come to tell you what God wills for you to do.”
“Oh?”
Talya was surprised to hear that God had been giving her any thought at all.
“You are not to march with Sanctus into battle,” said Uittan.
Chapter Nine
Talya blinked. She stared at Uittan, willing him to say something contrary to what she thought she had just heard.
“God has a more important task for you to accomplish,” he said.
“What could possibly be more important than fighting for my country?”
“Your pride and selfishness are blurring your true purpose.”
Talya took a deep breath. She did not want to say anything disrespectful to the prophet, but she could not believe what she was hearing.
Me, of all people, not fighting in the most important war to date? The prophet has it all wrong.
“I know that this is hard for you to accept, but this is God’s will.”
“How do you know?”
The prophet was silent for a moment as he stared at her intently. She thought that she saw fire in the pupils of his eyes.
He stood.
“Talya, you hold unforgiveness and hatred in your heart against many. You love violence – the very thing that you know the Lord hates. This is your chance to stop serving yourself and to follow the God that you claim to serve! Be careful, for God knows what is in your heart, and He is not pleased.”
Talya just stared at him. Deep down, she knew that it was true, but she wanted nothing more than to experience the glory of shedding her enemies’ blood. She deserved to avenge her mother’s death and to show Jalarn who was the better fighter.
Would God never forgive her if she chose to fight in battle? Was it worth it to take such a chance? Eternity didn’t matter too much to her now, but it would eventually.
Talya stood and crossed her arms.
“Why me?” she asked. “There are others here who share my thoughts on Malinorians, who want to see the earth soaked with their blood.”
The prophet stood.
“The choice is yours. Receive recognition from men or from God.”
“This is not about recognition.”
“Not entirely, perhaps.”
“Why was I given the ability to sword fight if God never wanted me to use it?” asked Talya.
“God has a purpose for everything. It is not for us to question what He wants for us.”
“Why wouldn’t He tell me this? Why go through you?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
Talya shrugged. He was right, of course. But the spiritual lesson couldn’t have arrived at a worse time.
“Must I tell you that He has also shown me the nightmare that has been troubling you for days?”
Talya’s eyes widened. He couldn’t know about that.
“The Lord has told me of your dream involving a young lad who agreed to do certain atrocities in order to feed his mother.”
“How…”
“The Lord wants me to tell you that it was not a dream, but a vision of what has occurred.”
So that is why it seemed so real.
Talya shuddered. She wondered what had become of the lad.
“Is there still hope for the boy?” she asked.
“There is always hope.”
“But he’s a Malinorian.”
Uittan smiled.
“Yes, he is. Hmm. I thought you hated Malinorians.”
“Well, I would never hate a child. He’s not a monster yet.”
“Even monsters need a savior.”
Talya exhaled. She knew where this was going. Prophets and pastors naturally viewed lost souls in a more nurturing sort of way.
“I understand what the Scriptures say about sinners, but—”
“Are you saying that it is okay to make exceptions to the Word of God?”
“Of course not.”
“What are you saying, then?”
“I don’t know, I guess.”
Talya bit her lip. She had never felt so exposed before. Everything that Uittan said was true, but the Malinorians killed her mother – an innocent civilian and a loving parent. She couldn’t shake the desire to avenge her death.
“Did you tell your father about Waltez?” Uittan asked.
Talya gasped. God really had been watching her all that time.
Her father and Waltez had been friends once, before the empire had been formed. But things changed. Waltez became a murderer. Her mother had died a brutal death.
“I am not sorry for what I did. He was an enemy. The general should have never allowed him to leave alive,” said Talya.
“Even enemies can show respect. You were not in the middle of a battlefield when you murdered him.”
“But he was a murderous animal!”
“The same could be said about you.”
Talya felt her face grow hot.
“I would never slay an innocent man.”
They stared at one another for a moment. Talya had never felt like a worse person than she