Sword of the Gods: The Chosen One (3 page)

Seraphim
:
  an
sub-species of dark-winged Angelic which was wiped out 25 years ago by unknown
aggressors.  Only one member of this species survives, Colonel Mikhail
Mannuki'ili.  The Colonel went missing 7 months ago and is presumed dead.

Grigori:
 
a species of fire-breathing
dragon which disappeared from the galaxy approximately 150,000 years ago.  It's
rumored Emperor Shay'tan was once a Grigori, a
true
dragon, a question
which always elicits a toothy, enigmatic smirk.

Sata'anic Lizards
:
  a
species of sentient lizard which make up the largest portion of Shay'tan's
armies.  They suddenly appeared 74,000 years ago to replace Shay'tan's
predecessor species of soldier, the Nephilim, a species which is now extinct.

Marid
:
  a naturally evolved
species of blue-skinned humanoids which had begun to spread out in the
uncharted territories until the Sata'an Empire annexed part of their territory
three generations ago.  They are now divided into two sub-species:  the Sata'anic
Marid, who serve in Shay'tan's armies, and the Free Marid Confederation, whose
homeworlds still remain free.

Catoplebas:
  a naturally evolved, boar-like species that makes up part of
Shay'tan's armies.  They are known for their pugnacious disposition.

Tokoloshe
:
  a
sentient, bear-like species infamous for its aggressive nature and their
disgusting habit of cannibalizing their enemies.  The Tokoloshe have spread
across the uncharted territories like a plague and all species fear them. 
Rumor has it they are a science experiment gone terribly wrong, but whenever
asked, Emperor Shay'tan and Emperor Hashem point their fingers at each other
and say 'he did it.'  It's rumored this is the motivation behind the Eternal
Emperor's strict 'seed world' policies prohibiting interference with emerging
pre-sentient species.

Ascended Beings:
 
aka 'old
gods.'  Most are creatures which were born mortal but, after countless
lifetimes, genetically evolved enough to figure out how to make themselves
immortal.  They possess various levels of ability, ranging from demi-gods who
can merely heal themselves to 'elemental' gods who have learned to harness the
laws of physics.  A few such as
She-who-is
were born full-fledged gods
by virtue of the fact they have gods for parents.

Needles:
  
biomechanical space dwelling creatures the size of a large porpoise with a
marsupium (pouch) that can transport cargo or, if small enough, a humanoid, 
through space.  They can instantaneously 'leap' across subspace the way an
ascended being can, but are only marginally sentient.  Nobody knows where
needles came from.  A small herd of them just appeared one day and the Alliance
put them to use.

~ * ~ * ~
* ~ * ~

Ascended Realms

Emperor Shay’tan

Shay’tan

“You're out of
pawns!”  

Shay’tan flared his
leathery wings as he moved a black pawn into position.  The alpha-predator,
waiting to pounce upon the first blunder his adversary made in their eternal
game of Galactic Chess.  He caught himself showing his ‘tell’ and tucked his
wings against his back, his long, dragon-like snout assuming an expression of
pure innocence.

“Court pieces are
worth more than pawns!”  The Eternal Emperor Hashem's tone was patronizing, as
though he were delivering a lecture at a scientific conference.  He moved a
white rook to take the pawn his adversary had moved right into its path.  “They
can outmaneuver them.”

“Ahhhh….”  Shay’tan's
smile transformed into a predatory grin.  “You don't have enough respect for
your pawns.”  The old dragon moved a second pawn to take the white rook he'd just
set up for a fall.  “No matter how powerful your court pieces, you will never
have enough of them.  Especially if you keep throwing them away on trivial
moves.”

“I'm using superior
pieces to employ a superior strategy!” Hashem's wild white hair and bushy
eyebrows gave him the aura of a mad scientist as he feigned an indignant
expression.  “You think too short-term to grasp the subtleties!”

“Ahh… Everyone knows
winning is about numbers!”  Shay’tan said.  He dropped the unfortunate rook
into his growing pile of conquests.  “He who has the most chess pieces, wins.” 

 “What are you up to,
you old devil?” 

Hashem's bushy
eyebrows scrunched in concentration as he scrutinized a suspicious-looking
group of pawns clustered in the uncharted territories.  He picked up a white
knight and considered his next move.

Shay’tan gave him an
innocent smirk, his long red tail twitching like a cat stalking a mouse…

“White knight to Zulu
Sector Three…”  Hashem moved the white knight towards the middle of the
clustered black pieces. 

“Oh no you don't!” 
Shay’tan grabbed a black rook and reached to take the white knight.

'It is time….'

She-who-is interrupted
the game before either emperor could complete their move.  The neutrinos which
allowed them access to the ascended realms dissolved.  The two old gods were
sent back to the material worlds to see how their manipulations played out …

~ * ~ * ~
* ~ * ~

When men
began to increase in number

On the
earth

And
daughters were born to them,

The sons
of God

Saw that
the daughters of men were beautiful,

And they
married any of them they chose. […]

The
Nephilim were on the earth in those days—

And also
afterward—when the sons of God

Went to
the daughters of men

And had
children by them.

They were
the heroes of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:
1-4

February – 3,390 BC

Pain.

The first sensation he
recognized was metal piercing flesh.  He gurgled in agony as lungs scraped
against the steel rod which had pierced his breast, pinning him to the deck of
his ship like a butterfly.  He couldn't even scream.  The best he could do was pant
small, shallow breaths. 

Blood welled in his
throat, burning and gagging as he exhaled.  The stench of blood filled the air;
the scent of his impending death.  One wing lay shattered beneath him, bone
piercing skin and feathers, while the other had no sensation at all.  He tried
to move his arm, but it was broken.  The other arm and wing were pinned beneath
the collapsed bridge.  He couldn't feel his legs.  He had no idea whether they
were pinned, broken, or severed completely from his body. 

His head hurt as
though someone had hit him with a club.  He tried to remember his name, who he
was and how he'd gotten here, but his mind drew a blank.  It didn't matter.  No
living creature could sustain these kinds of injuries and survive. 

‘So this is it,’
he thought. 
‘The end...’

A single tear escaped,
the sting of salt as it passed over a cut oddly sharp through the pain of his
other injuries. 
Alone.
  He'd always known he would die alone.

He closed his eyes and
prayed to pass quietly into the void, to feel his life slip from his body so
his pain would end, but he didn't.  Even close to death, some part of him, the
part that remembered who he was, whispered to him.  Fight.  Survive.  Live
another day.  Smite those who had done this to him, even though he'd no
recollection of who he fought or what he was fighting for. 

Long after he should
have passed from this world, he continued to fight for each and every breath.

~ * ~ * ~ *
~ * ~

February – 3,390 BC

Earth: 
12 hours earlier

Ninsianna 

They were looking for
her.  She could
feel
the clutch in her gut of someone attempting to
force her to do something she didn't want to do.  But … no.  The sensation was
not close.  The chit-chit-chit of a squirrel reassured her she'd left no trail
for a search party to track her.  Exhausted, she dropped her satchel and sank
to her knees.

“Mother of All-That-Is
…"  Ninsianna, whose name meant
She-who-serves-the-goddess,
raised
her palms in a universal gesture of supplication.  "The Chief has ordered
that I am to marry his son, or no man at all!" 

Curvaceous and
tawny-eyed, with a magnificent mane of hair which cascaded down her back like a
chestnut waterfall, Ninsianna had always been pursued by boys, but this was the
first time one wouldn't take
no
for an answer.  The chief's son was
persistent, and far too used to getting his own way to listen when she'd told
him
'I just don't love you.' 
What did he think she was?  A simpleton? 
Jamin only sought to increase his prestige by marrying the shaman's daughter!

"If I had been
born a man, they wouldn't
dare
treat me so!"  Ninsianna exclaimed.
"I want a husband who will
cherish
me the way Papa does my Mama! 
Not just a servant to cook his food and bear his sons!” 

She stared at the
slender brook which only flowed because they were still within the rainy
season.  Whatever had possessed her to run away?  Although her skills as a
healer would be welcome no matter
where
she traveled, she dared not move
to an allied village.  Jamin was known for his fierce skill as a warrior and
also his infamous temper.  Without a suitable protector, he would simply drag
her back to Assur.