Thrones of Dust and Destiny

ANAKIM

Some myths and legends once said:

“... And the gods came down to earth and took the fair women unto themselves, so they bore them children, who were giant, evil, and corrupt, trampling upon the inhabitants of the earth with incredible strength and dark magical powers. They were called Anakims.”

Many generations passed until a few dilute bloodlines remained, multiplying until a city, Golem, was formed. These human-than-gods became the muscles of the Assyrian Empire—the greatest military force in the known world. Ferocious, barbarous, and brutal.

The purest bloodline was called ‘Neems’ in the Assyrian tongue, meaning ‘spirits,’ a separated clan born for war and revered by kings. As early as the age of six, all young children, boys and girls, born by the purest Anaki bloodlines, were taken to the ‘Crypts of Bane’ to be trained in the darkness. There, they learned their peculiar dark magic and mastered all the weapons of war.

Today, a massive golden army fights at the command of the Assyrian King. Nevertheless, a prophecy unnerves them, one which has lingered for ages. It says, “...On that day, the earth shall be purged of evil bloodlines by fire.”

The King of Babylon rides upon Assyria with fiery horses and a mighty army. He flies the banner of his god, Marduk. He is the bringer of fire!

***

On the arid plains of Asure, a nerve-wracking scream rings out, forcing the spinning breeze to amplify it even further than its crippling echoes in the hollows of my bones. The sun’s fury descending from above doesn’t make things any easier.

He is a traitor! I assure myself while watching a shiny blade slice his skin like a hot knife through butter. My eyes grow smart with tears, and my insides sink. Knowing that we have done far worse to our enemies in the past makes me wary of what more awaits this Babylonian spy.

Nauseous twinges in my guts ensue at the sight of blood slurping out of his midsection while Meizza’s hand drills into the open wound. If only I could walk away from this sight, I would.

But I can’t. By obligation, must stay standing by the scene of the incident, on the hot desert sand, my ‘brothers’ and me. For us, it is supposed to be another day at work.

I turn to peek at Karen, to see how she reacts to this, but against my will, the sensation of my bladder filling up to discharge some fluid discomforts me. I purse my lips as her stunning gray eyes collide with mine, scanning my facial expression.

“Wee-wee?” She mutters, referring to pee, her lips parting to a dashing smile, revealing a perfect set of white dentitions. My eyebrows furrow while she tries to withhold her laughter.

The fact that our instructor, Al-Ain, the high priest, says I would be the first among the trainees to pee on myself when the real deal begins shouldn’t make me a laughing stock.

I turn to my sides to glance at my fellow trainees, my brothers-in-arms. They stand unruffled like wanna-be soldiers on the horizontal line facing the scene.

Their giggles are audible enough, indicating that they heard what Karen said. My blood begins to boil, with a temperature hotter than the sun.