"Leviathan!! Behemoth!! Where do you think you're going? You can't follow her? She's on her own journey and I called you on this one."
"Zeke, they look just like dogs who were just told they couldn't go outside. They got their tail tucked between their legs, ears flopped over, and the saddest eyes you ever saw."
"You two sit and stay right here while we figure out what to do next."
"Hopper, are you sure about this? You heard what your sister said."
"Yes, I did. She gave us her blessing to kill Adalyn and the sooner the better she said. Zeke, what clue are we on?"
"Ohh..umm...Must've misplaced the paper somewhere. It's not on me anymore and I'm feeling everywhere."
"Well we gave the bottle too...huuu...what if Mr. Doubter doesn't place the bottle? He's not called Doubter for no reason. We need to reassure him that what he is doing is for the greater good."
"Hopper, wait. I said hold up!! Nobody is going to dictate and control Mr. Doubter's actions. If he places the bottle or not; we still have to continue. She may not be as weak if he backs out, but she won't be dead either."
"Phew. Ok. What's your plan?"
"We need to find the rest of the pieces of fire and then the stake that goes with it."
"Ahhh, Shadow."
"What?"
"You find the rest of the pieces and I'll find the stake."
"Huh! What, do you not trust me anymore even after all we've been through. Don't tell me your sister whispered something in your air and gave you a change of heart."
"Well...it's funny you mention that."
"You don't have to say anything further. I understand completely."
"You do?"
"Yes, and if I were in your shoes I might do the same thing."
"What do we do know?"
"Aaron may be gone and he may not have been worthy enough to be a Hopegiver but that doesn't mean he didn't leave behind a legacy that we should follow."
"Your point is?"
"We praise!!"
"Praise? Sixth Star just rebuked us to our face; said we weren't doing right, and that God should punish us for our sins because we're the real enemy."
"Yes, but then she defeated our oppressor, saved us and then gave us her blessing that we are in the right."
"I don't see anything right about this?"
"Shadow, what are you saying? You were the one that turned her."
"I know. Lord, you are my God."
"Shadow, stop! Dragon is listening."
"I don't care. I can't believe I was so blinded before. I will exalt and praise Your name. For in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things. Things planned long ago, You have fulfilled. You have made the city a heap of rubble; the fortified town a ruin, and the foreigners stronghold a city no more. It will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong people will honor You and cities of ruthless nations will revere You."
"Shadow, he's flying away!! We could've used him."
"You have been a refuge for the poor and a refuge for the needy in their distress. You have been a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners. As heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled."
"Please continue. I want to hear how it ends."
"Hopper, this next part is all you."
"Okay. On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all people. He will prepare a banquet of aged wine; the best of meats and the finest of wines. One this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all people and the sheet that covers all nations."
"He will swallow up death forever and the Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. He will remove His people's disgrace from all earth for the Lord has spoken."
"In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God. We trusted in Him and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.'"
"The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure. They will stretch out their hands in it as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim."
"God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands. He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low. He will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust. Isaiah 25."
"Hey, where are you two going? We need to stick together to find the fuel."
"We know what the fuel is?"
"Got you. What are you talking about?"
"ISAIAH 44:6-23, 'This is what the Lord says, (Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and the last. Apart from Me, there is no God. Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it! Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people; and what is yet to come. Yes, let them tell me what will come. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides Me? No, there is no other Rock. I know not one. All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They are ignorant to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol which can profit nothing? People who do that will be put to shame. Such craftsmen are only human beings. Let them all come together and take their stand. They will be brought down to terror and shame.
The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals. He shapes an idol with hammers and forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker. He roughs it out with chisels and marks it with his compasses. He shapes it in human form; human form in all its glory that it may dwell in a shrine. He cut down cedars or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine and the rain made it grow. It is used as fuel for burning and some of it he takes to warm himself. With some more he kindles a fire and bakes bread. With the rest he also fashions a god and worships it. He makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire and over it he prepares his meal. He roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says, 'ah, I am warm. I see the fire.'
From the rest he makes a god; his idol!!! He bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, 'Save me! You are my god!!"
They know nothing and they understand nothing. Their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see and their minds are closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think; no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, 'Half of it I used for fuel. I even baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?'
Such a person feeds on ashes. A deluded heart misleads him. He cannot save himself or say, 'Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?'
Remember these things, Jacob; for you, Israel, are My servant. I have made you. You are My servant. Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you. Sing for joy, you heavens; for the Lord has done this. Shout aloud, you earth below. Burst into song you mountains, you forests, and all your trees; for the Lord has redeemed Jacob. He displays His glory in Israel.
"Here!! Catch the Fuel."
"Wait, where are you going? Don't leave me here alone!!
"Zeke, why are you following me? Where I go; I go alone."
"Where you go...I have to go with you. Please."
"I...okay. Try to keep up."
"Behemoth, where are they going? Come on ol chap. We need to follow them before they cause too much danger....to themselves."
"Shadow, wait. What if they don't accept us? Remember last time? You didn't exactly make the best of entrances."
"That is why you are here to help me."
"What made you change?"
"She saw into my soul, Zeke. She saw into my soul!! I heard the whole thing while she was talking to Hopper."
"What did she say?"
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that what she said was never revealed to anyone. There is only one Man who could've known about my deepest depths."
"Shadow, she did come from the deepest depths so it could've been her and not who you are thinking of."
"Zeke, that is not possible."
"Why not? It's so logical and makes sense. You were tugged at the deepest depths of your heart and she just came from the deepest depths of the earth where souls live; so she probably just talked to one of them and they confessed who you were."
"Zeke, I don't know; but what I do know is that whenever someone tells something to you whether directly or indirectly and you feel the Holy Spirit convict you...then that means there is a problem that needs to be fixed asap. Please; I can't go in there alone."
"I'm not backing out. She tugged at my heart strings just as hard as she tugged on yours. When she talked about not judging someone else just because you see them as sin when you yourself have no right to judge in the first place because the enemy is not out there...it's within."
"I…you're…that is not what she said."
"I know. I just paraphrased the best I could. The point is that we..no..I judged Adalyn for being without spirit even though you clearly saw how I acted throughout this whole journey. I could barely keep myself together and I'm surprised you all didn't flog me more for how un…no; how unfit I am for this journey. She is more qualified than I am. I was just so mad and angry at God that I took it out on other people to make them feel bad, hoping that my sins would look less guilty than theirs. I did it to Leo, I did it to Adalyn….and I did it to myself. No more. You ready Shadow?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"I'll take that as a yes. Let's go."