In the Land of No Kingdom There

By Jean Vaughn

In the Land of No Kingdom There is based on the great eschatological poem in the book of Isaiah, Chapters 34 and 35, which portrays the end-times war between good and evil. The Kingdom of Cyun has lost the Vessel of Their Lords Presence because of their sins, and only ones without sin can cross the ominous Land of No Kingdom There to retrieve it. Only two can be found worthyJoshua, age twelve, and Sophia, age thirteen.

Joshua is named after Joshua the high priest in the book of Zachariah, who bears the same name as JesusYeshua in Hebrewand is called the Branch. Sophia is named for Lady Wisdom in training. Together these two young people accept the daunting journey of crossing this dangerous land to reach the far mountain of God and to bring back the Vessel of Their Lords Presence before Cyun is invaded by Darkon the Dragon and his hordes.

On their trek Sophia and Joshua encounter the defeated inhabitants who have no hope and a perilous abode, with dangerous animals and plants, scarce food and water, and the Serpent himself. But this brave duo is also helped by unexpected encounters with visitors to this realm and is able at last to complete their mission!

Dragons do stir the imagination. This story brings to mind the biblical references to dragons and other images as the reader enjoys an exciting allegorical tale that parallels prophecy in Scripture. It is an adventure that hooks the reader on what comes next. I recommend it as an exciting read about perilous times that end with victory.

- Rev. Bob Frank-Plumlee, MDiv, retired minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490815251

Jean Vaughn

Jean Vaughn is a retired educator and licensed minister with the Christian Church in Kansas (Disciples of Christ). She and her husband, Eldon, live in Chanute, Kansas, and have two married daughters, Candace and Linda, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2014 Jean Vaughn.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-1524-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1523-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1525-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013921018

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/14/2014

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CONTENTS

Prologue

I.      Doomed

II.      Thorns And Thistles

III.      Haunts And Abodes

IV.      Hyenas And Satyrs

V.      The Night Hag

VI.      Owls And Kites

VII.      Instructions

VIII.      Captured

IX.      Escape

X.      Paradise Found

XI.      The Highway

XII.      Homecoming

Epilogue

For Eldon I and Eldon II, dragon slayers extraordinaire.

For all of you who read this manuscript and gave comments

and helpful suggestions, I appreciate you:

Julie Akins

Linda Arnett

Candace Eck

Debi Lorenz

Randy Parkins

Bob Frank-Plumlee

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PREFACE

T he great eschatological poem found in chapters thirty-three and thirty-four of the Book of Isaiah uses mythological imagery to portray the Last Judgment between good and evil on a colossal scale. As I read it, I could imagine trying to make this journey as a neophyte Christian and realized how ominous the journey could be. If I wrote this story, who would be the characters? Obviously it would have to be someone who was young and worthy. Who better than young Joshua who would grow up to be the high priest in the Book of Zechariah, and whose name means Branch, much as Jesus is a Branch on the family tree of David? Also, Joshua bears the same name in Hebrew as Jesus – Yeshua. Joshua would need a companion to share the journey, preferably a female. A young Sophia, Lady Wisdom of God, would be a perfect companion for Joshua while they are both still in training. The Epilogue contain texts from the Books of Proverbs and Zechariah in regard to Joshua and S ophia.

Together these two who are the only ones in the Country of Cyun (Zion) who are worthy to trek across the ominous Land of No Kingdom There to return the Vessel of their Lord’s Presence (Ark of the Covenant) that had been withdrawn from them because they no longer follow the Golden Rule, which is written in a negative sense as it originally was in ancient days.

While the reader will already know the ultimate outcome between good and evil, I hope you will enjoy the perilous journey taken by Sophia and Joshua as portrayed in Isaiah’s poem.

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PROLOGUE

"Night and day it shall not be quenched;

its smoke shall go up forever.

From generation to generation it shall lie waste;

no one shall pass through it for ever and ever.

But the hawk and the hedgehog shall posses it;

The owl and the raven shall live in it.

He shall stretch the line of confusion over it,

and the plummet of chaos over its nobles.

They shall name it No Kingdom There,

And all its princes shall be nothing."

The Book of Isaiah 34:10-12

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DOOMED

Draw near, O nations to hear and harken, O peoples! Let the earth listen, and all that fills it; the world and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host. He has doomed them, has given them over for slaughter.

Isaiah 34:1-2

T he Dragon is at the Gate!

The king of Cyun widened his eyes in surprise when he heard this declaration from his General of the Army who stood at attention before him. It was a full two heartbeats before he could whisper, The Dragon? In another heartbeat he vaulted from his throne and bellowed, Then we are doomed! The king knew the Gate the General meant. It was the long narrow passage through the mountains that made up the country’s southern and eastern boarders and his old enemy, Darkon the Dragon, was gathering his army in preparation for an invasion of Cyun. Every spring this war lord invaded some country and carried off their wealth and many of their people into slavery.

We are doomed if we cannot hold Darkon at the Gate, the General agreed as he walked up and down before the King. He was a handsome figure of a man and looked like a general ought to look. His plumed hat of blue feathers was in his hand. A flowing white shirt was pleated in to baggy trousers and both were secured by a bright blue cummerbund. His trousers were tucked into maroon Moroccan boots of soft leather. A curved shining sword hung at his waist. He had served in the army since he was a young man and was proud of his advancement even if he had not been called to go off to war himself by his king who abhorred war and loved good times. Maybe this time, he mused. After all, a general must do more than just defend. Even in his youth he had dreamed of great victories as he had played war with his friends, and they always won!

Because the Gate is narrow, we are able to hold him firm for a few weeks, forty days at the most, warned the General. But I need your permission to muster all our troops, even those who are on leave, to defend our country. Darkon has no mercy. He slaughters women and children as well as men. He has even been known to kill all the animals. Darkon’s Horde is literally breathing his dragon fire down our necks.

Hearing these fearful words, Abner quickly signed the orders that his five-star commander thrust before him. Then, as soon as his caller left, King Abner pulled the silk cord that would call his servant Grasshopper. While he waited mulling over the news his general had just brought him, he remembered a dream he had had early this morning just before dawn. He had been a child again running through the meadow. His father Ethan held one of his hands and his mother Eunice held the other. When they came to a low place his parents swung him over its height up into the air and they all three sang out, Whee-ee. Abner had laughed a little boy giggle. When they set him upon the ground and released his hands, he was nose to nose with a beautiful butterfly that seemed to glow. He reached out to touch it and a gruff voice called out, No, no! The child Abner withdrew his hand, and as the butterfly flew away it turned into a flying dragon with red and silver scales. The dragon turned and hovered in front of him on wings that seemed too small to support its weight.

I’ll get you yet! the dragon had hissed at him. The he had awoken with a start that made him sit straight up in his royal bed. When he saw the red and silver duvet that covered him he fearfully had thrown the cover onto the floor, and then tiptoed around it as if it might attack him at any moment.

As he waited for Grasshopper to answer his call he contemplated his dream. He had been so happy with his father and mother, lighthearted and singing. Then he had been deceived by the beautiful butterfly of golden light. It had really been a dragon flying on pitiful wings. And what had it said to him that startled him? He tried to remember but couldn’t seem to bring it to mind. He thanked the Lord above that he had never had to go to war. His people were peace loving and kind and only wanted to enjoy life. He had been chosen king because he enjoyed the same things as his people, and he had spent his time seeing that their wishes had been fulfilled. And he had always been aware of the fact that he served as their king only as long as he had because he spent his time making them happy. They had never liked a king who made them worship a god who required anything of them and instead worshipped pagan gods who let them have a good time. And Abner knew he reigned only because he made his people happy.

A sharp rap on the door frightened him so much that he almost jumped out of his skin. Suddenly he was cold and grabbed a cloak to throw over his shoulders. Come, he called out and Grasshopper stood trembling as he opened the door. He knew his master had stayed up late partying the night before and might be in a foul mood from indigestion and bad dreams.

The King turned and walked back to his throne demanding, Stop hopping around like the grasshopper you are and call my Temple Knights.

With trembling lips the scrawny little man, who looked like he was all elbows and knees, spoke up, You, uh, your knights are here now just outside the door. They are talking about the dragon. Grasshopper shivered at the thought. Darkon had a reputation of showing no mercy as he plundered across the world from the far eastern parts of the world with the largest and the wickedest army that had ever been known.

Ah, yes, confirmed Abner, trying to get his thoughts together. The dream wandered back into his mind and he asked, Is the dragon red and silver?

Grasshopper didn’t answer for he knew nothing about his master’s dream. They are talking about the warrior king called Darkon the Dragon, he added and shivered even as he said the name.

The King sat and began to play with his fine red beard. Finally he spoke, I remember as a child that my parents would tell me I must be good or Darkon the Dragon would get me in the dark. It was then that Abner remembered that in his dream the dragon had said, I will get you yet!

Send my knights in, Grasshopper, he said, determined not to let that happen. They are just the ones I want to see.

King Abner adjusted the robe that he had pulled askew, tightened his girdle around his waist and looked menacingly into the fourteen eyes that lined up before him, a pair at a time, and hissed, We are doomed, you hear! You promised me that as long as we kept safe the Vessel of Our Lord’s Presence we would not be attacked by the Dragon and his Hordes.

The Seven Knights of The Temple in their little brown robes, who really looked more like the half-men they were than like the fighting men their titles suggested, fell to their knees and touched their foreheads to the cold granite floor of King Abner’s throne room. After all, the monarch had the authority to cut off their heads if he so desired, as former kings had done to their knights, or so they had been told by Abner. Though Abner had never even had anyone’s hand slapped they knew he was upset, and one must always keep a king happy.