The Antiquarians Part 8: The Song of Repentance

A Christian Fantasy Novella

In The Antiquarians: The Song of the Covenant, Part 8: The Song of Repentance, the covenant hangs in the balance and the drought refuses to break. Tof is called to do the unthinkable: trust in a God he barely remembers and sing the song etched into his soul.

Or start back at the beginning with part 1:

---

Tof’s heart raced. His body tensed, ready to grab Selah and leap onto Shofar’s back if water began to fall. He’d protect her—no matter what.

But nothing happened. The sky remained stubbornly cloudless, and not a single drop of rain fell.

The Enlightened One’s face darkened with rage. “Your soldiers didn’t power it enough!” she barked at the Subjugator. “Make them go faster!”

The Subjugator whistled sharply, and the soldiers resumed their desperate push, kicking up sand as they strained to rotate the wheel faster.

One soldier tripped and was immediately trampled, but the rest didn’t slow down. They couldn’t afford to.

The device hummed louder, spokes grinding as the soldiers pushed it to its limits. Sparks flew from the wires, snapping angrily. A few soldiers stumbled, gasping for breath, but the Subjugator barked for replacements, and new ones took their place.

The machine crackled, lights flickering, a desperate beast trying to wring rain from a cloudless sky. But still, not a single drop fell.

Shofar, unbothered by the spectacle, had lain down, burying his massive head in the warm sand.

Selah, unable to contain herself, shouted, “Make ’em run faster! You must not have enough power!”

Tof stifled a grin at the sight of the Enlightened One’s face turning a deep shade of red. The vein on her forehead bulged visibly. “Faster!” she screamed.

The soldiers, now visibly exhausted, pushed harder. Whenever one of them collapsed from the strain, the Subjugator simply sent in another to drag the body away and take his place. Their exoskeletons whirred and clunked under the pressure, the sound almost comical in its contrast to the gravity of the situation.

Forty rotations came and went. The switch was flipped again, and still, the sky offered nothing but empty silence.

“Maybe try fifty rotations!” Selah’s voice was playful, mocking.

Tof joined in, unable to resist. “Yeah, or sixty! You’re so close!”

The Enlightened One glared down at them, her eyes blazing. She fiddled with the wires on the device, making a few hurried adjustments. “There. Now it’ll work.”

The soldiers, already drained, resumed their rotation, this time moving even slower. By now, the wheel had carved a deep trench into the sand, making it harder for them to keep up. The spokes were now shoulder-height, forcing them to stretch and strain just to keep the thing moving.

Dozens of men lay on the ground, exhausted and bloodied from the relentless pressure. The only reward for their efforts was more silence from the heavens.

The crowd of Antiquarians, sensing the futility of it all, began to laugh. Even Nebel cracked a smile, despite the severity of their circumstances.

"Send more soldiers!" someone shouted from the back.

"Maybe you’ve got a wire loose!" another voice added, drawing more chuckles.

“Spin around a few more times for good luck,” Tof called out, grinning as Selah’s giggles filled the air.

Selah, her eyes twinkling with mischief, shouted again, “Have them take off their suits to go faster!”

The Enlightened One looked like she was about to explode. “Subjugator, tell them to remove their exoskeletons!” Her voice was a barely controlled snarl.

The Subjugator raised an eyebrow. “But—”

“I said do it!”

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances, knowing all too well what the Enlightened One was asking. Removing their suits meant death—every one of them had been told that from the moment they donned the armor. But orders were orders. The Subjugator sighed and barked the command.

Reluctantly, the soldiers shed their exoskeletons, keeping only the helmets with the network of wires attached to their necks and spines.

Tof’s stomach twisted with anger. “So much for progress,” he muttered. “They’ve been lying to them the whole time.”

Selah’s hand squeezed his arm gently. “Progress, huh?” she winked. “Looks like even that has its limits.”

The soldiers, now lighter but clearly terrified, resumed their task, turning the wheel with renewed speed. But even then, the result was the same: no rain.

The sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the desert. The Neoterians had spent the entire afternoon chasing an impossible goal, their efforts futile and their soldiers collapsing in droves.

The trench around the device had grown so deep that the soldiers were practically climbing the spokes just to keep them turning. The once orderly ranks of the Neoterian forces had devolved into a pitiful scene of sweat, blood, and sand.

Still, the crowd watched in quiet anticipation, no one daring to move. Even the youngest among them stood frozen, their eyes locked on the spectacle of the Enlightened One’s growing desperation.

When the sun had almost set, Kinnor stood. “Enough!” he shouted. “Your time is up.”

The Enlightened One’s face burned with frustration, but she said nothing, her hands clenched into fists.

“Tof,” Kinnor called, “it is time for you to ask the Ancient One to save us. This is the moment we must return—fully return—to the covenant.”

Tof’s heart raced. What if the song didn’t work? What if he failed? Would the Enlightened One send her army to slaughter them all?

The Subjugator approached, his voice a venomous whisper. “Yes, Soldier 739. Ask the mythical deity whose subjects you spent a over of your life hunting down and killing to help you. I’m sure he’ll listen.”

Tof felt as if the Subjugator had jabbed a blade into his gut.

“Say your magic words and pray that your all powerful God will honor his covenant. Even though he stayed silent while the far more devoted of his people begged for his help, I’m sure he’ll answer you.”

Tof knew the Subjugator was manipulating him, but that didn’t change the truth of his words.

Though he’d changed his ways, why would the Ancient One honor his covenant with them. He was a murderer and a monster.

Tof swallowed, but Selah was at his side, her arms around him.

“He’s right,” Tof said, his voice just above a whisper. “I’m not even sure what to sing.” He looked around at the villagers eyeing him expectantly.

As she lay against him, her skin touching his, he knew she could feel the fear and insecurity running through his mind. A part of him wanted to push her away, while another knew that her comfort would be a healing balm to his soul.

“No he’s not right. It’s not about magic words, it’s about turning and actually following the truth of those words.” She looked up into his eyes. “Think about all we’ve been through just in the past few days, all the seemingly impossible pieces that came together to bring us to this moment. The Ancient One has been with you. You’ve repented and changed, but now will you obey”

Tof thought back over the past several days. If it wasn’t for the Ancient One and his people, Tof would be one of the soldiers now lying in the sand, drained after giving everything to serve the Enlightened One. If it wasn’t for the Ancient One and his gifts, Tof would either be trapped in an endless network of caves or dead, or both.

The Ancient One had been with him at the very beginning of the mission, when he traveled to the remains of the Antiquarian village and saw the tapestry move. Then again in the chamber where Selah had found the memory water. And when he’d finally drank the water himself and experienced the testimonies of the People of the Covenant.

Tof closed his eyes and whispered, “Yes, I will obey.”

“And the Ancient One will honor that.”

Tof stepped away and shouted as loud as he could so that everyone, both the Antiquarians and the Neoterians, could hear. “Look at the machine they built to control the skies, to force nature to bend. But has it worked? Have their promises brought us life? No! The land is still dry, the rivers are still empty, and our hearts are still weary. They’ve taken everything from us, but they can’t take the truth.”

Tof rubbed the spot on his arm that marked him as a child of the Ancient One For so long his identity had been obscured, but now he knew the truth. “People of the Covenant, we have been unfaithful to our God. Turn back to him and see his covenantal faithfulness. By obeying him, we will prove to the world that he has not abandoned his people!”

Tof took a deep breath, then turned to Shofar. “Will you take me up?”

Shofar nodded, bowing his head. “I am at your command.”

Tof climbed onto the wyvern’s back, reaching for Selah’s hand. “Come with me?”

Selah smiled, her eyes shining. “I do love dragon riding. And if I get a chance, I have to tell you some of my hilarious wyvern jokes.”

He playfully grunted.

“Be careful or I’m going to start calling you Grunt again.” She giggled.

“Fine. But first we have a drought to take care of.”

He climbed aboard Shofar’s back, with Selah sitting behind him.

As soon as they were settled, Shofar leapt into the air and circled around the area.

From above, Tof could see the entire village—its crude sand structures, worn and cracked from years of drought, the people huddled together in fear and hope. But beside them, the towering monstrosity of the Neoterian device stood in stark contrast—metal, wires, and gears whirring angrily, a crude attempt to force nature to bend to their will.

The device was surrounded by exhausted soldiers still trapped under the tongue of the Subjugator and tech of the Enlightened One.

How many of them were once People of the Covenant like him? They had been manipulated and forced into a life in service to empty ideas.

He looked up into the cloudless sky.

Ancient One help me.

He took a deep breath and began to sing the song he’d first heard while watching the tapestry in the Ancient’s House.

His voice echoed across the desert, carried by the wind. The people below lifted their heads, hope sparking in their hearts.

He added the second verse, the one he’d heard while in the caves where Selah had discovered the stream of memory water.

At the time, the words hadn’t made sense to him. And because of the exoskeleton he’d worn, hearing the song had caused pain. But now the words were filled with meaning and life.

The third verse had come after he’d drunk the memory water and learned about the Ancient One’s ways.

That was the last verse he knew, yet somehow it felt incomplete.

Had he missed something? Was there another piece that he was supposed to have?

Ancient One, I trust you. Give me the words to sing.

He let out a long breath. And the final verse came to him

The last note hung in the air and Shofar landed.

The crowd watched the sky, pensively waiting.

The Enlightened One glared at the sky, the muscles in her jaw twitching as the tension mounted. But the tightness in her neck betrayed her—the woman who had built an empire on control was teetering at the edge of collapse.

Tof held out his hand, it remained dry.

No rain came.

The Enlightened One sneered. “You’ve failed.”

Tof began to sweat. Had he gotten the words wrong? Displeased the Ancient One somehow?

Sensing his fear, Selah leaned close. “Have faith. You were obedient, now trust in the faithful maker of the covenant.”

The Subjugator marched forward, dagger in hand. “Even though we didn’t succeed, surely you Antiquarians see now that your faith has been in vain. Reject the covenant and let progress finally march forward.”

Kinnor shouted, pointing upward. “Look!”

A small dark cloud had formed far above them.

The Enlightened One scoffed. “Oooh a tiny cloud, so impressive.”

But her bravado couldn’t hide her twitching leg or the bulging vein in her forehead.

Tof turned to the crowd. “People of the Covenant, our deliverance is at hand. Sing the song of repentance with me.”

He began to sing again, with Selah and Kinnor quickly joining in. Shofar let out a mighty trumpeting call, harmonizing with the song.

Tof closed his eyes, letting the words flow, not just from his mouth but from somewhere deeper, as if the song had always been there, waiting for him to find it. As he sang, a breeze swept through the village, gentle at first, but growing stronger, stirring the sand at their feet.

The other elders and several pockets throughout the crowd lifted their voices.

The sky began to shift, dark clouds gathering on the horizon. And with each note, hope flickered brighter in the hearts of those who joined in, a spark that dared to challenge the dark.

Tiny droplets of rain struck against the ground, darkening the sand.

The Enlightened One’s eyes went wide as she stared into the sky. the Subjugator’s face grew pale.

As the last note ended, a lightning bolt struck across the sky and water fell from the sky in a torrential downpour, instantly drenching everyone present.

The People of the Covenant began shouting and dancing in the rain, overjoyed and in awe of the Ancient One’s faithfulness.

Draping his cloak over him, the Subjugator fled. But the Enlightened One stared in wonder at the sky, unable to comprehend what had happened but desperate to understand.

A cry came from the Neoterian soldiers. Sparks were shooting out of the wires on the back of their necks. The water was shorting out the equipment ensnaring them.

One by one, the soldiers slowly removed their helmets, laughing and weeping as the fog dissipated and their memories returned.

Unable to contain herself, Selah leapt up and down, her soaking wet braids bouncing behind her.

She slipped in the wet sand and Tof reached out to catch her.

Tof tried to wipe the water out of his face as he held Selah in his arms, but everything was drenching wet.

Then they both looked up into the sky and laughed.

The Ancient One hadn’t abandoned his people, nor would he. And his people would be the water that would flood the world and bring life back to a parched desert.

The world would return to its state as a lush paradise. And they would teach everyone, even the Enlightened One herself, the ancient ways.

The Ancient One had not abandoned His covenant. Tof was never more certain of anything else in his life.

---

Thank You for Reading!

Thank you for joining me on this journey through The Antiquarians: The Song of the Covenant. I hope this story has inspired you, challenged you, and reminded you of the enduring faithfulness of God, even in the driest seasons.

Your support means the world to me, whether you’ve read, shared, or reflected on these words. If this story has touched your heart, I’d love to hear from you—your thoughts and feedback bring life to the creative process.

Stay tuned for more adventures and stories to come. Until then, may you walk in the hope and light of the Ancient One.