The Chosen: Angelic Warrior

By Elizabeth McCraw

Aroneese thought his life on Earth would be peaceful and mundane. He knew he had to renounce his rank of Archangel to become a Guardian the day he met Rachael’s spirit in the chamber of souls. Years later, in one brief moment both of their worlds would be turned upside down by a prayer.
Rachael would have to leave Earth for the planet Junus to begin her training on her fifteenth birthday. Before Aroneese could truly ponder his conversation with God the arrival of Barius, one of the most powerful fallen angels, attacks Aroneese. This attack is an attempt to gain access to Rachael.
The demon Azrekie creates mischief in the McCloud home while desperately trying to keep well within the good graces of his master Barius.
Thousands of miles away Ray dreams of Barius and Aroneese in the heat of battle. Paula and Lucy are plagued with terrifyingly real dreams of a man, jet black wings with silver tips, and piercing blue eyes.
Pomathius, Nairobi, Chronus, and Hector, as Guardian Angels, find themselves thrust into a whirlwind of events and they do their best to protect the humans in their charge.
Oden broods over his existence and tries to find inner peace as he struggles to protect Lucy in China.
Ray thinks he’s losing his mind and does not confide in Lailah, his Guardian Angel, before it’s too late.
The watchers of time stand idly by as the chosen face unknown peril.
A traitor lurks in the darkness and a prophecy begins to unfold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elizabeth McCraw
• Release date: Jan 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465794291

Elizabeth McCraw

Elizabeth McCraw lives in the Atlanta Metropolitan area. She is the proud parent of one son, several tropical fish, and two rare parakeets. Becoming an author has been her dream since the tender age of eight years old.

Book preview

The Chosen:

Angelic Warrior

The Rachael Chronicles Book 1

By

Elizabeth McCraw

Smashwords Edition

*******************************

Published By

Elizabeth McCraw on Smashwords

The Chosen:

Angelic Warrior

The Rachael Chronicles Book 1

Copyright © 2012 by Elizabeth McCraw

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. This book is science fiction. It is not intended to be used as truth or for religious reference. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. This book is fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. References to original creatures or planets are the sole property of the author. If you are offended by any of the material, please stop reading it immediately. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

I love you Aaron

You are my inspiration

Special Thanks to:

Margaret Lee - for making me realize nothing was stopping me but me

Valencia Smith - for putting up with my constant over enthusiasm of writing, listening to me for hours on end, and giving her honest opinion

Elizabeth Rettig - for introducing me to Margaret, being a great sounding board, and encouraging me to edit faster

Deborah Boskett- for being a loving aunt who always listens, being my emotional cheer leader, making sure I knew she was proud of me every step of the way, and encouraging me to press on

My mom, Carol Ferguson - for showing me that I can do anything on my own and my future is what I make of it

And

God

I can’t possibly tell you all the things he has done or all the doors he has opened. I can tell you however that I would not be who I am without him.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Reminiscing

Rachael

Azrekie & His Master

I Can Hear You

The Accident

It’s Time

The Waiver

Paula

The Watcher

Lucy

The Blessing

The Change

The Link

The Obstacle Course

Black Outs

Ceremony

A Choice

The Battle

It Begins

The Order of Principalities

A New Beginning

Hector

The Prophecy Begins

Traitor

About the author

Prologue

He was tired but he could not sleep. He looked up at the night sky and starred at Mir’s three moons. Years ago he had taken his son to this same area to visit the hot springs. This entire plain used to be green and lush with trees and vegetation for miles. Now it was all gone. There was so much ash and soot in the atmosphere he could barely breathe. They all knew something had gone horribly wrong with the magic months ago. In the past only the bodies of the recently dead from the last battle would still be on the fields. The rest areas would be working and medics behind the lines would be busy at work. Only the barrier surrounding the battle field seemed to be unharmed. It held a total of nine miles of land inside of it. Each side used a mile to itself for built in eating areas, medic stations, sleeping or rest areas, and supplies. The spells to keep the air clean and signal the end of the fight for the day just didn’t work anymore.

Someone on their side had come up with new signal for the end of the days fighting that both sides now used. It was a blinding light spell directed at the sky. Even that simple spell was somehow affected. Instead of just seeing a blinding light darkness appeared in the middle of the spell. When he saw it for the first time the darkness reminded him of a tree with no branches. It wasn’t just dark. It was the complete absence of light.

He wasn’t sure but it may have been about three weeks ago when things really got bad. Time seemed to just pass and after the first year and a half of fighting he just stopped counting. The end of the day for fighting had been signaled. He was heading back into the safe zone near the rest areas. Their last medic assigned for this battle had rushed passed him. He was a black elf from the Fonan Tribe. He’d only met the elf once or twice and couldn’t seem to remember his name. It was Bren or Pren something like that.

He wasn’t sure what made him stop and turn but he did. He watched the elf bend down, placing his knees on the ground, and throw down his med kit beside him. The elf was wearing one of those long white shirts with the silver words medic in angelic rune language on the sides of his shirt that hung down just past his knees. The shirt had the traditional split near the under arms going almost up to the waist. It was partially flapped to the side showing more of the flowing white pants he wore and those silly flat white shoes. The Warrior he was about to treat was at least twice the elf’s size. The elf’s hair was unique for a Fonan in the fact that it was jet white, but he had it braided in a tribal fashion with various small long braids mixed with other thick braids. Silver bands were tied around two locks of hair that hung on his chest and one large pony tail like braid was tied with a silver band that flowed down his back.

The elf did not reach the angel in time. He was still breathing when he initially shifted his body but then suddenly the angel took his last breath and they both watched the spirit leave. He was still slightly rattled about what happened next. He’d been told how the other medics were lost but hadn’t truly thought about what he was told.

The elf turned the body back over and began to carry it towards the medical bay. It was just a few feet from where he was standing to cross the threshold. He understood that once the body was inside the medic would be able to incinerate it returning it to ash. Tomothian wasn’t sure what the medic was thinking. It could have been his training that kicked in without thought or it could have been disbelief of an attack so close to the safety zone. In the end it did not matter.

He remembered the scene so clearly. A mist formed down on the ground where the original body had lain. Within a few seconds the mist had taken on shape and form. He saw an elongated canine like face with long, sharp teeth protruding from the mouth. The head had no eyes. Blackness looked out towards them from empty sockets. A small muscular body formed with arms that were hanging down almost just past its knees. Its finger tips sported long talon like nails. Its feet were the shape of a large bird with three thick appendages showing three curved wicked looking nails.

He did not think to attack it at first because he could see right through it. It looked more like the spirit of a demon formed out of a mist than a demon itself. With lightning speed the mist like creature lunged out at the medic. Tomothian was shocked only when he realized the demon like thing could actually cause harm. It had grabbed at the medics arm as he dragged the angel. Its claws completely severed the medic’s right arm. The arm landed over by Tomothian’s feet and he sprang into action. The medic screamed in pain but did not let go of the body.

He rushed forward brandishing his sword. When he sliced through the mist he expected to feel some sort of impact. Instead the force of his swing pushed him off balance. The sword went right through the mist and the demon or whatever it was pushed ahead unaffected. By the time he whipped back around the demon had ripped out the medics throat and began to dissipate dissolving back into the ground. He knew it was over before he had completed the turn. How could he not know after hearing the screaming cut short?

Everyone on both sides had been told not to move the dead. The stories had been spread far and wide about magic gone wild. He had just assumed if these things could come out of the ground and kill both sides they could retaliate. No one had told him weapons didn’t work on these things and he had no idea what kind of magic would.

He was grateful that his sense of smell had stopped working since then. He knew the stench of rotting bodies all around him must be horrible. No one in the midst of battle on either side had any medics left at this point. If you were injured to badly to move you died in that same spot. Those demons formed of mist did not care who was moving a body they just killed you if it was moved. At least the buildings inside of the rest area were still accessible. Now they were crammed with warriors who were so injured they could no longer fight. So, tonight he’d dug himself a shallow hole in the ground as his bed while a few warriors went out on the field and tried to destroy as many bodies as possible with fire before going to sleep.

They could burn the bodies and it would get rid of the flesh but the bone would remain and so would the smell. The ash was irritating but it was much better than trying to fight in a blood and mud puddle or in the midst of bloody entrails so, warriors from both sides went out to burn the dead and no one attacked until it was time.

He wondered what his son was doing now. This war was winding down. Winning the battle on Mir hadn’t been as hard as he’d expected. The magic was the problem. He’d heard it happened when one of the medics was doing a spell over a wounded angel. He’d forgotten to do a spell of protection first to keep himself and his patient from harm as the battle raged around them. A demon attacked him in the middle of his healing spell casting one of his own. Both spells merged somehow, and the ripple effect created a rift that had hit the planets core.

In truth he really should have retreated back to the rest area days ago. He had shattered most of the bones in his right wing and broken his left wrist. He had several cuts and bruises on his right leg that were now infected due to lack of medical attention. He just couldn’t see sitting out on the last day of fighting no matter what shape he was in.

He needed to be honest with himself. It wasn’t the noise of the battle or the condition he was in keeping him awake during his rest periods. It was the fact that his son was so unhappy. Being a warrior for God was an honor and a privilege. He couldn’t imagine any other type of life for himself. He knew his son would be a great warrior but his heart wasn’t in it. For years he struggled with the idea of allowing his son to become a guardian. Guardians only looked after humans on Earth. In general they stayed with one human soul as it went through its journey and then eventually found its place in the heavens or was reborn as another angel. At that point the guardian would be reassigned to a new soul. It was rare for guardians to achieve the status to become warriors better known as arch angels.

But Aroneese wanted to do something that was practically unheard of. He wanted to give up his warrior status to become a guardian. It was not as if he was given the task by God. It was purely personal. Giving his status and his ranking up for one human soul without regard to his future baffled him.

The final straw was his talk to God about the soul. The soul needed Aroneese and they were meant to be together. Once he found that out it wasn’t hard to make the decision to release his son from his bonds of status and training.

‘I guess this is just me coming to grips with what must be done. I will release him once I get back from the battle tomorrow and wish him well. Besides, this soul he has picked has a destiny. She will become something that has not been seen in centuries.’

He rolled over on his left side trying to shield his right wing and eventually fell into a light slumber. His son would end up one day fighting in battles that were more important than the one he fought now. He’d have to warn him about his new path and make sure he understood what he was choosing.

Nothing was as simple as it seemed.

Chapter 1: Reminiscing

The audio communication link from his demon opened. He could feel its anxiety and excitement. He walked across his bed chamber and tucked his black wings in securely then sat down in his favorite chair by the fire. After a few seconds his temper flared. He’d expected Azrekie to be giving a report and instead he heard only silence. He called out his name.

Azrekie

Azrekie replied,

Yes, master

Azrekie practically lost his hold on the ceiling when he heard Barius’ voice. His black slanted eyes blinked quickly as he peered into the hallway for a moment. He knew he was supposed to be reporting in but he had nothing to report. If he didn’t do something soon he knew his master would punish him. He pressed his hairless, shriveled, brown body against the ceiling and hoped his gamble would at least distract the master for a while.

Azrekie whispered,

Show

He stretched his hands out in front of him. A small black cube came from his hands and unfolded itself in the air.

Barius said,

Have you found what I’m looking for?

Azrekie replied,

Master, I am unsure. This soul is very bright and it gets brighter every day.

Barius flipped a lock of his platinum blond hair out of his face. He picked up a slice of apple from the tray between both of the chairs that sat in front of his fireplace and began to nibble on it. He sighed and said,

I am growing restless. Keep looking

Azrekie gulped and said,

Yes, master

Azrekie began to sweat. He’d better come up with something soon or else master would destroy him, grind his bones to dust, and send his soul back to the depths of hell. That was bad very bad. He kept the channel open just in case he needed help. He’d just used Rosa, his human meat sack, to cut a wire in the hot tub.

He made sure it was hidden near the steps right next to a water jet. If that didn’t kill Max the powder he had Rosa buy on the black market would finish the job. Heavy demonic compulsion on a human was taxing and made them sleepy so he had to leave his meat sack behind and use his legs to walk. So much activity in one day could put him in peril if he wasn’t careful.

Earlier he had scurried up the wall and walked across the ceiling. He crouched down low to keep from being detected when he got close to the bedroom door.

Azrekie thought,

‘I have to be quiet. If I get caught by Aroneese he’ll hurt me. Stupid angel shouldn’t even be a guardian.’

There was movement in the room. He cautiously peeked through the door frame.

He thought,

‘If I push it open any wider he’s gonna notice. What to do…what to do….uhhhhhhh.’

Azrekie asked,

Master, do you want me to attack him?

Barius stopped chewing and looked over at the video link floating in the air to his left. He stretched it open a little wider and saw the image of a tall guardian standing in the middle of a large room with his back turned to them. The room looked like it belonged to a little girl. He could see pink and white curtains, and a large four poster bed to the right. The guardian had the traditional white wings with navy tips. He looked a little closer and could barely make out his olive complexion and that black lock of curly hair. With a start of recognition he knew who he was gazing at, it had to be Aroneese.

Barius thought,

‘What is Azrekie doing messing with Aroneese? That fool!’

Barius said,

Leave that to me. Weave a small spell to keep him distracted and keep out of sight.

Azrekie carefully reached out and touched the door frame. Aroneese turned towards the window. Azrekie was shaking so hard he had to pee. This was the guardian that scared him the most out of anyone of them on Earth. Ever so softly he whispered,

Remember

His hands drew symbols in the air. He was careful to make it light and non-threatening energy. Still crouching low on the ceiling he backed away from the doorway as he watched the symbols wrap themselves around the guardian’s eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw it taking affect. There was nothing demonic about the spell so he’d figured it would work.

He crept back up to the door and pressed his full hand against it and slid it open, ever so quietly, pushing the door knob all the way up to the wall. Just before it could touch the wall he made sure it came to a stop.

Azrekie thought,

‘That crappy spell could break at any time. If he hears too much noise he’ll catch me’

He knew the girl couldn’t see him but she could see that angel for some reason. It was weird, but he didn’t know if it was weird enough to be worth his master’s while.

Azrekie said,

Master

Barius asked,

What is it?

He winced at his master’s tone but pressed on and whispered,

Zoom

He stretched his hands out in front of him once more. He used his fingers and pressed the small black cube open further from both sides.

Now Barius was truly irritated. He realized this ploy must have been to get him to look at the girl. She was just a child.

Barius said,

How many times do I have to tell you that I’m looking for a grown female human?

Azrekie flinched again but pushed a little harder in hopes that his scheme would work. So he said,

I know master but, the Watcher never stated what age she would be when you find her. Please master just look at her for a while.

Barius sighed and took a moment to look at the girl’s small praying form.

Ok, granted she does have a bright soul. It is slightly brighter than it should be. Tell me about her.

At that moment Azrekie knew he was saved and he relaxed a bit. This would buy him time. Then he said,

She can see her guardian. She follows him with her eyes. That’s been going on since they brought her home from the hospital a few years ago. For the last few days her soul has been getting a little brighter. I don’t know why.

Barius rubbed his chin. A human seeing her guardian was truly unusual. Maybe he should check this out?

Barius said,

I’ll think about it. I’m not sure I want to be bothered with my cousin. He’s

Just then a blinding light burst from the little girl’s soul and surrounded her. It was so bright Azrekie had to close the view cube and push himself out of the way. It burnt his skin and left blisters on his face, arms, and hands. The pain was so intense he had to keep from screaming and clamped his mouth shut tightly for a few seconds.

Barius was floored by the light. He was speechless for a moment and watched the view cube close. He grabbed his cloak and sword then yelled out through the audio link.

I’m coming now!

Azrekie just barely got out of the room in time to stay conscious. He could barely keep hold of his grip on the ceiling but he knew if he fell the noise would break his small spell and Aroneese would turn around. His skin had turned black in some areas and he was bleeding.

Help me master, it hurts

Barius threw a healing spell through the link. The blisters and burns disappeared. Azrekie’s breathing slowed down and he relaxed.

That will be all minion. Get out of there. If you get hit again I won’t help

Azrekie nodded his head and wiped the sweat off his brow.

You are a gracious master

The connection was severed. Light still streamed in the hallway.

He clung to the ceiling and crept down the hallway; away from the light. The light pouring out of the bedroom door began to fade. He badly wanted to stay and watch his master slice up the guardian.

He couldn’t wait until he was gone. Just as he started to come down the wall off the ceiling he heard the chime from the elevator door. The doors parted and, the McCloud’s maid, Rosa stepped out. He silently ran towards her.

Azrekie’s ten inch claws wrapped around her neck as he scrambled up on her back. His dark eyes glistened and his cracked lips parted with a smile. He pressed his legs into the black hole in the middle of her back. He grunted with pleasure as he wiggled down into her body and wrapped himself around her soul.

---

She shivered and hugged herself in the dark. She turned towards the control panel in the wall to check the temperature.

Rosa thought,

‘How odd, its only 74 degrees. The house is normally around 69. I wonder why I feel so cold all of the sudden.’

Rosa typed in a few commands into the panel to complete her chores for the night and shivered. Then she thought,

‘Sometimes I’d swear someone had walked right over me’

She shrugged her shoulders and hit the button for the ninth floor. She felt a slight pang in her heart but ignored it.

---

Azrekie pressed his curved nails into the pulsing soul. The energy fluttered struggling against his grip. He punched through the core and laughed as it weakly attempted to fight back. He just loved it when they tried to resist.

---

Aroneese crouched over the bed as he watched Rachael snuggled under the covers praying. The rain pounded against the bedroom window. He crossed the room and looked outside, then shook his head, unsure of what he should see in torrential rain twelve floors up. He began to contemplate how he came to be here. The outside world looked like a blur of night and shapes in the distance. The muscles in his stomach began to tighten, but he could not discern where the danger was coming from. He could barely make out the grass and trees, but something felt wrong.

In the distance he could hear thunder. The hurricane force winds whipped up the rain in a frenzy making the building slightly sway. Everyone was holed up in their homes tonight. In the midst of Midtown Atlanta, Georgia life had come to a standstill. The flash of lightning illuminated the night and for just a moment his thoughts drifted back to Mir, the planet where he was born. A memory of him and his father on the way to the market as a child drifted into his mind.

---

Papa, why do some angels have black wings?

He was holding his father’s hand. The cobblestone streets were busy as usual. Several angels walked past or flew above their heads as they went on about their daily lives and picked up goods at the different stores. He looked up at his father and wondered if he would ever be that tall.

They have strayed and fallen from the light of God. Quite a long time ago there was an uprising by an arch angel named Lucifer. He was tired of protecting and helping one of the Lord’s creations named humans.

Aroneese frowned he had heard about humans in school but didn’t know a whole lot about them.

I don’t understand. We protect elves and dwarves. What is so different about humans?

Tomothian smiled down at his son. His large dark brown hand completely covered his sons light olive colored one. Children were precious and so innocent. His son still looked at the world with a sense of adventure and wonder. He hoped that he would never lose that. He replied,

"Humans are forgiven regardless of their sins. Unlike any other race they enjoy a special type of protection. A single act not long after their creation changed their ability to be in the presence of God. Normally, they do not enjoy face to face meetings with our blessed creator until they return to the chamber of souls and reach enlightenment.

Only on rare occasions God comes in physical contact with human beings. We truly understand sin, and we know God. If we were to commit some of the types of sins humans commit every day we would fall from grace never able to return.

In death our spirits would be cast down into purgatory. It is said; fallen angels remain trapped in the lower levels of Hades until they concede to become human."

---

Aroneese grinned at himself.

‘Am I finally homesick? Things are just so different here.’

---

The planet Mir was the ancient land of angels. Its rolling hills and vast plains were beautiful beyond measure. His home was far into the mountains. It was the land where dragons came to bear their young.

He had fond memories of the marketplace in his home town of Mesh. Elves and Dwarves came to Mesh in large ships. They had yet to learn the ways of bending time and shifting. Elfin ships took an entire week to travel from one solar system to another. Nothing could compare to closing your eyes concentrating, sliding down the blue nexus, and then appearing in the world of your choice in seconds.

He remembered his father Tomothian’s teachings and the day he first took him to town to see the elfin ships.

His father’s image popped up in his mind. He was six foot four. He had a stocky frame and muscular build. His dark brown skin and bald head used to glisten in the sun. His voice was deep and strong and used to make him feel like the world stood in awe of his presence. His father had said,

See those big vessels over there?

He’d looked past the crowd but still couldn’t see. His father picked him up and placed his bare feet on top of a cart waiting to be shipped. He fluttered his wings to balance himself and looked up at four huge floating ships. They were all made out of some sort of wood. Each one was painted with a different mural on its side depicting a family crest and its colors. The one closest to them had a carving of a man kneeling down pointing a bow and arrow on its bow.

What are they? They’ve massive!

Tomothian laughed and looked up at the light lavender shy and its distant sun for a moment. He breathed in the fresh air and watched his son gleefully pointing at the different parts of the ship.

They are big and beautiful ships but also very slow.

Aroneese could see dark skinned thin creatures walking down the ramps. He pointed one out to his father.

What are they?

Tomothian patted him on the shoulder for reassurance and replied,

They are elves. See the pointy ears?

Aroneese shook his head

Yeah

Then he looked a little closer. Shock slowly coursed through his system as he realized what was wrong with them. He knew they were different immediately and something was missing. He turned to his father and said,

Where are their wings?

Tomothian laughed again and said,

They don’t have any?

Aroneese shook his head and lightly scratched the side of his face. He looked once more at the ship then at his father and said,

That’s just weird.

Tomothian grinned picking his son back up and placing him back on the ground next to him. He thought a moment and then said,

They are a complicated, imaginative, and caring people. They have free will. Much like the humans and dwarves you are learning about in school now.

Aroneese looked puzzled and said,

Why did God make so many species?

Tomothian laughed and put his arm around his son’s shoulders.

God loves diversity. You must look for the good in every species no matter how different they are. Each species is created by God’s hand and will always be a part of the greater design.

Not long after that day his father was called to go to battle. He dreaded his departure but the battle only lasted a year. He was shocked to find that some of the species he’d learned about in school had broken away from God’s grace and joined with the outcasts. It was a small amount of each group and everyone at school talked about it in the hallways.

After the battle of Kor, his father went up to the heavens to see God and took him through a hallway, passing the chamber of souls. There were so many souls waiting to be born and many of them were slotted to go off to different worlds.

He walked through the hall a few feet behind his father. His shoes made a clacking noise against the marble floors. He felt something reach out to him. His heart started beating faster. It was as if the softest sweetest kiss touched his cheek.

As he turned towards the threshold a deep yearning burned within his soul. His stomach started to flutter and he began to run. A single soul was separated from the rest. It reached out to him and he reached back. His heart leapt for joy as the golden light sprouted arms.

Just before they could touch, his father yanked him back. The soul slammed into the threshold desperately trying to follow. He felt as if his heart had been ripped from his body. His father dragged him further down the hallway.

Tomothian starred down at his son. He was shaken by what almost happened. He said,

This is no place for warriors. Only guardians are allowed beyond the threshold. I did not bring you here to merge with some human soul and waste your life on becoming a lowly guardian. What were you thinking?

Tears ran down Aroneese’s face and his body began to shake uncontrollably. He was just as tall as his father now so he tried to square his shoulders and wipe away the tears quickly. He took a moment and cleared his throat. His voice sounded surprisingly calm in his ears as he replied,

I didn’t mean any harm father. I just wanted to touch it.

Tomothian began to pace back and forth. He shook his head. His initial feeling of panic had turned to anger. He shouted,

"Fool boy! That is how guardians are made. Only Guardian Angels are allowed beyond the threshold. You were born to be an Arch Angel to battle for the glory of God and that is what you will be.

Guardians are the lowest rank. They have little to no warrior training. Their entire lives are wrapped up in the protection of humans. There would be no glorious battles or strategies, no traveling between dimensions to safeguard planets against demonic attack, and no audiences with God. That soul came directly out of the channel heading for Earth."

Aroneese wiped his face dry on his sleeve, stuck out his chest, and tried to look grown up and determined. He said,

Then, Earth is where I will go.

His father stopped pacing and looked him in the eye. His wings hand expanded and fluttered. Then he slowly pulled them back in and they tucked neatly behind him closing. Tomothian’s tone changed sending shivers down Aroneese’s spine. He said,

The only angels currently working Earth are Guardians. Every once in a while an Arch Angel has to go in to send a message. Earth is protected by the faith barrier created by the human population and it’s strictly enforced.

Aroneese tried to rationalize his thoughts but nothing he could say made any sense to him at all. The feeling of yearning returned so strong it practically hit him in the stomach. In that moment he realized there was nothing he could say that would sound rational. But he had to let his father know how he felt. So he said,

That won’t stop me. I have to be with her. That soul is special father. I need to protect it and love it. I know it needs me.

Those words made Tomothian’s heart skip a beat.

‘It can’t be true. Not my son.’

His mind raced and he stopped to take hold of his own emotions. So he said