Just beyond the summit of Mt Vulnerability a host of tents are lit up with campfires throughout the encampment. In the command tent King My Way and Hardly Noticeable discuss the previous offensive, making plans for the next.
As King My Way stands, attempting to distance himself away from the campfire light, he asks Hardly Noticeable, “Have you found him yet?”
“No sir” Hardly Noticeable replies sheepishly.
“Keep looking!” the king commands, “He’s got to be around somewhere. I WANT HIM FOUND!!!”
“As you wish, Your Wretchedness.” Hardly Noticeable cowers as he backs out of the King’s tent bowing over and over again.
Within Castle Glade King My Way’s soldiers plunder its strongholds. Women scream, children cry and the men of the castle pick up broomsticks and clubs to try to fight off the soldiers but there are too many and they are far more skilled in battle. Many are taken prisoner and put into the Dungeon of Unbelief.
The dungeon is deep under Castle Glade. There are many large cells that can hold hundreds. Unbelief crams as many of the inhabitants as he can get into each cell. There are noises of crying and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Several soldiers come in dragging four prisoners.
“Well, well, well, who have we here?” Unbelief taunts the prisoners with an evil grin on his ugly face. He then yells into their faces: “NAMES!”
One of the soldiers’ answers, “These characters are Love, Understanding, Forgiveness and Acceptance.”
“There’s no place for you in King My Way’s domain.” Unbelief points to the stairs. “Take them to the lowest level!”
Up above at the Wall of Restraint a battle rages. Screams and cries can be heard from within, yelling and cursing from without.
Despite the beating the Wall of Restraint remains fortified. For three days and three nights King My Way’s Forces hammer at the wall and still it remains invincible
In the command tent King My Way, Hardly Noticeable and the other commanders meet to discuss what can be done to tear down the resistance of the Wall of Restraint.
King My Way is clearly frustrated: “WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM GETTING INTO THIS FORTRESS?”
“Your Wretchedness…” Hardly Noticeable stands at attention. “if I may”.
He walks over to a board with the building plans of the castle, picks up a pointer and begins to instruct:
“The Wall of Restraint determines whether the Heart is to be open to outside influences and/or authorities. It protects Will and his family from being compromised. The wall is well fortified. There are four strongholds; the northeast tower is guarded by Respect. The northwest tower is guarded by Reverence. The southeast tower is guarded by Obedience and the southwest tower is guarded by Submission. The wall is made up of uniform building blocks of Character that are interlocked in such a way that no mortar is necessary. Over the blocks is an impregnable material called “Thick Skin”.Hardly Noticeable turns a page and continues…
“The Gate of Conscience is the only way in and it is also well fortified. It is made of material called Morals and has been constructed under the specifications of Right and Wrong. And the strong man, Integrity, guards it. Around the whole perimeter there is an electric force field of Resistance.
King My Way interrupts stating the obvious, “So scale the wall!”
Hardly Noticeable continues calmly. “The wall is too high to scale and its foundations are too deep to dig under, even if it were possible to get close enough”.
“WELL,” King My Way says with exasperation. “Have you done anything?”
“At your command,” Hardly Noticeable says calmly but carefully. “I had Temptation, Dissatisfaction, Discontentment and Discouragement bomb the wall with grenades of Unrealized Expectations. The damage has been marginal but we have not yet been able to break through. Temptation threw stumbling blocks at the wall and Integrity fell but Persistence, Perseverance and Resolve are putting up an obstinate fight.
“And where is Will?” King My Way asks curiously.
“Will and his wife Desire,” Hardly Noticeable answers, “along with their children Decisive, Determined, Intent and Consent are still holding up deep inside the Heart of Castle Glade.”
King My Way ponders the information that Hardly Noticeable has given him. He turns and paces a moment and then turns again. From the look on his face it is clear that he is satisfied with his solution.
King My Ways smiles and orders his commanders, “Deceive them into thinking that their protective walls of Restraint are a prison and they will walk out on their own.”
Outside of the Wall of Restraint Deception sits on his dark horse Trickery and watches the inhabitants coming out of the Gate of Conscience, flanked on either side by King My Way’s Forces. Rather than there being an atmosphere of defeat it is more like one of festivity, much like captives being set free from a long season of bondage.
King My Way takes Will and injects him with the poison of Selfishness and throws him and his family into the Dungeon of Unbelief. The king sends orders for his mason Paranoid to brick and mortar over every opening that allows light to enter the castle. He further commands that all light be removed from its interior. His servant Blindness overshadows its entire domain so there was no more day within its confines.
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