In Every Dark Time, a Light Appears
By Christopher F. Dalton
During this soul-rattling period of history, our willingness to listen to others and tell our stories can bring forgiveness, healing and hope.
Our culture is engulfed in confusion and pain, yet I believe we can break through the darkness and make a difference. That is why I wrote Nicholas and the Keeper of Names, a fantasy-adventure novel for ages ten and up.
It is a fast, thrilling ride with elements of a love story and coming-of-age tale sprinkled in. My goal is to inspire forgiveness, and the use of personal gifts to heal others.
Nicholas and the Keeper of Names begins at a time of great peace and prosperity due to a covenant between elves and humans. All that shatters in one night as families are torn apart by a demonic plague. The humans blame the elves and seek revenge immediately. Nicholas, half-human and half-elf—and the next Keeper of Names— flees for his life as his family is torn apart.
A Dark Time Descends on the City
A dark time descends on the city. The broken covenant unleashes a curse resulting in a famine which strangles the once vibrant seaport. Watching from afar, Nicholas faces the ultimate question: how far will he go to save those he still loves and those who killed his elven and human family? Nicholas is a young man given great powers and a profound call: to protect every person written on the sacred scroll—those who have a covenant with the elves. But can he put the pain aside to help others?
We watch as Nicholas works to forgive those who hate him and rises to be the light in the dark. He puts it all on the line and returns to his city to heal old wounds and re-establish the covenant. Using all his powers, Nicholas tries to win over a grieving, misguided military leader, as well as the city fathers. He provides food and protection and works to break the cursed famine over the city before it becomes permanent.
As the story plays out, Nicholas gives up the comfort of the elven kingdom, enters the pain of his childhood home, and sacrifices his pride and privacy to save his city. To heal our culture, it is going to take individuals willing to sacrifice their need to be comfortable, proud, and private.
How Do We Heal Our Culture?
Who doesn’t love comfort? We have cars that stop for us, home theaters to avoid going out, and instant everything, all to prevent inconvenience and the greatest of all evils: pain.
If we stop and look around us—truly look at people we work with, got to school with, walk the grocery store aisles with—we will see people masking their pain. The question is, do these people have anyone willing to listen to them? Most likely not. If we are willing to enter their stories, we can listen to them. Not advise them. Just listen to them.
Then, just like with Nicholas, we can open up about the trials we have endured. No one likes to admit they are weak, they need help, or they have failed. Hiding those things from others doesn’t make the pain go away.
We have all experienced broken relationships. We have all failed in some area. Others need to hear about our storms and how we came through them. Our pride and privacy will have to move aside to allow others to see that they can survive as well.
Bringing light into the darkness is that simple, and that hard.
Christopher F. Dalton is a storyteller by trade. His new novel, Nicholas and the Keeper of Names, is a thrilling fantasy-adventure for ages ten and up, and his modern-day fairytale, The Lantern Heart, is an illustrated tale set in the forests of Alaska. Both books are on sale via Amazon. He has written four feature films and a gaggle of short stories, as well as having ghostwritten twelve books. He and his wife, Carissa, launched Huck&Dorothy, a story company, out of a love for stories and a mission to spread joy and hope through moving stories. Christopher and his wife live in Los Angeles with their three sons and two rabbits.
