Empress Aurora Trilogy Quest For the Kingdom Parts I, II, and III Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) (50 page)

Marcus felt
his heart ache as he watched Bimo. He knew, oh how he knew, the despair that
Bimo felt. To be uprooted from the only home he ever knew, forced into
captivity in a strange land among a people wholly alien to one’s culture and beliefs,
then to return home only to find that it was lost forever. Was there anything
in the world more tragic than the shattering of a dream held so dear in one’s
heart that it became one’s reason for being, only to see it smashed with
nothing left to cling to?

Marcus
remembered anew the day he returned to find his home closed to him, seized by
the Empress Aurora, along with his parents whom she had imprisoned. And the day
when he learned the unbelievable truth, most stunning surprise of all, that it
was his closest friend who betrayed him, and made the seizure of his parents
possible. And all for the love of a woman who did not want him.

Marcus glanced
at Felix, and wondered if his heart had suffered the kind of blow his own had
at the rejection of Tullia. His own heart still stung at her spurning of his
love. Did Felix still suffer as well?

Marcus felt
his lips harden as he mused. And it would be a fitting punishment for his
perfidy! Then he reproached himself; Alexandros had forgiven even the enemies
who had put Him to death. Could he not truly forgive the friend who had
betrayed him because of jealousy only?

Surely that
should inspire compassion, since jealousy was merely a desire to possess what
another owned. Did it not have its roots in admiration, after all, though the
roots be somewhat twisted? Was that not easier to forgive than pure hatred, as
Alexandros had experienced?

As though he
felt the intensity of Marcus’ gaze, Felix glanced at him. He lifted a
questioning eyebrow at him, but Marcus merely smiled at him and said nothing.

He turned his
attention back to Bimo. He felt a curious tug at his spirit, and realized that
the Spirit was prompting him to speak to Bimo.

“I have felt
that very despair that you suffer now, Bimo,” he began in a tone of voice
muffled by unshed tears. “I endured captivity for many months and made my way
home only to find it lost to me, with the father and mother I loved so dearly
imprisoned by the Empress on a false pretext. And it was given to me to
accomplish a task in order to free them. And in that task I failed completely.”

Here Marcus
hung his own head and dropped it in his hands, recalling the devastation he
felt upon the discovery that the Pearl the Empress lusted for did not exist.
Then he admonished himself. He had been given another chance after all, and
this time his quest was half fulfilled. He must not allow his faith to falter.

“But in the
failure of that task,” he continued, after raising his head and straightening
his back, “I found a new hope. I met One who will always be by my side, and not
abandon me to loneliness. He will never leave me or forsake me, and that is the
hope I cling to.”

Bimo inclined
his head toward Marcus, an unasked question dangling from his slightly parted
lips.

Marcus
continued.

“Yes,” he
nodded his head, “what I say may seem strange to your ears, as indeed it was to
my own when I first heard of it. Yet it is true and therefore I must tell you
also.”

He hesitated a
moment, waiting for the words to come. He heard the murmur of the sea softly
lapping the shore, and a lush, fruity scent was borne on the morning breeze.
The calls of birds speaking a language only they knew came to his ears. Life on
these islands was so simple: would Bimo comprehend what he was about to tell
him?

It was the bird
calls that finally inspired him to speak.

“Look, Bimo,”
Marcus drew his attention to the colorful birds who flitted in the morning air
in groups of two or more. “See the birds, how they frolic in pairs and groups?
Not one of them flies alone, but each has its mate or companions. So it is with
me. I do not walk in this world alone, although I am parted from those I hold
dearest to my heart.

“Man was not
intended to be solitary, Bimo. We were created to love and be loved. We were
meant to know the joy of companionship.

“We were made
in the likeness of Dominio, the One true God, that we could enjoy His love
forever. But His own creation rejected Him and set themselves up as gods, to
choose evil over that which was good. And so our divine connection was broken.

“Yet His heart
yearned for the love of His children. How He longed to walk with them as they
once did. But they had erected a wall between them, a wall of their own making,
that they might serve themselves.

“And they
turned on one another out of fear and jealousy, killing from hatred, enslaving
for gain. This broke Dominio’s heart, for He wanted them to be one family, and
to love one another.

“At last,
Dominio could bear it no longer. He sent His own Son, Alexandros, to tear down
that wall for any who chose to reconcile with Dominio. Alexandros bore our
punishment for rebellion against our Father.

“This pleased
Dominio, who accepted the sacrifice of His Son on our behalf. He considered the
debt against us to be paid in full; and all who accept His gift of mercy may
count themselves as His sons and daughters, to live with Him in Heaven one day,
and in this world to never walk alone.”

Marcus paused
and breathed deeply. He stopped in his stroll and looked Bimo fully in the
face.

“Can you
accept this, Bimo? Do you grasp what I say?”

Bimo looked at
Marcus with wonder-filled eyes. He slowly smiled and nodded his head, then
gently closed his eyes.

“Yes,” he
breathed. “For I heard something of this nature while in Solone. I went to the
marketplace on an errand for my master and a man addressed a small crowd
gathered about him. He also spoke as you do, of Alexandros and the love of
Dominio.

“But at the
time, my heart was bitter at my captivity, and I could not believe. Nor would I
allow myself to listen to the message that was spoken. For if there was a
loving God, why did He permit me to be taken captive as I was? But now I know
that you also have suffered as I have, and have known the loneliness of
slavery, and the loss of family. Yet you believe, and as you say, it is our own
wall that separates us.

“I want that
wall to come down,” Bimo said simply.

Marcus
rejoiced to hear it, and Felix laughed in sheer joy. They each embraced Bimo, and
then prayed with him.

Bimo himself
prayed with the simplicity and innocent trust of a child.

“Father, I
want to know you,” he prayed. “I am sorry for any wrong I have done, and ask
that You fill me with Your Spirit and your power, that I may serve You and live
for You alone.”

The words were
no sooner uttered than Bimo suddenly began to tremble. He grabbed the arm of
Marcus for support, and then collapsed onto the sandy beach in a fit of
laughter. He rocked back and forth and fell forward on his face, to the
astonishment of Marcus and Felix. Marcus looked uneasily from side to side,
hoping no one witnessed the display.

Gradually the
laughter slowed and ceased altogether. Bimo wiped his eyes and reached up for
Marcus’ hand. Marcus tugged and pulled Bimo to his feet. Bimo gasped for breath
and placed his hands on his knees to steady himself.

“Oh, that felt
good!” he exclaimed. “My heart has not felt this light for many years! Not
since before my captivity have I laughed so. My bitterness is gone, and I feel
as free as the wind in the trees, as light as the clouds in the sky!”

He started to
laugh again, but to the relief of his friends, did not again storm off into
gales of merriment. For the Valerians, trained from their youth to hold
emotions in check, such a display of hilarity was rather unsettling.

“I am sorry,”
Bimo rued. “It was beyond my ability to control. And yet, I must not laugh and
so forget how angry my people will be. For they do not abide any who break rank
with their beliefs.

“I will reap
trouble for this day, I do not doubt. For all are punished who turn from the
Mountain of Fire, and offend those who wear the Sacred Stones.”

“Sacred
Stones?” queried Marcus with a furrowed brow. “What is this you speak of,
Bimo?”

“Have you not
noticed the stones worn around the necks of Yudo and Intami?” Bimo asked in
return.

“Do you mean
those orange stones that look like liquid flame?” Marcus inquired. “Yes, I
have, and have wondered why they alone wear them.”

“Those
stones,” Bimo continued, “were given to the leaders of my people long ago. How
long I cannot tell you, but it is said that they were a gift to Harto and his
wife Sinti. For it was they, who back in the earliest time to be remembered,
discovered the secret of the Mountain of Fire. They saw that it gave life, but
it could also take life. They took the flaming flowers to its peak and threw
them in the crater, an offering for protection and favor.

“Yet they
feared the mountain and what it could do in its wrath. There was one who had
boldly ventured up the side of the mountain but took no offering, and the
mountain took him in its place. He peered into its sacred mouth where the fire
is never quenched. He ventured too near and lost his footing on the slippery
rock, and fell into its flaming mouth.

“Harto and
Sinti saw that the mountain must be appeased. They declared that only they and
those they would choose to succeed them could make the sacrifice. From their
hands alone could the flaming flowers fall into the fiery mouth of the
mountain.

“A day came
when Harto and his wife strolled along the beach. A fierce storm blew up and
pelted rain from the sky. They sought shelter in the caves that connect the
islands to one another. There they waited out the storm until it passed over.

“When it
ceased, they began to emerge from the caves. Sinti asked a question of Harto.
He turned back to look at her, and the sun struck something in the cave wall,
making it glow.

“He picked up
one of the smooth sharp rocks that the volcano leaves after it spews out its
anger, and began hitting the wall of the cave with it. He saw now a stone of
clear orange, the color of the sun when it rises at dawn, was lodged in the
rock wall. He struck the wall many times, until at last it was free.

“He held in
his hand a slab of stone as clear as water, as alive as fire, like nothing he
had ever seen before. He took it with him back to their hut, and fashioned it
into small stones, which he bore holes into and strung with flax. And these he
placed around the necks of himself and Sinti. For it was a sign, he told his
wife, a sign that they were chosen by the mountain to offer the sacrifice.

“For from the
mountain’s caves he had taken it, and those who wore them would surely be
protected by the mountain, for they wore its fire around their necks.

“And so, Harto
and Sinti wore these stones, and when it came time to choose their successor,
they passed the stones to them. For all who wore them would be protected from
the mountain’s wrath when offering a sacrifice; and so they have been handed
down over the years.”

Here Bimo
paused in his narration. He picked up a small pebble from the beach. He rolled
it idly in his hand, and then chucked it into a passing wave.

“It is
considered a grave offense to challenge those who are entrusted with the Sacred
Stones. For now I must speak out against all that they believe in, all they
have clung to. Tomorrow is the night of the full moon, and then I must refuse
to obey. I can no longer pretend to believe in a lie.”

Bimo sighed
deeply and shook his head. His earlier elation had lifted, plummeting him into
a mood of somber gloom as he anticipated the coming confrontation with Yudo and
Intami, and the rest of his people.

But the heart
of Marcus could not be lighter. For what else could the Sacred Stones be but
the Rays of the Sun that the Empress had commanded him to bring back to her?

They strolled
back to the cluster of huts, deep in thought that left no room for idle
conversation. Bimo occasionally stooped to pick up a stone and roll it in his
hand, only to fling it in the surf, which now pounded higher on the beach.
Felix whistled aimlessly, glancing from the booming surf to the sky now graced
by a yellow orb perched directly overhead.

“It is noon,”
Marcus announced. “We should eat our lunch, which I am sure Kyrene and Elena
have prepared for us. Although I must say that I have no appetite for food.
Indeed, I feel a need to abstain today.”

Felix shot a
glance at him.

“Do you intend
to fast, my friend?” he asked Marcus. “If so, I am with you, for in truth I
have a strange sense of foreboding in me, like that of a battle about to be
waged.”

“Yes, a
battle,” Marcus agreed. “I share Bimo’s dread, and I sense we must prepare
ourselves for whatever we shall face on that mountain tomorrow night.”

Their friends
greeted the glad news of Bimo’s new allegiance with unrestrained joy. Dag
clapped a large hand on Bimo’s small shoulder that nearly knocked him off his
feet. Kyrene hugged him warmly, and Cort jumped up and down with an excitement
he could not contain. Only Elena remained calm, receiving the news with a
slight smile and nod of her head.

When Marcus
and Felix shared the concern of Bimo coupled with their own sense of foreboding
for the morrow, Kyrene and Dag agreed to fast also. Cort’s face fell, while
Elena shrugged her shoulders.

“Does that
mean I cannot eat if you do not?” Cort inquired anxiously. “I have to eat. I
simply must! How can I grow if I do not eat? How can I?”

Dag chuckled
at the boy.

“Do not fear,
small one!” he reassured him. “You may eat. You are young yet, and do not need
to fast as we do.”

Cort’s face
relaxed in relief and he promptly served himself from the pan of fish and the
bowl of fruit the girls had prepared for lunch. In this repast he was joined by
Elena, who did not believe as the others did, and therefore saw no need to
deprive herself for spiritual purposes.

After Cort and
Elena had eaten, they decided to spend the heat of the day on the porch of the
little hut. With its thatched overhang they were amply shaded from the worst of
the sun’s intensity. The stilts on which the hut was positioned allowed the
breezes to circulate freely around them, bringing cooling relief to their faces
dripping with sweat.

From their
perch over the water they could watch the reflection of the sun’s rays on the
aquamarine of the crystalline water, sending a shimmer over the expanse of the
sea. The azure sky was dotted with tiny clouds like wisps of downy feathers,
and the peace of the scene seeped into their bones, making some of them drowsy.

Cort soon
nodded off, and slept where he sat. Elena and Kyrene withdrew into the hut and
soon followed him into the hallway of slumber; but Marcus and Felix manfully
resisted the pull of sleep. For they had much to speak of with Bimo, not the
least of which was to prepare him for what they felt would become a
confrontation on the mountaintop the following night, when the moon rose to her
full in the night sky.

They spoke
until sounds from within the hut warned them of the awakening of the sleepers
from their slumber. They tried to encapsulate in just a few hours time the
teaching their mentor Xenon had spent weeks drilling into them.

Marcus spoke
of the need to love, even those that hated you, and to never take your own
revenge when wronged or persecuted, but to leave room for Dominio to render
justice if He felt the occasion warranted it.

Felix taught
Bimo about the weapons of warfare and the armor necessary to don for protection
when faced with battle. And how imperative the need to stand one’s ground and
wait on the Spirit in prayer, for direction and guidance to know Dominio’s
will.

“And most
important,” Marcus concluded, “be on the alert for the Astra.”

“What is
that?” Bimo asked, a frown creasing his brow.

“The Astra,”
Marcus replied, “are creatures that once lived in the Heavens and served
Dominio, the All Supreme. But one of them, Leon, became lifted up in pride, and
attempted to usurp the throne of Dominio. He led many of them against Him and
those who remained faithful. But he could not overpower the omnipotent One, and
so he and his fellow rebels were cast down to the earth.

“Here they
wander, watching for the unwary, plotting how they may deceive them and bring
them down. They may appear in their true form, which is distorted from their
former glory. This they do to intimidate the fearful. Or they may appear as
beings of light and beauty in order to lead astray, so that men worship what is
not God.

“But, most
dangerous of all, they may overcome a man or woman so completely that they make
them a slave, so that their whole being is given over to do evil. When that
happens, you must be careful that you do not hate; for they have been blinded,
and are only puppets after all, held captive to do the evil will of the
darkness that consumes them.”

The silence
was long and deep. Marcus wondered whether Bimo fully understood, or if the
Astra was beyond his comprehension. Was it too much to grasp for one who had
been brought up so simply and primitively? He sought for another way to warn
him of the necessity of guarding against them when Bimo at last spoke.

“I must be
ware against them, as when I gather berries,” he began. “When they are past
their prime, they are rotten to look at, and not safe to eat. When they are
about to ripen, I must guard against the viper who stings with her poisoned
fangs as she hides in their bushes. But on the day they are full ripe, I must
pick them quickly before the heat of the day when she is roused and ready to
strike.”

Bimo stopped,
and Marcus looked at him, amazed at how quickly Bimo had learned the rudiments
of warfare.

“Yes,” Marcus
said simply. “Yes, that is how it is.”

“Felix,”
Marcus whispered to his friend as they all strolled the beach as the sun set in
a blaze of orange and gold skies. The tall frond trees looked black against the
fiery backdrop, and towered like sentinels on guard, as though eavesdropping on
their conversation.

Marcus tugged
unobtrusively at the sleeve of his friend, and they dropped back from the
others as gradually and inconspicuously as possible. Then they stood still
while the others walked on ahead of them.

“What,
Marcus?” Felix inquired in a low tone.

“Those stones
Bimo spoke of, the Sacred Stones,” Marcus said in a voice throbbing with
repressed excitement. “Do you realize what they are?”

Felix turned a
blank stare on him.

“Those orange
stones that Yudo and Intami wear around their necks? What of them?”

“Those stones,
my friend,” Marcus continued with eyes alight and his foot pawing the ground
eagerly, “are like the setting sun according to Bimo. Do you see? They contain
the Rays of the Sun that Aurora commanded me to bring back!”

Felix’s eyes
widened and he gasped as comprehension dawned in his face.

“Yes! You are
right,” he breathed. “But how do we obtain them? We can’t steal them from their
necks, and I can’t even imagine when we would have the opportunity to attempt
it. What do we do?”

“Bimo said the
stones were part of a rock wall in the caves around the mountain. It is a long
time since they were found, yet there may be more still. I propose that we
explore a little and discover whether more are to be found.”

“Of course!”
Felix exclaimed. “And we will take what we find and deliver them into the hands
of our greedy Empress!”

Marcus simply
nodded and smiled into the eyes of his friend.