Dogma of War (The Elven Prophecy Book 6) by Theophilus Monroe & Michael Anderle

Author:Theophilus Monroe & Michael Anderle [Monroe, Theophilus & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2021-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Brag’mok and I took three trips back and forth between the woods and the cave. We had enough wood to illuminate the cavern after I channeled a little magic to ignite the campfires we’d built. We’d need more wood eventually. For now, though, we were good. As good as we could be given the circumstances.

I sat down in front of one of the fires next to Layla and put my arm around her.

“How are you holding up?” Layla asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But I know I have to do better. I can’t let rage consume me like that again.”

“I’m glad you see that now,” Layla said. “Remember the last prophecy? The one given to the elves?”

I nodded. “We make our own destiny.”

Layla rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s still true, you know. All is not lost.”

“I don’t know if the people will follow me again. After what happened… After so many people died.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Layla said. “I think you need to give the people credit. A lot of people died, but a lot more survived to tell the tale. They know that it wasn’t you who killed all those people. It wasn’t you who fired the first shot.”

I sighed. “I don’t think a lot of people will be eager to protest the government again after that.”

“The government launched an attack on its own people,” Layla said. “If anything, the people have more reason than ever to protest the government.”

I shook my head. “But they won’t. They’ll be too afraid to resist, and I can’t blame them.”

“Only faith can overcome fear, Caspar. You just need to give the people something to believe in again.”

“No one should put their faith in me,” I said.

Layla smiled. “Then give them something bigger than you to put their faith in.”

I took a deep breath and stared at the fire. “Those flames, they’re almost hypnotizing.”

Layla nodded. “There’s something peaceful about a fire, isn’t there?”

“Earlier, I used fire to destroy. How can an element that has so much power to devastate also be so calming?”

“You could say the same thing of all the elements,” Layla said. “Water can kill. But we also need it to live.”

I was reminded of the duality of all things. “Air, too. We breathe it in. We need it to survive. But it can become a tornado or a hurricane.”

Layla rested her head on my shoulder. “All five elements are within you, Caspar. With such power comes both life and death. The power to wage war and also the power to heal.”

“I’ve spent my life preaching a message of peace and hope,” I said. “Now, I’m using the power I’ve been given to fight a war.”

“Why do you think you were the one chosen by the prophecy, Caspar?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve had to fight your demons,” Layla said.

I bit my lip. “When I drank, I was a monster. It wasn’t until I hit bottom, with a broken marriage and my ministry on the rocks, that I found the strength to overcome my addiction.

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