- This topic has 85 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 27 minutes ago by
.
-
Posts
-
and Baron goes for it. 🤣🤣 that was the bluntest declaration of love I’ve seen in a while. 😆
Good section. One of your best, honestly. I’m starting to really feel your characters!
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
and Baron goes for it. 🤣🤣 that was the bluntest declaration of love I’ve seen in a while. 😆
Good section. One of your best, honestly. I’m starting to really feel your characters!
lol, yes
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Don’t get too attached or you may hate me for eternity…Every time you smile, a flower blooms somewhere in the world.
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)I will be more annoyed if you save people who need to die for character arc or story purposes.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
If you’re worried about that, you’ll be 100% fine.
Every time you smile, a flower blooms somewhere in the world.
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)@rae that was awesome!
“Finally a fellow you like, and he’s a possible assassin.” Dr. Handel shook his head. “I will never understand a girls’ attractions.
Neither do I, and I’m a girl who the only fellow she likes is a (fortunately fictional) assassin too, apparently.
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
lol
Every time you smile, a flower blooms somewhere in the world.
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)@rae yeah idk what’s wrong with me
but hey, that was a great chapter!
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
@keilah-h @ellette-giselle @raxforge @whalekeeper @hybridlore
This is the final part of Story 9.
In my writing document, I named this story temporarily as ‘Delirium’ but I would like some better title ideas if you can give me some. Thx in advance.
Five days had passed since Baron had been taken to the Handel mansion and his symptoms worsened. Breathing became more difficult, leaving him to use his Wind Charming to fill his lungs with air.
Dr. Handel told his daughter solemnly that in the next few days, Baron would either succumb to his sickness or conquer it.
Jenna barely dared leave Baron alone, and often would spend long hours of the day in the room, watching over Baron and talking with Ken. It was on one of these days, while she sat by Baron’s bedside as he slept and Ken stood by the window, that she switched the talk to the last good conversation Baron and she had had together. “To be honest with you, Ken, I’ve had feelings for him for a while. I’ve grown to care for him deeply. There were many days I wished he would stay with us in the house, though I never imagined he’d be staying here in so serious a condition.”
“In a way, I’d call this sickness a strange blessing Miss.”
Jenna looked at him with shock. “Are you feeling alright Ken?”
“Yes, Miss. What I mean is every time Baron has come here, he leaves quickly, and we don’t see him for days afterwards. His health declines because he refuses to seek more than small aide, paranoid that this person named Faren will come and destroy the things he loves again. Now he can’t leave, and while he currently is ill, if we keep him here, his mental and physical strength will return better than when we first met him. In that way, I find this sickness a strange blessing.”
“But what if Baron dies? Will it be a blessing then?” Jenna was losing her cool, how could Ken see such a terrible thing as a blessing?
“No. If Baron dies, I’m mostly sure he will go to hell, which would not be a blessing to him, but it still would be God’s will. And I trust God’s will.”
Jenna calmed herself. Ken was right. She knew it. “Thank you, Ken.”
“I live to help you, Miss Jenna.”
Baron slowly cracked his eyes open. He felt terribly sweaty, though for once he didn’t feel like he was burning up, nor did his body rack with chills. He shifted, pushing himself up on his elbows, seeing Jenna with her head laid upon the side of the bed as she sat on the floor, fast asleep. Baron smiled, letting himself back down to rest. An oil lamp shed pale yellow light about the room, and the stars shone outside the window. Baron looked out the window at the beautiful night sky with a sigh. He tried to remember how long he had been in Jenna’s house, but he could only piece together little hazy bits and pieces. Suddenly, he realized that by the window, just outside the ring of light from the lamp, was a large dark shape. “Who’s there?” He questioned the shadow in a harsh whisper, alarmed.
The shape stepped into the light, revealing the face and figure of Ken. “Glad to see you awake.”
Baron coughed. “What are you two doing here at this hour?” he whispered.
“Miss Jenna wished to watch over you. I stayed with her,” came the quiet reply. “How do you feel?”
“Clammy,” Baron replied. “And I still ache a little.”
Ken came closer, resting a wide hand on Baron’s forehead. Baron tensed at the touch. “It appears your fever has broken.” Ken removed his hand. “Jenna will be pleased when she wakes up.”
Both men looked at her sleeping form. She was dressed in one of her daytime dresses, but her usually braided and bunned hair was loose, her light brown locks splayed over the coverlet as she slept.
“She looks so peaceful,” Baron commented with a small smile.
Ken nodded. After a moment of silence, Ken spoke again. “I have a few questions for you.” Baron turned his head towards him. “When you were delirious, you said you loved Jenna, did you mean it?”
Green eyes met blue, the seriousness of question and answer conveyed between the two men. “Yes.”
“Second question, are you the Silver Streak?” Ken asked without skipping a beat.
Baron’s breath hitched and a coughing fit overtook him. Ken waited patiently, until Baron responded. “Yes, I am.”
“Is your name Baron or Brutus?”
“Baron.”
“Why did you change your name? The world does not know Baron as the Silver Streak.”
“It was a personal sign of change.”
“Why did you lie to Jenna if you loved her? Why didn’t you tell her before who you were?”
Baron’s gaze dropped. “I didn’t want her to hate me.”
Ken stared at Baron with a piercing glare during a span of silence before he turned away and took up his stance at the window again.
“They say that the Silver Streak was only a child when he made his first kill. I can’t imagine that, having to take a life so young.” A small note of pity could be heard in the bodyguard’s voice. “The hardest thing in my life was taking a life. Not because it was physically hard, that part was surprisingly easy, but the emotional side tore me to pieces. It is why I work to protect others now.” Ken turned around and in a flash, his hand was too Baron’s throat. Ken’s blue eyes hardened. “If you even try to hurt Jenna or any of her family, I will snap your neck, understood? Just because I hate killing doesn’t mean I won’t kill to protect others.”
Baron nodded, struggling vainly to pull Ken’s hand from his throat, wondering how the man had moved that fast.
Ken released him, and Baron gasped before a coughing fit took hold of him again. Calming down, Baron fell tiredly back onto the pillows.
“Rest,” Ken commanded.
Baron closed his eyes, before asking “Do you think I can leave soon?”
“That idea sounds absurd,” Ken replied, back to his normal self. “You will not be leaving here until you are completely better.”
“But Faren!” Baron exclaimed. “He’ll come if I stay too long!”
“I don’t know who this Faren person is, but you should stop worrying and rest. The more you rest, the sooner you can leave.”
Baron couldn’t beat Ken’s reasoning. He forced a wind into his lungs, taking in a large breath and slowly letting it out. Within a few minutes, he was asleep.
Baron looked longingly out of the window by the piano at the drive to the Handel mansion. Jenna and her parents had left that afternoon to visit a friend, leaving Baron lonely.
A few days had passed since Ken had asked if Baron was the Silver Streak and threatened him. Since then, Dr. Handel had spoken with both Ken and Baron, and, as Baron assumed, his daughter too. Jenna had taken a liking to his name of Baron and now it seemed as though everyone had forgotten that they once called him Brutus.
Baron himself was still pale and weak, but at least he could walk about now a bit. He longed to be active again and go outside. A small walk, only down to the stables and back, shouldn’t tire him much, and the fresh air would be wonderful, he thought.
Baron turned around, seeing Ken, who had remained behind, still sitting in a chair with a book. “I’m gonna go for a short walk. I’ll be back soon.”
Ken looked up from his book. “Would you like me to go with you?”
Baron shook his head. “I’m only going down to the stables, I’ll be fine.”
Ken nodded. “I will come and get you when it’s time to take your medicine again or if the Handel’s return.”
“Thank you, Ken.”
“My pleasure.” Ken returned to his book.
Baron then left, letting himself out of the house. As he neared the stables, he caught the welcome scent of hay and horse. Scents that reminded him of that year and a half period where he lived happily with Andy and Granny. He greeted the horses with as hearty a greeting as he could manage, just like he always greeted Lucky. Good ol’ Lucky!
At his greeting, there was a loud neigh that Baron vaguely recognized, but he brushed it off. There was no possible way that Lucky was here. But as Baron walked among the stalls, he suddenly saw the horse with the familiar star and snip. The horse whinnied at him. “Lucky! Lucky, how?” He pet the horse he once knew, smiling with joy. Lucky gently nibbled him with his floppy lips.
“Baron! Good to see you again.”
Baron turned, seeing a familiar face, though it had a bit of stubble. “…Andy? Andy!” The two men embraced. “But how? How did you get here?”
“I could ask the same of you. But first, how are you feeling? Ken said that you were very ill.”
“I’m regaining my strength. I’m much better. But how did you get here?”
“I had to sell some of the horses to get by. Miss Jenna, while on a trip with her father, took a liking to Whirlwind, Fish, and Lucky. She bought them and asked if I would take a job at her stable. I accepted, and here we are.”
“I’m glad to see you again.” Baron turned his face away, coughing.
“You should take it easy,” Andy said, guiding Baron to sit on a stool.
“Thank you. Sorry, I’m still recovering.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“Sorry.” Baron halted, realizing he had just apologized again. He groaned.
Andy laughed. “It’s alright. So, tell me, what did you do after you left me?”
“I came to Rand as soon as I was able. I traveled from town to town, never staying in the same place twice until I came here. I decided that since this city is rather large, I’d stay a little longer, maybe find a tiny bit of income temporarily. Then I met Jenna and decided to stay a while longer than planned. Faren hasn’t come yet, so I guess I’m safe for the moment. Though, even if he did come, I’m in no shape to fight him currently.”
“From what I’ve heard from Bell and Ken, you haven’t been in any shape to fight since they first saw you.” Andy eyed how Baron’s clothes fit loosely about his frame, and how pale and thin his face was.
Baron looked gravely at the ground, his hand feeling his old blue infinity scarf around his neck. “Yeah, I haven’t been in fighting shape for a long time. Not like I had any reason to be in shape after Granny’s death.” Baron clenched his eyes shut. Oh, how that still stung!
“Stop tearing yourself apart over her death, she wouldn’t want you to,” Andy said soothingly. After a bit, he asked, “Why didn’t you have a reason?”
Baron’s green eyes met Andy’s brown. “If Faren wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t stop him. Unless there was someone to protect.”
“Baron, you shouldn’t think that way.”
“But my life has no worth. I have taken so many others.” Baron’s gaze turned away, his fist clenching.
“Doesn’t God say that life has worth? I don’t remember Him saying that some lives don’t.”
“Did God not also say ‘Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man’?”
“Yes, He did,” Andy replied hesitatingly.
“Therefore, if I don’t fight Faren, I will be killed, and the price for the lives I’ve taken paid.”
“But God will pardon you! No matter what.”
“I believe I clearly read that if man’s blood is shed, then the one who shed the blood must have his life taken too. I don’t see any ‘unless he is pardoneth by God.’”
“Maybe not right there, but didn’t you read the part where Immanuel came to pay that debt for us? If you accept Immanuel, if you repent and Immanuel enters your heart, then you are pardoned from your sin.”
Baron fell silent for a moment before replying, “Still isn’t right there, how can you be sure?”
“Because that was before Immanuel came and died. When Immanuel came, the laws God previously had placed changed. Before hope had not come, but was merely promised, now that hope has come, and it has been seen. Things are a little different. I’m glad to see you’ve been reading His Word, but you can’t just take bits and pieces.”
“Baron?” Ken’s voice could be heard from the stable door. Lucky whinnied at the familiar sound, ears forward in expectation.
“I’m here Ken, talking with Andy.”
The bodyguard soon appeared, petting Lucky on the nose. “I came to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Ken nodded, turning his attention to Andy. “Good afternoon, Andy. How are the horses?”
“Very well.”
Baron watched as Ken pet Lucky. “Lucky likes you.”
“Yes, Lucky and I have had a few run-ins, haven’t we?” He asked, looking at the horse with a smile. Lucky gazed dopily back at Ken. The man looked between Baron and Andy with a raised eyebrow. “You two know each other?”
“Baron is a brother of sorts. We used to live and work together at my old farm before the fire.”
Ken nodded as the sound of a carriage could be heard coming to pull up by the stable and Andy’s name was called. Andy excused himself and was away. Baron slowly rose from his seat and went to follow.
“Andy will be engaged with caring for the carriage horses, a job you are not well enough yet to help with, Baron. Instead, shall we go and greet the Handels?”
Baron nodded, “Yes, that is probably a wise idea.” Baron waved good-bye to Andy, starting the short walk back to the mansion with Ken in tow.
Every time you smile, a flower blooms somewhere in the world.
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)@rae oooh! His old friend came to stay where he was, that’s nice!
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
this was another good section. I feel like you’re really sinking into a good style and voice with this. I had a slight problem with one sentence though.
When Immanuel came, the laws God previously had placed changed.
I don’t see that in the Bible. If anything, the laws were reinforced more strongly. (You have heard it said do not commit adultery, but I say whoever looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery in his heart. You have heard it said do not murder, but I say that any man who hates his brother has already murdered him in his heart, etc.)
The laws didn’t need to change. We just needed to obey them perfectly. And we couldn’t. So we were punished as lawbreakers.
Jesus was the only one who could fulfill the law and the prophesy of salvation. As a man he obeyed the law perfectly and completely. As God, His sacrifice was able to pay for the sins of all men, then and to come.so yeah, anyhow. You may know and mean to convey all this and the wording led me to think otherwise. Or maybe not. I just thought I’d point it out.
as for the name, how about The Turn. Baron’s sickness turned and there’s also been a turn of events with Andy. 🤷🏼♀️
just a thought.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
I will need to clear this up in the story i guess. I didn’t mean all the laws, I meant more the changes in that we no longer have to sacrifice animals because Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice. The laws changed in little ways because Hope had finally come, we didn’t have to wait for it.
I will make this clearer in the text, thank you for pointing this out 🙂
as for the name, how about The Turn. Baron’s sickness turned and there’s also been a turn of events with Andy. 🤷🏼♀️
I didn’t think of that. Thank you for the idea, I might use a variation.
Every time you smile, a flower blooms somewhere in the world.
#AnduthForever (hopefully💕)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.