He pushed the sword down and it penetrated the stone of the floor. His head dipped as his eyes closed in prayer. It didn’t matter if I thought I could anymore or not. I just had to!
I grabbed the handle of the sword and started praying like I had never before in my life. After a while I couldn’t even understand what I was saying, as the words that came forth made no sense to me.
Was I being taken over by the dark prophets?
I didn’t think so. I had never felt so right about something since my experience with God in my tower loft, but I didn’t like my lack of understanding as to what was happening. I opened my eyes to see if father had seen what I was doing.
My eyes met his and I saw him nod at me like he knew what I wanted to ask. Then it dawned on me as I watched my father speaking in the language of the Spirit that I had seen him do all throughout my life. I was speaking like him and yet differently in a language that was understood only by the Spirit bearing intercession for me to my Creator in a more intimate prayer of expressed need than I could have ever uttered with the words known to my mind.
My eyes couldn’t but see what was taking place around me even as my lips continued to move in the fervency of prayer that my soul was engaged in. This had to be what spiritual warfare looked like, when it was visible to the naked eye.
Flames were shooting off from around a cloud of light that hung around us heavy in intensity, which consumed the dark prophets and their incantations against us.
The room had turned into an inferno. Beams were falling from the ceiling and a groaning of the massive weight of the temple above could be heard as it settled down upon us. I closed my eyes again.
Better not to look! I concentrated on being still and letting the Spirit of the Creator within me reign over the situation I found myself within.
“Zevin?”
Startled I looked at father, “Time to go Zevin.”
I looked around in shock. The night sky was overhead and there was no sign of the room or the temple that had been above us. We stood alone within a black charred crater.
“Praise God!” I whispered out.
“Praise the Creator indeed for His deliverance of us!” Father echoed.
It was hard to believe that I had really been a part of something so amazing as this.
“Zevin I know you want to dwell in the afterglow of this spiritual progression in your life, but we need to get our men home before our escape is cut off.”
I nodded my head in understanding and pried my fingers off the handle of father’s sword, which I still clutched with a death grip.
We helped each other up the steep sides of the crater where the temple had been and re-entered the world around us again. The troops had withdrawn back considerably from the temple and now they looked at us with eyes that threatened to fall out of their heads, as they watched us stumble to the top and over the rim of the crater.
They seemed to break free of their stupor and rushed up to us with our horses. As I approached Relentless I saw the young warrior’s hand that held the bridal was shaking.
I felt strangely numb to everything happening. We mounted up and filed out of the city that was well ablaze.
We rode hard, never stopping for very long. Only long enough to keep our horses from death. Zoarinian army units peeled out of cities and military outposts all around us and pursued us in a disorganized horde.
A small contingent of the Zoarinian forces managed to get ahead of us at one point, but we smashed through their lines and kept on going not staying to mop them up.
Days later we were the first to reach the beginning of the pass. Our victory would be complete if our horses held out. The horizon behind us was thick with the dust of our pursuers not over an hour’s ride behind us.
I wasn’t worried for Relentless, he still had miles left in him, but some of the horses would never be the same again, if they managed to recover. Father ordered everyone off their horses, who could manage to walk.
We tugged our weary mounts up the pass in an effort to save them. Father’s gamble payed off, when the pursuing horde pulled up at the entrance of the pass and gave up the chase. Victory was ours.
As weary as we were we felt ourselves become giddy with the knowledge of what we had done.
I felt completely done in and able to sleep for a week, as I trudged up the ramp of the great wall at the head of the pass. The warriors all along the wall fortifications broke out in a cheer as we passed through the central gate. No Valley Lander had ever done what we had just done.
We had taken one of our enemy’s greatest cities and reduced it to a pile of rubble. In some ways it was a fitting repayment for the city of Kingdom Pass that lay entombed beneath us.
We made camp on the other side of Lake Sanjo in an exhausted stupor. We hadn’t slept for days other than minutes at a time. Tomorrow we would go our separate ways to our homes. Home sounded so good I could taste it. I hadn’t gotten any major injuries during the campaign other than the cut on my face.
I had been lucky, but I would wear the scar for life. I didn’t want to think about that. Maybe it was silly of me to be worried about such a thing but I was. If I had scared the girls off with my seriousness before, now what would they do.
My lot in life it seemed was destined to be that of a loner. I leaned against Relentless’s side for a moment, as I stopped brushing him for a second. It was really silly of me to worry about such a thing. God didn’t care about scars and if He didn’t care about them then neither should I. But I couldn’t help it. It bothered me.
It was bad enough having the unfulfilled urges of a young man, but the thought that the right girl one day might take one look and then never look back again was a killer!
My moody ponderings were interrupted, when I saw one of the governors from the lower cities storm up to my father’s fire.
“Roric you went against your word and risked our troops in enemy territory! All for a silly revenge quest of yours against the people, who turned your men into assassins against you! I won’t have it I tell you!”
Roric looked up solemnly from the fire and spoke, “Sir you presume to much and it has led to your undoing.”
“I don’t know what you mean!” The governor said passionately, before looking around at those gathered, “Arrest this man at once!” The governor yelled.
“He has disobeyed the will of the council and is a traitor to his own people!”
No one moved from their places to heed the governor’s words, which was significant in another way than the obvious in that many of those gathered wore the colors of the governor’s city.
Seeing no help forthcoming from the crowd of silent onlookers the governor blustered about there being more than just one traitor in his midst.
“Sir.”
The governor turned back to Roric. “You made three mistakes tonight Governor. The first is that I never promised the council that I wouldn’t put troops in harm’s way or enemy territory. I don’t like people who lie about me. The second mistake was questioning my authority to do as I please, as the leader of my people I am accountable to no one but the Creator. It may not be a welcome fact in some circles of our society, but it is still a fact and it will continue to be so for as long as I live. Your third and final mistake is this. I never told anyone other than my son that the men that climbed the cliff to kill me in my sleep were my own men. I made sure to keep that unknown and yet you knew about it. How is that Governor?”
The governor’s face had turned pale and sickly in complexion and his breathing had grown shallow and fast.
“Captain Ona.”
“Yes sir!” Responded the captain with the same color, as the governor’s patron city on his uniform.
“Take the governor to the edge of the camp and give him a traitor’s reward.”
“Yes Sir! It will be my pleasure to Sir!”
As the governor was dragged off into the semi darkness that fell just after sundown I couldn’t but feel the betrayal agains
t father had to go deeper than just one governor.
Roric looked away from the governor being dragged away to the group of men breaking up all around him. There were other traitors, perhaps not here, but elsewhere for sure. They would go to ground for a while and bide their time before they struck out against him again.
He would have to watch his back just as he had always done. His eyes fell on his son Zevin. He admired what he saw for a moment. He may have lost ground with one son on this campaign, but he had seen another of his sons mature into a man.
Zevin stood there with a confidence of ease that he hadn’t had before. His old sword handles sticking above his son’s shoulders looked so natural there already that they had already become his son’s in a way they had once only been his. Zevin wasn’t as heavy of build as his brother’s were, but he made up for it with a quickness of agility that Roric doubted, if even he could match anymore.
What was best of all was how completely he had seemed to have given himself over to the Creator’s will for his life. Roric’s eyes touched the long scar that ran down the side of his son’s jaw. He knew it bothered his son greatly and he could guess as to why too.
What his son didn’t know was that the girls would go crazy over him now. He hoped not though, in fact he prayed that none of them would notice his son. He wanted the best for his son. He didn’t want him falling for the first girl that showed interest in him that is unless she was the right one.
His son was a one woman kind of man just like he was and that required someone extra special to share such a commitment with and he hadn’t seen any such girls around the castle that he thought right for his son. It was a sad thing to have to admit of his own people.
There were plenty of pretty girls, but few that combined faithfulness in with what they valued. They weren’t bad girls they just wanted to experience life before settling down and in most cases their parents hadn’t taught them better or witnessed anything better to them.
His son was too serious though for an easy kind of relationship like that. He needed stronger commitment that could withstand the swirl of stronger emotions, because as quiet as he was, Zevin was a man of intense emotion.
It was a steady prayer on his part on behalf of his son for the girl out there, who would one day be he his son’s other half. Roric prayed for her safety, for her character, and that she would have a caring heart that his son would one day be able to trust in securely. Until his son met that girl he hoped the other girls never gave Zevin so much as a passing look of interest, even though they would be crazy not to.
“Zevin take a walk with me.”
I blinked at father unsure as to what to expect from our little walk. He had been staring at me contemplatively now for several moments. I followed along beside him, as he walked out through the campfires.
“Zevin I’m curious on what your take is on the situation faced by our people.”
What situation?
Was he referring to the governor’s betrayal and perhaps others? People just didn’t seem to be who they should be any more.
“As long as the Zoarinians exist and believe as they do there will always be enmity between us, especially now that we destroyed Rauel. But if we hadn’t attacked then the new cult would have stirred them up against us anyway. Conflict seems inevitable, but worst of all….”
My voice trailed off unsure of what I had thought to say being the right thing.
“Worst of all?” Father asked prompting me to finish my thought.
“I don’t think our people are the same, as when you led them to victory the first time. They seem weaker to new ideas from what I can see by the opposition that they raise against you. They don’t want war, but war is inevitable unless our people give up their beliefs, which seems at least some are willing to do.”
Father stopped and brought an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to his side, “When did you get so smart?”
“Must have been who combined together to make me.”
He chuckled and nodded, but then his face grew serious.
“You point out the problem well Zevin. The problem isn’t with the preparedness of our armies, but rather with our people’s hearts. We’re not fighting an invading force this time so much as an idea. Ideas are powerful things Zevin. How do you think we should best fight this new idea that tantalizes the minds and ambitions of the men and women, who fall prey to its wiles?”
“With another idea perhaps?”
His arm squeezed across the top of my shoulders, “Front of the class son. I think that is exactly what we will do.”
“But we have nothing new in terms of ideas, just what we’ve always had to work with.” I responded trying to feel out what he had in mind.
He smiled at me mysteriously, “I’ve enjoyed our walk Zevin, but I’ve kept you from your rest for far too long already.”
Father left me then and I couldn’t but help wonder what he had up his sleeve.
Chapter Five
Scarred
I stared out over the valley of my homeland. It was good to be back. We had received a hero’s welcome, when we had returned, but things were different somehow. It had been good to see Gavin, Mother and even my sisters again, but I was a different person than when I had left.
I was even more alone now then when I had left, because of that perceived difference. Talaric hated me of that I was sure. Father had been distant from everyone since our return. He was working on something. He would disappear for long periods at a time.
Every time I showed my face in public I felt like I was some kind of bug being held up to the light to be inspected. Talaric took every opportunity he could to make fun of me or get back at me for what he saw as a usurpation of father’s attention. It was getting so that I almost wished I was somewhere else instead of at Thunder Ridge.
Storm clouds were moving in and I could see lightning in the distance. It was a fitting backdrop for how I felt right now.
“My! My! Don’t you look down in the dumps!”
Startled I looked up to see mother making her way into my lofty perch overlooking the castle and the valley below.
“I thought I was the only one who knew about this place.” I said.
“Oh no your father’s brought me here several times. Just to enjoy the view of course.”
I gave her a quick look not believing her for a moment and she confirmed it by giving me a suggestive wink.
I couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped out of me and I looked away shaking my head. It was no secret to anyone within the castle of my parent’s passionately amorous affections for each other.
“My how you’ve changed! It wasn’t that long ago that you would have reacted with a resounding, ‘Eww gross! I’m never coming back here again!’”
She had me there. She sat down next to me on my bad side. I usually kept my hair long and I had recently taken to letting it spill over the side of my face that I had the scar on.
I felt her pull the hair back and tuck it behind my ear with a finger. Her lips kissed the rough still enflamed ridge of the scar gently.
“You my son are one handsome young man. You have nothing that you need to hide Zevin Ta’lont from anyone.”
I turned to look at her and gazed into her face, which carried its own scars. I had always thought of her as beautiful, scars and all. I could tell that she was sincere about what she had said, but then she was my mother.
“You’re so like your father. You doubt yourself too much. You’ve convinced yourself that you’re all alone and that no one will ever care for you as passionately as you want to care about a special someone. The reality Zevin is that men like you and your father make the best friends, husbands, and lovers a girl could ever ask for!”
My face red I started to stand up. I was not having this conversation with my own mother!
Before I could rise to my feet her hand was pulling down on my arm. I could have broken her hold on me, but it wasn’t in me to be so disrespect
ful to her. I settled back down reluctantly resigned to my fate of being embarrassed.
“Zevin, do you know women and men are quite different.”
No kidding mother, I thought to myself.
I was rewarded by a slap to the back of my head for my derogatory thought that I must have revealed somehow.
“I was referring to the way they think and express themselves, silly boy.” She stated pointedly.
“Women want to be loved and cared for. They seek the comfort and security that a man can offer and not necessarily his passion, which can scare them. They like smooth words and adoring attention that makes them feel pretty, feminine and highly sought after. A lot of men know that and exploit those needs of a woman to get what they want, a passionate no strings attached physical release. The woman’s concepts of love and self worth are brought into question, when she’s left alone and less respected than she was before. The man is not content in what he has achieved and moves on to his next conquest ever seeking something better. You know who loses out in this scenario Zevin? They both do. The man misses out on the benefits of a lasting relationship, which could have fed his continual need for respect and the woman wounded by the pursuit of love grows bitter and often settles for less or values herself as less and thus achieves and experiences less in life. Don’t be envious of the crowd around you Zevin that you see enjoying themselves and hurting each other in this vicious cycle! You and your father aren’t like that. You’re both blessed with noble traits such as caring natures, protective instincts, and self control over your desires. Many men will often mistake the way you are as being weak, but the truth Zevin is that you are far stronger than them, because you are a master of yourself and do not allow yourself to be controlled by your lusts, as many men do. Other men will often be jealous of the finer elements of which you are made of and revile you for your restraint, but in time like your father they will respect you above all others, because you exemplify strength and are a leader by example. Credibility is essential to leadership and you must guard yourself against ever losing it Zevin. Now the side of you that most will never see is that highly controlled men such as you are seething pots of passion, simply waiting to explode when given the right opportunity. More specifically when you feel it’s safe to express yourself and lay yourself bare before someone you love and trust is when you explode and it can be intense for any girl to even attempt to handle. It really can’t be handled and as I said it can be scary to be around, but if she’s smart she’ll embrace your passion and encourage you to show her more. Her willingness to except you as you are, and how few rarely see you, will unlock all of your caring nature and she will be showered with all she needs to feel loved and adored. When you unlock each other like that it only gets better with time, as you grow emotionally and even spiritually closer together. There’s a girl out there somewhere Zevin, who will recognize the many gifts that you have built up inside of you and freely step into the fire of your passionate need to love and be respected in return by likely the only person, whose respect you’ll ever care about achieving. Look at how it turned out for me and your father. That passion of love and commitment will be yours one day, I’m sure of it!”
A Warrior's Journey Page 8
