The Journey to Elim, Part Two: “A Conflict in the Desert of Shur!”

Moses lifted his staff and began to pray. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling the presence of God within him.

He spoke the words that Yahweh had taught him; sacred words that could summon lightning, hail, and earthquakes; ancient words of Faith, Strength, and Power.

He felt his staff vibrate, and he knew that his prayer had been heard.

Beside him stood Ezrae, holding his hands and staff up to the sky. He chanted along with Moses, their voices melding together in a beautiful, yet slightly eerie melody.

It was a song of protection, a shield against evil spirits, and curses. He felt the power of his forefathers flow through him, and he knew that they were ready to face any danger.

Behemoth charged at them, roaring with fury. Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of teeth as long as spears, and sharper than the sharpest blade.

Its claws dug into the sand, leaving deep furrows that steamed with heat. Its eyes glowed with a raging red light, as if they were filled with boiling blood.

But as Behemoth reached them, a blinding light flashed from Moses' staff, and a wave of power emanated from Ezrae's voice. Behemoth stumbled and fell, stunned by the divine magic that struck it directly between the eyes.

Its eyes dulled, rolling into the back of its head; and its body shook with involuntary spasms. It tried to move, but it was too weak to do so. It had never encountered such powerful blessings before, and it was caught off guard.

Moses and Ezrae approached Behemoth cautiously, their eyes fixed on its writhing form. They knew that it was not dead yet, and that they had to be careful not to provoke it further.

As they drew closer, they saw that Behemoth was severely wounded. Its scales had been cracked by the force of their magic, and its breathing was labored, its heart racing.

The Israelites rejoiced at the sight of the fallen Behemoth. They praised God and the power of their leaders, and they thanked them for saving them from certain doom.

But their celebration was short-lived. Behemoth began to stagger to his feet, the wounds on his chitinous armor healing shut, with a steaming hiss.

His eyes began to glow even more furiously than before, and he feared up on his hind legs, inhaling a massive amount of air.

The Israelites staggered as the air around them was pulled into the Behemoth's lungs. They could see fire beginning to well up in his mouth, magma dripping from between his teeth like some kind of terrifying form of drool.

Realization dawned on those closest to the beast, and many fell to the ground, begging Yahweh for help, for mercy, and for a quick and painless death.

Amongst their frantic prayers, a piercing sound cracked through the air. They heard a deafening roar from the sky, which vibrated them down to their bones.

The sky darkened, and Ezrae, Moses, and the other Israelites looked up to see a massive, monstrous bird descending upon them; their jaws dropping in awe.

It was Ziz, the king of birds; Lord of the Skies; yet another creature of myth and legend. As this realization dawned on Ezrae, he couldn't help but smile as widely as he ever had in his life, unleashing whoops and tips of glee into the air.

In one day, he had witnessed 2 different legends… Mythological creatures that aren't supposed to exist outside of stories… And, he got to experience it with his own two eyes!

In legend, Ziz was said to be even larger than Behemoth, with wings that spanned the horizon and feathers that shone like the sun. It was a creature of divine wrath & mercy; a symbol of God's power and majesty.

All of these things proved true as Ziz swooped down upon Behemoth, talons bared, and beak ready to strike. It circled around the massive beast, taunting him with its cries.

Behemoth changed his target, shifting his attention from the Israelites, to the Massive Bird. Ziz lunged at Behemoth, digging its talons deep into his flesh.

Behemoth roared in pain, and unleashed his fiery breath upon Ziz, burning the flying Titan deep in its chest, and right wing. Ziz retaliated, screeching like a banshee into the air, as lightning struck from the clear blue sky, striking Behemoth directly on the head.

Behemoth let out a slightly pathetic, and extremely pained cry, falling to the ground, and bleeding heavily; but breathing even heavier.

The voice of God shook the earth, as it boomed from the clouds, saying "The Children of Israel shall not be harmed by beasts of the Land, Air, Or Sea; so says Yahweh."

Another screech ripped through the air from Ziz, as it again lunged for Behemoth, tearing at it with its talons, gripping it like an eagle grabs a mouse. Ziz lifted Behemoth into the air; his blood pouring from the skies like rain; and carried him away like a trophy.

The Israelites watched in awe as Ziz disappeared into the distance, Behemoth dangling from its claws. They knew that they had witnessed a miracle, a battle of titans that few people had ever seen.

They knew that God was with them, and that they would be protected on their journey. Once again, they burst out in praise, songs of worship, dance, and yells of glee and glory.

Yahweh told Moses it was safe to camp where they were, and the next day, they would come to a beautiful Oasis named Elim; where there would be 12 Springs of Pure Water, 70 Palm Trees, and resting creatures for meat and cloth.

Moses passed along the messages, and the Israelites did as they were told; reaching the Oasis of Elim; a beautiful, verdant haven in the midst of the wilderness.

They drank from its waters, ate from its fruit trees, and rested in its shade. They hunted, cleaned, and sacrificed the wildlife; according to the Torah.

For 2 weeks after the battle, due to the backlash of using their blessings to such an extent, Ezrae and Moses had to be tended to by the Israelite healers. So deep was their fatigue, that yet another week was spent in Elim, for a total of three; to ensure they were strong enough to travel.

For 3 weeks the Israelites prepared, rested, and fellowshipped; before heading out into the Desert of Sin. However, on the final night in Elim, Ezrae once again called the children around his campfire.

He hadn't been strong enough to use his blessing and tell any stories since they had arrived at Elim, and he wanted to give them a treat before they headed into yet another treacherous desert territory.

The children sat around the campfire and watched, as Ezrae raised his staff and began to speak once more; the initials on the staff lighting up, and the fire roaring to life, to accompany his tale.

"Last we left off… Father Yahweh had just told Adam to rest, on what would be the night before they got back to Kori. Perhaps we should talk about what she was doing, that whole time…