Kendra Part 5 & 6

“I led men against the ravening hordes, they called me a hero. I long again for those days.”

“I fear for you Kendra,” she touched his side, “seeing the wound you received from Cephrasi made me realise that you could easily die, you are no good to me as a spirit.”

“You worry too much Salinas, being in the Bosom bores me. Guarding with my father is better, but I long for songs of victory over common enemies; maybe even long for the hunt of beasts gone mad.”

“That is one thing that does not enamour me to you Kendra, your violent nature.” She turned from him slightly.

“But that is how I met you, don’t you remember, on the road to Sikasin, you and your family were being attacked by brigands. There were thirty of them and your father and brother were falling beneath their blows. I drove them off with an ox goad, not a scratch on me.” In his minds eye he saw himself with an ox goad beating the brigands. He began to smile.

“Yes, and we were grateful, you were so strong and handsome. We were thought of as tall in our village, but you were taller and stronger.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards himself, “As my father took a wife among the daughters of men, so his son took you to wife, and you made me glad. But I will not sit at peace while evil men roam the earth oppressing the innocent.”

“Very noble of you,” she smiled, “now peel the apples, tonight we are having pie for after tea. Anyway, I thought all the evil men had died in the flood?”

“Hrumph,” grunted Kendra as he picked up the apple knife.

Mankind again started to flourish on the earth. The land was green with vegetation and creatures again walked and crawled upon its surface.

There was a righteous man who loved God. He was extremely wealthy in cattle and flocks. His name was Job. He had seven sons and three daughters and was well respected in his community. When his children celebrated and partied, in case they had sinned, he would sacrifice a bull to God to atone for them.

One day Satan, who had been roaming throughout the earth, came into the presence of God. Kendra was watching while his father also presented himself. He also saw Cephras there.

“Have you seen my servant Job? There is no one more righteous than he. See how he loves me and honours me,” said God.

“He only honours you because you have blessed him. If you took away his wealth and his blessings then he would curse you,” replied Satan.

“Very well then you may take away his wealth and his blessings, but do not harm his body, or take away his life.”

Then Job, for no reason he could think of, was blighted. His children were celebrating together, there was a violent wind and the building fell down. They were killed. 

Sabeans came, stole his donkeys and oxen then killed the servants watching over them. Chaldeans came and took his camels and killed his servants watching over them. Fire came from heaven killed his sheep and the servants watching over them.

Job tore his robes and he made himself bald, then fell to the floor and worshipped God. He did not say that God had done him wrong.

Kendra listened to some of the conversations between Job and his friends and wondered how the Lord could have allowed such misfortune to come upon such a godly man. Then he mused to himself, “If even a godly man is not safe from the Evil One, then how is a half angel expected to fare.”

After this time Kendra took to brooding in lonely places, away from the sight of men, but never away from those that guarded him in the spiritual realm.

Men lived in family and tribal groups and they had no sojourn against the whims of the wild beasts of the land, giant lizards, crocodiles, big cats, wolves. Some were peaceful, but others hunted and killed man. Large creatures would lean on houses and crush them.

Shem was still alive, five hundred years after the flood. He was a righteous man, the leader of his people, well respected and honoured. He would judge the people with his sons at Salem.

There was a time when people were afraid to leave their houses because of the skulking pictures. So the people came to hear Shem’s pronouncement.

“We must come together,” he said, “with weapons, to drive the Leviathan and the Behemoth from our midst. Let each head of family commission weapons to be made to kill the giant beasts and drive them from our land.”

For a while the creatures were driven from their lairs, but as soon as they multiplied and outgrew their spawning grounds they hunted men again.

Similar things happened in other parts of the world. People would band together, drive the hunters away but they would eventually return.

“We need to do something else, this is an endless cycle,” said the man.

“What about asking Nimr?”

Nimr was a black man, beautiful in stature and form, but his eyes held a darkness that was more than his natural colouring. Other men enjoyed his company. He was bold and fierce and instilled loyalty in those who were held under his sway. By his side he kept a pair of leopards that he had tamed and used for the hunt.

He was resting under a willow tree when the elders came to see him. “What can we do?” asked Plebin the oldest if the elders. “We drive the beasts away but still they return and hunt us.” Looking at Nimr he was hoping for some kind of response.

Nimr continued in a restful position and spoke with his eyes closed, “We must turn the hunters into the hunted. No longer should we kill them and drive them to their homelands, but we should hunt them and destroy them completely, so they are no more.”

Kendra Part 3 & 4

Cephras looked at his son, cowering in a damp hole in the ground. They had known that God would keep His word and flood the whole planet. Cephras had wanted to save his son and his wife. They had built no Ark, but there were underground caves that could be made to be watertight, away from the raging torrents of the deep. They had food to eat and the light of glowing creatures to live by. Cephras could pass through the walls of the cave, he could travel between heaven and earth, but his son was dead to such things. His son would have to survive until the waters subsided.

“Father, how long do we have to be here?” cried his son, in anguish of spirit knowing full well that at his father’s whim he could die here.

Cephras stared at his offspring, “Maybe until the Sun has had its full cycle. Three hundred days.” The evil angel seemed to show little emotion.

“That long. I do not have enough food or water to survive that long. What are we to do?” Cephrasi hit a rock in anger breaking his skin slightly. It calmed him a little, brought clarity to his mind.

“There is enough food for one, I made sure of that.” He stood back and looked at the pile of provisions heaped near the back of the cave.

Cephrasi looked at his wife who was washing her hair in a pond. He caught her by the neck and forced her face into the water. She struggled for a minute. “Now I shall survive,” he whispered.

His father looked on. “Yes my son, you have enough food now.”

Kendra had stayed at home for a year until the waters had subsided. He decided to travel to the earth to see what it was like. He appeared in the sea and could see a mountain top with the ark on. There was still the smell of animals, but at least it was not raining. The door was open and a lot of creatures could be seen swarming around the mountain. Noah was there with his wife and one of his sons. They had just eaten a meal and were chatting, warmed by the Sun.

He swam to the mountain island, other peaks could be seen in the mountain range all popping their heads above the surface of the water. Kendra could see the remains of seeds scattered by Noah and his sons to feed those animals that ate grain. Hunters were fishing in the sea, the bear, the wild cat, and the tiger. Kendra was amazed that none of the animals had eaten each other. He could also see an altar upon which animals had been sacrificed. A cat nudged itself against his leg, he bent to stroke it. It reminded him of a cat he had many years ago. Soon, he thought, soon there will be enough men upon the earth to tend and train its wilderness, to bring to life the fruit and fauna so lacking at the moment.

He saw one of Noah’s sons, who had separated himself from the others. The son looked mean and bitter, he was using a stick to drive the animals he came across from his path. Then he sat on a stone, spitting curses.

Kendra bobbed down and listened.

“...curse me does he because I saw him in his nakedness and told my brethren. He’ll see, I’ll break the curse and make my brothers serve me instead...”

The Nephilim realised that there must have been some kind of argument and was turning to leave when he saw three angels looking at him.

“Why are you here Nephilim? What is your purpose? asked the lead angel who stood at about 7 foot, clothed in silver raiment and holding a bronze coloured spear.

“I was just seeing how Noah and his family were doing after their ordeal.” He was stunned and his lips dried a little, being put on the spot by one of his father’s own.

“You have not been assigned the duty to guard them, you do not need to be here,” said the second angel.

“It would be well with you if you stayed in the bosom, until more of the earth is revealed,” said the third angel.

Kendra looked away then back again before he concentrated and then was back in the Bosom.

Time passed. He lived happily with his wife but he was bored. He had liked the freedom he could have on the earth, he missed it. There was peace in the Bosom but no excitement. Everything was calm and ordered there was no strife. Kendra longed for the time when he was a hero, when he led men in battle. How his heart sang when he surveyed his mighty men charging at full speed towards their foe. The many footfalls forcing dust from the dry earth into the air around their feet, a storm of death.

“Why do you ponder so Kendra?” asked Salinas, she looked concerned because he was quiet and ponderous.

He splayed his hands out on the roughly hewn table and stretched slightly, “I think of fights of old and my part in them.”

“Most men would long to have what you have, peace, a wife, land to grow and produce on.”

“But I get bored Salinas. This is why I help my father with his guard duties.” He leaned back on his chair slightly to look her in the eye.

“But being a guardian is dangerous. Especially when there are others more powerful than you,” she pointed at him with her sword-like finger, “who would kill you as look at you.”

He looked away from her not wanting a confrontation and hoping for a little sympathy from the woman he loved. “I long for more time on the earth, a time of greatness and bold deeds.”

“You can take the hero out of the fight but you cannot take the fight out of the hero.” That sounded like a quote from somewhere she thought.

Romancing the Drone part 15

What can I do for you?”

“I need some long johns,” explained Arthur.

“Being up at 30,000 feet too cold for you?” asked the proprietor.

“How did you know we were up that high?” inquired Sid.

“I saw you approaching over the Baltic Sea on my radar.”

“Radar?”

“I am a Britannic agent. You’re lucky you came to me and not the fishmonger down the road, he’s a Varangian spy.”

“Does he sell long johns?” asked Arthur.

“No, fish.”

“Well I would hardly likely go to a fishmonger to buy my long johns.”

“You would do if you didn’t want to freeze at 30,000 feet,” replied the shop owner.

“I thought he was called the proprietor?” Sid wondered.

“He is both,” said I.

“ooOOoo, had too much caffeine today?” noted Sid of the Author as he burbled a little.

“Do you want some Alka Seltzer for your burbling?” asked the shop owner.

“Naw,” said Sid, “I’ll just stop taking the mickey out of the Author  and it should go soon after that.”

Sid’s burbling stopped.

Just then Arthur got a text.

“Who’s it from?” wondered Sid.

“It is from Arianne, she said she loves me.”

“Aww,” cooed Sid, “well it is the romance dimension after all and she did get a stronger prescription.”

“Something to do with him being difficult to live with,” mentioned the proprietor.

“Does everyone know about that,” grumped Arthur.

“Maybe,” said the proprietor, “I got an email with it in this morning.”

Kendra Part 1 and 2

The sky was black, the rain was endless. As far as one could see there was water, and rain, endless rain. Splashing up and down, the boat surfed through the water. It was a large structure, 75 feet wide, 200 foot long and 45 foot high covered in black pitch. If one could smell the boat from the water, it would reek of animal dung. But there was no one to see or smell the boat, except Kendra. Kendra stood upon the ark looking at the roughly worked wood of the roof. It had been moving through the water for twenty-one days now and the roof was treacherous to walk on. Still he wanted a change from the endless peace of the Bosom. The large man was soaked from his long raven black ringlets through his pale grey robe to his sandals.


Kendra concentrated in his spirit and appeared back in his garden. He could hear the bubbling of the brook and saw the luscious green of the lawn and the overhanging fruit trees cascading down to the dip where the well was. He saw his wife picking some plums with her slender hands. The basket was half full and she turned to jiggle it slightly when she saw Kendra.

“Hello darling,” she said as she walked to cuddle him.

“Hello,” he replied as he hugged her back. After a moment he looked up and noticed the veranda. “Are we expecting guests?”

“My mother and father are coming to be with us while we eat.”

“The last time I saw your father was when he watched me plant the pear trees near the hut.”

“That was a year ago.”

“He must be busy, visiting all his old friends that he used to have on earth.” He put his arm around her shoulder, she looked up at him and they both walked into their dwelling.


He was hanging around the door with his father and another angel. Cephra and his son wanted to gain entrance. Kendra was the smallest so Cephra tried to push past him. Kendra took affront. He drew his sword and held it aloft, Cephra and the others drew theirs. The good angels drew theirs last but not before Cephra tried to strike Kendra. Kendra was good, taught by his father. He parried the strike and hit Cephra on his mailed shoulder. The blow stunned Cephra for a moment. Cephra’s son caught Kendra in the ribs. His father and friend each struck Cephra and his son, they drove the evil ones back from the doorway. Kendra helped. Cephra and his son fled, as he did so the son jeered, “Next time we meet, Kendra.”

Kendra, his father and friend cheered, then Kendra noticed that there was a pain in his side. He had been wounded. Thalen his father looked at him.“Oh no Kendra, you have a serious wound. You are not a full son of God. Come let me tend you.” As he tended his son’s wound Thalen spoke softly, “You are strong and valiant in battle my son, but you are mortal. You may have speed and strength, but we angels are immortal and can never be killed lest by the command of God. You must be careful in future where you give your aid, or you will pass beyond the vale and be a spirit.”


Kendra remembered when his side twinged, he remembered Cephrasi, Cephra’s son, his mortal enemy. Salinas saw him holding his side and commented, “Are you ok? You are holding your side?”

“I was just remembering the battle I fought with Cephra and his son.” He looked into the distance.

“Why do you think of such things?” she asked wanting him to look at her.

Looking down at the sink he mused, “There was a twinge in my side. I could have done better.” He grimaced going through the motion in his mind that had ended in his injury.

“He was an angel,” she said, nudging his arm to comfort him, “you are but a Nephilim.” Would he receive her comfort or harden himself inside again as he so often did.

“But I could have killed his son. He also is a Nephilim.”

“What good would that have done, you would then have a mortal enemy in Cephras. It is better to think of good things, things that lift you up. If your mood turns to a dark one you are ill to live with. See my brother is in the garden. Tend the fruit while he is here, talk of good not ill.” Beginning to wash the fruit she hoped that a good conversation with her brother would lighten his mind.

As he passed out of the door he collected his shears and went into the garden. Timas, Salinas’ brother was there, smiling and looking at the plants. He seemed to touch the plums, but his hand passed through them. “I can never get used to being a spirit,” said Timas, smiling and with a slight air of sadness.


“I was talking to Salinas of the battle I had with Cephra and his son," said the half angel as he began to pick fruit.

“You could have been like me Kendra, a spirit, visiting his family in the Bosom. It was a blessing you were only slightly injured.”

Kendra (the beginning.)

Dark he was and olive eyed. Fierce as the sun and white as the moon.He led an army of 10,000 men all trained in the arts of war. He lived in the Bosom of Abraham with his wife and children, but warred upon the earth to satiate his battle lust and need for adventure. A half angel saved from the flood and, because of his home, an immortal. This is the story of Kendra the Nephilim

Romancing the Drone part 14

Way up high, in the sky flew Sid. Clinging to his back was Arthur.

Arthur knocked on Sid’s carapace Sid looked at him. “Can we please stop,” said a shivering Arthur, “I need some long johns.”

Sid looked disdainfully back. He had had to lip read what Arthur was saying. Looking for a place to land he started to descend from 30,000 feet. When he did land he opened his visor. “I told ye to pack some long johns.”

“Yes Sid, you did. I am sorry, I feel such a fool.”

“Surely that’s not a temporary feeling?”

“What?”

“Feeling a fool, surely you feel that all of the time?”

Arthur shivered back.

Sid surveyed the local area from 50 feet, then hovered back to the ground. “There’s a fishing shop about a mile away in Helsinki.”

“Ttttthat’s fine,” said Arthur as he shook.

“You can sing ‘This Ole House’ now,” suggested Sid.

“?”

“Shakin’ Stevens sang it, you can be known as Shakin’ Arthur.”

The battle suited dwarf picked Arthur up and flew him to the fishing shop.

“Päivää,” greeted the manager, or was he the owner, of the shop.

Arthur looked through his Varangian phrasebook, “Zdravstvuj,” he replied.

“Stupid man,” said Sid, “he’s Finnish and you’re speaking to him in Russian.”

“Varangian.”

“Picky, Varangian.”

“You speak Britannic?” asked the manager/owner/shopkeeper.

“”You speak English then manager/owner/shopkeeper,” realised Arthur. “By the way Author have you decided if he is a manager, owner or shopkeeper yet?”

“I know what I am,” said the proprietor, “I am a proprietor.

Romancing the Drone part 13

“So you do want to freeze then? If you wanted to try out cryogenics you should have put it into your will. It’s easier to fly over the sea until we get to within 100 miles.”

“I am a bit bothered about Fawh, With, Biggs and Lee,” said the Author, “they haven’t appeared in this book yet and it’s chapter two.”

Arthur thought for a bit, “And there’s nobody whose name sounds like a question.”

“What?”

“That is right,” said Arthur, “What, When, Why , Was, Where – With they are all characters in the previous books.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“An evil spy master called Doctor Know?” suggested Sid.

“Know is not really a question,” I thought, “and I might get into trouble with Ian Fleming’s estate, it sounds the same as the first film.”

“What other questions could you name a character after?” enquired Arthur.

“Whom?” thought Sid.

“Not really, that’s too much like Doctor Who.”

“How, Which?”

“That’s good, Doctor How could be the evil genius you meet later on in the book,” said I.

“But it doesn’t begin with the letter W,” noticed Sid, “like the previous characters.”

“Whow with a silent W?” suggested Arthur.

“But that’ll play havoc with the reading facility on the kindle,” I explained, “it had enough bother with Featherstonehaugh in the fourth book.”

“It will just have to be one of those things,” shrugged Arthur.

“So have you decided how you are going to incorporate the others into the book?” asked Sid.

“I think they may have to rescue you at some point.”

“Great,” greated Arthur, “looks like things are not going to go smoothly in this book either.” He picked up the bag and followed his friend as Sid hovered down the stairs.