James Somers - The Realm Shift

As Ethan ascended the final flight of stairs, he heard the words of discouragement drifting through the air again. He stepped upon the main deck and saw another demon floating among the men who were climbing the rigging. The demon sowed the same seeds of hatred and lies meant to persuade the crew to turn back from the mission.

Ethan ran for the captain’s quarters, even though the captain himself was on deck near the helm. Ethan removed one of the parchments and wedged it into the door for the captain to find later. He could not afford to appear before the man himself.

Ethan scrambled back down the stairs and found a secure location to enter the spiritual realm unnoticed. He passed through the hull once again, out into the Azure Sea. Ethan proceeded to visit each of the remaining ships in this fashion. At each one, he left a document from Captain Bonifast wedged in the captain’s door. And each time he came upon a mercenary ship he found a demon at work spreading lies into the unconscious thoughts of the captain and crew. It was time to report to the Maelstrom and give the unpleasant truth to its captain.

When Ethan returned to the Maelstrom, the sun already waned in the sky. Dusk had come and, even though the dinner bell was ringing for the crew, Gideon and Captain Bonifast still stood on deck, watching and waiting for Ethan to return.

When Ethan landed on the deck of the Maelstrom, stepping back into the physical realm, there was a warm welcome waiting for him from his two new friends.

“Ethan, my boy, you’re safe!” Bonifast said. He took the leather satchel Ethan proffered. “And you’ve completed the task!”

Gideon smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

“I gave them all out, but I bring bad news from the fleet. I’ve seen some discouraging activity among the other ships, particularly the mercenary ships,” Ethan said.

“I see,” Bonifast replied, his joviality fading now. Then he recovered it long enough to say, “If it’s bad news you bring me, then at least we can enjoy a good meal while we hear it, aye? Come now, my friends, let’s dine in my quarters. I’ve asked Cook to prepare us a meal fit for kings.”

True to his word, the meal was fit for royalty-at least if royalty meant they knew good food when it was set before them. Ethan had been starving after his activity in the spiritual realm. He had gone back and forth many times during the course of the day. For some reason he felt less exhausted by the whole ordeal this time than he had been after returning from his fight onboard the slaver ship. Maybe it was the fight, or perhaps he was just getting used to it all. At any rate, realm shifting still gave him a ravenous appetite.

Ethan stuffed food into his mouth from a heaping plate of roast beef, potatoes, and corn. He kept thinking how good everything was.

“Tell me the bad news you’ve brought,” Bonifast said as he took a sip from his glass.

Ethan gulped down the mouthful he’d been chewing. “Well, I boarded two ships loyal to King Stephen and found nothing out of the ordinary.” Ethan neglected to share how he had caused one of the captains to spill his tea. “But when I came to the first of the mercenary ships, I became aware of a demon onboard. I kept out of the creature’s sight in the physical realm, but I could still hear the words it was speaking among the crew.”

“And what were the words?” Gideon asked. The warrior-priest ignored his meal, fully engrossed in Ethan’s story.

“It said things about hating King Stephen and that this mission against Mordred’s navy would take their lives if they continued. The demon even spoke ill against you, Captain.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and I think it was trying to discourage the captains and their crews by saying these things. Each mercenary ship I came to was being worked upon by a different demon in this same manner,” Ethan explained.

“And could the crew members hear these words the way you heard them?” Gideon asked.

“I really don’t think they could. But they reacted to the words. When they talked among themselves, their talk was about the same things the demons were saying-how they should not continue with the king’s fleet to Emmanuel, or how the money wasn’t worth losing their lives.”

Captain Bonifast stopped short of taking another drink from his glass. He concentrated on a point on the wall, deep in thought.

“Do you suppose we should cancel the attack, Captain?” Gideon asked.

Bonifast turned to the warrior-priest with a thoughtful look on his face. “I’m afraid that would be devastating to the land army King Stephen is already leading toward Emmanuel,” he explained. “They’ll be waiting for our signal to attack. And we are meant to break through and weaken the palace walls in order to divert some of their strength from defending the outer walls against Stephen’s attack.”

An uncomfortable silence hung in the room for a few moments. Finally, Bonifast looked at each of them and smiled. “Men are not meant to have all of the answers in these situations, lads. But we can speak to the one who holds all things in his hand.”

Gideon’s smiled. “Prayer.”

Captain Bonifast nodded. “Yes, we must call upon Shaddai whose war this actually is. He will lead us according to his will.”

Ethan had not actually thought about the war against Mordred as being Shaddai’s war. King Stephen was the one leading the campaign. He was the one financing the war effort and sending out emissaries to the various villages and towns looking for those willing to join in the fight. But, in truth, this was a spiritual conflict, and all of them, including King Stephen, were fighting on the side of Shaddai.

“There’s no time like the present, gentlemen. We’ll have privacy in here,” Bonifast said.

They bowed their heads, and the captain began to lead them in prayer. Ethan remembered the days when he had prayed with his sister, Elspeth. They had prayed together the night of their exodus from the village of Salem. They had prayed while traveling the dangerous roads winding through Nod as they sought a place where they might find food and shelter. They had even prayed together before Elspeth accepted Mr. Howinger’s proposal, allowing them to remain in his employ so many years.

As Captain Bonifast prayed for the will of the Lord in this war, and the plans they were preparing to execute, Ethan remembered the nights his father and mother had prayed with him at his bedside. It had been a nightly ritual, and one he could not go to sleep without. His parents had brought him up in the knowledge of the truth-Shaddai watches over, providing for and protecting those who put their faith in him.

Ethan prayed silently as the captain continued making his supplications for the fleet and King Stephen’s army soon to arrive outside Emmanuel’s white walls. Ethan even noticed the captain mentioning him and Gideon in his prayer-that they might be used by the Lord to do mighty things for his name’s sake.

When they started praying, it was close to the ninth hour bell. When they finished, it was almost time for the tenth hour bell to sound. The men did not finish what was left of the meal. It became a solemn time as they considered whether their prayers would be answered in the way they hoped.

Ethan excused himself, getting up from the table. He was tired after the long day of realm shifting, but at least his belly was full. He walked out of the captain’s cabin, leaving Bonifast and Gideon to their conversation. He just wanted to get some fresh air and think.

The weather remained warm with a steady breeze blowing. There were hardly any clouds out, and the stars shone brightly-an endless sea in the heavens above. For the most part, the crew had retired down below in their bunks, rocked to sleep by the undulating Azure Sea.