The Ballad of Persephone Read online

Page 5


  “pTah. Of all the places in the world, that’s where you will keep your library?”

  “You should see it, uncle,” Thoth says with a wide grin. “The library is hidden away in the old ruins of ATun - in their metropolis long abandoned. The desert sands have covered the plateau, allowing all the wonderful structures of the old world to remain hidden.”

  “I envy you Thoth,” Shuru grumbles between sips. “You continue to receive the wisdom of our forefathers. To continuously bask in the ages and wonders of a world long forgotten. With all the changes over the years, I’m afraid soon we won’t recognize ourselves.”

  “It all started two thousand years ago when the calendar was reinvented-”

  “Those priests insisted on it,” Shuru interrupts in a mocking tone.

  “Yes, they claimed it is easier to measure time in ages rather than Sars. 2160 per zodiacal procession they say.” Thoth chuckles, as Shuru grumbles at a page. “Why did you allow them to do this?”

  Shuru looks at Thoth somewhat annoyed, “Those watchers claimed it would be better for predicting the return of the forefathers. Little did I realize, too late I tell you, they were orchestrating a union between religion and economics.”

  “The more frequent the cause for celebration,” Thoth says. “the more stimuli the economy receives.”

  “Harmless,” the King points out. “Tell me, what is the best secret you have yet to learn?”

  Thoth hesitates for a moment. Butterflies flurry inside his stomach; he can’t contain his excitement to answer the question. “I only tell you this because you are my revered King, my protector. There is a way to access the essence to preserve it within a sacred space in the Amon-I.”

  “The soul?” Shuru’s eyes open wide with wonder

  “Yes. Have you ever wondered how it is the Forefathers were able to span such long periods? One-hundred-and-thirty-nine-thousand-years have passed since they first arrived; Two-hundred-thousand since the father ANu walked the Earth.”

  “You’re tickling my memory, taking me back to the myths of my Grandfathers. They said ANu was a Prince, heir to all of Vega, a scientist too. He could have engineered some form of life-extending protocols for his family. Besides, the Forefathers were born in one of the worlds of Lyra. They’re not like us, adapted to this world.”

  “No, they’re not like us, but they are not immortal. We were never taught as much, but they retreated to Lumeria to sleep for a Sar, then return.”

  “Incredible. Alright, you have revealed enough. I fear any more would put fanciful ideas in my head.”

  “Tell me a story uncle. Share with me the words of your Grandfather’s past. I want to hear a living account, not read ink on a page or absorb recorded energy.”

  Shuru’s face lights up. His heart lightens with love, for no one cares to indulge an old Anuk and his silent musings. He straightens up, sips his tea, and looks out the stone window, peering back in time, in a way only he can.

  “This is a tale from grandfather’s grandfather, when the Earth cooled, and all manner of life exploded unto the shimmering blue pearl of a planet. A huge melting-pot, vibrant with diverse creatures locked in exponential evolution. Years passed, yet nothing of note registered with celestial scout vessels deployed from the realm of the Anuk, 25-light-years away.

  “On a routine trek across the void, curiosity grasped a handful of scientists. A fever infected their bones. They had to visit the fertile globe. They basked in unique comforts the world offered, marveling at the similarities with their own home. The local species were devoid of human intelligence, save a primitive branch incapable of language. The adherents of science felt compelled to do what they do best – experiment.

  “Meddling proved futile. Disappointment encouraged a hasty departure back to their realm. The star of nine-planets yielded nothing to offer the Crown Prince ANu – the heir blessed with dominion over the mighty system of Vega.

  “After ANu became Supreme Monarch he escaped to the Earth for a reprieve from the chaos of rule. At this time the vast resources of the planet became apparent. Endless gold and other minerals coveted amongst the worlds of Lyra overflowed in scattered regions throughout. The Anuk practice of expansion would now be applied.

  “For ten-thousand-years industry mined the planet. From each continent hordes of product left in veils of light. Collection crafts received bountiful cargo in orbit. Once full, the long journey to Vega commenced.

  “As with any civilization endowed with a wealthy monarchy, their disenfranchised servants begged to be heard. A long and terrible war broke out in Vega, spilling across the vast expanse of space, and ultimately reached earth in a hail of fire. Rebels incited unrest; violence encouraged action. A purge order resonated in the Royal halls of Vega; a deadly battalion was sent to wipe out all Anuk life on the planet. Dark skies exploded with the destructive force of military might, turning night into day and fields into rivers of crimson.

  “At this point in the Earth’s cycle of life, primitives evolved into a semblance of humanity. Some historians believed Anuk scientists played a part in the rapid onset of evolution. Others claimed blasphemous cross-breeding occurred. It didn’t matter after the war ended – for the Anunnaki, or ‘Those from Heaven who came,’ as the primitives called the Anuk, returned to Vega, not to be seen again for another seventeen-thousand-years when the sons of ANu and their cousins came.” The King exhales his exhaustion. He grunts before resuming his browsing of the ancient text.

  Thoth makes his way to a nearby window. A shimmering case catches his eye. He is lost viewing the relics contained in the three-foot-long box. Inside, two parts of the royal brothers sit on lighted stands – a lock of hair from ENlil, and a severed finger from ENki.

  He shifts his gaze to the window, soaking in the view of the grand-canyon, draped in an abundance of green. “The land has come a long way since our ancestors abandoned it – pTah that is. The people are ruthless, wild, cannibals; much like the inhabitants of these lands. But they possess a passion for life – a trait lost with the adherents to civilization.”

  “Those lands used to be in the line of your House, did you know this?” Shuru asks.

  Thoth shakes his head.

  “Then it is time it returns to House ENki. When your brother becomes the Primary, it shall pass to him by my royal decree, as so commissioned…” Shuru smiled. “Well, tomorrow. Where is Osiris anyway?”

  “He is gallivanting through Aryavan. The petulance of youth.” Thoth laughs then returns to his seat. “Uncle, there is a prophecy I encountered in the emerald tablets.”

  “Prophecy? You know I put no stock in those things. We are the masters of our being.”

  “Yes, but it is interesting. I believe it speaks of our time, of events recent and to come.” Thoth closes his eyes to access his memories, then recites a translation of old words as best as he can, “When darkness consumes the souls of humanity, a hand of hope shall seal the bridge of divide. Great sorrow for the few, then great joy for the many. The veil of mystery shall defy time to start life anew.”

  “Thoth, I know you indulge in the white powder from the south, but that makes no sense.”

  “The true meaning is lost in translation, Uncle. But it is interesting.”

  “You want to hear what’s interesting?” Shuru chuckles. “What I have translated from this mess, what I can understand, is that my daughter is not destined to be a secondary to any husband. She is the heir to Hyperboria, damn it. She can assume all the powers of a king in her title.”

  “That is correct,” Thoth says with his eyes lowered. “It was not my place to challenge the patriarchal designs of the forefathers, but from the knowledge of the Amon-I, both male and female are equal in all rights. It is but a culture that determines, then forces the worst course for any disenfranchised group.”

  “Alright, you’re making my old ears hurt.”

  “Uncle…seeing that you are in a generous mood, I would like to ask a favor.”

  “
Ask me anything, son,” Shuru says with happy anticipation. Thoth has never made a request for himself, and this rare instance warms the King’s heart.

  “I humbly request that you restore Markus to his station; allow my father’s most trusted general to regain his citizenship in the Greater House.”

  “Ask of me anything but that,” Shuru grumbles. “It was your father who stripped him of titles and banished his insolence to the wastelands.”

  “A verdict made in haste and with bad counsel.”

  “No.” Shuru lets his command sink in. Thoth’s disappointed look breaks his heart, but the personal anguish he feels cannot override his decision as monarch. “Markus made his bed. He broke your father’s heart with his scandalous indiscretion. He is lucky I didn’t have his head on a spike.”

  “I suppose living the life of a desert rat in Rekam is a suitable sentence,” Thoth says with some reflection.

  “Is that where he is?”

  Thoth stares out across the land. “I ran into him there last month.”

  “It figures he’d find refuge with those artsy buffoons. Thoth…are you moving the weapons to pTah as well?”

  “I haven’t thought about it.”

  “You have free rein over anything under my gaze, except those. Leave them here. Let the remnants of Vega remain hidden…forgotten if possible.”

  Thoth nods. He shivers inside at the reminder of terrible weapons of mass destruction hidden and dormant, not far from where they sit. The Western Continent is an afterthought in the cog of civilization. He wonders if things will ever change.

  ~ Royal Palace at ‘The Abode of Snow,’ Aryavan ~

  It has been one week since Persephone traveled to Aryavan with her mother. She is a typical 17-year old girl, almost 18 – past the cusp of womanhood in Anuk culture. Unlike the average girl her age, she stands tall at five-foot-ten and still growing – this due entirely to her Anuk genes. She has always maintained a slender figure and long blonde hair – although there was one time, she shaved it all off in rebellion to something or the other; no one knows, except it involved the Queen.

  By all hushed comparisons, she is no striking beauty. Plain in looks, called ‘scrawny’ by the other members of her family, brash, unintelligent, and plagued with nervous quirks. She doesn’t care. Her sheltered life promotes the opportunity to protest.

  Time spent with eastern cousins has been recorded in her journal under the title ‘A monumental exercise in benign living, bordering a whisper of suicide for the adventurous.’ Her boredom intensified when Queen Farah abandoned her to travel to the borderlands for some unknown purpose. There was nothing to do in this snow-covered corner of the province – nothing that she will be allowed to do, anyway.

  Snow-capped mountain peaks stare back at her through wide-open windows in her chambers. The sunlight streams in warmth, teasing of better things to do in the village far below. She huffs. A crystal vase catches her eye. I wonder just how far it will fall. She grabs the object and cocks her arm back. A large cat assaulting her stuffed bunny distracts her. She finds a new target and hurls the vase, narrowly missing the feline. The crashing sound brings the ever-vigilant Samiri.

  “Princess?” he says. His body is half-way across the threshold, trepidation in his voice.

  “I’m tired of being a prisoner.” she sighs, then walks around in a fit of frustration, grumbling under her breath.

  “Perhaps I can arrange a tour of something...”

  “No…I want to go home. I want papa.”

  “I’m sure the Queen shall return soon.” He smiles painfully at her. “I’ll send Koray up with food.”

  Samiri leaves the room to make his way to a lower level. He is intercepted by Aspasia. She joins him on a long descending corridor.

  “Our dispatch indicates they are ready,” she whispers. “Only in Illyria will they move.”

  “And the savages agree to our conditions?” he asks.

  “They will wait at the port. Once there, Prince Vali can make his astounding rescue.”

  “I do not trust your master, Aspasia. He’d better deliver the Amon-I.”

  She halts, bringing Samiri to an abrupt stop. Her hand wraps around his and she stares deep into his eyes, words stuck on the tip of her tongue, struggling to pass her lips. “We do not need the Amon-I any longer.”

  The sting of her statement rings in his ear, reverberating through his soul. His flushed face betrays his anger.

  For years he waited to gain possession of the powerful relic. Plans were made putting his beloved Princess in harm’s way, all in the name of a greater cause – his cause. It was Aspasia’s prompting that led him down a path of misery. Betrayal was never a condition he expected from her.

  He snatches her arm with a malicious grip. “Explain yourself!”

  “Let go of me. I could not tell you until I was sure.”

  “Tell me what?” he asks, nearly spitting the words.

  She lowers her gaze as if expecting a terrible response. “There has been a breakthrough. I am the first test subject to achieve success – I am pregnant with your child.”

  A hurricane of thoughts swirls in Samiri’s mind. Anger finds itself at the forefront. His part in a plot to kidnap the Princess is predicated upon a promise that will bring the Amon-I to him. “Then why are we continuing down this fruitless path?”

  “Because my master wishes it,” she says with some embarrassment. “Once he is declared Persephone’s savior, receives her hand in marriage and ascends to the throne, you and I will be set upon posts beyond our greatest expectations.”

  “You and your Watchers are a mangy flock, resigned to a singular concept of living,” he growls with anger seeping into his tone. “I will keep my part in this affair, so insured by my blood-oath. Their lack of vision will be their undoing…not mine.” He storms off.

  The morning is progressing at a crawl. Aryans are a casual lot, devoted to a leisurely pace in all things. Thirty-minutes pass before Koray, Persephone’s trusted handmaiden, receives the Princess’ lavish food platter.

  Koray doesn’t mind the wait. There are enough young men worthy of flirtatious pursuits to keep her occupied. Always carrying a smile and a pleasant demeanor, she captures the attention of every eye straying her way. Her slender frame, flaming red hair and bedazzling appearance elicit confusion as to her status in the court; many assume she is Anuk – they are half-right.

  Koray has been with Persephone for almost five-years. Her father is the once esteemed General Markus, who lost favor with Prince Odin and House ENki. Her late mother was a ‘regular’ human woman, born into a Lower House. She was never looked down upon, even though offspring from Anuk and man was discouraged. As Markus is from common Anuk lineage, the stigma of an interracial union did not sting.

  When Koray was 12, she was instrumental in the recovery of twelve-year-old Persephone, who had gone missing while on a family retreat in Persepolis. Her bravery saved the Princess’ dignity. Since then, they have been inseparable.

  Everyone knocks before entering Persephone’s chambers, well not Samiri, or Koray. With a wine jug in hand and three servants trailing, the handmaiden enters with her usual happy disposition; what she sees gives her pause. “‘Sephie!” Immediately Koray orders the servants to leave their trays on the ground. She closes the door to begin an interrogation.

  “Don’t start.” Persephone’s eyes plead for Koray’s silence. “It’s not what it seems,” she says, grasping a thin stretched out length of rope.

  “So, you’re not going to climb out the window without me?”

  “Alright, it’s exactly like it seems.”

  The girls peer out the window to look at the steep drop to a far-off platform. Koray lists more than a dozen reasons to dissuade Persephone, though she knows they will fall on deaf ears.

  “You know I love you, right?” Persephone says. “But I have to do this on my own.”

  “I don’t get it one bit. You’ve been acting strange these past months. I
didn’t want to say anything, but I feel as if I have to now.”

  “Koray, my only friend, I am stifling you. Instead of running around doing fun things, you’re stuck in a desolate prison my mother designed for me.”

  “Then come explore the place, flirt with boys and destroy their fragile egos…”

  “If only it were that simple,” Persephone says. I know you’re eager for the ball tonight. Why not go see what the town has to offer?”

  “‘Sephie, you know I won’t go without you.”

  “You must. It’s the only way we can act like two girls, without an entourage judging our every move.”