Lore for my next book

Angels of the Shadows

This is the proper name for the death squads and are called angels because their duty is viewed as holy despite being a dark job, to say the least.

Squads

The Sorrows

The Sorrows are the primary Angel of the Shadow squad. They are a jack-of-all-trades squad that is proficient in everything from riot suppression to coordinated strikes on suspected criminal outposts. If needed, they will aid other squads and the normal police force. The Sorrows will pray and do penance for the criminals in prison and hold funerals for the victims of criminals and even for the criminals themselves. In addition, they will hold processions for the dead and actively offer current criminals the chance to repent if they chose to do penance by serving in their squad.

Their patron is St. Pluvia, otherwise known as the crybaby cop. He was known to always pray, cry, and do penance for criminals and sinners. It didn't matter what the criminal did or if the criminal did something evil for the sake of it. Pluvia would still cry, have some reason to pity them, and then did penance for the wicked soul. Even when he died, his eyes would constantly leak tears and this was used as one of the miracles attributed to him so that he could be recognized as a saint with the other miracles being the sudden repentance of certain criminals thought to be beyond redemption that sudden presented themselves to the police and offered to pay for their crimes because of the crying cop they saw in their dreams, which was accurately described as being Pluvia. Because of this, St. Pluvia became a primary saint venerated by everyone in the kingdom and the patron saint of the first Angel of the Shadows squad.

Inflamed Penitents

After the use of homemade chemical weapons by revolutionaries that ended the lives of many officers and civilians alike, the need for a squad to take care of criminals in hazardous situations like this one. The Inflamed Penitents were created out of this need and will be the first ones called to situations where chemical weapons are used, ones that take place in burning buildings, and the like. Unlike the Sorrows, their armor is less bullet resistant and more resistant to the chemicals they'll encounter. They also primarily use close-range weaponry such as submachine guns and shotguns since they typically operate in close-quarters environments. On occasion against heavier resistance, they will use flamethrowers, acid grenades, and tear gas that will make their targets bleed from their eyes. The members of the Inflamed Penitents are comprised of reformed prisoners as well as volunteers from the Sorrows and police force.

St. Pertinax is the patron of these penitents. Pertinax's mother gave him his name since it was a struggle for him to be born not only due to birthing complications but also because his mother was wanted dead since she was raped by a governor and he wanted Pertinax dead and his mother had evidence of his crimes. This was what his mother said before she died and thanks to her, Pertinax was born and her rapist and everyone involved with him were executed for their crimes. To repay the mother's sacrifice, Pertinax was given in adoption to a wealthy family that happily accepted him as one of their own. After hearing what happened to his biological mother when he was a teenager, he decided to be a man of charity and a cop.

When he wasn't on duty, Pertinax would be giving away his riches or helping at his local parish that fed and clothed the poor. While on duty, he would be the first one to charge into danger and would risk his life to save the lives of his fellow officers and innocent civilians, especially children. One day when he was off-duty, Pertinax saw that a riot was taking place and even though he didn't have any weapons, he threw himself at the mob in an attempt to stop them and protect the people they were attacking. It wasn't until after the SWAT officers were deployed did he get support. By the time they reached him, Pertinax was badly beaten, cut, and burned, but somehow still living. He made a full recovery a month later to go back to his routine of helping the poor and throwing himself into danger. It is said that his body has more scar tissue than untouched skin and he was more resistant to pain and fire than most to an almost superhuman degree because of it. Due to his great feats, Pertinax was quickly recognized as a saint after his death along with his mother.

Dominion

Otherwise known as the Royal Guard, the Dominion is comprised of the best of the best cops and Angels of the Shadows that typically guard important members of the government. What's lesser known is that they also keep a close eye on their superiors and can execute them at a moment's notice if they suspect them of corruption. They are even able to execute the king and/or queen if need be. Though their armor appears to be medieval and for show, their armor is some of the strongest there is by even being able to take an explosive before being broken. Their weapon is a singular gun that can be modified with different parts. It can be a sniper, pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, or even grenade launcher.

St. Servus is their patron saint who is also known as the princess knight. Born a woman of royalty, she enjoyed a luxurious life. Her ascent through the ranks of the police force was aided by the influence of those she knew and was related to. Eventually, she became part of the Royal Guard. Her position allowed her to be in earshot of important conversations between the government's leaders some of which were treasonous talks that involved these corrupt leaders trying to enrich themselves and enact laws that is contrary to God's. She couldn't get solid evidence of their corruption since they covered their tracks well by burning and destroying physical evidence and assassination of witnesses. The corrupt officials then managed to get her out of her job and denounced her as a crazy conspirator so that no one would take her seriously and she wouldn't be able to find work.

The friends that she made in her life aided her when she was at her lowest and gave her a secret place to hide and operate from. After years of operating in the shadows, Servus and her allies managed to get undeniable proof of corruption on video. The corrupt officials were then swiftly executed and their wealth and possessions were liquidated and spread out to those affected by them. Servus didn't want any reward and was fine with just getting her job in the Royal Guard back. Her virtue, her accomplishment of a seemingly impossible task, and her want to see justice through made recognizing Servus as a saint an easy decision not long after her death.

True Servants

True Servants are the juggernauts and veterans of the Angels of the Shadows. Instead of choosing to go into government or retire, these officers chose to continue to dedicate their service to the law. This group is the most heavily equipped with nearly impenetrable armor that is resistant to burning, chemicals, and explosives. They wield large guns that are typically mounted on turrets. These turret guns have two kinds of ammo loaded into them, one box magazine holds hundreds of armor-piercing rounds while the other box holds explosive ammo.

Unlike the previous patron saints, St. Opus was not known for anything that made him stand out other than his lifelong dedication to his job and going above and beyond in his duties until his death. It wasn't until his death that the case for his sainthood was submitted. Officers and civilians would report every now and then an apparition of fire that looked like him coming to save them when they were fighting criminals. There is even a video of his apparition appearing from a squad car and leading the way while firing bullets of fire at a group of revolutionaries. These reports and this video led to his canonization and veneration as the saint of ordinary hardworking men and women.

Notable criminal offenses that result in immediate execution

- Corrupting and endangering children

- Obscuring and perversion of facts

- Conspiracy and government corruption

- Worshipping false gods and evangelizing others to do so

- Rape and human trafficking

- Distribution of pornography and performing or getting an abortion (the mother would be executed and the child would be given to a better family typically a wealthy one)

- Assault in a situation where violence is not needed

-  Rioting or starting a revolution or aiding in one in any way

How to obtain a job in the government and become king and/or queen

- To get a job in the government, one must serve as an officer of the law for a period of time, at least ten years. This period of time may be lessened by notable deeds or by having a person in government recommend them for a higher position. After that, they have to become mayor of a city for four or more years, governor for a few more years than that, and then overseer of the continent for five or so. Once all that time has passed and they are deemed wise enough by the other overseers, a person may be crowned king or queen by the overseers once both king and queen have died. A king and queen rule for the rest of their lives and most usually rule for five years at least and ten years at most with one king who ruled for twenty years during which the entire world lived in prosperity.

My latest paperback collection is out today!

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America is at war with itself in the near future. Due to the divided public and corrupt leadership, the country is divided more than ever. There are those who just sit and accept it for what it is and leave it to decay while there are others who try to change it for the better. This series follows those who risk their life to put the country on the right track one day at a time no matter the obstacles that come their way.

My 240th book is out today!

Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1414629

God helps those who suffer. He punishes the wicked, is reasonable, frees the ignorant with truth, and brings joy to downtrodden hearts, but these don't seem to be the case in the short stories in this collection, however, they are true in the same stories. Through trials, the characters of these stories will see the wisdom of God in these apparent contradictions.

The Betrayed, His Worshippers, and Other Logical Contradictions: Chapter 5 – Reluctant Lover

Chapter 5 – Reluctant Lover

A man named Zachary has been wandering from place to place on a mission from God to preach repentance and belief in God. For the most part, he’s been shunned by everyone he’s visited with few people listening to him and even fewer doing as he says. Regardless of the outcome, Zachary hardly stays in one place for too long before he is commanded to go somewhere else.

“Why must I continue?” Zachary asks in between destinations.

He receives no answer. Instead, he comes across a family in need that requires food and water. Since he has these things with him, Zachary gives what he has to the family, but now has nothing to eat and drink himself.

“Is it possible for me to rest?”

Again, no answer. Zachary comes across a farm in need of help and is fed and taken care of for a time until more help comes. Now with more help than he can pay, the owner has to fire someone so that the others may be properly paid. Not wanting the others to go without a job, Zachary volunteers, leaves with a pack full of food and bottled water and resumes his aimless journey.

“Is it possible that there’s someone else out there who cares for me?”

No answer comes like usual. The next town that Zachary comes across seems to share the same faith that he does, but theirs is incomplete and infected with falsehoods and half-truths. He tries to teach them the whole truth to the best of his ability. Despite this, they reject his every claim and kick him out of town.

“Why should I bother asking?”

“Did you need something, my son?” a voice says during the stary night. “If you do, you know that everything I have is yours.”

“Why haven’t you been answering my prayers? Have I been suffering for nothing?”

“I’ve been answering your prayers in the silence that I know you can hear Me in and you’ve responded. Your suffering is not for nothing as you bring change and plant seeds of future change wherever you go.”

“My efforts have done precious little and my questions have only given me more questions. What of the evil in the world? Why let it continue at the large scale that it is now? I know that I’m a sinner like the rest, but some are willfully sinful and ignorant and it seems like nothing will change them.”

“While they still live there is a chance they may repent. My will can still be done despite the evil that rules this world and if the wicked need to meet an early death, then it will happen when I decide at the right time.”

“And despite Your goodness and divine plan, evil continues to dominate and make it seem like You don’t care for anyone. When will this hopeless situation end? Can more than a drop of Your mercy fall to the earth?”

“You’ve seen my mercy and the impossible happen when I let the wicked continue to live despite their deeds and unrepentance. This is a greater miracle than you can imagine.”

“It’s truly greater than I can imagine. Allow me some glimpse into it to keep me going as You did when You started me on my journey as a preacher. You showed me that I was nothing without You and that I wasn’t truly myself without Your guidance and knowledge of Your laws. I’ve asked for more guidance and still do to this day, especially when I continuously fall into sin and do not know why. Answer me as to why You let me fall repeatedly and not be completely who I’m meant to be.”

“You are who you need to be right now. These failures of yours are trials to keep you on that path.”

“One more question, if I may ask. I know that my words have been filled with the venom of anger, unappreciation, tiredness, and impatience. The trials that You have put me through wound me to my soul and the relief You have given is like a drop of water on raging flames. Would it be possible to give me what I need to continue on according to Your will?”

“What you need is on its way here, but knowing what you really mean, I will tell you this. Do not forget that the joys of this life are passing. Even those who live comfortably and think they have everything they need, are still unhappy and half-full and constantly want new things because they do not have Me, which the soul constantly longs for to be completely happy. I will say again that everything I have is yours including Myself. I will be with you and will continue to help you bear your sufferings until the end of your days when you will finally receive your due reward. Remember that love involves suffering and that I have suffered for you. Continue on with your head held high with this knowledge. You are on the right path.”

Zachary waits to hear more and doesn’t until he hears someone walking toward him. This person turns out to be a priest to whom he knows he must confess his sins. It’s at this time he realizes or rather remembers that the love of God is a prize without match. He continues on his lifelong journey, preaching, falling, repenting, converting, suffering, and loving much for the sake of God and others. At the end of his life, he dies on the route to his next destination in the dirt like a man without a home.

When Zachary is brought to Heaven and his sins are presented, the blood and suffering that he went through for God covers the list of his sins and he is immediately brought to Heaven. There, he doesn’t see castles made of priceless gems or a kingdom talked about in fairytales. Instead, he sees the face of God and is completely immersed in His presence, and he is satisfied and happier than anyone living on earth can imagine and can only have the faintest tastes of but can have nonetheless if they live as Zachary has who had one goal in mind; to love God with his whole heart, mind, and being.

 

The End

The Betrayed, His Worshippers, and Other Logical Contradictions: Chapter 4 – Freeing Chains, Sweet Dogma

Chapter 4 – Freeing Chains, Sweet Dogma

Stuck in her cell with only her thoughts to accompany her, Quem paces around the room to keep herself active and from dying of boredom. She’s been given books and visited by many priests and family to get her to change, however, she’s ignored the books and hasn’t been listening to anyone who has visited her. While doing community service, she’s done more harm than good and has tried to escape on multiple occasions. Currently, she is considered a lost cause and is set to live the rest of her life in prison unless something changes.

“How dare they do this to me. I don’t deserve this,” Quem says to herself every single day ever since the day she was put in prison.

“Who are you to decide what you deserve?” a voice says.

This voice sounds as if they are coming directly from the walls, floor, and ceiling around her.

“Who are you to question me? Who are you? Show yourself, coward!”

Half a person comes out of a wall who looks almost exactly like Quem except this one is decorated in jewelry and crowned with gold.

“I said it! I decide what I deserve.”

“Who and what are you? You aren’t me.”

“You’re right. I’m not because I wouldn’t be stuck in a cell. Regis wouldn’t have denied my marriage proposal. I would’ve been like a queen in a castle with him rather than a slave tending to horses and a farm. I should’ve gotten support for every action that I’ve done after doing so much work for so little.”

“But that’s not what happened.”

“Because of that, I stole and even killed to get what I felt I deserve, what I know I deserve! Looks where that’s put me! There’s no such thing as justice in this world if I can’t get what I know is mine!”

“There is justice,” a new voice says from a different wall.

The version of Quem with a crown goes limb as if her soul was instantly taken out of her. Another version of Quem comes out of a different wall. This one is dressed in black and wears a black veil.

“Justice put me in this cell for my sins. I’ve done so many crimes that I should’ve never been born. I should’ve never hurt Regis the way I did. God have mercy on me for having murdered and stolen from people I was jealous of!  I should just end it all now and bang my head against the wall until I die!”

“No, I can’t!”

“Why not? I’m nothing but trouble to everyone I meet. How could I ever atone for what I’ve done? I’ll always be this way even if I try to change. What’s the point of even living? I’ll never be happy. I’ll never live the way I want to live. I’ll never be the person I want to be!”

“Who cares about that?!” another voice says from a different wall.

Again, the other version of Quem goes limb and another one comes out of the wall, however, this one is more disturbing in that this version of her has skin that’s completely red with veins popping out of it, which are hardly hidden by her dress made out of crimson and black chains that appear to be on fire. Horns adorn her head and her eyes are orange and yellow.

“Who cares about being right or wrong? I only care about doing what I want no matter the cost or what other people think. What’s the point in living life if you don’t live it how you want to?”

“I tried to live how I wanted to and it put me here!”

“So what? If one thing doesn’t work, redefine yourself. If that doesn’t work, do something else. I’ve never been consistent in life. No one ever is. I should run away the next chance I get and if they kill me while I try, then I died fighting for my due freedom. If not, then lucky me.”

“I don’t know if I should do that.”

“Why not? Are you still bothered by what’s right and wrong? Who cares about morals? They’re just used by those above us to make us act like they want or ‘in the best interests of humanity’ whatever that means. Do what you want and justify yourself by any means. Good and evil are all a matter of perspective after all.”

“I don’t know what I should do.”

“Do what you want!” all three versions of her say before arguing among themselves.

Between the three versions of herself, Quem hears three arguments; that she’s pathetic and should just end herself, that she does nothing wrong, and that she can do no wrong. The arguing and contradictions within herself tear her mind apart. Eventually, she falls to her knees, begs for silence, and asks someone to help her decide what to do. A few seconds of chaos pass until a deafening silence suddenly muffles the noise in the cell.

“I can help you discover yourself,” a new voice says that’s unlike Quem’s.

“Who are you and how can you help me? How do you know me?” Quem asks.

“I am the one who made your heart. I am the only one who knows you better than you know yourself.”

“What a preposterous claim. How can you know me better than I know myself?”

“Have you seen all the versions of yourself recently and heard what they said?”

“I see your point. So, how can you help me?”

“Give Me your trust and You’ll see.”

Quem reaches out to a hand in that she sees in the dark corner of her cell. Once she touches the hand, she is blinded by a light that wakes her up and makes her realize that she’s been looking in a mirror the entire time. Happy to see herself, she genuinely laughs and smiles for the first time in a while and then starts praying and reading as the voice of God tells her. Over the next few days, she learns who she is, starts praying, and sings God’s praises to an infectious degree that the other prisoners sing with her. Unsure of what’s happening, the guards go to the source of the singing after questioning the prisoners and are surprised to find that it’s Quem.

At first, they are unsure if she is the same person who was put in the cell because of her smile and what she says about God. This is enough to convince a couple of the guards that they are looking at a completely different woman but they can’t explain what happened to the original Quem. After she talks to the guards, priests, and her parents over several days, they are convinced she’s repented and completely changed. Over three years, she’s paid her price for her crimes through community service and is now a nun. Quem is now her community’s example of what repentance and faith in God can do to a person and is brought out to share her experience and story at many events. Through her work, Quem converts many people to change and becomes an inspiring example to follow to even the most religious and faithful. During one of the events, she is questioned about how exactly she changed and what is the winning formula to do to follow her example.

“That’s both a simple and complex answer,” Quem admits. “When I was lost in my sin, my mind and priorities were constantly changing. I didn’t know what to do and just did the first thing that came to my mind that I thought made sense. It was a horrible cage to live in and I was a tyrant whose rules could change at a moment’s notice. Then, when I let God direct me and become the ruler of my life, I became free. It may sound like a contradiction, but it’s true that we only become free when we constrain ourselves with God’s truth since He is always true. He is the Lord and Creator of my heart and knows what I want even when I don’t know what I want. His rules act as a guide to doing what is right and to act as the person I am truly meant to be. Because of that, my answer is this. The winning formula is simply to let God take control with no reservations or holding back anything. It’s not always clear when a major change will happen or if it is currently happening, but just know that God is always with us and always wants the best for us. Even if we may disagree with Him and fight against Him at every turn, He will continue to try to save us from ourselves until the last moments of our lives.”

The Betrayed, His Worshippers, and Other Logical Contradictions: Chapter 3 – Blind Assurance

Chapter 3 – Blind Assurance

After he is judged as guilty, Xerxes is taken out in chains and immediately brought before the massive golden calf to be thrown in and cooked alive to be used as food and sacrifice to the heathen city, however, he doesn’t burn or feel the intense heat at all once thrown in. In fact, his chains burn off and an exit for him has melted away as the rest of the city burns instead. This event is one of the many seemingly unnatural events that have taken place around Xerxes as he travels a war-stricken land. With God as his guide, he has been trying to preach the good news of mercy and salvation to the people that God has led him to.

“Where will I go next? If I may suggest, may I rest somewhere, eat, and drink? I’m tired and famished,” Xerxes says.

“That’s what you’re going to do next. Go to the nearby forest and you’ll find plenty to fill yourself with and a place to rest your head,” a voice coming from his shadow says.

“The nearby forest tried to kill me the last time I passed through it and only managed to get through it because larger predators were coming after the smaller ones that were coming after me.”

“And I will protect you again as you go through it. Have I not done enough to show you that you have My favor?”

Looking back at the burning city, Xerxes finds it hard to believe that he’s made it through so many events that most would consider to be a dream or a fantasy tale. He recalls how his journey started. Back in his hometown, he was about to be justly executed for his crimes of murder and theft, but the axe that is used broke when it hit his neck. A voice rang out from his shadow stating that he had won the favor of the Lord when he repented and did penance in prison and that he was needed to preach His Gospel. The chains holding Xerxes down were then seemingly cut by the breeze that blew through the town and the voice told everyone that Xerxes was allowed to leave. Those who disagreed and tried to stop him were cut by the breeze as if there were tiny invisible blades in the air.

“The devil is defending this man! A soul like his cannot be redeemed. His sins are too great,” an influential priest in the town said.

Despite the many soldiers with their nearly impenetrable armor who tried to get Xerxes, no one was able to. Those who persisted had their armor cut as if it were paper and those who persisted even further to the point of reaching him were turned into a fine red mist instantly. The soldiers, villagers, and priests ran away at the sight of this, which allowed Xerxes to leave and go through the events that led him to where he is now. After remembering everything done for him, Xerxes continues on and goes into the forest. Here, he finds much of what he expects such as the dead bodies of prey some of which are picked clean of flesh. He also feels the eyes of something watching him from a distance and when he turns to look, a rustling in the trees and bushes can be heard as if whatever is looking at him doesn’t want to be seen.

Hurrying along, Xerxes manages to find a river with fruits growing on trees and vegetation around it. He goes to drink the water and has his fill of fruits until a bear comes out of the rustling bushes. The bear approaches him while growling and doesn’t seem pleased to see him as if this area is his. If this isn’t enough, a leopard descends from the trees. At this point, Xerxes gives up any escape plan he has and hopes to God that this is part of His plan. This does look like the fact as a group of hunters comes by and recognizes Xerxes.

“That’s the man who’s said to be the devil’s pawn! Let’s claim the bounty on his head,” one of the hunters says.

“What about those animals he has under his control?”

“We can use them to make new coats.”

The hunters charge at him and are then swiftly killed by the bear and leopard. Both animals look at Xerxes as if waiting for his command.

“Are…you two friendly?” Xerxes says while carefully approaching them with his hands up.

He then slowly pets the bear and then the leopard. They seem to enjoy being petted and rubbing up next to him. Together with the animals as his protectors, Xerxes travels the forest until it gets dark out. Once he finds a cave to settle in, the bear acts as Xerxes’ pillow while the leopard acts as a sort of blanket to keep him warm. The three sleep together in comfort until the next morning. Eventually, Xerxes reaches the end of the forest where a large river separates the two regions. Here, the bear and leopard leave Xerxes and head back into the forest.

“Hey, where are you two going?” Xerxes asks the animals.

“They are going back to their home. On the other hand, you must travel across this lake and make it to the other side,” the voice in his shadow asks.

“Okay. Is there a boat nearby that I can take?”

“There isn’t and there isn’t time to waste to build or find one. You must walk across the water.”

Before voicing his feelings of doubt, Xerxes remembers what just happened and decides to do what God says. When approaching the river, he sees that the waters are turbulent because of an incoming storm. Still, he takes the step of faith onto the water and is surprised that he can walk on it as if it were a solid surface. At first, he wobbles with the waves on the river until he steadies himself, which is when the water around him stabilizes and flattens to make it easier for him to walk on. Given confidence by this, Xerxes walks forward and makes his way across the lake.

While walking, the lake’s waves begin to become turbulent as the storm grows closer. The waves start to become like those of the raging waves on the ocean and Xerxes' doubts begin to creep back into his mind. It doesn’t help that when he looks down, he sees that the lake is deeper than it looks with what looks to be large sea monsters beneath it. Seeing and feeling the rage of the waters is enough to make him fear for his life. This makes him lose hope that he’ll make it across the lake. As he looks around the closest land, the waters beneath him begin to swallow him to their depths as if the waters were a giant mouth.

“You must trust Me otherwise you’ll drown,” the same familiar voice says to him.

“I couldn’t walk on water. I can’t even swim well!” Xerxes thinks in his mind.

“Your sin is acting like a weight around your ankle dragging you down. You must stop thinking about yourself and trust Me.”

Xerxes begins to slowly sink to the bottom of the icy cold river. The freezing temperatures and his useless attempt at swimming upwards make him despair more and more the further down he goes. While looking at seemingly bottomless depths, he sees a creature that can be likened to the Leviathan of legend because of its massive size which makes it seem like most of its body can comprise most of the limitless depths. It has many dark gold lights on the surface of its body that give off a weird warmth. It swims towards Xerxes with its mouth wide open and the warmth of its lights growing warming as if it were death welcoming him in its grasp. As it gets closer, Xerxes can make the faint outline of what seems to be ships and the bodies of people inside its skin.

Not wanting to die yet, Xerxes continues to struggle upward to no avail. On the surface of the water, he sees what looks to be a human walking on the water.

This person reaches down and says, “This is it. You must trust that I will grab you and pull you out of the water and of danger.”

“I do, I do! Forgive me and help me with my faithlessness,” Xerxes says.

The hand of this person somehow manages to reach all the way down to where Xerxes is and pull him back above the water before the Leviathan nearly gets him. Before Xerxes can get a good look at who he presumes to be God, the person’s form shifts back into Xerxes’ shadow.

“Continue on and be quick,” the voice in his shadow says.

Continuing on the water, the storm still rages along with the waves on the river. Xerxes pushes on despite this and the waves move aside as if pushed away by his presence. There is even a large wave that threatens to crush him or at least send him back into the river’s depths, however, he holds onto his trust in God and the wave splits in half as if cut by a sword and the waters fall to the side. After what feels like hours of walking, Xerxes finally makes it to dry land while the storm begins to disappear. God then directs him to a hill overlooking a battle and tells him to head to the camp of a certain faction. Xerxes is ready to go with no questions asked because of what he just went through but is stopped after he takes a few steps forward.

“Don’t go yet,” the voice in his shadow says.

“You just told me to go, didn't You? What changed?” Xerxes asks.

“The heart of the general who lost his faith in Me because of the size and strength of the enemy he’s facing. Let him face a humiliating defeat so that he is reminded of what he is without Me.”

Knowing the effectiveness of this course of action, Xerxes does as he is told and watches one army decimate the other from the top of the hill. A few days pass during which Xerxes prays and fasts after consulting God on how to speed up the process of saving people. He does this for the good of the armies below him, the kingdoms they are fighting for, and everyone else involved and affected by their war. On the fourth day, God finally gives Xerxes permission to visit one of the sides during a battle. Many of the soldiers in the battle wonder what Xerxes is doing there and how he can simply walk through the battle without being hit by a stray arrow or caught up in the fight, however, they are unable to do anything about him since they are so wrapped up in the fight.

When Xerxes does make it to the camp he is directed to, he is immediately beaten, chained up as a prisoner, and put in one of the tents. The general he is here for is told about him and immediately drops what he is going and visits Xerxes.

“So, you’re the infamous man people have been talking about,” the general says.

“Yes, I am here because God led me here to talk to you so that you may win this fight,” Xerxes says.

The soldiers and the general laugh.

“Win? We are outnumbered, outmatched, and sent here to die for our home while they try to negotiate peace with the savages on the other side.”

“Through God, all things are possible. He is the author and master of all.”

“That is true, but-”

“But nothing.” Xerxes then tells stories of his adventures and how he got here. “Your men know that I walked through that chaotic battle outside without getting so much as a scratch on me. If you don’t believe the stories told about me nor the stories I have, then believe them.”

“What choice do I have? Alright, tell me what the Lord wants me to do.”

“Tell him to fly a flag with the symbol of a snake curled around a rod,” a voice says from Xerxes' shadow that only he hears.

After Xerxes relays this information, everyone with him laughs until the general gets them to stop.

“I’ve heard stranger things such as when a priest was able to absolve me of my sins and give me a simple penance that paid for all of it. Let’s do as the man says. We’re dead anyways if it doesn’t work.”

Agreeing with their general, the army does what Xerxes suggests. During the next battle, the general’s army massively wins and ends up taking the enemy camp and their enemies’ leaders hostage if they aren’t killed. It is now a guarantee that the general’s kingdom will receive a favorable peace deal from the other kingdom who promises to cease taking advantage of them. The general and his soldiers try to get Xerxes to join them for a party later that night, but the other soldiers report that Xerxes was taken away by the wind as if carried by invisible angels since he was called by God to go somewhere else for another purpose. Despite this sounding strange, stranger things have happened today and faith in God has awakened because of it in both armies that will spread into the world once news of what happened today spreads.

The Betrayed, His Worshippers, and Other Logical Contradictions: Chapter 2 – Evil’s Hour

Chapter 2 – Evil’s Hour

Today is just another day in the busy life of Camille, a wealthy business owner. Times are tough as the world gets more faithless and expensive to live in. Her business that makes and sells clothes of all kinds, watches, and other accessories is still one of the richest in the region, however, her profits still take a noticeable hit since people can’t afford to buy as much. Because of this, Camille calls a meeting to make some major changes. She includes people from management and those who work in retail so she has an idea of what’s going on in all areas of her company from the top to the bottom.

The meeting begins and ends faster than everyone in the room expects primarily because most people agree with Camille’s course of action. Employees will be the same as always so prices will go down. This decision is made in the hopes that customers will buy more and when they do, this money will cover their employees’ raises. Money is also being given to churches, charities, allied organizations, and marketing so that their public image is one of a strong company that continues to put its customers and supporters first. A month passes and the company manages to survive, but their competition is still a problem. Rival businesses countersignal Camille’s company by giving money to secular organizations and conservative allies that push against the traditionalists by wanting to keep the current trajectory of society and the way it is.

“I’d rather not live in a world where business, profit, and pleasure are all I live for while my sense of right and wrong is secondary and bendable to my needs,” Camille argues to herself as if talking to her opposition.

In her mind, Camille would do anything to keep the world and her family and friends safe from the impending changes of the future. There is no price high enough nor is there such a thing as spending too much energy trying to do what is right.

“Why, God, do You let this evil continue to spread and take root in the minds of so many?” Camille prays. “It reaches every corner of society. Even the children aren’t safe from it.”

While watching and managing her business in the store, a thief tries stealing some clothes and jewelry. Her store’s guards go after the thief who has backup waiting for them outside. Despite having backup, Camille’s guards are able to beat up the thieves and take the merchandise back to the store, however, the cops catch what is happening and convict both the guards and the thieves. It’s decided in court that the guards used excessive force on thieves since the thieves were nearly beaten to death. As a result, the guards have to serve time in jail and Camille’s company has to pay the medical bills of the thieves plus an additional expensive fine. The news portrays this situation as Camille’s company beating up desperate individuals and the court’s decision as the right one. Unfortunately, there is nothing Camille can do to get out of this, and has to grit her teeth and deal with it.

“Was I set up? Could this be part of someone’s schemes to bring my company down?” Camille thinks to herself. “God, why do You give such important positions of power to the worst of us? Why do You let them write the law and convict and let go as they please?”

Retribution seemingly comes one day when a nearby small business allied with Camille’s competition is stolen from. The owner chases the thief down the street and as the thief passes Camille, the owner begs Camille for help.

“I’m sorry. The help I would provide is too extreme according to the law. Catch him yourself or call the cops,” Camille says.

The thief runs faster than the owner and greatly increases the distance between them.

“Please, the cops won’t make it here in time and that thief stole so much that I’ll be ruined if I don’t get it back,” the owner pleads.

“That’s your problem, not mine,” Camille says before walking back inside her store.

Afterward, the news reports the closing of the small business. Camille is slandered slightly by them for not helping the owner, but she shrugs it off and is glad that she has one less business to worry about. In her mind, justice was finally served after such a long time. Speaking of justice, Camillie wishes it would happen within her own church. Priests and bishops preach the unity of religions as if they all worship the same God in different and legitimate ways. This is done to get more people to come to church and avoid being discriminated against, however, fewer people come to church and care about the faith now that the clergy is making it seem like the differences in religion don’t matter and that faith as a whole doesn’t matter in turn.

Unlike the other matters, Camille doesn’t have any influence in the church she can use to get these clergy members out of their office. Even if she could, she knows that she’ll be slandered even more by the media and called a hypocrite of her own faith. She already is facing this criticism, but avoiding adding more to it is better than actively accruing more. All she can do now is make her thoughts known to her local priests, bishop, and fellow believers and pray and hope that the situation will change.

“Please rescue people from their willful ignorance, wants to be popular, and cowardice of oppression. If not, then bring Your judgment upon them so that others know the rewards of lies, falsehood, and evil. They hardly deserve the slightest shred of mercy anyways. They’re the reason why good and evil mean nothing and why fewer people act in any kind of moral or virtuous way in these current times,” Camille prays.

Stressed out by constantly thinking about everything and what to do causes Camille to go to bed early tonight. While trying to sleep, she feels a calming darkness overcome her. When she opens her eyes, she sees this darkness begin to cover everything around her. She tries to run away, but she can’t so she backs herself up against a wall and grabs a lamp to defend herself with.

Feeling a presence in front of her, she swings the lamp where she thinks this being is while saying, “Begone, devil! You face a God-fearing woman!”

“I am the God you’ve been praying to. I am here to answer your prayer of punishing the wicked,” the voice in the dark says.

“Are you now? Why did You come to me like this?”

“Because you told Me to punish the wicked and I am here to punish you.”

“Me? What have I done?”

“Let me show you.”

A mirror appears in front of Camille that first shows her mirror image and then shifts to show festering diseases in her mouth, hands, chest, and head. A brown and dark green liquid comes out of her diseased parts as it seems that the disease in her is spreading and festers as if it has a mind of its own. Seeing this is enough to make her recoil in disgust and scratch at herself as if trying to remove the disease.

“Why do I look like that?”

“Your hatred of your enemies and actions have done this to you. You do not act out of love, but out of self-interest just like those you hate.”

“How is that? Show me what I’m doing wrong.”

The darkness shifts and reveals that Camille is in a small house. She sees the owner of the small business she saw that was stolen from. This house is a rundown wreck and the family in it is a dirty and miserable one. Despite feeling like she is in the building and smelling everything in it, no one notices Camille. In fact, they can walk through her as if she’s a spirit.

“Can you stop moping around and get a job or do you enjoy seeing your family starve to death?” the owner’s wife asks.

“Who will hire me? The people who gave me my business think I’m incompetent and untrustworthy for running my business so poorly and being stolen from and their enemies hate me even more,” the owner says.

“I don’t know just find something and stop being so useless or I’m taking the kids and we’ll find someone else who isn’t a sad waste of a man.”

“…okay.”

Now the owner seems even more broken and walks into a room and closes the door. Seconds later a loud noise is heard from the room.

“What are you doing now?!” the wife yells before going into the room and discovering that her husband has hung himself.

Camille is slightly bothered by this sight while the wife is in a panic and tells her kids to not see what is happening. Darkness covers the scene as the muffled screams and crying of the children are heard.

“If you had helped him that day he was stolen from, this wouldn’t have happened. He would have begun to see you not as an enemy, but as a friend and would have come to the faith as a result,” the voice in the dark says.

“I…I’m sorry, but it’s not my fault he killed himself. That was his decision!”

“Since you are in the business of hating those who oppose you, then maybe you’ll hate these unrepentant sinners as well.”

Again, the darkness transports Camille to a room. This time it’s one belonging to Camille’s friends who are her business partners. The room is finely decorated with religious paintings and statues and has the best furniture money can buy. Everyone in the room enjoys the feast made for them by their servants and is drunk on wine to the point where they start getting up and dancing around the room, eventually knocking down one of the statues of the Blessed Mother.

“Look what you did. You’re going straight to Hell,” one of them jokes.

“Pfft. If I am, then so are you. I’ll just confess it and donate some money as my penance,” another says.

“If you can do that, then so can I,” a drunk says before breaking more statues, “I’ve been meaning to get rid of these ugly things after Camille and those priests came by.”

“What if they come around again?”

“Then I’ll buy more. Buying these hardly takes a lot out of my profits. Besides, even if they do ask about them, then I’ll put on a sad face about being drunk, breaking them, and ask them for forgiveness and they’ll shrug it off.”

“What a bunch of idiots! Why do we even bother working with them?”

“Because without them, we wouldn’t have all these nice things so that’s at least one thing I can genuinely thank God for!”

The drunks continue to laugh and break things as the darkness surrounds Camille again.

“I…didn’t know they were really like this,” Camille admits.

“Did you? A sinner shows their true nature in ways that are out of their control such as when you were uncharitable to the poor man who hung himself,” the voice in the dark says.

“Then if I am such a horrible person, end me here and now and give me my just reward!”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

Yet again, the darkness fades away and transports Camille to a location. This time she is in front of a house in a poor and dirty district of the city. She looks around and after reading the street names and address number, she recognizes that she’s at the home of a loyal and faithful worker.

“Not you too!” Camille says before walking through the door as if it weren’t there.

Inside, Camille finds a well put together, but small house. One boy is praying, another is studying, and a third is making dinner.

“Oh, thank God!” Camille says.

The boy that is praying coughs before continuing to pray.

“Robin, can you stop praying and get some rest? You’ll pray better if you do so,” his brother asks.

“Let me finish my daily prayers first I’m almost done and I’m sure dad needs them,” Robin says.

“You need them more than dad. Have you even been praying your sickness away?” the other brother who is studying asks.

“I have, but if God wishes me to continue being sick, then I’ll gladly accept it and offer it up for my sins and the sins of others.”

“You better not offer it for that tyrant of a boss that dad has. Camille is why we can’t afford repairs to our house and enough to feed us. It feels like I have to fast every other day.”

“She’s also the reason why dad has a job and is able to give us things, so I thank God for her,” Robin says before their dad, Oliver, walks in somewhat bloodied.

The boys are shocked to see their dad in this condition, but he handwaves it away, and then says, “It’s fine. You should see the other guy.”

“What happened?”

“Just some desperate guy wanting more than the change I can offer him.”

“You shouldn’t give them anything. You can’t afford it.”

“What did I teach you? You have to give even when it hurts to.”

“You also taught us to stand up for ourselves. Why didn’t you do that when Camille left your raise up to chance?”

“Because I trust her and it’d be better to work at a place that isn’t going out of business.”

“It’s too rich and popular to do that. I think-”

“I think we should continue praying and being thankful for what we have,” Robin interjects.

“Thank you, Robin.”

“You’re both as useful as carpets. Mom would be ashamed of you if she were still here. Robin isn’t too far behind following in her footsteps if you don’t do anything soon,” the studying brother says before going into his room.

As soon as Robin starts coughing again, he comes out of his room, gives him his medicine, walks back in, and doesn’t come back out until dinner is ready, a meager feast of a small chicken and some fruit. Darkness covers the scene as Robin starts violently coughing and his family tries to help him.

“That child’s sacrifice holds back My great justice that thirsts for vengeance against the wicked such as yourself. He will soon pass if not helped and nothing will save you or your business. You deny your workers their due wages because you are afraid of losing business,” the voice in the dark says.

“It’s like how Oliver says. I’d go out of business and he’d be out of a job if it didn’t keep their wages the same.”

“I would’ve kept your business afloat for his sake and the sake of the others who are faithful to Me, but seeing as how you are still not moved to fully repent, I’ll have to help them find a better employer.”

The darkness around Camille quickly disappears as she sees her store burning in front of her.

“I understand now,” Camille says on her knees, “Not only because of my store burning but because of what You’ve shown me. I accept my punishment. Take whatever You want. Just spare those who deserve better, especially Robin, Oliver, and his family.”

Camille’s store continues to burn for a few more seconds until they are put out by a sudden gust of wind and a harsh rainstorm.

“I accept your confession as you have made it from the heart with all honesty. Go and sin no more.”

Camille blinks and finds herself in her room. She gets on her knees again to thank God before getting dressed and going out to assess the damage done to her store and make some changes. Using her own money, she pays for people to repair her store. Additionally, she makes cuts to her management to fire those she knows are dishonest and cuts her own and the salary of management to give the lower-positioned workers better pay. After which, she sends letters out to her competition as olive branches to apologize for any slander she’s said against them and asks if they would like to collaborate for future projects. She receives letters a few letters back from these people accepting her apology and expresses their interest in working together much to her surprise.

To help the family of the owner who killed himself, Camille pays for his house to be cleaned, gives them money and food, and offers the wife a job, which she accepts. Once a week of changes are made, she makes time to go out to Oliver’s and surprises him with gifts and enough food to last them a month. While there, she sees Robin and goes up to him. She kneels and holds his hands in hers.

“Thank you so much for your prayers, Robin,” Camille says.

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for my family, Ms. Camille,” the now-healthy Robin says. “If I may ask, can you hear my dad out? He’s been meaning to ask you something important.”

“What would that be?” Camille says while turning to Oliver.

“Hey, I said that was between us. I’m not ready to ask her about that,” Oliver says.

“Just spit it out. You know I’ll listen to you no matter what you say.”

“Okay…would you like to go out to dinner sometime?”

“He wants you to marry him.”

“Robin!”

Oliver is now blushing as Robin is laughing.

Stunned by this and elated at the same time, Camille says, “Yes, I’d like to go out to dinner with you. You can marry me afterward.”

“I uh…I’m honored. Thank you! I’ll be sure to take you somewhere nice.”

“Make her pay for the dinner! She has enough money,” one of Robin’s brothers says.

Camille and Oliver’s family laughs together before they pray and eat dinner as one happy family. Even though her company won’t do as well as it used to and the fear of going under will keep bothering Camille, she decides to put her full faith in God for once and never make excuses for actions again.