Chapter 32

Naamah walked swiftly beside her gigantic guard, rage fueling her steps and allowing her to keep pace with him. What was it about Noah that always made her feel powerless? She no longer felt any attraction toward him, but his words still sliced through her and made her feel helpless. The lack of control she felt around him was the same as when her then-beloved father brought home a second wife all those hundreds of years ago. Really? You’re not going to die today? She smirked. We’ll see about that.

A gaping door stood at the end of the wide passage, but the hulking figure at her side opened up a smaller door to their right, which led to a snaking path up to the main platform. Approaching Tu, who waited by the entrance with his armed escort, she tossed her hair behind her back with a flick of her head and straightened her shoulders.

“What’s going on, Amah? Why are you and Da here?” His old pet name for her sparked something from deep within, but she squelched it.

Four guards accompanied them through the smaller exit; two led the way while the other two followed. Her giant companion left her side in order to enter the arena from a route more suitable for his size.

“We took over the town. Well, it was handed over to us. No battle necessary.” She allowed Tubal-Cain to walk beside her and he leaned his head occasionally to avoid the low ceilings. “The king plans to make Iri Geshem our northern capital.”

“Come on, Noah’s not here, and you don’t have to brag in front of me.”

She leveled a cold look at him. “I’m not kidding. Once you see him, you’ll know the truth.”

He shrugged. “So what does he want with me?”

“You’re his son, why shouldn’t you share in his greatest achievements?”

“He’s always left me alone before now.”

“Well, you’re not young anymore. Maybe he thinks it’s time you started showing loyalty to your family.”

“Oh, I’m not young anymore, huh?” His face lit up with his unique grin.

Naamah kept her visage expressionless, hoping to hide her thoughts from him. Oh, Tu, when’s the last time I’ve seen a genuine smile from anyone? I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed you.

“You know,” he said, “you’re not so young yourself.” He winked at her. “And what’s this new look you’ve got going on?” He pointed to the intricate design on her shoulder, where embedded ink interwove with lines of delicate scar tissue to form twisted vines and snakes in the branches of a Sepha tree. She had endured countless needle pricks and fine knife work to shape the image and raised skin, which covered her shoulder and a good portion of her arm, and extended down her back. Yet she had received it so long ago that she had almost forgotten it was not naturally part of her. “Nachash has been very good to me all these years.”

“Pardon me for saying so, but I don’t believe that. You still look beautiful, sister, but the look in your eyes and the wear around them tell me a different story. You seem wrecked by Nachash.”

Anger flared again, and she sneered. “How could you say that? Don’t you realize I could have any man in this arena if I so chose? But I doubt that anyone in this place is worthy of me.”

He groaned and shook his head, but the pity in his eyes drove her onward. “I have more power than ever before. In moments, and with barely a nod of my head, people run to do my every whim: whether that’s to sentence someone, to start a new project, or to simply call someone to bring me a piece of exotic fruit from the south country. I have it all.”

“You seem to. But you’ve forgotten the most important thing, that which makes life truly meaningful.”

“And what’s that?” She spat the words at him.

“You’ve chosen to ignore the Creator and His ways. Instead, you’re a slave to your own passions and pride.”

“Enough! The Creator is a weak God worshiped by weak-minded people desperate to justify their own failure to rise in this world. You will speak no more to me about this, and if you know what’s good for you, you won’t breathe a word of it to Da.” She turned away slightly and bit her lip, frustrated that she used an informal name for their father in this setting. It was a sign of weakness that he flustered her, but if he noticed, his unchanged expression did not show it.

Naamah stepped in front of him and held her head proudly. Seeing the sunlit entrance ahead of them, she was glad his opportunities to harass her had come to an end.

One of the guards hurried out through the exit to announce their arrival to those seated in the place of honor. After he returned, he motioned to the guards in the rear. “You two, escort the Prince and Princess of Havil to their waiting areas atop the platform.” The soldiers instantly obeyed, grabbing Tubal-Cain’s restraints and forcing him forward as Naamah followed.

The back wall temporarily blocked their view of the sizable audience, but Ashur’s annoying voice welcomed the people to the dawn of a new era of prosperity and peace. He pontificated on how the King of Havil had arrived just in time to save them from whatever evil killed three of their leading citizens. “And now, give your king the honor due to his greatness.”

A deafening roar split through the arena, making her ears ache, while reverberating through her chest. Soon the voices quieted, and Naamah imagined the king’s fist raised high, commanding their attention.

Lamech’s voice thundered through the crowd. “My people, as your first king, I’m indebted to your loyalty. Let us celebrate the peaceful transition and the prosperity to come.” A slight pause followed before he yelled, “Let the games begin.”

The crowd erupted again. Having witnessed it in Havil and a few of the other cities they controlled, Naamah could picture the scene clearly: a small company of captives shuffle their way into the center. Once the guards return to safety, a door opens, allowing whatever wild beast lies behind it to come and prey upon the hapless victims. As elsewhere, the roar of this crowd revealed their enjoyment of the sport. She sneaked a sideways glance at Tubal-Cain, who was still heavily guarded. With his eyes closed, his broad shoulders quivered as his lips moved silently. Even the sentry fumbling to untie her brother’s bonds failed to interrupt his focus.

You haven’t seen anything yet. She laughed low in her throat, thinking about how powerful she was compared to him, that even this death sport had little effect on her emotions.

“And now, my people,” King Lamech called out, “I give to you Nachash and unity.”

From their place behind the platform, Naamah and Tubal-Cain followed their cues and entered through the heavy brocade fabric that draped on either side of the open doorway. The deafening applause thundered again as she confidently took her place on the king’s right. The newly unveiled statue of Nachash towered above them to her right.

“Let me introduce you to two people whom you may have already met. The first is Naamah. She, my only daughter, is high priestess of Nachash, and quite a sight to behold. Am I right?” He paused, letting the crowd show their approval.

The volume of praise filled her heart, and she breathed in the moment, holding her fist high in the air. As they chanted her name, she twirled and sashayed a bit, accentuating her best features in a spontaneous dance, spurring the crowd into more of a frenzy.

“The next . . .” the king waited for silence, “the next is my oldest son and heir, who has lived among you as one of your own for centuries. Your favorite blacksmith, Prince Tubal-Cain!”

Amid cries of delight, a guard directed Tubal-Cain to sit in the large throne made for him on Lamech’s left. He leaned toward the king and shook his head slightly, “You know I want none of this.”

“Quiet, you fool!” The king scowled at his son. The vehemence of his words caused the tight curls of his coiffed hair to dance about his shoulders. “You will do as I say.”

“My good people.” He straightened the crown on his head. “Tubal-Cain and Naamah are brother and sister, they are my children and they will demonstrate before you their loyalty to Nachash and their unity to this new, wonderful nation. Bring forth the sacrifices!”

Two scantily clad, stone-faced women came forward, each with a baby in her arms. They stood in front of the towering serpent statue, its golden head held aloft, forked tongue ready to receive innocent blood.

Lamech gestured to a guard who quickly handed him a knife. He held it out to his son. “And now, here is my son to offer the first official sacrifice of Iri Geshem, the northern chief city of Havilah.”

The color drained from Tubal-Cain’s face, and he folded his arms across his broad chest, refusing to take the dagger.

Shock rippled through the crowd, slowly silencing their cheers.

Come on, Tu. It’s just one baby. Naamah tapped her foot on the stone flooring.

Anger churned in their father’s eyes as he stood and approached Tubal-Cain. “You will do as I command.”

Tubal-Cain held his head high. “People of Iri Geshem,” his voice rang out as clearly, if not clearer and louder, than the king’s, “I am not a prince of Havil. I am but a servant of the Most High, and He never asks for the blood of a child. Only the Great Deceiver demands the sacrifice of a baby.”

The people jeered and shouted their disapproval.

Lamech, in his anger, whirled and stood before his throne once more. When the crowd quieted, he spoke loudly. “If your squeamish, sensitive nature cannot handle the demands of sacrifice, then at least bow before Nachash.”

Unfazed, Tubal-Cain shook his head. “Never.” He turned to the crowd. “Friends, I beg you, turn from your ways. Remove the shackles of fear and bondage brought by Nachash and embrace the one true God, the Creator.”

Naamah watched the unfolding power play between her father and brother as both tried to sway the masses to their way of thinking. Just bow, you fool.

“My son, you talk of fear.” Lamech rubbed his hands together. “You say your worship of the Creator frees you from fear?”

“Yes.”

The king held out his arms. “Good citizens, he lies. Bring out his wife!”

Tubal-Cain gasped as the guards brought Adira to the center of the stadium and one of them shoved her. With disheveled clothes and hair, she staggered and fell to her knees.

“She will die if you do not bow.” The king flashed a grin at Naamah before fixing his gaze on his son. “Surely you fear that!”

“Stay true to the Creator, Love!”

The plaintive cry of the bound woman annoyed Naamah, and she hissed. “Just bow! Don’t you see that you could lose everything?”

He pierced her with his eyes. “Rejecting my Creator would be the worst loss of all.”

The crowd yelled out a variety of taunts. “This is unity?” “You can’t even control your own offspring!” “We want blood!”

“Tu, she will die if you don’t bow.” Naamah’s voice squeaked in desperation. Ugh, why do I feel so powerless?

“You have one more chance to show your loyalty.” Lamech narrowed his eyes on his son.

Tubal-Cain stood silently.

“Very well.” He held up one finger toward a small entryway into the arena. “Bring it out.”

A pithoct entered the area, snarling and tugging against its restraints, which were held by a pair of strong warriors. The beast bared its two long upper teeth, locked its eyes on its prey, and roared.

Why wouldn’t Adira tell him to bow? Now she’s made Da look bad in front of all these people. I hope it’s a slow and agonizing death for her. Naamah watched the proceedings in front of her intently, hoping to catch the full measure of pain and justice.

“Listen to me! As your king, I know what you want and what you need. Nachash will have his unity and his blood. Not even my son will get in the way of that.”

Alarmed at the undertone of pure hatred in his voice, Naamah turned just as her father lifted the sacrificial dagger he still grasped. His hands quivered only slightly before driving it into the lower right side of her brother.

“No!” The scream escaped Naamah’s lips before she could stop it. Tu! How did it escalate to this?

Adira shrieked and ran toward them.

Tubal-Cain slumped against the railing, keeping his eyes on his wife.

“A kingdom cannot allow such treason to exist.” Lamech stepped forward, bent down, and lifted Tubal-Cain’s legs up and over the railing. “Die with your wife, Traitor!”

Naamah fought to control her emotions as she watched her brother fall into the arena and hit the ground with a thud just as the guard released the furry beast. It took every bit of her self-control to resist charging her father to push him over the rail as well. She glared at the back of the king’s head with all the hatred she could muster. Someday, you’ll die for this.

The beast slowed as it seemed to contemplate which of the two victims it preferred first. Keeping its distance, it circled around the couple, stalking them, as Adira tried to shield her wounded husband. Finally, it charged.

Tubal-Cain ripped the dagger from his side, scrambled to his knees, and pulled his wife down behind him. As the beast leapt, Tubal-Cain yelled and jabbed the blade upward as the pithoct struck him. The animal moaned as it collapsed on its target. Screeching, it hopped awkwardly to the side before stumbling, a dark red spot growing on its white-furred chest. Lying on its side, the creature kicked its legs for a few moments and then stopped moving.

Tubal-Cain remained motionless as well, except for the barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest and a slight turn of his marred face to look at his wife. She knelt at his side and pulled his wrap away from the dagger’s previous location. Blood oozed from the gaping wound, causing her to slump over him and wail. He struggled to lift his left arm and drape it over her.

Unable to watch his demise, Naamah turned away. Seething rage increased with each breath.

Tubal-Cain’s wife screamed in agony, and it echoed through the arena, causing some to laugh while others looked on in shock.

Having heard similar cries many times before, Naamah knew her brother’s life had just ended. Tu! How could you be so stubborn and ignorant? How foolish to give your life for nothing.

“Take her,” Lamech said to the giant guard, who had just entered the arena, while pointing at Adira. “Put her with the next batch of prisoners.”

Naamah glared at her father. His smile showed his delight in the turn of events. You wanted this to happen all along. She paused in her thoughts and looked up at the giant serpent next to her. O Nachash, grant me strength and wisdom to exact revenge on him.