THE REALM

Chapter Six

  As my mind grappled with the knowledge that I had just been renamed I couldn't resist asking, "Of what people are you from?"

  "By birth I am of the Yesathurim lineage, but I'm not prejudiced as are some of my kindred. I call people from many lands my friends and have been close to many of them as if they were my brother."

  My mind reeled with the awareness that I stood within the presence of one of the mythical Yesathurim, El Elyon's chosen people. Not only that, but it seemed that the man had adopted me.

  Again, as if reading my mind, Kuri spoke, "You have a choice before you, Rollan. No one can take that from you. It is a divine gift from above. You are free to go or come along if you wish."

  For a brief moment I thought about stopping, but my feet kept going, perhaps even a little faster than before.

  Kuri nodded positively, "Benaiah it is then."

  I felt a strange peace envelop me then. Almost as if I had been joined into a family of some kind.

  "What does Benaiah mean?" I asked softly.
"El Elyon has built."

  I glanced at him in shock. Why would he give me such a name? Surely, I was not worth so much as to have a name that meant that?

  "Everyone has worth in El Elyon's eyes," he looked at me then and said, life endowed with a spirit from the Creator has value."

  I swallowed and looked away from his gaze, "Why do you wish to have a self-confessed murderer tag along with you?"

  He shrugged, "Name someone you know who is without sin."

  I couldn't so I remained silent.

  I needed to know something and he didn't seem unwelcome to questions so I asked it, "What am I to you? I mean, I'm just a Kingdomer from the weakest of the seven kingdoms, while you're of El Elyon's own people. I'm not even a full blood Kingdomer at that. It would seem that I am unimportant and yet you have made me to feel that I am."

  His face turned to me and I relaxed upon the sight of his smile. Regarding me steadily for a moment he then said, "You have value to me Benaiah. I care not who your father or mother were, for you have chosen to follow me and that is enough."

  Confused, I shook my head. He'd given me an answer and yet I wasn't satisfied with it. Something dawned on me then. This man truly didn't seem to care that I was the product of a mixed union of two opposing blood lines. Knowing that made the invisible cord I felt binding myself to this man grow only stronger somehow and yet I was confused. What had I gotten involved in?

  "What exactly have I chosen to help you do?" I asked, not feeling too good as to the sense behind my question.

  "For a long time now there has been a war going on in the spiritual realm which has gone back and forth within the confines of mankind's existence. I've come to bring an end to that war. A war in which the result is already known."

  I blinked repeatedly as my mind traced back over the words he'd just spoken. Suddenly I wondered about the wisdom of my joining up with this man. He spoke of things far above the life of a farm boy and yet, in a way I'd left the farm behind. What was I now?

  "Don't think too hard on it all, Benaiah. It's really quite simple, the complexity comes in the application of the details, but if you know where you're going there is no need to worry about the journey to get there."

  "Where am I going?"

  "It's not so much the where, as the fact that I'll keep you safe wherever we are."

  "I thought you said earlier that following you could lead to my death?" I asked in consternation.

  "This is true, but it changes nothing of what I have said."

  "I'm confused," I exclaimed out loud.

  "That's because you lack understanding, but cheer up Benaiah, with experience comes faith."

  "Faith in what?" I asked blankly.

  "Faith in whatever El Elyon has purposed for you to do in life."

  "I still don't understand."

  "And yet you will. It's as simple as that and yet for some it is too much."

  I shook my head, "It's as if you speak in riddles."

  "Tell me Benaiah, what is it that you are wanting of me to say?"

  I debated on it and decided it all boiled down to one thing, "Can I trust you?"

  "Yes, Benaiah. I never go back on my word. Does that satisfy you or do you need to know something more?"

  I shook my head, "If I can trust you then I guess the rest of what I don't know doesn't matter."

His hand reached out to pat my back warmly, even as his words rolled out authoritatively, "And thus faith is built."

  That seemed to be indicative enough of how far we'd both come in such a short time together.

  "How do you end a spiritual war?" I asked curiously.

  "Through prayer and the right application of strength."

  "I'm not much for prayer," I admitted.

  "And yet a man can change if he wishes."

  "I'm only fifteen."

  "And yet I say you are a man now. It's for you to choose, be the man or be the child in need of milk to sustain itself."

  I fell silent.

  We walked on and I drank some more water from the skin of water that was draped over my shoulder. There was one thing I knew. I certainly didn't want to be a child in need of milk. It was time to become a man. A man with a new name and a peculiar sounding purpose.