The Head Of The Serpent

Prelude Question: Could it be that the future is really our past, one linked to the other in an inseparable bond, traveling endlessly in circular patterns throughout time and space, repeating itself over and over, each time manifesting itself in a familiar but uniquely distinct manner? There is an old adage that says throughout life, you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand. It’s not about who you pretend to be that forms the bond, a boastful show of wealth or good works, but rather who you really are that matters. In the end, there is only one true friend who willingly gave His life to save yours. Not much was asked in return. It was a gift, given by grace. Past or present, what you do with that gift it is up to you. It just may determine your future… “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana circa 1905 approx. “To everything, there is a Season and a Time to every Purpose Under Heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV Preface An Obelisk unearthed by the Dwarven Army mystically projected a warning, revealed in a drifting vapor from within its solid granite walls. It was a warning originally carved in stone, written by the ancients in Sumerian text long before the time of the Troll Wars. An old Monk received a visit in the form of a heaven sent apparition. A glimmering image of a close friend, a spirit long passed, sent to convey a similar warning. Both carried the same message… Beware the Head of the Serpent! The Sword of Leahanna had become detached, no longer linked to the Pearl or any one person, sent to rest deep within the waters of Lake A’Lithander in the heart of the Elfin forest of I’Thillianne. For the Sword, it would be a time of healing. A new Pearl would be cultivated and nurtured. Its power soon to return. The diabolical plans of the Devil and his army of Demonic Monsters had been foiled and put asunder due to the combined efforts of the Roluk Hordes, Elfin Forces, three Wizards, the Sword of Leahanna and of course, by the very Hand of the Lord Himself. The Evil One had been sealed within the portal of the second heaven. The door had been slammed shut for a Time, Times and Half-a-Time. Only the Head of the Serpent remained. The driving force of Evil was now in chains. All seemed to be good… But Not So Fast! The seed of perdition had already been cast, set in place by a long dead Evil Wizard. Little-by-little it began to grow in power; taking the form of a vile and evil creature that came to be known as the Beast. Slowly this beast tightened its grip upon the inhabitants of the Realm, starting with Westshire and the lesser known provinces. Population control through debt and coercion would entice those unaware to do its bidding. None ensnared by its cruel monetary policies could buy, sell or prosper without its mark or the number of its name. In turn, it would use its ill-gotten gains to finance the ongoing war between good and evil. The Head of the Serpent began to take control. For it was said, Who is likened onto the Beast… Who will worship the number of his name? In Norsada to the North, Thargor was back in power with a new mission, signing a non-aggression pact and combining forces with Gog and the Trolls. Meanwhile, the Muzoule militia had been pouring in the Southern borders near the Hill Country, bankrolled by an evil cabal of a New World Order aligned with power-hungry criminal elements and hidden spies. Their aim was to over-run the territories of the Realm and enslave its inhabitants, setting-up its Throne of Evil near the Temple of I’Thillianne. If successful, the Dark Tower would once again become the new beacon of power. It would be up to the Allied powers to put an end to it. As a unified force, they would employ new weapons and new assault tactics; neither Kholta-Kahn, K’Leander, Jorax nor King Hagar and Queen Czarkov would make it easy for them.

In this study, Brian A. Verrett argues that 1–2 Samuel contains a serpent motif by practicing biblical theology and literary criticism. This motif derives from the serpent in Genesis 3, and its function within the Samuel narrative is to heighten the reader’s anticipation in the coming messiah, who is the son of David and the seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15. This messiah will defeat the serpent and inaugurate his glorious reign over a renewed world. When 1–2 Samuel is read in this way, one appreciates previously unnoticed features of the text, understands aspects of the text that were formerly confusing, and rightly sees that the whole of 1–2 Samuel is a messianic document.

A hired gun delivers frontier justice on a colony world in this exciting novel from “an imaginative writer with a director’s eye” (Aaron Allston, New York Times–bestselling author of Mercy Kill: Star Wars Legends). The man called Twelve is a hired gun, taking his laser pistol from planet to planet, renting his services out to the highest bidder. He finds himself on Glycon-Prime, a new colony at the edge of space. On the hunt for work, Twelve blows into a small frontier town—only to find a massacre. The survivors? A trio of young children, devastated by the murder of their families. They are hellbent on hiring the gunslinger to get revenge on the leader of the vicious mutants responsible—the man known only as The Serpent’s Head . . .

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

Recounts definitive moments from the author's career as a Navy SEAL, discussing the missions that had the greatest personal meaning for him and explaining the lessons and values he hopes to pass on to the next generation.

Named to ten BEST OF THE YEAR lists and selected as a William C. Morris Award Winner,The Serpent King is the critically acclaimed, much-beloved story of three teens who find themselves--and each other--while on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their small-town behind. Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down. "Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." —The New York Public Library “Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” —BookRiot.com Dill isn't the most popular kid at his rural Tennessee high school. After his father fell from grace in a public scandal that reverberated throughout their small town, Dill became a target. Fortunately, his two fellow misfits and best friends, Travis and Lydia, have his back. But as they begin their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. His only escapes are music and his secret feelings for Lydia--neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending--one that will rock his life to the core. Debut novelist Jeff Zentner provides an unblinking and at times comic view of the hard realities of growing up in the Bible belt, and an intimate look at the struggles to find one’s true self in the wreckage of the past. “A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it’s as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking.” —PasteMagazine.com “A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it.” —Mashable.com “I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another.”—New York Times

This is the extraordinary story of the discovery of the ultimate secrets of some of the world's most enigmatic mysteries - including the Holy Grail, the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone.