A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind)

by Stanton III, Guy

  Marfoul lifted his arm and broke the stillness of the moment, “Kill them! Kill them now!”

  As dazed guards clumsily rushed forward to do his bidding a miraculous thing happened. I felt as if I must be dreaming, even though I knew I wasn’t, because of what I saw. A strong wind blew into the cliff top knocking the hats off several of the onlookers in the crowd.

  A void of air formed immediately following in its wake, which seemed to suck all the breathable air from off the cliff top. Breathless I watched as flashing thunderclouds that blocked out the sun materialized all around us.

  I had spent many nights locked up in rusty metal cages in my days in the arena, when thunderclouds like these would storm in. Those nights had been a living horror for us, who had been locked up in those cages.

  Continuous air to ground lightning strikes would occur all around us, as we sat huddled in the middle of our cages soaked and shivering in fear from the storm and the dampness of the rain. I had learned early on to stay away from the bars and standing pools of water after having witnessed one man blown apart from a lightning strike to his cage, which he had been leaning against. It had left a lasting impression on me and a respect for the power of lightning. This storm had no lightning, but it had the electric feel of it all the same.

  The crowd and guards drew back in fear from it. Marfoul, seemingly coming unhinged by the fast approaching storm screamed at the guards, “Kill them now you carrion swine!”

  The guards coming out of their daze moved back towards the Kurt family, who hadn’t moved the whole time or ceased from praying. The guards now more afraid of Marfoul then the approaching storm rushed to do their assigned task, with swords lifted high. The storm hit the cliff top and out of it materialized beings clothed in flame. They strode purposefully from the storm towards the cliff top. Each fiery individual being intercepted one of the guards headed for the Kurt family.

  Their appearance was fierce and terrible, and as they approached they lifted one hand and withdrew swords that seemed to be made of light itself from behind their backs, and in one fluid overhand downward motion ended the lives of the stunned guards. As the guards hit the ground the warriors of the storm turned towards the crowd and advanced purposefully towards them. At their approach the crowd broke and fled trampling over each other in their haste to get away from the flaming swords of the avenging warriors behind them. After the crowd had fled I looked around for Marfoul, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Then I saw two of the warriors headed my way, while the others gathered around the Kurt family, who seemed to be in a world all of their own as they prayed. I watched the warriors of fire approach and knew that I too was going to die soon. As they drew near I tried to maintain eye contact, but could not and looked down awaiting the killing stroke that would end it all. Instead I was greeted with silence and a long pause, which caused me to look up tentatively.

  They stood there and seemed to be waiting for me to acknowledge them in some way. “Are you going to kill me?” I asked.

  They smiled, which caused a feeling of peace to well up inside of me despite the fury of their presence and appearance. One spoke, “No, it has been appointed for you to see what is going to take place here and to be strengthened and encouraged by it. Come and see what the Lord will do.”

  “But I……” No sooner as I had begun to say that I couldn’t because of the cage I was in that I found myself on my feet walking towards where they had gestured to.

  I stopped as they did to either side of me. There on the cliff’s edge seemingly unaffected by all that had transpired around them kneeled the Kurt family still deep in prayer. I felt like I was in a trance as one of the storm warriors that had freed me left my side and approached the Kurt family and knelt down by Eliak’s side. He leaned forward and touched Eliak, with a pierced hand. Nothing happened for a moment and then I saw Eliak move and get to his feet followed by his family.

  The ropes fell off their hands as they did so and piled up at their feet. Incredulous I turned to the warrior directly to my left, “How is that possible?”

  “As it is written ‘The prayer of a righteous man availeth much’.” Said the warrior angel.

  “Watch.” The angel said gesturing with one hand towards the Kurt family.

  The figure, who had touched Eliak, was saying something to them that I could not make out, but the whole family seemed to be hanging on every word that was spoken to them. The man who spoke held his hand out and over the cliff’s edge, and immediately a doorway wreathed in light formed in the darkness of the storm cloud. Without hesitation, Eliak holding Samantha’s hand moved toward the door walking through thin air to get to it. He paused at the door and let Samantha pass through ahead of him and then the rest of his family one by one.

  The light was indescribably beautiful as it shimmered from the doorway in waves of color too numerous to count and in brilliance to describe with words. The shimmering light obscured what lay beyond the doorway. “Where are they going?” I asked, completely awestruck by what I was seeing.

  My fellow observer said in a tone that expressed wonder at what he too was watching said, “To a place prepared for those who believe in the Son of the Creator and obey His Father’s statutes, a people that willingly forgo the sinful pleasures of this world. A peculiar people, who seek the heavenly Father’s desire for their lives first, as they lay all other cares aside. It is for these people, who have no place here in this world and for whom this world is not worthy of that such a resting place has been prepared, until scripture is fulfilled and the end has come and all things are made brand new.”

  I watched as Eliak disappeared through the doorway, followed by the Kurt family protectors. Not fully understanding what I was seeing, but knowing the deep yearning I felt within me for what I knew to be the truth fully understood or not I asked, “Can I go with them?”

  A voice of authority, which felt as if it could crush me and yet breathed life into me at the same moment spoke off to my right, “There is a place for you there Roric, and for all who have asked forgiveness in My name and live a life sanctified before Me.”

  I fell to my face unable to stand face to face with my Creator’s Son. Everything I had done wrong or imperfectly in this life rose up against me like a suffocating cloud of oppression.

  “A repentant heart is precious to the Father. Be bound no more by your past deeds and your fears of the future for I am with you always.”

  Unable to speak past the waves of emotion racing through me I still framed a word in my mind, “Why?”

  “Because I love you. So much so that I died for you and rose again so that you might live forever more with Me in my Father’s presence. Stand now Roric.”

  I was on my feet facing the Savior of all mankind, without knowing how I got there. I recognized the figure of a man then as the one who had healed Eliak. How could I not have known who He was earlier, it was so clear now?

  “Roric will you follow me?”

  “Yes!” I said without hesitation.

  “Will you obey me and go where I will send you?”

  “Yes!”

  “Forsaking everything for my namesake, even your life?”

  Panic filled me. Was I going to fail? Was this a test? I stuttered to form an answer unsure of anything when it came to my own strength to do the simplest of things suddenly,

  “I’m weak, but if You help me I will do it.”

  “It is enough, as My grace is sufficient for thee and My strength is made manifest through your weakness. Go and may the Spirit of the Creator that dwells even now within you comfort and strengthen you for the tasks ahead that I have placed for you to accomplish. Call upon My name and I will hear you and rescue you from all your enemies and troubles. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Roric, know that the plans I have for you are good and not evil. Be at peace and become one of My precious jewels set in a place of honor for all eternity. The harvest is ready, but the workers are few and yet
My Father’s will shall be accomplished. Awake to your place Roric and set your hand to accomplish My Father’s will and be blessed.” He smiled then and began to walk away with the remaining protector towards the door in the storm.

  Almost frantic I yelled out, “Master wait! What is it that I should do for You?”

  Turning He said, “Be My holy warrior first and foremost and live according to My Father’s Word and His Holy Words only and all will go well with you. As you learn the Words of My Father and depend on His Spirit to guide you on your journey the hidden mysteries since the foundation of all creation will be revealed to you. You will see through the darkness and overturn the blindness and oppression of many, if you but believe and pray down the Creator’s blessings nothing will be too great for you to accomplish in My Father’s name.”

  My Master turned towards the door and stepped through it, which melted around Him into nothingness. There was the sound, as if a thousand lightning bolts went off at once and then there was complete silence as the clouds disappeared.

  I blinked my eyes against the harsh early afternoon sunlight that had appeared suddenly and blinded me. I wheeled around and surveyed the cliff top, as I shielded my eyes with a hand. Everyone was gone except for the dead guards and what the crowd had left behind in their mass exodus to escape.

  Had everything I remembered really just happened on this quiet and deserted cliff top? I felt such a lightness of spirit within me! The Spirit of the Creator within me felt like a happy babbling brook overwhelming its banks in the time of spring rains. I let it. My mouth fell open and words with no meaning to me poured forth in exaltation and praise to my Heavenly Father. A sense of purpose and a feeling of being loved welled up inside of me such as I had never felt so keenly before.

  “Thank You God for freedom from the bonds of this world. May I ever please You and never disappoint You.”

  Feeling released by the Holy Spirit I stood, but it would have been nice to stay in that place of oneness with my Creator for forever. I walked over to the cliff’s edge and peered into the valley below. Smoke still rose from the ashes of what had once been the Kurt family’s homestead. Anger at the senseless destruction of a place that had been like a home to me these past few weeks caused my fists to clench tight. People like Marfoul, that could commit such atrocities, had to be confronted and now I had the heavenly authority to do it. Turning from the cliff’s edge I looked through what had been left on the cliff top.

  I personally didn’t care for any of the poorly made weapons the guards had on them and I had all but given up hope, when I came across a set of three Nizak fighting knifes on the last guard. Forged by the hill tribesman of the Khartian Mountains they were excellently made. They measured a little over a foot from hilt to point and were slightly curved up towards the point, but not too far to negate their ability to be thrown accurately. Their true usefulness in battle was in close hand-to-hand combat, one in either hand with the third in the waistband to replace a thrown or lost knife, if need be.

  They were the only things worth taking from the cliff top. Gathering them up and stashing them in my waistband I headed northwest towards the Valley Lands. I hadn’t gone very far when I came to a small stream lazily making its way down the steep hill. Leaning down overcome with thirst I drank deeply as I splashed water up onto my head. My head still hurt from the blow I had received earlier in the day, and the cold water helped with the pain.

  I heard rustling in the brush across the stream from me. Going completely still, but poised to move at a moment’s instance, I slowly lifted my head to look across the stream. There stood the stallion named Flin, saddled and fully provisioned. He was munching on some tender leaves off of the bush he stood next to. Eliak or one of the boys must have saddled and loosed him before the Zoarinians could intervene. Lifting my head up heavenward I said a silent thank you for the provision of the gift I had thought lost to me. Looking back at Flin I saw him flick his head over his shoulder in the direction of the Valley Lands.

  “Okay boy we’ll go. Have some patience it’s been a long day.”

  I got tiredly up to my feet grateful that I had a horse to ride. My head throbbed steadily, as I approached Flin and laid my hand on his neck and then pulled myself into the saddle. He accepted me as his master without resistance, of which more than just my sore head was grateful.

  Chapter Six

  Campfire

  Two days later the Litian River lay just ahead of us. Just as darkness was looming dense we drew up alongside of the river. The river was in flood stage caused by snow melt from up in the higher peaks of the mountains. Flin started nudging forward toward the river eager for the challenge. “Whoa Boy!” I said, drawing back on the reins as I looked across the river to what lay beyond.

  This was as close as I had ever come to my ancestral home. The land that lay beyond was completely foreign to me, but yet it seemed familiar in some intangible way as if I had been here before. What lay beyond this point I did not know, but I felt a sense of excitement welling up inside of me at the possibilities.

  “Let’s go Flin.”

  Flin released his tensed up muscles and we fairly lunged into the fast moving current of the river. The icy cold water took my breath away, as it rose quickly to my waist. Flin was a powerful swimmer and swam hard against the current to reach the other side. The current must have taken us a hundred yards or so downriver, when I felt Flin’s hooves dig into the opposite bank of the river and we started to climb up and out of the icy water. Having gained a purchase on solid ground Flin broke into a gallop invigorated by the cold water and a general lust for life and adventure. Holding on tightly enjoying the strength of the stallion beneath me I grinned sharing in the sentiment of the moment and let Flin run all out across the plain towards the majestic mountains rising up before us.

  As tall shadows began to form the sense of being watched began to form as well. Several times I drew Flin up and paused to survey my backtrail, but I saw nothing there to cause alarm. There did not seem to be anything out there, but me. Never the less the feeling of being watched continued.

  The feeling reminded me of an experience I’d had as a boy, when I had been but eight years old. I was coming home through a wooded glen near our home. My mother had sent me to our neighbor’s place further down the valley, with an herbal tea that had been needed to cure one of their little girl’s bad late spring coughs. I had stayed longer than I should have since the girl was quite pretty and had seemed very interested in my company. Not too many people ever seemed interested in having me around except maybe my mother so I had stayed soaking up the freely given attention.

  The evening shadows were thick on the land as I had walked through the glen on my way home, not looking forward to my mother’s scolding for not leaving earlier. Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck had stood up straight, as some primal instinct alerted me to a danger I could not see. I had broken into an all-out run for home not caring if I was making a big fool of myself or not so convinced was I that something was out there intent on getting me.

  I could see the glow of the kitchen light ahead of me dimly through the gloom of the forest. The darkness around me seemed to scream at me. When had it gotten so dark and why was that light so far away?

  Crack!

  I could now hear the danger; some forgotten instinct had alerted me to! Panting heavy, my heart beat sounding like a drum in my own ears I had glanced over my left shoulder and beheld a living nightmare closing in fast! A hulking marsh cat, easily weighing over two hundred pounds was leaping over deadfalls and around tree trunks headed straight for me, with no good intent toward me gleaming in its huge glowing eyes. My head whipped back around and I ran the race of my short life.

  I don’t know how I was able to keep my footing in the littered jumble of the forest floor, but I did somehow, leaping over rocks and almost slamming into trees several times. Suddenly a large familiar hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the front of my shir
t and heaved me up through the air, as if I had been no more than a feather’s worth in weight to land me behind a large sycamore trunk. Recognizing my father with a relieved gasp of air I watched as with one fluid motion he stepped out from behind the tree and unsheathed the old sword that usually sat above the mantle in our home covered in dust. With the grace of a cat my father quickly moved towards the approaching feline shortening the distance dramatically.

  The marsh cat sensing the easy game of ‘tag you’re it’, had altered significantly tried to stop, as its massive muscles clenched tight and its paws dug up furrows in the loose debris of the forest, but it was too late. My father’s quick advance had closed the distance between him and the cat, and with one smooth overhand swish of the blade the big cat’s head went rolling into the underbrush, as its body fell lifeless at my father’s feet.

  Bending slightly my father calmly wiped off the blade of the sword on the cat’s fur. Straightening up from his task he turned towards me and contemplated me quietly as he put his sword away.

  “Are you all right son?”

  My mouth to dry to talk I had nodded yes.

  Coming up alongside of me he had put his big hand on my shoulder, a gesture which offered me reassurance that everything was okay.

  “Let’s not say anything about this to your mother okay son.”

  “Yes, Father!” I responded emphatically relieved.

  We headed for home walking side by side.

  “Father can you teach me how to use a sword like that?”

  His big hand resting on my shoulder had squeezed hesitantly and then after a long moment he had said, “We’ll start in the morning.”

  I never looked at my father in the same way again after that experience. He was more than just a father that cared for my needs, now he was both that and also a force to be reckoned with. He was dangerous. I had wanted to be dangerous like him.