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@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @liberty
SPECIAL NEXT SECTION!!! Part 2 of today!!!
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
October 27th
The EmpireWe spent all day today going up and down the streets. We mostly explored our surroundings, though we did talk with a few of the people. So far no one has taken much interest, and poor Aelic has a nasty cut on his shoulder-blade where he was struck by a one of the rocks several angry men threw at him. He’s as cheerful as ever and says he’s ready to go back tomorrow. The only encouraging news was that a man and woman asked Roland to come and meet them tomorrow to continue talking. We pray this is not a trap. It is a little disheartening, but battles aren’t won in a moment. I know God is with us, and His will shall be done.
~Leon
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
October 30th
The EmpireWe spent the Sabbath day alone in our room. It was a sweet time of fellowship, though I think we all had hoped that we would be joined by people from the city. Roland met with that couple, and though they seemed intrigued, they did not wish to talk again. This was a blow to our hope for their salvation, but we will continue to pray and seek God’s will. No interference from the priests as of yet.
~Leon.
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 5th
The EmpireNo one has shown much interest. We are still going out each day, but none talk with us long. It rather disheartening, but we will not give in to the enemy. He will not convince us to stop our work.
~Julian
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 9th
The EmpireIt’s getting bitterly cold, and the snow is falling. Less people are going out, and it is starting to get dangerous to spend all day in the streets. I think I might be getting a cold. I have a horrible headache, and my face feels extremely hot. I hope I don’t get sick. I would hate to stop work.
~Julian.
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 10th
The EmpireIt was as I feared. I am sick, and Leon has insisted I stay in our room today to try and fight it off. The innkeeper’s wife has prepared me a strong broth which is doing me good. If I can’t go out, I might as well do some work here. I think I’ll go downstairs… if my headache allows it. Roland told me this morning that a family asked him to come and dine with them over supper. Lord, please use this opportunity to bring them to You!
It is so good to have Leon back, but also strange in some ways. At night I sometimes wake and think that he’s still gone. I had accepted the fact that I would never see him again, and now he’s here! His time in slavery must have been horrible, but whenever he talks about it, he goes on and on about how grateful he is that so many lives were touched by God through them. He never says anything about the treatment he received, but Rolf has mentioned a few of the things that slave trader, Hassan, did to them, and I am sure that there were other things that happened to Leon while in captivity. Rolf speaks freely about what he and his friends went through, though he can’t talk about Conrad without his voice going hoarse. Leon, however, says very little about the treatment he received. Talking about what happened seems to help Rolf, just as it often does me. Leon is different. I think it hurts him more to talk about it. Perhaps I’m just imagining things… but I do feel a certain sense about him. I’m almost certain awful things happened. I wonder if he’ll ever tell me.~Julian
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 10th
The Empire(Two in the morning)
Roland never came home. We are all worried, and Leon and I are sitting up to watch for him. Aelic fell asleep where he sat at his post, and we haven’t the heart to wake him. I’m sure Rolf must be worried sick. He’s in our room with us, unable to face the silence of his right now. Father, protect Roland!
~Julian
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 11th
The EmpireRoland has returned! Thank God! He stayed up long into the night talking with the family, and he says they are eager to know more. We were all so worried about him, but I am thankful that he has returned. And they want him to come back! Perhaps God has touched their hearts!
I am still too unwell to go out, but I think I’ll be able to move about the inn today. Thank You God for protecting Roland! May his words reach that family.~Julian
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 13th
The EmpireToday, the Martin family, (The ones Roland has been visiting) came to our Sabbath morning worship, and they all believe! What a joy and blessing! Thank You God! I am so excited my hand is shaking! Every act of God’s salvation in a lost person brings me joy, but in the Capital of the Empire— who would have ever imagined such a thing?
I am also well enough to go out again, though I will be more careful to dress warmly. Amelia could have never known how much good these hats, gloves, and scarves she knitted for us do. I wonder how she, Joseph, Beric, and Mercy are doing. I miss them terribly. They, Noah, Darrien, and Sabina are the closest thing to family I have ever had… besides Adrian. How I miss them. I pray for them every day, as I know they do for us. Someday, I know we will meet again, and that is the only reason I can bear this separation. If it was forever, I couldn’t stand it.~Julian.
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 16th
The EmpireTwo more believers have been added to our company! The innkeeper and his wife, thanks to Julian’s time spent with them during his illness. God works in wonderful ways. The church is slowly growing, despite the devil’s best efforts to thwart us. I am excited to see what happens. The snow lies thick all around us, and the street sweepers push huge piles of it into the gutters, but they can’t keep the streets all the way clear.
I have worn a hole in my boot, and I’ll have to get it mended or I’ll get frostbite.
Still no sign of opposition on the part of the soldiers and priests, but I am sure it will come, and we must be ready to face it when it does.~Leon.
The sixteenth year of Emperor Haidronias’s reign
November 19th
The EmpireThe snow has stopped falling for several days, and for that we are all thankful. It has been a wonderful time here in the Capital. I am so eager to see what lies ahead. It may not seem like much, but slowly, as lapping water rubs away at a rock, we are making a mark. God’s light is starting to break through into this darkness.
Oh, I almost forgot. The innkeeper has offered us a large room in his home for our Sabbath meetings and studies throughout the week. Thank You Lord for this unforeseen blessing.~Leon
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Yeeesss….. but I also have lots of other books I’ve written and am currently writing, and a whole notebook of plots I need to do things with.
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
@ellette-giselle how many?
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
Also, I like the bonus section!
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
Yay, the bonus section!! XD
The part where Julian says he has to stay in his room and then two sentences later says he might go downstairs was a little confusing.
I thought he was going to be sick for longer than that—I don’t know, just seemed like something you would do.
Nice to see Joseph and his family mentioned again. I miss them.
Are we ever going to hear about Leon’s backstory?
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
Good morning!!! You’re bright and early! Normally Hybridlore is my first reader. Looks like you got her place! 😂
😄
Oh wait…Helene is said like He-leen?
Oh, come on! Adrian wasn’t always dead. I would like to know what he was like when he was alive on earth.
Speaking of Adrians, have you ever read “Lysbeth”?
No! What’s it about?!?Ooh…I think you’ll love it! It was written by H.Rider.Haggard. Have you read any of his other books?
It’s about a young Dutch woman set during the 1600s when the Dutch were struggling to gain their independence from Spain. Well, the first half is about Lysbeth…but the really interesting part happens in the second half!!!!!! I can’t give any spoilers!!!
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
I forgot…is Leon and Julian writing in the same journal? Or do they each have their own?
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
69 full length novels written…..
1 current
1 I’m editing and posting on here
80+ plotlines I need to turn into books.
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Oh, i thought I said he might try to get up later that day.
I can fix that.
I thought he was going to be sick for longer than that—I don’t know, just seemed like something you would do.
Hmmm….. I can do the unexpected sometimes. It was just a cold.
This time.
Nice to see Joseph and his family mentioned again. I miss them.
Me too!!!!
Are we ever going to hear about Leon’s backstory?
I dunno. We’ll have to see. 😏
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Yes, that’s how to pronounce it, but it would be said with a thick German accent, not our American one, so it would sound a little different. It could also be said Helen with the “e” still added.
Oh, come on! Adrian wasn’t always dead. I would like to know what he was like when he was alive on earth.
Shy. Rather a bit of a coward sometimes. Didn’t want to ever draw attention to himself. Relied on Julian as spokesman and decision maker. Very quiet. Never, ever did anything that went against what others were doing.
Until Aaron died that is.
I’ll have to check the book out!! It sounds good!
I forgot…is Leon and Julian writing in the same journal? Or do they each have their own?
uuuhhhh….. in draft 1 they shared it……. buuuttt I was thinking that might be a little odd for guys to do. I wouldn’t mind it, but a guy might. idk, what do you think, @linus-smallprint?
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
It could also be said Helen with the “e” still added.
Phew! I’m so relieved.
Shy. Rather a bit of a coward sometimes. Didn’t want to ever draw attention to himself. Relied on Julian as spokesman and decision maker. Very quiet. Never, ever did anything that went against what others were doing.
Interesting! My Adrian is kind of like that. He is quiet and doesn’t draw attention to himself (at least not intentionally) But he will speak up and be firm when it comes to going against wrong. He though he may be slow at coming to decisions, but once he does, he’s quite stubborn to change. Did your Adrian like to read? My Adrian is the “Mac bookworm” of the family.
uuuhhhh….. in draft 1 they shared it……. buuuttt I was thinking that might be a little odd for guys to do. I wouldn’t mind it, but a guy might. idk, what do you think,
From what I know about living with my brother…no sharing. Guys want their own journal.
"He who never quotes will never be quoted." ~Charles Spurgeon
lololol.
Uh…. not too much. He liked reading, (more than Julian) but there honestly wasn’t a lot of time for that. Ya know what? Should I send you the first bit of Book 2 and you can read about him?
From what I know about living with my brother…no sharing. Guys want their own journal.
I’m starting to suspect that, and I’ve been steering it more towards that rather than them sharing. 🤣
Three years ago, everyone liked to share!! Now that I’m older I’m like, uhhh………. 😬
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
SPECIAL NEXT SECTION!!!
I’ll drop a face-claim of a certain key character if y’all want after you read it!
Time passed, and slowly but surely, the church grew. It was wonderful to see how God was working in the lives of the people, and the companions pressed on, meeting each new day with faith and hope. There were two families, a few single young men, and a handful of children who gathered to worship with them each Sabbath. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they had believed possible in such a short time.
One day, the companions were out in the streets when a horn sounded. The people scattered to clear the road, many forced into the gutters full of snow. Leon stood on tiptoe to see over the heads of the people, and Julian braved a snowdrift to get some height.
Through the streets rode a trumpeter. Behind him were two guards, then a black horse with a rider, and then two more guards. The trumpeter blew his horn again. “Make way for Prince Dietrich, son of the Emperor, descendant of the lords of heaven. Heir to the throne, chosen of the gods, savior of the Empire.”
Leon scrambled up the drift, his boots sinking almost a foot in, but giving him the leverage he needed to see the lone rider.
Prince Dietrich rode astride the black stallion, a firm hand on the rains. The horse pawed the ground and tossed its head, prancing slightly as it walked, clearly being held back from bursting into a wild gallop. Leon was impressed with the prince’s horsemanship, for he knew how wild, fierce, and hard to control a stallion was. The prince’s saddle was made of shining black leather, decorated with gold designs. His clothing was also black, with intercut gold embroidery. He wore a thin, black cape with a deep hood, and though Leon tried he couldn’t see the face of the ruler-to-be.
The prince turned to look Leon’s direction a moment, and Leon was surprised to see his face was covered by a mask. The eye slits were narrow, only wide enough for the prince to see what he was doing. The mask was a shining black, but fastened over it were intercut designs carved from pure gold which ran along the bottom swoops of the mask. But what was so startling was the way the mask through shadows over the mouth and eye opening, making it look as though all that lay beneath was darkness.
The prince turned to look the other way.
The company rode on, and the crowd slowly returned to the street. Leon couldn’t take his eyes off the place the prince and his escort had disappeared.
“So, that’s his royal highness,” Julian muttered.
Leon nodded. He could not get over the strong urging pull toward the prince. Something about the masked face, the strong command of the horse… there was something in him that longed to speak to the prince— and longed even more for him to find salvation. If the heir to the Empire’s throne turned to God, what wonders would happen! The thought completely took his breath away. Oh Lord, if only there was a way!
***
The next Sabbath day came, and there was a new face among those worshiping. Julian talked to the stranger afterwards and learned that his name was Marius Scholz. He was the cousin of one of the newest families to join the church.
He was also the prince’s companion.
Marius was in his early twenties and was a kind young man. Julian asked him to join them for a meal, and he readily agreed.
“So, tell us about yourself,” Leon prompted, when they were all seated around a table in a secluded corner of the inn.
“Where shall I start?” Marius replied with a grin.
“From the beginning, Aelic suggested.
“Well then, I am the son of a widower who works in the stables,” Marius replied. “I never knew my father very well. He blamed me for my mother’s death, and we weren’t very close.” He hesitated a moment and then hurried on. “I was caring for the colt given to Prince Dietrich one day, and he came in to see it. We began to talk, and soon we became good friends. One day, Dietrich requested for me to be transferred to the palace as his personal servant. Of course, he got his way. His royal highness almost always does, being the son of the emperor and possibly a god.”
Leon and Julian exchanged a surprised look.
Marius noticed. “I’ll get to that in a moment,” he assured. “The prince and I remained fast friends, and when we were alone, he treated me like a brother. We had all sorts of wild games in his rooms and palace grounds. He’s the one who found my cousin and her family. It was wonderful meeting them, and Dietrich told me I was to have one day each week to spend with them. That is how they were able to tell me about Christ and bring me here today,”
“Tell us about the prince,” Julian said.
“Dietrich is a wonderful young man,” Marius grinned. “He has been a dear friend, and he is very kind. He is sixteen, as of one month ago. He still hasn’t fully recovered from the ball they threw in his honor–– which of course he was forced to attend.”
Leon grinned and Rolf laughed.
“What about the mask?” Julian asked. “When we saw him ride by, he was wearing a black and gold mask. Was that just part of his outfit that day?”
“No,” Marius replied, a little surprised. “Don’t you know that the law says the face of the emperor’s and his heir are never to be seen, because they are decedents of the gods?”
“But I saw Diedrich’s father as a prince, and he never wore a mask,” Leon said in confusion.
“No, I mean this prince,” Marius replied. “There was a time of hardship in our lands. A famine and terrible storms. But the year Diedrich was born, they all stopped. The priests claim that his mother, the emperor’s wife, had the blood of the gods in her and Diedrich has been chosen to bring salvation to the Empire and restore her to former glory and beyond. Where have you been not to know this?”
“I’ve been away many years,” Leon said.
“Why a mask?” Julian put in.
“Because it is said that if a commoner looked upon the face of a god, or one with the blood of the gods in him, then the glory would kill the man,” Marius explained. But I have looked at Diedrich’s face, and I am a servant.”
“So, does the prince believe all that about being part god?” Rolf asked.
“Oh no,” Marius laughed. “He thinks it’s all nonsense, and he’s asked many times to be allowed to go out without his mask so he might interact with the people. But that is one battle his father will not let him win. He must not let his voice be heard or his face be seen.”
“And what are Prince Dietrich’s beliefs about the gods and goddesses?” Julain questioned.
Marius shrugged. “He accepts them as part of his culture and attends the ceremonies as is expected. But he has many questions, and I see no sincerity in his eyes during worship. I believe he doesn’t think much of them, and longs for the truth— though he knows better than to try and seek it.”
Leon felt an eager excitement stir inside. “What would he say if you talked to him about God?”
Marius thought for a moment. “I know he would be greatly interested, but whether or not he would believe is another question. He is afraid of the priests and priestesses–– ever since the day they tried to ‘heal’ his mother. She died in childbirth with his younger brother.”
“And what about the second prince?” Julian asked.
“He died within the week.”
“And that was when the prince began to fear them?” Roland asked.
Marius nodded. “He said that they had a strange darkness and chill about them. But after his sixteenth birthday, it got worse.”
“What do you mean?” Rolf asked.
“Prince Dietrich will hardly ever talk about it, but often he wakes up in the night screaming, and I know he’s remembering…” Marius’s voice trailed off.
“Remembering what?” Julian asked, a chill running up his spine.
Marius looked down. “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
They were all silent, and after a moment Marius let out a long breath and went on. “The day of his sixteenth birthday was the last day of the ball thrown in his honor. When it ended and the guests went home–– before the prince could retire to his rooms–– the high priest arrived. He came with two temple guards, and he told the emperor he had come for the ceremony of inheritance. On the heir’s sixteenth birthday, he or she is of age to take the throne, should anything happen to the Emperor or Empress, though they will be under the guardianship of the king’s advisers until their eighteenth year. Supposedly, on the sixteenth birthday, the gods bestow and inheritance on the heir along with certain powers, prophesies, and other such things. The priest had come to preform that ceremony.”
“What happened?” Leon asked in a low voice.
“Dietrich moved to stand behind his father, as if seeking protection from him, but the emperor took him by the arm and presented him to the priest. I remember Dietrich terrified expression as he twisted to look at me, but there was nothing I could do.” Marius looked down at his hands. “The priest and his guards took Dietrich away. They did not return until the morning. When they returned, the temple guards had to carry him up to his rooms. They laid him on the bed and left. The clothes he had warn for the ball had been exchanged for new ones, and I couldn’t help wondering why, and what they had done to him. As soon as they left the room, I leapt up onto the bed and called out his name. He didn’t respond, no matter how hard I shook, pleaded, and slapped. He just lay there, and for a time I thought he was dead. Then he opened his eyes slightly, but he couldn’t see me. He just stared at the wall—” Marius broke off and took in a slow breath.
“But he did recover?” Leon asked.
“Yes,” Marius nodded. “Somewhat. The priest said to drug him to sleep, and he would be alright in the morning. They did so, and the next morning he woke. He seemed sort of dazed, but when I asked him what had happened, he got a horrible terror-stricken look on his face and told me never to ask him again. He has tried to act the way he used to, but I know there is a difference. He doesn’t laugh, and when he smiles, it isn’t real. He is still the same kind, compassionate, courageous young man I knew, but a shadow hangs over him. Often, he will wake up screaming and shaking, drenched in sweat, and I know they must have done something horrible to him, but he won’t tell me.”
“Does he wake after his nightmares?” Rolf asked.
“Not fully. I once tried to wake him, and he lashed out like a wild beast. He tried to kill me, and I think he did choke me out, for the next thing I remember was it being morning and he was laying over top of me.” Marius shuddered. “When he wakes in the night he doesn’t know me, and it is the most frightening thing in the world to see him like this. I am always sure he has no weapons near his bed when he sleeps.”
“Have you ever told him what he’s like in the night?” Julian asked.
Marius shook his head. “No, I couldn’t do that to him. There is nothing he can do, and it would devastate him to know that he had ever hurt me in any way.”
They were all silent.
At last, Marius spoke. “In light of all of this, I don’t know how he would react to this new faith. I will continue to pray though, and I will do all I can to show him.”
Julian nodded. “We will pray for both of you. Thank you for telling us this.”
“You will never tell anyone,” Marius said.
“No, of course not,” Leon assured.
They finished their meal in silence, and then Marius bid them good day and left. When he was gone, Julian came to Leon’s side. “What do you think happened to him?”
“The prince?” Leon asked.
Julian nodded.
“Something purely evil and demonic. We need to pray for him, and for this whole Empire,” Leon replied.
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
anyone interested in the playlist I use while I write this?
Liberty, you already have it I think.
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
Okay. I’m back again. [Only about a month left of busy school days and awkward schedules.] I should hopefully have more time next week. Now I have to remember which sections I haven’t given you feedback on.
I think the first one was when Leon and Rolf are reunited.
I think the change in point of view works there.
Conrad covered his face with his hands and shook with sobs. “No,” he choked out. “I can’t! I’m afraid!”
Refreshing to see a different reaction here. This reminds me of a story of one Christina who was locked in the tower of London and threatened with death, but I can’t remember his name. It might have been Thomas.
Rolf watched it, breathing quickly and bracing for an attack. Eventually, his pounding heart slowed, and the strange thought that the lion was protecting them entered his mind.
Woah. Lion.
“A lion,” the man laughed. “You must be joking. A lion would have torn you all to pieces.”
No. He’s not lion.
Leon rolled the coin into his hand and flipped it. Catching it, he began to flip it through his fingers down to the end of his hand and back to his thumb–– a skill he had learned when he was young.
Bribery.
Wolf Hartmann
Wait… You have a character named Wolf?
uuuhhhh….. in draft 1 they shared it……. buuuttt I was thinking that might be a little odd for guys to do. I wouldn’t mind it, but a guy might. idk, what do you think,
I don’t journal, but if I did, I would want my own. That way I could do things at my pace and in my way. I would probably also be hesitant to let others read it. If I knew someone else was going to, I would probably be restrained in what I say. Maybe, over time, I would share it with a close friend. This could depend on the guy as well.
“So, that’s his royal highness,” Julian muttered.
Quite the prince.
Would the prince’s mask just be a design, or is it shaped like a human face? Or even something else?
The next Sabbath day came, and there was a new face among those worshiping. Julian talked to the stranger afterwards and learned that his name was Marius Scholz. He was the cousin of one of the newest families to join the church.
He was also the prince’s companion.
Well this makes reaching the prince super easy, barely an inconvenience!
“From the beginning, Aelic suggested.
Missing closing quotations.
“Not fully. I once tried to wake him, and he lashed out like a wild beast. He tried to kill me, and I think he did choke me out, for the next thing I remember was it being morning and he was laying over top of me.” Marius shuddered. “When he wakes in the night he doesn’t know me, and it is the most frightening thing in the world to see him like this. I am always sure he has no weapons near his bed when he sleeps.”
…
There was a lot to comment on today, so if there is anything more specific you would like to hear my thoughts on, please let me know.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
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