"The kingdom of Elithias is at hand!" the Prophet said. The man held a wild look in his eye accentuated by his age and his white hair. He wore a chestnut colored robe with pants that dropped into view near the floor.
Everyone assembled in the Guniran Great Hall sat rigid as a board. No one dared to even breathe heavily. Aija the Prophet glared down from the raised cylindrical platform to punctuate his statement. It was, after all, of the utmost importance that they all understand what the Eternal One wanted them to know.
Tiet stirred a little, seated upon the floor with the others. His injuries still bothered him after three months. He had ended up with a minor concussion, several broken ribs and a collapsed lung, all at the hands of his son, under symbyte control. The wooden floor they were sitting on didn't help.
Kale sat cross-legged, his head propped up by his arm upon his knee. The large room had filled to capacity with every Guniran able to attend. They encircled the prophet who stood upon a slightly raised cylinder in the middle of the massive room. The Great Hall was itself, a large cylinder.
The Prophet had not come down out of his home in the mountains for nearly a decade. This was important. "It has been nearly three thousand years since Elithias appeared on Castai."
Aija began to walk around the pulpit now. "The first time, the Eternal One came to offer mankind a pardon for our rebellion. Soon, He will appear the second time in Judgment. The Day of Elithias is upon us!"
A hushed murmur swept across the room now. It had been a long time since Tiet had heard anything about the prophecies still to be fulfilled concerning the return of Elithias, the Eternal Son. He had appeared long ago to bring mercy, but it had been so long since that time that many had scoffed at the idea of a true return.
"Elithias has been patient with us, but the clans have not turned," Aija said. "The Baruk were destroyed as part of the coming judgment. They allied themselves with the fallen one, giving their selves over completely to him and they have been destroyed. Soon, others will face similar judgment."
Everyone focused now. Anticipation and anxiety preceded every word of the prophet as the people waited to hear if judgment would fall upon the Guniran clan also. But how could it, they had been the keepers and protectors of the prophecies after the war between the clans? They alone possessed the copies that could be saved as destruction and oppression swept from planet to planet. Surely they would be spared whatever was coming.
"As the prophecy tells us, your guardians will be taken from you, for you have not been thankful for the hedge I have kept around you. The Barudii were allowed to be taken from us so that this war could spread," Aija continued. "God intends to purge mankind before the coming of Elithias to establish his kingdom. Many atrocities have been committed against our brothers and it will not go unpunished."
All eyes remained fixed on the man as he made his way down from the platform and walked in a circle in front of those seated on the ground before him. Tears became noticeable in his eyes then-they had become bloodshot as he fought his emotions. Aija stood still among the assembly. "My fellow Gunirans." His words choked. "We will not be spared this judgment."
The entire assembly gasped at that statement. Faces turned pale as the realization hit them. It might not have made much difference, had this man not been well known as a genuine prophet of the Eternal One. He had, according to the Logostus-assembled prophecies, been proven by the fact that his prophecies came true. Before the massacre of the Barudii, Aija had descended to tell his fellow Gunirans that God's hedge was about to fall. The prophecy had been given a thousand years earlier with a link to the last prophet of the age who would herald the coming of Elithias. Aija had given the time of their demise to the day.
Now, Tiet worried. The judgment wasn't over-more people were going to perish. He felt his wife's hand tighten around his own. They had so hoped to find peace-to escape all the turmoil of war among these peaceful people. But there can be no peace when judgment is coming.
The people became restless. Aija raised his hands to still them-he was not through with his proclamation. The room became still very quickly. "We have been the keepers of Logostus, but we have not spread the prophecies to the other clans as we were meant to. The Logostus says, you are set as watchmen to your brothers; so speak my words to them that they may turn from their wickedness and live. If you will not, they will die in their rebellion, but I will require their blood at your hands."
Aija turned from the people and walked back up on the platform and took his place again. "We are guilty of much blood for our failure to warn the clans from this coming judgment. And now we are entering the final days before Elithias comes. It is time to believe on the Eternal one and turn from our rebellion. There's not much time to do so."
Almost the entire assembly disorganized as many cried out to Elithias for mercy. They fell to their faces in prayer crying out to be forgiven. The young and the old weeped as they confessed their rebellion before God and cast themselves upon the promise of pardon for those who would come to him by the pajet-act of sincere submission.
Tiet remained the only one still sitting. His wife, their son, Wynn, Grod, Emil, Merab and Jael had all bowed on their faces committing to Elithias through the pajet. Tiet looked among them and saw the prophet standing over Kale as the boy prayed. Aija looked up from the boy and stared directly at Tiet. His ribs ached again and his breathing became labored. He shook as the prophet's gaze fell on him like a great weight. Aija walked over to Tiet, maneuvering through those on the ground. The prophet stood over the Barudii king. Tiet remained frozen in place.
"Will the king turn to Elithias today?"
Tears threatened to fall across his cheeks. "Why did my people have to die?" Tiet asked.
"Men killed your people, my king," Aija said, "The Eternal One kept you alive and your family and he will yet use you to accomplish his will for us, if you will submit yourself to him and surrender. When Elithias comes, all will be set right-after the darkness of night a new day is coming."
Tiet surrendered his will and got to his knees as the prophet knelt beside him and they prayed together.