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🤣😭 That is SO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sobbing about one death in particular….*
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
Who?
I’ve killed a lot……
Also, what do you think of the song?
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
🤣 That’s your theme song?! Okay, I can see the words fit well…but the style is so different! Imagine seeing pictures of your guys slide-showing through that song! I just find it funny, because the book’s feel and the song’s feel are so different.
It feels like having “Trouble” play at the end of Chosen season 1!!
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
Oh sorry, I was thinking about one of my characters.
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
By the way, my family loves the new Aladdin film! It’s way better than the cartoon one. And yes. I LOVE that Speechless song! Even my brother does!
I love the story of the Genie and…well…I won’t give it away. There’s just one weird part in one of the songs…but other than that…we LOVE it!!!
The same composer who wrote the music to Newsies wrote the songs to the new Aladdin…and there’s one part in a song that Aladdin sings that are the exact lines from Jack Kelly!🤣
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
Yeah I know. At first I could never see it fitting, but the more I listened to it the more I kept thinking about these guys, (specifically Leon for some reason) so now it has to be the book theme song, because I think about them every time. 😂
Ah, I get it.
We didn’t do Aladdin because of the clothing the girls are wearing. I have wanted to see it for a while though. maybe someday when the boys aren’t around.
I did know he wrote it!! That’s why I listened to the Speechless song! (and because I was training my voice and the girl who sings it has a good range for me to work in)
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Yes! That song really goes up and down. Have you learned “Not Alone”? (the most epic Christian girl song ever…)
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
I think so! Send it!
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @liberty
NEXT SECTION
Leon woke in the darkness. He heard Rolf breathing and felt the rocking of the ship below him. He sat up, wondering where they were going and what fate lay ahead. Leon leaned against the side of the ship’s hold and drew his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms about them. “Lord, I don’t know what’s happening right now. I thought we were doing what You called us to do. We have faithfully spread Your Word throughout the Empire. We gave up the peace and freedom we could have had in Ardenta to follow Your call and proclaim Your name throughout our homeland, and we have done this faithfully! We have spoken out though we knew the cost and the danger. We have spoken bravely before common men and governors, and we were ready to continue to do so! All this time we have been journeying towards the Capital where we would have most assuredly faced trials and perhaps even death. So, why? Why, Lord, why? Why have we been taken captive by these slaver traders and dragged from our home to who knows what end? Why?”
Leon hung his head and tried to fight against the overwhelming despair and confusion that flooded his heart. “What have we done wrong?” he whispered.
“For You, God, tested us; You refined us like silver.” Rolf said in a low voice.
Leon started slightly, surprised he was awake. “What did you say?”
Rolf pushed himself up into a sitting position. “It was a verse I read recently. It’s in the Psalms, but I don’t remember where. I… I heard you praying, and I couldn’t help but also wonder why this is happening to us. Then, all at once, I remembered that verse as if I had read it just moments ago,” Rolf replied.
“Could you say it again,” Leon asked, his voice cracking from dryness.
“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver,” Rolf repeated.
Leon was silent for a long moment. At last, he spoke. “Then perhaps that is the answer. Perhaps God is testing us in this trial, so that we may become more like Him.”
“But why are we being taken from the Empire, and into what are we being taken?” Rolf asked. “Couldn’t we have been tested there? And if we stayed true to Him, we could have been a light to the people around us. Now we’re going to some strange land to face who knows what trial. And what good could it possibly bring?”
“I don’t know,” Leon admitted. “But… God does. He’s doing this for a reason, and we have got to trust Him, or we’ll never make it through. He knows what He’s doing.” Leon stopped and smiled slightly. “It’s very easy to tell you that, but so hard to actually do it myself.”
“I know what you mean,” Rolf agreed.
Leon closed his eyes and leaned his head against the side of the hold. “Father, help us trust You,” he whispered.
***
Julian woke to a bright morning. He rolled over and found Aelic crouched by the fire, boiling a pot of water. Julian sat up and looked about him. “Did Leon and Rolf come back?”
Aelic shook his head.
Julian got up and walked over to where Roland sat, propped with their cloaks against a tree. “How are you doing?”
Roland pushed himself into a more upright position. “Better. I really do think it was a sprain and not a brake. Look how the swelling has gone down, and I can move my foot again. It was the worst sprain of my life though.”
Julian crouched and unwrapped the scarf from the injured ankle. “It does look a lot better,” he admitted.
“How long have the others been gone?” Roland asked.
“This is the fourth morning,” Julian replied.
Roland looked surprised. “How long was it going to take them to get to Clonabay?”
“We had guessed about two to three days, but we could be off,” Julian replied.
“So, they’re probably in Clonabay by now and they should be back in about two to three days?” Roland asked.
“I should think so,” Julian agreed.
They ate breakfast and spent the day checking traps, smoking meat, and preparing for the return of the others.
Julian finished recording everything he could think of that had not been written down, and after that there wasn’t a lot to do. They played games with rocks and sticks, studied the Scriptures, and talked about their families and lives.
The day came to a close and Julian had the first watch that night.
The next day passed the same, and the next. The day after that, Roland insisted they let him up to try and walk around. He limped about for a time, but by the end of the day he was walking almost normally, though he said it was a little stiff and hurt some. The next day, Roland was ready to go on, but there was no sign of Rolf and Leon.
“What’s happened to them?” Julian wondered, a worried frown on his face.
“Perhaps it’s a lot farther then we thought,” Roland suggested.
Julian stood and stared at the road for several moments. “I think we should continue on. They’ll take the same road as we will, and we can meet them on the way.”
The others agreed, and they packed up their things and were soon on the road. Roland walked a little slower than normal, but the others didn’t mind so long as they were going somewhere. They walked all day and at last arrived at a place surrounded by rocky outcroppings. “That ring is where someone had a fire,” Aelic said, pointing to a burned patch in the ground.
“Perhaps it was Leon and Rolf,” Julian suggested.
They settled down for the night and Aelic made a fire in the place that had been left. Then they chose the watch and slept.
The next morning, they began to prepare breakfast. “Julian, can you get me some more wood?” Aelic asked as he bent over the fire.
“Sure. I don’t know how you do it, Aelic,” Julian said, as he began to gather sticks here and there.
“Do what?”
“Make such good food.”
Aelic grinned. “It helps when you’ve had years of surviving on your own to practice.”
“Well, you certainly got the undisputed roll of cook around here,” Roland chuckled.
“And what a trapper! I have never seen someone so skilled in trapping,” Julian added. “Why, you caught enough–––” he broke off and stared.
“What?” Roland asked, looking up with concern.
Julian dropped the sticks he was holding and bent to pick up a book from the ground, half hidden under some brush. He opened the leather cover and drew in a sharp breath. “It’s Leon’s Bible.”
“How do you know?” Roland asked, coming to join him.
“My brother, Adrain, copied this over. Noah gave us the two of the ones he had copied when he found out I was his brother and Leon was a close friend. I would know his handwriting anywhere. And here, this is the cord he used to mark the place he was reading,” he added, letting the book open to reveal a strip of leather near the middle.
“Why is it here?” Aelic asked, joining them.
“I… I don’t know,” Julian replied. “But something terrible must have happened. Leon treasured this more than anything else. He would never leave it.”
“We don’t know that something happened. Perhaps his pack wasn’t fastened well, and it slipped out,” Roland said, hopefully.
“Maybe,” replied Julian, but his voice clearly showed he didn’t believe it.
Aelic turned back toward the fire. “We should eat and go. Breakfast is almost ready.”
“We need to go now,” Julian said.
“If something happened then we need enough strength to deal with it,” Aelic argued.
They ate a hurried breakfast–– Julian impatiently urging the others after he inhaled his own–– and then packed up and headed out onto the road again.
Julian and Aelic kept their eyes on the road, looking for any sign of what had happened.
Roland was not as skilled in the art of tracking, and he watched the path ahead for travelers. There were plenty of marks from horses’ hooves and footsteps around those marks, but there were so many, and they went in both directions. It was impossible to track someone on the main road between towns and cities.
That night they pressed on through the dark until the others convinced Julian that they needed to stop. “What good will we be if we arrive spent and exhausted,” Roland said.
“Besides, we had better not push Roland’s ankle. It’s still not fully healed,” Aelic pointed out.
Julian reluctantly agreed and they made camp. The next morning, they were off again, but by mid-morning Roland started to lag behind the others.
After lunch it was clear he was limping badly–– though he pressed doggedly on and insisted it didn’t hurt him in the least.
Julian was hopelessly torn between discovering what had happened to Leon and Rolf and doing what was best for Roland. He called an early halt, making the excuse that they needed rest. He wasn’t sure if Roland knew the truth or not, but he was not about to make it clear why they were stopping.
Julian hardly ate and spent a restless night in fear of what had become of the two. The next morning, they pressed on and came in sight of Clonabay by afternoon.
Roland and Aelic both stopped and shielded their eyes, looking out toward the sea. Julian hardly noticed and he broke into a half run down the slope.
They entered the town and were overwhelmed by the amount people. There were so many styles of clothing and nearly everyone they passed spoke a different language then the man before.
They finally made it to the main inn and asked after Leon and Rolf. The innkeeper said no one by their names or description had stayed there. The three took a room and put their things in it before going out into the streets again.
“We need information,” Roland said.
“We need to ask,” Julian replied. “We’ve got to ask anyone and everyone if they’ve seen Leon and Rolf.”
“Should we split up?” Aelic wondered.
“I don’t like that idea,” Julian replied. “It’s a large place and an evil one. I think we should stay together.”
“Let’s work the main street for now,” Roland said.
So, the rest of the day was spent in asking every passerby up and down the street if they had seen Leon and Rolf. Most didn’t understand their language, many ignored them or insulted them, some shook their heads, and a few tried to help, but no one had seen the two young men.
Night fell, and the darker side of the town came alive as drunk sailors, thieves, murderers and harlots began to haunt the corners and alleys.
The three retreated back to the inn and wearily fell asleep.
The next morning, they ate and resumed their search. Finally, one man paused. “If you’re looking for lost friends, I’d try the harbor. Lots of young fools get caught up in the glory of the sea and run off to join a ship.”
“Leon and Rolf wouldn’t do that!” Julian exclaimed. “You don’t understand.”
The man shrugged. “Suit yourself, but that’s my advice to you.”
“Come one Julian, we’ve looked up and down this street and no one knows. Let’s try the harbor like the man said. Maybe someone there will have seen them,” Roland suggested.
The three made their way to the harbor and began looking all about, scanning every face and asking after Leon and Rolf. Everyone seemed too busy to answer, a few tried suggestions, and most laughed and told them to be on their way. There were so many people and languages, and no one would stop to help.
Julian sat down on a barrel in despair. Roland leaned against it, favoring one foot over the other. Aelic stood beside them, his eyes ever watchful.
Someone touched Julian’s shoulder, and he spun about.
A man stood behind him. His skin-tone was a medium brown like his eyes, and his hair was short and dark. He wore a yellow tunic and pants–– both of which were decorated with red and brown patterns. His tunic was belted with a wide strap of braided leather. He was taller than the three, but not quite as tall as an Ardantin. “Ek is Ajanie. Ek sal probeer om jou te help,” the man said, holding out a hand
Julian slowly took it, and his hand was nearly crushed in the grip. “I… I am sorry, I don’t understand,” he said, slowly.
The man furrowed his brow in thought and spoke again slowly. “Ek is Ajanie.”
Julian looked helplessly to his friends but they both shrugged. The man pointed to himself. “Ajanie.” He pointed to Julian and then held up his hands as if in question.
“Your name is Ajanie?” Julian asked, pointing as he spoke.
“Ja, ja. En jy is?” the man asked, pointing to Julian.
“I am Julian, and these are my friends, Roland and Aelic,” Julian said, pointing as he spoke.
“Julian, Roland, Aelic,” Ajanie repeated, shaking hands with all three as he spoke their names. “Soek jy twee jong mans?”
Julian shook his head and looked around for someone who could help. “I don’t speak your language. I speak the common tongue,” he said slowly.
Ajanie seemed deep in thought. “Common tongue,” he repeated slowly.
“Yes, we only speak the common tongue,” Julian nodded.
Ajanie looked further confused. “Wat is die ‘Common tongue’?”
“I don’t understand,” Julian said, shaking his head and making a gesture of confusion.
Ajanie thought a moment longer, and all at once his face lit up. He turned toward the ships and, cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted “Dian! Kom hier. Ek het jou hulp nodig.”
A young man turned toward them. He was obviously from the same country as Ajanie, but he only wore bright red sailors’ britches with a pattered scarf tied about his head, an open leather vest and no shirt. He jumped off the gangway and ran along the pier to join them. He grinned at the companions and then looked to Ajanie. “Het jy my nodig gehad, meneer?”
Ajanie began speaking rapidly, gesturing for emphasis as he spoke.
Dian’s face sobered and he looked at Julian and his companions. He asked Ajanie a question, and the man replied.
Dian held out a hand to Julian. “My name is Dian. I am the translator for the ship Dame Konstant.” he said, his words thickly accented like Ajanie’s, but understandable to the three.
“I am Julian, and these are my friends Roland and Aelic,” Julian said, grasping his offered hand. “Please, could you tell us what Ajanie is trying to say?”
“You are searching, ja?” Dian asked.
“Yes,” Julian replied, eagerly. “Two friends of ours, Rolf and Leon. They were supposed to come here and return with a horse, but it has been over a week, and we can’t find them.”
“What did they look like?” Dian asked.
“Like us. One was about my age and the other was younger, like Roland,” Julian said, motioning to his friend.
“Do you remember what they were wearing?” Dian asked.
“No, not in detail,” Julian replied.
“Just clothes like ours,” Roland added.
Dian looked to Ajanie and translated their words.
Ajanie said something in reply, and Dian turned back to them. “Did your friends have anything to do with destroying the slave trade in Wiedlisbourg?”
“Yes!” Julian exclaimed. “Yes, they did! Have you seen them?”
Dian’s face fell. “Ja, I have.”
“Where are they?” Roland and Julian asked together, looking from Dian to Ajanie.
Dian hesitated and looked to Ajanie, who nodded. He turned back to the three. “They were captured by slave traders. The men were very angry about what happened in Wiedlisbourg, and they took your friends prisoner.”
Julian’s mouth went dry, and he felt like someone had stuck him a crippling blow. “How?” he asked hoarsely.
“I don’t know. They came to the harbor and your friends were tied to their horse’s saddles. They told the other slave traders that they had captured the two who had destroyed the slave trade, and word spread fast. We were moored near their cursed ship, and we saw them take your friends aboard. It didn’t look good,” Dian replied.
“But the guards! Surly they didn’t let them leave the harbor with men of the Empire on board,” Julian protested.
“That is what we thought, and when I saw a guard go aboard, I climbed the rigging to get a better view. The guard saw your friends, but the traders paid him to keep quiet. I ran to the harbor patrol to tell them, but they did not believe me, and by the time they came to investigate, the ship was gone,” Dian replied. “I am sorry.”
Julian turned and walked several paces away, lowering his head into his hands. Roland stood in stunned silence, and Dian turned to Aelic, who was looking out over the water, his hand on the hilt of his knife. “Is there anything I can do?”
Aelic turned back to him. “No,” he said, in a low voice. “Where will they take them?”
Dian shrugged dejectedly. “I do not know. Perhaps back to their country, or perhaps somewhere else.”
“What will they do to them?” Aelic asked.
“They will most likely kill them or sell them into slavery. Either way, I fear you will never see them again,” Dian replied quietly.
Aelic lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Dian looked to where Julian stood, his back turned, and head bowed. He looked to Ajanie and asked a question.
Ajanie nodded toward Julian.
Dian came to Julian’s side and stood, waiting for him to look up. Julian took a deep breath and turned.
“Come and stay on our ship. We will help you all we can,” Dian said.
Julian smiled tightly. “Thank you, but we do not wish to be a burden.”
Dian shook his head. “You are no burden. What those men have done is vile, and I would love to get in a dagger’s length of them. We will do all we can. Come and stay with us.”
“Alright,” Julian agreed. He looked to Roland. “You and Aelic go with them. I’ll get our stuff from the inn.”
“Moenie hom alleen laat gaan nie,” Ajanie said, looking straight at Dian.
“What?” Julian asked.
“He said not to let you go alone,” Dian replied.
“I’m fine,” Julian said stiffly.
“This place is dangerous, and you don’t know it well. You are also distracted by grief. Let me come with you,” the young sailor persisted.
“Alright,” Julian consented.
He and Dian turned and made their way back toward the inn. Julian had a hard time following, for Dian was swift and agile and he moved through the crowd with ease. At last, they reached the inn, and Julian went upstairs and grabbed their things. He came back down, and Dian took Aelic and Roland’s packs, ignoring Julian’s protest that he didn’t need to.
They walked back through the crowd and made it to the harbor. They climbed up onto the ship, and Julian was engulfed with a wave of strong scents.
Dian grinned at Julian’s watering eyes. “We are spice merchants. You like spices, ja?”
“Yes, but not so much all at once,” Julian managed.
Dian laughed. “Don’t worry, your rooms will be the best, and the smell will be faint–– if it is there at all.”
They walked up onto the second deck and came to a set of cabins. Dian pushed one open and Julian found four bunks built into the walls. “Here is your room,” Dian said. “You need anything, and I will bring it.”
“Thank you, Dian,” Julian replied. “Where are the others?”
“With Ajanie in his cabin. He is the captain, and a good man he is,” Dian replied.
“I would like some time alone. Would that be alright?” Julian asked.
“Ja, ja, of course,” Dian said. He placed a hand on Julian shoulder. “I am so sorry about your friends. I pray Adar will keep his hand on them.”
“Adar?” Julian asked.
“Ja, he is our god. The god of life and death.”
“I also worship One God,” Julian said, absently. “He is the God of life and death, but He is the God of so much more. He is the God of everything.”
“Interesting. And what does he look like?”
“He has no image,” Julian replied.
“He sounds like Adar; he too is imageless.”
Julian turned to him with interest. “And what do you believe of life after death?”
“Adar gives life to those who do much good to their fellow man. The others must wander in the shadows,” Dian replied promptly.
Julian sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes as he sat down on one of the bunks. Dian was so close… yet so far away.
All Julian wanted to do was go someplace where he could be alone and grieve for the loss of his brothers. But he knew God had called him to spread His word to all men and he couldn’t let Dian follow this path of destruction without speaking up. “Dian, will you sit with me?”
“Ja, if that is what you wish,” Dian replied. He sat on the other bunk, facing Julian.
“Dian, tell me all about Adar.”
“Well… Adar has great powers, and he is good. We are evil and we must do much good to please Adar. Our good wipes away the sin and we can stand blameless before him. Those who follow in sin will never be with Adar.”
“So, you earn salvation by doing good works?” Julian asked.
“Ja,” Dian replied. “We do lots of good to please Adar, and when he is pleased, we are blessed.”
“I see,” Julian replied. He paused a moment. Father, show me what to say. “Dian, can I tell you about my God?”
“You mean gods,” Dian laughed. “You of the Empire believe there are many gods and goddesses.”
“Yes, my nation believes this, but I do not,” Julian replied.
“No?” Dian asked in genuine surprise. “Tell me then, who’s gods do you believe in?”
“I believe in the One true God of heaven and earth,” Julian replied.
Dian looked skeptical. “Tell me about this One God.”
“Like you said, we are all sinners, and we have fallen short of the glory of God. He created everything, and by Him all things were made,” Julian explained. “He created man and woman, and they lived in a pure and sinless world. The man and woman broke God’s commands, and after that, sin entered the world. We are all born sinners and deserve death, for the wages of sin is death. But God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth and die for us. If we believe in Him, then His blood will cover over our sins, and when we die, we will live with Him forever, because God will see us through the redeeming blood of Jesus. We could never earn our salvation, because we condemned ourselves to death with our fist sinful action. But he was sinless, so he was able to take our blame. He has a plan for your life, Dian, and He loves you.”
“A holy God of love, who dies for His people… I have never heard of such a thing,” Dian murmured. He stood slowly. “Thank you for telling me, Julian. I shall have to think on this.”
“You’re welcome,” Julian replied. He looked down as Dian walked from the cabin and closed the door behind him.
Julian buried his face in his hands and his shoulders shook. “Why God? Why! Why did You let this happen? Leon and I were ready to face anything for You, but we were going to do it together!” Julian leapt to his feet and moved to the round porthole window. “We came to give our lives for the salvation of the Empire. Why have You let Leon and Rolf be dragged off to some country and killed or enslaved? I thought this was about the salvation of the Empire. Isn’t that why You called us here?” Julian slammed a hand against the wall of the ship, tears stinging his eyes. He looked up and spotted his pack. Julian picked it up and opened it. Leon’s Bible lay on top, and Julian grabbed it. He held it in his hands and then slowly opened it, letting the pages fall to the passage Leon had marked with the leather strap.
‘Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”’
All nations. The words seemed to strike Julian. All nations. Not just Ardenta, not just Vendailia, not just the Empire, but all nations. He sighed, letting the book slide closed and dropping it on his bunk. “But Lord, why would You let them be taken captive by such evil men? Why not send them another way if You wanted them to go? We would have listened! Why did You have to do it like this? So much pain has come because of this. Couldn’t it have been another way?” Julian put his head in his hands again.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
The verse sounded so clearly in his memory that it seemed as if someone was speaking it to him at that very moment. Julian slammed a fist into the wall. “I don’t like Your ways right now. It’s miserable God, and it doesn’t seem just! What did they ever do to deserve this? They are captured because they did what was right!”
Julian began pacing back and forth. Finally, he flung himself down on the bunk, narrowly missing hitting his head. He pulled out the journal Joseph had given them and flipped it open.
***
Julian, Aelic, and Roland stayed five days on the Dame Konstant. While there, the ship’s surgeon tended to Roland’s ankle, and by the time the ship was ready to set sail, he was fully recovered and back on his feet.
Julian spent a much of the time talking with Dian about God. It was almost aggravating how close Dian was to the truth, and Julian was often very nearly at a loss for what to say.
Julian also spent hours in prayer. He was still angry about what had happened, but he was trying to surrender his will to God, and very slowly his anger began to dissipate.
The night before the ship set sail, Ajanie–– with Dian translating–– asked Julian if they wanted to sail with the Dame Konstant and go in search of Leon and Rolf, futile as it seemed.
Julian told them they would have to give an answer in the morning.
That night, the three friends prayed for a long, long time. When morning came, they had made their decision.
They had breakfast with Dian and Ajanie in the captain’s cabin.
“Sal jy saam met ons kom?” Ajanie asked.
“Will you come with us?” Dian translated.
Julian looked at his companions and they nodded to him. He turned back to the two men. “We prayed long into the night, and in the end, all three of us felt God telling us to stay. He called us here and He has work for each of us and a plan for our lives. As much as I long to search for them, and as much as it breaks my heart to abandon them to whatever fate will befall them, God has made it clear to all three of us that His place for us is here. He will be with Leon and Rolf, and He will not leave them, whatever happens.”
Dian nodded and then turned to his captain, translating Julian’s words. The captain replied soberly.
Dian turned to Julian. “He says he has never seen anyone so devoted to their God and so sure of His will and commands for them. He says he will rescue Leon and Rolf and bring them home if ever he sees them.”
Julian bowed his head to Ajanie. “Thank you, sir. Thank you for everything.”
Dian translated and Ajanie smiled and nodded in return.
When Julian, Roland and Aelic stood on the pier to bid the ship farewell, Dian came to them. “Julian, you are a man like none I have ever met. Your faith in your God… the way you have trusted Him with the fate of your friends… it intrigues me very deeply.”
Julian smiled slightly. “It wasn’t easy, Dian.”
“I know, and that is what draw me,” he replied. “When I return home, I will tell my people this story.”
“Wait a moment” Julian said. He dropped his pack to the ground and quickly dug through it. He found one of the Bibles that had been copied at the University. “Take this with you,” he said, handing it to Dian. “Tell your people this story.”
“What is it?” Dian asked, taking the book.
“It is the Word of our God,” Julian replied. “It is all I have told you, and much more.”
Dian’s eyes widened and he held the book close. “A holy book. I will guard it with my life, and I will translate it word for word, with no mistakes. This is a treasure beyond any other. Thank you, Julian.”
The two shook hands, and then Dian made his farewell to Roland and Aelic. “I will pray for you, my friends.”
“As we will for you,” Julian replied. “Thank you for all you have done to help us. Godspeed, Dian.”
Dian waved and climbed back aboard, still holding the book close to his chest.
The three watched as the ship set sail and moved through the harbor. They stood waving until it was gone from their sight.
Julian lowered his hand and let out a deep breath. “Alright, let’s find an inn and get settled. We have work to do.”
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
I feel like I’ve heard that song before, but I can’t tell if I actually have or if it is just similar to another song I’ve heard before. I can see why you waited to post this until after Rolf and Leon were captured. It fits much more now that that happened.
I remember reading the book in the first meme you posted. It’s called All My Friends Are Dead. I thought it was the funniest thing ever when I was 12.
Next section! I will get to reading it soon.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Leon’s prayer at the beginning was what I was expecting to be going through Rolf’s head instead, then Leon being the one who encourages as he has gone through so much more. I was supprised when it was reversed!
I’m not convinced by Julian telling Dian the gospel in that moment. Both before and after, he is caught in grief over Leon’s capture. And it is still very fresh in his mind. It seems like he switches it off as if it never happened when talking to Dian, talking quite strongly for someone in a big moment of doubt, even if he does want to be alone. Then, when Dian leaves, in a flash, he is unable to bear it anymore and is filled with doubt.
I think what’s bothering me was Julian’s interest in what Dian had to say. This doesn’t fit with his desire to be alone. If he wants to be alone, he’s going to want to be out of there as quickly as possible. Even if he does feel obligated to stay, he’s not going to start questioning Dian any more than he has to. And if he does show intreast, he is going to have to force himself to do so. He may even decide not to go into the gospel right then and there, with the bit about Adar going right over his head. And since they are staying on the ship, he knows there will likely be time later. Or it could be Rolf or Aelic who shares the gospel as well.
As a side note, I’ve noticed your protagonists seem to all handle grief the same way. When something goes wrong, they all cry aloud, ‘Why God? Why! Why did You let this happen?’ and then they somehow come across a Bible verse, and temporarily take courage in that. Julian was a little more different in the way that the verse he remembered he still fought against. What might make each of their responses more unique?
Otherwise, it’s a good section. Still waiting for you to use more names of my Dad’s brothers.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Well that is exactly how you should picture him! Bravo! 👏🏻
Wow. That’s like… a first for me.
I thought about having a POV for him….. but that will start fracturing into lots of POVs and the question will be, “Why Rolf over Aelic and Roland?” and then I’ll have five POVs going.
Yup. Well, no need to go into Rolf’s head.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Is it bad that it was reversed?
I’m not convinced by Julian telling Dian the gospel in that moment
Ugh.
I had that feeling as I was editing it.
Hmm…. I might possibly chuck that section altogether………..
So is it bad that Julian responded differently?
Well….. I think that might be because that tends to be what happens to me when I’m handling grief/anger. I haven’t personally experienced a lot of other methods, so it’s kind of what I know.
Is that bad?
Wow. That’s like… a first for me.
Haha. Well, looks like i gave the descriptions needed.
Otherwise, it’s a good section. Still waiting for you to use more names of my Dad’s brothers.
Yeah……. well I just named a villain after a really good friend’s dad….. (I didn’t know his name! I PROMISE!) so I won’t be too surprised if that winds up happening.
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Is it bad that it was reversed?
I wounldn’t say so. It just makes this scene feel more like a moment where Joseph/Arron is struggling then Noah/David encourages or seems stronger.
Hmm…. I might possibly chuck that section altogether………..
Up to you.
Well….. I think that might be because that tends to be what happens to me when I’m handling grief/anger. I haven’t personally experienced a lot of other methods, so it’s kind of what I know.
Ah. When I’m upset, I tend to blame myself over God. My reaction is more of ‘Look. God’s going to use this for good. So don’t worry.’ *worries* ‘Cut that out!’ *complains* ‘No, I can’t complain, this will be used for good’ *worries more and complains more* ‘Ugh, God I can’t stop worrying and complaining, help me to trust you’ *worries more and complains even more* ‘Argh!’. Also, this is all internal. I haven’t experienced anything really traumatic, so I don’t know how I would react in a more desperate circumstance. But my guess, based off of my self-blaming personality, is that I would tend to do something like that. You could try asking other people how they have responded to circumstances for more ideas.
Is that bad?
It just makes the characters feel more samey than unique from each other. We’ve seen the ‘Why God?’ reaction, so it might be nice to see some different ones from different characters to make it more refreshing. Julian is often logical. How might that impact his emotional reactions? Or does he just forget logic altogether and start being completely unreasonable? He kind of was when he refused to listen to that last verse. (This does work as well. My character Cyrus is kind of like this)
Yeah……. well I just named a villain after a really good friend’s dad….. (I didn’t know his name! I PROMISE!) so I won’t be too surprised if that winds up happening.
If it makes you feel better, I was playing a board game with my dad and sister, and the villain was introduced as Roland, which we all had a laugh at. But as the game continued, we found out this Roland was the leader of a blood cult. Ewww.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
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