Valley of the Ancients: Book Three of the Restoration Series by Christopher Williams Page B
Authors: Christopher Williams
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outburst that he had expected. It appeared that Abner was used to strange half elf's telling him that they were the most dreaded person ever prophesied about. "Is that all you have to say?" he asked. "I mean I expected a slightly different reaction."
Abner smiled. "I would imagine so. Probably thought we would run screaming down the mountain, huh?"
This was most definitely not the reaction Flare expected. "You don't seem too troubled."
Abner shook his head, "No, actually I have been waiting my whole life for this day." If anything, his grin got bigger.
It took a moment for the words to sink in and for a moment Flare was sure that he had misheard. "What? What are you saying?"
Abner motioned in Sadah's general direction. "When I was younger than her, my master fell into a trance and he said something profound. He said that I would see the one who would one day restore the Dragon Order."
"And you're not bothered by that?"
Moving slowly, Abner walked over and sat down next to Sadah, his back to the small fire. "I was terrified, until that is, my master explained some things to me." He crossed his hands, setting them in his lap, "You see, not everyone believes the Church of Adel's story that you are the destroyer of the world."
Flare sheathed his sword and walked over to the fire, being careful to stay out of reach of Abner's staff. Sitting down on the far side of the fire, he regarded the other two as they turned around to face him. "You don't believe Kelcer's prophecy?" he asked. He had never met anyone before who hadn't believed in the prophecy. Some might believe that it was misrepresented, or misunderstood, but they still believed in the prophecy itself.
"We do believe in Kelcer, but we do not accept the Church's interpretation. We believe that it is a prophecy of a man with incredible power, a man who has two choices; be the savior of the world, or the destroyer of it."
Flare's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "I have never heard that interpretation before."
"Nor would you. In some places, you can be executed for suggesting such a thing. Not many people will risk it."
"But you do. Why?" Flare asked.
"I am a priest, but not of the Church of Adel," Abner stated quietly.
That sounded ominous. "Then whose priest are you?"
"I am a priest that recognizes and respects all the gods. Adel, Silverti, even Thal."
"You worship Thal?" Flare blurted out, half rising from his seated position. Thal was the god of the goblins, trolls, and those of that ilk. His worship usually consisted of bloody sacrifices and such.
Abner held his hands up in front of him, "I do not worship him, but I give him the respect that is his due."
"What respect is he due?" Flare demanded, his tone angry and loud. "It seems tinco me that everything that is evil in this world came from him."
"Then perhaps that is why the Father God created him."
Flare knelt there for a moment, trying to make sense of those words. He too believed that the gods they worshiped were made by a Father God. An older god who created the other gods to create life for the world, "Why would Thal be created to bring murder and mayhem into the world?"
Smiling, Abner leaned closer to the fire, the orange coals lighting up his face. "Why would an omnipotent god create a being such as Thal? If he is omnipotent then he has to know what Thal will do." Seeing the confusion on Flare's face, Abner sat back away from the fire. "I must apologize. I see that my words have bothered you."
Flare also sat back down but he didn't respond. The words made sense but they went against everything he had ever believed. He had always believed that the Father God had withdrawn in disgust at the way Thal had acted. What if that wasn't true? What is Thal had done the very things that he had been created to do?
"I'm impressed."
Abner's words intruded on Flare's thoughts and he raised his eyes from the fire to find Abner and Sadah watching him intently. "What?"
Abner leaned close, "I said that I am
Abner smiled. "I would imagine so. Probably thought we would run screaming down the mountain, huh?"
This was most definitely not the reaction Flare expected. "You don't seem too troubled."
Abner shook his head, "No, actually I have been waiting my whole life for this day." If anything, his grin got bigger.
It took a moment for the words to sink in and for a moment Flare was sure that he had misheard. "What? What are you saying?"
Abner motioned in Sadah's general direction. "When I was younger than her, my master fell into a trance and he said something profound. He said that I would see the one who would one day restore the Dragon Order."
"And you're not bothered by that?"
Moving slowly, Abner walked over and sat down next to Sadah, his back to the small fire. "I was terrified, until that is, my master explained some things to me." He crossed his hands, setting them in his lap, "You see, not everyone believes the Church of Adel's story that you are the destroyer of the world."
Flare sheathed his sword and walked over to the fire, being careful to stay out of reach of Abner's staff. Sitting down on the far side of the fire, he regarded the other two as they turned around to face him. "You don't believe Kelcer's prophecy?" he asked. He had never met anyone before who hadn't believed in the prophecy. Some might believe that it was misrepresented, or misunderstood, but they still believed in the prophecy itself.
"We do believe in Kelcer, but we do not accept the Church's interpretation. We believe that it is a prophecy of a man with incredible power, a man who has two choices; be the savior of the world, or the destroyer of it."
Flare's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "I have never heard that interpretation before."
"Nor would you. In some places, you can be executed for suggesting such a thing. Not many people will risk it."
"But you do. Why?" Flare asked.
"I am a priest, but not of the Church of Adel," Abner stated quietly.
That sounded ominous. "Then whose priest are you?"
"I am a priest that recognizes and respects all the gods. Adel, Silverti, even Thal."
"You worship Thal?" Flare blurted out, half rising from his seated position. Thal was the god of the goblins, trolls, and those of that ilk. His worship usually consisted of bloody sacrifices and such.
Abner held his hands up in front of him, "I do not worship him, but I give him the respect that is his due."
"What respect is he due?" Flare demanded, his tone angry and loud. "It seems tinco me that everything that is evil in this world came from him."
"Then perhaps that is why the Father God created him."
Flare knelt there for a moment, trying to make sense of those words. He too believed that the gods they worshiped were made by a Father God. An older god who created the other gods to create life for the world, "Why would Thal be created to bring murder and mayhem into the world?"
Smiling, Abner leaned closer to the fire, the orange coals lighting up his face. "Why would an omnipotent god create a being such as Thal? If he is omnipotent then he has to know what Thal will do." Seeing the confusion on Flare's face, Abner sat back away from the fire. "I must apologize. I see that my words have bothered you."
Flare also sat back down but he didn't respond. The words made sense but they went against everything he had ever believed. He had always believed that the Father God had withdrawn in disgust at the way Thal had acted. What if that wasn't true? What is Thal had done the very things that he had been created to do?
"I'm impressed."
Abner's words intruded on Flare's thoughts and he raised his eyes from the fire to find Abner and Sadah watching him intently. "What?"
Abner leaned close, "I said that I am
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