#ch. azariah

[relamune]

map of azariah's scars + tattoos

[lordgodjehovahsway]

2 Kings 15: Azariah Becomes The New King Of Judah

1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 

2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 

3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 

4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

6 As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 

7 Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. 

9 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. 

11 The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 

12 So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

Shallum King of Israel

13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. 

14 Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

15 The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

16 At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem King of Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 

18 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

19 Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 

20 Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

21 As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 

22 Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 

24 Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. 

25 One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

26 The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 

28 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

29 In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. 

30 Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

31 As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah

32 In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. 

33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 

34 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. 

35 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

36 As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 

37��(In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) 

38 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

[bernardo1969]

The Reign of Asa in the Kingdom of Judah as recounted in the Second Book of Chronicles is a demonstration that in a chaotic society order comes when the ruler is a God-fearing person. And this is so for a very important reason, the spiritual gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion, and equanimity) is the beginning of wisdom as explained in Proverbs 1:7. The Second Book of Chronicles says that Asa was a great-grandson of King Solomon and that he succeeded his father Abijah on the throne, and as ruler, Asa gave his heart to God: "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" 2 Chronicles 14:2. Asa was a foresighted man and prepared his kingdom for war in times of peace, fortifying many cities, and so, when his kingdom was invaded by the Cushites, he successfully defended it and defeated his enemies. And it was after his victory that the prophet Azariah approached the King and reminded him of a spiritual principle: "The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you" 2 Chronicles 15:2. And Azariah continued and explained to King Asa how the times were when the aristocracy of the judges ruled in Israel and Judah, times when the fear of God was in doubt: "During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem" 2 Chronicles 15:5-6. The words of Azariah, as a prophet of the Bible, were the testimony that the Lord protects his devotees, but instead punishes those who oppose his divine plan.

[bowtomypointlesswords]

Mystic Enchanter Azariah Blackwood -

“You must learn to control it.” Azariah said, very serious in her tone. “There’s no chance for you to succeed if you can’t learn how to control the magic and direct it.”

“You say this like it’s easy but I’ve been training for two solid weeks and I still can’t even get a spark!” Adelia whined, looking down at her hands. “I can’t figure out how to tap into the magic I used before. It’s like it’s gone.”

“It’s not gone you just don’t know how to use it.” Azariah sipped at her tea and sighed. “Perhaps we should take a few days break.”

Azariah is a former member of the infamous Condottiere, King Absalom’s soldiers. She was a Mystic Enchanter during her time as a soldier, but now she uses her skills in favor of freeing the Empress. She’s a quiet, but witty woman, pushing her late seventies, and is a strong witch. I’ve found so often that women, especially older women and doubly for older women with magic aka witches, are depicted as ugly and I wanted Azariah to be my answer to that. She is strong, powerful, beautiful in her age and grace.

She was once blonde but now has grey hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. She still wears the blues of the Condottiere, but darker more saturated tones. She is a skilled witch and as her title would suggest an Enchanter. She’s able to make and enchant items.

She and Ellery share the same last name, but they are not related. Rather, Ellery took Azariah’s last name as a way to distance themself from their homeland, and their family who would not accept them for who they were.

[empty-masks]

Book Two, Chapter Seventeen

CW: Strong Language, Sexual References, Graphic Violence, Fantasy Bigotry, Smoking, Alcohol Use, Light Body Horror

Olive and Cherry are the first to wake up in the morning, sitting up in their makeshift beds. The Owl sits up, but the Techie covers his face. “Did… did you…?” Olive starts. “Yup.” “And you saw…” “Exactly what you saw.” “Our “gifts,”” she says, brushing some of the dead leaves out of her feathers. “They have names? And they’re real.” “Why can’t I shake the feeling that I’ve seen that thing before…” “What, those other people?” “No, the big… thing, that was talking to us. Didn’t you see it? With the tentacles made of glass? And that massive crystal skull?” Olive frowns. “I definitely saw the tentacles. I don’t think I could’ve not seen the tentacles. But I didn’t see any skull, Cherry.”

“I swear,” he mumbles. “I swear it was a skull. It was like looking up a mountain, and it rotated when it spoke…” “Like a clock?” “No, like… well, maybe like a clock. It rotated out one of its faces for a new one. Like it was a ticker switching numbers. So, kinda like a clock. But, it was just so… big, and its mouth never moved when it talked. Its voice was coming from its tentacles, or somewhere else, I don’t know.”

Olive yawns, and stands up. “I wonder if anyone else had the same dream.” She looks to the three still sleeping, then smiles. “Nope. Probably not, huh? Dang. You wanna help me scrounge up some breakfast?”

By the time the two get back, everyone else has either gotten up or is in the process of getting up. Judith is a bit of a wreck, as wolfing-out, fighting, and running in the woods would drain even the most persistent of managerial staff. Leon is in the process of stoking the campfire back into its original state, and Azariah has gotten out his mandolin to pluck a few strings, given the downtime. Leon is the first to greet them as they return with a few pocketfuls of wild berries, greens, and a couple choice mushrooms that would do well over a fire (and not produce toxic smoke in the process). Olive gets to spearing the shrooms for roasting, and Cherry sits down to process the bounty. Leon leans over, shines one of the berries on his shirt, then pops it in his mouth.

“We need bigger water bottles,” he remarks. “I’m thirsty as hell.”

“Yeah. That would be a good idea.” Cherry pauses for a moment. “Hey, do you recall seeing a large, skull-faced, mountain-sized, tentacled being talking to you,” he attempts to mimic the voice, but ends up sounding more like a young teen trying out his first bout of dirty vocals, “like this in your dreams?”

Leon blinks. “No, Cherry. I haven’t. Why?”

“Well, Olive and I had the same dream last night. And that thing was in it. It told us that we had discovered our gifts, told us the names of the gifts, and then we woke up, since there were some other people there who weren’t supposed to be there.”

“Weren’t supposed to be there?”

“Yeah. Three people with gems in their eyes. The thing sounded like it wasn’t expecting them. And that it wasn’t pleased to see them, either.”

The Orc frowns, and thinks back to the encounter in Kiln. Didn’t a couple of those thugs have that going on? He swears they did. Never did learn their names. Hell, he thinks to himself, he doesn’t even know if they survived the concrete spill. What a massive shit show that was.

“What a massive shit show that was, huh?” He says, popping another handful of berries into his mouth. “Olive, you think your pals are on us now? The ones who held you hostage?”

“Huh?” She sticks the last mushroom skewer into the dirt, and sits down beside it. “Jules and Lucille? Yeah, they’re on us for sure now. Can’t see any reason they wouldn’t be.” She frowns. “Kinda sucks, they’re real cool too. Were really nice to me back in the day.”

“They aren’t nice anymore. You should kill that attitude before it ends up killing you.” Leon points a finger at her. “That vampire looked like he could rip someone in half.”

“I’d bet he’s done it before,” she comments.

Cherry peers his head around to Judith, who has silently joined the conversation. He offers her a couple berries, which she cautiously takes, and begins to chew on.

“How’d you sleep?” he asks her.

“Like I was dead,” she responds. “I haven’t done that in a while. Really puts you out of it. Are we having mushrooms?” Olive gives her a thumbs up from across the fire, and she grimaces. “I think my appreciation for them has gone down significantly since we met Davey.”

“Hey, do you have much control over your lycanthropy?” Cherry didn’t seem to mind the mushroom comment, much more interested in the fact that she could turn into a big, giant, scary wolf monster.

“Not really. You need more practice than I’ve bothered to put in. I prefer pushing pencils to pushing people’s shit in.”

“We knew that.” Leon snorts in the background, but it doesn’t deter Cherry from continuing to pry. “How come?”

“Would you want to have to repress the urge to turn into a big, slobbering, snarling dog-thing every time someone gets on your nerves?”

“Not really. Well, that blows. Guess it’s more cool in concept.”

“It’s not cool. It’s a curse. I don’t know why people can turn out this way, but they can, and I’m fucking unlucky enough to be one of them.” She runs her hand through her hair, undoing knots as she finds them. “No more questions, Cherry. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Cherry agrees, looking down at the forest floor. “Do you wanna hear about what happened to me and Olive?”

She motions for Leon to hand her one of the done mushroom skewers. “No.”

“It’s related to why she didn’t get shot earlier, we think.”

“My power’s called The Nerve!” Olive comments, mouth full of roasted mushroom.

Judith shakes her head. “That’s very cool, Olive. Can I just eat breakfast in peace, please? Shit.”

Cherry and Olive look at one another, realizing that they probably aren’t going to get much more out of her without making her angry. Well, more angry than she is now, which is still not fun to talk to. They look at Leon, who is busy attempting to roast some of the greens they gathered. Then, they turn to Azariah. The Hare looks up from his instrument and yawns loudly.

“Figured out more about your superpowers, I reckon?”

“I still don’t know what mine is, really, but I know its name!” Olive says.

“I heard. You two think that skull-thing will give me a visit sometime soon? I’d rather like to get it over and done with.”

“Well, have you figured out yours yet?” Cherry asks, getting a little excited at the prospect. In his head, he runs through a bunch of different options for the old miner— super strength, super vision (the heat-seeing kind, not the “see for miles kind”, but both would work), telekinesis… there’s just so many options, and all of them would work great for him.

“Nope,” he replies, plucking a few notes. “Don’t think so. Didn’t feel anything particularly super power-y when we were in that scuffle back in Kiln. Just kinda felt like I was panickin’, to be frank with you.”

Olive hums, and rubs her chin. “Well, if you weren’t there with me and Cherry, that’s a sure sign you haven’t found it out yet. Do you wanna start tryin’ some stuff?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

“While we’re walking, you mean,” Judith pipes in.

“Naturally. Wouldn’t wanna slow us down.”

Leon stands up, and starts stomping out the fire. “Speaking of that, we should keep moving. You’ll have to eat on the road, Azariah.”

The Hare sighs, and slings the mandolin back over his shoulder. “I’ll make do,” he says.

The group follows the dirt road to Fusillade, deep enough into the forest to not be seen, but not far enough in to not see the road. The breeze is at their backs, and it rustles the leaves of the trees every now and then.

“What do you wanna try first?” Cherry asks.

“Well, let’s see here,” Azariah says, tapping his cheek. “You said yours was pretty specific, and it seems like Olive’s is too, so I really couldn’t tell ya. I’m stumped.”

“But, it doesn’t have to be specific,” Olive chimes in. “I think? Mine doesn’t feel super specific. I can deflect bullets, I know that much, and that’s hardly like Cherry’s.”

Cherry raises his hand. “I just take things apart with my head. And I don’t even know if that’s all I can do. That’s not very specific.”

“Cherry, you happen to be the techie of the group, and you end up gettin’ the mechanically-relevant power,” the Hare laughs. “I’d call that pretty specific. So’s Olive’s, given all events and previous occupations.”

“When you put it that way,” he grumbles.

As the three talk behind them, Leon and Judith lead the group forward silently. Occasionally, they’ll look at one another, frown, then turn away— but, somewhere along the path, a black two-door zips by them on the road. She cocks her head to the side, and finds herself listening closely. Leon raises an eyebrow, and looks behind them. They hear the screech of brakes over the sound of conversation, and when they meet eyes once again, the panic is clear in both of their expressions.

“Into the woods right now,” Judith orders. “Someone just stopped on the road, and I’m not waiting to find out which of the three groups it is that’s on us.” She picks up her pace to a jog as she dives into the thicker wood. The rest of the group follows.

As Leon manages to catch up with her, he asks, “You know we’re going east now, right?”

“Shut up,” she retorts. “Just run, smartass.”

The Orc shrugs. A wheeze catches him, but he manages to keep it down as he and the rest of the group break towards the Fusillade Wyrm’s territory.

==============================================================

Blondie scoffs inside of his mask. The car’s stopped, and he’s shut off the engine to try and kill any sounds outside of the telltale rustle and shifting of frightened feet against underbrush. There are five, he notes; as he makes his way out of the car and between the trees, he counts the silhouettes, the way they move, their sizes. His long legs and thick boots make it easy to gain on them even through the forest, especially when his ears are washed with the sweet sound of medical troubles. The closer he gets, the more evident the orc’s breathing problem is becoming to him, the thick, but harsh breaths, like each one drags claws along the target’s throat.

Or how one of them is hunched, practically limping from what appears to be some kind of back pain. The shapes in the morning light make him think it’s a hare, or some other assorted type of rabbit-person he damn well doesn’t care to quantify beyond the profile. It’s plain to him as he continues his trek that the only one actually suited to escape him is a bird in blue, but based on the way she falls back to keep the distance between her and the ex-foreman short, her morals aren’t going to let her.

It’d be more interesting if she’d decided to ditch them, he muses as he retrieves his piece from its holster. At least then he’d have a real chase, but admittedly it isn’t the chase he’s after. A bit of fun on the job is all it takes to turn a job into an activity, a sport.

With his arm straight as a steel bar, he levels the gun toward the four silhouettes.

Four.

Bushes shift to his left and he spins on his heel, kicking up a menagerie of leaves as he fires off a shot. The thunderclap echoes, but the lightning doesn’t strike; the kid in the red jumpsuit isn’t even grazed by the bullet, and before he can question just how he could miss the pistol’s loader jams, and something heavy strikes his wrist. It only stings, but the force is enough to toss the Technician and the gun into a bush behind him.

Again he spins, this time to catch the haft of an axe mid-swing. A semi-professional swing too, he notes, and the blue jumpsuit corroborates. Security, or at least former security, an avian— an owl anthro. “You must be Olive,” he comments, and as her beak opens to yell, he cuts her off with a straight punch to her rib cage, dead in the center of mass. All of the air rushes out of her chest and it kills the sound, only to replace it with the creak of bone and, subsequently, the crash of a well-built warrior against a tree trunk.

When she stands back up, bleary eyed and trembling, he laughs. He drops the axe, then shakes his head. “Ho-ly shit. It’s true, then. You idiots really do have rocks in your bones. Normally that’d go through someone.”

As the axe hits the dirt, a gold and green blur of fury launches from between two trees to his left, and with a wild swing Leon digs his boot knife as deep as he can get it into the officer’s shoulder. Then he pulls it out in a wide arc and retreats to a low-stance, prepared as he could be for any incoming attacks.

Blondie hasn’t moved in the entire time, even as the owl runs past to pick her axe back up and then dart back into the bushes. He knows the strategy. It’s not hard to decipher. A couple of durable distractions while the others prepare something for him, and he supposes they might have it in their collective pea-brain to use his own piece against him. The prospect makes him chuckle again before he swings his hips and strikes the squatted orc with a heavy boot to the upper chest, right against his collarbone. His other foot stays stone still against the ground as though he’s punting a ball, and it sends Leon spiraling into the base of a nearby tree. Raising a gloved hand to check how bad his shoulder is bleeding, Blondie speaks in a low, amused tone. He’s fighting hard to keep himself from outright laughing as he says, “This is usually much, much quicker. I hope having stone-bones also dampens your sense of pain, too.”

His gaze runs coolly over the crumpled heap of an orc and the fearful shapes of the owl and whom he assumed to be the foreman in the shadows, only to settle on a very sorry shape. The hunched one, the dusty brown rabbit, all scarred up and obviously in pain. It’s easy to see in the watery shade of his dark eyes, the way his muscles all clench as though lifting far more weight than just a simple backpack. Beneath the mask, Blondie smiles as Azariah drops his backpack and attempts to stand straight.

It’s even more amusing when he sees the old bastard can’t even manage that, stuck in a half-slouch even when straining. “Alright, you big, ornery son of a bitch, I’ve been waitin’ for a long time to give you a taste of me,” Azariah rasps out, hands clenching into fists and raising up as he begins to slowly rock from one foot to the other, swaying not out of exhaustion but purpose. “For what you’ve done to my pals, for what you’ve done to every other worker you’ve squashed, for what you did to my lady!”

Blondie scoffs. “I don’t even know who you are.”

It’s not two less than swift elbow strikes to the body later that the officer sighs exasperatedly, unable to contain his own disappointment. With the typical revenge spiel one would expect a more vigorous fight from some runaway, but the dull sting of body blows offer nothing to him. The kicks offer more stimulation, striking him in the calves and thighs, unable to reach his torso partially due to height, but much more due to a certain lack of flexibility in the old fighter’s frame.

    It’s hard to move, and even harder to crouch low enough to duck a right hook from the beast he faces. He can’t stand tall enough to even reach his damned ribs with a good elbow, much less a kick. Azariah hurts. Joint pains are a given for a man like him, even more so back pains, but it feels like his body doesn’t want to move. When he’s punched in the side of the head and kisses the dirt harder than any of his awkward, stolen moments with Roxanne, every muscle in his body doesn’t want to pick him back up.

They don’t scream. The pain is too much to scream, but not loud enough; the hurt is intense, but it’s not as loud as his own body’s apathy. It wants to stay down. Every bone wants to settle into the soil beneath him. As the world swims around in his vision, the beautiful warmth of the leaves rolls to the forefront of his mind, and his skeleton longs for the earth and rock below.

Sound and sight return as his legs finally find the ground beneath themselves and his head finds the sky above it, returning to his slowly swaying stance. In his heyday, he recalls, he was much faster. He was so much faster. And no wolf gave him any gab in the ring, he made sure of that. 

As the muffled insult of a derisive snort reaches his ears, he spits nearly-black blood onto the leaves beneath them both. He doesn’t even know what the man said, or if he had said anything. He doesn’t know where anyone else is, doesn’t even know where he’s going to go if he wins. When he wins, he corrects himself.

“C’mon you big, blonde bitch, I got more in me than you can hand—”

 A big, blonde haymaker to the side of his head is what he gets before the words can finish leaving his mouth, and he spins hard enough to do a full cartwheel before he returns to his status as a pile of aging rabbit meat on the ground. As his bones start up the aching call to simply stop and let the monster win, leather-clad fingers grip his throat, a single mighty hand closing around his entire neck as its opposite grips tight on his hip to lift him high.

Cherry steps forward out of the bush, attempting to aim the cannon the acquisitions officer masquerades as a pistol, but the sheer weight makes his arms tremble. Well, the weight and the sight of Blondie holding the battered form of Azariah so high the tree branches threaten to skewer the old hare. His soft, pink eyes widen as he looks between his companions— the still crumpled form of the coughing, hacking Leon, Olive hiding behind the trees, and beside her the panting, panicked shape of Judith, a hand dug into her own hair threatening to burst into claws and tear her own scalp— and the officer.

“Let him— let him down or I shoot you. I don’t want to have to shoot you. Please, just set him back down,” he chokes out. He has to use both fingers for the trigger just to press it even a little, it’s going to take everything he has to try and fire it if he doesn’t listen. “I don’t want to shoot you, I don’t want to shoot anyone. Please.”

Azariah’s crooked body is yanked down into a raised knee, pressed down on two ends like the man’s splitting a log over his thigh. The crack that rings out is sickening, not because the breaking of a spine is loud, but because it isn’t supposed to be. Where there should be a pop, perhaps the muted, liquid snap of a strong series of bones, the movement elicits the harsh, shrill crunch of the wind tearing a branch from a tree during a storm.

    Blondie holds eye contact with Cherry as the young man screams, and he realizes it’s the only real sound there. Leon’ attempts at breathing are little more than the patter of leaves in the wind and he knows both Olive and Judith are trying to keep themselves silent, as though he couldn’t hear the mumbling murmurs of an anxious mess, as though he could not smell another wolf even beneath his mask. Cherry’s scream is very, very real, because it isn’t afraid, and it’s not pained. It’s angry.

He wonders if it’s anger over the Hare’s split spine or the flagrant, unfazed disregard for a plea to his humanity. Aiming to figure out which, he tosses the garbage body to the side, sending the limp form tumbling among the leaves and earning another raging yell from the Techie. The gun shakes even more between his fingers now, he sees. He supposes he was right on both accounts.

“Why?! You let us go before, you let me go before! You could’ve stopped us before, why—”

“You wouldn’t get it, kid.” Blondie stands up straighter, towering, unmoving in his spot. “Now gimme my gun, and I’ll make it quick.”

The response he gets is expected. He’s gotten it before. The twist of a youthful face into a hateful scowl, a grimace made up almost entirely of rage and sorrow. The gentle glint of betrayal in soft eyes. The pure, unadulterated offense taken when people’s lives are trivialized as no more than a matter of business. And the scream?

Cherry does scream, belting out a loud, “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU,” before he grips hard with both hands and manages to pull the heavy trigger back far enough to actually fire. It’s surprising, especially since it had jammed before it went into the bush with him. It makes sense that the kid would get it to work, though. The smart types always do pull out the dumbest shit in the worst situations.

It misses Blondie by a country mile, and the recoil slams the boxy form of the gun into Cherry’s nose, sending him back to the ground as the gun pirouettes back out of sight. It’s hard not to laugh as the man slowly walks over, heading not toward his weapon but the idiot that had tried to use it against him, passing by the orc, the panicking owl and the frankly repulsive display of a lycan.

Standing above Cherry, the officer lets out a sigh. “That bullet’s coming out of your paycheck. Actually, scratch that, I’ll send the bill to your loved ones,” he says, listless. “I can’t believe you idiots really wasted that five day head start. Makes sense that you’d also waste the opportunity to die peacefully.”

He bows his head to avoid the arc of a hand axe, twisting to rock Olive’s whole body with a solid hook to the shoulder, tossing her away again. It’s followed by a quick turn, and Leon receives a similar punch to his gut, putting him back down too. He only offers a glance to Judith. She hasn’t moved an inch. If she still has her gun, which he doubts, she hasn’t tried to pull it out. It’d make him laugh if it didn’t make him sad.

His cool, blue stare trails back to Cherry, who hasn’t stopped scowling, but the strike made it harder to focus on Blondie. Slowly, he raises a foot above the red uniform.

“You know, I bet it’ll be easy to clean your skull now that it’s product.”

“Best stop bein’ certain of much of anything, son,” another says, and before the officer can turn his head he’s greeted with the sanguine sting of someone’s shin connecting with the base of his skull, sending him headfirst into a nearby tree trunk. When the shadows creep at the edges of his vision and the warm colors of the world refuse to stop swirling, he uses the warm feel of his own blood to ground himself, and soon manages to stand back up.

Turning to face his enemy, he raises his hand to try and block the morning sun, now directly assaulting his vision through his mask. He rolls his shoulders, finding that uppity rabbit standing straighter than the trees around them. The bloodied smile on his face and a black fire in his eyes triggers a hateful glare from Blondie. “Don’t you go startin’ fights you can’t finish, puppy-dog,” he croons, narrowing his gaze.

Blondie turns to grab his gun from the bush nearby, but it’s not there. Looking around, he just barely manages to spot multicolored uniforms slinking away into the shadows of the deeper forest. When he takes a quick step to follow after and ignore that damned rabbit, Azariah doesn’t let him.

First comes a blisteringly fast kick to the back of his calf, seizing up the muscle and forcing him down onto one leg. An elbow strike crashes against the side of his head, smashing the glass eye-port on one side to give the Hare a good look at the intense, icy blue gaze beneath. Azariah’s too pumped to really care about the memories that face forces him to relive, too embroiled in his own adrenaline, the pure, unbridled rush.

With every strike landed, Blondie gets slower. His swinging punches look sluggish in his vision, and after Azariah manages to grab the back of his neck and pull him into a knee to the forehead, everything his opponent tries just whiffs without a sound. It’s just like he remembers back in the ring, back in the dusty, dirty, grimy fights with his pals. Big, lumbering fuckers with fangs and claws, thinking he’s easy pickings because he’s a hare.

As his mind returns to the fight at hand, he’s greeted with just that— a fist, in his face. The force sends him spinning back into the dirt again, and Blondie stands up with a panting huff, trying to recover some semblance of balance. He doesn’t have time to even shake his head before the Hare is back in his face, digging into his ribs, belly, head, and legs with devilishly precise kicks, elbows, and knees.   

When Blondie finally manages to dodge to the side in time to not be struck in the belly again, the hare’s knee collides with a tree trunk. It shatters the bark and splinters some of the wood, but Azariah bounces back fast, gripping his knee and hissing, belting out curses so fast that they spill together in the Acquisition Officer’s ears. His brow furrows beneath his mask, silently sizing Azariah up a second time. It’s not that he’s getting slow, because despite his lack of breath a few times, Blondie’s nowhere near winded. That damned rabbit just seems to get faster and faster.

If he was getting slower, then everything around them would be faster. The wind, the leaves, all of it would be getting faster and faster as he slows down, but that’s not happening.

Only that old fuck, that decrepit miner, is getting faster.

As he snuffles underneath his mask to ignore the smell of his own blood, the old man stretches and offers yet another incorrigible smile while saying, “I’m gonna make sure you remember me this time.” And then he surges forward, launched by one leg.

The sight of it reaches Blondie before the sound of the kick-off. The earth-clapping thump of Azariah’s foot against the ground only manages to work its way into his ears just before an orange-clad shin blasts the side of his jaw, and everything falls away.

When his eyes open again, the sun’s in a different spot. It’s higher than before, but not too high, maybe a couple hours’ difference at best. It’s enough to earn a gloved fist against the ground as Blondie stands to see nothing around him, aside from the sweet, rustic hues of the Eternal Autumn. Not even the Hare’s backpack is still there. His gun is gone. The others are gone.

Only in looking down does he realize there’s a hastily scrawled note stuck in his jacket’s breast pocket, tucked there to be hard to miss. In a low, monotone voice, he reads it aloud saying, “‘Y’all ain’t my kill,’ signed…”

Something deep and hot seizes him. He crushes the note between his fingers before he screams and punches a tree, sending cracks out in a wide spider web of destruction along the wooden trunk. He punches it again, and again, and again, and he keeps screaming until the sound deepens and his mask splits the metal and plastic ruined by the formation of a long, sharp maw covered in white fur and filled with pearly fangs. His punches become clawed swipes, and soon the tree has fallen in front of him.

When his breathing evens out again, he doesn’t bother shifting back. He doesn’t care that the sleeves of his coat only just barely wrap around muscles practically carved from the mountain rock, or that his boots were destroyed by the sudden development of claws sharp enough to gut pigs. Instead, Blondie turns his slavering muzzle toward a familiar, yet odd scent. It’s blood, but it’s not his blood, and it’s not the blood on the rag from before.

He knows this. Falling onto all fours he follows it to the source, a now dried glob of saliva, rock, and blood.

Hare blood.

Chapter End.

============================================================== 

[ Table of Contents ]

Blondie & The Smokestone March is © 2020-2022 Empty Mask. All Rights Reserved.

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Ask me stuff! Characters listed in the tags :)

100 OC Asks

Okay, so there are plenty of these out there but I just wanted to make one of my own! (That, and I’m high-key desperate for asks about my OCs lol) Just tag your OCs so people can ask you these!

1. What do they smell like?

2. What is their voice like?

3. What is their biggest motivator?

4. What is their most embarrassing memory?

5. How do they deal with/react to pain?

6. What do they like to wear?

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively?

8. What’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever eaten?

9. Describe the way that they sleep.

10. What is their favorite food/kind of food?

11. What do they feel most insecure about? 

12. How do they like to dress?

13. How do they react to feelings of guilt?

14. How do they react to/deal with betrayal?

15. What is their greatest achievement?

16. What are they like when they’ve gotten too little sleep?

17. What are they like when they’re drunk?

18. What kind of music do they enjoy?

19. Are they right or left handed?

20. Fears?

21. Favorite kind of weather?

22. Favorite color?

23. Do they collect anything?

24. Do they prefer either hot or cold weather more?

25. What is their eye color?

26. What is their race/ethnicity?

27. Hair color?

28. Are they happy where they are currently?

29. Are they a morning person?

30. Sunrise or sunset?

31. Are they more messy or more organized?

32. Pet peeves?

33. Do they own any objects of significant personal importance?

34. Least favorite food?

35. Least favorite color?

36. Least favorite smell?

37. When was the last time they cried?

38. Were they with anybody the last time they cried?

39. Tell us about one of the times they got injured?

40. Do they have any scars?

41. Do they struggle with any mental health issues?

42. Do they have any bad habits?

43. Why might someone dislike them?

44. Why might someone love them?

45. Do they believe in ghosts?

46. Is there anyone they would trust with their lives?

47. Are they romantically interested in anyone?

48. Are they dating/married to anyone?

49. Do they like surprises?

50. When is their birthday?

51. How do they usually celebrate their birthday?

52. Do they have any family?

53. Are they close to their family?

54. What is their MBTI type?

55. What is their zodiac sign?

56. What Hogwarts House would they be in?

57. What D&D alignment are they?

58. Do they ever have nightmares? If so, what about?

59. What are their views on death?

60. What is something that they’re sure to laugh at?

61. When bored, how do they pass time?

62. Do they enjoy being outside?

63. Do they have an accent?

64. Upon seeing a slice of chocolate cake, what is their first reaction?

65. If they knew they were going to die, what would they do/say?

66. How do they feel about sex?

67. What is their sexuality?

68. Do they become squeamish at the sight of blood?

69. Is there anything that they find really gross?

70. Which TV Trope(s) best describes them?

71. Do they enjoy helping people?

72. Are they allergic to anything?

73. Do they have a pet?

74. Are they quick to anger? What are they like when they loose their temper?

75. How patient are they?

76. Are they good at cooking?

77. Favorite insult? Do they insult people often?

78. How do they act when they’re particularly happy?

79. What do they do when they learn about other people’s fears?

80. Are they trustworthy?

81. Do they try to hide their emotions? Are they good at it?

82. Do they exercise regularly?

83. Are they comfortable with the way they look?

84. What are some physical features that they find attractive on people?

85. What kind of personalities do they find attractive?

86. Do they like sweet foods?

87. What is their age?

88. Are they tall or short or somewhere in between?

89. Do they wear glasses or contacts?

90. Do they consider themselves attractive?

91. What is their sense of humor like?

92. What mood are they most often in?

93. What kinds of things anger them?

94. Outlook on life?

95. What kind of things make them sad/depressed?

96. What is their greatest weakness?

97. What is the greatest strength?

98. Something that they regret?

99. Biggest accomplishment?

100. Create your own!

[hellas-himself]

Ch. 10 Home

Ch. 9

After the death of his father, Azriel is forced to go back to the one place he swore he’d never return to. But he finds himself quite literally face to face with his past, one that he had not let himself think of since he’d left.

.

.

.

.

I imagined that this was the first time in my entire life that I was happy to see that stupid ‘Welcome to Illyria’ sign. The snow was melting, leaving the ground a muddy mess. But the sun was going down and Elain would be getting off work any minute now. My job had interrupted our holiday, and Rhys apologized profusely. I had only been gone for a few days but it felt like I’d gone years without her. 

I had to admit, talking to her on the phone all night made me feel like a fucking teenager again. Getting pictures from her at all hours of the day was nice. Except for when I was in the middle of a meeting and she decided that it was a good time to model her new pajamas. Which were nothing more than scraps of satin and lace that covered nothing. I took many cold showers while I was away.

I parked the SUV beside her Oldsmobile and stepped out into the cold air. I grabbed my bag and after making sure she’d locked her car (which she had), I made my way upstairs.

Elain was setting food on the table when I opened the front door.

“You’re home,” she said and I closed the door, just in time to lift her up and spin her around when she ran to me. I let out a sigh of relief and just held her against me, realizing that I actually did feel like I was home.

“I missed you,” I said, setting my bag down. She giggled, tugging on my jacket for me to lean down and kiss her.

“I missed you, too. Now go wash up. I made your favorite.”

‘Your favorite’ was an understatement. It was like Christmas dinner all over again, except it was only the two of us.

“I know our Christmas ended while you were gone but… I wanted to finish it together.”

I already had food in my mouth so all I could do was nod.

“So when you’re done, we have a busy night.”

I raised a brow and she turned pink.

“That’s later,” she said. “I have a few things I want to do first.”

*

“Where are we going?” I asked, noticing that she was driving towards the more secluded part of Illyria.

“You’ll see.”

“There’s nothing out this way.”

“That you know of.”

Her smirk made me laugh. So I kept quiet, looking out the window although it was too dark to see much. But I recognized the neighborhood… I’d walked through it just weeks ago. I looked over at Elain who was humming to herself, as if she were oblivious to where we were.

When Elain drove off the road and onto dirt, she laughed at the expression on my face.

“I know where I’m going.”

“Are you sure?”

“Have a little faith in me.”

Elain parked the car and got out, waiting for me to join her. We held hands as she guided me through the dark. There were some lights from the neighboring houses, but they were too far to do much.

“A lot of things changed while you were gone,” she said. “But I think you’ll be happy.”

I wasn’t sure how to tell her that my father’s house was going to be coming up but then… it never did. There was nothing there save the trees that I remembered climbing as a kid.

“Wait here,” she said, letting me go to hurry on ahead. I shoved my hands in my pockets and tried to see what she was doing. She let out a little yelp which nearly gave me a heart attack but soon enough, the trees around me were illuminated with little white lights. I looked around until I saw Elain by what had been the garden. All that was left was the rocks that would surround the now dead flowers and the old wooden swing my stepmother had always hated but was not allowed to get rid of.

“Elain… What-” I didn’t really know what to say. She came to take my hand and bring me to sit with her on the swing. The last time I’d sat here, my mother had been there with me. I hadn’t even gone to live with Rhys yet.

“Lucien told me he was getting rid of everything… But your mom loved this here. So I asked him to make sure no one touched it.”

“You want to keep my mother’s garden?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t that get in the way of Lucien’s plans to build something here?”

She shook her head.

“He’s building something very special… And this garden, I’m going to take care of it. And show others how to do the same. Mothers with children who need somewhere safe to live.”

I looked out at the now barren expanse of land. It was large enough for many houses to be built on it with room to spare. To think that this place I’d considered hell would some day be someone’s safe haven…

“I don’t think there is a better end for this place.”

“Not an end. A new beginning.”

*

-The Following Winter-

 Rhys stood beside me, making sure his midnight blue wrap was secure.

“Azariah is going to wake up if you keep doing that,” I whispered. My brother glared at me which only made me chuckle. Rhys kept an arm beneath his son despite the wrap, using his other hand to shove me. A flash of the camera and we both found Emerie standing with a grin on her face. Great.

Music began to play, taking the attention off Rhys and I as Cassian and Nesta walked into the chapel. Then came Amren and Varian, Mor and Andromache. They were dressed in various shades of blue, their thick shawls courtesy of Viviane. Kallias had given us the tailored long coats we’d wear outside. Even Azariah had his own little version of the groomsmen’s outfit, just like Leyla, Lucien and Vassa’s daughter wore a dress similar to the bridesmaids. When her parents walked by, she began to cry and Lucien took her from Helion’s arms and carried her along with him.

“Shh,” Lucien said softly. “Auntie Ellie is coming now… Look, beti, there she is…”

My heart was in my throat. I watched as Feyre walked Elain down the aisle. Feyre in tears, and Elain… Rhys placed a hand on my shoulder. She was smiling beneath the veil, holding the bouquet of blue and white flowers she’d made herself. I had to remember to breathe. The dress was exactly as Elain had always wanted; vintage lace, long sleeves and a tulle skirt- I remembered that, and I smiled. How many times had she described her dream wedding to me, explaining the fabrics and flowers, even the way she wanted the weather to be like. And how many times had I saw myself in that dream, waiting for her at the altar?

I was crying by the time Feyre brought Elain to me, lifting the veil away from her face. Feyre put our hands together before going to stand with her sister and the others.

“God, you look beautiful,” I whispered.

Elain giggled. “Stop. You’re going to make me cry. Again.”

Everyone was seated and the priest began the ceremony. It was more for my parents, for tradition. A prayer was said, and then it was time for our vows. Elain breathed in and let it out slowly, giving me a big smile.

“I love you,” she whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand before taking my hands in hers. She brushed her thumbs over my scars, looking up at me. “I don’t think it’s a big secret to anyone that I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was in high school… writing your name with mine on my binder.”

Everyone laughed.

“But even before I fell so hopelessly in love with you, Az, every good thing life had to offer- I found it with you. My sisters and I found our family when we met you and your brothers. Your parents. I knew what it was to feel safe, to feel like I mattered.

“One day, the mistakes I’ve made won’t sting so much… But if we’re being honest, I would do it all again if it meant that I would find you after all that time. If it meant that I was going to be the lucky girl who gets to call you hers. I love you, Azriel.”

I was kissing her before I knew what I was doing. I could hear everyone laughing. But god, I didn’t care. I kissed her once more for good measure, eyeing the priest with the barest amount of shame I could muster. Elain blushed, and I took her hands in mine and cleared my throat. She had told me constantly the last few months that I wasn’t obligated to speak in front of everyone, that we could have done regular vows and get it over with. But… I owed it to her, to myself.

“El dia en que te conoci,” I said, not meaning to switch languages on her but I was so fucking nervous I couldn’t help it. “I was so confused as to why someone so… bright, so perfect, was doing talking to me. There was no pity in your eyes, no disgust. I was waiting for it, but it never came.

“You have always been my best friend, El. I spent all of my life hiding, pushing away everyone that I love. But when I’m with you, I don’t want to hide. I don’t have to. Eres el amor de mi vida, eres mi paz y mi luz. A veces pienso que esto es nada mas que un sueño pero es mi realidad. Te amo, con todo mi corazon, todo mi ser-”

The chapel was full of laughter as it was Elain who kissed me then, surprising me, even.

“You can’t do that to me,” she said, flustered. “Christ, Az.”

She cleared her throat, smoothing my jacket and apologized to the priest who already looked ready for the day to be over. With stupid grins on their faces, my parents presented us with el lazo; As padrinos, Feyre and Rhys were meant to do it, but we had all talked it over- giving my parents this moment meant everything. Elain and I participated in La Santa Cena, my mother came and gave us her blessing.

When we were pronounced marido y mujer, everyone started to cheer. Elain and I smiled at one another- this was real. We were married.

“Now, you may kiss the bride,” the priest said. We laughed, Elain letting go of my hands to take me by the lapels of my jacket, getting on her tiptoes to kiss me. I smiled, bringing my arms around her.

“I love you so much,” I said, tears still falling from my eyes.

She kissed me again. “I love you, too.”

*

-Two Summers Later-

Illyria in the summer was, simply put, hell. But we were only here for a few days while Elain settled business matters with the diner. The AC in the SUV was a godsend, especially considering how much ice cream I had in the passenger seat. I parked in my usual spot behind the diner, still not used to not seeing her Oldsmobile there. But considering things, her decision to sell it was smart. Her SUV was still something of a sight, Rhys and I both were considering trading ours to get that one.

I grabbed the bags and stepped out into the sweltering heat. I went through the diner, waving hello at Briar and Nuala. Cerridwen was there, mopping the floor by the back door. She simply waved and I apologized as I walked by and headed upstairs.

“I’m back!” I said as I put the tubs of ice cream in the freezer. I could hear the shower going, but Elain didn’t say anything. With a shrug, I went in search of Elain’s favorite bowl and spoon. The sprinkles and chocolate sauce that turned into a shell.

“Do you want cherries?” I asked but still nothing.

I walked to the bathroom door and knocked.

“El, are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she said but sounded far from alright. I tried the door and found it unlocked.

“I’m coming in,” I said and when she didn’t reply, I walked in.

When I pulled the curtain back, Elain was standing with her hands on the wall, head down. Her back to the water.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

The bathroom floor was wet, too, but she’d tossed her clothes on it.

“Don’t get mad,” she said. I sighed.

“You went to work, didn’t you?”

“I was bored!”

She looked at me and then cursed.

“You’re supposed to be on bedrest, El.”

“Yeah, well. I wanted cake and then someone ordered the-”

She winced and stopped talking.

“Come on, I’ll set you up in bed.”

She shook her head.

“We have to go.”

“What?”

“I kind of got carried away serving lunch and well… my water broke.”

There really wasn’t much left in life that scared me. But this… this definitely scared me. I stared at her and Elain had the nerve to laugh.

“Nuala helped me up here,” she said. “Cerridwen… helped clean up.”

I stepped back and looked down at the floor and then back at her. And then I ran. Out of the room, franticly looking for her bag. My bag. But they were at the house. In Velaris. Because she wasn’t supposed to be due for another two weeks and that was where her doctor was. In Velaris. Not here.

I was going through the drawers when Elain stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

“Just get my blue dress. The one you got me when we went to see your mom,” she said and went to sit on the bed. “My sandals are in the closet.”

“Elain… This isn’t… What do we do?”

“I called Feyre. She’s at the house getting our stuff. Doctor knows, Lucien called Madja.”

“Madja?” I knew she worked at the birth center here; it was where Vassa delivered Leyla. But it didn’t do anything to ease my worry. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

I brought her the dress and her body lotion. I massaged it into her skin while she talked. This was so ass backwards, I was supposed to be the one calming her down and-

“It’s fine, Az. Madja said by the time I get there, I’ll have a room.”

“How can it be fine?”

“Oh! Get my bikini top. The pretty pink one. I want to wear that in the pool.”

“They have a pool?”

She giggled before wincing again.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said again. “Help me get dressed.”

*

I brushed back Elain’s hair, tying it up the way she’d asked. She’d gone through two huge cups of ice and was waiting for her third before she went walking around the birth ward. Madja was still busy filling the pool.

“I should’ve stood in bed,” Elain said with a little whimper. I sighed.

“Your water would’ve just broken in bed,” I said. “She’s ready today.”

Elain made a whiney sound.

“Why do you have to be right?”

I laughed, kissing her forehead.

“Let’s go walk. Unless you’d rather dance.”

“I want this to be over.”

I helped her to her feet and took her hand.

“A walk it is,” I said.

When we made it back to the room after walking the entire ward, Rhys and Feyre were there. Elain started crying the moment she saw her sister.

“Come on,” Feyre said softly, guiding Elain to the bed while Rhys dragged me out of the room.

“What-”

“Cassian is with Nesta at the store. What does Elain want for the baby? There’s no way you guys are going to want to drive to Velaris from here.”

I cursed. The nursery was completely ready for her at the house. But the apartment? We’d done nothing but baby proof the electrical outlets. There were some clothes and boxes of diapers and wipes, but that was it.

“Bassinet,” Rhys said to Cassian on the phone. “They have car seats in their cars… I found a wrap in the diaper bag… We forgot her nursing pillow, grab one of those. And get Az some ibuprofen.”

Once he got off the phone with Cassian, Rhys hugged me tight, reassuring me that everything would be alright.

Our father was outside with Azariah when we went back to the room.

“Madja is checking her now,” he said. He kissed Azariah. “Te vienen a quitarte la falda.”

“Don’t say that,” Rhys snapped.

“Falda, papa, falda,” Azariah repeated and Rhys sighed.

Madja opened the door.

“Seven,” she said as we walked in.

Elain was leaning over one of the counters, Feyre massaging her back. She’d put on little black swim shorts and had taken the socks off. Feyre came over to me and kissed my cheek and went to go feed Azariah.

“Hey,” I said softly. I put my hands on her shoulders.

“I never got to eat my ice cream,” she said. I laughed.

“When she gets here, you can have all the ice cream you want.”

“Almost.”

“Almost,” I said, kissing her shoulder and began to massage her back. “You think you want to go in the pool?”

Elain nodded.

Once I was in my swimming trunks, I helped Elain into the pool. The water was warm and her sigh of relief was the first in hours. She sat against me, her back to my chest. Feyre had taken up photography ever since Azariah was born; when she wasn’t painting, she was taking pictures. Or as she was right now, taking video. Elain flipped her sister off but then laughed, even as a contraction hit.

Elain leaned over the pool edge to kiss Leyla and Azariah goodbye when Lucien’s parents came to pick them up. Once the baby was born and we were settled in, Rhys and Feyre would go stay with them. My parents were going to the apartment with Nesta and Cassian to help set things up. But I knew they’d all be here in the morning.

When her contractions started coming in more frequently, Madja asked if Elain wanted everyone out. She didn’t care. She told Feyre and Nesta what to get from the bag, where to put it. She sent Cassian and my dad to go get her Chinese food.

“By the time you get back,” she struggled to say. “She’ll be here.”

After some time, Elain squeezed on my hand and cursed so colorfully, even Feyre was surprised. But then, she let go of my hands.

“I can feel her,” she said and before I knew it, I saw blood in the water. Time seemed to stop as Elain pulled our daughter out of the water and placed her against her chest. She was weeping, her body trembling.

“She’s here,” she cried, turning enough so I could see her. Rhys hadn’t been exaggerating when he said he fell in love the second he saw Azariah. This was… I didn’t have words for this.

“You did it,” I managed to say, wrapping my arms around them both. “She’s here…”

While Madja took her weight and length and cleaned her up, Elain’s sisters and I got her into bed. Cleaned her up and got her comfortable. I helped her into her blue robe, thin enough to be comfortable in the summer, but enough for her to keep covered.

“Pretty thing,” Madja said as she approached me. “It’s time for you to meet your father.”

I knew I’d been afraid earlier but this… this was beyond anything I’d ever felt. Madja placed the baby in my arms, making sure I had her correctly before going to check on Elain. The baby was awake, and I smiled. She looked so pissed off to be here. Her hair was raven black, she had grey eyes and when I went to touch her face… I almost recoiled when I saw my scarred hand… But the baby didn’t make a sound. She just stared at me.

“Hello, Nephelle,” I said softly and I gently caressed her cheek. I kissed her forehead. This had to be what heaven smelled like. Rhys came over to have a look, and for once, he didn’t tease me for crying.

“She’s beautiful,” Rhys whispered.

Cassian and our father arrived with Elain’s food just as I’d handed Nephelle over to Feyre. While everyone doted on the baby, I went to sit beside Elain. We managed to eat half our plate before Feyre walked towards us.

“I think someone is getting hungry.”

Nesta brought the nursing pillow over and Feyre showed Elain how to comfortably nurse the baby. It took a few tries, but Elain and Nephelle managed it.

“You’re perfect,” I said, making Elain blush. She leaned into me when I touched her face. I kissed her, and then I kissed the top of the baby’s head.

“Doesn’t she smell so good?” Elain asked.

“Too good,” I said with a laugh.

Once she was done, she handed her to me to burp her. My mother came to put the mano de azabache on the baby, giving her a quick blessing.

“She’s falling asleep,” Elain said with a laugh.

I held her against my chest, leaning back slightly on the back. I could stay like this forever. Elain curled up beside me, falling asleep within seconds. After Feyre took pictures, everyone started to head out. Madja dimmed down the lights, and then introduced me to the nurse who would be coming around during the rest of the night.

And then, it was just me, my wife and our daughter. That I could even say that brought tears to my eyes. I held them just a little closer to me and said silent thanks to whoever, whatever was out there that this was real. This was my life.

*

I closed the trunk to the SUV and walked back into the diner. Elain was putting Nephelle into the carseat when I went back upstairs. All that was left was the diaper bag.

“I gave Nuala the key just in case. Cas will probably stay here whenever he’s in town but…” Elain waved her hands. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Is that everything?” I asked as I grabbed the bag and the carseat. Nephelle was already asleep.

“Yeah… I think so.”

I made to walk but stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

Elain shook her head. I set the bag and car seat down and went over to her. There were tears in her eyes.

“It’s not forever,” I said.

“I know,” she said. “But… I’ve never been gone so long.”

“The diner will be fine.”

“I know.”

“And your sisters will be closer. My parents will probably try to move in.”

She laughed.

“And our bed is so big, Nephelle can just sleep with us.”

“Thank god,” she said. She hated putting her in the bassinet. I had to convince her to sleep when the baby slept.  

“And when she’s a little bigger, we’ll come stay here. I’ll stay home and you can go back to running the diner to your heart’s content.”

Elain laughed and wrapped her arms around me.

“Fine… Let’s go. But I want to grab some food first.”

“Of course.”

I waited for her to get the lunch Nuala had packed us before we went to the car. Elain sat in the back with Nephelle. We stopped at Lucien’s to say goodbye and they sent us off with food and clothes for the baby. And then we were really leaving, driving through town. People waved at us as I drove by and when I saw the town sign, I stopped the car.

“What’s wrong?” Elain asked. I shook my head. I didn’t know.

This godforsaken town, I had hated it my entire life and yet… My daughter, the only person I loved more than my wife, was born here. Just like my mother had. My brothers. My parents. This is where I met Elain and where I married her.

“It’s not forever,” Elain said and I could hear the smile in her voice.

“I know, it’s just…”

Elain unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over, pressing a kiss on my cheek.

“When Nephelle is bigger, we’ll get pretty flowers and take her to visit your mom. We’ll show her all the places that we love.” She kissed me. “Now you get to show us what it’s like to call Velaris home.”

“Home is wherever I’m with you.”

“Even Illyria?” she asked.

I kissed her.

“Especially Illyria.”

 -Fin-

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beti- hindi for daughter

El dia en que te conoci - the day that I met you

Eres el amor de mi vida, eres mi paz y mi luz. - You’re the love of my life, you’re my peace and my light. 

A veces pienso que esto es nada mas que un sueño pero es mi realidad - Sometimes I think this is just a dream but it’s my reality. 

Te amo, con todo mi corazon, todo mi ser - I love you, with all my heart, with all my soul

el lazo- it’s like a huge rosary put on like a “lasso” around the couple during the wedding ceremony. 

padrinos- the “patrons” of the wedding aka maid of honor and best man kind of thing. 

La Santa Cena- the holy supper/the last supper where you do the whole wine and bread thing to rep jesus body. 

marido y mujer- man and wife

Te vienen a quitarte la falda - they’re coming to take your lap. it’s a saying that means a new baby is coming to take your place lol like there’s nothing quite like planting the seeds of jealousy young lmao its always said in a teasing manner but I know some uncles and aunts who’ve said it completely maliciously 

mano de azabache - gold bracelet with a black hand charm to protect our babies from the evil eye 

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Well! That’s that on this fic. I am so sorry it took so long to finish. But I hope I made it worth it. I loved writing this so much. My birthing experience sucked, so this is close to what I wanted before things went to hell in the hospital. My family was all up in the room it was wild but i’m glad for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my hallmark/Spanish novela ass elriel fic. lol 

@maastrash @dreamerforever-5 @fireheart-of-your-dreams

[rjlaurence]

Holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths Ananias, Azarias and Misael - Their wonderful story is told in the Book of Daniel, in which the coming of Christ is prophesied and prefigured in several places. Large portions of the book are missing from the protestant Bible: make every effort to obtain and read the full version. The Song of the Three Youths in the Furnace have become the Seventh and Eight of the Old Testament Odes of the Matins Canon; the Odes are sung in full only in monasteries during Lent. The Three Youths' sojourn in the fiery furnace is prominent in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox hymns and devotions, for their passage through the flames unharmed is a type of the holy Virgin's incorrupt birth-giving: receiving the divine Fire within her womb, she was not consumed but remained ever-virgin. According to the Synaxarion, Daniel reposed in peace at the age of eighty, two years after the return of the Hebrew people from their captivity in Babylon. The Three Youths also reposed in peace. But St Cyril of Alexandria writes that all of them met a martyr's end, by beheading. According to tradition these four were among the righteous dead who rose at Christ's Crucifixion and were seen by many (Matthew ch. 27). The Three Holy Youths were named, in Hebrew, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael; the names given above are Greek renderings of the Hebrew names. Their captors also gave them Babylonian names, by which they are also called: Shadrach, Abed-nego, and Meshak, respectively. Daniel was given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar. (at Yishun Vine Grove) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI7E3GTl-IdxhLUWFydYNXz6atO3a4HjK9se9U0/?igshid=1qujtd195dgsm

[believersloveourgod]

2 Chronicles Ch. 23

2 Chronicles Ch. 23

2 Chronicles 23:1-21 KJV [1] And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. [2] And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the…

[veale2006-blog]

The Road To The Anti-Christ, Part 5 October 8, 2019 In the last seven years before the rapture of the saints, there shall be a statue that comes to life, and cause many to fall from grace.  In the old testament, there also was a shadow picture of this in the time of Daniel, when Israel was in Babylon.  King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream during the night that troubled him. But when he woke up, he forgot what the dream was.

He called in his magicians and astrologers to tell him what the dream was, and to interpret the dream.  But they could not address it.  The following is what they said:  Dan 2:

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, norruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Let me pause.  Notice the excuses that the Chaldean astrologers and so called wise men are making.  They actually are setting the stage for Daniel, but don’t know it.

13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. 14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

Let me pause.  We better know the three friends of Daniel as Shatrat, Meshach, and Abindego.  

18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

Let me pause.  Daniel goes on to bless and thank Yehovah for revealing what the dream was, and what it meant.  Let’s jump to vs 24

24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wisemen of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.

Let me pause. Notice how a righteous man of God attempts to spare the lives of his potential enemies. He could have asked that the rest be killed first, and then he could have announced that he knew the dream. This will become important later.  

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

Let me pause. Notice how Daniel gives all the credit to Yehovah, and none to himself, even though he could have.  There are others that would take this opportunity to climb the social latter.  

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Let me pause. The head of gold stood for the nation of Babylon. Breast and arms of silver stood for the Medes and Persians.  The thighs of brass stood for the nation of Greece.  The legs of Iron stood for Rome, the western empire the right leg, and the eastern empire the left leg.which together have ten toes stood for the ten nations that will come about in the last days.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshifloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Let me pause. The stone stood for Yeshua, who will destroy the anti-Christ and the ten nations, and will begin His eternal reign on Earth 1,007 years after the rapture of the saints.

36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Ok, King Nebuchadnezzar had the dream, but afterwards got the big head, and had a statue of Gold made outside the city, for all people nearby in the kingdom to knell down and worship. This is a shadow picture of what will happen in the last days coming up in our lifetime.  We now go to

Daniel ch 3, starting with verse 1: 3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

Let me pause.  For what purpose, other than senseless vanity, would the king make a statue for people to bow down to and give worship?  He had nothing else better to do, or have done?    

6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

Let me pause.  These Chaldeans show how ungrateful and jealous they are.

These Jews that they are about to snitch on are the ones that took over their positions, which they had before the night of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

Let me pause. These jealous Chaldeans knew better than to accuse Daniel, else they could had their heads cut off, or thrown into the fire themselves.  But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not yet shown to have any divine favor with God as far as the king was concerned .  

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Let me pause.  The men that threw the three Hebrew men into the flames, died themselves, since the furnace was so very hot.  But the king gets a surprise, and makes the first mention of the son(singular) of God in the Bible.  

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

I have made reference to the fiery furnace for this 2nd reason. Only the saints go to paradise when they die.  everyone else, no matter how righteous they may have been, go to Hell.  But the story of the fiery furnace gives me hope that the righteous that die and go to Hell do not suffer as much as the evil ones that go there.  Just as Abraham said to Yehovah before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.  Shall the Judge of all the Earth do right?  Why give a righteous God fearing person, who did not know the truth of salvation, the same punishment as those that knowingly do evil?

As God could control how the heat of the flames affected each person, I hope that Yehovah would lessen, if not hold back completely, the torture of Hell’s fire accordingly, to the righteous that are sent there.

Therefore, I pray this prayer: Yehovah in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth, as it always has in Heaven.  I ask that you help those that want to know and follow the truth of salvation, so that they will not be subject to the white throne judgment, and likely thrown into the Lake of Fire. For those that make the first resurrection, the second death has no power over them.  This we pray in the name of Yeshua, the majestic Messiah, Amen.

Have a blessed day and week. May Yeshua the Messiah bless you, Love, Debbie

[jthouston912]

Courage

GM 🙏 ☀️Father, I’m here today with open hands and an open heart, ready to depend on you to help me through the day and all it will bring my way. Lord I now pray and ask for myself, family, relatives,friends, coworkers, fellow Christian’s and the non believers around the world this day, that You help us to face the uncertainties of this life with an undaunted spirit of courage and confidence. Courage to fight for what we believe in; courage to be unshakeable in our faith; courage to have the determination never to quit or give in when times are tough, in Jesus name Amen.

Courage!

Daily Scripture Reading 📖: 2nd Chronicles 15:7 (NIV), 7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Explanation and Importance: Azariah (was a prophet described 2nd Ch 15) encouraged the men of Judah to keep up the good work, “for your work will be rewarded.” This is an inspiration for us, too. Recognition and reward are great motivators that have two dimensions: (1) The temporal dimension. Living by God’s standards may result in acclaim here on earth. (2) The eternal dimension. Permanent recognition and reward will be given in the next life. Don’t be discouraged if you feel your faith in God is going unrewarded here on earth. The best rewards are not in this life but in the life to come.

@TheHomeyJH (Twitter)

[relamune]

Thinking about the Polycule's height difference....

Azariah is fucking TOL

[lordgodjehovahsway]

2 Kings 14: Amaziah Becomes The King Of Judah

 In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 

2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 

3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 

4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 

6 Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”

7 He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 

10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

11 Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 

12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 

13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubits long.

14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

15 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 

16 Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 

18 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

19 They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 

20 He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 

22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 

24 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. 

25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

26 The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. 

27 And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28 As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 

29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

[relamune]

thinking about the polycule once again today. Loving how their different dynamics are with each other.

- Dae having crackhead energy with them both which usually brings Azhaelyn out of her soft spoken, usually shy shell & Azariah constantly doting on them both.

- Azariah & Azhaelyn being those two close friends where people assume they're married but they're not.

- Azariah being the one that knows how to reign in Dae's rambunctious personality without muting him - Azhaelyn being the mother hen of the trio & constantly making sure the boys aren't overworking themselves & are taking care of themselves for ONCE

- Azariah often going on solo quests but always tries to bring back gifts for the other two (flowers for Azhaelyn usually, a snack for Dae .... usually)

- Dae often being the one to drag them out on spontaneous adventures or date nights

- Azariah begrudgingly admitting he cares for them both at seemingly random times has them both weak (hes legally obligated to never say ily)

[relamune]

once again i am having emotions over my polycule. cant get over how distrustful & suspicious Azariah was at first towards Azhaelyn (bc why should a demon hunter trust a warlock?) but for the most part kept his distance. If Dae trusted her that's fine but he wanted no part of it.

but now that he's interacted with her more & been around her more bc of Dae, he absolutely would (& has!) protected her from harm. Also come to find out, her hyperfixation on demonology is *very* helpful on how to do his job even better.

Azariah doesn't really understand the appeal of calling someone your "best friend" as he's never really been that close to anyone but aside from Dae himself, Azhaelyn would DEFINITELY be the closest thing he's had to a best friend.

[believersloveourgod]

2 Chronicles Ch. 15

2 Chronicles Ch. 15

2 Chronicles 15:1-19 KJV [1] And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: [2] And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. [3] Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a…