saga terra - judge of the haven - chapter xvii

8/2/2019 Saga Terra - Judge of the Haven - Chapter XVII

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Chapter XVII

The Edge of Muspelheim

The journey to the West Sahara Colony consumed the remainder of the week, with Judge

awaking the morning of Dolphina the Eighth to get out of bed and promptly head towards his

cabin‟s window to draw open the curtains, unhook the shutters, and pull them apart, providing

him a starboard view that consisted of the jetty alongside which the Lone Star had docked, not to

mention other vessels, most of which flew the mostly red and yellow banner of the Alfheiman

Kingdom of Hispania. An eastward view from the starboard window yielded the site of a West

Saharan settlement containing many warmly-colored sandstone constructions, with plenty of

narrow towers.

Judge clothed himself while the morning light illuminated his chamber, after which he shut the

window, exited into the halls of the Lone Star ‟s nether regions, and found his way to the messhall, where he breakfasted with his father. The Supreme General noted, “West Sahara at last.”

“West Sahara, indeed,” agreed Judge. “Today‟s the Sabbath, dad. You think we can find an Aesir church here?”

“Hispania is an Aesir nation, so I am certain there would at least be a cathedral here in Dakhla,

even though most of the natives likely worship with the Cult of Muspelheim. One must note,

however, that the more zealous Cult members sometimes love to persecute the Church of

Asgard.”

“I‟m willing to die for my faith, father.”

“As am I, son.”

After their morning repasts, the cervine father and son departed the Lone Star via a stairway

plank , with a sentinel in the Hispanian Foreign Legion inquiring in his native tongue, “Good

morning to you both! May I see some identification, please?”

“Um…” stammered the Elder Judge.

“He‟s just asking for our passports, dad,” his son translated, after whi ch both Buckses provided

their documentation.

“Very good,” noted the sentinel. “You both are clear. Stay safe here. You know how thoseMuspelheim zealots can get.”

“We‟ll try our best to stay safe,” assured Judge in Hispanian. “By the way, may where we f ind

an Aesir church?”



“Our Lady of Yggdrasil‟s Shadow is just a few blocks from the docks, young man,” noted the

soldier, providing simple directions. “You both have a good day, if luck is kind to you.”

“Thanks, sir,” bid Judge as he relayed the directions to his father and both began their walk to the

church.

***

The father and son reached the church in only a few minutes, unsurprised to notice a pair of

winged Aesir guards defending the large wooden doors serving as its entrance. Perhaps so it

could blend in with the remainder of the city of Dakhla, the cathedral appeared superficially

similar to the Muspelheim mosques that the Buckses had noticed during their trip here, with a

sandstone construction, square shape, bell tower protruding from its center, and minarets at its

corners. A queue formed at the church entrance given the Aesir soldiers‟ desire to confirm thatpotential parishioners actually belonged to the Aesir Church, with the father and son

understanding given their alleged persecution in this region of Terra.

Supreme General Bucks and his eldest son queued themselves, with the line moving steadily

towards the church entrance, and ultimately guiding them to the Aesir sentinels. One of them

inquired in Hispanian, “Do you both owe your allegiance to the Aesir Church?”

“Yes,” the father and son simultaneously affirmed.

“Anyone can make that claim,” suggested the other soldier. “Perhaps we‟ll give a little quiz on

the Aesir Bible.”

“A sound plan,” the first guard noted. “Alright, who was King Odin‟s first son?”

“Baldur,” both cervines simultaneously answered.

“Correct! Come on in!”

The winged sentinels opened their respective doors into Our Lady of Yggdrasil‟s Shadow, with

Supreme General Bucks and his eldest son entering through the doorway, after which the

soldiers shut the doors, likely to quiz the next potential parishioners about Aesir history as well.

The cathedral‟s interior appeared relatively similar to its exterior, with sandstone walls, albeit

inside adorned with portraits of various figures from Aesir history such as King Odin‟s deceased

issue. Many churchgoers conversed within the hallway separating the ingress doors from the

sanctuary, mostly in Hispanian, although a few seemed to talk in Arabian, the chief language of

most members of the Cult of Muspelheim and inhabitants of the vast Muspelheim Continent, and

a tongue with which neither Judge was overly familiar.

Hispanian and Aesir soldiers alike patrolled the halls that likely encircled the sanctuary, giving

both cervines assurance that today‟s service would be safe. Both then proceeded through the

doors held open by small wooden wedges leading into the sanctuary itself, at whose opposite end

was an altar containing seats on either side for the choir and musicians (the most prominent



instrument being a steel-piped organ), a large sandstone statue of King Odin, and a podium for

the preacher. The frames of the pews were sandstone as well, although they fortunately contained

gold cushioning, with the father and son sitting close to the front.

When the two o‟clock bell tolled, the red-garbed priest that the Younger Judge assumed was a

Cardinal stepped behind the podium and greeted in Hispanian, “Good morning!”

“Good morning,” echoed the congregation.

“In the name of King Odin we welcome each and every one of you to Our Lady of Yggdrasil‟sShadow, newcomers and returners alike, so we can praise God‟s name as His loyal servants and

do good works in His name. We don‟t have any important announcements this Luna‟s Day aside

from our continued recruitment of missionaries to bring the word of Odin across the Muspelheim

Continent and worship in peace with our brethren who follow this land‟s native religion. If youwould all please stand for the call to worship.”

Everybody stood, with the Younger Judge eying the bulletin he had picked up from a table in thehall before the sanctuary for the call to worship, which was the first item in the bulletin‟s

interior. The Cardinal began, “Let us praise the wondrous works of King Odin!”

“Our King above our own Kings!” the congregation chanted.

“Let us perform our own good works in His honor!”

“For good works are an easy path to a glorious afterlife!”

“For faith alone is not enough!”

“It is good and righteous to live a life of both loyal faith and good works in the name of King

Odin!”

“Our opening hymn,” continued the Cardinal, “is „Lord Odin at the Lakeshore.‟ If you all would

please stand.”

Judge was familiar with the hymn in Anglian and easily found it in the Hispanian hymnal, whose

songs contained an alphabetical order. He and his father stood, sharing the hymnal as the psalm

began:

Lord Odin, You have come to the lakeshore,

Looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones,

You only asked me to follow You humbly.

Then came the refrain:

My Lord, with Your eyes You have searched me,

Kindly smiling and speaking my name,



Now my boast is on the shoreline behind me,

By Your side I shall seek other seas.

The hymn continued for a few more stanzas before the Cardinal stated, “Please be seated.”

The parishioners complied. “Now let us pray. Dear Lord, we are thankful that we are able togather this morning in this land, and that your people are able to escape persecution wherever it

may exist in Terra. In Your name we pray, amen.”

“Amen,” echoed the congregation.

“Our second hymn,” indicated the Cardinal, “is „Great Is The Lord.‟ Let us sing.”

The musicians began playing again to start the next hymn:

Great is our Lord, He is holy and just,

By His power we trust in his love.Great is our Lord, He is faithful and true,

By His mercy He proves He is love.

Then came the chorus:

Great is our Lord, and worthy of glory!

Great is our Lord, and worthy of praise!

Great is our Lord!

Now lift up your voice!

Now lift up your voice!

Great is our Lord!

Great is our Lord!

“Amen!” praised the Cardinal after a few more stanzas terminated the hymn.

Afterward the Cardinal led the congregation in their recitation of the Aesir Creed, followed by

“Glory to the Father” and the collection of offerings, the Aesir Doxology following. Then came

the review of joys and concerns that the congregation had written out and contributed before the

service commenced (Supreme General Bucks and his son had not written any), with some

mentioning Babylonia‟s takeover of the Kuwayt Emirate. Birthdays and anniversaries were

among them as well, not to mention the birth of new children, with this part of the service taking

several minutes, what with the great volume of parishioners, although the Cardinal ultimately

came to the next prayer.

“Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that You bless Your loyal followers in all their endeavors, be

they helping the poor, helping the oppressed, and spreading Your word, and that whatever trials

may come in their way are but tests that they pass while they go onward as loyal soldiers of

Asgard, even if they are not officially with the Aesir Military. Give direction to those who have

lost their way, health to those who are sick, and encouragement to the discouraged. Even though



the people of Terra may follow different faiths, let us all seek a righteous path so we can all

ultimately walk in peace. Amen.”

After a moment of silent meditation, the Cardinal continued: “O wondrous Lord of Asgard, we

are all fortunate to worship in Your faith, and serve You to the best of our abilities, and thus give

us the strength to continue. Help us together solve the mysteries of Terra, not to mention theuniverse, so that we may become further enlightened and continue to spread Your word. Now

with the confidence to do so, let us all pray His Prayer.”

Lord Odin‟s Prayer followed, not to mention the scripture reading from the Aesir Bible, theCardinal stating, “Let us hear the word.”

On creation’s subsequent second day,

Completely cover Terra did water

With nary a shred of land or a bay

That Lord Odin could possibly temper.

Thus did he the altitude of the seas Decrease so that land beneath would appear

Devoid of life, inhabitants, disease

Although creation of life did draw near.

On land did Lord Odin make plant life sprout

To cover the lands of Terra in green

With many other colors strewn about

Unlike anything the cosmos had seen.

Thus passed creation’s secondary phase

With a few more to come creation days.

“This is the word of the Lord,” affirmed the Cardinal.

“Thanks be to God,” added the congregation.

“Amen. Today‟s sermon relates to our scripture reading, and concerns how best we can care for

our world in addition to its inhabitants. As the reading mentions, all plant life in our world is the

creation of Lord Odin, from the smallest blade of grass to Yggdrasil the World Tree. Now I am

certain many of you know how best to care for the grass in your yards, if you have any, by taking

the time to shorten it while still leaving its bases so it can continue to grow, without destroying

the grass. Grass that is too tall definitely has its disadvantages, such as shielding undesirable

things for view, such as cadavers, and we all know that murder in most faiths is a grave sin.

“All plant life, including grass, ultimately connects to Terra‟s World Tree, one of its roots

leading northward to the Sacred Realm of Asgard, providing our Gods the opportunity to listen

to the concerns and accomplishments of Terra, and thus in order to honor the Lords and Ladies

of Light, it is necessary that we at least maintain some sort of flora within the largest of our

cities, which often come in the form of gardens, yards, and parks, so that our Gods can listen to

our prayers and keep track of whatever lowly sinners may do, whether they fib or commit

grievous murders.



“While most faiths, such as our Aesir Church, not to mention our brethren in the Cult of

Muspelheim, value our various environments, there are some fellowships such as the Order of

the Nidhoggr that choose instead to gnaw and eradicate the wondrous flora of Terra, hence the

dark, decaying appearance of the nations across our world that they control. We should note that

one of the roots of Yggdrasil connects to the dark Empire of Niflheim on Terra‟s southernicecap, and that even in nations loyal to the Aesir Church, they are able to keep tabs on the

doings of most Terrans.

“One would wonder why members of the Nidhoggrian Order would seek to destroy the veryflora that would in theory allow them to keep tabs on the doings of inhabitants of their puppet

kingdoms, although the mysterious wraiths that serve the Order have great telepathic powers that

allow them to communicate quickly over vast distances, and thus transfer critical information to

the bureaucrats in Cocytus, the capital of the Niflheim Empire. The antarctic continent harboring

the center of the Empire is dark, cold, and devoid of flora aside from the root of Yggdrasil that

extends there, with the Holy Kingdom of Asgard, while its northern reaches are also devoid of

plant life, nonetheless having more flora towards its southern edges, and having greater concernfor the wilds of Terra.

“Asgard‟s own angelic warriors, the Einherjar, focus more on the protection of the HolyKingdom‟s borders as opposed to the Niflheim Empire‟s continuous hunger for expansion that

has led to the great wars at the end of the previous ages. The Great Demon War and the Great

Seraphim Purge devastated much of Terra, particularly in those territories controlled by the

Nidhoggr, with both conflicts‟ scars taking many millennia to vanish, although fortunately, that

time has been sufficient for flora to repopulate former domains of the Niflheim Empire, and for

the diverse faiths of Terra to take hold again. Some believe that another great war with Niflheim

is imminent, and be that the case, we must do our best to care for all of King Odin‟s glorious

creations so that our world can heal more easily from warfare.

“Let us pray. Dear Lord, let us care for Terra so that our living world may be healthy alongside

the paragon Aesir that worship in Your name, and that the wounds of strife and conflict do not

harshly devastate Terra. Amen.”

“Amen,” repeated the parishioners.

“Our closing hymn is „Odin Guide You Till We Meet Again.‟ Let us stand.”

The congregation stood, commencing the psalm:

Odin guide us till we meet again,

Let His counsel guide, uphold you,

With His veils securely fold you,

Odin guide us till we meet again.

Till we meet, till we meet,

Till we meet at Odin’s feet;



Till we meet, till we meet,

Odin guide us till we meet again.

After a few more stanzas and repetitions of the refrain, the hymn ended, the Cardinal bidding,

“Now for our benediction. Dear Father of Asgard, let Your counsels guide and uphold us until

we meet on the following Sabbath. In Your name we pray, amen.”

“Amen,” stated the congregation one final time to terminate the worship service, everyone

bidding their adieus to one another following the benediction.

The musicians played for a little longer as everyone made their egress, with Bucks and his son

finding the trip to the back of the sanctuary sluggish, although they ultimately reached the open

pair of doors and made their way through the entrance hallway. Some parishioners continued

conversations they had commenced within the sanctuary in the hallway, while those near the

egress to the entrance stairs and the streets of Dakhla gazed outside as though something of note

were occurring. The father of son being curious as to what caught the congregation‟s eyes, they

slowly found their way through the thick crowd and exited onto the front stairs.

Because of the wide stairway‟s diagonal disposition, Supreme General Bucks and the Younger

Judge could glimpse well what was happening upon the street parallel to the church‟ s façade.

Five white-clothed and turbaned West Saharans dark of fur, hair, and eyes were battling with

their scimitars drawn, among their chief antagonists being the pair of winged Aesir sentinels that

had tested their knowledge of the Aesir Bible, with the two fluttering their wings to avoid slashes

from the scimitars and retaliate with their own halberds. Several Hispanian Shore Patrolmen

drew their sabers and assisted the Holy Kingdom‟s soldiers, ultimately subduing the apparent

native West Saharans and getting them to kneel and drop their weapons.

As the combatants forced the West Saharans‟ arms behind their backs and cuffed them with rope,

an evident high-ranking naval officer dressed in a red, yellow, and white uniform with a black

hat containing golden feathering emerged from the observing crowd and lauded the victors in

Hispanian, “Nice work, men. Take them into custody.”

“Aye-aye, Admiral!” the Shore Patrolmen agreed, hauling their new prisoners away, although

the Aesir guards remained silent and returned to their positions by the church entrance doors.

“Nothing to see here,” the Admiral, who was a brown-haired, brown-eyed, light brown-skinned

seal, stated. “Keep calm and carry on, everybody.”

“He‟s an Admiral,” Judge the Younger told his father. “Dad, this could be your chance for a little

diplomacy.”

“Indeed, son, but you‟ll have to interpret for me, since I‟m not very well-versed in Hispanian.”

“No problem, dad.” Judge then approached the seal Admiral and alerted, “Um, sir?”

“Shoo, boy,” responded the Admiral. “I said there was nothing to see here.”



“Well, my father and I saw that there was.”

“Oh, and with whom may I be speaking?”

“The son of Judge Victor Hartford Bucks, the Supreme General of the Republic of Stellasolum.”

The Admiral laughed. “Then why am I speaking with you? I would much rather speak with him!

Don‟t worry, I speak Anglian.”

“That‟ll save me from interpreting, then,” noted Judge, telling his father, “He speaks Anglian,

dad.”

“Greetings,” saluted the Supreme General, exchanging a handshake with the Admiral. “I am…”

“Judge Victor Hartford Bucks, yes, your son told me,” replied the seal in Anglian. “I am Stefan

Pinnepedo, Rear Admiral of West Sahara. It is a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Did you say Pinnepedo?” wondered Judge.

“That‟s my last name, don‟t wear it out.”

“I met an Admiral Pinnepedo in the Aztec Empire.”

“Likely my cousin Solomon Pinnepedo. I also have an elder brother, Zacarias, who is Fleet

Admiral of Hispania‟s Navy.”

“Naval heritage aside,” stated the Supreme General, “I must ask if you are aware of the Empire

of Babylonia‟s invasion of the Kuwayt Emirate.”

“We are, and a small fleet from Hispania is already on its way to the Gulf of Persia.”

“Good to know. I suppose our work here is done.”

“As do I, Mr. Supreme General. I myself would love to participate in the liberation of Kuwayt,

but I am afraid my duties anchor me here to the West Sahara Colony.”

“That we understand, Admiral. I suppose this is farewell.”

“Me too. A fond farewell to you both.”

“To you too, Admiral.”

According to the clock tower topping Our Lady of Yggdrasil‟s Shadow, half past the third hour

had elapsed by the time the Supreme General and his son left Rear Admiral Pinnepedo behind on

the church stairsteps, the service having consumed all of the second hour. To the Lone Star the



father and son returned, its anchor rising so that the Supreme General could hopefully continue

his diplomacy along the coast of Muspelheim, and eventually, the adjacent Jotunheim Continent.

Once the Stellasoluman vessel had steered southward far enough from the West Saharan coast,

the Esper seamen began propelling it quickly through the Atlas Ocean.

Gazing northward from the aft deck of the vessel, Judge the Younger could notice that the city of Dakhla sat upon a peninsula, and that it sat at the edge of a rainforest that he knew was the Great

Sahara Jungle, with extensive sandy beaches bordering the coastline, which appeared devoid of

civilization for the next few hours, even when lunchtime approached. Only when the eleventh

hour of the day arrived did the jungle give way to a fortified naval base, with several vessels

flying a flag containing a golden downward-curving crescent blade above which stood a golden

star, all on a dark green field. The Younger Judge was well-aware that the crescent blade was a

symbol of the Cult of Muspelheim, and hoped this new nation would be peaceful.

Once one of the alien ships had sailed alongside the Lone Star , several white-turbaned and robed

sentinels from the country hopped aboard, their evident indistinguishable leader bowing and

bidding, “We bid you welcome to the Muspelheim Kingdom of Mauretania. We ask that you present your passports before we give you passage through our waters.”

“Certainly,” agreed Supreme General Bucks as he and his son presented their identification, with

the Mauretanian sentinels taking several minutes to verify the identity of everyone aboard.

Afterward, the leader of the soldiers noted to Bucks, “I see you are Supreme General of

Stellasolum. Is your arrival here a sign of aggression against Mauretania?”

“By all means, no! We are simply en route to the Emirate of Kuwayt, and along the way wish to

secure alliances with as many nations as possible to aid in its liberation.”

“Is that so? In that case, God be with you in your endeavor.”

“Would the Navy of Mauretania be willing to contribute perhaps a few ships to the liberationcause?”

“We shall pass on your offer, for we wish not to engage in any aggression against a fellow stateof Muspelheim.”

“We understand and respect your decision.”

“We do ask, however, that you not engage in any persecution of followers of the Cult of

Muspelheim, or else, you may find yourselves a new adversary in Mauretania.”

“We would never dare to think of persecuting people based on their religious beliefs.”

“Consider yourselves warned.”

“We will.”



“To make sure you don‟t pull anything against us, we shall remain aboard your ships as they sail

through our waters.”

“We accept that condition so long as you leave when we depart them, my good sir.”

“That we intend to do, Mr. Supreme General.”

“Very well,” concluded Bucks as he walked away.

“So,” began his son, hoping to strike up a casual conversation with the Mauretanian soldier, “you

follow the Muspelheim faith?”

“Indeed. Have you a problem with that?”

“No, sir! I myself am of the Aesir faith, and we are taught tolerance for other faiths!”

“What about the Order of the Nidhoggr? Has your religion not clashed with them in wars that

have nearly ravaged Terra?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So your religion is hypocritical, no?”

“We are not hypocrites, sir. Asgard has simply sought to quell Niflheim‟s aggression whenever

they threaten the other nations of Terra. Defending the world‟s people is hardly hypocrisy.”

“Would Asgar d respond in kind were members of the Cult of Muspelheim to engage in terrorism

against the Holy Kingdom?”

“Asgard has waged war with nations, not religions, sir. They have respected the Order of the Nidhoggr‟s right to exist, but not the right to force their faith upon others.”

“Has the Church of Asgard not forced its faith upon others during its existence, boy?”

“Asgard has encouraged others to convert to their faith, but not forced them. They have brought

civilization to people that might not have the benefit of civilized society.”

“Do you think yourselves morally superior to others because of your faith in Asgard?”

“Even though our values may differ, I do not consider myself morally superior to followers of other faiths.”

“I am glad to hear that, young man.”

The voyage along Mauretania‟s coastline consumed the rest of the Daylight Period, with most of



the Lone Star ‟s passengers retreating below deck when the twelfth hour arrived for dinner and

dessert, the Mauretanian sentinels appreciating the meal as well, giving Judge the hope that all

cultures of the world would eventually live in peace and unify against those who would dare

disturb it. He spent the day‟s remainder above deck, watching Sol set below the western horizon,

realizing that it was still likely daytime in Stellasolum. He knew that the Jotunheim Continent

drew near and definitely anticipated intermingling with another culture, a thought that gave himpeaceful rest.

saga terra - judge of the haven - chapter xvii

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