Percy

My next several trips leave me in awe each and every time. First, I'm put among the Hebrews in slavery in Egypt. But I get to be there witnessing the ten plagues that afflict the Egyptians each time Pharoh won't let the Israelites leave. Then he finally relents, and I see Moses part the ocean in two for hours upon hours to let the people cross on land. Even at the height of my power, I don't think I could have sustained that for more than a few minutes, If I was able to part the whole sea at once at all.

I'm with the people When they refuse to go into the Promise Land after everything that happened in Egypt, and hear the curse God proclaims that no one in this generation will pass into the Promise Land. Even so, I see the constant presence of Yahweh, either in a cloud or a fire. I see him Provide bread from the sky and water from a rock.

I'm among the army that conquered so many people. At first I can't believe the orders to kill women and children, but Cas explains why. These cultures are deep into pagan worship and that includes infant sacrifice. The evil needs to be killed at the root of it all, even the kids, so it can't be spread. If they were allowed to live they'd grow up in their parents practices and have to be put to the sword anyways, after losing any innocence they once had. This way, God can sort the innocent from the evil. God said he wouldn't flood the world again, so the world can't be allowed to get so evil again.

I'm also there to go into Jericho with the spies Joshua sent. I meet Rahab, and see how courageous she is and how even the people in Jericho have learned to fear Yahweh. I'm marching along with the rest of the Israelites the next seven days until by their shouts alone the magnificent walls come tumbling down.

Castiel puts me in the time of Gideon, where I see the weakest man in his family rise up to lead Israel against its enemies. And How God uses him and three hundred men to defeat an entire army. Normally, I like giving credit to the leader. but it's pretty clear Gideon didn't do this on his own. He gives all the credit to God.

I'm about to lose my mind when I see a scrawny ass teenager get more courage than anyone in his country and face off with a Giant. I wanted to step in and fight Goliath myself, but Castiel appeared and held my back. Told me to just watch. And I watched this scrawny kid knock Goliath out with a freaking slingshot and cut off his head with a sword.

My skills with a sword are put to use. King Saul himself takes notice of me during some of the battles I fight with the Israelites. He puts me in charge of training David, the kid who beat Goliath. Well, partially in charge anyways. Me and Saul's son, Jonathan, do it together. Because of this, I spend a lot of time with Saul, Jonathan, and David. I see how close everyone is. I grow to really like them. Jonathan and David treat me like a brother.

I lose track of how much time I'm here. Sometimes Castiel jumps me from one moment to the next when something finishes, and sometimes he leaves me in-between the times. I miss Annabeth so much it hurts. I catch myself looking at her drawing whenever I'm alone, smelling her perfume before I go to sleep, and reading our letters in my free time. But for some reason, maybe just because I know I won't be losing any time with her, I don't regret saying yes to this journey. I can't wait to tell her about it when I get home.

I see Saul's jealousy of David grow intense. I see him go crazy. He's no longer a proud king, but a madman with a crown. I go on the run with David and the rest of the mighty men. I'm there with David and Jonathan when they make their covenant to each other. I'm next to David on so many of his adventures, and even see him spare Saul's life even though he's the reason we're all on the run. And despite all this, David's faith never wavers. I get to see him set on his throne, and then I'm sent forward to see how prosperous the country is under Solomon and even see a play Castiel tells me is in the Bible called Song of Songs. It blows my expectations about Christian sex completely out of the water. It's about as imaginative as what I've shared with Annabeth. Maybe more so.

The temple and Palace in Jerusalem are so beautiful, I wish Annabeth were here to see it with me. She'd be going on for years about the architecture and beauty of them, the wealth and materials used to build them and how she could use them to help shape some of her designs.

Castiel also puts me on Mt. Carmel and I see God's prophet Elijah face off with the 400 prophets of Baal. I can tell it's been ages since it's rained just from how dry and hot the air is. And I watch all morning late into the afternoon the Baal prophets dance, beg, plead, and practically bleed themselves dry asking for Baal to send fire to their altar. I smirk and laugh when Elijah taunts them. The man's got my sense of humor for sure.

Then when it's late in the afternoon, We watch Elijah rebuild the altar to God that had been torn down. And I watch as he finds water, so scarce now, and absolutely drench the wood. It completely soaks through and fills the trench around it. Even so, when Elijah kneels down and prays, A Column of fire comes down from the sky and is so hot I can feel the heat singing my hair even a hundred feet away. When it disappears, the wood, the sacrifice, and even the rocks are all licked up by the fire. And I see the people start proclaiming that the Lord is God, before gladly joining in to help kill the prophets of Baal. Cas told me what their sacrifices involve. And I'm more than happy to end the life of a baby killer.

Next I'm sent forward a few hundred years to see just how far Israel and Judah have fallen when Judah is conquered by Babylon. I'm sent with a lot of other captives to Babylon itself, and I meet Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishiel, and Azariah. Their names get changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and I see the stand they take for their faith and how God rewards them for it. Cas jumps me ahead to see them refuse to bow to an idol. I stand next to the king, unnoticed like I was in Eden, watching as they were thrown into the blazing furnace. But instead of dying, A man who looked like God appeared to look in Eden showed up in the furnace with them, and they came out without so much as a sunburn.

After that, Castiel sends me decades ahead to see Daniel thrown into a lions' den for not following the king's command to stop praying. And I see him emerge the next day without so much as a scratch. I see the return of the Israelites to the Promise Land, and the rebuilding of the temple.

Next I'm sent to the time of a prophet named Jonah. And I'm alongside him, invisible like I was in Eden, for his whole Journey of running from God, Sleeping during the storm on the ship and the sailors freaking out when they find out he's running from the God who created the universe but still not wanting to kill him to them ultimately throwing him overboard and Jonah dying in the stomach of a fish, being resurrected and vomited up on the seashore, and going to Nineveh to preach. He only preached 5 words over and over. He really took the lowest bar of the bare minimum, and took a shovel and dug it even lower. Then the man had the audacity to be angry at God for sparing the city when they repented from those five words.

After that, Castiel pulls me back to the beach.

"So what did you learn from that? Not everything, just the last part with Jonah."

"You can't run from God."

"True. But there's another lesson in the story. It's about God's Character."

"He doesn't just smite you for disobedience."

"Right. Well, sometimes he does, but he's also a God of mercy and second chances. Can you say the same of any of the Olympians?" He asks. I sigh, thinking of how petty and vengeful they can all be. Even my dad, although he's better than most, is known for his temper.

"No. I can't. Is it time for me to go home yet?" I ask, clutching my bag in my hand. Please. I silently pray.

"Almost." Castiel tells me. "The next time you see me, Percy, It'll be to recap it all and then you'll go home. Once you're there it'll be your choice what to do, if you're going to give your life to the Lord the way your wife and sister have done."

"And what if I'm ready to do that now?"

"Are you? Well in that case, you're not going to want to miss this next part of the Journey. But even so, deal was at the beginning you finish the whole trip." He answers. I sigh.

"I know. I just miss my family so much." I say, thinking about Annabeth, my mother, Paul, and Estelle. My friends too, Grover and the rest of the Seven. Castiel comes over and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"I know. But you'll have the strength and comfort to keep going, I promise." He says, and the world goes white.