The Last Legend: Awakened

by Joshua B. Wichterich

  There were decorated tables and benches everywhere. The long tables were topped with many different kinds of lavish food, drink and beautiful candelabras and the benches were filled with cheerful Legna. Even the horses seemed excited as they grazed upon the cool grass. Many of the horses fed on the outside of the circle, flicking their tales and standing with each other like cohorts.

  They noticed many beasts sitting here and there, resembling Serafim greatly. Some of the mighty, beautiful beasts were the color of a pale-gold sunrise and others were white as snow. The beasts were not like the horses that stood and grazed upon the earth, but they seemed to mingle with the other Legna, as if they were a part of the Legna and not just a means of traveling.

  The beings of light were everywhere; some were dancing, some were standing and talking while others were sitting at the tables eating and drinking merrily with one another. Some of the Legna were playing wonderful music while others were lounging on the soft grass and on large embellished pillows and cushions that sat sporadically upon the soft green grass. The whole sight of it was the true meaning of fellowship, and every single one of them appeared very happy and true to each other.

  They made their way through the crowd, enjoying everything they beheld. As they walked, they caught the attention of many Legna who looked on them with friendly smiles. As they walked, they began to feel somewhat important, as if the Legna knew something grand and spectacular about them that they did not.

  “You appear very refreshed and uplifted,” a soft and kind voice said from behind them. They turned to see that the kind voice came from Uriel. She stood tall and beautiful and looked as if she had just come down from the stars and moon. She appeared like a celestial queen. “You must be looking for your companion, Natalia,” she said with a soft smile.

  She looked at Phillip who never took his eyes away from her fair countenance and striking eyes.

  “I am called Uriel, my dear Prince Phillip,” she said, looking into his eyes with her golden-yellow stare. “I am very pleased to see that you have become made whole.”

  Phillip felt as if he were connected to Uriel somehow. He didn’t know why but in his mind he saw a shiny golden cord connecting both Uriel and himself together. Just by standing in her presence, he felt safe—as if he was at home. He felt a strong bond between them, as a friend would for another, or as a relationship between a brother and sister.

  “Thank you, my lady,” he finally said with a slow nod of the head.

  “Follow me,” she said as she walked towards the great bonfire.

  They gladly followed beside her and took in the sights and sounds everything and everyone.

  “Lady Uriel,” Tairren said, watching the Legna. There seemed to be hundreds of them. “Where did you come from? I mean—where are you and your people from? I know you are from a kingdom called Nevaeh—but, where is this kingdom?”

  Uriel looked at Tairren with a smile. Tairren thought he saw stars in her golden eyes as she smiled. She then looked over all of the joyful Legna, smiling proudly.

  “You know where this kingdom is. But it is impossible to find this kingdom if you do not know The God of Light. He is the way, the truth and the life—no one can come into the Kingdom of Light, except through Him. Only the ones whose names are written in The Great King’s Book of Life, are welcome—only the ones who know Him, are written in this book. Nevaeh is where the God of Light is—and where the God of Light is, that is where Nevaeh dwells. When you believe in Him, and know Him in your heart—that is where He is. And if He is in your heart—that is where the Kingdom of Light is.” Uriel looked into his dark-blue eyes, then smiled. “Do you understand, young Tairren?”

  Tairren looked confused and looked away from Uriel, not wanting to appear daft.

  “That means that the Kingdom of Nevaeh is—within me?” he said.

  “The Kingdom of Light is near you, within you and all around you… Do not fret—do not feel ashamed that you do not understand the full mysteries of God—but He will reveal them to you in time… The God of Light and His is kingdom are so vast and the human mind can only configure what it has experienced—so I will explain it in such a way that you will understand.

  “The Kingdom of Nevaeh is a great kingdom—further away than even the ends of this earth. It sits north from here, on the edge of the sparkling black veil, away from the eyes of men. Here in this kingdom, The Great King of Light has made a splendid home for every soul that invites Him into their lives... Every heart that contains light—contains Him… He will wipe away every tear in their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or pain… For all these things will be gone forever… And you will live forever in a peace that you have never felt before… And He waits for you—and has been doing so since you were born…”

  Uriel stopped speaking, then smiled again at them. They just looked at her with wonder. Every word that came out of her mouth was mind-blowing to them, and they wanted to see this Great Kingdom of Light, they wanted to follow this king of light even more. They continued to walk through the crowd, making their way to the massive fire that gleamed brightly before them. Tairren and Phillip thought of everything that she revealed to them, and they dwelled on it as they watched the beings of light around them. They did not see any sorrowful or burden-laden person around them, and they wondered if their surroundings were similar to that of Nevaeh.

  As they came closer to the fire, they spotted Natalia who was sitting with a group of Legna on some lavish pillows, listening to the music that was being played by a group of Legna. The music was very soothing and beautiful and Natalia looked very relaxed and pleased as she listened, randomly making conversation with the legna who were sitting around her. They looked as if they were family or old friends, just spending time together.

  “There she is,” Uriel said, motioning towards her with a graceful movement of her arm.

  Natalia noticed them right away and got up excitedly. She looked as if she were an eager child who had just found her long lost pet.

  “Tairren! Phillip!” she said as she hurried to them. She gave them both a huge hug as if she hadn’t seen them for some time. The Legna around them chuckled a little as they watched, having great smiles on their faces.

  Natalia pulled them to the group of Legna she had been conversing with and introduced them all to each other. They were all pleased to finally get to meet them in person. They all ate and laughed together for some time, enjoying each other’s company and stories. Other Legna served them wonderful food and drink, while the others sang for them and entertained them with dances and special light-filled music ballads. They had forgotten all about the stressful state that they were in. They felt full of peace and happy again for the first time in days as they listened to the beautiful ballads...

  They all sang joyfully together in a song of worship.

  You are the light that burns within us,

  Burning like the stars!

  You are the winds that whirl about us,

  Brushing upon our scars!

  You are the fire that grows around us,

  Burning up every darkened thing!

  You sculpted the mountains and the oceans deep, Every beautiful thing for our eyes to keep!

  You are the passion that ignites a flame within us,

  That is why we sing!

  We sing you a song of praise, a song of adoration,

  Because you pour your light upon every nation!

  Oh how we love you!

  Oh how we smile,

  Even when we know that trials and tribulations go On for miles!

  You are the light that burns within us,

  Burning like the stars!

  You are the shield that always defends us,

  Even when we are mulled and scarred!

  We dance for you like the flowers do in your Whirling and twirling wind!

  We shout for you like the men do when their hearts Begin to mend!

  Hand in hand and feet jumping up on high,

/>   We will always be dancing children of Light!

  Through the words of the song, they could feel the happiness from it that the Legna felt. They felt peace and joy and love. They enjoyed watching the Legna dance and sing for the God of Light. And even among the darkness and hard times, it was thrilling to see joy and love—it was good to see the Legna loving and worshiping their king. After a while of enjoying everything all around them, they noticed that the group of dancing Legna began to settle down. The Legna still continued to sing a little as they sat. Tairren, Natalia, and Phillip still laughed and talked amongst each other, beginning to feel comfortable where they were at. They felt that they could stay and fellowship all night if they were allowed to.

  Just then, the Legna around them became quiet as Mikhal, Gaibriul, Rafiul, and Uriel walked into everyone’s view right before the great fire. They were followed by other important-looking Legna whom they hadn’t met yet. Tairren, Natalia, and Phillip glanced at each other as they looked towards the large group of Archlegna. They admired there mannerism and appearance as they stood tall and beautiful like living statues. They all looked so grand and beautiful and created a soft glow around them. Mikhal came first with his hand raised in the air, and the others right behind him. Some of the mighty beasts walked with them as well. They noticed Serafim who perched quietly next to Gaibriul—his mighty head came up to Gaibriul’s shoulder. The quietness spread amongst the whole camp like a wave of silent peace. The only noise was that of the great bonfire that crackled behind them.

  Tairren noticed that the great white owl appeared in the sky, but not where everyone could see it. He seemed to be the only one who noticed it as it glided through the night sky. It flapped its large, beautiful wings upon the black velvet canopy above them, leaving the sounds of deep heart-beats trailing behind it. It gracefully fluttered down to the ground, then perched on a large boulder that sat far off on the outside of the clearing. Tairren admired the owl, and somehow, its mysterious presence seemed to make him feel at peace.

  “My fellow brothers and sisters of light—I come to announce joyful news!” Mikhal spoke aloud to the whole camp with his powerful voice. “As you all know, we have been sent here by our great king—the almighty King of Light—to rid of the darkness which is augmenting so strongly upon the earth! And it starts here in Minslethrate. During our quest upon Minslethrate, which is the first settlement of light, we were called to find three keys upon the lands first. These three keys are to unlock three quests upon our one mighty quest. Without these three keys, our mighty quest to save these lands will come to an abrupt halt.

  “And by the grace of our God we have found them!” All of a sudden the whole camp began to cheer and clap. The Legna who sat around Tairren, Natalia, and Phillip cheered for them and patted their backs. They were confused and clapped along with them, not knowing exactly what they were clapping for. “Yes, we have found them!” Mikhal continued with a kind face. “Come forth—Tairren, son of Timotheus, The Lady Natalia of Ducre’, and Prince Phillip of Ishkar!”

  All three of them glanced at each other, appearing confused and surprised. They slowly stood up and walked towards the Archlegna as everyone around them continued to cheer and clap. They glanced at all of the Legna who cheered zealously all around them, then to the tall Archlegna who stood before them. Their hearts fluttered with excitement and their minds were flooded with wonder. They had no idea what Mikhal spoke of or what was going on, but all three of them knew it was good. They felt that they were walking in a dream, and strangely did not want to awaken from it. They walked towards the beautifully intimidating Archlegna and humbly stood before them.

  “You are the keys in which I speak,” Mikhal said to them with passion in his eyes. “You are the keys in this journey—to this quest! From the very beginning, when you were first born, God had a plan for you. You are all part of a grand design which was created by The Great King of Light. All three of you, who are very different and from different back grounds, were put together in each other’s lives for a reason.

  “If it wasn’t for each one of you—you would not be standing here right now. You are the pieces to a mighty puzzle—and fitting together perfectly. Hear me when I say this, God has a plan for you, and it is happening as I speak this very moment. Every person you have ever touched, and every soul you have ever spoken to are part of that plan. This earth is a grand scheme, designed by our almighty God—who is the King of Light and all that is good and all that is of love.

  “You all have great things happening within you!” All three of them had a twinkle of a tear in their eyes, and that twinkle was from the light that sparkled within them.

  “Each one of you is to be sent on your own quest—sent to a dark place which has stolen the righteous armor of The Great King of light. Without this armor, our hero will not be able to withstand the evils which are coming like a mighty black dragon. Then, on the eve of war, when darkness is as thick as fog, evil will take on a new form… But do not fret—for light always breaks through the darkness. Just as the sun rises upon the night sky; just as the moon and stars shine through the black veil and like the burning of a great fire amongst the darkest of dark—so will the children of light—burn and shine bright!” Mikhal looked at each one of them in the eyes. They felt nervous and slightly frightened by all of the abrupt information—but empowered at the same time. “But first a test—a personal quest… One of you will face fallen earth, one of you will face deceitful water, and the other will feel the fervor of false fire… Then all of you will face the beings of darkness…”

  Everything that Mikhal spoke of was like an intriguing poem or riddle. They did not understand everything he was speaking of right then, but they knew it would become unraveled later on in their quest.

  “Let me ask you something,” Mikhal said, looking at each one of them. “Do you believe what I am speaking of? Do you want to know what I speak of? Do you want to know the king of all kings—Yehoshua?”

  All three of them were quiet. Their hearts beat so loudly that they could hear it in their ears. They began to think that Mikhal could even hear their heart-beats. Happiness swelled up within them and came out as more twinkling tears. They felt an urge within them that felt like a mighty tug from a great hand. They felt the same tug before, when they were rescued at the Great Wall of Division. They felt empowered and nervous and inundated with something they were beginning to become familiar with—passion for light. All three of them shook their heads yes, and meant it.

  Mikhal came to them and bunched them together before him. They looked up at him as he stood a foot or so taller than them. He smiled at them.

  “He is proud of your decision,” he said. “Declare this sacred prayer out loud and within your very being,” Mikhal said in a now low tone. “This sacred prayer is a declaration of your faith.” After every line he spoke, they repeated it after him.

  “Father of Lights, I believe everything you reveal to me… Great King of Light I want to live for you and no longer for the darkness of this world… I know I am part of your divine plan… Show me your plan… Make me new... Come into my heart and soul and fill my heart with your precious oil… I believe your blood was shed long ago for me, King Yehoshua… Burn within me a light of unending zeal…”

  After they were finished reciting the sacred prayer, they looked at each other with tears in their eyes as smiles crept across their faces. They started to laugh a little as happiness flooded their hearts.

  “Now—do you accept this quest?” Mikhal asked in a low tone that only they heard. They shook their heads to accept and meant that as well.

  “Then it has begun! Welcome our new family members of light with joyful noise!” Mikhal shouted out loud to the onlooking Legna with raised hands.

  All of the Legna shouted and clapped with joy again, and they could feel the love all round them.

  “Phillip, our strong and brave prince—you are like the mighty beasts that roam the earth, and will do great things because
of your dedication and bravery, accept this as symbol of light—for those who see it will know that you serve our mighty king of light—the one true God.” Mikhal motioned for Uriel to step forward. She smiled at him as she put a beautiful golden chain around his neck. A wing-shaped pendant dangled from it and twinkled in the fire-light.

  “Natalia, our witty and compassionate Lady, you are like the furtive cat that strikes and loves. You will help a lost soul because of your love and wit.” Just then Mikhal motioned for Gaibriul to come forth. He also placed a wing-shaped pendant around her neck. She felt very thankful for Mikhal’s words and very proud to wear such a symbol.

  “And Tairren, our true hero—you are the main piece to this grand design. You held this group together by your words, you protected them with all you had, and you kept the light so strongly within your heart. You know what must be done… You are a true hero—and wear a wing-pendant which was passed down from a true hero…,” Mikhal said as he came closer to Tairren. He pulled Tairren’s beautiful jeweled wing-pendant away from his chest so that they both could see it clearly.

  Both Phillip and Natalia peered over curiously, wondering where he got his pendant from. Natalia remembered that he had told her it was passed down from Moral; but where did she get it?

  “You already wear the symbol of light upon your breast—but more importantly you always wore your faith upon yourself…,” Mikhal continued. “You know that wearing this pendant does not make you righteous, for that is idolism and idolism is a seed of darkness—you know that your heart and faith makes you righteous and true. For the Lord thy God is upon us, within us and all around us.” Mikhal placed his hand on Tairren’s chest, then motioned out over the crowd as he said this. “And the pendant which you wear—was passed down from generation to generation and ended up in your grasp. This is the very pendant which was created in King Yehoshua’s honor—to always remind the onlookers, whom the keeper of it followed. This great man who created it was one of your ancestors and was one of the ancient earthly kings of Minlsethrate.”