. You, you hold the words of the Saviour. That’s your strength.” Crystal declared. “Don’t be deceived. There’s great power in words.”

  “The battle will be loud. How’ll they hear?” Senora asked.

  “The Fiery Crossroads connects worlds. When you speak there, your word will be carried as far as the east is from the west. The Saviour is with you,” Crystal declared.

  “She’s right. It’s your courage and your boldness that has brought me here,” Chester replied, sending both girls jumping.

  “What do you mean by my courage? I’m not courageous at all,” Senora claimed.

  Chester chuckled nervously like a hyena. “Lies and deception. You braved entering the Shadow Dominion, knowing full well it could destroy you. Your light shines through their darkness. I’m already doomed. My days are numbered, I’m a Misfit Shadow Knight, but I’ve seen that darkness is forced to flee in the presence of light. I know not of any Saviour, but I know that Lord Lucas wants to rule over the ultimate Creator. Envy drives him, but he knows the ultimate end will be his defeat. I made the wrong choice: once and was cast out. I chose to follow Lord Lucas when he fell from the Heavenly Realms. He promised power and wisdom. He’s a great deceiver. I made my choice now I have to live with that. My end will be doing the right thing. You showed me that,” Chester said. “Fear is what keeps me going. That’s why I have you around. Fear of going against both Lord Lucas and Master Dravyon. It’s terrifying.” He bowed and stared at Senora. “A word of advice?”

  “What’s that?” Senora asked.

  “The next time a stranger talks to you when you’re alone, just look at them shocked and whisper, ‘You can see me?’ Trust me gets them every time,” Chester replied with a wink as he slunk away.

  “Um, what do I say to that? He’s a strange one, that’s for sure,” Senora said.

  “Never mind him. You need to focus now. See, the Saviour brings truth and life through you. Jesus’s sacrifice gave you life abundantly and a boldness to tell others. Never lose that, Nora,” Crystal warned.

  “How do you know that the battle will be at the Fiery Crosswords?” Senora asked.

  “Lucas’s forces are gathering there. The gate will be opened for a short time. This only happens when the stars align. That’s when your world will become more vulnerable. We’ll be all that stands in the way.” Crystal reached for a quiver of arrows and a bow. “I should do some training myself.” Crystal nodded and headed to the targeting range where Robert was still shooting.

  Robert paused to watch Crystal as she reached in her quiver for an arrow. She aimed her bow and released it. Direct hit in the middle. “Beginners luck,” Robert mocked. Crystal pulled another arrow out, aimed and shot, splitting the first arrow in two, directly in the center. Crystal turned and smiled at Robert. He blushed and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “Ok, you’re good.”

  “I’ve been
holding a bow since before I could walk. Mother’s rules were to always be training and prepared for anything. Kat and I can hit a target every time. Mother raised us to be strong. We trained every waking second of the day. The only times we had downtime was on our weekly outing with Princess Delores. Even when Lucas took us captive, Kat was training mentally, always trying to think up a new way of escape. That’s why Lucas moved us around the castle so often. He kept us guessing on our location and destination constantly. Kat’s the strong one: she’s far more mature than I’ll ever be. We may be twins, but Kat was born first. She surpassed me in many ways. She even holds leadership when it comes to martial arts fighting. No one can combat her, not even an adult,” Crystal said, “Kat’s thoughts of escape always held a full plan, whereas my idea of escape was to make as much noise as I could in hopes someone would find us. Like Nora and Jo did. I find archery is mine and Kat’s greatest competition.” Crystal inspected the target Robert had been shooting at. Her eyes widened in shock as the center of the target was gone. Every shot had been on target, both short-range and long-range. “How did you learn to shoot like that?”

  “I guess that was one thing I learned from my dad probably the only thing.” Robert placed his rifle down and kicked some dirt off his shoe.

  Senora approached Robert.

  “Bobbie, are you alright? Can we talk, please?”

  “I don’t know why you’re still here. I can’t protect you here,” Robert snapped. I fear for Nora’s life. What can I say or do to convince her to leave? War’s no place for her; she’s just too soft.

  “I don’t need your protection; I’ve just as much right to be here as you do. But the battle belongs to the Saviour. I was brought here for a reason.”

  “I admit you do have some skill.”

  “God has a plan for you. Some things you can hold onto are…You’re never alone; when the enemy reminds you of your past mistakes, remind him of his future. He has already lost; the Saviour has paid the cost for your sin. For to pay for sin only death will suffice, Christ’s death on the cross paid that price. So, he has already lost. He’s just trying his hardest to bring down as many to his prison with him as he can. Stand firm and hold to the truth.”

  “I understand. It has taken me a long time, but I finally understand that God’s healing love and power are stronger than holding onto pain, hatred, and unforgiveness. Nora, I’ve found a way to forgive my dad for what he has done to both my mom and I.”

  Senora hugged Robert despite herself. She quickly pulled away and tried to compose herself.

  “That’s such a blessing, Bobbie.”

  “Is that all you wanted to talk about? If so, I should get back to training.”

  “No, there’s one more thing. It’s the reason I came.”

  Ok, here it comes. Maybe this’ll be something I can use to convince her to go, Robert pondered.

  “What do you mean? You never told me how you got here. I don’t even understand how I got here.”

  Senora touched Robert’s scar on his arm, and he flinched and pulled away. “You see…” Senora pulled the eagle pendant out from under her shirt. “The pendant, I believe, acts as a gateway. But I don’t know how it works exactly. But with you, it’s different.”

  “Different? How?”

  “You never left our world.” Senora looked at the ground.

  “What do you mean? I never left? I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, but you’re there too. I don’t understand it myself. But you sleep in a coma in our world.”

  Robert staggered backward at Senora’s words, confusion boiling to the surface. “You lie. I don’t know why you’re trying to distract me just before battle, but I need to focus. Why don’t you just leave me alone? I am willing to give you the benefit of a doubt. I only ask you to give me the same curtesy.” Robert stormed back to where he left his rifle, grabbed another box of cartridges, and stomped back to the target range. Why does she want to distract me? Does she see me as a failure too? I wish I knew how to tell her. I’m glad to see her, but I fear if she stays, I can’t keep her safe. Maybe if I push her away, she’ll leave. I just don’t want her to get hurt. I need to focus and train. If I can’t convince her to leave, it’ll take all my strength to make sure nothing happens to her.

  “But,” Senora said, hanging her head in discouragement, “if we all give into our fears and the lies, we have believed, then what’s the point?”

  “The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. His lightning light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory,” The Tall Bearded Man said from behind Senora.7 She jumped.

  “Give me wisdom now. What should I do?” Senora asked.

  “Pray. ‘Yet regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the places of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 8The Saviour is with you. You hold all that you need. Stand where it has already burnt, and be refined in the truth. Trust in Him, and He’ll guide you.” The Man disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. Senora was left pondering this truth in her heart.

  She looked over her shoulder toward Robert as he aimed at the target once again. “Lord, please protect Bobbie, unify this mismatched group, strengthen our faith, and go with us, in Jesus name, amen.” Senora’s prayer seemed to hang in the air as she was filled with courage and hope, moving her to action.

  18

  Two Worlds Collide

  Senora turned on her heel and stomped into the castle, up the winding staircase, and straight into Sam’s room. Sam jumped as the door opened behind her with a bang. She turned from the window to see Senora standing there. “Nora? You scared me. What’s troubling you?”

  “Bobbie. What happened to you two in the Shadow Dominion? His anger seemed to be even more heightened than normal.” Senora said.

  Sam stared out the window again, lost in thought as she looked down toward Robert. “I’m not sure what they did to Bobbie, but I could share that while I was there, it was horrible. Drayvon had a way of bringing your worst internal fears to the surface and igniting them with fire.” Sam staggered. Senora ran to her to stop her from falling, guiding her back to the bed. Once Sam safely lay down again, she continued. “You see, he uses old memories, ones that you might have blocked out or buried from long ago. He filled those memories with lies in a way that they appeared as truth. He showed me my mother.”

  Sitting on the side of the bed, Senora asked, “Your mother? Who’s she?”

  Glancing at Senora and quickly back at the window, she said. “She was kind, strong, and brave. Oh Nora, she gave her life to protect me.”

  Placing her arm around Sam’s shoulders, she turned her ear to listen. “Protect you from what?”

  “The Silver Dragon. He also showed me my real name. It is all my fault.” Staggering to her feet, she cradled her head in frustration.

  Standing in shock, she reached to steady Sam. “What’s your fault?”

  “My mother died because of me. Drayvon did something to me. I can’t access my dragon self anymore.” Sam stared toward the window.

  “That’s a lie, Sam. Listen to me.” Senora turned her to face toward her and shook her shoulders. “God has ‘made you a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned you with glory and honor.’1 So, if you were worthless why would God say, ‘greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends, or that ‘God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.2 So, you’re loved, you have va
lue, and Christ has chosen you. You need to rebuke these lies that Drayvon has filled in your head and used to cloud your mind.” She stomped her foot to make her point.

  Sam hung her head, “You’re right, Nora. The scars are deep. The lies are embedded in my wounds, but I know that truth is stronger. Bobbie holds great bitterness. His wounds seem unending. I’ve seen his forgiving heart, but I’ve seen what torments him just under the surface too. He passed the test, but Lucas is the Father of Lies. How do you know he has not succumbed to his deceptions?” Sam looked up with such burning conviction.

  “Look inside your heart. What do you see when you look at Bobbie?” Senora closed her eyes and whispered, “I know the trauma and the turmoil he battles daily, but I also know God has chosen him.” Opening her eyes, she looked intently at Sam. “He longed to understand God’s love, but after knowing such torture all his life, he has a hard time believing he’s loved. Sometimes, he runs from love.”

  Turning away, Sam fell back on the bed, she took a deep breath and sighed. “I understand. When you love someone you make yourself vulnerable. In times of war, vulnerability is dangerous.”

  Pinning her hands behind her head, she paced around the room. “That’s just it. When you embrace love and open your heart and mind to understand what true love really is, nothing else matters.” Allowing her hands to fall at her sides, she smiled. “You may feel vulnerable, but in that vulnerability, God’s strength ignites. Sam, Bobbie’s the strongest person I know. Don’t give up on him yet.”

  Sitting up and crossing her legs on the bed, she rolled her eyes and giggled. “I couldn’t give up on him, even if I tried.” Fiddling with the corner of the blanket, she looked up at Senora. “I don’t understand him, but I feel connected to him somehow. I’m sorry, I won’t be well enough to go into battle with you this time. But my prayers go with you. I know the Saviour is with you.”