Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor (29 page)

“I am here, my Prince. I am here!” Tav cried with hope in his eyes, but the Prince held up His hand and would not let him come.

Gustav knelt down and pleaded, “But I wore your mark and carried the sword of the King with me everywhere.”

The Prince looked sadly at Sir Gustav. “You made for yourself a life of selfish and apathetic comfort in this kingdom. Sir Quinlan chose to make his life in the Kingdom Across the Sea. That is where each of you built. That is where each of you will live. Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”

Quinlan’s heart broke for his friend, but the judgment had been given. Tav turned away and returned to that place where he had stored up his treasures … treasures that had no worth to a King who owned everything.

And thus you have heard the tale of two knights—the way of the wise and the way of a fool. Both had defining moments, and both made their choices.

Perhaps your defining moment is upon
you
. I implore you, my fellow knight—choose wisely!

Much of the allegorical symbolism in the Knights of Arrethtrae originated in the Kingdom Series. Here are a few questions to review this symbolism:

1. Who does the Prince represent?
   
2. Who are the Knights of the Prince?
   
3. What is Chessington? Arrethtrae?
   
4. Who is the Dark Knight/Dark Lord/Lucius?
   
5. Who are the Silent Warriors and the Shadow Warriors?
   
6. What is a Vincero Knight?
   
7. What is a haven?
   

1. In this chapter, the Dark Knight, Lucius, is searching for a particular effective form of attack against the citizens of Arrethtrae. When is evil the most dangerous to us?
   

1. What do you think the paytha creature might represent?
   
2. When Twitch asks the merchant how big the paytha will get, the answer is “as big as you want it.” How does this strange characteristic relate to the symbolism of the creature?
   
3. How does the merchant’s offer to trade for weapons or armor relate to a compromise in our spiritual walk to gain something worldly?
   
4. What does the shield represent in Ephesians 6:16? How does this relate to what Tav might be giving up by trading his shield to gain the paytha?
   

1. Tav and Twitch name their paythas Disty and Bli. What do these names represent in regard to apathy?
   
2. The merchant explains that paythas can reproduce if they are fed and cared for and if they sense that others are enjoying them too. How does this relate to apathy?
   

1. Sir Baylor states that following the Prince requires sacrifice. Can you find a Bible verse to support this point of view?
   

1. Why do you think Bli becomes distressed when Quinlan kneels down to speak to the Prince? How does this relate to the spiritual realm?
   
2. Why does a Shadow Warrior attack Quinlan?
   
3. As the Swords of Valor fight to protect Quinlan, he notices that as individuals they would have quickly fallen, but as a force of four, they form an “impenetrable wall.” Can you find a Bible verse supporting how this is true for us as the body of Christ?
   

1. No one seems to believe that Quinlan is worthy of being a knight who can serve with the Swords of Valor. Does this relate to the kinds of people God often calls to service for Him? Can you think of examples in the Bible? Why do you think God works this way?
   
2. What do the Articles of the Code and the Sword of the Prince represent?
   
3. Sir Baylor remarks, “Those knights who are truly dedicated to the Prince see the true kingdom well, but those who are not—and there are many—do not see it at all.” Can this be true of Christians? If so, what might cause this?
   
4. Sir Baylor speaks of supporting those knights who have purposed to take the message of the Prince into the far reaches of the kingdom. How can you support missionaries today?
   
5. Quinlan resolves to follow the prompting within him to serve the Prince by joining the Swords of Valor. Can you find Bible verses that tell us not to shrink back or quench the promptings of the Holy Spirit?
   

1. Quinlan overhears a visiting knight at the haven teaching her trainees that the sword is “our greatest defense against the forces of evil.” Why is this true? How can we use the sword of God’s Word as a defense? Can you think of a biblical example of this?
   

1. After the attack at the haven, a knight wonders if some of the people might ask where the Prince was in all of it. Often we are faced with the same question in real life. What is a good answer for someone who wonders where God is in the tragedies of the world?
   

1. In an empire built on deception and treachery (such as the realm of Lucius), there are no friends. Why do you think this is?
   

1. Sir Worthington urges the knights that “when your heart pounds with passion” for the cause of the Prince, “you take up a battle that has been raging from the beginning of time.” Do you really believe this statement? If so, how does it affect how you live your daily life?
   

1. We see Tav’s apathy turn to unbelief when he says Quinlan is chasing a dream that doesn’t exist. How does this happen to a believer? Find Bible verses to support your answer.
   
2. Terrance encourages Quinlan to quit looking back at his past so that he won’t stumble over the things that are ahead of him. Find a passage in Philippians that teaches us to look forward.
   

1. By using the crystal coin, Quinlan discovers that he can see in the warrior realm. What allows us to “see” the spiritual realm?
   

1. Part of Quinlan’s training involves strengthening his body by first tearing it down, then building it back up. Can you think of a discipline in Scripture that requires us to deny our bodies in order for us to become stronger
   spiritually?
   
2. As Taras instructs Quinlan, he makes three statements about Quinlan’s identity as a Knight of the Prince. The first is, “The Prince sees you not for who you think you are, but for who He knows you are. The truth is that when He died for you on that tree long ago and when you accepted Him as the Son of the King, you already became that which you hope you will become.” Can you think of Bible verses that state a similar reality? What does this mean for us today?
   
3. The second statement Taras makes about Quinlan’s identity is: “Most of the knights don’t even understand who they are in the Prince.” How do we as Christians find out who we are in Christ?
   
4. The final statement Taras makes about Quinlan’s identity is: “You cannot add anything to that which the Prince made perfect. All you can do is believe Him who made it so.” In other words, Christ’s work on the cross was complete, and we can’t add anything to it to help sanctify ourselves. Our righteousness
   is based not on what we do, but on our believing Jesus Christ and what He did for us. Which book of the New Testament shows how faith in God was attributed to people as righteousness?
   

1. In this chapter Luskan speaks of “the Rising,” which was also mentioned in
   chapter 1
   . What do you think this might represent?
   

1. “It’s what I was born to be.” Lilam’s statement about becoming a Knight of the Prince is really true for all people of the world. Why? Find a scripture to support your answer.
   

1. Note how the paythas, which represent apathy, appeared friendly at first and later were revealed to be vicious, controlling beasts, whereas Kalil the penthomoth first appeared vicious, but later becomes a friend. What do you think the penthomoth represents? (The Greek work
   pentho
   provides a hint.)
   
2. Kalil the penthomoth becomes a friend to Quinlan, but not every penthomoth is a friend. What does this tell us?
   

1. As Quinlan searches for the warrior hiding in the forest, he realizes that he has been depending on the training from the Silent Warriors and has completely forgotten about the crystal coin. Often we forget to access the power of the Holy Spirit and depend instead on our own wisdom and ability. Has this ever happened to you? Describe the experience.
   
2. The Prince tells Quinlan that he is a fellow heir to the kingdom as a son of the King. Can you find a Bible verse that tells us something similar?
   
3. Which Bible verse affirms the Prince’s words, “Be strong, for I am strong in you”?
   

1. In
   chapter 17
   , we learned that the penthomoth represents passion. Why does passion for Jesus sometimes seem “ugly” to the rest of the world?
   

1. Quinlan finds Drake instructing children at the haven. Can you find the verse in Scripture where Jesus talks about children’s place in the kingdom of heaven?
   

1. Quinlan tries to warn the prefect of Burkfield about the coming attack on the city, but the prefect doesn’t believe him. How is this similar to what Christians often face?
   

1. This chapter is titled “A Roaring Lion.” Can you find a Bible verse that refers to Satan as a roaring lion? According to this verse, what is Satan’s objective?
   

1. At Quinlan’s invitation, a knight chose to get free of her paytha. How is this scene similar to what one might experience in reality when a person chooses to be free from a vice or stronghold?
   
2. Tav was once again unwilling to give up the paytha that had drawn him away from the haven and ultimately from the Prince. Can you find a story in the Bible in which a man walked away from Jesus because of a stronghold in his life?
   
3. Kalil defeats and destroys the paythas. What might this represent?
   
4. 4. Thousands of Knights of the Prince come together to fight for Burkfield. What does this represent in the spiritual realm?
   

1. Silent Warriors (angels) come to the aid of the Knights of the Prince who are fighting for Burkfield. What roles have angels played in Scripture? (For example, the angel who told Mary she would give birth to Jesus was playing the role of messenger.)
   

1. Jesus has some grave words for those who don’t truly serve Him in heart. Find the passage in Matthew that describes what Tav experiences when he goes to meet the Prince at the docks.
   

1. The Prince represents Jesus Christ.
   
2. The Knights of the Prince represent all Christians.
   
3. Chessington represents Jerusalem, and Arrethtrae represents the whole world
   (earth
   and
   terra
   are combined backward to make up this word).
   
4. The Dark Knight, also referred to as the Dark Lord or Lucius, represents Satan.
   
5. The Silent Warriors are God’s angels, and the Shadow Warriors are Satan’s demons.
   
6. A Vincero Knight is a person who has been personally trained by one of Lucius’s Shadow Warriors to spread and cultivate evil. Vincero Knights are ruthless and twisted by the evil that has mentored them. They represent people who are committed to propagating evil in the world, such as murderers, drug dealers, and the like.
   
7. A haven represents a local church, where believers are trained, discipled, and sent out to share the gospel with others.