Black Sheep

A Chapter by Eddie Davis

Carn, Amala and the Watchers meet with Yesh.

21.

Black Sheep

It was a beautiful field, with gently rolling hills, a brilliant blue sky and lazy, puffy clouds. Immediately, all of them - even Carn and Amala, who had never been there before- knew they were in the presence of Yesh. He walked up the hill to them, carrying a little black lamb on his back. At the bottom of the hill was a herd of white sheep, all grazing happily.

Amala and Carn went down on their knees in reverence as he approached and he stopped in front of them.

“You don’t seem as defiant now. Is it proper to speak ill of your God, even for the good of others?”

“Lord, I take full responsibility.” Carn replied, his head bowed, “Our hearts were troubled with fear for our friends. There have been many years of wars and battles and much bloodshed. You know that we sought a peaceful way to rescue Aaron and Lysa, but it didn’t work. I felt that I had to do all that I could.”

“Carn, stand up. Amala, you too. I want to speak to both of you first and explain something to you.”

The two did as Yesh commanded, and he led them over to a large stone and gestured for them to be seated.

“I don’t condemn you for trying. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t really. There is a very fine line that has to be maintained between love and free will. I give everyone the free will to do what they want to do, but I also love them. Yet love is not always freedom to do what you want, or to allow those you love to do as they want to do. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lord.” Carn responded, “But when you love someone, you take chances and go to extreme measures to help them.”

“Absolutely, Carn.” Yesh sat down and nodded at the sheep on his shoulders, “This little black sheep is part of the flock that you see on the hill below. He is no different than the other sheep except that he is black instead of white, but he often goes off on his own and gets separated from the others. Then I have to bring him back. But he never seems to understand that I know what is best for him, so he goes off again, and I rescue him again. Time after time, and yet I still love him.”

“So you are saying that I am like this sheep?” Carn asked.

Yesh smiled, “Carn, actually, you are seldom disobedient to me. This was your first act of rebellion. Frankly, all of my children are like this sheep from time to time. They go off and try things in the way they think best, instead of trusting me. Of course, they don’t see or understand like I do.”

“We try to understand, Lord.” Amala spoke up, “But it is so tough to have faith when you are scared for someone you love.”

Yesh nodded, “That is one of the final tests of faith - to trust me when your life or the life of someone you love- is on the line. I forgive defiance to some degree, Amala, and honestly, you and Carn did nothing that will condemn you to hell. But you challenged my authority and those of my Watchers, in their presence.”

Carn nodded, “I admit that, Lord.”

“I brought you here today, not to reprimand you, but as representatives of the common people of Synomenia. You see, I have long pondered the state of your world. It is much different than the world I created, in many ways. I desire a world that will learn of me and follow my teachings. But this world is filled with people who were made by the Sidhe in a flawed attempt to duplicate my own creation. Since the Great Gathering, I have slowly been changing things to the way I seek them.”

“The Sidhe usually had some sort of representatives that were between them and their creations, and most of the people brought from the various worlds to Synomenia understood this. So I established the office of Watcher to serve as my representatives. But they were different than my own servants in my world, and most of them had concerns and ideas of their own, rather than focusing on mine.”

“There have been many changes that I’ve implemented with them, and many times they have challenged my rules and desires. As they are not my angels, I allowed for this, but I have decided now that their office is no longer needed. I shall implement the same system that I used in my world, where I will speak directly to people in numerous ways, or send my angles, which are heavenly beings that do not have lives independent from me.”

Amala and Carn looked at each other in disbelief, then back to Yesh. Carn spoke, “Lord, was it my actions that caused this?”

Yesh smiled, “No, Carn, in fact, I knew exactly what you would do, long before you were born. It is simply time for this change to occur. I am telling the two of you this first, because you will be my messengers to everyone in your world. For several months, Flux has existed in your world, as a continent, though separated from the rest of Synomenia.”

“It will remain there, but with some changes. Those who live there now are mostly people that are alive. I know that sounds strange to you. You’ve been told though that some of your friends and family who have died have been brought there to live and serve me. Amala, three of your sisters are there, as is Eioldth and Haroldris. Those who have died and have come there will be brought into Heaven to reside with me. Those who are in Flux who are alive will stay there, but their technologically advanced community will be taken away and they will live as the rest of this world lives.”

“What about the Watchers, Lord?” Carn asked, glancing over to the three, who stood there in stunned disbelief upon hearing the news.

Yesh motioned for the three to join them and they hurried over, looking stricken.

“Fear not.” Yesh spoke to Sophia, “All three of you have never died, so you, and the other Watchers, will be placed in Synomenia. I am going to place all three of you in Westmark, instead of Flux. All of your possessions, that I will allow in that level of technology, will wait for you when you return.”

“My jets…” Deborah moaned, thinking of a hanger in Flux filled with the aircraft from many different worlds that she treasured.

“They are gone, Deborah, along with computers, TVs, robots, cars and such. Yet all of you will survive. I have even remembered Drake, who I allowed to return from Heaven back to Synomenia in the body of the Drow wizard, Devin. I will restore to him all of his memories of his life before he died, but none of the memories of his time living in my Heaven.”

“Lord, what about our friends in Flux? Can we say goodbye to them?” Sophia asked, cradling her pregnant belly.

“The change has already happened, Sophia. All of your friends who were brought there after they died are now in Heaven with me. The living ones are, right now, trying to figure out what happened, but I will send an angel to them with the news.”

“Oh, goodness…” Sophia said, numb with the abruptness of the change.

“Do not feel that it is your fault, Sophia.” Yesh told her, taking her hand, “You and Khord have always been quite dear to me. Your spunk and compassion helped you do your job well. I had in mind to end the office of Watchers for some time. I just waited until the time was right.”

“So we’ll not meet with you again?” Sophia asked him, sounding extremely sad.

Yesh patted her hand, “Child, I am always with you, in your heart and all around you. You will certainly see me again, if you keep loyal to your faith in me. Your jobs have ended as Watchers, but you can do much for me back in Synomenia. Now you won’t be restricted in any way.”

Yesh turned to Amala, “I made promises to your parents, Zeatt and Alvis that they would serve as Watchers after their deaths. But that has changed. Alvis will still retain his immortality, as long as he continues to serve me. Amala, tell your parents that I will bless them in another way, to compensate for that promise. Zeatt will also be blessed in a similar way.”

“How, Lord?” Amala asked and Yesh grinned, nodding at Sophia’s belly, “I will remove the limitation on fertility that I placed upon the whole Elven race. This removal will be only for your family, Amala, and only for 100 years. After that time, the limitation will be restored.”

“So Mom and Zeatt will have babies?” Amala asked.

“That is up to them, of course, but the removal of the limitation will extend to you, your sisters and Sophia’s sister as well. For I know how important family and friends are to you. As your mother was anticipating seeing your dead sisters again in Flux, this will give her the chance to shower her love on babies… and grandchildren.”

“So what shall we do, when we return to Synomenia, Lord?” Khord asked.

“Live, my son, and be generous and kind to others, share your faith and your love, defend against evil and be happy and faithful. I shall see all of you again. Goodbye and be blessed in my name, my children.”

With a flash of light the scene vanished and the five found that they stood in the same room in Westmark that they had left, but it was now empty. At one end of the room was a large pile of items that the three former Watchers recognized as some of their belongings from Flux.

“Wow, it really happened!” Sophia exclaimed as she hurried with her husband and Deborah to see what items Yesh had allowed them to have.

“Maybe we should go find your parents and explain what has happened.” Carn suggested, and Amala didn’t argue, for she feared that the three might still blame them for the whole affair.

“Well, that was an adventure.” She told her husband after they had left the chamber.

“Let’s hope that it was worth it.” Carn commented, wondering about the two lost Paladins.

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