The Kingdom - Page 155/201

He started to leave, but Susori reached out and grasped his robe, "Thank you for coming and for whatever you're about to do!"

"Don't thank me, but rather the One who sends me. To El Elyon be all the glory." Urtholan was suddenly gone then and Susori was left to ponder on all that had been said. She wished Lavaya was here with her in bed, but she had sent her to her own bed hours before, after the birth of the baby in the late afternoon. Fear for her first child and the impending doom of the city that the Malachim had spoken of began to drive her to get to her feet and go to Lavaya.

The walls of her bedchamber suddenly shimmered and dimmed as if they were but a see-through curtain. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. She was seeing through all the walls of the palaces that separated her from her daughter's bedroom.

She could plainly see her daughter laying peacefully asleep upon her bed, even as hooded figures whose presence only brought peace stood all about the room in silent guardianship of her daughter. Overcome with emotion, Susori would've slipped off the bed to her knees and worshiped her Creator and praised Him for His mercy, but a kindly force held her tired body at rest upon the bed.

Peace overcame her and she fell into a deep healing sleep even as the realm of Crona was invaded by dark forces bent on its destruction because of its people's rebirth into observing the ways of El Elyon over any other former false beliefs that they had kept in times past.

*****

We were watched, but no move was made to hinder our approach to the town. The town and its occupants, who stood stock still in the streets gazing at us, echoed strongly of all things Yesathurim. Here was a traditionally minded culture set apart from the outside world.

The sense of hostility towards us was high, especially, I felt, in regards to myself. The others, after all, were of their blood but I was an outsider. Worse than that, I was a Kingdomer. Long had there been enmity between the first people of El Elyon's choosing and the seven kingdoms that had come into the promise later.

In large part the Yesathurim had been persecuted within the seven kingdoms for their beliefs and for the most part had taken up residence outside of them over the years. I was very much trespassing here.

No one stopped us and slowly, so as not to alarm, we made our way toward the impressive colonnade of pillars that bedecked the temple at the head of the village.