Savior Part 2: Son of Eden (The Savior Series) by A. King Bradley Page A

the war and save Earth?”
    The Elder narrowed his eyes and looked me over once again, as if he was deciding if it was even worth his time to answer my question. “Yes, if by some miracle you were able to justly obtain the crown, the Knights of Eden would be bound by the Goddess to kneel at your command,” The Elder said with his face still filled with doubt.
    “Then I’ll do it. Tell me what I need to do and I promise you that I won’t fail,” I said firmly, hoping that I could persuade him to believe in me.
    “It won’t work, boy. It simply will not work,” he complained as he shook his head and stared blankly at Wells. “I will not place the fate of my people in the hands of a child .”
    “Hey, you don’t know anything about me!” I fumed.
    “But I have watched you, Adam, The Reaper , and I know you all too well. Your Anokian blood gives you the right to seek the crown, but it would be foolish of you to do so. To earn the right to fight the High King, you must first defeat his Right Hand, and I assure you that you have never faced an opponent as powerful as Darius, The Greater. Thousands before you have sought to dethrone The Righteous but they all fell before The Greater. It is foolish to think that you would fair any differently.”
    “I might surprise you.”
    “He’s right,” Wells added. “And he’s also our only chance, Ezekiel.”
    Several tense moments of silence passed by as The Elder continued to stare at me as if he was somehow contemplating my worthiness just by looking at me.
    “So be it,” he begrudgingly grumbled as he reached into his cloak and withdrew what appeared to be a silver necklace with a circular charm the size of a silver dollar. “Kneel before me, boy,” he said to me as he pressed a button on the charm, then handed it to Director Wells.
    Wells held the charm before him as I watched in silent awe. I had no idea what was happening as a blinding, cone shaped wave of bright, blue light suddenly came cascading out of the charm and enveloped both The Elder and me.
    “I said kneel!” The Elder repeated angrily as he glared at me.
    Coming to my senses, I kneeled before The Elder and stared up at him as the shimmering light from the necklace continued to surround us.
    “I am Ezekiel, The Elder—son of Isaiah, The Wise—Elder Priest to The Second Kingdom and servant of the Goddess of Eden,” The Elder boomed as he peered directly at the shimmering charm that Wells still held before him. “I have found you, Adam, The Reaper, worthy in your pursuit of the Throne of Eden, and it is my right, by order of the Goddess Herself and the Anokian laws that bind us all, to bestow upon you my blessing. On this day, I Ezekiel, The Elder grant you, Adam, The Reaper the right to challenge Darius, The Greater for the Right Hand of the Broken Crown. Now rise, Challenger, and accept this Mark, that you may show your true worthiness in your pursuit.”
    The shimmering blue light that surrounded us suddenly intensified and engulfed the entire room, then faded away and disappeared completely just as quickly. By the time my eyes readjusted The Elder was now holding the silver necklace in his tightly clenched right fist and Wells was watching us in silence. I stood before The Elder and extended my right hand in order to receive the necklace. Still convinced of my unworthiness, The Elder stared at my open palm for a few moments before extending his hand and dropping the surprisingly cold necklace into my hand. My heartbeat quickened as I held the necklace in front of my face and marveled at the unfamiliar symbols that covered the beautifully crafted silver charm.
    “That is The Mark of Eden,” The Elder said. “Once you challenge The Greater, you must press the button in the center of The Mark and present it to him in order to authenticate your right to seek the Crown.”
    “Thank you,” I replied, nodding as I looked up at him.
    “Your gratitude is misplaced, boy,” The Elder scoffed. “It