Ashlyn Chronicles 2: 2288 A.D.: A Time Travel Sci-Fi Fantasy (21 page)

Her pangs of despair were short-lived. A large image of Anu appeared. Her speeding heart slowed, allowing her to grasp onto the comfort his voice provided.

“I am Anu, and I speak for the Council of Twelve. We have summoned you to the nexus, where according to Anunnaki law, you will do battle in the arena. You are accused of disobeying the decree issued by the Council, which is a treasonous offense, punishable by death. Your disobedience has also resulted in the loss of many Anunnaki lives and the lives of innocent people indigenous to Tiamat.

“The accuser who brings the charges against you has earned the right to have us summon you, by having passed through the gauntlet and surviving the trials within the netherworld.

“By Anunnaki tradition, and in accordance with the laws established long ago when the nexus was founded—your guilt or innocence will be determined by the outcome of the battle within the arena. Should you survive, you will be deemed innocent of the charges against you and sent back to the world from which you came.

“And, as is the right of both the accuser and the accused—you may now behold the face of your opponent.”

Anu’s image faded, giving way to that of a vast army of Anunnaki. They were standing shoulder to shoulder in a gray void, like her own. Ashlyn swallowed. She’d not known there would be so many. They were two-hundred abreast, forty or more deep.
Eight-thousand, maybe more,
she thought. Ashlyn had no idea how she could defeat so many, not without her Transor powers. It was impossible.

“This is my accuser? A lone woman?” shouted one of the Anunnaki males. Like the others, he was dressed in clothing befitting a warrior. The image enlarged, showing Ashlyn the man who had spoken, bringing him to the fore. “Send the others home. I volunteer to battle her alone—in my bed! You have my promise that by morning she will be dead from exhaustion.” The army behind him laughed and cheered.

“Silence, Ra,” shouted Anu, addressing the large man directly, his voice loud and angry. “Show respect for the arena and what the challenger has endured to be here today. There is not a single man among you that could have passed the trials. Nor should the charges against you be taken so lightly. Your words bring no honor to you or the Anunnaki people.”

“We have heard no charges, just false accusations,” retorted Ra.

“As is your right—you may now hear the charges brought before the Council,” said Anu.

The visual imagery changed, now showing Ashlyn standing in the temple on Olympus, appealing to Anu. Solon could be seen kneeling at the base of the stairs behind her. “Lord Anu, I seek your permission to enter the netherworld.

“I wish to face my enemies in battle. The people on Tiamat are caught in a war between your sons, Lord Enki and Lord Enlil. Many Anunnaki lives have been lost in Enki’s defense of my people. As have many Anunnaki lives been lost by Enlil’s forces in his attack upon us. I want to put an end to the war. I want to save my world and my people—as do I want to save the lives of the Anunnaki who are faithful to the decree issued by the Council—before it is too late.”

Anu’s image reappeared. “The request made by Lady Ashlyn is honorable. She fights to save the lives of her uplifted people, and the Anunnaki, upholding the decree issued by the Council. The nexus knows the hearts of all men, and it has summoned those who have aligned themselves with Lord Enlil, and against the Council. Even now, the Anunnaki on Heaven are bearing witness to these events. We will continue to watch and see everything as it occurs in the arena, so that it can serve as an example for all who seek to betray.

“It is now time to reveal the arena that the netherworld has prepared for you.”

The image changed to that of a bleak and ominous world. It was a place of dark, nightmarish shadows, lit only by the flashes of lightning in the churning clouds above. Heavy rumbles of thunder crackled, carried by a strong wind that had twisted the barren forests of trees into grotesque caricatures. Ashlyn could almost believe they were alive and moving, as the shadows played tricks on her eyes.

The image of the world disappeared, leaving Anu standing before them. “Let the battle begin. May justice prevail.”

Anu disappeared. A few seconds later, Steven reappeared. Now of normal size, he calmly approached her. “Only you can see and hear me.” Looking at her warmed his heart. “More than anything—I wish I could hold you right now. You look beautiful, Ash. I miss you terribly.” He swiped his hand through hers, his emotional need unable to resist.

The longing in his eyes told Ashlyn that he was holding something back. She decided not to ask what it was. Inside, she wasn’t ready for the answer. “I miss you too. The others, are they already in the arena?” asked Ash.

“No, I left them in the void,” said Steven with a sly smile. “They needed a little humbling.

“And I wanted a moment alone with you before you enter the arena.”

“Speaking of the arena—how can I fight so many?” asked Ash, her voice strained. “Without my Transor powers, I can’t defeat all of them.”

“You have an advantage that you aren’t aware of. There is much that you have not yet learned about Anunnaki history, and it is why I needed to speak with you,” said Steven. “The arena is designed to balance the scales. It provides a level playing field regardless of which side has the greater number. And because you are so greatly outnumbered, the nexus weighted the arena heavily in your favor, giving you a much greater portion of control over its manipulation. The balance of power will continue to shift as the numbers of your enemy change, and if at some point the battle becomes one on one, that individual will have equal control to your own.”

“Control over what?” asked Ashlyn. “I don’t understand.”

“When we built the arena long ago, we made it to be a living world. Think of it as a place where magic exists,” said Steven. “You can make near anything happen. You just have to think the commands. It has limits, but they are few.

“Remember the gauntlet, the lightning? It was doing more than testing your resolve. The nexus was making an imprint of your genetics. It was discovering your strengths, skills and abilities. Based upon those results, it designed an arena that is literally, made for you. It is your right as the accuser and the one who sought justice. I don’t mean to imply it will be easy. It won’t. A single mistake can kill you.”

There was a moment of silence between them. Steven’s words hung heavy in the air.

It was Steven who finally broke the silence. “One more thing before I leave. I’ve been watching your progress through the netherworld, and I saw the moment when you discovered your ability to see your enemies from afar. You are the only person I’ve ever seen to possess such a gift. I urge you to call upon it, use it. It will be your greatest ally.

“The arena is without limits as to size. It is a world unto itself. Your enemy will need to find you, and that special vision is invaluable. Use it to your advantage. Force the enemy to find you. Set traps, cut their numbers down before they even lay eyes on you. Surround yourself with barriers, and dangers for them to conquer. The more you can slow them down, the more traps you have time to set.

“But I urge you to use caution, because the dangers you create for them, can kill you as well. Be specific, give focused commands. And don’t forget that at some point, it’s likely that they will discover that they too can control the environment around them. That is when the war will really begin.” Steven’s image began to fade.

“I know there’s a lot of pressure on you, Ash. I wish I could help you fight them.”

“I wish you could too. I love you, Steven.”

“Ditto.” Steven’s familiar response brought a smile to her face.

As the void disappeared, Ashlyn found herself alone, standing in the unearthly forest. Towering, black, lifeless trees surrounded her. Her toes sank into the soft, dank ground. The air smelled like rotted compost, a dense mist clinging to the ground around her knees. The clouds glowed, flashing from within. The sounds of heavy rumbling thunder came at her from all directions, sending tremors through the puddle forming around her feet. The shadows cast by the lightning were deep, menacing. An occasional bolt lanced the darkness, striking the dead trees and ground. It was a world that embraced death.

Unsure of where her enemy was, she took Steven’s suggestion and engaged her mind to search for them. Ash assumed the unique ability was one of the genetic enhancements Tynabo had given her. She was thankful for his foresight.

Ash had learned to let the ability flow freely, letting its intuitive sense guide her. Like a passenger on a train, she watched it soar above the treetops, winding its way through twisting valleys that snaked through a nearby mountain range. A moment later, it came to a stop before her enemy, twelve miles away.

Surveying the scene, Ashlyn saw that each man now bore a sword. The arena had balanced the scales, equipping them with a weapon equal to her own. Not surprisingly, Ashlyn saw no females among them. She’d learned from the Keeper that the Anunnaki didn’t allow women to participate in war or politics. Lord Malor’s disrespectful conduct back in Eridu had proven that. Women weren’t respected.
It’s the dark ages all over again. I’m going to have to spank Steven for letting that happen.

Ash saw that the men were looking upward, watching the skies. As her mind-vision followed their gaze, she saw that eight of the Anunnaki men had shifted into the Naga form, the same flying creature that Solon had chosen on their journey to Olympus. They were scouts, sent out to search for her.

All right, let’s see how this whole thing works. Steven spoke of limits. Let’s see what they are
.

“I command a large meteor to strike the army, destroying them all.”

Ash watched the skies, but nothing happened. “Guess I knew that wasn’t going to work. All right, let’s try something—smaller.” Knowing she needed to remain hidden for as long as possible, Ash made the scouts her first priority. “I command large, fiery hail to fall from the skies and attack the flying Naga creatures.”

Instantly, random spots within the dark churning clouds began to glow, radiating a reddish-orange color. From each of the glowing clouds, watermelon size pieces of fiery ice rocketed through the atmosphere, targeting the Anunnaki that were in flight.

One of the scouts fell almost instantly as the heavy hail caught him by surprise, killing him. The other Naga were swooping, spinning and dodging the bombardment. Their flying skills were masterful, and they had little trouble avoiding the sporadic hail.

Ash saw that she’d scaled it down too far, and needed to think bigger. She envisioned the hailstorm being a hundred times heavier, blanketing her enemies in the air and on the ground.

Instantly, the skies released a spectacular assault of biblical proportions. Thousands of icy fireballs rained down, racing toward the enemy. The Naga still in the air were struck down, torn apart by the impact, the flaming pieces of their bodies transforming back into their natural state as they fell to the ground.

The thousands of men below scrambled for cover, taking refuge behind the large trees and natural cover afforded by the terrain. It was of no use though as within seconds, the ground was ablaze, the meteors destroying everything in their path. The heat boiled the fog and moisture on the ground, making the air thick and hard to breath. Injured men called out for help—hundreds of others screamed in pain as they died.

Wanting to take advantage of her enemies’ confusion, Ashlyn stepped up her assault. “I command the trees around my enemy to attack. Destroy them all.”

Ashlyn watched as the trees suddenly came to life. Like arms, the long, gnarled branches reached down, spearing the men. Terror-filled screams rang out as the trees lifted the men high into the air. Like competing giants, the attacking trees tore at the men, pulling them apart. Crushed skulls, legs, arms and torsos fell. Roots rose from the ground wrapping around the men, dragging them below the surface.

Those that were able, hacked at the roots that slithered along the ground and chopped at the branches that came at them from above. It was clear that the trees would win, if not for the fiery ice indiscriminately taking its toll on the trees as well. They exploded, shattered and burst into flames. The forest was an inferno, and yet the trees fought on—doing as commanded. The men died a terrifying death.

As the number of trees dwindled, Ash decided to help them by ordering the ground to liquefy beneath the men. The ground softened, becoming like quicksand. Hundreds of men were trapped, slowly sinking into the ground until they disappeared out of sight. The men grasped at the attacking roots and branches, anything within reach—until finally, their strained, clawing fingers, stilled and went limp.

By Ashlyn’s best guess, five-thousand men had been killed. Their collaboration devolved. It was everyman for himself as they ignored the outstretched hands of friends begging for help. Those that could dropped their swords and shifted form into the Naga, deciding that the sky was their only option.

Almost three-thousand Naga took flight, and of those, most didn’t survive more than a few seconds. The Naga were in chaos, scattering in all directions.

When Ashlyn saw that some were getting away, she called upon the arena to produce a massive tornado around the enemy, encompassing all of them. The wind quickly grew beyond that of any tornado Ashlyn had ever seen before, the eye itself over two miles in diameter. A few Naga thought to challenge it, hoping to push through—but were shred into pieces by the strength of the wind. Trees tore from the ground. The wind peeled the earth away, leaving an ever deepening scar in its wake.

The dark gray swirling wind of the tornado turned orange as the forest of burning trees was sucked up. The heat from the fire was increasing, the base of the tornado broadening, narrowing as it climbed. The Naga were trapped within the core’s eye as a spinning vortex of flame began to grow in its center. The tornado had become self-energizing, the wind providing the flames with oxygen, while the rising heat from the fire empowered the wind. It was building in strength, feeding itself.

The Naga fell, succumbing to the heat and lack of oxygen that the flames were consuming. The final nail in the coffin was the hail; it was her enemy’s death knell.

For safety, Ash shifted into her dragon form. The intensifying wind was starting to sway and bend the trees around her.

Picking up the sword in her claws, Ashlyn took flight, distancing herself from the cataclysm. In her mind she could see the hopelessness of the few remaining Naga circling in the air with nowhere to go. They gasped for air; their bodies being scorched by the flames. Wanting to end the pain, resigned to their fate, the four remaining Naga flew into the vortex of fire.

Setting down upon a hilltop, two miles away—Ash stared at the tornado, watching it grow larger by the second. The column of fire within shone like a beacon. With the last of her enemies dead, Ash recalled the far reaching mind-vision. The battle was over.

Ash spoke, commanding the arena to bring the apocalypse to an end. From her vantage point, she watched the winds still and the hailstorm die. Taking a deep breath, she let out a loud shrieking dragon’s roar, and belched a stream of fire at the sky. She’d grown to like the sound and power.

Returning to her natural form, Ash took a seat on a boulder. Though the battle had been won, and justice had been served—her heart was heavy. Eight thousand men had died at her hand. Thousands of women had lost their husbands, as had children lost their fathers.

For Ashlyn, the victory was not a time to rejoice, but a time to reflect. Her thoughts went to the Anunnaki, and how similar they were to their human counterparts. Both were warlike, yet driven to explore the unknown. Each had an inherent thirst for knowledge, and a desire to seek out a better future—but Ashlyn also knew that more was needed for a society to flourish. It required cooperation, civility and adherence to the laws set forth for the common good. Even deeper, it required goodness and the willingness to sacrifice for their fellow man.

The events Ashlyn witnessed today had taught her a lot. The men she’d faced lived to please one person, themselves. They had abandoned their friends, ignoring their pleas for help. They were missing the component of compassion and love.

A small, cooling breeze swept past Ashlyn. On the ground next to her, she caught a glimpse of a moving shadow. Ash rolled to her left. A large broadsword came down with a loud clang as its point struck the boulder she’d been sitting on. Whirling around, she saw her attacker. It was Ra. He was a towering, mountainous man, taller than any Anunnaki she had ever seen.

The man was smiling. “It appears that I learned the secret to how you murdered my friends. I am Ra, and I will need no tricks to slay you; for I have been chosen to avenge them.” He swung the big sword again at shoulder height to Ashlyn.

Ducking below the sword and dropping to a knee, Ash slashed at his left leg. The blade caught him on the shin, slicing through his leather armor. Ra tottered, taking a step back. Blood spurted onto the ground. Regaining his balance, he took a step forward and raised the sword high, bringing it down atop her head. Their swords clanged as Ash put her sword up crossways, blocking his. Giving a long, gut-driven growl—he pushed downward on his sword, forcing her to kneel.

Overpowered by him, the weight of his sword forced her sword lower. His blade reached her shoulder, cutting deep into her upper arm. The pain released a surge of adrenaline. With the rush of energy, Ash gave a gutsy scream and forced his sword back until she was again on her feet. The look on Ra’s face was one of shock, her unexpected strength surprising him. With a throaty shout, Ash pushed his heavy sword aside. The move exposed his shoulder and sword arm to her. Spinning around, Ash swung the sword with all her strength. The sword cut through the leather and into his bi-cep, down to the bone.

Stepping back from him, her chest heaved, taking in a large breath. Raising the sword defensively, she held it tight, both hands wrapped around the hilt.

Ra growled angrily as he ripped his armor off, wanting to rid himself of its constricting confines. “If you surrender to me and let me take you atop this mountain for all the worlds to see, I will spare your life. You will be shamed, but you will live. It is far more than you deserve.” The smile on Ra’s face was wide as his desirous eyes took her in—desire not driven by her beauty as much as by her warrior’s skill.

“You have no honor, Ra. Your very existence defiles all that it means to be Anunnaki.” Ash hefted her sword higher inviting him to attack.

The root of a tree suddenly wrapped around her front foot, yanking her to the ground—the off-balance fall knocking the wind from her.

“See, I can command the trees too.” Ra pointed his sword at her. “Kill her,” Ra commanded the trees.

“No,” Ashlyn ordered. “Let me go.” The roots unwrapped, letting her go. “We could do this all day, Ra—or, we could fight honorably. Before the watchful eyes of the Anunnaki people, I challenge you to fight me using only our swords. No tricks, no manipulations. Let us fight with swords.”

“I accept,” Ra said grinning in response. He spun his sword around in a masterful display of prowess, at the end of which he added, “Should I defeat you, I lay claim to the right of taking the spoils. I need only your head to defile you.”

“So be it,” Ash replied, giving him a slight nod. Turning around so that her back was to Ra, Ash raised the sword. With both her hands wrapped around the hilt, she held it upright between her breasts. Ash then closed her eyes.

“What is this? Are you already surrendering in defeat?” Ra took an apprehensive step forward. But seeing her stillness, and unwillingness to confront him, he came at her, his sword hovering over his right shoulder. Coming to a quick stop behind her, Ra swung his sword at her neck.

Knowing that the heavy weight of the large sword had committed him to the swing, Ashlyn dropped to her knees. As the sword passed, just inches over her head, Ashlyn bent her torso backwards and thrust the sword behind her, pushing it deep into Ra’s stomach.

Ra staggered. His grip on his sword loosened, and it fell from his grasp to the ground, making a loud clang. His shaking hands went to Ashlyn’s bloody sword blade and wrapped around it. Blood bubbled from his mouth.

Ashlyn rose and stood before him, her hands tight on the hilt. Pulling it from him, she hefted it back off her shoulder. “I am here to enforce the decree issued by the Council and restore honor to the Anunnaki people. May justice prevail.”

Her hardened eyes locked with Ra’s. “By your own words, you chose the spoil to be taken.” Ash swung the sword, removing Ra’s head.

A heavy barrage of lightning bolts lanced the darkness and struck the ground—the thunder rumbled as the world around her faded.