Chapter 127: Gate 9

The town streets of Adullam remained oblivious to their presence, too much in a rush to care or notice. It was as though there was a war going on.

“So what? Are we in Ancient Israel?” William asked.

“The United Kingdom of Israel and Judah during the reign of King Saul, also called the United Monarchy.” Kazi’s gaze swept the area, scanning and absorbing the architecture and the people. We’re at a frontier city.”

William was glancing about, uncertainty etched across his face. “Meaning…?”

Kazi flashed a knowing smile and stopped a passerby, a man dressed in simple attire. “Hey, friend, what’s happening? Who are we fighting?”

The simple man’s eyes blinked at the unexpected query, but he quickly composed himself. “Oh! Have you not heard? The Philistines and their army are coming! We must prepare and reconvene King Saul’s forces! Everyone but the women and children must participate!”

Marta’s expression fell as the weight of the historical context sank in. She stepped in and stammered, “Oh. Um, um, I’m a female saint that can, uh, use magic in the name of the Lord, so can I come?”

Marta was surprisingly quick on her feet. The simple man’s eyes widened with awe as he looked at Marta’s attire. “Ah! Saintess? Yes, your armour is…divine! Truly divine!”

Standing with a degree of confidence, the silver magic of her metal armour shined through. Once too large for her, the plate armour fit her like a true warrior. Without being able to see her Wizard Class, one would think she was a knight.

The man swept his gaze through each of them and grew more and more impressive. “Ah. All of you are very exquisite. We of Addulum would appreciate your assistance. I am sure King Saul will reward you handsomely.”

“Is there no general here?” William asked.

“Our only leader is King Saul and we will do what we must to obey him. He told us to rendevouz at the Valley of Etah and so we shall.”

“Got it,” Kazi said. “Thank you for your help.”

“If you wish to help us, meet us at the front gate. We will all be garbed and ready to fight.”

The simple man hurried off. So far, the Gate didn’t seem too complicated.

“I wonder,” Kazi began, fingers curled on his chin, “it said twice a day for forty days in the morning and evening that the Philistines will come. Is it going to be a cycle? Or a proper long-waged war?”

“Huh?”

“Ah, nevermind. I guess we’ll find out later.”

Beside him, Marta did some breathing exercises, nervous yet ready. William discreetly imitated her.

’I can do this. I can.’

***

At the city’s front gate, a gathering of informal soldiers awaited, their faces etched with determination and resolve. They stood in a loose formation, donning leather armour and carrying a motley assortment of weapons—swords, spears, and crude shields. Their chatter was hushed but purposeful, mingling with the clinking of metal and the shuffling of feet.

William, Marta, and Kazi silently joined the group of thirty soldiers. The soldiers glanced at the newcomers, some curious, others lost in their own thoughts of the impending conflict.

The leader, a weathered man with a steely gaze, addressed the group. “Today, we march to the Valley of Elah. The Israelites await our aid against the Philistine threat. Remember your training, stand tall, and fight with honour.”

Their steps fell in sync with the resolute march toward the Valley of Elah. The landscape gradually transformed from pine-covered hills down to a flat area. Down they went till grass lay underneath their feet, fresh and fertile.

That was what the Valley of Elah was, apparently. Its length was impressive but it was not very steep. The smell of water wafted through the air.

The distant echoes of drumbeats and horns reverberated through the valley. Tension hung thick in the air, the weight of history pressing upon every soul gathered for the impending battle. There were hushes regarding the Philistine encampments.

“Wait, how is this going to work?” William asked in a low whisper. “Are we going to fight in a war?”

“Doubt it. The title of this gate was Players and the Goliath. It’ll probably be the same as the story: the Philistines will challenge the Israelites to bring out a champion. The intention is for us players to be that champion.”

Marta nodded along, specifically intrigued. William had never seen her so pumped up.

Adullam, the frontier city, was on a hilltop at the southeast of the valley. The walk was over an hour. Kazi was at the front, nudging the leader and pushing him towards the right direction. He seemed to know exactly where they were, throwing out names, places, the

“The king is here!”

Following that announcement, the group took a sharp turn. King Saul and his forces were already in position. A long horizontal line that faced the enemy encampment with fear. A stand-off between two armies of roughly one thousand men.

Squeezing to the front, William managed to get a glimpse of their fabled leader. King Saul was on horseback and decked in dark, fancy armour that would unquestionably be sold for a pretty penny at the Nebulous Bazaar.

’So that’s King Saul. Damn, he’s taller than I thought he would be.’

King Saul was well over six feet and broadly shouldered too. His horse was a size larger than his companions’ as well as gift warped in silver armour. He wore a golden crown that glimmered in the sun. His expression was stern as if he was ready to kill at a moment’s notice.

William recalled the story of David and the Goliath. ’Okay, now I get why it was a big deal. Why did this dude not fight Goliath?’

He was probably taller than William and the teen knew he wasn’t tall just for his age.

Across from them, the champion of the Philistines, was the great Goliath. What a beast he was and not in an insulting way. No horse, no hiding behind his allies. He stood tall and mighty, the end of his bronze greaves within the light stream of water, a sword in his right hand and a javelin in his left.

As if his stature alone wasn’t intimidating enough, Goliath’s heavy scale armour added to his appearance. Clearly, the giant could not only carry its weight with ease, but could also wield his tremendous weapon with effortless strength. The mere sight of the giant wielding two mighty weapons was enough to cause many warriors to tremble in fear.

King Saul took his time to observe the enemy. Every eye was locked on him. He was the only man powerful enough to face Goliath.

But the players knew in their hearts how this would play out.

King Saul spoke.

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