The Book of Nova

King Herod was his name. Like many kings who ruled before him, he wanted to maintain his power. In this aspiration, he ordered his men to kill the first born male child of every woman in his kingdom, for he had been warned of one who would be a threat to his reign. Evidently becoming a tyrant, his plan would fail when he was blinded by a nova. (A nova is a star that shines real bright for a moment and then it goes back to it's normal state of shining light.) Falling on the ground with no sight, his soldiers returned to see him on his knees.  Josephus, King Herod's best soldier, rushed to his aid.
"Sir, with the fog and the light, we could not see. We went underground. It may be too late, we've failed you, your majesty," Josephus said as King Herod waved his hands in disgust, as his bare knees scraped the floor. "Sir, are you okay?" Josephus asked.
"Josephus, I've somehow lost my sight. How can a king rule with no sight?" King Herod replied, crawling on the floor, touching things for direction.
Josephus could not believe what he was seeing. Helping the king to his bed, he then left the king to rest and went out to find the child that King Herod had been afraid of. Falling off of his camel, while in route, he was knocked unconscious and dreamed of a lion approaching him. When the lion proceeded to attack him, he woke up and found himself in prison.
"What have I done?" He screamed, while being pulled back in place by the force of the chains that bound him to the wall.
A man turned to him, "They say the king has ordered your execution for trying to kill him," the man explained.
"That is foolishness, I would never do such a thing," Josephus replied.
The next morning, on his way to be executed, he noticed King Herod with bandages around his eyes.
"Your highness, what have I done? Have mercy on me please. Spare my life, for I've been falsely accused. I've served you well. Sir, have I ever committed blasphemy? Have I ever dishonored Judah? Your majesty, what have I done?" Josephus screamed, begging for his life to be spared.
In the midst of the commotion, a child, no older than eleven emerged from the crowd.
"Great citizens of Judah, in honor of thy father, I request that my life be taken instead," the child said as he proceeded forward.
The men of Judah had been spellbound, for a blind king would kill an innocent soldier, yet a child would give his life to save him. In this display of humiliation, in the presence of the blind king, the men began to talk among themselves.
"Is this the first born male child that you feared, King Herod? Is this the child that will lead Judah to the father?" Josephus asked as the crowd of spectators became silent.
Nathaniel, one of the well known prophets in the town stepped forward.
"What is your name, young man? You don't look familiar?" Nathaniel asked.
"My name is Nova. Sir. Nova Yahweh. Take my life instead of the soldier, Sir," Nova replied.
This pleased the men of Judah and they let Josephus plead his case after he was set free. Destined for greatness, the day of Nova was proclaimed throughout all of Judah and King Herod had been shamed and sent into exile. As the legend goes, the nova star still shines in the north sky. It shines for all of humanity, so that they will never forget the one brave child, born with the heart to save us all.
For it was written, that in the midst of men, one brave child, named: "Nova Yahweh" would emerge from a crowd of men to save an innocent soldier. That concludes the Book of Nova in the collection of Holiday stories.