The Oracles of the Kingdom Collection 2: (Books 3–6)

By Bruce S. Harner Jr.

This book is a collection of stories from the Realm during the second age. It is a world that is controlled by wicked dragons who are, in turn, controlled by a master of dragons. Most of the people of the lands have forgotten the true ruler, the Great High King and his Son of the realm who lives in the Kingdom. Join in the adventures of the realms heroes who venture to seek the Kingdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973646211

Bruce S. Harner Jr.

This is Bruce’s first feature published book. Bruce lives in Halifax Pa with his wife and snack attack cat. Before he started writing books, he has written/produced/directed several films for New Harvest Productions. Bruce enjoys writing and filming stories that are enjoyable and invoke imagination. He has been writing since he was fifteen years old that helped him cope with his issues as a young adult. Bruce also enjoys spending time and exploring the world with his grandkids.

Book preview

Oracle 3

Faith

Sleeper awake!

Your soul needs to breathe!

-Excerpt from a burial poem

Epoch 1

Red at Twilight

G riffin sat at the cliff’s edge letting his legs hang out over the edge. His blue eyes were fixed on the distant cityscape below. The city below was vast, covering land as far as the eye could see from the east to the west. The city was in the far distance, but it had an eerie closeness to it. Tall skyscrapers stretched to the clouds as long shopping centers filled in the v oids.

Now, no one lived in the city anymore. No one knew why or how it became vacant. No humans lived in the city anymore, but creatures that lived there were heard but never seen. Griffin heard all the horrific legends about these creatures. The stories were from men that had gone mad after encountering the creatures and escaping the city. These stories were too horrific to repeat. It had been rumored that the creatures were from another dimension or prisoners released from a prison pit in the heart of the world. No one truly ever knew what they were.

Griffin scanned each ruined building. Each building showed serious signs of decay, as he wondered how long each building had been there. He even wondered how much longer it would stay standing. He also thought, if each building could talk, what kind of a story it could tell.

It was now entering the twilight hours when the sun slowly vanishes over the horizon. As the sun began to vanish from the sky, the fires began to grow. For every night, large fires appeared and burned all over the city. Every night, the fires would make it seem like the entire city was ablaze. However, of course, the fires were the last thing to fear, for this was the time the creatures would come out to hunt. Through the night air, the creature’s screams and howls could be heard as they searched for their next victims.

Griffin sat watching the sun vanish behind the Fallen City. He sat daydreaming and not realizing the sun was almost out of view.

Griffin! yelled Griffin’s mother from behind him.

Griffin turned to see his mother standing in the entrance of their cave home holding a large, metal door open.

Come inside, the night beasts will soon be out, said Griffins mother.

Griffin stood up and dusted off his dirty, brown clothes. He turned and walked towards the cave door, as he kept looking back at the growing fires in The Fallen City. It had a mesmerizing effect on him.

Griffin entered the cave and shut the rusting door behind him. The door shutting echoed through the entire cave. Griffin’s mother then quickly rushed over to the door and locked it with a large, thick bolt.

I told you to always bolt the door shut at night! yelled his mother in a stern voice.

Sorry, mother, responded Griffin as he sat at an obscurely shaped table.

Griffin’s mother was short and stout. She had thinned, gray hair and gray eyes. She never left the cave in her sixty some years, which made her eyes sensitive to normal daylight. She was wearing a one-piece, brown, faded dress and a gray apron. She was slaving over a very old woodstove, baking a type of bread and stirring a stew at the same time. Her face and arms were covered with sweat from the immense heat of the stove.

Once your father and brothers get here, we will eat, said his mother. Griffin did not care as his mind began to wonder about The Fallen City.

He wondered what treasures could lay in those buildings. Even what, or who, could be out there beyond the city. He looked up and around the room noticing his younger sister washing wooden dishes at a rusting, cast iron sink in the far corner of the room. She was in her early teens, but looked older. Her head had the signs of her blond hair in a serious stage of balding. Griffin remembered when she once had long, curly locks, but she began losing her hair due to living underground in unfit conditions. Her eyes looked tired, and her complexion had a look of sickness.

Next to the sink were old, oak cabinets that were rotting into the loose dirt floor. To the right of Griffinere two tunnels. One led to the living and sleeping area, and the other led to the mines.

In the mines, the men dug deeper and further into the mountain for more rooms, forever growing the colony. When a boy reached the age of eighteen, they were sent into the mines to work there until their death. Griffin would be eighteen years of age in two days. Now, the last thing Griffin wanted to do was to spend all day in the tunnels digging. No sun, no light, just him and the worms.

Movement and talking was heard in the one tunnel. Soon, Griffin’s father and his two older brothers appeared from the tunnel that led to the mines. Each one wore dirty, brown overalls. Each one was bald or balding and was caked in black and brown dirt. They all were very muscularly built and carried large picks and shovels. They threw their picks and shovels next to the rotting cabinets with a thud. They then sat at the obscure table. One of Griffin’s brothers flicked off Griffin’s hat, which he was wearing, revealing Griffin’s baldhead.

No hats at the table, worm, said his oldest brother.

Griffin fumbled for his faded, gray, baseball-type hat before it fell to the dirt floor. He grabbed it at the corner of the table and quickly placed it on his lap. Griffin then just let his head hang low and stared at a wood knot in the table. Griffin was physically in the cave, but his mind was lost in the outside world.

Griffin’s brothers and father sat down at the table on old, creaking chairs. Each one sat in their chairs in a way that made Griffin feel inferior to them, which was why he would always keep his head low. Griffin’s mother lifted a large, rusty, steel pot from the stove and placed it on the table. As the pot touched the table, it made out a loud hiss, making new burn marks on the table. Griffin’s sister began to place old, chipped bowls at each seat. As Griffin’s sister placed a bowl in front of Griffin, he stared at the fading design in the center of the bowl. The design was of a young boy sitting on a stool at a counter, eating a bowl of delicious soup, with a brown dog curled up at the bottom of the stool. The boy seemed so happy and loved. Griffin wondered if the boy had a name. What could the boy be happy about?

What was that animal at his feet?

Suddenly, Griffin’s mother poured in the bowl a thin and lumpy, brownish, gray broth. Griffin quickly snapped back to reality.

Griffin never actually knew what the broth was made from, and he really did not want to ever know. The broth had a smell to it that was almost indescribable. It was a mixture of a wet animal and burnt toast. The taste was dull and bitter with a lack of real flavor.

Griffin’s sister was handing out pieces of what seemed to be gray- colored, moldy bread to each person at the table.

Griffin sat there for a moment, quietly, as the rest of the family began to eat their broth like a pack of wild animals starved for days. Griffin felt like he should be giving thanks for the food, no matter how bad it was. However, he could not think whom he should thank. It was like an inward pull for him. The pull was unknown and unfamiliar but very strong. Griffin began to eat his bitter broth and sour bread. It was the only food he knew, so he ate it with a glad heart.

Someone’s birthday is coming soon, said Griffin’s mother, breaking the silence.

You ready to start working in the mines and becoming a real man? asked Griffin’s father, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

What if I don’t want to work in the caves? What if I want something different? asked Griffin.

Griffin dreaded the sunless world below. In the dark and damp world of the mines. Always working in darkness, with no true happiness, ever!

The men dig and provide! And the women have children and cook! shot back Griffin’s father harshly.

Do you want to be a woman? teased Griffin’s oldest brother as the other brother snorted like a wild animal.

But, I don’t want to dig in the mines! I know I am designed for something more! responded Griffin.

You were born to dig! Dig further from the sun! The world out there is evil and full of pain! In here! In here, in the tunnels is true happiness! yelled Griffin’s father.

In complete darkness?

Yes!

Inside myself, I can’t accept that. I need the light.

Then you can accept to leave the table and return to your bed! This is life! Live it or die!

Then it would be far better to die! Griffin stood up quickly and left the table.

It’s that time of the month! said Griffin’s youngest brother.

Griffin’s mother and sister just sat quietly and looked down at their soup.

Griffin’s brothers laughed, and his father became even angrier.

That boy will learn once he gets down in the mines! He’ll learn! He will learn the truth of the world! said Griffin’s father.

Griffin’s father gulped down the broth and quickly demanded more. The others then ate slowly with an eerie silence.

******

In a cut out in a cave wall, in the living area, Griffin laid on an old, mildewed mattress with brown, torn, ragged sheets and blankets. There were no dressers, mirrors, closets, toys, or anything. Just an old, wooden box with a spare shirt and pants in it.

Griffin laid on his back, staring at the dirt and stone ceiling. He knew there was much more out there than the darkness of the mines. There were places of light and joy. But how to get there? All Griffin ever knew was being dirty and living in darkness. His mother, unknowing to his father, allowed him to go to the cliff’s edge but had to be in view of the door at all times. He wondered what was beyond the cliffs and beyond the city, if anything.

Griffin laid there for an hour or so thinking about becoming a man, but not the ways of their tradition. He slowly became hungry, so he got up and walked out to the eating area. The area was now empty, and the putrid smell of the broth and bread still hung in the air. To Griffin, it made him even hungrier.

Suddenly, he heard an ear-piercing scream from outside. The sound was a demonic scream from the Fallen City.

The Sheoloch, whispered Griffin.

It was still early, and, soon, one scream would be filled with a chorus. It was the dark creatures of the city, called the Sheoloch. Their screams could paralyze the strongest man and make his blood run cold.

Suddenly, a knock came from the door. It made Griffin jump and swallow his heart. The knock echoed through the cave like a song. Griffin knew no one could enter the door unless someone let them in. Because, there were no doorknobs or handles on the outside of the door. Besides, who would be crazy enough to travel at night?

Then, a second knock. Griffin jumped again. Griffin walked to the door and reached for the handle.

What are you doing? said a whisper from behind.

Griffin turned to see his sister standing in the entrance leading to the living area.

It could be those monsters! whispered Griffin’s sister. When have they ever knocked? responded Griffin.

Griffin’s sister hid behind a pillar as Griffin turned the handle and opened the door. A gust of dry air rushed in as Griffin opened the door fully in one great pull.

In the doorway stood a tall man dressed in bright, blue clothing. His hair was long and dark and hung to his shoulders. His complexion was that from a foreign country and seemed to glow in the vanishing sunlight. He stood in the doorway, silent, but seemed to display superior authority. He made a quick look around the room and then fixed his soul-piercing eyes on Griffin. He smiled at Griffin, as Griffin’s spirit leapt inside himself.

What’s going on here! someone screamed from behind Griffin.

Griffin turned around to see his father standing in the doorway with his mother. Griffin knew his father was furious by the look in his eyes. His mother stood in fear.

The Stranger turned his eyes to Griffin’s father and spoke.

Your son was kind enough to open the door for me. I am in need of a place to stay for the night, said the Stranger in a soft, calming, and warming voice.

My son should know better than to open the door at this hour! You should not be walking outside at this hour of evening! Don’t you know what is out there!? said Griffin’s father walking towards the door and slamming the door shut with a loud clank echo.

It’s just a beautiful night

Well then stay the night, if you must. But you will be gone in the morning!

As you wish sir.

The Stranger entered as he smiled at everyone present.

Griffin’s brothers entered, brushing their eyes as if they were awakened from a sound sleep.

What’s going on? asked the oldest brother.

Nothing! Go back to bed. You have to work the mines tomorrow! snapped Griffin’s father.

Ok.

Griffin’s two brothers turned around and disappeared back to their sleeping area.

Griffin pulled out a chair and offered it to the Stranger. The Stranger thanked Griffin and sat down.

Can I bother you for a bite to eat? asked the Stranger to Griffin’s mother.

The wife will get you something. I am going to bed. I have work tomorrow! responded Griffin’s father.

You dig in the mines?

Yes! I have for over fifty-seven years!

There is much more to life than your mines. There is a world outside your very door.

You sound like my idiot son.

There are great opportunities for you out there.

Not for me or any of my family!

Griffin’s father quickly disappeared to the living area and Griffin’s mother began to reheat the soup and bread. The Stranger just sat quietly as Griffin and his sister sat across from him. The Stranger smiled a warm smile at them. Then the sound of a scream of a Sheoloch broke the silence outside. This scream was as if a scream was being scraped across a chalkboard, if that was possible.

Griffin and his sister jumped in their seats. The Stranger sat there unshaken by the scream or their reaction. Griffin was curious about the Stranger’s courage. If he did not fear the Sheoloch, what did he fear?

Aren’t you afraid of the Sheolochs? asked Griffin.

The what? responded the Stranger.

The creatures outside, Griffin’s sister interrupted.

Fear is just the lack of love. Nothing in this life or the next could scare anyone who truly loves, responded the Stranger.

Did you ever see one? asked Griffin. Yes.

What are they?

The remains of hate, anger, fear, and selfishness. All a person should not be.

Are they human?

No, not even close. They are the remnants of a fallen army of rebellion.

Is there life after this one? asked Griffin’s sister.

Of course. Two places. One that is a paradise and the other a place of pain. It all depends on the faith of one’s heart that chooses the destination. Griffin’s mother placed a bowl of soup and a piece of bread in front of the Stranger. The Stranger thanked her with a smile. He bowed his head and mouthed some words, as his face seemed to glow even more than it did before. He raised his head, smiling brighter. He then touched his bread with his index finger, and then he did the same with the soup. Now to everyone the soup and bread looked the same, but to Griffin and the Stranger, they changed. The bread became white as snow and the soup became a clear broth with fresh pieces of meat in it.

Griffin looked around at his sister and mother, who were now cleaning dishes. He was wondering if anyone else was seeing this? Griffin fixed his eyes on the Stranger. The Stranger had a twinkle in his eyes and smiled with glee at Griffin. Griffin now knew the Stranger knew what he was seeing. Griffin finally realized that the Stranger was there for a reason. That reason was him.

Griffin’s mother and sister finished washing the dishes and sat at the table.

What are you doing in the Borrows of Shame? asked Griffin’s mother.

I am a spreader of the King’s Word. A messenger of sorts. responded the Stranger.

What message do you spread? asked Griffin’s sister.

It depends on who it is for. But the message is always of hope.

Where are you headed? asked Griffin’s mother.

Everywhere.

Where have you been?

Everywhere.

The Stranger began to eat.

Where are you from? asked Griffin.

A place called the Kingdom. My Father is High King there. He rules with love and understanding but is firm when it is necessary, said the Stranger.

There is nothing beyond the Fallen City, responded Griffin’s mother.

There is more than just the city at your doorsteps or the tunnels to this world and the next. The city I come from is furnished in all-white stone and furnished with gold and fine gems. No one is ever in want or need. The woods are filled with all sorts of tame animals. The rivers are crystal clear and full of all types of fish. A world of wonder.

It sounds lovely, responded Griffin’s sister.

You all can come to live there. My Father is always making more room. Room for all who put their trust in him.

That would not be possible for us. We belong here, said Griffin’s mother.

It’s each one’s choice. But my Father’s house is always open for those who want to live in it.

I never saw a lion or any large cat animal, said Griffin, excited.

We have lions. They are not as fierce as one might think. In The Kingdom, they are as gentle as kittens.

Mother can I go? as Griffin turned to his mother.

Your father will not approve and neither do I, said Griffin’s mother.

I am going to be a man! Can’t I make my own decisions? said Griffin.

No! Your father is the master of this house! No!

Griffin’s mother got up and went to the living area.

The Stranger reached in his satchel hanging on his right side and pulled out a black book. He placed it on the table and slid it towards Griffin. Griffin looked at the black, unlabeled book, then at the Stranger.

For me? asked Griffin.

Yes. These are my Father’s words to all peoples of the realm. If you choose to read these words, put them in your heart, and you’ll be able to find your way to our Kingdom when it is necessary, said the Stranger.

This book will lead me physically?

For some it can. But most no, its words will help you make the right decisions to find your way to the Kingdom.

Why do you give it to me? Why not my parents?

Because their hearts are not ready for our words. They may be ready tomorrow or never. But your heart is. You have been looking for your true meaning of life. You will find everything you need at my Father’s Kingdom.

Can my sister come also?

Griffin looked over at his sister as she looked back at him with dismay, like she couldn’t believe what he said. Griffin then looked back at the Stranger.

If her heart is truly ready, she can.

Griffin’s sister looked and leaned over to Griffin. I can’t leave mother and father! she whispered.

They’ll be fine! I can’t stay here! I will not be stuck in the dirt for the rest of my life! I want to be who I was meant to be, not because someone said I had to be. I want to die to live instead of living to die, responded Griffin.

I just can’t Griffin; I just can’t.

Griffin’s sister quickly got up and left. Griffin turned back to the Stranger, as he stood up.

I must go now, Griffin.

To where? asked Griffin, who stood also.

There are many others that need to hear my Father’s message. I must go to them just as I came to you. Now, if you do take the journey to my Father’s Kingdom, it will not be easy. Many have given up before they reached their true reward. But, if you push on, you will receive a glorious reward. More than anything in this life.

The Stranger walked over to the door, as Griffin followed. The Stranger opened the door as a rush of night air filled the room.

Will I ever see you again? asked Griffin.

Only if you enter into my Father’s Kingdom, responded the Stranger.

The Stranger smiled, then turned and vanished into the darkness of the night.

Griffin stood in the doorway, hoping the King’s Son would turn around and come back. However, he never did, so Griffin reluctantly closed the door, as the sound of a Sheoloch was heard screaming.

******

The evening came and went, and the middle of the night settled in to stay. The rough, outside terrain was quiet except for the occasional scream from a Sheoloch here and there. In Griffin’s living area, he could hear his parents arguing about him becoming a man. In his mind, he could not live there anymore. No more darkness! No more arguing! No more slavery of the soul!

He got up off his mattress, grabbed an old, gray satchel, and filled it with his spare clothes and the book. He then quickly and quietly made his way to the kitchen. He made his way to the door and began to unlock it. With each click and clank of the door, unlocking it sounded like a cannon going off to Griffin’s ears, and his heart stopped. He finally got the door open as a rush of cool, early morning air rushed in embracing his face in a welcoming manner. He smiled and breathed in the cool and refreshing cold. He looked back with a moment of regret, but the moment quickly faded. He hated to leave like this, but their way of life was not his. He needed this freedom to live, and live abundantly.

Griffin, a whisper from behind as Griffin was stepping over the threshold.

Griffin turned to see his sister standing in the archway of the kitchen. Go back to bed, whispered Griffin.

What am I to tell mother and father? What will they think?

I am a man; not a boy anymore. There is no promise of truth or life here, only death! I love you all, but I need to choose my own path, and I choose the whole truth.

Don’t leave me here alone.

Then come with me!

I can’t. I, I just can’t.

Then, I am sorry. I hope we meet again someday. I will watch for you, my beloved sister.

Griffin gave a loving smile, turned, and walked out of the cave. He carefully shut the door behind him, trying not to make a sound.

Epoch 2

Through the City

T he sun was now just coming up over the horizon with its rays of gold and red. It was in front of Griffin as he walked. He was now only a mile or so from the cave and the burrows. Griffin kept looking back to see if someone would chase after him and make him return. Dragging him back under the ground, but no one ever did come. For everyone was too afraid of the above world. The world above only brought pain and des pair.

He had the satchel slung over his right shoulder and across his chest, as he continued down the rough road ahead of him. The city was still a long way off, but with each step, it got ever closer. Griffin thought to himself how the city seemed closer sitting on the cliffs and so small. Nevertheless, as he got closer, the city was much larger than expected.

Griffin thought how he wished his sister had come with him. It was so lonely walking the desert-like rock terrain by himself. Just a low howl of an unfeeling wind was his only company.

It was afternoon when Griffin noticed the terrain had become less steep and not so rough. He also noticed he was walking on something flat. It was once a highway that lead into the city. It was now broken and overrun with grass and wild trees. Street lamps were now covered with moss and signs covered in vines.

Griffin’s stomach rolled with hunger pains, making Griffin wish he had brought some sort of food with him in his haste. He could see the buildings in front of him and realized that the buildings were even higher and larger than from his burrow. The buildings stretched far into the sky and beyond the clouds. The buildings were covered with vines and moss. Some even had large trees growing out of them.

Griffin was entering the city itself. He passed many faded city signs that once welcomed anyone entering the city, but now welcomed no one but Griffin. One sign once displayed the city’s name, but it had been erased by time. It was as if someone just wiped the name away like an eraser on a chalkboard. The only letter he could make out was the first letter in the city name, which was a B. He walked past old, rotting billboards that said WELCOME TO PARADISE OF THE KNOWN WORLD. He got closer to the buildings and could imagine how grand they once were. They were aged and ravaged by ancient time. Large, green, brown, and red vines covered each building to a certain height. Most of the buildings windows were either missing or broken. Any remaining window was covered with a brownish black film making it impossible to see inside or out of the building. Occasionally, a large piece of a building would break off and come crashing to the ground. The first time this happened almost scared Griffin to death, but after the third time, he realized it was just the buildings giving a last death cry. He wondered to himself, how long until the city would just be a pile of crushed stones.

Along the ground were more decaying street signs, automobiles, buses, park benches, and various other types of items once of value, but now garbage. The vegetation on the ground in most areas was thick with large grass and large, thorny vine bushes. The automobiles were weathered and most covered by grass and thorny vines, just leaving parts of their roof to be seen. One of the most amazing things Griffin saw was a 747 aircraft that had once crashed into one of the buildings. The remains of its wings could be seen on the ground at the building’s base and its tail protruding from the side of the building itself.

All that Griffin saw he had never seen before or known about. He had never seen a car, a plane, or anything that he saw now. It was amazing and scary at the same time for him. He wondered what type of people would be able to do such great things and then be no more.

Griffin began to walk among the city streets and alleyways. He was constantly looking upward, making sure to get out of the way of any falling debris. It was quiet there, a very eerie quiet. There were no sounds from anything; no birds, no wind, nothing. Just Griffin’s breathing and his heartbeat could be heard. He could feel wind blowing and saw items being moved by the wind, but he never heard it. He did not even see any animals at all, not even a rat or mouse. It was as if he was living in a vacuum.

There were also small fires throughout the city. Some were burning in the old automobiles, some inside buildings, and even some just burning from a crack in the ground. It was as if a furnace was under the ground, and the cracks were the vents.

Griffin was taking the long walk through the heart of the city. He never knew anyone that had ventured as far as he had gone, which in a way made him feel important. He remembered the names people gave the city, City of the Dead, City of Sin, and the City of the Tower. He knew with the King’s Son’s words and book, he would overcome all these names.

Before long, Griffin became tired as he walked among the maze of the city. He was becoming more and more hungry and thirsty. He thought to himself, if he wanted to turn around, he couldn’t. He did not think he could find his way out of the city if he tried.

Griffin reached what he thought was the center of the city; at least it looked like it to him. In front of him was an old hotel with a worn awning over its doorway. The sun was getting hotter and hotter by the minute, and it felt like Griffin was suffering from sun sickness. Therefore, he decided to take a rest out of the sun. He sat down under the awning and opened the book that the King’s Son gave him. He read about other people that went before him and their journeys of faith. Griffin was becoming tired from the lack of food and water. He put away the book, leaned against the building wall, and drifted to a deep sleep.

******

Griffin was quickly jarred from his sleep by a scream. It was the terrifying scream of a Sheoloch!

The scream he knew all too well, but just a lot closer and more blood curdling. Griffin sat straight up as pain surged through his body. He could hardly move. He was extremely sore from the long walk, and the way he fell asleep did not help either. Then, he noticed it was now dusk and the sun was setting fast. A dark fear gripped Griffin’s soul. His mind raced, and his heart pounded. What was he to do? Where can he go? Was he going to die?

Then another scream was heard. It sounded like it was right in front of him. Griffin was afraid to stand up or move, but he forced himself to do it. His body was wracked with pain as he stood up and moved away from the awning. He noticed the fires that were burning were getting larger and larger as the sunset. Where could he hide? Was there a safe place? Griffin looked for somewhere to try to hide. Then, he heard a voice to his left.

Hey you! What are you doing?! said a man’s voice in a loud whisper.

Griffin turned to see a man in old brown rags hanging out of a basement window of a building.

He was motioning for Griffin to come into the basement. Get out of sight! he said.

Griffin rushed over to the