God's Will

Chapter 2: Knights of the Cross

May 2219

Kallinikos, Heavenly Kingdom of Solomonia

Mia's dainty finger turned a page in her Bible as she read the passages she had been instructed to read. As she did, she heard the sound of a firm knock on the door. She heard her father open the door and excitedly usher guests inside. Her eyes fell back to the book in her lap. She read the next passage from the Book of Domain, Chapter 12.

"The Sacred Prophet fell unto his barren knees and faced the Lord God, who spoke to him: "Behold, I have given you authority over all the lands and peoples. To you is entrusted the sacred task of guiding My flock with a firm hand, for their hearts are prone to stray.". The Sacred Prophet averted his gaze and replied, "Lord I shall follow your command,". The Lord God blessed him with the holy water of the Jordan where all shall be baptised before continuing to command: "Thus, you shall establish My kingdom on Earth, a realm of order and righteousness, where My laws are upheld without question. For it is written: 'Obedience is the highest form of worship, and submission to My chosen leaders is as submission to Me."."

Mia sighed as an argument erupted in the kitchen. It was her older brother, John, and he was arguing with his parents. Mia tried to return to her reading, but the altercation in the other room began blowing up out of proportion. She closed the Bible and set it on her nightstand and stood up, instinctively flattening out any wrinkles in her dress.

She opened her bedroom door and poked her head out. She could begin to make out the argument down the hall but still felt inclined to investigate further. She knew she shouldn't but her curiosity killed her. She crept down to the end of the hall and peeked out into the kitchen and living room. John was bickering with their parents, and blocking the door were two Crusader knights.

Their silver armor and helmets gleamed with the midday sun bouncing off it. Their red capes sat idly by their backs and their swords and shields rested holstered by their sides. The soldiers of the prophet had always terrified Mia. The size of the men alone was horrifying, but their behavior was that of a disturbed child.

They were rude, violent bullies. They shoved around, beat up and kicked anyone who got in their way, women or men alike. Even young children. If you crossed a Crusader you could very easily die that day. They were everywhere too. Mia had counted over fifty at her school alone - even in the bathrooms. Mia supposed the fact that there were over fifty-eight million of them meant that deployments to bathrooms were possible.

Nothing happened in Solomonia without at least one Crusader taking note.

As Mia peered past the knights, she found her father as he barked: "John you are a heretic!"

He was normally calm if not monotone, so to hear him yelling at the top of his lungs was unnerving. John remained staunch in his posture, not backing down when facing their parents or even the soldiers of the Prophet.

"Why because I love someone of my own choosing!?" John shot back, "Is it because I don't want to marry some boring freakish girl who doesn't care about me! That I can't love!?"

"You 'love' a man! How disgusting are you!? The Bible clearly forbids this extreme heresy, God forbids this sinful behavior and you deliberately disobey it!" Their father shredded into John who still refused to surrender his stance.

Mia felt uncertainty and confusion churn in her stomach. Her father was right, in the Book of Laws, Chapter 14, it clearly stated that a man loving a man was heresy. Just as heretical as it was for a woman to love a woman. But this was her brother, the only other one in the Sternberg household besides her and the two parents. They had a special bond and... Mia loved her brother to death.