The Table of Kalila Nag - Part 2

If you missed my opening prologue, to better follow along click here: The Table of Kalila Nag - Prologue

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Where is aba? I asked hoarsely. But no one answered, Ada and his siblings beginning to back unnaturally away, Ama's comforting arms slipping from my chest.

Suddenly I was alone and lying on the ground, my flesh tingling as little sparks flew from my arms and legs. I tried to cry out, but no sound left my throat.

In the distance, I heard the rumble and crashing of approaching thunder, clouds darkening the sky where Utu had shown brightly only a short while before.

Moments that had earlier passed began to reappear as if time reborn, the roar of the great dragon rising above the tumultuous river whitened with the foam of his terrible thrashings.

In the dimming of the returning darkness, I briefly witnessed aba roll above the waters, his arms still gripping tightly around the monster's enormous jaws.

Lifted by powers unseen suddenly from the earth, I sailed through the air, sparks floating from my flesh like from a fire in the night. And then I landed at the river's edge softer than ama's caresses.

Behind me a woman gently spoke my name. Thinking it was ama, I turned. But a goddess stood before me, her skin shining brightly as a cloudless day and wearing raiment sparkling like a thousand Anunnaki. I fell at her feet like a dead man.

With a voice like the rushing of waters over stones, she lifted me up with gentle words from her divine throat, saying, Do not be afraid my little one. I am Nammu, ama-gan of An, the god of the sky, and Ki, the goddess of the earth, ada and ama of all the Anunnaki in the celestial heavens.

The great serpent Kalila Nag has stolen the Tuppi šīmāti, the Tablet of destinies, from the Queen of Heaven and now the mother of waters flows backwards to the beginning of all things.

Didila ur-sag, though you are small, Nin-anna calls to you from beneath the gates of the underworld. You will join her there and she will tell you all that you must do.

With a terrified blink of my unworthy eyes, she disappeared. Turning back to the mother of waters, I saw it was now covered in mists in the pale light of the early dawning. Aba too stood next to me, gazing blankly at the veiled waters in silent contemplation.

Aba! I cried out loudly, but instead of answering, he began to back away. Twirling around, the encampment and its fires were gone, ada and his brothers also retreating behind aba who stopped frequently to lean on his staff. Behind them ama and her sisters, my siblings and cousins, all backing across the dry and golden fields, the little children's heads drooping in exhaustion, their feet dragging and kicking up dust.

Aba! I called out again, this time with tears in my eyes, I don't know what to do!

But when Aba paused to rest, everyone and everything paused with him, even Im-mar-tu's breath slipped away, the grasses that a moment before waved gently standing still.

In my throat I knew that aba heard me and somehow his fierce love and might had briefly stopped life from slowly returning to the beginning.

The hope I felt in that moment burned like fire deep inside me. The hairs on my little arms and legs lifted into the air, sparks beginning to fly from my exposed skin to the ground surrounding me.

My throat swelling with the secret words, I cried out loudly, not with a child's voice but a man's.

Hear me la-ha-ma ur-sag and listen to my voice. You have told me many times of the first war of the gods. And I, didila ur-sag, the smallest of us all, have heard you. In my blood the mighty races of old sleep.

It is time to awaken them.

Although the world remained silent and still at my words, aba's expression changed. He smiled, the fire within me burning brighter and hotter, the sparks flying in waves from my flesh and setting the grasses where I stood ablaze.

Aba's smile widening, I felt my feet slowly rise above the flames, the hairs on my head, neck and back now standing on end.

Nin-anna shall rise again, I suddenly roared, I, didila ur-sag have sworn it!

Aba laughed, breaking the spell and he began to walk backwards again, everyone and everything I ever knew disappearing from my gaze when I flew up into the air like a star streaking across the inky blackness of night.

I flew higher than the falcon before it turns and dives toward the earth, the sparks flowing from my body like a sea of fire. I began to yell with a power and life previously unknown to me.

The tears that I shed in the ecstasy of that moment turned in an instant to vapor in the great heat cocooning me, the celestial firmament transfigured to gold by the brightness of my light.