“So what’d you do today Balin? I was expecting to see you after your tutors this afternoon.” The hearty female stood in front of a stove stirring a large pot of stew. She was a chunky female with a curvy figure, she wore slightly tight and suggestive clothing, her hair was a burnt orange color tucked behind the longest and tightest pointed ears the very tips of which were pierced. The piercings were long and ornate made of iron and almost as long as her ears in entirety. Back to the female herself, every bit of her oozing sensuality and, somehow, Motherhood. She served up seven bowls to the table for the entire family. The only one who’d made it so far was Balin.
Balin wasn’t built like his Mother or anyone else in the family for that matter. He was slim, with a meek posture and short brown hair. Plus, unlike his Mother, his ears had never fully developed points. So, as a sign of rebellion he had his points split and pierced at the precipice of the split. No one really understood the decision, least of all his Mother, but they never questioned it. When he wasn’t sure what to say he typically played with the splits in his ears. Somewhat like now. Balin’s Mother took notice, “Something on your mind?” She asked over her shoulder.
He took a deep breath and just let it out. “Well, Mama I was on the edge of town listening to the Pixies speak.” He knew this was not going to end well.
His Mother was immediately irate and her hair began floating as well as getting brighter in color. “DAMN IT ALL BALIN!” The curvy woman slammed down a bowl and the serving spoon. “Those exiled creatures speak on the edge of town for a reason. They are against our creator and way of life. For hell’s sake, it’s their creator and what used to be their way of life! What were you thinking! Damn it! Why wouldn’t you just lie. I’d rather you lie about where you were than tell me that shit!”
Balin hung his head playing with the splits in his ears. “But Mama, I never want to lie. Especially not to you.”
Mama rolled her eyes, still clearly annoyed with Balin, her youngest son. “Here we go again with this Good Boy act”.
Balin grunted a bit, “Mama why is being good, such a bad thing?”
She walked up to Balin to look him in his eyes. Her bright yellow eyes flickering in the candlelight all around them. She spoke deliberately and forcefully, “Because boy, you know we worship Lucifer in this household and our creator made us to be agents of chaos. To do his bidding here on Earth. We were made to rebel against that strict overbearing God; that so cruelly put our creator out of his home.”
Balin continued to look down and away from his Mother’s gaze. Still fumbling with one of his ears, he rolled the piercing through his fingers. His Mother began to walk away as he mumbled under his breath, “That’s not how the Pixies explained it, and they said God created our creator. So shouldn’t we obey Him over any other?”
This statement may have been small but it enraged Balsin’s Mother more than anything else he could have said. The pots and pans began to clatter. The stove shook and began to levitate, then the candle lit fires in the room grew to enormous heights. Making the room thirty times brighter than it was seconds ago. Balin Mother began to emit a great deal of energy. Her bright orange hair took on hints of yellow and red, and turned to actual burning flames. She also began to float above the ground. Balin had only seen his Mother this angry once before. It had been about 146 years before today.
She screamed at the top of her lungs, it was like the sound of one hundred banshees yelling at once. The runes and symbols on the surrounding walls all began to glow as a forceful whirlwind surged throughout the dwelling. This was Mama showing flexing her powers, Lucifer given. “Balin Gandriell! I did not go through over 72 hours of birthing rights, and raise you as a devil fearing elf for five-hundred and two years for you to turn out like your damned exiled sister. We worship the devil in this household! We never go against the one that created us from hatred and envy! I will be fucking burned at the steak, like our witch sisters, before I allow God worship within my burrow."
While in the midst of his mother’s tirade Balin noticed that his three siblings and his father funneled into the eating area. They were laughing and calling Balin out as a traitor of their faith. They also belittled him as a failure of the family. They were adding fuel to the woman’s magical fire. Her scalps hair of flames grew in volume and in heat, beyond anything Balin had ever seen before. Pots, pans, and kitchen utensils cycloned around Balin beating him about his body as they whipped about. One heavy pan smacked Balin in his mouth. His family taunted him, saying that he was truly tainting the family’s bloodline.
Just as everything was reaching its peak, something in Balin awakened. A bright white glow emitted from his body. Two of his siblings gasped in disbelief, “A white lighter”. A great power, that was only ever whispered about in small gatherings, radiated through the youngest Gandriell. Every hair on his body stood straight up. As an image, that could only be described as wings, imprinted upon his back. Slowly the white light enveloped the flames and whirling cookware. The cooking appliances began to float back down to their proper places. Also, the stove ceased shaking and settled back into its place. Lastly, the hair that had turned into a giant ball of fire turned back into brightly colored hair and Balin’s mother returned to the ground.
Balin spoke with decisiveness, “Mama I love you for bringing me here and I wouldn’t change who I am for anything in the world. I just know in my heart that you are wrong about Aredhel. Everyone is, and she is right about the way we live, it’s wrong. We are wrong." Balin spoke loudly and clearly without yelling. His voice no longer trembled nor did it raise or change in pitch. “So if I cannot stay in your burrow because I will not commit the same mistakes and sins as our previous Elvin generations. Then I will leave to follow the one true God, the creator of Earth, sky, and even Lucifer himself. I will live to do good work. I will be good and together with Aredhel maybe one day we can vindicate this entire horrible family in the eyes of the Lord. The true Lord of all."
As quickly as the white light erupted from Balin, it began to dissipate. The bright blinding light resembling wings faded from Balin’s back. He then sat and summoned his belongings to him. His Mother spoke in a mocking tone, noticeably shaken by her son's spectacle. “So you are choosing to follow the path of the exile, Aredhel. Did that stupid bitch tell you that the so called creator of all you’re choosing to serve wouldn’t be pleased to see you using your powers. They were given by Lucifer and are considered a sin. Who’s to even say that bitch of a daughter will even want you. You’re weak even when you’re leaving! You could have …” She was cut off by the appearance of a cloaked figure in the doorway.
“No need to wonder Mama, I’m here to collect my dear little brother, Balin, from you.” A soft green glow emitted from the figure. She removed her hood to show the face to match the voice, with a wide defiant smile. “Mama, I do love you and our family. I always will. I honestly wish it weren’t only Balin who realized the wrong in our upbringing to follow Lucifer. I pray one day all of you will come with me, with us.” The entire family, except Balin, winced at the word pray as if it were the worst curse Aredhel could have spat at them. “Come Balin,” Aredhel waved him on toward her so they could leave. “We have to take our leave for now. Maybe in time we can come back and bring our family.”
Balin nodded, and followed his sister out of the burrow. They spoke in hushed tones as they left the town. Ugly disapproving faces glared at them as they walked through the road ways. “Balin I’m so happy you decided to come with me. I’m beyond grateful that one of the friends I made since accepting the Lord and his word, recognized our resemblance and called me over.” Aredhel smiled at her little brother. Although Balin barely noticed as walked through the sneering masses, roadside. His sister noticed the Balin was only seeing the disapproving faces, “Pay them no mind brother.”
He looked concerned, “But Aredhel, how can you be so calm when they’re like this.”
Aredhel stopped just short of the edge of town and turned looking back toward all the hateful glances. “Not only is it helpful that I’ve done all this once before, but God’s word even gives us advice on what to do in situations like this, but take a look at all of them,” she said as she took a deep breath and waved, as if displaying all the angry glares. “ What do you notice about our differences?”
Balin looked between those who looked at them and the look his sister had. He watched her face and responded, “You seem so at peace as opposed to them. They’re all so angry. How are you so relaxed and calm?”
Aredhel smiled a bit more, “God tells us to Love our enemies and to pray for them that persecute us. He also says that we should not seek vengeance for vengeance is His and His alone. Look at them little brother and know that these words are what give me my peace in the face of my adversaries.” She gave her full attention to Balin, “So those angry faces filled with jealousy and hate, have no power over me. I am happy, because God has given me a new heart. That allows me to love no matter what comes my way. I also now have the knowledge that He is always with me. Even now, as I walk through the lion’s den. I have peace knowing that God is on my side and orders my steps. They do not have that following the fallen angel. So, they harbor hatred and jealousy over that which is an ultimate good.” Aredhel took her brother’s hand to lead him toward his new life. “In time Balin you will have this peace too.”
The two could see the other waiting for them. Most were clearly part of the exiled pixie clans who were first to follow the one true Father God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. They had been exiled for five thousand years or more. They welcomed Aredhel and Balin with open arms and smiles. It felt as if Baliin were truly coming home for the first time. His sister, pulling ahead, urged Balin forward. “Come baby brother, you have so much to learn and I am in need of fellowship and prayer. My friends and I have been away on this mission for over a year. It is time for us to head home.
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