James Somers - The Sword of Gideon

Elspeth's need of rescuing goaded him. He had no idea if she had been brought to Emmanuel, or even if she still lived. Somehow, Ethan believed she had survived though he had only his gut feeling to convince him. Gideon on the other hand had been seen. Ethan knew if the tables were turned, Gideon would certainly risk everything to save him.

The pair waited patiently for the sun to dip beyond the horizon. When it had, they crept forward from their hiding place. The guards would have no way of seeing either of them until they got within the light cast by the torches mounted at their guard station beside the main gate.

Ethan surveyed the area again for demonic activity. He couldn't find anything. Even the tell tale tingling, so valuable to him in days gone by, told him nothing now. "I'm going to rush them," Ethan said. "You start running now, and they'll be down when you get there." Levi only had time to look over at him before Ethan vanished.

He had been very relieved to find his realm-shifting ability return after leaving Macedon. Whether he had been adversely affected by Jericho's power or simply his overriding fear of failure, he never knew. But now, Ethan felt better and more capable with this power than ever. Seth's revelation about the village he'd been working with for so many years, and the Word finding safe haven among its residents bolstered his lacking faith more than anything. Shaddai had truly been in complete control all along.

In the spiritual realm, Ethan crossed the remaining one hundred yards in a second. He reached out from the ethereal plane to grab both men by the brain. They both jerked upright. Ethan squeezed in such a way that both seized and fell unconscious.

Levi arrived panting a moment later. "Let's get into their uniforms fast," he said. Ethan reappeared and rolled one of the soldiers over, then began stripping off his armor. Levi did the same and soon they were dressed in the apparel of Mordred's army. "How long will these two be out," Levi asked.

"I'm not sure," Ethan said. "My guess is a good while-at least long enough that it shouldn't matter."

Levi looked up at the white granite towering over them. "We'd better get over the wall quickly and start making our way toward the palace."

Ethan pointed to a place down the wall's perimeter. "Those shadows there will be the best place to go over."

Levi ran down the length of the wall until he came to the place. Ethan appeared in front of him, startling the captain. "I wish you wouldn't do that," he said.

"Sorry," Ethan said, grinning. He disappeared again, then hoisted Levi into the air. He rose up the wall held by invisible hands. When they reached the top of the wall, two guards were busy patrolling.

Ethan tossed Levi at one of the men while he quickly silenced the other, still invisible. The first guard barely caught a glimpse of Levi before he tackled him from the air. The captain subdued the soldier, then saw Ethan appear again next to the other unconscious guard. He pointed toward the other side of the wall, then ran toward Levi, disappearing mid-stride.

Ethan seized the captain and carried him over the other side. They touched down on the ground in shadow and Ethan materialized next to his friend. "Let's move before those guards are discovered."

The pair began walking toward the white palace in the distance. Soon they had fully merged with other pedestrians making their way to their homes for supper or out to taverns for a night of debauchery. The armor allowed them to blend in perfectly. No one stopped or questioned them along the way to the palace.

Ethan tried to feel confident in their rescue plan, but he knew it was a long shot at best. Dung the rat had been working with the normal-sized rats in the area, and the dungeon had been located successfully. From there the plan became fairly straight forward. Ethan and Levi would provide a suitable diversion while Seth and Dung released Gideon and took him out through the tunnel the rats had excavated over the past two weeks.

Ethan watched Levi as he strode blissfully down the street through Emmanuel City. He had wanted to conduct the diversion part of the plan alone, but Levi wouldn't hear it, sighting Ethan's impetuous throne room fiasco. He rubbed the scars beneath his shirt. The wounds still ached now and then, reminding him not to rush ahead of the Lord.

At last, they saw great structures in the distance. "There are the lodges built for the Anakim giants, Ethan," Levi said. "I knew as soon as I saw them the other day. Those things had to be built for them."

Ethan surveyed the long wooden barracks which had been constructed upon the far end of the training fields. There were half a dozen lodges each nearly a quarter mile in length. The seams had been braced with metal strips riveted into the wood. The smell from the giants permeated the entire city.

"Do you suppose they're already inside sleeping?" Ethan asked.

Levi looked in every direction. "I hope so. They're certainly not running around out here in the city anywhere. Either way it should provide a good diversion to keep Mordred's men busy while they get Gideon out."

A group of soldiers passed by. Ethan and Levi tried to look occupied and didn't turn toward the others. The group passed on and took little notice of them. "Are you sure that rat told you right?" Levi asked.

"Dung sent the little rats into the dungeons to make sure," Ethan said. "They assured him that only one prisoner was kept there and the description matched Gideon's. I don't think the little guys would lie to Dung. They treat him as though he was their king."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Oh boy, King Dung. I'm sure that won't go to his head."

"Let's get moving," Ethan said. "We need to find some barrels of lamp oil or something flammable to do this."

"By the way, have you seen any demons yet?"

"Nothing so far," Ethan reported. Levi started toward the lodges with Ethan following. They walked out onto the training fields. Vast areas of dying grass had been torn up in places due to all of the simulated combat.

Ethan noticed all of the weaponry Mordred was stockpiling behind the city walls and wondered who he intended to attack. Cleary, he had his men gearing up for something big. Mordred had the giant Anakims, massive engines of war, as well as his cavalry and his infantry. His target would have a tough time defending against all of this.

Fortunately the fields stood all but abandoned with no one guarding them. This gave Ethan and Levi an easy trip to their targets on the far side of the field. They passed a range where cannons, muskets and other shooting weapons had been assembled.

Levi paused. "Ethan, look!" He grinned fiendishly, patting a stack of wooden barrels standing next to the cannons and muskets. "Gunpowder, my boy!"

Ethan smiled, then looked at their route to the lodges standing about one hundred yards away. "It looks all clear, doesn't it?"

"As far as I can tell, but we'd better hurry," Levi said. "We don't want to be caught carrying barrels of gunpowder around."

Ethan thought about the likelihood of getting what they needed over to the lodges without being spotted. "I've got an idea. You go on over there and keep watch for any guard patrols while I take these up high away from the torchlight and bring them over."

Levi nodded, looked around again, then started for the Anakim lodges.

Ethan realm shifted onto the spiritual plane again. He drew his sword from its place hovering at his side, then thought about what he needed to do and how to do it. The sword obeyed his thoughts, transforming into a long length of chain.

Ethan whipped the chain toward the stack of gunpowder barrels, and it lashed itself over and around them. The chain snaked its way throughout, forming a net that surrounded all of the barrels. Ethan gripped the sword-chain and launched into the night air.