Chapter 3. Queen of Ashes

NABU

We march toward the beach where the villagers are gathered, the clouds above rumbling, getting ready for a storm. My stare is transfixed on my mother. From the way she walks, no one would tell she is gravely ill. How she is doing that, I cannot explain.

When the villagers sight her, they even quickly make way for her to walk in their midst. It is no longer news that they fear her. The events of the day she took Asterisk by storm would forever be engraved in their minds.

We had arrived in the townlet, fleeing from Iridu, but the Aki of Asterisk, in her wickedness, would not accept us into her fold as refugees. But since my mother would not leave either, she sent her men to attack and slaughter us. A grave mistake because by the time a hundred of her bald heads were slain within the hour, she was forced to reconsider.

One year later, what we were running from has traced us to Asterisk. I am sure the Aki was involved in getting us out. But right now, I am more focused on Karen. Perhaps I will get to her later.

Before long, I see them—the Annunaki. Their sight is even more shriveling than I initially thought. Anyone who has not heard of them in this realm is but a stranger. Their white, bone-straight hair is their signature appearance, apart from their glinting silver armor and gleaming red eyes in the gloom. Today, they even arrive with a battalion of foot soldiers.

Qin grabs my hand, stopping me from going further with my mother as soon as we reach the front of the sandy beach. I turn, flashing a glare at her, but she holds me even tighter.

“You will the queen to die a queen’s death, for it is her time,” she says sternly, but I will not have it.

“It is easy for you to say because she is not her mother!” I make an effort to release my hand from her grip, but she twists it, pulling me toward herself and yanking me into her grasp, her arms wrapping around my waist, trapping me. Since my wriggling and kicking are in vain against her strength, I surrender to the situation.

“You come before the Annunaki bearing weapons…” the spokesman standing in front of the battalion begins, as Karen keeps striding towards them. He is dark in complexion and clad in a colorful robe. Pomposity is written all over his composure.

“What do you think your short blades will achieve against the great Annunaki…” His throat is slit open, and blood pours out like a spring of water as Karen interrupts his speech with a toss of daggers.

He grapples with his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but his body is already giving up. He falls on his knees before the queen even reaches him, his head kissing her feet as his body plunges into the sand. She boots what is left of him away…

“Anyone else has something to say?” Her voice echoes loud and clear, followed by the roaring of thunder in the sky. On our side, the crowd oohs and aahs while my eyebrows cringe in wonder.

“Where did she get that energy from?” I ask Qin.

“It is the power of the Ovie,” she whispers in my ear. “Hush now, little one, and pay rapt attention.”

Karen sweeps her gaze around, and since no one would reply to her, she continues, pointing at the one standing in front of the troops. Their leader, I suppose. “I have a proposal for you. You are the commander of this incompetent bunch, are you not?”

He takes a few steps forward with his chin up and his hands on his belt and says nothing.

“You high and lofty Annunaku who think the world belongs to you and you are immortal, bring me five of your strongest warriors at once! My proposition is this. If I strike three of them down, I earn my freedom to stay in this land as I please,” she hollers.

“Impossible. What is mother doing?” I cry, but this time, Qin remains mute.

Cackles of laughter ripple through the Annunaki front. The Captain veers around, throwing a glance at his men before turning back to Karen, his lips pulled up to a lopsided smile.

“How pathetic!” his voice bellows, loud and clear.

“I’ll make you a counteroffer. If you strike one of my men down, I’ll not only grant you legitimacy but your daughter and butler as well will become citizens of Asterisk…” Rounds of laughter rise again, causing my stomach to boil.

“I take it that you are a man of your word, yes?” Karen asks. Then it hits me. She once told me that the Annunakis like to be worshipped by the people. They like to be seen as immortal gods and appear favorable and good in the eyes of the ‘lesser’ people. Right now, all the eyes in Asterisk are glued to them. Another opportunity to feed off some worship. If they fail on their word, they lose favor.

“She is killing two birds with one stone, child. Watch and learn,” Qin’s voice resounds in my ears again.

The Captain spreads his arms, an arrogant grin plastered on his face. “I, Kraga, the red-eye Annunaki god, before all the people of Asterisk, swear it that I will grant your daughter and butler citizenship. But if you fail, I will not only butcher you like an animal; I will burn your offspring with the dragon flame. And it would be slow and painful. I will also burn this village to the ground for harboring such an abomination for a whole year!”

Noisy murmurings rise from our end. My tongue grows heavy in my mouth as curses are hurled at my mother by the bald heads.

“We do not know that crazy woman!” I hear one shout.

“Be merciful to us, great one!” another cries.

“Shall we begin!” he roars, basking in the glory of their prayers. He signals five of his warriors to proceed from the frontlines, and they respond swiftly, swinging metal spears from side to side with impressive expertise.

I am sure Karen wishes to die a glorious death, but why loop the village and me into it? The price is too steep, in my opinion. “The Annunakis have dragon skin; they cannot be cut by any blade. It is a very popular theory. So what is she doing…?” I wonder aloud.

“Watch and learn…” Qin replies for the umpteenth time. “Battles are fought with the head more than the body, child.”

“Kobayaaassh!” Karen’s shout pulls down a lightning strike, followed by several thunderbolts rippling across the skies. The clouds become even more gloomy, so her glowing eyes grow conspicuous.

Qin lets go of me, and the next thing I know, she tosses that heavy sword from the tent in the air toward Karen, who dives and catches it mid-air while the Annunaki fighters launch an attack.

Immediately she unsheaths the blade, her eyes stop glowing and turn black, like night. She has once told me about the power of Ovie, but this is my first time beholding it. Several spears lunge at her, but she evades them all, spinning and twisting like a god. Another violent lightning strike stimulates whimpers from the bald heads. It is almost as if it accompanies the very first swing of her sword.

Her blade cuts through one of her attackers’ spears, slicing his skull into two. Then, a hush descends into the vicinity. I can’t help it. A smile spreads on my lips, teary eyes following. Who would have thought that someday one would behold an Annunaki being cut by a blade? An insane feeling of pride springs up in me.

Perhaps the deadliest part of her fighting skills is her movements. She is almost invincible, fast like the wind, lethal like the devil. She sweeps across the Annunaki fighters like a thunder bolt, slicing them like loaves of bread, their blood splattering like water from a burst pipe. In the end, only her sword is left glistening in the midst of dead bodies when another lightening strikes.

Annunaki, my foot.

She slowly turns in my direction and I can tell she is staring at me. I picture her smiling at me.

“Now I understand, Mother,” I mutter. Her action is a signal, a testimony that will send madness into the realms. The Annunaki are not invincible. Not gods. But mere mortals.

“No one has ever seen an Annunaki die,” Qin whispers from behind me. Then, the sky begins to wail bitterly. Karen’s feet begin to stagger, then she plummets to her knees, her bloodied blade piercing the sand. My muscles stiffen. It is as if she used her last energy to send a message to the four kingdoms—the Annunaki is not invisible. My eyes grow heavy again as drops of rain begin to flog us all mercilessly.

The captain, on seeing her in this state, begins to prance forward, fury plastered on his face.

“No! Mother!” I scream, trying to run to her aid, but Qin drags me back and wraps her arms around me again.

“Let me go!” I yell, my voice tearing through the cold storm.

On registering the sound of my voice, Karen removes her helmet and staggers to her feet. She begins to amble towards me, her hand stretched out, trembling. One step. Two steps. Her feet quiver, and she stumbles again and falls.

“Her body is giving up the ghost,” Qin reports with a heavy voice.

“Mother!” I cry, kicking and throwing punches in the air while the white hair hovers behind her. She manages to rise again.

“Wait! Kraga, you gave your word!” I shout like a crazed woman. My voice is seemingly the only sound in the entire expanse. “You gave your word!” I repeat, but my pleas seem to fall on deaf ears.

Karen whips around with her clenched fist, aiming for his jaw, but immediately, his hand drives into her chest, and she freezes. My voice ceases, and my heart stops. My feet grow numb. I am here, but I am not. I am wailing, but I cannot tell if it’s actually me.

He pushes his hand out of her thorax, and her body collapses to her knees, motionless. On his hand is a red, muscular organ, beating faintly while raindrops wash over it.

Then, he begins to transform, his body adjusting to a new morphological composure. Giant wings push out of his back, scaly skin, and glowing red eyes. His roar shrivels the wind, but not me. In my insides, a fire is ignited. It burns and hurts. But I like it. It is like a scar, a reminder of what he has done.

“I will kill him,” I mutter repeatedly, as if my mouth is speaking of its own accord.

“The Queen lives on in you,” Qin's voice echoes in my ears, cranky from sorrow and tears. “You will complete her mission and, in time, go back to Perth and reclaim your father’s throne.”