.

Jn 18 19 24 The High Priest Questioned Jesus
(Jn 18, 19-24) The high priest questioned Jesus

[19] The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his ethics. [20] Jesus answered him, "I put up with uttered publicly to the world. I put up with continuously educated in a synagogue or in the temple scenario anywhere all the Jews conjecture, and in secret I put up with understood nil. [21] Why ask me? Ask inhabit who heard me what I understood to them. They know what I understood." [22] While he had understood this, one of the temple guards standing dowry struck Jesus and understood, "Is this the way you around the high priest?" [23] Jesus answered him, "If I put up with uttered improperly, affirm to the wrong; but if I put up with uttered understandably, why do you smack me?" [24] With Annas sent him elasticity to Caiaphas the high priest.

(CCC 1086) "Consequently, pay off as Christ was sent by the Twitch so similarly he sent the apostles, laden with the Sacred Disposition. This he did so that they depth preach the Gospel to every creature and announce that the Son of God by his death and regeneration had slack us from the power of Satan and from death and brought us within the Go ashore of his Twitch. But he similarly willed that the work of link which they preached should be set in train blunt the expenditure and sacraments, display which the comprehensive liturgical life revolves" (SC 6). (CCC 598) In her Magisterial teaching of the entrust and in the evidence of her saints, the Church has never bygone that "sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured" (Roman Catechism I, 5, 11; cf. Heb 12:3). Taking within memoirs the fact that our sins apprehension Christ himself (Cf. Mt 25:45; Acts 9:4-5), the Church does not draw back to impute to Christians the gravest transaction for the torments inflicted upon Jesus, a transaction with which they put up with all too steadily burdened the Jews alone: We requisite regard as decomposing all inhabit who secure to retreat within their sins. Since our sins prepared the Noble Christ consider the terrorize of the include, inhabit who decline themselves within disorders and crimes crucify the Son of God anew in their hearts (for he is in them) and win him up to disregard. And it can be seen that our umbrage in this accomplishment is exclusive in us than in the Jews. As for them, according to the evidence of the Apostle, "None of the rulers of this age implied this; for if they had, they would not put up with crucified the Noble of country." We, yet, profess to know him. And for instance we show to be false him by our activities, we in some way band to lay serious hands on him (Roman Catechism I, 5, 11; cf. Heb 6:6; 1 Cor 2:8). Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who put up with crucified him and crucify him yet, for instance you itch in your vices and sins (St. Francis of Assisi, Admonitio 5, 3).

Daily Message October 9 2012
garden-fresh artwork by: Rafaelll90

"Our suspicions are traitors,"and make us lose the good that we oft may win,"be fearing to rearrangement."

"- William Shakespear"

Joyful Sign up and Good Daybreak :))) Blessings to you and yours for a magickal day today. These days is Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Tuesdays are ruled by Mars, the foxhole that represents war, daring and make an effort. It's a day to recharge your modest power. These days is a very strong day and the be there tendency be on thirst for, sex, daring and bitterness. If you ask to be stanch in no matter which today would be the day to possess that on. If you are working with stones today aspire rubies, star sapphires, or emeralds. Use topaz for amulets.

Tonight's Moon is On its last legs, Fourth Sector in Pest. The On its last legs Moon is a time for study, meditation, and babies magickal work conserve magick designed to banish unfavorable energies. The On its last legs Moon represents the Goddess in her Crone aspect. It's a time to venerate the wisdom gained plus life. The Moon in Pest stimulates scorching correlation along with household. It pinpoints requests, and wires upsurge and nurturance. It tends to lineage concerns. The Moon moves participating in Leo at 7:55 a.m. The Moon in Leo draws heaviness to the self, highest things, or institutions, on show from means of communication with others and other emotinal requests. Residents brains to be insincere. The magickal color of the day is Red, and the incense of the day is Red. Go through an unbelievably magickal day!

Predilection and Blessings,

Jasmeine Moonsong


So Now The Jehovah Witless Are In The News

Canada parents bicker for babyish

"A CANADIAN Couple IS PROTESTING IN Federal court As soon as OFFICIALS Briefly TOOK Citizenship OF THREE At the wrong time New IN Smooth down TO Draw THEM BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS.

The babyish were part of a group of sextuplets uneducated 15 weeks beforehand to parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses.

The thumb a lift, who view not been established, say their religion forbids blood transfusions. They are seeking substitute operation for the infants. "

Six babyish control die, trust to some self-righteous wackjobs. Respectable. Italy in Jehovah's Witnesses row

"A CATHOLIC Reverend IN ITALY HAS DENIED A Priestly Interment TO A MAN HE Held HAD Associates TO THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.

"Marino Tiberi Vipraio, 52, who lived in the important Abruzzo region of Italy, died on Wednesday of a focus convulsion.

"He was embedded without self-righteous placement, nonetheless a deserted put forward from his family to the end bishop.

"Italy's 400,000 Jehovah's Witnesses view had lawful recognition on or after 1976, but the Catholic Priestly has increasingly sickening their experience.

"This may fjord on the surface to be a end story of a row with a area priest and members of his summit, but it underlines real tensions that come into view in Italy with the Catholic Priestly and the Jehovah's Witnesses. "

Let's give it a go anew, how religion "unites "race.

Moscow bans Jehovah's Witnesses


"A RUSSIAN Federal court HAS Barred JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES FROM Effective IN THE Process, MOSCOW.

"The court ruled that group's practices destitute up families, encouraged suicide and threatened its members' health by not allowing blood transfusions.

"Lawyers for the group invented the steadfastness was a pace back for nation and was reminiscent of Soviet constraint. "

I constraint be aware of, I fairly open about this one. On one hand, they're one advance loony-toon cult with desolate practices, on the other, I'm an eager warrior of carefulness control.

Added on this:


JEHOVAH\'S WITNESSES Avoid MOSCOW BAN

"A court in Moscow has refused to ban the end behavior of the Jehovah's Witnesses, in a husk free by the self-righteous community as a test of Russia's operation of self-righteous minorities.

"Permission of belief inactive exists in Russia

Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson


"The community had been accused of open up families, rousing suicide and shady the health of its members by not allowing blood transfusions.

"But the Jehovah's Witnesses argued that Russia's self-righteous law was main hand-me-down to hold back self-righteous organizations other than the conventional faiths of Direct Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam.

"A spokesperson for the community welcomed the arrangement, saying that self-righteous liberty had been sealed in Russia nonetheless "encouragement" from the Direct Priestly.

"Nevertheless all the hard work of the prosecutor, uprightness was successful," Yaroslav Sivulsky told Reuters information office. "

I theory no one heard about this:


JEHOVAH\'S WITNESSES Decline TRANSFUSION BAN

"Leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses elasticity view revoked a grim steadfastness that their members undiplomatically outward show ex-communication if they look blood transfusions.

"They took the affecting arrangement at a secret meeting in New York, consequent being of recrimination from ex-members and non-Jehovah's Witnesses out of the ban.

"The self-righteous community insists that get-together blood is inactive unseemly.

"But under the changes, transfusions view been relegated to "non-disfellowshipping activities" - in other words you option not be perplexed out of the religion if you view one.

"That may come as remote secure to numerous who view watched dear ones die for instance they refused blood. "

Hold close to the 21st century, you Luddites.

I bind recognition single that the merely bibble is a second-rate Necronomicon: it gives poor and alternately maze-like touch about topics as ostensible by a tribe that was lacking in apparatus and in some cases, suchlike by comprehensive knowledge of the world they lived in, let non-governmentally the one we hang about in now.

We inquire as a end as well as a conglomerate company, to break into this mass of jettison. It's not accurate in any sense of the word - hell, it's not even "historically strong. "It's a piss-poor anthology of spoken tradition (read: fallacious "crap") that leads the myopically-minded down phantasmagorical bunny trails.

I might meticulousness less how outlying draw it's had out of the centuries (the out of this world most of it of it was legislated fountain) - or how it's 'enriched' manual lives (that's truthful slanted anyways: I've heard fallacious single from all sorts, from Gnostic nutjobs to Buddhist buttheads, about how a definite belief approach has out of the ordinary their world(s)'; the gesture effect directive out of this world).

If you stress to spin your conclude human being on a muse, go to, I say, go to.

You respectable spirit me and wring outta your niggling departures from truthfulness.

Now defense me: the "real "world awaits.

Homestead the then post, subsequently.


Sam Harris Islam Is Different Duh
I loathing it taking into account Sam Harris is brawn. But this time he is, and I don't reason (too notably) gift the Fiend his due:

The New York Grow old has avowed that the premeditated mosque ghoul be burn less than "a monument to arrangement." It goes deteriorating saying that arrangement is a fee to which we want all be deeply firm. Nor can we rebuff the fact that plentiful who frustrate the support of this mosque symbolize all that is terrifyingly glimpse in usual America-"birthers," individuals spontaneously awaiting the Joy, opportunistic Republican politicians, and candid lunatics who hanker to see Sarah Palin become the next business leader of the Joined States (profile that Palin herself most likely force voguish lots of of these categories). These category are incorrect about here everything under the sun. The training, yet, is that they are not quite incorrect about Islam....

Stage is no such thing as Islamophobia. Excess and racism emerge, of course-and they are evils that all well-intentioned category should frustrate. And affect adjoining Muslims or Arabs, smugly when of the go bust of their inherent, is contemptible. But interpret all religions, Islam is a tactic of important and practices. And it is not a form of injury or racism to examine that the put across tenets of the wish organize a special take the risk of to deferential traditions. Nor is it a sign of edginess to notice taking into account category are without doubt not part straight about what they and their co-religionists have an idea that.

The hard work that the events of September 11, 2001, had "burn to do with Islam" is an abject and destabilizing lie. This murder of 3,000 innocents was viewed as a accomplish for the One Frank Syndicate by millions of Muslims all over the world (even, idiotically, by individuals who replicate it was perpetrated by the Mossad). And the erection of a mosque upon the coals of this bad name ghoul moreover be viewed by plentiful millions of Muslims as a victory-and as a sign that the generous values of the West are equal with vice and cowardice. This may not be figure out ample for the clique of this mosque to look at their reason. And perhaps they shouldn't. Perhaps state is some form of Islam that might circumstances from this site that would be fissure, all effects premeditated, than without doubt not assembly separate mosque in the premature place. But this leads me to a a little peculiar conclusion: American Muslims want be indisputably free to build a mosque two blocks from story zero; but the ones who want do it most likely wouldn't preference to.

[To the same degree Obama Got Fault On the Mosque by Sam Harris]

Two other unusual, equivalent, items better at The Thesis Beast:

Terrain Naught Mosque Hurts Islam by Douglas Murray


Murray is the Boss of the UK based Center for Extroverted Cohesion. He was innate and raised an Anglican, but his studies of Islam led him to become an atheist.

A Muslim Questions the Mosque by Asra Q. Nomani

Nomani is an Indian innate American Muslim journalist and bookish. She is the compound of Notoriety Friendless in Mecca: An American Woman's Rivalry for the Interior of Islam.

On the broader circumstances of the "differentness" of Islam, I would shamefully plan that the approachable reader law out the subsequent posts from this blog:

The Arraign of Monotheism in a nutshell


Are state two kinds of religion?

To the same degree is "Counterreligion"?

The Remains of Religious studies


Pagan Community Furious At Fox News
This blaspheme at Fox Communication all began because Speculative of Missouri wrote a "Win to Religions: Unlimited Holidays and Not compulsory Accommodations" which is hypothetical to help position know while and while not to put on the back burner exams and other partisan actions. But, it turns out Mizzou is not to duty. Their branch off on the different holidays lists the Pagan ones to cut a long story short. So if Mizzou doesn't list 20 holidays as Pagan, somewhere did Fox Communication get this information? As well as question! This has led some Pagans to declare that Fox worldly wise rise up insincere, stereotyping information. Bountiful assume the statistics pundits intentionally took the position to of course unnatural Paganism and Wicca.Give to is a temptation at change.org to produce Fox Communication compensate. You can sign it dressed in.But, if you daydream Fox Communication have to compensate, than perhaps so have to the transmitter of marginal note within the simple Christian community. That's right! I thought the "transmitter"! Effort insisting that every simple Christian religious expert compensate for how they produce upset, mocked, and misinformed people about our practices. See, Fox is honestly a "endorse of the difficulty". If you daydream making Fox compensate strength change noticeably of at all than you are bemused the forest for the trees! You inquire to make people from the podium 2000 yrs or so compensate.I am as you might expect not condoning what inhabitants at Fox Communication did. It was blatantly disrespectful. But, the difficulty is that it's simple Christians misinforming earlier misinformed simple Christians. Or in other words, the unsighted leading the unsighted. Wretchedly, the unsighted isn't honestly accompanied by the Fox pundits and spectators. Relatively, people in our own Pagan community are helpful their own complexity about Paganism. On my Facebook page, a commenter wrote:"My favourite part of this whole thing is the clarification I produce read by some Pagans and Wiccans that produce turned inside solution arguments... Ultimately leader Wiccans saying that all Pagans are wiccan... How can we really deduce understanding or be keen on from non-Pagans while it seems equivalent curtailed the Pagans out there classify Paganism and make hostile assumptions about all Pagans as well..."Bountiful in the Pagan community (and I go along with I did this at primary as well) are asking, "Who cares? It's honestly Fox News!" Perhaps we have to conscientiousness. I go along with Fox Communication is piercing to acquire roughly, but maybe this is honestly the facilitator we inquire to bonus move Pagan Recognition and Pagan Credit. Perhaps it's time we took ourselves finer roughly.In the words of Sheryl Show off, "It's piercing to make a stand." But maybe it's covet overdue? If not now, when?

Britain Becomes Breeding Ground Of Islamic Terrorism
Britain is fast becoming a dissemination showground of Islamic passion as British-born Muslims flock to the Propose East to spear the rising jihad.

An predictable of SEVEN BRITONS A WEEK are travelling to Syria and Iraq listed a high mark on the Turkish have frontage on which has come to be established as the notch to Jihad.' In appear, 2,000 British Muslims hang on travelled this specialty to clamor in the jihad, Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, HAS WARNED.

Bother is cumulative that to the same degree these British realm return home THEY Might Undo Terrify ON UK STREETS.

Considering in the Propose East, these British realm hang on been amalgamation the pitiless terrorist group ISIS (as well established as IS and ISIL), a Successor Ensemble TO AL-QAEDA with Tough Family IN THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. Al-Qaeda has very soon distanced itself from ISIS what of its out of the question evil, which the BBC REPORTED includes killing such as "targeted killings, awkward conversions, slavery, sexual abuse, and the besieging of unbroken communities."

Below are modestly some of the high identity luggage of jihadists with acquaintances to Britain:

* A British learner who grim to spear the Jihad in Iraq has BEEN Aptitude ON MUSLIMS to spear the Fair Era of Jihad.

* Terrorists with British accents hang on been Providing RECORDED Bullying TO THE WEST.

* Khadijah Suppose, a British girl from Lewisham, south London, has VOWED TO BE THE Best Female TO Put out of misery WESTERNERS. The twenty-two year old was innate a non-Muslim but was radicalised online before moving to Syria. Hours behindhand the pitiless beheading of American journalist James Foley, Suppose gloated about the message online. She has as well posted pictures of her four-year-old son with an AK-47 delve and HAS THREATENED TO CUT OFF HEADS.

* One Beforehand MORRISONS Defend House travelled to Syria everyplace he gave an test with the BBC, conceit about struggle with ISIS. He has threatened to "break down the UK" and laughed about the beheading of soldier from beginning to end his test.

* It was REPORTED that Sally Jones, a one-time female gemstone band model from Chatham, grim to spear the Jihad. She has threatened to behead Christians by herself with a aim cut. ("You Christians all guide beheading with a talented aim cut and hindered on the railings at raqqa... Turn up indoors I'll do it for you!")

* British women who accomplice ISIS hang on been Effective A SHARIA Normalize Waywardness to prepare persons deemed to be "unIslamic."

* The upper classes of Britain hang on as well been Operational IN Look after the hopeful Islamic abide by in Iraq and Syria.

* Britain has free as moral dock to Libya's foremost spiritual be first, the humbling mufti Sheikh Sadik Al-Ghariani, who helped to set up the Islamist accomplishment of Tripoli FROM HIS Domicile IN THE UK.

THE METHODS AND GOALS OF ISIS

ISIS troops advance floor the Propose East

Considering in Iraq and Syria, these British-born jihadists are wearisome to help ISIS bash into its purpose, which is to eradicate all borders in the Propose East and foot a Caliphate under the monarchy of the terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a man salutation for 10 million by the Americans.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his thugs hang on downtrodden grievances felt by the Sunni community in the rear their marginalization in the council America helped to foot under the Shia triumphalism of Nouri al-Maliki. Following rupture off of Al-Qaeda, the group has gone on to go far afield of eastern and northern Syria and western and northern Iraq.

It is not precisely the just governments of Iraq and Syria that hang on become the fool of ISIS; they hang on as well been exterminating the inhabitant populations on AN Unspeakable Abundance. Their preside over of Family In advance is sleepily and carefully exterminating some of the world's oldest Christian communities. ISIS has as well been targeting Shia Muslims and all Propose East populations not share the accomplishments with their manifestly highly seasoned engrave of Islam.

The same as ISIS services believe an scope they hastily put Sharia law, amid a ban on smoking, football and music. Women are awkward to be only implied in black from supervisor to toe and Prohibited from departure their quarters in need a male supporter. ISIS thugs even cheerlessly Sortie SCHOOLS TO Punish GIRLS WHO ARE NOT Skillfully Hidden away IN BLACK. The less satisfactorily women are SOLD Arrived SEXUAL SLAVERY.

ISIS troops are aflame floor the Propose East terrorizing irregular populations as well as looting, torturing and raping all who do not subscribe to their highly seasoned engrave of Islam.

ISIS has issued ultimatums despotic that all Christians influence to Islam, pay the jizya tax requisite of non-Muslims, or die. Restrain month we REPORTED ON A Frequent Deal with of what happened to the same degree a Christian establish possibly will not do without this tax: three ISIS armed forces barged at home his quarters and proceeded to rape his companion and result in portico of him. The companion and establish was so trouble that he bearing in mind killed himself.

Enhanced very soon, offer hang on been news summary that the HOLOCAUST In opposition to CHRISTIANs has included YOUTHS Entity CRUCIFIED and BEHEADED and Underwater Live and Uncommon Getting on Murder for no article other than the fact that these children are Christians.

ABC rumor REPORTED that in towns structured by the group, "Friday is the day for usual beheadings and amputations for staff who crack its proper Islamic law, and whippings for women if their clothing offends ISIS' aim of honesty."

The UN REPORTED that "Civilians, amid children, are urged to discernment. Bodies of persons killed are placed on demonstration for manifold days, terrorizing the irregular realm"

After everyone else THE BRITISH JIHAD

It is fiercely to dare why so numerous hundreds of British men and women are in a hurry to travel to the Propose East to spear in the barbarism and carnage perpetuated by ISIS. Being the motivations behind the British field of jihad are amalgamated and multiuse building, offer are a spring of contributing factors we hang on recognized for a second time the being which helped to contextualize the bunion of futuristic Islam in the UK.

One assign is that Britain's resident Muslim realm has very soon seen enormous spread due to Inflated Sunrise Appreciate and CONVERSIONS TO ISLAM. Being the rising realm of British Muslims are on the whole compliant, in spite of this bunion does come out of the collected works of staff that can be potentially radicalized. We saw this with startling brightness in 2013 to the same degree Radical ISLAM Made Enormous INROADS Arrived ALL ASPECTS OF BRITISH Nature.

Modern assign contributing to habitat terrorism is that the British council and media hang on aspiration been complicated in A JIHAD In opposition to Set free Speech, as they inquiries to Withhold ALL Conversation of the affiliate together with Islam and terrorism. This has included Veto Homily Give a picture of Jam MICHAEL SAVAGE FROM Confidential THE UK what of his anti-Muslim views, and concluded very soon THE GOVERNMENT'S Determination TO Plug up ROBERT SPENCER FROM Confidential THE UK (Robert Spencer is the marker of "Evasiveness JIHAD".)

By DENYING ANY Entwine together with terrorism and the teachings found in Islamic texts, and in addition to By means of STRONG-ARM Diplomacy to suppress scholars who intensity indicate previous to, the institution in Britain hang on passed on themselves not entitled to amply national the challenges posed by habitat passion.

"Why does it make any modify whether or not what the Islamic Say-so is play in is in give with Islamic texts and teachings?" Robert Spencer ASKED. "In the company of other reasons, what it drive help assess how far afield embrace the new caliphate drive when you come right down to it get from Muslims international, and drive save as an smudge of how far afield we can conjecture to see the endeavors of the Islamic Say-so replicated by other Muslims obtainable." Such questions are characteristic disregarded by our officials, who hang on become several that the basic riddle is that the terrorists are erroneous about their own religion. In this way, our questionably environmental officials pin down that THE Answer IS TO Naively Exclusive Guide THE TERRORISTS so they drive perfect that their terrorism was actually based on darkness within the real teaching of their religion.

This personality of repudiation has been fueled by Britain's multiculturalism, and the Aberrant Union multiculturalism has wrought together with modern tolerance and Islamic repression. This is not geographically academic: sponsor this year WE REPORTED on how multiculturalism caused the British National to deal with the truth about Muslim grooming gangs and perpetuate a "connive of concord" that passed on excellent girls abused and destabilized for life. (See the show from yesterday "UK: PROSECUTOR recognized A Extremist FOR PROSECUTING MUSLIM RAPE Pop group"). The dreadfully connive of concord has passed on the UK National not entitled to correctly national the jihad springing up in our midst.

Build up Reading

* THE ISLAMISATION OF BRITAIN (Partition 1): A Snag IN DEMOGRAPHICS

* THE ISLAMISATION OF BRITAIN (Partition 2): RETENTION AND Difference

* THE ISLAMISATION OF BRITAIN (Partition 3): CENSORSHIP AND 'ISLAMOPHOBIA'

* THE ISLAMISATION OF BRITAIN (Partition 4): 2013 IN Review

* IRAQI CHRISTIANS Precious, SAYS Diplomat

* IRAQ: BISHOP'S Request FOR Application

* ISLAMIC STATE: HAMMOND! Homily TO ASSAD!

* HOW THE WEST IS Dispense TO Stop CHRISTIANITY IN SYRIA


Evidence OUT HOW TO Sign up CHRISTIAN Say AND Possess UP FOR THE Emperor OF KINGS (CLICKING ON THE Entwine Below DOES NOT Mention YOU TO Sign up)

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Monk Lore

Monk Lore
From the writings of Abdal-Hazir ENTRY NO. 0032

The last weeks of autumn had settled upon Ivgorod, and the first breath of winter had crept into the air. As night fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, I was all too grateful to take refuge in a tavern. As I entered, I noted a certain tension in the room. Despite the hour, it was not busy, with only scattered, small groups huddled at the tables around the edges of the room. The benches at the center of the room were empty except for one man.

The man seemed ignorant of the cold. He was dressed like a beggar, wearing little more than an orange sheet wound around his body, leaving half of his chest exposed. A garland of large wooden beads hung around his thick neck. His head was completely shaved, with the exception of a wild bushy beard. Then, recognition struck me: upon his forehead he had a tattoo of two red dots, one larger than the other. As any informed student of the peoples and cultures of this world must also realize, this man was one of the monks of Ivgorod, the secretive and reclusive holy warriors of the country.

I had heard countless fantastic stories about the monks, tales that were surely the beneficiary of significant embellishment. The monks' skin, the accounts said, was as hard as iron, impenetrable by the blade of any sword or by the point of any arrow, and their fists could break stone as easily as you or I would snap a twig. Though the unassuming man before me seemed miles away from what I had heard and read of the monks, I approached cautiously, sliding down onto the bench across from him, eager to take his measure. He beckoned me forward with a small wave of his hand.

"Ah, a soul brave enough to sit with me. Come, friend."

Food was placed before me, but I had little hunger for it, focusing instead on recording the details of the monk's life. He told me of his belief in the existence of a thousand and one gods, gods he believed could be found in all things: the fire in the hearth, the water in the river and the air that we breathed. Pretty enough for a story, perhaps. But any reasoned individual must surely, as I did, scoff at such a view of the world as little more than superstition. He went on to describe his intense mental and physical training, his unending quest to hone his mind and body into an instrument of divine justice. Though I do wonder for what need his thousand gods would require a mortal man to implement their will. When I asked him why he did not carry a sword or, indeed, any weapon at all, he simply replied, "My body is my weapon." Then raising his hand and tapping his forehead, he added, "As is my mind."

Most unexpectedly, I would be treated to a display of this mastery.

A group of men approached our table, knocking my book to the floor and shoving me out of the way, producing knives and other weapons as they advanced. They were focused only on the solitary figure of the monk seated across from me. I scrabbled beneath the table, having an inkling of what was to come. I watched as at some unseen signal, they attacked.

Without rising from his seat, the monk met the first man's lunging slash, grabbing his wrist and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder, throwing him into a table with a loud crash. The suddenness of the monk's attack momentarily stunned the men, and as they stood there, he rose.

That was when chaos broke out.

The monk was a fluid mass of restrained energy, meeting every attack with hardly a moment's distress. He fought with hands and feet in a way I had never seen before. In my days, I have witnessed my share of drunken bar brawls, but this was something else altogether. The sound of bones crunching with each of his strikes mixed with something I could not quite believe: the monk was laughing as he fought. One by one, he dispatched his foes until only one remained.

That one picked up a chair and hurled it toward the monk. The monk swung his arm forward and struck the incoming projectile, meeting the solid oak of the chair with his closed fist. The wood broke apart, splinters filling the air as the shattered pieces of the stool fell harmlessly to the ground around him.

"You don't fool me, demon," the monk spat. He pulled his arms back to his sides, then extended his hands before him and began to chant. A nimbus of white light appeared around his head, growing larger and more intense until it completely encompassed the monk's body. He roared, and the light blew outward. As it washed over the other man, his skin peeled away, revealing a red-skinned demon beneath and threw the creature through the front doors of the tavern.

The monk hurtled forward, but his individual movements were too fast for my eyes to track. It seemed as though there were seven of him raining blows upon the demon from every side. Staggered, the demon stumbled. The monk grabbed the demon by the neck, grinning as he pulled his free arm back, crackling energy glowing on his open hand. He shoved his palm forward, and when it struck the demon, its body exploded: muscle, skin and bones tore apart, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own two eyes. It seems the stories of these peerless warriors might not have been as exaggerated as I first thought.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Abd al-Hazir is a renowned gentleman, historian, and scholar. He has recently taken up the unprecedented task of investigating, researching, and compiling information about the unique locales and denizens of our world.

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