Seal of the King

by Ralph Smith

  “Dad I can’t tell you how overwhelming it is to see you here; to hear your voice again.” David said, his eyes welling up with tears he was trying desperately to hold back. The elixir was working quickly, his father lifted his bony hand, and although he was weak from all he had been through, reached out, and grabbed David’s hand. Feeling him squeeze his hand lifted the sadness David was feeling. “Dad, I’d like you to meet Aurora.”

  Gabe gave her a kind smile “Yes, Aurora, I have waited a long time to meet you, young lady.” He peered into her eyes looking inside her just like David did. “And I have to say, you’re even lovelier than I had imagined.”

  Aurora went flush, “I see where David gets it from,” Aurora said. “How am I going to manage with two of you around?”

  David spoke, “Don’t let her fool you, Dad, she can handle herself. I’ve never seen anyone else like her.”

  “David, as I recall you’ve seen her for a very long time.” He said knowingly.

  “Dad, just since yesterday, so many things have happened, and I - we’re so confused. Can you please tell us what’s going on?” David said in a somber tone.

  “I will son, but it would help me if you told me everything that happened first. I’ve been out of touch as you know for quite some time.” David nodded and just then Molly entered the room.

  “How’s the patient?” She asked.

  “I’ve been better, but I’ll live. David was just about to fill me in on everything that happened.”

  Molly nodded, “An excellent idea, I’d like to sit in if you don’t mind. A few of the others have already arrived and are watching the perimeter.” Molly walked around to sit on the other side of the bed “and I think we need to have you start at the very beginning, both of you, from the time you first saw one another.”

  The two of them sat there telling their stories. When Aurora talked about how her parents were killed by soldiers’ right in front of her eyes David reached out to take her hand for comfort. Then she talked of so many horrors of the war she was fighting, it broke David’s heart to hear how hard her life had been. When they reached the events of the day before, Molly and Gabe fidgeted and leaned in closer hanging on every word. When they finally finished, Molly and Gabe looked impressed.

  The elixir appeared to have done a lot for Gabe, and he was the first to speak, “I’m so proud of you my son.”

  David beamed, “Thank you Dad.”

  Molly spoke, “Yes, dear, you both did splendidly. We’ve been trying to figure out for six years how to get your father out of that place. It’s crawling with those beasts. They would have known the minute one of us had shown up, and it would have been an all-out war. I’m guessing they could not see that you were a threat. That may prove extremely useful to you in the times to come.” Molly sighed, “Of course, it’s a miracle you both didn’t get killed, but we can’t argue with the results. Time for another dose, Gabe” She concluded with a stern look at him.

  While Molly measured out some more of the wretched drink for Gabe, David asked, “Please tell us what it all means?”

  After forcing down the elixir, Gabe looked up at Molly, and they shared a look of uncertainty. Then Gabe said, “Where to start?” Gabe turned to face the two of them, and, seeing their anxious looks of anticipation he sighed, and then went on. “As you know since the dawn of man there has been a struggle between dark and light. The balance between dark and light ebbs and flows, there are times when each one advances against the other, but the balance must be maintained. Darkness only consumes and destroys, where light nurtures and creates. What those of the dark, the evil one, don’t understand is that this battle makes the light stronger. That by drawing those to it who have evil in their hearts it purifies the light and strengthens it. They also do not realize that because the dark only consumes; that if they were ever to defeat the light they would consume even each other until there was nothing left. This is clearly evidenced by how easily they turn on one another, and in stark contrast to the way those of the light defend and protect one another.”

  “During these ebbs and flows, events will culminate to a tipping point. This tipping point shapes what is to come next, a period of more dark, or more light. We are on the brink of crossing a tipping point into an era of terrible darkness if we fail. The world that Aurora lives in has suffered immensely, and is on the verge of losing the battle. Her world exists here, and now, but is separated by a force I cannot explain. If her world were to fall, it would open pathways between these two worlds allowing the war that wages there to come here. That would be the tipping point. Only a select few of the most powerful servants can travel between these two worlds without dire consequences, yet somehow you two did.” He paused allowing them to consider what he said.

  “Dad, what are you trying to tell us?”

  “A single grain of sand added to a cart can be the one to cause it to break. The two of you are the ones who can change the tide of this battle.”

  “Dad, I know Aurora’s a skilled warrior, but I’ve never been in a war before. What makes you think I can make a difference? Aunt Molly said we were just lucky today.” He said feebly.

  Aurora leaned towards him, placed her hand on his leg, and looked up to him “No, it was only because of you today that we succeeded. You saw things I didn’t, you knew what to do, and I didn’t.” She said looking at him with affection, and at the same time certainty.

  “I know, David, because I know you, and because of the prophecy.” Gabe said. David and Aurora turned to look at him with wide eyes.

  Aurora speaking first, “It’s true then? When we first met, and he told me his name I thought perhaps, but I … I just couldn’t… well…”

  “Yes, dear, it’s true. We’ve always believed it was him, and I think after today, Molly would agree, we’re certain.”

  Molly added in a somber tone “Yes, Gabe, I agree.”

  With a slight hint of panic in his voice, David asked, “What prophecy?”

  “As you know prophecies are a tricky matter. They never say on this day at this time some specific thing will happen. If they did, people, good and evil, would try to interfere to affect the outcome.” Molly said. “As for this prophecy, well it is a tricky one to interpret. The Bible tells us of the final battle, which will occur at the time of the second coming. It does not tell us about the many battles in between. This is one of those battles. The prophecy of which we speak was not written down so that it would only be passed between those of the light.” David noticed Aurora looking somber, so he reached out to take her hand again. Molly continued, as if she was teaching a group of students. “Before we get to the prophecy, there are a couple of noteworthy points to consider. First, do you know what the word Messiah means, the literal translation?” She pressed on, not waiting for them to answer, “It means anointed one, a person who was chosen by God, to lead his people.” She paused a moment for them to consider this. “Yes, we refer to Jesus as the Messiah because he is our Lord, and Master. However, there have been others who were anointed to lead Israel. Do you recall any?”

  David looked at her and in little more than a whisper said, “Do you mean King David?” She raised her eyebrows, and David said with more force “You can’t be suggesting that I’m him?”

  She shook her head “No, dear boy, I’m not. He is with our Lord. But you have two crucial things in common with him. You are a descendant of the house of David. Your Mother comes from his line.” At the mention of his mother, he felt a pang of pain. Molly went on “And possibly more importantly, you are faithful, and have a pure heart. Do you remember what it says in Isaiah? There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsel, and might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the LORD.”

  “It tells us, in addition to the coming of Jesus that, in times of great need, the house of David will rise-up to lead.” She adde
d.

  David looked down his face a little flushed, and said in a low voice, “I don’t think I’m that special.”

  Molly clicked her tongue “Your humility is a lovely quality, but we don’t have time to debate the facts right now. There is one more thing I want you to consider.” David looked up at her again. “Do you remember what the stumbling block was for the Jews? Why they would not accept Jesus as the true Messiah?”

  David nodded, and answered “Yes, it was because they thought the Messiah would be a king, who would lead them in the battle to vanquish their enemies, and restore the glory of the house of David.” He stopped abruptly at his own words.

  Molly went on “As I said prophecy is a tricky matter and is often misinterpreted. Men typically think in worldly terms, and how prophecy applies to them, not necessarily the larger struggle between good and evil, dark and light. That is why this prophecy was not written down, but carried through the ages until it would come to pass. This prophecy speaks of both worlds, not just this one, so only those who know of their existence can understand what it means.”

  “What does the prophecy say?”

  Molly closed her eyes with a look of reading something that wasn’t there, and said, “When the hour of darkness is at hand, a son of David will be anointed to lead his people, and he will find favor with the Lord. A child of equal measure from the house of Roktah will rise-up to awaken the Lion, and together they will face the Evil One. They will be bound at birth by our Father, separated until the time of fulfillment when they will unite in his cause.” Molly opened her eyes, “You child are from the house of Roktah.” She said looking at Aurora.

  Aurora blinked, “Yes, but there’s something I must show you.” She stood, and hurried from the room. The three of them shared a questioning look. In mere moments, she returned. The small box tied with a string in her hand. She held it out and said, “I was on a mission, to bring this back to our council.” She carefully opened the box and pulled out an aged piece of parchment. “The prophecy WAS written down.” Unrolling it, she took a nervous breath, and swallowed before she read it to them. “When the hour of darkness is at hand, a son of David will be anointed to lead his people, and he will find favor with the Lord. A child of equal measure from the house of Roktah will rise-up to awaken the Lion, and together they will face the Evil One. They will be bound at birth by our Father, separated until the time of fulfillment when they will unite in his cause.” She paused, and said, “But there’s more. Together they will face the evil one, and through their sacrifice both houses can be saved.”

  She rolled up the parchment, and they sat in silence for a moment, then David spoke. “This is all too much. Just yesterday I was a simple farmer, and today you are telling me I’m supposed to face the evil one? You know I love you both with all my heart, and I would do anything for you, I just don’t know what to think, I…”

  "Son," Gabe said gently placing a hand on his arm “I know this is all difficult to accept, and I had always planned on telling you long before now. I had always hoped to give you time to prepare, but as you know we were denied that opportunity. Now you need to know what we’re up against. The night your mother was taken from us, we were being followed.” David sat up straight eyes wide “You see we weren’t the only ones who thought you were the one in the prophecy. Unfortunately, the Dark One can corrupt even servants, and we were betrayed by someone we trusted. Your mother and I left you here in the hopes of preventing them from finding you. We were traveling to see the man we believed was going to divulge your identity. We had hoped we could bring him back to the light before it was too late. What we didn’t know was that he had already sealed his fate. As soon as we were on the road we realized we were being followed. I tried to lose them, but eventually they forced us off of the road.” You could have heard a pin drop as they sat silent hanging on Gabe’s every word “I was shaken badly when the car hit the tree, but managed to get out, and face them. Unfortunately, there were too many of them, and they overpowered me. They beat me severely, and before I lost consciousness. I could hear your mother’s frantic screams for help. ”He choked slightly on the words” I saw the car burst into flames. I called out desperately for your mother, and they laughed with glee at my anguish over losing her. Then one of them grabbed me, and I was wracked with pain as the demon latched onto my soul. It was unbearable, and I passed out. The next thing I could remember was seeing you looking at me, crying. I wanted to scream, and call out to you, but I was locked in a deadly battle with that beast, and couldn’t muster the strength even to blink.” David, Molly, and Aurora all had tears in their eyes, and Gabe went on, “The loss of your mother, and the constant torment were almost too much for me to bear. If it hadn’t been for you, your strength, you coming to see me every week I just don’t think I could have held on.”

  “Dad I… I don’t know what to say. What if I’m not strong enough, what if ... What if I fail?” David said as he looked away feeling ashamed.

  “Son, I know you, I know how remarkable you are. You saved me, not just today, but every day for the past six years. I can only guess that, because they could not see the light in you, they were waiting to see if someone else was the one in the prophecy. They knew about Aurora, too. That’s why they went to take her, and killed her parents. Make no mistake David; I would give anything to lift this burden from you. But what they did to me, what they did to you, Aurora, and her parents, and what they did to your mother is nothing compared to what they will do if we fail.” Gabe finished, tears in his eyes now, too.

  David sat quietly for a moment considering what his father said as Aurora held his hand tightly to let him know she was with him. From somewhere deep inside him or from outside him, he wasn’t sure, he felt his courage swell. He sat up with a look of determination, and said, “We won’t fail.” They all looked at him and nodded. His resolve was unshakable.

  “We best get out to the others then, and you, Gabe, have one last dose to take.” Molly said. Gabe grimaced but didn’t argue.

  “I’d like a moment alone with you, Aurora, please. Allow me to help my father into the other room first.” David said. Aurora gave him a small smile, and a nod indicating her agreement. David went over to his father who was pursing his lips after having finished the last of the elixir.

  “That is some nasty tasting stuff.”

  “Here, Dad, let me help you up.” David put his father’s arm around his shoulder and helped him up to his feet. He was again struck by how thin he was. It pained him that his father, who had been such a strong man, could be so frail now.

  “Don’t worry, son,” Gabe said as if sensing David’s mood “I’m going to be alright.”

  David said earnestly, “Dad, I can’t tell you how much I missed you. Please, as soon as we can, there are some other things I want to ask you.”

  Gabe stopping reached around with his other arm, and David pulled him into a tight embrace. Speaking softly into David’s ear Gabe said, “I love you so much, and I can’t tell you how proud I’m of the man you’ve become.” Then he said, as if he was reading David’s thoughts “Don’t be afraid, I have faith in you.” With that, his father patted him on the back, and in silence they turned, and made their way into the living room.

  David was surprised to see so many people there. Some he knew, and others he didn’t. Helping his father into an armchair that would support him, he turned and said, “Excuse me I’ll be back in a minute.”

  David stood in the doorway of his parent’s room looking at Aurora, who was lost in thought again gazing at the photo of him and his parents. Just seeing her standing there warmed his heart. She was so beautiful and strong, and in spite of all she had been through, she was still full of life. The pain of her loss and the horrors she had seen had not damaged her spirit. He wanted nothing more than to tell her it was all over, and they could stay here where it was safe. He could have sat there soaking her in for hours, but he didn’t have that choice.

  “Hi” he said,
and she was startled a bit.

  “I didn’t hear you come back.” She replied looking at him a bit flustered.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” He walked over to her and took the frame setting it down on the dresser. He reached out and took her hands gently in his. “Are you alright?” He asked, “I know it must have been difficult for you, recounting what happened, especially to your parents.” He said kindly.

  She looked down at their clasped hands. What was it about him, that affected her so, she wondered. It was as if he could see inside her. All these years she had taught herself to be strong, to lock her weaknesses away, and yet he exposed them with no effort at all. "I'm afraid, and ashamed," she said. He lifted a hand to her chin, and gently raised her face to look up into his eyes. He placed his warm hand on her cheek, his fingers gently touching the side of her neck, and his thumb wiped the tear running down her face.

  “Why” he asked tenderly. Her emotions were welling up inside her, threatening to overtake her. She had bottled up her feelings for so long to protect herself, so she could be strong in the face of so much danger. She had never known anyone she felt safe enough with to let them out, and now they were rising up against her will. It was madness that, after spending so little time together, she felt she could trust him, and in truth she had no choice because she could not contain them any longer.

  She said, “I didn’t tell the whole story before. The day my parents died there was something else.” He waited patiently not rushing her “The day the soldiers came my parents made me hide inside a wardrobe with a fake back. I could see what was going on through a small hole, and I could hear everything. Before I got in there, they made me promise that no matter what happened I was to stay hidden. They made me swear it.” She added as if pleading with him, to understand. “When the soldiers burst into our home, the first thing they asked was where I was. My parents lied, and said I had left the day before. Enraged, the commander hit my father hard across his face with a club. I could hear his bone crack, and saw blood burst from his mouth. My mother was screaming, begging them not to hurt him. But still my father kept saying I had left. The commander motioned to one of the other soldiers, and he grabbed my mother putting a knife to her throat. He said he would kill my mother if my father didn’t tell him where I was. And when my father said he didn’t know, the soldier slit her throat, and she dropped to the floor choking on her own blood. As she lay there dying my father wailed a horrible scream of pain. Then the commander grabbed his hair, pulled his head up, and drove a short sword into his heart.” Aurora was sobbing now, David put his arms around her, and pulled her close. She grabbed onto him holding him tight, feeling as if she let go the pain would overwhelm her.