The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (70 page)

Stopping to rest at the edge of a clearing
filled with tall weeds and scraggily huckleberry bushes, Ishtar
looked into the gathering gloom pondering what she should do. The
previous night’s rain would pale in comparison to this approaching
storm, and here there were no giant trees to shelter under. The
forest was thinning, the trees small and spindly, and the leafy
thickets filled with thorns and stinging nettles. On the verge of
tears, she looked for a trail through the thickets in hopes of
finding a better hiding place to weather the coming tempest.

“
Screech-a-chk-chk-chee-screech!”
The
cry of a deep forest beast fell upon Ishtar’s ears, quickly
followed by
“screeh –ee- kac-chee-screech!”
reply coming
from a different direction. Too terrified to scream, Ishtar
clutched her chest as her heart erupted in an excruciating spasm.
Hearing the howling again shook her to her senses. Off she went on
a mindless run, escape from these
monsters
her only
concern.

The going was not at all easy, and when she
blindly ran into the thorny branches of a wild rose bush, Ishtar
surrendered to the fates of the moment. In howling despair, the
girl fell to the ground, crumpled up into a little ball, clutching
her bleeding face while weeping pitiably. “Mother! Oh, mother! Why
has it come to this? What evil has your little child done to be
treated with such cruelty? Why have you not come to rescue me?”

A chill gust of wind suddenly swept over
Ishtar, sending shivers through her naked body. Rolling over onto
her back, she sat up, wiping oozing blood from her mouth while she
contemplated the moment. A tempest appeared to be swiftly
approaching. The girl needed to find some shelter soon. There was
none here, and… and… her belly ached from hunger. Oh, she was so
hungry...

At that instant, the shine of tiny, glowing
lights appeared off in the darkness, accompanied by quiet hooting
noises. Forgetting all other concerns, Ishtar struggled to her feet
and took to flight on a limping run.

Flight did not last long though, the girl
soon tiring in hopeless despair. The hooting had been constantly
growing louder as the creatures drew ever closer. Eventually, the
surrounding wood was filled with countless glowing lights, Ishtar
believing them to be the ghostly eyes of the approaching demons.
Dismayed, the girl looked up to see the trail entering the looming
forest ahead. Whimpering in surrender, she sat with a
plop!
in the middle of the mossy, grass-covered clearing.

Accepting whatever might become of her, she
waited while watching the golden lights grow brighter. The
creatures drew nearer, all the while quietly hooting. A sudden
movement high above caught Ishtar’s eye. She glanced up just in
time to watch a pair of those lights, accompanied by a black
shadow, swoop down from a tall tree and land gracefully in the
grasses little more than a rod from her.

Though terrified, Ishtar could not help but
stare curiously at the intruder. Small, little larger than a street
cat it was, with giant saucer-size eyes that glowed golden yellow
like the moon. It reminded her of the dancing monkeys found in the
marketplace...except this monkey could fly!

After quietly studying the girl for some
time, the little monkey-like animal began a wild, excited hooting
and stood up on its hind legs, jumping about in frenzied gyration.
Ishtar could clearly see the wide flaps of skin that allowed the
monkey-like creature to glide down from the trees, but she took no
note of it for, at that instant ,the entire forest erupted in a
deafening hooting and screeching as hundreds of dark shadows began
jumping about in raucous tumult… probably in anticipation of their
upcoming meal.

The little creature finally tired of its
antics and fell forward on its tiny hands. The animal had long
fingers of sorts, the same as could be found on its feet. Bobbing
its head from side to side as if studying this newfound arrival, it
began to cautiously approach, the other monkey-like animals leaning
forward, watching curiously.

Ishtar screamed, frantically waving her
arms. The little creature jumped back, chattering excitedly,
exposing its long fangs as it cried out in surprise. The other
creatures all joined in with their screeching chatter. When Ishtar
finally stopped her panicked gesticulations, the uproarious antics
of the little animals also subsided.

Soon the creature that had swooped down from
the trees began anew its investigative approach. Ishtar shouted,
flailing her arms to fend the creature off. All her efforts to
scare the little fellow away were futile, for every time the
creature was chased back, it would advance a little closer on its
next return. The other monkey-like animals soon began following
suit, becoming bolder until dozens of them were little more than
arm’s length from the girl. The excited hooting eventually quieted
to little more than curious chatter, the closest of the creatures
slowly pawing at the air as if reaching out to touch the girl, but
not yet sure how wise it might be.

Ishtar was at a loss about her situation.
Were the beasties waiting for the others to gather, or on some
signal to make their attack? Small they were, true, but so many of
them, she stood no real chance of surviving such an onslaught
should it come. What was she to do?

As the girl sat there, contemplating her
dire straits, she recalled a gruff voice as though coming from some
confusing dream. “The Lord of Uncertainty brings many to these
depths below. They wait until it is too late, no decisions come to
them, and down into the waters they sink and drown.”

Well, the Lord of Uncertainty would not take
her without a fight! Ishtar cautiously started getting to her feet.
If these tiny monsters wished to make a meal of her, they would
have to fight her to get it! As she stood, the entire clearing
filled with riotous chatter, but the creatures did not attack. The
little animals began anew their hooting, pointing at her while
looking excitedly at one another.

Summoning her courage, Ishtar finally
started for the edge of the forest. The creatures did not attack,
but jumped clear of her, all the while hooting and dancing about
while leaping into the air, stretching their arms and legs wide to
drift a few feet upon the gentle breeze. In a slow and deliberate
manner, the girl gradually neared the edge of the wood, finding a
narrow trail that would take her to a large, open meadow not far
away.

The hazy flash of distant lightning raced
across the sky, revealing the approaching tempest. Several seconds
later, thunder rolled up through the forest and away down toward
the eastern wood. Then silence, the breeze even dying to a deathly
stillness. Ishtar looked down, surprised to see the little
monkey-like creatures staring up toward the sky, moving their heads
about, searching the evening air. She could not help but wonder
what matters were all about. Could it possibly be something caused
by the approaching storm? The girl doubted it. Instinctively she,
too, cocked her head to listen, but for what?

Then she heard it, far in the distance off
to the east. Drifting in on the night air came the most hauntingly
beautiful of night songs. It flowed around her, through her,
filling the girl’s soul with feelings of warmth and contentment,
and others more sensual in nature. All the little monkey-like
creatures erupted with excited chattering and hooting, dancing and
scampering about like puppies sensing their master’s return.
Creating a deafening commotion, the entire troupe scampered off in
the direction of the lilting song.

Not wasting the moment, Ishtar lunged toward
the trail leading to the meadow beyond, only to be stopped up
short. A shadow of a much bigger creature passed across the trail
and into the wood. Had the little monkey animals run away, not
because of the singing, but from some other evil lurking in the
trees ahead? Her heart racing, she peered into the gloomy
undergrowth to see what might be hiding there.

Gradually her eyes discerned the ghostly
form a two-legged beast or person. It was too dark to tell. The
shadow did not move. Gathering up her courage, she shouted with
defiant uncertainty, “Who
are
you?!”

A voice off to her left called out,
pleading, “Please child. Help we have come to give. Let us assist
you.”

Ishtar perked up her ears, wondering. Was
that the voice of her uncle… or, more likely, the man claiming to
be such? Possibly it was her uncle’s angel coming to rescue her.
After all, she had been very busy praying for rescue, and angels
were real, or at least if the stories of the aged ones could be
believed, they could be. Dare she chance such an improbability? She
thought not. Shaking a fist, Ishtar bravely shouted, “Leave me be!
I’ve got a knife and I’ll stick you!”

“Do you mean
this
knife?” The shadow
stepped forward into the evening light. The shadow was that of the
shirtless man seen earlier in the building, he now covered in cloak
of sorts. The man held the knife Ishtar earlier lost when fleeing
back into the wood after seeing those horseless chariots. The man
smiled, holding up the blade. “You should be more careful where you
leave your playthings. One could get hurt if happening upon this
accidentally in the darkness.”

Ishtar cried out in fear and frustration,
but refused to surrender the moment, standing defiant. All the
while, the glen slowly filled with other shadows. The quiet was
suddenly shattered by the hoots and screeches of the returning
monkey-like creatures, this time accompanied by a woman of dark
skin with silvery-white hair, dressed in a long, flowing cape,
high, laced sandals, and little else. The woman lowered a hand
toward the animals and softly called out some sort of a command to
the little creatures. When all was quiet, she spoke to Ishtar.
“Please child, come with us so that we all may escape this
approaching storm.”

Staring wildly at the woman, Ishtar clenched
her fists, screaming out in despair, “Why do you seek my death?!
What have I done to you so that the whole world chases my soul in
search of its destruction?!”

She spun about, preparing to flee into the
meadow beyond only to see the path now blocked by two uniformed
shadows. Crying aloud, Ishtar stepped back, knowing not what to do.
These were officers of the court, soldiers of the emperor. There
would be no escape now, only death for her rebellion, a quick one
here… possibly, but unlikely… a slower and more painful some other
place, the better reality.

The closer of the two officers stepped into
the fading light, extending a hand and pointing a finger. “A
servant of this land you are, to do the bidding of its lord and
master. To the will of its rulers you have not submitted yourself,
and well you know the penalty for such disobedience. What do you
say? Will you submit to the rightful powers, now that you have been
reminded of them?”

Ishtar’s head swirled with confusion and
bewilderment as long-sleeping memories began to waken, filling her
head with dread and ghastly sights. This man, this officer she
remembered - at least somewhere far back in the recesses of her
memory remembered. She remembered enough to dread and fear him. He
was the
law
, enforced the law in any manner he saw fit.
There would be no escaping this man or his wrath.

Dropping her arms in defeat, Ishtar lowered
her head and bowed, distraught, staring at the ground. “Lord
Treston, I fear I have spoken without knowledge this day. Please
allow this child life and overlook her ruefulness.”

Treston could barely contain his real
feelings. Knowing he must play this night to its full, he gruffly
replied, “Life and death are not yours to command. Remain where you
are and do not resist any longer.”

Ishtar nodded, promising to be
submissive.

Treston’s heart ached with guilt and
remorse. Here was the
goddess divine
he loved and cherished
so. The pain of this charade was nearly as distressing as would be
death, possibly more so. He must do something to ease his growing
anguish, but what? He smiled. There was one thing he could do.

Removing his officers’ cape, he stepped up
to Ishtar, wrapping it about her. “I promise you no harm this
night. The powers in this land wish only for your rescue from the
coming storm.”

When the woman of song approached, Treston
lifted a hand toward her, requesting, “Chasileah, do not bind her
for she has promised to remain obedient to us.”

Chasileah smiled, replying. “Yes, my lord,
as you wish. This I will do, and tend to her injuries, too, as well
as procure some food for a hungry belly.”

Soon she, Ishtar, and the others were in the
meadow, making haste to escape the rapidly approaching storm.

Last to leave the wood were Drorli and
Treston. They stopped at the edge of the field, watching the
distant lightning, listening to the rumble of the thunder as it
rolled over the hills. Drorli thanked Treston for the part he
played in all this.

Treston frowned, his head sinking in dismay.
“This has hurt me more than may be. Should I have perished forever
would have been lesser of a punishment than I have endured this
eve. Hope, I pray, that never shall I suffer so again.”

Drorli laughed, patting his friend on the
shoulder. “Almost gave yourself away there… being so soft on the
girl.”

“
What!?”
Treston was not pleased at
all by Drorli’s comment. “Murdered her once! Wasn’t that sufficient
enough? Never will I be able to look her in the eye without feeling
such regret.”

Drorli laughed again. “Feelings change, have
changed. The pain we will all forget once the tapestry has been
woven to the full. Trust me, that girl will love you one day… loves
you even now, doesn’t know it yet, but she does.”