2 BAAL AND HIS PROPHETS

****

The people of Baal, the god of storm had gleefully shouted as a victorious sign which made other god vanquished. After a successful dominion in different places in the region, to make their pantheon well-known as true and living god, the head prophet signaled the people of Canaanites to gather in what so-called Temple of Baal to offer an enormous praise and tumultuous worship.

"For Baal!" the head prophet raised his glass to beckon the people for a toast of celebration.

"For Baal!" the people shouted in unison.

That night replete with festive dance and joyous thanksgiving, there was a bonfire in the middle of everyone and Canaanites women gracefully danced adjacent to the fire, forming a circle, wearing colorful and vibrant dresses which made them look like belly dancers. There were also young Canaanites who were playing various instruments on the right corner of the Temple which gave everyone the soothing emotion which corresponds the moment of great victory.

Together with the rhythm and beat which generated a magnificent and inviting music to everyone, the people of Baal continued to celebrate as they still shouted the name of their savior. Wine was served in all the table along with the various palatable dishes made perfectly for their people.

Smiles were everywhere and sadness was nowhere to be found. They were at ease, knowing that their foe will be defeated completely. Canaanites believed in one thing that their victory was led by Baal and everything in this earth was belong to them, or will be given unto them once Baal will be proclaimed god in all lands.

The captives, on the other hands, were locked in group in the tremendous, human-sized gcages made for them. While sitting on the ground, all of them were in the midst of great despair and begging for food to eat. The moment they were held captive, foods were denied, and so did the water. These people were thinking about certain things. First, how could they live longer in a place they barely know together with these people who treated them like an animal? Second, they just did what they had to do in order to live, in order to survive, murmuring a prayer to Jehovah, asking for his forgiveness. Third, when will these Canaanites give them food to thrive?

"Mama, I'm hungry!" one kid excruciatingly protested.

They were starving to death, and as a mother who heard your child asking for basic human need, it was obnoxiously irritating and that pain-induced situation demanded her role to locate food for her son.

"Hey! Can anyone give us a food?" she yelled, crying for desperation.

With the loud music and continuous noise they produced because of the celebration, her yell became a whisper to their ears. Her pale-stricken son wailed due to stomach upset making the parent vulnerable of losing her sanity because of her son's condition.

She forcefully yelled and snarled, nonetheless, just to save her son for his current suffering. When the boy bawled uncontrollably, other kids started to lament as well paving the way for massive hysteria. With the conjoined noise made by the children, of course necessarily to get someone's attention, a soldier urged to find where the noise was coming from.

He felt that there was noise produced by children crying, he believed it was a different sound created by the instrument. The Temple of Baal was far from the place where they imprisoned, reason why he needed more effort to scrutinize the entire place.

He ran over when he followed the noise and was awestruck when everyone was crying. The captives were trying to reach the man with their hands, and due to the uncharacteristic whine and simultaneous noise, he never understood any single word they uttered

"Food!"

Until, finally, he heard a word which was familiar to him. The captives were extremely famished as if they were dying soon not unless food will be given unto them. Apparently, the soldier scratched his head, lowered his eyes and heaved a heavy a sigh of discomfort. He didn't know what to do. He was in the midst of giving them foods without order or just ignores them at all.

"We're begging you! We need foods!"

"My son is dying, can give us something to eat."

"Please, help us! Children are dying."

"Help! Help! Help!"

****

"You know that this is not the end, right?" Kharel simply whispered to the Head Prophet admonishing his thought about an early celebration.

"Let's just give them the reason to celebrate." The Head Prophet smirked as he responded to his nihilistic companion.

"I am telling you, Elijah is still alive and he was powerful enough to kill us all, not to mention his God though."

"Elijah is nothing compared to his people. He is coward. He chose to hide instead of standing with his people during the invasion."

"I knew, he is planning for something. He is scheming something big, bigger that what you can think of."

"Are you that afraid Kharel, aren't you? Where is faith to Baal? Where is your love toward him?"

"It is not a question of faith, it is a question of preparedness. I know his capabilities, his power and if we will not be fully equipped about him, we would all die in tears and pain."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"We have to go after him. Before making his way to invade us, let's us make sure to capture him first and burn him to death."

"Excellent! I will summon the soldiers the day after tomorrow for that smart suggestion of yours?"

"The day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, you heard me, didn't you?"

"Every moment we spend to do nothing, the more time he has to prepare for his invasion. Don't you get it, do you?"

"What? Your insurmountable fear towards him? Yeah, I fully understand that you are afraid of him."

"I am not afraid."

"Your voice said the opposite Kharel."

Kharel halted talking and turned his back to the Head Prophet. He heaved a sigh of great disgust followed by looking to the horizon with his sharped eyes. He sipped a wine and went back to talking to the Head Prophet.

"If we will wait until the following days, I am more than certain, that we will lose inside of the battlefield."

"One versus all of us, why are you so sure that he could engulf our troops and be defeated by a single prophet?"

"Because, I know how powerful his God is."

"Why it seems like you know his God more than our god."

"I just knew it."

"You just knew it? That's all?"

The entire temple, along with the vicinity, was filled with continuous and loud noise, but the conversation was deafening enough to hear not any other noise but their voices. The Head master took a sip of wine of his glass while watching his people celebrating, while Kharel bit his tongue to displace his anger towards to the head Prophet.

"Our people need time to celebrate as much as they need time to rest Kharel. I could no longer command them to find Elijah tomorrow, knowing that they will be drunk to slumber."

"I hear you. But don't tell me I didn't warn you."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I find him myself and kill that prophet using my bare hands."

"You are not serious about this, are you?"

"I am. I will kill him."

Kharel left the table and his companions. Meanwhile, the head prophet contemplated of what he heard about him and began to worry. He stood up and drank his wine of the side of the platform in the Temple of Baal.

The night was still young; the moon together with the few stars in heaven witnessed the clamorous celebration of Canaanites. The wind was dancing with the tune of thanksgiving and the rhythm of adamant laughs. More and more wine was served to each table and the longer the party was, the more endurance the captives need to linger on.

"Head Prophet, the captives were making noise and begging for food." The soldier approached the head prophet to talk about the present issue, with his face filled with pity and mercy.

"Tell them to wait until the party is over."

"But Head Prophet, there're kids in the cages and most of them were lamenting for food. They were dying of famine."

"You heard me, right? No food until the party is over!" he reiterated.

The soldier lowered his face; fasten his gaze on the floor. Dejected as it may seem, he followed the order from the higher-up. He walked away from the platform and went back to his seat, wondering if the head prophet was too vicious toward to the captives.

"Are you okay?" the soldier who sat beside him asked him directly.

He just nodded. But he knew it in his heart that he needs to do something. He gulfed a glass of wine and wiped his mouth to clean it from the residue.

****

"Oh God, help us!" she uttered with so much humility."

When the soldier left them, unaware of the possible resolution, the Israelites started to pray like the usual way of sending orison to their God. They created circles, held each other hands and began to pray in unison.

They started by asking for forgiveness. They knew that everything went wrong, from the moment they were asked about who their god was to the fact that they need to lie in order to survive. They acknowledged their shortcomings and transgressions and viewed that situation as a way of punishing God for their decision and behavior.

"I know we have sinned against you and our volition to betray you is considered blasphemy. But please honor our plea because we are humbly coming into your presence and surrendering our lives to you. To die with God is more wonderful than to live with lies and worshipping another god. If you would kill us, which we all deserved because of what we did, spare our children. Let them live and be your disciples. Let them live and use them to glorify your name. Oh Jehovah, have mercy on us amen."

After uttering a prayer with profound sincerity, the soldier who happened to talk to them a while back brought food for everyone. He deliberately disobeyed the head prophet about his protocol and followed what his desire wants. His decision to help them resonates with his soul which created an enormous motivation to sneak in the kitchen and purloined foods necessary for the captives.

"Here, take all of these and eat!" he said in full conviction and kindness.

The Israelites took all the food and sent their deepest gratitude to the benevolent soldier who happened to be an instrument to help them, which was based on their single interpretation of God's work and providence.

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