ANUNDR: THE EXODUS (2 page)

The night was lit with hundreds of lanterns and torches as people made their way to the palace grounds. Meldric was at the highest balcony in the palace, pacing back and forth. He said to one of the guards, ‘Where is the Rahmon?’

‘My lord, he’ll be here shortly.’

‘If he isn’t, I’ll begin without delay.’

‘I’m here—with the main attraction.’ said Akasha. The guards made way for him as he limped forward with the baby. From the torches the guards held, Meldric noticed the Rahmon looked a different man from the one that had taken the child. His cheeks drooped and his eyes were bloodshot while the skin under them sagged.

The king took the child and said, ‘Is there something wrong?’

‘What--no, nothing can ever be wrong.’

The king took another look at him, then stepped forward and addressed the people. ‘People of Helmford, I stand before you not just as your king but as a complete and happy man. For many years, we all have waited for this call and now I present to you,’ he lifted the baby up, ‘Princess Natalia.’

Akasha jerked his head up to look at the king, his lower lip quivered and his eyes had grown larger.
Like he had seen a ghost
, Meldric thought but that was at the back of his mind. He smiled as the crowd cheered, many chanting the baby’s name.

A gust of wind that swept through the castle, putting out the fires and throwing the grounds into darkness. Gasps and screams escaped from the crowd. A red star shot through the sky, exploding into several white shooting stars. The people stampeded in the direction of the gates to leave the grounds.

‘What does this mean?’ Meldric asked Akasha as they left the balcony.

‘I believe the child is special to the gods.’

‘What then did Machish say?’

Akasha narrowed his eyes and said, ‘That she will do great things. Nothing to worry about, I assure you.’

However, the prophecy worried Akasha for years after that. Even as time had its way with the child, it left Akasha’s memory of her as a baby untouched.

He remembered carrying her as he and his nine personal rahis made their way to the temple of Lemoth. The rahis walked in an ordered triangular formation, their white robes glowing against their burning lanterns as they chanted while the Rahmon led the procession at the apex of the triangle. This was part of the tradition at the birth of Helmford royalty. Akasha left the rahis at the entrance of Machish’s Lair. The temple was divided between the gods, Machish and Sheroth. All the rahis, male priests, and the rahais, priestesses, lived in the temple, including the Rahmon. However, the Rahmona lived in the palace due to her position as queen. The rahis and rahais were forbidden from visiting each other’s living quarters and holy places. The Rahmon was the only exception; he could go everywhere. The Rahmona didn’t have such authority, however, she alone was allowed to procreate. It was believed that the union of the Rahmona and the king would produce demi-gods who would be fit to rule, so whoever became queen would be the next Rahmona when her predecessor died.

Like Sheroth’s chambers, the walls of Machish’s lair were made of gold. On them were inscriptions which only the rahis could understand. The rivers of Palife flowed at the sides close to the walls. They flowed from the throne of Machish to an underground tunnel in the temple. From them came a strong smell of incense. To be servants of the gods, the rahis and rahais passed through the ceremony of Madiza where they were taught the secrets of the gods and the temple. The last stage of it was that they would bathe and drink from the underground rivers of Palife, the streams that flowed from Machish’s lair. When this was done, they would forever be in the service of the gods.

There were lit candles at either side arranged from the entrance to the altar. It was a mystery how the candles were lit and replaced. There were four pillars in the lair, which were shaped like the legendary guards of Machish, each with the head of a frightening creature. Semblances of these pillars were found as statues everywhere in the temple.

On a golden throne sat the warrior-god himself holding an exact likeness of Akasha’s staff with the three-headed snake on the top. The statue of Machish was made of gold and in its open mouth was a large oxblood stone in the rough that created an illusion of a dark void.

Akasha placed the sleeping child on the altar. He raised his staff and swirled it around her, making incantations, ‘
Dimitriv irk von rickos salamon kin derskia,
’ He continued with fervency, ‘
Rakuski yantba sat kalislanus rashi.
Show me her future.’

There was silence. The candles flickered and out of nowhere came a strong current of wind milling around the room. Akasha saw the flames from the candles rise out of their wicks and come together to form a ball of fire before the altar. Akasha went down on his knees and dropped his staff. The baby woke up crying but he could do nothing to soothe her for he too was afraid. It had been a long time since he had seen the god manifest in such a form.

The ball of fire shaped itself into the figure of the three-headed snake. Akasha bowed.

‘O great one, our great protector, I present to you the child--’

‘Ah…’ said the snake head in the middle, ‘she has been born.’

‘Forgive me, but you said the child would be male.’

‘Don’t be deceived. This girl child is worth more than your best warriors. She’s far more dangerous to us.’

‘What do you mean
more dangerous to us
?’

‘Among the spirits, she is called the
Adarakanthis
, but you’ll know her as the heir of Anundr. She’s the enemy. The beginning of her reign will mark the end of ours.’

Akasha’s eyes glowed with recollection of long buried memories. ‘What do you suggest should be done?’

All the heads spoke as one, ‘Kill her.’

‘But she’s a girl. She cannot sit on the throne.’

‘You know well enough that her throne is beyond this world.’

‘But I cannot kill her without proof.’

‘You fool! You’ll have your proof. Tonight, if the king names her Natalia, know that your days are numbered. You couldn’t kill her then, I doubt you could kill her now. Remember, her progress is your destruction. Machish has spoken.’

The ball of fire disintegrated and the room returned to what it had been, but Akasha was forever changed.

Akasha had never feared death, but as Natalia grew, his faith in his immortality weakened and in came nightmares of what had been and what was to come.

The girl was placed under his mentorship and he watched those dark eyes grow with curiosity, understanding and mischief--and those olive lips began to laugh, talk and question. Yes, Natalia questioned everything. It drove him mad and he wished he could burn all ‘why’s and ‘how’s and throw their ashes into the sea.

By the age of seven, she would run about the temple and enter forbidden rooms. By the time she turned eight, she knew more secrets about the temple than the king. Her father alone indulged her and was the only one who knew how to discipline her. Whenever she heard his voice low and angry, she would go and sit in a corner, remaining silent until he called for her. Her mother, however, watched her grow from a distance like she was a vision, and indeed she was. Her wild raven-black curls and bronze skin were exotic and in contrast with her parents’ lighter features. It caused a stir in the court with many raising suspicions of her parentage. The voices would reduce to whispers whenever she passed or she was brought to stand by her father’s side in the court. The rumors reached the king’s ears. He had cast it aside with a frown and laid the issue to rest in court by stating that whoever made such a statement would stand trial to face his wrath. However, it had still inclined him to ask his wife while they watched Natalia play in the garden, ‘My love, sometimes I wonder where our daughter gets her unique spirit and features. She reminds me of the mountain dwellers.’

Celeste’s heart raced. She said, steadying her voice, ‘She reminds me of my grandmother, Lady Wlamir of Ismin. She’s in fact her very image. It’s a pity you never met her.’

‘I thought you said your late father was your only surviving relative in your childhood.’

‘True, but I met my grandmother a few times before she died. My father also told me many stories about her.’ she said, focusing her gaze on Natalia. Meldric looked on at the little girl through narrowed eyes. Celeste held her breath, knowing he was deciphering the information she had given him. After a few moments, he turned to his wife and smiled, ‘I hope one day you’ll tell me these stories.’

‘Of course.’ she said. She closed her eyes and sighed in relief. The king, however, never remembered to ask, and she never reminded him.

Natalia continued to be a cause for concern. She enjoyed wrestling with the stable boys and would start fights with them for that purpose. When she was ten, Akasha finally convinced her parents that she needed an older girl around as a positive influence. The girl chosen was twelve year old Amira. She had been born and brought up in the temple and was on her way to becoming a rahai. Celeste didn’t like the sight of her and would keep a stern face whenever she was present but Meldric and Natalia loved her. They showered her with gifts of jewelry and fine colored linen even though they knew that as a rahai she could only wear white robes, and jewelry was, to her sect, vanity. Amira taught Natalia many things about etiquette which the latter had refused to learn from her tutors and they grew close, doing everything together.

The fourteenth year of every girl’s life was an important time in Helmford. It meant she could take part in the Coming of Age Ceremony and could finally be introduced into society as a young woman. For most girls, their fourteenth birthday was the happiest day of their lives, for Natalia it had begun as the worst. It had rained hard all day, throwing the grounds into a muddy splurge. She had stayed in her room, hiding under the covers crying to Amira that no one would come for the festivities.

‘They will come.’ Amira said.

‘No, they won’t! And the lords’ daughters will make fun of me. It can’t get any worse.’ she said, covering her face with the sheets.

Amira was right. People came. When a servant announced that her father wanted her to receive her guests, Natalia jumped out of bed and rushed Amira to dress her up. But things got worse. She had to stand in her beautiful blue dress on the soggy castle steps under the drizzling evening as the guests rode in, splattering mud everywhere. She saw the jeering looks of the girls’ faces as their fathers made jokes with the king about the weather. Natalia bent her face to hide her burning cheeks and she fiddled with her hands. She wished no one had come. It was even worse that the guests had to wait outside with them to receive a messenger from Arngeirr. Natalia could hear the giggling behind her as time passed but no one came.

‘Father, can we go in now?’ Natalia said. Her eyes burned but she refused to cry.

‘Wait.’

‘But he’s not coming.’

‘He will come.’

When Natalia turned to her mother to side with her, she heard the sound of hooves. She turned and saw the banner of the golden bear raised high as men in black armor rode towards them.

‘I told you he will come.’ King Meldric said with a smile and brought Natalia and the Queen down the steps.

A rider came towards them and dropped down from his horse. The mud splashed on Natalia’s dress. She gasped.

‘Wha—’

Her father held her arm and shook his head to stop her.

‘Forgive me.’ The rider said and took off his helmet, displaying a young angelic face and golden brown locks. He didn’t look older than sixteen.

‘Prince Ishkhan of Arngeirr, welcome to Helmford.’ Meldric smiled.

The young man bowed. ‘My father sends his best wishes to you and to—’

‘Ah yes,’ said the king, ‘Natalia, meet Ishkhan, son of King Hametis.’

She bowed and met his soft brown eyes.

‘Happy birthday.’ he said

King Meldric turned to the guests. ‘Now the feast can begin.’

But the worst wasn’t over. Prince Ishkhan was beside her all night and all attention was on him. They addressed him and ignored her. She felt like an intruder in her own celebration. By the time the night was over, Natalia stormed out of the hall with her eyes burning.

‘Wait.’

She turned around and saw the prince a few steps behind her.

‘What is it?’

He smiled. ‘I’ve been wanting to speak with you all evening.’

‘You sat beside me all evening.’

‘I wanted to be alone with you first. For a prince, I’m not very good at talking in public.’

‘I wouldn’t have guessed. If I may take my leave—’

‘You looked very lovely tonight.’ he said, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned around. ‘Yes, I thought the same before you smeared me with mud.’

‘But I apologized for that.’

‘I didn’t accept your apology.’

He stepped forward. ‘So how can I make amends?’

She sighed. ‘First, you can try jumping into the first pond you can find.’

‘Is that all?’

‘I’ll think up the rest later.’ She hugged herself and stomped away.