James Somers - The Sword of Gideon

Isaiah forced himself to breathe again. The young priest, Jason, had brought back the most disturbing news Isaiah had ever received. An army marched toward the Temple-Mordred's army, but not men exactly. Some sort of hybrid between man and beast, as near as Jason could discern. But there had been more.

Gideon, Isaiah's closest friend in the world, his protege of many years, and the one man he'd assumed would succeed him as High Priest to The Order in Nod, had betrayed them into Mordred's hands. It did not make any sense. Isaiah tried, but he couldn't get his mind to accept it.

Gideon had always been the most loyal of friends, the most faithful of the priests in The Order. What could have turned him from the path of righteousness to utter corruption in the service of Mordred and his demons?

Peter, the captain of Isaiah's elite guard, stood forth. "Master, what are we to do?" Nearly everyone had heard the news by now. And all of them had been stunned with unbelief.

Isaiah looked Peter in the eyes. He could see the pain there. Gideon had been a close friend to all of them. To Peter, he had been a mentor. Isaiah hated to place the burden of this matter on him, but their course of action was unfortunately clear. He swallowed, then said, "We will do what we must to preserve the Word of the Shaddai, just as we always have. Peter, I want you to organize our most capable warriors for battle. I must go to James, the Lion Keeper. The pride will finally go forth into battle for Shaddai. If this army breaks through their ranks, our warriors will be ready to face them in the courtyard. Set the archers to the balconies. The older priests and I will take the parchments from the vaults and go to the Temple in Wayland. Peter, I want you to lead our men here, but if the battle appears lost, then evacuate the Temple and take the catacombs into Wayland."

Peter bowed respectfully. "It will be done, Master." He started to go at once, but Isaiah caught him by the shoulder.

"Peter," he said, nearly choking on what he was about to say. "Gideon has betrayed The Order of Shaddai." Tears welled upon Isaiah's lower eyelids. "He has led the enemy here to us. He must not be allowed to live."

Peter paused, blinking. He clearly had never thought to here such words said of his friend and mentor. Isaiah's expression showed understanding of the conflict within his captain's heart. It was the same conflict he also felt. Peter gave a stunted nod and proceeded on with his duties.

Isaiah turned to Jason. "Let us go to the pride and hope they are feeling strong today."

After passing through one of the long, torch-lit, underground corridors, Isaiah and Jason emerged into a grassy meadow. The High Priest immediately spotted the man he was looking for out among several lion cubs who were chasing him through the knee high grass. He could hear the man laughing as he rolled two of the cubs along the ground, while a third and fourth pounced upon his back playfully growling with all the ferocity of kittens.

Isaiah called to the man and immediately saw him rise up. The cubs slid off of him as he stood and covered his eyes from the sunlight in order to see who was visiting him. When he saw the robes of the High Priest, the lion keeper ran to meet them.

He jogged over in his light, sandy colored garments, sweat rolling off of his arms and forehead. "Master Isaiah, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting a visit today."

"I'm sorry that I must make one, James," he said.

James' reaction was immediate. His smile dropped to a tense frown, his eyebrows knitted together in anticipation of what he was about to hear.

"Are your lion's well-fed and strong today?" Isaiah asked.

James nodded. "Of course, Master. They are always ready for whatever service you require. Is there trouble of some kind?"

Isaiah nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. An army is making its way beyond Broken Pass toward the Pine Forest."

James tensed. "An army? Mordred's men?"

Isaiah nodded again. "Yes, but they are not normal men. Mordred has managed to somehow transform these soldiers into brutes-as much animals as men. They will not be easy, even for the pride."

James stood confidently and smiled. "My lions are up to the task any time Mordred's soldiers are involved, Master. I was about to feed them their supper, but they'll feast in the forest instead."

Isaiah didn't appear as confident as James. He looked weary-he felt weary-as though he'd managed all his long years to hold time at bay and maintain his youthful vitality. But now, he withered more and more by the moment after hearing of Gideon's betrayal. "James, I'm sorry to have to tell you that Gideon-our Gideon-is leading this army-leading the enemy to our door."

James appeared as jolted by the news as Peter and the others had been. Isaiah pressed on, saying, "More than any of Mordred's soldiers, Gideon must not be allowed to leave the forest. Mordred's army will not be able to find the tunnel without him."

James nodded slowly. He looked back into Isaiah's tired eyes. "The pride will move at once to intercept these invaders."

He turned and sped across the hill toward the place where his lions usually congregated around a central reservoir which was fed by one of the mountain streams flowing through the valley. Isaiah turned back to Jason. "That is all we can do, besides pray and hope that it is not Shaddai's will to surrender this place to the enemy."

Sparse trees and brush yielded to a vast forest of pines. So many copper colored needles lay upon the ground, that it became impossible to discern how the trail wound its way through. Grimwald rode forward and came alongside Gideon sitting upon his horse gazing into the trees.

"How far does this forest stretch? How long before we come to the Temple?" Grimwald asked.

Gideon did not look at the General. He seemed to be summing up the way ahead. "The forest is several miles across and we must pass through in order to reach the tunnel and access the Temple."

"Anymore surprises I should be aware of before we proceed?" Grimwald said sarcastically.

"It's hard to say. There are many wild beasts that roam this forest, but most wouldn't bother an army marching through."

"Humph. Let's hope so for your child's sake," Grimwald said. He turned back toward the army of demonic hybrids and motioned them on. "Stay within sight of others. We'll need everyone to come through safely so we can take the Temple beyond!"

This news of the Temple's nearness seemed to rouse the beastly men. They were ready for blood, ready to come against the bastion of truth and its ministers in order to see it razed to the ground. No man would stand before them.

Grimwald motioned to Gideon. "Lead the way, priest…and no tricks."

Gideon leered at the General but said nothing. He goaded his animal forward into the trees. There was a definite way to go through the forest and many ways to become hopelessly lost. But Gideon knew what signs to look for-the landmarks set to guide the priests of Shaddai safely through. More than that, he also knew where traps had been laid in order to snare unsuspecting enemies.

Gideon considered what he should do. He could simply keep silent and hope a few of these monsters were destroyed, or he might inform Grimwald. If he were very fortunate, perhaps Grimwald would be one of the first to encounter one of the traps and be killed. Still, none of that really mattered. He was still a traitor despite anything that happened now.

Grimwald's demons fanned out behind him. They formed lines proceeding through the trees never more than an arm's length apart. A cool fog hung suspended in the air. Sound seemed to be stifled. No animals appeared to be moving anywhere.

The complete void of activity did not go unnoticed by Gideon. He perked to the silence, his ears seeking and finding nothing but a warning in it. This was wrong. Something was coming. Every living thing in the forest, except this army, knew it.