David Ascendant (Chronicles of the Nephilim Book 7) by Brian Godawa Page B

you. He will explain.”
    Saul looked at her confused. “He is with me?”
    She nodded. But she would not explain.
    “Return to your palace and you will know what to do.”
    Saul wondered if the entire trip had been a waste of time. He had traveled to find wisdom from the first potentate of history, the Mighty Hunter Nimrod. But all he got was a vague, “he is with you.” That was hardly enough to rule a kingdom with glory and power.
    But it was all he had. He picked himself up and left for Gibeah.
    The Ob immediately called for her apprentice.
    The young girl awaited her instructions. The Ob said, “I have an urgent message for you to bring to my son, Ishbi ben Ob in the city of Gath.”

Chapter 20
    On the way home to Gibeah, Saul had felt the strange sensation of being followed. They stopped several times to prepare for battle, only to discover his feelings proved false. His bodyguard saw him nervously glancing around and displaying an occasional nervous tick in his eye, along with twitching in his neck, shoulders and arms.
    When he returned to his palace in Gibeah, he went immediately to his bed chamber and slept for an entire day.
    He was awakened on the evening of the second night. He could see the bright light of the full moon coming through his tower window onto his bed.
    He felt a presence in the room. He jerked around to see the figure of a nine foot tall shadow beside his bed. He gasped.
    He knew who it was.
    “King Nimrod?”
    “Yesss,” it whispered, drawing out the ‘s’ like a hiss.
    “You are with me.”
    “Yesss.”
    “Was it you who followed me back here?”
    “Yesss.”
    “What do you want?”
    Saul heard the next whisper from behind his ear. “I have much to tell you.”
    Saul turned to see the source of the voice. The shadow had mysteriously jumped from one side of the bed to the other.
    Then from the foot of the bed, he heard, “Listen closely.”
    He saw the phantom shade, smaller now, standing at the foot of the bed. Though the figure’s specific features were indistinguishable and bathed in shadow, Saul thought he looked in posture and form like Saul himself. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks in the moonlight shadows.
    When Nimrod spoke he could hear the words as if they were inside his head rather than coming from the shade.
    “I have waited millennia for this opportunity.”
    Saul said, “Will you help me achieve my ambition?”
    “ You will help me achieve my ambition.”
    Saul felt confused.
    “The tyrannical deity who rejected you and is replacing you with his Chosen One did the same to me in ages past. This messiah you speak of, I know of his Seedline. I sought for it in the days after the Flood, during the Confusion of Tongues and the Great Division.”
    Saul interrupted, “The Tower of Babel?”
    “Shut your mouth, puppet, and listen to me.”
    Saul felt the malevolence seize him. It was frightening. He was in the presence of something sinister and out of his control. He began to wonder what he had unleashed.
    “You must seek out this Chosen One. You must find him and kill him, or you will be damned as I was damned.”
    “But I need your help,” complained Saul.
    “Oh, I will help you. I will be your counselor, always by your side. And together, we shall destroy the Chosen Seed.”
    Saul felt his limbs stiffen as if held by a giant’s grip. He saw the shade of Nimrod dissolve into his body.
    His eyes turned up into his head. He twitched and jerked and spasmed on his bed. White foam bubbled out of his mouth.
    His body stiffened and flew upright, defying nature, pulled by an unseen force.
    With mighty strength, Saul tore apart his bedroom chamber. First, he ripped the sheets off his bed, then he broke the posts into pieces like they were mere toothpicks. He broke the several pieces of furniture, smashing them against the wall.
    Two servants rushed into his room to see if he was alright. He beat them and ran out of the room and through the palace, emitting guttural